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J.J. Abrams Returns To Write And Direct 'Star Wars: Episode IX'
09/12/2017 11:11 am ET Updated Sep 12, 2017
The return of the J.J.
By Bill Bradley
UPDATE: 4:00 p.m. ET — In addition to the director news, "Star Wars" announced that the premiere date for "Episode IX" will be Dec. 20, 2019.
Star Wars: Episode IX is scheduled for release on December 20, 2019. pic.twitter.com/rDBqmuHX89
— Star Wars (@starwars) September 12, 2017
The Force was with J.J. Abrams when he launched the new set of "Star Wars" films with "The Force Awakens," so now Disney is bringing him back.
As Deadline reported on Tuesday, and according to a press release on StarWars.com, Abrams will return to write and direct "Star Wars: Episode IX." The statement reads:
A post shared by Star Wars (@starwars) on Sep 12, 2017 at 7:28am PDT
After Disney unexpectedly parted ways with former "Episode IX" director Colin Trevorrow earlier this month, rumors that Rian Johnson, who is directing "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," would take over surfaced. But Deadline reports that Johnson decided not to take the offer to direct.
On Abrams' hiring, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said, "With 'The Force Awakens,' J.J. delivered everything we could have possibly hoped for, and I am so excited that he is coming back to close out this trilogy."
After what we saw in "Force Awakens," we're pretty excited about it, too. We just hope they call it "The Return of the J.J."
There Were 2 Royal Moments You Might Have Missed At Biden's Inauguration Joe Biden Removed Trump's Diet Coke Button, Twitter Bubbled Up With Jokes Princess Charlene Defends New Buzzcut Hairstyle: 'It Was My Decision' Katy Perry Closes Out Biden's Inauguration Celebration With A Literal Bang
'Star Wars' Postage Stamps
Entertainment Editor, HuffPost
Movies Star Wars J.J. Abrams | {
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Pascal Pictures
Movie Review: Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Vincent Gaine
The balance between innovation and homage is a difficult one to strike. This is especially so when dealing with established and beloved properties. Spider-Man: No Way Home takes on the formidable task of balancing the demands of a standalone film, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the wider presence of Spider-Man in cinema and popular…
Movie Review: Little Women (2019)
Howard Schumann
Writer/director Greta Gerwig ("Lady Bird") puts a contemporary spin on Louisa May Alcott's nineteenth century classic novel in Little Women, now in its eight film version. Alcott's semi-autobiographical story about four sisters growing up in Concord, Massachusetts during and after the Civil War stands out for its warmth and celebration of family, its exquisite period…
Movie Review: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Floyd Smith III
When Sony announced its plans for a theatrical release of an animated Spider-Man film, even hardcore fans of the web swinger may have considered it to be just another unwarranted adaptation. "Haven't we seen enough portrayals of Spider-Man?," those with comic-book movie fatigue asked, and yet in his seventh major solo theatrical release since 2002,…
Movie Review: The Post (2017)
If The Post was little more than a piece of agitprop beating the drums for the value of a free press in a democracy, it would more than justify its reason for being. The fact that it is so much more is a testament to the skills of director Steven Spielberg and the talents of…
Movie Review: Molly's Game (2017)
Joe Kotisso
Since his screenwriting breakthrough with "A Few Good Men," Aaron Sorkin has crafted himself an illustrious Hollywood career, which includes a nomination for the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for "Moneyball" and a win for the same for "The Social Network" as well as earning multiple Emmy awards for his work on the landmark TV series…
Movie Review: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
For many a superhero fan, whether in comic books, television or movie format, Spider-Man is likely to be a childhood favorite. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's creation of a nerdy teenager who acquires the abilities of a spider has struck nerves (or web strands) with multiple generations, as Peter Parker's struggles with his new powers…
Movie Trailer #2: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The second official trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming has landed and while it still doesn't spoil any plot points, it does offer up more of a taste of the action to come. Peter Parker (Tom Holland), still coming to terms with his place in the superhero hierarchy, tiptoes between doing what he feels he has to…
Movie Review: The Skin I Live In (2011)
Movie Review: Stan & Ollie (2018)
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CBA legal challenge heads to B.C. Court of Appeal
By David Weir|June 26th, 2020|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement|
The construction industry partners challenging B.C.'s Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) will be in court July 16 and 17 to appeal the B.C. Supreme Court ruling that stalled the judicial review last February. The B.C. Court of Appeal will be asked to overturn Supreme Court Justice Christopher Giaschi's decision striking portions of the petition for [...]
CBA update – BCIB publishes updated FAQ
By David Weir|March 2nd, 2020|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
Contractors wanting to understand how B.C.'s Community Benefit Agreement (CBA) will be applied may find the answers they need in an updated Contractor & Subcontractor Q and A document produced by B.C. Infrastructure Benefits Inc. (BCIB). The updated Q&A, which was posted recently to a redesigned BCIB website, provides answers to several questions VRCA [...]
VRCA attends rally demanding government stops the CBA roll-out
By David Weir|November 22nd, 2019|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) joined industry representatives and progressive labour unions at the B.C. legislature on November 19 to demand the provincial government stop the roll-out of its prescriptive and regressive Community Benefits Agreement (CBA), introduced in July 2018. "Our industry is deeply offended at the lack of industry engagement that took [...]
Community Benefits Agreement and regional advocacy the focus at November Division meetings
By David Weir|October 21st, 2019|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, General Contractors, Manufacturers & Suppliers, Trade Contractors|
The provincial government policy requiring key infrastructure projects to be built using the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) framework continues to be one of the top issues worrying B.C.'s construction industry. Join us at Division meetings in November to get an update on: The legal challenge to the CBA brought by VRCA and its industry [...]
Separating fact from fake on the B.C government's infrastructure deal
By David Weir|January 21st, 2019|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
Do you support forcing the Canucks to play with half of their own players while having the other half assigned to them at game time? We suspect few would agree to such a proposal, yet that's exactly what the B.C. Government is asking construction companies to do under its Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Paul [...]
BCCA shares BCIB's responses regarding the Community Benefits Agreement
By David Weir|November 19th, 2018|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement|
There are many questions about the Community Benefits Agreement that can't be answered by reading the agreement itself. Some, but not all, of the questions were answered during a recent meeting between the B.C. Construction Association (BCCA) and BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB). Based on member feedback at the Oct. 17 Division meeting, VRCA compiled [...]
Who really benefits from community benefits agreements?
By David Weir|October 22nd, 2018|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, Events, In The News|
VRCA and Mierau Contractors Ltd. are co-sponsoring the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce November luncheon Nov. 1. The topic is: "Who really benefits from community benefits agreements?" The guest speaker will be Ken Baerg, executive director of Canada Works. Baerg is a seasoned labour relations strategist and practitioner who is passionate about supporting sustainable and [...]
VRCA launches advocacy section on its website
By David Weir|October 1st, 2018|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
As British Columbia's oldest and largest regional construction association, the Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) represents the general and trade contractors, manufacturers, suppliers and various professional services providers who operate in the industrial, commercial and institutional construction industry in the Lower Mainland. As such, VRCA publicly takes positions and speaks out on business issues [...]
Community Benefits Town Hall Meeting
By Fiona Famulak|September 17th, 2018|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
Dear member, Please join us for an important members-only town hall meeting to discuss industry's response to the new Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that: forces construction workers to join and pay dues to the Building Trades Unions as a condition of working on certain public construction projects where the CBA will be used, which [...]
BCCA launches letter campaign to fight Community Benefits Agreement
By David Weir|August 13th, 2018|Advocacy, Community Benefits Agreement, In The News|
The BC Construction Association (BCCA), on behalf of the four regional construction associations, has launched a letter-writing campaign against the Community Benefits Agreement for key infrastructure projects in B.C. Trades people and owners of construction companies are encouraged to sign a pre-drafted letter that will be sent to B.C. Premier John Horgan explaining why [...] | {
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A Tribute to Late Professor Mahlagha Ghorbanli
This edition of IJPP celebrates ten years of steady publication of Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology. The story of IJPP is that of a journey that started from a local forum where the researchers and scholars mainly from the Islamic Azad University could share findings of their studies, gradually developing into an international peer-reviewed journal indexed by Islamic World Science Citation Center (https://isc.gov.ir/en) and SCImago Journal & Country Rank (www.scimagojr.com). We heartily appreciate numerous authors, both local and international, whose contributions have led us reach this far and look forward to more original research reports to move even further.
This edition is dedicated to late Mahlagha Ghorbanli, the emerita full professor of plant physiology in Kharazmi University, the first institution for teacher education in Iran. With her broad range of expertise and comprehensive knowledge of various research avenues in the field of plant physiology combined with a warm, caring, and supportive personality, professor Ghorbanli was the first Editor-in-Chief of IJPP, a prominent figure who was able to lead the editorial board of IJPP through the challenges inherent in starting a scientific journal. We owe much of what we have achieved to her scholarship and visions. May her soul rest in peace!
Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology
(2020). A Tribute to Late Professor Mahlagha Ghorbanli. Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology, 11(1), -.
. "A Tribute to Late Professor Mahlagha Ghorbanli". Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology, 11, 1, 2020, -.
(2020). 'A Tribute to Late Professor Mahlagha Ghorbanli', Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology, 11(1), pp. -.
A Tribute to Late Professor Mahlagha Ghorbanli. Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology, 2020; 11(1): -. | {
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Mass. Medical, Dental Societies call for professional judgment in pain control
Susan Spencer TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF
Massachusetts Medical Society and Massachusetts Dental Society representatives say they're concerned about the misuse of prescribed medications, but also call for regulatory balance that allows prescribers to use their professional judgment to provide care that's best for patients.
"One of the unintended consequences is where you're so regulated, you're afraid to prescribe and people won't get the pain medication they need," said Dr. Ronald W. Dunlap, a cardiologist and president of the Medical Society. "We all have different pain thresholds. Some people have terrible pain."
Dr. Dunlap said the Medical Society was working with regulators to make the state Department of Public Health's Prescription Monitoring Program, a database of controlled substance prescriptions, less burdensome to use.
He also said pharmacy chains have extensive databases that could be used with DPH's data to identify providers who prescribe a large number of opioids.
Dr. Thomas Trowbridge, an oral surgeon in Lowell and a trustee of the Dental Society, said, "It's in our interest to promote the patient's appropriate amount of pain control."
He said adequately controlling pain hastens the healing process and helps patients get back to work or school.
The amount of medication needed varies by the weight and age of the patient, the procedure performed and other factors.
Dr. Trowbridge said that anecdotes about young people receiving large Vicodin or Percocet prescriptions after having their wisdom teeth removed needed to be taken in context.
"Often times it will be the first time for surgery where they've had to have pain control," Dr. Trowbridge said. But also, many people who don't share their anecdotes have wisdom teeth removed without notable post-surgery prescriptions, large or small.
"If we give them too few, it's been harder to call in more prescriptions," Dr. Trowbridge said, particularly for Schedule II drugs including Percocet and OxyContin, which in Massachusetts cannot be phoned in to the pharmacy.
"It's always good to have enough medicine ahead of time and prepare them for recovery." | {
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The new U.S. National Defense Strategy: A "good deal" for the Military-Industrial Complex
Feb 9th, 2018 +
In this article:defense, Military Strategy, Politics, society, United States, War
On January 19, 2018, U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis presented in Washington the declassified version of the United States' National Defense Strategy. In his speech, he made clear the militaristic approach that will be maintained in coming years: "This strategy expands our competitive space, prioritizes preparedness for war."
According to Mattis, the fight against terrorism will continue, "but Great Power competition, not terrorism, is now the primary focus of U.S. national security," which means a readjustment of the approach since the attacks of September 11, 2001. In line with the National Security Strategy of December 2017, Russia and China are identified as the main threats to the U.S. On a second level, are the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Iran, and the most dangerous non-state actor is identified as the Islamic State.
The document notes, "The 2018 National Defense Strategy underpins our planned fiscal year 2019-2023 budgets, accelerating our modernization programs and devoting additional resources in a sustained effort to solidify our competitive advantage." In this sense, the U.S. will prioritize nuclear modernization, and investments in cyber and missile defense.
This the first time, in more than 15 years, that the U.S. has explicitly stated its interest in increasing military spending to maintain superiority over Russia and China, and consolidate its global hegemony. During this period, international terrorism served as the pretext for the strengthening of U.S. military forces, since after the fall of the Soviet Union and the socialist camp, the supposed threat that led the United States to exponentially increase its military budget after WWII, to the benefit of influential corporations, disappeared.
The language used recalls the Cold War era East-West conflict. The greatest exponent of the arms race was President Ronald Reagan, who in 1983 publicly launched the Strategic Defense Initiative, in which the scientific community was asked to develop a missile defense system to guarantee the protection of U.S. territory against a nuclear attack. It was also known as "Star Wars," like the famous film of the time. As was shown that on that occasion, the only winner was "the Military-Industrial Complex."
The current Strategy also reaffirms that the use of force will be applied as a foreign policy principle: "Reinforcing America's traditional tools of diplomacy, the Department provides military options to ensure the President and our diplomats negotiate from a position of strength." In addition, it is noted that states are the main actors on the global scene, but that non-state actors, such as terrorists, transnational criminal organizations, and hackers, "also threaten the security environment with increasingly sophisticated capabilities."
The document emphasizes that the new strategy "articulates our strategy to compete, deter, and win" in this increasingly complex environment, stressing, "The costs of not implementing this strategy are clear. Failure to meet our defense objectives will result in decreasing U.S. global influence, eroding cohesion among allies and partners, and reduced access to markets that will contribute to a decline in our prosperity and standard of living."
It is noted: "A long-term strategic competition requires the seamless integration of multiple elements of national power – diplomacy, information, economics, finance, intelligence, law enforcement, and military," continuing: "More than any other nation, America can expand the competitive space, seizing the initiative to challenge our competitors where we possess advantages and they lack strength." At the same time, it is claimed the U.S. "is open to opportunities for cooperation but from a position of strength and based on our national interests."
Latin America and the Caribbean are mentioned only twice, referring to the Western Hemisphere, and unlike the Strategy of December 2017, no specific country of the region is mentioned. The objectives of the Strategy include "maintaining favorable regional balances of power in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere."
As outlined, the U.S. will deepen its relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries that "contribute military capabilities to shared regional and global security challenges." The document also notes, "The U.S. derives immense benefit from a stable, peaceful hemisphere that reduces security threats to the homeland."
Although not recognized in the Strategy, it is worth mentioning that Latin America and the Caribbean is the most densely populated area in the world, and that more than half a century ago, it was declared a nuclear-weapon-free zone, through the Treaty of Tlatelolco. Last month marked four years since the 33 member countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), meeting at their Second Summit, in Havana January 28-29, 2014, declared "Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace."
This is the "civilized" world of the 21st century – some proclaim peace while others enact war. The Pentagon has revealed it is committed to building "a more lethal force," in clear defiance of international peace, and to justify its 700 billion dollar military budget for 2018.
The Strategy defends President Donald Trump's nationalist electoral platform of "America first," which combines diplomatic isolationism and economic protectionism, with military reinforcement and the denial of the threat of climate change. A "novel" formula to try to maintain global hegemony, and another "good deal" for the Military-Industrial Complex.
2016 NATO spending by country with percentage of total
In millions of dollars
U.S. 72.36% – $664.058
UK 6.5% – $60.347
France 4.7% – $43.620
Germany 4.4% – $40.663
Italy 2.3% – $21.878
Canada 1.6% – $15.395
Turkey 1.2% – $11.573
Spain 1.2% – $11.064
Others 5.4% – $49.698 | {
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Karen Napier, Director
While studying dance, Karen grew weary of seeing Christianity removed from the art, and vowed to provide a place where Christian dancers could study classical ballet and other dance arts in a God-glorifying manner. This became the Audience of One dance studio. Our mission is to always dance in God's honor, whether in our studio classroom or a national ballet competition. Mrs. Karen reared her daughters in a dancing home, and it is a joy to have them now teaching for her, in this family dance ministry.
Monica Halvorson
Monica is a proud graduate of Florida State University. She has been on staff with us for 12 years and is known throughout the dance community for her creative contemporary and jazz pieces. Her students have received numerous top awards at regional and national dance competitions, and she is often complimented by dance judges for thinking "outside of the box". Monica works with our upper elementary, high school and college dancers and enjoys fine tuning their technique to create a versatile, well-rounded dancer. Her goal is to inspire her students to express themselves through their movement, and to be a positive role model for each student. Monica teaches elementary jazz & acrobats, as well as advanced tap, jazz and contemporary.
Roxanne Rich
Roxanne has been taking dance since she was 2 years old and has been an instructor with Audience of One dance since she was 16. She received her dance training from our studio and is known for her talents as a dancer and choreographer. Roxanne is also a principal dancer of the Redeemer Dance Company as well as a professional aerialist. Her goal is that her passion for dance will be contagious and continue in her students. Roxanne is a proud FSU graduate and is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Roxanne teaches advanced hip hop and our stretch and condition class.
Laura Odom
Laura is 24 years old and a Panama City native. She holds her Associate of Science degree from Gulf Coast State College and is a licensed Physical Therapist Assistant. Laura has been dancing since 2000 and has been teaching for Audience of One since 2013. She has trained heavily in classical ballet and continues her dance education yearly. Laura regularly attends technique classes and often participates in Alabama Dance Theatre's summer dance intensive under the instruction of American Ballet Theatre's former prima ballerina Shawn Black. Although Laura's first love is ballet, she equally enjoys contemporary and jazz. She desires for all of her students to build a solid foundation of good technique, and hopes that her classes will be a space for each dancer to express their unique artistic voice through movement.
Alex has been dancing since she was 2 years old and trained with Audience of One since 2015. She co-leads the dance team at High Praise Worship Center and continues to train and take dance classes to further build her dancing abilities & technique. Her goal is to share her love and passion for dance with her students, to help them step out of their comfort zones, to develop the gifts God has given them, and to excel as dancers.
Emily French
Emily began dancing at the age of 5. She has trained in various styles from ballet to hip hop but has a strong passion for contemporary. During the years she danced competitively, Emily won numerous top awards for both on and off stage. She attends classes regularly to stay fresh on new choreography and styles. Emily is also a RaDanceCrew member where she assists teachers and choreographers at workshop classes. Her hearts cry is to pour into others what she has learned over the years and to help develop the gifts and talents of her students that God has given them.
Jamiah Robison
Jamiah has been dancing since she was 6 years old, and has been training at Audience of One for many years. She has competed with AO1, NBH Dance Team, & UDA, and received platinum as well as various other awards. She currently coaches the North Bay Haven Dance Team, as well as teaches for Audience of One. Her favorite dance styles are Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Contemporary, and she continues to further her dancing abilities and technique in all aspects of dance. As a dance teacher, her desire is for her students to be challenged, grow their abilities, recognize their gifts, & share their passion for dance with others! She is looking forward to a great year of teaching more outstanding students!
Lauren Kolmetz
Lauren is a Panama City native with a BA in Theatre from the University of South Florida. She is currently a dance adjunct at Gulf Coast State College. TV and Film credits include Law & Order, Hope & Faith, Third Watch, The Stepford Wives and The Producers. Choreography credits include Forum, Cabaret, Guys & Dolls, Into the Woods, and Annie. Lauren is the Artistic Director of Redeemer Dance Company. Recent projects include teaching for Emerald Coast Theatre Company, board member of Global Arts Society and traveling with Project Dance. | {
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Santander extends shared parental leave to grandparents
Santander, which employs around 600 people in Glasgow, has been judged one of The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers for 2016-17.
The prestigious rankings, now in their eighteenth year, are based on research among more than 18,300 final year students who left university this year. The students are asked which employers they feel offer the best opportunities for graduates, with the feedback used to compile the top 100 list. Santander is the highest newcomer to the awards, and the Bank of England is the biggest climber.
Iain Gallagher, Emerging Talent Senior Manager at Santander, said: "We're delighted to be included in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers and even more so because it's feedback directly from the graduates themselves. It's really important for us to appeal to young talent from all walks of life, so it's great that we've been rated so highly by UK graduates."
Scott Reeves, Graduate Relationship Manager, joined Santander in Glasgow having graduated from University of Edinburgh this summer. He said: "I'm seeing first-hand the opportunities Santander offers graduates and these drew me to the bank in the first instance. There is a wide variety of career paths open to people joining the bank and Santander's commitment to ensuring you develop throughout your career means there are lots of opportunities as you progress."
The Times Top 100 Graduate Employers has been compiled from research with 18,353 final year students who left university in the summer of 2016 and is published as a full-colour hard-backed book. 60,000 copies are distributed free-of-charge to undergraduates through local careers services at fifty leading universities.
Sarah Webster at Santander Tel: 020 7756 5533 Mob: 07568112529
The press office operates from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Outside of these hours please call 0800 5877708.
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. As at 30 June 2016, the bank serves around 14 million active customers with c. 20,000 employees and operates through 847 branches (which includes 58 university branches) and 69 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, based in Spain, with a meaningful market share in 10 core countries in Europe and the Americas. Santander is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization and among the top banks on a global basis. Founded in 1857, Santander had EUR 1.52 trillion in managed funds, 12,500 branches and 190,000 employees at the close of June 2016. In the first half of 2016, Santander made underlying profit of EUR 3,280 million. | {
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House Votes to Condemn Trump's 'Racist' Comments
Latest Stories,
1 Dead, 8 Hurt in Colorado School Shooting; 2 in Custody
Two students opened fire Tuesday inside a charter school in an affluent suburban Denver community not far from Columbine High School, killing a teenager, wounding eight and spreading terror before they were taken into custody with no injuries, authorities said.
Douglas County Sheriff Tony Spurlock said the pair walked into the STEM School Highlands Ranch and began shooting students in two classrooms. Within minutes, deputies at a nearby sheriff's department substation entered the school and arrested the two suspects after a struggle.
"As officers were arriving at the school, they could still hear gunshots," Douglas County Undersheriff Holly Nicholson-Kluth said.
Authorities did not release the name of the student who died, but said it was an 18-year-old man.
"I have to believe that the quick response of the officers that got inside that school helped save lives," Spurlock said. He did not identify the suspects, but said they are an adult and a minor who were not previously known to authorities. Authorities planned to search their homes and a vehicle at the school, he said.
The shooting comes nearly three weeks after neighboring Littleton marked the grim 20th anniversary of the Columbine school massacre that killed 13 people. The two schools are separated by about 7 miles (11 kilometers) in adjacent communities south of Denver. It also comes exactly a week after a gunman killed two students and wounded four at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
The STEM School Highlands Ranch is a public charter school with more than 1,850 students in kindergarten through 12th grades.
Witness accounts
Student Christian Paulson told television station KMGH that he was in study hall when he saw kids running and shouting, "School shooter!"
"And I'm like, what? Is this real or fake? And then I just went after them," Christian Paulson said. "And apparently, this is all real. And I tried to run with my life, but I'm out of breath."
Rocco DeChalk, who lives near the school, told television station KUSA that he saw so many students running past his house that at first he thought it was a gym class. He went outside and saw a teenage boy who had been shot in the back being helped by a teacher and another student.
They brought the boy into his kitchen and alerted a police officer, who sent for an ambulance.
"He made a comment, 'Oh, I'm starting to feel it now,'" DeChalk said. "I told him that was probably the adrenaline kicking in and he was going into shock."
Three area hospitals reported treating eight people in connection with the attack. Two were listed in serious condition, two were listed as stable, one was in good condition and three were released.
Evacuating students
Lines of firetrucks, ambulances and law enforcement vehicles from multiple agencies were at the school, and medical helicopters landed on a grassy field.
The sheriff's office directed parents to a nearby recreational center to pick up their children. A fleet of school buses arrived and dropped off students, some of whom were crying and holding hands with their classmates as they were helped off. An ambulance also pulled up and let out a half-dozen children, none of whom appeared to be physically injured.
"We know this is a very worrisome situation for parents," Nicholson-Kluth said. "Relatives are worried, and we are trying to get them back together as soon as possible."
Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that he was making state public-safety resources available to help secure the site and evacuate students.
"The heart of all Colorado is with the victims and their families," he said.
Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, a gun-control supporter whose congressional district includes STEM, said the gun violence cannot continue.
"It is not enough to send thoughts and prayers. It is empty. It is weak, and it does an injustice to our children who are on the front lines of this violence," he said.
Credit : Voice of America (VOA)
From developing a stutter and anxiety.
Phil Mickelson received a crystal award.
Four Republicans joined every Democrat in.
A capsule look at 10 top.
China's golden run at the world. | {
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Spin or Whoppers?
Over the last decade, the media have become obsessed with 'spin'. It's rare to pick up a newspaper without some reference to it. We have satirical programmes about it. But, I'm not sure there is any more of it today than when Bernard Ingham span for Margaret Thatcher, although it's probably more professionally done nowadays.
We shouldn't be surprised by 'spin', for it is simply 'putting the best gloss on your story'. Surely nobody expects that anyone, whose reputation is in the public arena, would deliberately go out to 'put the worst gloss' on what they want to say?
But there is a big difference between 'spin' and 'telling whoppers'. I only wish our media became more obsessed with the latter than the former. In that way, they would do a public service by properly holding public representatives to account.
My Barnsley colleague, Michael Dugher, has just published a long list of 'Whoppers' that David Cameron has told at Prime Ministers' Questions over the last 12 months. Of course, we all occasionally make mistakes. Last week, my friend David Blunkett got something wrong in an interview on Radio 4; but, discovering his mistake, he was back on the radio within 30 minutes to apologise and to correct his error. But, to the best of my knowledge, David Cameron hasn't once set about correcting one of his 'whoppers'. He does us all a dis-service.
And these things are not unimportant, because our Prime Ministers's statements are publicised throughout the world and, if left uncorrected, give a clearly wrong impression of what is happening. Judge for yourself, with these examples of what Mr Cameron said at PMQs on January 25th and what the facts actually are:
David Cameron: "Hospital waiting times are down"
Fact: The number of patients not being treated within 18 weeks has soared by 43% since Mr Cameron became PM
David Cameron: "Disabled children will not have their benefits cut."
Fact: Department for Work and Pensions' assessment on the new universal credit showing that the rate paid to disabled children will fall from £53.84 to £26.75 a week.
David Cameron: "There are more people in work today than there were at the time of the last election"
Fact: The Office for National Statistics says there are now 26,000 fewer people in work than at the last election.
I'd prefer more spin and fewer whoppers. | {
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Inquest into Albanian seaman's death postponed as official investigation continues
Bethany Whymark
Published: 4:37 PM February 8, 2019
Alfred Ismaili at home in Albania with his three young children. Picture courtesy of the Ismaili family. - Credit: Archant
An inquest into the death of an Albanian seaman in west Norfolk has been postponed again while investigations continue into the accident which led to the death.
Alfred Ismaili, 36, died on February 1, 2018 while working on a cargo ship at Alexandra Dock in King's Lynn.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is undertaking an investigation into his death, in which suspected breaches of regulation have been uncovered.
Johanna Thompson, assistant coroner for Norfolk, said that additional evidence needed to be submitted in the on-going investigation including on safe hatch lifting practises.
Mr Ismaili's inquest opening heard he died from a blunt force trauma injury.
A previous inquest review heard that the investigation into his death could lead to a criminal prosecution.
A further pre-inquest review was scheduled for May 2, 2019. | {
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Invisible Hands
VOICES FROM THE GLOBAL ECONOMY
Edited by Corrine Goria Foreword by Kalpona Akter
The men and women in Invisible Hands reveal the human rights abuses occurring behind the scenes of the global economy.
The men and women in Invisible Hands reveal the human rights abuses occurring behind the scenes of the global economy. These narrators — including phone manufacturers in China, copper miners in Zambia, garment workers in Bangladesh, and farmers around the world — reveal the secret history of the things we buy, including lives and communities devastated by low wages, environmental degradation, and political repression. Sweeping in scope and rich in detail, these stories capture the interconnectivity of all people struggling to support themselves and their families. Narrators include Kalpona, a leading Bangladeshi labor organizer who led her first strike at 15; Han, who, as a teenager, began assembling circuit boards for an international electronics company based in Seoul; Albert, a copper miner in Zambia who, during a wage protest, was shot by representatives of the Chinese-owned mining company that he worked for; and Sanjay, who grew up in the shadow of the Bhopal chemical disaster, one of the worst industrial accidents in history.
"A compelling message about the plight of labor workers worldwide...Hope for change comes in various forms throughout Goria's collection, including the strides made by Bangladesh worker Kalpona Akter, who, after years working in a textile mill, became a staunch activist and labor rights advocate. Their common trait, aside from a laborious livelihood, is a marked desire to initiate a movement to bar unreasonable and perilous working conditions and unfair wages. Goria dramatically acknowledges the legion of overlooked workers who 'produce the things we use every day,'expressed through the carefully chosen words of crusaders who share each other's individual hopes and hardships. Powerful and revealing testimony to the injustices of manual labor, infused with inspiration for global change." —Kirkus Reviews
"Compiled and edited by lawyer Goria, these oral accounts of labor abuses and the struggles of the working poor cover most corners of the globalized economy. Stories from workers and labor activists in far-flung locations, including Mexico, Zambia, Bangladesh, China, and South Korea, convey a sobering uniformity of harsh working conditions, low wages, coerced labor, and ruthless retribution against unions and advocates for workers' rights. Readers hear from Bangladeshi garment workers who struggled to get monthly minimum wages raised from $15 in 1994 to $43 by 2010; Indian farmers trapped in a cycle of borrowing, debt, and bankruptcy; and the Chinese factory worker whose journey to the electronics manufacturing hub of Shenzhen started with excitement and ended with an accident that cost him a hand. A more hopeful strain about the resilience of labor emerges in some narratives: 'Never think that you're less than the boss,' counsels Ana Juarez, a Mexican garment worker and activist. As Kalpona Akter, a Bangladeshi labor rights advocate, says: 'It was hard for me to tell my story for this book and to make my life so public' but . . . 'if it lets another woman who has faced exploitation and repression feel that she is not alone, and even encourages her to speak up, then it is worth it.'" —Publishers Weekly
"This book, edited by attorney Goria, uses oral history to introduce readers to 16 disadvantaged employees working in agriculture, the garment industry, natural resources, and electronics manufacturing in countries including India, Zambia, and the United States. These workers discuss their experiences with unsafe workplace conditions, organized labor, poor wages, and immigration. The interviews serve to educate readers about the working conditions of low-wage workers around the world and draw their attention to the challenges faced by employees toiling in less than desirable—and often unsafe—conditions. The book includes a time line of modern industrialization, a glossary, historical capsules providing context for the oral histories in the book, and an overview of the global decline of garment-industry wages. Readers interested in the plight of disadvantaged workers worldwide as well as the undesirable effects of globalization will be likewise interested in this book. VERDICT: Recommended for a wide range of readers, from those served by high school libraries and public and academic ones as well." —Nathan Rupp, Library Journal | {
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Bully-boy pro lifers stake out prime minister's home - shameful tactics do nothing but fuel anger in abortion debate
Daniel O'Carroll
Enda Kenny: Irish Taoiseach target of aggressive abuse over abortion legislation.
Pro life campaigners aggrieved at proposed legislation which would legalize abortion under limited circumstances have been mounting a vitriolic campaign of abuse against Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny in recent weeks.
In doing so they have seriously undermined the cause they profess to serve and sustained images of a vigilante mob attempting to suppress dissenting views through crude intimidation.
The latest in a series of disquieting incidents has seen masked men campaigning outside the Castlebar home of the Taoiseach while his wife and son were at home yesterday before being removed by police.
Earlier that day, Kenny was repeatedly heckled as he tried to conduct an opening ceremony at a completely unrelated commemoration ceremony in County Longford where he faced charges that he was proposing to "kill the unborn" in supporting the Bill.
Last week he disclosed to the Dáil how he had received letter written in blood, sarcastic medals, plastic fetuses, and medical scapulars as result of the legislation, now in draft stage, which would allow abortions to be performed where the mother's life was in imminent danger as a result of the pregnancy.
Despite Kenny's fervent Catholicism, he has sustained his mantra that "my book is the Constitution" and has refused to back down in the face of the often unsavory methodologies being employed by those opposed to the passage of the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill.
Other politicians have been similarly inundated with phone calls from both legitimate pro-life lobbyists and more dubious vigilante crooks.
One politician described the concerted effort as a programme of "widespread intimidation", saying that politicians had been spat at and people had been turning up at their homes at unusual hours in desperate attempts to convince them to vote against the proposals.
One female TD, allegedly, received a threat that her throat would be cut. should she vote with the government.
Each TD (member of parliament) is estimated to be receiving 50 telephone calls a week from those opposed to the idea -- a relatively vast volume in a country with a comparatively small tradition of organized political lobbying.
Last December the communications regulator was forced to intervene after members of the public reported a spate of automated telephone calls beseeching them to lobby their TDs to oppose the Bill. The 'robo calls' were accompanied by graphic anti-abortion posters, some targeting individual TDs.
Those opposing the legislation are usually referred to as the 'pro-life' movement and comprise a broad swathe of religious Catholic voters as well as those opposed to the idea of any kind of abortion on atheist moral grounds.
They either argue that any kind of abortion is tantamount to murder or that the legislation is the first step on a road towards abortion on demand.
'Pro choice' activists, the legislation's proponents, support a woman's right to chose to have an abortion or not.
The legislation represents the government's decision to legislate on the X case after the untimely demise of Savita Halappanavar. The hospital patient died of complications following doctors' refusal to grant her an abortion.
While pro life activists' views resonate with a significant proportion of the population, even many of their supporters would question the propriety of intimidating members of the Taoiseach's family at their private home.
On the rare occasions where protests do take place outside a politician's family dwelling -- such as a similar anti-abortion demonstration outside Justice Minister Alan Shatter's private residence -- they are usually roundly condemned; I believe rightly so.
Making a case against abortion is a perfectly legitimate activity and on such a divisive issue was guaranteed to happen.
But resorting to the kind of sustained intimidation leveled against public representatives in recent weeks generates endless negative PR for the pro-life campaign and casts them in the prototypical role of agents of the controlling Catholic church which dominated the Ireland of yesteryear.
Leader of the opposition party Fianna Fáil's decision to remove his party's whip system for the vote (effectively, allowing TDs to vote with their conscience and contravene party policy without the prospect of consequences) was an inspired move which removes personal responsibility accruing to TDs and ensures that they won't be forced to compromise their religious beliefs on the issue.
Hopefully the party's representatives as well as those voting along party lines can cast their ballot without having suffered through such abuse.
(Correction: Subsequent to this post being sent for publication, a fathers' rights group, not affiliated with the pro life movement, claimed responsibility for the protest.) | {
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Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov
Lab safety report on Ebola virus transfer
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Office of the Director.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting today that a small amount of material from an Ebola virus experiment that was securely transported from a Select‐Agent‐approved BSL‐4 lab to a Select‐Agent‐ approved BSL‐2 lab may have contained live virus. The material was on a sealed plate but should not have been moved into the BSL‐2 laboratory. We cannot rule out possible exposure of the one laboratory technician who worked with the material in the BSL‐2 laboratory. There was no possible exposure outside the secure laboratory at CDC and no exposure or risk to the public. The event was discovered by the laboratory scientists yesterday, December 23, and reported to leadership within an hour of the discovery. The event is under internal investigation by CDC, was reported to Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell, and reporting to the internal and national Select Agent Programs has been initiated. CDC will provide a report on the event when the investigation concludes. The BSL‐2 laboratory area had already been decontaminated and the material destroyed as a routine procedure before the error was identified. The laboratory was decontaminated for a second time, and is now closed and transfers from the BSL‐4 lab have been stopped while the review is taking place. "I am troubled by this incident in our Ebola research laboratory in Atlanta," said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "We are monitoring the health of one technician who could possibly have been exposed and I have directed that there be a full review of every aspect of the incident and that CDC take all necessary measures. Thousands of laboratory scientists in more than 150 labs throughout CDC have taken extraordinary steps in recent months to improve safety. No risk to staff is acceptable, and our efforts to improve lab safety are essential ‐‐the safety of our employees is our highest priority." CDC will continue to provide support during the Ebola epidemic through its research and diagnostic lab work. Skilled lab scientists in the Ebola response are valued contributors to ending this epidemic. Based on what was learned during the lab science and safety reviews earlier this year, CDC has taken several immediate actions in this incident including closure of the laboratory, notification of staff, initiation of a complete internal review, and notifications of regulatory oversight agencies. This review will give us a clear understanding of what happened in this case and what can be done to further improve laboratory safety. CDC has established a CDC‐wide single point of accountability for laboratory science and safety and this will aid in ensuring accountability in this situation. CDC will also report this event to its external advisory committee which provides ongoing advice and direction for laboratory science and safety.
Containment Of Biohazards
Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola
Laboratory Infection/prevention & Control
Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection
urn:sha256:1ca7de99347427bd81d6ead7b886490906bf4e20ea5c8ebf7d14b873a9973208
No Additional Files
Report on the potential exposure to Ebola virus : Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Office of the Associate Director for Science.Office of Scientific Integrity.
This report describes an incident involving the potential exposure of a laboratory technician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to live (non-inactivated) Ebola virus. The incident occurred on December 22, 2014, on CDC's Roybal...
Enhancing domestic laboratory biosafety for Ebola and other highly infectious diseases
Merlin, Toby L.
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (U.S.). Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections.. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee..
Conference Authors:
Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee. Meeting (2016 April 13-14 : Atlanta, GA)
Slides from a presentation given at the CLIAC meeting, April 14, 2016.Publication date from document properties.9_Merlin_Biosafety_CLIAC_April2016.pdf
Laboratory safety and lessons learned from the Ebola response
Cornish, Nancy E.; Weirich, Elizabeth;
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (U.S.). Division of Laboratory Systems.. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Clinical Laboratory Improvement Advisory Committee..
Slides from a presentation given at the CLIAC meeting, April 16, 2015.9_Cornish_LabSafety_CLIACApril2015.pdf
OADLSS report of progress towards addressing the recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Director (ADC), CDC, October 29, 2015
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.). Office of the Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety.
In an effort to elevate its laboratory science and safety programs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sought internal and external input on strategies to mitigate laboratory safety concerns. The External Laboratory Safety Workgroup...
Next steps: Biosafety and biosecurity at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
On August 18, 2014 Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa Monaco and Assistant to the President for Science and Technology John Holdren issued a memorandum titled, "Enhancing Biosafety and Biosecurity in the Unit... | {
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Why Hire A Trial Attorney?
Ohio Supreme Court: Warrantless search of student backpack was OK
On behalf of The Law Offices of Saia & Piatt, Inc. | May 18, 2017 | Criminal Defense
If a high school student leaves his backpack on the bus, would it be fair for him or her to expect it to be left unopened? Would it put anyone in danger? What if there was a rumor the student was a gang member?
These are the questions the Ohio Supreme Court recently answered in the case of a Columbus high school student who was charged with possession of a deadly weapon after leaving his bag unattended on a bus.
A little background: The U.S. Supreme Court had already found in the 1991 case of Florida v. Bostick that bag searches on buses are constitutionally doubtful in the best of circumstances. However, that differs somewhat from the one heard by the Ohio Supreme Court. Moreover, students have less privacy rights than adults.
Couldn't any unattended bag contain a bomb?
According to the Courthouse News Service, on one February morning in 2013, a student left his backpack on a bus. A school security guard found it and opened it only enough to identify its probable owner. Based on a rumor that the student was a gang member, however, he brought the backpack to the school principal instead of returning it to the student.
The school principal felt free to empty the bag, and inside they found bullets. The pair then contacted a police officer.
The principal, the security guard and the police officer confronted the student in a hallway, where the police officer executed a take-down and incapacitated the student.
They then searched another bag the student had on his person. Inside there was a gun.
The student was charged with possession of a deadly weapon, and argued that these searches were unreasonable — and therefore illegal under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. He asked for the evidence to be suppressed, and both the trial court and the Franklin County Appeals Court agreed.
The Ohio Supreme Court disagreed and sent his case back to trial. First, the court reaffirmed that schools are "special needs" settings that allow more warrantless searches than would be allowed for adults.
Next, they reasoned that at each step, the child's right to privacy was outweighed by the "In compelling governmental interest in protecting public-school students from physical harm."
After all, they reasoned, any unattended bag could contain a tiny explosive device fashioned out of carbon dioxide cartridges called a 'cricket bomb' like those attempted by the Columbine High School shooters. Such a bomb might not be noticed in a cursory search meant merely to identify the owner of the bag.
Under circumstances like those — however unlikely they might seem — surely the search was reasonable?
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Our Chairman to step down
Sir Hector Sants to step down as our Chairman to chair the new Single Financial Guidance Body
We congratulate Sir Hector Sants on his appointment as the first Chair of the new Single Financial Guidance Body, and announce with regret that he will be stepping down from his role as Chair of the charity on 2 October to take up the role on 3 October 2018.
Phil Andrew, StepChange CEO, said:
"We are sad to be losing Sir Hector as he is an outstanding Chairman, but we are delighted that he's moving to chair a new body which is critical to the long term future of the sector and the wider economy.
"We are enormously grateful for the role that Sir Hector has played in chairing our Board of Trustees, to which he has brought an excellent mix of extensive experience, insight and dedication, and we wish him every success in his new role."
Sir Hector Sants said:
"It has been a privilege to be the StepChange Debt Charity Chairman since April 2015. It has touched me deeply to witness at first hand the sheer scale of the need for debt advice, a need that is not always fully appreciated but that I will seek to continue to address in my new role."
The recruitment process to find a new Chair for the charity is already underway. Existing StepChange Board member and senior independent director, Chris Stern will act as an interim Chairman if the recruitment process requires more time.
Get in touch with our media team for more information about our work.
0207 391 4598 (Office hours only)
press@stepchange.org
Connect with us through social media and get all the latest news about our campaigns.
Charity updates on LinkedIn | {
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Would the BBC work better as a company, charity, instead of a new Royal charter?
The BBC exists because, every ten years, the monarch has granted another Charter. Given the changes in the media landscape in the last decades, should the BBC move to another status?
BBC, plc 2017
In a set of articles earlier in the year, I investigated the BBC as a public company, sometimes run by subscription and other times by adverts and by subscription.
British Broadcasting Charity
One option that must be on the table is the change in the BBC from having a Royal Charter to being a charity.
The claims for the BBC's Royal Charter seem to be rather bust these days. Aside from the democratic implications in the 21st century of the head of state being able to make law by proclamation, the claimed benefits are long since gone.
The last three Prime Ministers have done away with once-treasured the BBC News independence.
Tony Blair used the strategy of a judge-lead whitewash (using the logic "the Prime Minister cannot lie because he is the Prime Minister") to weaken the independent broadcaster.
Gordon Brown, by providing "free" TV Licences to pensioners allowed the state to co-opt a sizable part of the funds supposedly hypothecated from the TV Fee. He could have provided pensioners with a £150 uplift in their pensions.
This pensioner allocation was used by Prime Minister David Cameron to strong arm DG Thompson into cutting back the BBC in an egregious funding settlement.
It is clear that the BBC is no longer independent of government, the Royal Charter special guarantee no longer respected by Ministers "of the Crown".
So, perhaps it would be sensible to do away with the 10-year cycle of renegotiation and move the Broadcaster to the status of the British Broadcasting Charity, and hope that the Charity Commission can provide a better protection for our national broadcaster than elderly monarch does.
BBC salami-slicing returns to overnight services? 1
#GreatBBC campaign launched 2
Goodbye BBC Red Button! 3
Want to know how much the BBC spend in England, Scotland, Wales and NI per home? 4
S4C and Welsh Exceptionalism? 5
BBC future: make sure you make the deadline 6
Sandra Blickem
I am constantly disappointed with the BBC
The news is sparse in content and appears very biased
The scheduling is terrible putting one programme type on two or three channels at the same time, ie sport
Instead of putting sport specials on the "secondary" channels 3 or 4 they remove other popular regulars altogether, very annoying
Their presenters are becoming less and less able, amicable, too serious, biased and non-entertaining!
They ignore complaints and criticism and simply carry on as before
Their sound is often compromised ie Jamaica Inn and I've noticed several others that are too loud, too quiet, too mumbled!
I seriously wonder what is going on with them as a previously non-biased, friendly, intelligent people's" channel!
Sandra Blickem's 1 post
Martin Baines
It seems to me, no-one really wants to ask the hard question: what is the BBC for?
It seems to me that the only rational justification for a compulsory tax given to just one broadcaster is to do the things the market does not do but are somehow considered a universal good.
If we deconstruct this, it used to be argued the BBC was the only way quality drama got made, not nasty populist stuff. Yet today, while the BBC still makes good programmes, it cannot claim a monopoly of good output - in fact I think one could argue it has been left behind by US subscription and internet makers like HBO, Showtime, ANC and NETFLIX.
Similarly in sport - once the BBC was felt necessary to ensure "national" sporting events got coverage, yet again that is clearly no longer the case. Yes the BBC still does a good job but its fund are such that it often is behind its commercial rivals. Perhaps sport would actually be better served by not having the BBC do it at all and regulating for free to air access for those supposed "national" events?
Similar arguments can be made on things like the arts, yet again we now have whole channels devoted to them that do as good (if not better) jobs of covering niche material.
So that finally leave The News. It is often argued the BBC is the gold standard of unbiased coverage with unrivalled worldwide news gathering. Yet the "unbiased" is clearly not true: in the name of spurious "balance" it veers between bland no reporting and biased coverage to plate whoever last called foul against them. Just look at the current controversy around UKIP - the BBC went from treating them as fringe party worthy of little but a joke to now being accused of ever coverage by virtually all other parties. And can we really say the BBC on screen news does a better job than ITV News, Channel 4 News, Sky News or Al Jazeera?
Now none of that says the BBC is bad. In fact I think it is (generally) very good at what it does, but I cannot honestly see how we can justify the compulsion element any longer. My own view is that it would have better future as some sort of independent organisation or even split up. I am pretty sure the Drama output would survive in its own right (just look at how well BBC Worldwide does). Similarly news gathering is first class, and may, if freed from its government shackles, do even better providing either its own channels globally or perhaps as a source provider like Reuters. Perhaps keep The World Service as a state global propaganda arm funded by the Foreign Office as it was until the last charter settlement.
Martin Baines's 14 posts
Sandra Blickem: Do you have actual data to support any of those very vague accusations? Biased? To who?
I hate sport, but at the weekend, there is a lot of sport, and they only have two channels to show it (BBC3 & 4 share with CBBC & Cbeebies) - in reality they dont show sport on all channels all day.
And if someone is covering a terrible disaster or questioning a politician, why would I want them to be other than 'too serious'. And the sound not being perfect on Jamica Inn is no more than a storm in a teacup. Sound is generally worse on all TV's these day - try listening to the other channels - the BBC is no better or worse.
Martin Baines: Think of what would happen if there was no BBC. No Proms, no real kids TV (trust me, Cbeebies and CBBC are fantastic), but lots of reality shows, soaps and 'dramas'. I dont always like the BBC either, but when I look at other countries output, I'm not always impressed either. I think Roy Greenslade made an excellent argument as to why the BBC should contine in its current form: Why the public must rally to support the BBC licence fee | Media | theguardian.com
I'm sick of the 'American TV is best/we have Netflix's' arguement. Firstly, we get the cream of the crop of US shows. Much of its is dross. In fact most shows dont make it past the pilot, never mind the first series. And while there is a lot of fantastic drama from the US, its a media market at least five times larger than our own. I'd expect more great drama.
HBO, Showtime, ANC, etc are all cable channels where you subscribe, and where the programme makers are often allowed to take risks without fear of advertisers, language, content, etc. Have a look at the main US broadcast channels. Do you really think Hawaii 50 is better than Line of Duty?
Netflix's? Netflix is a distributor of content, although like most other distributors, from the time of the 2 reelers, its moved into production as well. Its first big production? An adapation of a set of books made famous on TV by an TV adaption from the BBC...
Netflix is great if you have fast broadband, and you want to watch a lot of different stuff (although relative poor compared with what the US site has to offer). Yet the huge majority of TV watched in the UK is live - its not even recorded.
Sport? I hate sport generally, but if the alternative is paying money to Rupert Murdoch, then the BBC should be allowed to cover sports.
Drama? There are fantastic drama's on the BBC. Its been a really good year. Yes, some want more risk-taking, but overall, its been great. There should be no need to say US is better than UK - both have great stuff, but do things in slightly different ways, as this article pointed out: American vs British drama: why do we have to pick a side? | Television & radio | theguardian.com
Arts? The BBC produces a huge amounts of stuff on the arts - and although Sky has two channels devoted to it, you have to pay more than your licence fee to watch them, and I suspect that they (and Sky Atlantic) are loss leaders to encourage people people like me to make the leap to Sky. If there was no BBC, then I suspect they would go in an instant.
News? Not always great - and I complain when its isn't. But overall, its has a huge range and can be brilliant. I have no desire to get my news in the same way as the US - which is perhaps why NPR uses the World Service so much. Are there really shackles on its news gathering? The joy of the World Serive is that it is seen as not just government propaganda. It might be the cheapest 'soft power' weapon the UK has, and its would better if the Foriegn Office coughed up for its upkeep, but thats not the BBC's fault.
You yourself admit that the BBC is very good at what it does, and I'm in total agreement. But you then say it should be broken up because the market can do it better, and that its a compulsory tax. I'm not sure the market can do it better, and if doesn't, then it will impossible to put the BBC back together again.
The tax thing is a bit like the whinging you get from libertarian types - 'its because of 'fredum' and 'rights'. Its rational, but only within a very particular worldview, and totally misses the point. Your 'made' to pay for lots of stuff you might never use via taxation, but why pick on something that you do use?
Since 99.9% of people in the UK use the BBC on a weekly basis, and 98% use BBC1, we have made our choice, and its seems to work. We get relatively high quality stuff to watch and to listen to, with no adverts, on an 'all you can eat' basis. For 40p per household, per day. Can the market come up with a better offer - I doubt it. If we did slice and dice, for what are purely ideological reasons, I suspect, as the song says, we dont know what we've got til its gone.
The BBC gives us a mix of great TV, has a huge cultural reach, and keeps the rest honest.
MikeB's 2,579 posts
sentiment_satisfiedGold
I think the best drama now comes from ITV
Ian's 497 posts
PETER HUGHES
The licence fee equates to about 40 (forty) pence per day---less than a daily newspaper. For that we all receive ADVERT FREE Television AND Radio channels around the clock Listen to some of the programmes on BBC Radio 4----no commercial station would even consider covering this diverse range---why not? Because they have to keep THE ADVERTISERS HAPPY by delivering as a big an audience as possible.
Currently I am absolutely fed up with the Christmas adverts (Tesco one says "It's Christma)) but I thought Christmas was on 25th December !!
A friend, who spent some time in USA, on his return said he missed the BBC's full output across tv and radio---so there you have it..
PETER HUGHES's 13 posts
Lorna Smith
We only have Freeview and happily pay the 40p or so that allows us to watch the BBC and any other available channels. As pensioners, who still pay for our licence, we would not like to be forced to pay more ... and if the BBC lost the licence, we would certainly have to pay far more and probably be able to access fewer channels.
People over the channel can pick up the BBC and watch in preference to the own stations ... Think that suggests familiarity breeds contempt. The BBC is really an asset we cannot afford to lose.
Lorna Smith's 11 posts
Fred Perkins
I think most would agree that the BBC is good value for the licence fee.
But as Martin Baines has put very well, We (and even more, the BBC), has forgotten its purpose. It has become selectively very 'commercial', and being the recipient of a huge amount of what is in effect a 'tax', is going far beyond its original remit.
The BBC is now competing heavily with commercial broadcasters which can and do achieve much of what the BBC chooses to dip its toes into, and without the constraints or disciplines of a commercial company, but able to distort the commercial market in ways which don't necessarily benefit the viewer. Almost by definition, the BBC's success in achieving its remit should NOT result in a quest for audience ratings - but it does so, because it can afford to do so. It is also stifling innovation in the creative industries, by virtue of its scale. It benefits from legally-enforced additional licence 'fees', index linked, and further supported by it providing 'free' licences to pensioners - which government 'pays' for, even though it doesn't cost the BBC a penny to provide the service to them. Smoke and mirrors!!
The BBC has substantially abandoned the part of its remit that is about 'educating' the public. It appears to be leading the 'dumbing down' of TV, rather than focusing on higher ideals.
Most countries have a 'state broadcaster' - and nowadays that is mainly about producing news, which is expensive to do properly, and difficult for commercial broadcasters anyway.
Incredibly, Ofcom doesn't even regulate the BBC as to whether it's biased - the BBC is its own judge and jury. That too, surely needs to be changed - all other broadcasters who broadcast news have to abide by Ofcom rules.
Arguably, the BBC could achieve its remit with a budget a fraction (10%??) of the licence fee revenue - giving government something else on which to 'spend' the surplus.
Let's just accept that the BBC must be provided with state funding for its core remit, but must be prevented from interfering in areas beyond that, either by cross-subsidy or excessive cash in its coffers to 'play' in other areas.
Fred Perkins's 13 posts
Fred Perkins: You've allowed youself to be seduced by an ideological viewpoint, rather than a practical one, even though you admit that the BBC is good value for money.
Is the BBC actually 'crowding out' the commercial sector, and has it strayed from its original remit? If we take its original remit to be the Reithian "inform, educate and entertain", then the answer is no. Entertain means just that, and there is nothing wrong with the BBC producing programmes that we might actually want to watch and listen to. I'm sure there must have been people tutting that the BBC played light music and had comedy back in the 1930's, but we all seem to have survived. Think of all those classic BBC comedy programmes over the years - did that mean there were no decent comedies anywhere else on TV? Or drama?
As for crowding out, this is one of those free market bits of nonsense which pops up a lot, especially in the US. Thomas Frank basically has a whole chapter in 'The Wtecking Crew' devoted to shooting this meme down - pointing out that if you think 'guvment' is the problem, then anything it does well is bad, because government is bad. If the BBC is crowding out the private sector, then by that logic, so is the NHS, police, HM Revenue and the Army - all of which could be done by the private sector.
In reality, governemnt tends to help the private sector a great deal, as the book 'The Entreprenerial State' explains.
The BBC trains huge numbers of technicians, actors and directors. Think just how much drama the BBC makes each year - they are the single largest producer of drama on the planet - and then think what would happen if the BBC wasn't there. Brianist pointed out the results of such a report a while back - the conclusions were not good for the UK economy. And a huge amount of talent got their first break on the BBC. Anthony Mingella didn't start writing Oscar winners immediately - he started writing scripts for Grange Hill.
If the BBC was to produce only non commercial programmes, what would it look like?
We would perhaps have a 38 part series on the atonal composers from 1948-1982, documentaries on cheese making (just like National Lampoon's European Vacation), endless round table discussions on coastal erosion in Namibia and perhaps programmes on Mongolian throat singing. Possibly a film or two from the Swedish national film collection, showing the early works of a particularly gloomy director, obscure Scottish poets, and redubbed vintage Eastern Bloc animation (and a documentary on said animation). Cheap and very worthy children's prgrammes (here's bran, kids!), a series about the abandoned footwear found on Hadrian's Wall (actually, I would happily watch this), and an adaption of a famous 1923 Slovak play all about peasants, in the orginal Slovak. And dont forget the OU!
Of course as soon as you put on this deeply high-brow stuff, the free-marketeers would immediately say that nobody watches this, and if they do, they should pay for it. Head they win, tails you lose.
In fact Sky was cheeky enough to try this argument some years ago about Eastenders - its popular, therefore commecial. In which case, it should be on Sky, which, although commercial, has produced remarkably few popular programmes.
The BBC has to supply a mixture, so as to inform, educate and entertain. Thats fine. I dont always want serious stuff. But, for those who think the BBC is dumbing down, this is the serious stuff from Radio 4 today. Thinking Allowed, Tweet of the Day, Start the Week (really good today), A Book of the Week about living in different houses, a drama about Syria, a documentary about horses on a housing estate. A History of Ideas, a series about the history of Mossad, an afternoon drama, a music quiz (with a lot of classical music), The Food Programme, a series about Scottish poets, Beyond Belief, a programme about the word Mongol(!), Crossing Continents, Shared Planet (about mangroves), The Book at Bedtime, and a programme about 'The Queen of African Music'. And of course Today, The World at One, PM, The World Tonight, and all the hourly news.
As for TV - have you seen BBC4? And there are some really good stuff on BBC3 - their Afghan programme is incrediably powerful.
'Arguably, the BBC could achieve its remit with a budget a fraction (10%??) of the licence fee revenue - giving government something else on which to 'spend' the surplus. ' - Thats saloon bar handwaving. C5 has currently a £200m budget. Its makes bascially no content itself, buys its news in, and of course has no radio operation of any sort. And most of it is rubbish. You get what you pay for. BBC radio currently costs £650m - so almost double the £350m you suggest would cover everything. Your entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts. Lets see the data behind your thinking.
I think that the BBC makes a good case here - BBC - Blogs - About the BBC - Why the licence fee is the best way to fund the BBC
What I find is that those who argue against the licence fee is that they have no workable alternative, and seem largely to have an ideological problem with it, rather than anything fundermentally practical.
@MikeB: I don't want to get into a slanging match throwing insults at each other.
I said that I respect the BBC. I'm a broadcaster myself, and have been for 11 years. I know what broadcasting costs, and haven't been 'seduced by an ideological viewpoint'.
My point is simply that much has changed since the Public Service Broadcasting remit of the BBC (and our other PSBs) was originally set up.
Any single organisation handed close to £4 Billion a year by the state cannot fail to have an impact on its sector. We in the UK have one of the finest broadcasting regimes in the world, and the creative industries collectively contribute around 8% of our GDP.
Briant Butterworth opened this thread with some valid reasoning for change. The last few years have seen immense disruption and change in 'television' in its many forms.
The BBC has no monopoly of truth nor of wisdom. Nor indeed do politicians. It must surely therefore be time for a re-examination of the BBC's role in what is a much wider canvas than could ever have been envisaged when it was set up. In most industries, the Competition Authorities worry about dominance of any single organisation over the sector.
Geordie lad
Lorna Smith: Would that what you say about "Advert Free" was true; far from it! Program start and stop times are now disrupted by the Beeb's adverts for its own programs. As a retired broadcasting engineer, it was drummed into me at an early age that program schedule times MUST be adhered to, even if it meant using a stop watch and time signals.
Geordie lad's 43 posts
Lorna Smith: | {
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Community Oversight Board chair: Fixing police body cam issue 'as important as living and breathing'
Nashville's Community Oversight Board wants body and dash cameras on the streets as soon as possible, even amidst the budget crisis facing city leaders.
Community Oversight Board chair: Fixing police body cam issue 'as important as living and breathing' Nashville's Community Oversight Board wants body and dash cameras on the streets as soon as possible, even amidst the budget crisis facing city leaders. Check out this story on Tennessean.com: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2019/12/10/nashville-community-oversight-board-police-body-cameras/2633823001/
Mariah Timms, Nashville Tennessean Published 5:00 a.m. CT Dec. 10, 2019 | Updated 3:56 p.m. CT Dec. 10, 2019
Even under the strain of a budget crisis, the Community Oversight Board plans to continue its push for body cameras on all Nashville police officers as soon as possible.
"It's not enough anymore to say you don't have the money. This is important as living and breathing in this city," COB chair Ashlee Davis said Monday. "That's how important this is. That's not OK."
The board plans to issue a formal policy recommendation soon explaining their focus on transparency, as well as urging other departments to research possibly less expensive ways to store data and effectively use labor in processing video.
The board's executive team met Monday afternoon to assess a draft version of the recommendation they plan to issue to other stakeholders.
The board, which was established via a 2018 referendum approved by Nashville voters, is tasked with investigating allegations of police misconduct. The board also can recommend policy changes for the department.
Body, dash cameras on hold
A day after the board meeting, Mayor John Cooper announced plans to roll out a limited number of body cameras in 2020 while policy and cost questions are answered.
The city pulled back from a department-wide roll out last month amid a budget crisis and concerns over a mounting price tag.
Cooper's policy director John Buntin said it could cost more than $40 million per year to operate the cameras and analyze their footage, which he said was "deeply concerning" in the midst of a budget shortfall.
The delay has been tied to the state comptroller's urgent report to city leaders in November that Nashville was running out of money to pay its bills. The comptroller said officials must close a $41 million budget gap, or the state would take over the city's coffers.
The police department has about $10 million set aside to buy cameras, which have been a city priority since 2016. But city leaders have not decided how to handle millions in additional funds that could be needed as the body camera footage makes its way through the rest of the criminal justice system.
Downstream costs could come from outside the mayor's office and MNPD; prosecutors and public defenders said they'll need funding to review thousands of hours of footage that becomes relevant in criminal cases.
Monday's board meeting also included an update on the progress of the so-called Negotiation Task Force set up to allow representatives from the COB, mayor's office and MNPD to meet and negotiate the draft Memorandum of Understanding between the COB and MNPD.
Although the COB representative to the task force, Phyllis Hildreth, was not present at the meeting, due to being out of town, board member Matthew Sweeney confirmed the task force is making progress on discussing the articles of the MOU.
Also not present Monday was the board staff's newly-appointed Executive Director Jill Fitcheard, who was tied up at another meeting, the board was informed.
Fitcheard was named the new director last week after the unexpected resignation of William Weeden, announced Nov. 18.
Davis confirmed Monday that Fitcheard's salary would be updated to reflect her new position, effective as of the day last week she was named to the role.
"I have had a conversation with Director Fitcheard since our last meeting. I wanted to ensure she has all the support she needs," Davis said.
"Mrs. Fitcheard's commitment to the mission and purpose of the Community Oversight Board, and most importantly to the Nashville community, is unparalleled and her leadership has been instrumental to the success and continuity of the COB's efforts," Davis said in a statement last week. "The COB congratulates her on this deserving appointment and looks forward to this continued work and progress with her as our Executive Director."
Includes reporting by Adam Tamburin.
Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2019/12/10/nashville-community-oversight-board-police-body-cameras/2633823001/
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Man charged in connection with double-shooting at Gallatin residence | {
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Ben Lerman
Ben is the former NOLS Wilderness Medicine Marketing Coordinator and a Wilderness First Responder graduate. He enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, kayaking, and hopes to someday adventure in the mountains on each of the 7 continents.
Why You Should Take a Wilderness First Aid Course
By Ben Lerman on 3/21/19 8:12 AM
NOLS Wilderness Medicine student practices caring for a patient in the outdoors. Photo by Jared Steinman.
You love the outdoors. The beauty. The adventure. The chance to unplug. The quality time with family and friends, or even by yourself. Whether you choose to explore the wilds by hiking, on the water, with a fishing rod in hand, or up a mountain road with your camper, the remoteness and rawness of it all is likely part of the appeal.
Topics: wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Medicine
9 Wilderness Medicine Acronyms You Need to Know
By Ben Lerman on 3/11/19 12:44 PM
NOLS students practice skills during a scenario on their course. Photo by Kyle Wilson.
You've taken your WFA, WFR, or WEMT and learned about PAS, ABCDE, and MOI. So many abbreviations, so little time!
Whether you're filling out a SOAP note for a real-life patient or reviewing your skills with a NOLS case study, wilderness medicine's plethora of abbreviations and acronyms can be a lot to remember.
Topics: patient assessment, first aid, wilderness medicine
Quiz: Sprains, Strains, and Athletic Injuries
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, quiz
Gender-inclusive Communication for First Responders
Practicing a patient assessment during a course. Photo by Luis Camargo.
As a medical provider in the wilderness, it's important to not make judgments or assumptions. For example, rather than assuming a patient is low risk for a spine injury, you can use a focused spine assessment to gather information relevant to your decision.
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Inclusion, communication
Quiz: Managing Altitude Illness
By Ben Lerman on 8/8/18 8:44 AM
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, altitude illness, quiz
7 Fishing First Aid Hazards (and What to Do)
Photo from NOLS Alaska
You're enjoying a beautiful day at your local fishing spot. Fish are rising everywhere and you've hooked three big brook trout already. But your day can easily take a turn if you accidentally walk through a patch of poison oak. Or get stung by a wasp. Or slip on the rocky shore.
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, fishing
Quiz: Treating Heat Illness and Dehydration
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, quiz, heat illness
Snakebites: Myth vs. Reality
By Ben Lerman on 6/4/18 11:40 AM
In the movies, snakes bite constantly, fly through the air to strike, and kill their victims almost instantly with their venomous bites. Those involved respond in all manner of ways, from trying to photograph and identify the snakes' species in 2006's Snakes on a Plane to cutting open the bite wound and attempting to suck out the poison in 2010's True Grit. Needless to say, these sensationalized portrayals can be misleading.
Topics: WFR, first aid, wilderness medicine, myth, snakebite
Shock: What Causes It and What To Do
Photo by Mike Trewartha.
What is shock? It's a term that gets used frequently in casual conversation to describe emotional reactions. It's also a serious medical condition that can be difficult to recognize, and even harder to treat, in the wilderness context.
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, NOLS Wilderness Medicine, shock
Quiz: Bites and Envenomation
Topics: first aid, wilderness medicine, quiz
Climbing for More Than the Summit
Ahlqvist on an acclimatization climb in the Himalaya. Photo courtesy of Carina Ahlqvist.
"I am driven to do my part for a better world, not just reach the summit and get an adrenaline kick."
Topics: Himalayan climbing, Behind the Scenes, Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability, mountaineering
Quiz: Handling Burns in the Outdoors
Using Your Wilderness Medicine Skills to Treat Pets
By Ben Lerman on 3/21/18 10:18 AM
Photo by Kirk Rasmussen
"Wound care is wound care, regardless of the type of mammal. I find that knowing the patient assessment system and other treatment principles is helpful, even with a dog. Pup has diarrhea? Palpate the abdomen to see if there's specific tenderness. Dog is lethargic? Consider 'ins and outs' and if that's affecting energy level. Reluctant to use an extremity? Try a usability test." - Missy White, NOLS Instructor
Topics: wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid
What to Do When You Hook Yourself: Removing a Fishhook
Photo by Brad Christensen.
It's the first fair-weather Saturday of the month. Most people are sleeping in—but not you. It's time to fish!
Typically, you fish a barbless fly because you know it's easier to get the hook out of the fish's mouth, but today you and your buddy are trying to catch your limit for a fish-fry later. You choose an obnoxiously large streamer with the biggest, nastiest, barb you have in your fly-box.
Topics: wilderness medicine, Wilderness First Aid, fishing
Quiz: First Aid for Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Teeth | {
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By Christopher Musico, Contributor, CRM magazine
For the rest of the March 2009 issue of CRM magazine, please click here.
The notion of CRM may not have been specifically top-of-mind among the Founding Fathers as they congregated during the unbearably hot summer of 1776 to hammer out the Declaration of Independence. Even so, relationships between citizens and their representatives were precisely what those early patriots were helping to define, and the traditionally poor service the government has delivered in the two centuries since would have had many of them scratching their wigs.
According to the latest scores from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), the federal government still lags behind the private sector when it comes to keeping people happy. This year, the feds scored a 68.9 out of a possible 100 points, while their commercial counterparts weighed in with a 75. The 68.9 score represented a 1.6 percent increase from last year, but the gap still remains. That turns out to be unsurprising, given rising consumer demands. "Look at most enterprises today and you can [almost always] get 24/7 service," explains Ben Madgett, an analyst for New York–based research firm Datamonitor. "There's an expectation there now that you should get the same from government."
The increasing expectations are also seen by Lisa Sherwin-Wulf, public-sector industry solutions manager for RightNow Technologies, a provider of on-demand customer experience solutions. Working with RightNow's 155 government-agency customers, there is growing pressure to increase operational efficiencies while at the same time ensuring that citizens can access any necessary information in their preferred channels. "People are expecting things like timely response by chat, interactive voice response, email, and Web forums…something in addition to just walking into an office or calling on the telephone," she explains. "The bar has definitely been raised."
Government agencies on all levels, though, may have quite a bit of catching up to do. Ken Landoline, vice president of research for Reno, Nev.–based analyst firm Synergy Research Group, declares the public sector "15 to 20 years behind the customer care contact center world." There is no doubt that many agencies are trying to improve their service offerings, but with a looming economic recession, less money to invest, and an ever-increasing population, will governments be able to catch up or just continue to run in place in the effort to provide citizen service? CRM takes a look at some agencies making the investment, amid others continuing to languish under the premise of "business as usual."
Madgett points to the e-government initiative that started approximately a decade ago as the moment when agencies determined they needed to bolster service to match what consumers were increasingly expecting from their retailers and other commercial engagements. "Certainly in the last five years there has been more of an uptake in this initiative," he says. "Governments are starting to realize what's out there and take advantage of using the Internet at its most basic level to provide service."
This can be seen as a win-win situation for many agencies, as technological innovations allow them to not only optimize their own processes but also cater to an increasingly Internet-fluent constituency. "Local government offices started to progress to online payments such as filing taxes," Madgett says. "As that relationship has evolved, [agencies are] now looking for something to manage that process—hence CRM—and so it's about providing that level of service and then cracking it as well with analytics to find out how many people are paying online, the issues they're having, and how agencies can help [provide a resolution]."
When it comes to CRM vendors able to hit the ground running with government outlets, Madgett points to typical big-name players including Oracle and SAP, but says others in the CRM world can cater to specific needs of different agencies on all levels. "You also have RightNow, Consona, and other smaller players who can hit more certain geographical markets, local government, and processes specific to them," he says.
Since government has been slower to adopt CRM, it has made many organizations loathe to stray from on-premises deployments to the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. Madgett's research finds there are more on-premises deployments in government than on-demand ones at this point—but that may start to change. "There are some [chief information officers] out there who have encouraged agencies to look more toward SaaS," he says. "There's a lot of possibility there. We're not totally there yet, but there's certainly a movement [developing]…. We're cautiously optimistic."
RightNow's Sherwin-Wulf says the movement's already arrived, with most of the 150 government agencies on her company's client list having already gone with SaaS, thanks to its lower costs, speed of deployment, and scalability. She reports that many of her company's customers decide to focus on the channel which will have the most significant impact first—generally Web self-service. After that, the customer can scale up as usage grows—similar to how the private sector does it. "Government agencies need to deal with these rising challenges in a timely manner," she says. "So they are becoming much more comfortable with that."
CRM ROADBLOCKS
So if government agencies are starting to grow more comfortable with deploying CRM to gain a more comprehensive view of the customer, then why haven't they all caught on? Madgett says there are several reasons: legal, operational, and cultural. It can start with terminology. "A lot of what we're talking about here is customer service, and the private sector–driven mentality to things," he says. "In the government space, there is a [reluctance] to refer to the citizen as a customer, and that mindset has to go away. You have to be comfortable with thinking of your citizens as customers, even if you don't call them that."
Madgett also says it gets back to barriers traditionally set up in government agencies sensitive to data they've been charged to collect and maintain. He explains that sharing information across agencies—for example, the Central Intelligence Agency and the Department of Defense—is not necessarily a given. This runs counter to the traditional argument that CRM provides a 360-degree view of the customer (or in government's case, the constituent). There are also some restrictions on sharing private, sensitive data among different funnels. Add that to the siloed nature of many offices, and even when it's legal to share information, many will not come together, regardless of whether they're local, state, or federal. "There's a challenge there because there is tension between creating a comprehensive view and avoiding 'Big Brother,' " Madgett says.
Madgett says that, generally speaking, the government culture is already a slow adopter of technology. Implementing a CRM system at all can be an issue: At heart, CRM is a strategic solution before a technological one. To Madgett, it doesn't matter whether you're a government agency or a retail chain, recklessly adding new capabilities without first thinking about business benefits can lead to a doomed implementation. "You need someone who [understands] to champion this like [New York City Mayor Michael] Bloomberg with the 311 system," he says, referring to the city's citizen-information call-in number. "You can't just implement a call center or throw in a CRM system. You have to know your end goal and take the proper steps to figure out how to best allocate resources based on that." (See the NYC 311 chart, at right.)
DIAL 311 FOR EVOLUTION
Few cities have a larger constituency than New York City does. Boasting a population of more than 8 million people, the city decided back in 2002 to create a phone line for those living—and visiting—The Big Apple to be able to call for quick information. The service has never looked back since going live in 2003. "This is a great example of a concrete application of CRM," Madgett proclaims. "At 3 a.m., you can still call up 311 if you have a noise complaint, if something is wrong, there's a leak in your apartment…you can find out instantaneously. This is the type of service we have come to expect."
While the system has been deemed a success so far, that doesn't mean it hasn't had to make some adjustments, according to Joe Morrisroe, the deputy commissioner and executive director of 311 and www.nyc.gov, the city's official Web site. There have been many lessons learned during the continual efforts at service improvement, Morrisroe says. One maxim was to prepare ahead of time depending on the particular season. In the winter months, he explains, 311 puts information at the beginning of the interactive voice response (IVR) recording about guidelines concerning heat and hot-water complaints. "It's a way of educating the populace," he says.
Morrisroe says that pushing information to the beginning of the IVR allows callers to either ignore the message if it doesn't apply to them, or avoid having to wait for a representative to take the call. He admits call spikes can put a strain on the 311 system, but insists the city doesn't blindly rely upon the IVR—there are other safeguards in place to avoid a backlog of calls, he says. "We're staffed very well to ensure calls are answered quickly," he says. "We have organic growth in our call center; a lot of people in staff support—be it supervisors or team leaders—are former call-takers or have that skill set. We can mobilize people quickly and put them on the phones if necessary to help with the volume."
This can come into play as the economic recession threatens to freeze or cut the budgets of many government agencies. While it is not yet clear if the 311 system will be affected, Morrisroe says he's already taking safeguards to maintain high service quality. "The goal we have is not a lower-cost channel, but more of a self-service channel that can yield lower cost results," he says.
He explains that after being open for business the past five years, there is plenty of robust content that can be available to the populace via the IVR and Web in order to lessen the barrage of calls for live agents.
"We have answers to virtually any question someone in New York may have, and it is vetted by our organization as well as the requisite city agencies," Morrisroe says. "That's one of our main goals—and the economic pressure helps facilitate that a bit more: to push more information into the IVR and Web than we did in the past."
For Morrisroe, this is all in pursuit of the organization's mission. "Customer service is public service in action," he says. "That's a motto we carry with us."
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SELF-SERVICE
Ro Silva, public information and education manager in the taxpayer service division of the Colorado Department of Revenue (CODR), could be deemed a visionary for her time. Back in 1995, her agency began accepting email from stressed-out individuals who needed to send questions about tax inquiries without clogging the phone lines. "We were answering these [using] Microsoft Outlook," she recalls. "In 2000, we were getting and answering 14,000 emails a year, which was a lot for that time. I knew it was going to evolve into asking the same questions over and over again."
She turned to RightNow Technologies to create a Web self-service channel. Now, Colorado residents with questions come tax season can go to the department's Web site and look for answers before trying to email or call. In fact, Silva says, the system is set up so that Web-site visitors have to check out the "frequently asked questions" before being able to access the CODR email interface. Of course, that doesn't prevent residents from calling immediately. "People can make a phone call because those numbers are listed on our homepage, telephone book," she insists. "You can call us no matter what."
As a result of utilizing SaaS for its Web self-service, Silva was able to boost CODR's productivity, satisfaction, and cost-efficiency. The department has realized a return on investment of 8,732 percent, email volume has dropped by 45 percent, and the unit saved $700,000 over an 18-month period. And that doesn't even account for the peace of mind many residents have now when they can either find an answer quickly online, or be able to get through quickly to an agent with a more-complex question. "Our wait times are pretty good for a government agency…. They are about four minutes," she says. "Before RightNow, during peak season people waited for 20 minutes to speak with a tax representative."
While there are no plans to innovate further with RightNow at this time, Silva says that it lays the groundwork for what could be an extra-difficult season, with the recession hitting the state of Colorado particularly hard—a hiring freeze on all state employees started in October 2008. "We're not able to hire any new [employees], which works against us even though we have all these great services people can self-service through," she says. "It's going to hurt because…you still have people who have specific issues that need to be addressed, and it might mean they may not be able to get through as quickly."
Silva remains thankful that she has RightNow's system in place. Otherwise, they would have to shut down the email channel just to alleviate the pressure placed on the agents. "We just wouldn't be able to get to it all," she says.
GOVERNMENT 2.0—NEXT ON THE AGENDA?
The 800-pound gorilla in the room comes in the form of Web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, chat, forums, social networking sites, Twitter, and wikis. Filtering into the CRM world via the private sector, this is the next opportunity for innovation, according to Madgett. But, just as with traditional CRM deployments, strategy must be in place first. "Governments are slow to adopt, and especially with something like Web 2.0—where you get into using utilities like Twitter—they are experimenting with it but haven't captured what they want to do with it yet," he says. "It's good to adopt the technology but without a strategic framework the practical usage of it can be lost." (See this month's "CRM on Twitter," page 16, for a quick snapshot of some government twitterers.)
Karen Trebon, a program analyst with the General Services Administration's Office of Citizen Services, cites a plethora of examples of agencies at all levels starting to adopt varying forms of Web 2.0 technology to help inform and interact with their respective constituents. The examples run all the way to the top: With President Barack Obama in the White House now, she expects government to delve even deeper. From the Obama campaign's Web site to the transition team's efforts with www.change.gov to its revitalized www.whitehouse.gov, community participation clearly ranks high on the national public-policy scene. "One of the things that is driving this and will continue to [do so] is Obama coming into office," she says. "I think everybody can agree that he outclassed [Senator John] McCain in the use of the Web and technology. For the first time, I think we'll have a president…who is just as smart as all of us about technology."
Beyond Obama's potential, Trebon admits she also feels the heat from constituents demanding equality in the service they receive from both the public and private sectors. "People love Amazon.com and they expect to go on our Web site and love it just as much," she says. "We don't get allowances for being the government, so we have to keep up with what people want on the Web."
By Trebon's count, there are 37 active, public-facing, federal agency blogs right now, plus an untold number of efforts at the lower levels of government. "[Blogging] seems to be the most adopted form of Web 2.0 at this time," she says. "But a lot of these technologies are free or low-cost, so there is no worry about ROI or going and asking anyone for money."
So if that's the case, why aren't more agencies picking up on Web 2.0? She believes it has to do with bandwidth concerns, potential viruses, and actionable strategy. "I spoke with representatives from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, and they deal with very serious information including the [number] of people who are incarcerated and on death row…and they're not sure how to take this information and use it on something like Facebook," she says. "To them, [that context] seems very lighthearted."
While that may be an extreme case, Trebon points to several instances in which using Web 2.0 can serve the people well. The bloggers at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) determined through blog comments that passengers were experiencing different rules at different airports, making unclear what rules were optional and which were absolutely mandatory, such as removing shoes before going through security. "[The TSA] actually used that information to tighten up the mandate across the country," she says. "That's an example of how Web 2.0 can actually achieve results. The TSA didn't just take comments from people on the Web, but actually made a process improvement."
Like blogs, Trebon says Twitter can also provide an opportunity to continue a dialogue with constituents, particularly during times of crisis. "We used it here in our office during the Mumbai incident," she says, referring to the December 2008 terrorist attacks. "People can follow our tweets to keep up to date on what's going on, where and how to call if you have family or friends in an area that's being affected by some form of calamity."
While still in its nascent stages, Government 2.0 has the potential to not only increase citizen satisfaction, but to offer a sense of transparency and, as a consequence, trust—a trait that's sometimes lacking but always essential to the democratic process. "The Obama team has been talking to us a lot about transparency and just putting more information out there," Trebon says. "The interactive nature of these technologies increases trust in government and makes people feel like they're being listened to because we're responding back to them."
SIDEBAR: 2 Tips to Contact Center Implementation Bliss
Gary Peckham, director of the contact center for the Government of Alberta's Ministry of Service, knows a thing or two about quickly revamping a contact center to adjust to a quick mandate. Back in 2000, his department was charged with providing landlord and tenant issues to an additional 800,000 Calgary citizens when the city decided to cease offering the services on its own. Peckham had four months to make it happen, and he says he turned to Avaya to "bring us into the new century."
Looking back at the pain of the initial implementation, he has a couple of tips for government agencies now looking to revamp their contact centers:
Make sure you listen to your employees. "We spent a lot of time dealing with Avaya's staff and making sure that we were understanding of them," he recalls. "However, we didn't spend enough time explaining to our workers why things had to happen in a certain sequence."
Weigh all the purchasing options, even if you don't want to "reinvent the wheel." "Government's mindset isn't necessarily the same as private business where you're always upgrading on an ongoing basis," he explains. "When we purchase a product we anticipate that it will last a certain period of time. Consistent upgrades are not built into the budget process. Had we leased the product, we could have had an easier time when we had to keep up with the changing times. We needed to look at other options and how that would have been beneficial to the taxpayer in the long haul."
SIDEBAR: NYC 311: Call Volumes, Performance Levels, and Resolutions
Agency Transfer or Referral: Caller is transferred to the appropriate agency or is referred to and provided with the appropriate agency's telephone number.
Information Provided: Caller has been provided with all of the requested information for their specific inquiry and no further action is required.
Service Request: Caller's request is entered into the City's Citizen Service Center tracking system and the request is forwarded to the appropriate agency for completion.
Transfer to 911: Call is deemed an emergency, a crime in progress, or a Police Department 911 matter and is immediately transferred to 911.
Other: Calls to follow-up on an existing service request or those that are not completed prior to the caller disconnection are classified as other.
Source: www.nyc.gov; Mayor's Office of Operations
Performance Measure Performance Goal Fiscal 2009 Year-to-Date November 2008
Total Incoming Calls * 6,837,442 1,465,016
Average Weekday Call Volume * 53,049 60,816
Average Wait Time 30 seconds 7 seconds 6 seconds
% of Calls Answered within 30 seconds 90% 94% 95%
% of Language-Assisted Calls * 2.1%
* No performance goal available
Assistant Editor Christopher Musico can be reached at cmusico@destinationCRM.com.
Every month, CRM magazine covers the customer relationship management industry and beyond. To subscribe, please visit http://www.destinationcrm.com/subscribe/.
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FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 final, USA VS Netherlands: Where to watch it live
By Ishan Ghosh
July 7, 2019 18:43 +08
USA and Netherlands are going to face each other in the final Twitter
The United States team will face Netherlands in the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 on July 7 at the Lon Olympic stadium in France. USA came into the final defeating England 2-1 whereas Netherlands entered the final courtesy a 1-0 win over Sweden.
Preview, prediction, schedule
The three-time world champions USA are coming into the final riding high on a hard fought win against England. They have been in magnificent form throughout the tournament and have not lost a single match. However, their star player and probably the player of the tournament Megan Rapinoe was out of the semi-final clash due to a hamstring injury. But the USA team management have announced that she will be fit for the final. The loss of such a big player would have been a major setback for the team. With her in the team, they will be looking forward to adding another trophy to their collection.
On the other hand, Netherlands who are now oozing with confidence after qualifying for the final, came into the cup decider by beating Sweden in a hard fought 1-0 win. The sole goal of the match came in the 99th minute. The 2017 European champions will be hoping that their star player Lieke Martens performs up to her usual high standard and gets fit for the final. She was one of the reasons behind the 2017 triumph so her presence will be very vital for the Orange Brigade.
The USA definitely have the upper hand over first time finalist Netherlands and are, definitely, the favourite to win. But Netherlands, who have been unbeaten for the last 12 matches, will not let them win easily. An exciting match is on the cards.
The USA-Netherlands match will start at 5 PM on July 7 according to local time and 11 pm, July 7 according to SGT.
Global TV listings
USA: Fox, FS1 (English)
USA: Universo, Telemundo (Spanish)
UK: BBC
Australia: Optus Sport
Canada: CTV, RDS, TSN
Sub-Saharan Africa: DirecTV Sports
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World War I Has Lessons for Today
World War I began with the smallest of incidents and turned into one of the most complex of global events, a lesson that should be heeded today, according to a panel of historians gathered at the Association of the U.S. Army on the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into "the war to end all wars."
In 1914, the world was stable when Archduke Franz Ferdinand, presumptive heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was assassinated in Bosnia. That "small event" launched the great war in Europe, said Michael S. Neiberg, chair of war studies in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the U.S. Army War College. And once war begins, "it can be virtually impossible to get out."
It took several years for the U.S. to agree to join the war, with politics playing a major role in that hesitation, Neiberg said. Once Congress agreed to enter the war on April 6, 1917, the U.S. military was unable to deploy quickly and took a year to be effective in Europe, he said.
Among the myths of the war is that the U.S. Army resisted working under French and British command, said Edward Lengel, chief historian of the White House Historical Association. In fact, "amalgamation" was happening by November 1917, "but the collaboration was not an easy one," he said.
The U.S. Army proved to be exceptionally adaptable as the war went on, he said.
The April 6 discussion was co-hosted by AUSA and the Center for Military Diplomatic History, which promotes the application of history to contemporary problems.
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Posts tagged "monkey island"
Swinging the spotlight over on the recently released special editions of Secret of Monkey Island and Return to Monkey Island!
I just finished re-playing through Secret of Monkey Island, and I must say – what a fun time! The new graphics are fantastic, and the game has a nifty hotkey (It was F10 for me on PC) that takes you back and forth from new graphics to old 1990's gameplay. There are lots of major upgrades, like a re-done soundtrack and voice acting added to the new game.
As far as graphics go, I'm really happy with the way it was done. The game looked like a painting most of the time, and it kept with the same feel that I remember when I played this more than 10 years ago on MSDOS. A lot of things were also added, such as random skulls in the sky forming clouds and what not, but it didn't take away from the overall feel of it, because it's got the same art style we saw in Monkey Island 3: Curse of Monkey Island.
I know I've said it before, I find these Monkey Island games to be absolutely hilarious, and I'm very happy to see that LucasArts is bringing back the first 2 in the best way. It felt like I was playing the game for the first time again. The best part was, if I needed to remember something the old way, there was the hotkey. Another point, Monkey Island games have been cross-platform for a while, but I'll mention it here anyway: The Special Editions are cross-platform! Now you can play them via PSN, PC..even your iPhone.
I strongly recommend anyone reading this that enjoys a fun puzzle game every now and then to at least download the demo's available for these new games!
July 21, 2010 | Categories: gaming, PC, PS3, Reviews | Tags: Funny, LucasArts, monkey island, Puzzle Games, RPG, Special Edition | 2 Comments | {
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Morocco eliminates Spain on penalties in the round of 16 of the World Cup
Home » Morocco eliminates Spain on penalties in the round of 16 of the World Cup
December 6, 2022December 6, 2022
The match: 0-0 (3-0 on penalties)
Walid Regragui's Morocco achieved a historic feat on Tuesday by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. A first in the history of the Atlas Lions who eliminated Spain after a penalty shootout completely missed by La Roja (0-0, 3-0 on pens).
Moroccans could have had big regrets after the three big opportunities harvested by Walid Cheddira (see elsewhere) at the end of the game but they finally succeeded better in their shots on goal than the Spaniards. If Badr Benoun, third shooter, missed his attempt, Abdelhamid Sabiri, Hakim Ziyech and especially Achraf Hakimi – who managed a daring Panenka – allowed Morocco to join the next round. On the Spanish side, neither Pablo Sarabia, nor Carlos Soler, nor Sergio Busquets managed to deceive Yassine Bounou, the Moroccan goalkeeper, who stopped two out of three shots, the first failing on the post.
Dominant throughout the game (76.8% ball possession), Spain never knew how to be effective. Luis Enrique's men had to wait until the 54th minute to target their first shot, a shot from Olmo deflected by Bounou. The Moroccans defended courageously and intelligently, trying to take advantage of Spain's losses to launch counterattacks. They could have cracked at the end of extra time, but success was on their side even if they lost Nayef Aguerd to injury (85th) and their captain Romain Saïss, hit in the left thigh, finished on one leg. Canada scorer (2-1) and some Belgium (2-0) in the previous round, Morocco, which conceded only one goal in four matches, will face the winner of Portugal-Switzerland (this Tuesday, 8 p.m.) to try to integrate the last four.
The player: Cheddira, missed opportunities
Coming in the 82nd minute in place of Selim Amallah, Walid Cheddira had several chances to open the scoring for Morocco. First there was this pivot shot too soft to deceive Unai Simon (86th). He was then caught by Aymeric Laporte in the Spanish area when he had been perfectly launched by Sofyan Amrabat (94th) at the start of extra time. Found by Ounahi, he lost a new duel against Simon (104th) before being taken over by Rodri in the area when Amrabat had still ideally launched him (115th).
The fact: Sarabia, the failed entry
In the 118th minute, Luis Enrique made the bet to replace Nico Williams – who came on in the 76th minute in place of the mediocre Ferran Torres – to start Pablo Sarabia for the penalty shootout. During his half hour spent on the lawn, Williams had nevertheless shown desire and beautiful things with the ball at his feet. After finding the post at the very end of extra time following a cross from Pedri (120th + 3), the PSG striker presented himself as the first Spanish shooter during the penalty shootout and again hit the post.
Morocco is the 4th African team to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010. (Opta)
Morocco coach Walid Regragui has become the first ever African coach to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. (Opt)
Cricket, Morocco, Presentation - CR - reaction (cat), Round of 16 Round of 16, Soccer, Spain, Syanie Dalmat, world Cup, World Cup 2022
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Gucci, Cartier, Prada, Chanel and Louis Vuitton may still dominate fashion in China – but the new 'Made in China' tag is winning the hearts of local millennials
Itamar Manes
David Sylvia by Hao Weimin, spring/summer 2020 collection. Photo: Hao Weimin
This post originally appeared on South China Morning Post
Whether it's a love for Gucci Padlock handbags, puckering up with Hermès lipsticks or enjoying splurges at Cartier, Chinese consumers are continuing to power the global luxury market. The love of luxe in China has been one of the most visible features of the nation's unprecedented development this century. While a mere three decades ago luxury brands were out of reach for the vast majority of the population, today Chinese consumers make up almost half of global luxury retail sales.
This enormous increase is unsurprising given the tremendous growth of the middle class and China's burgeoning elite. But as we enter a new decade, it's no longer enough to buy, buy, buy: a new generation of Chinese fashion insiders wants to dominate the other side of the equation and focus on design.
Dutch Chinese designer Hu Sheguang creates unique couture fashion featuring Jean Paul Gaultier-style whimsy fused with sumptuous Chinese fabrics and artisanship, while David Sylvia by Hao Weimin modernises traditional Peking Opera for his new collections. Other brands like Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying have followed the heels of couturier Guo Pei onto the stage of Paris Couture Week.
An outfit from Chinese designer Yueqi Qi's spring/summer 2020 collection. Photo: Yueqi Qi
Today, luxury consumption remains uncertain in the face of the havoc caused by the coronavirus to the national and global economy. With the international fashion calendar on hold, China Fashion Week, which took place in early May, was one of a handful of industry events since the coronavirus outbreak. A combination of live-streamed and physical events, it put the spotlight on local Chinese talent including L'arôme, Jumper Zhang and Young X.
Despite the emergence of so much talent, the main challenge for the China fashion world is dealing with three simple words that for decades have meant inferior rather than fashion-forward: "Made in China".
In fact, the term Made in China – with all its negative connotations – does not communicate the full picture. Most European fashion brands have a major component (if not all) of their production done in China, proving that quality is not necessarily as compromised as commonly thought. While there may be some subpar production facilities across the nation, China also offers some of the most advanced and dynamic textile factories available in the world.
If there is no lack of innovation, talent and facilities within the country, what is it exactly that fuels Chinese consumers' love affair with foreign brands? Most of these consumers, who are estimated to spend on average 180 per cent more on fashion from abroad than home-grown brands, will be well-aware that a lot of international branded goods are produced in China.
Heaven Gaia by Xiong Ying, an elegant take on traditional motifs. Photo: Heaven Gaia
China-born, Central Saint Martin-educated designer Yueqi Qi was trained at the ateliers of Chanel and Givenchy before returning to her homeland to establish her own brand in 2019. Her collection channels beading designs handmade in China.
"I'm confident that the new generation can reinvent the reputation of 'Made in China' as a pool of talent like Samuel Guì Yang and myself have learned the skills overseas, and we have faith in what we make," Qi explains. "Customers usually don't look at where the product is made but focus on the items overall. Other factors like sustainability could be a decisive factor instead," she adds.
Luxury consumerism in China is still undergoing a huge transformation, and is yet to be truly defined. To put things in perspective, over half of today's high-net-worth individuals in China were not of that status five years ago. This has been a common pattern over the past three decades and one that continues to grow. According to research institute McKinsey & Company, this is good news for Chinese designers as local consumers are open to new things as their status and wealth increases.
Chinese designers are not lacking the knowledge and skills it takes to create desirable products, with many, like Qi, having studied or worked for prestigious design schools worldwide. The realisation that a focus on creativity is a better remedy for gaining widespread acclaim rather than focusing on short-term commercial success, is beginning to take root. What could be an even more important step towards creating an authentic connection is to fully embrace the Made in China tag.
Back in 2014, some Chinese designers found a creative way of doing exactly that, by labelling their products as "Proudly Made in China". Designers such as Guo Pei, Xander Zhou and Samuel Guì Yang have moulded entire collections, and even careers, in an effort to convey this message, and have achieved global success as a result.
Guo Pei's traditional bridal dress took five years to make using pure gold embroidery thread. Photo: Guo Pei
Alongside this creative success, given that nationwide Chinese patriotism is on the rise, it's likely that young consumers will likely feel increasingly positive towards local brands.
As for China's Gen-Z nouveau riche, this hope is already a reality. AliResearch, a research institution by Alibaba (which owns the South China Morning Post) found in its Chinese consumer brands research for 2020 that Chinese brands predominate among buyers; for "post-95" consumers, the brands in their shopping trolleys tend to be Huawei and Xiaomi rather than Apple or Nike.
Elsbeth van Paridon, a fashion and urban culture journalist, and founder of The China Temper explains how the "ad nauseam prejudgments" about the Made in China label are "undergoing the ultimate 21st century makeover – with a subversive twist".
Van Paridon adds that this "unique phenomenon" is rooted in the rise of individualism and self-expression, and that China's younger generations are "on the prowl for … individual exclusivity", and while they are looking to separate from previously regulatory norms, they are "not disposing of their upbringing and heritage".
"What Chinese millennials want from their brands is 'uniqueness', humour, a little bit of swag," Van Paridon continues, and concludes that they "slowly but surely [are] updating their overall fashion acquisition narrative".
Indeed, younger Chinese consumers are much more fashion-forward than previous generations. Those who will make up the market in coming years are highly educated, well-travelled, and are increasingly gaining familiarity with voicing a sophisticated and edgy fashion sense their parents may not have dreamed of.
"70 per cent of our consumers come from China who are mostly between 20 to 30 years old. There's a big interest from American and Canada too," says Qi.
Chinese designers are reimagining what it means to carry the label 'Made in China'. Illustration: Craig Stephens
Going after the same Louis Vuitton bags that everyone else already owns is a thing of the past for young consumers, and there is now an increased emphasis on identity expression, rather than the blind following of trends. This is one of the reasons Louis Vuitton closed three of its domestic stores, including its flagship in Guangzhou, following a tremendous slump in sales. Prada and Burberry have done the same.
Vincent Djen, a fashion industry veteran and commentator, supports these claims. "What I'm seeing now in China is that the younger generation of consumers, the ones born after the 90s, are more willing to buy local brands," and he attributes this shift to more refined production standards, and branding that resonates well with "younger, more sophisticated consumers", giving new entrants the upper hand in comparison to the more mainstream European labels.
Djen also notes that the evolving awareness and pride surrounding the "New Made in China" is a result of an overall "product upgrade" across all industries, led by the likes of automobile and tech. This is certainly the case with brands such as Huawei or ZTE, that see more than half of their income derive from overseas.
But how long it will take for this transformation to truly happen in the fashion world? Djen responded, "It will come. Fashion reflects the evolution of society, culture, and art," noting Japan's and Korea's similar momentum over the past three decades. "Take your time and communicate your brand's story," Djen advises emerging designers, and adds that this simple effort is what will elevate success, as opposed to "just selling products quickly".
Younger Chinese consumers are much more fashion-forward than previous generations. Illustration: Craig Stephens
As we approach the third financial quarter of what has been a year of havoc across all industries, with luxury fashion a major casualty, a few things are becoming clear. Many fashion brands and retailers are disappearing, creating a more level playing field for new entrants looking to fill the gaps. Throwing on top the fact that global supply chains are still somewhat crippled, this creates a prime opportunity for China's online business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms to use their strengths, which domestic brands understand well.
In the wake of a fresh wave of patriotism encouraged by China's prompt response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are left with a significantly more enabling landscape for emerging talent.
The awakening of the new and refined Made in China may become a reality sooner than we think. When Chinese consumers embrace and encourage home-grown talent, it will only be a matter of time before it ignites a global trend, where the appeal of the rebranded Made in China label will gain recognition for its quality and authenticity, and makeover previous connotations once and for all.
Consumer, Market Trends
china millennials, chinese local brand, chinese luxury consumers, Luxury, made in china
Future Tech China: Branded Games and Social Are Why Alibaba Fails Where Tencent Thrives
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CCI Q&A: Steven Ekstract on the Year in Content-Commerce | {
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Planet of Birds
Source to all birds on the Planet
Folklore Tales
New Species
Greater Yellow-headed Vulture (Cathartes melambrotus)
Cathartidae, Falconiformes, South America
[order] FALCONIFORMES | [family] Cathartidae | [latin] Cathartes melambrotus | [authority] Wetmore, 1964 | [UK] Greater Yellow-headed Vulture | [FR] Grand Urubu | [DE] Grosser Gelbkopfgeier | [ES] Aura Selvatica | [NL] Grote Geelkopgier
Monotypic species
The genus Cathartes includes medium-sized to large carrion-feeding birds in the New World vulture (Cathartidae) family. The three species currently classified in this genus occur widely in the Americas.
Physical charateristics
The adult is a very deep black overall, with green and purple sheen. Its eyes are red, its feet black and its beak id flesh coloured. The throat and the sides of the head vary from deep yellow to pale orange, with a blue crown and a blue spot in front of the eyes.
wingspan min.: 165 cm wingspan max.: 178 cm
size min.: 74 cm size max.: 81 cm
incubation min.: 32 days incubation max.: 40 days
fledging min.: 70 days fledging max.: 85 days
broods: 1 eggs min.: 1
eggs max.: 3
South America : Amazonia
Typically low tropical forest and less inclined to use open or disturbed forest. The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture roosts on high, exposed dead trees to observe surrounding terrain. When flying, it travels in pairs or alone and is rarely found in groups. Flight is heavy and steady. It flies with its wings held flat or very slightly above horizontal, in what is called the dihedral position. The flight of the Greater Yellow-Headed is an example of static soaring flight, which uses thermals to maintain altitude without the need to flap its wings. The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture also has the unusual habit of urohydrosis, in which it urinates or defecates on its legs to cool them evaporatively. This behavior is exhibited by storks and New World vultures.
Greater Yellow-headed Vultures do not build nests, but rather lay their eggs directly on cliffs, the floors of caves, the ground, or in the hollows of stumps. Eggs are cream-colored and blotched with brown spots, particularly around the larger end. Clutch size ranges from one to three, though two is the norm. The chicks are altricial?blind, naked and relatively immobile upon hatching, and grow down feathers later. The parents feed their young by regurgitating pre-digested food into their beak, where the chicks then drink it. Young fledge after two to three months; eggs are incuated for about five to seven weeks.
Feeding habits
The primary staple of this vulture's diet is carrion, though it is very fond of fish, and may occasionally take them alive. Relies heavily on olfactoin (smell) to detect prey. The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture is a scavenger and subsists entirely on carrion. It will eat roadkill or other animal carcasses. It prefers fresh meat, but often cannot make the first cut into the carcass of a larger animal as its beak is not strong enough to tear into the tough hide. After a few days, the Greater Yellow-headed Vulture will no longer feed on a piece of carrion, as the meat will begin to decay and become contaminated with microbial toxins. It will drink water from a pool, pond, or any receptacle provided. Like other vultures, they play an important role in the ecosystem by disposing off carrion which could otherwise be a breeding ground for disease. The Greater Yellow-headed Vulture forages using its keen eyesight to locate carrion on the ground, but also uses its sense of smell, an ability which is uncommon in the avian world. It locates carrion by detecting the scent of ethyl mercaptan, a gas produced by the beginnings of decay in dead animals. The olfactory lobe of its brain responsible for processing smells is particularly large compared to other animals. This characteristic of New World Vultures has been used by humans: ethyl mercaptan is injected into pipelines, and engineers looking for leaks then follow the vultures. King Vultures, which lack the ability to smell carrion, follow the Greater Yellow-headed Vultures to carcasses, where the King Vulture tears open the skin of the dead animal. This allows the smaller Greater Yellow-headed Vulture access to food, as it does not have a bill strong enough to tear the hide of larger animals. This is an example of mutual dependence between species. It is generally displaced from carcasses by both Turkey Vultures and King Vultures, due to their larger size.
Video Greater Yellow-headed Vulture
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTrjd1H-Zao
copyright: J. del Hoyo
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). Despite the fact that the population trend appears to be decreasing, the decline is not believed to be sufficiently rapid to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
The Greater Yellow-Headed Vulture inhabits savannas, Grasslands, and Marshes in South America. It ranges from Argentina and Urugay, as far north as Mexico. In Surinam widely spread in the interior, much less common in the coastal planes. Identification of species uncertain due to overlapping range with Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture.
Irruptive or local migrant
Tags: all of Cathartes, Cathartes melambrotus, Greater Yellow-headed Vulture, New World vultures
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Posted in: No Huddle by Brent Lorentson on September 5th, 2013
There are so many vampire films, it's hard to get excited any time a trailer for one comes along. The Twilight series as well as shows like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries have managed to take everything I once enjoyed about the menacing creature and turned it into a joke. Let the Right One In and the American remake Let Me In are the last vampire films that had any substance that went for more than cheap thrills and gore and delivered a solid story. That is until Kiss of the Damned came along. It's a film that keeps things simple, yet brings back the beautiful elegance of the creature we loved to fear.
When we first meet Djuna (Josephine de La Baume), she is locked away in her large beautiful home watching an old B&W romance. She's lonely and craves affection, but her affliction of being a vampire doesn't offer many opportunities to meet the dashing male she is looking for. But as her luck would have it, a trip to the video store has Djuna coming face to face with her true love Paolo (Milo Ventimigilia), a screenwriter who has come to town to get away and work on his current project. The two are instantly attracted to one another, but Djuna does all she can to keep Paolo at a distance, afraid of what he may think of her and the harm she may cause. But he's persistent, and in the heat of passion she takes a bite and changes him.
No time is wasted with the film; every scene moves the story along, and though it sticks with the traditional views of vampires, Djuna is among a community of other vampires, all of whom are wealthy and powerful but have chosen to not feed on humans but instead on animals and synthetic bloods. As Djuna guides Paolo into the new lifestyle and everything seems to be going well for the two bloodsuckers, Mimi (Roxane Mesquida) comes along. Mimi is not as refined as Djuna despite them being sisters; Mimi relishes the creature she is and doesn't hold back her sexual inhibitions or her hunger for human blood.
As Mimi settles into Djuna's home as she awaits going to a vampire detox facility in Phoenix, Mimi spends her time wreaking havoc on the lives of Djuna and Paolo. The subtlety of Mimi's influence is what makes this performance great; we know what she's up to, but she never forces the characters into any situation; she instead just points them in the direction of their weakness whether it be as primal as sex or blood.
Though the idea of a vampire romance has been done to death, this story manages to remain fresh and even has moments where the vampire lifestyle again feels sexy and inviting. Keeping the vampires grounded in reality, no super speed and no freaking sparkling, allows us to see the humanity that remains in these creatures and that has always been what I felt connected us to them. This embraces the thought of being with your true love, in the prime of your lives and never having to change; it's the fantasy I believe anyone would indulge in if given the chance to make it a reality. Even when Djuna and Paolo cave to their weaknesses, they are able to see beyond the short term pain and appreciate the future that awaits the two of them. Perhaps it's this level of forgiveness that seems so fantasy-like in a time when so many of us who will die will carelessly throw away a relationship with their "true love".
Written and directed by Xan Cassavetes, the daughter of director John Cassavetes, as a first time feature this has the execution of a director at their prime, and she's only getting started. The camera movements throughout are simple yet beautifully framed, though I did notice at times there seemed to be some editing issues, most notably at the bar when Djuna and Paolo first talk. As the scene cuts between the two their placement seems to move; aside from this scene being a bit off-putting, the rest of the film exceeds and all can be forgiven.
Though I'd have a hard time putting this film anywhere near the caliber of Let the Right One In, which in my humble opinion I believe to be a masterpiece. Kiss of the Damned is a small film that delivers a bloody and elegant slap to remind us what vampires once were and should be. The horror isn't in how ferocious they are or how hideous they may be; the horror is their ability to seduce us from the life we have and take us to a place darker than we realize.
Scandal: The Complete Second Season Da Vinci's Demons: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
09/29/2013 @ 5:17 am | {
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Twentieth century impressions of Burma : its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources Page 382
London ; Durban ; Perth (W.A.): Lloyd's Greater Britain Pub. Co., 1910, pg 382
382 TWENTIETH CENTURY IMPRESSIONS OF BURMA. manager in Burma for the Bombay-Burma Trading Corporation, Ltd., and has two sons and five daughters. MR. U. NA OUK is the largest Burmese timber dealer in the province. He is especially known for his numerous charities, for he has spent large sums of money in building pagodas, shrines, and kyoungs (houses for priests and children), which are yearly visited by large numbers of pilgrims. In other ways also he has shown great generosity towards those who are less fortunately placed than himself. By birth he is a Mon, and a native of Kawnhat, near Kadoe. At an early miles from his home, at Kadoe, he has started a rubber estate, in which thirty thousand trees have already been planted. He has also conducted extensive experiments in fruit and vegetable growing, and he has now a large fruit garden at Kadoe. He has been decorated with the German Order of the White Eagle for his services in escorting Capt. Ehlers, a representative of the German Government, from the Siamese frontier to Zime in 1892. His father, the late U. Htoon Gyawaa widely known and highly respected merchantawas the lessee of large forest areas in Siam. After U. Shwe Llay had mastered the rudiments of education, he was sent to Carshalton House and the Attarai Rivers, conveying passengers and cargo. At present four steam launches are engaged in this traffic, but more are to be added shortly, and a limited company is to be formed with a capital of Rs. 10,00,000. U. Shwe Llay lives in a handsome teak house on the river-side, built in the typical American style and standing on a solid brick foundation. In 1888 he married a daughter of U. Dun, a timber merchant. MR. LEONG CHYE is one of the most prominent members of the Chinese community in Moulmein. He is widely known for his contributions to charities, and in 1899 age he commenced to deal in timber, and acquired his present position by dint of hard work, energy, and unflagging perseverance. He is now the owner of large saw-mills and rice mills, of a large number of cargo boats, of paddy land, and of houses and other property. In 1906 his relative, Mr. U. Shwe Llay, started a steam launch flotilla business with his capital, and this is shortly to be formed into a company. MR. U. SHWE LLAY is one of the leading Burmese in the Moulmein district. Seven LEONG AH CHOO AND FAMILY. School, in Surrey, England, and upon his return in 1886 he joined his father in the Siamese trade, and, on his fatheras retirement a few years later, he became proprietor of the business. In 1897 he disposed of the forests to the Bombay-Burma Trading Corporation and returned to Kadoe, his native town. Early in 1906 he went on a tour round the world, visiting England, India, America, and Japan. Subsequently, at the suggestion of his relative, the well-known timber merchant, U. Na Ouk, he established a steam-launch business on the Salween, the Gyine, the title of Htong Chi Hum and the red button Taotai were bestowed upon him. In 1900 his name was included in the birthday honours of the Government of India, and he was invested with the Kaiser-I-Hind decoration. He was the only Chinaman from Burma to attend the Delhi Durbar in 1903, and on that occasion he received the coronation medal. Since 1890 Mr. Leong Chye has been sole proprietor of the Phoenix distillery, which he established, in partnership with Mr. G. F. Limouzin, six years previously. In November, 1906, he was given the contract for the1890 Mr. Leong Chye has been sole proprietor of the Phoenix distillery, which he established, in partnership with Mr. G. F. Limouzin, six years previously. In November, 1906, he was given the contract for the | {
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Tag Archives: Organ Donation
Book Club Reflection: Never Let Me Go by Kazo Ishiguro
This was my first time going to a book club without having read the book in the previous month. I know what you're thinking, that I'm falling behind. No, don't think that. I read the book, Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, in February 2013 and I didn't think it was worth my time to re-read it so soon after. I remembered the book pretty well and only felt disconnected when our group members talked about specific word choice. Not too shabby.
We're on a short science fiction kick in this group (and by that I mean this book and the next) and a good place to start in science fiction is the setting. I didn't think too much about the setting when I first read this book, but our moderator said it was supposed to be an alternative 1990s England. I wondered what it was in the 90s that made Ishiguro imagine it so differently. The book was written in 2005 so he was reflecting on a time gone by. Our group proposed that it was the cloning advancements in the 90s that might have spurred this line of thought. I remember as a child hearing about Dolly the Sheep and wondering when my turn to be cloned would be. As a writer, I wonder if Ishiguro thought of the idea for this book in the 90s and didn't get around to writing it until the early 2000s, or has been working on it since the early 2000s.
We wondered what was different about this parallel 90s that we didn't see in the book. One member asked why there were so many organ donors needed. It's revealed that there are many places like Hailsham where clones are raised. Is the world Ruth, Kathy, and Tommy live in more overrun with disease that large numbers of organs are needed? Is this an extension of the current National Health System? What organization has put together this system? One option we discussed is that due to advances in medicine and technology, the 'normals' wanted to live longer and to survive into old age, they needed young and healthy organs.
The society the 'normals' live in is never really explained well. We wondered if the normals knew that the clones were clones. Was there something about society that they didn't know? Did they dress differently? Speak differently? Was there some way to know that they were not going to live to see 30? I wonder how the normals reacted to these people.
We asked each other at what point we started to suspect something was fishy in this world. One of our members only made it a few chapters into the book and she had assumed the characters lived in an orphanage. We felt that it was when donors and carers started coming up that something was fishy. One member thought the book was going to be very medical from the way 'donor' was used. I guess, in a way, she was right. One phrase that was used to describe the setting was 'quietly disturbing.' I love that.
The characters in the book grew up in such a strange environment that their development seemed a bit odd. They're all very co-dependent on each other. They don't have families so their relationships with the other children are very important and they're very well aware of group dynamics and keeping everything civil between each other. Kathy and Ruth had a very competitive friendship, but Kathy was always careful to make sure it never came to a head. Tommy was a sort of game between the two girls and even when Kath had feelings for him, she never said anything because he was with Ruth. How much Ruth and Tommy made a good couple or Ruth was using Tommy just to deny him to Kathy is debatable.
I don't mean at all that the characters were poorly developed. Quite the contrary. They were developed so well that as readers our hearts were wrenched when the characters died. We cheered for Tommy and Kathy when they went to visit Miss Emily and Madame. We hoped they would get a deferment. Instead, the book took a twisted turn and we learned the full truth about Hailsham and the cloning industry. I liked that Ishiguro waited until this far into the book to describe the world more fully. The story of the one boy who tried to run away and had his hands and feet cut off stuck in a lot of our minds. It can only make us think, 'Well, at least things were better at Hailsham.'
The question raised by this visit was if the Hailsham kids were better off. On one hand, it's good that they had happy and fulfilling childhoods. Even though they have a bad lot in life to live, they enjoyed it while they were alive. I feel this makes it even sadder when they die. They knew happiness and what it could feel like to enjoy living and then it was cut short. We were conflicted on if we thought the Hailsham kids were lucky or unlucky.
Kath was an interesting narrator to choose. She is very detached from her life and able to describe it in a very abject way. She seems confused by the situation she finds herself in and not really sure how to describe the loss she feels her entire life. She is a carer for so long and sees everyone she loved dying off around her but is very detached from the sadness. We wondered if having her be a carer for so long was a risk to the program. Wouldn't seeing Ruth and Tommy 'complete' (aka DIE A HORRIBLE DEATH) make her more likely to run? In our minds, yes. But in the world Ishiguro created, Kath had to believe on some level that what was being done to her was right and that it was for something greater than herself. And even if she did run, could she blend in to the normal society? She had no paperwork, identification, or anything to prove who she was. There was nowhere for her to go.
One of the Hailsham teachers, Miss Lucy, was kicked out of the facility for telling the kids what their future held. We wondered what the best way is to raise someone who will be used for organ donation. Do you tell that person when they're young so that they know their whole life what their future holds? It's a sort of brainwashing, like one hears about in extreme kidnapping cases. Jaycee Dugard didn't run because she was brainwashed with fear. These children were brainwashed to think their bodies and lives belonged to some governmental agency that would kill them in the end.
Certain plot elements in the story were a bit strange to us. The gallery was one. Why was there so much emphasis put on creativity and art? Funny enough, I saw this video on Facebook today and it helped me answer that question.
Being able to create is proof that someone is a sentient being, a living thing capable of thought, process, and creation. (As a side note, I am assuming these elephants are just really well-trained. The idea is that people believe they are capable of creating.) Having the children create art proved the humanity of the clones and that real people were being killed for the organs. We wondered if it was some sort of ethical project to try to boycott the 'organ farms' where the children were raised.
Another scene we didn't understand was when they went to see the empty boat. We were confused as to what it meant. The only thing we could come up with is that the boat took a different path than boats are supposed to take. That's why it's on dry land so far from water. We guessed that it was supposed to represent how the world had deviated so far from its normal path and Tommy, Ruth, and Kathy were like stranded boats. It's a weak assumption, but it was the best we had.
The final 'What the eff did that mean?' scene was when they went looking for a copy of the tape Kathy wanted. What we liked about it was that they spent their time in the 'real world,' some of their very little time with normals, looking for something that was a memory of their time with other clones. We're not sure what it really meant, but it was a nice nod to how they were stuck in their own reality and detached from the 'real world.'
There were two themes I'll discuss before I sign this off. The first is the comparison with animals. There was a reference to how the clones were bred to be sterile and we knew that the 'normals' didn't like this. It gave them a sense of inferiority. There was a guess from one of the clones that they were cloned from prisoners and other undesirables of society so that normals wouldn't feel like the clones were better than them. We kind of saw this as similar to animals raised for food. There are genetically modified chickens specifically used for large chicken breasts or more tender meat. Is that any better? Is the way science can change things creepy and too invasive? Some people are vegetarians because of this treatment. Were there people in the book's universe who wouldn't take organ donations because of the treatment of the donors? The characters had several connections to animals that made us wonder what kind of connection we were supposed to draw. Tommy's art in the latter part of the book is of animal hybrids. Ruth talks about wanting to ride horses. However, there were never real animals, only drawings and references to them. We wondered what Ishiguro was trying to say.
The other interesting topic was sexuality. Because they couldn't get pregnant, the characters had very little pause about having sex with each other. It was a very casual thing and they engaged in it because it felt good and for little other reason. Kathy doesn't even deem her experiences important enough to tell the reader until she's accused of not having had sex (if I recall correctly). The only concern was disease but by keeping it within the clones, that was not an issue. However, our moderator recalled that they had a negative and childish attitude toward gay sex, but our group couldn't figure out why that would be. Any ideas?
Ishiguro's writing is really engaging. I've read this book and also The Remains of the Day and I have to say I much prefer this title. He has a great style of adding enough detail to bring a passage to life without bogging it down. He likes to write about people who have a certain lot in life that can't change and what they do with it. In his own words:
It's something I do instinctively in my writing and with this book it was a very important feature that escape was not an option. It's about how we're all aware of our fate, in that we have a limited time in life. Escape isn't an issue in the book, because it's never really an option in our own lives. Characters like Stevens and the kids in Never Let Me Go do what we all do; try to give meaning to our lives by fulfilling some sort of duty.
Until next time, write on.
You can follow me on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I'm available via email at SamAStevensWriter@gmail.com. And as always, feel free to leave a comment!
Tags: Book Club, Brainwashing, Clone, Discussion, Ethics, Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go, Organ Donation
Categories Book Club Reflections, Books
Challenge Update, October, November, December 2021
WWW Wednesday, 19-January-2022
Announcing the 2022 When Are You Reading? Challenge!
WWW Wednesday, 5-January-2022
New Year's resolution: drink more wine.
Loving the homestead feeling right now. @ladylibrarian12 gifted me five pounds of her homegrown black currants, a favorite of mine. I'd made three dozen muffins when a coworker offered to trade a dozen for sourdough she and her partner made. I used the rest of the berries to make jam. So this is the last piece of sourdough that I traded for muffins, covered in my homemade jam. Barter economy win.
FINALLY adding some new stickers to the desk after a year. (No worries; Jay drank, I sniffed)
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Fire Company Seeks Donations for Headstone, Dedicated Young Volunteer Killed Jogging Off-Duty
by First Arriving Dec 28, 2013, 9:36 pm 13 Comments
By Hannah Sawyer, York Daily Record, Pa.
North Hopewell-Winterstown Photo via Facebook
Dec 28 — North Hopewell-Winterstown Fire Company is seeking donations for a headstone for Cory Haley, a firefighter who was struck and killed by a vehicle while he was jogging on Christmas Eve.
The department posted on its Facebook page that donations can be mailed to the station: NHWVFC, mark on the donation "For Cory Haley", 12246 Winterstown Road, Felton, PA 17322. Donations also can be dropped off.
"This family has suffered and lost an amazing young man! Please help us help the family with this headstone," the department posted on its Facebook page.
Thursday update
A visitation will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Winterstown United Methodist Church, 12184 Winterstown Road, according to Cory Haley's obituary.
A funeral service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the church.
The obituary talks of Haley's work with Tate Floors in Red Lion and many certifications through his firefighting.
He also received a firefighter of the year award in 2012 from the state House of Representatives.
The family asks that any memorial contributions be made to the Winterstown Fire Company, 12246 Winterstown Road, Felton.
Dec. 26 — A dedicated 24-year-old volunteer firefighter who was engaged and planned to marry in the next few months died Christmas Eve when he was struck by a vehicle while jogging, his chief said.
Cory Haley was in training and planned to enlist in the U.S. Air Force later this year in the pararescue unit, North Hopewell-Winterstown Chief Shanan Poe said. Haley, who ran 10-mile routes and swam laps at a local pool two times a week, wouldn't have skipped a workout, even on Christmas Eve, Poe added.
That's just what Haley was doing Tuesday evening around 5:30 p.m., when police said he was struck in the southbound lane of Winterstown Road in the Red Lion area.
Wearing a reflective band and headphones, Haley was hit by a car driven by 21-year-old Briar Sullivan of Red Lion, according to York Area Regional Police.
Haley hit the driver side front and windshield, police said, and was thrown into the northbound lane into the path of a pickup driven by John Warner, 65, of Winterstown.
Haley was then run over by the pickup, police said.
He was transported to York Hospital where he later died in the operating room at 8:54 p.m., Deputy Coroner Claude Stabley said.
The cause of death was multiple blunt force trauma, Stabley said. There will be no autopsy.
The North Hopewell-Winterstown Volunteer Fire Co.'s Facebook page quickly filled with comments on Christmas morning from those who knew him.
"He was very dedicated with what he does," Poe said.
The crash happened just in front of the home of another department volunteers, who ran outside to direct traffic at the scene. It wasn't until paramedics arrived and turned Haley over that the firefighter realized who it was, Poe said.
His department has taken the loss to heart, he said.
"It's a brotherhood and a sisterhood," Poe said.
Poe described him as someone who was always willing to help. He took extra classes at the York County Fire School and always volunteered to help. He would text Poe every day and asked if there was anything he could do at the station.
"It's hard on our members to lose someone so young who had so much potential," he said.
What he'll remember about Haley is that he had "the biggest heart," he said.
Plans for a memorial have not yet been finalized, Poe said.
(c)2013 York Daily Record (York, Pa.)
Visit York Daily Record (York, Pa.) at www.ydr.com
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Can't Make This Stuff Up: U.K. Firefighters Rescue Three People EVERY DAY from Bathroom Entrapment | {
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PPG Architectural Coatings joins BHETA
PPG Architectural Coatings UK & I is the latest home improvement company to join the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA).
Part of PPG Industries, the world's leading coatings company, PPG Architectural Coatings UK & I is based in Birstall, West Yorkshire and supplies paint and sundries brands Johnstone's, Leyland and Fat Hog.
Its customers include DIY multiples and independents, and it also has a wholly-owned network of over 185 trade decorating centres.
Paddy Lafford, sales director - national accounts & stockists at PPG, said: "BHETA provides unrivalled opportunities for networking and retail engagement, which are really exciting for any ambitious company. I am confident we can really benefit from being part of it." | {
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Jarvis St. water main replacement moves at a trickle
By Jack LakeyThe Fixer
Fri., Jan. 25, 2019timer2 min. read
Traffic-snarling construction for at least six months on Jarvis St. long ago began to test the patience of local residents and drivers.
So it's no wonder we've gotten a couple notes from frustrated people who live or drive on Jarvis, asking when the misery will finally end.
Winnie Jorgensen emailed to say she has endured traffic backups since June to accommodate construction, but the last straw was when they started shutting off water service to her home.
In a Jan. 3 note, she said "we at 192 Jarvis were informed the water would be off all day yesterday. It was off from 8 a.m. to about 7 p.m., when it should have been back on at 4 p.m.
"The water went back off early this morning," she said, adding, "the street has been a mess since this project started. Lanes have been restricted and deep large holes left open for weeks with water constantly running down Jarvis.
"My concern is the time this is taking and the seemingly unbelievable mess that is left behind on a daily basis. There seems to be no attempt to keep the work areas tidy.
"It looks like a fiasco, a very messy one."
We went there and saw that two lanes of northbound traffic were squeezed into one, from south of Queen St. to just north of Dundas St., where condo construction is occupying the curb lane.
Southbound traffic is also narrowed to one lane between Dundas and Queen, which slows it to a crawl on a key route used by drivers to get in and out of the downtown core during rush hour.
We watched last week as a line of vehicles inched northward through the lane reduction at the start of the afternoon rush; it took upwards of 10 minutes for drivers to get from Queen to north of Dundas.
Status: Susan Pape, a spokesperson for the city, emailed to confirm that the lane reductions are necessary to replace "two vintage water mains, both over 100 years old, with a new, larger diameter water main," to improve local service. The work was delayed, "however it is near completion and all lanes are scheduled to reopen by the end of January. There are no other temporary water shut-offs planned (or) associated with this work."
She went on to say delays in completing the project were caused by a change in plans that allowed the city to install new water mains closer to private properties, which will improve service, and also for rigorous testing of water quality, required by the provincial environment ministry.
A condo project at Dundas and Jarvis that is occupying the curb lane is scheduled for completion by the end of June, said Pape.
What's broken in your neighbourhood? Wherever you are in Greater Toronto, we want to know. Email jlakey@thestar.ca or follow @TOStarFixer on Twitter | {
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I graduated from Thunderbird High in 1983 in a royal blue gown, which I wore over the same royal blue sundress and with strappy white flats, so I wouldn't sink into the football field. No fewer than 127 bobby pins held my cap snug.
The principal and administrators filled their folding chairs on the stage as we lined up, boys on one side, girls on the other, and swore we'd never forget – not how Mr. Prochnau gave us extra credit in biology if we wore a shoelace necklace of dissected pig parts, or drinking Boone's Farm Tickle Pink on the golf course at the Moon Valley Country Club, nor one another. Not ever.
The speeches that night were endless, reaching me near the front because my last name started with a B first and echoing back to the Z's.
These had been the best years of our lives.
We were the future. We were the best and the brightest. We could do anything. We had an obligation to change the world.
All we had to do was be true to ourselves, follow our dreams and reach for the stars.
I believed every word.
I've been to a lot of high school graduations since my own. I go to a few more every year, it seems. Not much has changed.
They're still wearing the same outfits and playing much of the same music with the same pomp and circumstance. The same people line the stage on folding chairs – the principal and other administrators, the school board and distinguished guests.
Even the speeches have stayed pretty much the same, with minor variations on the theme.
In speech after speech, we're reminded how the last four years have just flown by, how they started as freshman who got lost in the hallways, it feels like just yesterday, and look at where they are now.
Insert here the requisite funny prank pulled on (easy-going teacher's name), hilarious incident at (annual talent show/fall festival/pep rally) and inside joke from three-day school trip to (name of place within six-hour bus ride here).
Best years of their lives. Friends forever.
But this isn't an ending, oh, no, it's only the beginning. They are the future.
It was a journey of a thousand miles that began with a single step, and whenever one door closed, another opened, but now the path ahead was clear. They have only to be true to themselves, follow their dreams, reach for the stars.
And if you don't want to take the speakers' word for it, they quote an (adult) expert. Henry David Thoreau. Les Brown.
Ralph Waldo Emerson. Walt Disney. Dr. Seuss.
I sit in the bleachers, listening, and smile wryly. I tick off the clichés: You are the future. Don't be afraid to fail. Make a difference.
This year, the valedictorian who spoke at McClintock High, Trinny Tat, was refreshingly real.
First of all, she promised to keep it short. "I don't want you all to fall asleep," she said.
Trinny did speak of surviving standardized testing and supplementing suspect lunches with cookies sold by DECA, Rice KrispiesTreats from swim team and dance club fundraisers and candy bars from orchestra.
"I know we are anxious about our future, but keep it real," she said. "I am gonna be a freeloader as long as I can. And you can too as long as your parents don't throw you out in the street."
Parents in the stands chuckled.
Trinny quoted Will Rogers: "Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."
Trinny is from Vietnam and started school here seven years ago in English Language Learner classes. She told her classmates, "Without putting effort, one will just sit at one place and not going anywhere even if the path is right. At the same time, other people are taking that chance, that direction to get to the place you were going to.
"The world is a judgmental place. The world is a scary place. The world is not fair, but deal with it because other people are experiencing the same thing."
Don't just dream about it, she was telling them. Do the work.
She was on to something. Listening to her made me think about just what I would tell a football stadium full of high school graduates, if given the chance.
You can be anything you want to be, but you have to do the work and pay your dues.
These might feel like the best years of your life — so far — especially since you were just coming out of the agony of middle school. Trust me, there are even better years ahead.
If you hated high school, for whatever reason, there's a good chance you will love college. It's bigger, and more diverse, you'll find people like you. Those may well be the friends you'll keep forever.
Listen to what the commencement speakers are saying because when you're young, these things are all true, and no one wants to tell you any different. That's why everyone is smiling at you, like you're a toddler taking your first steps.
Because basically, you are.
While you're reaching for those stars, you're going to make some mistakes. Some of them will feel like they're fatal mistakes. They're not. Know that there are few things that can't be fixed. Ask for help.
Find a mentor.
Thank your teachers.
Learn about technology. Or, whatever you study, put the word "forensic" in front of it – forensic psychology, forensic accounting.
It's not really true what they say (I say "they" because no one knows who for sure), that if you do what you love, you'll never work another day in your life. Because even if you love it, it's still work. It'll get you down sometimes. That's OK.
Pay attention to your parents. Call them regularly. They did a lot for you.
Pay attention to the local news. Vote.
Read. Drive safely. Give to charity. (Donating blood doesn't cost anything.)
Make sure everybody gets a fair chance. (Oh, you think there's no more gender barrier? Then why are half of you still wearing different colored robes and sitting on opposite sides of the aisle?)
Take care of yourself. I don't mean manicures and pedicures or gym memberships. I mean, go outside. Look up from your screen occasionally. Drink plenty of water. Eat vegetables. Get enough sleep. Moderate your drinking. Don't smoke. Do wear sunscreen.
And just do your best. Try not to compare yourself to others. Stretch yourself. Know it's OK to be scared. In fact you should be scared sometimes.
It's not as easy as living your dreams and being yourself.
But it's also not as hard as being the entire future, carrying the responsibility to change the whole world.
Just don't give up.
You'll be fine.
Reach Bland at karina.bland@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8614. | {
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Iconic observatory witnessed in James Bond film "GoldenEye" goes darkish soon after enormous telescope located mysteriously damaged
A significant radio telescope designed famed as the backdrop for a pivotal scene in James Bond film "GoldenEye" and other Hollywood hits was located out of the blue out of commission just after cables mysteriously snapped and smashed into the facility's principal dish.
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is dwelling to one particular of the world's premier radio telescopes, performing as a giant ear to the universe. Positioned in the middle of a forest, the telescope listens for radio indicators from other galaxies and has contributed to various breakthroughs in astronomy.
Aside from monitoring asteroids that could endanger the world, the telescope performed a important function in the "SETI" program — the research for smart daily life. It was notably employed by astronomer Carl Sagan to mail an interstellar message.
Before this week, the facility was pressured to close down soon after a cable supporting a metal system higher than the telescope fell, tearing a 100-foot gash in its giant reflector dish.
"The cable didn't definitely crack in the sense of a cable kind of snapping, but it just kind of slipped from its socket, which is you know, an even weirder situation," Arecibo Observatory Director Francisco Cordova instructed CBS News' Jeff Glor.
Specialists operating all over the clock to get the telescope back again on line say they are nevertheless building assessments to locate what precisely took place, storing the machine's "structure of capabilities," and earning confident it could not direct to much more troubles in the upcoming.
"So at this place, we are not, you know, we don't seriously have a even larger timeline of when that is going to materialize," Cordova stated.
See also The robot dog urges beer and moves according to the environment; View | Technology
The telescope, a pivotal element of the ongoing search to locate other planets able of sustaining everyday living, has survived terrestrial hazards like hurricanes, tropical storms and earthquakes. Now, the scientific group hopes it can get better from the mysterious injury.
"We are going to discover a way to fix this particular concern and continue to transfer forward," Cordova mentioned. "We have overcome a whole lot in our 50-year historical past, from Hurricane Maria to extremely the latest rash of earthquakes to now this. So we're a very resilient bunch down listed here and we are going to determine out a way to continue on to move forward, accomplishing thrilling science for the world." | {
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Origin Part V
Some things are better left undiscovered!
Charlie silently followed her as she stepped across the threshold, and as she did a faint blue glow illuminated the center of the room. She stopped and stepped back, suddenly unsure if she should continue, and the blue light faded to darkness. Stepping forward again, she was rewarded with the return of that blue glow that seemed to emanate from the center of the room.
Following the beam of her flashlight, they both ventured deeper into the chamber, coming to a stone bench on their right. She played the beam of the flashlight over the dust-covered surface of the bench, noting how it curved to the left as it vanished into the shadows. There was another bench thee feet in front of the first, it too curving into the emptiness that pressed in on all sides. With growing confidence she pushed on, coming to a third bench in front of the second one.
As they ventured deeper into the chamber, she slowly became aware that the blue glow was coming from an object to her immediate front. She stopped, took a deep breath, and switched off her flashlight.
"Turn off your light," she said.
Charlie complied and as her eyes adjusted to the darkness the blue glow grew stronger until she could make out the shape of a large blue globe hanging suspended an unknown distance before her. More details came into focus and she began picking out tiny spots of light high above her head all around her. The image reminded her of a planetarium during a showing and she suddenly realized that what she was gazing upon was the home world of whatever had built this structure.
"See what?"
"Close your eyes for a minute and let them adjust to the dark." Sandra closed her own eyes and when she reopened them that alien solar system was once again laid out before her with that faint blue sun in the center.
"What the hell," Charlie said.
"I think that's why they came here."
"Those who built this structure. Their sun was dying."
"A star system, their home."
"Of course, who did you think I was talking about?"
"How can you be so sure?"
"I'm not absolutely certain. Not one hundred percent. But the explanation fits."
"Then where are they now?"
Sandra shrugged. "I don't know."
They had moved forward to a raised dais a foot higher than the rest of the floor. Stepping up together, they approached the blue sphere, beneath which rested a small white box. Charlie reached the item first, marveling at the craftsmanship that had gone into constructing this small object. It looked like fine marble cut into very thin sheets, somewhat transparent, its contents were a faint smudge against the white.
"What is it?" Charlie said.
"I don't know." Sandra touched the surface of the box and when she did her mind was suddenly filled with ancient images of an alien place that was all but a memory.
She saw a vast valley beneath a blue sun. From the floor of the valley rose an immense tower. The spires of Beizel in the valley of tears. The name came to her from the black depths of a consciousness that stretched into the antediluvian void of their past. She could feel them around her, the followers who had trekked to this desolate plain, and the faithful who had come to seek redemption. Their thoughts washed over and around her, a single voice in a seething populace whose movements were so perfectly timed they took on the appearance of the surface of the ocean as gentle swells raced from one end to the other in a continuous cycle.
They had come seeking salvation and found it in the singularity of one thought that washed through them with a solitary voice. The individual parts of the whole had come together to form a distinct thought, and that was survival of the species. Their sun was dying, the time for the planet, for their reign, had come to a close. But one chance remained, the survival of the species lay with the chosen who would reach out into the great beyond; to ensure the survival of the species they would venture into the farthest reaches of the cosmos in their search for a new planet to call their own.
Sandra stepped back from the box, her fingers numbed by the contact, struggling to catch her breath as the true meaning of what she had briefly seen began to sink in.
They did not belong here.
In the shadows around her their memories moved with a sinuous ease through the deeper night.
"Are you all right?" Charlie said, resting his hand on her shoulder as he stepped forward to look at the box resting on the raised dais.
"Don't touch it," she warned him. But he ignored her, reaching out to grasp the box in one hand as he softly whispered, "So beautiful."
Before she could stop him, he had flipped open the delicate hasp and was raising the lid to gaze upon what the box contained. Sandra became aware of movement in the shadows all around her as that ozone aroma intensified. Her hair felt like it was standing on end in response to the suddenly charged atmosphere. Tentacles of darkness slithered across the dais towards them.
Check out Adversary, book one of the Shadows of the Past series.
Click on cover for more info or to order!
Also available from these fine online retailers.
Also available in print from Createspace
Receive a personally autographed copy of Adversary for only $11.99 with free shipping to the continental United States. Drop me a line at rschiver@gmail.com for details on how to order your copy today.
Labels: alien invasion, antactica, Cthulhu Mythos, Lovecraftian Horror, old gods, penquins
Origin Part VI
2016 HHAC E. Storm
2016 HHAC Pete Chown
2016 HHAC Maison Crow
2016 HHAC Sarah Bredeman
HHAC 2016 John Cummings
HHAC 2016 D.P. Sumner
HHAC 2016 Kevin Mooseles
HHAC 2016 Angela L Lindseth
HHAC 2016: R. K. Weir
Origin Pt IV
HHAC 2016 Patrick Kill
HHAC 2016 Mouse Diver-Dudfield
HHAC 2016 David Tyne
HHAC 2016 E. C. Hill
HHAC 2016: E. Dulaney Burns
HHAC 2016 Brent Winter
Origin Part III
HHAC 2016 Joss Dey
HHAC 2016 F.D. Gross
HHAC 2016 Cazandra Roodt | {
"redpajama_set_name": "RedPajamaCommonCrawl"
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Welcome to KCSD96
Menus/Manage Account
Solar Dashboard
Superintendent/Public Info
Business/Finance/Transport
Show sub menu for Board of Education
Board Members Contact Info
Archived Agenda/Minutes
District Review
Informe del Distrito
Board-Approved Goals
About KCSD 96
be interested in:
Site Visits for Educators
District Review Report
Ensure every child achieves his or her maximum potential
The Vision:
Become the premier elementary school district in the nation
Collective Commitments to each Value statement below represent the culminating work of a multistakeholder group in Apr. 2019. Their focus was establishing understanding of each value as it applies in our diverse culture today.
The Values:
Model for others what we expect from others – Collective Commitments
Every child, every school, every day – Collective Commitments
Best practice, not first practice – Collective Commitments
Learning has no boundaries – Collective Commitments
Celebrate success – Collective Commitments
Five District 96 schools have earned national Blue Ribbon recognition from the U.S. Department of Education.
In 1946, four one-room school districts merged to form Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96. Since then, the community has changed from rural farmland with few urban regions to well-populated suburban areas.
Comprising approximately 3,200 students and 500 certified and educational support personnel, Kildeer Countryside School District 96 is an elementary school district covering about 20 square miles in southern Lake County, Illinois. The District includes portions of Buffalo Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Long Grove, and Vernon Hills. Most District 96 students continue their education at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, ranked #171 in U.S. News Best High School 2021 national rankings and ranked #6 in U.S. News Best Illinois High Schools 2021.
In 1999 the District constructed an elementary school and a middle school and made major renovations to three of its existing school buildings. In a districtwide reorganization implemented in 1999, one building was designated as an Early Childhood/Kindergarten Center, four buildings as elementary schools housing grades 1-5, and two buildings as middle schools housing grades 6-8.
Generally, middle-to upper-class communities comprise District 96. The student community is predominantly White (48.7%), with 36.3% Asian. A small percentage of students are Black (1.6%) or Hispanic (9%). Low-income families make up 5.4% of the student population and 18.2% of students are categorized as English Learners. In District 96, 67.4% of the teachers hold master's degrees or higher. The pupil/teacher ratio is 14:1. Regarding the financial strength and stability, the District continues to receive exemplary ratings for fiscal stability, as evidenced by the Financial Recognition status awarded by the Illinois State Board of Education for the 14th consecutive year and the District's "Aaa" bond rating.
District academic performance is strong. View District 96 Illinois School Report Cards here.
Twin Groves Middle School, Ivy Hall Elementary School, Woodlawn Middle School, Kildeer Elementary School, and Prairie Elementary School have earned national Blue Ribbon recognition from the U.S. Department of Education. In 2013, Twin Groves earned Blue Ribbon recognition for a second time. In 2016, Woodlawn Middle School was awarded a second Blue Ribbon. In 2019, Ivy Hall was awarded a second Blue Ribbon. Also, each of the four elementary schools has been awarded Blue Ribbon recognition status for its physical education program. Five of the District 96 schools have been recognized by the Chicago Sun Times (March 2009) in the Top 50 Suburban Public Schools list. In October 2006, Ivy Hall, Kildeer Countryside, and Prairie Schools were recognized in Chicago magazine as among the Top 15 Public Schools in Lake County. In Chicago Magazine's 2016 Best Public Schools issue, Country Meadows ranked #3 in the Lake County Top Ten Elementary Schools. In 2018, Woodlawn was recognized with the distinguished DuFour Award as the nation's exemplary Professional Learning Community.
Revised Apr. 2021
Kildeer Countryside Community
Consolidated School District 96
1050 Ivy Hall Lane
Buffalo Grove, IL 60089 | {
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Premier League: Leicester crushes West Brom
Published: Sep 14,202001:11 AM
Leicester City made a winning start to the 2020-21 Premier League season with a 3-0 demolition of newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy (74' and 84') converted two penalties in the second half, while full-back Timothy Castagne (56') scored on his debut with a header and picked up the Man-of-the-Match award. On Saturday, defending champion Liverpool edged out Leeds United 4-3 at Anfield. Mohamed Salah (4', 33' and 88') was at his absolute best for the host, netting thrice. Centre-back Virgil Van Dijk (20') also got on the scoresheet for Liverpool. Jack Harrison (12'), Patrick Bamford (30') and Mateusz Klich (66') netted a goal each for Leeds.
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Prannoy upsets Christie in Thailand Open
Harbhajan Says IPL Contract With CSK Has Ended | {
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Censure au Centre Pompidou
Julio Le Parc presents a brief explanation about a situation in which he was not permitted to include a pamphlet with his works in the Denise René L'intrépide exhibition. Due to this situation, which he considered to be censorship, Le Parc invited, through this writing, anyone who wanted to accompany him on Friday, April 20, 2001, at 6:30 PM to paste the pamphlet over one of his works.
Julio Le Parc (1928) was born in the Province of Mendoza, in Argentina, and graduated in Buenos Aires. In 1955, he participated in the student movement that took over the country's fine arts schools, and in 1958, Le Parc traveled to Paris on a scholarship. While there, between 1960 and 1968, he became part of the GRAV, Groupe de Recherche d'Art Visuel [Experimental Visual Arts Research Group], which, in turn, participated in the Nouvelle Tendence [New Tendency] international movement. He later continued his visual research and production within the kinetic art movement. On many occasions, his positions on various issues from the point of view of a Latin American artist were accounted for. Since 1945, the Parisian Denise René art gallery has promoted abstraction, especially in its geometric and kinetic aspects. Given that the authorities at the Centre Georges Pompidou did not allow him to include his pamphlet that accompanied the works presented in the Denise René L'intrépide exhibition, which took place there between April 4 and June 4, 2001, Le Parc titled this explanation Censura en el Centre Pompidou [Censorship at the Pompidou Center]. This source has been selected as evidence of the invitation to the symbolic act in which he proceeded to stick the pamphlet on one of his works. This document is linked to the pamphlet dated April 3, 2001. Note that the exhibition was also presented at the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria [Grand Canary Island], between September 18 and November 18, 2001, albeit with another title:El arte abstracto y la Galería Denise René [Abstract Art and the Denise René Gallery].
Book or Pamphlet
Manifestoes
Cachan, Francia
Julio Le Parc, Continuel-lumiére mobile 1968
Julio Le Parc, Continuel-lumière mobile 1960-1966
Centre Georges Pompidou
Le Parc, Julio. Censure au Centre Pompidou. Cachan: by the artist, 2001.
Archivo Julio Le Parc, París, Francia.
Courtesy of the Private Archives of Julio Le Parc, Cachan, France
Fundación Espigas, Buenos Aires
Cristina Rossi. | {
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Castel Sant'Angelo – Hadrian's Mausoleum
by Thomas Dowson | Italy, Rome | 0 comments
Across the St Angelo Bridge from the bulk of the ancient city of Rome and not far from Vatican City, Castel Sant'Angelo dominates the northern bank of the Tiber River. Construction started on an artificial mound in the 120s for the Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum. By the time of his death on 10 July 138 AD, the funerary monument was incomplete. The mausoleum was completed by Antoninus Pius in 139 AD. The ashes of the late emperor and his wife Sabina (who had died before Hadrian), as well as those of Aelius Caesar (Hadrian's first adopted heir) were the first to be interred here. Subsequent emperors, their wives and immediate family also had their ashes deposited here – the last recorded emperor being Caracalla in 217 AD.
The information and details on this page were last checked and/or updated on 20 February 2022.
Facilities & Visiting Castel Sant'Angelo:
Buying Tickets for Castel Sant'Angelo
Small Group, Guided Tours of Castel Sant'Angelo
What not to miss during your visit:
The Mausoleum of Hadrian, now a popular museum in Rome.
During the 3rd century AD, the mausoleum was incorporated into the Tiber fortifications. Various architectural features, prominent today were being added up until the 16th century. Consequently much of what visitors see today from the outside is not ancient at all; the ancient structure is preserved within and at the foot of the circular drum. Throughout the period between the 13th and 16th century, the following structures were added as the purpose of the building changed and developed: the upper half of the circular drum, the palace with its statue of archangel Michael, the four bastions on the corners of the podium, the castles curtain wall, and the ditch and outer triangular fortifications. After also being used as a prison, the building was decommissioned in 1901, and has been used as a museum ever since.
You can purchase a skip-the-line ticket in advance online from GetYourGuide.
With this ticket not only do you get to beat the queues, but you will be met at the entrance by greeter (hosts speak English, French, German, Italian and Spanish) who will take you through the entrance. There is no need to worry about anything.
Included in the ticket is the option to cancel your ticket up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, without paying an extra fee.
Three thematic routes guide visitors through the castle: the mausoleum of Hadrian, the fortified castle and the papal apartments.
When in the papal apartments do not miss Pope Clement VII's bathroom. Besides the antique style decoration of the room, from here you will get an excellent view of the passetto. Built in 1277 along the top of the ninth century wall, this passage was constructed to provide an escape route running between the Vatican and the Castle. The route of the passetto is marked out with blue pins in the map above, as it runs along Via dei Corridori.
The passetto running from Castel Sant'Angelo to the Vatican alongside the Via dei Corridori.
The passetto to the left of Saint Peter's Square leading to Castel Sant'Angelo in the distance.
Visiting Rome? If you are planning a trip to Rome in Italy, check our Rome Travel Guide for History and Adventure Seekers.
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} |
Belinda G. Buchanan - author of edgy, women's fiction and mystery...
WINTER'S MALICE
AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE: A Novel of Infidelity, Healing, And Forgiveness
THE MONSTER OF SILVER CREEK
SEASONS OF DARKNESS
TRAGEDY AT SILVER CREEK
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CHARACTER GALLERY
After All Is Said And Done: A Novel of Infidelity, Healing & Forgiveness
Ethan Harrington
If any man ever fit the bill of being tall, dark and handsome it would be Ethan Harrington.
Ethan is a brilliant doctor, caring husband, father to be - and borderline alcoholic.
He has spent the last year trying to forgive his wife, Jessica, whom he loves dearly, for her infidelity, but her betrayal with a colleague of his has left him hurt beyond words.
Jessica Harrington
Jessica's affair with a colleague has left nothing but carnage in its wake.
She desperately clings to the thin strands that are holding her marriage together, terrified of telling Ethan that the son he loves isn't his.
**All Photos courtesy of dreamstime or istock
Dr. Sarah Williams has spent the better part of a year trying to recover from her husband, Gavin's, affair. But her life is shattered when she finds out just how far his infidelity has gone.
Gavin Williams
Arrogant, self-centered, narcissistic. These words can all be used to describe Gavin Williams.
By putting his own wants first, he has succeeded in making a shamble of his marriage to Sarah as well as Ethan &
Jessica's. | {
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} |
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