738 F. 2d 1043 - United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit
738 F2d 1043 United States Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit
39 Fed.R.Serv.2d 939
UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee,
1982 SANGER 24' SPECTRA BOAT, SERIAL # SANSP69ZM82,
R5-83-0015, VALUE APPROXIMATELY $28,000.00, AND
ATTACHED TRAILER, NEVADA LICENSE #
T61942, Defendant-Appellant,
Manuel Baker and Betty Jean Fowler, Claimants/Appellants.
1980 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL, MAROON IN COLOR WITH VINYL TOP,
NEVADA LICENSE # TBZ817, ID # OY89G608148,
Defendant-Appellant,
1982 EXCALIBUR, VIN # 1XAPF4317CM827758, Defendant-Appellant,
Nos. 83-1810 to 83-1812.
Ninth Circuit.
Argued and Submitted Oct. 11, 1983.
Decided July 25, 1984.
William C. Turner, Asst. U.S. Atty., Las Vegas, Nev., for plaintiff-appellee.
John J. Momot, Las Vegas, Nev., for defendants-appellants.
Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Nevada.
Before WALLACE, SCHROEDER and FERGUSON, Circuit Judges.
FERGUSON, Circuit Judge:
The claimants' motions for rehearing in these three cases are granted. The memorandum disposition filed on December 23, 1983 is vacated. Pursuant to that disposition this panel sua sponte determined that it lacked jurisdiction over the appeal. The panel was in error. We now determine that this court does have jurisdiction and that the district court committed reversible error in dismissing the claims as it did.
On February 17, 1983 the United States filed complaints for forfeiture against (1) a 1982 Sanger 24-foot Spectra boat, (2) a 1980 Lincoln Continental, and (3) a 1982 Excalibur. The forfeitures were sought pursuant to 21 U.S.C. Secs. 841(a)(1) and 881(a)(6), which subject the proceeds of narcotics purchases or sales to seizure and forfeiture by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Claimants of the property, Manuel Baker and Betty Jean Fowler, answered the complaints for forfeiture on March 3, 1983. The claimants declined to make any statements regarding ownership interests in the property on the grounds that such statements might tend to incriminate them with respect to criminal charges presently pending against them and to a pending Internal Revenue Service criminal investigation. In their verified claims filed concurrently with their answer to the complaint, the claimants similarly declined, on fifth amendment grounds, to make any statement regarding ownership interests in the seized property.
On March 18, 1983, the government moved to strike the answers and the claims on the ground that the claimants had no standing because they did not assert any ownership interest in the properties. On the same day, without allowing the claimants to respond to the government's motion to strike and without notice of its action, the district court granted the motion and struck the answers and claims. The court entered an order on March 18, 1983 that the properties be forfeited to the United States. The claimants filed notices of appeal that same day.
However, on March 23, 1983, the claimants filed notices "for rehearing and stay of execution, condemnation and forfeiture." On April 6, 1983, after the government filed a response, the court dismissed the claimants' motion. The court also ordered that its previous order granting judgment in favor of the government be stayed pending disposition of the claimants' appeal. The court ordered the United States Marshal to maintain care, custody and control of the property pending disposition of the appeal and not to release the property to any agency of the government without an order of the court.
The claimants did not appeal from that order.
When this panel heard the appeal, the government did not contend that an effective notice of appeal had not been filed. However this panel held sua sponte that the motion filed after the notices of appeal was a motion under Fed.R.Civ.P. 59(e) to alter or amend the judgment, although not treated as such. Pursuant to Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4), when a party makes a Rule 59 motion, a notice of appeal filed before the disposition of such motion shall have no effect and therefore this court lacked jurisdiction to act. Griggs v. Provident Consumer Discount Co., 459 U.S. 56, 103 S.Ct. 400, 74 L.Ed.2d 225 (1982). Unlike a Rule 59(e) motion, a Rule 60 motion does not affect the validity of a previously filed notice of appeal. See Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4); Fed.R.Civ.P. 60; Miller v. Transamerican Press, Inc., 709 F.2d 524, 527 (9th Cir.1983).
We now hold that we erred in finding that the claimants' motion was filed pursuant to Rule 59. The claimants' petitions for rehearing and the government's response thereto convince us that the motion should have been considered as a motion made pursuant to Fed.R.Civ.P. 60, Relief from Judgment or Order. The district court, when it denied the motion, apparently treated it as a Rule 60 motion by assuming that the notice of appeal was still valid and by ordering the United States Marshal to maintain custody of the property until the appeal was decided.1 Moreover, the government, by raising no challenge to our jurisdiction, demonstrated its belief that the motion was a Rule 60 motion and that this court had jurisdiction over the appeal.
The moving party's label for its motion is not controlling. Rather, the court will construe it, however styled, to be the type proper for relief requested. Miller, 709 F.2d at 527. The claimants argue that their postjudgment motion is properly characterized as a Rule 60 motion because it challenged the validity of the judgment on the ground that the court failed to provide notice. Prior to entering judgment, the court struck the answers and claims without notice, without permitting the claimants to reply to the government's motions, and without allowing them an opportunity to amend their complaint. Rule 60(b) provides that a court may relieve a party from a final judgment when "(4) the judgment is void: ... or (6) [for] any other reason justifying relief from the operation of the judgment." We must therefore determine whether the district court, in striking the answers and claims without permitting the claimants to reply to the government's motion, committed an act upon which a Rule 60(b) motion can be based. The district court in granting the government's motion to strike the answers and claims acted contrary to Rule 16(c) of the Rules of Practice of the United States Court for the District of Nevada, which provides as follows:
Responsive Memorandum
An opposing party, unless otherwise ordered by the court, shall have fifteen days after service of the moving party's points and authorities within which to serve and file a memorandum of points and authorities in opposition to the motion.
Rule 16(c) allows for exemptions as "ordered by the court." However we find no reason in the record for the court's failure to follow its own rule.
Although failure to follow a local rule may not rise to the level of a due process violation, nonetheless when the effect is conclusively to dispose of a claim, failure to provide notice is a serious procedural irregularity which in this case justifies relief from the judgment under Rule 60(b). See e.g., Dredge Corp. v. Penny, 338 F.2d 456, 462 & n. 14 (9th Cir.1964). In Dredge Corp. this court held that a district court committed reversible error when it followed a local rule that allowed the court to preclude a party from requesting oral argument on a motion for summary judgment or to deny such a request by a party opposing the motion. The motion to strike and the forfeiture order in this case were as dispositive of the appellants' claim as the summary judgment was in Dredge Corp. Likewise, in the context of entry of a default judgment, this court has stated that the failure to provide required notice is "a serious procedural irregularity that usually justifies setting aside a default judgment." Wilson v. Moore & Assoc., Inc., 564 F.2d 366, 369 (9th Cir.1977). We hold that dismissing the claim without notice and without allowing the claimants an opportunity to amend constitutes extraordinary circumstances entitling the claimants to relief from judgment.
We now examine whether allowing amendment of the claim would have been a futile act. The district court issued its order to strike the answers and claims and declare the properties forfeited solely because the claimants failed to allege ownership of the property and therefore lacked standing.
The court was in error if the basis for its ruling was that only the owner of property may be a claimant. In United States v. Fifteen Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($15,500) in U.S. Currency, 558 F.2d 1359, 1360 (9th Cir.1977) we held that "[a] 'claimant' is one who claims to own the article or merchandise or to have an interest therein." In United States v. Jacobsen, --- U.S. ----, 104 S.Ct. 1652, 80 L.Ed.2d 85 (1984), the Court stated that under the fourth amendment a seizure of property occurs "when there is some meaningful interference with an individual's possessory interest in that property." Id. at 1656. It is not necessary therefore that a claimant under the forfeiture statute allege ownership. A lesser property interest such as possession creates standing. The claimants should be permitted to amend their answers and claims to allege the specific property interest they have in the properties.
The remaining contentions of the claimants are answered in the companion case of Baker v. United States, 722 F.2d 517 (9th Cir.1983). The fifth amendment does not prevent us from demanding that the claimants allege a specific property interest in the forfeited property.
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
WALLACE, Circuit Judge, dissenting:
The question before us is a close one--but it is close primarily because of the failure of claimants to identify before the district court the grounds of their request for relief. Of course one could argue, properly I suggest, that it would have been better for the district court to follow its own local rules. Nevertheless, the issue before us is one of jurisdiction and I cannot agree with the majority that the motions for rehearing made at trial may be construed properly as motions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b)(4) or (6). Therefore, I dissent.
The United States sought forfeiture of two cars and a boat linked to narcotics activity. The provisions of 21 U.S.C. Sec. 881(b) and (d) require application of the Supplemental Rules for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims (Supplemental Rules) and the procedures for enforcement of customs claims, see, e.g., 19 U.S.C. Secs. 1608, 1615, to such forfeitures. See also Fed.R.Civ.P. 81, notes of advisory committee on 1966 amendments ("Statutory proceedings to forfeit property for violation of the laws of the United States ... will be governed by the ... supplemental rules.). In turn, the Supplemental Rules make the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure applicable. See Supp.R. for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims A.
Although this creates an unduly complex procedural framework, certain things are immediately clear. First, forfeitures under the narcotics laws are civil proceedings. See, e.g., United States v. One 1970 Pontiac GTO, 2-Door Hardtop, 529 F.2d 65, 66 (9th Cir.1976) (Pontiac GTO ); see generally Calero-Toledo v. Pearson Yacht Leasing Co., 416 U.S. 663, 680-90, 94 S.Ct. 2080, 2090-95, 40 L.Ed.2d 452 (1974). Second, these forfeitures proceed in rem and any person seeking to participate in the forfeiture action must first file a claim stating an interest in the property. See, e.g., 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1608; Supp.R. for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims C(6). Third, once a person alleges an interest entitling him to participate in the proceedings as a claimant, he bears the burden of proof despite his role, by way of an answer to the complaint of forfeiture, as the responsive pleader. See 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1615; Supp.R. for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims C(6); see also, e.g., Pontiac GTO, 529 F.2d at 66 (upholding constitutionality of the allocation of the burden of proof).
In this case, the United States filed complaints on February 8 and 17, 1983, and issued notices of the proposed forfeitures on February 10 and 22. The claimants filed claims in each case within twenty days, compare 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1608 (twenty days) with Supp.R. for Certain Admiralty and Maritime Claims C(6) (ten days), but did not allege any interest in the property subject to forfeiture. They also failed to allege any interest in the property in their answers to the complaints for forfeiture. More than twenty-three days after the notices of proposed forfeiture, the United States moved to strike the claims and answers. The district court granted the motions without notice to the claimants, and then entered judgments of forfeiture against the property.
The claimants filed notices of appeal the same day the district court entered judgments. Our task would have been simple had counsel for the claimants filed motions specifically arguing for relief pursuant to rule 60(b). The motions, however, were for "Rehearing and Stay of Execution, Condemnation and Forfeiture." In these motions, the claimants did not rely on any civil practice, rule, or statute. Instead, in the section titled "Jurisdiction," they argued "[t]he District Court has plenary power within the time allotted for the taking of an appeal to modify its judgment for error of fact or law or to revoke it altogether. United States v. Jones, 608 F.2d 386, 390 (9th Cir.1979)." They did not request permission to amend their claims or answers--relief the majority now allows. They requested that the district court "rescind its order ... reinstate movants' answer and verified claim, and ... allow movants to be heard in opposition to the Government's motion to strike." The district court denied the motions for rehearing, and the claimants purported to proceed with their appeals. They did not include the denial of their motions as grounds for appeal. Thus, that question is not properly before us.
Because the forfeitures were civil actions, the claimants seriously erred by relying on United States v. Jones, 608 F.2d 386 (9th Cir.1979) (Jones ), a criminal case. I disagree with the majority's argument that the government treated the claimant's motions for rehearing as motions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b). Instead, the government, also citing nothing but Jones, treated them as criminal motions. There is no basis, therefore, for the majority to argue that the government thought they were rule 60(b) motions and for that reason, we had jurisdiction. Nor does the record bear out the majority's argument that the district court treated the claimant's motions for rehearing as motions under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(b). Instead, the district court's actions fit the pattern of the only rationale presented it for handling the motions, the criminal motion rationale of Jones.
So the district court and the parties labored under the false assumption that the motions for rehearing sounded in criminal procedure. In addition, the procedural posture and legal arguments of the claimant's motions for rehearing weigh against interpreting them as motions under rule 60(b). The majority correctly observes, however, that we will construe a merely mislabeled motion as "the type proper for relief requested." Miller v. Transamerican Press, Inc., 709 F.2d 524, 527 (9th Cir.1983) (Miller ). But the relief they requested does not seem particularly aimed at or limited to relief under rule 60(b). In their petition for rehearing before us, the claimants argue they intended to use rule 60(b)(4) or (6) to set aside default judgments entered against them. Yet nowhere in their motions for rehearing before the district court did they argue the judgments of forfeiture were void, see, e.g., Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(4), or that extraordinary circumstances favoring relief existed, see Fed.R.Civ.P. 60(b)(6); see also Ackermann v. United States, 340 U.S. 193, 199, 71 S.Ct. 209, 212, 95 L.Ed. 207 (1950). Instead, the claimants simply reargued the patently frivolous fifth amendment point first raised in their claims and answers, cf. Baker v. United States, 722 F.2d 517, 518-19 (9th Cir.1983) (rejecting same claim by these claimants), and asked the district court to hear them defend those claims and answers against the government's motions to strike. This sounds at least as much like a request for new trial or alteration or amendment of the judgment under rule 59 as a request for relief from judgment under rule 60. See Miller, 709 F.2d at 527 (rule 59(e) covers a "substantive change of mind by the court."). In a somewhat similar situation, see Stephenson v. Calpine Conifers II, Ltd., 652 F.2d 808, 811-12 (9th Cir.1981), we interpreted a confusingly labeled motion for relief as a motion under rule 59(e), not rule 60(b). See also Sidney-Vinstein v. A.H. Robins Co., 697 F.2d 880, 885 (9th Cir.1983) ("motion for reconsideration" a motion under rule 59(e)); Walker v. Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association, 268 F.2d 16, 19 n. 1, 20 (9th Cir.) ("motion to correct memorandum and order of dismissal" a motion under rule 59(e)), cert. denied, 361 U.S. 903, 80 S.Ct. 211, 4 L.Ed.2d 158 (1959). Because the claimants did not allege they suffered under void judgments or extraordinary circumstances, it seems their request for relief invoked rule 59 more than rule 60.
Some question exists whether the claimants even could have moved under rule 60(b) in these cases. To the extent they sought relief from judgment rather than a new hearing or amendment of judgment, it can be argued that the mechanism of 19 U.S.C. Sec. 1618 for administrative relief from forfeitures largely takes the place of rule 60(b). See United States v. Andrade, 181 F.2d 42, 46 (9th Cir.1950). Because the district court had retained control of the property after judgment, section 1618 did not absolutely bar any further action, but a question arises whether its place in the forfeiture scheme appears to discourage the normal use of rule 60(b) relief. The district court in United States v. One 1941 Chrysler Sedan Automobile Motor No. C28-17313, 46 F.Supp. 897, 898 (E.D.Ky.1942), stated: "It seems quite apparent from the wording of this rule [60(b) ] that it was not designed to apply to proceedings 'in rem' for by its terms it affords relief only to 'a party' from a judgment taken against 'him.' " In part for this reason, it has been said that "Rule 60(b) is generally held to be inapplicable to forfeiture proceedings." United States v. One 1970 Buick Electra 225, 57 F.R.D. 185, 188 (N.D.Ohio 1972).
The reasons above persuade me that we should interpret the claimants' motions for rehearing as motions under rule 59. Because a "notice of appeal filed before disposition of [such] motions shall have no effect," Fed.R.App.P. 4(a)(4); see Griggs v. Provident Consumer Discount Co., 459 U.S. 56, 103 S.Ct. 400, 403, 74 L.Ed.2d 225 (1982), we lack jurisdiction of the claimants' appeals.
Because I conclude we are without jurisdiction, I would not pass on the merits, though I am tempted to discuss that a reversal may only be grounded upon the merits--not on the denial of claimants' motions from which they did not appeal. Because the claimants never attempted to amend their claims or answers and they are patently frivolous on their face, see Baker v. United States, 722 F.2d at 518-19, I am tempted to but choose not to raise the question of harmless error latent in the claimants' failure to allege any interest, not just ownership, in the cars and boat. I conclude that the claimants' motions for rehearing before the district court invoked rule 59, leaving them without valid notices of appeal to this court. Because they did not file new notices of appeal after the denial of their motions, we lack jurisdiction. I would dismiss the appeals.
A question remains whether the district court had jurisdiction to rule on the Rule 60 motion after a notice of appeal had been filed. Compare Miller, 709 F.2d at 527 (court affirmed district court's denial of Rule 60(b) motion filed after the notice of appeal without questioning district court's jurisdiction to hear that motion) with Killeen v. Travelers Ins. Co., 721 F.2d 87, 90 n. 7 (3rd Cir.1983) (notice of appeal divested the district court of jurisdiction, and therefore the district court could not properly decide the Rule 60(b) motion). We do not need to decide this question, however. If the district court had jurisdiction, it abused its discretion in denying the motion; if it lacked jurisdiction, its decision is without effect. We reverse the underlying judgment on the basis of the property interest issue raised on appeal


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Pico Duarte
In early 2015, Yspaniola asked a group of prominent Dominicans with experience in business, academia, education, human rights, and the media to serve on an advisory committee to support the organization. The committee meets every eight months to review Yspaniola’s programs and goals, and to advise the organization about outreach and strategy in the Dominican Republic. Along with regular meetings, Yspaniola's Executive Director consistently communicates with individual members of the committee, who provide valuable support related to their fields of expertise. Thank you to our advisory committee members for their dedication to our work!
Karina Chez
Karina Chez is both the CEO and a partner at Kaya Energy in Santo Domingo. Currently, she is working on vocational solar energy training programs in Africa. Karina is the founder of TheChessGroup, a digital marketing firm based in Dubai and New York, and the Managing Partner of MGK, which invests in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Dominican Republic. Karina has worked on Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) technology in the Middle East and North America, and with the United Nations on sustainable development initiatives.
Yolanda León is a professor and researcher at the Santo Domingo Institute of Technology and the President of the Jaragua Group, a Dominican NGO that works to preserve biodiversity on the island of Hispaniola. Over the last decade, Yolanda has researched and worked in a variety of different fields related to the environment and rural development in the Dominican Republic.
Paola Pelletier
Paola Pelletier Quiñones is an attorney and professor of law. She specializes in human rights, strategic and impactful litigation, and the Inter-American justice system, particularly in relation to vulnerable populations. After receiving a grant through the Fulbright program, she completed her Masters at American University’s Washington College of Law.
Celso Manuel Pérez
Since January 2005, Celso Manuel Pérez has been the CFO and a member of the Board of Directors at Grupo Ramos. Previously, he served as a board member with several organizations such as Asociación de Industrias de la República Dominicana, Cámara Oficial de Comercio de España en República Dominicana, Organización Nacional de Empresas Comerciales, Confederación Patronal de la República Dominicana, and Junior Achievement Dominicana; he is also a member of the Board of Trustees at Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo.
Juan Miguel Pérez
Juan Miguel Pérez is a sociologist born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Educated at the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences-Po) and at Columbia University, he was trained as social scientist at both the École Normale Supérieure and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in France. Former member of the National Council of Education of the Dominican Republic, he was National Director of Secondary Education of DR (2012-2014). He is professor of sociology and philosophy at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo.
Fausto Rosario
Fausto Rosario is a journalist and the director of the digital newspaper, Acento, which is specifically concerned with transparency in relation to Dominican education, politics, and economics. He was also the Founder and Director (2004-2011) of El Dario Clave Digital and the weekly publication CLAVE. He has worked with various national media outlets, including: El Siglo, Hoy, El Caribe, Rumbo, and Teleantillas. He has served as the President of Asociación Dominicana Pro Bienestar de la Familia (PROFAMILIA) and as Vice President of the Consejo Regional de la Federación Internacional de Planificación de la Familia (OPPF).
Hanglet Tejeda
Hanglet Tejeda is the Executive Director of CEFASA, a dominican Jesuit organization based out of Santiago, Dominican Republic that advocates for workers’ and migrants’ rights. In addition to his current nonprofit work, he has worked with the World Bank, the Organization of Ibero-American States, European Union, and the Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM), developing and training youth and community leaders to strengthen institutions and organizations in Santiago, La Vega, Puerto Plata and Moca.
Marianella Belliard
Marianella Belliard is a Professor of Applied Linguistics and Spanish at PUCMM in Santo Domingo.
Copyright © Yspaniola 2018


Convention on Gender Violence Draws Backlash in Bulgaria
January 5, 2018 by Cup&Cross
Filed under Featured, Missions, News
Moves to ratify the so-called Istanbul Convention of the Council of Europe are encountering strong opposition both from parties in the Bulgarian government and the opposition.
Members of the Bulgarian government and of the main opposition Socialist Party have joined forces to oppose the government’s decision to pass the so-called Istanbul Convention on gender-based violence to parliament for ratification.
The cabinet approved a national program for prevention of domestic violence on Wednesday, and, as a part of it, advised MPs to ratify the Council of Europe’s convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which was adopted in Istanbul in 2011. Following the government session, however, the Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social and economic policies, Valeri Simeonov, from the nationalist United Patriots, told the media that eight of the 21 ministers had voted against the document.
“Not only the United Patriots [who have four ministers] but eight ministers voted against,” he said. The names of the ministers who opposed the convention will be revealed on Friday, when the minutes of the cabinet meeting are published. The plan to pass the Convention, which Bulgaria signed in April 2016, for ratification in parliament, drew sharp criticism especially from one of the parties from the United Patriots Coalition, VMRO.
On December 28, the party, led by the Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister, Krasimir Karakachanov, published a statement which claimed that, through the convention, “international lobbies are pushing Bulgaria to legalize the ‘third gender’.
The party declared itself firmly against the document, which it accused of “introducing school programs for studying homosexuality and transvestism and creating opportunities for enforcing same-sex marriages”. Over 30 civil and religious organizations had sent an open letter to Karakachanov, urging him not to allow ratification of the convention. As a result, he said, he had given a negative opinion of what he called the “scandalous text”. What has most upset nationalists is mention of the term “gender” as a social construct as opposed to the biological “sex” in the text of the document, although the explanatory report to the convention notes: “The term ‘gender’ … is not intended as a replacement for the terms ‘women’ and ‘men.’”
Tags: backlash, Bulgaria, convention, draws, gender, violence


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Stranger Things stars Millie Bobby Brown, Finn Wolfhard, and Noah Schnapp answer the internet's most searched questions about themselves and Stranger Things. Does Millie Bobby Brown dance? What's Finn Wolfhard's band called? Is Noah Schnapp perfect? Is Stranger Things 3 the last season?? The cast answers all these questions and more! Stranger Things season 3 is streaming now on Netflix https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ugel7XFkms Stranger Things season 3 is streaming now on Netflix Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows...
David Dobrik Shows Us the Last Thing on His Phone | Glamour
David Dobrik shows us the last things on his phone. Which emoji does he love the most? What is the last voicemail someone left him? What was the last thing he googled? Still haven’t subscribed to Glamour on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/2gYlQqe David Dobrik Shows Us the Last Thing on His Phone | Glamour
73 Questions With Zac Efron | Vogue
Zac Efron, star of the upcoming film "The Greatest Showman," invites Vogue in and answers 73 Questions. Zac tells us about his 1964 Mustang, his best celebrity impressions, and that time he swam with a wild tiger shark. Presented by Google Still haven’t subscribed to Vogue on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/vogueyoutubesub ABOUT VOGUE Vogue is the authority on fashion news, culture trends, beauty coverage, videos, celebrity style, and fashion week updates. 73 Questions With Zac Efron | Vogue Created by: Joe Sabia Music Credits: Portgual. The Man - "Feel It Still" / Atlantic Temper Trap - "Sweet Disposition" / Glassnote
TASTING FOREIGN FOODS!!!
Zane and I taste food from our foreign motherlands! I'm uploading this on the toilet right now... Make sure to subscribe to Zane here!! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiIFLzjBUX5WpkVqVDVWMTQ ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Twitter/IG: @zanehijazi ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Music Creds: Indian instrumental music remix 2016 | Dj Vladof ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Keep up with this little brown girl! INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/lizakoshy TWITTER: http://twitter.com/lizakoshy SNAPCHAT: @lizakoshysnaps MUSICAL.LY: @lizzza ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WATCH MY OTHER VIDS! TARGET WITH LIZZZA PART 2!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGc3... WORLD'S BEST BEAUTY HACKS!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w38IG... MEET JET!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-u9o... ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PLEASE SUBSCRIBE! www.youtube.com/lizakoshy www.youtube.com/lizakoshytoo ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Thank you, lil sick nasties! Love, Liza
Lin-Manuel Miranda Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
"Mary Poppins Returns" star Lin-Manuel Miranda takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about himself. Which Hamilton song is Lin-Manuel Miranda's favorite? Is Lin-Manuel knighted? When did he cut his hair? "Mary Poppins Returns" in theaters December 19 Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows and new episodes of our latest hit series Masterminds. ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of...
Lele Pons Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Lele Pons takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about herself. What is Lele Pons's real name? Who is Lele Pons's best friend? Does Lele speak Spanish? Is she Camila Cabello's sister? Lele answers all these questions and much more! Check out Lele Pon's new music with Favian Lovo and Lyanno: "Los Puti": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD5j-45w1MI Check out Lele on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi9cDo6239RAzPpBZO9y5SA Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: https://wrd.cm/DailyYT Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here...
Dove Cameron Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Dove Cameron takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about herself. Who does Dove Cameron look like? What's she like in real life? Is she a twin? Dove answers all these questions and more! Dove Cameron stars in Disney Channel's Descendants 3, available now on Disney Channel and on https://disneynow.com/ Her new singles "Bloodshot" and "Waste" are now streaming on all platforms: https://dovecameron.lnk.to/BloodshotWaste Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: https://wrd.cm/DailyYT Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire...
David Dobrik Tells Us About His First Times
David Dobrik stops by to talk about his firsts, from his earliest memory of the Vlog Squad, to the first prank he ever pulled, all the way to his very first (and extremely snotty) kiss. Credits: https://www.buzzfeed.com/bfmp/videos/78674 GET MORE BUZZFEED: https://www.buzzfeed.com https://www.buzzfeed.com/videos https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedvideo https://www.youtube.com/asis https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedmultiplayer https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedviolet https://www.youtube.com/perolike https://www.youtube.com/ladylike SUBSCRIBE TO BUZZFEED NEWSLETTERS: https://www.buzzfeed.com/newsletters BuzzFeed Celeb Celebs + puppies, kittens, thirst tweets, and more = so much yes. MUSIC SFX Provided By AudioBlocks (https://www.audioblocks.com) Just Us And The Stars_NoVoxNoSynthLd Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. It Feels Good_NoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Sparks_NoVoxNoSynthLd Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. You Woke Me Up_NoVoxNoSynthLd Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Better Than The First Time_NoVox60Sec Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Heavy Handed_Full Licensed...
Liza Koshy Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Liza Koshy takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about herself. Did Liza Koshy get tattoos? Is Liza Koshy vegan? How does Liza do her eyebrows? Everything you ever wanted to know about Liza Koshy is answered right here! Maybe! You can catch Liza now in all eight episodes of her new original scripted comedy 'Liza On Demand' on YouTube Premium and as the host of 'Double Dare' on Nickelodeon! #autocomplete #liza #lizakoshy Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future...
An Astrologer Guesses Strangers' Zodiac Sign (Ray) | Lineup | Cut
Sponsor this series: http://www.cut.com/sponsorship Fear Pong is now a game! Get it here: http://www.fearponggame.com SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/CutSubscribe Watch More Lineup: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJic7bfGlo3qJcIXUJteaUm_3-3tgQSXw About Lineup: A who’s who of awkward assumptions and judgments. Don't forget to subscribe and follow us! Official Site: https://www.cut.com/ Facebook: http://cut.com/facebook Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cut Instagram: http://cut.com/instagram Snapchat: @watchcut Cut Swag: http://cut.com/shop About Cut: Small questions have powerful effects when they go viral. Cut spreads stories for fun, for serious, and for real– bringing the internet together one awkward moment at a time. Produced, directed, and edited by https://cut.com Want to work with us? http://cut.com/hiring Want to be in a video? http://cut.com/casting Want to sponsor a video? http://cut.com/sponsorships For licensing inquiries: http://cut.com/licensing More...
GOOGLING MY BOYFRIEND'S NET WORTH!!
My dinner is PAID FOR. Stalking my boyfriend, but in front of his face this time! Now I finally know who I'm dating. Thanks for watching babes! See more #ad and #david down below! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• LOOK JUST AS CUTE IN BEATSX HERE: http://beats.is/2iaeCQ7 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• STALK AND HAVE WEIRD DREAMS ABOUT DAVID HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAO-Q... SUBSCRIBE TO HER OTHER CHANNEL: https://youtu.be/BnaK6KFuH6U Tweet him! Stalk him! But not too much he has a boyfriend: @DavidDobrik BUY HIS SWEATER HERE: https://fanjoy.co/collections/clickbait-merch ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Music Creds: Jou Beats & Skrillex (Don't copyright me, big fan big fan.) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Keep up with this little brown girl! INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/lizakoshy TWITTER: http://twitter.com/lizakoshy SNAPCHAT: @lizakoshysnaps MUSICAL.LY: @lizzza ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WATCH MY OTHER VIDS! TARGET WITH LIZZZA PART 2!:...
Riverdale's KJ Apa Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Riverdale star KJ Apa takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about himself. Why doesn't KJ Apa have an accent in Riverdale? Is KJ Apa perfect? Is he related to Camila Mendes? How does he cover his tattoos? What's his real name? Is he friends with Cole Sprouse? KJ answers all these questions and much, much more! Watch KJ Apa in Riverdale on the CW! Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Get more incredible stories on science and tech with our daily newsletter: https://wrd.cm/DailyYT Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV,...
David Dobrik Plays With Puppies While Answering Fan Questions
YouTube star David Dobrik plays with pups while answering your questions about how he makes his videos, the Vlog Squad, Kylie Jenner, and more. To learn more about these insanely adorable puppies, head over to The Vanderpump Dogs Foundation! https://www.vanderpumpdogs.org/ Credits: https://www.buzzfeed.com/bfmp/videos/78672 GET MORE BUZZFEED: https://www.buzzfeed.com https://www.buzzfeed.com/videos https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedvideo https://www.youtube.com/asis https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedmultiplayer https://www.youtube.com/buzzfeedviolet https://www.youtube.com/perolike https://www.youtube.com/ladylike SUBSCRIBE TO BUZZFEED NEWSLETTERS: https://www.buzzfeed.com/newsletters BuzzFeed Celeb Celebs + puppies, kittens, thirst tweets, and more = so much yes. MUSIC Self Sabotage_FullNoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Sleepless Nights_FullNoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Save A Seat_FullNoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. Pause For Breath_FullNoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. More Than Motion_FullNoVox Licensed via Warner Chappell Production Music Inc. EXTERNAL CREDITS Jack Dytrych
Ken Jeong Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
"Crazy Rich Asians" star Ken Jeong takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about himself. Is Ken Jeong a real doctor? What was Ken Jeong's first movie? Does Ken Jeong speak Spanish? #autocomplete #kenjeong #crazyrichasians Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture. Ken Jeong Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
73 Questions With Liza Koshy | Vogue
YouTube star Liza Koshy invites Vogue into her strangely familiar apartment and answers 73 Questions. Liza shows off her shrine to her alter egos Jet Packinski and Helga, and shares her tips for becoming one of the YouTube elite. Check out Liza as Jet Packinski in the 73 Questions parody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYrp5eTbwQg Check out Liza as Helga in the 73 questions parody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03IUgOd4GH4&t=1s Still haven’t subscribed to Vogue on YouTube? ►► http://bit.ly/vogueyoutubesub ABOUT VOGUE Vogue is the authority on fashion news, culture trends, beauty coverage, videos, celebrity style, and fashion week updates. 73 Questions With Liza Koshy | Vogue Created By: Joe Sabia
The Try Guys Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Keith, Ned, Zach, and Eugene of The Try Guys take the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answer the internet's most searched questions about The Try Guys and themselves. Are The Try Guys still at BuzzFeed? Are they all really friends? Do they all live in LA? Are they independent? The Try Guys answer all these questions and more! The Try Guys host the Streamy Awards on Monday, Oct 22nd. Check out The Try Guys YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpi8TJfiA4lKGkaXs__YdBA Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here...
Chris Evans Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
'Gifted' star Chris Evans takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the Internet's most searched questions about himself. 'Gifted' co-star Mckenna Grace joins Chris, and together they find out that the Internet is obsessed with Chris Evans' driving skills. Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture. Chris Evans Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
Daniel Radcliffe Answers the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
'Miracle Workers' star Daniel Radcliffe takes the WIRED Autocomplete Interview and answers the internet's most searched questions about himself. Does Daniel Radcliffe have tattoos? Which Harry Potter movie is his favorite? Where did Daniel meet his girlfriend? Is Daniel on social media? Daniel Radcliffe answers all these questions and more! Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows and new episodes of our latest hit series Masterminds. ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking...
PAINTING WITH ONLY FEET CHALLENGE!!
If you have a foot fetish, this is for you. We paint each other, using only toes! So is this a thumbnail? Or a toenail? AHHHHH lol. Thanks for watching babes! Stalk Zane and Heath and check out our collabs below! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• SUBSCRIBE TO THESE PRETTY LADIES! OUR COLLABS BELOW!! Zane Hijazi (@zanehijazi): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urRHRNr7HOU Heath Hussar (@heathhussar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veK7RCQvxWI ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Music Creds: Jou Beats ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Keep up with this little brown girl! INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/lizakoshy TWITTER: http://twitter.com/lizakoshy SNAPCHAT: @lizakoshysnaps MUSICAL.LY: @lizzza ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• WATCH MY OTHER VIDEOS! TARGET WITH LIZZZA PART 2!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weGc3... WORLD'S BEST BEAUTY HACKS!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w38IG... MEET JET!!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-u9o... ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• PLEASE SUBSCRIBE! www.youtube.com/lizakoshy www.youtube.com/lizakoshytoo ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Thank you, lil toestitoes! Love, Liza
'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Cast Answer the Web's Most Searched Questions | WIRED
"Ant-Man and the Wasp" stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas and Hannah John-Kamen answer the internet's most searched questions about themselves and Ant-Man. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" hits theaters July 6th. #autocomplete #antman Still haven’t subscribed to WIRED on YouTube? ►► http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 Also, check out the free WIRED channel on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV. Here you can find your favorite WIRED shows and new episodes of our latest hit series Masterminds. ABOUT WIRED WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Through thought-provoking stories and videos, WIRED explores the future of business, innovation, and culture. 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' Cast Answer...


Group that escorts migrant caravans draws more scrutiny
Originally published December 23, 2018 at 9:13 am Updated December 24, 2018 at 6:24 am
JULIE WATSON
TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Thousands of Central Americans journeying toward the United States were 2,500 miles from their destination in October when they reached a moment of decision: Should they press on toward the U.S. border? Or should they stop and put down roots in Mexico, where the government offered to let them stay?
Pueblo Sin Fronteras, a group of activists escorting the caravan, warned the migrants that the offer might be too good to be true and called a voice vote on whether to continue.
“Let’s keep going!” the crowd yelled amid applause.
And they kept going. Thousands are now in Tijuana on the U.S. border, where they are likely to be camped for months or longer with no easy way to get into the United States, creating what is fast becoming a humanitarian crisis in this overwhelmed city.
Many blame Pueblo Sin Fronteras, or People Without Borders, made up of about 40 U.S. and Mexican activists.
Critics, including former allies and some of the migrants themselves, say Pueblo Sin Fronteras downplayed the dangers of such treks, especially for families and small children, and misled the participants about how long they would have to wait on the Mexican side to apply for asylum.
Adelaida Gonzalez, 37, of Guatemala City, who joined the caravan with her 15-year-old son and neighbor, said that now that she is in Tijuana, she wishes she had accepted Mexico’s offer to stay and work in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas.
“We were never told along the way that it would be this hard,” said Gonzalez, after seeing the border wall topped with razor wire and the long waiting list for asylum seekers.
A Pueblo Sin Fronteras leader, Irineo Mujica, emphatically rejected the criticism.
“Our commitment first and foremost was protecting the lives of migrants and giving them as much information as possible,” Mujica said. “To blame the people who are helping is crazy.”
Pueblo Sin Fronteras founder Roberto Corona said in the organization’s defense that attorneys along the way told the migrants they could be held in U.S. detention centers for months and possibly separated from their children. In the end, he said, the migrants — many of whom are fleeing poverty and violence in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala — made their own decision.
“They know the wall is very big, and they will not be very welcome in the U.S. by many people,” Corona said, “but still they have hope of coming here, that at least their rights will be more protected, and they will be able to make a living.”
This is the fourth and biggest caravan of Central American asylum seekers that Pueblo Sin Fronteras has helped reach Tijuana, a trek that angered President Donald Trump and prompted him to send troops to the border. When the caravan crossed into Mexico, it numbered 7,000; about 5,500 made it to Tijuana.
Pueblo Sin Fronteras maintains it simply accompanies the migrants to protect their rights. But the organization clearly plays an essential role: It helped charter the route, arrange bus transportation and negotiate with Mexican officials to provide protection. It also raised more than $46,000 online for emergency housing and food.
As the caravan crossed Mexico, the organization held nightly assemblies to decide the next day’s destination. It alerted towns to prepare for migrants who camped in their squares.
For the Central Americans, there was a feeling of safety in numbers. For decades, migrants crossing Mexico have been robbed, kidnapped and killed by gangs and corrupt officials.
But traveling with the caravan was not without risks. One migrant was killed when he fell off a truck. Another was run over and killed on a highway. Two were stabbed and strangled after leaving a Tijuana shelter. Others have been attacked with rocks by local residents angry over the mass arrival.
Last month, a march by the migrants in Tijuana to demand the United States accelerate its asylum process degenerated into violence. Demonstrators threw rocks at U.S. border agents and tore down fencing, letting dozens rush through. U.S. authorities fired tear gas into Mexico, sending crowds that included children running and screaming.
“There is no reason to make these inhumane journeys,” Alejandro Solalinde, a Mexican priest recognized for his work with migrants, said of the caravans.
Sergio Tamai, whose organization operates migrant shelters in the Tijuana area, said he called Mujica to express concerns about the Tijuana march beforehand — “and we all saw what happened — a disaster.”
Migrants say they are grateful for all Pueblo Sin Fronteras has done, but they were not prepared for the long wait in Tijuana. Some 3,000 people were already in line to ask for asylum before the caravan arrived, and U.S. authorities are processing only about 100 claims per day at the crossing, resulting in overflowing shelters in Tijuana.
And the wait just got longer: The Trump administration announced Thursday that asylum seekers at the border will now be forced to wait in Mexico while their cases slowly wind their way through the clogged U.S. immigration courts. Previously, migrants were allowed into the U.S. while their claims were processed.
Esmeralda Siu, a Tijuana shelter manager, said many caravan members knew nothing about the difficulty in getting asylum.
“They come in desperation and so they hear what they want to hear,” she said. As for their escorts, “it seems like they are putting the migrants at great risk.”
Corona, Pueblo Sin Fronteras’ founder, said that the caravans served their purpose but that he doesn’t foresee the organization accompanying any more of them.
“We need to find out how can we reach the hearts and minds of the American people and Mexican people and mostly the policymakers who can come up with a permanent solution,” he said.
Associated Press writer Christopher Sherman in Mexico City and researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York contributed to this report.
The Seattle Times does not append comment threads to stories from wire services such as the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post or Bloomberg News. Rather, we focus on discussions related to local stories by our own staff. You can read more about our community policies here.


← North Korea – a beacon of hope for the down-trodden masses of the wide world
“Confess your crimes against the people of North Korea or you will not be allowed to leave the country tomorrow” →
Apr 18, 2012 · 1:14 pm
North Korea – Phallic monuments, war lies, famine and an interview with MI5
An amazing erection in Pyongyang: the Tower
(A version of this blog was also published on the Indian news website We Speak News.)
Surprisingly today, our older male guide admitted that North Korea had a famine in the 1990s. It was, he said, caused by “no rain” and, in the period 1994-1999, “only 200,000” people died, not the 3 million he said was claimed by the Americans.
I think Apartheid in South Africa was doomed when they let television into the country. People could see what life was like outside the country.
Widespread tourism in North Korea brings much the same threat.
Being a North Korean must be like being a sheep or a goat. You are born into a place where people look after you and you learn to trust them and believe they care about your welfare. Then, one day, they may slit your throat and eat you with vegetables.
North Korea is an enclosed world of brown countryside and white-and-red towns. Or white-and-off-red towns. Brown earth. Off-white buildings. Red banners and slogans.
The Great Leader Kim Il-sung’s Juche Idea of self-reliance – much touted when I was here in 1986 – seems to have been superceded by the Songun philosophy of “military first” – which “prioritises the Korean People’s Army in the affairs of state and allocates national resources to the army first”. Interestingly, this first seriously appeared in 1995, the year after Kim Il-sung’s death, when his son the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il took over the country.
I wonder what sucking-up to the military Kim Jong-Il’s son the new Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un will have to do.
All towns seem to have at least one tall thin monument in a central position with slogans carved around or on it – the ultimate being the Tower of the Juche Idea in the country’s capital Pyongyang with eternal sculptured flame atop. It all seems a bit like worshipping a stone phallus erected in the middle of ancient communities with dwellings huddled round it.
North Korea is very big on icons.
We were taken to the national film studios today. The late Dear Leader Kim Jong-il was much bitten by the would-be-Hollywood bug. We were proudly told that he had visited the film studios more than 590 times. We were told the studios made 20 films each year. So that would be almost two per month with lots of overlapping.
But the studio buildings and the widespread backlot streets were deserted. The ladies and gents toilets were closed and had to be found and specially opened. The gents was flooded. Someone told me there appeared to be an old woman sleeping in the ladies toilet.
The man in charge of the film studios said that the Great Leader Kim Il-sung himself had given advice on the positioning of the studios. He had said they should be outside the city.
Good advice, I believe.
The school year here starts on April 1st, which seems a very appropriate date given some of the facts learned in school. We were taken to an ‘ordinary’ school today.
In reality, of course, foreign visitors are never taken to ‘ordinary’ schools.
The school we were taken to – the June the 9th Middle School Number One School – was closed. This is the fourth day of a two-day public holiday. the extra two days, we were told, are “because in the previous two days the people had to celebrate”.
The science schoolroom had a small, cheap microscope on each desk. There was one room devoted to lessons about the Great Leader Kim Il-sung. And one room devoted to lessons about the Dear Leader Kim Jong-il. “The children have one lesson each week on them,” we were told proudly.
Some children had been dragged in to perform for us. As with all performances in North Korea, they were perfect in every way, though with a slightly unsettling emphasis on accordion-playing.
I was very impressed by one small picture among many others stuck on a wall. It was of the small children undergoing military training – crawling under barbed wire and the rest.
Then we were taken to the War Museum where we had explained to us why the Korean War started. Basically, as I understood the story, the US made lots of money during the Second World War by selling its armaments. When the War finished, the US went into a big economic Depression and decided to start the Korean War to stop the Depression.
Last time I was here, in 1986, the line was that the Korean War started when the running dog South Korean lackeys of the US imperialists wantonly attacked North Korea, but the valiant North Koreans pluckily fought back, drove the Americans back to the sea and the Yanks begged for a peace treaty.
This fails somewhat to explain why the border between the two Koreas remains in the middle of the peninsula and, as told in 1986, the Chinese Army was not involved in any way. Presumably North Korean grandfathers who remember US/UN troops surging northwards through their village and then remember Chinese troops surging southwards through their village see the value of keeping schtum.
Today, I asked if many Chinese visitors came to the War Museum and if they saw the same rooms as us. “There are four Chinese rooms in the museum,” I was told, “but we do not have time to see them today.”
I do not really care. The more important factor to me is that, although there is some talk of the US conning the UN into being involved in the Korean War, it is the Americans who are 100% blamed (or credited) with the war. We see their downed aircraft, captured vehicles and photos of their POWs. Britain is never mentioned because it seems important to keep the focus of North Korea’s xenophobic hatred on the Americans alone.
That’s fine by me. It gives me a quieter life as a Brit.
In the evening, as a special treat, we are taken to Pyongyang’s main theatre for a special mega-performance by a cast of 2,000 in honour of Kim Il-sung’s 100th birthday. Broadway and Andrew Lloyd-Webber eat your heart out. A stupendous production of professional perfection. It is later put on YouTube:
But, really, you had to be there to appreciate the scale of it.
At a restaurant meal, one of our group tells me his story about being interviewed for a job in MI5. He passed the tests where you are given lots of disparate information from different sources about a fake situation and have to compile a risk assessment situation report. He got through to the interview stage and failed. He says he thought it was because he was around 22 years old at the time and “they like more fully-formed people… all the others were older, maybe in their early 30s.”
I wonder how uni-directional the microphones are in the restaurant. I feel reassured that the North Koreans have better people to bug in this celebratory period.
When I get back to the hotel – our final night is unexpectedly in the 5-star Yanggakdo Hotel – the television, very bizarrely, has the BBC World TV channel on it. What are the authorities thinking of? North Korean workers in the hotel can see this. I think of South Africa and Apartheid.
The BBC is saying there has been a Los Angeles Times report with photos of US soldiers posing with the severed limbs and other body parts of suicide bombers… and North Korea has said it will no longer allow UN nuclear inspectors into the country because the US has withdrawn food aid to North Korea in response to the launch of their rocket last week.
Most of it utterly unknown by the people of North Korea.
… CONTINUED HERE …
Filed under North Korea, Politics, PR
Tagged as American, apartheid, Army, China, famine, film, forces, idea, juche, Kim il-sung, Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-un, MI5, monument, movie, museum, North Korea, phallic, Pyongyang, school, Security Service, Songon, studio, tower, US, war
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anti north korea propaganda
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May 2006 Articles and Features
Grads Urged to Eschew Mundane Living
Encouraged to avoid mundane living, 258 Oklahoma Baptist University graduates were honored during the university's 92nd commencement exercises Saturday morning in OBU's Raley Chapel. "Life the 'un-mundane' life," was the challenge from Dr.…
Long-time Employee Cap Gardner Dies May 1
Cap Gardner, a retired physical plant administrator whose OBU career spanned nearly five decades, died May 1 in Oklahoma City. He was 86. Gardner joined the OBU staff on Oct. 1, 1947, after serving seven years in the U.S. Air Force. He was…


The Olympic National Park is open all day, every day, throughout the year, the roads, campgrounds and facilities at Olympic National Park, however, are not!
As with planning any trip, especially to a National Park, it’s best to check out the state of Olympic National Park before you leave home, it’s always wise to expect the unexpected. Emergency situations happen with very little warning and cause flooding, wild land fires, blow-down etc, which means that some areas of the park may have to be closed down temporarily. You can check out recorded road information at any time by calling (360) 565-3131.
Let’s take a look at the operating hours and seasons for many of the facilities at Olympic National Park. Bear in mind that these are not exact dates, just kind of “ball park” so if you’re planning a visit close to the date then don’t forget to check it out before you leave home.
More current news and information on the Olympic National Park Facebook page.
Olympic National Park Visitor Centers & Ranger Stations
Many of the Ranger Stations at Olympic National Park don’t really have set opening hours, the hours vary, so you just need to check the bulletin boards for Deer Park Ranger Station, Eagle Ranger Station, Elwha Ranger Station, Mora Ranger Station, Ozette Ranger Station and Staircase Ranger Station.
Storm King Ranger Station at Olympic National Park is open every day from the middle of June through to the middle of September.
Quinault Rain Forest Ranger Station is open from the middle of June through to the middle of September, but only Thursday through Monday.
Kalaloch Ranger Info Station is open from the middle of June through to the end of September, and from mid May to mid June it’s open Thursday through Monday too.
Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center is open daily from mid June through to mid September, it’s also staffed daily during the winter season (mid December through end March) and on weekends only in the springtime, April through to mid June.
Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center is open daily from beginning of May through to end September, weekends only from the beginning of October through mid April (except Christmas day) and Friday through Tuesdays between mid April and the beginning of May.
Olympic National Park Visitor Center is open year round except for Christmas day and Thanksgiving.
Wilderness Information Center (which is found within the Olympic National Park Visitor Center) is open year round too.
Olympic National Park Campground Opening Hours
There are loads of different campgrounds at Olympic National Park, and all are on a first come, first served basis except one at Kalaloch, so that seems like a very good place to start. Remember that these “middle of” and “end of” are very vague so if you’re planning a visit around the middle or end of that month, check it out before you leave home.
Kalaloch Campground – is open all year round and it is possible (and very wise) to make a reservation, particularly in the summer time.
Altair Campground – opens from the end of May until early in September.
Deer Park Campground – opens from the end of May until the middle of October, snow permitting.
Elwha Campground – is open all year round, however, there is no water from the end of October through to the end of April.
Fairholme Campground – opens from the beginning of April until the end of October.
Graves Creek Campground – is open all year, but again doesn’t have water facilities between the end of October and the end of March.
Heart o’ the Hills Campground – is open all year, but if there’s any snow is only accessible by walking.
Hoh Campground – opens year round.
Mora Campground – is also open year round.
North Fork Campground – is open all year, but is primitive, even by National Park standards – no potable water and pit toilets.
Ozette Campground – opens for the whole year, but is another Olympic National Park campground which does not have water between the end of October and the end of March.
Queets Campground – is another like North Fork, open all year but primitive.
Sol Duc Campground – opens all year although there’s a high possibility of the road being closed in the winter time due to snow. There is no water available from the end of October until the end of March.
Staircase Campground – is open all year, but is without water from end of October until end of April.
South Beach Campground – is open from mid to end of May, until beginning to mid of September.
So there you have it, if you fancy camping in Olympic National Park you know when and where to go!
Many of the roads at Olympic National Park are open all year round – weather permitting. You know what I’m gonna’ say next don’t you, yep, CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU GO.


Photo: China Modern Torture Methods (3)- Sexual Abuse
« Top 10 posts last week, Dec. 25 ~ 31, 2006
China: Chief Editor Of Bai Xing Magazine Dismissed »
China 2006 Year In Review
Posted by Author on January 1, 2007
By John Kusumi, China Support Network–
From a China Support Network perspective, what happened this year? 2006 was “Tuidang, Year 2.”
Tuidang refers to a campaign, ever more insistent, urging all Chinese to quit from the Chinese Communist Party and related organs; and more broadly, for China on the whole to leave behind the CCP. In 2005, “Tuidang, Year 1,” 7 million people quit the Communist Party. In 2006, 10 million people quit the CCP, for a total of 17 million resignation statements — all posted at the Tuidang web site.
The tires have been slashed on China’s Communist Party, and it is increasingly unpopular. Those ten million resignations represent excellent news and “the air going out of the tires.” Yet, a few more events happened this year, allowing us to claim 10 million and change. The type of change that we would really like to see is China’s transition to a democratic, post-communist regime; throughout this year, however, the CCP regime remained stubbornly in place, continuing its Maoist ways of persecution, crimes against humanity, corruption, and propaganda.
In the United States, bought off politicians continued to be bought off; and sold out news media spin doctors continued to be sold out.
CNN’s Anderson Cooper became “half a hero” with his reporting about Organ Tourism; only half a hero, because he managed to render that report and not breathe one word about Falun Gong persecution. He went half way towards breaking our story. (One and a half cheers for Anderson Cooper!) The number of confirmed deaths in the Falun Gong persecution now stands at 2,989, soon to surpass CSN’s estimate of 3,001 dead in the Tiananmen crackdown.
The confirmed deaths will be smaller than the number of actual deaths, due to the difficulty of getting reports from within a tyranny that likes to hide its crimes and corruption — and which holds the levers of state media inside China.
Our big story which broke this year (yet, not on U.S. national TV) dates back to March 9, 2006. That is when the Epoch Times first article appeared, with word of a concentration camp at a medical facility in the Sujiatun district of Shenyang City, Liaoning Province, China. The concentration camp was said to hold Falun Gong practitioners, who were kept as a living organ bank for profitable transplant surgery, which would be performed at the medical facility. Call it organ theft. Call it people farming. Call it organ harvesting. And, call it a genocidal crime against humanity. This practice means that transplants are clearly involuntary, coming from prisoners of conscience who should never be imprisoned in the first place. Falun Gong practitioners do not raise their hands and volunteer to be executed — we should remember that this is genocidal persecution in the first place. The transplants may occur from people who are still alive as their organs are removed; after surgery, bodies are cremated to remove the evidence.
This means that when CNN’s Anderson Cooper, as noted above, reported about Organ Tourism without the matter of Falun Gong practitioners, he didn’t report the darker, sinister, more ugly, sickening “other side of the coin.”
On March 9, the same day I first heard about it, I blogged: “Even though this news is huge and as large as it gets (China vaults into a class with Nazi Germany, and there may be Olympic boycotts if not loss of the Olympics all together), I anticipate the story will grow larger in the sense of a news story. The rising clatter must rise still further, and consequences may ensue for China’s relations with the rest of the world. Suffice it to say, it’s big.” Now, over nine months later, I continue to stand by my initial assessment.
In addition to the allegations about Sujiatun, more word came about organ harvesting as a widespread practice, undertaken at many other facilities.
The news of this medical abuse and flagrant human rights abuse is what drove Wenyi Wang to become the loud protester, from the press gallery, on the South Lawn of the White House — in the April 20 welcoming ceremony for PRC President Hu Jintao. Hers was “the shout heard round the world,” a high profile occasion due to the world stage and presence of international media. In addition to being an Epoch Times reporter, Wenyi was already familiar to me as a vigorous rights campaigner, and organizer of prior activism. What I did not know on April 19 was her background as a medical doctor. That background added credibility and gravity to her charges about the regime’s practice, and with the newfound attention, Wenyi became a widely traveled, and much interviewed, speaker in behalf of the cause. While U.S. national TV did very little about following up (I saw CNN’s Wolf Blitzer seem to scold her like a headmaster), Wenyi was able to make a tour of various ADIs (U.S. cities), and thereby reach a very wide audience through affiliate and local media. (Heck, I’ve spent about 25 years “going around” the nationals of the news media. I know how it’s done, and I sympathize with Wenyi Wang.)
Getting the word out is within the scope of the mission at the China Support Network. This year, Wenyi Wang was not the only one doing the “end around” of U.S. national TV.
I am naming David Kilgour and David Matas to be the China Suport Network’s “Men of the Year.” Why so? Kilgour and Matas stepped up to the plate, independently investigated, and released their “Report into Allegations of Organ Harvesting of Falun Gong Practitioners in China.” Their findings served as independent confirmation: the allegations are true. They conclude “that there has been and continues today to be large-scale organ seizures from unwilling Falun Gong practitioners.”
David Kilgour is a former Member of Parliament in Canada, and was Secretary of State for the Asia Pacific region. David Matas is an international human rights attorney. With their political and legal backgrounds, they would know better than to be casual or inexact with public statements. While they knew the stakes in international relations, and while they knew the enormity of the charges against Communist China, they nonetheless undertook to inform the world of their findings. Their tour, to 26 countries, was another way to “end around” the ersatz journalists of U.S. national TV.
They get to be Men of the Year here — first for taking on the case; second for integrity and courage in standing by their findings; and third for raising awareness, breaking an information blockade, and putting to shame U.S. national TV.
Can we gauge the results of their media efforts? Yes, by asking, “How is their clip sheet doing?” From May 9 to December 20 of this year, their web site shows 194 clips in the English language. 129 news outlets were represented, of which 31 ran more than one article. That means that the story has caught the attention to be “followed,” and actively followed up, at 31 outlets. The Epoch Times is clearly the most active, and we can say that it is the newspaper of record in the China-rights community. The other 30 outlets are–
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (8), The Calgary Herald (6), The Globe and Mail (4), National Post (4), Ottawa Citizen (4), Sydney Morning Herald (4), CBC News (3), China Post (3), NZ Scoop (3), St. Louis Post-Dispatch (3), The Christian Science Monitor (3), The Ottawa Citizen (3), The Toronto Sun (3), Abbotsford News (2), AFP (2), Asia News (2), Canadian Christianity (2), Chronicle Herald (2), CounterPunch (2), Cowichan Valley News Leader (2), CTV (2), Free Market News (2), Langley Times (2), South China Morning Post (2), Taipei Times (2), The Halifax Daily News (2), The Leader-Post (2), The Vancouver Sun (2), Times Colonist (2), Victoria News (2).
The single-mention outlets are a wide variety, including the Times of India, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun, the Chicago Tribune, the Irish Medical Times, the Guardian, and the Washington Times.
Who is missing from this list? United States opinion leaders are missing — the Associated Press, UPI, New York Times, and Washington Post. ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and CNN. There is no sign of these news outlets in the list. Should we write them off as anti-Falun Gong media? Or as closer to Jiang Zemin than to freedom and democracy? Well, suffice it to say that REAL journalists know about our story, and that ersatz journalists continue to live in denial. I truly thank David Kilgour and David Matas, as well as Wenyi Wang, for their work in 2006 to “end around” the minority of journalists who are sticks in the mud. Everyone else knows about China’s crimes against humanity; the last to know will be Brian Williams (NBC News anchorman) and Jacques Rogge (IOC President, who cannot be happy as this story tarnishes the Olympics).
The year includes its share of outrages — sentences meted out to rights lawyers and campaigners by China’s [in]”justice” system.
Notably, lawyer Gao Zhisheng was arrested on August 15 and released on December 22. He has the relative leniency of house arrest, because Beijing has begun its pre-Olympics charm offensive. There will continue to be efforts to rescue him in 2007, and some chance that Gao will exit from China and reach exile.
To well review 2006, it is important to note that EU / European Parliament Vice President, Edward Scott-McMillan, also stepped up this year and made a fact-finding trip into China. He is alarmed by the human rights conditions of China, and he is joining a chorus of voices against the Beijing Olympics, slated to be held there in 2008. It used to be that U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) seemed to be alone as a politician who also campaigned in our cause. This year, she is joined by David Kilgour (Canadian) and Edward McMillan-Scott (British). And this year, Nancy Pelosi herself gained new stature, as the incoming Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
This year end review is showing us that by several measures — resignations from the CCP; politician attention; and, media attention — that our cause is making headway or accelerating. It is arriving at critical mass just prior to the Olympics, which in itself is certain to whip up activists.
Also this year, Microsoft, Cisco, Yahoo, and Google came under fire for assisting the police state in China, with technology that ends up in “the great firewall of China” — internet censorship that also enables the authorities’ internet crackdown.
2006 had one more high note and one more sour note. The high note is that a music video, “Remember Tiananmen Square” appeared, from the rock band NoManZero. The sour note is that the U.S. Congress passed another “PNTR for dictators” bill, this time for Communist Vietnam. The Vietnam trade deal had to be passed, late at night on the last day of the session, by the 109th Congress, because there would be no market for it in the 110th Congress. The new Democratic Congress features “rising protectionist sentiment,” where PNTR becomes an impossibly hard sell.
That trade deal means bad things for America, but that is a topic for another column. As it stands, our cause had a good year 2006, and we look forward to an even better 2007. 2007 will feature the 18th anniversary of Tiananmen Square’s massacre. –That is exactly one generation later. I hope we will use this year’s anniversary to remember the event (for older folks) and to introduce the event (for younger folks). There is a rising new generation, that needs the introduction that explains how our China rights cause became urgent — and globally known — in the first place.
This 18th anniversary will be a time for educating people, in advance of the Beijing Olympics that are slated for August, 2008. To all of the campaigners in this cause, I offer kudos, congratulations, and solidarity. Some very good work was done this year, and more is to follow, as ever! Thank yous, and Happy New Year, to one and all who carry on the work of freeing China! :-)
– China Support Network (CSN)– Begun as the American response group in 1989, CSN represents Americans who are “on the side” of the students in Tiananmen Square – standing for democratic reform, human rights, and freedom in China. For dissident news; to support a stronger China policy; or get more information, see http://www.chinasupport.net
– John Kusumi, The first Generation X politician and Ronald Reagan’s youngest political opponent, John Kusumi was the 18-year-old running for U.S. President in 1984. (Independent / Practical Idealist) He later formed the China Support Network (CSN) when his age-group peers were massacred at Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, the site of a student-led pro-democracy uprising in 1989. He remains Director emeritus of CSN, an accomplished speaker, and widely published on matters of the Chinese democracy movement, where leading Chinese dissidents call upon him as an ally. See http://Kusumi.com
This entry was posted on January 1, 2007 at 5:16 pm	and is filed under all Hot Topic, Asia, Canada, China, Communist Party, Company, Crime against humanity, David Kilgour, David Matas, Falun Gong, Gao Zhisheng, Google, Human Rights, Internet, Law, Lawyer, Media, Microsoft, News, Newspaper, Opinion, Organ harvesting, Party withdrawal, People, Politics, Religion, Religious, Report, search engine, Social, TV / film, website, World, Yahoo. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
3 Responses to “China 2006 Year In Review”
Bred said
Interesting post. thanks!
Jana Shearer said
Yes its been an good year for exposing the crimes of the Ccp. But next year is an auspcious year for not only the Chinese but for the rest of the world when i hope that the CCP will come crashing down as more chinese citizens learn the truth about the true evil nature of the Chinese commuist regime and turn their backs on it by resigning. Lets hope the west will support the peaceful change over to a freer and democratic China.
Richard Bluestein’s Weblog » Blog Archive » China Sucks and Anderson Cooper does a half-assed job. said
[…] source: China 2006 Year In Review « Status of Chinese People […]


Giant Marine Reptiles Swam Like Penguins
Looks like a dinosaur, swims like a bird
By Mary Beth Griggs
Liu et al. 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1004605
Penguins can't fly, but they are master swimmers, cutting through the water with ease.
But they aren't the first animals to develop their sleek swimming technique. It turns out that plesiosaurs, marine reptiles that lived at the same time as dinosaurs (so between 200 million and 66 million years ago), used a similar method to get around in their watery environs.
In a study published in PLOS Computational Biology, researchers created a computer model of how the huge reptile moved. Plesiosaurs grew to be between 8 and 46 feet long, and all had four flippers. The researchers were surprised to find that the most efficient way of moving such a large body through the water was for the plesiosaur to use just its front two flippers, just like a penguin uses its wings.
"Plesiosaur swimming has remained a mystery for almost 200 years, so it was exciting to see the plesiosaur come alive on the computer screen," Adam Smith, a paleontologist who worked on the paper said in a statement.
See their computer models in the animation below:


Insightful Analysis and Commentary for U.S. and Global Equity Investors
Companies That Control the World’s Food
August 15, 2014 by 247alex
The agriculture and food production industry employed more than one billion people as of last year, or a third of the global workforce. While the industry is substantial, a relatively small number of companies wield an enormous amount of influence.
In its 2013 report, “Behind the Brands,” Oxfam International focused on 10 of the world’s biggest and most influential food and beverage companies. These corporations are so powerful that their policies can have a major impact on the diets and working conditions of people worldwide, as well as on the environment. Based on the report, these are the 10 companies that control the world’s food.
Click here to see the companies that control the world’s food.
In an interview with 24/7 Wall St., Chris Jochnick, director of the private sector department at Oxfam America, discussed the impact that these 10 companies have on the world. “If you look at the massive global food system, it’s hard to get your head around. Just a handful of companies can dictate food choices, supplier terms and consumer variety,” Jochnick said.
These 10 companies are among the largest in the world by a number of measures. All of them had revenues in the tens of billions of dollars in 2013. Five of these companies had at least $50 billion in assets, while four had more than $6 billion in profits last year. Additionally, these 10 companies directly employed more than 1.5 million people combined — and contracted with far more.
Nestle is the largest of these 10 companies. Converted into dollars, Nestle had more than $100 billion in sales and more than $11 billion in profits in 2013. The Switzerland food giant alone employed roughly 333,000 people.
Many of these companies and their brands are extremely well known. One reason is that they often spend huge sums on advertising. Nine of these 10 companies were among the 100 largest media spenders in the world in 2012. Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), the world’s sixth largest advertiser, spent more than $3 billion in 2012 on advertising. Unilever’s media expenditure, at $7.4 billion, was the second-highest worldwide.
With such scale, many of these companies’ policies — including advertising, food ingredients, environmental impact, and labor practices — have an significant impact on millions of lives. Often, these companies have been reluctant to address issues related to their environmental impact and the quality of life of workers in their supply chain. According to Jochnick, many of these companies are “unaware of the social and environmental impact that they are creating or facilitating.”
However, not all the companies are reluctant to address these problems. None of the 10 companies was better-rated by Oxfam than Nestle, which was closely followed by Unilever. Still, even these companies had problems, according to Oxfam’s 2013 report. In 2011, Nestle discovered cases of children working in its cocoa supply chain, as well as instances of forced labor. A supplier of palm oil for Unilever was accused of illegal deforestation and forcible land grabs.
A strong public profile, as well as consumer awareness, may lead these companies to address issues of concern. “A company that is good and trusted ought to be a company that is aware of, and taking steps to avoid, serious human rights or social or environmental problems that it is part of,” Jochnick said.
Some companies have taken steps towards becoming better corporate citizens. General Mills and Kellogg, which have been among the 10 companies Oxfam studied, have implemented new policies to address important issues such as climate change. Both companies recently committed to disclosing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years.
Based on Oxfam International’s 2013 report, “Behind the Brands: Food justice and the ‘Big 10’ food and beverage companies,” 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 companies that control the world’s food. We also added information on each company’s revenue, net profit, total assets, and employee count from their most recent annual report. Data were translated from foreign currencies based on the exchange rate on the final date of each company’s reporting period. Information on companies’ brands come from corporate websites and Oxfam. Data on 2012 advertising expenditures are from Advertising Age’s report, “Global Marketers 2013,” and are estimates. Estimates for Mars Incorporated, which is privately held, are from Forbes’ report “America’s Largest Private Companies 2013.”
These are the companies that control the world’s food.
Associated British Foods plc
> Revenue: $21.1 billion
> Advertising spending: N/A
> Profits: $837 million
> Employees: 112,652
Associated British Foods is a U.K. food manufacturer that has built out a global presence largely through acquisitions. Associated British Foods operates sugar factories, sells food ingredients to wholesale and industry customers, and manufactures consumer products such as Mazola corn oil and Twinings tea. According to Oxfam, the company received low marks for its practices in water use, having failed to conduct impact assessments, while also failing to adopt strong practices in managing its water supply chain.
> Advertising spending: $3.0 billion
> Profits: $8.6 billion
Coca-Cola is among the most valuable brands in the world. In total, Coca-Cola and its bottlers sold sold 28.2 billion cases worth of drinks, of which 47% were “trademark Coca-Cola.” In total, sales for The Coca-Cola Company were nearly $47 billion in its latest fiscal year. Overall, The Coca-Cola Company scores well for a number of practices, including addressing inequality for women working in production and supporting female empowerment for workers in its supply chain. The company is also well-rated for its land-management practices.
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Groupe Danone S.A.
France’s Groupe Danone has a truly global presence. Its largest market, by sales, is Russia, followed by France, the U.S., China, and Indonesia. According to the company, Danone is the world’s largest seller of fresh dairy products, which accounted for 11.8 billion euros in revenue, or over half of the company’s total sales in 2013. Danone is also among the world’s largest sellers of early life nutrition products and bottled waters. Danone received high scores for its policies in a number of major issues, including transparency and managing water resources. However, the company also received low scores in other policies, including its handling of land and farming issues. Danone received the lowest score of any company from Oxfam for its policies regarding women’s issues in agricultural production.
General Mills, Inc. (NYSE: GIS)
> Employees: 43,000
General Mills owns a number of America’s best-known brands, including Betty Crocker, Green Giant, and Pillsbury. No company received a lower rating from Oxfam for its overall approach to major policy issues. General Mills had the lowest scores in awareness and policies regarding climate change. Recently, however, General Mills announced new initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in its supply chain. As part of the announcement, General Mills also pledged to implement specific emissions targets, to review supplier practices, and to name its largest suppliers of palm oil and sugar in order to improve transparency.
ALSO READ: America’s Fastest-Growing Retailers
Kellogg Company (NYSE: K)
Among the top food companies, Kellogg is the smallest by revenue. Still, as of 2013, the company had nearly $15 billion in sales, a similar amount in total assets, and more than 30,000 employees. Kellogg also owns a large number of very well-known brands, including Kellogg’s cereal, Keebler, and Pringles, which it acquired in 2012 for $2.7 billion. According to Kellogg, it is the world’s leading cereal company and the second-largest maker of cookies. In all, Kellogg makes 1,600 different foods, which it sells in more than 180 different countries. Kellogg received a lower overall rating from Oxfam for its practices than all but two of the other 10 companies. However, in a recent release, Oxfam praised Kellogg for its pledge to cut greenhouse emissions in its supply chain.
Mars, Incorporated
> Profits: N/A
Mars is the the only one of the world’s 10 largest food companies that is privately owned. Mars owns several well-known chocolate brands, such as M&Ms, Milky Way, Snickers and Twix. Mars also owns a range of food brands such as Uncle Ben’s rice, as well as chewing gum and candy-maker Wrigley. Among the big 10 global food companies, Mars received the lowest policy ratings for water and land issues. In both cases, Oxfam penalized the company for its lack of knowledge of its environmental impact, as well as for its supplier policies.
Mondelez International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ)
In 2012, Kraft Foods split into two separate companies, Kraft Foods Group and Mondelez. While Kraft Foods Group took North American grocery brands, Mondelez took its snacks and candies brands, which include Cadbury, Nabisco, Oreo, and Trident, among many others. The company had over $35 billion in revenue and more than $72 billion in assets as of last year. It also employed 100,000 workers worldwide. According to Oxfam, Mondelez received low marks for its transparency, as well as for its handling of issues related to climate change and workers.
ALSO READ: America’s Best Companies to Work For
Nestle S.A.
> Revenue: $103.5 billion
> Profits: $11.2 billion
By many measures, Nestle is the largest of the 10 food companies, with more than 92 billion Swiss francs in revenue last year — net profit and total asset figures that dwarf other food companies — and roughly 333,000 employees. Nestle is also the top-rated company by Oxfam for its approach to major policy issues. It received the highest scores for addressing transparency, water use, and climate change of any major food company. In its 2013 report, Oxfam highlighted Nestle’s efforts in addressing labor abuses the company discovered in its cocoa supply chain in the Ivory Coast.
PepsiCo Inc. (NYSE: PEP)
In addition to owning famous soda brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Gatorade, PepsiCo also controls food brands such as Tostitos, Doritos, and Quaker. PepsiCo also employed nearly a quarter of a million people worldwide at the end of 2013. Pepsi was among the world’s biggest advertisers. Advertising Age estimates that PepsiCo’s worldwide media spending totalled $2.5 billion in 2012. According to three groups that measure brand value — Interbrand, BrandZ, and CoreBrand — Pepsi is one of the world’s most valuable brands in any industry. While PepsiCo received a lower score on policy issues than three other companies reviewed by Oxfam, it has developed a reputation for company responsibility in at least one area. CEO Indra Nooyi has pushed for healthier products in her time at the helm of the company.
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Unilever products are hardly limited to food and drinks. The U.K.- and Netherlands-based group also makes personal care and home care products. Still, its foods and refreshments businesses accounted for almost 23 billion euros of the company’s nearly 50 billion euros in revenue last year. Brands owned by Unilever include Lipton tea, Hellmann’s mayonnaise, and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, to name only a few. Unilever generally scores fairly well for its efforts in addressing policy issues. Oxfam rated it above all other companies for its worker and farming policies. Only Nestle received a higher overall rating for its handling of the issues highlighted by Oxfam.
Tags: General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS), Kellogg Company (NYSE:K), Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), Mondelez International (NASDAQ:MDLZ), PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)
Posted in Special Report | Comments Off on Companies That Control the World’s Food
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https://247wallst.com/special-report/2014/08/15/companies-that-control-the-worlds-food/ printed on January 17, 2020


EduBloggerCon Model: The Edinburgh Festival Fringe?
I heard about this while listening to the audio version of a new book, Mavericks at Work. Around the "fringe" of a traditional drama festival, all kinds of informal performances started to take place, which are now collectively called "The Fringe." It has become a huge event, even dwarfing the original festival.
Like an "unconference," and unlike the formal festival it surrounds, nobody decides who can or can't participate--anyone who wants to can find a venue and advertise, trying to draw a crowd. There is an coordinating/advertising organization for "The Fringe," but they are very clear about the fact that will do nothing to determine who performs.
Last year's Fringe encompassed 28,014 performances of 1867 different shows in 261 venues, with ticket sales of 1.5 million. Very famous actors and actresses participate, as well as complete unknowns.
Not trying to think to grandly about EduBloggerCon, but what an idea: an ed tech conference that is run by the participants. Wouldn't that be an interesting twist on the traditional...
Note to Stephen Downes (smile): you might really find this book interesting. Not only does it draw some great links between the Free and Open Source Software movements and good business practices, it showcases many companies that are doing good things by being purpose-driven (not profit-driven) commercial enterprises.
Like the quote from Tom Peters on the cover, I'm "devouring" it.