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You’re Invited to The NYC Screening of @Beyond The Lights November 11th #NYC #Free #Screening #BeyondTheLights
You Are Invited To The NYC Screening of
Beyond The Lights
Beyond the Lights is the story of Noni, the music world’s latest superstar. But not all is what it seems, and the pressures of fame have Noni on the edge – until she meets Kaz Nicol, a young cop and aspiring politician who’s been assigned to her detail. Drawn to each other, Noni and Kaz fall fast and hard, despite the protests of those around them who urge them to put their career ambitions ahead of their romance. But it is ultimately Kaz’s love that gives Noni the courage to find her own voice and break free to become the artist she was meant to be.
Tuesday, November 11 at 7pm at Regal Ewalk in Times Square.
http://www.relativityscreenings.com/3D3KBTL
Cast: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Nate Parker, Minnie Driver, Colson “MGK” Baker and Danny Glover
Disclosure: 3decades3kids is a Relativity Pictures movie partner. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are that of our own. We love the movies and enjoy sharing screening opps with our readers. Please follow us on Twitter .@3decades3kids for early announcements on screenings in the NYC area. Contact me at ELGEorgia@aol.com.
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فرم نمایه ها
جلد 4، شماره 2 - ( 6-1394 ) جلد 4 شماره 2 صفحات 8-14 | برگشت به فهرست نسخه ها
DOI: 10.18869/acadpub.3dj.4.2.8
Tabatabaei S H, Akhavan Tafti M, Yaghoobi B. Prevalence of Head and Neck Sarcomas in the Main Health Centers in Yazd from 1994 to 2014. 3dj. 2015; 4 (2) :8-14
URL: http://3dj.gums.ac.ir/article-1-166-fa.html
Prevalence of Head and Neck Sarcomas in the Main Health Centers in Yazd from 1994 to 2014. مجله انگلیسی زبان دانشکده دندانپزشکی گیلان. 1394; 4 (2) :8-14
Prevalence of Head and Neck Sarcomas in the Main Health Centers in Yazd from 1994 to 2014
Introduction: Head and neck sarcomas involve a group of rare malignant diseases with a high histological variability involving various anatomical sites that can lead to under-reporting of the true incidence of these neoplasms. This study aimed to epidemiologically investigate the occurrence of sarcomas of the head and neck within the past 20 years in Yazd, Iran (1994– 2014).
Materials and methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study, 16114 patient’s records with malignant tumors were examined via the census method, which were available in the archives of 8 main treatment centers in Yazd, Iran within a 20-year period. Age, sex, occupation, habitat, type of sarcoma, tumor location and grade, metastasis, recurrence, and history of head and neck irradiation were recorded. Data were analyzed in SPSS software version 17.
Results: Among 586 cases of sarcomas, 59 cases (10.06%) were identified with head and neck sarcomas. The mean age of the patients was 32.22 ± 8.31 years, of which 26 (44.01%) patients were males and 33 (55.9%) were females. Soft tissue sarcomas were noted in 41 cases (69.5%) rhabdomyosarcoma was the most common (27.1%). Eighteen (30.5%) patients had hard tissue sarcomas osteosarcoma (15.3%) was the most common. Soft tissues of the head and neck were the most (49.20%) involved sites. Most sarcomas were low grade. In 5 patients (8.5%), metastases occurred to the head and neck, and the tumor relapsed in 16 patients (27.1%).
Conclusion: The findings of the current study were inagreement with those of other reports referred to in different studies. This suggests that the epidemiology of head and neck sarcomas in Yazd, Iran is similar to other geographical regions.
متن کامل [PDF 406 kb] (444 دریافت)
نوع مطالعه: پژوهشي | موضوع مقاله: Surgery
کلیه حقوق این وب سایت متعلق به مجله دانشکده دندانپزشکی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی گیلان می باشد.
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Trump and the Gordian Knot, Year Two
Imperialer Niedergang, Trump
PATRICK ARMSTRONG | 09.03.2019 | FEATURED STORY
About a year ago I advanced the theory that US President Trump understood that the only way to “Make American Great Again” was to disentangle it from the imperial mission that had it stuck in perpetual wars. I concluded that his statements implied that he believed that
1) the post 9/11 military interventions did nothing for American security;
2) foreign interventions impoverish the country;
3) the alliance system is neither useful nor a good deal for the country;
4) Russia is not the once and future enemy.
I further argued that he understood that the Gordian Knot of entanglements could not be cut from the American end because Americans were too wedded to the idea that the USA was “the indispensable nation” or too complacently accepting of the conceit that it had a moral obligation to set the world aright. (Gallup has just revealed that Americans greatly overestimate the respect and affection the rest of the world holds for them.) In any case “The Swamp” was too entangled in the war business ever to change. I speculated that he understood that the cutting could only come from the other side.
In short I saw method in Trump’s boorishness and well-displayed contempt for Washington’s allies.
So what do we find thirteen months later? Well, of course, one year is not nearly enough time to cause American allies to quit. Washington has not pulled out of NATO and no one has left it, the wars continue, the bases remain; but the Knot is loosening a bit. Despite very strong pressure from Washington, Ankara is going ahead with its S-400 purchase and Berlin is determined to complete Nord Stream. Washington has made its opposition plain – and with menaces – but these two important allies persevere in their contumacy.
Recently more cracks widened. Secretary of State Pompeo at Warsaw, trying to get everyone on board with attacking Iran: “Sadly, some of our leading European partners have not been nearly as cooperative. In fact, they have led the effort to create mechanisms to break up our sanctions.” Vice President Pence at the Munich conference all but ordering the allies to get on board with Washington’s leadership, to stop buying weapons from “our adversaries” and equating opposition to Washington’s stand on Iran with anti-Semitism.
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/03/09/trump-and-gordian-knot-year-two.html
These efforts fell flat. Even The Economist called the Warsaw effort “shambolic” and a number of invited key players sent lower-ranking substitutes. So unenthusiastic was the response that the meeting had to be rebranded as about security in the Middle East rather than about making war on Iran. So, altogether, a bust: the whistle blew but the dogs didn’t come. But worse, Pence’s speech at Munich, praising Trump in every paragraph and threatening allies, fell completely flat with almost no applause. German Chancellor Merkel, speaking for the opposition (lots of applause) demurred. NPR sums up the two meetings:
First, in Warsaw, Poland, the U.S. organized a conference seeking to marshal international outrage over Iran, and Vice President Pence urged France, Germany and the U.K. to abandon the Iran nuclear deal, accusing them of concocting a “scheme” to continue to business with Iran. Top European allies trying to keep the nuclear deal alive declined to send top-level diplomats to the conference.
Then on Saturday, in Munich, German Chancellor Angela Merkel addressed the security conference with several critiques of U.S. foreign policy – and received a sustained standing ovation.
So, a failure for Washington but, if you agree with my theory, a success for Trump’s scheme.
Merkel devoted some time in her speech to Russian gas supplies, pointing out that in the Cold War, both Germanies reliably received gas from Moscow, thereby reminding Pence, if he was listening, of Disagreement Number Two – Nord Stream. We had earlier been reminded of Disagreement Number One which was the unilateral American rejection of the JCPOA. Washington has sanctioned Tehran; the repellent CAATSA (not, in fairness, Trump’s doing) means that anyone who trades with someone Washington dislikes will also become a target of Washington’s sanctions. In reaction, Germany, France and the UK have developed a Washington-independent payment system. How effective it will be remains to be seen but it is undeniably a rebellion against Washington’s fiat.
And now we come to Disagreement Number Three: Washington’s rejection of the INF Treaty. Negotiated in 1987 between the USA and the USSR, it eliminated all land-based missiles with ranges between 500 and 5500 km. The Treaty had been preceded by large demonstrations across Europe against the deployment of American missiles. Washington’s excuse is that Russia has violated the Treaty (Theodore Postol has convincingly argued that, whatever Russia may have done, the USA did violate it). Some see it as the latest target of Washington’s dismantling of the arms control treaties of the Cold War, although one cannot rule out the possibility that this is Trump’s opening position to get an new INF Treaty with Russia and China. But it could put the Europeans on Moscow’s target list if the US puts intermediate range missiles into Europe. (The European protests were a causative factor of the original treaty.) In her Munich speech, Merkel called the cancellation “very bad news” and the former head of the NATO Military Committee, Harald Kujat, flatly called it “a betrayal of the security of the European allies“. The full ramifications of this latest trampling of allies’ interests have not been felt but the Atlantic Alliance will not be stronger for it. And I doubt allies will be any happier with Pompeo’s latest blank war cheque.
Even in Korea, where Trump’s new foreign policy has had, perhaps, its greatest success, we see a touch of the same thing. The two Koreas and China are moving forward whatever Washington does or, as in the Hanoi meeting doesn’t, do.
The economic integration plans are moving forward even before the nuclear issue has been resolved, the sanctions have been lifted, or a formal treaty ending the war has been signed. The entire region appears to be breaking out of Washington’s orbit and charting a new course on its own.
Two things seem pretty clear: the Trump Administration is alienating its allies and it doesn’t seem to care very much that it is. Washington has always overborne its allies but it has usually been more polite and discreet about it. Today there is no attempt to hide it: Trump & Co brusquely tell them our way or else.
Will Washington’s contempt and indifference make Europe start to look east?
Donald Trump and his “America First” attitude has thereby afforded Europeans some space to maneuver and establish some level of autonomy, resulting in increasing synergies with Moscow and especially Beijing.
Or will Europe swallow the insults? Will it stand on its “own two feet“? Or have its feet atrophied? We don’t know yet: there is talk, but talk is cheap and easy.
My question remains: we see the alienation but is it deliberately-caused or is it not? Is Trump behaving in a boorishly unilateral way to force his allies to break the imperial connection, or is it just the habitual “America First” style now crudely stripped of the earlier politesse?
(Which is not to say that they’re aren’t some significant inconsistencies in Trump’s foreign policy and, on closer examination, these exceptions become very confusing and inconsistent themselves. I will take up this question separately.)
Tags: Trump
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All-Time Series Record
Lions Fall To Captains In Regular Season Finale
Chris. Newport
Chris. Newport (20-5, 11-3) 22 21 27 22 92
Penn State-Harrisburg (10-15, 4-10) 21 11 14 20 66
Pts: Jessica Daguilh - 20
Reb: Team - 9
Ast: Zhara Tannor - 2
Pts: Shanique Mattis - 15
Reb: 3 Players (#00, #23, #TM) - 6
Christopher Newport 92, Penn State Harrisburg 66
Harrisburg Starters
Mattis, Miller, Payne, Davis, and Hamby
Christopher Newport Starters
Tannor, Kirkland, Fan, Howdyshell, and Dagulin
The Penn State Harrisburg Women's Basketball team fell to Christopher Newport in its Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) regular season finale on. Before the game, The Lions honored the five members of its 2019 Senior Class, Shanique Mattis, Rachel Miller, Aireo Payne, Briana Davis, and Abrianna Hamby, before the game. The Blue & White were led in scoring by Mattis with 15 points.
Both offenses found their groves early on, with Mattis and Davis each connecting on early three-pointers helping the Lions take a 8-2 lead. The Captains would answer, going on a 15-0 run to recapture the momentum. Harrisburg answered back powered by a pair of layups from Mattis. Kendis Butler knocked down her first three-pointer of the game giving the Lions an 18-17 advantage. Rachel Miller would connect on a three to close out the quarter.
The teams would trade the lead back-and-forth in the opening minutes of the second quarter. Laurel Amey drove the lane for a layup giving the Lions a 27-24 lead three minutes into the quarter. A 10-0 Captains run midway through the quarter allowed the Captains to take control of the game and hold a 43-32 lead heading to the half.
The Captains would control play in the second half, stifling any and all of Harrisburg's attempts to rally. Five different Lions would connect from behind arc in the second half, helping Harrisburg add 10 three-pointer to their single season record total of 255. The Captains would put the game outreach in the fourth quarter, powering to a 92-66 victory.
Inside the Numbers
- Shanique Mattis led the Lions offense with 15 points and 6 rebounds
- Kendis Butler scored 14 points, going 3-5 from behind the arc
- The Captains were led by Jessica Dagulin who scored 20 points
- Harrisburg connected on 10 three-pointers bringing their season total to 255, ranking them in the top ten nationally
The Lions will make their first CAC playoff appearance when they travel to #2 seeded Southern Virginia on Tuesday February 19 at 7 p.m.
Tue, 02/19 | Women's Basketball at Southern Virginia L, 69-62 (Final) RC | BX | V
Sat, 02/16 | Women's Basketball vs. Chris. Newport L, 92-66 (Final) RC | BX | V
Wed, 02/13 | Women's Basketball at St. Mary's (Md.) W, 79-62 (Final) RC | BX | V
Sat, 02/09 | Women's Basketball at Mary Washington L, 66-28 (Final) RC | BX | V
Wed, 02/06 | Women's Basketball vs. Frostburg St. W, 60-56 (Final) RC | BX | V
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I cannot even begin to explain to you how excited I was when I got my hands on a copy of Hilary's new novel Plan Cee. It was as exciting as if someone put a table full of all the deliciously bad food that I love in front of me and told me I could eat it all and not put on a pound!! I know - right?!
I'm sure you all know already that I am an avid fan of Hilary's and I am so excited that I have been able to follow her on her journey from her debut memoir Dangled Carat, to the release her first fictional novel, Plan Bea and now the sequel, Plan Cee. From the moment I read the last page of Plan Bea I hoped, no, I knew, there had to be a sequel. Hilary left us with such an amazing hook that left me dying to know more. The thought of having to wait for Plan Cee to be released proved almost too much that I wanted explode! But finally that day came... Plan Cee had arrived!! Queue the (very rational) high-pitched squeal when I saw it in my inbox. I am almost certain the e-mail was even glowing!! Okay - maybe I have a slightly over-active imagination, but that is certainly what was going on in my head.
So before I get too carried away, I will tell you a bit about the book first and then I will let you know my thoughts on it. I can't wait to share them with you. Though I am sure you can already get a sense of my opinion ;)
Would you abandon your present for a second chance at your past?
Cecelia Reynolds has spent most of her life trying to forget the commitment-phobic man who broke her heart. It wasn’t easy, but eventually she did it, or so she thought…
As Cecelia and her husband gather for a friend’s wedding, her perfect world is thrown into complete turmoil. Even though it’s been twenty years since she last laid eyes on Keith Emerson, all it takes is one glance for her to feel emotions she thought were long gone. When Keith ends up officiating the ceremony, she quickly realizes his message of love is directed at her, not the happy couple. But can she believe him?
We live our entire lives thinking we know ourselves. But do we ever really?
As secrets and lies cause Cecelia’s world to spin completely out of control, she is forced to seek advice from the most unlikely ally. In the process, she must confront the demons of her past and the events that shaped her into the woman she is now. Will she finally learn the real meaning of love, friendship, and family?
While this book is a sequel to Plan Bea, it also reads as a standalone.
Well I can say for certain that, once again, Hilary has not disappointed and has created another little masterpiece. I love the way we follow the story through both Cecilia and Keith's perspectives. Hilary writing is very clear and easy to read, which really makes it easy to follow the story, even though you are jumping between the first person perspective of two different characters.
I already fell in love with the characters in Plan Bea, yes, even Bea! Hilary has develop really strong characters with lots of depth, so you really feel you can understand them. Each character has their own personality and traits which follow through both novels really well.
I love learning about the story between Cecilia and Keith. One thing that this story reminds us is that we should never pre-judge a person or situation. There is always more to a story that what may first meet the eye. Without giving too much away, we found out that Cecelia has misunderstood a situation from her past for many years and this has ended up affecting her dramatically throughout her life. If only Cecelia had known the truth earlier.
This story shows us how a few little lies can end up getting in between a number of relationships - friendships, husbands and wives, children. I felt heartbroken for Cecilia's husband Bryce, but at the same time Cecilia's story is written in a way where you sympathise with her situation. Nothing in life is ever black and white, and this story is a clear reminder of that.
This story doesn't end on quite the cliffhanger we ended Plan Bea with, but there is still a large curiosity to know what the future holds for the characters. I absolutely loved Plan Cee, just as I expected to. I can't wait to continue reading more about these wonderful characters Hilary has created.
Plan Cee is a beautiful story that captures both the destruction that can be caused from lies and secrets, but also the strength of love and friendship.
I would without a doubt give Plan Cee;
Get your hands on a copy:
http://amzn.to/2nL1wdz
Blog Tour Schedule:
March 27 - Chick Lit Plus
March 29 - Booklove
March 30 - A Novel Thought With Jess
March 30 - Rainy Day Reviews
April 3 - Karan Eleni
April 3 - Books and Naughtiness
April 3 - Book Lover in Florida
April 3- Jersey Girl Book Reviews
About Hilary:
By day, Hilary Grossman works in the booze biz. By night she hangs out with her "characters." She has an unhealthy addiction to denim and high heel shoes. She's been known to walk into walls and fall up stairs. She only eats spicy foods and is obsessed with her cat, Lucy. She loves to find humor in everyday life. She likens life to a game of dodge ball - she tries to keep many balls in the air before they smack her in the face. She lives on Long Island.
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HilaryGrossmanAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/feelingbeachie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hilary_grossman/
Chat soon beautifuls,
One October morning in 1932, Vicente Sorolla entered the white house on the hill and was never seen again.
Now, Detective Dori Orihuela witnesses his brutal murder in her nightmares.
Drawn to this tough but tender woman, Vicente materializes out of the butler's pantry and asks her to find his lost love, Anna. Dori wonders if she's not only about to lose her badge, but also her sanity.
Dori has always been drawn to the mysterious Queen Anne Edwardian house in her hometown. But after a devastating injury that puts her career on the line, Dori isn’t sure if she made the right decision purchasing this rundown old mansion.
Her wisecracking Grammy Cena has waited too long for her independent granddaughter to return home. She hires a a kooky psychic to banish the ghost and a handsome contractor with whom Dori has an unhappy past.
With a promise to Vicente, Dori may solve a forgotten Prohibition era murder. Or she may exhume secrets someone died to protect.
Now that you have a little flavour of what this book is all about, here is Mary Castillo talking about how the book relates to her own family history... enjoy!
From Mary Castillo:
Lost in the Light is not just a homage to one of my all-time favorite movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, it is also a journey into my family history. Much of my childhood was spent at my Great Grandma Nana's house in the Westside barrio of National City. As a child, I remember watching the first runs of the San Diego trolley and flagging down the ice cream man during the summers. When I smell pink “naked ladies” flowers, or peppertree and ivy, I'm taken back to my Grandma Nana’s house where she had grown yerba buena next to the white shed and still used her scrubbing board to do the laundry.
Like Vicente, the ghost in Lost in the Light, my great grandmother, Eduvijen Holguin Melendez and her little brother, Ceferino Holguin arrived in National City in 1925 from Douglas, Arizona. Their grandmother, Maria Duran, moved out west because a nephew had said there was a lot of work to be had with the Santa Fe Railroad. Back then, the barrio was a muddy railroad town. Families lived in make-shift train cars and little clapboard shacks with chickens in their yards. My Grandma Nana used to tell me how she would wash my great grandfather’s work clothes in kerosene to get the tar out.
While researching at the Local History Room at the National City Public Library, I found my great grandmother and grandfather's address in the 1926 city directory, my great great great grandmother's listing as well as my mother's grandmother. I also listened to my Great Uncle John Mendez's oral history and found out that my great grandfather on my mom's side had been shot in a gambling hall! By looking at those addresses and the Mexican last names, it was plain to see that the Westside of National Avenue in the 1920's up till the 1970's was the Mexican side of town. Anglos, the term my Grandma Nana used, lived on the east side that had paved streets, lawns and running water. The Westside got a sewer system and paved streets in the 1940's.
The research that went into Lost in the Light has given me a greater perspective of exactly how far my family, like many Mexican Americans, has come from those early days. In 1996, when my Grandma Margie saw me in my USC cap and gown, she said, "Look at this. Everyone told me that my sons would grow up to be bums. One is a fire captain and the other an engineer. Now my granddaughter is a USC graduate."
One of my deepest hopes with this book is that it will honor the humble, but hard-working people I come from.
Buy now on:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Light
Now Available in Audio!
Audible subscribers: http://adbl.co/2kBCb0e
New subscribers: http://www.audible.com/offers/30free?asin=B01MZD7Z2I
Mary Castillo is an Amazon bestselling author and audiobook narrator. She writes chilling paranormal mysteries and sexy, heartwarming romantic comedies, all with compelling characters that keep you turning the pages long past your bedtime! Her debut, Hot Tamara was selected by Cosmopolitan magazine as a Red Hot Read and Latina magazine called Mary “an author to look out for” and selected In Between Men and Names I Call My Sister for the Top 10 Summers Reads in July 2009. Lost in the Light was a finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Paranormal Mystery.
Mary grew up in a haunted house in National City, CA. She cries every time she sees the movies, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir and Casablanca, and may have developed a mild addiction to listening to audiobooks while she knits.
Webpage: www.MaryCastillo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marycastillo/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MCastilloWrites/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marycastillowrites/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mcastillowrites/
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/47331.Mary_Castillo
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Castillo/e/B001ITYOWC
Be sure to check out the other blogs on the Lost in the Light blog tour - there are some real gems!
Reader, Blogger and hopefully one day Author! My biggest dream... to live a life I love xx
Currently Lost In...
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Blog Tour: Plan Cee by Hilary Grossman
Blog Tour: Lost in the Light by Mary Castillo
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Apne Aap
A grassroots movement to end sex trafficking
The Story of Apne Aap
Our Partners & Networks
Financials and Annual Report
External Reports and Documents
Laws & Conventions
Supply Side: The “Organizing for Independence” Concept
Four Essential Rights
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Building A Movement
Red Light Dispatch
Girls For The Last Girl
Campaigns & Petitions
Press Release: Bihar police attempts to disrupt anti-trafficking NGO-Apne Aap’s work in Araria
June 20, 2012 by Apne Aap
Bihar police attempts to disrupt anti-Trafficking NGO-Apne Aap’s work in Araria
Police arrests anti-trafficking activist, files station diaries against founder and state head, confines 15-year-old daughter of Apne Aap staff member in police lock up
NHRC ask DGP Bihar to issue report in four weeks, NLSA asks Purnea District Judge to report action
New Delhi, June 20 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the DGP Bihar to submit a report within four weeks on the arbitrary arrest and subsequent humiliation by the Araria police of anti-trafficking activist and Apne Aap staff member, Mohammed Kalam on 1st June, 2012.
The arrest of Mohammed Kalam is one of a series of attempts by the police to disrupt the work of Anti-Trafficking NGO, Apne Aap in Araria, Bihar.
On 2nd June, the DSP Araria filed a station diary against the Founder of Apne Aap, Ruchira Gupta and State Coordinator, Manish Jha saying that they threatened him.
On 11th February, the police picked up 15-year-old Kajal Khatoon, the daughter of Fatima, a staff member of Apne Aap, near midnight on the pretext of “rescuing” her and kept her in the Forbesgunge Thana all night with no food, water, blanket and no female escort. She was not even allowed to meet her mother;
In May 2012, the police subjected an Apne Aap employee to search and intimidation in his hotel room;
On 2nd June, the SP Araria openly flouted a Supreme Court order and paraded Mohammed Kalam with handcuffs and ropes around his wrists in front of the media.
The brother-in-law of Mohammed Kalam was stopped by the police while driving home on his motorcycle and harassed on the pretext of checking his documents.
Since 2009, Apne Aap has managed to get 51 traffickers arrested, rescued 25 girls and enrolled 24 girls from the red-light district in school. It has organized 110 women to close down brothels in the homes they were living in, leading to the Rampur red-light area shrinking from 72 brothels to 15 and Khawaspur from 17 to 1.
Mohammed Kalam is the Chief Investigator of Apne Aap Women Worldwide in Bihar. Last December, he informed us that his investigations revealed that girls are being bought and sold in the Kali Mela, which comes to Forbesgunge every January. On the basis of his investigation, we filed a complaint with the police. Subsequently on 11th February, the local police conducted a raid around midnight but did not invite any Apne Aap employee to accompany the police force for this raid. In fact, no female social worker was taken on the raid. However, in the subsequent FIR, the SP wrote that an Apne Aap employee, Ms Soumya Pratheek accompanied him on the raid. Ms. Pratheek objected to this and wrote a letter to get her name removed from the FIR as she was not there first of all and secondly the raid violated many human rights norms. Twenty-four girls were rescued in the raid. Inexplicably a staff member’s daughter was picked up in the raid, while curiously some of the other rescued girls were either handed back to their exploiters or to a shelter in neighboring District Purnea about a 100 km away, instead of the short-stay home in Araria itself.
Strangely, one of the rescued girls, Sony, kept in the Purnea Shelter filed a complaint before a magistrate under Section 164 Cr PC, three and a half months after her rescue suggesting that she may have been subjected to duress or inducement in the long interim period. Secondly, she named someone called Kalam and three others. No corroborative evidence was collected by the police to verify if this was the same Kalam. It is also a point to note that the police have only arrested Mohammed Kalam while the others accused in the FIR are still at large.
Mohammed Kalam was ironically arrested on a statement made by a girl who was rescued on an Apne Aap complaint based on an investigation that was led by Sri Kalam. It is not possible that a person with 8 years of experience in anti-trafficking will file a complaint against himself.
Mohammed Kalam holds an LLb degree. He is from the OBC Nat community and was educated by his sister who was pushed into prostitution. He is fighting against sex-trafficking in honour of his mother and two sisters. They educated him so that one day he could stand up against this injustice. He was nominated for the US International Visitor’s Programme in 2011 and named The Week Magazine’s Anti-Trafficking Hero in 2004 and was a resource person for the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime anti-trafficking training programme to sensitize Bihar police.
About Apne Aap : Apne Aap Women Worldwide is a grassroots Indian organization working to empower girls and women to resist and end sex trafficking in brothels, red light districts, slums and villages in Bihar, West Bengal, Delhi and Maharashtra.
About Ruchira Gupta : Ruchira Gupta was inspired to found Apne Aap after making her Emmy Award-winning documentary, ‘The Selling of Innocents’. Ruchira has campaigned tirelessly to promote the leadership of survivors in the global fight to end trafficking – bringing groups of survivors to speak before the UN General Assembly in 2008 and 2009.
For more information please call: 9891628314 or email at
tinku@apneaap.org,manish@apneaap.org
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Official website Metalloinvest
Metalloinvest in 2014
Company Profile and Operational Highlights
Key Events 2014
History of the Сompany
Metalloinvest’s results in 2014 demonstrated that the Company has pursued the right development strategy in the areas of production, finances, and investments, and our achievements will act as a foundation for the Company’s continued sustainable growth”.
Andrey Varichev,
CEO Management Company
Strategy Report and Business Model
Message from the Chairman of the Board
Structure of the Company's Assets
Long-term Strategy
Investment Programme: 2014
Metalloinvest continues to develop its strategic projects aimed at supporting and growing its production capabilities, minimising costs, improving market positions, protecting the Company’s long-term financial stability and increasing shareholder value”.
Ivan Streshinsky,
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Financial and Operational Results
Operational Results
Key Operational Results
Largest implemented projects
Certification Audits
In 2014, Metalloinvest has focused its efforts on developing the Company’s production assets and achieving strong financial results. Metalloinvest has continued to implement its strategy and has reached its targets. It has maintained a strong financial footing and realised its production targets, while exceeding production forecasts for some products”.
Management Bodies
Internal Control and Audit System
The Board of Directors takes a proactive position, both in forming a long-term strategy, and in material issues of operating activity and assessment of work efficiency of the top managers. Qualification and professional experience of the members of the Board of Directors allow us to successfully implement the Company's development strategy”.
Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility
Interaction with Stakeholders
We recognise that the Company cannot develop in a sustainable manner unless it takes into consideration external economic, environmental and social factors. Ongoing dialogue with our stakeholders, an understanding of their expectations and a focus on creativity and partnership are the fundamentals of our approach to responsible business management”.
A balanced commercial policy, long-term and mutually beneficial relations with our key partners, possibility to quickly respond to changes in conditions in the foreign markets, and focus on products with high added value allow the Company to effectively meet the challenges of today, including the declining prices in the global markets and instability of macroeconomic situation”.
Nazim Efendiev,
First Deputy CEO — Commercial Director
Metalloinvest’s steel was used in the construction of Bugrinsky Bridge in Novosibirsk. Bugrinsky Bridge has the biggest arch span in Russia, it is 380 metres long and 80 metres high. It is supported by approximately 9 kilometres of steel cables. The total length of the bridge is over 2 kilometres. The first vehicles crossed the bridge in October 2014.
Metalloinvest took part in the implementation of a large transportation project in Siberia — a bridge over the River Vakh between the Tomsk Region and Yugra. The bridge connected Strezhevoy and Nizhevartovsk to become part of one of the main sections of a motorway in Western Siberia. The bridge is 1 kilometre long, the total weight of its spans is 7,000 tonnes. The throughput capacity of the bridge is 8,000 vehicles per day. The bridge was put into operation in November of 2014.
In September 2014, the Otkrytie Arena, the home stadium of Spartak Moscow football club, was commissioned. The stadium capacity is 45,000. The stadium is included in the list of host facilities for the 2018 World Cup. Rolled steel items for the new stadium were supplied by Ural Steel.
As estimated by the Company, in 2014, Metalloinvest’s market share in key steel segments was:
55–60% in bridge construction;
35–40% in ship building;
55–60% in construction steel;
35–40% in reservoir plants and chemical engineering plants segment.
In 2015, the Company plans to:
increase the sales of bridge steel, and grow its market share to 65%;
increase its market share in the ship building segment to 45–50% by growing sales at Ural Steel;
increase its market share in the segments of rolled steel products for construction and reservoir plants to 65–70%.
Geography of Shipments
The Company aims at geographical diversification of its shipments to the end consumers. Metalloinvest ships its iron ore products within Russia, to the CIS, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Export supplies of crude iron ore and HBI to Europe and the CIS go through the border terminals and sea ports on the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea. Supplies to Europe travel through the CIS countries. Most supplies to China are made on DAP basis and go via a rail terminal in Zabaikalsk.
North America & South America
& Africa
60%Share in the total shipment iron ore, Pellets and HBI/DRI
Main consumers
NLMK
Koks Group
Kosaya Gora Iron Works
39%Share in the total shipment of steel products
Minsk Traktor Plant
Gomselmash
US Steel kosice
Arselor M ittal
Tata S teel
Duferdofin
Hay Speed
OM-NIA
Eurings
2%Share in the total shipment iron ore, Pellets and HBI/DRI
NTN Brazil
Niagara Lasalle
Erdemir
Demirjian
Diler
Kroman Celik
Demirsan
Kobe Steel
Suifenhe
3%Share in the total shipment of steel products
Huffaz Seamless
NTN Thai-land
Diversification of iron ore product shipments
Iron ore Product Shipments in 2013–2014, %
Russia is a priority sales market for Metalloinvest. In 2014, Russia's share of iron ore product supplies remained unchanged from 2013 and stood at 16.2 million tonnes (59%). The large consumers in the domestic market include Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK), Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, Severstal, Evraz, KOKS Group, Kosaya Gora Iron Works and others.
In 2014, the share of supplies to Europe increased to 23% (6.3 million tonnes) from 20% in 2013, primarily due to a considerable increase in shipments to U.S. Steel Kosice. Other large consumers in the regions are ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel, Arvedi and Ferriere Norde.
In 2014, the share of shipments of iron ore products to Asia slightly decreased from 2013 levels (from 8% to 5% for China, and from 9% to 6% for other Asian countries). It happened due to an increase in supplies to the European markets, which generated a higher margin for the Company (due to the shorter transport leg). Shipments to China amounted to 1.5 million tonnes, and shipments to other Asian countries, 1.6 million tonnes in 2014. Among the larger Asian consumers are Kobe Steel (Japan), and the Chinese enterprises of Xilin Group and others.
In 2014, the share of the Middle East and North Africa in the structure of shipments grew from 3% to 4% (0.7 and 1.1 million tonnes respectively) as a result of increasing the volumes shipped to Erdemir (Turkey), the largest consumer in the region.
Iron ore products and metal resources are shipped to Russian steelmaking plants via direct sales. Price calculation in most contracts is based on the iron ore price index Platts (62% Fe, CFR China).
The share of exports in the structure of shipments of pig iron and steel products in 2014 was 88% and 60% respectively. The key sales markets of the Company's Steel Segment are Western Europe, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, CIS countries, North America.
Metallised Product Shipments in 2013–2014, %
Development of long-term partnership with the customers allows the Company to maintain a high level of competitiveness.
In 2014, the Company concluded the following long-term contracts:
Metalloinvest and KOKS Group signed a one-year iron ore concentrate supply contract. According to the contract, the total amount of iron ore concentrate supplies will exceed 1 million tonnes.
Metalloinvest signed a three-year pellet supply contract with Kosaya Gora Iron Works. According to the arrangements achieved by the companies, the total amount of supplies will make 1.9 million tonnes.
Metalloinvest and Ferriere Nord S.P.A., an Italian steelmaking plant (a company of Pittini Group), concluded a long-term hotbriquetted iron (HBI) supply contract.
Metalloinvest and Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) extended the existing long-term pellets supply contract till December 31, 2015. According to the arrangements achieved by the companies, the total amount of supply will make 6.6 million tonnes of pellets. Earlier in 2011, Metalloinvest and NLMK signed a four-year pellet supply contract for the supply of about 21.6 million tonnes.
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for receivers to have a free release
Your one-stop shop for Houston Texans DeAndre Hopkins Jersey , local sports, and news from around the league for Monday, April 19, 2019."Houston Texans NewsKentucky corner Lonnie Johnson works out for Texans, visited several teams (Houston Chronicle)NFL NewsDonovan McNabb: Eagles should draft another QB (NFL.com)Stafford’s wife resting after 12-hour brain surgery (NFL.com)Sessler: All 19 QB draft classes since 2000 ranked (NFL.com)Reuter 7-round mock: See every pick in the draft (NFL.com)Giants’ Dave Gettleman: ‘I like my resume so far’ (NFL.com)Niners LT Staley ‘not worried’ about contract year (NFL.com)Raiders send scouts home, unsure who to trust (NFL.com)Brooks: One pitfall Seahawks must avoid in 2019 (NFL.com)Mayock’s old rankings hint at Raiders’ draft plans? (NFL.com)Houston & Collegiate SportsGame Recap: Astros fall Just Short in Exciting Comeback Thriller. Rangers 11, Astros 10. (Crawfish Boxes) After a swift end to their season, Houston must take action to solve their problems in the secondary."The playoff loss to the Indianapolis Colts confirmed everyone’s fear that the Texans were incapable of beating an elite team. The 2018 Texans were a middle school bully that got away with picking on smaller, feebler kids. Once they got to the NFL Playoffs, it was like they graduated to high school and received the ultimate wake up call. The Texans had the easiest schedule in the league last season and took full advantage of it beating up on the Jets, Bills, Broncos, Redskins, and Dolphins. In their nine-game win streak, the twobest offenses they faced were the Colts and Cowboys; although both won a Wild Card game, they are far from the most potent offenses in the league Lamar Miller Jersey , especially when they faced the Texans. Before we deconstruct the Texans’ secondary, let’s look at who all is on the Texans’ depth chart before free agency begins. In parenthesis is the number of years left on the player’s contract.CB Shareece Wright (FA), Aaron Colvin (3), Deante Burton (1), Kayvon Webster (FA)CB Johnathan Joseph (1), Johnson Bademosi (1), Kayvon Webster (FA)CB/S Kareem Jackson (FA)SS Justin Reid (3), Andre Hal (2)FS Tyrann Mathieu (FA), A.J. Moore (2), A. J. Hendy (2)Kareem Jackson was the highest paid player on the team last season who’ll be a free agent this offseason. He may demand the largest contract (among Texans’ defensive backs) in the market. At the age of 31, Jackson arguably had his best season last year when playing the nickel-safety position. But due to injuries creating a lack of depth at corner, Jackson was forced to revert back to playing on the outside. Jackson was named as a reserve for the Pro Bowl and finished the 2018 season with 87 tackles, one sack, and two interceptions. Since he was by far the Texans’ best secondary player last year, it’s hard to imagine the Texans not bringing back Jackson in a similar role. If the Texans cannot lock up the veteran defensive back before free agency begins, he will be tough to keep around; he could easily leave Houston in search of a defense that can best use his talents and/or are willing to pay him the big bucks on what will likely be the last big deal of his NFL career.Kevin Johnson had his fifth-year option exercised that will keep him in Houston through 2019 if the Texans want that to happen.K-Jo was brought into the organization to be the next franchise cornerback Arian Foster Jersey , but he was literally knocked out of the season after taking a nasty hit against the Patriots in Week 1. This was his second concussion in less than a month and forced the Texans to shut down the former first-round pick for the rest of the season. For Johnson’s own health and the sanity of the Texans, both parties should move on from this relationship. A foot injury in 2016 slowed him down. The MCL sprain he suffered after that may make it difficult for him to drive on the ball. The concussions definitely make it difficult to rely on him suiting up and contributing long term. Nevertheless, since the Texans already lack depth at the corner position, the most likely scenario is that Johnson enters the 2019 season on the Texans’ roster and in a position to be a starter. Still, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Brian Gaine cuts ties with the injury-prone corner.Speaking of Gaine, the new general manager performed well in his first year in the position. However, the signing of cornerback Aaron Colvin to a four-year contract was by far the worst misstep of last offseason. Playing the nickel corner position in Jacksonville was a pretty sweet deal for Colvin; A.J. Bouye and Jalen Ramsey handled the opponents’ best receivers, allowing Colvin to frequently play against average talent. Colvin asked for a bigger role when he joined the Texans, but he was clearly not up to the task. He did suffer an ankle injury midway through the season, but even when healthy the Texans had seen enough from Colvin. In the biggest game of the season, the Wild Card game against the Colts, Colvin was a healthy scratch.It’s not exactly an endorsement of Colvin’s long-term fit in Houston that the coaching staff chose to go with another player like Shareece Wright instead of a high-dollar free agent acquisition.If you are like me and are ready to get rid of Colvin, you’re in luck. Just not yet.Colvin’s contract has an out in 2020 that the Texans should pursue if Colvin doesn’t improve in 2019. After next season, the Texans could liberate themselves of Colvin with just a $2 million dead cap hit.Next on the list are Shareece Wright and Kayvon Webster. Wright was signed in the wake of the Kevin Johnson concussion injury and played significant snaps this season. If you are a fan of the Texans and want to blame someone for the long passes the Texans gave up this season, look no further than Wright. At times, he was the best man-coverage corner the Texans had on their roster. Other times Andre Johnson Jersey , he looked as though he was playing with lead cleats, especially if a receiver put any sort of double-move on him. Though he provided depth, Wright erred on too many plays to be kept as a backup corner. Webster was also brought in after Kevin Johnson’s injury and was working to recover from an Achilles injury that ended his 2017 season when the Texans signed him. Well, Webster’s 2018 season only lasted two snaps as he tore his quad against the Cowboys and was placed on Injured Reserve again. Two serious injuries in consecutive seasons give the Texans no reason to keep Webster on as a backup corner. Free agent Tyrann Mathieu, who many fell in love with the second he announced he would be joining the Texans, had an up-and-down season (along with the rest of the secondary). Quickness and size appear to be too much for him at times, but he would absolutely set opposing players ablaze with devastating hits. Mathieu can play all over the field and fits into Romeo Crennel’s defensive system. Will Mathieu return to the Texans next season? He turns 27 in May, so the Honey Badger definitely has some years left in the league. In terms of continuity and leadership, the Texans should keep Mathieu and pay him well; other teams will be eager to bring him into the fold if he doesn’t stay in Houston.The last player to cover is 34 year old corner Johnathan Joseph. He has one year left on his contract, but does he have one more year left in the tank? T.Y. Hilton and other speedy receivers had field days against him. The off-coverage he must play to compensate for his lack of speed down the field allows for receivers to have a free release. Most likely, Joseph will be back for another season since the team is so thin at the corner position. The only two arguments for not flushing the toilet on the Texans’ entire secondary are depth and salary cap hits. The Texans do have a significant depth problem at the position that may take multiple offseasons to solve. Fortunately, they also have significant salary cap room to use, though much of that may go to keeping Jadeveon Clowney and re-signing Kareem Jackson and/or Tyrann Mathieu. Wiping the plate clean of this mediocre secondary sounds nice, but finding immediate and effective alternatives without losing excessive salary cap room will be a tall task for Brian Gaine this offseason.
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Future of the Campus in a Digital World
J. Michael Haggans
In the evolutionary process of digital transformation now underway, the metaphorical walls and gates that have defined higher education are falling down. The literal walls and gates, the physical campus will need to be rethought to avoid a similar fate. They may be beautiful, historic and evocative, but these attributes will not be sufficient. Those places that do not add educational value, even though beautiful will become the American equivalent of the grand country estates of England, museums of a faded golden age.
For those who view the traditional shared experience of campus as essential to authentic higher education, this is a critical time. Maintaining business as usual and not adjusting facilities trajectories soon enough will put institutions at risk.
Changing Assumptions
Until recently the need for a physical campus was based on several assumptions:
Physical class time was required.
Meaningful exchanges occurred face to face.
The value of an institution was tied to a specific geography.
Books were on paper.
An undergraduate degree required eight semesters.
Research required specialized locations; and
Interactions among students and faculty were synchronous.
These assumptions are now either obsolete or optional. As a result, physical changes are beginning to be made. Classrooms and libraries are being retooled. Student housing and campuses are evolving in response to social media and the changing use patterns of the campus community. From classrooms to libraries to residence halls, digital transformation is changing the physical presence and requirements for institutions that choose to remain competitive.
Some seasoned observers of the current challenges to higher education believe that there is nothing new. Colleges and universities have gone through multiple periods of change and transformation since their emergence almost 1000 years ago. Each time, institutions have adapted and survived.
Competition and Conversation - Changes in competition and the public conversation make this time different. In the United States not only are institutions faced with declining public financial support, but also with questions of legitimacy and cost-effectiveness. They have survived such situations in the past, but the only competition then was less education, not more, not differently delivered.
It would be simplistic to see competition only in the form of for-profit universities. Competitors are everywhere and they take many forms: edX, Minerva, Western Governors University, the ‘nationalization’ of Southern New Hampshire University and Arizona State University, digital course/service aggregators, emerging alliances, online courses developed and promoted by textbook publishers and any number of start-ups promising the next big thing. In addition, traditional institutions are mobilizing to enrich their own on-line offerings for their on-campus students and to preempt ‘cherry-picking’ from the competition.
Even though many competitors may eventually fail, they should not be seen as fads. We should see them as merely the latest forms of a process of digital transformation that has been underway for less then two decades. The imperfections of current forms can be seen as areas for certain improvement. From verification of student identity to modularization of course structure, from mentoring and meaningful interaction, improvements and refinements are being made with entrepreneurial speed.
Until recently, conversation and speculation about the digital transformation of higher education was about pedagogical and technological innovation, in the rapidly evolving hybridization of classroom and online experience. Such issues were largely confined to traditional forums like the Chronicle of Higher Education and its ilk. Only rarely was the rising level of experimentation and adaptation seen outside academic circles. The conversation has moved to the political arena and the editorial page, no longer be confined to the faculty lounge.
While appropriate to acknowledge the historical resilience of traditional institutions, it is not wise to expect colleges and universities to survive in their current form. We have just begun to see the merger of institutions and rising economic pressures leading to business model transformations. As we go forward it will become clear that the legacy costs of bricks and mortar campuses will either contribute to the value of an institution or to its decline.
Implications for the Physical Campus
Once upon a time, college campuses were built around chapels. Today’s universities were built for books, lectures and private offices. A library was assumed to be a repository for paper books with rooms for reading. Academic buildings were the pedagogy-of-lecture cast in concrete. Scholarly isolation was crystalized in private offices.
Digital transformation is forcing institutions to rethink the most basic assumptions about books and lectures. Some are even challenging assumptions about private offices. Within the academic career of current graduate students, long-standing assumptions about higher education have been overturned. Iterative cycles of research, innovation and investment have inexorably raised the performance of non-traditional educational approaches. Time in class need not be face-to-face. Students in a course need not experience it synchronously. Textbooks need not be printed. Contact hour and credit hour are losing literal meaning, just like dialing the phone. Undergraduates have never known anything else.
Learning – Pedagogy is being rethought to exploit the flexibility and placelessness of digital formats while maximizing the value of class time. It is happening course-by-course, department-by-department, and college-by-college. Innovative instructors are exploiting the potential for more effective teaching and learning outcomes. As a result, learning environments – formerly known as classrooms – need to be adapted to support the hybridization of experience. Curricular change still moves through the molasses of traditional committee processes. Pedagogy can move at the speed of an individual instructor as she develops a new course or re-develops part of the existing curriculum.
Almost all pedagogical innovations lead to less in class lecture time, and more problem solving, applying the concepts of the course. Lecture halls and many existing classrooms are ill suited for even minor deviation from the straight lecture model. Group discussion is compromised by rigid seating arrangements. Project work is stifled by the “tablet-arm.” Rooms built for mid-20th century lectures are poor substitutes for 21st century learning spaces
In the digitally driven future of higher education, three-dimensional classroom spaces still will be needed. They won’t be used in the traditional manner and they won’t be the traditional kind. They will be bigger, flatter, faster and there will need to be fewer classrooms for the same number of students.
Classes that meet on campus will need additional area per student to accommodate interactive configurations, such as those allowing group work in the flow of the traditional class period. Typically these will be flat floors allowing easy configuration changes. At the same time, these rooms must be faster, with access to robust bandwidth.
Both physical and administrative adaptations will be required. While there will be more floor area per student when in class, the number of classroom hours per degree will drop, and all the while the expectation for digital transmission capability will continue to rise. To justify the required investment, institutions will have to rethink the administration of classroom scheduling to maximize effectiveness for students and faculty, and to achieve increased utilization. These are not new or easily managed issues for higher education. The accelerating move to online instruction will expose existing weaknesses of current systems and the benefits of more strategic investments and scheduling.
Libraries - Libraries are finding the need to provide more usable space for students and faculty. Whether engaged in study, research or course projects, the campus community continues to migrate back to the library. Many librarians are seizing the opportunity to make most of the books go somewhere else. The on-campus space, once used for book storage, can then be renovated and reconfigured for use by the campus community. Libraries have never been about books. They have always been about access to and use of information.
Pedagogical developments recognize the need for much of the learning process to occur outside the formal classroom setting. These developments through “flipping” and other forms of hybridization are requiring the availability of student workspaces outside the classroom. Libraries tend to be well located and able to create more useable space by shedding many of their books, through de-acquisition, remote locations or automated retrieval systems.
Offices – While the rest of North America has moved to mobile devices and shared workspaces, academic organizations tend to be locked into the private, fixed office arrangement of an earlier era - little changed from a time without web browsers and cell phones. Administrative workplaces are often just as quaint.
This might be appropriate if faculty members could actually be in their offices, administrators could function at the speed of paper, and students did not expect 24/7 access. It is troubling that these spaces are used with increasing rarity. Moreover, since the typical office arrangement restricts face-to-face communication, it is dysfunctional. It is ironic that the scholarly isolation crystalized in private offices can work against the forms of interaction that are essential to continued institutional adaptation.
Responding to this challenge is more difficult than improving teaching spaces. It is more problematic than transforming libraries. While workplaces must be functional, offices are personal. The perquisites of status, faculty identity – the very culture of the academy - are threatened.
Digital Visible – From an institutional perspective, many of the implications of digital transformation are difficult to see, lost in a thicket of business issues presenting themselves with increasing urgency. Moreover, the changes induced by digital transformation are difficult to address through traditional facilities development and capital funding processes. These transformations are not about the need for a single new - or better - building, a campus student recreation center or teaching laboratory. This is about adjusting the performance of the whole campus to support a digitally transformed pedagogy and academic community.
The inherent adaptability of students and faculty should allow most institutions the time to modify the campus environment. No campus will easily meet the evolving expectations of the digital transformation. Renovating or creating new buildings suited for evolving ideas about books, lectures and offices will take more than a decade. Campuses that begin to move quickly on their libraries and learning spaces will be better able to provide expected capabilities. Those that can’t move quickly enough will be left to offer less in an increasingly transparent higher education marketplace.
If faculties and administrations have been slow to realize the implications of digital transformation, facilities managers are two steps further behind. Struggling to find money to replace roofs on obsolete buildings, most facilities operations are still in a building mode. More has always been better. This will seldom - and very selectively - be true for a digitally transformed campus.
Facilities implications are beginning to emerge. Some are subtle: less demand for lecture halls and traditional classrooms, fewer on-campus hours per student, less justification for traditional offices, and increased demand for bandwidth everywhere.
Some will be more dramatic: reduced ability to fund research facilities as “profits” from undergraduate education decrease, less justification to retain obsolete buildings and programs, and more demand for flexibility in space assignments and management.
Economic reality, political discourse, pedagogical innovation and technological development are now aligned to allow - if not require - the rapid expansion of higher education by digital transformation. Some institutions will be weighed down by over-investment in bricks and mortar. If they lack a sufficiently marketable brand involving academic excellence, community or other extrinsic value, the future will be difficult.
Those with sufficient endowments and/or public funding will have enough time to make required adjustments. The rest may struggle to maintain any relevance, as they shrink in subjective stature and objective size.
Changing Trajectory
University presidents and provosts are always faced with the choice of staying the course or modifying the trajectory of their institutions. Due to failing business models, rapidly evolving digital competition and declining public support, the stakes are rising. All should be asking how they should think about the campus built for the 21st century. My recommendations:
Build no net additional square feet
Upgrade the best; get rid of the rest
Manage space and time; rethink capacity
Right-size the whole
Take sustainable action
Make campus matter
Build no net additional square feet. Start with the assumption that you have enough space. Critical observers of academic culture can recount story after story of “turf protection” behavior that leads to the retention of obsolete facilities even after appropriate replacements have been provided. These patterns could be afforded in a resource rich environment. The environment has changed, but the behavior has not.
Resisting edifice complex is difficult. There are some facilities - most notably student housing - that are said to be self-funding and thus add no fiscal or operational burden to the institution. The use of the term - self-funding - results in the inevitable gaming of the system. There are donors who wish to pay for bricks and mortar, but have no interest in kilowatt-hours and building depreciation. My advice is to adopt a policy of no net additional area as a strategic approach to refocusing institutional priorities, rather than a tactical response to fiscal constraints.
Upgrade the best; get rid of the rest. All higher education functions from instruction and research to officing and library require greater bandwidth and physical flexibility. Retaining obsolete facilities diverts resources from investments in modernizing the “keeper” buildings, and leads to replacing roofs on buildings that should be torn down.
This is the essence of good stewardship. It means properly caring for the institutional legacy that will survive long into this century. Often this means retaining and preserving the built history of the place – the Lawn and Ranges of the University of Virginia, or any campus’s “Old Main” are the prime examples. Good stewardship also means making hard choices about what legacy can be retained. Assuming all old buildings are worthy of keeping will make the campus no more viable than the old country houses of England.
Manage space and time; re-think capacity. Re-conceptualize the campus in terms of patterns and intensity of use rather than area per student, faculty member, library volume or research dollar. The carrying cost of the physical environment is 24/7. Effectiveness and intensity of use needs to be factored into the management picture. Many patterns of academic facilities use have more to do with traditions of privilege rather than need. Management for both space and time leads to choices that provide strategic value.
Most campuses already have either too much capacity, or too few students. As more of the activity of higher education moves to digital platforms, this will become more apparent. Plan to have more capacity (production of "degrees" per unit of building area). Students will be spending less "seat time" per degree. The consequence will be the potential for increased productivity within the existing facility complement. In the typical case, the instructional capacity of the institution will increase by at least one-third. Alternatively, the institutions will have more space than their market and business model can support.
Right-size the whole. Find those areas where significant adjustments are justified. Classroom and teaching laboratories usually represent less that a tenth of campus space. Yet, they are the most important to the value proposition offered by the physical campus. Adapting teaching environments for the needs of students and faculty should take priority.
In recent years there has been significant growth in research space and administrative offices. Research revenues per square foot of assigned area are well documented. However, it is extremely rare for space to be reallocated due to poor research performance. Since offices often make up more than 30% of campus space, there are more opportunities there than in classrooms. Across the country academic administrative offices are stuck in mid-20th century configurations, while the rest of the world has changed.
Take sustainable action. Make facilities decisions to reduce the institution’s carbon footprint per credit hour (or other educational equivalent) delivered. However simplistic this may seem, such a metric leads to sound long-term financial investment strategies, denominated by productivity. Taking action begins by not building unnecessary facilities and continues with reinvesting in the best of existing assets and getting rid of unnecessary and redundant facilities. Only after these steps are investments in new state-of-the-art carbon neutral facilities justifiable.
The most sustainable building is the one that is never built. Unfortunately, most institutions continue to build space they don’t need and can’t afford to maintain and operate. Even if these buildings are at the cutting edge of sustainable design, institutions are increasing their carbon footprint problem. Having more bricks than necessary is expensive, regardless of how good those bricks are.
Make campus matter. With so much of higher education available in digital and largely asynchronous forms, the justification for a campus must derive from something more than “we have always done it this way.” Even at the most traditional institutions “on-campus time per degree” will decrease. This change in convention will make the support of increasingly limited face-to-face time of strategic value, rather than an assumed byproduct of traditional campus life.
There must be something significantly better about the “live performance” and it needs to be more than “sense of place.” I believe it is a function of sharing time and place. Whether in the form of agenda driven or serendipitous conversation, “live” interaction and discussion among students and instructors has a bandwidth that exceeds any current digital alternatives. This is a luxury. To justify the expense of a campus, it must be exploited to improve the value of the outcome, not simply to increase the price of admission.
The 21st Century Campus
Fiscal, pedagogical and technological challenges require institutions to accept and support hybrid forms of online education. Survivors will be able to maintain at least some of the traditional campus values of face-to-face instruction. Planning for the emerging future will require integration of wide range of institutional concerns from evolving business models to efficient use of capital resources.
Some are just fine. Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford are examples of elite institutions for which technological transformation and rising financial demands are manageable. Add to this A-list others with strong financial stability and a well-established marketing brand, and you have a group of institutions that are not at risk.
Some like state-defining flagships are too big to fail, but risk decreasing quality by trying to be “all things to all people.” Others have relatively large endowments, truly unique missions and exceptional alumni support. These will survive, perhaps continue grow, with modest tweaks here and there.
The Shakeout - If observers from Peter Drucker to Clayton Christensen are even partially right, absent the strengths of wealth, brand, mission and scale, all the rest - a vast swath of American higher education - face threats to continued existence, at least in their current form. Some are too small to withstand periodic fluctuations in demand. Some have poorly differentiated missions and lack sufficient market identity. Some already have structural deficits and lack sufficient financial flexibility to do much more than live “paycheck to paycheck.” Still others including smaller regional universities have declining public support and locational disadvantages.
The physical campuses that survive will be smaller than some might wish, and never so large that it compromise an institution’s mission to serve its students, faculty and community. Provosts and presidents will need to consider how much campus they actually need. Their campus planners will be caught between decisions of building or not building, in a vise formed by the expectations of deans and practical fiscal constraints of the whole institution. As each contemplates changes to the trajectory of their institution, they will be well served to have the courage to consider both a blank slate and “Old Main.” Making campus matter in the 21st century will require two contradictory ideas: respecting legacy and starting fresh.
Even for those choosing to retain a traditional residential model, the digital transformation of higher education is changing the methods and means of teaching, learning, scholarship, research, communications and unmooring all from conventional notions of place. In such a fluid milieu, traditional approaches to campus planning, design and facilities management are of limited value.
Traditional institutions don’t view the campus as real estate. Yet, as academic business models morph into being less place-dependent, the importance of making prudent facilities investment choices will become more clear, but no less difficult. Overcoming resistance based on nostalgia can be relatively easy compared to changing traditional turf protection and operating practices. Along with altering decades of institutional inertia, such changes will be painful.
Identity - The identity of traditional institutions is tied to recognizable icons such as the neoclassical dome of Building 10 at MIT or the porches of Old Main at Arizona. Without such markers, every institution might well be as placeless as the University of Phoenix, which uses the term “campus” to refer to rented space in generic office buildings. This strategy, however opportunistically based in marketing wordplay, allows Phoenix to right size facilities with the practical efficiency of real estate investment and disinvestment.
Creating and sustaining the 21st century campus will require more than preserving physical legacy. It requires changing an institution’s facilities trajectory. It requires a different way of thinking about the campus. Instead of boasting more area per student, institutions need to focus on effectiveness, considering the campus with its icons and legacy as a blank slate. Only in this way is it possible to define minimum functional requirements rather than planning an unattainable idealized maximum.
Conclusion - Keeping the best of the existing campus (the richest iconography and most cost effective) will be easy choices. Disinvesting in the obsolete and replacing with only what is required will be more difficult. Until recently constant expansion -- while maintaining a wide range of obsolete and underutilized buildings -- was standard practice with limited consequences. In the early 21st century few institutions can continue to tolerate such luxury.
As the need for synchronous place and time evaporates, investments in the physical campus will be questioned as never before. For campuses to be justified, they must provide values that are not available by other means. To become such places, they will need to be adapted and transformed as if their survival were at stake.
Michael Haggans is a Visiting Scholar in the College of Design at the University of Minnesota and Visiting Professor in the Center for 21st Century Universities at Georgia Institute of Technology. He is a licensed architect with a Masters of Architecture from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has led architectural practices serving campuses in the US and Canada, and was University Architect for the University of Missouri System and University of Arizona.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
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Hunters Wallop the North Eastern Warriors 5-0
A brand New Year and the Hunters strode out with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence to wallop over the North Eastern Warriors 5-0 and storm to the top of the league on the first day of 2019. A healthy 3-point advantage suggests that they will stay in the top half of the league for a considerable time. However, the tie wasn’t as straightforward nor were it as one-sided as the score-line suggests.
After a confident start to the league, the Hunters hit a bit of a roadblock in their last game as the Awadh Warriors came up on top 4-1. So as they approached their first match of the New Year, a little bit of apprehension was to be expected. And it did show up in the opening exchanges as the other warriors of the league – the North Eastern Warriors – put one past the Hunters with a win in the mixed doubles match.
Kim Sa Rang and EomHye Won tried to make it an equal fight but the Warriors’ team of LM Chuen and Kim Na Ha clearly had a measure of them right from the start. A confident start gave them the opening game at 15-8, while the Hunters made a fight of the second game to force a golden point. But it were the Warriors who took the opening matching.
Lee Hyun Il had the responsibility of the trump match for the Hunters and a shaky first game left him on the ropes, and had he not held his nerve it could well have been a very different look to the result of the tie. But then, he did and that’s why he’s such a champion player. After losing the first game, he roared back to take the second one and romped home comfortably in the third.
This put the Hunters ahead, but just ahead.
Third tie of the evening was the Vodafone Super match between PV Sindhu and SainaNehwal – a clash much awaited and anticipated. And Sindhu was quick out of the blocks to establish a healthy lead. However, SainaNehwal is nothing, if not a fighter. She came thundering back to first equalize and then to take the game 11-15.
This clearly had the Hunters skipper rattled, and despite the Winter cold – she was clearly feeling the heat. But then she channelized her disappointment of losing the first game to absolutely romp home 15-9 and 15-6 to script a comprehensive win. If not for the first set resurgence, SainaNehwal was a bit too flat and Sindhu totally cantered to a win in the second and third games.
Two wins out of the three, and with the Hunters confident of a win, it was Mark Calouw’s turn to take the court for the Hunters. And going by the evidence, its been akin to a duck taking to water. He put on an absolute show for the fans – he roared, smashed, and enthralled the capacity crowd to go home victorious in straight games – 15-11 15-14.
And thus, the Warriors hadn’t just lost the trump but also the tie. A 4-0 lead on the night meant that the Hunters couldn’t be beaten. And the wounded Warriors just hadto be playing for a bit of pride.
With the result of the tie settled, the final match of the evening was an absolute humdinger, with wildly swinging request and equally wildly swinging fortunes for both teams. The Hunters eventually trumped 15-10 12-15 15-14 in a thrilling contest. The victory completed a 5-0 win for the Hunters, sending them to the top of the table with 17 points.
The Hunters will now head to Ahmedabad to take on the home team in their penultimate encounter, and then finish their league phase in Bangalore. On the evidence of things so far, they should surely look to extend their stay in Bangalore with a semi-finals spots definitely in the reckoning for the team from Hyderabad.
A mini break between this match and the next, should give the Hunters a good chance to rejuvenate some tired legs and come out all guns blazing as the league hits the business end of the season!
Copyright © 2018 Hyderabadhunters. All Rights Reserved.
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Category: 2014 Q3 – Summer
New anime series debuting in Summer 2014.
Summer 2014 capsules
But before all that, a few words about Sword Art Online II : well, so far, it’s not doing a bad job of not rubbing me the wrong way, like Alfheim Online did. The writing is still pretty poor (go, go, tepid exposition !), but the setup of bringing in Kirito to investigate a bizarre murder spree in a new game setting is a decent one. (Also, anything that marginalizes the absence of chemistry he’s got with Asuna is welcome.) I might still watch this after all.
via [In Which I Review] New anime, Summer 2014 – Page 3.
A couple of shorts before moving on to the full Monday shows…
Mobile Suit Gundam-san is yet another of those comedy SD skits Sunrise puts out occasionally. (This one adapted from a 4-panel gag manga.) It starts off by an Austin Powers-style naked dance by Char, which should give you an idea of the high level of humour we’re dealing with here. It’s mildly funny, but nothing to go out of your way for.
Secret Princess Himegoto adapts a manga about a pretty boy being blackmailed into crossdressing by the student council. It’s got a main character called Unko (“Poop”). That kinda sums up my opinion of it.
So, Persona 4 The Golden Animation. I reviewed the original series back in 2011 ; this is a weird spin-off that adapts an updated rerelease of the game.
The selling point here, apparently, is a new character being added to the main cast, Marie. The script thus chooses wisely to fast-forward through a very bare bones version of the plot (skipping all the business related to Konishi), so that Marie can get 5 minutes or so of screentime after the end credits. To say that her introduction feels very forced an unnatural is an understatement ; she’s just dropped in without any explanation by the gamemaster. The core problem here is that this series is at its best with deadpan weirdness, and Marie’s way too melodramatic to fit in. So, well, it doesn’t quite work.
(By the way, the whole thing seems to have been reanimated from scratch, with a somewhat higher budget ; every single scene is slightly different from the previous series.)
Black Butler – Book of Circus spends its first episode re-establishing the premise with a “Day in the Life of Sebastian Michaelis”… Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as it’s a charming setup, and the script does get to play a bit with clever ellipses. I’ve got no clue where this would fit in continuity, but it’s not like this franchise ever sweats this kind of fine detail.
Anyway, this is good fun, and I’m glad it’s back.
(Also, no Grell whatsover for now, which is a definite plus in my book.)
Hey, someone finally fansubbed the first episode of Fran♥cesca : Girls Be Ambitious, more than a week after it aired !
… Having had a look at it, I can easily see why nobody bothered to do it for so long.
The high concept is that this is a series of 11-minute episodes built around a recently-created mascot character for Hokkaido, the titular Francesca. Who happens to be some sort of undead idol or something. But she barely shows up at the end of the first episode ; in practice, it mainly features the head of the anti-undead Hokkaido forces (of course a cute sassy girl) investigating killing the shit out of a recent surge of zombies rising from the ground. Also, tons of jokes that probably make sense to people who know of Hokkaido’s culture, but are completely impenetrable to me.
As far as promotional vehicles from tourism boards go, this one at least has the merit of originality. But that’s pretty much it ; it looks badly-animated (is this Flash-based ?), and at its core it’s comedy where I don’t get most of the jokes. (Which don’t look that funny, anyway.)
I’ll pass.
Posted on 2014/07/17 2014/07/18 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags 4-panel manga adaptation, anime shorts, capsules, from RPG.net, Gundam, half-episodes, humour, light novel adaptation, manga adaptation, mons, mystery, science-fiction, videogame adaptationLeave a comment on Summer 2014 capsules
Nobunaga Concerto
Adaptation of yet another manga where a random Japanese teenager travels to the past and switches places with Nobunaga Oda.
Saburou, our lead character. Not very bright, shallow, terrible at Japanese history (he vaguely remembers about this Nobunaga dude) : the perfect protagonist for this kind of story ! How he travels to the past is refreshingly unexplained (it just happens suddenly).
Nobunaga himself happens to be passing by, on the run from servants who want him to stay at home. Hey, random weird lookalike, want to take my place for a while ? I’ll give you this cool sword. Saburou’s all “hey, cool sword” (after a bit of “where’s the camera filming this, anyway ?”), but quickly realizes that Nobunaga’s early life was a bit prison-like, and wants to go home.
Kichou, Nobunaga’s wife. “Wait, he had a wife ? She’s cute !” And so Saburou decides to stay around a bit more. She’s all too happy from the attention, after him seemingly having forgotten all about her. (“I know it was an arranged marriage, but still…”)
Nobunaga’s servants are baffled by their master’s bizarre new behaviour, despite his renewed healthiness. Has he lost his mind ? One of them lets himself be convinced it’s better to just kill him off, but Saburou somehow manages to deflect this. And hey, he can’t die now ; this would totally wreck history and stuff ; after all, Nobunaga’s supposed to conquer Japan or something. The servants then marvel at their master’s “hidden ambitions”.
Noboyuki, Nobunaga’s younger brother, sees the occasion as his chance to get rid of him. After manipulating that servant failed, he tries something against Kichou… but it doesn’t work out ; he winds up being sent off to an asylum for his trouble.
From now on, Saburou is taking this a bit more seriously. He’s started reading his history book (although it’s way too imprecise to be of much use). Anyway, he’s going to try his best ; Nobunaga totally conquered Japan and lived happily after, right ? (Ahah, no. We even had the history lesson at the episode’s beginning reminding us how it’s supposed to end ; Saburou didn’t pay attention, as usual.)
Cell-shaded CG characters everywhere ! You ever love it or hate it ; I think it works quite well, giving the anime a bit of an “historical painting come to life” look. It helps that the CG backgrounds are gorgeous. And there are some nifty stylistic touches here and there.
For a premise so well-trodden, this is a surprising breath of fresh air. Part of it is that it’s played entirely straight by most characters, with the comedy resulting from the clash of cultures. But the real selling point here is the sheer charm of Mamoru Miyano’s performance, perfectly convincing as this little git way out of his depth. It’s impressive how you end up rooting for a character so punchable.
It’s fun, it’s charming, and it looks great. I didn’t expect to enjoy this at all, but it turns out I did. I’m in.
Posted on 2014/07/16 2014/07/16 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, humour, manga adaptation, sengoku era, transported to another worldLeave a comment on Nobunaga Concerto
Blade Dance of the Elementalers (Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance)
Adaptation of a fantasy light novel series.
Kamito, our generic male lead. He’s the second guy to ever manage taming an elemental spirit, and the first one was known as the Demon Lord or somesuch. Subtle foreshadowing ! Anyway, he’s a complete anomaly in a world where Elementalers are usually female.
Greyworth, headmaster of the Elemental Academy of the same name, has specifically headhunted him so that he can participate in the next Blade Dance tournament.
Claire Rouge (sic) is the first student he meets on the grounds, and it’s irritation at first sight. Impulsive, reckless, she feels humiliated by their first contact, and is bent on having him contract with her as her slave to offset this.
Other major characters introduced here include the head of the Student Guard Corps, the archer who also wants him for herself, and the teacher irritated by everyone’s antics. (He’s been put into the problem student class, because of course.) Also, a maid. “Why is there a maid ?” Wise words, Kamito, wise words.
Very cheap indeed. The character designs are especially bad and generic. And of course, tons of lame fanservice : it starts with a “caught bathing naked” scene and goes on with multiple panty shots throughout the episode.
Nice score, though.
Oh, dear. This is by far the worst thing I’ve watched this season. Even Momo Kyun Sword and Akame ga Kill weren’t this irritating and facepalm-inducing. The beyond-generic plot is merely an excuse to string along a series of cliché harem antics, with characters who grow more and more annoying as the episode goes.
This is awful on just about every level. Avoid like the plague.
Posted on 2014/07/14 2014/07/16 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags female harem, from RPG.net, heavy fanservice, heroic-fantasy, light novel adaptationLeave a comment on Blade Dance of the Elementalers (Seirei Tsukai no Blade Dance)
Tokyo ESP
Adaptation of a manga series about mutants ESPer terrorists trying to take over Japan.
The Brotherhood of Evil Espers have launched an attack against Tokyo, which involves multiple bombing and stuff like stealing the Diet. You know, the whole building housing the Parliament. (And obviously that makes a lot of hostages.) The Doctor, our Magneto figure, has illusion powers ; his right-hand-woman teleports around, which makes her swords even deadlier. They have various other members in the building and on the ground.
The authorities’ reaction is rather lackluster. All those tanks deployed everywhere beforehand ? Completely useless. The attempts to parachute special forces onto the flying Diet ? The copter can’t even get close enough. Section Four of the Anti-Esper forces are the only one shown as remotely badass (yay bike-fu !), and they can barely manage a fragile draw against one esper.
It’s thus not surprising that most people are pining their hopes on the return of the White Girl, who apparently showed up in previous crises to save the day. It’s just too bad that the anti-Esper ban covers her too. But come on, like that’s going to stop her.
The episode does a good job of building suspense around her arrival. Instead, most of it is devoted to her band of usual associates stepping up to help out, however little they can. (It’s not like the psychometric and precognitive kids can go hand-to-hand against the baddies.) They haven’t been in contact with her, but surely she’s coming any moment now, right ?
This is apparently set in the same universe as Ga-Rei: Zero, and its heroines have a gratuitous cameo right before the shit hits the fan. I’ve not watched that series, but their one minute of interaction and the overall writing quality at play here have bumped up my list.
Very impressive. A lot of budget is spent on making the superpowers look cool, and it shows. (They really didn’t need to make the teleporting effects look so elaborate, but I’m glad they did.) It’s a big spectacle show, and it delivers.
Unfortunately, this is also the kind of world where super-powered women have their suits’ zippers down to their navel for no good reason. Oh, well.
Well, that was fun. It’s not exactly high art, but it’s well-filmed superheroics with some strong atmosphere and a decently-rounded cast. Good soundtrack, too. Sometimes it gets a bit too stupid for its own good (lol the normal dude who wields two guns at once, like that ever works), but most of the time it looks cool enough to get away with it.
I’m game for this.
Posted on 2014/07/11 2014/07/12 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, manga adaptation, thinly-disguised x-menLeave a comment on Tokyo ESP
Invaders of the Rokujyouma?! (Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!?)
Adaptation of a supernatural romantic comedy light novel series.
Koutarou, our male lead, wants nothing more than starting a generic high school life. Sure, Mom is gone, and Dad is always away trying to earn some dough, but he’s not going to let that get him down. He’s got the mandatory perverted best friend, a budding relationship with the president of the knitting club, and is on good terms with his new houselady. (Who happens to be his own age.) He can’t believe his luck on this place being so cheap.
Sanae, the ghost girl haunting the room, might be part of the reason why. Anyway, she doesn’t want to share, so will he please go away ? (Koutarou starts rummaging through his stuff for religious charms.)
Yurika, the inept magical girl who crashes in the middle of their battle to warn them that there’s dangerous amounts of magical energy here, so they need to evacuate immediately. Er, please ?
Kiriha, the envoy from an underground race who just so happens to emerge into this room, and wants to use it as her base to CONQUER THE WORLD !
Theiamillia, a princess from an alien race who wields Nanoha-like magitek devices, and seems able to summon just as much firepower. Fortunately she comes with a supervisor in tow, immediately chiding her on the fact that destroying the planet would go against her mission of making its people submit to her will.
I’m surprised the walls are still standing by the end of the episode.
Well, it seems studio Silver Link have finally surrendered and are now making anime that look just like everything else. Oh, well. It still looks quite good, with good effects for the battle sequences.
And of course, notable amounts of fanservice.
Okay, I have to admit, the joke is pretty funny, as more and more ludicrous invaders keep barging in and making the previous ones go lulwat. (The next episode’s title suggests that even more are due to come, but they’re not on promotional materials.) But once you’ve introduced such a premise, what do you do with it ? Now that a non-aggression pact has been signed, we’re already back to a more conventional harem romantic comedy setup, and that’s not really promising.
I’ll go with my gut instinct and give it a pass. We’ve got better comedies airing this season.
Posted on 2014/07/11 2015/12/18 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags female harem, from RPG.net, humour, light novel adaptation, magical girl
Love Stage!!
Adaptation of a yaoi romantic comedy manga.
Izumi, our main character, is drifting through college. He’s got delusions of becoming a manga artist, but his art’s worse than mine. He’s basically just an otaku, fanboying over this one magical girl series.
His parents would very much like him to follow in the family business, i.e. show business. Mom’s still acting, while Dad has moved on to running a talent agency. (Bro is fronting a famous rock band.) But Izumi just won’t have any of this. He just feels too awkward on set.
A decade or so ago, Izumi did act in a wedding agency’s commercial with his parents ; he was a last-minute replacement for the child actress catching the bouquet. (Yes, actress. Izumi looks so feminine that it wasn’t hard to wing it.)
Ryouma, who was the boy playing opposite Izumi in that commercial, is very interested in the wedding agency’s project of making a sequel. His one condition is reuniting the whole original cast. The parents are delighted, as he’s now a very famous actor/model. Izumi’s way less enthusiastic, but they eventually managed to bribe it into participating.
Sagara, the uptight manager, is one of the few people on set who knows Izumi’s not a girl (the others being his personal makeup/costuming squad, who’ve been sworn to secrecy). You can see him obviously having little patience for Izumi’s apathy, but damn it this is his job and he’s going to do it well. What he didn’t anticipate : somebody changing the script at the last moment to include a kiss between Ryouma and Izumi. Uh oh…
Not very good ; the standard yaoi character designs are rather ugly.
Well, it’s yaoi. I was all prepared to write it off as “not my thing”, especially as it looks rather shabby.
… And then the jokes start hitting a homerun, and it turns out I’m actually enjoying this quite a lot. This is fun. That the premises seems devoid of the rape subtext so endemic to the genre is a big plus, but it’s just got charm. Izumi’s parents are ridiculously entertaining, the little pokes at show business are quite funny, and the whole thing is quite well scripted overall, with good comedic timing.
I’m surprised to say this has a good chance of staying on my watchlist.
Posted on 2014/07/10 2014/07/11 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, humour, manga adaptation, protagonists in college, romanceLeave a comment on Love Stage!!
Magimoji Rurumo
Adaptation of an ecchi comedy manga series.
Shibaki, our generic high school protagonist… no, scratch that, he’s a complete pervert. His terrible reputation at school might be slightly overstated (he does have moments of white-knighting, or just plain misunderstandings), but let’s be frank : he’s a horndog.
Rurumo, a deadpan witch who shows out of nowhere to claim his life. Well, not exactly out of nowhere ; he did make a half-assed summoning ritual with the occult club earlier that day, but had not clue it would actually work. (The show loves to put explanatory flashbacks like this just a bit too late, which makes him look like he has a two-minute attention span.) Anyway, they eventually find a loophole to avoid such unpleasantness… Except she comes back a few months later.
Chiro, her cat familiar, eventually explains the score in private to Shibaki. Rurumo has been demoted for her previous failure and needs to recomplete her training, which takes the form of single-use magic coupons Shibaki can use to direct her. (She can’t do magic of her own initiative anymore.) What she doesn’t know is that those coupons are tied to Shibaki’s life : once they’re all gone, he’s toast…
About average, with just about as much focus on fanservice as you’d expect.
Well, that was unpleasant. The jokes are mildly funny, but there’s an overall sadistic atmosphere that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Sure, a lot of comedy in general revolves around terrible stuff happening to people who don’t (or do) deserve it, but this show pushes it too far into gratuitously malicious territory. It’s all the worse when it tries to make a bid for audience sympathy at the end with the dramatic twist : it doesn’t work, as the protagonist is too much of a jerk for me to care.
There are much better comedies this season ; I have no time to bother with this one.
Posted on 2014/07/10 2014/07/11 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, heavy fanservice, humour, magical girl, manga adaptationLeave a comment on Magimoji Rurumo
Momo Kyun Sword
Adaptation of a light novel series very loosely based on the tale of Momotarou.
Momoko, our teenage female lead. Born from a peach, and also blessed with huge peaches in the front. (This terrible pun isn’t mine, the show did it first.) Also, dumb as a hammer.
She has three sidekick gods : a monkey, a dog and a pheasant, who get the straight man role by default. She can fuse with any of them to get superpowers.
The plot, such as it is, involves demons looking for “peach fragments”, and the Heavens sending a team of four warriors to stop them. They’re completely useless, and Momoko ends up saving the day. She’s enlisted to keep up the good fight.
So much fanservice ! Everyone, and especially Momoko, shows so much skin it’s a wonder their clothes don’t fall off. Momoko still gets her clothes shredded at the end, because of course.
I knew we were missing something this season : the vacuous fanservice-fest with barely an excuse plot. It’s terrible on every level, really. It’s not even worth my time deriding it.
Really don’t bother with this one.
Posted on 2014/07/09 2014/07/09 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, heavy fanservice, heroic-fantasy, Japanese folklore, light novel adaptation, so boring it nearly put me to sleepLeave a comment on Momo Kyun Sword
La Bonne Vie (Jinsei)
Adaptation of a comedy light novel series.
Yuuki, our generic highschool student male lead. He’s been tasked by his cousin (who’s the president of the Second Newspaper Club) to shepherd the life advice columnists. Which mostly means he has to play the straight man to those bozos.
Rino, the science specialist, is an arrogant and socially awkward nerd whose idea of casual conversation involves advanced scientific topics that leave everyone else baffled. Also, she’s obviously being pushed by the other characters to become Yuuki’s love interest ; she’s not entirely uninterested, but it’s going to be a long road.
Fumi, the humanities specialist, is a nice girl who tries desperately to accommodate everyone, however absurd that may be. Also, big jugs.
Ikumi, the sports specialist, is athletically superhuman, but rarely bothers to consult her brain before acting.
The format involves Yuuki reading aloud letters from other students (3 this episode), and the four of them brainstorming an answer to publish ; since the three specialists have wildly different opinions and agendas and keep going on completely unrelated tangents, the final result is usually utterly chaotic.
Decent, although the shine in Yuuki’s hair is really distracting.
Also, there’s a completely gratuitous wet T-shirt scene, and some breast fondling.
Oh, dear. This is a gag show that just isn’t funny. Most of the jokes are too laborious or over-extended to work, when they’re not completely impenetrable. It doesn’t help that a lot of them rely on walls of text that probably worked better in the source medium. Moreover, the format is already starting to get repetitive.
Well, they can’t all be winners. Having two good comedy shows this season (three if you count Barakamon) is already pretty good.
Posted on 2014/07/08 2014/07/09 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags from RPG.net, humour, light novel adaptationLeave a comment on La Bonne Vie (Jinsei)
Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror)
It’s the grand reunion of director Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo) and composer Yoko Kanno ! Okay, it’s the third time in two years, but he’s barely directing any of Space Dandy himself, and let’s just politely forget about Kids on the Slope. This is much more like it : a more personal original anime series that he’s apparently been trying to produce for years. Given the subject matter, I believe him.
This is a show about terrorism. And it’s not pulling any punches.
The story focuses on a team of two teenage terrorists, Nine & Twelve. (They’ve got proper names they use at school, but those are most probably aliases.) Nine is the tall guy with glasses and scary eyes ; Twelve is a cheerful ball of energy whose playful attitude and smile are no less scary. Together, they commit acts of terror. Stealing plutonium from a secure recycling facility, setting off bombs that destroy most of a skyscraper, posting cryptic videos on YouTube, the works.
Their motives remain nebulous. Their very codenames suggest there’s somebody else pulling the strings. They feel righteous in their attacks against modern civilization, but the short flashbacks/dreams about their childhood only raise more questions over how they got there. What’s clear is that they are ready to kill.
Lisa is another student attending their new high school. Withdrawn and a frequent target of bullies until Twelve rescued her, mostly for the lulz. Later on, she randomly bumps into him in the middle of placing bombs, and Nine offers her a choice : dying or becoming their accomplice.
Before the skyscraper attack, the police aren’t really paying attention to some random videos on the web (the uranium theft six months ago is top secret, of course) ; that’s obviously going to change. The script gives plenty of screentime to a bored police inspector who spends his time solving crosswords while his partner surfs around the Net ; presumably he’s going to be important in the investigation.
Very good. The direction makes the terrorism sequences look like clockwork : while it’s not immediately obvious what the end objective is, the various steps are perfectly clear to follow.
Yoko Kanno’s soundtrack is ace, of course. Maybe one of her best scores in a while.
Well, this was impressive. This is basically filmed like a heist movie, except we have no clue whatsoever about what drives the protagonists, to say nothing of their endgame. What helps considerably is how plausible most of their attacks are ; whoever designed them did their research well. (The second episode opens with a scene of the police piecing out what they did exactly, and it turns out to have needed very little resources, merely impeccable planning and timing. Also, tons of refuge in audacity.)
I’m slightly less confident on how Lisa is going to fit into all this ; I presume it’s going to be more interesting than introducing some tepid romantic tension. Still, I’m willing to give the show the benefit of the doubt on this, as everything else is very intriguing indeed.
A good thriller by masters of the form. Definitely one of the highlights of the season.
Posted on 2014/07/08 2014/07/09 Categories 2014 Q3 - SummerTags conspiracy, from RPG.net, noitaminALeave a comment on Terror in Resonance (Zankyou no Terror)
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Home Business Film drama promotes Hotel Doolin weddings
Film drama promotes Hotel Doolin weddings
A scene from “Say I Doolin”, a five-part drama based on a relationship that forms between two people who meet at Hotel Doolin.
A Clare hotel has developed an innovative method of promoting its wedding packages by commissioning a five-part drama based on a relationship that forms between two strangers who meet at Hotel Doolin.
Produced by filmmaker James Skerritt and commissioned by the north Clare hotel, the first episode of “Say I DOolin” has been published today (Monday, 19 January 2015) on YouTube and Hotel Doolin’s social media platforms with a new episode appearing each day up to Friday.
There will be daily prize giveaways for viewers with one couple winning a wedding package for up to 100 guests at Hotel Doolin.
“We wanted to create a bit of excitement around our Wild Atlantic Wedding package so following a conversation with film producer James Skerritt we came up with the idea for ‘I Say Doolin”,” explained Donal Minihane, General Manager, Hotel Doolin.
“The story revolves around two people visiting our hotel to attend the annual Doolin Writers Weekend before meeting again at the Doolin Folk Fest and the Doolin Craft Beer Festival. The film was shot on location at Hotel Doolin over a 5 month period during 2014. The purpose of this promotion Is to get as many people as possible to watch the episodes each day at the end of which we will pose a question on our Facebook page before handing out a daily prize, culminating with Friday’s main giveaway,” added Mr. Minihane.
The first episode of “Say I DOolin” is available to view on YouTube and on the Hotel Doolin Facebook page.
Hotel Doolin
Woman rescued from ledge 600ft over sea
Injured woman airlifted to hospital from Spanish Point
Woman’s body recovered from sea in Clare
Woman injured in cliff trail fall
Elderly woman injured in Doolin coastal fall
Doolin designated a Tourism Destination of Excellence
Major maritime rescue exercise in Galway Bay
Body recovered during search for missing woman
Chauffeurs and Cliffs management reach parking deal
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Louis Barthas: Eyewitness to the French Army Mutinies, May-June 1917
by Yale University Press
in European History, History, Military History
Edward M. Strauss—
“On May 26 [1917] the first American combat troops arrived in France….
“The arrival of the first American troops coincided with a dramatic change on the French sector of the Western Front, where the growing number of desertions turned, on May 27, to mutiny. At the Front itself, along the Chemin des Dames [ridge], as many as 30,000 soldiers had left their trenches and reserve billets and fallen to the rear. Then, in four towns behind the lines, the troops ignored their officers’ orders, seized buildings, and refused to go to the Front….For a week there was chaos through the French war zone, as the mutineers refused to go back into the line. The military authorities took swift action: under [French General Philippe] Pétain’s guiding hand, mass arrests and Courts Martial followed….More than four hundred soldiers were sentenced to death, fifty of them being shot, the rest being sent to penal servitude in the French colonies. For several million infantrymen, some of whom had been fighting for nearly three years, Pétain brought in immediate improvements, organizing longer periods of rest, more home leave, and better food….Within six weeks the mutinies were over….”—Martin Gilbert, The First World War, (1994), pp. 333-334.
“The general mood of those involved – and they comprised soldiers in fifty-four divisions, almost half the army – was one of reluctance, if not refusal, to take part in fresh attacks but also of patriotic willingness to hold the line against attacks by the enemy. There were also specific demands: more leave, better food, better treatment for soldiers’ families, an end to ‘injustice’ and ‘butchery,’ and ‘peace’….[Pétain] set in train a series of measures designed to contain [the unrest] and return the army to moral well-being….”—John Keegan, The First World War (1998), pp. 330-331.
After the war, French infantryman Louis Barthas, ardent socialist and pacifist, provided a first-hand, on-the-scene account of these events:
“At this time [spring 1917] the Russian Revolution broke out. Those Slavic soldiers, only yesterday enslaved and bent double under the weight of iron discipline, unknowingly marching off to massacres like resigned slaves, had thrown off their yokes, proclaimed their liberty, and imposed peace on their masters, their hangmen.
The whole world was stupefied, petrified by this revolution, this collapse of the immense empire of the czars.
These events had repercussions on the Western Front and throughout the French ranks. A wind of revolt blew across almost all the regiments.
There were, besides, plenty of reasons for discontent: the painful failure of the Chemin des Dames offensive, which had no result but a general slaughter; the prospect of more long months of war ahead, with a highly dubious outcome; and finally the long wait for home leaves – it’s that which bothered the soldiers most, I believe.
I cannot pretend to tell the whole story of what happened almost everywhere just then. I will stick to writing what I know, regarding our regiment and the repression which followed.
There was, at the end of the village [Daucourt, 6 km. south of Sainte- Menehould], a shopkeeper for whom the war brought only profit. He sold beer, and he had a cute little waitress to serve it to customers – powerful attractions which, every evening after supper, brought a whole crowd of poilus, a well-behaved clientele which plunked down in groups in the big courtyard adjacent to his shop. One evening, some of the soldiers were singing, others were entertaining their fellows with songs and skits, when a corporal began singing words of revolt against the sad life in the trenches, words of farewell to the dear souls whom we might not see again, of anger against this infamous war, the rich shirkers who left the fighting to those who had nothing to fight for.
At the refrain, hundreds of voices rose in chorus, and at the end fervent applause broke out, mixed with cries of “Peace or revolution! Down with war!,” as well as “Home leave! Home leave!”
On another evening – patriots, cover your ears! – the “Internationale” [socialist anthem] was heard, bursting like a storm.
That time, our chiefs got stirred up. It gave our old friend [Captain] Cros-Maryrevielle such an unbearable itch that he quickly sent a patrol of four men and the inevitable corporal to remind those vile whiners that, 8 o’clock having rung, the men had to hand over the street, the taverns, and the ladies to the officers, and report to the sergeants-of-the-day who were waiting to carry out roll call at the doorways of our empty billets.
The patrol prudently judged that it should beat a hasty retreat, and our captain-cop came out himself, escorted by the local police squad.
He tried to speak with moderation, but as soon as the first words left his mouth he was halted by formidable shouting.
Sputtering with rage but powerless, he turned on the unfortunate sergeants, who had unwisely reported that “no one was absent,” and forced them to call roll a second time.
A crowd of several hundred soldiers, scorning the roll calls, had massed in front of the police station, where Captain Cros had sought refuge. To give him even more of a scare, one hothead fired a couple of pistol shots in the air.
At noon on May 30, there was even an assembly outside the village, to constitute, following the Russian example, a “soviet” composed of three men from each company, which would take control of the regiment.
To my great astonishment, they came to offer me the presidency of this soviet, that’s to say, to replace the colonel – nothing less than that!
That would be quite a sight – me, an obscure peasant who put down my pitchfork in August 1914, commanding the 269th Regiment. That went way beyond the bounds of probability.
Of course I refused. I had no desire to shake hands with a firing squad, just for the child’s play of pretending we were the Russians.
But I did decide to give an appearance of legality to these revolutionary demonstrations. I wrote up a manifesto to give to our company commanders, protesting against the delay in furloughs. It began like this: “On the eve of the [Chemin des Dames] offensive [in April], General [Robert] Nivelle had read to our troops an order of the day saying that the hour of sacrifice had rung….We offered our lives and made this sacrifice for the fatherland but, in exchange, we said that the hour of home leaves had also sounded, a while ago…,” etcetera.
The revolt was therefore placed squarely on the side of right and justice. The manifesto was read out, in a sonorous voice, by a poilu who was perched astride the limb of a tree. Fervent applause underscored his last lines.
My vanity was hardly flattered. If they learned that it was I who had drawn up this protest, moderate as it was, my fate was clear: a court-martial, for sure, and possibly twelve [French] bullets dispatched to send me off to another world, long before my appointed hour.
Meanwhile the officers had taken note of the call for an enormous assembly of soldiers, out by the Daucourt washhouses. They tried to interrogate some poilus about the purpose of this meeting, but no one was willing to respond, or they answered evasively.
Our commandant tried to block the road by the police station, but the poilus got through by using other routes.
In the afternoon the order was given for immediate departure. It included the formal promise that home leaves would begin again, starting the next day, at a rate of sixteen per one hundred men. They needed nothing more to reestablish order. In spite of that, there were lively disturbances, especially in the encampment of the 4th Machine-Gun Company, a few moments before departure, and the men headed out only after singing the “Internationale” right in the faces of the stupefied but powerless officers.
At three o’clock, under a brilliant sun, we left Daucourt. At five o’clock, the regiment marched through Sainte-Menehould, where tragic events had just played out.
Two regiments had just mutinied and seized their barracks, crying “Peace or Revolution!”
General “X,” who went to try to harangue the mutineers, was grabbed, slammed against a wall, and was just about to be shot, when a much-beloved commandant succeeded in saving the general and winning the promise that the insurgents be allowed to make their way to the camp at Châlons for a long rest.
Rifle shots were fired on a group of officers who were trying to approach the barracks. The bullets went wild and hit some innocent victims in the town, killing two, it is said.
They judged it prudent to separate the three battalions of the 296th Regiment from one another, and they billeted us fairly far apart. Our battalion was quartered in barracks four kilometers from Sainte-Menehould. It was only when we got there that we learned that the other battalions were elsewhere.
The next day [May 31] at 7 a.m. they assembled us for departure to the trenches. Noisy demonstrations resulted: cries, songs, shouts, whistling; of course, the “Internationale” was heard. I truly believe that, if the officers had made one provocative gesture, they would have been massacred without pity, so great was the agitation.
They chose the wisest path: waiting patiently until calm was restored. You can’t cry, shout, and whistle forever, and among the insurgents there was no leader capable of taking decisive direction. We ended heading for the trenches, not without an undertone of griping and grumbling.
Soon, to our great surprise, a column of mounted cavalry came up and rode alongside us. They accompanied us all the way to the trenches, like convicts being led to forced labor!
Annoyed and suffocated by the dust kicked up by the horses, we didn’t have to wait long before scuffles broke out between foot soldiers and cavalrymen, and then some brawls; there were even a few blows from rifle butts, on the one side, and from the blunt sides of sabers, on the other. To prevent a real battle from breaking out, they had to move the cavalrymen farther away, which wasn’t at all disagreeable to them.
We passed through Moiremont, the final inhabited and civilized place…..”
From Poilu: The World War I Notebooks of Corporal Louis Barthas, Barrelmaker, 1914-1918, translated by Edward M. Strauss (2014), pp. 325-328.
Note: In December 1917 the 269th Infantry Regiment was dissolved and its units dispersed to other regiments. “The role played by the 269th in the antimilitarist demonstrations of last June was probably not unrelated to the disgrace which fell upon us,” writes Louis Barthas in an understatement.
Louis Barthas (1879–1952) was a cooper in a small town in southern France. Edward M. Strauss is a fundraising director in higher education and former publisher of MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History. He lives in New York City.
Tags: Edward Strauss, French history, Louis Barthas, World War I
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Dirty Streets: Distractions Review
Distractions (released on the 14th of Sept.) is the latest album from Memphis, TN band Dirty Streets. Being just a trio comprised of Justin Toland on guitar and vocals, Thomas Storz on bass, and Andrew Denham on drums; these guys swirl up a big sonic concoction of heavy blues rock, psychedelic rock, and a little touch of soul.
The first thing to grab you will be the gargantuan riffs from “Loving Man”, and the trend follows with “The Sound”. Beginning with these two tracks is just what the doctor ordered. Sometimes you just need music like this. It’s a blissful romping sound which at times Led Zeppelin captured (with John Paul Jones and John Bonham being key components), but it also has the power and the guts of a band like Mountain.
“Dreams” softens the mood slightly with an honestly ‘dreamy’ sounding tracks (with hints of the Rolling Stones and CCR), but the hand plunges back into the bag to retrieve some more chunky and mettlesome riffs with “Riding High” – which needs to be included on everyone’s ‘driving songs’ playlist or compilation. “Can’t Go Back” and “Distractions” keep it bawling and belting along into the belly of the album, and our interest is totally unfaltering. At this point we can realize Dirty Streets is all about getting in there, in the thick of it, finishing the job, and getting out. You won’t be hearing lengthy guitar solos with ‘finger pyrotechnics’, but solos that compliment the song without overpowering the presence of the rest of the band. Track length too; is clean and concise. The point is reached quickly and seldom does a song go over four minutes.
We get some morsels of filthy wah and a brilliant vocal delivery as the rhythm section forges out steel on “Take a Walk”. This segues to more depth in song writing and a slight genre shift with “Deaths Creep”. A more acoustic flavor is used with the Southern feeling “On The Way”. The riff-machine does return though, to close the album with “Trying to Remember”.
Distractions by Dirty Streets is not the usual chewing-gum-for-the-ears garbage you hear on mainstream modern rock radio airwaves. And thank God for that! If you enjoy bands like Wolfmother, Rival Sons, or any of the older bands we mentioned above; check out Distractions, as it’s definitely a good introduction to this band from Memphis, out of their five albums.
– Loving Man
– The Sound
– Take a Walk
– Riding High
Review by Ethan Burke
Posted in Reviews Tags: Dirty Streets
« Ryan McGarvey: Heavy Hearted Review
Larkin Poe: Venom and Faith Review »
3 Responses to “Dirty Streets: Distractions Review”
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Pickel says:
Dirty Streets: Distractions Review | Blues Rock Review
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North America: 'No Good Deed' Continues to Lead on Tuesday with $1.82M
Sony's No Good Deed took in $1.82 million on Tuesday to lead the daily box office for a fifth consecutive day. The low-budget thriller from Screen Gems starring Idris Elba and Taraji P. Henson increased 13 percent over Monday. That represented one of the day's poorer daily holds among wide releases on Tuesday. In the bigger picture, No Good Deed continues to outpace expectations with a healthy five-day start of $27.68 million. That places the film 7 percent ahead of the $25.96 million five-day take of 2009's I Can Do Bad All By Myself.
Guardians of the Galaxy held steady in second place with $0.779 million. The blockbuster sci-fi superhero adaptation from Disney and Marvel was up 35 percent over Monday and down a very slim 17 percent from last Tuesday. Daily percentage increases over Monday were strong in general on Tuesday. Guardians of the Galaxy is the highest grossing release of 2014 thus far domestically with $307.34 million through 47 days.
Dolphin Tale 2 grossed $0.703 million to remain in third place. Like Guardians of the Galaxy, the family film sequel from Warner Bros. also increased 35 percent over Monday. Dolphin Tale 2 has grossed $17.10 million in five days. That is on the lower end of pre-release expectations and places the film 18 percent behind the $20.78 million five-day start of 2011's Dolphin Tale.
Fox Searchlight's The Drop stayed in fourth place with $0.492 million. The crime drama starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and the late James Gandolfini was up 28 percent over Monday's performance. The Drop has grossed $4.98 million in four days, which represents a very solid start given that the film is only playing in 809 locations.
Let's Be Cops rounded out the day's unchanged top five with $0.457 million. Fox's low-budget action comedy increased 31 percent over Monday and was down only 21 percent from last Tuesday. Thanks in part to continued strong holding power; Let's Be Cops has grossed $73.86 million through 35 days of release.
Tags: north-america, Let's Be Cops, The Drop, Dolphin Tale 2, Guardians of the Galaxy, No Good Deed
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NORTH AMERICA: Weekend Estimates: 'The Boss' ($23.48M) & 'Batman v Superman' ($23.44M) in Tight Race for First Place; 'Hardcore Henry' ($5.10M) Arrives Softly
NORTH AMERICA: Platform Watch: 'Everybody Wants Some!!' ($510K) & 'Miles Ahead' ($227K) Have Solid Expansions
NORTH AMERICA: Early Weekend Estimates: 'The Boss' ($23M) Looks to Dethrone 'Batman v Superman' ($21.3M); 'Zootopia' Adds $12.2M; 'Hardcore Henry' Guns Down $5.2M Bow
NORTH AMERICA: 'Batman v Superman' Totals $273.3M in Two Weeks After Leading Thursday with $2.72M; 'Zootopia' Remains in Second with $1.58M
Trailer: Disney & Lucasfilm Release First 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Teaser
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Christian News Northwest
Home January 2019 Region seen as potential focus of spiritual revival
Region seen as potential focus of spiritual revival
By JOHN FORTMEYER, CNNW publisher
TIGARD — When people are most convinced they don’t need God, He can do some of His best and most dramatic work, a top U.S. figure in the worldwide Alpha movement said here as he outlined why he envisions the Pacific Northwest as an epicenter for spiritual revival.
“The world is watching this place,” Dane Sanders, Alpha ambassador for the U.S., said Nov. 30 as featured speaker at Westside: A Jesus Church in Tigard during an annual promotional dinner for the Alpha ministry in the Northwest. “The ‘edgy’ people want to watch what happens here.”
Alpha is an evangelistic course that introduces the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions. Since 1970, an estimated 24 million people have heard the Gospel worldwide through the program.
Alpha is described by its organizers as “an opportunity to explore the meaning of life.” Alpha courses are held in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations. The course began in Britain decades ago and is run throughout the world by various Christian denominations.
What Alpha has going on just in this part of the region may indicate how a deep spiritual hunger here can be satisfied. Kirk Petersen, Alpha’s Northwest director, said four times the number of churches are participating in the program now as compared to 10 years ago. While traditionally drawing only from the Protestant community, there now are Roman Catholic churches involved, said Petersen. He added that more and more teens also are getting involved.
“Alpha has become a place for people fo find an on-ramp back to faith,” Petersen said.
Sanders outlined why he believes the Northwest could see a great spiritual move. He said, for example, that the Portland area attracts counterculture people who are inclined “to stretch, to discover,” but who also have a “radical sense of hunger” spiritually.
He said that while the nation as a whole is still at the beginnings of a “post-Christian era,” this region has actually reflected that for some time. “The Northwest has been here (at that point) for a while,” he said.
But that does not diminish the reality of the fundamental spiritual hunger and loneliness that many here experience, Sanders said. He said the shift away from a “Christian center” and from a cohesive sense of family has pushed people toward a “false connectivity” that leaves them needing real love and truth.
Sanders likened the situation here to what was happening decades ago in Alpha’s birthplace. “I would argue that 30 years ago in London is where Portland is today,” he said.
The beauty of the Alpha program, according to Sanders, is that it allows people to come just as they are, with whatever preconceived ideas and questions they have, and lets them openly express them without being challenged, insulted or embarrassed.
And what better place for such a program than in this part of the Northwest, he suggested.
“It is so counterculture, so Portland-like, actually, to put the microphone down and listen … What if we became famous for being the place in which you were heard, if we became famous for listening?” he said.
No one has ever been “argued into the Kingdom (of God),” Sanders stated, but God himself can convince people of their need for Him. “What if we could trust the Holy Spirit to be good at His job?” Sanders asked. “What if we can trust the Holy Spirit to be competent?”
Sanders said the effectiveness of the course was shown in a survey by noted Christian researcher George Barna. Barna found that for every 100 people with atheistic leanings who take the course, a stunning 82 percent come to faith in Christ.
Prior to Sanders’ talk, several Northwest residents who had gone through Alpha shared the huge change it brought to their lives. Charlie Spencer took Alpha through East Side Baptist Church in Springfield, but only initially went because of his wife’s interest, and was “kicking and screaming the whole way.”
He said he attended with absolutely no faith beliefs whatsoever. But halfway through the second course session, Spencer said, he was hit with the reality of what he was hearing about the Gospel, prompting him to suddenly exclaim, “I think I believe!”
Now he is a street evangelist.
“I didn’t think life could be this good,” he said. “God’s power is beyond measure, and I know that in my heart today.”
Cody and Ashley Williams enrolled in Alpha at Bridgetown Church in Portland. Then heavily into New Age and occult practices, they at first thought they really didn’t need the program, because they believed in a divine power already. But they acknowledged that they were always seeking spiritually because their lives were “going downhill.”
However, through the course, the Holy Spirit got through to the couple and they eventually completely renounced their ungodly practices.
“Thanks to Jesus, the veil has been lifted,” taking them from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of light, Cody said.
“We know what we got saved from and we know what we got saved into,” he said.
To learn more about Alpha in the Northwest, phone Petersen at 503-819-2605 or go online to alphausa.org/portland
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Obama Cool in the Age of Insecurity
Posted by L' Enfant Terrible on 5/19/2010 01:11:00 PM
Labels: Architecture, L'Enfant Terrible, Moshe Safdie
If the good citizens of Annapolis ever decide to invade the District of Columbia, drunk, chewing on unlit cigars and armed to the teeth, they will make it no further than 99 New York Avenue, the fortress headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. But until that day, the ATF building will remain the worst building in Washington D.C.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, the federal government redoubled its efforts, begun after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building, to make sensitive government buildings more secure. In the fifteen years since Oklahoma City, bollards, planters, walls, and retractable security gates have replaced park benches, eliminated landscaping, and narrowed sidewalks around most federal buildings in Washington and around the nation. For most of our important ceremonial buildings, the GSA has cleverly concealed these security measures within the architecture. For instance, few visitors to Washington would ever guess that the low wall around the Washington Monument is the last line of defense against a dump truck packed with explosives.
But even in Washington, the ATF Headquarters, designed by Israeli/Canadian/American architect Moshe Safdie and completed in 2008, breaks new and disturbing ground for architectural insecurity. Driving along New York Avenue (because nobody would ever want to walk near this building) one is arrested by the colossal barricade trying desperately to fill up the block. The ATF offices cower on the south side of the site away from New York Avenue, like a dog expecting to be kicked. In between the barricade and the building is a lovely no-mans-land. Dead end steps lead down from New York Avenue into this secret garden as if the garden had originally been intended as public refuge from the traffic noise of New York Avenue only to be walled off at the last moment by neurotic security consultants.
On the south and east sides of the site, just steps from the New York Avenue Metro station, gateway to the burgeoning NoMa neighborhood, the bulk of the building is hidden behind a single-story security cordon, making 2nd street feel like an alley where a few of the cordon's undistinguished storefronts have been turned over to retail. But these spaces feel like they've been banished from the kingdom, left to live as undesirables outside the castle walls. The only unobstructed view of the actual office building is from the narrow N Street side, but even here the building is sequestered from the street by bollards and planters and too-tall walls and even taller fences and a pointless pergola.
The dead end steps, the DMZ garden, the inhospitable retail, the planters and bollards and pergola--on all sides this is an unremarkable office building subsumed by architectural paranoia, dressed up with empty urban gestures. So why is this building in Washington DC at all? Why not exile it to a remote site outside the beltway?
This was the strategy of the American Consulate in Istanbul, the first of the post 9/11 embassies, which New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman dubbed the place Where Birds Don't Fly. The suburban embassy is too hard a target for terrorists to bother with, but more to the point, its very inaccessibility has made it a symbol not of our highest values but our worst fears. The best that can be said of the Istanbul Consulate is that it is not in Istanbul at all, but far away from anyplace that matters, like the crazy aunt in the attic. But in Washington DC, the ATF has stumbled out onto the front porch, wearing nothing but a top hat and tutu, and is screaming at the neighbors about alien invasions.
Fortunately there is prescription for this architectural nervous disorder: Philadelphia architects', Kieran/Timerlake’s design for the new American Embassy in London. Perched atop a gently sloping berm and surrounded by a reflecting pool, the glass cube, swathed in bubble wrap, is alighted on an open colonnade at street level. The design for the new American Embassy is distinctly urbane and utterly unflappable: Obama cool. Posed conspicuously on the south bank of the Thames, surround by a decidedly urban neighborhood of office buildings, this building is not afraid of the crowds. It will be the life of the party. Home to the "High-Tech-Modern Architects," Richard Rogers and Norman Foster, London is a showcase of technological innovation in architecture.
But even in such sophisticated company, Kieran/Timberlake's design stands out. The bubble wrap insulates and regulates sunlight and features next-generation "thin film" photovoltaics, a technology pioneered in the United States. But more important than the transparent skin, is the openness at the street. The first floor colonnade is a stylish storefront, taking its cues from the transparent Apple Stores, drawing in shoppers from the marketplace of ideas. Openness, transparency, technology: these are the values that America's buildings should symbolize around the world, and the values that should inform our federal buildings here at home. The ATF building will go down as one of the starkest expressions of a dark age in American federal architecture, but there is light on the horizon.
Colin on May 19, 2010, 1:45:00 PM said...
"Obama cool"? Oh give me a break. In any case that's not the US embassy in Instanbul, but the consulate. The embassy is located in the country's capital of Ankara.
Sheila on May 19, 2010, 1:48:00 PM said...
Thanks for the heads up on the consulate--changed it.
"The ATF offices cower...like a dog expecting to be kicked." Well said.
Critic said...
Nice article, but the view from above of the London embassy looks worse than the moated ATF. It appears as though its drawn a line around itself, pulling away from its neighbors with its own moat. The street view doesn't look so bad, but I'm not sure the Philadelphians pulled off what Safdie botched.
ERC said...
Yep, that's an ugly building alright.
zzindc on May 19, 2010, 5:00:00 PM said...
I think you overstate your case. I am no great fan of the ATF Building but I do appreciate its attempt to create a secure building in an urban setting. Would that the FBI's Hoover Building had retail accessible to the public in its perimeter! (And secure or not, New York Ave is a misguided urban freeway to be protected from.) Doubtless, the London embassy does wear its skin better - perhaps that's a lesson learned from ATF - but the embassy still keeps its urban neighbors far far away - it's the same attitude as the ATF Building, just in a prettier dress. Let's see what the ATF retail is like once that neighborhood is built out with more offices and customers. And let's see what the embassy is like once the moat is filled and its urbanity is something to be seen, from afar. Either or both might provide some surprises.
L' Enfant Terrible on May 19, 2010, 7:43:00 PM said...
I don’t mean to suggest that Barak Obama is somehow responsible for this wide-ranging aesthetic sensibility. I simply mean that Kieran/Timberlake seem to have tapped into the zeitgeist, best described as “Obama Cool”. . . in much the same way that the Saarinen embassy it replaces tapped into the impeccably stylish Kennedy mystique even though it was opened in 1960, the same year Kennedy took office. But don’t take my word for it, just watch Fred Armisen’s impression, “Obama Plays It Cool”
le terrible poo said...
does anyone, other than myself, see the irony in that safdie is responsible for the architecture of the ATF fortress AND the institute of peace in foggy bottom? it reminds me of when crazy, idealist fashion designers decide to create law enforcement uniforms... or vice versa.
i find it curiously odd.
L' Enfant Terrible on May 19, 2010, 11:44:00 PM said...
Stay tuned for Safdie part deux.
thank you for putting into words what i always muttered to myself as i saw that awful building going up. i am always put in a bad mood whenever i happen drive by it. argh.....
im glad you mentioned the grounds of washington monument. it is a great counterpoint to how you can deal with security while creating great public space. in addition, there are constantly emerging technologies for security measures (blast resistant glass, reinforced columns, collapsing sidewalk pavement, etc.). so for anyone to applaud this ridiculous attempt of its security measures (let alone its architectural integrity) is entirely uninformed.
(am not looking forward to the institute of peace building....)
Really?! said...
I'm not architect nor building critic, but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BUILDING (and I live around the corner so its not like I only see it every once in a while). It is a building that represents EXACTLY the agency it serves--ATF...[explicative] with us!
It is supposed to be an imposing building. I'm sorry, I just don't think of lush landscapes and flower beds when I think of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms.
Everyone's entitled to their opinion and I don't mean any disrespect, but your take on the building sounds like someone who doesn't appreciate Miles Davis cause he didn't play enough notes. Why not just appreciate it for what it is, because I believe the building evokes the exact sentiment that the ATF wants to give off.
clchurch on May 20, 2010, 9:01:00 AM said...
Well, the ATF building is no worse than the FBI building, and that was built long before Waco.
About the only good thing that building has going for it is the 5 guys I can stop at on my walk home.
Funny that DOJ is leasing next to it and doesn't have nearly the fortress
Pesonally, the big barriers remind me of the colonades in front of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican - big hands that hold, protect, maybe strangle....
Melanie on May 20, 2010, 11:58:00 AM said...
This building is St. Peter's next to the FBI building. That thing is the worst building in town, and I hear they're tearing it down soon.
i've obviously missed the connection between president obama, cool and this building. would some one please explain. btw, i think the design of the building is awkward and irrational. that's its unattractive, i get. the relationship to the president, i don't. help! :(
While this building could have been better executed, it's worth remembering that ATF was the primary target in the Oklahoma City bombing. They were making decisions in the context of having been attacked.
Many federal agencies would like nothing more than to move a great portion of their operations out of the District to secure (and less expensive) suburban campuses. Congress and the GSA have worked to keep federal jobs in DC in the belief that the economic development and symbolic benefits outweigh the costs and security advantages of relocating. The results aren't always perfect, but I appreciate their efforts.
Also, GSA isn't responsible for the Washington Monument. It's a DOI property.
This says it all: A few weeks ago, I picked up a friend at BWI and we drove into DC via the B-W Pkwy. As we crested the bridge over the tracks we caught first sight of the ATF building and he said to me, "Why did they put a prison at the gateway to the Nation's Capital?" I had to sheepishly explain that it was in fact a Federal office building and, of course, he was appalled.
justjo on May 20, 2010, 4:11:00 PM said...
interesting comments. although i never knew this was the ATF, i think it's interesting. i dont find it so horrible unlike the other posters. i note the security and thought maybe there was a green courtyard somewhere...o well...beauty is in the eye...
Dustin on May 21, 2010, 7:31:00 PM said...
As an interesting side note, the central branch of the Salt Lake City Public Library looks very similar. (It was, obviously, designed by the same architect.)
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How To Look Up Salaries Of Non Profit
Are salaries of nonprofit CEOs public information
Conducting a non-profit salary review is essential to maintaining an organization's finances and keeping employees happy. These reviews provide information about the current earnings for all employees and whether an organization's operating expenses consume a …... The simple step of assigning one person to look up the salaries of comparable organizations can set a helpful context for the board. Information on salaries may be found at: Guidestar: draws salary data from 65,000 Forms 990, which are filed annually by nonprofits with annual revenues of $25,000 or more.
The Average Salary of a Non-Profit's CEO Chron.com
The simple step of assigning one person to look up the salaries of comparable organizations can set a helpful context for the board. Information on salaries may be found at: Guidestar: draws salary data from 65,000 Forms 990, which are filed annually by nonprofits with annual revenues of $25,000 or more.... – The truth is, nonprofit salaries are not as high as for profit salaries (for the most part), because non profits companies are not driven by selling, and therefore do not make profits that they get to keep. It is also typically true that smaller not-for-profits offer smaller salaries. However, larger nonprofits offer competitive salaries, and most salaries are higher in larger cities. In
501c3 Lookup & Search Tool Fast Sortable Nonprofit 501c
501c3 Lookup is the fastest and easiest way to enhance your non-profit organization. Contact us today to find out how we improve 501(c)(3) organizations. Contact us today to find out how we improve 501(c)(3) organizations. how to get your testosterone levels up – The truth is, nonprofit salaries are not as high as for profit salaries (for the most part), because non profits companies are not driven by selling, and therefore do not make profits that they get to keep. It is also typically true that smaller not-for-profits offer smaller salaries. However, larger nonprofits offer competitive salaries, and most salaries are higher in larger cities. In
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Nonprofits in the States. The combined total revenue, filed by all tax-exempt organizations headquartered in the state during fiscal years ending in the 2015 calendar year, as well as the state's highest-revenue tax exempt organization over that period. how to look like a ball jointed doll According to the latest research, more than 50 percent of Millennials would give up part of their salary to work for a cause near and dear to their heart, and the majority (90 …
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Site index > Search result > Keywords: "mhealth", Viewing items: 1 - 1 of 1
Integrating eLearning to Support Medical Education at the New University of Botswana School of Medicine pp43-51
Masego B. Kebaetse, Oathokwa Nkomazana, Cecil Haverkamp
Abstract: Since the enrolment of its first cohort of students in 2009, the University of Botswana School of Medicine (UB SoM) has employed elearning as a key element to support and strengthen its model of decentralised medical education. Significant inv estments have been made in setting up the physical infrastructure, and in acquiring relevant expertise to develop and implement an elearning agenda in a context with practical challenges associated with medical education in decentralised setup. Following the enrolment of its first cohorts of medical students, and residents in Paediatrics and Internal Medicine between 2009 and 2010, the School also launched a Family Medicine training programme in 2011 at two rural sites. With the expectation of contributin g to a positive teaching and learning environment for faculty, residents, and medical students in these remote areas, elearning is also seen as important for their retention, and thus for improved access to quality health care in rural Botswana. In this p aper, the authors critically reflect on the strategies used to implement elearning at UB SoM over the past 18 months, and highlight challenges experienced while implementing elearning in a new medical school situated within an older university context. St rong relationships with partners were identified as a critical foundation for the long‑term sustainability beyond the initial procurement and installation infrastructure. While confirming the obvious technical challenges in a setting like Botswana, the au thors emphasise the need not to underestimate associated broader challenges in engaging a diverse range of users, partners and stakeholders; not to lose sight of the pedagogical goals that are meant to drive the choice and use of technology (rather than vice versa); and to ensure that the expected benefits of the technology can and will be shared and sustained by a range of partners in the long run.
Keywords: Keywords: elearning, medical education, technology integration, mlearning, mhealth, tablets, ICT, sustainability
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max answer › question first answered
Career Breaks: Females
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) disabled and (b) black, Asian and minority ethnic group women who have returned to the labour market as a result of funding from the Women Returners programme.
Dawn Butler
<p>Three rounds of funding for Returner Grants have been announced since March 2018, with £1.5 million now awarded to sixteen organisations supporting returners. These programmes provide extensive support to returners, supporting them to develop skills, build confidence, and complete accredited qualifications and training, before they return to the labour market.</p><p>Programmes funded under the Returners Grant Fund will capture data on the protected characteristics of participants as part of programme evaluation. This will include ethnicity, disability, age, education and length of unemployment. Evaluation reports will be published upon the completion of all returner programmes funded by GEO.</p>
Biography information for Dawn Butler
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, how many women have returned to the labour market as a result of funding from the Women Returners programme.
<p>Three rounds of funding for Returners Grants have been announced since March 2018, with £1.5 million now awarded to sixteen organisations supporting returners. Successful organisations funded under the first round began their programmes early this year.</p><p>These programmes provide extensive support to returners, supporting them to develop skills, build confidence, and complete accredited qualifications and training before they return to the labour market. Employment opportunities for returners taking part in the first round of projects will be sourced later this year.</p>
Women's Business Council
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of the merits of the work of the Women's Business Council; and what its forthcoming work programme will be.
<p>The Women’s Business Council published its inaugural report five years ago. Since then we have seen a significant shift in women’s participation in, and experiences of, the workplace.</p><p>The Council has successfully influenced government policy on shared parental leave, flexible working and the provision of childcare. Members have raised the profile of issues with business leaders and developed specific programmes and toolkits for the business community.</p><p>I would like to pay tribute to the current Chair, Dame Cilla Snowball as she steps down from office next month, for overseeing the success of the Council’s programme.</p><p>We will be announcing the new Chair of the Women’s Business Council and its future business programme shortly.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much her Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months; and what proportion of that spend was on advertising for universal credit.
Jonathan Reynolds
<p>We are the biggest Government Department providing support on a daily basis to around 22 million citizens. We have a responsibility to raise awareness of the benefits people may be entitled to and ensure they have the information they need when it comes to making a claim.</p><p> </p><p>The Department also has a responsibility to ensure claimants do not miss out on their full entitlements and to encourage people to make their claim as quickly as possible.</p><p> </p><p>We use advertising to communicate to our claimants. Total advertising spend across the Department in the 12 months from April 2018 to March 2019 was £17,351,663 of which the Universal Credit Opening Up Work campaign accounted for £4,600,209. We can commit to publishing an update 2019/20 advertising spend at the end of July.</p>
Biography information for Jonathan Reynolds
Department for Work and Pensions: Empty Property
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will publish the name and location of the land and buildings owned by her Department that is (a) sitting empty and (b) in the process of being sold or disposed of; and if she will make a statement.
Gareth Thomas
<p>In 2017 the Office of Government Property published the Guide for the Disposal of Surplus Land, providing detailed guidance on how to plan for and execute land disposals.</p><p> </p><p>This guide mandates that departmental land holdings must be registered on the e-PIMs central record system. Land holdings deemed surplus are recorded on the Register of Surplus Land for at least 40 days for other government departments to express an interest.</p><p> </p><p>Homes England and Department for Education/LocatEd are given a higher allowance of 50 days to express an interest if the site could be developed for housing or a free school.</p><p> </p><p>After the 50-day period surplus land holdings are recorded <a href="https://www.gov.uk/find-government-property" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
Biography information for Gareth Thomas
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences for depositor protection and financial stability from the number of lenders offering residential property mortgage loans at 95 per cent of value or higher; and what options are open to (1) them, (2) the Bank of England, and (3) the Prudential Regulation Authority, to protect depositors and ensure financial stability.
Lord Myners
<p><em>The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) of the Bank of England was set up to identify, monitor and take action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system as part of the new financial regulatory framework legislated for under The Financial Services Act 2012. The FPC noted in their November 2018 Financial Stability Report that the share of households with high mortgage debt-servicing ratios (DSRs) is close to historical lows. The FPC has powers of direction to place limits on the proportion of new mortgages that a bank can extend at high LTV ratios, if it judges that this is required to mitigate financial stability risks.</em></p><p><em> </em></p><em> </em><p><em>While the Bank therefore has powers to tackle these risks, the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), set up by the Government in 2001, also provides a key role in ensuring financial stability and protecting depositors. The FSCS provides deposit protection of up to £85,000 per person, per authorised firm. The Financial Services Markets Act 2000 gives powers to the regulators, including the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) to make the rules in which FSCS carries out its compensation function.</em></p><p> </p>
Lord Young of Cookham
Biography information for Lord Young of Cookham
Biography information for Lord Myners
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have reviewed the market liquidity in the subprime sterling bond market in the context of increased bond issuance.
<p><em>The Financial Policy Committee (FPC) of the Bank of England was set up to identify, monitor and take action to remove or reduce systemic risks with a view to protecting and enhancing the resilience of the UK financial system as part of the new financial regulatory framework legislated for under The Financial Services Act 2012. The FPC set out its most recent assessment of financial stability risks, including from the sterling bond market, in its March 2019 Policy Summary, in which it noted that post-crisis reforms have made dealers, on which some markets rely, more resilient, reducing the probability that market-making losses could lead to their distress or failure. In addition, the FPC noted that during the more recent period of volatility at the end of 2018, pension funds and insurers had acted as net buyers of sterling corporate bonds. Notwithstanding this, new business models mean that liquidity conditions in corporate debt markets could change quickly in event of stress.</em> <em>However, overall the FPC judged that markets had proved able to function effectively through volatile periods, and the strength of the core financial system, including banks, dealers and insurance companies, would support the functioning of markets on which the economy relied.</em></p>
Takeovers: Conflict of Interests
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Henley on 20 May (HL15640), whether they have reviewed the decision-making processes in investment institutions which hold equity investments in both the offeror and the offeree in a takeover situation but on behalf of different clients and where a particular outcome might favour one group of clients over another .
<p>Asset managers act as agents of investors in their funds. They are required to manage their funds in the best interests of all of their fund investors and to appropriately avoid, manage and disclose conflicts of interests that could, and do arise between different investor groups. This is a requirement of Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II).</p><p> </p><p>Asset managers should have policies, procedures and governance in place to effectively manage any conflicts arising from their stewardship obligations.</p><p> </p><p>The FCA has recently published a Policy Statement (PS 19/13) ‘Proposals to promote shareholder engagement: Feedback to CP 19/7 and final rules.’ This sets out final rules to implement requirements of the Revised Shareholder Rights Directive (SRD II). SRD II introduced new requirements to improve shareholder engagement and increase transparency around stewardship. The rules came into effect on 10 June 2019 requiring asset managers to disclose and make publicly available their policies on how they engage with the companies they invest in. They also require asset managers to provide certain information to institutional investors, including occupational pension schemes. The new rules are designed to foster stewardship, and better stewardship should lead to better decision making in relation to mergers and acquisitions.</p>
Business: Investment
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by KPMG 2018 Global CEO Outlook: UK, published on 11 June, in regard to business investment in the UK after Brexit.
<p>The report concluded that uncertainty had weakened CEOs’ confidence in their own country’s growth prospects since the 2017 report; which fell in 6 of the 11 top economies surveyed.</p><p>In the 2019 KPMG report, confidence in the UK economy improved and was matched in official statistics by a 0.5% expansion in business investment in the first quarter of 2019, according to the ONS ‘GDP first quarterly estimate’.</p><p> </p>
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support businesses increase footfall in shopping centres.
<p>The Retail Sector is changing, we are committed to helping communities adapt and support the retail sector during this change. The Government and the retail sector recognise that action is needed to ensure the sector thrives. The creation of the Retail Sector Council demonstrates this commitment to the continued success of the retail sector.</p><p>In Budget 2018, we set out Our Plan for the High Street, a £1.6bn package to support the sustainable transformation of our high streets, including a £675m Future High Streets Fund and a High Streets Task Force to support local leadership.</p>
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[Letter from Rich'd Adams to Messrs. Saml. & Wm. Vernon]
Manuscript copy of a letter from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade.
[Letter from Thornton & Yates to Messrs. Samuel & William Vernon]
Letter from Thornton & Yates of Fredericksburg, Virginia, to Samuel and William Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island.
Manuscript copy of a letter dated June 27, 1770, from Adams & Griffin of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island regarding remittance of payment to London merchant Thomas Adams. Followed by a letter that includes further billing from Perkins Buchanan & Brown of London and a discussion of projected agricultural markets for the upcoming fall. Adams & Griffin note that slaves "are in the greatest demand, and the first that arrive will sell at a good price."
Manuscript copy of a letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, discussing Slave trade.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade.
[Letter from William Taylor to Messrs. William Vernon & Company]
Letter from William Taylor in Richmond Town, James River [Richmond, Virginia] to William Vernon & Company in Newport, Rhode Island.
[Letter from Rich'd. Adams to Messrs. Saml. & Wm. Vernon]
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, to notify of current sales of slaves and express disappointment that additional shipments had not arrived.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island regarding the "favorable" slave market in Richmond.
Letter from Richard Adams of [Richmond] Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade.
Letter from Richard Adams of Williamsburg [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade.
Messrs. Saml. & William Vernon & Co. in acct. with Richard Adams
Account record by Richard Adams of expenses related to trade in London and Bristol on behalf of Samuel and William Vernon [of Newport, Rhode Island]. Includes mention of the Schooner Little Sally.
[Letter from Rich'd. Adams to Messrs. Saml. & Wm. Vernon and Thos. Taylor]
Manuscript copy of a letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island and Thomas Teakle Taylor, captain of the Schooner Little Sally, dated July 4, 1763, to notify of the safe arrival of a "very likely" slave shipment, and the general state of the Richmond market.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island and Thomas Teakle Taylor, captain of the Schooner Little Sally, to notify of the safe arrival of a "very likely" slave shipment, and the general state of the Richmond market.
Sales of 8 Slaves Remains of a Cargo Imported in the Little Sally Capt. Wm. Taylor, July 1763 and sold by Rich'd Adams on Acct. Messrs. Sam. & Wm. Vernon & Co. R. Island
Account record of the sale of 8 slaves from the [Schooner] Little Sally, sold by Richard Adams for Samuel and William Vernon [of Newport, Rhode Island]. Includes names of purchasers.
Manuscript copy of a letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, discussing Slave trade and sale profits.
[Manuscript copy of letter from William Taylor to Messrs. William Vernon & Company]
Manuscript copy of letter dated July 5, 1764, Letter from William Taylor in Richmond Town, James River [Richmond, Virginia] to William Vernon & Company in Newport, Rhode Island.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, discussing Slave trade and sale profits.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon [of Newport, Rhode Island], regarding slave and agricultural trade.
Manuscript copy of a letter dated March 20, 1764, from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade. Followed by a letter that provides further market details.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island and Thomas Teakle Taylor, captain of the Schooner Little Sally, to notify of current sales and encourage additional slave shipments of men under the age of twenty.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, discussing Slave trade.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon [of Newport, Rhode Island], regarding slave and agricultural trade. Includes price list of commodities.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding a dispute over remittance of sale profits.
[Letter from William Taylor to Thomas Vernon]
Letter from William Taylor at the Virginia James River [Richmond, Virginia] to James Vernon, post master, in Newport, Rhode Island. Followed by additional note from Taylor dated October 24, 1763.
Sales of 52 Negro's Imported in the Schooner Little Sally Capt. William Taylor and sold on acct. of Messrs. Saml. & Wm. Vernon & Co. Merchts. Newport Rhode Island
Account record of the sale of 52 slaves from the Schooner Little Sally, sold by Richard Adams for Samuel and William Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island. Includes names of purchasers and counties of residence.
Messrs. Samuel & Wm. Vernon & Co. in Acct. with Rich'd Adams
Account record by Richard Adams of expenses related to trade on serveral ships belonging to Samuel and William Vernon [of Newport, Rhode Island]. Includes mention of the Brig Royal Charlotte and the Schooner Little Sally.
Manuscript copy of a letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island dated December 26, 1768, regarding the "favorable" slave market in Richmond. Followed by a letter in which Adams & Griffin, further note the improved market.
Manuscript copy of a letter dated October 25, 1767, from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, discussing Slave trade.
Letter dated September 1, 1769, from Adams & Griffin of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island regarding the slow sale of slaves shipped on the Brig Othello, citing their poor condition. Followed by a letter signed by Adams & Griffin to that the remaining slaves had been sold. Includes list detailing the "state of the market."
Sales 66 Negroes Receiv'd [of] the Brig Othello, Capt. John Duncan & Sold on Accot. Mss. Samuel and William Vernon, Merchts. Rhode Island [by] Adams & Griffin
Account record for the sale of 66 slaves from the cargo of the Brig Othello, sold in Richmond, Virginia, by Adams & Griffin for Samuel and William Vernon of [Newport], Rhode Island. Includes names of purchasers, price paid, and gender and age of slaves bought.
Manuscript copy of two letters dated March 20 and April 14, 1764, from Richard Adams of Richmond, Virginia, to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, regarding slave and agricultural trade. Includes price list of commodities. Followed by a letter that provides further market details.
Letter from Richard Adams of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island, notifying of the arrival of the Brig Othello with a shipment of 90 slaves.
Letter from Adams & Griffin of Richmond [Virginia] to William and Samuel Vernon of Newport, Rhode Island regarding shipments of corn and slaves on the Brig Othello, owned by the Vernons. Includes mention of the inferior quality of a recent slave shipment with "too great a proportion of children & the grown ones rather too old."
Griffin, William (12) + -
Duncan, John (8) + -
Othello (Brig) (8) + -
Taylor, Thomas Teakle (8) + -
Little Sally (Schooner) (7) + -
Massie, William, 1795-1862 (7) + -
Royal Charlotte (Brig) (7) + -
Taylor, William (6) + -
Littlepage, James (5) + -
McDonall, John (5) + -
Cocke, Bowler (4) + -
Deblois, Lewis (4) + -
Taylor, James (4) + -
Adams, Thomas (3) + -
Davis, Benjamin (3) + -
Merchant ships--United States (3) + -
Slave trade--England--London (2) + -
Slave trade--Virginia--Fredericksburg (2) + -
Tobacco industry--Virginia--Richmond (2) + -
Accounts (6) + -
Receipts (financial records) (6) + -
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Universal Credit: Fraud
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent steps he is taking to tackle universal credit fraud.
Mr Jim Cunningham
<p>The Department takes its obligation to prevent, detect and investigate fraud very seriously and will investigate all claims where fraud may have been committed. We have recently set up a dedicated team to investigate a specific type of emergent fraud, and we are also committed to the use of penalties such as prosecutions and tough financial penalties to discourage fraudulent behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has also recently been working to further improve knowledge and awareness of Universal Credit (UC) fraud amongst Jobcentre and Service Centre staff. Guidance has also been issued to ensure that all staff are aware how to quickly refer cases of suspected fraud to the Department’s Counter-fraud team.</p><p> </p><p>Most welfare losses, across Government, arise from claimants failing to report changes of circumstances. UC provides a single, digital interface through which claimants can more easily report these changes. UC also allows us to adjust benefit entitlement in line with changing circumstances in real time. Internal and external data matches are increasingly helping to inform benefit payments and alerting staff to check for any undeclared changes in people’s circumstances. Once UC is fully rolled out, we expect cross-welfare losses to fraud, error and overpayments to be reduced by around £1 billion per year</p><p> </p><p>As of June 2019, potential fraudulent advance claims equate to less than 1 per cent of all Universal Credit claims.</p>
Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham
Universal Credit: Proof of Identity
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure accurate verification of universal credit claimants who request an advance.
<p>As of June 2019, potential fraudulent advance claims equate to less than 1 per cent of all Universal Credit claims.</p><p> </p><p>The Department has been working to improve knowledge and awareness of advances fraud amongst Jobcentre and Service Centre staff. Guidance has also been issued to ensure that staff are aware how to refer cases of suspected fraud to the Department’s Counter-fraud team.</p><p> </p><p>We are developing our service iteratively and improving any areas in the service that may currently be presenting issues, to minimise the risk of fraud while ensuring that we can continue to provide financial support to those claimants who need it.</p><p>We cannot share advance detail of the specific security improvements we are making but this includes improving our process for verifying a claimant’s circumstances.</p>
Tobacco: Smuggling
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will ensure that economic operators who are unable to comply with the Tobacco Products (Traceability and Security Features) Regulations 2019 due to software issues will not be penalised.
<p>The Tobacco Products (Traceability and Security Features) Regulations 2019 require the movement of tobacco products to be recorded by economic operators through the supply chain.</p><p>Tobacco manufacturers are required to provide economic operators with the software necessary to record movements.</p><p> </p><p>If an economic operator is unable to comply with the Regulations due to software issues, HM Revenue & Customs will consider what action to take on a case-by-case basis according to the facts of the particular case.</p>
Robert Jenrick
Biography information for Robert Jenrick
Diesel Fuel: Excise Duties
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2019 to Question 272300, what the diesel duty revenues were from (a) shipping, (b) agriculture, (c) road users, (d) rail and (e) any other sectoral information held by his Department in each of the last 10 years.
Duty is collected when fuel leaves a refinery or import terminal, so HMRC data does not break down diesel duty revenues by sectors where fuel is used. HMRC publishes information on historic fuel duty receipts on Page 5 of the <a href="https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/Tax%20and%20Duty%20Bulletins/Oils0519.xls" target="_blank">Hydrocarbon Oils Bulletin</a>. This shows receipts for diesel taxed at the full rate of duty for road use and also for rebated ‘gas oil’. This refers to marked diesel which is taxed at a reduced rate of duty because it is intended for off road use in sectors such as agriculture and construction, as well as for maritime and rail transport.
Biography information for Alan Brown
Equal Pay: Ethnic Groups
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the ethnic minority pay gap in the UK.
<p>The Government is committed to a cohesive society where everyone can enter and progress at work and achieve on merit, whatever their background.</p><p>The Government consulted on how best to implement mandatory ethnicity pay reporting. We received over 300 detailed responses and will set out next steps in due course.</p><p>The Government has also launched the Race at Work Charter which commits signatories to effective practices that support fairness at work. Over 170 employers have signed up to date.</p>
Surveillance: Philippines
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the UK exported surveillance equipment to the Philippines in 2019.
Lloyd Russell-Moyle
<p>The Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences granted, refused and revoked on GOV.UK. These reports contain detailed information by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. These can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data." target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data.</a></p><p>The data currently provides details of licences up to 31 March 2019. Information about the period 1 April to 30 June will be published in October 2019 and data covering the period 1 July 2019 to 30 September 2019 will be published in January 2020.</p><p>All export licences are issued in strict accordance with the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.</p>
Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle
Surveillance: Human Rights
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to comply with the recommendation of the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression to impose an immediate moratorium on the export, sale, transfer, use or servicing of privately developed surveillance tools until a human rights-compliant safeguards regime is in place.
<p>The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework for considering licence applications, and take into account the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination.</p><p> </p><p>Licensing decisions are based on the most up-to-date information and analysis available at the time, including reports from NGOs and our overseas network.</p><p> </p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on fiscal measures to support his work on tackling climate change.
Daniel Zeichner
<p>The Secretary of State has had discussions on a number of occasions with the Chancellor regarding action on climate change and uses taxpayers’ money to support nature based solutions.</p><p> </p>
Biography information for Daniel Zeichner
World Meteorological Organisation
To ask Her Majesty's Government what changes, if any, they have advocated to the World Meteorological Organization about the changes to the organisation and funding of the hydrological work of that organisation; and what are the connections of that work with the hydrological programmes of UNESCO.
Lord Hunt of Chesterton
<p>The UK’s Permanent Representative to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), with support from the UK Hydrological Adviser, was actively engaged in discussions at the World Meteorological Congress in June 2019, promoting efficiency and transparency in the intergovernmental agreements on the budget and reform of WMO. The UK remain closely involved in the hydrological work of WMO, with the UK Hydrological Adviser promoting the establishment of appropriate links between WMO and UNESCO, supported by his role as vice-chair of UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme.</p>
Biography information for Lord Hunt of Chesterton
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans UK regulators are implementing to ensure continuity of electricity supplies from national and local grids to supply electric cars during rush hour journeys.
Viscount Waverley
<p>The Government is committed to making sure consumers have secure, affordable and clean energy now and in the future.</p><p>The Capacity Market secures the capacity required to meet peak demand, including demand for electric vehicles, in a range of scenarios through auctions held four- and one-year ahead of delivery. Although currently in a standstill period, the Capacity Market has already procured the bulk of the electricity capacity we need up to 2022.</p><p>In addition, the Government has taken powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 to mandate that charge points sold or installed in the UK must be smart enabled – allowing demand for charging of electric vehicles to be shifted, where appropriate, to off-peak times.</p><p>Finally, Ofgem regulates network companies to ensure that they deliver a safe, reliable network whilst investing for the future and providing value for money for consumers. This includes ensuring that networks can reliably deliver the energy that consumers need, including for charging electric vehicles.</p>
Biography information for Viscount Waverley
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Church Commissioners
Churches: Tourism
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to promote tourism to its churches and cathedrals.
Jim Shannon
<p>The Church of England welcomes the Government’s new Tourism Sector Deal, which encompasses all our churches and cathedrals and will give a significant boost to our cultural heritage. Cathedrals in England attract over 10 million visitors a year, the majority as tourists.</p><p>The Church supports the work of the Churches Visitor and Tourism Association on several initiatives that help the public learn more about their local churches:</p><ul><li>The<a href="https://www.explorechurches.org/" target="_blank"> Explore Churches</a> website run by the National Churches Trust provides a single online gateway for anyone wanting to visit churches, whether as a tourist or a pilgrim.</li><li>The <a href="https://facultyonline.churchofengland.org/churches" target="_blank">Church Heritage Record</a> provides geo-located data on every Church of England church, including information on the history of the building where it is available. Local congregations are encouraged to add details of their church to this and to <a href="https://www.achurchnearyou.com/" target="_blank">A Church Near You</a>, to help people planning visits.</li></ul><p>The Church of England also supports the Cathedrals Marketing and Communications Network to share best practice and coordinate national campaigns. Individual cathedrals encourage visitors through hosting special exhibitions, such as Luke Jerram’s <em>Gaia</em>, currently at Liverpool Cathedral, and Tim Peake’s space capsule, which was visited by over 170,000 people when on display at Peterborough Cathedral as part of a national tour.</p>
Dame Caroline Spelman
Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
Biography information for Jim Shannon
Church of England: Community Development
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to encourage parishioners to support the local economy.
<p>A recent study of the economic impact of cathedrals in England in 2014 showed that they generated around £220 million annually for the national economy. The report also showed that over 7,300 jobs depend on cathedrals, either through direct employment or the local economy.</p><p> </p><p>Tourists and visitors to English cathedrals generate an additional £125m for the local economy through visitor-related spend, which takes place directly in the towns and cities where cathedrals are based.</p><p> </p><p>No formal assessment has been made of the direct or indirect contribution of churches to the local economy.</p><p> </p>
Churches: Theft
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will make an estimate of the number of thefts of lead from church buildings in (a) the diocese of St Albans and (b) England in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019 to date.
Sir Oliver Heald
<p>The National Church Institutions do not hold information centrally about the theft of metal from Church of England churches, but records are kept at a diocesan level. Anecdotal evidence points to an increase in instances of metal theft from churches nationwide, with East Anglia and the Midlands being most affected.</p><p>Home Office Counting Rules do not require the police to record if a theft is from a listed building. The Church of England welcomes the July 2019 Sentencing Council proposals to introduce new sentencing guidelines for arson, criminal damage and vandalism of national heritage assets, including listed buildings, historic objects or unique parts of our historic environment.</p><p>Money to fund repairs or adaptations to church buildings is raised by local churches mainly through fundraising and local giving. There is no central Government funding, except through grants in respect of VAT paid on repairs to listed churches.</p><p>The following table for the Diocese of St Albans shows cases of metal theft or attempted theft since 2015. The Diocese covers the majority of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area and contains 380 Anglican churches.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Attacks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Diocese provides advice to local churches on protective and preventative measures, including forensic marking and roof alarms, working with the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and the Allchurches Trust. Grants of up to £3,000 per church have been made available to more than 55 churches in the Diocese. In addition the Diocesan Board of Finance allocated 29 roof alarm grants in 2017 and 2018 from small trust funds for church repairs and maintenance. As a result there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases of metal theft in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, though incidents still occur. For example, in June 2019 St Mary's Church in Furneux Pelham north east Hertfordshire, had 90% of its lead roof stolen or damaged over a single weekend.</p>
Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
Church of England: Scotland
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2019 to Question 262402, if she will provide the details of those landholdings.
Deidre Brock
<p>The Church Commissioners publish their largest 20 direct equity holdings and the largest 20 property holdings in their annual report (pg 76) a copy of which is available in the Library of the House of Commons or here: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/Church%20Commissioners%20Annual%20Report%202018.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2019-05/Church%20Commissioners%20Annual%20Report%202018.pdf</a>.</p><p>Due to commercial sensitivities the Church Commissioners do not give more detailed breakdowns of their holdings. A full list of holdings in Scotland would be identifiable via the Land Registry.</p>
Biography information for Deidre Brock
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, which projects the Church of England funded to help transform communities as part of the Thy Kingdom Come events.
<p>Thy Kingdom Come is an ecumenical prayer movement started by the Archbishop of Canterbury in 2017, which has grown into an annual global movement of prayer. It is supported by His Holiness the Pope and in 2018 over 65 different denominations and traditions held events across 114 countries. Major beacon events took place in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. More information can be found here: <a href="https://www.thykingdomcome.global/" target="_blank">https://www.thykingdomcome.global/</a></p><p>Events take the form of large public gatherings, community prayer walks, meals and picnics in churches or parks. They bring together people from different traditions and denominations across all parts of the local community.</p><p>In Northern Ireland, both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland Archbishops of Armagh issued a joint statement to support events taking place in St Anne’s Cathedral Belfast, St Macartin’s Cathedral Enniskillen, and St Mark’s Church Armagh. Their message can be read here: <a href="https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/8866/joint-message-from-archbishop-eamon" target="_blank">https://www.ireland.anglican.org/news/8866/joint-message-from-archbishop-eamon</a></p><p>In County Londonderry, there were three events which saw churches of different denominations gather for prayer. Those that gathered came together and prayed for their local communities, schools, businesses and community projects, and that the Church be a point of unity and light.</p>
Churches: Coal
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what assessment she made of the economic effect on churches and vicarages of the ban on house coal.
Philip Davies
<p>The economic effect on churches and vicarages of the ban on the use of house coal has been negligible.</p><p> </p><p>Bishops’ see houses and vicarages have not used house coal for many years and the Church Commissioners are not aware of any churches that still use coal as a form of heating.</p><p>The Church of England supports the aim of the Government to improve air quality and public health; the Church has launched several initiatives to support this policy, which include planting more trees on its properties and encouraging churches to increase the biodiversity of their churchyards and green spaces.</p><p> </p>
Biography information for Philip Davies
Affordable Housing: Construction
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, pursuant to the Answer of 5 June 2019 to Question 259013, how many affordable homes have been built by the Church of England or its agents in each local authority area since 2015; and what the affordable housing requirement is in each of those local authority areas.
Frank Field
<p>There have been 295 new affordable homes created on land owned by the Church Commissioners since 2015.</p><p>Details for each Local Authority area are shown in the following table.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Local Authority</p></td><td><p>Number of Affordable Houses Provided</p></td><td><p>Policy Requirement for Number of Affordable Houses</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Durham</p></td><td><p>34</p></td><td><p>50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Lindsey</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Cambridgeshire</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carlisle</p></td><td><p>42</p></td><td><p>42</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mendip</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sunderland</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Arun</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>15</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ashford</p></td><td><p>77</p></td><td><p>77</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>295</p></td><td><p>356</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p>
Biography information for Frank Field
Archbishops Council: Grants
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church Commissioners have the authority to make grants to the Archbishop's Council.
<p>The powers conferred by the Church of England (Miscellaneous Provisions) Measure 2018 enable the Church Commissioners to make grants to the Archbishops' Council which the Council may spend in accordance with its own functions. Such funding should support proposals designed to make a significant contribution to the growth of the Church and proposals should only be funded if they are within the priorities identified by the Council and in accordance with a clearly defined policy framework. The Commissioners’ approved policy is set out in full in the document attached at annex A. In addition to the power under the 2018 Measure, the Church Commissioners have a number of other miscellaneous powers to make grants to the Council in support of work with the Council supports, such as grants given for diocesan ministry support.</p><p> </p>
annex A.pdf
Biography information for Fiona Bruce
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what the Church of England's landholdings are in Scotland.
<p>The Church Commissioners hold 12,333.67 hectares of land in Scotland.</p><p> </p>
To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what estimate the Church of England has made of the profits from its operations in Scotland in the last 12 months for which information is available.
<p>The Church Commissioners recieved a total net income of £8,858,429 from forestry and windfarms between 1st January 2018 to the 31st December 2018.</p><p>We are unable to provide a figure for profit in the equivalent period as liabilities, including for restocking, will be borne over a number of years and the cost of purchasing the asset should be taken into consideration.</p><p> </p>
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This is why ancient Greek statues had tiny penises
Large genitalia was associated with animals and stupidity
Enter the Penis Park in South Korea! (videos-photos)
Yves Saint Laurent releases “penis” jewellery (photos)
Ancient Egyptian “Magic Spell” deciphered
The ancient Greeks famously fetishised the male body in sculptures that represent powerful, illustrious men as hulking figures with taut, rippling muscles. Sometimes these figures appear partially clothed in drapery or cloth; often, they are stark naked.
To the contemporary eye, their bodies are ideal—except for one, ahem, seminal detail. “They have small to very small penises, compared to the average of humanity,” art historian Andrew Lear, a specialist in ancient Greek art and sexuality, says. “And they’re usually flaccid.”
Countless contemporary art lovers and historians have been struck by the modest nature of the phalluses that feature in classical sculptures of gods, emperors, and other elite men—from Zeus to celebrated athletes. The small members seem at odds with the massive bodies and mythically large personalities they accompany. But the ancient Greeks had their reasons for this aesthetic choice.
Rewind to the ancient Greek world of around 400 BC, and you’ll find that large, erect penises were not considered desirable, nor were they a sign of power or strength. In his play The Clouds (c. 419–423 BC), ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes summed up the ideal traits of his male peers as “a gleaming chest, bright skin, broad shoulders, tiny tongue, strong buttocks, and a little prick.”
In ancient Greek art, most of a great man’s features were represented as ample, firm, and shiny—so why weren’t these same aesthetic principles applied to the penis? As Lear and other historians suggest, part of the answer lies in how the phalluses of less admirable men were portrayed.
Lustful, depraved satyrs, in particular, were rendered with very large, erect genitals, sometimes almost as tall as their torsos. According to mythology, these creatures were part-man, part-animal, and totally lacked restraint—a quality reviled by Greek high society. “Big penises were vulgar and outside the cultural norm, something sported by the barbarians of the world,” writes Chrystal. Indeed, across many an amphora pot and frieze, well-endowed satyrs can be seen drinking and pleasuring themselves with abandon.
In Greek comedy, fools also routinely sported large genitals—“the sign of stupidity, more of a beast than a man,” according to Chrystal. So, too, did artistic representations of the Egyptians, says Lear, who were long-time enemies of the Greeks.
In this way, satyrs, fools, and foes served as foils to male gods and heroes, who were honoured for their self-control and intelligence (along with other qualities requiring restraint, like loyalty and prudence). If large phalluses represented gluttonous appetites, then “the conclusion can be drawn that the small, flaccid penis represented self-control,” explains Lear.
Tags With: ancient Greek statuespenis size
← Bella: A curvy lava from the cold Sweden! (sizzling photos)
Principal in elementary school banned candy canes because ‘J’ shape stands ‘for Jesus’ →
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Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
“I know these showgirls: they’re just little parasites, little gold diggers!”
A secretly wealthy aspiring composer (Dick Powell) in love with a chorus girl (Ruby Keeler) helps to finance a new musical production starring Keeler and her friends (Joan Blondell, Aline McMahon, and Ginger Rogers), much to the chagrin of his disapproving brother (Warren Williams), who attempts to break off Powell’s relationship but instead finds himself falling for Blondell.
Busby Berkeley Films
Cross-Class Romance
Depression Era
Dick Powell Films
Ginger Rogers Films
Joan Blondell Films
Let’s-Put-On-a-Show
Mervyn LeRoy Films
Ruby Keeler Films
Warren William Films
Peary accurately refers to this Depression-era Warners musical as “super” and full of “extravagant, delightfully outlandish Busby Berkeley production numbers”. He points out that because Warners was the “one studio that called attention to the country’s social problems”, the storyline remains strongly tied to issues of the day, straight through to its stunning “mammoth” finale, a “Blondell-led production tribute to the ‘Forgotten Man’ who fought in the war but couldn’t get a job when he came home”. He notes that “Blondell has one of her most appealing roles”, that “Rogers displays a sparkling, hungry… quality”, and that “Powell is in fine voice during ‘Pettin’ in the Park'” (a catchy tune you won’t easily be able to get out of your head).
In his review, Peary doesn’t say a word about Keeler, whose erstwhile fame as a charming leading lady of early-’30s musicals continues to puzzle modern viewers, given her decidedly weak singing voice and clunky dancing style; however, she’s cute and does an okay job here, ultimately playing more of a supporting role than a leading one. It’s more puzzling to me that Peary fails to mention Aline McMahon’s hilariously memorable turn as a boldly flirtatious gold-digger determined to seduce Williams’ susceptible lawyer-friend (Guy Kibbee); she shines in a rare opportunity to share the screen equitably with her co-stars. Meanwhile, though her role is minimal, Rogers demonstrates exactly why she went on to leading-lady fame shortly after this film’s release; her Pig Latin rendition of “We’re in the Money” provides a truly stunning opening to the film (recall the presence of this particular sequence in Arthur Penn’s Bonnie and Clyde).
But the film’s real draw, of course, are the outrageously surreal Busby Berkeley musical numbers, each of which merits some sort of prize for sheer creative chutzpah. It’s been duly noted that such numbers would never have “worked” in real life on a stage, given that strategic cinematic framing plays an enormous part in their presentation here — but viewers must simply ignore such details and enjoy Berkeley’s incomparable vision.
Redeeming Qualities and Moments:
Several truly memorable Busby Berkeley numbers
Ginger Rogers singing “We’re in the Money” in pig Latin
Joan Blondell as Carol (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actresses of the Year)
Aline McMahon as Trixie
Yes, as a delightful showcase for Berkeley’s talents.
Genuine Classic
(Listed in 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die)
CineScene Review
TCM Article
Spinning Image Review
Jigsaw Lounge Review
DVD Savant Review
Time Out Capsule Review
One Response to “Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)”
David Csontos, on July 1st, 2012 at 5:47 pm Said:
Not a must, overall.
Yes, it’s true – Berkeley does some fine work here, esp. with the snappy opening number and the two numbers that finish the film. (The best and most memorable number in the film – as a song – is the concluding ‘Remember My Forgotten Man’.) However, other films Berkeley was involved with are not only better representations of his work, but also better films.
A revisit revealed to me that this film is top-heavy with a barely serviceable script, which has almost no memorable dialogue whatsoever. For example, after the terrific opener, we wait a good thirty minutes for another number and must be content to listen to sub-par conversations pretty much without real comic relief. (~which would be ok if this were a drama.)
Hence, though most of the cast gives it the college try, they have very little script support.
Throughout his work in film, Berkeley’s extremely clever ideas are often variations on a visual theme. So, if you don’t see all of his films, you can certainly still see him at his best elsewhere.
« Trouble in Paradise (1932) River of No Return (1954) »
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What will happen in Spain if new elections are held?
A new survey of Spanish voters shows that holding a fresh election would result in lower turnout and hurt the anti-austerity party Podemos.
See the infographic from Metroscopia/El Pais
Tags:Ciudadanos, election, Podemos, PP, PSOE, Spain, vote
Bosnia’s Islamic State Problem
Did you know? Syria elects new Parliament today
Latest News 19 April 2019
With the third general election in less than three and a half years, Spanish citizens…
Latest News 2 January 2019
Spain sees new record in migrant arrivals in 2018
El Pais: The year 2018 has set a new record in Spain for migrant arrivals…
Belgium: 74.9 percent of Turks voted for Erdoğan
The Turkish President Erdogan saw overwhelming support in several Western European countries, according to a…
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Quality does matter
Here's an interesting article by Tom Coates that analyses discussion lists and weblogs in terms of the quality of discussion each promotes. Tom argues that weblogs promote much better discussion than do discussion lists, and suggests that discussion in the blogosphere works along the same lines as academic citations:
"I've been working in similar directions as this - in an attempt to resolve the questions, 'Can you have good discussion across the blogosphere?', 'What is the nature of that discussion?' and "How does it differ from message-board conversation?'. And I think the answer lies - yet again - in going back to the beginning and looking at the way the web in general (and weblogs in particular) operate like an academic citation network."
He's produced some really interesting and persuasive diagrams to support his argument as well.
Papers from AERA 2003
Okay, we're in the process of putting our symposia and keynote papers from this year's AERA (American Education Research Association) annual conference online.
This is where you'll find papers from the The Classroom Challenge of New Literacies symposium, and the Bucks, Bytes and Benefits: Accounting for New Technology Investment in Social Contexts of Learning Disadvantage symposium.
And, this is where you'll find our keynote paper for the Writing and Literacies SIG, titled: Implications of 'New' Literacies for Writing Reseach.
Teaching award: Glynda Hull
Well-deserved kudos to Glynda Hull at the University of California, Berkeley, for her recent Distinguished Teaching award. According to the award website:
"The award, bestowed by the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate's Committee on Teaching, is the highest honor for instruction given by UC Berkeley. Only 5 percent of those who have taught at the campus since 1959 -- the year the awards began -- have received this award."
The university has put together a really great video documenting the three award winners' approaches to teaching and which is definitely worth watching. In particular, the video showcases Glynda's role in establishing the Digital Underground Storytelling for Youth program, and her continued work in engaging young people in developing a range of technological literacies.
Congratulations, Glynda!
Details and game playing--a new breed of qualitative researcher on its way?
A recent study suggests that playing video games can seriously sharpen players' visual acumen. The BBC reports:
"The researchers have shown that gamers were particularly good at spotting details in busy, confusing scenes and could cope with more distractions than average."
The evidence is growing that video games are good for you!
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Games of No Chance
GIS Visualizer - Geographic Data Visualized on 30+ Maps! Click here for details.
Title Games of No Chance
Author(s) Richard J. Nowakowski (Editor)
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 13, 1998)
Is Nine-Men's Morris, in the hands of perfect players, a win for white or for black--or a draw? Can king, rook, and knight always defeat king and two knights in chess? What can Go players learn from economists? What are nimbers, tinies, switches, minies? This book deals with combinatorial games, that is, games not involving chance or hidden information. Their study is at once old and young: though some games, such as chess, have been analyzed for centuries, the first full analysis of a nontrivial combinatorial game (Nim) only appeared in 1902.
This book deals with combinatorial games, that is, games not involving chance or hidden information. Their study is at once old and young: though some games, such as chess, have been analyzed for centuries, the first full anlaysis of a nontrivial combinatorial game (Nim) only appeared in 1902. The first part of this book will be accessible to anyone, regardless of background: it contains introductory expositions, reports of unusual contest between an angel and a devil. For those who want to delve more deeply, the book also contains combinatorial studies of chess and Go; reports on computer advances such as the solution of Nine-Men's Morris and Pentominoes; and new theoretical approaches to such problems as games with many players. If you have read and enjoyed Martin Gardner, or if you like to learn and analyze new games, this book is for you.
Combinatorics and Game Theory
Financial Mathematics and Economics
Probability and Stochastic Process
Operations Research and Optimization Books
Games of No Chance ©1998 (Richard J. Nowakowski)
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Home Events News Directors Bio Media Auditions Contact
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Jubilate Vocal Ensemble in Concert, Featuring guest choir, Frontline Voices
Sat, March 2nd, 2019
Canadian Memorial United Church
Burrard @ W. 15th, Vancouver.
Jubilate's second concert of the season is a celebration of the natural world. Specific sections of the concert will focus on spring, the stars, rivers and water, flowers, and nature. We will open the concert with a series of works about the coming of Spring, including Mark Hayes’ Come Away, which is a joyous ode to rebirth after winter, and Daniel Elder’s Fresh and Fearless, which uses Sara Teasdale’s poem May Night to represent the liveliness of spring even when sunlight is absent. In the section on stars and moon, we will sing Bright Morning Stars by Shawn Kirchner, an artful arrangement of a folk melody, and The Stars Stand Up in the Air by Eric William Barnum, a masterful expression of deep sadness for a lost love.
We will also feature young American composer Jake Runestad’s Peace of the Wild Things, based on Wendell Berry’s famous poem of the same name. We will share Mo Li Hua arranged by Bob Chilcott, a collection of five well-known traditional Chinese songs that depict the simplicity and beauty found in everyday life. We close with a collection of songs about water, including Mark Hayes’ arrangement of the much-loved spiritual Wade in the Water and Shawn Kirchner’s Sweet Rivers, a soaring gospel work featuring women’s and men’s trios rising dramatically above the choir.
Tickets now available at Eventbrite.ca
Sarah Power December 2, 2018 Canadian Memorial United Church
SONG OF LOVE, A Choral Concert of Worship
Sarah Power March 10, 2019
A SON IS BORN, A Musical Celebration for Christmas
Sarah Power October 4, 2018 White Rock Baptist Church
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Scooped by Top4
onto Gardening
Tips to a Beautiful Garden
From www.domain.com.au - May 29, 2016 8:39 PM
I know there are people who don’t like gardening but I’ve never met a person who doesn’t like a beautiful garden. If you’ve never had a garden, you don’t know what you’re missing.
There are lots of excuses but the one that annoys me the most is, “I can’t afford it.”
Gardening is not expensive, in fact it can save you money. Herbs, vegies and fruit are the obvious money savers but there are others, such as the time spent working in the garden which is free and good for you. Compare that to gym fees.
So if it’s cost that stops you from having a beautiful garden, I’m going to give you some great ideas that anyone can do. Not only will they improve your garden but they’ll help the environment at the same time by reusing common household packaging and materials – all for free.
Check out the latest nursery and gardening news, trends and new products in the Australian Nursery and Gardening industry from experts, nurseries, garden centres, manufacturers and associations on Top4 News.
Curated by Top4
Love Your Garden: Growing mushrooms at home
From www.domain.com.au - June 30, 2016 8:35 PM
Mushrooms are the great all-rounders but at $16 a kilo they’re hard to justify when families are on a tight budget. Well, don’t go without; grow your own. Your home-grown efforts can provide you with beautiful mushrooms when you need them and save you lots of money over time.
We’ve all seen mushroom kits in the nurseries and hardware stores which are the easiest, albeit most expensive, way to grow mushrooms at home but there a few other ways to get great results for less money
Noosa Council may slash park clean-ups
From www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au - June 20, 2016 7:58 PM
An annual $4000 debris collection at the Heritage Park Bushland Reserve and Recreation Area at Tewantin may be stopped under a proposed management plan.
As well, a $5000 a year waterway weed control program, according a report to go before Noosa councillors today, “would not eradicate the weed”.
There is no evidence the water weed is dispersing along the waterway, and there is also risk of translocating the weed to other areas by disposal.
“A maintenance program may improve the visual appearance of the lagoon for short periods, but will have questionable environmental benefits,” the report said.
Gardening: Repair storm damage to encourage new growth
Most gardens along the east coast took a severe battering last weekend. Now it’s time to take stock and apply a bit of horticultural first aid.
Large and tender leaves have been torn by those wild winds. Removing the damaged leaves will not only make the garden look better but will also minimise the risk of infection entering the damaged tissue. Plants like gingers and heliconias can have these damaged stems removed at the base. If there are flowers on the stems, you could enjoy them in a vase inside.
If you are concerned about the health of your plants, take some samples of the damaged leaves in a sealed plastic bag to your local independent garden centre and seek advice from a horticulturist.
How to live green in a small space
Advice on home sustainability is often based on unlimited space and a mortgage, with chicken coops, vegetable patches and solar systems among those frequently listed options.
A host of innovative startups are now working to change the industry, inventing new products to suit renters and apartment dwellers.
Australian company Glowpear specialises in gardening solutions for small spaces, giving renters and apartment dwellers the ability to create their own mini gardens. Glowpear’s planters are compact, stylish, self-watering units ideal for growing herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers inside or out.
The Green Wall Company is an Australian-owned business that has installed more than 5000 square metres of greenwalls across Australia, New Zealand and Brazil.
Not only are the walls easy to maintain, the lush greenery is a beautiful way to soften a space and bring nature indoors.
Gardening: insider tips for designing the small and perfectly formed garden
From www.brisbanetimes.com.au - May 30, 2016 9:00 PM
Think big. This is the number one piece of advice for designing small courtyards or balcony gardens from garden designer Richard Unsworth, who lectured at the Royal Botanic Gardens Garden Design Series. The rookie error in designing small garden spaces is getting the scale wrong, he says. Unsworth, from Garden Life landscape design firm and shop, works on big and small spaces and while scale is important in both, choosing small pots, plants and furniture only makes a small space appear smaller. Better to keep it simple, bold and scaled up.
The cohesiveness of repeated plants and surfaces creates aesthetic harmony in a small space, but Unsworth turns his back on minimalism in favour of textural contrast in plants and pots to keep a small garden interesting. On the Balmain balcony, the feathery palm contrasts with stiff succulents and crisp-edged balloons of a cloud-pruned juniper, while the bridge-grey pots are matched with the roughness of hand-thrown terracotta and the sheen of antique brass. And because there's no fun in minimalism for the plant collector, Unsworth also likes to include a display table. "On a great table you can arrange all the plants you love in a collection of pots and tinker as much as you like."
Why you keep killing your plants and what to do about it
From www.lifehacker.com.au - May 25, 2016 9:16 PM
Plant killers all know that “oh shit” moment where we realise something isn’t right. The plant starts drooping, and it looks a little yellowish brown. Or is that brownish yellow? Those are often signs of overwatering. The problem is, they’re also signs of underwatering.
So how do you know if you’re watering too little or too much? Here are some symptoms unique to both, based on info from Home Guides and Jain, an irrigation company.
Overwatering
The base of the plant stem feels soft and mushy
The tips of the leaves turn brown
Yellow leaves throughout the plant that fall off
The top 5cm of soil is moist
Underwatering
The edges of the leaves are crispy and brown
The leaves start to curl
The lower leaves are in worse shape
The trick to growing herbs in a pot
Lots of people ask me about herbs and vegies and whether they grow well in pots and tubs? Well the short answer is yes but it doesn’t just happen without some planning and effort.
Some gardeners have to use pots if they don’t have a garden.
Others like pots because they can move them around to change the look or to follow the sun. The good news is that by having pots you can keep the plants’ roots warmer through winter by moving them out of the way of frost.
I let my herbs go to seed only as a last resort because they are tired or not looking their best. However, lots of gardeners have the problem of their herbs bolting to seed too early. This just means that you haven’t harvested them enough.
Marty Roddy's curator insight, June 30, 2016 8:58 AM
#herbs and #containergarden
Gardening sessions help Qld dementia patients
From www.abc.net.au - May 5, 2016 9:21 PM
Five older folk sit huddled around a patio table on a sunny Thursday morning. From the outside they look like any group of keen gardeners.
But they are not. They have dementia. And this is horticulture therapy. Horticultural therapist Cath Manuel is using gardening to enrich the lives of patients living with dementia on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.
Once a week she leads a group of up to six patients and two volunteers to plant seedlings or tend to a sensory garden at Carramar aged care facility at Tewantin.
"If they've gardened a lot in the past, we give them pots and tools and they know exactly what to do," Ms Manuel said.
"But some of the others in the group just need that help because from step one to two, they can sometimes forget what step one was."
"I can see the change in them in their face, their smiles, and if there's a bird we'll stop and look at the birds or listen to the birds, or a plane will fly over so we'll talk about that. "It creates opportunities then for other conversations, and I can really see the physical change in them.
"That's where I think that gardening is so beneficial. It's that connecting with nature."
Step-by-step the key to reducing stress
The Best Low-Maintenance, Pet-Friendly Houseplants
From www.lifehacker.com.au - May 2, 2016 9:53 PM
As much as I love plants, I’ve never had many for two reasons: I’m terrible at keeping them alive and I have pets. A lot of plants are either toxic to my cats or they just require too much maintenance. Recently, though, I vowed to finally bring some greenery into my space without poisoning my pets. Here are some solid options I found.
The key is to just find a few plants that fit your criteria, then stick to them. The following options are all considered non-toxic for pets according to the ASPCA, and a few of them are even great for purifying your air.
It’s an ideal option if you’re looking for a small indoor tree, as it grows up to 1m tall. They also work well as accent plants, though, as you can see in the above picture.
If you’re a pet owner and you’re looking for low-maintenance plants that won’t poison your pets, these should offer some versatile options. They’re also fairly common, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them at your local garden centre
Weed removal made easier
From www.southernweekly.com.au - April 11, 2016 8:49 PM
Supporting seven generations, the Kelly family farm in Booleroo Centre, South Australia is the birthplace and home to Kelly Engineering and its renowned Kelly Diamond Harrow.
From humble beginnings, the company now offers a range of disc and prickle chain types for its harrows and exports these to multiple countries.
The patented discs that use the same hook and eye design, link together to form the same, unmistakable “chain” configuration of the CL1 discs. This means each disc can be individually maintained, avoiding the need for costly bearing replacement when changing worn discs.
This makes disc replacement relatively simple and cost effective.
Effectiveness in weed control has been just as evident.
The more aggressive discs are achieving even better results than the CL1 when it comes to this area of paddock management.
In most cases customers are seeing 100 per cent weed removal.
Scientists release bug to kill coral cactus
From www.abc.net.au - April 4, 2016 8:48 PM
A small insect has been released in western Queensland to control the weed coral cactus, after six years of research.
The cactus is a weed of national significance that reduces animals' access to feed and can hinder farm activities, as well as being a danger to landholders and their livestock.
The weed is found in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia.
"We have spent a hell of a lot of hours spraying and the cost involved is horrific, so going around and spreading this stuff, which is pretty easy, that will be a lot less onerous than what we are doing at the moment," he said.
"I think it is marvellous that there is something available that has the potential to not only control this stuff but eventually wipe it out."
Gardening Good for Body and Soul
From www.newsmaker.com.au - March 23, 2016 9:15 PM
Award winning Maida Vale nursery Zanthorrea will host a ‘Garden RELEAF Weekend’ on the 9th and 10th of April 2016 to raise funds for beyondblue and promote the enormous positive health benefits of gardening on depression and anxiety.
“A recent beyondblue research report titled ‘Beyond Blue to Green’ confirmed that time spent in the outdoors can help tackle anxiety and depression, obesity and coronary heart disease,” said Zanthorrea Nursery Director Ross Hooper.
“Getting out in the garden and open green spaces is not only good for your physical health, but your mental health and wellbeing as well.”
A botanist calls for funding to research a smoke chemical as weed control in cropping
From www.abc.net.au - March 20, 2016 7:57 PM
A chemical in smoke that causes seeds to germinate after fires could also control weeds in cropping.
An eminent botanist from Western Australia wants to test if weeds can be controlled with smoke.
It was discovered about ten years ago that an organic chemical in smoke caused seeds to germinate, finally explaining why the Australian bush bloomed after fire. Chemical giant Dupont estimated there was a $100 million benefit in the same chemical, germinating horticultural crops and native revegetation.
And now the man that discovered it, Professor Kingsley Dixon, said early research suggested it could germinate weed seeds underground, effectively killing them. "We discovered, in 2004, that we could put a piece of smoke chemical onto a piece of agricultural paddock and ... we could get a third of the target weeds.
"It was essentially down to half a teaspoon per hectare, really tiny amounts of this chemical."
The self-watering herb garden that is completely idiot-proof
From www.businessinsider.com.au - June 23, 2016 9:11 PM
It’s not always easy to keep house plants alive. Most are self-effacing by nature — they’re background decorations. Spend a few days at a business trip and oops, your basil or cilantro is gone.
Fortunately for you cold-blooded plant killers out there, a new product can stop you from claiming more victims. The Calla, which is currently being funded on Kickstarter, is completely idiot proof. Using hydroponic technology and automated LED lighting, the planter will keep herbs or flowers fresh and healthy, with hardly any maintenance.
The Calla is a hydroponic planter, which means the plants don't require soil. Just fill the water tank in the middle, and an automated system will distribute the liquid, keeping plants' roots wet without over-watering.
The mini-garden also features a mushroom-shaped LED light that can sense lighting conditions around it and adjust accordingly. It dims as day passes into night, simulating a natural light cycle. That allows you to keep the planter anywhere in the house.
Love Your Garden: A great time for shifting to new digs
If you think there isn't much to do in the garden at this time of year, think again.
You’d be forgiven for thinking there aren’t that many jobs to do in the garden at this time of year, but think again. Apart from saving your lawn by raking up the leaves, it’s the perfect time to transplant nearly any plant in the garden. Most people wait until spring but I reckon that’s like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted. Spring is a time when plants emerge from dormancy and show off all their beauty.
As a landscaper I move plants all year round because it’s essential to moving on to the next job. Truth be known, I rarely have any issues but if I had my choice of a preferred time of the year to transplant things around my garden, it’s during the next few weeks. Most plants pretty much go dormant in winter and it’s while they are resting and not requiring energy to grow that you can dig them up, disturb their root system and transplant them to a new spot.
Tips to keep your Potted Garden Happy and Healthy
Just because you don’t have the big backyard you grew up with doesn’t mean your tiniest of outdoor spaces can’t be a wonderful green retreat whether it’s a balcony, courtyard or pathway.
So here are my tips for keeping your potted garden happy and healthy.
• Most potted plants need to be replanted every two to three years.
• Water your potted plant really well in the morning before you remove it from its pot.
• Feed your pots every three months with either home-made compost or an organic pellet. This will work as a slow-release fertiliser. Water with a liquid fertiliser. I use Charlie Carp over the foliage and root ball every two to three weeks for a quicker uptake and healthier plants.
• You need to manage you expectations and know your limits. There’s no use planting a potted garden full of flowering annuals that needs water every day if you’re travelling every other week. Succulents and cactus, however, will thrive for you while you’re away.
Field Days guests to inspire fitness, green thumbs
From www.eyretribune.com.au - June 5, 2016 9:47 PM
The Biggest Loser trainer Shannan Ponton and Gardening Australia presenter Sophie Thomson will be at this year’s EP Field Days. The two television personalities will be sharing their knowledge and inspiring visitors to the Field Days.
Ms Thomson recently celebrated her 10th anniversary on ABC television's Gardening Australia and is also a gardening columnist, consultant, author and regular guest speaker.
At the Field Days she will share her passion for gardening including at her own three-acre property in the Adelaide Hills where she has developed a sustainable organic garden with a large vegie patch, more than 100 fruit trees and an ornamental garden.
Mr Ponton will bring to the Field Days his expertise as a personal trainer to put the focus on fitness and wellbeing and encourage people to get active. The EP Field Days will be on in Cleve on August 9, 10 and 11.
Herbicide resistance sparks quest for new weed control methods
From www.queenslandcountrylife.com.au - May 17, 2016 8:57 PM
These days it seems Queensland farmers are not only waking in the morning hoping for rain but wondering how to control species of difficult weeds when rain does fall.
According to Paul McIntosh from the Australian Herbicide Resistance Initiative (AHRI), Australia is growing a reputation for having plenty of herbicide resistant weeds in its paddocks.
“We need to diversify with other weed control measures and most importantly stop seed set in order to reduce resistance,” he said.
“This diversification drive is not only directed at our cropping rotations and alternating our current herbicide modes of action, we should also examine the different methods of harvest weed seed control (HWSC).”
Garden tips: cow manure; hibiscus; maple; daffodils
From www.theaustralian.com.au - May 10, 2016 9:02 PM
Bagged manure is composted, and well regulated to have consistent qualities, but it all comes from grain-fed, feedlot cattle. Their manure can potentially contain residual hormone growth stimulants, although research about this is limited.
Paddock manure can vary depending on what the cattle eat and how fresh it is. It can contain weed seeds. Your success with vegetables would be more directly influenced by critical factors such as climate, soils and aspect. The varieties you grow probably need to change to suit a different climate.
Our hibiscus produces lots of buds but they fall off before opening. The leaves look a bit crinkled and have small bite marks.
Tiny hibiscus beetles are difficult to control because they have a hard shell and shelter inside flowers. Attract and trap them with a white or yellow container filled with soapy water, or use a systemic pesticide such as Defender MaxGuard. Dispose of fallen blooms each day. Bud drop also could be from mealybugs. The crinkled leaves could be from aphids. Small holes in leaves could be from caterpillars, snails, flea beetles, weevils or earwigs.
How gardening is helping people grow
From www.perthnow.com.au - May 4, 2016 8:51 PM
When Renée Gardiner lost her mum to suicide, she vowed to make a difference.
“I saw an opportunity to create something that would bring people together.” In November 2014 she launched Growing Change to help people in crisis, bringing them together to create urban farms.
This week, the not-for-profit enterprise began major works at the North Fremantle Bowling Club to transform it into an urban micro-farm.
The farm will grow greens and root vegetables to be sold to local restaurants. Growing Change has formed relationships with community service providers that will refer people experiencing mental illness or homelessness.
“We’ll be running programs for up to 15 people a term and it goes for 12 weeks,” Ms Gardiner said. “Our program is about socialisation and skills training to support people into pathways to employment.
How to keep your water feature clean
From www.domain.com.au - April 26, 2016 9:07 PM
I love a good water feature in a well landscaped garden but they aren’t a set and forget thing and require regular maintenance.
You must at least keep the water level up. Then it’s a question of whether you are wanting to look after a fish-friendly water feature with plants or have a fountain that is clean as a whistle like a crystal clear swimming pool.
Either way each scenario comes with different challengers. It is something that has to be tackled because in the end poor maintenance can be unsightly and expensive not to mention terminal for the humble gold fish.
From a waterproof pot to a fountain that splashes water from layer to layer a pump is essential. It moves the water, adds oxygen and breaks the water surface, which in turns removes the possibility of mozzies laying eggs and becoming a problem.
Each week or two I also replace between 10 and 20 per cent of the pond’s water with fresh tap water and add a small amount of equalizer to keep the fish comfortable.But most importantly make sure you really want a water feature and are committed to its maintenance because an unloved, turned off, broken, eye saw can be an expensive mistake.
What is Green Roof Maintenance?
From sourceable.net - April 6, 2016 9:12 PM
The benefits of planting a green roof are well-documented, but those benefits won't be enjoyed without proper maintenance.
Like any garden, gardens on roofs cannot survive without a gardener. Without a gardener, they cease to be gardens and become wild places.
All green roofs have a purpose, even though over time it may change. Various Australian green roofs are designed to serve any of 40-odd different purposes.
The designer of a green roof is (or should be) well aware of its purpose. Good green roofs are designed to fulfil their purpose with a deep understanding of how this purpose will be fulfilled – of the functions through which the green roof will fulfil its purpose.
In a commercial or retail building, the gardening and cultivation of a green roof is normally the responsibility of a maintenance crew which is managed by the facility manager. In an apartment block, it may be conducted either by a maintenance crew managed (and perhaps contracted) by the building manager, or by the building manager himself or herself. In a house, normally the owner either conducts the gardening or cultivation of the garden on the roof or engages a gardener to do so.
Choosing crops for better weed control
From www.farmweekly.com.au - March 29, 2016 4:44 AM
A COMPLEX raft of factors including canopy architecture, early vigour and allelochemicals all contribute to making individual crops more competitive against weed species according to a Wagga Wagga based agricultural researcher.
Bill Brown, of Charles Sturt University, said there had been work done on the links between higher biomass in crops and lower weed burdens, but added there was more to the science of reducing weed burdens through crop selection than this simple tenet.
“Obviously, above the ground, competition for light is very important, but there’s a swag of things happening below the ground that we also need to learn more about.”
To cut down these weeds seeds farmers need to look at the timing of cutting of fodder, is it the best time for not allowing weed seeds to set?”
What to plant for autumn and winter
From www.weeklytimesnow.com.au - March 21, 2016 9:08 PM
AS the days start to turn a little cooler and night time temperatures also drop, its time to plant autumn and winter-flowering seedlings.
There are plenty of taller varieties that can go in the back of garden beds to give height including foxgloves, delphiniums, larkspurs, Canterbury bells, hollyhocks, cornflowers, cinerarias, nigella and the taller growing snapdragons.
For smaller plants used for borders, mass planting and pots, you can’t go past pansies and violas for the variety of colour and longevity of flowering — they are superb.
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HomeUncategorizedEffects of Physical-Cognitive Dual Task Training on Executive
Effects of Physical-Cognitive Dual Task Training on Executive
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IPL - Umesh Yadav
Season <All Seasons> 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Versus <All Teams> Chennai Super Kings Deccan Chargers Delhi Capitals Kings XI Punjab Kolkata Knight Riders Mumbai Indians Rajasthan Royals Royal Challengers Bangalore at <All Grounds> Barabati Stadium Brabourne Stadium Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium Eden Gardens Feroz Shah Kotla Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium Holkar Cricket Stadium M Chinnaswamy Stadium MA Chidambaram Stadium Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium Nehru Stadium (Kochi) Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium Sardar Patel Stadium Sawai Mansingh Stadium Shaheed Veer Narayan Sing International Stadium Sharjah Cricket Stadium Sheikh Zayed Stadium Wankhede Stadium
1 19/03/2010 Chennai Super Kings Feroz Shah Kotla DNB 0
2 21/03/2010 Deccan Chargers Barabati Stadium not out 3* 3 4 75.00
3 25/03/2010 Royal Challengers Bangalore M Chinnaswamy Stadium DNB 3
4 29/03/2010 Kolkata Knight Riders Feroz Shah Kotla DNB 3
5 31/03/2010 Rajasthan Royals Feroz Shah Kotla DNB 3
6 15/04/2010 Chennai Super Kings MA Chidambaram Stadium DNB 3
7 18/04/2010 Deccan Chargers Feroz Shah Kotla DNB 3
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Governance of Motions and Debate
A motion is a proposal that the entire membership take action or a stand on an issue. An Individual Member can:
Propose a Motion;
Second Motions;
Debate motions;
Vote on motions.
There are four Basic Types of Motions:
Main Motions: The purpose of a main motion is to introduce items to the membership for their consideration. They cannot be made when any other motion is on the floor, and yield to privileged, subsidiary, and incidental motions;
Subsidiary Motions: Their purpose is to change or affect how a main motion is handled, and is voted on before a main motion;
Privileged Motions: Their purpose is to bring up items that are urgent about special or important matters unrelated to pending business;
Incidental Motions: Their purpose is to provide a means of questioning procedure concerning other motions and must be considered before the other motion.
Presentation of a Motion
Obtaining the floor:
Wait until the last speaker has finished;
Wait until the Chairman recognizes you;
Rise and address the Chairman by saying, "Mr. Chairman, or Mr. President."
Make Your Motion:
Speak in a clear and concise manner;
Always state a motion affirmatively. Say, "I move that we ..." rather than, "I move that we do not ...";
Avoid personalities and stay on your subject.
Wait for Someone to Second Your Motion:
Another member will second your motion or the Chairman will call for a second:
If there is no second to your motion it is lost.
The Chairman States Your Motion:
The Chairman will say, "it has been moved and seconded that we ..." Thus placing your motion before the membership for consideration and action;
The membership then either debates your motion, or may move directly to a vote;
Once your motion is presented to the membership by the chairman it becomes "assembly property", and cannot be changed by you without the consent of the members.
Expanding on Your Motion:
The time for you to speak in favor of your motion is at this point in time, rather than at the time you present it;
The mover is always allowed to speak first;
All comments and debate must be directed to the chairman;
Keep to the time limit for speaking that has been established;
The mover may speak again only after other speakers are finished, unless called upon by the Chairman.
Putting the Question to the Membership:
The Chairman asks, "Are you ready to vote on the question?";
If there is no more discussion, a vote is taken;
On a motion to move the previous question may be adapted.
Voting Policy
This Voting Policy applies to all HSO formally constituted meetings of the Membership and of the Board.
When the Chair calls for a vote, abstentions shall not be called for since an abstention is meaningless. "To 'abstain' means not to vote at all." (Robert's Rules, 11th ed., p 45). Unless there is good reason not to vote, all present should vote on all resolutions.
Notwithstanding that it is the duty of every eligible voter who has an opinion on a question to express it by a vote; the individual can abstain, since voting cannot be compelled. (Robert's Rules, 11th ed., p 407).
Remaining Silent.
The burden is on an abstaining individual to speak up in order to be recorded as an abstention. If the vote is called for and any individual fails or refuses to indicate "yes," "no" or "abstain," the Chair of the meeting shall deem the individual to have voted a " silent yes" and if the silent individual does not object, the vote shall be counted as a "yes" vote.
A block of recorded abstentions cannot defeat a resolution as a recorded abstention is not a vote unless, reductio ad absurdum, all eligible voters record their abstention.
Application to HSO Votes
For an Ordinary (Majority) Resolution, if 51% of the eligible votes* cast are “yes” including “silent yes” votes, the motion is carried.
For a Special Resolution, if 67% of the eligible votes* cast are “yes” including “silent yes” votes, the motion is carried.
For an Extraordinary Resolution (including to approve the conduct of a Review Engagement), if 80% of the eligible votes cast* are “yes” including “silent yes” votes, the motion is carried.
For a Unanimous Vote ( required of the Board to discipline a Member) , a recorded abstention shall defeat the motion
* This includes the Chairman’s privilege to cast a second vote in the event of a tied vote.
Required Abstentions for Directors
Whenever a Director believes he/she has a conflict of interest, that Director shall abstain from voting on the issue and make sure the abstention is noted in the minutes. (Robert's Rules, 11th ed., p 407).
A Director shall abstain when he/she believes that there is insufficient information to make a decision and make sure the abstention is noted in the minutes.
A Director shall abstain when a motion directly affects his/her position, nomination or personal benefit and make sure the abstention is noted in the minutes.
Unless the above clauses 1, 2, or 3 are invoked, a Director shall cast votes on all issues put before the Board. Failure to do so could be deemed a breach of fiduciary duties.
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Hard Choices (Moderator: Marvelous) »
Hard Choices: Lauryn Hill v Mary J Blige
Author Topic: Hard Choices: Lauryn Hill v Mary J Blige (Read 7334 times)
Re: Hard Choices: Lauryn Hill v Mary J Blige
in what aspect are you comparing them? while Lauryn is a better singer, producer, writer and better looking, she really can't compare with Mary's body of work..did someone say that Mary only has 1 album that's about something? that's kind of a ridiculous statement when Mary has let out classic(s) plural..
What's the 411?
Mary's Joint
Share My World
Mary J Blige with the Lauryn Hill produced song
She's only had 1 maybe 2 mediocre cds and she can't sing....L's first cd was a classic, but that's about it..her second cd wasn't anywhere close to being classic and then she went nuts and disappeared..or whatever happened to her.
Hypestyle
Intellectual Conqueror
Lauryn is going on tour with Nas later this summer. I may try and check it out. But Lauryn has a reputation for being, well, really late, plus there's the "is she going to sing, or talk half the time?" knock...
Be Kind to Someone Today.
Lauryn at her peak was a brilliant artist who could have had it all. But she thew it all away. Tragic. Even if she had the output of D'Angelo, this would be more of a fair fight. D's product flow is spare, but boy when he drops something it's strong! And he's got music released in this century.
Meanwhile, Mary consistently beats the odds and has assembled a great body of work. My Mary playlist is quite long.
Is Strength of a Woman worth picking up? What are the top 3 songs?
Quote from: Reginald Hudlin on July 11, 2017, 02:12:22 pm
What did Lauryn throw away exactly?
She chose Motherhood over her career and principle over commerce.
You really think Lauryn Hill couldn't have put out a series of half-baked albums playing on her gravitas and cashed in?
I'd like to see from Mary and Lauryn:
A series of covers albums (like rod Stewart and Barry Manilow have done), they can be themed- Pop, Rock and R&B of the 60s, 70s 80s, 90s-- I'm especially intrigued to see what could be done with an 80s-themed set.
A gospel album
A jazz standards album
« Last Edit: August 22, 2017, 09:52:14 am by Hypestyle »
Quote from: Hypestyle on July 11, 2017, 01:33:03 pm
She's notorious for showing up super hella hella late...and then giving a so so performance.
Hopefully with her opening for Nas, she won't do that anymore.
HEF FOI
Totally hatin'.
Mary J.
Sure... Lauryn has her beat hands-down in talent and range, but I'm not digging or rewarding her chronic lateness regardless of the excuses. If you can't or won't do your job, get into another line of work.
Quote from: jefferson L.O.B. sergeant on August 20, 2017, 10:04:53 am
So you can't be a mother and a professional? You can't be a mother and a great artist?
Quote from: Reginald Hudlin on September 11, 2017, 01:57:56 pm
From the way she has spoken about it they ALWAYS wanted Lauryn to elevate her career over her family. To the point they suggested she ABORT her first child. I think that sentiment alone speaks to the environment she was functioning in.
Can you be a "GREAT" mother and a great artist? I've never heard or seen it to be honest. You could have a channel full of biopics and TV specials that would attest to this.
I want to see a Fugees reunion tour this summer.
Quote from: jefferson L.O.B. sergeant on January 20, 2018, 06:35:02 pm
Diana Ross is both. I've met several of her kids, and I was impressed by how well balanced they were.
I think there are many, many successful working moms. My mother was one.
If she wanted to focus on being a mom that's a fine choice, my wife did the same, but that was not her only option.
Quote from: Reginald Hudlin on January 21, 2018, 07:03:52 am
Diana is a TERRIBLE choice!
Unlike your buddy Nelson George I will uphold the standard of the Motown artists being paragons of virtue that only ate, slept, practiced and performed!
stanleyballard
Agreed. Worked for Lauryn Hill several years ago here in NYC metro (NJ side) and she was a class act so I stand by my choice from years ago! Mary J Blige needs some singing lessons - she has improved and doesn't go off key as much but still.....
Lauryn refused to sell her soul like so many Black artists have done since this post was created- Whitney, Michael, Prince and more!
why is it that a goofy, occasionally drug-dabbling eccentric in Katt Williams and a chronically late chick in Lauryn get to be the only people worldwide to "escape" the Illuminati somehow?
And why are the Illuminati monomaniacally focused on rap/R&B singers? Where's the YouTube videos focusing on country-western singers or folks like Barry Manilow and Michael Bolton?
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India at a crossroads
The United States walked into a skirmish this past week. Not with China, not with Iran…but with India.
Why are Indians so angry at America? Well, they say that the United States mistreated an Indian consular worker, who was arrested for allegedly falsifying a visa application for her live-in maid, and for paying that maid less than a third of the U.S. minimum wage.
The facts of the case continue to emerge. But the incident highlights that for all their similarities – big democracies, Asian partners – India and America are very different societies.
Despite its impressive growth, India remains quite poor. Even if the consular worker’s maid was being paid only $300 a month, she was still making two-and-a-half times the national average. Second, India has a recent history of diplomats being involved with visa fraud. This shouldn't be surprising, unfortunately. India ranks 94th in the world for transparency. You encounter corruption every day in India.
And lastly, why are Indian politicians feeding all this outrage? Well, Indian politicians have always been masters of self-righteous indignation. But also, they're up for elections next year. With some 700 million eligible voters, this will be the greatest exercise in democracy the world has ever seen.
All those topics are part of a GPS special report on India. It’s called “India at a Crossroads.” The program airs this Sunday in our regular timeslot. You can watch the video for a small preview about how Indians are trying to tackle some of their worst social ills…but in a decidedly modern way that maybe owes something to Oprah Winfrey.
You'll have to watch the full hour to get a sense of how India is dealing with all its problems. But if you want to understand where this huge, chaotic country is headed, this is must-see television.
Topics: GPS Show • India
Next entry »Why GDP doesn’t cut it anymore
« Previous entryTime to listen to what Africa really wants
The tenor of the above summary is this: "Let's try and understand the challenges India faces because of which she reacted the way she did last week. She is more to be pitied than censured as Wodehouse would have said. As Americans we have nothing to introspect about, we are cat's whiskers, we are the economic and ethical barometer of the world. The rest need to be pegged by our supreme standards."
Jigyasa
I could not have said it better , this preview was off-putting. Granted this is one person's opinion but on a forum/platform such as this it cannot afford to be lop-sided if it were to hold its efficacy. All in all a let down.
In case anyone hasn't noticed lately, our policies and activities, domestic and foreign, are under pretty severe scrutiny and criticism. Let's hope Dan Shapiro is careful not to flatulate anywhere in Israel. Goodness knows what might come of it.
RajK
Same old game of lecturing India is back again it seems. Its not Indian politicians who have made noise. Its the Indian public who has forced the politicians to tell Americans in clear terms that they need to behave and follow the same rule. How come Raymond Davis was given full diplomatic immunity when he was not a diplomat even remotely. Americans will see more and more of such reactions from world over.
this is a bad article but a good advertisement for this guy's tv show!
Javeed
If we bleave in the comments posted by some RajK, then Indian public in general are promoters of frauds and corruption. Mr. Raj non from Indian public will allow any body to make frauds, or promote corruption in India or other parts of the world. I said if the diplomat is found guilty, She should be treated at par as other Americans are being treated in that Country and it should be cleared once for all that any one whether big or small, rich or poor across creed cast and religion is found guilty in India or abroad will be punished to maximum for their deeds. Mr. Raj why don't you realize, You are defending a shame.
mchellap
It says that comments are not pre-screened, but in this case I wonder where mine went 🙂
Best of luck with your credibility CNN.
sekhars
India is a evolving democracy and far from perfect where people in politics, bureaucrats, industrialist, media and family houses involved in a corrupt racket to lead the nation while taking advantage of poor citizen to rule the country. Major cause of this is related with policies of INC who ruled India for over 55+ years out of its 65+ years of existence. The bars were so much lowered by Indira Gandhi for politics that led to total collapse of good governance since early 70s.
There is a much more aware younger generation now which is very socially connected and may change India as technology becomes more cheaper and accessible. Recent surge of another party in election -AAP also indicate that curtain is ready to fall on INC soon.
On the other hand US is the only nation which interfere in others business both directly and indirectly. Some of the issues raised by Indians are correct though i believe that the real motive of indian stance is not to address US double standard but is politically motivated corrupt decision makers at the helm of losing their job as there are many more important issues around India and US than this current diplomatic row.
The maid of the Indian "consular worker" was paid $300 a month and "she was still making two-and-a-half times the national average".
But the maid lives in New York. Life is expensive in the Big Apple. No doubt she has to toil long hours daily in order to earn the pittance. Apart from sending some money home, she has little left over for herself.
There have been more developments to this case. Apparently this was not a fraud by the officer but a misreading of th einformation supplied. While the officer entered her own salary of $4500 in the online form, the prosecution understood this as the salary to be paid to the maid. That seems to be the crux of the issue. This seems to be no more than an immigration fraud done by the maid.
I think that it is on the Anonymous turn when it is not in a big problem in Chinese information control propaganda and human rights being mysterious and is considerably covered the treasure information in China
harpat
The maid must have been given food and shelter. It is not possible to live in New York on $300 or in most any US city. Then she would have very little other expense and can send some money home. Many poor Indians would happily accept this offer and in that way the consular worker probably felt it was justifiable. What she apparently did not realize that in USA laws can be routinely broken as in India. Falsification of records is such an ingrained behavior in India most people don't think twice about it.
Her stated pay was $1560.
the maid was paid Rs 30000 to her account in india (this used to be $600 about a year ago). She was paid about $500 in the US and the balance about $400 was considered towards boarding lodging and other expenses and not given in hand. This roughly works to $1560 pm her medical was taken car of by the Govt of india.
@ harpat, you cannot possibly be trying to justify what that cosuler worker did are you?? When in a foreign country you must follow the laws of that country. Look whats happening in other countries when you dont follow their laws. Ignorance is no excuse and you can just bet the consuler worker CLAIMS she had all kinds of Employee expenses that are totally inaccurate. Fraud is fraud no matter who you are and expenses in the US are a great deal more than India!
george Bush lied about WMD in Iraq and is living happily?
Yea aint that something @ sri? He lied about alot of things and hasnt been prosecuted on anything, but if he ever leaves the country he can be arrested for warcrimes.
The only visa fraud in the case is being facilitated by the DA. It's been amusing watching this evolve really because the maid has successfully gamed the US system. Well almost... First of all, she's been with the same employer in two other countries before and was hardly duped on any part of the wage arrangement. She decided to disappear after landing in the States, and tried to extort 10,000 USD plus immigration assistance out of her employer. When this didn't work out, she's sued in order to get a T1 visa which is supposed to be used for genuine victims of human trafficking.
The wage structure incidentally is part of several agreements between the Indian side and the US embassy. So logically if the US wants to take a stance that they are really rescuing someone from human trafficking they should treat the Indian govt and all the various govts around the world with similar agreements as organized crime rings. This person was paid more than fairly – her wage alone was in excess of the minimum wage, just split between a US component and India component. And, she got a one bedroom apartment in Manhattan, paid cable tv, paid visits to India, and a bunch of other things.
The US state department has massively screwed up, and one too many times. The US gets very preferential treatment around the globe in how their Consular officers are treated and that may start to go away once implements strict reciprocity. All for what purpose? I think neither the US govt nor it seems the US media or general public has engaged brain in this entire episode.
Anyway, Fareed Zakaria's show was great. It was very interesting, and some new topics were covered...
But this blog doesn't do the show justice by focusing on this case in this particular writeup. Especially since it seems to have been so poorly researched unlike the usually well done GPS topics.
I have to note that you see several viewpoints represented in the Indian media on this topic, some supporting the US actions (mostly from the left wing, trade unions etc). But as in many foreign policy issues in the US, there seems to be exactly one opinion, which is totally indistinguishable from the USG/State department worldview. Considering they're hardly going to be in a hurry to criticize their handling of the issue, this is not the role that media is supposed to play in a mature democracy.
DocUsa
Show was informative but certain items needed updates/disclaimers such as Mr. modi was found not guilty and Aap's Win etc.
Zotster
http://www.globalslaveryindex.org/country/india/?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=india&utm_campaign=globalslaveryindex
The massive extent of slavery and corruption within India could not occur without the connivance of everyone in their political system. This tempest-in-a-teapot their politicians have stirred up is just a distraction technique.
trivia board games
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Leave a Reply to sri
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Malala Yousafzai shooter dead: Taliban boss dead in U.S. drone strike
Modal Trigger Maulana Fazlullah Atlas Press
Patty Aguilar | 16 June, 2018, 00:49
Ministry of Defense spokesman Mohammad Radmanish confirmed to CNN that Mullah Fazlullah, who led the TTP from 2013, was killed in the strike Wednesday.
A United States drone strike in eastern Afghanistan has killed Mullah Fazlullah, one of the world's most wanted terrorists and chief of the Pakistani Taliban, sources in Afghanistan reported Friday.
The US military said on Thursday it carried out a strike targeting a senior militant leader in Afghanistan.
The Voice of America radio reported that a U.S. military official confirmed to its correspondents that a USA drone strike had "targeted the TTP leader in an Afghan province near the border with Pakistan".
Malala rose to prominence for promoting female education as a young girl.
Mullah Fazlullah was named TTP chief after the death of Hakimullah Mehsud in a drone strike in November 2013.
The US attack was in collaboration with Afghan forces.
"We hope this pause leads to dialogue and progress on reconciliation and a lasting end to hostilities", O'Donnell added. The militant first took charge of the TTP in November 2013 after the death of Hakimullah Mehsud, who was also killed in a USA operation.
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Fazlullah is Pakistan's most-wanted militant, notorious for attacks including a 2014 school massacre that killed 132 children and the separate 2012 shooting of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, who was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Pakistan has always been accused of supporting the Afghan Taliban and providing safe haven to its leaders - charges Islamabad denies.
The United States State Department in March fixed a price tag of $5-million on the TTP chief Mullah Fazlullah's head.
Fazlullah emerged as an Islamist leader in the Swat Valley, northwest of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, more than a decade ago. He was behind the 2014 assault on a Peshawar school that killed 152 people, including 138 children.
The administrative district, in northwestern Pakistan, was where militants shot and wounded teen activist Malala Yousafzai in October 2012 as she was returning home from school in a van. Islamabad says the Pakistani Taliban maintain sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan has declared a three-day ceasefire with the larger Afghan Taliban, which ruled the country for five years before being ousted in 2001.
Fazlullah rose to prominence through radio broadcasts in Swat demanding the imposition of Islamic law, earning him the nickname "Mullah Radio".
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Trump says he won't sign 'moderate' GOP immigration bill Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. sponsors one of the bills, which has drawn fire from immigrant rights activists, HuffPost reported . But McHenry cautioned that House Republicans won't "take on" immigration unless they have Trump's backing.
Paul Manafort To Plead For Continued Bail Charges have also been brought against 13 Russian nationals, three Kremlin-linked companies, a California man and a Dutch lawyer. Special counsel Robert Mueller recently accused Manafort of witness tampering.
Trump's vow to end military drills with Seoul stuns a region We are sitting with (National Security Advisor) John Bolton next week to go over the details, to get this stuff done. The president, however, said the sanctions on North Korea for its nuclear tests will remain for now.
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Pakistani PM Khan orders probe into $7.9 billion penalty over mining lease
Clashes break out after another mass rally in Hong Kong
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Huawei P30 Pro, P30 Lite launched in India: Price, specifications, features
Both phones are priced in such a way that they not only impress buyers but also strike serious competition against rivals.
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has launched its newest quad-camera flagship smartphone, the P30 Pro, and the lower variant P30 Lite for the Indian market. P30 Pro smartphone will be exclusively available on Amazon India's website and Croma stores. Above all, the pricing makes an even more powerful impact.
Price and availability of Huawei P30 Pro and P30 Pro Lite The company has priced Huawei P30 Pro at Rs 71,990, while Huawei P30 Pro Lite is priced at Rs 19,990.
The Huawei P30 also has strong speakers, which combined with that screen make this a great phone for media - and unlike some flagships (including its sibling the P30 Pro) you still get a 3.5mm headphone port here, so you can easily plug in wired earphones.
The screen is bright too, so you'll have no problem using it in direct sunlight, and it takes up most of the front of the Huawei P30, with just a tiny teardrop notch at the top and a very small bezel at the bottom.
The Mate X is Huawei's 5G foldable smartphone.
The HUAWEI P30 Pro features a FullView display that supports a resolution of up to 2340x1080 pixels with a curved screen design that uses a flexible OLED panel. It also looks like these phones might be your best pick if you're a Snapchat ...
Let's address the elephant in the room.
And since it's so easy to get caught up in brands and favorites, and be partial to a particular name rather than the actual photo, it's time to do another blind camera comparison. You'll have to see it to believe it.
The P30 Pro sports a unique a quad camera setup that comprises an 8MP telephoto camera with a Periscope lens that offers up to 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and up to a whopping 50x digital zoom. For camera lovers, look no further than Huawei P30 Pro. Its performance on paper might not quite be a match for the likes of the iPhone XS and Samsung Galaxy S10, but in practice you're unlikely to notice the difference - this is one fast phone.
Upfront, the P30 Pro features a 32-megapixel selfie camera coupled with f/2.0 aperture lens and AI HDR+.
As well as Amber Sunrise - aka an orange/red - (exclusive to the 512GB model), the 128GB P30 Pro is available in Breathing Crystal (our light blue/purple review unit), Aurora (a darker blue/purple finish) and Black.
The flagship device comes with a hefty 4200mAH battery with unique SuperCharge and Wireless Reverse Charging driven by the world's first 7nm mobile process chipset - the Kirin 980.
On the right side of the phone are the power and volume keys, which fall nicely under thumb or finger, although volume up can be a little bit of a stretch.
The handset also includes a 3,340mAh battery (with 18-watt charging), USB-C connectivity, and GPU Turbo 2.o support - said to offer better processing and reduced battery drain when playing compatible games. On the camera front, the P30 Lite has three cameras in the rear.
Huawei P30 Lite comes in two variants, 4GB+128GB and 6GB+128GB, priced at Rs 19,990 and Rs 22,990, respectively. The features justify the price tag well and consumers finally have a suitable alternative for handsets like Vivo V15 Pro and Oppo F11 Pro.
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HomeBlogCurtis Sittenfeld on Deciding on Beta Readers, Outlining in addition to Creating Intricate Characters
Curtis Sittenfeld on Deciding on Beta Readers, Outlining in addition to Creating Intricate Characters
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Detail Produk Curtis Sittenfeld on Deciding on Beta Readers, Outlining in addition to Creating Intricate Characters
Curtis Sittenfeld on Deciding on Beta Readers, Outlining in addition to Creating Intricate Characters >
If you know Sittenfeld’s work-masterful demos of fictional prose in conjunction with insightful, unblinking inquiry directly into emotion, personality and the individual experience-it’s tiny surprise the girl aims to you should just the audience most writers would claim among their harshest critics.
“I think writers in particular notice in addition to appreciate that which writers are generally doing, ” Sittenfeld states that. “It’s including they can see the machinery, look at scaffolding. So if you can get another writer to help suspend shock and just go through for pleasure or climb into your fictional world, which is a huge fulfillment. ”
Sittenfeld has a longer history involving impressing various other scribes: Before her older year great for school this lady won 18 is actually 1992 fiction contest and, a few years later, was titled one of Encanto is actually “Top 12 College Ladies. ” Soon after graduating through Stanford in 1997 with a degree in English, the woman joined the editorial personnel at the newly minted Rapid Company. Two years later, the woman nabbed the coveted position at the renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop just where she acquired her MFA.
While composing novels, she has also published numerous brief stories and essays a wonderful esteemed markets as The New York Moments, The Ocean, Slate, The actual Washington Write-up, Time, Vanity Fair , Esquire, The fresh Yorker and more. Several of your girlfriend stories in which appeared in The New Yorker were incorporated into her 1st collection, You believe It, I’ll Say That, published in April.
Sittenfeld took an escape from guide promotion to share with WD about the girl process, composing awkward confrontations and creating unlikeable-yet-empathetic character types.
An individual has noted in which “so a lot in life what a little bit awkward … is simply ideas for hype. ” Which is something we come across a lot with your latest e-book, You Think The idea, I’ll Declare It , where the figures often result in intensely cringeworthy situations. Just how do those forms of interactions encourage your creating?
I can not imagine publishing scenes the place that the characters aren’t going to be emotionally used, even if from the negative experience. I think any time people are possessing awkward thoughts, there’s most likely a lot of complicated things going on. That can be exciting. And if you begin to unpack why you believed awkward within a certain minute … difficult always multilayered, but it certainly can be.
You do a new skillful work creating characters who are “real” and elaborate, but are additionally empathetic (if not necessarily likeable). Can be the key to walking in which line?
I think this saying having likable in addition to who isn’t very is very debatable. And so I really don’t tend not to I can management that. I suppose it’s more like I could make pretty inoffensive characters who, to me, can be very boring-but that many readers may not find offensive. That’s not actually my goal. Now i’m so blessed I get to write hype, because the last concern I would want to do is weary myself although writing that. Although I would never want to myself, “Does this dialogue or motion make a identity likable or unlikable? inch I would certainly think in terms of, you know, Is this character transgressing in a way that I am talking about for her for you to transgress? Or maybe, you know, Is she staying fair additional characters? Or maybe, Is this lady being indicate to other personas? So I probably would not really think about her likability in terms of the technique the reader gets her, nevertheless I would inside ecosystem on the story.
That makes good sense. Like, draught beer brimming with plaisanterie toward different characters?
Yeah. In case they do include malice, could it be serving the storyplot? ‘Cause when it is, then that you will find left throughout. Laughs However I don’t think that I would include things like malice for the sake of malice. I had include the item because it produced the story fascinating. Or exposed something about the particular characters or perhaps advanced the particular plot. But it’s not including my overarching goal is to explore typically the nastiest area of the human race.
Your hottest book is of quick fiction, yet you’re praised for your books. How do you determine whether a element can preserve a full new, versus as being a better fit for the brief form?
Intended for something to become novel, I need to get an undeniable fact that seems like really this large thing that I can method in similar to 17 different ways. And if an individual asks us why I found it exciting, I could invest four hours explaining why, because it can feel infinitely useful. Whereas a new story feels more contained. That still feels intriguing, nevertheless more like this sort of fleeting or simple thing, instead of feeling limitless. It’s more like conceiving of an moment in place of conceiving of an massive issue.
You will have written anything from personality profiles-including of Michelle Obama Barbara Walters-to limited fiction along with novels. How exactly does your publishing process to get short testimonies differ from lengthier formed parts?
There are a lot of respect for a lot of journalists. I think that sometimes the typical reader will not always know about distinction among reported journalism and personal writing or works. When I managed to graduate from university in 1997, I was a great intern with the Charlotte Observer in New york, a general project reporter. I then went to work like a staff writer for a publication inside Boston. So that i have some journalistic experience, nevertheless this is today more than 2 decades ago. U feel as if a few of my journalistic muscles include atrophied. I possibly could write a reported piece however it used to be i always did it one per year, and now I truly do it maybe once just about every three or four many years. I kind of feel like My spouse and i went down the fiction route, not along the non-fiction path. I’m talking about, there is a big difference. And hype is more and even more accessible for me and non-fiction is less and fewer accessible in my opinion.
There’s also a time frame after move on school, prior to my novel Prep became available, that I published a fair quantity of sort of semi-reported essays, or maybe sometimes I would write stuff for could magazines or even for Seventeen magazine. A number of it was claimed, some of it turned out essays. But now-I aren’t tell how much of this is usually artistic preciousness on my element and how much will sort of legitimate-but there are times when I believe like it’s harder and harder for me to write non-fiction the aged I obtain, unless I actually care about that. There’s several idea that all-around publication time, it’s perfect for a article author to write, you already know, a few personal essays to market the book. But Personally i think like at this time, you know, when you said to me, “You can write the essay for your relationship using your hair, micron or anything I have a tendency really have quite strong feelings about. I think I’d personally be capable of the item, but it would not be very enjoyable to write something for the sake of composing. Whereas, if you ask me to write about non-fiction this I’m on an emotional level invested in, I do believe I can still do that. And also again, everthing depends. Similar to I think it uses slightly different but overlapping parts of serotonin levels.
I actually think way also about composing for TELLY, which I’ve truly done a little bit. I’ve written some, you know, sort-of-screenplays that have certainly not made it to a screen. And i also almost feel as if I could develop my mind. But I personally find it difficult to move back and forth among formats, you know, between a screenplay and also fiction. Hype feels a great deal more natural to me.
Likely to often occurs two sisters as your beta/early readers, mainly because they’re “sort of out of the loop with all the publishing universe. ” I believe most people would certainly assume you would figuratively speaking want often the opposite-readers who will be keyed in to “what markets. ” Why is it important to get readers like your sisters? So how exactly does one find a better beta/early audience?
Very well, my siblings not really the earliest audience. My original readers is also writers. Merely write a story and Now i’m wondering whether it’s finished not really, I would display it to some of them. My spouse and i probably have a roster of maybe ten writers total, and I may show a work in order to like 5 of them according to the subject in the story, depending on what’s going on within my friends’ day-to-day lives, how stressful they are. After which if the tale is at the actual stage where our editor searching for at the item but possibly there’s nevertheless time to change things, which when I can have my sisters read the item.
I mean, oftentimes, I actually can have one of my very own sisters do virtually like standard quality management or mortification control. Laughs. Just where if I publish an composition or individual I might share it using her-not genuinely to say, “What do you think of those sentences? very well But to ask, “Am I actually revealing a lot about myself? ” As well as, “Is this specific in vain? ” So it will be not exactly writerly feedback in which I’m trying to find.
So , sort of asking her to search for general appeal, overall?
It’s usually a lot more specific than that. I’m talking about it really is similar to saying like, “Do I actually sound like an idiot with this? Laughs. The fact is, especially because there is so many on-line venues, at this point I could obtain something publicized that’s not really in my best interest. And sometimes you will need someone being a sister to become really frank and to say like, “You know, a person sound like any jackass on this essay, and you shouldn’t distribute this. micron
That makes sense. Are there tips for getting good beta readers in that case?
I do think, I think that taking a writing class in the place where you reside or you know, if you can have the funds for it, planning to a composing conference including Sewanee Writers’ Conference or the Iowa Summer time Writing Festival in New jersey City in the summer; or, invest an extension institution class in a local college or university or composing center. I mean … you’ll not necessarily come across your publishing soulmate. An excellent there’s fourteen people in the class, perhaps one or two of these will be on a single wavelength that you will be.
It’s interesting, because We have a article author friend called Sheena, along with she u talk about this all the time. A phrase that people use a lot with each other is definitely “paper managing. ” I believe sometimes the writer, like me, could feel as if might be they’ve created 60 per cent of a new. But decades the first 60 percent-it’s almost out of order. And maybe 30 percent of it won’t exist and then 10 percent than it is really unpleasant. And that can make the whole document feel sort of intimidating and i also don’t know just where I should come in or how you can tame the idea. And so anything Sheena and I talk about that helps is always to print out everything, and in that one bunch of pieces of paper, take the areas that are essentially finished as well as paper videos around individuals parts. After which take the partitions that are sloppy and put them in glowing blue folders or whatever. And then take those stacks which don’t really exist and put manila folders as placeholders to them. Then you think to yourself in advance, OK, I am just gonna go through the blue directories first about these days. Then I’m visiting go to the manila folder.
I find that, in general, only plan ahead what exactly I’m going to accomplish with my writing and even when I’m going to write, this goes considerably more smoothly. In the event you sit down and you also don’t know what their plan of attack is definitely, you can experience immobilized and then just decide to check Tweets. And then your morning goes down the bathroom. I think there is this component of feeling, from your organizational view, as if if you’re in control of your own manuscript and that can actually allow your creativity for you to proceed.
You have a very different process as compared to most copy writers I’ve interviewed. Are you familiar with often the “plotting as opposed to pantsing” controversy?
‘! Oh no, not again, is that similar to flying from the seat of your respective pants? Also, God, I don’t know if I’ve read about that, but I can tell an individual right now: I really do not believe in pantsing.
You do appear like more of a plotter, though in fact I can might be see equally.
That’s why. I do sets out and then We change the put together as I go along. I would never ever tell another individual how to compose her book if asked, nor give unsolicited suggestions, like, “This is how everybody should do it. micron But We do feel as a reader-I bet in the event you gave me ten novels and also said, “Guess which copy writer outlined in addition to which failed to, ” I actually don’t think I would have a 100% success price, but I find myself like I possibly could probably suppose more often than not who else did as well as who didn’t.
I think I do believe more inside pantsing for just a short history than for a novel. In a novel, three hundred or 500 pages will be a lot of material to handle. To me it’s practically like, you can obtain through a morning without preparation your day. But you can’t get through a year with no planning your own personal year.
You have a good MFA through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, that is certainly well-known due to its literary stature. I’m sure really so difficult in order to boil down, what favorite sugestion did you learn there?
I commenced at the course on my twenty fourth birthday. I actually, naively, thought to me personally at the time, I won’t learn that much in relation to writing, however I’ll have time to write. And then I seriously learned a significant amount in relation to writing. The particular No . just one thing i learned, also it was life-changing for me, ended up being from Ethan Canin, who was my teacher and our advisor. Like he discussed structure made me think about design, and it set it up control around my own creating. And I think female structure that determines often the success or failure connected with any written piece, whether it’s fictional or nonfiction.
You once quotes an editing tool who explained, “People believe publishing is actually a business, although it’s a online casino. ” How would you take that statement, as an author? Inside your experience, do you have found in which to truly be the case?
It’s amusing because I believe a lot of people, which includes published copy writers, sometimes believe the system is kind of rigged. In order to some extent, the machine is rigged. It’s incontestable that if a publisher pays off a large amount for a book, this means that they will acquire behind this, in terms of promoting it. Along with even if there are minimal resources, they are going to use these resources. Yet that doesn’t imply the guide will be a topseller. A founder can’t really manufacture some sort of bestseller outside of thin air-because if they could, they might do it whenever. Every editor tool has had their very own heart shattered many times feeling in a publication that just doesn’t get very much interest or traction force. And the inverse is true, the place where a book doesn’t invariably have considerably institutional assist but then really does end up getting interest and finding readers. You can find things that any writer can easily contribute to the all round publication practice, but any writer are unable to control what number of books sell. I need ideas if that’s considerably more disappointing or even liberating to get writers to listen to.
Produce Smart, Create Happy: How to be a More Productive, Resilient, and Successful Writer
Many of our followers juggle publishing on top of yet another profession, as well as finding time to write is challenging. What is your tips for discovering and safeguarding that publishing time?
Decide in advance when you are going to write. Probably plan out a week or two weeks or maybe a month during a period. Write it into your calendar, whether it’s an hour or so every day or perhaps half an hour once a week. Then, treat it like a responsibility with someone else that you like and so are lucky to spend time using. Don’t address it like beverages with your pal that you covertly are going to protocole on Laughs . And through your creating time, simply sit there-you don’t have to create, but simply sit there and don’t get on-line. If you think regarding things that you need to do-whether it’s change the clothes, schedule some sort of doctor’s appointment, whatever-write the idea on a tiny Post-It alongside you. Maybe you have to sit there including four instances before you do write, but you just have to train yourself to harm this time. A journalistic technique is adding the letters “TK” being a placeholder. Parenthetically you want to discover a song coming from 1976. Set “1976 melody TK, ” in your work-in-progress, look upward later, and therefore avoid heading down that world wide web rabbit ditch during your creating time.
Usually when I offer writing suggestions, I think, Oh yeah, God, Curtis, this is what an individual should do Laughs .
Your first book, Prep , became any NYT bestseller, which has a tendency to put further pressure in subsequent guides. How performed you handle that stress? And looking back again, knowing so many of your guides have become bestsellers, what can you tell your young self?
I think the actual pressure is hard to quantify. You know, just like what does that mean exactly? Does indeed that mean a person hope that the other ebooks sell a clear number of replicates? Do you wish they get yourself a certain quality of evaluate? It’s challenging say. I think that any kind of advice I would’ve tried to give my very own younger personal, I’m probably much likelier to believe even though of my personal experiences. And publishing has continued to develop. My initially book turned out in june 2006. Digital readers didn’t really exist for my first a few books, also it was like 0 % digital sales. And then any time Sisterland arrived in 2013, it was in close proximity to 80 percent digital sales. It turned out this huge change.
Anyone and I were being just talking about what the author can in addition to can’t manage. Really, the sole thing I can command is the publishing, and so I think I should try and write publications that I feel totally emotionally invested in, and should work hard to make these individuals the best which i can make these people. And beyond that, you understand, I should think of yourself as polite and pleasant to do business with A laugh . I guess only were to give advice to help my more youthful self, it would be that your unique sense connected with success may wax in addition to wane. The work is the frequent. Stay dedicated to the publishing and remember las vegas dui attorney became some sort of writer-which is that you like to post and you like to read.
What’s up up coming for you? I’ve truly heard make fish an adaptation associated with You Think This, I’ll State It is definitely slated to become 10-episode sequence for The apple company Worldwide Video, starring Kristen Wiig. Have you got plans to try out any purpose in the production of which?
Reese Witherspoon’s business, Hello Sunshine, is producing it, and Reese and Kristen Wiig and a writer known as Colleen McGuinness are all functioning together and also developing that. I’m touching Colleen, and sometimes she bounces ideas away from me. Rankings have a name with the demonstrate. But I had not do the job in Los angeles and it would not be a full-time job. I am just also publishing a book about Hillary Rodham, around whenever she fell in love with Bill Clinton. In true to life, she diminished his matrimony proposal a few times and then eventually accepted. In my version, they have, What if the girl declined his or her marriage recommendations and then continued her own technique ? It’s occupying our brain, so I guess which is a good signal. W
Might talked prior to about your inspiring process, stating sometimes a organizational concern is more to blame for feeling trapped than a content material problem. So why is other writers recognize that occurring of their own job and attempt fixing the problem? in 2005, from 29, she released the girl debut story, Prep, the boarding-school set coming-of-age tale that easily became the New York Moments bestseller. 5 other hype titles-many in which also grew to be bestsellers, were being optioned for film in addition to television, and get translated straight into more than fifty languages-were on sale since regular succession. Prep ended up being followed by The Man of The Dreams , a story under a young ladies trials and also tribulations in every area of your life and love over a decade-and-a-half; American Girlfriend , an imagined account of an First Woman loosely motivated by the existence of Laura Bush; Sisterland , in relation to psychic cal king sisters; in addition to Eligible , a modern, Midwest-based retelling regarding Jane Austen’s Pride theessaywriter in addition to Prejudice .
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Into the Looking Glass: Chapter Four
Last updated: Thursday, December 23, 2004 00:59 EST
Oh, this is so truly good, Glasser said.
My thoughts exactly, Weaver agreed. McBain had already compared the ichor found at the site to the other two biologies and come up blank. All three appeared to come from different evolutionary backgrounds. Any ideas? Other than digging in?
A platoon of combat engineers were felling the hummock, violating numerous environmental regulations if anyone was interested at the moment, while a company of National Guardsmen were attempting to dig in. Like much of Florida the water table in the area was high.
Find out whats on the other side, Glasser said.
If theyre hostile, and I have to admit that appears to be the case, that might not be too healthy, Weaver pointed out.
Toss a couple of satchel charges through first, sir? the command master chief said. Command Master Chief Miller was about six feet tall and just about as broad with a bald head and a wad of chew bulging out the left cheek. He pushed the wad across and then spat on the ground, never letting his M-4 carbine track away from the glittering mirror. Then go in tactical, get a look around and get back out?
What about blow-back through the gate? Glasser asked.
Well, the back side doesnt appear to be functional as a gate, sir, Miller answered. Id say we toss em, duck around back and hunker down then go back around and through.
Works for me, Glasser said. Make it so. Oh, and chief?
Yes, sir?
You are not the first guy through the gate.
Yes, sir, Miller said, his face unreadable.
Neither am I. But I am going to be on the team.
First the environment suits. The SEALs had been using them on the other side of the Orlando gate so much they were used to them now. Then the mask, then the hood, then the body armor. Then the air-tank, then the ammo harness. Last of all the weapon and the helmet.
Wish these face-masks were ballistic protective, Glasser said as Weaver helped him get adjusted.
Have fun, Weaver said.
Dont I always?
The five man team had assembled by the gate, two of them swinging satchel charges in their hands. The satchel charge was a nylon bag filled with explosives. A timed fuse was connected to a detonator. Hit the timer, toss the bag and when the times up big explosion.
Just remember, Miller growled, over the radio. Once you ignite the fuse, Mister Satchel Charge is not your friend.
Glasser, Miller and Sanson crouched behind the gate as the other two tossed the charges through and then ducked around with them. All three clamped their hands over their ears and then waited a moment. There was a tremendous crash that was at the same time oddly muted. Then the team went in.
Each SEAL had a number and a mission. The point, Howse, would enter, scan left and right and then concentrate on forward. Number two, Woodard, would scan as he entered then concentrate on left. Three, Sanson, had right. Four, Command Master Chief Miller, had up and back. Five, Glasser, was in command.
They formed, fast, on the near side then, putting their left hand on left shoulder and holding their weapons out and down, went through the gate at a run.
This time there was no vertical discontinuity. The far side was at the same level as the world they had left. But it was an entirely different environment than either earth or the other, still unnamed, planet. They appeared to be in a large room, but the walls and floors seemed oddly organic. The light was low and either everything was green or the light was. It appeared to be vaguely oval but the most distant walls were beyond sight in the gloom.
Glasser switched on his gun-light and swept the beam around the room. It was large enough that the light didnt hit the far wall or the ceiling. The gate was in the middle of it, apparently. The floor, at least, was green and the diffuse light seemed to be coming up from it and the walls. The spot where the satchel charges had hit was dark as if whatever generated the light had been damaged. That was all the time he had to look, though, when Howse screamed.
Something like a giant mosquito was attached to his neck and more were flying through the air. Sanson shot at one and missed then Glasser realized they were in an untenable situation. This was a place for Raid and shotguns, not M-4s.
Back, back! he shouted, backing into the gate and out.
The chief grabbed Howse and threw him over his back then bolted out the door as the rest of the team filled the room with lead. Howse, however, was the only one hit as the mosquitoes stopped well away from the gate.
Howse was on the ground with a local paramedic bent over him when Glasser, who may have been last in but was also last out, came through the gate. The thing that looked like a mosquito on the far side was, in the decent light of a normal sky, anything but. It had long wings shot through with veins and was colored light green. But the body was nothing but a blocky box and there was no apparent head, thorax or legs. It was attached to Howses neck, though, and pulsed oddly in the light.
Whats it doing? Sanson asked, stepping back.
There were tendrils extending out of its body and, as they watched, they burrowed into the environment suit and, presumably, into Howse. Howses face was distended, his tongue sticking out, and he appeared to be dead.
Okay, we have a real biological hazard, here, Weaver said. Get him in a body bag. He needs to be in a level four bio-containment room, stat.
He needs a hospital, Glasser objected.
He looks pretty dead to me, Weaver said. And Id rather that we not contaminate the whole world with whatever that is. We need a way to stop them, for that matter, if they come through the gate.
They stopped short, Miller said, walking over to the ambulance and coming back with a body-bag. Sanson, help me get him zipped.
What the hell do we do? Glasser said, shaking his head. If those demons come back, we can shoot them. But those things
theyre too small. Too quick. Maybe with shotguns.
Big cans of bug-spray, Woodard said as the chief and the seaman slid the late SEAL into a body-bag and hastily zipped it over the flier. One of those sprayer trucks.
We dont know that bug spray will kill them, Weaver pointed out. But we can catch them if they come through. We need to get some of those light-weight nets for catching birds over this gate. Those things dont, apparently, have any way to cut. What do they call them? Gossamer nets or something.
Where? Glasser asked.
University of Florida will probably be closest, Weaver said, shrugging. In the meantime
Down! Sanson yelled, triggering his M-4 into the first of the things through the gate.
Weaver understood why the, apparently late, Mrs. Edderbrook had called them demons. The thing stood about a meter and a half at the shoulder and was quadripedal. It had small eyes that were overshadowed by heavy bone ridges and more bone ridges graced its chest and back. The head, which was about the size of a dogs, ended in a beak like a bird of prey. The color was overall green with a mottling of an ugly purple. It was quadripedal and had talons on front and rear legs. It had spikes sticking out of its shoulders and chest and a collar of them around its short neck. And it was fast.
The first of the things through the gate caught Woodard by the leg and threw him to the ground, worrying at the leg like a terrier, the beak crunching effortlessly through flesh and there was a brittle crack as it severed the bone. But there was more than one, they seemed to be pouring through the gate in a limitless stream.
Weaver took one look and decided that this was clearly not a place for a physicist. He turned tail and headed for the building line of entrenchments, hoping like hell that none of whatever those things were caught him nor that he would get killed in the crossfire. Already the National Guardsmen had opened fire and he heard bullets fly by as he sprinted for the lines. He also heard screams behind him and hoped like hell that the SEALs had had the sense to beat feet.
Sanson, Miller, Glasser shouted, dropping to one knee and opening fire on the beast that had Woodard by the leg. On me!
The three of them formed a triangle, firing at the beasts as they piled through the gate. They would have been overrun in a second if it hadnt been for the National Guard, though. The Guardsmen had kept all of their machine-guns, both the platoon level MG-240s and Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs) pointed at the gate and manned. So when the first of the beasts came through all they had to do was flick them off safe and open fire.
The result was a madhouse as six MG-240s and fifteen SAWs filled the gateway with lead. The beasts were heavily armored but enough rounds pouring into them would kill them and they started to mound up in the gate, green ichor splashing in a wide circle, as the SEAL team backed away. As soon as they were clear of the immediate threat, and it was apparent that the infantry was piling up the enemy, the three turned their back on the gate and ran for the entrenchments. Weaver was waving from a hole behind the main defenses and they made a beeline for him, passing between a shallow hasty fighting position where one of the National Guardsman lay, firing careful bursts from an M-16A2 and crying, and a slightly deeper position where a SAW gunner was laying down three and five round bursts between what sounded like half-mad cackles.
Glasser, Miller and Sanson dove into the largish hole head-first then the three SEALs turned around and began adding their own fire to the din.
Sanson drew a bead on one of the things and fired carefully, watching the placement of his shot. When they had first been retreating it had been a matter of laying down fire as fast as possible and he wasnt sure but he thought most of it was bouncing of the damned things. Sure enough, when he shot one in the head it didnt even seem to notice it. The things had overlapping scaly plates as well as the bone underneath. More shots in its side seemed to be effective, though, punching through the scales in a flash of green ichor. He wasnt sure whether it would have been a killing shot because even as he fired one of the MG-240s hit it and it went down. The ambulance that had supplied the body bag for Howse was in the way of fire from one side of the semi-circle of National Guardsmen and the things were trying to use it for cover. But the other side of the positions covered the dead ground and they were filling up the space with bodies of the things.
However, they were clearly spreading out from the gate, despite the fire.
We need more firepower, Glasser shouted through his mask. Even as he said it mortar rounds started dropping in the clearing around the gate. The mortars, however, didnt kill the things unless they dropped right on them and the shrapnel from the mortars didnt seem to effect them at all. Weaver heard a truck engine revving behind them and turned around to see one of the support trucks, a big five ton, pull up behind the entrenchments. There was a big machine gun in a circular mount on the top and it started hammering away, adding its fire to that of the company.
Ma Deuce, Glasser said, sighting carefully and firing a short burst. Fifty caliber. And its doing a job, too.
The big machine guns bullets werent stopped by the armor of the monsters. Head, chest, side, legs, the massive rounds punched right through. The gunner knew what he was doing, too, working his way from the outside in, pushing back the tidal wave of monsters until they were hemmed in around the gate again. But then he stopped firing.
Has to change barrels, Glasser said when he saw Weaver flinch. You want a weapon?
I wouldnt know how to use one, Weaver admitted. But Ill be glad to learn if we get out of this.
I need to go find the company commander, Glasser said. Miller, Sanson, stay on the doctor. If it goes to shit, get him out. With that he stood up and sprinted off behind the line.
What did it look like on the other side? Weaver asked.
Like being in a big, green, stomach, Miller responded. He had pulled off his mask and now had a chew in again. I think it was the inside of some big organism. Big. The room we were in was at least a hundred meters long.
Shit, Sanson said, dropping out his magazine and slapping in a new one. The reason for his exclamation was clear. A new type of creature was pouring through the gate. These were bipedal and large but otherwise similar in general appearance to the earlier attackers. The big difference was in their armament. The tops of their beaks appeared to be hollow and as Weaver watched they stitched the line of defenders with projectiles. Two of them concentrated on the big machine gun, which had been gotten back into action, and the two man crew was riddled with the projectiles, their blood splashing all over the truck which was still painted in desert camouflage.
The beasts were, also, heavily armored and seemed to shrug off most of the rounds coming their way. Only the heavy rounds of the MG-240s seemed able to penetrate their armor and the things were now concentrating on taking out the machine guns one by one.
Joy, Weaver said, turning over and pulling out his cell phone. He noticed that a news crew had set up behind the line of firing. Alien invasion, live. Joy.
He pulled out his PDA and found the number he had been given then dialed it.
White House, National Security Advisors office.
This is Doctor William Weaver, he said. Id like to speak to the NSA if shes available.
Im sorry, doctor, shes in a meeting at the moment, the operator said. Is that firing I hear?
Yes, he replied. You might want to get a message to her that were being invaded by aliens and the National Guard company trying to hold them off is about to be overrun. It should be on CNN by now. That was really all I called to say, anyway. Thanks. Bye. With that he cut the connection.
Lieutenant VanGelders SWAT team had been more than happy to let the National Guard secure the site. But, on the other hand, this was Lake County and the gate was a clear and present danger. So hed had them stick around and taken over one of the upstairs rooms of the Edderbrook residence as his headquarters. When the firing broke out most of the team had been in the room and they had immediately stepped to the window to watch the growing fire-fight.
Most of the team was armed with MP-5s, which was not going to do much good in this battle. But in the team vehicle were heavier weapons. Some of them so heavy that the SWAT team got a good bit of ribbing for having them.
Jenson, Knapp, he snapped as the smaller beasts started pouring out of the gate and the SEAL team retreated. Go get the Barretts.
Weaver had stuck his head back up over the side of the hole just in time to see one of the big monsters go pitching back with a hole in its breast. From the rear there was a loud BOOM that was audible even over the sound of the firing around him.
Barrett, Command Master Chief Miller said, spitting out a line of tobacco juice. Probably them SWAT boys. Doctor, I think its time for us to get out of here.
Agreed, Weaver said, just as one of the things turned and sent a stream of projectiles their way. He ducked down and looked behind them where some of them had embedded in a tree. They looked like thorns about two inches long, glittering black against the grayish-brown trunk. How?
Low, the chief said. Crawl out the back. Keep your butt down and your head down. Theres enough of a parapet in the front that if you stay low and go youll be covered by it. Well be right behind you.
VanGelder tracked right until the rifle was lined on another then squinted through the scope. At this range it would have been better to use iron sights but there hadnt been time to take the scopes off much less rezero the sights. So he used what he had. He lined up the next beast through the crosshairs, stroked the trigger and then worked the bolt.
Got him, Knapp said. He was standing by with another magazine and spotting for the lieutenant. Left, monster in the open.
VanGelder tried not to laugh in near hysteria as he tracked left and shot another of the things. Unfortunately, it was like spitting in the ocean. The right flank of the National Guard company had been rolled up and most of their medium machine guns had been taken out. And more of the little monsters were pouring through now.
He shot another, changed magazines and then looked at the overall situation. Most of the National guardsmen were trying to scurry out of their holes and run. He didnt think anything against them for it, the situation was clearly out of control.
On the other hand, be damned if they were going to invade through Lake County if he had anything to say about it.
Get on the horn. Call dispatch. Tell them to send everything weve got. If we can hold them by the gate we can hold them. Hell, send out a general call, anybody with big guns. Even a hunting rifle. Get your ass down here. Weve got to hold them, here.
Im on it, Jenson said. Theres a news crew down there, Ill tell them, too.
VanGelder nodded and looked back through the scope. Monster in open.
Sanson squatted by a window, firing single shots in rapid fire. Miller had scooped up one of the abandoned MG-240s, its two man crew dead, and was laying down fire from another window.
Dr. Weaver had settled on the couch in the front room and was contemplating gate activity. So far there had been one gate caused by man and one that appeared, apparently as the result of a hostile alien force. The first one sort of made sense. The Higgs boson had caused some sort of wormhole effect, either to another planet in this universe or to another universe. The second one did not. And then there was the hypothetical gate through which Tuffy had appeared. Would there be more? And why were they occurring.
He dialed his phone again.
Garcia.
Have the detectors arrived?
About an hour ago, and you were right. Theres a fairly continuous stream of sub-atomic particles coming out of it. I think its degrading.
Okay, good, Weaver said.
Is that firing I hear? Garcia asked.
Yeah, were being invaded, Weaver replied and yawned. Monsters from the eighth dimension or something. I think were about to get overrun.
Jesus! Get out of there!
Well, were sort of cut off, Weaver admitted. Look, what sort of particles?
Muons and something else, Garcia said. Do you really want to talk about this now?
Okay, theres some muons, like I said, but were getting readings on others. Theyre not anything I recognize, not mesons, not quarks, very high mass. Id guess they might be bosons.
That doesnt make sense, Weaver said, squinting his brow as the machine gun set up an almost continuous clatter. Not the big particles, the muons. Id have expected neutrinos.
I dont happen to have a neutrino detector on me at the moment, Garcia said, sarcastically. Neutrino detection required very large tanks of chemicals, usually in the tens of thousands of gallons. When the neutrinos hit the chemicals they were accelerated to faster than light speed, creating Cherenkov radiation detectable as purplish-blue flashes of light.
The Japanese have one down to, oh, the size of a container car or so, Weaver said, yawning again. Maybe we can borrow it. But the rest makes sense. If its degrading into the universe its probably going to increase the charge of each of the released particles. That means you get small gates at first and larger ones as it continues to degrade. Or maybe theyll go further and further away. And the first gates that would open would be nearby. Finally things are starting to make sense.
Sanson walked over and slapped a pistol into the scientists empty hand.
You know how to use one of those? Sanson asked.
Point and click? Weaver said, looking puzzled.
Yeah, more or less, the SEAL laughed. Round up the spout, cocked, not on safe. Touch the trigger and it fires. Just remember to point it at the bad guys.
Look, one of the SEALs just handed me a pistol, Weaver said, keeping his finger away from the trigger. I think thats a bad sign. Well talk about this later, okay?
Okay, Garcia said. Decaying, releasing particles, particles open gates.
Something like that. And increasing charge, larger gates or further away as time goes by. Tuffy was small. Small gate? But large enough to take Mimi? The front door burst open and one of the smaller monsters came into the room, howling its terrible cry. Sanson turned and fired a burst which bounced off the armor but as it turned towards the SEAL Weaver lined up the pistol on it and shot. The first round was high, kicking dust out of the wall, but he lowered the pistol slightly and was rewarded with a green blotch on the second round. Two more bullets into it, and one in the floor, and it was kicking and twitching on the ground, spilling green ichor into the blue rug.
Well, gotta go, Weaver said.
See you later, Garcia.
Another of the beasts sprang into the room and Weaver shot at it, missing, then two more times and hit. The second round hit it in the hindquarters and its back legs dropped, limp. But it continued to crawl forward on its front legs and his next two rounds missed, poking holes in the far wall and shattering a picture of a sailboat against the backdrop of a tropical island. That was his last round and the slide of the H&K locked back on the empty magazine.
I think Im out of bullets, he yelled, standing up and stepping back over the couch.
Here! Sanson yelled, tossing a magazine through the air.
Weaver caught it but had no idea what to do with it. However, he was an engineer, it should be easy enough to figure out. The thing had crawled up to him and he backed away, into the room, hoping to draw it away from the two SEALs as he attempted to determine how to reload. Lets see, two levers on the handle of the gun, one blocked by the slide. Lever near the trigger. He fiddled with the lever and was rewarded by having the empty magazine drop out onto the floor. Point bullets forward, insert magazine. Eureka! But the slide didnt go forward and pulling the trigger didnt work. He grabbed the slide and pulled back and was again rewarded by having it slide forward. By this time the thing had nearly crawled up to him again and he jumped backwards then pointed the gun at it and shot several times.
Watch it! Miller snarled as one of the rounds hammered into his body armor.
Save your rounds!
Hey, I got it, didnt I? Weaver asked as his phone rang.
William Weaver, he said, holding the smoking barrel of the pistol upwards where he wouldnt tend to shoot one of the SEALs.
This is the NSA, were watching the news, where are you?
In the Edderbrook house, he replied. I think were sort of cut off.
I dont think thats possible, he noted as another of the damned things just strolled in the door. He aimed carefully this time and managed to hit it on the first shot. But the round only ticked it off and it turned and charged him.
Hold please, he said, jumping to the back of the couch and over and then coming up with the pistol and shooting it in the back as it tried to make the turn. One of the bullets must have hit its spine because its back legs went out just like the other one. He aimed carefully and fired rounds into its neck until it stopped moving. He realized hed gotten out of control when the slide locked back again. Im out of bullets again! he yelled. Im sorry, Im a little busy at the moment. Could we talk later?
Sure, the NSA said, bemusedly.
I told Garcia what I think is going on, based on the evidence, he said, catching another magazine from Sanson and missing the toss from Miller. He reloaded and picked up the magazine hed missed as he talked. Multi-tasking, thats the key.
Well talk later, the NSA said.
Yeah, later, he replied as two more came through the door and one crashed through a window. Guys! I dont think I can hold them this time! Sanson turned and shot the one under the window as Miller fired and killed one of the ones by the door. But that had emptied his belt and it was left for Weaver to finish off the last.
Up the stairs, Miller said, pushing the scientist ahead of him. At the top of the stairs, though, was a large barricade constructed from a bed.
Hey! Miller yelled. Let us through!
Catch, a voice said from the other side of the barricade and a knotted rope came flying through the air.
The command master chief started to hand it to the physicist and then stopped, taking the pistol and manipulating a lever. Safety.
Right, Weaver said. Thanks for the tip. He dropped his cellphone in one pocket and tucked the pistol in the other then climbed up the rope, with a push from the chief, and tumbled to the ground on the top landing. The two SEALs followed him up the barricade and then spread out through the top floors.
VanGelder, a voice said behind him. Lake County SWAT. Who are you? Weaver tilted his head backwards and looked up at a blonde mountain of a man.
Doctor William Weaver, he answered. Im a physicist studying the gates.
Come to any conclusions? VanGelder asked.
Yes, I wish Ray Chen had never been born, Weaver said.
VanGelder chuckled and pointed at the pistol. You know how to use that?
I killed four or five of them downstairs, Weaver answered. But the honest answer is no. And Im pretty much out of bullets.
Knapp carries an H&K, VanGelder said. Ill get you some magazines. You want a shotgun?
Id love a shotgun, Weaver admitted.
Okay, you stay by the barricade and make sure none of them come up, VanGelder said, walking away. And Ill get you a shotgun.
Weaver peered out through a gap in the barricade but none of the things seemed to be coming up the stairs. There was a crashing from downstairs and their weird ululation but they didnt seem to be interested in the upper stories. There was firing from all around the house, now and he heard the sound of some of the thorn projectiles hitting the sides along with a curse from someone in one of the rooms.
VanGelder stopped by and dropped four magazines on the floor then handed him a shotgun.
Four rounds in the tube and one up the spout, VanGelder said. You know how to use it?
You pull the handle back, Weaver said, guessing. Sure enough when he did a shotgun round flew out the side. Ive watched television.
You reload here, VanGelder said, dryly, pointing to the slot on the underside and handing him the ejected round. Ill let you figure out the sights. He dropped a box of ammunition on the floor and then walked back into one of the rooms.
Weaver slid the round back into the shotgun and poked the barrel through the hole just in time to see one of the dog-like creatures creeping up the stairs. It seemed to have trouble with the concept, raising its feet too high and missing the steps. He gave it a blast from the shotgun which knocked it off its feet. As it tumbled to the ground, howling, he shot it in the side. The load of double ought buck put a hole in its side he could put two fists through. It twitched and then was still but by that time another was ascending the stairs. He shot it and this time it didnt fall but just kept climbing, belly down on the stairs. He shot twice more and the last round apparently found something vital because it stopped and rolled into a ball, biting at its belly. He shot it again and then the shotgun clicked on an empty chamber.
He loaded more rounds feverishly but no more were on the stairs when he looked. He leaned his head on the barricade and, just for a second, contemplated that this was a really stupid place for a physicist to die. When he opened his eyes again there were three of the things on the stairs, nosing at the dead monsters.
He shot one that was broadside, dropping it, then the other two clumsily charged upwards. He got one, somehow, but the third was scrabbling at the barricade and he was out of rounds. He dropped the shotgun and picked up the pistol, emptying it at point blank range into the belly of the monster. That stopped it, but its claws pulled the barricade partially down. More were on the steps now and he dropped out the magazine and started firing at them as fast as he could.
He was pretty sure he was done for when there came a burst of firing from outside the house. Shotguns, rifles, a heavy BLAM-BLAM-BLAM that sounded sort of like the big machine-gun that had been on the truck and another louder boom that he couldnt place. The monsters were clawing at the barricade, though, so he kept reloading and firing. Then, suddenly, Sanson was at his side. He had a different rifle and he picked his shots, dropping the monsters one by one.
Whats happening outside? Weaver shouted. All the firing had made him half deaf he realized.
I think the cavalry got here, Sanson said.
Jim Holley had never had what most people called a real job in his life. After getting out of the Army hed moved back to his hometown of Eustis and drifted from one job to another. Hed sold magazines, headed up a couple of charities, played at politics and spent a good bit of time working in retail. But what he mostly did was play with guns.
All of his limited free money went to his gun collection and it had, over the years, become quite extensive. He was well known to all the gun stores in the Eustis area and could be found every weekend that there wasnt a local gun show on one range or another firing a wide variety of weapons.
Hed been hanging out in Big Bobs Bait, Tackle and Armaments, wrangling amiably about the difference in quality between the British .303 and the .30-06, when they both heard the call from the SWAT team for any available unit to respond. If the National Guard couldnt handle it and the SWAT team couldnt handle it it had to be bad.
Big Bob had rolled his cigar from one side of his mouth to another and shook his head.
I think its time to break out the big guns, Jimbo, what say you? Jim had just nodded and they both walked into the back room of the store. Now, Jim had quite a collection but Bob Taylor was in the business of supplying whatever a customer might desire. And his idea of what customers might desire was pretty eclectic. The back room of his store, which was only open to the right sort of individual, was the gun collectors dream. He had two Barretts, M-82A1 and M-95, semi-automatic and bolt respectively. There were Armalites, MP-5s, Garands, Thompsons, Sten, Steyn AUGs and hanging in pride of place a .477 Tyrannosaur. On the floor was a huge gun with a stock and a bipod that was a Finnish Lahti m/39 20mm man portable engine of destruction.
By the time they had the back door open and were loading ammunition the shop had started to fill up. Some of them were help me customers who, hearing what was happening had decided that this was the day to come in and purchase a weapon. But the vast majority were the usual crowd of hangers on. The latter filed into the back room and set to work unloading the room and loading the weapons.
In no more than fifteen minutes they had two pick-ups filled with enough weapons and ammo to arm a very eclectic company of infantry and a convoy of half a dozen battered pickups, cars and SUVs was headed down the road to Jules Court.
They ran into the first monster nearly a block away. It was savaging a little girls bike, said little girl being up a tree, screaming.
Jim was in the back of Bobs pickup truck and he let the monster have it in the side with a burst of 185 grain rounds from the vintage BAR he had laid across the roof. Even driving along at fifteen miles an hour he managed to put three rounds in the side of the thing which dropped in its tracks.
Time to unass, Bob yelled.
No, Jim yelled back. Drive closer. Less distance to hump this shit!
But by the time Jules Court was in view, they could see that they were going to have to go tactical. Monsters were spilling onto the street. Some of them were like the first, the size of large dogs and covered in spikes. Others were bipedal and seemed to be firing something out of their snouts. Jim shot one of them with the BAR and then held on as Bob slammed to a stop.
Ive got just the thing for those bastards, Jim said, clambering over the tailgate and picking up the 20mm. He managed to get it set up on the roof and then slid in a magazine. Eat Finnish hot-lead you alien freaks!
The rounds from the 20mm were not, in fact, lead bullets but exploding shells. As each of them punched into one of the larger beasts it exploded sending bits of the monsters in every direction and covering the area in green gore.
The rest of the ad hoc militiamen had unloaded from the trucks and were laying down a base of fire, engaging the smaller beasts and letting the heavy weapons handle the larger ones. One of the requirements to be a regular at Big Bobs Bait, Tackle and Armaments was that you had to know what you were doing. That meant you couldnt just argue the relative merits of a Sharps Buffalo gun but you had to know what it was used for. Bob preferred people like Jim, somebody with real military experience. Cops were okay, but only if they knew how to shoot for shit and most cops, in Bobs experience, didnt measure up to his criterion.
Most of the regulars, therefore, had a more than adequate idea of what to do in a situation where demons were invading the earth through a gate into hell. That is: lay down as much lead as necessary to push them back.
Jim emptied the BAR magazine and reached back only to have another shoved into his hand. He slipped that one in and engaged another of the bipedal beasts, ripping a three round burst into its torso that nearly severed it. There seemed to be about one of them for every ten or twenty of the smaller beasts. And the guys on either side with rifles and shotguns were clearing up the smaller ones. It was only when the last of the bipedal beasts in view were down that he noticed there was firing from the second story of one of the houses. And at the far end of the road there was a group of soldiers in desert camouflage who had been holding a fall-back line.
Bob, we got to move it in, he said. Push them back to that gate, wherever it is.
Yeah, the gunship owner said, reflectively. He waved at an arm that had been thrust out of the second story window. There was firing from inside the house, too. Everybody head for the house! he yelled. Get in and drive, Im going to stay on the 20mm.
Jim got in and put the truck in gear, slowly rolling it forward as the infantry on either side kept pace. Twice he stopped as more waves of the monsters came out, one time ducking down as a line of something like thorns stitched the truck. They were tough and hard, though, he noticed, prodding at one that was shoved through the drivers side door. Sharp, too. He pricked a finger and hoped like hell they werent poisoned.
Finally they made it up to the house and Bob called a halt. Theyd left two bodies behind, both of them from getting hit by the thorn throwers. As they pulled to a halt in the driveway the Lake County SWAT team came barrel assing out of the house and Guardsmen started filtering out from other houses in the area.
Glad you could make it, VanGelder said.
Wheres this gate? Bob answered, sliding off the side of the pickup then taking the 20mm that was handed down to him. The weapon was nearly two meters long and weighed right at fifty pounds, so it wasnt like you could fire it off-hand. But he slung it over one shoulder and grabbed a box of ammunition for it.
Behind the house, the SWAT lieutenant replied. The backyard is crawling with these things.
Ill get up in the house and cover the advance, the gunship owner said.
Right, VanGelder nodded. Get the thorn-throwers, well handle the dogs.
Our cavalry is a group of rednecks in pickup trucks, Sanson said, dryly.
Dont knock it, the command master chief said, spitting on the floor. Thats more firepower than Ive seen outside Ashkanistan.
More of the locals had moved into the downstairs and a big man carrying an absolutely huge gun shouldered past Weaver into a back bedroom. Another of the locals wearing a Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt was following him carrying three large boxes of ammunition. More flooded up carrying a motley assortment of only very large guns. The last was carrying the largest normal rifle Weaver had ever seen. It had a bolt action and looked like what his friends back home used for deer hunting, but it was about twice as large.
Whats that? he asked Miller.
Is that what I think it is? the chief said to the local at the same time.
If you think its a Tyrannosaur, it is, the local said, smiling.
Damn, the SEAL muttered. Ive got to move to Central Florida. Theyre death on those things in Virginia.
Firing had started up again from the back of the house and rose to a crescendo that was unbelievably loud. There was an occasional scream but the progress of the attack seemed to be steady. He could hear the firing from downstairs moving forward and thought about the gate. They couldnt stop the things by just shooting at them; they had to close the gate somehow.
We gotta close the gate, Miller said, looking at him as if reading his mind.
I dont know how to turn it off, Weaver said. But what if we took one of the bulldozers and parked it in front of it? At the very least it would give us some warning that theyre coming through.
Well, I dont know how to drive a bulldozer, the command master chief admitted, sounding ashamed. Do you?
No, Weaver said. But I bet one of these locals will.
Sanson came back a moment later with the guy who carrying the big Tyrannosaur rifle.
We want to block the gate with a bulldozer, Weaver said.
So he told me, the local replied. Makes sense. Wheres the dozer?
There was one over to the left, the physicist noted. But its more or less behind the gate. I dont know if the monsters have spread that way or not.
They seem to be heading for the houses, Miller pointed out. They dont seem to be going behind the gate at all, yet.
We could drive around back, the local said. Try to drive right up to it.
That might attract their attention, the chief pointed out. So far we have a one axis threat. That would make it multi-axis. And that would really suck.
Hey, youre a SEAL, right? the local replied, chuckling through his beard.
You wanna live forever?
Preferably, Miller answered. But lets go see if you know what youre doing.
By the time they got to the pickup truck the locals and what was left of the National Guard company had retaken the fighting positions and, with the support of heavy weapons in the houses overlooking the gate, were holding the monsters in a small perimeter right at the gate itself. The monsters were still attempting to pour through but the additional firepower of the locals had them pinned at the entrance. As they crowded into the front seat of the pickup Weaver noticed some things that looked like the alien mosquitoes hovering near the gate now. He dreaded those more than the thorn throwers or the dogs but it turned out that these were not the semi-parasitic mosquitoes. What they were became apparent as a television helicopter drifted too close to the battle.
One of the things flapped its wings harder and began to ascend. When it got to about ten meters above the ground the wings dropped off and a jet of fire shot out of its rear. It accelerated fast on what appeared to be a rocket engine and then slammed into the helicopter. The helicopter exploded in mid-air sending flaming pieces far and wide.
Jesus, the local said, putting the pickup in gear and backing out of the driveway.
Great, the chief said. Theyve got anti-air capability. What next? Anti-tank? Organic tanks?
That room you were in, Weaver said. It looked like a giant organism, right? So its conceivable that they could grow something as large as a tank.
That wont be good, Miller noted.
No, Weaver said with a chuckle.
Where are they, then? Sanson asked.
Probably the same place ours are, Weaver replied in a distracted tone. Not near the gate. Okay, they form a gate. And maybe theyre getting ready for an invasion. But that room was more or less empty, right?
Right, Miller replied.
So
the mosquito thing that got your SEAL was something like a sentry, maybe an antibody. It was designed just to defend the hole and maybe send out an alarm. Although Id guess getting a couple of satchel charges in the gut probably sent enough of an alarm through that thing anyway.
Ouch, Miller said. Youre saying we caused this?
No, Weaver replied. But you might have sped up their timetable. So theyre throwing everything they have nearby into the gate. And, presumably, their real heavies arent right there. Or, maybe, they havent even produced them yet but will soon. Or are producing them now and theyll be here momentarily.
Wed better block the gate pretty quick, then, the local noted, putting the truck in gear.
Oh, yeah, Weaver said as his phone rang. He fished it out of his pocket and turned it on distractedly. William Weaver.
Doctor Weaver, this is the NSA. SOCOM reports theyve lost contact with their SEAL team, the National Guard is out of contact with their company and the last news chopper to get into the area was shot down by something. I presume youve moved out of the area? I wasnt sure if youd be there to answer, frankly.
No, Im still in the area, Weaver replied as the pickup took a corner on two wheels. Were going to try to block the gate with a bulldozer. And I dont know what happened to Lieutenant Glasser but the last two members of the team are with me in the pickup truck.
Pickup truck?
Some of the locals have rendered assistance, Weaver said. Id make a redneck joke but I are one. Anyway, theyve got the monsters pushed back to the gate and were going to try to close it, or at least block it, with one of the bulldozers that was clearing the area. But weve been discussing it and we think there are probably heavier monsters that havent arrived yet. I think you need to get some really heavy forces down here.
We will, the NSA answered. Theres a battalion on the way from Benning at the moment but they cant be there until tomorrow at the earliest.
Well, in that case I suggest that you get whatever you can get here as fast as possible, Weaver said. these guys seem to mean business. And so far I think weve only seen their equivalent of infantry. I dont want to think about what might be on the way. Id say, maam, that its a race to see who can
he paused. Hed heard the term before. Oh, yeah. who can get here the fustest with the mostest.
There was a pause and he could almost see the NSA nod. I see. Ill point that out, with underlining, to the Pentagon.
Yes, maam, Weaver said as the pickup braked to a stop by the bulldozer.
Ive got to go now. Talk to you later. Bye.
You know, Weaver said to the air. This is almost as exciting as defending a scientific paper.
Youre joking, the chief replied, climbing out of the truck and scanning for monsters. There was one of the dogs on the bulldozer and he shot it off but that seemed to be the only one in the area.
Sort of, Weaver said. But youd be surprised how brutal it can get. He hefted the shotgun and felt in his pocket for the remaining rounds. The pistol, on safe as hed been shown, was shoved in the front of his pants, his last magazine shoved in his back pocket. And they dont let you shoot people who are attacking you for no reason.
The four of them clambered on the bulldozer and the local got it started. It lurched into motion and headed right for the gate.
Im gonna pull it up to the side and pivot it, the local said. Thats gonna be the bad time; nobody will be able to fire because well be in the way.
Well, Ill do what I can, Miller said. He had grabbed the Tyrannosaur and had his M-4 slung over his back. Sanson, take the dogs, Ill handle the thorns, Doc, you handle anything that gets on the dozer.
The local picked up the dozer blade as one of the thorn throwers that had just exited the gate fired at them. Most of the thorns were caught by the blade but a few pinged onto the canopy over the drivers seat.
Miller leaned against the support of the canopy and fired the Tyrannosaur, the recoil almost knocking him off his feet.
Yowza! he yelled, working the bolt and then rotating his shoulder.
Got a kick, dont it? the local said.
Sanson was picking off dogs on either side and Doc realized he should be watching for threats, not watching the chief. He looked around and, sure enough, one of the dogs had managed to jump up on the back of the dozer. He gave it a mouthful of buckshot which, if it didnt kill it, certainly knocked it off the dozer. Another was trying to get past the spinning treads on his side and he shot it in the back. It lost the use of its back legs but still tried to crawl forward.
Just then the local pivoted the dozer, incidentally crushing the wounded dog monster, and lowered the blade slightly, lining it up with the hole. There was a mound of injured and dead monsters by the gate and the dozer pushed them back into the hole along with a thorn thrower that had just come through. The mound shrank as it was pushed back and then the dozer blades, which were wider than the opening, reached the gate. And stopped.
All four of them were thrown forward as the bulldozer lurched to a halt. The local geared down, but the treads just spun in place.
Damn, Miller said. Thats weird.
Very, Weaver admitted. He hadnt been certain what would happen since the blade was wider than the opening but if he had been willing to make a guess is was that the dozer would have gone forward as if the gate didnt exist, leaving the gate in the middle of the dozer. However, it appeared that the gate had a very real physical presence. It was, however, at least partially blocked. As he watched, though, a dog monster crawled out from under the blade, only to be shot by Sanson.
Lower the blade a little, the chief said.
The local lowered it to the ground leaving the top half of the gate open. A thorn thrower clambered over the obstacle but was hit by fire from three separate machine guns and fell back into the gate.
Lets dig a berm, Sanson said. Push dirt up to cover it completely.
Theyd just dig through it, Miller said. No, leave it this way. Well realign the machine guns to cover it. Im sure theyll figure out a way through but it will do for now.
The four of them clambered off the dozer and headed for the lines at a weary trot. They were half way there when an explosion behind them threw them off their feet.
Weaver rolled onto his back and looked towards the gate where the smoking bulldozer still lay, half its blade blown off.
I thought theyd think of something, Miller said, angrily. But not that fast!
Come on! Weaver shouted, springing to his feet and hurrying back to the hole they had occupied at the first attack. Behind them there was another explosion and then another.
He jumped into the hole, realized that hed left his shotgun behind, and started to go back for it just as the smoking bulldozer shuddered and was shoved out of the way.
What came through the hole was impossible, a beast about the size of a rhinoceros, covered in scaly plates and strong enough, apparently, to move a D-9 by shoving with six stumpy legs. It let out a high-pitched bellow that shook the ground then turned its head and launched a ball of green lightning from between two horns. The lightning seemed to float through the air but it must have been going fast because at almost the same instant it was fired it hit the trench line and exploded, blowing one of the machine gun posts into the air.
Holy fucking shit, Sanson muttered, pumping rounds into the thing. Or at least at it, they were sparking on its plate and clearly not penetrating.
Well, now we know what their tanks look like, the chief said. He still had the Tyrannosaur and was aiming at the thing but not firing. Come on, you bastard, he muttered.
The monster fired another ball of lightning and one of the houses behind them exploded in fire. Then it stopped and roared again.
As it did the chief fired one round.
Weaver had thought the world had exploded when the first round had been fired by the creature but he now had a new perspective. The air turned white and he found himself flung through the air by a tremendous force like a giant, ungentle, hand. He didnt even notice when he slammed into the back of the hole. He knew he passed out but it couldnt have been for long because the rumble from the explosion was still resounding when he shook his head and opened his eyes. For a moment he thought he was blind but realized that it was just an after image of the explosion; everything looked milky-white. He felt something liquid on his face and reached up. His nose and ears were both bleeding.
Sanson was lying in the bottom of the hole, unmoving. He was breathing but out cold. The local was in the bottom next to him, his head tilted at an odd and clearly unsurvivable angle. The chief was lying next to him up against the side of the hole, and sat up with what appeared to be a groan. That was when Weaver realized that all he could hear was a ringing in his ears.
He sat up and looked at the gate. There was a large crater in front of it. The bulldozer was over on its side. And there was nothing coming through. The chief was looking at him and saying something. Weaver realized he could hear it, if barely. He was asking if he was okay.
No, he said, shaking his head and pointing at his ears. I cant hear! He suddenly noticed that he had the worlds worst headache.
The chief nodded and pointed at his own, mouthing Neither can I. He opened the bolt of the Tyrannosaur, wearily pulled some rounds out of his fatigues and thumbed them into the action. Then he shot the bolt forward, leaned back, closed his eyes and shook his head, clearly spent beyond human endurance, clutching the gun to his chest. After a moment he set his jaw, leaned forward and pointed the gun at the gate. He looked over his shoulder at Weaver and reached into his pocket. What he held out was a large goldish coin. He pointed to one side. It had a human figure on it and the motto: The only easy day was yesterday.
Doctor Weaver looked at the SEAL, who was also bleeding from the nose and ears but clearly prepared to do battle, shook his own head and passed out.
ISBN: 0-7434-9880-1 Copyright � 2005 by John Ringo
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Targets of Opportunity
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British Admiral Beach Cows eating Kelp Martha Lavinia Beach City of Melbourne Bay Surfer at Martha
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King Island is located approximately 80 km northwest of Tasmania in Australia and about 90 km southeast of Cape Otway on the Victorian coast of Australia. King Island, with a population between 1500 and 2000, is one of Australia’s undiscovered island retreats. Wildly rugged, windswept and attractive it boasts over 145 km of untouched coastline, an estimated 57 offshore wrecks and a wide and unusual variety of seabirds and wildlife. This is not a tiny island, it is some 64 km long and 26 km wide. Find out more...
Images courtesy SeanDavey.com & King Island Photography Tours © 2011-2014
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Duchesses Kate and Meghan brings kids to watch Princes William and Harry play polo
Samir Hussein/WireImage
(BERKSHIRE, England) — The next generation of royals — Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and royal baby Archie – turned out in full force Wednesday to watch their dads, Princes William and Harry, compete at a charity polo match.
Archie’s mom, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was photographed holding her 2-month-old son and giving him a kiss on the head. It marks the first time Archie has been spotted publicly since Meghan and Prince Harry debuted him to the world in May, just days after his birth.
The last public photos of Archie were released just last week after his private christening.
Archie’s cousins, George, 5, Charlotte, 4 and Louis, 1, joined their mom, Duchess Kate, to watch their dad, Prince William — and their uncle, Harry — play at the King Power Royal Charity Polo Day at Billingbear Polo Club in Berkshire, England.
The event marked the first time the cousins have been seen together publicly. William and Kate met their nephew, Archie, in mid-May at Harry and Meghan’s Frogmore Cottage home in Windsor.
It also marks the third time in recent weeks that William and Kate’s children have made appearances. The siblings attended Trooping the Colour last month and also joined their parents in May at the “Back to Nature” garden Kate helped design at the RHS Chelsea Flower show.
Meghan has been on maternity leave since Archie’s birth, but stepped out for Trooping the Colour in June and made a private visit to Wimbledon last week to support her friend Serena Williams.
Harry and William are playing against each other in the charity match in honor of Leicester City chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who was killed in a helicopter crash last year.
The charity match will help raise money for charities supported by Harry and William, including the Invictus Games Foundation.
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Home > China & Iceland
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian Attends Touch Down Event to welcome two Beluga Whales arriving in Iceland
On June 19th, two female beluga whales, Little White and Little Grey, traveled over 9000 kilometers from Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World and successfully landed at Keflavik Airport of Iceland. Later they were transferred by lorries and ferry to their new home in Westman Islands. Little White and Little Grey were the first citizens in the world's first open-water sanctuary for beluga whales protection.
The beluga whales were warmly received at the airport by Ambassador Jin Zhijian, the project leaders from Sea Life Trust and Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), the staffs from Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World and more than 20 medias from Iceland, UK, France and other countries.
Ambassador Jin took interviews with RUV, Morgunblaðið of Iceland as well as the UK Press Association. He expressed sincere appreciation to the Sea Life Trust, WDC, Westman Islands government and its citizens, and Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World for their great efforts to find new home in Iceland and escort the two beluga whales from China to Iceland. He pointed out that Little White and Little Grey had won the heart of the Chinese people, and it was really hard for them to say goodbye, but they all wished Little White and Little Grey could start a brand new life in their new home in Iceland. The two beluga whales have become the friendship Ambassadors between China and Iceland, and bridged the two countries closely together. It was believed that there would be more and more Chinese tourists coming to Westman Islands and visiting their old friends.
As reported, the world's first open-water sanctuary for beluga whales protection is located in Klettsvik Bay of Westman Islands. The large bay area measuring 32,000 sqm provides the perfect natural wild habitat with its subarctic water and environment. Little White and Little Grey, after years of performance in Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World, finally return to nature.
Remarks by Ambassador Jin Zhijian on the Photo Exhibition of the Chinese Maritime Silk Road (2019-06-21)
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian Visits Icelandic Times (2019-06-19)
Morgunblaðið Publishes A Signed Article by Ambassador Jin Zhijian Entitled Trade War is a Dead End, Cooperation is the Only Way Out (2019-06-18)
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian Attends Chinese and Nordic Cultures Conference in Light of the Belt and Road Initiative (2019-06-12)
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian meets Mayor of Fjardabyggd (2019-06-05)
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian delivers a speech at the Seminar on Energy Cooperation between Iceland and China (2019-05-31)
Speech by Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian at the Seminar on Energy Cooperation between Iceland and China (2019-05-31)
Chinese Ambassador to Iceland Jin Zhijian attends the Signing Ceremony of Cooperation Project Between CRI and Henan Shuncheng Group (2019-05-27)
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vietnam era (1964-1974) (2)
post world war ii, korea (1947-1963) (1)
post-vietnam, panama, grenada (1975-1989) (1)
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wv0019 anna jean coomes woods papers (1)
wv0028 lucile griffin leonard papers (1)
wv0137 margaret helen "june" crowel papers (1)
wv0256 patricia l. childers papers (1)
Item description: (WIMSA)
Oral history interview with Patricia L. Childers, 2002
Primarily documents Patricia L. Childers' career in the U.S. Navy from 1972 to 1996.
Childers discusses her reasons for joining the navy, the influence the Vietnam War and her family's service history had on her decision, and the Delayed...
WV0256 Patricia L. Childers Papers
Oral history interview with Anna Jean Coomes Woods, 1999
Primarily documents Anna Jean Coomes Woods' experiences in the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from 1943 to 1946, including basic training in New York and her duty stations in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Also...
WV0019 Anna Jean Coomes Woods Papers
Oral history interview with Lucile Griffin Leonard, 1999
Chiefly documents Lucile Griffin Leonard's education at the Woman's College of the University of North Carolina (now the University of North Carolina at Greensboro) in the late 1930s and early 1940s and her service as a hospital dietitian with the...
WV0028 Lucile Griffin Leonard Papers
Oral history interview with Margaret (June) Crowel, 1999
Chiefly documents Margaret "June" Crowel's experiences as a career member of the U.S. Marine Corps from 1945 to 1979.
Crowel discusses her pre-military service work making nacelles for B-29s or B-25s in a defense plant; her mother's...
WV0137 Margaret Helen "June" Crowel Papers
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William Coupon . Photographer
Coney Island, New York City (Rolleiflex with Tesar Lens, 400 ASA Kodak B&W film)
GL: You’ve worked with every possible format that photography can offer. What motivates your choice for a given project? Is it a practical decision or an emotional one?
Miles Davis (Rollei 6006, Kodak PanX 32 ASA)
WC: Completely practical as I am looking for the viewer to firstly view the content. Of course, that tends to become an emotional decision but I first want to see the information and not whether or not it is a platinum print or digital one. I have done both and it’s the information that you need to convey first and foremost.
I have two distinctly different approaches to photography. For one of them, I am a traditional studio photographer doing painterly like studio portraits. I set up one of my backdrops (that I painted in the early 80’s), set up one light source shot through a Chimera lightbox, set up my camera (this could be a Rollei 6006 or a Canon 5D) and the sitter has to be in one consistent setting: comfortable. Often, especially with the ethnographic images, the sitter is a bit bewildered but settles into their own quickly. A celebrity often has “set” poses – they’ve done this before, and often. Especially in the earlier days, I had always used Polaroid SX-70’s to give to the subjects. It was not only a “gift” and a record of the shoot, but it also gave them a clear idea of how I was depicting them in the studio setting.
Coney Island, New York City (from the series ‘iPhone America’)
I also do street photography: see it as it appears, and with photography, appearances are pretty much everything.
GL: What catches your attention?
WC: It depends. In the studio I look for something classic, something where the light hits the subject in a new way. With the street work, I look for irony and sometimes, edginess.
When I started in 1978, with Studio 54 and Coney Island and then on to my earliest Punk portraits from the Mudd Club, I thought I was really on to something. At that point I realized I could photograph the world. I got off to a pretty good start, but I realized it would take a lot more work than originally anticipated.
GL: Street photography is about ‘catching’ moments. How do you feel about this metaphor?
WC: I don’t hunt – I gather! You know it when you see it, and you don’t see it much. This process is more like learning to see. And then learning how to see again in the edit process. I am not a techy. I have my ‘tricks’ and they serve me well. It is, as I said, all about appearances.
GL: Technically: what cameras do you use? What motivates your choice?
WC: I started with the old Rolleis then went to Hassleblads then to the Rollei 6006’s and now I do digital with my 5D. For the street work I often just use the iPhone 4, or these days I have the Sony RX100.
The reasons? Content over ingredients, i.e. I am really only looking to get substance with design, and if that means the iPhone, then so be it. Of course, for street work there is the unobtrusive element to the camera size and the inherent dismissive nature to the fact that it’s a phone. People wouldn’t suspect I am getting the kind of quality I achieve on it – it’s not a “real” camera.
GL: Does holding an iPhone as opposed to a medium format film camera ‘change’ you? Does it change your relationship to your subject?
WC: I like to be as gadget-free as possible. The “tool” defines the moment. Therefore, an iPhone, being ‘flippant’ is a more disposable perceptor to both the subject and the photographer. It’s easy. It’s quick. And these days, it has good qualities so it’s very difficult to dismiss its capabilities.
GL: How do you perceive the iPhone? Freedom? Severe technical limitations?
Bethlehem Steel Plant, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (from the series ‘iPhone America’)
WC: It’s a device that is quick with quality and leaves content intact. The phone is, from my experience, only good in VERY good light. It is not good in low light so I do not use it then. That in itself is a certain big limitation, especially when working with people.
GL: How do you measure light?
WC: In the studio I have the settings fairly well in place after 35 years. I do use a longer exposure to capture some of the ambient light. I like the aperture to be down to near f/16 to get decent depth of field. For the street, it’s a guessing game. I haven’t used a light meter in ages.
GL: Has the amount ‘post’ you do changed with the transition from film to digital?
Neil Young (Rollei 6006, EPR 120, Ektachrome 64 ASA)
WC: I never like to crop. For decades I only did square format, the older Rollei black and whites were shot as straight as can be with 400ASA film. The studio portraits are shot on low-speed film, like EPR120, and Ektachrome 64 film. I use an app for the iPhone shots called Plastiq. I love it as it gives the impression of a 50’s technicolor veneer but retains depth and grain in the dark areas.
In the digital darkroom I hope to do very little and I stick to that generally speaking. It is about the content and the contact that has already taken place that determines the image. I am not particularly a technical person and I don’t think that will change going forward.
GL: Could you imagine doing a ‘classical’ studio portrait session with someone well-known on the iPhone? How do you think that would work?
WC: Not so good. For the studio work, when there is that option, you may as well go with more quality in your film. After all, there you are not constrained by time or space, so what would be the point, unless for some stylistic choice. And for that alone it may be intriguing. But for the studio I like the tightest grain possible with a camera that gives me the greatest mobility.
I usually use the iPhone for candid shots and street images. I could use it for studio work but the dynamics don’t really work there as the studio is a controlled environment – the cameras in that environment should also be of greatest quality to take advantage of the lighting.
Freedom Tower from Fulton Street, New York City (from the series ‘iPhone America’)
It’s more important to see it than to photograph it. Of course, without documenting what you see, you would not be able to share it.
(To see more of William Coupon’s pictures visit his website at www.williamcoupon.com. All images © William Coupon and are reproduced with the permission of the author.)
György is a cinematographer also teaching photography courses in London. To book a class or for more information visit www.dslrphotographycourses.com.
5D, 6x6, b&w, black-and-white, celebrity, Coney Island, Manhattan, medium format, portrait photography, Rollei, street photography, studio photography
35mm, 5D, 6x6, analogue, black and white, color, digital, Ektachrome, iPhone, New York, Rollei, street, studio, USA
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Lawrance G. Lux
This Blog will basically discuss economic issues, with some history and political events thrown in. The author is a mix of Conservative and Liberal impulses, with matching Authoritarian and Libertarian trends.
The malaise of American Labor
Major Newspapers have devoted the off-season of major news to Article series about the rise of Bankruptcies and wide Income swings currently generated in the American economy. The Articles are basically fill-Copy, and do not analytically study the references. This Post will attempt to bring a clearer picture.
The major cause of instability of American Households remains loss of the security net common prior to the 1970s. Most Economists would protest this account, but the loss of the security net devolves through Corporate escape from taxation, the switch from One-Income to Two-Income Households, and the reduction of individual Labor real Income--adjusted for inflation. The final element resides in Corporate abandonment of Blue-Collar Labor.
Economists extol the 1963 Tax Cuts, most notably the real shift from Corporate accountability. Corporations suddenly found independence from valid Tax rates upon their Income, and soon could envision the profits of abandoning policies of Employee security--previously a method to escape Corporate taxation to the benefit of the Corporation. They did not have to pay the Tax, so who cared about a protected Employee. Successive Tax Acts all contributed to Corporate escape from provision of Employee security. Health insurance, Pension benefits, security from Layoffs and Downsizing all became historical legend, as Corporations sought Profits untaxed and safe from both Government and Worker.
The switch from One-Income to Two-Income Households had drastic effect in the American economy. The Labor force suddenly increased by about 60%, with long-term impact on real American Wages. Starting Wages slowed in real growth, unspecialized Labor stopped in terms of real growth adjusted for inflation, and Benefits reduction became the easiest means to reduce real Wages--as their reduction was least noticed. One-Income Households, especially in Blue-Collar and unspecialized Labor trades, became unviable in terms of provision of sustaining Household expenditures; the term of real Working Poor was truly born, where these Households could not pay for medical services, debt-free Consumption, or save according to financial and Economic formula viability. Young laborers could not manage, except by prior education or Parental assistence--both heavy expenditures to their parental Households.
The fiinal straw was the Corporate transfer of production off-shore, destroying the American Blue-Collar Workforce. Corporate Profits pursuit meant unspecialized American Labor was disenfranchised. Corporations would accept American production, if and only if it expressed the high Profits ratio which Management demanded--they refused to accept a 5-10% Profit per Unit, insisting on a 20-30% Profit per Unit; with unspecialized American Labor destined to be wiped out. It did not matter that this Country did not have, not could ever produce, sufficient specialized Labor positions to employ the American Labor force, even if they developed the required Specialization skills.
Corporate Executives and Economists like to imply American Labor must accept this destruction, as they are the result of immutable Economic forces in the World. They are not! They are, in fact, only the artificial creation of a Special Interests heavily-financied lobbying effort to rewrite American Tax law to their own benefit. The gains of the Era of Unionized Labor, circa 1930s-1950s, can be replicated. American Tax law could state that Corporations could not activate any tax credits or tax concessions, unless they contributed at least half of Employees' salaries to Health and Pension benefits; Corporations which did not produce at least 60% of their Product on American soil being prohibited from any exercise of any tax credits or tax concessions at all. Corporations which did not fulfill their Employer obligations would go back to paying a 40% Tax rate, instead of a current real tax rate of 7%. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 2:12 PM 19 comments: Links to this post
Tariffs have received poor acceptance among Economists, ever since the Great Depression. A great deal of this disrupte can only be considered deserved, but much of the polemic far exceeds the actual damage which Tariffs impose. The Author has just read an Economic Working Paper:
Tariffs and the Great Depression Revisited¤
Mario J. Cruciniy James Kahnz
It was basically a defense of their earlier Paper which stated:
In our 1996 Journal of Monetary Economics paper, we made the following
1. Effective tariff rates during the 1930s were higher than their apparent
nominal rates because of deflation.
2. Because of the importance of material inputs in traded goods, the impact
a given tariff rate could be magnified because of the impact on productive
effciency.
3. There was substantial retaliation from foreign countries in their tariff rates.
4. Consequently, even a neoclassical equilibrium model with flexible prices
and no other distortions suggests that tariff increases of the order of magnitude
that took place in the 1930s could have resulted in substantial
declines in output.
5. Though large enough to look like a modest recession, these model-calibrated
output declines are only on the order of one-tenth the magnitude of the
actual declines that occurred during the Great Depression.
Their current Paper asserted basically the same rationale, though utilizing modern Accounting models to get the same prognosis. Their use of the Armington assumption (1969) of imperfect substitution of Trade product and materials remains doubtful, connected to analysis of complete inelasticity of Labor accross Countries--Trade being the basic elasticity of Labor accross Countries.
The heart of the Argument they advance holds true, in that Tariffs are only marginal to Flow forces within an Economy even under the worst of economic conditions. The Economic bais against Tariffs in favor of Free Trade stands as irrational, and artifically prohibits valuable tools for economic policy. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 11:12 AM No comments: Links to this post
The failure of Socialism
Tyler Cowan posted commentary on his blog with link to a Book Review he had written. This Author finds both Book and Review to be more confusion than edification, not being intrinsically knowledgeable about the 'socialism calculation debate'. The real relevance found was in the questions posed by Cowan:
1) Under what conditions do free markets fail in calculating?
2) Under what conditions(if any) can planners succeed in calculating?
Free markets will always fail when the element of Risk is removed. Corporate leadership, even within the Cowan-cited GM, have had substantial losses--in both Sales and Profits. This has occurred because Corporate management is inadequately threatened by Stockholders(not fired) when sustained losses happen, and Corporate management reliance on Production and Price schedules independent of the Market, relying on Advetising to generate Sales. It is at exactly this point where Corporate management most closely resembles central planners--thinking they dictate Consumer Demand.
Central planners can never succeed in calculating, but not for the rationale stated (?) in the socialism calculation debate. Central planning fails not because of a lack of Market signals, but because of failure to develop Consumer Demand: remember Consumer Demand consists not only of desire for Product, but the ability to pay. Central planners lack perception that Consumers must develop an individual resource base for continued Consumer Demand. Cowan remarks about the lack of incentives in central planning, but implies this applies only to the production managers. It holds true for Consumers above all else. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 2:55 PM No comments: Links to this post
This Author has just finished reading the Becker-Posner blog on Population and Economic Growth, at http://www.becker-posner-blog.com/index.html. The Author tends to agree with Posner, but not for the same rationale--though the Posner argument tends to be effective.
The recent Tidal Wave, with over 70,000 dead and rising, explains the Author's thesis in a nutshell. Overpopulation brings overutilization of Land, where Housing and Production facilities are placed within high-risk areas. The recent disaster is only a blatant example. The Tidal regions of the United States are overpopulated, and as is the Mississippi valley and other River areas. Water is not the sole culprit areas threat. Mountain, Forest, and Drought scrub areas are threatened by Fire. Huge population concentrations exist in Tornado channels. Florida is only a Hurricane waiting to happen. Population density in all described areas remains too large--reconstruction of destroyed Property yearly drastically discimates economic growth. The effect is only compounded among foreign nations, who do not have the Recovery resource assets.
Overpopulation without proper sanitation was found to be the major cause of the Bubonic plague, not just in Europe, but from it's origin in China through the Near East to North Africa. There have been many Proposals (without collaborating evidence) that clearing Forest and Swampland allows many harmful Agents like Ebola and HIV to enter the human chain. It is positively known that clearing the major Forest and Swamplands removes the traditional methods for reducing harmful increases of Carbon levels on the Earth surface.
Economists are quick to point out the advantages of Population growth, but stand silent on the disadvantages of Population increase. There is the vast overdraft of Resources, alongside the loss of traditional Tradecraft--ecologically balanced productivity versus huge Carbon-burning mass production efforts. The sheer Population demands huge Food supplies, inciting diseases like 'Mad Cow' because of cannibal Feed practices. Products lose durability and quality, due not only to mass production, but also to the Wealth-aggragation motive of Producers needing protection for their families in times of resource shortage.
Telling Human beings they cannot live is not an option. Praying for Disasters to reduce human population is also not an option. We must live with the humanity which is brought to this shared Earth. There remains the option of educating People to limit family size, and reduce use of exotic medical care which lengthens Life though worsens quality of Life. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 11:40 AM 1 comment: Links to this post
Financial Report Y2004
This Author has only begun to skim the Report( with Intent to eventually read it), but finds some disturbing factors. There has been increasing momentum since the start of the Bush administrations to alter established Accounting methods throughout the Government structure. Undertaken as professed streamlining and search for greater accuracy of reportage, most alterations suggest transference of burden elsewhere--hiding the transfer of fund expenditure from established programs to Administration agenda expenditure.
The final results show a reduction of the accrual-based net
operating cost versus an increase in the budget deficit. This $89.5 billion closing of the gap between the two results
is almost entirely due to a $108.5 billion reduction in the rate of increase in accrual-based cost for pension, health
care, and disability liabilities for civilian and military personnel, and veterans.
The liability for veteran benefits actually decreased in 2004 by 3.1 percent. The decrease was due to a
refinement in the experience assumptions used at the VA to estimate the liability for compensation for male veteran
In fiscal year 2000, Medicare and Social Security were about even. It is interesting to note that,
by 2004, Medicare has grown to a level about twice the level of Social Security.
below, the estimated Social Security cost has been growing at a steady pace of less than 10 percent in all of the last 4
years and less than 7 percent in the last 3 years. On the other hand, projected Medicare responsibilities have been
growing at a much faster pace. Parts A and B have increased by over 15 percent in 3 of the last 4 years and by over
60 percent in 2004 with the addition of Part D.
The closing of the gap between accural-net operating costs and the Deficit could have only been accomplished by reduction of Government liabilities in established Pension-style funding. The DOD is transferring much of their liability to Medicare, begruding Pension and Disability payments to their own personnel, while increasing their basic Outlays for lush military/industrial company contracts; these Instruments and their funding not even sufficiently supplying actual Troops in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a disgrace to admit a decrease in Veteren benefit liability when Troops in the field incite increased need for Widow and Orphan benefits, medical facility needs, and greater Disability benefits.
The Administration will probably insist they are simply adjusting methodology of Benefit payments for better Accounting, but They are either not providing proper Benefits, or they are artifically inciting Medicare and Medicaid increases to propel support for a shady policy initiative of this Administration to Privatize Social Security--certain only to generate revenues for Fund managers of at least fifteen billion dollars over thirty years. lgl
Crisis Group Middle East Report N°34 22 December 2004
WHAT CAN THE U.S. DO IN IRAQ?
A fair and balanced effort which uses non-statistical polling of Iraqis through Interviews. It provides true insights into the American effort in Iraq.
events since the occupation have
reinforced latent distrust while dissipating much of
the early goodwill
failure to restore
law and order and prevent widespread looting in the
war's immediate aftermath, the deployment of
inadequate numbers of troops, excessive use of force
in populated areas, over-reliance on Iraqi exiles and
heavy-handed selection of the country's leadership,
the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, wholesale dissolution
of the army and indiscriminate exclusion of senior
Baath party members, insufficient and inefficient use
of reconstruction funds, and marginalisation of the
Sunni Arab community, among others. . . .
As a result, U.S. missteps are largely
viewed as intentional, its statements as hypocritical,
and its supposed undeclared agenda (long-term
domination of Iraq) as responsible for the armed
opposition's violence.
Many compare the time it is taking with the spectacular
recovery produced by Saddam Hussein after the 1991 Gulf
war. Crisis Group interviews in Iraq, April 2003-September
Uncertainty about the future reportedly has led some highlevel
officials to protect their personal interests. As one Iraqi
explained, the expression "ani moo abu taweela" -- literally, "I
am not among those who last" -- increasingly is being used by
ministers and senior officials to justify graft. Crisis Group
interview, Baghdad, September 2004
Evidence of insufficient numbers of troops
abounds. Thus, the fighting in Najaf up to late August 2004
required participation of troops from as far away as Mosul,
creating security vacuums in other areas, such as Latifiya,
which armed insurgents quickly invested. A military analyst
also remarked on the connection between troop levels and
reconstruction efforts: "there are insufficient military resources
to even keep contractors safe".
a U.S. statement of intent to remain in Iraq for a
prolonged period of time has become virtually
unsaleable. In other words, even though the
administration may still have considerable military
and financial resources at its disposal, its ability to
expend them is critically limited by its dwindling
political capital. As for proponents of a rapid
withdrawal, they, too, fail to take full account of the
existing context.27 Given their extreme frailty, Iraqi
institutions would probably not survive a precipitous
disengagement, handing the insurgents a significant
victory. A swift withdrawal also could imperil broader
U.S. interests in the region and further destabilise the
region as a whole.
The Report implies that the American effort in Iraq has already failed, and this Author concurs. He disagrees with the Report, in that he calls for immediate withdrawal of American forces. Iraqis now view American presence as Occupation, rather than Liberation. Iraqi society retains its sectarian construction, making the creation of national parties impossible, the best scenario would be creation of a Confederation--much like that of early American history, or the Swiss cantons. The current situation is counterproductive to American interests, as it portrays American policy ineptitude alongside of popular American resentment of American Casualties.
Precipitate American withdrawal could even be to American advantage. It might even be to American benefit if such a Withdrawal brought on an Iraqi Civil War. The United States cannot gain any International support for the current Occupation. The vacuum created by American evacuation would propel Islamic intervention, if not an International effort. Any failure in the Iraqi context thereafter would excuse American difficulties, and reestablish American prestige. lgl
SS Private Accounts
Generation of Debate over Private Accounts grows exponentially, as the time approaches for the return of Congress. The entire Scenario resembles a B-Movie horror film. Certain Observations should be advanced:
1) Almost Everyone agrees Private Accounts will not guarantee the level of Benefits existent under current law, even if they meet the growth goals of an overly-optimistic Commission.
2) The majority of Economists do not expect Stocks to continue the rate of Return expected by the Commission. This Author actually estimates that Private Accounts based solely on Bonds would do better than a mixture of Stocks and Bonds.
3) The Hip over Private Accounts forestalls actual statistical analysis of relevant data. This Author's solution states that Congress should table the entire Issue until the last year of the Bush Presidency, when promise of Political favors will least affect any decision on such an important Issue.
4) Bush's refusal to consider any Tax hikes anywhere guarantee disservice to all Americans, who will have to reexamine any passed Legislation because of innate instability.
5) Private SS Accounts, if including ability to acquire Stocks, will only worsen the balloon existent in the current Stock Market, whose current P/E ratios are unsustainable.
Modification of the current SS system remains the only viable Option. The Author has already presented two Proposals on this Site to alter the SS system in a sustainable manner. Americans should understand that as long as Seniors have political effect on American politics, a viable retirement system will have to be paid for. Efforts to distract from such payment only means additional cost to all American Labor. No Economist has yet stipulated what exact increase in FICA taxation would be necessary to cover the projected Shortfall--prime idiocy under consideration of whether to keep, or reject, the current system. Political Hip must be abandoned for rationale analysis, before Americans have a valid retirement system. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 9:08 AM No comments: Links to this post
Todd Zaun and Wayne Arnold had a fine article in the NYTimes today about rising Shortages in the supply of Steel worldwide, due to the booming American economy. It missed the primary point which impacts Americans. Japanese and Chinese are locking up iron ore, coking coal, and steel-making capacity worldwide, through long-term Contracts or actual facility purchases.
American and Euro have not joined in the Bidding frenzy, and it will be to their hazard. Both Regions will have to duplicate the Steel production capacity being lost through Japanese and Chinese acquisition, and then go looking for spare coking coal and iron ore. It will be especially difficult for Americans to acquire, due to the Great One's spending habits which are depreciating the Dollar. lgl
Alternate Social Security Plan
The Author previously gave a Social Security plan which proposed the Social Security Fund co-opting the banking system, thereby giving Social Security a source of income other than FICA taxes. The downside of the previous Plan was getting it enacted. Congress and President would have to surrender their right to spend the funds generated by FICA on their own personal agenda. It is still the real long-term solution to funding Retirement, though, and requires only Voter threats to hang Congressmen, Senators, and Presidents from Trees to get it passed.
A milder form of Social Security reform can be organized which avoids the perils of Privatization--with its assured loss of Benefits, and retaining the current System without its long-term deficit and Benefits slide. It can also avoid linking Benefits to Prices instead of Wages--another long-term Benefits slide. The Change is a simple rule adjustment in the collection of FICA taxes.
The current system of FICA tax collection collects equal amounts from Employee and Employer. Many Economists attest that Business passes such taxes to the Consumer through higher Prices, but the transfer is not completely perfect due to the potential loss of Sales. Employers are reimbursed, though, as they are allowed to deduct FICA taxes as Expenses. Employees and Consumers, on the other hand, are spending too much and Saving too little, accounted by the increases of Consumer debt.
Increasing FICA taxes on Employees will destabilize Household incomes drastically, except for the potential of raising the limit on such taxation to the mid-Six figures. What would happen if the Employers were required to pay 1.8 times the rate of Employees? Interesting things begin to happen. Consumption declines under Consumer Price increases, while Savings ratios increase as Consumer debt is paid down. Employers pass on the tax increases to the Consumer, causing the reduced Consumption and higher Savings ratio, and are protected from overt loss by the deductibility of FICA taxes as Expenses.
The Economists start to howl at this point, saying such means a downturn of the economy; but does it? Business soon learns it wants to maximize Sales under the new system. It also finds it is cheaper tax-wise to hire two Employees making $40,000 per year, than it is to hire one Employee earning $80k per year, as they are paying 1.8 times a 6.25 FICA tax rate. The need for Sales impels desire to get Cash within the hands of Consumers, the best way remains a higher Employed Labor force in the United States. Domestic production suddenly finds greater allure, while concentration on intense Productivity loses fascination.
Conclusion: This is the Author's own loose projections, and highly imperfect(think suspicious). Consumer Price Index will increase by 8% under such increased taxation for Employers, while Consumer debt will decrease by 28% after 3 years. Consumption will resume at current levels, after addition to the American Labor force of 7 million Workers. Wage demand will decrease or reverse, as Workers come to expect slower Wage growth--and become accustomed to a more moderate lifestyle. Government welfare transfers will decline as more Workers are employed. Imports will decrease to a point where the Trade deficit starts to disappear. The standard of living actually begins to increase with a wider spread increase. The most important final point: the Social Security Fund will not run into deficit, while Retirement Age and Benefits can be maintained. lgl
Economic Truths
The current administration has been, and will remain, a Corporate Executive on leave style of administration. It stands as standard fare among Corporate leadership that increased Public debt depreciates the Dollar, and that a devalued Dollar will lead to greater Exports. It has the added value in that Corporate and Business concerns escape taxation, and can avoid financial-Cost communal responsibilites. They end by being allowed lucrative Government supply contracts, where Contract provisions are not well monitored, and excess Cost increases are ignored. Corporate leadership claim patriotic zeal in the evasion of Corporate responsibilites. This outlined stance by Corporate leadership contain real seeds of destruction.
Corporate leadership feel justified in turning to foreign production for materials, Parts, and Product; this all based on the maximization of Profits--claiming the virtue of the free market system. The first statement must be that it is not a free market scenario. The current matrix of tax accounting and regulation actually discriminates against domestic production, which has to bear the social costs evaded by foreign production or importation. Corporations are allowed to deduct their foreign production costs from domestic taxes like domestic production, paying no equal social cost taxation as does domestic production. It is not a level playing field for domestic production.
Such state could even be accepted, if benefit actually accurred to the American economy. The facts, though, speak otherwise. Domestic production has been lost solely due to lower Wages and social costs of foreign production. Corporate rheutoric proclaims lower cost to the American Consumers, but is it? Increased Unemployment has suppressed Wages, except within the sector of hig-tech industries, said factor to be explored later. American Consumers can be deluded by the lower Consumer prices, but they pay higher Income taxes, Property taxes, and Sales taxes with a suppressed Wage framework; the formula for increased Consumer debt, higher framework Costs--Energy, Communication, and Food, with less resilence in their economic foundation. Americans gaze into a future of loss of Standard of Living, if the Dollar devalues without increase in Exports.
Will Exports increase? The answer is No! Business and Corporation concentrate on the high-tech production, because of the high Profit ratios--rationale for the increasing Wages within this sector. Basic domestic provision of Product--for which most American labor are trained to furnish--is lost to foreign production; this transfer simply due to previously acquired higher standard of living. The Unemployment incurred destroys those gains, magnifying the social costs involved. Domestic production costs escalate with higher taxation--and need to scale back current labor force.
Will devaluation of the Dollar help? No! The economic boom enjoyed by less-developed Countries derives from sale of Product to a non-producing United States. The current matrix of American Exports are high-tech Products to a relatively saturated foreign market stream, which will not markedly increase American Exports acquisition because of lack of current need and high cost even with Dollar devaluation. These same Countries lack the economic reserves of the United States, and would close their markets to less-tech Product lines due to the need to employ their own labor force. Total actual quantities of American Exports will not increase by any real percentage(maybe 7% per year), not sufficient to keep pace with the increase in American Imports.
Conclusion: American economic performance will increase only with return to domestic provision of basic American Consumer Products. Imports should be taxed in such manner that it affects Corporate and Business profits, not overburdened American Consumers. This transition demands a stable Dollar to acquire materials for domestic production from foreign sources. The United States Government must stop spending in deficit of revenues. This end can only be accomplished by cancelation of lush Government supply contracts, reintroduction of effective Business and Corporate tax rates through elimination of Tax credits, Investment credits, evasive tax accounting, and plain tax evading movement of untaxed Funds overseas. lgl
The Current State of the Military
Current activity in Iraq seems destined to disrupt U.S. military readiness within a year, if remedial action is not taken with the return of the Congress. One-third of the 950,000 force has or will be going to Iraq a second tour of duty within the new year. National Guard and Reservists are slightly more likely for such a second tour. U.S. Policy, if left unaltered, will greet all of this Personnel with a third tour the year after.
The United States continues to spend military appropiations never seen in the World Wars, Vietnam, or ever before. All the Funds, though, go to expensive Weapons development whose Weapons are not for domestic pacification, Counterterrorism, or countering guerilla movements. Military supply of basic Troop field equipment to Iraq is abysmal. The Military are sending Troops off to their second tour in Iraq not fully equiped for the hazards involved, or for proper hazard reaction.
Rumsfeld states the problem remains inability of American industry to provide the equipment in a speedy and timely fashion. Bullcrap! The GAO states the Defense Dept. will not coordinate proper Supply acquirement and deployment with proper management controls. Real truth states military funds are going to high-tech companies for unusable Weapon systems, simply because these Companies supported the Bush political aspirations from the start. The Defense Dept. simply does not provide sufficient funding for the basic necessities needed by the troops in Iraq.
A Rand Corporation study for the Military suggested the National Guard should take over much of the Counterterrorism activity domestically. They suggest more National Guard and Reservists be pulled away for 'full-time' duty in performance of these duties. This Personnel are Week-end Warriors, who chose this form of duty, rather than the regular military, to avoid horrid interruptions in their family and work life. The current Administration treats them like they were regular, main-force troop complements.
The American people do not need a new 'Star Wars' weapon system for their protection, they need five more activated regular motorized Infantry divisions. These divisions, along with the other active Divisions, need to be fully-equipped. We need to do this, before We have to start asking for a fourth, or fifth tour in Iraq out of Our Regular and Week-end Warriors. lgl
Retirement and the American Worker
Data used comes from:
6thAnnual Transamerica
Small Business Retirement Survey
Summary of Findings
Final sample sizes and related precision levels (90% confidence)are:
!601 Employers, ± 3.4%
!1201 Workers, ± 2.4%
Employer-funded Retirement plans are losing ground--especially fast among small Employers (Only 23% of small companies offer this type of plan in 2004, compared to 32% in 2003.) 78% of Employees report their Companies offering a Employee-funded plan--73% offering 401(k) plans. Employee involvment in such plans range in the mid-70s percentile, with two-thirds of the remaining Employees planning future enrollment. Workers average contribution to their Retirement plan averages 8%, with about 37% contributing over 10%. Most Employees (at least 50% of all Workers, over 80% of Baby Boomers) state that Company Match into the Retirement plans is important.
The majority of workers expect the U.S. economy to stay the same(28%) or get better (45%) in the next year.!However, male workers are significantly more likely to feel it will get better (53%) than female workers are (35%).–Even more workers feel that their personal financial situation will stay the same (35%) or get better (57%) in the next year.!As with the economy, females are less likely than males to feel their personal finances will improve in the next year (51% vs. 61%).!
Employers overwhelmingly feel they are meeting their Obligations toward their Employees' Retirement plans, while Employees are less confident. Employees feel excellent benefits are a greater inducement than high salary alone, while Employers are less likely to possess this attitude. Health insurance still remains the benefit most desired by Employees, and understood by Employers. Employers overvalue giving Employees investment options, while Employees want more financial disclosure about their Retirement plans.
The majority of Employees do not rely on their Retirement plans alone, but invest in other venues for their retirement. Most Employees do not use rational (systemic) planning to compute their Retirement needs. Almost all Employees also expect to retire with more accumulated assets than their current retirement savings would seem to indicate--possibly indicating their outside financial planning is relatively large, disputing standard Economic expectation on American Savings ratios.
it could be that Americans' failure to save is caused by mechanics, not morals. At least that is one conclusion of a recent paper by four economists: David Laibson and James J. Choi of Harvard and Brigitte C. Madrian and Andrew Metrick of the University of Pennsylvania. (NYTimes, Daniel Gross)
The above cited article says participation rates in 401(k)s increase significantly, if participation is made the default choice. Labor is not against saving, nor are they spending animals; they simply feel Investment decisions should be made for them, by Professionals. One Economist cited in the article, PROFESSOR LAIBSON, suggested income tax rebates should be automatically channeled into Individual Retirement Accounts.
This Author adopts another stance: suggesting standard economic modeling does not reflect modern Household savings methods. Standard models consider Housing purchases as consumption, while most Households today purchase Housing above natural Rental costs--as a long-term investment. High numbers of Households invest in Mutual and Index Funds, which Economists discount as Savings--accounting as Venture risks, while Households think of these Funds as differianted Bank savings accounts paying higher Interest rates. The proliferation of franchise Business forms are Household attempts to locate higher-paying forms of Savings. Economists, and their Models, are simply behind the times. lgl
The attack on Oil
Bin Laden, or a potential double, called for an attack on the transmission of Oil to the West. Western Analysts suggest bin Landen is full of it, and only attacks upon the financial infrastructure could truly damage the American economy. This remains a very stupid attitude. Saboteurs blew up Iraq's northern export pipeline for the second week in a row on Saturday, halting oil flows to Turkey's Ceyhan port, oil officials said.
A bomb that exploded overnight blew off a section of the twin pipeline near the oil center of Baiji, they said.(AP) The Pipeline was designed to transmit 500,000 bpd to Turkey. Another domestic oil pipeline was hit near Baiji on Saturday, the latest in attacks that have crippled operations of refineries and helped to create severe shortages of fuels, especially in Baghdad.(AP) New York price for sweet crude was $46.80 Friday, when stockpiles and delivered Consignments suggest Oil price around $34 per barrel truly reflective of Supply conditions (Author's own estimate).
The Muslim World after 9/11
ANGEL M. RABASA CHERYL BENARD PETER CHALK
C. CHRISTINE FAIR THEODORE KARASIK
ROLLIE LAL IAN LESSER DAVID THALER
Arabs constitute only about 20 percent of the world’s Muslims, yet interpretations of Islam,
political and otherwise, are often filtered through an Arab lens. A great deal of the
discourse on Muslim issues and grievances is actually discourse on Arab issues and
grievances.
the decentralization of religious authority in Sunni Islam, which
makes it vulnerable to manipulation by extremists with scant religious credentials
Tribal conservatism—a cultural and not a religious feature—and religious
extremism can be mutually reinforcing. In the absence of countervailing forces—for
instance, a strong central authority—they produce a mix that, in the words of a Kuwaiti
interlocutor, "leads to bin Laden."
support networks have been key nodes in the funding and operations of extremist and terrorist groups.
Radical madrassas (Islamic boarding schools) from Pakistan to Southeast Asia have
been one of the main sources of personnel for radical movements and terrorist
groups. Despite the importance of madrassa reform, few concrete plans have emerged
to design and implement specific changes in these schools, and little consideration
has been given to how they fit within the broader reform of public education systems,
which can help produce more desirable economic, political, and social outcomes.
A complementary element of the strategy of supporting secular or moderate Muslim
organizations is to deny resources to extremists. This effort needs to be undertaken at
both ends of the funding cycle.
Militarily, the United States faces a need to reduce the more obvious aspects of its
presence while working to increase different types of presence, e.g., intelligence, psychological
operations, civil affairs. In some places in the Muslim world, this will
mean continuing to reduce a heavy (and politically sensitive) forward presence and
instead seeking to support operations from consolidated regional locations.
Ungoverned areas throughout the Muslim world, from isolated portions of Indonesia
and the Philippines to large tracks of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Yemen, can
become havens for extremist and terrorist groups. Political and economic stabilization
in such areas will reduce opportunities for extremism and terrorism to take root.
Some U.S. intelligence and diplomatic capabilities in parts of the
Muslim world have atrophied in the past two years as a result of redeployment to
other areas of this region.
The Report is excellent in identification of all the Problem areas, and totally deficient in adequate Solution proposals. Moderate Muslim elements cannot associate with American presence without being condemned not just by Extremists, but by the general Muslim public. It proposes further American presence in the Arab world though lower key, when such presence only provides targets and condemnation propaganda for Extremists. Tampering with religious madrassas would led to call for greater violence, through charges of corrupting Muslim youth. The United States needs to demand 'Equal time' on satellite Islamic media, rather than try to suppress Extremist access to such media; We need to discount their propaganda with our own effective propaganda, based on revelation of Our own cultural family life. We need to engage Tribal leadership in dialogue, not supplant it with a alien strong central authority.
We need to counter the impact of Terrorist ideology in Islamic society, not try to change Islamic cultural and social patterns. We will fail, and face increasing violence due to overt American interference in Islamic society, until We learn the proper approach to the Islamic peoples. lgl
Recessive Conditions?
Labor income grows below the rate of Inflation over the last year--2.4% compared to an Inflation rate of 2.7%(EPI). The slow expanion of Wages seems due to the slack Labor market, while the American economy spent about 5.6% more than it produced in the third Quarter, some $1.8 billion per day(EPI). Import of Goods and Services was 54% higher than Exports in the third Quarter. A basic Products Chain, Family Dollar, reports Profit skidded 14% in third Quarter despite increasing Sales, because of a Consumer shift from discretionary items to more basic need Products (AP). Circuit City's same-store Sales fell 4.3% over the previous year period(AP). GM is reporting disappointing December Sales--traditional large Sale month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports real disposable Family income declined 0.4% in November, identical with the decline in October, making two months in a row where it declined while 'core' consumer prices rose 0.2% each month.
The decline in the Dollar--47% against the euro since Febuary 2002--has not even slowed the growth of the current accounts deficit:
"Firms that get the greatest value from outsourcing aren't those whose operations shops can't deliver in America; it's the ones that already run a lean op shop here and know how to calibrate incentives to customer needs and reap gains from going to India. They achieve shorter times to market and can add on to existing product lines."
The Quote, from 'Offshore Outsourcing: What's Working, What's Not', clearly expresses Outsourcing comes not from American Labor inefficiency, but sheer Corporate and Business desire for marginal Profits. These marginal Profit gains probably do not exceed an approximate $200 billion per year, but generation of such Profits maintain all the troubles of the American economy listed above.
It seems time to alter a traditionally American policy of 'Free Trade' at any cost, and start to impose a Imports tax to curb such Outsourcing for marginal Profits. lgl
The IRS
The Internal Revenue Service can arguably be stated to be the greatest revenue generator in the World, holding this position for decades. The sheer magnitude of Cash flow would make anyone think the IRS possesses State-of-the-Art financial management systems. This has never been the case. Here are some excerpts from GAO reports:
Projects continued to incur cost increases and schedule delays for
several reasons, including inadequate definition of systems
requirements, increases in project scope, and cost and schedule
estimating deficiencies. Cost overruns and schedule delays impaired
IRS’s ability to make appropriate decisions about investing in new
projects, delayed delivery of benefits to taxpayers, and postponed the
resolution of material weaknesses affecting other program areas.
The Y2005 IRS budget to Congress reflects a portfolio reduction of 37% from Y2003(means a lower IRS budget to implement programs).
Over a trillion dollars in income
was distributed in tax year 2002 by
flow-through entities, such as
partnerships, subchapter S
corporations, and trusts, to their
partners, shareholders, or
beneficiaries, respectively. The
estimates that from 6 to 15 percent
of such income is unreported on
individual tax returns. This income
is reported to both IRS and to the
recipients on a Schedule K-1 (K-1).
IRS uses K-1 data in its documentmatching
program to identify
noncompliance and for other
IRS has the capability to identify employers who
file wage statements with inaccurate SSNs but does not have a dedicated
compliance program for penalizing them.
the criteria for meeting the reasonable cause waiver
is such that few if any employers are likely to be penalized for filing
inaccurate SSNs. IRS has no record of ever penalizing an employer,
including the employers who were contacted during IRS’s review of
"egregious" employers.
In a nationwide selection of
413,723 businesses applying to sponsor immigrant workers from 1997
through 2004, GAO found 19,972 (5 percent) businesses and organizations
that were unknown to IRS. Information like this can be used to select
taxpayers for audit or other enforcement efforts.
GAO found that 67,949 (16 percent) businesses
applying to sponsor immigrant workers from 1997 through 2004 did not file
one or more tax returns. Failure to file a return could be relevant to a CIS
adjudicator’s decision about whether a business meets the financial
feasibility (ability to pay wages) and legitimacy (proof of existence) tests for
sponsoring an immigrant.
GAO is making a recommendation
to the Secretary of Homeland
Security and the Commissioner of
Internal Revenue to assess the
benefits and costs of data sharing
to enhance tax compliance and
improve immigration eligibility
Such activity makes the United States Government a laughingstock, adjudged by All as incapable of systematic action and direction. Walmart possesses the Information processing to determine exactly what their Customers desire and wish to buy, based upon past purchase trends. GM can trace route Operational funds throughout the World, from resource acquisition to Operating Consumer credit funds for purchase of multiplex Product lines. The IRS cannot identify huge operational outleys of major Employers in the American economy. They cannot accurately define day-to-day financial transfers out of the Country. Many would acclaim this to be the best state, where taxing agents are befuddled. The trouble resides in the fact ordinary Taxpayers must make up Shortfalls in unreported Income and Profits, either by higher taxation or increased debt. lgl
Posted by Lawrance George Lux at 1:27 PM 1 comment: Links to this post
Energy--Achilles Heel?
Our Country endures a huge Trade deficit, a horrible percentage of which is Oil and Gas importation. The Bush and Oil industry desire to drill in the Alaskan Reserve seems dubious, as the Reserve represents proven Oil reserves which can only appreciate in value over Time, making Alaska the true Strategic Oil Reserve. Drilling technology will only improve over time, and the Government should be funding new Energy technologies of all types--a far greater need than the Proscription Drug law in a period where the Private sector can still finance their Drug needs (just barely). Our real long-term need remains Energy sourcing.
There are Short-term improvements which can be made:
1) A Federal law stating American new Make cars must meet the highest Fuel Consumption standards anywhere in the World, which are currently being met by their own domestic car industry. Failure to meet these standards shall be a fine of $1000 per mile per vehicle produced under the mileage rate of the highest Fuel Consumption standard.
2) A Railway law which refunds the rail system, especially the rail car complement. The Law should dipulate that sunken and covered Track should run in the center between all Interstate lanes (two lanes--for alternate direction simulataneously). Railway cars should be designed to accomodate one or two Semi Tractor-trailers, along with Sleeper and Lunch cars. Quick-time loading and unloading facilities are to be built at every major city along the Interstate routes, and twenty car maximum train length alongside of insistence of a train heading in each direction every four hours(or upon full booking--meals and sleeping compartment free with the freight charge). Total Funding--$3 trillion over a decade.
3) Geological survey of all closed Oil fields with intent to determine if they could be reopened utilizing new technologies at Cost competitive with World Oil Prices.
4) Fund search for a new Gas substitute formed by industrial process from modern waste carbon. Landfills could be recycled, and weeds and excess foliage could be used ( the Author once suggested algae tanks in the Oceans).
5) Use of City block central Hot Water heaters run on cheap fuel, and built on projected usage, with connection with other Block heaters to cancel downtime.
Each of the above measures have a potential of canceling one-tenth of the foreign Oil and Gas imported at the minimum, and can cut the potential Energy bill much further. Long-term energy policy must develop a Gas substitute culled from the surface--whether sewage, waste products, or grown Carbons. The Author is enamored of a liquid plastic computer-dispenced through carbuation, which could get 300 miles per pint. lgl
The weakening Dollar
We face a crisis in currency stability. Foreign central banks are purchasing Treasuries to maintain their own GDP levels by maintaining Sales to the United States. Truth states that the U.S. Trade deficit cannot be resolved by increase of American Exports. American industry must make the switch to provision of primary Goods for the domestic market. This will reemploy American labor, and is the only means to truly stabilize the Dollar. American Public and Consumer debt will decrease under this alteration.
Government policy must be directed to this end, before the American Peso becomes reality. The Author proposes an immediate Import tax of 10% on all Imports, Parts and whole Products, collected by State Sales tax assessment agencies--for 2% of total revenues collected. The tax on Parts for Assembly will be collected by the IRS, where the whole Product was sold to American Consumer.
Such Tax will not violate Our Trade agreements, as it is assessed across the Board, and can be attributed as an Infrastructure Access tax. All of Our major trading partners will perceive the necessity of this restraint, and few will criticize; Dollar viability remains a higher viability factor than short-term loss of Imports. American Imports will not decline rapidly, as American Consumers are too addicted to Imports, and American industry will take time to change over to domestic production. This taxation will reduce States' indebtedness as well as reduce the Federal deficit remarkedly. The Author would desire this taxation be implemented 01/01/2005, but should be on the books by 03/01/2005. Simple statement of Intent would stabilize the Dollar in the interum. lgl
Universal Health Care--Cheaper?
The Author has long been considering the Health Care Costs problem in the United States. He has come up with a radical program, which could really cut Health Care costs with Everyone benefiting.
Universal Health Care Plan
1) Everyone to be insured by Social Security number, unless they specifically opt from the program. (Those with ability to pay must pay premiums commisserit to cost).
2) Doctors will be sold SS numbers in a Bidding system, with Actuaries defining actual costs by Age. (Doctors will retain their Patients in subsequent years, if acceptable to both Patient and Doctor; if they accept the premium level demanded by Government Actuaries.)
3) Doctors will pay all Costs for their Patients--all medical procedures, Drugs, Hospitalizations, Emergency Care, Home Care, medical equipment, medical Specialists, etc.)
4) Doctors will pay a yearly premium per Patient into a Malpractice and Extreme Cost Fund maintained by the AMA, from which they can borrow for exteme levels of Care Cost--they must make repayment from their receipts. (The Federal Government could provide some funds to this self-insurance by Doctors, upon clear need.)
5) The AMA Fund will hire Lawyers (yearly Salary) to defend Doctors in malpractice suits, and to negotiate wholesale Drug prices for Doctors. Actuaries will be hired to negoiate with the Government, and provide bidding information for Doctors. They will also compile a suggested list of Fees for medical Specialists. They will be paid a yearly salary from the Fund.
6) Doctors will be allowed complete freedom to determine the course of treatment and diagnosis for every Patient, knowing that overuse of Drugs, diagnostics, or treatment facilities will result in diminished Income for themselves.
7) Government Actuaries will determine Patient premiums based upon the expected Cost of health care plus a percentage amount allowing Doctors a projected Income between $100-300k, with the acquisition of 1000 Patients.
8) Government will Sunset Medicare and Medicaid, replacing the Previous with the new Universal Health Care Plan. It will determine the base Income level past which Patients must pay their own premiums for inclusion in the Program--this as true for the Elderly currently on Medicare as for young Workers.
9) There will not further Government funding of Health services or medical facilities--except on Case-by-Case expressed need.
10) Uninsured Patients will be charged for all Emergency Care.
The Author expects Health Care Costs to reduce radically to some point, and then increase only as the rate of overall Inflation. The rationale for this belief lies in the AMA Fund negoiating effective Wholesale prices for their membership from Drug manufacturers, medical equipment manufacturers, and medical Specialists. Government Actuaries will insist one Cost-realistic Patient premiums being paid to the Doctors. Actual medical care will reduce to that necessary for maximization of health in the Patients--at least Cost with the Doctors footing the bill for any excess. lgl
The Federal Debt
The spending levels of the Federal Government defy effective description, while Democrat as well as Republican, talk only of additional Spending. Present rates of of expenditure insist on sale of almost $60 billion worth of Treasuries per month. Bush, through his policies, has already scheduled this amount to be increased, and intends for more to be added. No one in the Beltway even suggests a Cutback in any program, and all propose more.
(The following Quotes all come from 'October 13, 2004 EPI Briefing Paper #153')
The historically low level of current revenues must be considered in light of the sharp rise in payroll taxes since 1959. The creation of Medicare and increases in Social Security benefits were the primary reasons that payroll taxes swelled from 2.4% of GDP in FY1959 to 6.3% in FY2004 (see Figure 2). In 2004, individual income taxes are expected to decline to 7.0% of GDP, lower than any year since FY1951. As a source of revenue, corporate income taxes have eroded from about 4% of GDP through 1970 to less than 2% in recent years.
Federal spending (excluding interest) has expanded from 16.1% of GDP in 2000 to 18.4% in FY2004 (CBO 2004c).
In January 2001, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO 2001) projected 10-year cumulative surpluses of $5.6 trillion between FY2002 and FY2011. Putting aside tax cuts and spending increases since 2000, budget analysts have revised their assumptions and believe that the 10-year surplus estimate should have been $2.2 trillion.2 The CBO estimates that under current policies, with tax cuts extended as promised by the Bush Administration and the congressional majority, the 10-year outlook is now for a cumulative deficit of $4.5 trillion. Thus, policy changes in the past three-and-a-half years have caused the 10-year budget balance to decline by $7 trillion, an average of $670 billion a year.
With expiring tax cuts extended and the AMT fixed on a modest scale, revenues would reach just 17.6% of GDP in 2014
The CBO's baseline for total spending remains within a few tenths of a percent of 20% of GDP throughout the next decade, 2.5 percentage points above the level of revenues with prevailing policy in 2014 (CBO 2004c)
The Bush Administration's budget proposal of February 2004 specifies non-security discretionary spending levels only through FY2009, the next five years. It calls for NSD spending to increase by only 1% nominally over five years, despite expected inflation of 11% and population growth of 5% over that period
If NSD spending does not grow with population, in real per capita terms it would fall to $1,499a drop of 21% relative to present-day levels.
Simply allowing NSD spending to keep pace with inflation would require additional financing equivalent to 3.2% of GDP in 2014. Cutting NSD spending enough to achieve a balanced budget without changes in current policy on taxes and other spending would require NSD spending of only 1.2% of GDP in 2014.
The CBO projects that entitlements will remain under 12% of GDP for the next decade. After that, the combination of the retirement of the baby boom and the escalation of health care costs will cause entitlement spending to rise substantially relative to GDP. Over the next 75 years, the projected expansion is between 10% and 15% of GDP (CBO 2003).
With 2% productivity gains and gains in potential output of 81% over three decades, the working-age population could "sacrifice" relatively modest contributions to the elderly to meet the projected costs for retirement benefits and still enjoy rising after-tax incomes.
Historical experience shows the implausibility of balancing the budget with revenues at only 17.6% of GDP. Total spending is now running at 19.8% of GDP and has exceeded 17.6% every year since 1965 (OMB 2004). Over the past two decades, the ratio of federal spending to GDP has averaged 20.7%.
Can the American Economy sustain Federal spending in excess of Federal revenues of 2.5% of GDP ad infinitum? The Answer is No! Sheer accumulation of such Funds to borrow would require a bureaucracy of Thousands Worldwide (a foreign bureaucracy) simply to get their hands on the Cash, which current Policy-makers expect them to lend to Us. They might ask eventually, "Why should We lend the largest Economy in the World some 2.5% of their GDP yearly? Why don't We spend it on Our own economic development?"
We could answer that We need the money, but they might ask why We need the money. Our sole answer to this secondary question would be: "We don't want to tax Ourselves as much as you do Yourselves, because We do not want to pay for Our own existence; it is much nicer for Us if We can live above Our means, by suggesting you live below your means. It does not matter that convincing evidence exists denying the theory that Deficit spending propels economic growth, We would rather spend than pay Taxes. lgl
Is Bush all there?
Bush announced there is an unfunded $11 trillion liability in the Social Security program, but that he will not allow FICA taxes to be raised. He proposes instead to push Private accounts, which will take another $1-2 trillion from tax receipts. His Tax Cuts previously have made it more profitable for American Business to Import rather than Produce here, vastly decreasing FICA tax receipts while ruining the U.S. Trade balance. AP reports:
Non-petroleum import prices increased 0.7 percent last month after falling 0.1 percent in October, marking the largest increase since January's 0.8 percent gain. Over the last 12 months this series has risen 3.4 percent, the strongest annual gain since September 1995.
The price of petroleum product imports fell 2.6 percent after 11.6 percent gain in October for the largest decrease in over a year. On an annual basis, petroleum import costs are up 60.4 percent.
The Dollar is sliding, and will continue to slide with unfunded Federal spending and an American Trade deficit. Bush cannot be permitting this for American products to sell at cheaper price in
foreign markets, as the markets for American Products where they are competitive remain semi-totally saturated. I feel an impulse to mention We have a Trade coefficent less than 0.03, which is a measure of the likelihood of Trade expansion, where a coefficent of 0.05 or greater is necessary to increase Trade Exports in terms of real Product expansion in Sales, not simply Dollar increases.
The unfunded liability of the Social Security Fund is only going to increase, unless COLAs are eliminated from the system. This will rapidly erode the program goals of the system, which was assurance that Senior citizens will have enough to live on. Social Security Private Accounts will reduce FICA taxes substantially, creating a debt load which would not be incurred until 2040, if the system was left untouched. Debt Service in incurring the Debt now, rather than in 2040, will increase the unfunded liability by at least $400 billion. Most Economists agree Private Accounts will not gain sufficiently in total Value to even pay for the Debt Service on the incurred Debt: the Stock Markets are already overinflated with Dollars due to the tax advantages currently existent. Bush deficit spending with sale of Treasuries to foreign central banks is unsustainable even through the end of the next Presidential term. We talk about Nero fiddling here! lgl
Do Funds Drive the Markets
Funds exist everywhere throughout all markets today. Are they beign?
"Funds are like flocks of geese,'' Nick Moore, global commodities analyst at ABN Amro, said, adding that the funds would stay in commodities but could now ride the market downturn by buying ``short'' to capitalize on lower prices."
The Dollar gained today against almost all Currencies, and Metals slid, "The dollar showed its first signs of life against the euro in weeks, prompting funds to pull out of metals as key price points triggered sale signs on automatic systems. (AP)"
Oil production is as high as ever seen, and American Oil stocks are higher than the previous year. What is driving the Price hikes? The posit can be made that Funds are using Scare tactics to drive the Markets in the direction desired, and Fund managements are in collusion through use of the News services to initiate directional movement.
Is this important? The Author filled up his truck for $1.84 per gallon today, while he paid $1.42 per gallon last year, though there is more sweet crude Oil in American stock than a year ago. He is also paying $1.74 per gallon, which was $1.26 per gallon in March. This though March was at the end of a hard winter, this beginning of a mild winter, and heating stocks are larger. The American people are paying about 30% more for their energy consumption this year over last, while there is no discernable rationale for it except the Buying and Selling strategies of the Funds. lgl
Anyone connected with the Dept. of Defense previously in life understands the complexity of bureaucracy, acknowledging the military form as being the most virulent. A penchant for Paper and Reports ensures no one can find anything. The GAO attempts repeatedly to bring order to federal agencies, but the Military may be functionally defined as intransigent. The GAO has produced two recent reports, one on military disbursements, and the other on Defense Inventory improvements. They can sound like 'an Accident ready to happen', but actually; things have been improving for years. Here are some profound Quotes from the Reports:
In our prior work on MILPERS budgets, we found that the obligations
reported at the end of the appropriation year were not always disbursed as
reported. In researching some of the differences, we also found that the
services’ obligation reviews for the 5 years after the obligations were made
could not identify the changes at the same level of detail as that used in
the budget request to Congress. Moreover, the reports used for the review
did not provide information on where the funds were moved or an audit
trail to the disbursements.
Department of Defense (DOD) has worked to achieve full visibility over and accessibility to its spare parts inventory. This initiative, called total asset visibility (TAV), aims to provide timely, accurate information on the location, movement, status, and identity of units, personnel, equipment, and supplies.
While total asset visibility (TAV) has been a goal of DOD’s since the early
1970s, target completion dates of 1980, 1995, and 2004 have not been met.
In fact, DOD’s target date for achieving TAV has slipped by nearly 30 years,
most recently being moved from fiscal year 2004 to fiscal year 2010.
we recently reported that DOD experienced logistics management weaknesses during the build upand early phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom due to inadequate asset visibility. These weaknesses are similar to those experienced during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
as Operation Iraqi Freedom began, a number of asset visibility weaknesses contributed
to a $1.2 billion discrepancy between the material shipped to Army activities in the Iraqi theater and the material acknowledged as received. While Army officials believe that this material was received in theater, lapses in asset visibility, in some instances, resulted in units cannibalizing major equipment items, submitting duplicate requisitions, and circumventing the normal supply systems to obtain needed parts.
Does the above information frighten? It should not, it is the normal Military procedure of "Situation normal, ...................." What should frighten is the fact there are multiple Warehouses existent, filled with WWI and WWII inventory goods, which the DOD cannot sell for Army salvage because they cannot find the proper paperwork. The DOD finds itself unable to identify all Military property (land) owned in the United States--not foreign. Do not worry about Our troops in the field, though; there are a probable five requisitions for every military item, and generally one or two get filled. lgl
Productivity will always reduce when new Workers are hired, their inexperience produces at s much slower pace than those kept specifically for their productivity. It can also markedly reduce from lack of Production orders. Data on Production Orders have been slow lately, not reaching the Public with the speed of Boom times. Government and Economic Surveys can be quite slow in Output as well, especially with a political interest involved.
The Christmas season starting the day after Thanksgiving has gotten off to a slow start. Some Surveys claim a gain over the previous year, some claim a remarkable loss--depending on which list of Retail stores are used. The Giants--Walmart and Target--both claim disappointing or lackluster Sales. The one element all Surveys have in common is lack of Customer Count. Some Surveys point to previous years of seeming slowness, and remark they were decent Sales seasons with Customers shopping later, even the week after Christmas. No one, though, jumps for joy over the data.
We are entering a Christmas season of special note: We are still 200,000 Jobs short of pre-recession with four more million adults; Consumer Debt stands at an all time high, with more Americans holding more mortgages than ever before; the Employment Compensation rate of increase was 2.6% slower than the Inflation rate over the last year; and the rate of Imports expansion is advancing faster than the rate of Exports expansion. The total rate of Job eliminations exceeded the 112,000 new Hires in November. Retailers shed Jobs in November, these 16000 lost Jobs were in the lower-to middle Income levels. Some might ponder whether Retailers expect a joyous Christmas season, at least not a robust one. (Information from NYTimes, Reuters, and AP) lgl
Housing and Economic Growth
A new Study out, plus a NYTimes article today, present the dilemma of the American economy:
Housing’s Impact on Wealth Accumulation,
Wealth Distribution and Consumer Spending 2004
Eric Belsky, Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University
Joel Prakken, Macroeconomic Advisers, LLC,
remarks that,
housing remains the primary store of wealth
for most Americans. Home equity constitutes roughly one
fifth of total household net wealth. At last measure, over
two thirds of households owned a home but only about
half owned stocks or mutual funds containing stocks. And
fully six in ten homeowners had more home equity than
stock equity.
Wealth effects of real estate plainly ramp up to their long-run
effects much faster than the wealth effects resulting from
gains in corporate equities. The likely reason is the lower
volatility of home values than stock values. Households feel
more confident of gains in housing wealth and thus spend
more readily and quickly when they occur. This is consistent
with findings that the wealth effects arising from gains in
volatile technology stocks take longer to reach their long-run
impacts than wealth effects from other types of stocks
(Edison and Slok 2001).
Falling rates spark refinancings
and home sales. These in turn trigger a spurt of consumer
spending in the short run. Conversely, tightening can slow
home sales and reduce home equity borrowing. These in
turn quickly act as drags on consumer spending and slow
economic growth. Given that consumer spending amounts
to about two thirds of total economic activity, monetary
policy that contributes to it by stimulating short-term
spending in response to greater realized capital gains, higher
property values, and accelerated liquidation of home equity
can make the difference during periods of economic
weakness between a steep recession and a soft landing.
The Study is funded by a Realtors association, but the economics and math are good. Their basic argument resides in the last Quote, with the implication this stands as valuable economic policy. Several criticisms can be made:
1) Such manipulation of Interest rates propels Consumer Debt.
2) The boost to Consumer spending generated is almost universally fueled by Consumer Debt.
3) Such economic policy will incite Inflation in Housing far faster than the Consumer Price Index.
4) Consumers invariably choose Housing beyond their financially stable means.
5) Housing is such a huge component of total Capital accumulation, that it is one of the prime propellents of Inflation. This economic policy spurs Inflation by exciting Price rise in the Sector.
In Housing Sales, Frenzy Is Giving Way to Balance
By ROBERT D. HERSHEY Jr. Published: December 6, 2004
One reason for the cooling could be heavy recent speculative buying, with people acquiring houses in hopes of a quick profit without making improvements to the homes. Such purchases contributed to a 12.97 percent surge in average home prices from the third quarter of 2003 to the third quarter of 2004, the biggest four-quarter increase since 1979, when inflation began to rise at double-digit rates, according to the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight. That was almost five times the gain of other goods and services measured by the Consumer Price Index.
Current prices are at record levels in relation to average incomes, so higher interest rates would almost certainly make purchasing a home harder for prospective buyers. The low rates of recent years have helped buyers afford more expensive houses
Houses have appreciated 1.5 to 2 percentage points faster than the rise in the Consumer Price Index. With inflation at about 3 percent, the 7 percent advances in house prices in recent years are at least twice the norm.
Mortgage Bankers Association of America predicts the volume of mortgage refinancings will slide almost 43 percent next year, to $680 billion from an estimated $1.19 trillion in 2004
This Author opposed the Fed policy of lowering Interest rates shortly after George W. Bush took office. Not least in his rationale was knowledge of the above effects. Such economic policy always generates Inflation, and higher Interest rates always generates a deeper economic trough when the Bust comes, as Consumers are deeply in Consumer debt with higher and harder Repayment schedules to meet. Rebound economic growth becomes difficult, as lower Consumer spending comes from abnormal Repayment schedules and lower Employment rates. lgl
Corporate leadership missing the Chance
The NYTimes reports Corporate liquid assets are $1.3 trillion, up 20% from the start of 2003. Reuters has a link
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-markets-forex.html, which provides data on Dollar losses:
The dollar crumbled to $1.3460 per euro (EUR-), according to Reuters data, a decline of nearly 1.4 percent
Against the yen the dollar was off more than 1 percent to 102.07 (JPY-).
Against the Swiss franc the dollar fell 1.76 percent to a new 9-year low at 1.1302 francs (CHF-). The dollar also slid to new 9-year lows against a basket of currencies (.DXY).
Sterling was up 1 percent to $1.9436 (GBP-).
Both articles mention that Business investment has dropped, and is unlikely to increase dramatically in 2005. One article even made the remark that the Unemployment rate is actually low in historic terms. It was enough to make One nausous.
Corporations have a enormous Cash reserve which is depreciating in value. American Consumers will have to start paying much higher Prices for foreign Imports. Real Unemployment, if translated into those Who has lost Jobs since 2001 and increasing number of Adults coming of Age, stands at over twice the official numbers of 2.7 million. The professed rate of investment indicated in the Business poll in the Reuters article assures not the 200,000 monthly estimated Jobs for 2005, but more on the order of 112,000 Jobs created as were last November.
American Consumers will have to switch from foreign goods to domestic goods eventually. The fall of the Dollar highlights this fact. Now is the time for Corporations to alter their production schedules to supply domestic goods for the American market. They should start investment for domestic production immediately, before they lose a substantial amount of their investment capital through Dollar devaluation. lgl
Power Generation can never seem to get it quite right. Economists and Public policy entered into 'restructuring' for transference issues, problems of over-generation capacity, and reducing Costs to Consumers resident in heavy Consumption states. A new Study studies the effect:
Rethinking Electricity Restructuring
by Peter Van Doren and Jerry Taylor
No. 530 November 30, 2004
Electric utility restructuring was initiated in
the 1990s to remedy the problem of relatively
high electricity costs in the Northeast and
California. While politicians hoped that reform
would allow low-cost electricity to flow to highcost
states and that competition would reduce
prices, economists wanted reform to eliminate
regulatory incentives to overbuild generating
capacity and spur the introduction of real-time
prices for electricity.
Unfortunately, high-cost states have seen little
price relief, and competition has had a negligible
impact on prices. Meanwhile, the California
crisis of 2000–2001 has led many states to adopt
policies that would once again encourage excess
capacity.
Most arresting, however, is the fact that restructuring
contributed to the severity of the 2000–2001
California electricity crisis and (some scholars also
argue) the August 2003 blackout in the Northeast,
without delivering many efficiency gains.
The poor track record of restructuring stems
from systemic problems inherent in the reforms
The Study comments that 'restructuring' should be abandoned, with a return to balkanized regional integration (the old system). This would appear highly unlikely, what with the necessary requirement of introducing a integrated National Power Grid, to prevent such as the August 2003 Blackout. The real value of the Work comes in their specific conclusions:
• focused on generation competition and
ignored the pricing and incentive issues
involved managing the transmission
system and its public commons characteristics;
• grafted a relatively free wholesale market
onto a still heavily regulated retail market;
• established artificial market institutions
that invited manipulation and abuse.
The end result has proven far from satisfactory.
The real telling Point resides in the middle issue; it is not practical to try utilization of a free Wholesale market on top of a regulated Retail market. Why? The highest regulatory Cost Retail supplier will always set the Wholesale market price. Consumers will always pay the Price which a free Wholesale market supplier perceives as their expected Percentage return on the highest Consumer Retail price. A strict Traditional Economist would suggest final Retail price does not set Wholesale prices, but honest Economists admit continuous Retail price increase will always generate higher Wholesale prices. lgl
We created 112,000 new Jobs, but new Unemployment claims rose to 349.000. The Unemployment rate slipped a point some time back, but nothing moves the 2.7+ standing Unemployment claims; we need 150-160,000 new Jobs per month to keep up with population growth, and the slip in the Unemployment rate simply meant an increase in the number employed, not a reduction in the numbers of Unemployed.
The rise in Manufacturing in October came only in the form of Short-term Perishables. Durable Goods and Intermediate Durables showed decline. We are still venting manufacturing production Overseas. This comes at a time when Consumer Demand is appearing to soften. The euro rose to $1.33something, and there must be an economic equation somewhere which establishes a model, where loss of manufacturing product times the increased American Debt divided by the percentage rise in the euro will give the inflationary pressure in the American economy in Dollar terms. It don't look good! lgl
The Falling Dollar--Understanding the Problem
The Author just crossed the Mexican border this morning, and paid $23.11 for a Product he had purchased from the same source a week before for $20.36. The customary Taco plate lunch with two margurittas cost $9.95, instead of the previous $9.45 ( stated to account for any fallacies found in his argument). This does not tell Anyone much.
Formible Economic argument suggests the Dollar must fall, in order to create Jobs. Brad Delong on his Blog today stated:
It is certainly true that foreign central banks and private investors have set
themselves up to lose amazingly large fortunes as the dollar decline that is
part of macroeconomic adjustment proceeds. The U.S., however, does have a large
stake in making sure that the dollar decline is gradually and orderly. The real
side counterpart of "financial adjustment" is that eight million American
workers have to move from working in construction and consumer services to
working in import-competing and export manufactures and services. If this takes
place over five years, few will notice--and those who notice will be pleased as
they will be pulled out of their current jobs into ones that are likely to be
high paying in industries that are already rapidly expanding.
The Author has difficulty with this standard Economic argument. Foreign central banks acquire Dollar stocks and Treasuries as easy means to get real Capital investment, while curtailing their own domestic inflation. Devaluation of the Dollar means inflation in an exterior Currency, without affecting their own domestic Price structures. Loss of Dollar value to them remains only devaluation of their real Capital accumulation, requiring lower Profit ratios combined with reduced Wage payments to their own Labor force. These same Governments will not allow American penetration of medium-Income domestic Households as such would disturb their own Balance of Payments, propel domestic Wage demands, and incite Unemployment. American luxury item and high-tech industries stand at effective full employment, and Dollar devaluation will not solve the current economic adversity--2.7 standing Unemployment claims over a year after entrance into a supposed Recovery.
Kash, at Angry Bear, proposes the actuality of employment compensation not keeping up with Price increases. He states that half the Income gain, adjusted for Inflation, was actually Profits of Business and Investments--sums which are not used for Consumption. His assertion states employment compensation is matching less than half the Price increases. Think of an actual equation at work: Inflation-Employment Compensation=Consumer Debt.
Brad Setser states: "It seems like American households are now saving about a penny of every dollar they earn, and recently even less. Foreigners exporting to the US, in contrast, save roughly 35 cents of every dollar they earn." His basic contention asserts that American labor must produce more, and buy less. He ignores the fact that foreign Consumers are restricted by Government intervention, while American Government and Business entice American Consumers to purchase Imports. The next intervention to save the Dollar should come from the American Government, and should come in the area of restricting Imports.
The only salvation for the Dollar comes from two sources: 1) American Government--Federal, State, and Local--must not spend more than they are willing to raise in taxes; and 2) We must start to penalize American Consumers for buying foreign goods. American labor must again supply American Consumers with their basic Goods basket. American Capital must fund American production for the American market. American labor's devotion to high salaries and benefits must come to an end, just as American Business must be driven away from the artifically high Profits of foreign manufacture to place their production on American soil. No other Solution will resolve the current economic accounts issues. lgl
The War on Drugs was started by Ronald Reagan, and the Andean Initiative--granting overall survelience to the Pentagon was introduced by George H.W. Bush. Many American Taxpayer Dollars have went since then to fund Latin American military forces to counteract the Drug Trade. How well has it done?
DRUGS AND DEMOCRACY IN LATIN AMERICA
The Impact of U.S. Policy
Coletta A. Youngers and Eileen Rosin, Editors
http://www.wola.org/publications/ddhr_exec_sum_brief.pdf
1) The United States’ insistence on zero tolerance for drug crops has led to massive forced eradication of coca and opium poppy crops, often the principal source of income for impoverished farmers. With few alternatives available, these families are ratcheted down into deeper poverty when their most important cash crop is destroyed.
2)The region’s militaries, which have not been held accountable for widespread human rights abuses and authoritarian dictatorships in the 1970s and 1980s, have been brought back into domestic law enforcement because the local police forces are either incapable or too corrupt to dealwith the threat from drug traf. cking and its associated violence.
3) The drug trade is more like a balloon than a battle. eld—when one part of a balloon is squeezed, its contents are displaced to another. Similarly, when coca production is suppressed in one area, it quickly pops up somewhere else, disregarding national borders. Arrested drug lords are quickly replaced by others who move up the ranks; dismantled cartels are replaced by smaller, leaner operations that are harder to detect and deter. When drug-traf. cking routes are disrupted by intensive interdiction campaigns, they are simply shifted elsewhere.
4) U.S. international drug control policy is designed to reduce or eliminate the supply
of illicit drugs in this country. In theory, their scarcity would then drive up prices and
consequently discourage demand. However, the price of cocaine and heroin are at or near
all-time lows in spite of intensive efforts to eradicate crops and interdict drug shipments.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department considers cocaine and heroin to be "readily available";
powder and crack cocaine use are apparently on the rise, and heroin use remains stable
after surging during the 1990s.2 Clearly, the supply-reduction model does not work.
In Latin America, the source of most of the cocaine and heroin on U.S. streets, the drug
war has not only failed to curb production and traf. cking, but has weakened democratic
institutions. It also disproportionately targets the rural poor, who have few economic
alternatives aside from growing illicit crops and who bene. t the least from the drug trade.
The Pentagon and U.S. military already have too much on their plate, and the Andean Initiative did not work out as planned. The Executive Summary only suggests greater complication with the effort in Latin America, what with the suggestion of non-coersed crop supplantation. This suggestion will fail as well. Drug traffickers will force the planting of Drug plants, they will also pay higher per hecture of Drug plants than can be supplied by market forces for other Crops.
This Author would apply a different enforcement measure:
1) He would decriminalize Drug use in the regular sense
2) Define Illegal Drugs as Illegal Trade Products
3) Charge Possessers of such Drugs the full market price for such Drugs, starting with anything up to a Kilo, then per Kilo thereafter; this would entail an original fine to the User of somewhere around $2000 per Kilo for Marijuana, $14,000 per Kilo of Cocaine, and $22,000 per Kilo of Herion.
4) Arresting American officers will be granted 25% of the Fines assessed, to ensure rapid and prompt law enforcement, and markedly reduce the incidence of Bribery. lgl
Consumer Spending was up briskly, if One does not consider the effects of inflationary pricing, what with the increase in energy pricing. The same could be said for increases in Income. Both adjusted for Inflation and prices likely gained 0.3% in October. This effectively means a non-gain in terms of Personal Savings. This is getting to be the problem.
Less Cash in Their PocketsTrends in Incomes, Wages, Taxes, and Health Spending of Middle-Income Families, 2000-03
by Lawrence Mishel, Michael Ettlinger, and Elise Gould
Although employment has grown since September 2003, it has not done so at a sufficient rate to diminish the substantial labor slack generated by the downturn in 2001 (Mishel et al. 2004). Consequently, pre-tax incomes fell for three years in a row, leaving the typical household with $1,535 less income in 2003 than in 2000, a drop of 3.4%.
Even with a drop in federal tax payments, married-couple families with children still saw a slight 0.2% decline in real after-tax income, while young singles and elderly couples each lost 1.4%.
health care costs are indeed squeezing families. Out-of-pocket expenditures have grown by 33% for families with employer-based health insurance (married couples with children, single mothers, and singles), and elderly couples relying on Medicare saw a 37% increase. Payments toward employer-provided insurance premiums grew by roughly 50%, while Medicare Part B premium contributions rose by 29%. Family health costs rose 43-45% for married couples with children, single mothers, and young singles. In contrast, family incomes for these groups rose far less—by less than 4%—before any adjustment for inflation. For married couples with children, for instance, health costs escalated $1,125, from $2,630 in 2000 to $3,755 in 2003, while their non-inflation-adjusted incomes only rose by $2,283
Generation BrokeThe Growth of Debt Among Young Americans
By Tamara Draut and Javier Silva
Among young adult households with incomes below $50,000 (2/3 of young households), nearly one in five with credit card debt is in debt hardship-- spending over 40 percent of their income servicing debt, including mortgages and student loans.
A clouded outlook
From The Economist Global Agenda
America never suffered a full-blown recession: its firms shed labour, but its households did not rebuild their savings.
The growth in Income seen comes mainly from new Employment and hefty Salary increases in the upper-Income brackets. The Consumer Spending, though, comes not from the new Hires, or the non-Consuming upper-Income brackets. Ordinary middle-Income Households maintain their necessary Consumer expenditure pattern by increasing their Consumer Debt. The picture worsens as Debt Service accounts an increasing share of Household Income. We remain in a poor health posture for the Economy. lgl
Tariffs have received poor acceptance among Econom...
Crisis Group Middle East Report N°34 22 December 2...
Lawrance George Lux
I have enjoyed (endured in some cases) many occupations in my work life: construction, plant work, farming, office work, and am currently disabled.
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YMCA of Metro North Announces Winners for the Y Champion Breakfast
by Journal Staff • May 3, 2019 • 0 Comments
The YMCA of Metro North has announced its awards winners for the “Y Champion Breakfast and Annual Meeting”. Scheduled for Thursday, May 23, the breakfast is a celebration of the work that the YMCA of Metro North does for the cities and towns in its service area.
“Each year, we recognize a community partner that has helped the Y advance our mission and focus on Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. This year the award winner is Warren Waugh and the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group team,” states Kathleen Walsh, President and CEO of the YMCA of Metro North. “Warren is the definition of a community champion and we are proud to honor him,” continues Walsh. Waugh noted, “I am very proud to receive the community partner award from the YMCA. One of our many goals at the Lyon-Waugh Auto Group was to achieve success and give back to the communities we live and work in. The YMCA played a valuable role in my upbringing. Giving back is the right thing to do.” Waugh learned to swim at the YMCA, ultimately resulting in a college scholarship to Babson.
The YMCA is also recognizing Kevin Colcord of Marblehead as the recipient of the “Leonard Service Volunteer Award.” This award is given to a Y volunteer who exemplifies the character of former Y board member and volunteer Ethel Leonard, including commitment to making the Y a more valuable asset to the community. Colcord provided leadership and guidance to two new Lynn YMCA program groups – the Music Studio and the Rooftop Garden Team. Under his tutelage, both groups have created a plan for extensive program implementation in the future for the Lynn Y. Mr. Colcord worked for years as a senior leader at General Electric and ultimately started his own consulting business, working with Fortune 500 companies across the globe.
The breakfast and annual meeting will take place at the Lynn Vocational Technical High School Culinary Arts program space and the students will provide breakfast for the guests. In addition to the awards to Waugh and Colcord, the YMCA will be distributing their “Y Champion” Scholarship checks. Every year the YMCA of Metro North supports six students in their quest to extend their education with college. Students who work for the YMCA or who are members of the Y and living in our service area are eligible to apply.
The YMCA of Metro North serves the communities of Lynn, Peabody, Melrose, Saugus, Stoneham, Lynnfield, Revere and Nahant. Each year over 60,000 individuals partake in YMCA programs focused on Youth Development, Healthy Living and Social Responsibility. For more information on the YMCA or the May 23 Y Champion Breakfast, please visit www.ymcametronorth.org.
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73.93 pc pass HSC, equivalent examinations; 47,286 students secure GPA 5 | Armed forces ready to help: Army Chief | DU students demand ending affiliation with 7 colleges | Anti-mosquito drive from July 25: LGRD Minister | HSC results acceptable, good: PM |
9 February, 2019 01:21:08 AM
Dhaka Art Week comes to an end today
DL desk, Dhaka
A four-day art exhibition titled ‘Dhaka Art Week 2019’ (DAW’19), will come to an end today at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in Segun Bagicha of the capital.
Art Hawk, a venture to connect art lovers all around in an effort to create a society where all things beautiful are truly appreciated, has organised the event for the first time.
Along with the artworks of prominent artists such as Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, M F Husain, Samarjit Roy Choudhury, Hashem Khan, SM Sultan, Mohammad Eunus, Rokeya Sultana, Farida Zaman, Malay Bala, Dulal Chandra, Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Kalidas Karmakar, and others, the exhibition also displays the art works of amateur and aspiring artists at DAW’19.
The exhibition showcases around 125 artworks of celebrated and promising artists of both Bangladesh and India.
The exhibition also includes installation artworks and performance artworks for the event.
Apart from the exhibition, DAW’19 also organised open mic night, a dedicated children’s corner, talks and discussions about art, and other engaging programs.
Yesterday, an Art for All, by All (Triple-A) programme took place where DAW’19 provided a space for everyone who wished to create art of any kind. These artworks were then put on display in a special section for the remainder of the exhibition.
Inaugurated on February 6 by Planning Minister M A Mannan, the exhibition remains open to all from 11am to 8pm (today).
Photo : jaki zaman
A four-day art exhibition titled Dhaka Art Week 2019 (DAW19), will come to an end today at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) in Segun Bagicha of the capital. Art Hawk, a venture to connect art lovers all around in an effort to create a society where all things beautiful are truly appreciated, has organised the event for the first time. Along with the artworks of prominent artists such as Shilpacharya Zainul Abedin, M F Husain, Samarjit Roy Choudhury, Hashem Khan, SM Sultan, Mohammad Eunus, Rokeya Sultana, Farida Zaman, Malay Bala, Dulal Chandra, Rafiqun Nabi, Monirul Islam, Kalidas Karmakar, and others, the exhibition also displays the art works of amateur and aspiring artists at DAW19. The exhibition showcases around 125 artworks of celebrated and promising artists of both Bangladesh and India. The exhibition also includes installation artworks and performance artworks for the event. Apart from the exhibition, DAW19 also organised open mic night, a dedicated childrens corner, talks and discussions about art, and other engaging programs. Yesterday, an Art for All, by All (Triple-A) programme took place where DAW19 provided a space for everyone who wished to create art of any kind. These artworks were then put on display in a special section for the remainder of the exhibition. Inaugurated on February 6 by Planning Minister M A Mannan, the exhibition remains open to all from 11am to 8pm (today). Photo : jaki zaman EA
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VoteFRAUD: gerrymandered majorities to pass power grabs for lame-duck GOP
spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ
☇☇Vocem sine nomine audivit!☇☇
User ID: 350320
Quote: On Tuesday, the state’s Board of Elections—made up of four Democrats, four Republicans, and one Independent—which tabulates and verifies every vote in the weeks after an election, shocked North Carolina’s political establishment by voting unanimously not to certify Harris’s win. “I’m very familiar with unfortunate activities that have been happening down in my part of the state,” Joshua Malcolm, the board’s vice-chairman and a Democratic resident of the Ninth District, said during the meeting. “I’m not going to turn a blind eye to what took place. To the best of my understanding, which has been ongoing for a number of years, that has been repeatedly referred to the United States Attorney and district attorneys to take action and clean it up.”
The board’s actions inspired J. Michael Bitzer, a professor of politics at Catawba College, near Charlotte, and a self-described “North Carolina politics data geek,” to reëxamine some of the voter returns. In Bladen and Robeson counties, Bitzer found that Harris won an unusually high share of mail-in absentee-ballot votes. Bladen was the only county where the Republican prevailed in the mail-in-absentee vote, winning sixty-one per cent of the votes from mail-in ballots—despite registered Republicans accounting for only nineteen per cent of the county’s returned absentee ballots. To achieve that margin, Harris would have needed to win not only all of the Republican ballots but almost every single mail-in vote from Independents, as well as a significant number of votes from crossover Democrats. Since posting his findings on his blog, Bitzer has been answering so many media calls that his voice has grown hoarse. “Now it feels more like an avalanche rather than the snowball effect,” he said. “It’s taken on a life of its own.”
It was not just the general election in which the numbers looked funny. Investigators are now looking into the Republican primary, in May, as well. Harris won with eight hundred and twenty-eight votes over the incumbent, Robert Pittenger, claiming ninety-six per cent of the absentee ballots in Bladen County—which was a far higher margin of victory than the rest of his totals in the county. Pittenger told Spectrum News on Thursday, “We were fully aware of [the accusations of fraud]. There are some pretty unsavory people, particularly out in Bladen County, and I didn’t have anything to do with them.”
In the general election, Bitzer also found that, compared to other counties in the Ninth District, a much higher rate of mail-in absentee ballots requested in Bladen and Robeson counties—about forty per cent and sixty-two per cent, respectively—were never turned in. In fact, those two counties had the highest rates of unreturned absentee ballots of any district in North Carolina. And an analysis of the voting data by the Raleigh News & Observer found that “the unreturned ballots are disproportionately associated with minority voters,” who tend to vote for Democrats over Republicans. In Robeson County, seventy-five per cent of the absentee ballots requested by African-Americans and sixty-nine per cent of those requested by American Indians were never received by the state. On Friday, Harris tweeted, “There is absolutely no public evidence that there are enough ballots in question to affect the outcome of this race.” But about sixteen hundred mail-in absentee ballots were requested in the two counties and not returned, in a race decided by fewer than a thousand votes. Nate Silver, a data journalist and the founder of FiveThirtyEight.com, tweeted in response, “There ARE enough ballots in question in NC-9 to potentially affect the outcome.”
“Was this just an anomaly of people requesting ballots and then deciding not to send them in?” Bitzer said. “Or is this evidence of a concerted effort to influence or impact the election?” Prior to the election, Bitzer told me, it would have been possible for someone interested in interfering with the election to determine through public records which voters had not yet returned requested absentee ballots. “So it would not be a stretch, if someone made a concerted effort to look at each day’s records, for that someone to find out where that particular voter lived, and then it would be easy enough to go and try to collect it themselves.” Such an action would not only be illegal because a ballot may be handled only by the voter who completes it but would also create the opportunity for electoral fraud. As Bitzer noted, “Let’s say, a voter handed over a ballot to a collector, and the voter had not secured it in a sealed envelope, and there was no vote in the congressional election. The collector could put a vote in. If there was a vote, but it was not for the right candidate, the collector could mark a vote for a second candidate and spoil the ballot.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk...h-district
(This post was last modified: 12-22-2018 01:43 AM by spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ.)
RE: FRAUD: NC Board of Elections refuse to certify the Mark Harris win
Disputed North Carolina Race May Hinge on a Shadowy Operative
L. McCrae Dowless Jr. was a peculiar politician when he stood before the North Carolina State Board of Elections: a runaway winner who had come to the capital to fan fears of fraud and to protest the outcome of a race in which he had been victorious.
“I’m not saying there’s any wrongdoing here,” Mr. Dowless, who had been elected a soil and water conservation district supervisor, told the Raleigh-based board in December 2016. “I just want it investigated because it was a high volume of write-ins.”
Just two years later, Mr. Dowless, a bit player in North Carolina’s incessant battles over voting rules and alleged fraud, is at the center of a spiraling battle over whether deceit and misconduct corrupted the campaign for Congress in the Ninth District.
State regulators have refused to certify the preliminary results, which showed the Republican nominee, Mark Harris, with a 905-vote edge over Dan McCready, his Democratic opponent. If state officials ultimately find that the balloting was tainted enough to “cast doubt” on the results, they would have the power to order a new election.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/us/po...fraud.html
1. Wow. There is a subplot to the election fraud scheme unfolding in North Carolina that is absolutely insane. This is DEEP in the weeds, but worth it. Let's go.
So Jeff Smith owns a "video sweepstakes" business in Bladen County, which is apparently a place you an go and win money for playing video games.
The head of the Bladen County GOP, Landon Bordeaux, goes to Smith and says that he's about to get raided by the current sheriff.
3. But Bordeaux says, there's an out. If Jim McVicker wins the 2014 election for sheriff, Smith will be in the clear.
Bordeaux asks Smith to give McCrae Dowless $4000 IN CASH to help McVicker win. So Smith does it.
And it works. McVicker wins by 350 votes!
4. But Smith gets stabbed in the back. McVicker raids his video-sweepstakes operation BACKED UP BY HELICOPTERS. Smith is pissed.
5. But apparently Smith does not blame McCrae Dowless, who, after all, did what he what he was supposed to do (If you overlook breaking N Carolina law)
Smith agrees to let McCrae Dowless use an empty office in a building Smith owns to run his absentee ballot operation for Harris
standby have to take a phone call
6. OK, I'm back. So anyway everything is going swimmingly between McCrae Dowless and Smith until Smith finds out that McCrae Dowless isn't just running his (probably illegal) absentee ballot operation for Harris -- he's also helping Smith's arch nemesis McVicker!
7. This is apparently when Smith and McCrae Dowless become "former friends." So when the current controversy erupts, Smith is more than happy to dime out McCrae Dowless to the Washington Post.
Shows them the desk where Dowless sat and recieved the absentee ballots from his crew
8. Smith basically describes a whole bunch of illegal conduct by McCrae Dowless in fairly devastating fashion
Well, someone (I don't know who, but maybe McCrae Dowless) wasn't happy about that
Today, an even more devastating story emerged on Smith
9. The story on Smith involves a meeting that occurred during the 2018 primary. Smith was supporting Billy Ward in the GOP Primary to oust McVicker.
At this point, he's not working WITH McCrae Dowless, he's on his own now
At some point he attended a meeting & left behind NOTES
10. So today, one day after Smith dimed out McCrae Dowless to the Washington Post, these notes, written by Smith, make their way into the hands of a North Carolina reporter
And they show Smith cooking up a scheme to pay CASH for UNSEALED ABSENTEE BALLOTS
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/10701...65312.html
LoP Guest
Maybe the Russians did it!
No need for Russia to be involved, apparently, we are no longer capable of free and fair elections in the US.
Inside The North Carolina Republican Vote Machine: Cash, Pills — And Ballots
BLADENBORO, North Carolina — The allegations that Republicans tampered with absentee ballots in a close North Carolina election represent the most serious federal election tampering case in years, one that allegedly stole votes from elderly black voters in the state’s rural south.
Now two women intimately involved with the McCrae Dowless’s absentee ballot machine have revealed to BuzzFeed News its grim and chaotic workings, in which Dowless tracked votes on yellow paper and paid his workers, including family members, from stacks of cash, which some used to keep themselves high on opioids while they worked.
The accounts of the women, Jessica Karen Dowless and Lisa Britt, add significant new details to those that have come out from investigators and other news reports, as the state election board considers whether it should order a new election between Republican Mark Harris and Democrat Dan McCready. The women, both related to McCrae Dowless, paint a picture of American political chicanery at its lowest levels — though with sweeping consequences both for voters allegedly denied the franchise, and for the outcome of a pivotal national election, which Republican Mark Harris won by 905 votes.
Jessica Dowless described the scene in the small office at the intersection of two highways in Bethel, North Carolina, where she worked on Harris’s behalf for the last two months as chaotic. One worker, she said, “was so f*cking high the other day she passed out at the f*cking computer.” One of the workers who collected absentee ballots from residents was a “pill head,” she said.
Jessica Dowless, whose husband is distantly related to McCrae Dowless, described herself as a “housewife [who] needed a part time job” said she was one of about six employees. She often worked six days a week tallying the number of Democrats and Republicans who had recently voted. However, she explained, there were times when she did not quite understand what she was doing or what the grand purpose was.
She did, though, say that campaign workers delivered sealed absentee ballots from the homes of people who requested them to McCrae Dowless’s office — though North Carolina law forbids third parties from handling those ballots.
She said she spent her time tracking the number of ballots sent in to the county board of elections — and then tally up the number that were collected by employees of McCrae Dowless, who The Washington Post reported would keep the Harris campaign updated on the latest figures.
Jessica Dowless said she would also note voters’ race and party affiliation.
“My job was at the office and I read emails and counted how many Republicans and Democrats and non-affiliated people voted everyday...I added up how many voted that day and wrote it on a piece of paper and then they read it and then I don’t know what it did with it. McCrae was the only one who saw it,” she said. “I would go down each page and count how many black Republicans, white Republicans and I did the opposite, black unaffiliated, black Democrats, and add them up and then calculate the percentage of how many people voted that way each day.”
McCrae, she said, bought a woman who worked in the office “a car a week later after she started.” Another employee got a van that she used on the job, she said.
"Mark Harris was writing him checks left and right,” Jessica Dowless said, referring to McCrae, although she said she never saw the checks. McCrae, she said, “paid me a certain amount in cash and then the Board of Elections paid me the rest.”
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/bri...ot-machine
If they look into this they also need to look into similar fraud in several CA races.
funny how the left went from
There is no voter fraud
Voter fraud! Its everywhere!
In no time at all.
The TDS rages on.
LoP Guest Wrote: (12-05-2018 05:16 PM)
“Voter fraud” has never been a deciding factor in any election in the US. The .00001% of cases that arise while certainly not excusable, are not statistically relevant.
“ELECTION Fraud” is a well documented phenomenon and the sole way the GOP can still get elected.
Excellent sleight of hand.
Shill suckfest...
oh ..nm
"We were only down 26 seats the night of the election and three weeks later, we lost basically every California race,’’
‘What they call strange and bizarre, we call democracy,’ says the Democrat who oversees the state’s elections.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/11/2...ns-1031072
Mark Harris (born April 24, 1966) is an American politician and "Pastor"!
NOTE: Politician & Pastor all at the SAME TIME!
PROOF Government Is Religion With all the Names Changed!
r from the state of North Carolina. A Republican, he competed for North Carolina's
9th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in 2018.
As of November 30, 2018, the outcome of the election has not been certified, as
state election officials continue to investigate alleged fraud. A meeting of the
election board in order to further discuss the allegations is scheduled to occur
before December 21st.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Har...olitician)
spɹɐʍoɔ snoɯʎuouɐ Wrote: (12-05-2018 05:51 PM)
link? oh ..nm
link to image: https://i.imgur.com/7beQQGt.jpg
Florida & California HAVE Counties RULED By Liberals that are
GUILTY of All This SAME SCHITT!
A RECOUNT in FLORIDA that Took WEEKS to Complete and Balat Boxes
were FLOATing Around EveryWhere in Rentals Cars and Storage Units!
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Like a Bigfoot Podcast #87: Adam Casey 3 — Battling Cancer, Mongol Derby Horse Race, 1,000km Across Asia
March 30, 2018 / admin / 0 Comments
This week we are welcoming Adam Casey back on the show. If you have yet to listen to the first two episodes with Adam, I highly suggests going back and checking those out. He’s a fascinating dude, a great story teller, and has been incredibly open about his life experiences.
Adam continues from where his story left off- discovering that he had a brutal form of cancer- stage four lymphoma and progressing from the diagnosis, to the treatment, to the aftermath, and eventually to this insane horse race he decided to take on through the wilderness of Mongolia.
The Mongol Derby…the longest and most difficult horse race in the entire world. 1,000km through the wild Mongolian Steppe retracing the Horse Messenger System put into place by Ghengis Khan. Look up the event. Riding semi-wild horses across an untamed wilderness for miles and miles and miles.
Forgot to mention that when he signed up, Adam didn’t know anything about riding horses. That’s the kind of person he is. The never back down from a challenge, step up to the plate kind of dude.
Stoic, Driven, Self Reflective. Just an incredible human being.
As per usual, Adam and I recorded this episode after a beautiful 10 mile trail run around Eldorado Canyon State Park and I’m extremely grateful for being able to listen to and share his story. Hope you guys are as inspired as I am after listening to him.
MORE FROM ADAM:
His nonprofit: http://www.idoitforher.com
Mongol Summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl0oiEGvtLM
Mongolian Derby: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7nePo_stVo
Like a Bigfoot #30: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/30-adam-casey
Like a Bigfoot #43: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/43-adam-casey-2
Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-DgUllMxYc
Like a Bigfoot #86: Richard Kresser — Arrowhead 135, Running 400 Miles of RAGBRAI, Mountaineering the RASH
https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/86-richard-kresser
This week we are chatting with adventure athlete Richard Kessler.
You will be absolutely blown away with what he has accomplished: first place at the Bigfoot 200, 2nd place at Arrowhead 135, finished the Moab 240 (yes…two hundred and forty freaking miles), second in the triple crown of 200s, along with a handful of other ultra marathons.
The episode starts with me being very perplexed by the Arrowhead 135, an ultramarathon that takes competitors 135 miles through the frozen northern Minnesotan woods in the middle of January….with only 3 aid stations!
In this episode we also discuss a few events of his own twisted creation.
The first being RAGBRAI, which is normally a bike ride (party) across his home state of Iowa. Richard chose to RUN it. That’s 400 plus miles across Iowa during the hottest week of the year. How did he survive this insanely brutal event? What kind of mindset does it take to keep pushing through when there’s absolutely no penalty for quitting?
His second big project was the RASH. Climbing and then circumnavigating the four big volcanoes in the Pacific Northwest- Rainier, Adams, St Helens, and Hood. Richard shares how and why he planned this and how he handled the good times and bad times along the way.
Richard and one of my best friends Calvin (you’ve heard him on the show before…and if you haven’t..how dare you!)have created and begun training for a big project this summer so we’ll have them both back on the show in the future to chat about that!
Also, heads up that there are a few poor audio moments in this episode. Richard, being a badass Mountain athlete, was driving back from weekend adventures and Skype failed a few times. Only happened a few times, but wanted to give you a heads up!
You guys rock! We’ll be back at you next week!
MORE FROM RICHARD:
His Adventure Blog: http://www.runningfarther.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mkresser/?hl=en
Twitter: https://twitter.com/runningfartherr?lang=en
Like a Bigfoot Podcast #85: Brendan Leonard & Jayson Sime — “How to Run 100 Miles”
(Cover Photo by Josh Perez)
This week I was lucky enough to have Brendan Leonard and Jayson Sime come over and chat with me about their excellent film “How to Run 100 Miles”. We recorded this “live” in studio….aka outside on the porch in my back yard (It was a 60 degree day and this is an outdoor podcast…so I thought “what the heck?”)
If you have not seen the film, do yourself a favor and check it out immediately. It is the inspiring, touching, and often hilarious story of these two friends and their quest to train for and run their first 100 mile ultramarathon through the rugged mountains of Northern Colorado.
Their 100 mile experience connected on so many levels, but to me the film is an ode to true friendship and, more specifically, to the people in our lives who always say “why not?”. My absolute favorite type of people who push us and challenge us to do more and be more than anything we ever thought possible.
These two are shining examples. They come up with crazy ideas, train their butts off, support each other through and through and then get it done.
For ultrarunners the film connects on the ideas of pushing through discomfort, dealing with pain and suffering, and how to handle….errrr…stomach issues in the woods.
I’m very excited to share this conversation! Both Brendan and Jayson are fascinating people in their own rights, but you get them together and they completely shine. Cracking jokes, sharing stories, challenging each other, sharing the emotional moments, and everything else that comes from wonderful lifelong friendships.
Brendan Leonard is an adventure, travel, and human experience writer who’s work has appeared in Backpacker, National Geographic, Outside, Men’s Journal, and other publications. He has also written a few books “Sixty Meters to Anywhere” and “The Great Outdoors: a User’s Guide”. He’s a climber, mountaineer and all around adventure athlete who blogs about outdoor adventures for the “Everyman and Everywoman” at www.semi-rad.com.
Jayson Sime is a public speaker, life coach and Bikram Yoga Instructor who’s mission is to spread the message that everyone has the potential to become their best selves. He has started “Right to Shine” as a way to spread positivity and goodness to everyone around him. Please check out his website at www.righttoshine.com
MORE FROM BRENDAN LEONARD:
Semi-Rad Website: https://semi-rad.com/about/
Books: https://semi-rad.com/books/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semi_rad/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SemiRadMedia/
MORE FROM JAYSON SIME:
Right to Shine Website: http://righttoshine.com
“Self-Care Hacks” Book: http://righttoshine.com/book/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/righttoshine/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Righttoshinetoday/
Like a Bigfoot Podcast #84: Mitch Matthews — “Dream. Think. Do.” and Backpacking Adventures
This week I’m incredibly excited to chat with author, speaker, family man, and incredibly nice guy Mitch Matthews!
Almost two years ago I listened to my buddy Calvin Johannsen on Mitch’s podcast “Dream. Think. Do.” talking about his 14ers project. I checked out a few more episodes of the show and completely connected with Mitch’s advice about going after big, intimidating goals and his dream to “Inspire 1,000,000 Dreams.”
I thought to myself “what have I always wanted to do but just can’t seem to pull the trigger on??”
The answer was clear as day – a podcast.
I had actually started one a few years earlier, released two episodes, and promptly gave up once I felt a bit outside my comfort zone.
Using the encouragement and enthusiasm I was hearing through “Dream. Think. Do.” I finally made the commitment and promptly started this show. I’m serious….within three episodes of Mitch’s podcast I was all “LET’S DO THIS!”
His enthusiasm is contagious and he is THAT motivational!
In this episode we chat all about Mitch’s philosophies around dreams. Why it’s important to give yourself time to dream your big audacious dreams, why you should step outside your comfort zone, how to get past seeing your goals as “unattainable” or “unrealistic” and why “Dream. Think. Do”ing is a simple concept and yet so hard for most people to actually implement.
This being an outdoor adventure podcast, we also discuss Mitch’s yearly backpacking trips with his teenage sons. How adventures have shaped them into resilient young men, the lessons and experiences they’ve shared as a family, and how he scaffolded them as kids to take on the bigger and badder trips.
MORE FROM MITCH MATTHEWS:
Website: http://mitchmatthews.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mitch.matthews.104
Subscribe to the Dream. Think. Do. Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/dream-think-do-helping-you-achieve-bigger-goals/id958773768?mt=2
Big Dream Gathering: http://www.bigdreamgathering.com
Like a Bigfoot Podcast #83: Travis Steffen 3 — Mindset, Importance of Introspection, Failing Produces Success
Today the always fascinating Travis Steffen is back to the podcast.
If you haven’t listened to the previous episodes, Travis is one of my absolute best friends in the whole world. He’s also one of the wisest, strangest, most successful and genuine people I know.
I never know what to expect when we do a podcast. This week as I sat at my kitchen table, watching him put his hair up in a ‘Manbun’ I thought… “What direction is he gonna take this one?” The conversation is extremely introspective, at times both heartbreaking and hilarious, and inspirational. There’s always lessons to be taken away from listening to Travis.
Today is all about mindset, self reflection and failing in order to succeed.
Travis shares the importance of being completely transparent and genuine, why we need to take time to self reflect, how a strength in one area of life could be a weakness in another, and how epic failures have helped him let go of fear and driven him towards success.
Please go back and check out Travis’s previous episodes if you have missed them! He will always make you think while inspiring and entertaining you.
MORE FROM TRAVIS:
The time he powered through 50 miles: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/32-monument-valley-ultras-race-report-2
50 minutes on his morning routine and the story of his first marathon: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/29-travis-steffen-2
His first ultra marathon and the concept of Extreme Ownership: https://soundcloud.com/chris-ward-126531464/like-a-bigfoot-10-travis-steffen
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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Brahms Quartet No. 3 in C minor
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Schumann Quartet in E-flat major
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Beethoven "Archduke" Trio in B-flat Major
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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Dvořák's Quartet in E-flat major, Op. 87
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Bartok Quartet No. 4 for Strings
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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Mozart Piano Quartet in E-flat major, K. 493
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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Brahms Piano Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Mozart's Quintet in G minor, K. 516
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Fauré Quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Haydn Quartet in D minor, Op. 76, No. 2, "Fifths"
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Haydn Quartet in D major for Strings, Op. 76, No. 5
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Strauss Violin Sonata in E-flat major, Op. 18
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Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Faure's Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor
Inside Chamber Music with Bruce Adolphe: Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano
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Today, I walked in Auschwitz – Auschwitz I and Auschwitz II Birkenau., Today I walked before the walls of Elysium, the final resting place of the heroic and virtuous. Today, I paid my respects to people, not numbers. Three of whom spoke to me – Anne Kraus, Hana Weisenkind and Berta Eppinghausen. They spoke to me not because they are different from any of the other victims of this Megiddo of industrial murder, but because their empty, pathetic suitcases spoke for them; their emptiness beyond words.
This Auschwitz is a place in which evil hides in peace and in which evil is and must be defined. I walked in silence, in utter humility, in anger, in repentance, and in shame. I walked in the footsteps of honoured ghosts; honouring with each free step I took, each condemned step I followed on the short but long road of death. 1.1 million Annes, Hanas and Bertas were murdered in this place. In Auschwitz each and every victim of the Holocaust - the Shoah - was before me, too numerous for me to comprehend, only feel, only sense. Less than a single lifespan ago ordinary Europeans were torn from the fabric of community and butchered in this place, this Auschwitz.
As I walked I thought of my Jewish friends, Scott and Neil and a host of others, spared the ovens by the serendipity of timing, but still burning with the heat of fires lit and fed by endemic evil, hysterical hate and criminal deed. In Block 11, the ‘Death Block’, my head became bowed, my heart heavy and I did not know if I would vomit or cry. Today, I was in sheol, a grave with no bodies, only soulful, sad, material remains of people still denied the dignity of identity. I came to honour them and I leave more troubled than this seasoned man of history could possibly have imagined. Oxford letters here count for nothing. In this place a people almost died here; a people triumphed here. Nothing has ever defined a present as eloquently as this recently suffered past.
I was troubled for the past, but also for the present and the future. I watched Prime Minister Binjamin Netanyahu in Washington and like many Europeans felt that tinge of regret, guilt, frustration that makes me both ambivalent to Israeli policy towards the Palestinians and conscious of an historic duty to support Israel whatever. Indeed, coming here, to this place at this time, my utter commitment to Israel’s right to exist was re-cast, re-forged. No-one today can expect Israel to take risks none of us would take, this place put paid to that. Whatever presidents may say a return to Israel’s 1967 borders is not going to happen until Israel’s security is assured. Here in Poland President Obama yesterday told an old Jewish woman that the US would never abandon Israel. Come to this place.
As I walked I also thought of my Arab friends, of Lena and my recent dinner with Lakhtar Brahimi, one of my heroes. And even in the heart of evil I am sure Israel’s security will never be assured when so many Palestinians seethe with their own sense of injustice. As I walked I was clear-headed enough to know that the past must in time be denied the hunger it has to consume the future. Without a two-state solution that guarantees the security and well-being of Israeli and Palestinian alike there can be no peace in the Middle East, nor I doubt in Europe and beyond.
The respective political currencies of both America and Europe are fatally devalued by the belief of both Israelis and Palestinians that such currency is arbitrary and prejudiced. This place casts a shadow over all. America rightly claims special rights because it was and is the great protector of the Jewish people and Jewish state because of this place. And yet well-intentioned, patient America is perceived by millions of Arabs to be Israel’s advocate. The foundations of the fallen twin towers were first undermined not on the American side of the Atlantic, but on this side. Europe? Auschwitz – this giant maggot of history eats into all of us and taints us by association. The past may indeed be another country, but not here, not in this place. For Israelis we Europeans always favour the ‘other side’, even when we do not.
I walked along the road of death, alongside the final platform where those about to die were separated from those soon to die. From afar I witnessed the hollowed carcass of the peace process descend the long spiral staircase of hopelessness and fear that now spans its own lifetime and which stops this place from ever being in the past..
There are no certainties in this place – then or now. But, looking beyond the killing wire I saw an Israel no more able to escape this place, than the space that pretends to be Palestine. That is the nature of this place.
The new Egypt’s decision to open its border with Gaza heralds a new cycle of change in the Middle East. And yet finally that change need not be defined by this place. A glimmer of an opportunity can be fleetingly glimpsed fluttering in and out of grasp if we all have the vision to grasp it. The Arab Spring is driven not by Islamic medievalists, but by an aspiration for a freedom and liberty only Israelis enjoy in the Middle East. After much European encouragement Fatah and Hamas are beginning the long road to a unity that might in time bring sense to the leaders of Hamas. And, in so doing deny Iran its dangerous mischief. Can this place also be denied?
Beyond the killing wire I could also see a Europe finally ready to join with America to ease Israel’s legitimate fears for its security and offer hope to Palestinians that their statehood is more than a diplomat’s promise. A Europe that stops talking too much of a future defined by this past and which is finally able to live beyond this place and its shadow of death. There in the distance I could see a Europe that took the evil that drapes this place from its own shoulders and seized the chance to redeem itself from the ashes upon which this place stands.
From the depths of the depravity that reeks from every corner and crevice vision is still offered to us by Anne, Hanna and Berta. It is of an America and Europe standing together with Israelis and Palestinians. Genuine, responsible and supportive partners in search of a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, both of whom suffered at the hands of Europe.
A price must be paid. That is the nature of this place. For the spell cast by this place to be begun to be broken real political risk must be taken. For this place vision alone is not enough for it existed and exists to destroy hope. Walking here today I was and am convinced that only if we Europeans actively become a real part of a meaningful peace (there can be no final solutions here) can we atone for this place. Simply throwing large amounts of money can never ease the pain of this place.
Therefore, seventy years on from the commencement of industrial murder a new commitment must emerge from this place to a peace agreement, interim, final or whatever. And, if needs be, the commitment to send a European force, under UN mandate, to assure the confidence such a bold step will demand. Such a force would need to be there at the behest of Israelis and Palestinians, and act on their behalf.
Only such a brave step would honour Anne, Hana and Berta. And, begin to ease the suffering, fear and anger of Arab and Jew alike, which is so easily exploited by the new men of hate who perpetrate the hopelessness of this place. Our resolve will be tested as will the force, and doubtless losses will be taken. And, of course deep fissures will remain – such as the future of settlers and the status of East Jerusalem.
But, there can be no more running away; we would simply be running straight back...to this place.
“For ever let there be a cry of despair and a warning to humanity”, read the stone. Today, I walked in Auschwitz; and Auschwitz spoke to me.
The Balkans 2011: A Road Not Travelled?
“Somewhere ages and ages hence: two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less travelled by and that has made all the difference”. So wrote American poet Robert Frost a century ago. He could have been speaking of my Balkan experience. Has a corner been turned?
Ratko Mladic has been arrested. Or, to put it more accurately the Serbian authorities have decided to detain the 'General' at a politically apposite moment having known his whereabouts for many years. Nothing is ever what it seems in the Balkans, and neither is this. That said, President Boris Tadic is to be commended for facing down Serbia’s powerful nationalists for whom Mladic and all his genocidal doings still resonate with the clarion call of dark heroism. Ultimately, little Greater Serbia has lost out to Big Serbia and its bid to join the EU. A clearer example of the benefits of Union there is none – for all its many Byzantine failings.
Will the arrest of Mladic finally mark the true end of the Wars of the Yugoslav Succession? Probably not, but the Mladic detention does at least provide an opportunity to move just a step further on a long road to true peace. It also provides a moment of reflection for all engaged in a war that tragically defined a post Cold War decade that should have been joyous.
Recently I was driven by a young Bosnian-Serb diplomat from Sarajevo Airport to Pale, the political heart of Serb Bosnia where Karadzic and Mladic held court. To be precise (something of a rarity in the Balkans) he was a Bosnia-Herzegovian diplomat of Serb extraction, which goes to the very heart of a continuing problem. I am not going to reveal what he said because he was genuine in his desire to see all communities come together and impressive in his grasp of past and present and I have no wish to get him into trouble. He is very much a man of and for the future of a truly European Balkans.
Nor was it the first time I have travelled that road. I go to Sarajevo two or three times a year and have done for many years. Often, I go the other way to Camp Butmir home of the EU force guaranteeing peace. You do not see much of them, but in conversations with Bosnians of Bosniak, Croat and/or Serb extraction the message is always the same; their presence is vital. Tensions remain very close to the surface of a fractured society held together as much by EU aid and American commitment as political reconciliation. Everyone is a victim in the Balkans; noone ever an aggressor.
Nevertheless, progress has been made. When I first started to lecture to Bosnian officers they wore the uniforms of their violent, sectarian past and proudly so. I was present the day a common uniform was issued. It was the source of much hilarity and triggered jibes similar, albeit more pointed, than one might hear between English and the Scots. Sectarianism is not a local phenomenon.
The television picture last night recalled that dark past in which two hundred thousand died. These are images that cannot be dissolved by antiseptic edict. The pictures showed a T-74 Serb tank pounding the centre of Sarajevo. It was the road I had just travelled.
Each year the bullet strikes on buildings lessen and the shell holes I recall have now gone, but not the scars. What strikes any visitor to Sarajevo is the beauty, the intimacy and the tragedy of the place. So tight is the valley, so dominant Mount Igman, that there can be no hiding place in Sarajevo – physically or politically. The city has sat at the tectonic epicentre of European politics since the days of the Ottoman Empire. There was certainly no hiding place from my road, below which Sarajevo cowered in injured remembrance. As we drove on the road turned north and east and began to climb away from Sarajevo through yet another soaring mountain valley.. After fifteen kilometres we passed a sign – Welcome to Republika Srpska. It was 2010.
History, of course, laughs at us with subtle irony. It is circular because we make it so. If Mladic is well enough (a big ‘if’) he will be transferred to The Hague to stand trial. Mladic established his enduring infamy in 1995 for the massacre of eight thousand Bosnian Muslims, at the tragically ill-named UN ‘Safe Haven’ of Srebrenica. The most exposed of several such havens the place was defended by the lightly-armed Dutch troops of Dutchbat.
Mladic humiliated them and for many years Srebrenica has been synonymous with the failure of the Dutch Army to protect civilians under their care. In fact, the Dutch were hung out to dry by an international community that had done everything it could to avoid confronting the tragic reality of a brutal war amongst the people. The UN was utterly divided both politically and morally about how and if to use force, the European Union, having declared this to be the ‘hour of Europe’, failed cataclysmically and the United States at the time was ‘not cleaning windows’, as one rather myopic American put it. Dutchbat had no chance and honourable men were made to pay for the utter failure of political masters and UN apparatchiks across the West and beyond.
Paralysed by a dispute over the precise meaning of a UN Security Council resolution and to what extent under international ‘law’ civilian populations could be protected by force, the politicians buck-passed and the diplomats fiddled as the hills around Srebrenica became charnel.
“And both that morning equally lay; in leaves no step had trodden black; Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way leads on to way; I doubted if I should ever come back”.
I have travelled that road and it now leads towards Libya.
Thank You and Goodnight, Mr President
President Obama has done Britain and Europe a huge favour. By recasting the ‘special’ relationship as an essential relationship the President has released London from the shackles of an increasingly hollow ‘specialness’. London must now seize this moment to re-balance Britain’s foreign and security policy so that British influence can be re-established where it matters for America – in Europe and with key members of a resurgent Commonwealth. President Obama is inviting Britain to become a better ally and Britain must meet that challenge. The ‘special’ relationship has now come full circle and the President has placed it graciously in the oak cask of history where it belongs.
Britain’s relationship with America is essential and will endure. There is and will remain a special place for the British in the American mind. However, that place must not become a museum. The special relationship began formally seventy years ago with the August 1941 signing of the Atlantic Charter. However, the political roots for the relationship were established not by power-brokers and statesmen, but by an American journalist – Ed Murrow.
On 22 September, 1940 Murrow began his ‘London rooftops’ broadcasts to the American people, enduring the worst of the Blitz to tell a pacifist American people of Britain’s defiance of Nazi Germany. Gradually the broadcasts generated a groundswell of popular and political support for Britain’s struggle. That in turn created the political space in Washington for President Roosevelt to prepare America for the coming struggle between might and right.
The special relationship was always a leadsership relationship. As such it blossomed from the vital anti-Nazi alliance into critical transatlantic solidarity between democratic North American and democratic Europe in the struggle against Soviet communism. From the very beginning the special relationship was unique; a political relationship underpinned by genuine affection that in spite of the many nay-sayers continues to this day.
However, that was then and this is now. In 1940 Britain was still a global power, with the world’s most powerful navy and probably the most advanced air force (certainly air defence). A quarter of the world’s population was headed by the King Emperor, George VI. In other words the ‘special’ relationship was essentially between political equals – even if one was coming and the other going. Today, the contrast in fortunes could not be greater.
The twenty-first century will still be the American century for all the contortions of the pessimists, including an increasingly wrong Henry Kissinger (it is never good to see one’s heroes fall to Earth). Americans and Britons routinely exaggerate the strengths of others and the weakness of self. Britain will still be an essential partner of the United States, but simply lacks the clout to be THE exclusive special partner of the United States. American grand strategy (the organisation of immense means in pursuit of global ends) cannot afford to maintain such an illusion any longer. Today, America remains the challenged but indispensable power, whilst Britain is much diminished, albeit far less diminished than is currently fashionable in fashionable London. Britain stands alongside France as a great power. Britain is neither an Italy, nor indeed a Germany, and hopefully never will be a Belgium.
Ultimately, for the all the genuineness of the relationship between two countries that have done more to shape a positive world than any two others in history, relative power and influence are at the core of the link - both economic and military. Power that is underpinned by an idea – the new West. That was the essence of Ed Murrow’s broadcasts from London. Britain was not just another old European power fighting for power, but family standing for values. As George VI said in his famous King’s Speech, on the outbreak of war on 3 September, 1939, “We have been forced into a conflict, for we are called, with our allies, to meet the challenge of a principle which, if it were to prevail, would be fatal to any civilized order in the world”. The same could be said of the struggle against the new extremism during which America and Britain have again stood shoulder to shoulder and paid a heavy price in blood and geld.
New, more systemic challenges to the West will come – both North America and Europe. And, America needs a new ‘special’ partner and for all its failings that partner must in time be Europe as a whole. Britain has therefore a critical role to play with France in preparing Europe for the new Special Relationship relevant to the twenty-first century, rather than a relic of the twentieth. After all, that is what America and Britain fought for.
To such an end Britain must first start to live up to its potential in the world and put aside the obsession with decline which is doing so much to reduce essential British influence in those parts America cannot reach. Second, Britain must forge a new partnership with France to properly renovate the European pillar of a new transatlantic relationship. Third, the relationship must be properly cast in a global context. Whilst the two pillars will look outwards rather than inwards all-important solidarity must be seen to be preserved. The US will be necessarily focussed on Asia-Pacific whilst Europe must get its act together in North Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Britain’s Europeaness must therefore become an asset not a liability. Fourth, the enduring military to military special relationship must set an agenda to properly prepare NATO for the twenty-first century. Fifth, Britain and France must use their collective influence to forge a direct EU-US special relationship that can reinforce the security of the respective homelands (as opposed to purely defence-related matters), particularly as it relates to counter-terrorism and counter-crime.
Above all, Britain must re-discover the global ambition to foster the Commonwealth into a new security partnership. The West is an idea rather than a place and such groupings are firmly anchored in the idea for which America and Britain fought . It is an idea that is as compelling and attractive today as it was in the dark days of disaster in 1940 and 1941. The Empire may have indeed become a Commonwealth and Britain but one equal member of it, but as a vehicle for stabilising influence the Commonwealth can play a vital role. Several of the emergent states are committed members.
Murrow once said; “A reporter is always concerned with tomorrow. There's nothing tangible of yesterday. All I can say I've done is agitate the air ten or fifteen minutes and then boom - it's gone”. Characteristically modest as ever, Murrow may well have been talking of contemporary British politics and politicians. That must end. It is time therefore for Britain to look to the future of an Essential Relationship, America certainly is.
Thank you and goodnight, Mr President.
Strategy and Technology: A Fading Lesson from European History
Dawn. 24 May, 2011. North Sea. Seventy years ago to the hour a fifteen inch (38cm) shell from the German fast battleship KM Bismarck entered above the aft main magazine of the British battlecruiser HMS Hood – the ‘mighty Hood’. The ensuing explosion had the force of a small atomic weapon and the Hood broke into three parts, whilst 300 feet (100 metres) of the hull simply disintegrated. Within a minute 1418 men were gone as the Hood sank into the icy wastes of the Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland. 3 survived.
Three days later at 0800 hours the Hood’s assailant capsized and sank taking with her 1995 of her 2200 strong crew. Hunted down by the Royal Navy, crippled by British carrier-based air power and then despatched by two battleships, HMS King George V and HMS Rodney, the pride of the Kriegsmarine had not even lasted one operation. Within three days some 3400 Europeans had been killed.
Sitting here in the embrace of a cold dawn on a North Sea ferry I am reminded of the sacrifice of both crews. What a way to go. I am also reminded of the lessons that we Europeans must today draw on this tragic anniversary and which I fear we are not.
The Hood was an un-modernised British battlecruiser of 1919 vintage that was no match for the Bismarck. Her destruction was sorry testament to what happens when technology is over-reached by strategy. The Bismarck was an ultra-modern 1941 battleship. She combined speed, armour and firepower. However, her fate was sealed because technology alone cannot atone for bad strategy.
We Europeans should heed the lessons from our military history. After all, we have had enough practice.
Strategy without technology is risk; technology without strategy is waste.
Lest we forget.
The European Onion and European Defence: An Outside Toilet with a Bay Window?
Deepest, darkest Yorkshire – The Awakening. When I was a lad my grandmother’s house in Sheffield had an outside toilet. This was not uncommon in the grittier parts of the Yorkshire industrial belt. There was a phrase used at the time to describe someone or something that had ideas above their station. “It is like putting bay (fancy) windows on an outside toilet”, the phrase went, although the Yorkshire vernacular was somewhat more direct and smellier.
I have just come back from the pub where I had a chat with two blokes. In Yorkshire such a gathering in such a place constitutes a scientific sample at a centre of knowledge excellence. After a pint or two the subject of European defence came up. Well, I brought it up. At first, one of my interlocutors thought I was talking about the forthcoming Champions League final at Wembley. In particular, Manchester United’s chances against the robustly rampant Barcelona. However, we soon got down to ‘brass military tacks’ (the basics) as they say in these here parts.
The reason I broached a seemingly dangerous subject here in my native Yorkshire was that last week I saw my old friend Colin Cameron in Paris. Colin is the Clerk to the Western European Union Assembly, which is about to be no more ending some sixty-three years of parliamentary oversight of European defence. Much maligned and often unfairly so this collection of senior national politicians provided both experience and insight and with the demise of the Assembly critical parliamentary oversight of Europe’s failing defence effort has been weakened.
Several ‘truths’ were then uttered. First, that there exists a startling gap between the European elite and ordinary Europeans. Second, that the extent to which the Brussels elite dismisses the views and common sense of ordinary Europeans is dangerous. Third, equally dangerous delusions of unaccountable grandeur are harboured by the unelected Euro-Aristocracy or Eurocrats. The main message of the chat was clear. if ‘Brussels’ does not carry the people then the European project is dead.
I have worked on European defence for nigh on thirty years and I have also worked for the European Onion and I have never known the gap between the people and the European elite to be so strong. Being genetically prone to common sense Yorksire folk call the EU the Onion because it is opaque, multi-layered and has a centre that stinks.
It would be easy to dismiss such skepticism as the typically British ramblings of an island little imbued with the European spirit. And yet it is a sentiment I pick up today all over Europe. In recent years I have lived in Italy, France and the Netherlands and I spend much of my life travelling across the Onion. In that time Euro-scepticism has not only swelled it has migrated from these shores across much of the Old Continent.
So, what does this mean for European defence? If one listens to the more wild-eyed of the Brussels Euro-fanatics one would think nothing. Defence has always been for the bureaucratic elite, n’est ce pas? In fact, the use of force – the real issue here - is at the very core of sovereignty, particularly parliamentary sovereignty. Without proper and effective parliamentary oversight the message from my Italian, French and Dutch friends, not to mention my more succinctly phrased Yorkshire friends, is clear – over my dead body.
The European Parliament comes in for particular ire being seen by many Europeans as staffed by self-serving over-paid, wannabes with little interest in or care for the peoples they are meant to represent. That is probably unfair but I have seen for myself the dangerous mix of inexperience and arrogance on the several occasions I have addressed members of the European Parliament. As such it is incapable of providing sound parliamentary oversight. This leaves the Euro-Aristocracy – those unbelievably highly-paid, untaxed rarified Eurocrats who always think they know best. They do not. Of course, there is the European Council where the ‘real’ decisions are apparently made. Sadly, after a decade of a defence-busting lack of solidarity between member-states the Council agrees on little. And, the plain fact is that the 2009 Treaty of Lisbon (you remember, the non-Constitution) did give an awful lot more power to the Euro-Aristocrats and some more power to the Parliament, whatever London might like to pretend.
Here is the paradox. We will all need more Europe in future because the only way declining European states can exert real influence on a dangerous world is through solidarity and joint action. However, the gap between the citizens and the elite makes such action almost impossible.
Colin and his colleagues re-invented themselves some years back as the European Security and Defence Assembly, offering a direct link between directly elected national politicians and European defence. Surely, rather than scrapping this vital link to the fostering of critical European defence (as opposed to Euro-fantasy) some form of hybrid grouping could have been fashioned to a) keep European defence truly inter-governmental; and b) maintain a proper and direct link with my mates in the pub? If not European defence will go nowhere.
When I hear the Euro-Aristocracy in Brussels describing the ‘progress’ being made in and on European defence I cannot help but remember ‘my Nan’ and what she would have said. It is a sentiment that is reflected across much of Europe. Unless the sovereignty/oversight gap is fixed European defence is indeed like putting bay windows on an outside toilet!
That concludes the three blogs I chose to write during my writing/walking week in this truly stunning part of my native county.
As they would also say in these here parts, “That’s yer lot!”
Next week, Poland.
More Lessons from Fantasy Island: The Doodlings of Decline
Deepest, darkest Yorkshire – The Sequel. Another day on Fantasy Island. For those of you of an un-British persuasion (I suppose there must be some) I apologise for the Britishness of current blogs. However, there are lessons for all in the mess the British are making of both strategy and austerity at present. Given I am here it is worth considering how small politicians are failing to deal with big issues.
Those of you sad and mad enough to be regular readers will be aware of two of Lindley-French’s dictums. First, that one should not go to war with a peacetime mindset. Second, that wars cannot be won by cutting defence budgets. Well, that is precisely what this increasingly lost British Government is attempting to do. In the midst of the critical phase of both the Afghanistan and Libya imbroglios London has announced the need to ‘trim’ a further £1 billion of cuts above and beyond those announced in the savage and utterly un-strategic 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review.
If such pain was part of a reasoned and balanced effort to reduce the burgeoning national debt across government then such cuts may be defensible. However, according to the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies it is not. For every £1 of debt currently incurred by the British taxpayer in four years time at the end of this parliament that debt will be 97p. Put simply, this government is not even good at cutting which is meant to be its raison d'etre! Sadly, the armed services, which are rightfully a source of pride for the majority of the British people, have clearly been singled out for special treatment.
This particular focus on cutting the defence budget (which in reality is nearer 1.7% of GDP than the 2.1% advertised) also reveals the hopeless lack of interconnectedness in government policy and the creeping retreat into spin caused by a lack of clear strategy. This week London announced a) a new legally-binding military covenant for the care of British soldiers (all well and good); and b) more cuts to the military. The latter will inevitably mean more British servicemen will be killed and injured than should be the case. Predictably the announcement of the Covenant was little more than a cynical ploy to cover the announcement of the military cuts.
And how is this for timing? The same day the government announced plans to ring-fence in law the foreign aid budget (the money the British have not got to give to foreigners) at 0.7% of gross domestic product. According to The Times this is for narrow domestic political reasons, i.e. to appeal to ethnic minorities with the vote. In other words with under-funded, ill-equipped British forces stretched beyond the limit in places the world over Prime Minister Cameron wants to reward certain voters for disloyalty.
Now, I do not care if British citizens are white, black, yellow or purple (Brits on holiday in the sun tend to become that colour), but I do expect them to be loyally British. If The Times is right (and I hope they are not) it makes me particularly angry that an incumbent government is seeking to bribe groups that apparently place the well-being of the country of their forebears before their own. The biggest recipient of such aid is India which has a space programme, a nuclear programme and a defence programme the British can only dream of.
The Defence Minister, Liam Fox, wrote to the Prime Minister complaining that ring-fencing the aid budget at a time of austerity would further limit the Governments already limited room for manouevre in other areas, i.e. defence. Tellingly, the letter started with “Dear David Cameron…” So much for collegiality at the heart of government; the first principle of implementable strategy.
Britain is broke. Britain is at war. And yet, British politicians want Britain to set an example to the world with its commitment to aid whilst fighting two wars on a threadbare shoestring. The rest of the world is simply laughing at the mix of arrogance and incompetence.
So, why is this happening? The Government has lost all sense of vision and strategy. Rather, it is using ‘cuts’ as a mask to hide the strategy/vision vacuum at its heart. Sadly, I have never seen pride in this country so low. No wonder the Scots want out!
I believed in this Government but its performance over the past year has been lamentable. Rather, likes its Blownite predecessors it is retreating ever more into spin to mask the lack of substance. The Government can either cut public spending or fight wars - it cannot do both. The contradiction is sympomatic of a governments doodling in decline. .
More lessons from Fantasy Island. Beware!
The General, the Baroness and the Colonel
Deepest, darkest Yorkshire. I should have been giving an interview this morning to the BBC’s flagship radio news programme on whither Libya. Sadly, the nearest thing to a signal in these here hills is metal, clunks up and down and occasionally stops trains. Well, it would if there were any trains left running to stop. Still, found some coal ‘out back’ and fired up the interweb locomotive (I freely admit to being a not so closet steam railway ‘anorak’). So, this is what I would have told the BBC; both the baroness and the general are right in principle about the colonel, but the general is more right in fact than the baroness. Here is why.
General Sir David Richards, Chief of the British Defence Staff, has suggested that pressure must be increased on the regime of Colonal Ghadaffi by expanding the targeting of allied air strikes to include infrastructure – bridges, roads, power-plants and stuff. Richards went as far as to suggest that if “NATO did not up the ante” then Gadhaffi could remain in power. Baroness Amos, the UN’s Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Relief has at the same time called for a 'temporary' cease-fire. She is correct in principle under the strict and narrow interpretation of UN Security Council Resolution 1973 which only authorizes action to protect civilians. There is no question that large numbers of people are suffering.
Well, here’s the thing. Today, the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor waded in and indicted Gadhaffi and two of his mob seeking their arrest for crimes against humanity. Does that not change the terms of reference of 1973? Now, I am no international lawyer but it strikes me that be it under the UN’s own Responsibility to Protect or indeed not, the issuing of such a warrant is a game-changer. In principle (a lot of 'principles' being uttered at present) such an indictment also places an additional requirement on those acting under UN mandate to ensure such a warrant is served. The legal goalposts may have moved today which could, in principle, provide a basis for expanded coalition action. For all the principle 'thing' these campaigns always come down to politics - new openings and new chances to save face. The General and the Baroness need to talk.
But will she? To ease pressure on the Gadhaffi regime as the Baroness suggests would spell be disaster for both the Libyan people and international law. Why? It is because Gadhaffi and his regime are a princples-free zone. Remember, Saddam? After one bout of UN-sanctioned action he simple said, “I survive, I win”. Gadhaffi has clearly made similar calculations hoping the coalition will simply run out of steam.
There is I suspect more at work here. General Richards is no bomb-happy martial. Far from it. He is one of the most thinking, considered and humanitarian of military chiefs I have ever met. When a man committed to the minimum use of force commensurate with mission success makes such statements it is for a reason. I do not know Baroness Amos and in her interviews she strikes me as both principled and sincere. That said, I must admit to being a little jaundiced as she was also part of that New Labour Islington champagne socialist elite who were so full of principles that they invited everybody else to live with the consequences. It will take Britain decades to recover, if it ever does. Nor do I like the way failed British politicians somehow end up with plum jobs with plum salaries in plum apartments on the plummy shores of Lake Geneva. You can read into that what you may.
However, from reading over, under and between her lines I suspect she has a principled objection to the use of force period. If that is the case her calls for a ceasefire must be resisted because the only winner will be Gadhaffi. Rather, she would be better advised telling her UN boss to authorize the on hold EU Operation to provide humanitarian assistance to Misrata and to urge him to seek to expand that mandate. This would enable both the campaign to continue and humanitarian assistance to be provided where it is needed on the ground through military support. Momentum is everything in this business, as is principle.
A couple of weeks ago I was concerned that an ICC indictment of Gadhaffi would make it harder to break his resistance. Those concerns remain. Now that it has been issued it may provide the very basis for the expanded operation that this campaign so desperately needs. The alternative is quagmire.
Where are Napoleon Solo and Ilya Kuryakin when you need them?
Blackadder Builds Aircraft Carriers
Back in London. Another sunny, spring day. Does it ever rain here? Getting used to Britain as a tropical island is taking some doing, but at least the wine is good. Another high-level meeting (yes, I know, all my meetings are ‘high-level’, as opposed to the ‘what on Earth am I doing here’ meetings I often find myself at).
This one again concerned the HMS Highly Unlikelys – those benighted British aircraft carriers the construction of which resembles an episode of Blackadder Goes Forth. You know the episode. It is the one in which ‘Bob’ Parkhurst says, “I want to see how a war is fought, so badly”. To which Blackadder replies: “Well, you've come to the right place, Bob. A war hasn't been fought this badly since Olaf the Hairy, high chief of all the vikings, accidentally ordered 80,000 battle helmets with the horns on the inside”. As Prince Philip once famously said; “What a way to run a railway?”
This was London at its Whitehall goldfish bowl worst with politicians and officials swimming around in an ever-diminishing pool of fratricide and carrier-cide as though the real world beyond had nothing to do with them. Sorry, it has.
The only defence of the Whitehallers is that this incompetence is passed down from generation to generation. The story goes something like this. First, there is an over-ambitious statement of over-strategy, normally to correct a previous statement of under-strategy. That is followed by a period of over-engagement in which plucky British servicemen daily defeat an entire Wehrmacht division armed with a piece of chewing gum, an umbrella and a square jaw. The ensuing disaster is then followed by a hopelessly under-strategic review run by the Treasury which a) pretends that British taxpayer’s money actually belongs to them; and b) which states that for the next four hundred years nothing nasty is going to happen. When it does we then expect the Americans to sort it out...and call it burden sharing. This is where we are today.
The sad fact is that Britain will need those ships because the world will not leave Britain alone, and the Americans will rightly expect at least a bit of a global effort. Indeed, the two ships will serve at the core of Britain's future military effort for much of this century.
For me the saddest aspect of this sorry saga is the opportunity being missed to tell a great British story. The construction of these ships represents world-beating innovation. If we were Yanks we would have made at least ten hollywood blockbusters by now. With a British people desperate to feel proud again it is a story that desperately needs telling. But no, according to the Illuminati sections of society apparently would not like the fact that Britain at least retains some pretentions to the ambition that once made this nation great. Sod them – get on with it!
As a testament to poor political and bureaucratic leadership there can be no peer. There is one episode of Yes, Minister in which Sir Humphrey describes the Byzantine methods employed by civil servants to kill projects they dislike. First, they add on bells and whistles that inflate the price and make the whole process hideously expensive. Second, they delay the project so long that by the time it is ready it is time to scrap it. Third, they cut the numbers to make the development costs look absurd. Finally, they talk only of cost and never of value, and use their media chums to distort the message to a disbelieving public. Well, something along those lines. That is precisely what the out of control bureaucrats are doing to HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales. Where is the Prime Minister in all of this? Leading from the rear, as ever.
For me the saddest spectacle is to witness the utter strategic vacuum that this debacle represents. Inside the Whitehall goldfish bowl politicians are obsessed with dodging any bullet that can possibly harm them, leaving strategy-hating bureaucrats to out-manoeuvre the under-political military chiefs - lambs to the slaughter.
The key issue? Not the future strategic influence of the United Kingdom, oh no, but rather how to ensure one’s fingerprints are not found at the scene of the forthcoming crime. Nor can the military chiefs absolve themselves. They are too often too busy fighting each other over their bit of a small cake that is rapidly becoming a small tart. It is an appalling spectacle the result of short-term, narrow behavior from people who really should know better. It is quite simply pathetic!
Thirteen years into this project it is still under review. Thirteen years into the project those responsible for it wake up each morning not knowing if they still have a project at all. Thirteen years into this project no-one actually knows the cost. Thirteen years into this project no-one is actually sure what will actually fly off them.
I am off to Paris today for another meeting, another speech. At least I might get some common sense there, but not here in this Whitehall Village of the Damned.
Whitehall; grow up, get your act together and start putting Britain’s strategic interests first. If not, history (and me) will condemn you all.
One final thought. Why not put horns on the inside?
Nuking NATO
Tallinn, Estonia. Sitting here on the banks of the serene Baltic in a beautiful city founded by eighth century Danish knights it is difficult to imagine the tsunamis of violent history that have washed over this place. And yet, for the past two days I have been discussing a seismic shift in NATO’s nuclear reality that in time could reduce the very ‘sea’ defences Estonians have a right to expect. Right now the tsunami is merely a fast-travelling disturbance in the strategic sea upon the shores of which the Alliance village sits. Yet one day the wave could crash upon these shores with force and venom. NATO’s nuclear future ain’t what it used to be.
NATO has always been a nuclear alliance. Indeed, with Russia a few hundred kilometres to my right as I write this, one is struck by the proximity of the past; only a stone’s throw away. Or is that a short-range nuke away, none of which were covered by the 2009 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty signed by Moscow and Washington.
Nuclear weapons are still with us, particularly short and intermediate range nukes. And, for an old wonk like me who cut his teeth on the searing tears in detente (wonderful – mixed metaphors!) caused by Euromissiles back in the 1970s and early 80s, deja vu is really all over again. It is a sad fact that our nuclear past still lays ahead of us, although most of we Europeans simply cannot bring ourselves to face it, we are soon going to be back to the future.
The obsession here is of course the neighbours from hell, although in reality the Russian-NATO relationship is as much symbiotic as dangerous – a failing power obsessed with a failing institution. Hard though it is to explain to Estonians (for very obvious reasons) Russia is not the real strategic threat. They bluster and of course occasionally misbehave – that is what the Russians do. However, even the most cursory glance of a map will demonstrate that Russia actually needs the West, offering Moscow its only stable border and source of income.
No, the coming crisis concerns what I call free defence and the role of nuclear forces therein. In other words, the price Americans will demand for Europe’s defence and the extent (or otherwise) NATO Europe is willing to help bear the cost - both actual and political.
Much of the crisis will concern the role and place of American short-range nukes on European soil and the willingness of all the allies to share the burden of nuclear responsibility. There are some two hundred such nukes at present, although I cannot disclose where. If I did so I might have to kill you, or at least bore you to death.
Normally, the reason for nuclear weapons is to offset the weakness of conventional forces. NATO’s future deterrence and defence posture would ideally see the number of nuclear forces reduced, offset by a limited but capable missile defence system, and enhanced and deployable conventional military forces. And yet, NATO’s forthcoming Deterrence and Defence Posture Review (DDPR) faces an almost impossible mission – balancing demands for reduced nukes, reduced conventional forces, and constraints on missile defence with demands for enhanced security and defence. Even for this rather innumerate Yorkshireman NATO’s contemporary strategic equation simply does not add up.
Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands are signalling they soon will no longer permit US nuclear forces on their territory. The ‘De-nuked Three’ join a host of other European allies who are also cutting defence budgets and yet expect the Americans to proceed with missile defence at American expense. I think the Yanks call it chutzpah!
One delegate from a very large central European country that shall remain nameless, but with a fondness for worst, suggested not only the removal of American nukes, but that their defence should be assured by a real missile shield. Although, of course, the interceptors would need to be hosted by the neighbours. A clearer definition of free defence/free-riding I have yet to hear.
In effect, the ‘Du-nuked Three’ (not to mention the relatives) want free US defence, as well as the right to shift the burden of nuclear responsibility onto the three NATO nuclear powers – Britain, France and the US. The lunches were nice in Tallinn, but I do not think they were free.
Thus far, the US Congress has not become too excited over such free-riding. However, with Bin Laden dead the true nature of twenty-first centuryt strategy will emerge and with it the place of the Alliance in America’s global role – which will be Asia-centric. And all of this just when the US finally confronts its budget deficit. I think I will absent myself when that credit card final demand drops on the front door mat of Congress. With no ‘war’ to justify such largesse the role of allies in squaring America’s strategy-austerity circle could well swell from a ripple of discontent at present to become a giant political wave that threatens to engulf the Alliance. Brussels as Atlantis - now there's a thought.
NATO is built on burden-sharing, which concerns as much the sharing of risk as cost. The US gets very little of either. The Americans are an historically generous people, but they are not stupid. Right now there is a strange calm as the waters of the strategic foreshore begin to retreat ahead of the coming tsunami. And yet the wave marches on.
First, we are moving back into a nuclear world. Iran will get nuclear weapons, North Korea has them, as do several of its Asian neighbours with quite a few more simply waiting to throw the switch if America’s stabilising hand is withdrawn or becomes arthritic. Second, in a globalised world no technology or commodity can be ring-fenced forever. Nuclear technology is now over seventy years old. Third, the archaic 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NNPT) is showing all the signs of being swamped by proliferation. The European solution? Build a tsunami defying picket fence of good intentions. That should keep the damp out.
Sooner or later in the absence of the highly unlikely global nuclear zero we will need to re-nuke NATO. If the burden falls disproportionately on the Americans and/or the extended deterrence of the one and a half other NATO nuclear powers (France and Britain) then the Alliance could well fail. Why? Once again solidarity will have failed the test of danger.
(Re-)Nuking NATO – it is on its way...but only after lunch of course.
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Kunduz: Afghan for Double Dutch
OBL is dead and here in the Netherlands we are about to mark two days of annual remembrance. May 4 is Commemoration Day and May 5 Liberation Day, both of which remember the fallen of World War Two. It is perhaps fitting therefore that I give you some sense of where this country is at. Nowhere, really.
The Dutch are rapidly transforming themselves from a small country with a big heart and a sense of international responsibility, into an even smaller country with a focus firmly on all matters Dutch...and nothing too dangerous. In so doing the Dutch are in the process of bringing to an end sixty years of committed transatlanticism. They are also breaking Lindley-French’s First Law of Alliances; that a retreat by one ally imposes an equal and opposite burden on other allies.
On 8 April the Dutch Government announced a cut of EUR1.1bn, some 13% of the defence budget. The statement from the minister tried to hide behind the 2010 British Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) which slashed the British armed forces. There is one minor problem with this approach. Well, two actually.
First, the British could at least plausibly cut. The Dutch not. In a major 2010 report for the Royal United Services Institute (“Between the Polder and a Hard Place?”), Col Anne Tjepkema and I definitively proved that over the past twenty years the Dutch have been serial defence cutters. By 1999 the Dutch Government had removed so much defence ‘fat’ that the Dutch armed forces were positively anorexic. Thereafter, they were cutting bone and now they are simply trying to hide the body.
Second, even after the SDSR the British will still be spending some 2.1% of national wealth on defence. If one takes the Dutch gendarmerie force (the Royal Marechausee) off the books the Dutch will be spending less than 1% of national wealth on defence. Less than half the Brits. Whatever way one cuts this the Dutch are free-riding.
Afghanistan is where the consequences of going Dutch are most apparent. Not to my taste but in 1981 The Clash had a hit entitled, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” They may well have been singing about the proposed Dutch ‘contribution’ to the police training mission in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan. The parliamentary debate has led Dutch politicians to tie themselves up in all sorts of utterly pointless rhetorical knots. It is double Dutch at its best.
On the one hand the politicians seemingly want to do the minimum possible to meet their Alliance obligations; on the other they clearly want to get out of Afghanistan quickly. Some of us thought they had already left! In 2010 they withdrew the excellent Task Force Uruzgan.
Now, I am all for parliamentary sovereignty, but I am also one for the equitable sharing of burdens. This ain’t it! Indeed, as an example of political sleight of hand the parliamentary debate over the Kunduz mission is fast becoming a Dutch masterpiece.
This is no joke. A few weeks ago I attended a high-level meeting at a NATO force headquarters in the Netherlands. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the critical role of police training in creating a basic, but functioning Afghan state – the key to ‘success’.
Two things struck me. First, the vital importance of establishing a police force worthy of the name that is relevant to the streets of Mazar-El-Sharif, not Maastricht. Second, the shadow-boxing of many European allies – committed in principle, back-tracking in practice. Make no mistake, if we do not make some real progress in the area of Afghan policing we might as well pack up and go home now. Some 750 police trainers short in spite of the sterling efforts of the NATO and EU police training missions, the situation is not pretty. No-one said it would be easy, but no-one suggested ‘we’ would make the task harder.
That is why the double Dutch of the parliamentary debate here is so galling. The Dutch police trainers (both of them) are to train the Afghan recruits to “Dutch objectives”. As part of those ‘objectives’ the Dutch have insisted upon a written guarantee from the Kabul Government that the police will not be used to fight the Taliban. Of course, Kabul has said yes to this; as it says ‘yes’ to every such request... which is then promptly ignored. In reality the constraints being placed on the mission by the Dutch opposition and the willingness of the Dutch Government to pander to such posturing is rendering the mission meaningless in terms of the collective effort.
The Dutch opposition say that only a small part of the population support the mission. Well, the same can be said of populations in the US and UK, but it is the job of political leaders to lead. We are all of us tired of the Afghan imbroglio and we are all of us keen to leave. However, it is vital that we all leave together and that we all make a proportionate effort to give that benighted country some chance of a future. OBL’s death changes that reality not one jot.
And yet, at this critical moment in the campaign the Dutch Parliament is ducking out and trying to find a way so that the rest of do not notice. Sorry, it is too late for that.
I am proud of my adopted country. I am particularly proud of the men and women of the Dutch armed forces that I have had the honour to serve. They are decent people who want to do their ‘bit’ and deserve better from their political class.
Often I visit my fallen countrymen laying in military rows of sacrifice in their thousands in the many war graves that mark the liberation of the Netherlands. As I walk from grave to grave with their little messages of love from families now long gone I lament the fact that we are all of us forgetting the very lessons of democratic solidarity that led them to die in a corner of a Dutch field that will be forever England.
Today, on the eve of two days of Commemoration and Remembrance I wonder why yet again it is British soldiers, and their American counterparts, bearing an unreasonable burden for the Alliance somewhere in the corner of yet another foreign field. Sadly, as I write this I know I will soon hear of yet another British soldier killed in action. He (or she) will join his brothers buried across the Netherlands.
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori? No, not really.
Should you stay or should you go? It’s up to you, but we shall not forget. Remember that!
A New HMS Ark Royal?
I have just heard that a new HMS Ark Royal is to be built. One of the monster aircraft-carriers currently on the stocks was to be called the HMS Prince of Wales, but apparently it is now to be renamed HMS Ark Royal.
This is encouraging as it would be almost impossible (even for the Ministry of Defence) to scrap two Ark Royals in one year!
On the other hand, don't bet on it.
The Death of Bin Laden: This is Not the End...
I have just awoken to hear of the death of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan at the hands of US Special Forces. All one needs to know about Bin Laden’s demise is in that single sentence. There is of course much rejoicing in the US. President Obama has spoken, as has Prime Minister Cameron, for both countries have suffered grievous losses since 911, and made egregious strategic mistakes.
In many ways, it is hard for we Europeans to grasp the enormity of the impact of 911 on the American psyche used as we are to struggle between and within our lands. Living with vulnerability is almost a European way of life. Certainly, Americans have every right to mark this momentous occasion, but none of us must get carried away. To many a terrorist has been served his just deserts; to many others a new martyr has been created. Martyrdom may well serve Al Qaeda well in the short-term, boosting the waning allure of a strange and dangerous interloper into history. We must all be on our guard.
So, what does the death of Bin Laden mean? I am reminded of Winston Churchill in the immediate aftermath of the British victory over Rommel at the Battle of El Alamein in November 1942. Speaking with the growling gravitas that was his power Churchill said, “This may not be the end, this may not be even the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning”.
Two things became rapidly clear in the immediate aftermath of 911. First, the struggle against violent Islamism was going to be long and hard. Second, Afghanistan and Pakistan were the epicentres of struggle. There is nothing in the death of Al Qaeda’s spiritual leader to suggest the first is any less true today than a decade ago. It may however be even harder to galvanise popular public support for the continuing struggle to stabilise Afghanistan and Pakistan in ways other than Islamist.
That said, listening to the BBC this morning there is already a sense of ‘job done’. To some extent that is correct; the West went to Afghanistan in late 2001 to kill Bin Laden. That has now been done. And yet, our understanding of the challenge has evolved so much since the dust of two New York towers and their trapped victims came to rest. Most importantly, the Arab Street seemingly so motivated by Al Qaeda in the early aftermath of 911 seems to have rejected the medievalism and nihilism implicit in the Al Qaeda creed. Both Islam and the word of the Prophet have demonstrated greatness and risen above the strategic sectarianism Bin Laden stood for. Furthermore, whilst the Arab Spring may evince the occasional vein of such sectarianism its message is clear; freedom!
In a sense it is fitting that Bin Laden should die as tumult erupts across the Middle East. Islamism was born in many ways from the failure of Arab nationalism in the wake of the colonial era. Hijacked by the corrupt and self-seeking many Arab states ignored the aspirations of millions of their fellow citizens. Frustrated and with no-one to believe Bin Laden offered the appeal of a false prophet. Today, new belief courses along the highways and bye-ways of the Arab Street. It is belief that for once must be given full chance of expression.
A post-Al Qaeda age is now apparent. However, the job is not done – not in Afghanistan, nor Pakistan, nor Somalia, nor Britain, nor a host of other places. Jihadists will strike back, they will evolve and they will continue to represent a danger to all free-thinking peoples and all right-minded faiths.
In essence the defining struggle of the past decade has been one between the legitimate state and the anti-state. That struggle will continue across much of the world and we in the West must stand ready to side with those committed to the principles of liberty and freedom for which millions aspire. We must also recognize the critical importance of an American-led West as a beacon of hope, just as America must be reminded of its obligation to lead soundly.
In May 1945 upon victory over Nazi Germany Churchill’s voice was almost lost in the wild celebration of the moment. “We may allow ourselves”, he said, “ a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead…We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad”.
This is indeed only the end of the beginning.
Goodbye, Ron. Job Done!
Ron Asmus is dead. The security community has lost one of its greats. I knew Ron for many years and had nothing but liking and respect for him. He was not just an analyst, we are ten a penny, but a man who had been at the coalface of geo-politics and wore the soot on his face with pride.
I am off to Estonia this week to address a high-level conference. As a child of the Cold War my freedom to go to that great country has much to do with the vision and determination of Ron. A couple of years ago Ron and I were in Afghanistan together as he struggled with the illness that has claimed him. He took a photo of me on a first contact visit with US forces. It is a photo I treasure not just because of the implicit “I was there” all arm-chairers seek for legitimisation, but also because it was taken by Ron; for whom an arm-chair was a lethal weapon on the battleground of negotiation.
No soaring rhetoric, no slick reference to popular culture.
Ron, job done!
Strategy and Technology: A Fading Lesson from Euro...
The European Onion and European Defence: An Outsid...
More Lessons from Fantasy Island: The Doodlings of...
Should I Stay or Should I Go? Kunduz: Afghan for ...
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Terrorism : documents of international and local control
The Resource Terrorism : documents of international and local control
The item Terrorism : documents of international and local control represents a specific, individual, material embodiment of a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in Boston University Libraries.
Lovelace, Douglas C., Jr., 1948-
Friedlander, Robert A
Alexander, Yonah
Musch, Donald J
Levie, Howard S., (Howard Sidney), 1907-2009
New York, Oceana
Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., Oceana Publications, 1979-<2014>
New York, Oxford University Press
volumes <1-16, 18-83, 85-89, 91-100, 103-109, 111-120>
Vol. 3 has special title: From the terror decade of the 1970's to the dangerous decade of the 1980's
Vol. 4 has special title: A world on fire
1-2. [without special title]
v. 3. From the terror decade of the 1970's to the dangerous decade of the 1980's
v. 4. A world on fire
v. 5. [without special title]
v. 6. Global terrorism in the dangerous decade
v. 7-15. [without special title]
v. 16-63. U.S. perspectives
-- v. 64. [without special title]
v. 65- 85. U.S. Perspectives
v. 86. Understanding United States national security strategy relating to terrorism, pt. 1, Foundational strategies
v. 87. Understanding United States national security strategy relating to terrorism, pt. 2, Derivative and supporting strategies
v. 88. The UKK's approach to terrorism
v. 89. Europe's approach to terrorism
v. 90. Presidential powers and the global war against terrorists
v. 91. Terrorism intelligence
v. 92 Lebanon and Hezbollah
v. 93. The Palestinian Territories and Hamas.
v. 94 Managing the nation's borders during the global war against terrorists
v. 95 Detainee treatment, interrogation and extraordinary rendition in the war against terrorists
v. 96. Cyberterrorism
v. 97. Use of contractors in the war against terrorists
v. 98. Terrorism in India
v. 99. Terrorism in Pakistan.
v. 100. Detention of terrorist suspects: what courts have done, what congress and Obama are doing.
-- v. 101. Weapons of mass destruction, pt. 1, bio-terrorism
v. 102. Weapons of mass destruction, pt. 2, nuclear terrorism, consequence, management and attack insurance
v. 105. Narco-terrorism
v. 106. Terrorist financing and money-laundering
v. 107. U.N. response to Al-Qaeda
v. 108. Extraordinary rendition
v. 109. Terror-based interogation
v. 110. Assessing the GWOT
v. 111. Discerning President Obama's National Security Strategy
v. 112. Discerning President Obama's National Defense Strategy
v. 113. Piracy and international maritime security
v. 114. European responses to terrorist radicalization
v. 115. Gangs, terrorism, and international disorder
v. 116. Assessing President Obama's National Security Strategy
v. 117. Al Qaeda, the taliban and conflict in Afghanistan
v. 118. International nuclear security
v. 119. Catastrophic possibilities threatening U.S. security
v. 120. U.S. preparedness for catastrophic attacks
v. 121. Nuclear non-proliferation treaty
v. 122. U.N. response to Al Qaeda-developments through 2011
v. 123. Global stability and U.S. national security
v. 124. U.S. approaches to global security challenges
developments through 2011
v. 126. The intersection of law and war
v. 127. The changing nature of war
v. 128. Detention under international law : liberty and permissible detention
v. 129. Detention under international law : the state of emergency exception and evolving topics
v. 130. Detention under international law : safeguards against torture and other abuses
v. 131. The 2012 shift in U.S. national security strategy : the context
v. 132. The 2012 shift in U.S. national security strategy : the analysis
v. 133. The drone wars of the 21st century : costs and benefits
v. 134. The domestic use of unmanned aerial vehicles
v. 135. Assessing future U.S. national defense needs
v. 136. Assessing the reorientation of U.S. national security strategy toward the Asia-Pacific
v. 137. The Obama administration's second term national security strategy
v. 138. The resurgent terrorist threat
v. 139. The rise of China
v. 140. The cyber threat
v. 141. Hybrid warfare and the gray zone threat
v. 142. Security strategies of the second Obama administration : 2015 developments
documents of international and local control
Terrorism, commentary on security documents
Politiek geweld
HV6431
.T464 1979
Levie, Howard S.
Lovelace, Douglas C.
1-2. [without special title] -- v. 3. From the terror decade of the 1970's to the dangerous decade of the 1980's -- v. 4. A world on fire -- v. 5. [without special title] -- v. 6. Global terrorism in the dangerous decade -- v. 7-15. [without special title] -- v. 16-63. U.S. perspectives -- -- v. 64. [without special title] -- v. 65- 85. U.S. Perspectives -- v. 86. Understanding United States national security strategy relating to terrorism, pt. 1, Foundational strategies -- v. 87. Understanding United States national security strategy relating to terrorism, pt. 2, Derivative and supporting strategies -- v. 88. The UKK's approach to terrorism -- v. 89. Europe's approach to terrorism -- v. 90. Presidential powers and the global war against terrorists -- v. 91. Terrorism intelligence -- v. 92 Lebanon and Hezbollah -- v. 93. The Palestinian Territories and Hamas. -- v. 94 Managing the nation's borders during the global war against terrorists -- v. 95 Detainee treatment, interrogation and extraordinary rendition in the war against terrorists -- v. 96. Cyberterrorism -- v. 97. Use of contractors in the war against terrorists -- v. 98. Terrorism in India -- v. 99. Terrorism in Pakistan. -- v. 100. Detention of terrorist suspects: what courts have done, what congress and Obama are doing. -- -- v. 101. Weapons of mass destruction, pt. 1, bio-terrorism -- v. 102. Weapons of mass destruction, pt. 2, nuclear terrorism, consequence, management and attack insurance -- v. 105. Narco-terrorism -- v. 106. Terrorist financing and money-laundering -- v. 107. U.N. response to Al-Qaeda -- v. 108. Extraordinary rendition -- v. 109. Terror-based interogation -- v. 110. Assessing the GWOT -- v. 111. Discerning President Obama's National Security Strategy -- v. 112. Discerning President Obama's National Defense Strategy -- v. 113. Piracy and international maritime security -- v. 114. European responses to terrorist radicalization -- v. 115. Gangs, terrorism, and international disorder -- v. 116. Assessing President Obama's National Security Strategy -- v. 117. Al Qaeda, the taliban and conflict in Afghanistan -- v. 118. International nuclear security -- v. 119. Catastrophic possibilities threatening U.S. security -- v. 120. U.S. preparedness for catastrophic attacks -- v. 121. Nuclear non-proliferation treaty -- v. 122. U.N. response to Al Qaeda-developments through 2011 -- v. 123. Global stability and U.S. national security -- v. 124. U.S. approaches to global security challenges -- v. 125. Piracy and international maritime security -- developments through 2011 -- v. 126. The intersection of law and war -- v. 127. The changing nature of war -- v. 128. Detention under international law : liberty and permissible detention -- v. 129. Detention under international law : the state of emergency exception and evolving topics -- v. 130. Detention under international law : safeguards against torture and other abuses -- v. 131. The 2012 shift in U.S. national security strategy : the context -- v. 132. The 2012 shift in U.S. national security strategy : the analysis -- v. 133. The drone wars of the 21st century : costs and benefits -- v. 134. The domestic use of unmanned aerial vehicles -- v. 135. Assessing future U.S. national defense needs -- v. 136. Assessing the reorientation of U.S. national security strategy toward the Asia-Pacific -- v. 137. The Obama administration's second term national security strategy -- v. 138. The resurgent terrorist threat -- v. 139. The rise of China -- v. 140. The cyber threat -- v. 141. Hybrid warfare and the gray zone threat -- v. 142. Security strategies of the second Obama administration : 2015 developments
<div class="citation" vocab="http://schema.org/"><i class="fa fa-external-link-square fa-fw"></i> Data from <span resource="http://link.bu.edu/portal/Terrorism--documents-of-international-and-local/zwrDp1KBQDM/" typeof="Book http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/Item"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a href="http://link.bu.edu/portal/Terrorism--documents-of-international-and-local/zwrDp1KBQDM/">Terrorism : documents of international and local control</a></span> - <span property="potentialAction" typeOf="OrganizeAction"><span property="agent" typeof="LibrarySystem http://library.link/vocab/LibrarySystem" resource="http://link.bu.edu/"><span property="name http://bibfra.me/vocab/lite/label"><a property="url" href="http://link.bu.edu/">Boston University Libraries</a></span></span></span></span></div>
Data Citation of the Item Terrorism : documents of international and local control
http://link.bu.edu/portal/Terrorism--documents-of-international-and-local/zwrDp1KBQDM/
http://library.link/portal/Terrorism--documents-of-international-and-local/zwrDp1KBQDM/
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Kokeicha
Kokeicha or "formed tea" is a rare, needle shaped, specialty green tea from Japan made from Matcha green tea powder.
Kokeicha (pronounced Ko-Kay-Cha) is one of the most unusual and rare teas we offer. It's a specialty Japanese green tea made from shaped Matcha powder.... In fact, its name translates to "Formed Tea." It has a delicate, vegetal flavor that's not quite like any other tea we've tried.
The process for making Kokeicha begins in the famed tea farms of Shizuoka province in Japan. Once a year in Shizuoka, tea plants are grown in full sun until a few weeks before harvest. Then, they are shaded with netting, thatched bamboo or other materials until their tender new leaves are ready to be plucked. The leaves that grow during this time are smaller than most, but they're packed with an abundance of caffeine, L-theanine, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
After plucking, the tealeaves are steamed until they begin to crumble. The stems and veins of the leaves are removed and the remainder of the leaves is slowly ground between two granite wheels until they form a fine powder. This is Matcha... but there are still several steps to go before you have Kokeicha.
The Matcha powder is mixed with a small amount of water and rice paste, and then kneaded to form a paste, much like how pasta dough is made. The paste is then extruded through tiny holes, much like how fresh pasta is made. The extruded Matcha paste is dried and then cut into short pieces (about 1/4-inch each) to resemble tealeaves. These "leaves" are the final product - Kokeicha.
Kokeicha's "leaves" are extremely dark and muted. They are shaped like gently curved triangular prisms and their aroma is reminiscent of chalk, mineral-rich sedimentary rock and cooked greens. When they are brewed, they remain surprisingly intact and smell like wakame seaweed.
Infused Kokeicha is hazy, pale and green with yellow undertones. It has a delicate aroma like poaching water from cooked baby spinach. Its flavor is smooth, light and vegetal, with mild notes of collard greens, flowers, nuts, iodine and mineral springs. The aftertaste is similarly subtle and mineral-tinged. Like most Japanese green teas, Kokeicha pairs with seafood, but its mild flavor is best with something mellow in flavor, such as poached white fish.
To brew this mild and majestic Japanese green tea, use one heaping teaspoon "leaves" per cup of boiling water. Infuse for one minute. Alternately, you can brew it with water at 180° F (about 80° C) for three minutes. Kokeicha is also exceptional as a cooking herb. Try it on ice cream or yogurt for a crunchy texture, use it in a salt rub for meats or seafood, or add it into baked goods. (Interesting factoid - it holds its shape when baked into breads and pastries!)
Brewing Kokeicha
Steep 45 sec - 1 min at 80°C (175°F)
Kukicha
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Home » Gross Abuse » Imprisonment & Deaths » Deaths in Custody
Aboriginal death in Katherine after release from custody sparks calls for inquiry, justice
listen to ‘Deaths in Custody in NT - CAAMA Report October 2012’ on Audioboo
Ray Jackson, President
Indigenous Social Justice Association
Yet another tragedy coming from police intervention in the Northern Territory but this time in Katherine where Mr. Lewis, an Aboriginal man and an amputee with major health problems, was arrested at a card game and held for 24 hours in the Katherine police cells.
Like Mr. Briscoe, there are claims by witnesses that Mr. Lewis was ill-treated and brutalised by the local police. He himself complained to his family that he had been treated roughly by the police and over the 24 hours he had been given no food or drink and, worse, no medication for his diabetes.
He was released after the 24 hours in cells and he went home and then died.
Similar to the circumstances of the recent death of Mr Clark after being sent from the Alice Springs gaol to the Alice Springs hospital where he died, whereby he was refused the status of being a death in custody event, so too Mr Lewis will be fought by the NT police that he, Mr. Lewis, is also not to be categorised as a 'Death in Custody'. It is of the utmost importance that Mr. Lewis recieve a full official autopsy so as to ascertain his cause~ of death and any and all mitigating circumstances that may arise from his 24 hours spent in the Katherine police cells.
We have fought such claims and counter-claims previously and so too we must fight that Mr. Lewis is indeed accepted as a death in custody. his last known interaction with others outside of his family was a 24 hour period in the Katherine police cells. that fact alone, leaving aside the claims of his family and cell witnesses, must raise the concern of the territory coroners department, especially with the violent video footage of Mr. Briscoe being multiply assaulted by the alice springs police.
His sister, Ms. Dorris Lewis, is strongly calling for a full coronial enquiry into her brother's death and states that under no circumstances can the police version of events over that 24 hour period be allowed to be the final word in the last hours of his life. The family and their supporters especially need to view the cell and police station cameras that have Mr. Lewis shown.
We need a campaign and a lot of social muscle to ensure that the Lewis family get their day in the coroner's court. We urge all good people of sound and moral mind to write, call or email those NT parliamentarians listed below and join with the Lewis family in their fight for justice for the death of their loved one.
Dorris informs us that this is the second death in custody event that has affected the family, the first being the NT police in 2004 running over another family member and killing him. of course no charges were laid. for the family of Mr. Briscoe his was the third death in custody to touch that family. I believe that I could quite safely say that for the families living in the NT no family would be untouched by a death in custody event. and that horrific fact clearly shows just how bad the NT custodial system really is.
Patricia Morton-Thomas, the aunt of Mr. Briscoe, has visited the Lewis family to support them in their time of sorry business and need for support. She states that since 2009 there has been 5 police-related death in custody events involving police in the NT. If this does not ring alarm bells with the Terry Mills CLP government and the NT coroners that the custodial system is just not bent but shows unequivocally that the system is broken - and seriously deadly broken at that!
It seems that the NT will continue to be the killing ground of racism and change is beyond the time socially required to make that change. Will chief minister Terry Mills as the police minister and Kon Vatskalis as the shadow police minister finally accept the task of changing police practices and procedures in the Territory? Will Alison Anderson, as the minister for Indigenous advancement, argue as strongly for the much needed change that will turn the loss of Aboriginal life in the NT as she is arguing against bilingual education? I do not agree with her argument but she does have the right to put her personal view no matter how wrong it may be. John Elferink as the NT Attorney-General and Lynne Walker as the Shadow Attorney-General also must play an important role in making the required changes to be brought to a positive fruition. Delia Lawrie, as the Opposition Leader, and Terry Mills must take their parliamentary members, by the throat if necessary, and drag them into making the changes to save the lives of Aborigines who come into contact with the police.
The Territory coroner, Greg Cavanagh, also has a role to play in this social change. His being scathing of the police actions and procedures is of little value if his recommendations do not reflect his disgust, both moral and legal, in his decisions. We urge the coroner to insist that the death of Mr. Lewis must be dealt with as a bona fide 'Death in Custody' event.
It is up to us to make that happen and I call on all readers of this post to make contact with the list below to make your concerns and wishes known to those who run the system - But we need to do more than that - We need to become active and protest that the unnecessary deaths must stop.
To do that you can join our protest outside of the NSW coroners court at Parramatta Road, Glebe at 12.30 on Thursday, 1 November, 2012, to raise our support and solidarity with the families of Mr. Briscoe, Mr. Curti and Mr. Lewis. All three, in our opinion, have been badly treated at the hands of the justice system in the NT and NSW. We stand solidly in support of all families who have lost a loved one at the hands of the custodial systems and, in this case, the proven brutality of the police in both areas.
We offer our sincerest condolences to Dorris Lewis and the family, community and many friends of Mr. Lewis. We know that he now walks his land in peace.
We offer our support to the Lewis family in their struggle for justice.
Terry Mills Chief Minister and Minister for police, GPO Box 3146, Darwin 0801. (p) 08 8928 6500
Email: chief.minister@nt.gov.au
John Elferink Attorney-General, PO box as above, (p) 08 8928 6615
Email: minister.elferink@nt.gov.au
Alison Anderson, Minister for Indigenous Advancement, PO box as above, (p) 08 8928 6587
Email: minister.anderson@nt.gov.au
Delia Lawrie, Leader of the opposition, PO box 3700, darwin, (p) 08 8928 6668
Email: opposition.leader@nt.gov.au
Lynne Walker, Shadow Attorney-General, PO box as above, (p) 08 8946 1446
Email: lynne.walker@nt.gov.au
Kon Vatskalis Shadow Police Minister, PO box as above, (p) 08 8946 1475
Email: kon.vatskalis@nt.gov.au
The coroner, Greg Cavanagh has no public e-mail address but contact may be made by writing to him at GPO box 1281, darwin, 0801 or (p) 08 8999 7770
I am often told that I only ever report the bad and not the good. not so, say I.
I place a report under the article for Mr. Lewis that definitely that accusation to shame.
Good news is there but very rare so herewith another good news article.
Ray Jackson
Email: isja01@internode.on.net
(m) 0450 651 063
(p) 02 9318 0947
Address: 1303/200 Pitt Street, Waterloo. 2017
Website: www.isja.org.au
We live and work on the stolen lands of the Gadigal people.
Sovereignty, Treaty, Social Justice
Green Left Weekly October 25, 2012
Rollback the Intervention released the statement below on October 24.
Another death of an Aboriginal man potentially involving police in the Northern Territory has sparked calls for an inquiry and urgent action to stop police harassment and brutality.
Mr E Lewis, a Warlpiri man living in Katherine, passed away shortly after being released from police custody on September 23.
Mr Lewis was a diabetic amputee, who was held in custody for more than 24 hours. He died in his sleep shortly after being released.
Family of Mr Lewis say there are many witnesses alleging he was treated~ roughly during his arrest, which occurred during a large card game in Katherine.
They also say that before his death, Mr Lewis had complained about being dragged and kicked in custody, along with being denied food, water and medication.
Mr Lewis' sister Dorris is demanding a coronial inquiry to examine the circumstances of the death. She has been unable to find out the cause of death. "We need for there to be a full inquiry into this death," she said. "It's not enough for the police to be in charge of the investigation. We feel only with an inquiry will we see the truth. And we need to see the CCTV footage from the cell right now.
"Many witnesses, non-Indigenous people too, have told our family that he was treated very roughly when he was taken into custody. He was dragged and thrown. They didn't care that he only had one leg.
"Before he passed away, my brother was telling his family that he had also been treated very roughly in the watch-house. He also said that he had not been fed or given drink or any medication. He could hardly sit up when he got home.
"After he had struggled to eat some food he went to sleep and passed away.
"We can't just let this go. We believe that the police must be held responsible. Unless there is some justice, they will just keep treating our people like this. The responsible officers need to be sacked for how they treated my brother.
"In 2004, we lost another family member from the police. They ran him over like a dog. All they did was pay some money and that was forgotten, no police got charged. This wouldn't happen to a non-Indigenous person. We need justice to be done for these deaths or it will keep happening.
"We don't see that the police are here to keep Australia in peace, or keep our town safe. Some police are nice and doing a good, real job. But others are going around dragging and bashing Aboriginal people and mistreating whether they are drunk or sober. We feel that they are doing criminal things themselves but always get away with it. Why can't we all treat each other with respect in this country and live as one?"
Patricia Morton-Thomas, spokesperson for the family of Kwementyaye Briscoe, who died in police custody in January, has visited the family of Mr Lewis in Katherine. Ms Morton-Thomas has pledged to fight to uncover the truth about his death and see that justice is done.
"This is now the fifth death in suspicious circumstances involving police or corrections staff since 2009 and the body count is unacceptable," Morton-Thomas said. "The Northern Territory government must do something urgently about the brutality and harassment that our people are experiencing at the hands of the police.
"Despite what happened to my nephew, my families consistent calls for justice and for the police department to change their ways, they are ignoring us and continuing with their inhumane treatment of Aboriginal people.
"We encourage all families who are victims of police brutality to join with us in the call for justice."
[For more information phone Dorris Lewis 0467 044 795, Patricia Morton-Thomas 0432 612 105.]
http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/52622
Policeman loses appeal against assault conviction
Carolyn Herbert ABC News Oct 26, 2012
Policeman's appeal against assault conviction fails Photo: Dismissing the appeal, Chief Justice Trevor Riley said there was "no explanation for the offending". (ABC TV)
A Northern Territory Police officer who was found guilty of assaulting a man in police custody has had an appeal against his conviction dismissed.
In July, an Alice Springs magistrate heard that Constable Ashley Burkhart used his arm to hit 28 year-old-Joshua Robertson on the head while he was in police custody.
The constable argued he was acting in self-defence because he thought Mr Robertson was going to spit at him or head-butt him.
Magistrate Greg Borchers said Mr Robertson was unable to defend himself because his arms were restrained behind his back and handcuffed.
Constable Burkhart was convicted and fined $400.
He appealed against the conviction.
In the Supreme Court in Darwin, Chief Justice Trevor Riley agreed with the ruling of Mr Borchers.
Chief Justice said there was "no explanation for the offending".
The appeal was dismissed and the conviction upheld.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-26/police-officer-conviction-appeal-d...
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About Needham
Departments M - Q
False Alarm By-Law
Town of Needham False Alarm By-Law
3.3.3 Control and Curtailment of Signals Emitted by Alarm Systems
(a) Every alarm user shall submit to the Police Chief his name, address and telephone number, and the names and telephone numbers of at least two other persons who are authorized to respond, after notification by the Police Department, to an emergency signal transmitted by an alarm system and who can open the premises in which the alarm system is installed. The owner of said premises shall immediately notify the Needham Police Department of any changes in the list of employees or other persons authorized to respond to alarms.
(b) All alarm systems, installed after the effective date of Section 3.3, which use an audible horn or bell, shall be equipped with a device that will shut off such bell or horn within (15) minutes after activation of the alarm system. All existing alarm systems in the Town of Needham must have such a shut-off device installed within six (6) months of passage of Section 3.3.
(c) Any alarm system emitting a continuous and uninterrupted signal for more than fifteen (15) minutes between 7 P.M. and 6 A.M. which cannot be shut off or otherwise curtailed due to the absence or unavailability of the alarm user, or those persons designated by him under paragraph (a) of Sub-section 3.3.3, and which disturbs the peace, comfort or repose of the community, neighborhood or a considerable number of inhabitants of the area where the alarm system is located, shall constitute a public nuisance. Upon receiving complaints regarding such a continuous and uninterrupted signal, the Police Department shall endeavor to contact the alarm user, or members of the alarm user's family, or those persons designated by the alarm user under Sub-section 3.3.3, in an effort to abate the nuisance. The Police Chief shall cause to be recorded the names and addresses of all complaints and the time each complaint was made.
d) No alarm system which is designated to transmit emergency messages or signals to the Police Department will be tested until the Police Dispatcher has been notified.
(e) The provisions of Section 3.3 shall not apply to alarm devices on premises owned or controlled by the Town, nor to alarm devices installed in a motor vehicle or trailer.
3.3.4 Penalties
(a) The user shall be assessed a false alarm service fine for each false alarm in excess of one (1) occurring within a calendar year according to the following schedule:
1) Second false alarm twenty-five dollars ($25)
2) Third false alarm fifty dollars ($50)
3) Fourth and subsequent false alarms, one-hundred dollars ($100)
The Police Chief shall notify the alarm user by mail or by service in hand by a police officer of such violation and said user shall submit payment to the Town Treasurer for deposit to the General Fund within fifteen (15) days of the notice.
(b) The owner of a system which causes six (6) or more false alarms within a calendar year, or who fails to pay the fee after said notice, may be ordered, by the Board of Selectmen, after a public hearing, to disconnect and otherwise discontinue the use of such system.
2011 "I'm Animal Friendly" Plate
Stray Animals in Town
Dog License Info
Dog Regulations (PDF)
Spay & Neuter Your Pet
Lost & Found Animals
Found Animals
Rabies Info
How Can You Help Prevent Rabies?
Mass Wildlife
HSUS
Alliance For Animals
Hawker/Peddler/Solicitor
Records Information
Arrest Log
State 911 Disability Information
Strays in Needham
Sex Offender Information
Level 3 Sex Offender Living In Town
Sex Offender Flyer
Needham Town Hall
1471 Highland Avenue
Other Town Buildings
How can I serve on a town board or commission?
How do I request public records from the Town?
Where can I register for parks and recreation programs?
How can I dispose of my recyclable materials?
Does the Town of Needham provide notary services?
Live, Work, Play, Needham
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Episode 40: Ed Litton - Exercise, adventure and excellent clinical care
This week’s guest, Australian intensivist Dr Ed Litton, truly amazes and inspires me. Despite having a full-time clinical and research career, and a young family, Ed pursues his passion for adventure mostly through ultra-endurance exercise.
Many intensivists run, swim, cycle or do other sorts of vigorous exercise in their spare time. Some even run marathons, swim regularly with a squad or cycle long distances to and from work. Some do all 3 by competing in triathlon events. Yet not too many intensivists take on ironman triathlons like Ed does. And how many cycle across Australia from Sydney to Perth as he did a couple of years ago?
Ed uses adventure and exercise to keep refreshed for his busy medical career. So to me this podcast conversation is a real treat. Hearing about this massive cross-continent bike ride, the recent family cycling trip across the New Zealand Alps he and his wife did with their 2 young children, and his love for other physical pursuits like surfing and climbing, is both educational and inspiring.
Ed Litton is a Staff Specialist in Intensive Care Medicine and Director of ICU Research at Fiona Stanley Hospital in Perth, Australia, and a Clinical Research Fellow in the ICU at St John of God Hospital in Subiaco. He is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship and is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia. Ed is a member of the executive committee of the Australia and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Centre for Outcomes Research Evaluation where he is clinical director of the Critical Care Resources Registry. He’s received over $6M in research support and published over 60 manuscripts in the peer reviewed literature.
I have admired Ed and his thoughtful approach to intensive care and to life for several years now. Apart from his approach to adventure and exercise he has many valuable perspectives on his bedside approach including:
What fascinates him about Intensive Care
Some of the things he learnt from his key mentors
The importance of reassurance for patients
Mixing patient-centred and digital information
The 2 phase ward round at his ICU
The internal pressure he felt as a new consultant to make fast decisions
Creating the right atmosphere in communicating with colleagues
His tendency to ruminate about his patients
Fatigue during ward rounds
His thoughts on sleep
How he uses meditation
The value of reading books
The difficulty in trying to be a jack of all trades in our careers.
Ed is caring, mature and very patient-focused. He’s also a super fit athlete. Please enjoy listening to the podcast.
About the Mastering Intensive Care podcast: The podcast is aimed to inspire and empower you to bring your best self to the intensive care unit through conversations with thought-provoking guests. I hope you’ll hear perspectives to help you improve as a healthcare professional and as a human being with the aim of helping your patients receive the best possible care.
Links to people, organisations and other resources mentioned:
Ed Litton on Twitter: @ed_litton
Article about Ed Litton’s bike ride across Australia
Alex Psirides
Simon Finfer
Rottnest Island swim
New Normal Project podcast
New Normal Project podcast - episode 48 with Caldwell Esselstyn
New Normal Project podcast - episode 49 with Scott Stoll
Book "In Shock" (by Rana Awdish)
Mastering Intensive Care podcast
Mastering Intensive Care page on Facebook
Mastering Intensive Care at Life In The Fast Lane
Andrew Davies on Twitter: @andrewdavies66
Andrew Davies on Instagram: @andrewdavies66
Email Andrew Davies
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Europe’s perplexed Pakistanis
By Pervez Hoodbhoy
PAKISTANI immigrants to Europe tend to get a bad press. I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised by my brief encounter in Stockholm three weeks ago with a dozen or so well-settled, ordinary working-class Pakistanis. Some had migrated from Mirpur (AJK), others from KP and Sindh. Their attitudes and lifestyles challenge the common negative stereotypes of Pakistani migrants in Europe.
Do you speak and read Swedish reasonably well? Are local laws fair and non-discriminatory? Do your children go to Swedish schools and do they have Swedish friends? Can you feel this to be your own country? Receiving positive responses, I slowly moved on to the most sensitive of questions and held my breath: Would you be okay if your daughter were to date a Swedish guy? Marry him? And, finally, is Sweden where someday you might choose to die and be buried?
Except for the very last question (where some wavered) all other answers were again affirmative. Significantly, these were not well-heeled upper-class folks who readily form a globalised community. Instead, they were bus drivers, hospital staff, and other blue-collar workers in love with their adopted country. They were trying hard to deal with the us-versus-them binary.
Were such attitudes more common the sickeningly familiar caricature of the backward, anti-freedom, unassimilable Pakistani migrant would vanish. But this wasn’t so clear once I probed further: could you kindly guess how many other Pak-Swedes are also largely positive about their new country?
Opinions varied but the consensus was clear — only a minority of first-generation Pak-Swedes, like this particular group, is fully at ease. Since they acknowledge getting a fair deal in their new country, what alienates the majority? Answer: discomfort with the bay hayaee (sexual laxity) of locals and their deen say doori (non-adherence to religion — any religion). As with other Pakistani immigrants in Europe, some stridently reject the core values of their host country and condemn the ‘immoral’ lifestyles of the majority.
Why do Pakistanis enjoying the West’s pluralism stay silent about pluralism within Pakistan?
This unctuous piety is sometimes dubious — it stands against a pioneering research study putting sexuality as a key motivation for young Pakistani men to emigrate. In his book: Masculinity, Sexuality, and Illegal Immigration – Human Smuggling from Pakistan to Europe, Ali Nobil Ahmad, a fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient in Berlin, finds the pull of deep-seated psychological forces no less important than the push of economic forces.
After interviewing dozens of young immigrant men from lower-middle-class backgrounds, Ahmad concludes that lure of adventure and libidinal frustration drives even relatively economically secure migrants. Risking life and limb, they hope to escape a conservative society where every form of contact with women is forbidden — other than a family-arranged marriage — into a world where pleasures of the flesh are tauntingly visible through advertising and the global media. Parents often marry them off before they depart but the problem doesn’t end there.
The sweet fruits of the Promised Land are enjoyed for a while but long term adaptation to the metropolises of Europe is difficult for many. Most perplexing is the freedom enjoyed by Western women, with whom liaisons are short term. To shut out their ‘corrupting influence’, families arrange for cousin marriages or import brides. These are routine in Britain’s poorest areas where immigrants have ghettoised.
Growing conservatism and poor schooling in the homeland has made Pakistani immigrants less absorbable globally. As Pakistan steadily becomes less liberal and goes the Al Huda way, the changes are visible in habits and dress. The burqa issue resounds throughout Europe. That welcome for unassimilable immigrants has dried out is unsurprising.
A highly visible trend among Pakistanis is greater immersion in one’s own religious community. Even in North America where Pakistanis are generally wealthier than whites, the social life of most expatriates — the richest ones excepted — organises itself around mosques and Islamic centres. Toronto, for example, is a city divided among Deobandis, Barelvis, Shias, Bohras, and Ismailis who have built their own places of worship and largely interact only among themselves. Ahmadis have a worship-cum-housing complex spread over 35 acres.
Isolation from the mainstream has extracted a price in the general well-being of immigrants, particularly for Pakistan-origin Brits. Muslim school students — of which a full 40 per cent are Pakistanis — have been documented as underachievers. Muhammad Anwar, a social scientist and author of British Muslims and State Policies argues that Pakistani-Brits generally have education achievement levels lying at the low end of all ethnic minorities in Britain.
On the other hand, immigrants who share values with the host country can rise high. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and home secretary, Sajid Javid, are obvious examples. Expectedly, wealthier, upper-class Pakistanis are familiar with Western cultural mores. Educated in top-notch schools, they find the West hospitable. This year, as every year, thousands will make their way to universities across North America, Europe, and Australia. Others will rely on immigration sponsorship by family members who are already citizens.
Most, whether wealthy or poor, will try their hardest to never return home and many will succeed in becoming first-generation immigrants. Some dream of wealth, others of personal fulfilment. Still others want to escape a suffocating social and physical environment. Most will be preoccupied in making a new life for themselves.
But exceptions aside — such as the few I met in Stockholm — Pakistani immigrants to the West don’t insist on changing things back in the homeland. That Pakistan needs to end discrimination against its ethnic minorities, women, and non-Muslims is heard but rarely, and that too only from Baloch, Sindhi and Kashmiri nationalist groups. One could have expected broader participation because immigrants benefit from open pluralist societies that, by law, must treat all citizens equally. This, of course, is why Pakistanis choose to immigrate.
If first-generation immigrants lack activism, perhaps the second generation will compensate someday. When such voices for justice are heard loud and clear — and if they are joined by immigrant communities from other countries in demanding changes back home — multiple noxious xenophobic movements in the West will collapse like a pricked balloon. Let’s hope.
The author teaches physics in Lahore and Islamabad.
Source: dawn.com/news/1437173/europes-perplexed-pakistanis
URL: http://newageislam.com/islam-and-sectarianism/pervez-hoodbhoy/europe’s-perplexed-pakistanis/d/116575
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Viva Hate
- 13th August 2015 26th May 2017
OVERVIEW | NEWS | SEASON 1
Starring: Tom Ljungman, Wilhelm Johansson, Mandus Berg
2014. Series Ended
Viva Hate takes place against the backdrop of the Gothenburg music scene in the late 1980s. Daniel is an unwanted lovechild from a one-night stand and is ignored by his mother in favour of his petty criminal brother, Tommy. He thinks that love is a lie and those who love are idiots. He thinks only of Morrissey, friendship with fellow rock band members of Viva Hate and their dream of making it big.
As Daniel tries to break through with his band, he gets entangled in his brother’s criminal life and finds his true love Fanny. The story explodes in music and action as Daniel finds out what really matters in life. It is an unpredictable and action-saturated drama that will engage with its rawness and humour.
The protagonist Daniel fights for love and truth, and in his attempts to find them his music becomes both an escape and a solution. An added bonus is the inclusion of tracks by The Smiths, The Cure and The Cult.
Viva Hate – Season 1
Viva Hate Picks Up Prestigious Prix Europa
Something’s Rockin’ | Mercur
Broder Daniel Celebrated At Göteborg Festival
Molanders
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The truth is, Israel doesn’t want peace
Posted by Thomas Nephew on December 1st, 2012
Map via Americans for Peace Now: Facts on the Ground
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told us once Israel wants peace:
“The truth is, Israel wants peace, and the truth is, the Palestinians are doing all they can to torpedo direct peace talks,” Netanyahu told his weekly Cabinet meeting.
(AP via Politico, 9/18/11)
If so, he’s got a funny way of showing it. First he has a Hamas leader killed who was negotiating with Israeli officials. Then: a massively disproportionate attack on Gaza — following a history both in the past year and the past twelve years of the same. And now, after Palestinians gained a limited measure of formal recognition at the U.N.,
Israel plans to build some 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and West Bank settlements in response to the Palestinians’ successful bid for recognition at the UN General Assembly this week, a senior diplomatic source told Haaretz on Friday.
According to the source, Israel also plans to advance long-frozen plans for the E1 area, which covers an area that links the city of Jerusalem with the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim.
If built, the controversial plan would prevent territorial contiguity between the northern and southern West Bank, making it difficult for a future Palestinian state to function.…
(In response to UN vote, Israel to build 3,000 new homes in settlements; Ravid, Haaretz, 11/30/11)
The truth is, Israel doesn’t want peace — at least its government and those who will probably re-elect it don’t. Judging by its actions, the Netanyahu administration wants conquest, occupation, blockade, and humiliation of Palestinians in their territories.
That’s nothing new, but it’s important to see the plain truth and I think it’s important to be willing to say so. Because of our nation’s nearly unconditional support for Israel, Americans don’t have right to just claim this is an intractable problem or say a pox on both their houses. We need to look at facts like those in the map or in this chart, prepared by “Visualizing Palestine“:
Palestinian and Israeli deaths since September 2000
via Visualizing Palestine)
The chart plainly shows an Israel far too interested in just killing alleged enemies (and anyone in the vicinity) — and not interested enough in preventing enmity by not killing first so often. The same could be said of the U.S., unfortunately. Yet both countries might actually be more safe the less often they kill in the name of safety. From a BBC report centered on a Gazan colleague’s loss of a baby boy:
Before I left Jehad’s house, leaving him sitting round a camp fire with other mourners, I asked him – perhaps stupidly – if he was angry over Omar’s death.
“Very, very angry,” he said, his jaw tensing as he glanced at the photos on his phone.
Jehad may well not look for revenge, but other Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank will.
EDIT, 12/1: “–following..” clause and links added.
Category: Post. Tags: israel, palestine. Thread RSS, Comment, Trackback. Print This
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'Never Greener' Review
2017 Man Booker Review: 4 3 2 1
2017 Man Booker Review: Autumn
2017 Man Booker Review: Days Without End
2017 Man Booker Review: Elmet
2017 Man Booker Review: Exit West
2017 Man Booker Review: History of Wolves
2017 Man Booker Review: Home Fire
2017 Man Booker Review: Lincoln in the Bardo
2017 Man Booker Review: Ministry of Utmost Happiness
2017 Man Booker Review: Reservoir 13
2017 Man Booker Review: Solar Bones
2017 Man Booker Review: Swing Time
2017 Man Booker Review: The Underground Railroad
2018 Man Booker review: From a Low and Quiet Sea
2018 Man Booker Review: Normal People
2018 Man Booker Review: Snap
2018 Man Booker Review: The Long Take
2018 Man Booker review: The Overstory
2018 Man Booker review: Warlight
A Lifelong Friendship
Admire, Be Inspired, and Enjoy
All Greek To Me
Book Review: Home is Nearby
Booker's Dozen 2018
Books To Enjoy… Rather Than Admire
Casting His Storytelling Spell
Coastal Calling
Costa Book Awards 2017/18
Dark, Damaged… And definitely In Demand
Enduring Impressions
Escape…into Real Life
First-Time Fiction
Frankenstein's Legacy
How To Talk So That Everyone Listens
In The Footsteps Of History
Invincible VI Strikes Again
Late Additions To The Literary Ball
Lost & Found In Battersea
Love, Loss and the Big Picture
Love, Sex, Betrayal and Books
Love, Struggle & Survival
Man Booker 2018: In Our Mad and Furious City
Man Booker 2018: Milkman
Man Booker 2018: The Mars Room
Man Booker 2018: The Water Cure
Man Booker 2018: Washington Black
Man Booker Review 2018: Everything Under
ManBooker 2016: the reviews
Memories of Mandela
Men Of Vision
Prized or Prejudiced
Reading The Future
Reasons to be Cheerful
Spring Into Fiction
Terrific Terry
The Best Books of the Last Twelve Months
The Booker's Dozen
The Wonder of Walliams
Uncovering The Real Cromwell
Uncovering The Real Harry
Very Heath Robinson
What To Read This Autumn
What To Read This Spring
What To Read This Winter
Shortlisted… and Perfectly Formed
The Costa Book Awards are one of the UK’s most prestigious and popular literary prize schemes, with a remit to recognise some of the most enjoyable books of the year. Launched as the Whitbread Prizes in 1971, the awards – uniquely – have five categories: First Novel, Novel, Biography, Poetry and Children’s Book. One of the five winning books is selected as the overall Costa Book of the Year.
COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD SHORTLIST
The Clocks in This House All Tell Different Times: Xan Brooks (Salt)
Reviewed by Jill Glenn
The title of The Clocks In This House All Tell Different Times is a witty metaphor for the social shift in 1920s England, when the country was recovering from the ravages of WW I: simultaneously working out how to accommodate its past and learn to be modern.
Discomfort besets you from the first pages. Four young teenagers, among them our heroine, orphan Lucy Marsh, are taken from their north London homes on weekly visits to Epping Forest to see ‘the funny men’: a quartet of damaged and disfigured ex-soldiers whose nicknames – Toto, Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion – hint at an innocence that is thoroughly misplaced.
The action moves from the forest to a stately home where dissolute aristocrats and jazz musicians co-exist in a drug-and alcohol-filled haze. The house – indeed, the book – is filled with humanity at its worst, with liars and thieves and abusers, with malice and hypocrisy and exploitation. It’s filled, too, with the damaged and the vulnerable, and its dark, dysfunctional storyline is shot through with moments of unexpected charm and grace, even with love. It’s rich, and clever, and very rewarding.
Great characterisation, too. With a cast that could so easily have become caricatures – and set in an almost fairytale landscape – The Clocks is impressively realistic. It’s a wonderfully accomplished novel: anarchic, funny, shocking – an outstanding debut.
Montpelier Parade: Karl Geary (Harvill Secker)
A teenage boy; an older woman. From these classic components debut novelist Karl Geary weaves a tale full of elegiac sadness and wild energy, set in Dublin in the 1980s.
His own experience – he grew up there, but left as a teenager – informs the story’s background, and grounds it in grim reality. ‘The 1980s in Ireland were brutal. It was a dreadful time,’ he said recently.
There is deprivation at the novel’s heart – the deprivation of a family in economic and emotional crisis – and a stultifying lack of opportunity for young Sonny, whose life opens up to strange new possibilities when he helps his father rebuild a garden wall on genteel Montpelier Parade, on the other side of the city. The wall belongs to a house owned by Vera, an English woman old enough to be the mother whom Sonny loves but can no longer connect with. Vera is educated, cultured and unlike anyone Sonny has ever met, and the attachment they make is both utterly unlikely and absolutely inevitable. Somehow, they meet on equal terms, each with their own private tragedies to conceal.
Montpelier Parade is written throughout in the second person. It takes you by surprise, initially – it’s a voice generally difficult to sustain for more than short passages – but here it largely works, and creates a powerful intimacy between reader and writer. It has its flaws, but really, this novel is a tour de force.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: Gail Honeyman (HarperCollins)
Reviewed by Lisa Botwright
A novel about intense loneliness doesn’t sound much fun; but I fell hard for this quirky and original book and was utterly smitten with the smart, capable, but oh-so damaged central character.
‘I have always taken great pride in managing my life alone. I’m a sole survivor, a self-contained entity,’ Eleanor Oliphant tells us unconvincingly. Her weekends are spent alone, drinking measures of vodka ‘spread out on both days, so that I’m neither drunk nor sober’. Mondays take a long time to come around. In the week, she continues her self-imposed isolation by withdrawing icily from her colleagues. Her observations veer from hilarious disdain (‘He had the look of a gazelle or an impala, one of those boring beige animals …The kind that always gets eaten by the leopard’) and utter incomprehension (‘Every so often she would giggle like a simpleton. Human mating rituals are unbelievably tedious to observe’). We’re initially perplexed by her detachment, but as the root of her unhappiness is slowly and shockingly revealed, perplexity turns to compassion.
When she and a colleague witness an accident, Eleanor is forced to come out of her shell, involuntarily, and to interact with the person she helps. As this single act of kindness brings on karmic ramifications, we find ourselves on tenterhooks, willing Eleanor to find the inner strength to open herself up to friendship.
The Haunting of Henry Twist: Rebecca F John (Serpent's Tail)
It’s 1920s London, and Ruby Twist has everything to live for: a tight knit circle of fun-loving friends, a husband she adores, and a much longed-for baby on the way. Her perfect life is snatched away her when, distracted, she steps in front of a bus. Henry Twist is left devastated by grief and with a baby daughter without a mother… ‘And yet, he has not crumpled as he thought he would. Now, it is as though his heart has paused partway through shattering and is held forever in a new fragmentary state, its brittle splinters scattered through his chest, like stitches, keeping the rest of him together.’
At first Henry avoids his friends, and eschews public life, terrified his daughter will be taken away from him. But then he meets Jack Turner, someone to whom he is irresistibly drawn. Why does Jack know his name, yet Henry doesn’t remember meeting him before? Why does Jack remind him so much of Ruby?
This is a beautifully written and atmospheric meditation on love and friendship, with an unusual supernatural edge. There is some great characterisation, such as the spoilt and vindictive Matilda who has designs on Henry, and the rich, jaded Monty who loves to stir-up drama. Overall, though, I find the novel very meandering. The structure lets the story down, and, I venture, needed tighter editing. It would have been a better novel at half its current length.
COSTA NOVEL AWARD SHORTLIST
Note that the first two reviews are slightly shorter, as these contenders for the Novel Award were reviewed earlier in the year when they were on the Man Booker longlist (Reservoir 13 and Hoe Fire). The full reviews can be found here… http://optimamagazine.co.uk/read/leisure/books
Reservoir 13: Jon McGregor (4th Estate)
The opening might suggest classic crime, but it’s evident that Reservoir 13 has its own particular trajectory and preoccupations that fall into no easily classifiable genre. This is a slow burn of a book: not a classic crime novel, but definitely a classic. Not a true thriller, either. But definitely thrilling.
Home Fire: Kamila Shamsie (Bloomsbury Circus)
The phrase ‘the sins of the fathers’ could have been coined to describe Home Fire. Both wonderful and terrible (in that it deals with terrible things), it occupies the interstices between the head and the heart, between politics and faith. Shamsie has her finger very much on the pulse of the modern world.
Under a Pole Star: Stef Penney (Quercus)
Ranging across Britain, America, Europe and the Arctic Circle in the late 1800s (with the occasional flash-forward to 1948) Under A Pole Star is a lively, rich account of turn-of-the-century polar exploration. Readers of Stef Penney’s The Tenderness of Wolves will know that she has a particular flair for writing about remote, icy landscapes and the communities marooned therein. She researches meticulously, and is very good at grounding her story into a presumed reality.
Each chapter starts with dates and precise longitudinal and latitudinal co-ordinates. It pulsates with authenticity, bringing vividly to life both the physical characteristics of the wilderness, and the emotional resonances of the people who pass through it – from Flora Mackie, daughter of a Dundee whaling captain, who first crosses the Arctic Circle in 1883 at the age of 12 and grows up to be a pioneering metereologist, to Jakob du Beyn, a New York geologist fascinated by glaciers, ice formations and big open spaces, to rival explorer Lester Armitage.
This is a brave, ambitious book with a slow-fast-fast-slow love affair at its heart. There are bold sex scenes (don’t make the mistake of thinking that an epic about a ground-breaking female explorer will be a safe bet for Granny) and moments of heart-stopping emotional intimacy. It’s not surprising that the front cover tagline describes Penney as ‘a supreme storyteller’.
Tin Man: Sarah Winman (Tinder Press)
Ellis and Michael share a bond that runs deep. Both lost their mothers young; both have dissonant relationships with violent, bigoted fathers. They meet as lost souls who immediately bring enormous comfort to each other. ‘We just existed in each other’s company… There was a safety to our friendship. We just fit,’ Michael explains much later.
The book is in two halves, the first a set of disjointed memories from Ellis, as he looks back over his boyhood and short marriage. We feel enormous empathy, without quite understanding the full spectrum of his sorrow. There’s an unsettling feeling that we’re being kept at arm’s length. When we read Michael’s story, all becomes clear: the reasons why their friendship was severed, the extent of their feelings. ‘It took a while to acknowledge the repercussions of that time. How the numbness in my fingertips travelled to my heart and I never even knew it,’ says Michael.
Love and loss are the central themes to this exquisitely written book: loss of potential, certainly, resulting from the socio-economic frustrations of poverty, and the emptiness that comes via emotional loss. Author Sarah Winman dissects this movingly in all its forms: loss thorough bereavement, through misunderstanding or through the heartbreak of unrequited love. Her prose is deceptively sparing; with a few choice words placed cleverly in a page, it has the power to unravel you completely. Despite finding myself sobbing into my pillow at one point, I absolutely adored this captivating read.
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Orion Mind
Controversy: Timbavati Rhino Hunting (South Africa)
This is an open letter from Timbavati Game Reserve Chairman Tom Hancock regarding the limited hunting of selected rhino in that reserve. A recent controversy erupted when it was ‘discovered’ (although it has proceeded quite openly for years) that amidst the current and alarming rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, white rhinos were being legally hunted in this flagship reserve along the western boundary of Kruger National Park. Accusations flew and social media exploded with vitriol.
1) Should an individual’s personal revulsion to rhino hunting translate into ban or cessation? I understand someone’s personal aversion to hunting, or hunters, but do these sentiments equate to sound conservation polices? Ironically, some of the most respected and erudite conservationists say no, antipathy to rhino hunting should not translate into bans because properly conducted it is a tool that has served the species very well.
2) It is clear that illegal horn traders have fronted as ‘legitimate’ clients with shady outfitters and there is no doubt that this ‘loophole’ is a serious threat to the industry and credible conduct. I agree that this is a serious problem, driving any current benefits towards a zero sum outcome.
The letter makes their case quite simply. Draw your own conclusions:
“The Timbavati does not support the idea of stopping an activity which is legal, sustainable, scientific and professionally managed, supported by numerous conservation-oriented NGOs and research institutions, and which brings in the very revenue required to counter the uncontrolled and highly illegal scourge that is rhino poaching. For the Timbavati to be financially sustainable and for us to achieve our conservation aims and objectives we need sustainable sources of revenue whether it is from limited hunting, photographic tourism other sources.
Individual landowners do not benefit financially from any hunting which takes place in the Reserve and are prohibited from hunting commercially on their own properties. The Timbavati Association is a not-for-profit conservation organisation.
100% of the proceeds generated from sustainable hunting activities in the Timbavati are utilised exclusively for the conservation and protection of not only our rhino population, but also the protection of all fauna and flora under our custodianship.
Sustainable utilisation of our natural resources as practised by the Timbavati is legal, well supported by environmental legislation, government, and SANParks as well as by a large number of reputable, relevant research institutions and conservation-based NGOs [Research available on request]. Sustainable utilisation of natural resources by way of hunting is entrenched in the Policy for Buffer Zones to National Parks.
The general consensus of the scientific community and reputable conservation NGOs appears to be against an outright ban on the hunting of cats and rhino. CITES states that rather than trophy hunting having a negative impact on white rhino population, "available information suggests the contrary".
The Timbavati supports the findings of Endangered Wildlife Trust chief Yolan Friedman and Wilderness Foundation chief Andrew Muir who cautioned that a moratorium on rhino hunting could have “unintended and negative consequences which are prejudicial to the southern white rhino conservation as a whole”.
“To allow the continued expansion of rhino range and numbers, and so enable overall numbers in the country to grow… the private sector and communities have to provide the new conservation land. The extent to which they do so largely depends on economic incentives and the perceived risk of managing rhino.”
They conclude that a moratorium on hunting could also result in a drop in rhino prices and encourage owners to remove more of their animals.
IUCN Species Survival Commissions (SSC) African Rhino Specialist Group (AfRSG) (Appendix 4) has over the years recognised the generally positive role that sport hunting has played in the increase in white rhino numbers in South Africa. Hunting of white rhino (WR) started in 1968 when perhaps there were only around 1,800 white rhino in Africa. It helped give white rhino a value on auctions that has encouraged the expansion of numbers and range. Thus white rhino numbers in South Africa have increased over 10 fold since hunting started.
The support for the continued hunting of white rhino is taken up by the man who arguably was largely responsible for saving the white rhino from extinction, Dr Ian Player. Dr. Player stated in an interview recently that in 1960 it was estimated that there were 60,000 black rhino in Africa, and only 600 white . By the end of Operation Rhino (of which Dr. Player played a central role), there were only a few thousand black rhino while white rhino numbers were growing rapidly. Dr Player commented, “What lead to this, and what people don’t understand – and don’t want to understand - is that in 1970, white rhino were placed back on the hunting list. That meant that game ranchers were able to buy [white rhino] and have hunters come and shoot them and pay a lot of money to do so. To the great credit of the ranchers, they were taking that money, buying more land and buying more rhino. The numbers of rhino shot were minimal, but what it meant was the habitat was being expanded all the time and that literally lead to an explosion of white rhino.”
Thanks to Operation Rhino, it is estimated that there are approximately 4,500 white rhino (or 23% of the world’s population) on 2.2 million hectares of private land in South Africa (EWT). The combined habitat on private land is bigger than the size of the Kruger National Park.
In 1968 the Timbavati was one of the first recipients of white rhino under Operation Rhino. Initially 4 white rhino were introduced and over the next 5 years, we purchased a further 22 from the then Natal Parks Board. In 1994, prior to the removal of the ecological disaster that was the fence between the Kruger and Timbavati, our white rhino population had grown to 67. On removal of the fence we immediately lost 70% of our rhino to Kruger. So the Timbavati helped to stock the central KNP areas with white rhino. As the meta population in the Kruger expanded north, our white rhino numbers slowly recovered to such an extent that we believe we are close to territorial capacity. As we have no fence, all game found in the Timbavati (and the Kruger) is legally classified as “res nullius” or ownerless. Therefore the accusation that we are hunting Kruger rhino, from both a legal and logical standpoint, is absolute nonsense. To the contrary, by removal of the fence, Timbavati helped to increase white rhino numbers in the central Kruger area.
Contrary to popular belief, according to CITES the overall populations of both white rhinoceros and the black rhinoceros continue to increase in the wild despite high and increasing levels of poaching. White rhinoceros populations now total about 20,165 individuals, and black rhinoceros populations about 4,880.
When it comes to hunting, we will always encounter emotive arguments. Our management team have a duty to put emotion aside to make the best decisions based on the best scientific information available to ensure we uphold our objective to “promote the conservation of biodiversity for the sake of posterity, and to manage its ecosystem, landscapes & species populations to serve the ecological interests of the Timbavati and the Open System”.
My greatest fear regarding the uninformed anti-hunting activists is that their sentimentality for individual species, or even for individual specimens within a species, will have the unintended consequence of the decline or even destruction of certain species in the wild.
There are many animal rights activists and members of the public who criticise sustainable hunting without really understanding the harsh realities facing conservation in Africa. And then you get true conservationists who are involved with saving and protecting rhino all day, every day. The Timbavati is the latter and probably does more to protect rhino than any NGO or other private organisation. This comes at huge cost and needs to be paid for somehow.
The Timbavati has one of the most effective anti-poaching units in the world. This comes at a cost. We have experienced field rangers (who receive paramilitary training), electrified alarmed fences, and vehicles for armed response. In additional there are costs associated with informants fees, fees paid to assist with intelligence gathering, improved firearms to counter increased firepower of poachers and legal fees to represent staff when they are involved in shooting incidents. And we have darted, micro-chipped and DNA-sampled more than 70 rhino in an on-going programme to aid law enforcement in curtailing the illegal trade in rhino horn. The list goes on…
When it comes to the war on poaching we are the Western Front. Not only do we protect rhino located within the Timbavati, we also protect a large number of rhino located in the western section of the Kruger National Park (KNP). We are a Buffer Zone to the National Park. The Timbavati works with the KNP on a daily basis to coordinate anti-poaching activities. We are on the ground, all day, every day protecting rhino at huge personal risk to our dedicated field rangers and management. Armed incidents with well-armed poachers are a regular occurrence.
Specialist independent scientific studies are undertaken for each species to be hunted which analyses the impact of any off-take of the species. From the study, a hunting protocol emerges, which dictates how and which individual specimens may be hunted. All animals removed from the Timbavati through hunting have to be under permit issued by the provincial conservation agency, after approval by the Kruger National Park . This is a lengthy and controlled exercise, and should the sustainability of any species, or any sub-group within a species, be under threat generally indicted by a decline in numbers, the process would prohibit the hunting of such species. The Timbavati would never allow hunting of a certain species if there was any negative impact, short or long term.
Dr David Mabunda, CEO of SANParks recently stated, ''We have a good relationship with the Timbavati Association, and they are excellent conservationists. Hunting in private reserves, contractual and provincial parks is allowed within the framework of provincial legislation and sustainable use of natural resources. This framework means that hunting can only take place if it is based on scientific studies, scoping exercises, aerial surveys and the granting of a permit to hunt by the department responsible for conservation. SANParks scientists and rangers are part of the process that determines [hunting operations]. We have reached an agreement with Timbavati and the other privately owned reserves that border the Kruger Park. This agreement states that the area would be managed according to the management plan that applies to the Kruger National Park. And our policy is open to the sustainable use of natural resources.”
Hunting of iconic species will always be emotive and unpopular to the many uninformed. People do not need to enjoy hunting, or to respect hunters. Rather they need to understand the enormous benefits that hunting – including the hunting of white rhino - brings to conservation, not only in the Timbavati, but to the whole of southern Africa.
Do we have a rhino hunting problem or a rhino poaching problem? We all agree we have the latter but to say that they are one and the same thing is simply ludicrous. Sustainable hunting of rhino is legal, and encouraged by environmental legislation and policy, generates revenue for general conservation activities and rhino protection and, probably most importantly, results in the expansion of rhino habitat and numbers.
We are constantly looking for alternative revenue sources to fund our conservation operations. The Timbavati regards itself as one of the few examples in Africa where photographic tourism and sustainable utilisation through harvesting are conducted within the same environment. The Timbavati does not regard these activities as mutually exclusive. Many of our landowners run successful lodges which generate conservation levies, but eco-tourism is not a panacea for all the challenges facing conservation in southern Africa, and the number of lodges that the Timbavati can sustain from an ecological and financial perspective is limited. It is generally accepted by reputable scientists that photographic tourism operations are more damaging to the environment than sustainable, well managed hunting operations. Simple anecdotal evidence from the Timbavati illustrates the point: it takes approximately 18,000 guest nights in lodges (or one guest staying for 50 years) to generate the same revenue that the Timbavati Association receives from one hunter shooting one rhino.
If you are a critic of rhino hunting, ask yourself “What have I done to save the rhino today?” and compare your answer to what the Timbavati does every day, all day.
Tom Hancock”
Copied from the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve website.
Follow the fray from here.
Labels: Africa, Animal Ethics, Conservation Hunting
Drageo March 18, 2013 at 8:57 AM
"... Simple anecdotal evidence... 18,000 guest nights in lodges (or one guest staying for 50 years)... generate same revenue that Timbavati ... receives from one hunter shooting one rhino."
Okay, say hunting one rhino fetches about R1 million (doubt it could be more than that?), then if this is equivalent to 18 000 guest nights, the average nightly tariff is only R1 million / 18000 = R55... really? Just checked the website, and the cheapest accommodation is a thatched hut at Umlani bush camp at R3000 per person per night. That translates to (R3000*18000) = R54 million according to the ration you cited. That is, 54 times more than a rhino hunt?
Your comparison does not add up... please provide the correct data. It is since these distorted figures are always blurted out by hunters' associations that people generally mistrust the soundness of the hunting industry. Considering the vast number of tourists that come for simple game-viewing and the rates they pay for accommodation, anyone will have a hard time convincing the broader, or uninformed (as you so arrogantly put it), public that the hunting industry trumps game-viewing industry.
Doubtless, hunting has contributed to saving rhino in the past, and it can be managed sustainably, however it can also be abused and can be conducted in an inhumane, immoral and abusive manner. While I am (cautiously) pleased by Timbavati's conduct regarding hunting, I do not as you said 'respect' hunters. I regard hunting a necessary evil, but an evil nonetheless. What is sickening though, from not only an emotive point of view, but from one of principle as well, is that the death of a creature for boastful pleasure and sport is needed as incentive to keep the rhino alive.
That is what it comes down to... hunters say they will keep animals alive for as long as they can soothe their bloodlust and pick one or two off now and then, and (some) game owners will keep them alive for as long as its lucrative, and no longer.
Still, thanks to all, including hunters and their company, who have the intention of keeping our wildlife alive. If your motives are pure, then I support your cause.
Brian March 18, 2013 at 9:25 PM
Drageo,
Thank you for your comment. To clarify, this is a copy of a letter written by Tom Hancock, not me. You make number of erroneous accusations, like “Your comparison” and “as you so arrogantly put it”. I did none of those in this case.
I too was amazed at the 18000:1 guest-nights to rhino hunter ratio. Unfortunately I do not have accurate data to refute or confirm this calculus. Like you, I can only make coarse estimations. I agree it sounds very high. The gist of that comparison however is to highlight the relative reduction in physical impact a hunter may have compared to other visitors when considering per capita revenue. I think there is little debate that ‘eco-tourism’ can manifest in very environmentally destructive ways, especially when conducted at the economies of scale that might be required to generate useful returns in large conservation areas. Lodges, roads, vehicles, waste, utilities, supply chains etc all come with environmental costs. Furthermore, these facilities are often located in the most scenic areas and rapidly blight the landscape (purely a profit motive, few are charity venues or eschew the most beautiful locations out of ethical solicitude). Often erroneously referred to ‘non-consumptive’ tourism is more damaging than people like to admit. Hunting often requires far less facilities for larger returns. There are many areas that hold little aesthetic appeal for many tourists but can be well served by hunting in order to achieve the social incentives for conservation. Conversely, as you rightly allude to, hunting can be destructive, corrupt and a disservice to legitimate conservation, but so can ‘lodges’. Context is key. In some contexts hunting may be a poor choice for managing wildlife, in others it may be best and others may find a happy balance across spaces or seasons.
I must challenge your belief that hunters “…will keep them alive for as long as it’s lucrative, and no longer”. This is not true. The profit motive extends well beyond hunting and its practitioners. Under a private property regime wildlife needs to provide a return, or survive off donations. Most land in SA is private. Regardless of the nature of the wildlife business, money is a major incentive to land owners. The financial motives for lodges to incur costs for charismatic species can be the same as hunting outfits. I have seen game viewing and hunting reserves managed identically insofar as they create very high densities of ‘desirable’ species, engage in bush ‘enhancement’ for easier viewing, build high densities of artificial water points (with attendant problems) etc. By contrast there are many outstanding conservation efforts that see contributions from hunters with zero personal profit motives. Many involved with these causes incur high time, financial and labour costs. Think of groups like Ducks Unlimited (a serious force in conservation), Trout Unlimited et al. They sell their missions based on business plans to benefit landowners and governments through preserving the ecological services provided by good habitat and are funded by donations and sales of hunting licenses. Most of their supporters have no, or very little, financial return on consuming wildlife. My point with this comparison is that it provides evidence that the conservation moral- economy is in fact well peopled by concerned hunters, and of course non-hunters, with no income motive. People with differing animal ethics are equally concerned with the issues of habitat and populations. Many conservation NGO’s see substantial contributions from financially disinterested hunters who have a deep seated desire to conserve the foundations of wildlife populations.
I guess we disagree on our environmental worldview and moral reasoning in terms of what we consider ethical relationships with animals. We ALL cause some level of animal mortality from our lifestyles and hunting is not a proxy for environmental disregard. There is no natural law that predetermines ethical superiority based on participation in hunting.
Firstly, I apologize for the personal address. I am afraid I started reading at the tail end of the post, and did not see that this was in fact a letter.
I acknowledge your above comments on the undesirable ecological effects of eco-tourism. Much of what you had mentioned is visible in the Kruger National Park, for instance. This I do not deny. Although, regarding the issue of revenue generation, I remain largely convinced that game-viewing parks trump that of hunting-reserves. This is easily supported by the comparative frequency of income and the size of target markets for the two respective reserve types. Moreover, conservation fees are usually charged in addition to hospitality fees - the returns of each may be applied to the betterment of that end. Yet, as you have also emphasized, this does not hold in all contexts. For smaller reserves and less popular holiday destinations, I comprehend how the converse could be true.
I reiterate that I do not deny the contribution of the hunting industry, and simply do not favor it. Personally, I will not hunt an animal - likely for the same reasons I will not slaughter livestock myself. I simply do not consider it a leisure to kill. Perhaps I do not have the stomach for it. A common argument from the pro-hunting community is that this constitutes hypocrisy, since I do not refrain from consuming meat and do not condemn farming, but am highly critical of hunting. The difference from where I stand is evident - livestock are bred for that purpose, is in no danger of extinction and seldom have an alternate role to play, neither as a commodity nor as a part of an ecosystem.
Finally, and likely most importantly, the primary factor influencing my (dis)regard for hunting is the concept of 'trophies'. I am familiar with trophies as being a testament of some great accomplishment or a great deal of hard work or endurance... I cannot see the merit in being able to kill an animal using a firearm - I have seen children do it without effort. Of course, therein lies yet another reservation I have. People often allow, or even encourage, their children to hunt. Though this is not limited to children, I am concerned that people may get desensitized to the act of killing through hunting.
Understand that I grew up among leisure hunters and their children, and I can testify that the majority of those kids had no regard for the life of an animal. Some of them shot at random dogs in the street, stray or not, and they showed no compassion for anything that is vulnerable or weaker than themselves. They could not behold so much as a picture of an animal without expressing their desire to kill it. I do not believe that this is healthy conditioning. Might I say that their parents often displayed similar behavior.
I concede that my comments regarding hunters are at times overly harsh and greatly generalized, and I do apologize to any individuals that hunt and have some profound underlying philosophy to support it (that is other than a desire to kill). My problem does not so much lie with hunting as a conservation mechanism, but as a form of recreation. It is, as you also mentioned, something that emanates from differences in worldviews, I suppose.
In the context of recent events, understand that it is not difficult to lose faith in hunting societies, considering the high level of involvement in poaching incidents, and also taking into account a great deal of misrepresentation of facts regarding their industry for monetary purposes, political leverage and the legalising of trade.
Thank you for your informative reply, and your mature engagement in debate. You have a very impressive blog.
Hi, no need to apologize.
I agree that not all hunters are ‘virtuous’ or compassionate enough. Interestingly I found that killing and taking responsibility for an animal’s death has bread in me a different awareness of compassion. I accept death, I happens quite viciously even in my backyard ecosystem, but I am less tolerant of unnecessary cruelty and suffering the more I hunt. Causing death without a intervener at an abattoir has made me less inclined to accept the cruelty inherent in a lot of livestock industries and prefer to strive for a clean kill by my hand than hope someone else is as conscious of that.
I have often heard people profess that they would rather eat livestock for the reason you have given. I consider that questionable from two viewpoints. 1) Environmentally – while livestock like cattle have been shown by people like Joel Salatin and Alan Savoury to be potentially very beneficial to plant and soil health if managed in certain specific ways, most often livestock farming has a deleterious effect on the environment and as such I am not certain I would consider it superior from that stance. Of course the variables that could measure these effects are many and judgement would need to be reserved for certain cases with knowledge the context. That livestock can and do cause the decline or eradication of wildlife is also reason to be highly critical of it from a conservation view; not just large wildlife can be threatened but environmental health on a far larger scale can suffer from livestock. Livestock certainly have provided motives for the extirpation of wildlife but modern hunting practiced within the parameter of science based legislation has led to more increases than declines as far as I know? The same cannot be said for the recent history of livestock as it is managed in many instances.
2) Secondly, there are issues of welfare and suffering of the individual. Because a cow is bread for the purpose of slaughter does make it less sentient or less capable of suffering than a Kudu or Whitetail Deer. That many domestic animals experience significant suffering, discomfort and pain in industrial meat production systems, in my mind, makes it ethically inferior to most hunted animals. Wildlife live under conditions of natural circadian rhythms, natural mate selection, no confinement, no therapeutic drug use, no branding, typically no transport etc. I concede that in some Southern African game ranches these factors are slightly influenced by more intensive management than under more ‘wild’ conditions. However I believe my point is still worthwhile. Most domestic livestock enjoy no such natural freedoms in fact many endure just the opposite, many living in conditions of extreme discomfort and pain. By virtue of this I would think that eating a caged chicken of crate confined pig can’t possibly be more ethical than eating a Gemsbuck shot on a Kalahari ranch?
Interesting topics and necessary debates…
Ironically if most anti-hunters and hunters sat around a table they would probably soon realize that they all want the same end result – healthy ecology, wildlife conservation, minimally fragmented habitats and a secure future for these.
South Africa News Online July 18, 2013 at 9:22 PM
In the past, many kinds of Rhino were found. But due to the hunting of this animal his species are going to end. The people found involved in the Rhino’s hunting should be hardly punished so that the existence of the Rhino can make possible.
Hadon hal December 7, 2016 at 2:25 PM
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You are at:Home»Army»Women in Combat … one step closer
Women in Combat … one step closer
By Lance Bacon on March 7, 2011 Army, Congress
Photo by Lance Cpl. Clifton D. Sams
The Military Leadership Diversity Commission, a commission established to study diversity among military leaders, today recommended the Pentagon remove the combat exclusion policy and allow women to serve in ground combat units.
This is one of 20 recommendations contained in its report, “From Representation to Inclusion: Diversity Leadership for the 21st Century Military.” (PDF)
Eric Stratton III on March 7, 2011 8:27 pm
This whole thing is pure PC!
As for combat MOS, No, they cannot and should not and here is why:
In the end, women do not belong in ground combat, they are more of a liability than an asset, this is always ignored when it is discussed in the Media, in Congress or on here. Below is some good info for you that I have cut and pasted from my previous answers on the same topic.
From the report of the Presidential Commission on the Assignment of Women in the Armed Forces dated November 15, 1992, it states in part:
The average female Army recruit is 4.8 inches shorter, 31.7 pounds lighter, has 37.4 fewer pounds of muscle, and 5.7 more pounds of fat than the average male recruit. She has only 55 percent of the upper-body strength and 72 percent of the lower-body strength.
An Army study done in 1988 found that women are more than twice as likely to suffer leg injuries and nearly five times as likely to suffer fractures as men.
Further, the Commission heard an abundance of expert testimony including:
– women’s aerobic capacity is significantly lower, meaning they cannot carry as much as far as fast as men, and they are more susceptible to fatigue.
– in terms of physical capability, the upper five percent of women are at the level of the male median. The average 20-to-30 year-old woman has the same aerobic capacity as a 50 year-old man.
After a study was conducted at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, one expert testified that:
– using the standard Army Physical Fitness Test, the upper quintile (top 20%) of women at West point achieved scores on the test equivalent to the bottom quintile (bottom 20%) of men.
– only 21 women out of the initial 623 (3.4%) achieved a score equal to the male mean score of 260.
– on the push-up test, only 7% of women can meet a score of 60, while 78% of men exceed it.
– adopting a male standard of fitness at West Point would mean 70% of the women he studied would be separated as failures at the end of their junior year, only 3% would be eligible for the Recondo badge, and not one would receive the Army Physical Fitness badge.
Also, recent studies indicate women are more at risk to getting PTSD, as documented from Iraq and Afghanistan, women who were never in direct combat but whose camps were shelled were more likely to develop PTSD than there male counter-parts. You can also look up the US Navy SPARTAN study, women were asked to complete a lot of the Damage Control Tasks that are mandatory on a ship. They performed in a rather terrible manner at the start. The women were then put on a 6 month weight training program and asked to do the test again. A lot of the test are obsolete since the P-250 pump is no longer in use but the one that will never go out is the two man litter carry up and down the ladder on a ship. None of the women passed getting the wounded man up the ladder and <2% passed going down ( a lot easier I might add). What did the Navy do in regard to this result? They changed the standard to a four man litter carry. Ever been on a ship? Good luck with 4 people fitting on that ladder! lol!
The myth that they are currently egaged in combat drives me up a wall a bit, riding in a HUMMER after the target is cleared is not going head to head. Don't ignore the truth because it does not fit your premise, I have no doubt that women can be just as brave as a man but it does me no good when she cannot get me back to my helo, hummer or foxhole because she is to weak. It does me no good when she cannot hump the same weight I can for as long as I can because she is physically unable to do so. It does me no good when she is injured more easily than a man, etc..etc…do not look at this as a right, you need to look at this as a National Security Issue, do you really want the weakest person doing that job? Do not fall for the myth that if we have the same standards for all that it will be ok then, the standards will be dropped so low that someone in a wheel chair could pass them due to politics, look at the SPARTAN Study! lol! They would rather risk peoples lives than hold a standard and stick there necks out and risk there careers! (They being the Officer Corps). If you are honest in your assessment, you would say that while women may be ok to be pilots, they have no place in areas of ground combat and/or even on ships in many instances due to physical differences, a different hard wiring (being more and more proven every year) and common sense. Women and Men are not social constructs to interchange and war is not meant for a social science lab.
LTC Vasquez on March 7, 2011 9:08 pm
Having only scanned the report as opposed to reading it in detail I cannot help but notice some absurd inconsistencies in the summary alone. The report claims to redefine “Diversity” as
all the different characteristics and attributes of individuals that are consistent with DoD core values, integral to overall readiness and mission accomplishment, and reflective of the nation we serve
The entire summary however focuses on the most simplistic but easily measured method of determining “Diversity” and that of course is skin color/ethnic background and gender. Apparently when the writers developed this definition, the only characteristics and attributes that are consistent with DoD core values are that of gender,ethnicity and race. As an example, the Review of Eligibility Requirements, the Improve Recruiting and Outreach, and the Eliminate Barriers to Career Advancement sections focus solely on increasing ethnic minorities and female representation within the military and specifically in leadership positions. I find this very approach appalling because the entire report is based on two false presumptions:
1. This approach is of itself sexist and racist in that is supposes that all people of a given ethnic background or gender are the same thereby allowing the DoD to measure “diversity” solely by gender, skin color and ethnic background. The individual values, upbringing and behavior are assumed to be in total conformance with the stereotypical perceptions of that group. It has been long argued that it is this very mindset that assumes that a given person can be known simply by their gender, color of their skin or ethnicity is inconsistent with American Values not just Military Values. I am in agreement with such an argument. Ethnic groups and genders are simply not homogeneous and should not be assumed to be in order to measure the level of “diversity”.
2. The reports attempt to achieve “diversity” is not consistent with the same value that it repeatedly refers to and that is of the concept of Equal Opportunity. This report indicates that Equal Opportunity is not sufficient by itself. Instead we must find ways as an organization to achieve “Equal Results.” Now given that results are measured by race, gender and ethnicity only, what can we truly expect to see in terms of actual Equal Opportunity? The whole report is based on the assumption that “institutional barriers” are to blame for shortcoming in its definition of “diversity”. While there are some clear barriers to females in terms of assignments and specialty skills, I see no such barrier (and challenge anyone to provide actually evidence of this fantastic conspiracy) to any ethnic or racial group and to assume as much is at best foolish and at worst catastrophic to the military. When “Equal Results” are sought (which according to the recommendations should be enforced), what is going to happen to the concept of “Equal Opportunity” or “Equal Treatment” for that matter? The only way to achieve these results is to institute a system of affirmative action in order to achieve “demographic accountability” which is of course little more than making opportunities and treatment unequal in the name of achieving some fabricated noble goal.
This entire report was written under the two listed false presumptions and their recommendations reflect as much. It is sad that the DoD has been reduced to such ridiculous propaganda generated from unsubstantiated assumptions
Rebar on July 29, 2011 6:38 pm
I am so glad I never joined the military… My drill instructor could have been some black ebonics-speaking woman! Yey! Diversity!!!
Ever since “DIEversity” was introduced after WWII, the US has LOST EVERY WAR it has started with the exception of Grenada and Panama. Diversity creates weakness and disunity! End rampant non-white immigration!
Katherine Rogers on July 30, 2011 8:42 pm
Even if only ONE woman passes the standard should she be excluded BECAUSE she is a woman? Stop trying to use the military as a male test of manhood.
The ability to enage in combat ONLY proves…the ability to engage in combat. MANY males come back from combat and can not function in society as an ADULT MEN, hold a job, support a wife and children, keep a roof over his head and that of his family, and keep himself out of trouble with the legal authorities. They feel bewildered because they THINK they have passed a “manhood” test and yet are failing out of life as an adult man. Its not an initiation into manhood. The military has made the error for YEARS of attempting to TELL young males that it is DURING training. Its false. Children are capable of killing others. Combat qualification does NOT prove you’re a MAN.
Is the image that you as a male will go off and do …heroic deeds…and some pretty young female will be waiting at home? It pops THAT bubble if the soldier NEXT to you is a woman.
(There is side note here as to why I ask for equal opportunity but speak of men supporting women financially. If YOU get her pregnant guys…step up as adults and take responsibility. )
If ANYONE passes the PFT, what right has anyone ELSE to exclude that soldier.
Dont lower the standard to help any ONE group have a higher pass rate. Its an insult to women who DID aerobic sports, weight lifting, and martial arts DURING high school when others are allowed a pass at a lower standard to include those of their own gender.
Those women that DO pass the same standard as for males are NOT given any different status than those that pass the lower standard.
Too many are geting injured from sports related injuries during their military career. It is not optimal to take couch sitting, potato chip eating, video game players and put them into strong physical activity at the level of the mlitary. Do not put girls in PE classes playing leisure activities such as badmitton then send them to basic. Ligaments and tendons need to be conditioned for years to stand up to that stress.
Make passing the standards for the PFT part of the requirement for high school graduation. Set lower standards to pass earlier grades of school so that students train through out school. Even if accademically prepared, those students that have allowed themselves to become out of shape need to MAKE the time to regain their health. Students that fail may be given a certificate of attendance and /or accademic achievement if they earn the latter.
Students in the US are given a “free” education. It costs the taxpayer so isnt in fact free, but the STUDENT isnt required to pay tuition. REQUIRE students to pass a physical standard to pass to the next grade with the standard for the 12 grade equaling that of the male standard in Basic. Why should the state pay for students to spend years becoming physically unfit?
We as a country need to be strong and fit, if nothing else, as a deterrant against foreign agressors. We need a country where even your little sister could take out the average soldier from THEIR side. Do you WANT a country where the women arent trained to protect themselves and their country? Would a foreign invader be more or less likely to come here if the KNEW even if ALL the men were away and the women are NOT helpless? What if the women were trained in some serious combat skills. I would prefer where the response is …oh no dont attack the US… even the little high school girls would kill you. Dont mess with the US.
You do the country NO favors if you keep any ONE group weak. If there is a problem with females passing the standards go into the high schools and remediate the problem. Look online at the athletics events for women. Women CAN be trained to meet the standards. It may take longer than the usual time allotted for basic training IF the average mentality is that girls should sit and look pretty and not train. Girls can NOT spend 4 years of high school with athletic funds going towards male football and baseball. Move the focus in high school to individual fitness. There ARE no additional funds for sports teams paid for by the taxpayer as LONG as the majority of the students graduating can NOT pass a PFT.
It can be argued that even then it is wrong to take money from ANY other taxpayer so that YOUR son or daughter can play on a sports team. The taxpayer gains no benifit from your child getting that privledge. If you want teamwork and leadership training use military style training exercises to that at the same time students are preparing to defend their country. No one would stop anyone from ADDITIONALLY paying for THEIR OWN child to be on a sports team out of their OWN family money.
Some WOULD not pass the PFT even if it is required for a full diploma. Do NOT lower the standard so that MORE students may get a full high school diploma. Set one national standard for graduation of high school to match the needs of the military and let all who will attempt to pass the physical and mental tests.
If women pass the SAME standard as for males, it is no ones right to stop them from doing their job for their country.
Mike on August 25, 2011 9:21 pm
[Comment edited]
Having integrated combat units is a bad idea for a number of reasons. Other than the fact that 80% of women are completely incapable of passing even the minimum requirement that we expect from male soldiers they are a combat liability.
The Israelis tried using women in combat units. Because the women were not effective combat soldiers the men in the unit disregarded the operational objective and focused on protecting the women.
Say it’s sexist all you want, it’s not how you win battles.
The second compelling reason to me is the high potential pregnancies will cause a unit to become combat ineffective. This phenomenon first presented itself in the Gulf War. US Navy ships had to be sent back to Norfolk because half the women on board got knocked up and thus the ship was no longer combat ready. A waste of taxpayer dollars and more importantly a national security issue.
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Forum Post: demand elections be national and state holidays
Posted 7 years ago on May 6, 2012, 5:22 p.m. EST by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA
Demand elections be national and state holidays
Functioning democracy requires the people's thought out consent.
The right to vote should not be impeded.
People need time to consider their vote
and discuss that vote with confidants.
Daily worries should be set aside to focus on social issues.
I propose that
Elections be made State and National Holidays.
Conscious voting measures the people's desire.
The workweek routine must halt for people to consider their power.
If voting day is a holiday, everyone will know that it is voting day.
The routine of work must be suspended for people to consider their government.
"To a certain extent we shouldn't take an 'all or nothing' approach. I'm a proponent of gradualism, if for no other reason, it gets us moving in the right direction, resets our trajectory, and it can compliment bottom up societal change." -francismjenkins
If elections are national holidays, a greater number of people will take the time to vote.
When more people vote, more people care about the actions of their government.
"That government, of the people, for the people, and by the people, shall not perish from the earth" -Abraham Lincoln .
[-] 4 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 7 years ago
shadzworth (-91)
That's a waste of time since we already live in a Constitutional Republic.
taking a day for the people considering their government is not wasted time
we live in a democratic republic
It's so hard to find a good representative
John Trudell 10 08 pt1 Voters non Cooperation VIDS
factsrfun (7762) from Phoenix, AZ 6 hours ago
hey Matt on a completely different note a judge just ruled no right to private vote, thought you might like to see this:
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120921/NEWS01/309210028/It-s-no-secret-Judge-tosses-ballot-privacy-lawsuit-against-Larimer-County
public voting as a right under the first amendment
the right to vote should be protected with public verification
dhapppy6 minutes ago
After watching your show tonight I realized that you are the first person that saw what I saw at the OWS park takeovers. No one seemed to be there with the hundreds of voter reigistration forms that could have been filled out so they could get their voter ID card. Did everyone there with a laptop that could have filled out the form for the people think that everyone already had one? When I first started voting, I thought you just went to vote on Election Day. No one at my kitchen table or thousands of other tables were talking about voting and how to vote when I was growing up. Mr. Maher I wish you could shout it from the airwaves everyday so that people understand.
I am a black mother and I give you my permission to do this for me,,,Tell all minorities that they are not allowed to vote, especially Black people and I bet you would see them demanding to vote then. Remind them how it wasn't that long ago they couldn't vote and that people were lynched and tortured if they even tried to vote. SOMEONE NEEDS TO SHAKE US AND WAKE US UP
http://occupywallst.org/forum/a-nonviolent-solution-to-the-political-conflict-in/
"Call in Sick" Day(s) during the One Week up til November 6
Posted 0 minutes ago on Aug. 11, 2012, 4:23 a.m. EST by matoinyanawacis (76) This content is user submitted and not an official statement
People, or more accurately, All eligible voters who are likely to be disenfranchised of your vote due to some of these Repugnacan led laws curtailing early voting, especially for democratic leaning people, should, on a day when you would normally be at work, call in sick, then go stand in line to cast a ballot. If your job complains, just say you thought it was the line in the doctors office, as healthcare still is under "obstruction". But really, if an employer tries to fire you for taking the day to go vote, file a lawsuit charging your employer with violating your civil right to vote during the only time allotted to you to vote. The time currently being "DICTATED" by repugnacans who are "DESPERATE" to stop democracy from working. They have "Invested" a lot of time and money buying our democracy, and they are desperate that what they are attempting to "STEAL" has no chance of being returned to their rightful owners.... The Voters. America Belongs To ALL AMERICANS... not just the 1% parasites. Their cure is what was generally known in medieval times as "bleeding the patient". The Idiocracy is fully planned, and their hopes is that we Americans are so frustrated with their obstructions and red tapes runarounds, that we will give up and just let them win. Any American who does that is not an American, and never truly deserved the rights that "were" guaranteed him or her. Know this, if the 1% and the repugnacans win, ALL America loses. The Constitution WILL become just toilet paper, because they WILL rewrite it, and the 99% won't be the beneficiaries of that rewrite... And once again our nation will be torn apart by civil war... Only difference, they will have all the advanced weaponry at their disposal to "quell the serfs". Wake up America, time is running out, Pay Attention to what is going on. Don't sell America into Serfdom (slavery to the 1%) just because you're lazy or discouraged.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/national-call-in-sick-days-during-the-one-week-up-/
create an internet simultaneous debate on the net for 3rd party candidates
this could be bounced across the mainstream media
both parties ignoring this idea for four months suggests that both parties are afraid of the majority
The Voting Rights Act
Protecting Minority Voting Rights
Members of racial and language minorities still face significant obstacles in registering to vote and casting ballots. Racially polarized voting persists in much of the country, and attempts to manipulate the law in ways that will disadvantage communities of color continue nationwide. The Voting Rights Project is fighting to protect the voting rights of all minority communities through advocacy and litigation.
http://www.aclu.org/voting-rights/voting-rights-act-0
emergency services would be kept open just like on veterans day
everyone that must work on Voting Day should get double time
Community Choice
Get Out of Job to Vote
This card entitles respect for democracy
Declare Voting National Holiday
geo (1511) from Concord, NC 51 minutes ago
If this was a democracy we lived in, I'd be right there voting.... but its not, its a representative republic that has mutated to a soft tyranny. I think Corporatocracy actually describes it better.
[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (8927) 0 minutes ago
if such is the case,
let's have a holiday for people to consider their vote
LeoYo (330) 1 minute ago
No one needs to vote for a Cooperative Party candidate. It would certainly be great when it happens but the strength of the party would lie in the support of initiatives that could be passed by the general voting public. This can be done at the state level in 24 states and at the local level throughout the country.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/the-cooperative-party/#comment-759573
"They will be forgotten, therefore, and their rights disregarded. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty ofmaking money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights."
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia: ch. 17
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/jefferson/ch17.html
beautifulworld (6393) 48 minutes ago
There is no reason that OWS has to be a part of that. There are plenty of other "progressive" groups that have been failing miserably at it and who can challenge themselves to do better. Leave Occupy out of it. Occupy is the group seeking the biggest watershed change, pushing the envelope the farthest this country has ever seen, and it needs to stay that way.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/bill-mahers-message-to-ows/#comment-759487
Election Turnout average in national lower house elections, 1960–1995
Country . . Mandatory(Y/N) . . Number of elections . . % turnout average
Austria . . N . . 9 . . 92%
Belgium . . Y . . 12 . . 91%
Italy . . Y (not enforced) . . 9 . . 90%
Iceland . . N . . 10 . . 89%
New Zealand . . N . . 12 . . 88%
Denmark . . N . . 14 . . 87%
Germany . . N . . 9 . . 86%
Sweden . . N . . 14 . . 86%
Greece . . Y (not enforced) . . 10 . . 86%
Argentina . . Y . . 12 . . 83%
Norway . . N . . 9 . . 81%
Australia . . Y . . 14 . . 81%
Israel . . N . . 9 . . 80%
Portugal . . N . . 9 . . 79%
Finland . . N . . 10 . . 78%
France . . N . . 9 . . 76%
United Kingdom . . N . . 9 . . 76%
South Korea . . N . . 11 . . 75%
Ireland . . N . . 11 . . 74%
Canada . . N . . 12 . . 74%
Spain . . N . . 6 . . 73%
Japan . . N . . 12 . . 71%
India . . N . . 6 . . 58%
Switzerland . . N . . 8 . . 54%
United States . . N . . 18 . . 48%*
*Turnout rates during the period ranged from 55% for general election years, to 40% to off-year elections (those for which the presidency was not on the ballot).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voter_turnout
haven't heard back from any politician about this
San Diego GA said I needed some action to promote it
running into the problem of there's nothing to protest against about this
thinking of some sort of business card
considering calling it a voting card with some sort of humor element
maybe a monopoly chance card "Get out of Job to Vote"
http://www.worldofstock.com/stock-photos/the-monopoly-get-out-of-jail-free/CON1556
BetsyRoss (-86) from New Hope, PA 0 minutes ago
So it's basically a grass roots temper tantrum. That's what I, and apparently the majority of the 99%, view it to be.
And since the population at large is made up of people with different idealogies, they too will "fragment into various groups all wanting to propose different solutions depending on their political stance" and NOTHING will change.
If a very small representation of the population-OWS-cannot come together and agree on THE solutions, then expecting the whole nation to do it is beyond insane!
OWS is then a microcosm that proves that society will never come together on anything.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/ows-coherent-defining-message-vs-ioncoherent-messa/#comment-756796
they can com e together to vote
I'm planning business cards for my election holiday
not a lot of space to work with
I've been mauling over short titles
.....Voter Day Holidays
.........Election Emancipation
.......Respect Election Holidays
provide a contact link
Vote June 5 Tuesday
NPR predict a 40% turn out
.Arizona Revised States § 16-402
After applying to take leave in order to vote, employees with less than three hours between the opening of the polls and the beginning of their normal work hours or the end of their normal work hours and the closing of the polls may take paid leave from work at either the beginning or end of a shift for such an amount of time that provide three consecutive hours in which to vote.
http://www.findlaw.com/voting-rights-law.html
Arizona does not have a holiday respecting the election
OK, that was a cheap shot at Arizona
Do any states currently have a holiday respecting the election?
What a memory you bring up Matt, many years ago I had a boss at PVNGS that was not going to let us off to go vote, because AZ had opened up mail in ballots to anyone and he figured that meant people didn’t need the day off to vote, (now I’m one of those guys that makes it like a holiday or something, took my kid with since he could walk, stuff like that). I caught wind of it a few days before, and even though I had already sch. To take the whole day off, I got on my 26k baud modem and copied that very passage and took it to work the day before, you could see steam coming out of his ears, yeah it cost come pay raise time, but it was worth it, and they paid me a lot anyway.
if one can't play hopscotch, they should still be allowed to vote
Absolutely, I think it may not be allowed, but I’d love it if 10% of everything that is spent on a race went into a prize fund for the election lottery, you got to vote to get your ticket, and the winner has to take a year off and track and post how the winners are doing keeping their word. (you could have a winner for each county maybe?)
http://forums.nodoubt.com/forums/2475369/ShowPost.aspx is down
a sister thread of this thread
I FAXED Governor Brown of California
the petition demanding election holidays
http://voltic.com/0/i/OccupieSanDiego/ElectionHolidayFax.jpg
no word from Brown
No word from the governor yet
Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss's (Read Aloud Book)
haven't heard from the governor yet
he has acknowledge San Diego
got this in my E-mail
Governor Brown said, “Nathan Fletcher stands out from the pack, especially when he voted to close a big tax loophole that rewards companies that ship jobs out of California. In the face of partisan pressures, he maintains his independence and calls it like he sees it."
from MayorJohnson@nathanfletcher.com
I sent MayorJohnson a link to this thread
no e-mail verification yet
perhaps on monday
Does anybody believe there are any who support OWS and support the GOP?
Posted 1 week ago on May 13, 2012, 9:49 a.m. EST by factsrfun (4554) This content is user submitted and not an official statement
If there are not why do some feel the need to post about how we shouldn’t support Obama or Romney? Aren’t they really just here to keep us from getting a little bit closer to our goals by keeping more of those who oppose us on every front, not just one or two, in power. I was just listening to a bunch of GOP supports talking about they would vote for Romney because staying home was like a vote for other guy, so it seems those on the right “get it” will the left be outsmarted again?
http://occupywallst.org/forum/does-anybody-believe-there-are-any-who-support-ows/
I don't need an opposition
everyone knows making
Elections state and National Holidays would increase government participation
[-] 1 points by bigbangbilly (594) 7 years ago
internet voting may still need improvments.
web cams ?
still needs something better.
multiple internet paths following different relaying points?
Some form of fingerprinting an intangible quality that can't be taken away.
finger prints can be cloned and require a database
I think visual audio face voting would be quicker to verify
I meant individual identification characteristic of some currently undiscovered intangible quality. Not just from the finger.
I imagine finger printing has been a metaphor in China for some time
I wonder if Martin Luther King would have wanted his holiday on an election
The declaration calls for a national general assembly to represent the 435 congressional districts, Washington D.C. and the five US territories to gather beginning on July 4, 2012, for the purpose of assembling a list of grievances and solutions.[5] According to the plan, delegates are to be selected by direct vote such that two delegates -- one man and one woman -- will represent each congressional districts. In addition, one delegate each will represent Washington D.C. as well as each of the five U.S. territories. These delegates would be instructed to vote on a list of grievances at an assembly in Philadelphia. The group filed paperwork in New York State to be identified as a not-for-profit corporation entitled The 99% Working Group, Ltd. The document contains the following suggested "grievances and solutions": Elimination of the Corporate State.
Overturning the “Citizens United” Case.
Elimination of All Private Benefits to Public Servants.
Banking and Securities Reform.
Federal Public Financing of Political Campaigns and Election Reforms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/99_Percent_Declaration
hope I can get some support for election holidays there
Director Spike Lee asked people to skip school or work to see the premiere of his movie which opens Tuesday. Will you?
http://articles.latimes.com/1992-11-15/news/ci-1173_1_movie
I understand some schools decided to close for the day
[-] -1 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 7 years ago
the emergency services would be kept open just like on veterans day
nobody ever remembers the power plant operators
[-] 2 points by commonsensefiles (4) 7 years ago
I can't believe you are more worried about a holiday than the future of the country ! Stating Abraham Lincoln does not seem to produce the desired effect. What then ?
the people will have to decide
The Top Five Reasons Why Your Vote is Just A Cruel Joke - Occupy Earth article read by Opticrainbow
And you thought this was democracy ? We need compulsory voting
Posted July 3, 2012, 3:58 p.m. EST by commonsensefiles This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Today’s population of the United States of America is approximately 313 million souls. Out of those, discounting illegal immigrants and legal residents, about 286 million are American Citizens. Out of those, about 232 million are the voting age population.
In past national elections, voting records indicate approximately 132 million have actually voted. Let’s skip exact figures again and state that the winning party won its “democratic” right to govern with an alleged majority, which instead of at least the 51% of the population in reality turned out to be about 29% of the U.S. voting population.
By this process, only about 66 million people have therefore amazingly decided the political, social, and economical future of the 313,000,000 inhabitants. That ultimately translates at approximately 21% - TWENTY ONE PERCENT ! - of the entire population of the USA chose the political profile for nearly EIGHTY PERCENT of the country to follow.
It is the simplest and strangely enough the peaceful solution for what ails us. We have many rules and regulations for our society to function in an orderly manner.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/and-you-thought-this-was-democracy/#comment-776136
[-] 1 points by DKAtaday (-4) from Brooklyn Park, MN 7 years ago
And you thought this was democracy ?
the chair is against the wall and john has a long mustache
CaptainTony (-158) 0 minutes ago
demand elections be cancelled until we get the monetized brainwashing out of the campaigns and the rigged voting machines out of the polls.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/amerika-neither-land-of-the-free-nor-home-of-the-b/#comment-756882
the primaries parties have an advantage in the primary elections
that gets them a lot oh publicity on the news
[-] 0 points by tiesa (0) 9 minutes ago
Thank you for openly admitting that your strategy is to tell OWS that meaningful change is impossible, "resistance is futile" and their only alternative is to come back into the false-choice two-puppet fold - on the side of the Democrats, of course.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/look-its-time-to-stop-pretending-that-republicans-/#comment-732541
there is always a write in option to vote for
one need not even write in a name
one can write in an issue like (NO WAR)
[-] 2 points by The99Rises (12) 7 years ago
Hmmm. Had never thought of that, but good idea.
it's patriotic
[-] 0 points by AntiOWSer (17)
We need people working to keep everything running. Employers should perhaps allow people time during work to vote, but nobody should be entitled to a day off due to voting, especially with more states allowing early voting (such as vote-by-mail).
people should not be worried about work on voting day
despite me pushing this thread for 4 months , I have not seen this idea reflected by anyone else
sandysterling (14) 0 minutes ago
"...power originates in the people, and they alone have, together, the right to wield it."
Sure, but this has little to do with fighting from within the system. It seems clear to me that anarchy is about empowering the people to fight against the system from without. Like your highlighted quote says, power originates in the people. Your definition clearly states that one must remove the habit of differing power to politicians if one wants to be an anarchist. The power must remain with the people. Once you start playing from within the system, you legitimize the system, and essentially you are differing power to it.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/list-of-top-forum-contributors/#comment-814866
Larry David Wants You To Vote
[-] 1 points by rpc972 (1243) from Portland, OR 2 minutes ago
No one is going to hold your hand and show you the truth, but the Cons will gladly spoon-feed you Bull Shit. Just say "aw"!
Get People REGISTERED and get out the VOTE!!
http://www.gottavote.org/en/?choose-state=true
http://occupywallst.org/forum/twelve-things-you-should-know-about-vice-president/#comment-810842
for democracy to work,
people must take the time and respect need for making decisions
[-] 1 points by rpc972 (1091) from Portland, OR 19 hours ago
Who do you think got (LIED) us into two bogus "wars on terror"??? CONs!!! We are still suffering the Wrath of Cons!!
Don't be a bratty ninny! Broaden your empty bottle/wet bed perspective.
[-] 1 points by ElectoralReform (73) 7 years ago
This is just one of Jill Stein's Green New Deal proposals. I think Occupy needs to get on board! www.jillstein.org/green_new_deal
I want this coming election in november to be holiday
[-] 1 points by MattHolck2 (44) 7 years ago
I hear calls for math and science education but never any call for more government education
Five states (Alabama, Arizona, California, Idaho and New York) require students to take a senior year "capstone" civics or government course. Civic education advocates such as the Center for Civic Education see such capstone courses as a positive way to synthesize and strengthen students' civic lessons.
http://www.cived.net/req_guid.html
[-] 1 points by lancealotlink (147) 7 years ago
Im thinking about putting this issue on my platform Matt.
that's great
I'm aiming to have this November Election be a holiday
[-] 0 points by ivian (-60) 6 years ago
how would that work with states that allow early voting?
they would have a holiday on voting day
[-] -1 points by ivian (-60) 6 years ago
but they would have already voted. so whats the point except it hurts business's who have to pay for non production.
shutting down business for a day does not hurt business
remember when OWS blocked the ports for a day
[-] 2 points by jrhirsch (4714) from Sun City, CA 6 years ago
Of course a shutdown hurts business. If it didn't what would be the point. The problem with a blanket strike it hurts everyone. It's better to target a year round strike at the most oppressive companies.
it's just a day off
It's just a days pay that isn't received too.
union thugs led by gerard, one of obamas pals.
unions should call for a strike on election day
if the day isn't off
Odin (2164) from Island Heights, NJ 10 minutes ago
Yes vote for canidates that support the changes necessary, IF there are any. From my point of view tho, this is the place to keep the fires of this revolution stoked and many of the people here, if they truly wanted to do that would be better leaving their LTs, and taking part in a demonstration, and/or supporting their local Occupy movement in some way.
Most of us here know what has went down, and how detrimental it has been to the 99%. We all have rehashed this over and over again. It is now time to leave the comforts of your home and get out in the streets where the real change will occur.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/believe-in-an-america-you-cant-hope-to-change-vote/#comment-739227
chasing my tail
[-] 2 points by VQkag (611) 4 minutes ago
the 1% want us to stay home on election day. That is why they are trying to suppress the vote with ALEC legislation. Vote out vote suppresing politicians
http://occupywallst.org/forum/i-refuse-to-vote-unless/#comment-738908
SteveKJR (685) 1 hour ago
I believe it is illegal to suggest any position at a polling place. If you do that, in all probability the police will be called. Now you can do that off grounds - I think the distance is around 500 feet away from the polling property.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/i-suggest-this-november-we-occupy-the-polls-and-a-/#comment-738517
[-] 1 points by goldminer1849 (1) 7 years ago
All laws should be voted on by the people, for the people, We the People: NOT by elected officials inflenced by lobbyists and bribes as their track.records surely do Not reflect the best interests of the people.
currently, our representatives do not represent us
this post may have been tampered with
just corrected some misspelling and the
and added "ly" ending to change an adjective into an adverb
looks like your on to somethimg, makes people feel like they got some skin in the game, another thing I noticed over the years paying taxes gets people more interested, in government and voting, I know everybody pays taxes but a lot of them aren't noticed, as I "moved" through the tax brackets as those around me did I noticed a great uptick im concern about government, I always figured it was the "skin 'in the game" thing, I'm not meaning to stake a postion or make suggestion just adding what I've seen
public enemy - shut'em down ( HQ )
Doormat, how do they vote in England ?
They've talked of making it a bank holiday here too but the sheeple would just use it to go to the pub or watch Jeremy Kyle.
They always close the primary schools on thursday for the local council elections and the middle schools as well for general elections so it already is a holiday for kids. The polls open from 8am to 10pm.
I used to think the Australian laws of compulsory voting was a good way to get people to vote but they'd just use it to arrest and fine people who didn't want to vote for 1 of 3 of the same.
http://forums.nodoubt.com/forums/2475369/ShowPost.aspx
[-] 1 points by JoeTheFarmer (2654) 7 years ago
If election are on National Holidays I bet more people would go on Holiday and skip voting.
The polls are open from 6:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M
It only takes about 5 min to vote.
many cannot afford to go anywhere on holiday
having nothing to do
the election is on Tuesday
so there there's only a day to get away
I imagine they hang out and vote
I would also propose that most stores shutdown like on Thanks Giving
Why do we need a holiday?
The polls are open from 6AM to 9PM. I vote in every election it is really not that hard. 5-10 minutes tops.
You also have the option od sending in an absentee ballot by mail. It is really quite simple.
non-controversial subjects generate low response
[-] 3 points by millionLikes (3) 1 week ago
Just a reminder for your all: Occupy Wall Street does NOT co-opt itself with any particular political ideology or creed WHATSOEVER!! It is NOT a leftist/anarchist/anti-capitalist movement, it is a PEOPLE'S movement that embraces all stances on the current political spectrum!!!!
http://occupywallst.org/article/occupy-wall-streets-anarchist-roots/#comment-726668
[-] 1 points by jgriff (207) from Tampa, FL 2 minutes ago
That is from apathy, not capitalism.
there isnt a good system for an apathetic public.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/capitalism-1-ownership-and-non-democratic-decision/#comment-734498
participation would raise interest
[-] 1 points by epa1nter (4406) from Rutherford, NJ 1 minute ago
reply to your post below.
In fact, the NC voter turnout was among the heaviest in their history.
And those who abstain cast a vote for the majority.
The Government is bound to comply with this referendum.
It must do the will of the people. '
You cannot lay the blame on the government.
The blame lies with the electorate, the people.
They are not YIELDING power to the government,
they are COMMANDING the government to act.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/the-world-must-change-but-ows-is-not-the-future-at/#comment-733930
TitusMoans (432) from Boulder City, NV 1 day ago
I'm not quite sure what you're asking. The current leaders take us where they pretty well want to go and very often justify their actions with falsifications. Most of the wars in which we are currently embroiled are based on misrepresentations or lies.
The large amount of activist organizations, both left and right, indicate a general dissatisfaction with the government in general. When we consider the congressional approval rating (~11%) or the presidential approval rating (~47%), I would say that quite often our leaders take us where we don't want to go.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/a-question-for-the-anarchist-on-the-site-are-we-ta/#comment-732532
misrepresentation will be harder if more people vote
Frizzle (506) 5 minutes ago
Arguing about which candidate is worse is a total waste of time. It doesn't matter who you vote. You're gonna be screwed either way.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/obama-sometimes-i-forget-the-magnitude-of-the-rece/#comment-732458
peace and freedom sounds nice
nationalism is as nationalism does
beautifulworld (6365) 5 hours ago
Let's hope that as the American people wake up to these truths, their blind nationalism will transform into a real nationalism and their true love for their nation will inspire them to work towards returning their government and economic system to the people.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/a-problem-adequately-stated-is-a-problem-well-on-i/#comment-757735
"where voting is having a say and being heard, where voting Is Your Work, and your Job is your Passion and your contribution to the greater good."
by junglemonkeez
http://occupywallst.org/forum/would-you-support-a-third-party-candidate-if-they-/#comment-730707
A larger voting base will not support war
"Naturally the common people don't want war. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY." Hermann Goering, President of the Reichstag, Nazi Party, and Luftwaffe Commander in Chief.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/occupy-is-a-sophisticated-operation-the-1-global-e/#comment-729707
war was is the rally after 911
[-] 1 points by PeterKropotkin (98) from Oakland, CA 28 minutes ago
Also people tend to give a shit when its something they own.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/workplace-democracy-and-workers-self-management-wi/#comment-729556
[-] 1 points by jph (1605) 4 hours ago
How does a system that facilitates individual voting for all, "exclude vast numbers of people"? We chose to vote or not. We choose to campaign, or publicly argue for our choices, not this lame 'vote once every 4 years' joke of a democracy. How do you corrupt a representative in a system with none of them?
The two-party system is a source of misdirection to confuse people into thinking they have a say, and that they have done their part,. both are untrue with the old way.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/can-the-ows-community-continue/#comment-728865
that's why I include state elections
California has 2 each year
Nothing in your description indicates it can't be corrupted. And this concept that you don't have to vote/choose strikes me as the same old system of excluding vast numbers of people. Too much trouble to vote? Is that what you suggest? Don't like it. Won't like it. Sorry.
if more people vote
more people would care
[-] 1 points by ChrisLightfoot1986 (21) from Fort Myers, FL 7 years ago
http://coalitionforsocialchange.wordpress.com/
[-] 1 points by Endgame (535) 7 years ago
Love this idea. We should be making it easier to vote in this country not harder. Make it a national holiday and put it on a weekend. Maybe even making it a two or three day holiday.
[-] 1 points by GregOrr (113) 7 years ago
See this idea at http://the99percentvotes.com/idea/US28
Add your support to make it more popular!
my san diego cox cable connection is blocking the site
Sorry, I mistyped the URL ... It's http://the99percentvotes.com/idea/US28
I was scared for a minute
Voting should be a national holiday to expand access and give people less of an excuse to not vote.
Join the site!
I got no address from the e-mail confirmation
Thank you for joining The 99 Percent Votes!
to confirm your email address and activate your account!
Hmm ... The link you received didn't work?
Forward the email to me - greg@the99percentvotes.com
MattHolck@hotmail.com
I already gave over the error in the code
I clicked through on the link from the admin sent mail box, so your account is active.
Not sure what went wrong. It came as HTML?
address could have been stripped by a filter
either way a failed contact
Yes, apparently. I will investigate. Thanks for pointing it out.
Hotmail filters links and images before you click 'show'. I suppose this is for security. Gmail only filters images as default.
I have a bit of a hex with you it seems, as also your About Me does not truncate to three lines for the people list view as it's supposed to.
it's blocked through Babel Fish aswell
could you repost it somewhere else ?
voting counts the people
and the people will count more if they vote
I have no intention to voting for an objectionable candidate
necessary government personal that must work on an election should receive overtime
and make it double
went to talk to an outer union branch
that refereed me to the inner union branch
that refereed me to Governor Brown
who I plan to fax tomorrow
on the issue of making elections state holidays
I am open to writing suggestion for this proposition
2 points by TrevorMnemonic (2799)
No massive problem was ever solved over night. Remember that.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/please-stop-trying-to-turn-ows-into-obama-2012/#comment-735182
hchc (3069) from Tampa, FL 0 minutes ago
Exactly. Without an engaged public, there isnt a system that could be created that would work fairly.
It's why I was always such a strong supporter of the Social Outreach workgroup.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/what-is-voting/#comment-770319
Bottom Up Change: If only the poor voted....
Posted 4 hours ago on June 21, 2012, 12:24 p.m. EST by JadedCitizen (3049) This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Let's say every other election cycle, only the poor could cast a vote. What would happen? Would it end poverty?
From both sides of the political spectrum, most everyone agrees the only real way to effect change is with a bottom up, grassroots effort. But really, what could constitute bottom up change better than giving the 'least among us', the bottom percentile of the population, a real chance to change polices.
When the wealthy are questioned about greed, they often point to how charitable and generous they are at giving to programs to aid those less fortunate than themselves. What could be more generous than sitting out an election cycle to give those with small voices a big voice? What could be more charitable than giving up your seat at the table to let those not heard have a voice? Would that not be the ultimate form of charity - of compassion?
As a practical matter, it would not be all that difficult to set up. Philosophically speaking, it opens up a big can of worms.
Would you be willing to set out an election? What would happen? Would it be a disaster because the poor lack the education to vote wisely? Would it make for a better society? Would it create a never ending tug of war between the haves and have nots - is that a bad thing?
Would it end poverty?
http://occupywallst.org/forum/bottom-up-change-if-only-the-poor-voted/#comment-768440
I need an active congress sponsors either from state or national congresses
Election workers may help citizens vote.
If one ID can't be presented,
Pole workers can verify ID
through other unique indicators.
DKAtoday (7418) from Coon Rapids, MN 1 hour ago
I was fortunate to grow up with people who knew how to get along in the wilderness. I have had many teachers and have taken many 1st aid courses the last being a 1st responders course when I worked at CDC.
It is a good experience even if you never have to use the training as it gets you to consider possibilities. This I feel is part of growing to be aware.
I am sure there are many differing paths to becoming aware but things that make you stop and consider are essential.
http://occupywallst.org/article/sunday-june-6-nyc-solidarity-summer-coordinating-m/#comment-752829
TheTrollSlayer (253) from Kingsport, TN
For the purpose of getting off from work or to just have another holiday ? Any other reason eludes me.
[-] 2 points by MattLHolck (8349)
to honor and respect our democracy
[-] 1 points by TheTrollSlayer (253) from Kingsport, TN
Ours or those who use it to serve their own self interests. Besides, isn't that what the 4th of July is about.
if we did not wish to add any holidays,
the 4th celebration could be moved to voting day
that and presidents day
either way voter day should be a bank holiday where workers receive double time
http://occupywallst.org/forum/health-and-prosperity-for-all-moving-forward-in-un/#comment-752265
this man would probably support election holidays
government election holidays would not break the economy
Who else-here-thinks-jiffysquid92-is-getting-out of Control?
Posted 9 hours ago on May 31, 2012, 2:44 a.m. EST by JIFFYSQUID92 (512) from Portland, OR This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Explaining that our political system is not broken it is fixed, mostly because we turned our back on it. That if we engaged in our political system we could use this weapon to win our democracy back.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/flattered-rebutal-to-who-else-here-thinks-jiffysqu/#comment-750328
Rick Scott's nightmare
Posted 2 hours ago on May 30, 2012, 1:32 p.m. EST by bensdad (2347) This content is user submitted and not an official statement
http://occupywallst.org/forum/rick-scotts-nightmare/
the "governor" of Florida who launched an attack on the voting rights of 180,000 people in Florida
would he support
elections be holidays purely for administrative reasons ?
Florida did have an election seizure in 2000
gwirionedd
You cannot "take down" the Democratic/Republican system by using one side to go after the other, you moron. That is exactly how the system works!
http://occupywallst.org/forum/some-smart-guys-talking-about-the-republican-party/#comment-748314
[-] 0 points by simondoes (1) 7 years ago
Hyalinobatrachium aureoguttatum: May you rest in peace.
We have lost so many,tell me when will this madness stop.
http://www.earthsendangered.com/full_list.asp
Police - Message in a Bottle/SOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRxhr79mV0E
Butterfly ballot
I was intending on taken a day off and voting my conscious
[-] 1 points by JenLynn (515) 12 hours ago
Maybe, hard on the hourly worker to take a day's pay cut, harder still to force small businesses to pay for work not done. Some states are doing early voting, so you have a week or more to go to a location and cast your vote on whatever day you have off.
[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (7803) 10 hours ago
anyone that works on Voting Day should receive double time
small businesses rarely pay for any holidays
what states are doing early voting ?
More then half of them. Only 15 states still do the one-day-only-need-a-good-reason-for-absentee-balot type of voting. Here's a map of them.
http://www.ncsl.org/legislatures-elections/elections/absentee-and-early-voting.aspx
It's a better solution then me loosing a days pay or trying to get business to pay double for a day when you only need a couple of hours off to go vote.
the routine of work must be suspended for people to consider their government
[-] 1 points by JenLynn (515) 8 hours ago
In a majority of the states you can sit on your day off and consider to your heart's content, then go vote or mail in a ballot. Why make the impossible and unnecessary demand that we create another paid holiday? There are things that simply can't be shut down anyhow.
[-] 1 points by MattLHolck (7803) 7 hours ago
we have holidays all the time
Yes we do, what's the point you're making? You want something new and either working people have to go without pay or businesses must pay for workers to stay home. Either way you're asking for someone to pay when there has already been a way of giving everyone the time to consider the issues and then vote on their own time scale. Without hurting anyone financially. Instead of asking for financial support in some way go try to get your state to initiate early voting.
"There are things that simply can't be shut down anyhow." suggested that we can't afford holidays
but we do
just pay essential workers double
Why? Because people are too lazy to vote on their day off? Seems like an expensive solution to a nonexistent problem in the majority of states.
people don't have a day off for voting. they should.
[-] 1 points by JenLynn (515) 2 minutes ago
Maybe but it's not likely to happen, especially when in most states you can vote early on your day off. No need for the added expense of paid days off.
a day off doesn't cost anything
So we can vote but not the "uninformed". And I suppose you get to decide who is uninformed? Votes for everyone! We all must be responsible if we want to enjoy this great democracy,
[-] 0 points by gosso920 (-24) 7 years ago
We need to have ID checks at the polling stations, in order to prevent vote fraud.
public records on individuals could be looked up on the site
to verify a person is who the are
[-] 0 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 7 years ago
What about a full week to cast your vote?
giving people more time to cast there vote would help
I'm hedging my bets on a holiday
good ideals taken to extreme, is a good method to diffuse them
[-] -2 points by JoeTheFarmer (2654) 7 years ago
We should have the whole month of November off with pay!
[-] -1 points by MattHolck2 (44) 7 years ago
a week perhaps
[-] 0 points by Normalperson1 (119) from Indianapolis, IN 7 years ago
The only way to get people to vote it to force them to vote. Mandatory voting law.
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/voting/cb09-110.html
The overall voting age (18 and older) citizen population in the United States in 2008 was 206 million compared with 197 million in 2004. Of that total, 146 million, or 71 percent, reported being registered to vote. That's slightly lower than the 72 percent who reported being registered to vote in the 2004 presidential election, but does represent an increase of approximately 4 million registered voters. The percentage of those registered to vote that actually did so was slightly higher in the 2008 election (90 percent) than in 2004 (89 percent).
. The popular vote was 69,456,897 to 59,934,814, respectively for Obama and McCain
that's 129 million
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2008
2008 Citizens 231,229,580 voted 132,618,580 56.8%
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0781453.html
the census web material is not well formatted
I'd like to see at least 75%
Elections should be holidays so we can vote and celebrate.
election should be holidays so we can review the politicians
well that too, I guess I just always thought it funny we celebrate so many things, rightly so I guess, and do those fallen in war, but why not one because we get to vote? but anyway the reason of things everyone will write their own, the point is, it should be a holiday.
[-] 0 points by Pequod (17) 7 years ago
Talk about a stupid idea. Most people would blow off the election and use a 3 day weekend to go to Vegas or camping or the beach. Voting takes 10 minutes, polls are open before and after work so there is no inconvenience at all.
elections are usually on tuesdays
and I would prefer a day out of step with normal routine
on or off
Stop wasting your time at Occupy Wall Street; and here's a novel concept. Get up at 6 am. Shovel some coffee down your throat. Hit the pavement. Find a job. Get to work. Stop whining. Stop complaining. Stop blaming, and get your ass out of bed like everybody else in America, and get to work. -Sean Hannity
That was to a complete loser he interviews. This loser wants everything given to him. Everything free. If this is the view point of most of OWS then there is a major problem with the young and stupid.
I don't know what the other guy in the room wanted
I already stopped watching
[-] 2 points by hchc (2586) from Tampa, FL 1 hour ago
And the liberals will go cast votes for the current war monger, the elites puppet. It will be a disgusting display all around.
In the "beacon of freedom" we refuse to think for ourselves.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/ok-anarchists-black-blocs-and-masked-hooded-jack-o/#comment-729367
[-] 0 points by GypsyKing (8719) 7 years ago
As long as it isn't just a banker's holiday. LOL.
No, of course you are right. It should've been that way all along. That it isn't, tells us a lot about how much they really want us to vote.
still trying to figure out a court case angle to support this
it's a banker's holiday now....
Right on!
cut their taxes, borrow their money, and pay them interest forever, what a deal, if you're rich
And they still have all the power. United we stand DIVIDED we fall!
You are right I think they have the power because of the debt, that's why it's there, these people just want you to think they're stupid.
holding bonds is power, as is holding mortgages...
[-] -2 points by verdade (-24) 7 years ago
Co-opted into the Democratic Party "we" [not you] fall faster and further!
Comment = divide the left
PS How many usernames do you have on this site, Iron Butt?
"Divide the left" is corporate fascist gibberish:
The traditional Left/Right, Liberal/Conservative, Democrat/Republican dichotomy is a false and failing paradigm propagated by the powers-that-be to perpetuate division. The true political spectrum is not a straight line but a circle: There is a point where Far Left meets Far Right, where Anarchism merges with Libertarianism and these and the rest of our outmoded labels melt away. In that point must we place our hope, for only from that point can we build a better future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njSV5LtVmR4
Did this guy take his meds?
CDC Director Gerberding Gives Green Light to Gardasil then Goes to Work for Merck:
http://veritasvirtualvengeance.com/2012/01/09/cdc-director-gerberding-gives-green-light-to-gardasil-then-goes-to-work-for-merck/
The above link is from this guy's Black PR firm. Say no more.
The Pfelons of Pfizer: Too Crooked to Fail and Don’t Go to Jail:
http://veritasvirtualvengeance.com/2012/01/02/the-pfelons-of-pfizer-too-crooked-to-fail-and-dont-go-to-jail/
Whatever you are linking us to has no bearing on the veracity of the source. I will not bring up a link from a "Black PR" firm.
Learn what "veracity" means before you try to use it in a sentence. I have no doubt that it is at present a foreign concept for you...
Bayer Behind BPA Study That Preserves Their Profits By Prolonging Your Risks
http://veritasvirtualvengeance.com/2012/02/25/bayer-behind-bpa-study-that-preserves-their-profits-by-prolonging-your-risks/
And in reply to GypsyKing's comment below:
“The truth is ‘hate speech’ only to those who have something to hide.”–Michael Rivero
You would know what it means. How many ways have you found to shit on the truth?
↥twinkle ↧stinkle permalink
[-] 2 points by shoozTroll (17632) 7 years ago
Oh lookie. It's a mini Alex Jones.
Start here.>>> http://alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed
Act One Finale - Urinetown Baylor Theatre
[-] -1 points by Slabbers (10) 7 years ago
An idea I can endorse!
[-] -1 points by DSams (-71) 7 years ago
Yes, I agree...
MoshehThezion
exactly... which is why size matters... ideally.. we need a nation.. a big one... to make it work completely.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/what-if-all-us-occupiers-moved-to-wyoming/#comment-745623
by establishmentsucks
Pro establishment voters only help this disaster keep going.
You cant be against war, banking fraud and bought politicians and back the D and R parties.
If you do, quite frankly, you are just plain stupid.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/is-ows-a-patty-cake-social-gathering-or-an-active-/#comment-745506
"That government, of the people, for the people, and by the people, shall not perish from the earth"
-Abraham Lincoln ·
[+] -4 points by MattLHolck (16833) from San Diego, CA 7 years ago
6 points by April (2845) 1 hour ago
This forum is the equivalent of a bunch of people bs'ing over a few beers.
http://occupywallst.org/forum/-5-fails-from-jart-and-the-moderators-or-why-this-/#comment-733495
rage on voters
The TRUTH About Voting" - MOC #164 [clean version]
Published on Oct 8, 2012
SoulPancake & Good team up to bring you this important announcement about election season. Find out more at: http://good.is/voting
[ Take Back Tuesday with Rainn!
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09 - MOTORSPORT ROUND-UP - AUTOMOTIVE
Citroën dominated the 2016 World Touring Car Championship and its four drivers José María López, Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and Qing Hua Ma finished as the...
WTCC dominance from Citroën
Citroën dominated the 2016 World Touring Car Championship and its four drivers José María López, Yvan Muller, Sébastien Loeb and Qing Hua Ma finished as the top four in the championship. Best of the best was once again Lopez who defended his World Championship title in style, with a second straight title. The all conquering French team have certainly set the bar high for their competitors, although they scale down their effort in 2016 to two cars for Lopez and Muller.
Volvo recently announced their return to WTCC with a full campaign in 2016 with two Öhlins shod cars for Swedish drivers Thed Björk and Fredrik Ekblom.
Öhlins equipped teams from Lada and Chevrolet have also previously announced they will continue in WTCC next year.
1-2 in super close Nürburgring 24HR
Teams using Öhlins had a fantastic year at Nürburgring 24 hours in 2015. The brand new Audi R8 LMS had an impressive debut with several cars in the top 10, with Audi Sport Team WRT claiming the win thanks to its team and the drivers Christopher Mies, Edward Sandström, Nico Müller and Laurens Vanthoor.
They were challenged once again by Marc VDS who claimed second spot in their BMW Z4 GT3 at this famous track where Marc VDS are always in contention. Only 40 seconds separated the two teams after 156 laps and 24 hours of racing.
Underlining this success was a further five Öhlins shod GT cars in the top ten, thanks to the efforts from Marc VDS’ second car as well as other teams using the Audi, BMW Z4 GT3, Bentley and Nissan GT-R.
After winning the first two rounds (Spa and Silverstone) the Öhlins equipped World Endurance Audi team missed out on a 14th victory at the 24 hours of Le Mans. They then achieved further podiums at the shorter, intense Six Hours races of Nürburgring, Circuit of the Americas, Fuji, Shanghai and Bahrain to take second overall in the series.
Fellow Öhlins team, Toyota, had a tougher season but finished the season with a podium in the season finale at Bahrain. A nine round series in 2016 looks set to take this prestigious series to even greater heights, and with new cars coming from both Audi and Toyota the competition will only get tougher.
Swedish stars at World Rallycross...
There was further success for Öhlins in the high-octane FIA World Rallycross series. Peugeot Team Hansen wrapped up the team title with a strong second half of the season as Timmy Hansen nearly claimed the drivers title as well. His team-mate, Frenchman Davy Jeanney, also had a good season and celebrated his first win in World Rallycross.
After a difficult start Ford Olsbergs MSE also charged through when they found new speed in their Ford Fiestas and during the second part of the season Andreas Bakkerud was often the man to beat.
Audis DTM-star Mattias Ekström also needs to be recognised. He continued to mix his full-time duties as one of Audi’s stars in DTM to continue to build his own Rallycross team. He made several starts himself in one of his team’s two EKSRX Audi S1 models, and won his home race in Höljes – one of the season’s big highlights. Despite driving far from a full season, he placed sixth overall.
Success in the high-end world of GT Racing
Backing up their Nürburgring 24HR success, Öhlins equipped cars took many titles and race wins throughout the various GT events around the world in 2015. These included the blue riband Blancpain Endurance Series Pro Cup (GT) as Alex Buncombe, Wolfgang Reip and Katsumasa Chiyo took their Nissan GTR Nismo GT3 to the top step of the podium. Öhlins equipped cars were also victorious in the Sprint Series Cup class, and Bentleys, the new Audi R8, Nissan GT-R, Lamborghinis, and McLaren’s GT3 challenger all enjoyed success in various GT3 championships during the year.
Japanese dream finishes in Super GT and Super Formula Series
Once again, the Super GT Series in Japan proved an enthralling series and Öhlins enjoyed another Championship title as the Gainer Tanax GT-R team wrapped up both the GT300 driver and team titles with a round to spare.
In the high end single seater class of the ‘Japan Super Formula Series’, Hiroaki Ishiura took his Toyota R14A to the title and claimed yet another single seater success for an Öhlins shod car in this important Far Eastern championship.
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PodSeek
Easy 5 Ways to Measure Water Hardness
Red Dead Redemption 2: Rockstar Revealed Cast of Characters
September 17, 2018 April 19, 2019
Rockstar has finally lifted the lid on the primary cast of Red Dead Redemption 2. Rockstar has a penchant of creating good characters in each game that they make, regardless of the setting and tone. The gameplay video of Red Dead Redemption 2 speaks for itself, and it looks undeniably incredible. The new story will be a prequel of the original Red Dead. It puts the players among the Van der Lind gang 12 years before John Marston starts his mission to hunt them down. The company has already posted cool character portraits with quotes for each member of the Van der Linde Gang- headed by Dutch.
Also Read- Sony is Releasing Translucent PS4 Pro In Celebration Of 500 Million PlayStation Consoles Sold
There are mainly new faces here; however, if you have played the first Red Dead Redemption, you will recognize several of these ruffians, for instance, John Marston, his wife Abigail, and their son Jack. John Marston, the main protagonist of the first game, is given the same attention in this game. Since this game is a prequel of the previous title, Marston will still be part of the Van der Linde gang. Therefore, he will feature as a prominent character.
The characters that John is tasked with hunting in the first game also put in an appearance with Javier Escuella and Bill Williamson both showing their ugly mugs. Uncle, another character that fans of the previous game are familiar with will also be represented. An image of Arthur Morgan, the game’s protagonist has also been released. It is going to be fascinating seeing how this group got along back in the good old days of the group. Seeing how deep the interactions with these new characters will be exciting.
Meanwhile, some of the new characters that have been revealed include the scholarly-looking Leopold Strauss. He is an “unemotional” and a “shifty” loan shark originally hailing from Austria. And he is the bookkeeper of the gang. The double-gun toting Sadie Adler is a relentless widow who is looking to avenge her dead husband. The scruffy looking Micah Bell is “ an unpredictable and wild” hitman. The hatchet-wielding Pearson, a “ loud and jolly degenerate” who also serves as the gang’s cook and butcher. And the gun-toting Karen Jones, a scam artist who is described as ‘bold and full of fun.”
There is also Hosea Mathews. He is the Dutch’s closest colleague and right-hand man, and a gentleman thief and a “master con artist.” Reverend Swanson, is an “ex-clergyman who has been lost to debauchery”; Mary-Beth Gaskill, who dupes people with her good-natured and kind personality thus making her the perfect criminal; and the “iron-willed and tenacious” Susan Grimshaw, the gang’s arbiter of justice.
Without saying much, the characters sound like interesting people. There are many more characters, and you can check the descriptions and bios for these characters on Rockstar’ site.
Rockstar has been working on their Red Dead Redemption 2 hype machine of late. Recently, they released a wanted poster for Dutch Van der Linde. The game will be officially launched on 26th October for Xbox One and PS4.
Posted in: Video Games
Sony is Releasing Translucent PS4 Pro In Celebration Of 500 Million PlayStation Consoles Sold
What is the Actual Difference between OLED and LED?
3 Best QLED Gaming Monitor That You Must Check
Hey everybody, this is Terilee. Don't forget that tonight is TEAM AV's Fall Networking Mixer the Blvd. Cinema's Third Floor Lounge, 742 W. Lancaster Blvd., Lancaster, CA. I hope to see you there. 5:30pm - 7:30pm ...
Hey TEAM members, Tomorrow is workshop Wednesdays. David Schroeder will teach some marketing secrets to revolutionize your selling. Plus he's giving away 12 copies of Scientific advertising. Don't miss it, 8:30am!!! Address: 5035 W. Ave L12 #B, Quartz Hill Map: bit.ly/1gINiTm ...
Free form Chat on modern life Society culture Gaming & more at Mustberice podcast ping.fm/DTDfA ...
© 2019 Pod Seek. All Rights Reserved.
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The Animal Protection Network
06/26/19 Slavko Sobin Against Abandonment
03/11/19 Dying Due to Lack of Law Implementation
12/17/18 Zagreb Declares Mandatory Sterilization
11/27/18 Love is not for Sale
11/08/18 Paws up for volunteers
10/29/18 Award ceremony for heroes who help animals
10/24/18 The Animal Protection Act Anniversary
10/16/18 Antoniazzo, Drago, Majhenic and Petko for animals
10/12/18 Adopted Dog Becomes the First Dog
04/25/18 Campaign for dogs in Roma Settlements
04/19/18 Permanent Sterilization
04/10/18 Veterinarians for castration of dogs and cats
02/16/18 Sterilization of Dogs and Cats Presented to the EP
02/08/18 Microchipping control
01/16/18 Adopt!
12/18/17 Christmas without the purchase of animals
11/24/17 Dog microchipping controls set in motion
11/20/17 First meeting of animal shelters
11/11/17 No-Kill Croatia!
09/27/17 100,000 dogs not vaccinated or microchipped
09/20/17 Education is Cool!
08/28/17 Instead of over-vaccination, strict control
08/22/17 Dog caretakers' responsibility
06/23/17 Your Choice, Your Responsibility
06/07/17 Together is more fun!
05/26/17 Spay/neuter, don't philosophize!
02/23/17 The Presidents Supports Dogs
01/24/17 Minister to Ban Killing Animals in Shelters!
11/26/16 In a New Home by Christmas!
11/02/16 Dog Tax
09/15/16 The Chain Goes Into the Past
07/25/16 Everything to Your Dog... Except Goodbye
06/27/16 Let's Extinguish Irresponsibility
05/27/16 Castration is Necessary to Help Cats
04/08/16 Use This Spring to Adopt!
03/15/16 Friends Throughout the Centuries
12/30/15 Protest for Dubrovnik's Dogs
12/28/15 Celebration or War Zone?
12/22/15 Animals Under the Christmas Tree!
12/21/15 City of Dubrovnik with Police Against Dogs
12/18/15 Dogs for Hanging?
11/14/15 Injured Animals Need Our Help!
09/23/15 Microchips Save Animals
09/21/15 Being Dog-Friendly Is In!
09/19/15 11th Meeting of the Network
07/17/15 Shut in a Hot Car
06/23/15 With You on the Busiest Roads
06/13/15 Pet Friendly
04/28/15 Each Life Is Precious!
02/28/15 Spaying and Neutering Save Lives
11/08/14 Adopting is Cool: Doggies and Mutts
10/22/14 Sick Dogs in Foul Kennels?!?
09/13/14 We All Love School
07/07/14 Summer Goes, Friends Stay
04/26/14 The Invisible Dogs
03/03/14 Choose Your Battles
11/26/13 Spaying and Neutering
11/16/13 In New Home By Christmas!
06/26/13 Everyone Together Again in Autumn!
06/15/13 Adopt Another Animal!
04/13/13 Adopting is Cool
12/07/12 My Name Is Rea
11/19/12 Shelter of Association Victories
11/17/12 Who Thinks That Adopting is Not Cool?
11/13/12 Life on a Chain isn't Life
11/05/12 All Shelters are Closing?!?
10/27/12 Network Against Animal Abandoning
06/28/12 Let Adoption be Your Choice!
06/26/12 Shelters have Reopened!
06/26/12 Urgent Reopening of Shelters!
06/22/12 Stop Killing and Reopen the Shelters!
06/20/12 Thousand Kilometres, Zagreb Stop
06/18/12 Maniacal Killing of Dogs and Cats
06/12/12 Emergency Aid for Animals
05/08/12 Dogs in Public Transportation
03/29/12 Purebred Dogs are Victims of Abandoning, too
12/14/11 You Buy One, You Kill One
09/13/11 Dog Killers Should not Adopt Animals!
07/28/11 Justin Bieber in Croatia!
06/28/11 Do not Adopt Animals...
06/11/11 Sponsor a Shelter Dog!
06/07/11 A Round Table
03/24/11 Mandatory Microchipping
03/05/11 Let's Find Them a Home
02/20/11 Kinofil
02/18/11 Free Spaying/Neutering
01/15/11 For the Implementation of the Law
01/06/11 Left in the Street because of Their Skiing Trip
11/20/10 Adopting is Cool!
10/23/10 The Network Against Animal Abandoning
08/27/10 Spay/Neuter Against Death of Animals
07/15/10 Marko Tolja Against Abandoning Animals
12/22/09 Yellow Card For Animal Abandoning
11/13/09 For Croatia without Killing of Abandoned Animals
08/06/09 Spaying/Neutering Saves Lives
07/07/09 Find Your Friend
12/10/08 Animals are not Merchandize
11/24/08 Children Visit Shelter for Abandoned Animals in Dumovec
08/21/08 Spaying/Neutering is Necessary to Save Lives
07/18/08 Open Doors at Dumovec Shelter
07/12/08 Implementation of the Animal Protection Act
07/04/08 Animals are not Toys
06/03/08 Microchipping Left to the Cities' Decision
05/29/08 Benkovac Shelter
05/03/08 For Penalization of Tormenters
12/13/07 Don't Buy Animals - Adopt Them!
09/22/07 Ending of the Project "Socialize to Find a Home"
09/07/07 With Microchipping Against Abandoning
08/25/07 Spaying/Neutering Saves Animals
08/11/07 Dogs From the Project "Socialize to Find a Home"
07/28/07 Citizens of Rijeka, do not Abandon Animals!
06/20/07 Abandoning - Penalty up to 15,000 Kuna
06/06/07 Socialize to Find a Home
12/30/06 Children Against Abandoning Animals
12/16/06 Do Not Give Out Animals as Gifts!
07/26/06 Give Them a Home!
07/03/06 Family to the Seaside, Dog to the Street?
05/06/06 A New Home for a New Beginning
01/27/06 Torturer and Murderer of a Dog Sentenced to Five Months of Prison!
12/23/05 The Pre-Christmas Black Chronicle of 2005
11/12/05 Let's Give Them Home
11/08/05 A Dog Murderer Finally on Trial!
08/20/05 Don't Kill, Spay and Neuter!
07/09/05 Give Me a Home
06/30/05 Don't Leave Me - Give Me a Home
06/20/05 Don't Leave Me
02/15/05 Varans are Coming Home!
12/17/04 High Prices of Vaccination of Dogs
12/09/04 Torture and Murder of a Dog
08/19/04 Don't Kill - Spay and Neuter!
08/12/04 Boycott of Olympics in Greece
07/06/04 Boycott of Olympics in Athens
07/01/04 Exotic Animals Trade
06/25/04 Families at the Seaside, Dogs in the Streets, Again?!
07/04/03 Till Holidays Do Us Part?!?
06/26/03 Murder in Karlovac
06/20/03 Companion Animals Abandonment
11/11/02 Lika is Saved
11/10/02 Rescuing of the Dog Lika
06/30/02 Against Companion Animals Abandonment
04/11/02 The Case of Dog Execution
02/14/02 Killing Because of 300 m Law
02/04/02 Demand for an Investigation
Animal Friends is pointing out that animals are not toys
It's Christmas time, time of giving and receiving. When people are buying gifts, many of them think that animal will be a perfect present. However, animals are not toys; they are living creatures that acquire attention, care and also financial assets. To give an animal to someone who doesn't want to take full responsibility for it is quite irresponsible towards the animal. Next year, many of this animals will be wandering the streets until they die of starvation or under the car wheels. The ones that end up in shelters will wait in small cages for someone to rescue them.
That is why Animal Friends is kindly asking citizens not to give out animals as gifts so that they wouldn't emphasize the negligence and cruelty towards the animals and also to show respect towards other citizens that will have to take care of this animals once they are abandoned.
Anyone that wants to bring an animal home, has to have the approval of the whole family. Together, they should decide whether they can take care of it, give it all the attention and care it will need for a longer period of time.
If you decide to get an animal, don't buy one – adopt one. By doing this, you will not only avoid supporting the cruelty of animal breeding and trading, but also you will save a life of an animal that will be thankful to you by it's lifelong devotion and loyalty. Also, older animals that are more calmer and have already gone through socializing pograms are more suitable for adopting than smaller animals who's character has not yet been built.
Puppy Mills: Breeding Ills
Important Notes on Gift Giving
Purebred Dogs and Overpopulation
"How Could You?"
Shock Collars are Cruel to Dogs
Meet the Dogs
Stores That Do (Not) Sell Live Animals
White List of Pet Stores
Black List of Pet Stores
Aims of the Network
03/28/13 Roses Fashion Outlet
12/19/11 Buying Animals Kills Dogs
06/09/06 A Dog is Not a Toy!
Shelter for Abandoned Animals in the City of Zagreb
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POLITICAL HOT TOPICS: Friday, November 23, 2012
CNN's Laura Koran
The CNN Washington Bureau’s morning speed read of the top stories making news from around the country and the world. Click on the headlines for more.
WASHINGTON/POLITICAL:
CNN: Lawmakers offer helping of holiday thanks with side dish of debt worries
After a heated campaign season, lawmakers expressed gratitude in their Thanksgiving remarks but not without the political undertones of an economy limping back to life and impending fiscal crisis. In their weekly addresses, both sides first thanked members of the military serving abroad and those on the East Coast still suffering in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
CNN: Chambliss fires off on Norquist's anti-tax pledge
A top Republican U.S. senator brushed off the anti-tax pledge pushed by activist Grover Norquist and embraced widely for years by GOP lawmakers. "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge," Sen. Saxby Chambliss told Georgia television station WMAZ, a CNN affiliate, on Wednesday. "If we do it his way, then we'll continue in debt and I just have a disagreement with him about that."
CNNMoney: Newark Mayor Cory Booker to live on food stamp budget
Newark Mayor Cory Booker rescued a neighbor from a burning building, invited Hurricane Sandy victims to his home, and rushed to the aid of a pedestrian hit by a car. Now he's going to live on a food stamp budget for a week in solidarity with Americans who feed their families on the government assistance program.
CNN: By the numbers: Thanksgiving and the Presidents
Throughout American history, the annual celebration of family and gratitude known as Thanksgiving has been a central part of The White House and the U.S. presidency.
NATIONAL:
CNN: Fog suspected in 100-vehicle Texas wrecks that claim at least two lives
At least two people were killed and as many as 120 injured in Thanksgiving pileups involving an estimated 100 cars on a foggy stretch of highway in southeast Texas, authorities said. The first accident - a multi-car wreck in the eastbound lands of Interstate 10 - occurred about 8:45 a.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Chain-reaction crashes followed, the department said in a news release, and included several accidents in the westbound lanes of the interstate, southwest of Beaumont in Jefferson County.
CNN: Airline 'pit crews' work to keep flights on time
If you are heading home after Thanksgiving still groggy from L-tryptophan and an early morning Black Friday shopping spree, you're counting on a team of airline workers you might never see to get your plane out safely and on time. "I think the pit crew analogy is actually a really good analogy," explains Stephanie Buchanan, vice president of the Houston hub for United Airlines. "We like to call it a highly choreographed ballet. There are a lot of moving pieces, a lot of teamwork that has to happen."
CNN: Gas leak sickens 49 Pennsylvania inmates
A carbon monoxide leak sickened 49 inmates at a county jail in York, Pennsylvania, with five hospitalized overnight, county officials said Thursday. Investigators suspect the heating and ventilation system in a unit housing female inmates was the source of the odorless, colorless gas. The women began showing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning on Wednesday evening, York County officials said in a written statement.
CNN: What the frack? U.S. set for energy bonanza, says historian Ferguson
If there's been one consistent thread running through the U.S. economic story since 2008, it's been the steady drumbeat of gloom. Outright recession or sub-standard growth, stubbornly high unemployment and fiscal crises have been the topics du jour when it comes to the world's biggest economy. But now an unlikely champion for U.S. growth under the Obama administration has emerged.
CNN: Opposition: Fighting across Syria leaves 151 dead
One day after Syrian rebels accused government forces of a deadly bombing near a hospital in the besieged city of Aleppo, opposition groups said another 151 people had been killed in the fighting Thursday. The majority of those deaths occurred in the Syrian capital of Damascus and its suburbs, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based opposition group.
CNN: Egypt's Morsy gives himself new powers, orders retrials in protester deaths
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsy has issued an order preventing any court from overturning his decisions, essentially allowing him to run the country unchecked until a new constitution is drafted, his spokesman announced on state TV Thursday.
CNN: Gaza conflict leaves a 'cruel paradox' for Palestinians
Palestinian Authority leaders renewed calls for unity with their Hamas-led rivals after the latest Israel-Gaza conflict, but the fighting may have left Hamas with the upper hand. The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority announced Thursday that the leadership of Hamas and its allies in the Islamic Jihad movement had decided to support the Palestinian Authority's bid for recognition as an independent state at the United Nations. But that statement was quickly contradicted by leaders of both Gaza-based factions, which have long opposed the gambit that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas launched last year.
CNN: Rebel leader in Uganda for Congo crisis talks
A fight for the control of Sake, a strategically placed town in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, raged Thursday, while regional leaders sought to end the crisis. The political leader of M23, the rebel group that captured Goma, a key city near Sake, two days earlier, flew to Uganda Thursday for talks with that country's president.
CNNMoney: Wal-mart workers get ready for Black Friday protest
Shoppers and stores around the country are preparing for big Black Friday sales, but a group of Wal-Mart workers are getting ready for a protest. "I'll do whatever it takes to speak out about our concerns - I'm willing to put my job on the line," says Monique Velasquez, a single mother of five who works in Wal-Mart's photo department in Pico Rivera, California. Velasquez plans to join the protest on Friday.
CNNMoney: Service sector adds to eurozone gloom
Service industry companies in the eurozone are more pessimistic about their prospects than at any time since early 2009, pointing to little chance of a return to growth for the region soon, according to business surveys published Thursday.
CNNMoney: Black Friday brings festive scene to Macy's
Black Friday at Macy's flagship store in midtown Manhattan has a different vibe than the typical hometown mall. For many in the crowd, the shopping is secondary: The real fun was in the spectacle. Television crews recorded the event, a lone preacher ranted against greed and a mass of humanity waited for the store's doors to open.
CNN's Kyung Lah takes a look at the lengths some people will go for a good deal.
Filed under: Political Hot Topics
gappbaaz
In a democracy one should never be pledging allegiance to any particular person anyways. It should be to the country and its constitution. If we do pledge allegiance to any one person for any matter or cause, it is not democracy but a dictatorship. This should not happen in our country no matter which party one is from.
November 23, 2012 07:05 am at 7:05 am |
NC_mike
Signing the Pledge for GOPers was like paying the mafia for 'protection'.
Calling this man an activist is inaccurate. Norquist and his cult followers are traitors.
BREAKING NEWS: John McCain admits that he was wrong about Amb. Susan Rice.
Afraid that you'll lose one of your boys in a primary fight now that he's repudiated the people?
Or are you just afraid of the truth, that we're taxed too highly already and need all the help you can get convincing the people to allow the government to steal more of our money?
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Facebook's Zuckerberg gives himself a label
CNN's Bryan Koenig
Updated 9/18/13 5:42pm E.T.
Washington (CNN) – Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg declined any traditional political label while in Washington stumping for his pro-immigration reform group, saying that rather than Democrat or Republican, "I'm pro-knowledge economy."
The multibillionaire took part in a forum Wednesday with Atlantic magazine editor James Bennet, commenting on his immigration group, FWD.us, along with the future of Facebook and the impact revelations that the U.S. government tracks some American activity online have had on the trust people place in their social media.
On his political views, Zuckerberg spoke of the transition from an industrial economy with zero-sum games that have winners and losers to a "knowledge economy" where two people can have the same information without being in competition, hence his moving away from a right or left stance.
As for immigration, which is why he's in D.C., Zuckerberg said that the sometimes controversial tactics of FWD.us, using attack ads and supporting pro-immigration politicians with stances that may be unpopular, are still in the early phases.
"There's been a lot to debug in making this work," Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg: Concerns were expressed about immigration lobbying
Zuckerbeg called immigration an incredibly complicated issue and that FWD.us is not trying to push the specifics of the law. Rather, it is trying to "support folks who need to take controversial positions," both Democrats and Republicans.
For Zuckerberg, support of immigration reform is both an ideological and business decision, he said, with the tech industry arguing that skilled laborers need to be able to get into the country more easily. FWD.us is supported by a number of Silicon Valley CEOs.
Zuckerberg kicks off tech lobbying push on immigration
Ideologically, Zuckerberg said he was motivated by the students he's taught in an afterschool program, many of whom he learned were undocumented.
"The more I looked into this the more unfair it seemed," he said.
He said he was "optimistic" of the chances for reform. "But I'm an entrepreneur," he said.
Zuckerberg is expected to spend much of the day Thursday meeting with members of Congress.
When it comes to partisan divide, Zuckerberg said he sees less of that on immigration. But on other matters, perhaps there is a reason few things get done. "The system is setup to avoid making catastrophic mistakes," Zuckerberg said. When there's little or no consensus on an issue, "there's fewer things that should get done."
As for the government surveillance programs that have involved queries with some of the county's biggest technology companies including Google and Facebook, Zuckerberg said that "the more transparency the government could do," on exactly the information being queried, "the better anyone would feel about it."
That is why Facebook is currently suing the federal government to be able to release precisely how many times the social media company has been asked for user data. And the company has frequently pushed back on requests it feels to be too broad, Zuckerberg said.
When revelations of the government surveillance came to light, public trust in their online privacy dropped as well, Zuckerberg said.
Filed under: Facebook • Immigration
A Kickin' Donkey
Translation . . . I'm a Democrat but I don't want to incite the hyperpartisan sniping that is common today. Members of " the Stupid Party" are definitely NOT pro-knowledge.
September 18, 2013 05:32 pm at 5:32 pm |
This guy stole the idea for Facebook. He must be a Democrat. Nothing but thieves.
O'drama ya Mama
Pro-knowledge = Democrat
Pro-ignorance = Republican
anonymoose
undocumented = ILLEGAL ALIEN. You were associating with CRIMINALS. Wny are the left wingers always trying to rewrite the language and the meaning of everything? Maybe to confuse and deceive people?
Another Way to Look at It
Pro-baby murder = Democrat
Pro-baby = Republican
Pro-criminal = Democrat
Pro-victim = Republican
Pro-government control = Democrat
Pro-freedom = Republican
I sort of have contempt for this.
There is probably only one thing I've agreed with Ann Coulter on, and that's contempt for people who refuse to pick an ideological side on public policy. While no one side has the monopoly on wisdom, it's only logical that one side is MOSTLY right about stuff. For me, that's the Left.
Fine, Zuckerberg, don't call yourself a Democrat or Republican - I don't, either. But at least be a conservative or a liberal. Not doing so shows a pretentious belief that you're "above it all", or that you're not very educated about the news of the day ... or, as I suspect in your case, you don't want to offend shareholders.
"Pro-knowledge economy" - blech! Word-salad! Pick a side! One of them's right! Sit on the fence, and you will never be.
Silence DoGood
I think forward looking people need to leave behind the business-as-usual Democrats AND Republicans. This single joint party has been running the show too long. And the Democrats have clearly shown they prefer the Status Quo over progressive progress. And now that we see Obama as the War president he is, we need to leave that whole club behind. Good for M.Z. Dem + Repub = dinosaurs.
be the SOLUTION not the PROBLEM
His label, is........Traitor to the workers of America.
Cephus
Mark knows better than those old men in congress today.
September 18, 2013 10:12 pm at 10:12 pm |
He just wants cheap H-1b guest guest workers to lower wages and replace U.S. workers
Michael Benjamin
Start coding Zuck maybe you can come up with an algorithm that will satisfy both sides of the argument.
September 19, 2013 01:01 am at 1:01 am |
Typical democrat elitist who would rather stroke their own high-and-mighty egos than deal with reality. Reality = the experts have no idea of how many illegal immigrants are currently in the country. Estimates jump from 12 million to 20 million from story to story. Then there is the flood waiting to cross the boarder as soon as the coast-is-clear. All their predictions on how-good-amnesty-will-be will be worthless as school systems are overwhelmed, hospitals are congested, services are cut and taxes are raised to pay for the surge on food stamp usage, etc., etc., etc.
So while the rest of us deal with the devastation brought upon by the illegal immigrant invasion, the Zuck will be sitting on his yacht with our a care in the world.
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Stable isotope labeling combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for comprehensive analysis of short-chain fatty acids.
Zheng, Jie; Zheng, Shu-Jian; Cai, Wen-Jing; Yu, Lei; Yuan, Bi-Feng; Feng, Yu-Qi.
Anal Chim Acta; 1070: 51-59, 2019 Sep 06.
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are one class of bacterial metabolites mainly formed by gut microbiota from undigested fibers and proteins. These molecules are able to mediate signal conduction processes of cells, acting as G protein-coupled receptors (GPR) activators and histone deacetylases (HDAC) inhibitors. It was reported that SCFAs were closely associated with various human diseases. However, it is still challenging to analyze SCFAs because of their diverse structures and broad range of concentrations. In this study, we developed a highly sensitive method for simultaneous detection of 34 SCFAs by stable isotope labeling coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis. In this respect, a pair of isotope labeling reagents, N-(4-(aminomethyl)benzyl)aniline (4-AMBA) and N-(4-(aminomethyl)benzyl)aniline-d5 (4-AMBA-d5), were synthesized to label SCFAs from the feces of mice and SCFA standards, respectively. The 4-AMBA-d5 labeled SCFAs were used as internal standards to compensate the ionization variances resulting from matrix effect and thus minimize quantitation deviation in MS detection. After 4-AMBA labeling, the retention of SCFAs on the reversed-phase column increased and the separation resolution of isomers were improved. In addition, the MS responses of most SCFAs were enhanced by up to three orders of magnitude compared to unlabeled SCFAs. The limits of detection (LODs) of SCFAs were as low as 0.005â¯ng/mL. Moreover, good linearity for 34 SCFAs was obtained with the coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.9846 to 0.9999 and the intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations (RSDs) were <17.8% and 15.4%, respectively, indicating the acceptable reproducibility of the developed method. Using the developed method, we successfully quantified 21 SCFAs from the feces of mice. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and t-test analysis showed that the contents of 9 SCFAs were significantly different between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and wide type (WT) mice fecal samples. Compared to WT mice, the contents of propionic acid, isobutyric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and 3-hydroxyisocaleric acid were decreased in AD mice, while lactic acid, 2-hydroxybutyric acid, 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid, levulinic acid, and valpronic acid were increased in AD mice. These significantly changed SCFAs in the feces of AD mice may afford to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of AD. Taken together, the developed UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS method could be applied for the sensitive and comprehensive determination of SCFAs from complex biological samples.
Ácidos Graxos Voláteis/análise Marcação por Isótopo Animais Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão Microbioma Gastrointestinal Humanos Camundongos Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL Camundongos Transgênicos Estrutura Molecular Espectrometria de Massas em Tandem
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> Know Homelessness > Opioid Crisis
City of Philadelphia’s Opioid website
The City of Philadelphia is working to save lives, improve access to help, and reverse the effects opioids have had on our community. Every neighborhood in the city is being hit hard by an epidemic of opioid use and overdose. Across all racial and ethnic groups, the number of deaths from drug overdose is higher than the number of deaths from homicide. Of the 1,217 overdoses in 2017, 1,074 involved an opioid. Check out the City’s Opioid website.
The Philadelphia Resilience Project: Our response to the opioid crisis
“On October 3, 2018, Mayor Jim Kenney signed Executive Order 3-18 declaring a citywide emergency and empowering City agencies to come together to immediately solve the problem.”
“What the Resilience Project does
It focuses on seven critical mission areas:
Clearing major encampments.
Reducing criminal activity.
Reducing the number of unsheltered individuals.
Reducing trash and litter.
Reducing overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases.
Increasing treatment options.
Mobilizing community response.”
Encampment Resolution Pilot Update – May 17, 2018
Opioid-related homeless encampments present one of the most complex situations Philadelphia has encountered in recent history. The existing encampments are in a densely residential neighborhood, which not only creates an unsafe and unhealthy environment for residents but creates tension. Making matters more complex is that the affected Kensington “community” is not at all unified in its reaction to the encampments, which is common and understandable. Factions want the camps gone at all cost; they are especially concerned about illicit drug use, trash, crime and the constant feeling that illegal activity is being tolerated. Others are providing tents, food and other necessities to campers. Harm-reduction groups are advocating for the protection of campers and getting additional services to them to save lives and provide easier access to treatment.
The Office of Homeless Services (OHS) and the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) launched a pilot on April 30, 2018 engaging in intensive daily outreach to those living at two Kensington encampments, one at Tulip and Lehigh and another at Kensington and Lehigh. The purpose of the pilot offers services and emergency housing to campers in these two sites, ultimately clears the two camps and pioneers a new service model tailored to this new problem.
The purpose of this document is to provide an update on the progress of the pilot and context surrounding the severity and complexity of the problem it aims to address.
Impact of the pilot program at mid-way point:
The pilot outreach team has engaged many who were camping under the two identified bridges for this pilot, created a by-name list of occupants and obtained information regarding individual needs, interests, and barriers and referred individuals to treatment and more stable housing options.
There is a multidisciplinary team on site daily: homeless outreach, nurse, doctor, mobile medical care several days a week, assessors and authorizers for insurance.
On-site assessment, transportation, and coordination for ease of access to these services have been successful strategies so far.
Many aspects of the plan are working:
People are accepting services. Nearly 100 people have accepted services so far;
About three dozen people have entered treatment, more in the first two weeks of the pilot than in the prior six months;
We are getting closer to treatment on demand by bringing services on-site to people, breaking down barriers to accessing treatment: ID, transportation, assessment and referral and insurance authorization. No one has been turned away who teams have referred for treatment. This success has implications for changing the way we provide access to treatment.
More than two dozen people have gotten an ID card which nearly half of those surveyed identified as a barrier to leaving the camps;
About 40 percent have been homeless for more than a year, most are newly homeless;
Daytime encampment numbers are much higher than night time numbers, which are going down. People are accessing the respites including, slowly, the ones further away. This demonstrates that the City’s low-barrier approach is working;
The clear majority have a work history and would like to return to work;
Prevention Point has been piloting suboxone induction on the street under medical supervision. This is promising because it has been found to be effective elsewhere in helping people think more clearly about their future;
We have secured an outside evaluator who is tracking progress from camper and neighbor perspectives;
People are using the daytime services. Now they can go directly from the respites to daytime services at Prevention Point Philadelphia.
Camp closing protocol on May 30th:
Anyone who is still camping will be offered services again and then, if they refuse, asked to leave.
Anyone who remains will have their belongings removed. The campers can put their things in a large crate which they will close and label; L&I will transport possessions to the Prevention Point Respite at 3247 Kensington Avenue where it will be stored until July.
Anyone who does not leave will be issued a CVN or Ticket for $20 by the Police.
Police will enforce the camp closure. Homeless outreach and access to treatment will continue to be available on site.
The Problem Itself
The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis – the worst we have seen in over a century:
Four times as many people died from drug overdoses in Philadelphia than from homicides in 2017:
Opioid Use Disorder is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that can lead to disability and death;
Drugs change the brain creating cravings, inability to abstain, and impairment in self-control;
There is an increased risk of HIV, Hepatitis C, and skin infections associated with the harmful effects of drug use;
Both the disease and the people suffering from the disease are highly stigmatized and socially isolated;
Medication Assisted Treatment is an effective evidence-based treatment and there are multiple pathways to recovery.
Poverty and homelessness are both contributing factors to the problem:
The opioid epidemic and associated drug trade is centered in a low-income neighborhood that residents believe would not be tolerated elsewhere;
Economic opportunity is a significant part of what drives the commerce of selling drugs;
Blight and vacant property make the sale and use of drugs more open and accessible;
Poverty drives people who have addiction to panhandling and homelessness and makes it harder for them to escape.
We don’t know if the epidemic has peaked. The reality is that we could do everything right and still see the numbers of active opioid users, homeless people and overdose victims grow along with new encampments.
“Supply-side” solutions are not enough.
We can’t arrest our way out of this situation. If we learned nothing else from the “war on drugs,” we learned that it can become a war on low-income people that leaves them worse-off than they were before;
Nonetheless, we can’t condone lawlessness so police are enforcement laws against drug sales while piloting pre-arrest diversion which they plan to expand, budget allowing.
“Demand-side” solutions are not enough:
Access to treatment has not always been easy; treatment on demand is essential;
People enter treatment when and how they are ready. They must believe that there is hope and must feel welcomed to access addiction services at their own pace;
Need to promote wellness to help people shift from an illness track to a wellness track;
Substance use disorder is more prevalent in impoverished areas;
State and federal regulations such as a need for ID and barriers to supervised injections are obstacles that systemically need to be navigated and negotiated. These challenges are being addressed by DBHIDS, the City of Philadelphia and the State of Pennsylvania, including a declaration by Governor Wolf that may help to pave the way.
The City is is trying to balance these needs and interests in a legally appropriate and humane way. Specifically, we must:
Make the community safer and healthier for all residents, which includes removing needles, trash, human waste, potential sources of Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and blood-borne pathogens;
Learn from previous public health challenges that have affected behavioral health and medical health to determine the most effective ways to get treatment to people in need meeting them where they are;
Uphold the human rights of all, even those who are stigmatized by addiction and homelessness;
Enforce the law to the greatest extent possible;
Solve a newly emerged problem that has never been solved before with limited resources and in a highly visible way.
ENCAMPMENT RESOLUTION PILOT
The City of Philadelphia announced the launch of a pilot encampment action plan for the Kensington area as part of the City’s latest efforts in combating the opioid crisis in Philadelphia. The City and partners researched best practices from around the country in addressing addiction related homelessness.
What will this look like?
This pilot intensively engages individuals living under the Kensington and Tulip Street bridges.
Ongoing outreach, engagement, coordinated services, and supports are being provided to individuals living in the encampments every day for 30 days (April 30th—May 30th).
Where will people go?
People have options to access residential and treatment services—options can include:
Prevention Point Respite
One Day At A Time (ODAAT) Respite
Prevention Point Navigation Center
Northeast Treatment Center (NET) Assessment Center
for access to these sites, please contact Homeless Outreach at 215-232-1984
Mental health treatment services
Safe Havens
Crisis Response Center
What services are available?
In addition to the on-site outreach efforts at the Kensington and Tulip Street bridges, the following places — always available through DBHIDS and the Office of Homeless Services — are able to help people living in the encampments to get back on a path to wellness.
Those who are currently enrolled in Medicaid can call: Community Behavioral Health’s (CBH) 24/7 Member Services at 888-545-2600
Those who are uninsured and wishing to access services can call the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services’ (DBHIDS) Behavioral Health Special Initiatives Unit (BHSI) at 215-546-1200, Monday-Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm
Engagement and connection to homeless services will occur through Homeless Outreach and can be contacted 24/7 at
Individuals wanting to immediately be assessed and access substance abuse treatment services can walk- in 24/7 at Northeast Treatment Center, 499 N. 5th Street (5th and Spring Garden)
For more information or support, please contact Centralized Homeless Intake Services
802 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19123 (Monday – Friday, 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.), 215-685-3700
2601 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19132 (after 5:00 p.m. on Weekdays or on Weekends), 215-225-9230
Download the flier Español
Liz Hersh’s testimony before City Council on Resolution #180037 to assess the City of Philadelphia’s efforts to prevent and treat abuse, addiction, and disease related to the use of opioids
Good morning Councilwoman Bass and other members of the Committee. My name is Liz Hersh and I am Director of the Office of Homeless Services. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.
Using the Kensington Counts plan as the basis, the Office of Homeless Services established a 23-bed respite with Prevention Point last winter. Based on its high utilization, we then expanded it to 40 beds this winter. It has been an overwhelming success. Our method has been to listen to the people on the ground closest to the problem and support their efforts in addressing the problem to the best of our ability.
Similarly, we added 15 dedicated beds to the 60 already being provided by Pathways to Housing, the first-in-the nation street to home program for people with Opioid Use Disorder. To date they have a 100% housing retention rate and half have entered treatment or are practicing abstinence. Again, a remarkable success rate and an approach that we hope to expand in the next fiscal year if the dollars proposed by the Mayor are made available.
Despite this expansion of investments, the growth of homeless encampments driven by the opioid crisis is plaguing Kensington. It is a humanitarian crisis that presents a health and safety threat not only to be the people living there, but to the neighbors who live nearby. We must acknowledge this reality. Our January Point in Time Count found that the number of people experiencing street homelessness in Kensington (zip codes 19133, 19125, 19134) had gone down from 227-210. Yet, Kensington has the second highest concentration of homeless people in the City after Center City.
The homeless encampments in the Kensington area, specifically under the tunnels north of Lehigh Avenue on Tulip, Kensington, Frankford and Emerald streets, have an estimated population of 200 people.
Encampments are a national and growing problem. National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty found a 1,342% increase in the number of homeless encampments from 19 in 2007 to a high of 274 in 2016 (the last full year for data). https://www.nlchp.org/Tent_City_USA_2017.
And yet, the new budget proposed by the White House slashes all forms of evidence-based housing assistance leaving communities on our own.
Working in a coordinated effort with partners throughout the City, we have taken a number of steps to manage this dire situation so far:
Under the leadership of Eastern Division Police Inspector Ray Convery, established a Homeless Detail, a small group of officers dedicated entirely to the homeless encampment. They do a nightly count of people sleeping, weekly clean-ups and have a constant presence in the community. Deploying the combined “push and pull” of the police officers and homeless outreach teams, the people in the encampments were asked to move to one side of each street to allow for safe passage. This arrangement was the suggestion of Somerset Neighbors for Better Living (SNBL) to enable neighbors to walk through without going into the street. While it is progress, it is far from the resolution needed.
The Streets Department has increased to twice weekly trash pick-ups and the encampment residents have been provided with trash containment supplies. At the neighbors’ request, L&I has also inspected all the local scrap metal collectors and one has closed. Scrap metal is a source of income often used for drug purchase that leads to petty theft in the neighborhood and has been the cause of considerable concern.
The Office of Community Engagement under the direction of Joanna Otero-Cruz, in coordination with the police has distributed kits to neighbors that include sharps containers, grabbers, no trespassing signs and blue light bulbs to add to empower residents to take back their streets by containing and minimizing the harm of needles on the street and discouraging intravenous drug use in front of their houses. This also enables the police to enforce no trespassing laws.
In addition, our office is aggressively pursuing additional actions:
A respite is a small, low-barrier place in the community for people experiencing homelessness to come in and be cared for. ID and drug testing are not required for entry. It is come as you are. It is based loosely on the model of a Safe Haven pioneered in the 1990s by Project HOME and supported by DBHIDS. In its first year of operation Prevention Point’s respite served 160 people of whom nearly 40% entered treatment and/or got permanent housing. This is a tremendous success.
The respite uses a housing first model. While many of us on the outside wish that those in the encampments would seek treatment first, experience is showing us that providing housing first is working well. We have found that when people have a place to come into to get clean, warm (or cool), fed, get medical care, feel safe and comfortable, THEN they can start to make plans and think about their future.
Based on the success of this model, we have aggressively pursued a second respite in the neighborhood. It has taken several months to identify a site as the community is quite divided. Some believe that Kensington is already a magnet and that any new respite should be sited elsewhere while others are clamoring for more beds. We analyzed the number of homeless facilities in the neighborhood and found that it is quite under-served. There is one shelter the one we established last year.
Today we are pleased to report that Impact Services is in the final stages of negotiating a lease at 3247 Kensington Avenue to provide 40 more respite beds and be operated by Prevention Point.
Encampments require a new strategy. The Office of Homeless Services researched other cities to better understand how best to address the encampment problem. San Francisco is the model that looks most promising. With over 1000 tents on the streets throughout the City, they have deployed an encampment resolution team, a multi-disciplinary team that engages and helps resolve the homelessness of the residents.
They use what I will simplistically refer to as a carrot and stick approach. They first develop a by-name list of people in the encampment and assess what they need systematically. They then begin the resolution process of helping people who can go home, do so, of getting ID, access to treatment or entry into a respite which they call a Navigation Center. They go so far as to begin Medication Assisted Treatment on the street and have found that with medication like Suboxone that some people are able to think more clearly about and make better choices. Outreach teams make clear that the encampment will be closed completely at 30 days.
The Navigation Center offers a range of services with easy access. It also offers beds for people finding as we have, that a good night’s sleep, meals, safety and care enables better problem solving. Finally, within the final 72 hours the police notify people that the encampment will be permanently closed and that they will have to move. They have found that generally there are few people left at that time if the outreach and engagement has been successful.
As a result, they are seeing about a 65% success rate in people accepting safety off the street, 25% have exited homelessness and an 85% reduction in tents. To date they have resolved 23 encampments comprised of 944 people. Obviously, additional resources have been deployed to achieve this success.
We are working with our partners at DBHIDS, the police and MDO to establish an Encampment Resolution Team and deploy the new Prevention Point site as our Navigation Center.
We have a preliminary plan that we will shortly be sharing with representatives of the neighborhood associations in the area to get their input. We cannot move ahead without their being informed and involved in the plans. And, we need their help.
We will also need everyone’s help in redirecting their generous contributions away from the encampments and helping provide food, move-in kits, furniture, etc. to help people transition to more stable housing situations. We are developing a list of what our providers can use with the hope that neighbors can help. It is abundantly clear that we cannot solve this problem alone.
That concludes my testimony. I will be available to answer any questions.
“The opioid epidemic has been taking lives, destroying families and undermining the quality of life of Philadelphians across the city.” Mayor Jim Kenney.
Read the Mayor’s Opioid Task Force Report.
The opioid epidemic appears to be driving last year’s increase in unsheltered persons, even while the total number of people experiencing homelessness decreased. See the table below from the 2017 PIT Count.
Estimated Magnitude of the Opioid Problem in Philadelphia: Type
Fatal overdoses (2016)
Source: Medical Examiner 900
In publicly-funded treatment for opioid dependence
Source: Community Behavioral Health/ Behavioral Health Special Initiative
Misusing/abusing prescription opioids (2016)
Source: National Survey on Drug Use & Health 55,000
Using heroin (2016)
Source: NSDUH, BHSI 55,000
Adults receiving more than 1 opioid prescription in a year
Source: PA DHS, Aetna, US Census 150,000
City’s Behavioral Health Department Offering Free Narcan Trainings to the General Public in Effort to Curb Skyrocketing Opioid Overdose Deaths
With the city on pace to record more than 1,200 drug overdose deaths this year – far surpassing last year’s count of 907 – and with an estimated 70,000 people in Philadelphia currently using heroin daily while thousands more are abusing other opioids, the Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) is offering free trainings to the general public on how to administer the life-saving opioid overdose antidote Narcan (Naloxone).
The DBHIDS Narcan overdose prevention trainings will take place at 801 Market Street from 10:00 am to Noon on September 20th, October 18th, November 15th and December 13th. Registration is required. Download Free Narcan Trainings Flyer.
The opioid crisis increases the risk of homelessness for many Philadelphians. The following article in the philadelphiaweekly details what is happening in the Kensington neighborhood.
Highlights of Progress in Kensington/Fairhill
Read “Responses to Gurney Street”
Addressing the Opioid Epidemic – How the Opioid Crisis Affects Homeless Populations
National Health Care for the Homeless Council – Fact Sheet | August 2017
America is facing an opioid epidemic that has reached nationally recognized crisis levels. Currently the Center for Disease Control and Prevention cites that 142 Americans die from opioid overdose every day. Since 2000, deaths due to drug overdose in general have been steadily increasing. Read the Fact Sheet
Hank’s Take: Down and out on Market Street
Fox29 Hank Flynn
Philadelphia’s homeless numbers are on the rise, thanks to opioid abuse …. Read the story
What happens when Kensington’s hidden heroin camps close?
Max Marin June 28, 2017
Gabby Dean . . . . under the Emerald Street bridge, was living on the streets until she recently secured a bed at a women’s shelter. On the 2700 block of Emerald Street, a gaunt, bone-thin man named Michael sweeps the sidewalk under the railroad tracks where he’s been sleeping on and off for two years. He tugs at his sweatpants to show that he’s not wearing any underwear or socks.
Two days ago, the Streets Department came through and cleared out the belongings of the homeless drug addicts who had claimed space under the bridge. “They took all my clothes,” Michael says.
In Kensington, the opioid crisis and homelessness go hand in hand. The neighborhood has the largest homeless population outside of Center City, and the dozen people huddled in this tunnel, most of whom asked for their last names to be withheld, are just a fraction of the whole.
Before the Streets Department cleaned out the underpass, about 40 others had set up camp there.
Just a few blocks away, the city and railroad giant Conrail have agreed to clean up and fence off a far more notorious encampment, which stretches bleakly along the same train line that traverses Emerald Street.
For more than two decades, thousands of addicts have been frequenting the out-of-site injection space known as “El Campamento.” Dozens currently live in squalid conditions at the site. With impending closure, many are concerned about where the unstably housed denizens of Kensington will go to continue fueling their addictions.
“If we looked at a map, people are going to continue their behavior,” says Casey O’Donnell, a psychologist and CEO of Impact Services, a Kensington nonprofit that provides housing assistance. “They’re going to find more bridges, more vacant homes, and the people that want to be out in the open because they feel safer, like at McPherson [Square], they’re going to find more open space.”
Once a month, the Streets Department clears out the tent city that begins to appear under Emerald Street between Lehigh and Somerset.
Locales such as El Campamento and McPherson Square park, where librarians are trained to administer overdose-reversing medicine, have garnered national attention in recent months. The city has stepped up its response. Harm-reduction advocates have been pitching to bring a safe injection site to the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, lesser-discussed places such as the Emerald Street tunnel underscore the sheer scope of problem.
When the warm weather strikes, this thoroughfare north of Lehigh Avenue evolves from a small refuge for regular mainstays like Michael into a full-blown shantytown, packed with mattresses and battered furniture and makeshift shelters.
Once a month, the Streets Department comes in and clears off the sidewalks during what are called “service days,” which are coordinated with the city’s Office of Homeless Services.
Lisa, whose last name is being withheld, leans against the grafittied concrete wall next to two other women. These thirty-somethings are regulars on Emerald Street. Sleeping and getting high in close quarters out in the open is far safer than staying inside a vacant house, they say. Save for when people throw objects at them from moving cars, Lisa says they feel more secure here. They can look out for each other.
“Whether you call it a community or not … whether it’s adaptive or maladaptive, there is a network and a community of people that are in their addiction,” O’Donnell says. “And they haven’t stopped being human just because they use drugs to manage pain.”
In a few weeks time, dozens of others will likely join the crowd. Complaints will arise from neighbors. Cleaning crews and police officers will disperse the burgeoning tent city once again before it gets out of control.
“There’s a core group of us,” Lisa says. “We do our best to try to keep it clean and safe, but then it gets to be too many people.”
The Streets Department gives the homeless and addicted a chance to move their belongings before they service the underpass. (Some, like Michael, say they missed that opportunity last week.) An outreach team from the Department of Behavioral Health and Disability Services also intervenes to offer pathways to social services and housing.
“And when they say yes, we move heaven and earth” to help them, says Liz Hersch, director of the city’s Office of Homeless Services.
But the city’s emergency housing facilities operate at 90 to 120 percent of capacity most of the time, Hersch added, and there are not enough permanent housing units to meet the need for the at-risk homeless population. “We have kind of a clogged pipe system,” she said. “People come in but we don’t have the housing on the other end for them to get to.”
Michael sweeps up the remaining debris and used needles on Emerald Street.
At least 241 street homeless or unstably housed individuals reside on the streets Kensington, according to a 2015 survey conducted by multiple neighborhood organizations. Some who work in the neighborhood believe the number to be much higher. Under Emerald Street bridge, they hail from as close as Fishtown and as far as Florida.
Access to treatment remains the most daunting problem in Philly, especially coming off a year that saw 907 fatal drug overdoses. In the last 18 months, the city has expanded publicly funded outpatient and residential substance abuse treatment slots from 500 to 1,000, said a spokesman for DBHIDS. For those under Emerald Street, however, it’s not always as simple as wanting help. One woman, who declined to give her name, said she couldn’t get into treatment because she doesn’t have the proper identification. Others said they have gone into treatment programs, but they wound up back on the streets where they inevitably relapsed. Non-English speaking addicts, many of whom come to Philly from Puerto Rico for drug treatment through a practice known as “air bridge,” face even more hurdles.
In a matter of weeks, those living and using drugs in the railroad gulch at El Campamento may be searching for new surroundings — whether in treatment or in a new part of the neighborhood.
To stymie displacement, outreach teams are providing on-the-ground intervention near the site to connect drug users with social services, whether it be referring them to Prevention Point for medical care or to rehab facilities for longer-term treatment.
Since May, outreach teams have engaged 259 individuals near El Campamento, says DBHIDs, which is orchestrating the effort with neighborhood organizations like Impact Services and Prevention Point. Nine people have since been placed in treatment, one woman in a Safe Haven, a woman’s shelter. Two people are now being processed for by Pathways to Housing, which connects at-risk homeless to permanent housing.
Back on Emerald Street, Lisa wonders who’s next from her crew to leave the streets for help or housing. Inevitably though, some will continue to find places to sustain their drug habit, whether in a vacant lot, an abandoned house or under I-95.
Michael is still sweeping up a stretch of the sidewalk, using his broom to unclog trash from sewer drain. There are crumpled beer cans, cigarette butts, and food wrappers, but he’s more concerned about the used hypodermic needles. Every time he talks to neighbors, he says he offers an apology and promises to keep the sidewalk clean.
“I may shoot dope, but if it was my kid who got poked with a needle I’d want to kill every addict down here,” he said.
Tweets by PHLCityHomeless
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Peter SEDGLEY 1930 Born in London, lives and works in Berlin, Germany
Peter Sedgley is an important British abstract artist, particularly known for his works exploring color, light, movement and form. He began to paint in 1963, and in 1967 he began to incorporate lights in his work, for example in his ”video-rotors”–painted rotating discs on which a variety of electronically programmed light patterns were played. In 1968 he set up with Bridget Riley S.P.A.C.E. (Space Provision, Artistic, Cultural and Educational), a scheme for providing studio space for young artists. Sedgley‘s work has been identified with the constructivist and Op-Art movement, but he does not like to categorize his art and prefers to say he is more inspired by the color theories of Goethe and the creative process of Paul Klee. ”It is perhaps Klee‘s influence that gives my work a restlessness as I move from one media to another in a context of revelation,” he says. From about 1970 he has experimented with combining sound with color. He often works on a large scale, creating environments in which spectator movement triggers photoelectric cells, causing colors to change. Since the early 1970s Sedgley has lived mainly in Germany and he has an international reputation as one of the most inventive artists in his field.
1965: McRoberts and Tunnard Gallery, London
1966: Howard Wise Gallery, New York
1968: Redfern Gallery, London
1970: Trinity College, Dublin
1972: Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol
1978: Akademie der Künste, Berlin
1981: Galerie in Zentrum, Berlin
1983: Redfern Gallery
1987 Stadtmuseum Norrköping, Sweden
1990: Galerie Ann Westin, Stockholm
1994: Neuberger Museum of Art, New York
1997: The Czech Museum of Fine Arts, Prague
2004: Austin/Desmond Fine Art, London
2014: Galerie Volker Diehl, Berlin
2018: RCM Galerie, Paris
1965: The Responsive Eye, MoMA, NYC
1966: Art Today, Albright–Knox Gallery, NY
1969: Nantenshi Gallery, Tokyo
1970: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
1975: Helsinki Taidenhalli, Alvar Aalto Museo, Tampere, Britanniasta 74
1986: Art and Science, Venice Biannale
1993: The Sixities Art Scene in London, Barbican Arts Centre, London
1998: Charges Light, Royal Academy, Stockholm
2005: Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era, Tate Liverpool touring exhibition
2008, Traces du Sacré, Centre Pompidou, Paris
2013: Dynamo: un siècle de lumière et de mouvement dans l’art, Grand Palais, Paris
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Tate, London,
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Berlinische Galerie, Berlin
Albright-Knox Gallery, USA
Walker Art Centre, USA
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Awards/Coins
Customer Shout-Outs
Directorates/Regions
Obituaries, Transfers, Retirements
Senior Leadership Editorials
Exchange Post Archive
McClellan Troop Store Associate Celebrates 50 Years with the Exchange
April 15, 2019 / Alexandra Pirkle
Eighty-four-year-old Charlsie Dean, second from left, celebrates her golden anniversary with the Exchange at the Fort McClellan National Guard Troop Store. Joining her are, left to right, Jesse Martinez, southeast region vice president; Don Sydlik, general manager; Lucretia Palmer, McClellan store manager; and John Seward, regional HR manager.
Eighty-four-year-old Charlsie Dean never expected to work for the Exchange for 50 years, but regrets nothing.
“I enjoy working,” Dean said. “I think it’s important to get out, especially as you get older.”
Dean celebrated her golden anniversary with the Exchange at the Fort McClellan National Guard Troop Store with Jesse Martinez, southeast region vice president; Don Sydlik, general manager; John Seward, regional Human Resources manager; and Lucretia Palmer, McClellan store manager.
Palmer organized a small party for Dean, including mini-cupcakes and balloons (see photos of the celebration here).
“The party was such a nice surprise,” Dean said. “Lucretia brought a card that everyone—including shoppers—signed for me. It was wonderful.”
Began Exchange career in ’61
Dean began her career with the Exchange in 1961, when her late husband first joined the Army. Their first assignment was Fort Richardson, now part of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
Dean followed her husband throughout his tenure in the Army, working at Forts Bliss and Belvoir before settling at Homestead Air Reserve Base, where they retired in 1991. That didn’t last long, though.
“I guess I got bored,” Dean said. “So I decided to go back to work.”
“Guardsmen will come back to see me and hug my neck. I think some of them might think I’m their momma while they’re here.”
-Charlsie Dean
Dean worked part-time for the Defense Commissary Agency before joining the Fort McClellan Exchange in 1999. The Fort McClellan store closed in 2004 following the closure of the installation.
Since 2005, she has been a customer experience associate for the troop store near Birmingham, Ala., working four days a week.
“Charlsie is a pillar of this team and this community,” Palmer said. “Her work ethic and integrity are second to none. We learn from her every day.”
Dean makes connections with everyone she meets—including shoppers.
“Guardsmen will come back to see me and hug my neck,” Dean said. “I think some of them might think I’m their momma while they’re here.”
While the frequent moves and changes in technology have posed some challenges for Dean, she never let that stop her or get her down.
“I’m really lucky,” Dean said. “The Exchange was my first job. Most of my working life has been with AAFES. And it has been wonderful.”
Posted in Family Serving Family, News
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Melinda Whitman MSG (R) US Army on April 29, 2019 at 3:19 pm
The Fort McClellan, AL Exchange is a great store, small but packed with merchandise. As an Army retiree who was stationed at Fort McClellan I have visited several times. Staff is helpful and friendly. Fort McClellan is an Alabama National Guard base now, but used to be the home of the Chemical Corps and School, the Military Police School, and still is known for being the historic home of the Women’s Army Corps.
Steve Smith on April 29, 2019 at 8:09 pm
MSG Williams:
Thank you for writing to the Exchange Post. Check out this photo of “Camp McClellan” from 1917. It’s in the Exchange History Flickr album:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/exchangeassoc/29074495004
There’s also this picture from World War II:
Editor, The Exchange Post
Exchange Associate
3911 S. Walton Walker Blvd
exchangepost@aafes.com
© 2019 The Exchange Post. All Rights Reserved.
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Is Low Inflation Hurting Global Economy?
People who think in terms of having a "growth economy"
and "inflation-adjusted cost of a loan" so as to keep loans
'less expensive', do not like low inflation.
Chamber of Commerce thinkers see that when prices
barely move, many people postpone purchases because
the same price will still be available
in six months.
I see that overpopulation and high inflation are
what's really scary in the long term. And if people can postpone
purchases and increase savings and decrease debts, then that is what
creates a solid economy. Economists who work for lenders sing a
different song.
In short, I'd say we're at a good spot right now.
http://m.startribune.com/?id=246199261
http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/why-ultra-low-inflation-hinder-020102652.html
Austin Assisted Living: Emeritus' Vista Oaks, Lakeway TX
A few months ago, I moved my elderly mother out of a high priced assisted living facility into a much more reasonably priced one. This new placement is superior in every way.
The caretakers are not run ragged because of 'bottom-line' dictates and the administration is familiar with all of the residents' needs. The building is on a single floor and no elevators are required. Employee morale is high and turn over low because they are valued. In short, if you are looking at assisted living facilities, avoid the larger ones with too many "moving parts" -- there's too much room for communication breakdowns and confusion.
The Four Stages of Spiritual Development: Scott Peck
Scott Peck, author of books such as The Road Less Traveled, describes four stages of spiritual development:
"Stage
I is chaotic, disordered, and reckless. Very young children are in
Stage I. They tend to defy and disobey, and are unwilling to accept a
will greater than their own. They are extremely egoistic and lack
empathy for others. Many criminals are people who have never grown out
of Stage I."
"Stage II is the stage at which a person has blind
faith in authority figures and sees the world as divided simply into
good and evil, right and wrong, us and them. Once children learn to obey
their parents and other authority figures, often out of fear or shame,
they reach Stage II. Many so-called religious people are essentially
Stage II people, in the sense that they have blind faith in God,
and do not question His existence. With blind faith comes humility and a
willingness to obey and serve. The majority of good, law-abiding
citizens never move out of Stage II."
"Stage III is the stage of
scientific skepticism and questioning. A Stage III person does not
accept things on faith but only accepts them if convinced logically.
Many people working in scientific and technological research are in
Stage III. They often reject the existence of spiritual or supernatural
forces since these are difficult to measure or prove scientifically.
Those who do retain their spiritual beliefs, move away from the simple,
official doctrines of fundamentalism."
"Stage IV is the stage
where an individual starts enjoying the mystery and beauty of nature and
existence. While retaining skepticism, he starts perceiving grand
patterns in nature and develops a deeper understanding of good and evil,
forgiveness and mercy, compassion and love. His
religiousness and spirituality differ significantly from that of a
Stage II person, in the sense that he does not accept things through
blind faith or out of fear, but does so because of genuine belief, and
he does not judge people harshly or seek to inflict punishment on them
for their transgressions. This is the stage of loving others as
yourself, losing your attachment to your ego, and forgiving your
enemies. Stage IV people are labeled as Mystics.
Peck argues that
while transitions from Stage I to Stage II are sharp, transitions from
Stage III to Stage IV are gradual. Nonetheless, these changes are very
noticeable and mark a significant difference in the personality of the
individual."
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Scott_Peck
Comment: If one realizes the above, then one can be more tolerant about
the spiritual beliefs of others -- or lack thereof. At the same time,
if you are aware of where various others are on the
above developmental scale, you can better decide how open you can
afford to be with them.
Don't Know Much About the Bible?
"Don't Know Much About the Bible: Everything You Need to Know About the Good Book but Never Learned" is an excellent book (and audiobook) for anyone who is willing to look at
the deeper meanings contained in it. Of course, spiritual truths abound;
but human foibles of famous are also highlighted. Abraham and Moses
were both saints and human. Many many wonderful points that the Bible
make are given credence that just reading the Bible by itself does not
necessarily allow. However much you appreciate the Bible now, that will
be multiplied exponentially as you see things you'd not seen before.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0380728397
http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=TRADE%20PAPER:USED:9780380728398:2.95#synopses_and_reviews
Austin Assisted Living: Emeritus' Vista Oaks, Lake...
The Four Stages of Spiritual Development: Scott Pe...
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Donald Trump As The Tasmanian Devil
Trump, ever the consummate 'bad boy', understands that in order to be constantly acknowledged he must stand out from the crowd. He proved that in the presidential primaries. Even his outlandish hair style and orange skin are a form of marketing called 'branding'. And some people are often caught up in fads and such, enough of his "over-the-top" hype might actually tip the scales in America's Rust Belt where an inordinate percentage of disavowed voters who don't "feel" like they've had enough of a say in things live.
Anyway, here's a very short Bugs Bunny clip that illustrates my point:
https://youtu.be/SSZ1h-bydS4
Dinosaurs: Museum of Ancient Life in Lehi, Utah
If you are interested in seeing magnificent fossil displays of dinosaur creatures, then one place I highly recommend is the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, Utah between Salt Lake City and Provo.
https://www.thanksgivingpoint.org/visit/museumofancientlife
If you're interested in reading about dinosaurs in a fun way, then preview the link below:
Discover magazine articles on dinosaurs
(over 313 articles)
http://discovermagazine.com/tags/dinosaurs
Stressed Out From Telemarketer Calls?
Are you stressed out about telemarketing calls? If so, then I suggest turning the ringer off and only picking up if a recognized caller starts to leave a message (set answering machine to kick in after minimal number of rings). Your friends and family may even decide to opt for this strategy after you report to them how it works for you. Also, having Caller ID is another aid, especially if the phone's caller ID audio tells you who's calling so that you don't have to look at the digital display (this allows you to leave ringer on and turned down). Though registering your number with donotcall.gov is good, it's minimally effective. The best bet is to become a dead end for unwanted callers (unanswered phones are unproductive).
I did all of the above and it provided so much relief that it encouraged me to buy almost complete peace by adding a robocall blocker to go along with my caller ID/answering machine.
Note: The above is a comment I prepped for the comment section of the Dear Abby website.
http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/2016/7/26/1/no-call-list-pulls-the-plug-on#disqus-comments
To learn more, search and read what telemarketers say to one another in order to boost their cold call success rate.
Also, read:
http://lifehacker.com/im-a-telemarketer-heres-how-to-get-rid-of-me-1540911401
Trump & National Enquirer
Ever the entertainer, Trump glibly repeats the National Enquirer assertion that Ted Cruz's father, Rafael, was in a 1963 photo with Lee Harvey Oswald, who then went on to assassinate Kennedy. Now, who in their right mind believes what they read in the National Enquirer? And, if he doesn't believe it, then why is he repeatedly rehashing what is such a painfully obvious fabrication?
http://www.politifact.com/texas/statements/2016/jul/22/donald-trump/pants-fire-claim-ted-cruz-never-denied-father-phot/
http://www.snopes.com/2016/04/17/was-ted-cruzs-father-linked-to-the-jfk-assassination/
While reading the above, it finally dawned on me that the descriptor that I had been searching for to best describe Trump is the word "glib", meaning insincere, superficial, shallow.
As It Was: WWI, Great Influenza Epidemic and Draper’s New Wife
My paternal grandfather, Draper was in his early 20s. It was early winter up high in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Riding warefully along a section of the wagon trail where he’d helped dig out bodies of unfortunate victims of avalanches on
two previous occasions, he reflected briefly on other hardships that friends and family had endured since he’d become the “man of the family” after his father’s death (who’d worked himself into an early grave) when he was just twelve.
Passing beyond the danger zone, he deeply inhaled the crisp dry air in relief. The sun glared brightly in the cloudless sky. Miniature rainbow colors sparkled
off of the ice crystals clinging to the grass stubble that protruded defiantly up through the snow cover. Yesterday’s frozen slush in the wagon tracks and hoof prints refused to soften. The story of previous travelers was frozen in time as his horse added its
hoofprints to the tale told. The dry crunch of snow where its hooves hit unblemished surface was oddly reassuring--- such that Draper soon chose a line of travel that kept this wintry sound at a steady uninterrupted rhythm.
His thoughts and senses were keenly alive. He had much of which to think and to feel. His resolve to enlist in the army and join in the fight against the Kaiser was firm. Coming down from the ‘high country’, the only thing that lay between him and the enlistment office in Salt Lake City was declaring his deepest feelings to Nelly, the dark haired young gal who’d helped the other womenfolk serve the ward’s men their
midday meal in her father’s field during their
communal lunch. He’d propose that they be married after he returned from The Great War.
Riding down into Heber where Nelly lived, he noted a bit more activity than he’d expected. When he came upon the first person out-and-about, they noticed Draper’s perplexed look and taunted him with, “The war’s over! What are you so down-in-the-mouth about?!”. As a feeling of stunned astonishment swept through him, he urged his horse into a canter and headed straight to Nelly’s house. In the short time
it took to arrive, he’d already made up his mind to wed his lass and return home with her just as soon as it was proper.
The happenings of the next few months were left out of the story told me, but married they became & it was late winter when Draper and Nelly were bundled and
loaded up in a buggy headed back to the high country. While crossing a creek that fed into the Duquesne River, their rear wheels broke through the ice. As they were struggling to free themselves from this predicament, two of Draper’s buddies came riding along the bank. When they saw him with a cute gal, they started ‘hurrahing’ him and giving him a hard time – but as soon as they found out that the two were
newlywed, they settled down and quickly pulled the buggy up and out.
It was during the following year that the worst of the Great Flu Epidemic hit. Many people died. Draper kept the now ‘expectant’ Nelly secluded on their
homestead as he often helped nurse the many stricken by influenza in their neck-of-the-woods. He never caught it -- which he attributed to his love of raw onions (which we now know to contain the same antimicrobial substance as garlic and radishes). It was this level of hardship and concern for his new family that made him decide to move them back down to Heber. It was there and then that my father was born & the next story told was of delivering their milk each day to the Park City Jail for hard-to-come-by
‘cash money’.
We Create Our Own Reality
"The old saying: "There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so," is an Absolute Truth."
"When you know that God's Energy comes forth into the individual absolutely Pure and Perfect, then you must realize that it is the individual who requalifies that energy and imposes his own impure quality upon it. This Pure God Energy is projected forth by the conscious effort of the individual, and he must impose some kind of a quality upon it, for that is his privilege as a Creator."
"Everyone is constantly qualifying this energy, which is pouring forth continually. Each one is continually pouring his color into it, through his own consciousness."
from page 32 of the I AM Discourses:
http://www.bahaistudies.net/asma/iam.pdf
Thus, add the gossipy, mean spirited and superstitious thoughts of others to your own misconceptions and images and you have the formula for a personal travesty in the making. Coalesce enough like minded misbegotten souls together and you have a force for disaster.
Tibetan Yogis and the Chinese Invasion
Now that China is becoming more bellicose, we need to remind ourselves of the nature of what Communist policies can be like. The Japanese genocidal invasion propelled China towards communism. Then they perpetuated the same evil upon defenseless Tibet. Anyway, watch the documentary and be touched by the compassion of the Tibetans.
Yogis of Tibet (rare documentary)
1 hour 16 minute video
https://youtu.be/sFSjxc2Vg14
Be sure to watch segment at 38 min. marker (or at least the 45 mark).
Summary of what documentary is about:
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/reviews/view/5656
About compassion:
http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/practices/alphabet/view/6/compassion
Global Warming: I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded
We all know what we're likely facing in the future, but very few of us are admitting our fears. Repressing our worries about global warming and all of its related effects as a resultant interplay with overpopulation will not prevent them from manifesting. For example, people living closer to the equator will be the first to be forced to flee northward. All around the world, borders will become increasingly militarized. Resources will become increasingly precious. Ocean levels will decimate all coastal areas world wide. Seafood availability will be decimated by ocean acidification. Arable land will be increasingly prone to desertification. And the negative effects goes on and on. In short, devastating.
In the end, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves. But, will we take responsibility upfront? Not likely! Instead, our children will hear the echoes of the hungry ghosts of their ancestors singing a rendition of:
"I Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded".
https://youtu.be/9C4IFASqCQk
https://www.flashlyrics.com/lyrics/jean-shepard/i-didnt-know-the-gun-was-loaded-59
More About Coffee
I'm fortunate to have a coffee shop close by that sells a wide variety of coffee beans that are roasted locally. They brew up two different kinds each day and then put such into marked insulated thermal gravity dispensers. As they rotate the selections through their stock, you have the opportunity to try all 50+ kinds. Each regular customer eventually realizes their preferences. Then when they buy coffee beans, they know if they'll be satisfied with their purchase.
30 Things About Coffee
https://www.yahoo.com/health/30-things-you-may-not-have-realized-about-coffee-114146178.html?nf=1
Caffeine: The World's Favorite Drug
The world's favorite drug is caffeine.
"For hundreds of years coffee was used in its raw form — astringent and bitter — boiled or rolled with animal fat into a crude approximation of energy pellets. People clearly were chomping the coffee berries for the buzz, not the flavor. Yes, modern coffee tastes great. But it is 400 years of selective breeding and refinements in growing, harvesting, roasting, and brewing that have taken it from its unappealing natural state to the aromatic, smooth, flavorful beverage it has become. And without the caffeine, nobody would have bothered with the plant in the first place."
"Arabica coffee is the species native to the mountains of Ethiopia, where it evolved with a blend of drenching rains, abundant sun, and a narrow band of acceptable temperature. Arabica is the smooth-flavored coffee Americans have come to love, the coffee that gourmet coffee connoisseurs swear by. The other common commercially grown coffee species is Robusta, which is heartier and more productive and can grow in warmer temperatures, out in the open at low elevation. Robusta beans are often blended into commercial coffees, like Folgers. But virtually all Colombian coffee is arabica."
"To brew Americans' average fix of nearly three cups of coffee daily, America imported 3.5 billion pounds of coffee in 2012, more than any other nation. The coffee Americans drink annually would fill more than 6,000 Olympic-size swimming pools.
"If it's the flavor that makes us wild about coffee, why did our grandparents drink twice as much coffee as we do today? In those days the coffee was often roasted and ground long before it was consumed. And then it was run though a percolator, overextracting the bitter flavors. To most coffee lovers today, our grandparents' coffee was pure percolated plonk. It tasted worse, and they drank twice as much of it.
"For most of us, though, it's likely that we are interested not so much in a flavor experience as in a cup of coffee that is, more than anything, unobjectionable. If we phrase the question a bit differently — asking not what makes a good cup of coffee, but what makes a cup of coffee good — the answer is easy: caffeine.
"But most of us know little about caffeine. Even the most basic coffee distinction — between the robusta beans that become cheap diner coffee and the arabica beans that supply chic coffeehouses — is poorly understood. It's the lowly robusta that packs twice as much caffeine. Among the gourmet brews, people commonly perceive that a dark roast, with its strong flavor, has more caffeine than a mild-tasting, light roast. But that, too, is wrong. Because some of the caffeine has been burned off in the longer roasting, darker coffees have less caffeine than light roasts, bean for bean....."
http://m.theweek.com/article/index/261279/caffeine-the-worlds-favorite-drug
Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette
My grandparents' generation grew up hand rolling their own cigarettes with unadulterated tobacco. These were perhaps not as "good tasting"?? -- but this, and the fact that they rolled their own, pretty much prevented 'chain smoking'. Then the tobacco industry started adding sugar, chocolate and other additives to the tobacco to make it taste better (and also to become more quickly and strongly addictive). Improvements in mechanized cigarette rolling made pre-rolled cigarettes less expensive. Then WWII and mass marketing (with doctors speaking in favor) put the final 'nail in the coffin'. America's favorite addiction was now firmly in place.
Smoke,Smoke, Smoke that Cigarette:https://youtu.be/LyYLrVNKE68
https://youtu.be/SWXbVsMkz1U
Wit & Wisdom
Yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I want to change myself. ~ Rumi
It takes a grown up to admit when they're wrong and work to rectify it.
Don't waste money trying to impress people.
A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.
You don’t always have to chop with the sword of truth. You can point with it too. – Anne LaMott
People don't know how you feel unless you tell them.
Our rulers "live" in another country.
Non-interference / flow space in between....
“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of performance accelerates”
All in all, I'm doing the best I can based on the choices I've made thus far. I am that I am.
Accept people and things as they are. Observe closely. Avoid condoning or condemning.
What's especially sad is that Wikipedia is generally more complete and accurate than our textbooks.
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
“Time is a created thing. To say 'I don't have time,' is like saying, 'I don't want to.”
“The truth is not always beautiful, nor beautiful words the truth.”
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."
If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
Find your place where you're needed in the world and do the best you can.
"Don't judge what you don't understand." [It's better to say "I don't know (or understand ).
All in all, all is well.
Everything is relative because everything is related.
Say less; do more.
I tried to be open-minded once -- but it interfered with my sense of humor.
Stop, look and listen -- really, really listen.
Think fast;
think twice;
say something nice.
Too serious makes you delirious.
All you have are the choices you've made...
It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you; it’s the things you know that ain’t so. Mark Twain
Be ever vigilant.
Know your adversary.
Life is as harsh as we need it to be in order for us to learn our lessons. We influence the setting; we set the tone.
Out of sight;
out of mind.
Life is a bit like mountain climbing --- the summits are usually further than you think.
The truth and nothing but the truth. Sometimes the whole truth isn't known OR it's best not to reveal it.
Dare to be silent. It's not easy.
Do not desire to shine or appear clever.
Ashes to ashes;
Dust to dust.
What's been done,
it's in the past.
Everywhere I go, there I AM.
Metaphorically saying,
"You can't have your cake and eat it too" makes more sense as
"you can't eat your cake and have it (too)" in the literal sense. And this was the original syntax.
The first day of the rest of your life is a new beginning (if you're doing it right).
When starting over, one begins wherever they're at. When an ending leads into a new beginning, lead off with a prayer (not despair)!
Am I a smart fellar or a fart smeller? Only time will tell.
The only lies for which we are truly punished are those we tell ourselves.
Spirituality without soul becomes fundamentalism. It defines life in shallow and rigid undertones that do not resonate with the richness of God's overtones.
There are fundamentalists in every trade. They have no creative inspiration (no soul).
Those who are the weakest and most cowardly are often the most cruel.
We are most easily hurt by those we love the most.
“In a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”—George Orwell
In a full heart, there is always room for more love.
Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
The best way to keep one's word is not to give it lightly.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength
Sooner or later, all chickens come home to roost. And when they do, they flock in together.
There is no one alive that can't use some help.
Take your time -- just don't waste any.
Smooth as a cat's meow-wow.
Fine as frog fuzz split down the middle.
There ain't no one that doesn't need help.
"The truth will set you free. But first, it will piss you off."
"A good solution applied with vigor now is better than a perfect solution applied 10 minutes later."
General Patton
Nothing is forever -- though sometimes it seems like it.
I'm worried. And mostly about things I can do little or nothing about. Where's the sense in that.
"Me"
Global Warming: The Big Thaw
Earth's CO2 levels just now exceeded 400 parts per million. Levels have increased by 25% over the past two decades. Levels will keep increasing, and even if all humans were to suddenly disappear (causing human-induced emissions to cease) sea levels will still continue to rise, etcetera because the Earth's absorption capacity is steadily diminishing. [Example: the Antarctic Ocean sink is saturated now.]
It's call it the Big Thaw.
Note: The last time CO2 levels were this high was 3 to 5 million years ago. Sea levels were up to 80 feet higher then. As CO2 levels increase, then so do forecasts for future sea levels.
Witicisms
It's better to accept your fate and receive guidance than to fight it and receive none.
I want you to be happy, too -- just not enough to do anything about it.
People change -- for the better; for the worse -- but people do change.
Being long in pride and short on brains is a bad combination.
... like watching a 3-D movie without the special glasses!
It takes a while to sink in.
... so bull headed stubborn that they can't listen to reason.
There was never a horse that couldn't be rode. Never a man that couldn't be throwed.
....slicker 'n owl shit.
... as stubborn as a Missouri mule.
Time doesn't go anywhere. It just is.
What is 'is'. What ain't 'ain't.
I'll look for you when I see you coming.
No news is most often good news.
Let's not be hanging a claw into one another now...
Let's not & just say we did.
Maybe yes;
maybe no --
I just don't know.
Here I sit all broken hearted;
Tried to shit but only farted.
Just because life ain't always easy doesn't mean that it's always overly difficult either.
~ In life, you’re first given an opportunity to make things right. If you don’t, it becomes a challenge; and, then it finally it becomes a crisis.~
If he had a conscience, his life wouldn't be worth living.
He's the south end of a north bound mule.
They can go fuck themselves AND the horse they rode in on (as you gesture with your little finger of the left hand jabbing upwards in the air).
They're treating me like a frothy dog.
Well beat the drums and sound the brass if there don't go one big horse's ass.
He's only got one oar in the water.
Sometimes two half wits do almost make a whole wit.
It'd take two of him to make a half wit.
I like my job. It's the work I hate.
Everything I like is either improper, illegal or fattening.
I love my job. It's the work I hate.
I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
There's nothing more relaxing than watching somebody else work.
Sometimes you eat just to keep from getting hungry.
A hungry man cannot feed another.
You can't fed a man who doesn't know he's hungry.
Who ever heard of a revolution of fat men.
Courage does not always roar. Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying "I will try again tomorrow".
You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
The way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
Count not the money not yet in your hand.
Mumble, grumble, pussycat stumble.
The only people you should get even with are those who have helped you.
Don't get mad, get even.
Kitty says to Matt Dillon:
Why, you are suspicious of everyone!
Matt's reply: Yeah. That's why I'm still alive.
He acts like he got hit in the head by a bolt of lightning so that even when he's standing still, he looks like he's scooting sideways.
Chester Goode
They act like they've got an itch that they can't scratch.....
.... Like they can't get to.
.....like they can't scratch in public.
Most folks can be trusted up to a point, but it's still best not to put temptation in their way.
Lock, stock, and barrel
For sure and certain, he's as tough as old hickory.
Sent from Yahoo! Mail for iPhone
As It Was: WWI, Great Influenza Epidemic and Drape...
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Surendra Mohan Shukla : Blogs
What needs to be done?
Surendra Mohan Shukla January 27, 2016 07:10 AM
ISIS is a reality needing international community’s undivided attention, concerted action and collaborative effort under resolute leadership of united - nations. The world body must act today to contain the expanding base of the ISIS in the world. Although the base is still in the Middle East but the way it is expanding, using all modern available means, it is likely to entrench firmly in the rest of the world. It wants to achieve target of conquering nations from east to west and north to south to establish Caliphate. The good news is that even the Muslim majority states do not support ISIS, Syria with 21%, Nigeria 14%, Tunisia 13% and Senegal & Malaysia 11% each are among the highest percentage of support. Contrary to the popular belief only 8 % Pakistanis support ISIS however there are other extremist organisations operating in Pakistan including Al Qaida, JEM, LET and many the so called “good terrorists” with varying degree of following.
Armed with the knowledge that the ISIS consists of ultraconservative Wahhabi Sunni’s, our centre of attention reduces to this group who are likely to be radicalized, hence we focus our attention on them more than any other group. First and foremost the Muslim organisations and indeed all Muslim nations must immediately start condemning the ISIS publicly and subtly work within the community to bring back the misguided youth or those who have the potential to become radicalized. The religious leaders especially have the onerous task of preventive and curative action at the community level.
The ISIS and other extremist organizations interpret Koran which suits their own way of thinking, this must be condemned and correct interpretation issued on all conventional media of communication including social media. The ISIS uses social media to propagate their beliefs; before such hazardous propaganda pollute minds of our youth correct counter offensive should start from the coalition.
The governments and society must work to reduce causes leading to radicalization. Starting from education not the madrasa education only but all children must go to proper schools to get the education which will allow them to get jobs. It is well known that uneducated jobless youth are more likely to be radicalized.
There is no coalition against ISIS today, Americans, and Russians and more recently France and Britain have joined to bombard ISIS targets in Syria, which is haphazard and uncoordinated. America and Russia have different objectives, the former supporting the Syrian exiles fighting the Assad regimen, as against Russia who is pro Assad trying to defeat the rebel forces?
American eagerness to usher democracy in the Middle East is largely responsible for the massive unrest in Iraq and Libya whose strong men Saddam and Gaddafi have been killed. Americans want Assad to go hence openly supporting the rebels. But the Assad regime is emboldened by Russian support resulting in civil war in Syria. The Syrian unrest provides suitable climate for ISIS to spread its influence.
The ISIS has grown from the ashes of the internal conflict in Iraq and Syria unfortunately the strife continues unabated in both countries keeping the discontent thriving, giving ISIS the strength it needs to grow and expand. Although both the countries America and Russia are regularly bombing ISIS held areas. Innocent men, women and children are dyeing and their properties destroyed fuelling anger against the Americans and Russians. This is proving counterproductive resulting in increasing support to the ISIS and greater radicalization.
It is time America and Russia realize the futility of pounding ISIS held areas and join to form a greater coalition against ISIS and commit its ground forces to fight specific targets. The greater need to day is to weaken the ISIS economically, this can be achieved by persuading countries helping them refine and sell oil to stop all assistance. Turkey is the biggest culprit, openly alleging its president to be personally involved, assuming that their president is not personally involved but can easily be accused of turning his eyes away from the clandestine operation going on his country. The coalition must pressurize these countries to desist from helping ISIS, considering sanctions against the countries and organisations helping the ISIS.
Increase policing to stop smugglers from selling ISIS oil and preventing international arms dealers selling arms and ammunition to the ISIS.
Surendra Mohan Shukla
Media/Journalist/Author
Madhya Pradesh , INDIA
Surendra Mohan Shukla M.B.B.S. Jabalpur University December 1962 Master of Surgery (M.S.) in ophthalmology, Jabalpur University April 1966. Joined as Lecturer at MGM medical college Indore in June 1968, Proceeded to Lusaka, Zambia in southern Africa. Joined the Ministry of health as consultant and honorary senior lecturer in the school of medicine, University of Zambia. Elected, fellow of Society of eye surgeons, Maryland USA 1983. Visiting professor and examiner in the university of Zimbabwe and Malawi school of ophthalmic clinical officer. Involved as trustee and later as chairman of an NGO called Human Service Trust in Lusaka Zambia-to bring immigrant Indians together-on India return, correspondent Hindustan Times, Bhopal
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Shoulder To The Stone is a collaborative group of Musicians, Artists, Song Writers, and other creative people acting in concert to raise money for those in need. Our first project raised money to rebuild a Haitian orphanage destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. (Find out more about this project using the links below.)
We are expanding our original efforts to now include other projects. See the news items below to find out what we're up to...
(can also use credit card)
Kerrville Music Camp for Teens Fundraiser 2019
We're still tallying the contributions made for Saturday's fundraiser for the Kerrville Music Camp for Teens. If you weren't able to make it to JP Hops House you can still make a donation. At this time all current donations are being flagged for the Music Camp.
Thanks to Jim and Pam at J P Hops House, Willie B Arenas, Kimberly Kyle, Dave Corbett, Ray Younkin, Amanda Pascali, Jim Gill, Steve Arnold, Susan Elliott, Linda Shibes Schaible, Kristen Hart, Jane Gordon, Dave Wilcoxson, and Bud Bierhaus for providing an incredible afternoon and evening of music. Thanks to all who showed up, brought food, and made contributions to the best of causes.
Hurricane Harvey 2017
Shoulder to the Stone will accept donations for Hurricane Harvey Relief. All funds received will be earmarked and distributed only to Hurricane Harvey victims. Donees will be selected in keeping with the organization's tradition of support of local and Texas music and musicians.
And now we say farewell to another of our dear friends. Mark Beets will continue to be cherished as a talented musician, friend, mentor, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother, son...He has enriched our lives with his art and his heart, we will miss him very much. His wife Sherri has asked that in lieu of flowers or other thoughtful gifts, that you make a donation to Shoulder To The Stone.
And hey, Mark, you and Saylor save us a place...some powerful music is going to be happening just over that line...we'll see you later...
Shoulder To The Stone
HOLIDAY FUNDRAISER! — November 17, 2013
Please join us for an evening of great music, good munchies, holiday songs, and lots of good cheer!
This event is in support of our sponsorship enabling 5 teens to attend the 2014 Kerrville Music Camp, a program designed to provide youth, 13 to 18 years of age, with a quality music camp that helps them find their own sound and voice. Primary objectives of the camp are: having fun, building self-esteem, providing new experiences, teaching positive leisure time activities, and integrating music with developing leadership skills. http://www.tfmf.org/
The event will be November 17th, at Selia Qynn's beautiful habitat, home of the Habitat House Concert series. We will have potluck feasting at 6:00 pm with music starting at 7:00. You can RSVP or ask questions using the "Message" button on our facebook page, or email us HERE.
Here is the lineup, not necessarily in this order:
Selia Qynn
Mark Beets
Bud Bierhaus
Leslie Krafka
Tom Tranchilla
Willie B
Ken Gaines
Danny Everitt
Today we find ourselves wanting to give back to a beautiful lady who has given support to so many, and has given of her resources to make a difference in uncountable lives.
Merry Ellen Featherstone has been a cornerstone of the lives of many of the "Shoulders," with a youthful energy that continuously amazed us. Her devotion to her "family" was an inspiration to all, we will miss her sweet "bobbing head". She passed quietly in the company of family and friends. We have given a donation to her and her family to aid them with expenses.
Merry Ellen, we'll catch you at a show, later on down the road.
The heart of Shoulder to the Stone, Saylor White, has moved on to the next phase in his spiritual journey. We will miss him dearly, but rather than mourn his passing, we will continue to celebrate his life of giving. Those wishing to make a tribute to Saylor's life are requested to consider a donation to Shoulder to the Stone so that others can be helped in his name. Please use the link above to donate, and thank you for supporting this project that was so dear to Saylor's heart.
STS at the Kerrville Folk Festival— Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Shoulder To The Stone was truly honored to be invited to perform at the historic Kerrville Folk Festival, the longest-running folk fest in the country www.kerrville-music.com
The following singer-songwriters appeared at the Threadgill Theatre on Wednesday, June 8, 2011 for the Sundown Concert.
Buddy Allen
Willie B.
The Hanshaws (David & Kelly Hanshaw) Brian J. Kalinec
Connie Mims
Kenyon Saylor Puntenney
The Renfrees (Peter Renfree & Andi-Crimmins Renfree) Jack Saunders
Carolyn Wallace
Ron Welch
Saylor White
This performance was dedicated to our beneficiaries in Haiti, the orphans and nuns of the Orphanage of the Child Jesus of Prague, and Jimmy Jean-Noel, a humanitarian aid worker who lost his home and family. We extend our thanks to our friends in the humanitarian community, Roberto and Marco Dormino, Jackie Gerry, Chiara Jasna Vaccaro, and Kristen Woolf Curry.
We would also like to thank our supporting team members David Vaughan, Sue Gaines, Sherri Beets, Pam Kalinec, and Sheryl Hutchens.
Saturday, February 12, 8:00pm–11:00pm — Millbend Coffee House in the Woodlands
We are bringing together a quorum of the performers for another show, we really want to keep the ball rolling! Be sure to check the other news items below to view our progress in Haiti.
Featuring: SaylorWhite, Jack Saunders, Bud Bierhaus Tom Tranchilla & Buddy Allen, Connie Mims,
The Hanshaws & Willie B, Mark Beets, Kenyon White, Brian Kalinec, Carolyn Wallace, Selia Qynn,
Bill Ward & The Renfrees, Danny Everitt, Leslie Krafka, Kenyon White, Ron Welch, and Peter Gruezmacher.
$15 recommended donation, $12 advance purchase at www.millbend.org
1370 N. Millbend, The Woodlands, TX
February 1, 2011 — We received a phone call from Roberto today. The septic system has been completed, the children can now take showers! Also, they have placed a plaque on the orphanage thanking Shoulder to the Stone for our support. Roberto confirmed that: 1) He received commitments from other sources but not all followed through like we did; 2) This is one of only a few successful building programs in Haiti funded by charitable dontions. We couldn't have done it without your generosity and support, thank you!
The orphanage and Shoulder to the Stone were featured in Roberto's home province newspaper in Italy. This >>LINK<< will take you to the original article (in Italian).
And this >>LINK<< opens a Word file of a Google translation of the article, which is close enough to readable English to get the gist of the article.
HOUSES ARE COMPLETED!! Roberto writes to tell us that the 2 houses have been completed, and the septic project is underway. See more photos and read Roberto's letter >>HERE<<
To get a better idea of where the orphanage is, visit this Google link >>MAP<<
We have received news from Jimmy Jean-Noel and Roberto Dormino on the progress, slow though it may be...click >>HERE<< to read the letters...
The Video has been released!! Please enjoy this unique insight into process of making this song and cd happen; and the heart, soul, and talents of the wonderful folks that participated in this project.
Jack Saunders and Rick Poss performing "Shoulder to the Stone" live at Kenny Pipes' Almost Austin House Concert
We have made available a compilation of several emails received from Roberto Dormino in Haiti. Progress is being made in the removal of the dangerous structures, and construction of new buildings. Although we are pleased that there is progress, you will see from the story that there are many issues at hand that seem to defy the efforts being made. We still have a long way to go, please consider a donation using the buttons above. Even if you don't want to read the entire communication, look at the pictures, they tell the story.
Read the story HERE.
Your contributions are on the way to Haiti! The children are so very grateful for your help. But we still have a long way to go. Eduardo Almeida (head of the Inter American Development bank in Haiti which is playing a major role in rebuilding efforts) observes: "We don't have time to feel like depressed and disappointed, we have to understand that each one of us, and each one of our institutions, are here to put a stone in the wall that's going to be built."
Find out more about the status of recovery in this CBS news story from April 15. >>CLICK HERE<<
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ARTHUR LEVY TRANSFORMS MERYL STREEP
By Brad Balfour | Photo credit: Michael Sherer.
One of the truly unconventional stories told through a film this year is that of millionaire socialite Florence Foster Jenkins (Meryl Streep) whose love of music led her to be both a benefactor to many and a performer as well. She owed thanks to her remarkable — and decidedly outre — relationship with husband St. Calir Bayfield (Hugh Grant), who afforded her opportunities to perform and record the music she loved despite her incredibly wretched vocalizations.
In Stephen Frears’ biopic “Florence Foster Jenkins,” Streep celebrates this strange story, but in order to play the role without shredding her gifted voice, the legendary star turned to an equally masterful vocal coach for help.
Opera coach Arthur Levy made it possible for her to sound like Jenkins. In fact, a large part of Levy’s mission was to make sure Streep could mimic Jenkins’ sound without any permanent damage, but she also had to maintain her standards as well. That’s because Jenkins not only tried singing privately but she also held a famous bought-and-paid-for live Carnegie Hall concert of her performing classic songs and operatic pieces with her screeching soprano.
Previous to the concert, Jenkins made several 78 rpm recordings that became camp classics and are in print as various CDs to this day. Since her associates couldn’t entirely control who attended her concert, she received scathing notices, had a heart attack right after, and died five days later at 76-years-old.
When I was invited to interview Levy — an acclaimed faculty member at the Mannes College of Music — in anticipation of the DVD/Blu Ray debut of the Golden Globe-nominated “Florence Foster Jenkins” (released mid-December), I was offered a chance to get a vocal lesson in lieu of an interview. Realizing Levy needn’t be tortured further by a journalist’s agonizingly off-keyed soundings, I chose to apply my better skills and conduct this conversation.
A member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, the exuberant Levy is a vocal consultant and master class teacher at the Glimmerglass Opera and the Roundabout Theatre. Having coached dignitaries from theater stages to Hollywood such as actors Oliver Platt, Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”), Lea Michelle (“Glee”), to MET tenor Yonghoon Lee, he has been deemed the expert on great singing. So, he most certainly could take on the challenge of training someone to do it horrifically.
Says Levy, “All that singing — whether by a great singer or a mediocre one — is playing with the same mental instrument. Even if the instrument goes astray, but the person actually does know how to sing, then you basically come from a base of knowing how to sing and then, in this case, of finding the flaws that were unconscious in Florence Foster Jenkins.”
Applying that to Streep, Levy explained, “Meryl got her voice up and running at its best so that she knew how to support even a note that was bad that anybody else might do without training.”
To that he added, “I just think that when people are committed to singing and have an idea of how they want to sound[,] somehow something comes out and in this specific case, because Meryl is a good musician and had training up until her early 20s/late teens, she wasn’t singing in that upper octave that Florence approximated in her way. So a lot of these off-key singing was built off of how to sing well.”
So how did he handle the torture of listening to it? There’s an irony to it all, he acknowledged, “When not being right is right then you train somebody to do it incorrectly so subconsciously knowing that they know how to do it correctly. Does that make sense?”
In fact, he does owns Jenkins’ music on CD, “I had ended up buying the record [before this project came up] because her commitment is so important in that kind of belief in an art form. It’s so important that people that are less [than engaged should support others who are].”
This is how he understood the Jenkins phenomenon. “It’s like the idiosyncrasy of Florence Foster Jenkins was built on her musical imagination — of how she truly desired how to sing.”
To that he adds an example: “Like in the part of the movie, The Lily Pons scene where you should have Pons’ beautiful voice in your head — that’s what Florence aspired to, she’s probably imagining or hoping that she would sound like young prime Lily Pons.” Nonetheless, she didn’t — much to everyone’s embarrassing dismay.
Did Levy have to get into Jenkins’ psychology as well to understand how she would make her sounds? Yes, and in doing so he could then train others to make her sounds. “In this particular case. There are people who are what [you could call] beyond OCD. They have a narcissism or were brought up to think that everything they did was perfect so I assume that if they sing badly it’s much better than they think it is.
“But in the case of Florence, it’s really partially physical ailments that distorted her perception of herself. But I don’t think it was a selfish or narcissism because really she put herself out there as a singer much later in her life so she didn’t although she had fine musical training it’s not like she was a laughing stock from her late 20s as a singer up until her death.
“I think in her head she knew what good singing sounded like. There are people that have terrific voices but they either don’t love music as much as they think a musician should or they don’t think they’re less of an opinion how they think it should go.”
Would she have been the same phenomenon today? Levy considered this. “In this day and age, I think social media is a good thing but also it dispenses opinion very fast so a lot of musicians are subject to half-baked opinions and if they’re very vulnerable or read too much they can start doubting a brilliant intuition.”
So there’s a lesson to be learned through the peculiar popularity of Jenkins. “That can actually [be bad] in a case of someone who is very talented that can actually bring a talented person down in their career because they’re trying to please so many people and yet they forgot what their voice truly was.”
JANUARY 2018 MOVIE GUIDE BY COURTNEY HENLEY
While not as many movies are being released this month, 2018 starts off with a cinematic boom! Opening on the 5th, are the horror thriller “Ins…
DECEMBER 2017 MOVIES BY COURTNEY HENLEY
December brings a slate of great holiday movies starting with “The Shape Of Water”, the lyrical adult fairy tale from Guillermo Del Toro. Other…
THE BEAUTIFUL MÄDCHEN AMICK – A CULT CLASSIC
Those of us who were old enough to remember David Lynch’s groundbreaking hit series Twin Peaks from the early 90s may have remembered the vulner…
MOVIE GUIDE FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2017
It’s almost holiday time and there are tons of great films this November. For after Halloween fall scares, check out the creepiest film I have…
STARS ATTEND VULTURE FESTIVAL IN L.A.
The first-ever Vulture Festival Los Angeles, a weekend of high-profile events bringing the entertainment site Vulture to life, took place on…
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: LIVE ON BROADWAY!
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Category: ProfileBy Resident January 3, 2017 Leave a comment
Tags: actressesteemedfilminterviewmeryl streepmoviesnew york residentNY ResidentresidentResident magazineresident new yorkveteran
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About rickyrebel
So far rickyrebel has created 146 entries.
CelebMix Premieres “Life Is a Runway (Acoustic)”
Ricky Rebel 6 Page Spread in Marie Westwood Magazine
Ricky Rebel 6 Page Spread in Marie Westwood Magazine.
“Meet The New Alpha.”
Ricky Rebel talks the ‘New Alpha,’ Adam Lambert
News, Press
Glam rocker Ricky Rebel Is the New Alpha. He proclaims true alphas are in touch with both their masculine and feminine sides. http://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/music/ricky-rebel-talks-the-new-alpha-adam-lambert/article/507168
Grab Magazine Reviews “Time” single form Ricky Rebel’s “The New Alpha” LP – Grab Magazine Chicago
“Rebel expresses feelings of fear and sadness beautifully in the song, proving an artist can jump genres while still maintaining his individual artistry.” – Grab Magazine http://www.grabchicago.com/20171212.pdf
London’s G Scene Interviews Ricky Rebel during “The New Alpha U.K. Tour” – Gscene Magazine
“All American glossy glam rocker and rebel with a cause, Ricky Rebel, bares all in conversation with Ray A-J, tackling Trump, gender politics, and bisexuality, all while donning white cowboy boots.” – GScene
http://gscene.com/arts/music/interview-ricky-rebel-im-being-very-open-about-my-sexual-fantasies/
Review: Ricky Rebel: “The New Alpha” – Huff Post
Review: Ricky Rebel: “The New Alpha” – Huff Post.
“Unleashed upon the world in an unrestrained burst of energy and glam is the explosive and compelling new album dauntlessly entitled: “The New Alpha”, proudly celebrated by singer, songwriter, Ricky Rebel, and is available October 31, 2017. A full length, 12 track masterpiece, “The New Alpha” […]
RICKY REBEL’S “THE NEW ALPHA” HITS THE COVETED LOUDER THAN WAR TOP 75 ALBUMS OF THE YEAR AT #67 – Pop World Stars
Original Link:
http://louderthanwar.com/top-75-albums-year-2017/
Article Link:
https://popworldstars.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/ricky-rebels-the-new-alpha-hits-the-coveted-louder-than-war-top-75-albums-of-the-year-at-67/?utm_content=buffer59f3d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer
Review: Ricky Rebel: “The New Alpha” – Louder Than War
Review: Ricky Rebel: “The New Alpha” : Louder Than War.
Unleashed upon the world in an unrestrained burst of energy and glam is the explosive and compelling new album dauntlessly entitled: “The New Alpha”, proudly celebrated by singer, songwriter, Ricky Rebel, and is available October 31, 2017.
http://louderthanwar.com/review-ricky-rebel-new-alpha/
Ricky Rebel ‘The New Alpha U.K. Tour” – Get Out! Magazine Interview
LGBTQ Pop/Dance Artist Ricky Rebel Hits the Billboard Dance Top #40 With ‘If You Were My Baby’ From Latest Album ‘The New Alpha’ – Get Out! Magazine http://getoutmag.com/ricky-rebel-2-2/
Ricky Rebel Embarks On “The New Alpha UK Tour” – Indie Source
Billboard Dance/Pop Recording Artist Ricky Rebel’s “The New Alpha” UK Tour December 16-19, 2017 – Indie Source
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St. Albert Historical Society
Become a Member of the St. Albert Historical Society
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Founders’ Walk
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HomeFounders’ Walk
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The original Founders’ Walk opened in 1988 and followed a combination of two traditional paths from downtown St. Albert to the Mission Hill. One was a walking trail straight up from the downtown chapel, past the Little White School, to the top of the hill. A well-worn path, once covered in a boardwalk, this path traced its roots to the earliest days of the Mission. The other was a portion of the former Memorial Drive, a tree-lined motor way to the Mission that curved gracefully from the chapel east to Madonna Drive and then along St. Vital Avenue. Originally opened in 1929 when Mission Park was created, Memorial Avenue was closed in the 1960’s when Madonna Drive was opened to traffic through to St. Vital Avenue.
The original Walk was proposed by Mayor Richard Fowler and received the enthusiastic support of the St. Albert Historical Society. The City constructed the Walk and planted spruce trees along the route to honour the first pioneer families – much like the builders of Memorial Drive had planted poplars to honour the veterans of the St. Albert Mounted Rifles and the WWI – and the trail was covered in shale. The Historical Society contacted descendants of pioneer families asking for their approval and support. Each family who accepted the invitation was memorialized by a bronze plaque placed at the base of one of the spruce trees. Thus, a revitalized pedestrian way to the Mission was born.
A wonderful initiative; however, the shale surface proved to be less than ideal. It promoted water erosion and attracted weeds, creating a maintenance nightmare and eventually becoming an eyesore rather than an attraction.
In 2005 the Historical Society made a presentation to Council suggesting that a refurbishment of Founders’ Walk, with a possible extension into downtown, would make an ideal 150th anniversary legacy project for the community. Accepting the premise, Council directed City administration to investigate the proposal. The result was five years of extensive planning and construction leading to an official opening of the new Founders’ Walk in July, 2011.
Founders’ Walk now extends from the clock tower to the Mission. Storyboards along the route describe the community’s history. The Walk includes Founders’ Court downtown, a pedestrian promenade (pictured above) in Mission Park and a replica of the archway (pictured above) which once marked the entrance to Memorial Drive. The Walk is fully paved and is universally accessible.
The St. Albert Historical Society was an integral part of the planning and financing of Founder’s Walk. From the earliest brainstorming sessions to the detailed planning stages, the Historical Society was present and involved. In addition, the Historical Society was successful in obtaining a federal Legacy Grant in the maximum amount of $500,000, thus contributing nearly one half of the total $1.2 million cost of the project.
The St. Albert Historical Society is proud to have been associated with the construction of Founders’ Walk.
Founder’s Court
Order Your Copy of “A Bridge Over Time” The Continuing Story of St Albert
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EHSAN KHAJE AMIRI KHODET KHASTI FREE DOWNLOAD
admin March 5, 2019 Leave a comment
This is a list of Iranian Persian musicians and musical groups. Member feedback about The Forbidden Fruit: They work with Farzad, the accountant of the company. His daughter Hasti, his creditor Jalal, and Jalal’s family all become involved in the search for Shayegan and his killer. Member feedback about List of Iranian musicians: The ending theme was released as a single by Amiri. Iranian musicians Revolvy Brain revolvybrain.
Uploader: Dugor
List of Iranian musicians topic This is a list of Iranian Persian musicians and musical groups.
Ehsan Khaje Amiri – Khodet Khasti |
Career Sirvan Khosravi ehsan khaje amiri khodet khasti born in in Tehran and from age eleven learned keyboards for four years with Evy Junio. Member feedback about List of Iranian musicians: He performed his first conce Retrieved 18 July Sirvan Khosravi topic Khodwt Khosravi Persian: Iranian musicians Revolvy Brain revolvybrain. It premiered on 3 December during Ramadan.
As an actor, he participated in Niki Karimi’s short movie Soote Payan in summer of Ehsan Khajeh Ehsan khaje amiri khodet khasti Persian: Member feedback about Ehsan Khajeh Amiri: Plot Shayegan mysteriously disappears as his company is going bankrupt. The Forbidden Fruit Persian: He is the older brother of Khaue Khosravi, also a pop singer. He started learning music when he was a young child, then played the synthesizer professionally.
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His daughter Hasti tries to find him and befriends Jalal, Shayegan’s creditor. Ehsn meeting Omid Athari Nejad inhe started to produce his first album, named “To Khial Kardi Beri” and after getting publishing certificate kasti The ministry of culture and Islamic guidance inhe published it. This is a list of Iranian Persian musicians and musical groups. They work with Farzad, the accountant of the company.
Member feedback about The Forbidden Fruit: The plot centers on the disappearance and later murder of a company owner, Shayegan. His daughter Hasti, his creditor Jalal, and Jalal’s family all become involved in the search for Shayegan and his killer.
Iranian television series Revolvy Brain revolvybrain. It ran for one season of 30 episodes,[2] which are sometimes grouped into 22 episodes when shown in reruns. Khajeamiri during a concert in RotterdamNetherlands.
It was directed by Hassan Fathi and written by Alireza Kazemipour. Iranian male singers Revolvy Brain revolvybrain. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ehsan Khajeh Amiri. Episodes aired on weekdays at 6: He is the son of celebrated Persian traditional music singer Iraj. Before publishing his first album inKhosravi participated in the works of other Khoodet artists as voice recorder, recording supervisor, music arranger and musician.
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The ending theme was released as a single by Amiri. Member feedback about Sirvan Khosravi: It was filmed in Tehran, Amir.
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Chest-beating at the Palace EDITORIAL 05/31/2010
Chest-beating at the Palace
The economy is booming and there is no other person to credit it to other than Gloria and her policies focused on the economy.
This is of course another Palace line and such a predictable line that most Filipinos saw coming the moment the National Statistics Office announced a 7.3 percent growth rate in the first quarter.
The growth push is as predictable as the Palace mouthpieces of Gloria, however. Money funneled into the economy by politicians itching for a government seat and recover what they had spent and maybe even earn a rich profit in the process, was the main source of the gross domestic product (GDP) expansion during the period.
It was practically all election money and the ever reliable remittances from Filipinos working abroad that were responsible for what the Palace has been trumpeting as Gloria’s crowning glory prior to her stepping down on June 30.
Manufacturing temporarily rose out of a slump as a result of the election campaign period where the many paraphernalia that defaced the city for nearly a year were churned out by factories. Services, mainly fastfood businesses, also benefited from the election windfall.
UP School of Economics professor Benjamin Diokno also cited the government’s rush to complete the so-called State of the Nation Address projects, which are major infrastructure projects which Gloria had listed in her 2006 Sona to support her Strong Republic thrust, as another source of growth.
For the nine years under Gloria, the economy had undergone a roller-coaster ride but as Gloria would say, it never went into a contraction. Of course, there were times when suspicions arose that some tweaking was being done with the statistics when growth would show a growth of less than one percent to avoid a technical recession.
For now the most stable source of economic output is the money being sent home by Filipino diaspora, which if seen in a different light, is labor resources sapped out of the economy.
The Palace has been bragging about Gloria’s policies centered on the economy that has been responsible for the strong growth in the quarter but the challenge would be for anybody in Gloria’s stable to name at least two defining policies of the supposed Glorianomics..... MORE
Fraud marks the spot
Piracy stifling Asian software industry, say experts
Questions, questions, questions!
An Aquinorroyo II
Midyear blues
Fraud marks the spot FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/31/2010
Any which way one cuts it, the automated elections were marked by electronic fraud.
There were just too many things that went wrong--all suspected to be deliberate, all of which are being discovered today, and quite frankly, neither the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials nor Smartmatic itself have come up with credible and satisfactory answers, thinking perhaps that the Filipinos are so stupid and can be fed with technical gobbledygook.
The facts are that there are many unexplained and even unjustified moves made by the Comelec and its partner, Smartmatic, such as, but not limited to, not following the conditions set forth by the US certification firm, to make the program fraud-free. And for that inspection of the program and system by SysTest Lab, which the Filipino people paid millions for the service, Comelec and its tech partner never bothered to correct the flaws as pointed out by the certification agency, which means that the program and system used for the 2010 presidential polls, were never certified by SysTest.
But what was most suspicious of all was the fact that some three days before the scheduled polls, where only some 2,000 machines failed the testing, Comelec and Smartmatic suddenly pulled out all 82,000 compact flash (CF) cards, ordered 82,000 cards from Hong Kong and Taiwan, reconfigured all these in just two to three days, with claims that all these reconfigured CF cards were tested and delivered to all the clustered precincts, all 76,000 of them throughout the Philippine archipelago.
This tale from the Comelec and Smartmatic officials is full of holes. It is impossible to, first, order and ship from abroad 82,000 CF cards, then reconfigure these in just a time frame of two days, then have these tested — and without any party representative to witness and check the reconfigured CF cards — and then have what, another day to deliver all these to the “right” precincts all over the Philippines.
Not having any witnesses from political parties for the testing certainly was pretty sneaky.... MORE
Piracy stifling Asian software industry, say experts focus 05/31/2010
SINGAPORE — Entrepreneur Binod Hariharan has big plans for his southern Indian firm, which develops astrology-based computer software to help users find a suitable spouse or plot their career paths.
Similarly ambitious is Somporn Maneeratanakul, managing director of Thai Software Enterprises, and Nguyen Minh Duc, director of BKIS Security, a Vietnamese company that makes anti-virus programs.
But their dreams of making it big overseas are in danger of being hijacked in the dangerous waters of the global software industry by pirates who make and sell illegal copies of their products right in their home markets.
While global giants such as Microsoft and computer security firm McAfee are prominent targets of copyright thieves, what is less known is that start-up Asian software companies are notable victims, industry players said.
And unlike the cash-rich industry big boys, these fledgling Asian companies are finding it harder to cope with losses resulting from copyright violations.
Industry group Business Software Alliance (BSA) said in a report released in May that software piracy losses reached $51.4 billion in 2009, of which $16.5 billion was incurred in the Asia-Pacific region.
On average, 59 percent of the 900 million pieces of software installed in the Asia-Pacific region were unlicensed, said the study carried out with industry research firm IDC.
Bangladesh had the highest software piracy rate in Asia, followed by Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Vietnam, with China and India also among the top culprits.... MORE
Questions, questions, questions! C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 05/31/2010
Jonathan De la Cruz
More questions than answers is cropping up in the ongoing joint congressional canvass for president and vice president, which is a constitutional duty lodged only on the legislature and the concurrent inquiry of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reform into the conduct (or misconduct as one congressman noted) of the country’s first automated elections. In the case of the canvass, a number of potentially canvass breaking issues have cropped up. First, the matter of compliance by Commission on Elections (Comelec) and its automation contractor, Smartmatic-TIM, with the terms and conditions of their contract and the automation law. There were at least three features of the system which were not complied with such as: a) voter verification feature (VVF) to enable a voter to confirm that those he voted for were correctly recorded and counted by the PCOS machine; b) the use of UV lamps to test whether a ballot is fake or not (most precincts some as near as Magallanes Village in Makati City did not use any such implement); and c) the two boards (BEI at the precinct level and the BoC at the municipal, city and provincial levels) did not have “digital signatures” as provided for under the law. The question that arises is this: can — or should it be, must — the Congress proceed with the canvass without satisfying itself that the polls were not compromised, legal or otherwise, as a result of such non-compliance.
Up to now, for example, the matter of “digital signatures,” a key security component of the entire system has yet to be resolved to the full satisfaction of the canvass committee and the public. The matter of “digital signatures” impacts directly on the canvass committee’s aceptance of the Certificates of Canvass (CoC) now under congressional custody at the Batasan complex. As provided for under the law and the canvass rules, the canvass committee and later the full joint congressional session, must satisfy themselves that: a) each CoC was “duly executed, signed and thumbmarked by the chairman and members of the city, district or provincial boards of canvassers (BoCs); b) that it contains the names of all candidates for president and vice president and their corresponding votes in words and figures; and c) there exists no discrepancy in other authentic copies of the CoCs or in any other supporting documents and d) there exists no discrepancy in the votes of any candidate against the aggregate number of election returns of precincts covered by the CoC. The automation masters — Comelec and Smartmatic — have yet to fully explain the protocols, including selection, disclosure and naming of the recipients of the secret digital signature..... MORE
An Aquinorroyo II DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 05/31/2010
Herman Tiu Laurel
It’s now looking more and more like an Aquinorroyo II, with the usual Big Business honchos and the US Embassy brokering various political deals and transition scenarios.
It’s not just the story going around that days prior to Comelec and Smartmatic’s recall of 76,000 compact flash cards, a known oligarch allegedly brokered a meeting between a Palace aide, et al. with the “pinkest” one of “The Three Sisters” to stave off an intra-Edsa II death match, which could have afforded the masa’s President Joseph Estrada a clear touchdown. The provenance of Aquinorroyo II is also due to the shared Cory Aquino and Gloria Arroyo patsies now figuring in the latest Yellow “trip to Jerusalem” — from Dinky Soliman, to Sonny Belmonte, to The Firm plus Teddy “Bear” Locsin, as well as, the likes of Jose “Ping” de Jesus.
People now tend to forget that Gloria would never have catapulted from vice president to president without Cory’s sponsorship of Edsa II. Thereafter, Mrs. Aquino graced every Edsa II celebration giddily, sitting alongside Arroyo. Even during the August Twenty-One (Atom) anniversary in the crucial Oakwood protest year of 2003, Cory towed Gloria along to buttress the latter’s shaky government — cementing the Aquinorroyo partnership — with Cory wearing a wide rimmed buntal hat while holding Gloria’s hand, as if aiding her tottering little understudy. All that, of course, changed a few years later when certain events came between them.
But the stakes for both the Gloria and BSA III camps now rest on keeping their tenuous shares of power over the only outsider in the political spectrum: President Joseph Estrada. While Teddy “Bear” Locsin strains the definition of “digital signatures” and displays arrogance with aplomb, President Estrada’s true potential for upsetting the last voting exercise is now only beginning to surface as various anomalies in the automated election system are cropping up one after another.
In particular, the massive disenfranchisement that came about, which, going by the foreign election observers’ report, in conjunction with the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPeg), could have reached as high as 8 million disenfranchised voters — more than enough to be the factor in the upset, as the disenfranchised were mostly masa voters.
Meanwhile, former Quezon City Mayor Sonny Belmonte is a particularly crucial personality to analyze in the emerging structure of Aquinorroyo II, being probably the biggest single contributor to BSA III’s campaign kitty, with a billion pesos taken from the three billion from Quezon City’s budget, as exposed by QC opposition leaders Johnny Chang and Rod Kapunan.
Although there is ostensibly a looming fight between Arroyo and Belmonte for the House speakership, knowing their cozy relationship in the past decade, it will be more of a staged act to keep the many power and economic deals of Edsa II intact. Talk of an old official of Cory becoming part of the BSA III Cabinet is another sure sign that makes me visualize an even sharper Aquinorroyo picture.
Former Neda Chief Romulo Neri, in one of his frequent candid narrations about the goings-on among oligarchs and government projects (as he did in the ZTE-NBN mess), reportedly mentioned he queried about a P700-million item for “information and legal charges” in the project cost of an expressway takeover. The answer he got was that this was already cleared with the powers that be, with the sources of this information translating this to mean that the same major figures in the ZTE-NBN deal had already taken their slice of the pie. This being the case, the guy becomes a perfect “crossover” figure to maintain the bridges over potentially troubled waters in the Aquinorroyo continuum.
For many parties with vested interests in the perpetuation of the policies of the past 10 years, this Aquinorroyo continuity is truly a valued commodity. Proponents of projects such as the “Deal of the Century” $4-billion sale of Transco involving the US Carlyle Group, the China State Grid and Monte Oro (the local broker identified with Fidel Ramos) would naturally not want anything to upset their sweetheart deals (which, in the instant case, should have already netted for the Philippines $6 billion if all the assets and potential ancillary businesses were factored in).
And this is why a political successor other than Aquinorroyo II would have created tremendous problems; hence, the imprudence with which the premature visit of US Ambassador Harry Thomas was made to a non-president, followed by that of the Chinese ambassador.
Even if BSA III transcends his cluelessness and desires to go beyond the Aquinorroyo legacy, he will only find himself shackled by his relatives and political confidantes. Already, his financial and tax policies are being pre-determined, such as in his soft-pedaling on the P6-billion excise tax on fuel, as well as, his financial advisers’ insistence on seeking a 15-percent VAT hike.
Gloria Arroyo has even gleefully advised BSA III to impose new taxes to resolve the crisis-laden deficit, which will only worsen the economy and increase the deficit further. Sadly, the only solution, which is to cut the horrendously exorbitant P3-trillion profit pie of Big Business to balance the economy, is suicide for him, considering that the local corporatocracy constitutes his power base.
But, as an Aquinorroyo I came and went, so will an Aquinorroyo II fade. The only question is, will a death clash resume or will an implosion of the conundrum ensue? Here, it would be best for the masa and President Estrada to never concede but to be ready for sudden changes in the political sphere.
(Tune in to 1098AM, Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Destiny Cable Channel 21, GNN Herman Tiu Laurel Edition, live on Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m.; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)
Cross your fingers HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 05/31/2010
Aldrin Cardon
We’re almost halfway through 2010, a year which we welcomed with so much hope. We have anticipated a new leadership, and on June 30, a new president will be sworn in for another six years of hoping, praying and of more expectations we are optimistic would be fulfilled, all for the better of our country, which had not grown much in the decade it is about to leave.
June also brings hope to those who still can barely make it to school, children of the low-income earners who will fight on to earning their diplomas, and eventually and hopefully, decent work that is hard to come by these days.
Their diplomas would be their tickets out of poverty, with each of them aiming to better the lives of their minimum wage earning parents who kept the struggle to send them though college.
Providing cheap access to, if not totally free education, and ensuring the labor force would not lack in work would (and should) be among the top concerns of president-apparent Noynoy Aquino.
But it’s still a good month before he starts working. It would be a job cut out only for the best of men, which, sad to say for this country that has yet to shake off the vestiges of the old world, and remains in the palms of the only several political clans who have ruled then and are still ruling now.
Nearly 10 of every 100 Pinoys are out of work. Yet, outgoing President Gloria Arroyo would brandish her government’s “achievements” when she presides over the last celebration of Independence Day under her term.
She has a lot to say about her government, mostly good as expected. But there would be no mention of the scandals she and her family have been tainted with. Gloria is even trying to influence Noynoy to continue with her policies, which she credits for what she claimed as a “stable economy” under her watch..... MORE
Midyear blues SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 05/31/2010
Dinah S. Ventura
Tomorrow is June 1, and the month is rife with occasions we have come to expect every year: the start of the school season, Independence Day celebrations and Father’s Day are three of the most common (since bonuses are not).
Then again, the month also reeks with issues we have come to dread year in and year out.
For instance, with the start of the school year, we train our sights on the state of our education, the sorry condition of many of our public schools, the inevitable tuition price hikes and the plight of out teachers, who may as well be crowned as the new martyrs of the millennium.
This year is particularly special as school is about to start, parents are busy scouting around for the most affordable school supplies, and the rest of us are still arguing about the recent national elections... held in our schools and helmed by our teachers, no less.
The rumor mill is cranking up with murmurs of a plan to push the issue of a failure of elections, which the mongers say is the whole point behind all the stories suddenly coming up on alleged anomalies and irregularities in the automated elections.
If that were so, who would stand to benefit from a declaration of a failed elections? That may well be the question we should be asking ourselves, too, rather than just getting ourselves agitated with masked men and technical mumbo-jumbo.
We also hear that on June 12, President Gloria Arroyo will have a big celebration, highlighted by a long speech no doubt brandishing her administration’s achievements. (And some people, I think, will be celebrating the country’s approaching ‘independence’ from her, no doubt.)... MORE
Impound PCOS machines, flash cards — poll observers 05/31/2010
GROUP SAYS LEGITIMACY OF MAY 10 POLLS IN DOUBT
Impound PCOS machines, flash cards — poll observers
A poll observer team recommended yesterday the impounding of some 82,000 precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and memory and compact flash cards used in the recently held automated elections to allow detailed investigations into the allegations of widespread electronic poll fraud.
Global Filipino Nation (GFN) which deployed observers on election day in municipalities and cities in Pampanga, Quezon and Iloilo also challenged the legitimacy of the May 10 elections, citing five cases that “put to question the authenticity, integrity, confidentiality, veracity and accuracy of the vote counts.”
The impounding of the PCOS machines and the flash cards is necessary in anticipation that these machines will be shipped out immediately after the elections in the pretext that these machines were leased under the Comelec-Smartmatic contract for a whopping P40,000 + each, the group said.
The group, which represents offshore and onshore Filipinos in 30 countries, cited the following reasons for doubts it raised on the legitimacy of the polls: the election results transmitted from the precincts do not have digital signatures of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI); the number of disenfranchised voters is sufficient to affect greatly the results of the elections; the Automated Election System (AES) was implemented live without the appropriate field testing and law-specified testing in actual elections; the source code review was not completed and initial findings were not addressed; and no audit was done on the AES prior to the elections and only a mandated random manual audit was held that up to now has not been completed.
Aside from its recommendation to impound PCOS machines, the memory and CF cards, and perform forensics on these using the actual ballots, the group also said the Commission on Elections should promptly comply with a Supreme Court directive to make public the documents on Comelec’s preparation and compliance with the requirements of the automated elections law.
It added that an independent, non-partisan qualified party should conduct a full-blown audit of the automated polls system including recommended improvements to include automated registration, purging of voters lists, precinct mapping, and Internet Voting.
In a statement, GFN said that based on industry standards, the digital signature on the precinct election return (ER) is a summary of the ER encrypted using the BEI’s secret key that identifies the BEI personnel and the precinct number from which the ER came; and that the precinct ER was not modified in any way.
It said that under Comelec Bid Bulletin No. 10 issued on April 27, 2009 “the digital signature shall be assigned by the winning bidder to all members of the BEI and the Board of Canvasser (BOC) whether city, municipal, provincial, district. For the National Board of Canvassers (NBOCs), the digital signatures shall be assigned to all members of the Commission and to the Senate President and the House Speaker. The digital signature shall be issued by a certificate authority nominated by the winning bidder and approved by the Comelec.”... MORE
JPE to ensure proclamation of winners by June 15
Chinese envoy confident of Northrail’s second life under Noynoy gov’t
Peace negotiator defends Arroyo from Iqbal attacks
Erap-Binay camps welcome military, police votes
CBCP gives Gloria failing mark
JPE to ensure proclamation of winners by June 15 By Angie M. Rosales 05/31/2010
By Angie M. Rosales
The Senate leadership yesterday vowed to overcome all delaying tactics and other schemes intended to sabotage the proclamation of the winning president and vice president in the just-concluded national elections.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said he will exhaust all efforts to meet the self-imposed deadline of wrapping up the canvassing of votes by June 15.
“That’s my target, June 15. If there will be any snag, it still should not be later than the 28th or 29th of June.
“I will not let allow this country to be without a president by June 30. I will not let that happen even if they hang me,” he said in a radio interview over at dzBB.
The upper chamber chief’s pronouncements made the assurance amid speculations by some sectors over setbacks in the ongoing canvassing procedures and concerns by some on possible protracted debates surrounding the electronically-transmitted results.
The Noynoy Aquino supporters have been vocal in demanding that Aquino be proclaimed and for the National Board of Canvassers, composed of both panels from the Senate and the House of Representatives, where Enrile sits as chairman, together with Speaker Prospero Nograles as co-chairman, to speed up the process, while doing away with the accuracy of the count.
“I no longer want to answer those doubting Thomases. I no longer want to speak on the issue. They can think whatever they want to think. They can die thinking (of the worst-case scenario) for all I care,” he said.
“I’m appealing to the public not to be swayed by doomsayers. They need not worry. They can be assured that we will be doing what is expected of us. We will do what we ought to do,” said Enrile.... MORE
Chinese envoy confident of Northrail’s second life under Noynoy gov’t By Michaela del Callar 05/31/2010
By Michaela del Callar
Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Liu Jianchao’s meeting with presumptive President-apparent Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino was more than just the Spratlys, as Liu yesterday con-firmed their dis-cussion also centered on business, with China expressing hopes its deal for the rehabilitation and construction of the $503-million Northrail project would find a second life under an Aquino administration.
Both camps earlier had claimed the meat of their talks focused on the two countries’ continuing cooperation despite the thorny issue of their respective claims to the Spratlys Islands. But it turned out to be more than just that with Liu now admitting China will once again push the controversial project which was among the questionable deals entered into by Gloria Arroyo with a Chinese construction firm.
Government could not proceed with the construction of the railway due to a pending case in the Supreme Court, seeking for the annulment of the multi-million dollar contract.
“We talked about that (Northrail project) and we carry on with our productive cooperation on all things. On
Northrail, I think we can work on that as well. I’m more than optimistic about that,” Liu said.
The Northrail project aims to rehabilitate the old Philippine National Railway’s north line, an estimated 80.2-kilometer railroad project that will link Metro Manila to Clark Field in Pampanga.
Liu said the prolonged delay in the construction of the Northrail will cost the government and the Chinese contractor more money.
The Chinese ambassador stressed the importance of the immediate resumption of work, saying the fast completion of the North Rail will be “very good for the Philippines and the people” living in Metro Manila as it would ease the capital’s traffic woes..... MORE
Posted by Jesusa Bernardo at 12:57 PM 1 comment Links to this post
Erap-Binay camps welcome military, police votes 05/31/2010
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) presidential candidate former President Joseph Estrada and his vice presidential bet, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, yesterday expressed elation over the recent results of the local absentee voting that included the military and the police establishments as well as teachers, who gave the tandem the biggest number of votes.
According to former Rep. J V Bautista, who now serves as Binay’s spokesman, the vote of confidence from the police and the military for Estrada and Binay is a clear sign of the trust and support by the men and women in uniform, as well as the teachers, for the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino candidates.
“The victory obtained by Erap and Binay in the local absentee voting is a clear expression of the trust and support that the two leaders enjoy among our men in uniform,” Bautista said yesterday.
Estrada got 8,770 votes while Binay got 12,995 votes.
Estrada was generally liked by the military and it was known even as he was ousted, that the rank and file in the military had nothing to do with his ouster in January 2001.
The coup d’etat against Estrada was plotted by then Vice President Gloria Arroyo, the elite civil society, including the Catholic bishops led by the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, along with the military generals, led by then Armed Forces chief of staff Angelo Reyes, who had called his service commander and convinced them to withdraw support from their commander in chief, then sitting President Estrada.... MORE
NPA ambushes gov’t troops; 5 soldiers go ‘MIA’ 05/31/2010
NPA ambushes gov’t troops; 5 soldiers go ‘MIA’
Five Army troops, including a lieutenant, went missing while three other soldiers were wounded after heavily armed communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed government forces in Camarines Sur province at dawn yesterday.
Army 9th Infantry Division (ID) spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc identified the missing soldiers as 1Lt. Miguel Logronio Jr., Cpl. Arturo Hernandez and Privates First Class Albert Jamera and Pfc. Edwin Britanico, all members of the 42nd Infantry Battalion.
As of press time, the military has yet to know what befell these four soldiers.
Cabunoc said a fifth soldier who went “missing in action” (MIA) – Pfc. Bernard Vergara, also of 42nd IB – is alive. He said Vergara had sent a text message to his colleagues that he is just hiding in the vicinity after surviving the ambush in the outskirts of Barangay San Francisco in Presentacion town.
Cabunoc said they had been told by civilians in the area that they saw the bodies of the four missing Army men. But he said the military will consider the four as “MIA” until their bodies have been recovered.
“We are not yet sure if they are alive, but there were civilians who reported that four of the soldiers died in the jungles. We, though, can’t say if that is true (that they are dead), unless (their bodies are) found by our own soldiers,” Cabunoc told the media..... MORE
RP saves nuke meet from collapse, reaps praises
Senate sessions resume today, but legislative work doubted
Security forces encircle Sayyaf kidnappers in Basilan
Disqualification case vs Palawan’s Mitra pressed
Cops eyed to serve as BEIs in Lanao special poll
Senate sessions resume today, but legislative work doubted By Angie M. Rosales 05/31/2010
The Senate is set to resume sessions today, when it is expected to take up and approve some remaining pending bills.
But Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. doubts whether plenary proceedings will prove to be productive at all considering that those listed in the Senate’s agenda are non-controversial measures, mostly on the mere creation of schools.
Contained in a notice for the session issued by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is the Senate’s scheduled approval on third reading of five proposals in the upper chamber and another five from the lower House.
Pimentel said apparently Zubiri was asked by friends of the latter in the House of Representatives to prioritize for approval certain pending bills in the Senate.
“The problem is the moment you accede to any request for the approval of certain bills or resolutions, even if they are non-controversial, this could trigger similar requests from other lawmakers for the approval of other measures. But we may not have the time to act on pending bills since we are pressed for time to canvass the votes and proclaim the new President and Vice President before June 30,” the minority leader said.
Pimentel said he initially discussed this matter with Sen. Joker Arroyo, who told him he was not in favor of putting the pending bills on the Senate’s agenda for today’s session.
He said the report on the National Broadband Network-ZTE deal has already been overtaken by the Ombudsman’s move to elevate to the Sandiganbayan its decision to file graft charges against former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and former National Economic and Development Authority Director General and now Social Security System Administrator Romulo Neri.... MORE
Cops eyed to serve as BEIs in Lanao special polls
No speed contest EDITORIAL 05/30/2010
No speed contest
The joint congressional body validating the results of the votes for the new president and vice president is moving in the right direction: That of flushing out all possibilities of fraud and inaccuracies from the country’s first venture into automated elections.
From the start, the leaders of both chambers of Congress showed a resolve to not sacrifice accuracy for speed and thus far, the National Board of Canvassers (NBoC) that has been constituted from members of the Senate and the House, appears to be holding up in their commitment.
The real trial, however, would come when glaring differences occur in the Certificates of Canvass (CoC) which are the main documents that the NBoC uses as basis for the count and the supplemental documents such as the electronic and manual elections returns that supposedly would all have to show identical figures.
Also the holding of the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms of a related inquiry into the allegations of electronic fraud provides a clearer picture of what the NBoC is up against and will likely contribute to facilitating the canvass.
The pressure bearing on the congressional body is to come up with a proclamation of the new leaders prior to June 30 when the term of Gloria finally constitutionally lapses. But a greater undertaking for the body is to make a pronouncement that is indisputable to most Filipinos.
If for instance the count for Noynoy Aquino, based on the unofficial Comelec tally, fails to hold in the NBoC canvass, his administration faces the same endless strife that had beguiled the Arroyo administration for the past nine years..... MORE
Disappointment comes early
No-el and No-proc?
BLURBAL THRUSTS
Sourgraping in Subic
How to authenticate CoCs if ER is unsigned digitally
Prague secret police lookout gives glimpse back in time
Disappointment comes early FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/30/2010
This early, even before proclamation day, it looks like a lot of Noynoy Aquino voters and supporters are rueing having campaigned for him and perhaps even voted for him.
Some of them of course expect too much from a Noynoy victory, as gleaned from the number of disgruntled folks who went to his home on Times Street, expecting to be given jobs — even that of being his driver or some other menial job.
The common gripe: Noynoy asked us to help him win the presidency. Now that he has won, we now seek his help --- evidently to get them out of their miserable existence.
What was striking was the mood they were in, when Noynoy, to them, no longer made himself accessible to the “people.”
This change is naturally expected. On the campaign trail, the candidate, to win the vote, goes all over the archipelago, smiles, waved, throws whatever to those lining the streets. He always makes certain he is visible before the people. Once he is presumed to have won the polls, the candidate no longer mingles with the crowd, mainly for security reasons but also because he was never comfortable being with the masses.
In other cases, such as in the case of the Noynoy volunteers, there appears to be a lot of disappoinment, if not disenchantment, being aired among these volunteers, who apparently very naively believed that with Noynoy in Malacañang, change would be coming, but now with reality setting in, they know that no change will be forthcoming, with the same bunch of Gloria’s former officials and politicians, whom Noynoy scorned during his campaign, now surrounding him.
Bottom line is that Noynoy and his propagandists succeeded in generating too much hope among the voters and volunteers with his campaign line of change, something he and his administration will hardly be able to deliver, because change cannot really come about, even as that nonsensical musical plug of ABS-CBN about change beginning with the each of the Filipino (Ako ang Simula) plays itself out.... MORE
No-el and No-proc? ENQUIRY Demaree J. B. Raval 05/30/2010
Demaree J. B. Raval
Elections were actually held on May 10, 2010, but a grave and inexcusable error on the part of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) may put to waste that exercise — as if no elections were held at all and, therefore, we may have to go back to the polling precincts and vote all over again.
A voter verification feature in the counting machine would have shown the voter if his choices were correctly registered, but the Comelec disabled this feature. That feature, required under the law, was designed to warn voters of errors made by the machines on election day. Simply put, the voter should have been given proof that his vote was properly counted, that is, the machine read his ballot exactly the way the voter made his choices when he marked the “bilog na hugis itlog.” But the Comelec, instead of implementing this mandatory requirement, disregarded it; rather, “repealed it, usurping the power of Congress,” as my friend Leina de Legazpi correctly pointed out.
If we are to follow the precedent set in Germany last March 3, 2009 regarding electronic voting, then we could see the 51 million voters trooping back to the polls after the nullification of the results of the May 10 elections. Let’s ask former Sen. Kit Tatad why this could be the result of the Comelec’s grave and inexcusable error.
At the Kapihan sa Sulo yesterday, Tatad came out with his paper entitled “A Proposal to Nullify the May 10 Elections.” Tatad noted that “in 2009 in Germany, the Federal Constitutional Court ruled electronic voting was unconstitutional. The court held that the voting machine does not make it possible for the voter or the voting board to reliably examine, when the vote is cast, whether it has been recorded in an unadulterated manner, or whether when transmitted it has been accurately transmitted in its unadulterated form.... MORE
Sourgraping in Subic BLURBAL THRUSTS Louie Logarta 05/30/2010
Louie Logarta
As we had predicted, Bongbong Marcos, youngest child of former President Marcos and wife Imelda who handily clinched a seat in the Philippine Senate in the recently-concluded May 10 elections, has started laying the groundwork for his run for the vice presidency (if not the presidency) in 2016 with the reported revival of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL).
The KBL, for those who don’t know, was the political party formed by Bongbong’s late father after he declared martial law in 1972 and abolished the Nacionalista Party and the Liberal Party that have been alternately ruling the country since independence was granted in 1946.
The party, which was totally dominant in the Batasang Pambansa from 1978-1986, lost its sheen overnight when Cory Aquino assumed the presidency in February 1986 as a result of Edsa 1, and its members started defecting to other political groups that had sprouted to take advantage of the anti-Marcos fervor as was the fashion of the day. It has remained largely dormant since then, except for a few excursions by Marcos loyalists identified with them, and it is only now that it has regained some of its popularity.
Bongbong’s new-found confidence stems from the fact that he had garnered 7th place in the senatorial derby in the Nacionalista ticket, coupled with the stunning victories of his mother as congressman of Ilocos Norte’s second legislative district and sister Imee as governor also of that province. Marcos is himself an incumbent Ilocos Norte congressman, and prior to that a three-term governor of the province.
Now that the elections are over and he has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with in the local political scene, Marcos is said to have this early set his sights on some “higher elective post” in government, and plans to utilize the moribund KBL party as a platform to achieve this objective.... MORE
Chest-beating at the Palace EDITORIAL 05/31/2010...
Fraud marks the spot FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivar...
Piracy stifling Asian software industry, say exper...
Questions, questions, questions! C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A....
An Aquinorroyo II DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel ...
Cross your fingers HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 05/31/2...
Midyear blues SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 05/31/20...
Impound PCOS machines, flash cards — poll observer...
JPE to ensure proclamation of winners by June 15 ...
Chinese envoy confident of Northrail’s second life...
Erap-Binay camps welcome military, police votes 0...
NPA ambushes gov’t troops; 5 soldiers go ‘MIA’ 05...
Senate sessions resume today, but legislative work...
Disappointment comes early FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-...
No-el and No-proc? ENQUIRY Demaree J. B. Raval 0...
Sourgraping in Subic BLURBAL THRUSTS Louie Logart...
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Turning away evil an ordeal EDITORIAL 05/14/2011
Turning away evil an ordeal
The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) presents a quandary for every new administration. The agency’s obsolescence is so palpable that many has sought its abolition, which is also among the pledge that helped put Noynoy, of his “straight path” crusade, in Malacañang.
Then comes the day Noynoy is president and suddenly the PCGG abolition is under review again.
Lately, the Palace has issued an executive order directing the PCGG to order its nominees, who are presumably holdovers from the previous administration, to vacate their positions among sequestered firms. They will be replaced by new appointees, all allies of Noynoy.
That is what is usually called political patronage as well the spoils from the victor distributed as rewards to his allies..... MORE
Weder-weder lang yan FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/14/2011
Weder-weder lang yan
Malacañang’s logic truly escapes me.
Just the other day, still reacting to the plea bargain deal entered into between the Ombudsman and retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia which was approved by the Sandiganbayan, Noynoy’s mouthpiece Edwin Lacierda was quoted as saying that the plea bargain must be scrapped, even after the Sandiganbayan approved it, and despite the fact that the principle of double jeopardy stands in the way. But the Palace insists on this being scrapped because it sends a wrong signal to government officials to steal, since they can always plead guilty to a lesser offense of graft, by forging a plea bargain deal with the Ombudsman.
But Noynoy and his boys, claiming that they are outraged at the anti-graft justices’ decision to uphold the plea deal, continue to make it a big issue.
Lacierda said Noynoy finds the Sandiganbayan resolution totally “unacceptable” and “legally wrong” because it would encourage more government officials to steal big time since they now have the option to forge a plea bargain deal with the Office of the Ombudsman and insisting that the Sandiganbayan ruling “should be reversed.”.... MORE
Women speak in support of reproductive health bill
MANILA – Editha Balolong is just 28 years old and yet she already has six children. She gave birth to her sixth child at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital last May 3.
She was supposed to have a tubal ligation after giving birth but she was advised to come back on June 14th instead because of bleeding. “I worried over our bill. I already had two blood transfusions,” Balolong lamented. The two bags of blood she was given amounted to at least P1,000 ($23).
Editha Balolong, 28 with her newborn son. (Photo by Anne Marxze D. Umil / bulatlat.com)
Balolong had to stay in the hospital from May 3 to May 7. Her husband is “just a pedicab driver earning P250 a day($5.81).” They have five other children to feed; two to send to school. Balolong is a housewife. “No one would look after the kids if I go off to work,” Balolong told Bulatlat.com.
She and other mothers from the marginalized sectors are in need of accessible and affordable reproductive health services.
House Bill 4244 or the Responsible Parenthood Bill, also called the Comprehensive Reproductive Health Bill, the bill so maligned by the influential Catholic Church and pro-life advocates, would have provided funds for implementing health service programs if passed. It will make available what mothers like Balolong sorely needed.
To help mothers like Balolong, the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) provided medical assistance to 100 mothers who gave birth during Mother’s Day last May 7 and 8 at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital. The P1,000 ($23) medical assistance came from GWP’s Priority Development Assistance Fund.
According to GWP, for the year 2011 the government budget on health services allocated P351 ($8) for every woman or a meager P0.96 per day.
With 11 mothers dying everyday due to complications arising from pregnancy and giving birth, GWP has vowed to steadfastly campaign for enacting HB 4244.
But so did its opponents. The anti-RH Bill advocates have been conducting prayer rallies against the passage of the RH bill. On May 9, the Catholic Church conducted a National Day of Prayer outside the House of Representatives “to invoke divine intervention and guidance for legislators to reject a birth control measure.”
The Catholic Church can instead help mothers
Recently the Catholic Church has ended its talks with Malacañang saying President Benigno S. Aquino III has decided that he will support the passage of the RH Bill.
GWP Rep. Luz Ilagan and Rep. Emmi De Jesus visit new mothers at Dr. Fabella Memorial Hospital, May 7. (Photos by Anne Marxze D. Umil / bulatlat.com)
GWP Rep. Luz Ilagan, on the other hand, said that instead of turning its back on dialoguesthe Catholic Church should review their hard-line stance and take a closer look at the needs of their flock.
“The Catholic Church leadership has long admitted that there are some among their ranks who favor the RH Bill. This is largely because priests and lay people who are grounded and closely working with the poorest communities are aware of the urgency of having a national policy that will ensure the delivery of health services to many Filipino women and their children. They know that the absence of an RH policy endangers the lives of women and their children especially during pregnancy and childbirth,” said Gabriela Rep. Ilagan.
Ilagan added that Catholic community can contribute in crafting a Reproductive Health policy that is genuinely pro-poor and responsive to the needs of marginalized women and their children. She encourages the Catholic community to join the plenary debate over the RH Bill. “We urge the Catholic community to actively participate in crafting a national policy on women’s reproductive health on the framework that full access to healthcare services is a universally recognized right and that population control is never to blame for and should not be a panacea to the country’s worsening poverty.”.... MORE
A first hand experience with Oplan Bayanihan
The solidarity mission went to Pantabangan to document the conditions of the Igorot community who are being displaced from the land they have been tilling. The team did not expect that they would experience what the Igorots have to put up with in their struggle for land.
Sidebar: For two Igorot women, a constant struggle to survive
Sidebar: Imprisoned for refusing to leave their land
PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija — Early morning of May 2, I rode a bus to Cabanatuan City to join a solidarity mission organized by Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL). The mission aims to conduct an investigation on the conditions of an Igorot community being displaced by projects under a public-private partnership project.
On board two jeepneys from Cabanatuan City, the team, composed of some 30 individuals from peasants, indigenous peoples, human rights groups and church-based organizations, went straight to Pantabangan Municipal Hall in Nueva Ecija for a courtesy call with the local mayor. After waiting for more than an hour for a certification from the mayor, we travelled for more than an hour and reached Lower Tuli subvillage, Villarica village shortly before dark. Two local radio journalists, both women, joined us.
We saw a group of local folk standing outside their nipa huts. When we stepped out of the vehicles, we saw a dozen men, wearing shirts and shorts, hammering pieces of wood. One was wearing a black sleeveless shirt printed with the word “Army.”
Hanging in one of the huts was a banner with the words: “Welcome, Bayanihan Program. Mamulat, Makiisa at Makialam para sa Mapayapa at Maunlad na Lipunan.” On another hut was a banner of the Spartans of the 81st Infantry Battalion of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Sto. Nino 2, San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
Joseph Canlas, AMGL chairman and Sr. Cecille Ruiz, chairwoman of Karapatan-Central Luzon and Antonio Flores of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) approached the men who introduced themselves as soldiers of the 81st IBPA. Canlas asked for the commanding officer. 2nd Lt. Titus Eleven Canedo presented himself, saying he is in charge of the project. When asked, Canedo said they have been staying in the area for five days and that they are building a multipurpose hall. He instructed another soldier to take photos of the “visitors.”
At that moment, I was holding a camera, taking photos. Canedo looked at me and asked for my identification. He held my press card and read my name aloud. He asked what Bulatlat is and I answered. Canlas said I am not the only journalist in the group and that we were invited to cover the solidarity mission.
Not long, a man wearing a cap and a shirt with the words “I Heart Peace” joined us. He introduced himself as Capt. Elmar Salvador, commanding officer of the Spartans team. Immediately, he patted the back of one of the male members of the delegation and told him: “I heard what you said to Tatang (old man) earlier. Your words were striking.” Later on, I would learn that the delegate told the old man that there is no change under the new administration.
Canlas, speaking to Ruiz, said that during our arrival, Salvador merged himself with the local residents. Defensive, Salvador said he was only talking with the people. Then he suddenly touched his shirt and said,“This is our shirt.”
Canlas went on explaining that the mission wanted to interview the residents regarding their land problem. “Go on. I will not meddle with you,” Salvador said.
Salvador said they are there for the Bayanihan program initiated by the chief executive. “We want to experience how to live as normal Filipino citizens, that we also belong to society,” he said. He went on saying that they are there to organize the community. The conversation lasted for a while until the leaders of the solidarity team ended it.
Soldiers of the 81st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army build multipurpose hall in a far-flung village in Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.(Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea / bulatlat.com)
Before dusk, I and two other members of the team saw two soldiers in full battle gear, brandishing long firearms, roaming around the community of less than 50 households. Another member of the team, the driver of one of the jeepneys, said he saw at least 30 soldiers, also in full battle gear, not far away from the center of the community.
The solidarity mission team decided to stay for the night. The road back to the town proper is dangerous. We occupied the small wooden church of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), a few meters away from where the soldiers were staying.
There is no electricity. We lit a bonfire and had dinner, rice and mongo with sardines and squash. The laughter of children playing failed to ease the tension in the air. It took time before residents came near the church to talk to the members of the solidarity team. We knew that some of the soldiers in civilian clothes were listening to the discussions about the problems of the community..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/05/13/a-first-hand-experience-with-oplan-bayanihan/
Removal of Sandiganbayan justices in Garcia plea bargain pushed
“It sends the message that it is okay to steal the people’s money for as long as you admit your crime when caught and just return a small amount from what you stole.” – Pagbabago
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL and INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
MANILA – The immoral and unpatriotic act of the Sandiganbayan justices must be condemned.
This was the reaction of Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change spokesman Fr. Joe Dizon, to the approval by the Sandiganbayan of the plea bargain agreement with retired AFP comptroller Major General Carlos Garcia last Monday, May 9.
The Sandiganbayan Second Division approved Garcia’s plea bargain, saying that the evidence against him was weak. And that Garcia had “complied with its conditions –pleading guilty to lesser offenses of direct bribery and facilitating money laundering, and transferring P135.433 million ($3.14 million) of his and his family’s assets to the state.”
It will be remembered that Garcia and former Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas Navarro-Gutierrez struck a plea bargain agreement wherein the government commits to withdraw plunder charges in exchange for a guilty plea for the lesser offense of direct bribery. Because of the deal submitted to the Sandiganbayan for approval, Garcia was allowed to walk out of his Camp Crame detention cell after posting a bail of P60,000 ($1,395) on December 18 last year, two days after he pleaded guilty to direct bribery during his re-arraignment for that lesser offense.
Lawmakers actively involved in the congressional investigations into Garcia’s case are also vehement in their protest against the Sandigabayan decision. They said that the Sandiganbayan violated its Constitutional mandate.
“The Constitution mandated the Sandiganbayan to give life to the fundamental principle that public office is a public trust, through the prosecution of civil and criminal cases involving graft and corrupt practices and other offenses committed by public officers. Sandiganbayan Second Division unanimously, but suspiciously and hastily, approved the plea bargain agreement. It previously denied Garcia’s petition for bail on the charge of plunder, thereby declaring that the evidence of guilt was strong. In a turn-around, however, it justified its latest decision to approve the plea bargain by declaring that the prosecution’s evidence was weak. This decision is prejudicial to the interest of the Filipino people,” Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino said.
Progressive lawmakers condemn the Sandiganbayan decision upholding the plea bargain agreement with Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia.(Photo by Ina Alleco R. Silverio / bulatlat.com)
Casino and other lawmakers in the progressive bloc of the Makabayan Coalition — Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano, the two Gabriela Reps. Luz Ilagan and Emmi de Jesus, Kabataan Rep. Raymond Palatino, and Alliance of Concerned Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio — are calling for the resignation of Sandiganbayan justices. namely Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval, Justice Teresita Diaz Baldoz and Justice Samuel Martirez.
‘Sandiganbayan justices should resign’
“The Sandiganbayan justices have betrayed their mandate to give life and meaning to the constitutional precept that a public office is a public trust and to impress upon public officers and employees that they are at all times accountable to the people with their duty to serve with the highest degree of responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency,” the lawmakers said..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/05/13/groups-call-for-removal-of-sandiganbayan-justices-who-approved-plea-bargain-with-garcia/
Proposed Department of Housing promotes homelessness, privatization of public housing
“Like its predecessors, the Aquino government is abandoning its responsibility to provide social services to its poor constituents … By partnering with the private sector in building public housing, it can be expected that the government will confine its function to that of an enabler which is limited to policy formulation and program monitoring.”
MANILA — Employees of the National Housing Authority (NHA) are against plans of the Benigno Aquino III government to privatize housing services and to create a Department of Housing and Urban Development. They were joined by residents from urban poor communities in Quezon City and Metro Manila in a protest last May 8 in front of the House of Representatives.
Rosalinda Nartates, president of the the Consolidated Union of Employees-NHA is adamant in protesting against the proposed agency, saying that it is all part of a privatization scheme. Public housing under the proposed DHUD, she said, will become more profit-oriented than it already is.
NHA employees and urban poor organizations under the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) have been fighting against moves to privatize public housing and legislative proposals on the same since the year 2000 and since the 9th Congress. Nartates also said that their stand against the DHUD also had to do with the proposed reorganization of the seven key shelter agencies. In the line of fire are the jobs of at least 5,000 employees.
Priority measure
The proposed DHUD is among President Aquino’s 12 priority bills that he presented to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) in its February meeting. Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr said that the bill is among the four “Human developments bills” the Aquino administration is determined to have passed into law.
Employees of the National Housing Authority led by their union Consolidated Union of Employees-NHA lead protests against the privatization of public housing and proposals for the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Photo by Ina Alleco R. Silverio / bulatlat.com)
To be merged are the Key Shelter Agencies (KSA)—Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Mutual Fund Development Corporation (PAG-IBIG fund), Home Guarantee Corporation, Housing and Urban Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), National Home Mortgage and Finance Corporation and the NHA.The NHA is the government’s lead agency and corporation engaged in direct shelter provision.
Former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her sons Mikey and Dato are behind the first DHUD bill, HB384, which they filed on the very first day of the 15th Congress. It calls for the creation of the DHUD and the consolidation and coordination of five key shelter agencies. HB 1231 by Quezon City Rep. Winnie Castelo and HB 2216 by Mindoro Rep.Rodolfo Valencia also aim for the creation of DHUD..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/05/13/proposed-department-of-housing-promotes-homelessness-privatization-of-public-housing/
Aquino’s ‘universal health care’ a sham — health workers
“The number one threat to Filipino health and job security is the US-Aquino Regime,” whose PPPs “result in privatization, in the abandonment of health as a right of the people, and in denying health workers decent wages and jobs.” – Health Alliance for Democracy.
By MARYA SALAMAT
MANILA— “Other people including graduates of ‘mere four-year-courses’ are earning higher salaries than me,” said a trained surgeon working for years now at a district hospital in a province north of Manila. He said that lack of doctors in their hospital has also forced him to work on “all kinds of cases and not just on an operating table.” Today, he admitted that he is applying for a job abroad. As a surgeon, he thought his career is also in danger here as a new regulation is “being cooked up” by the PRC (Professional Regulations Commission) in Manila requiring people like him to become member of a certain society of surgeons first, before he can renew his license.
Still, this doctor went to Manila and braved the scorching summer heat to join his colleagues from different hospitals and practices in commemorating the National Health Workers’ Day last May 7. The Health Workers’ Day main program peaked at high noon at the Mendiola Bridge.
Almost a year into Aquino’s presidency, health workers complained they “still suffer from low salaries, inadequate benefits and understaffing,” a plight some of them had thought would change under President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In his election campaign, Aquino was reputedly the only candidate who had promised to take care of public health. But today, a year into his presidency, a bigger allocation of the public purse has been going to militarization and debt servicing rather than public services such as health, said the health workers’ groups.
(Photo by Marya Salamat / bulatlat.com)
To finance health, Aquino increasingly turns to PPPs (public-private partnerships), which, the health workers’ groups said, are treating health services as “profitable” ventures rather than public services. They said the PPPs make health services available but costly to average Filipinos.
An elderly public hospital employee who went on leave to join her fellow health workers in their nationwide protest told Bulatlat.com they had “really believed things would be different with Aquino. But here we are again,” she said, “asking for the same things.”
In commemorating the National Health Workers’ Day last May 7, health workers held a protest caravan from the Lung Center of the Philippines, early morning, stopped for a brief program in front of the University of Sto.Tomas in España, then proceeded by midday to their main program at the Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang. The health workers are demanding a salary increase of P6,000 ($139.75) per month. The Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) said they conducted the Health Workers Day protest also to “continue the fight for jobs, rights and health of the people.”
Health services for profit, low salaries for health workers
“If President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III had really wanted to substantially increase the government employees’ wages, why doesn’t he just give the wage hike in its entirety under the Salary Standardization 3 (SSL-3)?” asked Jossel Ebesate, nurse at the Philippine General Hospital and new national president of the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW)..... MORE
URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/05/12/aquinos-universal-health-care-a-sham-%E2%80%93-health-workers/
Noy threatens sedition; Bishops recall Marcos By Aytch de la Cruz 05/14/2011
AMID THREAT OF CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE BY PRO-LIFE GROUPS
Noy threatens sedition; Bishops recall Marcos
By Aytch de la Cruz 05/14/2011
President Aquino and leaders of the Catholic Church appeared to have burned their bridges over the Reproductive Health (RH) bill debate after Aquino threatened to file sedition charges against the Church-backed critics of the bill who will call for civil disobedience while bishops welcomed the threat and described Aquino as sounding like former President Ferdinand Marcos, the political nemesis of his mother former President Corazon Aquino.
Aquino said anybody who plans to join pro-life non-government organizations’ (NGOs’) reported bid to launch a civil disobedience campaign by refusing to pay their taxes once the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill is enacted by Congress may face sedition charges.
Aquino told reporters during a visit to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that anyone who threatens not to honor tax liabilities constitutes a very serious offense which is punishable under the law.
“I think sedition would be the charge that will be filed for your not doing your civic obligation,” he said..... MORE
AI: Rights abuses persist under Aquino 05/14/2011
AI: Rights abuses persist under Aquino
Human rights abuses persist under the administration of President Aquino while hundreds of cases of rights violations committed under the previous administration remain unresolved, London-based Amnesty International (AI) said in its latest Report 2011.
Amnesty International Philippines director Aurora Parong said extrajudicial executions by security forces and armed groups belonging to political clans continue with impunity.
She added almost no perpetrators of more than 200 cases of disappearances and at least 305 extrajudicial killings during the term of former President Arroyo have been brought to justice.
The report noted that at least 305 cases of extrajudicial execution (with some estimates ranging as high as 1,200) also remain unresolved..... MORE
Phivolcs records 11 volcanic quakes around Taal, Mayon By Jason Faustino 05/14/2011
Phivolcs records 11 volcanic quakes around Taal, Mayon
By Jason Faustino 05/14/2011
State seismologists recorded at least 11 volcanic quakes around Taal Volcano in Batangas and Mayon Volcano in Albay in the last 24 hours.
According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), both the alert level at Taal and Mayon volcanos remain the same at “2” and “1,” respectively.
“Taal Volcano’s seismic network recorded 11 volcanic earthquakes during the past 24 hours,” Phivolcs said in its Friday update for Taal.
It said the alert level remains at “2,” meaning magma has been intruding toward the surface as manifested by the continuing high emission rate of carbon dioxide being released in the Main Crater Lake and sustained seismic activity..... MORE
‘Bebeng’ kills 31, destroys P300-M infrastructure, agricultural products By Mario J. Mallari 05/14/2011
‘Bebeng’ kills 31, destroys P300-M infrastructure, agricultural products
By Mario J. Mallari 05/14/2011
The death toll brought about by tropical storm “Bebeng” has reached 31 while more than P300 million in infrastructures and agricultural products were destroyed and nearly 500,000 people were affected by the havoc in several regions.
Reports from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday showed that Region V or Bicol Region suffered the highest number of fatalities with 24 and 16 came from Camarines Sur; six in Albay, and one each in Catanduanes and Masbate.
Regions III, VII and the National Capital Region (NCR) recorded one fatality each while Region VIII accounted four deaths.
Nine persons were also reported injured while three remained missing.
A total of 84,587 families, composed of 422,456 individuals, were affected by Bebeng which battered six regions with heavy rains and strong winds from Monday to Wednesday when the tropical storm left the country. A total of 66 municipalities and five cities were affected by flooding and landslides..... MORE
‘Gas subsidy to benefit oil firms only’ 05/14/2011
‘Gas subsidy to benefit oil firms only’
The gas subsidy is benefiting oil companies more than the jeepney and tricycle drivers for which the program is intended.
According to Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, the gas subsidy had better be given to the drivers in cash to be spent for the needs of their families rather than an augmentation for their fuel consumption.
“On the overhyped ‘additional’ P50 increase in Pantawid Pasada smart cards — Mabuti pang ibigay na lang ng gobyerno ang cash direkta sa drayber para makapahinga sila ng isang araw habang may pambili ng pagkain para sa kanilang pamilya,” Casiño said yesterday.
Casiño explained under the current program, the Aquino government, is giving oil companies more opportunity to earn more as the whole amount of the subsidy amounting to P134.4 million will end up with the oil companies..... MORE
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20110514met5.html
It’s final: Comelec recount confirms Lim won over Atienza 05/14/2011
It’s final: Comelec recount confirms Lim won over Atienza
It’s final. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday confirmed Mayor Alfredo Lim won over former Environment Secretary Lito Atienza by an unprecedented margin during the May 2010 mayoral fight in Manila.
This was announced yesterday by Lim’s chief of staff and media bureau chief Ric de Guzman who said based on the ballots from the total number of clustered precincts reported, which is 200, Lim garnered 65,375 votes while Atienza got a measly 20,340.a
The remaining 12,427 votes were spread over the other candidates.
In terms of percentage, De Guzman said 66.61 percent of the ballots recounted went to Lim while Atienza garnered 20.73 percent only, slightly bigger than the 12.66 percent that went to other candidates..... MORE
Weder-weder lang yan FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivare...
Women speak in support of reproductive health bill...
Removal of Sandiganbayan justices in Garcia plea b...
Proposed Department of Housing promotes homelessne...
Aquino’s ‘universal health care’ a sham — health w...
Noy threatens sedition; Bishops recall Marcos By A...
AI: Rights abuses persist under Aquino 05/14/2011...
Phivolcs records 11 volcanic quakes around Taal, M...
‘Bebeng’ kills 31, destroys P300-M infrastructure,...
‘Gas subsidy to benefit oil firms only’ 05/14/201...
It’s final: Comelec recount confirms Lim won over ...
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Home \ Late Night \ David Letterman Forms Record Label
David Letterman Forms Record Label
David Letterman is getting into the music business.
His production company, Worldwide Pants Inc., has formed its own record label and it already has its first act.
Clear Entertainment/C.E. Music will release the debut album from the punk duo Runner Runner this summer. Their self-titled album is being released through a new partnership with Letterman’s label, EMI Music’s Capitol Records and MRV label.
The band, from Huntington Beach, Calif., will begin touring next month.
Ross | Late Night, Talk Show News | April 29, 2010 3:48 pm 0 Comments
Chelsea Handler Addresses Sex Tape
Conan: I Wouldn’t Have Done What Leno Did To Me
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The NPC West Coast Fitness Expo and Bodybuilding Championship
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S MOST ANTICIPATED FITNESS EVENT, THE NPC WEST COAST, TAKES PLACE JUNE 18 IN RIVERSIDE.
Bodybuilders, Figure, Bikini & Physique Athletes to Flock to Southern California.
Producers Lonnie Teper & Christopher Minnes with special guests 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler, IFBB Legend Chris Cormier, reigning Ms. Olympia, Oksana Grishina and Lou Ferrigno, Jr. A NPC Amateur Bodybuilding National Qualifier
RIVERSIDE, CA (June, 11) — The NPC WEST COAST Fitness Expo & Bodybuilding Championship will be held at the historic Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside, CA on June 18, 2016. The NPC-sanctioned event is projected to double in size from past years to attract some 2,000+ spectators and 300 athletes who will compete for custom championship trophies and a coveted National Qualification. Website is www.NPCWestCoast.com.
What is expected to be a blockbuster amateur bodybuilding show promises much more then flexing physiques. “At this event everyone leaves with something, fitness supplements, apparel, prizes, celebrity photos and a ton of motivation to be fit.” explains promoter Lonnie Teper. The event includes a free fitness expo with 35 vendors, contests, raffles, free samples and free seminars with legends like 4x Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler and IFBB Legend and trainer, Chris Cormier.
The bodybuilding and fitness contest will take place at the stunning Riverside Performing Arts Center. The audience will enjoy impressive physiques as well as entertainment and appearances from reigning Ms. Olympia, Oksana Grishina, plus Jay Cutler, Chris Cormier and Lou Ferrigno Jr. The high energy show will be polished off with a first class stage presentation with state-of-the art LED Screens, high resolution projection and a host of other features.
“It is more than a beauty pageant, it is a sport where physiques reflect physical training, discipline and self-worth. But still expect lots of flexing at this visual extravaganza covered by magazines, bloggers, major main stream media and in thousands of tweets, photos and social media fan page posts around the globe,” said Teper.
“We are pleased to present a platform for our contestants and sponsors to raise awareness for health, fitness and friendly competition,” said Minnes, bodybuilding champion and producer of the NPC West Coast, Tahoe Show and Ferrigno Legacy Bodybuilding & Fitness Weekend held in Palm Springs, CA in October.
Also new this year, the show will be broadcast live streamed on the internet offered for free thanks to Carr Cellular Nutrition. This HD experience can be had from any computer or smart phone with access to the internet. Simply visit www.NPCWestCoast.com/live.
Renowned as one of the industry’s best competitions by contestants, judges and spectators alike, the schedule for the NPC West Coast to be held at the Fox Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 18 is:
10:00 AM Pre-Judging NPC Divisions
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Free Expo Open
5:00 PM Free Expo Re-Opens
5:30 PM Doors Open
6:00 PM NPC Finals with special guest, 4x Mr. Olympia, Jay Cutler
9:30 PM (approx) Finals & Trophy Awards / Competitor Interviews and Photo Sessions
10:00 PM After-Party Celebration at ProAbition Whiskey Lounge & Kitchen
The show’s Title sponsor is Bodybuilding.com with presenting sponsors Carr Cellular Fitness, SWAT Fuel, ProFight Nutrition, The Camp Training Center, Tahoe Show and the Ferrigno Legacy. The event is being held at the Fox Performing Arts Center with 2,000 spectators and 300 competitors. Pre-judging will be June 18, 2016 starting at 10:00 AM, with finals starting at 6:00 PM. Spectator tickets are $25.00 to $99.00.
For information, registration, tickets and a full event schedule visit www.NPCWestCoast.com. ###
To schedule pre-show interviews area competitors or NPC West Coast producer Chris Minnes or Lonnie Teper please contact Chris Minnes at (775) 267-7564 or chris@npcwestcoast.com.
What: NPC West Coast Fitness Expo and Bodybuilding & Fitness Championship
Press Check-In: June 18th at 9:00 AM * 5:30 PM (please contact in advance for TV and media truck parking) Pre-Judging NPC
When: Pre-Judging NPC Divisions 10 AM-2 PM, Finals at 6 PM. Expo 10 AM-3 PM & 5-9 PM
Where: Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Ave. Riverside, CA 92501
About Chris Minnes & Tahoe Show, LLC
Christopher Minnes is known as the premier bodybuilding event promoter in the West. He has produced the NPC/IFBB sanctioned Tahoe Show since 2011 and the NPC/IFBB Ferrigno Legacy held each year in Palm Springs. With a background in event promotion beginning in 1991, Minnes has produced hundreds of events including concerts, ski & snowboard races, Mt. bike races and much more. Tahoe Show, LLC is the managing company for the NPC West Coast, Tahoe Show and Ferrigno Legacy. For information visit www.tahoeshow.com.
About Lonnie Teper
Lonnie Teper has been a hub of the bodybuilding world for over 30 years playing nearly every role from host of over 500 shows including the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic, veteran reporter for Iron Man Magazine, promoter and the man on the street working with everyone from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Jay Cutler. Teper founded the the NPC West Coast under the name NPC Western Collegiate Championships in 1999.
About Fox Performing Arts Center
The Riverside Fox Theater, also known as the Fox Performing Arts Center, was built in 1929, and is a Spanish Colonial Revival style building in the heart of downtown Riverside, California. The theater is the centerpiece of Riverside’s Arts & Culture initiative and in 2010 underwent a major renovation and restoration to become a regional performing arts facility. The theater is best known for being the first theater to screen the 1939 film Gone With the Wind.
Posted by: Leo Dignadice // Events, Lifestyle, Sports // bikini, bodybuilding, championship, competition, expo, figure, fitness, jay cutler, lifestyle, lifting, physique, training, weights // June 15, 2016
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Mirwaiz Umar Farooq hails sacrifices of Kashmiris
September 9, 2016 News Desk Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: Hurriyet forum led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has hailed the resilience and sacrifices offered by people of occupied Kashmir during the last two months and asked them to exhibit unity and are cautious of conspiracies against the ongoing movement.
The forum spokesman in a statement issued in Held Srinagar said, “The ongoing mass uprising has entered third month with peoples’ demand for right to self-determination getting shriller by the day as children, youth and elderly people, men and women, all are hitting the streets to attract the attention of the international community and demanding resolution of the Kashmir dispute,” KMS reported.
He said that the arrogant ruling regime through its military might had unleashed tyranny and torture on people and resistance leadership to crush their resistance movement, writing yet another black chapter of blood in Kashmir’s history of freedom struggle.
“How unfortunate was it that during the past three days, two more youth were killed mercilessly and over 750 civilians injured in the indiscriminate firing by the forces while 100 persons were arrested and more than 1,000 residential houses damaged across the Kashmir Valley displaying the barbaric face of the authorities,” he said.
Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyet Conference leader, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, in a statement issued in Held Srinagar condemned the maiming of thousands of unarmed protesters, saying, “The men in uniform have been given clear instructions to use brute force to silence the peace-loving Kashmiris and crush their democratic movement”.
Rangers recovers weapons from Lyari 15 year old boy allegedly molested at Shikarpur
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Since 2010, Sock Puppet Sitcom Theater has presented our brand of sit-comedy. Irreverent, absurd and silly our influences include Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Michael Gondry and South Park. Take classic sitcom pilot episodes add socks, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, live musical accompaniment, period news and commercials and you have a truly unique experience that is equal parts nightclub act, puppet show and sitcom. Company members are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds including voiceover, improv, puppetry, cabaret, theater, media design and rock ‘n roll.
Our repertory includes pilot episodes raging from the 1950s to the 1990s. During each show “producers,” Glamor Puss and Frenchie, lead the audience on a journey back in time to the year the sitcom premiered including musical medleys, commercials and news stories. The sock puppets often talk to the audience and expect them to talk back and sing along with the tunes.
The show is accompanied by live band with keyboard, guitar and percussion/Foley who take licks and references from pop music of to back live singers during the theme songs and commercial jingles. Originally staged in Silver Lake art galleries the company became the “resident sock puppet company” at the Atwater Crossing and later moved its monthly show to The Echo in Echo Park. The company has also performed at Grand Performances, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum, Sacred Fools Theater, Burning Man, iO West and Twenty Wonder.
© Sock Puppet Sitcom Theater | SPST
Select Category Adult Events Cinderella City Events Family Events Friends Hungry Hungry Hippos Jack and the Beanstalk Performance Three’s Company Video
Copyright © 2019 Sock Puppet Sitcom Theater | SPST Theme by: ThemeGrill Powered by: WordPress
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10 days in Mexico Itinerary
Created using Inspirock Mexico visit planner
Start: Newark
Newark — Licenciado Manuel Crescencio Rejon Int Airport
1630 miles / 6h 15min Search flights
Licenciado Manuel Crescencio Rejon Int Airport — Chichen Itza
2h 15min Rent a car
112 miles / 2h ›
135 miles / 3h 45min ›
30 miles / 2h
1024 miles / 26h ›
Cozumel — Playa del Carmen
11 miles / 45min ›
Playa del Carmen — Playa del Carmen
1 miles / 15min ›
Playa del Carmen — Mexico City
1003 miles / 22h 30min ›
Book a Hostel »
Mexico City — Toluca
32 miles / 1h ›
Toluca — Puerto Vallarta
380 miles / 1h 30min › Search flights
2311 miles / 9h 45min
End: Newark
Read about Mexico
Destinations in Mexico
Things to do in Mexico
Featuring the largest archeological site of the ancient Mayan civilization, Chichen Itza remains one of the most visited tourist destinations in Mexico.
Kick off your visit on the 9th (Mon): explore the ancient world of Chichen Itza, delve into the distant past at Temple of the Bearded Man, then explore the fascinating underground world of Cenote Yokdzonot, then take in the dramatic natural features at Cenote Ik kil, and finally explore the ancient world of Dzibichaltun.
For other places to visit, reviews, ratings, and more tourist information, refer to the Chichen Itza vacation builder tool .
Newark, USA to Chichen Itza is an approximately 12-hour flight. Traveling from Newark in September, things will get somewhat warmer in Chichen Itza: highs are around 90°F and lows about 79°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 9th (Mon) early enough to drive to Playa del Carmen.
Things to do in Chichen Itza
Cenote Yokdzonot, Dzibichaltun
Find places to stay Sep 8 — 9:
9:30am, Mon Sep 9
Cenote Ik kil
1:30pm, Mon Sep 9
Dzibichaltun
The tourist hub of the popular Mayan Riviera, upscale Playa del Carmen remains the jewel of Mexico's Caribbean coastline.
Venture out of the city with trips to Tulum Archaeological Site (in Tulum) and La Isla Shopping Village (in Cancun). Plan for a day of cool, family-friendly fun on the 10th (Tue) at Xel-Ha. The adventure continues: find something for the whole family at Xcaret Park, stop by La Casa de las Hamacas, and don't miss a visit to Quinta Avenida.
To see photos, maps, reviews, and other tourist information, you can read our Playa del Carmen journey website .
Traveling by car from Chichen Itza to Playa del Carmen takes 2 hours. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle; or take a bus. Traveling from Chichen Itza in September, things will get little chillier in Playa del Carmen: highs are around 85°F and lows about 72°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 12th (Thu) early enough to drive to Cozumel.
Things to do in Playa del Carmen
Adventure Wildlife Tours
Xel-Ha Park by Xcaret, Tulum Archaeological Site, La Isla Shopping Village
Find places to stay Sep 9 — 12:
3:30pm, Thu Sep 12
Xel-Ha Park by Xcaret
10:00am, Wed Sep 11
Thanks to the island's outstanding scuba diving and snorkeling options, Cozumel tourism sector remains a major employer and the main source of income for this Caribbean getaway.
Kick off your visit on the 13th (Fri): learn more about the world around you at Museo de la Isla de Cozumel, then look for all kinds of wild species at Wildlife Areas, and then partake in some friendly competition at The Amazing Cozumel Race.
To find photos, ratings, other places to visit, and tourist information, go to the Cozumel driving holiday planner .
Traveling by car from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel takes 2 hours. In September, plan for daily highs up to 85°F, and evening lows to 72°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 13th (Fri) so you can travel to Mexico City.
Things to do in Cozumel
Find places to stay Sep 12 — 13:
11:30am, Fri Sep 13
Museo de la Isla de Cozumel
City of Palaces
Breathtakingly large, Mexico City provides a home for almost 9 million people living in nearly 1,700 distinct neighborhoods.
Kick off your visit on the 14th (Sat): explore the ancient world of Zona Arqueologica Teotihuacan, explore the world behind art at Palacio de Bellas Artes, then see the interesting displays at Museo Nacional de Antropologia, and finally appreciate the history behind Monumento a los Heroes de la Independencia. On the 15th (Sun), you'll have a packed day of sightseeing: examine the collection at Museo de Frida Kahlo, explore the ancient world of Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedral Metropolitana), then explore the ancient world of Museo del Templo Mayor, and finally appreciate the extensive heritage of Zocalo.
Plan my trip to Mexico City with suggested itineraries provided by Inspirock.
Fly from Cozumel to Mexico City in 4.5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of ferry and bus. Due to the time zone difference, you'll gain 1 hour traveling from Cozumel to Mexico City. Traveling from Cozumel in September, expect Mexico City to be little chillier, temps between 73°F and 57°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 15th (Sun) to allow enough time to travel to Puerto Vallarta.
Things to do in Mexico City
Historic Sites Museums
Zona Arqueológica de Teotihuacan Estacionamiento Puerta 5
10:00am, Sat Sep 14
Museo Nacional de Antropologia
3:00pm, Sat Sep 14
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Boasting a coastline made for perfectly framed photographs of romantic sunsets, Puerto Vallarta continuously ranks among the world's top tourist resorts.
Start off your visit on the 16th (Mon): fulfill a lifelong dream with a swim-with-the-dolphins experience, then contemplate in the serene atmosphere at Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and then take a leisurely stroll along Malecon Boardwalk.
To see maps, more things to do, other places to visit, and other tourist information, refer to the Puerto Vallarta online travel route planner .
Traveling by flight from Mexico City to Puerto Vallarta takes 3.5 hours. Alternatively, you can do a combination of bus and flight; or drive. Prepare for a bit warmer weather when traveling from Mexico City in September: high temperatures in Puerto Vallarta hover around 88°F and lows are around 76°F. On the 17th (Tue), wrap the sightseeing up by early afternoon so you can travel back home.
Things to do in Puerto Vallarta
Swim with Dolphins
10:30am, Mon Sep 16
Malecon Boardwalk
4:30pm, Mon Sep 16
Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe
14 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA January, teens, kids, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: January, teens, kids, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 14 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM CANADA August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 14 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM March, teens, culture, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: March, teens, culture, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 13 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM BELGIUM July, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: July, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 14 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM UNITED KINGDOM March, culture, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, slow & easy, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: March, culture, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Slow & easy 14 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM AUSTRALIA January, teens, kids, culture, outdoors, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: January, teens, kids, culture, outdoors, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 13 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM TURKEY April, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping, wildlife, popular sights PREFERENCES: April, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 11 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM PUERTO RICO July, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: July, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 13 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM COLOMBIA September, culture, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: September, culture, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 18 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: August, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium 12 days in United States, Caribbean & Mexico BY A USER FROM INDIA April, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife, popular sights PREFERENCES: April, culture, outdoors, relaxing, romantic, beaches, historic sites, museums, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular sights PACE: Medium 16 days in Mexico BY A USER FROM UNITED STATES June, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife, popular & hidden gems PREFERENCES: June, culture, outdoors, relaxing, beaches, historic sites, museums, shopping, wildlife ATTRACTION STYLE: Popular & hidden gems PACE: Medium
Mexico trip planner
Best things to do in Mexico
Chichen Itza trip planner
Playa del Carmen trip planner
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Tuesday 12 March 2019 (other days)
Tuesday of the 1st week of Lent
About Today · Readings at Mass · Office of Readings · Morning Prayer · Terce · Sext · None · Evening Prayer · Night Prayer · Yearly calendar ·
Universalis site · Settings · Tweet
Christ the Lord was tempted and suffered for us. Come, let us adore him.
Or: O that today you would listen to his voice: harden not your hearts.
Year: C(I). Psalm week: 1. Liturgical Colour: Violet.
About the author of the Second Reading in today's Office of Readings:
Second Reading: St Cyprian (210 - 258)
Cyprian was born in Carthage and spent most of his life in the practice of the law. He was converted to Christianity, and was made bishop of Carthage in 249. He steered the church through troubled times, including the persecution of the emperor Decius, when he went into hiding so as to be able to continue looking after the church. In 258 the persecution of the emperor Valerian began. Cyprian was first exiled and then, on the 14th of September, executed, after a trial notable for the calm and courtesy shown by both sides.
Cyprian’s many letters and treatises shed much light on a formative period in the Church’s history, and are valuable both for their doctrine and for the picture they paint of a group of people in constant peril of their lives but still determined to keep the faith.
40 Days and 40 Ways: Tuesday, 1st week of Lent
Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do. (Is 55:10-11)
Is 55:10-11
The first readings during Lent often have their own meanings, and on other occasions are often obviously intended to pair with the Gospel reading. Which of these two is the case today? Does the word sent down from heaven to accomplish God’s purpose have a capital or not?
In the original position in the Book of Isaiah “word” needs no capital letter, for the passage concludes a section on the effectiveness of the Lord’s will, expressed in prophecy or some other way. The message is that the Lord’s will accomplishes itself inevitably, as inevitably as the rain and snow bring fruitfulness to the soil. But in the context given by the famous use of this passage in the Entry Antiphon for Christmas Midnight Mass, about God’s Word leaping down from heaven to the earth at midnight, it certainly has a capital, referring to God’s eternal Word, the Logos or Christ. Perhaps, then, this little reading should be seen as emphasising the fulfilment of the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer in the Gospel reading, and particularly the central petition, “May your Kingdom come”, which sums up both its neighbouring petitions. It is stressing that the Lord’s Kingdom will come, his name will be held holy and his Will shall be accomplished.
The Gospel reading for the day is Mt 6:7-15.
Do something special for someone who works with you or for you to show your appreciation of that person.
Dom Henry Wansbrough
This passage is an extract from the booklet “40 Days and 40 Ways” by Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB, published by the Catholic Truth Society and used by permission. “40 Days and 40 Ways” has meditations for each day in Lent. To find out more about the booklet, or to buy it, please visit the CTS web site.
The Universalis Readings at Mass page shows the readings for today’s Mass.
Liturgical colour: violet
Violet is a dark colour, ‘the gloomy cast of the mortified, denoting affliction and melancholy’. Liturgically, it is the colour of Advent and Lent, the seasons of penance and preparation.
Mid-morning reading (Terce)
Joel 2:17 ©
Between vestibule and altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, lament. Let them say, ‘Spare your people, O Lord! Do not make your heritage a thing of shame, a byword for the nations.’
Noon reading (Sext)
Jeremiah 3:25 ©
We have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our ancestors from our youth until today, and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.
Afternoon reading (None)
Isaiah 58:1-2 ©
Shout for all you are worth, raise your voice like a trumpet. Proclaim their faults to my people, their sins to the House of Jacob. They seek me day after day, they long to know my ways, like a nation that wants to act with integrity and not ignore the law of its God.
Tue 16 July
Tuesday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
or Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Saint Bonaventure, Bishop, Doctor
Thursday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Friday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
Saturday of week 15 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Apollinaris, Bishop, Martyr
or Saturday memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mon 22 July
Saint Bridget of Sweden, Patroness of Europe
Wednesday of week 16 in Ordinary Time
or Saint Charbel Makhlouf, Priest
Calendar used
England - Portsmouth - Hampshire - Winchester
Scripture readings taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.
This web site © Copyright 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Ltd · Contact us · Cookies/privacy
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Constantine - Are you watching it?
Short post to say that the new TV show Constantine, based on the comic is (at least after 2 episodes) pretty solid! It's got the darkness that's appropriate for a series dealing with demons, but manages to avoid the oppressive GRIMDARK that seems to plague to much of the DC-verse.
I wasn't a huge fan of the comic, but I read some of it... over a decade ago. So my memory isn't fresh, but from what I remember, they're capturing the spirit of the character at least.
Have you watched it yet? What do you think?
Timothy Brannan November 6, 2014 at 6:49 AM
I think it is great. This is obviously a toned down version of Hellblazer Constantine as opposed to the new Justice League Dark one.
I have enjoyed what we have seen so far. If they can keep up the current mix of magic, mystery and humor, it should be great.
Jens D. November 21, 2014 at 5:31 AM
I saw the first episode and enjoyed it. They managed to stay very true to the comics, at least as far as the character goes. But I've seen that far to often butchered by some bad writing to invest too much hope into it just yet. It certainly has the potential to be good entertainment, though.
Sunday Inspirational Image: Sara K. Diesel
Dungeon Master's Guide Quick Review
Thankful for Gaming
Impatient Players
#6MMRPC Week 12 KotDT!
Sunday Inspirational Image: At Dawn
Breaking the radio silence
Sunday Inspirational Image: End of the season
Sunday Inspirational Image: The Plague
Chopping Mall
#6MMRPC Week 9 Spirits!
Sunday Inspirational Image: Lord Pumpkinspice!
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By Giles Whittell
This can be the brilliant actual tale of a wartime sisterhood of girls pilots: a bunch of brave pioneers who took unprecedented hazards to fly Spitfires, Hurricanes and Lancasters to the frontlines of worldwide battle II. the ladies pilots of Air shipping Auxiliary got here from all nations and backgrounds. even supposing now not allowed into wrestle, they proven wonderful bravery of their assisting position: flying unarmed, with no radios or tools, and on the mercy of the elements and enemy plane, they brought battle-ready planes to their male opposite numbers, the fighter pilots of the RAF. the tale of those impressive ladies pilots - between them Amy Johnson and Lettice Curtis - is a riveting account of ladies in wartime, and a becoming tribute to their spirit and valour.
Giles Whittell is a pace-setter- and feature-writer for 'The Times' and used to be formerly the paper's correspondent in l. a. and Moscow. His different books comprise 'Lambada Country' and 'Extreme Continental', describing his travels through motorcycle and motorcycle via japanese Europe and vital Asia throughout the cave in of the Soviet Union. He lives in London along with his spouse and 3 sons.
Read Online or Download Spitfire Women of World War II PDF
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With the warfare in Europe winding down within the spring of 1945, the us turns its giant army assets towards a livid attack at the final nice stepping-stone to Japan—the seriously fortified island of Okinawa. The three-month conflict within the Pacific theater will function one of the most vicious strive against of the full moment global struggle, as American troops confront an enemy that might otherwise be slaughtered than event the disgrace of give up. in the meantime, stateside, a unique form of crusade is being waged in mystery: the advance of a weapon so strong, no longer even the scientists who construct it comprehend simply what they're approximately to unharness. Colonel Paul Tibbets, one of many best bomber pilots within the U. S. military Air Corps, is chosen to guide the project to drop the awful new weapon on a jap urban. As President Harry S Truman mulls his techniques and jap medical professional Okiro Hamishita cares for sufferers at a health center close to Hiroshima, voters at the domestic entrance anticipate the day of reckoning that everybody is familiar with is coming.
Len Deighton's Goodbye, Mickey Mouse PDF
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This sequence units out to give an explanation for why the main wars of the 20th century began, to explain what occurred, and to examine how the consequences replaced our international. every one identify comprises 24 maps which convey in picture shape how the battles and campaigns have been fought, how barriers have been redrawn, and international locations reshaped.
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Additional resources for Spitfire Women of World War II
209 was cut at 1915 and restored at 2045, in time for the operator to say 'we are all right' before being cut again. By midnight this post had been overrun and it was difficult to see how far the Germans had penetrated. Not that all had gone according to plan for the attackers. Posts S13, S7 and S8 were still being held by the stubborn Aussies and many of the assault troops provided by Brescia had failed in their task of breaking though on the right of the German 104th Rifle Regiment, which had only arrived in Africa two days before.
They must use the cover of darkness to cross the ditch and open a breach for the panzers to advance. 's position, Morshead was expecting an attack in this sector and deployed his guns and tanks accordingly. Field and anti-tank batteries were brought up and emplaced. Starting at 1700 on 13 April a heavy artillery barrage fell on posts R31 and R32. After an hour, Ponath's men supported by 200th Engineer Battalion, had reached the perimeter and were trying to open a breach. Hearing this, a party of Aussies went looking for them and a vicious hand-to-hand fight ensued in which Corporal John Edmondson won the VC.
Bde. and various small units. Meanwhile, Rommel fully intended to attack them the following morning but had so far been unable to collect a strong enough force. , RAAF. Hovering on the flank looking for an opportunity to create a diversion was A Sqn. of the Long Range Desert Group which had been located at Jalo. Twice during the day Gambier-Parry was summoned to surrender and twice refused. The second note at 1730 was signed personally by Rommel With its gull wings, massive landing gear and screaming dive-trumpets, the Junkers Ju 87 was planned as a Sturzkampflugzeug (divebomber) or Stuka and rapidly became synonymous with the type.
Spitfire Women of World War II by Giles Whittell
by Joseph
Simin Taheri Library > World War 2 > Get Spitfire Women of World War II PDF
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Heir & Grace Candles Celebrates The Royal Birth With a Good Cause
Splash Images/Heir & Grace
Any royal occasion is cause for celebration, but for Heir & Grace owner Anna Evans, the birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge meant doing some good as well.
Following Charlotte’s May 2nd birth, Evans’ Windsor-based luxury brand introduced a new limited-edition candle known simply as “Charlotte.” Each of the 100 candles is hand-signed and marked with an edition number.
“We essentially wanted to created a modern, fresher take on the classic cotton fragrance to represent the fresh, white cotton we imagine Charlotte will be wrapped in,” a rep for Heir & Grace explained via email.
The site describes Charlotte’s rose and freesia-based scent as having a distinctly “warm, milky aroma of sandalwood” with “a fresh, floral fragrance running through it.” One’s nose will also be able to detect “fruity notes of crisp apple, watermelon and cassis.”
Heir & Grace
100% of the profits from the “Charlotte” candle will be donated to the Sebastian’s Action Trust, a cause which support families of seriously-ill children and works to ensure that they get quality time together to relax, recharge and rebuild, never having to face life alone.
Sebastian’s Action Trust has been awarded the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
“We are absolutely delighted that Heir & Grace has chosen our charity to benefit from the sales of their exclusive candles. As a charity that supports families of seriously-ill children we understand that each birth is precious and proceeds raised will go a long way to provide emotional, practical and social support for those who need it the most.” CEO Jane Gates, OBE, said in a statement.
The Duchess of Cambridge, herself a patron of charities that support terminally-ill children, would not doubt be pleased about this partnership.
“In a time when lots of big brands are using the Royal Baby as a profit making exercise, we wanted to use it as a chance to do something good, to help those less fortunate than us, even with this small gesture,” Evans said
Heir & Grace sent a candle to William and Catherine, as well as one to Charlotte’s great grandmother, the Queen, at Windsor Castle.
Follow Heir & Grace on Twitter and Instagram. And PS- They ship internationally.
Posted in: Beauty, House Of Windsor, News | Tagged: Heir & Grace, Princess Charlotte, Sebastian's Action Trust, The Royal Baby, The Royal Family
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2 thoughts on “Heir & Grace Candles Celebrates The Royal Birth With a Good Cause”
Pingback: Jewelry Designer Monica Vinader Creates A Special (and Sparkly) Gift For The Royal Birth - The Duchess Diary
Maxx says:
Any royal occasion is cause for celebration, but for Heir Grace owner Anna Evans, the birth of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge meant doing some good as well.
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Races Mens Road Cycling Womens Cycling The Dark Side The Archive
Tour de France 2019 Other Pro Racing Q&A Sessions Riding & Gear Training & Racing
General Discussion Other Sports Members Lounge Games The Library
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Road Captain
Re: Darkside - General news
« Reply #1950 on: September 06, 2018, 22:04 »
Quote from: L'arri on September 06, 2018, 09:48
Finally, and this seems to have been overlooked, he claims that the NAS has paid him a visit. I very much doubt national law enforcement agencies would spend time searching the homes of individuals just because they tested positive.
Stupid question of the day, what exactly is the NAS?
I think of the network attached storage, in that case it must be the shady guys storing all the dope?
National Agency of Steroids?
Nutrition-Agentur des Sportes?
or some Bielo-Russian organization I would not dare to speak the full name of?
(Excuse my ignorance!)
M Gee likes this
Domestic Rider
It's the special caribinieri division that deals with antidoping investigation among other things. In 2001 Nas raided and searched hotels in Sanremo during Giro d'Italia with other caribinieri branches, probably their most known operation.
And Nas is a rebel to America. Nas once kidnapped the president's wife without a plan. Nas has been hanging more n****s than the Ku Klux Klan. At a young age Nas was a fan of the Jackson Five. But now all Nas does is relax and strive.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2018, 18:55 by ciranda »
t-72 and LukasCPH like this
Another case that the UCI very, very quietly 'announced':
http://www.uci.org/inside-uci/press-releases/uci-statement-on-uci-continental-team-sindicato-de-empleados-publicos-de-san-juan
had two riders test positive in last year's Tour de San Juan (Najar, CERA; Javier, AAS) and will therefore suffer a team-wide suspension ...
... from 15 January to 1 March 2019.
That means they'll miss next year's Tour de San Juan.
But it also makes me wonder how a Conti team can be suspended for a period in the following calendar year? Under the letter of the law, the teams only exist for one year at a time.
I am not criticising the decision as such, I think it's exactly the right thing to do (unlike the joke suspension got the one year). But I am asking some questions about the rules.
And I strongly doubt that they will even go to the trouble of filing for UCI registration, now that they're banned from their main race.
After all, the federation won't re-schedule the race to a time when the team (or its star riders) are free to race again.
If you now wonder "has that ever happened?" - the 2017 Tour of Iran (Azarbaijan) was moved from May to October with rather little notice. I don't remember exactly which rider was barred from competing in May, but he was back at the race in October.
riding too slowly and rote_laterne like this
M Gee
The user formerly known as hiero
« Reply #1953 on: November 06, 2018, 13:22 »
Quote from: t-72 on September 06, 2018, 22:04
No. We don't need to blame the Byelorussians. We need to full-on blame Moscow and the Muscovite Russki organizations. Public HQ on the banks of the Moskva. The Byelorussian government are incompetent bumblers. They fit Hillary's "basket of deplorables" to a T. The only thing their government is good for is political corruption, fixing elections, and serving as a foil for Moscow.
On 2nd thought? Fixing elections. Maybe THAT'S what's going on here:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/hellelands-candidacy-for-wada-president-could-be-blocked
Disgusting, absolutely disgusting, and so transparent I don't need Riding Too Slowly to interpret this for me. Maybe the Byelorusski ARE behind it. Somebody is.
LukasCPH likes this
. . .He had the bit between his teeth, and he loiked the taste, mate . . .
Liked: 12646
Quote from: search on June 26, 2018, 11:02
Four months later (and one year after the positive sample), things are still unresolved. LADS is currently reviewing the case and Cardoso has time until mid Juli to bring up arguments in his defense. The UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal may then come to a conclusion
https://www.abola.pt/Nnh/Noticias/Ver/736356
Quote from: L'arri on June 26, 2018, 14:32
Thanks for this. Nice to have an update. A Bola is probably right to spin it as "still no outcome" but, to me at least, it does look like things are moving that way at last.
The thing I don't get, indeed have never got, is this: if the B-sample was genuinely "inconclusive" why was CADF so adamant about not letting him go? As usual, we don't really know.
they have come to a decision: 4 years ban for Andre Cardoso
http://www.uci.org/inside-uci/press-releases/uci-statement-on-andr%C3%A9-cardoso
"If this is cycling, I am a banana"
L'arri
Is on Dr Search's Green and Grey Diet
Grand Tour Winner
Dopeology.org @DopeologyDotOrg @L_arriviste
Quote from: search on November 15, 2018, 12:06
Recently I learned a couple of things about the case:
First was a bit more about the B-sample. EPO degrades quite quickly and the issue was that the B-sample, tested later of course, must have showed up pretty low values. This is an accepted situation based on well-documented science but there was some concern over how low that value was.
Second is kind of related. Contrary to a lot of what has been reported - and it wasn't that much compared with a case like Froome's - Cardoso did hire a lawyer and submitted a fairly novel supposition that the results might be explained by a congenital glycosylation disorder in which EPO was naturally broken down at a less rapid rate. That may go some way to explaining the long processing time for this case.
LukasCPH and search like this
Quote from: just some guy on February 24, 2015, 09:04
Cycling is a Europe thing only and I only watch from Omloop on cause I am cool and sh*t
RIP Craig1985 / Craig Walsh
RIP KeithJamesMc / Keith McMahon / Larry Sarni
« Reply #1956 on: December 19, 2018, 19:24 »
Positive test for Tosh van der Sande, taken at the Gent Sixdays:
https://lottosoudal.be/en/news/positive-doping-test-tosh-van-der-sande
The substance is a permitted one and occurs in the nasal spray Sofrasolone, that is freely available and allowed to be used in competition if mentioned during a control.
After a meeting with the rider, the Board has decided to suspend him, in expectation of the investigation executed by the UCI and to allow the rider to underpin his defense in the best possible way.
Lotto Soudal will give no further explanations until the UCI procedure has terminated.
It sounds a bit weird that the substance would be allowed in-competition if mentioned on the control form ... we'll need some experts to clarify that.
Joelsim
Classics Winner
Prednisolone isn’t it?
Not allowed in tablets or injection. Allowed if mentioned as a nasal spray. No TUE needed.
Drummer Boy
https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1075466742330257408
DUTCH BACKSTROKING ACE KIRA TOUSSAINT TESTS POSITIVE FOR TULOBUTEROL
"Today, I like to share my story with you, because I am innocent and I am convinced that the truth will prevail," says Kira Toussaint, world-class backstroker of Netherlands who tested positive for a banned substance on the eve of this year's Short Course World Championships.
“On the 7th of December 2018, just before the start of the World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou (China) I was notified by FINA that I tested positive for the substance: Tulobuterol.
“I am an asthma patient and to treat my asthmatic condition I use another medication. The medication I use is allowed and has the same effect as Tulobuterol. Reportedly Tulobuterol is not available in Europe. It is predominantly available in seven countries in Asia, including China.
"Tulobuterol is a substance that has a prolonged bronchodilator effect. The medicine can be administered using an inhaler or using a patch applied to the skin, or like clenbuterol, for example via contaminated food."
to cure the bronchial disorder of the chickens, or what?! I smell bullsh*t
Drummer Boy, LukasCPH and Joelsim like this
Here's an interesting podcast with Jeff Novitsky. It mostly revolves around the recent controversy with UFC fighter Jon Jones (the details of which are explained within) but it touches on some interesting developments for testing in general. For those who haven't kept up, Novitsky, who used to work for the IRS and the FDA, and who was the original federal agent in pursuit of Armstrong, now works for the UFC to oversee their anti-doping program. His job serves two roles, primarily: To make sure that athletes are compliant and competing clean, and to make sure that athletes are also treated fairly in the process. It makes for a slippery slope at times, and would seem to present a conflict of interests, but it does open up some interesting discussions.
Of interest in particular in this podcast is the increased understanding of how certain substances can linger in the body for periods longer than a year after use, and will, apparently, "pulse"—that is to say, they will appear in some tests, disappear in subsequent tests, and then reappear again. Is this sound science? Who knows. Unfortunately, much of what is discussed relies solely upon the experiments that Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the man behind the Icarus documentary, performed upon himself. So hardly an extensive test group, to say the very least. But that's all they have to go on.
There is also the issue of testing procedures evolving to the point where they may be unrealistic. That is to say they can now measure certain substances down a single picogram, but that might not necessarily indicate doping. Such minuscule levels (a trillionth of a gram, if I have that right?) could be present through all sorts of inadvertent exposure.
I'd be curious to hear Merckx Index weigh-in on this (no pun intended).
Claudio Cappuccino
National Champion
Venga! Venga! Venga!
"“I am an asthma patient and to treat my asthmatic condition I use another medication. The medication I use is allowed and has the same effect as Tulobuterol. Reportedly Tulobuterol is not available in Europe. It is predominantly available in seven countries in Asia, including China."
She know too much on Tulobutarolism...
Guilty.
Just look at her shoulders.
« Reply #1963 on: January 01, 2019, 14:50 »
As a follow-up to my previous post...
https://twitter.com/dimspace/status/1078407865130536965
neppe
A Danish «very big talent» tested positive for methylhexanamin at a stage race outside Denmark during the spring and has been suspended from the national team for some time. Didn’t ride during the autumn. CADF jurisdiction.
https://www.dr.dk/sporten/cykling/ung-dansk-cykelrytter-taget-i-dopingtest-i-2018
https://www.dr.dk/sporten/cykling/efterforskning-traekker-dopingsager-i-langdrag
The anti-doping tribunal of the Swedish Sports Confederation found the runner Meraf Bahta not guilty of any wrongdoing in the case of her 3 wherabouts failures in 1 year.
https://www.svt.se/sport/friidrott/meraf-bahta-friad-av-dopingnamnden
Armchair Cyclist
Quote from: neppe on January 04, 2019, 18:56
Well I can find about 14 young Danes on PCS who rode in a non-Danish stage race in the Spring, weren't in a representative team, and had their last race end of the summer or earlier, but none of them are those I am aware of as major prospects. Hmmm...
Quote from: Armchair Cyclist on January 05, 2019, 19:09
It's a junior.
https://www.feltet.dk/nyheder/dansk_juniorrytter_testet_positiv/
I didn't bother looking at the links, because I assumed we had the gist of it from Neppe's summary, and the expectation of understanding nothing.
But Danish can be great for cognates: I'm confident I know exactly what the headline that Joelsim translates as.
Under 18 so name won't be released as yet.
https://www.20minutes.fr/sport/2409103-20190106-etats-unis-convaincu-dopage-cycliste-90-ans-perd-titre-champion-national-record
Carl Grove, doper at age 90, tested positive for trenbolone, an anabolic steroid. According to USADA, this banned substance can be explained by consuming meat from a farm which uses growth hormone. USADA did not suspend his rider but gave him a warning. However he was stripped of his national title in the 90-94 category and of his World record which he settled during those nats in Breinigsville, Pennsylvania. Funny thing is that Grove was the only competitor in that category.
"Paris-Roubaix is the biggest cycling race in the world, bigger than the Tour de France, bigger than any other bike race" (Sir Bradley Wiggins)
Quote from: Echoes on January 07, 2019, 19:20
Funny thing is that Grove was the only competitor in that category.
I was wondering about that last part. I wonder what that raced looked like. A new "world record"? Was there even a previous world record?
The 90s were always the biggest for doping.
LukasCPH, Drummer Boy and search like this
Some jokes just write themselves.
Vatican launches track team of Swiss Guards, nuns
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican launched an official track team Thursday with the aim of competing in international competitions as part of an agreement signed with the Italian Olympic Committee.
About 60 Holy See runners — Swiss Guards, priests, nuns, pharmacists and even a 62-year-old professor who works in the Vatican’s Apostolic Library — are the first accredited members of Vatican Athletics. It’s the latest iteration of the Holy See’s long-standing promotion of sport as an instrument of dialogue, peace and solidarity.
Because of the agreement with CONI, the team is now a part of the Italian track association and is looking to join the International Association of Athletics Federations. It is hoping to compete in international competitions, including the Games of the Small States of Europe — open to states with fewer than 1 million people — and the Mediterranean Games.
Vatican pharmacist-runner Michela Ciprietti told a Vatican press conference the aim of the team isn’t exclusively competitive, but rather to “promote culture and running and launch the message of solidarity and the fight against racism and violence of all types.”
So...what happens if one of them gets popped? Divine intervention?
"Games of the Small States of Europe"
Learn something new everyday.
Quote from: Drummer Boy on January 10, 2019, 14:11
Yup, that exists. Started in 1985, held every two years.
The palmarès of the cycling competitions (not held at every edition, apparently) include such names as David Millar (representing ), Laurent Didier, Bob Jungels, Stefan Küng (representing ), and Fränk Schleck.
ITT on CQr
RR on CQr
Drummer Boy likes this
A good read here:
The 90-Year-Old Doper Is Not A Doper At All: The Carl Grove Case
On Friday, Jan. 4, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency issued a press release that a 90-year-old, world record setting cyclist had failed a drug test.
The press release stated that Carl Grove of Bristol, Indiana, had tested positive for the anabolic agent epitrenbolone at the Masters Track National Championships in July of 2018.
In investigating Grove’s case, USADA determined the positive test was “more likely than not” due to the consumption of contaminated meat. Grove was given a rare public warning, and stripped of the world record he set at Track Nationals.
In 2009, Carl Grove showed up at a training camp organized by cycling coach Tim Cusick in the rolling hills of southern Pennsylvania. Grove, who was then 81 years old, had done some competitive cycling in his 20s, but told Cusick, “I was never that good.”
After a 55-year break from the bike, he’d decided to start riding again.
“We were like, holy crap, we’ve got an 80-year-old guy coming to camp, how are we going to deal with this?” Cusick recalls. “We had all these contingency plans. We had assigned one coach to just follow Carl around and make sure he was safe and he didn’t die.”
Of course, Cusick says, “The guy shows up to camp and he’s fast as crap.” Grove had no problem keeping up with the camp’s other competitive riders.
I guess you never really lose the engine.
Echoes and LukasCPH like this
I'm guessing in a few decades there'll be the same story about Valverde. At 96 years old he climbed the Mur quicker than all the others..
I didn't know about this.
http://www.velo-club.net/post/dopage-10-mois-de-suspension-pour-janez-brajkovic
must have been on the "targeted" list since the 2010 Dauphiné at least. So it took them almost 9 year to catch him... better late than never, they say
Joelsim likes this
Brajkovic: I'm judged because of the shady teams I've raced on
LukasCPH and Joelsim like this
At least he kept a sense of humour throughout.
Dark Side Chatbox
Sorry, this shoutbox does not exist.
Re: Riders & team Twitter tweets (noteworthy and/or frivolous) by AG
[Today at 11:50]
Re: Riders & team Twitter tweets (noteworthy and/or frivolous) by search
Re: Mens' transfers and Rumors 2019-20 by search
Re: Team Sponsorship 19/20 by search
Re: Smaller Race Results and Discussion 2019 by search
Re: Mens' transfers and Rumors 2019-20 by Leadbelly
Selection policies and behavioural standards
[General Discussion] Ram
2019 Official Prediction Game
[Games] search
Riders & team Twitter tweets (noteworthy and/or frivolous)
[Men's Road Cycling] AG
Mens' transfers and Rumors 2019-20
[Men's Road Cycling] search
Team Sponsorship 19/20
Stage 3, Binche > Épernay - 215 km
2019 TdF CQ Game
Sibiu Cycling Tour
83rd Tour de Suisse, June 15th-23rd 2019
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Weber Shandwick Named to Advertising Age’s 2015 Agency A-List
Weber Shandwick has been named to the prestigious Advertising Age 2015 Agency A-List. As the only PR firm on the…
Weber Shandwick Appoints Adam Clyne as Head of Digital in EMEA
Weber Shandwick announced today the appointment of Adam Clyne as head of the firm’s growing digital and social media business…
Behind the scenes of Fashion & Textiles PR: A Look at Mōdh Magazine
It’s undeniable quality and luxury that draws people from around the world to Scotland for textiles. From leading fashion houses…
Weber Shandwick Creates New Senior Role Based in Aberdeen
Weber Shandwick announced today the appointment of Andrew Jones to a newly created role in Scotland as Senior Vice President.…
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Author: Brittany Ruess
Letter to the editor: Extreme budget cuts don’t show support for student media
By Letters to the Editor and Brittany Ruess | March 25th, 2014
Brittany Ruess, former Editor-in-Chief at The Journal, wrote a letter to the editor on the proposed budget cuts to student media.
Facilities employees remember friend, 34-year technician
By Brittany Ruess | May 1st, 2013
Pete Nicholson, a Webster University carpenter and locksmith, died on Thursday, April 25. He was 62.
Letter from the editor: The impact of an opinion
By Brittany Ruess | April 17th, 2013
The letters to the editor on this page obviously have one commonality — reaction to Webster University student Josh Ritchey’s guest commentary on the administration’s financial responsibilities. After publication of…
Norbert Leo Butz, Tony Award-winner, to speak at 2013 commencement ceremony
The Tony Award-winner will give the commencement address at The Muny on May 11.
Letter from the editor: The Journal’s SGA coverage
Brittany Ruess, Editor-in Chief discusses how the Student Government Association takes itself more seriously, so will The Journal.
For students’ sake, change the registration debt policy
By Brittany Ruess | April 3rd, 2013
After facing the challenge of paying tuition, Editor-in-Chief Brittany Ruess encourages the university to change its registration policy of $500 owed to $1,500.
DOCUMENT: Webster Groves City Council passes bill to put limitations on funeral protests, pickets
By Brittany Ruess | March 6th, 2013
Webster Groves is one of many municipalities to pass an ordinance which places limitations of the protesting or picketing of funerals.
Letter from the editor: Excused Absence
The Journal Editor-in-Chief Brittany Ruess addresses a missing piece in the publications to follow.
Students fuse artistic forms to illustrate Greek-like tragedy
By Brittany Ruess | February 27th, 2013
Senior Dre Concepcion used inspiration from jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie to channel pain and illness into the book “The Day After.” Concepcion’s story has since been transformed into a student-produced dance performance, choreographed by Webster alumna Paige Walden.
Letter from the Editor: Stand by your name
Due to a recent situation, The Journal editors have revised the guidelines for guest commentaries and letters to the editor. Accountability is important to the editorial staff. The Journal expects its contributors and readers to maintain the same level of accountability.
Webster senior film series: Nathan Huber, ‘Night Drop’
By Brittany Ruess | February 6th, 2013
Senior film production major Nathan Huber tells the story of two lifelong enemies who come face to face while trying to rob the same bank at the same time in his senior film project, “Night Drop.” The film is a comedy inspired by “The Dark Knight.”
Webster senior film series: Andrew Shafer, ‘Bad Romance’
In his final film project, senior film production major Andrew Shafer was inspired by real-life events to create “Bad Romance.” A horror film, “Bad Romance” tells the story of a couple discovering each other’s psychological problems.
Webster senior film series: Keith Lutker, ‘A Mechanic’s Response’
Senior film production major Keith Lutker’s final project follows a couple faced with armed robbery. The film shows the hardships the couple faces after the traumatic incident and the effect it has on their relationship.
Webster University students share a common bond with pop-punk band The Mondales
Webster students Adrian Barnello and Devin Dessieux have been friends since middle school, occasionally playing music together. Only recently the two got more serious about their music and formed The Mondales, a pop-punk band.
Surfacing showcases stories of love, growth in its musical revue
By Brittany Ruess | December 5th, 2012
Evangeline Von Houten, script writer for New Music: A Musical Revue, says Surfacing Theatre is a place for those passionate about theatre who are not in the Conservatory.
4.9 earthquake shakes Tokyo; Webster students unaffected
By Brittany Ruess | November 27th, 2012
Webster University students share their experience with the recent earthquake in Tokyo. The students were not harmed by the disaster, and said the campus was unaffected as well.
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Lover’s Cove House
Victorian Valley Barn
Eagle Ridge House
Eastsound House
Mt. Woolard House
The House that Grunge Rock Built
North Beach House
North Beach Studio Remodel
Orcas Island Retreat
Foster Point Deck
A builder reflects on the most unusual, and the most thought-provoking, house he’s ever built
BY JONATHAN WHITE
When it was my turn to interview for the job of building the new home on Mount Laslo, I allowed plenty of time to find my way along the sinewy mountain roads that encircle the small island where I live. I turned off Horseshoe Highway, one of our only paved roads, and meandered through forests of hemlock and fir until I spotted a plywood sign reading “Parker/Pavitt.” The short driveway ended in a clearing where an old, twisted fir presided over the top of a granite knoll. Two steel towers banked with photovoltaic cells faced southwest, where the land gently sloped off to open vistas of green islands and the Pacific Ocean.
About a hundred yards down the path, I came upon a tall, boxy guest house. Lavender stucco walls, bright yellow T-111 siding and a warped aluminum entry roof were good clues that this would be an unusual interview for an unusual house. I pulled off my shoes at the door and shuffled across bamboo floors. Bruce Pavitt and Hanna Parker, the owners, introduced me to their designers, Monte Antrim and Jerry Garcia and to an environmental consultant, Dan Neelands. We sat cross-legged on the floor in a rough circle, drinking herbal tea, listening to eerieTurkish music and poring over sketches of a house-to-be. As Monte and Jerry talked of “punched openings floating over waves of rock,” “gasket spaces” with irregularly shaped colored windows and a free-form study clad with brass shingles, I felt increasingly out of place.
“We think of it as an eye winking,” said Jerry.
Turning back to the drawings, I looked for clues of what he was talking about but saw only disparate shapes, like puzzle pieces spilled from a box. For a 2,500-sq. ft. house, there was an unusual complexity of materials, textures, colors and angles. On the outside alone, where most house plans in this region would call for cedar siding and trim, this one called for stucco, steel, stone, brass, concrete, plywood and beveled cedar siding.
“Can you build it?” said Jerry, interrupting an awkward silence.
As I drove away that afternoon, I felt glad to be back among the trees. I’ve built some unusual homes in my 22 years as a contractor, but this one was far and away the strangest, and the farthest from my own taste. I puzzled, too, over Jerry’s metaphor. Because Bruce Pavitt was the cofounder of Sub Pop Records, a label famous for popularizing Seattle’s grunge genre, I could imagine a deliberately irritating, in-your-face metaphor, but why an eye winking?
When Jerry called several days later to tell me I got the job, I wasn’t sure I wanted it. There were lots of good reasons to let this one go, not least of which was my suspicion that Monte and Jerry would not be able to translate their nonlinear concepts into linear working drawings. Without good drawings, a budget would be impossible, and without a budget, running an efficient job–which means not wasting other people’s time and money–would be difficult. What if Bruce and Hanna weren’t happy in the end?
The risks seemed endless. Besides, having grown accustomed to putting my heart into what I do, I wondered if I could find anything to love about this house. I wondered, in fact, if I could find anything to like about it.
Despite the persuasive reasons to let this project go, there was something compelling about the chance to shake things up, to learn something new. The whimsical, mischievous, subversive quality of the project flickered in my view like a shiny lure, and I swam out to bite.
Stirring up old conventions
On most custom homes, much attention is lavished on balance and orderliness. Doors
and windows are set with their head heights aligned, tiles are laid in patterns that are evenly spaced between walls, roofing and siding are installed in neat, uniform rows. Architects often call this process “discipline.” Whatever it is, and however conscious or unconscious we are of its presence, this left-brain way of organizing a design dominates.
Monte and Jerry decapitated many of these conventions with a few quick strokes (photos above, p. 114). The roofs on the Parker/Pavitt house slope two directions at once, and most interior walls are oriented at oblique angles (floor plans, p. 115). The windows vary wildly in size, shape and color. Some of them are flat and long, others tall and thin, some round, some curved, some with red glass, and some with blue or amber or green glass. Some windows are so small there’s more wood in them than glass. On top of that, there were five different jamb thicknesses and four different exterior treatments.
The free-form, brass-clad study is the single most distinct, incongruent element of the house (inset photo, facing page). Its tall shiny walls with a row of high windows conjure images of a spaceship, perhaps something found in NASA’s scrap yard and thrown at the house, only to penetrate slightly and stick.
The 2-ft. by 3-ft. brass shingles were designed to fit by Mark Padbury andJerry Timmons, who also built and installed the cabinets throughout the house. “The first problem was finding the right thickness of brass,” says Padbury. “We wanted a heavy gauge so that the panels would be sturdy and hold their shape over time, yet a gauge light enough to follow the radius without kinking or causing a struggle. We tested several thicknesses and found 20-ga. nonleaded sheet brass to be best suited for the job. The real challenge was the blind fastening system, which uses interlocking hems along the edges of the shingles to clip them together mechanically.
The brass shingles of the study disappear into wood siding and emerge again in the interior of the building as if uninterrupted (photo facing page). This same theme shows up in other parts of the house, where a texture or pattern collides with an adjoining surface as if it weren’t there, giving the appearance of things beginning but never ending. On many of the exterior walls, for example, windows are crowded randomly to one end or another, creating the feeling of a teeter-totter weighted heavily on one side. The trim on these windows is randomly pushed into adjacent walls or ceilings, adding to the impression of a wall that moves across and beyond boundaries.
Memorable finishes, with an emphasis on sustainability
The project was driven in part by Bruce and Hanna’s desire to use as many nontoxic sustainably harvested materials as possible (photos left, p. 119). Many of them came from the Environmental Home Center in Seattle (800-281-9785). For example, most of the floors in the house are made of laminated bamboo, which has working and wearing properties similar to oak. Bathroom cabinets and trim are made of coconut palm, a wood that we found to have a fascinating grain pattern and an unpredictable tendency to generate wicked slivers while being worked.
For some cabinet doors and countertops, we used a product similar to medium-density fiberboard. Called Dakota Burl (Phoenix Biocomposits; 507-388-3434), the panels are made of agricultural waste, in this case, sunflower-seed hulls.
In the master bath, the shower is finished with tile that is made of recycled glass (Bedrock Industries; 206-283-7625). But perhaps the most surprising recycled item in the house is the master-bedroom door, which Monte and Jerry made out of several old doors that were later recombined in a new way (photo right, p. 119).
Less exotic materials, such as plywood and pigmented plaster, are played throughout the house. In the living room, for example, a dark blue plaster wall caps the fireplace, flanked by flat-sawn plywood tinted with green aniline dye (photo p.118).
“Although we used a lot of environmentally conscious materials, it would be wrong to say this is a ‘green’ house,” cautions Dan Neelands. “We wanted to experiment with intelligently harvested and manufactured products, but there were other concerns, too, such as cost, efficiency and aesthetics. You have to weigh the pros and cons of each choice. For instance, we used R-Control panels (manufactured by Premier Building Systems; 800-275-7086) for most of the walls and roof, which have three times the insulation value of most homes; but at the same time, these panels are constructed with and OSB plywood that has a reputation for toxic off-gassing. In the end, everything’s a compromise.”
Steel detail abounds
One thing that we didn’t compromise on is the steel detailing. Our local welding wizard, Peter Welty, set up a shop on site and stayed nearly 11 months, fabricating stairs, the custom brackets that tie the house to the stone site, deck and stair railings, an entry bridge and assorted details such as window trims. The difficulty is compounded when you add the fact that we live on a small island with limited facilities. Raw material for every steel element had to be delivered by truck and ferry from the mainland, fabricated on site, shipped to the mainland for finishing and then hauled back to the site for installation.
As the project wore on, we learned to expect the unexpected from Monte and Jerry. We learned to count on them to do exactly what we would not do. At times, they demanded clean finishes and the utmost precision in craftsmanship, and at other times, they wanted finishes left rough, even shoddy. The demands on the work were intensified because we were never sure what was okay rough and what wasn’t, what was sloppy and what was cool. It made for an interesting paradox as we labored to create features that were precisely imprecise, cleanly unclean.
I had my tantrums. Several, in fact. And there were certain things my crew and I refused to do–like put animal fur on the upstairs yoga wall or use flat-grain plywood for exterior siding. In truth, the project evolved more like a lively conversation among a few dozen talented, opinionated and sometimes contrary people than like a bunch of guys executing orders from above.
I don’t know whether it was the quality of the process or what was evolving from it, but somewhere along the way, I found something likable, maybe even lovable, about the house. Where design elements at first appeared self conscious and dissonant, many of them came together with surprising playfulness and grace. I learned to appreciate the shapes and colors of the window walls, especially. When the morning sun hit the east wall, a bright amber light pierced the stairwell. When the sun was low in the sky, it lit up the west wall, and a mosaic of blues and greens and reds drifted across the bamboo floor.
18 months later
We started the house in the spring and finished late the following winter. In the warm seasons, we’d sit with our legs draped over the rocks eating sandwiches for lunch, and when it was cold, we’d huddle around a space heater inside. In either place, someone would inevitably ask, “So, what do you really think of this house?” Responses were never lacking. Someone said it was cluttered and juvenile; someone else said it looked like a beer can with a wraparound deck, or a snake that swallowed a goat. “If you could extrapolate punk rock into architecture, this is what it would look like,” said a visitor. And there were those who saw it as a work of art, more sculpture than architecture, filled with sophisticated surprises like jazz.
I can’t say I know what Jerry meant by his metaphor of an eye winking, but reflecting on it now, I see it as a gesture that represents the best of the human spirit–forever driven toward things that promise renewal, risk, change, openness, inspiration. For those of us who worked on the Parker/Pavitt project, a house will never be just a house again. A project may not be the home that we would build for ourselves, but it changes the one that we would.
Separate spaces for separate views
Part dwelling and part metaphor, the Parker/Pavitt
house floats over a site that resembles waves of granite.
Individual rooms are turned to focus better on specific views.
Bedrooms: 3, plus an office
Cost: N/A
Location: Orcas Island, WA
Architects: Jerry Garcia and Monte Antrim
Builder: White Construction Co.
Drawings: Mark Hannon
Jonathan White is a builder and writer living on Orcas Island, Washington. Photos by Charles Miller.
White Construction & Co.
Orcas, WA 98280
jonwhite@rockisland.com
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Beijing Rocks
Beijing Rocks, Hongkong movie about the Beijing underground rock scene
Names in China: Music and Road in Beijing and Happiness and Anger in Beijing[1]
2 Intention of the movie
3 Reactions of the rock scene
Director: Mabel Cheung (Zhang Wanting)
Intention of the movie
According to Groenewegen:
Cheung took considerable efforts to make Beijing Rocks realistic and the making-of that is part of the DVD-version shows that she is sympathetic towards the underground rock scene saying “I wanted to portray the energetic life of these young people.” As early as 1999 she came to the capital. In January 2000 she witnessed a Tongue-show, had contact with them afterwards and considered including live footage of a performance in the old Garden of Joy in the movie. Cheung also saw Borders of Freedom and wanted Sun Zhiqiang to be part of her production team. She hired Yan Jun as well, who commented on the script and introduced Cheung to many musicians. Somewhere in May or July Cheung started casting rock musicians for secondary roles in the movie, and chose, among others, Li Dan for a role as the drummer of the band of the main character.[2]
Reactions of the rock scene
Despite first positive reactions and bands participated actively. However on October 12th 2000 (a few days before the start of the film shooting), Yan Jun, Wu Tun and Sun Zhiqiang got a developed version of the script and realized the movie was not going to be an honest documentary on the underground community but a commercial love-story to which the underground scene served the role of a sensational background. Thereafter Yan Jun wrote the Tree Village Declaration and almost all the active bands and musicians of the scene denounced their cooperation.[3]
↑ Cheung 2001: Mabel Cheung (Zhang Wanting) (director), Beijing Rocks, Media Asian Films, Hongkong (DVD).
↑ Groenewegen, J. (2005). Tongue - Making sense of Beijing underground rock, 1997-2004 (pdf). Page 76.
↑ Groenewegen, J. (2005). Tongue - Making sense of Beijing underground rock, 1997-2004 (pdf). Page 76 & 77.
Retrieved from "http://wiki.rockinchina.com/wiki/index.php?title=Beijing_Rocks&oldid=12245"
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