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FACTOID # 7: The top five best educated states are all in the Northeast. Encyclopedia > Littorina Sea The Wisconsin (in North America), Weichsel (in Scandinavia), Devensian (in the British Isles), Midlandian (in Ireland) or Würm glaciation (in the Alps) is the most recent period of the Ice Age, and ended some 10,000 BC. The Wisconsin/Weichsel/Devensian/Midlandian/Würm glaciation began about 70,000 BC, and reached its maximum extent about 18,000 BC. In Europe, the ice sheet reached northern Germany. World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... Scandinavia, Fennoscandia, and the Kola Peninsula. ... ... The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. ... Temperature proxies for the last 40,000 years The Last Glacial Maximum refers to the time of maximum extent of the ice sheets during the last glaciation, approximately 21 thousand years ago. ... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ... Vegetation types at time of last glacial maximum. The term ice age refers to all periods of glaciation during the Pleistocene, from 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 BC. In popular usage, 'the Ice Age' usually refers to this last cold phase, due to its shaping of some Northern Hemisphere landscapes and its influence on human prehistory. Last Glacial Maximum Vegetation Reconstructed vegetation cover at the Last Glacial Maximum period ~18,000 years ago, describing the type of vegetation cover present, based on fossil pollen samples recovered from lake and bog sediments. ... Last Glacial Maximum Vegetation Reconstructed vegetation cover at the Last Glacial Maximum period ~18,000 years ago, describing the type of vegetation cover present, based on fossil pollen samples recovered from lake and bog sediments. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... The Pleistocene Epoch is part of the geologic timescale, usually dated as 1. ... Binomial name Homo sapiens Linnaeus, 1758 Subspecies Homo sapiens idaltu (extinct) Homo sapiens sapiens Human beings define themselves in biological, social, and spiritual terms. ... Prehistory (Greek words προ = before and ιστορία = history) is the period of human history including all previous history before humans which is prior to the advent of writing (which marks the beginning of recorded history). ... 1 Weichsel glaciation, in Scandinavia 2 Devensian glaciation 3 Wisconsin glaciation, in North America Weichsel glaciation, in Scandinavia In Scandinavia, only the western parts of Jutland (a part of Denmark) were ice-free during the glaciation and a large part of what is today the North Sea was dry land connecting Jutland with Britain. It is also in Denmark that the only finds of Scandinavian ice-age animals older than 13,000 BC are found. In the period following the last interglacial period before the current one (Eemian interglacial era) the coast of Norway was also ice-free. Jutland Peninsula Jutland (Danish: Jylland, German: Jütland) is a peninsula in northern Europe that forms the mainland part of Denmark and a northern part of Germany, dividing the North Sea from the Baltic Sea. ... The North Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between the coasts of Norway and Denmark in the east, the coast of the British Isles in the west, and the German, Dutch, Belgian and French coasts in the south. ... The Eemian interglacial era (Sangamon era in North America) is the second-to-latest interglacial era of the Ice age. ... The Baltic Sea, with its unique brackish water, is a result of meltwater from the Weichsel glaciation combining with saltwater from the North Sea when the straits between Sweden and Denmark opened. Initially, when the ice began melting about 10,300 ybp, seawater filled the isostatically depressed area, a temporary marine incursion that geologists dub the Yoldia Sea. Then as isostatic rebound lifted the region about 9500 ybp, the deepest basin of the Baltic became a freshwater lake, in palaeological contexts referred to as Lake Ancylus, which is identifiable in the freshwater fauna found in sediment cores. The lake was filled by glacial runoff, but as worldwide sea level continued rising, saltwater again breached the sill about 8000 ybp, forming a marine Littorina Sea which was followed by another freshwater phase before the present brackish marine system was established. "At its present state of development, the marine life of the Baltic Sea is less than about 4 000 years old," Drs Thulin and Andrushaitis remarked when reviewing these sequences in 2003. The Baltic Sea is located in Northern Europe, bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainlands of Northern Europe, Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and the Danish islands. ... Brackish water is water that is saltier than fresh water, but not as salty as sea water. ... Isostasy is a term used in Geology to refer to the state of gravitational equilibrium between the Earths lithosphere and asthenosphere such that the tectonic plates float at an elevation which depends on their thickness and density. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Overlaying ice had exerted pressure on the earth's surface. As a result of melting ice, the land has continued to rise yearly in Scandinavia, mostly in northern Sweden and Finland where the land is rising at a rate of as much as 8-9 mm per year, or 1 meters in 100 years. This important for archeologists since a village that was coastal in the Stone Age now is inland. Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Stone Age fishing hook. ... Devensian glaciation The name Devensian glaciation is used by British geologists and archaeologists and refers to what is often popularly meant by the latest Ice Age. A geologist is a contributor to the science of geology. ... Archaeology or sometimes in American English archeology (from the Greek words αρχαίος = ancient and λόγος = word/speech) is the study of human cultures through the recovery, documentation and analysis of material remains, including architecture, artefacts, biofacts, human remains, and landscapes. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... It was the final glacial phase of the Pleistocene and its deposits have been found overlying material from the preceding Ipswichian interglacial and lying beneath those from the following Flandrian stage of the Holocene. The Ipswichian interglacial is a name for an interglacial period which occurred between 150,000 and 115,000 years ago. ... The Flandrian interglacial or stage is the name given by geologists and archaeologists in the British Isles to the first, and so far only, stage of the Holocene, covering the period from around 10,000 years ago when the last ice age ended to the present day. ... The Holocene Epoch is a geologic period that extends from the present back about 10,000 radiocarbon years. ... The latter part of the Devensian includes Pollen zones I-IV, the Allerød and Bølling Oscillations and the Dryas climatic stages. Pollen zones are a system of subdividing the late Pleistocene and early Holocene periods of prehistory using the data from pollen cores. ... The Allerød period is a part of a temperature oscillation towards the end of the last Ice Age in Europe, where temperatures in the Northern Atlantic region rose from glacial to almost present day level in the Bølling and Allerød periods and returned to glacial levels in... In Greek mythology, Dryas was the son of King Lycurgus of Thrace. ... Wisconsin glaciation, in North America The Wisconsin or Wisconsinian was the last major advance of continental glaciers in North America. This glaciation is made of three glacial maximums (commonly called ice ages) separated by interglacial periods (such as the one we are living in). These ice ages are called (from oldest to youngest); Tahoe, Tenaya and Tioga. The Tahoe reached its maximum extent perhaps about 70,000 years ago while little is known about the Tenaya. The Tioga was the least severe and last of the Wisconsinan group and reached its greatest advance 20,000 years ago and ended about 10,000 years before present (it started 30,000 years ago). At the height of glaciation the Bering land bridge permitted migration of mammals and humans to North America from Siberia. Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... Glaciation, often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Glaciation, often called an ice age, is a geological phenomenon in which massive ice sheets form in the Arctic and Antarctic and advance toward the equator. ... Nautical chart of Bering Strait, site of former land bridge between Asia and North America The Bering land bridge, also known as Beringia, was a land bridge roughly 1600 km (1000 miles) north to south at its greatest extent, which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia at various times... It radically altered the geography of North America north of the Ohio River. At the height of the Wisconsin glaciation, ice covered most of Canada, the Upper Midwest, and New England, as well as parts of Montana and Washington. On Kelly's Island in Lake Erie or in New York's Central Park, the scour marks left by these glaciers can be easily observed. In southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta a suture zone between the Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets formed the Cypress Hills, which are the northernmost point in North America that remained south of the continental ice sheets. Carl D. Perkins Bridge in Portsmouth, Ohio with Ohio River and Scioto River tributary on right. ... The Midwest is a common name for a region of the United States of America. ... While the states marked in red show the core of New England, the regions cultural influence may cover a greater or lesser area than shown. ... State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer (D) Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th) - Land 377,295 km² - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000) - Population 902,195 (44th) - Density 2. ... State nickname: The Evergreen State Other U.S. States Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Governor Christine Gregoire (D) Official languages None Area 184,824 km² (18th) - Land 172,587 km² - Water 12,237 km² (6. ... Lake Erie, looking southward from a high rural bluff near Leamington, Ontario Lake Erie is one of the five large freshwater Great Lakes in North America, the worlds largest such lakes. ... A wintry aerial view, looking south: ice on the frozen lakes, the Metropolitan Museum in the park at left, the East River and the Empire State Building in the distance Central Park (40° 46′ 59″ N 73° 58′ 20″ W) is a large urban public park (843 acres or 3. ... The Laurentide ice sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, between ~ 90,000 and ~ 18,000 years before the present day. ... The Cordilleran ice sheet was a major ice sheet that covered, during glacial periods of the Quaternary, a large area of North America. ... An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² (19,305 mile²). The only current ice sheets are Antarctic and Greenland; during the last ice age at Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) the Laurentide ice sheet covered much of Canada... The Cypress Hills are a region of hills in southwestern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta, Canada. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... The Great Lakes are the result of pooling of glacial meltwater at the rim of the receding glaciers. When the enormous mass of the continental ice sheet retreated, the Great Lakes began gradually moving south due to isostatic rebound of the north shore. Niagara Falls is also a product of the glaciation, as is the course of the Ohio River, which largely supplanted the prior Teays River. The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ... Isostasy is a term used in Geology to refer to the state of gravitational equilibrium between the Earths lithosphere and asthenosphere such that the tectonic plates float at an elevation which depends on their thickness and density. ... The Horseshoe Falls, one of the three Niagara Falls. ... The Teays River was an important pre-glacial river that drained much of the area now drained by the Ohio River, and more. ... In its retreat, the Wisconsin glaciation left terminal moraines that form Long Island, Nantucket and Cape Cod, and the Oak Ridges Moraine in south central Ontario, Canada. The drumlins and eskers formed at its melting edge are landmarks of the Lower Connecticut River Valley. Moraine is the general term for debris of all sorts originally transported by glaciers or ice sheets that have since melted away. ... Image of Long Island taken by NASA. Long Island is an island off the North American coast. ... Nantucket is an island south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, formed of glacial moraine. ... Cape Cod and the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastline Cape Cod and Cape Cod Bay from space, April 1997. ... The Oak Ridges Moraine is a geographic area in southern Ontario, Canada stretching from Milton to Rice Lake, near Peterborough. ... Drumlin in Cato, New York A drumlin (Gaelic druim the crest of a hill) is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial action. ... Eskers are long, winding ridges of stratified sand and gravel which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America. ... The Connecticut River Valley is a long river valley formed by the Connecticut River stretching from The New Hampshire/Quebec border to Long Island Sound on the Connecticut Coast. ... Timeline of glaciation There have been four major periods of glaciation in the Earths past. ... Geology of National Parks: Fifth Edition, Ann G. Harris, Esther Tuttle, Sherwood D., Tuttle (Iowa, Kendall/Hunt Publishing; 1997) ISBN 0-7872-5353-7 E. C. Pielou 1991. After the Ice Age : The Return of Life to Glaciated North America (University Of Chicago Press) ISBN 0226668126 (paperback 1992) Drs Jan Thulin and Andris Andrushaitis, "The Baltic Sea: its past, present and future" Religion, Science and the Environment symposium, 2003 (pdf file) Categories: Geography of Canada | History of climate | Glaciology | Periods and stages in archaeology

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Inside Willie Nelson’s Top-Secret Poker Game Billy Dukes Like Fight Club and hot dogs, you don't talk about Willie Nelson's poker game once you know what's inside. The country legend is ruthless at the poker table — just ask Woody Harrelson, Owen Wilson, Jamey Johnson, Jack Johnson, the late Merle Haggard ... you see what we're getting at, people? Jack Johnson actually shared a few secrets with Taste of Country, but he was nervous about it. "They have a very specific game they play that's got its own name," he says, looking over his shoulder, "and it's like weird little rules." So it's not straightforward Texas Hold'em, as you might have heard, but Nelson is the Phil Ivey of the group. He mops the floor with his guests, partly because there is a fair amount of imbibing in his other favorite hobby, and the 85-year-old can hold his smoke like nobody else on God's sweet green earth. This is the subject of this week's The Secret History of Country Music, and you'll learn not only who once dropped $40K in a night, but which classic song was finished at the poker table. Did you know that's actually how Nelson and Haggard met? Jack Johnson wrote a song about the experience called "Willie Got Me Stoned and Took All My Money" and shared a few of the real-life details about his night with the legend. His only win came when he had the worst hand at the table. That was good enough for a high-low split. "He gave me some knuckles," Johnson says. "I didn't even know what was going on." A few others spilled what it's like playing poker with Nelson during the Willie: Life & Songs of an American Outlaw in January 2019, but they took that whole Fight Club mentality a little more seriously. We can only pray things work out for Johnson — has anyone heard from him lately? The Secret History of Country Music is a new weekly series hosted by Taste of Country News host Ania Hammar. We'll go deeper inside the stories of country music's biggest hits, moments and figures. Look for episodes about Brooks & Dunn and Miranda Lambert coming up, and be sure to subscribe to Taste of Country's YouTube channel so you never miss a new episode. Watch More Secret History of Country Music: Source: Inside Willie Nelson’s Top-Secret Poker Game Filed Under: Ania Hammar, willie nelson Categories: Entertainment, Music News

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Exploring Great Storytelling In this episode, we take a look at the science behind character driven stories and why perhaps we love these kinds of stories… we dive into the neurobiology behind how it envokes responses in our brain. Enjoy! Thank you to Read more… In this episode , we explore what the Hero’s Journey,or the Monomyth is, starting from it’s origins and by diving into different stages of the Journey with some famous examples, most notably from Star Wars, The Lion King and Harry Read more… By Jay, 2 years ago August 31, 2017 In this episode , we explore the plot device known as a Deus Ex Machina, examining its origins, its uses and look at which story between Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings uses it effectively.Enjoy! Thank you to Read more… In this episode we look at the 2013 film, About Time, directed by Richard Curtis, and how the loopholes its time travelling premise creates, actually works in its favour. It is a more light hearted episode as compared to the Read more…

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'Game of Thrones' prequel: HBO confirms pilot in the works 'Game of Thrones' will end after its eighth season in 2019. Game of Thrones fans, worry not — the eighth and final season of the fantasy show may be fast approaching, but the powers-that-be at HBO announced this past weekend there’s a prequel in the works. Set thousands of years before the existing series, the proposed prequel pilot will be written by Jane Goldman, who wrote the screenplay for movies Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past and several others. READ MORE: Rose McGowan: Don’t blame Asia Argento for Anthony Bourdain’s suicide The series sets out to chronicle the world’s tumble from grace into its most dark, horrific era. It’s unclear what the world of Westeros looks like that far into the past, so it’s unclear at this juncture if we’ll see the origins of the White Walkers, or if we get a glimpse into the lives of the early Starks, Targaryens or Greyjoys. Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin worked with Goldman on the project, but she will serve as showrunner. Both Martin and Goldman, along with two others, will be executive producers of the upcoming pilot. READ MORE: Robert De Niro apologizes to Canadians for Donald Trump’s behaviour Martin has made it clear in previous Q&As and panels that any upcoming Game of Thrones series will not be spinoffs, and none of them will feature any member of the current cast. While at least five additional Game of Thrones projects are in the works, HBO has not clarified how many will make it to air. ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 is set to air in the summer of 2019.

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A Critical Review of Matthew Winston’s essay ‘“How Do You Like America?”- Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Sports Journalism’ Posted by Yummy's World in Uncategorized, university degree, English, journalism, study Matthew Winston’s essay is looking at the way in which Hunter S Thompson wrote as a gonzo journalist compared with the more mainstream sports journalists. He also discusses how Thompson’s writing didn’t fit in with the all-American ideology and that Gonzo journalism was more concerned with the dark side of the sports world (Winston, 2015, p403). I will review his technique, the structure of the essay, the style used and his principle argument. Winston uses a number of quotations from other well-known sports journalists to support his argument and I particularly liked this effect, as it gave the essay a more analytical feel. Moreover, the use of these quotations engaged me, particularly because they were comparisons to Thompson. The essay starts with quite a lengthy introduction followed by four sections. Each section discusses a different side to sport and sports journalism in America. In the introduction, Winston gives us an overview of what Gonzo journalism is and how Hunter S Thompson was at the centre of it. His definition of Gonzo journalism telling us that: focusing on counter-culture and the social history of the 1960’s, drugs, dissident politics, the critical utility of radically subjective approaches to reportage and other “heavy” issues of cultural politics and literary journalism. (Winston, 2015, p403) This use of language emphasises the cultural aspects of the time in which Thompson was writing and his non-conventional approach to journalism. The introduction also highlights the methods and style of gonzo journalism and how complex this style of writing is. Winston also refers to “Thompson-the-character” (Winston, 2015, p404) and this use of punctuation gives Thompson a separate persona, as though he is two different people, which reflects the style of journalism in which he was writing from conventional journalism to gonzo journalism. The first section of the four referred to earlier is entitled “Mom, Apple Pie, and the Flag” and discusses the ideologies of the All-American Dream. Winston’s use of discourse here is significant in that it encompasses everything America stands for. Winston discusses in this section how sacred the faith of the American sports ideology is and that it cannot be exploited (Winston, 2015, p405). He quotes from sports journalist Michael Oriad to emphasise his point: “Football in the periodical press by the 1950’s was not simply American but America itself” (Oriard 2001 cited in Winston, 2015, p405). This use of quotation from a renowned sports journalist serves to reinforce his argument regarding the conventionality of sport in America and how Thompson’s style of journalism was in no way mainstream. The second section of the essay is entitled Eating Heroes Like Hotdogs and Winston references Thompson’s literary works and characters from them to emphasise the side of the sporting world that no-one within that world wanted made public. He also describes Thompson’s writing as “…unconventional uses of rhetorical devices and outlandish imagery…” (Winston, 2015, p408). The language used here shows a writer working beyond the realms of tradition and conventionality. Winston touches briefly here on Thompson’s work, Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72 (Thompson, 1983) which focuses solely on the nature and celebrity of the sports world. Thompson was highlighting in his writing the pressure felt by the athletes to win for the advertisers through sponsorship and endorsement deals. Again, Winston is using this piece to highlight the negative side of the sports world and makes good use of it to emphasise just how unconventional gonzo journalism was in America. The third section is entitled Violence in the Parking Lot. Winston discusses Thompson’s article regarding the Kentucky Derby and how money is all important, “Thompson shows an event that may be steeped in tradition…but is nonetheless…a sporting event about money”. Winston uses a lot of quotes in this section from Thompson himself regarding the dark side of gambling and money changing hands at major sporting events. I like the way Winston quotes directly from Thompson as it gives him a voice, as though we hear his side of the argument. A lot of Thompson’s quotes used in this essay are quite long but I do not think they detract from the essay; they add more credibility in this way. The final section is entitled The Notes Seem to Tell the Story. I particularly enjoyed this part of the essay as it focused on how Thompson wrote. Winston explains here about how Thompson put together an article with a series of notes, “…I just started jerking pages out of my notebook, numbering them and sending them to the printer.” (Vetter 1974 cited in Winston, 2015, p413). This quote from an interview with Thompson evokes an image of a chaotic, unorganised writer who can seemingly write successfully in this way. Winston relates this quote to how gonzo journalism can be fractured and fragmented memories of a drunken mind, half remembered and chaotic (Winston, 2015, p414). Winston uses the final three paragraphs to conclude his argument. A brief review of how gonzo journalism is different from the main stream sports journalism but focusing on the social context. He then reviews the writing style of unfinished prose and narrative, commenting again on the differences between the two. Here Winston is bringing together all of his previous points to a short end, which ultimately brings the essay together satisfactorily but it is the final paragraph which I feel substantially ties everything together. Winston describes gonzo as “…this new exuberantly radical sports journalism, represents a perfect marriage of form and function” (Winston, 2015, p415). He also comments on the structure, style and form, technique and refers to certain aspects of it as poetry. This gives the reader a certain belief that if they had not read anything by Thompson before, they should certainly do so just because of how unconventional his writing was. Winston is somewhat in awe of this style of writing and has an undeniable respect for Thompson and this becomes clear as the essay draws to its conclusion. Hellman, J. (ed) (1981). Fables of Fact: The New Journalism as New Fiction. London: University of Illinois Press Nadel, A. (1955). ‘Disneyland: ‘The Happiest Place on Earth’ and the Fiction of Cold War Culture’. In: McHale, B. & Stevenson, R. (eds). (2006). The Edinburgh Companion to Twentieth-Century Literatures in English (1) [Online]. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. Available from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/staffordshire/reader.action?ppg=1&docID=448742&tm=1483609214697 [Accessed: 16/12/2016] Oriard, M. (2001). King Football: Sport and Spectacle in the Golden Age of Radio and Newsreels, Movies and Magazines, the Weekly and the Daily Press. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press. Thompson, Hunter. (1983). Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail ’72. New York, NY: Warner Books. Vetter, C. (1974). “Playboy Interview: Hunter Thompson.” Playboy Magazine, November. Winston, M. (2015). ‘”How do You like America?”: Hunter S. Thompson and Gonzo Sports Journalism’, Journalism Studies [Online] vol. 16 (3) pp. 403-416. Available from: http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.staffs.ac.uk/10.1080/1461670X.2014.937154 [Accessed: 16/12/2016] A Short analysis of DH Lawrence’s The White Stocking English, study, university ​https://t.co/zqfGSGgQ2u

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Category Archives: Life Posted by Yummy's World in Life, Uncategorized, writing believe, blogging, life, storyteller, writer, writing When you sit down down to write, knowing where to start can be the biggest hurdle. Sitting at my dining table wearing my writing hat, am I really worthy of the cap? That’s pretty much how I feel, when with notepad and pen in hand, I attempt to write something coherent and, let’s be honest, something absolutely bloody fantastic! I have my writing hat on, but the prizewinning story just isn’t happening. How can that be? The tendency to give up actually happens quite quickly for me because writing doesn’t happen so easily. It takes a lot of throwing ideas down on paper, scribbling out, numerous edits, leaving unattended when I get irritated with it and making up, when the words flow from my head down onto the page. Days can go by where I don’t write at all. Then the guilt sets in and the belief in my writerly abilities flies out of the window. If I don’t ‘write every day’, how can I be a writer? In the last few weeks, I have posted my university assignments on the blog and it’s been lovely receiving ‘likes’ and new followers. Even though the assignments are obviously academic, they were still painstakingly written, pored over, researched, edited and so on. Isn’t that the same then? As I write predominantly fiction in my spare time, it all adds up to the same, whether it’s tweets, assignments, blog posts or short stories. I’m already doing this writing job every day; it’s the belief that needs to be there too, ingrained in my brain like anything else. If I didn’t feel the need to write, this belief would be redundant. So why is it so hard to embrace? I’m sure there are many of you out there that ask yourselves these questions all the time. The mantra, ‘if you want to be a writer, you must write everyday’, quite frankly just sets you up for failure straight away. There are always going to be some days when writing doesn’t happen but if you’re anything like me, it never quite leaves my head, no matter how busy I am; whether it’s thinking about a current WIP, a new blog post or a rewrite of a particular scene. Whether you’re putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard or tweets to Twitter, the more support we can give to each other, through ‘likes’, comments and retweets, helps to cement our belief that we are writers. The cap fits all sizes so whether it’s the odd tweet now and again or knocking out stories or articles every week, believe in yourself. You are doing it. I am doing it. What is Realism, how does it work in practice, and what is its function? Chapter 50 Charles Dickens Oliver Twist Posted by Yummy's World in Life, studying, Uncategorized, university English, literature, study, university, victorian In the same way Victorian journalist Henry Mayhew reported on the life of the working classes in his articles published in the ‘London Labour and London Poor’, Dickens captures the social fabric of Victorian London at the time of his writing. Mayhew’s depictions of the London street markets evoke chaotic scenes and images that invade the senses. Dickens’s commitment to capture the same realism in Oliver Twist gives the reader a clear image of the full range of the social spectrum together with a portrait of the city. Part of the construction of realism is symbolism and Dickens uses this with his descriptions of the houses and the way that the Victorian lowers classes lived. This realism projects a comprehensive use of stylistic finesse in a way that captures the reader and evokes an empathy with the lower classes. In Louis James’s book, The Victorian Novel, he states that ‘…Oliver Twist placed social concerns at the heart of the emergent Victorian novel.’ (James, 2006, p159). Dickens also uses his journalistic experience and reports on the social issues of the time; to confront the reader with the real. In the Cambridge Companion to The Victorian Novel, Deirdre David tells us that Dickens aimed to shock his audience with a novel that dealt with the Poor Law introduced in 1834, (David, 2001) and upon defending himself, Dickens claimed the criminals ‘really did exist…’ and ‘…to show them as they really were…’ (David, 2001, p7-8). This intention can be seen quite clearly in chapter 50 of Oliver Twist. Dickens’ use of place names and descriptions of buildings at the beginning of the chapter allow the reader to see the settings exactly as they are. His lengthy sentences and descriptive list-making symbolise a realistic view of the life of the lower classes in the city, ‘…unemployed labourers of the lowest class, ballast heavers, coal-whippers, brazen women, ragged children…’ (Dickens, 1992, p329). Dickens constructs lists as a way of showing the full range of people living in the slums and this gives the effect of hundreds upon thousands of people. The ‘city’ had become a new theme in Victorian writing and as the interest in ‘the novel’ was growing, this would have intrigued the Victorian readership immensely. The descriptions of places that they knew and heard of gives the novel a sense of the real and the journalistic approach to the start of this chapter evokes a startling imagery of filth and destitution. A ‘maze of close, narrow and muddy streets thronged by the roughest and poorest of waterside people…’ (Dickens, 1992, p329). Dickens’ use of a metaphor here with his creation of a labyrinthine world with the word ‘maze’, suggests the poor and working-class people will never escape their fate. They are condemned to a life of poverty and again Dickens is commentating on the poor being constrained by this with many turning to a life of crime rather than go to the workhouse. As Sikes’ whereabouts become common knowledge, the crowd begins to grow gradually from a ‘…multitude of angry voices’ (Dickens, 1992, p334) and then almost immediately to a mob, growing all the while. ‘There were tiers and tiers of faces in every window, cluster upon cluster of people clinging to every house top’ (Dickens, 1992, p336). Whilst Dickens is being melodramatic in his description of the crowd here, his realist approach to this scene portrays an image seemingly layered upon itself, like the layers of society. Similarly, Henry Mayhew categorises the layers of the social classes in his articles. There is even a figure described as ‘…an old gentleman…’ (Dickens, 1992, p336) showing the social makeup of the crowd was not confined to the lower classes. Dickens is using the crowd scene to depict life in the city. The frenzied crowd turns lynch mob and becomes apoplectic as Sikes appears above them. Sikes was a detested and violent criminal and as individuals no-one would have approached him. This new identity of ‘the crowd’ shows the fascination with crowd behaviour and the loss of individual identity within it. As part of a whole, they became energised and hidden, which in turn makes them a powerful and unrelenting force. Again, Dickens was confronting the reader with the real and the crowd scenes depict a visual image of the masses. Dickens describes Sikes as ghostly, ‘Blanched face, sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, beard of three days growth, waster flesh, short thick breath’ (Dickens, 1992, p333). When the boy Charley sees Sikes hiding with the three robbers, he is horrified and calls him a monster. At this, ‘Sikes eyes sunk gradually to the ground’ (Dickens, 1992, p334). It is as though he cannot bear to hear the words. There is a psychology at play here. Sikes would appear to feel shameful and this makes him human rather than ‘monster’. This realist approach that Dickens uses here does not evoke a sympathy from the reader, rather an understanding of what Sikes has become. He is a product of society’s failings and a victim of his own situation. In David’s The Victorian Novel, she states that ‘Dickens’s novel registers a sincere commitment to fiction as a morally transforming force and a palpable belief that its form emerges naturally from its moral imperatives’ (David, 2001, p7). Dickens embodies Sikes to symbolise everything that is wrong with society and is a product of his environment. Again, this is Dickens commentating on social problems and bringing them to the forefront of the reader. The realistic approach that Dickens uses in chapter 50 of Oliver Twist gives the reader a true depiction of life in the city. His journalistic style of description and lengthy sentence structure symbolises the chaos and noise of Victorian London and captures the imagination of the reader. Dickens wanted to shock with his depictions of life in the underbelly of Victorian London and shows us the city as it really is. The crowd turned mob imagery gives way to a new identity of ‘the crowd’ and the loss of identity within it showing that people did become truly lost within the masses. Dickens also takes a moral stand and embodies the character of Sikes as evil, representing everything that society has become. He confronts the reader with the real as a way of reporting on social issues in order to bring a gravitas to the poor and destitute. #amwriting #cathythewriter #olivertwist #charlesdickens David, D. (ed) (2001) The Cambridge Companion to The Victorian Novel. Cambridge: University Press Dickens, C. (1992) Oliver Twist. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited Harrison, M. (2008). “The Paradox of Fiction and the Ethics of Empathy: Reconceiving Dickens’s Realism”. Narrative [Online] 16 (3) (Oct., 2008), pp. 256-278. Available from: http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.staffs.ac.uk/stable/30219607 [Accessed 17/10/2017] James, L. (2006). The Victorian Novel. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Kucich, J. (2001). ‘Intellectual Debate in the Victorian Novel’. In: David, D. (ed) The Cambridge Companion to the Victorian Novel. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Mayhew, H. (1985) London Labour and the London Poor. London: Penguin Meckier, J. (1982). Hidden rivalries in Victorian fiction: Dickens, Realism, and Revaluation. [Online] Kentucky U.P, United States. Accessed from: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/staffordshire/detail.action?docID=1915201. [Accessed 17/10/2017] Ward, J. (1907). The Realism of Dickens. Reviewed in: The Dublin Review 1836-1910.[Online] 141(282), pp. 285-295. Available from: https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.staffs.ac.uk/docview/7909837/fulltext/113EAF18E8914338PQ/1?accountid=17254 Which tool? Posted by Yummy's World in Life, writing English, stories, technology, writing I’m asking for some advice and hopeful one of you out in the blogosphere can help. Can anyone recommend a good writing software, preferably free, such as Scrivener etc? It’s mainly for short story writing. Thank you in advance 😀 Tess of the D’urbervilles is concerned not with the modern city, but with life in the country. In what ways could the text be regarded as a ‘Modern Novel’, in spite of its rural setting? novel, university, English, life, studying, writing The 19th Century was rich in women writers and characters. They introduced a woman’s perspective in literary writing which had never seen before. They also showed the role of women struggling in the face of social conflict, an imbalance of class prejudices followed by some sort of redemption. However, in Tess of the D’Urbervilles, written in 1891, Thomas Hardy does not open the prospect of this kind of balance. The novel was a new form of writing, a literary form between individuality and the real world. When Hardy wrote Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the novel was the ideal form to cater for the tragic tale of real life and to show how the world is being perceived. DH Lawrence stated, ‘The novel is the perfect medium for revealing to us the changing rainbow of our living relationships’ (Lawrence, 1979, p180-181). James Joyce blended myth and modern life in his novel Ulysses and Hardy also makes use of the idea of myth and mythology creating Tess as a tragic heroine. Robert Longbaum argues that ‘the characters’ total immersion in nature suggests pastoralism… with the obvious definition of pastoral as an idealising picture of country life implying its superiority to city life’ (Longbaum, 1995, p67). Hardy uses the countryside setting as a paradox for modern life. The industrial revolution took place between the 18th and 19th Centuries creating factories, mass production and new technologies in farming and other industries. Although the town and cities were experiencing the industrial revolution in full swing, the countryside had yet to experience these changes. Hardy argues that countryside is where you can standstill and contemplate the world and environment. He also rejects the city and modern life and argues that you can only ever gain a sense of what is happening in the world by being in the countryside. Hardy also questions religion, specifically Christian values and through the themes of nature and the psychology of the heroine, the text can be regarded as a ‘modern novel’. Tess is a modern character in contrast to her setting in that she is in the middle of nature and modern life and both are coming at her from different angles. She is also naïve having had no guidance about the world from her parents. Yet when she is pushed into a corner, she stands her ground like a true heroine. When Alec questions her regarding why she came to Trantridge, as it wasn’t for her love of him, Tess replies, ‘My God! I could knock you out of the gig!’ (Hardy, 1998, p77). Hardy is showing that even though Tess is not worldly, she stands up for herself. It is Tess’s guilt though which propels her towards Alec after her family are without their means of support. She has a sense of duty to her family, to be the breadwinner and support them. This is a very modern view that she has taken on herself and Hardy shows Tess does not give this a second thought. She does not fit in with the society she lives in and has her own values. On the night in The Chase, Tess’s innocence and virginity are taken by Alec and Tess is ultimately damned by the society in which she lives as she is no longer seen as pure. Indeed, ‘An immeasurable chasm was to divide our heroine’s personality thereafter from that previous self of hers who stepped from her mother’s door to try her fortune at Trantridge poultry-farm’ (Hardy, 1998, p74). The result of Tess’s violation by Alec is a child she names Sorrow. On her return home, she questions her mother, ‘How could I be expected to know? I was a child when I left this house four months ago. Why didn’t you tell me there was danger?’ (Hardy, 1998, p82). Tess then has to face the village and carries the shame that society bestows upon her. In true modern style though, Tess defies society and does not hide away once the baby is born. Ellen Rooney argues that Hardy aestheticizes Tess to make her ‘…intensely literary- symbolic, tragic, eloquent- in her flesh, her eyes, her voice, her face’ and that ‘…sexual experience is to a woman what literature (and looking at Tess) is to a man’ (Rooney, 1998, p476). This shows that Tess’s character is as complex as literature itself and Hardy’s modern approach to a female psyche is truly modernistic of the Victorian era. Nature has a very important role to play in showing how modern Tess of the D’Urbervilles is. Hardy portrays nature as commenting actively on what is happening around Tess. When Tess’s mother suggests a local boy takes her father’s horse to market to deliver the beehives, Tess won’t hear of it, saying “‘Oh no- I wouldn’t have it for the world!’ declared Tess proudly. ‘And letting everybody know the reason- such a thing to be ashamed of.’” (Hardy, 1998, p29). Tess feels responsible for the family and takes on the role of the breadwinner. This showed Tess to be a modern character. Unfortunately, when she falls asleep in the cart the family’s horse is killed and she immediately blames herself. The order of nature is disrupted and all of nature mourns for it, ‘The atmosphere turned pale, the birds shook themselves in the hedges, arose, and twittered’ (Hardy,1998, p33). Tess has a real connection with nature; she represents it and in this particular passage, nature itself is connecting with Tess’s sorrow. This antagonism with the world of nature and social concerns stands out in that Tess is very close to nature. She is unspoilt and authentic as is nature and bears the burden of conflict with nature. Nature comes alive, it is a part of what is happening and is commenting actively. When Tess hears the dying pheasants: Tess’s first thought was to put the still-living birds out of their torture… ‘Poor darlings – to suppose myself the most miserable being on earth in the presence of such misery as this!’ (Hardy, 1998, p279). Tess is incredulous at the plight of the pheasants and puts their misery before her own. She is somebody who represents the voice of nature and her inner turmoil can be reflected in nature itself with this selfless act. This is a new approach to modern life. She is so close to nature and that is why she is such a modern character. Hardy has a new vision of the countryside. New technologies are coming into the farming industry which Tess is part of yet there is a battleground for modernity here as the old way is still seen as better than the new way. When Tess is working at Flintcomb-Ash Farm, she mans a thresher machine that the old men talked of ‘the past days when everything…was effected by hand labour, which, to their thinking, though slow, produced better results.’ (Hardy,1998, p326). Here Hardy is showing us that even though the industrialisation is on the horizon and marching its way towards the countryside, it was not necessarily the way forward for a modern way of life. These old men being living proof that this is the case. When Tess realises her baby is dying, her first instinct is that the child needs to be baptized. Her father reacts vehemently to Tess’s request for the parson, saying ‘no parson shall come inside his door…prying into his affairs…when, by her shame, it had become more necessary than ever to hide them’ (Hardy,1998, p93). Tess then takes it upon herself to baptize the infant to ensure its holy passage to the Almighty exclaiming, ‘O merciful God…have pity on my poor child’. (Hardy,1998, p93). When it becomes clear that the parson will not undertake a Christian burial, Tess defies the church and decides to bury the child anyway in a forgotten corner of the graveyard and makes a cross from wood and string. This empathy with death was another modern view and Tess’s defiance shows how she isn’t controlled by the Catholic church and the modern approach of burying the child herself shows that she did not fear God or any other human beings. Hardy also shows here the connection with the modern world when Tess puts some flowers in a jar of ‘Keelwell’s Marmalade’ (Hardy, 1998, p97). The jar is a leading motif for nature versus capitalism. We can see that industrialisation and the city are never too far away but Hardy’s use of that particular jar in an act of such purity is mocking the modern world. Tess’s thoughts are to keep the flowers alive yet it shows the imbalance between the modern world and nature. Hardy is also criticising the logic of religion, which in itself was a modern view point. He also shows that the church is man-made and does not give you any sort of solace. Hardy also portrays Alec and Angel as good and evil, not only in the symbolic use of Angel’s name and Alec’s evil behaviour but as representatives of Christian values. Indeed, when Tess tells Angel of her past after they marry, she says ‘Forgive me as you are forgiven! I forgive you, Angel.’ (Hardy, 1998, p228). Angel has no Christian forgiveness in him for Tess and banishes her from him. Hardy is questioning religion and showing the reader through Christian ethics, neither man can save Tess. Tess is beyond good and evil, which are the central pillars of religion yet Hardy is suggesting that Tess’s denouncement of the church and leanings to paganism are the way forward. When Tess and Angel arrive at Stonehenge, it as though the balance of her disrupted life is restored as Tess lies on one of the slabs as if on an alter as a sacrificial lamb. She knows then that her time is ending soon and she has made peace with it. This denouement culminates with Hardy’s argument that going back to the beginning, to the point where everything began, is to be in control of modern life. Written in 1891, Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles was a thoroughly modern novel set in a true rural setting. At the time of realism, the novel was able to diversify new ideas and modern approaches. The simple setting of the countryside shows the reader where the truly modern life should be lived. Being at one with nature and the countryside, Hardy is portraying rural life as going back to a more simpler time; back to the beginning when life was easier. Hardy shows Tess to be a courageous woman under significant duress through society, nature and religion. She has a thoroughly modern approach in that she stands up for herself, defies the teachings of the Church and connects with nature in such way that she becomes one with it. The leanings towards Paganism also shows this disconnection with Christianity and how Hardy moved away from traditionalist views to a more modern outlook. Tess of the D’Urbervilles was an extremely radical novel because of these points compared to previous novels written around the same time and this radicalism coupled with the birth of realism show Tess of the D’Urbervilles to be a true modern novel. Hardy, T. (1998). Tess of the D’Urbervilles. London, England: Penguin Group. Langbaum, R. (1995). Thomas Hardy in Our Time. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan Press Ltd Lawrence, D. H. (1979). ‘Morality and the Novel’. In: A Selection from Phoenix (pp175- 181) London: Penguin Rooney, E. (1998). ‘Tess and the Subject of Sexual Violence: Reading, Rape, Seduction’. In: Riquelme, J.P. (ed). Tess of the D’Urbervilles- Thomas Hardy. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Macmillan Press Ltd. Click here for my web page Cathy the writer Posted by Yummy's World in Life, studying, Uncategorized, university, writing education, English, life, studying, university It might sound strange calling a blog post “What a Year” in the middle of June but my academic year has recently drawn to a close. Today I received the results of all my hard work, tears, often shouted “I can’t do this” and head-stuck-in-a-book weekends. I passed. Not only did I pass but I averaged a 1st for my first year at university doing my English degree. I’m completely over the moon ecstatic and somewhat amazed at myself. A year ago, I was counting down the weeks until I started uni. Nervous about whether I would: – Understand what the lectures said or whether they did actually speak in a foreign language that everyone else would understand except me. Be able to read all the books on the course and understand them! Fit in. This was a biggie for me. Being a “mature” student, the worry was that I would be in a classroom full of young people who would look at me like an uncool old fart! Ok. So sometimes it did feel like they were talking a foreign language and sometimes I didn’t have a clue what they were talking about but that was ok. The lecturers were always happy to explain or go through anything whether after class or in their appointment times, which in all honesty they were always pushing to get us to come and see them! Biscuits were usually offered and a nice chat so I have taken them up on this a couple of times. I did manage to read all of the books throughout the year although I didn’t understand some of them but that was ok too. Everybody has their own take on a book, whether you like it, hate it or simply don’t get it, you’re never going to like everything you read. That’s just a matter of taste and preference. The books were always interesting though and at times a little bit weird, (I’m thinking Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead). Well I wasn’t the only “old person”. There was quite a large number of mature students and the class was a real mix of ages. Everyone was really friendly and I have got to know some lovely people. We have quite the group of older students who meet up in the library for coffee and a chat, whether it’s about assignments, kids or the specials coming out in Aldi. God, we’re so rock and roll! I was nervous last year before I started. I suppose you could call it fear of the unknown. Apart from a short course with the Open University a few years back, it had been 26 years since I was in education and that’s a bloody long time! I cannot begin to explain though how glad I am that I attended an Open Day last summer and was blown away by what Staffs Uni said to me. It didn’t matter that I had no A-levels. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t fresh out of college. I had life experience and a willingness to learn and that’s what mattered. My life seemed to open up at that point and I haven’t looked back since. There have been talks from past graduates about their career paths, trips to the theatre, a weekend away in Yorkshire to see the Bronte parsonage and so many more highlights. So, for anyone out there thinking about starting university or going back to education, I would wholeheartedly recommend it. Don’t be nervous. Yes, it’s life changing but in such a good way and the people you meet and the experiences you have along the way make it all worthwhile. A Critical Review of Three Wordsworth Poems Posted by Yummy's World in Life, poetry, studying, Uncategorized, university English, poetry, studying, university, writing The Romantics believed in making everything beautiful. Everyday themes such as nature, death, poverty and childhood were taken very carefully into consideration and with a simple language were made for the everyman. They also had an appreciation of everything around them and wanted to beautify what they saw and put a sheen on everyday things. The beauty and use of simple language meant that the lyrical ballads of Wordsworth and Coleridge were for everyone to understand. In Edmund Burke’s essay on the Sublime and the Beautiful, he states ‘the passion caused by the great and sublime in nature…is astonishment…that state of the soul in which all its motions are suspended, with some degree of horror’, (Burke, section 1, 2017). The poetry of the Romantics was enriched by using the themes of poverty, death and childhood in a way that shocked the reader into some sort of cathartic state. During the period of the 17th and 18th Centuries, the Enlightenment movement, known as a time for reason and rationality, stood in the way of the Romantics who thought that the Enlightenment period was selective and short-sighted. However, the Romantics focused on every aspect of life. Wordsworth wanted to show society’s failings and how there was a need for change. As modernists, the Romantics had a true awareness of living in the now and commenting on social change for the good and bad. In 1789, the French Revolution made a big impact on the Romantics. The middle classes killed off the aristocracy and saw the feudal system come to an end. This can also be seen in the poem The Female Vagrant, where Wordsworth focuses on vagrancy and the beginnings of industrialisation. The poem starts in the first person and has a rhyme scheme of ABAB, rhyming couplets at the end of each stanza and is written in iambic pentameter. Wordsworth tells the story of the young women’s life from small child to desolate vagrant in the form of a story. It has a breathless quality and encapsulates the imagination of the reader to a subject that was often ignored. The start of the poem shows how idyllic her life was, ‘Light was my sleep; my days in transport roll’d:/ With thoughtless joy I stretch’d along the shore’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p32). These two lines show the beauty in her surroundings and the lightness and simplicity of her life. As commercialism begins to roll in, the woman’s life is shattered when her father does not sell to the new landowner. Wordsworth is illustrating the change in society and encourages the reader to question it and sympathise with a plight that was happening in all parts of the countryside. Using punctuation designed to enrich the reader’s sympathies, we see the woman losing her home, ‘I could not pray:-̶̶-through tears that fell in showers,/ Glimmer’d our dear-loved home, alas! No longer ours!’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p33). This is designed to evoke sympathy in the reader and to understand what was happening to people’s lives. In Patrick Campbell’s Critical Perspectives, he states that the poem: stresses the ‘sensational’ nature of the subject. For the ballad burns with social indignation both against grasping ‘townee’ landlords out of harmony with their human and natural surroundings, trying to ride roughshod over rural values with ‘proffered gold’ (Campbell, 1991, p107). The poem then becomes a social commentary on the effects of capitalism marching forth and destroying everything that gets in its path. Wordsworth’s journalistic style in this poem emphasises this effect to catch the reader’s attention and show the true consequences for the people in the countryside. In line 89, Wordsworth refers to the end of the cotton cottage industry, ‘The empty loom, cold hearth, and silent wheel’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p34). This was another example of the poverty that was to come to those who were producing cotton in the ‘old way’ and were pushed out by the factories and mass production. The discourse used from lines 109 to 145 is designed to shock the reader, as the woman experiences, ‘disease, famine, agony and fear,’ (Wordsworth, 2103, p35). The full extent of the horrors experienced by those who were homeless are laid bare and Wordsworth does not want to shy away from them. In line 189, the woman cannot bring herself to beg, saying ‘Nor to the beggar’s language could I frame my tongue’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p37). In the final stanza, the woman can tell no more of her story as the sheer weight of her desperation becomes unbearable, ‘Oh! Tell me whither ̶ for no earthly friend/ Have I. ̶ She ceased and weeping turned away,’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p39). Throughout the poem, Wordsworth does not let the reader feel anything other than sympathy for the woman. None of what happens to her is her fault and in this way the challenge of aesthetically enriching the poem by representing poverty is done with great consideration. Wordsworth stated that the ideas behind his poems were, ‘…to choose incidents and situations from common life and to relate or to describe them throughout…in a selection of language really used by men’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p96-97). This can clearly be seen in the poem Simon Lee. At the end of the 18th Century, the feudal system came to an end. Simon Lee had worked for a wealthy landowner of a country estate, who had since died and left no one remaining thus putting Simon Lee and his wife into extreme poverty. Wordsworth is showing the effect of the end of the feudal system and the poor were now adrift with the new structures in society. The poem has an ABAB rhyme scheme and is made up of 13 stanzas with differing metrical feet in the fourth and eighth line of each stanza. It also has a nursery rhyme style so at the time it was written, would have made it easy for people to read. The poems begins with, ‘In the sweet shore of Cardigan,/ Not far from pleasant Ivor Hall’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p44) and this gives the reader a soft and gentle introduction to the whereabouts of Simon Lee. Wordsworth is setting the scene to entice the reader in before telling the tale of his misfortune. In lines 15 and 16, the reader is told that although Simon Lee has lost an eye through his hunting feats for his lord and master, his cheeks are rosy and he appears happy with his lot. The shorter sentences in stanza’s four and five, ‘He has no son, he has no child/ And he is lean and he is sick’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p45) evokes pity with Simon Lee and his situation. The switch to first person narrator in stanza nine is where we see a call to the reader for their sympathies. The use of ‘O reader!…O gentle reader!’ in lines 73 and 75 is like a cry out to the reader for their understanding. Wordsworth enriches the poem by turning to the reader in this journalistic way and commenting actively on it. This was also a way of experimenting with the challenge of representing poverty. Poverty is something we can all see but generally tend to ignore. In the last three stanzas of the poem, the narrator steps in to help Simon Lee cut down a tree. The language used is gentle and evokes emotion in the way that when he is helped by the much younger man, he cannot express his gratitude enough, ‘The tears into his eyes were brought,/ And thanks and praises seemed to run’. (Wordsworth, 2013, p47). This brings a ‘happy ending’ to the poem but by making a powerful statement. Wordsworth became conscious of the environment and as such poverty became something that was not just political but something he wanted to change. It became a rallying cry for social change. This is a realistic ballad and Wordsworth made it beautiful by capturing the heart of the reader in a way that would have brought hope to the poor. In the 18th Century, children were commonly regarded as little more than mini-adults or savages. Yet the discovery of ‘the child’ by the Romantics showed how we can learn from children. When attitudes began to change towards children, they were seen as impressionable uninformed beings requiring protection and attention. The Romantics idolised children and believed that the child was the real poet. In Johan Huizinga’s book Homo Ludens, the importance of play in culture and in particularly in poetry are described as, ‘To understand poetry we must be capable of donning the child’s soul like a magic cloak and of forsaking man’s wisdom for the child’s.’ (Huizinga, 2016, p119). Huizinga’s philosophy and the idea of becoming the child resonates with the Romantic’s way of thinking and exploring the simplicity of childhood. In the poem We are Seven, Wordsworth represents childhood very simply. With an ABAB rhyme scheme and made up of quatrains save for the last stanza, the poem is very musical and nursery rhyme like which enriches the reader’s awareness of childhood, as it mirrors the child’s thinking. The simple tone of the poem is in stark comparison to the idea of death which is discussed by the man and the child. In line 4, the narrator asks: ‘What should it know of death?’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p49) clearly defining the child as simple and unaware but as the poem continues, it is the child’s simple logic and understanding of an afterlife which is endearing to the reader. The description of the child in the second and third stanzas capture her innocence and bring her to life. In lines 11 and 12, she is described as ‘Her eyes were fair, and very fair,/ ̶ Her beauty made me glad.’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p49). The language used here shows how the child is not overcome by sadness; her eyes are bright and alive and this affects the man talking to her. It is enriched by the pause put in before the second line, showing the narrator considering her face and the innocence he finds there. The conversation that follows between the man and child regarding the whereabouts of her siblings is simple in language and form. The short sentences show this and the questioning by the man is simple and childlike. When the child says that two of her siblings are dead, line 47 is rich in simplistic rhyme befitting the child, ‘Their graves are green, they may be seen.’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p50). The poem shows how the child’s view of death illustrates that death is not really the end. The child is not angry with God for taking her siblings, showing a belief in the afterlife and that she will see them again. Indeed, she states in line 52, ‘Till God released her from her pain,/’ (Wordsworth, 2013, p50). She is almost grateful to God for her sister’s demise and does not blame Him for it. Wordsworth also uses nature in the poem to enrich our experience, setting the scene in a cottage by a church-yard. Children understand nature for what it is so the child is unaffected by living next to a church-yard and playing around the grave stones. This resonates with her beliefs about death and using the countryside setting enriches the reader’s experience. The final stanza is made up of five lines and not four as the preceding stanzas are. The child is convinced and will not concede defeat to the man’s superiority that her siblings are gone. Wordsworth’s use of five lines here is used to demonstrate the tenacity of the child’s belief. This shows us that to go back to an innocent way of thinking can teach us more about life as it is unsullied by the trappings of adulthood. As modernists, the Romantics had a true awareness of living in the now. Their poems reflected the social change and a need for social justice. The challenges of representing the themes of death, poverty and childhood in poetry are aesthetically enriched by the language, form and underlying message. Wordsworth shows that the new way of thinking was something he could express for everyone. In Simon Lee and The Female Vagrant, Wordsworth highlights the fall-out from commercialism and the end of the feudal system, the way this affected people’s lives and challenges society to stand up and take notice. The style both are written in, reflect the then social climate and enrich the reader’s experience. In We Are Seven, the theme of childhood is portrayed in very simplistic tones to reflect the child in question. Although the poem is nursery rhyme like, the reader becomes aware that the child’s logic, whilst simplistic in nature, is more powerful than the man talking to her, as she is more open minded and does not require a logical explanation as the man does. Burke, E. (2017). Extracts from A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas on the Sublime and the Beautiful (1757). Handout given on 3rd March 2017 by M. Jesinghausen Campbell, P. (1991). Wordsworth and Coleridge Lyrical Ballads Critical Perspectives. Hampshire: Macmillan Education Ltd Huizinga, J. (2016). Homo Ludens- A study of the Play Element in Culture. Ohio: Angelico Press Wordsworth, W. & Coleridge, S. (2013). Lyrical Ballads 1798 and 1802. Oxford: Oxford University PressLink to my website How Time Flies When You’re Having Fun English, life, studying, university As January is coming to a close, I have confession to make. Dry January did not go to plan. It was a catastrophe of gin and tonics followed by a complete and utter failure of wine and prosecco. Not sure whose silly idea it was in the first place. Certainly not mine, I’m sure. Never mind, onwards and upwards as they say! I did manage Sunday to Thursday in the first week so all wasn’t totally lost. The small one’s bedroom still hasn’t been tidied from the post-Christmas chaos and onslaught of cardboard boxes, wires and plastic screws, all designed to piss off every parent at Christmas, still to be found in February lurking underfoot ready to cause sever pain and much cursing or lodged somewhere in the Dyson. This is a job for February half term I think. Yes definitely. The school year goes so quick. One minute the small one is starting juniors, the next minute it only a matter of weeks until Easter. The same can be said for me at University. The first semester is done and we’re well into the second with the academic year finishing at Easter. It seems only yesterday when I was contemplating going to university. Now here I am, halfway through the first year an d loving it. It’s been a fantastic experience so far. I’ve made some great friends and had some half decent grades back from the first set of assignments, (next lot due back this Friday…..aaaarrrghhh!!!!) And breathe…. Fingers and toes crossed. So Friday night’s bottle of Prosecco will either be for celebrating or commiserating…watch this space. I shall be starting to look into what jobs I can do with an English degree soon. This needs thinking about sooner rather than later so I can get some work experience somewhere. So much is happening, it’s hard to keep up but at the same time it’s a very exciting ride. I’m trying to enjoy every minute although time is flying away so quickly, it’s hard to keep feet my feet on the ground. An All Time High Posted by Yummy's World in Daily Life, holidays, Life, love, Uncategorized happy new year, life, love, resolutions Here we are at the beginning of 2017, resolutions abound, somewhat bright eyed (not too much, it was a late night) and poised for a new start. The chimes of Big Ben at midnight signify the out with the old and in with the new although I’m not quite ready to let go of last year just yet. I have had a great 2016. I started university and got engaged to a wonderful man, with whom I am planning the rest of my life with; two major life changing events. A lot of other amazing things happened last year big and small but too numerous to mention here. Can we really carry on the high of last year though? Don’t get me wrong, there were bumps in the road and always will be and that’s life but will the new year be just as exciting? Well I for one cannot wait to find out. My resolutions for the New Year are to write everyday, start exercising and eating healthy. My fiancé and I have also decided to go teetotal for January. This one worry’s me the most as having a glass of chilled white wine at the start of every Friday evening is what I look forward to all week. Anyway, I digress. So far so good. Apart from the exercise, I can tick off the rest and I’m only half way through the day! Yoga is looking favourable as I don’t think I have to exert myself too much but we’ll see. I shall report back on this one. Even though today is New Year’s day, I am itching to put the decorations away, chuck the tree outside and put the house back into some sort of order. I loved bringing all the old decorations down from the loft, ones the kids had made at school, buying new ones to add to the masses already acquired over the years. When the time comes to de-Christmas the house though, I can’t wait to box it all up again. I know the living room will look almost minimalist by comparison but I like to start the new year with a clean and tidy house, (well try to in any event). My youngest’s room however looks like the sales aisle at Toys R Us but that’s ok. He’s allowed. He turned eight on Christmas Day so he has double the amount of stuff than perhaps other eight year old’s received for Christmas. His is a room I can think about another day, possibly when dry January is complete. I will need a drink to contemplate tidying his room. A happy and healthy new year to you all. I hope it brings you an abundance of happiness and that all of your dreams come true. I know mine did. I am excited about the chapters of my life that aren’t yet written. I hope you all are too. School Has Started Posted by Yummy's World in children, Life, studying, university children, life, study, university, work My university life started four weeks ago. Already I’ve made quite a few friends, attended workshops and seminars, even played roulette whilst eating monster munch and drinking diet coke! That was a surreal Tuesday afternoon I can tell you! My journey has begun and what an amazing first month it has been. The lecturers are all really inspirational and down to earth. They are always there with any offers of help and direction. The classes are a mixture of ages, (I’m not the oldest as I thought I would be) and everyone seems really friendly. So far so good. Not sure how I expected it to be but I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. It’s funny sitting alongside students of my daughter’s age; they are my classmates, my fellow students yet I am old enough to be their mother. I think that this fact makes them slightly wary of me, in case I start asking them if they are eating well or if their rooms are tidy. I can hear them talking about boys, nights out and clothes and they’re no different from me at that age. Yet we sit alongside each other as peers. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next three years. At the beginning of last month I helped my daughter move down to Bristol Uni for her first year. That was hard. Her room was’nt a bad size and the kitchen was clean and tidy, not that it was going to stay that way I feared. There were five flats sharing a kitchen and bathroom. I met two of her flatmates before I left; they seemed really nice and friendly (hopefully tidy and clean!). She did’nt want to stay though once we got there. I think reality set in once we started unpacking her stuff that it was actually happening. She cried and did’nt want me to leave, said she would catch the train back home if I left. In the end, I had to walk out back to my car for the three hour long journey home. I cried. She did’nt come back the next day. I think she was drunk a lot that first week. She’s loving it now though. All her flatmates are great and they’re having a fab time. Thank God! It’s all you can hope for in the end really; she’s made friends and she’s getting on with it. A bit like me really! A Shared Journey Posted by Yummy's World in children, Life, studying, Uncategorized, university, writing children, growing up, journey, life, study, university As well as my university place being accepted, I have also heard that my student finance is now in place. The only thing left to do now is tell my boss I would like part-time hours from September. Ha! So easy to say but nerve-racking nonetheless. I have to work, unfortunately, but it’s true. I have a romantic notion of coming out of lectures, sitting in cafes with my laptop writing essays and hanging out with other like-minded individuals talking shop and being intellectual. Yeah right. I’ll be hightailing it from my lectures like a bat out of hell to get to the office, changing into a suit and heels whilst driving at break neck speed to fit in a couple of hours before it’s time to pick the small person up. Phew. One of the funniest things about me becoming a uni student is that my daughter will also become one. Our three years as undergraduates will run side by side but how different they will be. She will no doubt take part in freshers week, drinking games and initiation ceremonies that as her mum I don’t really want to think about. Me on the other hand will probably be curled up on the sofa in my pj’s with a cuppa whilst my classmates pour vodka down each others throats and run through the town half-naked. It will be interesting to see how we both fair in our different journeys. She turns eighteen this week. She is just starting out and I’m excited for her. I feel that maybe I’m just starting out too, well certainly on this university journey and I’m a little bit excited for me too.

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Posted on November 30, 2018 April 3, 2019 by acmag Visit the magical world of ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ with the film’s Oscar-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe ACS ASC Come along with Australian Cinematographer Magazine as we visit the magical world of Mary Poppins Returns with the film’s Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe ACS ASC. By Dante Pragier. Emily Blunt filming ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – PHOTO Jay Maidment Fifty-four years ago, Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964), based on P.L. Travers’ series of books, transported audiences to an Edwardian London as seen through the eyes and imagination of the Banks children. In many respects, capturing this duality was crucial to the production, perfectly balancing the smog and gloom of its setting with rich animation and bombastic musical numbers. Despite Travers famously disapproving of the whimsical style of these elements, the film proved an enormous critical and commercial success, receiving thirteen Academy Award nominations and becoming the only of Walt Disney’s films to be nominated for Best Picture in his lifetime. After over five decades away, one of the longest gaps between sequels in history, the world’s most beloved nanny is slated to return, now starring Emily Blunt as the titular character and the Banks children all grown up in 1930s London. Academy Award-wining cinematographer Dion Beebe ACS ASC (Memoirs of a Geisha, Collateral, Chicago) in his fifth collaboration with director Rob Marshall, was highly conscious of the task ahead in contributing to such a beloved film. “Everyone involved in this project, from Marshall to Disney and the entire creative team, were very aware of the expectations surrounding the film,” says Beebe. “The first film was ground-breaking, won five Academy Awards and achieved an iconic status in film history, as well as a special place in so many childhoods.” Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – DOP Dion Beebe ACS ASC With an idea that began from Travers’ third novel, Mary Poppins Opens the Door, Beebe and Marshall discussed the project from a very early stage. “In our approach, we really wanted to respect the traditions of the original, while exceeding the audience expectations,” the cinematographer explains. “Stylistically, we also needed to engage a whole new audience of kids with a very sophisticated visual language. Fifty-four years covers an incredibly wide audience demographic.” To Beebe, finding the right visual tone is one of a cinematographer’s most important tasks. “In my discussions and collaboration with Marshall, production designer John Meyer and costume designer Sandy Powell, the goal was to capture a modern sense of nostalgia. This required careful consideration across every aspect of production. For me, the use of lighting, colour and camera movement helped us create our own style yet keep one foot in the world of the original.” A distinctive example of this blend of traditional and modern techniques can be seen in Mary Poppins Returns’ use of hand-drawn animation. Beebe describes the process as experimental, “This was not something I imagined myself having the opportunity to do in the digital era. It is both instant, like a quick sketch on paper, and incredibly labour and time-intensive.” Similar to the style of Mary Poppins, the production team decided to combine the hand-drawn animation with live performances. Finding the right balance was difficult, requiring precise synchronisation. First, the cast would rehearse a scene and it would be shot and edited. Then, the animation team would sketch characters into the cut footage. Only after viewing the finished sequence could a discussion take place in order to change it. Any alterations would therefore require both re-shoots and then re-sketches of the animation. In this manner, the sequence moved back and forth from the set to the animation studio until it looked just right. Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) and the Banks children filming a musical number with a crew of street lamp lighters in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – PHOTO Jay Maidment “Hand-drawn animation requires more lead time than computer-generated animation,” Beebe explains. “Changes to these sequences take longer, so it was essential for us to start this process early. It was such an amazing journey. The sequence is fun, exciting and captures an intrinsic sense of nostalgia. It perfectly describes what we sought to capture.” Beebe carefully considered the right equipment for the job, opting to use Panavision’s G-Series Anamorphic lenses and spherical primes. “The Alexa sensor was my reason for shooting Panavision,” says Beebe. “It has a softer curve and slightly more subdued colour space which can be pushed towards more vivid colour when required.” Beebe needed dynamic equipment in order to best emphasise the shifting visual tones. “The movie contrasts two very different worlds,” Beebe explains. “London during a 1930s depression, and the fantastic, magical world that Mary Poppins introduces to the children.” “We are constantly moving between these worlds so creating a visual distinction was important. Often the visual shift is very apparent in the fantastic places we visit, but at other times the fantasy develops more gradually throughout the scene. We tested and developed these looks prior to principal photography and the Alexa SXT gave me the range I needed.” Lin-Manuel Miranda stars as Jack who jumps in to help Georgie Banks (Joel Dawson) fly a kite in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns – DOP Dion Beebe ACS ASC Mary Poppins Returns was shot predominantly at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England, with additional location shooting in and around central London. “This was the third movie Rob and I have shot at Shepperton, after Nine (2009) and Into the Woods (2014).” Beebe notes that the studio has a lot of history, with epic productions like A Passage to India (1984), and The African Queen (1951) being filmed there. It is, however, a first for the Mary Poppins series. The first film was shot in California with painted London backdrops. “We took over most of the stages for our sets,” Beebe explains. “The challenge with these studio-based movies is planning set construction, pre-production and pre-lighting while continuing to shoot on completed sets. This is a process that continues throughout production.” Working with Marshall, to shooting carefully-rehearsed scenes amidst a tight schedule of set construction and preparation, is no new task for Beebe. The pair’s working relationship covers over sixteen years and five major projects, beginning with 2002’s Chicago. “He and I first met over the phone,” Beebe says. “I was on a project in London and he was prepping in New York. It must have been a real gut instinct on Rob and [producer and choreographer] John de Luca’s part. I had not been working in the United States long and did not have many American titles on my CV. They had seen an old five-minute showreel of mine. It may have even been on VHS! When we spoke on the phone, Marshall seemed convinced.” The Banks family and Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – DOP Dion Beebe ACS ASC Beebe recalls the first time he met Marshall face-to-face. “He was under a lot of pressure to collaborate with a more experienced cinematographer at the time, as this was to be his first theatrical feature,” says Beebe. “We arranged to meet in New York to discuss the project further. It was two weeks after the 9/11 attacks and I remember entering this classic New York building, walking up the wide staircase, past dancers stretching and prepping for auditions. It was surreal, like stepping into a scene from A Chorus Line. I was instantly hooked.” Across his career, Beebe’s work has covered a range of genres and styles; from extravagant musicals like Chicago, to period epics, Memoirs of a Geisha, through to crime and action pieces, Collateral and Gangster Squad. “In my approach, I try very hard not to repeat myself or become too identified with a specific style or genre. I think every cinematographer prefers to work across a wide spectrum of styles and storylines,” he says. Perhaps due to this, Beebe’s work is lauded for its experimental style, for example with colour saturation or high-speed digital. “I think every time we make a movie, it is in some way an experiment.” Beebe says, “As much as studios would love to have a formula that just works, the reality is every time we begin a project there is no guarantee of success. That makes the work exciting and a little terrifying when so many millions are being spent.” Beebe is also clear that emergent technology isn’t of itself the driving-force of his creative choices. “I have always had a healthy disrespect for technology,” he says. “By this, I mean that the technology is there to serve the story. We must not be ‘in service’ of the technology. When I take on a new project, particularly when utilising new technology, my approach is, ‘how can this serve the story and how hard can we push it to create something that helps the audience engage with our story?’” Emily Blunt is Mary Poppins in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – DOP Dion Beebe ACS ASC For Beebe, one of the advantages of working across such a vast range of genres is the opportunity to learn from each film and apply those lessons to future projects. “Something I really came to understand working with Marshall and De Luca is that shooting a movie is like a dance,” Beebe says. “It’s always about movement and choreography. When a character enters a room, the camera interacts with them, moving towards or away, with strong dynamic energy or an imperceptible motion. We make choices around camera movement that inform us about the scene and about the emotional state of our actors.” The parallels of working with intense motion apply equally to action. “Often, in action or big dance numbers, there will be a lot to consider in the frame,” he says. “This is when we have to pay close attention to camera movement as it can help us understand the dynamics between characters and help us understand intention within a seemingly chaotic space. Marshall understands how to direct an audience’s attention towards a dancer on a crowded stage or an actor in a crowded room.” Beebe recalls working with Michael Mann on Collateral, where the same principles relevant to a musical production could be found, for example, in shooting the Korean nightclub scene. “Here was a complex sequence that involved every major character in the movie converging on a space filled with four-hundred raging nightclubbers,” Beebe says. “Working with Mann as he dissected the space, made sense of the geography, created visual cues for the audience, and used movement to help clarify intention, gave incredible insight into how to manage a motion-heavy sequence.” With an ever-busy schedule of work and having recently completed filming Ang Lee’s upcoming Gemini Man, Beebe stresses the importance of staying involved with a production through post and digitisation. “It’s always challenging for the cinematographer as we are most likely working on-set in another part of the world,” he offers. “It is, however, really important to find a way to be involved as the digital intermediate is the final stage and cements together all the months of work everyone has done. Technology now can help and I have been able to do live grades between London, Los Angeles, and New York over the years. On this film, I was able to join Marshall and Colourist Michael Hatzer in New York. It’s always more fun being in the room with everyone.” Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda), Annabel (Pixie Davies), Georgie (Joel Dawson), John (Nathanael Saleh) and Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) in Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ – PHOTO Jay Maidment Continuing the legacy of a film like Mary Poppins was a momentous task across all stages of production. “I know going into this that Rob really felt the pressure of attempting a sequel to such a beloved movie and to do it almost sixty years after the original,” Beebe says. In many respects, Mary Poppins Returns is a film of dualities; from 1964 to 2018, from 1910 to 1930, from the mundane Depression-era London to the magical world of Mary Poppins. To achieve their vision, the production team had to find a balance between old and new, somehow capturing a sense of nostalgia while simultaneously appealing to a modern, film-literate audience. Looking back across the shoot, Beebe believes this balance has been struck, capturing the magic of the original film along with it. “One of my favourite scenes in the film is the number ‘Cover is Not the Book’,” Beebe says. “This song makes up part of the live-action, hand-animated sequence. This particular section of the movie involves Mary Poppins and Jack on stage singing to an audience of real kids and crazy, animated animals. We approached the live-action work like we would an actual musical number on stage. The entire number was pre-lit and every lighting cue was worked out with an extensive grid of theatrical moving lights. All the live-action performance was shot against green screen but with all these interactive light cues captured. The animators were then able to take our lighting plans and incorporate all the light and colour cues into the animation. The result is a very fun, magical, and seamlessly-integrated musical number.” Dante Pragier is a writer based in UK. This entry was posted in:Features Tagged with:academy award, dante pragier, dion beebe, emily blunt, Features, lin-manuel miranda, mary poppins, mary poppins returns, pannavision, rob marshall Previous PostFilm Review: Entebbe Next PostCurtains up on MTC ad campaign with Samuel Broeren behind the camera

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Strip the Emperor Published on 13 Feb 2017 08 Feb 2018 Who would have thought? A recent internal document issued by the British Medical Association reminded me of times long passed. Like many little girls, I grew up dreaming of becoming a world renowned actress. Typically, the closest I ever got to a stage was by playing one of the (very many) Emperor’s subjects, in a small London theatre, feigning admiration for His new clothes with loud ‘ouhs and ahs’. It was said that the fabric was invisible to anyone either unfit for his position or ‘hopelessly stupid’. So, the ministers, the townsfolk and even the Emperor himself pretend to see the finest of garments. Those familiar with the story may remember that in the midst of this deception, a child too young and too innocent to understand the desirability to keep up with the pretense cries out that the Emperor is actually naked! It struck me back then, that the Emperor ignores the cry taken up by the crowd, and continues the procession with ever increased conceit. Two decades later, I wake up to a new Emperor: They call him “political correctness”. A social, cultural and political phenomenon which urges people to avoid ‘offensive’ words and actions. At best, it is just really annoying. At worst, it is flagrant censorship, an unabashed affront to our cherished freedom of speech. A fundamental human right, recognized under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Without freedom of speech, so many other rights fade away. It is easy to mistake political correctness as a kind-hearted liberal attempt at not hurting people’s feelings. Examples of political correctness abound. From the pressure to drop the terms Before Christ (BC) and Anno Domini (AD) in favour of ‘Before Common Era’ / ‘Common Era’, proposals to outlaw titles which indicate marital status such as ‘Miss’ and ‘Mrs’ so as not to cause offence, to replacing the greeting ‘Merry Christmas’ with ‘Happy Holidays’, and a ‘Christmas’ tree with a ‘Holiday tree’. Words and phrases are continually decreed to be insensitive to various minorities, banned, and replaced with euphemisms so as to avoid real or sometimes imagined offense. It is easy to mistake political correctness as a kind-hearted liberal attempt at not hurting people’s feelings. And that’s lovely. I don’t want to upset anyone. Yet, where is the logical stopping point? Apparently there is none. To me this became clear when the trade union and professional body for doctors in the UK, the British Medical Association (BMA) released an internal document to its staff outlining phrases that should be avoided for fear of causing offence. To name a few; ‘The elderly’ should be referred to as ‘older people’, ‘disabled lifts’ called ‘accessible lifts’ and someone who is ‘biologically male or female’ should be called ‘assigned male or female’. This is political correctness gone wild. All this pin pointing what could be deemed offensive, is stigmatizing in itself. Why should the elderly be offended by their age? It’s the natural course of life, and it’s beautiful. Judging the word ‘disabled’ offensive, only goes to portray our own twisted vision of disability. Yes, disability is a suffering, but why make a curse out of the word? The BMA also advises its staff not to call pregnant women ‘expectant mothers’. Instead, they should call them ‘pregnant people’ so as not to upset intersex and transgender men. Although the BMA acknowledges that ‘a large majority of people that have been pregnant or have given birth identify as women’ it goes on to say that ‘we can include intersex men and transmen who may get pregnant by saying ‘pregnant people’ instead of ‘expectant mothers.’’’ Gender is not a social construct, it is biological. We are born female or male. People are not free to reassign science and biology. Although, I am not expecting a child any time soon, I feel upset. I’m all for equal rights but not when they start impinging mine. According to National Statistics, 697,852 women gave birth in Britain in 2015. We can expect a similar number to give birth this year. Thousands of women will be denied the privilege of being referred to as ‘mothers’, stealing a part of their identity- one that is naturally acquired during the course of a pregnancy. I get chills thinking of the next ‘enlightened’ step. I dread that my own future child will not be free to call me ‘mother’ for fear of offending some identified victimized minority. The time has come for this child to speak up and strip the Emperor bare of his empty progressive lexicon. Pakistani converts facing deportation in the Netherlands at real risk of persecution STRASBOURG (17 July 2019) – Recently, ADF International submitted an intervention in T.M. and S.Y.M. v. the Netherlands at the European Court of Human Rights. A Pakistani Christian couple... UK Court of Appeal reviews Ealing prayer ban LONDON (15 July 2019) – Tomorrow, the Court of Appeal of England and Wales will hear the appeal from a High Court decision which upheld a Public Spaces Protection... Christians most persecuted religious group in the world LONDON (15 July 2019) – Today, the “Bishop of Truro’s Independent Review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO Support for Persecuted Christians” was presented. It included an extensive review...

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11Nov 2018 by Dr Lorenc Gordani No Comments Annalise by Dr Lorenc Gordani 3rd Annual International Summit “Hydropower Balkans 2019”Loan Based Reform Policy in the Energy Sector in AlbaniaStrategic Reform Plan of Energy Sector in AlbaniaEuropean EV Charging SummitCISOLAR 2019: New Opportunities for Developing Solar EnergyFlipbook (test)Granting rights and A&M approach to HPPsQuo vadis hydropower?HPP sector towards large and more sustainable developmentsThe legal structure of the HPP investments on risk mitigation in WBs Albania like the rest of the Western Balkan countries, has continues encourage foreign capital to enter in the energy sector. Investments that have already reached about $ 1 billion, with growth in real term at 10% in 2017. The latest data shows that electricity produced by private sector have reached 33.7% of net domestic production. A high level that have led economic growth for the second consecutive quarter above the 4%. Considering, that the point of reference for any investment decision has to do with the rate of return, the comparative advantages of the Albanian hydroelectric (HPP) are numerous. At first, they are linked to the great natural potential of the country: with eight major rivers crossing a basin with over 57% of its current administrative extension, with an average height by 700 m above sea level and a perennial flow by 1245 m3/s, for a combined water supply by 40 billion cubic meters. On above, based in the latest official data, it can be roughly said that today: total installed capacity has reached at 2100 MW; projects granted, but yet not developed, at 1785 MW; the hydropower potential studied, still unexploited, at around 615 MW. Therefore, in a synthesis, considering the theoretical potential by 4500 MW, today only 46% are exploited. As it is worth noting that the country can offer one of the lower cost of production (LCOE) of hydropower in the region starting from an average by 35 euros/MWh. Passing to the second advantage, given the above hydropower potential, its development has been a key priority of any government, and a fundamental part of the economic development plans from decade, which has been materialized, in: government facilities and subsidies to support investments; creation of high quality technical and experienced workforce; resulting in one of the sectors with a long proven track records of successful foreign investment from countries with the oldest tradition in Europe’s hydroelectric sector. In third, far as the future is concerned, new opportunities unfold from the transformations. Referring to the new strategy by 2030, it is planed to continue on integration of two main pillars: completing the reforms of market liberalization in the context of regional integration, and the promotion of sustainable development, within five analytical scenarios, built to pave the way to the pursuit of the priorities that will be defined by concrete action plans. On above, firstly regard the sustainability, the renewable investments could continue to rely on incentives, fiscal and non-tax facilitations. In this direction, the country has committed itself at reaching the 38% target by 2020. In its support, the total capacity available, through the feed-in schemes, for hydroelectric, photovoltaic (PV), wind and biomass power plants, is up to 798 MW. Where, in specific, considering the lower costs, the bigger part of around 600 MW, is reserved to new HPP capacities up to 15 MW. By the other side, the future of energy market is in some way clear on the progress toward an electricity exchange platform (starting with Albanian one so-called APEX). Process to be completed, in parallel with the intraday and balancing market, as well as the expansion of the network management by the joint auction office (SEE CAO) of Podgorica. Furthermore, at the beginning of 2019, the Albanian market is expected to be coupled with Kosovo or directly in the broader context, where possible, with Italy, Montenegro and Serbia (AIMS). Regardless of the adapted option or framework, we may think before being there, on how this affects the sector. The development of the regional electricity market ensures that project developers have a wider opportunities for their production. The new network of roads on development in the country also make feasible projects that until here have been considered foreclosed. Options that allows thinking of larger projects, which match with the interest of bigger companies, and hope will promote more sustainability and possibility to base on the market incentives. In fourth, related to the environmental concerns, the country will continue to need new energy sources and hydroelectric production are the less expensive. Given the considerable challenges faced, a study about sustainable hydroelectric strategy is on progress, with scope on entire Western Balkans, to be approved by the European Commission later this year, from which a series of a fundamental sustainability principles can be already observed: – Hydropower is among the other sources of renewable energy but priority should be given to the rehabilitation of existing facilities, and a target number of large hydropower plants; – Any development must be followed with an integrated approach with regard to the regional electricity market, as well as with integrated water resource management, and their development should be addressed in the context of climate challenges; – In any case, is fundamental the pursue with a deep assessment on the environmental impacts, as well as consider of transnational issues, and the inclusion of the principles of sustainability in hydropower planning. Passing to the second argument, the better understanding of the above (i.e. activation towards large-scale power plants), and the approach needed to transfer rights, can come through the explorer of the framework in which base the granting rights of hydropower investments. In practice, there are basically two procedures, and a third one is emerging, on the rights of granting of hydroelectric sources. Firstly, the authorization procedure is followed for the project up to 2 MW, considered as small investments and fundamentally of interest to local investors. A framework based on the principle that leaves the great load (or major risk) of the work to be followed by the investors. However, on the other hand its approval within the ministry is perceived as a fast procedure. Therefore, for the most relevant projects, considering the level of difficulty and depending on the nature of the hydroelectric risk, are based on the regime of public-private partnership (PPP). What is necessary, from the already existing framework, is a qualified wise reflection of all the rights recognized by the law to the contract between the parties, based on the fact that the legal provisions governing the project contract provide clear guidance on the key issues that will be dealt, allowing the parties to freely negotiate the flexible terms of the concession contracts. Based on the contractual conditions for plants up to 15 MW, the sale of energy generated by the operator is guaranteed through a long-term contract (PPA) for 15 years, signed with the operator charged of the public service obligation, with regulated tariffs, through a “feed-in” scheme, determine by an independent authority. The construction of power plant that is subject from 15 to 20 permits and complex licenses of various bodies, but it is secured and facilitated by the assumption and provisions as a co-responsibility of the public authorities. Regard the third procedure, recently, the Ministry of Energy opened the tender for the selection of the bidder for the construction of the PV plant above 50 MW in the southern Albania. A first project based on pure principle of the capacity tender, which has been partially applied in many HPP projects at least over the last 2-3 years. Thus, it represents a large-scale innovation, where everything is prepared in the package by the public authority, giving the maximum support to investors interested. A practice thought to act as a model for further hydroelectric concessions. As perceived by above procedures, consider the multi-importance for the economy and the complex challenges in their deployment in practice, the current legal framework has seen a continuous revision with the goal of improvement. Despite it, the importance of legal framework is in some way limited to the taken period of the sign of contract, and the core of investments in long term based on accurate technical studies. In addition, their preparation from the earliest stages is also crucial for gaining access to the financial system with a convenient interest rate. Therefore, the development of sound technical studies, well above the minimum required by law, becomes fundamental. Normally their width and depth vary according to the relevance of the project. In any case, regardless of the technology used, or even the form of investment as an unsolicited proposal or capacity offer, the studies should provide sufficient technical, economic and financial reliability, as well as guarantees in its environmental and social impact. In final of the above analysis, considering the high number of projects awarded but not yet realized, despite the continuous interest in the acquisition and transfer (A&M), the current situation shows all the complexity in this direction. The factors are different, where the legal procedure in the transfer rights first requires the consent of the public authorities, in the same form given for their approval. Furthermore, a problem is the reliability of the projects, if considers that a good one is sold by itself. In addition, it cost more in financial terms, as well as time and energy, because its necessity to redo the evaluation along the entire chain. Then, finally, the general problem lies in the developers’ approach, as far they are way to what is request form whom is offered to manage renewable resources. For more on above please find the related slides on Albania hydroelectric sector towards large and sustainable developments, kept by Dr Lorenc Gordani, at 2th edition Summit “Hydropower Balkans 2018” organised by Vostock Capital, among 6-8 November 2018, at the Splendid Conference & SPA Resort, Budva, Montenegro. Disclaimer: The ownership and the opinion expressed pertain to the author. While all the effort are made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advices as individual situations may differ and should be discussed with an expert. For any specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, contact us through “lorenc_gordani@albaniaenergy.org”. 2,147,483,647 total views, 1 views today

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Duncan Foley On Socialist Alternatives to Capitalism Barkley Rosser | May 2, 2018 10:12 am Yes, it is May Day, time to think about workers and socialism, while Vladimir Putin gets himself inaugurated for another term as President of Russia, with military vehicles parading In Red Square like they used to for the glory of the workers, but today for the glory of President Putin. So, a couple of weeks ago there was a conference at the New School honoring Duncan Foley, who seems to be gradually retiring, half time to quarter time, I am not sure. It is my understanding that this conference had a lot of emphasis on Duncan’s work on Marxist economic theory, with it organized by Roberto Veneziani and Mark Setterfield. I did not attend, but heard rumors about it. As it is, this is the second conference there honoring Duncan. I attended and presented in the first, which resulted in a festschrift volume in 2013, Social Fairness and Economics: Economic essays in the spirit of Duncan Foley, Routledge, an excellent volume. The first thing that should be noted is that while Duncan is indubitably one of the leading living theorists of Marxist economics, he does not consider himself to be a “Marxist,” but rather a student of Marx, if a deeply sympathetic one. This is a sensitive matter as he was turned down for tenure at Stanford largely because he was accused of being a “Marxist economist” when he started publishing papers and books on Marxist economics. He has always sais that his true ideology is his religion, Quakerism, the Friends, with him agreeing with their pacifism, which is not an idea inherent in Marxism, indeed, with many Marxists supporting violent revolution. Nevertheless, there is probably no living economist who is clearly more important as a deep analyst of Mars’s economics, with some of his closest rivals in attendance at this latest conference, such as Anwar Shaikh. How he got into Marxist economics followed on from his earlier work on general equilibrium theory, which was what got him hired at Stanford in the first place (and he still writes on GET). Indeed, he had been hired at MIT from Yale to teach general equilibrium theory to grad students a la Arrow-Debreu-McKenzie, as this was not Paul Samuelson’s cup of tea. The motive for moving to Marx was the problem posed by fitting money into general equilibrium theory, which is generally done in a purely barter form. This is also a cover for the problem of how to link micro to macro. He was especially intrigued by Marx’s writings on money in the Grundrisse and in Vol. III of Capital, which became the basis for his later interpretations and studies of this. Again, I do not know what was presented or what he said at this most recent conference, but he has a working paper at New School from Feb. 2017 on “Socialist Alternatives to Capitalism I: From Marx to Hayek,” which arguably shows his most recent thinking, not all that far from some of his earlier views, but more influenced by some of his more recent work on history of thought such as Adam’s Fallacy, dealing with Adam Smith as well as Ricardo and Malthus. Indeed, Duncan starts this paper with a discussion of post-Ricardian socialists such as Bray and Thompson, who proposed replacing money with labor-certificates, thus drawing on Ricardo’s use of the labor theory of value. While he also briefly discusses the utopian socialists and Marx’s reaction to them, he spends much more time on Marx’s critique of this labor-certificate idea in the Grundrisse. At its bottom, Marx in effect says that labor power’s value is only instantiated in capitalist commodity exchange. So these labor-certificates will not really move a society towards socialism. He also notes that in both Grundrisse, but even more so in the first two chapters of Capital Vol. III, Marx takes a long period position, noting that prices and wages may deviate from labor values even over entire rounds of the business cycle; that is only in the long run that prices oscillate about their natural “prices of production” given by labor values. He then looks at Marx’s own prescriptions for socialism in the 1875 Critique of the Gotha Program. There are two stages, the first essentially being a mixed economy where workers still work in commodity production with markets, but with the surplus being taken by the state or some other entity led by the workers that would use it for public investment, social welfare, or redistribution. The higher stage is that pure communism where the state withers away, and distribution is based on “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need,” which Duncan notes is not backed up by any detailed institutional or other analysis, essentially a nice slogan. He talks about the history of the early Soviet Union, noting that the NEP of the early 1920s looked like Marx’s own first stage, but that it led to both the emergence of a neo-bourgeoisie as well as a “plodding behind the peasant.” This would be replaced by Stalin’s command central planning, which achieved rapid industrial growth in the short run, but stagnated in the longer run. He runs through Pareto and Barone and then the socialist calculation debate with Lange and Lerner and von Mises and Hayek. He accurately sees the first two as laying the groundwork for an apolitical general equilibrium theory that could implemented either by a capitalist market or a central planner. He notes that Lange’s market socialist response is essentially an updated version of Barone, but trying to take the von Mises critique about appropriate incentives into account. He says this is what became the policy of Deng Xiaoping in China, essentially a rerun of the 1920s Soviet NEP. He ends with Hayek, noting his emphasis on information. He says that Hayek essentially returns to classical political economy and engages in an “existential” redefinition of commodity production. I am not sure I agree with this, but that is what he argues. He makes a final critique of Hayek by noting his ignoring of the distributional question, certainly a valid complaint, and one to keep in mind on this May Day, even if Duncan Foley ultimately leaves us hanging on what are the most promising of socialist alternatives to capitalism today. Comments (2) | Digg Facebook Twitter | Ben Edict All socioeconomic systems (past, present, and future) which are operated by humans will ultimately end in corruption or will succumb to other self-serving human attributes. But in the 21st century humans have the ability with our technology to build a system which eliminates the human flaws that always plague our societies so that serving the common good is always the objective. The Nutopia Project (nutopiaproject.org) is a proposed alternative to capitalism where technology is used to compensate for the inability of humans to get past their genetic programming for self-interest and instead work together for the benefit of all people. Welcome to Angry Bear. First comments always go to moderation to weed out spammers and advertising. As long as you do not make a constant nuisance of yourself, we are pretty tolerant.

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Home Lifestyle There were two St Patricks … and other theories There were two St Patricks … and other theories UCC Professor of Modern Irish, Pádraig Ó Macháin In the fifth century, there were two Patricks, the ‘sean-Phádraig’ (‘old-Patrick’) an early missionary originally called Palladius, and the second Pádraig, who founded Armagh. Later tradition would unite them into a single person. St Patrick – a Briton – fits the timeless profile of the hero from overseas who saves the Irish [in modern times think Jack Charlton] The name ‘Pádraig’ is a borrowing of Latin Patricius; an earlier borrowing took the Gaelicized form Coithrighe. The Old-Irish hymn attributed to St Patrick, and now known as St Patrick’s Breastplate, identifies three classes of individuals from whom one should be protected as: druids, smiths and women. The laws of Lent were suspended for St Patrick’s Day: drinking (Pota Phádraig) is associated with the day as much as the shamrock is. In the 18th and 19th centuries, children wore St Patrick’s Crosses – homemade from paper and cloth. The poet of Carraig na bhFear (Co. Cork), Seán Ó Murchú, composed a poem on the subject of a St Patrick’s Cross in 1730. The 17th of March marks the middle of spring, by which point, at the very least, one should have already sown one’s early potatoes. Shane Lehane, Department of Folklore and Ethnology, UCC St Patrick’s wife Sheelah: A Forgotten Deity On the anniversary of St Patrick, the country people assemble in their nearest towns and villages, get very tipsy … and walk through the streets with thetrifolium pratense, or, as they call it, shamrock, in their hats, when whiskey is drank in copious libations; and, from a spirit of gallantry, these merry devotees continue drunk the greater part of the next day, viz., the 18th of March, all in honour of Sheelagh, St. Patrick’s wife. This account of St Patrick’s wife, Sheelah, whose celebrations were on the 18th of March, occurs in John Carr’s The Stranger in Ireland (1806) and is one of the numerous references to this almost forgotten female figure. It is Newfoundland, Canada, Talamh an Éisc (Land of the Fish), the most Irish place outside Ireland, that another echo of Sheelah is still manifest. Here, there is an amazing legend, still believed by many to be historically true, centring on a young Irish princess from Connacht, of noble birth, who was called ‘Sheila na Geira’ (Síle na Ghadhra). The legend recounts that sometime in the 1600s when en route to a convent in France to finish her education, under the care of her aunt who was an Abbess, pirates commandeered her ship. One of the pirates, Gilbert Pike who hailed from a well-to-do English family, fell in love with her and being wed on board the young lovers settled down in the little inlet of Mosquito in the southwest corner of Newfoundland. Here, in time, Sheila na Geira gave birth to the first white European child on the island and it said that many owe their lineage to her. It is also said that every Irishman who visited and settled on Newfoundland made obeisance to her. She is said to have lived to 105 years of age. In keeping with her mother goddess attributes, in Newfoundland right up to the present day the last big snowstorm following Patrick’s Day is called ‘Sheila’s Brush’. In the past sealing fleets refused to go back out on the ice until this storm had passed, while fishermen today hold the same belief. The name Sheelah is highly enigmatic: for example, a search for the name in all of its variants in the 1911 Census of Ireland, returns a paltry combined total of c. 500. By contrast, its English equivalent, Julia, has close to 30,000 entries. Similarly, scholarly research on the ships’ manifests for female convicts sent to Australia, where the name ‘Sheila’ has entered common parlance, shows that there were no Sheilas on board. ‘Sheelah’s Day’ falls on the 18th of March, being the last of the traditional three days of celebration beginning on the eve on St Patrick’s Day (March 16, 17 and 18). This window of licentiousness and liberal drinking always fell within the otherwise stifling period of the forty days of Lenten fast and abstinence. The Cailleach, the old wise-woman healer is a multi-faceted personification of the female cosmic agency. The Cailleach tradition is deeply rooted in the seminal concerns of birth, fertility and death. It is in this context that the connection with the significantly named ‘Sheela-na-gig’ can be made. In Ireland, there are over 110 examples of these oft-misunderstood, medieval stone carvings of naked, old women exposing their genitalia. Regina Sexton, food and culinary historian, UCC Whatever about drowning the shamrock, how about eating the shamrock? Commentators on Gaelic Ireland often note the Irish fondness for eating shamrocks, which is more than likely a reference to the eating of the lemony-flavoured wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) in Ireland. Food writer and food historian Regina Sexton of UCC pictured at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Cork. (Pic Daragh McSweeney/Provision) In folk custom, Irish people liked to break the Lenten austerity by having meat for the St Patrick’s Day dinner; this was indeed a treat during a time when meat was a rare item in the diet for many people. The prohibition on eggs was also lifted for the day, and people celebrated with a breakfast of boiled eggs, often called Saint Patrick’s Pot. What might the Saint himself have eaten? The two main pillars of the early medieval diet where cereals (lots of oats) and dairy produce (milky things). Did St Patrick eat a macrobiotic hipster diet way before it was cool? While there is no direct reference to the Saint’s diet, we do know that fermented foods, especially in the dairy line and wild foods were of some importance in the diet. With St Patrick’s Day falling in March, it coincides with the folk tradition of collecting shore shellfish for consumption. Previous articleThe new Alfa Romeo Tonale Concept Car: electrification meets beauty and dynamism Next articleMemories from the Archives – March 1998

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2018 longlist and judges announcement date The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) is the most prestigious and important literary prize in the Arab world. It is given to a novel in Arabic which the judges consider to be the best of that year. Its aim is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic creative writing and to encourage the readership of high quality Arabic literature internationally through the translation and publication of winning and shortlisted novels in other major languages. At 9am GMT / 1pm GST on Wednesday 17 January, the 2018 longlist of 16 books and the panel of five judges will be announced. The longlist will be chosen from 124 submissions which have all been published in the last 12 months. The Prize is run with the support, as its mentor, of the Booker Prize Foundation in London and sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT). Hannah Davies and Laura Steele at Four Colman Getty hannah.davies@fourcolmangetty.com / +44 (0) 20 3697 4251 laura.steele@fourcolmangetty.com / +44 (0) 20 3697 4241

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The Random Muslim Scare Story Generator: Separating Fact From Fiction Halal meat is on every menu; sharia law is taking over; the niqab is undermining the nation. Ever noticed how often the same old stories keep appearing about Muslims in Britain? Here’s the truth about these and other media myths In Britain, there is now a cycle of Islamic scare stories so regular that it is almost comforting, like the changing of the seasons. Sadly, this rotation is not as natural, or as benign, although it is beginning to feel just as inevitable. We had the niqab winter last year, as the country lurched into the niqab debate for the second time in three years. Now we are in the spring of halal slaughter. Add to this schedule the routine reports about gender segregation in UK universities and Muslim schools (as if the concept of gender segregation was somehow exotic to non-faith schools in the UK), claims of grand plans to “overthrow” non-Muslim heads of certain schools and you have a steady flow of creeping sharia messages, stoking a fear of a stealthy, incremental Islamicisation. Channel 4’s Ramadan coverage last year drew 2,011 complaints, the majority objecting to the broadcast of the call to prayer, a two-minute transmission. This reflects an increasing nationwide umbrage towards visible British Muslims, informed by repetitive stories that inaccurately amplify their religiously motivated activity. Underpinning it is a common theme: that there is an ever more muscular and intimidating Muslim minority demanding special rights from a cowed and pandering, lily-livered body politic muzzled by “multicultural Britain” – rather than simply attempting to adapt and integrate, as immigrants of all religions have been doing in the UK for centuries. It’s not hard to see how this constant blurring of facts generates the mood music of anti-immigration rightwingers and establishes common misconceptions about Muslims. But the threat of a creeping sharia never seems to materialise. It seems to be more of a crawling sharia, so slowly has the Islamist takeover of Britain been, in contrast to the constant media warnings of its imminent arrival. The focus far outstrips the size and political activity of the minority, which number 2.7 million (less than 5% of the population), not all of whom are practising Muslims. The Islamic scare story plays to a nexus of easy media sensationalism, a portion of the public primed and ready to believe the worst, and an interested rightwing element for whom it is a convenient vehicle for their anti-immigration views, xenophobia, or just Islamophobia. But with each reincarnation of a creeping Islamic threat, the gulf between the facts and what is reported widens. The following are some of the most popular examples – and the facts that discredit them. The niqab One of the most helpful exercises is to present some estimation of how many women actually wear the niqab, the face veil, in any given European country in which there is controversy about it. The estimates are so small that they cool a usually heated debate. In France, which banned them in public in 2011, it is estimated as between 400 and 2,000, ie not even 0.1% of the population. In the UK, approximations suggest that the numbers are “extremely low”. Among practising Muslim women, niqab wearers are more of a minority than women who do not even wear the hijab, the head scarf. You are far more likely in the UK to meet a Muslim woman in jeans and a T-shirt than you are to meet one in a niqab. It seems embarrassing that politicians and media professional should dedicate so much time to agonising over the issue. Politicians are the worst culprits for recycling the niqab debate. Philip Hollobone, a member of parliament, was so moved by the plight of women in niqabs that he proposed to ban them from his constituency office. Security concerns over ID and testifying in court are utterly unfounded: women are required to take off their niqabs for identification purposes – for drivers’ licences etc – and they overwhelmingly comply. Once the security concerns are dispensed with, the last retreat of the niqab botherers is that the debate is out of anxiety for these women. But there has not yet been a single incident where the niqab debate was instigated by Muslim women themselves. Muslim grooming gangs In 2012, nine men were convicted of child exploitation and grooming of vulnerable young girls in Rochdale. Similar grooming gangs were identified in Derby, Rotherham and Oxford. Rather than the colour or religion of the assailant being incidental to the crime – which is taken for granted when they are white or Christian – the fact that these grooming gangs were Asian and Muslim, and their victims white, became central to their offences in public discourse and media coverage. How was this done? Newspaper articles, radio shows and TV panel discussions adopted, discussed and repeated the claim of Muslim grooming and abuse. By popularising a notion that their crimes were somehow mandated by a sharia law that condoned sexual exploitation of non-Muslims. That is, not only is their religion relevant, it is blessing their crimes, or at least informing their culture. This was simply not true but it was repeated and sublimated into fact. Rod Liddle in the Spectator approached this pivotal point, the purported reasoning for the entire grooming phenomenon, by saying: “Is there something within the religion or ideology of Islam which somehow encourages, or merely facilitates, extremist Muslim maniacs to maim or kill non-Muslims? I think there probably is. But you can’t say that.” There you have it. He thinks there probably is. Never mind reports that Muslim girls were abused as well. Conveniently, this worldview chimes with the politically correct liberal somewhere out there who would rather your daughters were sexually groomed than dare call something out as related to religion. Since Operation Yewtree started, there has been a healthy debate about sexism in the UK – the impunity of male celebrities, the cultural tolerance of sexual activity with minors and so on. But this nuance was not applied to the “Muslim grooming gangs”, a description about as unhelpful as the “Christian paedophile Jimmy Savile”. It was a scenario in which a factually erroneous religious justification was used to explain an anomalous episode. Sharia courts There have been two recent flare-ups of the sharia courts and “parallel Islamic law” scare story. In 2011, a bill was tabled in parliament to address concerns over sharia arbitration, and in early 2014 solicitors were allowed to draw up sharia-compliant wills, leading the Sunday Telegraph to pronounce that “Islamic law is adopted by British legal chiefs”. Since 2009, there have been sharia court investigations by the Independent, the Telegraph and the BBC. The political momentum against these courts is primarily from Baroness Cox, a crossbench member of the House of Lords and self-proclaimed “voice of the voiceless” Muslim women, who she claims are being victimised. Of all the Muslim threats, this seems the most potent. It actually has “sharia” in the name. UK law has some scope to acknowledge thecustomary or religious laws of both Jews and Muslims. But going by the coverage, it would seem it is only Muslims that have both demanded and been granted exception. On closer inspection, it is clear sharia courts only have jurisdiction on civil matters and everyone must opt in to a sharia court. They only have an advisory capacity and address mainly property and financial matters, and rulings are then only enforceable by civil courts. In many cases, they are understaffed affairs, where one official settles petty disputes and draws up rudimentary documents. The creeping sharia courts’ “astonishing spread” was first reported by the Daily Mail in 2009. At the time, there were reportedly “no fewer than 85”. In the most recent Daily Mail report on the issue in 2014, the number was, despite the warning about the pace of change whereby Islamic law was cannibalising British secular law, still “no fewer than 85”. The most recent episode of this was a report that Lloyds TSB in the UK had reduced or eliminated overdraft fees on its Islamic bank accounts. This apparently “special treatment” might suggest that banks are overturning their commercial interests to keep customers happy. This alone should be a clear alert that the story is bunkum. When have you known a bank to do that? The reality is that Islamic bank accounts are, in fact, on average more costly for customers. Interest rates (yes, they are charged on Islamic bank accounts, under different mechanisms, usually fixed transaction fees) are often higher than the secular high street. More crucially, as Lloyds itself has explained, Islamic accounts “do not offer credit interest or other features that are available on our other products. A comparison with the overdraft charging structure on other accounts is meaningless.” The question shouldn’t have been, “Want to avoid overdraft fees? Open an Islamic bank account”, but: “Want to avoid overdraft fees? Open an Islamic bank account where you will not receive any interest on savings or deposits.” Again, this is a recycled story from 2009, so it is not an exposé. Halal slaughter According to recent tabloid newspaper “revelations”, halal meat is being slipped into food at major supermarkets, and Pizza Express has been “exposed” for stealthily replacing its chicken supply with halal poultry. Halal meat must come from animals that were killed with a cut to the throat, allowing all the blood to drain from the carcass. In the past four years, the UK media has broken the story to the British public at least a dozen times, warning about the widespread use of halal meat, yet somehow every new headline presents it as a new finding. In the latest Pizza Express episode, where the claim was that the chain was surreptitiously slipping halal chicken on to its menu, there was no secrecy at all: the chain’s website clearly states it uses halal chicken. The “secret” element, a popular angle in the halal story, serves to support the alarm that people are being hoodwinked by Muslims sneaking their way of life into the mainstream. The supposed objection is that halal slaughter is a less humane method of terminating an animal than the supposedly more palatable methods of stunning, electrocution and gassing. But according to a 2012 Food Standards Agency report cited by the RSPCA, 97% of cattle, 96% of poultry and 90% of sheep slaughtered using the halal method in UK abattoirs are stunned first, desensitising the animal to pain. If the objection were really about the distress of slaughter, it would therefore apply to only a tiny proportion of halal meat. The most recycled of stories, the halal debate began in earnest in 2003, with a Farm Animal Welfare Council report that recommended stunning for halal and kosher slaughter. Since then, every time the issue of religiously compliant slaughter has been resurrected, the kosher element has been less and less prominent, rendering it less an animal rights issue, and more an irrational rejection of halal slaughter as something tainted with something intangibly Muslim. In a nation that has been enjoying halal meat for years in curries, kebabs and shawarmas, the halal debate has distorted and hijacked the welfare dimension, in order to channel nasty resentment that a minority you don’t like is being accommodated. Originally [ublished on www.theguardian.com Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Halal, Halal Meat

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Best Hotels in Lisbon Visit Lisbon Visit Porto Home / Visit Porto Category: Visit Porto July 3, 2019 admin-ahrcentro21#!,0 commentsVisit Porto Porto Cathedral in the historic centre of the city is one of the city’s oldest architectural monuments and a striking example of Portuguese architectural style. The construction of the Port Cathedral began around 1110 and was completed in the 13th century. On the sides of the cathedral are two square towers, each supported by two pillars and topped by a dome. Casa do Infante in Porto Casa do infante, also known as Alfandega Velha (the former customs building), is a historic building located in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city after Lisbon. Casa do infante is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Episcopal Palace in Braga June 23, 2019 admin-ahrcentro21#!,0 commentsVisit Porto The Episcopal Palace of Braga is rightly at the top of the list of the most visited places in the city. Today, the palace houses one of the oldest libraries in Portugal, with more than 10,000 manuscripts and 300,000 books. The Rectorate of the University of Minho and the district archives are also located in the palace. Church of Saint Ildefonse in Porto The church of Saint Ildefonso is located near Batalha Square in Porto. Previously, on the site of the church of Saint Ildefonso was a chapel, built in the 13th century. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Aliphon and was also a place of worship for parishioners. Museum of Contemporary Art in Porto The Museum of Modern Art or Serralves Museum is located in the Serralves Estate, very close to the centre of Porto in Portugal and is considered to be the first contemporary art museum of this size in the country. The estate was designed by the architect Alvaro Siza Vieira, with whom the Serralves Foundation signed a contract in 1991 to create a museum. Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga June 22, 2019 June 22, 2019 admin-ahrcentro21#!,0 commentsVisit Porto The Sanctuary of Bon Jesús do Monte is located on the outskirts of Tenoes, on the top of a hill near Braga. The Bon Jesús do Monte Sanctuary is a popular place for pilgrims who begin their ascent to the Bon Jesús do Monte Sanctuary by a 116 m long monumental zigzag baroque staircase.

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Series: Science: The Lesser Sphere 1.Science: The Lesser Sphere – Part 1 It is sometimes argued that contemporary science is at bottom a kind of faith – claim which is hotly disputed by the scientists themselves. But on the level of scientific methodology, this accusation bears its own weight. ‘God does not play dice.’ This simple phrase, taken (as is even needless to say) from perhaps the most publicly recognized intellectual figure of the past century, in a certain sense stands as the watchword of an era. In the space of five simple words, one of the foremost ‘scientists’ of this or any time has managed to introduce the idea of a deity, to tacitly deny that same deity in its miraculous or moral dimensions, and to assert with all the simple certainty of a secular faith that mathematics underpins the universe, and hence that modern science is the method for the study of the structure of reality. No wonder then that this phrase should be so commonplace today, repeated with a kind of certitude if not smugness, posted on the walls of schools and houses, accompanied not rarely by the portrait of its speaker, which has become to us (in what might form the matter for an essay all its own) the mustachioed avatar of our time – antipode, incidentally, of a certain other face, it too with its mustaches, only this one the sinister representative of all that is evil. The Modern Roots of Science A Critique of Temporal Causality It is sometimes asserted that the Right today is the natural friend of science. There is an element of truth in this which is so visible it hardly needs noting: for science, in its purest form (and there is a question as to what extent that purest form any long represents the working reality of science, at least in the most important of its frontiers),1 looks certain aspects of reality fearlessly in the face, quite despite any of the madder fantasies of the progressivist left. Science is, moreover, at its best, the expression of a will to truth which is the natural concomitant of the Right’s own specifically moral dimension. Science is thus one natural, if limited, remedy to those excesses of egalitarianism which exist in blatant contempt of nature or even of physical possibility, and a last, if somewhat beleaguered and self-contradictory, redoubt for the old ideas of virtue, hierarchy and rank. Against this use of science, we have nothing to object; it is rather to the abuses of science which we would like here to turn our attention. Put in a word, it is not science as such that we would critique, but rather scientism – the a priori reduction of the entirety of existence to the mathematical-scientific understanding, which unilaterally presupposes, without preliminary investigation or the least shred of evidence, that science and science alone is the sole or the best method for comprehending all phenomena without exception, from the atom to the man, from matter to life, from energy to consciousness, from the stone to the heart to the soul. The Deep Right has excellent reasons for offering resistance and just critique of scientism: ours is indeed one of the few perspectives from which such resistance and critique is any longer possible. Against this science, this scientism so prevalent to our day, the Right has excellent reasons for offering resistance and just critique: ours is indeed one of the few perspectives from which such resistance and critique is any longer possible. The Deep Right must at the very least cultivate a careful scepticism of science in its thoroughgoing critique of this modern project, of which science is eminently a centrepiece. That places a great burden upon our shoulders – a duty which the present author is sadly incapable of discharging in full. But as it appears to me that science has largely been granted a free pass in our time, and that the very deep theoretical and metaphysical problems with science as a body have yet to be adequately addressed or even in many cases noted, I will make some modest attempt in the direction, in hopes that men who are better versed in the sciences, and better prepared in metaphysics itself, might carry on where I have left off. The word ‘science’, which we nowadays, in yet another sign of our ingenuity and special intellectual limitations, thoughtlessly arrogate to modern science alone, was historically identical to, or at least inseparable with, the idea of Western philosophy itself. It was used interchangeably with the term ‘philosophy’ or ‘natural philosophy’ by every thinker from Aristotle to Aquinas, up even to the early modern luminaries themselves, such as Bacon, Descartes, and Newton, as the titles of some of their major works clearly indicate: Novum Organum Scientarum, Opuscula Posthuma Physica et Mathematica (an unfinished Cartesian treaty on his new philosophical method), Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica. The new science proposed by the early moderns was not supposed to be a secession from philosophy, but rather its wholesale revolution; and the subsequent division of modern thought into science on the one hand and philosophy on the other represents, not the success of that project, but in a very real sense its failure.2 Coming at the matter from the other side, it has likewise been asserted by some that modern science, like philosophy itself, is merely the natural and necessary outcome of Greek thought. Isabel Paterson,3 for instance, in her aptly named God of the Machine, suggests that what stopped the Greeks from attaining our level of technological superiority was not at all an inherent limitation in their thought, but only in their economies: The Greeks actually invented a crude steam engine, but were unable to perfect it and put it to use, for lack of a political organization which would allow such a high potential. … The required organization was not to be devised for almost two thousand years.4 So we are given to understand that, had the Greeks but reordered their societies so as to make them more individualistic and libertarian, more laissez-faire and money-oriented, less damnably leisurely and aristocratic – in brief, more like our own – then they would have seen a flourishing of technology such as we have seen, and would in no time have reached the same ‘heights’ some two millennia in advance of us. Nietzsche seems at times to consider matters in a similar light: ‘To what end the Greeks? to what end the Romans? – All the prerequisites to a learned culture, all the methods of science, were already there… All gone for naught! Overnight it became a mere memory!’5 The culprit, needless to say, was Christianity. Only that Nietzsche, in a peculiarly Nietzschean twist, sometimes suggests that Greek science might even have been superior to our own, thus opening the question of whether there may not be a variety of ‘sciences’, rather than merely that single one which we almost haughtily presuppose in the very term that we use to speak of it. Yet to seek the origins of our science in the science of Antiquity is perhaps to ignore categorical divisions between them, the existence of which is strongly suggested by the very transformation in terminology we have just noted. In the field of mathematics, for instance, which is a staple element of contemporary science, insistence on a historical scientific consistency elides the fundamental transformation of the very idea of number which came with modernity, in the work of men like Descartes and Newton.6 Spengler’s insistence that the modern world should be regarded as its own civilization/culture, rather than as the extension of antiquity, though in our view this idea must be taken with great care in most places, here, at least, seems well enough founded: there is almost nothing standing in common between Euclidean or Apollonian or Archimedean geometry on the one hand, and Cartesian algebra or Newtonian calculus on the other – not to speak of the almost ‘postmodern’ shift represented by the likes of Dedekind, Lambert or Saccheri! These forms of mathematics are separated one from the other by the chasm, not only of almost two thousand years, but of fundamentally conflicting worldviews. Similarly, Ptolemaic astronomy does not stand with respect to Copernican or Keplerian or Galilean astronomy in the relation of an ignorant and crude system with respect to a sophisticated and more precise or elegant one, as we often like to presume: the decisive difference between the ancient and the modern systems is Ptolemy’s refusal to ignore the moral, religious and political implications of the theory of the movement of the heavens, and Copernicus’, Kepler’s and Galileo’s blithe, and so very scientistic, insistence on so ignoring.7 The roots of specifically modern science are thus best sought in the Renaissance and early Enlightenment, and for that reason alone should infuse in us a degree of caution when we speak of or contemplate the emergence and quality of science. Those theoreticians and practitioners (in the green days of early modernity, one often enough made little distinction between the two), from Copernicus to Galileo Galilei, from Bacon to Lavoisier, from Huygens to Newton to Descartes and Hobbes, proposed from the start a means of approaching the study of the world based on two fundamental elements: mathematics and experimentation. Supposing one took these (as many if not all of these men did) as an approach, not to this or that aspect of the world, but to the world as such – supposing one viewed this ‘new science’ not as a partial science, or one science among many, but as the science, the universal science – then one worked necessarily from a number of presuppositions, we are tempted even to say axioms, as: the world is basically homogeneous rather than basically heterogeneous, so that a single right method can lead to total knowledge of the whole; the homogeneous matter (whatever that might be) which constitutes the world is thoroughly mathematical or susceptible of mathematical treatment in all its parts, so that the right method must itself be mathematical or must work through the medium of mathematics; the causal relations standing between any given condition or event and the conditions or events which follow are rigidly determined and flow in a unidirectional manner with respect to time; the laws governing man himself, and the human world, are reducible to the laws governing the material or mathematizable world, so that man can be understood reductively, with reference to his material or mathematizable elements; there exists no supernatural force which transcends and thus is capable of breaking or rearranging these laws; that creature which alone of the Earthly beings is capable of consciously experiencing the world, namely man, can understand the medium of his experience, namely consciousness, by understanding the empirical world which is the object of the same, despite the fact that these two things, ‘subject’ and ‘object’, medium and material, experience and the experienced, appear to be fundamentally different in kind; etc. These suppositions, each one in itself highly questionable from the philosophical point of view, were never proved in the early days of science, nor have they been demonstrated since.8 But science in its rapid and astonishing technological successes from its earliest days up to the present, has been given leave to lay them aside, taking them as essentially proven de facto. The rise of science and its marvellous practical achievements in ‘techne’, economics and and medicine have largely and with very few exceptions given it a kind of carte blanche in human society, from the moral, the legal, and the political and economic points of view. Despite its ceaseless promises to provide universal knowledge of the heavens and the earth, science has failed again and again to comprehend one of the foremost and central parts of existence: the human world. Only that in recent times, two factors have permitted the reopening of the question of the limitations and proper rank of science. The first is that, despite its ceaseless promises to provide universal knowledge of the heavens and the earth, science has failed again and again to comprehend what is to the human being, and perhaps also in and of itself, one of the foremost and central parts of existence: the human world, the anthropomorphic or anthropocentric or anthropological sphere. Science does not understand the human being with even one tenth the accuracy and efficacy with which it has succeeded in comprehending the material world. Secondly, science has led us step by step to a point at which any number of scientifically produced situations9 have the potential, not only to strike a monstrous blow against human existence, but to annihilate it altogether. The scientific, or better say scientistic response to this quandary is to look to science to resolve the problems that science has produced, which is something like hoping that an illness will cure itself without any external intervention, or that the crimes of a tyrant can best be resolved by granting him yet more power and money, or that one can save one’s best shovel from rust by leaving it longer in the damp – a remarkable abdication of any independent responsibility. To be sure, some one or other of our scientistic intellectuals will all too predictably pop up here with the obligatory response: all technological development, beginning from the harvesting of fire itself, has had this inherent double aspect; even a kitchen knife can kill. And well can we agree to this proposition. Only that all previous ages conceived of this fact as demonstrating the necessity of responsibly monitoring, administering and guiding technological development (one does not hand a child a loaded handgun), whereas we are content to let things go willy-nilly wherever they may, and have utterly forgotten the meaning of moral authority, moral responsibility. For science qua science foregoes all moral questions and spiritual distinctions from the start. In short, scepticism regarding science is growing, and it would take a very rash man to claim that the critique to issue from it is entirely without its reasons. In many cases, to be sure, this scepticism itself takes irresponsible and irrational forms, and has the feel about it of merest reaction. Excess in one direction breeds excess in another, and seldom with justification. Nonetheless, one need not embrace ‘flat earth theory’ or the crudest creationism to recognize that there might be something lacking in the cosmology and anthropology of modern science. The present state of affairs opens the possibility of truly investigating the underpinnings of science, to see to what extent they justify the unprecedented authority which science has been passively yielded in our day. We profit from this situation to investigate but a few of the most incisive theoretical and methodological reasons to take science with a dose of healthy scepticism – as indeed even the best scientists should certainly admit is but normal and desirable in the pursuit of their aims. We begin with what is perhaps the central tenet of what we might call scientific metaphysics: the exclusive existence of a single kind of causality governing all the world. Scientific method hinges decisively on the possibility of experimentation, which in turn cannot exist in the absence of reproducibility. It is useless, from a strict scientific point of view, to witness a phenomenon empirically, even several times over, if one cannot wilfully repeat the conditions which have given rise to that phenomenon in a rigorously controlled environment. Not even the strict mathematical or logical inferences stemming from this or that prior scientific discovery can stand in the absence of independent validation via experimentation; to note only one of the most celebrated examples of this scientific strictness, Einstein, and the better part of the scientific community with him, refused to consider his theory of relativity validated, despite its extreme mathematical rigour, until it were actually put to physical trial, and the resulting evidence had without any doubt shown its support of his conclusions. This is so elementary a part of scientific method that it is generally taken for granted, and indeed is offered up (in a way rightly) with a certain hint of scientistic pride as one of the points of simple superiority of science over all non-scientific thought (which, naturally, includes the vast majority of pre-modern philosophy). Before scientific method could ever be taken for the method for understanding the universe, it was necessary to fundamentally modify pre-scientific philosophy to accommodate it. One of the most important of these modification occurred in the very idea of causality itself. In the reigning scholastic philosophy of early modernity, which traced its heritage directly back to Aristotle, causality was understood as being of four different kinds: formal, material, effective and final.10 The scientific revolution in thought consisted in reducing this qaudripartite causality to a single type of causality, which in Aristotelian terms could perhaps be understood as a combination of material and effective causality. Bacon, for instance, understood the transformation in this sense: ‘Physics doth make inquiry, and take consideration of the same natures: but how? Only as to the material and efficient causes of them, and not as to the forms.’11 As far as final causes go, and the teleology they imply, Bacon did not bite his tongue on the question: ‘[N]am causarum finalium inquisitia sterilis est, et, tanquam virgo Deo consecrata, nihil parit.’12 We of today are so accustomed to seeing the world in terms of this single type of causality that it is often most difficult for us to access the elder view; in a great many cases, one is even at a loss to imagine what Aristotle could have been on about with his fourfold declension. Yet the reduction of causality to a single kind was in the best cases undergone in the most fitting, and most scientific, spirit of hypothesis: to what extent can the world be understood, if reduced to this single kind of causality? We have forgotten that there might even be a question here, and take this kind of causality universally for granted; it has become, rather than one of the hypotheses of science, one of its axioms. The problematic nature of this hypothesis from the philosophical point of view should be perfectly evident, and the only reason we cannot see it with due clarity, is the apotheosis of science and scientific or scientistic thought in our time. Quite beyond the eternally pertinent Humean objection13 that there is nothing whatever to make us suppose that causality of this kind will not suddenly ‘stop working’ (which objection science has never and indeed never could address, quite despite Kant’s dogmatic awakening), there is a further and indeed deeper problem. Science rests on a floating presupposition, one which is both indemonstrable by science itself, and by which science, as a universal system, stands or falls. Science is premised on the tacit rejection of all causality save for that single form we have identified, and which for convenience we might term ‘temporal’. Science cannot disprove any other kinds of causality for the simple reason that its own method is premised on the one kind; the entire range of its experimentation, the entire scope of its ability to derive evidence or empirical data or to validate hypotheses or theories, rests on that single reproducible type of causality. It cannot subject any other kind of hypothetical causality to the trials of its method, save as those other types of causality are already reducible to temporal causality – which means that, insofar as they are not reducible to temporal causality, they lie necessarily beyond the realm which science is capable of investigating. Science rests, then, on a floating presupposition, one which is both indemonstrable by science itself, and by which science, as a universal system, stands or falls. The only recourse that science has at this point is to prove the tree by its fruit: it must demonstrate the validity of its presuppositions by showing itself capable of comprehending the world without remainder by their light. If it is able to do this – if in the trial of experience, science shows itself ecumenical in its knowledge – then the other kinds of causality surely vanish as figments in the air. Yet to achieve such a thing, science must attain a perfect or at least comprehensive theory of the universe, which is, according to the latest theories regarding science (see, for instance, Kuhn, Popper, Peirce, etc.) essentially beyond the capacity of science to attain. Total comprehension remains always and ever, at best, an unreachable goal or a pious hope for science, so that whenever one encounters a phenomenon that science is presently unable to adequately explain by its method (as for instance human consciousness), one simply chalks this up to a temporary failure on science’s part, due to nothing more than the fact that science simply has need of more time to compass that particular phenomenon within its sphere. That is to say: one has faith that science will sooner or later arrive at an understanding of this part of reality, too. Science, of course, can always indicate its spectacular achievements in the field of the natural sciences as a kind of down payment on this question, as incidental proof that it will be quite able to repay all debts at some future tomorrow. But there is a priori nothing at all to indicate that the universe is so homogeneous in its quality that methodological success in one portion of it is perforce guaranteed in another; may well be that the results of science in this physical region or temporal age of the universe do not apply to some other physical portion or temporal age of the universe; and there is no reason even to suppose that certain periods even within the small arc of human history have not been governed wholly or in part by other laws. Or again, there is no reason to suppose a priori that the cosmos in this very moment and in our own cosmic region is not composed of various levels or overlapping spheres, the laws of each of which are wholly or partially distinct from one another, so that science, while being perfectly compatible with one of these and perfectly able to arrive at competent results within it, would stand to another somewhat in the relation of a ruler to a scale. Most intriguingly, this last possibility is indicated by contemporary science itself, which appears at present to be pressing hard against some manner of barrier intrinsic to the world, which is lain simultaneously and indelibly around its own method. As but indications of this possibility: the very idea of causality that we have been discussing seems to break down altogether at the microscopic level, as is indicated by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. Einstein resisted this implication (the quotation with which we opened this essay is indeed an expression of his revolt against it), but his resistance inevitably reduces to that same scientific faith that we have indicated above, the faith in temporal causality. The results of science at present give no reason to suspect that the conclusions drawn by quantum mechanics are erroneous or imprecise; quite the contrary. It would appear that there is a degree of ‘randomness’ which meets the scientist who presses too far in this direction; rather than the clear and simple causality which one believes one is seeking, one finds rather ‘noise’ or ‘chaos’, which is to say – noise or chaos as interpreted from the point of view of science, which does not know how to get its hands round anything that does not proceed from temporal causality alone. Something similar seems to happen at the macroscopic level: the expansion of the universe, so far as we are able to measure it, appears to be acting in contrariety to the laws proposed by science, accelerating at an increasing rate at its fringes where it should in fact be doing the opposite in accordance with the gravity of the matter it has left behind; so that one must seek out some hypothetical or tertiary explanation (‘dark matter’, ‘phantom energy’, etc. – terms whose very language indicates a certain degree of ignorance and perplexity on the part of their inventors) in order to come to grips with these phenomena. Another potential indication of the barrier inscribed around scientific thought: Science at present is confronting a fascinating emergency in its method known as the ‘replication crisis’.14 In recent years it has been confirmed that there is a sizeable percentage of scientific or laboratory results which cannot be reproduced. The percentage of such non-reproducible results varies from scientific field to scientific field, but it seems to me not at all coincidental that the worst affected areas are psychology and medicine, with the social sciences strongly implicated as well. Most of the discussion regarding this problem revolves around reflection on peer-review and the valid borders or abuses of statistical analysis, since it is gratuitously assumed that the difficulty is merely in the implementation of scientific method, rather than in that method itself. We, who are not so constrained by this naïve faith in the universal efficacy of science, do not hesitate to suggest that there might be another and deeper factor at work here: namely, the impossibility of reproducing ‘results’ which are obtained in a field, namely the human sphere, which simply cannot be reduced to effective and non-teleological causality. This last, to be sure, is an aspect of science which has subsisted since its very earliest days, and which is most important to us, as it exists, not in the microscopic or the macroscopic, but within the human experience itself: it would appear that the living world, and especially the human world, is not reducible to temporal causality alone, and therefore exceeds the grasp of science. The most visible consequences of this are to be found in the utter failure on the part of philosophy proper to produce a mathematical science of man and of society (Hobbes, Descartes, Kant, Marx and Husserl are but a few of the foremost representatives of this failure) which is equivalent in rigour and results to the science of physics and chemistry. This led to the fateful scission between science and philosophy in the early centuries of modernity, which is reflected but wanly in the contemporary division between the humanities and the sciences, or the hard sciences and the soft or pseudo-sciences. Biology would appear to occupy an intermediate position between these points, as the life of plants and animals is more subject to those laws of which science properly treats than is the life of man, while there are evidently elements (such as, for instance, the very origin of life; also the specific ‘mechanisms’ by which DNA is supposed to compose entire organisms from miniscule ‘building blocks’; also the incommensurability standing between the external, measurable world and the internal, unmeasurable world; also the problem of the self-evident teleology inherent to living systems, which we will address in Part 2 of this essay; and other similar difficulties) which to this day remain elusive.15 Perhaps the most evident aspect of this difficulty is to be found in the problem of consciousness. The scientific comprehension of consciousness in many ways represents the most difficult task confronting science in our time. The understanding of consciousness via scientific means must regard consciousness strictly in terms of that mathematical causality we have been discussing; this means reducing consciousness to elements and to factors which are not strictly accessible to consciousness, save through the most indirect scientific means (neural functioning, physiological changes, etc.). Now, all scientific understanding is the understanding of the scientific community, which means, of scientists; this understanding comes exclusively through their conscious weighing of the data, experiments, measurements, etc. at their disposal. All scientific research must be consciously verified by scientists; even the scientific ‘conclusions’ of the most sophisticated computer will never be accepted by a scientist save as he has understood them. The scientist then relies on a medium which his science cannot understand and whose very existence in some cases seems to deny. Looking at all of this from a suprascientific point of view, and laying aside for a moment the touching faith that science can resolve every problem if only given enough time, the problems we have identified would seem to indicate that science is as sand falling in an hour glass, gradually striking upon the walls which determine its limits, already utterly filling that space within which it is truly at home – and beyond which, the greater part of the universe still somehow persists, visible to those who have their eyes open, quite without the benefit of ‘scientific method’ – visible, that is to say, to man, the microcosm, in whose soul the cosmos is reflected as in a mirror, and who is the rightful but self-forgetful master of that very scientific knowledge which in our day, has begun instead to master him. 1It is not the purpose of this essay to consider the degree to which contemporary science fails to live up to its merely pragmatic ideals – to what extent such simple and fundamental mechanisms as e.g. peer-review and reproducibility, might be compromised by human biases or by the establishment of dogmas within science itself. This is a serious problem confronting science, and the fact that a great many scientists still deny it cannot help but make one yet more sceptical of their famous ‘objectivity’. We might indicate simply that, so far as the present cultural war is concerned, three major points of reference are to be found in the fields of genetics, global warming and evolutionary theory. In these three fields (though not only in these three fields) a kind of established dogma has begun to petrify, which not only prejudices new scientific discoveries, but in many cases actively suppresses or ignores them, or wilfully interprets them as being merely not yet comprehensible in light of the extant teachings in these fields – thus perpetuating an almost religious doctrinalism within an intellectual realm which was meant from the start to stand in contrast to all mere faith and indemonstrable beliefs. It would be impossible to provide a suitable list of resources on these questions here, but I will mention what seem to me a few good sources here. The database at American Renaissance will of course be known to my readers, but it is invaluable for research into the suppression of genetic thought in the sciences; see, e.g., https://www.amren.com/tag/science-and-genetics/. As far as global warming goes, I will be the last to deny that an age of spiritual imbalance such as those afflicting our age must lead to imbalances also in the natural world, as the higher inevitably influences the lower; still, this must be rigorously differentiated from mere pseudo-scientific findings which are manipulated to accord with specific globalistic political agendas; see, for more, James Corbett’s ‘Lies, Damned Lies, and Global Warming Statistics’. For the question of evolution, see Cremo & Thompson, Forbidden Archeology as well as the essay by Fulvio Saggiomo, ‘When Form Ignored Darwin’, available in my translation on Arktos Journal. 2Some contemporary thinkers attempt to reclaim the older sense of science, using the term in its pre-modern acceptation. Leo Strauss, for instance, often tends in such a direction; likewise Monika Hamilton, who has offered a very deep critique of modern metaphysics in this very journal, ‘Philosophia Mortis’. Though I entirely endorse these attempts and the reconciliation, or reorientation, which they represent, it is equally evident that they fly in the face of conventional use of the terms ‘science’ and ‘philosophy’ today. My attempt here is to consider this particular division, and to critique it; I thus consider my efforts to be supplementary to, rather than antagonistic to, the aforementioned. 3Paterson is often remembered now, when she is remembered at all, as the friend or the teacher of the much more famous Ayn Rand. Nonetheless as a stylist and as a thinker, Paterson deserves special and independent consideration. Though to the present writer she seems decidedly blinkered by the variety of modernistic myths, nonetheless her insight on them is fresh and incisive, and she gives even those who disagree with her cause for thought. 4Isabel Paterson, The God of the Machine (New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers, 2002), p. 28. 5The Antichrist, § 59 (Tucson: See Sharp Press, 1999), translation by H. L. Mencken. 6Cf. Jacob Klein, Greek Mathematical Thought and the Origin of Algebra (New York: Dover, 1992). 7Consider Ptolemy’s ‘Centiloquoy’, as well as certain indications given in very opening lines of his Almagest. Consider as well Plato, Laws, Book VII, 820e–822d, and Aristotle, Physics, 199a3–5; cf. Galileo, ‘Letter to the Grand Duchess Christina’. In this latter work, while defending his own approach, Galileo likens it to that of Copernicus, saying, ‘For Copernicus never discusses matters of religion or faith, nor does he use arguments that depend on any way upon the authority of sacred writings which he might have interpreted erroneously. He stands always upon physical conclusions pertaining to the celestial motions, and deals with them by astronomical and geometrical demonstrations, founded primarily upon sense experiences and very exact observations’. Discoveries and Opinions of Galileo (trans. Stillman Drake; New York: Anchor Books, 1957), p. 179. 8In a very restricted sphere, consider William Whewell’s superb philosophic-scientific critique of atomic theory, which was not only never answered, but was indeed completely ignored and subsequently forgotten: Whewell, The Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, Book 1, Chapter 5 ‘Atomic Theory’, which can be accessed here. Truly, when one looks to Modernity in search of metaphysical justifications of science, one looks almost in vain. Better quarry is to be had, surprisingly or perhaps unsurprisingly, in Antiquity: Protagoras and Lucretius give much more satisfying foundational defences of science, than any modern scientist of whom I am aware. One might also consider Nietzsche’s ‘quanta of power’ in this light, though I for one tend to agree with Julius Evola here: Nietzsche, whenever he approaches a kind of materialistic or mechanical view of the world, is living beneath himself. 9To wit: nuclear weapons, environmental degradation, genetically modified super-diseases, the run-away growth of ‘artificial intelligence’ or ‘genetic engineering’, the imminent menace of some kind of world-gobbling ‘singularity’, the mechanization of human society and the work force, the mechanization of the human soul, the extreme psychological ramifications of our present ‘digital revolution’, or any number of other egregious and at present absolutely unpredictable developments resulting from some future ‘scientific progress’ etc. etc. 10See Aristotle, Physics, Book II §3 and Metaphysics, Book V §2. 11Francis Bacon, Advancement of Learning, Book II, Chapter VII, § 6; cf. De dignitate et augmentis scientiarum, Book III, Chapter IV. 12‘Inquiry into final causes is sterile, and, as a virgin consecrated to God, begets nothing.’ De dignitate et augmentis scientiarum, Book III, Chapter V. Needless to say, other and more contemporary thinkers have followed the great proto-scientist along the path he indicated. To provide but a short sampling: ‘[E]xperience has shown that the mechanistic question leads to scientific knowledge whereas the teleological question does not’, Bertrand Russell, History of Western Philosophy, (Unwin paperbacks, 1946), p. 84. ‘There is no purpose revealed in the laws of nature’, Steven Weinberg, ‘Can Science Explain Everything?’ The New York Review of Books, 2001 https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2001/05/31/can-science-explain-everything-anything/ (accessed 2 November, 2018). ‘[M]eaning, morality and purpose … aren’t built into the architecture of the universe; they emerge as ways of talking about our human-scale environment’, Sean Carroll, The Big Picture (New York: Dutton, 2016), p. 389. ‘Purpose springs from our longing for permanence in an ever-changing universe. It is a reaction to the universe’s indifference to us’, Joseph Carter, ‘The Universe Doesn’t Care About Your Purpose’, The New York Times, 2017 https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/31/opinion/the-universe-doesnt-care-about-your-purpose.html (accessed 2 November, 2018). Cf. Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, Book I, §14. 13See Hume, A Treatise of Human Nature (1896), Part III, §XI, ‘Of the probability of Chances’. 14For a decent introduction to this problem, see Rupert Sheldrake, ‘The Replicability Crisis in Science’, https://www.sheldrake.org/essays/the-replicability-crisis-in-science. For a variety of resources related to this problem, https://fabiusmaximus.com/2016/04/19/replication-crisis-in-science-95394/ is a good place to begin. 15I cannot urge my readers strongly enough to read through the entirety of the essay ‘When Form Ignored Darwin’, which I have translated, and which is available in Arktos Journal; this is one of the finest and most condensed refutations of Darwinistic evolution I have come across, and one which possesses as well the distinct and precious merit of suggesting viable alternatives to the same. Deep Rightmodernityscience Alessandro Cavallini says: 6th November 2018 at 8:31 am I believe that science, like the intellect, is useful as a tool to better understand reality. If instead it becomes a metaphysical entity endowed with absolute Truths, it inevitably degrades into scientism, one of the many diseases of the modern world. I agree entirely. Though I would add this further point, which seems to me a necessary corollary to what you have said: Science is a tool, but it is also a special kind of tool — a tool which produces tools; a tool capable of propagating its own power. It is for that reason one of the most powerful tools available to man. Any tool in irresponsible hands can be misused; the greater damage a given tool is capable of performing, the more we are liable to set restrictions on its use, and to attempt to establish situations in which only fit and responsible persons can employ it. Anyone may use a butter knife, be he child or man, but we understand that pocket knives, for instance, should be permitted to a man only when he has reached a certain age. At the extremity, no one under the sun would sanely propose granting every single human being his own personal atomic bomb. Science, then, as the greatest tool, the tool with the greatest potential for harm, should be relegated exclusively to use of the most responsible human beings, the wisest human beings – all the moreso since science is, as you rightly say, a ‘tool to better understand reality’. Leave a Reply to John Bruce Leonard Cancel reply Is the New Right Radical? The New Right is often accused of being radical. Is this a valid accusation, and what does it finally mean? next post: Science: The Lesser Sphere – Part 2

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Amanda Seyfried Wants To End The Stigma Of Mental Illness Treatment "It should be taken as seriously as anything else." Jill O'Rourke Amanda Seyfried is adding her voice to an important conversation about mental illness. In the November issue of Allure, the actress opens up about living with obsessive-compulsive disorder. When describing the experience of renovating her house, she mentions worrying "about people and how they use stoves. Which is just a controlling thing." Interviewer David Denicolo asks if that's related to her OCD, which she confirms, adding, "You could so easily burn down something if you leave the stove on. Or the oven." Seyfried takes medication and doesn't agree with the stigma that's often associated with mental health treatment. She believes mental illness should be taken just as seriously as other health issues. I'm on Lexapro, and I'll never get off of it. I've been on it since I was 19, so 11 years. I'm on the lowest dose. I don't see the point of getting off of it. Whether it's placebo or not, I don't want to risk it. And what are you fighting against? Just the stigma of using a tool? A mental illness is a thing that people cast in a different category [from other illnesses], but I don't think it is. It should be taken as seriously as anything else. You don't see the mental illness: It's not a mass; it's not a cyst. But it's there. Why do you need to prove it? If you can treat it, you treat it. For Seyfried, treating her OCD has made a difference in her life. "As I get older, the compulsive thoughts and fears have diminished a lot," she says. "Knowing that a lot of my fears are not reality-based really helps." Seyfried isn't the only celebrity to open up about their mental health. Kristen Bell, for example, spoke earlier this year about treating her anxiety and depression. Bell quoted her mother's example that "you would never deny a diabetic his insulin, ever." She calls it a "double standard" to shame the similar treatment of mental illness. Hopefully, public discussions like these will let others who are struggling know they're not alone, and there is no shame in seeking help. Check out this video to learn more about Seyfried's comments: Tags: amanda seyfried, obsessive-compulsive disorder, allure magazine Watch Male Models Reveal Their Biggest Body Insecurities This serves as an important reminder that men should be more included in the body positive movement. Family Clarissa-Jan Lim Amanda Booth Wants To Shatter Stereotypes About Raising A Child With Down Syndrome Amanda Booth and her son Micah are quite the duo. Protesters Built A 'Wall' Of Taco Trucks To Celebrate Their Heritage, Encourage People To Vote Making their voices heard.

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ACOG to Docs: Women’s Right to Say “No” Comes First by Cristen Pascucci | May 31, 2016 | Advocacy, All, Birth Rights, For Providers | 11 comments A new ethics opinion from the U.S. obstetrician’s organization makes it clear that a woman’s right to say “no” in her medical treatment is paramount, and takes precedence over concerns about fetal well-being. The committee urges doctors to respect “fundamental values, such as the pregnant woman’s autonomy and control over her body,” and discourages them “in the strongest possible terms” from the use of coercion and court-ordered threats or interventions. This is critical at a time when doctors, hospitals, and judges regularly co-opt women’s decision-making in pregnancy and birth, as documented by multiple court cases around the country (Turbin vs. Abbazzi, et al. in California, Dray vs. Staten Island Hospital, et al. in New York, Switzer vs. Rezvina, et al. in New Jersey, Malatesta vs. Brookwood Medical Center, et al. in Alabama [Ms. Malatesta’s own story is here]–all of which are in progress now, except for Switzer, which was resolved in late 2015) and by widespread reports from women themselves, such as were compiled in firsthand accounts here (see Exhibit B in the embedded PDF about halfway down the page), here, here, and here. In September 2015, consumer advocates wrote a letter to ACOG asking them to address the issue of disrespect and abuse in maternity care. From deposition of Dr. Natalia Rezvina, Switzer vs. Rezvina et al. Indeed, the safety of the baby is very often cited when women are harmed with forced interventions, including in the court cases listed above. In Ms. Switzer’s case, the doctor said in deposition that she had “two patients” and asserted that she (the doctor) must speak for the “desire of the fetus” (see page 91 in file titled “Natalia Rezvina’s Deposition: ‘I do not agree with your American, whatever, ACOG,’” here). Ms. Switzer and her lawyers maintained that there was never an emergency and her written consent for Cesarean was given under duress and threat of involvement by “legal people” and social services. Lawyers for Staten Island Hospital in the Dray case went so far to claim that women do not have due process rights in childbirth in the case of an “emergency”; however, that defense team called it an “emergency” that Ms. Dray was having the vaginal birth after Cesarean that she and her doctor had planned all along. In Ms. Malatesta’s case, her attending doctor (not named in the lawsuit, and not present during the alleged physical battery she experienced) stated that he believed the physician, not the mother, had the “ultimate choice” in childbirth–even when there was no emergency. From deposition of Dr. William Huggins, Malatesta vs. Brookwood, et al. Below are some highlights from the Committee on Ethics’ Committee Opinion Number 664, “Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy” (June 2016), which replaces Committee Opinion Number 321, “Maternal Decision Making, Ethics and the Law” from 2005. (See Birth Monopoly’s #ACOGethics for other ethics committee guidelines that apply to pregnant and birthing people.) Please note that, although committee opinions such as these may be used as evidence in court cases, committee opinions do not carry the weight of law. In the opening section, “Complexities of Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment,” the committee talks about the relationship between pregnant women and fetuses, stating that their interests typically converge, and pregnant women usually decide for the “best interest of their fetuses.” They also note that any treatment of the fetus occurs “through the body” of the woman (emphasis added). The committee notes that conceptualizing the woman and fetus as separate entities can cause the interests and rights of the woman to become secondary, and may even lead to the woman “being seen as a ‘fetal container’ rather than an autonomous agent.” “Instead, it is more helpful to speak of the obstetrician–gynecologist as having beneficence-based motivations toward the fetus of a woman who presents for obstetric care and a beneficence-based obligation to the pregnant woman who is the patient.” – American College of Obsetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Ethics’ Committee Opinion Number 664, “Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy” (June 2016) The committee then addresses “Directive Counseling vs. Coercion,” instructing OBs to participate in the former only–calling coercion (the use of force or threats to compel someone to do something) “ethically impermissible but also medically inadvisable” and “never acceptable” for obstetrician/gynecologists. It also acknowledges limitations on the certainty of medical outcomes and knowledge. The committee discusses “Arguments Against Court-Ordered Interventions” as abuses of power and encroachments upon the pregnant woman’s rights, autonomy, and bodily integrity that often disproportionately affect women of color or of low socioeconomic status. It notes 1987 and 2013 papers showing that most cases where court orders were sought involved women in these two groups; the 1987 paper also showed the medical judgment had been in error in almost one-third of the cases. “[D]ata and technology are imperfect, and responses to treatment are not always predictable for a given patient. As such, it is difficult to determine the outcome of treatment––or lack of treatment––with absolute certainty. It requires a measure of humility for the obstetrician–gynecologist to acknowledge this to the patient and to herself or himself.” – American College of Obsetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Ethics’ Committee Opinion Number 664, “Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy” (June 2016) So what does a doctor do when a pregnant woman refuses his or recommendation for a medical treatment? The committee advises them to carefully note the woman’s refusal in her medical records, including documenting the informed consent discussion (risks, potential benefits, alternatives) and the refusal of consent and reasons for the refusal. Under the heading “Process for Addressing Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy,” the committee lists a number of steps to guide physicians through understanding and engaging with their patients throughout the informed consent process. Box 1 outlines the “RESPECT Communication Model,” one tool that can help physicians engage in meaningful communication with their patients, even when time is short. Last, the committee acknowledges the need for “Supporting the Patient and the Health Care Team When Adverse Outcomes Occur,” as all parties may experience distress, regret, or grief at that time. It stresses “honest communication and compassionate support” for all involved and recommends that counseling and debriefing resources are made available to medical professionals. In communicating with the patient, physicians are advised that her grief comes first, as “judgmental or punishing behaviors . . . can be harmful.” “Medical practitioners can be reminded that respecting and supporting patients’ autonomy is a core ethical principle, even when it involves risk of adverse outcomes.” – American College of Obsetricians and Gynecologists, Committee on Ethics’ Committee Opinion Number 664, “Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy” (June 2016) This opinion is an excellent resource, but consumers, advocates, and physician champions must continue to address the disconnect between the ideals it expresses and actual maternity care practice. What can we do to further awareness and education among medical professionals, as well as providing protections for women who do experience coercion and forceful interventions? A former communications strategist at a top public affairs firm in Baltimore, Maryland, Cristen Pascucci is the founder of Birth Monopoly, co-creator of the Exposing the Silence Project, and, since 2012, vice president of the national consumer advocacy organization Improving Birth. In that time, she has run an emergency hotline for women facing threats to their legal rights in childbirth, created a viral consumer campaign to “Break the Silence” on trauma and abuse in childbirth, and helped put the maternity care crisis in national media. Today, she is a leading voice for women giving birth, speaking around the country and consulting privately for consumers and professionals on issues related to birth rights and options. Consult with Cristen | Resources + more Articles Free handouts + monthly-ish updates from Birth Monopoly: click here Kathleen Martin CNM on May 31, 2016 at 4:44 pm This is huge, but many OBs do not recognize ACOG as a standard of care setting body in this although they are quick to cite ACOG’s position on home birth when denying women this choice. However after this statement, it will be interesting to see what ACOG does with respect to their out of hospital birth policy. Cristen Pascucci on May 31, 2016 at 4:53 pm Meg Heket on June 2, 2016 at 7:43 am Yes, I’m afraid you’re right. As I have said time and time again, midwives have rules that are created by obstetricians. Obstetricians have optional guidelines, created by their own lobby group. However having said that, I’m pleased to see that more places are addressing this issue. I suspect that the best way forward is an awareness campaign aimed at women rather than at surgeons. And I have very little doubt that more women have read this than obstetricians. We need women to stop believing the healthy baby lie, to start to see themselves as a part of the equation. Love your work Cristen xx Denise Soto on August 29, 2016 at 4:26 am I’m looking forward to the day when home births or birth center births exceed hospital births in the US! Hermine Hayes-Klein on May 31, 2016 at 5:37 pm Brilliant article, Cristen!! Thank you for collating this statement together with these illuminating transcript excerpts from the cases where women are asking the state to recognize and enforce their legal right to “ultimately have the choice of how things are going to happen.” Deanne Williams on May 31, 2016 at 7:08 pm The 2015 ACOG Position Statement on Planned Home Birth (see link below) may be less coercive than previous versions some of us have seen http://www.acog.org/Resources-And-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Planned-Home-Birth rebel on May 31, 2016 at 8:51 pm As a physician I have been told time and again that if I do something which is against ACOG recommendations and it specifically goes to court (patient suing me), then I am sure to lose. so even those who don’t really recognize ACOG may come to. For good or bad. (in my case it was for allowing a woman to give birth in water.) pariah on August 29, 2016 at 6:58 pm The part you left out is that if a patient specifically declines a procedure, following you providing an informed basis for her decision, you will not be liable. Ruth on June 2, 2016 at 12:05 am Thank you so much for your hard work and bringing this ACOG opinion bulletin to our attention. Monique M on June 2, 2016 at 9:45 pm ACOG needs to go further, and censure somehow the doctors that get reported to them for violating these standards over and over again. Jen on March 4, 2017 at 4:45 am AcCOG doesn’t have a complaint process for Physicians. I just tried to complain to them because a fellow of the ACOG was the on call doctor for me and he had me taken to the OR for a C-section against my request and did not even bother going over my informed consent document. The nurses got my signature 7.5 hrs earlier so nobody cared about or documented that I changed my mind and requested to do a VBAC. Information Archives – Empowering Moms Canada - […] ACOG to Docs: Women’s Right to Say “No” Comes First- Birth Monopoly […] Birth Monopoly | Being Admitted to the Hospital or Signing Consent Forms is NOT “Implied Consent” - […] vs. Rezvina argued she doesn’t need to respect pregnant women’s decisions (discussed here). Despite these claims, there is no general basis… Birth Monopoly | Being Admitted to the Hospital or Signing Consent Forms is NOT “Implied Consent” - […] then claim the patient didn’t have the right to say no to the treatment in the first place (ACOG… What to Do if Your Care Provider Pushes Back – EARTH MAMA BIRTH - […] your consent or refusal. If you give your consent and change your mind later, you can tell them you’ve… Resources List – Empowering Moms Canada - […] ACOG to Docs: Women’s Right to Say “No” Comes First- Birth Monopoly […]

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Archives and Records Management Department Collection The Political Science, Sociology and Anthropology (PSA) Department was established in 1965 as one of the original departments at SFU. It marked a significant academic innovation in that it united three separate disciplines under one head—the disti... The collection consists of agendas and minutes from the Women's Studies Coordinating Committee and the Women's Studies Graduate Committee. The collection also includes a proposal for a minor in Women's Studies and a correspondence f... Collection is comprised primarily of interview material in the form of audio and video tapes, transcripts and notes. The material provides both a broad biographical overview of the life and achievements of Gordon Shrum and a description of his wor... From 1979-1981 the University Archives collected historical information on the Indo-Canadian Community in British Columbia with a view towards acquiring records in this area. The Archives prepared a bibliography, and made copies of relevant materi... [ca 1870] - 2002 Collection predominantly consists of photographic material (photographs, portraits, contact sheets, negatives, proofs, and slides) but also includes textual records such as clippings, publications, news releases, posters, and miscellaneous documen... The collection was compiled by the University Archives staff to illustrate the construction of Simon Fraser University.The history of Simon Fraser University is reflected in its world-renowned architecture. Located atop Burnaby Mountain, SFU'... Collection consists of SFU campus posters promoting the university or advertising social and academic events on campus, and departmental programs. Also included are departmental strike posters related to the 1969 strike in the Department of Politi... Collection consists of newspaper clippings and periodicals about Simon Fraser University. The Archives established the Sterling Prize Collection in 2000 at the suggestion of Professor Ted Sterling, who, with his wife Nora, established the Sterling Prize for Controversy in 1993. According to the terms of reference for the prize, it may ...

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Time travel Tuesday #timetravel a look back at the Adafruit, maker, science, technology and engineering world Time is a very curious thing. Ask anyone on the street if they know what time is. They are sure to answer yes. But then, ask them to explain it to you and they will almost certainly be at a loss for words. ~David Lewis Anderson 1582 – Because of the implementation of the Gregorian calendar, this day is skipped in Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain. The Gregorian calendar, also called the Western calendar and the Christian calendar, is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582. 1916 – Georgia Tech defeats Cumberland University 222-0 in the most lopsided college football game in American history. The 1916 Cumberland vs. Georgia Tech football game was an American football game played on October 7, 1916, between the Georgia Tech Engineers and Cumberland College Bulldogs at Grant Field (now a part of Bobby Dodd Stadium) in Atlanta, Georgia. The game became the most lopsided in the history of college football, as Georgia Tech was victorious 222–0. 1931 – Desmond Tutu, South African archbishop and activist, Nobel Prize laureate is born. Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. He was the first black Archbishop of Cape Town and bishop of the Church of the Province of Southern Africa (now the Anglican Church of Southern Africa). Tutu’s admirers see him as a man who since the demise of apartheid has been active in the defence of human rights and uses his high profile to campaign for the oppressed. He has campaigned to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, poverty, racism, sexism, the imprisonment of Chelsea Manning, homophobia and transphobia. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984; the Albert Schweitzer Prize for Humanitarianism in 1986; the Pacem in Terris Award in 1987; the Sydney Peace Prize in 1999; the Gandhi Peace Prize in 2007; and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. He has also compiled several books of his speeches and sayings. 2011 – Ada Lovelace Day 2011! Ada Lovelace Day 2011 was on October 7th. We did 24 hours of posts about women in STEM and have made it a tradition to do it every year since then. Be sure to check out this year’s coverage on October 14th! Who is your heroine? Do you remember which women have influenced you over the years? Perhaps your maths teacher, one of your university lecturers, or a colleague? This Ada Lovelace Day on October 7, share your story about a woman — whether an engineer, a scientist, a technologist or mathematician — who has inspired you to become who you are today. Write a blog post, record a podcast, film a video, draw a comic, or pick any other way to talk about the women who have been guiding lights in your life. Give your heroine the credit she deserves! Filed under: ald, time travel — Tags: activism, Ada Lovelace Day, calendar, football, time travel — by Jessica Comments Off on Time travel Tuesday #timetravel a look back at the Adafruit, maker, science, technology and engineering world "Collaborative production is simple: no one person can take credit for what gets created, and the project could not come into being without the participation of many" - Clay Shirky

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Zambia invites Indian firms to set up tax-free zone … Posted by microplus under agriculture, Copper, cutting edge, economic zone, Emerging Middle Class, energy, FDI, tax free zones NEW DELHI: After giving China a tax free zone, the southern African nation of Zambia wants to create a similar exclusive economic zone for Indian companies to bring “value-addition” to its mining industry. “We have had a long partnership in India, with investments in several areas. But what has been lacking was visibility. This zone will help in improving India’s profile (in Zambia),” visiting Zambian Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry Felix Mutati said. He said that the offer was specifically drawn up to mark his visit to India for the fourth India-Africa business conclave. “I have not yet told my president of my decision. But we need to make quick decisions nowadays,” he said, tongue-in-cheek. The landlocked African nation, whose economy has been traditionally dominated by copper mining, has already approved two multi-facility economic zones being developed by the Malaysians and the Chinese. “If the Malaysians can do it, why not India, which is a bigger country,” he asked. Malaysia was the first to ink a deal for a multi-facility economic zone (MFEZ) last year, followed by China, which is currently negotiating an agreement with the Zambians. The minister said that the Chinese planned to invest nearly $900 million to develop the tax-free zone. “We want the Indian zone to be at least $900 million. If it’s smaller, then it will not have the visibility,” he said, adding that 30 sq km land had already been identified in the central province of Kabwe, about 150 km from capital Lusaka, for the special economic zone. The Zambian minister said that he would like Indian firms to focus on supply of equipment and processing of raw products. “While we have a lot of mining activity, we have to export all the raw materials for processing outside as there is no proper processing plant,” he said. Pointing out that Zambia was surrounded by eight nations, who were also mineral-rich, Mutati said: “Our neighbours like Congo, Angola and Mozambique also have active mining industries, which could also be catered by this proposed economic zone.” He said that he was already in talks with the Tata Group, which had shown interest in setting up a plant in the proposed zone, while another Indian industrial group will be visiting Zambia next week to survey the site. Mutati said that once Indian firms invested in the tax-free zone, they would act as “marketing tools” to attract more Indian investment in other parts of the economy. Currently, India has a share of 50 percent of Zambia’s mining industry, while the Chinese have 15 percent – courtesy Vedanta Resources’ majority stake in the country’s largest copper mines, Konkola, at a cost of $1.2 billion. The total Indian investment in Zambia is estimated to be $2 billion, with capital flowing in other sectors like banking, health and education too. While he does not foresee India losing its strong position in the Zambian mining industry, Mutati was clear that China’s “whole new way of doing business” in the continent had to be matched by the Indians. “The Chinese start to work behind the scenes, but they come and make a decision there and then. After that, they start to work backward, asking for data on the projects,” he said. He cited the example of the Chinese MFEZ in his country to illustrate his point. “They have already constructed 30-40 percent of the buildings, but it is only now that they are negotiating an agreement,” said Mutati. Similarly, he said, the Chinese had announced an investment of $1 billion in the mining sector, but were yet to see the land. “Chinese do and assess, while Indians assess and do,” said Mutati. He was also appreciative of the Chinese strategy to combine their acquisition of licences for resources with development of infrastructure. “In a neighbouring country, the Chinese have offered to build 3,000 km of road in a swap for a mining concession of 20 years,” he said. “Indian firms need to be more aggressive, otherwise they are losing out,” warned Mutati. Source: Economic Times 5 Things The Zambian Enterprise Ought To Achieve In 2008 … Posted by microplus under agriculture, Blogroll, business opportunity, Caleb Fundanga, central banks, economic zone, Economics, Emerging Middle Class, international reserves, LuSE, Parliamentary approval, parliamentary supremacy, people-driven constitution, stock market, tax free zones, urban population, weak dollar ü Create A New People Driven Constitution The greatest single most achievement the Zambian Enterprise can accomplish for 2008 as a milestone is to produce a new constitution using the National Constitution Conference (NCC) as a vehicle. If all stakeholders felt that their constitution provided for equal opportunities, guaranteed civil liberties and protection for all, the enterprise would have achieved strides worth thousands in light years. In that regard it is highly palatable that peace loving individuals will give the NCC delegates all the needed support to achieve this milestone. The October 6, 2001 issue of the Economist magazine carried a story about Turkey’s Constitutional Amendments. “… MANY Turks have long thought of their parliament as a bunch of buffoons interested mainly in making money, not laws. That may change, as the 550-member chamber keeps up a marathon session to pass a set of reforms that are intended to clean the face of Turkey’s constitution and reinforce the country’s still rather wobbly democracy.” At issue was the fact that both political philosophies represented in the Turkish parliament approved what seemed on paper as the best brand of policies any mid eastern nation would espouse but the ideas only looked great on paper. We are hoping the great genius minds of the smart people of our enterprise respresenting us in NCC will come up with a document that can stand the test of time. These delegates are the framers; we are hopeful they will envision a Zambia that will be there for centuries to come because they framed the right manuscript on behalf of us all. ü Deliberate Infra-Structure Investment Infra-structural development is about capacity building and very critical to national development. Without capacity economies don’t grow with healthy veracities. Capacity enables a country to handle tasks with great ease and lack thereof creates auxiliary derivatives such as development of shanty compounds in the middle of a metropolitan area. In this modern day and age infra-structure capacity does not refer to road, railways, subways, modern airports, etc. alone, it also refers communication apparatus such as turning Mwembeshi into a super information highway, for instance. It involves well stocked libraries in city centers, schools, colleges and universities with a deliberate attempt to have all these connected to the internet. Tunisians did it and their population is one of the most literate on our continent, it is no wonder they have poverty levels at 4% of their population with nearly a tenth of natural resources when compared to us. It involves well planned town, cities and provinces with town planners whose eyes are on the ball. Japanese planners have 15 year projections with simulations accompanying … it is no wonder they enjoy one of the highest qualities of life in the entire world. With a billion dollars in reserves, the Zambian Enterprise has more than enough in it’s back pocket to invest into infra-structure that matters … ü Create Economic Zones In Each Province One of the greatest achievements of the UNIP government was the creation of provincial economic zones deliberately planned to urbanize rural areas. They were not termed that way but their objectives met all the prerequisites of such. Livingstone had ITT Supersonic and Livingstone Motor Assemblers, Mansa had Mansa batteries, lead and manganese mines, Chipata had Eastern Industries that made Eagle bicycles, Mongu had canneries and so did Mwinilunga; the copperbelt was an economic engine, the list is endless. When the MMD came into power they literately had no clue what they wanted to accomplish except privatization. In fact, they mistook democracy in many instances with privatization. They abolished the office of National Planning because they thought it advocated for a command economy. Using other forums at the time we advocated for national planning that had a neo-spin to it, laid down the benefits of such schemes but it wasn’t until the current president came into office that they reinitiated planning mostly tailored on proposal of this author. Well planned economic zones not only mitigate urban migration en masse, they also help accelerate national development at exponential rates well across the board. Besides if you fail to plan, you are in an essence planning to fail … One reason, Malaysia stood out among the Asian tigers was because it deliberately initiated economic zones and today the world’s tallest buildings are not in Western Europe nor are they in the Americas but in Central Asia. ü Continue Keeping Macro-Economic Factors Under Control Macro-economic factors and dwindling investor confidence are always behind corporate underperformance. Among the macro factors concerns over interest rates, high oil prices, staple commodity prices and jitters over the reserve currency weakness impact economic growth … These factors lead to markets savagely punishing companies thus failing to produce the goods and services at optimal capacity. Companies that record profits tend to be tarred with the same brush and their share price don’t respond to their profits. When the market starts to focus back on company-specific issues rather than the macro-economic picture and look at those that are turning themselves around, performance picks up. There is no doubt that Fundanga at BOZ and Mangande at Finance have been among the best choices our enterprise has picked for their respective jobs but short term gains can easily blur one’s focus. It is therefore extremely necessary that they keep their eyes on the ball with the big picture in mind because if we don’t continue keeping the macro-economic factors under check, the unprecedented 85% growth LuSE experienced last year might be lost … Strict investment philosophies in the market tend to sometimes make publicly traded companies to under perform but investor confidence makes people start looking at companies showing above average growth so long macro-economic factors are in favor. ü Reform Tax Rules The old adage of two things one should be sure of being taxes and death remains true to this day. So weaknesses in the institutional framework need to quickly be identified to make necessary adjustments. One of the most important factors in good policy-making is the strengthening of the institutions that contribute to it. The tax policy-making process should heavily rely on institutional strength to see it through periods of major transitions such as our Enterprise is going through right now … Dealing with enforcement and operational policies is not only a good initiative when it comes to strengthening the treasure, it also helps narrow the role of the other revenue collecting units thereby reducing excesses while increasing proceeds. Parliamentary scrutiny of tax proposals tends to be increasingly ineffective as tax legislation becomes more complex. This is because our current Members of Parliament have no dedicated independent groups of economists and lawyers to support them on budgetary matters. Outside the framework of government, institutions like the University of Zambia’s economic studies should provide virtually more and not just research-based independent economic analysis on taxation policy. Business leaders should also be encouraged in the systematic use of consultations, at least on business tax issues. Drawing business in to contribute to the refinement of ideas emerging from government helps fill the gap left by the broader weakness of institutions. But business should not be responsible for developing tax policy as this leads to signs of consultation-fatigue. Their role should be limited to consultancy and be used as a barometer that measures what impact tax proposals have on operational efficiencies. Given the importance of institutional strength to consistency and stability in policy-making and the importance of that consistency and stability in maintaining economic growth and development, there is a strong case for more comparative inter-jurisdictional work to be carried out on the institutional framework of tax policy-making. That’s this week’s memo from us at the Zambian Chronicle … thanks a trillion. UNCTAD´s Blue Book Of Zambia Scoops Africa Investor Magazine Award … Posted by microplus under competitive advantage, cutting edge, economic zone, Economics, Economist, education, Emerging Middle Class, FDI, financial markets, LuSE, tax free zones, zambia, zambian economy UNCTAD’s Blue Book on Best Practice in Investment Promotion and Facilitation of Zambia has won Africa Investor Magazine’s 2007 award in the category of ‘Smart Regulation’. The award represents an important endorsement of UNCTAD’s Blue Book programme, which assists African governments to strengthen their investment environment by developing action plans of clearly detailed and practical measures that can be implemented within a year. The Blue Book of Zambia, which recommends investment promotion activities and minor legislative or regulatory changes, was specifically designed to help the Government achieve the objective of, in its own words, “creating a vibrant private sector that would be exposed to competitive best practices at the international level.” Zambia’s Blue Book is the seventh produced by UNCTAD with financing from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.Blue Books have been produced for five countries in Africa (Ghana, Kenya, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia) and two in South-East Asia (Cambodia and Lao PDR). Zambian Vice President Rupiah Banda presents the Blue Book at its launch in March 2007. Since the Blue Book was launched by Zambian Vice President H.E. Rupiah Banda in March this year, seven of the ten measures are either under implementation or have been completed, some with direct UNCTAD assistance. This includes an investor forum for Indian pharmaceutical companies and the design of a business linkages programme. The book also led to strong debate between the government and the private sector on the liberalization of the international voice gateway. The high rate of implementation is in no small part due to the personal commitment of the Vice President to the project; high level leadership is a key feature of UNCTAD’s Blue Books. Source: UNCTAD Levy has Portugal’s word On Mugabe’s Invitation … Posted by microplus under Clinton Climate Initiative's Energy Efficiency Building, economic zone, Economics, Economist, Emerging Middle Class, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, lusaka, SADC, tax free zones, United Nations, zambia, zambian economy President Mwanawasa says Portugal which holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU), has assured him that all African leaders are invited to the EU-African Union (AU) summit. Dr. Mwanawasa who is also SADC Chairman, has appealed to British Prime Minister, Golden Brown to attend the summit if Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe is invited. He said as a former colonising empire of most African countries, Britain must reconsider its stance to boycott the summit if Mr. Mugabe attends. The President said all SADC heads of state and government are happy that Mr. Mugabe has been invited and are all willing to attend as long as Mr. Mugabe will be in Lisbon. Dr. Mwanawasa was speaking at Lusaka International Airport, Tuesday upon arrival from New York where he had gone to attend the UN General Assembly. Many African leaders, who want President Mugabe to attend the summit to help tackle his country’s problem, say they will boycott the summit if he is barred. Mr. Brown said neither he nor any senior member of his government would attend the summit alongside, Mr. Mugabe. At a news conference in London, Mr. Brown reiterated his determination to boycott the first European Union Africa Union summit in seven years, on account of Mr. Mugabe. This is on account of accusations among them, Mr. Mugabe’s poor, human rights record, election rigging and the Land issue.. Mr. Mugabe blames Western powers for the economic crisis and accuses them – and former colonial ruler Britain in particular – of plotting with the opposition to oust him. Currently he is subject to a European Union travel ban but that could be suspended to allow him to attend the December meeting. Meanwhile, President Mwanawasa arrived home, Monday from a successful visit to the U.S and Britain. The President arrived aboard a British Airways plane at Lusaka International Airport. He was met on arrival by Vice President, Rupiah Banda, Cabinet Ministers, Senior government officials and Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) party members. The President was in New York to attend the 62nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. While there, he participated in high level meetings on climate change and called on developed countries to do more about their industrial emissions. President Mwanawasa who also attended the General Assembly as SADC Chairman, was the First among African Presidents to address the Assembly. While in the US, President Mwanawasa also received an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Law at the Harding University in Arkansa, Little Rock. He was honoured for his exemplary contributions to the development of Laws in Zambia as well as in the areas of democracy. In London, President Mwanawasa addressed a business meeting organized by the Duetche Bank, where he encouraged potential investors to invest in Zambia. Source: ZNBC Get to know us, Zambia says Posted by microplus under 787 Dreamliner, A Weekend With Bill Clinton, Africa's President of Year (2007) Award, Airlines, Billionaires For Africa, Clinton Climate Initiative's Energy Efficiency Building, Clinton-Hunter Development Initiative and Partners in H, competitive advantage, cutting edge, economic zone, Economics, Economist, education, Emerging Middle Class, FDI, indegenous Zambians' participation, Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, Levy’s Legacy, Microsoft, MMD, most urbanized countries, Oil & Gas - Zambia, politics, tax free zones, trade, William Jefferson Clinton, zambia, zambian economy By Kristi Heim Seattle Times business reporter GREG GILBERT / THE SEATTLE TIMES Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa battles stereotype of Africa in chaos. Even for a country with a relatively stable democracy and growing economy, Zambia hasn’t had much luck finding Americans willing to invest there. Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa said he hopes to change that by introducing more Americans to his country and fighting the stereotype of Africa as a place defined by war and chaos. Speaking to local business leaders Monday, Mwanawasa said Zambia has become a center of peace and prosperity in the region. The country has emerged from a long period of economic decline to achieve an average annual 5 percent growth in gross domestic product for the last five years. “It’s the first time the country is experiencing such strong positive results,” the Zambian leader said, adding that sustaining the success could bring about an economic transformation to improve the lives of ordinary people. The landlocked country of 12 million people in southern Africa still suffers from high unemployment and crippling poverty, with about 68 percent of the population falling below the poverty line of $1 per day. Zambia has taken a strong stance against corruption and created a foundation based on the rule of law and respect for private property, Mwanawasa said. The country’s main industries are copper mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism. A former British protectorate that gained independence in 1964, Zambia is encouraging more foreign direct investment and growth of the private sector to help reduce poverty. “When you invest in Zambia, you’re putting GDP in the pockets of Zambian people,” Mwanawasa said. Mwanawasa, 59, was in the United States for a meeting of the U.N. General Assembly. He traveled here at the invitation of the Seattle-based Initiative for Global Development, a national network of business leaders promoting policies to end global poverty. He and a delegation of senior government officials and business leaders were scheduled to visit the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PATH, Microsoft, Boeing and Starbucks on Monday. Mwanawasa said he had dinner Sunday at the house of former Microsoft executive Paul Maritz, a Zimbabwe native who lives on Mercer Island.

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Written by: Charlotte Mary Yonge Edited by: Clare A. Simmons Charlotte Mary Yonge was one of the most prolific writers of the nineteenth century. Though perhaps best known for her popular children’s books, she also wrote adult novels. Swiftly-plotted and cleanly-wrought, Yonge’s work has again gained critical attention, in part because she writes about the predicament of nineteenth-century women. The Clever Woman of the Family is a new woman novel that focuses on a group of women in a small seaside community. It is the early 1860s and British women outnumber men to such an extent that not all women can expect to marry. Rachel Curtis, the clever woman of the title, is an opinionated young woman whose yearning for a “mission” in life leads to tragicomic results. The Broadview edition contextualizes the novel’s ambivalent feminism and pro-empire sentiments with materials on some of the most pertinent debates of the time. “The Clever Woman of the Family, the fascinating if infuriating novel by that immensely readable but too often neglected writer, Charlotte Mary Yonge, explores acceptable forms of feminine activity in a post-‘Indian Mutiny’ setting, combining traditionalist polemics with a narrative that suggests the complexities of responses to gender and empire in the mid-1860s. I am delighted to see that this important text is now accessible in an excellent edition by Clare A. Simmons. Simmons’s welcome new addition to the Broadview Literary Texts series has a helpful introduction, ample footnotes, and—best of all—illuminating appendices that include well-chosen and instructive extracts from mid-Victorian discussions of the Surplus Women debate, responses to the Sepoy Rebellion, documents of the Oxford Movement, and discussions of the contemporary ‘Clever Women.’” — June Sturrock, Simon Fraser University Charlotte Mary Yonge: A Brief Chronology Appendix A: The Surplus Women Debate Appendix B: The Oxford Movement Appendix C: The Sepoy Rebellion (“Indian Mutiny”) Appendix D: Clever Women Clare A. Simmons of the Department of English, Ohio State University, has published extensively on nineteenth-century literature. The Half-Caste Selections from The Girl’s Own Paper, 1880-1907

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The Immigration and Nationality Act contains provisions which allow spouses and children of U.S. citizens (USC) or lawful permanent residents (LPR), who are the victims of abuse and/or extreme cruelty, to file a visa petition on their own behalf. Self-petitioners must meet the following requirements: Is a Spouse of a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States; Is eligible for immigrant classification under section 201(b)(2)(A)(i) or 203(a)(2)(A) of the Act based on that relationship; Is residing in the United States; Has resided in the United States with the citizen or lawful permanent resident spouse Has been battered by, or has been the subject of extreme cruelty perpetrated by, the citizen or lawful permanent resident during the marriage; or is the parent of a child who has been battered by, or has been the subject of extreme cruelty perpetrated by, the citizen or lawful permanent resident during the marriage; Is a person of good moral character; Is a person whose deportation would result in extreme hardship to himself, herself, or his or her child; and Entered into the marriage to the citizen or lawful permanent resident in good faith. Applicants whose self-petition is based on abuse endured during a marriage to a U.S. citizen are immediately eligible to apply for adjustment of status. Work authorization may then be obtained based on the pending application to adjust status. Applicants with approved petitions who are subject to wait based on the visa quota system may apply for deferred action. Once deferred action has been granted, work authorization may be obtained based on the deferred action status. Other Relief for Victims of Abuse Conditional residents and former conditional residents who have not departed the U.S. may apply for a removal of conditions on residency and a waiver of the joint filing requirement if they can show that their marriage was in good faith and that during the marriage they were a victim of abuse or extreme cruelty. Victims of a crime who have suffered physical or mental abuse and who have helpful information which they are providing to assist a law enforcement official may apply for a nonimmigrant U visa. Certain victims of crimes of trafficking may be eligible for a T visa. How can Bromberg, Kohler Maya & Petre, PLLC help you? Bromberg, Kohler Maya & Petre, PLLC has represented many clients in cases involving the Violence Against Women Act and other provisions for victims of violence. Our staff understands the sensitive nature of these cases and is committed to the client’s comfort and confidentiality. If you have been the victim of abuse by a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident and would like to find out more about self-petitioning options or other available immigrant benefits, please contact us. The content of this website is meant only to acquaint you with general information about immigration.This information is not legal advice and is not a substitute for having a consultation with an attorney. If you have additional questions or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact us.

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Tag: archive copy Added by PressForward  Instagram’s Archive feature is now available for everyone to hide embarrassing old photos | The Verge Read Instagram’s Archive feature is now available for everyone to hide embarrassing old photos (The Verge) Instagram is releasing its Archive feature to all users today, after testing it with a smaller group of people last month. The feature lets anyone on Instagram hide their old posts without deleting... Chris AldrichPosted on 9:53 am January 18, 2019 January 19, 2019 Format LinkCategories Read, Social StreamTags archive copy, Instagram, UI, UX Leave a response on  Instagram’s Archive feature is now available for everyone to hide embarrassing old photos | The VergeSyndicated copies to:  Bullet Journal: One Book to Rule Them All | Jamie Todd Rubin Annotated Bullet Journal: One Book to Rule Them All by Jamie Todd Rubin (Jamie Todd Rubin) Isaacson pointed out that more than 7,000 pages from Da Vinci’s notebooks survived to today–a stretch of 500 years. He asked how many of our tweets and Facebook posts will survive even 50 years. Paper, it turns out, is a durable medium of information storage. ❧ Of course one also needs to think about reach and distribution as well. His notebooks have much more reach and distribution now than they ever did in his own lifetime. Where’s the balance? Blogging about it, syndicating to social media, and then printing paper copies in annual increments? Chris AldrichPosted on 6:54 pm January 10, 2019 January 11, 2019 Format LinkCategories Annotation, IndieWeb, Publishing, Social StreamTags archive copy, bullet journal, collective learning, commonplace books, Leonardo Da Vinci, memes, paper, productivity, silos, Walter Isaacson Leave a response on  Bullet Journal: One Book to Rule Them All | Jamie Todd RubinSyndicated copies to:  Chris Aldrich’s Year In Pocket Read My Year in Pocket (Pocket App) See how much I read in Pocket this year! According to Pocket’s account I read 766,000 words or the equivalent of about 10 books. My most saved topics were current events, science, technology, health, and education. The most popular things I apparently saved this year: The 100 best nonfiction books of all time: the full list by Robert McCrum • theguardian.com Is Your Child Lying to You? That’s Good by Alex Stone • nytimes.com How Actual Smart People Talk About Themselves by JAMES FALLOWS • theatlantic.com The Fall of Travis Kalanick Was a Lot Weirder and Darker Than You Thought by Eric Newcomer, Brad Stone • bloomberg.com The female price of male pleasure by Lili Loofbourow • theweek.com I’ll have to work at getting better to create my own end-of-year statistics since my own website has a better accounting of what I’ve actually read (it isn’t all public) and bookmarked. I do like that their service does some aggregate comparison of my data versus all the other user data (anonymized from my perspective). Pocket also does a relatively good job of doing discovery of good things to read based on aggregate user data in terms of categories like “Best of” and “Popular”. They also give me weekly email updates of things I’ve bookmarked there as reminders to go back and read them, which I find a useful functionality which they haven’t over-gamified. Presently my own closest functionality to this is to be subscribed to the RSS feed of my own public bookmarks in a feed reader (which I find generally useful) as well as regularly checking on my private bookmarks on my websites’s back end (something as easy as clicking on a browser bookmark) and even looking at my “on this day” functionality to review over things from years past. I’ll note that I currently rely more on Nuzzle for real-time discovery on a daily basis however. Greg McVerry might appreciate that they’re gamifying reading by presenting me with a badge. As an aside while I’m thinking of it, it might be a cool thing if the IndieWeb wiki received webmentions, so that self-documentation I do on my own website automatically appeared on the appropriate linked pages either in a webmention section or perhaps the “See Also” section. If wikis did this generally, it would be a cool means of potentially building communities and fuelling discovery on the broader web. Imagine if adding to a wiki via Webmention were as easy as syndicating content to a site like IndieNews or IndieWeb.XYZ? It could also function as a useful method of archiving web content from original pages to places like the Internet Archive in a simple way, much like how I currently auto-archive my individual pages automatically on the day they’re published. Chris AldrichPosted on 1:45 pm December 28, 2018 December 28, 2018 Format LinkCategories IndieWeb, Read, Social StreamTags archive copy, badges, bookmark posts, discovery, indieweb.xyz, Internet archive, itches, Nuzzle, Pocket, read posts, silos, year in review Home, 1837 N Harding Ave, Altadena, CA 91001, USA 4 Comments on  Chris Aldrich’s Year In PocketSyndicated copies to:  Open as a Set of Values, Not a Destination | Billy Meinke Annotated Open as a Set of Values, Not a Destination by Billy Meinke (billymeinke.com) the technology platforms we rely on are changing and to leave things the way they are is to put our work at risk. ❧ Chris AldrichPosted on 7:25 pm November 17, 2018 November 18, 2018 Format LinkCategories Annotation, Education, IndieWeb, Social StreamTags archive copy, Open Education, own your data Leave a response on  Open as a Set of Values, Not a Destination | Billy MeinkeSyndicated copies to:  What I believe II (ft. Sarah Constantin and Stacey Jeffery) | Shtetl-Optimized Read What I believe II (ft. Sarah Constantin and Stacey Jeffery) by Scott Aaronson (Shtetl-Optimized) Unrelated Update: To everyone who keeps asking me about the “new” P≠NP proof: I’d again bet $200,000 that the paper won’t stand, except that the last time I tried that, it didn’t achieve its purpose, which was to get people to stop asking me about it. So: please stop asking, and if the thing hasn’t been refuted by the end of the week, you can come back and tell me I was a closed-minded fool. In my post “The Kolmogorov Option,” I tried to step back from current controversies, and use history to reflect on the broader question of how nerds should behave when their penchant for speaking unpopular truths collides head-on with their desire to be kind and decent and charitable, and to be judged as such by their culture. I was gratified to get positive feedback about this approach from men and women all over the ideological spectrum. However, a few people who I like and respect accused me of “dogwhistling.” They warned, in particular, that if I wouldn’t just come out and say what I thought about the James Damore Google memo thing, then people would assume the very worst—even though, of course, my friends themselves knew better. So in this post, I’ll come out and say what I think. But first, I’ll do something even better: I’ll hand the podium over to two friends, Sarah Constantin and Stacey Jeffery, both of whom were kind enough to email me detailed thoughts in response to my Kolmogorov post. Sarah Constantin completed her PhD in math at Yale. I don’t think I’ve met her in person yet, but we have a huge number of mutual friends in the so-called “rationalist community.” Whenever Sarah emails me about something I’ve written, I pay extremely close attention, because I have yet to read a single thing by her that wasn’t full of insight and good sense. I strongly urge anyone who likes her beautiful essay below to check out her blog, which is called Otium. Sarah Constantin’s Commentary: I’ve had a women-in-STEM essay brewing in me for years, but I’ve been reluctant to actually write publicly on the topic for fear of stirring up a firestorm of controversy. On the other hand, we seem to be at a cultural inflection point on the issue, especially in the wake of the leakedGoogle memo, and other people are already scared to speak out, so I think it’s past time for me to put my name on the line, and Scott has graciously provided me a platform to do so. I’m a woman in tech myself. I’m a data scientist doing machine learning for drug discovery at Recursion Pharmaceuticals, and before that I was a data scientist at Palantir. Before that I was a woman in math — I got my PhD from Yale, studying applied harmonic analysis. I’ve been in this world all my adult life, and I obviously don’t believe my gender makes me unfit to do the work. I’m also not under any misapprehension that I’m some sort of exception. I’ve been mentored by Ingrid Daubechies and Maryam Mirzakhani (the first female Fields Medalist, who died tragically young last month). I’ve been lucky enough to work with women who are far, far better than me. There are alotof remarkable women in math and computer science — women just aren’t the majority in those fields. But “not the majority” doesn’t mean “rare” or “unknown.” I even think diversity programs can be worthwhile. I went to the Institute for Advanced Studies’Women and Math Program, which would be an excellent graduate summer school even if it weren’t all-female, and taught at its sister program for high school girls, which likewise is a great math camp independent of the gender angle. There’s a certain magic, if you’re in a male-dominated field, of once in a while being in a room full of women doing math, and I hope that everybody gets to have that experience once. But (you knew the “but” was coming), I think the Google memo was largely correct, and the way people conventionally talk about women in tech is wrong. Let’s look at some of his claims. From the beginning of the memo: Google’s political bias has equated the freedom from offense with psychological safety, but shaming into silence is the antithesis of psychological safety. This silencing has created an ideological echo chamber where some ideas are too sacred to be honestly discussed. The lack of discussion fosters the most extreme and authoritarian elements of this ideology. Extreme: all disparities in representation are due to oppression Authoritarian: we should discriminate to correct for this oppression Okay, so there’s a pervasive assumption that any deviation from 50% representation of women in technical jobs is a.) due to oppression, and b.) ought to be corrected by differential hiring practices. I think it is basicallytrue that people widely believe this, and that people can lose their jobs for openly contradicting it (as James Damore, the author of the memo, did). I have heard people I work with advocating hiring quotas for women (i.e. explicitly earmarking a number of jobs for women candidates only). It’s not a strawman. Then, Damore disagrees with this assumption: Differences in distributions of traits between men and women may in part explain why we don’t have 50% representation of women in tech and leadership. Discrimination to reach equal representation is unfair, divisive, and bad for business. Again, I agree with Damore. Note that this doesn’t mean that I must believe that sexism against women isn’t real and important (I’ve heard enough horror stories to be confident that some work environments are toxic to women). It doesn’t even mean that I must be certain that the different rates of men and women in technical fields are due to genetics. I’m very far from certain, and I’m not an expert in psychology. I don’t think I can do justice to the science in this post, so I’m not going to cover the research literature. But I do think it’s irresponsible to assumea priorithat there are no innate sex differences that might explain what we see. It’s an empirical matter, and a topic for research, not dogma. Moreover, I think discrimination on the basis of sex to reach equal representation is unfair and unproductive. It’s unfair, because it’s not meritocratic. You’re not choosing the best human for the job regardless of gender. I think women might actuallybenefit from companies giving genuine meritocracy a chance. “Blind” auditions (in which the evaluator doesn’t see the performer) gave women a better chance of landing orchestra jobs; apparently, orchestras were prejudiced against female musicians, and the blinding canceled out that prejudice. Google’s own research has actually shown that the single best predictor of work performance is a work sample — testing candidates with a small project similar to what they’d do on the job. Work samples are easy to anonymize to reduce gender bias, and they’re more effective than traditional interviews, where split-second first impressions usually decide who gets hired, but don’t correlate at all with job performance. A number of tech companies have switched to work samples as part of their interview process. I used work samples myself when I was hiring for a startup, just because they seemed more accurate at predicting who’d be good at the job; entirely without intending to, I got a 50% gender ratio. If you want to reduce gender bias in tech, it’s worth at least consideringblinded hiring via work samples. Moreover, thinking about “representation” in science and technology reflects underlying assumptions that I think are quite dangerous. You expect interest groups to squabble over who gets a piece of the federal budget. In politics, people will band together in blocs, and try to get the biggest piece of the spoils they can. “Women should get such-and-such a percent of tech jobs” sounds precisely like this kind of politicking; women are assumed to be a unified bloc who will vote together, and the focus is on what size chunk they can negotiate for themselves. If a tech job (or a university position) were a cushy sinecure, a ticket to privilege, and nothing more, you might reasonably ask “how come some people get more goodies than others? Isn’t meritocracy just an excuse to restrict the goodies to your preferred group?” Again, this is not a strawman. Here’s oneVox response to the memostating explicitly that she believes women are a unified bloc: The manifesto’s sleight-of-hand delineation between “women, on average” and the actual living, breathing women who have had to work alongside this guy failed to reassure many of those women — and failed to reassure me. That’s because the manifesto’s author overestimated the extent to which women are willing to be turned against their own gender. Speaking for myself, it doesn’t matter to me how soothingly a man coos that I’m not like most women, when those coos are accompanied by misogyny against most women. I am a woman. I do not stop being one during the parts of the day when I am practicing my craft. There can be no realistic chance of individual comfort for me in an environment where others in my demographic categories (or, really, any protected demographic categories) are subjected to skepticism and condescension. She can’t be comfortable unlesseverybody in any protected demographic category— note that this is a legal, governmental category — is given the benefit of the doubt? That’s a pretty collectivist commitment! Or, look at Piper Harron, an assistant professor in math who blogged on the American Mathematical Society’swebsitethat universities should simply “stop hiring white cis men”, and explicitly says “If you are on a hiring committee, and you are looking at applicants and you see a stellar white male applicant, think long and hard about whether your department needs another white man. You are not hiring a researching robot who will output papers from a dark closet. You are hiring an educator, a role model, a spokesperson, an advisor, a committee person … There is no objectivity. There is no meritocracy.” Piper Harron reflects an extreme, of course, but she’s explicitly saying, on America’s major communication channel for and by mathematicians, that whether you get to work in math should not be based on whether you’re actually good at math. For her, it’sallpolitics. Life itself is political, and therefore a zero-sum power struggle between groups. But most of us, male or female, didn’t fall in love with science and technology for that. Science is the mission to explore and understand our universe. Technology is the project of expanding human power to shape that universe. What we do towards those goals will live longer than any “protected demographic category”, any nation, any civilization. We know how the Babylonians mapped the stars. Women deserve an equal chance at a berth on the journey of exploration not because they form a political bloc but becausesome of them are discoverersand can contribute to the human mission. Maybe, in a world corrupted byrent-seeking, the majority of well-paying jobs have some element of unearned privilege; perhaps almost all of us got at least part of our salaries by indirectly expropriating someone who had as good a right to it as us. But that’s not a good thing, and that’s not what we hope for science and engineering to be, and I truly believe that this is not the inevitable fate of the human race — that we can only squabble over scraps, and never create. I’ve seen creation, and I’ve seen discovery. I know they’re real. I care a lot more about whether my company achieves its goal of curing 100 rare diseases in 10 years than about the demographic makeup of our team. We have anactual mission; we are trying to do something beyond collecting spoils. Do I rely on brilliant work by other women every day? I do. My respect for myself and my female colleagues is not incompatible withprimarily caring about the mission. Am I “turning against my own gender” because I see women as individuals first? I don’t think so. We’re half the human race, for Pete’s sake! We’re diverse. We disagree. We’re human. When you think of “women-in-STEM” as a talking point on a political agenda, you mention Ada Lovelace and Grace Hopper in passing, and move on to talking about quotas. When you think of women as individuals, you start to notice howmanygenuinely foundational advances were made by women — just in my own field of machine learning, Adele Cutler co-invented random forests, Corrina Cortes co-invented support vector machines, and Fei Fei Li created the famous ImageNet benchmark dataset that started a revolution in image recognition. As a child, my favorite book was Carl Sagan’sContact, a novel about Ellie Arroway, an astronomer loosely based on his wife Ann Druyan. The name is not an accident; like the title character in Sinclair Lewis’ Arrowsmith, Ellie is a truth-seeking scientist who battles corruption, anti-intellectualism, and blind prejudice. Sexism is one of the challenges she faces, but the essence of her life is about wonder and curiosity. She’s what I’ve always tried to become. I hope that, in seeking to encourage the world’s Ellies in science and technology, we remember why we’re doing that in the first place. I hope we remember humans are explorers. Now let’s hear from another friend who wrote to me recently, and who has a slightly different take. Stacey Jeffery is a quantum computing theorist at one of my favorite research centers, CWI in Amsterdam. She completed her PhD at University of Waterloo, and has done wonderful work on quantum query complexity and other topics close to my heart. When I was being viciously attacked in the comment-171 affair, Stacey was one of the first people to send me a note of support, and I’ve never forgotten it. Stacey Jeffery’s Commentary I don’t think Google was right to fire Damore. This makes me a minority among people with whom I have discussed this issue. Hopefully some people come out in the comments in support of the other position, so it’s not just me presenting that view, but the main argument I encountered was that what he said just sounded way too sexist for Google to put up with. I agree with part of that, it did sound sexist to me. In fact it also sounded racist to me. But that’s not because he necessarily said anything actually sexist or actually racist, but because he said the kinds of things that you usually only hear from sexist people, and in particular, the kind of sexist people who are also racist. I’m very unlikely to try to pursue further interaction with a person who says these kinds of things for those reasons, but I think firing him for what he said between the lines sets a very bad precedent. It seems to me he was fired for associating himself with the wrong ideas, and it does feel a bit like certain subjects are not up for rational discussion. If Google wants an open environment, where employees can feel safe discussing company policy, I don’t think this contributes to that. If they want their employees, and the world, to think that they aim for diversity because it’s the most rational course of action to achieve their overall objectives, rather than because it serves some secret agenda, like maintaining a PC public image, then I don’t think they’ve served that cause either. Personally, this irritates me the most, because I feel they have damaged the image for a cause I feel strongly about. My position is independent of the validity of Damore’s attempt at scientific argument, which is outside my area of expertise. I personally don’t think it’s very productive for non-social-scientists to take authoritative positions on social science issues, especially ones that appear to be controversial within the field (but I say this as a layperson). This may include some of the other commentary in this blog post, which I have not yet read, and might even extend to Scott’s decision to comment on this issue at all (but this bridge was crossed in the previous blog post). However, I think one of the reasons that many of us do this is that the burden of solving the problem of too few women in STEM is often placed on us. Some people in STEM feel they are blamed for not being welcoming enough to women (in fact, in my specific field, it’s my experience that the majority of people are very sympathetic). Many scientific funding applications even ask applicants how they plan to address the issue of diversity, as if they should be the ones to come up with a solution for this difficult problem that nobody knows the answer to, and is not even within their expertise. So it’s not surprising when these same people start to think about and form opinions on these social science issues. Obviously, we working in STEM have valuable insight into how we might encourage women to pursue STEM careers, and we should be pushed to think about this, but we don’t have all the answers (and maybe we should remember that the next time we consider authoring an authoritative memo on the subject). Scott’s Mansplaining Commentary I’m incredibly grateful to Sarah and Stacey for sharing their views. Now it’s time for me to mansplain my own thoughts in light of what they said. Let me start with a seven-point creed. 1. I believe that science and engineering, both in academia and in industry, benefit enormously from contributions from people of every ethnic background and gender identity. This sort of university-president-style banality shouldn’t even need to be said, but in a world where the President of the US criticizes neo-Nazis only under extreme pressure from his own party, I suppose it does. 2. I believe that there’s no noticeable difference in average ability between men and women in STEM fields—or if there’s some small disparity, for all I know the advantage goes to women. I have enough Sheldon Cooper in me that, if this hadn’t been my experience, I’d probably let it slip that it hadn’t been, but it has been. When I taught 6.045 (undergrad computability and complexity) at MIT, women were only 20% or so of the students, but for whatever reasons they were wildly overrepresented among the top students. 3. I believe that women in STEM face obstacles that men don’t. These range from the sheer awkwardness of sometimes being the only woman in a room full of guys, to challenges related to pregnancy and childcare, to actual belittlement and harassment. Note that, even if men in STEM fields are no more sexist on average than men in other fields—or are less sexist, as one might expect from their generally socially liberal views and attitudes—the mere fact of the gender imbalance means that women in STEM will have many more opportunities to be exposed to whatever sexists there are. This puts a special burden on us to create a welcoming environment for women. 4. Given that we know that gender gaps in interest and inclination appear early in life, I believe in doing anything we can to encourage girls’ interest in STEM fields. Trust me, my four-year-old daughter Lily wishes I didn’t believe so fervently in working with her every day on her math skills. 5. I believe that gender diversity is valuable in itself. It’s just nicer, for men and women alike, to have a work environment with many people of both sexes—especially if (as is often the case in STEM) so much of our lives revolves around our work. I think that affirmative action for women, women-only scholarships and conferences, and other current efforts to improve gender diversity can all be defended and supported on that ground alone. 6. I believe that John Stuart Mill’s The Subjection of Women is one of the masterpieces of history, possibly the highest pinnacle that moral philosophy has ever reached. Everyone should read it carefully and reflect on it if they haven’t already. 7. I believe it’s a tragedy that the current holder of the US presidency is a confessed sexual predator, who’s full of contempt not merely for feminism, but for essentially every worthwhile human value. I believe those of us on the “pro-Enlightenment side” now face the historic burden of banding together to stop this thug by every legal and peaceful means available. I believe that, whenever the “good guys” tear each other down in internecine warfare—e.g. “nerds vs. feminists”—it represents a wasted opportunity and an unearned victory for the enemies of progress. OK, now for the part that might blow some people’s minds. I hold that every single belief above is compatible with what James Damore wrote in his now-infamous memo—at least, if we’re talking about the actual words in it. In some cases, Damore even makes the above points himself. In particular, there’s nothing in what he wrote about female Googlers being less qualified on average than male Googlers, or being too neurotic to code, or anything like that: the question at hand is just why there are fewer women in these positions, and that in turn becomes a question about why there are fewer women earlier in the CS pipeline. Reasonable people need not agree about the answers to those questions, or regard them as known or obvious, to see that the failure to make this one elementary distinction, between quality and quantity, already condemns 95% of Damore’s attackers as not having read or understood what he wrote. Let that be the measure of just how terrifyingly efficient the social-media outrage machine has become at twisting its victims’ words to fit a clickbait narrative—a phenomenon with which I happen to be personally acquainted. Strikingly, it seems not to make the slightest difference if (as in this case) the original source text is easily available to everyone. Still, while most coverage of Damore’s memo was depressing in its monotonous incomprehension, dissent was by no means confined to the right-wingers eager to recruit Damore to their side. Peter Singer—the legendary leftist moral philosopher, and someone whose fearlessness and consistency I’ve always admired whether I’ve agreed with him or not—wrote a powerful condemnation of Google’s decision to fire Damore. Scott Alexander was brilliant as usual in picking apart bad arguments. Megan McArdle drew on her experiences to illustrate some of Damore’s contentions. Steven Pinker tweeted that Damore’s firing “makes [the] job of anti-Trumpists harder.” Like Peter Singer, and also like Sarah Constantin and Stacey Jeffery above, I have no plans to take any position on biological differences in male and female inclinations and cognitive styles, and what role (if any) such differences might play in 80% of Google engineers being male—or, for that matter, what role they might play in 80% of graduating veterinarians now being female, or other striking gender gaps. I decline to take a position not only because I’m not an expert, but also because, as Singer says, doing so isn’t necessary to reach the right verdict about Damore’s firing. It suffices to note that the basic thesis being discussed—namely, that natural selection doesn’t stop at the neck, and that it’s perfectly plausible that it acted differently on women and men in ways that might help explain many of the population-level differences that we see today—can also be found in, for example, The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker, and other mainstream works by some of the greatest thinkers alive. And therefore I say: if James Damore deserves to be fired from Google, for treating evolutionary psychology as potentially relevant to social issues, then Steven Pinker deserves to be fired from Harvard for the same offense. Yes, I realize that an employee of a private company is different from a tenured professor. But I don’t see why it’s relevant here. For if someone really believes that mooting the hypothesis of an evolutionary reason for average differences in cognitive styles between men and women, is enough by itself to create a hostile environment for women—well then, why should tenure be a bar to firing, any more than it is in cases of sexual harassment? But the reductio needn’t stop there. It seems to me that, if Damore deserves to be fired, then so do the 56% of Googlers who said in a poll that they opposed his firing. For isn’t that 56% just as responsible for maintaining a hostile environment as Damore himself was? (And how would Google find out which employees opposed the firing? Well, if there’s any company on earth that could…) Furthermore, after those 56% of Googlers are fired, any of the remaining 44% who think the 56% shouldn’t have been fired should be fired as well! And so on iteratively, until only an ideologically reliable core remains, which might or might not be the empty set. OK, but while the wider implications of Damore’s firing have frightened and depressed me all week, as I said, I depart from Damore on the question of affirmative action and other diversity policies. Fundamentally, what I want is a sort of negotiated agreement or bargain, between STEM nerds and the wider culture in which they live. The agreement would work like this: STEM nerds do everything they can to foster diversity, including by creating environments that are welcoming for women, and by supporting affirmative action, women-only scholarships and conferences, and other diversity policies. The STEM nerds also agree never to talk in public about possible cognitive-science explanations for gender disparities in which careers people choose, or overlapping bell curves, or anything else potentially inflammatory. In return, just two things: Male STEM nerds don’t regularly get libelled as misogynist monsters, who must be scaring all the women away with their inherently gross, icky, creepy, discriminatory brogrammer maleness. The fields beloved by STEM nerds are suffered to continue to exist, rather than getting destroyed and rebuilt along explicitly ideological lines, as already happened with many humanities and social science fields. So in summary, neither side advances its theories about the causes of gender gaps; both sides simply agree that there are more interesting topics to explore. In concrete terms, the social-justice side gets to retain 100% of what it has now, or maybe even expand it. And all it has to offer in exchange is “R-E-S-P-E-C-T“! Like, don’t smear and shame male nerds as a class, or nerdy disciplines themselves, for gender gaps that the male nerds would be as happy as anybody to see eradicated. The trouble is that, fueled by outrage-fests on social media, I think the social-justice side is currently failing to uphold its end of this imagined bargain. Nearly every day the sun rises to yet another thinkpiece about the toxic “bro culture” of Silicon Valley: a culture so uniquely and incorrigibly misogynist, it seems, that it still intentionally keeps women out, even after law and biology and most other white-collar fields have achieved or exceeded gender parity, their own “bro cultures” notwithstanding. The trouble with this slander against male STEM nerds, besides its fundamental falsity (which Scott Alexander documented), is that puts the male nerds into an impossible position. For how can they refute the slander without talking about other possible explanations for fields like CS being 80% male, which is the very thing we all know they’re not supposed to talk about? In Europe, in the Middle Ages, the Church would sometimes enjoy forcing the local Jews into “disputations” about whose religion was the true one. At these events, a popular tactic on the Church’s side was to make statements that the Jews couldn’t possibly answer without blaspheming the name of Christ—which, of course, could lead to the Jews’ expulsion or execution if they dared it. Maybe I have weird moral intuitions, but it’s hard for me to imagine a more contemptible act of intellectual treason, than deliberately trapping your opponents between surrender and blasphemy. I’d actually rather have someone force me into one or the other, than make me choose, and thereby make me responsible for whichever choice I made. So I believe the social-justice left would do well to forswear this trapping tactic forever. Ironically, I suspect that in the long term, doing so would benefit no entity more than the social-justice left itself. If I had to steelman, in one sentence, the argument that in the space of one year propelled the “alt-right” from obscurity in dark and hateful corners of the Internet, to the improbable and ghastly ascent of Donald Trump and his white-nationalist brigade to the most powerful office on earth, the argument would be this: If the elites, the technocrats, the “Cathedral”-dwellers, were willing to lie to the masses about humans being blank slates—and they obviously were—then why shouldn’t we assume that they also lied to us about healthcare and free trade and guns and climate change and everything else? We progressives deluded ourselves that we could permanently shame our enemies into silence, on pain of sexism, racism, xenophobia, and other blasphemies. But the “victories” won that way were hollow and illusory, and the crumbling of the illusion brings us to where we are now: with a vindictive, delusional madman in the White House who has a non-negligible chance of starting a nuclear war this week. The Enlightenment was a specific historical period in 18th-century Europe. But the term can also be used much more broadly, to refer to every trend in human history that’s other than horrible. Seen that way, the Enlightenment encompasses the scientific revolution, the abolition of slavery, the decline of all forms of violence, the spread of democracy and literacy, and the liberation of women from domestic drudgery to careers of their own choosing. The invention of Google, which made the entire world’s knowledge just a search bar away, is now also a permanent part of the story of the Enlightenment. I fantasize that, within my lifetime, the Enlightenment will expand further to tolerate a diversity of cognitive styles—including people on the Asperger’s and autism spectrum, with their penchant for speaking uncomfortable truths—as well as a diversity of natural abilities and inclinations. Society might or might not get the “demographically correct” percentage of Ellie Arroways—Ellie might decide to become a doctor or musician rather than an astronomer, and that’s fine too—but most important, it will nurture all the Ellie Arroways that it gets, all the misfits and explorers of every background. I wonder whether, while disagreeing on exactly what’s meant by it, all parties to this debate could agree that diversity represents a next frontier for the Enlightenment. Comment Policy: Any comment, from any side, that attacks people rather than propositions will be deleted. I don’t care if the comment also makes useful points: if it contains a single ad hominem, it’s out. As it happens, I’m at a quantum supremacy workshop in Bristol, UK right now—yeah, yeah, I’m a closet supremacist after all, hur hur—so I probably won’t participate in the comments until later. This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 15th, 2017 at 4:26 am and is filed under Nerd Interest, Obviously I'm Not Defending Aaronson, The Fate of Humanity. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. Scott AaronsonPosted on 11:34 am August 24, 2017 March 16, 2019 Format LinkCategories Read, Social StreamTags archive copy, diversity, James Damore, STEM, via bookmarklet

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Filmmakers' Protest over Screen Quota to End Sunday Actors, directors and other film industry representatives will end on Sunday their 30-day overnight sit-in protest over the government's decision to halve the nation's screen quota. The demonstrators are planning to hold a rally on Saturday and Sunday evening together with ordinary citizens to urge the government to withdraw its decision. Last month, the government decided to cut in half the number of days that domestic theaters will be required to screen domestic films from one-hundred-46 to 73. Film industry insiders worry that slashing the screen quota could hamper the development of the domestic film industry in the mid- to long term. Reported by KBS WORLD Radio Source : english.kbs.co.kr... A Series of Seminars on 'Digital Content in the Fusion of Broadcasting and Communication'' A series of four weekly seminars beginning on July 25 Four seminars on the topic of 'Digital Content in the Fusion of Broadcasting and Communication' are to be held weekly beginning on July 25. Co-hosted by the Korea Culture and Content Agency (KOCCA, CEO: Suh, Byung-Moon), the Korean Broadca,...More “Time” to Be Released Domestically Director Kim Ki-duk's latest film "Time" will be released on Aug. 24. The distributor, Sponge, said Tuesday that they are planning to show the film in 10 to 15 theaters nationwide, although the number of theaters may change. "Time" has drawn so much attention from around the world that its copyri,...More Movie Theaters as Live-Performance Venues By Bae Keun-min Musical "A Story of Pyonggang, Princess Mirror" will be staged at CGV Apkujong, a movie theater in southern Seoul. Movie theaters have started a transformation. They are presenting live performances in screening rooms. CJ CGV, one of the nation's two leading mu,...More

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Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston refused to shoot season 2 of the “Night administrator” Shooting in the series for Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie were not a debut. Previously they would not have had the opportunity to shoot for the small screen, and it was, it should be said, very successfully. However, when it was announced a new project with the participation of the famous British “Night administrator” — the fans were in anticipation of something Grand, though somewhat feared how Tom and Hugh will be able to cope with roles unusual for characters (Hiddleston played the undercover agent, Laurie – the arms dealer). With the presentation of the first series it became clear that the mini-series “Night administrator” deserves special attention, because in it everything is beautiful — from the plot to the cast. However, unfortunately, we don’t continue to wait. In anticipation of the premiere of “Night administrator” in the U.S. Tom Hiddleston has officially declared that the continuation of the series would not be himself he would not return in the role of undercover agent Jonathan pine. His colleague on the sets supported and Hugh Laurie. It should be noted that the series finale was left open, i.e., the further development of events may well be. Perhaps the actors are therefore just hint at the increase of the amount of their fees? By the way, for the role of a former British soldier Jonathan pine, a hired employee of the intelligence service to spy on the syndicate arms dealer, Hiddleston received more than $ 26 million (i.e. $ 4.5 million per episode). Critics suggest that, most likely, on the fees of the actors playing the main roles, was spent the lion’s share of the budget. But still these costs were justified. Ryan Reynolds let slip about his sex life Madonna has reconciled with his son

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Is “Universal” Zoning Variance an Answer to America’s Housing Shortage? By Nick Zaiac At this point, housing scarcity in America has been the norm for a generation. Rents in desirable urban areas remain high, and politicians have put forth solutions ranging from rent control to deregulation. Some, like San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, have gone so far as to combine these two seemingly disparate concepts. Faulconer’s idea, to allow “unlimited density” for fully rent-controlled buildings, contains the seeds of a long-term solution to the problem of municipal NIMBYism. The policy is a “universal” zoning variance that would waive most land use regulations for projects that fit criteria codified by state or municipal lawmakers. Presumably, this would require the removal of rules that limit building mass in exchange for affordable housing. Similar rules could allow buildings that include any number of “good things” in exchange for extra density. These could include space for community facilities like schools and recreation centers, energy-efficient buildings, ground-floor retail or other accommodations to limit the negative spillover effects of land use deregulation. A locally designed universal variance would allow the community to decide on a baseline of generally acceptable uses, much like some existing density-bonus programs. However, municipalities would be able to decide which rules to keep and which rules to suspend in exchange for the variance. Doing so would open the door for proposals that would be over-broad at the state level. For instance, a town could allow by-right remapping to existing, more-dense zones, allow easier adjustments to lot boundaries to facilitate property assembly or limit the types of public comments that can be considered in the zoning approval process. Statewide universal variance rules would need to be simpler and broader to account for differences across communities. At its simplest, a statewide universal variance could supersede local zoning laws in exchange for a contribution—say, one percent of a property’s built value—to a conservation fund used to protect and improve land elsewhere in the state. Contributions to this fund would necessarily be voluntary, making them different from the exactions and “proffers” some states have used. Some environmentalists have argued for preserving 50 percent of land for nature. 50 percent for nature implies that the other 50 percent should be for human use, but existing land use regulation prevents the density required to free up half of all land. A state-managed conservation fund fueled by payments in exchange for density would work toward these goals, both by decreasing demand for land at the exurban fringe and by generating a pool of money that could buy land for conservation in places deemed important to permanently preserve. By enacting these policies, states would avoid some of the pitfalls of prescriptive “good things” lists that require in-kind donations at the local level. Mayor Faulconer was onto something with his idea of “unlimited density” for affordable housing. Regardless of how it’s designed, the concept of a universal zoning variance in exchange for local amenities or payments to conservation funds is one potential mechanism for easing the burden of land use regulation in growing towns and cities. It could also bring us closer to a world where 50 percent of land is conserved for nature.

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Firm Practice Helpful Information> Labor Certification (PERM) Alien Immigrant Worker Petition (I-140) Adjustment of Status (AOS/I-485) / Consular Processing Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Under immigration law, the green card job is deemed to be a job in the future i.e. the job is made available to foreign worker upon approval of green card. Since the green card job is one in the future, salary, title, job duties etc. commences only upon approval of green card. The green card process involves three stages :- Filing of Alien Immigrant Worker Petition (Form I-140) Filing Adjustment of Status (AOS) or Immigrant Visa Processing at a US Consulate abroad (Consular processing) Program Review Electronic Management (PERM) process or the labor certification is a process undertaken by the employer by filing an application (ETA Form 9089) with the US Department of Labor (DOL) after it has tested the US labor market, and has found that there are no qualified US workers for the job offered in the area of intended employment. The DOL must certify to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) that there are not sufficient U.S. workers able, willing, qualified and available to accept the job opportunity in the area of intended employment and that employment of the foreign worker will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers. The certification issued by DOL will allow the employer to hire a foreign worker to work permanently in the United States. An I-140 is used to petition USCIS for an immigrant visa based on employment. A U.S. employer may file this petition for an outstanding researcher/professor, alien on L1A visa employed primarily in managerial or executive capacity, member of professions holding an advanced degree or an alien with exceptional ability in science, art or business who will benefit the U.S., a skilled worker, member of professions with a baccalaureate degree, and an unskilled worker. In addition, an employer, person or third party may file I-140 including the alien beneficiary of the petition if the petition is filed for an alien of extraordinary ability demonstrated by sustained national or international acclaim and whose achievements are recognized in the field. Similarly, a member of professions holding an advanced degree or is claiming exceptional ability in science, art or business, and is seeking an exemption of job offer requirements in the national interest (“National Interest Waiver – NIW”). Where a labor certification (ETA Form 9089) is involved, I-140 petition is filed with USCIS within 180 days from the date DOL certifies the ETA Form 9089. USCIS reviews this petition and supporting documentation submitted by employer to find out whether the beneficiary qualifies for the job by meeting the job requirements stated in certified ETA 9089. The employer has to show that it has the ability to pay the offered wage from the date of filing Form ETA 9089 (priority date) until the foreign worker receives permanent residency. The employer must indicate in the petition whether the foreign worker would adjust status in United States or obtain the immigrant visa abroad by appearing at a US Consulate abroad (consular processing). The filing of I-485 depends on priority date and country of birth of the applicant as well as the category under which the alien immigrant petition has been approved. The priority date (PD) must be current for the AOS to be filed. If in an immigrant petition, consular processing was opted then the petition is sent to National Visa Center (NVC) by USCIS upon approval of immigrant petition. Once priority date is current, NVC sends visa fee bill instructions and applications to be filled and filed with it. Once the forms and required documents are submitted to NVC, it reviews it. The entire application including immigrant petition is then sent to the US consulate for the applicant to appear for the immigrant visa interview. The approval of I-485 or issuance of immigrant visa confers permanent residency for the applicant. After the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approve an immigrant visa petition, USCIS forwards it to the National Visa Center (NVC) in Portsmouth, NH for immigrant visa pre-processing at the correct time. Immediate relative categories do not have yearly numerical limits. However, family preference and employment immigrant categories have numerical limits each year; and therefore, wait times are involved, which can be lengthy, for processing to commence. The processing depends on the PD. If the PD is earlier than the Qualifying Date (QD) for the individual’s visa class and his or her foreign state chargeability, his or her PD meets the most recent QD. The petition is then is ready to begin processing at the NVC. The NVC will invoice for visa application fees. Upon receiving the fees, it collects the visa application and supporting documentation from the applicant. It then holds the visa petition until an interview can be scheduled with a consular officer at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General abroad. If a PD does not meet the most recent QD, NVC will notify applicant and hold the petition until the PD meets the most recent QD. The Department of State updates the QD on a monthly basis which can be viewed under the Visa Bulletin. Federal law requires every employer and agricultural recruiter/referrer-for-a-fee hiring an individual for employment in the United States to verify his or her identity and employment authorization through completion of Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. All U.S. employers must complete and retain a Form I-9 for each individual they hire for employment in the United States. This includes citizens and noncitizens. On the form, the employer must examine the employment eligibility and identity document(s) an employee presents to determine whether the document(s) reasonably appear to be genuine and relate to the individual and record the document information on the Form I-9. The list of acceptable documents is provided under Form I-9. Employers must retain Form I-9 for a designated period and make it available for inspection by authorized government officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Labor, or Department of Justice. Employers must have a completed Form I-9 on file for each person on their payroll who is required to complete the form. Form I-9 must be retained and stored by the employer either for three years after the date of hire or for one year after employment is terminated, whichever is later. E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the United States. It compares information from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to the data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment eligibility. ​VISA If you want to employ our legal services for your Immigration process, Hire Us. For any other information, kindly Contact Us. CHACKO LAW FIRM Law Office of Mathew M. Chacko, P.C. 5025 Backlick Road, Suite C Annandale, VA 22003 USA Facebook Twitter Linkedin Envelope Visitor & Business Visa Other Non-Immigrant Visa Diversity Visa Refugee & Asylum Immigration © 2019 CHACKO LAW FIRM. Privacy Policy | Disclaimer

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Successes and Victories Donate Bikes and Parts Other Ways to Support Chainbreaker #EquitableSFUAD: Let’s Move Forward with Equity! What would an Equitable Santa Fe look like? Car Dependency: A Cycle of Poverty and Segregation HIA Report: Equitable Development and Risk of Displacement Help Santa Feans Ride! Bus Pass Rebate The following represents our collective analysis of the current situation with the SFUAD property in general and specifically the “Midtown Campus Project Final Report” (“Report”) and the “Final Planning Guidelines for Midtown Property a/k/a SFUAD” (“Guidelines”), prepared by the City of Santa Fe’s Department of Economic Development and released in July, 2018. Both documents are available here. Chainbreaker staff and members of our Housing Justice Leadership team have compiled this document to highlight what we view as important aspects of the reports. Addressing the Housing Crisis The re-development of the City-owned property on the former campus of the Santa Fe University of Art and Design (SFUAD) presents itself as both an opportunity and a potential threat. On one hand, mindful and ethical development of the property has the potential to significantly address Santa Fe’s housing crisis as well as the growing inequities and segregation our city currently faces. However, without equitable input and informed intentionality, development of the property has the potential to dramatically increase displacement pressures on surrounding areas and exacerbate these problems. Our city is already alarmingly segregated by race and class and gentrification is a serious problem impacting people of color disproportionately. Inequitable urban planning and development play a big role in perpetuating this dynamic. If done carefully, development of the SFUAD property can interrupt this trend and begin to heal these divisions. Safeguards Against Displacement: The SFUAD property is immediately adjacent to some of Santa Fe’s neighborhoods most vulnerable to gentrification. High levels of poverty, residents of color, renters, low-income homeowners and disinvestment are key indicators of this vulnerability, of which the surrounding areas largely possess. If rapid development and/or outside investments flood the SFUAD property, it is likely to dramatically increase displacement pressures on surrounding areas. Therefore, it is critical to be mindful of the effects that the development of the property may have and to include safeguards against displacement. Neither the Report nor the Guidelines address this issue at all, leaving a critical gap in the process and plans. Housing for Who?: Both documents prioritize housing in the development of the SFUAD property. Housing development is discussed, but the most attention is paid to student housing and “workforce housing.” Use of the term “workforce housing” can raise red flags because it is often used as a euphemism for housing intended for middle income earners who are resourced to a point, but still have trouble affording housing. Whereas the housing crisis does affect people in this category, the most urgent need for support is for those with few or no resources at all. It is our belief that the use of this term in these documents was not intentionally used to prioritize or limit housing to middle income earners. In fact, it is important to note that throughout the Guidelines use of phrases such as “housing residents can afford,” “all residents” and an emphasis of rental units abound. All of these are critical to addressing the housing crisis in a holistic and authentic way. There are few or no definitions of housing in relation to income, which is a positive exclusion, because it leaves the door open to defining terms as the process continues. If the phrase “workforce housing” and similar language is to continue to be used, it should be made explicit that low-wage earners and workers with no income (such as parents raising children) should be acknowledged as part of the workforce and as having a right to housing. Non-Preferred Uses: Some areas of the Report specifically call out some measures that are critical to dealing with the housing crisis as “Non-Preferred Uses.” In particular, on page 8 of the Report it calls to “Avoid homeless shelters.” and suggests “enabling and encouraging job training for homeless people” instead. Whereas we believe that permanent, stable housing is the ultimate solution to a cycle of homelessness, it is clear that shelters are an important piece of the puzzle. Suggesting that people in need of homeless shelters simply need “job training” shows a lack of understanding of the issues and invokes some disturbing stereotypes. The same page of the Report, however, also identifies “suburban layout” as a non-preferred use, which shows an understanding that the sprawling nature of development in Santa Fe has, in many ways, contributed to the problem. Building on Previous Work: On page 5 the Guidelines specifically call on the plans to “Develop housing options that align to any housing strategies or plans adopted by the Governing Body or City Staff.” The Resident’s Bill of Rights resolution (2015-65), which was created through a grassroots community engagement campaign and passed unanimously through by the Governing Body already serves as a guide for how this kind of development should take place in Santa Fe. Additionally, city staff and many groups with expertise in all sectors of housing, services and civil rights have been working together for many years to create a multitude of documents, recommendations and Guidelines that can be used to provide guidance for addressing our housing crisis. Overall, there is wide consensus through these documents that the SFUAD property has the potential to significantly address Santa Fe’s housing crisis and therefore, must remain a top priority. This is backed up by years of hard work from service providers, housing advocates, City staff, elected officials and grassroots community members directly affected by the crisis. Addressing the Equity Crisis “We are mindful that we must connect this opportunity to the City’s rich history and culture, while looking forward to a more sustainable, resilient and socially equitable future.” That is a statement on page 9 of the Report. In several places throughout both documents, a commitment to equity as a value is stated. Putting this value into practice, however, is often harder than it sounds. Page 13 of the Report acknowledges some of the limitations that City staff faced including budgetary constraints and timing that was less than ideal. On page 13, the Report acknowledges “…certain neighborhoods and populations can be disconnected from civic engagement.” It is absolutely clear that concerted efforts were made by the City staff members who designed the outreach to make the process equitable. Unfortunately, we believe that these limitations, coupled with systemic challenges inherent in city government attempting to conduct truly equitable outreach led to results that clearly indicate there is still further work to do in order to make this process truly equitable. It is important to note that equity and equality are not the same. Equity is rooted in civil rights and social justice, whereas equality is rooted in simplistic numbers. Equity takes people and circumstances into account, seeks to right historical wrongs and bring resources to areas and people where need is greatest. Equity requires that input be proportional to the extent to which a person and/or community will be impacted. Ethnicity: On page 13 of the Report, it states that Santa Fe consists of “Over 50% Hispanic population, including roughly 14% first generation immigrants.” However, only 17% of survey respondents identified themselves as Hispanic and only 6 out of 2,235, or 0.3% of surveys, were completed in Spanish. In a city that is majority people of color, nearly two-thirds of survey respondents were white. Income: Low-income people are largely absent from the Report, with people earning over $35,000 a year making up nearly two-thirds of survey respondents. $35,000 a year is 48% higher than the city’s minimum wage, and is 67% higher than the median income of Hopewell/Mann, the poorest neighborhood in the city and immediately adjacent to the SFUAD property. Youth and Families: On page 2 of the Guidelines the stated goal is that the plan should be designed especially for “…young people and families, with opportunities to grow and continue the tradition of multi-generational families in Santa Fe.” However, input from these demographics is limited. Over three-quarters of survey respondents were over the age of 35, and although it didn’t make it into the Report, survey results published on the City of Santa Fe’s website showed very little representation from families with children. Surrounding Neighborhoods: Geographic representation is also problematic. Survey respondents may have been distributed throughout (and outside of) the city. However, the nature of this project has particular geographic implications and whether positive or negative, the results will impact surrounding areas more than areas that are father away. This is particularly true of the Hopewell/Mann neighborhood, which is highly vulnerable to displacement. Representation from Hopewell/Mann and other areas immediately adjacent to the property are not represented in the survey proportionately to the impact that they will bear. The Guidelines state the goal of “promoting social equity” on page 2. In order for this goal to be met in an authentic way, the process of creating development plans for the property and surrounding areas must itself reflect this value. Representation and participation in the process of creating guidelines for development plans that may help shape this important piece of public property must be equitable for any plans to be considered equitable. It is clear that city staff made good-faith efforts to create an equitable process, however, it is equally clear that there is still work to be done to fill the gaps in the current results. There is much to be celebrated in the reports and the work of elected officials and City staff is to be commended. At the same time, there is still work to be done. The process of designing and implementing the development of the SFUAD property bears great weight and has vast implications on the future of Santa Fe. Too much is at stake to move with anxiety and haste. It behooves us all to move forward with deliberate forethought to ensure that the development of the SFUAD property helps to heal Santa Fe of our growing divides and make real the promise of our shared values of equity. We encourage the Governing Body and City staff to actively partner with community organizations that represent the people who will be most impacted, but whose voices are currently not represented to augment the City’s current work. This partnership should be official, intentional and funded so that grassroots groups, who are already the experts at community engagement yet often under-resourced, have an opportunity to honestly and realistically contribute their expertise. A truly equitable plan, must start with a truly equitable process. We must ask ourselves soul-searching questions and be ready to hear heart-felt answers. “How would the Report be different if people of color and low-income people were better represented?” “What is missing from the Guidelines that people experiencing homelessness can contribute?” “What would people who are directly vulnerable to displacement think about the development plans?” “What do youth and families with children have to add to the story about a development that will largely impact future generations?” It is our organizational experience of over 14 years of community engagement, that when done appropriately, the people who bear the brunt of Santa Fe’s housing and equity crisis are eager to be part of planning the future of our beloved city. We want to remain here, where our families, our culture and our histories are rooted. We want to see a future with us in it, where equity is real and where our voices are not only heard, but responded to. We want to leave the false choice between disinvestment and displacement behind. We believe the SFUAD development can be a shining example of Development Without Displacement and it is our hope that if we work together, we can make that happen. #EquitableSFUAD Chainbreaker staff and members of our Housing Justice Leadership team have compiled this document to highlight what we view as important aspects of the reports regarding the Santa Fe Art and Design property. Read the analysis. ¡Posolada! Come celebrate the holidays with Chainbreaker at our Annual Posolada! Every year we get together with community to enjoy delicious food and visit with our neighbors at our office, located at 1515 5th St. (next door to Bienvenidos) as always we will be serving posole and giving away at least 30 kid’s bikes to families with […] November Holiday Closures Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training © 2019 Chainbreaker All Rights Reserved.

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Africa, Bangladesh Factory Fire, China, Health Care, Middle East 50 Years Strong! Long live the PLP! From South Carolina to the Middle East, capitalism keeps killing the working class. From bombs falling on Shia to bullets blasting their way into the back of another unarmed Black worker being fired out of the gun of a KKKop, the violence of this economic system continues to brutalize the working class. Every bomb that falls in Syria or Iraq as the jihadist fascists fight the imperialist puppet fascists and workers keep getting slaughtered is a testament to the need for Progressive Labor Party’s egalitarian vision of Communism. 50 years ago, the international Communist movement appeared to be unstoppable. There were no suicide bombers or Jihadists in the Middle East because there was a powerful Communist movement that inspired the working class with a secular humanist vision grounded in the need to improve our society to benefit everyone. The essence though, was that that movement was flawed due to it being based on maintaining capitalist economic and social relationships. PLP was born out of breaking with the old CP-USA. The CP was Communist in name only because they had abandoned fighting for Communism by then. By breaking with the CP, PLP was then able to continue the fight against revisionism as an integral part of the fight for Communism. Half a century later and Stalin’s warning of the dark ages of human history should the Communist Movement fail have now come true. The worst part is that these are still the good old days. Nobody has fired off the nukes yet, people are still eating, and the first world countries can still live in the bubbles of safety that come at the expense of the rest of the world’s billions of workers remaining in oppressive exploitation at the behest of profit. China is now the most oppressive regime in the world. It is wantonly destroying the environment in our already damaged oceans by building landing strips on top of corral reefs in the South China Sea in order to impose their imperialistic aims on The Evil Empire. The US Evil Empire is worried about this strategy, as it will be able to deny them from their pivot to Asia. It looks like the US’s pivot to Asia is going as well as their last two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only war the US has been successfully winning has been the class war they are waging as pigs are free to kill and deport Black and undocumented workers, hospitals are closed and schools are being redesigned to meet the needs of the imperialists. Two years ago, many workers died in a factory fire in Bangladesh, yet the factories are still unsafe and still making vast profits for the bosses. The working class in the US and all over the world is under attack by capitalism. Half a century ago, the world was divided into two camps, Soviet Imperialism crept under the guise of Communism – even though millions of workers were inspired by Communist ideas, The USSR used them to advance their imperialist aims. Today, the world is still divided by inter-imperialist rivalry and they have no scruples in what fascist groups they use. The Evil Empire uses Nazis in Ukraine and Jihadists in Syria, Iraq, and China to challenge Russian and Chinese imperialism. In order for a ruling class to build imperialism abroad, they must build fascism at home even more intensely. These fascist attacks in the US use the tried and true strategy of divide and conquer in order to attack the working class as a whole. The fascist attack on education was first done in New York City, and then spread to the mostly white upstate area. It is now affecting them. The attacks on Black workers help to set up the attacks on White workers because “labor in the White skin will never be free so long as Labor in the Black skin is in chains.” Walter Lamer Scott was another victim of the racism that capitalism needs in order to maintain itself. The racist pig Michael Slager who murdered him is on charges of murder, but how many other racist murders have happened since? How many more will happen? It is not just one cop doing the killing, but the system of capitalism requiring the force and terror of the state in order to protect its profit system. PLP has broken with the Old Communist Movement’s (OCM) focus on reformism, vanguardism, and the two stage theory. Though PLP will always fight to alleviate the burden of wage slavery and the inherent injustice under capitalism, we are clear that this is part of the uncompromising struggle for Communism. We know that capitalism can never be reformed to meet the needs of the working class just as slaves could never run the plantations in order to get rid of slavery. PLP is a mass party dedicated to relying on and trusting the working class. The OCM didn’t believe that the masses could grasp the ideas of Communism and fight for it directly. We do. We know that the working class has built this world and will rebuild a better world. We know that the working class is at its best under Communist leadership. We know that one Party dedicated to creating one world of the working class is what’s needed. Finally, PLP has negated the struggle for socialism. Socialism is just another form of capitalism. Egalitarian profit-based wage slavery can never emancipate the working class. The same ideological superstructure is necessary in order to maintain an economic base predicated upon systemic inequality. Communism is the answer to the problems wracking the world today. From the way that homosexuals are treated all over the world, to the racist attacks happening in South Africa as one group of workers uses nationalism and racism to attack another group, to racist pigs blasting our working class brothers and sisters on the streets of the US, to fascists massacring villages and rewarding themselves with young girls as sex slaves, the world needs an answer that is based on a scientific understanding of necessity rejecting racism, sexism, and nationalism. We need to organize based on class, the relationship to production, and fight for Communism. In order to do that, we must build PLP wherever we are so that the next 50 years will see victory for the world’s working class. PLP started with less than 20 dedicated revolutionaries in a room of a seedy hotel and has now spread to over 20 countries on 4 continents. We can’t be stopped and we won’t stop until we have ultimately emancipated the working class from all forms of slavery. PLP fighting for Communism is the only hope for mankind. Tagged anti-racism, Bangladesh, Bangladesh factory fire, Capitlaism, Communism, economic crisis, education reform, Iraq, ISIL, Racism, sex slavery, Sexism, Socialism, South Africa, South Carolina, South China Sea Airstrip, Syria, Walter Scott, Xenophobia, yazidi Communism, Economy, fascism, Immigration, Imperialism, International, Latin America, Liberals, Marches/Demos, Middle East, Nationalism, police brutality, Police Terror, Racism, U.S. Fascism Grows In The USA, Ukraine, Gaza, And All Over The World Racism is the other side of the coin of patriotism. Patriotism and nationalism are synonymous and are the ideological foundation that motivates the working class to kill themselves in the interests of their own bosses. Whether it is small nation nationalism or big nation nationalism, borders are artificial and divide the working class. Borders do not stop capital investments from flowing; they just keep the working class producing at the lowest wages possible. When the workers try to flee the harsh economic conditions that US imperialism creates, they are then scapegoated and used to facilitate anti-immigrant racism, thereby dividing the working class and turning it against itself. The Party recently marched and rallied against anti-immigrant racism in Murrieta, CA. Since we were not defenseless women and children nor liberal pacifists, they did not confront our militant, multi-racial, multi-gender march against the fascist organizing going on. Towns like Murrieta are important to the bosses because they allow them to whip up the kind of hysteria that their fascist designs need with more wars looming against Russia and China. In Ukraine, hundreds of dead workers litter fields as one group of IMF/EU/US backed workers battles against Russian backed workers. The dead women, men, and children of flight MH17 and the recent victims of Israeli colonial style racism in Gaza are actually victims of capitalism. Russia is pointing out that a Ukrainian SU-25 fighter was trailing the Malaysian plane. Whether or not a Russian made BUK missile is to blame or an air-to-air R-60 is doesn’t change the fact that innocent workers have died in a war zone between rival imperialists trying to geostrategically divide the world. The working class suffering and dying in Gaza is also part of the crimes of modern day capitalism. How many children does capitalism kill each day? How many children are right now dying of thirst in the desert because they can’t live due to the highly profitable drug wars being fought by destitute working class youth organized into gangs in places like Honduras and Mexico where their blood fuels vast profits in banks that make money from the money laundering. Today, July 21, is also the one year anniversary of Kyam Livingston who was murdered in a Brooklyn cell. The same racism that killed her took another victim, Eric Garner, last week as a man was murdered by the police for selling loose cigarettes. The same racism that is build and fueled by deporting undocumented workers and their children is the cutting edge of fascism that is being wielded relentlessly on the black working class. As fascism is being built in the US and around the world, it will be the working class that fights and dies for the super rich to get super richer. WWI saw the world get re-divided as a decaying empire, Britain, had to fend off its rival upstarts in Germany allied with the dying empire of the Ottoman Turks. Communist Revolution caused a quick ending to WWI and gave state power to the working class in The Soviet Union. They fought for Socialism then, and though great advances were made, Socialism will never lead to a Communist transformation of the capitalist economic system as it requires the market, retains the wage system, and does not abolish classes. The Progressive Labor Party knows that with the oncoming World War, the potential for Communist revolution grows. We need to be in it to win it, and we need all workers to join the PLP and help build it where they’re at. Tagged Communism, Eric Garner, Gaza, Israel, Kyam Livingston, Malaysia, MH17, Murrieta, Police Choke holds, Police Murder, Russia, Socialism, Ukraine, World War I, WWI, zionism College Students, Communism, Imperialism, International, Middle East, Sexism, Uncategorized The Working Class in Egypt Rises Up! The Progressive Labor Party applauds the workers in Egypt who are rising up again by the millions to overthrow the Islamist government that is now in power. Though it is inspiring to see millions of people in the streets and battling against the forces of religious superstition dominating a state, they are not fighting for an ultimate solution to the economic issues that they are complaining about. Only a Communist society organized to meet the needs of the working class can meet the demands of the millions of workers that have taken to the streets. They are protesting on the anniversary of the last wave of protests just two short years ago. We were right then and we will be right now – without a Communist Party dedicated to seizing state power and extending the demands of the working class in order to transform society into a Communist economic system, there can be no revolution. Though it is inspiring seeing the wave of religious fundamentalism getting beaten back by the masses and Muslim Brotherhood offices get firebombed, attacked, and the rabid sexists being put on the defensive, it isn’t enough to end all forms of false consciousness. The liberalism and the phony left in Egypt are descendants of Nasser and many of them see the army as a neutral tool or, even worse, as the defender of the secular state. The army in Egypt, like all the bosses’ armies, is a tool of class domination to be used against the working class in order to maintain the rule of the few over the great masses of workers. The campaign is called “Tamarod” which is Arabic for “Rebellion”. It is a rebellion against the rule of Mursi and his feudal aspirations for Islamist rule as a well as a venting of frustrations against the desperate economic situation that many of the workers in Egypt are finding themselves. This desperate economic situation is rooted in capitalism and the worldwide inter-imperialist rivalry as the world’s super-capitalists are fighting tooth and nail to re-divide the world’s wealth, resources, and human capital (hyper-exploitable workers in places like Bangladesh and Indonesia). The reform movement’s leaders have asked all groups to leave their flags and slogans at home and only march under Egyptian flags. This is a wash of nationalism that is hobbling any potential threat to the capitalist class’ rule. The fact is that the dictatorship of capital is not being threatened. The last Arab Spring knocked off a dictator, Mubarak, and put in a dictatorship that ruled from behind the scenes like a parallel to Oz’s Wizard. Now, the army has declared its intent to rule and has served Mursi notice that he needs to step down. The capitalist backers of Mursi are not willing to go gently into that dark night. There is also a danger to women in the protests, as there seem to be packs of men who are attacking female protesters. There are many men in the crowd who have organized themselves as a security against these attacks. It is important that sexist attacks like these are smashed with the full might of the working class. It is bad enough that the protests are already saturated with nationalism and reformist politics, but to be divided by sexist violence against women protesters is something that must never be tolerated. PLP stands in solidarity with those who are protesting in the streets of Egypt while also criticizing their reformist essence. We know that the state must be smashed and a new society built on Communist principles in order for a true change to take hold. The workers in Egypt desire Communism, even if they are not fully conscious of it yet; as the PLP grows and the capitalist crisis deepens, more of them will eventually see the need for Communist revolution. Tagged Arab Spring, Egypt, Egyptian protests, Mursi, Muslim Brotherhood, rebellion, tamarrod Communism, Middle East, Nationalism, Police Terror, the future, U.S., War Capitalism Is Holding Us Back: The Stars Should Be Ours Each year brings more advances in science that shed light upon how much capitalism is retarding the development of the human race and acting as a chain on our potential. The god particle was discovered. A substance that repels water was discovered. Water was found in the polar regions of Mercury. Yup, Mercury has Polar Regions. The whole universe beckons to us. The stars would be ours already if it were not for the limits that profit places on human development. Marx said that war is like taking all of the productive capabilities of a society and then dumping it in the ocean. We have the technology today due to advances in Nano technology to begin to build mining operations in space, to begin constructing things that seem far out and fanciful — like a moon bridge or space elevator. Instead, the capitalists are more concerned with funding terrorism in Syria (either the butcher Al Assad or Al Qaeda); assaulting our ozone and environment with the Keystone pipeline; destroying the working class’ access to quality education by the Troika in Greece or Obama’s Race to the Top in the US; or outright murdering us as factories kill us by the thousands in Cambodia and Bangladesh. The need for capitalism to increase the profitability of capital through maximum exploitation of humanity and the Earth is now plowing ahead with a full head of steam towards World War 3 and our possible annihilation instead of taking ourselves to the unlimited resources that we could have from the Solar System around us. Instead of designing and building floating cities in Venus, we’re designing weapons to destroy cities and kill innocent workers. Instead of building massive coral reefs as a counterbalance to Global warming, Obama and company are getting ready to build a pipeline that will wreck environmental havoc on our world, as if superstorms like Hurricane Sandy are not enough. What was once only dreamed of in science fiction is quickly becoming scientific fact, yet our ruling masters would rather kill each other, and get us to kill each other in their interests, rather than allow us to achieve our historical moment. The revolution just can not come soon enough for us to throw off the yoke of their exploitation driving us to slave for our annihilation. These parasites, the capitalist bosses, inhuman garbage that they are, need to be thrown off of the proletariat’s back. A world that is sustainable, green, healing, feeding us and clothing us all, meeting the needs of all, can only be built by a Communist Revolution led by the Progressive Labor Party. Our advanced line of fighting directly for Communism, a society based on meeting the needs of the working class by our class struggling together, will break the shackles on our development. We will inherit the Earth and the stars, the ability for us to feed every human being 20 times over and educate every worker to be a leader, the death of exploitation, sexism, nationalism, ideology, and racism with the ascendancy of scientific thought based on the power of Dialectical Materialism. Tagged al Qaeda, Communism, Dialectical Materialism, floating cities of Venus, Mercury, Moon bridge, Obama, Race to the Top, Racism, revolution, Sexism, Space Elevator, Syria, Venus, water on Mercury Action, Asia, Bangladesh Factory Fire, Communism, Economy, Imperialism, Industrial Workers, International, Labor, Middle East, Nationalism, Racism, Special Oppression of Women Inter-Imperialist Conflict murders in Bangladesh and Gaza Imperialism and Inter Imperialist rivalry plays out and it’s the workers that suffer. As the major capitalist class wrangles on the macro level, hundreds and hundreds of workers die at the micro level. The workers are rising up again in Egypt, while the global ambitions of a rising China and Russia challenging a crumbling US empire and their bullyboy Israel has had ramifications that have not only affected the working class in Gaza and the West Bank, but also over a hundred dead workers burned alive in Bangladesh. The designs and plottings of the ruling class are paid in blood by the working class. Gaza was a case study in ruling class hypocrisy. Over a year ago, the US tried to push a UN resolution against the Assad regime in Syria condemning them for dropping bombs on their citizens. They deplored the kind of government that would dare to drop bombs on their own citizens, the poor innocent people, and all the hand wrangling, false tears, and whatnot that accompany politicians on a humanitarian mission when oil is involved. Russia and China were all about the fact that Assad may be a dictator and a murderer, but he’s our dictator and he gives us sweetheart deals and lets us have a base and we love him. So, Russia and China blocked the UN from condemning Syria and following the humanitarian Imperialism that the Libya blueprint laid down. Fast forward a year, and here we have Israel dropping bombs on Gaza. The USA is blocking any condemnation of Israel dropping bombs on the civilian population of Gaza. Israel being an apartheid society, doesn’t recognize the Palestinians as much more than demi-humans taking up space. Taking a page out of the How The West Was Won handbook of genocide with another out of the Nazi handbook for How To Treat A Ghetto, they have kept the Palestinian population walled up and sieged in a situation that mirrors all of the worst moments in human history. The Israelis are carrying out their election year tradition of bombing the civilian population of Gaza to collectively punish the Islamist-Terrorist organization of Hamas. In Israeli ideology, every Gazan is a terrorist since Hamas is the elected leadership of Gaza. Subjecting every individual to an all-consuming hegemonic identity is called “racism”, and it is a useful tool for motivating the soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to commit atrocities on the Palestinian working class. It is not the rich Palestinians that worry about bombs being dropped on them, as it’s the working class’ children who pay the worst price for the designs of the ruling class. PLP, its allies, and friends in Gaza and Israel, will continue to build the kind of multi-racial, anti-nationalist, anti-capitalist Communist leadership that is needed in Israel and throughout the Levant. As the Imperialists dropped bombs on a civilian population in the Levant, the insatiable need to increase profits at the cost of the working class has murdered over a hundred mostly female workers in Bangladesh. They were burned beyond recognition, jumping to their deaths, crowded like cattle trying to push their way out of narrow corridors just like a century ago in downtown New York or a few years ago in the very same country! The racist capitalists do not care about the working class. They do not care about anything other than exporting their capital to where it can make the greatest return. Echoing the intense oppression of the textile industry in Europe when Marx was first writing, the capitalists are at it again. Bangladesh exports about $18 billion worth of garments every year. Workers in the country’s factories are among the lowest-paid in the world with entry-level workers earning a government-stipulated minimum wage of about $37 a month. Bangladesh’s garment industry, the second largest exporter of clothing after China, has a notoriously poor record of fire safety. Since 2006, more than 500 Bangladeshi workers have died in garment factory fires, according to Clean Clothes Campaign, an anti-sweatshop advocacy group based in Amsterdam. Experts say many of the fires could have been easily avoided if the factories had taken the right precautions. Many factories are in cramped neighborhoods, have too few fire escapes and widely flout safety measures. The industry employs more than three million workers in Bangladesh, mostly women. Most of the workers who died were on the first and second floors and were killed, fire officials said, because there were not enough exits for them to get out. “The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor,” said Maj. Mohammad Mahbub, the operations director for the fire department, according to The Associated Press. “So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building.” The sexist Tazreen Fashions Limited was making over 3 million US dollars a month in profit! They had NO fire exits! Another element of the tragedy is that they provided childcare in the factory. How many of the women lost their children to the flames that were fueled by the capitalist’s greed? How much did the sick fucks who caused this tragedy pocket? And what type of garments does The Tazreen Fashion Factory make you ask? WalMart garments it seems. While WalMart is attacking its striking workforce in the US, it is literarily murdering them oversees. PLP is organizing with the striking WalMart workers in the US and is with the workers in Bangladesh who have been fighting back against the terrible conditions that capitalism has forced upon them. We will continue to support the brave women and men workers who are struggling in Bangladesh and all over the world. The Url: http://www.alibaba.com/member/bd100182308/company_profile.html can be used to send a message directly to the murdering capitalist scum Mr. Aftab uz Zaman. Other contact information for messages as follows: Email: noton@tubagroupbd.net Contact Person: Mr. Aftab uz Zaman Telephone: 880-01711346642 Mobile: 880-1191827254 Fax: 8802-8860025 (Head Office) Address: Nischintapur, Zirabo, Savar, Dhaka-1341, Bangladesh A Consignee in the US is : INTERNATIONAL DIRECT GROUP INC
. 499 FASHION AVE STE-12, NEW YORK, NY 10018-6803 Tagged Bangladesh, Bangladesh fire, Capitalism, Gaza, Racism, Sexism, Triangle Fire Imperialism, International, Leaflets, Middle East, Nationalism, U.S., War What will stop the attacks on Gaza and the West Bank? ONE STATE, TWO STATES or A COMMUNIST STATE? Once again the Israeli Zionist rulers are launching a full-scale murderous military attack against the Palestinian civilians – men, women and children – in Gaza, just as they did with the brutal Cast Lead massacre in 2008-2009. They claim that this is in retaliation for and to stop the rockets fired from Gaza into Israel. This is a big lie! The current murders are simply the latest step in the constant fascist attempts to “ethnically cleanse all of Palestine. *There is no doubt that the 2nd attack on Gaza is a war crime and that the military occupation of Palestine by Israel is wrong and unsustainable. At 44 years, it is one of the longest occupations in history and violates every precept of international law. Not only are Palestinians reduced to living on 22% of their former land, but they have been deprived of much of their water, farmland, employment, and freedom of movement. Continuous warfare afflicts not only the region but fuels world conflict. No one demonstrating here today disagrees with any of this. *The much more difficult question is what should we be fighting for? Is it enough to demand that siege of Gaza and the occupation end, the settlements be dismantled, or a “Palestinian state” be established? This issue cannot be addressed without considering the role of racism and nationalism in the history of Israel and the current struggle between Israel and Palestine. The influx of Jews into Palestine was a response to their racist persecution in Europe and the nationalist impulses of the late 19th century. The massive increase in immigration after the Holocaust also largely reflected the refusal of Western nations to accept Jewish refugees. In addition, the US and Britain were glad to have an enclave of people with Western capitalist values and ties in the Middle East, which was rapidly gaining importance as the major source of oil. Instead of going to “a land without people for a people without land”, the Jews arrived in a densely populated area. In 1948, the UN gave 55% of the land to the Jews, when they comprised only one third of the population and owned only 6% of the land. 750, 000 Palestinians, 6/7 of the population, were brutally expelled from their homes. In the 1967 war, Israel began the occupation of Palestinian land and took total control over 46% of the West Bank. Now the Wall, the checkpoints, the ban against Palestinians working in Israel and other indignities have reduced Palestinians to a state of desperation. *None of this would have been possible if the Zionists were not themselves guilty of racism. Instead of learning from centuries of anti-Semitism that racism is the father of genocide and divides poor peoples against one another, they used the same ideology to suppress other people. Meanwhile, now as throughout history, the wealthy and the rulers use these ethnic divides to their own advantage. The US arms Israel to the teeth, not out of love for Judaism, but to maintain bully-power over the oil rich nations and their potential allies in the area. Ordinary Israelis suffer the costs of occupation in lives lost, morality destroyed, and social services cut to finance the military, all tolerated only because of anti-Arab racism. Despite the fortitude displayed by Palestinians in surviving the occupation, many are now focused on the strife which continues between the corrupt Fatah movement, and fundamentalist, nationalist Hamas, neither of which promises social equality for Palestinians, or leads to an effective resistance. Palestine, like Israel, is a class society, and needs a mass anti-racist movement of workers for a society in their own interests. Jewish and Arab workers. from the river to the sea. must unite to fight the capitalist rulers. *So we come to the question, what do we ask for now? It is not good enough to ask for equal civil rights and look to South Africa for inspiration, as do many activists. For although apartheid is gone, the condition of the majority poor black population in SA remains abysmal. As long as the same capitalist system, the same corporations are running the country, poor workers are no better off – maybe worse, having lost the activism of the anti-apartheid movement. From India to El Salvador, throwing off colonialism but not capitalism, has not improved the lot of workers. That is why, while we march against the attack on Gaza and the evil of occupation, we should also march for an egalitarian, anti-racist, anti-sexist struggle and a communist society in Israel–Palestine, History provides many examples of struggles uniting Arabs, Jews and others in the region against common exploiters. Without a fight for communism in the Middle East and the US, global inter-imperialist wars, fought by workers taught to hate and fear one another, will destroy us all. Tagged Israel, Palestinians Action, Communism, fascism, Imperialism, International, Middle East, Racism, Sexism, Strikes, Uncategorized The Class Struggle Rages Everywhere The class struggle rages everywhere, intensifying seemingly every minute. Students and teachers are joining forces and are on strike in Quebec, while the indignados in Spain, march in the streets. The hundreds of thousands of Greek workers who are saying no to preserving the profit system at the expense of the social safety nets their blood paid for are saying no through voting lesser evil bosses who wave a red flag of leftism to hide their own particular flavor of sell out. The world’s workers rage on against the onslaught of growing fascism and imperialist world, yet where is the revolution? Where are the Communist uprisings in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, or Pakistan? Where are the Red insurgencies struggling to build an egalitarian vision? Where is the Communist revolution that will free our class once and for all from the parasitical despots that keep sucking our blood to engorge themselves like the fat insatiable leeches that they are? The answer is “in gestation”. The Naxalites, Shining Path, PKK, and any other of the darlings of the Maoist Left will just lead the into a new cell within the prison of capitalism. The Progressive Labor Party is that revolution in the utero of the class struggle. We know that class struggle in and of itself will never lead to Communist revolution, as Lenin said, “Without the Party, there can be no revolution”. We are the best hope of the world. Without a world based on Communism, the uprisings of last spring will lead into the Emirate being built and cultivated by the US and NATO in Benghazi, a dictatorship without a dictator in Egypt, civil war where Imperialists use Syrian workers to kill Syrian workers based upon the false consciousness of religion. The contradictions of the class struggle are beginning to intensify. There has never been a better time to be a Communist than now. The world’s bosses have proven time and again that they have no answers to the recurring crisis of capitalism, but only Communist revolution can end the cycle once and for all. Join PLP and help to end racism, sexism, nationalism, and all of the disgusting ideologies that capitalism fosters to preserve itself. Action, Africa, Asia, books, Communism, Economy, education, Elections/Voting, Environment, Europe, fascism, Health Care, Historical, Immigration, Imperialism, Industrial Workers, International, Jobs, Labor, Latin America, Liberals, Marches/Demos, May Day, Middle East, Nationalism, Occupy Wall Street, PLP History, police brutality, Police Terror, Political Economy, Racism, Religion, Sexism, Soldiers, Students and Teachers, U.S., War MAY DAY!!! Fight For Communism! May Day’s Communist Roots Belie Rulers’ Reform Sham Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at 11:56AM May Day has always had two sides to it: one that demands reforms, and the revolutionary side that organizes to destroy capitalism. May Day commemorates a massive strike wave in the U.S., and the particular battle in Chicago’s Haymarket Square in 1886. The movement’s leaders demanded an 8-hour day, but also advocated the “abolition of the wage system.” Six of them were hung by the rulers for their allegiance to the working class and defiance of capitalism. Then and now the capitalists feared this revolutionary side to May Day. In 1848, Marx and Engels wrote in the Communist Manifesto, “A specter is haunting Europe, the specter of Communism.” By 1886, the rulers of Chicago saw this specter. “The newspapers and industrialists were increasingly declaring that May 1, 1886 was in reality the date for a Communist working-class insurrection modeled on the Paris Commune. According to Melville E. Stone, Head of the Chicago Daily News…a ‘repetition of the Paris Communal riots was freely predicted’ for May 1, 1886” (Page 90, “Labor’s Untold Story,” Boyer and Morais). In December 1886, San Francisco transit workers joined this rising strike wave. They demanded a workday reduction from 13-15 hours to 12 hours (then 7 days a week), and for a pay increase from $2.25 to $2.50 a day. “Strike-breakers were hired, and there was a great deal of violence. Cars were damaged, strike-breakers were beaten, and one person was killed.” Newspapers reported eight instances of the use of dynamite by the striking workers. In March 1887, the Governor signed a bill “limiting gripmen, drivers, and conductors to a 12-hour day.” (“Transit In San Francisco” published by SF MUNI RR Communications Department.) In the 1880’s the early leaders of the American Federation of Labor were somewhat radical — it was actually an AFL delegate’s report to the Marxist-led International Workingmen’s Association that led to the call for the first May Day. But by the 1920’s the pro-capitalist AFL leadership, fearing the growth of communist ideas in the working class, collaborated with the U.S. government to subvert May Day. At the 1928 AFL Convention, the Executive Council supported a Congressional resolution to make May 1 “Child Health Day.” They said, “May 1 will no longer be known as either strike day or communist labor day.” The revolutionary side of May Day dominated when the communist movement was strong. During the peak of the communist organizing of the CIO’s industrial unions in the 1930’s and ‘40s, May Day was celebrated in the U.S. As many as 250,000 would march to New York’s Union Square. However, with the advent of the Cold War, and U.S. imperialism’s launching of a worldwide anti-communist offensive, the bosses’ government in Washington helped oust communists from union leadership by making it illegal for them to hold union office. With the triumph of business unionism and anti-communism, organized labor discarded May Day and recognized Labor Day in September. However, in 1971 PLP resurrected the annual May Day march from its abandonment by the old U.S. Communist Party. PLP has marched in many cities every year since. From the Haymarket battle in 1886, revolutionary workers spread May Day around the globe. But history is written by the conquerors, and many workers born here know nothing of the contribution that the U.S. working class, with the support of the international working class and communist movement, made to the development of this revolutionary holiday. Today May Day is the official Labor Day in most countries, but the leadership of these marches demand reforms, and stress the “common goals” of labor and capital. PLP has learned from the triumphs of the communist movement in the USSR and China, and from their failure to fight directly for communism. We advocate “Abolish the Wage System” as part of changing the relationship of workers and work in a new communist society. The abolition of money, of production for sale and profit and of the wage system is absolutely necessary to establish communism. When the international working class wins and holds control over all economic, political and cultural institutions of society, it will unleash a creative power that will propel the human race to its highest accomplishments in all fields of endeavor. We call this the dictatorship of the proletariat. We need a mass revolutionary communist party to achieve this. The capitalists will use every means — including mass, fascist terror and war — to prevent it. For the last several years some groups now want to “Reclaim May Day.” They want to reform the “evils” of capitalism, but disconnect May Day from its communist roots. PLP seeks to keep May Day as a revolutionary international working-class holiday; to advance and popularize communist production for need as the future of the human race; to develop a strong and healthy class hatred that will destroy wage slavery and fascism everywhere. Long live the 1st of May, the revolutionary, international, working class holiday! Fight for communism! plp.org

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History of U.S. Machine Safeguarding When manufacturing moved from small shops to factories during the Industrial Revolution, inexperienced, often very young workers were confronted with a confusing jumble of moving belts, pulleys and gears. While pre-industrial craftsmen faced risks from kilns and hand tools, industrialization introduced massive steam engines and fast-moving machines. Adults and children, some as young as four years old, operated unprotected machinery 12-16 hours a day under conditions unheard of today, with many losing their lives. In America the use of labor saving machines was driven by a regulatory climate that discouraged employer’s interest in safety. As a result, manufacturers at the time developed machinery that was both highly productive and very dangerous. Overworked American factory workers in the 1900s faced life with missing limbs, damaged vision and hearing, lung infections, and severe burn injuries. Workers who were injured might sue employers for damages, yet winning proved difficult. If employers could show that the worker had assumed the risk, acted carelessly or had been injured by the actions of a fellow employee, courts would usually deny liability. Only about half of all workers fatally injured recovered anything and their average compensation amounted to only half a year’s pay. Because employee accidents were so cheap, industrial machinery was developed with little reference to safeguarding. Not unexpectedly, reports from state labor bureaus were full of tragedies that struck the unlucky. These reports spurred the budding labor movement to call for factory safety. In 1877, Massachusetts passed the Nation’s first factory inspection law. It required guarding of belts, shafts and gears, protection on elevators, and adequate fire exits. Its passage prompted a flurry of state factory acts. By 1890, nine states provided for factory inspectors, 13 required machine safeguarding, and 21 made limited provision for health hazards. On the national level, Congress passed a federal employers’ liability law in 1908 that made it more expensive for companies to have a machine accident on their books. Thanks to the new law, worker injuries that once cost companies $200 to resolve now cost almost $2,000. In 1910, the state of New York created a workmen’s compensation law that forced companies to automatically compensate for workplace injuries, eliminating the need for families to take corporations to court. By 1921, 43 more states had followed New York’s lead and established their own compensation laws. Compensation laws and other liability costs suddenly made workplace injuries an expensive proposition for many employers. What followed was a slow but steady increase in machine safeguarding. Manufacturing companies began to work to create safer production equipment, and managers began getting tasked with identifying machine dangers. In 1913, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics documented approximately 23,000 industrial deaths among a workforce of 38 million — a rate of about 61 deaths per 100,000 workers. Although the reporting system has changed over the years, the figure dropped to 37 deaths per 100,000 workers by 1933 and 3.5 per 100,000 full-time-equivalent workers in 2010. A major contributor to the trend in fewer deaths was machine safeguarding. After WWII accidents declined as powerful labor unions played an increasingly important role in worker safety. Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) became a requirement with gloves, masks and aprons given to workers. Posters were hung throughout the plant floor reminding workers of their responsibility to think and act in a safe manner. Basic guards and safety mats became common features around industrial machinery. Also, the American Standards Association published its “Safety Code for Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus” in the 1940s. Very similar to OSHA 1910.218 it was written to serve as a guide for machine manufacturers in guarding systems. The National Safety Council found that the injury frequency rate dropped from 15 injuries per 100 full-time workers in 1941 to 9 in 1950. By 1956, it reached a decade low of 6 per 100 workers. As impressive as those numbers were, the on-the-job death toll in the 1950s remained a stubborn 13,000-16,000 workers annually. In the 1960s economic expansion again led to rising injury rates with 14,000 workers dying each year. An additional 2.2 million workers were injured on the job. Resulting political pressures led Congress to establish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970. On December 29, 1970, President Richard Nixon signed into law the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act), which gave the Federal Government the authority to set and enforce safety and health standards for most of the country’s workers. This act was the result of a hard fought legislative battle that began in 1968 when President Lyndon Johnson unsuccessfully sought a similar measure. In the House, Representative William A. Steiger worked for passage of his bill by saying: “In the last 25 years, more than 400,000 Americans were killed by work-related accidents and disease, and close to 50 million more suffered disabling injuries on the job. Not only has this resulted in incalculable pain and suffering for workers and their families, but such injuries have cost billions of dollars in lost wages and production.” When the agency opened for business in April 1971, OSHA covered 56 million workers at 3.5 million workplaces. Today, 105 million private-sector workers and employers at 6.9 million sites look to OSHA for guidance on workplace safety and health issues. Safeguarding technology and requirements have come a long way since the industrial revolution. Advanced light curtains, interlocked guards, laser-guided systems and presence sensors are now commonplace. Despite this progress, the lack of machine guarding has been named to OSHA’S Top 10 Most Cited Violations List virtually every year since the list began. In 2018 OSHA handed out nearly 2,000 violations to companies for failing to have machines and equipment adequately guarded, underscoring how much work there is left to do. In many respects, we take today’s focus on machine safety for granted. However, by reviewing history we can see how it has benefited society by radically reducing accidents and deaths. Last year in America 2.9 million employees (U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics) suffered a workplace injury from which they never recover, at a cost to business of nearly $60 billion (Liberty Mutual Insurance). These statistics are staggering. To help gain a better perspective on the realities of workplace danger, we have compiled a list of the ten most reported worker’s compensation injuries, as reported by a leading insurance company. By raising awareness of these dangers, we hope we can help you identify hazards in your workplace and take measures to control the risks preferably by eliminating them – but if that is not possible, by reducing them as far as possible. 1. Overexertion– These are injuries due to excessive physical effort such as lifting, pulling, pushing, turning, wielding, holding, carrying or throwing. The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, which is compiled using Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data, workers’ compensation claims reported to the National Academy of Social Insurance and compensation benefits paid by Liberty Mutual, indicates that overexertion accounts for more than 25 percent of direct workers’ compensation costs paid out annually. 2. Slips – Slipping accidents are the second leading cause of workers’ compensation claims and the top cause of workplace injuries for workers 55 and older, as reported by the National Flooring Safety Institute. In a hard fall, a worker may sustain injuries to the knee or ankle, wrist or elbow, back or shoulder, hip or head. Employers need safety guidelines to ensure spills are promptly cleaned and no debris is present which can be dangerous. 3. Falling – In 2013, 595 workers died in elevated falls, and 47,120 were injured badly enough to require days off of work. A worker doesn’t have to fall from a high level to suffer fatal injuries. While half of all fatal falls in 2016 occurred from 20 feet or lower, 11% were from less than 6 feet. Not surprisingly, construction workers are most at risk for fatal falls from height – more than seven times the rate of other industries. These types of accidents can be reduced by the use of proper personal protection gear, training and employee diligence. 4. Bodily Reaction– Coming in at number four are reaction injuries caused by slipping and tripping without falling, often leading to muscle injuries, body trauma, and a variety of other medical issues. Although these injuries may sound non-serious, insurance companies paid out $3.89 billion in workers’ compensation in 2016 for bodily reaction incidences (Liberty Mutual Insurance). 5. Falling Object Injuries – There are more than 50,000 “struck by falling object” injuries every year in the United States, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s one injury caused by a dropped object every 10 minutes. How serious is the danger? Consider this: an eight-pound wrench dropped 200 feet would hit with a force of 2,833 pounds per square inch – the equivalent of a small car hitting a one-square-inch area. Proper personal protection gear usage, such as a hard hat, can be instrumental in keeping the employee safe. 6. Distracted Walking Injuries – They may seem funny in slapstick comedies, but distracted walking injuries in the workplace were recently labeled a “significant safety threat” by the National Safety Council. These injuries occur when a person accidentally runs into walls, doors, cabinets, glass windows, tables, chairs or other people. Head, knee, neck, and foot injuries are common results. As with distracted driving accidents, it is difficult to track the number of occupational injuries caused by distracted walking, since workers might be reluctant to admit they were looking down at their cell phones when they were injured. 7. Vehicle Accidents – Accidents are common in workplace environments using cranes, trailers and trucks. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics more than 1,700 deaths a year result from occupational transportation incidents. Employee Safe Driver training courses are likely to reduce vehicle accidents that may injure employees. Managers are required to conduct routine vehicle maintenance to ensure vehicles are operating safely and properly. 8. Machinery Accidents – Machines used in the workplace are often operated without safety guards and devices, exposing their operators and others to serious injury. Common injuries involve clothing or hair becoming caught in moving parts. Many of the amputations that occur on machinery can be prevented by updating machines with appropriate safeguarding. Electrical updates for magnetic motor-starters, main power disconnects, and emergency-stops, also help to prevent injury. OSHA regulations and ANSI safety standards spell out safety modifications that can prevent needless accidents. Learn more about how Rockford Systems, a leader in machine safeguarding, will help you create a safer workplace with their extensive line of innovative safeguarding solutions. 9. Repetitive Motion Injuries – Thousands of employees suffer from injuries that occur gradually and make it difficult to do daily tasks, such as typing, twisting wires, using hand tools, or bending over to lift objects. These are called repetitive motion injuries and strain muscles and tendons. Over time it will lead to back pain, lumbar injuries, tendonitis, bursitis, vision problems, or carpal tunnel syndrome. Repetitive motion injuries may be temporary or permanent. Employee training and the use of proper ergonomic tools can help keep these incidents low. 10. Workplace Violence – According to OSHA, workplace violence is any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation, or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site. It ranges from threats and verbal abuse to physical assaults and even homicide. Nearly 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence each year. Unfortunately, many more cases go unreported. Workplace violence employee training and employee diligence in watching out for suspicious activities can help keep these incidents at bay. One of the best protections employers can offer their workers is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence. Workplace injuries can leave the lives of employees and their families shattered. Employers have legal obligations to ensure a safe workplace for their employees – and also for anyone else who may visit the workplace such as customers, contractors and members of the public. Did you know that June is National Safety Month? Rockford Systems has partnered with the National Safety Council to promote safety to our valued customers! Nearly 13,000 American workers are injured each day, and each injury is preventable. Here are some of the safety topics NSC is focusing on. Adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each day to reach peak performance, but nearly one-third report averaging less than six hours. The effects of fatigue are far-reaching and can have an adverse impact in all areas of our lives. · Safety performance decreases as employees become tired · You are three times more likely to be in a car crash if you are fatigued · Chronic sleep-deprivation causes depression, obesity, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses Drugs at Work Drug use at work is a safety topic that is gaining attention. Lost time, job turnover, re-training and healthcare costs are three of the primary implications of drug use regularly confronted by employers. The typical worker with a substance use disorder misses about two work weeks (10.5 days) for illness, injury or reasons other than vacations and holidays. · Workers with substance use disorders miss 50% more days than their peers, averaging 14.8 days a year · Workers with pain medication use disorders miss nearly three times as many days – 29 days · Workers in recovery who report receiving substance use treatment miss the fewest days of any group – 9.5 Many employers have adopted safe driving policies that include bans on cell phone while driving and on the job. NSC has created a Safe Driving Kit with materials to build leadership support for a cell phone policy and tools to communicate with employees. Every year, 2 million American workers report having been victims of workplace violence. This violence fits into four categories: criminal intent, customer/client, worker-on-worker and personal relationship (most involving women). The deadliest situations involve an active shooter. Every organization needs to address workplace violence through policy, training and the development of emergency action plans. While there is no way to predict an attack, you can be aware of warning signals that might signal future violence. You might be surprised to learn that falls account for the third-highest total unintentional deaths every year in the United States. Fatalities as a result of falls are surpassed only by poisoning (including deaths from drugs and medicines) and motor vehicle crashes. Fall safety should be a top priority. Construction workers are at the most risk for fatal falls from height, but falls can happen anywhere, and it is important to recognize potential hazards, both on the job and off. Plan ahead and use the right equipment. Ergonomics and Overexertion Overexertion causes 35% of all work-related injuries and is the No. 1 reason for lost work days. Regular exercise, stretching and strength training can prevent injury. Likewise, ergonomic assessments can ward off ergonomics injuries, often caused by excessive lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, reaching or stretching. Struck by Objects While employers are responsible for providing a safe work environment, employees can take steps to protect themselves at work. Paying attention is vitally important for those operating machinery as well as those working around power tools and motor vehicles. Source: National Safety Council

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California Case Law Court: Competency Hearing a Due Process Right By William Vogeler, Esq. on March 15, 2018 12:15 PM Derek Antonio Johnson was waiting in his cell for trial when he was beaten -- by himself. A guard said he was "head-butting" the ground, and slapping and punching himself at the same time. Bleeding from his eyebrow, his eye socket swollen and lacerated, Johnson did not make it to trial that day. Johnson's attorney said the man had a history of psychiatric problems, but the trial judge didn't buy it. Johnson was just trying to work the system, the judge said. No Competency Hearing California's Third District Court of Appeal said the judge erred. Johnson was not mentally competent to stand trial, the appeals court said, and it violated his due process rights not to hold a competency hearing. When substantial evidence suggests a defendant might be competent, "due process dictates a full exploration of the defendant's mental health to determine if, in fact, he or she is competent to stand trial," the judges said. In People v. Johnson, the evidence was substantial. Johnson engaged in multiple acts of self-mutilation, shouted to voices in his head, defecated in his pants, and was placed on suicide watch. Despite Johnson's strange behavior and his attorney's request for a competency hearing, the judge proceeded without him. The jury convicted him in absentia. Guilty of Mayhem But even the crime Johnson committed was evidence of mental illness. He was found guilty of mayhem. After a night of barhopping together, the court record says, Johnson and his girlfriend got into a fight. He jumped on her, and bit her repeatedly in the face. With blood running from bites to her lips and eyelid, she escaped and went to the local emergency room. A doctor glued her eyebrow back together. In reversing Johnson's conviction, the appeals court said there was sufficient evidence of mayhem for any future prosecution. New Overtime Rule: 'Flat Sum' Bonuses Increase the Hourly (FindLaw's California Case Law) Sanctuary Cities Case: Sessions v. California Lawyers (FindLaw's California Case Law) California Legal Research (FindLaw's Cases & Codes)

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Email *: Password *: Forgot password? |Stay Informed The Sciences Roots of Unity Mathematics, Live: A Conversation with Amal Fahad and Rasha Osman, Part II I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum in September. Modeled after the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, it brings together recipients of prestigious awards in mathematics and computer science and young researchers in those areas. By Evelyn Lamb on January 19, 2015 I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Heidelberg Laureate Forum in September. Modeled after the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings, it brings together recipients of prestigious awards in mathematics and computer science and young researchers in those areas. A focus of the meeting was the role of mathematics and computer science in the developing world, and I talked to two women there who are working on projects to improve education and technology in some difficult areas. Rasha Osman, who is from Sudan, has a Ph.D. in computer science and is a Research Associate at Imperial College London. Amal Fahad, who is from Iraq, just defended her Ph.D. in computer science at the University of Rochester, and she will join the Operating System Group in Microsoft as a Software Developer Engineer. This is an abridged and edited transcript of our conversation. It originally appeared as part of the interview series I have been writing for the Association for Women in Mathematics newsletter. You can read the rest of the interviews I've done for the AWM here. This is the second part of our conversation, and it focuses on the programs they're working on to address the needs of their countries, as well as some of the misconceptions many people, myself included, have about the developing world. The first part of our conversation, which focuses on the women's educational backgrounds and personal experiences adapting to a foreign culture, is here. EL: Both of you are involved in things to increase access to education and technology in the developing world. Can you talk a little bit about the programs you’re involved in? Rasha Osman is a computer scientist from Sudan. Image courtesy of Rasha Osman. RO: When I left Sudan, we had a problem in supervising PhDs and doing research in computer science. The idea is that you send someone to do a PhD, they come back, and they’re supposed to try to do research, but it never happened. There are about three professors who were the only people who could supervise, based on the regulations of the university. The others were all assistants. So it wasn’t very feasible. You can’t supervise the whole country. They’ve tried more than one scheme to try to bring professors to visit and then go back, but it never seems to have worked. This time, they decided instead of moving the students and moving the professors, let’s use IC [information and communications] technology. It’s easier for the students, and it’s easier for the professors. There’s a program at the Sudan University of Science and Technology that started about four years ago, and the idea is that the exams have to be in person at the university, and the evaluation with the supervisor has to be done in person at the university, but all other aspects can be done online. [You can watch a video about the program here.] The students register at the Sudan University of Science and Technology. Some of them are residents of Sudan, some of them are from Saudi Arabia, and some are from neighboring countries. They come, say, in January, they register, and they get online access to web conferencing software, and they go back to wherever they are. They are taught about six courses. And they take the exams in June. So they all have to come to Khartoum in June. They have to pass to start the next phase. In the next phase, the supervisors all come from outside of Sudan and meet the students. So you give a one-hour presentation of your research area, what you’re going to teach in the next semester, what research they’re expected to do, and so on. Then the students sit and then they talk to you, and you discuss the subject and so on, and each student chooses two supervisors. In September, an online course begins and goes until December. In January, they come to Khartoum again, the students only, and take their exams, and they have to pass if they want to take a PhD with you. After that, you come in June again. The supervisors come every year once a year and then continue supervising online. I started this program with them in August, and I’m currently teaching a course online. I’m preparing them in the basics, reading papers and so on, and they’ll have an exam and a report to write, and based on that, I evaluate them and decide which students to work with in which areas. Now they’ve graduated some students using this technique, and they have supervisors who have come again for more students. So it seems to be gaining traction. They have about 100 students now and 30 supervisors. I think it’s the first time that a PhD actually had structure in Sudan. Another thing is that most of the students, when they apply their work, they do it on something in Sudan. So one lady did it on the banking system, using machine learning on banking data. Another did it, also on machine learning, on student applications to universities. So they’re actually doing something within Sudan. I talked to a lady who finished, and she wants to start another project. There’s some agricultural data that needs to be input, first of all, into the computer, so they can look at it. It goes on for decades, and they came to the university and said, we have all this data, we want somebody to look at it. If this [PhD program] hadn’t happened, no one would have thought to do that. Now she knows she can take something out of this data. What’s happening to the wheat? What’s happening to the millet? They have a lot of data, but no one knows what’s happening. It’s almost like a breakthrough because nothing like that happened before. They’re having difficulty covering this program because they pay the supervisors in dollars, so you have to exchange the dollars and everything. They’re in the red, actually. This year they went to a local bank, and the bank agreed to sponsor five students for $4,000 each. Then they published in the newspaper that there’s a PhD program with five scholarships for the best students. It wasn’t based on financial need. They wanted to find the students who are smart. They did get very good students, and they are very proud of them. This is the first time there’s a scholarship for a PhD in Sudan. Usually they sponsor you to go out. It used to be they sponsored you because you needed the money. Now they sponsor you because you deserve the money, which is very good. I think this is going to change the landscape of higher education in Sudan. There is a need for research in computer science. We have plenty of research in the other sciences, but computer science was a big issue. I think this is going to be a big help. EL: And what is your project, Amal? Amal Fahad is a computer scientist from Iraq. Image courtesy of Amal Fahad. AF: I told you about the wireless project. Although that didn’t get funded, I couldn’t just let it go. Then I got a chance to go there [to Baghdad University]. I was working on networking. We wanted to build a test bed, which was a network that we built and used for our own testing. I was supposed to take some devices, small sized routers, basically the access points, from my university, the University of Rochester, and implement it in Baghdad University. I had to go through a lot of discussion and negotiation and bureaucratic issues, and at the end, it was, no, you can’t take any devices with you. Because it’s the property of the University of Rochester, so you can’t take it and leave it there and come back. So that was disappointing. In the end, when I went to Iraq, I started with a site survey. I decided to implement a small scope of the whole university campus idea and just implement the first part of it. This is how we put it: OK, we’ll go with the first step, which is only one department and then expand it to a few departments in buildings that are near each other. And then go to the scope of the whole university. And if that works, we’ll go over multiple campuses in Baghdad. I was like, OK, I think I can start with the first part on my own. I started the site survey, which was basically checking signals and that kind of thing. You can’t just go and put up wireless signals and assume that they will agree with each other. That was 2008. I ended up buying some stuff on my own. I did all the wiring and connections and that stuff. I had the first wireless network in the building. I remember when I sent the email to all the people who had helped, at Harvard and U of R. “Yay, this is the first email being sent from the new wireless network at Baghdad University!” I felt so relieved and proud of that. I left these access points. I thought it wasn’t going to last, that the whole thing was going to collapse. But three years after, when I went again, I saw that these four routers were still working. People got convinced, and they duplicated the exact same idea across seven other buildings, so seven other buildings also got wireless connections. I was like, wow, I’m really impressed. I think I kind of gave them the incentive, so they could see that it was actually helpful and useful. Researchers and faculty members were able to use their machines for the first time and get internet connectivity from their offices. That was impossible before. The thing is that, in the university, you know that there’s always electricity. If you want to do any work, you go there, and the power is on. Once you leave and go home, there are frequently power shortages, so you cannot rely on getting the service from your own home. So I think by having the wireless, I managed to provide the connection to a lot of people who badly in need of it. My research, the techniques that I built, the software and hardware that I designed in my research, it was all dedicated to improving internet connection to developing regions. I collected some data from the internet service provider who provided the service to Baghdad University and most of the city, most of the residential areas of Baghdad. I used this data to understand what are the factors and circumstances and how people are getting the service. Delay, bandwidth, and that stuff. After understanding the problem, we were able to design a technique to improve the internet service for them. EL: The “hot topic” here at the HLF was on mathematics and computer science in the developing world. You’ve talked a little bit about some of the issues, but what do you see as the issues and the misconceptions that people who aren’t in the developing world might have about what needs to happen, or what would be the most effective. RO: I think you need to allow people to identify their own problems. Most of the time, the UN sends a consultant, and he comes with a predefined notion of what the solution is. At the end, they’re the ones who decide. If it’s something funded, especially, it’s the international organization that decides what will work and what will not. This has led to lots of failed projects and lots of money that’s just gone to waste that could have been put to better things. Plus it allows people to have more self confidence and the ability to identify their own solutions. Because sometimes their solutions will look completely different because the environment is different, the culture is different. Money is not the issue. There is money. But where’s the good idea? There is money, and they’re looking for an idea. When they don’t find it, they pour it into something because you just have to spend it. Another issue is that there are some over magnified things. If you want to help someone, ask the person, what can I do for you? Instead of saying, here, here’s a water purifier. I may not need the water purifier. I’m OK with my water. It doesn’t make me sick. Maybe it makes you sick, but it doesn’t make me sick. The water running in the pipes in Sudan, people drink it, and it doesn’t make them sick. But if someone comes from outside and drinks it, they’ll get sick. It’s true. The same thing, when you move to Europe [from Sudan], you will get the flu. It will almost kill you because you’re not ready for it. The same thing, if you move from one environment to another, you’ll catch the viruses you aren’t used to. It’s this whole assumption that this is bad, when it’s actually normal. What looks like a poor sorry old hut, it could be he’s the richest person in the whole place. You don’t know what defines rich. People live in huts, but they own a thousand cows, so they’re very rich, and they know they’re rich. But they don’t want to sell the cows to buy a house or a car. They want the cows because that’s what defines money. You define money and power as something else, and you come and say, this is poor, and this is not good. Accept that people are different. Try to help them with what they want, and listen to them. I think it will work better that way. The international organizations and politicians, if they would accept that people are different and know what works for them, things would be a lot better. EL: Personally, what do you think some of the priorities are for Sudan, or should be for Sudan? RO: For education? EL: For education and development, specifically in science and technology. RO: First of all, stability. Sudan was stable from 2000 to around the time the country split. There was a lot of economic stability. I was hired in 1996. In that time, the wages would come late because the government had no money. They’d come in the middle of the next month. And you’d take it, and it would basically evaporate from your hand because of inflation. And it’s like you don’t want to save money. You must spend it now because if you wait until tomorrow, you can’t buy the same thing. You have to spend it now. You can’t plan, you can’t buy, you can’t do anything. In 2000 when the economy stabilized, you could breathe. You could save money. You could open a bank account because it made sense. You could save money, you could buy houses, you could buy a car. I started a business. You could start planning. The minute you have instability, whether economic or political, whatever, people think, what do I have to protect? Nothing. Then you get problems. People lose hope. They stop thinking. If they’re very qualified, they run. This is how a brain drain happens. During those 10 years of stability, people were coming back. Now they’re starting again to leave the country, people with PhDs. I’ve watched this. It’s incredible. I’m living the same thing twice. It usually never happens that you live to see the same thing twice. I’m seeing it all over again. AF: I think the same thing in Iraq. The unstable condition is preventing people from long-term planning. Probably if things get better, one thing that might be helpful is if these big software companies can open branches there, they can give people the incentive that if you’re good enough, you might end up being hired by these companies. People need some encouragement. But you can’t ask Google to go and open an office there. No way. I don’t expect any improvement in the short term just because of what’s happening. I agree with Rasha. You can’t go with a specific mindset and assume that this is actually the way it is. If you go and donate money, this is the worst thing ever because it ends up vanishing. I remember we used to hear that so and so donated this amount of money when I was a faculty member. But nothing ever reached the universities themselves because it’s just absorbed. So money is not an issue. My country is so rich. If we could understand how to manage our own resources, we would be able to be self-sustaining. The instability is the main source of all the problems. The other thing is that unlike other countries, for example if you talk about Afghanistan, women in Iraq are more than welcome to go to school and get an education. Yes, in rural areas, you’ll see girls who finish their primary school and then end up getting married. Their priorities are different. But if you go to cities, you have all the chances to finish the degree if you are willing. Schools are free, colleges are free, even grad level is all free. if you want, you can definitely pursue your education. I remember once I was at an exhibition. This guy asked me, “so, did you get your education after you came to the states?” I said, I’m sorry if this is going to disappoint you, but actually I got my master’s degree when I was in Iraq. “But I thought that…” Yeah, I know, but you have to know that different countries are different. In Iraq, the percentage of women in computer science or these high-tech fields is probably even higher than men. I remember, in the classes I used to teach, 75% of the class were girls. Almost always the top ranks of the class were girls. It’s kind of divided: girls go to science, and boys go to engineering. Engineering is highly dominated by guys, and science is highly dominated by girls. RO: There’s a problem in how they [westerners] think women are treated. There’s this idea that outside of certain regions, there’s a women problem. In Sudan, if there’s a boy’s school, there’s a girl’s school. Always. You have to open both schools. AF: Yes, absolutely. In some of the places, when you cannot afford to open two schools, one for boys and one for girls, you end up with two shifts. For example, guys will go in the morning, and girls will go in the afternoon. RO: I was in the US when I was a child, and when I went to Sudan, it was nicer. You don’t get boy bullying and all that stuff. Girls are very competitive, they’re very smart, they’re very sharp. Now universities are 50-50 across the board. This PhD program is 50% women, 50% men. Earlier, there was a problem. When they started in 2000 sending people outside of Sudan, some people had children. They couldn’t go, they were not willing to take them. So some of the women stayed. And the guys came back with PhDs, and they were assistant professors. I was sitting under them. I remember a professor who taught me earlier. He said, “Listen here, you’re better than them. If you don’t go get yourself a PhD, they’re going to be your bosses, and you’ll never move up. Don’t think that they’re going to respect you because you taught them.” I taught half of Sudan because it was the only computer science department in Sudan for a very long time. He said to me, “They’re going to come, and they’re going to treat you like they’ve never seen you before, that you never taught them, that you’re not older than them. Go get yourself a PhD.” I was shocked. I didn’t want to leave Sudan. I was trying to figure out how to do the PhD in Sudan. It was just, there was no possibility because I didn’t like the quality I was seeing. I thought I was better than that. But lots of women were stuck, who couldn’t go out. It’s like a missing generation. This program is perfect: You can sit at home while the kids go to school, open your laptop, and work. No need to go out. There’s a misconception about women. I was surprised in the UK how women were treated. You could feel in the department: stay down. You feel they’re not respected like their male colleagues. I’ve never felt that in Sudan. I had to work, but I walk in, sit down, and get to work. No one demeaned me because I was a woman. They need someone to do the job. It doesn’t matter if it’s a woman. EL: Is there anything else you wanted to mention? AF: You asked in the email about religion, about wearing the scarf. I think that’s something important on my side. I’ve really felt like it’s a bonus for me. I’ve never felt that i’ve been discriminated against just because I’m wearing a scarf. It wasn’t ever the case. As a matter of fact, it’s helped a lot. People do respect it. There are always crazy people, but the crazy people are everywhere. In general, it was so helpful. People saw my style, my costume, and started treating me based on that. If I didn’t wear it before, I might have started wearing it there. This morning, I had this discussion with someone who said, “Did you know you can take it off?” It’s not like someone asked me to put it on! This is how I am. I love the way people are understanding and respecting that. It wasn’t a problem at all. EL: Really. That’s kind of surprising because you hear about that kind of discrimination. AF: Absolutely. But from my own experience, it wasn’t a problem at all. Probably because of the community I’m dealing with, all highly educated people. RO: Universities are diverse. You already expect to see different people and different cultures. AF: As a matter of fact, I was teaching them a lot. This is something about the USA: they are so open minded and so willing to learn about other people’s cultures, other people’s education systems. I would have long conversations with a lot of people. Sometimes people I didn’t even know. The moment I say I’m from Iraq, that’s going to start a conversation right away. [Editor's note: I—and this interview—can attest to this fact.] RO: Same as Sudan. AF: I wanted to mention that just to be fair to all the people who have been so supportive and so nice. EL: That’s encouraging to hear because you often hear the opposite. I guess “People were nice to somebody” doesn’t really make the news. AF: Absolutely. If everything is good and life is happy, it’s no news. I really appreciated all the people who I’ve dealt with. It’s been wonderful. RO: When I was going the UK, people [in Sudan] asked, “What are you going to do? They’re going to beat you up on the street.” There’s a misconception on the other side because all you see is the negativity. They think, Muslim women are beat up on the streets, so be careful. AF: Yes. In Iraq, they say, “Oh, you are going to those cruel Americans.” No, they are nice! EL: Thank you so much. AF: Thank you. It was really so nice to share. Read the first part of our interview here. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Scientific American. Evelyn Lamb Evelyn Lamb is a freelance math and science writer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. 1,000 Years of Congruent Numbers Parallels and Perpendiculars in the Lives of Two Extraordinary Siblings A Feat of Mathematical Eponymy 2 hours ago — Daniel Cusick and E&E News Ebola Outbreak Declared an International Public-Health Emergency 3 hours ago — Amy Maxmen and Nature magazine "Metronome" Neurons Act Like Timekeepers in Mouse Brains 3 hours ago — Diana Kwon To Fix the Reproducibility Crisis, Rethink How We Do Experiments 4 hours ago — Markus Gershater and Adam Tozer Behavior & Society Universal Desire: Men and Women Respond Identically to Erotic Images 4 hours ago — Emily Willingham The Truth about Anti-White Discrimination 5 hours ago — Keith Payne Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Mathematics, Live: A Conversation with Amal Fahad and Rasha Osman, Part I Learn to Count like an Egyptian Expertise. Insights. Illumination. Discover world-changing science. 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Free Books / Reference / The American Cyclopaedia / This section is from "The American Cyclopaedia", by George Ripley And Charles A. Dana. Also available from Amazon: The New American Cyclopædia. 16 volumes complete.. Mount Vernon, the home and burial place of George Washington, on the right bank of the Potomac in Fairfax co., Va., 9 m. S. by TV. of Alexandria and 15 m. from Washington city. At the time of Washington's decease the estate comprised several thousand acres. The mansion is beautifully situated on a swelling height crowned with trees and commanding a fine view up and down the Potomac. The house is of wood, two stories high and 96 ft. long with a lofty portico extending along the whole front. On the ground floor are six rooms, none large except the dining room. The library and Washington's bedroom remain as they were at the time of his death, and contain many articles of great interest. In front of the house sloping to the river is a lawn of five or six acres. About 300 yards S. of the mansion, on a hillside in full view of the river, is the old family vault, where the body of Washington was first laid and remained till 1830, when it was removed to a new vault at no great distance on the edge of a deep wooded dell. Mount Vernon mansion was built by George Washington's elder brother Lawrence, who settled there in 1743, and named the estate in honor of Admiral Vernon, under whom he had served in the West Indies. George Washington added wings to the mansion, and greatly enlarged and embellished the estate, which was his home from boyhood till his death. He bequeathed it to Bushrod Washington, from whom it passed to his nephew John A. Washington. By him the mansion and 200 acres of land were sold in 1858 for $200,000 to the "Ladies' Mount Vernon Association," who design to hold it in perpetuity as a place of public resort and pilgrimage. Mount Vernon. Mount Vernon #1 I. A City And The Capital Of Knox Co., Ohio Ohio A City And The Capital Of Knox Co., on the N. bank of Vernon river, and on the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon, and Columbus railroad, and the Lake Erie division of the Baltimore and Ohio line, 40 m. X. X. E. of Columbus; pop. in 1870, 4,876. It is well and compactly built on gently as-cending ground, is lighted with gas, and has many handsome residences. It is surrounded by a fertile and well cultivated country, and has considerable trade. The river affords good water power. The city contains two iron founde-ries, a woollen factory, two flouring mills, two saw mills, two national banks, graded public schools, including a high school, two weekly newspapers, and eleven churches. It was laid out in 1805. II. A Town And The Capital Of Posey Co., Indiana Indiana A Town And The Capital Of Posey Co., on a bend of the Ohio river, in the S. W. corner of the state, and on the St. Louis and Southeastern railroad, 160. m. W. of Indianapolis; pop. in 1870, 2,880. It stands on a bluff commanding a view of the river, and has an active trade. It contains two hanks, two flouring mills, two saw mills, a foundery, a planing mill, and other manufactories, several schools, two weekly newspapers, and seven churches. Continue to: prev: Mount Tabor next: Mountain Flora and Plants Answers FAQ [ Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | About Us | Search ] © 2007-2018 StasoSphere.com

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Home Chicago-Local News NNPA National Black Voter Registration Drive Begins in N.C. Chicago-Local News NNPA National Black Voter Registration Drive Begins in N.C. Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr. and Mary Alice Thatch By Cash Michaels (NNPA Newswire Contributor) DURHAM, N.C.—Ten member newspapers of the North Carolina Black Publishers Association (NCBPA) and Dr. Benjamin Chavis, Jr. the president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), have agreed to mount a statewide campaign to maximize the African American vote for the 2018 midterm elections. The NNPA is a trade group that represents over 200 Black-owned media companies that reach more than 20 million readers, combined, in print and online, every week. The campaign will focus on an aggressive voter registration drive, community-level education on important issues, and a mobilization effort—all designed to reach young, Black eligible voters. North Carolina, Texas and Florida are considered to be important states that could change the makeup of the United States Congress, if the Black vote flexes its muscle. The Black Press is considered essential in those states to mobilize that electoral strength. Primaries in North Carolina are scheduled for May 8. The Black Press in North Carolina and in other states will play a powerful role in educating Black voters about political candidates across the country and mobilizing those Black voters to go to the polls. As the power of the Black vote continues to rise, and with billions—not millions—of dollars projected to be spent on advertising, during the 2018 midterm elections, Dr. Chavis said that Democrats and Republicans must advertise in the Black Press to reach that crucial voting bloc. Unfortunately, both the Democratic and Republican parties have traditionally proven to be sorely lacking when it comes to advertising in the Black Press. Despite clear evidence that African Americans are their most loyal voters, the Democrats, have been accused of taking the Black vote for granted. Meanwhile, others have said that Republican candidates seem to ignore the Black community entirely. NCBPA publishers agree that the political parties must be challenged, immediately, while advertising budget decisions are being made. Dr. Chavis, a North Carolina native, said that the get-out-the-vote (GOTV) strategy should be “data driven” for all of the state’s 100 counties. He noted that each of North Carolina’s African American newspapers together cover the entire state, and once the pertinent voting data is obtained, a campaign should be developed around it. The campaign should be featured prominently across social media platforms and Black celebrities should also be enlisted to spread the word. “In our plan, we should have coverage of the whole state—all 100 counties,” Dr. Chavis said, adding that the effort should, “especially target African Americans, who are eligible to vote, but are not registered…in 2018.” Dr. Chavis said that he’s seen figures from 2012 that the number of eligible, unregistered Blacks in North Carolina was between 400,000–500,000. He said that figure is most likely higher now, because of voter suppression, and the purging of state voter rolls. From now until September, Dr. Chavis said that voter registration must be emphasized. Then from September to November 4, GOTV must take center-stage. Part of the plan is to identify 20 North Carolina cities where the NNPA-CashWorks HD Productions 2014 award-winning film, “Pardons of Innocence: the Wilmington Ten,” can be screened in concert with a locally-coordinated voter registration drive. Dr. Chavis, who is recognized as the leader of the “Wilmington Ten”—10 civil rights activists falsely convicted of arson and imprisoned in the 1971 for the destruction of a White-owned grocery store during the height of racial unrest in the city—would accompany the film to speak with audiences about the importance of voting and citizenship. Mary Alice Thatch, the publisher of “The Wilmington Journal” and the president of the NCBPA, said that the film was successfully screened in Lumberton, N.C., in March, to over 400 people from there and surrounding counties. “We want to recreate that spirit in 20 locations between now and November,” Thatch said, adding that the “GOTV initiative should also focus on rural communities.” Helping the community to understand that “empowerment through voting” is the key, Dr. Chavis said. Directing young people to register online via “Rock the Vote,” in part to eliminate the normal complications to voter registration, is also another strategy that should be implemented. Dr. Chavis also emphasized that NCBPA members should immediately seek to get available advertising dollars to publicize voter registration efforts. “We should make voter registration easy [for young people], not hard,” Chavis said. Thatch agreed. “We’re going to have to develop an agenda to get young people to vote,” Thatch said, focusing on issues like police brutality, poverty, the achievement gap, better employment and small business opportunities. Additionally, economic development in the Black community should also be emphasized, as an important outgrowth of voting.” In the meantime, the Black Press should continue to report about the value of the African American vote in their papers. “We can’t expect other people to value us more than we do,” Dr. Chavis cautioned, adding that he was willing to come back to North Carolina to help formulate the plan. The ten NCBPA member newspapers present were: The Wilmington Journal, The Carolina Peacemaker, The Carolina Times, the Carolina Call, The Carolinian, Greater Diversity News, The Fayetteville Press, The County News, The Daily Drum, and The Urban News. Four of the NCBPA newspapers—The Carolina Call, The Urban News, The Daily Drum and The Fayetteville Press—plan to apply for membership to the National Newspaper Publishers Association. This article was originally published on www.BlackPressUSA.com. Previous articleChicago premiere of ‘How to Use a Knife’ Next articleSuburban students participate in Underground Railroad simulation: ‘I was frightened’

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Critiquing Western Foreign Policy and its Progressive Pundits in the 1990s A Review of Powerless by Design: The Age of the International Community, by Michel Feher (Duke University Press, October 2000). by Christopher S. Fitz The 1990s ushered in a new and chaotic period for those seeking to advance or simply protect the rights and dignity of people around the world. Without the familiar, dominant discourse of superpower rivalry, a great number of common ideological reference points disappeared for politicians, journalists and activists. It is this formative period that concerns author Michel Feher in his critical work, Powerless by Design published by Duke University Press. In the opportunistic space of the new post-cold war era, Feher argues that leaders of prominent Western states, especially the United States (US), Great Britain and France, promoted themselves as representatives of an “international community” whose doctrine eventually positioned them as benevolent humanitarian mediators and judges of the world’s unfolding ethnic conflicts. Offering a serious challenge to the foundation of this doctrine, Feher goes on show how prominent would-be critics in the “Western Left” wavered and divided in the face of fluctuating official Western policy discourse of the decade’s three major foreign policy crises – “ethnic cleansing” in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1992-1995, genocide in Rwanda in 1994, and human rights violations in Kosovo in 1999. As a result, the Western Left failed to offer effective critique of the doctrine of the international community. Part of the Public Planet Books series exploring “narratives of public culture” to “challenge sophisticated readers,” Powerless by Design attempts to straddle popular and academic audiences in a concise, fairly readable work encapsulating a number of fresh insights. In less than two hundred pages it outlines several largely ignored issues fundamental to the human rights community in the post-cold war era, exposing the utilitarian functions of the discourse proffered by Western leaders and the problematic responses by an assemblage of progressive activists. While the problems raised are essential to a critical discourse of international human rights, the style and format also lack a systematic depth that may do little to persuade skeptics of either liberal or conservative persuasion unfamiliar with this type of discursive analysis. Nevertheless, this focused critique of prevalent Western post-cold war paradigms has wide-ranging implications and certainly deserves both thorough reading and continued discussion. Feher begins his work with a contradiction. He contrasts the 1999 unilateral military operation against Yugoslavia by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) with the military inaction of leading Western states in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 1992-1995. Underscoring the contradicting policy decisions and accompanying rhetoric to not intervene in Bosnia-Herzegovina but to force a peace onto Yugoslavia, Feher places this reversal beside the responses it provoked in the Western Left. Primarily citing writers and editors of The Nation as representative of this critical group, Feher observes that it advocated decisive intervention to stop “ethnic cleansing” in the Bosnian war but condemned the Clinton Administration for such decisive intervention employed to protect Kosovar Albanians in 1999. The shift of rationale in the latter war, he claims, had negative subsequent effects: it muffled criticism of the 1999 Russian invasion of Chechnya and it squelched calls to intervene in the 1999 massacres of East Timor. Such an introductory claim may prompt instant retorts among many who identify with the Western Left, and that seems to be precisely his point. Far from being the most crucial assertion of the book, however, it simply places the foreign policy discourse explored in later chapters in the context of a wary and seemingly fickle domestic opposition. Feher insists only that such contradicting arguments at least need to be acknowledged because the discourse itself proved to shape subsequent policy in unexpected and unwanted ways. At the core of the book is an outline of the “doctrine of the international community” and an examination of its problematic foundations. Following the 1991 Gulf War, a different kind of rhetoric and policy gradually filtered into the practice of leading Western states. Shifting from the triumphant “new world order,” the Clinton Administration and other Western governments began to speak about a vaguely defined “international community” of which they were implicit representatives. Feher names four tenets that eventually characterized the discourse, policy and practice of this international community by its self-proclaimed leaders: 1) the international community’s interest in post cold war conflicts is foremost humanitarian; 2.) the appropriate role of the international community in conflicts is as neutral mediators to help “both sides” negotiate an agreement; 3.) post-conflict economic and military assistance is conditioned upon the demonstration of the rule of law exemplified by multiparty elections and other democratic institutions; 4.) justice and normalization of society is eventually achieved by holding individuals criminally responsible for the obscene violence enacted in the previous period. Departing from a discourse that clearly identified inimical regimes and national interests – of which the Gulf War was the last major example – Western leaders began to define the international community as a benevolent cultivator of democracy and free markets ready to lend a gentle hand especially in places of strife featured by major international news media. Feher goes on to explore the development and application of this new doctrine in the war of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Rwandan genocide. In both cases, he argues, the practiced doctrine had devastating consequences. In Rwanda, the doctrine of humanitarianism served to protect the architects and perpetrators of the genocide when the French-led Operation Turquoise established a “security zone” harboring politicians, armed military officers and Interahamwe militias. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, the doctrine of neutrality called for Western leaders to constantly deny the existence of a primary aggressor, leveling “all sides” and legitimizing the dubious achievements of ethnic cleansing. Essentially the nucleus of the book, Feher expands on how both crises were decisively shaped by this four-part doctrine. In a severe critique of Western policy, especially that of the United States, France and Great Britain, he thus argues that that its leaders effectively facilitated genocidal aggression in a portrayal of benevolence. Claims condemning the acquiescence of the West in the genocides of the past decade are not new. As Feher notes, human rights activists, engaged journalists and regional scholars have leveled equally serious charges since the public “discovery” of systematic killing, terror and expulsion in Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 1992. But most of this criticism has been couched in the same ethnicized terms promoted by Western leaders and the political regimes perpetrating aggression, alleging a “pro-Serb” or “pro-Hutu” bias, for example. At best, such critiques highlight the attempted political neutrality that characterized Western indifference to these crises, but leave untouched their implicit construction as both novel and ancient intractable quagmires. Feher takes an important and bold step beyond this critical literature. In what is probably the most unique contribution of his book, he problematizes a crucial foundation of the doctrine of the international community – that post-cold war conflicts had pre-cold war origins, namely the resurgence of “ancient ethnic hatreds,” that rendered reasonable policy measures ineffective for intervention. If a critique of the doctrine of the international community forms the nucleus of the book, the analysis of its underlying claims of ancient hatreds equals the discovery of a subatomic particle. Staking out new territory in foreign policy literature, Feher decisively asserts that the ancient enmity claims proffered by regional aggressors and Western diplomats clearly represented a local or foreign policy interest, not a pre-existent cultural animus that led to atrocity. He argues for a focus on the political regimes that organized such violence and continues with dramatic implication that this Western ethnic rhetoric became a self-fulfilling prophecy as policy formed around it. In Bosnia-Herzegovina, for example, the explicitly ethnic character of the negotiations and later reconstruction efforts established both a military competition and a new political system that ultimately justified the “ancient hatreds” that Western leaders claimed from the start. Similarly in Rwanda, tacit US support for the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) that defeated the Rwanda Army in the wake of the 1994 genocide coupled with paradoxical French “humanitarian” protection of the Hutu Power perpetrators in Zaire prompted the RPF to launch a Tutsi-friendly regime to replace Mobutu in Zaire, thus ethnicizing the entire region. Feher thus establishes his critique of the doctrine of the international community by elucidating and subsequently undermining one of its fundamental premises. By framing unwanted crises as problems without rational solutions, leaders of the West created increasingly intractable problems. In effect, he argues, the international community had created a paradigm in which it was “powerless by design.” Assuming we can accept such a radical proposal – the abject hollowness of the international community as a benevolent, humanitarian, impartial international mediator and judge – where does this revelation leave the conscientious human rights activist? Feher concludes by observing how the Western Left was divided first by its response to the Bosnia-Herzegovina crisis, then by its response to that in Kosovo. In the former case, he contends that “traditional liberal activists” who had worked for a principled Western foreign policy were unwilling to seriously undermine the basis of a potentially authentic benevolent international community while, on the other hand, “militant anti-imperialists” were unenthusiastic about offering a critique that would promote Western military intervention. The Kosovo crisis, Feher argues, effectively deepened the divide. While liberal activists were in the unfamiliar territory of actually supporting a unilateral NATO military action, radical anti-imperialists found themselves in the uncomfortable place of championing the state sovereignty of a brutal dictatorial regime. Unlike ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina, neither wing could ignore a NATO air war for Kosovo. And as result of such division, the doctrine of the international community continued to dominate public discourse largely unchallenged. On its own merits, the book aspires to modest goals. Its unapologetic focus on the Western Left acknowledges a limited audience although its focus on The Nation as mouthpiece of the Left may further offend those who resist such a centralized characterization. Furthermore, the use of an explicit discourse-oriented analysis in the arena of foreign policy can be seen as both daring and precarious since writers associated with this field have generally relied on familiar structural and quantitative analyses. Indeed, such methodology may further limit its accepting audience when coupled with sometimes sparse citations for contentious assertions, generalizations of the Western Left and similar sweeping characterizations of the discourse of Western leaders. But Feher did not produce a work to meticulously detail Western discourse on foreign policy and human rights in the 1990s. Instead, he has ventured into new waters with an essay for a divided progressive community to consider, explore and test. While a number of assertions are worth more elaborate investigation, now at least they have been articulated in broad strokes to rouse other writers to dispute, amend or fill in the many blanks. An undermined ancient hatreds discourse may be one of the most valuable contribution of Powerless by Design. It is also certain to be one of the most hotly contested – or completely ignored – in the academy. Owing to the reams of political science literature devoted to ethnic conflict as one of the prominent global features of the post-cold war era, a majority of pundits may quickly write off an assertion that ancient hatreds were foremost a discursive strategy that abetted Western nonintervention. Indeed, critics such as David Campbell[i] who have systematically debunked the primordial ethnic roots of ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina and genocide in Rwanda still stand as a tiny minority to a host of authors who are either enamored with a mystified primeval hatred such as Daniel Patrick Moynihan[ii] or simply assume its inherent volatile character such as Donald Horowitz.[iii] In a sensationalizing news media, the balance is tipped even more overwhelmingly in favor of the romantic primordial notions. Unfortunately, such a weighted backdrop practically requires that Feher produce an inordinate amount of new, systematic evidence to substantiate his minority view in the face of such disbelief. In this regard, Powerless by Design falls short. While not purporting to be a careful compilation of evidence debunking the causality of cultural enmities in post-cold war conflicts, the virtual absence of other prominent, systematic works supporting this constructivist claim does make the book a fat target for detractors. Feher avoids direct challenges from the popular questions of the “root causes” of such horrific violence by focusing instead on the discursive strategies and their respective logics. While not wholly disavowing the possibility of a cultural dimension in the 1990s violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda, he instead emphasizes that Western leaders borrowed the same historical arguments with which the aggressor regimes justified their aggression. And instead of directly addressing the plethora of arguments assuming an inherent ethnic nature of the respective crises, Feher touches on widely available evidence to emphasize that the political regimes of Slobodan Miloševic and Juvenal Habyarimana had the central role in organizing violence in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Rwanda respectively. He quickly moves on to demonstrate how and why this political organization was downplayed by Western leaders, emphasizing ancient hatreds in order to avoid responsibility. Some skeptics may balk at such this intellectual jujutsu, but the generic evidence for blaming respective political programs and the bald instrumentality with which Western leaders ignored such programs renders an argument that, while perhaps not rock solid to positivist skeptics, still deserves to be taken seriously. According to Feher, the discourse of Western leaders laid aside ancient hatreds only when NATO began its undeclared war to free Kosovar Albanians in 1999, at last recognizing the aggressor regime of Miloševic. Such recognition is not lost on Feher who wonders perhaps rhetorically if it entails a shift in the doctrine of the international community – a shift that tepid responses by Western leaders to the 1999 Russian invasion of Chechnya already appeared to reverse. More essential to this work, he questions how the continuance of the doctrine of the international community – in any case – will affect the already divided Western Left. Contrary to what might be expected in a book both generally sympathetic and unsparingly critical of the Left, Feher does not conclude with an innocent appeal for progressive unity. Indeed, his somewhat more ambiguous finale may frustrate those who have painfully experienced the contradicting concerns illuminated in such distant and not-so-distant crises. More importantly, Feher situates readers as activists who will in any case confront the next predicament with greater awareness of the discursive landscape on which they are acting. With the proliferation of essays such as this, we can only assume that such activism will also include a renewed commitment to challenge falsities in that landscape. [i] David Campbell, National Deconstruction: Violence, Identity and Justice in Bosnia (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1998). [ii] Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Pandaemonium: Ethnicity in International Politics (Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1993). [iii] Donald Horowitz, Ethnic, Groups in Conflict (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985).

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Congress Ponders Plight of Sudanese Woman Who Faced Hanging for Rejecting Islam By Heather Clark on July 24, 2014 No Comment WASHINGTON — The plight of a Sudanese woman who was sentenced to hang for refusing to convert to Islam but later freed was the focus of discussion during a Congressional hearing on Wednesday. As previously reported, Meriam Ibrahim, 27, was officially sentenced on May 15th after she was convicted of apostasy against Islam after she refused to convert from Roman Catholicism. Ibrahim was born to a Muslim father, but was raised by an Ethiopian Orthodox mother as the father left the home when Ibrahim was a child. In Sudan, children are expected to follow the religion of their fathers, and her father’s family had reportedly turned her into authorities for rejecting Islam. Ibrahim was also sentenced to 100 lashes for allegedly committing “zena”—that is, having illegitimate sex by marrying a non-Muslim. The expectant mother married Daniel Wani in 2011, and the two have an 18-month old son together, along with a newborn baby girl. Sudanese law prohibits women from marrying non-Muslims, although men can marry whomever they wish without penalty. Ibrahim was convicted of apostasy on May 11th for rejecting Islam and was given four days to recant, which would have saved her life. Unlike others who have faced similar sentences in Sudan, she refused to convert. “We gave you three days to recant, but you insist on not returning to Islam,” Judge Abbas Khalifa told Ibrahim, as reported by the AFP. “I sentence you to be hanged to death.” The court had also ruled that after Ibrahim gave birth—as she was pregnant at the time, she was to receive the 100 lashes, and would be permitted to nurse the child for two years before the execution would be carried out. In late May, Ibrahim delivered a baby girl in the hospital wing of the prison, who she named Maya. Initial reports relayed concerns that the child might have permanent injuries after being born in chains. Amid international outcry, Ibrahim was released from prison last month, but when she sought to leave the country, she was again arrested. According to reports, Ibrahim left Sudan today (Thursday) and is now in Italy, where she will remain until she joins her husband in the United States. On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on global human rights heard testimony about persecution and Islamic oppression in Sudan in a hearing entitled “The Troubling Case of Meriam Ibrahim.” “We intend for this hearing to be an appeal to the government of Sudan to use their legal authority to end the official entanglements Meriam has faced since her arrest in January and subsequent trial,” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), chairman of the panel and also a Roman Catholic, stated. “The harsh application of Sha’ria law on non-Muslims was the trigger for a two-decade civil war in Sudan and the eventual secession of the South,” he said. “Sudan is one of 20 countries in the world who have laws against apostasy–defined as the abandonment by an individual of their original religion.” Also appearing at the hearing was Tony Perkins, president of the Washington-based Christian organization Family Research Council. “Though Sudan is certainly not the worst offender of religious freedom worldwide, the country historically has not had a stellar record on religious toleration,” he stated, noting that the law that was used to convict Ibrahim was enacted in 1991. “Christians [and other religious groups] have been detained by the National Intelligence Security Services and church buildings have been demolished and vandalized.” Omar Omer Ismail of the Enough Project, a group that fights global crimes against humanity, told the panel that the Sudanese government often regards those who reject Islam as their enemy. “This government flaunts a brand of Islam and promotes a racial identity that is exclusive and divisive and is met with wide rejection and resistance among the majority of the Sudanese people,” Ismail said. “According to the Sudanese Interim National Constitution of 2005, ‘every person shall have the right to the freedom of religious creed and worship.’ In spite of this, the practice of the government of Sudan is all but adhering to its contract with the Sudanese people.” Grover Joseph Rees, former general counsel for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, additionally discussed with the panel whether Ibrahim’s children should be considered citizens of the United States and granted protections accordingly. Congress Ponders Plight of Sudanese Woman Who Faced Hanging for Rejecting Islam added by Heather Clark on July 24, 2014

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Columbus Diversity Today Immigrants and resettled refugees have enriched Columbus. They have brought new cultural practices—languages, religions, art, music, and food. Many have also used their entrepreneurial spirit to revitalize the economies of Columbus communities. Historical Context and Overview “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” – Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus” The United States has always been a nation of immigrants, but patterns of immigration have changed over time as global dynamics and U.S. policies intersected. The patterns of immigration evident in the U.S. today are largely a result of changes created by the Immigration Act of 1965. The act abolished the use of quotas based on country of origin. Previous quotas established in the 1920s ensured that immigration was primarily reserved for those coming from Northern and Western Europe. The Immigration Act of 1965 produced a profound and lasting demographic change in the U.S. In 1960, 56 percent of immigrants were from Europe. By 2010, 90 percent of immigrants came from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The total number of U.S. foreign-born residents increased from 9.6 million in 1965 to 45 million by 2015. In 1965, immigrants made up about only 5 percent of the American population. Today, immigrants are about 14 percent of the population. The diverse make-up of Columbus mirrors broader national trends in immigration and population demographics. More than 100 languages are spoken in Columbus today, and one in six residents are first or second generation immigrants – a reflection of the city’s long tradition of cultural diversity. Immigrants and resettled refugees have enriched the city. They have brought new cultural practices—languages, religions, art, music, and food. Many have also used their entrepreneurial spirit to revitalize the economies of Columbus communities. Extension Activities Ohio’s Learning Standards: Social Studies Content Statement 3. Local communities change over time. Content Statement 8. Communities may include diverse cultural groups. Content Statement 13. The population of the United States has changed over time, becoming more diverse. Ohio’s population has become increasingly reflective of the cultural diversity of the United States. HS American History The continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, the internal migrations from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, and the increase in immigration resulting from passage of the 1965 Immigration Act have had social and political effects. Describe the factors that have contributed to the diversity of Columbus today. Discuss the diverse experiences of immigrants living in Columbus today. Explain the impact of immigrants on the economy of Columbus. Analyze the challenges of living as an immigrant in the United States today. 1. What statistics in the segment show the diversity of Columbus today? 2. What conditions in other countries have led to refugee resettlements in Columbus? 3. How do the experiences of various groups of immigrants differ from one another? What experiences can you relate to? What similar life experiences have you had? 4. How have immigrants and refugees contributed to the economy of Columbus? What impact have they made on the revitalization of areas such as the Morse Road corridor? 5. What difficulties and barriers do immigrants often face when trying to earn a living or start a business in the United States today? Conduct a survey of your school or neighborhood to track the number of languages spoken, religions practiced, and countries of origin. Compile the data in a spreadsheet and create charts, graphs, and maps and to show the diversity of your neighborhood. Use Google maps to identify restaurants and grocery stores in the city that serve the international community of Columbus. Sample various foods and recipes, and create an international food festival at your school. Interview a first or second generation immigrant in your community and record an oral history account of their experiences. President Lyndon B. Johnson's Remarks at the Signing of the Immigration Bill, Liberty Island, New York, October 3, 1965 http://www.lbjlibrary.org/lyndon-baines-johnson/timeline/lbj-on-immigration Columbus: Not What You Thought This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 31st, 2017 at 1:29 pm and is filed under New Americans Lesson Plans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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Cricky's Column Australia v England Why Michael Maguire is on borrowed time at South Sydney After yet another humiliating loss on Friday night, Michael Maguire’s days at South Sydney are numbered. Or at least they should be, given the way many clubs within the NRL have chosen to deal with coaches when they hit hard times and wins become more difficult to find than oversized pumpkins in a supermarket around Halloween. Take Jason Taylor for example, the man dumped by the Wests Tigers at the beginning of this year following a run of losses and two years without finals football. He has since been replaced by Ivan Cleary but the way with which he was forced out of the club and to the back of the unemployment line was unjust and based on flimsy reasoning. The Wests Tigers finished 15th in 2015 and 9th a year later, missing out on the finals by a point. But after just three rounds of the new season, he was thrown out quicker than a misbehaving partygoer at a night club after back-to-back losses including a 40 point thumping at the hands of the Canberra Raiders in the nation’s capital. Club officials are quick to lay blame on the coach when their side’s on-field performances are not up to scratch, and this was certainly the case at the Wests Tigers earlier this year. The writing was on the wall for Taylor long before his sacking when Robbie Farah, the clubs’ favourite son, was dropped to reserve grade despite appearing for NSW in Origin just weeks earlier. Then, when he was eventually pushed out and forced to find another club at the end of the 2016 season, after making a late plea to remain a one club player in the Tigers’ heartbreaking defeat to Canberra at Leichardt in round 26, Taylor’s days were suddenly numbered. The Tigers poor early season form was all the convincing the club needed to put the final nail in JT’s coffin. A day later he was clearing his desk and drafting a resume. True, if a club has made a habit of missing finals the coach needs to go because they are clearly incapable of getting the most out of their players or coming up with match-winning game plans. But the Wests Tigers, like many other NRL clubs, seem to feel that if things aren’t going well on the field, it is the fault of the coach, even if the players at their disposal aren’t capable of matching it with the rest of the competition. This from a club that kept a coach on its books for close to a decade after winning just one premiership and qualifying for the finals on three occasions thereafter. So how does this relate to Maguire? Put simply, he may end up the victim of another unjust sacking by an NRL club that believes its coach is the reason for a drop in performance. Not poor management, as in the case of the Tigers, or a lack of player depth which, again, is not the sole responsibility of the coach or something they may have any input in at all. Since winning the premiership in 2014, Souths have finished 7th, where they made it as far as the qualifying finals, and 12th in a disappointing 2016 season. Once again this year, it looks as if they are destined to finish in the bottom eight. Maybe even the bottom four. So how will a famous club with a thirst for premiership success like South Sydney respond to this kind of failure? If they are anything like the other proud Sydney clubs and are following the trend of making the coach the fall guy for circumstances beyond his control, he’ll be sacked using the age old excuse that they are “rebuilding the club” or “restructuring the way we go about business”. But these excuses don’t hold up anymore. Only nine months ago Paul McGregor was on the outer at St George Illawarra along with Peter Doust who were, apparently, both to blame for the Dragons’ underwhelming performances. Making Doust the scapegoat is understandable, he is in an authority position and is responsible for making decisions that directly influence on-field performance. But blaming McGregor, a man who had been in control of the club for just two full seasons, was hard to stomach. Already this year, with the same two men at the head of the table, the Dragons have climbed the ladder and are sitting pretty in third position with seven wins and four losses. Yet McGregor and Doust could’ve been handing in their applications to rival organisations in the lead up to Christmas last year. Then there’s the case of Geoff Toovey who, after four seasons in charge, was sacked in sensational circumstances with the return of advisor and Manly legend Bob Fulton. This despite missing the finals on just one occassion and qualifying for a Grand Final in 2013. Des Hasler was also within a hair’s breadth of parting ways with Canterbury earlier this year. His record speaks for itself but after the Bulldogs got their season off to a slow start he was being held accountable for his players’ poor form. So yes, Maguire has plenty to be concerned about. Like Toovey, he has experienced great success during his time as head coach but has suddenly fallen on hard times. The Rabbitohs are struggling to compete with the best teams in the comp and are a shadow of the side that won the Grand Final in 2014; sitting in 15th position and moving in a southerly direction. Unlike Taylor, and McGregor to an extent, he is operating under a more sturdy board with few weak links and a good track record. Yet, in much the same fashion as the former Wests Tigers coach, he is leading a team full of fallen champions, fading stars, and young footballers who are fresh to first grade and struggling to establish a foothold. Maguire has been a fine coach for a long time but will soon fall victim to the modern age mindset that changing the coach will help reverse a sides’ fortunes while the players get off scot-free even though they are the ones participating in the game. Why must we continue to force the coach to own the teams’ performance after just a few years in charge? Yes, he is responsible for improving and optimising the quality of the players he has at his disposal, but, contrary to popular opinion, he takes no part in the game and is not capable of throwing a pass to his winger or completing a set of six, even if his job, by very definition, is to give that player the best chance to succeed in doing so. Give coaches a chance to build a legacy. If at this stage the side is still struggling, then consider making personnel changes at the top. Forcing change because a club is unfamiliar and uncomfortable with failure and the thought of missing finals will rarely result in improved performance. Surely clubs have learned this lesson by now. Club members will only renew their membership if the team is experiencing success. Sponsors too are drawn to clubs with a rich history of premiership glory. We live in a result driven world so it is understandable that clubs will go searching for answers when things go awry. But we are asking too much of coaches and laying blame on the blameless when it should be attributed elsewhere – to the players who are a protected spices in the 21st century. Posted on May 29, 2017 by Jordan CrickPosted in NRL, NRL 2017, Rugby LeagueTagged Jason Taylor, Michael Maguire, NRL 2017, Paul McGregor, South Sydney, Wests Tigers. Previous Previous post: Bennett’s gamble pays off, Eels’ 2016 salary cap rort comes back to haunt them Next Next post: Sell-out Cronulla crowd shows why the NRL must reconsider playing more games at suburban venues Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts via email. Tackling six talking points from Round 11 sillypointcricket on New 100-ball format highlights… Little Byrnes on Is the hype surrounding Newcas… sillypointcricketsit… on Ashes Daily – England… Jordan Crick on Bangladesh-bound – analy… sillypointcricketsit… on Bangladesh-bound – analy… Australia v India 2016 Australia v Pakistan Australia v South Africa Bangladesh v Australia 2017 Boxing Day Test Chappell Hadlee Series Cricket News Article Cronulla Day/ Night Test Homework-gate Confidential ODI Review St George Illawarra Dragons World Club Challenge 2017 World Club Series 2017 Jordan Crick is a journalist currently residing in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He is a columnist on sports websites such as nothingbutleague.com, viewfromtheoutfield.weebly.com and a contributor to a number of other news publications. This site is a collaboration and catalogue of all published and unpublished content produced by Jordan Crick and as such, may not be reproduced in any fashion without the express written consent of the author. Please enjoy trawling through the various sporting content across the site. Be sure to leave your opinion in the comments section of each article, or contact Jordan Crick on twitter (@cricky_1997) or email (crickyj97@gmail.com) if you’ve got a story to tell. 1,312 Site Views Jordan Crick Tackling six talking points from Round 9 Football’s coming to Cricky’s Column

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Emma Jade Pawelski CASE TYPE: Murder LOCATION: Chalks Road, Mt Crawford CASE DATE: November 26, 2005 REFERENCE NUMBER: MCIB CM06/19 Rewards up to $200,000 will be paid by the Government of South Australia, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police, to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder of Emma Pawelski. REWARD up to $200,000 Emma Pawelski CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO 2 At about 5.15 p.m. on Sunday 4 December 2005, the body of Emma Pawelski, aged 30 years, was discovered in the Mount Crawford Forrest by a bushwalker. This location was approximately 8km south east of Williamstown and off Chalks Road Mount Crawford. The area was a sealed section of forest with access to vehicles blocked by locked gates. It is believed that the body of Ms Pawelski was dumped at this location with the murder scene itself being at some other place. Ms Pawelski was located on the side of a track about 300 metres from the locked gate off of Chalks Road. The last positive sighting of Ms Pawelski was on Saturday, 26 November 2005 when she was seen walking on Regency Road, Prospect, carrying a cat. A post-mortem determined she died from head injuries received during an assault. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1 800 333 000, on-line or email an investigator. Peter Seaford Aggravated Assault – Salisbury Interchange (18-79) Aggravated Serious Criminal Trespass – Kilburn (17-83)

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Calpe is situated on Spain's sunny eastern coast. It's best known for beaches like Arenal-Bol, with its golden sands and azure blue Mediterranean waters. While the seafront and restaurant-packed marina form the town's epicenters, its old town is a must-see, with its Gothic churches, Roman ruins, and scattering of cafes and tapas bars. Be sure to check out La Muralla Roja, a pink, red, and blue castle-like structure by architect Ricardo Bofill. And, if you're a nature lover, there's Penon de Ifach – the colossal limestock rock that dominates that town, which teems with birdlife and features medieval ruins. For nightlife, buzzing Benidorm is just half-an-hour away. Calpe – nenechte si ujít 10 Things to Do in Calpe in a Day Calpe attracts a huge crowd of beachgoers in the summertime with its lively promenades and award-winning coastlines. There are plenty of activities to enjoy on the beach, including windsurfing, jet skiing, and swimming, as well as facilities to cater for young and mobility-impaired visitors. For an adrenaline rush, a climb to the top of the iconic Peñón de Ifach results in a good sweat and impressive views of Calpe and the Levantine coast. Exploring the hilltop historical district gives you plenty of opportunities for beautiful photos, thanks to its Roman cathedrals, colourful mosaic murals, and cobblestone alleyways. Once a prominent fishing village in Costa Blanca, Calpe is teeming with beachside cafés and restaurants that specialise in Mediterranean seafood. Make the most out of your visit by checking out our guide of things to do in Calpe.

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Caught in a web of clashes between armed groups Photo: Gratien Ira/IRIN Clashes between various armed groups in North Kivu have displaced tens of thousands of people MASISI, 25 October 2007 (IRIN) - At Masisi hospital in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's North Kivu province, ill and wounded women shifted uncomfortably in their beds as several men and youths in uniform picked at bandages covering their gunshot wounds. These patients received visits from local heads of some of the many armed groups active in eastern DRC. It was therefore surprising to hear that none of the patients were injured in battle. According to their commanders, the injuries, including bullet wounds, were mostly accidental. Officially, there are just two groups fighting in North Kivu: the DRC army - whose injured troops were present in droves in Masisi hospital - and forces loyal to dissident General Laurent Nkunda. But the army stands accused of co-opting other armed groups, both domestic and from neighbouring states, to purge Nkunda's fighting force from the region. The government in Kinshasa, and some of the groups themselves, deny any formal alliance has taken place. "We have not been asked to support the Congolese army and we are not doing so," said Bravo Jean-Bernard, the local head of the Forces Démocratiques de la Libération du Rwanda (FDLR). "We are not fighting against Nkunda's troops." Asked why members of the FDLR were in the hospital with gunshot wounds, Jean-Bernard said: "We came here for different diseases. But none of them have to do with war." Rwandan link Leaders of armed groups in eastern DRC often evade pointed questions about their tactics. They claim to be fighting on idealistic or patriotic grounds and deny accusations by human rights groups of involvement in crimes such as murder, rape and recruitment of children. The FDLR comprises of Rwandan Hutus who fought against Rwandan troops and allied DRC rebels during the civil war that raged in the east of the DRC between 1998 and 2003. Many in the FDLR used to be members of the Interahamwe, the militia that carried out much of the killing during Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Rwandan President Paul Kagame twice justified his invasion of DRC, in 1996 and 1998, by evoking the threat posed by the FDLR and other "negative forces". In 2005, the FDLR announced it was ending its armed struggle against Rwanda's Tutsi-led government, but it has yet to hand over its weapons. "We are here because Kagame will not allow us to return home," said Jean-Bernard. "We want to change his government, but we will not act militarily, we will act politically." Asked to detail the FDLR's political programme, Jean Bernard told IRIN: "That is a strategic secret." Mayi Mayi Also at the hospital in Masisi to visit troops who had sustained "accidental" wounds, was Daniel Baloume, the second-in-command of the Patriotes Résistants du Congo (Coalition of Patriots in the Congolese Resistance PARECO). Photo: MONUC PARECO is the emerging political wing of the wide range of community-based militias collectively known as Mayi Mayi. These self-styled civil defence units rose to prominence during the 1998-2003 war, with the aim of protecting villages from invading Rwandan troops. Since the end of the war, the Mayi Mayi have been accused of crimes such as banditry, rape and murder. Aware of their reputation, the political wing has opted for a change. "Everyone calls us the Mayi, Mayi," said Baloume, "so we decided to have our own special name." Beyond the name, PARECO's political plans, like the FDLR's, are hard to pin down beyond a stated desire to quell Nkunda's uprising and bring peace to eastern DRC. "Anyone who does not want peace is our enemy," Baloume told IRIN. "Nkunda is our enemy because he will not join the Congolese army." But PARECO denies taking part in the current fighting. Brassage The DRC government says pacifying the east depends on integrating all armed groups into the regular army, a process known locally as 'brassage'. "We accept to go to 'brassage'," Baloume told IRIN. "But not until Nkunda goes first." Rebel general Nkunda, an ethnic Tutsi and former member of the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie, a now-defunct rebel group backed by Rwanda, cut short his own 'brassage' in 2004, saying the government had not done enough to rid the eastern provinces of the FDLR. Many analysts and observers on the ground believe Nkunda is supported by Rwanda's Tutsi-dominated administration, an accusation denied by Kigali, even if President Kagame concedes that Nkunda has legitimate grievances. While the conflict in Congo is often portrayed by the leaders of armed groups as a struggle for the rights of ethnic communities, analysts say it is these very civilians who have borne the brunt of the ongoing conflict. Humanitarian impact "Every time there is fighting between the Congolese government, Nkunda and the Hutu militias in eastern Congo, the primary victims are the civilian population," says Jason Stearns, an independent political analyst in the region. Incidents of murder, rape, looting, recruitment of children into armed groups and forced displacement of civilians have skyrocketed since fighting erupted between Nkunda's forces and the regular army in December 2006. The UN estimates 370,000 people have fled their homes since late 2006, many of them settling in squalid camps for the displaced where they face hunger and disease. Humanitarian groups have been struggling to reach tens of thousands of civilians cut off by fighting. FDLR's Jean-Bernard declined to comment directly on the humanitarian consequences of the ongoing violence in eastern Congo. "We did not start this fight," he said. nk/eo/am/sr • DRC Seeks Arrest of Presidential Candidate Moise Katumbi (May 19, 2016) • Kerry Calls on Kabila to Honor Constitution (May 4, 2014) • U.S. Sanctions Rwanda Over Use of Child Soldiers by M23 Rebels (October 4, 2013) • Rwandan Support for M23 Rebels Frustrates Attempts to End Fighting in Eastern Congo (September 26, 2013) • Rwanda 'recruiting for M23 rebels' (July 31, 2013) • DR Congo Asks Rwanda to Turn Over M23 Rebel Leaders (July 26, 2013) • U.S. Tells Rwanda to Remove Its Military Personel From Eastern Congo (July 23, 2013) • Warlord Bosco Ntaganda Turns Himself In at US Embassy in Rwanda (March 18, 2013) • Obama Tells Kagame to Stop Support for M23 Rebels in Eastern Congo (December 19, 2012) • The M23 Rebels Want to Overthrow Kabila? Nonsense (November 28, 2012) • Thousands of Women March Against M23 Rebels in Kinshasa (November 24, 2012) • Kagame May Face War Crimes Charges at the ICC, Says US Official (July 26, 2012) • US Cuts Military Aid to Rwanda Over Support to Rebels in DR Congo (July 21, 2012) • DR Congo, Rwanda Sign Pact to Fight Rebels in Eastern Congo (July 15, 2012) • U.S. Tells Rwanda to Stop Supporting Rebels in DR Congo (July 2, 2012) • U.S. and U.K. Must Tell Rwanda to Stop Supporting Rebels in DR Congo, Global Witness Says (June 29, 2012) • Kagame Is A Problem for The U.S. and The U.K. (June 23, 2012) • US blocking UN report on Ntaganda rebels, Human Rights Watch says (June 21, 2012) • Congo Government Says Bosco Ntaganda Rebels Trained in Rwanda (June 10, 2012) • Rwanda Should Stop Aiding War Crimes Suspect Bosco Ntaganda: Human Rights Watch (June 4, 2012) • UN Report Accuses Rwanda of Supporting Bosco Ntaganda Rebels (May 28, 2012) • ICC Prosecutor Seeks New Charges Against Ntaganda, FDLR Leader (May 14, 2012) • FDLR • Laurent Nkunda • MONUC • Paul Kagame

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← Pope Francis underlines need for decisive action on clerical sex abuse Pope Francis’ new ‘cabinet’ heralds greater world say in church governance → Church of England paper calls for clear understanding of marriage Posted on April 10, 2013 by catholicvoicesmedia Marriage is “a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman” according to a report by the Church of England’s Faith and Order Commission, which also rules out blessings of same-sex unions by Anglican priests (BBC report here). The paper, ‘Men and Woman in Marriage’ (available here) is about “how Christians have understood and valued marriage”. Although it does not repeat the Church of England’s formal objections to the Government’s Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill now going through Parliament, it says that “public discussion at this juncture needs a clear view of why Christians believe and act in relation to marriage as they do”. Marriage is “an expression of the human nature which God has willed for us and which we share. And although marriage may fall short of God’s purposes in many ways and be the scene of many human weaknesses, it receives the blessing of God and is included in his judgment that creation is ‘very good’ (Genesis 1.31)”, the paper observes, adding that “certain basic structural features make marriage the flexible and supportive social institution it is.” The three elements are: It is an alliance outside the close family circle (technically called ‘exogamy’), so that a partnership of natural kinship-groups is formed in transmitting human life to new generations. It is undertaken for the full length of a couple’s life. And it is an exclusive commitment of one man and one woman. Although marriage in some places and times have occasionally been defined differently, “most developed traditions give these three structural elements a central place in their practices” while the differences there have been “hardly amount to a significant challenge to these structural foundations”. Much weight is given in the document, which is commended by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to the importance of parenting, and the benefits to children from being raised by their birth-parents. This does not mean, of course, that only an ideal family unit of two biological parents can provide a home for children. Society has good reason to be grateful to adoptive parents and step-parents, as also to single parents who must sometimes undertake heroic struggles. But the struggles underline the point: they would be less, other things being equal, and the child more securely placed, had it grown up within the marriage-bond of its mother and father. When a single mother says to her children, ‘I have to be both mother and father to you!’ she recognizes the need to supply the place of the absent father, and teaches her children, at the same time, to look for something more in their home than she can give as a single mother. Furthermore, for children to grow up in some other home than their parents’ may in some circumstances, be their best hope of a secure childhood. But a good alternative will imitate as closely as possible the form it seeks to substitute for. At the heart of marriage, the paper says, is sexual difference and complementarity. Biological differences do not simply cease to matter at the level of personal relationship; persons are not asexual, but are either male or female. Their sex attains a personal meaning, as relationships are built constructively on the endowments and strengths it offers. The relationship of marriage is more personal, not less, as the partners come to it in receptiveness of what only the opposite sex can bring to their own. On the Church-state question, the paper observes that the state’s regulation of marriage has never been seen as a means of defining the institution – as the same-sex marriage Bill seeks to do — but of protecting its inherent characteristics. Since the dawn of the modern era it has been accepted that the regulation of formalities was a proper task for the state in its general concern to protect against abuse and injustice. The precise extent to which the state became involved in marriage has varied from country to country subsequently. In England (apart from the Commonwealth period) marriage remained an important element in Canon Law, and when in the nineteenth century civil marriage ceremonies were first introduced to Britain, great care was taken to keep their understanding of marriage consonant with inherited Christian understanding. The greater involvement of the state was never understood to mean that there were two kinds of marriage, a ‘religious’ and a ‘civil’ marriage, with different laws appropriate to each. There have simply been two kinds of marriage ceremony. Correspondingly, the Church has generally not questioned the reality of marriages performed in civil ceremonies. The document ends by pointing out that, while same-sex marriage laws will not alter the intrinsic nature of marriage, it will make it harder to live out. It has seemed to some that the disagreement over same-sex marriage is a disagreement over mere names. But names govern how we think, and how we think governs what we learn to appreciate. When marriage is spoken of unclearly or misleadingly, it distorts the way couples try to conduct their relationship and makes for frustration and disappointment. The reality of marriage between one man and one woman will not disappear as the result of any legislative change, for God has given this gift, and it will remain part of our created human endowment. But the disciplines of living in it may become more difficult to acquire, and the path to fulfilment, in marriage and in other relationships, more difficult to find. 1 Response to Church of England paper calls for clear understanding of marriage Pingback: Church of England paper calls for clear understanding of marriage - CATHOLIC FEAST - Sync your Soul

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Bobblehead for Red Sox slugger, former ValleyCat, J.D. Martinez The bobblehead giveaway is set for Aug. 5, team announces Gazette Sports Staff | January 8, 2019 J.D. Martinez hits a solo home run in Game 5 of the 2018 World Series Photographer: © Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports TROY — J.D. Martinez played in his first game with the Tri-City ValleyCats in July 2009. Fast forward 10 years later, and Martinez will once again appear inside Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, this time immortalized as a ValleyCats bobblehead. The announcement was made on Monday by the Tri-City ValleyCats in honor of National Bobblehead Day. The bobblehead giveaway, which is presented by Snapple, will take place on Monday, Aug. 5 when the ValleyCats take on the Lowell Spinners, minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. The first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive the bobble. Season ticket holders and Uncle Sam mini-plan holders are guaranteed to receive the J.D. Martinez bobblehead as a benefit of their ticket package. Martinez is the latest addition to the ValleyCats’ Capital Region Baseball Heritage Series bobble-head collection, and the sixth former ’Cat to be honored. A key member of the 2018 World Series champion Red Sox, Martinez batted a career-best .330 with 43 home runs and a league-high 130 RBIs. His stellar numbers earned him an All-Star nod and two Silver Slugger awards, the first player to receive two in one season. The Heritage Series bobble-head collection began in 2012, and pays tribute to those who have played professional baseball in New York’s Capital Region. Others to be immortalized into ValleyCats bobble lore include Martinez’s 2009 ’Cats teammates Jose Altuve and Dallas Keuchel, along with George Springer, Hunter Pence and Ben Zobrist. Troy native Johnny Evers, and Albany-Colonie Yankees Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Mariano Rivera and Ron Guidry are also part of the collection. Drafted in the 20th round of the 2009 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros, Martinez joined the ValleyCats in July after beginning his career in Rookie ball. With the ValleyCats that year, Martinez was named a New York-Penn League All-Star, capturing the league batting title with a .326 average. Most read in Sports Filly euthanized after 10th race at Saratoga Schenectady runner Menis earns scholarship Johnstown star Ringer picks Duke Siena women's basketball's summer work encourages Jaques Stakes fields taking shape for Week 3 at the Spa

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15 Things You (Probably) Didn’t Know About ADCi ADCi has been providing digital map data and services to engineers, GIS professionals and developers for three decades! Our 30th anniversary celebration gave us an opportunity to reflect on just how far we’ve come since 1988, and we’re inviting you to reminisce with us. Here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about ADCi: 1. The concept for ADCi is attributed to a request company founder Michael Bauer (Mike) received from a friend to convert digital bicycle route maps from USGS DLG files and Census Bureau TIGER files into AutoCAD format. While the original purpose behind the request was to make printed maps for bicyclists, Mike soon learned that the demand for digital maps in AutoCAD far outweighed that for printed maps — and his business was born. 2. Mike was a full-time commercial airline pilot for nine years after founding ADCi. 3. Our first advertising was done on Compuserve. ADCi posted sample maps and asked if anyone could use them. It worked! 4. We once ordered U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data that we really could have used a forklift to unload! Back in the day, computers couldn't handle large amounts of data so the USGS used magnetic tape to store files. The magnetic tape reels didn't have much capacity, so it took many reels to fulfill our request for data encompassing the entire United States. Pallet loads of magnetic tapes arrived and we had no other way to move them into the office than by hand. 5. In the late 1980s, delivery time was six weeks and we likely delivered your data in a plastic box filled with 3.5” floppy disks. 6. The company used to be called ADC. We added the ‘i’ in December of 1993 when we went to register our domain and discovered “adc.com” was already taken. 7. We are in our sixth office location. 8. ADCi currently has eight employees. At our peak we employed 23, but we have operated with as few as four employees. 9. The ADCi technical team has more than 37 years of combined experience. 10. Our longest tenured employee has been with ADCi for more than 24 years. 11. ADCi has received the United Way Platinum Award for seven consecutive years. 12. ADCi has been an Esri Business Partner for more than 25 years. 13. ADCi has been an Oracle Partner for 15 years. 14. ADCi first partnered with TomTom in 1991, when they were known as Etak. 15. In 2001, we partnered with a company known as Navigation Technologies. Today, that same company is known as HERE. It’s said that to know where you’re going you have to know where you’ve been. This trip down memory lane reminds us of just how much ADCi has evolved in 30 years and we’re excited to see where the next decades take us. Be part of the journey by finding out how we can help you. Contact ADCi today!

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Home / Duke Basketball Recruiting / Why Marques Bolden Puts Duke in a Win-Win Situation Why Marques Bolden Puts Duke in a Win-Win Situation Photo: Brian Spurlock-USATSI When Marques Bolden announces where he’ll be playing his college basketball, it will be one of the most anticipated recruiting announcement in the past few years. The 5-star center from DeSoto, Texas, is reportedly deciding between Duke and Kentucky, and is one of the few remaining elite projects in the 2016 class who has yet to make his college choice. However, unlike most years when Duke is targeting the top ranked player at his position in a class, the Blue Devils find themselves in a unique position with Bolden and the team’s projected roster for next season. Whether Duke adds Bolden to the mix or he elects to play at Kentucky, this can be a win-win situation for Mike Krzyzewski and his program. If the Blue Devils get a commitment from Bolden, which I believe is a long shot, it means they’re adding a 5-star center to a rotation that will already include Amile Jefferson, Chase Jeter and incoming 5-star freshman Harry Giles. As John Watson of The Devils Den said in our recent interview with him, Bolden is a potential one-and-done talent who will be part of the rotation at either Duke or Kentucky, so he could certainly bring value to next year’s team. Yet, it’s not like he’d be stepping into a situation at Duke where the team is desperate for his production. Getting Amile Jefferson back as a redshirt senior next season gives the Blue Devils a huge lift in the frontcourt, and Coach K will have the flexibility of rotating Jefferson, Giles and Jeter, who began to make significant progress down the stretch last season. There’s also the likelihood of Duke occasionally using a smaller lineup that utilizes the athleticism of Giles and Jayson Tatum. Marques Bolden joining the Duke rotation next season would simply be an additional weapon for a squad already projected to be the preseason favorite to win the 2017 national championship. That’s probably the side of the story that gives Duke fans optimism, but I think Duke fans can still be excited even if Bolden elects to become a Kentucky Wildcat. I’m not just saying this as a way to give a rosy perspective if Duke misses on Bolden. Considering the next two years, it could help the Blue Devils stay in great position. As I mentioned previously, Duke is already in good shape with the frontcourt next season. If Chase Jeter can become more consistent and stay out of foul trouble, it gives the team a true center who can protect the rim and operate in the paint. Harry Giles and Amile Jefferson are more versatile big men who can play either post position and flourish in the transition game. Jefferson was one of the best rebounders in the ACC last season before his injury, and Giles has all the tools to become a superstar at the college and NBA level. If they can stay healthy, it’s a championship caliber frontcourt, even without Bolden. It’s also a frontcourt that would likely need to be rebuilt for the 2017-18 season. Amile Jefferson will have exhausted his eligibility and Harry Giles is projected as a top pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Fortunately, Duke is reportedly in good position with Wendell Carter and Mohamed Bamba, two 5-star bigs in the class of 2017. Both are top 5 players in the class who are expected to be immediate impact players at the college level. Because Marques Bolden is such a wild card and it’s uncertain whether he’d be able to play his way into the NBA after one season, it could create challenges for Duke to get Carter and/or Bamba for the 2017 freshman class. It’s much easier to see a scenario in which Carter and Bamba join the Duke program and become major contributors if Bolden isn’t part of the picture. As frustrating as this recruitment has been for Duke fans, it’s important to remember that the Blue Devils are in a great position. We can already be excited about an incoming class that currently includes three 5-star prospects, along with two other guys who could help the program over the next four years. The possibility of adding a 5-star center makes next year’s team even more imposing, but if he ends up going to Kentucky, there’s no reason to panic. It could just open the door for another opportunity. It sure is nice to have options.

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The Death Penalty Information Center provides essential statistics like execution numbers, death row population, and murder rates for each state. We also provide historical background on the death penalty in each state, including abolitionist states. Each state page also links to relevant websites, such as state legislatures, groups doing death penalty work, and Departments of Corrections. Hover over a state on the map to learn its death penalty status and year of reinstatement or abolition. For more in-depth information on each state, click on the links below the map. States With the Death Penalty (29) In addition, the U.S. Government and the U.S. Military retain the death penalty. States Without The Death Penalty (21) In addition, the District of Columbia has abolished the death penalty. For more information about Connecticut, Delaware, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington, see the notes below. Alaska (1957) Connecticut (2012) Delaware (2016) Iowa (1965) Maine (1887) Michigan (1847) New Hampshire (2019) New Mexico (2009) North Dakota (1973) Rhode Island (1984) Vermont (1972) West Virginia (1965) Wisconsin (1853) Death Penalty States With Gubernatorial Moratoria (4) Oregon (2011) In 1979, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island held that the state's statute imposing a mandatory death sentence for an inmate who killed a fellow prisoner was unconstitutional. The legislature repealed the law and removed it from the state criminal code in 1984. In 2004, the New York Court of Appeals held that a portion of the state's death penalty law was unconstitutional. In 2007, the court ruled that its prior holding applied to the last remaining person on the state's death row. The legislature has voted down attempts to restore the statute. In March 2009, New Mexico voted to abolish the death penalty. However, the repeal was not retroactive, leaving two people on the state's death row. The New Mexico Supreme Court vacated those sentences on June 28, 2019 and ordered the two prisoners be resentenced to life in prison. In April 2012, the Connecticut legislature voted to abolish the death penalty for future crimes. By its terms, the repeal law did not affect the status of the 11 prisoners then on the state's death row. The Connecticut Supreme Court subsequently ruled in August 2015 that the death penalty violated the state constitution. The Court reaffirmed that holding in May 2016 and reiterated that the state's remaining death row prisoners must be resentenced to life without possibility of parole. On August 2, 2016, the Delaware Supreme Court held that the state's capital sentencing procedures were unconstitutional and struck down Delaware's death penalty statute. On August 15, the Delaware Attorney General's office announced that it will not appeal the Supreme Court's ruling. Whether the Supreme Court's decision applies to the 13 people facing active death sentences is still unknown. On October 11, 2018, the Washington Supreme Court declared the state's death penalty statute unconstitutional, saying that it was applied in an arbitrary and racially discriminatory manner. In May 2019, the New Hampshire legislature voted to abolish the death penalty. However, the repeal was not retroactive, leaving one person on the state's death row. View Information by State Select a State Select a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming District of Columbia Puerto Rico Summary of States Statutes Execution Information Sentencing Information States that have not car­ried out any exe­cu­tions in five or more years

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How to defend democracy? Let’s start by kicking out the Trojan Horse of “Populism” available languages: english Июнь 29, 2018 The democracy community is deeply unsure and confused about how to deal with populism – both, as a concept and in its real-world manifestations in terms of parties, candidates and movements. This is what DRI’s Dr Finn Heinrich learned from attending the recent conference on Representation in the Age of Populism? Ideas for Global Action organized by the who’s who in international democracy support. The participants dedicated much time to discussing the definition and the various forms of populism. At first glance this is not a surprise as the concept made it into the conference title and as the rise of populist actors everywhere across the Western world seems to rattle the democratic community to the core. However, reflecting on the conference debates, one couldn’t help but notice a lack of analytical or practical advances made when discussing populism. Participants agreed that populism could be constructive as well as destructive, comes in left and right-leaning incarnations, as techno-populism (mentioned by former Ecuadorian President Correa in his speech) or ethno-populism, and that what matters more are the ideologies it is coupled with, be it nativism, socialism or neo-liberalism. Finn Heinrich therefore reiterated DRI’s position that populism might not a helpful term from a democracy standpoint and that we should maybe “forget about it”. To be sure, DRI considers academic definitions of populism, put forward by scholars such as Cas Mudde or Jan-Werner Müller, which narrowly focuses on its anti-pluralist and therefore also implicitly anti-democratic tendency, to be conceptually sound. Yet, as the conference showed, the pedestrian use of populism in public debate, media and punditry does not stick to this definition and encompasses an extremely disparate set of emerging political forces which are anti-mainstream in one form or another, ranging from President Macron’s En Marche Movement, right-wing populists such as the Front National or German AfD, authoritarian leaders such as Hungarian President Orban, to Italy’s rag-tag 5 Star movement, the American progressive movement in the late 19th century and Peronism in post-World War II Argentina. This “conceptual stretching” of the populism term and its mis-use is not only unhelpful from an analytical perspective, but actually dangerous for democracy. First, if used to widely it can be accused of being a trick of established parties that seek to smear new challengers. Second, the new trend of calling upon democratic political parties to “copy from the populist playbook” is equally worrisome, as it reinforces the populists’ self-framing as innovators of popular-democratic reforms and effective leaders who can do away with the cumbersome checks and balances of a democratic system to “get things done”. Third, and most importantly, by referring to political forces which seek to attack and ultimately dismantle democracy simply as populists, we do them a huge favour. Anti-democrats such as Victor Orban, Kacyzinski’s PiS party or Tayyip Erdogan wear the populist tag happily — as for many citizens it by now has positive connotations — , while continuing their attacks against democracy itself: the independent judiciary, civil society organisations and the free media. In all our confusion and worry about what is happening to liberal democracy as we know it, we don’t seem to understand that, in more and more places, populism has become a Trojan horse of anti-democratic attacks. At the end of the conference, eight major proposals were identified and put to a vote by participants. And, lo and behold, “stop using populism” made it onto the list, together with such grand strategies as civic education and rejuvenating political parties. (It even came in 5th place beating critically needed approaches such as digital literacy, political inclusion and regulating the online public sphere). Still, while it seems that the democracy support community might have awoken to the problems of the populism discourse, it could well be that the populists already won this PR battle as the term, which after all became Cambridge Dictionary’s Word of the Year 2017, just is too shiny and enticing to be rejected – just as the Trojans couldn’t resist the beautiful wooden horse left behind by the Greeks. Find more information about the conference agenda here. Photo by hrohmann on Pixabay Publications for International DRI Annual Report 2017 Factsheet: GSP+ Monitoring Process

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Friday 7 August 2015 Message from the CE Last weekend I had the privilege of attending the Garma Festival. This event in remote Arnhem Land is a celebration of Indigenous culture and attracts around 2,000 people to discuss critical issues affecting Indigenous Australians and provides unique two-way learning opportunities. The festival was opened by Mr Galarrwuy Yunupingu who spoke passionately about the need to improve educational outcomes for Indigenous children. This desire is absolutely shared by the Northern Territory Government and is why Government initiated the review of Indigenous Education in the Northern Territory in 2013. In response to the review, the Government accepted all recommendations and developed a ten year strategy impacting on children from birth until they complete formal schooling. A Share in the Future Indigenous Education Strategy 2015-2024 not only creates a 10 year plan to improve education outcomes for Indigenous students, but also aligns Territory and Australian Government funds to ensure the strategy is fully funded and focussed. The department was well represented at the Garma Festival. Tony Considine and his team provided information on all aspects of the strategy, with a particular focus on the work of the newly created Transition Support Unit and the design of the new residential facility due to open in Nhulunbuy in January 2017. The successful implementation of the strategy will rely on all of our business units driving the projects they are responsible for and collaborating to ensure we turn around poor outcomes and establish a trajectory that closes the educational gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students in the Territory. Ken Davies Secondary pathways to the future The review made it very clear that students cannot access a full secondary education in very remote schools. This has resulted in unacceptably low NTCET completions, limiting future pathways for our Indigenous students in remote schools. We are committed to working with Indigenous students and their families to support them to make the best choices to maximise their opportunities in the secondary years. Students and families have a choice to: stay in their community and continue their schooling attend a regional high school with access to regional residential facilities attend a boarding facility in Darwin or Alice Springs attend interstate boarding schools, and access scholarship opportunities and other financial and support assistance. Where the student numbers are not sufficient to deliver a full secondary education curriculum, the remote employment pathways delivery model may be considered. This model will provide clear vocational pathways to local employment and will be delivered at the school. Employment pathways will be introduced in a staged and sensible manner. Trial aspects of this program have commenced in 2015 and work will continue during 2016 to develop the larger scale implementation in 2017. In 2016 very remote schools will continue to provide services where parents and students choose not to transition to a regional high school or boarding school. The NTOEC will provide a full range of courses to regional high schools so that students transitioning to these schools have the widest possible choice. Any student who is accessing the NTOEC independently in remote areas will continue to do so. In 2016, the following larger communities; Maningrida, Gunbalunya, Galiwinku, Alyangula, and Jabiru with existing secondary education programs targeting NTCETs will continue to offer these programs and will continue to access the curriculum provision available through NTOEC. During 2015 & 2016 principals in very remote schools will have the opportunity to work with their Regional Director and the teams within the Indigenous Education Strategy and School Support Services to determine the most appropriate model of delivery based on their student cohort, their context and the available resources. Supporting students in their secondary choices Mr Robert Picton has been appointed as the Director of the recently created Transition Support Unit. This unit provides a comprehensive transition to secondary school service for students and their families. Officers from the team will work with parents and students in their later years of primary school to support parents in the choices they will make to ensure their children have access to the best secondary school options. By the end of September 2015, transition teams will be operating in Alice Springs, Katherine, Nhulunbuy and Darwin. A team of Student and Family Support Officers will engage with all remote Indigenous students who are enrolled or enrolling in regional high schools and boarding schools by connecting those schools, families and students. There will be a rapid response service for students identified as being at risk, to ensure a coordinated approach in providing the relevant support. For high achieving students, an excellence scholarship process will be established to assist them in moving to Australia's leading boarding schools. Principals will be contacted shortly as the Transition Support Unit commences work to arrange visits to communities to initiate contact with families and students. Mandated literacy and numeracy programs Fifteen remote and very remote government schools have been implementing the Direct Instruction program under the Australian Government’s remote flexible literacy program with early signs of positive results. It is planned to extend this to include Direct Instruction in numeracy. The project commenced in January 2015 with the support from Good to Great Schools Australia and is running in Nganambala, Angurugu, Ntaria, Alekarenge, Pularumpi, Umbakumba, Borroloola, Milikapiti, Milyakburra, Peppimenarti, Numbulwar, Nganmarriyanga, Gapuwiyak, Mamaruni and Warruwi. The program is being monitored and reviewed and the results will inform how it can be scaled up in 2016 to meet the needs of other remote Indigenous students across the Northern Territory. Nhulunbuy boarding facility milestone reached Design work is well advanced and has reached the 60% threshold on the new $20 million residential facility in Nhulunbuy for secondary students from remote communities across the region. This is a key part of the strategy to ensure secondary students in Arnhem Land have the choice to access a high quality secondary education at Nhulunbuy High School and still remain close to home. We have worked in partnership with the Yothu Yindi Foundation, who are leading a steering group which includes principals and members of the clan groups and community to oversee this initiative. A model of the new residential facility was showcased at the Garma festival at the Department of Education stall. Girls’ engagement program extended Seven Territory high schools will benefit from a brand new girls’ engagement program. Similar to the Clontarf program for Indigenous boys, the new girl’s engagement program is tailored to reinforce engagement and attendance with a focus on educational outcomes, health and wellbeing amongst Indigenous female students. The program will assist students to obtain a Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training and support their employment options beyond school. The new girls’ program will be located at Katherine High School, Dripstone Middle School, Sanderson Middle School, Nhulunbuy High School, Yirrkala School, Casuarina Senior College and Tennant Creek High School. Stars Foundation Limited has been selected as the provider of the new Indigenous girls’ engagement program. The programs will be operational either in full or in part by the end of Term 3, 2015 with two commencing in Term 4. This builds on the six existing girls’ engagement programs at Palmerston Senior College, Rosebery Middle School, Centralian Senior College, Centralian Middle School, Jabiru and Gunbalunya Schools. Housing upgrades Attracting and retaining highly skilled and motivated principals and teaching staff is vitally important in our remote and very remote schools. To assist this, a program of housing refurbishment is being undertaken to provide quality homes for staff working in these remote locations. Current teacher housing construction projects underway include Kalkarindji and Ali Curung. Teacher Housing upgrades have been completed in Ngukurr, Mbungara, Woolianna, Milingimbi and Maningrida. A tender process is underway for further upgrades to teacher housing in Ali Curung. The Indigenous Education Strategy, A Share in the Future 2015-2024 was officially launched in May 2015. Prior to the launch, consultation and planning was undertaken with schools and business units to develop the initiatives to be undertaken in the first three years. The Indigenous Education Review Implementation team continues to work closely with all business units to drive the delivery of the key projects to be implemented during 2015-2017, including: the expansion of the Families as First Teachers program the introduction of a mandated literacy and numeracy in remote schools program the introduction of the system wide PATM and PATR Literacy and Numeracy benchmark testing across years 1 to 10; transitioning students to new secondary pathways, including attending secondary schooling in regional and urban secondary schools; developing the employment pathways curriculum; engaging Indigenous communities, families and students through all stages of learning to improve outcomes in student attendance, wellbeing and achievement; providing a career development pathway for our 320 Indigenous Assistant Teachers in remote schools in partnership with Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Education; and undertaking a remote teacher housing refurbishment program in addition to new housing construction in very remote centres. Over the coming months we will keep you regularly updated on the progress of these initiatives through this newsletter. My team and I look forward to working with you and learning from the insights schools and regions provide to improve education outcomes for Indigenous students. General Manager, Indigenous Education Review Implementation

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Textile and Paper Mill Industry polluting Nashua River, USA Kids holding their noses in Nashua River River with red dye due to textile factories Nashua River with untreated effluent Newspaper clip of victory over untreated effluent River with yellow dye due to textile factories - s Nashua River tainted in red dye (1960s) and a restored river (1980s) The case of how textile and paper mill industries polluted The Nashua River, USA The Nashua River, located in Massachusetts and New Hampshire USA, is a tributary of Merrimack River [1]. During the 1960s, in the midst of the industrial revolution in the USA, no environmental laws or regulations existed [2]. Pollution in water bodies from industries such as mills and textiles, was uncontrolled; municipalities and companies were allowed to discharge their untreated water and waste into the rivers [2]. The Nashua River suffered from these non-regulations as it was named one of the 10 most polluted rivers in the USA [2,3]. Because of its high levels of pollutions it was reported by the New England New York Inter-Agency Committee as being ‘outstanding for its absolute worthlessness as a fish stream’ [4]. It was greatly polluted with high concentrations of chemical dyes and paper mills which turned the river water to several colors [2,4]. Housewife and Environmental activist Marion Stoddart described the river as dead, she said water was filthy with bubbling from underneath, and the sludge so thick, animals like birds or small animals could walk on it [3]. She furthermore recalls how due to conditions of the river she could smell the river from her house which was a mile away [2]. By 1962, Stoddart began a campaign to repair the Nashua River. She formed a coalition between different stakeholders such as friends, locals, labor leaders, businesses and government [1,2] and approached the public through different mediums such as print, local newspapers and radio [2]. After having organized friends, local neighbors and officials to collaborate, Mrs. Stoddart formed the Nashua River Clean-Up Committee. They worked to request support from the local, state and federal government officials as well as involve and educate citizens and local business in the cause [1]; they wanted to “restore the national river" [2,7]. Later, a petition with 13,00 signatures was sent to President Nixon to seek assurance for funds designated for the construction of waste water treatment plants [8]. Bill Flynn, former 1967 elected Flichburg Mayor recalls “It’s one thing for the government to say, this is the right thing to do, and still another thing to have it actually happen. And eventually, the laws do get implemented and things do get accomplished. The difference in the Nashua River situation was, we didn’t sit back and wait for the heavy federal government, state government to come down to us and force us to do it, we actually embraced it as an opportunity. And Marion help made that possible. She kept us focused on it and made us realized it was an economic interest, not only the industries, but of the city; to be a leader cleaning up the river" [2]. At a public meeting September 17, 1964, the citizens of Lancaster, Massachusetts pioneered by Marion Stoddart , expressed their concern for the river; they wanted to improve the quality of the river and use it for recreational purposes as well (swimming, fishing) [4]. In 1965, a report created by The U.S. Department of Water Supply and Pollution Control stated that since pollution in the river was so high, it prevented the legitimate usage of the water and it was unsuitable for recreational purposed as requested by the people [4]. It set recommended limits for pollution constituents for paper mill companies (Weyerhaeuser, Fitchburg, Falulah, Mead Corporation, Hollingsworth & Vose, Groton leaer Board and St. Regis Paper) which were causing discoloration of the receiving stream and ‘tremendous quantities of suspended solids’; additionally, the river water was also being used for their industrial processes [4]. Textile companies (Fitchburg, Pepperell, Foster Grant Company) were to treat their effluent before discharging into the river [4]. The dissolved oxygen (DO) was reported to be zero in some parts of the river (a minimum of 4mg/l is required for aquatic life), and with intense algae life [4]. It stated that in 1963, thousands of non-game fish had died, this was correlated to the low levels of DO. Additionally; high levels of pollutant resistant living organisms (8,210 biological organisms) were striving in the river i.e. sludge worms, midge fly pupa and midge fly larvae [4]. The conditions of the river made fishing impossible [4]. “It was basically a dead river, it was a lot of municipal and industrial wastewater going into the river and the organic portion of that wastewater used up all the oxygen and the aquatic life can’t survive without the oxygen” Stoddart recalled [2]. In November 12, 1965 the classification of the river was discussed to be ‘E’ and ‘D’ unsuitable for any contact with human and suitable for industrial transportation respectively [4]. On April 27, the New Hampshire Water Pollution Commission, the New England Interstate Water Pollution and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,, changed the classification to ‘B and ‘C’ which made the river suitable for swimming & usage and recreational boating among others, respectively [4]. After this, several wastewater treatment plants were incorporated. Studies and reports were created in an effort to check the water quality of the river. In a 1973 report, several companies were still violating the settled DO values for discharge, by 1977 there was only one violation in point discharge water analysis [6]. The NRCC later changed its name to the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA) [7]. Now, the NRWA helps to protect and promote education of water through engagement and educational programs, for children and adults; it also supports a water monitoring program in the Nashua River by volunteers [7]. Up to now, 2017, efforts continue to make the river recreational and swimmable, although certain points still lack those qualities [7]. The Nashua River contamination case and public citizen Marion Stoddarts’ effort made the way for the creation of the Amendment known as the Clean Water Act in 1972 to the The Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1948. The act made it unlawful to discharge pollutants into water bodies without permits, it implemented pollution prevention programs, it gave the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) power to monitor and control standards throughout the USA, it gave funding for sewage treatment plants and recognized the need to address pollution in water bodies [9]. Marion Stoddart, has received several merits. In 1987 she received an Award from the United Nations Environment Programme Global 500. Her achievements were profiled in 1993 by the National Geographic special education [2,3,10], as well as a children’s book by Lynne Cherry A River Ran Wild10. In 2009, she was honored as a “Woman Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet” by the National Women’s History Project, and a short film was created by Susan Edwards and Dorie Clark Marion Stoddart: The Work of a 1000 [2,10]. Name Textile and Paper Mill Industry polluting Nashua River, USA Province Massachusetts and New Hampshire Type of Conflict (1st level) Industrial and Utilities conflicts Type of Conflict (2nd level) Landfills, toxic waste treatment, uncontrolled dump sites Specific Commodities Textiles, Paper End Date 12/11/1965 Company Names or State Enterprises New Hampshire Goverment from United States of America Massachusetts Government from United States of America Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from United States of America Relevant government actors New Hampshire and Massachusetts Governments Environmental justice organisations and other supporters Nashua River Watershed organization: http://www.nashuariverwatershed.org When did the mobilization begin Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt Forms of Mobilization Community-based participative research (popular epidemiology studies, etc..) Environmental Impacts Visible: Air pollution, Biodiversity loss (wildlife, agro-diversity), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Soil contamination, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality, Groundwater pollution or depletion, Reduced ecological / hydrological connectivity Potential: Genetic contamination Health Impacts Visible: Exposure to unknown or uncertain complex risks (radiation, etc…), Other environmental related diseases Potential: Other Health impacts Other Inhalation of unknown substances Socio-economic Impacts Visible: Loss of landscape/sense of place, Loss of livelihood Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Displacement Pathways for conflict outcome / response Environmental improvements, rehabilitation/restoration of area Institutional changes Court decision (victory for environmental justice) Technical solutions to improve resource supply/quality/distribution Development of Alternatives The Nashua River Watershed organization was created in an effort to monitor water quality since the 1960s, it continues to do so until now. Do you consider this as a success? Yes Why? Explain briefly. The classification of the river was revised and changed, legally for all water bodies in the USA. This allowed the EPA to monitor water quality, not only in The Nashua River but nationwide. The Clean Water Act Amendment was created. [3] Savior of the Nashua River Nashua River Watershed Association - Founders and Incorporations [6] Nashua River Watershed Association. NRWA’S mission and history: Leadership and success [5] EPA. Nashua River Survey. Boston; 1977 [7] Nashua River Watershed Association. NRWA Historical Highlights. [9] How a Housewife Transformed an Open Sewer into a Swimmable Rive [8] US Environmental Protection Agency. History of the Clean Water Act [4] Pollution of Nashua River and Recommendations for Improvement. Lawrance, Massachusetts; 1965. Photo archive of Nashua River [2] video: Marion Stoddart: The Work of 1000 River with yellow dye due to textile factories Contributor Suky Martinez, ICTA-UAB Textile factories in Indonesia pollute water in Cikijing River, tributary of Citarum River, Indonesia Brandix India Apparel City (BIAC), AP, India Noyyal River Basin, a pollution cocktail from textile industry, TN, India

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anti-gun advocates Comment Of The Day: Unethical Website Of The Month, “March For Our Lives” Edition: Change.Org [#2] March 26, 2018 March 26, 2018 / Jack Marshall / 4 Comments Here is the second of two Comments of the Day regarding the post-Parkland gun control freak-out, authored by recent addition to the commenter ranks, OhThatGuy, on the post, Unethical Website Of The Month, “March For Our Lives” Edition: Change.Org. (The first is here.) The real issue, at least from my perspective, isn’t guns and gun control. Yes, this is one of the big emotional triggers right now, has been for years, and will continue to be so as long as there exists a gulf between those who enjoy the rights and benefits granted by the 2nd Amendment and those who do not. The underlying concern to me is the lack of independent thought. While this is somewhat excusable in kids, it’s not in what are supposed to be adults. Displays such as the walkouts and marches are nothing more than peer pressure or what I call the Bandwagon Principle or Bandwagon Effect– doing something simply because others (in my peer group) are doing the same thing without any actual thought put into the decision. I see this on a daily basis – I teach juniors and seniors in high school. Growing up, my parents, especially my father, were as near as I can remember, completely objective about things. There were no passionate appeals to emotion regarding the hot topics of the day. I was encouraged to read and form my own opinions about things as none were supplied to me from Mom and Dad. We (my friends and I) read the two newspapers available each day as well as Time, Newsweek, and other publications. This was in the early to mid 80’s so we weren’t subject to the cacophony of modern media but were as well informed about current events as most teens could be. The short version is, if I was to have a publicly stated opinion about something, I’d better have some idea what I was talking about and some facts to back it up. Any discussion of an issue that started with “I feel that…” or “They need to do SOMETHING!” wouldn’t have lasted very long. I don’t remember ever being told anything about what to think on a subject or even led to a conclusion to fit what my parents thought I should think. It simply wasn’t how they operated. Continue reading → March 25, 2018 March 25, 2018 / Jack Marshall / 15 Comments Here is JP’s Comment of the Day on the post, Unethical Website Of The Month, “March For Our Lives” Edition: Change.Org: I have largely been silent on the issue this time around. I have seen nothing that contributes to the debate and thought I had nothing to add since the Vegas incident. Mostly, if someone asks, I just refer them to my earlier points on why banning bump stocks and strengthening the Brady Law not will not change anything. However, it seems today my more liberal and conservative friends have been posting quite a bit on the subject and I thought now might be a good time to tackle the issue again by looking at problems on both sides and finding a solution. First, let’s start with some of the conservative talking points. “If someone is determined to hurt people and commit a felony, what’s to say that they won’t break a law to get their hands on a gun to do it?” This may be true, but it is doesn’t move the dialogue forward and is often used deceptively. It is basically saying that since criminals don’t obey laws, anyway, why have a law? By this logic, we could apply the following to Trump’s desire to build a wall. Walls have not proven to be effective in stopping people wanting to come in, so why build a wall? I don’t understand why conservatives who use this logic don’t apply it elsewhere. Laws are largely there as deterrents. People will not do something because it is against the law regardless of how pointless they see it (I guess this is why I always get stuck behind that Kia doing 65 on the interstate). A psychologist found that most of the population is motivated to do things by one of two factors: sympathy and empathy. or law and order (I think this sums up the current gun debate). Second, “Cars kill more people than guns do, yet we don’t ban cars.” This is a strawman argument, and not even good one. Cars are highly regulated, require an age limit, require a permit of sorts, a registration, require training and safety ((things the left claim to want for guns) and are designed for transportation, not to kill. They can and have been used to kill people, but that is not their primary purpose. In fact, it is a gross misuse of their purpose. The argument falls further apart because while you have a right to a gun, you do not have a right to own a car. The government could decide to remove all cars (for whatever reason); this is an apples to oranges comparison. Third, Continue reading → Saturday Night Ethics Update, 3/10/2018: 16-Year-Olds And The NRA March 10, 2018 / Jack Marshall / 19 Comments (The combination of an early morning seminar, a $^%%#! D.C. marathon that closed down access to the venue, and a lost power cord rendering my netbook useless conspired to prevent both late posts yesterday and early ones today: I’m sorry. I’m back at my desk, chagrined but unbowed…) 1 Why not 10? Why not 2? Poor, declining, Twitter-addict Lawrence Tribe’s ridiculous claim that the voting age should be lowered to 16 was so self-evidently silly that I assumed no one serious would adopt it. But, as H. L. Mencken kind of said, “No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public,” and as I’ll say now, nobody can underestimate the level of irresponsible proposals that anti-gun zealots will float in their desperation to gut the Second Amendment. Last week, Temple University’s Laurence Steinberg, a professor of psychology, issued a Times op-ed arguing for Tribe’s new voters, ignoring his own profession’s conclusions that children that young, in addition to not being, you know, adults, also have not mastered stable reasoning ability because their brains are not fully formed. Never mind, says the prof: “The last time the United States lowered the federal voting age was in 1971, when it went from 21 to 18. In that instance, the main motivating force was outrage over the fact that 18-year-olds could be sent to fight in Vietnam but could not vote. The proposal to lower the voting age to 16 is motivated by today’s outrage that those most vulnerable to school shootings have no say in how such atrocities are best prevented. Let’s give those young people more than just their voices to make a change.” Wow, what a well-reasoned argument! I can”t wait for the proposal to lower the voting age to minus-eight months out of outrage that those most vulnerable to abortions have no say in how such atrocities are best prevented. Yes, it’s true: the anti-gun Left is willing to follow President Trump with President Kendall Jenner, as long as we let the government and police have all the guns. Maybe Temple psychologists and lapsed Harvard Law professors should lose the vote, since they apparently can’t reason above the level of 16-year-olds. Continue reading → Comment Of The Day: “On The Anti-Gun “Weapons Of War” Talking Point” February 26, 2018 February 26, 2018 / Jack Marshall / 23 Comments Second Amendment authority Chipper Jones. He’s an expert because he had a .303 lifetime batting average, and shoots deer…. It was gratifying that the weekend post about the “weapons of war” anti-gun rhetoric attracted a great deal of thoughtful commentary here. I was thinking about the post again today when, as is increasingly the case, a sportswriter gratuitously injected politics into sports commentary. Baseball season is fast-approaching, and while one of the many reasons I follow the game so passionately is its ethics content, I look forward to the game to get away from politics, and incorrigible social justice warrior agitators like NBC’s Craig Calcaterra, lapsed lawyer, can’t resist misusing their sports platforms as a political soap box. Today he gleefully informed readers that Hall of Fame third baseman Chipper Jones had “denounced assault weapons,” telling Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I believe in our Constitutional right to bear arms and protect ourselves,” Jones said. “But I do not believe there is any need for civilians to own assault rifles. I just don’t. “I would like to see something (new legislation) happen. I liken it to drugs – you’re not going to get rid of all the guns. But AR-15s and AK-47s and all this kind of stuff – they belong in the hands of soldiers. Those belong in the hands of people who know how to operate them, and whose lives depend on them operating them. Not with civilians. I have no problem with hunting rifles and shotguns and pistols and what-not. But I’m totally against civilians having those kinds of automatic and semi-automatic weapons.” Calcaterra makes sure that we knew that the ex-Braves player is an avid hunter and owns a rife, because he apparently wants us to think that owning a gun makes an athlete an expert on the Bill of Rights. (It doesn’t, and I’m pretty sure Calcaterra knows that.) Concludes Craig, “While debate, often acrimonious, will no doubt continue about these matters indefinitely, it’s striking to see someone like Chipper Jones come out so strongly on the matter in the particular way that he has. It has to make people at the NRA and those who support it wonder if, when you’ve lost Chipper Jones, you’ve gone too far.” Thus we have a lawyer appealing to the authority of a man who played baseball all through highs school, and signed a contract to be a pro baseball player at te age of 18. Call me skeptical, but I question whether he has devoted much research to the history and philosophy underlying the Second Amendment, or has read any of the judicial opinion and scholarship analyzing it. I especially question Jones’ flippant “denouncement” given the tell-tale signs that he doesn’t understand the right to bear arms at all, beginning with the misnomer “assault rifles” and the assumption that the most popular civilian rifle in the U.S. is a “weapon of war.” He also makes the offensive assumption that he is qualified to decide what kind of fire arms other citizens “need,” a commonly expressed attitude sharply discredited in this essay by playwright and screenwriter David Mamet. I find myself increasingly impatient with uninformed opinions on important matters relating to our personal liberty, expressed by celebrities with no more understanding or special expertise than the typical semi-informed citizen, and often less. I am even less tolerant when I am told by journalists that attention must be paid. Here is the Comment of the Day by Glenn Logan, who is informed on this issue, on the post On The Anti-Gun “Weapons Of War” Talking Point: Continue reading → Comment Of The Day: “Of COURSE! “Think Of The Children!” Takes The Next Irresponsible Step!” More Stoneman High students, including the ubiquitous David Hogg, appeared on the talking head Sunday show this morning, and I admit my reaction was the same as in my original post about the exploitation and hyping of these young Americans, who are both legitimately objects of sympathy and also inherently ill-equipped by education and life experience to add substance to the policy debate over guns besides visceral and simplistic reactions. I detest the concept of “moral authority,” when a particular experience is deemed sufficient to imbue a figure with prominence in a debate that the quality of his or her reasoning and knowledge does not. “You would feel the same way they do if you went through what they did” is not an argument, but a rationalization, and a stand-in for, “How dare you? Have you no heart?” The news media loves bestowing moral authority, because giving a platform to victimes combines sentiment and drama—almost as good as sex and scandal. The grieving Sandy Hook parents similarly became instant experts in law and policy, just as grieving mother Cindy Sheehan had suddenly become an expert in warfare and Middle East policy a decade before. I never accepted the logic of this, even when my peers and classmates were closing down my campus, taking over buildings and dictating national policy in Southeast Asia using chants that would have been at home on any grade-school play ground. Their moral authority arose from the fact that they were facing the draft. So did much of their interest in stopping the Vietnam war. So yes, I am conditioned to view the latest edition of self-righteous, articulate, indignant and angry minors with all the answers with skepticism, and I confess, the urge to roll my eyes. At least some of the protesters in the Sixties were pre-law. [ Otter: Take it easy, I’m pre-law. Boon: I thought you were pre-med. Otter: What’s the difference?*] Michael has a different, less biased perspective. Here is his Comment of the Day on the post, Of COURSE! “Think Of The Children!” Takes The Next Irresponsible Step!: Most of this analysis is “right on” logically, and we both operate on that scale. However, it is also not illogical to expect an emotional response from these children, who did experience the tragedy either directly or by connection. Nor is it illogical to expect them to react the way they are reacting, BUT it would be illogical and ignoring (for them, perhaps ignorance of) history if we did. Those of us who lived through the protests of the ‘60s recognize that responding by calling them immature is not an effective answer. Yes, they are immature. Yes, they are ignorant of the Constitution, the Second Amendment (including its background and its interpretation by the Supremes), and the logic of either the gun rights or the gun control advocates (which, based on Heller, I do not believe have to be mutually exclusive). The power of their emotional response can be ignored only at the risk of erosion of Constitutional principles based on emotional reaction to them and to the condescension dripping from some of the strongest advocates for unfettered gun rights ostensibly based on the Second Amendment. Now, my own emotional response is no doubt devoid of logic. Bless them for getting engaged in the shadow of another tragedy. Try to educate them on the applicable law and principles so that their own approach can mature. Listen to them. Maybe there is one or more prodigy who will then teach us something. *“Animal House.” On The Anti-Gun “Weapons Of War” Talking Point February 25, 2018 February 25, 2018 / Jack Marshall / 128 Comments I’m moving this essay up in the queue, because while walking my dog in the rain—such rote activities like dog-walking, showering and driving often trigger “right brain” activities and inspirations—it all became clear to me for the first time. One aspect of the argument being offered by anti-gun zealots following this school shooting that is new compared to Sandy Hook is the sudden popularity of the term “weapons of war.” it was used multiple times at the very start of the CNN “town hall,” for example. Rep. Deutch: But, beyond that, the best way for us to show that is to take action in Washington, in Tallahassee, to get these weapons of war off of our streets. …and the answer to the question is, do I support weapons that fire-off 150 rounds in seven or eight minutes, weapons that are weapons of war that serve no purpose other than killing the maximum number of people they can, you bet I am. And that is making sure that we take action to keep our kids and our schools safe and to get dangerous weapons of war off of our streets. That has to be our priority and we’ve got to do it now. My interest is not whether it is a wise or good thing to ban semi-automatic weapons. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled last year that Maryland’s ban was constitutional, and the Supreme Court, so far, at least, has not chosen to review it. A national ban, however, would certainly require SCOTUS assent, and my guess is that such a law would fail, and as I will continue to explain, should fail. “Weapons of war” is nowa pejorative phrase designed to make the most popular rifle in America sound as if owning one is perverse. “Weapons of war” suggests not just self-defense, but active combat, and it certainly doesn’t mean hunting deer and rabbits. Following Sandy Hook, a lot of the anti-gun rhetoric, as from New York Governor Cuomo, involved the deceitful (or ignorant) argument that you don’t need a semi-automatic rifle to shoot a deer. This vigorous false narrative is as old as the Left’s anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment movement itself. Thus “weapons of war” is now the phrase of choice to persuade moderate, uncommitted citizens considering the gun controversy that it makes no sense to allow citizens to own such weapons. Hunting weapons, sure (at least until there’s a mass shooting in a school using those). A registered handgun to shoot a burglar, a rapist or a home invader? Fine. But “common sense gun controls” can’t possibly allow citizens to have “weapons of war.” The problem is that allowing private ownership of weapons of war is exactly what the Founders intended. The Second Amendment was devised to ensure that citizens would not be disarmed by a government that needed to be overthrown, or, in the alternative, that some citizens wanted to overthrow, but wrongly. The Founders were, it should not be necessary to say, revolutionaries. They believed that citizens had the right and even the obligation to bring down abusive governments. Jefferson stated it directly in the Declaration of Independence: “Prudence … will dictate that Governments long-established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” Jefferson was a brilliant man, and no dreamy-eyed idealist. He could not have assumed, feeling the way he did about governments, government power, and the men who come to possess such power, that governments could always be dissolved peacefully. As a prudent and practical man, he was also saying that it is unwise to seek to change a government every time it fails or disappoints, and that long-standing systems deserve the public’s tolerance, patience and forbearance. Government should be a contract of trust, and that when that trust is irreparably broken by abuses of power, the people must have the right, and must have the ability to activate that right, to demand a new form of government. This is, of course, exactly what the 13 Colonies did. The Constitution they adopted when they began their experiment in democracy naturally and necessarily included a crucial right without which future generations of Americans would not be able to “throw off” a government whose abuse of power had become odious. That was the right to bear arms, embodied in the Second Amendment. The arms one had the right to bear had to be weapons of war, because fighting—civil war, revolution, wars of resistance—was their explicit purpose. Continue reading → Morning Ethics Warm-Up, 2/23/18: Stupid And Incompetent Edition (That’s Phathon, by the way, the son of Helios, the Greek sun god, falling to his death after trying to drive his father’s sun-chariots across the sky. I’m sure you knew that...) 1 “Children or Guns?” We can’t be too critical of 16 and 17-year olds who employ poor reasoning and bumper-sticker rhetoric to demand “something” [New York Times two-page paid ad—sure, the kids are responsible for it; you believe that don’t you?—reads: “We’re children. You guys are the adults….get something done.”—Parkland school shooting survivor] When the adults are making similar “arguments.” “Children or Guns?” was the title of the New York Times editorial two days ago. Yup, that’s the choice: either we can have children, or we can have guns! The Facebook declarations from users too old to go trick or treating are similarly hysterical. This messaging maleducates our young, especially the already harmed shooting survivors. The shooting made them justifiably angry and paranoid, now the cynical adults exploiting them are making them stupid. More notes from the re-invigorated Sandy Hook Ethics Train Wreck: A teaching moment: Ethics Alarms has a flurry of high school students weighing-in here, some with more success than others. This is a good teaching blog for a lot of skills and disciplines, like rhetoric, logic, political debate and, of course, ethics. At least one college course on ethics uses EA as a permanent resource (or did). I’d love to see more students comment here, as long as they don’t expect to be coddled. This is a tough forum, and was designed to be. One piece of advice: Read the comment policies and the list of terms and concepts. Moral luck strikes again. From The Hill: The armed officer stationed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., resigned Thursday after an internal review found he did not enter the school during last week’s deadly shooting. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel announced Deputy Scot Peterson chose to resign after Israel suspended him without pay. “Scot Peterson was absolutely on campus through this entire event. He was armed. He was in uniform,” Israel said at a press conference… “We’re not going to disclose the video at this time, and we may never disclose the video, depending on the prosecution and the criminal case,” Israel said. “But what I saw was a deputy arrive at the west side of building 12, take up a position — and he never went in.” When asked by a reporter what Peterson should have done, Israel said the deputy should have “went in, addressed the killer, killed the killer.” Israel said the video made him “sick to [his] stomach” and left him feeling “devastated.” “There are no words,” he said. Sure there are: “Moral luck” are two of them. So is “chaos.” Children and journalists are screaming with fury at the NRA, whose sole job is to set up the most absolute defense possible to protect the Second Amendment as the ACLU is pledged to do with the First, for what we now know was a catastrophic breakdown in multiple human government systems. We know that the school, the police and the FBI were warned that Nicholas Cruz could be a school shooter multiple times. We know he posted a YouTube video with the comment: “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.” Law enforcement reportedly flagged the comment last September so YouTube would remove it. Problem solved! Now we know that the professional with a gun—the fail-safe— whose job it was to protect the students from exactly this kind of threat was derelict when the system needed him to do his job rapidly and well. Unfortunately, this isn’t an anomaly, and it would be helpful if the students learned that. The government is made up of fallible humans, and often fails, even when it isn’t corrupt and abusing power. Systems, even the best ones, break down and allow metaphorical dinosaurs to run amuck. You’re never going to be “safe,” and if you think so, someone has lied to you, or you are deluded. For many years beginning in high school, I kept a newspaper clipping about a man, minding his own business and walking home from work ,who was killed by “a flying mailbox”–a truck had slammed into one and it was hurled hundreds of feet in the air, eventually landing on this poor guy, who not only didn’t know what hit him, he wouldn’t have believed it if he had been told. This has always been the brilliance of the Founders’ vision of a nation and a culture where citizens not only take individual responsibility for their lives, but are guaranteed that right. The bad luck and confluence of unpredictable and uncontrollable circumstances (chaos) tell us that a society where citizens have freedom and guns available will have periodic tragedies. The fact that multiple government employees and systems failed in Parkland also tells some citizens that the more they are able to protect themselves, the safer they will be. They are not wrong. The Second Amendment version of the Streisand Effect. Gun sales, which spiked to record levels during the Obama administration because of its irresponsible anti-gun rhetoric, is booming again, as citizens decide they better arm themselves, especially with semi-automatic weapons, before the Left’s “sensible” gun grab. Thus the end result of all the screaming and finger-pointing will be more guns than ever. New vistas in virtue signalling…My Facebook friends, who are drooling all over themselves right now, were cheering the viral video of the guy burning his own AR-15 so it “would never be used” in a mass shooting. This is right up there with Rhett Butler shooting Bonnie Blue’s pony because she was killed trying to ride it, but even dumber. Yes, that rifle is going to escape and kill kids. The words this time are “showboating” and “virtue-signalling.” That gun was never going to used in a shooting. It’s fungible, so its destruction does nothing and means nothing. The individuals who would misuse their weapons would never do what he’s doing. This is like a non-drinker pouring a bottle of whiskey down the drain before he gets in a car, to protest drunk-driving. It’s like the owner of a loving American Pit Bull Terrier killing his dog because he’s been convinced the breed is dangerous. It’s like him castrating himself so he won’t rape anyone, like Harvey Weinstein. It’s not an argument, it’s not an example, it’s not intellectually honest. Naturally, everyone is cheering. This is the incompetent level of the current gun debate. And so is this: At President Trump’s White House meeting with survivors of school shootings and their family members, a father asked, “How many more children have to get shot?”, and this was deemed worthy of a front page headline. That’s an unethical question, a “When did you stop beating your wife?” question, in which answering it accepts a false premise. “No more!” would be a commitment to installing a police state. “647!” would also be unacceptable, presumably. The President, neither a deep thinker nor a Constitutional expert, gamely foundered with random suggestions, one of which, the arming of teachers, was furiously attacked and ridiculed by the anti-gun zealots, who have yet to suggest a measure that would have stopped the latest shooting and wouldn’t involve gutting the Bill of Rights. 2. We are poor little lambs who are dumb as hell...I suppose it is gratifying to know that Yale’s institutions are as silly and self-destructive as Harvard’s. I was expecting this one: it is Hasty Pudding Show Redux. Harvard was stupid first, though! Yale’s Whiffenpoofs, the country’s oldest collegiate a cappella singing group, capitulated to #MeToo anti-male attacks on campus and this week named Sofia Campoamor, a junior, as the first female member of the all-male singing group since its founding in 1909. Well, that’s the end of that. Apparently certain kinds of sounds are now politically intolerable in Progressive Cloud Cuckoo Land. All male singing groups, all female singing groups, and mixed gender singing groups have different, distinctive and aesthetically pleasing sounds. Unless Sophia is a bass, or plans on taking hormones, the addition of a female voice to an all-male harmony ensemble changes its sound. Have you ever heard a mixed gender barbershop quartet? It doesn’t sound like a barbershop quartet, just as adding a male to the Supremes would mean the group wouldn’t sound like the Supremes. The Progressive drive for agenda-driven conformity is a symptom of its totalitarian proclivities. There is nothing wrong or unethical about all-male musical ensembles, and the sound they create is worth preserving. I wouldn’t cross the street to hear the ‘Poofs, but the group has allowed itself to be sacrificed to political correctness. 3. Finally, this entry in the “When ethics alarms don’t ring” files. A dining hall at New York University advertised a special meal in honor of Black History Month: barbecue ribs, corn bread, collard greens, Kool-Aid and watermelon-flavored water. After black students complained, two low-level black employees were fired for choosing a menu that Andrew Hamilton, the president of New York University, called “inexcusably insensitive.” Foul. The black employees were given an impossible assignment, a trap, really: “OK, decide what we’re going to serve for the Black History meal.” Their supervisors gave inadequate guidance, and no oversight. What would you serve? My answer: nothing different from any other meal, except maybe better than usual. But without guidance, I can see how this gaffe was made. And so self-righteous, privileged black students got two people fired as retribution. Victory.

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1st Annual Holiday Bonanza, NYC Cypher, Staten Island 12/22/2007 All performance photos © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen It is amazing to me how the legacy – or rather legacies – of the late Brooklyn-based Punk Temple lives on. When it closed, other venues opened, such as the phenomenal and legendary Monty Love Christmas Spectaculars, held at Dock Street on Staten Island. When that ended with the demise of the band Monty Love in 2006, another door shut. This opened a window of opportunity that Dov and Phil D of the band Racing Exit 13 picked up, and now they are starting their own (potentially legendary) legacy with the 1st Annual Winter Bonanza, held at the NYC Cypher club on Broad Street, practically around the corner from Dock Street. I’ve been acquainted with Dov since he led the Washington Riot, and Phil D from even before Quantice Never Crashed, when it was still Howard Finster (and both bands played at the Temple in the early fin de sicle). When I heard they were spearheading this show, I was quite pleased. The NYC Cypher is an interesting space to hold a show. The downstairs is an urban music and clothing store with a stage, and the upstairs is a mixed-medium art gallery. The plan was brilliant: while one band was playing in a space, another band would be setting up on the other. Basically, one could go from floor to floor and see bands play with very little lag time between. In that fashion we were all able to see eight bands in 5 hours. Even with a late start for the show, we were out of there by 1 AM. When I got there, I found out that one band had dropped out, and that both the Young Hearts and Up For Nothing had been added. I looked forward to finally seeing the former, and it’s always a blast to see the latter. While I waited for the show to start, I had an enjoyable conversation with Barrie, who I am always happy to see (if you don’t know who I mean, well then you haven’t been to enough local shows). First up was A Telltale Heart, playing the upstairs room. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen most of them before either in different bands, or in a similar line-up under a another name. They had a pretty good sound with some incredibly strong musicianship. The vocalist was a bit stationary, rocking the mic back and forth, and seemed to need a couple of songs to get into it, but he sure did. Toward the end of the set, the bassist (who started off by wearing an elf ears-hat combo), jumped up on the drum kit, straddling the bass drum, with his back to the crowd. Still playing, after a bit, he jumped up onto a huge speaker. After a number of bars, he jumped down to the ground, STILL playing. This earned him a well-deserved cheer from the crowd. When they finished, we weaved through the stairs and corridors to get to the lower half of the complex to hear That Hideous Strength (THS). They have their fans: the singer of A Telltale Heart was wearing a THS tee. For those who don’t know, THS has two singers who alternate between screamo and more standard pop punk styles. Matt Zambito, who is bearded and pierced, is the more screamo of the two, and spent a lot of time crouched in front of the bass drum while the extremely tall Mike Costello roamed the stage and infiltrated the audience, switched between the two styles. Their energy was consistently at a very high level, and through it all, the rest of the band kept up. While the pace was fast and furious, with members of the audience singing right along with Mike as he shared the mic, I noticed that there was no pit. THS is both a strong and fun band, and everyone seemed to be having fun. The floor was packed, with people singing along word for word. Though a less than (literally) slammin’ audience, everyone sure seemed to be having a good time. Maybe it was just early, or perhaps it was figuring out the space. Either way, a good time was had, including, it seems, the band. After the set, it was back upstairs for next-comers Racing Exit 13. [I must digress here… I am assuming that Exit 13 refers to the exit on the New Jersey Turnpike that leads to the Goethals Bridge, gateway to Staten Island. Okay, I’m back now.] As with most of the bands playing this eve, RE13 seemed to be having a lot of fun. Dov seemed a bit more serious than usual in the pictures I took, but being there I could see he was in the zone, as it were. They also got a resounding affirmation from the enthusiastic audience, who lifted Dov so high he was hanging onto the rafters. Other fans present included Bek’s old bandmate, Monty Love, and Mike of That Hideous Strength. RE13 is currently down a guitarist and they called for anyone interested to let them know. Meanwhile, Bek retained the pace, Steve kept up the bass rhythms and side vocals, and Phil showed that besides the bass, he could handle some skins. Next up on the lower level was Tick Tock Boom, a trio who came all the way from Virginia. I was really looking forward to seeing the group, as I’d heard of them a few times. But wait, what was that Seth Davis had in his hand? Could it be one of those guitar-shaped synths? And was that a synth tower next to him? Yikes. This did not bode well. Sure enough, they were the only band of the evening that was a complete disappointment to me. As someone who has always loved powerpop (as opposed to bubblegum), I also am not a fan of electronica. Unfortunately, I was right to be afraid. Their songs were full of whoop-whoops and twees and bloop-bloops. After nearly three songs, I said fuck it and headed up the stairs to watch the next band set up. And I wasn’t the only one, as there were more people upstairs waiting than there was watching TTB. Funny thing is that they actually sounded better reverberating through the floor than they did being in the same room. [Ally, Vonny & Monty waiting for Dead Set o Destruction] While Dead Set on Destruction set up, Debo sat at his drum with Monty Love standing behind him. It was then I realized that with Debo, Bek and Monty present, that was three quarters of the Monty Love band in the same room, getting along. I am guessing that I wasn’t the only one hoping for what never happened: a mini-Monty Love reunion. It was also around this time that I first noticed Jen Love in the audience, whom I haven’t seen in a while. Not surprising she was there, as so many of her buds were playing, such as Philly Rabbit of Quantice Never Crashed. I remember the two of them jumping around like maniacs to bands at the Temple, having so much fun! And I have the “blackmail” pictures to prove it! Dead Set on Destruction is dead set on entertainment. Maybe that was a bit too glib? Perhaps, but DSoD is a solid punk outfit fronted by Todd, who proves the man has moves. One thing I like about the band, beyond the good songs, is that it has some of the more idiosyncratic looking members, with vocalist Todd, who is a large man, an Amish beard style bassist named simply b, a handsome guitarist with the rare moniker John, and powerhouse Debo on drums. The band gave a unyielding performance with solid musicianship. And when John’s guitar gave up the ghost, Bek jumped right in and loaned John his, helping DSoD finish a fueled set. Early in the evening, when the bands were unloading, I talked with the Young Hearts after they brought in their equipment and settled in, waiting for the show. They came across as earnest and while having fun with the whole music biz, were also serious about what they were doing. Barrie had told me how excited she was that they were playing, so I was curious. While they were closer to the rock end of punk rock, they sparkled. This is the first time I had seen them perform, and was glad for the opportunity. For a late addition to the roster, they showed up ready to play, and they certainly did that well. The set just flew by. Toward the end, a guy showed up dressed like a pope, with blood sprayed on his front. He danced in front of the band for a while. Upstairs for the last time of the evening, we crowded around to see local faves (though they’re from Brooklyn), Up For Nothing. Earlier in the eve, just before A Telltale Heart’s set, Justin told me how they had signed with the Boston label run by the Dimwits, Winter Street Records, and how excited they are. I am not sure what else to say about this trio that I haven’t said before, but I will reiterate that I think there are a lot of fun. Justin has a banter between songs explaining little things about the song they are about to play (“This is a short song”…”this may be the last time we play this…”), and about their first show playing at the Temple (not only was I there, a couple of days later Justin posting a ffhoto I took of that show on my MySpace comments page). By giving timelines for the songs, it makes it a bit easier to follow their trajectory over the years, and one can see how their songs have grown and improved over time. But their material is always catchy, even the 15 second one (possibly inspired by the Descendents’ “I Like Food”?). And thanks for the nod from the stage, as had Bek earlier. I ALWAYS appreciate the acknowledgement, and I never ever take it for granted. Meanwhile, drummer Jesse is heading off to California to stay...and get married (I wish him a lot of luck), so UFN islooking for a replacement, if you’re interested. Jesse's tracks are already layed for the new release, and his last gig will be Up For Nothing record release party on May 10. Check it out! As we went downstairs the set there was already in full force, with the rap group Lost Soulz commanding of the stage. The long stage was packed with people I had not seen during the other bands, with the exception of the bloody pope, who was on stage now as well. It was also the first time that evening that there was not only a pit, but it was thriving. I took to the left side of the stage and stood on a sculpture to gets photos above the fray. Yet through all this, Quantice Never Crashed still managed to get set up. Amazing; though they certainly are used to large crowds storming around them, as well. For me, watching the crowd was fun, but I was not into the music at all. There are only two rap groups I can tolerate: the Last Poets and Public Enemy. The rest I find repetitive and dull. It’s gotta be rock’n’roll music, if you wanna dance with me (as said by the TRUE king of rock’n’roll, but that’s for another day). Last up was the re-formed band made up of the sons of Staten Island, Quantice Never Crashed. They broke up when lead singer Philly Rabbit left, but he came back and the entire local scene showed their appreciation. The last time I know I saw them play was the Monty Love Xmas Spectacular in 2005, two years too long. Even before they started, the energy was way high. The Lost Soulz may have helped, yet the normal intensity for QNC is quite forceful anyway. As usual, the music started slow, with Phil D (drummer of Racing Exit 13) on bass, John and Vinny on guitar, and Mikey on drums. One can almost count down… Wait for it…. Waaaaait for iiiiiiit. BAM! Like a shot, Philly is off in the audience (hoodie in place), throwing himself around, flailing like he’s being electrocuted, or huddled in a small circle with all limbs pulled in like a turtle. Surely he was just having a blast, huge smile on his face when he’s not in full screamo mode, grabbing his own ass as seems to be the official screamo pose. And the audience loves it, singing along with him, sometimes even taking the mic FROM him. As passionate as it got, between songs there were laughs from everyone and this was just the release everyone needed to help end the year. Welcome back, guys! I can’t remember if I said this to Dov and Phil D directly after the show: thank you for a great evening. You guys did a bang-up job that easily kept in the tradition of the Monty Love Spectaculars, and having Monty there himself made it all the more special. Hopefully, these guys will continue on the tradition for a long time to come, and that they know their hard efforts were greatly appreciated. And when you do your next show, call on me and I’ll be there (this I swear. Shit I never….). The rest of the ffotos can be seen here: http://community.webshots.com/user/ffranzos2006v1 Posted by Robert Barry Francos at 4:52 PM Labels: Dead Set on Destruction, Monty Love, punk rock, Quantice Never Crashed, Racing Exit 13, Staten Island, Telltale Heart, That Hideous Strength, Tick Tock Boom, Up For Nothing, Young Hearts 1st Annual Holiday Bonanza, NYC Cypher, Staten Isl...

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Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier’s Experiment About the CRISPR/cas 9 System’s Role in Adaptive Bacterial Immunity (2012) In 2012, Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier from the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, California, and Umeå University in Umeå, Sweden, along with their colleagues discovered how bacteria use the CRISPR/cas 9 system to protect themselves from viruses. The researchers also proposed the idea of using the CRISPR/cas 9 system as a genome editing tool. Cornelia Isabella Bargmann (1961- ) Cornelia Isabella Bargmann studied the relationship between genes, neural circuits, and behavior in the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in the US. Bargmann’s research focused on how the sense of smell (olfaction) in the nematode word Caenorhabditis elegans. She provided a model to study how neural circuits develop and function in the human brain, as the genetic regulatory pathways are similar. “Revival of Spermatozoa after Dehydration and Vitrification at Low Temperatures” (1949), by Christopher Polge, Audrey Ursula Smith, and Alan Sterling Parkes In the 1949 article “Revival of Spermatozoa after Dehydration and Vitrification at Low Temperatures,” researchers Christopher Polge, Audrey Ursula Smith, and Alan Sterling Parkes demonstrated that glycerol prevents cells from dying while being frozen. Polge and his colleagues discussed several procedures in which they had treated sperm cells from various species with glycerol, froze those cells, and then observed the physiological effects that freezing had on the treated sperm. The researchers concluded that glycerol safely preserves sperm samples from a variety of species. Robert Guthrie (1916–1995) Robert Guthrie developed a method to test infants for phenylketonuria (PKU) in the United States during the twentieth century. PKU is an inherited condition that causes an amino acid called phenylalanine to build to toxic levels in the blood. Untreated, PKU causes mental disabilities. Before Guthrie’s test, physicians rarely tested infants for PKU and struggled to diagnosis it. Guthrie’s test enabled newborns to be quickly and cheaply screened at birth and then treated for PKU if necessary, preventing irreversible neurological damage. "Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy, Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial" (2002), by Jacques Rossouw et al. In 2002, the Writing Group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators published the article Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy, Postmenopausal Women: Principal Results from the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Trial in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Cord blood banks are institutions designed to store umbilical cord blood (UCB) stem cells. UCB, a source of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), has garnered attention from scientific and medical communities since its first successful use in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in 1988. The umbilical cord is the lifeline by which the growing fetus is nourished by the mother. Once regarded as medical waste, the umbilical cord has become a source of lifesaving treatment. Subject: Technologies, Reproduction Harald zur Hausen's Experiments on Human Papillomavirus Causing Cervical Cancer (1976–1987) From 1977 to 1987, Harald zur Hausen led a team of researchers across several institutions in Germany to investigate whether the human papillomavirus (HPV) caused cervical cancer. Zur Hausen's first experiment tested the hypothesis that HPV caused cervical cancer rather than herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), the then accepted cause. His second and third experiments detailed methods to identify two previously unidentified HPV strains, HPV 16 and HPV 18, in cervical cancer tumor samples. The experiments showed that HPV 16 and 18 DNA were present in cervical tumor samples. MicroSort "MicroSort, developed in 1990 by the Genetics and IVF Institute, is a form of pre-conception sex selection technology for humans. Laboratories located around the world use MicroSort technology to help couples increase their chances of conceiving a child of their desired sex. MicroSort separates male sperm cells based on which sex chromosome they contain, which results in separated semen samples that contain a higher percentage of sperm cells that carry the same sex chromosome. Buck v. Bell (1927) In 1927, the US Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell set the legal precedent that states may sterilize inmates of public institutions because the court argued that imbecility, epilepsy, and feeblemindedness are hereditary, and that the inmates should be prevented from passing these defects to the next generation. On 2 May 1927, in an eight to one decision, the US Supreme Court ordered that Carrie Buck, feebleminded daughter of a feebleminded mother and herself the mother of a feebleminded child, be sterilized under the 1924 Virginia Eugenical Sterilization Act. Buck v. Paul Kammerer (1880-1926) Paul Kammerer conducted experiments on amphibians and marine animals at the Vivarium, a research institute in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. Kammerer bred organisms in captivity, and he induced them to develop particular adaptations, which Kammerer claimed the organismss offspring would inherit. Kammerer argued that his results demonstrated the inheritance of acquired characteristics, or Lamarckian inheritance. The Lamarckian theory of inheritance posits that individuals transmit acquired traits to their offspring. Subject: Experiments, People Cerebral Organoid as a Model System in the Study of Microcephaly Scientists use cerebral organoids, which are artificially produced miniature organs that represent embryonic or fetal brains and have many properties similar to them, to help them study developmental disorders like microcephaly. In human embryos, cerebral tissue in the form of neuroectoderm appears within the first nine weeks of human development, and it gives rise to the brain and spinal cord. Abraham Trembley (1710-1784) Abraham Trembley's discovery of the remarkable regenerative capacity of the hydra caused many to question their beliefs about the generation of organisms. Born 3 September 1710 to a prominent Geneva family, Trembley studied at the Calvin Institute, now the University of Geneva, where he completed his thesis on calculus. He went on to become tutor for Count William Bentinck's two sons, and it was while teaching the boys natural history that Trembley came across a strange organism in a sample of pond water. Florence Rena Sabin (1871-1953) Florence Rena Sabin had successful careers as both a researcher and public health reformer. When Johns Hopkins University Medical School opened, accepting women and men on the same basis, Sabin was one of the first to enter. After the successful completion of her MD degree, Sabin went on to become the first female faculty member and later full-time professor at Johns Hopkins. Robert Geoffrey Edwards's Study of in vitro Mammalian Oocyte Maturation, 1960 to 1965 In a series of experiments between 1960 and 1965, Robert Geoffrey Edwards discovered how to make mammalian egg cells, or oocytes, mature outside of a female's body. Edwards, working at several research institutions in the UK during this period, studied in vitro fertilization (IVF) methods. He measured the conditions and timings for in vitro (out of the body) maturation of oocytes from diverse mammals including mice, rats, hamsters, pigs, cows, sheep, and rhesus monkeys, as well as humans. Subject: Experiments, Reproduction "Maternal consumption of peanut during pregnancy is associated with peanut sensitization in atopic infants" (2010), by Scott Sicherer, et al. In 2010, a team of US researchers concluded that the more peanuts a pregnant woman ate during her pregnancy, the more likely her newborn was to be sensitive to peanuts. They published their results in 2010's "Maternal consumption of peanut during pregnancy is associated with peanut sensitization in atopic infants." The work resulted from the collaboration of Scott Sicherer and Hugh Sampson, both from the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in New York, New York along with other colleagues. The Discovery of The Dikika Baby Fossil as Evidence for Australopithecine Growth and Development When scientists discovered a 3.3 million-year-old skeleton of a child of the human lineage (hominin) in 2000, in the village of Hadar, Ethiopia, they were able to study growth and development of Australopithecus afarensis, an extinct hominin species. The team of researchers, led by Zeresenay Alemseged of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany, named the fossil DIK 1-1 and nicknamed it Dikika baby after the Dikika research site. The Dikika fossil The Meselson-Stahl Experiment (1957–1958), by Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl In an experiment later named for them, Matthew Stanley Meselson and Franklin William Stahl in the US demonstrated during the 1950s the semi-conservative replication of DNA, such that each daughter DNA molecule contains one new daughter subunit and one subunit conserved from the parental DNA molecule. The researchers conducted the experiment at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, California, from October 1957 to January 1958. Subject: Processes, Experiments Equilibrium Density Gradient Centrifugation in Cesium Chloride Solutions Developed by Matthew Meselson and Franklin Stahl Matthew Meselson, Franklin Stahl, and Jerome Vinograd, developed cesium chloride, or CsCl, density gradient centrifugation in the 1950s at the California Institute of Technology, or Caltech, in Pasadena, California. Density gradient centrifugation enables scientists to separate substances based on size, shape, and density. Meselson and Stahl invented a specific type of density gradient centrifugation, called isopycnic centrifugation that used a solution of cesium chloride to separate DNA molecules based on density alone.

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Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane, his brothers Richard and John, and V. K. Krishna Menon,[2][3][4] as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.[5] Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence, bringing high-quality paperback fiction and non-fiction to the mass market.[6] Penguin's success demonstrated that large audiences existed for serious books. Penguin also had a significant impact on public debate in Britain, through its books on British culture, politics, the arts, and science.[7][8] Penguin Random House (as of 1 July 2013)[1] 1935; 84 years ago (1935) V. K. Krishna Menon Richard Lane Headquarters location City of Westminster, London, England United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, India, United States, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Spanish-speaking world, Brazil, Germany Markus Dohle (CEO) Thomas Rabe (Chairman) Madeline McIntosh (CEO, PRH US) Tom Weldon (CEO, PRH UK) Allison Dobson (President, Penguin Publishing Group U.S.) Jen Loja (President, Penguin Young Readers U.S.) Penguin Classics, Viking Press Bertelsmann, Pearson PLC www.penguin.com Penguin Crime (details) Penguin Books is now an imprint of the worldwide Penguin Random House, an emerging conglomerate which was formed in 2013 by the merger with American publisher Random House.[9] Formerly, Penguin Group was wholly owned by British Pearson PLC, the global media company which also owned the Financial Times,[10] but in the new umbrella company it retains only a minority holding of 25% of the stock against Random House owner, German media company Bertelsmann, which controls the majority stake. It is one of the largest English-language publishers, formerly known as the "Big Six", now the "Big Five", along with Holtzbrinck/Macmillan, Hachette, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster.[11] The plaque marking the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of Penguin Books by Allen Lane at 8 Vigo Street. The first Penguin paperbacks were published in 1935,[12] but at first only as an imprint of The Bodley Head[5] (of Vigo Street) with the books originally distributed from the crypt of Holy Trinity Church Marylebone. Only paperback editions were published until the "King Penguin" series debuted in 1939,[13] and latterly the Pelican History of Art was undertaken: these were unsuitable as paperbacks because of the length and copious illustrations on art paper so cloth bindings were chosen instead. Penguin Books has its registered office in the City of Westminster, London, England.[14][15] Anecdotally, Lane recounted how it was his experience with the poor quality of reading material on offer at Exeter train station that inspired him to create cheap, well designed quality books for the mass market.[16] (Other sources attribute the idea for a Penguin Books-like entity to Krishna Menon.)[17] However the question of how publishers could reach a larger public had been the subject of a conference at Rippon Hall, Oxford in 1934 which Lane had attended. Though the publication of literature in paperback was then associated mainly with poor quality lurid fiction, the Penguin brand owed something to the short-lived Albatross imprint of British and American reprints that briefly traded in 1932.[18] Inexpensive paperbacks did not initially appear viable to Bodley Head, since the deliberately low price of 6d. made profitability seem unlikely. This helped Allen Lane purchase publication rights for some works more cheaply than he otherwise might have done since other publishers were convinced of the short term prospects of the business. In the face of resistance from the traditional book trade[19] it was the purchase of 63,000 books by Woolworths Group[20] that paid for the project outright, confirmed its worth and allowed Lane to establish Penguin as a separate business in 1936. By March 1936, ten months after the company's launch on 30 July 1935, one million Penguin books had been printed. This early flush of success brought expansion and the appointment of Eunice Frost, first as a secretary then as editor and ultimately as a director, who was to have a pivotal influence in shaping the company.[21] It was Frost who in 1945 was entrusted with the reconstruction of Penguin Inc after the departure of its first managing director Ian Ballantine.[22] Penguin Inc had been incorporated in 1939 in order to satisfy US copyright law, and had enjoyed some success under its vice president Kurt Enoch with such titles as What Plane Is That and The New Soldier Handbook despite being a late entrant into an already well established paperback market. From the outset, design was essential to the success of the Penguin brand. Avoiding the illustrated gaudiness of other paperback publishers, Penguin opted for the simple appearance of three horizontal bands, the upper and lower of which were colour-coded according to which series the title belonged to; this is sometimes referred to as the horizontal grid. In the central white panel, the author and title were printed in Gill Sans and in the upper band was a cartouche with the legend "Penguin Books". The initial design was created by the then 21-year-old office junior Edward Young, who also drew the first version of the Penguin logo. Series such as Penguin Specials and The Penguin Shakespeare had individual designs (by 1937 only S1 and B1-B18 had been published). The colour schemes included: orange and white for general fiction, green and white for crime fiction, cerise and white for travel and adventure, dark blue and white for biographies, yellow and white for miscellaneous, red and white for drama; and the rarer purple and white for essays and belles lettres and grey and white for world affairs. Lane actively resisted the introduction of cover images for several years. Some recent publications of literature from that time have duplicated the original look. From 1937 and on, the headquarters of Penguin Books was at Harmondsworth west of London and so it remained until the 1990s when a merge with Viking involved the head office moving to London. War yearsEdit The Second World War saw the company established as a national institution, and though it had no formal role, Penguin was integral to the war effort thanks in no small part to the publication of such bestselling manuals as Keeping Poultry and Rabbits on Scraps and Aircraft Recognition and supplying books for the services and British POWs. Penguin printed some 600 titles and started nineteen new series in the six years of the war[23] and a time of enormous increase in the demand for books,[24] consequently Penguin enjoyed a privileged place among its peers. Paper rationing was the besetting problem of publishers during wartime, with the fall of France cutting off supply of esparto grass, one of the constituents of the pulp Penguin used. As such when rationing was introduced in March 1940 a quota was allocated by the Ministry of Supply to each publisher as a percentage of the amount used by that firm between August 1938 and August 1939.[25] This was particularly advantageous to Penguin who as a volume printer had enjoyed a very successful year that year. Further in a deal with the Canadian Government, Penguin had agreed to exclusively publish editions for their armed forces for which they were paid in tons of paper.[26] By January 1942 the Book Production War Economy Agreement regulations came into force which determined rules on paper quality, type size and margins, consequently Penguin eliminated dust jackets, trimmed margins and replaced sewn bindings with metal staples. Aside from the noticeable deterioration in the appearance of paperbacks it became a practical impossibility to publish books of more than 256 pages resulting in some titles falling out of print for want of material.[27] In addition to their paper allocation Penguin secured a deal in late 1941, through Bill William's connections with ABCA and CEMA, with the War Office to supply the troops with books through what would be known as the Forces Book Club. Penguin would receive 60 tons a month from Paper Supply in return for 10 titles a month in runs of 75,000 at 5d.[28] Previously every paperback carried the message "FOR THE FORCES Leave this book at a Post Office when you have read it, so that men and women in the Services may enjoy it too" at the bottom of the back cover inviting the reader to take advantage of the free transmission of books to the forces by the Post Office. However demand was exceeding supply on the home front leading Lane to seek a monopoly on army books made specifically for overseas distribution. This dominance over the paper supply put Penguin in an especially strong position after the war as rationing continued. Many of its competitors were forced to concede paperback reprint rights to Penguin for this reason as well as the popular prestige the company enjoyed.[28] Post-war historyEdit See also R v Penguin Books Ltd. In 1945, Penguin began what would become one of its most important branches, the Penguin Classics, with a translation of Homer's Odyssey by E. V. Rieu. Between 1947 and 1949, the German typographer Jan Tschichold redesigned 500 Penguin books, and left Penguin with a set of influential rules of design principles brought together as the Penguin Composition Rules, a four-page booklet of typographic instructions for editors and compositors. Tschichold's work included the woodcut illustrated covers of the classics series (also known as the medallion series), and with Hans Schmoller, his eventual successor at Penguin, the vertical grid covers that became the standard for Penguin fiction throughout the 1950s. By this time the paperback industry in the UK had begun to grow, and Penguin found itself in competition with then fledgeling Pan Books. Many other series were published such as the Buildings of England, the Pelican History of Art and Penguin Education. By 1960, a number of forces were to shape the direction of the company, the publication list and its graphic design. On 20 April 1961, Penguin became a publicly listed company on the London Stock Exchange; consequently, Allen Lane had a diminished role at the firm though he was to continue as Managing Director. New techniques such as phototypesetting and offset-litho printing were to replace hot metal and letterpress printing, dramatically reducing cost and permitting the printing of images and text on the same paper stock, thus paving the way for the introduction of photography and novel approaches to graphic design on paperback covers. In May 1960, Tony Godwin was appointed as editorial adviser, rapidly rising to Chief Editor from which position he sought to broaden the range of Penguin's list and keep up with new developments in graphic design. To this end, he hired Germano Facetti in January 1961, who was to decisively alter the appearance of the Penguin brand. Beginning with the crime series, Facetti canvassed the opinion of a number of designers including Romek Marber for a new look to the Penguin cover. It was Marber's suggestion of what came to be called the Marber grid along with the retention of traditional Penguin colour-coding that was to replace the previous three horizontal bars design and set the pattern for the design of the company's paperbacks for the next twenty years. Facetti rolled out the new treatment across the Penguin line starting with crime, the orange fiction series, then Pelicans, Penguin Modern Classics, Penguin Specials, and Penguin Classics, giving an overall visual unity to the company's list. A somewhat different approach was taken to the Peregrine, Penguin Poets, Penguin Modern Poets, and Penguin Plays series. There were over a hundred different series published in total. Just as Lane well judged the public's appetite for paperbacks in the 1930s, his decision to publish Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence in 1960 boosted Penguin's notoriety. The novel was at the time unpublished in the United Kingdom and the predicted obscenity trial not only marked Penguin as a fearless publisher, it also helped drive the sale of at least 3.5 million copies. Penguin's victory in the case heralded the end to the censorship of books in the UK, although censorship of the written word was only finally defeated after the Inside Linda Lovelace trial of 1978. Imprints and seriesEdit Pearson takeoverEdit Main articles: Pearson PLC, Michael Joseph (publisher), Hamish Hamilton, New American Library, and E. P. Dutton By the end of the 1960s Penguin was in financial trouble, and several proposals were made for a new operating structure. These included ownership by a consortium of universities, or joint ownership by the Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press, but none of them came to anything.[29] Sir Allen Lane died on 7 July, and six weeks later, Penguin was acquired by Pearson PLC on 21 August 1970.[30] A new emphasis on profitability emerged and, with the departure of Facetti in 1972, the defining era of Penguin book design came to an end. Later changes included the disappearance of 'Harmondsworth' as the place of publication: this was replaced by a London office address. From 1937 the headquarters of Penguin Books was at Harmondsworth west of London and so it remained until the 1990s when a merger with Viking involved the head office moving into London (27 Wrights Lane, W8 5TZ). In 1985, Penguin purchased British hardback publisher Michael Joseph[31][32] and in 1986, Hamish Hamilton. Also in 1986, Penguin purchased American publisher New American Library (NAL) and its hard-cover affiliate E. P. Dutton.[33] New American Library had originally been Penguin U.S.A and had been spun off in 1948 because of the high complexity of import and export regulations. Penguin repurchased it in order to extend its reach into the US market, and NAL saw the move as a way to gain a hold in international markets.[33][34] Penguin published Deborah Lipstadt's book Denying the Holocaust, which accused David Irving of Holocaust denial. Irving sued Lipstadt and Penguin for libel in 1998 but lost in a much publicised court case. Other titles published by Penguin which gained media attention, and controversy, include Massacre by Siné, Spycatcher, which was suppressed in the UK by the government for a time, and The Satanic Verses, leading to its author Salman Rushdie having to go into hiding for some years after Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a Fatwā, an edict amounting to a sentence of death against him. In 2006, Penguin attempted to involve the public in collaboratively writing a novel on a wiki platform. They named this project A Million Penguins. On 7 March 2007, the Penguin Books UK blog announced that the project had come to an end.[35] In 2014, the Penguin Hotline was created by Madeline McIntosh.[36] An orange commemorative plaque was unveiled at Exeter train station in May 2017 to mark Lane's significant contribution to the publishing industry.[37] Penguin ClassicsEdit Penguin Classics editions The 80 Little Black Classics published in 2015 marking the 80th anniversary Penguin Books Main article: Penguin Classics Consonant with Penguin's corporate mission to bring canonical literature to the mass market the company first ventured into publishing the classics in May 1938 with the issue of Penguin Illustrated Classics.[38] The savings from the author's rights on these royalty free titles were instead invested in commissioning woodcut engravings from Robert Gibbings and his circle emanating from the Central School of Arts and Crafts. The books were distinct from the rest of the Penguin marque in their use of a vertical grid (anticipating Tschichold's innovation of 1951) and albertus typeface. The series was not a financial success and the list ceased after just ten volumes the same year it began. Penguin returned to classics with the printing of E. V. Rieu's translation of Homer's Odyssey in 1946, which went on to sell three million copies.[39] Penguin's commercial motivation was, as ever, populist; rendering the classics in an approachable modern English was therefore a difficult task whose execution did not always satisfy the critics.[40] Dr Rieu said of his work that "I have done my best to make Homer easy reading for those who are unfamiliar with the Greek world."[41] He was joined in 1959 by Betty Radice who was first his assistant then, after his retirement in 1964, she assumed the role of joint editor with Robert Baldick. As the publisher's focus changed from the needs of the marketplace to those of the classroom the criticism became more acute, Thomas Gould wrote of the series "most of the philosophical volumes in the Penguin series are bad – some very bad indeed. Since Plato and Aristotle are the most read philosophers in the world today, and since some of these Penguin translations are favourites among professional philosophers in several countries, this amounts to a minor crisis in the history of philosophy."[42] The imprint publishes hundreds of classics from the Greeks and Romans to Victorian Literature to modern classics. For nearly twenty years, variously coloured borders to the front and back covers indicated the original language. The second period of design meant largely black covers with a colour illustration on the front. In 2002, Penguin announced it was redesigning its entire catalogue, merging the original Classics list (known in the trade as "Black Classics") with what had been the old Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics list, though the silver covers for the latter have so far been retained for most of the titles. Previously this line had been called 'Penguin Modern Classics' with a pale green livery. The redesign—featuring a colourful painting on the cover, with black background and orange lettering—was well received. However, the quality of the paperbacks themselves seemed to decrease: the spines were more likely to fold and bend. The paperbacks are also printed on non-acid-free pulp paper, which, by some accounts, tends to yellow and brown within a couple of years.[43] The text page design was also overhauled to follow a more closely prescribed template, allowing for faster copyediting and typesetting, but reducing the options for individual design variations suggested by a text's structure or historical context (for example, in the choice of text typeface). Prior to 2002, the text page typography of each book in the Classics series had been overseen by a team of in-house designers; this department was drastically reduced in 2003 as part of the production costs. The in-house text design department still exists, albeit much smaller than formerly. Recent design work includes the Penguin Little Black Classic series. Pelican BooksEdit Main article: Pelican Books Four Pelican book covers, showing the gradual shift in the design. From left – 1937 (three bands), 1955 (grid), 1969 (illustrated), and 2007 (a "Penguin Celebrations" throwback edition) Lane expanded the business in 1937 with the publication of George Bernard Shaw's The Intelligent Woman's Guide to Socialism and Capitalism under the Pelican Books imprint, an imprint designed to educate the reading public rather than entertain. Recognising his own limitations Lane appointed V. K. Krishna Menon as the first commissioning editor of the series[44], supported by an advisory panel consisting of Peter Chalmers Mitchell, H. L. Bales and W. E. Williams. Several thousand Pelicans were published over the next half-century and brought high quality accounts of the current state of knowledge in many fields, often written by authors of specialised academic books.[45] (The Pelican series, in decline for several years, was finally discontinued in 1984.) Aircraft Recognition (S82) by R. A. Saville-Sneath, was a bestseller. In 1940, the children's imprint Puffin Books began with a series of non-fiction picture books; the first work of children's fiction published under the imprint was Barbara Euphan Todd's Worzel Gummidge the following year. Another series that began in wartime was the Penguin Poets: the first volume was a selection of Tennyson's poems (D1) in 1941. Later examples are The Penguin Book of Modern American Verse (D22), 1954, and The Penguin Book of Restoration Verse (D108), 1968. J. M. Cohen's Comic and Curious Verse appeared in three volumes over a number of years. Pelican Books was relaunched as a digital[vague] imprint in 2014, with four books published simultaneously on 1 May: Economics: A User's Guide by Ha-Joon Chang, The Domesticated Brain by the psychologist Bruce Hood, Revolutionary Russia by Orlando Figes and Human Evolution by the anthropologist Robin Dunbar.[46] Penguin EducationEdit Main article: Penguin Education Covers of two Penguin Education titles In 1965 Penguin entered the field of educational publishing, Allen Lane’s aim being to carry the radical and populist spirit of Pelicans into the schoolbook market. His final major initiative, the division was established as a separate publishing operation from Harmondsworth, and based in West Drayton in Middlesex. During its nine-year life it had a major impact on school books, breaking new ground in their concept and design and strongly influencing other publishers’ lists. Among the most successful and influential series were Voices and Junior Voices, Connexions, and the Penguin English Project. Alongside these and other series, the imprint continued another Penguin tradition by producing Education Specials, titles which focussed on often controversial topics within education and beyond. They included highly topical books such as The Hornsey Affair and Warwick University Ltd, reflecting the student unrest of the late 1960s and contributing to the intense national debate about the purpose of higher education. Other titles featured the radical and influential ideas about schooling propounded by writers and teachers from America and elsewhere. Penguin Education also published an extensive range of Readers and introductory texts for students in higher education, notably in subjects such as psychology, economics, management, sociology and science, while for teachers it provided a series of key texts such as Language, the Learner and the School and The Language of Primary School Children. Following Allen Lane’s death in 1970 and the takeover the same year by Pearson Longman, the division discontinued publishing school books and was closed in March 1974. More than 80 teachers, educational journalists and academics signed a letter to the Times Educational Supplement regretting the closure of the influential imprint[47] Penguin SpecialsEdit In November 1937, Penguin inaugurated a new series of short, polemical books under the rubric of Penguin Specials with the publication of Edgar Mowrer's Germany Puts the Clock Back. Their purpose was to offer in-depth analysis of current affairs that would counter the perceived bias of the newspapers in addition to being the company's response to the popularity of Gollancz's Left Book Club. Whereas the Left Book Club was avowedly pro-Soviet, Penguin and Lane expressed no political preference as their editorial policy, though the widespread belief was that the series was left-leaning since the editor was the communist John Lehmann and its authors were, with a few exceptions,[48] men of the left. Speed of publication and delivery (a turnaround of weeks rather than months) were essential to the topicality and therefore success of the Specials, Genevieve Tabouis's anti-appeasement tract Blackmail or War sold over 200,000 copies for example. However even this immediacy did not prevent them being overtaken by events: Shiela Grant Duff's Europe and the Czechs only made it onto the bookstands on the day of the Munich agreement, but nevertheless went on to be a bestseller. Thirty-five Penguin Specials were published before the outbreak of war, including two novels Hašek's Good Soldier Schweik and Bottome's The Mortal Storm; they collectively made a significant contribution to the public debate of the time, with many of the more controversial titles being the subject of leading articles in the press. After a hiatus between 1945 and 1949, the Penguin Specials continued after the war under the editorship of first Tom Maschler, then after 1961 Tony Godwin. The first title in the revived series was William Gallacher's The Case for Communism.[49] Godwin initiated the "What's Wrong with Britain" series of Specials in the run up to the 1964 election, which constituted a platform for the New Left's brand of cultural analysis that characterised the leftist political radicalism of the 1960s. Indeed, Penguin Books contributed to the funds that set up Richard Hoggart and Stuart Hall's Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies at Birmingham University in 1964.[50] This brief period of revival for Penguin Specials in contributing to the national dialogue was not sustained after the departure of Godwin in 1967, and with the rise in television journalism the Specials series declined in significance through the 1970s and 1980s. The last Special was published in 1988 with Keith Thompson's Under Siege: Racism and Violence in Britain Today. In December 2011, Penguin launched nine titles as 'Penguin Shorts'[51] which featured the iconic tri-band covers. These books were novellla and short length works of fiction and/or memoirs. In 2012 they became known as Penguin Specials following an agreement with The Economist in March of that year[52] which focused on the kind of topical journalism that was a feature of the original Penguin Specials. Subsequent Penguin Specials released in 2012 and 2013 continued to include both fiction, including the publication of the works shortlisted for the Monash Undergraduate Prize 2012, and topical journalism.[53] As well as collected columns of cultural critics.[54] PuffinEdit Main article: Puffin Books Noel Carrington, an editor at Country Life magazine, first approached Lane with the idea of publishing low-cost, illustrated non-fiction children's books in 1938. Inspired by the Editions Père Castor books drawn by Rojan and the technique of autolithography used in the poster art of the time, Carrington's suggestion for what was to become the Puffin Picture Book series was adopted by Penguin in 1940 when, as Lane saw it, evacuated city children would need books on farming and natural history to help adjust to the country.[55] The first four titles appeared in December 1940; War on Land, War at Sea, War in the Air and On the Farm, and a further nine the following year. Despite Lane's intention to publish twelve a year paper and staff shortages meant only thirteen were issued in the first two years of the series. The Picture Books' 120 titles resulted in 260 variants altogether, the last number 116 Paxton Chadwick's Life Histories, was issued hors série in 1996 by the Penguin Collector's Society. Inexpensive paperback children's fiction did not exist at the time Penguin sought to expand their list into this new market. To this end Eleanor Graham was appointed in 1941 as the first editor of the Puffin Story Books series,[56] a venture made particularly difficult due to the resistance of publishers and librarians in releasing the rights of their children's books. The first five titles, Worzel Gummidge, Cornish Adventure,The Cuckoo Clock, Garram the Hunter and Smokey were published in the three horizontal stripes company livery of the rest of the Penguin output, a practice abandoned after the ninth volume when full-bleed colour illustrated covers were introduced, a fact that heralded the much greater design freedom of the Puffin series over the rest of Penguin's books. Graham retired in 1961 and was replaced by Kaye Webb who presided over the department for 18 years in a period that saw greatly increased competition in the children's market as well as a greater sophistication in production and marketing. One innovation of Webb's was the creation of the Puffin Club in 1967 and its quarterly magazine Puffin Post, which at its height had 200,000 members. The Puffin authors' list added Arthur Ransome, Roald Dahl and Ursula K. Le Guin during Webb's editorship and saw the creation of the Peacock series of teenage fiction. Tony Lacey took over Webb's editorial chair in 1979 at the invitation of Penguin managing director Peter Mayer[57] when Puffin was one of the few profitable divisions of the beleaguered company. In line with Mayer's policy of more aggressive commercialisation of the Penguin brand Lacey reduced the number of Puffin imprints, consolidated popular titles under the Puffin Classics rubric and inaugurated the successful interactive gamebook series Fighting Fantasy.[58] Complimentary to the Puffin Club the Puffin School Book Club, addressed specifically to schools and organisations, grew significantly in this period helping to confirm Puffin market position such that by 1983 one in three Penguin books sold was a Puffin.[58] The Buildings of EnglandEdit Main article: Pevsner Architectural Guides Nikolaus Pevsner first proposed a series of volumes amounting to a county by county survey of the monuments of England in ten or more books to both the Cambridge University Press and Routledge before the war, however for various reason his plan came to nothing.[59] It was only through his involvement with Penguin that he was in a position to make a similar suggestion to Allen Lane and be accepted. Pevsner described the project of the Buildings of England as an attempt to fill the gap in English publishing for those multi-volume survey of national art familiar on the continent. In particular Georg Dehio's Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmaler, a topographical inventory of Germany's important historic buildings that was published in five volumes between 1905 and 1912.[60] Though Pevsner's ambition for the series was to educate and inform the general public on the subtleties of English architectural history, the immediate commercial imperative was competition with the Shell Guides edited by John Betjeman of which 13 had been published by 1939.[61] With Lane's agreement in 1945 Pevsner began work personally touring the county that was to be the subject of observation aided by notes drawn up by researchers. The first volume, Cornwall, appeared in 1951, and went on to produce 46 architectural guidebooks between then and 1974 of which he wrote 32 alone and ten with assistance. As early as 1954 the series was in commercial difficulty and required sponsorship to continue, a grant from the Leverhulme Trust amongst other sources[62] secured its completion. The series continued after Pevsner's death in 1983, financed in part by the Pevsner Books Trust and published by Yale University Press. Pevsner's approach was of Kunstgeschichte quite distinct from the antiquarian interest of local and family history typical of English county histories. Consequently, there is little mention of monumental brasses, bells, tracery, the relationship of the building to the landscape.[63] Nor is there much discussion on building techniques, nor industrial architecture, nor on Art Deco buildings, omissions that his critics hold have led to those subjects undervaluation and neglect.[64] Nevertheless, Pevsner's synoptic study brought rigorous architectural history to an appreciative mass audience, and in particular he enlarged the perception of the Victorian achievement in architecture. Magazine publishingEdit Wartime paper rationing, which had resulted in a generous allocation to Penguin, also forced the reduction in space for book reviews and advertising in the newspapers and was partly the cause of the folding of several literary journals, consequently left a gap in the magazine market that Lane hoped to fill. In January 1941 the first issue of Penguin New Writing appeared and instantly dominated the market with 80,000 copies sold compared to its closest rival, Cyril Connolly's Horizon, which mustered 3,500 sales in its first edition. Penguin New Writing's editor John Lehmann was instrumental in introducing the British public to such new writers as Lawrence Durrell, Saul Bellow and James Michie. Yet despite popular and critical success further rationing and, after 1945 declining sales, led monthly publication to become quarterly until the journal finally closed in autumn 1950 after 40 issues. Though New Writing was the most durable of Penguin's periodicals it wasn't the publisher's only foray into journalism with Russian Review, Penguin Hansard and Transatlantic begun during the war, and Penguin Film Review, Penguin Music Magazine, New Biology, Penguin Parade, Penguin Science Survey and Penguin Science News having brief runs after. Popular PenguinsEdit Penguin's Australian subsidiary released the Popular Penguins series late in 2008. The series has its own website.[65] It was intended to include 50 titles, many of which duplicate those on the Penguin Celebrations list but this was reduced to 49 titles as one of the 50, Hegemony or Survival by Noam Chomsky,[66] had to be withdrawn after its initial release as Penguin discovered they no longer held the rights to it. Popular Penguins are presented as a return to Lane's original ethos – good books at affordable prices. They have been published with a cover price of A$9.95, less than half of the average price of a paperback novel in Australia at the time of release. Popular Penguins are presented in a more "authentic" interpretation of the Penguin Grid than that of the Celebrations series. They are correct size, when compared to an original 'grid-era' Penguin, and they use Eric Gill's typefaces in a more or less exact match for Jan Tschichold's "tidying" of Edward Young's original three panel cover design. The covers are also printed on a card stock that mirrors the look and feel of 1940s and 50s Penguin covers. On the other hand, all of the Popular Penguins series are in Penguin Orange, and not colour-coded in the manner of the original designs and the "Celebrations" titles. In July 2009, another 50 Popular Penguins were released onto the Australian and New Zealand markets.[67] A further 10 titles written by New Zealand authors were released in March 2010.[68] Another 75 titles were released in Australia in July 2010 to mark Penguin's 75th anniversary.[69] King Penguin BooksEdit King Penguin Books was a series of pocket-sized monographs published by Penguin Books between 1939 and 1959. They were in imitation of the Insel-Bücherei series published in Germany by Insel Verlag from 1912 onwards,[70] and were pioneer volumes for Penguins in that they were their first volumes with hard covers and their first with colour printing.[71] The books originally combined a classic series of colour plates with an authoritative text. The first two volumes featured sixteen plates from John Gould's The Birds of Great Britain (1873) with historical introduction and commentary on each plate by Phyllis Barclay-Smith, and sixteen plates from Redouté's Roses (1817–24) with historical introduction and commentary by John Ramsbottom. The third volume began the alternative practice of colour plates from a variety of sources. Some of the volumes, such as Nikolaus Pevsner's Leaves of Southwell (1945) or Wilfrid Blunt's Tulipomania (1950) were pioneering works of scholarship. Others such as The Bayeux Tapestry by Eric Maclagan (1943), Ur : The First Phases by Leonard Woolley (1946) or Russian Icons (1947) by David Talbot Rice were distillations by experts of their own pioneering works. Some volumes by experts went into revised editions, such as A Book of English Clocks (1947 and 1950) by R. W. Symonds. Elizabeth Senior edited the series until 1941, after which Nikolaus Pevsner took over and remained editor until the end of the series. The series ran to 76 volumes.[72] Pelican History of ArtEdit Allen Lane approached Nikolaus Pevsner in 1945 for a series of illustrated books that would match the success of the King Penguins. Pevsner recalled his response: "Allen said, 'You have done the King Penguins now and we are going on with them, but if you had your way, what else would you do?' I had my answer ready—and the answer was very formidable, because I outlined both The Pelican History of Art and The Buildings of England on the spot, each about 40 to 50 volumes. Allen said, 'Yes, we can do both,' and that was the end of the meeting."[73] Pevsner's industry quickly bore fruit with the first contracts signed by 1946 for John Summerson's Architecture in Britain, Anthony Blunt's Art and Architecture in France, and Rudolph Wittkower's Italian art and architecture, the first title Painting in Britain, 1530–1790 by Ellis Waterhouse was issued in 1953. By 1955, Pevsner produced a prospectus for the series announcing the publication of four new volumes and a plan for the rest of the series totalling 47 titles. The ambition of the series exceeded previously published multi-volume histories of art such as André Michel's Histoire de l'art (17 vols, 1905–28), the Propyläen Kunstgeschichte (25 vols, 1923–35). Forty-one volumes were published by the time Pevsner retired from editing in 1977, his work was continued by his editorial assistant on the Buildings of England Judy Nairn and the medievalist Peter Lasko. Yale University Press acquired the series in 1992 when 45 titles had been completed, by 2004 they had published 21 volumes, mostly revisions of existing editions.[74] New volumes continue to produced in the 2010s, and new editions of older ones.[75] For Penguin the series was a departure from their commercial mainstay of paperbacks as the histories of art were the first large format, illustrated hardback books they had produced.[76] Despite their relatively high price they were a financial success, yet for Pevsner they were intended primarily as graduate level texts in what was, for the English speaking world, the newly emerging academic discipline of art history.[77] Nevertheless, the series was criticised from within the academy for its evident biases. Many of its authors were German émigrés, consequently there was a methodological preference for the kunstwissenschaft practiced in Vienna and Berlin between the wars; a formalism that ignored the social context of art.[78] Moreover, the weight given to some subjects seemed disproportionate to some critics, with seven of its 47 volumes dedicated to English art, a "tributary of the main European current" as the Burlington Magazine observed.[79] Though the 1955 plan was never fully executed—the volumes on Greek painting and sculpture, quattrocento painting and cinquecento sculpture were not written—the Pelican History remains one of the most comprehensive surveys of world art published.[80] Penguin on WheelsEdit Mobile bookstore launched by Penguin Books India in collaboration with Ms. Satabdi Mishra and Mr. Akshaya Rautaray.[81] In popular cultureEdit Penguin restaurant in Nahariya, Israel, founded in 1940, was named after Penguin Books.[82] Some 80 years later the restaurant continues to be a successful outlet on the Ga'aton River, still managed by the founding family.[83] Books portal Great Books of the 20th Century List of early Puffin Story Books List of Penguin Classics New Penguin Shakespeare Penguin 60s Classics Penguin Books Ltd. v India Book Distributors and Others Penguin Collectors Society Penguin Essentials Penguin Modern Poets Penguin poetry anthologies Penguin Red Classics Tauchnitz publishers Notes and referencesEdit ^ "CEO Markus Dohle Announces Penguin Random House Global Leadership Team". Penguin Random House. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013. ^ Allen's brothers Richard and John were co-founders and shareholders, though Allen was the dominant figure in the company. John died in service in 1942, Richard sold his share to Allen before the company went public in 1961. The Penguin Companion, pp.80–81, Penguin Collectors' Society, 2006. ^ Krishnan, Sairam. "How a young man from Calicut became the publisher who helped change British thinking". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 July 2019. ^ Staff, Guardian (6 August 2010). "Letters: Pelican founder". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 July 2019. ^ a b "About Penguin – company history" Archived 5 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Penguin Books. ^ Florence Waters (26 August 2010). "Penguin's pioneering publisher – who never read books". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 February 2014. ^ Joicey, Nicholas (1993), "A Paperback Guide to Progress: Penguin Books 1935-c.1951", Twentieth Century British History, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 25–56; and Ross McKibbin Classes and Cultures: England 1918–1951, Oxford, 1998, ISBN 0-19-820672-0. ^ Mark Sweney "Penguin and Random House merger to create biggest book publisher ever seen", The Guardian, 29 October 2012 ^ Penguin's many divisions are listed here "About Penguin: Publishing structure". Archived 15 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine ^ "Who Are "The Big Six"?". Fiction Matters. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2012. ^ First 30 books published, from Byrne, Donn (1936), Hangman's House. London: Penguin Books; (list of books 1–30 on back cover): Ariel: a Shelley Romance by André Maurois, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, Poet's Pub by Eric Linklater, Madame Claire by Susan Ertz, The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers, Gone to Earth by Mary Webb, Carnival by Compton Mackenzie. ^ Baines, Penguin by Design, 2005, p. 76; edited by Pevsner they were "designed to appeal to the general liking for keepsakes" (Susie Harries, Nikolaus Pevsner: The Life, p. 321), and modelled after the Insel-Verlag art books. ^ "26. What is Penguin Books Limited's company registration number? Archived 11 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Penguin Books. Retrieved on 28 August 2009. ^ "Maps" Archived 5 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine, City of Westminster. Retrieved on 28 August 2009. ^ Morpurgo, 1979, p. 80. ^ Baines, Penguin by Design, p. 13. Albatross itself owed some credit to the English-language books published by Tauchnitz of Leipzig since the early 1840s. See also Wood, Dignified Flippancy, pp. 1–6. for a history of the paperback before Penguin. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 5, para. 30. ^ "The launch of Penguin Books and the role of F. W. Woolworth". woolworthsmuseum.co.uk. ^ Obituary: Eunice Frost, Independent, 18 August 1998, [1]. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 11, para. 12. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch.8, para 1. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 8, para. 8, quotes Orwell writing: "One phenomenon of the war has been the enormous sale of Penguin books, Pelican books, and other cheap titles, most of which would have been regarded as impossibly highbrow a few years back." ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 8, para. 5. ^ Wood, A Sort of Dignified Flippancy, 1983, p. 23. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 8, para. 7 ^ a b Wood, Dignified Flippancy, 1983, p. 23. ^ Lewis, Penguin Special, 2005, Ch. 21. para. 42. ^ Munroe, Mary H. (2004). "Pearson Timeline". The Academic Publishing Industry: A Story of Merger and Acquisition. Archived from the original on October 2014 – via Northern Illinois University. ^ "Michael Joseph Publishers". Open University. United Kingdom. Retrieved 6 July 2019. ^ "The Pearson Timeline". Pearson PLC. Retrieved 6 July 2019. ^ a b Mcdowell, Edwin (1 October 1986). "Penguin Agrees to Buy New American Library". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 April 2016. ^ "The New York Times: Sunday 1 February 1948". timesmachine.nytimes.com. Retrieved 12 April 2016. ^ "A Million Penguins Go To Sleep". Thepenguinblog.typepad.com. 7 March 2007. Archived from the original on 10 March 2007. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ "The Penguin Hotline – Penguin Books USA". www.penguin.com. Retrieved 13 December 2015. ^ "Sir Allen Lane honoured with orange plaque at Exeter railway station | The Bookseller". www.thebookseller.com. Retrieved 22 May 2018. ^ Penguin by Design, p. 24. ^ Bristol Penguin Archive, April 2009 Book of the Month University of Bristol. Archived 27 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine ^ See Carne-Ross, Kenner and Gould in Arion 7, 3, 1968, quoted in Penguin in Print, p. 63 ff. ^ Penguin in Print, p. 63. ^ Caldwell, Christopher (7 March 2003). "Why English books are crummy. – Slate Magazine". Slate.com. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ "Penguin Books | Making Britain". www.open.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2019. ^ Two random examples: (a) Nicholson, Norman, ed. (1942), An Anthology of Religious Verse; designed for the times (Pelican Books; A96), Harmondsworth: Penguin Books; (b) Parkes, Colin Murray (1975), Bereavement: Studies of Grief in Adult Life, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. The work had been published by Tavistock Publications in 1975; in 1986 a second edition appeared: ISBN 0-14-022645-1. ^ Paul Laity. "Pelican books take flight again". the Guardian. ^ Times Education Supplement 1 March 1974 ^ Joad, Ourselves and Germany. ^ "List of Penguin Specials". Booksandwriters.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. ^ B. J. Moore-Gilbert, John Seed, Cultural Revolution?: The Challenge of the Arts in the 1960s, p. 65. ^ Alison Flood. "Penguin joins push for short ebooks". the Guardian. ^ Roy Greenslade. "Penguin and The Economist form partnership". the Guardian. ^ Anna Baddeley. "Ebooks round-up". the Guardian. ^ Anna Baddeley. "Short but sweet e-reads for winter". the Guardian. ^ Baines, Puffin by Design, 2005, p. 13. ^ Baines, Puffin by Design, 2010, p. 146. ^ a b Baines, Puffin by Design, 2010, p. 147. ^ Harries, Pevsner, p. 238. ^ Penguin published their own, unsuccessful, county motoring guides, edited by L. Russell Muirhead. ^ Baines, Penguin by Design, p. 73. ^ "Popular Penguins". Popular Penguins. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ booktagger (18 November 2008). "Booktagger.com". Blog.booktagger.com. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ "Penguin Books New Zealand". Penguin.co.nz. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ "New Zealand Popular Penguins" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ "List of 75 Popular Penguin titles for July 2010 release". Popularpenguins.com.au. Retrieved 4 December 2010. ^ Edwards, Russell; Hall, David J (1988). So Much Admired – Die Insel-Bucherei and the King Penguin Series. Edinburgh: Salvia Books. p. not cited. ^ McGonigal, Jim. "King Penguins – Nov 1939". The Design. Jim McGonigal. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2013. ^ For more detailed information compare the German Wikipedia-site King Penguin Books. ^ Peter Draper, Reassessing Nikolaus Pevsner, 2004, p. 73. ^ Draper, Reassessing Nikolaus Pevsner, p. 75. ^ Yale UP current list, newest first ^ Though paperback issues were begun in 1966, designed by Gerald Cinamon "Penguin paperback cover designs". ^ The point of view maintained at the Courtauld, for example: "After the war many older art historians took the view that the primary tasks of art history had already been accomplished, and that the time had come for summaries. This was the platform from which Pevsner launched his Pelican History of Art project, but it was not how the situation was perceived at the Institute." "A History of the Courtauld". ^ Harries, Pevsner, p. 566; Burlington Magazine, October 1953. ^ John Shearman was commissioned early on for quattrocento painting, but though he did a large amount of work, he found he could not keep up with the torrent of new research, and never delivered his manuscript. ^ "Clipping of Tribune India – The Tribune". epaper.tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 22 May 2016. ^ Michal Oppenheimer; Rinat Berger (2010). פינגוין: סיפור של מקום – סיפורה של משפחה [Penguin: The story of a place – The story of a family] (PDF). Lohamei Hagetaot. ^ Panhorst, Christine. "Nahariyas Leidenschaft für Schnitzel". Retrieved 17 November 2018. Baines, Phil (2007): Penguin by Design: a Cover Story 1935–2005. London: Allen Lane ISBN 0-7139-9839-3 (published to accompany the exhibition "Penguin by design" held at the Victoria and Albert Museum, 8 June – 13 November 2005). Baines, Phil (2010): Puffin by Design: 70 years of imagination 1940–2010. London: Allen Lane. Penguin by Illustrators. Cinamon, Gerald (1987): "Hans Schmoller, Typographer", The Monotype Recorder (New Series), 6 April 1987. Graham, Tim (2003): Penguin in Print – a Bibliography. Penguin Collectors Society. Hall, David J., "King Penguins", in The Private Library Winter 1977, published by the Private Libraries Association. Hare, Steve (1995): Penguin Portrait: Allen Lane and the Penguin Editors, 1935–1970. London: Penguin Books. Joicey, Nicholas (1993): "A Paperback Guide to Progress: Penguin Books 1935–c.1951", Twentieth Century British History, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 25–56. Kells, Stuart (2015): "Penguin and the Lane Brothers: The Untold Story of a Publishing Revolution", Black Inc., Melbourne, Australia. Lewis, Jeremy (2005): Penguin Special: Life and Times of Allen Lane ISBN 0-670-91485-1. Morpurgo, J. E. (1979): Allen Lane: King Penguin. London: Hutchinson. Aynsley, J., Lloyd Jones, L. (1985), Fifty Penguin Years. ISBN 0-14-008589-0. Cherry, B. (1983): The Buildings of England: A short History and Bibliography, Penguin Collectors Society, London. Edwards, R. (1997): A Penguin Collector's Companion, Penguin Collector's Society, London. Holland, S. (1993): Mushroom Jungle: A History of Postwar Paperback Publishing, Westbury. Pearson, J. (1996): Penguins March On: Books for the Forces During World War II, Penguin Collector's Society, London. Lane, A., Fowler, D. et al. (1960): Penguins Progress, 1935–1960, Harmondsworth. Ten Years of Penguins: 1935–1945, Harmondsworth. Williams, W. E. (1956): The Penguin Story, Harmondsworth. Wood, S. (1985): A Sort of Dignified Flippancy, Edinburgh University Library. Wikimedia Commons has media related to Penguin Books. Penguin Books USA Penguin Books UK Penguin Archive University of Bristol Library Special Collections Penguin Archive Project University of Bristol King Penguin Book Series King Penguin Book Series The Art of Penguin Science Fiction The history and cover art of science fiction published by Penguin Books from 1935 to the present day Penguin First Editions Guide to the early (1935–1955) first editions published by Penguin Books Penguin book covers Penguin Cerise Travel Celebrating Penguin Books' early 'Travel and Adventure' series Foley Collection—articles and extensive lists History of the Penguin Archive by Toby Clements, The Telegraph, 19 February 2009. Archival Material at Leeds University Library Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Penguin_Books&oldid=905240121"

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The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Gorrie, Sir John ←Forsaith, Rev. Thomas Spencer The Dictionary of Australasian Biography, Supplement by Philip Mennell Gorrie, Sir John Grant, Hon. Charles Henry→ 1462511The Dictionary of Australasian Biography, Supplement — Gorrie, Sir JohnPhilip Mennell ​Gorrie, Sir John, formerly Chief Justice of Fiji, was the son of the Rev. Daniel Gorrie, of Kettle, co. Fife. He was born in 1829 and educated at Edinburgh University. In 1856 he was admitted as an advocate, and in 1860 was appointed one of the honorary advocates-depute for Scotland. From 1862 to 1869 he practised in London, becoming in 1868 a candidate for the Border Burghs, but he did not ultimately go to the poll. Mr. Gorrie's name was first brought prominently to the front in 1865, when he was selected by the Jamaica Committee, consisting of Mr. John Bright, Mr. Samuel Morley, and Mr. Charles Buxton, to proceed to Jamaica to inquire into the alleged excesses of martial law. Mr. Gorrie, who was assisted by Mr. Horne Payne, Q.C., and Mr. Phillippo, succeeded in laying bare many acts of cruelty and injustice. Struck with the ability and energy displayed by Mr. Gorrie, the Colonial Office, shortly after his return to England, offered him the post of substitute Procureur-Général of Mauritius. Within less than a week after his arrival at Port Louis he proved to his own satisfaction that the labouring class of Mauritius were subjected to abuses, and a report to the Colonial Office to this effect resulted in the despatch of Sir Arthur Gordon to Mauritius, with instructions to appoint a local committee to investigate the charges. The report of this committee, of which Mr. Justice Gorrie was the most prominent member, led to the appointment of a royal commission. It was found that abuses did exist, and Mr. Gorrie had the satisfaction of altering the whole labour law of the colony in consonance with his own views and those of the royal commission. Mr. Gorrie held office in Mauritius as Advocate-General from August 1869 to Sept. 1870, and was a puisne judge in the island till 1875. When Sir Arthur Gordon was promoted to Fiji, Mr. Gorrie was a few months later requested to proceed to the Pacific to take up the poet of Chief Justice of Fiji (March 1876). As a member of the Legislative Council of the island, it fell to the lot of the Chief Justice to frame all the important legal measures deemed to be necessary. When the Crown assumed jurisdiction over the South Seas, the Chief Justice of Fiji was also made Judicial Commissioner of the Western Pacific, and, in the absence of Sir Arthur Gordon, was called upon to discharge the duties of the High Commissioner. In 1882, in which year he was knighted, he became Chief Justice of the Leeward Islands, and in 1885 Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago. Sir John Gorrie married in 1855 Marion, daughter of Michael Graham, of Edinburgh, who died in 1884. In 1892 a commission was sent out from the Colonial Office, at the request of the Legislative Council of Trinidad, to inquire into the conduct of the senior puisne judge and the administration of justice generally. This led to the suspension of Sir John Gorrie, who returned to England to make an appeal to the Privy Council. Soon after his arrival he died at Exeter on August 4th, 1892. Retrieved from "https://en.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=The_Dictionary_of_Australasian_Biography/Gorrie,_Sir_John&oldid=4326513"

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03 iulie 2019 - Special reports - Weekly review D.S.M. WEEKLY REPORT Main Political and Military Developments WEEK 26 of 2019 • TURKEY - The president’s party lost the local elections in Istanbul. Again. • NATO - North Atlantic Council in Defense Ministerial format. • RUSSIA – UNITED STATES. President Putin - President Trump meeting. • CHINA - UNITED STATES President Xi - President Trump meeting. • Developments to track this Week 27 of 2019. TURKEY - The president’s party lost the local elections in Istanbul. Again. On June 23rd, the opposition candidate won the redone elections in Istanbul. This is an important political defeat for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who interfered in the process by forcing their redoing, because he knows that “who wins Istanbul wins Turkey”. The election campaign highlighted all the means used by the power to dominate the society, including leveraging the Kurdish problem and demonizing the opposition. The elections in Istanbul were repeated following a request by the presidential party AKP, and the winner was by far (45%) Ekrem Imamoğlu, representing the CHP opposition party. President Erdoğan congratulated the winner, after having personally meddled on the last leg of the campaign, although the initial AKP strategy was to keep the president off the election process, because an open large city as Istanbul is no longer sensitive to Erdoğan’s authoritarian and Islamist policy. In significance, this victory rises above a usual success in a mayoral election, for two reasons: 1) we have a precedent, with AKP losing an important election for the first time in the latest decades; 2) winning the city of Istanbul is a springboard for presidency, given the importance of this city, the political, economic and cultural heart of Turkey. President Erdoğan just lost his stronghold, the town he rose in, where he was a mayor himself, and took off on his journey to the highest political position. The means AKP / President Erdoğan used during the election campaign showed their authoritarian tendencies and relevant domestic politics issues. The Kurds in Istanbul were those who tilted the balance. If initially AKP avoided to call upon the Kurds, in the last moment, their PKK leader in prison, Abdullah Öcalan, demanded the Kurds to remain neutral (maybe he was forced to do it). The result showed that AKP and Erdoğan have lost the Kurdish electorate due to the policy against them: eliminating the Kurdish resistance in eastern Turkey and repressing top Kurdish politicians, but also due to the general attitude toward this important minority. Let’s recall that, initially, Erdoğan and AKP promoted an open approach to negotiations with the Kurds, Turks’ Muslim brethren, just for later starting a true war against them. In the wake of these elections, the first real political problem surfaced for R.T. Erdoğan: a powerhouse and a personality who can become alternatives to his political regime. Although we are still far from the moment when Erdoğan’s power is challenged, the process started, and he is aware that the time to preserve power through democratic and fair elections is over. The opposition was right to claim that the Istanbul mayoral elections were in fact a fight for democracy in Turkey. After the elected mayor’s declarations promising cooperation, and President Erdoğan’s congratulations, a political struggle of seriously increased intensity is expected, because the regime cannot accept a political alternative. However, the next crisis will develop after the S-400 Russian air-defense missile system equipment starts to be delivered, because US President Donald Trump, while understanding Ankara, announced though that the announced response measures would be applied. The Erdoğan regime receives blows not so much from his domestic adversaries or from his still declared friends, the Western democracies, but from the Turkish economy, and this is the basic reason for AKP losing the Istanbul elections. We are far from the moment when the Erdoğan regime is threatened, but the alternative born during the opposition victory in Istanbul will not fade away, as AKP and Erdoğan probably imagine. NATO - North Atlantic Council in Defense Ministerial format. The North Atlantic Council in Defense Minister format on June 26th represented the last step to completing the decision regarding the US’ withdrawal from INF treaty. The final call to Russia and Moscow’s negative reaction point to the path toward INF demise on August 2nd, 2019. The most important result after this NAC is that NATO member nations decided to issue a common answer to Russia, where all Allied countries agree with the United States that Russia has breached the INF. The defense ministers agreed on political and military measures the Alliance would take in response to Russia’s operationalization of SSC-8 missiles breaching the INF. At his stage at least, NATO’s official response will not include the deployment of new ground-based intermediate range missiles, but the strengthening of missile defense architecture. NATO reaction wil be defensive and calibrated. Of course, the Alliance leaves the door ajar to abort any measure, should Russia abandon the SSC-8 deployment. As expected, NATO first implements defensive measures calibrated to current threat, i.e. four Russian SSC-8 cruise missile batallions. The tricky part is not to overcome the missile speed (they are subsonic), but to detect the SSC-8, because they cruise at low altitude, following the terrain. Countering cruise missiles requires a top notch C4ISR system, able to timely detect the missiles and allow decisionmaking and intercept actions. The difficulty is increased by the fact that cruise missiles are impredictible, because they can switch course following in flight orders or pre-programmed itinerraries. Intercepting cruise missiles also requires a complex system of armament including modern aircraft carrying adequate missiles for such missions. Eventually, bad developments can lead to good results: NATO will need to enhance its C4ISR capabilities in the frontline countries, which will force these nations to develop adequate assets. Of course, it will be the frontline nations to detect and first strike the incoming cruise missiles, but, at least for the south-eastern NATO countries... there is a long way to go. On the other hand, against the possible intermediate range ballistic missiles, the answer is already there – the currently operational ballistic missile system, which is able to repel the ballistic threat. Another topic discussed by NATO defense ministers in Brussels was the Alliance approach to space warfare, as NATO is forced to react to recent Russian and Chinese threats. These two countries (followed by India) have developed space capable armament systems (the anti-satellite weapons – ASAT), as the US did as well. It is worth mentioning that the US is more vulnerable though, as all its armed forces depend on space-based ISR, communication and navigation systems. Of course, the old problems were discussed too, such as the mission in Afghanistan, the well-known 2% of GDP necessary to be earmarked for defense, as well as the NATO Readiness Initiative (the increase in training level and reaction speed of armed forces at national level, and the increase in troop deployment capacity within Europe, and from across the Atlantic to Europe). Remarkably, although the new acting US Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper talked about diplomatic means, the US sought allies among the... Allies, considering the tensions between Washington and Tehran. Very likely though, the large European nations were reluctant, since they still sympathize with Iran on the nuclear deal. Of course, that was before Iran breached the ceiling established for enriched Uranium production by the nuclear deal, this past week-end. This NATO Defense Ministerial can be perceived as the last debate on INF before ditching this treaty. Although concerned with other problems, Europe will see the INF demise as a big step backwards for the Old Continent security. Maybe Russia had its reasons (pertaining not only to its advestity towards NATO, but also towards the non-referred China), but Moscow did push it, and we all lost security. Perhaps NATO’s newly decided response measures will not suffice, and offensive measures are necessary, but these are not palatable to some Europeans, and this makes Russia hope to gain advantage. Such offensive measures would be planning attacks against launching paltforms, that is deploying armament systems similar to the Russian systems, as well as new ground-based cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. However, Moscow is probably wrong to be optimistic, because Russia will lose along European NATO nations by the very presence of new armament systems deployed in Europe and in the European part of Russia. RUSSIA – UNITED STATES. President Putin - President Trump meeting. The meeting between the two presidents, during their visit to Osaka for the G20 Summit, resulted in an apparently new opening: both parties expressed political will to improve their bilateral relations, and important problems have been discussed, from arms control to crises involving both countries. It is still to be seen whether concrete steps will be made in a good direction. However, the start happened, including in the thorny issue of arms control, where an agreement is about to expire (the New START, on strategic nuclear weapons), and another is almost dead (the INF, on sub-strategic weapons – the intermediate range missiles). President Donald Trump publicly asked President Vladimir Putin to keep off the American elections, rather a lip service to shut up the journalists, who insisted with questions on this topic. Trump confirmed that Putin had invited him to assist at next year Victory Parade in the Red Square, and he took this invitation into consideration. The American press communiqué vaguely mentions that the two presidents have discussed mainly bilateral relations. "Both leaders agreed that improved relations between the United States and Russia was in each countries' mutual interest and the interest of the world", a White House statement said. They also agreed to continue discussing a 21st Century model for nuclear arms control, but President Trump mentioned that China should be included as well. The two leaders also discussed the situations in Iran, Syria, Venezuela, and Ukraine. On June 29th, President V. Putin declared that Russia would do everything in its power to improve its relations with the US, which are currently tense. The Russian party announced that Putin – Trump discussions covered a wide range of issues, from disarming agreements, specifically those on nuclear arms control, to economic and financial issues. President Putin described the meeting as good, normal and pragmatic, the two leaders agreeing that an improvement in economic relations is necessary by efforts from both sides. Putin specifically stated: “I believe we both understand the need to somehow solve the current situation”. He added that the two nations need to find the way to move forward by turning the page. He probably means that he wants a clean slate, and what has been already grabbed is for keeps. When asked about possible American sanctions to be added to the current sanctions, Putin answered that it depends on Washington to decide what is better to do to restore bilateral relations. V. Putin also stated that Russia’s alleged meddling into the American elections, as well as Venezuela, were discussed. First and foremost, it needs to be said that the meeting was normal, without awkward moments such as the ones that marked the previous meeting in Helsinki. It also benefited from a clear and complete agenda. The important element, the will to relaunch the relations is the positive signal, and its importance dwarfs the discussed dossiers. This positive signal is more welcomed considering that an important hurdle is upcoming in the Russo-American relations after INF ends. We remember, Russia breached it by deploying the SSC-8 missiles, and the US quit this agreement as result of Russia’s refusal to reverse that decision. Regarding the nuclear armament, starting discussions is encouraging, considering the danger that New START expires without at least having an extension, let alone a renewed accord. The devil dwells in details though, regarding the model of agreement to be negotiated, and, especially, the American request to include China in this future accord. Moscow seems neutral in this issue, although, on long-term, the growth in Chinese nuclear arsenal represents a problem not only for the United States, but for Russia as well. In fact, on the long run, Russia is the one who needs to have China bound by such document, for two reasons: firstly, Russia’s sole argument facing China is its own nuclear arsenal; secondly, the time when the gap between the two nuclear stockpiles, Russian and Chinese, was so large that including China into an agreement was out of the question, is gone. In the other files, there was probably just the acknowledgement of each-other’s position, with little chances for solutions to be found to please both countries. Although Putin did not leave it conspicuous, Russia is interested very much in having the American sanctions lifted. However, a quick solution is not in sight here either, despite President Trump’s wish, because the American political elite believes this approach is a natural and durable response to Russia’s aggressive acts against Ukraine, and Moscow’s meddling in American elections. Perhaps President Trump will act to prevent new sanctions from being introduced (The Congress is preparing new sanctions). It is unlikely that the page will be turned, as Vladimir Putin wishes, because the problems generated by the Kremlin, from aggression against Ukraine to breaching the INF are still open, and a clean slate approach would put Moscow in advantage: Russia would keep what it grabbed by breaching not only the status quo, but the international laws too. The British Prime Minister Theresa May’s message to Vladimir Putin, during their bilateral meeting in Osaka was an indication that these grave aggressive acts are not forgotten: Russia must renounce any irresponsible and destabilizing action, a chemical attack such as that in Salisbury must not be repeated. We find ourselves in an important moment, which should lead to changes, but everything depends on the Kremlin: Moscow must consider if it is the time to stop its aggressive behavior, that brought certain benefits, a streak of aggressions, but also political isolation and economic problems. CHINA - UNITED STATES President Xi - President Trump meeting. The result of the meeting between Chinese and American presidents was summarized with the expression “back on the normal track”, with the two parties agreeing to resume the trade negotiations and abstain from new sanctions. In a gesture signaling a break in the economic hostilities between the two countries, the US announced it would not resort to additional sanctions, as President Trump had previously warned. Although this is meant to give a chance to new negotiations, the current sanctions remain in force. Washington also announced a slack in restrictions imposed against Chinese high-tech manufacturers, especially Huawei. In exchange, China returns to the negotiation table and made several unspecified purchases of American products (perhaps soy beans, since President Trump is interested to protect the American farmers, who make an important constituency, from the US – China trade war impact). President Trump declared that things are back on the good track, with no new tariffs imposed by Washington, and with new purchases of agricultural products by Beijing. He concluded that the meeting was better than expected and insisted that it is not the speed to reach an agreement which is important, but the quality of its outcome. Beijing’s position, presented by the Chinese foreign minister, insists upon the message sent by President Xi Jinping to President Donald Trump, that Chinese firms should be treated by the US by sound principles: “China is sincere regarding the negotiations with the US, but it hopes that negotiations will occur between equal parts showing respect to each-other”. The markets reacted positively, and the danger of escalating economic tensions between the two nations, with repercussions on the world economy dissapeared, at least until the next jam. The general feeling is relief, but also apprehension, in perspective. The Chinese media has already warned that the path to a new agreement will be long and cumbersome. In fact, there is just a time out, when both sides play the relaunch-the-negotiations game. At the table though, both sides will likely maintain the same unabated postions as before, because the stake is China’s economic survival, respectively the US risks to lose forever its position of economic leader (together with a huge budgetary deficit, and an ever increasing domestic and foreign debt, including to China). China will likely stretch the negotiations for as long as possible, expecting that Donald Trump loses the elections. The US will wait for a while, then will threaten again with increased tariffs against Chinese products. This rationale is based on the calendar of upcoming American 2020 elections, and on the observation that D. Trump did not deliver in full any of the promises used to persuade his electoral basis. The US – China trade war will likely continue in full swing, with boobytraps and low blows, but China is the country used to lure the United States. This is more valid when Washington, paralized in democracy principles, elected a businessman without scruples called Donald Trump, as cinical as the Chinese are. Developments to track this Week 27 of 2019. • UNITED STATES – IRAN. The tensions remained at peak level, with tough words and tough messages mixed with moderate tone. The Europeans cannot do much, their measures displeasing both Iran (they are not enough), and the US (who does business with Iran cannot do business with America). Both countries will likely continue the escalation strategy (new American sanctions) or seeking ways to by-pass the effect thereof (Tehran’s blackmail to leave the nuclear agreement if the Europeans fail to identify an effective way to help Iran). Both nations know that the next kinetic attack might trigger an armed conflict; therefore, caution will be a permanent approach, although it is not enough to stop the current course of events. This past week-end news that Iran has breached the limit of enriched Uranium stands proof for that. The Tehran regime knows that bankruptcy looms large because it cannot find a way to dodge the sanctions, and President Trump is determined to maintain the pressure until Tehran yields and comes hat in hand to the negotiation table to announce it changes its policies, both in the nuclear field (another denuclearization agreement), and in foreign policy, in general. Washington does not speak about regime change, nor about the Pompeo conditions, but how would Iran be able to pursue a behavior to the US liking without a regime change? • ALBANIA. The local elections are a moment of top tension between the power and the opposition, and this situation will directly impact the European Union’s decision to open negotiations for integrating this nation. Albania is already a problem itself: a NATO member nation where the judicial system has serious problems and the mafioso activities of drug smuggling seem to be tolerated by the government. • REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA. Each action conducted this period establishes the bases of future force balance: both the appointments, and the governmental measures. They all shape the future political developments, in the circumstances where the country’s strongman, Vladimir Plahotniuc, disappeared from the political stage and left a power vacuum behind. President Igor Dodon and the ACUM pro-European alliance struggle to fill this void in their specific advantage. • EUROPEAN UNION. The European leaders continue their efforts to negotiate the leading positions, from that of president of the European Commission, to that of president of the European Parliament. The stake is high, and the Franco- German disagreement is so visible, that only one assessment can be made: negotiations will be tough, and the solutions will be novel, perhaps with a surprise trade-off arrangement. Beside power, another reason is that the future high-ranking officials will have to take responsibility coping with major challenges for the EU. • UNITED STATES. President Donald Trump comes home after a meeting in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. Back in Washington, he will be busy with domestic issues, from migration to personal issues (a rape accusation adds to the pile of old allegations). What is more important for Romania is the way the Russo-American political decisions and the Sino-American economic decisions will be implemented.

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Ready or Not (2019 film) Theatrical release poster with original release date Matt Bettinelli-Olpin Tyler Gillett Bradley J. Fischer Willem Sherak Tripp Vinson Guy Busick R. Christopher Murphy Brett Jutkiewicz Terel Gibson Mythology Entertainment Vinson Films Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures July 27, 2019 (2019-07-27) (Fantasia) August 21, 2019 (2019-08-21) (United States) 95 minutes[1] Ready or Not is an upcoming 2019 American horror thriller film directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, from a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. The film stars Samara Weaving, Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Henry Czerny, and Andie MacDowell. The film will have its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27, 2019 and is scheduled to be released on August 21, 2019, by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. 1 Premise 2 Cast Premise[edit] Ready or Not follows a young bride as she joins her new husband's rich, eccentric family in a time-honored tradition that turns into a lethal game with everyone fighting for their survival. Cast[edit] Samara Weaving as Grace Adam Brody as Daniel Le Domas Mark O'Brien as Alex Le Domas Henry Czerny as Tony Le Domas Andie MacDowell as Becky Le Domas Kristian Bruun as Fitch Bradley Melanie Scrofano as Emilie Le Domas Elyse Levesque as Charity Le Domas Nicky Guadagni as Helene Le Domas John Ralston as Stevens Ethan Tavares as Gabe Liam MacDonald as Georgie Production[edit] In November 2017, it was announced Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett would direct the film, from a screenplay by Guy Busick and R. Christopher Murphy. James Vanderbilt, Bradley Fischer, William Sherak, Tripp Vinson will serve as producers on the film, while Tara Farney, Tracey Nyberg and Chad Villella will serve as executive producers on the film, under their Mythology Entertainment, Vinson Films and Radio Silence production banners.[2] From August to October 2018, Samara Weaving,[3] Andie MacDowell,[4] Adam Brody, Mark O'Brien, Melanie Scrofano, Henry Czerny and Elyse Levesque joined the cast of the film.[5][6] Principal photography began October 15, 2018, and concluded on November 19, 2018. The 26-day shoot took place at various locations around the Toronto, Ontario area, including Casa Loma, Sunnybrook Park and the Claireville Conservation Area, as well as the Parkwood Estate in Oshawa, Ontario.[7] Release[edit] The first trailer was released on June 17, 2019. The film will have its world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27, 2019[8] and is scheduled to be released in theaters on August 21, 2019.[9] ^ "Ready or Not". Fantasia International Film Festival. Retrieved June 30, 2019. ^ Kit, Borys (November 30, 2017). "Fox Searchlight Nabs Thriller 'Ready or Not' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ McNary, Dave (August 22, 2018). "Samara Weaving to Star in Thriller 'Ready or Not' for Fox Searchlight". Variety. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (September 20, 2018). "Andie MacDowell Joins Fox Searchlight Thriller 'Ready Or Not'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 18, 2018). "Adam Brody & Mark O'Brien Join 'Ready Or Not' Thriller At Fox Searchlight". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (October 23, 2018). "Eden Brolin Joins Vince Vaughn In 'Arkansas'; Fox's 'Ready or Not' Adds Elyse Levesque". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ Marc, Christopher (September 13, 2018). "FOX SEARCHLIGHT'S THRILLER 'READY OR NOT' STARRING SAMARA WEAVING SHOOTS OCTOBER-NOVEMBER". Omega Underground. Retrieved October 26, 2018. ^ Kay, Jeremy (June 27, 2019). "Fox Searchlight's horror 'Ready Or Not' joins Fantasia line-up". Screen International. Retrieved June 30, 2019. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 7, 2019). "Disney-Fox Updates Release Schedule: Sets Three Untitled 'Star Wars' Movies, 'New Mutants' Heads To 2020, 'Ad Astra' To Open Fall & More". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 7, 2019. Ready or Not on IMDb Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ready_or_Not_(2019_film)&oldid=906730002" Upcoming films American thriller films American horror films Fox Searchlight Pictures films 2010s black comedy films 2010s comedy horror films American films American black comedy films American comedy horror films American comedy thriller films Films about cults Films about couples

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Home » Products » Books » Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Colouring Book Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Colouring Book Containing black-and-white line drawings based on Paul Kidby’s hugely popular artwork as well as original pieces produced exclusively for this book, Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Colouring Book features iconic Discworld personalities as Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Rincewind, Tiffany Aching and, of course, DEATH. Gollancz Digital Publisher, Darren Nash said ‘This is the perfect mix of fad and phenomenon: adult colouring books and the UK’s bestselling Fantasy series. And the fact that it’s come from Paul and Rob is a guarantee that Sir Terry’s creations will be treated with the respect they deserve.’ Rob Wilkins said: ‘Paul Kidby is Terry Pratchett’s artist of choice. Paul – in a seemingly effortless and certainly modest way – breathed life into Terry’s characters for more than two decades. Terry often commenting that Paul must have the ability to step right into Discworld, because the accuracy with which he depicts his creations often surpassed his own imagination.’ Paul Kidby said: ‘It’s been a great pleasure to select some of my favourite artworks and recreate them as line drawings here ready for colouring. Now it’s over to you to embark upon the Discworld colouring-in extravaganza. The future is bright; it’s not orange, it’s Octarine!’ If Terry Pratchett’s pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby’s brush allowed them to live it. He provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, which sold over 300,000 copies, and has designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002. He is also the author of the definitive portfolio volume The Art Of Discworld.

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(-) Remove Advanced Grant (AdG) (28) filter Advanced Grant (AdG) (28) (-) Remove <label class='research-domain' title='Cultures and Cultural Production'>SH5 (28)</label> filter SH5 (28) (-) Remove United Kingdom (28) filter United Kingdom (28) Displaying 1 - 10 of 28. Show 10 | 20 results per page. Project acronym ADAPT Project The Adoption of New Technological Arrays in the Production of Broadcast Television Researcher (PI) John Cyril Paget Ellis Host Institution (HI) ROYAL HOLLOWAY AND BEDFORD NEW COLLEGE Call Details Advanced Grant (AdG), SH5, ERC-2012-ADG_20120411 Summary "Since 1960, the television industry has undergone successive waves of technological change. Both the methods of programme making and the programmes themselves have changed substantially. The current opening of TV’s vast archives to public and academic use has emphasised the need to explain old programming to new users. Why particular programmes are like they are is not obvious to the contemporary viewer: the prevailing technologies imposed limits and enabled forms that have fallen into disuse. The project will examine the processes of change which gave rise to the particular dominant configurations of technologies for sound and image capture and processing, and some idea of the national and regional variants that existed. It will emphasise the capabilities of the machines in use rather than the process of their invention. The project therefore studies how the technologies of film and tape were implemented; how both broadcasters and individual filmers coped with the conflicting demands of the different machines at their disposal; how new ‘standard ways of doing things’ gradually emerged; and how all of this enabled desired changes in the resultant programmes. The project will produce an overall written account of the principal changes in the technologies in use in broadcast TV since 1960 to the near present. It will offer a theory of technological innovation, and a major case study in the adoption of digital workflow management in production for broadcasting: the so-called ‘tapeless environment’ which is currently being implemented in major organisations. It will offer two historical case studies: a longditudinal study of the evolution of tape-based sound recording and one of the rapid change from 16mm film cutting to digital editing, a process that took less than five years. Reconstructions of the process of working with particular technological arrays will be filmed and will be made available as explanatory material for any online archive of TV material ." "Since 1960, the television industry has undergone successive waves of technological change. Both the methods of programme making and the programmes themselves have changed substantially. The current opening of TV’s vast archives to public and academic use has emphasised the need to explain old programming to new users. Why particular programmes are like they are is not obvious to the contemporary viewer: the prevailing technologies imposed limits and enabled forms that have fallen into disuse. The project will examine the processes of change which gave rise to the particular dominant configurations of technologies for sound and image capture and processing, and some idea of the national and regional variants that existed. It will emphasise the capabilities of the machines in use rather than the process of their invention. The project therefore studies how the technologies of film and tape were implemented; how both broadcasters and individual filmers coped with the conflicting demands of the different machines at their disposal; how new ‘standard ways of doing things’ gradually emerged; and how all of this enabled desired changes in the resultant programmes. The project will produce an overall written account of the principal changes in the technologies in use in broadcast TV since 1960 to the near present. It will offer a theory of technological innovation, and a major case study in the adoption of digital workflow management in production for broadcasting: the so-called ‘tapeless environment’ which is currently being implemented in major organisations. It will offer two historical case studies: a longditudinal study of the evolution of tape-based sound recording and one of the rapid change from 16mm film cutting to digital editing, a process that took less than five years. Reconstructions of the process of working with particular technological arrays will be filmed and will be made available as explanatory material for any online archive of TV material ." Project acronym Biblant Project The Bible and Antiquity in the 19th-Century Researcher (PI) Simon Goldhill Summary This project will investigate the interface between the study of the bible and the study of antiquity in the nineteenth century. These two areas -- the bible and classics -- are central to the intellectual world of the 19th century, a source of knowledge, contention, and authority both as discrete topics, and, more importantly, in relation to and in competition with one another. It is impossible to understand Victorian society without appreciating the intellectual, social and institutional force of these concerns with the past. Yet modern disciplinary formation has not only separated them in the academy, but also marginalized both subject areas -- which has deeply attenuated comprehension of this foundational era. Our project will bring together scholars working on a range of fields including classics, history of education, cultural history, art history, literary history to bring back into view a fundamental but deeply misunderstood and underexplored aspect of the nineteenth century, which continues to have a significant impact on the contemporary world. This project will investigate the interface between the study of the bible and the study of antiquity in the nineteenth century. These two areas -- the bible and classics -- are central to the intellectual world of the 19th century, a source of knowledge, contention, and authority both as discrete topics, and, more importantly, in relation to and in competition with one another. It is impossible to understand Victorian society without appreciating the intellectual, social and institutional force of these concerns with the past. Yet modern disciplinary formation has not only separated them in the academy, but also marginalized both subject areas -- which has deeply attenuated comprehension of this foundational era. Our project will bring together scholars working on a range of fields including classics, history of education, cultural history, art history, literary history to bring back into view a fundamental but deeply misunderstood and underexplored aspect of the nineteenth century, which continues to have a significant impact on the contemporary world. Project acronym CLASP Project A Consolidated Library of Anglo-Saxon Poetry Researcher (PI) Andrew Orchard Summary As elsewhere in Europe, Anglo-Saxon England saw a development from an oral, vernacular, native, and pagan culture to one that was primarily literate, Latinate, imported, and Christian; and such a transition is clearest in Anglo-Saxon verse. CLASP will focus on all surviving verse of Anglo-Saxon England, composed in Old English and Anglo-Latin over a period of over four centuries (c. 670–1100 CE), and produce for the first time an online and interactive consolidated library, marked up through TEI P5 XML to facilitate the identification of idiosyncratic features of sound, metre, spellings, diction, syntax, formulas, themes, and genres across the entire corpus, so forging connections and suggesting more certain chains of influence both within and between the two main literary languages of Anglo-Saxon England. The bilingual corpus comprises almost 60,000 lines of poetry, with about half surviving in each language, and mostly appearing in only a single witness, usually in manuscript. More than fifty named poets are identified, many of them dateable with more or less precision, whose influence on each other can be closely documented, while in the case of anonymous verse, most of which is in Old English, the focus will be on tracing potential influence between texts, to establish a comparative rather than an absolute chronology. CLASP will use the full panoply of digital resources, including sound- and image-files where relevant, to make the oldest surviving poetry in England available to a modern audience for unprecedented kinds of exploration, comprehensive analysis, and interrogation, and in a series of conferences, workshops, and other publications will show the potential of such a comprehensive multilingual corpus to revolutionize perspectives not only on Anglo-Saxon England, but elsewhere in Europe, where Latin and the vernacular likewise co-existed in a Christian context across centuries. As elsewhere in Europe, Anglo-Saxon England saw a development from an oral, vernacular, native, and pagan culture to one that was primarily literate, Latinate, imported, and Christian; and such a transition is clearest in Anglo-Saxon verse. CLASP will focus on all surviving verse of Anglo-Saxon England, composed in Old English and Anglo-Latin over a period of over four centuries (c. 670–1100 CE), and produce for the first time an online and interactive consolidated library, marked up through TEI P5 XML to facilitate the identification of idiosyncratic features of sound, metre, spellings, diction, syntax, formulas, themes, and genres across the entire corpus, so forging connections and suggesting more certain chains of influence both within and between the two main literary languages of Anglo-Saxon England. The bilingual corpus comprises almost 60,000 lines of poetry, with about half surviving in each language, and mostly appearing in only a single witness, usually in manuscript. More than fifty named poets are identified, many of them dateable with more or less precision, whose influence on each other can be closely documented, while in the case of anonymous verse, most of which is in Old English, the focus will be on tracing potential influence between texts, to establish a comparative rather than an absolute chronology. CLASP will use the full panoply of digital resources, including sound- and image-files where relevant, to make the oldest surviving poetry in England available to a modern audience for unprecedented kinds of exploration, comprehensive analysis, and interrogation, and in a series of conferences, workshops, and other publications will show the potential of such a comprehensive multilingual corpus to revolutionize perspectives not only on Anglo-Saxon England, but elsewhere in Europe, where Latin and the vernacular likewise co-existed in a Christian context across centuries. Project acronym DIRTPOL Project The Cultural Politics of Dirt in Africa, 1880 - present Researcher (PI) Stephanie Newell Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX Summary Dirt permeates everyday life in urban Africa, but it is more than an empirical substance: dirt is also an idea—or a complex set of representations—that shapes local perceptions of sexuality and the body, and influences people’s attitudes towards waste, recycling, urbanisation, ethnicity and migration. Dirt is a vital category for understanding urban cultures in Africa, and it has a history that has yet to be examined in detail. Besides the work of epidemiologists and occasional anthropological accounts, however, there have been no sustained studies of locally situated understandings of dirt in Africa. This project will identify and reflect on African representations and understandings of dirt in a comparative historical perspective for the first time. With reference to four key themes—colonialism, the environment, sexuality and ethnicity—everyday cultural practices will be addressed in Nairobi (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria). In examining particular African locations and historical contexts, the project will evaluate not only the social and political histories of specific ‘dirty’ discourses, but also the theoretical and methodological directions that the concept of dirt generates as a starting point for comparative interdisciplinary case-studies. Employing a range of methodologies, the two teams of researchers at the Participating Institutions (Kenyatta University, Nairobi, and University of Lagos) in Years 1-5, and the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at the Host Institution (University of Sussex) in Years 3-5, will identify local African representations and understandings of dirt. In addition to other major outputs, the PI will build a website that addresses political, methodological, theoretical and ethical issues, as well as providing an archive of primary resources. Key objectives include: to learn from positive and negative valuations of words connoting dirt in Africa, and to develop a paradigm for interdisciplinary work in African cultural studies. Dirt permeates everyday life in urban Africa, but it is more than an empirical substance: dirt is also an idea—or a complex set of representations—that shapes local perceptions of sexuality and the body, and influences people’s attitudes towards waste, recycling, urbanisation, ethnicity and migration. Dirt is a vital category for understanding urban cultures in Africa, and it has a history that has yet to be examined in detail. Besides the work of epidemiologists and occasional anthropological accounts, however, there have been no sustained studies of locally situated understandings of dirt in Africa. This project will identify and reflect on African representations and understandings of dirt in a comparative historical perspective for the first time. With reference to four key themes—colonialism, the environment, sexuality and ethnicity—everyday cultural practices will be addressed in Nairobi (Kenya) and Lagos (Nigeria). In examining particular African locations and historical contexts, the project will evaluate not only the social and political histories of specific ‘dirty’ discourses, but also the theoretical and methodological directions that the concept of dirt generates as a starting point for comparative interdisciplinary case-studies. Employing a range of methodologies, the two teams of researchers at the Participating Institutions (Kenyatta University, Nairobi, and University of Lagos) in Years 1-5, and the doctoral and postdoctoral researchers at the Host Institution (University of Sussex) in Years 3-5, will identify local African representations and understandings of dirt. In addition to other major outputs, the PI will build a website that addresses political, methodological, theoretical and ethical issues, as well as providing an archive of primary resources. Key objectives include: to learn from positive and negative valuations of words connoting dirt in Africa, and to develop a paradigm for interdisciplinary work in African cultural studies. Project acronym DISEASES Project The Diseases of Modern Life: Nineteenth-Century Perspectives Researcher (PI) Sally Shuttleworth Summary "In our current ‘Information Age’ we suffer as never before, it is claimed, from the stresses of an overload of information, and the speed of global networks. The Victorians diagnosed similar problems in the nineteenth century. The medic James Crichton Browne spoke in 1860 of the ‘velocity of thought and action’ now required, and of the stresses imposed on the brain forced to process in a month more information ‘than was required of our grandfathers in the course of a lifetime’. This project will explore the phenomena of stress and overload, and other disorders associated in the nineteenth century with the problems of modernity, as expressed in the literature, science and medicine of the period, tracking the circulation of ideas across these diverse areas. Taking its framework from Diseases of Modern Life (1876) by the medical reformer, Benjamin Ward Richardson, it will explore ‘diseases from worry and mental strain’, as experienced in the professions, ‘lifestyle’ diseases such as the abuse of alcohol and narcotics, and also diseases from environmental pollution. This study will return to the holistic, integrative vision of the Victorians, as expressed in the science and in the great novels of the period, exploring the connections drawn between physiological, psychological and social health, or disease. Particular areas of focus will be: diseases of finance and speculation; diseases associated with particular professions; alcohol and drug addiction amidst the middle classes; travel for health; education and over-pressure in the classroom; the development of phobias and nervous disorders; and the imaginative construction of utopias and dystopias, in relation to health and disease. In its depth and range the project will take scholarship into radically new ground, breaking through the compartmentalization of psychiatric, environmental or literary history, and offering new ways of contextualising the problems of modernity facing us in the twenty-first century." "In our current ‘Information Age’ we suffer as never before, it is claimed, from the stresses of an overload of information, and the speed of global networks. The Victorians diagnosed similar problems in the nineteenth century. The medic James Crichton Browne spoke in 1860 of the ‘velocity of thought and action’ now required, and of the stresses imposed on the brain forced to process in a month more information ‘than was required of our grandfathers in the course of a lifetime’. This project will explore the phenomena of stress and overload, and other disorders associated in the nineteenth century with the problems of modernity, as expressed in the literature, science and medicine of the period, tracking the circulation of ideas across these diverse areas. Taking its framework from Diseases of Modern Life (1876) by the medical reformer, Benjamin Ward Richardson, it will explore ‘diseases from worry and mental strain’, as experienced in the professions, ‘lifestyle’ diseases such as the abuse of alcohol and narcotics, and also diseases from environmental pollution. This study will return to the holistic, integrative vision of the Victorians, as expressed in the science and in the great novels of the period, exploring the connections drawn between physiological, psychological and social health, or disease. Particular areas of focus will be: diseases of finance and speculation; diseases associated with particular professions; alcohol and drug addiction amidst the middle classes; travel for health; education and over-pressure in the classroom; the development of phobias and nervous disorders; and the imaginative construction of utopias and dystopias, in relation to health and disease. In its depth and range the project will take scholarship into radically new ground, breaking through the compartmentalization of psychiatric, environmental or literary history, and offering new ways of contextualising the problems of modernity facing us in the twenty-first century." Project acronym EGO-MEDIA Project Ego-media: The impact of new media on forms and practices of self-presentation Researcher (PI) Max William Mill Saunders Host Institution (HI) KING'S COLLEGE LONDON Summary Ego-media: The impact of new media on forms and practices of self-presentation This project aims to study the impact of new media on autobiographical narratives: an impact increasing as habits and practices of self-presentation evolve rapidly in response to constantly fast-changing technology. It will analyse the range of ways in which autobiographical forms and discursive practices are being transformed at the frontier of technological change; then consider the implications of the new forms and practices for such notions as autobiography, selfhood, subjectivity, individuality, self-intelligibility, agency, creativity, privacy, and sociability. Based in the interdisciplinary Centre for Life-Writing Research in the School of Arts and Humanities at King’s College London, it will combine a humanistic, life-writing theory approach with an interdisciplinary methodology, in collaboration with researchers from Sociolinguistics, Culture Media and Creative Industries, Digital Humanities, Medical Humanities, Psychiatry, War Studies, and Education. Keywords: Life-writing, Self-Presentation, Autobiography, Subjectivity, Agency, New Media, Social Media, Immediacy, Discourse, Digital Narratives, Internet, Web 2.0 Ego-media: The impact of new media on forms and practices of self-presentation This project aims to study the impact of new media on autobiographical narratives: an impact increasing as habits and practices of self-presentation evolve rapidly in response to constantly fast-changing technology. It will analyse the range of ways in which autobiographical forms and discursive practices are being transformed at the frontier of technological change; then consider the implications of the new forms and practices for such notions as autobiography, selfhood, subjectivity, individuality, self-intelligibility, agency, creativity, privacy, and sociability. Based in the interdisciplinary Centre for Life-Writing Research in the School of Arts and Humanities at King’s College London, it will combine a humanistic, life-writing theory approach with an interdisciplinary methodology, in collaboration with researchers from Sociolinguistics, Culture Media and Creative Industries, Digital Humanities, Medical Humanities, Psychiatry, War Studies, and Education. Keywords: Life-writing, Self-Presentation, Autobiography, Subjectivity, Agency, New Media, Social Media, Immediacy, Discourse, Digital Narratives, Internet, Web 2.0 Project acronym GOLNY Project "German Operetta in London and New York, 1907–1939: Cultural Transfer and Transformation" Researcher (PI) Derek B Scott Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS Summary "The term ""German operetta"" in the project title embraces twentieth-century operettas originating in both Austria and Germany. These enjoyed remarkable success in London and New York during 1907–1937, and, without deeper knowledge of them and their audience reception, we are sadly lacking in our understanding of the cultural mainstream in early twentieth-century Austria, Germany, the UK, and USA. Surprisingly, there has been no rigorous scholarly study of the cultural transfer of these German operettas to Britain and the USA, despite its taking place in a period that can be demarcated clearly. Academic attention has focused, instead, on America’s influence on European stage works. After Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe was produced to great acclaim in London and New York in 1907, the public appetite for German operetta grew rapidly in these cities. Although the First World War brought a temporary diminution of opportunities for new productions, there was an enthusiastic renewal of interest in the 1920s, and operettas from the theatres of Berlin were regularly adapted for the West End and Broadway. This project investigates the changes made for the London and New York productions in the context of cultural and social issues of the period, examining audience expectations, aspirations, and anxieties, and the social, cultural, and moral values of the times in which these works were created. It investigates how the operettas engage with modernity, innovative technology, social change, and cultural difference, seeking findings that will enhance knowledge of cultural transfer and transformation. Recently, there have been encouraging signs of a new flowering of interest, as the music enters the public domain free from copyright restrictions. New publications offering digitized reprints of the vocal scores, and historic recordings of radio broadcasts are becoming available. This project will create new knowledge that will help to stimulate both academic and market interests." "The term ""German operetta"" in the project title embraces twentieth-century operettas originating in both Austria and Germany. These enjoyed remarkable success in London and New York during 1907–1937, and, without deeper knowledge of them and their audience reception, we are sadly lacking in our understanding of the cultural mainstream in early twentieth-century Austria, Germany, the UK, and USA. Surprisingly, there has been no rigorous scholarly study of the cultural transfer of these German operettas to Britain and the USA, despite its taking place in a period that can be demarcated clearly. Academic attention has focused, instead, on America’s influence on European stage works. After Lehár’s Die lustige Witwe was produced to great acclaim in London and New York in 1907, the public appetite for German operetta grew rapidly in these cities. Although the First World War brought a temporary diminution of opportunities for new productions, there was an enthusiastic renewal of interest in the 1920s, and operettas from the theatres of Berlin were regularly adapted for the West End and Broadway. This project investigates the changes made for the London and New York productions in the context of cultural and social issues of the period, examining audience expectations, aspirations, and anxieties, and the social, cultural, and moral values of the times in which these works were created. It investigates how the operettas engage with modernity, innovative technology, social change, and cultural difference, seeking findings that will enhance knowledge of cultural transfer and transformation. Recently, there have been encouraging signs of a new flowering of interest, as the music enters the public domain free from copyright restrictions. New publications offering digitized reprints of the vocal scores, and historic recordings of radio broadcasts are becoming available. This project will create new knowledge that will help to stimulate both academic and market interests." Project acronym HCG Project Honour in classical Greece: esteem, status, identity, and society in ancient Greek literature, life, and thought Researcher (PI) Douglas CAIRNS Summary If ‘honour’ is an outmoded term, its modern analogues – esteem, respect, recognition, dignity, status, prestige, deference, face, image, etc. – still shape the dynamics of human social interaction. But modern understandings of honour in the societies and literatures of the past – especially the literature of ancient Greece – tend to present it as a single, specific, and more or less monolithic notion especially associated with zero-sum competition between alpha-males, a notion that is typically superseded by more co-operative, inclusive, and egalitarian values, whether in fifth-century BC Athenian democracy or in the eighteenth-century AD enlightenment. Where honour survives in popular perception as a characteristic of modern communities it is typically ghettoized in the world of inner-city gangs, in the Muslim East, or in the traditional machismo of the Mediterranean. These and similar perceptions are erroneous, and their application to ancient Greek literature, society, and thought is deeply misleading. Using the findings of contemporary sociology and philosophy, with contributions from other disciplines from economics to literary studies, cognitive linguistics, and psychology, this project will lead to a root and branch transformation of the idées fixes that still mould the understanding of honour (Greek timê) in our ancient Greek sources. Far from being one value among many, timê is a pluralist, inclusive, and flexible notion, as important to ancient values of justice, friendship, and social solidarity as it is to the violence of heroic self-assertion and the pursuit of vengeance. It underpins not only the wrath of Achilles in the Iliad but also the community standards that seek to restrain and assuage that wrath. In Athenian law and politics it is as much about the rights that the law protects as it is about the pursuit of rivalry and competition through litigation. It pervades ancient Greek literature, thought, and society. This project will write its history. If ‘honour’ is an outmoded term, its modern analogues – esteem, respect, recognition, dignity, status, prestige, deference, face, image, etc. – still shape the dynamics of human social interaction. But modern understandings of honour in the societies and literatures of the past – especially the literature of ancient Greece – tend to present it as a single, specific, and more or less monolithic notion especially associated with zero-sum competition between alpha-males, a notion that is typically superseded by more co-operative, inclusive, and egalitarian values, whether in fifth-century BC Athenian democracy or in the eighteenth-century AD enlightenment. Where honour survives in popular perception as a characteristic of modern communities it is typically ghettoized in the world of inner-city gangs, in the Muslim East, or in the traditional machismo of the Mediterranean. These and similar perceptions are erroneous, and their application to ancient Greek literature, society, and thought is deeply misleading. Using the findings of contemporary sociology and philosophy, with contributions from other disciplines from economics to literary studies, cognitive linguistics, and psychology, this project will lead to a root and branch transformation of the idées fixes that still mould the understanding of honour (Greek timê) in our ancient Greek sources. Far from being one value among many, timê is a pluralist, inclusive, and flexible notion, as important to ancient values of justice, friendship, and social solidarity as it is to the violence of heroic self-assertion and the pursuit of vengeance. It underpins not only the wrath of Achilles in the Iliad but also the community standards that seek to restrain and assuage that wrath. In Athenian law and politics it is as much about the rights that the law protects as it is about the pursuit of rivalry and competition through litigation. It pervades ancient Greek literature, thought, and society. This project will write its history. Project acronym HERITAGE Project Monumental Art of the Christian and Early Islamic East: Cultural Identities and Classical Heritage Researcher (PI) Judith Sheila MCKENZIE Summary This project will analyse the monumental art (large decorative programmes on buildings) of two areas of the former eastern Roman Empire which came under Islamic rule but which have never been the subject of an integrated comprehensive study: Egypt and Syro-Palestine (modern Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine). It aims to determine systematically how the strength and nature of the local ‘classical’ (Greco-Roman) traditions and expressions of identities influenced monumental art in these regions during Late Antiquity (AD 250–750), the period of transition from paganism to Christianity and, in turn, to Islam. By defining and distinguishing between the different strands of classical influence, both local and external (from the centres of Rome, Constantinople, and Alexandria), and investigating the roles of local artists and artisans as creators rather than imitators, this project will transform our understanding of the artistic culture of the late antique Middle East. To achieve these objectives, this 5-year project, with a team of 4 post-docs, will apply an interdisciplinary methodology, using archaeology, architecture, art history, and textual analysis to examine evidence in a range of media (floor and wall mosaics, paintings, relief sculptures). The results will be presented in a synthetic analytical volume written by the PI and two books on late antique and early Islamic mosaics by the post-docs, with material placed on the Manar al-Athar open-access website. Monumental art is the most visible surviving artistic heritage in the Middle East, on major buildings such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Great Mosque in Damascus, ‘desert castles’, and church mosaic floors. This art is increasingly endangered, so it is essential to undertake this project now to show the importance of this art, the roles of ancestors of peoples of the Middle East in its creation, and the shared classical heritage of the Middle East and the West. This project will analyse the monumental art (large decorative programmes on buildings) of two areas of the former eastern Roman Empire which came under Islamic rule but which have never been the subject of an integrated comprehensive study: Egypt and Syro-Palestine (modern Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel/Palestine). It aims to determine systematically how the strength and nature of the local ‘classical’ (Greco-Roman) traditions and expressions of identities influenced monumental art in these regions during Late Antiquity (AD 250–750), the period of transition from paganism to Christianity and, in turn, to Islam. By defining and distinguishing between the different strands of classical influence, both local and external (from the centres of Rome, Constantinople, and Alexandria), and investigating the roles of local artists and artisans as creators rather than imitators, this project will transform our understanding of the artistic culture of the late antique Middle East. To achieve these objectives, this 5-year project, with a team of 4 post-docs, will apply an interdisciplinary methodology, using archaeology, architecture, art history, and textual analysis to examine evidence in a range of media (floor and wall mosaics, paintings, relief sculptures). The results will be presented in a synthetic analytical volume written by the PI and two books on late antique and early Islamic mosaics by the post-docs, with material placed on the Manar al-Athar open-access website. Monumental art is the most visible surviving artistic heritage in the Middle East, on major buildings such as the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, the Great Mosque in Damascus, ‘desert castles’, and church mosaic floors. This art is increasingly endangered, so it is essential to undertake this project now to show the importance of this art, the roles of ancestors of peoples of the Middle East in its creation, and the shared classical heritage of the Middle East and the West.

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Home » Casting Category: Casting Casting is a key part of any film project’s success, no matter how low the budget. We look at the options for actors and microbudget film producers. Cast Your Friend In Your Microbudget Film Cast your friend into your new microbudget film if you think they would do a good job. But don’t ask other actors to go through the audition process first.... How To Get An IMDb Credit Do you know what an IMDb credit is? And just how do you get one when you are working in the microbudget film scene? We take a look.... What Does A Casting Director Do? A Casting Director makes careers happen. We look at how to approach them, and discuss some of today’s leading UK Casting Directors.... Is Starnow Worth Paying For? Starnow has been around for a few years and gets mixed reviews. We take a closer look to see what the site could do for you as an actor or performer.... How To Become A Film And TV Extra In The UK There are thousands of people in the UK who have enjoyed working as a Film and TV extra. We explain how you get started and what to expect.... Casting Websites For UK Actors Whether you have an agent or not, you will need to join casting websites to find acting work. We take a look at the most popular UK sites.... How To Become A Child Actor How do I get my child into acting? It’s not easy to get any TV or film role. Even if you are accepted by a reputable agency, that just takes you to the starting post. ... 20 Reputable UK Agencies For Child Actors Child actors have a bewildering array of talent agencies on offer. But they aren’t all equal. We list 20 reputable agencies that are frequently recommended by parents....

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How to Get a Second Chance at Homeownership After Foreclosure or a Short Sale Teresa Mears U.S.News & World Report May 26, 2016 From 2006 to 2014, more than 9.2 million Americans lost homes to foreclosure, short sales or deeds in lieu of foreclosure, according to the National Association of Realtors. For many who lost homes during the housing crisis, enough time has passed that they may once again be able to get a mortgage to buy another home -- if they can meet today's more stringent qualifications. "It's not a scarlet letter that stays with you forever," says Bob Walters, chief economist for the mortgage loan company Quicken Loans. By 2015, about 1 million of those who lost homes between 2006 and 2014 had already bought homes again, according to the NAR. Many others may be eligible to purchase a home, perhaps sooner than they think. "Their chances are very good depending on how they experienced a short sale or foreclosure and how they've handled their credit since," says Ray Rodriguez, regional mortgage sales manager at TD Bank in New York. [See: The 20 Best Affordable Places to Live in the U.S.] How long you need to wait varies by program. In general, you'll need to wait seven years after a foreclosure or short sale to get a conventional mortgage, three years to get a Federal Housing Administration or U.S. Department of Agriculture loan and two years to get a loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. But those time periods can be shortened to as little as one year for a VA or FHA loan and three years for a conventional loan, if borrowers can demonstrate their defaults were the result of a significant hardship from which they have now recovered. "If you've had this event, you're most likely to get a loan if you understand why it happens, and you've taken steps to make sure it doesn't happen again," says Casey Fleming, author of "The Loan Guide: How to Get the Best Possible Mortgage" and a mortgage professional in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Whatever you did wrong, you need to set yourself up so that it doesn't happen again." The first challenge is to rebuild your credit. How long that will take depends on a variety of factors, from how many credit lines you have to how many payments you missed on your mortgage to whether your landlord reports prompt payment of rent to credit bureaus. Maintaining low balances on your credit cards, consistently making payments and avoiding derogatory marks on your credit report will all help your case. "We want to see a strong credit score," Rodriguez says. "We want to see you pay your bills on time." While some rules are hard and fast, others -- such as what constitutes a hardship -- will vary by lender. Plus, not all lenders participate in every loan program, which means that if you meet only the FHA requirements, you'll be denied a loan if your lender doesn't offer FHA loans. That makes it important to work with a mortgage broker or officer who can shop your case among multiple lenders and help put together a package that will persuade the lender that you're now creditworthy. "It also varies according to the individual lender's interpretation of those guidelines," Walters says. "They should not assume that because Bank One said no that Lender Two will say no." Someone who experienced a foreclosure or short sale may be asked to write a letter to the lender explaining the circumstances and detailing why it won't happen again. The lender also may require a larger down payment or more reserves. But if they meet all the other qualifications, borrowers with a previous foreclosure or short sale are eligible for the same mortgage rates available to other borrowers. "There's no additional hit on the initial rate," Elysia Stobbe, a branch manager at NFM lending in Jacksonville, Florida, and the author of "How to Get Approved for the Best Mortgage Without Sticking a Fork in Your Eye." "People get treated quite fairly. There's not a black mark forever." [See: The 20 Most Desirable Places to Live in the U.S.] Here are six things to know if you are seeking a mortgage after a foreclosure or short sale: Expect to wait two to seven years. Exactly how long you'll need to wait will depend on your circumstances and perhaps on your lender. Conventional loan guidelines call for a seven-year waiting period after a foreclosure or short sale, but that can be shortened to three years for foreclosure and two years for short sales if there were extenuating circumstances such as a serious illness from which someone has now recovered or a death in the family. FHA and VA may approve a new loan as little as a year after a foreclosure. Your lender will see a different credit report than you do. The report lenders pull when you apply for a mortgage is not the same report you get from services that provide credit reports to consumers. "You're often getting a stepped-down version," Walters says. "A score is certainly important, but it isn't the be all, end all. There are other things in place that could potentially slow your loan." Stobbe says the scores she sees are usually 40 to 60 points lower than the scores on the reports consumers pull for themselves. And while your credit score is only one factor, you can figure at least 620 is needed for conventional mortgage and 580 is necessary for a FHA. On-time payments will be important. Lenders want to do everything they can to make sure they don't lend to someone who is going to default again, so they will look closely at your bill payment record since the foreclosure. "The most important thing is re-establishing credit," Stobbe says. You'll need to demonstrate job stability. If you have a traditional job for which you receive a W-2 form, your lender will verify your income with your employer. People who work several part-time jobs, especially if they are self-employed, will face additional scrutiny and will have to demonstrate their income with several years of tax returns and other documents. "Those people now find themselves having a very difficult time getting a mortgage," Walters says. "The products that used to exist to help those people are gone." You'll need to document everything. The documentation required for all mortgages has increased significantly since the crisis, and lenders want to verify the financial information provided. "Anything that a customer puts on the mortgage application today, we are going to ask for paperwork to verify," Rodriguez says. "We want to be cautious and make sure we don't make the same mistakes again." Expect to produce pay stubs, bank and brokerage statements, tax returns and other documents if you want a mortgage. [See: The 20 Best Places to Live in the U.S.] Not all lenders will see your situation the same way. The basic guidelines are set by FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but individual lenders and even individual underwriters may interpret them different ways. "Every lender is different, and they could have different requirements," Rodriguez says. "There is no one size fits all." 10 Unorthodox Ways Your Real Estate Agent May Market Your Home The Best Apps for House Hunting 12 Home Improvement Shortcuts That Are a Bad Idea Cracks in Asia Junk Bonds Shown in Fast Fall of Textile Firm Can a Single Late Payment Hurt My Credit Score? Dijsselbloem Floated for Top IMF Job by the Dutch Government Junkyard Palladium Growth an Answer to Waning Resource How a manual written by Thomas Jefferson sparked a battle over Trump and racism Fake alcohol is a deadly problem for tourists traveling abroad SoftBank's Son Shines a Spotlight on His Vision Fund Proteges

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Helping more children with disability get the best start in life The Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Carers, Jan McLucas, today visited the Cerebral Palsy League in New Farm, Brisbane, to announce the expansion of the Better Start for Children with Disability initiative. Senator McLucas said hundreds more children with disability will be eligible for critical early intervention services and therapies after the Australian Government expanded the eligibility criteria for its successful Better Start initiative. “The Australian Government’s $13.4 million boost over five years to expand the Better Start initiative means that from 1 January 2013, children diagnosed with Prader Willi, Williams, Angelman, Kabuki Make Up, Smith-Magenis, CHARGE, Cornelia de Lange, Cri du Chat syndromes and microcephaly can access Better Start funding for the first time,” Senator McLucas said. “Eligible children under the age of seven will be able to register to access early intervention funding of up to $12,000 (up to a maximum of $6,000 per financial year). “More than 5,300 children across Australia have registered for Better Start and accessed more than 59,700 early intervention services since the initiative started in July last year. “We are extending these services to children diagnosed with other disabilities where there is strong evidence of the benefits of early intervention, so they can also get the best start in life. “This additional funding is expected to help about 1,200 extra children access crucial early interventions.” Better Start provides families with funding to access therapies such as speech pathology, audiology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, optometry, psychology, orthoptics and services of teachers of the deaf. The Government sought expert advice on evidence on the effectiveness of early intervention in July 2011, resulting in a report from KPMG which recommended the expansion of the Better Start program to include these additional eight conditions. Senator McLucas said it was fantastic to see so many children benefiting from Better Start. “Better Start gives parents the financial assistance they need to access services that can make a real difference in their children’s lives,” Senator McLucas said. “We know that investing in early intervention for children with disabilities before they get to school gives them the best chance of reaching their full potential.” Under Better Start children with the listed disabilities will also be eligible for Medicare rebates up to the age of 15, providing there is a treatment and management plan in place before the age of 13. Medicare rebates are also available for up to four allied health diagnostic services and for 20 allied health services (in total) per eligible child. Senator McLucas said the Better Start initiative will help inform the approach to early intervention services for children with disability as the Government works towards the start a National Disability Insurance Scheme. “The Government is investing $1 billion to launch the first stage of a National Disability Insurance Scheme from the middle of next year – a year ahead of the timetable set out by the Productivity Commission,” Senator McLucas said. “The first stage will start in the Hunter in NSW, the Barwon area of Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT. “From July 2013, around 20,000 people with disability, their families and carers will start to benefit from a National Disability Insurance Scheme.” From 1 January 2013, parents or carers of newly eligible children will be able to register their child for Better Start by contacting the Better Start Registration and Information Service delivered by Carers Australia on 1800 242 636.

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BriefingNetflix Netflix Spent as Much as $60 Million to Win ‘Roma’ a Best Picture Oscar—and Still Lost Brian Raftery Sunday night’s Academy Awards broadcast wasn’t short on surprises: For starters, the show managed to clock in at under three and a half hours long, a fact that no doubt helped increase its ratings. And there were plenty of twists when it came to the awards themselves, including The Favourite’s Olivia Colman winning Best Actress over Glenn Close, who nearly all the awards-pundits had agreed was a sure thing. But the night’s biggest shocker may have been the sixties-set drama Green Book taking the Best Picture trophy over Netflix’s black-and-white family-saga Roma. Not only had Roma nabbed statues in the Cinematography, Director, and Foreign Language Film categories earlier in the night, it had widely been considered the front-runner for weeks. That confidence was aided in no small part by the streaming giant itself, which had mounted a lavish multi-million-dollar marketing campaign to sway voters. On Monday, it became clear just how lavish that effort had been. While previous reports had pegged Netflix’s Roma spending at around $25 million, a new Vulture story claimed the company might actually have shelled out as much as $60 million in its campaign. That’s about four times the cost of Roma‘s production budget, and a remarkably high figure for an awards campaign: In 1998 and 1999, Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein was rumored to have spent as much as $15 million to bring Shakespeare in Love a Best Picture award, a sum that was considered outrageous at the times. But Netflix has deeper pockets than the major Hollywood studios—as was evident to anyone living in Academy-centric Los Angeles, where signs and billboards for Roma had all but taken over the city in recent months (the company bought its own billboard company last year). And the company’s efforts to win a coveted Best Picture, an achievement that’s eluded all of the major streamers so far, might have actually turned off some voters, according to Vulture. One anonymous Academy member told the publication that some of his or her peers had refused to put Roma too high on the awards’ preferential-vote ballot. The reason? They didn’t want a win for Netflix, a company that’s forced the industry to re-think how movies are distributed and marketed. The company’s success has irked some exhibitors—who want the audiences to go to the theater, not stay on the couch—and worried studio execs, who can now be out-spent and out-maneuvered by a company that, just ten years ago, was sending out DVDs in red envelopes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body that oversees the Oscars, doesn’t release voting data for the awards, meaning it’s impossible to know just how close Roma came to besting Green Book. Still, despite Netflix not taking home the top prize, don’t expect its awards-spending to die down any time soon. During the Oscars telecast, the streaming company debuted a brief teaser of its next big prestige project: The Irishman, a decades-spanning crime story directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci—all past Oscar winners. The movie premieres this fall; expect its awards campaign to begin before the credits can even roll.

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New 2,000-Home Development In Northwest To Open In Fall Via St. Augustine Record Another massive development in the northwest section of St. Johns County is slated to open in the fall, coming at a time when home sales in the area are brisk. Almost a decade after the original plan, called a Development of Regional Impact — or DRI — was created, the Shearwater development is underway with a new owner. Originally referred to as the Ashford Mills DRI, Freehold Communities is the master developer of the 1,500-acre property that connects to County Road 16A and runs along Trout Creek. It was purchased from Land Options Two LLC out of Jacksonville, the group that got the DRI permit in 2006. The community is slated to have more than 2,000 homes when it is fully built out, which is expected to take a decade or more. Also included will be 400,000 square feet of commercial retail and 600 acres of open space. Eventually, a K-8 public school could be added. Shearwater will offer a launch area on Trout River for kayaks and canoes as well as a collection of parks, fields and trails. Demand for housing in that part of the county has been steady in recent months. A report from the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NFAR) showed there were more than 2,000 closed sales of single-family homes in the northwest last year — more than twice as many closings as any other part of the county. Of those closings, about 600 were for new construction. Sales there are moving at an even faster pace this year. NFAR reports show, through March, year-to-date sales in the area are up 11.3 percent compared to the same period in 2014. It’s by far the busiest part of the county for home sales. “We welcome new inventory,” said Michael Paull, a broker and team leader at ReMax Specialists. “The one thing we’re lacking is inventory. Everything is selling. Unless it’s extremely overpriced, it’s selling.” Total sales have risen each of the last five years for the northwest. “It’s really a good time for the development,” Paull said. “It’s definitely a welcome addition. The sooner they can get those homes off the ground the better. I’m looking forward to selling homes in Shearwater.” Another local real estate professional, Joshua Reynolds of Team Reynolds Exit Real Estate Gallery, agreed with Paull’s assessment. He said if there are more quality homes for sale, they will be taken. “We see great potential for a larger community in the development,” Reynolds said. “It’s a great area. I think it’s going to be great for the whole picture. It only makes sense for this to happen.” Freehold Communities, headquartered in Boston, is developing about 10,000 residential lots in Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Florida. Shearwater is its only project in North Florida. In an email to The Record, Suzanne Maddalon, vice president of marketing for Freehold Communities, said it was an easy decision to do a project in the county. “St. Johns County offers so much to its residents,” she said. “Centrally located to several urban areas with easy commutes to St. Augustine and Jacksonville, it is still a quiet oasis of wildlife, peace and tranquility, also known for having some of the best schools in the area. It is also affordable to live in this area but still have access to higher-end activities, retailers, and goods and services.” Three builders — David Weekley Homes, Lennar and MasterCraft Builder Group — have been contracted for Shearwater. Additional builders will be announced in the coming months. Home prices will start in the mid-$200,000s. MasterCraft is a locally owned and operated business that will build 49 homes in the first phase of the project. Chris Shee, partner in MasterCraft, said his company’s inclusion in the project is an exciting one for the four-year-old venture. Most developments of this size use only larger national or regional builders, but MasterCraft was selected to build premier homes on 70-foot lots — the largest lots planned for the first phase. “They were looking for a builder who would offer flexibility and quality,” Shee said. “We offer an immense amount of variety” The homes MasterCraft will build will range in size from 2,850 to 4,000 square feet — priced from the high $300,000s — and will be close to the $9 million amenities center. The first model home will be completed in July or August. Shee said the opening of Shearwater comes at a good time because nearby Durbin Crossing is almost at its build-out point, which should allow the new development to stand nearly alone in the market for new homes in a masterplanned community in the northwest. The county’s population has increased 14.7 percent since 2010 to about 218,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Shee, who works mostly in the northwest sector of the county, said there are a lot of reasons why people move to St. Johns County. The top-rated schools are a big draw but not the only one. The combination of lower property taxes, lower sales tax, quality natural resources and newer and better-planned infrastructure compared to neighboring areas puts St. Johns County over the top, Shee said. “The northwest and really the whole north part of the county is really one of the most desirable locations in Northeast Florida, and really St. Johns County is one of most desirable counties in the state,” Shee said. View Publication >

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Playstation Plus: Dark Souls 2 and Far Cry 4 Free Games for February Leaked NewsPlayStation By Shibu S On Jan 26, 2018 PlayStation Plus continues to offer good titles over the months. Sony continues to favor the use of the online platform offering players various free games every month that will be available in the library of each user while they have an operating account on PlayStation Plus. During the month of January, players have had the opportunity to get Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Batman: The Telltale Series and there has already been a talk of certain rumors for the next games. A few hours ago a screenshot was published on Reddit that would have revealed the two PlayStation 4 free games of February 2018 of the Instant Game Collection of the PlayStation Plus, namely Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin and Far Cry 4. According to the author of the post, the image appeared on Facebook for a few minutes and then it was removed, or at least this is what was reported by a friend who has passed the screenshot in question. The user then claims to work for a Greek video game site and does not want to spread the fake news in any way, but despite this, he has no proof of the truthfulness of his friend’s claims. In short, the matter seems a bit smoky, so we invite you to take this news as a simple rumor, waiting for the official reveals by Sony that should arrive by the end of the month. Meanwhile, at the top of the news, we have attached the screenshot published on Reddit that shows the two games in question. What do you think about it? Would you like to receive Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin and Far Cry 4 in February? dark souls 2Far Cry 4February 2018PlayStationPlayStation PlusPS Plusvideo game

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Along the Path Let's talk of writing, nature, and spiritual things. Dan O’Brien Finnegan’s Quest Grounded, a Dragons’ Tale Long Pig, a Fantasy Novella That Other Kind The Emperor’s Hostages Train to Nowhere Short Stuff The Wonderful Robot Car Club The Presidents on Mount Rushmore 25 Dec 2016 3 Comments by gloria piper in Uncategorized Tags: Abraham Lincoln, conservation, Constitution of the U.S., democracy, Donald Trump's attacks, freedoms, George Washington, leader of free world, Mount Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson Who are these presidents who are memorialized on Mount Rushmore? What do they have in common? In some way, these four greats shaped and protected our democracy. George Washington was the first president. He set the standard for all future presidents. He chose not to become king or dictator. He chose to become a public servant, a leader of what would eventually become the free world. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, a list of complaints against England as a reason to form our own government. The Constitution, a separate document, was a group effort, led by James Madison, who is therefore considered as father of the Constitution, the law of our government. Abraham Lincoln kept our nation together and freed the slaves. Consequently our government of the people, by the people, and for the people, became of government for all the people, not just the white ruling class. Theodore Roosevelt wrested government from the control of big business. He built the Panama Canal, and he advanced our national parks system. Many doctors recognize the health benefits of spending time in nature. More than that, the wilderness is our planet’s lungs. Because of this, we need to set aside more. Other presidents have built on these advancements. Franklin Delano Roosevelt helped us during the Great Depression. My parents got their start from his programs. And to this day we benefit from his creation of Social Security. Harry S. Truman ended segregation in the military. We could go on telling how presidents added to the public welfare, enhancing life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Then we arrive at Donald Trump and his supporters who vow to undo Barrack Obama’s legacy. By doing this, they are dismantling the legacies of all the great presidents who came before. We need to see politicians for what they are, our elected representatives to serve our interests. Sure, some are crooked and don’t deserve their office. But many are our public servants, our warriors in a not-at-all cushy job, who are passionate about improving the lives of all the people in their district. Democracy is not to be taken for granted. We are all in this together. We are all responsible for protecting our freedoms. There is a great force for good in our country, and we must be part of that force. The way it looks now, Donald Trump may be president, but he can never call himself leader of the free world. Grayson, a Sportsman The Corn Maze Romance Dreams of Grayson Dreams, More than Entertainment A Changing Planet is Taking us with it.

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EXCURSION TO THE OURIKA VALLEY WITH PARTICIPANTS OF THE “KICKOFF CONFERENCE FOR DECENTRALIZATION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN MOROCCO” By Celina Böhmer and Kerstin Opfer Last week the High Atlas Foundation in partnership with Germanwatch, a German NGO dedicated to global equity and people’s livelihoods, conducted a kick-off workshop in Marrakesh with important Moroccan stakeholders of energy and decentralization. This workshop marked the start of the Multi-Stakeholder Partnership (MSP) for an African energy transition towards 100% renewables, with a special focus on Morocco as one of the Energy policy pioneers on the African continent. While Morocco is a leader in the expansion of renewable energies on the African continent, renewable projects in the Kingdom so far tend to be large-scale. These large-scale projects have to be complemented by decentralized small-scale installations to benefit local communities and to create development opportunities. The workshop provided a forum for important project partners and stakeholders to get to know one-another, to share experiences and ideas related to current and emerging challenges, discuss opportunities of energy and decentralisation in Morocco, and plan the upcoming MSP, which aims to support and promote a decentralized approach to Moroccan energy transition. As part of the two-day workshop, the HAF team and participants visited community member of a village called Aghbalou in the Ourika Valley. Since 2016 HAF worked closely with the community from Aghbalou and utilised a multi-stakeholder approach, where HAF acted as a bridge between national and international civil society, who provided the necessary resources, the High Commission of Waters and Forests, who provided trees and land for the communities to plant on and harvest medicinal plants, and the local community. First, we visited the “Do Tmkit” cooperative in Aghbalou. This cooperative, which consists of seven women, produces dried medicinal plants, different kinds of couscous, jam, and teas. They started their production in 2018 with merely 100 medicinal plants but had and still have big plans in mind. One of them is to produce essential oils for medicinal- and skin care purposes. Fifteen kg of berries collected from public land nearby could produce 1 liter of essential oil, which could be sold for 400-600 MAD. Because the berries are harvested from public land and the only costs involved is the workforce of the women, the potential profit for the cooperative is huge. To make this dream reality the cooperative pursues a formalised partnership agreement with the High Commission of Waters and Forests. Currently, harvesting the berries and medicinal plants from publicly owned land is tolerated by the High Commission of Waters and Forests but an official partnership agreement is still missing. Through utilising close working relations, HAF will assist the cooperative to obtain this agreement and thereby enable them to take a big step forward towards their essential oil production. Another plan is to include men in the work because the cooperative wants to increase their production rate and the workforce provided by men would be invaluable to them. HAF’s project director Amina El Hajjami was very excited and surprised to hear about about this plan as this is the first time that a women cooperative want to work in collaboration with men, a sign of growing empowerment. In the bright and open rooms of the cooperative, we had an interesting talk with Sakia, the women’s cooperative leader. Dr Yossef Ben-Meir, HAF’s president, Kerstin, HAF’s operations manager and Celina Böhmer, anthropology student and volunteer with HAF, were very excited to hear about the cooperatives successes and admired their amazing work. Sakia said: “If we continue to work hard, we can improve our life and our children’s lives considerably.” After a tea on the sunny terrace with intense discussions, we met farmers, who were able to plant trees on public land, which was provided by the High Commission of Waters and Forests. The farmers showed us carob saplings, some of them a few years old, some of them planted just recently. The carob trees were provided by the High Commission of Waters and Forests and by the High Atlas Foundation as part of the carbon credit program with PUR Project. In 2017 alone this tree and land donations enabled the farmers to plant 2800 carob trees. Carob trees have a life span of 150 years and one tree can provide approximately 100 kg of product, which can be sold for 12 MAD per kg. A formalised partnership agreement with the High Commission of Waters and Forests will allow communities to harvest the tree products and thereby increase their income and the income of future generations considerably. Simultaneously, the trees, which were planted strategically on eroding mountain slopes, prevent soil erosion and absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, thereby reducing the effects of climate change. The trees need to be watered by the farmers regularly. HAF provided them with pipes and an electric pumps. The electricity is paid by the farmer association but they are now discussing to install a solar pump as this will be more cost effective in the long-term. For domestic use gas is the main energy source. Even though gas, which is subventioned by the government, is not expensive, gas is not always accessible for rural communities and it is not as clean as renewable energy. The discussion with the farmers showed that energy is closely connected to all areas of life and a renewable energy transition in Morocco is affecting everyone, even a small-scale farmer in a remote mountain village. Engaging everyone, from remote mountain communities to communities in big cities, will be crucial to achieve a successful decentralization of renewable energy. This field visit provided a valuable opportunity for the energy experts to learn about challenges and needs of local communities related to energy and decentralization. They also experienced hands-on and meaningful community engagement and cooperation with multiple stakeholders. Their lessons learned will help to inform the future projects of the MSP.

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Category Archives: Chemistry Mercury Free Waters. Posted on February 4, 2009 by jesus paredes Two University professors here at UCF have developed a way to detect trace amounts of mercury in our waters. Dr. Florencio E. Hernandez and Andres Campigliaare now able to detect trace amounts of mercury in our water more accurately than resent water filters. This new procedure of detection could be used to make more accurate and nor less efficient water filters. Although, mercury is a vital element in our society which is used to make items such as thermometers, medicaments, and some cosmetics, mercury may also represent a threat for our bodies. Large and continuous amounts of mercury could lead to Mercury Poisoning which is also known as hydrargaria or mercurialism. Mercury Poisoning may lead to severe toxic effects such as damage to the brain tissue, kidney, and lungs. Also, mercury poisoning may lead to Minamata disease which harms the neurological system. In minor cases symptoms include ataxia (Loss of coordination of muscle movements) numbness and general muscle weakness. However, in extreme cases symptoms might worsen creating insanity, paralysis, coma, and finally death is followed after these symptoms are shown. Due to these extreme and hazardous effects of the consumption of mercury polluted waters Hernandez and Campiglia have developed a way to localize and detect even the smallest amounts of mercury in our waters. Although, it might seem like an impossible task to find trace amounts of mercury in our waters even when these are so small and remain unseen to the naked eye, these two physics professors have developed a method which takes advantage of the properties of gold and mercury. Due to the fact that mercury has a tendency to mix with gold particles is an advantage that these tow professors have exploited. It all begins when a sample of mercury polluted water is mixed with solution containing gold nano rods which will float in sodium borohydrate. Then, the mercury is absorbed by these gold nano rods creating an alloy which will be later be identified by an optical spectrometer allowing to be used to monitor shifts in the light absorbed by three gold nano rods, in order so that the user can determine mercury content of the water that is being tested. The method alongside the device could be used here in Florida due to the fact that this state contains one of the highest levels of mercury around the world not only in our waters but in our soil as well. This mercury makes its way to our waters in the form of rain when coal-burning power plants and other incinerators as well as other manufacturing process expel mercury in the form of gas, alongside other harmful gases into our atmosphere. However, this new process will be able to get rid of mercury from waters around the world, preventing people from contracting diseases such as the Minamata disease among others who are related to mercury poisoning. Posted in Chemistry

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Barcelona plans to introduce its own currency and bank notes The city of Barcelona is preparing to move forward with a plan to introduce its own currency, despite warnings from Spain’s central bank. The new so-called “social currency” would be used to buy local goods and services at a discount while having a one to one parity with the euro. Residents and businesses will be able to exchange their euros for the new currency and the city’s municipal employees may be partly paid using the new currency. Barcelona’s mayor, Ada Colau, said a pilot programme will start in 2017. The pilot scheme will be implemented in Besos, a working class district of the city, in 2018. The new currency is expected to become legal tender by 2019. For the scheme to work, local companies will need to sign onto and participate in the project. Barcelona’s is not the first of its kind in Europe, nor in Spain. The city of Girona has the res, Sevilla the puma and Bilbao has the ekhi. Alternative currencies also exist in the French cities of Lyon and Toulouse, Bristol in the UK (where the Mayor takes his whole salary in the local Bristol Pound) , as well as in Rosenheim, southern Germany. Local or regional currencies have also started to pop up in the US, with San Francisco’s ‘Bay Bucks’ hoping to boost local businesses. How do complementary currencies work? The short answer is: just like normal money. The only difference is that they can only be used in restricted geographical areas, and with businesses that sign up to the scheme. The Bristol Pound, for example, can be used by opening a local account, and swapping sterling for the £B, in a similar fashion to how Bitcoin is used. The Bay Bucks plan argues that by using the local currency, businesses can boost the local prosperity by circulating a currency that will never leave the local area or local businesses. The argument goes that by increasing local spending, which is what local currencies are all about (and why central banks are nervous), the local economy will benefit as a whole, as businesses will be able to employ more people. One way the Bristol Pound has flourished is by creating the role of Business Relationship Manager, who is tasked with assisting businesses to find local supplier that also operate within the Bristol Pound market. Bristol pound notes. This means that local businesses do not have to convert their £B back to sterling in order to buy their supplies, though this is still possible. It is also seen as a ‘Green’ initiative, as bolstering the use of local products can reduce the carbon footprint of a community and individuals. Customer loyalty is another benefit given by advocates. It is argued that by offering a successful local currency service, news will spread by word of mouth, and bolster the cash side of the business too. But despite wanting to operate on a parity with traditional currencies, local currencies are not legal tender. This means that their use, and businesses acceptance of them, is entirely voluntary. Change in Barcelona Colau campaigned for the alternative currency, as a tool designed to spur investment within the city and help small businesses. The currency is also part of a larger €24 million programme to introduce a minimum wage to Barcelona. The launching of a new local currency was one of Colau’s campaign promises before taking office in June 2015. But Spain’s central bank has warned against the currency scheme, saying casual currencies under little or no regulatory supervision or framework is “undesirable”. Fernando Restoy, the Deputy Governor of Spain’s central bank called the project “impossible”. Madrid and Barcelona are often at odds with each other, as Spain’s government tries to curb the influence of rising nationalist sentiments within Catalonia. Spain & Catalonia headed for a collision course Trump’s dollar warning sends US currency tumbling Banks ending cash to establish big brother world government – Jim Rogers War on cash continues: Australia seeks to remove $100 note from circulation India escalates global war on cash by banning the 500 and 1,000 rupee notes US dollar continues to lose influence around the world War on cash: Japan to introduce fingerprint currency Monopoly board game goes cashless: ‘Ultimate Banking’ War on Cash: the death of the $100 note

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ARCHIVE / 2012 / November Revision — From the November 2012 issue The Mad Mullah Myth The dangers of misunderstanding Iran By Flynt Lawrence Leverett, Hillary Mann Leverett In the more than thirty years since the Iranian Revolution, Western analysts have routinely depicted the Islamic Republic as an ideologically driven, illegitimate, and deeply unstable state. From their perspective, Iran displayed its fanatical character early on, first in the hostage crisis of 1979–81, and shortly afterward with the deployment of teenage soldiers in “human wave” attacks against Iraqi forces during the 1980s. Supposedly the same Shia “cult of martyrdom” and indifference to casualties persist in a deep attachment to suicide terrorism that would, if Iran acquired nuclear weapons, end in catastrophe. Allegations of the Iranian government’s “irrationality” are inevitably linked to assertions that it is out to export its revolution across the Middle East by force, is hell-bent on the destruction of Israel, and is too dependent for its domestic legitimacy on anti-Americanism to contemplate improving relations with the United States. Images of Iran as a radical state are often conveyed through analogies with the twentieth century’s most criminal regimes. Some—including former British prime minister Tony Blair, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and a host of Israeli officials—have compared the Islamic Republic with Nazi Germany. For Walter Russell Mead, a prominent historian of American foreign policy, “It’s a legitimate argument and subject for discussion about whether the Iranians are jerks like Franco who will settle down to peacefully hang homosexuals and torture dissidents at home if left to themselves, or whether they are megalomaniacal nutcases who will interpret our forbearance as weakness—if we let them have Czechoslovakia they will start reaching for Poland.” The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens has compared Iran with the “Japan of the 1930s and World War II—another martyrdom-obsessed, non-Western culture with global ambitions.” Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace has looked to the Soviet Union for parallels, arguing that “the Islamic Republic is a corrupt, inefficient, authoritarian regime” with a “bankrupt ideology,” whose leaders, “like the men who once ruled Moscow . . . derive their internal legitimacy from thumbing their noses at Uncle Sam.” Even more extreme is the rhetoric about “mad mullahs” conspiratorially “chuckling behind their beards” as they work to acquire nuclear weapons, which they and/or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s lay president, will use to attack Israel, the United States, and other enemies of Islam. Bernard Lewis and his neoconservative acolytes have asserted that Iran would launch such an attack to hasten the reappearance of the Mahdi, the twelfth Imam, thus setting the stage for God’s final judgment and a more conclusive “end of history” than Francis Fukuyama ever imagined. In 2006, Lewis even identified a religiously significant date, August 22, which in that year corresponded to the twenty-seventh day of the Islamic month of Rajab, when Muslims believe that the Prophet Mohammed began his prophetic mission, as the time Iran might detonate its first nuclear weapons. As Ahmadinejad has mockingly noted, many Americans seem to think that all Iranians are “sitting in the desert, turned toward Mecca and waiting to die.” [2009-] [Foreign relations] [Iran] [Israel] [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] [Miscommunication] [National security] [Nuclear weapons] [Politics and government] [United States] [World politics] Flynt Lawrence Leverett ’s Going to Tehran: Why the United States Must Come to Terms with the Islamic Republic of Iran will be published by Metropolitan Books in January. Hillary Mann Leverett ’s Going to Tehran: Why the United States Must Come to Terms with the Islamic Republic of Iran will be published by Metropolitan Books in January.

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Orestes Hernández The leafy palm branch on display in Galería 23 y 12 looks a lot like palm branches you see on any Havana street or beach after a storm. What's different about this particular palm branch is that it has been accessorized with a live turtle by Orestes Hernández Palacios, who sits cross-legged on the gallery's floor looking as out-of-place here as his palm and turtle. Wearing jeans, bright white shirt and matching baseball cap, he looks more like a reggaetonero than like one of Cuba's most promising young artists. As the turtle wanders away from the branch, Orestes (as he prefers to be called) puts the creature back in place, saying, "this is a rumination on sedentary people, on time, on space." The title for this exhibition, Salga el sol por donde salga, is a typically Cuban expression that translates roughly as "Let the sun shine where it may," and that pretty much sums up Orestes' approach to his work and life. "I don't think too much about the future," he says. Que salga el sol por donde salga. I take things as they happen." Which is just as well, because things have happened quickly for Orestes Hernández Palacios. He was born in Holguín province in 1981 and came to Havana to study at the prestigious Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA), finishing his studies in 2006. The following year he was the subject of a major — and provocative — solo show at Havana's Instituto Cubano de la Música. His installation consisted of a "typically Cuban" room whose main features were a couple of appliances (refrigerator, air-conditioning units) and leaf-print wallpaper. The title: Se acabó la salsa (a play on words that might translate, in English, as The Party's Over). In 2008 he participated in the Bla Bla Bla show, a showcase for Cuba's most interesting young artists organized by curator and art critic Piter Ortega Núñez. Orestes contributed a large, child-like painting of strawberries, which he called "Que Manera de Quererte" ("What a Way to Love You"). His conceptual work owes a lot to Duchamp, and Orestes says he's a big fan of American artist Matthew Barney, but he doesn't dwell on the work of either contemporaries or forebears, primarily because he has been unable to come into direct contact with their work. "Aside from Cuban painters I haven't seen anything," he says, "so for me, art is something that has to be invented, like a lie. I have to invent myself, build myself out of what's available to me." Orestes has been living and working in Havana's Marianao district, in a flat he shares and rents from an older couple, Andres and Irene. The walls and even the ceiling of his bedroom are covered with his drawings and watercolours, which erupt with references to American porn and pop culture —Playboy, Marilyn Monroe, things he says he chances upon in old magazines and comic books. Up another flight of stairs is his studio, filled with more drawings and paintings in various stages of completion. "They're never finished," he says, although this doesn't seem to be a source of displeasure to him. "I sometimes work a lot on a painting because I'm not convinced by it. Then I'll come back and work on it again, turn it into a collage or something else." Orestes has an evident gift for painting and drawing but seems sincere when he says, "I don't think I'm very interested in the act of painting. I don't really care about the sentimental aspect, or the gestural aspect, or the colour. It's just a frame, a canvas to put paint on. But that's what I like."

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Time to Make the Move to In-Memory Data Grids DRAM is dirt cheap. That’s why in-memory databases, analytics, and data grids are surging in popularity among firms that have an insatiable need for performance and scalability. But, databases, analytics platforms, and data grids target very different use cases. In-memory data grids, in particular, are often misunderstood because they support an extensive set of use cases that often overlap other technologies. Join guest speaker Mike Gualtieri, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, Greg Luck, CEO of Hazelcast®, and Ken Kolda, Software Architect of Ellie Mae on this radio-show style webinar to boost your in-memory IQ. We’ll cover these topics: How in-memory data grid differs from other “in-memory” technologies The use cases best suited to in-memory data grids Real-world Hazelcast customer implementation story Mike Gualtieri, Principal Analyst at Forrester Research Mike’s research is focused on software technology, platforms, and practices that enable technology professionals to deliver prescient customer experiences and breakthrough operational efficiency. His key technology and platform coverage areas are big data strategy, Hadoop, advanced analytics, machine learning, data science practices, predictive apps design, and emerging technologies that make software faster and smarter. Mike is also a leading expert on the intersection of business strategy, architecture, design, and creative collaboration. Mike has more than 25 years’ experience in the industry helping firms design and develop mission-critical applications in eCommerce, insurance, banking, travel/hospitality, manufacturing, healthcare, and scientific research for organizations including Nasa, eBay, Bank of America, Liberty Mutual, Nielsen, EMC, and others. He has written thousands of lines of code, managed development teams, and consulted with dozens of technology firms on product, marketing, and R&D strategy. Greg Luck, CEO at Hazelcast Greg has worked with Java for 15 years. He is spec lead of the recently completed JSR107:JCache and the founder of Ehcache. He is a JCP Executive Committee alumni. Prior to Hazelcast, Greg was CTO at Terracotta, Inc which was acquired by Software AG. He was also Chief Architect at Australian travel startup Wotif.com which went to IPO. Earlier roles include consultant at ThoughtWorks and KPMG, and CIO at Virgin Blue, Tempo Services, Stamford Hotels and Resorts, and Australian Resorts. Greg has a Master’s degree in Information Technology from QUT and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Queensland. Ken Kolda, Software Architect at Ellie Mae Ken has over 20 years of experience developing software professionally and is currently a Software Architect at Ellie Mae, Inc, a leading provider of enterprise software solutions to the Mortgage Banking industry. When Ken started with Ellie Mae in 2003, he was part of the team that created the company’s flagship software platform, Encompass. Today, Ken is helping to design and deliver the “next gen” of Encompass, leveraging the latest generation of tools and technologies to enable the scale required by Ellie Mae’s rapid growth. Not You? Click Here

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Yoshiki Tanigawa Kazuo "David" Saito Virginia Benson Jason Goulah Bonnie Alexander Mitch Bogen David Hay Lillian I Kevin Maher Preandra Noel Anri Tanabe Beth Zimmerman kmaher [at] ikedacenter.org Kevin is Program Director for the Ikeda Center. In this role, he leads the program team in developing events and publications that further the Center's mission for peace. He also networks with scholars, researchers, and students engaged in work that resonates with our core convictions. Prior to joining the Center in 2002, Kevin worked as a reporter for a weekly newspaper in the suburbs of Boston. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and is passionate about social justice, human rights, and nonviolent social change. Kevin is an avid reader and book collector. Kevin likes this quote from Vincent Harding, found in our 1996 interview with the late historian and social activist. The human experience is such that, if I am deeply involved in a struggle for democracy in the former Czechoslovakia, or in Tiananmen Square, or in Johannesburg, or in Birmingham, I am profoundly affected by it. The fact that a particular movement may not “succeed,” does not mean that it has been wiped from my memory. My life has been affected; I have tasted something very real. I have learned that certain possibilities for human relationships exist that I didn’t know about before. The fact that people experienced these things in very palpable and profound ways means that these truths now exist permanently in the universe. Energy does not go out of existence. Truth is an energy that will find its manifestation and expression in some other way, in some other place, in other people. That is one of my major sources of hope.

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A shared dedication to humanistic principles first brought Harvard professor Nur Yalman and BRC founder Daisaku Ikeda together in conversation. On February 19, 2009, the Ikeda Center celebrated the fruits of those conversations, hosting a seminar honoring the English-language publication of their dialogue A Passage to Peace: Global Solutions From East and West, first published in Japan in 2007. Joining Professor Yalman, a noted social anthropologist, were several of his Harvard colleagues, including Islam scholar Shahab Ahmed, Divinity School professors Leila Ahmed and Harvey Cox, Divinity School Dean William Graham, and law professor Noah Feldman. The seminar opened with brief comments from the BRC’s executive director Virginia Benson and president Masao Yokota, who discussed President Ikeda’s belief in the establishment of personal connection as the best way to build meaningful dialogue. The goal of such dialogues, said Yokota, is to learn from others and to share those findings in the cause of developing a new global humanism. After thanking his colleagues for attending, Professor Yalman, a native of Turkey, remarked that he relished the opportunity to engage in dialogue with President Ikeda, in large part because he admires Ikeda’s commitment to nuclear disarmament and the cause of peace. Beyond that, he enjoyed exploring what he called “the surprising connections” that exist between Turkish and Japanese cultures, including the strong structural similarities in the languages. Making such connections, he said, functions as a vital rejection of the kind of intercultural suspicion and prejudice popularized most recently by Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” hypothesis. During the discussion, participants explored the challenges of pursuing dialogue in a world marked by severe divisions of power and ideology. Professor Cox, a best-selling author and a leading American theologian, launched the discussion on a skeptical note, observing that, too often, the quest for commonalities in interfaith dialogue serves to paper over important differences. The hardest task, he said, is not so much talking with open-minded persons from other traditions, but rather with the fundamentalists within one’s own tradition. Professor Leila Ahmed added that while there is certainly value in the erosion of our differences, the resulting common ground is, by default, usually indistinguishable from “American ground” – the implication being that the quest for global intercultural agreement might often be Americanization by another name. Because of these kinds of pitfalls, Professor Graham said that he has come to value the pursuit of the “tertium quid,” where diverse groups focus on our “common concerns as human beings.” The focus can be on poverty or music or art or politics, or any number of things, said Graham, but in pursuit of common cause, differences can be experienced as energizing rather than threatening. Virginia Benson noted that this idea has animated Ikeda’s many dialogues and has also served to focus BRC publications such as Subverting Hatred and Subverting Greed. The pursuit of successful dialogue can be severely hampered by the power differences that persist in our world.Opting to throw what he called “a little cold water” on Graham’s assertion, Professor Feldman noted that not long ago adversarial religious leaders in Jerusalem found common ground in their opposition to a gay pride parade. What is needed, said Feldman, is a “serious discussion about the right way to live.” Professor Shahab Ahmed added a point that he deemed somewhat “obvious,” but important nonetheless: The pursuit of successful dialogue can be severely hampered by the power differences that persist among persons and groups in our world. He said that dialogue is a term of “anodyne virtue,” as it assumes that people are in the same place in terms of power. Pushing further, Ahmed questioned the virtue of the term peace in seeking a better world. After all, he said, the aftermath of genocide might even be said to be “peaceful.” The group also tackled the limitations of humanism as a framework for guiding the quest for global peace. Again, Shahab Ahmed pointed to the distorting impact of power. Even a concept such as humanism, he suggested, can be utilized by the powerful as a source of self-justification and as a way to deny the humanity of others. Participants agreed that this has indeed been the case with what is known as the “Renaissance humanism” of Western Europe, and that this biased dynamic has long fueled the West’s attitude toward the Muslim world as somehow less than human. Huntington’s thesis, which Professor Yalman earlier had identified as an especially pernicious one, demonstrates the reality of this bias, said several of the participants. It never occurred to Huntington, said Shahab Ahmed, that it might be the West that is the force of darkness and not vice versa. Professor Yalman and others said that the Huntington thesis became as popular as it did precisely because it confirmed “ancient prejudice.” Professor Feldman added that the thesis also caught on because the events of 9-11 and the U.S. response seemed to confirm its argument, since both sets of actors – al Qeada and the U.S. government – accepted the inevitably of violent conflict. One effect of the substantial critical thinking that occurred during the conversation was to set in relief a core humanistic conviction: that, as Professor Graham phrased it, there are “humane possibilities for dialogue across power.” As the end of the session neared, Graham warned against throwing the baby of humanism out with the bathwater, so to speak. Despite past failures of the humanistic project, it would be dangerous, he said, to lose the notion that our humanity is more fundamental than anything. He urged everyone to uphold “the intrinsic value” of human beings across all categories. Throughout the discussion, Professor Yalman also underscored the value of humanistic principles of the kind that inspired him to co-create the Passage to Peace dialogue with President Ikeda. Acknowledging Professor Cox’s opening concern about the homogenization that can result from superficial agreement among religions, he maintained that it is still vital “to go beyond differences and see what this means for human beings and their lives together.” Yalman also conceded that “across great differences” in power, it is quite difficult for dialogue to happen, but clarified that his dialogue with Ikeda was not of that type. Rather, it was dialogue between peers, aimed at promoting education and creating value through shared understanding. Ultimately, said Yalman, valorization of human life is the key. And in keeping with that notion, we should understand that all killing is unacceptable, even when it appears justified. The path forward consists first of all, said Yalman, in keeping “right in front of us” at all times, Andre Gide’s injunction that “the individual is the most irreplaceable of beings.” Further, to achieve a better world, we must concentrate on the concept of justice, the rule of law, and human rights – imperatives that require crucial support from international institutions such as the United Nations and regional courts of human rights. During his closing remarks, Yalman remarked on the great sense of hope he is witnessing around the world because of the election of Barack Obama – from students celebrating in Indonesia to expressions of optimism in Istanbul. Our role is to support the hope of others, and maintain our own hope as well, he said. In conclusion, Professor Yalman said to the assembled scholars, “How nice to bring all my friends together!” It is usually not the expectation that wide-ranging discussions such as this will result in consensus, but as participants gathered their coats and prepared to face the cold New England evening, Benson inquired of professors Noah Feldman and Shahab Ahmed, two of the session’s Socratic skeptics, what terms they might use for those humane ideals and goals we can agree upon across differences, if not humanism or peace. Both peace with justice and human flourishing are good, suggested Feldman. Peace with justice, agreed Ahmed. Harvey Cox and Nur Yalman "The path forward consists first of all, said Yalman, in keeping 'right in front of us' at all times, Andre Gide’s injunction that 'the individual is the most irreplaceable of beings.'”

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ILGA launches State-Sponsored Homophobia report 2017 On May 15, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) launched the 12th edition of its flagship publication, State-Sponsored Homophobia - A World Survey of Sexual Orientation Laws: Criminalisation, Protection and Recognition. This year the report is co-authored by Aengus Carroll and Lucas Ramón Mendos. Download State-Sponsored Homophobia 2017 in English - in Spanish EDIT (May 19) - In an earlier version of the report, Slovenia was listed as a State with marriage equality: however, it only has strong partnership legislation. Entries on the country were amended to reflect that. References to the Penal Code of Iran were updated to reflect amendments that came into force in 2015. Since its first edition in 2006, State-Sponsored Homophobia has offered a comprehensive compilation of useful and credible data on laws affecting people worldwide on the basis of their sexual orientation. This release comes just ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia to be celebrated on May 17, and it is a fundamental resource in the hands of human rights defenders, researchers, civil society organisations, governmental and UN agencies, allies and media striving for a more just and inclusive society. “As of May 2017, 72 States continue to criminalise same-sex consensual activity, and in 45 of these States the law is applied to women as well as men,” Carroll notes. "Although law that criminalises same-sex sexual practice is slowly annually decreasing - with Belize and Seychelles being the most recent to repeal such laws in 2016 – persecution and deep stigmatisation persist in many States. On the other hand, enactment of specific legislation that protects us from discrimination and violence has significantly expanded in recent years, and the real test facing States is meaningful implementation of those laws. Although laws that recognise our relationships and families are also on the increase, less than 25% of the world’s States recognise or protect us – that is a sobering thought.” It is an unavoidable truth that full equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual persons is unfortunately still very far from reach. “A simple look at the maps and charts included in the report – illustrating where criminalisation, protection and recognition laws exist – starkly indicates the absence of positive provisions in most parts of the world. These maps and overview charts are available in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French and Russian on ILGA’s website. We hope that making these materials available in all 6 United Nations’ official languages will help deliver this information to a wider readership,” observes co-author Mendos. “They offer food for thought on how States are faring when it comes to denying or upholding our rights, to scapegoating our communities, or situating us on ideological battlefields in national and international political spaces.” There are currently 8 UN member States (or parts thereof) where death penalty occurs as a punishment for same-sex consensual sexual acts, and a further 5 States where although the death penalty is technically possible, it is never implemented. In 14 other countries the maximum penalty can vary from 14 years to a life sentence in jail. This edition of State-Sponsored Homophobia includes a category looking at sexual orientation-related NGOs: in 25 States there are active barriers to the formation, establishment or registration of such organisations, and 22 States have ‘morality’ or ‘promotion’ laws that actively target public promotion or expression of same-sex and trans realities. “With the ongoing rise in the use of digital devices, deployment of these laws becomes all the more sinister,” comments Renato Sabbadini, Executive Director at ILGA. “The ongoing case of Chechnya offers us the most recent, horrific example of such abuses, as survivors have expressed fears that the social media accounts of men perceived to be gay or bisexual are being hacked and used to identify and contact others who have not yet been arrested.” Only 9 countries explicitly mention sexual orientation as a protected ground from discrimination in their Constitution. On the other hand, 72 States contain legal provisions that protect against discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation, and 63 States have enacted various non-discrimination laws, both comprehensive and specific. This year we also look at those States that explicitly ban so-called ‘conversion therapies’: only 3 of them have taken nationwide action on the issue, but the list is expected to expand in future years. When it comes to protecting and recognising our relationships and families, ILGA notes that marriage equality is now a reality in 22 States, while other 28 guarantee some civil partnership recognition. Some 86 States have National Human Rights Institutions that include sexual orientation in the scope of their work – appeal to such bodies can be preliminary steps to law and policy change. By analysing laws and their impact on people according to their sexual orientation and gender identity and gauging attitudes towards LGBTI communities throughout the world, ILGA raises awareness on both advances and setbacks in the fight for equality. “In the last twelve months only, we released as well as eight new publications, forming an important and reliable corpus of information in the hands of individual activists, NGOs and allies,” claim Ruth Baldacchino and Helen Kennedy, co-Secretaries General at ILGA. “Knowledge is itself power: it is the power to challenge norms and practices that continue to oppress LGBTIQ people and communities. It is the power of information, and the courage to use it that will indeed make this world a better place for everyone.” Key figures (as per May 2017) There are 124 States (122 UN member States as well as Taiwan and Kosovo) where same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults are legal. 108 countries have a law on equal age of consent, 16 are unequal. 72 States still criminalise same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults: in 45 of these States the law is applied to women as well. ILGA knows of recent arrests under these laws in 45 States. The death penalty for same-sex sexual acts may be applied in 8 UN member States. In 4 of them (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sudan) it is applied State-wide; in 2 (Somalia, Nigeria) it is implemented only in specific provinces; in other 2 countries (Iraq, Daesh-held territories in northern Iraq and northern Syria) it is implemented by local courts, vigilantes or non-State actors. There are another 5 States (Pakistan, Afghanistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Mauritania) where interpretation of Shari'a, or where black letter law, permits the death penalty technically, but where it is not invoked to our knowledge. 22 States have ‘promotion’ or ‘morality’ laws targeting public expression of same-sex and trans realities. 25 States pose barriers to the formation, establishment or registration of sexual orientation-related NGOs. 72 UN States have laws protecting from discrimination in the workplace on the basis of sexual orientation. 9 States contain Constitutional provisions that specify sexual orientation in their discrimination protections. 43 States enacted legislation combating hate crime; 39 countries have laws addressing incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation. There are currently 22 States in the world that recognise same-sex marriage, while 28 countries provide for some civil partnership recognition. 26 States have joint adoption laws: Austria, Finland and parts of Australia were the latest to pass such laws in the last 12 months, while 27 UN States allow for same-sex second parent adoption. Get updates on LGBTI rights issues, and on our work to support LGBTI civil society worldwide Dispatches from our United Nations and Gender Identity & Gender Expression programmes LGBulleTIn - a weekly round-up of LGBTI news of the world

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UK Treasury chief issues stiff 'no-deal' Brexit warning By DANICA KIRKA BC-APFN-EU--Brexit,3rd Ld-Writethru Matt Dunham, ASSOCIATED PRESS LONDON (AP) — Britain's Treasury chief urged those seeking to be Britain's next leader to be honest with the public and spell out what they would do if their plans for leaving the European Union falter. Philip Hammond used a speech in London on Thursday to say the candidates should outline what their Plan B might be if Parliament rejects both the Brexit deal negotiated by outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May and leaving the bloc with no deal at all. Hammond's speech to the annual Mansion House dinner in London's financial district was interrupted by climate-change protesters in red evening dresses with sashes that read "climate emergency." Greenpeace said the protesters were members of the group who had "gatecrashed" the dinner. Hammond resumed his speech after a few minutes. "The irony of course is that this is the government that has just led the world by committing to a zero-carbon economy by 2050," he said. Hammond, who has long warned of the dangers posed by a badly managed Brexit, urged the two remaining leadership candidates to offer realistic strategies for taking the British economy out of the "holding pattern" that it has been stuck in as May sought to get her Brexit divorce deal through the House of Commons — possibly even if it means another referendum on leaving the EU. "We cannot allow ourselves to be forced to choose between our democracy and our prosperity," Hammond said. "And if the new prime minister cannot end the deadlock in Parliament, then he will have to explore other democratic mechanisms to break the impasse." Hammond repeated warnings that leaving the EU without a deal would damage the British economy and ultimately risk the breakup of the U.K. a veiled reference to increasing tensions in Scotland and Northern Ireland, both of which voted to stay inside of the EU. He also stressed that the 26.6 billion pounds ($34 billion) of "fiscal headroom" set aside by the Treasury would be soaked up quickly by a no-deal Brexit. The comments are seen as a rebuke to Boris Johnson, the front-runner in the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and the next British prime minister. Johnson is arguing that some of the contingency fund set up to cushion the British economy in the event of "no deal" could be used for tax cuts. "There is a choice: either we leave with no deal or we preserve our future fiscal space — we cannot do both," Hammond said. Hammond also said it was unlikely the EU would do a "180-degree U-turn" and re-open talks on the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar bolstered that view Thursday. Speaking after talks with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, Varadkar said that an extension might be granted for Britain to hold a new election or a second referendum on leaving the EU, but Europe was losing patience over Britain's prolonged political stalemate over Brexit . Varadkar ruled out prolonging Britain's EU departure — now slated for Oct. 31 — for more divorce negotiations, saying the "time for that has long since passed." Varadkar insisted that "the withdrawal agreement is not going to be reopened." Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this story. Follow AP's full coverage of Brexit at https://www.apnews.com/Brexit Parliamentary elections United Kingdom government

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Kye Alfred Hillig: Intense vignettes, nylon strings Kye Alfred Hillig introduced himself to me with the powerful and incredibly diverse Together Through It All in 2013: it powered through a half-dozen discrete genres with ease. This year’s Real Snow honed in on his electro-pop side, becoming an album-of-the-year contender in the process. Then he bought a nylon string guitar, became obsessed with it, wrote a whole album’s worth of voice-and-guitar material in a week and a half, recorded it, and released it two months later as The Buddhist. Must be tough to choose set lists now. Together Through It All was a series of almost uncomfortably intense vignettes, carefully constructed for maximum emotional impact. The Buddhist is the polar opposite of that songwriting style. Several of these songs have too many words in particular lines to fit the scheme; instead of meticulously rewriting them, Hillig just sings the extra words faster and crams them in. The guitar lines, lyrics, and vocal delivery are paramount here: the vocal melodies, not so much. There are several memorable vocal lines (“Come Play with Me” and “I’m Alive Because of Nuclear Bombs” in particular) but that’s not the point of this record. If you want to hum, go for Real Snow. Start with “None of Them Know Me Now.” But if you want to hear some heavy, heady lyrics, you need to plant yourself on a couch and listen carefully to The Buddhist. The titular character appears to sing many of the songs in first person, identified by particular recurring characters (one named Barbara, another named Sarah). The album can be reverse-engineered into a whole life history of a person, or seen as vignettes from a bunch of different characters. Either way, the poem-like attention to detail in the lyrics of each of these songs is astonishing; there are all manner of little touches to the lyrics (descriptions of things, stray names of people, place names, etc.) that give this an intimate quality. Instead of being intense by being grandiose epics, these songs are powerful because of their lack of pretense. Hillig is just sitting there, picking and singing about a tough life in highly literate fashion. It’s disarming. Each song could be a highlight in its own way, but “I’m Alive Because of Nuclear Bombs” is the most single-like in that it has an obvious chorus, upbeat tempo, and a sort of jaunty mood (sort of because look at that title). “Riverside Park: Devil Mask & Wings” is one of the most emotionally devastating tunes, although “Come Play with Me” is a close second. “Buried a Cop” is a gorgeous tune melodically that splits the difference between the two previous ideas. But I could go on and on. I believe that you find the core of a songwriter when you take away all of the surroundings. (Nothing against the other sounds or members of the band; I’m a bassist, after all.) Pulling away Hillig’s arrangements reveals something even more impressive than I expected. Instead of becoming an acoustic version of a indie-pop songwriter, he transforms and applies his skills to fit the situation. The Buddhist is a remarkable album, one that has initial charms and grows on you. It requires you to really listen, but you’ll be highly rewarded if you do. Fans of The Mountain Goats, Red House Painters, Damien Jurado, and Josh Ritter will all swoon for this. Damien Jurado Kye Alfred Hillig Real Snow The Buddhist Together Through It All < Dear Blanca / Koria Kitten Riot / Bishop Allen Andrew Judah’s Monster: A whirlwind ride of unusually-juxtaposed instruments >

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UK-INDIA WEEK India Day at the Houses of Parliament India Inc. Leaders’ Summit UK-India Awards ‘India Global Business’NEW ‘India Global Business’ is a fortnightly magazine offering the latest, in-depth analysis on FDI in and out of India, trade and policy initiatives, including a UK focused edition published once a month. ‘Winning Partnership’BUY ‘Winning Partnership’ is a collection of essays on what a modern India-UK Partnership could mean. UK-India 100 The ‘100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations’ is an exclusive list of key influencers that enrich and help strengthen the UK-India relationship. For complete access to ‘India Global Business’ INVESTMENT HOTSPOTS Past, Present and Future—The Changing Tide of India–UK Economic Relations by India Inc. Staff Lord Meghnad Desai, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, recounts the changes in India-UK relations over the past few centuries and discusses the road ahead. Trade and economic relations between India and the UK are more than 400 years old. From 1600, when the East India Company began trading, there have been several distinct phases. The first phase, with the English buying exportables in India and using Indian ports as entrepôt for their trade in Southeast Asia, lasted 150 years. Then in the mid-eighteenth century, two things happened which altered the power relations. East India Company moved into the political vacuum created by the decline of Mughal power and took over several parts of India starting with Bengal and Carnatic (today’s Tamil Nadu). It took the company ninety years (1757-1847) to complete its conquest of India. But independent of this campaign, the Industrial Revolution occurred in Great Britain which altered the economic power relation between the two. India became a net buyer of textiles (and other manufactured products) from the early nineteenth century onwards. It exported agricultural goods now. The alteration in the economic power relationship affected not just India but many countries in Europe as well as countries of Asia before they could catch up with Great Britain in the industrial race. India was enfeebled by the displacement from industrial leadership after the Industrial Revolution and the discouragement from the metropolitan power. Only during the two World Wars did India develop modern industry. Even so it was the junior partner in trade. The imperial experience convinced the Indian nationalists that they had to industrialise India when it became independent and that they should not just rely on foreign trade. Independence and After (1947-1990) From 1947 till the end of the century, India continued to be an importer and recipient of FDI from the UK. Great Britain was a leading country in giving foreign aid to India, including the steel plant at Bhilai. India exported skilled and unskilled labour and a diaspora was built up in the process. India had political weight in the Commonwealth but not much economic clout. It industrialised but relied too much on the public sector and tried to become self-sufficient. Heavy tariffs were imposed on imports and the entry of foreign capital was discouraged. The domestic private sector was restrained by permits and licenses. India grew but at a very slow pace. Fair to say, some of these ideas of State intervention and controls had been imported from the British Labour Party and its thinking, especially Fabian socialism. But while the UK moved on under Margaret Thatcher and converted itself into a dynamic market economy, India clung to its old beliefs. India Resurgent (1991-2016) It is in the last twenty-five years since the Rao–Singh economic reforms that the situation has been transformed. India cut its tariffs and relaxed quotas. Private sector was released from restrictions. Foreign capital was made welcome. India began to thrive in the services sector, especially IT. Then during the first decade of the twenty-first century, India became an exporter of capital. Indian businesses were able to buy out companies abroad. The diaspora—NRIs—collaborated with Indians in capturing and running many businesses. From being a weak trading partner in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, India has emerged as a potential powerhouse in the twenty-first. The latest phase of Indo-UK trade and economic relations is thus much more a story of give and take on an equal footing. India is not just a market for British goods or a destination for investment, it is also a major investor in the UK and a trading partner. With Tata’s purchase of Jaguar Land Rover and its success as a dynamic exporting company, India’s role in the British economy has been altered completely. Brexit UK The UK economy has come well through the recession, registering one of the highest growth rates of GDP among the G7. But the Brexit decision has injected a lot of uncertainty about its future. As the UK withdraws from the EU, it is uncertain as to what the framework of its future relations with the EU27 will be. But at the same time, the UK will have to join the WTO once it exits EU and negotiate free trade agreements with the rest of the world. India, China and the emerging economies will be at the forefront of the UK’s wish list as its preferred partners for future trading relations. This is likely to give India a strong bargaining position. The main agenda item in the near future—the next five years—will be the shape of the UK–India FTA. As India is growing at a fast rate, it will become more versatile. Its exports of goods and services as well as skilled labour will grow. The UK is also a strong service export nation, especially in higher education. If immigration to the UK becomes a sticky point, then the UK universities can locate to India and/or set up distance learning/online facilities. The demand for quality higher education in India is most incredibly high and growing fast. India would also welcome the UK investment as part of its Make in India initiative. There is no doubt that India–UK economic relations will stay close and strong. But over the years, India has reduced the economic distance between the UK and itself. As the fastest-growing economy with a favourable demography, India has every chance of becoming one of the three richest countries along with USA and China. Of course, in per capita terms it will be a middle-income country for the next twenty-five years. The UK will remain a high-income economy, among the G7. Its trade with India will contain items of soft power—literature, arts, theatre, films, music—as much as goods and services. It is also a highly innovative economy as its progress in fintech shows. British universities are research and development hubs and India has a lot to learn from the UK in this respect. India will continue to make its presence felt in the British economy as Tata Steel and Jaguar Land Rover have already done. Indian entrepreneurs will take over more companies in the UK. As time passes, it will be India which will be the stronger economy with a greater potential than the UK in the partnership. It is the UK which needs and will need even more of India’s skill and resources than the other way around. The UK economy will take five to ten years to fully adjust to the post-Brexit equilibrium. Within that time India will have made up even more ground. The story of the UK–India economic relationship may go back to what it was in 1600. The above is a synopsis of one of the chapters from ‘Winning Partnership: India-UK Relations Beyond Brexit’, edited by India Inc. Founder & CEO Manoj Ladwa. Saloni Shah2019-02-15T14:37:37+00:00February 8th, 2019|2019, UK Edition – February 2019| About the Author: India Inc. Staff Trump’s trade brinkmanship can damage strategic ties with India Trump takes aim at India; how should India respond? It is time for Indian firms to realign their strategy with an eye on the EU customer base Trump takes aim on trade Press Coverage of Fireside Chat with Piyush Goyal From job creation to climate change: Piyush Goyal tackles the tough questions Tweets by indiaincorp India Inc. Group 167 Fleet Street EC4A 2EA info@indiaincgroup.com Press Coverage of Fireside Chat with Piyush Goyal 16th July 2019 From job creation to climate change: Piyush Goyal tackles the tough questions 15th July 2019 Trump’s trade brinkmanship can damage strategic ties with India 12th July 2019 ‘India Global Business’ ‘Winning Partnership’ ‘100 Most Influential UK-India Relations’ Copyright © 2019 India Inc. Group | All Rights Reserved Email: info@indiaincgroup.com.com Web: India Inc. Group

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International Telecommunications Satellite Organization English | Français | Español | Login MAIN ORGANS EXECUTIVE ORGAN ASSEMBLY OF PARTIES GOVERNANCE & GROUPS FREQUENCY WORKING PARTY PANEL OF LEGAL EXPERTS QUARTERLY AUDIT REPORTS ANNUAL AUDIT REPORTS ITSO | AU WCL PROGRAM DG’s CORNER ITSO is an intergovernmental organization with 149-member states, that incorporates the principle set forth in Resolution 1721 (XVI) of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which established that communication by means of satellite should be available to the nations of the world as soon as practicable on a global and non-discriminatory basis. Originally established in 1973 as INTELSAT, the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization was restructured in 2001. The restructuring led to the creation of a private entity, Intelsat S.A. and to the continuation of the intergovernmental organization with a new acronym (ITSO). ITSO´s mission is to monitor the performance of Intelsat’s public service obligations and to safeguard the Parties’ Common Heritage. Since 18 July 2001, ITSO has been restructured as follows: At the intergovernmental level: Assembly of Parties: is the governing body of the Organization, currently comprised of the 149 member countries of ITSO, and meets normally every two years in ordinary Assemblies. The Assembly of Parties elects a Panel of Legal Experts that resolves disputes in connection with the Agreement between two or more-member countries, or between ITSO and one or more-member country. Executive Organ: is headed by the Director General, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and the legal representative of ITSO, and is responsible to the Assembly of Parties. The Director General supervises and monitors Intelsat, Ltd.’s provision of public telecommunications services. An Advisory Committee comprised of representatives of 23-member countries provides consultative advice to the Director General on any matters requested. At the operating level: Intelsat, Ltd.: is a private and competitive company originally based in Washington, DC. On 15 December 2009, Intelsat, Ltd. changed its domicile to Luxembourg and the company is now known as Intelsat S.A. The corporate structure of Intelsat, Ltd. includes several subsidiaries established under the laws of various countries. Intelsat Global Service, established under U.S. law, is located in Washington, DC, and employs the majority of the 800 staff. The United States and United Kingdom were the two countries selected by the Organization to manage licensing issues. The United States is responsible for licensing the launch and operation of satellites for “Fixed Satellite Services” (“FSS”) in C- and Ku- bands, while the United Kingdom is responsible for “Broadcasting Satellite Services” (“BSS”) and FSS in Ka-bands. Within their responsibility as the notifying administrations of Intelsat, Ltd., the United States and the United Kingdom work with the Director General on potential activities to expand access to lifeline countries and to maintain global connectivity and service to these countries. The creation of the International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (ITSO), previously known by the acronym, “INTELSAT,” resulted from the efforts of a group of nations to join the United States in 1964 to establish a global communications satellite system. The International Telecommunications Satellite Organization is an intergovernmental organization that incorporates the principle set forth in Resolution 1721 (XVI) of the General Assembly of the United Nations, which establishes that communication by means of satellites should be available to the nations of the world as soon as practicable on a global and non-discriminatory basis. It also incorporates the principle embedded in the “Outer Space Treaty,” which states that outer space shall be used for the benefit and in the interest of all countries. The Organization underwent an important restructuring in 2001 in order to secure the long-term viability of its communications system in a market that is characterized by increasing competition, fast-paced innovations and rising capital costs, and in order to attract private investments. The Assembly of Parties, the highest decision-making body of the Organization, in 2000 approved the legal instruments and framework necessary to create a commercial and pro-competitive company named “Intelsat, Ltd.,” to operate the satellite system and provide space segment capacity in a manner consistent with the core principles of global coverage and connectivity, lifeline connectivity and non-discriminatory access. For this purpose, ITSO transferred its global satellite system and the brand-name of “Intelsat,” to Intelsat, Ltd. Since this transfer in 2001, Intelsat has invested US$ 2.6 billion to substantially improve the global connectivity and coverage that it offers. As a result, Intelsat’s global communications network, which was composed of 19 satellites in 2001, has expanded to 53 satellites through new launches and acquisitions, while Intelsat simultaneously has expanded its terrestrial facilities, including teleports, points of presence and fiber connectivity. Since its establishment, the Organization has proved to be an efficient catalyst for global cooperation in satellite communications. It has promoted cross-border flows of information that are vital to business, trade and peace, and it has been instrumental in linking the developing countries to the global economy and enhancing the competitiveness of their economies. ITSO has succeeded in providing high-quality and reliable space segment capacity for public telecommunications services, including telephony, data, video and Internet connectivity, to more than 200 countries and territories, no matter their location, size or level of development. The Organization also has inspired the emergence of dozens of participants at the national, regional and international level in the satellite industry, which today is worth more than US $100 billion.

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Here's An Easy Way to Find Out About U.S. Government Spying Projects Annalee Newitz Filed to: social controlFiled to: social control A lot of the most bizarre and invasive surveillance technologies that the U.S. government uses to track its citizens are not secret. In fact, you can find out about a lot of these projects as they're being developed, just by knowing what to search for on U.S. government websites. Over at Electronic Frontier Foundation, Dave Maass explains it all to you: Over the last year, thousands of pages of sensitive documents outlining the government's intelligence practices have landed on our desktops. One set of documents describes the Director of National Intelligence's goal of funding "dramatic improvements in unconstrained face recognition." A presentation from the Navy uses examples from Star Trek to explain its electronic warfare program. Other records show the FBI was purchasing mobile phone extraction devices, malware andfiber network-tapping systems. A sign-in list shows the names and contact details of hundreds of cybersecurity contractors who turned up a Department of Homeland Security "Industry Day." Yet another document, a heavily redacted contract, provides details of U.S. assistance with drone surveillance programs in Burundi, Kenya and Uganda. But these aren't top-secret records carefully leaked to journalists. They aren't classified dossiers pasted haphazardly on the Internet by hacktivists. They weren't even liberated through the Freedom of Information Act. No, these public documents are available to anyone who looks at the U.S. government's contracting website, FBO.gov. For step-by-step instructions on how to search for these projects on FBO and a few other sites, read the rest of Maass' post on EFF's Deeplinks blog. Recent from Annalee Newitz I&apos;m Heading Out to the Black. Farewell, io9 and Gizmodo! Email Is the New Generation Gap Field Guides We Wish We Had

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FORM 8-K CURRENT REPORT Pursuant To Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) Arete Industries, Inc. (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter) 3-16820-D (State of Other Jurisdiction of (Commission (IRS Employer Incorporation or Organization) File Number) Identification) P. O. Box 141, Westminster, CO 80032 (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code) (Registrant's telephone number, including area code) (Former name or former address, if changed since last report) Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below): |_| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |_| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |_| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |_| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) Section 3. Securities and Trading Markets Item 3.01 Notice of Failure to Satisfy a Continued Listing Rule On August 23, 2006 Arete Industries, Inc. received a notice from NASD regarding not current filing under Rule 6530(c) The notice stated that because of the late filing of the Company’s form 10QSB for June 30, 2006 the Company is no longer eligible for trading on the OTC Bulletin Board (“OTCBB”) would be removed effective August 29, 2006. The Company filed the 10QSB for June 30, 2006 on August 22, 2006. On August 24, 2006 the Company paid the NASD $4,000.and filed an appeal as allowed under Rule 6530 and on August 25, 2006 was granted a hearing before a panel of the NASD Board of Governors on September 6, 2006 between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The hearing provides for the Company to explain why it was late in its filings, what it will do in the future to not file late and consider any other relevant information necessary to make a determination. The letter further stated that no further action would be taken by the NASD regarding the listing until after the hearing and that the panel generally renders a decision within several days after the hearing. As a part of the information for the hearing, the Company will present its reasons surrounding the late filing of 2006, how they have improved their ability file timely and their current business plan forward. Section 9. Financial Statements and Exhibits Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. /s/ Charles L. Gamber Charles L. Gamber C E O and Director

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Words With Ino Serial Directories Ascendant – Directory Silvertongue – Directory Halfway to Home – Directory Copyrights, Crediting, and Using my work Writing by Inorai Words with Ino #3 – Succeeding on /r/WritingPrompts And now, it’s time for something completely different! Now, I’ve talked to a lot of you. We might have chatted in our wonderful, lovely discord server, hint, hint. Maybe we exchanged PMs on Reddit, talking about who knows what. But many of you have stated an interest in starting to write, or have already started writing. That’s part of why I’m doing these posts! And, more than likely, I suggested writing on /r/WritingPrompts to you as a good way of getting your feet wet. I’m biased, after all. “But, Ino,” you say. “There’s a lot of prompts, there. And when I posted, I didn’t even get a single upvote. And someone told me I sucked. What now?” Well. Here’s the dirty little secret I’m going to share with you all, right here and now. WritingPrompts is a game. Now, don’t get me wrong. It doesn’t have to be a game. For many people, WritingPrompts is just a casual place to try out writing now and again, and that’s 100% absolutely fine. Everyone writes in their own way, at their own pace, and the important part is your own take on it, and your own experience. But many of you, contrastingly, have asked how folks like some of us on the server got started – how we got our feet under us, how we started building a name, how we eventually progressed to doing serials and books and cool, vaguely adult-ish things. And so, I’m going to break the first rule of WritingPrompts, and tell you guys a bit about how to play for keeps – and win. Subreddits and you When I started writing, we called them vanity subs. That term still gets thrown around a lot, but I think times have changed. It’s more common to just see them called personal subreddits, and I like the change. Because calling them a vanity sub implies that you’re making a subreddit about you, to soothe your own ego, and that’s really not the case. To put it simply, having a subreddit allows for a few different things. First and foremost, having a personal sub gives you somewhere to collect your writing pieces. You’ve got them in your comments, sure, but trust me. It won’t take long before they vanish into your comment history, never to be seen again. Without my subreddit to keep a log of all of them, I’d have lost a lot of my older prompt responses, and that’d be sad. Having them in one place also allows for a prospective subscriber to check out other things you’ve done! If someone likes what they’ve read, give them the ability to read more by you! The last point I’ll touch on regarding subreddits is this – a lot of folks use circular logic when it comes to why they shouldn’t have a subreddit of their own. “I don’t need one, Ino,” they say, shaking their head stubbornly. “I have no readers. I have no projects, yet. I’m not popular enough for a subreddit.” But here’s the thing. Without somewhere to subscribe to you, that person is going to wander off into the blackened, filthy depths of reddit, without another thought given to you. Maybe they really liked that prompt response you did – it doesn’t matter, because without a way to keep your name on their reddit, it’ll be a long, slow process of trying to win people over by sheer number of prompts responded to. Definitely doable – but needlessly difficult on yourself. Without a subreddit, it’s much harder to get readers. Quick note – creating your own subreddit requires a certain amount of karma. I think it’s 20? Something along those lines. It’s not much, and it’s definitely doable even if you’re a lurker. But it’s something to be aware of! “All right, Ino,” you say. “I’ve got my subreddit, like you said. But the last time I wrote no one bothered to read my-” Be quiet and stop fussing. Visibility on WritingPrompts is what everyone’s after – Getting your story seen is just a good feeling. Everyone wants to feel like their words were read and enjoyed and didn’t just die in the cold, black emptiness of the internet. And this is where the ‘game’ I mentioned before comes in. First – Often times, when I see newer writers start posting on the subreddit, their process goes something like this. They find a prompt they like and which seems fun. Now, most people are going to simply click on the subreddit and start reading prompts, just like any other subreddit. So they’re going to be reading off /hot, more than likely. In fact, the odds are good that they picked a topper. Inorai’s Translation Service: Among writers, we refer to prompts that hit the top of /r/writingprompts as ‘toppers’. These are prompts that get a lot of karma, a lot of visibility, and might even make it to /all. I call prompts that enter that wonderful, mysterious land tip-toppers. The issue with this is that WritingPrompts, like many subreddits, has a bit of a…problem. Well, it’s not so much of a problem and more just how Reddit is designed. When you have a thread, it’s by default sorted by hot/best/whatever-the-fuck name they’ve decided to call it to sound a little bit less generic. It’s their algorithm, essentially, saying “This comment has gotten a lot of comments in the last little bit, compared to the other comments in this thread, so we’re going to call it the ‘best’ and put it at the top. No, I don’t have access to the inner workings of their black magic. Hell if I know how all of it works, precisely. Good time for a disclaimer. I’m not an admin for Reddit, I don’t have access to their programming, and I’m not some whiz kid. All of these comments are purely based off my own experiences and those I’ve discussed with other writers on WP. These are the ‘facts’ that we’ve based our choices off. I can’t guarantee that we’re right, but it’s about as close as we’ve gotten. Ok. So. We’ve got Newbie Writer A, who I’m going to call Earnest, and they’ve picked out a prompt that sounds fun. Which is a current topper. Heart in their throat, they mash their keyboard madly, churning up their very best story just as quickly as they can and grab that mouse and hit that Submit button and- Their prompt sits right where it rested, a lonely ‘1 point’ resting next to their name. Confused, they look at the thread. It’s…active. It’s very active, in fact, with the thread’s karma skyrocketing. But it’s like no one’s looking. Maybe it was just too soon. Their mouse slides up to the refresh button. Nothing. It’s unchanged, in fact. Again and again they refresh, waiting as the minutes drag on into hours. At last, when they’d just given up hope, the little orange envelope in the upper right-hand corner of the screen lights up. And so does their heart. They leap for their inbox, a smile breaking out across their face. Finally, it’s here. Their reader. Finally, they can- You suck. So, what went wrong? What exactly happened here, and what can poor Earnest do next time? So, like I mentioned – WP, like every other subreddit, is bound by Reddit’s code. And given the way that WP’s stories are written, and the length that often goes into them, most readers will only read a single story on any given prompt. The top story, in fact. I think this is reinforced by the fact that once many people have read a story, they’re both ‘satisfied’ with the prompt, more often than not, and they now associate that story with it. Or maybe I’m full of shit. It’s hard to say. But it’s a simple fact of numbers that the top story on a prompt is much, much more likely to be successful, and often will get orders of magnitude more points than the second story. The further you go down the prompt, the more pronounced this is. This is not to say that you can’t get attention on existing threads – some threads will skyrocket for a long time without anyone writing for it. Some threads have a first story that’s frankly bad, and so a well-written second story can unseat it. Quality, as always, is really the important factor here! So here, at last, we have the basis of our game. Find the prompts that are getting lots of upvotes, and thus will remain visible Achieve the top spot on said prompt Succeed in making that connection with a reader, and keep them coming back. For the purposes of this, we’re really going to look at the first point in this post. The Selection of the Prompt This is the first step, and honestly, there’s no magic bullet here. There are tricks, which I’m going to tell you about, but nothing I can tell you here will guarantee you a topper. Really, the only key to winning a top spot is time. You’ll need to be consistently writing prompt responses, and throw out a lot of lines. If you don’t make it, that’s fine. Try again. And again. Sooner or later, you’ll get one! To begin with, when looking for a prompt, stay away from Hot and Top like your life depends on it. Those are threads that more than likely already have stories written for them, and those stories will have a substantial lead on anything you can write. There’s a bit of a debate as to this part, but what we can all agree on is that if you’re going topper-hunting, you should be browsing either /rising or /new. Most other writers will tell you to watch /rising, as that’ll tell you which threads are on their way up. Me, personally, I like to watch /new. I’ll get into why more a little bit later. So, you’ve sat yourself down in the /new queue. You’re watching the prompts roll in, one horrible, meme-laden thread at a time. What’s that? Numbers over their heads? People screeching insults in their head at people and having someone actually respond? The fifteenth thousand Guy Fieri prompt? Yeah, it’s a cesspool. I know. I really do. But if you want visibility, that’s how you get it. So, watch the numbers of upvotes. Every writer will tell you something a bit different as to when something is a ‘topper’, but really, you just want to watch how they’re behaving. A good-scoring prompt should start accelerating from a few minutes onward, and continue without any noticeable plateaus. Ideally, for a topper, I’d like to see that it’s sitting at a good 10-15 points by half an hour in. That’d tell me it was fairly solid. And here we get to why I like to watch /new. Last night, in fact, a group of us was sitting around #WritingChat in the WritingPrompts discord (Yeah, that’s a thing too) chatting, when a few prompts were linked as possible rising toppers. We weren’t sure. But one looked like it had potential – A 17 minute old prompt, with 9 points to its name. That would be a pretty good candidate for the next topper, if the timing was right (more on that in a minute.) I had my suspicions. I know it’ll shock most of you to know that on Reddit, people are kind of assholes sometimes. Sometimes, people lie. And, in fact, they cheat. A lot of times, you’ll see a prompt shoot up all at once, right after it’s been posted. And then you’ll see it do essentially nothing after that. Do I have proof of anything? God, no. But I can suspect all I like, and no one can tell me I can’t xD Threads like that reek of vote manipulation and bots, and it’s something that would be very hard to spot on rising, where you can’t see it from the very start of its lifespan. If something continues rising, accelerating on its way up, that’s a good topper. If something has an initial surge and then plateaus, that smells odd to me. The prompt stalled at 9 points, by the way, and froze right then and there. “There are thousands of prompts a day, though, Ino,” you say. “And yet there are only a handful of actual successful prompts. I have a life. How am I supposed to magically be on when one of them comes in?” Well, luck does play a role. Not going to lie to you about that much. But as for when a topper is going to roll in, there is some rhyme and reason to it. We call it the topper cycle. In short, WritingPrompts, and Reddit’s algorithm, does much the same thing with threads as it does with comments, although again I don’t know the inner workings of their black magic and I’m just sure someone’s going to inform me how wrong I am. One way or another, there are going to be a few prompts which make it as toppers and get pushed to the top – and there they’ll sit, lording themselves over the rest of everyone. They’ll sit there for about 15ish hours, in fact. More or less depending on how strong they were. And there’s the kicker. There are two toppers at any given time. That’s just how it works. Two. And when they age out, they’ll fall away – at which point those slots become open again. So you can begin to predict a new topper based on A) how old the existing toppers are, and B) if there’s a prompt already on the rise, aiming for one of those new topper spots. If there’s already a new topper on its way up, more than likely, that’s it. I’ve seen rising toppers unseated, but it’s absurdly rare. Once something is shooting towards the front page, you’re not going to see anything else to rival it for the next cycle. Now – toppers, in my experience, do tend to fall around a few key points, and there are periods of the day that could potentially be more likely to see them in. This is even less scientific, and again, every writer has their sweet spot when they like to look for them. I find that I have good luck with finding toppers from about 8am-11am and 2-4pm, both EST. If I were asked to tell you why, I’d say that’s because these are the times when A) redditors are waking up, and B) when they’re bored at work, waiting to go home. Or getting off school. Maybe I’m totally off base, that’s just my guess. With that said, there are times when I check in the morning, and I find that a topper got posted at, like, 5am. And Silvertongue was posted in the night (right before I went to bed, in fact). So, anything can happen, in the end. But those are the times when I’ve had successes. Once you see that prompt get the upvotes rolling in, well, the timer’s on. Everyone likes to win those prompts! So get in thread, and start writing! A Quick Note On /r/WritingPrompts Etiquette I know that winning a topper is a big deal. It’s exciting, it’s fun, and it can get a lot of attention for your stories. But if this is a game that you’re wanting to try your hand at, be aware of a few no-nos that you should stay away from. First – yes, winning top story is important. And especially for those of you who might not be as experienced in writing or as fast on the keyboards, I know that more often than not it winds up with you hitting ‘Submit’ – only to find that three other people submitted stories while you were still typing. It sucks. I know. We’ve all been there. However tempting it is, though, remember that you should still post a complete, well-formed prompt. A lot of times we’ll see people post excessively short prompt responses on rising toppers, pretty blatantly for the express intent of squatting on that top spot. It is not considered acceptable to post a short response, and then edit it to add in the remainder of your prompt response once you’ve finished it. It’s a little different if you’re doing a entirely different second part – again, it goes back to the idea of your response functioning on its own. It’s fine to do more than one part on a prompt (clearly). Just make sure that you’re not leaving a half-assed prompt for the purpose of karmagrabbing or ‘reserving’ a spot at the head of a topper. This one is a little different, in that it’s actually expressly against WP’s rules, but although karma is in play on WP, you’re not allowed to do things like gate your content behind karma or leverage upvotes for yourself. So that means nothing like “If I get 100 upvotes I’ll write another part for this”. That could actually get you in trouble with the moderators. It’s far from an exhaustive list of the ins and outs of writing on WP, and there’s a lot more to be covered like how to write a prompt response that will draw in readers or how you should utilize your subreddit/manage your serials. But, I think this topic more than stands on its own! So, if anyone has any other questions on anything I’ve put here, or has something else about prompting on WP, please let me know! And I leave you with a question of your own – have you noticed any quirks with the algorithm, or with toppers? When do you like to find your prompts? [Review] A Tribute at the Gates – CJ Aaron Well, well. Something different yet again? One of the things that I think a lot of people don’t really ‘get’ is exactly how important reviews are, especially to independent authors! If a book has no reviews, regardless of how many sales that author has made, that book will be viewed poorly. As such, one of the goals that I’ve made for the new year/the future is to start seeking out books from independent authors or small publishers, which have few reviews to their name, and dig into them 🙂 If you have suggestions as to candidates, of course, please let me know! I won’t be accepting titles from people I know, or from contests I’ve been involved in, for the sake of neutrality. Just as a disclaimer! Now! With this in mind, this morning I read the first book for this goal, and so here’s my first entry into this. Note: I’m going to do my damndest to avoid spoilers, for any of you who may want to read this – and I do recommend it, it was a fun, engaging read! A Tribute at the Gates – by CJ Aaron Tribute at the Gates starts readers off with a dark, foreboding premise. Certain individuals carry a compound in their blood, alexen, which can be distilled down through an unknown process – implied at the cost of the person’s life – and made into an elixir which grants longevity to the drinker. The kingdom in question issued a decree stating that all children are to be tested, and the children found with this compound are separated from their families, the rights to their blood auctioned off to a noble family, and are raised as slave labor until they’ve matured enough for the ‘Harvest’. The book follows Ryl, a young man whose blood contains a particularly special compound. Where other ‘Tributes’ contain passive quantities of alexen, his is ‘active’. This is something which hasn’t been seen in ages, and makes him quite rare. In fact, the researchers for the nation know little to nothing about his particular blend of alexen and how it will behave. The premise of the book, then, is fairly straightforward. With his Harvest impending, Ryl slowly begins to awaken to his own powers and come into his own, all while the brutality of their captors ramps up and tensions between the guards and him increases. With his newfound powers in hand, albeit covertly, Ryl sets out to find a way for him and his fellows to escape the Harvest – and survive the situation they’re in. I have a bit of a hard time reading, of late, partially because I’ve spent so long proofreading and critiquing people’s stories around the community. As such, I’ve found I really have a difficult time getting into a book if there’s too much wrong grammar-wise for me to stumble over. I was pleasantly surprised, then, that Tribute flowed very nicely, and was by and large very well structured for an independent novel. It wasn’t perfect – I think that some of the dialogue could have been touched up with some added commas, and there were many instances of using commas where question marks would have been more appropriate, but it wasn’t an imposition to me reading! So, that was immediately a huge mark in this book’s favor. Now. There were a few things that I thought this book did really, really well. Ryl as a character was very relatable to me, and behaved by and large very understandably. I enjoyed the relationships that he had with the other tributes, and I thought that his motivations were one of the stronger parts of the story. The will to survive is always going to be strong, and the author did a very nice job of making the reader feel constrained, closed in by a fate out of the character’s control. It was pretty clear that Ryl was going to be the ‘Chosen One’ of this novel/series, given the setup, but I’d say that there’s definitely still a line of interest there for the reader to find out what happens to him and his friends. Possibly the thing I liked best about this book, though, was the ability that the author had to create tension and strain on the reader. It’s a sign that I’m well-immersed in a book when I’m getting physically anxious reading it, and that was something that definitely held true here. Aaron did an excellent job of carrying the line of tension throughout the book, building upon it to heighten the moods around even of the book’s events and action scenes. The immersion and emotions in this book were done very well, which is huge for me 🙂 With that said, there were some areas that could be worked on and improved upon, in my opinion. In particular, there were three main areas that I’ll discuss here. Starting at about 15-20% of the way through the book, and running to about 30-35% of the way through the book, there was a lengthy scene of exposition and conversation between Ryl and a side character, where the magic system and history of the world was rather matter-of-factly laid out. This side character then leaves, not to be seen again in this book, and most of what is discussed isn’t really…relevant. At least, not in the content covered in the first book. I can see its importance, in that it establishes where Ryl’s powers are progressing to, but I feel it was clumsily handled. I found myself skimming, to the point I nearly DNF’d the book, but decided to keep going and see if the story picked back up. It did, and I’m glad I kept going, but that was a substantial issue in my eyes. The second issue that I had is much, much more minor. There were a few sections where characters would behave inconsistently – Ryl asked the aforementioned side character why he was sitting by and letting the tribute system stand, for example, upon which the character exploded on him to not accuse him of complacency. The next paragraph, the side character informed Ryl that with powers like theirs, they had to be careful to always remain in control of their emotions. With no apparent signs he was aware of the irony. There were a few other cases, like Ryl commenting he was glad to be going to a different village because it would be less brutal than being under their Master’s thumb – only to be savagely beaten upon entering. Much, much later, he asked another tribute what was happening, since the village was supposedly more friendly to them, but up until that point, he never expressed shock or surprise that things weren’t as he’d previously expected. So on and so forth. Overall, these inconsistencies were just a passing matter, and unimportant to the actual story. Simply something that stood out to me, and was a bit jarring while I was reading! The third issue is something rather more worrisome for me, and does have some impact on how I feel about the first book, even while it doesn’t have any impact on the main storyline. Through the first book, one of the main antagonists is the master of the compound. He’s taken a grudge against Ryl in particular, in large part because of the negative attentions from the royalty that have been brought down on the tribute system due to actions Ryl takes. He seems to blame Ryl personally for this watchful eye being placed on him, and responds with increased violence against Ryl, up to and including assassination attempts. To me, this frankly didn’t make a lot of sense. Harming Ryl, as one of the most potent bearers of alexen in the kingdom, would be a death sentence – this is explicitly stated, in fact. And yet, the Master seemingly doesn’t care? His soldiers are overheard saying to “make it seem like an accident”, sure, but that doesn’t seem like it’d hold water for long. By and large, this character seemed like a caricature of a villain, without proper development given to motivations. Now – like I said, in the end, that character really doesn’t affect the main storyline. It’s more of a passing thing, especially given how the end of the book plays out. It did make me withdraw from the story at points, where something seemed particularly unreasonable, but it didn’t ruin the story as a whole. So, where does this leave us? On the whole, I found Tribute to be a fun, engaging read. Be forewarned. It’s a very, very dark book. There are some fairly explicit scenes of abuse and violence, and it includes sensitive matters like rape, although not as explicitly depicted. The characters are young, and it’s definitely a coming of age novel, but it’s not a young adult novel in my eyes. With that said – I know I’ve listed off flaws here, and it might seem like I’m piling on, but I was serious when I said there were things that this book did really well! I found the storyline to be a fun, interesting take on an old, familiar storyline. I don’t think it broke out of the mold, but it did a very solid job of telling the story in a way that was enjoyable and catching. This is only the first book in a series, and the story feeds directly into a hook for book 2. Be aware of that! Would I recommend this story to you: Yes, to those of you who enjoy dark fantasy novels. Will I be reading the next book in the series: Yes! My comments on flaws aside, I found the world to be an interesting one, and I’m very interested in seeing where the author takes it. My overall rating: 3.5/5 Words with Inorai #2 – Planners and Pantsers Have some cats, too. It’s Christmas. Welcome back to Words With Ino! Today I wanted to switch gears a little bit – last week’s post was more grammatical, more on the rules side of things. Today, instead, I wanted to discuss a concept that’s a little more top-level, and a lot of that’s because these are terms you’ll hear me talking about a lot. Planning and Pantsing. I get asked a lot what my process is for writing, for plotting, how I come up with stories or how I develop them out. A lot of times, people ask how they should be doing it, or what the ‘right’ way to do it is. Now, of course, the short answer is that there is no explicit right or wrong way to handle developing a story. Everyone processes it differently, because everyone thinks through the creative process differently. Wow, how incredibly generic and unhelpful that is for me to say. Wonderful xD Let me explain a little more. To use a broad brush, there are two different schools of thought when it comes to plotting and storybuilding. Both have their own advantages and disadvantages, and frankly, it’s not black and white, it’s a spectrum. People are going to fall somewhere in the middle of these two. But these are the two, dammit. I’ll just note – this is more of a sensitive topic in writing, as is Worldbuilder’s Syndrome. This is really just my opinion, which has been based off the experiences I have. But everyone is different, as I said, and your take might be totally different! These will be terms and concepts I come back to a lot, so it’s really important to get them out there 🙂 Famous author example: Tolkien This is really quite simple, and it works pretty much like the name implies! Planners like to have a well-established premise and plotline before they begin, down to designing characters and plot twists and making sure everything is in just the right place. A lot of the planners I know use Scrivener, which is a writing program that allows for you to link different blurbs and insert ties back to character descriptions and just offers a ton of tools for really making your world very methodical. The planners are the folks you’ll see with timelines, with character sheets drawn up for the cast and everything laid out neatly. How you choose to explore your world is, of course, up to you – but we’ll discuss Worldbuilder’s Syndrome at a later date xD Like I said, both of these schools of thought have advantages and disadvantages. So let’s look at some of that, shall we? Advantages – Since planners are planning out their world beforehand, they can take details that might not come out until later in the novel or series and ‘seed’ them beforehand. They can take advantage of their worldbuilding and use it to make their world feel fleshed out from day one. Also, with the plotline laid out a bit more thoroughly from day one, planners tend to have a better idea of where they’re going, and might have fewer instances of hitting roadblocks. Disadvantages – The urge to flesh everything out can be fucking tempting. I understand. I know. But, there are limits to what is needed, and planners are at dramatically higher risk of falling victim to Worldbuilder’s Syndrome. That’s a bigger topic than I can discuss here today xD I would say one of the fears that I have about planning things out too methodically is the inflexibility you develop. Stories morph and change and grow as you write them, until you look back and you’re not quite sure how you got there. I think that going too far with planning can make you feel like you have to stick with the plan you made, and that can make you rigid. The other disadvantage to carefully fleshing everything out beforehand, in my eyes, is that it becomes very tempting to just dump all of those lovely little details you created on the readers. You made them, after all – why not use them? But then the reader winds up drowning to death under a flood of custom-made languages and history going back centuries. It’s a careful balance! Pantsing Famous author example: Stephen King “Ino, what the hell is this pantsing thing you keep mentioning?” Could not tell you the number of times I’ve been asked that xD Pantsing is just a shortened name for ‘flying by the seat of your pants’. Which Google informs me is a reference to early aviation, where pilots would fly without proper instruments, based on their instinct and intuition. Pantsers are exactly the opposite of planners. I’ve also heard it referred to as ‘Discovery Writing’. Basically, the idea is that you take a premise or concept, and rather than methodically laying everything out, you just dive straight on in and see where it goes. That’s….pretty much it xD you give each of your characters some proper motivation – what they want – and a goal to work towards, and then you turn them loose! As long as they behave logically and make choices that are realistic to how they’d actually behave, they’ll follow the story through on their own. Again, as with planning, there are definitely advantages and disadvantages here. Because you’re letting the characters and plot flow as they will, deciding the route they’ll take more on-the-fly, pantsing can help with making the chapters flow more naturally, imo. The characters will be as strong as your mental image of them, in short, because they’re controlling things rather than their character sheet making choices. Pantsing also gives you the ability to adapt your story as you go. Change your mind on something? Want to take things in a bit different direction? You can do that, because you don’t have anything set in stone to begin with 🙂 You can avoid the tear-stained pages of worldbuilding notes that have suddenly become useless! Lastly, worldbuilding as you go allows you to drip-feed information to the readers. You won’t be dumping a pile of exposition on them, because you don’t know right then, either. You’re focusing specifically on what’s relevant for that scene. Of course, there’s always a flipside. If you’re going into a story without a concrete plan, the risk for finding yourself in a corner does become more of a thing. Lookin’ at you, GRRM. In my personal opinion, ‘writing yourself into a corner’ is less of a thing if your characters are making logical choices, since they’d still be making choices and taking actions. The issue more becomes that the actions they take don’t have good outcomes, or the outcomes you want. Given that you’re not planning ahead, it’s also harder to do things like seeding plot twists or big reveals a great deal in advance. It can be done, absolutely – but you’re going to have to be a bit more flexible with it, and you’re going to have to really focus on how all of the motivations of your characters interact and conflict. It’s also easier to find yourself in a soup, a position where you’re just meandering. If your character’s motivations aren’t strong and outlined clearly enough, then the story itself can lose its direction. How do I know which I am? By trying stuff out! Write a lot! Experiment with doing your plotting different ways, and see what feels natural for you! If something feels awkward, don’t do it. Also, I’ve split these up into two distinct categories, but it’s definitely a spectrum. Most people are a blend of the two types, in varying amounts 🙂 Unfortunately, it’s one of those things that you’re going to have to play around with. But there’s no right or wrong way to do it, so whatever you do that allows you to puke your words out the best, that’s your way! What do you do/Personal experience wordvomit Yeah, it’s not really a secret, and you can probably tell from reading this, but I definitely fall on the ‘pantser’ end of the spectrum. In terms of my own experiences, I would say that planning just doesn’t work for me personally. When writing something like these books, I have two methods of organization. First, I have the ‘big picture’ story maps. These are a page or two long each, just a bullet point list that states the ending I’m working towards and key scenes/events that I have in mind to get there. This, for example, is the original big-picture map for what eventually turned into Nightsworn and Ascendant. Aaaand, yeah, you can see that a bunch of the stuff on there never happened, or happened differently xD Then, I have chapter maps. These are just bullet point lists too, and typically detail everything that is going to happen in that chapter, in the rough order it happens. I basically sit down and dream through the chapter, before I write it, and then scrawl that down so I can reproduce it in words. It’s really important to me, in that it lets me write much more quickly. Some plot twists I’ll have laid out a long, long time in advance. Like, I already have twists in mind for books 2 and 3 of Silvertongue, and there are ‘twists’ (sort of) that happen in, like, Chosen that won’t be revealed/explored until the prequel books. Those, I’ve been sitting on for over a year xD Typically these are key scenes that I really want to have happen, or just fun things I’ve had in mind that help to shape where the book and story goes. Other times, I’ll have instances where I’m like, “This would be a really good place for a reveal, but I don’t quite know where I want to go with it yet.” In cases like that, I’ll leave myself ‘flaps’. I’ll drop hints, names, clues, etc, and lay up what’s coming while I figure the rest of the details out 🙂 Sometimes I have what’s to follow very laid out, sometimes it’s just an abstract idea. And that’s about enough on the topic, I think! Writing and producing something creative is really an individual thing, and no two people do it quite the same. If you’re interested in making something, keep trying until you find the way that works for you! And of course, if you have any questions or want to muddle through something, hit me up! I’m always thrilled to talk writing! Last but not least – Merry Christmas (almost)! It’s been an absolutely amazing year with all of you, and we’ve come so damn far haha. I hope all of you enjoy the holiday season and have a great time here stuffing your faces! Words with Ino #1 – Dialogue tags (Part 1) My, my. Something new? Something not a serial writing project? So, basically, among other things I spend a lot of time looking over the projects of other writers within the WritingPrompts community, particularly new writers, and offering feedback and critique where I can. Over the course of this, there are patterns that I’ve noted, and topics which keep coming up time and time again. It’s been pointed out that some of these things might be useful to put down where other people can find, and where I can share those thoughts a little more directly. So, we’re going to give this a try and see how it goes! Which brings us to Words with Ino. Over the next few weeks and months, I’m going to be going over some of the most common issues that I see with fiction projects I’ve proofread/edited, and some of the questions that I’m frequently asked. I’ll also occasionally cover more top-level questions about the writing process itself, and the methods that goes into writing a project either long or short. Please do note that while I’ve 100% seen experienced writers doing these things and having these questions, I’m really aiming this at more of the beginner/amateur/hobbyist level of skill, as that’s mostly who I spend the majority of my time with. So, depending on how comfortable you are with writing, you might be beyond this already! At any point, if you have a topic that you find interesting or would like to see talked about, feel free to send me that! It might already be on my list (which got surprisingly long, when I actually looked at the stuff I talk about with people), but it might also be something I hadn’t thought of! I’m also going to use these as an opportunity to just have general news and announcements that maybe don’t merit their own post, but which folks not on the discord might like the chance like to hear about. The discord. Yes. We (Me, Hydra, Static, XcessiveSwag, ShadowYugi, PotatowithaKnife, and Zuberan, collectively) have a discord, if you hadn’t heard. With people, who talk, and fun stuff happening. Come say hi 🙂 News like the fact that we now have proper maps for the Flameweaver Saga! Yay! Anyway! Enough chatter. Let’s begin 🙂 Words with Ino #1 – The Dialogue Tag (Part 1) Dialogue tags. Super fucking exciting, I know. This is by far the most common issue that I see with fiction pieces, though, and it isn’t limited to new writers. I’ve seen folks who have been writing for months/years get this wrong. I myself didn’t figure out how to do this properly until halfway through Nightsworn, which gave me ~250k words to edit and correct every. Single. Tag. So – they’re small! But they can be a big pain if you do them wrong. Do yourself a favor and get in the habit of doing them right now. In short, generally, when you write dialogue, you’ve got the line of dialogue and you’ve got the tag identifying it. Often times, I’ll see the following – “You’re a goddamn moron.” He said. Now, logically, this makes total sense. You’ve got two sentences, you’ve got punctuation for two sentences, and you’ve got capitalization for two sentences. Perfect! When you’ve got a line of dialogue, it isn’t two sentences. It’s all one phrase, really. After all, “he said” is not an independent sentence. So, you treat the dialogue and its tag as one sentence, just offset with quotation marks. “You’re a goddamn moron,” he said. This same pattern can be applied to any punctuation, including question marks and exclamation marks. “You’re a goddamn moron!” he cried. “I’m a goddamn moron?” he said. Note that you still don’t capitalize the pronoun – because it’s still not a ‘new sentence’ – and you don’t add a comma after the exclamation point. You pick one piece of punctuation, and go with it. There are other cases, though! Yay! More rules and bullshit! What do you do if you don’t want to tack the tag on at the end? What if you want to break up the dialogue a little? Well, you can do that. There are really two main cases that affect how this is going to be handled, and both look at the line of dialogue. Is the line of dialogue one sentence being split in half, or two sentences with the tag shoved in the middle? If the dialogue is two sentences, independently split by the tag, then you punctuate it as two separate ‘phrases’. “I don’t know what to tell you,” he said. “You’re a goddamn moron.” Note that you don’t need a dialogue tag after the second line of dialogue – and in fact, you shouldn’t double-dip. Every time you switch speakers, you must begin a new paragraph. This is a hard and fast rule. As such, if you don’t change to a new paragraph, the reader will know that the speaker hasn’t changed. And having needless dialogue tags isn’t a good thing 🙂 The second case, then – with one single line of dialogue split into two by the tag – would be something like this. “If you really think that,” he said, “then you’re a goddamn moron.” The differences – you would change the period after ‘said’ to a comma, since it’s one sentence, and you don’t capitalize the ‘then’. It’s all one phrase! Now. The second half of this little conversation. This is all fine and dandy, Ino, you say. But what counts as a dialogue tag? Where does this rule apply, and where does it not? This is the other really common thing that I see. After people are given this information, they tend to swing way too far in the other direction, and over-apply this rule. This only comes into play if there is truly a dialogue tag! But what does that mean? Honestly, part of this is going to dip into a different topic for a different day. I don’t really want to get into what you should use for a dialogue tag, right now. There’s a ton of baggage to unload there, and we’ll cover that in part 2, down the road. Right now, let’s just talk about what could potentially count as a dialogue tag. Put simply, a dialogue tag could be anything which would describe the character in question making a verbal sound. Dialogue tag yes: Said, called, cried, whispered, muttered, murmured, etc. Dialogue tag no: Turned, frowned, smiled, shrugged, literally anything that doesn’t have a vocalization as part of it. For example, one thing that I’ve seen a lot is structuring it like this – “You’re a goddamn moron,” he scowled. This is wrong. Do not do this. I will come smack you if you do this. When you have that comma inside the quotes, it’s the cue for the reader that the word that follows is going to be a descriptor for how that character is talking. When you scowl, you’re not talking. So it creates a disconnect for the reader, where they’re expecting something and then being given another thing entirely. Disconnects are bad. I’ll carry this out a step farther. Let’s say that you just want to put a line of body language after a line of dialogue. “You’re a goddamn moron.” He scowled. Is this a dialogue tag? No, and it’s not structured as one. But even still – right now, as this is written, it looks like the writer intended it to be a tag, and mis-punctuated it. It looks like a mistake, in other words, and that’s as bad as being a mistake. In cases like that, I would recommend one of two things. First, you could move the body language to the front of the dialogue, in which case it would function as the tag and remove the need for one – He scowled. “You’re a goddamn moron.” Or, you could lengthen the body language phrase, and make it more obvious that it’s more of an independent sentence than a tag. “You’re a goddamn moron.” He scowled, turning away and crossing his arms. I personally think option number one is better than option number two, but both are options. But Ino, you say. There are other words, aren’t there? Words like sighed, or growled, or snarled. These are vocalizations too, aren’t they? Those are fine, right? And the answer to that is….kind of? In general, the rule that gets taught is that a dialogue tag should be word explicitly used for human dialogue. A way in which we talk, in other words. By that more strict rule, words like said, called, and whispered would be fine, since they’re explicitly used for people talking. But then, words like ‘sigh’ wouldn’t be acceptable dialogue tags, since when you sigh you’re not talking. I tend to be of the opinion that within moderation, it’s okay. Every now and again, I’ll use something like – “You’re a goddamn moron,” she sighed. But, even if you’re open to the idea of it, it’s best if you don’t do it too frequently. Something you’ll hear me say a lot is that you should know the rules well enough that you know when you can break them. When you’re writing fiction, generally, you’re fine as long as you can get away with something. In many cases, how something sounds and how it flows in the reader’s mind is more important than if it’s strictly grammatically correct. You all asleep yet? Good. Glad to hear it. This is part 1 of dialogue tags! Made it! It’s not thrilling stuff, but it really does make an impact on how your project looks 🙂 If you think of a different case and you’re not sure what the proper way to handle it is, let me know! I’m by no means saying this is an all-inclusive guide, of course. And if you have other topics you have trouble with or want to talk about, let me know! I’ve got a little list made, but I’m happy to add onto it. Until then, happy writing! [Review] Projection – Tabatha Shipley [Review] The Yoga of Strength – Andrew Rowe Words with Ino #4 – Dialogue Tags, Part 2 (The Said Quandary) [Review] Legends of the Exiles – Jesse Teller [Review] Occultist (Saga Online) – Oliver Mayes Follow Writing by Inorai on WordPress.com

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Rationality: From AI to Zombies A series by Eliezer Yudkowsky If you live in an urban area, you probably don’t need to walk very far to find a martial arts dojo. Why aren’t there dojos that teach rationality? Very recently—in just the last few decades—the human species has acquired a great deal of new knowledge about human rationality. Experimental investigations of empirical human psychology; and theoretical probability theory to interpret what our experiments tell us; and evolutionary theory to explain the conclusions. These fields give us new focusing lenses through which to view the landscape of our own minds. We have a shared vocabulary in which to describe problems and solutions. Humanity may finally be ready to synthesize the martial art of mind: to refine, share, systematize, and pass on techniques of personal rationality. When human brains try to do things, they can run into some very strange problems. Self-deception, confirmation bias, magical thinking—it sometimes seems our ingenuity is boundless when it comes to shooting ourselves in the foot. In Map and Territory, decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky asks what a “martial art” of rationality would look like, beginning with the basic fighting stance—the orientation toward the world that lets us get the most bang for our cognitive buck, that best positions us to understand and react to brains’ strange acts of self-destruction. Get the Print Book Get the E-Book Buy Digitally Now The digital download is pay-what-you-want (or $0.99 on iTunes) and comes in three formats: EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. I believe that it is right and proper for me, as a human being, to have an interest in the future, and what human civilization becomes in the future. One of those interests is the human pursuit of truth, which has strengthened slowly over the generations (for there was not always science). I wish to strengthen that pursuit further, in this generation. That is a wish of mine, for the Future. For we are all of us players upon that vast gameboard, whether we accept the responsibility or not. And that makes your rationality my business. Is this a dangerous idea? Yes, and not just pleasantly edgy “dangerous.” People have been burned to death because some priest decided that they didn’t think the way they should. Deciding to burn people to death because they ‘don’t think properly’—that’s a revolting kind of reasoning, isn’t it? You wouldn’t want people to think that way, why, it’s disgusting. People who think like that, well, we’ll have to do something about them… I agree! Here’s my proposal: Let’s argue against bad ideas but not set their bearers on fire. Human intelligence is a superweapon: an amazing capacity that has single-handedly put humans in a dominant position on Earth. When human intelligence defeats itself and goes off the rails, the fallout therefore tends to be a uniquely big deal. How to Actually Change Your Mind asks how we can better identify and sort out our biases, integrate new evidence, and achieve lucidity in our daily lives. Because it really seems as though we should be able to do better— —and a three-pound all-purpose superweapon is a terrible thing to waste. Get the full series Map and Territory and How to Actually Change Your Mind are the first of six books in the Rationality: From AI to Zombies series. As of December 2018, these volumes are available as physical books for the first time, and are substantially revised, updated, and polished. The next four volumes will be coming out over the coming months. In the meantime, you can also read the older edition of those volumes in electronic form, or as an audio book. R:AZ E-Book You can purchase the Rationality: From AI to Zombies e-book as a digital download or from Amazon. All files are DRM-free. Links and Details The digital download is pay-what-you-want and contains Rationality: From AI to Zombies in three formats: EPUB, MOBI, and PDF. Also available from CA, UK, and most other stores. R:AZ Audio Book You can purchase the Rationality: From AI to Zombies audiobook from Amazon and Audible, or subscribe for free using your favorite podcasting app. Also available on Stitcher, TuneIn, and other popular podcasting apps. Buy the Audio Book Alternatively, you can check out the unauthorized fan recording at http://from-ai-to-zombies.eu For email updates on nonfiction by Eliezer Yudkowsky, including the next four Rationality: From AI to Zombies books, subscribe here: All proceeds go directly to funding research at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, California.

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Home Courts & Cops Wilson claims innocence despite 22-year sentence, plans to appeal Wilson claims innocence despite 22-year sentence, plans to appeal Chelsea Boulrisse COLUMBIA CITY — Bruce Wilson, 44, was sentenced to a total of 22 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections during a sentencing hearing on Monday, Nov. 26, after recently being found guilty of burglary and theft. According to a written statement from Ron Ort read by Whitley County Prosecutor D.J. Sigler during the sentencing hearing, Ort and his wife Linda returned home on the evening of Dec. 28, 2016, to find their house had been invaded and “robbed.” In addition to guns and money, the Orts also noticed a number of family heirlooms were missing including a ring from Linda’s mother and a necklace with ashes of a loved one. Sigler also reminded that court that Wilson’s DNA was the only DNA found at the scene. “This is more than just a burglary,” Sigler said. “It’s not just about repaying the money or restitution. This is about memories and livelihoods and things held dear. What this was is a home invasion, pure and simple.” Linda Ort chose to address the court directly during Wilson’s sentencing hearing. She talked about the family heirlooms that had been taken — things that weren’t expensive but held a great deal of sentimental value. She described how the events of that night had changed the way she looked at the world and the people around her. A simple bump in the night can send her into a panic, she shared, terrified that someone has come into her home again. “The last two years have been the biggest trauma of my life,” Ort said. “He has destroyed my life…I’m angry. I’m bitter. I hate everybody and I trust nobody. This man took everything that I owned, every precious thing in my life.” Wilson’s attorney Anthony Churchward advised the court that his client maintained his innocence, stating that most of the evidence presented at the trial was “circumstantial.” Deborah Penland, Wilson’s mother, echoed Churchward’s statements while on the witness stand during the sentencing hearing. Penland called the case against her son “bogus,” and claimed she knew who the real burglar was. She named a relative of Wilson’s who she called a “lifelong thief.” She firmly believes her son was used as a “patsy,” and that sentencing him to jail would not solve the problem since she is certain the actual perpetrator has not been caught. Penland also stated that she had found out this information on her own and had been made aware of the new developments only after giving a deposition in her son’s case. When it was Wilson’s turn to address the court, he opted to speak directly to the Orts and apologize, telling them that although he had no part in the robbery, it was still a horrible situation for anyone to go through. He maintained that a family member, his aunt, was the actual culprit here, and expressed his disappointment that his own family would leave him hanging. “I can’t take back something I didn’t do,” Wilson said. “I’m sorry for what (Ron and Linda) have gone through. I’m deeply sorry…I wouldn’t wish it upon nobody, but you’ve got the wrong person. The only thing I’m guilty of was getting a ride from somebody I trusted and who has left me sitting here to take the punishment for something I didn’t do.” Judge James Heuer did not find Wilson’s defense to be credible, placing his faith in the process of a fair and just trial. “I am satisfied that the jury got it right and that you committed these crimes beyond a reasonable doubt. If I thought otherwise, we wouldn’t be here at a sentencing hearing today,” Heuer said. Taking into account Wilson’s past criminal history as well as the fact that the victims were in their 70s, Heuer determined that Wilson should serve 12 years with an added six based on aggravating factors for the burglary charge. On the charge of theft, Heuer sentenced him to 2.5 years, but with added time from the sentence enhancement, it was increased to 10 years. In total, Wilson will spend 22 years in the Indiana Department of Corrections and is expected to pay over $34,000 in restitution. Churchward advised the court that Wilson intended to file an appeal and requested that new counsel be appointed for those proceedings. Previous articleColumbia City girls down Bishop Dwenger, 54-44 Next articleThank you for Safe Place sites

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Symphony Preview: Stéphane's serenade and Johannes's lullaby Written by Chuck Lavazzi When I first saw St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Music Director Designate Stéphane Denève conduct the orchestra back in the spring of 2003 I found him an impressive figure: tall and commanding without appearing overbearing, and with a bit of the late Leopold Stokowski's flair. Watching him conduct a program of Britten, Haydn, and Tchaikovsky, I noted his close communication with the musicians and how much they appeared to enjoy working with him. "I don't know whether or not Stéphane Denève is being considered for the Music Director post at the SLSO," I wrote at the end of my critique. "If so and if this was an audition, I'd say he passed it with flying colors." That looks a bit prescient now, albeit around sixteen years late. Mozart, as drawn by Doris Stock, 1789 This weekend (February 8-10), Mr. Denève is making his second appearance with the orchestra this season, with an evening of music by Mozart, Vaughan Williams, and Brahms. The concerts open with a performance of Mozart's 1787 Serenade No. 13 for strings, a.k.a. "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik," a work so well-known that most of the audience could probably hum it all the way through--and yet, as Mr. Denève notes in comments for the program, he has never conducted it before. "I try to always serve the composer," he reflects. "With Mozart this goal is difficult, as the music is perfect in itself, so one always notices if the ego of the performer is in the way." Based on what I have seen of Mr. Denève's work to date, I think that is unlikely to be an issue. It will, in any case, be interesting to hear what amounts to his first public thoughts on this popular classic. Up next will be a pair of purely lovely short works by Ralph Vaughan Williams: "The Lark Ascending" and the "Serenade to Music." A romance for violin and orchestra, "The Lark Ascending" has its origins in 1914 while the composer was strolling along the seaside cliffs in Kent. It was not completed, however, until the composer returned from his service in the war disillusioned and with what would prove to be progressive hearing loss. By the time "The Lark Ascending" had its first performance in 1921, it had turned into a wistfully nostalgic look back at a bucolic way of life shattered forever by the winds of war. Vaughan Williams in the army, 1915 rvwsociety.com The piece takes its title from an 1881 poem of the same name by George Meredith that describes the characteristic way skylarks spiral up into the sky while singing. Meredith heard a kind of pantheist divinity in the lark's song that seems to have resonated with the composer, even though he was a devout Christian. Many have since heard a metaphor for the soul's climb to heaven in the way the work's lovely melody floats and, in the end, slowly fades into silence as it makes its final ascent. The full poem is 122 lines long, but here are the lines Vaughan Williams chose to accompany the score: He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound, Of many links without a break, In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake. For singing till his heaven fills, 'Tis love of earth that he instils, And ever winging up and up, Our valley is his golden cup And he the wine which overflows to lift us with him as he goes. Till lost on his aerial rings In light, and then the fancy sings. The part of the lark this weekend will be played by SLSO Concertmaster David Halen. Mr. Halen's violin is also the first thing heard in the next work, the "Serenade to Music" from 1938. Composed as a tribute to the noted British conductor Sir Henry Wood on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his first concert, the "Serenade" is scored for a small orchestra and a group of sixteen solo singers. Why sixteen? Because the singers who performed the work at its premiere were noted British vocalists selected specifically by Vaughan Williams and Wood. In fact, the published score has the initials of each singer next to his or her lines. Recognizing the difficulty of coming up with sixteen soloists, the composer would later create arrangements for four soloists and/or choir, but this weekend we'll hear the original version with sixteen stellar vocalists from the SLSLO chorus. The text of the work comes from Act V, Scene 1, of Shakespeare's "Merchant of Venice." In the play, the lines belong to the eloping lovers Lorenzo and Jessica, as they sit on a grassy bank and reflect on the importance of music. "How sweet the moonlight sleeps upon this bank!" cries Lorenzo. "Here will we sit, and let the sounds of music / Creep in our ears: soft stillness and night / Become the touches of sweet harmony." The sheer beauty of the work is supposed to have moved the composer Rachmaninoff to tears when he heard it at its 1938 premiere. I first encountered the "Serenade to Music" as "filler" on a Columbia recording of Vaughan Williams's angry and despairing Symphony No. 4 by Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic. The performance had been recorded live at the opening of the orchestra's new home at Avery Fisher Hall in September, 1962. Coming after the final anguished chords of the symphony, the "Serenade" was like a breath of fresh air--a sudden flood of peace and beauty after a musical depiction of the horrors of war. This weekend, the "Serenade" will be played attacca, i.e., immediately following "The Lark Ascending," as though the lark had returned to earth to help pay tribute to "the touches of sweet harmony." Brahms in 1853 Concluding this weekend's concerts will be a symphony with one of the sunniest final movements you will ever hear: the Brahms Symphony No. 2, written and first performed in 1877. Indeed, as James Keays writes in program notes for the Redland Symphony, the Second "is one of the most cheerful of Brahms' mature works, so much so that it is often called his 'Pastoral,' an obvious reference to Beethoven's symphony of the same name." The comparison is an apt one since Brahms, like Beethoven, loved nature and often drew inspiration from it. "Throughout his life," writes Tim Munro in this weekend's program notes, "nature helped him return to equilibrium, an equilibrium lost in the bustle of the city. Raised in a hard-scrabble part of Hamburg, he took long walking trips with his family. Later, escaping Vienna meant he could breathe and be alone with his thoughts." The escape that led to the Second Symphony was to the Austrian town of Pörtschach am Wörthersee. Brahms loved the place and rhapsodized that "the melodies flow so freely that one must be careful not to trample on them." He rented two small rooms for himself at the village that summer, and if his correspondence is an indication, he couldn't have been happier, as Philip Huscher writes in notes for the Chicago Symphony: The rooms apparently were ideal for composition, even though the hallway was so narrow that Brahms's piano couldn't be moved up the stairs. "It is delightful here," Brahms wrote to Fritz Simrock, his publisher, soon after arriving, and the new symphony bears witness to his apparent delight. Later that summer, when Brahms's friend Theodore Billroth, an amateur musician, played through the score for the first time, he wrote to the composer at once: "It is all rippling streams, blue sky, sunshine, and cool green shadows. How beautiful it must be at Portschach." Listening to the symphony again recently, I was struck by the sense of serenity, openness, and good humor in the piece. I was also struck, once again, by the similarity between the second theme of the first movement and Brahms's famous "Lullaby" ("Wiegenlied" in German) from 1868. Whether that was intentional or not is hard to say but, as Dick Strawser of the Harrisburg Symphony points out in a 2010 blog post, Brahms does report that the rooms where he was staying in Pörtschach am Wörthersee were near the summer home of Bertha and Arthur Faber, the couple for whom he wrote the "Wiegenlied" in the first place. Personally, I like to think that it was a genial nod to his friends and to the joy he felt in composing this cheerful work. The Essentials: Stéphane Denève conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, along with SLSO Concertmaster David Halen, Friday at 10:30 am, Saturday at 8 pm, and Sunday at 3 pm, February 8-10. The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. Chuck Lavazzi Stéphane Denève More from Classical See All Articles Symphony Preview, April 15 and 16, 2016: Saint-Saëns' symphonic selfies 'E.T.' in concert shows its age, and that’s a good thing Richness of the Germanic tradition evident at the St. Louis Symphony, March 18-20, 2016 Three versions of childhood at the St. Louis Symphony, April 2-3

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Stanmore facts for kids For other uses, see Stanmore (disambiguation). Stanmore Stanmore shown within Greater London TQ1691 HA7 Harrow East Brent and Harrow LondonLua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:mw' not found. Stanmore is a suburban residential district of northwest London in the London Borough of Harrow. It is centred 11 miles (18 km) northwest of Charing Cross. The area, based on the ancient parish of Great Stanmore includes southern slopes of the unnamed ridge of hills rising to Stanmore Hill, one of the highest points of London, 152 metres (499 ft) high. The population of the appropriate London Borough of Harrow Ward (Stanmore Park) was 11,229 at the 2011 Census. Modern Stanmore Tube/Trains Main bus routes The area was recorded in the Domesday Book as Stanmere, the name deriving from the Old English stan, 'stony' and mere, 'a pool'. There are outcrops of gravel on the clay soil here and the mere may have been one of the ponds which still exist. By 1574 the area had become known as Great Stanmore to distinguish it from Little Stanmore. Stanmore Village railway station was open for train services between 1890 and 1952. Stanmore tube station opened in 1932. Stanmore had an outstation from the Bletchley Park codebreaking establishment, where some of the Bombes used to decode German Enigma messages in World War Two were housed. Andrew Drummond, the founder of the Drummond bank in Charing Cross purchased the Stanmore estate in 1729 . Stanmore was also home to RAF Bentley Priory from where the Battle of Britain was controlled, also formerly to RAF Stanmore Park, HQ of Balloon Command. RAF Stanmore Park closed in 1997 and is now a housing estate and RAF Bentley Priory closed in 2009. The first Parish Church was the 14th century St Mary's, built on the site of a wooden Saxon church which itself may have been built on the site of a Roman compitum shrine. It has now completely disappeared; one tomb survives in a back garden. This building was replaced by a new one built in the current churchyard consecrated in 1632 and dedicated to St John the Evangelist. Built of brick and consecrated by Archbishop Laud, it is one of the relatively small number of churches built in Britain between the medieval period and the eighteenth century. By the nineteenth century, this church had become considered outdated and unsafe. After its replacement, its roof was pulled off and it became a ruin. A new church was constructed in the Gothic Revival style from 1849-50. Queen Adelaide's last public appearance was to lay the foundation stone of the new church. She gave the font and when the church was completed after her death, the east window was dedicated to her memory. The suburb is characterised by numerous small restaurants and cafés, several public houses, many unique shops like a natural health store and boutique-style clothing stores. The centre of Stanmore is dominated by the presence of a large Sainsbury's supermarket and also a large Lidl supermarket. There are also eateries such as Prezzo and Costa Coffee in the centre of the town. Stanmore's extensive residential areas are mainly leafy and predominantly affluent, with many residents commuting daily to jobs in central London including the City. The public amenity of Stanmore Park is at the foot of Stanmore Hill and right next to the local library. This is just one of the two outdoor leisure fields, the other being Whitchurch Playing Fields adjacent to Whitchurch First and Middle School and opposite to Stanburn First and Middle School. The playing field hosts many Sunday league football matches on the individual football pitches with respective goal frames. On the border with Bushey is Stanmore Cricket Club, one of the oldest in the Middlesex county championship league which celebrated 150 years in 2003 and is still successful at the present. The club has nurtured two famous cricketers who have played Tests for England in the last two decades; Angus Fraser and Mark Ramprakash. Stanmore is home to Park High School, Stanmore College (a government further education establishment) and a local library run by the London Borough of Harrow. North London Collegiate School, one of the UK's top public schools for girls is in Stanmore. The suburb also hosts the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital - known as RNOH - which is famed for its spinal unit. Stanmore has Christian, Shia Muslim, Hindu, Jain, Jewish and Catholic communities, including its local Synagogue, Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue on London Road (which has one of the largest memberships of any single synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the UK behind Borehamwood), an Islamic Centre, KSIMC Of London (Hujjat) and new Hindu Temple on Wood Lane. In the 2011 census in Stanmore Park ward, 56% of the population was white (47% British, 7% Other, 2% Irish) and 20% Indian. 31% was Christian, 22% Jewish, 15% Hindu and 11% Muslim. Canons ward (covering eastern areas) was 52% white (40% British, 10% Other, 2% Irish) and 24% Indian. 26% was Christian, 25% Jewish, 18% Hindu and 11% Muslim. Stanmore tube station is the northern terminus of the Jubilee line. Route Start End Operator 142 Brent Cross Watford Junction Arriva Shires & Essex 324 Stanmore Brent Cross London Sovereign 340 Edgware Harrow Arriva Shires & Essex H12 Stanmore South Harrow Metroline N98 Stanmore Holborn Metroline not a London bus route Hatfield Stanmore Uno London Borough of Harrow Canons Park Headstone Little Stanmore North Harrow Pinner Green Rayners Lane South Harrow West Harrow Harrow Museum Headstone Manor St. Mary's, Harrow on the Hill Bentley Priory Nature Reserve Chandos Recreation Ground Harrow Weald Common Kenton Recreation Ground West Harrow Recreation Ground Harrow West Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner Tube and rail stations Harrow & Wealdstone Harrow-on-the-Hill Headstone Lane Northolt Park Sudbury Hill Sudbury Hill Harrow Grade I and II* listed buildings The grave of W. S. Gilbert at Stanmore Stanmore Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.

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What I learned working at Groupon Groupon was my first true programming job. I’d worked briefly at a .com way back in the day, and I’d done a variety of tasks at a start-up in Beijing ranging from running human resources to assisting with business development. But Groupon was the first time my entire job was about producing code. Not coincidentally, it was my first job out of Hack Reactor. Self-directed programming and computer science study through MOOCs Upon starting work as a software engineer at Groupon this April, I noticed that I was an outlier. Pretty much all the engineers I talked to had technical degrees, and a huge number were from one of three sources—Stanford, an Ivy League school or a start-up that Groupon acquired. My particular group was full of crazy-technical Chileans from one of those acquisitions. Needless to say, nobody else had a B.A. in a foreign language like I did. Within my first month on the job I started planning a roadmap to increase my skills to the point where I could shine even among this impressive company. Education vs schooling I can't say I felt intimidated by the formal credentials of my peers. To be completely honest, I was and am a little concerned about credentialism being used to close certain doors, but it's my belief that such barriers can nearly always be overcome. It's true that companies tend to be conservative in matters deciding who to let do what work but after a person attains a certain level of mastery, credentials start to fall by the wayside. I learned that first hand when it came to university admissions Hacker Schools in San Francisco Since my arrival in San Francisco last summer, I've become aware of the new "hacker schools" popping up around the city. Their stated purpose is to take smart, motivated people who may or may not have a strong technical background and turn them into world-class junior developers in a short time. The Starter League The first school of this type that I ever heard of was Code Academy in Chicago (renamed as The Starter League due to name confusion after the online school Codecademy launched). Their system was pretty unique-- students spend 8 to 10 hours per day for 2 months, working in pairs as they learn a stunning amount of ruby, HTML/CSS/JS and Ruby on Rails. At the end of this time, they have an interview day in which they demo their projects to various tech companies, including some of the hottest local startups. The school has only been running since 2011, but results have been excellent and even DHH, the creator of Ruby on Rails, is a fan of the program. SF Hacker Schools With that kind of success, it wasn't long before similar schools started popping up in the Bay Area. The demand for top notch developers is extreme here, but very few companies are willing to train and they take only a tiny fraction of their applicants. A program to quickly bring students up to speed in the technologies that local start-ups are using is the perfect solution. It's an incredible learning experience for the students that opens doors, the companies can hire solid programmers to join their teams and schools can earn money from either or both of the former two groups. From what I understand, Dev Bootcamp's first class was hugely successful--Over 90 percent of the students landed jobs shortly after graduation (at nearly double the average US salary) and of those who didn't one opened a similar school called App Academy that focused on iOS development and the other opened Hack Reactor, an even more intense school with a stronger focus on JavaScript and front-end technologies. There is also another school, which I know less about since it doesn't accept men. In contrast with computer science degrees at universities, these schools have less of a focus on CS theory and more of a focus on building things. Students write a lot of code, and they use newer languages and frameworks. Another feature is heavy use of cutting edge tools and various automated testing frameworks that are commonly used in bay area start-ups, but not so common yet at larger, more traditional companies. Most striking to me is the intense nature of the study. No college I've ever seen puts students through 8 class hours of computing classes per day. The bay area hacker schools remind me more of high-end intense language schools! There are a number of 6 hour per day intense language learning programs in which students work in pairs or small groups, work hard, and acquire a great deal of vocabulary, speaking skills and reading skills in a short time. In my experience learning mathematics as a teenager and then later learning Japanese and Chinese in my 20s, working at something 4 hours a day isn't just 4 times as good as 1 hour a day. It's probably closer to 10 times as good. So even before encountering any students of such programs, I was bullish about the idea. But when I did finally some students from App Academy and saw how much they had picked up in only a month of classes, I knew I had to join. My quest to get in They had only been in class for a month or so, and their class was free since they were the inaugural (i.e. guinea pig) class. In that short time, they had already picked up enough to start making some kind of fun iOS projects! Beyond that, I hung out with a bunch of them and played a cool board game called 7 Wonders or something like that. It was a fun group and they were genuinely excited about what they were learning. I had some background in iOS. Not fully aware of how rigid the program was, I bought a Macbook and started working on the materials they were using hoping I could get into the program in some way. I realized pretty quickly it wouldn't be possible, so I didn't press the issue. But I did ask the instructor what other materials they used and I applied for their next batch, which they said would be focused on web development with rails and importantly would only charge tuition for students successfully hired. Next, I started learning all I could about similar programs, what it would take to get into them and how expensive they were. Unfortunately, for the most part, they're pretty expensive. Dev Bootcamp, for example, costs 12k. That's more than I spent on tuition for all of my B.A. at one of the better public universities! They're flooded with applicants and pretty difficult to get into, also. When it came time for winter applications, I applied to multiple schools. I talked with former students to get as much of an idea what they were looking for. One of my major difficulties since coming back to the US has been much of what I accomplished in Asia (language learning, running a business in a foreign country, etc...) doesn't really translate into much social proof here. It's awesome for social settings, but in interviews or people evaluating my professional abilities, my background looks a bit meandering. So, I focused on my track record of learning hard things, my adaptability and my genuine interest in education. I think it went fairly well. I made it to the interview stage with 100% of my applications in which I followed this strategy. Hack Reactor had a pretty extensive process. Of all the schools I applied to they were the only one to require a video. They asked me to teach something I was interested in. What a perfect thing for me! I put my heart and soul into teaching for most of my 20s! The challenge was not to teach something I wasn't so interested in anymore, such as Chinese learning or something that would likely be boring to them, such as phonics. In the end, I decided to explain what spaced repetition systems are and their strengths and weaknesses. After that, there was a general interview. Last was the technical interview, which was kind of hard. It was an interesting system, though. The interviewer actually taught me some useful things about prototypical inheritance in it, and I had them down pretty solidly by the end. I felt good about my showing, but they clearly had a high bar technically. Still, even if I got a rejection letter the next day, I had learned how to monkey patch Javascript classes! The technical interview with App Academy on the other hand, was terrifying. I knew they were the only program I could afford, and my hopes were pinned on it. I started out pretty confident, but then the interviewer asked me the scariest possible question-- Fizzbuzz! Before he'd even finished explaining it, I felt my heart sink. Knowing how ridiculously high their applicant to student ratio was, with a question that easy I'd probably have to solve it as quickly as I could type. Who knows what else I'd be filtered on... language choice? Running correctly the first time? I decided to use ruby since that's what they use, and typed as quickly as I could, made a few errors, corrected them and ran my program through a fizzbuzz grader I just happened to have made a year earlier to ensure it was correct. For a moment the instructor thought I'd made an ordering mistake with the mod 3, mod 5 and mod 15 conditionals but then realized all was good and said as much, sounding pretty upbeat. What a relief! The rest of the interview was mostly questions about why I was interested, whether I'd be able to devote my full attention to the program, etc. I asked a few questions of my own and all seemed to go well. But I didn't get in. That was rough. After having sought them out last summer, talking to the students of the first batch and clearly being so motivated it was a blow to get rejected. Worse yet, when I emailed back to see what I should work on to be a stronger candidate for their next batch, they told me I was out for six months. For someone in my financial/career state, six months was dream killing. All over a stupid fizzbuzz interview! Still, I have to say that Ned and Kush were incredibly kind, far beyond the call of duty. They gave me a good amount of feedback, and were helpful in a number of ways. I'm sure they were flooded with applicants, too. Ned even went so far as to offer to intro me to other schools whose owners or instructors he knew. Unfortunately, all of them had 10k+ tuition fees taken up front instead of after job placement like App Academy's system. Around that time I heard back from Hack Reactor, asking how much financial aid I would need to do their course. The amount I told them was pretty much undoable. Still, though... it made me wonder. If they were contacting me again and they already knew my situation from the previous interviews, maybe there was still a shot. It was an exhilarating feeling! Of all the schools I'd visited, Hack Reactor seemed to have the highest bar in terms of everything. Other schools went five days a week, they did six. Other schools had nine hour days, they had eleven hour days. Other schools went for two months, they went for three. Also, their focus on JavaScript frameworks was a plus to me. Studying at a school with such a tough entrance filter would not only give me skills that would greatly improve my ability to do more interesting tech work in Silicon Valley, but it would also impart much needed social proof to convince various gatekeepers to give me opportunities. It was time for extreme measures. I went out every bank I could find in the city. I knew a loan wouldn't be easy since banks are big, slow-moving, conservative behemoths that would almost certainly have no loans for non-university schools that have only existed since 2011. The fact that I have essentially no US credit history for the last 10 years didn't make things any easier. I channeled everything I've learned about sales from my entrepreneurial experiences going back to the house-painting franchise I ran when I was 20. I found bankers who had heard of the new hacker schools and showed them statistics on previous graduation classes on my Macbook. They said no. It sucked, but I kept looking for more creative ways of funding the class I scraped together just enough. And I got in. It was a thrilling moment. It's a little terrifying as well. This is my shot. It took a lot of tenacity to get it. I have 12 weeks to make the most of it, and it starts tomorrow. I'll probably be way too busy to write in detail, but I'll be keeping a log of notes, study tactics and observations here. Expect to see projects showcased here as well.

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You are here: Home / Site News / Featured / Top 5 of the Oldest Pubs in London to Visit And Have a Pint – Which One is Your Favorite? Top 5 of the Oldest Pubs in London to Visit And Have a Pint – Which One is Your Favorite? Visit London Images Which pub is the oldest in London? Ask twelve men and you´ll get twelve different answers. Since 90% of London pubs were destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666, there aren´t many pubs left that date from before 1666. Of the ones that did escape the Great Fire, retrieving the exact date is quiet hard most of the times. And of the few that did survive many claim to be the oldest. Therefore, I won´t give you an exact top 5 but here´s an overview of 5 of the oldest pubs in London. 1.Ye Olde Mitre Tavern (Ely Court, Hatton Garden, Holborn, London) Besides being one of London´s most hidden pubs, Ye Old Mitre is also one of the oldest with its history dating back to 1546. Enter the tavern and you´ll encounter a pub with lots of wooden panels and no music or screaming tv’s at all. 2. Cittie of Yorke (22 High Holborn, Holborn, London) Also located in Camden´s Holborn area, Cittie of Yorke is located for more than 580 years on the same site, although it was rebuilt in the beginning of the 1920´s. Famous for its ingenious triangular stove standing in the centre of the bar, Cittie of Yorke is definitely one of London´s most unique pubs 3. Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese (145 Fleet Street, Holborn, London ) Another candidate in our list of oldest pubs in London is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. It was build only a year after the Great Fire, but on its site used to be a pub called the Horn which was built in 1538. A unique feature of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese is its cellar which dates to a 13th century monastery. 4. The Seven Stars (53 Carey Street, Holborn, London) Located near the Royal Courts of Justice this tiny little pub did not only survive the Great Fire, in 2002 it also celebrated its 400th anniversary. Once inside The Seven Stars you´ll understand why Londoners call this the pub with the most ´character´ in the whole of London. 5.The George Inn (77 Borough High Street, Borough, London) Near the London Bridge in Southwark The George Inn is located, London´s only surviving galleried coaching inn. Being rebuild in 1667 The George Inn has several different bars. What nowadays is called The Middle Bar, used to be called The Coffee Room and was frequented a lot by Charles Dickens. The George Inn is even mentioned by Dickens in one of its books (Little Dorrit). Which one is your favorite? We’re particularly fond of Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese. Let us know in the comments! Filed Under: Featured, Pubs, Restaurants, Travel simonreadbooks says Have enjoyed many a pint in Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese! Dixie Johnson says Love Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese! It has an oil painting of Samuel Johnston ( the writer of the1st dictionary) over his regular seat. Very old & cozy. They serve a nice dinner—not just a place to drink. LFR says Love Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, but two unescorted ladies going into the back didn’t seem overly inviting, so we stayed in the front and had dinner. Ye Olde Mitre was wonderful in ale selection, appetizers, crowd and ambiance — although I may never be able to find it again. Tamara Benson says The George Inn. Went there on my first visit and love it! Marjorie Harding says Knew Ye Olde Mitre, long time ago. Full of troops and big bangs going off all over the place. Never been back. That was a fun night .!!!! Tom Moore says Great book on the George: “Shakespeare’s Pub: A Barstool History of London as Seen Through the Windows of Its Oldest Pub – The George Inn.” The Cheshire and the Mitre both have much to recommend them, and hunting for the Mitre the first time is just as much fun as looking at Polly Parrot in her case at the Cheshire. But given the option I’ll take the George every time…mostly because it is such a glorious example of a 17th Century coaching inn (even though only one side of the courtyard remains.) If making the oldest list can include pubs built where older ones were, then I’d add the Hand & Shears in Smithfield simply for its history. It was there when Bartholomew Fair was established in the 12th Century and when I’m there I can imagine the sounds of the Piepowder Court upstairs where the crimes and grievances of the market fair were adjudicated, and the revelry of the Lord Mayor and other officials as they prepared to declare the fair open. Christine O'Keeffe says How old is the Prospect of Whitby? I’ve only been to Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and it was delightful! I definitely recommend it to friends heading over there. del jay says What about the Prospect of Whitby down in Wapping? Got to be the oldest surely? Tom O'Dea says The Prospect of Whitby dates back to 1520 Susan Dupuis says Had lunch at the George Inn a year ago. It is a remarkable place and the food is very good. I could not stop taking pictures.

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‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ Featurette Focuses on Spidey’s New Suits /Film | 6/24/2019 | Ethan Anderton superdudea (Posted by) Level 3 6/25/2019 1:09 AM EST in Entertainment Click For Photo: https://d13ezvd6yrslxm.cloudfront.net/wp/wp-content/images/spiderman-farfromhome-stealthsuit-fireworks.jpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkSH_BBqow4 Spider-Man: Far From Home arrives in theaters next week, and with it comes the end of The Infinity Saga in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But let’s not forget that this is also a Spider-Man movie, and with it comes the evolution of the webslinging hero. Not only must Peter Parker (Tom Holland) step up to be a more responsible superhero in the wake of the death of his mentor Tony Stark, but he’s also now in control of the evolution of his suits. Well, he’s creating at least one of the new suits, but Nick Fury is responsible for the other one. We’ll let the new Spider-Man Far From Home featurette explain. But then, Peter Parker ends up having to go back to the Homecoming suit when he first arrives in Europe, though it’s seemingly been updated a bit. The blue color scheme has been darkened and some of the accents have changed since Homecoming, making it look more like the suit Spidey will wear later in the movie. But we’ll get to that in a moment. Stealth - Suit - Creation - Nick - Fury We also have the new stealth suit, a creation by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in order to... (Excerpt) Read more at: /Film spidey

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Home / slovenia / 235 kilometers is enough for a whole week of driving 235 kilometers is enough for a whole week of driving slovenia July 14, 2019 slovenia In the year 2020, Mini new times are coming to Slovenia. The bottom of the vehicle covers 12 modules with hidden batteries that are powered by a powerful electric motor. We were at the world premiere, and Vice President Minia asked how long the cars will be built on diesel or gasoline engines. At the world premiere of the first electric Minia cooper SE, we spoke with the vice president of the brand Mini Bernd Körber. Mini's electric car was introduced in 2008. Otherwise, in a smaller series, but in the presentation of the Cooper SE, which you advertise as the first electric vehicle of the brand, you said that the customer response was excellent. So why did you wait for more than ten years to show us the Cooper SE? It's true, the response was really great. And that car did not have a second seat or a luggage compartment. He was a kind of experimental car. It was a car that was fun to drive, but it was designed for a very limited circle of people. His purpose was not sales, nor was he a car for everyday driving. Now we have a technology that does not affect the proportions of mini cars. The mini must be a small, compact vehicle that needs to be inside the space, but at the same time it must remain a dynamic and fun car. Because of the batteries we did not want to increase it, we did not want it to be much harder and we wanted it to be useful on a daily basis. That's why we presented it now because we have a complete package. The technology, that is, the electric motor and the batteries you mention, are actually the same as for the BMW i3? It's true, we share a lot of components with i3, as you said, an electric motor, a battery. Installation and architecture are completely different. Interestingly, the cooper SE does not formally form a conventional gasoline or diesel coil. The BMW i3 is, however, quite different from the rest of the brand. We wanted to keep a mini-shape. The shape is iconic. We want to provide electric mobility with iconic design. On the street it will be special enough to immediately recognize that it is an electric car. The design is a powerful trump card and a recognizable brand stamp. Electric VW So much will be the new electric volkswagen for the crowds! You mentioned that you did not want it to be much more difficult. However, it is heavier, but only 145 kilograms from a three-pronged cooper with an internal combustion engine. Because of the batteries placed in the bottom, sitting is also changed. How does this affect driving dynamics and how did you get a familiar "gokart" feeling? That was very important. It's still a "gocart". Even more than before. There are several reasons for this. First, acceleration. The torque is available from the very beginning of the acceleration. The center of gravity of the car is changed due to additional weight. That's why the driver will have an even more racing feel during the bends. The recuperation also slows down the braking, which is less. You can disengage it by lowering the accelerator pedal. Why did you use the old battery from i3 and not newer with more capacity? Is it the reason that it's just a three-sided version and not a larger five-fold model? As I mentioned, we wanted to keep the weight as low as possible. By adding batteries, the car would be much more difficult. This would have a negative impact on driving characteristics. The Mini differs from some other brands with an important reach of an electric car as regards the use of a vehicle. The average user of a mini-per day carriage of any 45 kilometers, only less than a percentage of drivers per day transports more than 90 kilometers. This means that one charging allows the average driver to drive for almost the entire week. If we were to increase capacity, we would have to take too many compromises in other areas, but we did not want to do this. Our target group is urban drivers. Gregor Prebil Do you think customers will understand that less than 30 kilowatt hours of battery (net capacity of a battery, gross is just below 33 kWh), enough if others advertise significantly higher reach? I would be surprised if we did not succeed. We do not want to take irrational decisions. After all, this will also affect the price. We count that at least half of the mini-buyers will cooperate with those who already drive our vehicle. From Slovenia, electric taxis from now on By 2023, the BMW Group will have 25 electrified models in its range, of which half would be entirely electric. What can we expect from the Mini brand, in addition to the countryman's hybrid hybrid, and now the SE is cooperating? Unfortunately, I can not speak of the following models. I can say that we do not plan a five-door electrified model and convertible. The next generation of Mini vehicles will be oriented towards electrification. We believe that Mini is a brand with great potential in the field of electrification. It's an urban vehicle, most kilometers are done around the place where electric drive comes to the foremost. I think that in a few years, we will have a larger percentage of electrified models than most of the remaining car brands. I can only say that we are preparing new models, which, however, you will see. Will you share the Platform with BMW? Technically and professionally, it would be absurd if we did not share technology. The second is installation and electronics, which is specific. Also in the SE cooperative, there are batteries in the bottom of the vehicle, classified into 12 T-shaped modules, which is different from BMW, which also affects a different driving experience. In the case of internal combustion engine models, we also share platforms with BMW, but we place emphasis on switches, interior design. We are trying to find the right ratio, and the mini must remain mini. The same goes for an electric mini. With electric we were on Vršič and we made a mistake At the recent Munich congress, the Group's chiefs emphasized that the diesel engines would last for at least 20 years, and the gasoline for a further decade. Especially at the expense of connecting hybrids. Minnie is different. Can, like the Smart at Daimler, Mini become the only manufacturer of electric cars? I can not deny the ambition that the turning of the Mini will come sooner than BMW. Due to the target group. Electrolysis will first appear in cities and urban settlements, so we want to be an important player in this field. Nevertheless, at Minnie, at least initially, we will not give up on internal combustion engines. This does not seem to me either. In Europe for many years customers will be asked either for connecting hybrids, including diesel engines. It would be very surprising if the market is not segmented. Mini is likely to be among the first brands to have a large share of the sale of electric vehicles. What will be the share of electric mines next year when the cooper SE will be on the market? I can hardly say that demand for markets is very different, so we also direct production. Production will depend on subsidies, taxation in different countries. Prices are also dependent on this. In Norway, for example, we count that the Mini brand will sell 70 percent of electric cars. Somewhere else we will sell only 10 percent. The electric car market is currently still underdeveloped, as there is no established sales practice and it is also more difficult to plan. Much depends on the development of infrastructure, which takes place in different countries in different ways. We can only anticipate sales in markets where they already have a certain strategy and a developed market. At press conferences, we already hear that there is a lack of battery-making material. It is a "little war" between automobile manufacturers to ensure that enough batteries are available to produce electric cars. How many cars can you produce at all? We want to be very flexible and realistic. We did not set production targets, but we want to accelerate production at any time if there is a growing interest in a particular market for the purchase of our electric vehicles. For the next year, the supplier will surely provide enough batteries for the production of vehicles not to be limited. Even before production, we received over 40,000 orders, which is more than we expected. Can we expect classical hybrids? Not if you think of mild hybrids or micro hybrids. We believe that this is not a technology that would be appropriate for our brand. More and more voluminous, popular manufacturers of vehicles, such as Ford, Mazda and others, emphasize that they are premium brands. Ford presented the countryman as a direct competitor at the presentation of the Puma cross. Where are your benefits? There are more. First of all, heritage. Mini is a cult brand. Other are emotions that other brands do not conjure up so. The third is the iconic design and the fourth driving characteristics. It's a unique package. Among the first in the world, we tested the mines of the new era and bore the price In the end, can you tell us how much electric power plant will stand in Slovenia? Nothing easier. Initial will be 33,400 euros, excluding subsidies in your country. But we will have only three levels of equipment. We want a customer with three clicks to choose the vehicle to his liking. We do not want to complicate purchases with configurators and individual options. On the road between Selo and Ajdovščina, a truck was burning Meghan Markle spoke, "It's not easy for us!" Nestlé discovered a new natural way of sweetening chocolate Another Slovenian basketball player Doncic: moving from Helios to the famous Real Madrid Shorten the duration of Google's storage of information about you – Techno Star With domestic knowledge of a destructive virus to a lot more healthy potatoes

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Attorneys / cks@ksglaw.com shikuma.vcf Craig K. Shikuma practices primarily in the areas of litigation and arbitration, and mediation of commercial, employment, real estate and construction disputes. He also represents lending institutions in litigation matters. His practice includes drafting and reviewing construction contracts and employment contracts and matters relating public procurement law. During his legal career, Mr. Shikuma has litigated, arbitrated and mediated numerous cases involving complex commercial and real estate transactions, major construction disputes, condemnation actions, wrongful termination actions and personal injury actions. He has tried cases in both the State and Federal District Courts of Hawaii. Mr. Shikuma received his Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington in 1982. In 1985, he received his Juris Doctor degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. He was on the Law Review from the fall of 1983 through the spring of 1985. Prior Employment Mr. Shikuma started his legal career as a litigation associate for Carlsmith, Wichman, Case, Mukai and Ichiki in 1985. In January of 1986, he was one of eight attorneys who formed Bays, Deaver, Hiatt, Kawachika and Lezak. Mr. Shikuma joined Kobayashi, Sugita & Goda in September of 1996. Mr. Shikuma was an adjunct professor at the William S. Richardson Law School from 1992 through 1996. He taught the Appellate Advocacy course, which dealt with the writing of appellate briefs and oral argument before the appellate courts. He is currently a member of the Hawaii State Bar Association and a neutral with Dispute Prevention and Resolution, Inc. He successfully completed mediation training at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law. Mr. Shikuma volunteers his services to the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation, which provides assistance to Hawaii's children diagnosed with cancer and their families. Mr. Shikuma also served on the Board of Oahu Country Club from 2009 through 2012, and was Club President during the final year. Construction Contracting Governmental Procurement & Bid Protests

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"Loading..." HMS Enterprise HMS Enterprise is an Echo-class multi-role survey vessel . Multi-talented and adaptable, she’s equally at home mapping and surveying the ocean floor as she is acting as a floating base for our minehunters. Image size: 5200 x 3000, 10.17Mb | Camera details: NIKON D500 | Date uploaded: 05/07/2019 survey ship echo class - Select an option - Canvas 10 x 10 - £46.35 10 x 20 - £58.16 10 x 30 - £64.48 10 x 8 - £42.43 12 x 12 - £52.65 12 x 16 - £58.16 12 x 24 - £64.48 12 x 36 - £71.55 12 x 8 - £43.20 16 x 16 - £62.89 16 x 20 - £65.25 16 x 24 - £76.28 20 x 20 - £77.08 20 x 30 - £81.00 20 x 40 - £92.03 24 x 24 - £81.00 24 x 36 - £96.75 26 x 20 - £79.43 26 x 26 - £88.09 30 x 30 - £99.90 30 x 40 - £109.35 36 x 36 - £113.85 8 x 8 - £41.63 Prints from: (Satin photo paper is standard) 10 x 10 - £31.70 10 x 20 - £40.50 10 x 30 - £45.10 10 x 8 - £28.80 12 x 12 - £36.40 12 x 16 - £40.50 12 x 24 - £45.10 12 x 36 - £54.50 12 x 8 - £29.40 16 x 16 - £44.00 16 X 20 - £45.70 16 x 24 - £52.70 20 x 20 - £54.50 20 x 30 - £57.40 20 x 40 - £65.50 24 x 24 - £57.40 24 x 36 - £69.00 26 x 20 - £56.20 26 x 26 - £62.60 30 x 30 - £71.40 30 x 40 - £78.40 36 x 36 - £83.00 8 x 8 - £28.20 Mouse mat - £5.94 Mug - Ceramic - £8.34 Mug - Mighty - £8.76 Mug - Porcelain - £9.84 Designed to cover a large amount of wall space, canvas prints are ideal for big rooms. We only use 100% cotton canvas with a thickness of 340GSM. We do not use cheap synthetic fiber alternatives. Prints from: (Satin photo paper is standard) We print with a 12 colour process, this means we can print a much larger colour range than most printing companies that normally use a 4 or 8 colour process. 6mm foam backed - printable are appx 24cm X 19cm. We need appx 3mm bleed for these. Mug - Ceramic A white, 10oz ceramic mug with a maximum printable area of 9cm high by 18cm wide Mug - Mighty A 'proper mug' - 15 oz of pure indulgence, maximum print area 9cm high by 18cm wide. Mug - Porcelain A white 8 oz mug, altogether more 'dainty', maximum print area of 9cm high by 17cm wide Recent Works by Chris Day HMS Queen Elizabeth and RFA Tideforce HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy and is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft. She wil replace HMS Ocean as the navys flag ship. She is so large that she cannot navigate Plymouth Sound to Devonport Dockyard,, despite being one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Plus RFA Tideforce is the fourth in a fleet of four 39,000 tonne Tide-Class tankers, capable of carrying up to 19,000 cubic metres of fuel and 1,400 cubic metres of fresh water. She has been designed to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers. A Red Arrow over Plymouth Sound A Red Arrow circles over HMS Queen Elizabeth and RFA Tideforce on Plymouth Sound. The Red Arrows, officially called The Royal Airforce Aerobatic Team, is one of the best known and premier Aerobatic teams in the world. HMS Queen Elizabeth the most powerful vessel ever built for the Royal Nave along with one of its support ships RFA Tideforce. Red Arrows 2019 Seen here at Plymouth Armed Forces Day 2019. The Red Arrows, officially called The Royal Airforce Aerobatic Team, is one of the best known and premier Aerobatic teams in the world. The team is the public face of the RAF and assist with recruiting to the armed forces. They act as ambassadors for the UK at home and abroad. Our Endeavour Our Endeavour is a Trawler registered in Exeter but its home port is Plymouth. Fishing Boat Maria Q Fishing boat Maria Q. No other information found on any registration sites. NB NOT SUITABLE FOR CANVAS WRAP HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest and most powerful vessel ever constructed for the Royal Navy and is capable of carrying up to 40 aircraft. She wil replace HMS Ocean as the navys flag ship. She is so large that she cannot navigate Plymouth Sound to Devonport Dockyard,, despite being one of the largest natural harbours in the world. RFA Tideforce RFA Tideforce is the fourth in a fleet of four 39,000 tonne Tide-Class tankers, capable of carrying up to 19,000 cubic metres of fuel and 1,400 cubic metres of fresh water. She has been designed to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers. Red Arrows Palm Split 2019 Red Arrows Tornado 2019 Red Arrows Concorde Red Arrows Arrive 2019 Seen here at Plymouths Armed Forces Day 2019. The Red Arrows, officially called The Royal Airforce Aerobatic Team, is one of the best know and premier Aerobatic teams in the world. The team is the public face of the RAF and assist with recruiting to the armed forces. They act as ambassadors for the UK at home and abroad. Red Arrows Diamond 2019 Seen here at Plymouths Armed Forces Day 2019. The Red Arrows, officially called The Royal Airforce Aerobatic Team, is one of the best known and premier Aerobatic teams in the world. The team is the public face of the RAF and assist with recruiting to the armed forces. They act as ambassadors for the UK at home and abroad. River Tamar The River Tamar. To the left is Torpoint in Cornwall. To the right the Royal Navy dockyard of Devonport. Near the middle you can see two of the chainlink ferries crossing the river. It is free to travel from Devonport to Torpoint. But to leave Cornall there is a toll to be paid. At the time of this photograph it is £1.50. Yacht on the river Tamar A Halberg Rassey Yacht heading upstream on the river Tamar RFA Tiderace RFA Tiderace is the second of a fleet of four 39,000 tonne Tide-Class tankers, capable of carrying up to 19,000 cubic metres of fuel and 1,400 cubic metres of fresh water. She has been designed to support the new Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers. *** NOT suitable for a canvas wrap ****** SD Forceful SD Forceful is a tug built in 1985 for the Royal Navy. In 2008 it was bought by SD Marine Services Ltd. Its home port is London. HMS St Albans HMS St Albans, the sixteenth and last of the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates to be built, was launched on 6 May 2000. Constructed by BAE Systems at Scotstoun, she was delivered to the Royal Navy in November 2001. HMS St Albans emerged from an extensive £25M refit late in 2014. alongside in base port. As with all Duke class frigates they are versatile and can operate in any imaginable situation. At the time of this photograph the Saint is the Fleet Ready Escort and will spend the majority of the year in and around UK waters conducting training and exercises with various UK and military agencies and organisations. Trawler Judy G Judy G is a licenced Trawler/Scalloper. Home port is Brixham and according to the government registry was built in 2018. Seen here about to enter Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. RFA Fort Victoria Fort Victoria is an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship. She was originally designed to support frigates on anti-submarine warfare patrols. She provides vital support to the fleet acting as a stores ship and a fleet tanker. She also has a large flight-deck, hangar and maintenance facilities for helicopters. Trawler Ocean Spirit Ocean Spirit is a Trawler/Scalloper. It was built in 1999 and is registered in Brixham. However, its home port is Plymouth. Trawler Provider II Provider II s a Trawler licensed for cod and bass. It was built in 2001 and is registered in Brixham. However, its home port is Plymouth. RFA Argus Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus was originally launched in 1981 as the commercially owned and operated Contender Bezant, a combination freight, Roll on Roll off ferry (RORO) and container ship. She is now fully equipped with state of the art emergency facilities and 100-bed medical complex on board, which can be uniquely tailored to deliver cutting-edge treatment afloat and is a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship (PCRS). She cannot be designated a hospital ship as she does carry some defensive guns so under the Geneva Convention cannot display the International Red Cross Symbol. She also provides specialist aviation training facilities for the Fleet Air Arm. RFA Argus and RFA Fort Victoria Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus was originally launched in 1981 as the commercially owned and operated Contender Bezant, a combination freight, Roll on Roll off ferry (RORO) and container ship. She is now fully equipped with state of the art emergency facilities and 100-bed medical complex on board, which can be uniquely tailored to deliver cutting-edge treatment afloat and is a Primary Casualty Receiving Ship (PCRS). She cannot be designated a hospital ship as she does carry some defensive guns so under the Geneva Convention cannot display the International Red Cross Symbol. She also provides specialist aviation training facilities for the Fleet Air Arm. Fort Victoria is an Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment (AOR) ship. She was originally designed to support frigates on anti-submarine warfare patrols. She provides vital support to the fleet acting as a stores ship and a fleet tanker. She also has a large flight-deck, hangar and maintenance facilities for helicopters. Cattewater and Mount Batten Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Smeatons Tower Smeatons Tower was the third of four Eddystone lighthouses originally sited 14 miles West of Plymouth. And was in use from 1759 to 1882. As technology moved on it was too small contain modern machinery so it was dismantled and rebuilt on a new granite base on Plymouth Hoe and opened in September 1884. Plymouth Hoe and Smeatons Tower Plymouth Hoe and Sound Plymouth Sound looking towards Cattewater from the stern of the Plymouth Venturer Plymouth Hoe Foreshore HMS Example in Weymouth HMS Example is the Northumbrian University Royal Naval Unit (URNU). It is an Archer class fast patrol boat based at HMS Calliope, a Royal Naval Reserve Base next to the Tyne Bridge on Gateshead Quayside. The Northumbrian URNU provides a three-year package of training and activities to student in order to broaden their knowledge of the Royal Navy and its activities worldwide. HMS Echo HMS Echo was the first of two Echo Class multi-role hydrographic survey ships commissioned by the Royal Navy. It was designed to conduct survey operations in support of submarines or amphibious operations. It has a secondary role as a mine countermeasure tasking platform. The Radcliffe Camera Oxford The Radcliffe Camera is a building of Oxford University, England, designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Librar Brittany Ferries Pont Avon Brittany Ferries Pont Avon arrives in Plymouth Brittany Ferries Armorique Brittany Ferries Armorique leaving Plymouth Drakes Island Drakes Island is situated in Plymouth Sound at the entrance to the river Tamar. It is about 6.5 acres in size. Its strategic position has meant that there a a number of military buildings. It was originally called St Michaels after a chapel that was built there. The chapel was rededicated to St Nicholas and the island then took that to be its official name. However, due to its association with Sir Francis Drake it acquired the nickname of Drakes Island. The buildings are Grade II listed. The island is now in private ownership and after many years of trying, planning permission to convert the island into a luxury hotel and spa have finally been approved. Work is expected to start sometime in 2019 as planning permission runs out in 2020. Boats on Plymouth Sound Boats on Plymouth Sound. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. New Street Plymouth New Street Plymouth. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Mount Batten Plymouth Mount Batten was the location of a flying boat station and Royal Air Force Base, during the years 1913 until 1986. it was there that the United States Curtis Flying Boat NC 4 came ashore, following the first successful airborne crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. Many classes of flying boat were to use this base, the best known during World War II being the Shorts LTD. of Belfast long distance ocean reconnaissance Sunderlands. Meanwhile, during the 1930's, T.E.Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) served there as an ordinary aircraftsman under the alias of Shaw, at a time when he had shunned his earlier public fame as Lawrence. Drakes Island is situated in Plymouth Sound at the entrance to the river Tamar. It is about 6.5 acres in size. Its strategic position has meant that there are a number of military buildings. It was originally called St Michaels after a chapel that was built there. The chapel was rededicated to St Nicholas and the island then took that to be its official name. However, due to its association with Sir Francis Drake it acquired the nickname of Drakes Island. The buildings are Grade II listed. The island is now in private ownership and after many years of trying, planning permission to convert the island into a luxury hotel and spa have finally been approved. Work is expected to start sometime in 2019 as planning permission runs out in 2020. HMS Northumberland and the Eddystone Lighthouse HMS Northumberland and the Eddystone Lighthouse 14 miles away on the horizon. HMS Northumberland is a type 23 Frigate and was launched in April 1992 and entered service in late 1994. She was built in the North-East by the Swan Hunter yard and is affiliated to the County of Northumberland and reaffirmed her close ties to the area with a visit to the Port of Tyne in September 2013. She is based in Devonport when not deployed. HMS Northumberland was among the first ships of her class to receive the most advanced sonar designed to hunt down submarines and played a vital role in testing the new equipment with HMS Torbay as her quarry at a special test range in the Bahamas. Plymouth Hoe and the Royal Citadel Plymouth Hoe and the Royal Citadel from the Sound. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Boat Trip on Plymouth Sound The view towards Cattewater of Plymouth Sound from the stern of the cruise ship Plymouth Venturer. FGS Bonn FGS Bonn is a Type 702 Berlin Class fleet auxiliary vessel in service with the German Navy. The auxiliary replenishment ship is designed to provide logistics and medical services support to the combined task forces. The vessels are named after German cities. Berlin Class vessels are the largest warships in the German Navy fleet. HMS Northumberland HMS Northumberland is a type 23 Frigate and was launched in April 1992 and entered service in late 1994. She was built in the North-East by the Swan Hunter yard and is affiliated to the County of Northumberland and reaffirmed her close ties to the area with a visit to the Port of Tyne in September 2013. She is based in Devonport when not deployed. HMS Northumberland was among the first ships of her class to receive the most advanced sonar designed to hunt down submarines and played a vital role in testing the new equipment with HMS Torbay as her quarry at a special test range in the Bahamas. USNS Big Horn USNS Big Horn (T-AO-198) is a Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler of the United States Navy. She entered non-commissioned U.S. Navy service under the control of the Military Sealift Command with a primarily civilian crew on 21 May 1992. She serves in the United States Atlantic Fleet. HMS Montrose HMS Montrose is a type 23 Frigate. She is based in Devonport when not deployed. She returned to sea in 2017 after a £35 million pound upgrade. HMS Diamond HMS Diamond is a Type 45 air defence destroyer and one of the most advanced warships in the world. Nearly as tall as Nelson’s Column, Diamond's sleek lines are designed for stealth at sea, appearing virtually invisible on enemy radar. With cutting-edge military sensors and a range of weapons systems, Diamond is ready to detect and destroy any airborne, surface and sub surface threat. Her Motto is - honor clarissima gemma – honour is the brightest jewel. Plymouth Hoe Panorama Fishing boats in Sutton Harbour Fishing boats in Sutton Harbour. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Royal Citadel Plymouth The Royal Citadel is a 17th century fortress at the easten end of Plymouth Hoe. It encompasses the site of an earlier fort built at the time of Sir Francis Drake. It is still used by the military to this day. Plymouth Hoe from the Sound Plymouth Hoe. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Yacht on Plymouth Sound A yacht on Plymouth Soound heading towards the river Tamar. Plymouth Venturer on PLymouth Sound Plymouth Venturer was launched in March 2017. It is a modern catamaran design and is the largest passenger vessel in Plymouth. It can hold up to 250 people. Its day job is hour long cruises from Sutton Harbour to the Devonport Naval Dockyard on the river Tamar. It is also available for hire for parties etc United States Marine Corps Super Hercules United States Marine Corps Lockheed KC-130J Super Hercules 167112/BH-7112 flying out of RAF Northolt BBMF Dakota BBMF Dakota on its way to fly past the Polish War Memorial in Northolt where a service was being held to remember 303 Polish Squadron and commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the unveiling of the memorial and the centenary of Polish Independence. Yacht returning to Cattewater Yacht returning to Cattewater at the mouth of the river Plym. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. A cathedral dedicated to the Martyred King Ethelbert has stood on the site since Saxon times. Todays building contains some of the finest examples of architectural excellence from the Norman times to the present day. It is home to the Mappa Mundi, the largest surviving medieval world map. It also houses the famous chained library. Buckingham Palace in London Marlow at Christmas Marlow Bridge on the River Thames in winter time. Ludlow Castle Ludlow Castle was a privately owned Castle which began construction in the 11th century as the border stronghold of Roger De Lacy, a Marcher Lord. Roger Mortimer enlarged the Castle into a palace in the 14th century. Later under the ownership of Richard, Duke of York the Castle was involved in the war of the Roses. Then as a Royal Palace Edward IV sent the Prince of Wales and his brother to live at the Castle, which was also the seat of government for Wales and the border counties. In 1501, Prince Arthur (brother to Henry VIII), honeymooned here with his wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1689, the Royal Welch Fusiliers were founded at the Castle by Lord Herbert of Chirbury. It was abandond soon after and fell into decay. In 1811, the ruins were purchased from the Crown by 2nd Earl Pof Powis, in the ownership of whose family it remains. Ludlow Castle was a privately owned Castle which began construction in the 11th century as the border stronghold of Roger De Lacy, a Marcher Lord. Roger Mortimer enlarged the Castle into a palace in the 14th century. Later under the ownership of Richard, Duke of York the Castle was involved in the war of the Roses. Then as a Royal Palace Edward IV sent the Prince of Wales and his brother to live at the Castle, which was also the seat of government for Wales and the border counties. In 1501, Prince Arthur (brother to Henry VIII), honeymooned here with his wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1689, the Royal Welch Fusiliers were founded at the Castle by Lord Herbert of Chirbury. It was abandond soon after and fell into decay. In 1811, the ruins were purchased from the Crown by 2nd Earl Pof Powis, in the ownership of whose family it remains. Given the old sepia treatment Mayflower Steps The Mayflower steps. These are not the original steps due to the development of the Barbican. The originals were destroyed over a hundred years ago to make way for a road around the Royal Citadel. TThe Radcliffe Camera is a building of Oxford University, England, designed by James Gibbs in neo-classical style and built in 1737–1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library Panoramic view from the top of Ludlow Castle. Panoramic view from the top of Ludlow Castle created from 3 separate images. Ludlow Castle was a privately owned Castle which began construction in the 11th century as the border stronghold of Roger De Lacy, a Marcher Lord. Roger Mortimer enlarged the Castle into a palace in the 14th century. Later under the ownership of Richard, Duke of York the Castle was involved in the war of the Roses. Then as a Royal Palace Edward IV sent the Prince of Wales and his brother to live at the Castle, which was also the seat of government for Wales and the border counties. In 1501, Prince Arthur (brother to Henry VIII), honeymooned here with his wife, Catherine of Aragon. In 1689, the Royal Welch Fusiliers were founded at the Castle by Lord Herbert of Chirbury. It was abandond soon after and fell into decay. In 1811, the ruins were purchased from the Crown by 2nd Earl Pof Powis, in the ownership of whose family it remains. Oxford City of Dreaming Spires Oxford, The City of Dreaming Spires, is famous the world over for its University and place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years. Nowadays, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. Still with its ancient University, but home also to a growing hi-tech community. Many businesses are located in and around the town, whether on one of the Science and Business Parks or within one of a number of residential areas. With its mix of ancient and modern, there is plenty for both the tourist and resident to do. Whether its visiting one of the many historic buildings, colleges or museums, going out for a drink or a meal, taking in a show or shopping till you drop, A mute swan Juvenile Robin A juvenile Robin in my garden in west London Juvenile Robin in my garden in west London Naval Memorial Plymouth Plymouth Naval Memorial is one of three in England to commemorate British sailors who died at sea during the two world wars and have no known grave. This memorial also includes the names of sailors from Australia, South Africa and India. A mute swan landing on Ruislip Lido London Skyline London Skyline as seen from The Embankment in October 2010 The London Eye was the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium. Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium Wheel. At that time, British Airways was the main sponsor, and up until November 2005 they were joint shareholders with Marks Barfield Architects and The Tussauds Group. British Airways also privately funded the London Eye project from the early stages of conception. In June 2008 they celebrated flying their 30 millionth guest! Pink Gerbera Pink Gerbera in my garden in west London Windsor Castle from Eton Bridge accross the Thames The Lady Chapel in Winchester Cathedral Sidmouth Beach Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley.Give the antique sepia treatment Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Sidmouth seafront and beach View over Sidmouth Sidmouth and the Jurassic coast as viewed from the Sidmouth Harbour Hotel. The Royal Citadel is a 17th century fortress at the eastern end of Plymouth Hoe. It encompasses the site of an earlier fort built at the time of Sir Francis Drake. It is still used by the military to this day. Sunset over the Tamar Sunset from Plymouth Hoe 30th October 2016. The Monument stands at the junction of Monument Street and Fish Street Hill in the City of London. It was built between 1671 and 1677 to commemorate the Great Fire of London and to celebrate the rebuilding of the City. The fire began in a bakers house in Pudding Lane on Sunday 2nd September 1666 and finally extinguished on Wednesday 5th September, after destroying the greater part of the City. Although there was little loss of life, the fire brought all activity to a halt, having consumed or severely damaged thousands of houses, hundreds of streets, the Citys gates, public buildings, churches and St. Pauls Cathedral. The only buildings to survive in part were those built of stone, like St. Pauls and the Guildhall. As part of the rebuilding, it was decided to erect a permanent memorial of the Great Fire near the place where it began. Sir Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Pauls cathedral, and his friend and colleague, Dr Robert Hooke, provided the design for a Doric Column. The Gherkin The Gherkin is the popular nickname for the office block opened in 2004 at No.30 St Mary Axe. The road is named after the nearby Church of St Mary Axe, the 'axe' part referring to a relic kept in the church. Marlow is a town in Buckinghamshire situated on the river Thames Sir Francis Drake Memorial Plymouth Hoe Sir Francis Drake statue on Plymouth Hoe. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. City of London Skyline in 2010 The City of London skyline, taken from Tower Bridge. In this image you can see one of the oldest buildings in the City, the Tower of London, plus two of the newest, the Gherkin and the new Heron Tower just behind it. Millennium Bridge and St Pauls The London Millennium Footbridge is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, England, linking Bankside with the City. It is located downstrem from Southwark Bridge and upstream from Blackfriars Railway Bridge The City of London skyline as seen from Tower Bridge Plymouth Armada Memorial Plymouth Armada Memorial was built in 1888 to celebrate the tercentenary of the defeat of the Spanish Armada. St Pauls an alternative view The dome of St Pauls Cathedral seen though the towers of the bridge at Cannon Street Station. The Sun dial by St Katherines Dock on the River Thames. A kite surfer on a windy day at Sidmouth in Devon. London Bridge was originally the only crossing for the Thames. As London grew, so more bridges were added, although these were all built to the west of London Bridge, since the area east of London Bridge had become a busy port. In the 19th century, the East End of London became so densely populated that public need mounted for a new bridge to the east of London Bridge, as journeys for pedestrians and vehicles were being delayed by hours. Finally in 1876, the City of London Corporation, responsible for that part of the Thames, decided the problem could be delayed no longer and so Tower Bridge was commisioned Big Ben collage The name Big Ben is often used to describe the tower, the clock and the bell but the name was first given to the Great Bell. The Clock Tower was completed in 1859 and the Great Clock started on 31 May, with the Great Bell's strikes heard for the first time on 11 July and the quarter bells first chimed on 7 September. 1980 Bell Helicopter Textron BELL 206B JFK Memorial Runnymede This memorial stands halfway up the Cooper's Hill Slopes and overlooks Runnymede, on ground previously belonging to the Crown and now the property of the United States of America. It is made of Portland stone to the design of G.A. Jellicoe and was unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 14 May 1965 in the presence of President Kennedy's widow and children. Visitors reach the memorial by treading a steep path of irregular granite steps, one for each year of Kennedy's life. Anzac Cemetery Harefield During the First World War Harefield Park was offered by the owner as a hospital to the Ministry of Defence of New South Wales. For the duration of the war casualties from the Australian Forces from Gallipoli and the Western Front were treated at the newly created Harefield Hospital. Many of the wounded died; 111 men and one nursing sister were buried with military honours in an extension of the churchyard. Anzac war graves Harefield The obelisk is inscribed as follows - To the Glory of God who giveth us the victory and in memory of brave Australian soldiers who after taking part in the Great War now rest in Harefield churchyard Barbican Prawn Sculpture The Barbican Prawn at the entrance to Sutton Harbour next to the Mayflower steps. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Plymouth Hoe and Foreshore Mount Batten was the location of a flying boat station and Royal Plymouth Hoe Plymouth Foreshore and Mount Batten Plymouth Sound Plymouth Sound. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar which divides Devon from Cornwall. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Mount Batten Fort A view of Windsor including the castle, mausoleum and Old Windsor town. Deliberate effect adding a grainy aged look Churches of Hillingdon Churches in the London Borough of Hillingdon A white rose in my garden Starlings in my garden A Collage of Starling images taken in my garden, in West London, during the summer of 2010 Collage of Wildfowl Hotrod A Hotrod car at the Royal Berkshire Festival of Wings, Wheels, Speed and Steam at White Waltham 2010 Old Book Shop A book shop at Kingsgate in the historic town of Winchester. Hotrod 2 I Sphinx it is the London Eye The London Eye as seen from Cleopatras needle Plymouth Foreshore Sutton Harbour Sunset Carousel in Sepia Carousel by Bournemouth Pier in Dorset St Mary's Parish Church Harefield St Mary's Parish Church is Harefield’s oldest building, and has been its spiritual heart for centuries, despite beng sited away from the geographical centre of the village. It has been described as the Westminster Abbey of West Middlesex because of its wealth of monuments. At the Domesday Survey of 1086 Harefield had a priest, and therefore presumably a church which was probably on the present site. Silhouette of Two Gulls on a Lamp post Though called the Common Gull it is not common in all areas of the country. It can be quite localised. Black Park Country Park which has been used in many films including James Bond and Harry Potter. Also TV programs like Midsommer Murders have had scenes shot here. Deliberate effect Little Britain between Iver and Cowley, is a complex of attractive lakes with islands set between the River Colne and Frays River. The area is excellent for close views of water birds, which are less shy here, such as gadwell and great crested grebe and of course swans and herons, even turtles Little Britain between Iver and Cowley, is a complex of attractive lakes with islands set between the River Colne and Frays River. The area is excellent for close views of water birds, which are less shy here, such as gadwell and great crested grebe and of course swans and herons, even turtles. Winchester Cathedral Quire Winchester Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Winchester, which is part of the Church of England. The Cathedral has its origins in the 7th century, when a Christian Church was first built on this site. A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site since 604AD, and throughout the Cathedral has remained a busy, working church where millions come to reflect and find peace. Hereford Skyline Hereford is a cathedral city with 7th century Saxon origins. Was extensively developed by the Normans who rebuilt its famous cathedral. There are many half timbered buildings plus the Shire Hall an Town hall which sit alongside modern developments of the Old Market Shopping centre, Maylords shopping centre and the Courtyard; Herefords Centre for Arts. Gull Silhouette Gull Silhouette in Sidmouth South Devon Seaton Beach Devon Seaton is a small Devon Seaside town.It has a shingle beach with views of the Jurassic Coast line. Bournemouth Beach A view Eastwards of Bournemouth beach taken from the pier HMS St Albans the sixteenth and last of the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates to be built was launched on 6 May 2000. Constructed by BAE Systems at Scotstoun. She is affectionately known as The Saint. Houseboats on the Grand Union Canal in Cowley near Uxbridge West London Abandoned boat and Lobster Pot Abandoned boat and Lobster Pot on Sidmouth Beach. Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Eagle Owl This massive bird is one of Europes most powerful predators, which even kills other owls to claim exclusive use of territory. Its huge eyes give it exceptional vision in poor light and hunting is almost entirely nocturnal. Herring Gull The herring gull is often considered a nuisance. It nests on rooftops and can be extremely noisy. Has been in decline in Europe but can be found almost anywhere inland or by water. So wherever you are watch out otherwise you may lose your icecream or sandwiches. Tower at Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle, the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 26 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people. St Laurence Cowley St Laurence Church in Cowley Middlesex is in parts thought to be over 1000 years old. Denham Deep Lock Denham Deep Lock on the Grand Union Canal West London A yacht on Plymouth Sound A yacht on Plymouth Sound 25th March 2017. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Coppermill Lock Harefield A white rose in my garden with a square crop for coaster and a deliberate softer feel.s Beach huts at Highcliffe beach in Dorset St Lawrence West Wycombe The 18th century Church of St. Lawrence, with its golden ball on the top of West Wycombe hill, is a well-known landmark, visible for many miles due its hilltop location, visually dominating the village. The church was remodelled by Sir Francis Dashwood inside and out. The hill is known as 'West Wycombe Hill' and was an Iron Age hill fort. Also situated on the hill is the Dashwood Mausoleum, inspired by the Colosseum in Rome Mandarin Duck Portal from the past Houseboats on the Grand Union Canal at Cowley West London. The pub at this location, and Cowley Lock, was used in an episode of Lewis first broadcast 9th May 2010.. It won first prize in a competition run by Thames21 for images of Londons waterways. River Wye From the old bridge Hereford Hereford is a cathedral city with 7th century Saxon origins. Was extensively developed by the Normans who rebuilt its famous cathedral. There are many half timbered buildings plus the Shire Hall an Town hall which sit alongside modern developments of the Old Market Shopping centre, Maylords shopping centre and the Courtyard, Herefords Centre for Arts. Wide Water Lock Harefield Wide Water Lock on the Grand Union Canal at Harefield Sidmouth Beach and Esplanade Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Given an old fashioned grainy postcard look. Hengistbury head towards Mudeford A misty Mudeford as seen from Hengistbury Head with a heavy frost. Bournemouth Beach and cliffs as seen from the pier facing East St Giles Ickenham St Giles' Church is packed full of over 650 years of history. The oldest part of the building is believed to date back to 1335 when the first Rector of the Parish of Ickenham was appointed. A North Aisle was added in the 16th Century, an extension to the west end of the Nave in 1959 and a 2nd storey extension above the Choir Vestry was opened in 1986. Plymouth Quest Plymouth Quest is a MCA Workboat 2 research vessel, owned by the UK's Plymouth Marine Laboratory. Built in China in 2001, she was sold to PML by her Icelandic owners in March 2004 and entered service in June that year. She is the newer of two ships owned by PML and is used for biological, chemical and physical sampling in coastal seas. A robust and versatile vessel, Plymouth Quest enables trawling, hauling, dredging, towing, and equipment deployment, as well as oceanographic measurements. Nanchang CJ6 fighter They have a top speed of 370kmh are are powered by 285-330hp, supercharged engines. They are capable withstanding +6 and -4 G. The aircraft is part of China's military training and several air forces have used them for counter insurgency and ground attack missions. The Poppy Story From front to back we have the poppy bud, the flower and then the seed head ready to propagate itself. Snow Goose Snow goose (anser caerulescens) St Mary's Parish Church Springwell Lane Bridge and Lock Springwell Lane Bridge (176), which goes over the Grand Union Canal by Springwell Lock near Rickmansworth. Air Forces Memorial Plymouth RAF and Allied air forces memorial on Plymouth Hoe is dedicated to those men and women who served during the seond world war both in the air and on the ground from all allied countries. Winchester Cathedral Altar RAF Memorial Runnymede This sobering yet beautiful memorial to the men and women of the Allied Air Forces who died during World War II was designed by Sir Edward Maufe R.A. and unveiled by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 17 October 1953. An inscription over the entrance to the cloister reads: 'In this cloister are recorded the names of 20,456 airmen who have no known grave. They died for freedom in raid and sortie over the British Isles and the land and seas of northern and western Europe'. Kite Surfer in Sidmouth A kite surfer on a windy September Day in Sidmouth Devon Seaton is a small Devon Seaside town. It has a shingle beach with views of the Jurassic Coast line. City of London Skyline HMS Belfast and Tower Bridge viewed from the South bank of the River Thames Mount Batten Wild blackberries in my garden in west London Red Tulips Houseboat on the Grand Union canal in Cowley West London Narrowboat Narrow Boat on the Grand Union Canal at Cowley West London Wye Valley at Hay on Wye Hay-on-Wye is situated to the West of Hereford and is literally on the English/Welsh border with the main town on the Welsh side. It os also known as the Town of Books due to its many bookshops. It is world famous for its Literary Festival held at the end of May each year Temple Lock on the River Thames This lock is quite unique in that when a new replacement lock was built in 1890, the builders left the old one in place alongside it. The old lock was modified with channels to enable light craft, skiffs and punts to be transferred up and downstream. Tower Bridge from the South bank of the River Thames Oxo Tower London The building was originally constructed as a power station for the Post Office, built towards the end of the 19th century. The City Skyline from the Embankment The view down river Thames towards the City of London as view from the Embankment in Westminster Millennium Wheel The Merlin Entertainments London Eye is the vision of David Marks and Julia Barfield, a husband and wife architect team. The wheel design was used as a metaphor for the end of the 20th century, and time turning into the new millennium. Back in 2000, the London Eye was known as the Millennium Wheel. At that time, British Airways was the main sponsor, and up until November 2005 they were joint shareholders with Marks Barfield Architects and The Tussauds Group. British Airways also privately funded the London Eye project from the early stages of conception. In June 2008 they celebrated flying their 30 millionth guest! Field of Grass on West Wycombe Hill Stone steps on a pathway on Hengistbury Head in Dorset Widewater Lock Lock gates at Widewater Lock in Harefield on the Grand Union canal Effect is deliberate HDR processing Stockers Lock Stockers Lock on the Grand Union Canal near Rickmansworth. Two people sit and wait for the lock to fill before opening the gates to let their boat in. This stretch of the canal was used in an episode of Lewis first broadcast on 30th May 2010. A house of fun at the Chilterns show 2010 Gorse by the sea Gorse growing on the cliffs in Bournemouth. Bisham Church Bisham village, which has been known by various names down the centuries, was recorded in Domesday with its villagers, cottagers, slaves, vines and meadowland. A church was also recorded there, no doubt on the beautiful riverside site of the present building, the oldest part of which is the 12th century tower, the parapet, battlements and brick quoins of which were added in the 15th century. The tower contains three bells dating from 1840. Harris Hawk The Harris's Hawk or Harris Hawk also known as the Bay-winged Hawk or Dusky Hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey which breeds from the south western United States south to Chile and central Argentina. A mute Swan a swimming A mute swan swims along the river Thames in Windsor, Berkshire, England FGS Brandenberg FGS Brandenberg, a German F123 Brandenberg Frigate, leaves Plymouth after a short visit. The Type 123 Brandenburg Class frigates were ordered in June 1989 to replace the Hamburg Class. The frigates are primarily tasked with anti-submarine operations, but they also contribute to anti-air defence, the tactical command of group forces and surface operations. Richmond Hill St. Andrews skyline Richmond Hill St. Andrews United Reformed Church is the largest church building in Bournemouth with a capacity to seat nearly 1,100 people. Working boats Boats in Poole Harbour Dorset Bournemouth pier Bournemouth Pier Dorset Groyne at Highcliffe A groyne covered with seaweed on Highcliffe Beach HMS Northumberland is a type 23 Frigate and was launched in April 1992. She was built in the North-East by the Swan Hunter yard. Towards Christchurch A view toward Christchurch across the reed beds and frozen waters of Christchurch harbour from Hengistbry Head. Grey herons are unmistakeable: tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest. Young Robin Redbreast The Robin is a common garden bird usually associated with Christmas Plymouth Foreshore. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. The Polish War Memorial Northolt The Polish War Memorial is a memorial erected to remember the contribution of airmen from Poland who helped the Allied cause during World War II. The memorial is made from Portland stone with bronze lettering and a bronze eagle the symbol of the Polish Air Force. There are 2165 names inscribed around the memorial. It was designed by Mieczyslaw Lubelski, who had been interned in a forced labour camp during the second world war. London Bridge was originally the only crossing for the Thames. As London grew, so more bridges were added, although these were all built to the west of London Bridge, since the area east of London Bridge had become a busy port. In the 19th century, the East End of London became so densely populated that public need mounted for a new bridge to the east of London Bridge, as journeys for pedestrians and vehicles were being delayed by hours. Finally in 1876, the City of London Corporation, responsible for that part of the Thames, decided the problem could be delayed no longer The Dome of St Pauls Cathedral from the South The Dome of St Pauls Cathedral from the South. A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site since 604AD, and throughout the Cathedral has remained a busy, working church where millions come to reflect and find peace. The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Nelsons Column in Trafalgar Square London Canary Wharf Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast viewed from London Bridge A moody and deliberately grainy Plymouth Sound. Nothe Fort Weymouth Built by the Victorians to protect Portland Harbour, Nothe Fort is one of the best preserved Forts of its kind. The advances in technology that affected the Fort are explained through many displays, exhibits and audio visual facilities located on the ramparts, gun decks and maze of underground passageways. Located at the entrance to Weymouth Harbour the Fort is a labyrinth of underground passageways and outdoor areas with stunning views of the Jurassic Coast. Constructed on three levels , which are easily accessed by means of a lift, the Fort is filled with displays, mammoth guns and cinema areas that chart the history of this large and magnificent Victorian structure which took 12 years to build. The Fort is now one of Weymouth’s major attractions and a venue for a wide range of events. Blueberry Crush Lily Blueberry Crush is an Oriental Trumpet lily A walk along the beach A modern day interpretation of the style of Jack Vettriano. Taken at Weymouth Winchester Cathedral Cloisters of the Inner close Dorset sun rising The sun rises behind the clouds over a misty Isle of Wight as seen from Bournemouth St. Andrews United Reformed HMS Dragon HMS Dragon is a Royal Navy's sType 45 air defence destroyers. Launched on 7 November 2008. Her maiden deployment was to the Gulf region in March 2013. A collage of Christchurch and the Priory A collage of Christchurch and the Priory. St Mary the Virgin Ross-on-Wye The parish of St Mary the Virgin includes the whole of Ross-on-Wye, an attractive market town serving South Herefordshire. The spire of St Mary's Church, towering 205 feet into the air, can be seen from miles around as a welcome to worshippers and visitors. St Mary's Church Hayes The Parish Church of Hayes Middlesex has been witness to the Christian Faith since at least 830 AD. Red Poppy. Often associated with Remembrance Sunday in the UK Carousel in Bournemouth A narrowboat approaches Stockers Lock on the Grand Union canal near Rickmansworth Grand Union Canal Rickmansworth Grand Union Canal between Springwell Lock and Stockers Lock, Rickmansworth Autumn at Ruislip Lido Ruislip Lido started life in 1811 as Ruislip Reservoir and was built as a feeder for the Grand Junction Canal, later, in 1933, to become the Grand Union Canal. John Rennie was the main engineer working on the construction, Hugh Mackintosh the constructor. On 5th December 1811 the project was announced as complete, by Rennie. London Central Mosque The London Central Mosque is a mosque in London, England. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1978, and has a prominent golden dome. Grass seed head Grass seed head blowing in the wind on Plymouth hoe Weymouth Beach Weymouth Beach in the evening Weymouth Lifeboat Weymouth is one of the RNLI busiest lifeboat stations on England’s south coast. It operates two lifeboats – Ernest and Mabel, a Severn class all-weather lifeboat, and Phyl Clare 3, a B class Atlantic 75 inshore lifeboat. Weymouth Lifeboats Jacobs Ladder Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder Beach Sidmouth. Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Jacobs Ladder Sidmouth. Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon co Jacobs Ladder Sidmouth. Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Waves crashing Waves crash against a groyne on Hengistbury Head beach New Forest Pony The New Forest ponies most endearing quality is their inbred, gentle nature. Their calm temperament naturally recommends them as an excellent choice and an ideal mount for both children and adults. They have long been raced locally and are surprisingly fast, especially over rough terrain. They are suited to many competitive activities from Pony Club to polo, driving to dressage, they are naturals at jumping and gymkhana and are successfully trained to carry handicapped riders. All in all, the modern New Forest Pony is an exceptional all-rounder with an endearing character, that has developed as a result of both its unique environment and strong association with the people who have been responsible for the development of the breed. The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe, its crystalline façade transforming the London skyline with a multi-use 310 m (1,016 ft) vertical city. It comprises high quality offices, three world-class restaurants - aqua shard, Oblix and Hutong, the 5-star Shangri-La hotel, exclusive residential apartments and the capital's highest public viewing gallery, The View from The Shard. Lobster Pot on Sidmouth Beach Lobster Pot on Sidmouth Beach. Sidmouth is a town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. Sunrise at Bournemouth beach Bournemouth beach sunrise on a frosty and misty Boxing Day 2010 Weymouth Harbour Weymouth is one of the nicest family holiday destinations in the UK. It has something for everyone. It’s a great base from which to explore the Jurassic Coast, which is a world Heritage site, as well as the Dorset countryside. A kite surfer and a wind surfer A kite surfer and a wind surfer on a windy day in Sidmouth Devon Dartmouth is a unique and historic port. The town is full of boutique shops and galleries. The town is world famous for the Britannia Royal Naval College which over looks the town and river. Dartmouth Castle has guarded the mouth of the river for over 600 years. On the other side of the river is Kingwear which has a steam train service too and from Paignton. Dandelion Seed Head A plane apparently on its way to the Moon. Genuine photo not a composite Bournemouth Pier and Beach Canary Wharf is located in the West India Docks on the Isle of Dogs in the Borough of Tower Hamlets in East London. The West India Docks once formed part of the busiest port in the world. After the docks were closed in 1980 the British Government adopted various policies to stimulate the redevelopment of the area, including through the creation of the London Docklands Development Corporation in 1981 and granting the Isle of Dogs Enterprise Zone status in 1982. In 1987 the Canadian company Olympia and York agreed to construct a major office development on the Isle of Dogs, with construction commencing in 1988. A Plane flies over The Shard Merton Street Oxford Southbourne Beach Seascape at Southbourne Grelag Geese A family of Grelag Geese on the Thames near Runnymede Magnolia and House Guest Hengistbury Head and Isle of Wight viewed from the cliffs at Southbourne in Dorset The Crocus is a dwarf perennial A genus of summer flowering perennials. Fully hardy. Square crop for coasters Christchurch Priory There has been a church on this site since around 800 A.D. The present building was begun in 1094 by Ranulf Flambard and has since been in continuous use as a place of prayer and pilgrimage. Visitors never fail to be amazed to find such a beautiful church tucked away in this corner of Dorset, where it dominates the skyline of the historic town of Christchurch. In Simon Jenkins' book Thousand Best Churches the Priory was one of only eighteen churches awarded 5 stars and was described in The Times Newspaper as the least appreciated of Grand Churches. Boscombe Beach Boscombe Beach in Dorset A touch of Hitchcock Bee collecting pollen Bee collecting pollen from a tobacco plant in my garden Bournemouth Beach Huts Beach Huts in Bournemouth The Palace of Westminster and Parliament Square Impressionist Poppies Poppies and other wild flowers photo made to look like a painting by one of the great impressionists. The original is available unaltered. A genus of summer flowering perennials. Fully hardy. Taymar Ferry Plym II The Torpoint Ferries cross the River Tamar between Torpoint in Cornwall, and the city of Plymouth in Devon. There has been a ferry service at Torpoint since 1791. Originally serviced by rowing boats and then steam boats. The first Torpoint chain ferry or 'floating bridge' came into service in 1831, using a self-propelled vessel using a pair of vertical chain wheels in the middle of the vessel.to pull on fixed chains connected between the river banks. The current vessels are the 5th generation and were commisioned to be built when the previous onne were reaching the end of their useful lives in the late 1990s. The first of the new generation vessel, Plym II, was delivered in December 2004. Subsequently Tamar II was delivered in March 2005 and finally Lynher II in February 2006. When travelling from the Devon side to the Cornish side of the Taymar it is free. Noddy Train The Noddy train makes its way to the end of Hengistbury Head at Christchurch Harbour in Dorset Beach Huts at Hengistbury Head Yellow rose from my garden Christchurch Priory in Dorset A bee collecting nectar Poole Bay Abstract Royal Gala apple British Grown Royal Gala apple Orb Web Spider Bournemouth Beaches Common Seal A common seal sunning itself on the rocks at Sutton Harbour Plymouth Christchurch in Dorset Needles on the Isle of Wight as viewed from Mudeford Lone Strawberry Fresh Strawberry An old Oak Tree in Alexandra Park Windsor Christchurch Skyline Christchurch in Dorset. The harbour and skyline Yellow Legged Gull The river Avon in Dorset Orange and yellow Gerbera Southwark Skyline Southwark Skyline including the Shard and County Hall The London Millennium Footbridge is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in london, 2012, olympics, England, linking Bankside with the City. It is located between Southwark Bridge (downstream) and Blackfriars Railway Bridge (upstream). The bridge is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. Construction of the bridge began in 1998, with the opening on 10 June 2000. The Isle of Wight as Viewed from Mudeford in Dorset Orange Rose in my garden Hengistbury Head Hengistbury Head beach Oxford High Street Tank Memorial An American Sherman tank that was pulled from the sea off Slapton Sands. It was lost during practiced landings carried out by American troops, ready for the Normandy landings in 1944. Many American lives were lost during the practices and this stands as a memorial to their sacrifice. The Shard and City Hall The Shard and Southwark Cathedral Spitfire Mk IXB Perhaps the most famous of all Spitfires still flying today, MH434 was built in 1943 at Vickers, Castle Bromwich. This Spitfire is completely original, and has never been fully rebuilt. It was flown in combat by South African pilot Flt Lt Henry Lardner-Burke, DFC (1916-1970), seven and a half kills, three damaged, retiring as a Wing Commander. Arsenal Lily Arsenal Lily in my garden. A bee inspects wild Daisies growing at the top of Southbourne Cliffs White Rose in my garden Ruislip Lido Ruislip Lido started life in 1811 as Ruislip Reservoir and was built as a feeder for the Grand Junction Canal, later, in 1933, to become the Grand Union Canal. John Rennie was the main engineer working on the construction, Hugh Mackintosh the constructor. On 5th December 1811 the project was announced as complete, by Rennie Christchurch Harbour Christchurch Harbour in Dorset Red-Crested Pochard Larger than a pochard, the male has an orange-brown head with a red beak and pale flanks. Females are brown with pale cheeks. In flight they show whitish primaries. They dive, dabble and up-end for their food.There is a large population in Spain and nearer but smaller numbers in France, Netherlands and Germany - and occasional wild birds may come to the UK from the Continent. The UK breeding birds almost certainly all come from escaped birds. Cruising on a spring afternoon A Narrowboat having just left Stockers Lock on the Grand Union Canal A pastel misty and moody Isle of Wight as Viewed from Southbourne in Dorset Grass Silhouette Silhouette of long grass Isle of Wight as seen from Bournemouth The bridge at Henley-on-Thames Yellow daisy Day out on the canal Contables House The remains of a 12th-century riverside chamber block or 'Constable's House'. This very early example of domestic architecture includes a rare Norman chimney. This can be found in the grounds of Christchurch Castle, Dorset. As seen from across the river Avon Boats moored in Christchurch Harbour Slapton Sands On top of being an extremely picturesque and popular beach, Slapton Sands plays an important part in the survival of some of the UK’s rarest flora and fauna. Slapton Sands has a very moving story attached to it. In 1943, the beach was taken over by the allied forces to use as a rehearsal area for the D-Day Landings. Unfortunately, a combination of live ammunition and poor visibility resulted in the deaths of 749 American servicemen. You can visit a stone monument which was set in place on Slapton Sands to commemorate the ill-fated ‘Operation Tiger’, along with a Sherman Tank at nearby Torcross. Poppy. A symbol of Rememberance of all those that have died in war. Juvenile Blackbird One of the most common birds in Europe, The male has a black body, a bright orange bill and a yellow ring around the eye. The female has a dark brown body with a mottled dark spotted underside. Immature males (1st winter) are coloured dull black with a dark bill. Juveniles have a gingery brown body with pale streaks on the back and an orange bill. Blueberry Crush Lily. This is an Oriental Trumpet variety. Bournemouth Pier in Dorset Woodpigeon Wild and shy but common almost everywhere. Rowing Boat Rowing boat on the shore of Poole Harbour Surfers at Boscombe in Dorset The Needles on the Isle of Wight seen from Hengistbury Head Boats near Denham Deep Lock on the Grand Union canal Springtime by the Canal The Grand Union Canal near Stockers Lock Black Jacks Lock Reflective Mood Poppies and other wild flowers Fresh Strawberries St Peters Marlow Fishing nets at Mudeford Quay In the early 1080s, William the Conqueror began to build a massive stone tower at the centre of his London fortress. Nothing like it had ever been seen before. Through the centuries that followed, successive monarchs added to the fortifications. Victoria Memorial Westminster bridge Bournemouth Sunset Sunset at Bournemouth Dorset Avon Beach View of Avon Beach from Mudeford Harbour Poppy Bud Poppy bud in my garden Mute Swans Cygnets on the Avon river in Dorset Kite Surger at Southbourne in Dorset Galloway Shetland cross cow Galloway/Shetland cross cow Reed Beds St Aldates Street Road Temple Lock Temple Lock on the Thames near Marlow Aquatic perennial cultivated for its showy summer flowers. View across the bay. View across Poole Bay from the overcliff area A cheeky Robin Swanage Bay Swanage was originally a small port and fishing village flourished in the Victorian era, when it first became a significant quarrying port and later a seaside resort for the rich of the day. Today the town remains a popular tourist resort, this being the town's primary industry, with many thousands of visitors coming to the town during the peak summer season, drawn by the bay's sandy beaches and other attractions. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 8 miles south of Poole and 30 miles east of Dorchester. Mudeford Beach in Dorset Isle of Wight as viewed from Mudeford on Boxing Day morning 2012 The Groyne Groyne at Bournemouth in Dorset England The remains of a 12th-century riverside chamber block or 'Constable's House'. This very early example of domestic architecture includes a rare Norman chimney. This can be found in the grounds of Christchurch Castle, Dorset. As seen from the Castle Street road bridge across the river Avon Slapton Ley Hms Belfast and city skyline One of the most powerful large light cruisers ever built, HMS Belfast is now the only surviving vessel of her type to have seen active service during the Second World War, Serving Britain for 32 years, she played an important role in both the Second World War and the Korean War as well as performing peacekeeping duties throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Saved from destruction in 1971, HMS Belfast is now part of the Imperial War Museum and is the first ship to be preserved for the nation since Nelson’s Victory. It is moored just upstream from Tower Bridge on the River Thames. The London Millennium Footbridge is a steel suspension bridge for pedestrians crossing the River Thames in London, England, linking Bankside with the City. It is located between Southwark Bridge (downstream) and Blackfriars Railway Bridge (upstream). The bridge is owned and maintained by the Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the City of London Corporation. Construction of the bridge began in 1998, with the opening on 10 June 2000. Ghost train by Bournemouth Pier Collared Dove Hengistbury Head in Dorset with the Isle of Wight in the background Geum in my garden Sutton Harbour Plymouth R22 Beta Helicopter The Robinson R22 Beta II is flown throughout the world for many applications, ranging from flight training to livestock mustering to patrolling pipelines that require dependability, low operating costs, and performance. Christchurch Castle Christchurch Castle was built in the late 11thcentury to protect the town's and river access to the interior of Wessex. It was built inside the Saxon fort whose walls were probably used to build the castle mound or motte. The luxurious Contable's Hall was built around 1150. The stone keep, (slighted after 1650), replaced a wooden structure about 1300. The castle saw action in the Anarchy about 1147 and in the Civil War in 1645. Corfe Castle The dramatic ruins of Corfe Castle stand on a natural hill guarding the principal route through the Purbeck Hills. It guards the gap between the south of Purbeck, where Purbeck marble was once quarried, and the rest of England. Nothing could pass in or out without going past the Castle. For more information visit http://corfe-castle.co.uk/ Sunset Over the Taymar Windsor Castle framed by an old Oak from Alexandra Park Red Arrows Memorial The associted plaque reads...... Always Follow your Dreams Blue Skies Memorial to Flt. Lt, John Egging - Eggman - Red 4 who tragically died when his Hawk aeroplane crashed after displaying at the Bournemouth Air Festival on 20 August 2011 Greylag Goose om Little Britain Lake Historic Christchurch View of Christchurch Priory and the Norman House Sidmouth is a typically English seaside town on the South Devon coast. It has a Regency history with fine hotels clean beaches and friendly shops. It nestles beneath majestic red cliffs and green hills of the Sid valley. White Water Lily White Water Lily on Little Britain Lake Paignton to Dartmouth Railway Train being pulled by 5239 Goliath. Built August 1924 in Swindon. Withdrawn British Railways 1963.This class of locomotive was designed for use on heavy coal trains in the Welsh valleys, although two of the class were allocated to St Blazey in Cornwall for china clay traffic. 5239 was based at Neath for all of its working life being withdrawn from there in 1963 and sent to Barry scrap yard.Rescued by the Dart Valley Railway, it arrived at Newton Abbot in June 1973 where most of the restoration work was carried out. In June 1976 it was transferred to Paignton for completion, entering traffic in 1978 Winter Wonderland Fairground Calm reflections Black Jacks Bridge and Lock Canal Craft Fishing Boat with an old fashioned grainy look Air Forces Memorial The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede. Dedicated to over 20000 aircrew that have lost their lives in defence of our country. Many from overseas who bravely fought alongside the British during the second world war. Their names are carved into the inside walls. Magna Carta Memorial The memorial to the Magna Carta at Runnymede by the Thames where it was drawn up. Hengistbury Head view from Boscombe Pier RNLB 17-28 The Brixham lifeboat is named RNLB Alec and Christina Dykes in memory of Mrs Helen Christina Dykes whose bequest covered almost half of the build cost. A number of other individuals and organisations made significant contributions to the lifeboat and its facilities. These are noted on a brass plaque which is mounted in the wheelhouse. Mrs Dykes during her lifetime donated a D Class to Ilfracombe Station which was named in memory of her husband. Grey herons are tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest. Arsenal Lily in my garden. Its there under protest as I am a West Ham suppoerter Winter Wonderland Power Tower The London Skyline from the Millennium Bridge A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site since 604AD, and throughout the Cathedral has remained a busy, working church where millions come to reflect and find peace. The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Oxford Skyline View of Oxford Skyline as seen from the banks of the Thames across Christ Church Meadow Merton College and Church Oxford Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and 7 miles northeast of Reading, 10 miles upstream and 7 miles west from Maidenhead. It is near the tripoint of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire. Christ Church Oxford Christ Church, colloquially known as “the House,” is a unique joint foundation of a college of the University of Oxford and the Cathedral of the Diocese of Oxford. It has a world-famous Cathedral Choir and a Picture Gallery containing an important collection of Old Master paintings that is open to the public. There is also a small Cathedral School. The College is one of the largest in the University. The Oxford University Boat Houses Mute Swan at Rickmansworth Aquadrome St Pauls Cathedral Points away towards the Heavens Goshawks are powerful predators. They are scarce, due to persecution, in most areas. They are making a come back in the UK where they have been illegally released or simply escaped. St Pauls Cahedral taken from theShard. A Cathedral dedicated to St Paul has stood on this site since 604AD, and throughout the Cathedral has remained a busy, working church where millions come to reflect and find peace. The current Cathedral – the fourth to occupy this site – was designed by the court architect Sir Christopher Wren and built between 1675 and 1710 after its predecessor was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. Telekia speciosa is a summer-flowering herbaceous perennial. Also known as Heart-leaved ox eye, Ox-eye daisy, Yellow ox-eye. The Old Bailey The Old Bailey, also known as Justice Hall, the Sessions House, and the Central Criminal Court, was named after the street in which it was located, just off Newgate Street and next to Newgate Prison, in the western part of the City of London. Over the centuries the building has been periodically remodelled and rebuilt in ways which both reflected and influenced the changing ways trials were carried out and reported. Paraglider at Southbourne Cliffs in Dorset Steam Tractor. Steam tractor at White Waltham Festival of speed, air and steam Sheldonian Theatre Oxford The Shard is the tallest building in Western Europe, its crystalline façade transforming the London skyline with a multi-use 310 m (1,016 ft) vertical city. It comprises high quality offices, three world-class restaurants - aqua shard, Oblix and Hutong, the 5-star Shangri-La hotel, exclusive residential apartments and the capital's highest public viewing gallery, The View from The Shard. Shown here as a part of a complex angular structure where only the bridge is level The Shard and Southwark Cathedral. A contrast of the very old next to the very new. Grand Union Canal Bridge 181 Black Jacks on the Grand Union Star Flyer ride Poole Bay A view of Poole bay in Dorset with Boscombe and Bournemouth piers Hotrod Engine Exposed Hotrod engine Strelitzia Reginae is an exotic, tender, evergreen perennial. It forms a clump of broadly oblong, grey-green leaves on long stalks and in winter and spring, produces unusual orange and blue flowers that resemble a birds head. Hence it is also known as Bird of paradise, Bird of paradise flower , Crane flower. Garden Cross Spider One of the most common spiders with what looks like a cross on their abdomen Marlow Bridge Marlow Bridge from All Saints Church Graveyard Sutton Harbour Sutton Harbour Plymouth. It was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers set sail for the new world. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Mudeford Quay Mudeford Quay as viewed across Christcurch Harbour from Hengistbury Head. This is the mouth of the river Stour which was joined by the river Avon a short way before. HMS St Albans, the sixteenth and last of the Royal Navy's Type 23 frigates to be built, was launched on 6 May 2000. Constructed by BAE Systems at Scotstoun. She is affectionately known as The Saint. Sutton Harbour in Plymouth. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history t Diver and Dolphin Diver and Dolphin Fountain Sculpture at St Katherines Dock Marlow in Buckinghamshire, by the river Thames. Marlow's most famous resident is Sir Steve Redgrave, 5 times Olympic champion. There is an 8 foot high bronze statue of Sir Steve in the gardens near the river. Sunset from Plymouth Hoe 30th October 2016. Plymouth Hoe is a large south facing open space which over looks Plymouth Sound. Hoe derives from Anglo-Saxon meaning a sloping ridge shaped like an inverted foot and heel. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on the South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. Weymouth Old Harbour Plymouth Gin Distillery Plymouth Gin Distillery is the oldest working distillery in England. It has been making Plymouth Gin according to the original recipe since 1793. Smeatons Tower was the third of four Eddystone lighthouses originally sited 14 miles West of Plymouth. And was in use from 1759 to 1882. As technology moved on it was too small contain modern machinery so it was dismantled and rebuilt on a new granite base on Plymouth Hoe and opened in September 1884. Plymouth is Englands Ocean City. Situated on Englands South coast on the east bank of the River Tamar and the mouth of the River Plym. It has a history that goes back beyond Elizabethan times as an important sea port. It has been home to many historic people including Sir Francis Drake who allegedly completed a game of bowls after being told that the Spanish Armada was on its way. It is also famous for the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail for the new world on the Mayflower. It has so much history that it would take volumes to describe its past and current day. Other than to say it is still a thriving naval port with old and new alongside each other. The City of London Skyline Silver Stream Silver Stream is a trawler-netter which was built in France in 1966. It has had a couple of names before coming to Plymouth in 1982. It was an average sized boat then, but became the largest in the fleet do to the decline of the British fishing industry caused by EU regulations restricting fishing quotas etc. This is a city that should benefiit greatly as a result of the right sort of Brexit. Marlow Bridge and All Saints Church Boscombe Beach Abstract An abstract created from one of my own images of Boscombe Beach in Dorset using Serif PhotoPlus London Eye Abstract An abstract of the London Eye created in Serif PhotoPlus using one of my own images as the base Gerbera Abstract An abstract of an Orange and yellow Gerbera created in Serif PhotoPlus Sunset over Poole Bay Woodland Path Abstract Created in Serif PhotoPlus using one of my own images as a base. St Giles Abstract Created in Serif PhotoPlus using one of my own images of St Giles in Ickenham, as a base. Country Parks Collage A collage of images taken at parks and country parks to the West and North West of Longon, Including Ruislip Lido, Little Britain, Black Park Country Park and Rickmansworth Aquadrome. Winchester Cathedral Nave ceiling from the Quire. The view through the entrance of the world famous Eton College near Windsor in Berkshire, England. Household Cavalry Three members of the Household Cavalry ride up the Mall Church of St. Lawrence West Wycombe R44 Raven Helicopter Robinson's R44 Raven Series Helicopters provide excellent reliability, responsive handling, and altitude performance, making the R44 the ideal helicopter for private, business, and utility applications. Taken at Denham Airfield west London where this particular craft is registered Thames Skyline HMS Belfast, Tower Bridge, Tower of London Apple Blossom 4 Apple Blossom 4 Taken in my garden in West London Apple Blossom 3 In my garden New Forest Pony. The New Forest ponies most endearing quality is their inbred, gentle nature. Their calm temperament naturally recommends them as an excellent choice and an ideal mount for both children and adults. They have long been raced locally and are surprisingly fast, especially over rough terrain. They are suited to many competitive activities from Pony Club to polo, driving to dressage, they are naturals at jumping and gymkhana and are successfully trained to carry handicapped riders. All in all, the modern New Forest Pony is an exceptional all-rounder with an endearing character, that has developed as a result of both its unique environment and strong association with the people who have been responsible for the development of the breed. Best mum in the world A yellow rose for Mothers Day. Or simply for that special lady in our life anytime of the year. Hengistbury Huts Bournemouth Pier in Dorset on Englands South Coast Polish War Memorial - Poleglym lotnikom Polskim The Polish War Memorial was erected in Northolt West London to remember the contribution of airmen from Poland who helped the Allied cause during World War II. Many flew from RAF Northolt. Poole Bay from southbourne showing Boscombe Pier and Bournemouth pier Christchurch Dorset Christchurch as viewed from Hengistbury head Standing at the foot of the Cooper's Hill Slopes, at Runnymede Surrey, is a memorial to the Magna Carta in the form of a domed classical temple containing a pillar of English granite on which is inscribed: 'To commemorate Magna Carta, symbol of Freedom Under Law.' This was built by the American Bar Association on land leased by the Magna Carta Trust. It was paid for by voluntary contributions of some 9,000 American lawyers. All Saints Marlow and Marlow bridge The current church is Victorian and replaced the previous one which collapsed in 1831. There has been a church in that general area since 1070 A Panoramic shot of Bournemouth beaches taken on 10th April 2011 from Bournemouth Pier London Collage A collage of famous london sights including the Tower of London, St Pauls and the Millennium Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Tower Bridge and HMS Belfast and the Monument. Merton college Chapel Carousel in black and white Kite Surfer at Southbourne in Dorset Grand Union Canal collage A collage of images of the Grand Union canal between Rickmansworth and Cowley near Uxbridge West London. Bowl of Raspberries and cream A bowl of British grown Octavia Raspberries and cream, St Laurence Church in Cowley Angora Goat Angora Goat having a rest. HMS Somerset HMS Somerset is one of a batch of Type 23 frigates ordered in 1992 from the Yarrow yard (today BAE Systems) in Scotstoun. It was there that she was launched in June 1994 before she made her way to her home port of Devonport two years later to take her place in the Fleet. HMS Somerset traces her history back three centuries, but it was in 2005 that she adopted her motto from the Duke of Somerset, for whom she is named: Foy pour devoir - faith for duty. Carousel in Bournemouth near the pier Britannia Royal Naval College Britannia Royal Naval College is a modern, military college steeped in traditional values, delivering learning that is inspiring, challenging and relevant to meet Fleet operational capability. It has been at the forefront of the education and development of world-class Naval Officers in Dartmouth since 1863. Ford Mustang Engine Bay One of the most powerful large light cruisers ever built, HMS Belfast is now the only surviving vessel of her type to have seen active service during the Second World War, Serving Britain for 32 years, she played an important role in both the Second World War and the Korean War as well as performing peacekeeping duties throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Saved from destruction in 1971, HMS Belfast is now part of the Imperial War Museum and is the first ship to be preserved for the nation since Nelson's Victory. It is moored just upstream from Tower Bridge on the River Thames. Little Owl is a small, chunky, flat headed and short tailed. It hunts at dusk but can be often seen perched out during the day. Can be found all over Europe and UK A collage of famous London sites and sights Windsor Castle, Royal Standard flying, as seen from Alexandra Park. Windsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world, and is one of the official residences of Her Majesty The Queen. The Castle's dramatic site encapsulates 900 years of British history. It covers an area of 26 acres and contains, as well as a royal palace, a magnificent chapel and the homes and workplaces of a large number of people. The Isle of Wight as seen from Avon beach Mudeford Poole Bay as seen from Southbourne Marlow in Buckinghamshire Hengistbury Head on a cold frosty Boxing Day morning. Angler at Hengistbury Head An angler fishing off the end of Hengistbury Head in Dorset. The Isle of Wight in the background. About Lens2print Quality art, Great value, Ethically done. Register as an artist 8 Chapel Hill Ponsanooth info@lens2print.co.uk © 2019 Lens2print | Development by Saturn Innovation

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History of the Lascaux Cave The Lascaux Caves in the Dordogne region of southwest France contain some of the oldest and finest prehistoric art in the world. The cave paintings, which mainly depict animals, are some 17,000 years old and seem to have a ritual purpose. For preservation reasons, the public may only visit a well-executed replica called Lascaux II. History of Lascaux Radiocarbon dating of charcoal and other artifacts found in the cave complex has led most scholars to date the Lascaux paintings to c.15,000 BC, making them some of the oldest paintings in the world. The majority view is that the paintings were completed over a period of a few centuries at most, while others believe the work was carried out over a much longer period. Given the lack of written records, the purpose of the cave paintings cannot be known for certain. However, the high quality of the work and the amount of effort involved (scaffolding must have been used to reach the highest part of the walls, for instance) suggests it was a sacred place that may have been used for rituals. The cave complex was closed up shortly after its decoration and it remained blocked up until September 1940, when four local boys stumbled on it while looking for a dog. The site was first studied by the French archaeologist Henri Breuil (1877-1961), a renowned expert in prehistoric art. Having been hidden for 17,000 years, the Lascaux Caves were in perfect condition when they were discovered. Unfortunately, however, the caves were opened to an enthusiastic public in 1948 without any thought to preservation. The combined effects of artificial lighting and 100,000 visitors per year soon caused great damage to the site. Much valuable archaeological information was lost, the bright colors of the paintings faded, and destructive layers of algae, bacteria and opaque calcite crystals formed on the walls. Finally, in 1963, the caves were closed to the public and restoration efforts began. The growth of crystals was stopped and the algae and bacteria growth was reversed. The caves are still carefully monitored and remain closed to the public. In 1979, the Lascaux Caves were declared a World Heritage Site along with over 20 other painted caves in the area. In 1983, a carefully executed replica known as Lascaux II opened to the public. Located on the same hill as the original, the replica cave took 10 years to complete. The paintings were reproduced with painstaking attention to detail by a local artist named Monique Peytral. Lascaux I The original Lascaux Grottoes consist of a main cave 66 feet wide and 16 feet high, plus several smaller galleries. The walls and ceilings of the caves are decorated with some 600 painted figures and almost 1,500 engravings in total. The subjects of the paintings are almost entirely animals, some of which are now extinct. The horses, with small heads and hooves and round bellies, resemble the Przewalski horse of Asia and horses depicted in Chinese paintings. The deer are graceful animals with fine sets of antlers. The bulls that feature prominently in the paintings are actually aurochs, a horned bovine species that went extinct in the Middle Ages. They are often shown in three-quarters view, whereas the other animals appear mainly in profile. There are also six cats, two male bison, and an unidentified two-horned animal (confusingly nicknamed “the unicorn”) that may be a mythical creature. A rare narrative scene may depict a hunting expedition or a shamanistic ritual. Finally, there are repetitive patterns of intriguing geometric designs, including rectangles and jagged lines. Lascaux II Lascaux II is located just 200m from the original caves in a cement bunker. It replicates the two main chambers of the Lascaux Caves, including about 200 replica paintings stretching over 128 feet. Although it cannot compare to the real thing, the replica caves are remarkable in their attention to detail. The caves were reconstructed as close to the originals as possible, even including the temperature (55° F). Painted by local artist Monique Peytral, the Lascaux II replica paintings use the same methods and materials as the original Paleolithic artists. The design was copied exactly by projecting photos of the original caves onto the walls and painting over them. Visitors first encounter an exhibition describing the layout, history and methods of the original Lascaux Caves, followed by the replica version of some of the most famous paintings in the world. The paintings were done in red, brown and yellow ochre with outlines of black manganese dioxide. Le Thot The nearby Le Thot Prehistoric Theme Park (combined ticket with Lascaux available) can add to the appreciation of Lascaux II and is especially popular with kids. It includes a video of the construction of Lascaux II, models of prehistoric scenes, and, perhaps best of all, live examples of animals depicted in the Lascaux paintings: European bison, long-horned cattle, Przewalski horses, and animals from Mongolia believed to resemble the prehistoric wild horse.

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Thursday August 16, 2012 By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Thursday August 16, 2012 There have been secret talks about local casino City staff say there’s “interest” brewing about building a casino in Hamilton — but not even council is allowed to know who’s behind it. Tim McCabe, the city’s director of economic development and planning, said he has had “absolutely confidential” discussions about a new gambling facility in the city. “I have had some discussions through a third party, and there is some interest in Hamilton,” McCabe said. McCabe’s comments came about after Councillor Sam Merulla put forward a motion asking for a moratorium on any new gaming facility in the city until the public can vote in a referendum on the issue during the 2014 municipal election. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced a massive “modernization” earlier this year that includes plans for one casino in the Hamilton/Burlington area. It’s still not clear whether that means Flamboro Downs will remain open — council’s preference — or whether a new facility will be built. Though Merulla’s argued that locating a new casino in the city would be as contentious as the Pan Am stadium debate, McCabe warned councillors that passing Merulla’s motion could potentially cut the city off from millions of dollars’ worth of investment. Councillors were divided about whether or not to approve the referendum. Councillor Judi Partridge said the city’s role is “not to roll over or chase an elusive carrot” and criticized the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation, arguing the city has “a chance to say no, and to be in the driver’s seat.” Mayor Bob Bratina argued that the city should be open to all possibilities.(Source: Hamilton Spectator) Posted in: Hamilton Tagged: anchor, Bob Bratina, carnival, casino, charity, Copps, crown, Gambling, Gore, Hamilton, innovation, Lister, spin, wheel

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Alan Rickman: Yippee-ki-yay, Motherf#cker. January 16, 2016 January 16, 2016 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment We will always be grateful for Hans Gruber. When Die Hard hit theaters in 1988, it felt like something we had never seen before: a different kind of action movie that would reset the genre for a generation or more. The action was riveting. The humor was sharp. It gave us a new kind of hero. And the whole thing felt glossy and polished. And then there was Alan Rickman. Of all the things about Die Hard that we had never seen before, Alan Rickman rises to the top of the list. Making his film debut as villain Hans Gruber, Rickman immediately and indelibly emerged as a cinematic force to be reckoned with. To borrow a phrase from another hit movie that came out the very same year, Rickman announced his presence with authority. As the poisonous Hans Gruber, Alan Rickman was a revelation, taking a two-dimensional archetype and breathing into it three-dimensional, glorious life. Part low-rent Bond villain, part frustrated junior college professor, Rickman’s Gruber slithered across Die Hard boldly and confidently, leaving a trail of irresistible slime in his wake. We laughed at his snarling invectives. We gasped as his acts of cold blooded murder. We reveled with him in his moment of triumph. And we marveled in utter fascination at his every move across the screen. It was impossible to look away from him. In a movie built to showcase Bruce Willis as Action Hero 2.0 (long before anyone would have known what “2.0” meant), unknown Alan Rickman went toe-to-toe with the emerging movie star and in large part stole the show. With wit and rage and subtlety and smarm, Rickman gravitated toward the center of the film and never relinquished the spotlight. It is no coincidence that the Die Hard sequels paled in comparison to the original. None featured Rickman’s devilish presence, and none could match the fun of the first. Of course, Alan Rickman would himself go on to have a Hall of Fame career. His Sheriff of Nottingham was extraordinary and by far the best thing about the otherwise-unbearable Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. He delivered brilliant comic turns in the incisive Bob Roberts and the broader Galaxy Quest. His imprudent flirtation with a secretary in the wonderful Love Actually gives dramatic weight to an otherwise light and airy romantic comedy. For one generation, he will always be known for his tender performances in films like Truly, Madly, Deeply and Sense and Sensibility; and for another, they may never see him as anyone other than Harry Potter‘s Severus Snape. And for those of us who first saw him snarling at us from the big screen in his motion picture debut, he will always be Hans Gruber. Alan Rickman’s death this week left cinephiles across the globe in mourning. He was a towering figure in the film world who will be sorely missed, and there will simply never be another like him. Some will bid him Godspeed. Others will wish him Rest in Peace. And for the rest of us, only one final farewell seems appropriate. Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker. Top 10 Films of 2015 January 1, 2016 January 1, 2016 / chrismicklos / Leave a comment With 2015 now officially in the rear view mirror, it turns out to have been a sneaky-good year at the movies. Despite The Force Awakens pretty much sucking all of the oxygen out of the cinema universe this year—even before its mega-debut in December—2015 gave us some quality films throughout the year. The following Top 10 represents, in no particular order (well, in alphabetical order, in fact), my own personal “best of” list for 2015. Many of these will be found on other critics’ best of lists, and many of them will be awards contenders in the coming months. Some, however, simply struck a nerve with this particular critic and found their way onto the list. If you think there is movie missing that should be on the list, it’s entirely possible that I didn’t get to see it this year…or that it simply didn’t make my cut. That shouldn’t stop you from putting it on your own list, however! Corruption. Stupidity. Greed. Co-writer and director Adam McKay posits in The Big Short that it was the confluence of those particular sins that led to the global financial disaster in the first decade of this century; and he presents the lead-up to that meltdown through the stories of three teams of financial professionals who saw it coming and set out to profit from it. For a story that unfolds primarily through phone calls, in Wall Street meeting rooms, and around the analysis of mortgage documents and investment prospectuses, The Big Short bristles with creativity and energy. Not to mention moral outrage. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, and Brad Pitt headline the cast—with Carell and Bale delivering the most interesting takes on their real-life characters—but this is a movie that succeeds because of the collective. Lead actors and the supporting cast alike rivet from start to finish. There is nothing on Adam McKay’s robust comedy resume (the Anchor Man movies, Talladega Nights, Step Brothers, and more) to suggest that he could deliver a film of such incisive wit and moral weight, but with The Big Short he may have written and directed the best film of the year. It’s no coincidence that Oscar Isaac appears in three of the films on this particular “best of” list. In 2015, he confidently staked his claim as one of the finest actors of his generation. In Ex Machina, he portrays a reclusive tech genius who just may have produced the world’s first sentient machine. He invites a star employee of his tech empire to his secluded island estate and introduces him to Ava (or is it Eve?), his latest version of sexualized artificial intelligence. Alicia Vikander slyly portrays Eva as Woman.0, and by the end of the movie we hear her roar. Ex Machina is a creepy, slow burn, and it lingers long after the final credits roll. The most interesting and understated horror movie of the year was It Follows. Part supernatural horror and part surprisingly complex morality tale, It Follows both subverts and validates the genre’s conventions regarding sex, death, and punishment. After a young girl is seduced into a sexual encounter with a mysterious new boyfriend, she finds herself haunted and pursued by an evil demon that inexorably stalks her no matter where she tries to run or hide. She can’t destroy it, and she can’t escape it. Her only hope of surviving is to have sex with another person, which will then pass the curse from her to her partner. What could have been a clumsy, typical teen blood fest is instead, in the hands of writer/director David Robert Mitchell, a masterclass in mounting suspense and hair-raising imagery. Though it rattles off the rails a bit in its closing stages, the difficulties with its resolution are not enough to undermine the style and power woven into the rest of the film. Love & Mercy alternates back and forth between the two periods in life of Brian Wilson, the creative genius behind The Beach Boys. Paul Dano portrays a younger, faltering Wilson, and John Cusack fills the role of an older, emotionally broken Wilson. The unconventional approach—two different adult actors playing the same character at different points of his life—works in unexpected and riveting ways. After two decades of struggle with debilitating mental illness, drug abuse, and family turmoil, the fragile, dependent Wilson of the 1980’s indeed seems to have been a completely different man than the energetic, dynamic Wilson of the Pet Sounds era. Dano and Cusack famously did not coordinate their takes on Wilson and barely even met before or during the film’s production, and as a result their individual portrayals of the man are crafted and shaded in their own unique ways. And both deliver, as does a stellar Elizabeth Banks in a supporting role. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Indie actress-cum-screenwriter Greta Gerwig has emerged in recent years as a truly idiosyncratic cinematic voice, with her latest film, Mistress America, a minor-though-charming addition to her growing and impressive filmography. Mistress America, which Gerwig stars in, co-produced, and co-wrote with director and best beau Noah Baumbach, is an unexpansive meditation on loneliness, narcissism, and the cult of (failed) ambition. And, like much of Gerwig’s most personal work to date, it delights in the struggle of a generation desperate to find its place as it comes to terms with the twilight of youth and the dawn of adulthood. Gerwig’s cinematic baptism has come at the altar of filmmakers like Whit Stillman and Baumbach himself, and it shows in her scripting of Mistress America. And that’s not a bad thing. Though less self-conscious—but dramatically warmer—than movies like Metropolitan or Damsels in Distress (which Gerwig starred in, as well), Gerwig the writer shares a talky, erudite style with Stillman and Baumbach. But her earthy, human moments are significantly more impactful and resonant. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Sidney Lumet was a titan of 1970’s filmmaking, imbuing his films with rich complexity and indelible style. Though his career spanned more than 50 years, in that one decade alone, Lumet gave us such signature films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, and Network, among many others. Lumet died in 2011, but director J.C. Chandor seems to have been channeling the great man’s spirit in A Most Violent Year. Technically released (limited) on December 31 of 2014, I’m going to count A Most Violent Year on this list, because it didn’t really hit theaters until the early part of 2015. And it would be a shame not to give it its due. With the look and feel of a 1970’s gangster film but the pacing of a deeply personal drama, the film tells the story of an ambitious Latino immigrant attempting to protect his business, his family, and his honor during the violence of 1981 New York City. Starring Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, A Most Violent Year never combusts, but it smolders with quiet, restrained intensity in every frame. An example of your classic late-year prestige picture, Spotlight checks off all the right boxes to make it a serious Oscar contender: great ensemble cast, important subject, quality script and direction, and pretty much everyone involved putting their best foot forward. Directed by Tom McCarthy, Spotlight chronicles the months-long quest by the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigative team to draw back the curtain on Boston’s massive clergy-abuse scandal in the early 2000’s. The film functions not only as a scathing indictment of the role of the Catholic church in covering up and perpetuating the abuse, but also as a testament to the importance of a strong, healthy free press in exposing and challenging the wrongdoing of the most powerful institutions in society. The story and thematic parallels between this film and the original Star Wars have been much remarked upon in recent weeks and in some quarters roundly criticized, but for the most part, The Force Awakens actually delivers on the year-long hype and decades-long anticipation that ushered in its arrival. “It’s true,” Harrison Ford’s Han Solo assures us at one point. “All of it. The Dark Side, the Jedi. They’re real.” That’s how we felt watching Star Wars for the first time nearly 40 years ago, and that’s how this movie makes us feel once again. The Force Awakens is the movie we’ve been waiting for since 1983, and you come away from it reassured of one thing: The Force will be with you. Always. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here. Deconstructing Apple co-founder Steve Jobs through an interesting, practically theatrical 3-act structure, writer Aaron Sorkin and director Danny Boyle paint a portrait of a self-righteous, morally fallible genius who is wrong more than he is right. But when he’s right–whoa!–he’s really right. Sorkin’s crackling script, Kate Winslet’s Oscar-worthy second banana, and a host of solid supporting turns (Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels, among them) take a backseat to Michael Fassbender’s intense, penetrating portrayal of Jobs himself. Fassbender has been putting some riveting work on film the last several years, and here he is alternatively seductive and repugnant. In berating loyal employee Andy Hertzfeld before the launch of the Apple Macintosh computer, Fassbender’s Jobs hisses, “You had three weeks. The universe was created in a third of that time.” Without skipping a beat, Hertzfeld replies, “Well, someday you’ll have to tell us how you did it.” And that’s Steve Jobs in a nutshell. Released in the United States in early 2015, What We Do in the Shadows succeeds due in large part to its palpable love and appreciation of the horror classics. Its humor may be modern, but its roots and inspiration burrow through more than a century of classic horror cinema. More Young Frankenstein than Scary Movie 5, Shadows’ affectionate take on the horror comedy offers equal parts satire and homage, with dashes of genuine melancholy and dread thrown in for good measure. It’s an instant classic. Read Madison Film Guy’s full review here.

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Children’s Cartoon Accused Of Racism For Negative Portrayal Of ‘Minorities’ December 5, 2018 Brian Anderson, Opinion Columnist Social Issues The classic Christian cartoon VeggieTales is being accused of racism for negatively portraying so-called minority vegetables, proving some people are able to find just about anything “racist.” VeggieTales (Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube) Liberals have stated very clearly that “everything is racist,” but it never ceases to amaze the things they find racism in. The classic Christian cartoon VeggieTales is being accused of racism for negatively portraying minority vegetables as villains and perpetuating racial stereotypes. Many foods like milk and fried chicken have been called racist by the left, but until now the vegetables have been safe. This will surely cause an existential crisis among vegans as their no-meat diets are driven by leftist ideology. The College Fix reports that Cal State San Marcos held a “Whiteness Forum” last week. Despite its name, this forum was more of an anti-whiteness affair with topics like “White Avoidance,” “Civilized vs. Uncivilized,” “Kill the Land, Kill the Indian,” “White Women’s Role in White Supremacy,” and “Gun Ownership and Racial Bias.” One of the panel discussions or “projects” as they were called focused on the screaming racism of a wholesome children’s cartoon. Another project suggested that the children’s Christian television show, “VeggieTales,” perpetuates racial stereotypes. A female student who worked on the project said in an interview that the accents of the evil characters tend to sound ethnic, such as Latino, while the good characters sound white. “When supremacists aim to taint the way children think of people of color, it will work,” the project said. “Whiteness in the Bible isn’t just seen as ‘power’ it’s seen as ‘good.’ When kids see the good white character triumph over the bad person of color character, they are taught that white is right and minorities are the source of evil.” What show were these nuts watching? VeggieTales was an animated TV show and direct-to-video series that used anthropomorphic fruits and vegetables to convey Christian morality to children. Some of the main characters were Bob the Tomato, Larry the Cucumber, and Junior Asparagus, all vegetables of color. All of the so-called good vegetables were definitely not “white” as the hysterical liberals would have you believe. There also weren’t really villain vegetables on the show either. There were some characters who had flaws of morality, but they always learned their lesson. It’s not like any of the fruits or vegetables were gang-banging, crack-smoking thugs, and none of them had over-the-top stereotypical accents. Archibald Asparagus had a British accent while Madame Blueberry was French. Apparently, the liberals at the this “Whiteness Forum” were put off by the “racism” of portraying green and blue characters as stereotypes of white Europeans, which makes as much sense as any of this other nonsense. PJ Media got VeggieTales writer and narrator Eric Metaxas’ reaction to this accusation. “All vegetables are part of one race, even though they are of many colors. They are all descended from the same parents — the Adam and Eve of vegetables, who foolishly ate a forbidden fruit (irony?) and screwed everything up for all vegetables descended from them. At least I’m pretty sure that’s the story,” said Metaxas. When liberals are at the point where they are accusing cartoon vegetables of racism, that should be a pretty good indicator that we are truly a post-racial society and no actual racism exists anymore. Unfortunately, the left can’t let the race-hustle go and will continue to devalue the meaning of “racism” by accusing literally everything of being racist. About Brian Anderson, Opinion Columnist 50 Articles Brian Anderson is the author of horror novels Man-Made Monsters and Cryptic Creatures and has written for some major Hollywood studios. He is a family man, musician, muscle car enthusiast, and supporter of the 2nd Amendment.

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SCREENSHOTS: Taylor Swift Reveals Her 'Cats' Character She's "kind and touching but harsh" Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for InStyle Flirtatious, confident, kind and touching; but also harsh. No, we’re not talking about Taylor Swift, but that is how Bombalurina is described in Cats the musical, and Swift is set to play her in the upcoming film adaptation. Related: Listen To Kelly Clarkson's Powerful 'Greatest Showman' Cover The “Shake it Off” singer made the big reveal on Instagram. Swift posted a selfie that included her character’s name on her trailer. A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jan 22, 2019 at 8:26am PST Cats is scheduled to hit theaters on December 20, 2019. Other stars on-board include Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson and James Corden. The first stage performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was in 1981. It includes the classic song “Memory.”

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Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education pp 1-13 | Cite as Introduction: AI, Inclusion, and ‘Everyone Learning Everything’ Jeremy Knox Yuchen Wang Michael Gallagher Part of the Perspectives on Rethinking and Reforming Education book series (PRRE) This chapter provides an introduction to the book—Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education: speculative futures and emerging practices. It examines the potential intersections, correspondences, divergences, and contestations between the discourses that typically accompany, on the one hand, calls for artificial intelligence technology to disrupt and enhance educational practice and, on the other, appeals for greater inclusion in teaching and learning. Both these areas of discourse are shown to envision a future of ‘education for all’: artificial intelligence in education (AIEd) tends to promote the idea of an automated, and personalised, one-to-one tutor for every learner, while inclusive education often appears concerned with methods of involving marginalised and excluded individuals and organising the communal dimensions of education. However, these approaches are also shown to imply important distinctions: between the attempts at collective educational work through inclusive pedagogies and the drive for personalised learning through AIEd. This chapter presents a critical view of the quest for personalisation found in AIEd, suggesting a problematic grounding in the myth of the one-to-one tutor and questionable associations with simplistic views of ‘learner-centred’ education. In contrast, inclusive pedagogy is suggested to be more concerned with developing a ‘common ground’ for educational activity, rather than developing a one-on-one relationship between the teacher and the student. Inclusive education is therefore portrayed as political, involving the promotion of active, collective, and democratic forms of citizen participation. The chapter concludes with an outline of the subsequent contributions to the book. Personalisation Individualism One-to-one tutoring Special education Community Alpaydin, E. (2016). Machine learning: the new AI. Cambridge: MIT Press.Google Scholar Biesta, G. (2005). Against learning. Reclaiming a language for education in an age of Learning. Nordisk Pedagogik, 25(1), 54–66.Google Scholar Biesta, G. (2006). Beyond learning. Democratic education for a human future. Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.Google Scholar Biesta, G. (2012). Giving teaching back to education: Responding to the disappearance of the teacher. Phenomenology & Practice, 6(2), 35–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar Edyburn, D., Higgins, K., & Boone, R. (2005). Handbook of special education technology research and practice. Oviedo: Knowledge By Design, Inc.Google Scholar Florian, L. (2008). Special or inclusive education: Future trends. British Journal of Special Education, 35(4), 202–208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar Friesen, N. (forthcoming 2019). The technological imaginary in education, or: Myth and enlightenment in “Personalized Learning”. In M. Stocchetti (Ed.), The digital age and its discontents. University of Helsinki Press. Available: https://www.academia.edu/37960891/The_Technological_Imaginary_in_Education_or_Myth_and_Enlightenment_in_Personalized_Learning_. Ginsburg, M. (2012). Personalisation is political, but what kind of politics? In M. E. Mincu (Ed.), Personalisation of education in contexts: Policy critique and theories of personal improvement, foreword.Google Scholar Giroux, H. (2011). On critical pedagogy. Continuum. London: The Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. Google Scholar Herold, B. (2016). Facebook’s Zuckerberg to bet big on personalized learning. Education Week. Available https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/03/07/facebooks-zuckerberg-to-bet-big-on-personalized.html. Hill, D. (2016). AI teaching assistant helped students online—and no one knew the difference. Singularity Hub. Available https://singularityhub.com/2016/05/11/ai-teaching-assistant-helped-students-online-and-no-one-knew-the-difference/#sm.0001x3wextuewdw0112hpwla2e8bh. Houser, K. (2017). The solution to our education crisis might be AI. Futurism.com. Available: https://futurism.com/ai-teachers-education-crisis/ Knox, J., Williamson, B., & Bayne, S. (forthcoming 2019) Machine behaviourism: future visions of ‘learnification’ and ‘datafication’ across humans and digital technologies. Learning, media and technology, special issue: Education and technology into the 2020s.Google Scholar Leopold, T. (2016). A secret ops AI aims to save education. Wired. Available https://www.wired.com/2016/12/a-secret-ops-ai-aims-to-save-education/. Luckin, R., Holmes, W., Griffiths, M., & Forcier, L. B. (2016). Intelligence unleashed an argument for AI in education. Pearson Report. Available https://static.googleusercontent.com/media/edu.google.com/en//pdfs/Intelligence-Unleashed-Publication.pdf. Newton, C. (2016). Can AI fix education? We asked Bill Gates. The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2016/4/25/11492102/bill-gates-interview-education-software-artificial-intelligence. Olson, P. (2018). Building brains: How pearson plans to automate education with AI. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/08/29/pearson-education-ai/#47c32cf41833. Slee, R. (2011). The irregular school: Exclusion, schooling, and inclusive education. London: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar UIS. (2016). The world needs almost 69 million new teachers to reach the 2030 education goals UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Available http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs39-the-world-needs-almost-69-million-new-teachers-to-reach-the-2030-education-goals-2016-en.pdf. UK Parliament. (2018). October 12th pepper the robot appears before education committee. https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/education-committee/news-parliament-2017/fourth-industrial-revolution-pepper-robot-evidence-17-19/. UNESCO. (2015). Education 2030: Incheon declaration and framework for action for the implementation of sustainable development goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning. Available https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245656. von Radowitz, J. (2017). Intelligent machines will replace teachers within 10 years, leading public school headteacher predicts. The Independent. Available https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/intelligent-machines-replace-teachers-classroom-10-years-ai-robots-sir-anthony-sheldon-wellington-a7939931.html. Wakefield, J. (2018). Robot ‘talks’ to MPs about future of AI in the classroom. BBC News, Technology section. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45879961. Wang, Y. (2016). Imagining inclusive schooling: An ethnographic inquiry into disabled children’s learning and participation in regular schools in Shanghai (Ph.d. thesis). University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh.Google Scholar Whittlestone, J., Nyrup, R., Alexandrova, A., Dihal, K., & Cave, S. (2019). Ethical and societal implications of algorithms, data, and artificial intelligence: a roadmap for research. Nuffield report. Available http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/files/Ethical-and-Societal-Implications-of-Data-and-AI-report-Nuffield-Foundat.pdf. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019 1.Centre for Research in Digital EducationUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK Knox J., Wang Y., Gallagher M. (2019) Introduction: AI, Inclusion, and ‘Everyone Learning Everything’. In: Knox J., Wang Y., Gallagher M. (eds) Artificial Intelligence and Inclusive Education. Perspectives on Rethinking and Reforming Education. Springer, Singapore DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8161-4_1 Publisher Name Springer, Singapore Print ISBN 978-981-13-8160-7 Online ISBN 978-981-13-8161-4 eBook Packages Education

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Seven Indian Organizations to Receive Microsoft’s AI For Earth Grants Photo Credit: Microsoft India Facebook page. AI for Earth works toward building a sustainable future for the planet by focusing on key problems regarding climate change, agriculture, biodiversity, and water. By Little India Desk | September 6, 2018 Microsoft has selected seven Indian organizations for its “AI For Earth” program that aims to build solutions for the environment through artificial intelligence and cloud computing. According to an official statement, the recipients of the grant will have access to Microsoft Azure and Artificial Intelligence computing resources along with related education, training, tools, and additional support. With seven recipients, India now ranks third after the U.S. and Canada as the country with the highest number of grantees, the company statement said. The aim of “AI for Earth” is to accelerate innovation and building sustainable game-changing solutions built on AI technologies and cloud computing. Started in June 2017, AI for Earth is a five year, $50 million Microsoft initiative which allows environmental groups and researchers to collaborate to battle “some of the World’s most intractable problems by marshaling the immense power of AI, machine learning (ML), and the cloud,” the statement said. The program concentrates on climate change, agriculture, biodiversity, and water. Wee Hyong Tok, Principal Data Science Manager of AI & Research at Microsoft said, “AI can play an important role in monitoring the health of our planet.” The Indian organizations selected are: Indian Institute of Technology and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad for agriculture, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) of Bangalore and Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi for Biodiversity, Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune for Climate change and water along with India Institute of Science of Bangalore. Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer and Lead for Microsoft AI for Earth said, “In every country around the world, we are facing unprecedented environmental challenges, impacting the ability to access water, grow healthy crops, and protect biodiversity. At Microsoft, we’ve found that one thing was accelerating as quickly as the degradation of our planet’s natural resources, and that is technology. Through AI for Earth, we’re making sure that innovative environmental researchers, like the seven here in India, are empowered with Microsoft’s AI in the pursuit of creating a more sustainable future for us all.” Keshav Dhakad, Group Head and Assistant General Counsel – CELA, Microsoft India said, “At Microsoft, we believe AI for Earth will be a force multiplier for groups and individuals like these who are creating solutions for a more sustainable future for us all. Today’s announcement represents an expansion of Microsoft’s commitment to and investment in democratizing AI and advancing sustainability in the country. We congratulate the recipients and are excited by the potential for advances in AI and sustainability that will benefit India and the world.” Since its launch, the project has grown from 20 grantees to 147 from across more than 40 countries, with $1.1 million of Azure credits awarded to date.

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NEWS WORTH NOTING: Amazon honors Moulton Niguel Water District for developing innovative customer service tools; San Diego County Water Authority prevails in open meetings lawsuit July 24, 2018 Maven News Worth Noting Amazon honors Moulton Niguel Water District for developing innovative customer service tools Only Water District in the World Recognized for Best Practices in Technology Innovation Moulton Niguel Water District has earned top honors from Amazon for best practices in cloud innovation, becoming the only water district in the world recognized at Amazon’s annual global innovation competition. Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing branch of Amazon with more than one million enterprise customers in 190 countries, recognized the Orange County-based water agency for the way it manages data to provide its customers real-time water use information, in an effort to save them money. “Just as Amazon strives to be the most customer-centric electronic commerce company in the world, Moulton Niguel is committed to advancing innovation as a customer-centric water agency,” said Moulton Niguel Board Member Duane Cave, who represented Moulton Niguel Water District at the 2018 global competition in June. “We’re honored to be recognized by Amazon for developing the best application of state-of-the-art technology and empowering our customers to manage their water use.” Moulton Niguel earned praises from the e-commerce giant after the District upgraded its online infrastructure to provide customers with real-time water consumption data and visualization tools. That technological upgrade is helping the District and its customers detect leaks, conserve water and save money. Data Increases Efficiencies, Lowers Customers’ Bills An indoor leak can go undetected for days or even months, while excessive outdoor watering might go unnoticed for even longer. To address this challenge, Moulton Niguel launched a proactive, water-monitoring tool to provide customers with hourly water consumption data, which are stored, managed and analyzed with the help of Amazon web tools. “A big challenge in identifying leaks is the lack of data,” said Moulton Niguel General Manager Joone Lopez. “Real-time water data provides early leak detection opportunities for our customers – with the potential for large water savings. Giving customers on-demand access to tools and information at their fingertips translates into more efficient water management.” Under a pilot program that was partially funded by a grant received from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, customers now have access to the District’s advanced metering infrastructure program. Every customer has access to an analytics platform, which provides user-friendly dashboards and apps to track water individual water use. Moulton Niguel: Leader in Water Innovation Moulton Niguel has established itself as a leader in water technology innovation. In April, the District’s Board of Directors was recognized nationally by the WaterNow Alliance with its Impact Award for accelerating innovative and sustainable water solutions. Last year, the District was also honored locally with the Association of California Cities – Orange County’s “Golden Hub of Innovation Award” for using water data tools to save customers nearly $20 million in water infrastructure investments. “We look forward to continued innovation and developing cost-effective programs that help our customers achieve water use efficiency,” added Cave. The District accepted the recent Amazon Web Services honor during its 2018 Public Sector Summit, which brought together leaders in government, education, and nonprofit organizations from all over the world. Moulton Niguel Water District provides high-quality drinking water, recycled water and wastewater treatment services to customers in Aliso Viejo, Laguna Niguel, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point. A leader in water efficiency and environmental protection, Moulton Niguel also maintains the lowest average bill in South Orange County. San Diego County Water Authority Prevails in Open Meetings Lawsuit Agency’s delegates to MWD comply with Brown Act Superior Court Judge John S. Meyer ruled in favor of the San Diego County Water Authority on July 20, 2018, in a lawsuit that erroneously alleged the agency was violating the state’s primary open meetings statute, known as the Brown Act. San Diegans for Open Government, represented by Cory Briggs, sued the Water Authority on June 12, 2017, claiming violations of the Brown Act. Briggs asserted that the four delegates appointed by the Water Authority to the Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors were a “legislative body” under the Brown Act. Under that incorrect theory, Briggs argued that any time a majority of MWD delegates talked to one another, or with others, they created a “meeting” that was required to be publicly noticed under the Brown Act. The Water Authority is one of MWD’s largest customers and has four seats on MWD’s 38-member board. Meyer ruled that the Water Authority’s delegates do not constitute a legislative body subject to the Brown Act, and he awarded the Water Authority court costs. “During the entire course of this litigation we informed Mr. Briggs and his client that the Water Authority was not violating the Brown Act,” said Water Authority General Counsel Mark Hattam. “We are pleased that the court confirmed that we are in Brown Act compliance.” The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $220 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. A public agency created in 1944, the Water Authority delivers wholesale water supplies to 24 retail water providers, including cities, special districts and a military base. Get the Notebook blog by email and never miss a post! Sign up for daily emails and get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. Breaking news alerts, too. Sign me up! About News Worth Noting: News Worth Noting is a collection of press releases, media statements, and other materials produced by federal, state, and local government agencies, water agencies, and academic institutions, as well as non-profit and advocacy organizations. News Worth Noting also includes relevant legislator statements and environmental policy and legal analyses that are publicly released by law firms. If your agency or organization has an item you would like included here, please email it to Maven.

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Breaking News Experts Resources for Faculty Search the Blue Book Ontario Should Revise Discriminatory Policy Against Refugee Drivers Allow experienced drivers from war-torn countries to skip driving-test waiting period similar to other newcomers in Ontario Toronto, ON – Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation should revise its policy and allow experienced drivers from war-torn countries to skip the one-year waiting period before their final driving tests – an exemption available to other newcomers in Ontario as well as refugees in other provinces, the International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law (IHRP) said today. Under the current policy, the Government of Ontario is discriminating against refugees from Syria and other conflict zones by effectively excluding them from an exemption to the one-year waiting period between a novice driver’s licence (“G2”) and a full graduated licence (“G”) for experienced drivers. “This week marks the second anniversary of the first planeload of Syrian refugees arriving on Canadian soil, and Ontario’s government continues to prevent them from getting driving jobs to support themselves and their families because of this discriminatory policy,” said Samer Muscati, director of the IHRP. “The provincial government needs to step up and implement policies similar to other provinces to allow experienced refugee drivers the ability to immediately test for a full licence.” The IHRP is providing support to litigator Hassan Ahmad who has brought a case before the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on behalf of Shyesh Al-Turki, a Syrian refugee who worked as a truck driver before resettling to Canada with his wife and children in 2016. The case, expected to be heard in early 2018, alleges the Ontario government has discriminated against Mr. al-Turki by forcing him to wait a year before taking his G driving test. He is one of hundreds of refugees eager to work but restricted from many jobs by having to wait an extra year to get a full G licence. Refugees who cannot work rely on taxpayers through government assistance or the goodwill of their sponsors. G2 licences are also subject to higher insurance premiums, creating an additional financial burden. In Ontario, new drivers are required to complete the graduated licencing program, which begins with a written exam to obtain a G1 licence. To proceed to the G2 licence, a new driver must complete a year of supervised driving experience followed by a driving exam. Another year of driving experience is required before being eligible for the full G license driving exam. Ontario recognises that newcomers often have prior driving experience, which applicants can declare for credit toward the graduated program. Under the Highway Traffic Act, applicants can obtain up to 12 months of credit by providing a self-declaration of the foreign-licensed driving experience. For credit of more than 12 months, and thereby an exemption to the graduated process, applicants are required to provide documentary evidence that they held a valid driver’s licence for at least 24 months out of the past three years. All applicants must still pass a second driving exam to get a full G licence. Under Ministry of Transportation policy, documentary evidence is limited to written authentication from the originating licensing agency, or from the embassy, consulate or high commissioner’s office, of the refugee’s country of origin. Refugees from war-torn countries often cannot access these documents. In cases of collapsed regimes or civil war, the relevant offices may not exist. Refugees also cannot return to their countries of origin for fear of their lives or of losing their refugee status in Canada. Other provinces, including Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia, only require documentary evidence regarding past driving experience where the foreign driver’s licence lacks requisite information, such as issue date, photograph, or date of birth. On the other hand, Ontario requires written authentication that is in many cases impossible to obtain from war zones and countries in conflict. The IHRP urges the Ontario government to remove the requirement of written authentication of foreign driving experience for refugees. Instead, it should only require a certified French or English translation of a valid foreign driver’s licence. The Canadian trucking industry is struggling significantly to attract new driver. Trucking HR Canada, a non-profit that supports the trucking industry in meeting human resources issues, has asked Ontario’s government to ease restrictions to allow more drivers to become licenced for truck driving and created a set of manuals for the industry to support the training of Syrian refugee drivers. A change in the Ministry of Transportation’s policy would fill the gap and provide more job opportunities for refugees. The Ontario government should be proactive and revise its discriminatory policy now rather than wait for the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario’s decision in Mr. al-Turki’s case. “Being unable to drive and support my family has been a huge burden on me,” says Mr. al-Turki. “By having to wait a year before taking the test for a full G licence, I am left sitting at home and unable to provide for my wife and children. I want to contribute to Canada and participate fully in society. Right now, I can’t do that.” Ontario’s current policy is discriminatory and may be in breach of Canada’s international legal obligations including provisions in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, and the International Labour Organization’s Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention. AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT IN TORONTO Samer Muscati, IHRP Director: s.muscati@utoronto.ca; +1 416-946-8730 Petra Molnar, IHRP Research Associate: petra.molnar@utoronto.ca; +1 416-946-8229, 1-647-967-4954 Hassan Ahmad, lawyer for Mr. Shyesh Al-Turki: hahmad@kmlaw.ca; +1 416-595-2097 Omar Khan, refugee advocate: omar.khan@gmail.com; +1 647-773-4112 For more information and to arrange for interviews, contact: Kara Norrington Administrative Assistant, IHRP University of Toronto, Faculty of Law ihrp.law@utoronto.ca Lucianna Ciccocioppo Director, External Relations lucianna.ciccocioppo@utoronto.ca MEDIA BRIEFS UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO – SINCE 1827

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