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Chapter 8 - Abortion, neonaticide and infanticide
Tara, a 25-year-old businesswoman, was 23 weeks pregnant and scheduled for an abortion. She had approached a clinic, which had accepted her for treatment and provided counselling. However, the stress of the procedure had been too much, and she went into spontaneous labour the night before she was due to undergo the termination. The baby, Mary, was born alive, but severely brain damaged and a medical assessment found that Mary was blind and deaf, but could feel pain. Staff at the hospital approach Marc from Rowlett McGuinness LLP and Simon the hospital ethicist and ask for their opinion regarding whether Mary should be provided with nursing care only and allowed to die.
Marc had previously been consulted in relation to the proposed termination, and had taken steps to ensure that the scheduling of the termination was within the bounds of the Abortion Act 1967 (p. 189). Since the pregnancy is less than 24 weeks old, it may be authorised by the ‘social ground’ in s.1(1)(a) of the 1967 Act (p. 190), which means that it is unlikely that there would have been a successful legal challenge had the operation been performed so long as two doctors had asserted that to continue with the pregnancy would have constituted a risk to the physical or mental health of Tara. However, once the baby has been born alive – whether this is as a result of spontaneous labour or a failed abortion – then the child is a person in its own right and has to be treated as such. Marc explains that this means that the primary considerations must be the welfare of the child, and whether to continue to provide treatment would be in the interests of the baby. He tells the staff at the hospital that in other cases involving brain damage and a prognosis involving a very poor quality of life, particularly when coupled with an ability to feel pain, the courts have been sympathetic to the view that treatment could be withdrawn and the baby allowed to die. Simon makes it clear that any termination is ethically problematic and that it would, of course, always be preferable to let life prosper to the fullest extent possible. At the same time this is, as so often, a situation of conflicting interests and the law's approach to balancing the mother-to-be's interests against that of the unborn life is ethically justifiable. Simon agrees that once the baby has been born, it is entitled to expect the full protection of society and the law and ought to be treated in the same way as other human beings, including medical care. Any discontinuation of medical treatment, or a limitation to nursing care only, would certainly not be permissible simply on the grounds of an assumption that Mary's life is 'worth less' than a healthy child's. Where, however, the focus of attention is on what is thought to be best for Mary, it is in some instances possible to argue that to make a baby such as Mary comfortable and allow her to die with a minimum of suffering is the preferable route to take. Simon expressly makes it clear that good ethical arguments can be found to argue for both the continued intensive-care treatment of Mary as well as the proposed option to allow her to die. The latter can, however, be justifiable and may, in this case, be the preferred option.
S. Elliston, The Best Interests of the Child in Healthcare (Abingdon: Routledge, 2007) http://books.google.de/books?id=ooqNAgAAQBAJ
B. Hewson, ‘Killing Off Mary: Was the Court of Appeal Right?’ (2001) 9(2) Medical Law Review 281 http://medlaw.oxfordjournals.org/content/9/3/281.full.pdf
J. Keown, Abortion, Doctors and the Law: Some Aspects of the Legal Regulation of Abortion in England from 1803 to 1982 (Cambridge University Press, 1988) http://books.google.de/books?id=c6JPyfOBZYIC
S. McGuinness, ‘Law, Reproduction and Disability: Fatally “Handicapped”?’ (2013) 21 Medical Law Review 213 http://medlaw.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2013/01/02/medlaw.fws041.full.pdf+html
A. Morris, ‘Selective Treatment of Irreversibly Impaired Infants: Decision-Making at the Threshold’ (2009) 17(3) Medical Law Review 347 http://medlaw.oxfordjournals.org/content/17/3/347.full.pdf+html
S. Sheldon, Beyond Control: Medical Power and Abortion Law (London: Pluto Press, 1997) http://books.google.de/books?id=sYYhAQAAIAAJ
M. Thomson, ‘Abortion Law and Professional Boundaries’ (2013) 22(2) Social and Legal Studies 191 http://sls.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/02/22/0964663912474740
D. Boonin, A Defense of Abortion (Cambridge University Press, 2003) http://books.google.de/books?id=YhcosxnhtJ8C
C. Cameron and R. Williamson, ‘In the World of Dolly, When Does a Human Embryo Acquire Respect?’ (2005) 31 Journal of Medical Ethics 215–20 http://jme.bmj.com/content/31/4/215.full.pdf+html
R. Gillon, ‘Is There a “New Ethics” of Abortion?’ (2001) 27 Journal of Medical Ethics ii5–9 http://jme.bmj.com/content/27/suppl_2/ii5.full
B. Steinbock (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Bioethics (Oxford University Press, 2007), chapters 17–19 http://books.google.de/books?id=hBtMPgAACAAJ
S. Wilkinson, ‘Eugenics, Embryo Selection, and the Equal Value Principle’ (2006) 1 Clinical Ethics 146 http://cet.sagepub.com/content/1/1/46.abstract
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Internet humor
Counter.gif
One of the more frequent jokes on the internet is to produce a "fake" or joke web counter. The counter pictured here dates back to 1991 and is possibly the first of its kind.
The Internet has long been a resource for the circulation of humorous ideas and jokes. Countless web-sites are devoted to the collection of Internet humour, and every day thousands of emails cross the world containing the text of humorous articles, or jokes about current events.
"Internet humor" is distinguishable from "Humor on the Internet" through the concept of ownership. There are definite examples of humor restricted by copyright law on the internet; examples include the cartoons of Dilbert or the newspaper columns of Dave Barry. "Internet humor" is regarded as that which belongs to the public domain.
Internet humor may also be regarded as humor that specifically relies on characteristics belonging to the Internet, such as "geek" or "hacker" humor -- i.e, humor that would not exist if not for the Internet.
Generally, this type of semi-institutionalized humor starts as a specific group's in-joke, and grows until it reaches a significant portion of Internet users, gaining popularity, "rules" and mythos.
Longstanding and widely recognized examples of such humor are:
The Internet Oracle (formerly The Usenet Oracle) at cgi.cs.indiana.edu/~oracle/index.cgi
The Jargon file (also known as The (New) Hacker's Dictionary (http://www.catb.org/~esr/jargon/html/index.html))
The cult of Kibology
The Darwin Awards at www.DarwinAwards.com
The concept of authorship with regard to Internet humor is very difficult to define. Frequently a "list" type joke may get started but within a few generations of distribution it evolves beyond recognition. A classic example is the well-known "you have two cows" joke - after circulating in more primitive media throughout the 1980s, it seems to have first appeared on the Internet in 1993 with simple descriptions of communism, capitalism, and socialism. However, it was later expanded to include all forms of government, regional variations, philosophical systems, and even art movements. Attempting to define an "author" of the joke hence becomes impossible, and it becomes a publicly owned resource, simply because no-one could validly claim legitimate ownership.
Though the Internet has allowed the global explosion of collectively-authored comedy, its precursors existed on bulletin boards, corporate messaging systems, and even through such low-tech mechanisms as the facsimile since at least the 1970s.
Lightbulb jokes
You have two cows
Honor system virus
Bash.org
The Accidental Tourist pictures
Newgrounds.com (http://www.Newgrounds.com) - A site that showcases many excellent flash artists, and is full of internet humor.
Albino Blacksheep (http://www.albinoblacksheep.com) - Another website with humorous flash animations and games.
Funny Movies (http://www.funnymovies.net/) - Archive with funny movies and videos since 1999
The Humor Archives (http://www.thehumorarchives.com/) - a large collection of internet humor
HarHarLinks (http://www.thecureforboredom.com/) - The cure for boredom is the best humor website.
Huumor.Com (http://www.huumor.com/) - Online joke collection. Oldest jokes from 1993, site online since 1st April 2000.
Funny Video Clips (http://www.holylemon.com) - A collection of funny videos, pictures and flash files.
PicPop (http://www.picpop.com/gallery/index.php) - Funny pictures and avatars.
Funniest jokes and pictures (http://www.jokesnet.co.nr) - Large collection of funny jokes and pictures
www.StupidStuff.ORG (http://www.stupidstuff.org)
Funniest Pictures Network (http://www.funniest-pictures.com) (Currently suspended)
Prague TV's Funny Pictures Archive (http://prague.tv/funny-pictures-archive/) - a collection hundreds of funny pictures
Fun With Headlines (http://www.funwithheadlines.net) - A site that has fun with real news headlines with word play.
Free Jokes and Fun (http://welovefreebies.com/folders/Free_Jokes_and_Fun) - A directory of sites for free jokes and fun.
Internet cartoons
Internet phenomenon
Retrieved from "http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Internet_humor"
Categories: Computer humor
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The Untold Environmental Costs of the Brexit Vote
July 16, 2016 by Bill Laurance
ALERT member Pierre-Michel Forget is a leading tropical ecologist and former President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation. Here he tells us about some surprising implications of Britain's decision to leave the European Union.
On 22 June 2016, hundreds of participants attended a photo slideshow during the Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) in Montpellier, France.
There was no talk, only pictures showcasing the beauty of nature in the tropics. It was a quiet moment, a relaxing break for those who are dedicating their lives to knowledge and conservation of tropical biodiversity.
Sudden Change
When the clock woke me early on 24 June, everything had changed. While ATBC delegates were still sleeping, investors were already awake, expecting a gold price increase after anticipating the Brexit vote outcome.
It happened when markets opened -- gold prices spiked. I immediately thought of the tropical ecosystems we are studying and hoping to protect from human misuse, because as Alert’s Director Bill Laurance recently wrote: “The world will be a far poorer place if we fail to try.”
My thoughts then turned to the Guianan rainforests, especially those belonging to France, and countries that have been terribly ravaged by long-term mercury and cyanide pollution from mining activities. It was not difficult to envision the consequences of the Brexit vote for rainforest diversity and communities.
This new economic crisis will generate high demand for gold, as we already experienced in the early 2000s. The aftermath of the Brexit vote will be ecologically devastating, not just politically or economically.
These untold, hidden consequences will not be mentioned in reports for the UK, EU, or the global market. Those who invest in gold are blind to its origins.
A moonscape of illegal gold mining in Sumatra, Indonesia (photo by William Laurance).
Blood Gold
Likewise, investors ignore the ecological and social consequences of increased demand, though these are well known. Climate change will worsen and global carbon stocks and water quality will be directly impacted by deforestation due to gold mining.
And all this only six months after the historic COP21 agreement in Paris -- where the world agreed to strong measures to limit harmful climate change. What can we do now, as conservationists?
After the increase of gold prices and the subsequent gold rush in Amazonian countries in 2004-2008, the Conservation Committee of the ATBC released resolutions calling for the halt of gold mining in the Guianas and the Amazon, and opposing industrial mining in nature reserves and protected areas -- issues that were addressed during the ATBC 2008 meeting in Suriname.
What has happened since 2008? Are ATBC resolutions and declarations successful in countries suffering from rampant mining in protected areas? Yes and no, might be the response.
Return to French Guiana
I recently returned to Nouragues, a nature reserve in French Guiana, more than three decades after my first expeditions there. Contrary to my first observation in late 2003, I did not see a single gareimperos village or canoe along the Approuage and Arataye rivers this time.
However, the gold rush still persists in other locations, and the Brexit vote will make it worse.
The scars of illegal gold mining in Suriname, South America (photo by William Laurance)
A study showed that 41% of deforestation in the Amazon occurred between 2001-2013 in the Guianas, with 2007–2013 being the worst due to the economic crisis and an increased demand for gold. It is difficult to stay optimistic.
In 2008, the French government rejected the Iamgold-Cambior project’s application to open a large-scale gold mine at Kaw Mountain after NGOs and experts warned that these activities in the core zone of a protected area would be detrimental to nature and people.
New Threat
Now, a new project has been proposed in western French Guiana by the Canadian-Russian joint venture Columbus Gold-Nordgold, which is now under scrutiny by various local media and environmentalists.
The proposed mining site is within the biologically rich area of Montagne d’Or, squeezed between the two mountains of the Integral Biological Reserve of Lucifer Dékou-Dékou.
The devil is in the details of the project. There is no need for another resolution or declaration about the consequences of a new gold rush; all this has been said before.
It is now the responsibility of stakeholders, policy-makers, and politicians to act and vote NO or YES, against or for destroying the Amazon forest to extract more gold in response to investors who demand more -- the untold consequences of the Brexit vote. For me, the risks of a project like this is just too high to contemplate.
This referendum is crucial for all citizens on the planet, not only for Europeans.
July 16, 2016 /Bill Laurance
Brexit, Blood Gold, Pierre-Michel Forget, ATBC, French Guiana, Suriname, illegal gold mining, mercury pollution, cyanide pollution, deforestation, water quality, protected areas, gold mines, Nouragues Protected Area, gold prices, Columbus Gold/Norgold, Montagne d'Or, Amazon rainforest, Guianas
Scientific group worries about future of Cambodian and S.E. Asian environments
April 04, 2015 by Bill Laurance
The largest-ever gathering of tropical biologists and environmental scientists to meet in Cambodia has expressed strong concerns about several development trends in the country, and in Southeast Asia generally.
Perils ahead for leopards and lots of other Asian wildlife
Over 300 scientists from 29 nations met in Phnom Penh this week, representing the Asia-Pacific Chapter of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC).
The scientists expressed their concerns in a document entitled the "Phnom Penh Declaration" (which you can download here).
“We have a number of worries, but our most immediate concern is a proposed road that would slice through vitally important forest in Mondulkuri Province in eastern Cambodia, from Srea Ampos to Kbal Damrei,” said Seng Teak, Conservation Director, WWF Greater Mekong.
“This road would clearly imperil one of the biologically richest forests in Indochina, an area that provides critical habitat for rare wildlife such as Elephants, Leopards, and Banteng, as well as over 230 bird species,” said Mr Teak.
“Unfortunately, roads that cut into wilderness areas like that in Mondulkuri almost always open a Pandora’s box of environmental problems, such as illegal logging, poaching, and land clearing,” said William Laurance, a former ATBC president and director of ALERT. Laurance has studied the environmental impacts of roads and infrastructure across the tropics.
“This is a critical time for decisions impacting wildlife and natural resources in Cambodia and throughout Southeast Asia,” said Teak. “There are huge plans ahead for new roads, dams, mining projects, and other infrastructure that could have severe environmental impacts.”
“It’s absolutely vital that there be rigorous environmental impact assessments done before any major project is undertaken,” said Teak. “And we need a precautionary approach to projects—to look at them very carefully to ensure that they really are essential.”
“If we don’t, we could lose a lot of the wildlife and natural ecosystems that make Cambodia unique, and that form the basis of our thriving and highly profitable tourism industry,” said Teak.
April 04, 2015 /Bill Laurance
ATBC, ATBC-Asia-Pacific, Phnom Penh Declaration, Mondulkuri Province, Srea Ampos-Kbal Damrei Road, WWF Greater Mekong, Cam, Cambodia, Leopard, Elephant, Banteng, wildlife poaching, illegal logging, Seng Teak, William Laurance, infrastructure expansion, roads, dams, Mekong River, environmental impact assessments
Neotropical rainforests under assault from infrastructure & mining
Everywhere you look across Central and South America, native ecosystems are being imperiled by an avalanche of new mining and infrastructure projects.
Forests under assault in Panama (photo by William Laurance)
Consider just three examples:
- In Nicaragua, a massive interoceanic canal project threatens vast expanses of rainforest and other ecosystems. It will imperil 4,000 square kilometers of forest and wetlands, slice across several key nature reserves, and cut through the MesoAmerican Biological Corridor. This issue is so worrisome that the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, the world's leading scientific organization devoted to tropical research, issued a special resolution of concern.
- In Brazil, many protected areas are under assault from mining. A paper just published in the leading journal Science shows that at least 20% of all Brazil´s strictly protected areas and indigenous reserves -- an area larger than the UK and Switzerland combined -- are under consideration for mining projects. More than 44,000 square kilometers of Brazil's protected areas have been lost to mining and other developments since 2008.
- Across the Amazon basin and Andes, at least 150 major hydroelectric dams have been proposed or are under construction. These projects will not only flood large expanses of forest but their associated road projects will imperil some of the basin's most remote and biologically important areas. For instance, it is estimated that 12 dams proposed for the Tapajós River in Brazil would result in nearly 1 million hectares of additional forest loss by 2032.
Who is responsible for this tsunami of forest-destroying projects? There is no single cause, but China's unquenchable thirst for natural resources, the aggressive Brazilian development bank BNDES, and ambitious regional development schemes such as IIRSA are all leading contributors.
No one wants to halt responsible economic development, but this is a feeding frenzy. Unless scientists and conservationists have a louder voice, some of the world's most important environments could be lost forever.
Neotropical forests, rainforests, Interoceanic Canal, Nicaragua, Brazil, Amazon, Andes, mining, hydroelectric projects, hydroelectric dams, infrastructure, BNDES, IIRSA, China, Central America, South America, deforestation, roads, Tapajos River, ATBC, Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation
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Senate adjourns session; resumes July 23
By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, June 6 — The Senate closed on Wednesday night as what Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile described as the most challenging second regular session of the 15th Congress by adjourning sine die, which means without a day.
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said the Senate would resume its third regular session on July 23, in time for the State-of-the-Nation Address, when senators will proceed to the House of Representatives for a joint session of Congress to hear President Aquino deliver his SONA.
In closing, permit me to make a confession. With candor, I will admit that this Second Regular Session has been the most challenging that I have had to lead, and mostly in part because of the impeachment, Enrile said.
Despite of the delay in the legislative work due to the 44-day impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the Senate managed to pass urgent and priority bills to improve the peoples quality of life, according to Enrile.
The Senate made up for lost time this week by approving 13 bills, including six house bills, on third and final reading. In addition, he reported that the Conference Committee has also approved the Cybercrime bill.
These bills are Senate bill 3009 amending the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2011; Senate Bill 3127 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012; Senate Bill No. 3164 amending the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Act; Senate Bill No. 3206, or the act recognizing the early years from zero to age eight as the first crucial stage of educational development, strengthening the Early Childhood Care and Development Council and renaming the day care center as Child Development Center; Senate Joint Resolution No. 14 which seeks to extend the life of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs (COCDD) to 10 more years; Senate Bill No. 3209, otherwise known as the Red Cross and other Emblems Act of 2012 which penalizes misuse of the Red Cross logo.
Also approved were House Bill No. 5608, also known as the Reapportioning of the Province of Palawan into Three Legislative Districts and six franchise bills for the construction, operation and maintenance of radio and television broadcasting stations in the country.
Statistics from the Legislative Bills and Index Service as of May 30 showed that Senate has approved a total of 47 bills and has acted upon 283 other measures filed since July 2010.
These 17 have been enacted into law, namely: RA No. 10147 (General Appropriations Act of 2011), RA No. 10148 (Grant of Philippine Citizenship to Marcus Eugene Douthit), RA No. 10149 (GOCC Governance Act), RA No. 10150 (Extending the Lifeline Rate to Marginalized End-Users of Power), RA No. 10151 (An Allowing the Employment of Night Workers), RA No. 10152 (Mandatory Basic Immunization Services for Infants and Children) RA No. 10153 (Synchronization of the ARMM Elections with the National and Local Elections), RA No. 10154 (Early Release of Retirement Pay of Government Employees), RA No. 10155 (General Appropriations Act of 2012), RA No. 10156 (Conferment of Civil Service Eligibility to Members of the Sangguniang Bayan), RA No. 10157 (Kindergarten Education Act), RA No. 10158 (Act Decriminalizing Vagrancy), RA No. 10159 (Amending the Revised Penal Code provision on Subsidiary Imprisonment), RA No. 10160 (Bacoor City Charter), RA No. 10161 (Imus City Charter) and RA10162 (Sta. Rosa City Charter) and RA10164 (Mabalacat City Charter).
Two other bills are pending in the conference committee, Department of Information and Communications Technology and Ethnic Discrimination.
Nine bills were sent to the House of Representatives for concurrence SBN 789 or Additional Benefits and Protection for Househelpers, SBN 429 or the Discrimination Against Women, SBN 480 or Replacing the Term Spouse of Age with Either Spouse, SBN 1052 amending the Family Code (Divorced Obtained Abroad), SBN 2796 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2011, SBN 2811 or the Peoples Survival Fund (Climate Change), SBN 2817 or the Involuntary Disappearance Act, SBN 2875 or the Security of Tenure of Casual/Contractual Employees of the Government and SBN 2965 or the Data Privacy Act.
Sotto expressed satisfaction with the output of the Senate despite the huge time it spent for the impeachment trial of Corona.
Generally, Im very satisfied with the production of the Senate. What we have achieved for the entire year (June 2011 to June 7 2012) is quite difficult to achieve without the impeachment but with the impeachment it is doubly satisfying, Sotto said. (PNA) RMA/jfm
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The Man Who Knew Too Much(1956)
Overview Full Credits Full Synopsis Notes Music Screenplay Info
User Reviews Other Reviews Articles Money Awards Quotes Trivia Home Video Reviews Misc Notes Alternate Versions Theatrical Aspect Ratio Video TCM Archives Fan Sites
FOR The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) YOU CAN
Acting of Lead Performers
Acting of Supporting Cast
Historical Importance
Too Many Puzzling Scenes
Ronald Mentus
For what purpose did the assassin appear at the McKennas' room?To whom did Bernard make his phone call...and for what purpose? What connection was there between Bernard and his date as he appeared in the restaurant? On the stairs of Albert Hall: Jo says to the prime minster, "...it wasn't..." and he replies. "But it was my dear lady, it was." What is being referred to here? How did Dr. McKenna know to go Albert Hall? Mr. Woburn told Jo where Buchanan was going...he did not speak to the doctor. Why did Mr. Drayton forgo his glasses after the chapel scene...to the end of the movie. A very entertaining movie, despite these "loose ends." Does the original script explain any of the above?
Two Very Different Films
Although one is generally considered a remake of the other, I think the 1934 and 1956 versions of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" are two very different films. Certainly, the basic plot is the same in both including the climatic scene at Alert Hall. However, there are three main differences. They end differently with a firefight between police and the bad guys in the earlier film film while the later version has the beleaguered couple trying to rescue their child at a foreign embassy. In the 1956 film James Stewart conveys mostly the desperation of a father whose child has been kidnapped while in the 1934 version Leslie Banks is able to keep his cool much of the time. There is also considerably more humor in the earlier film. I think the earlier version is better because sometimes the story seems to be dragged out in the later film.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Laurie Brown
This remake of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was a much more polished version than it's predecessor, very much a Hitchcock film of that era. He returns to the familiar theme of the unsuspecting man thrust into extraordinary circumstances by forces beyond his control, probably more famously explored in "Rear Window" and "North by Northwest". He also returns to familiar collaborator Jimmy Stewart, who never disappoints, especially when working with Hitch. He sticks his neck out a bit by casting Doris Day as Stewart's wife, but the two of them share a believable rapport as husband and wife, and she displays a more impressive range than in some of the fluffy romantic comedies she is more generally associated with. The assassination attempt at the Royal Albert Hall is one of Hitchcock's more celebrated scenes, and rightly so, the decision to forego any dialogue increases the tension, as Stewart, Day and the assassin play a game of cat and mouse while we, as the audience, wait breathlessly for the inevitable and ominous cymbal crash. Unfortunately, the film drags at moments, especially in those scenes between the vacation in Morocco and the Royal Albert Hall scene. After that thrilling sequence, the finale also seems a bit anti-climactic. Not in the same league as some of his certified masterpieces, but still a fine film worthy of three and a half stars. As for the debate as to which of his two versions is better, this one is certainly a more professional production, but there's a certain manic enthusiasm to the British version that is tough to beat, and I thought that Peter Lorre gives the best performance in either film, so I'd have to give my vote to the 1934 version.
Most Under-rated Hirchcock Movie
Joe Carlton
For various reasons, both the critics and much of the Hitch fan base does not seem to rate this movie much above average. However, for this movie fan who has seen nearly all of the Hitch repertoire, this is one of his stand-out best productions. Many critics often proclaim the first version of this movie which Hitch directed while residing in England in the 1930s as the better of the the two; again, I disagree. Though the first version (which begins at a European ski resort instead of mysterious Morocco as was the setting in the second version) has its taut moments, the movie is lacking the grand scale found in the 1956 version. The first time I saw this movie about 16 years ago, my then 8 year old son watched it with me. Surprisingly, he was riveted by the movie, perhaps because the kidnapped victim was a young boy like himself. (In the first version, the kidnap victim is a young girl.) Most young people have no interest in old movies, but my son became an exception when he saw this one with me. I think one reason modern viewers don't rate this movie all that great is that the notion of a large gathering of people to hear a symphony orchestra perform seems quaint; most people under the age of 50 would prefer a rock concert or hip-hop party for the back-drop setting, much to my chagrin. Over the last 16 years, I have seen this movie several times, and I put it in the top 1% of the greatest movies ever...and among Hitchcock movies, I would put it right up there just behind North by Northwest, Rear Window, Strangers on a Train, and Vertigo....and slightly ahead of such great Hitch classics as Psycho, the Birds, Dial M for Murder, the 39 Steps and Notorious. By the way, two other under-rated Hitch movies I would recommend are Saboteur (1942) and Marnie (1964). Saboteur seems ahead of its time in its focus on foreign enemies plotting the destruction of US infrastructure. Marnie is a psychological thriller as good or better than the Best Picture winner Rebecca.
three stars for Day and Stewart fans
In my opinion, especially for Stewart and Day fans, this movie is at least three stars. Yes, flat in some places, but in this era of bombast and overstatement it comes as a refreshing change. rm
Michael Whitty
Hitchcock's adventure from Africa to London of an American couple- James Stewart and Doris Day- who have their son kidnapped and they have to go find him with regards to a symphony night at Albert Hall. While this doesn't rate with the best of Hitchcock it still amounts to a good suspenser with Doris singing "Que Sera Sera". The final 15 minutes in getting the boy back are somewhat thrilling as this finishes as a decent Hitchcock plot. The intrigue of London comes out well as the parents get frantic at times to find their son.
The Woman Who Sang Too Much
Mr. Blandings
A Hitchcock musical? If any actor could be miscast in a Hitchcock film it's Doris flippin' Day. She and Stewart are the "ugly American tourists" caught up in all kinds of boring "intrigue." If you want tense thrills in a musical, check out The Sound of Music instead.
Overall-3 1/2 out of 5Lead Performers-3 and 1/2 out of 5Supporting Cast-3/5Director-5/5Score-3/5Titles-3/5Screenplay-3/5Cinematography-3/5Importance-2/5Recommendation for fans of genre-3/5
Dashiell Barnes
Hitchcock's remake of his '34 film is more extravagant, but not as good as the original. It's obvious that Stewart & Day don't have the best chemistry, but their performances are good, as is Miles & De Banzie. More of an entertaining piece makes this a less important work of his, but most famous for the Oscar-winning song "Que Sera Sera." Some powerful scenes are covered by lavishness. I give it a 3/5.
Not classic Hitchcock but fine entertainment
115windycity
Not classic Hitchcock but by most standards, a fine movie with some gripping scenes, particularly when the action shifts from Morocco to London.The Man Who Knew Too Much is considered lightweight entertainment, coming in the midst of a fertile period for its director Alfred Hitchcock. It is a remake of a movie of the same name, made in the mid-1930's. I am only slightly familiar with the original but to me the remake is superior. The slow pace of the movie in the early stages might be attributable to Hitchcock's love of exotic locales and he takes ample time to photograph Morocco. The all-American couple of Dr. Ben McKenna and his wife Jo Conway, a musical star, are from Minneapolis. They are played by Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart, as innocents abroad with their young son Hank. Not entirely comfortable being away from familiar territory, they become distraught once caught up in an international plot. They befriend a British couple, the Draytons (Brenda de Banzie and Bernard Miles) who feign to be fellow tourists and end up double-crossing them. The McKenna family tries to pursue the conspiracy once they land back in London. This takes them to some backstreets and alleys in the British capital and eventually to the Royal Albert Hall, where the climax of the movie takes place. Along the way they stop at a neighbourhood in London, where we witness some surprise action. The harrowing finale at the Royal Albert Hall comes with the clash of cymbals amidst the grandeur of the great edifice. Interesting trivia: On the billboard outside the Albert Hall, we see the name of the director of the London Symphony, Bernard Hermann, who wrote the music for many of Hitchcock's greatest movies. This is an alert to shrewd Hitchcock fans of his appearance in the finale.
Great use of close-ups for suspense
Jarrod McDonald
A film professor once said that today's directors over-use the close-up. I think maybe that's a result of television's influence, where we are drawn into the intimacy of characters by focusing on facial expressions so much...it might also be a way to hide the fact that TV set designers haven't put much detail into room decor. But we cannot accuse Hitchcock of over-using the close-up. In fact, he uses it very sparingly...usually for moments created to generate the greatest amount of suspense for viewers. These were the key close-ups I noted: the street scene when Jimmy Stewart leans down and the man whispers in his ear; the scene where we see the gun at the music hall; we also see Doris Day's face close-up when she's screaming to avert the assassination; and we see a close-up when Stewart's character breaks into the room holding his son.
A NEAR-GREAT HITCHCOCK CLASSIC
While it's not considered one of the TOP FIVE Hitchcock classics (Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Pyscho, Rebecca) it sure has got to be #6 or #7, definitely in the Top 10. I love it.Two of my favorite scenes: In Albert Hall when James Stewart has to fill in wife Doris Day on all that he has learned is brilliant. At the last minute Hitchcock decided to forego the dialogue and just let us hear the beautiful music playing in the concert hall (we already know the info anyway). And when Doris Day lets out a bloodcurdling scream at the climatic moment in the symphony, she stops the assassination cold.
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Flat or Spherical Earth? Evaluating Astronomical Observations [Part 1]
A Busy Summer for AP Personnel
Reason and Revelation Volume 37 #8
by Branyon May, Ph.D.
Alana May, M.S.
[Editor’s Note: In the July issue of Reason & Revelation, Hebraist Dr. Justin Rogers addressed the matter of whether the Bible gives any credence to the notion of a flat Earth. In this month’s R&R, we consider whether science supports a flat Earth. AP scientist Dr. Branyon May holds a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics from the University of Alabama. Alana May, his wife and co-author, holds an M.S. in Astrophysics from the University of Alabama.]
While the idea of a flat Earth is not a new one, it has been recently resurrected into mainstream pop culture. For a variety of reasons, many have adopted this view, or have begun looking toward it as a viable option. For some, the arguments contrasting a spherical versus a flat Earth are confusing and have caused frustration. This frustration has then led to a sense of doubt towards many previously accepted beliefs and facts. Such doubt towards authority has even caused some Christians to question their faith in God’s Word.
So what about humanity’s understanding for the shape of the Earth? Is the Earth spherical or flat? The best way to work through this discussion is to consider the observational evidences. One of the most definitive ways to directly see the spherical nature of Earth is through the images taken from space by various space agencies. However, because many people who hold to a flat Earth have also expressed concern about government conspiracy theories, we wish to present the space-based observations after we discuss some simple backyard-type observations. When considering new ideas, a bit of healthy caution is good, but can become unhealthy when conspiracy and paranoia consume the conversation over the facts and observations. Using the laws of nature and physics that God set in place, let’s investigate how we can know the Earth is, in fact, spherical.
Evaluating Observations of the Sun and Moon
Between Flat-Earth and Globe models, the Sun and the Moon have drastic differences in physical characteristics and scale dimensions. The Sun’s generally accepted location places it toward the center of Earth’s orbit at a distance of approximately 93 million miles, with a physical diameter of 864,600 miles. In contrast, Flat-Earth models describe the Sun as being 32 miles in diameter and orbiting above the surface of the Earth at a height of approximately 3,000 miles.1 Since by observation the Sun and Moon have equivalent angular sizes,2 Flat-Earth models must also place the Moon in an orbit coinciding with the Sun’s orbit at a distance of 3,000 miles and having the same 32-mile diameter.3 Such scales for the Moon are vastly different than the Moon’s generally accepted location in space, where it orbits the Earth at a distance of 238,900 miles and has a physical diameter of 2,160 miles. We should also note that between these two views there is a vast contrast in distance between the positions of the Sun and Moon. In the Flat-Earth model the two objects share similar planes of orbit, circling above Earth parallel to the ground. Therefore, their physical distances from each other would fluctuate substantially depending on where in their orbits they were. At least once during every month’s cycle the two would be physically very near to each other. By contrast, the standard heliocentric and spherical context describes the Moon’s position in orbit around the Earth, where its distance from the Sun would keep approximately the same 93-million-mile-physical-distance as Earth.
With such vast differences in scale these models must also describe vastly different physical characteristics for the Sun and Moon and, in fact, they do. Flat-Earth models describe the Sun and Moon in terms similar to spotlights moving above the Earth’s surface, illuminating in such a way as to produce periods of day and night. Resulting from this description, Flat-Earth models hold that the Moon is not reflecting the Sun’s light, but must instead be producing its own light. The physical characteristics of the Moon are therefore vastly different from the solid, rocky body and sunlight-reflecting surface usually discussed.
One means of testing these contrasting parameters is by evaluating eclipse events, where the Sun, Moon, and Earth experience well-defined and observable changes. First, the most obvious type of eclipse is a solar eclipse. In this type of eclipse the observed effect is for the New Moon to pass in front of the Sun eclipsing some or all of our view of the solar body. Due to the Sun and Moon having similar apparent sizes in the sky, a total solar eclipse can occur when the Moon’s path precisely crosses the Sun. A total solar eclipse causes a daytime period of dramatic darkening, allowing the less bright outer regions of the Sun’s atmosphere, including the chromosphere and corona, to become visible to observers. While these portions of the Sun’s atmosphere are always producing light, their levels of emission are much less than the extremely bright photosphere. Solar eclipses do not usually result in the total eclipse orientation, but rather will occur more often as partial eclipses where only part of the Sun is obscured by the Moon. What information do eclipse observations provide? Eclipses demonstrate several important facts, which we will expand on below, including: (1) the apparent sizes of the Sun and Moon are approximately equal, (2) the distances from Earth to the Sun and Earth to the Moon are not equal, and (3) the spherical shape of Earth.
Eclipses provide for us an important understanding about the positioning of the Sun, Moon, and Earth. We see from the fact that the Moon passes in front of the Sun that the two bodies must be at different distances. During a solar eclipse when the Moon obscures the Sun, the Moon’s distance is closer to Earth than the Sun’s. When we couple this with the first important fact mentioned, that the apparent sizes are approximately equal, then we are able to also understand that the Sun and Moon must be different in their true physical sizes. If two objects were the same true physical size, then placing one of them farther from you would cause it to appear smaller. Thus, since the Sun and Moon appear the same size, then the Sun (which is farther away) would have to be larger than the Moon (which is closer) in order to appear equal in size. As we consider a difference in distance between the more distant Sun and less distant Moon to be greater and greater, the necessary size of the Sun must be larger and larger to result in an observed equivalent, apparent size.
Now that we have established they are not at the same distance, we can also explore how solar eclipses also help provide evidence for the distance factors of the Sun and Moon. A total solar eclipse occurs when the observer is located within the shadow cast by the Moon blocking the Sun’s light. Consider the shadow cast on a wall by placing an object in front of a light source. What happens to the shadow as the distance between the object and light source is decreased? The shadowed area becomes larger, and a viewer within the shadowed region would have to move farther to leave the shadowed area and lose this precise alignment. If the distance between the light source and object becomes larger, then the shadow that is cast on the wall will become smaller and subsequently the observer’s location in the shadow for an eclipse alignment must become more precise (i.e., since the shadow is smaller, there is less area located within the eclipse shadow region).
Total solar eclipses are very rare events to see on Earth, which tells us that the alignment of such an event requires certain precision. It first requires precision for the orbits and locations of the three bodies to be exactly aligned. Second, it requires that an observer be located within the area of the Moon’s shadow cast on Earth. This second requirement increases the rarity of seeing a total solar eclipse, because the area of the Moon’s shadow resulting in totality is small, at most only about 165 miles in diameter.4 The casting of a small shadow means there must be a significant distance between the Sun and Moon. In addition, the path of totality, which is the track that the Moon’s shadow takes as it moves across the Earth’s surface, is a very narrow strip. When seeking to see a total solar eclipse event, the location where you go to observe must be very precisely chosen within the track.
If we focus on the second major type of eclipse, a lunar eclipse, then we see, not only further evidence for distances and orientations matching the heliocentric view, but also evidence for the spherical nature of Earth. Lunar eclipses occur when Earth is positioned between the Sun and Moon, and its shadow is cast across the Moon’s surface causing a darkening of the Moon. While solar eclipses only occur during the New Moon phase, lunar eclipses similarly occur only during the Full Moon phase. The precise alignment of the Sun, Moon, and Earth is emphasized by the fact that while lunar eclipses only occur during Full Moon phases, they do not occur every cycle and are quite rare. In contrast to a solar eclipse that involves one body, the Moon, obscuring the more distant Sun, a lunar eclipse involves the Earth’s shadow progressing across the Moon’s surface until it becomes completely engulfed. The evidence for a spherical Earth comes from the fact that as the lunar eclipse event begins the curvature of the Earth’s shadow can be seen advancing across the Moon’s surface. This provides direct observation for the circular shape of the Earth’s body, as well as the required orbit of the Moon to go around to the opposite side of Earth from the Sun. Both of these observable facts are contrary to Flat-Earth models, some of which postulate Earth as an indefinite plane5 or as a circular inhabitable region set in a rectangular block.6
Observing Objects Outside of Earth
As we consider the shape of our own planet, we can gain perspective by making direct observations of other celestial objects. By comparison of the physical features we observe in other objects, we can make application to the features we observe on Earth. A good starting place is to consider the planets in our own Solar System, objects that are generally the easiest to observe: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Each of these planets is conventionally described as being spherically round, so let’s discuss the observational evidence.
The planets Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn are the four easiest of the planets to observe with simple backyard telescopes or even binoculars. With these tools the casual observer can see that each of these objects has dimensions and shape, showing more than the spot of light seen with the naked eye. In a simple description, the planets are obviously round; but are they three-dimensionally round objects? During short times of observing, we are able to capture short picturesque views of the planets; but what happens as we continue our observations? If we simply make the effort to add repeated observations, we will be able to see the snapshot characteristics begin to show their dynamic and varying nature. With observations over a matter of days and weeks (even better over months), you will see Venus’ phase change, Mars’ apparent size and surface features change, Jupiter’s rotation, and Saturn’s ring orientation change.
Let’s begin making a few specific observations. Beginning with the planet that has the largest average apparent size, we find Jupiter to be a beautifully banded planet. The roughly horizontal striations of Jupiter have varying colors from white to brownish-red. Overlapping the middle bands, you might see one of the most well-known features of Jupiter: the “Great Red Spot.” This feature serves as a good landmark and is one of Jupiter’s most fascinating features. Named for its appearance, this giant, oval-shaped region in Jupiter’s atmosphere has existed for several hundred years and is similar to features described by Galileo Galilei and Giovanni Cassini as far back as the 1600s. In fact, Giovanni Cassini used careful observations to track the movement of spot features, seemingly similar to the Great Red Spot, in order to conclude that Jupiter was indeed rotating about its axis. From the measurements, Cassini calculated a rotation speed for Jupiter of approximately 10 hours.7 Even with Cassini’s very primitive equipment, his calculation matches the currently measured rotation period of 9.925 hours.8
The next planet has captivated astronomers’ attention as far back as the telescope: the red planet Mars offers intriguing observations. In a similar fashion to his calculations of Jupiter’s rotation, Giovanni Cassini also calculated the length of Mars’ rotation by measuring how long it took for surface features to make it back around to the same spot. Both Cassini and Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens independently calculated the rotation period of Mars to be similar to Earth’s at just over 24-hours.9 The similarity between Earth and what we see when observing Mars is much more than just a similar period of rotation. Mars has surface features such as large plains, expansive ravines, and elevated mountains. White regions aligned with its axis of rotation are similar to Earth’s icy polar regions. Mars also has varying atmospheric changes, which most notably include huge dust storms that can obscure large regions. As we consider a round, rotating planet with mountains and canyons, polar ice caps, and an atmosphere that at times is clear and other times is congested with dusty storms, we cannot help but think about days on Earth with beautiful sunny days and about camping excursions in quiet valleys, or maybe cloudy days that often bring sudden storms while hiking in the mountains. If Mars exists as a rotating, spherical planet with diverse landscapes, then so can Earth.
CREDIT: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); Acknowledgment: R.G. French (Wellesley College), J. Cuzzi (NASA/Ames), L. Dones (SwRI), and J. Lissauer (NASA/Ames)
One of the most recognizable planets, the ringed-world of Saturn, provides an interesting context to consider. With Saturn we find the geometries of both a flat disk for the rings and a spherical body for the planet. Saturn’s ring system is a collection of particles surrounding the planet, individually orbiting Saturn as evidenced from spectroscopic studies showing differential rotation of ring material.10 Even in commercially available telescopes, Saturn and its beautiful rings can be readily seen. However, as we make repeated observations from year to year, we can watch as the ring orientation changes in its tilt with respect to our perspective from Earth.
In some years, Earth’s view is edge-on with Saturn’s ring plane, causing the rings to be barely visible, while other years, such as late 2017, the rings reach a tilt angle of 27° allowing the outermost A-ring to be visible in its full circumference. The changing tilt-angle of the rings is a regular cycle, oscillating in such a way that both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres of Saturn’s body will be directed towards Earth during the cycle. What this comparison provides is a single view contrasting a spherical versus flat geometry in space. If all of the planets were simply flat circles, then we should see the same type of drastic visual differences from their changing orientations that Saturn’s rings demonstrate, since Saturn’s rings are understood, even in the heliocentric model, to be approximately flat circles. Additionally, the fact that the ring-tilt observations are consistent for every observer on Earth shows that Saturn is a very distant object, so that even observers separated by great distances on Earth will have comparable views.
The more distant planets of Uranus and Neptune are harder to observe with smaller amateur equipment. However, with diligence and larger telescopes, their round bodies can be observed in similar nature as the other planets. The fact that both Uranus and Neptune have their own systems of orbiting moons helps us to understand their relative size and gravitational dominance in their regions of space. The brightest of Uranus’ moons, Titania and Oberon, have been studied for well over 200 years. Titania, the largest and brightest moon, completes an orbit every 8.7 days, while Oberon takes 13.5 days.11 The largest moon of Neptune, Triton, has been observed for over 150 years and has an orbital period of 5.9 days.12 Thus, when we compare our observations of Uranus and Neptune to those of Jupiter and Saturn, we see many similarities and, by extension, can understand Uranus and Neptune as large spherical bodies.
Simple observations of the Moon and Sun in the sky clearly show a circular body. Couple this simple observational fact with a few additional observations and we can understand them as three-dimensionally round, as well. For instance, in similar fashion to some of the planets, the Sun can easily be monitored over several days tracking visible photosphere features called sunspots, progressing across its surface. Sunspots are dark areas in the brightly visible layer of the Sun, called the photosphere. As we track a sunspot feature across the Sun’s apparent surface, we find that shape and orientation of their entire context shows its movement to be caused by the Sun’s overall rotation and not large atmospheric motion. Even small backyard telescopes with proper solar filters can be used to monitor the presence and movement of sunspots.
For the second brightest object in the sky, the Moon, our regular observations can be done even easier than trying to safely view the Sun. The most obvious observation of the Moon is that it progresses through a regular cycle of phases each month. As this cycle occurs, there is an obvious curvature seen in the visibly bright portion of the Moon. The shape of the Moon’s phase, defined by the dark and light regions, is not caused by any shadowing from Earth. Instead, the obvious curved shapes of a Gibbous or Crescent Moon are due to the overall spherical curvature of the Moon itself. As the Moon’s position relative to the Sun’s location changes, our view of the Moon’s sunlit portion changes, and we see the side of the Moon facing away from the Sun. The direct relationship between lunar phases and the Sun can be seen by how each phase corresponds with the Sun’s position, noting also that the phase of the Moon is approximately the same for every observer—evidence for the Moon having a large distance from Earth. Flat-Earth models have the Moon located quite close, and as such, the Moon’s phase would be dramatically different based on where the observer is located. Instead, a Full Moon is always found opposite the Sun in the sky for every observer. When the Sun is setting below the horizon, the Full Moon is rising above the horizon, and when the Full Moon is setting, the Sun will be rising. Conversely, when the lunar phase is a New Moon, both the Sun and Moon will be seen in the same direction. The sunlit portions and the oppositely shadowed regions of the Moon are the visible results of the spherical shape of the Moon.
Even further, as we gaze at the Full Moon, its varying surface features are obvious by the contrasting light and dark regions. Employ binoculars or a small telescope and you will have immediate access to a wealth of topographic variation: rough and smooth areas, large and small craters, elevated peaks and depressions. Focusing on the surface features, we find that the shadowing effect that the phases provide enhances our understanding of the three-dimensional aspect of the Moon. The boundary line produced by the curved shadow across the Moon’s surface (during the Gibbous or Crescent phase) is called the terminator. You will find as you observe the Moon that the terminator is a region of excellent viewing. “Why?,” you might ask. There is a subtle decrease in the brightness of this region, allowing it to be somewhat easier on the eyes. The brightness difference is caused by the fact that the shadows of visible features along the terminator become lengthened as the terminator line approaches them. First, this is one piece of evidence toward the Moon not producing its own light, as some Flat-Earth proponents suggest,13 but rather reflecting light from an outside source (the Sun). Second, the shadows become extended when features are near the terminator, showing to a greater degree a contrast in height above the lunar surface. Here we can begin to identify the differences between elevated and depressed features by where their shadow is cast. The Moon is a distant, three-dimensional body with a variety of topographic landscapes.
Evaluating Observations of the Constellations
As we view the night sky and trace out familiar patterns in the stars, we can begin to map out the constellations. It is these consistent arrangements of stars that allow us to map and chart the heavens. We can use the positions of constellations relative to other stars and constellations to help us determine, not only where lesser-known and less-obvious celestial objects are located, but to help us on Earth to navigate our own geography.
Similar to how Earth’s geography has been mapped through history to provide our current knowledge of how the major landforms are oriented, the entire sky has likewise been mapped to give us a relation for how each constellation is oriented and located relative to the others. Following the same process for how Earth’s maps were compiled, requiring not only exploration but a combining of knowledge from many diverse groups across the world, the constellation map of the sky has been compiled from astronomical observers from different regions of the Earth over long periods of time. This process of combination was not only a good arrangement but was necessary for a complete map, since the available view of the sky is dependent on your location on Earth. Observers in different locations will have different views, not only for similar times of night or seasons, but also may have access to view constellations not available to other regions.
First, the view of a single observer varies seasonally. The visible constellations follow a regular cycle throughout the period of a year, and then repeat the same exact cycle the next year, and every year after that. What this seasonal cycle illustrates is that for any single location, there will be constellations that can be viewed during the winter months but that are not visible during the summer months, and vice-versa. This variation means that the Sun’s position in the sky is independent of the star and constellation positions, and thus there must be two motions in process to account for the Sun’s position and the constellation positions. The fact that there are seasonal variations seen in the East to West changing of visible constellation positions supports the spherical curvature of Earth and its rotational axis motion that impacts the star’s positions.
Second, there are constellation variations based not only on seasonal changes but on the geographical locations of observers. If we consider different observers located in the midwest United States, in central Africa, and in Australia, we find that each will have dramatically different observations. The set of constellations visible will be very different for locations with large North-to-South separations, where many constellations will not be visible from the opposite location. Constellations that may be visible from two locations with smaller North-to-South separations will still have very different apparent positions in the sky. Thus the stars and constellations visible at a particular location correspond directly to an observer’s latitude, where observers located at dramatically different latitudes will have unique views. These variations show us that there is a North-to-South curvature of Earth, which is aligned with a preferred axis of East-to-West rotation. A Flat-Earth model is not able to describe these observations, where a spherical Earth provides a simple description for how they occur.
These observable facts make clear sense for a spherical Earth, as the relative positions on the globe would determine your outward facing view of the sky. Other regions of the sky are obscured by the curved body of Earth. The reason that some constellations may be completely unique based on your location, results from Earth’s globe having a rotating motion about its axis. Where an observer is located on the surface, relative to the axis of rotation, will define what regions of the sky may or may not be visible and which stars are circumpolar (meaning they circle the celestial pole and are continuously above the horizon). The nearer you are to one of Earth’s poles (North or South), the less of the total sky you are able to see. A person South of the Equator will never see the North Star, Polaris (located at the North Celestial Pole). A person North of the equator at latitudes greater than about 26 degrees will never see the Southern Cross (near the South Celestial Pole).14 This location-dependent view is why Australia and New Zealand have this prominent group of stars on their nation’s flags, but Northern Hemisphere nations do not.
Flat-Earth models have huge complications when trying to describe how the visibility of constellations varies based only on an observer’s latitude. Problems are further compounded when addressing the observations of completely different constellations visible to those located at far Northern and far Southern latitudes, and that there are not one but two celestial poles around which stars rotate.
1 Eric Dubay (2014), The Flat–Earth Conspiracy (Self-published), p. 89; See the phrase “under 4,000 miles” in Samuel Rowbotham (“Parallax”) (1865), Zetetic Astronomy: Earth Not a Globe! (Bath: S. Hayward), p. 74.
2 Both the Sun and Moon have an angular size of 0.5 degrees. “Angular size” measures how large in angular units, such as degrees, an object appears. Angular size is not a measure of the true physical size, but rather an apparent size based on the object’s distance.
3 See “The Moon” at the Flat Earth Society Web site: http://www.theflatearthsociety.org/tiki/tiki-index.php?page=The+Moon.
4 http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Unit2/eclipses.html. The August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse will only be about 70 miles in diameter, as measured from the NASA map projections. See https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/interactive_map/index.html.
5 “The Flat Earth Society, along with previous notable flatists such as Samuel Shenton and S. Rowbotham, believe there is no end to the Earth and that it continues indefinitely. The only edge to the earth is the one you are standing on.” Seehttps://theflatearthsociety.org/home/index.php/faq#173818.
6 See the flat Earth map on the cover of this issue of R&R created by Orlando Ferguson in 1893. Also at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Orlando-Ferguson-flat-earth-map.jpg.
7 Thomas Hockey (1999), Galileo’s Planet: Observing Jupiter Before Photography (Bristol, PA: IOP Publishing), pp. 31-32; C.A. Young (1886), “Rotation Time of the Red Spot on Jupiter,” The Sidereal Messenger, 5:289-293, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1886SidM....5..289Y.
8 C.A. Higgins, T.D. Carr, and F. Reyes (1996), “A New Determination of Jupiter’s Radio Rotation Period,” Geophysical Research Letters, 23:2653-2656.
9 “All About Mars” (no date), NASA, https://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/mystique/history/1600/; Jim Plaxco (1999), Mars Timeline of Discovery: 1570 BC thru 1799, http://www.astrodigital.org/mars/timeline1.html.
10 Helen Sawyer Hogg (1963), “Out of Old Books: James Keeler and the Rings of Saturn,” Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 57:269, http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1963JRASC..57..269S.
11 David Williams (2016), “Uranian Satellite Fact Sheet” (Greenbelt, MD: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/uraniansatfact.html.
12 David Williams (2016), “Neptunian Satellite Fact Sheet” (Greenbelt, MD: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center), https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/factsheet/neptuniansatfact.html.
13 Dubay, pp. 78-81.
14 Bruce McClure (2017), “Northerners’ Guide to Southern Cross,” EarthSky, http://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/the-southern-cross-signpost-of-southern-skies.
Explorer Series 1: Christian Evidences for Kids
Explorer Series: Christian Evidences for Kids
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Mission, Roles & Responsibilities
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RBR Troops Raid Bomb Cell as Part of Exercise
Bermudian soldiers today (JUN 17) played a vital part in an exercise in the Caribbean that saw an international assault team take down a bomb making factory based in a house.
Royal Bermuda Regiment troops carried out reconnaissance and intelligence gathering outside the building near the Old Montrose police station outside the St Vincent & the Grenadines capital of Kingstown.
Lieutenant Commander David Shamsudeen of the Guyanese Coast Guard, part of the Regional Observer Assessment Team, said afterwards that the Bermuda troops, who were in hiding around the building, had performed well and the assault was successful.
‘He added: “They had good coordination and communication. There were some mistakes, but nothing that would have affected the success of the operation.
“Once they got into the building, they split up and searched the rooms at the same time, which was good.”
The assault was part of Exercise Tradewinds, a regional disaster relief and security training exercise organized by the US military’s Southern Command.
About 120 troops from the RBR are involved in the exercise.
RBR Private Brent Smith, who acted as the communications specialist for the assault team, said: “I enjoyed it. It was a great learning experience. We’ve got people from all over the world working really well together.”
Pte Smith, a 55-year-old tennis coach from Pembroke, added: “It’s definitely useful training for the RBR and I’m proud to be representing Bermuda here.”
The assault team stormed the house, ‘killing’ several gunmen and ‘arresting’ other members of the bomb making cell, who were played by Royal St Vincent & the Grenadines Police Force officers, using vital information provided by the hidden RBR reconnaissance squad.
RBR Sergeant Tashon DeSilva, who led the reconnaissance team, said: “Our role was to assess the enemy strength, capabilities and disposition.
“The recce team went in and did its job. The difficult thing with reconnaissance is you don’t always know what you’re looking for and sometimes you have to wait for hours before you get what you need, which is what happened here.”
But Sergeant DeSilva added: “That two-minute window you do get can be the difference between a successful operation and an unsuccessful one.”
He said the RBR had learned a lot from their work with the RSVG police.
Sgt DeSilva added: “They have a superb relationship with the public and advanced policing skills, as well as great search and strike capabilities.”
Tradewinds was designed to build increased regional cooperation in complex multinational security operations, as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response work.
Countries taking part include Antigua and Barbuda, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Colombia, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, France, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, the Netherlands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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© Royal Bermuda Regiment
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Noise in the library due to building works
The first phase of a re-wiring project has begun in the Wellcome Unit and unfortunately this means there may be quite a bit of noise and disruption for library users in the next few weeks. There may also be some days when the library will need to remain closed so look out for further announcements. Many apologies for any inconvenience caused.
This entry was posted in News, Services and tagged building works, noise on 31 March 2011 by .
New sites saved on our delicious page
The Medical Heritage Libray
The MHL is a collaboration of major research libraries in the United States, including the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, the National Library of Medicine, the Columbia Library of Health Sciences, and the College of Physicians in Philadelphia.
They digitize and make available through the Internet Archive a wide range of materials pertaining to the history of medicine, including texts on military medicine, general surgery and surgical history, spiritualism, sanitation, hygiene, tropical medicine, medical jurisprudence, psychology, gynecology, phrenology, crimes, criminology, electrotherapeutics, climatology, and homeopathy.
There is also a very interesting companion blog about the MHL.
History of Vaccines – A Project of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
The College has created The History of Vaccines to provide a living, changing chronicle of the compelling history of vaccination, from pre-Jennerian variolation practices, to the defeat of polio in the Western Hemisphere, to cutting-edge approaches to novel vaccines and vaccine delivery. The site aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of the ways in which vaccines, toxoids, and passive immunization work, how they have been developed, and the role they have played in the improvement of human health.
The site also discusses some of the controversies about vaccination and some of the challenges, difficulties, and tragic events that have occurred in the use of vaccines.
Much of the historical material that appears on The History of Vaccines comes from The College’s Historical Medical Library and its wealth of rare books, medical journals, manuscripts, and archives.
See our delicious page for more useful websites.
This entry was posted in Electronic resources and tagged archives, digital collections, history of medicine, vaccination on 24 March 2011 by .
Medical School records moved to University Archives
Recent announcement that may be of interest to you:
‘On 16 February the University Archives received an accession of records from the Medical Sciences Division based at the John Radcliffe Hospital. The records, comprising administrative records of the Medical School (and, from 2000, Medical Sciences Division) from the 1920s to the 2000s, are the first records of the Medical School to be transferred to the Archives. They comprise personal files of clinical students; minutes and related papers of committees of the Medical School and Medicine Faculty Board; correspondence of the School and Division; and other records including indexes of students and photographs. The Archives already holds central University correspondence concerning the Medical School but has not, until now, held any records created by the School itself. The accession, and appraisals which Archives staff carried out at the John Radcliffe, marks the beginning of a relationship with the Divisional office which we hope will lead to regular transfers of material in the future.’
This entry was posted in Collections, News and tagged archives, JR hospital, medical school on 14 March 2011 by .
Mental Hygiene, Social Hygiene collection on Scientifica
The Scientifica project places online, French language works from the Old Books Collection of the Library for Science and Industry, published from the end of the 18th century to the beginning of the 20th.
The most recently digitised collection on Scientifica is:
“Mental Hygiene, Social Hygiene”
One hundred and twenty-six holdings – this selection expands online materials in the fields of psychology and psychiatry in the following categories: “Phrenology,” “The Theory of Degenerescene” and “Women and Sexuality in the 19th century.”
Scientifica also prospectively announces: “The Children’s Corner” scientific books and albums for children, and “The Curiosity Cabinet” a representative anthology of the library’s diverse sources on science and technology.
This entry was posted in Electronic resources and tagged digital collections, history of psychiatry, new on 11 March 2011 by .
New Wellcome Unit Library website launched
Our new Wellcome Unit Library webpages are now live and can be viewed here. More content will be added in the near future but please explore and let us know if you have any comments.
We also now have a LibraryThing account to showcase new books in the library and a del.icio.us page with links to useful websites for History of Science and Medicine.
This entry was posted in Electronic resources, News, Services, Tools on 10 March 2011 by .
The Wellcome Unit Library now has a twitter account so you can follow us @WelLibOxford.
This entry was posted in News, Tools and tagged twitter on 9 March 2011 by .
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The Gods of Gotham
by Susan Craig on July 15th, 2012
It seems like we live in a very political time — but, it might give you some satisfaction to know that it could be worse after you read The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye. This debut mystery is set in 1845 New York City, where politics is in all aspects of life — what neighborhood you live in, what church you attend, what job you have. Even the newly organized police force only exists because a politician said it should, and others see the very existence of police as an infrigement of their civil rights and no different from a standing army. Timothy Wilde is an officer in the new police force thanks to the political pull of his older brother Valentine and a horrible fire that destroys his life savings and leaves him too scarred to go back to his old job as a bartender. Tim puts on the “copper star” and gradually comes to see the worth in what he does. When he encounters a blood soaked little girl who claims to know where the children’s bodies are buried he is in the hunt for a serial killer who is removing children from brothels. The descriptions of New York City and the way people lived in 1845 are very compelling, throughout the novel the author makes use of flash, an underground language akin to thieves cant which adds additional authenticity. This is a fascinating and enjoyable read and I am pleased that it’s the first in a series.
Check ICPL's Catalog | | RSS 2.0
Weekend Champloo, July 13-15
Special Bargains Week at The Book End
Susan Craig at the Library
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Two things everyone’s missed about Amazon’s HQ2 decision
What kind of company is Amazon, and how many locations does it want?
We’re now into round 2 of the great Amazon HQ2 extravaganza, and as with the initial announcement much digital ink has been spilled to analyze the meaning of the winnowing of the list to a mere 20 cities. The Brookings Institution’s Jenny Schuetz has a very smart breakdown of the relative housing markets of the different contenders, splitting them into high cost places, recently gentrifying markets, those with abundant housing, and cities with older housing stock.
In our view, most of what’s been written about the Amazon HQ2 contest misses two important points. First, Amazon’s decision is likely to be dictated by internal business strategy factors, especially what kinds of technologies and markets it wants to develop, and its choice of cities will be dictated by whether a city’s specializations match the particular functions Amazon chooses to move away from Seattle. Second, Amazon is very likely to chose multiple locations (HQ2, HQ3, HQ4) to tap different city specializations, to minimize its negative effect on housing markets, and to continue to its negotiating leverage over “winners.”
Specialization matters
First, no one seems to be paying much attention to what business functions Amazon will place in its second headquarters. The assumption seems to be that HQ2 will be a functional clone of the Seattle mothership. That’s seldom, if ever, the way that corporations partition activities among different sites. Opening a second major headquarters location is a non-trivial event in Amazon’s business strategy: which functions get spun off to a new location, and which are left in Seattle will make a big difference to the company’s future.
Simply duplicating all of Amazon’s Seattle operations in another city would make almost no business sense. Coordinating activities and managing rivalries between otherwise similar centers would invite an internal them v. us dynamic that could outweigh any advantages of a second location. Far more likely that Amazon will spin off discrete functions to its second location. Seattle will continue to do some (probably most) things, but HQ2 will develop its own strengths and specializations.
Viewing HQ2 as a clone leads most observers to treat cities as a kind of undifferentiated commodity, measured solely by a common set of generic attributes (their housing stock, workforce with a college degree, or tax break packages). But if Amazon is really going to establish a second location with a distinct set of specializations, then the choice of a second city is much more likely to hinge on each city’s strengths as a base for that kind of activity. Our study of the high technology industries in the United States published by Brookings shows that the range of cities generally regarded as tech hubs (Austin, Boston, San Jose, etc), each exhibit distinctive technological specializations, and what’s high tech in one city is not the same as what’s high tech in another.
So the big question is this: What kind of company is Amazon going forward? Over the next decade or two, what parts of the Amazon enterprise does the company want to grow that it can best nurture in a location that isn’t Seattle?
The answer to that question is complicated by the fact that Amazon is innovating at the periphery of several different industries: retailing, logistics, software, and media/entertainment, to name just four. Depending on which of those functions one wants to emphasize, or spin off to a non-Seattle location, one would focus on a very different subset of cities.
For example, if Amazon sees itself increasingly becoming a logistics company, competing with the likes of Fedex and UPS, then it might want to locate HQ2 in a mid-continent location that could become a national hub. (Amazon already operates its own delivery vehicles in many markets, and has chartered aircraft to expedite shipping). Indianapolis, Columbus, and to some extent Chicago, offer similar locational advantages to places like Memphis (Fedex’s hub) and Louisville (UPS).
Or if Amazon views itself as a software company, developing more robotics (like drone delivery), or further refining its techniques for marketing, then perhaps it will want to go some place like Pittsburgh.
But Amazon may view itself as a rival to established media and entertainment companies, in which case Los Angeles (movies, TV), New York (print, advertising), or Washington (news) may make the most sense.
Amazon may also be a telecommunications backbone company, building on its AWS (Amazon Web Services) division. In that case, it might make sense to have a headquarters in Washington DC (strong government market, close to regulators) or Philadelphia (which is already home to Comcast).
The biggest factor at work here may be the kind of specialized labor force that Amazon could tap in each of these markets. The critical decision point may not be the simple availability of educated or creative workers, but rather the availability of just the kind of specialized workers Amazon wants. For example, Amazon reportedly told Detroit that it didn’t make the list of finalists because it didn’t have the kind of talent pool the company wanted. Richard Florida harrumphed that Amazon foolishly excluded Detroit from its list of 20 finalists, despite the fact that the region had hundreds of thousands of creative class workers.
If Amazon were looking to innovate in the automobile business, he’d have a point, but it may not be just general knowledge workers the company is seeking, but specialized talent in areas relevant to its expansion plans.
It’s worth reflecting for a moment on the history of Amazon. Why is it in Seattle in the first place? Jeff Bezos came up with the idea selling books on-line in 1994, while living in New York. But rather than start his company there, he packed his bags and moved to the Pacific Northwest. According to a 1996 interview in Fortune, the choice was quite deliberate:
He chose the Seattle area because of its proximity to both high-tech talent and a major book distributor, Ingram’s warehouse in Roseburg, Oregon.
“The next big thing is a bookstore,” Fortune, December 9, 1996
Most startups are established and grow in the places where their founders happen to be living. Few people consciously pick up and move to an entirely different community and start their business based on labor market and supply chain analyses. The fact that Bezos did so more than two decades ago, when his company was just a partly formed idea, is a good indication that it will be just as rational, now that its a huge and growing corporation.
Why not HQ2, HQ3, HQ4?
If specializations are important–and we believe they are–a critical question is why Amazon ought to create just one secondary headquarters. Part of the argument would have to be that there must be significant synergies between different functions that the company would reap a business advantage from having all those functions in a single location. In an important sense, however, the company has already crossed the Rubicon on that issue, by deciding on a major expansion outside Seattle. What that decision says, in effect, is: “We don’t have a good business reason to expand all these functions in close proximity to our core.”
Once the company has committed to put some functions in HQ2, it may find it simpler and far more productive to establish an HQ3 and and HQ4 in other cities that have the specialized labor they need. Others have noted this possibility: Richard Florida tweeted to this effect last week.
There’s another good reason to pick multiple cities. If a single winner is announced, and its competitors are dismissed, then Amazon’s negotiating position becomes much weaker. A city may not be able to deliver everything that’s promised (especially over time), and local political demands for Amazon to provide compensating benefits to the community in exchange for its subsidies are likely to escalate. Having mulitple winners will allow Amazon to continue to keep each of them honest. This has been a lucrative game for Amazon: there’s no reason to end it now.
We’re a bit wary of reading too much into the list of finalist cities. Some may be included for public relations reasons, and as we predicted many of the choices reflect the desire to maximize the companies negotiating leverage when it comes to subsidies (hence the choice of three locations in metropolitan Washington). That said, it seems likely that some of the smaller cities on the finalist list (Pittsburgh, for example), may be there not because they are candidates for HQ2, but because they may be a logical HQ3 or HQ4 for a particular specialization (like robotics).
Having several smaller HQ2, HQ3, and HQ4 locations would also work to Amazon’s advantage in minimizing its impact on housing affordability. Much has been made of a likely “winner’s curse:” in addition to giving away substantial public subsidies, a city that suddenly got 50,000 highly paid jobs would likely see a substantial escalation of housing prices. Splitting HQ2 among several different cities would lessen housing market dislocations (and not incidentally, keep alive the prospect of future competition among these “winning” cities for subsequent job expansion).
At this stage, it’s very much in Amazon’s interest to make everyone think that there’ll be just one big “winner-take-all” first prize in the HQ2 sweepstakes. A big prize is designed to elicit very large subsidy offers and other concessions, like New Jersey’s $7 billion incentive package. But like any reality-TV show, there’s nothing that stops the producers from injecting a late-in-the-game plot twisting rule change. Don’t be surprised if later this year, Amazon announces that its going to have more than one HQ2, and that the corporate functions it moves to those places don’t have a close connection to a city’s established industrial and technological specializations.
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Zombie/Reality TV Mash-up "Dead Set" Coming to IFC
Submitted by Nate Yapp on Thu, 2010-10-14 15:57
In early 2009, one of our British correspondents, Simon Powell, reviewed a fascinating-sounding miniseries called Dead Set. Written by satirist Charlie Brooker, Dead Set mixed a zombie apocalypse with the reality television series Big Brother. Simon gave it a positive review, and I despaired that the show, which made its debut on the UK-based channel E4, would never see make it across the pond to the USA. Well, those worries are now dispelled -- Dead Set is making its American debut on IFC. Starting on October 25th, each of the five parts will air at 12:00AM midnight (Eastern time), with the entire series being shown in a marathon on Halloween night at 8PM Eastern. (read more...)
Review: Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)
Submitted by John Dubrawa on Sun, 2010-10-10 23:21
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Month. As is apparent in the structuring of its title, Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III is more concerned with building a franchise out of its titular villain than it is crafting a continuous chapter in Chainsaw lore, and the resulting film struggles to find balance between being both a remake and a sequel to Tobe Hooper's original. Admirers of the first film will have no trouble spotting the twists and turns of David Schow's script, which treats Hooper's original screenplay like a road map, stopping at all the familiar spots along the way to a dissatisfying conclusion. To his credit, director Jeff Burr tries to inject his been-there-killed-that film with copious gore expected of a movie with Texas Chainsaw Massacre in its title (ironic since the original film had little red stuff to show), but New Line Cinema's vigorous cuts prevent the film even from being enjoyed on a primitive level. What's left is a gutted, castrated version of the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
(read more...)
Shiverin' 6: Meet the Sawyers
Submitted by Bruce Jordan on Thu, 2010-10-07 22:19
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Month. Greetings and welcome to another installment of Classic-Horror.com's Shiverin' 6. In sticking with our month-long celebration of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, we've decided to take a look at six members of the cannibalistic Sawyer clan. Demented, depraved and downright bizarre these characters inspired over the top performances from the actors cast to play them, and also provided the audience with many chill inducing moments thanks to their psychotic behavior. Now, in order of their appearance in the series, let's meet the family.
Roy Ward Baker (1916-2010)
Roy Ward Baker, who directed several British horror films in the late 1960s and early 1970s, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, according to Guardian.co.uk. He was 93 years old. Born in 1916, Baker worked his way up the the ranks of the British film industry in the 1930s and 40s, moving from minor jobs to assistant director (he worked with Hitchcock on The Lady Vanishes). In 1947, he made his directorial debut with The October Man, which he made for Two Cities Films in 1947. He directed a number of notable pictures in the 1950s, including Don't Bother to Knock (starring Richard Widmark and Marilyn Monroe) and A Night to Remember (which documented the sinking of the RMS Titanic). As part of his extensive television work in the early 1960s, Baker helmed the episode of The Avengers which introduced Diana Rigg's Emma Peel to the world. (read more...)
The Disused Fane: Who's Next?
Submitted by Nathan Sturm on Wed, 2010-10-06 09:36
"DEATH LIVES," states the trailer for Tales from the Crypt (1972), and with its pervasive images of skulls and corpses, one is inclined to agree. Revisiting this film I am struck by how morbid and vicious it really is. It deals not just with the fear of life's end, but with the fear of what comes after life's end. From their earliest days horror films and stories have dealt with death. The imagery of decay is repulsive, and the finality of loss (Grandma isn't coming back, ever) is terrifying. We all must die. How are we to accept this? The management of this terror has been one of mankind's greatest tasks, and frequently it has fallen to one of mankind's oldest institutions: religion.
Review: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Month. Back in 1974, Tobe Hooper changed the horror game when he made the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as an independent auteur. However, like many of the horror wunderkinds who made their mark in the 1970s, Hooper eventually found himself working for The Man. In the mid-1980s, Hooper was under contract to mini-major The Cannon Group, for whom he had already made two box office disasters that saw more than their fair share of post-production meddling. Making a sequel that lived up to the daunting legacy of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre would be difficult in any circumstance, but with Hooper now beholden to short-sighted corporate overlords, the task became impossible. Hooper tried, though. In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, he tackled (or attempted to tackle) such diverse topics as the socioeconomic landscape of 1980s America, the absurdity of family values, and the destructive effects of vengeance, all while trying to make a movie that Cannon would deem commercially viable. With so many different goals, it isn't surprising that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 is uneven, a mish-mash of interesting ideas and missed opportunities, great moments and bizarre tonal shifts.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre Month (October 2010)
It began, legend says, at Christmas time. Tobe Hooper, a film director whose only feature credit had been a hippie drama called Eggshells, was standing in a Montgomery Ward, trapped by the bustle of last-minute shoppers. As he contemplated how to get through the mass of consumerism, he found violent inspiration in a display of chainsaws. Thankfully, he didn't act on his carnage-filled fantasy of bloody crowd control. Instead, he channeled the idea into his second feature, a low-budget horror flick about a quintet of young people who are beset by a family of cannibal hicks in the sweltering Texas summer. Although produced with working titles such as Headcheese and Leatherface, it was released in 1974 with the only name it would ever need: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre. This brutal cacophony of terror would go on to spawn three direct sequels, documentaries, a video game, several comic books, an official fan club, and countless pieces of collectible merchandise. Its imitators are innumerable. In 2003, New Line Cinema and Platinum Dunes released a remake which spawned its own prequel, merchandise, and comic books.
Review: Let the Right One In (2008)
Submitted by Rich Dishman on Sun, 2010-09-26 21:20
Love conquers all is a theme at least as old as Shakespeare, but in the last fifty years, it has rarely been explored in the context of horror films. Let the Right One In's singular accomplishment is that it captivates us with a fresh take on this venerable theme while simultaneously upending horror genre conventions at every turn. The memorable end result resonates long after the final credits. (read more...)
Cold Reads: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Spooky children have always been favorite stock characters of the horror genre. Starting as early as The Village of the Damned, blossoming in The Exorcist and The Omen, and bringing us to times as recent as the ones that witnessed Orphan, evil-natured children have always sparked our imagination and our worse parental fears. Henry James' novella The Turn of the Screw presents this now cliché story trope in a setting that may or may not be inhabited by the damned, creating an atmosphere of dread and terror. Although at times a bit of a tough read, The Turn of the Screw remains an icon of psychological horror in literature. (read more...)
The Terrophile: Love Shack of the Evil Dead (Fanvid)
Sometimes when I'm coming up with my fanvids, I think of the movie or television series I want to work with, and then come up with a song. Sometimes I like of a song and try to find a fandom to vid it to. However, with my latest creation, the song and source came at the same time in a burst of inspiration: The B-52's "Love Shack" paired with The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II. In hindsight, it's an obvious pairing. However, the actual editing process was less obvious. From start to finish, this video was a year and a half in the making. I hope you enjoy it.
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Hydria
attributed to Antimenes Painter
(Greek)
Greece, Attic, 6th Century BC
Black-figure terracotta
Overall: 43.2 cm (17 in.); Diameter of rim: 24.7 cm (9 3/4 in.); Diameter of foot: 15.2 cm (6 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1975.1
102B Greek
The styles of the Antimenes Painter and of Psiax were so close that the great vase-painting expert, Sir John Beazley, has referred to them as "brothers." Both were active in the last decades of the 6th century BC when the new red-figure style came to dominate vase production in Athens, but only Psiax produced vases in black- and red - figure. Some figures on this hydria are very close in style to those on the eye kylix (CMA 1976.89) by Psiax. Both artists delighted in intricate detail and curvilinear designs. Shoulder: Theseus slaying the Cretan Minotaur Main panel: Quadriga (four-horse chariot) and warriors Predella: Lions attacking a doe; two stags.
Beazley Archive. n.d. Beazley Archive Pottery Database. Oxford: Beazley Archive. BAPD 5188 www.beazley.ox.ac.uk
Lee, Sherman E. "The Year in Review for 1975." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 63, no. 2 (1976): 31-71. www.jstor.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 23 archive.org
The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1991. Reproduced: p. 9 archive.org
"Das Tier in der Antike," Archäologisches Institut der Universität Zürich, 1974; "The World of Ceramics: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art," Cleveland Museum of Art, 30 June-5 September 1982, 12, no. 14. color pl. p. 22.
{{cite web|title=Hydria|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1975.1|author=Antimenes Painter|year=c. 520 BC|access-date=18 July 2019|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
GR - Greek
Greek and Roman Art
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
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A new DVD funded by a History SA SA175 grant entitled The Closed Schools of Marion commemorating Marion's nine public schools that were closed between 1987-2009 was launched by the Marion Historical Society last month.
Using photographs, original footage and oral histories from former teachers, pupils and their parents, the DVD tells the story of the nine schools that were built in the Marion area to cater for the baby boomers of the 1950s and 60s and that were subsequently closed over the last 30 years.
The film was made by award-winning local film maker Ashley Starkey, himself a former pupil of Glengowrie High, one of the now defunct schools.
At the end of World War I, Marion only had two schools – Ascot Park Primary School and Sturt Primary School - but as it developed into a market garden area and soldiers returned home to have families, there was a great need for more schools. The Marion Historical Society put together a very successful exhibition and reunion at the Marion Cultural Centre for History SA’s “About Time” History Festival in May of this year. Hundreds of former students and staff from the closed schools – Dover Gardens Primary, Dover High, Glengowrie High, Marion High, Morphettville Park Primary, Oaklands Park Primary, Sturt Primary, Tonsley Primary and Vermont High – converged on the event, which included displays of 1960s desks, uniforms, photographs and an old school bell.
Over two afternoons Ashley interviewed and filmed 17 participants, many of whom returned for the launch at the Marion Historical Society’s headquarters at Cooinda Neighbourhood Centre, Sturt Road, Marion. A second edition of the DVD is available online for $22 plus postage and a 7 minute preview of the film can be viewed here or on YouTube here.
Ashley is also the maker of Ute-opia, a 4 part film to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Holden ute, made in conjunction with Holden and the National Motor Museum.
Submitted by AllanThomas (not verified) on Thu, 15/09/2011 - 2:05pm
It was an honour to be able to contribute to this production. I took my wife and kids along to see the exhibit and found that a few of my old school photos were actually used in it. Ash was there filming/interviewing people and got me in front of the camera to tell a few recollections of my school life at Marion High. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the preview of the DVD but have since purchased a copy which will take pride of place with my other school memorabilia. Seeing some of the old photos and uniforms brought back so many good memories. Thanks for taking me on this trip down memory lane.
Submitted by Chrisitne Hobbs (not verified) on Thu, 15/09/2011 - 2:39pm
I was thrilled to be part of the history film of The Closed Schools of Marion. Admittedly because I was not forewarned about being interview & filmed it was very nervy experience, but somehow the memories came flooding back to me enough to make a contribution. I was happy to be part of the film, & it was so nice to see the other interviews as well on the film preview night. For the most part our memories of that time were similar. I feel the past times in the education system were much better than today’s. I can say that since I have been a part-time adult high school student for a few years now & have sampled today’s education.
Submitted by Pauline Cockrill (not verified) on Thu, 15/09/2011 - 2:47pm
Thanks Allan for your contribution. Sorry you couldn't make it to the preview night - it became obvious to me after seeing the film and witnessing the camaraderie on the night, that people felt happy and proud to be part of the project. The film was a great way to capture not just facts but emotions too.
Thanks Christine - everyone seemed to be very relaxed on camera - a credit to the film maker. It was interesting that many of the school days memories were global - the whole issue of hats and rolling up skirts for example - just the same in the UK at the same time!
From what Ash told me after the preview night, it was probably best I wasn't there as i seem to have upset my old deputy principle, Erica Jolly. She began taking her wrath out on another guy before Ash told her she "had the wrong guy!!" hehehehehehehehehehe
Yes Erica was pretty feisty!
Submitted by Jane Osborne (not verified) on Fri, 16/09/2011 - 4:56pm
What a fascinating insight into school days from the 1950's onward!
I am delighted to have been a contributor and I really enjoyed hearing about the experiences of others as well.
What I found interesting was the genuine appreciation of participants for the type of education, mainly "chalk and talk", being offered back then. I would love to have experienced the many varied methods of presentation of subject matter that students have today particularly in the primary education sector not to mention the array of technology.
Well done Ashley on the many hours of work you've put in to produce such an interesting DVD and thank you to History SA and the Marion Historical Sociiety for your initiative in preserving local history for future generations.
Submitted by Pauline Cockrill (not verified) on Fri, 16/09/2011 - 5:17pm
It's great to see all these comments - keep them coming!
Submitted by Ash Starkey (not verified) on Mon, 19/09/2011 - 11:08am
Thank you for the kind words and thank you even more for being a part of this film, for sharing your memories and memorabilia.
I can still hear Erica's voice reverberating 'Allan Thomas', I think she wants to see you down the front office mate.
Submitted by AllanThomas (not verified) on Mon, 19/09/2011 - 11:16am
HAHAHAHAHAHA I believe I spent enough time in the front office under the icy glare of Mrs Jolly to last me a few lifetimes. God bless her. :)
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Washington Artillery Article
Home/Washington Artillery Article
[Update – Author’s note: As part of the 256th Infantry Brigade, the 141st Field Artillery (the Washington Artillery) was called into Federal service in 2004, 2005, and 2010 and deployed to Iraq.]
Washington Artillery
A Saga of Volleys and Balls
by Charles McCain
They fought in every major battle of the Civil War, chased Pancho Villa in Mexico, tried to make the Kaiser dance in World War I, and shot it out with Hitler’s finest in World War II. They are Louisiana’s oldest military unit and they celebrate their 143rd anniversary this month. The Pentagon calls them the 141st Field Artillery but we know them as New Orleans’ own Washington Artillery.
Lithograph of the Washington Artillery
“The greatest thing that ever happened to me is to go down in history as one of the commanders of the Washington Artillery,” says Lt. Col. Russell Mayeur, immediate past commanding officer of the 407-man battalion. Mayeur, a native New Orleanian, rose from private to become commander of the unit. The Artillery, part of Louisiana’s National Guard, is a front line combat unit composed of men from the New Orleans metropolitan area.
Organized in September of 1838, the battalion was originally composed of socially prominent New Orleanians. In the 19th century, military units were centers of social life as well as military drill. Indeed the Washington Artillery was, at times, more famous for its lavish balls than its military prowess. But during the Mexican War of 1848 the unit was sent to Mexico and the cannoneers showed they could fight as well as dance.
Between the Mexican War and the Civil War the Artillery gave parties and built a new armory at 719 Girod St. between St. Charles and Carondelet streets. But this idyll was interrupted by the Southern attack on Fort Sumter. On Sunday morning, May 26, 1861, the Artillery filed into Lafayette Square. A gray-clad officer of the new country stood before them and mustered the unit into the Confederate Army. Then they went to church.
In June of 1861, the Artillery, comprising four companies, was dispatched to Richmond, Va. “Since their arrival here (Richmond) they have been the life and soul of the city, and the admiration of all who have seen them at their morning and evening parades,” wrote the correspondent of The Daily Picayune. But the Yankees began to advance on Richmond and the Artillery was sent up to join the rest of the Confederate Army. The Rebs and the Yanks collided near a stream named Bull Run and fought the First Battle of Bull Run or First Mannassas. This was the first battle of the Civil War and New Orleans’ own Washington Artillery fired the opening cannon. “For intrepidity, and accuracy and rapidity of fire, they will stand as a proverb throughout our land,” said The Richmond Enquirer of the Washington Artillery after the battle. And The Daily Picayune informs us that Gen. Beauregard, who also fought in the battle, spoke of the Artillery “in terms of the highest eulogium.”
With so much glory being won by the Artillery, other young men were eager to join so a fifth company was recruited. According to The Sunday Delta, this company “embraced the picked young men of our city.” These “picked young men” enlisted just in time to see action in the bloody battle of Shiloh. The Daily True Delta sadly informs us that a number of them were killed at Shiloh “while at their posts like men.”
Washington Artillery before the Battle of Shiloh
Back in Virginia the original group, now a unit of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, continued to fire away at the Yankees. Though the cannoneers could endure the taunts of Union soldiers, they could not abide inappropriate remarks from their fellows. After the battle of Fredericksburg, two members of the Artillery engaged in an affair of honor. The two duelists, according to The Daily Picayune, “fought with horse pistols at 20 paces.” Fortunately for the cause they both missed.
The two units of the Washington Artillery fought in almost every major engagement of the War for Southern Independence including the battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, and the Wilderness. After the South surrendered, the soldiers of the Artillery made their separate ways back to the Crescent City. Out of the 808 men who served with the Artillery, 139 died in the war.
Washington Artillery cannoneers in action
Prohibited by the carpetbagger government from reconstituting themselves, and their arsenal having been mysteriously burned, the Artillery survived only as a benevolent association in the 10 years following the Civil War. But the Reconstruction government was finally thrown out, and in 1875 the unit was reorganized. “A Dress and military ball at St. Patrick’s Hall” marked the occasion, according to the New Orleans Democrat.
The Artillery passed the remaining years of the 19th century with excursions to Biloxi and fancy dress balls. In 1898, however, this routine was interrupted by the Spanish-American War. The Federal Army called on the Artillery to furnish a battery of guns. When the men marched off to war they were ready to kill Spaniards and “prepared to lick any regimental or military baseball team in the country.” Indeed, continued The Daily States, the Washington Artillery was “going to toss balls with the Spaniards, and if they can’t beat them at that they will challenge them to a game of catching.” But peace was declared before the Artillery left the country and the cannoneers never played “catching” with the Spaniards.
Washington Artillery’s Motto
Because of the trouble with Pancho Villa on the Mexican border, the artillery was called to colors for seven months in 1917. According to The New Orleans Item, the only serious trouble the unit encountered was when a “lone Mexican, probably a bandit,” stole into the Artillery’s camp on the Rio Grande. The soldiers chased the bandit away. The artillerymen were more concerned with Mexican heat than Mexican bandits. The New Orleans Item printed appeals from the cannoneers to the citizens of our city asking them to raise money for a “lounging tent.” This tent was needed to “provide a place for the soldiers to rest during the hours from 11 am until 6 pm when the heat is so intense that drilling is impossible.”
Soon after the artillerymen recovered from their Mexican holiday, they were called up to help make the Kaiser dance. The cannoneers went to France but the armistice was signed before they saw action. The soldiers found France a pleasant place with no Germans shooting at them. Their commander, Maj. Owen, wrote to a friend in New Orleans, “having a perfectly beautiful time. France wonderful. ‘We won’t come back til it’s over, over here.’”
But the war to end all wars didn’t and when the United States went into World War II, the always-ready Washington Artillery was ordered to active duty. Two battalions, the 141st and the 935th, were created to serve for the duration. Both battalions were shipped to Europe in 1943 and saw action in the Italian Campaign. The 141st battalion was the first American artillery unit to enter Rome. After Rome was liberated, both units were sent to France, as part of the Allied Armies, they participated in the great land offensives which crushed the Nazi regime. When the Germans surrendered, both battalions of the Artillery were deep in German territory. The unit has not been ordered to active duty since World War II.
“Try us,” is the motto of our Washington Artillery. When tried they never fail. What was said of them in the Civil War is true for all their history: “Steady and reliable, ever at their post, the cannoneers of the Washington Artillery were soon distinguished for discipline and brilliant marksmanship, and, where quick and telling work was to be done, they were sent by all commanding generals…”
141st Field Artillery Insignia
[This article first appeared in New Orleans Magazine September 1981. Images courtesy of Washington Artillery, Sons of the South, and Wikipedia. This article can also be found in my Written Work section.]
By Charles McCain| 2011-01-28T17:00:00+00:00 January 28th, 2011|Uncategorized|0 Comments
About the Author: Charles McCain
Charles McCain is a Washington DC based freelance journalist and novelist. He is the author of "An Honorable German," a World War Two naval epic. You can read more of his work on his website: http://charlesmccain.com/
Gay Man Critical to Allied Victory to Be On British Currency
Gay Computer Genius Alan Turing Will Be On Britain’s New £50 Note
Nazi Flak Towers Blast Allied Bombers Out of Sky (1)
Come to Where the Flavor Is At Least For Cigarettes
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REVIEW OF 'FAIR GAME' FROM WHISPERING GUMS BLOG
Carmel Bird, Fair game: A Tasmanian memoir (Review) DECEMBER 6, 2015 As I started reading this next fl smalls offering, an essay this time, I was reminded of one of my favourite Australian writers, Elizabeth von Arnim. Von Arnim was a novelist, but she also wrote several pieces of non-fiction, including her delightful non-autobiography, All the dogs of my life. The similarity stems from the fact that both writers play games with the reader regarding their intentions or subject matter – “This not being autobiography, I needn’t go much into what happened next”, writes von Arnim at various points – but this similarity fades pretty quickly because Bird’s piece, despite its similarly light, disarmingly conversational tone, has a dark underbelly. I thought, given its subtitle, that Fair game was going to be a memoir of Bird’s growing up in Tasmania. But I had jumped too quickly to conclusions. The subtitle “a Tasmanian memoir” means exactly what it says, that is, it’s a memoir of Tasmania. Her interest is Tasmania’s dark history – “the lives of convict slaves, and the genocide of the indigenous peoples”. The title Fair game, you are probably beginning to realise, has a deeply ironic meaning. However, getting back to my introduction, Bird does start by leading us on a merry little dance. Her essay commences slyly with a discussion of epigraphs – hers being taken from one of her own books – and the cover illustration. She doesn’t, though, identify the illustration at this point, but simply describes it as “an image of a flock of Georgian women dressed as butterflies, sailing in a glittering cloud high above the ocean”. She then takes us on all sorts of little digressions – about birds, and gardens, and collectors, about her childhood and such – but she constantly pulls up short, returning us to “the story”, or “rural Tasmania”, suggesting that the digressions are “not relevant to this story”. Except they are of course, albeit sometimes tangential, or just subtle, rather than head on. Indeed, she even admits at one stage that: I have wandered, roving perhaps with the wind, off course from my contemplation of the butterfly women of 1832, they roving also with the wind. It must be clear by now that frequently in this narrative I will waver, will veer off course, but I know also that I do this in the service of the narrative itself. Just a warning. I love reading this sort of writing – it’s a challenge, a puzzle. Can I follow the author’s mind? One of the easier digressions to follow – and hence a good example to share – is her discussion of a 1943 book published by the Tasmanian government, Insect pests and their control. Need I say more? Bird does, though – quite a bit in fact – and it makes for good reading. Anyhow, back to the image. A few pages into her essay she tells us more. It’s an 1832 lithograph by Alfred Ducôte, and it is rather strangely titled “E-migration, or a flight of fair game”. On the surface it looks like a pretty picture of women, anthropomorphised as butterflies, flying through the air with colourful wings, pretty dresses and coronets. However, if you look closely, you will see that what they are flying from are women with brooms crying “Varmint”, and what they are flying to are men, one with a butterfly net, calling out “I spies mine”. Hmm … I did say this was a dark tale, didn’t I? The illustration’s subject, as Bird gradually tells us, is that in 1832, 200 young women were sent from England to Van Diemen’s Land on the Princess Royal. They were the first large group of non-convict women to make the journey, and their role was to become wives and servants in a society where men significantly outnumbered women. As Bird says partway thought the book, “it is not a joyful picture; it is a depiction of a chapter in a tragedy”. I’d love to know more about Ducôte, and why he produced this work, but this is not Bird’s story. Her focus is the history of Tasmania, and these particular women – who are they, what were they were going to? It appears that Bird has been interested in this story for a long time, since at least 1996 when Lucy Halligan, daughter of Canberra writer Marion Halligan, sent her a postcard with the image. Since then Bird has researched and written about the story. In fact, as she tells us, her research led to the creation of a ballet by TasDance in 2006. They called it Fair Game. Finally, she gets to the nuts and bolts, and the so-called digressions reduce as she ramps up the story of how these women were chosen, their treatment on the ship, and what happened on their arrival. It is not a pretty story, but represents an important chapter in Australia’s settlement history. I commend it to you. 2015Carmel Bird Fair game: A Tasmanian memoir (fl smalls 7) Braidwood: Finlay Lloyd, 2015 63pp. ISBN: 9780987592965
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A vast network of social service providers based in Dioceses across the United States operate under the umbrella of Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities reported employing more than 60,000 in 2013, who served more than 9 million individuals in need. The Church also employs many men and women in Catholic newspapers, Catholic cemeteries, and in other tasks supporting the Church’s mission and its works of charity.
Below find several Catholic institutional employers outside healthcare and education whose employees enjoy union representation:
Diocese of Juneau
Catholic Community Services Inc., Juneau AK (IBT)
Archdiocese of San Francisco
Catholic Cemeteries, Archdiocese of San Francisco, San Francisco CA (SEIU)
Diocese of Oakland
Catholic Cemeteries, Diocese of Oakland, Oakland CA (SEIU)
Archdiocese of Washington DC
Catholic News Service, Washington DC (TNG-CWA)
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (Food Service*), Washington DC (UNITEHERE)
Archdiocese of Chicago (Drivers), Chicago IL (IBT)
Archdiocese of Detroit
Michigan Catholic, Detroit MI (TNG-CWA)
Archdiocese of St. Louis
St. Louis Review, St. Louis MO (TNG-CWA)
Diocese of Duluth
Catholic Cemeteries, Diocese of Duluth, Duluth MN (IBT)
Mission of the Immaculate Virgin (Maintenance), Staten Island, NY (IBT)
Catholic Charities Neighborhood Services, Brooklyn NY (AFSCME)
Diocese of Cleveland
Catholic Universe Bulletin, Cleveland OH (TNG-CWA)
Archdiocese of Seattle
Catholic Community Services of Washington, Seattle, WA (SEIU)
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Lab News & Photos
2018 & In press
Parkinson, C., Wheatley, T., & Kleinbaum, A. M. (In press). The Neuroscience of Social Networks. In R. Light & J. Moody (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Social Network Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Weaverdyck, M. E. & Parkinson, C. (2018). Neural representation of social networks. Current Opinion in Psychology, 24, 58-66. [pdf]
Parkinson, C. (2018). Emotion in the Social World. In A. S. Fox, R. C. Lapate, A. J. Shackman, & R. J. Davidson (Eds.), The Nature of Emotion: Fundamental Questions (2nd Edition), pp. 222-225. New York: Oxford University Press.
Parkinson, C., Kleinbaum, A. M., & Wheatley, T. (2018). Similar neural responses predict friendship. Nature Communications, 9, 332. [pdf] [Supplementary Information] [TiCS Spotlight: 'Birds of a Feather Synchronize Together']
Parkinson, C., Kleinbaum, A. M., & Wheatley, T. (2017). Spontaneous neural encoding of social network position. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 72. [pdf] [Supplementary Information] [NHB News & Views: 'Neuroscience: Social networks in the brain'] [TiCS Spotlight: 'How does social network position influence prosocial behavior?']
Parkinson, C., Walker, T., Memmi, S., & Wheatley, T. (2017). Emotions are understood from biological motion across remote cultures. Emotion, 17(3), 459-477. [pdf]
Parkinson, C. & Wheatley, T. (2016). Reason for optimism: How a shifting focus on neural population codes is moving cognitive neuroscience beyond phrenology. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 39, e126. [pdf]
Parkinson, C. & Wheatley, T. (2015). The repurposed social brain. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 19, 133-141. [pdf]
Christian, B. M., Parkinson, C., Macrae, C. N., Miles, L. K., & Wheatley, T. (2015). When imagining yourself in pain, visual perspective matters: the neural and behavioral correlates of simulated sensory experiences. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 27, 866–875. [pdf]
Parkinson, C., Liu, S., & Wheatley, T. (2014). A common cortical metric for spatial, temporal, and social distance. Journal of Neuroscience, 34, 1979–1987. [pdf]
Parkinson, C., & Wheatley, T. (2014). Relating anatomical and social connectivity: White matter microstructure predicts emotional empathy. Cerebral Cortex, 24, 614–625. [pdf]
Parkinson, C., & Wheatley, T. (2013). Old cortex, new contexts: Re-purposing spatial perception for social cognition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 645. [pdf]
Christian, B. M., Miles, L. K., Parkinson, C., & Macrae, C. N. (2013). Visual perspective and the characteristics of mind wandering. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 699. [pdf]
Parkinson, C., Kohler, P., Sievers, B., & Wheatley, T. (2012). Associations between auditory pitch and visual elevation do not depend on language: Evidence from a remote population. Perception, 41, 854–861. [pdf]
Wheatley, T., Kang, O., Parkinson, C., & Looser, C. (2012). From mind perception to mental connection: Synchrony as a mechanism for social understanding. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 589–606. [pdf]
Parkinson, C. & Wheatley, T. (2012). Intention. In V. S. Ramachandran (Editor-in-Chief), Encyclopedia of Human Behavior (2nd Edition, pp. 452–457). San Diego, CA: Elsevier. [pdf]
Parkinson, C., Sinnott-Armstrong, W., Koralus, P., Mendelovici, A., McGeer, V., & Wheatley, T. (2011). Is morality unified? Evidence that distinct neural systems underlie judgments of harm, dishonesty, and disgust. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23, 3162–3180. [pdf]
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Czernowitz Book Corner
Paul Celan: "Czernowitz was a place where people and books used to live..." (Bremen, 1958)
Spovedania • Testimony
Yad Vashem: "The Insurgent Mayor. When Germany signed its non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, it took Besserabia and Northern Bukovina from Romania and gave it to the Soviet Union. In July 1941, when Germany attacked the Soviet Union with Romania at its side, the two territories were returned to Romania. For three days the returning Romanian soldiers carried out a massacre among the local Jewish population.
Born in 1892, Dr. Traian Popvici was the son of a Romanian Orthodox priest. He studied law in Czernowitz (Cernauti – the former capital of Bukovina – and today Chernovtsy in Ukraine) and earned a doctorate. When Soviet Russian annexed his town he moved to Bucharest. At first he supported Ion Antonescu's regime, but soon became disenchanted with its policy of segregation. When Czernowitz was returned to Romania in July 1941, Popovici was appointed mayor. By the time he moved into the mayor's office, some anti-Jewish decrees had already been enacted, and he tried to alleviate the Jews’ situation as much as he could. According to testimonies all persecuted Jews turned to him for help.
On 10 October 1941, the Romanian governor, acting on Antonescu's orders decreed the creation of a ghetto and the deportation of the city's Jews. Popovici expressed his objection, but to no avail. Within a few days the deportations began, and Jews from Czernowitz were transported across the river to Transnistria. By mid-November 28,000 of the town's Jews had been deported. The terrible conditions in Transnistria and the inhuman forced labor led to the death of approximately half of the deportees. Popovici later described the deportation: 'Out there a great column of people was going into exile: old men leaning on children, women with babies in their arms, cripples dragging their mangled bodies, all bags in hand; the healthy ones pushing barrows or carts or carrying on their backs coffers hastily packed and tied, blankets, bed sheets, clothes, odds and ends; all of them taken from their homes and moved into the ghetto.'
In his memoirs Popovici said that he contemplated stepping down, but was determined not to abandon the Jews in their time of need. Disregarding the risk to his person, he continued to protest to the governor and to Antonescu, arguing that the Jews were vital to the economic stability of the town. His ruse succeeded, and he was ordered to draw lists 20,000 Jews within four days. The Jews who received the exemption from deportation were allowed to return to their home. Popovici distributed authorizations to Jews - well above the quota he was given, and to people who had no professional skills whatsoever.
The abuse of his mandate cost him his job. In spring 1942 he was charged with granting permits to 'unnecessary' Jews, and was removed from his position and returned to Bucharest. In June 1942 another 5,000 Jews of Czernowitz were deported to Transnistria – most of them perished. The Jews remaining in Czernowitz survived.
Immediately after the war, Popovici wrote a book entitled Confession of Conscience. He described the events as a Romanian tragedy with deep implications for the moral consciousness of the Romanian nation. Traian Popovici confessed that he was not an adversary of Antonescu. 'Like many others in this country I believed in the myth of the strong man, of the honest, energetic, and well-meaning leader who could save a damaged country.' He went on to describe his motivations in helping the Jews: 'As far as I am concerned, what gave me strength to oppose the current, be master of my own will and oppose the powers that be, finally to be a true human being, was the message of the families of priests that constitute my ancestry, a message about what it means to love mankind. What gave me strength was the education I had received in high school in Suceava, where I received the light of classical literature, where my teachers fashioned my spirit with the values of humanity, which tirelessly enlightens man and differentiates him from the brutes'. It should be noted, of course, that many who had received the same education were among the perpetrators and bystanders, and that on the other hand, many rescuers did not enjoy and enlightened education at all. The answer to the question what prompted certain people to preserve human values is more complex.
Popovici died in 1946. Twenty-three years later, in 1969, he was recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations -- the first Romanian to receive this honor.
Paying tribute to Popovici in his own country took longer. In June 2000, by resolution of the Bucharest town hall, a street in the Romanian capital was named 'Dr. Traian Popovici,' after the former mayor of Cernăuţi during the Second World War, who saved thousands of Jews from deportation to Transnistria."
Courtesy: Dr. W. Filderman Foundation
Published by Edgar Hauster No comments:
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U.S. targets families for deportation to discourage migrants
Wednesday, 19 June 2019 19:18 GMT
A four-year-old boy weeps in the arms of a family member as he and others were apprehended by border patrol agents after illegally crossing into the U.S. border from Mexico near McAllen, Texas, U.S., May 2, 2018
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump formally launched his re-election bid with a vow to continue his hardline against illegal immigration
By Tom Hals
June 19 (Reuters) - U.S. immigration authorities want to deport recently arrived families who are in the United States illegally to discourage the surging numbers of Central Americans arriving from Mexico, a government official leading the effort said on Wednesday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will target for deportation families that have received a removal order from a U.S. immigration court, said Mark Morgan, the acting director of ICE, in a call with reporters.
The agency will "be sending a powerful message to individuals from Northern Triangle countries: Do not come. Do not risk it," said Morgan, referring to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. "Once you receive due process and get a final order, you will be removed."
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump formally launched his re-election bid with a vow to continue his hardline against illegal immigration.
The number of migrants apprehended crossing the U.S.-Mexico border surged in May to the highest level since 2006. Most are migrants from Central America that seek U.S. asylum, a process that can take years. Many families are released into the United States to wait out their deportation hearings, due to legal limits on the time children can be detained.
ICE will target individuals who had their claims addressed through an expedited family docket in immigration court that the Trump administration created last year, according to Morgan.
There were more than 56,000 cases on the fast-tracked family docket as of June 14, according to data from the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), the agency that oversees the nation's immigration courts.
Approximately 12,800 have been ordered removed on the fast-tracked family docket, EOIR data shows. Of those, the majority were removed in absentia -- meaning they did not show up for the hearing at which they were ordered deported.
Kevin Landy, a former ICE assistant director under the Obama administration, said that many families who were released "were often not given specific information about where they should show up for their hearings."
The surge of migrants has stretched the government's resources and hampered deportations under Trump, which lag the levels of President Barack Obama's first term.
"Resources are clearly an issue," said Morgan, which will dictate the pace of deportations.
The Senate appropriations committee on Wednesday approved on a bipartisan 30-1 vote a $4.6 billion emergency spending bill for programs that house, feed, transport and oversee families seeking asylum.
(Reporting by Tom Hals in Wilmington, Delaware, Susan Cornwell in Washington, Mica Rosenberg in New York, Kristina Cooke in San Francisco and Reade Levinson in London; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
Refugees and Displacement
India aims to expel all illegal migrants, interior minister says
Trump administration moves to stop more immigrants from seeking U.S. asylum
Trump says weekend deportation raids were 'very successful'
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Eben Hopson Memorial Archives
Celebrate the life and leadership of the late Eben Hopson
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A Local Energy Policy for Barrow…Prepared Testimony Before the PL 94-258 Gas Rate Hearings, Barrow, AK
A Local Energy Policy for Barrow
and Other Alaskan Arctic Communities:
Mayor Eben Hopson’s Prepared Testimony
Before the PL 94-258 Gas Rate Hearings, Barrow, AK
I regret that I am not able to be in Barrow to work with you personally on the problem of setting a fair price for gas in Barrow. As you know, I have worked on the problem of access to natural gas for the community of Barrow for many years, and I have a strong personal interest in this problem.
The people of Barrow have provided nearly all of the initiative leading to the political decision to provide civilian access to the gas of the South Barrow gas field. It is amazing to look back from these times of concern about our problem to the twelve full years following the end of World War II that it took us to convince Congress of the fundamental fairness of providing for our use in Barrow of the gas under our land. We never did convince the Navy, and in this matter of providing Barrow access to gas, the Navy has always had the attitude of compliance with policy directives about which it never has really approved.
The Navy has just been following orders. But is did so in a manner which put our people in the position of helping to amortize the Navy’s investment in the South Barrow gas field. We have always questioned the fairness of this position. We feel that the gas was our gas taken from us in the name of national security through processes that would not pass muster in the light of contemporary standards of justice and equity.
When Congressman Melchor came to Barrow last summer to ask for the Borough’s active involvement in writing new legislation for the exploration and development of the Naval Petroleum Reserve No. 4, I saw this as an opportunity to work for a more enlightened national policy toward access to, and the price of, natural gas in Barrow. In fact, I saw the need for new NPR-4 legislation as an opportunity to perhaps influence our nation’s government to begin to develop Arctic resource policies needed all across the Arctic, not just here in Barrow.
In Barrow, it is true, we are more sensitive to the need for a deliberate Arctic policy than are people elsewhere. For a national Arctic policy should protect people, and Barrow is America’s largest Arctic community. If America’s emerging Arctic policy is to have any point to it, this point should be aimed toward communities like Barrow. The problems and opportunities in Barrow should be seen as those of all Arctic communities across the entire circumpolar region. They are international in nature, and American Arctic policy toward these problems and opportunities should be aimed at providing international policy leadership. The implementation of H.R. 49 provides an opportunity to begin asserting this leadership.
We went to great pains to insure that H.R. 49 established as national policy our right to access to natural gas at a just price that we can afford to pay. I feel that this is our right as Inupiat people, but I also feel that this is a right for all communities in Alaska in or near developing oil, gas and coal reserves, or adjacent to pipelines, roads or railroads that transport energy fuels. America’s emerging Arctic policy should regard all of Arctic Alaska as a special regional problem and challenge for which special national policies should be formulated. For those of us who live and work in Arctic Alaska will be providing an important service to the rest of America that is dependent upon the natural resources of the Arctic.
Both the land and the people of Alaska will withstand a great deal of pain as they yield up the energy and other natural resources that will be so badly needed in the near future years of our nation. A great deal of money will be spent, but few Alaskans will become wealthy. Most will not benefit at all financially from the exploitation of our resources, but their lives and families will be changed in ways that few thought possible.
What I’m suggesting is that seeking and developing Arctic energy reserves will cost most Arctic dwellers more than it will pay them, and an enlightened Arctic policy should take this into account, and soften the social and economic impacts as much as possible. I feel that the special considerations mandated for fixing the price of gas for Barrow should be obtained for all Alaskan communities involved in the nationally important work of Arctic energy resource development. I feel that Alaskan communities should be guaranteed access to Arctic energy fuels wherever possible, and that natural gas price policy determination for Barrow should be made with this larger context in mind.
I’m hoping that many of the advantages and accommodations gained locally in Barrow through the implementation of H.R. 49 will serve as useful precedents for the State and other local governments as other Federal onshore and offshore lands are explored and developed. As this development takes place, I’m hoping that providing access and low price for energy fuels for Alaskan communities will be included in the normal costs of development and transportation of these fuels. This way, financing a local energy policy for Alaskan communities will be included as part of the price of development, just as the cost of environmental protection and safeguards are already factored into the costs of oil and gas development. These costs would include transporting fuel to communities within a reasonable distance of producing wells and pipelines.
Thus, if gas is discovered within reach of Wainwright, the cost of development of NPR-4 would include connecting Wainwright to gas. And if a gas pipeline is built down the coast through Canada, Kaktovik would be connected to gas. But the same kind of policy should apply to Fairbanks. The same kind of price setting policy mandated today for Barrow should be obtained for these and other communities as energy fuels are developed or transported nearby.
I realize that you must confine yourselves to the consideration of the price of gas in Barrow, but I feel that what is done for Barrow will serve as an important precedent for the rest of the State.
Here in Barrow we are concerned about the reliability of our gas supplies. We are told that we may be running out of gas in the South Barrow gas field. If new wells have to be drilled, we want to be sure that the cost of the exploration and development is included in the program for exploration and development of NPR-4 and is not included in our rate base for gas in Barrow. It seems fair to us that Barrow be charged only for the costs of lifting gas for our use. There should be no charge for the gas itself. This kind of pricing policy would help us overcome the severe price escalation resulting from the development of scarce energy resources in remote Arctic environments and would be an important part of America’s overall Arctic policy.
To sum up, I feel that part of America’s emerging Arctic policy should be a local energy program through which Alaska’s communities involved in Arctic oil and gas development will be provided access to energy fuels at low cost, with the costs of this access born as a cost the development of Arctic oil and gas fields and related pipeline development and operation. Like most national policy, this kind of local energy policy for Alaskan communities will be developed through a kind of evolution. I feel that decisions relating to the implementation of Section 104(e) of Public Law 94-258 (H.R. 49) ought to be regarded as an early part of this larger evolutionary policy development.
Copyright © 2019 Eben Hopson Memorial Archives
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"Don’t worry, you’ll be dead soon"
By conorh
June 26th, 2008 @ 3:04 PM About Town,Dubliners,Events
Just back from hearing John Banville talk about Yeats in the National Library – part of a week-long series of free Yeats-themed events. I’ve been a fan of Banville’s ever since I read the line in “The Untouchable” where the narrator describes a writer he meets at a party: “He was genuinely interested in other people, always a mark of the second-rate novelist”. Wonderful.
Tomorrow’s event will be actor Patrick Bergin reading some of the poems. He’s unlikely to be as entertaining as Banville, whose reflections on Yeats included some fine literary stand-up (or to be accurate, sit-down) material –
On the ‘greatest poet of 20th century’:
“I think he was greatly helped by the fact that he had no sense of humour. It’s very difficult to be a great man if you have a sense of the absurd”
On Maude Gonne McBride:
“Of course, she never slept with him. She knew, as all women know to their amusement and all men know to their chagrin, that not being slept with is the beginning of a life-long passion”
Approvingly, on Yeat’s combined lack of education and pretensions to great knowledge:
“In his sixties, Yeats was overheard chatting up a young lady at a party: ‘Ah my dear, I’ve forgotten all my Hebrew.’ Banville added “It’s one I use frequently myself.”
When asked if he’d ever written poetry, Banville offered this, from a poem he’d written to his girlfriend at the age of twelve:
“Don’t worry, you’ll be dead soon”
And lastly, just before he read Sailing to Byzantium:
“I resent Cormac McCarthy for stealing the first line of this great poem as a title for his bad novel…”
THAT is no country for old men…
You can hear Yeats speak here
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Equity & DiversitySpotlight
Tardigrades, radio and geeking out
a Q&A with Meligha Garfield
The Office for Equity and Diversity is excited to welcome Meligha Garfield (he/him) as the inaugural director for the Black Cultural Center (BCC) at the University of Utah. The BCC will work to holistically enrich, educate, and advocate for students, faculty, and staff through Black centered programming, culturally affirming educational initiatives, and retention strategies – and Garfield is here to lead that charge.
Hailing from Rochester, New York, Garfield holds a B.A. in Government and a Master of Public Administration from New Mexico State University (NMSU) where he was previously the Programs Coordinator for the Black Programs Department. He has implemented outreach and retention services, served as coordinator and advisor in Black programs, and managed numerous departmental programming and events while at NMSU – many of which he hopes to start at the U.
In this Q&A with Garfield, we ask some personal and whimsical questions to get to know our new director.
What attracted you to this position?
I was attracted to the faculty, staff and student activism in putting the Center together; the University of Utah’s history of Ethnic Studies; and the hard-working and creative team under the Office for Equity and Diversity.
We hear this is your first time living in Utah, what do you think so far? Anything unexpected?
It’s definitely a change in pace from Rochester, New York and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Salt Lake City is beautiful, with its greenery, wide streets, huge mountains, second to none entertainment and vibrant community. As time goes on, I can’t wait to see the city and campus unfold and compare its winter to the winters of Rochester. Having experienced, six feet of snow and lake effect in New York, I have a unique perspective on the meaning of cold.
Who’s your role model, or who inspires you?
I have several role models I look up to for different reasons. First are my parents. Not only are they my first role models, but in a lot of aspects, I’m the spitting image of them – everything from their mannerisms, dedication, perseverance and overall spirit. Second is my mentee and friend Darnica Holt. Despite all we have been through, she seems to always find a way and has taught me a lot of what a real friend is. My last role model is Neil deGrasse Tyson. The guy is brilliant; he can explain anything and has me geeking about outer space and just life in general. Plus, he is also a New York Native.
If you could compare yourself to any animal, which would it be and why?
I would compare myself to the Tardigrade (water bear) – microscopic creatures that are some of the toughest on Earth. They can be found in every environment and survive radiation and intense pressure. They are also the only creatures on Earth that can survive the vacuums of space – and in a lot of ways can regenerate like Wolverine from the X-men. I compare myself to this magnificent creature because I believe I have strong perseverance and will. Despite adversity, I strive to reach my goals and desires. Nothing will hold me back.
I love going to the movie theatre. When I was a kid, I would try to go and scout out the best theatres in town. I love the seats, the overpriced snacks and being amongst several people watching a movie. My other hobbies include reading, researching and radio/voice-over work. Several people throughout my life have stated I have a “golden radio voice” and capitalizing on a hobby is always a plus. I’m also a big fan of league kickball and an avid Marvel comics and movie follower.
How do you de-stress or practice self-care?
Meditation, conversation and taking myself out of a toxic situation.
Come by the Black Cultural Center to meet our new director in person, or you can visit with him at the Black Cultural Center’s Grand Opening on September 5th!
By Kaya Aman, Office for Equity and Diversity June 17, 2019
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Golf Channel Taps Front Porch Digital for Asset-Management Hole in One
June, 01, 2010 By Carolyn Braff, Managing Editor, Sports Video Group Insider Golf Channel has quite a content library, with more than 100,000 hours of legacy videotape locked away. In addition, the network accumulates another 6,500 hours of footage annually, so every day that the network was without an archive and storage solution made for exponentially more work, once that solution was chosen. In January, Golf Channel installed a DIVArchive content-storage-management system and a SAMMA V.4 Robot from Front Porch Digital at its offices in Orlando, FL. Although it may take four years to digitize all the network’s content, that process, as well as a new all-in-one workflow, is now underway.
An All-in-One Solution
“Part of our solution was not only to get this content over to a digital file, because of constant deterioration and loss of videotape metallic oxide, but we also had to come up with a way to put our current material, XDCAM HD, in a hermetically sealed, capture-it-forever type of approach,” explains Ken Botelho, senior director of engineering for Golf Channel. “There is an acquisition part of this all the way through near-term archive, mid archive, and deep archive.”
In implementing an end-to-end solution, Botelho emphasized the need to encapsulate both acquisition and digitization, so that new content would be available in the workflow via search of proxies in a streaming format.
“That’s the big thing,” Botelho says. “When we come back from shooting a tournament, in addition to what’s coming to us live from the Tour, we’re doing all sorts of wraparounds and ENG applications, so we might bring back 600 XDCAM discs. Those have got to get loaded into a jukebox-type carousel and ingested into the system. That used to be a whole lot of man-hours, but we’ve changed that, so our workflow migration is much more efficient.”
The Front Porch Digital DIVArchive system, along with the SAMMA V.4 Robot, is behind that efficient digital workflow.
The implementation of the Front Porch Digital system is being phased in as part of Golf Channel’s transition to high definition, which also includes standardizing field production on Sony XDCAM HD and upgrading news and programming postproduction to Avid systems, using Interplay and ISIS.
New Places, Same Faces
Happily, at Golf Channel, a new workflow does not mean a new workforce, although some job titles have changed.
“With the SAMMA Robot, it’s great to retrain our library employees, who have been handling this content for years, and convert some of them into digital-transfer-center employees, which we’re now calling encoders and impressionists,” Botelho says. “We’re moving this tape little by little.”
The Robot can digitize as many as 1,000 hours of content each week, but, with hundreds of thousands of hours in the library, Botelho expects this project to take about four years to complete.
Perfect Playing Partners
The biggest challenge with this project was attempting to avoid being overwhelmed by the sheer number of hours involved.
“To successfully migrate videotape assets and try to move them into high-quality digital files and then put them in a central repository, now you have preservation to worry about, not to mention access and repurposing,” Botelho says.
He chose the Front Porch Digital system in part because it communicates well with all the other products that the system entails.
“It plays well with all of the other flavors that we’re using,” Botelho says. “Everything moves over to a Sony PetaSite storage system, of which we have four plus two Sony carousels for XDCAM disks that constantly move material back and forth.”
One of those flavors comes from Dixon Sports Computing, a sports-logging-software company that has written custom software for Golf Channel. As the network’s legacy content is archived and metadata is written for it, any editor will be able to sit at a workstation and bring up legacy content.
“They can watch live streaming content and be able to make decisions based upon time-coded metadata information that they want to pull an asset,” Botelho says. “The system will retrieve it, send it to the Avid ISIS system, and allow people to edit it. When we’re all done with this, the manual intervention will be gone; you read the metadata, say I see it, I want it, and recover it.”
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Cannabis: Medical Treatments
What progress the Government has made on making medical cannabis available to people who need it.
Gower
Tonia Antoniazzi
<p>The Government acted swiftly to change the law and those patients for whom it is clinically appropriate can be prescribed medicinal cannabis. It is a clinical decision whether to prescribe, and prescriptions of medicinal cannabis are available, and being issued where it is judged clinically appropriate for the patient.</p><p /><p />
Matt Hancock
Biography information for Tonia Antoniazzi
Prison Sentences
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of imprisonment for public protection sentences.
<p>The assessment of the sentence of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) found that they had been used far more widely than intended, and the IPP sentence was subsequently abolished in 2012 and replaced with a new regime of determinate sentences alongside life sentences for the most serious offenders.</p><p> </p><p>Attention is now focused on reducing the risk and thereby the successful rehabilitation of those prisoners who continue to serve the IPP sentence. A joint action plan is in place, co-owned by Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and the Parole Board, with the specific aim of providing opportunities for prisoners to progress towards safe release. The plan reviewed regularly to ensure that the actions in it meet the changing needs of the IPP population.</p><p> </p><p>This approach is working, with high numbers of unreleased IPP prisoners achieving a release decision year on year: 562 in 2015, 576 in 2016, 616 I 2017 and 506 in 2018. However, it is important to remember that prisoners serving IPP sentences have committed serious sexual or violent offences - and many remain in prison because the independent parole board has assessed their risk of serious harm to the public to be too great to warrant their release.</p>
Food: Safety
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure that the Food Standards Agency is able to uphold food safety standards after the UK leaves the EU.
Penistone and Stocksbridge
<p>The Department is committed to ensuring that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) maintains the high standards of food safety and consumer protection that we currently enjoy in this country. Leaving the European Union does not change the FSA’s top priority which is to ensure that food in the United Kingdom remains safe and is what it says it is.</p><p> </p><p>One of FSA’s main priorities is to have a robust and effective regulatory regime which will mean business can continue as normal. All FSA’s exit plans are either complete or on schedule to deliver in time for day one of exit. As part of this, the Department has laid 18 EU Exit Statutory Instruments on behalf of the FSA to ensure that our high standards of food hygiene and safety will be maintained in a no deal scenario.</p>
Seema Kennedy
Biography information for Seema Kennedy
Biography information for Angela Smith
Military Bases: Northern Ireland
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if she will make an assessment of the progress made in developing the former military bases handed over to Northern Ireland in 2003.
<p>This is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland, and as such is the responsibility of the Executive Office. Information can be requested from the Head of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland.</p>
Biography information for John Penrose
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Apalachian | Article about Apalachian by The Free Dictionary
https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Apalachian
(redirected from Apalachian)
Related to Apalachian: Appalachian Trail
(ăpəlā`chən, –chēən, –lăch`–), mountain system of E North America, extending in a broad belt c.1,600 mi (2,570 km) SW from the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec prov., Canada, to the Gulf coastal plain in Alabama. Main sections in the system are the White Mts., Green Mts., Berkshire Hills, Catskill Mts., Allegheny Plateau, Black Mts., Great Smoky Mts., Blue Ridge, and Cumberland Plateau. To the E is the Piedmont (foothill) region. The Appalachians, much-eroded remnants of a great mass formed by folding (see mountainsmountain,
high land mass projecting conspicuously above its surroundings and usually of limited width at its summit. Although isolated mountains are not unusual, mountains commonly form ranges, comprising either a single complex ridge or a series of related ridges.
..... Click the link for more information. ), consist largely of sedimentary rocks. Mt. Mitchell (6,684 ft/2,037 m) in North Carolina's Black Mts. is the highest peak.
The Great Appalachian Valley or Great Valley is a chain of lowlands extending S and W from the Hudson Valley; its main segments are the Lehigh, Lebanon, Cumberland, and Shenandoah valleys; the Valley of Virginia; and the Valley of East Tennessee. Long a major north-south travel and settlement corridor, the Great Valley is one of the most fertile areas in the E United States.
The Appalachians are rich in coal; other resources include iron, petroleum, and natural gas. The scenic ranges also abound in resorts and recreation areas, including Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mts. national parks. The Appalachian TrailAppalachian Trail,
officially Appalachian National Scenic Trail,
hiking path, 2,144 mi (3,450 km) long, passing through 14 states, E United States. Conceived in 1921 by Benton MacKaye, forester and regional planner, and completed in 1937, the trail extends along the
..... Click the link for more information. winds 2,050 mi (3,299 km) along the ridges of the Appalachians between Mt. Katahdin, Maine, and Springer Mt., Georgia.
Crossed by few passes, the Appalachians were a barrier to early westward expansion and played an important role in U.S. history; major east-west routes like the Cumberland GapCumberland Gap,
natural passage through the Cumberland Mts., near the point where Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee meet. The gap was formed by the erosive action of a stream that once flowed there. It was explored and named in 1750 by Dr.
..... Click the link for more information. and Mohawk TrailMohawk Trail.
1 Old road (c.100 mi/160 km long) in central New York state following the Mohawk River. It was the sole route through the Appalachians by which thousands of settlers emigrated from the Eastern seaboard to the Midwest.
..... Click the link for more information. followed river valleys or mountain notches. Appalachia is a name applied to parts of the region that were long characterized by marginal economy, isolation of its people from the U.S. mainstream, and distinctive folkways.
See E. Porter, Appalachian Wilderness (1970); H. M. Caudill, My Land is Dying (1971); M. Brooks, The Appalachians (1986); H. D. Shapiro, Appalachia on Our Mind (1986).
a mountain system in eastern North America, in the USA and Canada, forming a belt of ranges and ridges, valleys, plateaus and tableland, from 300 to 500 km in width and extending for 2,600 km southwest to northeast from 33° N lat. to 49° N lat. The principal ranges are the Blue Ridge Mountains, White Mountains, Adirondacks, and Green Mountains. The Appalachian Plateau should also be noted. The dominating altitudes are 1,300–1,600 m (the highest peak is Mount Mitchell, 2,037 m). The Appalachians were uplifted on the site of a géosynclinal system which developed actively in the Paleozoic era on a late Precambrian folded foundation. The mountains were leveled during the Jurassic Paleocene period. Mountains reappeared in the Neocene-Anthropogenic period, when the territory of the modern Appalachians underwent a domed uplift, which resulted in the vigorous breakup of the surface and the formation of the modern terrain. The ranges consist of folded rocks and boulders and are divided by intermontane erosional valleys and basins.
During the Anthropogenic period the northern part of the Appalachians underwent glaciation, while the southern part remained in a warm and humid climate. As a result forests of broad-leaved and evergreen trees were able to survive there and subsequently to spread over a large part of the Appalachians. By structure and development the Appalachians are divided into the northern and southern regions (with the borderline approximately at the latitude of New York City).
The northern Appalachians border on the Canadian Shield in the northwest, along a huge fault (the Logan line). They lack frontal sag and consist of a narrow belt of lower Paleozoic sedimentary deposits in the northwest and a wider belt of igneous, intrusional magmatites and metamor-phic rock in the southeast. The main tectonic periods for the northern Appalachians were the Taconic (at the end of the Ordovician) and the Acadian (at the end of the Devonian). During the Carboniferous-Permian period intermontane sag developed in the interior, filled mainly with continental deposits, first coal-bearing and then red in color.
The southern Appalachians border on the midcontinental plate of the North American platform via the cis-Appalachian sag, comprising Upper Paleozoic deposits, with which important deposits of coal, oil, and gas are linked. The external, wider zone of the southern Appalachians (Valley and Ridge Province) consists of folds pointing northwest and accumulations of Lower and Middle Paleozoic rocks. The interior zone (the Blue Ridge Mountains) is made up of metamorphic sedimentary igneous Lower and Middle Paleozoic and Upper Precambrian rocks and granites. The final uplift and folding of the southern Appalachians occurred toward the end of the Paleozoic era.
In the late Triassic period the structure of the Appalachians was complicated by grabens that were filled with red continental deposits and basalt extrusions.
The climate of the Appalachians is modified by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and especially of the Gulf of Mexico. It is temperate in the north and subtropical in the south. The average temperature in January ranges from - 12°C in the north to 8°C in the south; in July the average ranges from 18°C to 26°C. Annual precipitation is from 1,000 to 1,300 mm. In the winter there are heavy frosts in the upper zone of the mountains, and much snow falls. The valleys are drier and warmer. The summers are humid and cloudy; rainfall is abundant, especially on the western slopes. The clearest and sunniest weather comes at the end of summer and beginning of autumn.
The rivers flow in deep valleys; the flow is abundant all year round, providing considerable reserves of hydro-power. Drainage altitude ranges from 30 cm in the north to 40 cm in the south. The largest rivers are the Connecticut, Hudson, Susquehanna, and Tennessee. They overflow their banks frequently because of melting snow in the spring and heavy rainfall in the summer. The major rivers of the northern Appalachians are navigable. As they fall from the eastern edge of the Piedmont, most of the rivers form rapids and waterfalls (the so-called fall line), which are used in part for power production.
The Appalachians may be divided into two sections according to geomorphological characteristics. The northern Appalachians (as far as New York City) are a leveled-off plateau, 400 to 600 m high, with rocky massifs and ridges or ranges rising above it—the Adirondacks (1,628 m), the Green Mountains (1,338 m), the White Mountains (1,916 m), and others. The mountains have flattened tops, slanting slopes, and occasional dissected cirques. The massifs are divided by tectonic valleys, which have been transformed into troughs (the largest are along the Hudson-Mohawk-Connecticut rivers and Lake Champlain). The depressed sections, especially along the Atlantic coast, are hilly and covered with glacial deposits. The soils are mountainous, podzolic, and turf-podzolic. The vegetation consists of coniferous and mixed forests of fir, silver fir, thuja, hemlock, maple, elm, beech, yellow birch, hickory, and basswood. The southern Appalachians have a more varied terrain. Their eastern foothills are made up of flat, poorly separated valleys of the Piedmont plateau (altitude from 40–80 m in the east and up to 400 m in the west). Rising sharply above the plateau are the Blue Ridge Mountains with steep slopes and undulating or domed peaks (altitude 2,037 m—Mount Mitchell). The western slope of the range falls steeply to a long depression, the so-called Great Valley. The western foothills of the Appalachians form the Appalachian Plateau, criss-crossed by narrow and deep valleys and sloping gently from 1,500 m in the east down to 500 m in the west. The predominating soils are mountain dark brown forest soils; in the foothills, the soils are red and yellow earth. Up to an altitude of around 1,000 m there are broad-leafed forests consisting of numerous species of oak, maple, ash, and many endemic and relic species (tulip tree, magnolia, planer tree, white acacia, and others); above 1,000 m the forests are mixed and coniferous, characteristic for the northern Appalachians. Subalpine vegetation is widespread in the upper belt of the mountains (rhododendron, alders). The forests have been badly depleted.
The most characteristic fauna of the Appalachians includes numerous endemic species: whitetail deer, Virginian opossum, and several species of bats; there are also tree porcupines, American black bears, lynxes, raccoon, skunks, otters, and others.
The Appalachians are a very important area for hiking, skiing, water sports, and hunting. The Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains national parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and other features are well known.
Baulig, H. Severnaia Amerika. Moscow, 1948. (Translated from French.)
Ignatyev, G. M. Severnaia Amerika. Moscow, 1965.
King, Lester. Morfologiia Zemli. Moscow, 1967. (Translated from English. Rel’ef Zemli. Moscow, 1967.
King, P. B. Geologicheskoe razvitie Severnoi Ameriki. Moscow, 1961. (Translated from English.)
Rogers, J. “Nekotorye voprosy tectoniki Appalachei.” Geotektonika, 1968, no. 3.
Fardley, A. J. Structural Geology of North America,2nd ed. New York, 1962.
G. M. IGNATYEV and V. E. KHAIN
<a href="https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Apalachian">Appalachian Mountains</a>
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Buck's Pocket State Park
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These Apalachians, Senores, are a fierce and fearless race; they are no such feeble and timid people [.
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Department of Geotechnics and Transportation
Message Speech by Director of Department
Welcome to the Department of Geotechnics and Transportation, School of Civil Engineering. This Department comprises two main sections; the geotechnical engineering section and the transportation and highway engineering section.
Geotechnical engineering which generally deals with natural materials near the earth’s surface utilizes the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics in designing safe, economical and environmentally sustainable foundations, retaining structures and earth structures. Transportation and highway engineering meanwhile is a broad discipline which involves planning, designing, construction, operation, maintenance and control of transportation facilities to ensure the provision of safe, economical, effective and efficient as well as environmentally sustainable transport services.
Presently each section has 14 academic staff in addition to 2 academic staff in the area of civil engineering surveys. In order to ensure quality services, a total of 9 well-trained technical/laboratory personnel are available to assist academic staff, students, researchers and other parties in carrying out experiments and related testing in the laboratories or on sites. Besides academic related duties, both the academicians and technical staff are often referred to by industry players to participate and/or to solve geotechnical engineering and/or transportation engineering related problems faced by those practitioners. Such collaborations are normally translated to consultancy projects and/or contract researches. The academic staff, laboratories personnel and students also involve in community services such as installing tubed wells for water supply for an indigenous community and a religious school in Johor, cleaning houses and schools affected by flood in Kelantan, and delivering motivational talks to secondary school students.
In line with the aspiration of the University to be one of the renowned global academic centers in the field of engineering and technology, the government of Malaysia provides financial supports to the University to improve the infrastructure to fulfil the demands from the students, academicians, researchers and other stake holders. With the provision of the financial supports (in terms of research grants, 10th and 11th Malaysia Plans, etc), both the soil laboratory and transportation laboratory have been equipped with up-to-date equipment and machines. By having such facilities, teaching and learning as well as researches can be performed effectively and efficiently to ensure the quality of graduates and research outputs.
As for research activities, different research groups associated with different sub-areas were formed. The Soft Soil Research Group (SSRG), the Ground Improvement Research Group (GIRG) and the Geohazard Research Group (GRG) are associated with geotechnical engineering, whereas the Pavement and Transport Research Group (PTRG) is linked to transportation and highway engineering. Research outputs are normally shared with interested parties via journal papers, seminars, conferences, short courses and colloquiums. As can be seen, hundreds of technical papers produced by the academic staff and researchers in the Department have been published in renowned journals and proceedings, in addition to innovative research products. Moreover, a center of excellence specifically related to tropical geoengineering (GEOTROPIS) was recently formed.
In summary, the Department has actively played the roles in the disseminations of knowledges and expertise to produce quality human capitals (engineers, researchers, consultants) besides to provide innovative and sustainable engineering solutions. For further information related to geotechnical engineering, transportation and highway engineering as well as civil engineering surveys, kindly visit the School of Civil Engineering website at civil.utm.my.
Dr. Nor Zurairahetty Binti Mohd Yunus
Department of Geotechnics & Transportation,
School of Civil Engineering,
Faculty of Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
81310 UTM Skudai,
Email: nzurairahetty@utm.my
Tel: +6(07)55-31504 (Direct Line)
Fax: +6(07)55-66157
Welcome Speech by Director of Department
Welcome to the Department of Geotechnics and Transportation, School of Civil Engineering. This Department comprises two main sections; the geotechnical engineering section and the transportation and highway engineering section. Read more...
Copyright © 2019 Department of Geotechnics and Transportation · UTM Webteam
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Zhang Yimou on working with Hollywood: movie landscape of world changes
The battle for the year end box office has began and a major player is "The Great Wall", an ambitious China-U.S co-production directed by Zhang Yimou. Zhang said his star-studded new blockbuster indicates that the movie landscape of the world has changed. Co-productions are opening new opportunities for industries both at home and abroad.
Zhang Yimou has revealed his monster to the world, as his English-language debut "The Great Wall" premiered last Friday.
The film centers on the mysterious origins of the Great Wall of China and what the wall’s original purpose was.
Set in the Song dynasty, the film depicts a Chinese army battling a group of monsters to protect the Great Wall from destruction.
The cast includes Chinese actor Andy Lau, "Game of Thrones" star Pedro Pascal and Matt Damon.
The battle for the year end box office has began and a major player is "The Great Wall", an ambitious China-U.S co-production directed by Zhang Yimou.
The film, co-produced by the China Film Company, LeVision Pictures, Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures, reportedly cost US$150 million to make.
Director Zhang Yimou said he studied how to make blockbusters and had no intention to defy Hollywood's production rules, which he said, had nurtured generations of audiences all around the world.
But he still had to fight with the producers to save certain scenes which they deemed not important and not interesting to American audiences.
"Hollywood blockbusters often like to add romantic scenes, but I've cut those scenes back and after negotiating with them, found it's more neccesary to focus on depicting the monster and the characters. When choosing a Chinese monster, we thought Taotie was the best choice. The greedy monster comes from China's ancient myth compilation, "The Classic of Mountains and Seas." It has appeared in bronzeware and numerous historical archives.The border pattern on the RMB bill is also inspired by this ancient image," he said.
This time the monster lurking behind the Great Wall was designed by Weta Workshop, the company behind the award-winning "The Lord of the Rings."
But for Zhang, working with professional teams from Hollywood also means making compromises sometimes.
"When designing the fight costumes, I thought steel armour would be more suitable for the big screen. But the Hollywood team thought that leather armour was better, because it's rarely seen, so it's more unique. So you see it's usually what we take for granted that western audiences find the most eastern, the most interesting," he said.
Zhang Yimou believes that he is now the only Chinese director who understands so deeply and so well how Hollywood works, after working on "The Great Wall" for the past three years.
"To export Chinese culture, you have to follow their format. You have to be careful and entertaining. You should not be too academic, otherwise it will not be efficient and accepted by foreign audiences. You have to succeed in this. If the film fails, your mission to export culture will fail too," he said.
"The Great Wall" will also be released in North America in February 2017.
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The two finalists of the Men’s Challenge Cup 2018/19 have already made history by reaching the first European Cup final in the history of the club.
Both CSM Bucuresti and AM Madeira Andebol SAD will now try to crown their historic season by lifting the trophy following the return leg in Romania on Saturday afternoon - six days after they drew 22:22 in the first leg in Portugal.
FINAL, SECOND LEG
CSM Bucuresti (ROU) vs AM Madeira Andebol SAD (POR)
Saturday 18 May, 13.30 CET, live on ehfTV.com
Result first leg: 22:22
“A unique and historic moment for handball on Madeira island,” said Madeira coach Paulo Fidalgo about the Men’s Challenge Cup final against CSM Bucuresti.
On Saturday afternoon, Fidalgo and his team can make the moment even more historic by winning the title when they visit CSM in the Romanian capital for the all-decisive return match.
A year after they reached the semi-final for the club’s best-ever achievement at that time, Madeira have gone one step beyond this time by reaching the final.
But they could have been in a much better position to lift the trophy than they actually are: in the home match last weekend, they led 19:14 with 12 minutes left on the clock but lost their five-goal lead in the closing stages.
The outcome last week obviously made Fidalgo’s fellow Portuguese counterpart content. CSM coach Paulo Pereira, however, is not sure the draw will be a big advantage to his team.
“Theoretically, we should have more options to win the title by playing the second game at home. The emotions will be an important fact that can determine the final result, however,” Pereira said.
“I know Madeira, they are coming to Bucharest to win like they have done in their latest away games in this competition,” he added. “We will have to be strongly energised and focused on our game plan to win this title.”
A triumph by CSM would mean that the Men’s Challenge Cup remains in Romania for another year. Last season, AHC Potaissa Turda won the competition in a two-leg final against A.E.K. Athens - the same team which Madeira eliminated in the semi-final this year.
Author: Peter Bruun / ew
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Car industry newsCar finance news
Car finance debt still on track for record despite sales slide
The new car headlines this year have been dominated by continued declining sales, but car finance records for the first ten months of 2017 show that the sector is still on track for record lending this year.
Latest figures from the Finance & Leasing Association show that the number of private new car finance agreements declined by 7% in October 2017 compared to the same month last year, which is not as bad as the number of private new car sales, which fell by 10% in comparison according to SMMT data. Despite fewer people borrowing, the total amount borrowed went up by 2%, meaning that the average amount borrowed per car increased by approximately 9.5% compared to the same month last year.
More than 86% of all new private car sales are financed at the dealership, with the vast majority of those using a personal contract purchase (PCP) agreement.
It’s becoming a familiar pattern this year, as the amounts led keep going up even when sales go down
Used car finance borrowing continues unabated despite falling sales
Used car finance continues to grow, with October another strong month for dealer-brokered finance. The number of finance agreements was up 9% on the same month last year, and the average lending per car was up 15%. This continues a pattern that has run all year long.
It’s important to remember that despite the used car numbers looking similar or larger to new cars most months, the overall used car market is much larger (about 3-4 times the size of the new car market), so the overall percentage of used cars financed at the dealership is much lower (and not quoted by the FLA).
We won’t know how the finance numbers compare to used car sales until early in the new year, as sales data is only provided by the SMMT on a quarterly basis. The third quarter saw used car sales falling by 2%, and the second quarter saw a modest 0.5% drop.
Assuming that nothing significant changes in the last two months (and so far, there doesn’t seem to be any indication of it), then total lending for 2017 will hit a new record for both new and used car finance markets.
It will be interesting to see if there is any response from the (FCA) or the , given that both institutions are currently investigating the car finance market.
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Lessons from Morphy
Morphy is probably the best player for the beginning player to study. Alas there are precious few games to go on, for he lived before the growth in international tournaments and was denied a match by Staunton.
Morphy more or less perfected the art of winning in open games: smooth, fast development, opening up lines for the attack, dynamic piece play throughout the game, ruthless cashing in of advantages, wonderfully imaginative combination play. Even against inferior opposition he plays with great energy and balance.
(249) morphy - duke/count [C41]
Model game 3.1: paris Model game 3.1: paris, 1858
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.dxe5 Bxf3 5.Qxf3 dxe5
Morphy had many contemporaries who could attack as well as he, but more than anyone Morphy knew how to create an attack out of the opening through accurate play. Here he already has a development advantage and the two bishops.
6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Qb3 keeping the initiative going 7...Qe7 8.Nc3 c6 9.Bg5
White needs only two more moves to complete his development - breathtakingly efficient work.
9...b5 just the wrong sort of move 10.Nxb5 cxb5 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7 12.0-0-0
Black's pieces are treading on each other's toes.
12...Rd8 13.Rxd7 Rxd7 14.Rd1
a nicely-coordinated crossfire of pins
14...Qe6 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7 16.Qb8+ apparently dramatic...
16...Nxb8 17.Rd8#
this masterpiece of economic development and slashing attack has become rightly famous; the final position is very neat 1-0
(250) morphy - meek [A43]
Model game 3.2: new orleans Model game 3.2: new orleans, 1857
1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 3.d5 e5 4.f4 d6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.fxe5 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 dxe5
White has a development advantage and a passed d-pawn, all in seven moves!
8.Bb5+ Nd7 9.Nc3 Ngf6 10.Bg5 Be7 11.d6
a decoy
11...Bxd6 12.0-0-0 1-0
Very deft.
(251) morphy - medley [C39]
Model game 3.3: london Model game 3.3: london, 1858
1.e4 e5 2.f4 exf4 3.Nf3 g5 4.h4 g4 5.Ne5 Nf6 6.Bc4 d5 7.exd5 Bd6 8.d4 Nh5 9.Nc3 Bf5 10.Ne2 Qf6 11.Nxf4 Ng3
a confused picture, where White's central hold is perhaps more secure
12.Nh5 Nxh5 13.Bg5 Bb4+ [13...Qg7] 14.c3 Qd6
White is offered material...
15.0-0 ...but completing development is more important
15...Ng7 16.Rxf5 Nxf5 17.Qxg4 Ne7 18.Re1
the last White piece enters the fight, and Black faces early defeat
18...h5 19.Qf3 Rh7
Well, White's pieces are well-placed, but how to push Black over the edge?
20.Bb5+ c6 21.dxc6 bxc6 22.Nxc6 Nbxc6 23.Bxc6+
the White force is perfectly coordinated and Black is helpless to defend all his pieces 1-0
(252) bird - morphy [C41]
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f5 4.Nc3 fxe4 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Ng3 e4 7.Ne5 Nf6 8.Bg5 Bd6 9.Nh5 0-0 10.Qd2 Qe8 11.g4
White is pushing his luck
11...Nxg4 12.Nxg4 Qxh5 13.Ne5 Nc6
Black is achieving his usual brisk development
14.Be2 Qh3 15.Nxc6 bxc6 16.Be3 Rb8 17.0-0-0
not an easy decision
17...Rxf2 bold but probably too optimistic
18.Bxf2 Qa3 the point 19.c3 Qxa2 20.b4 Qa1+ 21.Kc2 Qa4+ 22.Kb2 Bxb4 23.cxb4 Rxb4+ 24.Qxb4 Qxb4+ 25.Kc2
Black has some material back, and his initiative persists
25...e3 a clearance sacrifice
26.Bxe3 Bf5+ 27.Rd3 Qc4+ 28.Kd2 Qa2+ 29.Kd1 Qb1+ White is in an insoluble muddle 0-1
"She hung up and I set out the chess board. I filled a pipe, paraded the chessmen and inspected them for French shaves and loose buttons, and played a championship tournament game between Gortchakoff and Meninkin, seventy-two moves to a draw, a prize specimen of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object, a battle without armour, a war without blood, and as elaborate a waste of human intelligence as you could find anywhere outside an advertising agency."
Raymond CHANDLER, The Long Goodbye, Chapter 24, final sentences.
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The application software for the museum audio tour demonstrator consists of two individual applications. The first one is running on the EoT device and the second one on a mobile companion device, like a smartphone or tablet, supported by a web CMS.
This demonstrator uses the following EoT libraries, developed in the workpackage_3: Audio, LEDs, MQTT Client, Wi-Fi functions, JSON parser, SDCardIO, HistogramMatching and Quirc.
These libraries have been used to build four modules: camera and ISP, painting recognition, network communication and application logic.
The painting recognition module is called for each incoming camera frame when the device is in “painting recognition” mode. This module take a camera image as input and provide a painting ID as an output. If no painting has been identified in the current frame, a specific ID “No painting” is returned.
To this aim, the following functionalities have been implemented:
Keypoint extraction: This functionality takes the camera image as input and extract FAST keypoints from the image. Each keypoint is identified through its position (x, y) in the image.
Keypoint classification: The classification is based on a Random Forest consisting of a number of trees. This functionality takes a keypoint position and an image as input. Each single tree takes the keypoint position as input. A tree node consist in a binary brightness test between two specific pixels in the direct neighborhood of the keypoint. According to the result of this test, the point is passed to the next node in the tree. The tree leaves consist in a probability distribution of possible keypoints as learnt in the learning phase. Thus, each keypoint will generate a probability distribution among the possible reference keypoints for each tree. The distributions of all the trees are averaged in order to provide the global probability distribution, from which the maximum is taken. If this maximum is above a threshold, the keypoint is classified as a known keypoint. Repeating this process for all the keypoints in the current frame allows for counting the number of keypoints in the current frame that correspond to a given painting.
Geometric refinement: In order to avoid false positive, the found keypoints are tested for a correct geometric alignment. To this aim, the function attempts to recover a homography between the seen image and the reference painting, using a robust method based on the RANSAC paradigm.
The software to train the painting recognition consists of two separate applications. The first one analyses an image of a painting and extracts suitable keypoint locations. The suitability of a keypoint is defined by how reliably it can be detected in different perspectives. The program determines a stochastic approximation to that value by rendering the image in 1,000 random perspectives and counting in how many of those a given keypoint can be detected. The keypoints which have been found and scored this way are ordered by their quality and stored in a file.
The second application reads that keypoint file as well as the image and trains a random forest to recognize the keypoints of that painting. Training is also performed in a stochastic manner by again rendering the painting in random perspectives. For a given keypoint a sample of the keypoints appearance is drawn from each random view and fed to the training process of the random forest. The resulting forest is then serialized into a file, which can be read by the EoT museum guide software running on the EoT board.
The EoT Museum App is implemented as a mobile web-application using the standard web technologies, like JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS3. The app can be accessed using any mobile browser, which makes it highly accessible and allows for easy distribution, including a regular desktop browser.
Persisting data (e.g. for storing favorite exhibits) is stored in the user’s browser using localStorage.
Audio playback is implemented using HTML5 Audio elements that can be controlled by the user via UI elements for play/pause/seeking.
The Museum App is ready to be packaged as a native mobile app using Apache Cordova. This enables additional distribution through Apple App Store as well as Google Play Store.
In addition to these functionalities, the EoT museum app supports two configuration features:
EoT-Camera Snapshot: Requesting and displaying a snapshot of the camera image. This will control the EoT-Camera and allow a Camera-preview inside the mobile app.
Pairing of devices: Pairing of an EoT headset device and a mobile device. This is done with the camera and a dynamic QR-display.
Finally, Fluxguide developed a complete EoT Museum Guide content management system which allows the operator of the system to add, edit and delete content of the EoT visitor App. This component completes the system with a web-based, easy-to-use front end for the EoT Museum Guiding services.
During using the EoT device and the mobile app, the system will collect user data for further analysis. This data is non-personal data and collected anonymously. The users are informed about this data collection in the Terms of Service of the application. Inside the CMS there is a statistics tool for visualization of the collected data. Following information can be analysed:
Full tracking of user activities.
Daily, weekly, monthly statistics.
Ranking list of most accessed exhibits.
Museum Guide – Results http://eyesofthings.eu/?page_id=1881
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Beer, bugs and brains: Hot topics in 2010
It’s been a stellar year for the natural and social sciences at Emory. Beer, bugs, brains and rock climbing were popular themes, but advances in the quest for solar fuels and our understanding of the origins of life also ranked high. Here’s a roundup of the hottest topics on eScienceCommons during 2010.
Ancient brew masters tapped drug secrets: It appears that the art of making antibiotics, which officially dates to the discovery of penicillin in 1928, was common practice nearly 2,000 years ago. The drugs were in the beer. The story made news around the world, and will be the subject of an upcoming Discovery Channel documentary.
Another discovery that took the modern pharmaceutical industry down a notch: Monarch butterflies use drugs. Experiments show the insects can identify medicinal plants to cure themselves and their offspring of disease. The findings are the best evidence to date that animals self-medicate.
Brain trumps hand in Stone Age tool study: How did prehistoric toolmakers make the leap from simple flakes of rock to a sophisticated Acheulean hand axe? An area of the brain associated with language appears to be the key.
Physics theory wipes out: The “exceptionally simple theory of everything” proposed by a surfing physicist does not hold water, according to a rock climber who did the math. This complex story about a mysterious structure known as E8 caught the imagination of the social media world. Rock climbing may have been only incidental to the E8 story, but it is truly the sport of nerds. Check out this video explaining what it’s like to fall 40 feet down a sheer cliff face.
Tiny aphids hold big surprises: Pea aphids, expert survivors of the insect world, appear to lack major biological defenses, according to the first genetic analysis of their immune system. Aphids have evolved complex relationships with beneficial bacteria, and it’s possible that the weak immune response developed as a way to keep from killing off these microbes. Why should we care? Growing evidence shows that our hyper-clean society may be eliminating bacteria that the human immune system needs to fend off disease, from depression to cancer.
Midlife suicide rate rising: Baby boomers are driving a dramatic rise in suicides among middle-aged people. The reasons behind the disturbing findings are unclear, but statistics indicate that the upward pattern in midlife suicide is continuing. The research is cited in this New York Times article, "Boomers hit new self-absorption milestone: Age 65."
Babies do math: Even before they learn to speak, babies are organizing information about numbers, space and time in more complex ways than previously realized, a study finds. It’s almost like we’re born with a ruler in our heads.
Biology may not be so complex: A biophysicist identified parameters for several biochemical networks that distill the entire behavior of these systems into simple equivalent dynamics. The discovery may hold the potential to streamline the development of drugs and diagnostic tools.
The missing link to life? Chemists discovered that simple peptides can organize into bi-layer membranes. The finding suggests a “missing link” between the pre-biotic Earth’s chemical inventory and the organizational scaffolding essential to life. Technology is rapidly driving the search for the origins of life, including spectral surveys of small organic molecules in the “cool universe” of deep space.
The drive for solar fuel: Chemists developed the most potent homogeneous catalyst known for water oxidation, a crucial component for generating clean hydrogen fuel using only water and sunlight. The goal is to imitate Mother Nature and create a water oxidation catalyst that will cheaply and efficiently perform artificial photosynthesis.
And, finally, we get back to bugs with the news that wasps nested with dinosaurs 75 million years ago. Wired Science named the discovery one of "The Year’s Best Fossil Finds.” An Emory discovery about a fish trace fossil was also featured in a New York Times article, "A bottom feeder leaves traces below."
Looking forward to bringing you lots more big stories in 2011, including a major announcement for math in January. Watch this space!
2010: A Science Odyssey
Posted by eScienceCommons at 9:13 AM 0 comments
Tags: Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Climate change, Environmental Studies, Health, Mathematics and Computer Science, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology, Sociology
Obama receives syn-bio ethics report
The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues today released its "Report on the Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies." The report, available at www.bioethics.gov, includes 18 recommendations for negotiating the risks and benefits of the emerging field of synthetic biology.
Here's a good summary of the panel's recommendation's on Andrew Revkin's Dot Earth.
Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania, chairs the commission and James Wagner, president of Emory University, serves as vice chair. They were among a panel of 13 scientists, ethicists and public policy experts who studied the implications of synthetic biology, following the May 20 announcement by the J. Craig Venter Institute that it had inserted a laboratory-made genome into a bacterial cell, creating an organism not found in nature.
The panel held three public hearings during the past five months in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta. The commission heard from a range of experts and the lay public, as they considered possible actions government could take to prevent potential problems as synthetic biology continues to develop.
Synthetic cell: A step closer to 'recipe for life'
Entering the era of living machines
Fiction, facts and values of synthetic biology
Posted by eScienceCommons at 11:34 AM 0 comments
Tags: Bioethics, Biology, Chemistry, Community Outreach, Health
Climate change, from the hooves up
Cattle call on climate change: East Africa faces a stark reality of higher temperatures and decreasing rainfall. Photo by Dana Hoag.
In East Africa, pundits aren’t debating whether climate change is real. Temperature has already increased and precipitation has decreased in some parts of the region, where many people depend heavily on rain-fed agriculture for survival. Even slight variability in climate affects rural livelihoods in dry areas of Ethiopia and Kenya, in densely populated communities already faced with widespread poverty and limited supplies of food, water and livestock forage.
A new project is looking at the issue of climate change in East Africa from the hooves up. Known as CHAINS, the project is focused on how climate variability, animal diseases, natural resource management and land use are influencing livestock commodity chains in semi-arid and arid regions of Ethiopia and Kenya.
While previous research has focused on brokers, traders and export firms that are higher up in the economic chain, the new project is looking at the pastoralists who are actually producing the livestock that support these systems, says Emory anthropologist Peter Little.
Maasai people in Kenya rely heavily on cattle for their livelihoods. Photo by Dana Hoag.
“It seems likely that uncertainty over extreme climatic events, especially their frequency and intensity, and their effects on human and animal welfare, markets, animal disease and conflict will continue in the region and even worsen during the next decade and beyond,” Little says.
Emory researchers will work with scientists from Pwani University College in Kenya, Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the International Livestock Research Institute. They will interview pastoralists and others involved in the livestock chain, from production to final sale. The aim is to collect information to help communities manage risks and improve their livelihoods amid the forces of climate change.
The first CHAINS site centers on northeastern Kenya, where disease and drought are exacerbating land-use conflicts and disrupting cattle movements and trade. The second site is located in the Boran plateau of southern Ethiopia, where it is unclear if small-scale producers of goats, cattle and camels are benefiting from a growing export trade. In addition, large-scale commercial farming operations, drought and disputes over territorial boundaries and wells are undermining indigenous pastoral systems.
CHAINS builds on previous work that Little and his collaborators have done in East Africa on livestock markets and climate change adaptation. Other researchers in the project include Steve Stahl from the International Livestock Research Institute; Workneh Negatu from Addis Ababa Univeristy; Hussein Mahmoud from Pwani University College; Andy Catley from Tufts University; Polly Ericksen from the Livestock Research Institute; and Uriel Kitron and Carla Roncoli, both with Emory.
CHAINS is funded through the Livestock-Climate Change Collaborative Research Program, established through a U.S. AID grant to Colorado State University’s Animal Population Health Institute and the university’s Institute for Livestock and the Environment.
Blazing a new path for development work
Somalia, pirates and global food relief
Tags: Anthropology, Bioethics, Climate change, Economics, Environmental Studies, Health, Sociology
Is TRON's 'futuristic' world outdated?
The original “TRON” movie came out in the 1980s, during the heyday of arcade video games like “Pac-Man” and “Space Invaders.” The ground-breaking technological movie, about a hacker actually entering a computer-generated universe, was a huge hit.
“When that film came out, it was considered beyond mind blowing,” says Emory physicist Sidney Perkowitz, who compares the impact of “TRON” to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“People really grabbed onto the idea of being sucked into a digital world, but now we take that a little more for granted,” Perkowitz says. “Many of us are in a digital world, not exactly in the form of bytes running through a computer, but we have social networking, we have game consoles that can almost read our minds.”
Jeff Bridges, the star of the original “TRON” returns in “TRON: Legacy,” opening this weekend. The special effects are better, but has the idea of entering a digital universe become old hat?
One of the most outdated aspects of the original “TRON” is the SHIVA laser, used to “disassemble” Bridges so that he could be projected into a computer. “That seems a little extreme now,” Perkowitz says. “We all now live in a digital world, and we all know how to recreate our personalities and upload them into a digital world.”
'Unstoppable' physics
Is 'Iron Man' suited for reality?
Tags: Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Science and Art/Media
The math of your heart
The science of cardiovascular mathematics dates at least to the 1700s, when the pioneering Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler developed a model for fluid dynamics while studying blood flow in arteries. “The love between math and medicine goes back a long time,” says Emory mathematician Alessandro Veneziani. But it was not until the past decade or so, he adds, that advances in computing and diagnostic imaging put fluid dynamics at the cutting edge of medicine.
“My dream is that medical simulation will become part of the daily routine of medical doctors,” he says.
When it comes to analyzing blood flow problems, you can't beat math. Photo by Carol Clark.
Veneziani’s lab uses math and computer simulations to investigate blood dynamics, and support physicians in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. “Blood flow problems are really difficult, so we need sophisticated mathematics to solve them,” Veneziani says. “Like weather forecasting, which is also based on mathematical models of fluid dynamics, we are creating models to forecast outcomes for patients.”
His research has helped improve the odds for babies with a heart defect known as left-ventricle hypoplasia. Through computer simulation, surgeons can now predict the optimal size and placement of the artificial aorta needed to keep a newborn alive while awaiting a heart transplant.
A recent grant from the Brain Aneurysm Foundation is supporting Veneziani’s research into the tears in neural blood vessels that create balloon-like bulges. Using complex equations to predict the likelihood of rupture in aneurysms could help doctors determine whether to operate, or forego the risky surgery and simply monitor the patient.
Emory bioengineer Marina Piccinelli develops software to turn medical images into geometric models.
The mathematical engineers in Veneziani’s lab work closely with physicians in the Emory School of Medicine and other institutions to develop the cardiovascular models. Some of the problems they are working on include bicuspid aortic valve defects in newborns, atherosclerosis and ventricular dissynchrony.
The process begins with differential equations to describe the blood dynamics. Medical images from individual patients are then pixelated into geometric representations. Finally, computer software is used to simulate the flood flow, and all of the data is merged.
“Now we are providing the medical doctors not just an image, the situation at a given instant, but a dynamical image, including the simulation of blood inside,” Veneziani says. “We can compute the stress of the blood on an arterial wall and a lot of relative indexes for providing the medical doctors with a better picture of the situation.”
The image processing software used in the process, the Vascular Modeling ToolKit (VMTK), was developed by the M. Negri Institute in Bergamo, Italy, and Emory. The simulation software, LifeV, was developed by the EPFL (the Ecole Polytechnique Federale of Lausanne, Switzerland), the Politecnico di Milano in Italy and Emory.
Both VMTK and LifeV are open-source, available free for download from the Internet. “We want other researchers to use the software to solve blood flow problems, and to give us feedback, so we can keep refining and improving the code,” Veneziani says.
The math of card tricks, games and gambling
Posted by eScienceCommons at 1:22 PM 0 comments
Tags: Biology, Health, Mathematics and Computer Science
Are depressed people too clean?
Rates of depression have steadily grown, and researchers think one cause may be the loss of healthy bacteria in today's cleaner, modern society.
In an article published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Emory neuroscientist Charles Raison and colleagues reviewed the mounting evidence that disruptions in ancient relationships with microorganisms in soil, food and the gut may contribute to the increasing rates of depression.
According to the "hygiene hypothesis," the modern world has become so clean, we are deprived of the bacteria our immune systems came to rely on over long ages to keep inflammation at bay.
“We have known for a long time that people with depression, even those who are not sick, have higher levels of inflammation,” Raison explains. “Since ancient times benign microorganisms, sometimes referred to as ‘old friends,’ have taught the immune system how to tolerate other harmless microorganisms, and in the process, reduce inflammatory responses that have been linked to the development of most modern illnesses, from cancer to depression.”
Experiments are currently being conducted to test the efficacy of treatments that use properties of these “old friends” to improve emotional tolerance. “If the exposure to administration of the ‘old friends’ improves depression,” the authors conclude, “the important question of whether we should encourage measured re-exposure to benign environmental microorganisms will not be far behind.”
What aphids can teach us about immunity
The quest for inner peace and happiness
Tags: Biology, Environmental Studies, Health, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology
The holidays and the 'happiness paradox'
The Washington Post writes about the "happiness paradox," based on a recent Emory conference on the topic:
Before you rush off to the mall or join the office holiday party, some A-list religious leaders want you to know one thing: The happiness derived from tearing open a coveted gift or downing a tasty beverage will fade before the final stanza of "Auld Lang Syne." And all you'll be left with in the New Year is an empty wallet and a hangover.
In fact, the consumer-driven culture whose engine revs this time of year is probably "the most efficient system yet devised for the manufacture and distribution of unhappiness," says Lord Jonathan Sacks, Britain's chief rabbi.
So, if iPods and eggnog won't do the trick, what will make us happy?
Sacks was one of four prominent religious leaders invited by Emory University in Atlanta this year to answer that eternal question. "The Pursuit of Happiness Conference," organized by Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion, also included the Dalai Lama, Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and Seyyed Hossein Nasr, a noted Muslim scholar at George Washington University.
In a nutshell, their common advice might be dubbed the "happiness paradox": the more you give, the happier you get. In that way, Sacks said, spiritual happiness is the "greatest source of renewable energy we have."
"If I have a certain amount of money and I give some to you, I have less," Sacks said. "But if I have a certain amount of friendship or love or trust and I give it to you, I don't have less, I have more."
Read the whole Washington Post article
Are hugs the new drugs?
Ditch the guilt and be happy
Tags: Community Outreach, Psychology, Science and Spirituality, Sociology
Wilderness trail leads to Emory stories
Life is like a Cliff shuttle: It tends to go full circle. Kim Urquhart's vacation took her back to her college years as an adventure guide in New Mexico, and around to her current role as editor of Emory Report.
During her college years, Emory Report editor Kim Urquhart spent her summers working at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. A high-country wilderness spread over more than 200-square-miles, Philmont is rich in wildlife and history.
“Philmont is like Mecca for Boy Scouts,’” Urquhart says. “It was the ultimate summer job.”
Urquhart worked as a photographer, as a mountain-bike instructor at a backcountry camp, and as a guide to the petroglyphs and archeological sites of the ancient Pueblo people who inhabited the area as far back as 1200 BC.
One fall, she extended her stay to work as an Autumn Adventure guide. The Autumn Adventure program allows all-adult groups to experience Philmont, which is normally geared to teenaged Scouts.
A feisty Western hognose snake greets hikers on a Philmont trail. Photo by Kim Urquhart.
Urquhart recalls that her most memorable time was leading an all-woman crew, the mothers of Cub Scouts from Norman, Oklahoma, on a backpacking trip. Something about being out in the wilderness forges bonds with people, she says. “You’re experiencing all this beauty with people of different ages and interests, but you all share this love of the place.”
The group of women kept returning each year. They stayed in touch with Urquhart, and this fall, they asked if she would join them for the 15th anniversary of their Philmont adventures. So in late September, Urquhart spent her vacation with the women in her old stomping grounds: Philmont’s North Ponil Canyon.
She didn’t exactly get away from it all, however: The group was guided by Allison Vinson, who graduated from Emory in May with a degree in environmental studies.
Allison Vinson puts her environmental studies degree to good use as a wilderness guide. Photo by Kim Urquhart.
“I couldn’t help myself,” Urquhart says, explaining why she worked on a multi-media slide show of Vinson during her vacation (see below). “It was fun to find an Emory connection in this remote canyon.”
Vinson comes from a long line of Emory alumni, and counts environmental studies’ Lance Gunderson and Oxford College sociologist Mike McQuaide among her most influential teachers.
“Coming to Philmont was good for me right after graduation, because I’m able to use what I learned in college,” Vinson says. “My goal is to educate people about conservation through hands-on learning.”
In addition to guiding, Vinson has worked as an invasive species specialist at Philmont, and wrote a chapter in the Philmont field guide to flora and fauna.
Despite all the time she had spent in Philmont, Urquhart learned a lot of new things thanks to Vinson. “She talked about how in an Emory botany class she started a field notebook that she wrote in almost every day,” Urquhart says. “She had it with her and still uses it.”
Fire ecology was another topic Vinson knew well. “Fires had burned through where we hiked, changing the face of the canyon,” Urquhart says. “I’d go to a secret spot that I remembered, and it would be gone.”
In transit between Philmont and Atlanta, Urquhart had dinner in a Santa Fe restaurant. One of the eccentric locals started telling her about his home: A bus that he bought through a surplus sale and parked in the desert nearby.
“He showed me a picture on his cell phone, and it was a Cliff shuttle!” Urquhart says.
The man explained that he couldn’t drive the former shuttle bus because it runs on natural gas, and there are no local sources. But sometimes he pretends he’s going somewhere by flipping the signs from “Haygood Drive” to “Clifton Road.”
And with that irresistible Emory story, Urquhart’s vacation became a true busman’s holiday.
Alumnus support new science building
Insider's guide to Georgia barrier islands
Going off the grid for Spring break
A policy of 'no child left inside'
Tags: Biology, Community Outreach, Environmental Studies, Humor/Fun
Solar fuels move into higher gear
The Emory Bio-inspired Renewable Energy Center (EBREC), aims to duplicate natural processes of photosynthesis, to generate clean, sustainable sources of solar fuel. Photo by Carol Clark.
The debut of the Zing Solar Fuels/Photochemistry Conference, set for Dec. 1-4 in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, is one more indicator that solar energy is hot.
“It’s a very fast-moving field,” says Emory inorganic chemist Craig Hill, co-chair of the new conference. “Things are moving so quickly, that the other major conferences aren’t frequent enough to keep up with the key technical advances.”
Hill is a leading developer of water oxidation catalysts, a crucial component to split water into oxygen and protons for the production of solar fuels. Other Emory chemists presenting at the conference include Tim Lian, who is researching quantum technology to absorb light and drive reactions; and Brian Dyer, who is researching microbial catalysis by the protein hydrogenase, to convert protons into hydrogen.
“It’s an extremely exciting time for solar fuels research,” says Hill, an internationally known pioneer of green chemistry. “Interest in solar energy is growing all over the world, and it’s becoming a priority for funding in almost every country that has a research establishment.”
The movement from fossil fuels to cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy “is not going to be a dramatic, abrupt event,” Hill adds. “It’s incremental change.”
Water oxidation advance aims at solar fuel
Bringing new energy to solar quest
Tags: Biology, Chemistry, Climate change, Environmental Studies
Burning with passion for the world
The burners are on high for Marshall Scholar Shivani Jain, whether she's cooking for the homeless in Atlanta or using art to teach environmental education in Africa.
“My father always told me that you should burn with passion and love for the rest of the world. You should take what you learn outside of yourself and apply it,” says Shivani Jain. The Emory senior is taking that advice to heart, planting seeds of change from Atlanta to Africa as she blazes through a degree in sociology.
Jain recently received a Marshall Scholarship for advanced studies in Britain. She plans to study global health and economic development at University College London, health policy at Cambridge University, and infectious disease control at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
“I still can’t believe I got it,” Jain says of the highly competitive, all-inclusive scholarship. “It’s starting to sink in.”
Jain grew up in greater New Orleans. Her father came from Punjab, India, and her mother is from Calcutta. She was a junior at an all-girl’s Catholic high school when Hurricane Katrina hit, sending her off to boarding school in northern Louisiana.
“It didn’t make sense for me to be at home anymore,” Jain says. “My school was closed and the city was like a war zone.”
Being uprooted and sent to the Louisiana School for Math, Science and the Arts “turned out to be a blessing in disguise,” Jain says. “I was exposed to much more diversity, in terms of the students’ varied religious and ethnic backgrounds.”
Jain began her Emory career at Oxford College, thinking she would major in political science, until she enrolled in a class taught by sociologist Michael McQuaide. The course on globalization and the developing world included a trip to a remote village in Ecuador. “It changed my world view,” Jain says. “The people there are much more connected to their natural environment. Their health system is rooted in shamanistic ideology.”
Trying on Kente cloth in Ghana. Jain's field work in Ghana inspired her to create a non-profit organization, RISE Glocal.
Her love of cooking led Jain to help organize the Emory Culinary Club, which feeds the homeless and assists organic farmers. Her interest in women’s issues and theater inspired her to direct, produce and act in “The Vagina Monologues,” aimed at preventing sexual violence. Her involvement with the Barkley Forum debate team moved her to teach debating skills to teens in inner-city Atlanta.
“I like to use what I’m learning in the classroom,” Jain says.
Under the guidance of Emory sociologist Tracy Scott, Jain interned at hospital wards in greater London, and did comparative studies of health systems in the U.S and the U.K. Last year, she traveled to Ghana, to assist in a study of water sanitation policies in the capitol of Accra. She interviewed people who lived in slums, without latrines or running water.
“Many people didn’t see a problem with their children wading in the gutter water, even though they knew it was dirty,” Jain says.
Staggering deficits in education, infrastructure and policies may seem hopeless to some, but to Jain, they signal a call to action. So Jain and Neema Iyer, a graduate student in the Rollins School of Public Health, founded a non-government organization, RISE Glocal. It uses creative arts to bypass culture and language barriers and connect people to health and environmental education through their own music, poetry and drama. Based in the United States, RISE Glocal now operates in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Jordan and Mexico.
“I’m pretty busy,” Jain concedes. “In general, my thoughts are racing. Sometimes being so involved means you sacrifice other things, but I enjoy what I do and wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Bridging math, biology and ecology
Scholar reads the classics -- and bones
Tags: Biology, Community Outreach, Economics, Health, Science and Art/Media, Sociology
Obama awaits report on synthetic biology
What is synthetic biology? The field is so new, and so complex, that even those working at its frontiers cannot give a single definition.
“Synthetic biology represents only the latest link in a long chain of scientific innovation,” said Amy Gutmann, president of the University of Pennsylvania and the chair of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues.
The creation of the first self-replicating synthetic cell last May prompted President Obama to seek the commission’s advice on the rapidly advancing field. Last week, Emory hosted the third and final meeting of the commission on synthetic biology, before the panel submits its recommendations in December.
“Imagine programmable, biological micro-factories, producing fuels and pharmaceuticals and fertilizers and food, materials and hormones and enzymes. Imagine the prospects even for genetic vaccinations,” said Emory President James Wagner, vice chair of the commission. “Of course, in addition to the excitement, there is a good deal of concern.”
What if organisms produced in laboratories are more robust than ones found in nature? Could we be interfering in the natural order of life? Could this new technology be used for malevolent purposes?
Over the course of the two-day meeting, the commission heard from experts, and members of the public, as it debated 19 provisional recommendations. One calls for an independent body to correct sensational claims in the media around synthetic biology. Another calls for federal agencies to regularly assess security and safety risks as the science advances.
Gutmann told the journal Nature that because synthetic biology is still in its infancy, “if our recommendations are followed, there will not be a ‘flash point’ that ignites public deadlock like we’ve seen in other areas of science.”
Click her to watch complete Web casts of the Nov. 16-17 meeting held at Emory.
Josh Keller, hiking in Austria, loves exploring the outdoors, as well as different scientific fields.
“As long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed working on analytical puzzles,” says Josh Keller, an Emory senior majoring in math and linguistics and a Rhodes Scholar finalist. He hopes to spend his career solving health puzzles at the intersection of math and biology, and also help others understand those results.
“Many people don’t have the familiarity with numbers that comes naturally to me,” he says, “but numeracy is a critical ability for everyone in modern society.”
Keller spent part of his freshman year conducting research in a chemistry lab. “I was deliberate about exploring a lot of different areas,” he says, explaining how he expanded upon his interest in math and discovered his passions for language, ecology and the environment, and human health.
In his junior year, Keller joined a project modeling the transmission patterns of dengue fever. For his honors thesis, he is applying partial differential equations to epidemiological data, to try to improve models for tracking the spread of rabies in raccoons.
Building bridges between math, epidemiology and ecology can help control the spread of all kinds of infectious diseases, from rabies to deadly strains of influenza, he says. “I want to investigate and model practical biological issues with profound detail. But I also plan to be an instructor and a public figure who can relay that information in a helpful and meaningful way.”
Keller has served as a math tutor, a teacher’s assistant for linguistics, a freshman peer advisor and a leader of Bible study groups. He is president of Emory’s Wesley Fellowship and has participated in the Ethics and Servant Leadership Forum and the Open Door Community, which provides assistance to the homeless.
A Goldwater Scholar, Keller was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa his sophomore year. He has received high departmental awards in math and computer science, as well as in German – a rare honor for a non-major.
Mosquito monitoring saves lives and money
From swine flu to dengue fever, rising risks
Tags: Biology, Environmental Studies, Health, Mathematics and Computer Science
Diapers yield developmental data
By Robin Tricoles
With the help of babies and more than 5,000 of their diapers, Emory researchers have developed an accurate, noninvasive way to determine estrogen levels in infants. The method, described in the journal Frontiers in Systems Biology, will allow comparisons of estrogen levels in human infants and their long-term reproductive development as well as the development of sex-specific behaviors, such as toy preference or cognitive differences.
What’s more, the method will allow researchers to look at how early disruption of the endocrine system affects long-term maturation, a growing concern among physicians.
Surprisingly little is known about hormone levels during human infancy. Previous human research has focused on the measurement of hormones in blood, urine and saliva. The new data are the result of using fecal samples collected from cotton diapers. With this novel approach, the researchers successfully measured the fecal levels of estradiol, a type of estrogen.
The well-known importance of estradiol’s role in postnatal development of the body, brain and behavior has in recent years raised specific concerns about how exogenous estrogens, or environmental estrogens, such as those found in soy, fruits and vegetables, plastics and common household items, affect lifelong health.
“The development of robust, noninvasive methods to measure these hormones in infants allows us to further investigate the association between postnatal hormone production and the development of sex-specific biology and behavior,” says Emory anthropologist Michelle Lampl, senior author of the paper.
“The development of an assay to measure estrogen from diapers might initially strike one as unnecessary or strange, but the need is real,” says Sara Berga, chair of gynecology and obstetrics at Emory’s School of Medicine. “We understand very little about the hormonal dynamics that occur during early development precisely because we lack a reliable way to track hormones in neonates and very young children. Having a way to track this critical hormone that influences behavior and the development of many important tissues, including the brain, will allow us to understand normal. This really is a great leap forward.”
The paper’s authors include anthropologist Amanda Thompson at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Emory anthropologist Patricia Whitten; and Michael Johnson of the University of Virginia Health System.
Previous studies in primates have shown a close parallel between fecal levels of estradiol and serum values. Likewise, a comparison of fecal steroid levels between the study infants and previous studies of human adults shows an overlapping pattern, a pattern that is also seen in infant serum when compared with adult serum.
“These observations are the first report of human infant fecal estradiol levels and they provide a new tool for investigating early human development,” Lampl say, who also serves as associate director of the Emory/Georgia Tech Predictive Health Institute. “Because infant diapers are plentiful, fecal samples can be collected frequently and over a long period of time. Future longitudinal studies will allow the association between fecal levels of steroids and physiological measures to be assessed, and expand our understanding independent of serum measures.”
How childhood makes us who we are
The secret lives of lemurs
Tags: Anthropology, Biology, Health, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology
Explorer of the 'cool universe'
Artist's impression of the Herschel space telescope, which is revealing a surprising array of activity in cold, dark regions where interstellar material condenses. Credit: ESA, D. Ducros.
Emory astrochemist Susanna Widicus Weaver will soon begin one of the first broad spectral surveys of small organic molecules in deep space. Her lab’s research proposal – to search for the raw materials of life in star-forming regions – recently won 42 hours of observing time on the Herschel Space Observatory.
“The process for applying is incredibly competitive, and 42 hours is a huge amount of time, so we’re ecstatic,” Weaver said. “I actually watched the Herschel instrument evolve over the past 10 years, so I have to pinch myself that this is actually happening.”
Astrochemistry draws on astronomy, laboratory spectroscopy and chemical modeling to study chemical mechanisms in space. Weaver is skilled in all three of these specialized areas.
Weaver studies chemical mechanisms in space.
As a graduate student at Caltech, she would visit the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and marvel at the technology going into building the Herschel instruments. Headed by the European Space Agency, Herschel became the largest telescope in space when it launched last year. The scope’s 3.5 meter-diameter mirror offers an unprecedented view of the “cool universe,” the domain of objects like tiny stars and molecular clouds that barely emit light. It may not seem as glamorous as looking for new planets, but scientists believe that the cool universe holds secrets for how life forms. Herschel operates in the far-infrared range, penetrating the veil of gas and dust shrouding these cooler realms by bridging the gap between infrared and radio astronomy.
Weaver’s research is focused on that gap, in the terahertz frequency range. At Emory, she is developing the technology to search for the building blocks of life in this largely unexplored area of deep space. Students are helping her build a high-sensitivity spectrometer to record the terahertz transmission frequency of transient molecules that are key building blocks to forming simple molecules of sugars and amino acids.
Weaver theorizes that these transient molecules are present in deep space. On Earth, however, they are unstable, existing only for the blink of an eye. So Weaver is developing methods to make the molecules and keep them stable in a laboratory environment. Using spectroscopy to record the spectral “fingerprints” of the molecules gives the lab a guide to search for them in space.
Stellar pregnancy and birth in the Milky Way. Credit: ESA/HiGAL Cosortium.
Weaver and her students are frequent visitors to the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory on the Mauna Kea volcano of the Big Island of Hawaii, where they acquire terahertz spectra with a 10.4-meter radio astronomy dish. This dish is a powerful device, situated in a high, dry and dark location, but observations are still hampered by the Earth’s atmosphere, which blocks most far-infrared wavelengths, while also producing its own far-infrared radiation. Observing terahertz radiation from the ground is like trying to see stars on a cloudy night.
“That’s the reason that the Herschel telescope is so incredible. This is the first time we can observe molecules in the terahertz range from space,” Weaver says.
Weaver and her students will use their time on the Herschel observatory to search for a range of simple molecules that they have identified as key to prebiotic pathways in interstellar chemistry, such as acetic acid, methyl formate, glycolaldehyde and methanol.
“Most previous observations have targeted a few specific molecules, but we want to open that up and get a better idea of the average composition of the clouds in star-forming regions,” Weaver explains.
Tracing our origins to the stars
Tags: Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Tapping secrets of the social brain
Gary Stix writes in Scientific American:
Emory University just announced at this week's Society for Neuroscience meeting that it is establishing a Center for Translational Social Neuroscience.
The objective will be to bring in bigwig scientists like psychologist Frans de Waal from the school's Yerkes National Primate Research Center to marshal a body of basic research on social bonding and translate it into drugs or behavioral interventions that can help autistic children and those suffering from the kinds of social deficits that can occur with schizophrenia. These studies will also shed light on how the normal social brain works.
"The overall goal is to foster collaboration between people trying figure to out how to treat autism patients and people who are working with animals who can come up with clever ways of stimulating the social brain and bring these people together to make translation happen," says Larry Young, the center's director, who uses prairie voles (unusual because they are monogamous mammals—see photo) to study social relationships.
Read the whole article in Scientific American.
How early nurturing affects adult love
Schizophrenia: What we know now
Tags: Biology, Health, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center
Imagine being able to program an innocuous organism to clean up hazardous waste. Or generate a clean, cheap fuel. Or destroy cancer cells.
Emory scientists are among those working at the forefront of synthetic biology – the engineering of biological functions and systems not found in nature. This rapidly accelerating field holds tremendous promise, but raises challenging questions about ethics, security and safety.
Have an interest or concern about synthetic biology? Now is the time to express it. On Nov. 16-17, Emory is hosting a public meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. (Watch videos of the event by clicking here.) It’s the third and final meeting of the commission before it issues recommendations to President Obama on synthetic biology.
“We look for a good turnout from interested members of the public, as well as teachers, students and practitioners in fields that touch on synthetic biology,” said Emory President James Wagner, vice chair of the commission.
If you are unable to attend, you can still have your say. Written comments on the topic can be emailed to info@bioethics.gov.
Peptides may hold missing link to life
Tags: Bioethics, Biology, Chemistry, Climate change, Community Outreach, Health
Physics flies off the rails in 'Unstoppable'
It’s a gripping premise: “1 million tons of steel. 100,000 lives. 100 miles to impact.”
The new movie “Unstoppable,” features a runaway train, loaded with toxic chemicals, speeding towards a town with a bend in the tracks. It’s actually loosely based on a 2001 incident when a renegade locomotive was halted just short of Kenton, Ohio.
But is the science in “Unstoppable” accurate? Could the train’s impact decimate a town?
Emory physicist Sidney Perkowitz applies the basic formula of kinetic energy – one-half the mass times the speed squared – to compare the impact of the “Unstoppable” train to nuclear bombs and an asteroid.
A hydrogen bomb carries energy equivalent to 20 million tons of TNT. A train weighing one million tons, traveling at 50 miles per hour, as the movie’s publicity describes it, would carry the equivalent of 60 tons of TNT. “That would be a major explosion,” Perkowitz says.
But can a train really weigh 1 million tons?
“I think whoever wrote the publicity forgot the difference between tons and pounds,” Perkowitz says. If the train had a weight of 1 million pounds, then it would only have the energy of 60 pounds of TNT.
“That’s certainly enough to take out a building,” he says. “It would turn an SUV into molecules and it would be a terrible crash, but not enough to take out a whole city block.”
Interesting science, but not likely to stop movie goers in their tracks. “It sounds like a fun film,” Perkowitz says. “I would sit back and munch some popcorn and let the train run over me, and not worry too much about the math.”
Check out this video of Perkowitz talking about the physics in the movie “Iron Man,” and how it has some basis for reality in the U.S. military.
Sound too far-fetched? Watch this news video from CNN, below, about a half-man, half-robot contraption developed by the defense contractor Raytheon:
Tags: Humor/Fun, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Science and Art/Media
Are astronauts at risk for lung cancer?
NASA photo
Researchers from Emory's Winship Cancer Institute and the Medical College of Georgia are launching a new cancer research initiative – into space.
NASA awarded a team of investigators from both institutions $7.6 million to study how space radiation may induce lung cancer. The award establishes a NASA Specialized Center of Research (NSCOR), consisting of a team of scientists with complementary skills.
Interplanetary space travel could expose astronauts to conditions where they are chronically exposed to types of radiation not normally encountered on earth. One of these is high energy charged particles (HZE), which results in complex damage to DNA and a broader stress response by the affected cells and tissues.
There is no epidemiological data for human exposure to HZE particles, although some estimates have been made studying uranium miners and Japanese atomic bomb survivors, says Ya Wang, a radiation oncologist and director of the NSCOR at Emory.
Animal experiments show that HZE particle exposure induces more tumors than other forms of radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays. Because it is a leading form of cancer, lung cancer can be expected to be prominent among increased risks from radiation even though astronauts do not smoke. However, the risk for astronauts remains unclear because the dose of HZE astronauts are expected to receive is very low, Wang says.
Read more in this Winship news release.
Scientist tackles ethics of space travel
Tags: Bioethics, Biology, Health, Physics
Mary Loftus, associate editor of Emory Magazine, describes the top 10 things that religious leaders say about happiness in the Huffington Post:
One of the things that most irritated me about Sunday school -- and there were many, including the fact that I had to wear tights, keep quiet and not ask why God wasn't a girl -- is that we were told, however covertly, that happiness was selfish.
Religion, I came to believe, was all about self-sacrifice. How could we be happy when babies in Angola were starving (or being sent to purgatory by the Pope)? How could we be happy when already we bent so readily toward sin? How could we be happy when we had to constantly be on guard against greed, pride, sloth, lust and gluttony (i.e., cool stuff, bragging, hanging around, casual sex and cookies)?
Come to find out at a recent "Summit on Happiness," hosted by Emory University's Center for the Study of Law and Religion, many of the world's religions have nothing against humans seeking to be happy.
Can I really ditch the guilt and go for the gusto?
According to spiritual leaders from the Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist traditions, the answer is yes -- with a few conditions.
His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, the star of the show, has said that the very purpose of life is to be happy, so long as "one person or group does not seek happiness or glory at the expense of others." He didn't disappoint at the summit, sticking up for happiness as well as world peace at every opportunity, and laughing or chuckling fairly consistently throughout the event.
The Dalai Lama was joined on the panel by Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth and Islamic scholar Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University.
They agreed wholeheartedly that faithfulness and happiness were not mutually exclusive.
Click here to read the top 10 things she learned about spiritual happiness.
Breathe in, breathe out, be happy
Tags: Health, Humor/Fun, Psychology, Science and Spirituality, Sociology
Brain trumps hand in Stone Age tool study
Was it the evolution of the hand, or of the brain, that enabled prehistoric toolmakers to make the leap from simple flakes of rock to a sophisticated hand axe?
A new study finds that the ability to plan complex tasks was key. The research, published today in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE, is the first to use a cyber data glove to precisely measure the hand movements of stone tool making, and compare the results to brain activation.
“Making a hand axe appears to require higher-order cognition in a part of the brain commonly known as Broca’s area,” said Emory anthropologist Dietrich Stout, co-author of the study. It’s an area associated with hierarchical planning and language processing, he noted, further suggesting links between tool-making and language evolution.
“The leap from stone flakes to intentionally shaped hand axes has been seen as a watershed in human prehistory, providing our first evidence for the imposition of preconceived, human designs on the natural world,” he said.
"For the past two million years, stone tool making has been the most common and consistent human technology," Stout says. Photo by Carol Clark.
Stout is an experimental archeologist who recreates prehistoric tool making to study the evolution of the human brain and mind. Subjects actually knap tools from stone as activity in their brains is recorded. (Watch the video, above, to see how Stone Age tools were made.)
“Changes in the hand and grip were probably what made it possible to make the first stone tools,” Stout said. “Increasingly we’re finding that the earliest tools required visual and motor skills, but were conceptually simple.”
For this study, Stout used a data glove to record the exact hand postures of the research subject across a range of prehistoric technologies. He teamed with Aldo Faisal, a neuroscientist at Imperial College London, and archeologists Jan Apel of Gotland University College in Sweden and Bruce Bradley of Exeter University in Devon, England.
The researchers compared the manual dexterity for the tasks involved in making two types of tools: Oldowan flakes and Late Acheulean hand axes. Simple Oldowan stone flakes are the earliest known tools, dating back 2.6 million years. The Late Acheulean hand axe, going back 500,000 years, embodies a higher level of refinement and standardization.
“I assumed that the manual dexterity was going to be greater for making the hand axe,” Stout said. “But we found that the hand gestures were so similar that we couldn’t distinguish them.”
The leap from stone flakes to a hand axe was "a watershed in human prehistory," Stout says. Photo by Carol Clark.
A previous study by Stout found differences in the brain activation associated with Oldowan versus Acheulean technologies. It was unclear, however, whether the difference was due to higher-level behavior organization or lower-level differences in manipulative complexity.
The results of the data glove study point to higher cognition. “The advances of Late Acheulean technology were not about increased dexterity. They were about the ability to plan complex action sequences,” Stout said.
A hand axe requires the maker to begin with a precise, symmetrical end in mind. A variety of tools are involved, from a large rock to rough out the basic shape of the axe, to a softer implement, such as an antler billet, to thin and sharpen the edges.
The ongoing research could lead to new understanding of the modern human brain. “For the past two million years, stone tool-making has been the most common and consistent human technology, done by virtually every society,” Stout said. "It’s an important human behavior that probably helped shape our brains.”
Brain expert explores realm of human dawn
A brainy time traveler
Tags: Anthropology, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Population Biology Ecology and Evolution Program, Psychology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center
The color mosaic of the Orion Nebula and nearby star-forming region. Credit: NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space telescope Science Institute) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team.
Discover Magazine writes about how scientists are searching for the origins of life in deep space by teasing out different strands of the story of prebiotic chemistry:
Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and other atoms knock about in nebulas, sometimes freely and sometimes bound up with ice and dust. They arrange themselves into elaborate molecular structures. Meteorites abound with organic compounds, which rain down on any nearby planets.
Helping to weave all those strands into a single, elegant narrative is an Emory University astrochemist with a providential name: Susanna Widicus Weaver. Through a series of models and experiments, she has demonstrated that ultraviolet radiation can break chemical bonds and split molecules into highly reactive fragments called radicals. It is difficult for radicals to do much at -440 degrees F, but when the temperature warms even slightly (as when a star begins to form), the radicals merge to form larger molecules …. In a major 2008 paper, Weaver predicted an abundance of such radicals in dust clouds. A thorough search of interstellar ice grains by infrared astronomers should determine whether radicals indeed play a primary role in constructing prebiotic molecules. …
We know that meteorites contain amino acids and even nucleobases, but not whether they scooped up those molecules from dust clouds or created them later, on their interplanetary course. “We really don’t know where the chemistry in the dust cloud stops and where the chemistry in meteorites starts up,” Weaver says. She notes that the answer has tremendous implications for one of science’s most fundamental questions: How common is life throughout the universe?
Read the full article in Discover.
Seeking clues to life in stardust
In praise of tiny, perfect moles
It’s far into the future and science can do pretty much anything. Rabbits are a luminous green, pigs have human brain tissue and lions have been genetically spliced with lambs. That’s the premise of Margaret Atwood’s latest book “The Year of the Flood.”
Adam One is the leader of a sect known as “God’s Gardeners,” devoted to the blending of science and religion. Most of human life has been obliterated, but God’s Gardeners believe in the healing power of song. As the world is ending, they sing the praises of Earth’s creatures, like the tiny, perfect mole. And the little carrion beetles “that seek unlikely places. We turn our husks to the elements and tidy up our spaces.”
You’ll get goose bumps and giggles watching these videos of Elizabeth Saliers, backed by Emory musicians, singing some of the hymns from the novel. The special performances were for Atwood herself, while she was at Emory recently to give a series of talks on science fiction.
Related: Imagining new worlds
Tags: Bioethics, Biology, Environmental Studies, Humor/Fun, Science and Art/Media, Science and Spirituality
Photo by Carol Clark
Cutting surveillance for mosquito-borne diseases would likely lead to an exponential increase in both the number of human cases and the financial costs when a disease outbreak occurs, according to an analysis by Emory University.
The Public Library of Science (PLoS) published the research, led by disease ecologist Gonzalo Vazquez-Prokopec.
“Our analysis shows that halting mosquito surveillance can increase the management costs of epidemics by more than 300 times, in comparison with sustained surveillance and early case detection,” he said.
The research was prompted by a U.S. government proposal last spring to slash funding for the vector-borne disease program of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congress ultimately voted to retain the program’s budget at the same levels, for 2011.
“This analysis provides scientific-based evidence of the need for more funding of mosquito surveillance, not less,” said Uriel Kitron, a co-author of the study and the chair of Emory’s Department of Environmental Studies.
Emory scientists are monitoring both mosquitoes and birds in Atlanta, to learn how West Nile virus moves through an urban center. Photo by Carol Clark.
Diseases spread by mosquitoes and other blood-sucking vectors are major public health risk worldwide. They include a wide variety of bacterial, parasitic and viral infections, such as malaria, West Nile virus, dengue fever and Lyme disease.
The Emory analysis used data from two outbreaks of dengue fever in Cairns, Australia, that occurred in 2003 and 2009. (Dengue fever, an extremely debilitating viral disease spread by mosquitoes, can be fatal.) A mathematical model was applied to the Cairns data to evaluate the economic impact of hypothetical epidemic curves, plotted against different response times. A response within two weeks of the introduction of the pathogen was assumed to occur with active disease surveillance in place, and delays of six-to-eight weeks were assumed when active disease and vector surveillance were eliminated.
In Cairns, where mosquito surveillance is active, the reactions to the dengue fever outbreaks were rapid. The costs of the epidemics – including vector control, case diagnosis, blood screening and work days lost to disease – totaled U.S.$150,000 for the 2003 outbreak and $1.1 million for the 2009 outbreak.
The analysis showed that a delayed response of four-to-six weeks to both Cairns dengue outbreaks would have resulted in drastically escalated costs of up to U.S.$382 million. A slight increase in the virulence of the strain could have multiplied the cost by another 10 times.
Cairns has a tropical climate similar to South Florida, where a dengue fever outbreak occurred in 2009, Vazquez-Prokopec noted. “Predictions based on our analysis show that, if the Miami area had not had a surveillance system in place, the costs to control the Florida outbreak could have been higher than the entire U.S. budget for mosquito surveillance,” he said.
Related: From swine flu to dengue fever, rising risks
While the modern-day United States has been relatively unscathed by vector-borne disease, it is not immune to a host of new and emerging pathogens, the researchers warned.
The emergence of West Nile virus (WNV) in New York City in 1999 spurred better mosquito surveillance, and serves as an example of the consequences of a delayed response. By the time a correct diagnosis was made and proper controls were initiated, the pathogen had spread throughout the country. By the end of 2008, WNV had generated 28,961 known cases and 1,130 fatalities.
Co-authors for the study also include Emory disease ecologist Luis Chaves and S. Ritchie and J. Davis from the Cairns Tropical Public Health Unit.
Sewage raises West Nile virus risk
Urban mosquito research creates buzz
Tags: Economics, Environmental Studies, Health
Humans have a “strangely shaped childhood,” said Emory anthropologist Melvin Konner during his recent Life of the Mind talk. When you consider our large brain size, we get kicked out of the womb a lot earlier than our last common ancestors shared with the chimpanzees. We also get weaned earlier, and we have a longer time before sexual maturation.
Konner wrote “The Evolution of Childhood,” a landmark book on human development that explores our biological past to understand our psychological present.
We have a mid-growth spurt between the ages of 6 and 8, “and then this long period of quiescence before puberty really sets in,” he said. “It’s the period when the emotional intensity and turmoil of early childhood is over, and before the turmoil of puberty. And it’s a period of great opportunity to create a cultural being.”
During middle childhood, “children are expansively exploring the world and each other, and building their own brains through the process of play,” Konner said.
Play has been compared to the evolutionary process. “It generates seemingly random and senseless movements and engagement with this world,” he said, adding that these movements are central to brain development. “In Georgia right now, playgrounds are being dismantled at schools and recess is being abolished because play is being seen as not contributing to scores on standardized tests. Obviously, we want our children to grow up to fit into our culture, but when you get to the point of dismantling playgrounds you’re abandoning a few million years of evolution, and it’s not such a good policy.”
Related: Is ADHD a disease of civilization?
The playground of hunter-gather societies is the bush around the village. The children roam and play in mixed-sex and multi-age groups, and they make a game of finding food for themselves, Konner said, with the older ones helping the younger ones learn about the environment and what’s edible.
“Modern humans left Africa maybe 80,000 years ago after a couple 100,000 years of primary culture development, and they spread rapidly,” Konner said. “I have this vivid image in my head of kids going out and roving further and further and maybe pioneering the direction of the spread of humans.”
The nurturing mind
The fruits of play
Tags: Anthropology, Biology, Health, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center
Research is showing that compassion meditation -- focused, warm thoughts about yourself and others -- may have positive effects on both your mental and physical well-being.
Basic empathy is a biological given. “If you talk with a sad person, you are going to adopt a sad posture, and if you talk to a happy person, by the end you will probably be laughing,” said Emory primatologist Frans de Waal. He explained that evolution has programmed us to mirror both the physical and emotional states of others.
De Waal gave the opening remarks at a conference bringing together the Dalai Lama and scientists studying effects of compassion meditation on the brain, physical health and behavior.
“Empathy is biased – it’s stronger for those that are close to you than those that are distant,” De Waal said. “Nature has built in rewards for the things that we need to do, and being pro-social is something that we need when we live in groups.”
In order to get from empathy to compassion and altruism, you need to identify others as distinct from you. While it used to be assumed that altruistic tendencies were only possible in humans, de Waal said that targeted helping of others has recently been observed among apes and elephants.
Photo by Frans de Waal shows a young chimpanzee consoling an adult male that just lost a fight.
Richard Davidson, a neuroscientist from the University of Wisconsin, recalled when he first began studying the effects of compassion meditation in 1992. He traveled to a Tibetan Buddhist monastery and attached electrodes to the head of an expert practitioner. The other monks began laughing.
“I thought it was because he looked so funny with the electrodes,” Davidson said. But it turned out the monks were amused that he was trying to study the effects of compassion by attaching electrodes to the practitioner’s head, rather than to his heart.
Years later, Davidson is finding that the monks’ view may be on target. New research shows that the heart rates of expert practitioners beat more quickly while they are meditating than the hearts of novices. “We believe that compassion meditation is facilitating communication between the heart and the mind,” Davidson said.
Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill cited her research into the effects of “love and kindness meditation,” or LKM, on the vagus nerve. The nerve, which extends from the brain stem to the heart, helps regulate emotions and bodily systems. The effectiveness of the vagus nerve is measured by its tone, or fitness. The higher the vagal tone, the better the vagus nerve performs as a regulatory pathway.
“With just six weeks of LKM training in novices, we see improvements in resting vagal tone,” Fredrickson said. “Just like physical exercise improves muscle tone, emotion training improves vagal tone.”
High vagal tone is related to both a person’s physical health and their ability to feel loving connections with others, Fredrickson said. “In a way, our bodies are designed for love, because the more we love, the more healthy we become.”
Emory researchers Charles Raison and Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi described their ongoing research into the effects of compassion meditation and depression. Negi developed a secular form of meditation for the research, based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice called “lojong.” Lojong uses an analytical approach to challenge a person’s thoughts and emotions toward other people, with the long-term goal of developing altruistic behavior.
The pair collaborated on a 2005 study that showed that college students who regularly practice compassion meditation had a significant reduction in stress and physical responses to stress. They recently launched the Compassion and Attention Longitudinal Meditation Study (CALM), to explore the physical effects of different forms of meditation.
“We’re trying to zero in on what is it about meditation that is useful for people’s health,” Raison said.
Emory researchers are also getting positive preliminary results in compassion meditation studies involving schoolchildren ages six to eight and adolescents in the foster care system.
“This seems like the dawning of a new day,” the Dalai Lama said. “We’ve heard about the benefits, and now we need to act to cultivate compassion from kindergarten to universities.”
Elementary thoughts on love and kindness
Monks + scientists = a new body of thought
The biology of shared laughter
Hugs go way back in evolution
Tags: Alternative Medicine, Biology, Health, Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology, Psychology, Science and Spirituality, Yerkes National Primate Research Center
Climate crisis: extremely hot days could double in US, study shows
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P.R. public employment higher than States
Caribbean Business JOHN MARINO Puerto Rico’s government employs far more workers than most states and appears to have the highest per capita level of public employment in the U.S., according to federal and local labor and population statistics. The central government employed 235,300 workers in July 2009, the most recent statistics released by the Labor Department. When the island’s 61,700 municipal workers are factored in, the total increases to 297,000. Only the three most populous states employ more workers at the state level than Puerto Rico: California with 334,432 employees, Texas with 259,578 and New York with 236,719. On a per capita basis, Puerto Rico employs 5.95 workers per 100 residents in the central government and 7.51 workers per 100 residents in the central and municipal governments combined, based on the most recent U.S. Census Bureau population statistics, which pegged the island population at 3.954 million in 2008. New York State employs 1.21 state workers for every 100 residents, a ratio that increases to 4.24 workers per 100 residents when county, township and municipal workers are also counted. California, meanwhile, employs 0.9 workers per 100 residents at the state level, while the ratio in Texas is 1.06 per 100 residents. Florida employs 0.93 workers per 100 residents at the state level and 2.4 workers when all local government workers are included. In Washington state, 1.53 workers are employed by the state for every 100 residents, a figure that goes up to 2.68 workers when county, municipal and township employees are factored in. In New Jersey, there are 1.65 state workers employed for every 100 residents, a figure that goes up to 2.35 per 100 when other public employment is factored in. The two states with the closest populations to Puerto Rico are Kentucky, which employs 1.60 state workers for every 100 residents (2.62 workers when all local government is included), and Oregon, which employs 1.38 state workers for 100 residents (2.39 per 100 residents when all public workers are counted). Only sparsely populated and geographically giant Alaska has per capital public employment ratios that approach Puerto Rico. With a population of 686,293, there are 3.44 state employees for every 100 residents and 6.8 state, county and municipal employees for every 100 residents. In May, dismissal notices were sent out to some 7,816 Puerto Rico government workers in the first round of what could approach 30,000 layoffs by the end of the calendar year. Gov. Luis Fortuño reiterated last month that $2 billion must be cut from annual government spending. Administration officials say a restructuring of government to bring spending in line with revenue is needed to avoid a downgrade of the Commonwealth’s bond rating to junk, or noninvestment-grade. Last week, the Center for the New Economy warned government layoffs would deal the biggest blow to the island’s middle class which, in turn, would have negative economic consequences. The Planning Board said the economy shrank by 5.5% last year, and the unemployment rate hit 16.5% in July, according to the Labor Department..
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Indoor Cycling Group Joins Life Fitness Family
07 Sep 2016 Posted by Fitness Business Canada
Leading Indoor Cycling Brand Enhances Group Training Offering
Life Fitness, recently announced that its parent company, Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), has completed its acquisition of Germany’s Indoor Cycling Group (ICG), a leading provider of indoor cycling equipment. The intention to acquire the company was first announced in July, and was subject to review by the German competition authority, which has now been completed. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
ICG is the latest acquisition to join Life Fitness’ leading health, fitness and well-being brand portfolio and further diversifies the Company’s product offering while augmenting its participation in the group training category. “We’re excited to welcome the ICG team to our Life Fitness family. Their innovative technology, indoor cycling expertise and talented team position us to advance in the indoor cycling and group training categories,” said Life Fitness President Chris Clawson.
Founded in 1995, ICG is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, and is the leading supplier of indoor cycling bikes through both direct and distributor channels. With a full line of bikes known for their aesthetics, design and integrated technologies, ICG is singularly focused on the indoor cycling business, making its products, technology and on-staff experts unmatched in the industry.
The ICG product line will benefit from Life Fitness’ expansive global distribution network, serving over 120 countries.
For more information about Life Fitness and its family of brands, visit www.lifefitness.com. For more information about ICG, visit www.teamicg.com.
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The World’s First Laptop Password? It Was Ineffective Too
Quantum computing firm D-Wave Systems has raised $30 million CAD ($28 million USD) to construct out the software facet of its business. U.S. officers believe North Korea’s response to an unflattering portrayal in a 2014 American comedy movie was to hack media large Sony , inflicting appreciable embarrassment to its senior management technology backpack. Finally the availability of some software program would play a significant position in determining the success of a computer. Turing was a computer scientist, thinker and cryptologist who performed a vital position in breaking the Nazi’s Enigma Code.
Software program developers, aware of Large Blue’s immense sources and anticipating that the PC would achieve success, got down to write packages for the pc. The success of the VAX family of computer systems reworked DEC into the second-largest pc firm in the world, as VAX methods became the de facto normal computing system for business, the sciences, engineering, and research.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Moscow of orchestrating cyber assaults on its computer networks and infrastructure since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Commodore releases the VIC-20 residence pc because the successor to the Commodore PET personal computer. After years of standing in line to make use of departmental, universitywide, or companywide machines via intermediaries, scientists and researchers might now purchase their very own laptop and run it themselves in their own laboratories.
IBM’s first personal pc, the system was designed to run the APL programming language in a compact, briefcase-like enclosure which comprised a keyboard, CRT show, and cassette tape storage. In 1982 Apple introduced its Lisa computer, a much more powerful laptop with many inventions. Although it lacked some characteristics now related to computers, Colossus can plausibly be described as the primary digital digital laptop, and it was definitely a key stepping stone to the development of the fashionable laptop.
Using a Teletype machine, University of Saskatchewan graduate pupil Bob Bruce was able to ship code directly to Toronto for use in the laptop. In the United States, authorities funding went to a challenge led by John Mauchly , J. Presper Eckert, Jr. , and their colleagues at the Moore College of Electrical Engineering on the University of Pennsylvania; their objective was an all-digital laptop.
A Simple Plan: Help
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UZBEKISTAN: Five days in prison, then pressured to renounce his faith
By Igor Rotar, Forum 18
Freed with a fellow Jehovah's Witness at the end of February after five days in prison on charges of "disruptive behaviour", Oleg Umarov was again summoned by police in the Uzbek capital Tashkent on 4 March. Two secret police officers then pressured him to renounce his faith, Jehovah's Witness spokesman Andrei Shirobokov told Forum 18 News Service. They warned they would soon seize other Jehovah's Witnesses and pointed out to Umarov articles of the criminal and administrative codes under which they could be prosecuted. Police and secret police officers have a history of trying to pressure Protestant Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses and believers of other minority faiths who come from a traditionally Muslim background to convert to their "historic" faith.
On 4 March, just days after completing a five-day prison sentence with a fellow-Jehovah's Witness on charges the community insists were fabricated, Oleg Umarov was again summoned to the local police station in the Yunusabad district of the Uzbek capital Tashkent. There, two secret police officers pressured him to renounce his faith, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Jehovah's Witness spokesman Andrei Shirobokov told Forum 18 on 6 March from Tashkent that he believes the two were arrested and sentenced and Umarov subsequently pressured to renounce his faith in a bid to frighten fellow Jehovah's Witnesses in this district of the city.
Begzot Kadyrov, chief specialist at the government's committee for religious affairs, told Forum 18 from Tashkent he was "not aware" of the detention and sentencing of the two Jehovah's Witnesses or the secret police pressure on Umarov to renounce his faith. "If they appeal to us, we will sort it out," he declared.
Trouble began for Umarov and fellow-Jehovah's Witness Dmitri Plashchev, both from Tashkent, on 23 February, when they were detained by police outside their home, Shirobokov reported. The two men were taken to the Yunusabad district police station, where they were beaten up and then thrown into a cell. The following day the two were sentenced to five days' imprisonment under Article 183 of the code of administrative offences, which punishes "disruptive behaviour". "Our brothers were accused of apparently approaching women in public while drunk, but that's pure fabrication," Shirobokov told Forum 18. "Remarkably, there wasn't even a lawyer in court."
He said the men's parents have appealed against the sentences to the public prosecutor's office, but have so far had no response.
Then, on 4 March, the divisional inspector summoned Umarov to his office, "supposedly for questioning", Shirobokov told Forum 18. Fearing for his safety, Umarov brought his parents when he came to see the inspector. Present were two national security officers, one of whom presented his identity card in the name of senior national security lieutenant Lapshev. Shirobokov reported that the two secret police officers tried to force Umarov to sign a statement written under dictation that he was renouncing his religious beliefs. The officers also said they would soon seize other Jehovah's Witnesses and pointed out to Umarov articles of the criminal and administrative codes under which they could be prosecuted.
The secret police officers also tried to turn Umarov's father against his son, calling on his Muslim background. "This clearly shows that the arrest of the two Jehovah's Witnesses for disruptive behaviour was pure fabrication," Shirobokov insisted. "Interestingly, the two national security officers who spoke to Umarov did not try to hide the fact that both the arrest and the court case were engineered by their organisation."
Police and secret police officers in Uzbekistan have a history of trying to pressure Protestant Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses and believers of other minority faiths who come from a traditionally Muslim background to convert to their "historic" faith.
For background information, see Forum 18's Uzbekistan religious freedom survey at http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=105.
A printer-friendly map of Uzbekistan is available at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=uzbeki
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AT THE MUSEUM: Grant allows museum to combine art, technology
Nov 9, 2018 at 6:18 PM Nov 9, 2018 at 6:18 PM
The merging of technology and art making is not necessarily new, but creating new ways for visitors to interact with art by using technology is becoming increasingly popular. As the world adapts to emerging digital trends, such as augmented reality and mobile apps, museums and other cultural institutions have been developing innovative ways for viewers to connect and interact with exhibits and programming.
The Newport Art Museum is on the path to do just that. The museum has received an Art and Technology Prototype Fund grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a highly competitive opportunity to develop innovative ideas that connect technology and the arts. The grant has provided 12 cultural institutions with $50,000 to create and revolutionize their efforts to engage their visitors. Other grantees include the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Bass Museum, Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum at Michigan State University, and the MIT Center for Art, Science and Technology.
“While the importance of arts institutions in building community remains unchanged, the preferences and expectations of audiences have transformed in the age of technology. Museum-goers increasingly demand personalized, interactive and shareable experiences. These projects help pave a way forward for cultural organizations to expand and command their use of technology to connect with and inspire audiences,” said Victoria Rogers, Knight Foundation vice president for arts.
The Newport Art Museum teamed up with Work-Shop, a multidisciplinary design studio in Providence, for its Knight Foundation-funded project titled “Feedback Loop.” The project idea emerged from the notion that communication in exhibition spaces traditionally flows in one direction: from the artists, curators and exhibition designers out to the visitors.
The project team believes that the museum experience would be more engaging for visitors if they were also given a voice. The Feedback Loop group — which includes Work-Shop designers and the museum’s directors of museum education and community engagement, curator and executive director — will spend the next six months developing a series of prototypes that will be tested in the museum’s galleries.
The concept for each successive prototype will be the result of employing design thinking or human-centered design; meaning the design of the prototype will be focused around the users wants and needs, to ultimately find the most innovative, but accessible and functional design.
The final device will facilitate, record and share visitors’ reactions to the artwork on view, resulting in a more inclusive conversation, a dialogue that ideally should provide new insights to artists, curatorial teams and visitors alike.
“We’re interested in discovering ways in which we can deepen and expand the engagement our visitors have with the art on view and with each other,” Newport Art Museum Executive Director Norah Diedrich said. “A work of art means something different to everyone and the more we can highlight, understand and celebrate those differences, the closer our community becomes.”
The first Feedback Loop prototype will be installed into the museum’s galleries on Nov. 8 for the monthly Art After Dark event, and will stay up through the month of December.
"We’re hoping visitors will share their perspectives and interpretations of the artwork with us and open up a conversation around the museum’s role in the Newport community and beyond," said Nic Schumann, co-founder of the Work-Shop Design Studio.
To take part in testing this first prototype, ask the Museum Experience staff at the admissions desk for more information. Valuable input will help the Feedback Loop team develop the second prototype iteration and the museum learn more about its diverse audiences.
“At the Museum,” provided by the Newport Art Museum, appears each month in The Daily News and online at newportri.com. For more information, call 848-8200.
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WE ARE PROUD TO BE PARTNERS IN CONSERVATION SERVICE WITH THE FOLLOWING
The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
Engaging young adults in intensive community service work with the goal of meeting the critical needs of the community and environment, we are proud to partner with AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA through CNCS, providing service opportunities to young adults across the country. Learn more.
The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps
Conservation Legacy, on behalf of Appalachian Conservation Corps, provides strategic leadership to support the Partnership for the 21CSC, with the primary goal of providing leadership to expand and deepen the impact of corps work. The 21CSC is a bold national effort to put thousands of young American’s and veterans to work protecting, restoring, and enhancing America’s great outdoors and cultural and community resources. The program is operated through a public-private partnership between government, industry, non-profit and community organizations, working together to foster the next generation of community leaders and resource stewards. Conservation Legacy is proud to be a leader of the 21CSC movement. Learn more.
The Corps Network
Appalachian Conservation Corps is a proud member of The Corps Network, providing critical leadership to the corps movement and to the nation’s service and conservation corps as they tackle some of America’s greatest challenges. Learn more.
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Neoliberalism and the Crises of Economic ScienceMay 20-22, 2011, Istanbul University, Beyazit
The global crisis of the last years of the “noughties” has cruelly exposed the deficiencies not only of mainstream economics but also of broader strands of political economy from across the social sciences more generally that have promoted neoliberalism. Media and academic commentary has focused on the inability to predict the crisis and the corresponding inadequacies of the economics profession, expecting a sort of self-criticism and reconstruction from within the discipline, whilst the inadequate treatment of the economic and the economy across the social sciences has been less harshly exposed to criticism.
In the case of economics, this has led to a spirited deference of the existing frame of analysis (What crisis? Bubbles don’t exist) and to the assertion that the discipline’s principles remain adequate but they need to be better and more realistically applied, possibly with the incorporation of other behavioural elements and techniques. Similar minor modifications to analytical frameworks have emanated from the international financial institutions and national treasuries, etc, if to some extent to allow for more discretion in policy rather than fundamental rethinks. Accordingly, the degree of rethinking within mainstream economics is strikingly underwhelming as, indeed, is the rethinking informing policy responses where neoliberal support to globalisation of finance remains to the fore, with dramatic adjustments at the expense of working people and the poor.
Although, then, the urgent issues brought about by the global crisis have made such questioning of mainstream economics both necessary and inevitable, there are also wider implications for a more inclusive reconstruction of economic understanding across the social sciences as a means to inform both academic and policy-making circles.
This conference will probe much deeper into the multiple crises of economic science, informed by the perspectives of political economy that have long been ignored and marginalised by the mainstream, whether deriving from critical political economy and heterodox economics or from the treatment of the economy from across the social sciences as a whole. The ultimate aim is to explore new avenues in promoting and developing critical political economy in view of recent developments. As well as engagements with economics and the economic, we are seeking individual contributions and proposals for panels that address Neoliberalism and the Crises of Economic Science through:
the critical weaknesses of the mainstream in its continuing evolution;
critique of recent developments within mainstream economics such as game theory, experimental economics, behavioural economics, neuroeconomics, complexity theory, etc;
the challenges to, and potential for, heterodox economics and Marxist political economy;
the lessons that can be gained from the history of economic thought;
the role of methodology in the critique of mainstream economics and neoliberal political economy in providing for alternatives;
the relation between economics and other social sciences in view of economics imperialism: economics and politics, economic history, philosophy, sociology, law, etc;
the role of interdisciplinarity in promoting alternatives to the mainstream;
the role to be played by critical political economy within social science;
the ways in which an alternative economics can engage with and promote both activism and alternative theories, policies and ideologies;
how to locate the world economy and the role of the (neoliberal) (nation-) state;
the relationships between finance and accumulation and between economic and social reproduction;
the analytical location of class, power and conflict.
We welcome both individual submissions and proposals for panels (or streams of panels), with the latter ideally already incorporating a number of proposed submissions but allowing for others to be added as appropriate.
The deadline for submission of both individual abstracts of papers and proposals for panels is the 28th of February 2011.
Potential participants will be notified by the 21st of March. The deadline for the submission of full papers is the 1st of May. Early submissions, even if only provisional, are essential both to avoid disappointment and to help in the appropriate allocation of papers to designated panels and streams that will themselves be strengthened through solicited contributions and the plenaries.
Hosted by Turkish Social Sciences Association (TSSA)
Istanbul University Research Center for Global Politics and Administration (GLOPAR)
Click here to view and download the conference programme.
Click here to view the full list of conference papers.
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ISNV Information
Missions/Aims
ISNV Brochure
16th Symposium
JNV
Journal of NeuroVirology
Access JNV Online
JNV Manuscript Submission
International Conference Series
Lectureships
Women in Neurovirology
Paradigm Builder
Bill Narayan
Neurological Infections
Audrey Gilden
Translational Research in NeuroVirology
Contact the ISNV
2013 Audrey Gilden Lectureship
Howard Lipton
Professor of Microbiology
University of Illinois School of Medicine
Dr. Howard Lipton, a graduate of the University of Nebraska School of Medicine, completed his neurology residency and a neurovirology fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Hospital. Appointed as Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University School of Medicine in 1972, he rose to the position of Ernest J. and Hattie H. Magerstadt Professor of Neurology and Professor of Microbiology and Immunology. After serving on the faculty of medicine as Professor of Neurology at the University of Colorado, he became the Henry P. and Georgette Goldschmidt Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City in 1991. Later, he returned to Northwestern University. Dr. Lipton is now Professor of Microbiology & Immunology and Neurology at the University of Illinois School of Medicine in Chicago. As a neurologist, Dr. Lipton's clinical and research focus centers on multiple sclerosis (MS) and its pathogenesis.
Having developed a strong interest in the possible viral etiology of MS during fellowship training, Dr. Lipton studied a viral model of demyelination rather than attempt to "isolate" a virus in MS, which his advisor, Richard T. Johnson, believed would surely be career-ending for academic research. Thus, Dr. Lipton revived studies of the 1930s, suggesting that Theiler's virus infection persisted in the central nervous system (CNS) in mice and might lead to a demyelinating pathology. Over the years, he and his laboratory have studied the molecular pathogenesis of this persistent CNS infection, making a number of sentinel observations, most representing initial discoveries in the field: (1) adaptation of brain-derived, low-neurovirulence Theiler's virus for growth in mammalian cells, which enabled quantification of viral infectivity by plaque assay and molecular studies; (2) infection of mice resulted in primary demyelination; (3) demyelination was primarily an immunopathology since disease could be reduced by immunosuppressive agents; (4) persistent infection in the mouse spinal cord was primarily maintained in infiltrating monocyte/macrophages; (5) host virus-specific Th1 CD4+ T lymphocytes played an essential role in the immunopathology (afferent limb); (6) class I H-2D genes influenced host susceptibility to demyelination; (7) analysis of the nucleotide sequence of high-(GDVII virus) and low-neurovirulence (BeAn virus) strains of Theiler's virus revealed that Theiler's virus was a Cardiovirus (rather than an Enterovirus) in the Picornavirus family; (8) construction of infectious cDNA clones enabled generation of recombinant and mutant viruses for molecular pathogenetic studies indicating that the viral capsid played a role in viral persistence; (9) solution of the atomic structures of BeAn and GDVII viruses to 3A; (10) persistent infections generated exceedingly high viral RNA copy numbers (108 copies/spinal cord) compared to low infectious virus titers; (11) infection induced apoptosis in macrophages in vitro through the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, restricting viral titers via caspase cleavage of assembled virions, a possible mechanism for viral persistence; and (12) infection in primary mouse oligodendrocyte precursors and mature oligodendrocytes in vitro also induced apoptosis.
Finally, Dr. Lipton's research has "come full circle," returning to a viral etiology of MS. Although the notion that MS is an autoimmune disease is widely accepted, an autoimmune mechanism remains unproven. Tissue damage in MS might also result from a viral infection in which the host immune response is directed at viral rather than self-proteins. However, efforts to identify a specific candidate virus in MS have not yielded conclusive evidence of causation. In the Lipton laboratory, an unbiased approach to specific viral discovery centers around the use of antibodies to detect long dsRNAs transcribed by RNA and DNA viruses. Since long dsRNAs are neither detected in normal or stressed cells nor produced by bacterial or other microbial infections (except fungi), these antibodies appear to be specific for virus infections. Dr. Lipton will present recent work-in-progress obtained with Dr. John Prineas' laboratory at the University of Sydney showing strong, specific dsRNA immunoreactivity in oligodendrocytes in newly-forming (pre-phagocytic) MS lesions from formalin-fixed, paraffin- embedded archival autopsy material of acute MS patients dying during or shortly after an acute exacerbation.
Dr. Lipton's contributions to the field of MS research have truly been revolutionary as he developed one of the few experimental animal models of virus infection that induce demyelination. He was elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2003. The ISNV is honored to have Dr. Howard Lipton present the 2013 Audrey Steinman Gilden Lectureship.
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Posts tagged ‘ITV’
Remakes: Widows joins other Euston Films series
I see British filmmaker Steve McQueen has remade Lynda La Plante’s Widows.
I was younger than he was when it aired, and didn’t appreciate the storylines to the same extent, though I have recollections of it.
What I did recall was a Smith and Jones sketch, which had a voiceover along these lines: ‘From the makers of The Sweeney and Minder, Eusless Films presents Widows: exactly the same, but with women in it.’
The reality was that La Plante wrote Widows because she was unimpressed with how men wrote female parts in scripts (she was the actress Lynda Marchal, and I still remember a small role she had in The Professionals). It was actually ground-breaking. Verity Lambert produced.
I hope McQueen does well with his remake, with Viola Davis, and the setting shifted to Chicago.
I worry a bit given that Hollywood also remade Edge of Darkness or State of Play: pretty decent miniseries that weren’t as good when transplanted and turned into feature films, according to period reviews.
I saw the former and while it was a pacy actioner, even as far as employing the same New Zealand director, Martin Campbell, it lacked the depth and suspense of the original; I daren’t even see the latter as the original remains one of my favourite miniseries and I don’t want to see it butchered, even if Scottish director Kevin Macdonald helmed it. It was a wave of American efforts to remake anything with John Simm and Philip Glenister.
But tonight I did think about the other famous Euston Films series that were remade or reimagined.
The Sweeney was remade but with the action still in South London. The 2012 version by Nick Love had a tight budget but plenty of violence, perhaps recapturing the grittiness that audiences would have felt when they first saw the Armchair Cinema special of Regan. Ray Winstone, who guested on the original, took the lead, and channelled Jack Regan well; Ben Drew (Plan B) had even more of a coldness and wild tension on screen as George Carter than Dennis Waterman did. It’s perhaps best known for a car chase involving the crew from Top Gear, who took the opportunity to build a sketch around it during production. It wasn’t as special as the original, and I didn’t rush to repeat the DVD. Reviewers didn’t like it, but in my opinion it ranks above Sweeney!, the first attempt to turn the TV series into a silver screen film but using the original cast. There, we saw countless acts of violence explained away at the end in one meeting with Thaw and Michael Latimer’s characters after a plot that seemed to build up a complex conspiracy. Sweeney 2, by Troy Kennedy Martin (the brother of the creator), was far tenser and the better effort, and it was fun to spot the Ford press fleet vehicles with the VHK prefix on the number plates.
Minder never went to the big screen, but a remake, or sequel, appeared in 2009, with Shane Richie and Lex Shrapnel. I sat through the first, found it tolerable, and at least in the spirit of the original, but it always felt like an imitation trying to live up to its forebear, not something that carved its own direction. Many don’t seem to remember that Minder was created as a vehicle for Dennis Waterman, not George Cole, even if more and more scripts wound up focusing on the latter’s Arthur Daley, leading to Waterman quitting the series. The 2009 series’ première followed on from that later formula, whereas to me it always required the two stars being on par with each other.
So, will the Americanized Widows follow suit? Will it be ‘exactly the same, but with women in it,’ or, with McQueen as talented as he is, will it be a solid retelling with the same sense of ambiguity at the conclusion as the original? I might have to see it because of McQueen and screenwriter Gillian Flynn, and McQueen says he has been a fan of the series since he saw it as a teenager. Even the original Dolly Rawlins (Ann Mitchell) has a cameo.
Now, who’ll star in a new Van der Valk?
Tags: 1970s, 1980s, 1983, 2018, England, Euston Films, film, history, ITV, Lynda La Plante, Minder, remake, The Sweeney, TV, UK
Posted in culture, interests, TV, UK, USA | No Comments »
Forced to take prime-time nostalgia trips
‘There’s an old Polish proverb …’ I believe it’s ‘Reality television can’t stop the motorways in Warsaw from getting icy.’
I’ve always known what sort of telly I liked, and often that was at odds with what broadcasters put on. In the 1970s, my tastes weren’t too dissimilar from the general public’s, but as the years went on, they diverged from what New Zealand programmers believed we should watch.
Shows I liked would prematurely disappear (Dempsey & Makepeace), only to return very late at night a decade later. Some only ever appeared late at night (Hustle), then vanish (in New Zealand, seasons 5 to 8 have never appeared on a terrestrial channel, and they have also never been released on DVD).
We had a British expat visitor on Wednesday. He arrived here in 2008, and had no idea that TV1 had once been the home of British programming, and TV2 was where the Hollywood stuff went.
By the late 2000s and early 2010s, I was watching either DVDs or finding a way to get to BBC Iplayer et al, because less and less of what was on offer had any appeal. We had boxed sets of Mission: Impossible, The Persuaders, and others.
When the country switched to Freeview, I couldn’t be bothered getting a decoder. We were fine with online. Eventually, I did buy a TV set with Freeview, but only because the previous one conked out.
On Thursday night, it became very apparent just how bad television had become here.
Every English-language and Te Reo Māori terrestrial channel had unscripted drama, i.e. “reality” shows, or the occasional panel show or real-life event, other than Prime, showing the MacGyver remake.
Who in the 1980s would have predicted that MacGyver would be the only scripted series on air during prime-time here between 7.30 and 8.30 p.m.?
I realize the economics of television have changed, and there’s no such thing as a TVNZ drama department any more.
Shows which might have had the whole country watching would be lucky to pull in a quarter of the audience today.
But it is a sad reflection that the televised equivalent of the weekly gossip rag is what rates. The effort needed to produce quality drama is expensive, and not enough of us support it.
I also imagine scripted Hollywood shows are cheaper than British ones, hence what we see on our screens is American—and why some kids these days now speak with American accents. Yet to some New Zealanders, Chinese-language signs on Auckland high streets are a bigger threat to the local culture. Really?
In this household, we vote with our attention spans—and over the last month that has meant DVDs of Banacek and, in true 50 shades of Grade fashion, The Protectors. Sometimes, you feel it’s 1972 in this house—but at least the telly was better then.
Tags: 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2018, Aotearoa, Banacek, BBC, Dempsey & Makepeace, Gerry Anderson, Hustle, ITC, ITV, Mission: Impossible, New Zealand, reality TV, Sky TV, technology, The Persuaders, The Protectors, TV, TVNZ
Posted in culture, interests, New Zealand, technology, TV, UK, USA | No Comments »
Happy 40th birthday to The Professionals
‘Anarchy, acts of terror, crimes against the public. To combat it I’ve got special men: experts from the army, the police, from every service. These are the professionals.’
Forty years ago, ITV began airing one of the UK’s most iconic TV series.
There’s more at Dave Matthews’ The Authorised Guide to the Professionals, to which I contributed many years ago (yes, I am a fan).
While there are many quality shows today, The Professionals still holds up reasonably well in terms of action, music, lighting and cinematography (especially if you see the series as restored on Network’s latest set of DVDs), though some of the plots are lacking and there are a lot of outdated 1970s’ attitudes to gender equality and race.
If you keep that in mind—that it is a product of its era—it’s still an enjoyable show, in part because of my own sense of nostalgia (has it really been forty years?). And the second and third seasons are still, in my opinion, Brian Clemens’ finest hour.
Tags: 1970s, 1977, anniversary, culture, history, ITV, nostalgia, The Professionals, TV, UK
Posted in culture, TV, UK | No Comments »
Yay for Paul Henry!
During the Paul Henry débâcle, I was surprised to find that I had friends who joined the pro-Henry groups on Facebook. This included friends whom I thought were cosmopolitan and internationally minded. It dawned on me that they were probably supporting the first Paul Henry who many of us encountered, when we were watching the lovely Benny Hawkins on Crossroads. And we all loved Benny Hawkins, especially ‘Miss Diane’. So, let us remember Paul Henry as he once appeared on TV1:
Tags: ITV, retro, soap opera, TV, UK
Posted in humour, interests, New Zealand, TV, UK | No Comments »
Let the Outrageous Fortune come
Almost any New Zealander will recognize this image: a cast photograph from the long-running TV series Outrageous Fortune.
When I first heard of this show from Antonia Prebble, before she started filming, I have to admit I didn’t think the premise would see it last five years (and counting). But for New Zealand television and the folks this show employs, I am glad it has.
Like all good shows (Life on Mars, State of Play, Cracker)—and a few bad ones (Pop Idol)—it was eyed up for a remake.
The British, who have never been that great at remaking shows usually (remember the Russ Abbot sitcom Married for Life, based on Married with Children? Or the remake of Who’s the Boss?, called The Upper Hand?), decided it would see how well West Auckland transplanted to London. Cue Amanda Redman instead of Robyn Malcolm, and a rebrand to Honest for ITV:
No, it didn’t work. According to some expat Kiwis whose comments I read, the pilot was virtually a shot-by-shot remake that added nothing to the original. I do not know about the remainder of the series, but the fact that it was not renewed by ITV says something.
The Americans, who have never been that great at remaking shows usually (Sanford & Son, Life on Mars, Coupling, Cosby, Ugly Betty, Three’s a Crowd, Eleventh Hour, Too Close for Comfort, The Office, Viva Laughlin, Kath & Kim, Payne, Amanda’s, The Prisoner, In Treatment, Worst Week, All in the Family, State of Play, etc.; Shameless and Gavin & Stacey are on the cards), decided to give this a shot. Getting in the chap who made Veronica Mars and Catherine O’Hara (the Home Alone Mum, after Rene Russo turned it down), Cheryl West became Jackie West and the show was renamed Good Behavior.
Only the pilot was made. I never saw it, but indications were that it was not good.
Still, you have to admire the Americans for not giving up. The show’s been retooled, Virginia Madsen and David James Elliott (whom I know you ladies like) have been hired, and, as Scoundrels, it débuts on ABC on June 20. A series has been commissioned.
The publicity touts this as an ‘original’ ABC series (yeah, right), but I actually hope it goes well for them. Why? Because the Kiwis who created Outrageous Fortune, I believe, will earn royalties on each episode. We might pooh-pooh it because we are purists, but I’d rather the money flowed inwards. While we haven’t exactly exported Kiwi culture in a Flight of the Conchords way—because the show has been Americanized—I’d still rather a decent Kiwi concept got there and, in its small way, reverse the tide of the reality TV junk that so often comes westward across the Pacific.
Like Scorsese’s The Departed, a remake that sparked interest in the original Infernal Affairs (無間道), we might see Americans track down the original Outrageous Fortune on DVD. That, too, can only be a good thing.
Tags: ABC, Amanda Redman, culture, export, intellectual property, ITV, New Zealand, remakes, royalties, TV, TV3, UK, USA
Posted in business, culture, humour, New Zealand, TV, UK, USA | 1 Comment »
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Webite
Welcome to Jamie Dornan Fan. A Comprehensive source for all things related to the actor behind serial killer Paul Specter from The Fall, Billionaire playboy Christian Grey from Fifty Shades Trilogy, and Sheriff & Huntsman Graham Humbert from Once Upon A Time. Have a look around, and enjoy your stay. Check back often for new updates, images, and news.
Jamie as Count Axel Fersen in Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette is a 2006 historical comedy-drama film, written and directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Kirsten Dunst. It is based on the life of queen Marie Antoinette in the years leading up to the French Revolution. It won the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. It was released in the United States on October 20, 2006, by Columbia Pictures.
Jamie as Ed in Beyond the Rave
Beyond The Rave
Beyond the Rave is a twenty-part horror serial, initially published on MySpace, that marked the return of Hammer Films in 2008.
Jamie as Joe in Shadows in the Sun
Shadows in the Sun
A mysterious stranger brings together a family that has lost its way.
Hannah (Jean Simmons) is suffering from a chronic illness, smoking cannabis for respite, and has formed an unlikely friendship with a much younger man, Joe (Jamie Dornan). She lives perfectly happy with her poetry, garden and friend Joe but when Hanna’s son Robert (James Wilby) arrives with his teenage daughter Kate (Ophelia Lovibond) and younger son, Sam (Toby Marlow), he is discomfited by his mother’s arrangements.
Jamie as X in X Returns
X Returns (Short Film)
After nearly 40 years of false imprisonment, cruel scientific testing and denial by the US government, Agent X is finally a free man again.
Jamie as The Young Man in Nice to Meet You
The woman is awoken from her mid-afternoon suburban slumber by the arrival of an attractive young man over her garden fence. The man is being chased by the police and begs the woman to hide him, which much to her own surprise, she does. The police come and go leaving them alone at the back door, the sexual chemistry between them is as clear as day and were it not for an arrival at the front door things may have progressed further. The woman has a daughter and relations are at an all time low. However, the situation becomes even more strained when the girl brings a man back one night, the very same man from over the garden fence just days before. Despite their shock, the young man and the woman keep their cool maintaining the illusion that they have never met, evidently there is unfinished business they need to attend to. The young man secretly leaves the woman a note and although the woman knows him to be a criminal, and her daughter’s man, she can’t suppress her desires any longer. In a moment of self-serving and impulsive action the woman finds her self at the young man’s front door. Will the woman give in to temptation? Betray her daughter? And let the young man the young man to get away with his crimes? Or will she do the decent thing and put an end the affair?
Jamie as Colin in Flying Home
A sheikh from Dubai wants to buy the Flemish homing pigeon Wittekop, which is owned by Jos Pauwels, and uses an American middleman named Colin to make the deal. Although Jos is not interested in selling the pigeon, his granddaughter Isabelle is clearly interested in Colin.
Jamie as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey
Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2015 American erotic romantic drama film directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel. The film is based on the eponymous 2011 novel by British author E. L. James and stars Dakota Johnson as Anastasia Steele, a college graduate who begins a sadomasochistic relationship with young business magnate Christian Grey, played by Jamie Dornan.
Jamie as Jan Kubis in Anthropoid
Anthropoid is a 2016 historical thriller film directed by Sean Ellis, written by Ellis and Anthony Frewin and starring Cillian Murphy, Jamie Dornan, Harry Lloyd, Toby Jones, Anna Geislerová, Charlotte Le Bon and Bill Milner. It tells the story of Operation Anthropoid, the World War II assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by Exile Czechoslovak soldiers on 27 May 1942.
Jamie as Pat Quinlan in The Siege of Jadotville
The Siege of Jadotville
The Siege of Jadotville is a 2016 historical drama war film directed by Richie Smyth and written by Kevin Brodbin. The film is based on Declan Power’s book, The Siege at Jadotville: The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle (2005), about an Irish army unit’s role in the UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo in September 1961
Jamie as Dr. Allan Pascal in The 9th Life of Louis Drax
The 9th Life of Louis Drax
The 9th Life of Louis Drax is a 2016 Canadian-American supernatural thriller film directed by Alexandre Aja, written by Max Minghella based on Liz Jensen’s best-selling novel of the same title, and starring Jamie Dornan, Sarah Gadon, Aiden Longworth, Oliver Platt, Molly Parker, Julian Wadham, Jane McGregor, Barbara Hershey, and Aaron Paul.
Jamie as Christian Grey in Fifty Shades Darker
Fifty Shades Darker is a 2017 American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, based on the novel of the same name by E. L. James. The second film in the Fifty Shades film series, it is the sequel to the 2015 film Fifty Shades of Grey. The film stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, with Eric Johnson, Eloise Mumford, Bella Heathcote, Rita Ora, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Kim Basinger and Marcia Gay Harden in supporting roles.
Jamie filming new movie Untogether, where he plays Nick.
Untogether
Untogether is an upcoming American drama film directed by Emma Forrest, which is her directorial debut. The film stars Jamie Dornan, Ben Mendelsohn, Lola Kirke and Jemima Kirke. The film began production in October 2016.
Jamie filming as Christian Grey in “Fifty Shades Freed”
Fifty Shades Freed is an upcoming American erotic romantic drama film directed by James Foley and written by Niall Leonard, based on the novel of same name by E. L. James. It is the final film in the Fifty Shades trilogy, and a sequel to the 2017 film Fifty Shades Darker. The film stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, respectively.
Jamie filming as Will Scarlett in “Robin Hood Origins”
Robin Hood: Orgins
Robin Hood is an upcoming American action-adventure film directed by Otto Bathurst and written by Joby Harold, Peter Craig, and David James Kelly based on the tale of Robin Hood. The film stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Foxx, Eve Hewson, Ben Mendelsohn, Jamie Dornan, Tim Minchin, Björn Bengtsson, and Paul Anderson. It will be released on March 23, 2018 by Lionsgate’s Summit Entertainment in all IMAX theatres.
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HOISINGTON QUARTERLY REVIEW AND OUTLOOK, Q1 2017 / MAULDING ECONOMICS
| Etiquetas: Economics, U.S. Economic And Political
Hoisington Quarterly Review and Outlook, Q1 2017
By Lacy Hunt and Van Hoisington
Fed Tightening Cycles – Past and Present
The Federal Reserve has initiated the fifteenth tightening cycle since 1945 (Chart 1).
Conspicuously, in 80% of the prior fourteen episodes, recessions followed, with outright business contractions being avoided in just three cases. What is notable today is that the economy is in the 93rd month of this expansion, a length of time that is well beyond periods in prior expansions where soft landings occurred (1968, 1984 and 1995). This is relevant because the pent-up demand from the prior downturn has been exhausted; thus, the economy is extremely vulnerable to a shock, which could lead to recession. Regardless of whether there was an associated recession, the last ten cycles of tightening all triggered financial crises. In conjunction with the non-monetary determinants of economic activity (referred to as initial conditions), monetary restraint served to expose over-leveraged parties and, in turn, financial crises ensued.
Four important considerations exist today that were not present in past cycles and that may magnify the current restraining actions of the Federal Reserve:
The Fed has initiated a tightening cycle at a time when significant differences exist in the initial conditions compared to the initial conditions in prior cycles. Additionally, the Fed is tightening into a deteriorating economy with last year’s growth in nominal GDP worse than in any of the prior fourteen cases.
Business and government balance sheets are burdened with record amounts of debt. This means that small changes in interest rates may have an outsized impact on investment and spending decisions.
Previous Federal Reserve experiments, primarily the periods of quantitative easings, have led to an unprecedented balance sheet (an action of “grand design”) to which the economy has grown accustomed. The resulting reduction in that balance sheet (reduction in the monetary base) may have a more profound impact on growth than anticipated.
The monetary base reduction and the impact of the changing regulatory landscape, both in the U.S. and globally, has meant a significant increase in the amount of liquid reserves that banks are required to hold. Liquidity may have already been sharply restrained by the lowering of the monetary base, despite its massive $3.8 trillion size. This is evident as the monetary and credit aggregates are following the expected deteriorating pattern resulting from monetary restraint, suggesting recessionary conditions may lie ahead.
Poor Initial Conditions
To judge the success or failure of monetary or any other type of policy action, one must analyze in terms of the economic conditions under which the measures are being implemented. In other words, different starting points produce different results. Viewed from this perspective, the Fed’s current tightening is highly risk-prone for the economy.
Several factors that influence the economy (other than monetary policy) are far more problematic than those that existed in any of the prior tightening cycles. For instance, the U.S. is experiencing the weakest population growth since the 1930s and the lowest fertility rate since the records began. There has been a slowdown in the growth rate of household formation, and the U.S. has a rapidly aging society.
Economic growth. For the full calendar year 2016, nominal GDP rose just 3.0%, the weakest reported since 2009. Last year’s growth rate was even less than the cyclical lows associated with the recessions of 1990-91 and 2000-01. Rather unusually, at the March FOMC meeting, the Fed did not change its 2017 economic growth projections even though the broader first quarter indicators were even softer than last year, and their prior forecasts were made before they hiked the funds rate in December. Indeed, all of the key monetary variables that are heavily influenced by Fed policy operations deteriorated in the first quarter. Despite the lowest annual economic growth rate of this expansion and the second straight year of declining growth, no fiscal stimulus is expected for 2017. Monetary restraint implemented in late 2015 and 2016 has been followed by further restraint in 2017. How can the U.S. economy surge ahead this year with this additional restraint?
Debt. Total domestic nonfinancial debt, excluding off balance sheet liabilities such as leases and unfunded pension liabilities, surged to a record 254.8% of GDP in 2016, 5.6% greater than in 2009 when Lehman Brothers failed (Chart 2). Total debt, which includes domestic nonfinancial, foreign and bank debt, amounted to 372.5% of GDP in 2016, compared with 251.9% of GDP in 2006, the final year of previous tightening cycle, which, in turn, was greater than in any earlier time from 1870 through 2006.
The situation in the business sector deserves particular scrutiny. Business debt surged to a record 72.6% of GDP in 2016, for the first time eclipsing the prior peak of 70.2% reached in 2009. With the business sector so levered, not much room for miscalculation exists. As such, the risk is clearly present that the Fed’s restraint will chase out one or more heavily leveraged players, just as was the case in all the previous tightening cycles since the 1960s. Academic studies reflect that economic growth slows with over-indebtedness. Thus a powerful negative headwind is reinforcing the present monetary tightening.
The Fed Encounters Problems of Grand Design
Two macroeconomic textbooks (one written by Andrew B. Able (Wharton Professor) and Ben S. Bernanke (former Fed Chairman) and the other by N. Gregory Mankiw (Harvard Professor) both discuss over several chapters the transmission mechanism of monetary policy operations to the broader economy. Although they differ in some technical aspects, they both describe a very similar process as to how Fed restraint impacts economic conditions. Their independently taught process exactly describes what is unfolding in the reserve aggregates, short-term interest rates, bank loan volumes and the monetary aggregates today. However, the established process may more severely impact the economy because these actions are being taken in the aftermath of three unprecedented rounds of quantitative easing that have led to a massively enlarged Fed balance sheet (an action of “grand design”) coupled with the legislative adoption of the Dodd-Frank Law.
The late American sociologist, Robert K. Merton (1910-2003), who originated the concept of “unintended consequences”, identified the problems that arise when policy implements theories of grand design. Merton believed that middle range theories are superior to larger theories of grand design because larger theory outcomes are too distant for policy makers to realize how actions and reactions will change from the middle range theories under which they have typically operated. Merton argued that when dealing with broader, more abstract and untested theories, no effective way exists to test their success in advance.
We believe these are problems the Fed is already facing as their actions have changed the monetary landscape from previous periods of monetary restraint. The Fed (and the entire economy) is now caught in a new format that never existed, and thus is without the ability to anticipate the outcomes to policy because there is no historical reference point. We suspect that the results of the Fed’s tighter policies will be exacerbated by its own balance sheet and by the larger cash and liquidity requirements mandated by the Dodd-Frank Law. Not only must the textbooks be rewritten because of these legal and structural changes, but the Fed may also have to change the way it thinks about monetary policy’s transmission mechanism.
Contractions in the Monetary Base
To raise the policy rate, i.e., the federal funds rate, it is the theoretical norm for the Fed to act on the reserve aggregates, the most prominent of which is the monetary base and its subcomponents – total reserves and excess reserves. Able/Bernanke and Mankiw detail how changes in both influence economic conditions. The base, which is derived from a consolidated financial balance sheet of the Fed and Treasury, has an asset and liability side. On the latter, the base equals currency and total reserves. While the Fed does not have total command of the reserve aggregates in the short run, effective control is achieved over time.
The base is the key variable. If no fractional reserve-banking system existed, the liability side of the monetary base would be totally comprised of currency in circulation. In such an environment the central bank would have no power to change economic activity. On the other extreme, under a fractional reserve banking system where no one is allowed to hold any currency at all, the liability side of the monetary base would equal total reserves of the banking system. Changes in the Fed’s portfolio of assets would result in dollar for dollar changes in bank reserves. This still might not greatly change the central bank’s economic power. Whether depository institutions would put all of the total reserves to use in creating money and credit would still depend on a whole host of other considerations, including interest rates, the capital of the banks, the balance sheet of the potential nonbank borrowers and numerous other factors.
Historically, the higher funds rate was reached by a slower but still positive growth rate in the monetary base. This caused the upward- sloping credit supply curve to shift inward, thus hitting the downward sloping credit demand curve at a higher interest rate level. In graphic terms, the price of credit, which is the vertical component of a supply and demand diagram, is the policy rate, and the horizontal component is the volume demand for credit. The shift in the supply curve reduces the depository institutions capability to make loans while the higher interest rate also serves to reduce the demand for credit. The textbook writers do not add to the complexity of interest rate changes when, like now, the economy is heavily indebted. A small increase in interest rates leads to a large and quick increase in interest expense. But, current conditions differ from the textbook cases due to two powerful considerations.
First, in the initial quarter of 2017, the year-over-year change in the monetary base was -4.8%. This comes after sharp contractions in each of the previous four quarters, the largest such decreases since the end of World War II (Chart 3). Some argue that this unprecedented weakness in the monetary base is not relevant since the depository institutions still hold $2.1 trillion of excess reserves (defined as the difference between total reserves and required reserves). The textbook writers emphasize that excess reserves are the key to money and credit expansion. But, the multiple expansion of bank reserves so diligently explained in the textbooks was written for a regulatory environment that no longer exists, which is the second different condition.
Beginning in 2015, large banks as well as banks with substantial foreign exposure are required to have a 100% or greater “liquidity coverage ratio” (LCR). This means the banks must hold an amount of highly liquid assets (such as reserve balances at the Federal Reserve Banks and Treasury securities) equal to or greater than the difference between their cash outflows and inflows over a 30-day stress period. Thus, excess reserves are irrelevant to the money creation process if the reserve balances are needed to achieve a 100% LCR. In line with the decline in excess reserves, there has been a dramatic reduction in bank liquidity, which has fallen nearly 17% (Chart 4). This reduction brings bank liquidity much closer to its LCR, altering bank management practices. Based upon an examination of all the monetary indicators closely linked to the policy rate and the reserve aggregates, the probability exists that the Fed, with three small increases in the fed eral funds rate, has now turned the money / credit creation process negative.
The Monetary and Credit Aggregates Respond
Since the Fed raised the federal funds rate in December 2015, the growth rates of the monetary and credit aggregates have slowed. In addition, banks have pursued tightening credit standards. As such, these developments are indicative of the changed ground rules.
In the past six months, the M2 money stock grew at a 5.9% annual rate, down from a 2016 increase of 6.8%, which is near the average increase in M2 since 1900. Thus, in a very short span, M2 has fallen from a trend rate of growth onto a slower path. The additional rate increase in March suggests that M2’s growth rate will moderate further over the remainder of the year. U.S. Treasury balances at the Federal Reserve Banks fell sharply in the first quarter due to extraordinary measures used to avoid hitting the debt ceiling. Dropping Treasury balances, all other things being equal, would boost M2. Thus a normalization of Treasury balances, assuming a debt ceiling resolution, will tend to slow M2 growth further.
Growth in the credit aggregates has slumped even more dramatically than M2, thus confirming and reinforcing the significance of the weakness in money. Growth in total commercial bank loans and leases slowed from an 8.0% rise in the first quarter of 2016 to 5.0% in the fourth quarter of last year. Although the figures for the first quarter are not yet complete and subject to revision, bank loans were essentially unchanged. Commercial and industrial loans, however, actually fell in the first quarter, a substantial turnaround from the 10.8% rate of increase in the first quarter of 2016. Residential real estate loans also fell in the first quarter, compared with a 4.0% rate of rise in the first quarter of 2016. Consumer loan growth remained positive in the first quarter, but the rate of increase was sharply cut.
The most notable credit aggregate – total bank loans and leases plus nonfinancial commercial paper – has turned increasingly weak. In March this broad credit measure was just 4% higher than a year earlier and one half the peak growth rate registered in this current economic expansion that began in 2009 (Chart 5). As seen in Chart 5, the year-over-year changes in this aggregate indicate this is a very cyclically sensitive economic indicator. The year-over-year growth peaked prior to, or in the early stages of, all the recessions since 1969. Moreover, the latest growth rate is slower than at the entry point of the past seven recessions. In the last three months, no growth was registered in total loans and nonfinancial commercial paper. Historically, the three-month growth has not been this weak until the economy is already in recession.
Traditionally, money and credit slowdowns have resulted in tighter bank lending standards, and this is currently the case. In the first quarter survey of senior bank lending officers, almost 10% of the banks were tightening standards for both credit card and other consumer type loans. This was almost identical to the percentage when the economy entered the 2000 and 2008 recessions. Standards for commercial real estate loans have also been raised and in the first quarter were just below the levels when the economy entered the last two recessions.
In summary, monetary restraint is taking hold in all the different ways of measuring the Fed’s actions in a late stage expansion where historically the final result was either a recession, a financial crisis or both.
Repeated Results
A century of Federal Reserve tightening cycles has left an indelible mark on the U.S. business cycle. Looking at the period from 1915 through the present, the Fed has typically tightened too much and/or for too long. From this long history, a well-established pattern is identifiable. The economic growth rate along with inflation receded. A financial crisis was more likely than not. With different lags, which were influenced by the initial conditions, bond yields dropped along with falling inflationary expectations (Chart 6). The cyclical trough in Treasury bond yields typically occurred several years after the end of the economic contraction. This long empirical record, as well as economic theory, indicates that the current Fed tightening cycle will not end any differently.
Our economic view for 2017 remains unchanged. We continue to anticipate no more than 2% growth in nominal GDP for the full calendar year. This is in line with the recent trends in M2 growth coupled with an anticipated decline in M2 velocity of 3.6% (M2*V=GDP). The risks, however, are to the downside. M2 was probably boosted by what will eventually be a transitory drop in Treasury balances at the Fed. Although not the main determinant, a rise in short-term rates would negatively influence velocity. The downturn in nominal GDP growth suggests that a rise in inflation to above 2% will be rejected and that by year end the inflation rate will be considerably slower. In such an economic environment long-term Treasury yields should continue to work irregularly lower over the balance of the year.
Our view on bond yields does not change if the Fed further boosts the federal funds rate this year. Any additional increases will place further downward pressure on the reserve, monetary and credit aggregates as well as tighten bank lending standards. Such actions will not allow the economy to regain the economic momentum that was lost in 2016 and in the early part of this year. Thus, the secular low in bond yields remains in the future, not the past.
Van R. Hoisington
Lacy H. Hunt, Ph.D.
WHAT WILL BREAK THE GOLD AND SILVER MANIPULATION? / SAFE HAVEN
| Etiquetas: Central Banking, Fiat Money, Gold, Investment Strategies, Silver
What Will Break the Gold and Silver Manipulation?
By: Gijsbert Groenewegen
Silver short positions at 23 highs! And the dumping of futures by the commercials is losing its luster
In the heels of gold and silver continuing to consolidate gains, the war in the gold and silver markets continues as the commercials (Fed, BIS, bullion banks) shorts in the silver market just hit a new all-time record! As we know the silver futures short positions are at record levels in order to depress the silver price at all costs. The silver market is less deep than the gold market, and therefore easier to manage. This way it is less difficult for the authorities, by suppressing the silver prices, to demotivate investors to invest in the precious metals. The monetary authorities don't want the silver price to break the $18.50/oz. and $21/oz. resistance levels for fear of much higher silver prices. They don't want the lit to come off of the pressure cooker.
We can clearly see the tug of war going on in silver on the point and figure chart here below.
And for gold the authorities don't want gold break the $1,300 level, which could open the way to the important $1,400 level and subsequently give us $2,000. We can see on the chart here below why the $1,400 level in gold is so important.
In recent days we have seen the strongest price manipulation going on in gold when the bullion banks dumped 22,000 gold futures contracts on Tuesday April 18 just before the London fix, which resulted in a $8, fall of the gold price in order to rise subsequently $15!!! In my point of view this is a clear sign of the increasing demand for gold from investors wanting to hedge themselves against the geopolitical risks, peak markets and an imminent weakening of the US dollar whilst the Fed and bullion banks seemingly are losing their control in depressing the gold and silver prices. The number of strong hands, investors that believe in the long-term prospects for gold and silver and are holding on to their positions, are clearly increasing and will give the commercials a huge headache. This dumping was respectively repeated on April 19 when an additional 20,000 futures contracts were sold. Both dumps had a notional value of between $2.5-$3bn (20,000 x 100 x 1290= $2.58bn). See below the chart of the net short position of the gold futures held by the commercials (Fed+ BIS + bullion banks)
Commercials have been adding to their gold short positions, but not nearly as aggressively as they have been in the silver market (see chart below).
Commercial Silver Shorts Hit All-Time Record (10-year chart)
The net short position of the commercials now almost amounts to 125,000 contracts equal to 125,000 x 5,000 = 625m oz. of silver or 71% of the 2016 annual silver production of 880m oz. Below is a look at a longer-term 23-year chart of commercial shorts in the silver market, which puts even better in perspective how extreme the current short positions are!! We all know what happens when short positions need to be covered!
23-Year Commercial Silver Chart Shows Record Short Positions
Pushing gold and silver prices to bargain levels is frustrating the suppressing efforts of the commercials and triggering ever so more purchasing
In my point of view at these low and bargain price levels the bullion banks undermine their own goals of depressing the gold and silver prices "in order to make the dollar look better than justified on the basis of its fundamentals". Remember when the time is up it is up and the fundamentals will rule and no attempted manipulation will succeed because there will be no doubt in anybody's mind which path to choose. Price will meet time.
Quite similar as with gold despite the increasing short positions the silver price reverses its sell-offs the whole time indicating that people find silver a real bargain hence the funds of money flowing into silver. What the Fed, BIS and bullion banks don't seem to understand, or do they, is that considering the peak markets and deteriorating fundamentals gold and silver look very attractive, especially at these low levels. And of course the most important inverse correlator for gold and silver the US dollar has run its course. As described in my last article
http://www.safehaven.com/article/44222/what-if-the-fed-lowers-instead-of-hiking-interest-rates
I think that the real fundamentals of the US economy are as such that there is no room for further hikes if anything the Fed will most likely have to cut interest rates. And thus the reasoning for so many investors to hold long positions in the US dollar will be over hence why gold and silver become more attractive because of their inverse correlation, after all they are expressed in US Dollars.
Anyway these fundamentals put a support under the gold and silver prices and thus the lower the commercials push prices the more purchases they automatically trigger. Why? Because as mentioned gold and silver are the bargain of the century as will be proven by history. Why do you think the Russians and Chinese are accumulating as fast and as much as possible without causing higher prices? Because gold and silver are real money, remember gold and silver nobody's obligation (nobody's counter-party obligation). It is like getting a Christmas present from the US. The Russians and Chinese must be laughing all the way to the bank, the best bargain they ever got from the US.
They are selling their treasuries because they know that the levels of US debt and US dollar are not sustainable despite all the QEs and thus swap the treasuries for gold. And the Fed, BIS and bullion banks in their almighty wisdom think they can keep the inevitable debasement of the US dollar at bay and gold and silver depressed. Or do they know they don't they have any choice?
The HFT algos, also used by the Fed, BIS and bullion banks, are not programmed to deal with unexpected high sigma events. It is these events that will ultimately break the manipulation of gold and silver
This is a tug of war that is coming to an end. The monetary authorities have so far been able to control the gold and silver prices using algorithm trading. In a world where HFT represents 80%-90% of daily trading volume the "counter-parties" need to use the same tools to be effective. In fact everything is being driven by these momentum programs and for human intervention is no place anymore. Who needs research if computer determine the decision to buy or sell. Though for the exception that confirms the rule, we know that when we have unexpected events ("emotional" or extraordinary events such as Brexit or Trumps election or other geopolitical events) algorithm trading doesn't work these algorithms are not programmed to trade unexpected events or high standard deviations. Algos are purely based on mathematical patterns that interpret facts and models and can't trade on discretionary unexpected events. Extraordinary events are those when the standard deviation, a deviation from a normal range or the mean, would be in excess of 4 to 5. I will explain. If a data distribution is normal then about 68% of the data values are within one standard deviation or divergence from the mean about 95% are within two standard deviations and about 99.7% lie within three standard deviations.
Statistical theory holds that 68% of all observations in a normal distribution lie within one standard deviation of the average of that sample. Events that lie on the fringes of this distribution are defined by a number of sigmas (standard deviations), which denote the increasing improbability of this outcome being realized. So if something, an event or fact, is statistically within the realm of normal expectations it will be within SD 1 or 2.
A good example out of real life to illustrate the concept of standard deviation is the following. The average height for adult men in the United States is about 70 inches (177.8 cm), with a standard deviation of around 3 inches (7.62 cm). This means that most men (about 68%, assuming a normal distribution) have a height within 3 inches (7.62 cm) of the mean (67-73 inches (170.18-185.42 cm)) - one standard deviation - and almost all men (about 95%) have a height within 6 inches (15.24 cm) of the mean (64-76 inches (162.56-193.04 cm)) - two standard deviations. If the standard deviation were zero, then all men would be exactly 70 inches (177.8 cm) tall. If the standard deviation were 20 inches (50.8 cm), then men would have much more variable heights, with a typical range of about 50-90 inches (127-228.6 cm). Three standard deviations account for 99.7% of the sample population being studied, assuming the distribution is normal (bell-shaped). And one uses the same methodology for determining trading patterns of equities, bonds, interest rates, currency movements etc. etc.
Though as mentioned it's the unpredictable and unexpected events that can hardly be modeled using the fact-based algos, as we have seen with Brexit. Following the Brexit vote the British Pound suffered an 18-standard-deviation devaluation! In other words believed to be impossible to happen within the normal business practices.
And in my point of view it will be these kind of moments, the unexpected not foreseen events, whereby the HFT algorithms can't function and will be obsolete (similar to having no market makers in the pit to provide price quotes), that the gold and silver prices will need in order to finally break free from their relentless manipulation.
5 minute suspension rule on the Comex doesn't apply to the OTC market allowing the bullion banks to re-adjust their positions
And although the commercials will have hedged the short positions they hold on the exchange traded Comex by opposite positions on the non-standardized and opaque OTC market they are most likely to double turn (replace one short position with two long positions) in order not to incur huge losses and in turn make significant profits from going long. Though the question will be who will be so stupid to take the short side when this happens. Another point of interest I should emphasize here is that when the comex suspends trading for 5 minutes the commercials can use that time to also get their positions readjusted in the OTC market. The OTC market doesn't suspend trading because it is not an exchange traded market but an unregulated bilateral market without any standardized rules. When the prices are too much in flux it is difficult to agree prices on a bilateral trade hence why when the prices on the comex are suspended parties will be granted time to agree their OTC trades. See the 5-minute Comex rule here below.
Nymex/Comex Rule Regarding Special Price Fluctuation Limits for Certain NYMEX and COMEX Metals Futures and Options Contracts
"The Exchanges will monitor the price movements of lead-month primary futures contracts in real-time on a daily basis. Price movements in lead-month primary futures contracts will result in triggering events. Triggering events result in monitoring periods, possible temporary trading halts followed by the re-opening of trading, and price fluctuation limit expansions.
If the lead-month primary futures contract is bid or offered via CME Globex at the upper or lower first special price fluctuation limit, the Exchanges will consider such an occurrence a triggering event that will begin a five-minute monitoring period in the lead-month contract."
The force majeure will propel gold and silver prices much much higher because of the criminal imbalance between paper contracts and physical backing
In other words the commercials will be able to save their skin despite their sanctioned unlawful behavior though the lit will be off the gold and silver prices. With hundreds of gold and silver contracts "backed" by only one physical ounce of gold and silver the Comex will have to call for a force majeure and settle nominally in US dollars. At this moment the Comex will have failed and the commercials will lose their price setting monopoly. Â Paper futures without 100% backing of physical gold or silver will be a phenomenon of the past. Gold could straight away go to $2,000/oz. and silver to $125/oz. especially when counterparty risk is showing its ugly head and the dollar is losing its value.
People ask me why I believe that gold and silver could make such leaps higher. Well if you have 200 paper gold futures outstanding for only one physical ounce of silver or gold in registered inventories and suddenly nobody trusts the dollar anymore and wants that one physical ounce the real laws of supply and demand kick in and will leap prices much much higher.
Conclusion: Insure your wealth against the fake valuations!
I think anyway that investors would do well to shift their focus more and more from the flakey intangible assets to the tangible assets such gold and silver, agricultural land and non contaminated fresh water. Next to that investing in the stock and bond markets is already for a long time not based on fundamentals. Everything is fake; the valuations of stocks, bonds and currencies are completely distorted by QEs, ZIRP and NIRP, actions of the Plunge Protection Team and the HFTs with their algos. So explain to me how an investor can invest on the basis of real fundamentals and is not taken for a ride as we are witnessing for example with the GDX and GDXJ. We live in a fake society whereby fake is ruling our reality!
Anyway why buy insurance for your house, your car, and your life but not for your wealth?
Why not put 10%-15% of your wealth in physical gold and silver and the gold and silver mining companies if you want to hedge your investments in your house and investments. If everything goes well all your assets will do well whilst if things turn sour gold and silver could give that nice leveraged hedge if you have the physical. When it happens people will wake up and realize that physical gold and silver are money the only real money the only reality and that everything with paper is just paper, worth hardly anything, fake!
BANKERS USE TRUMP RALLY TO CASH OUT / THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
| Etiquetas: Banks And Banking, U.S. Economic And Political
Bankers Use Trump Rally to Cash Out
Executives, directors at nearly 100 community banks and regional players netted $1 billion in stock sales since election
By Rachel Louise Ensignand Tom McGinty
U.S. Bank CEO Richard Davis, who retired from that role earlier this month, sold $73 million of stock in November and January, netting $28 million after exercise costs. Photo: Elizabeth Flores/Associated Press
Investors rushed into regional and community bank stocks after the U.S. election, encouraged by higher interest rates and potential regulatory relief. Top executives and directors at banks used the rally for a different reason: to cash out.
Insiders at publicly traded commercial banks with a market value greater than $1 billion, but excluding the largest national banks, sold about $1.4 billion in their company stock between the election and the end of March, up 65% from the 10-plus months in 2016 before the election, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal.
The sales netted executives and directors at banks like PNC Financial Services Group Inc. PNC -0.80%▲ and U.S. Bancorp USB -0.38%▲ $1 billion when taking into account the cost of exercising options.
The moves are in line with the behavior of insiders at the biggest U.S. banks, which was the subject of a Wall Street Journal article in January.
Executives at some of the country’s largest banks sold about $163.5 million worth of stock since the presidential election, more than in that same period in any year since before the financial crisis, according to an updated Wall Street Journal review of securities filings.
At the nearly 100 community banks and regional players included in the Journal’s latest review, net gains from selling since the election totaled about $7.2 million per day—nearly four times the 2016 pace before the election.
For years, bank stocks lagged behind the broader stock-market rally as low interest rates and a regulatory overhang from the financial crisis weighed on results. Last year started with the KBW Nasdaq Bank index falling as much as 23% by mid-February due to recession fears. During that time, insiders did very little selling, netting just $13 million on share sales in the first two months of 2016.
After Donald Trump’s surprise election win, potential tax and regulatory relief from the new administration gave bank investors a rosier view. Interest rates also started to rise, which helps bank profits.
While bank stocks have flagged a bit in recent months, the KBW index still rose by more than 22% between the election and the end of March, the period of increased insider selling.
Alex Lieblong, a director at Arkansas-based Home BancShares Inc., netted about $25 million in sales of the bank’s stock after the election, compared with about $1 million before the election in 2016. The 66-year-old investor said his estate planners told him that he needed “a little diversification here in case you get hit by the proverbial bus.”
Bank insiders still have vast holdings in their companies. Executives often are given shares through stock or options grants as part of compensation. Sometimes, they purchase shares on the open market or through their retirement plans. In 2016 before the election, 255 insiders at these lenders bought $42 million worth of stock. After the election through the end of March, the purchases amounted to $5 million from 55 insiders.
Private-equity investors with board seats also sold. Four of them accounted for more than $310 million of the sales, or about 22% of the total, since the election. These same investors sold $46 million in 2016 before the election.
While it is relatively unusual for private-equity investors to have stakes in banks due to regulatory restrictions, some got involved during or shortly after the crisis.
Oaktree Capital Management LP and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP, for instance, in 2011 invested more than $350 million in Puerto Rico-based First BanCorp as a part of a capital raise. The two private-equity investors, which declined to comment, sold about $257 million worth of First BanCorp stock in December and February. The stock is up 62% in the last 12 months through Wednesday.
Another recent seller: U.S. Bank CEO Richard Davis, who retired from that role earlier this month. In November and January, he sold $73 million of stock, netting $28 million after exercise costs. The bank said the moves were an exercise of options from 2008 and declined to comment further on Mr. Davis’s behalf.
PNC CEO William Demchak, meanwhile, sold $40 million, netting $21 million.
Both Messrs. Demchak and Davis remain significant shareholders in their banks. The stocks have both hit record highs in 2017 after steadily recovering since the financial crisis.
Given “the rise in PNC’s stock price during this time frame, I viewed it as an opportune time to exercise” stock options that were set to expire in the next two years, Mr. Demchak noted.
END-OF-LIFE CARE : A BETTER WAY TO CARE FOR THE DYING / THE ECONOMIST
| Etiquetas: Health Matters, Human Behaviour, Human Longevity
A better way to care for the dying
How the medical profession is starting to move beyond fighting death to easing it
A STROLL from Todoroki station, at the kink of a path lined with cherry trees, lies a small wooden temple. A baby Buddha sits on the sill. The residents of the Tokyo suburb ask the infant for pin pin korori. It is a wish for two things. The first is a long, spry life. The second is a quick and painless death.
Just part of this wish is likely to be granted. The paradox of modern medicine is that people are living longer, and yet doing so with more disease. Death is rarely either quick or painless. Often it is traumatic. As the end nears, people tend to have goals that matter more than eking out every last second. But too few are asked what matters most to them. In the rich world most people die in a hospital or nursing home, often after pointless, aggressive treatment. Many die alone, confused and in pain.
The distress is largely unnecessary. Fortunately medicine is beginning to take a more thoughtful approach to people with terminal illness. Reformers are overhauling how end-of-life care is delivered and improving communication between doctors and patients. The changes mean that patients will experience less pain and suffering. And they will have more control over their lives, right up until the end.
Many aspects of death changed during the 20th century. One was when it happens. The average lifespan increased by more over the past four generations than over the previous 8,000. In 1900 global life expectancy at birth was about 32 years, little more than at the dawn of agriculture. It is now 71.8 years. In large part that is a result of lower infant and child mortality; a century ago about a third of children died before their fifth birthday. But it is also because adults live longer. Today a 50-year-old Englishman can expect to live for another 33 years, 13 more than in 1900.
The chance of an adult dying was once largely unrelated to age; infections were indiscriminate. Michel de Montaigne, a French essayist who died in 1592, wrote that death in old age was “rare, singular and extraordinary”. Now, says Katherine Sleeman of King’s College London, death mostly comes by stealth. She estimates that in Britain only a fifth of deaths are sudden, for example in a car crash. Another fifth follow a swift decline, as with some cancer patients, who stay fairly active until their final few weeks. But three-fifths come after years of relapse and recovery. They involve a “slow, progressive deterioration of function”, Dr Sleeman says.
People in rich countries can spend eight to ten years seriously ill at the end of life. Chronic illness is rising in poorer countries, too. In 2015 it accounted for more than three-quarters of premature mortality in China, according to the Global Burden of Disease, a survey. In 1990 the share was just a half. The World Health Organisation (WHO) predicts that rates of cancer and heart disease in Sub-Saharan Africa will more than double by 2030.
A side-effect of progress, however, has been what Atul Gawande, a surgeon and author, calls “the experiment of making mortality a medical experience”. A century ago most deaths were at home. Now, according to a survey of 45 rich countries by the WHO, fewer than a third are. Death also used to be egalitarian, says Haider Warraich of Duke University Medical Centre and the author of “Modern Death”. Income did not much affect when or where people died. Today poor people in rich countries are more likely than their better-off compatriots to die in hospital.
No dying fall
Many deaths are preceded by a surge of treatment, often pointless. A survey of doctors in Japan found that 90% expected that patients with tubes inserted into their windpipes would never recover. Yet a fifth of patients who die in the country’s hospitals have been intubated. An eighth of Americans with terminal cancer receive chemotherapy in their final fortnight, despite it offering no benefit at such a late stage. Nearly a third of elderly Americans undergo surgery during their final year; 8% do so in their last week.
The way health care is funded encourages over-treatment. Hospitals are paid for doing things to people, not for preventing pain. And not only patients, but those who love them, suffer. Many people who may need intubation or artificial ventilation are not in a condition to indicate consent. An American study found that in about half of cases involving decisions about the withdrawal of treatment there is conflict between family and doctors. A third of relatives of patients in intensive-care units (ICUs) report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Many people will want to “rage, rage against the dying of the light”, as the poet Dylan Thomas put it.
Others will have particular events they want to attend: a grandchild’s graduation, say. But the medical crescendo often occurs by default, not as a result of personal choice based on a clearly understood prognosis.
The huge gap between what people want from end-of-life care and what they are likely to get is visible in a survey conducted by The Economist in partnership with the Kaiser Family Foundation, an American health-care think-tank. Representative samples of people in four large countries with differing demographics, religious traditions and levels of development (America, Brazil, Italy and Japan) were asked a set of questions about dying and end-of-life care. Most had lost close friends or family in the previous five years.
In all four countries the majority of people said they hoped to die at home (see chart 1). But fewer said they expected to do so—and even fewer said that their deceased loved ones had.
Apart from in Brazil, only small shares said that extending life as long as possible was more important than dying without pain, discomfort and stress. Other research suggests that wish, too, is increasingly unlikely to be granted. One study found that between 1998 and 2010 the shares of Americans experiencing confusion, depression and pain in their final year all increased.
What healthy people think they will want when they are mortally ill may well change when that moment comes. “Life becomes mighty precious when there is not a lot left,” says Diane Meier, a geriatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. It is common, for example, to hate the idea of a feeding tube but grudgingly accept one when the alternative is death.
Words I never thought to speak
Yet the gap between what people hope for and what they get cannot be explained away so easily.
Dying people’s wishes are often unknown or ignored. Among those involved in making decisions about a loved one’s end-of-life care, more than a third in Italy, Japan and Brazil said they did not know what their friend or family member wanted. Either they never asked, or only thought to do so too late. A Japanese woman who cared for her mother, an Alzheimer’s patient, says she regrets that “once the door closed there was no way of knowing what she wanted.”
And sometimes, even when relatives know a loved one’s wishes, they cannot make sure they are granted. Between 12% and 24% of those who had lost someone close to them said that the patient’s wishes had not been carried out. Between 25% and 38% said that friends or family had experienced needless pain. Across the whole survey most people rated the quality of end-of-life care as “fair” or “poor”.
End-of-life care can resemble a “conspiracy of silence”, says Robert Fine of Baylor Scott & White Health, a Texan health-care provider. In our survey majorities in all four countries said that death is a subject which is generally avoided. An obvious reason is that death is feared. “In every calm and reasonable person there is a hidden second person scared witless about death,” says the narrator of a Philip Roth novel. One school of psychology—“terror management theory”—holds that fear of death is the source of everything distinctively human, from phobias to religion.
But death was once what Philippe Ariès, a French historian, called a “public ceremony”, where friends and family gathered. Now, changing family structures mean the elderly and dying are more isolated from younger people, who are therefore less likely to witness death up close, or to find a suitable moment to talk about its approach. Just 10% of Europeans aged over 80 live with their families; half live alone. By 2020, 40% of Americans are expected to die alone in nursing homes.
In Japan, where survey respondents were most likely to say that not being a financial burden was a primary consideration, daughters are abandoning their traditional caring role. That has given rise to institutions such as the House of Hope, a hospice in east Tokyo that looks after people who are too poor for hospital care and too alone to die at home. A decade ago Hisako Yanagida, 88, lost her husband, with whom she had sung in a traditional Japanese troupe. Now her sight is going but she can still make out the faded pictures of the two of them on her wall. She tries not to think about death: “There is no point.”
But the chief responsibility for the failures of end-of-life care lies with medicine. The relationship between doctors and seriously ill patients is one of “mutual suspicion”, says Naoki Ikegami of St Luke’s International University, in Tokyo. A decade ago it was common for Japanese doctors to withhold cancer diagnoses. Today they are more honest, but still insensitive. One Japanese woman recalls her oncologist saying that if her chemotherapy made her bald, it would not be a big deal.
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And doctors commonly overestimate how long the terminally ill will live, making it more likely that they will duck frank conversations, or recommend drastic treatments that have little chance of success. One international review of prognoses of patients who die within two months suggests that seriously ill people live on average little more than half as long as their doctors suggested they would.
Another study found that, for patients who died within four weeks of receiving a prognosis, doctors had predicted the date to within a week in just a quarter of cases. Mostly, they had erred on the side of optimism.
Doctors often neglect palliative care, which involves giving opioids for pain, treating breathlessness and counselling patients. (The name comes from the Latin palliare, as in “to cloak” pain.) A typical question is “What is important to you now?” It does not seek to cure. As a result, “it is seen as what you do when you give up on a patient,” sighs Dr Ikegami. It receives just 0.2% of the funding for cancer research in Britain and 1% in America.
What studies there have been show the cost of this neglect. Since 2009 several randomised controlled trials have looked at what happens when patients with advanced cancer are given palliative care alongside standard treatment, such as chemotherapy. In each, the group receiving palliative care had lower rates of depression; and in all but one study, patients in that group were less likely to report pain.
Remarkably, in three trials the patients receiving palliative care lived longer, even though the quantity of conventional treatment they opted to receive was lower. (The other two trials showed no difference.) In one study their median survival was a year, compared with nine months for the group receiving only ordinary treatment. A review in 2016 of cases where palliative care was used instead of standard treatment found that even when it was the only care given, it did not seem to shorten life.
The reason for the results is unclear, and the research has mostly been on cancer patients. Those receiving palliative care spend less time in hospital, so may contract fewer infections. But some researchers think that the explanation is psychological: that through counselling they reduce depression, which is linked to earlier death. “A conversation can be more powerful than technology,” says Dr Sleeman.
At St Luke’s hospital in Tokyo, Yuki Asano supports the argument. Ever the executive, the 76-year-old slides his business card across the tray of his bed. The former boss of a brewery company (and 7th dan in kendo, a Japanese martial art) is riddled with cancer. He stopped chemotherapy last year.
The care at one of Japan’s few dedicated palliative centres has helped him feel ready for death. “I achieved everything I wanted in life,” he says. “Now I am waiting for the awards ceremony.”
But few of the 56m or so people who die each year receive good end-of-life care. A report published in 2015 by the Economist Intelligence Unit, our sister company, assessed the “quality of death” in 80 countries. Only Austria and America, the EIU found, had the capacity to ensure that at least half the patients for whom palliative care was suitable received it.
Many countries promise public access to palliative care but do not pay for it. Spain has passed two laws to ensure palliative care is available but in reality, just a quarter of patients can get it.
Though the hospice movement, dedicated to providing high-quality care to dying patients, started in Britain in the 1960s, only about a fifth of the country’s hospitals provide access to palliative care every day of the week.
The way health-care providers are funded often sidelines palliative care. In Japan hospital doctors receive no payment from insurers for talking to patients about end-of-life options. In America hospitals suck up a big share of spending, even though the seriously ill are often better treated elsewhere. Nine in ten emergency visits are because of escalations in symptoms, such as breathlessness; most of these patients could be treated better, faster and more cheaply at home.
Medicare, the public-health scheme for the elderly, does not generally cover spells in nursing homes.
Slowly, however, countries are reforming. In 2014 the WHO recommended integrating palliative care with health systems. Some developing countries, including Ecuador, Mongolia and Sri Lanka, are beginning to do so. In America some insurers are realising that what would be better for patients would be better for them, too. In 2015 Medicare announced that it would pay for conversations about end-of-life care between doctors and patients.
“Talking almost always helps and yet we don’t talk,” says Susan Block of Harvard Medical School.
To improve end-of-life care, she says, “every doctor needs to be an expert in communicating.”
American oncologists, for example, need to have an average of 35 conversations per month about end-of-life care. In a study of patients with congestive heart failure, doctors rarely followed up after a patient expressed a fear of death. Nearly three-quarters of nephrologists were never taught how to tell patients they are dying. A common cause of burnout among doctors is an inability to talk with patients about death.
To fill this gap Ariadne Labs, a research group founded by Dr Gawande, has launched the “Serious Illness Conversation Guide”. It is a straightforward checklist of the topics doctors should be sure to talk about with their terminally ill patients. They should start by asking what patients understand about their conditions, check how much each wants to know, offer an honest prognosis, and ask about their goals and the trade-offs each is willing to make.
Early results from a trial of the guide at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston suggest it led to doctors having more and earlier conversations. Patients reported less anxiety. Tension between doctors and families was eased. The scheme is being expanded; in February Baylor Scott & White became the first big provider to use it for all its staff. England’s National Health Service is trying it out in Clatterbridge, near Liverpool. Japan is retraining its oncologists in how to talk about death.
In America advance directives and living wills, documents that spell out the treatment people want if they become incapacitated, have become more popular over the past few decades. In our survey 51% of Americans over 65 had written down their end-of-life wishes. Yet such documents cannot cover all the possibilities that may arise as the end nears. Doctors worry that patients may have changed their minds. In one study just 43% of people who had written living wills wanted the same treatment course two years later.
Living wills are rare outside America (see chart 2). But there is a broader cultural shift. More than 4,400 “death cafés”, where people eat cake and talk about mortality, have sprung up. They discuss books such as “When Breath Becomes Air”, by the late Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon, and the documentary “Extremis”, which is set in an intensive-care unit and offers a more honest account of hospital care than in popular TV shows. In Japan “ending notebooks” are now available, to record messages and instructions for relatives.
Here at the end of all things
In 2010 Ellen Goodman, an American author, founded the Conversation Project, which started with people gathering to share stories of the “good deaths” and “bad deaths” experienced by their loved ones. It publishes guides like those from Ariadne Labs, but for use by people without medical training. Laurie Kay, an 80-something from Boston, recently told her husband and daughter that what mattered to her was dignity. She wants to look good: her nails should be painted. Her views may change, she says, but “having opened the conversation now we can reopen it later.”
Experiences of death are being shared online. Dying Matters is a popular forum. In 2013 Scott Simon, a journalist, tweeted from his mother’s bedside as she died (“Heart rate dropping. Heart dropping”, read one tweet). Kate Granger, an English geriatrician who died of cancer last year, planned to tweet during her final days using the tag #deathbedlive. She did not quite manage it, but a tweet she prepared was sent posthumously: “TY all for being part of my life. Pls look after my amazing hubby @PointonChris (Ps - Don’t let him spend all his money on a Range Rover) xx”.
Bringing death “within the pale of conversation” is needed to overhaul end-of-life care, argues Dr Warraich. Yet the “death positive” movement is not an excuse for medicine to remain stuck in its ways. Death will remain terrifying for many people. Unless the way health care is organised changes, most people will continue to suffer unnecessarily at the end.
HOISINGTON QUARTERLY REVIEW AND OUTLOOK, Q1 2017 /...
WHAT WILL BREAK THE GOLD AND SILVER MANIPULATION? ...
BANKERS USE TRUMP RALLY TO CASH OUT / THE WALL STR...
END-OF-LIFE CARE : A BETTER WAY TO CARE FOR THE DY...
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THE SOUTH PACIFIC: ALIGNED AGAINST CHINA / GEOPOLITICAL FUTURES
| Etiquetas: Australia, New Zealand, The South Pacific
The South Pacific: Aligned Against China
Australia is the region’s major power, but now there are signs of life from New Zealand.
By Jacob Shapiro
An overlooked multilateral organization in the South Pacific is about to get a facelift. Until now, relations between the members of the Pacific Islands Forum, which comprises Australia and New Zealand as well as 16 other Pacific island nations, have been defined by the Biketawa Declaration. Signed in 2000, Biketawa outlines how South Pacific nations deal with a regional crisis – and it served as the formal mechanism by which Australian and New Zealand forces were deployed to the Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tonga in recent years. Biketawa envisioned a post-Cold War world in which the biggest threats were internal. But the world has changed, and so must Biketawa.
New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was the first to announce the move. On July 5, it said a new security agreement was going to be signed at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nauru in September. Australia’s international development minister added a little more detail, explaining to The Australian that the new pact would provide a better framework for South Pacific nations to respond to “emerging threats.” China has increased its financial aid and loans to South Pacific nations in recent years, but money is essentially the only lever China has at this point. Chinese naval forces are too weak and its political ambitions too intrusive to project power into the región.
Australia is the major power in the South Pacific, but now there are also signs of life from New Zealand. New Zealand has always been the most distant of the “Five Eyes” – an alignment of the U.K., the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It is by far the most insecure of the five, and that has always meant that New Zealand must be more pragmatic in its foreign relationships. By virtue of its size, New Zealand also simply has fewer resources to contribute. But even despite the occasional ups and downs, especially in its relations with the U.S. (e.g., it banned nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed vessels from its waters in the mid-1980s, a policy that is still in effect), New Zealand’s loyalty has never seriously been in question.
That doesn’t stop people from questioning New Zealand’s fidelity, of course. A report by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in May made waves when it suggested that New Zealand was the “soft underbelly” of the alliance and might host Chinese naval facilities in the future. The report was merely a collection of independent views that did not represent Canada’s official position, but that did not stop speculation from running rampant over New Zealand’s position. The report became so widespread that it elicited a response from New Zealand’s prime minister, who dismissed it as idle chatter.
Then, at the end of last week, New Zealand released its Strategic Defense Policy Statement, and it left no doubt to where Wellington stands on China. The document criticized China for asserting its influence in Asia (and expressed concern about China’s expansion in Antarctica). China’s Foreign Ministry criticized New Zealand on Monday for that position, claiming that New Zealand should do more to build mutual trust in the region. Building trust may appeal to New Zealand’s sensibilities, but nice-sounding words don’t jibe with China’s militarization of the South China Sea and plays for influence in the South Pacific. While China was crying foul, New Zealand announced a much louder move on Monday with the purchase of four submarine-hunting surveillance jets from the United States for $1.5 billion.
In the past week, then, we’ve seen the Pacific Islands Forum, led by Australia and New Zealand, indicate that its members will sign a new security framework to protect South Pacific nations from external threats. We’ve seen New Zealand release an official government report identifying China as a primary challenge to national security. And we’ve seen New Zealand take a step toward enhancing its defense capabilities by purchasing military aircraft from the United States. China has vast financial resources to peddle in the South Pacific, but its interests are inherently expansionist, while Australia and New Zealand’s interests are primarily defensive. That may be enough to keep the South Pacific aligned against China for now, but that is not the end of the challenge. It is the beginning.
A DISASTER FORETOLD: NATO PREPARES FOR A TRUMPER T...
FOREIGN CURRENCIES SHOW MASSIVE VOLATILITY/ ROTATI...
CHINA STIMULATES AGAIN, BUT DON´T EXPECT FIREWORKS...
WHY THE STRONG DOLLAR IS BAD FOR BANKS / THE WALL ...
TRADE BARRIERS WILL NOT STOP CHINA´S RISE / PROJEC...
THE SOUTH PACIFIC: ALIGNED AGAINST CHINA / GEOPOLI...
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Norman “Hec” Fowler Saskatoon Pilgrims 1916
Heck Fowler, Norman Fowler, Norman Heck Fowler, Saskatoon Pilgrims, Saskatoon Pilgrims History, Saskatoon, Saskatoon Ice Hockey History, Saskatoon Hockey History, Saskatchewan Pilgrims, Saskatchewan Pilgrims History, 1916, 1916 IsHockey, 1916 Ice Hockey, 1916 Hokej, 1916 Hockey, 1916 Hockey Sur Glace, 1916 EisHockey, Norman James Boswell Fowler, Hec Fowler, Norman Hec Fowler, Hec Boswell Fowler, Saskatoon Rovers History, Saskatoon Bankers History, Saskatoon Westerns History, Saskatoon Wholesalers History, Spokane Canaries History, Seattle Metropolitans History, PCHA First All-Star Team, PCHA First All-Star Team 1918, Victoria Aristocrats History, Victoria Cougars History, Boston Bruins History, Edmonton Eskimos Hockey History, Oakland Sheiks History, Saskatoon Quakers Coach, 1933 Allan Cup Champion, Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame 1983, Hec Fowler Bio, Hec Fowler Biography, Heck Fowler Bio, Heck Fowler Biography, Norman Fowler Bio, Norman Fowler Biography, Norman Hec Fowler Bio, Norman Hec Fowler Biography
Uploaded By: PRESIDENT on February 8th, 2017
Norman James Boswell "Hec" (Heck) Fowler - Born October 14, 1892 in Peterborough, Ontario - Died July 30, 1987 in Saskatoon
Saskatchewan was amateur and professional ice Hockey Goaltender.
Moving to Saskatoon from Ontario when he was 15 years old, Fowler played baseball, soccer and lacrosse, but it was his Hockey career where he achieved most of his athletic success.
Fowler played goal for the Saskatoon Rovers from 1909 to 1910, Saskatoon Bankers from 1909 to 1910, Saskatoon Westerns from 1910 to 1911, Saskatoon Wholesalers from 1911 to 1915 and the Saskatoon Pilgrims from 1915 to 1916.
Fowler then turned professional, and joined the Pacific Coast Hockey Association / PCHA, playing first with the Spokane Canaries for the 1916-17 season. The Canaries, citing poor attendance, disbanded for the following season, and while Fowler had played poorly for Spokane, the defending Stanley Cup champion Seattle Metropolitans were confident enough to sign him as their goaltender. With Fowler at the helm, the Mets won the league championship but were upset in the playoffs by the Vancouver Millionaires. Fowler led the PCHA with eleven wins and put forth a fine 3.34 goals against average. Fowler was named to the PCHA first all-star team in 1917-18.
At that point, Fowler enlisted in the military for the last year of World War I, missing the 1918-19 Hockey season.
Fowler then signed with the Victoria Aristocrats, playing with them from 1919 to 1922, and was with the club when they became the Victoria Cougars, playing from 1922 to 1924.
Fowler was traded to the Boston Bruins by Victoria for cash, October 29, 1924. Fowler is very significant to the history of the Boston Bruins, having been the first goalie in franchise history, as the Bruins entered the NHL back in the 1924-25 season.
Fowler’s previous success didn’t not translate to the NHL. He would only last seven games with the Bruins where he had a miserable record of 1-6, and a very ugly 6.16 GAA. Fowler would never play for another NHL team.
According to Eric Zweig, in his book Art Ross, Fowler pulled an “emergency exit” stunt. On December 22, 1924 Boston hosted Toronto, losing to the visitors for the sixth straight defeat in the young season. Four of those defeats were by lopsided scores—including that one; 10 -1. There had been general dissatisfaction with the Bruins backstop, including accusations that he was actually letting pucks in on purpose. Ross had even called him up on the carpet in he dressing room to challenge him. And, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he softened the rebuke with, “….but I guess you gave it the best you had!” - to which Fowler was supposed to have answered with: “Like hell I did!’
At any rate, after the ninth goal Ross reported: “In the middle of the third period he just left the ice. He went into the dressing room, changed into street clothes, and left the arena!”
Fowler returned to the West, and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos of the Western Canada Hockey League to finish the season, but took the next year off. Fowler played one more season in Edmonton in 1927, then three for the Oakland Sheiks of the California professional league between 1928 and 1931 – leading the team to consecutive championships his last two seasons – before retiring.
Following retirement he returned to Saskatoon and coached the 1933 Saskatoon Quakers to the Allan Cup finals. With such success, Fowler went on to coach the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the Saskatoon Elites, and helped to organize Pee Wee Hockey.
One of the greatest Hockey players ever, Gordie Howe is a graduate of Fowlers.
Norman “Heck” Fowler was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame on June 11, 1983.
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BySultan
International Law,Yemen
The need to protect human rights in Yemen
With no end to the humanitarian threat posed by the Houthi rebel militia, the Yemeni Ministry of Human Rights has published a Preliminary Report on the Human Rights Situation in Yemen. The comprehensive report, composed by the Ministry’s Leadership Council, details the extent of human suffering in Yemen in two years between January 2015 and January 2017, covering the Houthis’ countless breaches of international humanitarian law, be it the targeting of civilians, the recruitment, maiming and killing of children, the denial of education and healthcare or the oppression of basic freedoms.
Yemen’s legitimate President Marshal Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, in his foreword to the report, condemns the Houthi and Saleh-supporting militia that have “taken Yemen into a meaningless war, and destroyed its social fabric, economic and financial resources and infrastructure.” President Hadi recounts the turmoil of the militia’s systematic killing of civilians, children and the elderly; kidnappings; disappearances; sieges and suppression of civic freedoms, equating these deplorable terrorising acts with those of Al Qaeda or Da’esh.
Welcoming the intervention of the Arab Coalition in Yemen, the report reiterates President Hadi’s complete support for the military procedures that the Coalition has taken to defend the legitimacy, unity and territorial integrity of the Yemeni state. However, where there have been mistakes in targetting, the report recommends that the facts are investigated and those responsible are held to account.
Mohammed Askar, Yemen’s Vice Minister of Human Rights alo renews his government’s appeal to all international organisations and human rights mechanisms to look carefully at the Yemeni crisis in order to achieve sustainable peace in all parts of Yemen by ending the coup d’état in adherence with international resolutions, notably UN Resolution 2216.
The appeals reflect those made by H.E. Mohamed Taha Mustafa, the Yemeni ambassador to Belgium and the European Union, who was welcomed to the European Parliament’s Delegations for relations with the Arab Peninsula earlier this month. In his speech, he underlined the disruptive role of the Houthis rebels supported by Iran and their continuous boycott of all attempts to secure the peaceful transition promoted by the legitimate elected government and the Saudi-led coalition. The Ambassador appealed to the European Parliament and EU governments to put pressure on Iran to cease interfering with internal Yemeni affairs and stop supporting the Houthi rebels.
The latest Special Edition of Saudi Arabia in Focus on Yemen covers recent Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian action in country, the Kingdom’s approach to addressing the crisis and the progress being made in combating the threat of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.
Abdulrahman S. Alahmed
Ambassador and Head of the Saudi Mission to the EU
Aden, Hadi, Houthis, Human Rights, Iran, Sana'a, Saudi Arabia, Yemen
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This is for my friend.
It was originally written in a language other than English. There are many translations. Some are more poetic than others. I present it here in its entirety, but I have taken the liberty of piecing together parts of the various translations. I truly believe that the original author would wish for it to be presented in the way most easily absorbed, and these pieces are, to my ear, the best toward that end.
If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophecy, an understanding of all of God’s secret plans, and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but did not love others, I would be nothing.
If I gave everything I have to the poor, and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Prophecy, and speaking in unknown languages, and special knowledge, will become useless, but love will last forever.
Our knowledge now is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. For now, we see through a glass darkly, but then, face to face. Now, I know in part, but then, I shall know just as I also am known.
Three things will last forever — faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.
Please visit my friend and say "Hi!". Be love.
Wisdom From Horsehide
"Teach a boy to throw a baseball, and he won't throw a rock." - Ty Cobb
Baseball players and managers are eminently quotable. If you don't gain something useful from what follows, it is only because of your totally irrational prejudice against sports. At worst, you will find a laugh or two. At best, the answer to one of life's mysteries may await.
Without any further blather from me, here are some of the best words ever uttered by baseball people.
"Ain't no man can avoid being born average, but there ain't no man got to be common."
"Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it don't matter."
"How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?"
"I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I toss one that ain't never been seen by this generation."
"Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don't move."
Talking about legendary speedy player, "Cool Papa" Bell - "One time he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit his ass sliding into second."
And, of course, his immortal rules for staying young...
"Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like nobody's watching."
1 - Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood.
2 - If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts.
3 - Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move.
4 - Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society. The social ramble ain't restful.
5 - Avoid running at all times.
6 - Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you.
To a player not doing well in the early part of the season - "Don't worry, the fans don't start booing until July."
On the economics of smoking cigarettes - "Raleighs have gone from $6.50 to $9.00 a carton, but there's a three-quarter cent coupon on the back. You can get all kinds of things with them, blenders, everything. I saved up enough one time and got Al Bumbry."
"It's what you learn after you know it all that counts."
Why baseball is better than football - "You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
Ted Williams
"Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."
"I've found that you don't need to wear a necktie if you can hit."
"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for too many men on the field?"
"You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time."
On Claudell Washington - "He plays the outfield like he's trying to catch grenades."
"Hitting is better than sex."
"I don't mind getting beaten, but I hate to lose."
"When we lose and I strike out, a billion people in China don't care."
On trying to get out of a hitting slump - "So many ideas come to you and you want to try them all but you can't. You're like a mosquito in a nudist camp. You don't know where to start."
"Dizzy" Dean
To a batter - "Son, what kind of pitch would you like to miss?"
"It ain't braggin' if you can back it up."
"It puzzles me how they know what corners are good for filling stations. Just how did they know gas and oil was under there?"
After being hit in the head by a batted ball, and returning from the hospital - "The doctors x-rayed my head and found nothing."
"Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical."
"He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious."
On the attendance woes of his club - "If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?"
"I'm not going to buy my kids an encyclopedia. Let them walk to school like I did."
"It's like deja vu all over again."
On why a certain restaurant was no longer popular - "Nobody goes there anymore because it's too crowded."
When asked by a teammate what time it was - "You mean right now?"
"I only had a high school education and, believe me, I had to cheat to get that."
"I don't know why the players make such a big fuss about sitting in the first class section of the plane. Does that mean they'll get there faster?"
"Me carrying a briefcase is like a hotdog wearing earrings."
Bert Blyleven
"The problem with being Comeback Player of the Year is it means you have to go somewhere before you can come back."
Tug McGraw
Asked if his preference was grass or Astroturf - "I dunno. I never smoked any Astroturf."
Lefty Gomez
On big slugger Jimmy Foxx - "He has muscles in his hair."
"I've got a new invention. It's a revolving bowl for tired goldfish."
Bill "Spaceman" Lee
"The other day they asked me about mandatory drug testing. I said I believed in drug testing a long time ago. All through the sixties I tested everything."
Concerning an on-field fight - "If it had been me out there, I'd have bitten his ear off. I'd have Van Gogh'ed him."
"You should enter a ballpark the way you enter a church."
Amen, Brother Lee.
And, finally, THE most quotable man in the history of baseball, The Ol' Perfessor himself...
Casey Stengel
"Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in."
"Good pitching will always stop good hitting and vice-versa."
"If anyone wants me, tell them I'm being embalmed."
At the dedication ceremony for Casey Stengel Field - "I feel greatly honored to have a ballpark named after me, especially since I've been thrown out of so many."
Replying to a soldier who had written with criticism about how Stengel was managing the New York Yankees - "If you're so smart, let's see you get out of the Army."
"They say some of my stars drink whiskey, but I have found that ones who drink milkshakes don't win many ball games. Look at Bobby Richardson - he doesn't drink, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't chew, he doesn't stay out late, and he still can't hit .250."
"Managing is getting paid for home runs someone else hits."
When asked how good a hitter someone was - "That boy couldn't hit the ground if he fell out of an airplane."
A reporter asked him, at age 73, about his physical well-being - "My health is good enough about the shoulders."
To his Toledo Mudhens players - "Say, I've got a tip on the market for you fellows - buy Pennsylvania Railroad because by tomorrow night about a dozen of you bums will be riding on it."
Giving a player the news that he hadn't made the club - "Son, we'd like to keep you around this season but we're going to try and win a pennant."
"There comes a time in every man's life, and I've had plenty of them."
"The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided."
On the occasion of his being fired by the New York Yankees - "They told me my services were no longer desired because they wanted to put in a youth program... I'll never make the mistake of being seventy again."
To a player who questioned his truthfulness when Casey demonstrated how he had once made a certain play - "What do you think? I was born old?"
"We (the Mets) are a much improved ball club, now we lose in extra innings!"
"You have to go broke three times to learn how to make a living."
On the efficacy of superstitious ritual as it concerned Sandy Koufax - "You put the whammy on him, but when he's pitching, the whammy tends to go on vacation."
Here's hoping your whammy never goes on vacation.
A Guide To Boston's Subways
As a public service for those planning a trip to the Boston area, I present this quick guide to The T, Boston's public transportation system.
The T was America's first subway system. The oldest part, dating from 1897, is the segment encompassing Park Street and Boylston on the Green Line. History literally comes alive on that stretch as descendants of the original 1897 rats can sometimes be glimpsed.
How The T Works
There are four main lines. They are color-coded. Here's a map!
The first thing you'll notice is that, even though I told you there are four color-coded lines, there are more than four colors on the map. Ignore the purple and the silver. The purple is commuter rail. Nobody within the city proper considers it part of The T. Its purpose is to keep people in the outlying suburbs from getting to work on time. The Silver Line likes to call itself rapid transit, but in reality it's just a stinkin' bus. You may find it useful if you wish to get to and from the airport, but that's mostly hearsay.
The next thing you should note is that some of the lines are split into multiple routes. The main reason for this is so that those people living along different parts of the Red Line can bitch about how the other train always arrives before the one they ride. For the Green Line, multiply by two and consider taking a cab.
Last, but certainly not least, note that Ashmont is listed as a transfer station from the Red Line to the Red Line. This is not a mistake. Should you wish to go beyond Ashmont, you will have to disembark from your subway car and get on a trolley.
The charming little trolley in question is the most pleasant ride on the system. This is to make up for the Braintree train having arrived first earlier in your journey.
What with Boston desperately trying to avoid becoming a world-class city, The T operates approximately 19.5 hours a day. Should you find yourself exiting a drinking establishment at the legally-mandated 2 o'clock closing time, you will be unable to get home via the subway. You will have to drive, instead. This is Boston's way of thinning out the population of college students. Likewise, if you've just been hired to work odd hours in some sort of service industry, you will be unable to get to your new job prior to 5:30 or so in the morning. This is because Boston hates you and doesn't wish to see you advance.
Etiquette On The T
Pants are optional.
If you feel the need to grope a fellow passenger, please do so in a discreet manner. Otherwise, we will have to hunt down an MBTA policeman. Since most of them are in squad cars driving around the streets, rather than in the subway, this will present a horrible inconvenience to all concerned.
We would appreciate it if you don't offer your seat to an elderly person or someone with an obvious physical disability. It makes the rest of us look bad.
It is OK to cut your toenails so long as the fragments don't fly into the sandwich being eaten by the person sitting next to you.
Smoking is forbidden. If you find that you've somehow fallen onto the third rail, however, we will try to make allowances.
If you're wearing a backpack, please try to hit as many of your fellow riders as possible with it. If you take it off, please put it on a seat so that someone else won't be able to sit there. This advice also applies to shopping bags and briefcases.
It is always appreciated when a baby stroller is positioned directly in front of the exit doors, so please try to do that if you have one. Also, everyone loves a screaming child, so please be sure to exacerbate all situations wherein you are transporting a crying infant by yelling at said child to shut the fuck up rather than using a soothing tone of voice.
Finally, if you are a man, it is your right to spread your legs as far apart as possible to accommodate your enormous testicles in a comfortable manner. If you can do so in a fashion that takes up a full seat on either side of you, that would be fine. Bonus points if you wear shorts and your testicles can actually be glimpsed by the rest of us.
The T provides multiple ways to pay your fare.
You can pay cash in certain situations, but this is frowned upon because The T employs many known felons and the temptation has proven overwhelming to them in the past. Therefore, in an effort to provide more fodder for landfills, you are encouraged to purchase either a Charlie Ticket or a Charlie Card. The difference between the two is that one will end up costing you more for each individual ride than the other. However, that inconvenience is made up for by the startling lack of service provided by the station agents who are supposed to be helpful in your decision of which one will best suit your need. When all else fails (I'd say it's even money) just hop the gate. Nobody cares.
(In case you're wondering why these things are called "Charlie" cards and tickets, it's because of an entirely illogical old song called Charlie On The MTA. The song was originally a campaign song for Progressive Party candidate for mayor, Walter A. O'Brien. A new "exit fare" had just been instituted, in order to raise revenues without having to upgrade existing equipment, and Charlie found himself stuck on the train because he didn't have the additional nickel to pay to get out.
Cute? Indubitably. However, as with most other things, progressives failed to consider the simplest answer in their rush to rail (excuse the pun) against the fare increase. To whit, a lyric from the fourth verse:
Charlie's wife goes down
To the Scollay Square station
Every day at quarter past two
And through the open window
She hands Charlie a sandwich
As the train comes rumblin' through.
If, instead of a sandwich, she had handed him a damn nickel, he could have come home immediately and that would have been the end of it.)
In an effort to guard against possible terrorist attacks (of which there have never been any on The T, so it must be working) you are encouraged to "See Something, Say Something". What this means is that suspicious packages should be reported immediately to a T official (should you be able to locate one.) In theory, this will allow for the suspicious item to be removed, and safely disposed of, without any disruption in service due to inconveniences such as a bomb exploding and killing you. In practice, it means that your fellow passengers will curse you out because whatever line you report something on will then be shut down until the suspicious package is carefully checked out and found to be somebody's laundry.
As a final treat, here are some points of interest you may wish to explore on your journeys.
Station You're Most Likely To...
... Never Reach - Lechmere.
This is because not all trains marked "Lechmere" actually go there. The possibility always exists that you will be told to get off at Government Center, instead, and have to wait for another train marked "Lechmere", which may or may not end its run at North Station.
(By the way, despite the spelling, it is pronounced LEECH-meer, not leh-SHMEER. If you ask directions and don't pronounce it correctly, you will be mugged.)
... Wonder Where That Other Set Of Tracks Goes To - Boylston
There is a set of tracks at Boylston, visible from the outbound platform, leading down into some sort of secondary tunnel. No trains ever go on these tracks. It has been conjectured that those tracks may lead to Dante's fifth circle, but this is untrue. Boylston IS the fifth circle.
(OK, actually the tracks lead to a closed off section of line unused for around 80 years. Every so often, some wise guy suggests reopening that route for service, but it will never happen because it makes too much sense.)
... Get Caught In A Crowd Of Drunken Sports Fans - Kenmore and/or North Station
Homes to Fenway Park and TD Garden, respectively. If you're a tourist and somebody told you to go to "Fenway" on the Riverside line in order to get to Fenway Park, you've been had. Backtrack to your original point of departure, find that person, then punch him or her in the nose. After that, you can all go have some Chinese food at Orient Heights.
... Not Understand Why It's Called What It Is - Wonderland
Unless you know something about the history of that area, you will have no idea why the station is called Wonderland. There is nothing there bearing that name. There used to be, but I'm not going to tell you what it was. This station does, though, hold the distinction of having starred in a movie. That's more than you can say, so cut it some slack.
... Wonder Why There's A Station There - Bowdoin
It's about a one-minute walk from the Government Center stop on the same line and it's closed at night and on weekends. But, there it is! God only knows why.
(A close runner-up is Capen Street on the Mattapan-Ashmont trolley line.
It's located on a dead-end side street in Milton and is basically a personal station for the folks living on that street. It serves 58 passengers a day according to the latest ridership statistics. I know hookers who serve more riders a day.)
... Get Pissed When You Get Off The Train And Find That You Can't Reverse Direction Without Paying An Additional Fare - Copley
Arlington, too, as I recall. And Boylston, for that matter. Also Ashmont. Probably some others I'm forgetting at the moment. Heck, just be prepared to pay more at some point if you get lost.
(Returning to "Charlie" for a moment, they used to charge you an extra fare to leave the station when you got off at Braintree, but if you'd never been there before, it was a grand surprise. It was to me, anyway. Maybe they still charge an extra fare to leave that station; I don't know. Ever since the first time I went there, I've refused to go back out of general principles.)
... Choose The Wrong Direction Of Travel - Park Street
There are three platforms in the Red Line part of the station and four tracks in the Green Line part. There's a concourse that leads to the Orange Line at Downtown Crossing, and there are also an unusually large number of stairways that don't necessarily tell you in great detail where you're headed. I'd estimate your odds at no better than 50/50 on your first time there.
... Feel In Danger, But Will Probably Be Safe - Valley Road
In order to access this station, you need to travel a walkway from the street through a patch of woods and then go down a long double flight of stairs. Except for your possible attacker, it is quite likely you will be the only person on the platform during most hours. Once on the platform, and out of reach of the stairs, there is absolutely no way to get away from a possible attacker unless you hop a fence and dive into the Neponset River. However, the station is located in a quiet residential neighborhood with relatively little crime, so it's unlikely you will be attacked. There were NO crimes reported at Valley Road station in 2011.
(Of course, now that I've published this and given would-be attackers the lowdown, you should probably carry pepper spray just to be sure.)
(By the way, I now find that I owe an apology to Capen Street. According to statistics I've just seen, Valley Road has even fewer riders each day - 44. And that includes a couple of misguided muskrats that wandered into the station from out of the river.)
... Not Get Out Of Alive - Forest Hills
Well, all right, I suppose that's overstating things. However, Forest Hills easily leads in number of assaults reported per year. There were 52 assaults reported in 2011. That doesn't include 4 instances of unspecified sex offenses, nor does it include 30 robberies of one sort or another. You'll probably get out alive, but maybe without either your wallet or your dignity.
And now I'll tell you a secret. As much as I've made fun of The T, I love it. I grew up with the sound of the Mattapan-Ashmont trolley coming through my bedroom window at night - the bell rung by the driver at the Central Avenue grade crossing, the squeal of the steel wheels as it made the turns, the whir of the motors, the opening and closing of the doors. To my ears, it was a lullaby. The system has always gotten me where I needed to be. It has been my ride to work, and then back home; to Christmas shopping and Easter celebrations; to a thousand different entertainments; to relatives and their home-cooked dinners; to church and to hot dates. The cost has never been prohibitive (and has, in fact, been a bargain, all things considered.) For every time I've had a bad ride, I've had a hundred that were efficient. As much as I love some other subway systems of the world, I wouldn't trade The T for any of them. It may be an old and cranky system, but it's MY old and cranky system, damn it, and if you ever insult it the way I just did, I'll feel it my civic duty to punch you in the nose.
Enjoy the ride. If you want company, call me.
[The Gilbert Stuart, my grade school. Note spelling on the photo, no doubt done by a gradjooit.]
Back To School. Never have sadder words been spoken.
Oh, OK, I suppose, "We're going to have to amputate your penis" might be worse. Also, "Man, we were so drunk! Remember that girl from last night? I think it was your mom!" However, those would be specialized situations not affecting the entire population. Back To School was for everybody.
[Most of us look happy, but it's a lie. Our parents told us to be sure to smile or else we wouldn't get any supper that evening.]
Now, I realize there will be some lunatic in the crowd who will opine, "But, I loved school! Those were the best years of my life! I couldn't wait for school to start again each September!"
Shut up, you pervert. We're here to commiserate, not indulge your twisted memories.
The reason "Back To School" was so miserable a thing to hear was because "School's Out!" was the most joyous phrase ever uttered.
(Cue Alice Cooper!)
OK, maybe not THE most joyous phrase ever uttered. "We're not going to have to amputate your penis after all" and "No, that was your mom", etc., but still, it ranks right up there. Was there ever a kid who didn't know when the date of liberation was due? I used to mark it on the calendar in red ink. When I woke up on the morning of that final day in the school year, the knowledge that it would be the last time, for more than two months, when I would have to pay attention to an alarm clock, gave me a day-long orgasm.
(Yes, even when I was five. After I was past puberty, it only got more intense. On the day I graduated high school, knowing that I would never again be compelled to sit in a classroom, I had to change my pants five times.)
[Me immediately before graduation. Note the vacant expression and uncool attire.]
[Me immediately after graduation. Note whatever you want.]
I'll be realistic, but only for a moment. It's possible some of you found worth in your schooling. I, on the other hand, detested every stinking minute of it. The only thing I ever wanted to get out of school was me. It was unrelenting drudgery, with the occasional stunning embarrassment thrown in for good measure, and the only reason I endured it for as long as I did was because my otherwise wonderful parents were adamant about me getting my high school diploma. While they were intelligent and loving people overall, they had a warped view of what they thought that piece of paper would mean to my future. I think they envisioned it as the key to opening doors behind which I would be allowed to swim in rivers of cash.
Not quite. I can honestly say that having a high school diploma has never meant a damn thing in my life. There has never been a job I've held for which producing that diploma was integral to securing said position. And the things I actually learned in school? I have no doubt I would have learned them more readily, and with a better attitude, had I been taught them by my parents, my friends, and/or via my own reading and experimentation.
My Mom, bless her, taught me to read before I ever entered a classroom. I have no doubt that she and My Dad could have combined to teach me everything else I learned in grade school. And by the time I hit the latter years of my schooling, I was a voracious reader who often played hooky in order to go to the library.
It's true. While other kids were at the ballpark, or swimming, or stealing cars, I was at the library with my nose buried in a book. I learned more when I skipped school than I did when I attended. I'm now indulging in self-congratulatory hoo-hah, however, and my apologies for that. The original thrust of this piece (if you'll excuse the pelvic image) was to reminisce about how hideous it was to face the prospect of having to return to school each year. Let's get back on track.
[Not only did school warp my mind, it also warped my basketball.]
I'd be sitting in our living room, watching TV, and suddenly an ad would come on screen touting a "Back To School Sale". My Mom can tell you that I would literally yell at the television to stop torturing me. I felt it entirely unfair that my reverie would be disturbed by thoughts of impending doom.
(Of course, the fact that the clothes being advertised were the most un-hip and disturbingly geeky items of apparel ever seen had something to do with it. The miniature cretins seen skipping and hopping into the schoolyard, idiotic grins spread wide on their fallow faces, did not make it easier to swallow. Also, My Dad was likely to see such an ad and feel obligated to buy something for me to wear that would completely mark me out as an outcast. He had marvelous taste in clothing for himself, but not so much for a kid. He liked to trick me out in full three-piece suits, a regimental tie with a Windsor knot, wingtip shoes, and perhaps even a handkerchief in the breast pocket, which is all well and good if you're the son of an English Earl, but not so much when you're the youngest one in your class and being picked on to begin with, even without the added ammunition of a Little Lord Fauntleroy suit.)
[My First Communion suit, but you get the idea.]
There are no doubt some women in the audience thinking, "Oh, but you were so cute!" Well, that's the point. Boys do not want to be cute. Boys want to be tough. "Cute" is for sissies. And even the sissies didn't want to be called sissies. If boys had their way, they'd go to school in a leather jacket, an eye patch, a good crusty scar in some noticeable place, fingerless gloves with studs on the knuckles, some sort of weaponry hanging from the belt, and sneakers. Even the nanciest of nancy boys would not choose wingtips, for goodness' sakes. I'm not saying that the grooming lessons My Dad gave me when I was young haven't stood me in good stead; they have. I know how to dress well. That I choose not to do so most of the time is also a direct result.
I could go on, but you all know the bottom line - school was dreadful. There was nothing that happened in school that wasn't better outside of school. Sports, for instance, were fun, but in school you always had some ogre of a gym teacher forcing you to climb ropes and do other uselessly silly shit like that, when all you wanted to do was run around or throw a ball through a hoop. Is either one more intrinsically valuable? No, of course not. But that bastard would make damned sure you climbed the rope before you got to shoot some hoops. Outside of school? Shoot hoops as much as you want and not a rope in sight. Same for every other activity. Nothing was better or more fun in school than outside of it.
(I will now go against just about everything I've said by naming a few teachers who were wonderful. On the off-chance that you are still alive, I will let you know that if you see your name on this list, I'll gladly remove it upon notification. Disavowing any knowledge of you having taught me is the least I can do to repay you for your kindness.
Mrs. Hickey
Mr. Russell
Mr. Doucette
I think that's about it. I could name a couple more borderline cases, but why drag their names through the mud?)
One last thing. There are now an alarmingly large number of schools that resume classes in August. I realize that the summer vacation is a vestigial holdover from a more agrarian society where children worked the fields on farms, but still... I would have blown up my school before allowing myself to be dragged back to class prior to Labor Day.
Do you have some wonderful and happy memories of your school years that you'd like to share in the comments section?
Soon, with more bitter stuff.
Softball season is over for me. I promised you no more softball posts. And, despite all evidence to the contrary, I'm a man of my word.
(The word, as you are about to find out, is "However...".)
However, while this isn't a softball post, it IS about sports. So, if you were expecting something besides sports, you probably have every reason to feel disappointed. If you wish to come here and beat me about the head and shoulders, I can't say that I'd blame you.
This post is about bowling.
Yes, I've chosen the one sporting subject that might be even less thrilling than softball. In your favor, though, it contains passages concerning me crying, bleeding, and otherwise suffering mental anguish, so there's that.
Oh! Did I forget to mention it's also a re-run? Yup.
Here, from the suldoggedly almost prehistoric time of 2006, is...
CANDLEPINS FOR CASH
I told you recently, and also a while back (#54), that I am technically a professional bowler. I also told you that I'd tell you all about it someday. Well, today is the day. Feel free to run from the room screaming.
Now, the first thing we have to do - if you're still here - is get our terms straight. When I say "bowling", I might not mean the same thing as when you say "bowling". I'm talking candlepins here.
Candlepins is to tenpins as baseball is to softball. Except, in this case, the easier game is the one that you can make a living at. Candlepins is a much tougher game than tenpins.
Why is candlepin bowling a tougher game than tenpin bowling? I'm glad you asked.
1 - The candlepins are thinner than tenpins, therefore harder to hit.
2 - The candlepin ball is approximately 2-1/2 pounds and fits snugly into the palm of your hand, while the big-ass tenpin ball is roughly the size of your head and can weigh as much as a small Buick. While it is entirely possible to hit the #2 pin in candlepins and have that be the only pin that goes down (I've seen it happen and I've done it) any ball on the #2 pin in tenpins can't help but take out at least half the rack.
3 - Tenpins is so easy, they only give you two balls in a frame and they clear the wood after every shot and if you don't get every pin down with those two balls it's considered a grievous opening for your opponent. In candlepins, you get three shots per box and all of the wood is live and...
Let's cut to the chase. Professional tenpin bowlers hold averages in the range of 220 to 230. Perfect games of 300 certainly aren't easy, but they're not exceedingly rare, either - just about every pro has bowled one. Pro candlepin bowlers, on the other hand, hold averages around 125. Heck, I could drop acid and bowl a 125 in tenpins with one eye closed. As a matter of fact... no, let's not go there. And - listen up, tenpin people - there has never been a perfect game in the entire history of candlepin bowling. Game, set, match.
Before we go on, if you've never seen candlepin bowling, here's what it looks like.
No, really, you should watch at least a little bit of it. I'll wait.
OK, back to my history.
At the peak of my game, I held a 111 average. What did this mean? It meant that I could finish in the money (or even win) a short tournament - say, 10 strings - if my game was really on and if the field wasn't overloaded with the best pros. And so I did, a couple of times.
To put it into terms that some of you - unfamiliar with candlepins - might understand more readily, let's pretend that it was a golf tournament; a short one - 18 holes. I'm a 2 handicap. I shoot a very good round for me - 3 under par - and I win.
Would this happen often? No. Could it happen? Yes. In my case, it did. It didn't happen often enough for me to do the pro tour (yes, there is one for candlepins) but I was good enough, when I was on, to be a danger to any pro that wasn't on his game.
I was good at the game right from the get go. I was a natural. It's still the only sport I never had to think about. Baseball, basketball, hockey - every one of those was something I had to really sweat at just to be decent. Bowling? I wound up and threw and the pins went down - at a much higher rate than any of my friends.
When I was very young, my Mom would often buy me a couple of strings of bowling as a reward for some minor inconvenience, such as accompanying her on a shopping trip downtown. I'd often get to bowl a couple of strings at the lanes which operated in the basement of South Station then. I was under 10 and shooting over 90 frequently.
As I grew older, I got stronger and better. My average climbed into the low 100's as I hit my teens. I had my own set of 4 balls. They were a beautiful green and white marbled pattern. God, I was proud of those. Only the pros had their own and mine were as good as any of them. My Mom and Dad got them for me as a birthday present, along with my own shoes and a bag. At that point, I started taking it really seriously.
I'd go to the Lucky Strike lanes in Dorchester and bowl 25 or 30 strings in a row, sweating off three or four pounds in water. I was a maniac. It was pick up a ball, set, fire, pick up a ball, set, fire, scribble a score as I pushed the reset button, pick up another of my balls and throw it behind my back into my other hand while I waited impatiently for the next rack. I'd soak through two shirts and God help anyone who was bowling in the alley next to mine, because I'd shoot daggers at them with my eyes if they didn't observe the proper etiquette and wait for me to roll before they made their approach. I always requested a lane with no one on either side of me. The proprietors knew me, and they knew this was best for their business overall, so they usually gave me one.
I had the most extreme kick out of my right leg that I've ever seen on any bowler. (As a visual aid, look here) On my slide and release, I'd get down so low and kick out my leg so far, that I would, over time, wear a hole on the right side of my right shoe as well as in the knee of my pants. I fired the ball with every ounce of strength I had in my body, on every shot. When I hit the pocket right, the pins just exploded. They'd all go down at once with a crashing sound that is still the most satisfying sound I've ever heard.
I'd throw 750 or 800 balls that way. Think of it - it added up to an actual ton of balls on some days. My long hair would be soaked, my shirt all wet, and when I woke up the next day, I sometimes wouldn't be able to lift my arm above my shoulder. I worked as hard at my game as any athlete I knew.
I bowled in leagues, of course. My favorite was at Wollaston Bowladrome on the beach in Quincy. There I bowled with a team including my friends Mike, Craig and Mark. We called ourselves the Reefer Rollers. There were some people who were under the impression that this was our team name because we drove refrigerated trucks. These people were not too smart and they must not have had very good senses of smell. We reeked of smoke. Before every match we toked up.
I've got to tell you - smoking weed did NOT hurt my game. If anything, it improved it. If you're familiar with the effects of pot, you know that your focus while high tends to narrow to the minutest details. When I was high, all I saw were the pins. Outside noises didn't exist. I was dialed-in. Every part of the experience became its own concentrated delight. I would never recommend smoking grass before a more strenuous athletic endeavor, or one that involves a more varied and complex set of actions, but it was a perfect fit for me and for bowling. I was so on it. If I knocked down nine with my first ball, leaving the 10 pin, I would just grab a ball, fire, and turn my back, knowing as soon as I released it that it was perfect. I'd just walk over and hit the reset button without even looking to see that I had made the shot. I knew I had. That trick sure pissed off a lot of other teams.
Mike was a good bowler, too, and we often entered roll-offs together. Roll-offs were the qualifiers for the TV shows that used to be more numerous, wherein you could win some decent cash. The granddaddy was the Channel 5 show, hosted for so many years by Jim Britt and then for even more years by Don Gillis. It was almost a religious practice for Boston bowlers to watch this show on Saturday mornings. There were also great shows hosted by Bob Fouracre and Bill O'Connell. The stars who appeared regularly - Tony Karem, Tom Olszta, Rosario Lechiara, Fran Onorato - were my idols. I never won a roll-off, nor did Mike, but we did get to bowl with some of these great pros and we came damned close once or twice. One of the biggest thrills of my "career" in roll-offs was going toe-to-toe with the great Charlie Jutras for five strings, at Sammy White's in Brighton, coming up six pins short in the end.
I bowled in Wollaston, at the Wonderbowl in Quincy, at Lucky Strike, at Sammy White's. Anywhere there was a bowling alley, I bowled. There used to be a gigantic bowling center underneath Symphony Hall in Boston. It had 55 lanes. I loved that place. I mentioned South Station earlier. There were places in Milton, Mattapan, Weymouth. I bowled my high single in Weymouth, a 156, which was part of my high triple of 424. Just about all of these houses are gone. For the most part, I can't even revisit the sites of whatever triumphs I had.
Here comes the sad part. Do you remember a baseball pitcher by the name of Steve Blass? Steve Blass just totally and inexplicably lost his ability to pitch a baseball with any degree of effectiveness. No explanation for it. He was a major leaguer one day and a bum the next. Same thing with me as a bowler. I lost it. I just totally lost it. Whatever I had, naturally, just went away one day. And, since I had never thought about what I was doing, I didn't know how to get it back. I tried. God, how I tried.
It happened suddenly. I just couldn't control the ball. I thought I was doing all of the same things I had always done, but now the ball was just flying off wildly. My average fell into the 80's. I was completely embarrassed and mentally fucked up beyond belief. I tried everything. I went to a different approach, I slid less, I tried to keep my arm completely rigid, I started from the left side of the lane, the right side, in the middle, I looked at the pins, I tried aiming from the marks on the alley, I tried throwing a curve, a hook, I tried dropping the ball slightly before my slide, slightly after I went in to it, I tried to not think at all, I tried to concentrate on every tiny little motion, I even tried bowling with my eyes shut, God help me, but NOTHING got it back.
It was maddening and tantalizing. I'd bowl well for three or four frames and get a glimmer of hope that I was recalling the muscle memory that I needed, and then I'd fall apart completely again. I don't think I can adequately explain to you the mental anguish I had, or the physical pain I put myself through. It sounds so damned silly, to be talking this way about something as unimportant as bowling, but there is nothing in the world quite so frustrating as having been able to do something better than anyone you knew and then finding yourself unable to do it even as well as when you were a rank beginner.
I bowled 20, 25, 30 strings at a time, same as I did when I was good, but now it was four or five hours of swearing, cursing, trying to figure out just what the hell had happened and never being able to do it. I finally gave up the game completely. Over the past 20 years now, I'd guess that I've been bowling no more than ten or twelve times.
I don't quite know how to end this piece without leaving you with the impression that I'm totally whack. Unless you've had that experience of losing something, and then trying with all your heart and soul to regain it, then you can't fully understand the emotional wreckage involved. It sounds crazy, and it was crazy while I was doing it, but it wasn't crazy, you know? No, maybe you don't. I can't say that I blame you.
I still have those green balls that my parents gave me. They're a bit worse for wear now - small chips in them and scars - but I haven't thrown them out or given them away. Someday, I'm going to try it again, one more time. Maybe I've been away from it long enough to just let my body take over and find that elusive muscle memory one more time. When I do try it, I'll let you know what happens.
That's the end of the original piece. And the reason I re-ran it? I'm going bowling tomorrow night. Big Jay Atton invited me. And I felt it only fair to let him know what he might be in for.
Soon, with more (or, I hope, fewer) psychotic episodes.
The Wrath Of The Titans
L to R: Between games one and two, we see Michaela (scorekeeper and all-around good sport), Pat Atton, Billy Botting's ass, a pensive Joel Kershner, and manager Jack Atton
Here’s some good news for you folks who would rather lick a pigeon than read another post about softball. You only need to read this one and your work is over for the year!
(And there’s a non-softball surprise, so if you really can’t stand to read about softball again, scroll down to the first photo.)
Titans – 12 BOMBERS – 2
And that was that. We didn’t play up to our abilities. Not enough hitting, too many defensive lapses. No more ball for us until next April, maybe May.
I’ll be there.
Yes, Jack. I’ll be there.
I’m afraid I gave my manager a mistaken impression in the final inning of yesterday’s second game. We were down by thirteen runs and he was going to send up a pinch-hitter for me, which was reasonable. Why not get someone else into the game? However, I ended my season by being the sort of selfish teammate I sometimes harbor bad thoughts about. I said, "Jack, this is my final at-bat..."
I meant it to sound like it was going to be my final at-bat ever. And I wasn’t trying to be manipulative. I had told Jack, before the season began, that I was seriously considering hanging them up. I may even have said that I was DEFINITELY going to call it quits, but I’ve said the same thing so often, to so many people before, it probably sounded like my usual bullshit. And I guess what I’m saying now proves that what I said then was my usual bullshit. In any case, in the moment, I thought that it truly might be my last time at the plate. And I drew a base-on-balls, which would certainly be a fitting way to end MY career. But then, a couple of hours after the game, I did the team stats. You know what? That walk made all the difference in my current decision to come back. It left my on-base percentage above the team average. And that convinces me I still have value to offer.
Anyone, whether or not his name is Suldog, is valuable to his team if he can get on-base at well over a 50% clip. Add to that my willingness to play the dirtiest position available? I have no reason to quit and no reason to be ashamed of coming back.
So, I’m sorry about the selfishness, Jack. I owe you an apology for that. You were a better man than me yesterday. You deserved a turn swinging the lumber, too, but you didn’t bat yourself all day. Maybe some of the other guys didn’t realize that while it was happening, and I hope they’ve kept reading this far and know what sort of a stand-up guy you are. You can count on one thing, for sure, next year. I’ll be proud to play for a guy like you. If circumstances allow, I’ll do the same as this year in regards to taking care of some of the things off the field. In any case, we’ll talk soon, I hope.
OK, now that my yearly guilt expunging is out of the way, I’ll talk a slight bit about the games themselves. But only a slight bit, as I’m fairly sure nobody wants to hear too many details, least of all the guys who took part.
We never had a lead in either game. The Titans scored in the first inning of both and never gave them back to us. We gave them an unearned run immediately. We gave them a few more later on. We rallied a bit, here and there, but we were flat most of the day.
This is where I usually give a shout to some guys who performed well, but the guys who did well know it and the guys who didn’t do well don’t need me to remind them, by comparison, of their shortcomings. It’s a team game and the team lost. When we win it all someday, it will still be a team game.
There IS one thing I want to give a few guys thanks for, though, and it’s this: showing up. As far as I’m concerned, showing up is the most important thing a teammate can do. I mean, if you aren’t there, what help are you to your team? So, my special thanks go to Billy Botting and his brother, Jimmy; Drew Atton, and his cousin, Big Jay Atton. Those four guys showed up every week. That’s the kind of team spirit that I really appreciate.
(People have reasons for not making it to games. Some of them are very good reasons. I’m not saying that some guy who missed one week is a jerk. It’s just that I wanted the four guys who made it every week to know that someone noticed.)
Speaking of showing up…
Our throngs of fans
Smith Field is not the easiest place to come see a game. And Sunday morning is even harder if you take public transportation. But two people showed who I never expected to see in the stands: Uncle Skip and Grandma Skip.
Skip is not MY uncle, but he may be yours. And GS is not MY grandma, nor is she old enough to be. That’s how you may know them, though, so there you go. And wherever you go, there you are. And they were at Smith Field.
I was my usual oblivious self. I saw them sitting in the stands, but I was playing and didn’t really SEE them. I wondered who the two folks were who had come out to see us play, but I didn’t imagine they were folks I should know and who came out to see ME. It wasn’t until the third inning or so, as I was going out to catch again, that I took a really good look and realized it was (not my uncle) Skip and his lovely wife.
I was flabbergasted (which is one of my favorite words, so I’m glad to have a chance to throw it in here.) They took the subway, then a bus, then walked. It was a hell of a lot more work than most of the guys who were on the field playing did to get there. As they realized I was realizing who they were, they laughed. Then I laughed. And it was pretty much the highlight of my day. I wish we had given them a better game to see.
Skip smiling even though I'm very sweaty and smelly
I also wish I had been able to spend a little more time with them. We seemed to hit it off immediately; very nice people, funny, unfailingly kind in the face of the crummy softball we presented them with. I drove them back to their hotel, at least. And I hope they will accept my sincere thanks for such a fine surprise.
That’s all, I guess. If you want the statistics...
Final BOMBER stats for 2012
And here’s the team I’m proud to be a part of for 18 years. Here’s to ending the 19th season with a win.
Front: Ron Johnson, Fast Freddie Goodman, Suldog, Pat Atton, Steve Burke, Joel Kershner
Back: Joey Baszkiewicz, Drew Atton, Jimmy Botting, Big Jay Atton, Billy Botting, Tom Resor, Jack Atton
Roddy Refuses To Meet Uncle Skip
Uncle Skip (who is not my uncle, but he may be yours) has touched down in Boston. He tells the why and wherefore of journeying to my neck of the woods over at his place, so you should go there and look around until you find it.
We had tentative plans to meet and perhaps share a brew or seven. Unfortunately, life has conspired against us.
You all remember Roddy The Wondercar, right?
(Here is where I would show you a photo of him, except Roddy is embarrassed enough at the moment and he doesn't need the added indignity of my hideous photographic skills making him even more ashamed.)
Anyway, Roddy appears to be somewhat shy around folks from out of town. You may recall what happened one time when Lime was in town...
"... and when I went out to our garage, I was shocked to see a large green puddle under Roddy The Wondercar.
My first thought was that having such an august personage as Lime sitting in him had made him so excited that he had had a huge green orgasm. However, upon further inspection, it appeared that he was just incontinent."
Knowing that he might be asked to ferry around (not my uncle) Skip and his lovely wife, Roddy made a desperate decision to forestall such an eventuality.
Actually, he just plain stalled. In the middle of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Wheeeeeeeee!
Here's the e-mail I sent to Skip (who, in case you didn't know it, is not my uncle.)
Skip:
I'm afraid it's going to have to be a no go. Roddy The Wondercar had a not-so-wonderful night. On the way back from a doubleheader, he broke down in the middle of the Massachusetts Turnpike.
On my way to the games, I saw the battery light come on. I didn't think much of it, as I've had issues with the control panel for a while (the odd light will flash on, say seatbelts while I'm buckled in already) and I hoped it was just the usual sort of aberration.
I stopped to grab a slice of pizza before hitting the park. When I came out, Roddy wouldn't start.
OK, the park was just two blocks, so I hoofed it there. I figured I could get a jump after the games, which turned out to be correct. One of the guys gave me a ride back to Roddy, cables at the ready. When I got in, though, I tried to turn it over and it started. It was weak, but I figured, "Fine, I'll be able to drive back to Watertown. I'll get a new battery tomorrow."
As I got to the Mass Pike, power started leaving the car. Every damn light on the control panel came on, one after another, then went out, came on - it was like some idiot pinball machine. This wasn't just the battery. The battery wasn't charging. I knew I'd be lucky to get to the garage where I usually have him serviced. And a toll booth loomed ahead. If I stopped for the toll, I was pretty sure I'd die right there and piss off a whole bunch of folks behind me.
I'll now break away from the e-mail to tell you about another time when I stalled near a tollbooth. It was in Hooksett, New Hampshire, and it was in the car previous to Roddy. MY WIFE and I had just pulled through the tolls when the car died. It was pissing down rain. I got out and raised the hood, but I know nothing about cars so unless there was a note from God under there saying "Jim - Reconnect that wire to the left", the situation wasn't going to change.
Breaking down is fun enough in itself, but standing in the pouring rain added some joy. Also, the three or four hundred folks who felt a need to beep their horns at me and give me the finger made it one of the more memorable moments of my life. I'll never understand that. It was as though I had deliberately placed my car there just to piss them off. Idiots.
Back to my e-mail to Skip.
So, there are these lanes where you can speed through if you have a transponder. I don't have a transponder, but I figured the only way I was going to make the two miles I needed was to speed on through and cop a plea later. I aimed for the speed lane.
No go. Roddy gave up the ghost about ten yards outside of the tolls.
Helpful hint for future catastrophes: If you're going to break down, between two lanes and just outside of a toll booth is a wonderful place to do so. Folks can get around you without feeling the need to flip you the bird, there's someone there in the toll booth to alert the state troopers, who in turn will push you to the side and call the tow of your choice. For a bummer, it was rather pleasant. I spent a half-hour chatting with a nice trooper while waiting for my tow, and the tow driver was a hoot.
Upshot is I got to bed at about half-past midnight, I took the bus to work, and Roddy gets a new alternator. Seeing as he's a '97, the part wasn't just sitting there, so...
That's a long way around to telling you I'm sorry, but it's just not going to happen tonight. Please accept my apologies.
If any of the rest of you are ever planning a trip to Boston, and you'd like to meet up with me, whatever you do, don't tell Roddy. Next time, he might jump off a bridge or something.
Soon, with better motor stuff.
To HERE, and click on the link to listen. You will like it.
(If you don't like it, I'll refund what you paid to get in.)
Ugly Can Be Beautiful
BOMBERS – 5 Mayhem – 4
Mayhem – 16 BOMBERS – 15
BOMBERS – 19 Mayhem – 12
They weren’t things of beauty, but we move on to the semi-finals to face the Titans.
Well, to be honest, the first game was a little bit beautiful. The guys from Mayhem might not have thought so, but that’s because the beautiful part of it came when we scored three in the bottom of the seventh for the come-from-behind win.
Trailing 4 – 2, Joey Baszkiewicz, who is pretty much the hottest hitter on the team right now, singled to lead off. Drew Atton reached on an error. After an out, another error produced a run that brought us within one. Jimmy Botting then came through with a clutch single to tie it up. Steve Burke, a great mid-season addition who has tightened up the outfield defense tremendously, was walked intentionally, loading the bases and setting up a double play possibility. With the outfield drawn in, Big Jay Atton (who allowed one earned run pitching) stroked a solid shot to right center for the walk-off game winner.
It should be noted that the poor Mayhem pitcher gave up ZERO earned runs in the game. So, all in all, 9 runs were scored, 8 of them unearned. Not beautiful, but, yes, beautiful for us.
Game two made up for that little bit of beauty by being a whole bunch of ugly.
We scored six in the top of the first, two in the third, and another four in the fourth. That gave us what we thought was a cruising-to-a-sweep 12 to 2 lead. Give Mayhem credit for hanging in there, though, as they plated five in the bottom of the fourth to make it 12 – 7. We added on three in the top of the fifth, 15 – 7. They chipped away some more in their half, 15 -11. And that’s what it stood at going into the bottom of the seventh and Mayhem’s possible final at-bats for the year. But they didn’t feel like going home just yet, so a single, a fielder’s choice, a walk, and another single made it 15 - 12, setting the stage for their lead-off hitter to blast one to right center for a game-tying three-run homer.
Big Jay Atton, who had thrown 13 and 1/3 innings in a broiling 90-degree sun, was relieved by his uncle, the veteran Jack Atton. No go. Mayhem completed the job with a couple of hits and we went back to the bench shell-shocked at having to actually play a third and deciding game.
I mentioned the heat. It was a scorcher. After I got home and stripped off my soaking wet uniform, I decided to weigh myself. I had lost 8 pounds in sweat. During the third game, I was seriously close to fainting behind the plate in the final inning. I didn’t want to cause any drama that might take any edge from my team, so I took a couple of deep breaths and gutted it out, but it was as close as I’ve come to that in a game, ever. Luckily, that final inning was short, as our defense got the job done in quick fashion.
OK, getting back to the start of that game, we’re still reeling from losing the second game and Mayhem jumps to a 3 – 0 lead on the strength of five walks and an error. The Bomber bats didn’t quit, though, and we got those three runs back, plus two more, on six consecutive singles, a fielder’s choice, and perhaps a little help from ill-advised throws. Mayhem grabs one back, but we add on five more to make it 10 - 4.
It remains 10 - 4 into the fourth. Mayhem hits us with the sticks again for four, to make it 10 - 8. We plate one in the fifth to make it 11 – 8. Mayhem, damn it all, comes through in the clutch again, four more runs to pull ahead, 12 – 11.
And here’s where I get to write about my lone bit of heroics in an otherwise dreadful (1 for 6, two walks) day at the plate. With one out, Joey Baszkiewicz and Fast Freddy Goodman single, putting men on first and third. I come up. I’ve been trying to put one on a line into right field all day because Mayhem was giving me some room over there. I’ve popped up to the first baseman, grounded out 4 to 3, and the one time I hit it on the screws it was right at the second baseman for another out. Did I get the line drive this time? No, but I put enough air under it to drop it two feet inside the right field foul line and I drive in the tying run. Fast Freddy goes to third. Drew Atton singles him home for the lead, 13 - 12.
These guys wouldn’t go away. Mayhem loads the bases with one out in the top of the sixth, but a fly to center, played nicely by Steve Burke to hold the runner at third without tagging, then another good defensive play by Big Jay ended the threat (he played 1B in the third game and went to his right for a grounder, flipping to second for a force.)
(It was such an odd day defensively. We’d commit some sort of ugly blunder, but then follow it up with something textbook and wonderful to behold. Shout out to two guys specifically in that regard. Jimmy Botting played shortstop rather than his usual 2B or OF, filling in for regular SS Joel Kershner. He was great. We don’t win without him. And Bennett made a couple of nice plays at 2B, filling in there [for the most part] for Jimmy. Between he and Drew Atton, the other 2B, along with Pat Atton and Jack Atton [my, we have a lot of Attons!] doing duty at 3B in place of Robbie Costello, well, this is a convoluted and highly unintelligible sentence, but it worked out well. Thanks, guys!)
We finally put those pains-in-the-ass away in our half of the sixth.
(I say “pains-in-the-ass” with respect. Mayhem earned it.)
We sent eleven men to the plate, scored six runs for a 19 – 12 lead, and then took care of business defensively. The big blow was a three-run homer by Tom Resor. Amazingly, with 39 runs scored yesterday, his was the only round-tripper. He’s having a season offensively that rivals the best in the 18-year history of the team. He upped his RBI total for the year to 42, already a tie for the team record with at least two more games to go (possibly as many as six more.) He’s mostly a quiet guy who settles things down with logic and calmness when some others of us might be a bit more off the point. He’s a real pleasure to have as a teammate.
So, next week we play the Titans. They’ve won the league title more than any other team and they’re the defending champs. They went undefeated during the regular season, including three wins over us. It will be a tall order to best them two-out-of-three and move on to the finals, but it can be done. And I don’t give a damn if we do it ugly or beautiful, just so long as we do it.
BOMBERS Stats
Soon, with more bomber stuff.
Sports REPORTING
My good snide friend, IT, pointed out that what I did the other day over at the M Street Softball League website was not so much sportswriting as it was sports reporting. In recognition of that pedantry, I have bestowed today's entry with the appropriate sobriquet.
Be that as it may - and it better be - there is now another game recap over there for you to enjoy (or whatever other emotional reaction you find convenient and/or proper.) The game I covered last night was not as enjoyable as expected, but I think you might find the writing more enjoyable than that in the first entry. So there.
Soon, with more.
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MyCatalog
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2018-2019 College Catalog > Academic Information > Academic Procedures
Howard Community College (HCC) is committed to the philosophy of educational accountability. In order to determine that students are attaining the knowledge and skills appropriate to various courses and programs, regular and planned assessment activities are ongoing and include standardized assessments, placement tests, faculty-developed evaluations, focus sessions, and surveys. These measures may require the use of class time. When that is the case, students are expected to participate. Confidentiality of responses is ensured.
Institutions of higher education exist for the common good and not to further the interest of either the individual faculty member or the institution as a whole. It shall be the policy of Howard Community College to maintain and encourage full freedom, within the law, of inquiry, teaching, and research for all faculty.
Although academic freedom is fundamental to the rights of the teacher and the student, it carries with it related duties and responsibilities. The faculty member is entitled to freedom in the classroom in discussing subject matter but should be careful not to introduce controversial topics which are not related to the course. The faculty member is responsible for ensuring that the course content includes material specified by the college in the course description and course objectives.
The college faculty member is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and an officer of an educational institution. When speaking or writing as a citizen, the faculty member should be free from institutional censorship or discipline. However, the special position of the faculty member in the community imposes special obligations. As a person of learning and an educational officer, he/she should remember that the public may judge the institution or the profession by statements made by individual faculty members. Therefore, accuracy, exercise of appropriate restraint, and respect for the opinion of others should be displayed on and off campus. The faculty member should also make every effort to indicate that the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the institution.
A liberal education prepares students to lead ethical, productive, and creative lives and to understand how the pursuit of lifelong learning and critical thinking fosters good citizenship. General education courses form the core of a liberal education within the higher education curriculum and provide a coherent intellectual experience for all students by introducing the fundamental concepts and methods of inquiry in the areas of mathematics, the physical and natural sciences, the social sciences, the arts and the humanities, and composition. General education courses develop students’ abilities to communicate effectively in oral and written English and to perform numerical analyses at a college level; develop students’ abilities to think and express themselves analytically, critically, and creatively, and to read with comprehension; foster qualities of open-mindedness, inquiry, and the rational assessment of data; provide opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and skills in solving complex problems and to apply ethical principles to inquiry; prepare students to adapt to the increasing integration of information technology in all fields of knowledge; encourage students to connect knowledge across these disciplines and to understand themselves as well as their social, aesthetic, political, and physical environment; and foster in students an understanding of and respect for diverse human cultures. Howard Community College recognizes the development of ethical judgment as an integral part of one’s education and supports the integration of ethical issues into the core curriculum.
To maintain the integrity of the academic environment and to ensure the rights of students in such matters, HCC’s administrative policies and procedures provide a framework to resolve student complaints of an academic nature. An academic complaint is defined as an issue related to classroom instruction or a grade dispute. A student who has an academic complaint, including a specific academic complaint involving a faculty member, that remains unresolved through informal means, may enter into a formal process of problem resolution. The student academic complaint procedures and the appropriate form may be obtained from the division offices. A student who wants to initiate a formal academic complaint must submit an academic complaint form no later than the end of the seventh week of the next major term.
The student must begin the formal complaint process by meeting with the instructor to discuss the problem. Many times misunderstandings can be resolved by honest, open dialogue.
If the student cannot resolve the problem with the instructor and wants to pursue resolution, the student must contact the division office to meet with the appropriate division leader. Prior to scheduling the appointment, the student must submit the student academic complaint form, including a written description of the problem, the resolution the student is requesting, and the signature of the instructor to confirm that the initial required meeting has taken place. If the concern is not resolved after meeting with the division leader, the student’s written complaint, the instructor’s written response, and the appropriate division leader's recommendation will be forwarded to the vice president of academic affairs. At this stage in the academic complaint process, the student has the right to meet with the vice president of academic affairs, but the student is not required to do so. A request for an appointment must be made within two weeks of the meeting with the division leader. If the student has not made a request for an appointment within two weeks, the student has waived the right to the meeting. If a request for an appointment has not been made within the two-week period, the vice president of academic affairs will make a judgment on the case.
The decision of the vice president of academic affairs is final. This decision will be communicated to the student in a formal correspondence, and the faculty member and division leader will be notified of the decision.
The methods for evaluation and grading within a course are clearly stated in the course syllabus. Evaluation procedures are objective and appropriately related to the course’s objectives and content.
HCC does not have a college-wide attendance policy. Regular class attendance, however, is expected. Attendance expectations or requirements will be clearly stated in the course syllabus and discussed by the instructor.
A student who wishes to drop a class and potentially receive a refund must officially do so using myHCC or in person at the office of records, registration, and veterans' affairs (RRVA) during the specified period of time. A section may only be dropped during the first twenty percent of its duration. Information about the refund period is published in myHCC. The percent of refund depends upon the date that the section starts and the date it is officially dropped. Classes that are dropped do not appear on the academic transcript. Drop periods are shorter for classes that have fewer meeting dates, and for late-starting classes. See Refunds for more information.
All students are strongly urged to consult with an academic advisor before making academic decisions. Additional procedures prior to dropping are required of the following students:
Students receiving financial aid and scholarships – Students receiving financial aid and scholarships must inform Financial Aid Services.
International (F1) students – International (F1) students must receive consent from an international student advisor.
Active duty service members, veterans, and their dependents – Students using veterans education benefits or tuition assistance must notify RRVA when dropping sections. Failure to do so may result in overpayment from the Veterans Administration or Department of Defense.
A student who registers for a section and never attended a single meeting in the first twenty percent of the section's duration will be reported by the faculty as having never attended, which will appear as an "NA" grade on the student's transcript and will not be calculated into the student's GPA. A student who receives an "NA" is not eligible to receive a final grade in the course and may not begin attending the course after the "NA" is reported. "NA" grades may affect financial aid, veterans benefits, tuition assistance, student visa status, and athletic eligibility.
A student who wishes to officially withdraw from a course must do so using myHCC or in person at the office of records, registration, and veterans' affairs (RRVA). Students who stop attending are not automatically withdrawn from classes, and their financial aid, veterans benefits, or tuition assistance may be affected.
The withdrawal period is between twenty-one percent and sixty-six percent of scheduled meeting dates. Withdrawal dates are in myHCC.
All students are strongly urged to consult with an academic advisor before making academic decisions. Additional procedures prior to withdrawing are required of the following students:
Active duty service members, veterans, and their dependents – Students using veterans education benefits or tuition assistance must notify RRVA when withdrawing from sections and obtain approval from a school certifying official. Failure to do so may result in overpayment from the Veterans Administration or Department of Defense.
Students withdrawing officially from a section will receive a grade of “W.” The “W” will appear on the student’s transcript and show as attempted credit, but will not be calculated into the student’s GPA. Students who withdraw may no longer attend that section. Withdrawal can affect academic standing, financial aid, veterans benefits, and tuition assistance (see Refunds and Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for more information). Students who do not withdraw by the posted deadline must accept the final grade earned for the course.
A student who has an unexpected life event (illness or death in the immediate family, pregnancy or related issue, involuntary transfer/change in work hours, or called to active military duty via enlistment, activation, or deployment) during a semester may request an exception to Howard Community College’s dates and deadlines. In such extenuating circumstances, the student should submit the registration appeal available at howardcc.edu/rrvaforms to the office of records, registration, and veterans' affairs, along with a personal statement and dated, supporting documentation. Appeals must be submitted no later than the end of the seventh week of the next major semester. The appeals committee makes its determination based on documentation of extenuating circumstances as cited in the student’s appeal request. Students whose appeals are denied are entitled to submit a second level appeal to the attention of the registrar. A final appeal may be made to the vice president of student services; the decision of the vice president is final.
Students attending Howard Community College will follow the catalog requirements in effect during the semester they enrolled, or any catalog thereafter, provided they maintain continuous enrollment and do not have enrollment sanctions related to academic standing or the Student Code of Conduct. Students may take up to two calendar years off and still graduate under the catalog requirements they had been following as long as they complete a course in the last semester attended and complete a course in the semester they return (some exceptions can apply to nursing and allied health programs). Students who take more than two calendar years off must be readmitted to the college though they do not need to pay another standard application fee.
All students who change their areas of study must follow the curriculum requirements of the catalog in place when the change is made. (Exceptions are possible only in extraordinary circumstances such as military deployment.)
Even when students select the same learning program, they must follow the program requirements in place when they are readmitted.
To officially change an area of study, students must complete a Change Area of Study form with an advisor in the office of admissions and advising. This form is available in this office or on the college’s advising website (howardcc.edu/advising).
Students who have been granted course substitutions or who previously transferred credits into the college must also officially request a re-evaluation of their academic record based upon their new area of study and/or the new catalog they are following.
10901 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, Maryland 21044
Tel. 443-518-1000 Welcome Center
Tel. 443-518-1200 Switchboard | TTY users call via MD Relay 7-1-1
Howard Community College is an Equal Opportunity Institution
©2013 Howard Community College
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1966 Jaguar XKEcollectage2019-03-26T09:17:23-05:00
Few cars are as gorgeous or iconic as the Series I Jaguar XKE, also commonly known as the E-Type. While the sleek roadster shape gives the appearance of speed, even when standing still, it was also laboriously designed to be aerodynamic and stable at speed. It is truly the perfect blend of form meeting function. Stare at it long enough and it’s easy to see that the XKE takes many of its design cues from the C- and D-Type Jaguars that raced extensively at Le Mans and elsewhere around the world in the ‘50s. That’s not to say that the XKE is purely superficial, however. Much of the drivetrain and inner workings are direct descendants of Jaguar’s very successful race cars, from the silky smooth and sonorous straight-6 engine to the suspension design and inboard brakes.
On the road, the XKE is pure drop-top bliss. There are few cars that are more enjoyable or rewarding to drive on a warm, sunny day. Rowing through the gears and feeling the elegant wood-rimmed steering wheel in your hands, it’s easy to imagine yourself as Frank Sinatra or even Jackie Stewart, out for a casual drive. There’s a quiet confidence to these cars. When you’re behind the wheel of an E-Type, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone. From the minute you settle into the leather-lined bucket seat, you feel lighter, stronger, and better looking.
MAKE THIS VEHICLE YOURS
A LOOK IN THE REAR VIEW
The Series I Jaguar XKE is often seen as a high point for the British automaker. Hot on the heals of a successful decade of racing with the C- and D-Types, Jaguar channeled that energy into their street car program at the end of the 1950’s, penning what is now considered one of their most iconic designs: the E-Type. Taking a number of styling cues from their race cars, Jaguar took the world by storm with the unveiling of the XKE. It was quickly lavished with positive reviews and became a must-have item for celebrities and the elite.
Over its 14-year production run, the Jaguar E-Type went through several iterations, mostly as a reaction various rules and regulations. The Series I cars are widely considered to be the purest form of the E-Type, however, with the later Series II and Series III cars gaining weight and visual bulk in the form of federally-mandated safety bumpers and other sacrifices for safety. While the original 3.8L inline-6 was taken directly from the D-Type race car, later cars received a friendlier and more powerful 4.2L inline-6 that serviced the E-Types through the early ‘70s when it was replaced by a tidy 5.3L V12. Unfortunately, that extra power was needed to combat the bloat of ‘70s-era safety regulations such as heavy crash structures and power-robbing emissions equipment. Still, the memory of the E-Type carries on at Jaguar today and many influences can be seen in the modern F-Type that prominently serves as the company’s halo car.
VEHICLES OF ALL SHAPES &
SIZES, PERFECT FOR
VIEW COLLECTION >
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Irish Spirit Drinks
Appointment of Brendan Gleeson as Secretary General of the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine
Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine, Michael Creed TD, has today announced the appointment of Brendan Gleeson as the new Secretary General of the Department, following approval by the Government.
Minister Creed said, “I am delighted to welcome Brendan Gleeson as Secretary General of my Department; he has been an important part of the Department’s senior management team for a number of years and I am confident that under his stewardship the Department can continue to deliver for the Irish agriculture, food and fisheries sectors.
In his most recent role as Assistant Secretary Brendan Gleeson had responsibility for EU and International Affairs, and Brexit; previously he has been responsible for the development of the livestock and food sectors, and he played a prominent role in delivering a significant reform of the Common Agricultural Policy during Ireland’s Presidency of the European Union in 2013.
While this is a time of some uncertainty, I am confident that, under his leadership, and given his vast experience the Department will overcome the challenges facing it and capitalise on the opportunities ahead.
I wish to acknowledge the leadership and ambition shown by Aidan O’Driscoll while he was Secretary General of my Department and I wish him well in his new appointment. I would also like to thank Kevin Smyth for running the Department in the interim period to today.”
A career Civil Servant, Brendan Gleeson has served in a number of Government Departments and in the European Commission. Currently responsible for International Trade, EU Affairs, Brexit and Dairy Controls, he has also had responsibility as Assistant Secretary General for the development of the food and livestock sectors, Horse and Greyhound Racing Development and is a member of the Teagasc Authority.
Date Released: 02 October 2018
Original Press Release, click here
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Monday - Friday 9.00 - 17.00
Lo-call 0761 064 400
Email: info@agriculture.gov.ie
Agencies & Helpful Resources
| Copyright 2018 Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine
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Advertising & Society Review
Advertising Educational Foundation
Advertising in Brazil
William M. O'Barr (bio)
[Editor's Note: This article is a part of ADText.]
Click for larger view
A Recent Example of Brazilian Creativity in Advertising [Source]
1. Brazil Is Different
Read about the Creative Revolution in American advertising led by Bill Bernbach in ADText.
Brazil enjoys an international reputation for producing some of the world's most creative advertising. The mere mention of Brazil to advertising professionals evokes images of innovative, appealing print ads and commercials—many that have taken top prizes at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and other international competitions. A creative revolution that rivals Bill Bernbach's Creative Revolution of the 1960s took place in Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s. This chapter explores some of the factors giving rise to the high level of creativity in Brazilian advertising and examines some recent campaigns that reflect the Brazilian style of advertising.
2. The Context—The Place of Advertising in Brazilian Society
Generally speaking, Brazilians like and admire advertising, especially when it is entertaining. It is accepted and tolerated to a much higher degree than in the United States, and there are few, if any, significant groups that attempt to counter it. Marcio Moreira, Vice Chairman and Chief Talent Officer of McCann Worldgroup, and native Brazilian, puts it this way:
The Brazilian public is a sucker for advertising! The cynicism, the skepticism, the questioning, the "I don't buy that" attitude is still not there. It's an environment in which advertising people are stars.1
São Paulo banned advertising billboards from the city's streets beginning January 1, 2007. These photos and this documentary give a sense of what a world without advertising looks like.
However, much like the United States, advertising is ubiquitous in Brazil. Familiar venues for advertising include television, billboards and signs in city streets, magazines, newspapers, and electronic media. Evening soap operas (telenovelas) are extremely popular and, along with sporting events, especially soccer, provide some of the most coveted advertising space.
Models as well as producers of advertisements often achieve celebrity status in Brazil. Gossip magazines report on the private lives of top advertising executives, adding to their celebrity status. Washington Olivetto, a well-known advertising executive, was kidnapped and held for ransom for nearly 2 months in 2002. Gisele Bündchen, a top model who appears in her own company's advertisements for sandals (see Figure 1), is among the most recognizable people in Brazil. There are even rumors that a well-placed advertising executive may shortly run for presidency in Brazil.
The regard with which advertising is held, the public's acceptance of it, and the celebrity status of advertising stars set a backdrop against which Brazilian advertising manages its creative verve.
Nowadays ad agencies in Brazil include three major types. First, many well-known multinational agencies like BBDO, DDB, Draftfcb, Grey, JWT, Leo Burnett, McCann Erickson, Ogilvy, TBWA, Saatchi and Saatchi, and Y&R have a strong presence in Brazil and service multinational accounts as well as some local ones. Second, there are many smaller home-grown agencies whose clients are primarily local. Third, there are a small number of extraordinarily successful Brazilian agencies (including Africa, Almap, DM9, and W/Brasil) that grew up in the last two decades and enjoy distinction as some of the world's most creative agencies. São Paulo is both the primary business capital of Brazil and the nerve center of Brazilian advertising.
The Creative Department at McCann Erickson in São Paulo [Source]
3. The Run-Up to the Creative Boom
In 1929, the J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency of New York opened an office in São Paulo, bringing with it the international advertising standards of the time that included the latest market strategies and research techniques. The ostensible reason for this expansion into Brazil was to service its major client, General Motors, which had just opened a manufacturing plant in Brazil. Similar GM plants and accompanying JWT offices were opened in more than 20 locations around the world during the 1920s. Another American agency, N.W. Ayer & Son, established offices wherever the Ford Motor Company had its manufacturing plants. McCann Erickson, whose client was Standard Oil, soon followed.
Although GM and Ford were competitors, both held out hopes that the American automobile would become the world standard. In order to reach this goal, they wanted their advertising to reflect the details of local customs, landmarks, language patterns, and fashion sense. Even the license plates on the vehicles had to match local regulations. This movement into South America with plants and ad agencies to service them marked a move from the simple translation of American-made ads into Spanish and Portuguese that had characterized ads for American products up to this time.
The establishment of Brazilian offices was no simple matter for the American agencies. Typically one or two expatriates opened the office and began the search for local managers and creative talent. Since they were unable to find people trained specifically to manage ad agencies or to create ads, they hired managers who had been trained in law, journalism, or finance and creative people from the world of writers and artists. As a result, the advertising from this period tended to be rather formal, literary, and stylized. Typical ads showed products and consumers in highly idealized situations.
A General Motors Ad Made in Brazil in the 1930s [Source]
Although JWT, Ayer, and other American agencies initiated a shift in both the tone and style of Brazilian advertising, their influence was actually short lived. The Great Depression led to the closing of Brazilian and most other foreign GM and Ford manufacturing plants and, in turn, the American advertising branch offices. It was not until after World War II that foreign agencies opened or reopened offices in Brazil.
Brazil, however, remained more or less a closed market for goods produced outside the country until the 1990s when a shift in economic policy resulted in a regrowth of involvement in international and global markets both in terms of what Brazil produced and purchased. In addition to companies like Coke, McDonald's, and Sony that sold less expensive items, Brazil became in the 1990s a market for luxury consumer goods and top international brands like Gucci, Chanel, BMW, and the like.
Read about favelas and their history and role in Brazilian society. Or read a review of the Brazilian movie City of God (2002) and its portrayal of life in Rio.
As elsewhere in the world, the economy drives advertising in Brazil. Today Brazil has the world's 9th largest economy and a population of over 183,000,000 people. There are great differences within Brazil—from extraordinarily wealthy consumers in the big cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to the urban poor of the favela slums and remote rural areas of Amazonia.
Today, television operates as a force to unite Brazil's diverse population. Most programs are, of course, sponsored, and, thus, accompanying advertisements play an important role in constructing common values, desires, and lifestyles in Brazil.
4. Why Is Brazilian Advertising So Creative?2
When Marcello Serpa, 45-year-old Partner and Creative Director of the Almap/BBDO agency in São Paulo and one of Brazil's most famous admen, talks about the history of creativity in Brazilian advertising, he begins with the 1960s when the media outlets for ads, especially television, began to assume their present forms. Rather than creating advertising space to accommodate demand as happened in some other countries, the ratio of commercials to programming on Brazilian national television was fixed from the beginning. Airtime has always been sold in blocks to ad agencies, and this fact has produced a highly predictable and relatively stable media situation.
The most popular programming continues to be the evening news and the telenovelas that run at 7 and 8 o'clock. It is difficult to overstate the loyalty to and interest in the telenovela in Brazil. Faithful audiences include housewives, domestic workers, laborers, office workers, men as well as women, and they generally cut across social classes and categories reaching perhaps 90% of households. Whole families arrange their days so as not to miss the nightly episodes. Viewers become involved in the plots, frequently imitating the actors and discussing the comings-and-goings in the stories with their friends, families, and neighbors. The associated commercial slots form nearly perfect media opportunities for advertisers. In addition, many products are used and talked about in the soap operas themselves, making product placement a familiar and highly successful marketing device. Other great loves of the Brazilian people are soccer and carnival—both of which create important advertising venues as well.
Beto Rockfeller (1968), Helped Launch the Telenovela Phenomenon in Brazil [Source]
Click to view video
Against this background, a creative boom began in Brazilian advertising in the 1960s. Alex Periscinoto, a co-founder of the Almap agency, spent time in New York in the early part of the decade working with Bill Bernbach, father of the American Creative Revolution and the most influential figure in American advertising in the 1960s. A few years later, three Europeans, Roberto Duailibi, Francesc Petit, and José Zaragosa, founded DPZ, an advertising agency that brought a European feel and sophistication in art to Brazil. These two movements came together in Brazil—modern advertising techniques based on Bernbach's revolutionary style with beautiful layouts and exquisite photography from the European advertising tradition. The combination ignited Brazilian creativity.
During the 1970s, young creatives from DPZ and Almap began founding agencies of their own, effectively spreading the movement around the major cities of the country. The Brazilians continued to pay attention to other national advertising trends, from which they drew further inspiration. At the same time, Brazilian advertising began to address consumers in a more colloquial voice rather than continuing the more formal language used in the past. This brought advertising closer to consumers and they responded positively to ads that spoke to them like they talk to their friends. Serpa describes this new style as "very engaging, humorous, and 'very Brazilian.'"
When multinational corporations began coming to Brazil, especially in the 1970s, they generally had difficult times importing the commercials that went along with their products. Many felt that they could simply use a U.S. or Mexican commercial (with language changes, of course), but this approach tended not to work. They quickly learned that commercials made by Brazilians were different. At the same time, Brazilian creatives organized a creative club, Clube de Criação de São Paulo, which recognized certain stylistic standards in music, humor, and language.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the Brazilian market was generally closed to foreign imports. When it opened up in the 1990s, imported cars, wine, and other luxury goods from abroad became available. Multinational corporations began buying Brazilian businesses and using them to extend their global reach. As consequence of this transformation of the Brazilian market, the advertising industry also changed. The foreign owners could not understand the language, humor, or style of Brazilian advertisements. Moreover, the multinationals wanted campaigns that would work throughout Latin America, not just in Portuguese-speaking Brazil.
Brazilian advertising thus faced two critical issues in the 1990s—having campaigns that would work all over Latin America, and looking toward the possibility of winning international awards that would garner increased attention and ultimately more business. A major obstacle inhibiting achievement of either goal was the Portuguese language, which, although the official language for Brazilians who constitute 51% of Latin American population, is typically unknown in the other 12 countries of South America. This linguistic block precluded others understanding and admiring even the most brilliant copy. Moreover, puns, jokes, and other forms of language play did not translate well. Thus, Brazilian advertising became much more dependent on visual communication.
These Print Ads Make Primary Use of Visual Communication over Words [Source]
Brazil had begun winning international awards for its advertising as early as the 1970s. This continued through the 1980s and emerged as a major trend in the 1990s. An example of this early award-winning advertising from the year 1987 is the commercial for Kaiser Beer created by the DPZ agency. According to Serpa:
The commercial expresses insights that every beer drinker knows and is a good example of how Brazilian advertising communicates through single, simple ideas that express brand essence. Understanding it does not depend on knowledge of the Portuguese language.3
This 1987 Kaiser Beer Commercial Won International Approval for Creativity [Source]
During the 1990s, a new generation of creative people who had established reputations from the previous decade moved on to found or head their own independent agencies.4 The best known of these are Washington Olivetto, Nizan Guanaes, and Marcello Serpa. Each of their agencies was a center of excellence, and each competed with the others for clients. This frenetic competition eventually led to these agencies trying to outdo the others in terms of creativity, the most important yardstick for which would be the prizes won in international competitions.
Many creatives felt stifled by the constraints of their clients' needs and strategies, and thus emerged the phenomenon of creating commercials strictly for the international competitions. Most of these commercials never aired even a single time, but several picked up international prizes for their extraordinary creativity.
This "Ghost" Ad for Spicy Catsup Won a Gold Lion at Cannes in 19995 [Source]
Today, the practice of producing fake ads has declined significantly. However, in its heyday it provided an important means for ambitious young creatives to express themselves and show off their talents. In many cases, it also meant that some small companies that were approached and offered free or low cost advertising benefited as well. In response to a backlash from those in the ad industry who felt that only actual commercials should be included in the competitions, these virtually free commercials promoting small companies began to be aired once at agency expense, thereby meeting the technical requirement of authenticity. "Ghost" (or fake) advertisements continue to be an issue not only in Brazil but also in many other countries.
5. Selling Corn Flakes to People Who Skip Breakfast
Leo Burnett, founder of the famous Chicago ad agency that still bears his name, once defined advertising as "selling corn flakes to people who eat Cheerios." He referred to the idea that a great deal of contemporary advertising serves to encourage people to switch the brand of a product they already use. But what would Burnett say to those who want to sell corn flakes to people who don't eat breakfast? In 1984, the Kellogg Company set out to do that in Brazil.
A significant breakfast is not a part of Brazilian culture, certainly not an American-style breakfast that includes breakfast cereal. This did not stop Kellogg from attempting to make it so. J. Walter Thompson/Brazil advised Kellogg to use product placement in telenovelas as a strategy to entice potential Brazilian consumers. They based their reasoning on the fact that consumers tend to imitate the actors in telenovelas.
However, the plan backfired. Unfamiliar themselves with the idea of breakfast cereal with milk, the script writers for the soap opera got it all wrong:
The episode involved a young swimming prodigy whose father dragged him out of bed at 4 a.m. to train. "The father woke him up and gave him Sucrilhos [Frosted Flakes] and the sleepy boy sat in bed eating them out of the package," one Kellogg product manager says. "This is not the way Kellogg wanted to teach Brazilians to eat a nutritious, complete breakfast …. We want cereal eaten in the correct way. You put it in a bowl and eat it with milk. We don't want people eating it out of the box or giving it to their dogs."6
Admitting its faux pas, TV Globo refunded Kellogg's money.
A later episode of another popular soap opera tried the strategy again. This time, the writers and producers had been briefed extensively on the "correct" way to eat cereal. According to Advertising Age, this episode overdid the placement by scripting the story around a research company that conducts discussion groups with families about the importance of breakfast and nutrition.
Eventually, the writers and producers got it right and continued placements of cereals in telenovelas helped introduce and increase sales of Kellogg products in Brazil.
6. The Body Beautiful in Brazilian Advertising
I was once in Cannes and some people in the audience asked me, "Why do you always have so many exposed bodies in Brazilian advertising?" I answered, "Because we like it!"7
—Marcello Serpa
What does the rest of the world think about when they think about Brazil? Sex, the body, beautiful people, and soccer.8
—Nizan Guanaes
We are a blend of many races and that makes us creative, sensual, musical, talented, and good-humoured.9
—Washington Olivetto
The Female Body on Display in the Rio Carnival (2007) [Source]
It is hard to understate the importance of sex in Brazilian public life. It is discussed on TV shows, magazines, and everyday life. On the beaches of Rio and in the Carnival parades, sexuality is on display. One of the first things that foreigners notice in Brazil is the extraordinary focus on nearly nude bodies, sensual clothing, and overt expressions of sex. Most of the bodies on display are female, although emphasis on male beauty is also a part of Brazilian culture.
Brazil has the highest rate of plastic surgery in the world as many Brazilians, both male and female, attempt to achieve the bodies they desire. The focus on the body beautiful accounts for the enormous popularity of gyms and plastic surgeries in striving for physical perfection.10
Advertising in Brazil leads as well as follows in emphasizing physical beauty. Referring to the idea that advertising reflects society, Serpa elaborates:
We just go to society and pick up what's happening there and put it back in advertising. It's not something we are ashamed of. It's on TV at prime time. Everybody's watching and people here grow up with that. You go to the beach, it's like that. Sex is definitely a part of our day-by-day discussions everywhere. It's very difficult for Americans or maybe the British to understand how it works, but the moment they live here, they get it. Advertising is linked to how society is structured, and advertising just reflects that.11
Despite the amount of skin exposure in public life and advertising, complete nudity does not often occur. This story from Carnival 2007 in Rio conveys something of the Brazilian attitude toward nudity:
Brazil's Carnival has always been a raucous affair but beauty queen Angela Bismarchi took it a step further when her only item of clothing, a small patch of glitter, fell off mid-parade.
Bismarchi was the talk of the town on the second and final night of Rio de Janeiro's main Carnival parades, where full nudity is officially banned even though many outfits leave precious little to the imagination.
The young woman, queen of the Porto da Pedra samba school, was briefly left entirely naked but for a few feathers and some body paint when her "tapasexo," a tiny piece of material topped with glitter, fell away.
But Bismarchi quickly conjured up a thong and carried on dancing, later laughing off the incident with an old Brazilian saying: "A well prepared woman is worth two."12
Here are two commercials that display bodies in ways that fit within Brazilian norms. At the same time, they step beyond the standards of propriety in many other cultures, including the United States.
Brazilian Standards for Displaying the Human Body Differ from Many Other Countries (1987) [Source]
This Commercial Could Not Be Shown in the United States [Source]
The openness with which Brazilian ads treat the human body stands in stark contrast to a disdain for expressions of violence in ads. Serpa explained that Brazilians are accustomed to hearing about violence and corruption in society but that they do not like it in their films, TV programs, or ads. They want media to express alternatives and aspirations to the social problems of poverty, street crime, and corporate and government corruption. Serpa's rule of thumb for Almap/BBDO advertising is the following:
No guns, no thievery, no thieves, no assaults, no jokes about killing people, or death because people don't like it. People react badly—but a naked body or sexuality in the sense of erotic sexuality, it will go nicely. It's a cultural phenomenon.
7. Three Leaders in Brazilian Advertising
Social Life is the aggregate of all the individual men's Lives who constitute society; History is the essence of innumerable Biographies.13
Perhaps nowhere is Thomas Carlyle's description of history a more apt description of the story of social life than in the case of contemporary advertising in Brazil. The stories of three careers—many would say the stories of the three most important figures in Brazilian advertising—encompass the motives, actions, and philosophies that have guided the emergence of Brazilian advertising on the world stage.
Washington Olivetto—Impressario, Leader, and the Most Decorated Adman in Brazil
Kidnapped on the streets of São Paulo and held for ransom for 53 days, Washington Olivetto turned up alive and returned to his work as head of W/Brasil, a well-known Brazilian ad agency. The year 2001 saw more than 300 businessmen kidnapped in Brazil, and perhaps it should come as no surprise that Brazil's most famous adman might be one of them. As luck would have it, his captors fled when one of them was arrested for other reasons and Olivetto engineered his own escape.
Today Washington Olivetto is a household name in Brazil. There is even a popular song named after him and his agency, W/Brasil. However, it is not the kidnapping and miraculous escape, but rather his creative leadership and role in mentoring a younger generation of creative artists—along with plenty of self-promotion—that accounts for his fame.
Olivetto has a writer's soul and a salesman's charm. He was, he says, reading and writing prodigiously at the age of five. Growing up, he imagined a future in journalism. But he also admired his salesman father, and was delighted to discover "that I could blend the style in which I wanted to write with the style of selling that I most admired—i.e., advertising. I decided to become a copywriter."14
In 1972 at the age of 19, he won a Bronze Lion at Cannes for work done at a domestic Brazilian agency. He said, "The award gave me a lot of visibility and I was invited to work for DPZ, which at the time was the most brilliant Brazilian agency. I became creative director and stayed there for 15 years."15 DPZ provided a stimulating environment for Olivetto who produced more award-winning work and simultaneously mentored two rising stars in Brazilian advertising, Nizan Guanaes and Marcello Serpa.
The Swiss advertising group, GGK, invited Olivetto in 1986 to head their new office in São Paulo from which they would be handling the Volkswagen account. Under Olivetto's leadership, the agency's billings increased exponentially. In 1989, Olivetto and his business partners bought the company and renamed it W/Brasil. Today it is one of the best-known Brazilian agencies.
Over the course of his career, Olivetto has received more Cannes Lions than any other figure in the world of advertising—more than 50. He is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the creator of the longest-running advertising campaign with the same leading character. The series, which appears in both print and TV, features comedian Carlos Moreno impersonating various celebrities, politicians and icons, including Che Guevara, and the Mona Lisa. Since its inception in 1978, there have been almost 350 different executions.
This campaign for Bombril, a household cleaner, is much loved by Brazilians who anxiously await Moreno's next impersonation. So popular are the spots that they are listed in programming guides. When the company attempted to change the campaign in 2004, the public demanded its revival.
This Bombril Campaign Has Included About 350 Impersonations Since 1978 [Source]
According to Olivetto, the launch of this campaign occurred in 1978, a time when traditional gender roles were being questioned and men had never been shown with cleaning products. This cultural context along with the sheer creativity of the approach helped make the Bombril characters icons of Brazilian advertising.
The continuing creative energy at work in W/Brasil is illustrated by the agency's powerful spots for the newspaper Folha de S.Paulo. The version of the commercial that appears in Video 5 has an English-language soundtrack for use in showing the work at international competitions and to non-Portuguese speakers.
This Hard-Hitting Message Is Made by Its Surprise Ending [Source]
Nizan Guanaes—Maverick, Entrepreneur, and "Bad Boy" of Brazilian Advertising
Once a high-school exchange student in Iowa, Nizan Guanaes was born in the Brazilian state of Bahia. He now lives in a São Paulo mansion with his fashion-conscious second wife, who has her own career in Brazil's fashion world. Guanaes, like many of the rich and famous in Brazil, seldom travels without his chauffeur and armed car. Four bodyguards are in his employ.
Behind this glamour lies a man, driven like a Donald Trump, in his conquest of clients, advertising prizes, and a desire to build an advertising empire. Guanaes opened DM9, his first advertising agency, in 1990. Three years later, DM9 won the Grand Prix at Cannes. The award put both Brazil and DM9 on the "who's who" of world advertising. (The art director for the winning campaign was Marcello Serpa whose career is discussed below.)
The desire to win more international prizes led Guanaes, according to some of his critics, to start a trend that focused more on creativity than strategy. Guanaes went on to win other Cannes Lions. His campaign for Parmalat milk reflects the creative heights that DM9 reached during the 1990s. Critics of the creativity-before-strategy approach use this example to illustrate the process of a creative director looking for a brand where he could use his creative idea. Apparently, a creative director at DM9 had seen a display of photographs of children dressed like animals at a New York show. Guanaes liked the idea and wanted to adapt it to a campaign. The link was made with Parmalat in the mamiferos (mammals) campaign.
A Commercial for Parmalat by DM9 (1996) [Source]
Advertising Age tells this story about the Parmalat campaign:
Mr. Guanaes' long relationship with dairy producer Parmalat illustrates the way Brazilian creatives tap into the country's popular culture and Brazilians in turn embrace advertising. A decade ago, Parmalat milk ads by DM9 DDB featuring adorable children costumed as milk-drinking mammals, called "Mamiferos," were so popular that Mr. Guanaes challenged an American reporter over dinner to find anyone in the restaurant who wasn't familiar with his campaign. In a table-by-table poll, diners could all describe the campaign and a related stuffed-animal promotion that became such a craze a truckload of the fluffy animals was hijacked. (Most of the diners, along with the waiters, also could sing the jingle from a beer commercial for another of Mr. Guanaes' clients.)16
After his successful campaign for Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, he sold DM9 to DDB Worldwide in 1997. In 2000, he became CEO of IG, an Internet service provider of which he was part owner. In 2002, he opened Africa, a Brazilian full-service advertising agency whose clients now include Philips, Mitsubishi, and Parmalat.
Omnicom is a holding company that owns several advertising agencies including BBDO Worldwide, DDB Worldwide and TBWA\Worldwide.
Guanaes explains his contemporary goal: "I want to follow the model of a local Omincom… I don't want to go to the U.S. or Europe. I want to be the big guy in the small markets, a local giant." His goals beyond Brazil include other Latin American countries and Africa. According to Advertising Age, "In a land where the top creative admen are treated like rock stars, Nizan Guanaes is the leader of the band."17
Marcello Serpa—Imposing, Artistic, and To-the-Point
News stories about Marcello Serpa, Partner and Creative Director of Almap/BBDO, invariably mention his movie-star good looks, his imposing height (6'6"), and his personability. He is also one of the stars of contemporary Brazilian advertising, the first to claim a Grand Prix at Cannes. The year was 1993, and Serpa was an art director at Guanaes's company, DM9, in São Paulo. The winning campaign was as simple as it was brilliant, a perfect embodiment of Serpa's philosophy of advertising—that it must express an idea in the simplest terms.
Born in São Paulo in 1962, Serpa began studying graphic design and commercial art in Munich, Germany, at age 18. He worked in a top agency in Düsseldorf before returning to work in Brazil. Serpa explains the significance of his early training and work in Germany:
[My] approach came out of my education in Germany… Brazilians are very anarchistic in their approach to creativity, while Germans are far more disciplined. They gave me the concept of reduction, by which I mean expressing an idea in the simplest possible terms. Every inessential element must be removed. At that time, straightforward, purely visual ideas were still unusual. [Famed copywriter] Neil French says I was responsible for helping kill long copy in advertising, though of course it never entirely went away.18
Serpa's award-winning campaign was for a Brazilian soft drink, Diet Guarana. The two-page spread featured only a bronzed stomach (alternatively, female, lighter-skinned male, darker-skinned male) and a Diet Guarana bottle cap positioned at the same height as the model's navel on the opposite page. Serpa thinks that this campaign embodies his preference for visual over verbal communication, and he believes that it won because it communicated its message both simply and powerfully.
Diet Guarana Won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 1993 for This Campaign [Source]
He says that the spark of the idea for this campaign came from his love of Richard Avedon's photography for Clinique products in the early 1990s. The ads were incredibly simple, but extraordinary "beauty shots" of the product. He came up with an idea for an ad that would include a set of beauty products, like the Avedon photographs, with the difference that Diet Guarana was included. This would say to the consumer: Diet Guarana is a beauty product, too. Although that idea never moved beyond storyboards, Serpa worked with it further, eventually coming up with the great-looking abs and the bottle cap.
Shortly after his win at Cannes, Serpa joined Almap/BBDO as partner with José Luiz Madeira. Serpa's background in art and design combined with Madeira's background in account planning produced an administrative team that boosted the agency almost immediately to the top of the charts. The agency's clients include Audi, Volkswagen, Pepsi, and Bayer—for whom Almap/BBDO has produced award winners. In just over a decade, the agency has racked up innumerable awards and is known worldwide for its creative and incisive advertising.
Serpa rejects the idea of "ghost" advertising and of campaigns that do not follow carefully the strategy worked out between agency and client. He thinks of his art as functioning in the service of promoting his clients' brands, and, if it does not do that, then no matter how creative it may be, it is an advertising failure.
I take [clients] along to the screenings [at Cannes and other festivals] and we sit there and sometimes watch 7 hours of commercials. The year we won a Gold Lion for Volkswagen, I had the client sitting next to me and he was clapping louder than anyone—he was so proud. He was happier than we were.19
8. A Showcase of Brazilian Creativity
Author's note: As an anthropologist who studies the process of producing ads, I have found as a result of trial and error, a single question that elicits insightful and informative information from creative people who often want to let the work speak for itself rather than paraphrasing or decoding it. This rather simple and straightforward question is: "When you think back across all the work you've done in advertising, which is the single piece or campaign you are proudest of? Which one shows your best work?" I have asked this question of many people in the advertising industry in the United States and abroad and have never failed to be told an interesting tale that illustrates how creative people turn advertising strategy into great advertising. This section contains some of the stories I heard during a visit to Brazilian agencies during February 2008. The three stories were told by employees of McCann Erickson Worldwide in their São Paulo office in February, 2008.
Meriva—Selling a Car as a Fashion Statement
Eric Sulzer, a creative director, spoke about his pride in his agency's recent campaign for the Meriva car, a GM brand. Although the model offered a new transmission, the commercials promoted the car in terms of its fashionability instead of its technology. This unusual approach grew out of research.20
Eric Sulzer Speaks about the Positioning of the Meriva [Source]
Click to hear audio
Selling a Car as a Fashion Statement [Source]
Yázigi Lessons—Avoiding Unfortunate Mistakes in Language
Adriana Cury, Chairwoman/CCO, tells how she created the idea for an award-winning campaign for an English-language school. The campaign features Brazilians making funny mistakes in their own language and asks whether the consumer might be making such mistakes in English. The campaign that Cury created aired five or six years ago when she worked at Colucci Propaganda. She then talks about the strategy and creative works for Yázigi a different language school, which is a client of McCann Erickson.
Adriana Cury Speaks about Humor as an Advertising Technique [Source]
This Case Study Explains the Strategy and Creative Work for the Yázigi Language School in Brazil [Source]
MasterCard—Taking a Campaign Everywhere, Literally
Eduardo Hernández, a McCann Erickson creative director, talks about the agency's campaign for MasterCard that was designed to convince consumers that MasterCard is accepted just about everywhere in Brazil. The agency created a campaign around a cross-country trip on which a lone traveler started out with only his MasterCard. Commercials, blogs, and news stories tracked the "Viajante MasterCard" or jokingly, the "Masternaut," on his adventures and resulted in an all-time high awareness of the card's wide reach.
Eduardo Hernández Talks about a Multi-Pronged Campaign for MasterCard [Source]
These Two Commercials Formed a Part of the "Masternaut" Campaign for MasterCard [Source]
9. Exporting Creativity
Brazilian creativity has been exported to other countries in two important ways. First, the best of Brazilian advertising is seen around the world as a result of the various competitions in which it is entered. Creative people pay attention to all sorts of artistic work —movies, photography, music, art, etc—and frequently draw on it for their own inspiration. The latest Hollywood hit or music video or Brazilian ad that won at Cannes might turn up elsewhere—albeit transformed—just as the animal photographs in the New York show inspired the Brazilian Parmalat campaign (discussed above).
Second, Brazilian talent itself is sometimes exported—as, for example, in the case of Marcio Moreira, a native Brazilian ad man whose successes in advertising in the late 1960s and 1970s, first in Brazil and then in Latin America, landed him in 1980 at McCann's New York headquarters as International Creative Director for Coca-Cola. As his international team worked to find local expressions of Coke's global campaigns in the 1980s, Moreira strove to make the advertising fit into the local cultural contexts where it appeared.
In 1986, Moreira wrote and produced a commercial—or rather a series of commercials—around the idea of young people from all over the world meeting and singing about their future. The core idea followed Coke's theme of showing the soft drink associated with sociability and refreshment.
The creative genius of the commercial can be seen in the video. This is not an actual commercial, but rather a demonstration of how the base commercial can be adapted through clever editing to many different languages. A Portuguese language version for the commercial was used in Brazil and the handful of other Portuguese speaking countries. Similar adaptations were made for other languages—English, German, Spanish, Korean, etc. Spanish language versions were used in other countries in Latin America.
This Video Demonstrates the Potential Global Reach of a Base Commercial [Source]
This Spanish Language Version of "General Assembly" Was Used in Many Latin American Countries (1986) [Source]
Thus, the creativity of Brazilian advertising is not simply limited to Brazil but also finds its way advertising trends globally.
Read about the BRIC countries and why many economists believe that the global economy depends on their future growth and well-being.
Brazil's position as a world leader in advertising creativity was earned through hard work, borrowing and remaking ideas from abroad, focusing on visual communications over the written word, and a generous portion of artistic talent. Many other national advertising traditions strive to imitate Brazilian advertising. Along with the other BRIC countries (Russia, India, and China), Brazil's economy is as vital to the global economy as its advertising tradition is to global marketing.
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William M. O'Barr
William M. O'Barr is Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University where he has taught since 1969. He holds secondary appointments in the Departments of Sociology and English. He has been a visiting professor at Northwestern, Dalhousie, and Oxford Universities. He has been recognized for his outstanding undergraduate teaching by both the Duke University Alumni Association and Trinity College (Duke University). His course, Advertising and Society: Global Perspectives, is one of Duke's most popular undergraduate courses. His many seminar courses include Advertising and Masculinity, Children and Advertising, and The Language of Advertising.
He is author or co-author of ten books, including Culture and the Ad: Exploring Otherness in the World of Advertising, Rules versus Relationships, and Just Words: Law, Language and Power. He has conducted anthropological research in East Africa, Japan, and the United States. In addition to his interest in social and cultural aspects of advertising, Professor O'Barr has researched law in a variety of cultural settings.
In 2000, he founded Advertising & Society Review and served as editor from 2000 to 2005. He is author of ADTextOnline.org which will consist of 20 units published as supplements to A&SR.
1. Interview with Marcio Moreira, February 6, 2008.
2. The author is grateful to Marcello Serpa who provided an oral history interview on which this section is based.
3. Interview with Marcello Serpa, February 15, 2008.
4. According to Serpa, the specific chronology is as follows. Washington Olivetto left DPZ to found W/Brasil in 1987. Guanes left W/Brasil in 1991 to found DM9 which he left in turn to run AlmapBBDO with José Luiz Madeira.
5. After winning, it was broadcast only once. DM9 DDB Publicidade, São Paulo.
6. Laurel Wentz, "Kellogg Awakens a New Habit," Ad Age 55 (1984), 26.
8. Rebecca Mead, "Dressing for Lula," New Yorker, March 17, 2003, 82.
9. Mark Tungate, Adland: A Global History of Advertising (Kogan Page, London: 2007), 223.
10. For more information on plastic surgery in the Brazilian search for beauty, see Alexander Edmonds, "'Triumphant Miscegenation': Reflections on Beauty and Race in Brazil," Journal of Intercultural Studies 28, no. 1 (2007), 83-97.
11. Interview, Marcello Serpa, February 15, 2008.
12. "Fleshdance in Rio," Sydney Morning Herald, February 20, 2007, downloaded from http://www.smh.com.au/news/arts/fleshdance-in-rio/2007/02/20/1171733761213.html
13. 19th-century Scottish historian and philosopher, in his essay "On History," 1830.
14. Tungate, 221.
16. Laurel Wentz, "Meet the Man Building the Omnicom of Brazil," Advertising Age, October 15, 2007, 10.
17. Quotations in text are from the Advertising Age article cited.
18. Marcello Serpa, quoted in Adland, 224.
19. Serpa, quoted in "What made Brazil a leader in advertising creativity?" http://www.ciadvertising.org/student_account/spring_02/adv382j/ortega/Serpa/Home.htm "BBDO – GO" (2000). BBDO Guerrero Ortega official Web Site. Retrieved March 4, 2002, from http://www.bbdo-go.com/marcello2.html.Original no longer available online.
20. Two others speak in the recording, Adriana Cury, chairwoman of the agency, and William O'Barr, the interviewer.
Fig. 1 From Ads of the World. (http://adsoftheworld.com/media/print/ipanema_gisele_bundchen_g2b_sandals_splash_1)
Fig. 2 Courtesy McCann Erickson.
Fig. 3 O Estado de São Paolo, May 10, 1935, 5.
Video 1 From the author's collection.
Fig. 4 From the author's collection.
Fig. 7 From http://adamwilkinsondesign.blogspot.com/
Fig. 8 © Marcelo Sayao/EFE/Corbis
Video 3 Courtesy W/Brasil.
Fig. 9 Courtesy W/Brasil.
Fig. 10 Courtesy W/Brasil.
Fig. 11 From Clube de Criação de São Paulo.
Audio 1 From the author's collection.
Video 7 Courtesy McCann Erickson.
Video 10 Courtesy McCann Erickson.
Copyright © 2008 The Advertising Educational Foundation, Inc.
Following the Endorser's Shadow: Shah Rukh Khan and the Creation of the Cosmopolitan Indian Male
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Webdoc : Egypt: The songs of Tahrir Square
Music at the heart of the revolution
A web documentary by Hussein Emara and Priscille Lafitte
A year after the fall of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak, we returned to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square. We met young singers from the revolution. We heard old forgotten songs that had been banned for decades.
They told us of Egyptian musicians’ concerns in the face of constant pressure from the military authorities, and of the threat from Islamist censors.
From Tahrir Square, where the revolutionary songs flourished, to Mubarak’s former seat of power, where so many musicians were once silenced, join us on a journey through music and politics in revolutionary Egypt. We will stop off at Cairo University, where Sheikh Imam and Ahmad Fouad Negm wrote a new chapter in the history of political music. We will go to the Al-Sawy cultural centre, long a cradle of alternative music. We will visit members of the Islamic production company Wellsbox. And we will meet a new generation of Egyptian DJs at a wedding in the outskirts of Cairo.
Enjoy the journey, listen in…
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Frank J. Jenkins, PhD
fjenkins@pitt.edu
G.17 Hillman Cancer Center
Post-doctoral fellow, University of Chicago
PhD, Pennsylvania State University
MS, North Texas State University
Associate Professor, Department of Pathology
Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public Health, Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
Facility Director, Biobehavioral Medicine Facility (BMF), University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Member, Univresity of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
Member, Molecular Virology and Microbiology Graduate Program
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), or HHV-8, is a newly discovered member of the human herpesvirus family whose DNA sequences have been found in samples of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). The discovery of a new human herpesvirus has generated a great deal of interest which is magnified by its potential role in the establishment of human cancers. KSHV DNA sequences have been detected in tissues from AIDS-associated, classic, and endemic forms of KS as well as in some EBV-infected lymphomas and non-KS skin cancers. A number of projects in our laboratory are focused on the prevalence of KSHV infection in various cohorts and populations. We are particularly interested in the serological association of KSHV with human prostate cancer and are investigating at a molecular level, potential roles for KSHV in progression and maintenance of this cancer. We are also exploring the events during a primary KSHV infection including interactions between the virus and cell membrane, modulation of host gene synthesis and establishment of a viral infection.
I have over 25 years experience as a molecular virologist studying human herpes viruses including pathogenesis, gene function and seroprevalence. Our laboratory is involved on several studies on human herpesvirus-8 including immune responses, establishment and reactivation of viral latency and gene function.
We have also been involved for several years in biobehavioral medicine. Specifically, we are interested in the role of stress and stress hormones in disease pathogenesis. Our current studies involve how stress hormones affect individual cells, the types of damage they may inflict on these cells and the outcomes of these interactions.
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Reno Police Investigating Body Found in Dinuba, California
The body is described to have been decomposing. The disturbing find was made when a search warrant for the vehicle, registered to 37-year-old Jose Anthony Rodriguez of Reno, Nevada, was served. Officers were called to a report of shots fired on Saturday night. Witnesses later told police that a black Lincoln Navigator was used in both crimes.
Arrested In Actress Kritika Chaudhary Murder Case
After nearly a month since the mysterious death of model-actress Kritika Chaudhary, the Mumbai Police has arrested two persons in connection with the murder. The police then launched a search for the two men. After killing Chaudhary, Khan and Dass fled from the spot. The murder came to light on June 12, when a foul stench started emanating from her room.
Roma target £30million-plus move for Man Utd attacker
The capital club are on the lookout for an attack-minded wide-man following the departure of Mohamed Salah for Liverpool, and have reportedly already seen a loan offer for Martial rebuffed by United over the last few days. Martial joined United from Monaco for an initial £36 million in 2015 and has scored 15 goals in 56 Premier League appearances since moving to Old Trafford .
Mumbai 1993 blasts: Abu Salem's lawyer says he has been unfairly treated
During the prosecution's arguments on sentencing, special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi emphasized that Salem deserved nothing but life imprisonment for his role of "transporting a vehicle full of ammunition from Bharuch to Mumbai ", he said that he was constrained by Section 34 (c) of the Indian Extradition Act.
Brokerages Set Energy Transfer Equity, LP (ETE) PT at $20.63
Advisory Services Network LLC purchased a new stake in Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. during the first quarter worth about $163,000. It improved, as 37 investors sold Energy Transfer Equity LP shares while 82 reduced holdings. Therefore 72% are positive. Energy Transfer Prtnrs LP now has $21.71B valuation. Energy Transfer Partners, L.P. (ETP) shares are up 0.05% for the week and that has got investors and traders sitting up and taking note.
Colbert's Late Show Russia Week Starts Monday, Comrades
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs weeknights at 11:35/10:35c on CBS. The week's slate of guests includes Al Gore , Keegan-Michael Key , Jason Bateman and Issa Rae . Russian Federation has been under scrutiny in recent months for its alleged connections to the president and specifically the allegations that it somehow tampered with the results of the 2016 USA presidential election.
Chelsea Reportedly to Bid €80M for Alvaro Morata After Missing Romelu Lukaku
Despite strong interest from Chelsea, United have agreed to sign Lukaku from Everton for an initial fee of £75 million, with the deal subject to a medical being completed and personal terms being agreed. "For sure it is not an easy decision to leave Madrid", the Croatia worldwide said. Can Conte patch it up with Costa? If he does leave the Emirates, a move overseas appears to be the only outcome Arsenal would even consider.
Investors Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISBC) Stock to Watch
Royal Comml Bank Of Canada accumulated 31,393 shares or 0% of the stock. State Street Corp now owns 1,048,679 shares of the savings and loans company's stock valued at $19,820,000 after buying an additional 104,045 shares during the period.
Sharp drop in Best Buy seen as overdone
Moreover, Malaga Cove Capital Llc has 0.48% invested in the company for 40,481 shares. About 1,151 shares traded. It has outperformed by 20.71% the S&P500. It also upped Humana Inc. (NYSE:BAC) was raised too. Therefore 90% are positive. It was reported on Jul, 10 by Barchart.com . They issued a "buy" rating and a $1,100.00 price objective for the company.
Maine's AG, Janet Mills joins race to be governor
Paul LePage in 2018. Mills' family is one of political prominence in ME with her brother Peter Mills, a Republican, who ran for governor in 2010 losing in that year's primary to LePage. Mills was born and raised in Farmington, where she still resides. "The problem is she has publicly denounced court cases which the Executive Branch has requested to join and subsequently refuses to provide legal representation to the State".
'IRA bomb maker' in apology over Birmingham bombings
To do so would make him an informer, he said. "Out of that half hour, eight minutes elapsed - eight priceless minutes", Hayes said, who claims to have disarmed a third bomb when the scale of the first two bombings became clear. New inquests into the killings were ordered past year after what a coroner called "significant" new evidence about the blasts in crowded pubs. Mr Hayes said he could not be held responsible for the imprisonment of the Birmingham Six .
Thornwell rises above the rest in National Basketball Association debut
Thornwell led the team with 26 points (on 6-13 from the field and 14-18 from the free throw line), 5 rebounds, 1 assists, and a steal in his debut National Basketball Association game. Brandon Ingram also had 26 for the Lakers. Thornwell was named SEC Player of the Year for 2017 and led SC to the Final Four during an outstanding senior campaign.
Marlins reportedly trying to seize property in lawsuit against season ticket holder
The Marlins, unlike most sports teams who find themselves in disputes with disappointed and angry season-ticket holders, have made a decision to sue each and every fan who breaks their contract. That ruling was subsequently appealed by Sack's attorney, who the Miami New Times reported was forced to miss key hearings and filings after suffering a heart attack.
Piedmont Investment Advisors LLC Increases Position in IPG Photonics Corporation (NASDAQ:IPGP)
It has outperformed by 50.94% the S&P500. The semiconductor company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.19. Veritable Limited Partnership invested in 0.01% or 236 shares. The Company offers a line of lasers and amplifiers, which are used in materials processing, communications and medical applications.
Bangor Savings Bank Sells 140 Shares of NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE)
It has outperformed by 0.72% the S&P500. Btg Pactual Global Asset Management Ltd decreased its stake in Gopro Inc (GPRO) by 73.12% based on its latest 2016Q4 regulatory filing with the SEC. (NYSE:PX). Spears Abacus Advsrs Ltd has 1,791 shares for 0.03% of their portfolio. American Century Inc invested in 0.01% or 75,530 shares. Segall Bryant Hamill Ltd Limited Liability Company has invested 0.06% in SeaChange International (NASDAQ:SEAC).
Forest fires rage in sweltering California
The fire there had scorched 23,876 acres (100 square kilometers) and was just 15 percent contained , officials said. Almost 700 firefighters and other personnel are assigned to the fire , which is 51 percent contained . "We have, however, lost our dear animal friends in the nature center and numerous state on site have lost most of their belongings", the organization posted on its Facebook page.
Imran challenges ECP's powers to initiate contempt proceedings
A five-member bench led by Chief Election Commissioner Justice Sardar Muhammad Raza heard the case. Responding to this, the petitioner's lawyer asked for a few days to submit a reply to this. Earlier, PTI chairman had failed to submit his reply in the case and his counsel sought more time from the election commission for the objective. He further said that no allegation of misuse of powers and corruption have been leveled against Imran, while the matter was brought to notice just because ...
Next Weeks Broker Price Targets For Scana Corporation (NYSE:SCG)
Aspiriant Ltd Liability Corporation reported 14,461 shares or 0.1% of all its holdings. It has underperformed by 20.60% the S&P500. Also, there are 0 buy, 0 sell and 1 strong sell ratings, collectively assigning a 2.03 average brokerage recommendation.
Fraternity brothers back in court
Piazza, highly-intoxicated at the time, suffered a series of catastrophic falls in the hours after the February 2 party, and none of the brothers or guests present at the time summoned medical help for until the following morning. Two previously waived the preliminary hearing. The other 16 members are waiting to see if a judge will determine there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK) Stake Boosted by Vanguard Group Inc
The SI to Aquaventure Holdings Limited's float is 15.68%. About 435,489 shares traded. About shares traded. Verisk Analytics, Inc. Analysts expect Verisk Analytics, Inc. Gabelli Funds Ltd Company reported 466,600 shares stake. (NASDAQ:VRSK). The Maryland-based Calvert Mgmt has invested 0.04% in Verisk Analytics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VRSK).
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (NYSE:OHI) CFO Sells 23000 Shares of Stock
Despite the fact Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC) was trading at volume less than average, prior 52-week high was $24.79 and plunged -9.30% over the same period, trading at a volume of 1.46 million. Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo & Limited Company reported 1.02% stake. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System invested in 0.08% or 48,300 shares. Usca Ria Llc, a Texas-based fund reported 89,094 shares.
Donald Trump's son met Russian lawyer over Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump Jr ., the president's son, has hired NY lawyer Alan Futerfas to represent him in connection with Russia-related investigations, the lawyer and Trump Jr.'s office said on Monday. Before information about the Kremlin-linked lawyer was revealed , Trump Jr. had said the meeting was about the issue of global adoption. Donald Trump Jr has also informed that the Russian woman was referred to him by one of his former colleagues from the 2013 Miss Universe competition.
Abdelhak Nouri: Ajax player's heart undamaged and working normally
He is in good hands and is being well cared for. Everyone is feeling tense. Family of Nouri traveled to Austria to stay with him in the hospital. I tried to occupy my mind, but it didn't work'. The young player - one of Ajax's up-and-coming prospects - was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Innsbruck. He remains in a stable condition on the intensive care and is kept in a sleeping condition for optimal treatment.
Cruz amendment could mean passage for BCRA
He also pushed his VA Information Technology Restructuring Act, which would work to improve IT infrastructure at the VA. Cruz and his fellow conservative lawmaker Sen. Cruz is now opposed to the legislation, but has been locked in negations with Senate leadership. CBS11 asked him what it would take for him to get to yes.
USDA offers more relief for drought-stricken counties
Showing support, U.S. Sen. At Heitkamp's meeting at the Bowman Auction Market last week, she unveiled her push on Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner John Koskinen to announce the notice that would allow ranchers to defer paying capital gains tax for a two year period on the sale of cattle due to the ongoing severe drought which has stretched for months across almost 50 percent of the state.
Proto Labs, Inc. (NYSE:PRLB) Stock Rating Upgraded by Dougherty & Co
The stock rose 0.53% or $0.88 reaching $165.54. It has outperformed by 18.46% the S&P500. Nationwide Fund Advisors now owns 204,736 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $10,462,000 after buying an additional 5,131 shares during the last quarter.
Bernstein Downgrades ConocoPhillips (COP) to Market Perform
As most professionals know, technical analysis can offer critical insights into what smart money and insiders think about a stock's prospects going forward. Cowen and Company reissued a "buy" rating on shares of ConocoPhillips in a research report on Friday, April 14th. It also upped Ishares Tr (TIP) stake by 7,071 shares and now owns 39,365 shares.
Shia LaBeouf arrested for public drunkenness in Georgia
Shia LaBeouf has been released from jail after posting Dollars 7,000 bond on charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. The actor, recently married to Mia Goth in a chapel of Las Vegas, is more likely to get noticed for his conduct as for his performances on the screen.
White House accuses Congress of posing "needless obstruction" on nominations
But the Senate is sitting on dozens of nominations that have been submitted. Matt House, communications director for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , D-N.Y., said in a statement that the "White House has only itself to blame for the slow pace at which they've filled vacant administration posts ".
Most Active Stock: Bio-Path Holdings, Inc. (BPTH)
This rating uses a scale from 1 to 5. The consensus recommendation, according to Zacks Investment research , is 1. Investors who are keeping close eye on WPX Energy, Inc. It's the most up-to-date valuation until trading begins again on the next day. A large surprise factor in either direction typically can lead to a significant swing in the stock price in the hours and days after the report.
Rooney: Everton Is Not A Retirement Home To Me
I wasn't playing the football that I like and I don't think you should play for your country if you are not playing for your club. I want to be part of it and hopefully part of a successful Everton team. "I'm focused on Everton , playing well for Everton ", said Rooney , who appeared at his first major finals for England at Euro 2004 and scored four goals.
Ohio Man Conspired To Support Terrorists And Paid To Have Judge Murdered
They are charged with conspiring to gather money and equipment and other support to Anwar al-Awlaki, the late American-born, radical Muslim cleric whose English language videos and blog posts inspired a number of Western recruits to al-Qaida, as well as acts of terrorism, federal prosecutors said.
Earnings Analysis Of Callon Petroleum Company (CPE)
Callon Petroleum Company (CPE ) traded up 2.17% during trading on Thursday, hitting $10.35. Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE:CPE) price is pointing towards neither exit nor entry barriers, according to a technical analysis tool called the Relative Strength Index (RSI).
Trump talks with China in wake of 'major escalation' by N. Korea
The exercise aimed to "sternly respond to the series of North Korea's ballistic missile launches", the South's military said in a statement. Xinhua said Mr. Trump said. We need you to not only do more but we need the pressure on North Korea and China has the ability to do it. "This is encouraging and motivating China to say, look, we appreciate what you've done".
Sirius XM Holdings Inc. (SIRI) Upgraded to "Strong-Buy" by Vetr Inc
The stock exchanged hands 14.76 Million shares versus average trading capacity of 26.89 Million shares. About 13.54M shares traded. Gentherm Inc (NASDAQ:THRM) has risen 4.10% since July 7, 2016 and is uptrending. Sirius XM Holdings Inc.is operating with a market capitalization of 24.46 B, with a return on assets (ROA) of *TBA and an average volume of 26919.73.
G20 : 3rd night of clashes between police and protesters in Hamburg
Thursday evening, police and anti-capitalist protesters clashed in the streets of Hamburg , Germany, after police ordered activists to remove their masks . Merkel also defended the choice of Hamburg as the venue for the summit, saying a big city was needed to accommodate all the participants at hotels.
Analysts See $0.52 EPS for Brixmor Property Group Inc (BRX)
Markston International Llc who had been investing in Hcp Inc. for a number of months, seems to be less bullish one the $14.65B market cap company. Stock rose 10.11% over the trailing 6 months. On Wednesday, August 26 the stock rating was upgraded by Zacks to "Hold". The firm has "Hold" rating by SunTrust given on Friday, January 20. The firm has "Sector Perform" rating given on Tuesday, November 1 by RBC Capital Markets.
Senators Booker, Schumer renew push for Gateway Tunnel project
Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., on Monday called on the Trump administration Monday to approve $11 billion in federal funding for the project. "If [the Hudson tunnels] fail, we will go into a recession immediately". Booker warned of a "traffic Armageddon" if there were a need to close the existing rail tunnels connecting NY and New Jersey for weeks, similar to the Penn Station track closures during what Gov.
Supreme Court to pronounce sentence against Vijay Mallya in contempt case today
It had sought his response on the quantum of punishment. A s neither Mallya nor his lawyer appeared before the court, the bench adjourned the case for July 14 to decide the further course of action to be taken against the former chief of the now-grounded Kingfisher Airlines (KFA).
Pretoria offices of top prosecutor burgled
It is still unclear at this stage how the thieves managed to get into the building. In March‚ the Office of the Chief Justice in Johannesburg was burgled and 15 computers were stolen which contained sensitive information about the country's judges.
Du Plessis offers no assurances for Duminy after Lord's failure
Rabada was described by his team-mate Temba Bavuma as "heartbroken" at letting his country down, but Du Plessis is adamant the 22-year-old must not allow his one-match ban affect his whole-hearted fast bowling. 'He's desperate to do well. but he knows at the end of the day it's about runs. "It's a straight forward to thing to focus on this week: do the basics better for longer and more consistently and then you'll have moments when you put pressure on the opposition".
Talks Between Abercrombie & Fitch and Potential Buyers Stall
Abercrombie & Fitch Company (NYSE: ANF ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 25th. On average, equities analysts expect that Abercrombie & Fitch Company will post ($0.30) earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Shares of most retailers and other consumer-services companies fell as the retail industry continued its painful reinvention. Searle & CO. purchased a new stake in Abercrombie & Fitch Company during the fourth quarter worth approximately $152,000.
Officer who killed Castile to be paid $48500 in buyout
According to the Associated Press , Yanez will also be paid for as many as 600 hours of "unused compensatory time". Yanez testified he feared for his life and thought Castile was pulling out a weapon. Mr Yanez, who is Latino, was acquitted of manslaughter and other charges in June. Monday's announcement said that since he was not convicted of a crime, he would have appeal and grievance rights as a public employee in the event he was terminated.
Former American Idol Contestant Haley Reinhart Arrested for Battery
While they were being escorted out of the bar, Haley reportedly punched the bouncer, according to TMZ . Upon their arrival, they were told that a number of patrons, Reinhart among them, were asked to leave after knocking over a table. She was taken into custody and booked for battery . "We plan on taking legal action against all those who were involved in this unfortunate incident".
Earnings Analysis Of Oclaro, Inc. (OCLR)
The analysts estimated mean EPS at 0.17 while the high and low EPS estimate stand at 0.18 and 0.16 respectively. Swiss National Bank now owns 273,400 shares of the semiconductor company's stock worth $2,685,000 after buying an additional 4,400 shares during the period.
MA Amber Alert suspect found in Newington held on bond
Joshua Calcorzi-Ortiz, of Lancaster , PA, returned to Chicopee over the weekend after he allegedly stabbed the mother of his almost two year old son during an argument. Police said the mother underwent surgery on Sunday and is expected to recover. Joshua Calcorzi, 24, of the first block of South Prince Street, and the 21-month-old child were located at a Newington, Connecticut, hotel hours after the reported incident, according Chicopee police public information Officer Michael Wilk.
BidaskClub Upgrades Cliffs Natural Resources Inc
A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CLF. Girard Prns Limited stated it has 0.05% in Cliffs Natural Resources Inc (NYSE:CLF). "(NYSE:CLF) Receives New Coverage from Analysts at Jefferies Group LLC" was originally posted by BBNS and is the sole property of of BBNS. It seems that Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.
TN seeks entire 2000 MW power from Kudankulam 3, 4 units
The Union Minister of State for Power was flanked by Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister P Thangamani with whom he had a review meeting on the states power sector. However, it is unusual that a minister who holds the portfolio for new and renewable energy would use a tit for tat tactic to arm twist states which are stalling nuclear power projects.
Maggie Gyllenhaal & James Franco Star in 'The Deuce' Trailer
Set to funky music, the teaser offers the night scenery in and around Times Square, New York. But there's one quick scene that provides some context for how The Deuce will connect to the real history of the porn industry. After the heavily memed , derided , and thereby watched second season of True Detective , HBO seemed to lean into this dubious marketing tactic with The Young Pope .
The ValuEngine Upgrades Banco Bradesco SA (NYSE:BBD) to "Strong-Buy"
The company reported the earnings of $0.24/Share in the last quarter where the estimated EPS by analysts was $0.22/share. Investec Asset Management LTD increased its stake in shares of Banco Bradesco SA by 1.7% in the first quarter. The business also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Monday, July 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 6th will be issued a $0.057 dividend.
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Palestine seeks probe into Israel's crackdown
The weekly protests, which are backed and encouraged by Hamas, the terror group that rules Gaza , were originally dubbed by their Palestinian organizers as nonviolent, but Hamas, which seeks to destroy Israel, publicly supported the protests and declared that their ultimate goal was to erase the border and liberate Palestine.
Texas is one of the most fun states in America, report says
California came in at No. 1, followed by NY and Nevada. In order to determine the most fun cities in the USA, analysts compared the 150 most populated cities across two key dimensions: "Entertainment and Recreation" and "Nightlife and Parties".
The challenge of electrifying every household in India
Yesterday, we fulfilled a commitment due to which the lives of several Indians will be transformed forever! "I am delighted that every single village of India now has electricity ". So, even a village in which 90% houses do not have electricity is technically electrified, regardless of a number of hours of power supplied. This was followed by BJP's social media brigade extolling Modi and his government's achievements.
BJP MP wants Jinnah portrait removed from Aligarh Muslim University, sparks row
It is believed that Jinnah's portrait was installed in 1938 before partition. AMU in-charge publicity and professor in department of Jouranlism, Prof Shefay Kidwai justified Jinna's portrait by claiming that the Muslim League leader was one of the founder members of the university and he was conferred with life membership of student union.
HBO Is Adapting Michelle McNamara's Book on the Golden State Killer
Authorities have released two photos and a sketch of 72-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo , the man believed to be the murderous " Original Night Stalker " or "Golden State Killer", from the 70's hoping to piece together a timeline of DeAngelo's time in Santa Barbara County.
SRMJEEE 2018 Result declared for BTech, check your results at srmuniv
Candidates who have qualified the exam will now be eligible for getting admission to SRM University AP, ARM University Haryana and at four other campus. Students need to pay Rs. 210,000 for registration and part tuition fee before visiting the counselling venue . SRM Institute of Science and Technology (formerly known as SRM University ) is India's top private university offering undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in Engineering, Management, Medicine and Health Sciences, ...
CHP Officer, 3 Others Injured in High Speed Crash on I-80
The man, identified by the medical examiner's office as 21-year-old San Jose resident Leo Cabrera, was found face down in the roadway. A CHP officer inside the vehicle suffered minor injuries while the three other people involved suffered major injuries, CHP said.
Akhilesh Yadav to meet KCR on Wednesday
After meeting Banerjee, Soren, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi and Janata Dal (Secular) president Deve Gowda last month, Rao spent the first two days of this week negotiating with DMK patriarch Karunanidhi as well as other party leaders such as Stalin, TR Balu, A Raja and Kanimozhi in Chennai .
Ex-CJI RM Lodha terms as disastrous prevailing situation in judiciary
The Supreme Court has been at the centrestage of public debates after the four senior-most judges of the apex court publicly questioned the leadership of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra in a press conference earlier this year. He also advocated that the executive should be checked in order to prevent "totalitarian control of every institution" and said "if you do not stop them, they will go on.
One killed, another injured in shootout at demolition site in Kasauli
Sources said the accused fired several rounds from his gun hitting the officer, identified as Shail Bala, on her jaw and chest. Assistant Town and Country Planner Shailbala was killed on the spot and Gulab Singh severely injured when the owner of Narayani guest house, Vijay Kumar, opened fire on the demolition team, police said.
Sea turtle nesting season begins
This season is expected to be much different following Hurricane Irma. Myrtle Beach officials issued the warning on their Facebook page ahead of sea turtle nesting season that starts May 1. Threatened loggerheads are the most common sea turtles species found on southwest Florida beaches, followed by threatened green sea turtles; in recent years, Sarasota County has also hosted a handful of endangered Kemp's ridleys-the smallest and rarest sea turtles.
Countrywide rallies planned for Workers' Day
Thirty-four mineworkers were killed, and 78 seriously injured. "Cosatu has been at the forefront of championing national minimum wage and we'll continue to do so". The divide is expected to be apparent in the issues that take centre stage during the International Workers' Day celebrations. "It is this symbolism that gives meaning and relevance, within context, to a public holiday for whatever goal".
FTA between India, China can spur trade: Chinese envoy
According to the report, an official source said on condition of anonymity, that the decision was made during an informal summit between India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping . This has not changed. As for Afghanistan, the details would be announced once the two sides decided on the project. "China and India are both major global powers in this region".
Afghan forces losing control of the country, report warns
Twin blasts killed at least 25 people, including nine journalists with AFP chief photographer for Afghanistan Shah Marai and BBC reporter Ahmad Shah among the dead. Sopko reported, shifting more warplanes from Iraq and Syria to Afghanistan and moving the first U.S. Army Security Force Assistance Brigade to the country to increase training capacity of Afghan forces.
Harold Bornstein Thrilled to Now Be Second-Most-Notorious Trump Doctor
Bornstein stated at the time he felt "raped, frightened and sad" as Schiller and another "large man" went into his office and created "chaos" for the 25 to 30 minutes they were there. Rather than Bornstein, the position of White House doctor continued to be filled by Ronny Jackson . Bornstein was not available for comment when CNBC called his office.
Blasts kill around 20 in northeast Nigeria's Mubi - Adamawa police commissioner
The second bomber blew himself up among the crowds of worshippers, traders and shoppers who fled the mosque towards the butchery section of a nearby market. Now, Buhari has said that he wants to contest in the upcoming national election. Many people have been reportedly killed in twin bomb blasts that hit Mubi, the commercial nerve centre of Adamawa state, Tuesday afternoon.
Police find woman's body in shed behind Florida home
A Florida man who was released from prison a month ago was arrested after he killed a woman, then showed off her dead body stuffed in a storage bin to residents in the neighborhood, police said. According to police, he confessed to killing the woman once in custody and said he was angry she had made a "mess" inside the property. This was disturbing to the folks, ' spokesman Yolanda Fernandez told The Tampa Bay Times .
Facebook Bug Asks Users If Puppies And Bahamas Vacations Are Hate Speech
Yet the feedback options weren't quite clear - only stating "Hate Speech", "Test P1", "Test P2", and "Test P3". They said a bug caused the button to launch publicly but it has since been disabled. "This was a test - and a bug that we reverted within 20 mins", wrote Guy Rosen, Facebook's vice president of product, on Twitter . The test came just as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepared to speak at the company's F8 development event.
Silicon Valley Gets First Robot Lunch Deliveries
This new service allows staff the freedom to choose how and where to spend their time during the day. The company claims it is the first large-scale deployment of autonomous delivery services, supporting campuses by implementing robots to assist in work and school environments.
Lawsuit Targets Trump Oil, Gas Leases Threatening Sage Grouse in Five States
The policy, together with the massive leases in sage-grouse habitat, are part of Trump's "energy dominance" agenda, meant to sweep aside environmental protections to speed fossil fuel development on public land. Lawsuits filed Monday in Idaho and Montana claim the Trump administration ignored policies meant to protect the greater sage grouse when it sold oil and gas leases in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada.
Tiger cub found stuffed in duffel bag along Texas border
The male tiger cub gave the impression to be three or four-months-old, officers mentioned. Three undocumented immigrants were observed attempting to enter the USA illegally and agents responded. Just earlier agents working near the Rio Grande had spotted an alligator on a boat ramp that is regularly utilized by riverine agents. Download the KIII-TV 3News app now .
MPs warn Zuckerberg of 'formal summons' to appear before Parliament
The Cambridge Analytica scandal has been consuming Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg for weeks. Such summonses are rarely issued, and are binding on anyone in Britain apart from members of the government or members of the House of Commons or Lords.
German riverbank to be excavated in search for missing Katrice
Katrice Lee vanished from the Naafi shopping centre in Schloss Neuhaus, Paderborn, close to the British military base where her father was stationed for the army, on November 28, 1981. The aim of the search is to find evidence that could finally shed light on what happened to Katrice'. 'A green saloon auto was also seen on the River Alme Bridge near the NAAFI the day after Katrice disappeared.
'Gay cake': Ashers Bakery case to be heard at Supreme Court
He said to create the campaign cake was to promote same-sex marriage and stated: "This is a case of forced or compelled speech". The Supreme Court is expected to rule later this year or in early 2019. Mr Scoffield added that the McArthur family were being forced to use their skills, trade and experience for a goal inconsistent with their beliefs and claimed they must "choose between operating their businesses or living and acting in accordance with their religious beliefs, and we say that ...
Anthony Scaramucci is rejoining hedge fund after sale collapses, source says
Scaramucci had resigned from SkyBridge in January 2017 when the HNA deal was announced . But more than a year later, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. SkyBridge and HNA are exploring a possible marketing relationship to distribute SkyBridge's offerings in China . The two firms plan to continue discussing marketing and distribution arrangements for selling SkyBridge products in China, according to the release.
Fortis sale: IHH, Munjal-Burman sweeten bid
The bid-ask spread was -152.4 points and the volume weighed average price (vwap) was Rs. 152.44. While IHH Healthcare Berhad increased its offer to directly invest in Fortis Healthcare at Rs 175 per share, the Munjals and Burmans also said they would increase their investment to Rs 1,800 crore, without any due diligence, from a previously revised offer of Rs 1,500 crore.
Davido Publicly Declares His Love For Girlfriend
The art work of the song has an illustration of Davido alongside Chioma garbed in a chef attire while holding a spoon. Chioma Avril Rowland is the damsel who has captured the heart of Davido . " Chioma my lover. I give my baby lifetime Assurance ", the head over hills lovey-dovey Davido could be heard singing. You can listen to the song HERE.
Milwaukee Brewers at Cincinnati Reds
The Brewers manager said after the game that "your mouth is kind of wide open" watching Hader work like that. "It was absolutely incredible". The game's current runline odds stand at +115 for betting the Brewers -1.5 runs and -135 for the Reds +1.5 runs.
Rana Sanaullah refuses to apologize over his remarks against PTI women
Sanaullah, reacting to the PTI's April 29 Minar-e-Pakistan rally, had said that "the women who attended the rally were not from honorable families because their dance moves implied where they had actually come from". "Is Ayesha Gulalai not daughter of anyone?" he said adding Imran Khan harassed her through messages. Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Monday said the PML-N would field the top party leadership against the turncoats and the agents to slap an exemplary defeat in their face.
Modi summons Tripura CM, meeting on May 2
If someone pokes, or interferes his nail should be chopped off. "No one can touch my government". Earlier, he had questioned Diana Hayden's Miss World title. He also urged youth to opt for breeding cows and open " paan shops" if faced with unemployment. "There should be a cow in every house". At an event organised by a veterinary body, Biplab Deb said that the youth in Tripura waste time in chasing political parties to get a government job.
Trump Should Win The Nobel Peace Prize, South Korea's Moon Says
On Friday, Mr Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in vowed "complete denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula in the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade, but the declaration did not include concrete steps to reach that goal.
Body found inside wall of washroom at Calgary shopping mall
Calgary police say investigators do not suspect foul play after a body was discovered in a washroom in a downtown shopping centre Monday morning. A maintenance worker at a shopping center in Canada found a dead body behind a wall in a public restroom.
U.S. delivers Javelin antitank missiles to Ukraine
Writing on his Twitter page on Saturday, former Pentagon official Michael Carpenter pointed out that "no one should fool themselves into thinking that Javelin missiles are a game-changer [for Ukraine]". Ukraine's Armed Forces on May 2 starts practical training of estimating the anti-tank missile system Javelin delivered to Ukraine from the US, as Stepan Poltorak, Defence Minister, wrote on Facebook .
Russia Launches First Floating Nuclear Plant
It will initially tow from St. Petersburg to Murmansk, and then from Murmansk to Pevek. It's the first nuclear power plant of its kind, Russian officials say. Rosatom says it hopes the floating nuclear power plant will be online in 2019. The idea for an offshore nuclear power plant has also been floated in the USA - or more specifically, off of New Jersey's coast.
Pins found in meat sold in BC, police say
In February, a similar pin was discovered in pepperoni sticks purchased at the Real Canadian Superstore. This time, a Fairway Market customer found a pin inside a Grimm's Ukranian sausage. "Safe to say, it is not occurring anywhere else on Vancouver Island". But, even though Grimm's products have been the target in each report , police are sure that the packages aren't being tampered with at the Grimm facility.
Aussie, 104, to end his life in Switzerland
I want to die", says David Goodall. Speaking to ABC , he said: 'I greatly regret having reached that age. "What is sad is if one is prevented", said Goodall, who two years ago was banned from his work at Edith Cowan University over concerns about his safety before challenging and reversing the decision.
Match alcohol price move or risk 1000 lives, Westminster told
It says MUP is one of the most effective policy measures available to reduce alcohol-related health harm, which costs the NHS around £3.5bn every year. "This is an important milestone for Scotland, and many other parts of the world will now be watching the implementation of minimum unit pricing with great interest".
Coyote attacks 5-year-old girl at Westchester park
Over his shoulder, Liberatore saw the coyote attacking a young girl, 5-year-old Natalia Petrellese. "I took my foot, and I kicked him as hard as I could in his face, which knocked him to the ground, and he stumbled a little". "It made me bleed on the arm". It was then that Liberatore arrived and threw himself on top of the animal, using his training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu to control its neck.
Roberto Mancini To Become New Italy Coach, Say Reports
Mancini met Lele Oriali and Alessandro Costacurta in Rome yesterday when the deal between "Mancio" and the FIGC was closed. The Coach is very keen to take the job, with the Federation prepared to offer him a two-year contract worth €4m per season.
'Accept Trump's proposals or shut up', MBS tells Palestinians
Responding to a question about the two state solutions, Pompeo did not chose to clearly support Washington's earlier position: proposing Israel and Palestinian side by side, instead, he said, "The parties will ultimately make the decision about what the right resolution is".
Parkland shooting victim's dad sues deputy who didn't enter school
Now, Pollack has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit not just against Nikolas Cruz , the man accused of killing his daughter and 16 others that day, but against everyone the lawsuit says failed to stop him. Broward Sheriff Scott Israel condemned Mr Peterson's actions, saying he should have gone inside. "He let my daughter get shot nine times at point-blank range", Andrew Pollack told the Herald.
Philippines welcomes Kuwait overture in labor dispute
But that went up in flames last week when authorities in Kuwait arrested members of the Philippine embassy staff for allegedly helping maids escape their employers. In a speech marking Labor Day, Duterte reiterated his long-standing condition that Kuwait implement more worker safeguards before the standoff can end.
Rahul Gandhi tears into MP govt over stamping of SC/ST candidates
The aspirants under the reserved category were marked with their caste - SC (Scheduled Caste) or ST (Scheduled Tribe) - on their chest for identification during a medical examination in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Mayawati questioned the "silence" of senior BJP leaders, including the Prime Minister, on the matter. "This is the new and fresh example of BJP governments' new found love for Dalits for their political gains", Mayawati said in a statement released in Lucknow.
Piyush Goyal hits back at Rahul over Flashnet scam allegation
An image linked to his tweet alleged that the minister had sold the stock of a company he owned at 1,000 times the face value, while he was a junior minister in the power department. "Congress president, Sir, we can not sit before you". Gandhi lashed out at the mainstream media for not covering the story of Goyal's scam and termed the silence of journalists a "tragedy" for India.
NFL Draft news, rumors ahead of Day 2
Here are some of the highlights from draft rounds 2-3. Memphis wide receiver Anthony Miller was the first of four selections for The American in the third round when he was tabbed by the Chicago Bears with the 51st pick. Cincinnati selected former Wake Forest defensive back Jessie Bates as the 54th overall pick, in the second round. Dallas fans were reminded early in Friday's draft of the consequences of hosting the event.
How Many Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE:TAP)'s Analysts Are Bullish?
It has underperformed by 14.94% the S&P500. Based on the latest 2017Q4 regulatory filing with the SEC, Fil Ltd decreased its stake in Molson Coors Brewing Co ( TAP ) by 2.87%. Point72 Asset Mngmt Limited Partnership has 1.14 million shares for 0.01% of their portfolio. To make a proper assessment, investors seek a sound estimate of this year's and next year's earnings per share (EPS), as well as a strong sense of how much the company will earn even farther down the road.
Netanyahu Seeks to Prod Trump to Withdraw From Iran Nuclear Deal
Commenting on the Israeli Prime Minister's remarks earlier in the day, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi pointed out that "what we saw from Netanyahu was nothing but a childish and ridiculous show". Tehran dismissed Netanyahu as "the boy who cried wolf ", and called his presentation propaganda. As part of the agreement, Iran vowed to scale back its nuclear ambition in exchange for sanctions relief.
One dead in Brazil high-rise fire that collapses building
Local broadcaster Globo TV, which was covering the fire, captured the collapse. Authorities said those figures could go up as more people could have been trapped inside . Firefighters were alerted at 1.30am local time (5.30am in the UK). Estadão reports that it spread to an adjacent church and to three floors of another adjacent building but that both fires were contained, with some structural damage being done to the church.
Israeli strike hits Gaza port: Palestinians
Nickolay Mladenov told the U.N. Security Council that prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace are slipping further away and with tensions mounting, the "Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains a perpetual source of oxygen for militants and radicals" in the region.
Chinese media hails Xi-Modi informal summit
Kolkata : A free trade agreement ( FTA ) between India and China would help remove trade barriers between the two countries and facilitate trade, investment and other exchanges between them, a Chinese envoy said here on Saturday. China and India are going to engage in a project in Afghanistan together, as per the sources. The Times of India reported the source as having said India and China discussed participation in a project but that details are being worked out through diplomatic ...
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Page last updated at 14:18 GMT, Monday, 25 February 2008
How Putin is inspired by history
As part of the Putin Project - the BBC World Service's special programming ahead of the Russian elections - Lucy Ash looks at how the country's leaders are inspired by their history.
Mr Putin has been likened to a number of historical figures
Under President Vladimir Putin's leadership, a resurgent Russia has acquired a booming economy, a newly assertive foreign policy and a strong sense of state.
It has also gained a glorious history. Films and television programmes continually drive home the message that Russia is a great nation with a unique destiny.
Some of Mr Putin's ideological advisers believe Russians have spent far too much time being ashamed of their past. For example, a new manual for history teachers in Russian high schools now states that Joseph Stalin was "the most successful Soviet leader ever".
As for the purges, which killed millions, they are dismissed as a necessary evil. Mr Putin, himself, recently said they weren't as bad as atrocities perpetrated by other nations.
But going beyond the Soviet era, I wondered which role models from the past might have inspired Mr Putin?
What about the first Russian ruler to call himself Tsar Ivan IV - better known as Ivan the Terrible? The title is derived from the word Caesar because Ivan claims to be a descendant of the Roman Emperors.
He saw Muscovite Russia as the last Orthodox state on earth and the heir to a global Christian Empire after Constantinople - capital of the Eastern Roman Empire - fell to the Ottoman Turks.
Russians today are still proud to see themselves as defenders of the true Orthodox faith.
Russians see themselves as defenders of the Orthodox faith
At his coronation in the Kremlin's Assumption Cathedral, 16-year-old Ivan also assumed the title of Autocrat of all Russia. If the Orthodox Church is central to understanding Russia - and is used by Putin to legitimise his policies - autocracy is another vital component. It is principle of the absolute supremacy of the Tsar.
Many Russian liberals complain these days about "Tsar Putin". The president has certainly strengthened what he calls the "vertical line of power" - a euphemism for his own authority.
It seems far fetched, though, to compare him to Ivan the Terrible, who murdered hundreds of thousands of his countrymen in a decade-long reign of terror. But not to Russia's most controversial novelist, Vladimir Sorokin.
"Russia is like a block of ice floating back into the 16th century," he said on the phone from Germany where he is currently on a book tour.
"Again we are living under a centralised government like in the time of Ivan the Terrible. This power vertical, which Putin keeps talking about, is a completely medieval model for Russia. There is no accountability, no transparency."
Mr Sorokin's latest work, Day of the Oprichnik, is named after the oprichniki who were the secret police of the 16th Century, Ivan the Terrible's KGB.
Stalin - the country's "most successful Soviet leader ever"
Dressed like monks, they rode black horses and carried a broom and dog's head at the saddle "to sweep and gnaw away treason."
Mr Sorokin's 21st Century oprichniki drive around in black Mercedes and use computers, but they behave like feudal lords.
The novel is set in a big brother land in 2028, when all that counts are oil, gas and unswerving loyalty to a tyrant and his henchmen.
It's a satire of today's Russia, in which three quarters of senior politicians and bureaucrats have a background in the security services - just like ex-KGB colonel Vladimir Putin.
"Russia has a pathological relationship with power because most of our rulers believe power only exists when it is absolute," says Sorokin. "Just look at the examples of Ivan the Terrible and Stalin."
But Mr Putin's background in St Petersburg has led to parallels with another infamous Russian autocrat.
In the early years of his presidency, Mr Putin was most often compared to Peter the Great, according to a study by G808, a private media analysis group that often works for the government.
Today Peter I is seen as a harsh moderniser who was determined to drag his country out of the medieval era and turn its face towards the West. He built an elegant city of stone on a marshy swamp plagued by flooding.
For many Russian nationalists, Peter the Great is a contradictory figure
Professor Stanislav Tkachenko
"He was a cruel leader and I wouldn't like to have him as a friend or a boss but the results are marvellous - just look around you," says Serge Polotovsky, editor of the St Petersburg edition of Kommersant magazine. "It's a great city that came out of nowhere and he did it."
Mr Putin has not founded a new city but he does share some characteristics of Peter the Great. Both men cracked down hard on their opponents and consolidated the state's power.
Just like Peter the Great, President Putin has been eager to explore the world. In his two terms he has visited 64 countries on more than 190 foreign trips. He speaks fluent English, French and German, and clearly enjoys playing a role on the global stage.
But Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor of St Petersburg University's School of International Relations, says Mr Putin does not welcome such comparisons.
"He is far too modest. Anyway for many Russian nationalists, Peter the Great is a contradictory figure," he says. "On the one hand he raised the status of the country in the world, but he is also seen as a man who destroyed some Russian values because he was too much of a Westerniser."
Strangely, Mr Putin says his role model is neither Peter nor any of Russia's past leaders, but America's longest-serving president. He has often compared his mission in history with that of Franklin Roosevelt's in the 1930s.
Putin has likened his mission to that of US President Roosevelt
Just like FDR, the Russian president believes he has rescued his country from a Great Depression - in Russia's case, the chaos of the Yeltsin era in the 1990s - and laid the foundations for a new era of prosperity.
Other Russians I spoke to felt Mr Putin was much closer to reactionary Tsars of the 19th Century. Some compared him to Nicholas I, the Tsar who crushed the Decembrists' uprising in 1825.
The Decembrists were young noblemen who had gone to fight in the Napoleonic wars and returned to Russia from Europe filled with dangerous new ideas.
Impatient with the slow pace of reform at home, they called for the abolition of serfdom, a constitution and a representative form of government. But instead Russia got Orthodoxy, Autocracy and Nationalism. That was the triumphant motto of Nicholas I once he had executed the ringleaders of the revolt and exiled the rest to Siberia.
Despite his cosmopolitan side, the president also likes to quote another 19th Century Tsar, Alexander III, who said that Russia has no allies apart from its army and navy. Today's pipeline politics, rows over missiles and suspicions over politically motivated killings have helped to create the impression that Russia is surrounded by enemies.
Orlando Figes, professor of history at London's Birkbeck College, says Mr Putin's home city of St Petersburg may be a window on Europe, but it can also been seen as a fortress against foreign opponents.
"St Petersburg is very much an imperial city wielding power over a vast Russian empire. And it is that imperial legacy that Putin plays on in his rhetoric," he says.
"You can't say he is a Slavophile or a Westerniser because he is both, but above all he stands for a great Russian state."
RESURGENT RUSSIA
Medvedev becomes president
In pictures: Medvedev sworn in
Muted welcome for Medvedev
Medvedev 'to continue Putin work'
More of the same?
World expects little difference from Russia's new president
Putin keeps Kremlin aides
Power shift may not be smooth
Volga road trip: Stalingrad
KGB old boys tighten grip
How President Putin restored national pride
Profile: Dmitry Medvedev
Profile: Vladimir Putin
The Putin era in statistics
Russia country profile
Economic hurdles for Medvedev
Kremlin embraces big business
Why Europe needs Russian gas
Russian readers' reaction
The Putin Project
Globescan
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Friday's live video events
As Wall Street looks to end a tumultuous week, all eyes are on Iowa as the GOP presidential candidates prepare for Saturday's straw poll. CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.
Today's programming highlights...
9:30 am ET - Wall Street opening bell - One of the most unpredictable weeks in trading history comes to a close today.
11:30 am ET - GOP candidates at Iowa State Fair - Several GOP presidential candidates will speak to supporters today at the Iowa State Fair. Expected to speak are Herman Cain at 11:30 am ET, Rep. Thad McCotter at 12:00 pm ET, Rick Santorum at 12:30 pm ET, Rep. Ron Paul at 1:00 pm ET, Tim Pawlenty at 1:30 pm ET and Rep. Michele Bachmann at 4:00 pm ET.
2:35 pm ET - Green Bay Packers visit White House - One of the perks of winning the Super Bowl is getting to meet the president at the White House. The Green Bay Packers will do just that today.
8:30 pm ET - Race to 2012: Gov. Rick Perry in Alabama - One day before he's expected to enter the GOP presidential race, Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks at a GOP event in Birmingham, Alabama.
CNN.com Live is your home for breaking news as it happens.
Filed under: Budget • Economy • Elections • Finance • Politics • Republican Party
Spelling Lessons of the Day –
1. How Do You Spell DOOM for the U.S.A.? R.E.P.U.B.L.I.C.A.N.
2. How Do You Spell ANARCHY in the U.S.A.? T.E.A. P.A.R.T.Y.
3. How Do You Spell GREAT DEPRESSION in the U.S.A.? H.E.R.B.E.R.T. H.O.O.V.E.R. – R.E.P.U.B.L.I.C.A.N.
4. How Do You Spell ARMAGEDDON for the U.S.A.? V.O.T.E. R.E.P.U.B.L.I.C.A.N.
August 12, 2011 at 8:21 am | Report abuse |
How do you spell idiot who doesn't know what he is talking about and just one more reason I vote Republican? m.a.r.k. l.
How do you spell Atomic Bomb, Bay Of Pigs, Dixiecrat, Vietnam, NAFTA, or endless social programs without restrictions? D.E.M.O.C.R.A.T. Now that we've assessed both parties are corrupt little snakes.. What are we going to do about it besides being brainwashed puppets?
Dro Blow
I'm just going to vote straight ticket Republican from now on, so we can hurry up this end of the world Armageddon stuff. Why bleed out slowly?
michaelfury
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2011/08/09/testify/
August 12, 2011 at 10:35 am | Report abuse |
*Facepalm*™
*Gibbs slap*
We are already in Armageddon, have you not seen the ass clown who was elected president or followed the economy lately?
TERROR ALERT
YES , WE CAN...YES , WE CAN...WE WILL WIN IN WAR ON TERROR (30 whities or what are terrorists will never come back alive...thank you lord....aaamen).
What do you mean tragedy! It was just a birthday present for planet apes president !!! That's all ! Feels great to flip hamburgers and hip hop atop of good news...makes you feel vibrant and energized !!!
ARIZONA = UTOYA = GOVERNMENT‘S "AFTERLIFE" CASH & $$ FLASH MOB (there was no shooting in Utoya or Arizona, but instead tear gas and on faces of multiculturalism maniacs while calling you a terrorists) !!! stateofterror.blogspot.com/ or stateofterror.wordpress.com/
OBAMA = STALIN = BUSH or USA = SOVIET UNION
avsecbostjan.blogspot.com/ or avsecbostjan.wordpress.com/
Whitie is fighting war on terrorism just to come home and be pronounced as terrorist...turned in Timothy, jobless, homeless ...YESSS, WE CAN...YESSS, WE CAN...GABBY OPENED HER EYES (Obaminator’s psychotic speech in Tucson = failed “Apocalypse Now“)
TEARS WON'T DO YOU ANY GOOD !!! AS BUSH STATED "THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE PAID FOR"(to die ) !!
Don't worry O(s)bama, you have just saved USA what is lots of Dollars in your DEBT DEALS(DEAD AND ILL) as those best of America or Navy Seals would also grew older and then you already know how it goes !!!
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Home » Lifestyle » J.K. Rowling Sues Ex-Assistant For $31,000 For Allegedly Stealing Money To Go On A Shopping Spree And Buy Cats
J.K. Rowling Sues Ex-Assistant For $31,000 For Allegedly Stealing Money To Go On A Shopping Spree And Buy Cats
11/08/2018 1984, Amanda Donaldson, CNN, D
Author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, is suing her former assistant for using her business credit card to go on a shopping spree, also charging that the former assistant had stolen expensive Harry Potter toys and cash, reports E! News.
The ex-assistant in question, Amanda Donaldson, worked for the author from February 2014 until April 2017, and has denied Rowling’s claims in the £24,000 ($31,450) lawsuit. Donaldson told the BBC on Wednesday that Rowling has “not suffered any loss and is not entitled to damages.”
Donaldson was fired for gross misconduct after allegedly misusing the business credit card given to her to make purchases related to business or personal affairs. In the report, Donaldson was accused of making a number of unauthorized purchases, including £1,636 ($2,145) at Starbucks, £3,629 ($4,758) at the cosmetic firm Molton Brown, and £1,200 ($1,573) to buy two cats.
It was also reported that Donaldson took advantage of her position in controlling memorabilia requests from fans to steal a motorized Hogwarts Express worth £467 ($613), a wizard collection worth £2231 ($2,926), and a Tales of Beedle The Bard set worth £395 ($518). The report added that the memorabilia was taken without Rowling’s “knowledge or consent.”
The final claim which Rowling made is that Donaldson stole £7,742 ($10,156)-worth of foreign money from a safe.
A post shared by J.k Rowling News (@rowlingnews) on Sep 27, 2018 at 11:58pm PDT
A representative for the author confirmed the lawsuit, reported the BBC.
“I can confirm J.K. Rowling has taken legal action against her former personal assistant, Amanda Donaldson, following her dismissal for gross misconduct involving a substantial breach of trust. As the case is not yet concluded we are not able to comment further and there won’t be any comment from J.K. Rowling.”
The case will proceed in front of Sheriff Derek O’Carroll later this year — but it’s not the only reason that Rowling is making headlines of late.
The author spoke out on Thursday against the White House’s suspension of CNN’s Jim Acosta. Acosta’s suspension came after a heated argument between him and Donald Trump — during a news conference on Wednesday — led to an altercation between Acosta and a White House intern, reported TIME.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted about the incident, writing, “We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video.”
Rowling commented on Sanders’ tweet with a George Orwell quote from his book Nineteen Eighty-Four, which tells the story of a totalitarian government that controls every aspect of human life.
“‘And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed — if all records told the same tale — then the lie passed into history and became truth.’”
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Title and Descripton
View Current Auction
Auction 18
Search By: Title & Description Lot Number Title Description
Lot #4:
2009 ICHIRO SUZUKI SIGNED GAME USED SEATTLE MARINERS JERSEY
All > Baseball Game Used
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2019
Ichiro was the Japanese version of Elvis Presley in popularity. In his combined playing time in NPB and MLB, Ichiro received 17 consecutive selections both as an All-Star and Gold Glove winner, won nine league batting titles and was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) four times. While playing in NPB, he won seven consecutive batting titles and three consecutive Pacific League MVP Awards. In 2001, Ichiro became the first Japanese-born position player to be posted and signed to an MLB club. He led the American League (AL) in batting average and stolen bases en route to being named AL Rookie of the Year and AL MVP. Ichiro was the first MLB player to enter the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame (The Golden Players Club). He was a 10X MLB All-Star and won the 2007 All-Star Game MVP Award for a three-hit performance that included the event's first-ever inside-the-park home run. Ichiro won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in each of his first ten years in the majors, and had an American League–record seven hitting streaks of 20 or more games, with a high of 27. He is also noted for his longevity, continuing to produce at a high level with batting, slugging, and on-base percentages above .300 in 2016 while approaching 43 years of age. On August 7, 2016, Ichiro notched the 3000th hit of his MLB career off Chris Rusin of the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field, becoming only the 30th player ever to do so. In total he has over 4,300 hits in his career. Jersey shows game use with Majestic tagging size 42 with Property Seattle Mariners 2009. Jersey is signed on back 1. Ichiro hologram and JSA ALOA.
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This lot has a Reserve Price that has not been met.
Current Bidding (Reserve Not Met)
Thank you bidders:
Number Bids: 17
Auction closed on Sunday, March 31, 2019.
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Muir September 14, 2004
Sequential gaming
A gaming system includes a communication network, a portable data storage device having information associated with a player stored therein and a plurality of gaming units communicatively coupled to the communication network. Each of the gaming units includes an interface for reading and for storing information within the portable data storage device. The gaming system also includes a network computer communicatively coupled to the communication network and the plurality of gaming units. The network computer is programmed to enable the player to play a group of the plurality of gaming units in a particular sequence based on the information associated with the player stored within the portable data storage device.
Inventors: Muir; David Hugh (Warnersbay, AU)
Assignee: IGT (Reno, NV)
Current U.S. Class: 463/42 ; 463/1; 463/16
Current International Class: G07F 17/32 (20060101); A63F 013/00 ()
Field of Search: 463/1,29,40-44 700/91,92
4764666 August 1988 Bergeron
4837728 June 1989 Barrie et al.
5038022 August 1991 Lucero
5083271 January 1992 Thacher et al.
5265874 November 1993 Dickinson et al.
5779549 July 1998 Walker et al.
5917725 June 1999 Thacher et al.
6286834 September 2001 Caputo
6328649 December 2001 Randall et al.
Primary Examiner: Walberg; Teresa
Assistant Examiner: Enatsky; Aaron L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP
1. A gaming system, comprising: a plurality of gaming units each of which is programmed to facilitate play of a different one of a plurality of games, each of the gaming units comprising: a display unit; a value input device; and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device, the controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the controller being programmed to cause a game display to be generated by the display unit; and a computer operatively coupled to each of the gaming units, the computer comprising a controller comprising a processor and a memory, the controller of the computer being programmed to determine a gaming sequence during which the player plays at a plurality of different gaming units, the player being physically present at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the gaming sequence where the player plays at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the gaming sequence; and the controller of the computer being programmed to cause data representing the gaming sequence to be transmitted to one of the plurality of gaming units.
2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller of the computer is programmed to cause the gaming sequence to be determined prior to play by the player of any of the gaming units that is to be played during the gaming sequence.
3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller of the computer is programmed to determine the gaming sequence based on identification information of the player who is to play at the plurality of different gaming units during the gaming sequence.
4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller of the computer is programmed to determine the gaming sequence based on identification information of the player who is to play at the plurality of different gaming units during the gaming sequence, the identification information being received from a portable data storage device.
5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the gaming units is programmed to play a plurality of games.
6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the gaming units is programmed to facilitate play of a slots game in which a plurality of reel images are displayed.
7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of the gaming units is programmed to facilitate play of one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, slots, video bingo and video keno.
8. A method of operating a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming units and a computer operatively coupled to each of the gaming units, the method comprising: receiving player identification data that identifies a player, the player identification data being received by the computer from one of the gaming units; determining, prior to commencement of game play, a gaming sequence during which the player plays at a plurality of different gaming units, the gaming sequence being determined based on the player identification data; requiring the player to be physically present at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the gaming sequence so that the player plays at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the gaming sequence; transmitting data representing the gaming sequence from the computer to one of the plurality of gaming units which the player is to play during the gaming sequence; and after commencement of game play, receiving from one of the gaming units game data relating to a game that was played on the one gaming unit by the player during the gaming sequence, the game data being received by the computer.
9. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising reading the player identification data from a portable data storage device that is proximate to one of the gaming units.
10. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising generating on one of the gaming units a game display comprising a plurality of reel symbols to facilitate play of a slots game.
11. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising generating on one of the gaming units a game display representing one of the following games: video poker, video blackjack, slots, video bingo and video keno.
12. A gaming system, comprising: a communication network; a portable data storage device having information associated with a player stored therein; a plurality of gaming units communicatively coupled to the communication network, wherein each of the gaming units includes an interface for reading and for storing information within the portable data storage device; and a network computer communicatively coupled to the communication network and the plurality of gaming units, wherein the network computer is programmed to determine a gaming sequence during which the player plays at a plurality of different gaming units, the player being physically present at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the gaming sequence where the player plays at each of the plurality of different gaming units in the particular gaming sequence, based on the information associated with the player stored within the portable data storage device.
13. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the communication network includes an internet communication link.
14. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the portable data storage device is one of a smart card, a magnetic stripe card, a smart PIN, a personal data assistant and a cellular phone, and wherein the information associated with the player stored therein includes a unique identifier.
15. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the interface for reading and for storing information within the portable data storage device includes one of a magnetic and an optical card reader.
16. The gaming system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of gaming units is associated with a plurality of business venues and a plurality of geographic locations.
17. The system of claim 12, wherein the particular sequence is selected from a plurality of gaming sequences based on an identity of the player.
18. A method of gaming, comprising receiving player information from one of a plurality of networked gaming activities; generating a gaming sequence for a group of the plurality of networked gaming activities for a player to play at, based on the received player information; requiring the player to be physically present at each of the plurality of different gaming activities in the gaming sequence; sending configuration information based on the generated gaming sequence to the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities; receiving accumulated win information from the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities; and sending information pertaining to a next gaming activity in the generated gaming sequence to the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of generating the gaming sequence includes the step of generating the gaming sequence to include a plurality of gaming activities, each of which is associated with a different physical location.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein a plurality of the different physical locations are associated with a plurality of different business entities.
This invention relates to gaming systems and methods and, more particularly, this invention relates to sequential gaming systems and methods.
Incentives such as, for example, extended play, bonuses, etc. are well known manners of enticing gaming patrons or players to continue play on a particular electronic gaming device. Unfortunately, these simple incentive techniques do not effectively encourage players to play multiple gaming devices. To the contrary, these incentives are typically designed to encourage players to repeatedly play a particular gaming device at a particular venue. As a result, known gaming systems and methods make it very difficult for casino operators and the like to encourage or to promote the use of a wide variety of gaming activities by casino patrons, particularly new gaming activities or machines with which players are not generally familiar. Furthermore, existing gaming systems and methods do not generally enable a particular casino or venue to establish promotional activities or to establish incentives to engage in gaming activities at multiple venues or casinos, some or all of which may be owned by different business entities and some or all of which may be geographically dispersed. In other words, known gaming systems and methods typically do not enable venues or casino operators to establish more complex player incentives and promotional activities that involve interrelationships between multiple gaming activities and interrelationships between multiple venues.
A gaming system may include a communication network, a portable data storage device having information associated with a player stored therein and a plurality of gaming units communicatively coupled to the communication network. Each of the gaming units may include an interface for reading and for storing information within the portable data storage device. The gaming system may also include a network computer communicatively coupled to the communication network and the plurality of gaming units. The network computer may be programmed to enable the player to play a group of the plurality of gaming units in a particular sequence based on the information associated with the player stored within the portable data storage device.
In accordance with another aspect, a gaming system may include a communication network, a portable data storage device having gaming information stored therein and a plurality of gaming activities communicatively coupled to the communication network. Each of the gaming activities may include an interface for accessing the gaming information in the portable data storage device. Additionally, a server may be communicatively coupled to the communication network and the plurality of gaming activities. The server may be programmed to direct the player to play a group of the plurality of gaming activities in a sequence based on the gaming information stored on the portable data storage device.
In yet another aspect, a gaming device may include a memory, a video display, an input device and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory, the video display and the processor. The processor may be programmed to receive information pertaining to a player via the input device and to send a portion of the received information to a computer via a communication network. The processor may be programmed to perform a video gambling game in accordance with a sequence of gaming activities that is generated by the computer based on the received information.
In still another aspect, a method of gaming may read data pertaining to a player from a portable data storage device that is proximate to a gaming unit, send a portion of the data pertaining to the player to a system server via a communication network, and determine a gaming sequence. The method may also send configuration information based on the gaming sequence from the system server to the gaming unit via the communication network, initiate play of a game that is part of the gaming sequence and perform a win evaluation of the game upon completion of the game. Still further, the method may accumulate win data associated with game, send the accumulated win data to the system server via the communication network and determine at the system server whether the gaming sequence has been completed based on the accumulated win data. Additionally, the method may provide a clue to the player based on progress of the player through the gaming sequence.
In still another aspect, a method of gaming may receive player information from one of a plurality of networked gaming activities, generate a gaming sequence based on the received player information and send configuration information based on the generated gaming sequence to the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities. Further, the method may receive accumulated win information from the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities and send information pertaining to a next gaming activity in the generated gaming sequence to the one of the plurality of networked gaming activities.
The features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the detailed description of various embodiments, which is made with reference to the drawings, a brief description of which is provided below.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic block diagram of a gaming system that may be used to carry out sequential gaming activities;
FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of a gaming unit that may be used within the system shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 2A is an exemplary diagrammatic view of a control panel for a gaming unit;
FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic block diagram that depicts one manner in which the electronic components of the gaming unit of FIG. 2 may be configured;
FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart of a main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more gaming units;
FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart of another main routine that may be performed during operation of one or more gaming units;
FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary video display that may be provided to a player during performance of the video poker routine of FIG. 8;
FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary video display that may be provided to a player during performance of the video blackjack routine of FIG. 9;
FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart of a video poker routine that may be performed by one or more gaming units;
FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart of a video blackjack routine that may be performed by one or more gaming units;
FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary video display that may be provided to a player during performance of the slots routine of FIG. 12;
FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary video display that may be provided to a player during performance of the video keno routine of FIG. 13;
FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart of a slots routine that may be performed by one or more gaming units;
FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an embodiment of a video keno routine that may be performed by one or more gaming units;
FIG. 14 depicts an exemplary video display that may be provided to a player during performance of the video bingo routine of FIG. 15;
FIG. 15 is an exemplary flowchart of a video bingo routine that may be performed by one or more gaming units;
FIG. 16 is a flowchart depicting one manner in which the adventure routine shown schematically in FIG. 4 may be carried out; and
FIGS. 17A and 17B provide a flowchart that generally depicts an exemplary manner of carrying out sequential gaming activities.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic block diagram of a gaming system 10 that may be used to carry out the sequential gaming activities described herein. As shown in FIG. 1, the gaming system 10 may include a first group or network 12 of casino gaming units 20 operatively coupled to a server or network computer 22 via a network data link or bus 24. The gaming system 10 may also include a second group or network 26 of casino gaming units 30 operatively coupled to a server or network computer 32 via a network data link or bus 34. The first and second gaming networks 12 and 26 may be operatively coupled to each other via a network 40, which may comprise, for example, the Internet, a wide area network (WAN) or a local area network (LAN) via a first network link 42 and a second network link 44. The various networks shown in FIG. 1 may use any suitable communication media and protocol. For example, the networks 24, 34 and 40 may use any combination of hardwired (i.e., electrically conductive wire or cable, fiber optic, etc.) or wireless (e.g., cellular, satellite, etc.) transmission media. Additionally, the networks 24, 34 and 40 may use any desired communication protocol such as, for example, TCP/IP.
The first network 12 of gaming units 20 may be provided in a first venue or casino, and the second network 26 of gaming units 30 may be provided in a second venue or casino, which may be located in a separate geographic location from the first casino. For example, the two casinos may be located in different areas of the same city, or the casinos may be located in different states or countries. The network 40 may include a plurality of network computers or server computers (not shown), each of which may be operatively interconnected. Where the network 40 is Internet-based, data communications may take place over the communication links 42 and 44 using an Internet communication protocol such as, for example, TCP/IP. Of course, while two networks of gaming units are shown in FIG. 1, more or fewer networks of gaming units may be used within the gaming system 10, if desired.
The network computer 22 may be a server computer and may be used to accumulate and analyze data relating to the operation of the gaming units 20 and, if desired, the operation of any other gaming units or devices within the system 10. Generally speaking, the network computer 22 may continuously receive data from each of the gaming units 20 indicative of the dollar amount and number of wagers made on each of the gaming units 20, data indicative of how much each of the gaming units 20 pays out in winnings, data regarding the identity and gaming habits of players playing each of the gaming units 20, etc. The network computer 32 may be a server computer and may be used to perform the same or different functions in relation to the gaming units 30 (or any other gaming units within the system 10) as the network computer 22 described above.
Although each of the networks 12 and 26 is shown to include one of the respective network computers 22 and 32 and four of the respective gaming units 20 and 30, different numbers of computers and gaming units may be utilized instead. For example, the network 12 may include a plurality of network computers 22 and tens or hundreds of gaming units 20, all of which may be interconnected via the network data link or bus 24. Although the network data link 24 is shown as a single data link, the network data link 24 may include multiple data links.
As described in greater detail herein, players may interact with the gaming system 10 using a portable data storage device 46. The portable data storage device 46 may be implemented using, for example, a magnetic stripe card, a smart card, a smart PIN device, a special key PIN entry, a personal data assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, or any other device or system capable of storing information relating to a particular player. Information stored on the portable data storage device 46 may include a unique identifier that may be used by the system 10 to determine the identity of the person associated with the storage device 46. Further, the system 10 may use the unique identifier stored on the storage device 46 to track the activities of the player using the storage device 46. Still further, the portable data storage device 46 may store information pertaining to accumulated bonus points (e.g., the result of a player's activities at one or more gaming devices), rewards or other incentives, promotional items, a game identifier, a gaming machine identifier, last use statistics, etc.
FIG. 2 is an exemplary perspective view of a gaming unit 48 that may be used within the gaming system 10 shown in FIG. 1. Although the following description addresses the design of the gaming unit 48, one or more of the gaming units 20 and 30 may have the same design as the gaming unit 48 described below. Additionally, the design of one or more of the gaming units 20 may be different than the design of other gaming units 20, and the design of one or more of the gaming units 30 may be different than the design of other gaming units 30. Thus, each gaming unit 20 may be any type of casino gaming unit and may have various different structures and methods of operation. For exemplary purposes, various designs of the gaming units 20 and 30 are described below in connection with the gaming unit 48 shown in FIG. 2. However, numerous other designs may be utilized instead.
Referring to FIG. 2, the casino gaming unit 48 may include a housing or cabinet 50 and one or more input devices, which may include a coin slot or acceptor 52, a paper currency acceptor 54, a ticket reader/printer 56 and a card reader 58, which may be used to input value to the gaming unit 48.
The gaming unit 48 may include the ticket reader/printer 56 may be used to read and/or print or otherwise encode ticket vouchers 60. The ticket vouchers 60 may be composed of paper or another printable or encodable material and may have one or more of the following informational items printed or encoded thereon: the casino name, the type of ticket voucher, a validation number, a bar code with control and/or security data, the date and time of issuance of the ticket voucher, redemption instructions and restrictions, a description of an award and any other information that may be necessary or desirable. Different types of ticket vouchers 60 could be used, such as bonus ticket vouchers, cash-redemption ticket vouchers, casino chip ticket vouchers, extra game play ticket vouchers, merchandise ticket vouchers, restaurant ticket vouchers, show ticket vouchers, etc. The ticket vouchers 60 could be printed with an optically readable material such as ink, or data on the ticket vouchers 60 could be magnetically encoded. The ticket reader/printer 56 may be provided with the ability to both read and print ticket vouchers 60, or it may be provided with the ability to only read or only print or encode ticket vouchers 60. In the latter case, for example, some of the gaming units 20 may have ticket printers 56 that may be used to print ticket vouchers 60, which could then be used by a player in other gaming units 20 that have ticket readers 56.
If provided, the card reader 58 may include any type of card reading device, such as a magnetic card reader or an optical card reader, and may be used to read data from a card offered by a player, such as a credit card or a player tracking card, a smart card, etc. If provided for player tracking purposes, the card reader 58 may be used to read data from, and/or to write data to, for example, the portable data storage device 46 (FIG. 1), which may include information or data representing the identity of a player, the identity of a casino, the player's gaming habits, the identity and/or location of a particular gaming device, etc. Of course, the gaming device 48 may alternatively or additionally include an interface specifically configured to interface with particular types of portable data storage devices such as, for example, a PDA, a smart PIN device, etc. In any event, the player may use either the card reader 58 or some other interface, if provided, to communicatively couple the portable data storage device 46 (FIG. 1) to the gaming device 48 which, in turn, enables one or more of the network computers 22 and 32 and/or the network 40 to exchange information with the portable data storage device 46. Thus, the casino gaming unit 48 may provide a way for a player to provide personal information relating to their identity, play history or statistics, etc. to the system 10 and a way for the player to send and receive a variety of information or data and/or value to and from the system 10 such as, for example, promotional incentives, cash or game play bonuses, loyalty incentives, etc.
Furthermore, the card reader 58 or other input device or interface may enable the player to transfer monetary value to and to receive monetary value from the gaming device 48 and system 10. The gaming device 48 may include any other value input device desired. Generally speaking, a value input device may include any device that can accept value from a customer. As used herein, the term "value" may encompass gaming tokens, coins, paper currency, ticket vouchers, credit or debit cards, and any other object representative of value.
The gaming unit 48 may include one or more audio speakers 62, a coin payout tray 64, an input control panel 66, and a color video display unit 70 for displaying images relating to the game or games provided by the gaming unit 48. The audio speakers 62 may generate audio representing sounds such as the noise of spinning slot machine reels, a dealer's voice, music, announcement or any other audio related to a casino game. The audio may include messages, promotional incentives and other types of messages that, if desired, have been personalized for a particular user. Additionally, the input control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of pushbuttons or touch-sensitive areas that may be pressed by a player to select games, make wagers, make gaming decisions, etc.
FIG. 2A is an exemplary diagrammatic view that depicts one possible configuration of the control panel 66, which may be used where the gaming unit 48 is a slot machine having a plurality of mechanical or "virtual" reels. As shown in FIG. 2A, the control panel 66 may include a "See Pays" button 72 that, when activated, causes the display unit 70 to generate one or more display screens showing the odds or payout information for the game or games provided by the gaming unit 48. As used herein, the term "button" encompasses any device or system that allows a player to make an input, such as an input device that must be depressed to make an input selection or a display area that a player may simply touch to effect an input selection. The control panel 66 may include a "Cash Out" button 74 that may be activated when a player decides to terminate play on the gaming unit 48, in which case the gaming unit 48 may return value to the player, such as by returning a number of coins to the player via the payout tray 64.
If the gaming unit 48 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels and a plurality of paylines that define winning combinations of reel symbols, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 76, each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to spinning the reels. For example, five buttons 76 may be provided, each of which may allow a player to select one, three, five, seven or nine paylines.
If the gaming unit 48 provides a slots game having a plurality of reels, the control panel 66 may be provided with a plurality of selection buttons 78 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected. For example, if the smallest wager accepted by the gaming unit 48 is a quarter ($0.25), the gaming unit 48 may be provided with five selection buttons 78, each of which may allow a player to select one, two, three, four or five quarters to wager for each payline selected. In that case, if a player were to activate the "5" button 76 (meaning that five paylines were to be played on the next spin of the reels) and then activate the "3" button 78 (meaning that three coins per payline were to be wagered), the total wager would be $3.75 (assuming the minimum bet was $0.25).
The control panel 66 may include a "Max Bet" button 80 that enables a player to make the maximum wager allowable for a game. In the above example, where up to nine paylines were provided and up to five quarters could be wagered for each payline selected, the maximum allowable wager would be 45 quarters, or $11.25. The control panel 66 may include a spin button 82 to allow the player to initiate spinning of the reels of a slots game after a wager has been made.
In FIG. 2A, a rectangle shown around the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 and 82 designates an area in which the buttons 72, 74, 76, 78, 80 and 82 may be located. Consequently, the term "control panel" should not be construed to imply that a panel or plate separate from the housing 50 of the gaming unit 20 is required, and the term "control panel" may encompass a plurality or grouping of player-activated buttons.
Although one possible control panel 66 is described above, different buttons could be utilized instead in the control panel 66, and the particular buttons used may depend on the game or games that could be played on the gaming unit 48. Although the control panel 66 is shown as being separate from the display unit 70, the control panel 66 may be generated by the display unit 70. In that case, each of the buttons of the control panel 66 may be a colored area generated by the display unit 70 and some type of mechanism may be associated with the display unit 70 to detect when each of the buttons are touched, such as a touch-sensitive screen.
Gaming Unit Electronics
FIG. 3 is an exemplary schematic block diagram that depicts one manner in which the electronic components of the gaming unit 48 of FIG. 2 may be configured. Referring to FIG. 3, the gaming unit 48 may include a controller 100 that may include a program memory 102, a microcontroller or microprocessor (MP) 104, a random-access memory (RAM) 106 and an input/output (I/O) circuit 108, all of which may be interconnected via an address/data bus 110. Although only one microprocessor 104 is shown, the controller 100 could include multiple microprocessors 104 if desired. Similarly, the memory of the controller 100 may include multiple RAMs 106 and multiple program memories 102. Although the I/O circuit 108 is shown as a single block, the I/O circuit 108 may include a number of different types of I/O circuits. The RAM(s) 104 and program memories 102 may be implemented as semiconductor memories, magnetically readable memories, and/or optically readable memories, for example.
FIG. 3 illustrates that the control panel 66, the coin acceptor 52, the bill acceptor 54, the card reader 58 and the ticket reader/printer 56 may be operatively coupled to the I/O circuit 108, each of those components being so coupled by either a unidirectional or bidirectional, single-line or multiple-line data link, which may depend on the design of the component that is used. The speaker(s) 62 may be operatively coupled to a sound circuit 112, which may include a voice-synthesis and sound-synthesis circuit or a driver circuit. The sound-generating circuit 112 may be coupled to the I/O circuit 108.
As shown in FIG. 3, the components 52, 54, 56, 58, 66 and 112 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a respective direct line or conductor. However, different connection schemes could be used instead. For example, one or more of the components shown in FIG. 3 may be connected to the I/O circuit 108 via a common bus or other data link that is shared by a number of components. Furthermore, some of the components may be directly connected to the microprocessor 104 without passing through the I/O circuit 108.
Overall Operation of Gaming Unit
One manner in which one or more of the gaming units 20 (and one or more of the gaming units 30) may operate is described below in connection with a number of flowcharts that represent a number of portions of or routines of one or more computer programs, which may be stored in one or more of the memories of the controller 100. The computer program(s) or portions thereof may be stored remotely, outside of the gaming unit 20, and may control the operation of the gaming unit 20 from a remote location. Such remote control may be facilitated with the use of a wireless connection, and/or by an Internet interface that connects the gaming unit 20 with a remote computer (such as one of the network computers 22 and 32) having a memory in which the computer program portions are stored. The computer program portions may be written in any high level language such as C, C+, C++ or the like or any low-level, assembly or machine language. By storing the computer program portions therein, various portions of the memories 102 and 106 are physically and/or structurally configured in accordance with computer program instructions.
FIG. 4 is an exemplary flowchart of a main routine 200 that may be performed during operation of one or more gaming units and which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. Referring to FIG. 4, the main routine 200 may begin operation at block 202, during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit executing the main routine 200, which may be, for example, one or more of the gaming units 20 and 30 shown in FIG. 1. If the gaming unit executing the main routine 200 is similar or identical to the gaming unit 48 described in connection with FIG. 2, the attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62. The attraction sequence may include a scrolling list of games that may be played on the gaming unit and/or video images of various games being played, such as video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno, video bingo, etc.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit as determined at block 204, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game-selection display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 206 to allow the player to select a game available on the gaming unit. The gaming unit may detect an input at block 204 in various ways. For example, the gaming unit could detect if the player presses any button on the gaming unit; the gaming unit could determine if the player deposited one or more coins into the gaming unit; the gaming unit could determine if the player deposited paper currency into the gaming unit; etc.
The game-selection display generated at block 206 may include, for example, a list of video games that may be played on the gaming unit and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit. While the game-selection display is generated, the gaming unit may wait for the player to make a game selection. Upon selection of one of the games by the player as determined at block 208, the controller 100 may cause one of a number of game routines to be performed to allow the selected game to be played. For example, the game routines could include a video poker routine 210, a video blackjack routine 220, a slots routine 230, a video keno routine 240, a video bingo routine 250 and an adventure routine 255, which may be used to carry out sequential gaming activities as described in greater detail below. At block 208, if no game selection is made within a given period of time, the operation of the routine 200 may branch back to block 202.
After one of the routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 and 255 has been performed to allow the player to play one of the games, block 260 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit or to select another game. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash Out" button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 262 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation of the main routine 200 may then return to block 202. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 260, the routine 200 may return to block 208 where the game-selection display may again be generated to allow the player to select another game.
It should be noted that although six routines are shown in FIG. 4, a different number and/or different types of routines could be included to allow play of a different number of games.
FIG. 5 is an exemplary flowchart of another main routine 300 that may be performed during operation of one or more gaming units and which may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. The main routine 300 may be utilized for gaming units that are designed to allow play of only a single game or single type of game. Referring to FIG. 5, the main routine 300 may begin operation at block 302, during which an attraction sequence may be performed in an attempt to induce a potential player in a casino to play the gaming unit executing the main routine 300. If the main routine is being executed by a gaming unit that is similar or identical to that shown in FIG. 2, the attraction sequence may be performed by displaying one or more video images on the display unit 70 and/or causing one or more sound segments, such as voice or music, to be generated via the speakers 62.
During performance of the attraction sequence, if a potential player makes any input to the gaming unit as determined at block 304, the attraction sequence may be terminated and a game display may be generated on the display unit 70 at block 306. The game display generated at block 306 may include, for example, an image of the casino game that may be played on the gaming unit and/or a visual message to prompt the player to deposit value into the gaming unit. At block 308, the gaming unit may determine if the player requested information concerning the game, in which case the requested information may be displayed at block 310. Block 312 may be used to determine if the player requested initiation of a game, in which case a game routine 320 may be performed. The game routine 320 could be any one of the game routines disclosed herein, such as one of the five game routines 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 or any other game routine.
After the routine 320 has been performed to allow the player to play the game, block 322 may be utilized to determine whether the player wishes to terminate play on the gaming unit. If the player wishes to stop playing the gaming unit, which wish may be expressed, for example, by selecting a "Cash Out" button, the controller 100 may dispense value to the player at block 324 based on the outcome of the game(s) played by the player. The operation of the routine 300 may then return to block 302. If the player did not wish to quit as determined at block 322, the operation of the routine 300 may return to block 308.
FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary video display 350 that may be provided to a player during performance of the video poker routine 210 of FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 6, the display 350 may include video images 352 of a plurality of playing cards representing the player's hand, such as five cards. To allow the player to control the play of the video poker game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Hold" button 354 disposed directly below each of the playing card images 352, a "Cash Out" button 356, a "See Pays" button 358, a "Bet One Credit" button 360, a "Bet Max Credits" button 362, and a "Deal/Draw" button 364. The display 350 may also include an area 366 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit of the gaming unit performing the video poker routine 210 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 354, 356, 358, 360, 362 and 364 may form part of the video display 350. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit of the gaming unit.
FIG. 8 is an exemplary flowchart of the video poker routine 210, which is shown in FIG. 4 and which may be performed by one or more gaming units. Referring to FIG. 8, at block 370, the routine 210 may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 358, in which case at block 372 the routine 210 may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit of the gaming unit performing the routine 210. At block 374, the routine 210 may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by pressing the "Bet One Credit" button 360, in which case, at block 376, bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller 100. At block 378, the routine 210 may determine whether the player has pressed the "Bet Max Credits" button 362, in which case, at block 380, bet data corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the controller 100.
At block 382, the routine 210 may determine if the player desires a new hand to be dealt, which may be determined by detecting if the "Deal/Draw" button 364 was activated after a wager was made. In that case, at block 384, a video poker hand may be "dealt" by causing the display unit of the gaming unit to generate the playing card images 352. After the hand is dealt, at block 386, the routine 210 may determine if any of the "Hold" buttons 354 have been activated by the player, in which case data regarding which of the playing card images 352 are to be "held" may be stored in the controller of the gaming unit at block 388. If the "Deal/Draw" button 364 is activated again as determined at block 390, each of the playing card images 352 that was not "held" may be caused to disappear from the video display 350 and to be replaced by a new, randomly selected, playing card image 352 at block 392.
At block 394, the routine 210 may determine whether the poker hand represented by the playing card images 352 currently displayed is a winner. That determination may be made by comparing data representing the currently displayed poker hand with data representing all possible winning hands, which may be stored in the memory of the controller of the gaming unit. If there is a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 396. At block 398, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the hand was a winner, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 366 (FIG. 6).
Although the video poker routine 210 is described above in connection with a single poker hand of five cards, the routine 210 may be modified to allow other versions of poker to be played. For example, seven card poker may be played, or stud poker may be played. Alternatively or additionally, multiple poker hands may be simultaneously played. In that case, the game may begin by dealing a single poker hand, and the player may be allowed to hold certain cards. After deciding which cards to hold, the held cards may be duplicated in a plurality of different poker hands, with the remaining cards for each of those poker hands being randomly determined.
Video Blackjack
FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary video display 400 that may be provided to a player during performance of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 7, the display 400 may include video images 402 of a pair of playing cards representing a dealer's hand, with one of the cards shown face up and the other card being shown face down, and video images 404 of a pair of playing cards representing a player's hand, with both the cards shown face up. The "dealer" may be the gaming unit performing the video blackjack routine 220.
To allow the player to control the play of the video blackjack game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash Out" button 406, a "See Pays" button 408, a "Stay" button 410, a "Hit" button 412, a "Bet One Credit" button 414, and a "Bet Max Credits" button 416. The display 400 may also include an area 418 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit of the gaming unit performing the video blackjack routine 220 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons 406, 408, 410, 412, 414 and 416 may form part of the video display 400. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit of the gaming unit.
FIG. 9 is an exemplary flowchart of the video blackjack routine 220 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 9, the video blackjack routine 220 may begin at block 420 where it may determine whether a bet has been made by the player. That may be determined, for example, by detecting the activation of either the "Bet One Credit" button 414 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 416. At block 422, bet data corresponding to the bet made at block 420 may be stored in the memory of the controller of the gaming unit performing the video blackjack routine 220. At block 424, a dealer's hand and a player's hand may be "dealt" by making the playing card images 402 and 404 appear on the display unit of the gaming unit.
At block 426, the player may be allowed to be "hit," in which case at block 428 another card will be dealt to the player's hand by making another playing card image 404 appear in the display 400. If the player is hit, block 430 may determine if the player has "bust," or exceeded twenty-one. If the player has not bust, blocks 426 and 428 may be performed again to allow the player to be hit again.
If the player decides not to hit, at block 432 the routine 220 may determine whether the dealer should be hit. Whether the dealer hits may be determined in accordance with predetermined rules, such as the dealer always hits if the dealer's hand totals fifteen or less. If the dealer hits, at block 434 the dealer's hand may be dealt another card by making another playing card image 402 appear in the display 400. At block 436, the routine 220 may determine whether the dealer has bust. If the dealer has not bust, blocks 432 and 434 may be performed again to allow the dealer to be hit again.
If the dealer does not hit, at block 436, the outcome of the blackjack game and a corresponding payout may be determined based on, for example, whether the player or the dealer has the higher hand that does not exceed twenty-one. If the player has a winning hand, a payout value corresponding to the winning hand may be determined at block 440. At block 442, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the player won, the payout value determined at block 396. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 418 (FIG. 7).
FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary video display 450 that may be provided to a player during performance of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 10, the display 450 may include video images 452 of a plurality of slot machine reels, each of the reels having a plurality of reel symbols 454 associated therewith. Although the display 450 shows five reel images 452, each of which may have three reel symbols 454 that are visible at a time, other reel configurations could be utilized.
To allow the player to control the play of the slots game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash Out" button 456, a "See Pays" button 458, a plurality of payline-selection buttons 460 each of which allows the player to select a different number of paylines prior to "spinning" the reels, a plurality of bet-selection buttons 462 each of which allows a player to specify a wager amount for each payline selected, a "Spin" button 464, and a "Max Bet" button 466 to allow a player to make the maximum wager allowable.
FIG. 12 is an exemplary flowchart of the slots routine 230 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 12, at block 470, the routine 230 may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 458, in which case, at block 472, the routine 230 may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit of the gaming unit performing the slots routine 230. At block 474, the routine 230 may determine whether the player has pressed one of the payline-selection buttons 460, in which case, at block 476, data corresponding to the number of paylines selected by the player may be stored in the memory of the controller of the gaming unit. At block 478, the routine 230 may determine whether the player has pressed one of the bet-selection buttons 462, in which case, at block 480, data corresponding to the amount bet per payline may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller. At block 482, the routine 230 may determine whether the player has pressed the "Max Bet" button 466, in which case, at block 484, bet data (which may include both payline data and bet-per-payline data) corresponding to the maximum allowable bet may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller.
If the "Spin" button 464 has been activated by the player as determined at block 486, at block 488, the routine 230 may cause the slot machine reel images 452 to begin "spinning" to simulate the appearance of a plurality of spinning mechanical slot machine reels. At block 490, the routine 230 may determine the positions at which the slot machine reel images will stop, or the particular symbol images 454 that will be displayed when the reel images 452 stop spinning. At block 492, the routine 230 may stop the reel images 452 from spinning by displaying stationary reel images 452 and images of three symbols 454 for each stopped reel image 452. The virtual reels may be stopped from left to right, from the perspective of the player, or in any other manner or sequence.
The routine 230 may provide for the possibility of a bonus game or round if certain conditions are met, such as the display in the stopped reel images 452 of a particular symbol 454. If there is such a bonus condition as determined at block 494, the routine 230 may proceed to block 496 where a bonus round may be played. The bonus round may be a different game than slots, and many other types of bonus games could be provided. If the player wins the bonus round, or receives additional credits or points in the bonus round, a bonus value may be determined at block 498. A payout value corresponding to outcome of the slots game and/or the bonus round may be determined at block 500. At block 502, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the slot game and/or bonus round was a winner, the payout value determined at block 500.
Although the above routine has been described as a virtual slot machine routine in which slot machine reels are represented as images on the video display unit of a gaming unit, actual slot machine reels that are capable of being spun may be utilized instead.
FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary video display 520 that may be provided to a player during performance of the video keno routine shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 11, the display 520 may include a video image 522 of a plurality of numbers that were selected by the player prior to the start of a keno game and a video image 524 of a plurality of numbers randomly selected during the keno game. The randomly selected numbers may be displayed in a grid pattern.
To allow the player to control the play of the keno game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash Out" button 526, a "See Pays" button 528, a "Bet One Credit" button 530, a "Bet Max Credits" button 532, a "Select Ticket" button 534, a "Select Number" button 536, and a "Play" button 538. The display 520 may also include an area 540 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit of the gaming unit performing the keno routine 230 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 520. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit.
FIG. 13 is an exemplary flowchart of the video keno routine 240 shown schematically in FIG. 4. The keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit where a single player is playing a keno game, or the keno routine 240 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units where multiple players are playing a single keno game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the controller in each gaming unit or by one of the network computers 22 and 32, to which multiple gaming units are operatively connected.
Referring to FIG. 13, at block 550, the routine 240 may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 528, in which case, at block 552, the routine 240 may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit of the gaming unit performing the routine 240. At block 554, the routine 240 may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One Credit" button 530 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 532, in which case, at block 556, bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller. After the player has made a wager, at block 558, the player may select a keno ticket, and, at block 560, the ticket may be displayed on the display 520. At block 562, the player may select one or more game numbers, which may be within a range set by the casino. After being selected, the player's game numbers may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller at block 564 and may be included in the image 522 on the display 520 at block 566. After a certain amount of time, the keno game may be closed to additional players in the case where a number of players are playing a single keno game using multiple gaming units.
If play of the keno game is to begin as determined at block 568, at block 570, a game number within a range set by the casino may be randomly selected either by the gaming unit controller or a central computer operatively connected to the controller, such as one of the network computers 22 and 32. At block 572, the randomly selected game number may be displayed on the display unit of the gaming unit and the display units of other gaming units (if any) involved in the same keno game. At block 574, the gaming unit controller (or the central computer noted above) may increment a count that keeps track of how many game numbers have been selected at block 570.
At block 576, the gaming unit controller (or one of the network computers 22 and 32) may determine whether a maximum number of game numbers within the range have been randomly selected. If not, another game number may be randomly selected at block 570. If the maximum number of game numbers has been selected, at block 578, the gaming unit controller (or a central computer) may determine whether there are a sufficient number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers selected at block 570 to cause the player to win. The number of matches may depend on how many numbers the player selected and the particular keno rules being used.
If there are a sufficient number of matches, a payout may be determined at block 580 to compensate the player for winning the game. The payout may depend on the number of matches between the game numbers selected by the player and the game numbers randomly selected at block 570. At block 582, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the keno game was won, the payout value determined at block 580. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 540 (FIG. 11).
FIG. 14 depicts an exemplary video display 600 that may be provided to a player during performance of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 14, the display 600 may include one or more video images 602 of a bingo card and images of the bingo numbers selected during the game. The bingo card images 602 may have a grid pattern, such as that shown in FIG. 14.
To allow the player to control the play of the bingo game, a plurality of player-selectable buttons may be displayed. The buttons may include a "Cash Out" button 604, a "See Pays" button 606, a "Bet One Credit" button 608, a "Bet Max Credits" button 610, a "Select Card" button 612, and a "Play" button 614. The display 600 may also include an area 616 in which the number of remaining credits or value is displayed. If the display unit of the gaming unit performing the bingo routine 250 is provided with a touch-sensitive screen, the buttons may form part of the video display 600. Alternatively, one or more of those buttons may be provided as part of a control panel that is provided separately from the display unit of the gaming unit.
FIG. 15 is an exemplary flowchart of the video bingo routine 250 shown schematically in FIG. 4. The bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with a single gaming unit where a single player is playing a bingo game, or the bingo routine 250 may be utilized in connection with multiple gaming units where multiple players are playing a single bingo game. In the latter case, one or more of the acts described below may be performed either by the controller in each gaming unit or by one of the network computers 22 and 32 to which multiple gaming units are operatively connected.
Referring to FIG. 15, at block 620, the routine 250 may determine whether the player has requested payout information, such as by activating the "See Pays" button 606, in which case, at block 622, the routine 250 may cause one or more pay tables to be displayed on the display unit of the gaming unit(s) performing the routine 250. At block 624, the routine 250 may determine whether the player has made a bet, such as by having pressed the "Bet One Credit" button 608 or the "Bet Max Credits" button 610, in which case, at block 626, bet data corresponding to the bet made by the player may be stored in the memory of the gaming unit controller.
After the player has made a wager, at block 628, the player may select a bingo card, which may be generated randomly. The player may select more than one bingo card, and there may be a maximum number of bingo cards that a player may select. After play is to commence as determined at block 632, at block 634, a bingo number may be randomly generated by the gaming unit controller or a central computer such as one of the network computers 22 and 32. At block 636, the bingo number may be displayed on the display units of one or more of the gaming units involved in the bingo game.
At block 638, the gaming unit controller (or a central computer) may determine whether any player has won the bingo game. If no player has won, another bingo number may be randomly selected at block 634. If any player has bingo as determined at block 638, the routine may determine at block 640 whether the player playing that gaming unit was the winner. If so, at block 642, a payout for the player may be determined. The payout may depend on the number of random numbers that were drawn before there was a winner, the total number of winners (if there was more than one player), and the amount of money that was wagered on the game. At block 644, the player's cumulative value or number of credits may be updated by subtracting the bet made by the player and adding, if the bingo game was won, the payout value determined at block 642. The cumulative value or number of credits may also be displayed in the display area 616 (FIG. 14).
In addition to the various gaming routines described above that may be executed by one or more of the gaming units 20 and 30 of the system 10 shown in FIG. 1, one or more of the network computers 22 and 32 may be used to carry out sequential gaming activities that encourage players to play particular games using a particular series or sequence of gaming units within the system 10. In this manner, the sequential gaming activities described herein add another level of gaming to the system 10 that overlays the localized gaming activities that may be carried out at each of the individual gaming units within the system 10. In other words, the sequential gaming activities described herein result in a multilevel sequential gaming environment that may be used by casino operators and other types of business operators to create interrelationships between gaming units within a particular venue, between gaming units associated with different venues that may be geographically dispersed, between casinos and other types of business establishments, etc. Such interrelationships may be used to encourage players to use (i.e., promote) relatively new types of gaming units, to encourage players to experience a variety of venues or casinos, to encourage players to use a variety of other types of services and/or products, which may be related to gambling or which may be related to any other type of business. Additionally, the sequential gaming activities described herein provide another level of excitement or adventure that may enhance the overall gaming experience for players, thereby increasing casino revenue by increasing the number or volume of players and the dollar volume of play in which each player engages.
FIG. 16 is an exemplary flowchart of the adventure routine 255 shown schematically in FIG. 4, which may be performed by one or more of the gaming units 20 and 30 within the system 10 to enable one or more players to engage in sequential gaming activities. Before discussing the adventure routine 255 in greater detail, it is important to recognize that the adventure routine 255 described herein is only one exemplary manner in which sequential gaming activities may be carried out within the system 10.
If a player has selected an adventure (i.e., the adventure routine 255) within, for example, the main routine 200 (FIG. 4), the player may be prompted to communicatively couple their portable data storage device 46 to the gaming unit. For example, in the case where the portable data storage device 46 is a magnetic stripe card, a smart card, an optically encoded card, or any other type of card for storing information pertaining to a particular player, the player may insert the card into the reader 58 to enable communications between the card and the gaming unit. Additionally, the adventure routine 255 may include multiple software routines or portions of a software routine, some of which may be executed or performed by one or both of the network computers or servers 22 and 32 and/or some of which may be executed or performed locally within the gaming units 20 and 30.
In any case, once the portable data storage device 46 is communicatively coupled to the gaming unit, block 700 of the adventure routine 255 reads data from the portable data storage device 46. The data read by the gaming unit may include a unique identifier or code associated with a particular player, demographic information, biometric information, play statistics associated with the performance of the particular player, monetary value or credits, bonuses such as points, extended play, monetary value, etc., promotional value such as, for example, meals, promotional products, services or samples, etc., the progress or status of an adventure or sequential gaming activity that the player has started or in which the player is currently engaged, gaming-based incentives or rewards such as, for example, extended or free play, increased and/or multiplied wins, etc. Some or all of the data stored on the portable data storage device 46 may be read by the gaming unit and may be stored temporarily in a memory such as the RAM(s) 106, or any other suitable memory within the gaming unit.
At block 702, the routine 255 may send some or all of the information read at block 700 to one or both of the network computers 22 and 32, each of which may function as a data server for the gaming system 10. In addition, at block 702, the routine 255 may send information pertaining to the gaming machine such as, for example, a gaming unit identifier or the like, to the system server which, as noted above, may be one or both of the network computers 22 and 32. At block 704, the routine 255 may determine whether the player is continuing an adventure or sequential gaming activity or whether the player does not have any active adventure and, thus, would like to initiate a new adventure or sequential gaming activity. This determination may be made by, for example, by examining the information that has been extracted from the portable data storage device 46 (and that has been sent to the system server by the gaming device currently being played) for adventure sequences that have not yet been completed.
If at block 704 the routine 255 determines that a new adventure is needed, block 706 determines or generates a new adventure by determining a sequence of gaming activities to be played. The sequence of gaming activities determined by block 706 may provide a sequential gaming activity or an adventure in which a player is directed to play a particular sequence of the gaming units 20 and 30 to a particular degree (e.g., a particular level of winnings, a particular amount of time, etc.) in order to advance through the sequence or sequential game. However, if desired, other gaming activities such as, for example, table games, or any other desired gaming or non-gaming activities may be included in the sequence. In some cases, it may be desirable for block 706 to provide a sequence of gaming activities based on information related to a particular player. In other words, block 706 may provide sequential gaming activities that are specifically adapted for particular players. For example, block 706 may provide a sequence of gaming activities that includes gaming activities that a particular player has not played often or at all, gaming activities that are likely to be consistent with that player's preferences, betting habits, losses, available credit, demographic characteristics, etc. Of course, all or some of the player related information may be stored on the portable data storage device 46 and provided to the system server via blocks 700 and 702. Alternatively or additionally, block 706 may provide a sequence of gaming activities selected from a group of one or more possible predetermined sequences developed by a casino operator or a group of casino operators. Such predetermined sequences may, for example, be used to encourage play of new gaming activities, promote particular venues (e.g., new venues), promote other products or services, encourage players to increase their volume of betting, create profitable interrelationships between various types of gaming activities, between different venues, etc.
At block 708, the routine 255 sends configuration information to the gaming unit or activity at which the player is located. This configuration information may include textual and/or audio messages relating to the adventure or sequence of gaming activities though which the player will have to advance. Additionally, information relating to the reward for successfully advancing through the sequence or adventure, which may, for example, be a monetary bonus, a play time bonus, a winnings multiplier bonus, promotional merchandise, free services, etc., may be provided. The configuration information sent to the gaming unit may include information that causes the gaming unit to automatically select a gaming activity for the player based on the sequence of gaming activities that are defined by the adventure. For example, if a player is currently at a gaming unit that is capable of performing gaming routines such as the video poker routine 210, the blackjack routine 220, the slots routine 230, the keno routine 240, the bingo routine 250, etc. in addition to the adventure routine 255 described herein, and the next gaming activity required by the adventure or sequence is video poker, the configuration information may be used to cause the gaming device to automatically select video poker for play. Still further, the configuration information sent to the gaming unit may include promotional messages, which may be textual and/or graphical, that may relate to the particular venue in which the player is currently located, to a venue which is included in the adventure or gaming sequence, to a particular gaming unit or game that will be played during the adventure, etc.
If the routine 255 determines at block 704 that an uncompleted existing adventure or sequential gaming activity is to be played, then the routine 255 determines at block 710 whether the player is currently at the correct gaming unit. This determination may be made at the system server by, for example, comparing a unique identifier such as a numeric gaming unit identifier to a gaming unit identifier sent by the routine 255 at block 702 to the system server. Thus, if the gaming unit identifier sent by the unit at which the player is currently located matches the identifier associated with the gaming unit which is to be played next in the adventure or sequence, then the routine 255 determines that the player is at the correct gaming unit and sends configuration information to that gaming unit at block 708. On the other hand, if the routine 255 determines at block 710 that the player is not at the correct gaming unit, then at block 712 the routine 255 instructs the player to go to the proper gaming unit. These instructions may be textual, graphical and/or audio messages that are sent by the system server to the gaming unit at which the player is currently located, and the gaming unit may, in turn, display or play (i.e., in the case of audio) these messages so that the user is informed of where the next gaming unit or activity in the adventure or sequence is located. In some cases, for example, the next gaming unit or activity may be located within the venue at which the player is currently located, may be located in another remote venue, etc. After the routine has instructed the player where the next gaming unit or activity is located at block 712, the routine 255 ends at block 714 and control of the gaming unit may be returned to, for example, the main routine 200 (FIG. 4).
After the routine 255 has sent configuration information to the gaming unit at block 708, the routine 255 enables the player to play the game at block 716. The play of the game at block 716 may be similar or identical to, for example, any of the electronic video-based gaming routines 210, 220, 230, 240 and 250 described above, or may be any other desired electronic video-based gaming activity. Alternatively or additionally, the game played at block 716 may be some other gaming activity such as, for example, a table game, or may be any other desired activity.
Following the play of the game at block 716, the routine 255 performs a win evaluation at block 718 and accumulates the win data for the current player's gaming session at block 720. The routine 255 may then send the accumulated win data to the system server (e.g., one of the network computers 22 and 32) at block 722. In turn, the routine 255 may cause the system server to update the adventure progress at block 726. The updating of the adventure progress may be carried out by determining, for example, the amount of bonus points achieved in total and/or toward completing the current step or gaming activity in the adventure or sequence. Of course, many other manners of measuring adventure progress could be used. For example, the number plays in which a player has engage on a particular gaming unit, the amount of winnings in total or on a particular gaming unit, etc. could be used to control or measure adventure progress.
At block 728, the routine 255 may determine whether or not the sequence associated with the adventure currently being played by the player is completed. That is, whether or not all of the gaming units or activities in the sequence have been played to a sufficient level (e.g., winnings, bonus points, time etc.) as required by the adventure. If the adventure has not been completed (i.e., one or more gaming units or activities have not yet been played and/or one or more gaming units or activities have not been played to a sufficient level of winnings, bonus points, etc.), the routine 255 determines whether or not a clue associated with the next step (e.g., gaming unit or activity) of the adventure should be transferred or provided to the player. If, at block 730, the routine determines that the player has played the current gaming unit or activity to a level that meets or exceeds the level required by the adventure sequence, the routine 255 may provide a clue to the player at block 732. Such clues may take the form of a textual, graphical and/or audio message that directly informs the player of the location of a particular gaming unit or activity that must be played next according to the adventure sequence. In some cases, the next gaming unit or activity may be located within the same venue at which the player is currently located. In other cases, the next gaming unit or activity may be located within a different venue that may, for example, be located remotely from the player's current location. Still further, one or more clues may, instead of providing direct information regarding the identity and location of the next gaming unit or activity in the adventure, provide information that only hints or suggests in an indirect manner at the location and identity of the next gaming unit or activity to be played in the adventure. For example, the clue may include a partial description of the venue at which the next gaming unit or activity is located, may include terms that are associated with the next venue, gaming unit or activity in the adventure sequence, etc. Of course, the specificity of the clues may be of any degree desired and, may, for example, vary within a particular adventure, based on the particular player, from step to step within a given adventure, etc. The routine 255 may, for example, carry out the transfer of clue information by causing the system server to send the clue information over one or more of the networks 24, 34 and 40 to the one of the gaming units or activities 20 and 30 at which the player is currently located. In that case, the gaming unit or activity proximate to the player may convey the clue via a video display, speaker, by a paper ticket or by some other media.
After a clue has been transferred at block 732, or if it is determined at block 730 that a clue should not be transferred, the routine 255 may ask the player at block 734 whether or not play should continue. If the player indicates a desire to continue play, the routine 255 initiates another round of game play at block 716. On the other hand, if the player indicates a desire to terminate play, despite the fact that adventure has not been completed, the routine 255 updates the player's portable data storage device 46 at block 736. The update information may include current status of the adventure or sequential gaming activity such as, for example, adventure steps completed, the degree to which an incomplete step has been achieved, total bonus points, play statistics, any intermediate promotional items awarded, the remaining credit or monetary value available to the player, etc.
If at block 728 the routine 255 determines that the sequence or adventure has been successfully completed, the routine 255 may transfer reward information to the player at block 738. Reward information may include monetary value, bonus points, promotional items or merchandise such as dinners, hotel rooms, etc., free services, extended game play, or any other desired form of value that may function as an incentive for a player to initiate and complete an adventure sequence or sequential gaming activity. Similar to the transfer of clue information, the routine 255 may transfer rewards or reward information by causing the system server to send data pertaining to the reward via one or more of the networks 24, 34 and 40 to the one of the gaming units 20 and 30 or any other activity at which the player is currently located. If, for example, the reward information is transferred to a gaming unit, the gaming unit may display or otherwise communicate the reward information to the player and, at block 736, the routine 255 may cause the gaming unit or some other device to store the reward information on the portable data storage device 46. After the routine 255 has updated the portable data storage device 46 as described above, the routine 255 terminates at block 714 and control of the gaming unit or activity may be returned to, for example, a routine such as the main routine 200 (FIG. 4).
Although not specifically shown in FIG. 16, various credit checks, use authorizations, etc. may be used as desired. Such credit checks and authorizations are generally well known in the art. However, it should be noted that such credit checks and use authorizations may be based on unique alphanumeric codes, biometric information, etc., all of which may, for example, be stored on the portable data storage device 46 for subsequent comparison to actual information input by a player.
While the adventure or sequential gaming described in connection with FIG. 16 uses a sequence that is generated prior to beginning execution or play of the adventure, the sequence may, if desired, be generated in other manners. For example, adventures or sequences could be generated on-the-fly in a random fashion, based on the player's performance or based on any other parameter desired.
FIGS. 17A and 17B are an exemplary flowchart that generally depicts another sequential gaming routine 800 that may be used in connection with the gaming system shown in FIG. 1. While the routine 800 is depicted as being relatively generic, those skilled in the art will recognize that numerous particular gaming implementations may be easily generated therefrom by adapting the routine 800 to particular gaming environments and/or requirements.
At block 802, the routine 800 indicates that the player should insert a smart card into a card reader, which may be located on the gaming machine being used. Of course, if the portable data storage device 46 being used by the player is not a smart card but, rather, is some other type of portable data storage device, the routine 800 may simply be adapted to indicate that the player should appropriately interface the portable data storage device 46 to the gaming device being used.
At blocks 804 through 818, the routine 800 may carry out, in a parallel manner, if desired, smart card validity checks and setup of the gaming device being used by the player. In particular, at block 804, the routine 800 reads the smart card, or any other portable data storage device being used, to retrieve player information such as, for example, play history and statistics, credits available, player preferences, the player's progress within any sequential game or games being played, etc. At block 806, the routine 800 determines whether or not a valid card read occurred at block 804. If a valid card read did not occur, the routine 800 warns the player that the card may be invalid at block 808 and then indicates at block 802 that the player should reinsert a valid smart card. On the other hand, if a valid card read does occur at block 806, the routine 800 engages in communications with one or more of the network computers 22 and 32 that are functioning as system servers to send some or all of the information or data retrieved from the smart card to the server(s). At block 812, the routine 800 may cause the system server, based on the retrieved card data, to determine whether or not the smart card being used is valid. If the routine determines that the card is not valid, the routine may cause the routine to return to block 808 and warn the player that the smart card being used may be invalid. On the other hand, if the routine determines at block 812 that the smart card being used is valid, the routine 800 may cause the system server to send data or information to the gaming device being used. This information may, for example, include configuration and/or setup data, or any other desired data or information. At block 816, the routine 800 causes the gaming device being used to be configured or setup in a bonus mode. Such a bonus mode may enable the gaming device being used to enable the player to begin or to continue the play of a sequential game or the like such as, for example the adventure game described in connection with FIG. 16 above, or any other desired game. At block 818, the routine 800 causes the card validation and setup activities to terminate.
At block 820, the routine 800 may cause the gaming device being played to prompt the player to select play options and, at blocks 822 and 824, the routine 800 may check whether or not the play options selected by the player are correct. If the selected play options are not correct, the routine 800 returns control to block 820. On the other hand, if the selected play options are correct, the routine 800 checks player credits at blocks 826 and 828. If the player's current credit value is insufficient, the routine 800 returns control to block 820. However, if the player's current credit value is sufficient, the routine 800 determines at block 830 whether or not bonus mode operation has been activated within the gaming device being played. If bonus mode operation has been activated, the routine 800 indicates to the player that bonus mode has been activated at block 832. If bonus mode operation has not been activated or if bonus mode operation has been activated and indicated as such to the player, the routine 800 determines at block 834 whether or not play has been initiated. If play has not been initiated, the routine 800 returns control to block 820. On the other hand, if play has been initiated, the routine 800 determines at block 836 whether or not bonus mode has been activated.
If the routine 800 determines at block 836 that bonus mode has not been activated, the routine 800 performs a win evaluation at block 837. However, if the routine 800 determines at block 836 that bonus mode has been activated, then the routine 800 accumulates play data at block 838. Such an accumulation of play data may, for example, include an accumulation of bonus points, credits or any other desired type of data. At block 840, any accumulated data may be sent to the system server. At block 842, the routine 800 may cause the system server to send instructions to the gaming device being played. Such instructions may include, for example, clues that inform the player which gaming device or activity the player should play next, or any other appropriate instruction that facilitates play of the sequential game, adventure, etc. At block 844, the routine 800 may cause the system server to determine whether or not the gaming sequence is complete. In other words, the routine 800 may determine whether or not all of the required activities or events associated with the sequential gaming activity have been completed based on, for example, the data sent to the system server at block 840. If the sequence has not been completed, then the routine may perform a win evaluation at block 837, otherwise, if the sequence has been completed, the routine 800 may set a sequence complete flag to a "true" condition or, additionally or alternatively, the routine 800 may indicate that the sequence has been completed in any other desired manner.
After the win evaluation has been completed at block 837, the routine 800 may present the win to the player at block 850 using textual, graphical and/or audio messages, or in any other desired manner. At block 852, the routine 800 again determines whether or not bonus mode operation has been activated and, if not, the routine 800 returns control to block 820. If, however, bonus mode operation has been activated, the routine 800 causes the gaming device or activity being played by the player to update any displayed bonus information at block 854. At block 856, the routine 800 determines whether or not the sequence of gaming activities has been completed as required. If the gaming sequence has not been completed as required, then the routine 800 returns control to block 820. On the other hand, if the gaming sequence has been completed, then the routine 800 causes the gaming device or activity being played by the player to inform the player that the sequence has been completed at block 858. Additionally, the routine 800 may update the information stored on the smart card or other portable data storage device at block 858 to reflect the fact that the sequence has been successfully completed. Of course, any rewards such as, for example, promotional items, money, etc. may also be stored on the smart card for later redemption by the player as desired.
Although specific examples of the types of rewards or bonuses that players may receive in connection with playing the sequential gaming activities are described herein, many other types of rewards and/or incentives may be employed. By way of example only, a player may receive a special double-up sequence in which all or part of the bonuses received to date may be bet or risked for the opportunity to receive a further increase in the bonus. Also, for example, players obtaining or reaching a certain number of total bonus points within a certain period of time may receive a special smart card (e.g., a "gold" smart cart) that entitles that player to privileges and services that ordinary or new players may not be entitled to. Further, players obtaining a determined number of bonus points within a certain time period may be given preferred or exclusive access to internet sites at which bonuses may be retrieved or otherwise redeemed. Still further, players may use any accumulated bonuses to initiate a new game with special and/or additional bonuses that are based on the accumulated bonus points. For example, a player may be given the option to return to a favorite gaming unit or activity and may be allowed to play the gaming unit or activity under special or preferred terms that are a function of the level of bonus points accumulated while a completing a sequential game or adventure. Still further, players may be given the option during play of a sequential game to enter various current link progressives, which are a well known method of pooling jackpot prizes between a number of gaming units currently being played. Still further, a venue or other business entity may cause the system server to send messages to all players currently engaged in a sequential gaming activity or adventure that offers a promotion or incentive to all of these players simultaneously. For example, a casino may offer a new car to the first player to achieve a specific level of bonus points during a sequential gaming activity.
Of course, redemption of bonuses may be accomplished using any desired technique. For example, players may be given the option to store any earned reward or bonus for redemption at a later date. On the other hand, players may be given the option to redeem the bonus immediately as a cash or credit payout, and/or players may be given the option to take their smart card (or other type of portable data storage device) to a special kiosk where prizes, further games, etc. may be played based on the bonus points accumulated by that particular player. Still further, a gaming sequence may be established so that a player receives redemption tickets at each of the gaming activities in the determined sequence and the players may redeem such tickets for prizes at a designated location within one or more of venues participating in the sequential game, or at any other desired business establishment.
Numerous modifications and alternative embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the foregoing description. This description is to be construed as illustrative only, and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and method may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which come within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.
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Written by: Jason Pagan & Andrew Deutschman (screenplay), Adam Robitel & Gavin Heffernan (screenplay), Brantley Aufill (story)
Directed by: Gregory Plotkin
Starring: Chris J. Murray, Brit Shaw, and Ivy George
Reviewed by: Brett Gallman
For the first time, you will see the activity.
If you’re like me and have measured out your life in horror franchises (rather than, say, coffee spoons), the arrival of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension is a distressing reminder that time fucking flies. It seems like it wasn’t all that long ago that Oren Peli’s original film arrived like a breath of fresh air to a horror genre cluttered by a half-decade of extreme gore. When its runaway success all but guaranteed to spawn the next great horror franchise, it was positioned as the antidote to a waning Saw series declining under the weight of its increasingly ludicrous story.
By comparison, Paranormal Activity was a refreshingly straightforward tale about a young couple’s terrifying encounter with a malevolent force, a struggle that climaxed with a studio-mandated reshoot that ensured the activity would continue in perpetuity—or as long as the box office receipts rolled in, of course. It was easy to imagine that these movies would haunt theaters for years much in the way slasher franchises once did: after all, sequels would only really require a fresh batch of victims to terrorize with new, inventive scares and perhaps a modicum of story to tie it all together.
But did you ever expect anyone would craft an intricate mythology out of it all? I’ll be damned if they didn’t go and just do exactly what Saw did by attempting to spin a convoluted story that spiraled out of control after a few movies. It’s sort of a testament to Hollywood’s obsession with long-form narrative arcs that studios continue to complicate the most uncomplicated formulas, whether it’s the razor-sharp minimalism of Halloween or the hack-and-slash simplicity of Friday the 13th. Eventually, most horror franchises find themselves lumbering on like some sort of Frankenstein monster, a far cry from what was originally intended, yet just hideous enough to demand your attention.
This brings us back to Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension, a film that feels just as far removed from its progenitor as Saw: The Final Chapter did five years ago. Given this franchise’s newfound penchant for time-travel, it feels appropriate that it brings us back full circle with the realization that history has and will likely continue to repeat in this manner—right down to the fact that we’re all skeptical about this being the “final” entry in the franchise but feel compelled to treat it like a big deal regardless.
As a finale, Ghost Dimension attempts to get back to its roots, as it would have you kindly not worry yourself over the events of Paranormal Activity 4 or The Marked Ones, neither of which are too terribly essential (thus confirming that both amount to cinematic stall tactics). Instead, this one connects directly to the third film by picking up exactly where it left off in 1988, where young Katie and Kristi have fallen prey to their grandmother’s coven of witches. We see their formal induction before being whisked back to December 2013, which quickly becomes a distressing holiday season for the Fleeges family. Not only is patriarch Ryan’s (Chris J. Murray) boorish brother (Dan Gill) crashing at their place, but the two siblings also uncover a vintage camera and a bizarre set of tapes out in the garage. The discovery coincides with some unsettling behavior from their daughter Leila (Ivy George), who suddenly has an invisible friend named Toby that isn’t quite content to stay invisible.
Outside of promising some sort of conclusion, that’s the big hook for The Ghost Dimension: for the first time, you’ll actually see the activity (as opposed to only catching the shadowy glimpses in the previous five movies, I suppose). Having abandoned all pretense of reality or even the franchise’s faux verite stylings, the film arrives with a 3D gimmick in every sense of the term—for whatever reason, this camera (presumably the exact same one from PA 3) is now able to detect the faint impressions of another dimension, including the visible shadow of Toby himself, now rendered as—I shit you not—a formless CGI entity prone to popping up whenever activity is afoot. Heralded by similarly computer-generated particles that float about the frame, Toby is more or less reduced to an object thrusted towards the audience’s eyeballs whenever they need a jolt.
Needless to say, it’s a far cry from where this franchise once started. On the surface, it appears to be familiar enough, especially since it’s literally retreading old ground from a previous film. Many of the same plot beats are repeated: as Leila’s behavior becomes more erratic, Chris convinces his wife to install cameras throughout the house to capture anything out of the ordinary, thus treating the audience to another round of disquietingly silent footage of rooms becoming a demonic playground of sorts. Things go bump in the night, and, eventually, the family even calls in a priest. When he insists that situation doesn’t require an exorcism, it almost feels like an exciting deviation from the norm, at least until he suggests an “extermination”…which just winds up feeling like an exorcism performed on a house. After The Marked Ones dared to shake up the formula ever so slightly, The Ghost Dimension can’t wait to retreat to it.
In its rush to do so, it jumbles up the ingredients along the way. The Ghost Dimension might wear the flesh of its predecessors, but it’s a hastily-fashioned recreation, one that ultimately feels kind of hollow. Save for Gill’s lively take on the obnoxious guy who treats the haunting as a joke (you know, the platonic ideal of male Paranormal Activity characters), none of these victims feels particularly vital. It’s a cliché to insist that haunted house movies only work if you care about the inhabitants, but previous Paranormal Activity films have proven some truth lies in cliché. For the first time, the titular activity overwhelms the proceedings and reduces the characters to afterthoughts—this isn’t the really the Fleeges’ story in the same way a chess game isn’t really about the pawns.
While disconcerting, this turn wouldn’t be completely disastrous if the spookiness were as well-crafted as it once was. You miss the exquisitely arranged scares from previous films, all of which could at least boast one memorable moment (laugh all you want about Paranormal 4, but at least it had weird shit involving an X-Box and a fork). With the exception of a few drawn-out sequences, The Ghost Dimension is more concerned with loud, cheap jolts. Gone is the unsettling subtlety and creeping unease; in its place is a wonky 3D gimmick that isn’t even in effect for half of the movie, something that isn’t altogether bothersome at first since it’s at least trying to incorporate 3D into its narrative. After a while, though, you realize you’ve essentially paid 3 extra dollars to constantly fiddle with your glasses like an asshole.
The scares here eventually become so familiar and mechanical that they, too, become sort of expendable. In a sort of ironic twist, this franchise—which once boasted terrific horror elements unburdened by complex mythology—can only offer the revelations hiding within its labyrinthine narrative. You could do worse than to have an audience invested in an actual story, of course; over the past six years, I’ve become weirdly invested in the saga surrounding the core characters who continue to appear around the margins here. It must also be said that relegating them to the margins gives the impression of stringing an audience along, and it’s a feeling that hardly subsides here. For a supposed conclusion, The Ghost Dimension is remarkably light on actual resolution.
Unlike Saw, it’s not particularly worried about tying up every loose end (especially as it relates to the time travel mechanics), nor does it leave one with a sense that this franchise is really ending. A couple of sequels ago, we were assured that “all of the activity” had led to part four; three years later, it hardly feels like it’s really arrived anywhere approaching an ending. You can piece together its various events, but it mostly leaves you wondering why this coven of witches employed such convoluted methods for world domination.
Belaboring the comparison to Saw is arbitrary but apt: whereas that franchise went out in a lunatic blaze of glory, this one has just sort of sputtered to the finish line. The best bits of The Ghost Dimension relate to the scraps of mythology it leaves out, and even this mostly involves watching people read internet printouts and watching other people on ancient VHS tapes. There are some cool through-the-looking-glass moments when Chris and his family realize they’re being spied upon by the subjects of a 25-year-old VHS tape, but that’s just about the extent of the intrigue here—unless someone actually intends to follow through on the Fulci-tinged implications rumbling beneath the surface of the climax. If not, then The Ghost Dimension can only stake its claim as the best Poltergeist remake of 2015, which is hardly the sort of note you want a distinguished franchise to hit on its way out. Something tells me this isn't the last we've heard from it, though.
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Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People by Authors is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at http://ojs.spiruharet.ro/index.php/jedep/issue/archive.
Elena Gurgu
''Spiru Haret University''
Faculty of Marketing and International Business -Associate Professor PhD, Deputy Dean
Keywords Financial Crisis, Balance Sheets, Financial Analysis Fourth Industrial Revolution, digital, physical and biological technologies ICT, SMEs, discount, network business environment IoT, JSON, AngularJS, NodeJS, E-Business, REST. Organizational Justice, Career Performance, Employees' satisfaction RD&I strategies, areas of smart specialisation, the national R&D system active policies bio economy, entrepreneurial ecosystems ,universities, knowledge transfer, clusters, smart specialization, communities of practice competition, cartel, detectionempirical screens. control, controlling, auditing, concept, human capital education and training activities ex-ante assessment healthcare services consumption, social networks, consumer behaviour human behavior, human choice, internal control, accounting information, bureaucracy labor market labour market, in-work poverty logic query, propositional logic, predicate, relational database perception, quality, technical higher education, teachers rural area social impact
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Home > Vol 4, No 2 (2015) > Gurgu
Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People
(online) = ISSN 2285 – 3642
ISSN-L = 2285 – 3642
URL: http://jedep.spiruharet.ro
e-mail: office_jedep@spiruharet.ro
Global Risk Management – A Necessity in a World of Vulnerabilities and of ECO-Economy and BIO -ECO-Economy Needed by ECO-SANO-Genesis
Associate Professor Elena Gurgu PhD [1], Assistant Lecturer Cosmina Savu PhD cd [2]
1,2 Spiru Haret University
Abstract. The Vision of the Eco-Bio-Economy is to sustain development of the humankind welfare in all forms, through an economy of future dedicated to human life through the rational use of the environmental resources. The present work attempts to discuss the issues that humanity faces at the beginning of a new global economic paradigm. The minimum point of the financial crisis started in 2008 meets the final years of the decline phase of the long term global economic cycle. The feeling is one of lack of vision on the part of Governments, of improvisation, of passive reaction, such as seeing and doing. One feels that the economic context is worn out , dysfunctional because of deep recovery problems. The perception, not far from the taugh reality, is that of a national competition meant to minimize losses caused by the financial crisis and to use beggar thy neighbor types of policies, similar to finding the way out of the crisis on the expense of others.
Keywords: world financial and economic crisis, global risks, unemployment, inequality, globalization, conflicts, chronic unemployment, eco-bio-economy, global economic and financial crisis, global risks, unemployment, inequality, globalization, conflicts, chronic underemployment, green economy
JEL Codes: A11, D81, E24, E27, F01, F02, F62, G01, H12, J50
UNEP-United Nations Environment Program (environment for development) has developed a working definition of the Green Economy as an economy that may have results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Ecological policies became throughout times, a constant attitude of the world governments, as much as the ecological and the biodiversity interferences of the regional, national, transnational and global interdependencies, affect all nations. Eco-Bio-Economy is a scientific, economic and philosophic endeavour dedicated to the development of the integrated environment health, of the mankind welfare, through an integrated multipolar eco-bio-economic concept, which promotes the Agrifood Green Power and the Smart Sustainable Integrated Development of the future. “Eco-Bio-Economy is an economy of the future, in the service of human life by rational use of environmental resources“, prof. Dr. dr.h.c. Alexandru T. Bogdan, member of the Romanian Academy, claims to several national and international conferences and publish in international speciality literature, an attempt to unite the two concepts: Eco-Economy, by Lester Brown and Bio-Economy, by Nicholas Georgescu Roegen, a new paradigm Eco-Bio-Economy. Eco-Bio-Economic-Safety directed to the economic, biodiversity, food security and food safety aspects, introduces – the new syntagm of the Eco-Bio-Economic Food Safety, to define also to a new syntagm – the Eco-Bio-Economic Social Safety, focusing the Customer Satisfaction and equally the Customer Protection, considering that food safety and social security have among other important objectives, a common target – customer satisfaction and its protection- and in extension, all interested parties.
Fig.no. 1- Subsequent relations between concepts, syntagms and paradigms, which forms the content of the Eco-Bio-Economy, Eco-Bio-Safety (Food & Social), Eco-Bio-Management, Green Business, Customer-Client-Satisfaction-Protection
Source: A.T. Bogdan, Dana Comşa orig. May 2011
The Eco-Bio-Management is a Smart Sustainable Management (SSM) defined as an eco-bio-management of future, eco-bio-sustainable, smart, harmonious, integrated and innovative, dedicated to the smart sustainable development and to the eco-bio-continuous improvement, welfare and the quality of life improvement, through innovative and rational use of the environmental resources. The syntagm Smart Sustainable Development is addressing to the holistic development through the concepts linked with the eco-bio-economy, innovation and quality. The syntagm Integrated Smart Sustainable Development is launched in order to stimulate the interrelation between concepts as eco-economy, bio-economy, economy, biology, biodiversity, ecology, green quality, together with new approaches as eco-bio-economy, agrifood green power, international diplomacy, global economy, sustainable development.
Fig. no. 2 - Smart Integrated Sustainable Green Power in the Eco-Bio-Economy context
In the context of the eco-bio-economic thinking, univ. prof. PhD Dr. h.c. Alexandru T. Bogdan, correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, initiator of the Eco-Bio-Economy, introduced the new concept of the Integrated Environment Health in a globalized world, as an Olympic health, a multidimensional, global, integrative health, a healthiness of people, plants, animals, water, soil, air, for a healthy environment: “a healthy mind, in a healthy body, in a healthy world, with a healthy environment”, (orig. A.T. Bogdan, May 2011).
Fig. no. 3 - Integrated environment health in a globalized world
Eco-Bio-Economy may be considered an attempt for a new eco-economic and bio-economic vision, which reunites in an integrated pattern: the economy, the ecology, the biodiversity, the eco-economy and the bio-economy focusing the integrated smart sustainable development of the world. To this valuable areas, the Eco-Bio-Economy may address possible Eco-Bio-Policies and Eco-Bio-Strategies and allows the contribution of the social economy, of excellence and of the “all in one quality”, of the welfare economy, of solidarity, social corporate responsibility, as elements which may be utilized in an integrated practical future platform in a multipolar world for a healthy and ecological environment, to ensure and to promote a smart, creative, innovative, economic sustainable development. The use of the decision-making process at the highest level and the modern diplomatic tools are the expected and needed catalytic agent for a global eco-bio-policy and eco-bio-economic successful equation.
The world financial and economic crisis of 2008-2009, whose effects are still felt in the present, the intensification of "currency wars", the spy scandals, the escalation of the armed conflicts and terrorist acts, have all contributed to a rise of global risks, uncertainty and vulnerability of the economies of the world.
2013 was a modest year for the global economy. The economic growth estimated at only 2.1% means very little and confirms the statements regarding the "secular stagnation" or the "winter"phase” of long-term Kondratieff cycles. The European Union has passed through a phase of stagnation in2013 (+0.1% estimate), while China grew by 8 %, the U.S. increased by 1.9%. Japan had an encouraging + 1% in 2013. Forecasts for 2014 are more optimistic, showing a gradual comeback, with + 1.6% in the EU 28, +1.6% in Japan, + 8.1% in China.
Fig. no. 4 - Social Eco-Bio-Economy pyramid
Source: orig. A.T.Bogdan, Dana Comşa, May 2011
The rapid changes in the 21st century at the level of infrastructure systems, more efficient and faster communications (Internet) have generated the development of closer relations between the countries, economies and companies, as well as tighter commercial and investment relations. The developments in the economic, social, geopolitical and technological environments have entailed unprecedented economic opportunities, but the interconnections between them have also involved great systemic risks.
2. Globalization: risks, uncertainties and vulnerabilities
Global emerging risks affect both Governments and stakeholders from all sectors of business. In order to manage them effectively and to develop a resistance to cope with their impact, we have to understand, to measure and to forecast the interdependence of these emerging global risks by expanding and diversifying the traditional instruments of risk management.
The report on global risks, for 2014 submitted within the framework of the World Economic Forum in Davos has a comprehensive risk analysis. It seems that the most important categories of global social-economic risks identified, depending on the level of the generated concern, probability, impact and connection between them are:
1. The fiscal crises in the developed economies of major countries (high degrees of indebtedness expressed through the public debt in relation to the GDP in the USA, Japan, eurozone countries). The developed economies are still in danger, while many emerging markets have experienced an increase in such activities in recent years, which could fuel the financial crisis. A fiscal crisis in any of the major economies could easily have a global domino-like effect.
2. High unemployment (especially among youth) and chronic under-employment in the labour market, both in developed and emerging economies. Unemployment represents a global risk given that numerous people both in advanced economies, as well as in emerging ones fail to find employment. Unemployment among young people, the most vulnerable category, reaching 50% in some countries and under-employment on the labour market prevails, especially in emerging countries and in the developing world. The high rate of structural unemployment and the low rate of employment in distressed countries (e.g. Spain)-are considered to be the most serious after the effects of social, economic and political effects generated by the financial crisis.
3. The crisis of drinking water resources is increasingly being acknowledged on the background of improper administration and growing competition for already scarce resources. In our opinion, any decision relating to the exploitation of other natural resources including shale gas, must take account of this major challenge, because sustainable development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
4. Severe disparities of income. There are also concerns about the negative effects of the financial crisis for the middle class in the developed economies, while globalization has resulted in the polarization of incomes in emerging countries and in the developing world.
5. Failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Even if governments and corporations are required to take measures in order to reduce the greenhouse effect, what's at stake is not only alleviating climate change, but also adjusting to them. The failure of the adaptation affects especially the least developed countries.
6. Increasing frequency - and intensity of extreme climatic phenomena (e.g., flooding, storms, hurricanes, typhoons, fires). Climate changes generate instability, leading to a higher frequency of extreme phenomena, such as floods or drought. The implications of these phenomena in terms of food security and social and political stability are strong enough.
7. Failures of global governance. The risk of a failure of global governance is believed to be connected in the largest extent with other global risks. International institutions, weak or inadequate in correlation with competing national and political interests, prevent cooperation in order to eliminate threats.
8. Food Crises. A food crisis occurs when access to a certain amount and quality of food is poor or unsafe. Food crises are closely related to risks relating to climate change and associated factors.
9. Failure of major financial institutions and mechanisms. Five years after the collapse of the Lehman Brothers, the collapse of such institutions is also a cause for concern, given that the uncertainties persist regarding the quality of many of the banks' assets.
10. Deep political and social instability. There is a risk that one or more critical countries in terms of systemic risk to experience a significant erosion of trust and mutual obligations between states and citizens, which could lead to the collapse of the state, domestic violence, regional or global instability and, possibly, to a military conflict.
Figure no. 5. The Global Risks Landscape in 2014
Source: "World Economic Outlook" published by the IMF on January 21, 2014
Of these, three risks fall into the category of economic risks (1, 2, 9), three are environmental hazards (3, 5, 6), three social risks (4, 8, 10) and one is a geopolitical risk (7).
Such risks are often interrelated with each other, generating instability and, more importantly, interfere with other major challenges that accompany the "reset world order".
Narrowing down the analysis, a survey conducted by Earnst & Young among some companies from 21 countries, both in developed markets and emerging ones, gives us a clearer picture of the risks and opportunities. The study examines in detail how companies address the present and future challenges and opportunities, presents and identifies the top 10 risks and opportunities for the period 2013-2015, in various sectors. Risk rating indicated by the respondents, although stable during the first part, fluctuate in the second part while the scoring of opportunities is much more balanced.
In the first part of the leader board, the top five ranked risks for 2013 and 2015 are similar: (1)pressure on prices; (2) reducing costs and pressure on profit; (3)market risks; (4) the macro-economic risk-weak or volatile prospects of economic growth and (5) management of talent and skills shortages. In the second part of the top, one can notice some changes: extending the role of Government in the economy-6th place in 2013, will descend on the7th place in 2015; Regulation and compliance-7th place in 2013, climbs to 6th place in 2015; sovereign debt and the impact of fiscal austerity or sovereign debt crisis descends on the 8th place in 2013 and 10th place in 2015; the importance of emerging technologies ranked 9th in 2013, is at number eight for2015 and the shocks caused by the political changes is climbing from position 10 in 2013 to 9 in 2015.
Somewhat similar to the risk ladder, the ladder of opportunities, this time, the first six items remain the same for both 2013 and 2015.
Thus, innovation in products (1), increased demand in emerging markets (2), investment in business processes, tools and training to achieve greater productivity (3), new marketing channels (4), improving the strategy of implementation in all business functions (5), investments in IT (6). Improving investor relations descends from a-7th place in 2013, to the 8th position in 2015. CSR programs and the increase of public confidence climbs one position, from 8th place in 2013, to 7th place in 2015. Investments in green technologies and global optimizations and relocation of key functions remain in the same positions for 2013 and 2015, respectively, on 9 and 10.
The chronic gap between the incomes of the rich and the poor citizens of the world is seen from the Davos report as being most likely to cause serious injury risk worldwide. Analyzing the most likely evolution of humanity over the next 10 years, the report classified in five categories-environmental, economic, social, geopolitical and technological potential risks, and evaluate them in terms of likelihood and impact potential.
Table no. 1. The Evolution of the most important 5 global risk factors in terms of likelihood in the period 2007-2014
The most likely global threats after the gap of incomes. The World Economic Forum's experts consider severe weather events as being most likely to provoke "a systemic shock of global scale". These are followed by unemployment and underemployment, climate change and cyber attacks.
Table no. 2. The evolution of the most important 5 global risk factors in terms of impact in the period
The threats with the most destructive impact, that is the financial crises, are considered to be those that can affect most severely the systems and the states. The economic risk is followed by two risks in the category of environment-climate change and drinking water crisis, a social one (unemployment and underemployment) and a technological one (the collapse of essential communications infrastructure).
Each report has analysed the risks potentially worldwide, but their inter-relationship (they can become active at the same time or in a cascade effect and can lead to a multiplied effect. It is vital, therefore, that the rich and the world's policy makers should address these risks in a deeply responsible manner (according to Jennifer Blanke, the World Forum’s Chief Economist).
Table no. 3. Major global risks in terms of likelihood and potential impact
Sursa: "World Economic Outlook" published by the IMF on January 21, 2014
3. The major threats of an economic, geopolitical, social and environmental nature
In this part of the paper we aim to bring to the fore some of the major threat of an economic, geopolitical, social and environmental nature threatening the world by presenting some opinions expressed by high officials of states such as the Japanese Prime Minister, the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs, the US Secretary of State, the British Prime Minister, the President of Brazil and the Iranian President.
Japan. The Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has "a new vision for a new Japan",highlighting the two main aspects: the economic strategy of the three arrows"(orAbenomie = Abe + Economics) and ensuring peace in the Asian seas. In Japan, the last 15 years of deflation have led to the stagnation of domestic economy, amid discouraging investment and new projects and, at the same time, the increase of the public debt. In December 2013, the Government approved a record budget for the fiscal year that began on April 1, 2014, valued at 96,000 billion yen (921 billion dollars). The economic strategy "of the three arrows" is based on an aggressive monetary policy, a flexible fiscal policy and a structural reform of the economy. The three arrows refer to the legend of Mori Motonari, a Japanese feudal senior from the 16th century, who gave his sons a lesson by showing them that, while an arrow is easily broken, the same thing cannot be said about a clump of three arrows. The moral is this: those who are united and invincible.
A major challenge is the fast aging of the population, having as a direct consequence the reduction of the workforce. The electricity market reform (the first such reform in the past 60 years) in three stages, which will be complete until the opening of the Tokyo Olympic Games of 2020 (to consult and report on the first year of the administration of Abe, January 2014). At the same time, the Government seeks to eliminate restrictions on home production of rice (in force for over 40 years), health system reform, the reform of the labour market (including increasing the role of women and acceptance of foreign employees), building cities with zero emissions of gases and with no greenhouse effects. Externally, considering the deepening integration of Japan in the global knowledge flows, trade and investment, by completing the trans-pacific partnership and the conclusion of the EU-Japan economic partnership. The Prime Minister believes that "Asia has become a center of growth for the entire world. Japan is surrounded by neighbors with unlimited possibilities, such as China, South Korea, ASEAN, India and Russia, and in the Pacific, the partner countries of the transpacific Partnership ". He highlighted the need for the restriction of military expansion in Asia and the transparency of the military budgets. The reference to peace in the Asian seas is an indirect message to China, taking into account the increase of its military strength and intensification of territorial disputes in the East China Sea.
China. The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, focuses on the current reform "for the benefit of the whole world" and the strengths of the Chinese economy, such as the milleniums old culture and traditions and strength of the Communist Party, with 86 million members,"united as one" which lend Chinese features to the capitalist development model in the People’s Republic of China. The weaknesses of the Chinese system are the existing disparities between urban and rural places, but also between regions. In the geopolitical sphere, Wang Yiplann emphasizes China's contribution to global peace, through its "peaceful" way of development, deeper involvement of his country in resolving disputes and conflicts and international opposition against holding any form of aggression. The renewal of the Chinese "dream of fulfillment" (which reminds us of the American dream) are "good for China and for the entire world".
USA. The US Secretary of State, John Kerry firmly rejects the accusation that "the US would withdraw from global affairs" as arguments, bringing the active involvement of his country in three of the most pressing issues in the Middle East: Iran's nuclear program, the war in Syria and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He said that no state in the world has invested so much effort in this region. At the same time, he depicted the progress of the US on EU economic integration path (hinted at the transatlantic partnership for trade and investment under negotiation) and other similar initiatives, such as the transpacific partnership.
The United Kingdom. The British Prime Minister David Cameron, refers to the process opposed to outsourcing, which is bringing" some jobs back in the West from the East, so that the benefits of globalization shall return "home". According to opinion polls conducted among small entrepreneurs, one in ten Britons began producing again in the United Kingdom. In the US, a similar survey showed that over one third of entrepreneurs is planning to move their manufacturing facilities from China to the US. In this context, the British Prime Minister mentions that one of the important factors of the "internalisation" and at the same time, economic growth is the exploitation of shale gas. The British Prime Minister may probably consider the election results in 2015 more important than the fate of the environment and the planet. Referring to the relationship with the EU, Cameron shows that it is necessary 'to reform the EU and to reform the UK's relationship with the EU".
Brazil. Dilma Rousseff, Brazil's President put emphasis on attracting investments, which are welcome in the context of poverty eradication and the strengthening of the middle class (which has increased in number with 42 million in 2003). Referring to short-term volatility generated by the more restrictive monetary policies in developed countries, it said that Brazil is ready, with foreign reserves worth 370 billion dollars and, more important Brazil benefits from economic recovery advanced economies. Rousseff is in favour of liberalisation, claiming both the Doha round, as well as negotiations for the conclusion of a free trade agreement between EU and Mercosur.
Iran. The Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (in Office from August 2013) focuses on economic growth and the goal of his country to become one of the top ten economies of the world in the years to come. He stressed the desire to have peace relations with both its neighbors and the world. Referring to the preliminary agreement on Tehran's nuclear program in Geneva within th P5 +1group (the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany), Rouhani emphasized that he sees no obstacles, insurmountable impediments or barriers that might hinder the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement in the future.
4. The Perspectives of the World Economy
This section is based on data from the "World Economic Outlook" published by the IMF on January 21, 2014. For a full analysis of the situation of the global economy, I consulted the World Bank Report, "Global Economic Prospects" and the UN report, Global economic situation and prospects", January 2014.
The founder and president of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Klaus Schwab, is of the opinion that the current global context is characterized by "low expectations" and "more unknown variables". He held that, in the next 5-10 years, the world economy will grow slowly, and the pace of growth will not return anytime soon to the levels prior to the crisis. At Davos was mentioned the risk of a dark European scenario on the long-term, with a slow economic growth(around 1% per annum), with high structural unemployment (between 9 and 11 percent of the active population) and with a public debt of around 100% of the GDP.
The Director general of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, said in Davos that there are "old" threats (the failure of reforms of the banking system and reducing economic imbalances) and "new threats" that hung over the global economy, and the crisis has not ended. Indeed, this fact is also confirmed by the recent turmoil in emerging markets, especially in Argentina andTurkey, where the Peso and the Pound have suffered massive devaluations, but also from countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, the Republic of South Africa (four, alongside Turkey, being known in May 2013 as "the five fragile economies"- the name given by specialists from the Morgan Stanley- on the background of the current account deficits recorded by these, which makes them vulnerable to outflows of "hot capital").
The Director general of the IMF called for caution in regard to speculative bubbles and warned that the economic recovery is accompanied by imbalances, with high unemployment and deflation risks. LaGarde warned that low inflation in advanced countries, in particular in the Euro area (with a rate of inflation of 0.8%, below the European Central Bank's target of 2%), could have unpleasant consequences in terms of funding costs and indebtedness, both for Governments and companies. At the same time, it stressed that greater social inequalities are less sustainable economic growth.
The European Commissioner for Economics and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn stated that he was aware of the risks, but also good developments have started to be noticed inEurope.
The IMF report on the world economic forecast, published before the meeting in Davos, estimates a revival of the economic activity in 2014-2015 (increases of 3.7 percent and3.9 percent), respectively, on the background of the recovery of developed economies. The developed economies as a whole expect a, GDP growth forecast at 2.2% 2.3% in 2014 and in 2015 (compared with 1.3% in 2013), a higher rate than average is expected in countries like the USA, UK and Canada, and below average in the Euro area and in Japan. The IMF analysis shows that, in developed countries, the gap remains high, and, taking into account existing risks (for example, deflation), it is recommended that a flexible monetary policy, while fiscal consolidation must continue.
The slowing down of the Chinese, which is considered economy-global, economic growth engine, is a cause for concern for experts. However, the growth of Chinese GDP are still robust, the IMF forecasts levels of 7.5% in 2014 and 7.3% in 2015. For 2014-2015, the IMF experts forecast that the pace of economic growth in India will exceed the average pace of emerging economies, in contrast to the Republic of South Africa, Brazil and Russia, with rhythms under the media group said.
IEM experts considers that, at the level of BRICS, along with engines of economic growth such as exports and FDI attracted in the last period looms ever more poignantly complementary engines: domestic demand (spurred by the high level of remittances of Russian citizens abroad in countries such as China and India), making investment overseas, boosting innovation and infrastructure development.
5. Climate change
Within the framework of the world economic forum in Davos last year, January 24, has become "The Climate Day", being reserved for the theme of climate change, to encourage world leaders to engage firmly in the fight against this global threat.
Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), drew attention to climate change and the need to move from "the brown" to the "green" economy. In his view, this transformation requires: (1) support from the financial sector (investors, banks, other financial institutions), (2)decrease in financial resources allocated to old technologies, (3)increase transparency with regard to the emission of greenhouse effect gases, associated assets and sectors that investors and banks, finances (4) cooperation between banks,investors and those in the regulation, so as to ensure that the rules governing financial markets, supports sustainable development. In this context, Ban Ki-moon has highlighted that the climate Summit, which will take place in New York in September 2014 under the aegis of the UNITED NATIONS, constitutes a significant step towards the signing of a treaty in 2015 with legal binding force, The Agreement-on global climate change.
The World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said in turn that despite the measures taken in the"green economy," emissions of greenhouse gases continue to increase, while the poor suffer further. In his opinion, there is no need of leaders who think in terms of short term benefits or electoral cycles, but leaders who take into account the most vulnerable of present and future generations. At the same time, we need a plan to deal with the whole problem of climate change and possible solutions.
Jim Yong Kim said that the imposition of a tax on pollution as well as performance standards for buildings, vehicles, transportation systems, technologies, so that "cleaner and greener ones should be encouraged". According to the IMF study "Reforming Energy subsidies: lessons and implications" of 27 March 2013, subsidies for fossil fuels stands at 1,900 billion dollars worldwide. However, this sum may be forwarded to the investment in green energy. The President of the World Bank believes that a prime objective in the short term may be to encourage the green certificates market may reach $ 20 billion up to September's Summit in New York, and at $ 50 billion to the United Nations Conference on climate change this year in Paris (COP 21).
6. Gradual withdrawal of monetary stimuli by the FED of the USA, with effects on emerging economies
Statistics show that, at the time of Janet Yellen’ s coming to Ben Bernanke on February 1, 2014, the US Central Bank's assets, the FED, rose to 4,100 billion dollars (of which a percentage of 37% were represented by the securities backed by mortgages), level five times higher than that in February 2006 (when the share of securities backed by mortgages in total was zero). Worldwide, central banks ' assets increased from 5,000-6,000 billion dollars before the global financial and economic crisis to nearly 20,000 billion dollars at present, financial markets becoming so dependent on "money budget".This has led to a Chase after increasing the rate of revenue (or yield) and shifting of significant capital to emerging economies.
In the opinion of international experts, reducing the degree of relaxation of the monetary policy of the USA will be accompanied by the withdrawal of liquidity in dollars on global markets, which will further highlight the structural problems and the imbalances in the world economy. The process of reform in order to enhance the competitiveness of developed economies are far from being completed and, at the same time, the debt (public and private) in these countries (as share in GDP) has reached unprecedented levels.
Under the current phase of quantitative easing, the FED has purchased each month government bonds and mortgage-backed securities, in order to keep the cost of credit at a reduced level and give an impetus to economic recovery and the creation of new jobs. As the unemployment rate has entered on a downward slope in the latter part of last year (7percent in November and 6.7 percent in December 2013-levels still high compared to an unemployment rate of 4.4% in 2007), has been reduced and the amount of securities purchased. Thus, in December 2013, it was decided to drop the value of purchases from 85 billion dollars per month to 75 billion dollars per month, and in January 2014 a new drop to 65 billion dollars per month ($ 30 billion mortgage plus $35 billion in government securities).
International experts expect that at the next meeting of the federal Committee for financial stability (FOMC) under the EDF, the degree of relaxation of monetary policy should be reduced even further, and some analysts even warned that this year's monetary incentives might be withdrawn entirely.
Emerging economies were "flooded" in recent years by a substantial amount of "cheap"dollars, generated from the monetary policy of the FED and are in search of high returns. According to the Institute for international finance, the amounts drawn from these economies through foreign direct investment but also investment in bonds and shares amounted to $ 7 trillion in 2005-2013. Exchange-traded funds (ETF) amounted to $ 300 billion in 2013, the three-time value recorded in 2008, compared with a value close to zero in 2004. The tools meant to facilitate the inflows of "hot money" into emerging economies during periods of boom were also a rapid output channel for this capital during periods of slowdown of economic growth paces.
A few years ago, the Brazilian Minister of finance Guido Mantega, accused the developed countries of the initiation of a "currency war", the quantitative relaxation being equivalent to the depreciation of the dollar and, at the same time, discouraging exports with emerging markets in developed countries. In turn, quantitative relaxation the braking is a threat, being equivalent to the US. Government bonds fall in commodity prices and decreased demand for assets in emerging markets.
7. Reducing disparities, a target difficult to achieve
The report of the Oxfam Development Organization, released on January 20, 2014 and called "Working for those few" shows that almost half of the global wealth is in the hands of 1% of the planet's population. Their wealth is estimated at 110,000 billion dollars. Moreover, 85 people have a wealth similar to the one owned by half of the world's population. According to a Bloomberg index that most wealthy possessions accounted for 300 people of the planet, on the whole, their fortunes have reached 3,700 billion dollars in 2013, which means an increase of $524 billion in justone year, of the 300, only 70 have experienced a loss.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, income inequality in this country has been growing for several decades. The poverty rate was 15% in 2012, and the number of poor people has reached 46.5 million. A quarter of young people under 18 are below the poverty line.
The above mentioned Oxfam report shows that even before the outbreak of the global financial and economic crisis in several countries in the EU were registered increases in income inequalities. Portugal and the United Kingdom are among the most "unequal" countries from among the Member countries of the Organization for economic cooperation and development (OECD). Austerity programmes being implemented in most countries of the community led to the expected results in terms of economic recovery and decreased social gaps, a fact evidenced by the statistics: the wealthiest 10% increased their share in the total revenue. The summary of the most wealth wealthy European exceeds ten economic stimulating measures adopted in the EU between 2008 and 2010 (217 billion Euros compared to 200 billion Euros).
Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for peace and justice, read the Pope's message for the world leaders at the opening ceremony of the world economic forum, the basic idea being that wealth should serve humanity, not lead it, requiring mechanisms aimed at helping the poor, so that they can get out of the situation of social assistance.
Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary-General reminded that 2015 is the deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and it is necessary to define a development agenda for the post-2015 period. In his turn, the World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, drew the attention to the social inequalities.
8. Unemployment
The International Labor Organization Report called "Trends in global employment", published on 21 January 2014, shows that the global unemployment rate was 6 percent last year,when about 202 million people were without jobs (5 million increase compared to 2012). Of these, 74.5 million were young people under 24 years of age (up to 1 million by 2012), which has lifted the unemployment rate among young people at 13.1%. There is a category of young people who neither work nor benefit from education and training (neither in employment nor in education, or training-NEET), in some countries a quarter of young people aged between 15 and 29 years old belonging to this category. In the year2013, 375 million employees (almost 12% of the total) were living on less than 1.25 dollars a day, and 839 million employees (26.7% of the total) with less than $ 2 a day. For 2018 it is foreseeable that about 215 million people will be unemployed worldwide. Each year it is necessary to generate about 42 million jobs for the new entrants on the labour market. Currently, the largest share of new job seekers focus in East Asia and the South (45% of the total),followed by sub-Saharan Africa and Europe.
Guy Ryder, Director-general of the International Labour Organization drew the attention to the fact that, after leaving the Swiss mountain resort, the leaders who attended the summit should focus on those who were not in Davos, among them being: the unemployed who are looking for a job, the employees who need a decent salary, business travelers who need access to credit. The issue of jobs is "the gorilla of the Salonin Davos", and this cannot be ignored, but must be addressed.
Currently there is a lack of consistency of the European model, observed by the division of the EU members into two categories, creditor countries and debtor countries, in countries with stable economic growth and low cost of financing and countries with serious problems such as Portugal, Spain, Italy etc. How could one consider entering a virtuous circle in Europe,given that it has 27 million unemployed citizens, an average unemployment rate in the Euro area of 12% and member countries such as Greece and Spain which have a 25% unemployment rate and nearly 60 percent unemployment rate among young people? The sensation of recoil is powerful and can be seen from the fact that Italy’s per capita income decrease to the one it had in 1998, and the Euro area average decreased to the figure from six years ago.
The European decisions seem to belong to an elite club governing from a distance", suffering from information asymmetry and serious incapacity of reducing the in temporal gaps, in ,supporting and implementing the decision on the problem-solving solutions.
It is clear. The following crisis at European level will be a political one, , quickly followed by a social crises. Maintaining the status quo does not deserve to be a scenario to consider. 2014 will be the year of decision. If the European project will go ahead in its current form is a good question. I believe that the answer is no and that structural reforms and measures should be implemented quickly. 1800 regulations directives and decisions per year seems to me too many, an average cost of 2,300 euros for starting a business - almost 4 times more than in the USA and 15 times less than in Canada seems to me tremendous. Not being aware , for example, that the refining and petrochemical sectors contribute to national budgets with more than 250 billion euros and nonetheless it is left to die seems to me unbelievable. And more than that, spending 180 billion euros for climate policies and hesitating to provide 8 billion euros to reduce unemployment among young people is not very logical.
However, a coherent action in 2014 can restore hope among European countries. In parallel with the fiscal consolidation (defined as predominantly qualitative adjustment, based on better management of public spending, through prioritization and transfer of funding from European funds, restructuring of state companies, increasing transparency in public spending, increasing the tradables sector even through deep transformation of rural areas, etc.) it is necessary to reshape Germany’s policies, as it is the main motor of European integration. Forced by the continuing fiscal consolidations and commitment of countries with problems in compliance with the rules imposed by the Fiscal Compact and the European Semester, Chancellor Merkel will probably accept the rise of wages by 1.5 to 2 percentage points above the rate of growth of labour productivity, an increase in domestic demand, default and anchor for tradable goods manufactured in southern countries. Germany will witness an increasing trend anyway, the risk that the country's economic growth shall reach its limits being higher than the net excess inflation generated by increasing salaries over the labour productivity growth rate.
The ECB will restructure its policy of injecting money into the economy, taking into account the risk that reducing interest rates shall generate a much smaller cost of capital relatively to labor and consequently a high structural unemployment. The forcing of the European construction with a Banking Union (common prudential system, common guarantee system and unified mechanism to solve the banking crisis potential) as antidote to banking run, completed with the issuance of Eurobonds, the relaxation of stimulation mechanisms for industrial policies and a Pact for economic growth could take EU out of the vicious circle where it is positioned now.
A budget and a common mechanism of asymmetric shocks in the depreciation of Euro zone countries (lacking macroeconomic adjustment tools) seems unavoidable.
Last but not least, the EU should set up a Fund for economic growth and development of infrastructure for the cohesion countries, a Fund which will be made up of the liabilities existing on Dec. 31, 2013 for certain types of projects (e.g., those related to infrastructure and the environment but also for the development of human resources). From this Fund, the initial connection to the trans-European infrastructure networks, education, research will be financed., etc.
The European model must return to the initial objectives-economic growth, solidarity and welfare growth. Economic stagnation for an area that represents one-quarter of the world GDP cannot be but troubling news. Otherwise, the gap between it and the US model, with a strong growth fueled by the gas system, revolution will grow deeper.
[1] Alexandru T. Bogdan and co-authors (2010), Prospects of Agrifood Green Power in 2050 and Forecasting for 2100 with Sustenable Solutions Based on Ecobioeconomics new Paradigm, Bulletin UASVM Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 67 (1-2)/2010;
[2] Cohen, D. şi Soto, M. (2011), Growth and Human Capital: Good Data, Good Results, Development Centre Technical Papers No.179, OECD;
[3] De la Fuente, A. şi Doménech, R. (2006), „Human Capital in Growth Regressions: How Much Difference Does Data Quality Make?”. Journal of the European Economic Association. Vol.4, No.1, pp.1-36;
[4] Dictionary, The New Palgrave Dictionary of Economics(2008), 2nd edition, Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke, Hampshire.
[5] Dipl. Eng. Dana Comşa, Prof. Univ. Ph.D. Dr. H. C. Alexandru T. Bogdan, Correspondent Member To The Romanian Academy, Eco-Bio-Diplomacy A New Concept For A Smart Sustainable Development In A Globalized World In The Context Of The Eco-Bio-Economy (2013), Bulletin UASVM Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 78 (1-2)/2013;
[6] DPAD, United Nationas Report - World Economic Situation and Prospects mid -2014 (2014), United Nations;
[7] IIF, Institute of International Finance (2014), The Global Association of Financial Industry, Global Economic Monitor;
[8] ILO, Global Employment Trends 2013- Recovering from a second jobs dip (2013), International Labour Organisation, Geneva;
[9] IMF, Energy Subsidy Reform. Lessons and Implications, (2013), Philippe Karam, International Monetary Found;
[10]IMF, World Economic Qutlook (WEO) – Recovery Strenghtens, Remains Uneven, (2014), International Monetary Found;
[11]OECD (2013), The Well-being of Nations. The Role of Human and Social Capital, Centre for Educational Research and Innovation, OECD Publications, Paris.
[13]Oxfam Briefing Paper (2014), Working for the few - Political Capture and Economic Inequality, 20 January;
[14]UNDP, Human Development Report 2014 (2014), Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience, New York, USA ;
[15]United States Census Bureau, USA, 2014;
[16]World Bank, WB Annual Report 2014 – The Perspectives of Global Economy, Poverty vs. Prosperity, The World Bank, 2014
[17]World Bank, Global Risks Raport 2014 (2014), Ninth Edition, World Economic Forum, Davos;
[18]World Economic Forum (2013), The Global Information Technology Report 2013, Geneva – World Economic Forum.
[1] E-mail address: elenagurgu@yahoo.com
[2] E-mail address: mailto:cosmina.savu@yahoo.com
ICV 2015: 81.51
Administred: Rocsana B. Manea Tonis
http://icourses.wix.com/itmk
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Lionel Messi equals Cristiano Ronaldo | Messi equalized Ronaldo, scoring more than 50 goals for the sixth time in the season
Lionel Messi is the only footballer to win the European Golden Shoe 6 times
Cristiano Ronaldo of Yuventres made his name four times as Golden Shoe.
Sports desk Barcelona's star footballer Lionel Messi scored a total of 51 goals this season. They did all the rounds for their club, Barcelona. Messi played just one match for Argentina, but could not score a goal. At the same time, 49 matches played for Barcelona. Messi scored 50 or more goals for the sixth time in one season. In this case, he equals Cristiano Ronaldo of Yuventus. To make the most goals in the season, Messi was given the European Golden Shoe. He made his name the sixth Golden Shoe. Ronaldo (4) is second in this case.
Messi gets Pichichi Award for the sixth time
Messi scored 36 goals in this season of La Liga. In this case they are far ahead of Louise Suarez and Kareem Benjamin 21-21 goals. He was awarded the Pichichi Award for most goals in the season. Messi made this award for the sixth time in his name. In this case, they equalize the telmo zara. Messi scored three hat-tricks in this season. Six goals were scored by direct free kick.
In the European league, in the case of having top scorer in more than one season, the Gert Muner is at the forefront. He was the top scorer of Season 7 in Bundesliga, Germany. At the same time, Jimmy Greaves was the highest goal scorer in the Premier League of England for six. Gunner Nordal 5 times in Serie A of Italy, Carlos Bianchi, Jean Pierre Pappin and Dellio Onis are five-five times top scorers in the League 1 in France.
When Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid in Spain, he and Messi were always La Liga's Top-2 scorers. Messi has scored 12 goals in the Champions League this time. Ronaldo is not the top scorer for the Champions League for the first time since the 2011-12 season. He scored just six goals this season.
Messi scored this goal with an average of 1.02 per match this season. The best season of his career was 2011-12. Then he scored a total of 73 goals. In 2010-11, 53 had scored 54 goals in 2012-13, 58 in 60 years, and 58 in 2016-17. Ronaldo performed best in the 2014-15 season. Then he scored 61 goals.
Rain deficiency in both balls
Indian Hockey: Forward Ramandeep Singh returns to Indian squad for FIH Men's Series Finals | Indian team announced for FIH men's series finals, Ramdeep's return after 9 months
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What is the World Cup Mother Mustafiz?
His cut is not very uncommon as before. His lenght lowered. Deliveries have been clean. There was talk of Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman some days ago. The left-handed pacer gave a good answer to the criticism in the tri-series in Ireland. Wade against the West Indies with four balls to increase their self-confidence before the World Cup.
So many people are expecting Mustafiz to do something good in the upcoming World Cup. Many of the cricket analysts have given similar opinion, if they can maintain the consistency of Ireland tour, this Bangladeshi paceman can do well in the World Cup. He has already proved that he
On 13th May, Mustafiz took 4 wickets in 43 balls with four wickets in this match held in Dublin. After a long time, the shining brightness of the ball is cut-master The Bangladeshi pace bowler got the last four wickets in Abu Dhabi last year against Pakistan in September last year. After that he was not getting any good success in the long run.
In the middle, Mustafiz's performances have a great rhythm. He made a great start to the one-day debut in 2015. He made history with 13 wickets in one series. He took 26 wickets in 9 matches in the first year.
New Zealand scored 330 runs against Bangladesh in the third one-dayer of the series against New Zealand in February this year. Mustafiz took two wickets in this match. But runs scored 93 runs in 10 overs, 9.3 runs per over.
Mustafiz scored quite a few runs in the first two matches in the same series, 42 in 9 overs and 36 in eight overs in one match. But just before this, Mustafiz played five matches in the two ODIs against Zimbabwe and the West Indies against home soil. He took seven wickets in five matches. He scored 195 runs in 48 overs with an average of 4.06.
An analysis before the recently concluded tri-series shows that Mustafiz performing in the sub-continent, performing such performances, he can not do the same thing. Mustafiz has scored 978 runs in 21 ODIs in 21 ODIs in 27 ODIs. 56 wickets.
Mustafiz can not perform the same way outside of Asia. He has scored 776 runs in 16 one-day internationals with 129.5 overs. 23 wickets in the wicket. It shows how much difference his performance was.
Mustafiz returns to form again in Ireland tour Now he can do the World Cup Mother?
Pope Francis warns football fans Calling Lionel Messi God is sacrilege | Pope said – Messi is a great player, but do not call him Lord
England in the 'Old' Jersey!
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If you are a survivor of sexual abuse, know that you are not alone, and there are many wonderful organizations, articles and publications that can help you on your path to healing. If you are the family member, friend, or loved one of person who has experienced sexual abuse, thank you for supporting them.
This page is dedicated to identifying resources for survivors and loved ones seeking information and resources about preventing, identifying and dealing with the trauma of sexual violence.
Victim Service Organizations
MaleSurvivor.org: Overcoming Sexual Victimization of Boys and Men
MaleSurvivor.org: Overcoming Sexual Victimization of Boys and Men.
They are committed to preventing, healing, and eliminating all forms of sexual victimization of boys and men through support, treatment, research, education, advocacy, and activism.
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP): If you’ve been victimized by clergy, please know that you are not alone. You can get better. You can reach out to others who’ve been hurt just like you have. Together, we can heal one another.
OAASIS
OAASIS: Oregon Abuse Advocates and Survivors in Service is a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to increasing public awareness of the realities of childhood sexual abuse, to supporting and empowering survivors of such abuse, and to advocating for strong public policies and laws aimed at preventing it.
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN)
RAINN provides services, resources, and information aimed at addressing the needs of sexual abuse survivors. Their website includes information regarding the prevalence and occurrence of sexual violence, advice for loved ones seeking to support a friend or family member, and articles for victims on how to cope with the trauma of sexual assault.
RAINN also operates the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline, which allows victims to be connected with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. The hotline may be accessed by calling 800.656.HOPE (4673). In addition, RAINN offers an online hotline, in which survivors can chat one-on-one with a trained RAINN support specialist to help seek services like counseling and mental health treatment.
Darkness to Light
Darkness to Light provides crisis intervention and referral services to people affected by sexual abuse of children, either as survivors seeking resources or individuals seeking information to help a loved one. Calls to the Darkness to Light Hotline are automatically routed to a local call center. Their Hotline phone number is 866-FOR-LIGHT (367-5444).
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children operates a Cyber Tipline, which can be used to communicate information to law enforcement about child pornography or child sex trafficking. You may reach their 24-hour Hotline number by dialing 800-THE-LOST (843-5678).
The National Child Abuse Hotline
The National Child Abuse Hotline number is 800-4-A-CHILD (422-2253). The hotline can provide local referrals for victims of childhood sexual abuse seeking services in their area. Their centralized call center allows the caller to speak with a counselor, and the hotline also features a language line that can provide services in over 140 languages.
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)
NCADV works to raise awareness about domestic violence, educate and create programming and technical assistance materials, and assists survivors and other persons impacted by domestic violence. The website provides links to domestic violence programs in your area, and also has information regarding the National Domestic Violence Hotline, accessible at 800-799-SAFE (7233).
Pandora’s Project
Pandora’s Project provides a list of crisis support and resources for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. The website also provides links to articles and essays about sexual assault victimization and prevalence.
United States Office of Victims of Crime
OVC operates the Online Directory of Crime Victim Services, a searchable database dedicated to helping crime victims identify service providers and agencies in the United States and abroad. In addition, CrimeVictims.gov provides referrals for crime victim services and victim assistance programs for survivors seeking assistance.
Other Informational Resources
The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC’s Division of Violence Prevention offers informational links, articles, sample policies and procedures designed to prevent child sexual abuse within youth-serving organizations.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN)
Established by Congress in 2000, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) brings a singular and comprehensive focus to childhood trauma. NCTSN is dedicated to improving access to care, treatment and services for children and adolescents exposed to traumatic events. The website’s Sexual Abuse page provides information on ways to identify sexual abuse, policies for creating safe places for children, and the benefits of trauma-focused therapy for survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)
NSVRC seeks to provide leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, research and promoting resources. NSVRC’s “Resources” page provides links to publications, news outlets, and articles regarding sexual assault victimization.
United States Office of Justice Programs
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs operates the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC). OVC offers information and resources for individuals seeking research, technical assistance and publications relating to victims of crime.
The World Health Organization (WHO)
The World Health Organization provides publications, research, information and studies pertaining to sexual violence internationally, including the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), a consortium established to promote research on sexual violence and generate empirical data ensuring that sexual violence is recognized as a priority public health program.
Victims No Longer, by Mike Lew
Victims No Longer: The Classic Guide for Men Recovering from Sexual Child Abuse was the first book written specifically for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The resource combines practical advice as well as personal stories from male survivors in order to explore strategies for survival and healing.
The PTSD Workbook, by Mary Beth Williams and Soili Poijula
The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms was written by psychologists and trauma experts Mary Beth Williams and Soili Poijula. In the book, the authors identify techniques and interventions used by PTSD experts around the world to offer trauma survivors – including victims of rape and childhood sexual abuse – effective tools to help conquer their most distressing trauma related symptoms.
Letters to Survivors, by Matt Atkinson
Letters to Survivors: Words of Comfort for Women Recovering from Rape compiles letters from survivors around the world who want to share their personal message of hope after rape. Each woman’s letter addresses a different aspect of recovery from rape, such as recovering trust, coping with depression and suicidal thoughts, self-injury, spirituality/God, how to find support, how to recognize toxic so-called “helpers,” how to work effectively with your therapist, how to handle discouragement, and how to find hope again.
The Courage to Heal, by Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
The Courage to Heal is a critically acclaimed guide for women survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The book offers a hope and a map of the healing journey from victim to survivor. Weaving together personal experience with professional knowledge, the authors provide clear explanations, practical suggestions, and support throughout the healing process.
Bass and Davis also offer other books on sexual violence, including Allies in Healing: When the Person You Love Was Sexually Abused as a Child , which was designed to provide practical advice to loved ones trying to support the survivors in their lives while tending to their own needs along the way, and Beginning to Heal: A First Book for Men and Women Who Were Sexually Abused as Children, which offers hope and guidance to all survivors starting the healing journey.
Recovering from Rape, by Linda Ledray
This comprehensive handbook offers readers emotional support and practical guidance in overcoming the trauma of rape. The book seeks to help readers learn the most effective ways of dealing with their feelings immediately following an assault, during the subsequent months, and years beyond.
The Rape Recovery Handbook, by Aphrodite T. Matsakis
The Rape Recovery Handbook: A Step By Step Help for Survivors of Sexual Assault provides victims with an effective framework by which they may begin their healing process, and offers insight into how sexual assault can affect many different areas of a person’s life.
Pingry sex abuse report ‘left a lot out,’ say alleged victims
Abuse victim hid secret for decades; now he’s telling his son
Craig Floch on “Victim…Survivor…Thriver….” by Tim Ehrlich
Michael N Nitabach on “Victim…Survivor…Thriver….” by Tim Ehrlich
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Sammy Davis, Jr. sings & Laurindo Almeida plays
Uploaded by projazz on September 28, 2017 at 3:55 pm
Sammy Davis, Jr. sings & Laurindo Almeida plays
Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays is a 1966 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., accompanied by guitarist Laurindo Almeida. AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer: The intimacy inherent in this collection places 1966's Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays in a class unto itself. As he had done on the highly conceptual All-Star Spectacular in 1962 and California Suite in 1964, multi-talented entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. has created a unique and thoroughly fascinating outing. The ten selections feature Davis and Brazilian instrumentalist/arranger Laurindo Almeida, who made a name for himself as an accompanist for Carmen Miranda before delving into the decidedly American art form of West Coast cool jazz with saxophonist Bud Shank in the mid-'50s. Here, the pair effortlessly complement each other inside the very intonation and tenor of their respective crafts. Davis' incisive abilities as an emotive performer bring a pervasive dramatic quality to the wide range of material covered. When compared to fellow Rat Packer Frank Sinatra's reading of "Here's That Rainy Day," Davis' vocals lean into the song, resulting in a palpable sense of melancholia. He evokes a similar sentiment on the achingly poignant version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" as well as the hopelessly optimistic "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." However, the real magic woven into this collaboration is without a doubt Davis' incorporation of several significant Broadway melodies. "Where Is Love" -- taken from Lionel Bart's Oliver -- is a stunning, if not mesmerizing, interpretation. "Joey, Joey, Joey" bears an earthy closeness, offering what is arguably a defining moment as the tune transcends its place within the stage production Most Happy Fella, becoming an exceptional and exquisite ballad. [In 2004, Collectors' Choice Music reissued Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays as part of the label's complete restoration of Davis' 1960s Reprise Records catalog.] (https://goo.gl/CkuXvS). Track listing: "Here's That Rainy Day" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 2:19 "Two Different Worlds" (Al Frisch, Bernie Wayne) – 3:24 "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) – 4:18 "Where Is Love?" (Lionel Bart) – 3:04 "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (Cole Porter) – 4:08 "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy) – 2:25 "We'll Be Together Again" (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine) – 3:18 "Joey, Joey, Joey" (Frank Loesser) – 4:23 "The Folks Who Live On the Hill" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 3:50 "Speak Low" (Ogden Nash, Kurt Weill) – 3:35 Bonus Track on CD Reissue "Misty" (Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner) - 2:19 Personnel: Sammy Davis Jr. – vocals Laurindo Almeida – guitar Released: 1966 Recorded: June 14-15, 1966 Length: 37:03 Label: Reprise Producer: Jimmy Bowen
Sammy Davis Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays is a 1966 studio album by Sammy Davis Jr., accompanied by guitarist Laurindo Almeida.
AllMusic Review by Lindsay Planer:
The intimacy inherent in this collection places 1966’s Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays in a class unto itself. As he had done on the highly conceptual All-Star Spectacular in 1962 and California Suite in 1964, multi-talented entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. has created a unique and thoroughly fascinating outing. The ten selections feature Davis and Brazilian instrumentalist/arranger Laurindo Almeida, who made a name for himself as an accompanist for Carmen Miranda before delving into the decidedly American art form of West Coast cool jazz with saxophonist Bud Shank in the mid-’50s. Here, the pair effortlessly complement each other inside the very intonation and tenor of their respective crafts. Davis’ incisive abilities as an emotive performer bring a pervasive dramatic quality to the wide range of material covered. When compared to fellow Rat Packer Frank Sinatra’s reading of “Here’s That Rainy Day,” Davis’ vocals lean into the song, resulting in a palpable sense of melancholia. He evokes a similar sentiment on the achingly poignant version of Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” as well as the hopelessly optimistic “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows.” However, the real magic woven into this collaboration is without a doubt Davis’ incorporation of several significant Broadway melodies. “Where Is Love” — taken from Lionel Bart’s Oliver — is a stunning, if not mesmerizing, interpretation. “Joey, Joey, Joey” bears an earthy closeness, offering what is arguably a defining moment as the tune transcends its place within the stage production Most Happy Fella, becoming an exceptional and exquisite ballad. [In 2004, Collectors’ Choice Music reissued Sammy Davis, Jr. Sings and Laurindo Almeida Plays as part of the label’s complete restoration of Davis’ 1960s Reprise Records catalog.] (https://goo.gl/CkuXvS).
“Here’s That Rainy Day” (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) – 2:19
“Two Different Worlds” (Al Frisch, Bernie Wayne) – 3:24
“The Shadow of Your Smile” (Johnny Mandel, Paul Francis Webster) – 4:18
“Where Is Love?” (Lionel Bart) – 3:04
“Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye” (Cole Porter) – 4:08
“I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” (Harry Carroll, Joseph McCarthy) – 2:25
“We’ll Be Together Again” (Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine) – 3:18
“Joey, Joey, Joey” (Frank Loesser) – 4:23
“The Folks Who Live On the Hill” (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) – 3:50
“Speak Low” (Ogden Nash, Kurt Weill) – 3:35
Bonus Track on CD Reissue
“Misty” (Johnny Burke, Erroll Garner) – 2:19
Sammy Davis Jr. – vocals
Laurindo Almeida – guitar
Recorded: June 14-15, 1966
Label: Reprise
Producer: Jimmy Bowen
Tags: Label Reprise, Laurindo Almeida, Sammy Davis Jr Jazz, Sammy Davis Jr Voice, Sammy Davis Jr., Sammy Davis Jr. Albums, Sammy Davis Jr. Best Songs, Sammy Davis Jr. Greatest Hits, Sammy Davis Jr. Music, Sammy Davis Jr. Singer, Sammy Davis Jr. Songs
Categories: Vocal Jazz
Sammy Davis Jr. & Buddy Rich - The Sounds of '66
Pat Thomas – Desafinado (Full Album)
Tommy Tedesco - The Guitar of Tom Tedesco (Album)
Laurindo Almeida & The Bossa Nova Allstars - Viva Bossa Nova!
Bud Shank - Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!
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Psychology>Social Psychology>Social Psychology Theories>Dual Process Theories
Dual Process Theories Definition
Dual process theories are a group of theories in social, personality, and cognitive psychology that describe how people think about information when they make judgments or solve problems. These theories are called dual process because they distinguish two basic ways of thinking about information: a relatively fast, superficial, spontaneous mode based on intuitive associations, and a more in-depth, effortful, step-by-step mode based on systematic reasoning. Dual process theories have been applied in many areas of psychology, including persuasion, stereotyping, person perception, memory, and negotiation. In general, these theories assume that people will think about information in a relatively superficial and spontaneous way unless they are both able and motivated to think more carefully.
Dual Process Theories Background and History
Dual process theories are built on several key ideas that have a long history in psychology. For instance, the two modes of thinking described by various dual process theories can often be mapped onto a top-down, idea-driven way of understanding the world versus a bottom-up, data-driven way of understanding. The notion that the way people understand the world is critically influenced by the knowledge that they bring to a situation (so that they begin at the top—their heads—in their understanding), as well as by the information provided within the situation itself (the bottom), dates back to Wolfgang Kohler’s distinction in the 1930s between perception and sensation. For instance, when a person looks at a book on a table, he or she senses both a pattern of colors and lines with his or her eyes and actively labels the pattern “book” by using his or her knowledge about what a book is like.
Dual process theories also build on Gestalt principles explored by psychologists in the 1930s and 1940s, which suggest that people have a natural tendency to make experiences meaningful, structured, and coherent. By focusing on how one thing relates to the next and seeing patterns in the way that events unfold, a person can understand and predict the social world, which allows him or her to anticipate, plan, and act effectively.
These and other elements were integrated into dual process theories in a variety of fields, beginning in the 1980s, often as an attempt to understand and synthesize conflicting findings or theories in the area. In persuasion, for instance, the development of two dual process theories (the elaboration likelihood model and the heuristic-systematic model) allowed researchers to organize complex findings in the field of attitudes and attitude change and explain why certain variables sometimes lead to attitude change and sometimes do not. For instance, when people are relying on simple, intuitive shortcuts in their thinking, they will be more persuaded by an expert than by a nonexpert, even when the expert’s arguments are not very good. However, when people are relying more on systematic, bottom-up processing of all available information, they will tend to be more persuaded by good arguments than by someone’s title.
Similarly, in the field of person perception, the continuum model of impression formation was developed in an attempt to reconcile two competing viewpoints on how people perceive others: one proposing that individuals form impressions in a bottom-up fashion, adding up lots of specific evaluations about a target person to form an overall average impression, and another claiming that people form impressions based on stereotypes or other social categories (e.g., race, gender). The continuum model suggests that people can use both of these modes, and the model identifies when a perceiver will rely solely on an initial, general categorization and when he or she will go on to think more carefully about another person based on unique information about that individual.
Dual Process Theories Importance and Consequences
As dual process theories became increasingly popular, they were adopted by more and more areas of psychology to describe how people think about information and arrive at conclusions. Dual process theories differ in various ways. For instance, some assume that the two ways of thinking about information are mutually exclusive (either/or), whereas others suggest that they happen one after the other, or even at the same time. However, the theories are more similar than different. They typically distinguish between a quick, superficial mode and an effortful, systematic mode of thinking. They also identify factors that affect whether people are able to and want to think carefully about information. In addition, they predict how the use of each mode will influence outcomes such as judgments, attitudes, stereotyping, and memory. By focusing on how people think about social information, dual process theories allow psychologists to identify the way in which a given variable (e.g., time pressure) will influence these thought processes and how this change in thinking will in turn affect the conclusions and judgments that people make.
As an example, consider the heuristic-systematic model of attitude change in the field of persuasion. Like other dual process theories, the heuristic-systematic model proposes two distinct modes of thinking about information. Systematic processing involves attempts to thoroughly understand any information encountered through careful attention, deep thinking, and intensive reasoning (e.g., thinking carefully about the arguments presented, the person arguing, and the causes of the person’s behavior). This information is combined and used to guide subsequent attitudes, judgments, and behaviors. For instance, a systematic approach to thinking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might involve reading as many magazine and newspaper reports as possible to learn and develop an opinion about the best course of action for the Middle East. Not surprisingly, such systematic thinking entails a great deal of mental effort, and requires that a person (a) can devote a certain amount of attention to thinking about the issue and (b) wants to devote this attention. Thus, systematic processing is unlikely to occur unless a person is both able and motivated to do it.
Relative to systematic processing, heuristic processing is much less mentally demanding and much less dependent on having the ability (e.g., enough knowledge and enough time) to think carefully about information. In fact, heuristic processing has often been called relatively automatic because it can occur even when people are not motivated and able to deliberately think about a topic. Heuristic processing involves focusing on easily noticed and easily understood cues, such as a communicator’s credentials (e.g., expert or not), the group membership of the communicator (e.g., Democrat or Republican), or the number of arguments presented (many or few). These cues are linked to well-learned, everyday decision rules known as heuristics. Examples include “experts know best,” “my own group can be trusted,” and “argument length equals argument strength.” These simple, intuitive rules allow people to form judgments, attitudes, and intentions quickly and efficiently, simply on the basis of the easily noticed cues, and with little critical thinking. A heuristic approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict might involve simply adopting the opinion of a noted Middle East political expert. In other words, heuristic thinking is what a per-son does when he or she does not have much ability or time to think about something and wants to make a quick decision.
The heuristic-systematic model suggests that people’s ability and motivation to think carefully about information influence whether they rely solely on quick decision rules or go on to think about information more carefully and deeply. Furthermore, this model identifies three broad categories of motives that influence whether thinking in either manner will be relatively open-minded versus relatively biased. Accuracy motivation is geared toward discovering what is correct. Accuracy motivation leads to relatively open-minded, evenhanded thinking. Defense motivation refers to the need to protect oneself against potential threats to one’s valued opinions and beliefs. This self-focused motivation leads people to choose heuristics that help protect their beliefs and to systematically think about information in a biased way that supports these beliefs. Finally, impression motivation involves the desire to make a good impression on another person or to maintain a positive relationship with someone. This other-focused motivation also biases thinking in favor of reaching a desired conclusion—in this case, the one that will best serve the relationship. Research on these three motivations reveals that people can think about information in an open-minded way when they have a lot of time and energy and really want to, but they are also very good at thinking about information in a way that lets them believe what they want to believe or what they think others want them to believe.
Dual process theories have been applied to many other research areas in social psychology. For example, the MODE model (motivation and opportunity as determinants of the attitude-behavior relationship) suggests that attitudes may guide behaviors in one of two ways. Strong positive or negative attitudes can guide behavior directly, without the individual thinking very much. Or, individuals can construct their attitudes in a more bottom-up, systematic fashion and then use this new attitude to determine their behavior. As another example, dual process models of how we perceive other people suggest two sequential modes of thinking about information when forming impressions of others. First, individuals spontaneously categorize the person (e.g., “She is a woman”; “He is Chinese”), and then—if they are both motivated and able to do so—they continue on to think more systematically about individuating, unique features of the person. Similarly, a dual process model of stereotyping suggests that people have an automatic tendency to stereotype others but can correct this stereotype if they are motivated and able to deliberately modify their views.
Perhaps most recently, a dual process perspective has been applied to negotiation settings. Studies in this field suggest that when negotiators have little desire to think carefully (or are unable to think carefully), they often rely on stereotypes about an opponent’s group membership or the belief that if one side wins the negotiation, the other has to lose. In contrast, when motivation and ability to think carefully are relatively high, reliance on these heuristics tends to decrease, and systematic processing increases. This allows negotiators to discover win-win solutions that are better for both parties.
Cacioppo, J. T., Petty, R. E., & Morris, K. J. (1983). Effects of need for cognition on message evaluation, recall, and persuasion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 805-818.
Chaiken, S., & Trope, Y. (Eds.). (1999). Dual-process theories in social psychology. New York: Guilford Press.
Chen, S., Schlechter, D., & Chaiken, S. (1996). Getting at the truth or getting along: Accuracy- versus impression-motivated heuristic and systematic processing. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 71, 262-275.
de Dreu, C. K. W., Koole, S. L., & Steinel, S. (2000). Unfixing the fixed pie: A motivated information-processing approach to integrative negotiation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 975-987.
← Drive Theory Dynamic Systems Theory →
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Doctors Urge F.D.A. to Restrict Caffeine in Energy Drinks - NYTimes.com
A group of 18 doctors, researchers and public health experts jointly urged the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday to take action on energy drinks to protect adolescents and children from the possible risks of consuming high amounts of caffeine.
"There is evidence in the published scientific literature that the caffeine levels in energy drinks pose serious potential health risks," the doctors and researchers wrote.In their letter to Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, the F.D.A. commissioner, the group argued that energy drink makers had failed to meet the regulatory burden placed on them to show that the ingredients used in their beverages were safe, specifically where children, adolescents and young adults are concerned. As a result, the group urged the F.D.A. to restrict caffeine content in the products and to require manufacturers to include caffeine content on product labels.
A similar letter was sent to the agency by the San Francisco city attorney, Dennis J. Herrera, who is one of several public officials conducting investigations of the energy-drink industry.
Energy drink makers have insisted their products are safe and that their levels of caffeine, a stimulant, are on a par with other widely consumed drinks, like coffee.
The F.D.A. has said that it is safe for adults to consume about 400 milligrams of caffeine daily, though many experts say that most adults can consume 600 milligrams or more of caffeine without ill effect. A 16-ounce cup of Starbucks coffee has about 330 milligrams of caffeine, an amount about twice that of some similarly sized energy drinks.
Less is known about the safe level of caffeine for a young teenager, experts say, apart from the fact that it is considered to be lower than for an adult. In their letter Tuesday to Dr. Hamburg, the group of researchers and scientists also pointed out that makers of energy drinks aggressively marketed their products to young teenagers and urged them to consume the drinks quickly.
In recent years, the number of reported emergency-room visits in which an energy drink was cited as the primary cause of a health problem, or a contributing factor, has grown sharply. In 2011, there were 20,783 such visits, compared with 10,068 in 2007. Problems typically linked to excessive caffeine consumption can include anxiety, headaches, irregular heartbeats and heart attacks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/business/doctors-urge-fda-to-restrict-caffeine-in-energy-drinks.html?&pagewanted=print
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/20/business/in-a-new-aisle-energy-drinks-sidestep-rules.html?
Suddenly, They're All Gone - NYTimes.com
Group appointments with doctors: When three isn't ...
American Academy of Pediatrics Backs Gay Marriage ...
Kaiser Permanente Is Seen as Face of Future Health...
Sherpaa - blog
Jay Parkinson, The Doctor Is in (Well, Logged in) ...
Doctors Urge F.D.A. to Restrict Caffeine in Energy...
Cynthia Wachenheim's suicide shows us that new mot...
Staggering 1 in 3 seniors dies with dementia, repo...
Psych Effects Linger After False Positive Mammogra...
How Creative Is Your Doctor? - NYTimes.com
How Good Is Your Hospital? Depends Who You Ask | P...
Women and the Treatment of Pain - NYTimes.com
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Opioids and anti-anxiety medication are killing white American women | The Washington Post
Karen Franklin leans against the sink in the pink-tiled bathroom of her childhood home, counting out pills. There's a purple morphine tablet for chronic back pain, a blue Xanax for anxiety and a white probiotic for her stomach, which aches from all the other pills.
In all, Franklin, 60, takes more than a dozen different prescription drugs, washing them down with tap water and puffing on a Marlboro while she waits for them to kick in.
"They take the edge off, but that's about it," Franklin says. So she keeps a bottle of vodka handy for added relief, increasing her risk of joining the legions of American women dying from prescription-drug overdoses.
While death rates are falling for blacks and Hispanics in middle age, whites are dying prematurely in growing numbers, particularly white women. One reason: a big increase in overdoses, primarily from opioids, but also from anti-anxiety drugs, which are often prescribed in tandem.
Between 1999 and 2014, the number of middle-aged white women dying annually from opiate overdoses shot up 400 percent, according to a Washington Post analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Anti-anxiety drugs known as benzodiazepines contributed to a growing share of the 54,000 deaths over that period, reaching a third in the last several years, The Post found, though spotty reporting in death records makes it likely that the combination is even more widespread.
Both drugs depress the central nervous system, temporarily easing pain and anxiety while suppressing respiration, heart rate and the gag reflex. Alcohol has the same effect, and combining any of these can be fatal.
"They act like a dimmer switch on the central nervous system," said Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal, former U.S. assistant surgeon general and an expert on women's health issues. "When taken in combination, a person's breathing and heart will slow down, and can ultimately stop. People can go to sleep and never wake up."
White women are more likely than women of other races to be prescribed opiates, and far more likely to be prescribed both opiates and anti-anxiety drugs, according to a Post analysis of middle-aged participants in the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. White women prescribed opiates are five times as likely as white men to be given that drug combination — helping to explain why white women may be at special risk.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/wp/2016/08/31/2016/08/31/opiods-and-anti-anxiety-medication-are-killing-white-american-women/?
Here's why drug prices rise even when there's plenty of competition - LA Times
At least eight pharmaceutical companies sell a decades-old drug that treats gallstones, but the competition has done little to keep its price down.
Instead the price has skyrocketed.
Two years ago, ursodiol's wholesale price was as low as 45 cents a capsule. Then in May 2014, generic drug manufacturer Lannett Co. hiked its price to $5.10 per capsule, and one by one its competitors followed suit – with most charging nearly the same price.
Experts say this is not how a competitive marketplace is supposed to work.
"When you have a generic drug with eight suppliers you would expect the prices to go down," said Dana Goldman, director of USC's Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.
Unlike nearly every other developed nation, the U.S. allows drug manufacturers to set their own prices, a policy that has resulted in overall medicine costs being far higher than elsewhere. Increasingly, insurers are passing the cost along to patients through higher deductibles.
Robert Frankil, the owner of Sellersville Pharmacy in Pennsylvania, said ursodiol is just one of dozens of generic drugs that he has found to spike in price in the last couple of years.
"Why are these companies raising their prices?" asked Frankil. "Because they can."
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-mylan-price-hikes-20160830-snap-story.html?
Opioids and anti-anxiety medication are killing wh...
Here's why drug prices rise even when there's plen...
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AMUNDSEN - LOST IN THE ARCTIC
A film on the mysterious disappearance of the man who beat Scott to the South Pole...
aka SEARCH FOR THE WORLD'S GREATEST EXPLORER (U.S. title)
director: Rudolph Herzog
writer: Rudolph Herzog
1st unit camera: Jan Hoffmann
producer: Context TV for
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC U.S., ZDF, NRK, YLE, ARTE
Roald Amundsen was the world’s greatest polar explorer. The Norwegian was the first to cross the Northwest Passage, he won the spectacular race to the South Pole against his rival Robert F. Scott and he led a pioneering expedition across the Arctic Ocean. But in the end, a revolutionary method of transport became his nemesis – the airplane.
On June 17th, 1928, the Norwegian boarded “Latham 47”, a sea-plane bound for Spitsbergen.Oddly, Roald Amundsen wanted to save his fiercest rival: Umberto Nobile. The Italian general and aviator had just crashed his airship “Italia” on a return voyage from the North Pole. Nobile and several other survivors found themselves drifting helplessly on the pack ice of the Arctic Circle. Amundsen was asked to join the rescue operation. It would be the final mission of his epic and controversial life. At 6 p.m. on that day in June one last radio message was picked up from his aircraft – then there was silence. What happened to Amundsen, greatest arctic explorer of all time, a megastar of his age, has remained a mystery to this day.
The key to Amundsen’s death, believes Liv Arnesen, lies not in his disappearance, but in his life. And Arnesen is one to know. She understands the psychology of polar explorers since she is herself one. She was the first woman to solo to the South Pole and is considered to be one of the most prolific adventurers alive today. In this film, Liv Arnesen makes a journey into the past, supported by Per Arvid Tellemann, a former navy navigator and member of a commission that investigated the mystery of Amundsen’s untimely death.
In parallel, a major expedition sets out to uncover the truth behind the legendary explorer’s disappearance. The Norwegian navy contributed one of its finest ships to the mission, the “KNM Tyr” and the Coast Guard is sending the massive "Harstad". On board is Nicolay Jacobsen one of the few direct descendants of the great explorer. They head out into the icy Barents Sea, following the route of a 1930’s fisherman who snared one of Latham’s wings in his lines.
The navy searches for the wreck of Amundsen’s plane with an underwater drone, “Hugin 1000”. This device is launched into the sea and flies across the ocean floor like a cruise missile, scanning every inch of ground. The system was devised to discover very small sea mines – and is ideally suited to search for wrecks. But as it soon becomes clear, this mission in the tracks of the elusive explorer will not be without hazard...
CHECK OUT: Rudolph Herzog's radio interview on the making of the film in the media section of this site (German language only).
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Townes scores 21 points, Loyola-Chicago edges Illinois St.
Final Score: ILLINOIS ST 64, LOYOLA CHI 67
CHICAGO (AP) Marques Townes scored 21 points and Loyola-Chicago held off Illinois State 67-64 on Saturday despite going the final six minutes without a field goal.
The Ramblers compensated for the 0-for-6 drought by making 6 of 6 from the line in the last two minutes. They made 12 of 16 free throws for the game.
Matt Chastain's dunk tied the game at 61 with 3:37 remaining but Illinois State went scoreless until Zach Copeland's 3-pointer drew the Redbirds within 65-64 with 15 seconds remaining. Loyola's Clayton Custer made two free throws and a few seconds later grabbed the rebound when Copeland missed a 3-pointer, sealing the win.
Cameron Krutwig had 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists for Loyola (10-7, 3-1 Missouri Valley) and Custer added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. The Ramblers have won 18 of their past 22 MVC regular-season games and four in a row against Illinois State.
Malik Yarbrough had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Illinois State (9-8, 2-2) and Keyshawn Evans scored 16 points.
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DAVE 'SNAKE' SABO Has No Interest In Re-Teaming With SEBASTIAN BACH To Perform SKID ROW's Debut Album
SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo says that he has no interest in joining Sebastian Bach on his upcoming tour.
Bach will celebrate the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's acclaimed, self-titled breakout debut album with a U.S. tour where he will perform the record in its entirety plus other songs from his celebrated catalog. The tour will kick off in Nashville, Tennessee on August 30 and will end in Pinellas Park, Florida on November 2.
Earlier in the month, Bach, who hasn't played with SKID ROW since 1996, said during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" that he would love to see some of his former bandmates join him at some point during the tour.
"I would like to say right here right now [to] any original member in SKID ROW — there's five people in the world that can say that," Bach said. "We all know who the five guys are that made that record. I have an open invitation out to any of those guys, if they would like to get onstage and jam. I don't foresee that happening, but I'm throwing it out there.
"The bottom line is you only get so many '30 years's," he laughed. "It doesn't roll around too often — a 30-year anniversary. So, would I like to celebrate it with the original members? Yes, I would. Of course I would. But who knows if I'm gonna get hit by a truck tomorrow. So we're kind of like getting older now. So we can either shit or get off the pot [laughs], I think the saying goes."
On June 15, Sabo gave an interview to Finland's Kaaos TV and was asked if he had heard about Bach's open invitation to join him on the road this fall. "Well, yes, I did," the guitarist confirmed. When questioned about his thoughts on the prospect of re-teaming with Bach to play some of SKID ROW's classic songs, Sabo said: "I'm working with my band." Asked if that means that he has no desire to take Bach up on his offer, Sabo said: "No. This is SKID ROW. And this is what I do."
Although fans shouldn't expect to see Sabo on stage with Bach anytime soon, the guitarist says that he is not opposed to performing full albums with SKID ROW at some point in the future.
"I saw, a bunch of years ago — probably 10 years go — METALLICA do the 'Master Of Puppets' record from start to finish, and it was brilliant; it really was," he said.
"I think at some point, we would probably [do something like that]," he continued. "It's funny — we've talked about it, but we've never really pushed forward into it. And I think it's just because we wanna play [songs from] throughout the whole history of the band.
"For me on stage, I like experiencing the whole history of the band. But I would so be up for doing 'Slave To The Grind' or the first record in its entirety. That'd be fun. It'd be a lot of fun."
SKID ROW's final chapter of the "United World Rebellion" trilogy will tentatively be released in early 2020. The disc was recorded at a Nashville, Tennessee studio with producer Michael Wagener, who also helmed the group's 1989 self-titled debut and 1991's "Slave To The Grind".
SKID ROW's new disc will mark its first release with South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who joined the band in 2016 following the departure of Tony Harnell (TNT, STARBREAKER).
This past January, Rhino released a 30th-anniversary remastered digital reissue of SKID ROW's quintuple-platinum 1989 debut album, which featured the hits "Youth Gone Wild", "18 & Life" and "I Remember You". The reissue also includes "Forever", a b-side recorded during the sessions for the album that previously appeared on the 1998 greatest-hits compilation "40 Seasons: The Best Of Skid Row", and a 10-track live performance recorded on April 26, 1989 at the Marquee in Westminster, California.
Tags: skid row
SACRED REICH Frontman Says DONALD TRUMP Is 'An Awful Human Being' And A 'Narcissist' Whose 'Only Motivation Is Selfish Things'
OZZY OSBOURNE Joins Cast Of 'Trolls World Tour'
Ex-KORN Drummer DAVID SILVERIA Has 'No Problem' With His Former Bandmates
BLACK STONE CHERRY Announces Fall 2019 U.S. Co-Headlining Tour With THE LACS
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Reem Island
Reem Mall
Tenant Downloads
The Heart of Abu Dhabi
Construction of Abu Dhabi’s US$1.2bn Reem Mall gathers momentum
Al Farwaniya Property Developments, the developer behind Reem Mall, Abu Dhabi’s up and coming retail, dining and leisure destination, today showcased the construction progress of the US$ 1.2bn project.
Construction of the mall commenced in late 2017, and within the first few months, 13 tower cranes have been erected and raft foundation works are well advanced with over 55,000 m3 – more than 9000 truckloads – of concrete set in place, and over 5,500 tonnes of reinforcement installed.
In addition the superstructure of the project is now underway with the first suspended slab’s recently poured and vertical works progressing across the whole site.
Reem Mall is set to bring 2 million sq. ft. of leasable area (2.9 million sq. ft. of floor area) which will comprise more than 450 retail brands, dining options as well as a range of entertainment concepts, including the much-anticipated Snow Park Abu Dhabi, a destination snow park attraction.
Commenting on the construction update, Shane Eldstrom, Chief Executive Officer of Al Farwaniya Property Developments said, “We’re very excited about the pace at which Reem Mall construction is progressing. The cranes are on site, we have nearly completed the substructure and have already completed several sections of floor in the superstructure. We look forward to delivering this world class destination, to the people of Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.”
Al Farwaniya Property Developments also announced that infrastructure works had commenced with geotechnical investigations required for the projects elevated roads which will when completed provide unparalleled access to the mall for visitors.
Reem Mall site is located in the Najmat District on Reem Island, the residential and commercial master development by Reem Developers. Reem Island is planned to have a population of 200,000 at completion.
Home to the world's largest indoor snow park, Reem Mall will become Abu Dhabi's major new retail, leisure, dining and entertainment destination.
About Reem Mall
Copyright © 2015 - Al Farwaniya Property Developments LLC, Abu Dhabi - UAE. All Rights Reserved.
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The Untold Story of Islamic Terrorist Training Camps Inside America
Twilight in America
By Martin Mawyer
Undercover Informant Exposes Secret Jihadi Army in America
A former undercover informant for the NYPD says a U.S. Muslim group with ties to terrorism is a "bomb" waiting to go off. His startling accusations are exposed in a new book by Martin Mawyer, called Twilight in America: The Untold Story of Islamic Terror Training Camps in America, whichdetails the history of "Muslims of the Americas" and its links to multiple murders, assassinations, fire-bombings, kidnappings and countless white-collar crimes inside the United States.
Founded in 1980, MOA is a front group for the more radical terrorist network known as Jamaat al-Fuqra. The group recruits mostly from the black community and it has a presence in New York, Virginia, California, Tennessee, Texas, South Carolina and Georgia.
Though few Americans have ever heard of the controversial terrorist organization, most are familiar with Wall Street reporter Daniel Pearl who was murdered while trying to arrange an interview with its leader, Sheikh Mubarak Gilani, in Pakistan. Mr. Pearl was investigating the group's connection to shoe-bomber Richard Reid when he was kidnapped in Karachi and held for ransom before he was brutally beheaded. Twilight in America completes Daniel Pearl's investigation into Gilani's terror group.
Ali Aziz, who spent eight years infiltrating the Islamic group for the NYPD, says the terrorist group has a secret army training for Jihad against America. "The ultimate purpose is to be ready when the time is right," he tells author Martin Mawyer.
MOA has nearly three-dozen Islamic camps, villages and compounds scattered throughout the United States. The group is headquartered in Hancock, NY and boasts that it has the "most advanced Islamic guerilla warfare training camps" in the world. Mr. Aziz confirmed many of the suspicions and rumors which have circulated about the Islamic group since its founding:
MOA has a stockpile of illegal weapons on its compounds.
MOA beats its members into submission.
MOA engages in violent crimes.
MOA uses scams, fraud and drug-running to feed its terrorist activity.
The NYPD has enough criminal evidence to shut them down.
MOA trains its children to grow up and become murderers.
"You have to understand this," Aziz said of the group, "All they've been living for their whole lives is to fight a holy war. They want to become gangsters for what they think is a holy war." Aziz calls MOA "modern warrior slaves" whose members would "set themselves on fire" if commanded to do so by their Pakistani leader, Sheikh Gilani. "These people are slaves," he says. "The scariest part of MOA is that anything can happen at any time."
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Martin Mawyer is the President of Christian Action Network, a non-profit public advocacy group based in Virginia. Mawyer has authored several books and has produced a number of documentary films, including Homegrown Jihad. Co-Author Patti A. Pierucci is an award-winning journalist and documentary scriptwriter. She has worked as a ghostwriter for numerous national personalities, including members of Congress.
Thanking Our Soldiers
Random Acts of Gratitude and Generosity
Toward Members of the Military
By Rose Tennent
Just in time for Veterans Day comes a tribute to our troops compiled from the letters of listeners to the popular nationally syndicated radio talk show, America's Morning Show with Quinn and Rose. THANKING OUR SOLDIERS: Random Acts of Gratitude and Generosity Toward Members of the Military is a collection of inspirational stories demonstrating the generosity, kindness, and basic goodwill of ordinary Americans towards those who proudly serve their nation in uniform.
Whether they describe picking up the tab for a soldier's dinner, or a military person's own appreciation for the respect and love shown at airport homecomings, these heartwarming and patriotic tales may bring tears to your eyes and certainly will make you proud to be an American. Included in the collection are a foreword by radio and television host Sean Hannity, an interview with country artist Charlie Daniels, and a listing of organizations that readers may contact to perform their own good deeds in thanking our troops and veterans.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rose Tennent is co-host of America's Morning Show with Quinn & Rose, a syndicated, talk radio show, heard on Pittsburgh's FM Newstalk 104.7, and various affiliates across the U.S., including Sirius XM Radio. Rose is sassy and witty, bringing insight on issues regarding politics, faith, and family values. She is a frequent guest host for "The Sean Hannity Show" and a frequent guest on his radio show. Rose is a national speaker for the Washington D.C. National Tea Party, The Mandeville Tea Party with Herman Cain, and guest speaker at The Pennsylvania Leadership Conference as well as other national and local events.
Gas Can Man Giving to the Red Cross
While people in New York and New Jersey can't get gasoline thanks to Hurricane Sandy, Gas Can Man is giving out $1.84-a-gallon "pre-Obama price" gas all over the state of Ohio this week... and donating $25 gas cards for those who have suffered the devastation of the storm through the Red Cross.
"As we watch the chaos in the aftermath of Sandy, particularly the struggle to get fuel, it should remind us again that we need an energy policy agenda in this country where we are not dependent upon a few refineries ANYWHERE in our country in order to generate the gasoline we need to meet our needs," Steve Gill, nationally syndicated talk host and Chairman of Morning in America, noted in response to the near riots breaking out as victims of Sandy show increasing frustration and desperation over gas stations that have no fuel. [more...]
The Daily Caller highlighted the Gas Can Man efforts in Ohio on Thursday.
Today, Gas Can Man will start the day pumping gas with Newt Gingrich in Arlington, VA and then move through Ohio for another day of the "Pain in the Gas" tour of the Buckeye State.
Watch GasCanMan video.
Better Capitalism By Robert E. Litan and Carl Schramm
Renewing the Entrepreneurial Strength
of the American Economy
Robert E. Litan and Carl Schramm
With the presidential election drawing nearer, the biggest concern weighing heavily on the minds of most thinking Americans is the economy. We've heard the candidates' arguments and debates on the subject, but is there a solution?
Better Capitalism: Renewing the Entrepreneurial Strength of the American Economy by Robert E. Litan and Carl Schramm is about the financial crisis and the recession that followed and how it underscored for us that a sustained recovery and higher long-run growth will require a heavier dose of entrepreneurship than we had previously recommended. This book lays out some concrete ways to do that.
In the wake of the Great Recession and America's listless recovery from it, economists, policymakers, and media pundits have argued at length about what has gone wrong with the American capitalist system. Even so, few constructive remedies have emerged. Better Capitalism cuts through the chatter and offers a detailed, non-ideological, and practical blueprint to restore the vigor of the American economy.
Better Capitalism extends and significantly expands on the insights of the authors' widely praised previous book, Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism, co-written with William Baumol. In Better Capitalism, Robert E. Litan and Carl Schramm focus on the huge - but often unrecognized - importance of entrepreneurship to overall economic growth. They explain how changes in seemingly unrelated policy arenas - immigration, education, finance, and federal support of university research - can accelerate America's recovery from recession and spur the nation's rate of growth in output while raising living standards.
The authors also outline an innovative energy strategy and discuss the potential benefits of government belt-tightening steps. Sounding an optimistic note when gloomy predictions are the norm, Litan and Schramm show that, with wise and informed policymaking, the American entrepreneurial engine can rally and the true potential of the U.S. economy can be unlocked.
Read more about Better Capitalism in The Economist.
About the Author: Best-selling Author, Economist and Entrepreneur, Carl Schramm blogs for the George W. Bush Institute. His column, Messy Capitalism, appears in Forbes. His writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, City Journal and the Harvard Business Review. He has appeared many times on television as a guest of Charlie Rose (PBS), Brian Sullivan (CNBC), David Asman and Liz Claman (Fox), Joe Kernan (CNBC), and Gerri Willis (Fox Business). [more...]
52 Reasons to (or Not to) Vote for Obama
52 REASONS TO VOTE FOR OBAMA
By Bernard Whitman
52 REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR OBAMA
By Anthony Holm
The 'Hannity & Colmes' of Election 2012 is ready to spar on your show!
An analysis of Barack Obama's actions as President of the United States.
Candidate Obama burst onto the political scene capturing the hearts and minds of voters with his charisma and hope-filled promises. Since gaining office, Obama has done all he can to fulfill those promises, though there have been strategically placed roadblocks along the way. Bernard Whitman has compiled this book as a guide for voters - a tool that we, the American people, can use to help in one of the most important decisions we'll ever have to make: who to vote into office as the next President of the United States of America.
An analysis of candidate Obama's campaign promises juxtaposed with his subsequent actions as President.
Candidate Obama burst onto the political scene capturing the hearts and minds of voters with his charisma and hope-filled promises. Once elected to office by optimistic Americans from every walk of life, President Obama seemed to quickly forget the changes he planned to make. Holm does not offer a suggestion as to who the reader should vote for, but provides them with the information and reasons to lead them to reason. Anthony Holm has compiled this book as a guide for voters - a tool that we, the American people, can use to help in one of the most important decisions we'll ever have to make: who to vote into office as the next President of the United States of America.
Whitman & Holm present the facts... YOU DECIDE!
GasCanMan is Here!
GAS CAN MAN IS ROLLING BACK GAS PRICES ACROSS AMERICA!
$1.84/gallon "PAIN IN THE GAS" Tour Through November
Gas Can Man is taking his campaign to help America achieve energy independence through an "all of the above" approach across the country in the coming weeks. Gas Can Man has already hosted events reducing the price of gasoline to the January, 2009 price of $1.84 for drivers in fourteen markets from Ft. Meyers to Denver, from Reno to Cincinnati, from Charlottesville to Las Vegas and Grand Junction to Richmond. (The January, 2009 national average price for gasoline was $1.84 per gallon.)
CALL 516-735-5468 or e-mail Sandy to schedule interviews with Steve Gill and Gas Can Man.
Another twenty "Pain in the Gas" events are being scheduled in the weeks ahead, including Panama City, Asheville, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Jacksonville, and Pensacola.
"High gas prices have been one of the main topics of concern that Americans all over the country have experienced and we are using Gas Can Man to promote the idea that with a "can do" attitude, we CAN do better," Steve Gill, Chairman of Morning In America, Inc., a Nashville. TN-based 501c4 focused on American energy policy, said in announcing the price roll-back event in Las Vegas. "We need an all of the above approach to energy policy, because coal, gas, natural gas, biofuels, solar, nuclear, etc., ALL fit in the CAN!"
"We have teamed up with some of the top talk radio hosts in the country to promote the "Pain in the Gas" events, including Jimmy Barrett in Richmond, Kevin Wall in Las Vegas, Drew Steele in Ft. Meyers and Rob Schilling in Charlottesville," Gill added. "We are reaching out to other talk show hosts and their stations in the weeks ahead to help introduce Gas Can Man to their listeners... and give them a break at the pump." [more...]
Steve Gill is the host of the nationally syndicated Steve Gill Show which airs from Nashville, Tennessee weekday mornings from 5-9 am. He hosted the first "Gas We Can" price roll back event in Nashville earlier this year.
For more information about Gas Can Man and Energize America PAC, contact:
Steve Gill | Morning in America, Inc.
1616 Westgate Circle, Brentwood, TN 37027 | 615-243-0976 | steve@gillreport.com
Dick Morris: Here Come the Black Helicopters!
#1 New York Times bestselling authors Dick Morris and Eileen McGann expose liberals' bold plan to circumvent our democratic processes and put governing power in the hands of unaccountable international organizations.
HERE COME THE BLACK HELICOPTERS!
UN Global Governance and the Loss of Freedom
By Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 24, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton taunted opponents of the controversial Law of the Seas Treaty (one of liberals' top agenda items), saying, "Of course, that means the black helicopters are on their way," a reference to conspiracy theories about a world government. Ironically, Clinton's sarcastic remarks were strikingly close to the truth.
In Here Come the Black Helicopters!, Dick Morris and Eileen McGann detail the liberal plan to remove decision-making power from the U.S. government and vest it in the United Nations, establishing a one-world government that would sublimate America's national interests, subsume our democratic values, and subvert the power and sovereignty of our national government. Regulated by the U.N. - a governing body that polls show two-thirds of Americans say they don't approve of - these global superagencies would have no accountability to American voters and would have no input from elected officials, yet would have power to censor the Internet and control international communications, to levy international taxes, and to otherwise undermine and circumvent our jurisprudence and constitutional protections by dictating law from non-U.S. bodies.
Morris and McGann introduce and explain the upcoming international agreements President Obama will be championing in the last few months of his term, including the Law of the Sea Treaty, the Law of the Child Treaty, and the International Criminal Court Treaty.
Here Come the Black Helicopters! is filled with shocking information and heavy-hitting conclusions and offers a concrete plan to push back against the formation of world government - ideas that no American can afford to ignore as we head into the next presidential election.
Dick Morris served as Bill Clinton's political consultant for twenty years. A regular political commentator on Fox News Channel, he is the author of eleven New York Times bestsellers (all with Eileen McGann) and oneWashington Post bestseller.
Dreams from My Real Father
A Story of Reds and Deception
Dreams from My Real Father is a stunning political documentary by a truly gifted filmmaker. Once you digest the vast amount of information revealed in this meticulously researched treatise on the life of America's 44th President, you realize - at long last - every single unanswered question you ever had about Obama has been answered systematically, factually and comprehensively. The scope of this documentary is truly amazing.
The film's Director, Joel Gilbert is no stranger to the genre; in 2010 he produced the award winning "Atomic Jihad: Ahmadinejad's Coming War and Obama's Politics of Defeat." Today, Dreams from My Real Father is a tour de force; it gives us a unique perspective on Obama and sheds new light on his origins - the story of his life, which most Americans do not know. His father was not the "Kenyan goat herder" as Obama claimed, but rather the Communist Party USA propagandist who raised him, Frank Marshall Davis.
Dreams from My Real Father is the alternative Barack Obama "autobiography," offering a divergent theory of what shaped Obama's life and politics. It chronicles Obama's life journey in socialism, from birth through his election to the Presidency. This fascinating narrative is based in part on two years of research, interviews, newly unearthed footage and photos, and the writings of Obama himself. Dreams from My Real Father weaves together the proven facts with reasoned logic in an attempt to fill in the obvious gaps in Obama's history. Director Joel Gilbert concludes, "To understand Obama's plans for America, the question is 'Who is his real father?'" [more...]
Went to #1 on Amazon in Movies!
Screened at the RNC three times!
BREAKING NEWS: Media bypass: 'Dreams' mailed to ONE million
Crucial swing state targeted with 'true story' of Obama's radical origins
"Because almost all levels of the mainstream media are suppressing the information in Dreams from My Real Father, my distribution company, starting this week, is mailing hundreds of thousands of free copies of the DVD across the United States. This will help stimulate national interest in Dreams from My Real Father." -- Director Joel Gilbert, Washington, D.C.
One million copies of the documentary film that presents evidence that Barack Obama's real father was Communist Party activist Frank Marshall Davis have been mailed to households in the crucial presidential-election swing state Ohio. Filmmaker Joel Gilbert told WND his mass distribution of the documentary Dreams from My Real Father is an attempt to bypass an establishment media blackout. [more...]
www.twitter.com/obamarealfather
www.facebook.com/obamasrealfather
Doug Schoen's American Casino
Doug Schoen's American Casino Indicts a U.S. Political System Overrun by Money and Special Interests
Just in time for Election 2012, political analyst, pollster, and author Doug Schoen's American Casino: The Rigged Game That's Killing Democracy exposes the raw truth that millions of Americans have sensed for some time: that our political system has been taken over by insiders, elites, and big-money special interests. Whether it's coming from billionaire donors, militant labor unions, or shadowy "Super PACs," money has completely corrupted our two-party system. "Democracy in America," Schoen writes provocatively, "is in large measure gone."
In his bold and timely book, Schoen chronicles how, over each election of the last decade, political money has taken an increasingly dominant role in our political process. He shows:
How the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign-finance reform law ironically led to the explosion of independent-expenditure groups -- or "527s" -- like the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that may have won the 2004 presidential race for George W. Bush.
How massive spending from labor unions and other liberal special interests gave Democrats resounding victories in the 2006 and 2008 races.
How 2010 became "the first Super PAC election," leading to huge gains for the GOP.
How billionaires and Super PACs controlled the 2012 Republican primaries.
Why 2012 will be the costliest and nastiest presidential election in American history.
Schoen chronicles the brief but explosive history of Super PACs. Unleashed by the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision -- which legalized unlimited independent expenditures to support or oppose federal candidates, effectively removing restrictions on donations by corporations or unions -- Super PACs have transformed American politics. They have pumped enormous sums of money into campaigns, upended congressional and Senate races, and pushed both parties further to their left- and right-wing extremes.
But as Schoen argues, Super PACs endanger our democracy, shutting out the voice of ordinary American voters while making the electoral process a mere contest between competing elites -- from billionaires like Sheldon Adelson and the Koch brothers on the right to the SEIU or AFL-CIO on the left. The result is a system less responsive, less effective, and certainly less democratic.
"We desperately need to take our democracy off the auction block," Schoen argues. "Only wholesale, systemic change can address the stranglehold that mega-donors, power brokers, and Super PACs now have on our political system." Schoen offers serious proposals for restoring democratic values and popular control over our elections, including:
Amending the Constitution to reassert Congress's right to regulate campaign spending, and to revoke corporate personhood, thus invalidating corporate "speech rights;"
Imposing much tougher disclosure requirements on Super PACs through legislation;
Abolishing the specious distinction between candidate-specific Super PACs and the candidates' own campaigns; and
Enforcing a new FCC requirement that broadcasters post online in the name of anyone buying time for political advertising, along with the air date and amount of the purchase.
Schoen's bottom line: "If this trend continues, our democracy, as we know it, is over."
Schoen will take you inside the 2012 campaign and explain how its outcome could well be determined not by the candidates, but by shadowy Super PACs and billionaire supporters. Schoen pulls no punches; he targets left-wing union bosses and shadowy and reclusive billionaires alike. This is the hidden key to the 2012 election and Schoen explains how it all works - as one of the few presidential insiders willing to tell all - without ideological bias or fear or favor!
As the country gets ready for another presidential election, Americans face continued economic hardship, and polls show they're more skeptical about their leaders in Washington than ever before. American Casino is the right book at the right time, speaking to the central issue in our politics: the failure of elites to address the needs of the American people. It will be THE book of this political season.
About the Author: Democratic Strategist, Fox News Analyst and Best-selling Author, Doug Schoen has been one of the most influential Democratic campaign consultants for over thirty years. Doug has advised President Bill Clinton, numerous governors and senators as well as NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. [more...]
Posted by Sandy Frazier at 8:18 AM 1 comment:
Ronald Kessler's "The Secrets of the FBI"
The FBI is involved in almost every aspect of American life. From Watergate to Waco, from congressional scandals to the takedown of Osama bin Laden, from Vince Foster's death to the swap of Russian spies, The Secrets of the FBI, now in paperback,presents headline-making disclosures about the most important figures and events of our time.
THE SECRETS OF THE FBI
By Ronald Kessler
Based on his unparalleled access to hundreds of current and former FBI agents, award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author Ronald Kessler delivers a treasure trove of revelations in THE SECRETS OF THE FBI, now available in paperback.
Already a hardcover bestseller, the paperback edition of THE SECRETS OF THE FBI includes an explosive new epilogue with newsworthy information involving the New York City Police Department and abuses of rights, a timely topic and one sure to create controversy. Kessler discloses J. Edgar Hoover's sexual orientation, what triggered Vince Foster's suicide, what preceded Marilyn Monroe's death, and the real story of how the FBI caught spy Robert Hanssen in its midst.
Kessler goes behind the scenes at the FBI laboratory and training center and presents an exclusive interview with FBI director Robert S. Mueller. For the first time, he reveals how agents break into homes, offices, and embassies to plant bugging devices without getting caught and shot as burglars. The narrative culminates with the inside story of the FBI's involvement in the raid on bin Laden's compound.
THE SECRETS OF THE FBI discloses the FBI's most closely guarded secrets and the secrets of celebrities, politicians, and movie stars uncovered by agents during their investigations. The book reveals:
* Robert F. Kennedy secretly borrowed the personal car of the FBI agent in charge of the Los Angeles field office to visit Marilyn Monroe just before she took her own life.
* FBI agents determined that an encounter with Hillary Clinton triggered Vince Foster's suicide a week later.
* Russia tried to include convicted spies Robert Hanssen and Aldrich Ames in the swap of Russian spies arrested by the FBI and tried to contact Ames in prison.
* After he was killed, the FBI could not match Osama bin Laden's fingerprints.
* Contrary to the portrayal in the movie Breach, it was FBI agent Mike Rochford who uncovered fellow agent Robert Hanssen as a spy.
* FBI director J. Edgar Hoover had a spousal relationship with his deputy, Clyde Tolson.
* What the FBI thinks about President Obama, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, and Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper Jr.
* When planting bugs in the homes and offices of Mafia figures, spies, and terrorists, FBI agents tranquilize dogs, stage fake traffic accidents, and instruct police to stop occupants who try to return.
When it comes to developing access to top players, uncovering secrets, and writing a vivid tale, Ronald Kessler is without peer. As he did in his New York Times bestseller In the President's Secret Service, Kessler penetrated a wall of secrecy to write a book that is powerful and compelling.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ronald Kessler is the New York Times bestselling author of nineteen nonfiction books, including In the President's Secret Service, The Terrorist Watch, Inside the White House, and The CIA at War. A former Washington Post and Wall Street Journal investigative reporter, Kessler has won seventeen journalism awards.
Grassroots Group Vows "Full and Final Repeal" after Court Decision
The head of the grassroots campaign that delivered 1.6 million petitions to repeal the healthcare act over the past year said this week that TV ads would begin immediately to rally Americans to force legislative repeal of ObamaCare.
"We will be sending millions of petitions, voice mails and phone calls into Senate offices to make the point that we want this law erased," said Ken Hoagland, Chairman of Restore America's Voice Foundation.
"The Court threaded a Constitutional needle in redefining the individual mandate as a federal tax. It's disappointing but not the final recourse for the American people. Now it is time for the legislature to do its job representing the will of the American people for full and final repeal of this ill-considered legislation," said Hoagland.
"The public has seen through the false promises, is indignant that political friends were given waivers and understands that the 'Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act' neither protect patients nor controls costs," said Hoagland. New ads, said Hoagland, would make the point that Senate Democrats were standing in the way of majority opinion about the sweeping law.
"It must be repealed in its entirety or Senate Democrats will have to go home and explain their flawed definition of faithful representation. If they won't represent the will of the people, then how have they earned the right to serve?" asked Hoagland.
Hoagland's group presented 560,000 petitions the day before the House voted for full repeal last year and another 1.6 million petitions to the Senate earlier this year.
Ken Hoagland is chairman of RepealItNow.org and Restore America's Voice Foundation. RepealitNow Television ads have resulted in more than 2.3 million petitions demanding repeal of ObamaCare. Of those petitions 535,000 were delivered to House members the day before the House of Representatives voted to repeal ObamaCare and 1.6 million petitions were delivered in October 2011 to Senate and House Members.
"No Tomorrows" - New Book on Solutions for America by Doug Johnson
NEW BOOK: Solutions to Restore America
HOW TO HALT
America's Imminent Collapse
And Return to the American Dream
And Why it Must Start with the 2012 Elections
By Doug Johnson
In his new book, NO TOMORROWS: How to Halt America's Imminent Collapse and Return to the American Dream - And Why it Must Start with the 2012 Elections, Doug Johnson takes a serious look at what's wrong with America, identifies the core problems that must be solved, and shows us how to fix them.
With the recent victory in Wisconsin, it is now obvious that America could be heading into an entirely different direction (the new definition of "hope and change"); however, Johnson believes that America's future will be determined by whether we are able to solve our debt problems and fix the economy.
Observing the results in the recall election in Wisconsin, tried and true Americans have been given a glimmer of hope that Americans are still able to elect leaders who can make tough decisions in order to get our fiscal houses in order. (Johnson draws a difference between people in leadership positions and what he calls "true leaders.") But will we choose to return to a solid moral foundation by re-embracing the Judeo-Christian values the nation was founded upon?
Doug Johnson has written NO TOMORROWS with two purposes in mind: To clearly define the core problems facing America and identify their solutions, and to help Americans truly understand the crisis we face. In his easy-to-read new book, you will learn:
Why our nation faces imminent collapse, whether it can be stopped, and how much time we have left before the collapse will occur.
Why politicians are not concerned about fixing our problems in America.
Why the Obama administration believes that he and a select few should make critical decisions for you as citizens, such as your children's education, where you live, what your lifestyle will be, how much money you'll make, who will get healthcare and live or who will die.
Why the tyranny of this administration is the worst kind of tyranny we could face.
Who Saul Alinsky was and what he has to do with today's politics.
Why a Hillary Clinton presidency would be no different than an Obama presidency.
What progressivism is and why it affects the life of every American.
The real truth about the Tea Party and its effect on the presidential election.
Why the government wants more of your money every year and how to stop it once and for all.
What the difference is between someone in a leadership position and a true leader - and how to make the best choice on Election Day.
Why Thomas Jefferson's statement that a nation cannot be ignorant and free applies to America today.
Why our current economic crisis is about to set our standard of living back farther than anyone can imagine - possibly to that of pre-Great Depression era or even 19th century standards.
But there is hope! NO TOMORROWS clearly illustrates exactly how we are able to turn America around for the sake of our future and the future of our children.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Often referred to as "the Nostradamus of political commentary" for his uncanny accuracy and insight into the political environment, Doug Johnson is a frequent and popular guest on talk shows throughout North America. He is the winner of the 50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading Award and his successful business books and business background uniquely qualify him to speak out on what America faces in this time of economic turmoil and instability: simply put, he knows what makes the economy work. His career of over 37 years starting, running and building businesses has taught him what success is all about. Doug's Horse Sense Blog - political commentary from a businessman's perspective - is becoming widely known on the Internet and read daily by radio hosts and producers all over America. Go here for more.
A Battle for the Soul of Islam By M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D.
A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM
By M. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D.
Among the unsettling social shifts in the wake of 9/11 was the global attention paid to Islam. Here in the United States, we became divided, often sadly along partisan lines, between those who believed every Muslim was a potential threat and those who believed no Muslim could do wrong. For conservative Wisconsin native and former U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, author of A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot's Fight to Save His Faith, these radical times meant facing a new reality as a devout Muslim and a patriot - a certain betrayal within his faith, and a need to answer a question that crossed the minds of even the most sensitive and politically correct: "Can a good Muslim be a good American as well?"
Dr. Jasser founded the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AFID) to instill in young American Muslims an appreciation for the distinctively positive impact that this nation's ideals of liberty have had upon the world. As a nationally recognized expert on Muslim radicalization, he offers non-Muslims a definitive comprehension of the difference between Islam and the spiritual cancer known as Islamism, or political Islam, and how violence and extremism run counter to Islam's true teachings. As he persuasively argues, until we acknowledge the threat of Islamism in all its forms, the majority of Americans will be deceived into recognizing only the most obvious: terrorism.
In A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM, Jasser embraces both his faith and country while asking hard questions:
Are American Muslim children learning entitlement as victims, or are they being taught individual responsibility and critical thinking?
Are poisonous conspiracy theories dividing their American identity, or are they gaining exposure to reason, nationalism, and patriotism?
Are Muslims publicly critical of the Islamist movements of the Middle East, or do they remain silent on aspects of religious doctrine that conflict with modernity and universal equality?
Is the American press downplaying the seditious threat of homegrown Islamist radicalism and the influence of Islamists' propaganda arm on our governmental policies?
Is our culture of political correctness a major obstacle toward long-overdue Muslim reform against Islamism?
All these years after 9/11, it's time for us to understand the true threat of Islamism. It is a Muslim problem that needs a Muslim solution, and A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM builds a solid, balanced, and imperative must-read foundation for the fight.
About the Author: Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser testified to the U.S. Committee on Homeland Security regarding American Muslim radicalization on March 10, 2011, at one of the Hill's most anticipated hearings in a generation. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Times, the New York Post, Dallas Morning News, and on CNN, CBS, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, BBC, and many nationally syndicated radio programs. [more...]
Advanced praise for A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM:
"Dr. Jasser is one of the most courageous and relentless pursuers of truth and freedom in the Muslim world. A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAMtakes you beyond the sound bites to show you what it really means to be a moderate Muslim fighting against those who have perverted your religion."
--Glenn Beck, New York Times bestselling author of Being George Washington
"Zuhdi Jasser is a brave American patriot, a faithful Muslim and a good man. Dr. Jasser's A BATTLE FOR THE SOUL OF ISLAM proposes a cure for one of the greatest problems facing the world today: the violence and extremism of radical Islam."
--Mark R. Levin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ameritopia
"Dr. Jasser is an American hero in the war radical Islam has declared on us. Whether we prevail in this long war may very well depend on how closely we listen to him."
--William J. Bennett, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Man and former U.S. Secretary of Education
New RealClearPolitics eBook
In-depth analysis on how Romney sealed the nomination and what the Obama campaign is testing to run against him.
The RealClearPolitics
POLITICAL DOWNLOAD
ELECTION 2012: A Time for Choosing
By Carl M. Cannon & Tom Bevan
RealClearPolitics’ gripping second eBook on the 2012 election provides fascinating insights behind the pivotal moments in the campaign and the rise and fall of each of the candidates. ELECTION 2012: A Time for Choosing, written by Executive Editor, Tom Bevan, and Washington Editor, Carl M. Cannon, is a front row seat through the brutal nominating contest that led Romney to becoming the GOP candidate for president, and how his team and his opponent are preparing for the onslaught this fall.
With in-depth interviews of Republican candidates and their campaign staffs, A Time for Choosing includes stories on:
What Romney told aide Eric Fehnstrom after his “Etch a Sketch” gaffe.
The attributes Romney and his team will be looking for when choosing a vice presidential nominee.
The “kitchen sink” approach Obama’s message team is adopting for attacking Romney.
Who among the potential his fellow Republicans candidates Romney’s advisers did not want him to run against.
Why famed debate coach Brett O’Donnell was cut loose by the Romney campaign after helping Romney prepare for the knock-out Florida debate.
Who enticed Romney to run for Governor of Massachusetts in 2002 by suggesting he might someday be President of the United States.
New details on the efforts by evangelical leaders to throw their support behind a single Republican candidate.
How Gingrich, a great counterpuncher in debates, ultimately was done in by an inability to defend himself;
The unlikely success of Rick Santorum - an inside look at how Santorum pulled off upsets in Iowa and Colorado; additionally, a behind the scenes look at the final days of his campaign, and the deliberations that led him to get out of the race.
Find out what Rick Perry says he learned from his experience running for President.
Wild debate stories including what Gingrich said to Juan Williams and John King the night of his fiery exchanges with the two debate moderators in South Carolina.
All of these key moments and issues, as well as a careful survey of the terrain ahead for the general election (the challenges and strategies for both candidates and the latest insights into Romney’s possible vice presidential nominee), makes A Time for Choosing a must-read for understanding the 2012 campaign.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Tom Bevan is the co-founder and executive editor of RealClearPolitics. Under Bevan’s editorial leadership, RealClearPolitics has grown into one of the most widely read political Web sites, with an average of 5 million readers every month. Carl M. Cannon is the Washington editor for RealClearPolitics. Cannon has covered every presidential campaign and convention since1984 and has interviewed every U.S. president since Gerald Ford. He covered the White House for fifteen years, during both the Clinton and Bush administrations, winning the two most prestigious journalism awards for presidential coverage.
The Untold Story of Islamic Terrorist Training Cam...
Better Capitalism By Robert E. Litan and Carl Schr...
Grassroots Group Vows "Full and Final Repeal" afte...
"No Tomorrows" - New Book on Solutions for America...
A Battle for the Soul of Islam By M. Zuhdi Jasser,...
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Peter Mondavi Because Wine’s Our Middle Name This Month
by Magazine Skape
With Spring finally here, we decided it was time to celebrate possibly our favorite drink of the season (or every season for that matter): Wine. On our recent trip to Napa.
“Today I was asked when I realized I was in the wrong body. As much as it took me a really long time to come to terms with it, I think I have known since I can remember—since I could even think about gender or notice it. I was thinking about when I was in pre-K ,and I would dress up as Cinderella and do girl things. If I decided to wear a dress or roleplay as a princess, my teachers would tell me I couldn’t do it because I was a boy. So when you have everyone in your life telling you that you’re a boy, you kind of start to believe it, even though none of it comes naturally to you.
My transition has been a very gradual, very cerebral process. For a lot of people, it’s very easy to reduce gender to bodies, and that’s terrible. So to answer that question that I was asked today, I realized I was a woman after I was already living as a woman for about a year or so. Before that, I had this platinum blond hair, acrylics, and would dress in skirts, and wear purses—but I still identified as male. I was open-minded enough, growing up, to think that even if my outward appearance was female, I could still be male. If you read enough queer theory, you realize any sort of conjunction is possible. There are boys who want experience life as women but still be boys, and that’s valid.
I never understood why people would think that men couldn’t be as beautiful as women, so for a long time I didn’t have a word for myself. I was like, ‘I’m not a boy but I can’t let myself be a woman.’ So at the time I was like, ‘OK, I’ll be something else.’ It was weird for me, and in some ways, my thinking allowed me to keep putting off how I felt inside by just covering it up with this cerebral explanation.
There is a lot of psychological tension in trying to discuss anything with gender identity.
I used to wear a lot more makeup. I fucking love Boy George, and I would put on that amount of makeup—like Boy George amounts of makeup. My eyeliner would like reach my hairline. I would go really crazy with it. I would try to overcompensate. Now I’m much more toned down, but I feel like all girls have that phase when experimenting with makeup for the first time. Though, if I started off putting on the amount of makeup I wear now, I knew I would just look like who I really am, and I think I was just not ready for that.
I was 14 years old when I got my first taste of makeup. I was in a band as the lead singer and we were playing one of our first shows. At that point all I could get away with was straightening my hair maybe once a month. So yeah, I was at my first show, and I remember finding a Revlon retractable black eyeliner in the bathroom.
I put it on my waterline, not even thinking about the fact that I could get an eye infection as I picked it up off the floor—it was disgusting. I guess the cool thing about being in a band is that there is so much more freedom. There’s the classic ‘Dude (Looks Like A Lady)‘-feel. I felt like I could wear the eyeliner, and no one would care because I was at a rock show. Then I wore it again to a crowd that was more of a hardcore scene, and it wasn’t a cool experience. They were screaming at me to get off the stage and calling me the F word. I was just like, ‘Wow, OK.’ I was 15 at that point. It was a terrible wake up call to me, all because I was wearing eyeliner—it’s not that big of a deal, and yet, people are already policing me for not performing this gender that I’m pretending to be. Obviously I was doing a shitty job at performing male. Sometimes I tell people that I really feel like I was in drag for over a decade, in the sense of performing male gender roles. I’d end the night and make sure to wipe off my eyeliner before I got home.
I had really bad acne in high school, so I’d get away with wearing coverall and that’s it. Still, my mother would look at me from her bed—I did, and still do, my makeup in her room because it has the best lighting—and be like, ‘What are you doing?’ I used to tell my mom like, ‘Don’t worry! I’ll never wear mascara!’ But it all happens…100 YouTube tutorials later you emerge in full face [Laughs].
I always admired makeup. I’d watch my grandma doing her makeup, and she’d always be put together. She would tell me that photos are forever, you can’t take it lightly, and you have to perfect it. Little things like that really stuck with me. Without my mother’s permission, I dyed my hair platinum blonde as a teenager. Having white hair changes your life, regardless of gender identity. It is a really crazy experience. You learn about so many different sides of people and how they perceive you—it’s crazy. It was motivation, I guess, and it was the first instance of feeling like I can’t hide myself.
I was really obsessed with Final Fantasy at the time, especially the Final Fantasy villains. If you really look at a Final Fantasy villain and analyze it, it’s a female head on a male body. I felt connected to the possibility of being really pretty, even if my body didn’t match up—there was a chance for the head portion to be on-point and consistent with how I view myself. After that, I started really diving into makeup as identity. Beauty can be a big deal for all girls, but beauty for a trans girl could be life-or-death. There’s moments when you could be placed in danger for not passing as a woman convincingly enough. One time I was walking with my friend and a guy was trying to holler at me, then he took out a knife. Makeup is much more serious to trans women. Even cis girls can relate—they get attacked and bullied in schools, growing up, because they’re not pretty enough.
I really feel bad for a lot of trans people and trans women who don’t have the experience [with makeup] before they come into themselves and have to learn to do their makeup in no time. They’re 35, they have kids, and they need to transition then—that’s the bravest thing ever. That’s not to say that I think people transitioning later in life necessarily need to wear makeup to be who they are. I just identified with it. The way I did it was just like how every girl picks up makeup skills—where your mom is like, ‘You can only put on lipgloss.’ You need time to practice, so it looks good. I used to just have these Zen three-hour makeup sessions. Of course, during the day I just wear tinted moisturizer, concealer, and maybe mascara. Sometimes I’ll do a wing, but just a little bit on the outer edge. But at night…at night is when I’d really take my time. I’d do my makeup from 7pm to 10pm and go out at midnight.
Tags: Chefs, News
Magazine Skape
ASSISTANT FASHION EDITOR Ant is a reporter for the Skape, specializing in celebrities, fashion, and entertainment.
Chrissy Teigen & Emily Ratajkowski Have A Sexy-Off
Eat Breakfast Erin Heatherton’s Eggs & Avocado
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“Commerce is more sovereign than the sovereign” (Karl Marx)
From the Socialism Or Your Money Back blog
While the Chancellor of the Exchequer was making his pre-budget announcement based on the mere hope that recovery would begin in 2010, Gordon Brown was addressing a meeting of the employers’ organisation, the CBI. If he stuck to pre-released text of his speech he said:
“We have seen in previous recessions how a failure to take action at the start of a downturn has increased both the length and depth of the recession. That was the mistake made in the recessions of the 1980s and early 1990s. To fail to act now would be not only a failure of economic policy, but a failure of leadership” (London Times, 24 October).
He was being rather selective in his choice of historical precedents. He forgot to mention what happened in the mid-1970s when the then Labour government did try, as his Labour government is trying today, to spend its was out of that recession – and failed. To such an extent that the Prime Minister James Callaghan had to confess to the 1976 Labour Party Conference:
“We used to think that you could just spend your way out of a recession and increase employment by cutting taxes and boosting government spending. I tell you, in all candour, that that option no longer exists and that in so far as it ever did exist, it only worked on each occasion since the war by injecting bigger doses of inflation into the economy, followed by higher levels of unemployment” (London Times, 29 September 1976).
But Brown also forgot that an attempt was made to try the spend the way out of the 1980s recession. Not in Britain but in France, following the election as President of Labour-type reformist François Mitterrand in May 1981 and his party’s victory in the general election that followed in June. One of their election promises was to abandon the austerity approach of the previous conservative government in favour of:
“a relaunch of economic activity by an increase in the purchasing power of the most disadvantaged and so by a relaunch of consumer goods”.
And this is what they did, the first measure the new government took, in June 1981, being to increase the minimum wage, pensions, family allowance and housing benefits and to announce that 200,000 new government jobs were being created. Like Alistair Darling, the Minister of the Economy and Finance hoped to be saved by an early economic recovery:
“We are hoping to anticipate, but in a reasonable way, a recovery in the world economy”.
The world economy’s reply was to force a devaluation of the franc within four months, in October 1981. From then on it was downhill all the way. The following June the government had to devalue the franc a second time, the Prime Minister offering the pathetic explanation:
“the international recovery was not at the rendezvous”.
By October 1982 the Minister of Planning was admitting:
“We must not dream. The crisis we are going through is going to get worse”.
The Prime Minister continued with his inanities:
“The day will come when the recovery will be there”.
In December the Minister of the Economy and Finance confessed:
“It is not us who are the masters of the world. The world goes as it is, it is in the grip of forces that no one can master”.
Then after a third (yes!) devaluation in March 1983 he declared:
“We were banking on an economic growth of 3 percent, but the recovery didn’t come”.
In October 1984 the number of unemployed passed the peak of 3 million (it had only been 1.7 million when Mitterrand came into office).
This failure to shorten and lessen a slump by trying to relaunch popular spending is one of the most spectacular on record. No wonder Brown didn’t mention it.
Brown, Darling and the others may not be around to have to make the abject confessions of failure that Mitterrand’s ministers had to make. But they will have maintained Labour’s record of every Labour government leaving office with a greater number of unemployed than when they took over.
Labels: Adam Buick, Alistair Darling, CBI, Crises, France, Gordon Brown, SOYMB Blog Links to this post
Putting the rant into itinerant (2008)
From the November 2008 issue of the Socialist Standard. (Click on the image to enlarge.)
Labels: Ire of the Irate Itinerant, November 2008, Political Cartoons, R2008 Links to this post
“Commerce is more sovereign than the sovereign” (...
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Who are the wealth producers? (2011)
The Cooking the Books column from the June 2011 issue of the Socialist Standard
In an article in the Times (2 May) headlined “This belief in making things is make-believe” and subtitled “It is pure fantasy to argue that the solution to Britain’s economic problems lies in boosting manufacturing”, David Wighton argued:
“The idea of the primacy of manufacturing makes little economic sense. It is the modern equivalent of the 18th-century French physiocrats’ argument that all wealth derived from agriculture and everything else was unproductive. Wealth is created by providing insurance on ships, just as much as by making the vessels.”
The Physiocrats did indeed claim that only agricultural work produced a value, in the form of rent, greater than that of the producers’ subsistence. Marx discussed their views in Part I of Theories of Surplus Value where he credited them with transferring “the inquiry into the origin of surplus-value from the sphere of circulation into the sphere of direct production, and thereby laid the foundation for the analysis of capitalist production.”
Their mistake was to conclude that, as the material basis of all wealth came from nature, only the work of those directly interacting with Nature was productive. But manufacturing as well as agriculture transforms materials that originally come from nature – the definition, in fact, of production – and both are capable of producing a surplus (value) over and above the cost of maintaining the producers.
But what about services? Those providing them certainly produce a service but do they also add a value over and above its cost? Marx answered, no. But it was not as simple as that. He accepted that providing these services could bring a profit to a capitalist who invested in them, but the origin of this lay elsewhere, not in surplus value produced by those they employed but in the sector of the economy producing goods for profit. It was the result of a sort of division of labour amongst the capitalist class to ensure that services essential to capital accumulation were carried out as cheaply as possible.
The example Marx gave (in part IV of Volume 3 Capital) was merchants. He explained that if there were no merchants specialising in selling goods then the capitalist firms producing them would have to tie up some of their capital to do this themselves instead of investing it in their core business. There was a price to pay. The industrialists sold their commodities to the merchants at below their market price, i. e. not to realise themselves all the surplus value embodied in them so as to allow the merchants a share in it. The same applies to other services provided for profit such as banking and Wighton’s shipping insurance. The capital invested in providing them does return a profit but from realising a part of the surplus value created in material production.
So, while Wighton is wrong to claim that “wealth is created by providing insurance on ships, just as much as by making the vessels”, he is right to argue that it does not necessarily make sense for a capitalist country to concentrate just on manufacturing. Profits can be made by selling financial services to outside capitalists, so providing an income which can be taxed to help defray the costs of maintaining the state. This has in fact been the strategy of successive governments, whether Tory, Labour or ConDem, since the 1980s. But the origin of these profits is not new value added by those working in these services, but surplus value produced by the industrial workers of the world.
The “many people” Wighton criticises for almost seeing financial services as “a great Ponzi scheme in which money generated from making things is passed around with everyone else taking a cut” are not all that far off the mark.
Labels: Cooking the Books, Finance, June 2011, Manufacturing, R2011, Surplus Value, The Physiocrats, Wealth Creation Links to this post
Babeuf
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Building on a 20-year reputation
By Sparta Live | August 29, 2006 12:00 am
Missy Jones
Matt McClain has been in the building business for 20 years, and when his father died four years ago Matt took over and continued with the family business.
McClain started working with his father Roland, in 1986. Matt was only 15 years old. According to Matt, his father was one of the best builders in the business.
“Dad is 95 percent of the reason I am in this business,” said Matt.
“He had a heck of a good reputation as a builder.”
McClain Contracting specializes in framing homes. If requested, the company can also “draw up” blue prints for his clients. McClain has a four-man crew, which includes Pete Selby, David Selby, Randy Selby and Bobby Hensley.
“Our job is to get the house in the dry,” said McClain.
“We dig footers, and sometimes we do trim work.”
The majority of the company’s work is in White County, but occasionally the crew will work in one of the surrounding counties.
Although Matt enjoys his work, he admits it can be stressful and hard on the body at times.
“Building is a good career,” he said. “We are hard booked for at least two years. It can be stressful, but it keeps food on the table.”
Matt and his wife Cyndee have two children.
Christian is 3, and Taylor is 10 months. Cyndee is a stay- at-home mom. Matt and Cyndee are both native White Countians.
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The winning slogan from every US presidential campaign since 1948
Political slogans have a long history in the US, dating back at least to the 1840 election campaign for President William Henry Harrison.
With the advent of mass communications after World War II, slogans became a vital way of distinguishing candidates jostling for attention on the airwaves.
Here, Business Insider surveys some of the winning slogans of the last 60 years, from Dwight E. Eisenhower’s “I Like Ike,” to the Barack Obama’s “Change You can Believe In.”
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Political slogans are often derided — but if you want to be President of the United States, you’d better have a good one.
An effective slogan will sum up a candidate’s pitch to the country in a few words, and be powerful enough to cut through the endless onslaught of information in people’s lives.
They cast the candidate as someone who understands the country’s woes, and can guide America through them.
Here, Business Insider looks at the slogans of every winning campaign since World War II, and asks what makes them successful.
1948: Harry Truman — The Buck Stops Here
In the first presidential election since the end of World War II, incumbent Harry S. Truman, a Democrat, was widely expected to lose.
While campaigning on a whistle stop tour of the country, a supporter yelled “Give em’ hell, Harry!” At the candidate, and the phrase was adopted as the slogan of the plain-speaking former general’s supporters.
He went on to trounce Republican Thomas E. Dewey in the election.
While the campaign’s official slogan was “I’m Just Wild About Harry” — a reference to the lyrics of a popular 1921 song — another more famed slogan associated with the 33rd president is “The Buck Stops Here,” which Truman had written on a sign he kept on his desk.
1952: Dwight E. Eisenhower — I Like Ike
“I like Ike,” is one of the most celebrated political slogans in US history.
It was used by former Allied Supreme Commander Dwight E. Eisenhower — nicknamed “Ike” —in his successful 1952 presidential campaign.
Eisenhower’s campaign was revolutionary, as it was the first to focus on pitching the candidate thorough TV ads.
A Madison Avenue advertising executive persuaded Eisenhower to abandon lengthy campaign speeches for a punchy 30-second campaign ad on primetime. Itfeatured cartoon elephants drumming a beat to the the catchy campaign slogan.
1956: Dwight E. Eisenhower again — I Still Like Ike
The tactic for choosing Eisenhower’s 1956 re-election campaign slogan was to stick with what works: “I still Like Ike.”
Americans did, re-electing him by a landslide as America enjoyed a post-war economic boom, despite growing Cold War tensions.
1960: John F Kennedy — A Time for Greatness
Democrat John F. Kennedy is 1960 opted for the aspirational “A Time for Greatness” slogan in his winning 1960 bid for the presidency.
However perhaps more famous isFrank Sinatra’s special version of his song “High Hopes”, which he recorded for the candidate with the new lyrics.
“Everyone is voting for Jack /’Cause he’s got what all the rest lack/Everyone wants to back Jack,” crooned Sinatra, a friend of the president and member of his glamorous “Camelot” inner circle.
1964: Lyndon Baines Johnson — All The Way With LBJ
After Kennedy’s assassination, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson was sworn into office.
He then won a sweeping victory of his own in the 1964 presidential election with the slogan “All the Way With LBJ,” pledging to continue Kennedy’s legacy.
However LBJ’s popularity collapsed as America became further mired in the Vietnam War, and the slogan was turned against him.
When in 1966 Australian premier Harold Holt declared that Australia would be “all the way with LBJ” in Vietnam, he was derided as an an American lackey.
1968: Richard Nixon — This Time, Vote Like Your Whole World Depended on It
Amid the Vietnam War, riots on the streets, and the counterculture, Richard Nixon appealed to the fears of what he termed the “Silent Majority,” disturbed by the changes sweeping America.
His 1968 campaign slogan was “This Time, Vote Like Your Whole World Depended On It”
1972: Richard Nixon again — Now, More Than Ever
Nixon won his first term only narrowly.
But in 1972 he won a landslide re-election with the slogan “Now, More Than Ever.”
He painted his opponent, Democrat George McGovern, as a threat to American values.
1976: Jimmy Carter — A Leader, For a Change
Change was again the theme for the 1976 election, when Democrat Jimmy Carter took on Gerald Ford, who became president after the Watergate scandal forced Nixon’s resignation.
“A Leader, for a Change,” promised Carter, pitching himself as a reformer, untainted by scandal.
1980: Ronald Reagan — Let’s Make America Great Again
Republican Ronald Reagan’s slogan from his winning 1980 presidential campaign may seem familiar: “Let’s Make America Great Again.”
Donald Trump — then a brash Manhattan businessman at the start of his career — would 36 years later knock one word off the slogan to arrive at 2016’s “Make America Great Again.”
1984: Ronald Reagan again — It’s Morning Again in America
Reagan pitched himself as the candidate to drag America out of its economic malaise under Carter.
Riding high on an America’s economic boom during his first four years in the White House, Reagan won a second term in 1984 underthe slogan “It’s Morning Again in America” — broadcast into American households in an iconic campaign ad.
1988: George HW Bush — Kinder, Gentler Nation
George HW Bush successfully campaigned to keep the Republicans in the White House in 1988, with the slogan of a “Kinder, Gentler Nation,” promising to soften the hard edges of Reagan’s conservatism.
However his pledge at the 1988 Republican convention —”Read my lips, no new taxes,” — came back to haunt him, with Democrat Bill Clinton hammering him about the broken pledge during the 1992 election.
1992: Bill Clinton — For People, For a Change
The Democrat resurgence under Clinton was proclaimed under the slogan “For People, For a Change.”
But it was the unofficial slogan, initially first used by Clinton’s advisers, that caught the imagination: “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Clinton’s campaign chief James Carville coined the phrase as a reminder for campaign staff to focus on selling Clinton as the candidate to haul America out of its early ’90s recession.
1996: Bill Clinton again — Building a Bridge to the 21st Century
Clinton offered vague promises during his 1996 campaign for re-election as the millennium approached, pledging to start “Building a Bridge to the 21st Century.”
But it was enough to earn him a second term in a landslide victory, as America stood as the world’s only superpower at the end of the 20th century.
2000: George W Bush — Compassionate Conservatism
George W. Bush clinched a narrow victory over Vice President Al Gore in 2000, echoing his father’s 1988 campaign with his “Compassionate Conservatism” slogan.
2004: George W Bush again — A Safer World And a More Hopeful America
Four years later Bush successfully campaigned for a second term.
In an America shaken by the 9/11 attacks he struck a more somber tone and pledged to build “A Safer World and a More Hopeful America.”
2008: Barack Obama — Change We Can Believe In
“Change We Can Believe In,” was Barack Obama’s slogan when he successfully campaigned to become America’s first black president in 2008.
“Yes we can!” his supporters chanted as he swept to victory in a movement built on a message of youth, inclusion and optimism.
Obama’s first campaign was the first to channel the political potential of newly emergent social media platforms.
His campaign generated slogans for supporters to turn into shareable content, which was eventually boiled down to a one-word message: “Change.”
2012: Barack Obama again — Forward
Four years later Obama pledged to build on the progress of his first term under another one-word slogan: “Forward.”
2016: Donald Trump — Make America Great Again
It was back to the future for Donald Trump when he dusted off a slogan used not just by Reagan, but also by the anti-immigration Populist Warren G Harding in 1920: “Make America Great Again.”
And, learning from the social media savvy of Obama’s campaign, the slogan is reduced to “MAGA,” for use as a social media hashtag by the president and his supporters.
The slogan has become a flashpoint in an America divided by Trump’s policies, with some supporters sporting clothing emblazoned with MAGA slogans confronted in public by opponents of Trump.
BarackDonald TrumpFeatures
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George Pringate’s Last Hurrah
The Bug Boys #1
Robbing the Hoods
Posted by Stewart Hoffman - July 11, 2013
Sharknado (2013)
Staring: Ian Ziering, Tara Reid, John Heard, Cassandra Scerbo, Jaason Simmons
Directed by: Anthony C. Ferrante
Written By: Thunder Levin
Rating: TV14 Running Time: 1 hr 26 min
Two Cents:
For this review, I decided to include some of the tweets I made while I was watching it. 99.9% of the time I give each and every film I watch 100% of my attention, but as you’ll read, for this film it wasn’t really necessary!
Sharknado is without a doubt one of the worst movies ever made, but it had me cheering at the end! No character development, cheesy dialog, awful special effects and absolutely zero respect for the laws of physics. Even some of the actor’s makeup looked like it was applied with a paint gun!
At first I thought I wasn’t going to make it through this terrible film, but then somehow it hooks you, and you realize this has to be bad by design. From that moment on a weird respect for Sharknado forms.
Most of the film involves random characters reacting to things, and judging by the looks on their faces, I don’t think they were told what they were reacting to, or even where to look. The film’s continuity errors are just shocking too. One moment everyone’s freaking out about the storm, then the very next second it’s a sunny day. Early on in the movie the entire first floor of a house is flooded, and the front door has been destroyed by sharks. Moments later the front door is back in place, and the outside area isn’t flooded at all.
I just didn’t care though, and as the movie thundered its way to a conclusion I found myself perched on the edge of my chair laughing hysterically after each shark attack. Sharknado is awful, bad, horrible, terrible, incomprehensible, illogical, stupid, dumb, ridiculous and I totally recommend you see it!
Movie Prep:
Prepare yourself for an awful movie, and if you can shut down the logic centers of your brain – do it! You’ll get into the movie faster that way.
Best format:
This is a TV movie that needs to be watched on a big TV! Invite friends and make an evening of it. If you’re old enough, tasty alcoholic beverages should enhance this experience! Please drink and watch movies responsibly. 🙂
Best moment: << huge spoiler! >>
It’s on you – click to reveal my favorite moment!
Nova (Cassandra Scerbo) has already been swallowed whole by a giant shark. Later, Fin (Ian Ziering) is also swallowed by a giant shark but he just happens to be carrying a large chainsaw! The shark crashes into the ground, and then we see the chainsaw push through the side of the now dead beast. Fin craws out, and then turns back to grab Nova! EPIC!
References: IMDB
Linked To:
Sharknado 2: The Second One (2014)
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TagsAction Anthony C. Ferrante Cassandra Scerbo comedy Ian Ziering Jaason Simmons John Heard Tara Reid
About Stewart Hoffman
Originally from the UK, now residing in sunny Anaheim, California. Studied film and TV in the UK.
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Camp Death III in 2D! (2018)
Angie-00
August 1, 2014 at 8:13 pm -
You can’t take this movie seriously. SyFy seem like they have been intentionally making over the top bad movies, the majority of them being along these lines. I can tell you that I did watch it, but I didn’t enjoy it like you guys did. I don’t think it clicked with me, and I wont be watching it again any time soon.
August 1, 2014 at 6:15 am -
OMG what did I just watch, but yet didn’t turn it off, what is wrong with me, I guess u can do a lot with a $10 budget lol
Graham_B
July 31, 2014 at 3:50 pm -
This is quite easily the worst movie I have ever seen, but for some reason I have found myself watching it on more than one occasion (wait, did I just admit to that?) I would also recommend that everyone should watch this movie at least once, it is so, so bad, but at the same time you can’t seem to drag yourself away from the TV. Great job with the review. I think putting the tweets in was a nice touch.
July 31, 2014 at 11:40 am -
Absolutely get that Red Dwarf reference and you’re spot on!
JJ_Hulk
It was a really good touch adding your Tweets into this review, It made for entertaining reading. I can’t help but agree with your review, as much as I wanted to hate this, I couldn’t help but enjoy it. If your a fan of Red Dwarf then you will understand my description of this movie “A Triple Fried Egg Chili Chutney Sandwich”
4/26/2019: I will no longer be reviewing movies on this blog.
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Obituary for Sam Graham "S.G." Hale, Jr.
Sam Graham “S. G.” Hale, Jr. of Norman passed away July 10, 2019 at the age of 88. S. G. lived all 88 years of his life in Norman. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Those left to cherish his memories are his wife of 63 years, Elaine Fulton Hale; daughter Kimberlee (Keo) Hale Lynch and husband Michael Lynch; son, Gray Hale; daughter, Dana Hale McLean and husband Randy McLean; and daughter, Anja Hale. He is also survived by his loving grandchildren Halee Lynch, Clay Lynch, Dara McLean Korn, Mauri McLean and great-grandchild Carter Lynch. He is preceded in death by his father, Sam Graham Hale, his mother, Leota Hale and his sister, Phyllis Hale Logan.
S. G. grew up on North Flood Street, attended Washington Grade School and Norman Jr. High. He was a member of the Honor Guard and lettered in wrestling at Wentworth Military Academy in Missouri his Sophomore and Junior years in high school. He then returned to Norman and graduated from Norman High School. After high school, S. G. attended the University of Oklahoma where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. College was interrupted by the Korean War. S. G. enlisted in the United States Navy in 1950 and served for four years. In 1953, S. G. fought in the Korean War on the Destroyer USS Shelton in Wansang Harbor, North Korea.
In 1954, S. G. returned to Norman to run Hale’s Department Store. In June of 1955, S. G. met and fell in love with Elaine Fulton and married her August 8, 1955. S. G. then returned to his studies at OU graduating in 1958 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. In 1955, S. G. opened Hale’s Campus Shop on the campus corner of the University of Oklahoma. He later opened The Canterbury Shop in Oklahoma City. S. G. became an Allstate Insurance Senior Account Agent and retired after 28 years.
S. G. became a member of the First Baptist Church of Norman in 1940 and was recently recognized for having the longest membership at the church.
Celebration of Life Services for S. G. will be held 1:00PM, Saturday, July 13, First Baptist Church, 211 W. Comanche St., Norman. Memorial donations for S. G. may be made in honor of his special relationship with his daughter, Anja Hale. Donations: online at www.autismcenter.org; mail to SAARC, 300 N. 18th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85006; or by phone 602.606.9881 and ask for Natalie Jasso.
To plant a tree in memory of Sam Graham "S.G." Hale, Jr., please visit our Tribute Store.
1:00 PM 7/13/2019 1:00:00 PM
First Baptist Church, Norman
211 W. Comanche St.
211 W. Comanche St. Norman 73069 OK
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India to roll out red carpet to UK SMEs
LONDON: India has started to “roll out the red carpet” to UK SMES instead of subjecting them to a barrage of regulations. The move comes as India hopes to ramp up exports from Britain.
“Earlier the mindset of the Government was all about being the regulator – these are the rules and constraints and this is the framework the investor must operate in,” said Assistant Vice President of Invest India Vivek Abraham. “Now we are trying to change the mindset to ensure that the red carpet is rolled out to all investors,” he said at the launch of the Access India Programme at India House in London on Wednesday.
The new initiative, launched by the High Commission of India in the UK, with the UK India Business Council, aims to offer a single window of advice to SMEs in the UK looking to export to or invest in India.
The market entry support programme offers legal and project financing advice as well as strategic advisory and location services and advice on mergers, acquisitions and government clearances.
The programme will identify 50 UK SMES that want to sell their products in India by November. Free workshops will be held and mentoring provided for them next year.
Dinesh K. Patnaik, Deputy High Commissioner of India to the UK, told the audience of business leaders: “We want to move from the UK having a slow burning love affair with India to speed dating and speed up the process and help UK SMES find the right way to reach India.”
He said India was trying to help UK SMES “beat the Brexit blues” and India’s understanding of Brexit was that Brexit was “about open Britain. That is what we are hoping for anyway,” he said.
The UK SMES did not need to have any specific turnover to invest in India, he said. They just needed to have a product and be willing to sell it in India.
“If they have a product we need, it is good for us. Once they have accessed India they might find it better to manufacture in India too,” he said, giving as an example the decision of Lockheed Martin to shift the manufacturing of its F-16 fighter aircraft from Texas to India. “When they move their supply chains will move too.”
“Every product made in the UK has the potential to do well in India because the Indian market is huge,” he explained, adding the team would use analytics to see if the product would be successful.
Only 20 per cent of UK SMEs currently have international exposure, of which only 10 per cent export internationally. Many were risk averse and lacked knowledge, Patnaik said, unlike many large UK companies that had been in India for years. The aim of the Access India Programme was to take away that risk, he stated.
High Commissioner of India to the UK YK Sinha said the UK was already one of the largest G20 investors in India but had just been overtaken by Japan as a “temporary blip”. “SMEs need hand-holding. They are not geared up to going into international markets. India was the largest recipient of FDI last year and we are very keen to increase that amount and involve the UK SME sector.”
“The Access to India programme will help encourage manufacturing in India via the UK SME sector especially providing high end technology and innovation where the UK is strong,” he said.
He affirmed the Indian economy was “strong” despite first quarter growth slumping to 5.7 per cent.
“Entering India is a sensible business decision putting yourself at the centre of gravity” said Philip Bouverat, director at JCB and one of the mentors. “We are exporting some of our components from India to Africa and ASEAN,” he said.
Rhydian Pountney, General Manager at Renishaw Plc, which has a manufacturing base in Pune, said: “If you are an SME and you want to beat the Brexit blues, India should be one of the first countries you look at.”
ASEAN Brexit India SME UK 2017-09-28
Tags ASEAN Brexit India SME UK
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Home→Blog→Outlook→Arts & Sciences→A University Education should never be Wasted
A University Education should never be Wasted
Dear Radhika,
A university education should never be wasted on a job.
When I heard that you had been selected for Berkeley and that you had elected to attend this school, I was delighted. Berkeley is a top school, not because some rating agency says so, but because of its diversity of classes, its location in the San Francisco Bay area and its strong traditions of questioning and challenging standard conventions of thought. The Bay Area pulses with energy. San Francisco is a truly world class city. It is on the cutting edge of innovation and new ideas, especially in the sciences, the high tech field and the humanities. The scenery is world class and it faces the pacific rim to receive all the ideas of the orient. You were not alive during the 1960s and 70s, but the Bay Area and this school in particular became the heart of a revolution of change in politics, social issues, art and music—some of it good, some of it not so good—that swept over the country and much of the world. Berkeley forged its reputation as a seat for non conventional thinking, which it has maintained ever since. The ideas emanating from the Bay area are still a powerful engine that drives change in this country. Berkeley is a university’s university.
Radhika, when I was your age I would lay in bed with the University of Toronto’s catalogue of courses in my hand and I would dream of all the different subjects I could study, subjects that one could never find in a high school. The University of Toronto is a unique place like Berkeley because it too was big enough to offer a huge diversity of subjects. It had classes in Egyptology including hieroglyphics. There was a center for Medieval Studies. It even included a huge Asian studies program with Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, and a department of Sanskrit and Indian studies. One could learn Pali and even Tibetan at the University of Toronto. In other words, the University of Toronto was one of those world class schools where one could find training in just about any field of studies, even the most obscure. Berkeley is like that too. I remember telling myself to try something different. Take advantage of the huge array courses and study something that touches the heart, at least one course. Don’t just think in terms of getting a job. And, of course, you know a little of what path I chose.
I would like to see one of our children discover warp drive. And I mean this both literally and metaphorically. Warp drive as it was conceived in the mythology of Star Trek is a means of propulsion that allows a space ship to travel faster than the seed of light. It is pure science fiction, but I’m sure it’s waiting to be discovered. Someone should develop it and you, Radhika, with your mathematical genius combined with the nonconventional traditions of Berkeley could do this. But in a metaphoric sense, I ask you to reach out for the stars and attempt the seemingly impossible, push the limits of creative thought, “follow your bliss” and take full advantage of what a large and diverse school like Berkeley can offer.
But there are dangers that go along with an education coming from a school like Berkeley. I’ve often warned parents not to send their children to Berkeley for an undergraduate education. I advise them to wait until their children’s minds are more mature and less able to be influenced by the radicalism, distracted ideas and disillusionment that can also come from a school of this caliber. Simply put, Berkeley can be dangerous. How many suicides have occurred by students who have jumped from the main bell town in the center of that campus? These were young people unable to cope with the universe of ideas that enveloped them while at school. Usually we worry about our children leaving home for the first time becoming pulled off course by parties, sex, and “rock’n roll.” But at Berkley we worry that our children will become pulled away by political movements or social causes. Radhika, chaining oneself to the front doors of corporate America, demonstrating in the streets, or burning one’s draft card or bra in public is not the best way to effect change in the world. A better way is to take the reins of power through education. This is my concern. If you want to effect change in the world become a chief justice, a Nobel scientist, a secretary of state, a Pulitzer prize winner, become the best in your chosen field.
So, Radhika, you are about to attend one of the best schools in the world. It is located in a world class place and it has a reputation and history of pushing the limits of thought and experimenting with new intellectual ideas and values. My years in college were some of the best years of my life. I hope you enjoy yours. Remember why you are there. Don’t become disillusioned and don’t become pulled off course by the topical issues of the day.
Love Pita
Posted in Arts & Sciences permalink
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Vica Miller Erotica Salon - November 17, 2010 / William Bennett Gallery
The evening’s program:
— Tina Barry, On the Head of a Pin, micro fiction stories
— Laurie Silver, Better People, excerpt from a novel about a sardonic young woman who unwittingly joins a cult
— Vica Miller, Inga's Zigzags, excerpt from a novel about a 28-year-old Russian woman, who after a decade in New York, returns to post-Perestroika Moscow to start her own company. Instead, she's lured into a threesome with a pair of local wealthy and well-connected socialites.
— Stephanie Hopkins, Edge of Seventeen, excerpt from a novel in which the protagonist, Arielle, struggles to both bear witness to and assert her burgeoning sexuality during a summer in Fire Island, New York. Arielle’s mother left the family when Arielle was eight and now, at the edge of her seventeenth birthday, Arielle is trying to find herself—and her boundaries—without a female role model.
Ongoing Exhibit:
Coloring the Subconscious - 60 Years of Dali
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Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > F > Family
A term derived from the Latin, famulus, servant, and familia, household servants, or the household (cf. Oscan famel, servant). In the classical Roman period the familia rarely included the parents or the children. Its English derivative was frequently used in former times to describe all the persons of the domestic circle, parents, children, and servants. Present usage, however, excludes servants, and restricts the word family to that fundamental social group formed by the more or less permanent union of one man with one woman, or of one or more men with one or more women, and their children. If the heads of the group comprise only one man and one woman we have the monogamous family, as distinguished from those domestic societies which live in conditions of polygamy, polyandry, or promiscuity.
Certain anthropological writers of the last half of the nineteenth century, as Bachofen (Das Mutterrecht, Stuttgart, 1861), Morgan (Ancient Society, London, 1877), Mc'Lennan (The Patriarchal Theory, London, 1885), Lang (Custom and Myth, London, 1885), and Lubbock (The Origin of Civilization and the Primitive Condition of Man, London, 1889), created and developed the theory that the original form of the family was one in which all the women of a group, horde, or tribe, belonged promiscuously to all the men of the community. Following the lead of Engels (The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State, tr. from the German, Chicago, 1902), many Socialist writers have adopted this theory as quite in harmony with their materialistic interpretation of history. The chief considerations advanced in its favour are: the assumption that in primitive times all property was common, and that this condition naturally led to community of women; certain historical statements by ancient writers like Strabo, Herodotus, and Pliny; the practice of promiscuity, at a comparatively late date, by some uncivilized peoples, such as the Indians of California and a few aboriginal tribes of India; the system of tracing descent and kinship through the mother, which prevailed among some primitive people; and certain abnormal customs of ancient races, such as religious prostitution, the so-called jus primæ noctis, the lending of wives to visitors, cohabitation of the sexes before marriage, etc.
At no time has this theory obtained general acceptance, even among non-Christian writers, and it is absolutely rejected by some of the best authorities of today, e.g. Westermarck (The History of Human Marriage, London, 1901) and Letourneau (The Evolution of Marriage, tr. from the French, New York, 1888). In reply to the arguments just stated, Westermarck and others point out that the hypothesis of primitive communism has by no means been proved, at least in its extreme form; that common property in goods does not necessarily lead to community of wives, since family and marriage relations are subject to other motives as well as to those of a purely economic character; that the testimonies of classical historians in the matter are inconclusive, vague, and fragmentary, and refer to only a few instances; that the modern cases of promiscuity are isolated and exceptional, and may be attributed to degeneracy rather than to primitive survivals; that the practice of tracing kinship through the mother finds ample explanation in other facts besides the assumed uncertainty of paternity, and that it was never universal; that the abnormal sexual relations cited above are more obviously, as well as more satisfactorily, explained by other circumstances, religious, political, and social, than by the hypothesis of primitive promiscuity; and, finally, that evolution, which, superficially viewed, seems to support this hypothesis, is in reality against it, inasmuch as the unions between the male and the female of many of the higher species of animals exhibit a degree of stability and exclusiveness which bears some resemblance to that of the monogamous family.
The utmost concession which Letourneau will make to the theory under discussion is that "promiscuity may have been adopted by certain small groups, more probably by certain associations or brotherhoods" (op. cit., p. 44). Westermarck does not hesitate to say: "The hypothesis of promiscuity, instead of belonging, as Professor Giraud-Teulon thinks, to the class of hypotheses which are scientifically permissible has no real foundation, and is essentially unscientific" (op. cit., p. 133). The theory that the original form of the family was either polygamy or polyandry is even less worthy of credence or consideration. In the main, the verdict of scientific writers is in harmony with the Scriptural doctrine concerning the origin and the normal form of the family: "Wherefore a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be two in one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). "Therefore now they are not two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6). From the beginning, therefore, the family supposed the union of one man with one woman.
While monogamy was the prevailing form of the family before Christ, it was limited in various degrees among many peoples by the practice of polygamy. This practice was on the whole more common among the Semitic races than among the Aryans. It was more frequent among the Jews, the Egyptians, and the Medes, than among the people of India, the Greeks, or the Romans. It existed to a greater extent among the uncivilized races, although some of these were free from it. Moreover, even those nations which practised polygamy, whether civilized or uncivilized, usually restricted it to a small minority of the population, as the kings, the chiefs, the nobles, and the rich. Polyandry was likewise practised, but with considerably less frequency. According to Westermarck, monogamy was by far the most common form of marriage "among the ancient peoples of whom we have any direct knowledge" (op. cit., p. 459). On the other hand, divorce was in vogue among practically all peoples, and to a much greater extent than polygamy.
The ease with which husband and wife could dissolve their union constitutes one of the greatest blots upon the civilization of classic Rome. Generally speaking, the position of woman was very low among all the nations, civilized and uncivilized, before the coming of Christ. Among the barbarians she very frequently became a wife through capture or purchase; among even the most advanced peoples the wife was generally her husband's property, his chattel, his labourer. Nowhere was the husband bound by the same law of marital fidelity as the wife, and in very few places was he compelled to concede to her equal rights in the matter of divorce. Infanticide was practically universal, and the patria potestas of the Roman father gave him the right of life and death over even his grown-up children. In a word, the weaker members of the family were everywhere inadequately protected against the stronger.
The Christian family
Christ not only restored the family to its original type as something holy, permanent, and monogamous, but raised the contract from which it springs to the dignity of a sacrament, and thus placed the family itself upon the plane of the supernatural. The family is holy inasmuch as it is to co-operate with God by procreating children who are destined to be the adopted children of God, and by instructing them for His kingdom. The union between husband and wife is to last until death (Matthew 19:6 sq.; Luke 16:18; Mark 10:11; 1 Corinthians 7:10; see MARRIAGE, DIVORCE). That this is the highest form of the conjugal union, and the best arrangement for the welfare both of the family and of society, will appear to anyone who compares dispassionately the moral and material effects with those flowing from the practice of divorce. Although divorce has obtained to a greater or less extent among the majority of peoples from the beginning until now, "there is abundant evidence that marriage has, upon the whole, become more durable in proportion as the human race has risen to higher degrees of cultivation" (Westermarck, op. cit., p. 535).
While the attempts that have been made to show that divorce is in every case forbidden by the moral law of nature have not been convincing on their own merits, to say nothing of certain facts of Old Testament history, the absolute indissolubility of marriage is nevertheless the ideal to which the natural law points, and consequently is to be expected in an order that is supernatural. In the family, as re-established by Christ, there is likewise no such thing as polygamy. This condition, too, is in accord with nature's ideal. Polygamy is not, indeed, condemned in every instance by the natural law, but it is generally inconsistent with the reasonable welfare of the wife and children, and the proper moral development of the husband. Because of these qualities of permanence and unity, the Christian family implies a real and definite equality of husband and wife. They have equal rights in the matter of the primary conjugal relation, equal claims upon mutual fidelity, and equal obligations to make this fidelity real. They are equally guilty when they violate these obligations, and equally deserving of pardon when they repent.
The wife is neither the slave nor the property of her husband, but his consort and companion. The Christian family is supernatural, inasmuch as it originates in a sacrament. Through the sacrament of matrimony husband and wife obtain an increase of sanctifying grace, and a claim upon those actual graces which are necessary to the proper fulfilment of all the duties of family life, and the relations between husband and wife, parents and children, are supernaturalized and sanctified. The end and the ideal of the Christian family are likewise supernatural, namely, the salvation of parents and children, and the union between Christ and His Church. "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ also loved the church, and delivered himself up for it", says St. Paul (Ephesians 5:25). And the intimacy of the marital union, the identification, almost, of husband and wife, is seen in the injunction: "So also ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife, loveth himself" (Ephesians 5:28).
From these general facts of the Christian family, the particular relations existing among its members can be readily deduced. Since the average man and woman are not normally complete as individuals, but are rather the two complementary parts of one social organism, in which their material, moral, and spiritual needs receive mutual satisfaction, a primary requisite of their union is mutual love. This includes not merely the love of the senses, which is essentially selfish, not necessarily that sentimental love which anthropologists call romantic, but above all that rational love or affection, which springs from an appreciation of qualities of mind and heart, and which impels each to seek the welfare of the other. As the intimate and long association of husband and wife necessarily bring to the surface their less noble and lovable qualities, and as the rearing of children involves great trials, the need of disinterested love, the ability to sacrifice self, is obviously grave.
The obligations of mutual fidelity have been sufficiently stated above. The particular functions of husband and wife in the family are determined by their different natures, and by their relation to the primary end of the family, namely, the procreation of children. Being the provider of the family, and the superior of the wife both in physical strength and in those mental and moral qualities which are appropriate to the exercise of authority, the husband is naturally the family's head, even "the head of the wife", in the language of St. Paul. This does not mean that the wife is the husband's slave, his servant, or his subject. She is his equal, both as a human being and as member of the conjugal society, save only that when a disagreement arises in matters pertaining to domestic government, she is, as a rule, to yield. To claim for her completely equal authority with the husband is to treat woman as man's equal in a matter in which nature has made them unequal. On the other hand the care and management of the details of the household belong naturally to the wife, because she is better fitted for these tasks than the husband.
Since the primary end of the family is the procreation of children, the husband or wife who shirks this duty from any but spiritual or moral motives reduces the family to an unnatural and unchristian level. This is emphatically true when the absence of offspring has been effected by any of the artificial and immoral devices so much in vogue at present. When the conjugal union has been blessed with children, both parents are charged, according to their respective functions, with the duty of sustaining and educating those undeveloped members of the family. Their moral and religious formation is for the most part the work of the mother, while the task of providing for their physical and intellectual wants falls chiefly upon the father. The extent to which the different wants of the children are to be supplied will vary with the ability and resources of the parents. Finally, the children are bound, generally speaking, to render to the parents implicit love, reverence, and obedience, until they have reached their majority, and love, reverence, and a reasonable degree of support and obedience afterward.
The most important external relations of the family are, of course, those existing between it and the State. According to the Christian conception, the family, rather than the individual, is the social unit and the basis of civil society. To say that the family is the social unit is not to imply that it is the end to which the individual is a means; for the welfare of the individual is the end both of the family and of the State, as well as of every other social organization. The meaning is that the State is formally concerned with the family as such, and not merely with the individual. This distinction is of great practical importance; for where the State ignores or neglects the family, keeping in view only the welfare of the individual, the result is a strong tendency towards the disintegration of the former. The family is the basis of civil society, inasmuch as the greater majority of persons ought to spend practically all their lives in its circle, either as subjects or as heads. Only in the family can the individual be properly reared, educated, and given that formation of character which will make him a good man and a good citizen.
Inasmuch as the average man will not put forth his full productive energies except under the stimulus of its responsibilities, the family is indispensable from the purely economic viewpoint. Now the family cannot rightly discharge its functions unless the parents have full control over the rearing and education of the children, subject only to such State supervision as is needed to prevent grave neglect of their welfare. Hence it follows that, generally speaking, and with due allowance for particular conditions, the State exceeds its authority when it provides for the material wants of the child, removes him from parental influence, or specifies the school that he must attend. As a consequence of these concepts and ideals, the Christian family in history has proved itself immeasurably superior to the non-Christian family. It has exhibited greater fidelity between husband and wife, greater reverence for the parents by the children, greater protection of the weaker members by the stronger, and in general a more thorough recognition of the dignity and rights of all within its circle. Its chief glory is undoubtedly its effect upon the position of woman. Notwithstanding the disabilities--for the most part with regard to property, education, and a practically recognized double standard of morals--under which the Christian woman has suffered, she has attained to a height of dignity, respect, and authority for which we shall look in vain in the conjugal society outside of Christianity. The chief factor in this improvement has been the Christian teaching on chastity, conjugal equality, the sacredness of motherhood, and the supernatural end of the family, together with the Christian model and ideal of family life, the Holy Family at Nazareth.
The contention of some writers that the Church's teaching and practice concerning virginity and celibacy, make for the degradation and deterioration of the family, not only springs from a false and perverse view of these practices, but contradicts the facts of history. Although she has always held virginity in higher honour than marriage, the Church has never sanctioned the extreme view, attributed to some ascetical writers, that marriage is a mere concession to the flesh, a sort of tolerated carnal indulgence. In her eyes the marriage rite has ever been a sacrament, the married state a holy state, the family a Divine institution, and family life the normal condition for the great majority of mankind. Indeed, her teaching on virginity, and the spectacle of thousands of her sons and daughters exemplifying that teaching, have in every age constituted a most effective exaltation of chastity in general, and therefore of chastity within as well as without the family. Teaching and example have combined to convince the wedded, not less than the unwedded, that purity and restraint are at once desirable and practically possible. Today, as always, it is precisely in those communities where virginity is most honoured that the ideal of the family is highest, and its relations purest.
Dangers for the family
Among these are the exaltation of the individual by the State at the expense of the family, which has been going on since the Reformation (cf. the Rev. Dr. Thwing, in Bliss, "Encyclopedia of Social Reform"), and the modern facility of divorce (see DIVORCE), which may be traced to the same source. The greatest offender in the latter respect is the United States, but the tendency seems to be towards easier methods in most of the other countries in which divorce is allowed. Legal authorization and popular approval of the dissolution of the marriage bond, not only breaks up existing families, but encourages rash marriages, and produces a laxer view of the obligation of conjugal fidelity. Another danger is the deliberate limitation of the number of children in a family. This practice tempts parents to overlook the chief end of the family, and to regard their union as a mere means of mutual gratification. Furthermore, it leads to a lessening of the capacity of self-sacrifice in all the members of the family. Closely connected with these two evils of divorce and artificial restriction of births, is the general laxity of opinion with regard to sexual immorality. Among its causes are the diminished influence of religion, the absence of religious and moral training in the schools, and the seemingly feebler emphasis laid upon the heinousness of the sin of unchastity by those whose moral training has not been under Catholic auspices. Its chief effects are disinclination to marry, marital infidelity, and the contraction of diseases which produce domestic unhappiness and sterile families.
The idle and frivolous lives of the women, both wives and daughters, in many wealthy families is also a menace. In the position which they hold, the mode of life which they lead, and the ideals which they cherish, many of these women remind us somewhat of the hetæræ of classical Athens. For they enjoy great freedom, and exercise great influence over the husband and father, and their chief function seems to be to entertain him, to enhance his social prestige, to minister to his vanity, to dress well, and to reign as social queens. They have emancipated themselves from any serious self-sacrifice on behalf of the husband or the family, while the husband has likewise declared his independence of any strict construction of the duty of conjugal fidelity. The bond between them is not sufficiently moral and spiritual, and is excessively sensual, social, and æsthetic. And the evil example of this conception of family life extends far beyond those who are able to put it into practice. Still another danger is the decline of family authority among all classes, the diminished obedience and respect imposed upon and exhibited by children. Its consequences are imperfect discipline in the family, defective moral character in the children, and manifold unhappiness among all.
Finally, there is the danger, physical and moral, threatening the family owing to the widespread and steadily increasing presence of women in industry. In 1900 the number of females sixteen years of age and over engaged in gainful occupations in the United States was 4,833,630, which was more than double the number so occupied in 1880, and which constituted 20 per cent of the whole number of females above sixteen years in the country, whereas the number at work in 1880 formed only 16 percent of the same division of the female population. In the cities of America two women out of every seven are bread-winners (see Special Report of the U.S. Census, "Women at Work"). This condition implies an increased proportion of married women at work as wage earners, an increased proportion of women who are less capable physically of undertaking the burdens of family life, a smaller proportion of marriages, an increase in the proportion of women who, owing to a delusive idea of independence, are disinclined to marry, and a weakening of family bonds and domestic authority. "In 1890, 1 married woman in 22 was a bread-winner; in 1900, 1 in 18" (ibid.). Perhaps the most striking evil result of married women in industry is the high death-rate among infants. For infants under one year the rate in 1900 over the whole United States, was 165 per 1000, but it was 305 in Fall River, where the proportion of married women at work is greatest. As the supreme causes of all these dangers to the family are the decay of religion and the growth of materialistic views of life, so the future of the family will depend upon the extent to which these forces can be checked. And experience seems to show that there can be no permanent middle ground between the materialistic ideal of divorce, so easy that the marital union will be terminable at the will of the parties, and the Catholic ideal of marriage absolutely indissoluble.
In addition to the authorities cited in the text, the following deserve particular mention: DEVAS, Studies in Family Life (London, 1886); RICHE, The Family, tr. SADLIER (New York, 1896); COULANGES, The Ancient City, tr. SMALL (Boston, 1901); BOSANQUET, The Family (London, 1906); THWING, The Family (Boston, 1887); BLISS, Encyclopedia of Social Reform (New York, 1907); ST CKL In Kirchenlexikon; La grande encyclop dia; PERRONE, De Matrimonio Christiano (Li ge, 1862); Westermarck's work contains a very large bibliography on the anthropological and sociological aspects of the subject. HOWARD, History of Matrimonial Institutions (Chicago, 1904).
APA citation. Ryan, J.A. (1909). Family. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05782a.htm
MLA citation. Ryan, John Augustine. "Family." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 5. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05782a.htm>.
Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Bobie Jo M. Bilz.
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What the Trust funds
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The objectives of the Trust are framed in general terms to work for a just and democratic society and to redress political and social injustices. It is a wide ranging remit for reform, but the Trust will prioritise groups or individuals that are ineligible for charitable funding because they are considered too political or radical to come within the Charity Commission’s guidelines. The Trust's approach is similar to that of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust with which it maintains informal links.
The Trust will support work undertaken at both regional and national level and occasionally overseas. It may also consider pioneering projects operating on a more local basis that have a potentially wider impact.
The Trust normally gives grants only to groups or organisations, but in exceptional cases it may consider an application from an individual with proven experience or skill in their chosen field or it may make a personal award to an individual in support of outstanding commitment and effectiveness relevant to the Trust’s interests.
As a general rule the Trust provides either specific project funding or start up grants for a limited period to enable campaigns to get off the ground and attract alternative sources of finance.
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The Trust does not consider applications from registered charities. The Trust is unlikely to assist activities that could be funded by charitable trusts. Trustees' decisions are informed by current Charity Commission guidance on the descriptions of charitable purposes and permissible campaigning and political activities by charities.
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The Beatles and fashion
These days it seems, the only aspect of The Beatles that remains in focus, is their music. We tend to forget that the Beatles influenced a lot of other areas in their time. Art, fashion, politics, writing, philosophy, you name it. I don't know if this is a true story, but a remark by John Lennon in an interview about wishing that girls' skirts and dresses was shorter, supposedly started the miniskirt craze...
Anyway, Paolo Hewitt examines the Beatles' inluence on fashion in the upcoming book Fab Gear: The Beatles and Fashion . Here's the blurb: The Beatles' incomparable fashion sense takes center stage in this unique look at how the world's most popular band influenced the fashion of the times. The Beatles knew how much image mattered in the 1960s, and whether it was Nehru jackets, skinny ties, granny glasses, or the Cuban heel boot--if John, Paul, George, or Ringo wore it, the rest of their millions of fans followed. Renowned music and fashion author Paolo Hewitt takes readers on a fashion tour of the Beatles' career and the trends they co-opted. From their Hamburg debut in sunglasses, leather, and black sweaters to the conservative suits they were ordered to wear by their manager Brian Epstein; from their infatuation with Pierre Cardin's collarless jackets to their more casual corduroy; from their Mod madness to psychedelic spaciness to faux-military attire to hippy-chic--each style is revealed as a reflection of the music they made and the world views they embraced.
Filled with fabulous photographs and with an appealing retro feel, the book features numerous images, many of which have never been published before. It offers insights into how the band's meteoric rise and enduring success shaped their fashion choices.
There's even a chapter devoted to their hairstyles.
Fans of all ages, as well as anyone interested in fashion, will be enthralled with this first ever Beatles stylebook that proves the Fab Four were as timely as they were timeless.
In an interview with Liverpool Echo, author Hewitt says that he enjoyed finding another angle to writing a Beatles book, and that he spent an enjoyable week in Liverpool as part of the research.
"They had the same ideas with their clothes as with their music," says Paolo. "As soon as another bands started to copy their look, they’d move on and wear something else. they were innovators, and they hated following the pack."
The book will be released on October 24th.
Posted by wogew at Wednesday, August 31, 2011 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Beatles
How many roads...?
I wonder how many of these there are? This photo was sent me by one of my readers. Evidently it had been posted on a Beatles photo forum yesterday, and it's now "making the rounds". Click to see the bigger version. As you'll have noticed, two familiar bystanders are evident, the "mystery man" (Paul Cole, a now deceased Florida resident, claimed to be that man) and the lady in a violet dress from a similar but more up-close photo. But there are two more bystanders, one hidden behind the aforementioned lady and another lady (a fan?) who seems to be taking photos! I wonder if her photos will appear some day... Also, there's someone sitting behind the Beatles...
We will continue to update our page "The Road Goes On Forever" with the Abbey Road cover shot images that mysteriously emerge as time goes by.
Updated September 2nd with a higher resolution version of the image, care of Miss Tammy's site. The uploader also revealed the source of the photo, it was hidden away in the Beatles RockBand game.
Posted by wogew at Monday, August 29, 2011 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Beatles photos, photos
Blokker clip
HIWAX has posted the longest version of the "Blokker" clip so far on YouTube.
The sound + video sorcerer has also just made a new DVD, which pairs together news footage of The Beatles in concert with appropriate sound clips synched to the moving images. Here's what's on the new DVD of his:
THE BEATLES : Re-Constructions
01.1963/11/01 Cheltenham
02.1963/11/13 Plymouth
03.1963/11/16 Bournemouth
04.1963/11/20 Manchester
05.1963/12/07 Liverpool
06.1963/12/14 Wimbledon
07.1964/01/15 Versailles
08.1964/01/16 Paris
09.1964/02/11 Washington D.C.
11,1964/06/18 Sydney
12,1964/08/19 San Francisco
13.1964/08/23 Los Angeles
15.1964/09/02 Philadelphia
16.1965/06/25 Genova
17.1965/07/02 Madrid
18.1965/07/03 Barcelona
19.1965/08/17 Toronto
21.1966/06/24 Munich
24.1966/06/25 Essen
25.1966/06/26 Hamburg
26.1966/06/30 Tokyo
28.1966/08/12 Chicago
30.1966 U.S. Tour Collage - Rock'n'roll Music
31.1966 U.S. Tour Collage - She's A Woman
And there's some rare footage included as bonus tracks.
It's currently being torrented and will probably show up soon as a regular download.
Want a sample? Here's Cheltenham!
Labels: Beatles Concerts, Beatles DVD
McCartney on Decca Records since 1967
Today's no-story in the less-than-acquainted-with-Beatles-facts part of the press is the fact that Paul McCartney's music for the new ballet Ocean's Kingdom will be released by Decca Records. Here's Reuter's take on it:
LONDON (Reuters) - Decca has teamed up with Paul McCartney to release his upcoming ballet nearly 50 years after the record label famously rejected taking on the Beatles in what has been called one of the music industry's biggest blunders.
The ballet, "Ocean's Kingdom," is the former Beatle's first foray into the world of dance, and has its world premiere at the New York City Ballet on September 22. There will be four additional performances in September and five more in January.
The Decca recording hits shelves in Britain on October 3.
Decca famously snubbed the Fab Four early in 1962, reportedly saying at the time that "guitar groups are on the way out" and "the Beatles have no future in showbusiness."
The quartet from Liverpool went on to sign with EMI label Parlophone and became arguably the most successful and influential pop band in history.
"Ocean's Kingdom," commissioned by the New York City Ballet, is conducted by John Wilson and performed by the London Classical Orchestra.
When he decided to write a ballet, McCartney visited the Royal Opera House in London and saw "Giselle," meeting the dancers of the Royal Ballet afterward to discuss the work.
McCartney's ballet tells of a love story set in an underwater world where people are threatened by humans. The score lasts an hour and is divided into four movements -- Ocean's Kingdom, Hall of Dance, Imprisonment and Moonrise.
In a statement, the 69-year-old singer/songwriter said he was "trying to write something that expressed an emotion -- so you have fear, love, anger, sadness to play with, and I found that exciting and challenging."
McCartney has written classical music before, including the award-winning choral work "Ecce Cor Meum."
Of course, everyone has (conveniently?) forgotten that Paul McCartney's very first soundtrack album, "The Family Way " from 1967 (re-released on CD in July this year) was released on Decca Records in the UK and Australia.
Labels: McCartney Music
George trailer
Trailer for the new Martin Scorsese documentary "George Harrison - Living in the material world".
Labels: George Harrison
Dutch Let It Be video cassette
Remember the 1983 German official Let It Be release on Warner Home Video as a VHS video cassette? Well, it seems there was also a 1984 Dutch release. I found this scan while browsing the internet. This is the Betamax release, but I assume there was also a VHS one. The two formats were competing for world domination back in the day, and VHS won, being the inferior format with more cash to spend on advertising. I wonder how many countries LET IT BE was released in?
The US laserdisc release is the most well-known official home video release of Let It Be
As I've noted before, I've seen a copy of Let It Be in a Norwegian video rental shop back in the early days of video rental (around 1981), but I have no recollection of what it looked like. If you have any information about Let It Be home video releases (apart from the confirmed ones from USA, Germany and now Holland), I'd like to hear from you.
Posted by wogew at Sunday, August 21, 2011 1 comment: Links to this post
Labels: Beatles film
Beatles in Bournemouth
You'd be surprised to know that there are many surprising Beatles - Bournemouth connections - not least the first footage of The Beatles that was shown on US TV (now showing on YouTube) was shot in Bournemouth and the sheer number of shows they played in the town in such a short period.
Other connections include:
- A tape of a full Beatles concert recorded during their first visit to Bournemouth is the earliest known example of their theatre show. Despite the excellent quality of the recording it remains unreleased.
- The iconic cover photograph for the With The Beatles and Meet The Beatles albums was taken in Bournemouth.
- Howie Casey, who played with Wings in the 1970s and has lived in Bournemouth since 1978, has links with The Beatles that go back to their very earliest days. With his band The Seniors, Howie was at the same audition in 1960 when John, Paul and George first performed as the Silver Beatles.
- George Harrison’s first Beatles song, Don’t Bother Me was written while staying in Bournemouth.
- John Lennon bought his Aunt Mimi a home just outside Bournemouth and until he left the UK in 1971 was a regular visitor to the area.
The book also has many rare and previously unseen photos.
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Beatles & Bournemouth is published on 22 September 2011 by Natula Publications, ISBN 9781897887899
The book's website
A blog
Posted by wogew at Saturday, August 13, 2011 2 comments: Links to this post
Labels: Beatles Concerts, Beatles Tours, Beatles TV
2012 Beatles Calendars
Officially licensed 2012 calendar.
2012 sees the 50th anniversary of Love Me Do, the calendar features 12 images of the Beatles from 1962. Measures 30.5cm x 30.5cm (12 inches x 12 inches). Available September.
Other Beatles Calendars:
Scorsese's film about George Harrison - Special features
Deluxe Edition of George Harrison - Living In The Material World
Here's the bonus material on this film:
George plays the Uke*
Dispute and Violence
Deep Blue*
Paul McCartney interview
Jeff Lynne interview
Damon Hill interview
Growing Up in Liverpool interview*
Neil Aspinall interview*
The Inner Light interview*
Gordon Murray interview*
* Exclusive to the Deluxe Edition.
Extra in the box (Deluxe edition only):
- Audio CD featuring never-before-heard tracks available exclusively within this package
- 96-page book - featuring never-before-seen photographs, illustrations and reminiscences from friends, including a Foreword by Martin Scorsese and an Introduction by Paul Theroux
- 2 x Exclusive Lithographs
- Integrated easel back for photo display
- Beautiful Collectable Picture Frame Packaging
Directed by Martin Scorsese, George Harrison – Living in the Material World is a stunning double-feature-length film tribute to one of music’s greatest icons. Containing a wealth of previously unreleased material, this Deluxe Edition contains 2 DVDs, a Blu-ray, a CD of never-before-heard tracks (available exclusively in this edition) and a 96-page book to accompany the film--all beautifully packaged within a collectable picture-frame box.
In Living in the Material World, Scorsese uses never-before-seen footage from George Harrison’s childhood, throughout his years with The Beatles, through the ups and downs of his solo career, and through the joys and pain of his private life, to trace the arc of George’s journey from his birth in 1943 to his passing in 2001. Living in the Material World features private home videos, photos and never before heard tracks to chronicle the incredible story of the extraordinary man.
Despite its epic reach, the film is deeply personal. Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Olivia and Dhani Harrison, among many others, talk openly about George’s many gifts and contradictions and reveal the lives they shared together. In every aspect of his professional, personal and spiritual life, until his final hours, George blazed his own path.
As his friend John Lennon once said: "George himself is no mystery. But the mystery inside George is immense. It’s watching him uncover it all little by little that’s so damn interesting."
The BBC will show the documentary on TV in the UK in November.
In the USA, HBO has acquired the North American broadcast rights to the documentary, which will debut in two parts — on October 5 and October 6, 2011 — exclusively on HBO.
Scorsese's film about George Harrison - Special fe...
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Churches, cloisters
Bridges, embankments
Moscow Mysteries
Another City - Home / Places / Churches, cloisters / St. Andrew’s Monastery.
St. Andrew’s Monastery.
05.08.2014 17:09 Просмотров: 417 Печать | E-mail
St. Andrew’s Monastery was built in 1648 in the place of the monastery burned-out in 1547 (as the legend has it, the first convent was built here in the 13th century). The monastery was built on the right bank of the Moskva River near the present-day Vorobyovy Hills by the close adviser of the tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, the statesman F.M. Rtishchev who made a great contribution into the development of the culture.
Having invited the learned monks from Kiev – Epiphanius (Slavinetsky), Arsenius (Satanovsky), Damascene (Ptitsky) and Theodosius (Safanovitch) – he founded the first school in Moscow (the so-called Rtishchev’s brotherhood) that preceded the Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy. The monks of the learned brotherhood translated books in the foreign language into Russian. Initially, the monastery was called Preobrazhenskaya Pustyn’ (Hermitage of Transfiguration). In 1675 a stone, quadrangular single-domed over-the-gates church of Saint Martyr Andrew Stratelates was built (in the place of the wooden church having the same name and built in 1591 on the occasion of liberation of Moscow from the invasion of the Crimean khan Kazy-Girey on the fete of St. Andrew Stratelates). The monastery was given a name of St. Andrew’s monastery. In 1689—1701 Rtyshchev built a cathedral of Resurrection in Plennitsy in the style of Moscow baroque.
In the 19th century it was rebuilt. The frieze made from large tiles by S. Polubes (end of the 18th century) survives to this day. In 1748 a three-level bell tower in classic style and a church of Michael the Archangel under it were built on S.B. Sheremetev’s money. In 1848 on the money of M. Sotkin this bell tower was rebuilt. In 1725 the monastery was closed and functioned as an orphan’s home till 1730. In 1730 the monastery resumed its work. In 1765 it was finally abolished, the churches became parish. In 1775 a female workhouse was established in the monastery.
In 1918 the alms-house was closed and handed over for apartments. In the same year the over-the-gates church of Saint Martyr Andrew Stratelates, in 1924 the cathedral of Resurrection and in 1940 the church of St. John the Evangelist were closed. Since the 1960-ies the monastery was the place of location of the research institute.
In the 1960 – 70-ies the buildings of the monastery were restored. In August 1991 the Patriarchal Metochion was established and a decision was taken to place the Synodal library of the Moscow Patriarch in the cloister.
In March 1992 divine services were resumed in the cathedral of Resurrection. In 1997 the belfry in the bell tower over the church of St. John the Evangelist was restored (10 bells, total weight is 6 tons made at the plant of Rudolf Perner in Passau, Germany).
See other:
Menshikov Tower In Moscow, there is a unique in its beauty and form church, which is called Menshikov Tower also known as the Church of Archangel Gabriel. Alexander Menshikov odered to... Подробнее...
Catholic Cathedral in Malaya Gruzinskaya Street You'll discover an amazing sight if you decide to walk in Malaya Gruzinskaya Street one evening. The cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary, whi... Подробнее...
Sretensky Monastery Sretensky Monastery is a monastery in Moscow, Russia, founded by Grand Prince Vasily I in 1397. Originally located close to the present-day Red Square, it was moved in ... Подробнее...
Resurrection Church in Kadashi The Resurrection Church in Kadashi Sloboda (Храм Воскресения Христова в Кадашах) is a major Naryshkin Baroque church in Moscow (Yakimanka District), formerly the talles... Подробнее...
Zaryadie It is one of the ancient districts of Moscow. It was named Zariadie in the 17th century, because of its location behind ("za") the traders’ stalls ("riady"), which exte... Подробнее...
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Women empowered but abused as they stand up to Egypt’s military junta
Emad Shahin, American University in Cairo
Emad Shahin
Professor, American University in Cairo
Emad Shahin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Egyptian women pray at a pro-Morsi protest. EPA
Ever since the coup in Egypt last July, university students have been at the forefront of battling military rule. A surge in anti-coup protests by students in the last two months demonstrates that they are the most vibrant and determined group resisting the return of a Mubarak-era police state.
The military regime in Egypt has employed ruthless measures against the opposition in order to instill fear and to silence dissent. But perhaps one of the most brutal tactics used by the Egyptian security forces and army is the systematic abuse of female student protesters. Human rights organisations and activists have routinely documented the use of state-sponsored sexual harassment against women.
Though the systematic sanction of the abhorrent practice is not new (it had been used for many years by the Mubarak regime), nothing matches the current level and the extent of violations against Egyptian women and young girls. On the very day of the coup, 3 July, more than 100 women were raped by a pro-coup mob celebrating their “victory”. Ever since, the targeting of female protesters has become a weapon of choice for the security forces and military, with an accelerated campaign of arrests, physical and verbal assaults, and sexual abuse.
According to the independent source Wikithawra, at least 70 women have been killed and 240 detained during the first six months of the coup – and the numbers keep rising. While pro-Morsi protesters and members of the Muslim Brotherhood have borne the brunt of police brutality, the crackdown has widened to include non-Islamist protestors.
Last November, a sit-in against the new protest law by the non-Islamist group “No to Military Trials” was violently dispersed. Protestors including many women were brutally beaten in the streets. As the men were taken into police custody, dozens of women were arrested, physically abused, taken to a remote place, and dumped at night in the middle of the desert.
The millennia-old Al-Azhar University has been a major battleground of constant student protests, resulting in the largest number of dead and detained students (184 students killed and over 1800 arrested). Female students’ involvement made them the subject of ferocious repression by the security forces.
Arresting and trying female political activists was not a common practice during Mubarak’s repressive rule; since the coup, it has become routine, occurring almost daily. Last November, an infamous court case in Alexandria shook the nation’s conscience, as 21 women younger than 23, including seven minors, were sentenced to 11 years in prison for peacefully demonstrating as part of the “seven o'clock in the morning movement”. Even though the harsh sentences were reduced on appeal, the message was clear: the regime would not back away from intimidating and punishing anyone who dared challenge it.
Abuse in custody
What happens to protesters inside police stations and prisons is also alarming. In addition to physical and verbal abuse, female protesters have been subjected to virginity and pregnancy tests by the army and police, a practice that was initiated by the military council that took over after Mubarak stepped down in February 2011. These degrading practices were defended by none other the then chief of military intelligence Abdel Fattah El- Sisi, the coup leader who is now running for president.
He defended the virginity tests against widespread outrage, deeming them necessary to “protect” the army from accusations of rape. So it’s not surprising that the practice resumed after the coup as confirmed by a number of girls and women who were recently released from prison.
Male students are also humiliated while in custody, as security police officers have forced them to stand naked before their female colleagues. Many assert that they were beaten, tortured and forced to “admit they are women”. Unfortunately, the abuses do not stop there.
The story of Dahab Hamdy, an 18-year-old pregnant young woman who was arbitrarily arrested on the day of the constitutional referendum in mid-January demonstrates the extent the regime is willing to go to suppress its opponents. Even though Dahab had no political affiliation, her ordeal sent a message from the regime to all female protesters. A few weeks after her arrest, Dahab was forced to give birth while in detention. The image of her handcuffed to the bed while delivering her baby was seared in people’s consciences. She was only released after the pictures were widely spread on the Internet. She named her daughter “Hurriyah”, or Freedom.
Dahab tells her story from a hospital bed.
Amani Hasan, a 33-year-old mother of two, was arrested with her brother following the dispersal of an anti-coup demonstration where a poster of former President Morsi was found in her car. Amani detailed the torture she was subjected to while in custody. She was severely beaten, threatened with rape, burned with cigarettes, and forced to sign a false confession. While in poor health and severe pain from a previous medical condition, she was forced to sleep on the floor. After five months without being transferred to a prison medical facility, Amani was finally released – but is now completely paralysed.
Line of fire
While these examples may seem extreme, the reality is that female protesters are daily targeted by the regime in order to break the anti-coup resistance. Ola Tarek, 14, is the youngest female political detainee in Egypt. Three months after her arrest she remains in prison for participating in an anti-coup demonstration. A few days ago, Karima El-Serafy, 20, was arrested at home and taken to an undisclosed location. Serafy was not even demonstrating when arrested. Her crime is being the daughter of a detained MB leader and Morsi’s aide. Her arrest was an attempt to pressure her father, who is on trial, to admit to the fabricated charges of conspiracy and treason.
What is even more outrageous is that four female friends of Karima were also arrested when they went to visit her in prison. Shortly after their detention, all five young girls were charged with membership in a terrorist organization and ordered 15 days of prison pending investigation.
The systemic abuse of female students by the security forces and army has been proliferating. It includes beatings by plain-clothed police, sexual abuse, and even being mowed by cars. Nevertheless, the protesters remain strong and determined. Azhar University student Ayat Hamada, 18, was imprisoned for over three months on dubious charges after being arrested on campus for protesting the coup. She sent a message from prison to her colleagues, who demonstrated daily demanding her release: “I will always be a free revolutionary, and prison will never break me.”
The junta has two aims: to traumatise and intimidate women and girls to drive them out of the public space, which they have claimed assertively since the January 2011 revolution, and to humiliate male protesters by demonstrating their inability to protect their female colleagues, instilling fear and breaking their spirit. On both fronts, it seems to be failing, since the protests across Egypt’s campuses have been increasing, not declining.
For years, the West has been calling for the empowerment of women in the Middle East, but there is nothing more disenfranchising to women in Egypt or across the region than the physical, sexual, and mental abuse female students are subjected to on a daily basis by the army and police. Equally, there is nothing more empowering to women than standing up with dignified determination to the bullying of the coup-led government – demanding not only their own rights, but also the right of all their fellow citizens to live free in a real democracy.
Egyptian protests
Indonesia women attending a meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia. UN Women/Ryan Brown
Baiq Nuril’s case shows sexism still remains in Indonesia’s Supreme Court, despite its equality guidelines
Funeral prayers were said for Mohamed Morsi in Istanbul Turkey, after his death in mid June. Erde Sahin/EPA
Where next for Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood after death of Mohamed Morsi
Young LGBT Americans score higher on political engagement surveys. Ink Drop/shutterstock.com
Young LGBT Americans are more politically engaged than the rest of Generation Z
Egyptian policemen pose in front of the Cairo International Stadium in Egypt, where Afcon takes place. Khaled Elfiqi/EPA
Egypt’s powerful football fans and politics: a toxic mix that could combust during Afcon
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Americathon
Director: Neal Israel
Stars: Harvey Korman, John Ritter, Fred Willard, Chief Dan George, Richard Schaal, Peter Riegert, Nancy Morgan, Zane Busby, Meat Loaf, Elvis Costello, Terence McGovern, Howard Hesseman, Jay Leno, Allan Arbus, David Opatoshu, George Carlin, Cybill Shepherd
Genre: Comedy, Science Fiction
Review: We can pin the blame on the fuel crisis of the nineteen-seventies for how the future ended up. The United States of America ran out of money fast in the eighties, and everyone was forced to take up cycling, rollerskating or skateboarding to get around, since most were living in their cars, which had become the latest low cost housing now hardly anyone could afford an actual house. As for the powers that be, China had become the dominant superpower, and the Middle East had finally set aside its differences as the Arabs and Jews united to create a superstate, one which was seeking to sabotage America. They needn't have bothered, as the government there had borrowed billions from an Indian Chief, and he wanted his money back...
You could well observe nothing dates like yesterday's satire, and satire predicting how the planet was going to wind up was even less durable. Take Americathon, for instance, they got the rise of China right, but everything else they conjured up was desperately grounded in 1979, making this far more of a time capsule of the targets for humour in that decade than it had anything to do with 1998, when the film was set. Not helping was that to put across the gags was a bunch of talent that would remind audiences they could watch them all on television instead of traipsing off to the cinema to watch them deliver mild jokes posing as a ruthless takedown of politics and society it aspired to be.
John Ritter, then riding high in the ratings in sitcom Three's Company, played President Roosevelt - that's Chet Roosevelt, not either of the others, an idiot, basically, who is more keen on sleeping around than he is coming up with viable ideas to save his nation (which now includes Great Britain as the fifty-seventh state). Nevertheless, when the axe is about to fall, he does bring in a media expert, Eric McMerkin (Peter Riegert), who proposes a way to get the money: Americans love watching television, therefore what better way to raise the necessary billions in funds than a telethon - "Americathon!" as Chet Christens it? However, there is a saboteur in league with the Middle East, Vincent Vanderhoff (Fred Willard) who may be in the Cabinet but is in the pay of America's enemies, and he means to prevent the cash flowing in.
In practice this means rendering the telethon as a cross between the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy charity drive and The Gong Show (Chuck Barris gets a mention, though isn't seen), presenting acts so downmarket that nobody in their right mind would pledge anything - they'd be more likely to pledge to take the thing off the air. Which left the movie in something of a dilemma, as it was trying to be very smart, but in doing so was putting on deliberately poor and idiotic entertainments as objects of ridicule, except we were simultaneously asked to be diverted by them, sort of a having their cake and eating it too operation. What Elvis Costello thought about being part of a fictional TV show of garbage goes unrecorded, but at least Harvey Korman as the presenter Monty Rushmore was in on the joke.
Indeed, he improvised the sole moment of genuine laughter in the whole thing as he gets rid of a poor impressionist by passionately kissing him - you can tell it's improvised by the comedian's reaction and the band in the background cracking up. But mostly we were not so much watching low rent acts one after the other, as there was the behind the scenes business to concern us as Vanderhoff contrives to shut the power off (the audience keeps watching for five days anyway) and even going as far as kidnapping Chet, which backfires when the Government can't afford the ransom and certainly aren't going to take it out of the charity funds. This was based on a stage show by members of the Firesign Theater, adapted to the screen by others including director Neal Israel (soon to strike it lucky with Police Academy), and the fact it was dated within a year of its release gives you an idea of how it plays now that Jimmy Carter quips are less relevant these days. Though you do get to see Jay Leno box his (screen) mother, and Meat Loaf duel the last car in America. Music by Tom Scott.
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A downhill slalom in Windsor Terrace →
Windsor Terrace: a river of cars runs through it
Windsor Terrace is in one of the nicest locations in the borough, wedged between the green oases of Prospect Park and Green-Wood Cemetery. A third obvious (and much less appealing) feature of Windsor Terrace is the Prospect Expressway, which more or less bisects the neighborhood. While the highway is a blight on the area, one of its few positives is that it alleviated pass-through traffic on the “normal” roads, allowing them to return to their previous quiet charm.
The name “Windsor Terrace” dates from around 1850. It was coined by Robert Bell, who held land in the area for a brief time. Bell soon sold his property to Edward Belknap, who divided his holding into 47 sub-plots on Seeley Street and Vanderbilt Street. The first mention of the neighborhood in The Brooklyn Eagle is on March 18, 1854, in an announcement of an auction of several tracts of land.
Living in Windsor Terrace had many perks. It was located at the extreme northwest of the town of Flatbush, just over the border from the city of Brooklyn. Residents could enjoy the convenience of the growing city while remaining “free from the city taxes and assessments”. It was adjacent to Green-Wood Cemetery, a very popular destination for tourism, picnicking, and leisure. Its position on a hill (which might have inspired the “Terrace” part of its name) offered views of Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Rockaways, and the Atlantic Ocean. And in the early 1860s, Prospect Park was proposed.
Map of the original six towns of Kings County. (From Ephemeral New York)
In the never-ending morphing of Brooklyn neighborhoods, Windsor Terrace has since expanded to incorporate a few blocks of what was formerly Brooklyn proper. Terrace Place approximates the boundary between Brooklyn and Flatbush.
Detail from an 1873 map of Flatbush. Terrace Place, the border of Brooklyn and Flatbush, is one block above Seeley Street. (From the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)
The northernmost point of Windsor Terrace is Bartel-Pritchard Square, a popular access-point to Prospect Park. It is named for two residents, Emil Bartel and William Pritchard, who were killed in the final months of World War I. The two columns are replicas of an acanthus column dating from the 4th century B.C. that might have marked the center of the Greek world. (Maybe I should stop using them to stretch when I’m running.)
Photograph of the 15th Street entrance to Prospect Park, now known as Bartel-Pritchard Square, 1915. (From the Prospect Park archives)
The first public transportation came to the area in 1871, when the Park Avenue Line of coach-drawn carriages was extended from Grand Army Plaza down 9th Avenue (now Prospect Park West) to Green-Wood Cemetery. (The entrance to the cemetery at that spot was built as a result.) The fare was five cents, and cars ran every four minutes. Signs were posted in English and German — perhaps I will learn why when I research a future neighborhood.
Connection to the south end of the county came in 1875 with the completion of the Culver Line, a surface railroad. Travelers could now get from Coney Island to downtown Brooklyn with a single connection at Green-Wood between the Culver Line and the Park Avenue Line. The new route also provided easy access to the Brooklyn Jockey Club, a horse-racing track. The line was named for Andrew Culver, the founder of the Prospect Park & Coney Island Railroad, which first operated the line.
1894 Long Island Railroad map. Windsor Terrace is at the very top. (From Arrt’s Archives)
Transportation-projects brought upheaval — literally — to the neighborhood twice in the 20th century. The first was the building of the second Culver Line, now home to the F and G trains. This was part of the new Independent Subway System (IND, today’s lines A-G), started by New York City in the 1920s to compete with the privately owned Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT, today’s numbered lines) and Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT, today’s other lettered lines).
The construction called for the “cut and cover” method, which required all buildings along the route to be destroyed, then rebuilt after the subway was completed. One of the casualties was a basement bowling-alley. Service between Church Av and Jay St began in 1933.
Cross-section of a plan for a station along the IND Culver Line, showing “support for future buildings”. (From nycsubway.org)
The second upheaval, in the 1950s, came courtesy of our favorite neighborhood-destroying villain. Windsor Terrace was a perfect spot for crossing into south Brooklyn between the Park and the Cemetery, and was used as such for many commuters every day, causing traffic issues on the streets of the neighborhood. Of course, Robert Moses couldn’t wait to get his grubby little hands on the space.
The Prospect Expressway connects the Gowanus Expressway with Ocean Parkway. Construction began in late 1953; the final section, between Greenwood Av and Church Av, was opened on June 12, 1962. To build the two-mile stretch, the city had to remove 1,252 tenants and to “condemn” hundreds of buildings.
1912 photograph of Prospect Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, later Windsor Terrace Methodist Church, a victim of the Prospect Expressway. The congregation moved to Vanderbilt St and E 3 St. (From BPL’s Brooklyn Collection)
For nearly a century, the neighborhood comprised mostly Irish immigrants and their descendants. This legacy remains in the identities of the neighborhood’s three main private educational institutions: Bishop Ford Central Catholic High School, Holy Name of Jesus School, and Immaculate Heart of Mary School. (P.S. 30 and P.S. 154 are also within the neighborhood’s confines.) Bishop Ford is named in honor of Francis X. Ford, a Catholic missionary who worked in China for 34 years before dying in prison in 1952, after two years of captivity and torture. (Disclosure: Bishop Ford also has a close relationship with my running-club, Prospect Park Track Club.)
Windsor Terrace has historically been much more affordable than “more-glamorous” areas like Park Slope; however, it, too, was subject to the rapid rise of housing-prices in the mid-2000s. The opportunity to sell proved too tempting for some long-time residents, resulting in a turnover in population. The neighborhood has seen some diversification, but apparently still maintains a close-knit feel.
I’ve heard a lot about Farrell’s, at Prospect Park West and 16 St. It was one of the first bars to open after the end of Prohibition. I look forward to visiting it later this week. The neighborhood is also home to Kensington Stables, the last stable in the area of Prospect Park.
Bound sources:
Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace, Kensington, & Parkville communities by Brian Merlis and Lee A Rosenzweig (Israelowitz Publishing, 2010). [The text of Liz Farrell’s history from that book is available here.]
The neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Kenneth T. Jackson, Ed. (Yale University Press, 2004).
About Keith Williams
I write about Brooklyn. I create Jeopardy! villains. I like to run. A lot. Check out my full profile.
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This entry was posted in History and tagged Brooklyn, Culver Line, F train, G train, Green-wood Cemetery, Prospect Expressway, Prospect Park, Robert Moses, transportation, Week 06 - Windsor Terrace, Windsor Terrace. Bookmark the permalink.
10 Responses to Windsor Terrace: a river of cars runs through it
Anne Perzeszty says:
I cannot tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts and how much I am learning about my adopted home borough. Carry on – I am following you every step of the way.
chickenunderwear says:
My Mother in law tells me that Bartel Prichard Square (and Park Circle) were once trolley turntables.
Thanks, Anne! I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
Michael, that’s cool. I’ll have a look to see what I can find on that …
Joe Furshong says:
I am an annual visitor (my son lives on Sherman St) and I truly enjoyed your synopsis of Windsor Terrace history. I am hoping you will dig deeper and share.
Keith Williams says:
Thank you, Joe!
Helene tuchman says:
I grew up in Windsor Terrace and went to both PS 30 and Ps 154, before the Prospect expressway was built. It was a closeknit neighborhood, my father had a small Dry Goods Store and we knew everyone. I have not seen it since 1964. I hear it is quite the place to live now.
another clueless new resident says:
I just wanted to say I have nothing to comment on
Mike (Mickey) Signorile says:
I grew up on 18th street between 10th and 11th avenue. I watched the old trolley car barn come down when Bishop Ford high school replaced it. Numerous houses were demolished in order to build The Prospect Expressway. My uncle Jimmy had a grocery store on the corner of Windsor Place and 11th Avenue across from PS 154. The neighborhood was and still is a GREAT place to live. Of course, Farrells bar helps keep us all in touch; social media for the baby boomers.
Pingback: What’s in a Name? How The Brooklyn Neighborhoods Got Their Names | The Index
Luigi Ruocco says:
What about the Coney Island Railroad Horse barn that was on PPSW (then Coney Island Ave/Plankroad and 15-17th Sts.? It was there in 1886.
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FIND BELLY DANCE MASTERS ON FaceBook, YouTube, or Twitter
BELLY DANCE MASTERS
Special Guest Stars
It has come to our attention a new organization has taken over our exact dates for Belly Dance Masters and our former host hotel for 10 years 2008-2018 (the Doubletree Orlando at Sea World) for 2019.
These people are in NO WAY AFFILIATED with myself (Stellar Advantage),
or Belly Dance Masters.
Thank you to all of you throughout Florida and beyond who supported
Belly Dance Masters through eighteen years of events!
AUGUST 2 - 5, 2018
BACK HOME ONE LAST TIME AT THE BEAUTIFUL
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON AT SEA WORLD
ON I-DRIVE IN ORLANDO, FLORIDA!
SILVIA SALAMANCA
MICHAEL IBRAHIM
MIGUEL CRESPO
KAREN BARBEE
MIA SHA'URI
KARIN JENSEN
LUNA POUMIAN
SHOSHANNAH ESTELL
Belly Dance Masters welcomes ALL of you who are passionate about dance! One to two years of dance study (cabaret, tribal, fusion, transnational, oriental, near eastern, ballet, salsa, flamenco, latin, jazz, etc...) is recommended but not required. All classes are designed for intermediate or higher levels, but don't worry, our teachers will have some modifications available and you will have great new things to incorporate into your dance regimen!
If you are inspired to evolve as a dancer, Belly Dance Masters is where you want to be!
Each of our instructors is committed to inspiring and challenging you wherever you are in your Dance Journey!
OUR 2018 FACULTY
JILLINA ~ CALIFORNIA
Performer, Master Instructor, Choreographer, Director and Producer, JILLINA has devoted her life to dance. Currently Jillina is touring the world with her newest production: Bellydance Evolution. Created in 2009, Bellydance Evolution is a revolutionary approach to the art of bellydance; it is a theatrical show with a storyline, much like a ballet. Bellydance Evolution has already appeared in over 20 countries and was a featured performer at the Mawazine festival in Morocco, performing for the Queen of Morocco. Bellydance Evolution was recently commissioned to produce “Le Voyage de Scheherazade” a multi-national, multi-discipline collaboration between Moroccan, European and American Oriental and ballet dancers with the Orchestra Philharmonique de Maroc.
In 1999 Jillina established her own dance company, Jillina’s Sahlala Dancers, currently LA’s premier Middle Eastern and world fusion dance entertainment company. From 2003-09 she served as Artistic Director and Main Choreographer for the Bellydance Superstars and performed with them for over 700 shows in over a dozen countries. High-lights include performing on the main stage at Lolapaloza, The Follies Berger in Paris, The Queen’s Theater in London and Theatre Mohammed V in Rabaat, Morocco. Jillina continued in her position as principal choreographer until 2010.
Jillina pulls from a strong dance background in Middle Eastern, Folklore, Jazz, Ballet, and Hip Hop to create a colorful Middle Eastern fusion repertoire. She travels extensively, teaching seminars and performing in concerts. Jillina’s talents have taken her to over 30 different countries. Whether Jillina is coaching dancers individually or teaching a group of 1,000 students, she has a special ability to connect with people on and off the dance floor.
Jillina has won numerous awards from International Academy of Middle Eastern Dance and the Giza Academy, including Best Modern Egyptian Dancer, Best Instructional Video, Best Dance Company and Dancer of the Year. Jillina has appeared on a number of television programs, including, “Dancing with the Stars” & “Tsukiri” a widely viewed show in Japan. She has co-produced 12 instructional DVDs, which, due to their success, are now offered in 5 different languages and distributed by Universal Records. In the summer of 2009 and 2010, Jillina was the first American to be invited as a featured performer in the prestigious Closing Gala at Ahlan Wa Sahlan in Egypt.
Jillina is the owner of Evolution Dance Studios, located in North Hollywood, California, USA. The studio provides rehearsal space to some of Hollywood’s top artists- Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Choreographers from So You Think You Can Dance- and serves as a focal point for the Los Angeles Dance Community.
For more information about Jillina, see www.jillina.com
SILVIA SALAMANCA ~ MALLORCA/USA
SILVIA SALAMANCA is an internationally acclaimed performer, choreographer and instructor from Mallorca, Spain. A life-long dancer, she graduated at the age of nineteen as a major in ballet and performed professionally as a modern dancer in major Europe festivals with the contemporary dance company of the University of Barcelona.
She started her career as a belly dancer in 2001, when realizing the enormous benefits that this art-form brings to women in both body and soul. In her own studio, she keeps observing how women can get closer to their self identity and discover oneself in a new level, increasing self-esteem, and getting deeply in touch with the feminine essence in their soul through bellydance.
As a natural evolution in her journey, Silvia discovered tribal fusion in the USA and combined it with a deep research into her own cultural roots: Spanish gypsy and Arabic. Hence with her work in the field of Zambra Mora (spanish gypsy-oriental dance fusion) Silvia gained international recognition and is currently invited to teach workshops and perform as a headliner in major festivals world-wide. Silvia is also known for her work dancing with swords, which she feels depicts the strength of women. Silvia is also the director of Shunyata Belly Dance, a nationally awarded tribal fusion company and a proud member of Urban Gypsy, Houston's premiere ITS troupe. For more information about Silvia, see www.silviasalamanca.com.
KAREN BARBEE ~ TEXAS
KAREN BARBEE, our resident Master Trainer, began studying Belly Dance at the age of 10. Over three decades later, Karen has developed a teaching methodology for this ancient dance form based on technical precision, soulful innovation, and cultural respect.
Having begun her study of Belly Dance during the 1970’s, a period of limited explanations, she developed her own. Her background in Systems Analysis enables her to analyze movement, decompose that movement, and explain it to others in a logical way. Karen’s years of teaching have enabled her to hone her teaching skills and develop a strong philosophy and curriculum, which have evolved into progressions she refers to as “From Mastery to Mystery”.
Karen has directed numerous staged productions of Middle Eastern Dance, studied and performed in Egypt and Lebanon, and has worked with some of the most highly acclaimed masterful musicians in the business. In addition, she has produced invaluable instructional DVDs, music CDs and currently runs an extraordinary multi-level on-line training resource which provides answers and solutions to students and dancers daily. Karen has trained and continues to mentor highly regarded talents internationally. She also develops a limited number of customized in studio intensives when her busy training schedule and life as the wife of a prominent politician permit.
If your studio is interested in co-sponsoring a focused intensive with Karen Barbee, contact stellaradvantage@gmail.com.
For more information about Karen Barbee, see www.karavansa.com.
Photo by Ron Mallioux.
MICHAEL IBRAHIM ~ MICHIGAN
Michael Ibrahim, founder of the National Arab Orchestra, is a dynamic conductor, and one of the newest most innovative artists to emerge onto the Arab music circuit. His teachers have included some of the leading artists in his field including, Simon Shaheen, Johnny Sarweh, Nadeem Dlaikan, Douglas Bianchi, Anthony Iannacconne, Dr. David Pierce, Robert Williams, and Victoria King; causing him to realize the value of a solid educational background. Having earned a bachelor degree in music from Eastern Michigan University, Michael went on to further his studies at Wayne State University; completing a Master of Music degree in conducting. The impact of Michael’s musical leadership is felt equally by audiences across the globe, and the musicians he collaborates with. Throughout his early career, Michael has performed in many concert halls and venues the world over; allowing him the unique opportunity to share the stage with some of the most influential figures in Western and Arab music. Michael’s diverse musical background and unique approach to composition and improvisation has also led him to be featured on a number of recordings and film scores.
As an artist, Michael has used his educational and professional experience to fuse Western and Arab music idioms in his performances. As an educator, Michael has taught privately and in the classroom; providing instrumental and ensemble instruction, as well as lectures and demonstrations on Arab music both at the university and grade school levels. His extensive experience as a performer and educator has led Michael to found all three ensembles of the Michigan Arab Orchestra (now the National Arab Orchestra). A Metro-Detroit native, Michael was born into a Syrian immigrant family of humble origins. He began his musical studies on the ‘Ud, later studying the Bassoon and Nay as his musical training progressed. Michael has always believed in concepts of self-awareness, honesty, and personal growth, which have proven to be useful tools in his development as an artist both personally and in the professional realm. Michael hopes that through his educational efforts he will be able to instill a wider appreciation for Arab music, and its heritage. For more information about the National Arab Orchestra, www.nationalaraborchestra.org.
Karin Lynge Jensen ~ CALIFORNIA
KARIN LYNGE JENSEN is an award winning choreographer, and the artistic director of Mandala DanceWorks. Karin holds a BA and MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine, and has been teaching Dance and Movement for over 33 years. In 2003, Karin happened to see American Tribal Style bellydance during a trip to San Francisco. As a result of this, Mandala DanceWorks, which had been a modern company in existence since 1983, reemerged in 2007 as an extension of Karin’s newfound love of Bellydance, coupled with her mastery of choreography and movement. Mandala DanceWorks is the result of collaborative efforts between Karin and her dancers, and the company strives to produce and perform works of beauty, intricacy, power and passion. MDW is the winner of the 2008 “Bellydancer of The Universe” competition in the Tribal Group category, The Breakthrough
Fusion 2011 group category winner, the first Bellydance Raqs LAPeoples Choice award and the 2012 Ultimate Bellydancer Competition for best Tribal Group. Karin and MDW currently teach and perform regularly in the Los Angeles and surrounding areas, and have recently taught and performed at festivals in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and Orlando.
You can Find Karin and Mandala Danceworks at www.mandaladanceworks.com or you can email Karin at karinjensen@charter.net.
MIA SHA'URI ~ PUERTO RICO
MIA SHA'URI is the ultimate example of passionate dedication. A dedicated continual student of dance in a myriad of forms for almost 15 years, she is a multi-award winning performing artist holding these noteworthy titles:Mia Sha'uri's focus, incredible discipline, and her obvious love of the art have prepared her well. Already she is in demand as an International Performing Artist and Instructor. Her wide range of professional artistic talents include Cabaret, Latin Fusions, Bollywood, Tribal and Bomba with captivating style and grace, not to mention being a master of more props than you can imagine.
As an instructor, her maturity exceeds her years and her desire to participate in the growth of her students is immediately evident. As a performer, her musicality and unique artistic interpretation are her signature. Her dynamic stage presence makes her a crowd favorite and a star to watch!
Photo by the fabulous Carrie Meyer - The Dancer's Eye Fine Art Photography
Our Official Photographer of Belly Dance Masters since 2015!
Click here to know more about Mia Sha'uri.
MIGUEL CRESPO ~ COLOMBIA
MIGUEL CRESPO is a lifelong percussionist with 25 years experience. He currently performs professionally in his original art of Latin music, playing different genres including Folklore, Salsa, Latin Jazz, Pop and Fusion. Over the last ten years he has developed his skills as a Middle Eastern percussionist. His main influences have been Hossam Ramzy(Egypt) and Erez Monk (Israel). In 2009 Miguel participated in the "Tamburimundi Festival" in Freiburg (Germany) where he had the opportunity to study with great masters such as Murat Coskun (Turkey), David Kuckhermann (Germany), Glen Velez (USA), Sattor Fozilov (Tadjikistan), David Kuckhermann (Germany), N. Scott Robinson (USA), Shekoofeh Pariab (Iran), and many others.
Miguel is an integral part of the Bereket Association, known as the pioneers of Arabic music in Colombia, with whom he has won 4 titles in the World Music Festival, organized by the Philharmonic Orchestra and The Institute of Culture and Tourism of Bogotá.
ARIELLE TYSON CARVAHLO ~ FLORIDA
Arielle is a dynamic and passionately dedicated dancer who currently works out of Miami and Coral Springs, FL. Her infatuation with bellydance began when she was growing up in Egypt, where she fell in love with Middle Eastern culture, music, and dance. Her first performance was in Cairo at age 10 and she has been obsessed ever since. Arielle is the winner of several competitions, such as our Stellar Pro Soloist 2013, and was a finalist on Egypt’s first bellydance competition show, Al Rakessa, which was directed and judged by the infamous dancer Dina. As a result of Arielle’s success on Al Rakessa, she became an overnight sensation in Egypt and currently holds the heart of the Egyptian people due to her ability to represent the dance and culture with sincerity, respect, and authenticity. With a background in burlesque, hip hop, flamenco, samba, African, ballet, jazz, modern/contemporary, bollywood, folklore, and many others, Arielle’s unique style is full of flair, sass, and versatility. This girl can do it all! She currently teaches weekly classes at Belly 2 Abs in Miami and Hype Dance Studio in Lake Worth. For more information about Arielle, visit www.arielledance.com
SHOSHANNAH ESTELL ~ GEORGIA
SHOSHANNAH ESTELL is a multinational award winning Contemporary Fusion Dance Artist. She is owner of ShoFusion Dance Arts Studio, co-creator of BellyRok, founder of Sho&Tale productions, and artistic director/choreographer of ShoFusion Dance Collective. A true visionary she is well versed in ballet, jazz, hip-hop, musical theatre, belly dance, modern, and tribal fusion. With over 18 years of experience performing in music, dance and theatre ShoShannah combines her vast knowledge of dance with her unyielding love of the stage. Venturing down many avenues of creativity, ShoShannah is also a fitness coach, visual abstract artist, writer, actress, costume designer, and vocal performer. A perpetual student herself she is very passionate about the arts and sharing her love of the arts with students and audiences alike. ShoShannah has presented workshops nationally and internationally and worked with multiple dance companies including Bellyqueen directed by Kaeshi Chai and Belly Dance Evolution directed by Jillina. She is honored to be a part of each amazing opportunity to share her love of dance through performing and teaching. For more information about Shoshannah Estell, check out www.facebook.com/shobelly.
LUNA POUMIAN ~ MEXICO
Born in Mexico, LUNA POUMIAN is a professional dancer and graphic designer. She is trained in ballet, synchronized swimming, hip hop and contemporary dance, but she finds her true passion in belly dance. Luna has graduated from the school of Bellydance, "Belly Gym", where she completed the training program to become not only a professional dancer, but also a bellydance teacher. In 2015 she finished Munique Neith's certification program for performers and instructors. Luna continues to build a strong resume of certificates and record of studies, awards and collaborations on both a national and international level. She is grateful to have been chosen to be part of Jillina's company Bellydance Evolution 2014, 2015 & 2017, as well as Munique Neith's International Ballet in 2016 & 2017 and Virginia Mendez's production of 2016. Luna has also earned titles like 2015 Professional Soloist at Najmah in Mexico and 2016 Stellar Pro Soloist at Belly Dance Masters in Orlando among others. Currently Luna is a Performer, Instructor and Choreographer but she will always be a student. Learn more about Luna at www.lunapoumian.com.
Photos by Carrie Meyer
Our Official Belly Dance Masters Photographer
DEBKA ~ TENNESSEE
Attendees of Belly Dance Masters continue to rave about improved flexibility and even have reduced longstanding chronic pain as a result of their classes here with DEBKA!
Debka has a masters degree in dance and movement education. She has been teaching all forms of dance for over 40 years. Debbie Ashton aka Debka is a certified Feldenkrais Practitioner and has worked in physical therapy clinics for 20 years.
She has produced 6 instructional DVDs composed of her unique "Fluid Moves" program which are sold internationally. She worked at the 1996 Olympics with the kayak teams to help relieve their pain and improve their performance.
Now even in her 60's, she is super active with 3 performing belly dance troupes and instructing several Zumba classes per week because of her long term practice using these "Fluid Moves" designed especially for dancers. To learn more about Debka, Click here.
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About Your Instructor
Terri Grief is an awardâwinning school librarian and a frequent presenter at state library conferences. She traveled the United States as president of the American Association of School Librarians and has presented extensively for AASL. Terri is a highly experienced secondary school librarian and is considered a trusted expert in young adult literature and strategies to motivate and reach teen readers.
Terri is the author of What’s NEW in YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE and How to Use It In Your Program (Grades 6-12), the extensive resource handbook each participant will receive at the seminar. Terri is a recipient of the Outstanding School Librarian Award, the Baby Hardy Lifetime Achievement Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from her state’s library association. Terri’s enthusiasm about reading and YA literature is contagious.
“Terri’s presentations are my ‘go-to’ place for learning the latest and greatest titles for young adult literature. She not only summarized the books, but she also talked about which students it would resonate with, as well as how they could be promoted and used.”
“In my 30 plus years as an educator, I have never seen ANYONE as passionate about YA literature as Terri Grief!”
“Wow! I’m leaving with a great list of ‘must-reads’ and a renewed enthusiasm of sharing quality books with students.”
“Terri’s honest assessment of books of all genres is refreshing and invaluable to me as a middle and high school librarian.”
“Terri is a high-energy presenter who knows books! She is great at recommending books for boy/girl interest, reluctant readers and more!”
“Amazing! Terri is a walking card catalog, and can instantly recall and connect titles, characters, settings, and details of books she read years ago.”
“Terri was instantly able to offer titles and ideas for books I could use in my classroom. Honestly, it is amazing to see her in action!”
“I especially appreciated Terri’s assessment of the latest titles, and I feel better prepared to choose titles for my students and our collection.”
“Terri is an excellent resource to both librarians and teachers. Her knowledge of current and trending young adult literature is indispensable!”
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Tag: chin
Since her first appearance on Laguna Beach: The Real Orange Country, Lauran Conrad has been known as being one of the first individuals who benefit from the popularity of television reality show program in the outset of 2000s. In 2001, Lauran Conrad was described as one of the dullest major characters in reality television enterprise. In 2013, Conrad was noted by Misty Sidell from the famous movie The Daily Beast. Conrad was deemed as an interesting anomaly among those appearing on television. Conrad commented that The Hills was meant to be an inspirational program rather than being fraught with scandals as well as catfights. In addition to those career in the movie enterprise, Conrad has also been featured on the front cover of a number of magazines which are fraught with best-selling issues. These include People StyleWatch and Cosmopolitan. Lauran Conrad then appeared on Glamour in May 2012, which led to the huge sell, approximately 500,000 copies and she became the most massive selling issue of the year.
Additionally, Lauran Conrad was also featured on the covers of another massive selling issues of Marie Claire and Lucky in 2013. Soon after all those fabulous career trajectories were made, there were some unpleasant rumors claiming that Lauran Conrad determined to have some surgical procedures to boost her beauty. With all the fame and popularity that followed her, it was truly rational to have such a huge artist to have such debatable issues. In fact, plastic surgery has been one of the most shocking news among celebrities in the enterprise of Hollywood. The issues germane to Lauren Conrad plastic surgery was on everyone’s lip for quite some time.
What has been done to get that fascinating look?
A lot of people have been gossiping about Lauren Conrad plastic surgery. It is rather normal to have such an issue on such a big figure in the realm of entertainment, especially Hollywood. When looking at some pictures issued on the internet or isuwft, you will notice some changes on her look. However, just like any other issues, the ones attributed to Lauren Conrad was somewhat shaky in that much had been said about that very issue about the superstar. Some people, however, will question the truth of the issues in as much as Lauren Conrad is, without question, one of a kind in the constellation of super hot chicks in the United States. In addition, she has been greatly recognized as a famous writer, author, actress, and director. In a sense, there is no rationale to support the issues. Let us see some pictures around her that were issued on the internet.
Another part of the surgery work related to Lauren Conrad
If you look at the pictures showing her difference just before and after the plastic surgery, you probably will see no difference or even just slight difference on her appearance, which can be strongly tied up to the cosmetics and makeup technique that she applied. She apparently has some prominent changes which were done on her nose, bust, and chin. Lauren’s nose seemed more pinched as well as smaller in size with an asymmetrical dorsum. We can guess that she presumably had rhinoplasty surgery to make her nose much more pinched than before. Some surgeons even claimed that the actress indeed had the surgery. They said that the tip of her nasal looks like it has been changed and modified through plastic surgery. Therefore, it appears as what seems to us right now. Previously, Lauren Conrad had a rounder nose. All of those differences downright affirmed that she once had the knife surgery. Referring to the pictures showing the difference between before and after Lauran Conrad plastic surgery clearly confirmed that she once had the plastic surgery. It was very obvious that Lauren Conrad had not only rhinoplasty but also some chin implants work done. It can be seen that the artist felt that things have never been good for her.
Leave a comment actress, breast, chin, lauren conrad, nose
These days, there have been lots of exposure to Korean artists in as much as this particular country has gained so much public attention particularly in the realm of music as well as movies. One of many Korean female artists who has been popular on the internet is Kim Tae Hee. In 2002, the year she began her career, there was an advertising executive that saw Kim riding. And this executive was infatuated in her beauty and then offered her a modeling career opportunity. Afterward, Kim appeared in a television commercial as well as advertising. This was all done before she began her career in acting. In 2001, Kim Tae Hee started her career trajectory in the movie industry. It was in a movie entitled Last Present that she appeared on movie in 2002. After that Kim Tae Hee was also involved in the sitcom Let’s Go. In the late of 2003, she rose to the star contract through her portrayal of the evil stepsister in a movie popular as SBS TV series named Stairway to Heaven. At the beginning of 2004, Kim Tae Hee was in cast working as a leading role in her succeeding projects. In the following years, there have been more and more movie series that she took part as well as numerous advertisings in which she was involved. All of those sparkling and fabulous career trajectories appeared so easy for her in as much as she had one of the most enchanting looks that every man is infatuated in. However, there had been some news and rumors saying that Kim Tae Hee once had plastic surgery to boost her beauty, something which was already common among artists.
What made her to get the Knife work?
Perhaps, there have been lots of confusions on the public regarding the reasons why the beautiful Korean actress decided to go on plastic surgery. The rumors germane to Kim Tae Hee plastic surgery has been quite some time on everyone’s lips. Also, when you browse the nets, you will also spot some differences that you can attribute to the very rumors on Kim Tae Hee. There were some issues on this. One of many rumors about Kim Tae Hee plastic surgery was that the beautiful actress had double eyelid surgery. This particular procedure has been taken by many Korean stars. You may also notice that Sandara Park once was rumored to have this surgery. Kim Tae Hee has been rumored to get this knife work as well. However, this issue has not been proven so much in as much as in the late pictures; there have not been much different on the eyes. There was the only nicety in the pictures on her eyes.
Was there chin and cheek implants?
In addition to the facial work which was done on her eyes, there have been some rumors that the beautiful Korean actress had some chin and cheek implants, which corroborated the rumors on Kim Tae Hee plastic surgery. These two procedures were still in debate for the nice actress had yet to make any statements on that issue. Also, when you look at the pictures showing the difference, there has not been a significant difference that can be noticed. Therefore, it was again debatable whether the beautiful actress indeed had plastic surgery had taken some surgical procedures to escalate her beauty. If you look at the pictures showing the difference between before and after the plastic surgery, there were, however, some changes that you can see. You can see that her eyes are now much wider open that they were used to be.
Leave a comment actress, cheek, chin, kim tae hee, korea
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UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE
Kirk Ferentz
Wisconsin - 28
Iowa - 17
KIRK FERENTZ: First of all, just want to thank our fans. I thought the stadium was unbelievable tonight. Great atmosphere out there. We knew it would be. That's about as loud as I can ever remember it. So they certainly did their part and we appreciate that. It was a great environment out there. I'm proud of our team's effort tonight. I thought our guys played hard and fought hard, both teams did. But that being said, it's a tough loss, our first conference game, and I think as everybody saw we made some critical errors. If you're going to win a Big Ten game you got to play cleaner football than what we did tonight. So that was the tough part about it. You play Wisconsin, first of all, we anticipated this kind of effort from them. I think what we saw last week was certainly uncharacteristic, when you think about how many football games they have won over the last five years. They came ready to go. Right along with that, when you play Wisconsin, possessions are at a real premium. So we squandered a couple opportunities on that front and ended up paying for that at the end too. Bottom line is I thought our guys played hard, we didn't play well enough to win. Credit Wisconsin for that, they did a good job. And it's our first loss in the conference, first loss this year, comes at a break, so we'll sit back and reassess things a little bit. I think we made progress over the first month and really the two keys right now are how we respond and then how we move forward and that's where our focus will start. Start tomorrow. Throw it out for questions.
Q. Do you feel like that in the fourth quarter you guys had a second and five at the 50. Do you feel like that kind of left the door open, they went on a game-winning drive after you guys punted it back?
KIRK FERENTZ: We had a couple opportunities to sustain drives in the second half, but to their credit too when they had that opportunity they took it and went and it was a beautiful drive on their part. And we gave up a big play on that possession and that was a tough play for us there.
Q. On their go-ahead touchdown it looked like you ended up with a linebacker trying to guard a wide receiver. What was going on there?
KIRK FERENTZ: We do that frequently. That's part of our defense. Yeah, the guy made a good throw and they got, receiver did a good job of getting open and it's just part of what we do.
Q. Is this the type of game where it seems like the smallest details tip the balance one direction or the other and lack of execution or turnovers or what have you just seem to sway to a team that really didn't do anything wrong?
KIRK FERENTZ: Absolutely. They played clean football tonight and they played good football. A couple things, I mean typically they're pretty good about being smart with the ball, securing the ball. They do play good field position football. That's where our turnover really cost us. We had the ball up near mid field there, so you don't get many of those possessions against Wisconsin typically. We had one and then squandered it with the turnover there. Yeah, so if you don't take advantage of those opportunities or make the little mistakes -- and obviously the punt that hit our guy, that's bad play for us. So, but a couple of those and that is the difference in the game, really.
Q. What do you guys teach on when the ball's --
KIRK FERENTZ: Get away. There's a communication involved there, but it seemed like most everybody was getting the message there, so for whatever reason it didn't quite get communicated. And when you're in that area it's dangerous.
Q. How tough is that for whatever 90 plus, a 100 yards, that something like that happens and give away seven points?
KIRK FERENTZ: It's tough. Even there though you hope you can hold them to a field goal. That was the next challenge and we weren't good enough to do that on that possession. So to their credit they not only recovered the ball but then they turned it into a touchdown and that's to their credit.
Q. How did they challenge you guys defensively, because the defense has been stellar the first three weeks, not giving up a whole lot of offense, but they were kind of able to win the battle up front?
KIRK FERENTZ: They did. We haven't played an offensive team like them and I think everybody, pretty much everybody that follows Big-Ten football knew the kind of potential they had offensively. To me again last week just wasn't very characteristic of who they are, what they are, and we assumed they would be ready to go for conference play and they were. They came out and played well and they ran the ball well. And the back's an excellent player. He's not good, he's excellent. So it's a good combination with that line they got, the tight ends block well, back's outstanding and they throw the ball effectively. So that's a tough, again, minus those couple plays that really hurt us, we had a chance to win this football game. That's the tough part about it.
Q. Seemed like Nate Stanley actually in the loss had one of his better games. How would you assess kind of what his leadership and what maybe the growth he's taken?
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, I think he has steadily played better. I think the last two weeks more represent the kind of player he is. I believe our line looked like they grew tonight. I thought the backs ran pretty well and ran tough. So we're actually in my mind I think we're improving, but you still want to win games and tonight we squandered an opportunity. But had we played cleaner we would have given ourselves a better chance. And a couple of those plays are correctable plays. Those are the ones that are tough to live with. If they beat you straight up that's one thing, but that back, a back like that's going to make yards with that kind of line, that type of thing, but the stuff, the little mental things are the ones that we have to do better if we want to be competitive in the conference.
Q. You guys did a lot of rotating on the defensive line to stay fresh. Were you surprised they were able to get between the tackles like they were. Seems like they had a lot of luck there.
KIRK FERENTZ: Yeah, they're a big physical group. That's how they have been built for quite some time. You guys saw them in person, they're the real deal. And then they have got back or actually a couple backs that run tough. But Taylor's a special player. He does things that takes a three-yard gain and it's five- or six-yard gain. So he does that really consistently and just keeps the pressure on you that way. So that, but that's the challenge. We got a good stop there at the end of the half, I think, and felt like maybe we started to gain a little bit of ground there. But to their credit they came back with a big possession there at the end.
Q. Why you do you think the Hornibrook was so effective on the game-winning drive?
KIRK FERENTZ: I think he's a really good player. There's not a lot talked about him or written about him, but you think about how many games they have won when he's in charge, I think they know that better than anybody, they know who he is and what he is and when they go to him, he responds pretty favorably. So he didn't do anything that hurt them tonight and he made some really good throws and some good plays. And they're a good offensive football team and they have been for quite some time.
Q. Did you feel confident that making them go 85 yards with whatever it was, five minutes to play --
KIRK FERENTZ: Obviously, we're hoping to get a stop and get the ball back and have a chance to run the clock. But we weren't able to do that. Then when the ball moves down then your goal is to keep them out of the end zone and he made a good play.
Q. On the drive where they scored the game winning or not game winning, the go ahead touchdown there, they were, it was like a, looked like that there was a rough spot where you might have been able to challenge it or at least call a timeout?
KIRK FERENTZ: I could have and the guy on our sideline said they were reviewing it. So pretty much the way we have been told, you can take a timeout to make yourself feel better and I did that once, I don't know last year or maybe earlier this year, but basically you're wasting a timeout. They're reviewing all those things. And spots are always a little tough. We don't always agree with them, but like to think they're doing it right.
Q. Djimon started the second half at weak side. Was that just a switch of players or was there a --
KIRK FERENTZ: Both those guys have played during this season. Kristian was out the one game, so we're probably going to keep rotating guys around and just -- but I think both of them are doing a good job. That's been one of the pleasant things over four weeks I think we're getting some good play from our linebackers and seeing some positive things there. I think we're seeing a lot of growth all over our football team, but some of it gets hidden tonight because of a couple critical plays that we weren't able to execute cleanly enough.
Q. You talk about growth of your team. Nate talked about the offensive line a lot. Can you talk about them the last four weeks of the season, they really seemed to grow and that might have been one of the best performances of the season tonight.
KIRK FERENTZ: I think so. I think they're quietly moving forward and Keegan Render is kind of the steadying factor and influence in there. He's really done a good job of leading those guys and we got two guys playing tackle that are second year of playing football. And that was part of the issue last year up there, we had those guys a year out of high school or first year playing against some guys that were pretty salty. So I think we're moving in the right direction and the thing that excites me is that I think we got a lot of potential to get a lot better. So that's pretty much at a lot of positions right now. So that's where we got to be focused and realize we still got an eight-game schedule to play. So we would love to get over this, we'll do that in the next 24 hours and then Monday we get back to being, trying to get back to being a better football player or team.
Q. Did Hankins get dinged up?
KIRK FERENTZ: He did. Yeah. He's fine.
Q. Smith-Marsette has been kind of up-and-down, a little inconsistent. Is he all the way back physically first of all and second of all where do you see him going as a player?
KIRK FERENTZ: You probably noticed he came out of the game tonight. He got nailed a little bit. He's not a hundred percent probably, but who is at this time of year, after the first game. So he's a good football player. He's got a lot of juice, he's got a lot of attitude and he'll keep improving too. He's a young guy too. Second year player, however many games. What is that, about 13, plus four? 17? So yeah, he'll keep getting better.
Q. Was he taken that give away fumble hard? How did he respond?
KIRK FERENTZ: It's tough. It's just a tough thing. If you hold the ball or control the ball and have the ball, possess the ball, it's one of the risks you take. It's not characteristic of him, it won't define him at all. He'll come back and he'll make some plays for us. He's a really good football player. It's one of those things, it's a tough break.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
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Tajkistan / Society / Ministry of Labor, FAO unveil the matching grants program for migrants
Ministry of Labor, FAO unveil the matching grants program for migrants
11:22, february 11Author: Asia-Plus
Jointly with the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Tajikistan, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations unveiled a program that seeks to promote inclusive economic growth through matching grants by involving migrants remittances to invest into agriculture and agribusiness.
According to the FAO Country Office in Tajikistan, the program conducted its first Oversight Committee, the role of which is to evaluate the business applications and assign the grants, which are delivered in cash through an ATM card. The Oversight Committee is formed of members from various government and international organizations in Tajikistan, such as: the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Migration Service, the Association of Dehkan Farms of Tajikistan, the International Organization for Migration, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of UN.
Matching grant programs are a popular instrument for private sector development interventions in the world. They focus on fostering small and medium enterprises’ competitiveness, primarily, through using business development services. Since Tajikistan is one of the largest sources of labor migration in the region, as well as one of the largest recipients of remittances, such programs could also play a vital role in development and improvement of local economies and communities in the country. Channeling remittances into agriculture would have catalytic effects on rural development by promoting food security and nutrition, employment creation, and inclusive growth.
“This is a crucial step to reduce poverty and stimulate economic growth in poor rural communities. The matching grants aim at boosting local investments by attracting migrants’ remittances and by supporting agricultural development in rural areas. They are also directed at improving the employment situation for returning migrants,” emphasized Oleg Guchgeldiyev, the FAO Representative in Tajikistan.
“Better and improved access of communities to productive infrastructure and services will ensure sustainable agricultural production and equitable returns. Therefore, we are particularly interested in involving village organizations, farmers groups and private services agencies in contributing to the success of this initiative,” said Nurullo Mahmadullozoda, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of Population of Tajikistan.
With the technical support from FAO and the financial support from the Russian Federation, the Government of Tajikistan started implementing a pilot, entitled, “Promoting inclusive economic growth through Matching Grants” in Hisor city and Jaloliddini Balkhi district. This pilot is part of the FAO project “Developing Capacity for Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Selected Countries of the Caucasus and Central Asia that aims operationalize the linkages between agriculture, nutrition and social protection in national food systems. The pilot was inspired by the similar model “National Program for Attracting Remittances into the Economy in Moldova”, which has been successfully implemented by the Government of the Republic of Moldova since 2010.
The pilot aims to mobilize remittances and human resources of migrant workers, their families, returnees and communities to improve their livelihood, and thus allowing beneficiaries to invest 50 percent of funds for small-scale business-oriented activity in agriculture or agribusiness and attract addition 50 percent from the FAO project’s funds. In addition to financial support, the pilot includes capacity development programs, which allow beneficiaries to build skills in small- and medium business development in the agricultural sector. FAO supports beneficiaries both during the preparation of investment proposals, and also by advising and raising their capacity in agricultural production, storage, processing and marketing to ensure the sustainability of the investments.
To be eligible for participation in the pilot program, applicants should be migrants or returnees, women with household responsibilities receiving remittances from a first-degree relative, or forced returnees for nonthreatening administrative issues with proven ineligibility to migrate abroad. The inclusion of returnees and forced returnees is vital, as migrants are increasingly returning to their home country, and their sustainable reintegration into society requires creation and broadening of employment opportunities as well as return migrants can foster the transfer of skills, know-how and technology.
The first stage of the pilot was very successful. Almost 250 business-applications have been collected and pre-screened by the FAO experts in close collaboration with the Government and district community representatives. In total, around 170 investment proposals have been selected for the first Oversight Committee meeting discussion that recommended to conduct further analysis and assessment of applications according to the approved criteria and to select the best 50-60 proposals for the detailed business plans development. This will also include the technical and business training of selected beneficiaries. At a later stage, the Oversight Committee meeting will award grants to the best business plans. FAO together with the government and communities representatives will monitor the grants performance and compiles a final technical report highlighting achievements, challenges, and recommendations to be considered by the Government in scaling up the matching grants program.
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Six Victorian Country track to race again
8 July 2011 - The HRV Board today received an audit report assessing the facilities at the six tracks, which were closed for racing in 2005 as part of the 'V3' Strategic Plan. After considering the contents of the report, the HRV Board has resolved to support The Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition Plan For Racing by re-opening the six tracks and conducting one community race meeting per year. The tracks are located at Boort, Gunbower, Ouyen, St Arnaud, Wangaratta and Wedderburn. Chairman of HRV, Mr. Ken Latta said, "The Board resolution is subject to receiving State Government funding to reinstate racing at these venues to a standard which accords with contemporary public and participant safety requirements. The Board has also asked for further work to be undertaken to determine the timing of the reintroduction of racing at these venues given the future works required. HRV will not make any further comment until consultation has taken place with Dr Denis Napthine, Minister for Racing and the clubs concerned."
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Displaying items by tag: UN - No More Poverty
As Global Poverty Decreases, China Takes the Lead
Michael Omidi discusses PEW research that shows a decline in poverty over the past decade.
From 2001 to 2011, nearly 700 million people stepped out from poverty, though many still were barely scraping by. This rise always came with an increase in the global middle class. All of this is from recent PEW research.
According to the research, those considered poor are people living on $2.00 or less a day. The global population in 2001 living in poverty was 29%. That declined to 15% in 2011. While those considered low income, living on $2 to $10 a day, increased from 50% to 56%.
The middle class was classified as people living on $10 to $20 a day, which was 5 times the poverty line used in the study. This of course is within the poverty line of the US, which is living on $15.77 a day for a 4 person household. Researchers feel the $10 threshold globally begins to insulate those from falling back into poverty, based on findings in Latin America. Where in Mexico, Chile and Peru people only have a 10% likeliness of falling into poverty if their per capita incomes is $10.00 a day.
China's growth stood out remarkably. The middle income grew from 3% in 2001 to 15% in 2011. A total of 203 million people passed to the middle income level of $10 a day in that time. China, which accounts for 20% of the world's population, accounted for one-in-two additions to the global middle income population. Far superior than most other countries in Asian and throughout the world. The greater population of Asia combined accounted for the largest growth of middle income compared to other continents.
Only 16% of the world's population lived at the high level of the income scale. Up only 2% from 2001. These were largely people from advanced economies. In the US, median daily income per capita was $56 dollars a day. A total of 88% of the American population lived off of more than $20 a day.
It shows that some progress is being made worldwide. The UN recently announced an initiative to try to eradicate global poverty over the next 15 years. If they are able to accomplish that, it will be a huge success for humanity. The more we are able to create a dialogue on poverty and brain storm solutions, the quicker we can reduce the affects and create a more sustainable future for humanity as a whole.
Michael Omidi is the co-founder of No More Poverty a nonprofit that advocates of the elimination of poverty throughout the world.
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XXII Triennale
International Participations
Milan – June 19, 2018
New York – January 14, 2019
Milan – March 1, 2019
Milan – May 2019
Enlightenment?
By Academy for Urban Astronauts | May 16, 2019
EDITOR’S NOTE: This text, penned by futurologist and co-founders of Studio Monnik Christiaan Fruneaux and Edwin Gardner, questions the viability of the anthropocentric culture and holds it responsible for the lack of introspective gaze that defines our age– the loss of the stars bearing witness to that. In the context of the XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature, Fruneaux’s words complements the project presented by the Dutch pavilion, I See That I See What You Don’t See, curated by Angela Rui, Marina Otero Verzier, and Francien van Westrenen.
The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness. P. Cinzano, F. Falchi (University of Padova), C. D. Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder). Courtesy Royal Astronomical Society. Reproduced from the Monthly Notices of the RAS by permission of Blackwell Science.
Whatever exists outside of humanity has disappeared from our anthropocentric culture – the loss of the stars bears witness to that. It is time to curtail our enlightenment; our introspective gaze is no longer working.
We have lost the nocturnal darkness. In 2016, the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute created an atlas of the night sky, a ‘where can you still see the stars?’ map. The findings are remarkable. For example, 99 per cent of the residents of the United States of America and the European Union – with all those stars in their flags – live in places where it is now impossible to see the Milky Way. The culprit is, of course, light pollution. Our cities are too illuminated, and you need darkness to see the stars. In his book, The End of Night, Paul Bogard estimates that 80 per cent of the children now being born in the USA and the EU will never, in their entire lives, experience what it is like to read a book by starlight. Hidden behind the reflected light from countless lamps, the most impressive natural landscape we know of – a source of inspiration for art, mysticism, science and entire civilizations – will remain hidden from them forever.
Academy for Urban Astronauts. Photo by Sander van Iersel.
A few years ago, I spent a few months working in Tokyo. I lived to the west of the centre, on the Chuo line. One day, I woke up with the panicky feeling that Tokyo had swallowed the world. That reality, from now on, consisted of an endless city from which nature had disappeared. That there was only a single interior, composed of concrete, plastic and asphalt. This feeling was so oppressive that I ran to the Chuo line, searching for the end of the city. According to the metro map – a huge plateful of colourful spaghetti – I should reach the end of the city at some point. Whatever happened, thank goodness. After two restless hours, during which I watched a relentless urban landscape passing by, I got out at the end station. A small stop in some suburb or another. In the distance, there was the suggestion of a green hill. I started walking towards it. After half an hour I reached a fence. This was to be the end of Tokyo. On one side of the fence was the largest urban conglomeration that has ever existed, where 37 million people live and work in an artificial interior. On the other side of the fence, there was a forest.
In his book Delirious New York, from 1978, Rem Koolhaas writes: “Manhattan as the product of an unformulated theory, Manhattanism, whose program – to exist in a world totally fabricated by man, i.e., to live inside fantasy – was so ambitious that to be realized, it could never be openly stated.” Manhattan as an artificial interior, created by our imagination. Nowadays, most people do indeed live in a world entirely created by Manhattanism.
Virtually everything in our environment is conceived, designed, made, transported, bought, used and claimed by ourselves – and so reflects ourselves in one way or another. Things ‘of themselves’ no longer have the right to exist; they can therefore simply be replaced or pushed away, just as the starry sky is squeezed out of view. For the simple reason that it was not invented, bought or hung up by anyone. Or claimed – because it is unlikely that a fee could be charged for looking at it.
The “Last” Whole Earth Catalog. Photographer unknown.
In this insane inner world that can, not incorrectly, be called a psychotic delusion, we have lost the view of what lies beyond ourselves. We no longer call this phenomenon Manhattanism. Nowadays, that would be a much too local interpretation. We use the term Anthropocene, which means Manhattanism but then on a planetary scale. How can we look outside again? There is a cure for this cultural navel gazing. It is called the overview effect, and it is experienced by astronauts when they observe Earth from space. The overview effect is a sensation that is often described as a deep sense of connection with, and responsibility for, all life on Earth – and for the Earth itself. It seems to be an indelible experience to see our home from so far away, so fragile in the vast nothingness. Once you have been touched by the overview effect, you can never go back. As Wubbo Ockels showed on his deathbed, in his emotional plea for sustainability and peace.
Stewart Brand wearing his ‘Whole Earth’ button. Courtesy JP Cutler Media.
The overview effect is not reserved for astronauts. In the 1960s, cultural phenomenon Stewart Brand had his personal overview moment, after which he saw it as his mission to shake humanity awake. The hippie movement was in full swing, and Brand was one of its figureheads. He had just organized the Trips Festival and was contemplating his next step on the roof of a building in San Francisco, under the influence of LSD:
“So there I sat, wrapped in a blanket in the chill afternoon sun, trembling with cold and inchoate emotion, gazing at the San Francisco skyline, waiting for my vision. (…) I remembered that Buckminster Fuller had been harping on this at a recent lecture – that people perceived the Earth as flat and infinite, and that that was the root of all their misbehaviour. Now from my altitude of three stories and one hundred miles, I could see that it was curved, think it, and finally feel it.”
At that time, satellites were already floating around and Brand realized that there must be a photo of our planet seen from space. At that time, no one had ever seen a photograph of the entire Earth, so such an image could become a powerful symbol of the realization of its vulnerability, he thought. Brand started a campaign with the slogan: “Why haven’t we seen a picture of the whole Earth yet?” A year later, Nasa released a first photo of the entire globe (according to Nasa, one had nothing to do with the other.) Brand then started a magazine called The Whole Earth Catalog, and the Earth photo in question adorned its first cover. The magazine went like a bomb and The Whole Earth Catalog is now considered one of the most influential magazines ever published. It not only inspired the entire eco movement, but also a new generation of computer and internet pioneers.
Does this sound vague? Or is it reminiscent of a yoga class? At the University of Pennsylvania, they speak of a transcendent experience; an otherworldly encounter in which you coincide with your environment. But outside and inside can apparently coincide in two ways. Brand let the outside world flow in on the roof in San Francisco. Outside became inside. In Tokyo, I moved into an artificial interior in which there seemed to be no outside anymore. A world where inside had become outside. While space opened up for Brand and he felt himself coinciding with the world, I experienced a claustrophobic and isolated state of being. Manhattanism and the Anthropocene – two words for the inverse of the overview effect. The question is now, how can we make the overview effect a general experience, accessible to everyone? It would be difficult to send everyone into orbit for a few weeks.
That brings us back to the stars. Image courtesy Rudy Guedj.
There are plenty of arguments that politicians and policymakers can put forward as to why we should bring the starry sky back to our cities, without running the risk of having to go back to the drawing board with embarrassment. For example, light pollution is bad for public health. Our chronobiology is synchronized with light. Our chronobiology is therefore confused by the disappearance of the dark. This has an effect on our stress levels, which can have all sorts of other nasty physiological and psychological consequences. And this is all the more true for the ecosystems that surround us, because animals and plants cannot close the curtains at night. Moreover, it saves energy when we dim the lights or turn them off. And, lastly, we can hold up the starry sky as natural heritage. As we did with the Wadden Sea.
All good arguments, with demonstrable precedents that decision makers can fall back on. But as far as I am concerned, the best reason – which, like Manhattanism, cannot be stated openly – is to dim the ‘enlightenment’ (with both a small and a capital E) so that we can once again have a view of what lies outside ourselves. So that we can once again embrace the starry sky as a cosmic frame of reference. A daily reminder that there is something bigger than ourselves. That we have to take into account things that do not originate in ourselves – meaning, if we want to survive these times.
We live in a humanistic culture in which people and their interests are central to every consideration. This has brought us a lot but has not been a viable starting point for some time. We have to learn to live together with the life around us – which is now outside our narrow view – and to develop a post-humanistic view. But then we must first sense that our previous arrogance was somewhat out of place, that we do not represent much on a cosmic scale. This is frightening, but also empowering, just like the overview effect. We can achieve it by travelling to the stars and looking down, or simply by turning off the lights and looking up.
Academy for Urban Astronauts
The Academy for Urban Astronauts investigates how earthlings can learn to live as space travellers – with a view of the stars and an insight into the vulnerability of our own planet. Because, besides being harried city dwellers, we are also cosmonauts, circling a star in the vast darkness. The academy is inspired by the overview effect that astronauts experience when they see the Earth from space. For astronauts, the view of our vulnerable living planet in the immense black emptiness coincides with the realisation that they are inseparably bound to this place in a fundamental way. A question that concerns the academy is: How can we, living in the modern urban condition, regain a view of nature and the cosmos? How can we emerge from our urban womb and realise that we are also passengers here on spaceship Earth. The academy publishes and organizes night walks and workshops. It is a poetic, activist and interconnecting project that combines sustainability and meaning in a combination of cultural programming and urban innovation. The Academy for Urban Astronauts is a multidisciplinary project by writer and theater maker Marjolijn van Heemstra and futurologist and co-founder of Studio Monnik Christiaan Fruneaux,
Kiribati: An Island World Vanishes into the Ocean
By Andrea Angeli and Alice Piciocchi | July 27, 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a selection of drawings from the book Kiribati: An Island World Vanishes into…
Bombing Parco Sempione
By Milano Animal City | September 8, 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE: Bombing Parco Sempione is a speculative design project developed within the Urbanism and Urban…
Digital Earth
By Leonardo Dellanoce and Arthur Steiner | August 6, 2018
EDITOR’S NOTE: Digital Earth offers a six-month fellowship for fifteen artists and designers based in…
The Sound of Disappearance
By Bernie Krause | September 20, 2018
Soundscapes, the combined acoustic signals that reach our ears from whatever source, hold inexplicable powers…
Broken Nature
The XXII Triennale di Milano, Broken Nature: Design Takes on Human Survival, highlights the concept of restorative design and studies the state of the threads that connect humans to their natural environments––some frayed, others altogether severed. In exploring architecture and design objects and concepts at all scales and in all materials, Broken Nature celebrates design’s ability to offer powerful insight into the key issues of our age, moving beyond pious deference and inconclusive anxiety. By turning its attention to human existence and persistence, the XXII Triennale will promote the importance of creative practices in surveying our species’ bonds with the complex systems in the world, and designing reparations when necessary, through objects, concepts, and new systems. Even to those who believe that the human species is inevitably going to become extinct at some point in the (near? far?) future, design presents the means to plan a more elegant ending. It can ensure that the next dominant species will remember us with a modicum of respect: as dignified and caring, if not intelligent, beings.
Broken Nature is composed of a thematic exhibition and a number of international participations solicited through official channels. It will run from March 1 to September 1, 2019.
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#brokennature
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