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Check Processing Customized Reporting Gift & Loyalty Cards POS & Hardware Last Modified: June, 2021 Gratis Payment Processing is committed to protecting your privacy and personal information that you provide to us when accessing or using our services or website (the “Site”). This privacy policy (“Policy”) has been compiled to better serve you by explaining how we gather Personal Data (as defined below) and use the information that we collect during your visit to our Site. Please read our Policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personal Data in accordance with our Site. This Policy may change over time, so please be sure to reread it from time to time. Amendments, modifications or changes to this Policy will be posted at this URL and will be effective when posted. Your continued use of our Site following the posting of any amendment, modifications or change to this Policy shall constitute your acceptance thereof. If you do not agree with the terms in this Policy, please do not use our Site and do not provide any information to us. Our Site is not directed to and is not intended for access and use by persons under the age of 18. We do not intentionally collect or use Personal Data from users that we have reason to believe are under the age of 18. We gather Personal Data and Other Data (as described below). Personal data is information that identifies you or can be used to identify or contact you, e.g., your name, email address, address, or phone number (“Personal Data”). We may need to collect and process Personal Data in order to provide requested information, products, or services to you (including the Site) or because we are legally required to do so. Voluntary Disclosure. We may collect Personal Data voluntarily provided by you, including in emails to the Site, online forms, order, and registration forms, surveys, promotion participation, phone calls, and online chats with our customer service and through other means. Telephone Data. We collect information on the callers that call our business through our business phone number. This information includes: (i) the caller’s phone number, (ii) the name displayed on the Caller ID (when available), and (iii) the start and end time of the call. Payment Services. We may use third-party payment services (each, a “Payment Service”) to collect payments made through the Site. If you wish to make a payment through the Site, you may be directed to a webpage that is hosted by the Payment Service (or the Payment Service’s service providers) and not by us. Any Personal Data that you provide through a Payment Service Page will be collected by Payment Service and not by us and will be subject to Payment Service’s privacy policy, rather than this Policy. We have no control over and are not responsible for, Payment Service’s use of information collected through the Payment Service page. Other Means. We may collect information through various other means, including participation at conferences and events, individual introductions, and from selected third-party business partners. From time to time, we may also acquire from third parties certain lists containing the names and contact information of individuals who may be interested in our products and services. We ask that you not send us, and you not disclose, any sensitive Personal Data (e.g., social security numbers, information related to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion or other beliefs, health, biometrics or genetic characteristics, criminal background or trade union membership) on or through this Site or otherwise to us. Use and Disclosure of Personal Data We use Personal Data for legitimate business purposes, including the following: Fulfillment of Requests. We may use Personal Data about you (a) to deliver products and services to you, (b) provide you with information about products and services you have ordered, and (c) when it is necessary for employees, agents and contractors to operate or maintain the Site or to correct a technical problem. We will engage in these activities to manage our contractual relationship with you and/or to comply with a legal obligation. Other Communications. From time to time, we may use Personal Data about you to inform you of products, programs, services and promotions that we believe may be of interest to you. If you would prefer that we not send electronic marketing messages to you, please see the “opt-out” section below. Promotions. We may operate sweepstakes, contests and similar promotions (collectively, “Promotions”). If you choose to enter the Promotions, we typically ask you for certain Personal Data when you enter and, if applicable, win a Promotion. You should carefully review the rules of each Promotion in which you participate, as they may contain additional important information about our use of Personal Data about you. To the extent that the terms and conditions of such rules concerning the treatment of your Personal Data conflict with this Policy, the terms and conditions of such rules shall control. We use this information to operate the Promotions. Other Business Purposes. We may also use Personal Data about you for other business purposes, such as data analysis (for example, to improve the efficiency of our Site and services), editorial and feedback purposes, providing customer support, customizing and improving the content and layout of the Site, completing business transactions (for example, to confirm content requested is received by users), development of marketing and promotion plans and materials, statistical analysis of user behavior (for example, to understand what parts of the Site are of most interest to users), product development, market research, administering individual accounts, and meeting government regulatory requirements such as sales tax collection, audits, etc. We engage in these activities to manage our contractual relationship with you, to comply with a legal obligation, and/or because we have a legitimate interest. Administrative Communications. We reserve the right to use Personal Data to send to you important information regarding the Site, products, services, your account status, changes to the Site’s terms of use, this Policy, or any other policies, agreements or transactions relevant to your use of the Site, products and/or services. Because this information may be important to your use of the Site, products and/or services, you may not opt-out of receiving such communications. We will engage in this activity to manage our contractual relationship with you and/or to comply with a legal obligation. Third-Party Service Providers. We may provide Personal Data to third-party service providers, who provide services to us, including but not limited to, data analysis, order fulfillment and shipping, payment processing, and other services. Affiliate Communications. We may transfer Personal Data among our affiliates to allow our affiliates to contact you regarding products, programs, services and promotions that they believe may be of interest to you, and such affiliates may otherwise use your Personal Data in accordance with this Policy. If you would prefer not to receive marketing communications from us or our affiliates, please see the “opt-out” section below. Strategic Partners and Co-Branded Sites. From time to time, we may enter into a special relationship with another company that is not owned by or affiliated with us to provide or promote joint products, services, applications, or features (together, “Jointly Offered Items”). These special relationships may include co-branded web sites (“co-branded pages”). Any information, including Personal Data, that you provide in connection with one of these Jointly Offered Items, and/or on one of these co-branded pages, will be shared with our third-party partners. You should check these third parties’ web sites for information regarding their privacy practices. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POLICY DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PRIVACY OR INFORMATION PRACTICES OF ANY THIRD PARTIES. If you do not want Personal Data about you shared with such third parties, please do not provide Personal Data in connection with the Jointly Offered Items and/or co-branded pages. Third-Party Data Providers. If you subscribe to one of our products or services that contains third-party data, we may be required to provide your Personal Data to the third party as part of our reporting obligations. We will only do so if a third-party data provider conditions your receipt of their data on knowing your identity. Promotions. We may share the Personal Data you provide in connection with Promotions with third-party sponsors of such Promotions (irrespective of whether such Promotions are hosted by us), or otherwise in accordance with the rules applicable to those Promotions. Assignment. We may disclose or transfer any and all Personal Data that we collect to an affiliated entity or a third party (and their respective advisors) in the event of any reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stock (including without limitation in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings). Law Enforcement; Emergencies; Compliance. We may use and disclose Personal Data about you to others as we believe to be appropriate: (a) in compliance with laws, rules, or regulations in any country in which we operates, including laws outside your country of residence; (b) to comply with legal process; (c) to respond to requests from government or public authorities, including government and public authorities outside your country of residence; (d) to enforce our Site’s terms of use; (e) to protect our operations or those of any affiliated entities; (f) to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of us, our affiliated entities, you, or others; and (g) to permit us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain. For example, we may, to the fullest extent the law allows, disclose Personal Data about you to law enforcement agencies to assist them in identifying individuals who have been or may be engaged in unlawful activities. Collection and Use of Other Data We and our service providers may also collect and use the following types of data, referred to in this Policy as “Other Data”: Monitoring Data. We and our service providers may collect and/or track other information such as demographic information, domain names, computer type, browser types, screen resolution, and other statistical data involving the use of the Site (“Monitoring Data”). We use Monitoring Data to help us understand who uses the Site and to improve and market it, as well as our other web sites and services. Unless combined with Personal Data, Monitoring Data does not personally identify you or any other user, and we may use it for any purpose. Aggregated Data. We may aggregate Personal Data in a manner such that the end-product does not personally identify you or any other user of the Site, for example, by using information to calculate the percentage of our users who have a particular telephone area code. Such aggregate information may also be used for any purpose. Cookies. To enhance the Internet experience on the Site, we and our service providers may use ‘cookies’ on the Site. Cookies are data that a web server transfers to an individual’s computer for recordkeeping and other purposes. We use cookies and other technologies to facilitate users’ ongoing access to and use of our Site. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allows you to automatically decline cookies, or to be given the choice of declining or accepting the transfer of a particular cookie, or cookies from a particular web site, to your computer. If cookies are disabled, however, all features of the Site may not operate as intended. Information about disabling cookies can be found on your Internet browser provider’s web site. The Site may have a Cookie Policy that applies to its use of cookies and other similar tracking technologies. If it does, then the Cookie Policy will apply in addition to this Policy. Tools. We and our service providers may also use various common Internet tools such as ‘pixel tags,’ ‘action tags,’ ‘web beacons,’ ‘.gif tags,’ ‘JavaScript’ or similar technologies (together, “Tools”) in connection with Site pages and email messages in certain formats to, among other things, track the actions of Site users and email recipients, to determine the success of marketing campaigns and to compile statistics about Site usage and response rates. Tools allow us to count users who have visited certain pages of the Site, to deliver services, and to help determine the effectiveness of promotional or advertising campaigns. When used in email messages in certain formats, Tools can tell the sender whether and when the email has been opened. We use cookies and Tools to understand how the Site is used and to customize and enhance the Internet experience of individual users. When you revisit the Site, we may recognize you by a Tool and customize your experience. For example, once you have completed the registration process, a cookie and/or Tool will be used to avoid having you register again. We believe cookies and Tools add value to the user experience. Google Advertising; Analytics; Behavioral Tracking; Re-Marketing. We allow third party behavioral tracking. We along with third-party vendors, such as Google use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookies) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) or other third-party identifiers together to compile data regarding user interactions with ad impressions, and other ad service functions as they relate to our Site. We may additionally implement the following: (i) Remarketing with Google Analytics; (ii) Google Display Network Impression Reporting; (iii) Demographics and Interests Reporting; (iv) Integrated services that require Google Analytics to collect data for advertising purposes, including the collection of data via advertising cookies and identifiers; and (v) Google AdSense Advertising on our Site. We use third-party vendor re-marketing tracking tools, including the Google Adwords tracking cookie and Facebook pixel, to serve ads about our products. These ads appear on Instagram, Facebook, Google products, and on other websites across the Internet. The third-party vendors use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to tailor the ads based on your past visits to our Site and elsewhere online and to measure ad conversion. These service may also collect information regarding the use of other websites, apps and online resources. To opt-out of the collection and use of information for ad targeting on Facebook, please visit www.aboutads.info/choices. You can learn about Google’s practices by going to https://policies.google.com/privacy/partners, and opt out of them by downloading the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Alternatively, you can opt out by visiting the Network Advertising initiative opt out web page. Verification. We may use third-party services to verify that you are a human user. Any information collected as part of such verification is subject to the privacy policy of the third-party service provider. IP Addresses. When you visit and interact with the Site, we and our third-party service providers may collect Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. Your IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to the computer that you are using by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). This number is identified and logged automatically in our server log files whenever you visit the Site, along with the time(s) of your visit(s) and the page(s) that you visited. We use IP addresses to understand how the Site is used by our users, to improve the Site and to enhance user experience of the Site. We may also use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Site. We may also derive your approximate location from your IP address. We may use third-party advertising companies to serve advertisements regarding products and services that may be of interest to you when you access and use the Site, our apps and other websites or online services, based on information relating to your access to and use of the Site and other websites or online services on any of your devices, as well as on information received from third parties. To do so, these companies may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser (including through the use of pixel tags). They may also use these technologies, along with information they collect about your online use, to recognize you across the devices you use, such as a mobile phone and a laptop. We may store your Personal Data. This information is retained and used in accordance with existing laws, rules, regulations, and other policies. While there is no such thing as “perfect security” on the Internet, we will take reasonable steps to insure the safety of your Personal Data. Personal Data is stored on our server and is not publicly accessible. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we take reasonable precautions and have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Although we attempt to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party “hackers” from illegally obtaining this information. We are not responsible for any breach of its security or for the actions of any third parties that may obtain any Personal Data. You are prohibited from violating or attempting to violate security for or otherwise interfering with the operation of the Site. We do not make, and expressly disclaim, any representation or warranty, express or implied, regarding the security or integrity of the Site and your Personal Data. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure (for example, if you feel that the security of any account you might have with us has been compromised), please notify us of the problem immediately by sending an e-mail to info@gratispayments.com. Data Integrity; Retention Period We will use Personal Data only in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected, authorized by this Policy, or authorized by you. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that Personal Data is relevant to its intended use, and is accurate, complete, and current (as provided by you). We depend on you to update or correct your Personal Data whenever necessary. We will retain Personal Data about you for as long as needed or permitted in light of the purpose(s) for which it was obtained and consistent with applicable law. The criteria used to determine our retention periods include: (i) the length of time we have an ongoing relationship with you; (ii) whether there is a legal obligation to which we are subject; and (iii) whether retention is advisable in light of our legal position (such as in regard to applicable statutes of limitations, litigation or regulatory investigations). By visiting our Site, you expressly consent to the collection and use by us of Personal Data according to this Policy. Choice; Opt-out We give you choices regarding our use and disclosure of your Personal Data for marketing purposes. If you no longer want to receive marketing-related emails from us on a going-forward basis, you may stop receiving these marketing-related emails by sending an e-mail to info@gratispayments.com. If you would prefer that we do not share your Personal Data on a going-forward basis with our affiliates or with unaffiliated third parties for their marketing purposes, you may cease this sharing by sending an e-mail to info@gratispayments.com. We will try to comply with your request(s) as soon as reasonably practicable. Please note that if you exercise the second option as described above, we will not be able to remove your Personal Data from the databases of our affiliates or unaffiliated third parties with which we have already shared your Personal Data (i.e., to which we have already provided your Personal Data as of the date that we implement your request). Further, please note that requesting us not to share your Personal Data with affiliates or unaffiliated third parties may result in you no longer receiving any marketing emails from us. Please also note that if you choose not to receive marketing-related messages from us, we may still send you important administrative messages, and you cannot elect to stop receiving such administrative messages, unless you choose to stop receiving services from us. You may also indicate your choices regarding marketing-related emails by contacting us via postal mail or telephone using the our contact information below, or if you have a Site profile/account, by changing your preferences on your Site profile/account at any time. Correct; Update If you would like to request to review, correct, update, suppress, delete or otherwise limit our use of your Personal Data that has been previously provided to us, or if you would like to request to receive an electronic copy of your Personal Data for purposes of transmitting it to another company (to the extent this right to data portability is provided to you by applicable law), you may make a request by contacting us by sending an e-mail to info@gratispayments.com. We will respond to your request consistent with applicable law. For your protection, we may only implement requests with respect to the Personal Data associated with the particular email address that you use to send us your request, and we may need to verify your identity before implementing your request. We will try to comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable and consistent with applicable law. Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes and/or to complete any transactions that you began prior to requesting the change or deletion. There may also be residual information that will remain within our databases and other records, which will not be removed. The Site may contain links to other Internet web sites, including social media sites and third-party hosted collaboration tools. These linked sites are not under our control. We provide links only as a convenience, and we does not endorse or control, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices or the content of these linked sites. If you provide any Personal Data through any third-party web site, or choose to communicate with us using third-party collaboration tools or other social media platforms, your transaction will occur on that third party’s web site (not the Site) and the Personal Data you provide will be collected by, and controlled by the privacy policy of, that third party. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the privacy policies and practices of any such third parties. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POLICY DOES NOT ADDRESS THE PRIVACY OR INFORMATION PRACTICES OF ANY THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, AFFILIATED ENTITIES THAT DO NOT POST OR LINK DIRECTLY TO THIS POLICY. Governing Law and Enforcement of Privacy Policy Use of our Site is governed by United States law and the laws of the State of Nevada. If you are accessing the Site or services from a physical location outside of the United States with laws or regulations governing personal data collection, use, and disclosure that are different from United States laws, you agree that by accessing the Site or services, you are transferring your Personal Data and Other Data to the United States and you consent to the application of the laws of the United States and the State of Nevada with respect to use of the Site and services and any dispute regarding the Site or this Policy. You further consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Nevada. If any provision of this Policy is held by a court of competent jurisdiction to be illegal, unenforceable, or in conflict with any applicable law, the validity of the remaining portions or provisions shall remain in full force and effect. We do not respond to Do Not Track (“DNT”) signals at this time. Some third party sites may track your actions when you are browsing and accessing content. Various browsers offer a DNT option that sends a signal to third parties that you do not want to be tracked. Cross Border Transfer of Personal Data Your Personal Data may be stored and processed in any country where we have facilities or in which we engage service providers. If you are accessing the Site from outside the United States, you may be sending information, including Personal Data to the United States where our servers are located. That information may be transferred within the United States or back out of the United States to other countries outside your country of residence. These countries do not necessarily have data protection laws as comprehensive as those in your country. The information transferred to the United States or another country is subject to the laws of that country and may be disclosed or accessed in accordance with those laws. By transferring information or allowing information to be transferred to us, you consent to the transfer, processing, and storage in countries outside your country of residence. In certain circumstances, courts, law enforcement agencies, regulatory agencies, or security authorities in those other countries may be entitled to access your Personal Data. If you have any questions about this Policy or the practices of our Site, you may contact us using the information below: (855) 464-7284 ; info@gratispayments.com info@gratispayments.com © 2022 Copyright Gratis Payment Processing. All Rights Reserved.

Jason BrooksHelena Traill2021-07-25T19:57:49+00:00 Jason Brooks, Sunglasses & ScarfHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:49:59+00:00 Jason Brooks, Saint LaurentHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:51:35+00:00 Jason Brooks, MargielaHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:53:03+00:00 Jason Brooks, DiorHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:54:20+00:00 Jason Brooks, DancerHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:55:22+00:00 Jason Brooks, ACEHelena Traill2021-12-09T22:57:02+00:00 Jason Brooks is an award-winning fashion and lifestyle illustrator who leads the way as a master of bold and impactful contemporary imagery. Since graduating from The Royal College of Art, London in the 1980s, he has gained an international reputation for his outstanding visuals and is credited as being one of the first to bring computer technology into the field of fashion and illustrative art. Whether working in pen and ink or via a digital platform, his work is rooted in classic fine art drawing that captures the imagination and communicates a look with assurance and grace. The glamorous and aspirational world that Brooks presents in his work has attracted high profile collaborations with a wide range of luxury and lifestyle brands, most recently for Super Yacht Monaco. Other collaborations have included Lancôme, Revlon, Mercedes Benz, Chanel, Tiffany & Co, Virgin Atlantic, Veuve Clicquot and Ritz Hotels. Travel, alongside fashion is a recurrent theme in his work. He is the author of a series of illustrated travel sketchbooks focusing on Paris, London and New York. New York Sketchbook and London Sketchbook were both finalists in The Victoria & Alberts Museum’s Book Illustration Awards, London Sketchbook winning the prestigious award in 2016. The museum holds an impressive collection of Brooks’ works in its permanent prints and drawings archive. His work has been selected to feature in a number of books including 100 Years of Fashion Illustration (Laurence King), Fashion Illustration Now (Thames & Hudson), Stylishly Drawn (Harry Abrams Inc.) and on the front cover of New Icons of Fashion Illustration (Laurence King).

Interpretation of dreams online - convenient and understandable When a question concerns the interpretation of dreams, opinions are divided here - some believe in dreams, others reject the idea that dreams can be things. On the site felomena.com for you is the online Dream Book No. 1, where you can learn the interpretation of dreams in a comfortable home environment by looking at the site at any time of the day. For you - horoscopes and fortune-telling by TARO, magic and prayers, forecasts and ideology, esotericism - all these sections will allow everyone to look into the future, to know their fate. Such knowledge will help to avoid any troubles, problems in life. The magazine about the unknown FELOMENA will be interesting to everyone who believes in magic and predictions, horoscopes and dream books. Here you will find a lot of useful and interesting information for yourself. And access to the site is absolutely unlimited. So, choosing a convenient time, everyone can get to the site and get acquainted with the necessary information. More information about the dream book, interpretation of dreams Nature has provided for a person a dream so that the body can recover and reboot after a hard day. But why does a man dream? What is it - the costs of waking brain activity or something else? Distant ancestors had a special opinion on this matter. They endowed dreams with an important mission — to predict the future. And this applies not only to individuals, but to the entire planet. They believed that dreams are a coded message from creatures of a higher order, and meaning, under certain conditions, can be revealed to man. For centuries, dreams have been interpreted by specially trained or specially gifted people. Modern man has plenty of opportunities to access the fruits of age-old observations, as well as divine revelations. The same applies to scrupulous research. There are many possibilities for interpreting dreams: Miller's Dream Interpretation; Dream Interpretation Nostradamus; Dream Vanga; Freight's Dream Interpretation; Esoteric dream book; French and English, as well as Assyrian dream books. In each dream book interpretations may be different. There is a history of creation and a reference point for interpreting visions, as well as a degree of symbolism. Sleep and interpretation from the point of view of psychology From the point of view of science and psychology, as well as esoteric, the concept of sleep may differ. Psychics as well as astrologers attach great importance to dreams. As for doctors, they perceive sleep as a normal process in a person’s life. According to psychologists, sleep allows you to understand the human person. For each person, sleep plays an important role and is perceived by each differently. Due to the unique puzzle of the brain, it becomes possible to plunge into the present fascinating journey, to make perceive events as a reality. And it is important to understand the difference between dreams and dreams. Sleep is a display of the physiological process, inhibition of the activity of the organism. As for dreams, they indicate the normal activity of the brain. These are related, often scattered fragments of events occurring in the head like a movie. Why do we fly in a dream? What dreams of many bedbugs? What is a dream Expand your outlook with educational books Find out what worms dream about? The success story of blogger Alexander Bogatikov A wormhole can hide in the center of a black hole Will Mars become a second home? Learn unique facts on the KtoSamyj portal Dream Chaser will deliver cargo to the ISS. Ilon Musk suggests sending a colony of robots to Mars Guarantee powerful protection with a pentacle amulet Find a soul mate on a dating site

Secondary suite owners in White Rock will now have to pay an annual fee of $250 following the city’s approval of a secondary suite bylaw at Monday’s council meeting. The fee will be applicable to all owners who have a secondary suite in their residence, not the tenants themselves. Additionally, Kurylo noted that for those whose suites are rented out only part of the year, a pro-rate would be applied. The fee will be part of homeowners’ payable taxes and will take effect in April, when it will be adopted by council.

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Greenville Landfill 205 Landfill Drive OPEN Mon. - Thur. from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CLOSED Fri. and Sat. Dump tickets can be purchased at The Clerk's Office at City Hall.

well okay, ted cruz then Extremism is a robust virus in the body politic. What does a virus do? It infects the host and uses it as a medium for reproducing itself. It uses the host as a platform for spreading itself to other hosts. An effective virus makes the host sick, but not too sick. Think common cold. A co-worker catches a cold from her child, who caught it from a classmate at school. You catch the cold and spread it to your family. Your family spreads the cold around. That’s an effective virus. An effective virus doesn’t threaten the host’s survival, because a dead host means the virus can no longer reproduce. An ineffective virus replicates too quickly, spreads too quickly, kills the host. Think rabies. Think Ebola. The modern Republican party is sick with extremism. It’s been sick since the early 1990s and it’s getting sicker. It used to be a healthy political party. There used to be a plentiful supply of moderate antibodies that kept the extremist infection at bay. Over time, the GOP has become increasingly sick. Fewer antibodies and a heavier viral load allowed more pernicious strains of extremism to infect the Republican party. This made a Ted Cruz presidential campaign possible — maybe even inevitable. Ted Cruz is rabies. Ted Cruz is Ebola. A Ted Cruz presidential campaign will create an environment in which the GOP host necessarily must either improve and regain its health or enter a death spiral. His candidacy will force Republican moderates (assuming any still exist) who want to be president to either adopt Cruz-like extremist positions or reject them. If they adopt them, those candidates become poison in the general election. Candidates who reject Cruz-like extremist positions, however, will find it much more difficult to survive the primary campaign. Either way, the Ted Cruz candidacy almost certainly guarantees Republicans will lose the presidential election. Right now, the GOP is simply too sick to win the presidency. Still, the Ted Cruz campaign is good news — for the Republican party and for the nation. The GOP will either begin the long painful road to recovery or it will become terminal. Either result benefits the nation. Shorter version: Vote for Rabies in 2016! This entry was posted in current events, politics, republicans from texas by greg. Bookmark the permalink. 10 thoughts on “well okay, ted cruz then” kodiak xyza on March 24, 2015 at 1:22 pm said: I fully agree… I am hoping enough of this viral variety join the primaries to cause the reset of the GOP that it so badly needs. someone has to break this fear of “the base” that has nothing but conflicting ideas, which at the same time all lack a sense of responsibility and understanding. the last few elections question the certainty part with a well-gamed Electoral College run, though I am still hoping that the demographics are such that just builds on the previous trends… and that there is some hints that “people get it” that the GOP is just full of shit. greg on March 24, 2015 at 4:28 pm said: Two things: first, if the Republicans want to return to being a viable political party they HAVE to find some way to appeal to groups other than angry, fearful white folks. Otherwise they die on the cross of demographics. Second, Facebook is so much less interesting when you’re gone. first: yes, I am not sure where the answer is to that riddle. previous bad results are quickly dismissed with cognitive dissonance galore, and the 2014 results were further fuel to this dissonance of “see, stick to principles and also the Tea Party is awesome.” second: it coincided with a good time to take a break, actually, life and all of that. that said, I agree with your previous post about facebook — I got this blog on RSS, so I don’t miss an article ; ) I am still miffed at such a stupid policy, and while not letting facebook win is idiotic at best, I have to find a medium that allows me to interact again. I am finding a good trial-medium with tumblr, blog and twitter. the interaction is non-existent, but the curating is good/better. maybe return to IG before to facebook. (wow, this is long for being off-topic… I blame Obama.) greg on March 24, 2015 at 10:11 pm said: The problem with Tumblr and IG (at least in my opinion) is that they suck at actual interaction. I keep thinking G+ or Ello ought to work, but then the issue is one of migration — getting folks to move. patrick on March 24, 2015 at 2:06 pm said: I kinda disagree, Greg… I really think that the huge sums of cash that Bush is raising ultimately will have a neutralizing effect on the extremist lunatics, and he will be able to navigate through the GOP clown parade without being yanked too far to the right (though yanked he will be). Once he wins the nomination, he will tag Walker as his running mate, which will satisfy the rabid right-wingers. I’m really disappointed that Obama caved so often early in his presidency, as he had an opportunity to demonstrate that being liberal isn’t such a bad thing. He really allowed the picture to remain cloudy enough for the GOP to have an opening in 2016—the 2012 mid-term disaster is evidence of that. (And yes, the Democrats running away from the Affordable Care Act didn’t help.) But… as fucked up as the economy was when he took office, and with majorities in both houses (slim though they were), he had an opportunity to get stuff done on a pretty grand scale, but he allowed the GOP to control the message. How else can it be explained that people think that Obama was responsible for Katrina FEMA failures? How else can it be explained that people believe the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 was enacted while he was president. How else can it be explained that people thought he had gotten us involved in Iraq in the first place? OK… that was a bit ramble-y. Last week, I had the good fortune to photograph a discussion between one of Obama’s top political advisors (David Simas) and local political activists (most of which, I think, are liberal). A great deal was said about the most effective ways of getting the message out, encouraging voter participation, etc., and one thing that the White House’s research has found is the peer-to-peer influence that Facebook has on people. It’s frightening to think that these insidious, non-factual info-graphics are guiding the American voting populace. You may be right, Patrick. But there are a lot of hard right conservatives who don’t vote for another Bush. And a lot of them no longer consider Walker ideologically sound. He lacks the sort of balls to the wall craziness of Cruz, and there’s a growing segment of the GOP that are willing to set fire to the entire world to demonstrate their ideological purity. Either way, Cruz is poison for the Republicans. Given the extreme opposition to everything he proposed, it’s really rather amazing that Obama accomplished as much as he did. And he actually has a nice string of accomplishments that never get acknowledged — even by his supporters. I mean everything from a credit card bill of rights (which, okay, is a really stupid name, but still) to the ACA to beginning to normalize relations with Cuba to protecting more wilderness areas. He’s really been rather quietly successful. Granted, he might have been able to do more, but under the circumstances I think he’s done pretty well. I have wondered how much of Obama’s “restraint” (or caving, or a combination of both), notably in his first term, is caused by the nature of him being the first black president, and being scrutinized to no end. this applies to within Washington DC, as with the electorate as a whole. perhaps the consequence is, something I really welcome, a noted “long game” on results and letting the idiots in the GOP hang themselves. the 2014 elections go to your point: establishment focused and defeating the nuts, but the long duration of this presidential run can neutralize that, more so with the wild swings we saw with Newt vs. Romney vs. whomever in the early primaries. ocaritas on March 24, 2015 at 5:01 pm said: The biggest problem that the Democrats face is the GOP’s takeover of so many statehouses, particularly in 2010, when they began redistricting in order to guarantee their ability to screw up governments on the state and local levels. Also, in Michigan (as in a number of other GOP-dominated states), the legislatures are attempting to change the distribution of electoral votes from winner-take-all to by district, which would mean that a Democrat can win the state’s total votes overwhelmingly yet not win more electoral votes than the Republican. It is this type of dirty—nay, insidious and evil—form of politics that destroys any hope within me that we will ever again have a working democracy in this country (if indeed we ever did). JCBP on March 26, 2015 at 6:48 pm said: I’m afraid Ted Cruz’ popularity all stems from saying things that people wanted (needed) to hear, and this placed him squarely into the limelight. I also think this new found fame has somewhat gone to his head and he is living on the high it produced. Having heard him speak on a variety of subjects, I find him a man without a distinct plan and I’d frankly be quite afraid to see him placed in a job I have to wonder if he is indeed qualified to hold. I have to say that I’m neither a Democrat nor a Republican; but neither am I a Conservative nor a Liberal. And I’m certainly not an Independent. What I am is an American without political affiliation. I cast my ballots for the person and not the organization to which he or she belongs. This, in many cases, makes me an outcast or the target of fancy campaign solicitations. What I look most forward to now is someone seeking to be elected to office who cares enough about this country to take a stance, rid our Congress of those who have so well demonstrated their own personal and political special interests are more important than representing those of us foolish enough to have elected them in the first place, and a desire to take America back and return it to the great nation it deserves to be. And I seriously doubt Ted Cruz is the man who could do this.

no, he doesn’t get credit for trying Posted on October 22, 2017 by greg I’m paraphrasing here, but this is basically what I heard today. “Trump can’t catch a break. He tried to do the right thing, calling the families [of the four soldiers in the 3rd Special Forces Group who were killed in Niger]. He’s not good at it, but at least he tried. You have to give him credit for that.” And you know what? I very nearly did. Let me start by talking about something that happened to my family a million years ago. When I was 15 years old, I came home from school to find two Marines standing at the door to my house. My oldest brother was a Marine serving in a Recon unit in Vietnam at the time. I went numb when I saw those Marines. I was about half a block from home when I saw them; I don’t remember walking the rest of the way. One of Marines said something like, “Son, we need to talk to your mother, but she won’t come to the door.” I could see her through the window, sitting at the kitchen table, refusing to even look at the door. I’ve no idea how long the Marines had been standing there, waiting. I opened the door and invited them in. They told us my brother had been shot in the leg and in the back, that he’d been evacuated to a hospital ship. My mother asked if he’d be okay. All they could say was that his prognosis was guarded. I assumed that meant he was probably going to die. One of the Marines made coffee. They sat down at the kitchen table, walked us through the likely process of my brother’s med-evac, referring to him by name. “Roger would have been stabilized and treated for pain at the site, his condition monitored en route to the hospital ship,” and so on. They stayed with us until my father got home. Then they went through the whole process again. My brother was lucky; he lived, (it turned out he hadn’t been shot in the back at all). Nine other Marines and a Navy corpsman were killed on that same day in Quang Nam province. I’ll never forget how gut-wrenching it was to see those two Marines at the door. I’ll never forget how patient they were, and how supportive, and how quiet and respectful and calm. I don’t normally talk about this stuff, but this is the basis on which I very nearly gave Comrade Trump credit for trying. I know what it’s like to get bad news. Having been a medic in the military, I also know what it’s like to deliver that news. It’s not easy. So a part of me actually wanted to give Trump credit for making those calls. Yes, after the four soldiers were killed in Niger, he failed to even try to contact the families for almost two weeks. In fact, he hadn’t said anything at all in public about the four deaths — and I suspect he wouldn’t have said anything about them if he hadn’t been asked about it in public by a reporter. And yes, when confronted with his failure, Trump tried to claim other presidents had done less than he’d done. Which was a lie. But he said he would call the families of the soldiers. And he did. There’s that. Before he called them, Trump apparently consulted Gen. John Kelly, his Chief of Staff, to find out what he should say. According to Kelly, he told Trump those four soldiers knew what they’d signed up for — they knew there was a chance they’d get killed or wounded in the line of duty. To Kelly (and most folks with military experience) that knowledge magnifies the level of commitment and the weight of the sacrifice troops are prepared to make. They knew the risks, but were willing to undertake them in the service of their country. There’s a terrible beauty in that. From what we know of the conversation Trump had with the family of Sgt. La David Johnson, he apparently attempted to make that point, but did it in such a clumsy way as to offend the family. It’s been reported that he never referred to Sgt. Johnson by name, just calling him “your guy”. Trump is also alleged to have said, “He knew what he was signing up for, but I guess it hurts anyway.” Even though he fucked it up, at that point I was still willing to reluctantly give Trump credit for trying. Then the family spoke out about the conversation, saying he’d been insensitive. Here’s another thing that happened a moderately long time ago. President George W. Bush — the president I disliked the most until Comrade Trump slouched into office — had visited a military hospital to speak with troops wounded in the war he’d started. One of the families of the wounded was present, and they voiced their anger and resentment about the war and about Bush. Bush just stood there, facing the family, and took it. As the Commander-in-Chief, Bush understood his duty — to the family, to the soldier, to the America public — was to quietly accept the family’s anger, because he was ultimately responsible for that soldier’s wounds and that family’s distress. I passionately disliked Bush, but I respected him at that moment. Had Trump done the same — had he followed Bush’s example, had he just quietly accepted the Johnson family’s response — I’d have given him credit for trying to do the right thing. Even though he’d been sort of forced into and even though he’d bungled it badly, I’d have given him credit for trying. If only he’d handled it like an adult. But he didn’t. Instead, Trump lashed out. Which is what he does when he’s criticized. He lashed out and he lied about what took place– just as he’s done against other Gold Star families who’ve publicly criticized him. So no, I don’t give Trump credit for trying. I might have given him credit; I very nearly did. But in the end Comrade Trump again confirmed to me that he’s a despicable poltroon, with no native sense of decency, and no regard for the truth, and no real respect for the military. Those two Marines who came to deliver the awful news to my family, they didn’t know my brother. But they knew his name. They knew other Marines just like him. They knew other families like ours. They treated us with patience and courtesy and dignity and deep compassion. Those qualities seem to be completely absent in the president. This entry was posted in comrade trump, current events, despicable behavior by greg. Bookmark the permalink. 17 thoughts on “no, he doesn’t get credit for trying” Dr. Rex on October 22, 2017 at 1:58 pm said: I will never give this sorry excuse of a ‘man’ any credit for anything. He’s not worthy, he’s not deserving! He’s evil & sadistic!! 😡 greg on October 23, 2017 at 3:40 pm said: If/when Comrade Trump does something worthy of credit, I’ll give it to him. I may give the credit grudgingly, but in the unlikely event that it happens I’ll give him credit. Billy Woody on October 23, 2017 at 12:22 pm said: You are right, he should have gone golfing like Obama did right after the American Journalist was beheaded. That would have been much more presidential. Then you’ll be happy to know that Comrade Trump was actually playing golf with Sen. Lindsey Graham on the day Sgt. Johnson’s flag-draped casket was flown into Dover AFB. Trump still hadn’t mentioned the deaths of the four Green Berets, though he’d found time to tweet that NFL players who took a knee during the National Anthem were being disrespectful of the military. As for President Obama, at least he’d spoken to the family of James Foley shortly after news of his murder was released. He also later apologized for golfing at what was certainly an inappropriate time. Billy Woody on October 23, 2017 at 4:56 pm said: So what you are saying is Trump is NO DIFFERENT than any previous President of the United States except you don’t like him so you call him out for doing the same things all the previous presidents did. Can you at least be honest and admit that? Do you know how long it tool Obama to call fallen soldiers families? Do you know if he actually did call each and every one of them? If you do not know, how can you now hold it against Trump if you do not have precedence to compare it to? what you are saying is Trump is NO DIFFERENT than any previous President Lawdy, I don’t know how you read that into my response. But let’s clarify the two cases. James Foley was a freelance journalist working in Syria on a story for Agence France-Presse. La David Johnson was a member of the 3rd Special Forces Group, serving his country. Very different circumstances. Foley was kidnapped and held for ransom. President Obama authorized a rescue attempt that involved multiple special operations units from different branches of the US military. It turned out Foley had been moved, so the operation didn’t succeed. The White House and the Dept of Defense were in frequent communication with the Foley family, though US law forbids paying ransom to terrorists. When Foley was beheaded, President Obama called the Foley family within hours to offer his condolences. President Trump failed to comment at all on the four deaths of the Green Berets for nearly two weeks. He only acknowledged their deaths when asked about it at a news conference. He then called the families. To compare Obama’s response to death of a US citizen working for a French news agency with Trump’s response to a death of four soldiers serving their country is ridiculous. The only thing the two situations have in common is that both presidents went golfing. Only one of them had the grace to apologize for it. So then you have record of all of the phone calls and comments made by Obama on the deaths of all service men and women during his 8 years in office? I would like to know his average wait time before phone calls were made and before he made mention of those deaths publicly. greg on October 24, 2017 at 12:33 am said: Why do you think this fuss is about making phone calls to families? It’s not. It’s about the responsibilities of being the president. None of this would have happened had the White House simply issued a statement of condolence about the men who were killed and wounded in Niger. A statement of some sort was appropriate because of the unusual circumstances of the ambush. Nobody expects the president to call the family of every military person who dies in the line of duty. It wasn’t really necessary for Trump to call them on this occasion. It became politically necessary only because a reporter asked him about the deaths, and Trump’s off-the-cuff lies about what other presidents had done. But once he said he would call, it was incumbent upon him to do it with sensitivity and care. If his call didn’t go well, his job was to quietly accept the family’s opprobrium. This situation is entirely a result of Trump’s cascading bad decisions and his refusal to accept responsibility for those decisions. Casey Elizabeth Dennis on October 24, 2017 at 9:37 pm said: But… but… but… Obama/Hillary is not a valid reply. Obama wasn’t by any means perfect but he’s a much better president & person in general, than Trump. Stop making excuses for the nimrod. it’s one thing to have voted for him, it’s another that now he’s in office you make excuses for his fuck ups. The smart Republicans are sick of his shit, too. He hasn’t done the majority of what he promised and he’s done the opposite of most of what he’s promised his “followers”. This idiotic thought that you have to blindly be loyal is just … sad. Much better president in which way? In the less than one year Trump has been in office: 1. Illegal Immigration has slowed 2. Record stockmarket 3. Wage growth finally 4. 3+% GDP 5. Food stamps down 6. Black unemployment down 7. overall unemployment down 8. U6 unemployment down 9. Executive order repealing parts of Obamacare 10. opening up coal mines and coal energy 11. Consumer confidence at an all time high 12. US manufacturing growing 13. More positive outlook for US business I could keep going, but you get my drift here. While you think Trump is a dud he is doing EVERYTHING he said he would do in the campaign, imagine that, campaign promises being kept! Did Obama ever close GITMO? No? Thought that was happening right away. Oh, and I am not comparing Trump to other presidents, I am demonstrating your hypocrisy. 7 more years of Trump and we may have this nation back on the rails again. he is doing EVERYTHING he said he would do in the campaign Some of what you say is accurate. Some of it is misleading. Some of it is demonstrably false. For example, you say illegal immigration has slowed. That’s appears to be partly accurate. Trump has made the US significantly less attractive, which has slowed ALL immigration, legal and illegal. His ICE has radically increased the number of immigration arrests, but the rate of deportation has actually slowed because of the massive (and expensive) backlog of something like 600,000 cases waiting to be adjudicated. We do NOT have 3% GDP. We’ve had an average 2.6% GDP for the last 18 quarters, and that includes a 2.9% GDP in the 3rd quarter of last year. 3% has been predicted, but we haven’t got there yet. And by the way, we had a 5% GDP under Obama until the Republicans regained control of the Senate in 2014. It’s diminished since then. You say ‘food stamps down’ like it’s a good thing. If poor folks were getting off food relief because they’ve found work, that would be a good thing. But what’s actually happened is that Congress and the States have made it more difficult for poor folks to get food relief. The reduction in food stamps isn’t a sign of improvement. The same is true of unemployment. The current rate of 4.4% is good. It was 4.8% in January when Trump took office. But remember that these numbers fluctuate. There were periods late in the Obama administration when the unemployment rate was 4.3%. Also remember how unemployment is defined. It’s not the rate of people who don’t have a job; it’s the rate of people who are looking for a job. The rate doesn’t count the people who have given up the search for employment (which includes retirees who’d like to supplement their income, but stopped looking for work after a while). As you said, ‘I could keep going, but you get my drift here.’ Comrade Trump isn’t an effective leader, isn’t an honest and truthful leader, isn’t a trustworthy leader, isn’t a disciplined leader. He demonstrates that every day. I guess leadership is in the eye of the lead. Obama in my opinion failed at every aspect of his presidency. I did not vote for the man but had hoped for the best. He instead divided this nation between the haves and have-nots, the rich and the poor, the black and the white, the immigrant and the citizen, and those who love personal freedom vs. those who love a nanny state. The only accomplishment on record for him was Obamacare and nearly 100% of it was a lie and a bonus for insurance companies. My premiums alone went from $1200 a month to $2200 a month under him and I lost my doctors, all things he promised would not happen. It is one of the worst things forced on Americans. For the money wasted he could have just paid for the insurance of the supposed 47 million uninsured and left the rest of us alone. As for Trump, you guys are all the same, you bitch and moan about how he acts, how he talks but when it comes to getting shit done, the man does not quit, he is not like your regular politician who says “ok, this failed lets look at it again in 5 years”, no, he is trying to get things done now. How about instead of looking at the messenger you begin to listen to the message. Ask yourself why did so many people in this nation vote for him an why do nearly all of those who voted for him still will vote for him again? You guys act as if every previous president was pure as the driven snow until Trump was elected. You ignore so much because of your bias and hatred. You are just a party hack it seems. At least I can state that there is no real difference between a democrat or republican in office, they are all about keeping power and maintaining the status quo. That’s why both sides hate Trump, he is not status quo and that is a beautiful thing. Hyla on October 29, 2017 at 8:52 am said: Mr. Woody, did you not read these two paragraphs Greg wrote? DWG on October 23, 2017 at 4:02 pm said: Greg, your personal integrity makes each of these entries so meaningful, I am at once surprised to find any such thing on the Internet, and grateful for the Internet so that I can find them and use them to restore some faith in some people. Tom Being Tom on October 25, 2017 at 12:54 pm said: Your perspective on this presidency consistently blows my mind, Greg. And your opinions on him and his lack of decency echo those of the two Republican senators who had the guts (sans re-election bids) to speak the truth about him this week. Another supporter (a reporter) of his I know locally put up his mea culpa this week, about his mistaken support for the man during the election. More are seeing through, seeing the truth as we’ve seen it all along. Great, touching piece, man. It’s really hard for folks to admit they’re wrong — and it’s harder still to admit to being wrong about something critically important. I still find it difficult to admit that buying a Toyota Starlet back in the 1990s wasn’t necessarily a wise decision. Tom Being Tom on October 26, 2017 at 7:09 am said:

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Home » Tomato Recipes » Recipes for Green Tomatoes Recipe For Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe For Fried Green Tomatoes - Delicious and Easy to Make! Need a great recipe for fried green tomatoes? Here, is a delicious, super easy way to use the abundance of left over green tomatoes that you didn't know what you were going to do with. I have always loved fried green tomatoes and I love experimenting with new ways of making them. So, I've put together a few different … [Read more...] Filed Under: Recipes for Green Tomatoes, Tomato Recipes Tagged With: fried green tomatoes, green tomatoes, recipe, recipe for fried green tomatoes

Melbourne’s Free Festivities In Melbourne and Victoria, Things to do By Graduate Student AssociationNo Comments Whether you’re in the festive spirit or simply looking to relax after a big year of study, there’s no shortage of fun things to do in Melbourne during December. To…

Vol. 16, Issue 4, 2000June 01, 2000 EDT Access Denied: Prohibiting Home-Schooled Students from Participating In Public-School Athletics and Activities William Grob, public schools education law due process constitution home schooling education William Grob, Access Denied: Prohibiting Home-Schooled Students from Participating In Public-School Athletics and Activities, 16 Georgia State University Law Review (2000).

October 27, 2021 By Nancy Cleveland Over the past five years, Georgia Tech has strengthened its commitment to inclusive excellence by enrolling record numbers of undergraduate students from around the state, nation, and world. Undergraduate enrollment has increased by almost 2,000 students in that time, expanding access to students from all backgrounds. This includes rural Georgia, as well as students in the Black and Hispanic communities. Incoming first-generation students (those who come from families where neither parent graduated from college) also increased by 80%. And for the first time in Institute history, women comprise 40% of the total undergraduate population. While we like to talk numbers, our real pride is in our students, many of whom have overcome formidable obstacles to make their dreams of a Georgia Tech degree come true. Continue reading at: Georgia Tech News Center Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Georgia Tech Roughly 275. That’s how many jobs the company Stord has brought to the state of Georgia since it opened its doors in 2016. The startup was one of the first to go through Georgia Tech’s CREATE-X incubator, offering cloud-based software that has since revolutionized the supply chain sector. And as the company continues to grow, it has no plans to leave Atlanta. “One of the best things we’ve done to give back to Georgia is the way Stord has accelerated the overall technology ecosystem, mostly as it pertains to venture, and beyond that, just bringing more capital to the market,” said Sean Henry, CEO and co-founder of Stord. It’s not just Stord that’s giving back to the state. Georgia Tech’s economic impact on the state of Georgia was $4 billion in fiscal year 2020, according to data recently released by the University System of Georgia. Companies like SalesLoft, Greenlight, and Pindrop all graduated from Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) — the state’s oldest technology incubator — and have stayed headquartered in Atlanta, infusing millions in capital and thousands of jobs into the state economy. Other startup programs on campus include VentureLab, ENGAGE, and the Global Center for Medical Innovation, to name a few, helping students and faculty set up companies based on creative ideas and technological innovation. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: ATDC, economic development, Georgia Tech On August 5, the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research at Georgia Tech awarded a first round of grants meant to assist in the formation and advancement of cross-disciplinary research teams. The grants come in response to shifting trends in national research and funding priorities. Major funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) are increasing their support for large-scale, team-based projects, according to Georgia Tech faculty members Robert Butera and Devesh Ranjan. Successful proposals for these projects often rely on integrating expertise from across disparate areas, including engineering, science, liberal arts, design, and business. “A lot of cutting-edge science requires a team approach,” said Butera, who is also vice president for research development and operations. Academic research faculty have historically worked within a narrower scope, according to Butera. In particular, newer research programs have tended to be focused within one single discipline, with no more than one or two different faculty members involved. Far larger projects are becoming more common. One example is a $21.9 million DARPA-funded effort led by Phil Santangelo, professor of biomedical engineering, which seeks to develop gene-based therapeutics for flu and other viruses, including Covid-19. That project directly involves vaccine manufacturers and a broad range of other collaborators. “That’s a really huge research project,” said Butera. “That’s a level of project management complexity and proposal development that faculty are [traditionally] not prepared for.” Continue reading at: Georgia Tech Research Horizons Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Academic research, DARPA, Georgia Tech, NSF The Georgia Institute of Technology has named J. Mark Nolan as associate vice president of corporate engagement, effective Jan. 1, 2022. Nolan is currently the associate vice president of business engagement and strategy at Carnegie Mellon University. His appointment follows a national search and is part of a larger Institute effort for more strategic and complementary initiatives between its corporate relations and industry collaboration units. Under this structure, Nolan will jointly report to the executive vice president for Research and the vice president for Development. As associate vice president, Nolan will lead a newly created office that will serve as the nexus for the Institute’s entire partner relationship and activity portfolios. The office is also tasked with facilitating collaboration efforts across various partner units within Georgia Tech, including the Enterprise Innovation Institute, Technology Licensing, Economic Development, Institute Relations, and Corporate Contracting, among others. “Under Mark’s leadership, this new office will enhance our engagement with industry and corporate partners, showcasing the comprehensive breadth and scope of our capabilities and the various ways we connect with industry,” said Chaouki T. Abdallah, executive vice president for Research at Georgia Tech. “We are thrilled for him to come on board as we begin to set a new standard for managing and maintaining our existing relationships while expanding upon new partnerships.” Continue reading at: Georgia Tech Research Website Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Associate Vice President of Corporate Engagement, Georgia Tech Vastly different than conventional military weapons and aircraft, hypersonics systems are game-changing for national security, providing unprecedented speed and maneuverability. Operating at more than five times the speed of sound, these systems can alter course after takeoff, making them hard to intercept. The U.S. government’s proposed fiscal year 2022 budget for hypersonics research and development is $3.8 billion, representing a nearly 20% increase from the previous year. Developing vehicles capable of traveling at over a mile per second — speeds that cause vehicle surface temperatures to heat up to 2,200 degrees Celsius — presents daunting engineering challenges for hypersonics materials and systems. To address these hurdles and enhance U.S. hypersonics capabilities, the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH) has tapped the Georgia Institute of Technology and key academic partners for four grants valued at $6 million over the next three years. The awards draw on Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) expertise across advanced, high-temperature materials science and aerospace and mechanical engineering research — areas critical for future advances of these vehicles. “Hypersonics research is a big area of focus for Georgia Tech. It’s an area where the College of Engineering and GTRI can really collaborate and build upon GTRI’s strong foundation to be a real force in hypersonics,” said Devesh Ranjan, Ring Family Chair and associate chair for Research in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, who also serves as co-director of UCAH. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Georgia Tech, GTRI, hypersonics Control system helps several drones team up to deliver heavy packages May 7, 2021 By Nancy Cleveland Many parcel delivery drones of the future are expected to handle packages weighing five pounds or less, a restriction that would allow small, standardized UAVs to handle a large percentage of the deliveries now done by ground vehicles. But will that relegate heavier packages to slower delivery by conventional trucks and vans? A research team at the Georgia Institute of Technology has developed a modular solution for handling larger packages without the need for a complex fleet of drones of varying sizes. By allowing teams of small drones to collaboratively lift objects using an adaptive control algorithm, the strategy could allow a wide range of packages to be delivered using a combination of several standard-sized vehicles. Beyond simplifying the drone fleet, the work could provide more robust drone operations and reduce the noise and safety concerns involved in operating large autonomous UAVs in populated areas. In addition to commercial package delivery, the system might also be used by the military to resupply small groups of soldiers in the field. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: drones, UAV Georgia Tech and partners to help NASA advance deep space exploration April 22, 2021 By Nancy Cleveland Every few years, NASA creates Space Technology Research Institutes (STRI) in areas it believes are going to be strategic for future technology and space missions. Today, that area is electric propulsion – the use of electrical energy to accelerate propellant to create thrust. The technology yields extremely efficient thrusters to power space flight for gateway launches to the moon or even shuttling massive loads of cargo to Mars. The Georgia Institute of Technology, along with 11 partner universities and 17 researchers, will receive $15 million over five years to fund the Joint Advanced Propulsion Institute (JANUS) – a new STRI to develop strategies and methodologies to surmount limitations in ground testing of high-power electric propulsion systems. Continue reading at: EurekAlert! Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: Georgia Tech, NASA Georgia Tech structure certified as ‘living building’ It’s not too often that tours of new buildings start with the toilets. But they’re a big part of a different kind of building in Atlanta. And so, Shan Arora, who oversees Georgia Tech’s Kendeda Building, troops visitors pretty quickly to a ground floor bathroom where the toilet begins to hum, and then foam. There’s no conventional flushing, with the toilets consuming only a teaspoon of water per use. And the waste is composted in digesters in the basement instead of being piped to a treatment plant. “We say there’s a lot of potty talk in the Kendeda Building,” Arora said. Georgia Tech is announcing on Thursday — Earth Day — that the building has won certification as the 28th “living building” worldwide. That means the building has proved over a year of operation that it meets the standards of the International Living Future Institute that it does more good for the natural environment than harm. Continue reading at: AP News Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: engineering, Georgia Tech, living building Georgia Tech creates new Office of Corporate Engagement April 7, 2021 By Nancy Cleveland This spring, Georgia Tech will launch the Office of Corporate Engagement, a new integrated model of corporate relations and industry collaborations designed to help the Institute leverage critical partnerships and develop new relationships with industry. The launch of the new office is the first of two phases that will reimagine Georgia Tech’s corporate and industry engagement ecosystem, including a refined organizational structure, over the next several months. “Continued engagement with industry is a critical part of realizing Georgia’s Tech mission to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition,” said President Ángel Cabrera. “A renewed, streamlined organizational approach is essential to welcoming and meeting the demands of these growing opportunities.” The refinements follow a recently completed holistic review of Georgia Tech’s existing corporate, business, and industry engagement structure and activities. At the request of President Cabrera, the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) and the Office of Development completed a strategic examination of previous reports and studies, and a comprehensive assessment of engagement points for internal and external stakeholders. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: corporate relations, Office of Corporate Engagement Delta Jacket wins 2021 Georgia Tech InVenture prize March 22, 2021 By Nancy Cleveland Aya Ayoubi calls it “humanitarian couture.” The fourth-year industrial design student’s unique garment took home top honors at Georgia Tech’s 13th annual InVenture Prize competition, which pits student innovations head-to-head. Ayoubi says she had to learn how to sew to execute her vision — an inflatable, reversible, and waterproof jacket that transforms, through a series of zips, into an air mattress or a sheltering garment to protect from the elements. She says the garment is geared to provide safety and dignity to homeless populations. Not only did Ayoubi’s Delta Jacket win the $20,000 first-place prize awarded by the judges, but Ayoubi also took home the People’s Choice Award and an additional $5,000 after a public vote during Wednesday night’s airing on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Along with the cash prizes, the winner receives a free U.S. patent filing from Georgia Tech valued at $20,000. Delta Jacket will also be accepted into the CREATE-X Startup Launch program, which will provide additional seed funding and access to legal assistance and expert mentors to build a successful startup company. Filed Under: Georgia Tech News Tagged With: InVenture Prize

Everything You Need to Know About: Organic Honey 7 March 2022 First things first: Do [...] Sara Attanà2022-02-28T16:27:33+01:007 March 2022|Blog| What are food related diseases? 17 February 2022 The WHO rates of [...] Sara Attanà2022-02-17T15:24:48+01:0017 February 2022|Blog| What is food contamination? 10 February 2022 This is the first [...] How food waste can be reduced? 27 January 2022 The Farm-to-fork’s article published by [...] Sara Attanà2022-02-04T12:13:45+01:0027 January 2022|Blog| What is Food Safety and why it is important 22 December 2021 The World Health Organization [...] Sara Attanà2022-01-27T16:17:21+01:0022 December 2021|Blog| h-ALO and the Farm-To-Fork Strategy 21 December 2021 How can sustainable technological and [...]

Filters: Author is W. Engelke [Clear All Filters] N. A. Frissell, Engelke, W., Katz, J. D., and Vega, J. S., “HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse”, in HamSCI-UK, Milton Keynes, UK, 2017. N. A. Frissell, Engelke, W., Katz, J. D., Gunning, S. W., and Vega, J. S., “HamSCI and the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse (First Results)”, in ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference, St. Louis, MO, 2017. J. D. Katz, Engelke, W., and Frissell, N. A., “The H.A.R.C. Database and Visualization Utilities”, in ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference, St. Louis, MO, 2017. W. Engelke, “TangerineSDR Database and Control System Architecture”, in HamSCI Workshop 2020, Scranton, PA, 2020.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T By Edouard | November 30, 2020 | A hedge fund pools investors’ money and actively invests that money to earn a return. Unlike mutual funds, hedge funds tend to take more risk, are subject to far less regulation, and cannot invest money from small investors. In fact, only institutional investors and wealthy individuals can invest in a hedge fund. Hedge funds tend to use derivatives and use leverage (in other words, borrowing money to increase the return and, at the same time, the risk), short-selling (betting on certain stocks’ prices to fall) and other speculative practices. Ironically, hedge funds take their name from the fact that they were created to implement less risky investment strategies. These funds used derivatives to reduce their risks, either by covering each of their positions on the stock market, in particular through put options. Thus, if an investment’s market price fell below a certain threshold, the hedge fund limited its loss, having covered its position with a put option. In fact, a put option enables the holder to profit from the drop in a share. Through this hedging strategy, hedge funds provide a more consistent return and are less vulnerable to stock market volatility. A fund employing such a strategy reduces its risk, but at the same time, its return. While many hedge funds still have such strategies in place, many of them aim to maximize returns, so many of them, despite their names, are riskier than the market itself. Unlike mutual funds, hedge funds are not subject to some of the regulations intended to protect small investors. Hedge funds must, however, comply with securities laws, just like other market players, and their managers owe a fiduciary duty to their investors. Synonyms: arbitrage funds Exchange Traded Fund definition Exchange traded funds (ETFs) are a pool of investments sold as a single product. Remember those cheesy christmas basket, filled with the standard jam jars and hot chocolate mix, your parents might have received? Read more Mutual Fund definition A mutual fund is a collection or “pool” of stocks and bonds that are sold as a single package. In other words, if a mutual fund is a hamburger, each section of the burger would represent a different stock. Read more Management Expense Ratio definition A fund’s Management Expense Ratio (MER) is the percentage of the fund’s assets that goes up in smoke every year to pay its expenses. Read more About The Author: Edouard Edouard is a financial analyst at Hardbacon. He is responsible for compiling lists of securities that our users can find in the "Explore" section of the application. More posts by Edouard

Our Review of Travel Search Engine Skyscanner in 2022 By Arthur Dubois | March 3, 2023 | Flight Booking, Travel Travel search engines have become hugely popular in recent years, offering a quick and easy way for users to compare flights and travel packages to find the very best deals. And when it comes to travel search engines, Skyscanner is one of the biggest and best-known names in the business. Read our Skyscanner review for 2022 to see how well this travel search engine compares to the competition. An overview of Skyscanner The Skyscanner interface Skyscanner gives personalized suggestions Clean and tidy aesthetic Using Skyscanner Searching for flights with Skyscanner Let’s use Skyscanner to book a trip from Toronto the U.S. Searching for hotels with Skyscanner Searching for rental cars with Skyscanner Skyscanner pros and cons Skyscanner review: the takeaways Let’s start off with a brief introduction. What is Skyscanner? Well, Skyscanner is one of the world’s leading flight, hotel, and car rental search engines. It allows users to search for journeys and vacations all over the globe. You enter your chosen dates, locations, and passengers to find the most interesting and attractive deals for you. The company first got started back in 2003. It was founded by a trio of IT professionals named Gareth Williams, Barry Smith, and Bonamy Grimes. They decided to team up to create a modern travel search engine to make it easier for travelers to find the cheapest flights. Since then, the company has grown exponentially, growing from its humble beginnings in Edinburgh, Scotland to become a globally-known brand, used by 100 million people a month. So, how well does Skyscanner live up to the hype? How easy does it make it to find flights, hotels, and car deals on your travels? Well, one of the first things to focus on in our Skyscanner review is the interface. This is one of the most important aspects of any travel search engine. After all, the interface really can make or break the experience. No one has patience for anything clunky and complicated. Skyscanner has a really clean and minimalistic interface that you can notice immediuately. It features a beautiful image of some exotic location in the background and three tabs at the top labeled Flights, Hotels, and Car Rental. Users can switch between languages, locations, and currencies using the button in the top right. Logging into their own personal account is easy and users can save searches for easier access. It’s also possible to simply click on one of the Flights, Hotels, or Car Rental buttons to instantly access the search engine for that particular category. As you scroll down the home page, Skyscanner provides you with relevant, personalized information. It is based on based on your current location or last-known search. For example, if we’re looking for Toronto flights on the Flights tab, Skyscanner will show us some of the latest and most interesting deals for TO. Over on the Hotels tab, the site also proposes relevant hotels to our location. Seeing that we’re visiting from Canada, Skyscanner recommended some popular hotels in places like Vancouver and Toronto for a staycation. Even the Car Rental tab is personalized, based on your location, showing off popular car hire spots near where you live or where you’re looking to travel to. This personal approach demonstrates Skyscanner’s industry-leading ability to provide relevant, customized content for each user. Without even needing to click a single button or enter any information, you can instantly access relevant flights, hotels, and car hire for your location. Another aspect that stands out about the Skyscanner interface is its clean and seamless sense of style. Nothing overloads the user. There aren’t any complicated menus, filters, and categories. Skyscanner elects to keep things simple, and a lot of the screen real estate is simply left blank or taken up with the aforementioned photos of destinations around the world. It’s a very attractive and intuitive interface, and even if you’ve never used this travel search engine before, it won’t take you too long to get your bearings and figure out the basics. But don’t let the simple design fool you; there’s plenty of powerful technology and a lot of advanced search options hiding under the hood. Next, let’s take a look at how well Skyscanner stands up to actual testing. As stated, the site has three main functions: it can search for flights, hotels, and car hire in destinations all over the world, searching with more than 1,000 airfare providers, thousands of hotels, and dozens of leading car rental brands. One of the main reasons why people use Skyscanner is for flight comparisons, and before you start looking at things like travel credit cards or hotels, it’s usually best to start off by booking your flights. So let’s see how well this flight search engine works in action. Firstly, let’s look at the numbers. Skyscanner claims to compare prices with over 1,000 providers, and it will allow you to search for flights from pretty much any destination in the world. On the flight search screen, you’ve got a few options to start off with, including one-way journeys, roundtrips, and multi-city breaks. You’ve also got boxes to enter your destinations and dates, as well as the number of passengers and class of travel. There are also handy boxes to tick if you want to search for other nearby airports near your point of departure or arrival (or both), as well as a box if you want to look for non-stop flights only. The whole layout is really simple and convenient. One of the best things about Skyscanner is that it’s very intuitive, showing you a list of potential matches as soon as you start typing into the box. For instance, simply type “Par” and instantly get a range of possible matches, like the various airports of Paris, Parma in Italy, and Paros in Greece. If you’re not quite sure where you want to go, Skyscanner allows you to search for airports across an entire country. Why? That is a good way to get the best prices. And there’s even a button to press marked “Everywhere” which allows you to search all flights from any airport. This is really interesting. You can potentially find a great deal to a location you might not have visited otherwise. As you can see, Skyscanner provides us with a list of possible locations and starting prices for each one. This is a handy way to compare a huge range of flights. You can easily adjust your search by using the arrows in the top right to change the date. You can also click on your locations to change them. Here’s a similar search, but this time from Toronto to anywhere in the United States. And here’s what the search looks like if we choose a specific destination, like New York City. Once you select a specific location, Skyscanner quickly and efficiently scans lots of different airlines and providers, comparing prices and listing them all for you to read through. You can then click on the various tabs at the top of the page to see Skyscanner’s “Best” flights, the cheapest flights, or the fastest flights. There are also several filters along the left hand side where you can adjust your outbound and return times, select the number of stops you’re willing to make, adjust the maximum trip duration, and add or remove different airlines. There’s even a box to tick if you want a greener flight that uses the lowest possible CO2 emissions for eco-conscious travelers. All in all, the flight search engine with Skyscanner is really effective and well laid-out. It’s simple to enter your search terms and compare flights, and the filters provided are useful for narrowing down your search. Skyscanner is also a useful site to use for comparing hotel deals and prices all over the globe. It searches on many of the top sites, like Expedia, Trip.com, and Booking.com. Skyscanner tries to give you the best deals. You can even get exclusive rates and savings at certain big brand hotels. Read more about Expedia for TD The search screen lets you enter your chosen location, dates, and number of guests and rooms required. There are also sometick boxes for 3-star and 4-star hotels, as well as those with free cancellations. Once you click the search button, Skyscanner gets to work scanning your chosen area for hotels. Once the search is complete, you’ll get a screen like the one above. It shows a map of your destination on the right, a list of found hotels and prices, and some filters. You can sort your hotels according to price and popularity. There is also filters to adjust the results to your needs. The last big feature of Skyscanner is car rental comparison. The site searches for car rentals from major brands, including the following: Again, you can input your location, dates, pick-up and drop-off times, and tick some filter boxes to get started. Skyscanner shows you a list of cars that you can sort by price. There are filters on the side for selecting car sizes, car types, pickup locations, specific policies, and more. Once again, this search tool is clean and easy to use. It offers plenty of useful filters and search options. As you can see, Skyscanner is a very functional and well-designed travel search engine. It lets you search for all of the key elements of your next journey. But, in addition to its advantages, it also has some downsides. Here are some of the big pros and cons of this site. Minimalistic Interface – As stated earlier on, the interface of Skyscanner is definitely one of its strongest points. It’s really clean, clear, and modern, without any unnecessary clutter. Rapid – Another big benefit of Skyscanner is its speed. Even though it searches from hundreds of providers, it can find a list of flights or hotels for you in a matter of seconds, so you won’t have to wait around to get results. Effective – Skyscanner is a very effective travel search engine, more than capable of helping users find the cheapest possible flights and best hotels and car deals for their future journeys. Versatile – We also can’t understate the versatility of this site. From its “Everywhere” flight search feature to its huge lists of filters and search tools, it really allows you to customize your search in a way that suits your specific needs. All-in-One – Another advantage is the all-in-one nature of Skyscanner. Some travel search engines focus on a specific product, like flights or credit cards, but Skyscanner covers flights, hotels, and car hire in one easy-to-use package. Not Comprehensive – Even though Skyscanner searches with a lot of airlines and hotel brands, it is not comprehensive. There are some airlines and hotel chains missing from the database, so you could miss out on certain deals if you exclusively use this service. Ads – Skyscanner is free to use, but it relies on ads to generate income and profit for the company. So, unless you’re using an ad-blocker of some kind, you’ll have to deal with multiple ads on most pages of the site. Won’t Work Offline – Obviously, Skyscanner is an online-only service, so you’ll need an internet connection to use it and there aren’t any offline features whatsoever, even on the Skyscanner mobile app. Overall, it’s easy to see why Skyscanner is one of the most-used travel search engines around. This site is a joy to use and has many advantages. However, it’s not perfect and there are a few drawbacks. It’s a good idea to use at least one or two other comparison sites to find what you’re looking for. This way you make sure you get the best deals every time. BEST TRAVEL DEALS Travel Insurance Comparison Tool You can save a lot of money when you compare travel insurance quotes from multiple companies. American Express Cobalt Card GET THIS OFFER! Get yourself an advantagrous and flexible card for the traveler in you! Get up to 30,000 points in welcoming bonus! Scotiabank Passport™ Visa Infinite* Card Earn up to $1,300* in value in the first 12 months, including up to 40,000 bonus Scene+ points and first year annual fee waived.‡ BMO AIR MILESair miles®† World Elite®* Mastercard®* Get 2 000 AIR MILES Bonus Miles and exempt of the $120 annual fees for the first year. The perfect card for travelers! About The Author: Arthur Dubois Passionate about personal finance and financial technology, Arthur Dubois is a writer and SEO specialist at Hardbacon. Since his arrival in Canada, he’s built his credit score from nothing. Arthur invests in the stock market but doesn’t pay any fees because he uses National Bank Direct Brokerage online broker and Wealthsimple’s robo-advisor. He pays for his subscriptions online with his KOHO prepaid card, and uses his Tangerine credit card for most of his in-store purchases. When he buys bitcoins, it’s with the BitBuy online platform. Of course it goes without saying that he uses the Hardbacon app so that he can manage all of his finances from one convenient place. More posts by Arthur Dubois How to Start Travel Hacking in Canada in 2022 Travel Hacking in Canada was terrifying to me when I first heard about it. We have notoriously expensive travel costs and I… NEXUS Card for Canadians: The Ultimate Guide in 2023 If you use a NEXUS card, the chances are that you travel frequently between the United States and Canada. Generally, to cross… Can You Fly with Weed in Canada? In October 2018, the Canadian federal government made history by passing the federal Cannabis Act, which formally legalized the possession, cultivation and…

The American Mission of Governor Fedriga Halbert Gray October 30, 2022 4 min read Governor and Chairman of the Conference of the Autonomous Communities and Provinces, Maximilian FedrigaYesterday in Washington, a series of meetings were held with important institutional and private entities in the economic and financial sector operating in the American capital. The governor was accompanied during various appointments by the Italian ambassador. mariangela Zabiawho had a friendly chat with him. The governor then met with representatives of the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce and representatives of state-owned companies operating in the United States, and concluded the agenda with digital and high-end players potentially interested in investing in Friuli Venezia Giulia. To all the interlocutors, the main advocate of the Regional Council explained how the region is committed to promoting and implementing strategic policies aimed at encouraging the attraction of foreign investments in accordance with the professions of the Territory (in itself directed to research and innovation) and the internationalization of companies, above all to developing operational channels through which opportunities for stability can be enhanced in Fvg. This also happens thanks to the coordinating work of the Conference of Autonomous Regions and Provinces and the relationship between this and the individual regions and central departments within the Ministerial Committee for Attracting Foreign Investments (CAIE). Finally, Fedriga noted that with the start of the new programming cycle of European funds and, in particular, as the implementation of the NRP continues, a new strategic and operational scenario for the regions has opened, full of inseparable opportunities and responsibilities. He concluded that this is an exceptional opportunity for development, investment and reforms to strengthen the production system, modernize public administration and operate real regulatory simplification that encourages the attraction of foreign investment. See also Support grows from Naples to the USA for recognition of Cyril as a member of the Franklin Academy “I would like to announce that, as a conference of autonomous regions and provinces, we are organizing an event at the beginning of 2023 in Trieste dedicated to attracting foreign investment – which we would like to become an annual event in turn held in the various Italian regions – during which we will dedicate a working session to the Transatlantic Investment Commission and to actions Which will be jointly developed at the forefront of joint strategic investments in the industrial, technological, research and training fields,” the Governor during the first meeting of the Transatlantic Investment Committee on American soil. The meeting was organized after the presentation of the committee at the national level last July 20 in Rome, in the Senate of the Republic, and at the European level in Brussels last September 28. Tic was born on the initiative of the Amerigo Association, the American Chamber of Commerce – Italy, Centro Studi Americani and Federmanager, closely related and sponsored by the Embassy of Italy. As Fedriga explained, the choice of Trieste as the venue for the event to be held next year, as a guarantee for the annual Festival of the Regions, was taken “not because Trieste is the capital of the region which I have the honor to preside, but above all because at this special stage and thanks to its location and history, it can represent The point at which Euro-Atlantic cooperation is strengthened, as well as reinterpreted by the joint creation of an international context for growth, development and interaction, for example in the field of innovative start-ups.” See also Despite its respect for health rules | Obama's birthday party is under criticism “In this context – Fedriga emphasized – we look with interest at ICT activities as a whole and, in particular, at the idea of ​​creating a transatlantic fund dedicated to expanding investments with attention to issues of digital energy, clean technology and space, all this, among other things, in line with Strict with what provinces are currently doing with Structural Funds. “Similarly – he continued – another potential area of ​​cooperation is related to ICT activity with reference to the launch of transatlantic training courses for managers and entrepreneurs with universities, and in this regard, one could consider defining training courses more targeted to these issues and targeting the ruling class in the regions that sees the participation of a broader audience than universities.” The Governor also noted how the provinces have defined their regional development strategies by equipping themselves with more effective policy tools to meet the additional challenges posed by digital industrial transformation and the environment, which nevertheless require a business model capable of promoting and implementing actions, programmes, research and innovation projects of a strong common character. between sectors. “It is a question – he said – of building innovation ecosystems characterized by technological development scenarios that are strongly characterized by the interconnectedness and contamination of knowledge that is increasingly indispensable for developing innovative applications, through the close interaction and synergy of all components: institutions, companies, research infrastructures and technology transfer universities, education and training system. “This model, linked to innovation and the ability to experiment, protects the integrity of the supply chains that – and seal – are an essential node within an organic and structured development system.” See also Discover the most popular tourist destinations in the United States Previous Italy and the United States: The Transatlantic Investment Commission lands in America – news from embassies Next Governor Fedriga on a ‘mission’ to the United States to promote technological development in FVG

There Might Not Be Crying In Baseball. But What About Cheating? "Sign stealing is code breaking. It's a skill, and it has a long tradition in baseball," says baseball writer Marc Carig. "But what's new is the us... more

Reiki for OCD Post category:Lifestyle/Reiki What is OCD? Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition. It is characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts, and repetitive behaviors or compulsions. It affects millions of people worldwide, and… Continue ReadingReiki for OCD

Disney's Bob Iger is swinging the ax as he plans to lay off 7,000 workers worldwide Patrick T. Fallon Disney plans to lay off 7,000 employees worldwide. The announcement is part of returning CEO Bob Iger's statement to his board about the company's finances moving forward. The Walt Disney Co. announced plans Wednesday to cut about 4% of its entire workforce. That means layoffs for 7,000 employees. The company's stock increased immediately after the announcement, which was expected. Returning CEO, Bob Iger, is making a statement to his board about the company's finances moving forward. His goal is to cut more than $5 billion in costs in part by consolidating divisions that make and distribute movies and TV shows. Disney has actually been doing relatively well of late, with profits and revenues up, strong figures from theme parks, and more subscribers on Disney-owned streaming services such as ESPN+ and Hulu — although not Disney+. That platform lost 2.4 million subscribers in the first quarter of the fiscal year, according to the company's latest earnings report. But profits from traditional television have dropped, and none of the streaming services are making money.

Sen. Bernie Sanders is embracing his anger. A new book details what he's angry about Jojo Macaluso Elizabeth Gillis Sen. Bernie Sanders walks into NPR Headquarters in Washington D.C. Updated February 21, 2023 at 9:42 AM ET Senator Bernie Sanders is embracing his anger. He's shown a lot of it during three decades in Congress. In 1992, he attacked both parties for defense spending, claiming they were "hoping and praying that maybe we'll have another war." During his first presidential run, he spoke sarcastically of people who fear his identification as a socialist. "I don't want to get people nervous falling off their chairs, but Social Security is a socialist program," Sanders told NPR in 2015. It's no surprise that the Vermont senator spoke harshly of President Donald Trump, vowing: "You're damn right we're going to hold him accountable" at the time. But he also bristled when social justice activists insisted that Democrats use the phrase "Black Lives Matter." "It's too easy for 'liberals,' to be saying, well, let's use this phrase. What are we going to do about 51 percent of young African Americans unemployed?" Sanders said. Elizabeth Gillis / NPR Sen. Sanders' latest book, 'It's Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism.' The Senator is preoccupied with America's economic divides; and his new book about his recent campaigns and legislation is titled It's Okay to be Angry About Capitalism. "They say the older you get, the more conservative you become," he writes. "That's not me. The older I get, the angrier I become about the uber-capitalist system." He says his anger grows in part out of his youth in a struggling family in Brooklyn in the 1940s and 1950s. He dedicates the book, in part, to his older brother Larry, who introduced him to authors ranging from psychoanalysis founder Sigmund Freud to political theorist Karl Marx, who, along with Friedrich Engels, established the far-left ideology known as Marxism. "We didn't have a lot of books in the house, and my brother brought books into the house and talked with me about politics, talked to me about history, talked to me about psychology," Sanders told NPR. "And kind of intellectually opened up my eyes to the world that we're living in." Today Larry Sanders is a Green Party politician in the United Kingdom. And Bernie Sanders, after two presidential campaigns, now chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. For all his anger and demands for systemic change, the senator told NPR he is working within a divided Congress to make more modest changes that he thinks are possible. On his anger at some Democrats in Congress I was bitterly disappointed [at the failure of giant social legislation known as] Build Back Better... What many of us said is... Let's deal with the structural crises facing America. Our child care system is a disaster. Our healthcare system is dysfunctional. Kids can't afford to go to college. Let's deal with the existential threat of climate change. Let's deal with income and wealth inequality. We came within two votes of bringing forth legislation which would have been transformative for the working families. SI: Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who would be described as more moderate or more conservative, and represent more conservative states– Corporate Democrats would be the term. SI: Corporate Democrats? These are folks who've got a whole lot of money from wealthy people and large corporations and they do their bidding. SI: I was going to ask if you're still angry at someone like Joe Manchin. It sounds like you are. From his perspective, he's representing a very conservative state that votes for Republicans for president hugely and needs to bring them something that they can believe in. Do you sympathize with his political situation? In 2016 when I was running for president, I won a landslide victory in West Virginia. SI: In the Democratic primary. In the Democratic primary. SI: But there's a general election. I understand... In my view, politicians do well when they stand up and fight for working people. On the power of the working-class vote SI: You write about the working class: "You can't win elections without the overwhelming support of the working class." It seems that many Republicans now agree with you and openly court the working class and get a lot of working class votes. Why do you think that is? Well, that is an enormously important political issue. That is the most important political question of our time. [It's] not that working class people agree with Republican views... But what I think has happened over the years, and this is no great secret as a result of a lot of corporate contributions, the Democratic Party has kind of turned its back on the needs of working class people. And then you have a gap there where you have people like Trump coming along and say, "You know what the problem is? It's immigrants, it's gays, it's transgender people." And you get people angry around those issues rather than Democrats saying, I'll tell you what the problem is. The problem is the wealthy are getting richer. Corporations have enormous power. We're going to take them on to create a nation that works for you. On what Sanders thinks he can accomplish in a divided Congress What I want to see, a Medicare-for-all system, ain't going to happen. No Republicans support it. Half the Democrats won't support it. But this is what we can do: We can expand primary health care and community health centers to every region of the country...We now have 30 million people accessing community health centers [and can do more]... You walk into a community health center, you get affordable health care, dental care... mental health counseling and low cost prescription drugs. Republicans understand that in red states it is very hard often for people to access a doctor. On his pragmatism SI: Even though you say it's okay to be angry about capitalism, there's a place for capitalism in the world as you envision it. Yes, there is. Yes, there is. SI: If you made all the rules, there would still be large corporations. Well, I don't know about that. But look, there's nothing in that book to suggest that it is bad for people to go out and start a business, to come up with innovation. That's great. That's good. What is bad is when a handful of corporations control sector after sector. The audio version of this interview was produced by Milton Guevara and Nina Kravinsky, and edited by Olivia Hampton. contributed to this story

Folk veteran Iris DeMent shows us the 'World' she's been workin' on Iowa Public Radio | By Clay Masters, Cheryl Corley Dasha Brown Iris DeMent. "I really believe that I have been given an ability to deliver my songs," says the folk and country singer-songwriter Iris DeMent from her home in Iowa City, Iowa. "Not everybody's going to get them, but there's people that get them – and they need them." For over 30 years Dement has been one of the most distinctive and spiritually searching voices in roots music, work that has netted her a couple of Grammy nominations, though never quite making her a household name. Her newest album, Workin' on a World, is out today. DeMent, born in Arkansas and the youngest of 14 kids, says she mostly grew up in the church, where she learned to ask a lot of questions about their faith by watching her mom – a questioning nature that shows up in her songs all the way back to her 1992 debut, Infamous Angel. "Everybody is wondering what, and where they all came from / everybody is worried about where they're all gonna go when the whole thing's done," she sings on "Let the Mystery Be," "but no one knows for certain and so it's all the same to me / I think I'll just let the mystery be." DeMent is as authentic as they come, says country music historian and Hall-of-Famer Marty Stuart. "You can listen to most artists and tell who inspired them or where they tipped off from," he says. "There are very few artists that are so original that that is almost nonexistent. What I hear, when I hear Iris, is just a total original." Stuart produced a song that's been an introduction for many to DeMent's work, a quirky duet from the late '90s that she sang with her longtime collaborator, the late, legendary John Prine. DeMent remembers when Prine faxed her the lyrics to the now-famed song, "In Spite of Ourselves." "I saw the words and ... I came out of the Pentecostal church and I was like, 'I can't do this.' I mean, like, my heart started racing. I can't do this." Here's what Iris wound up singing: "He ain't got laid in a month of Sundays, I caught him once and he was sniffin' my undies / He ain't too sharp but he gets things done / drinks his beer like it's oxygen / He's my baby and I'm his honey / I'm never gonna let him go..." DeMent says, with a smile, that – not atypical for a clutch of Prine lyrics – "of course, everybody loved it." Prine died after contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic, joining a growing group of figures in DeMent's life that are no longer physically here but who still show up in the music. "John was so present when he was here. Like a few other people I know ... my mom [is] in that category ... they were so here," DeMent says. "I don't want to be all spooky about it, but I feel like I carry him and that's just a wonderful feeling." You can hear those presences guiding her within the songs of Workin' on a World, all written at home, in Iowa City – the title track, which begins the record, was penned right after the 2016 election. "I got so down in trouble, I nearly lost my head / I started waking every morning filled with sadness, fear and dread," she sings. "I sing that song and I get fortified," DeMent says. "I feel like a part of this human family that's been here a really long time and some number of us is going on, and I've got work to do." Fellow songwriter Ana Egge was excited when DeMent showed her these new songs last year. She says they speak to the influence DeMent has on musicians like her. "I remember one time, she said, 'Ana, do you think anybody ever asked Johnny Cash who Johnny Cash should be?' " Egge says. "She said, 'I don't think so.' She said 'Be who you are, figure that out, and keep figuring that out.' " DeMent says that, even at 62, she keeps figuring it out. "For some weird reason, the kind of culture we live in makes it even more difficult to remember what we know," Dement says. "I think I write in a way that's what I'm trying to do for myself, and I use them for myself in that same way and then I send them (my songs) out into the world." Copyright 2023 Iowa Public Radio Clay Masters Clay Masters is Iowa Public Radio’s Morning Edition host and lead political reporter. He was part of a team of member station political reporters who covered the 2016 presidential race for NPR. He also covers environmental issues. Cheryl Corley is a Chicago-based NPR correspondent who works for the National Desk. She primarily covers criminal justice issues as well as breaking news in the Midwest and across the country. See stories by Cheryl Corley

Protections for LGBTQ People with Behavioral Health Needs By: Abigail Coursolle Despite progress in breaking down discrimination against LGBTQ people seeking access to quality health care, the current administration and conservative led states are working to rollback those protections as discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in need of behavioral health care goes unabated. National Health Law Program Senior Attorney Abigail Coursolle and former legal fellow Rachel Holtzman provide an-depth look at current protections, and their limitations, and they provide guidance for health care advocates and providers to stand up for LGBTQ people in need of access to quality behavior health care. “Access to health coverage is not enough to ensure that people get the behavioral health services they need,” Cousolle and Holtzman write. “Laws must exist to ensure that LGBTQ individuals do not experience discrimination when seeking health care. Existing law is designed to help ensure that many people with coverage through Medicaid or the ACA marketplace have access to a wide range of mental health and substance use disorder services.” *Former Law Fellow Rachel Holtzman is co-author of this Issue Brief. “The therapy to help with my PTSD was actually quite good and helped long term … However, I was constantly misgendered … I received greater support from other patients regarding my transition than I got from my therapists.” – Heather, transgender woman, quote from mentalhelp.net[1] Access to behavioral health services is critical for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in the United States.[2] There are more than 5.5 million LGBTQ people living in the United States.[3] Although our country has made great strides to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in the past few decades, many LGBTQ individuals continue to experience the negative impact of societal bigotry and discrimination.[4] Unfortunately, the discrimination and stigma faced by LGBTQ people places them at a higher risk for behavioral health conditions, including mental health conditions and substance use Disorders (SUDs), than non-LGBTQ people.[5] Yet too often, seeking health care services, including treatment for their behavioral health conditions, puts LGBTQ people at risk of experiencing discrimination or stigma, which can exacerbate their behavioral health conditions.[6] The Affordable Care Act (ACA) put into place three key provisions that can help address the needs of LGBTQ individuals with behavioral health conditions: it provided more health coverage options, including expanded Medicaid; it prohibited health care discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; and it required most plans, including Medicaid plans, to provide behavioral health services in parity with medical and surgical benefits. These provisions, now under attack by the Trump administration through efforts discussed below, are critical to supporting low-income LGBTQ people in obtaining the behavioral health services they need. Background: LGBTQ People Have an Increased Risk of Behavioral Health Conditions, Especially People who also Experience Other Forms of Discrimination and Stigma According to national data by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the LGBTQ community faces disproportionately high rates of behavioral health conditions, including both mental health conditions and substance use disorders.[7] The Particular Manifestations of Discrimination and Stigma are Correlated with Increased Behavioral Health Conditions Among LGBTQ People Much of the increased rates of behavioral health conditions experienced by the LGBTQ community is correlated with interpersonal, institutional and structural discrimination. Decades of research shows that individual and chronic experiences of discrimination lead to an increased risk of developing mental health conditions and substance use disorders, both by the individual who experienced discrimination as well as other members of their community who experience a spillover effect when the psychological effects of an event affect more people than just those who personally experienced that event.[8] While trends exist across groups, discrimination is very complex. It is therefore instructive to look at the specific forms of discrimination faced by various sub-groups within the broader LGBTQ community, as well as the effect that discrimination has on the specific behavioral health needs of those respective sub-groups. For example, transgender individuals experience disproportionate rates of psychological distress and other mental health conditions than their cisgender peers. Transgender individuals experience various barriers to seeking mental health services, including inability to pay for the cost of treatment, previous negative experiences seeking health care, and fear around mistreatment and stigma.[9] For example, in one survey, one in five transgender individuals reported that health care providers had blamed them for their health status.[10] Transgender people also face disproportionate rates of mistreatment, violence, and other forms of discrimination across education, employment, health, and the criminal justice system.[11] Consequently, the rates of serious psychological distress and suicidality among transgender people that are eight and nine times that of the general U.S. population, respectively.[12] Further, transgender people have used illicit drugs, nonmedical prescription drugs, and marijuana at rates three times higher than the general population.[13] LGBTQ people, however, have also expressed concern that there is not enough SUD treatment for transgender individuals.[14] Advocates working with transgender people must therefore be mindful of the role of discrimination on the behavioral health needs of transgender individuals, and must work to ensure spaces are inclusive of transgender identities, including ensuring the proper use of pronouns to not misgender the client, using clients’ chosen names, and avoiding placing blame on the individual for their health status. Similarly, LGBTQ people of color face a disproportionate amount of discrimination. Racial discrimination in patient-physician relationships lead to racial disparities in the quality of care that people of color receive.[15] Meanwhile, discrimination against LGBTQ individuals leads to significant minority stress among LGBTQ people. The combination of the two means LGBTQ people of color experience intersectional discrimination, based upon their LGBTQ identity as well as their racial or ethnic identity. This discrimination can result in mental health conditions. One recent survey found that serious psychological distress was experienced by 45 percent of Latinx transgender women respondents, and 41 percent of Black transgender women respondents.[16] Transgender and non-binary people of color have similarly high rates of suicidality, with 45 percent of Latinx transgender women, and 47 percent of Black transgender women, having attempted suicide at least once.[17] Advocates for LGBTQ people of color must +work in a way that acknowledges the effects of racism on the behavioral health needs of their clients. In addition, LGBTQ people with HIV have an increased risk for behavioral health conditions. In the U.S, gay and bisexual men are the population most affected by HIV, accounting for two-thirds of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2016.[18] Being HIV positive can affect the mental health of gay and bisexual men who are living with HIV, and concerns about HIV status may also impact the mental health of those who are HIV negative but at high risk, and those whose loved ones have HIV or have died from HIV.[19] Among the most common mental health conditions among all people living with HIV is depression.[20] More broadly, an estimated one to 24 percent of people living with HIV have a serious mental illness, which is much higher than the rate among people without HIV, and these individuals are also frequently diagnosed with a substance use disorder.[21]Although access to anti-retroviral treatment and routine medical care can prevent many of the opportunistic infections that may otherwise threaten the lives of people living with HIV, and also prevent HIV transmission, the condition remains highly stigmatized. A recent study found that HIV stigma is associated with depressive symptoms and alcohol use among people living with HIV.[22] Together, the compounding stigma of HIV status and mental illness acts as one of the largest barriers to care for people living with HIV.[23] Further, socialized stigma leads many LGBTQ people who lost friends and loved ones to AIDS to feel a sense of disenfranchised grief – the feeling that one cannot openly express their grief because it will be minimized and invalidated, which is a risk factor for suicide.[24] As a result, it is important that advocates working with LGBTQ people with HIV are aware of the interplay of multiple stigmas, as well as the disenfranchised grief, that their clients may be experiencing, and the ways that these experiences effect their behavioral health needs and access to care. LGBTQ people in areas of low concentrations of LGBTQ people also experience unique forms of discrimination. The location of one’s residency also affects one’s experiences, including discrimination and barriers they may face in accessing behavioral health and other health care services. When examining the U.S. LGBTQ population by state, the smallest rates of LGBTQ people live in the Southeast and parts of the Midwest.[25] Meanwhile, the Northeast and West coast have higher rates of LGBTQ people. Living in a region without a relatively large LGBTQ population can lead to less social support. Research shows that a lack of social support and social integration is related to mental distress within the LGBTQ community.[26] For example, a 2018 report by the Campaign for Southern Equality found that transgender and non-binary Southerners are often mistreated, or denied health care altogether, when they are open about their gender identities in health care settings in the South.[27] This discrimination leads to stress, anxiety, and other mental health concerns, and causes many transgender and non-binary Southerners to delay or completely forego care.[28] Advocates working with the LGBTQ community must be mindful of geography-specific factors affecting behavioral health and access to care.[29] Further, LGBTQ people who are immigrants may face additional mental health stressors, as they may feel that they live in “dual shadows.”[30] The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health states that there are an estimated 904,000 LGBTQ immigrants in the U.S., 267,000 of who are undocumented.[31] LGBTQ immigrants face myriad barriers to accessing care, including federal laws and employment discrimination that prevents them from securing health insurance coverage, provider discrimination and bias, and a lack of competent care.[32] While experiences vary significantly based upon an immigrant’s country of origin and the length of time they have lived in the United States, immigrant LGBTQ people of all ages are at risk for hate violence.[33] For undocumented LGBTQ immigrants, these risks are particularly acute, as undocumented LGBTQ people make up nearly one in five survivors of anti-LGBTQ hate violence.[34] LGBTQ immigrants must navigate a complex system of legal barriers to coverage, such as the 5-year bar to access public health insurance such as Medicaid and CHIP, and federal and state laws that prevent LGBTQ undocumented immigrants from ever accessing public health insurance or insurance coverage through the ACA marketplace.[35] Advocates working with LGBTQ immigrants must recognize that difficulty accessing health insurance further compounds mental health conditions among the LGBTQ immigrant community, as it often means delaying or foregoing care.[36] LGBTQ youth may also face unique challenges. For many LGBTQ individuals, the damaging effects of discrimination and rejection start young. Research has found that family rejection of adolescents’ sexual orientation and gender expression, including punitive and traumatic reactions from parents and caregivers, is closely correlated with the youth being eight times more likely to attempt suicide, six times more likely to report high levels of depression, and three times more likely to use illicit drugs, compared to peers from families with no or low levels of family rejection.[37] Other risk factors, including victimization and harassment in and out of the home, further contribute to the high rates of mental health conditions among LGBTQ youth.[38] One study found that the majority (57.6 percent) of LGBTQ students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation, and nearly three in four (71.5 percent) reported avoiding school functions because they felt uncomfortable or unsafe.[39] Further, LGBTQ youth who experienced victimization at school because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity reported higher levels of depression, and lower self-esteem and school belonging, than their peers.[40] This discrimination creates an environment of intimidation and stress, even for youth not directly targeted.[41] The resulting fear, depression, social ostracism and isolation is particularly concerning since adolescence is the age in which youth form the behaviors that carry on into adulthood. A 2018 study found that LGBTQ youth were more likely to vape (smoke electronic cigarettes), smoke cigarettes, drink, engage in heavy episodic drinking, and experience sexual-and-gender based harassment than their heterosexual and cisgender friends.[42] Consequently, LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or attempt suicide, as are their non-LGBTQ peers, and among LGBTQ youth between 10-24 years old, suicide is one of the leading causes of death.[43] As such, advocates working with LGBTQ youth must consider their potential experiences of (or exposure to) victimization and other forms of discrimination when considering their behavioral health needs. In addition, LGBTQ couples experience a variety of internalized and interpersonal stigmas associated with being in a same-sex partnership. These stigmas affect the mental health of same-sex couples. Until the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court case, same-sex couples had no federal constitutional right to marriage.[44] This institutional discrimination was extremely harmful to individuals in same-sex couples. One longitudinal study found that same-sex couples who lived in a state with a constitutional amendment banning same sex marriage experienced increased mood disorders, generalized anxiety disorders, alcohol use disorders, and psychiatric comorbidities, compared to their peers in states without these bans.[45] Even the consideration of these bans increased distress. Research of the 2006 general election found increased rates of minority stress and psychological distress among LGB adults in same-sex couples in states with these constitutional bans on their ballots.[46] Further, same-sex couples who have children may experience stigma related to their parentage. Although longitudinal research shows that children of adoptive LGB parents have similar child behavioral adjustment in school as their peers with opposite-sex parents, parents in same-sex couples who experience stigma during their transition to parenthood are more likely to experience increased levels of depressive and anxious symptoms.[47] This may worsen any internalized stigma an individual may have, as social psychology explains that one’s internalized stigma is heightened in the presence of stigma.[48] Advocates working with LGBTQ individuals in a LGBTQ couples must therefore recognize that historical and current instances of institutionalized and interpersonal discrimination may influence the types of behavioral health care that their clients seek and need. Behavioral Health Needs of the LGBTQ Population Overall With regards to mental health conditions, LGBTQ individuals have an increased risk for conditions such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and suicidal thoughts.[49] This risk is attributed to a variety of psychosocial factors such as minority stress, the fear associated with coming out, frequent stressful life events, social isolation, and low levels of social support.[50] In fact, a systematic review of literature published between 1966 to 2005 found that the risk of depression and anxiety is 1.5 times higher for lesbian, gay men, and bisexual individuals than their non-LGB peers.[51] With regards to suicidality, the systematic literature review found that lesbian, gay men, and bisexual individuals of all ages are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide than their non-LGB peers.[52] Meanwhile, research has also found that transgender individuals are more than 2.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide than their non-transgender peers.[53] When examining all mental health conditions together, one study found that the risk of experiencing any mental health condition is three times higher for LGBTQ individuals than their non-LGBTQ peers.[54] Moreover, exposure to discrimination and prejudice create a psychosocial environment in which members of the LGBTQ community may turn to substances as a way to cope with social isolation, fear, stress, chronic anxiety, and other forms of distress. Consequently, SUDs affect LGBTQ adults and youth more than their non-LGBTQ peers. NAMI states that an estimated 20-30 percent of LGBTQ people have a SUD, and 25 percent have an alcohol use disorder, compared to approximately 10 percent of the general population.[55] In regards to heavy alcohol consumption among adults ages 18 and over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s 2015 National Health Interview Survey found that bisexual individuals (47 percent) and gay or lesbian (34 percent) adults were more likely than heterosexual adults (23 percent) to have heavily consumed alcohol at least one day in the past year.[56] One 2008 study on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use among gay and bisexual men found that gay men are more than 12 times as likely to use amphetamines, and nearly 10 times as likely to use heroin, as are heterosexual men.[57] Another study found that LGBTQ adults are also more likely to use cocaine and hallucinogens than their peers.[58] Moreover, LGB youth are 90 percent more likely to use substances than their heterosexual peers.[59] However, despite the general trends and the majority of studies concluding that members of the LGBTQ community utilized alcohol and illicit drugs more than their non-LGBTQ peers, one 2012 literature review found that, the extent to which this was true differed by various factors such as age, stress level, how “out” someone is, and one’s affiliation with LGBTQ culture.[60] The Importance of Health Coverage for LGBTQ People with Behavioral Health Needs Discrimination Against LGBTQ People in Health Insurance Coverage Has Reduced, and Continues to Reduce, their Access to Care Along with the effect that centuries of institutionalized discrimination have had on the behavioral health of many LGBTQ people, it may also reduce their access to the coverage necessary to obtain the behavioral health treatment they may need. For example, research shows that transgender individuals are less likely to have health insurance coverage than their cisgender peers, and that bisexual individuals are less likely to have health insurance coverage than their lesbian, gay, and heterosexual peers.[61] Because the majority of U.S. residents receive health coverage through an employer, discrimination in employment has disproportionately limited LGBTQ individuals’ ability to obtain coverage. Currently, 28 states have no employment non-discrimination state laws covering sexual orientation or gender identity, leaving 53 percent of the LGBTQ community living in states without protection against employment discrimination.[62] As a result, employers may feel unafraid to discriminate against employees who are LGBTQ, thereby limiting their access to employer-sponsored insurance coverage. For LGBTQ people in same-sex couples, disparate access to employer-sponsored insurance is a prominent barrier to health insurance coverage. Employer sponsored insurance is the most common source of health insurance coverage in the U.S., covering over half (56 percent) of the population in 2017 according to Census data.[63] While the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision established the federal right for same-sex couples to be married in 2015, same-sex couples still experience unequal access to employer-sponsored insurance for same-sex spouses and partners. A 2018 issue brief by the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that, only 57 percent of firms around the country that offered health insurance coverage to opposite-sex spouses in 2017 also offered it to same-sex spouses. This disparate access is exacerbated for employees at small firms (of between 3-49 employees), as only two-thirds of workers in these firms in 2017 had access to health insurance coverage for same-sex spouses.[64] Further, coverage disparities for same-sex couples have had a particular effect on older adults in same-sex couples, who have had to navigate stresses for decades of how to pay for care (such as long term care) without access to insurance through their partner’s employer.[65] Medicaid has Helped LGBTQ People Obtain Necessary Health Coverage Many LGBTQ people are eligible for Medicaid. Medicaid is the country’s largest health care program, providing high quality, affordable coverage to more than 75 million low-income individuals.[66] Medicaid provides vital health coverage for the estimated 1,171,000 LGBT adults enrolled in the program, according to the Williams Institute.[67] The ACA expanded Medicaid by creating a new Medicaid eligibility category that expanded coverage to any low-income adult under 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.[68] The choice to adopt the Medicaid expansion was left to the states however, and as of April 2019, 36 states and D.C. had chosen to adopt Medicaid expansion, while 14 states had not.[69] As a result, over two million low-income uninsured adults fall into the “coverage gap,” a situation where someone’s income would have qualified them for Medicaid had their state chosen to adopt Medicaid expansion, but qualify neither for Medicaid nor for financial assistance on the marketplace.[70] Despite this gap in coverage for millions of people in the U.S. Medicaid expansion, as well as other aspects of the ACA’s coverage reforms, increased health coverage among low-income LGBTQ individuals. A national survey conducted by the Center for American Progress found that, between 2013 and 2014, states that expanded Medicaid experienced a 10-percentage point drop in the uninsured rate of low-and-middle-income LGBTQ people, from 27 percent to 17 percent.[71] Meanwhile, the Center for American Progress found that the percent of LGBTQ adults with Medicaid coverage rose from 22 percent in 2013, to 28 percent in 2014.[72] In addition to Medicaid expansion, the ACA created marketplaces on which low-income adults (100-400 percent FPL) could purchase subsidized insurance. The ACA’s coverage reforms led to a 25 percent decrease in the number of uninsured LGBTQ adults with incomes below 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level between 2013 and 2014. Given the high rate of poverty within the LGBTQ community, particularly among LGBTQ people of color and transgender people, Medicaid provides essential coverage to the LGBTQ community. Medicaid can cover a wide range of behavioral health services. Many behavioral health services fall into coverage categories that states must cover in their Medicaid programs, including inpatient hospital services (e.g., inpatient psychiatric stays), outpatient hospital services (e.g., intensive day treatment offered by a hospital outpatient department), federally qualified health center services (e.g., individual or group therapy offered in an FQHC), physician services (e.g., psychiatric consultation), nurse practitioner services (e.g., mental health assessments conducted by a NP), and counseling and pharmacotherapy for cessation of tobacco use by pregnant women.[73] In addition, for individuals under 21, state Medicaid programs are subject to the early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment (EPSDT) requirement, which mandates that state Medicaid programs provide any necessary health care, diagnostic services, treatment, and other measures, described in section 1396d(a) of the Medicaid Act, to “correct or ameliorate” physical and mental illnesses and conditions, whether or not such services are covered for adults in the state’s Medicaid program.[74] States may also choose to offer additional services in their Medicaid programs like care furnished by licensed practitioners within the scope of their practice as defined by state law (e.g., MFT or LCSW services), prescription drugs, case management services, targeted case management services, and other diagnostic, screening, preventive, and rehabilitative services when recommended by a licensed practitioner (e.g., social skills training or community-based therapy services).[75] While states have some flexibility as to the scope of behavioral health services that are covered in their Medicaid programs for adults, all states cover some behavioral health services.[76] Further, for adults in the Medicaid expansion population, the ACA mandates Medicaid coverage of mental health and behavioral health services as Essential Health Benefits (EHBs) in all Alternative Benefit Plans.[77] As a result, when low-income LGBTQ individuals are enrolled in Medicaid, they are more readily able to access needed behavioral health services. While we do not have access to information for LGBTQ Medicaid enrollees specifically, 2017 data published by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission shows that, over all, only 3.4 percent of all adults enrolled in Medicaid ages 19 – 64 reported being unable to access necessary mental health care due to cost, as opposed to 5.8 percent of their uninsured peers.[78] LGBTQ adults in Medicaid should similarly experience fewer cost barriers to accessing mental health services compared to their uninsured peers. Discrimination Against LGBTQ People with Behavioral Health Needs Can Hinder their Access to Necessary Care Discrimination by Individual Health Care Providers and Institutions Against LGBTQ People Reduces their Access to Care Inequities in the behavioral health of the LGBTQ community are exacerbated by disparities in, and limited access to, high quality and non-discriminatory health care that remain despite advances made by the ACA. Experiencing discrimination increases the risk of an LGBTQ person developing a mental health condition or substance use disorder, and further, prevents LGBTQ people from receiving the care they need. There is a longstanding history of discrimination against LGBTQ people seeking health care. The medical community misdiagnosed homosexuality as a mental illness until 1973.[79] Lingering trauma from these misdiagnoses, and subsequent forced treatment attempts against their will (such as electroshock therapy, aversion therapy, and castration), has continued to influence hesitancies among LGBTQ community members who fear facing ignorance, discrimination, and hostility (including abuse) from providers.[80] Even today, many LGBTQ individuals are referred for so-called “conversion therapy” that uses a variety of behavioral, psychoanalytic, cognitive, and other practices aimed at changing or reducing people’s same-sex attraction or altering a person’s gender identity.[81] Beyond explicit attempts to misdiagnose or change their identities, many LGBTQ individuals continue to face discrimination by health care providers. In a 2009 survey of nearly 5,000 LGBT people, over half (56 percent) of all respondents, and 70 percent of transgender and gender-nonconforming respondents, reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination by health care providers, including providers using harsh or abuse language, providers refusing to touch the LGBT person, providers blaming the LGBT person for their health status, providers being physically abusive, and providers refusing to deliver care altogether.[82] This discrimination is further compounded by race and income level, as survey respondents of color and those from low-income households (defined as less than $20,000 per year) reported higher levels of discrimination and substandard care in almost every category.[83] In addition to overt forms of discrimination such as physical abuse, less overt forms of discrimination can similarly signal that the health care setting is not welcoming to, or sensitive to the needs of, LGBTQ individuals. In-depth interviews conducted with LGBTQ individuals who were Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) found that many respondents identified outdated and non-inclusive protocol, such as cis- and heteronormative intake forms, as a barrier to them receiving necessary care.[84] Other respondents explained being misgendered, or having their identities invalidated, as reasons to not return to a clinic. I wanted to start hormones. And she was like, “I don’t know about all of that.” And I was just like, but could you refer me to someone who does? And she was like, “Well, there’s nothing wrong with being a woman,” and just really believed that it was from a place of hate for women, just internalized hate for women that was making me ask her this. And that was my first time like coming out to a medical professional. (28-year-old, Hispanic, queer, genderqueer person) Specific discriminatory encounters with the health care system perpetuate, and heighten, fear and concern within the LGBTQ community around the receipt of health care.[85] Past experiences of discrimination, as well as a perceived threat of discrimination, can influence whether or not an LGBTQ individual seeks out the health care they need.[86] Consequently, LGBTQ individuals, especially transgender people, are more likely to avoid or postpone necessary medical care out of fear of discrimination, even when they were sick or injured.[87] Further, experienced and perceived discrimination can affect how much an LGBTQ person chooses to disclose to their health care provider. This is especially troublesome within the behavioral health context, given that existing stigmas around behavioral health needs may further discourage full disclosure of one’s needs and experiences. Given that an individual’s relationship with their provider is so important for the individual to receive mental health care according to established standards of care, it is critical that LGBTQ individuals can receive care from providers and health care settings that are LGBTQ-inclusive and affirming.[88] In some cases, the discriminatory beliefs of health care providers result in their refusing to provide LGBTQ people with necessary health care treatment at all. One survey found that at least eight percent of LGB people, and 27 percent of transgender people, have been refused needed care because of their LGBTQ identity.[89] Health care refusals are particularly prominent at religiously affiliated health care institutions, such as hospitals owned or operated by the Baptist Church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and the Catholic Church.[90] As a result, many LGBTQ people must navigate religious ideology and compromised care when seeking needed care for mental health conditions or substance use disorders at these hospitals. Further, LGBTQ people may be refused medically necessary care of other forms, such as Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) or gender affirming surgeries for transgender people, regardless of the LGBTQ person’s wishes or religious beliefs.[91] These restrictions disproportionately affect the wellbeing of LGBTQ women of color, as women of color are more likely than their white peers to receive sexual health services at institutions governed by ERDs.[92] Unfortunately, most states have laws that allow medical providers to deny medical care because of religious reasons.[93] Additionally, the federal Weldon Amendment prohibits local and state governments, and federal programs and agencies, from “discriminating” against health care entities (including insurance companies) that refuse to provide or refer to abortion care. While the Weldon Amendment is not specific to LGBTQ individuals who might seek abortion care, it specifically impacts LGBTQ individuals due to their increased risk of experiencing discrimination in health care. A 2018 proposed HHS regulation, titled “Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority,” went even further, proposing to radically expand religious refusals by allowing a wider range of health care entities (including plan sponsors “not primarily engaged in the business of health care”) to deny care on a basis beyond religious belief.[94] If finalized, this proposed rule would only make it more difficult for LGBTQ people to receive the care they need, behavioral health care or otherwise — and could even make it difficult for their children to receive care. In Michigan, a pediatrician legally refused to provide a newborn check-up for the 6-day-old infant of two lesbian mothers.[95] This blatant discrimination by health care providers can have a profound effect on the mental health of LGBTQ people. Anti-Discrimination Protections are Crucial for LGBTQ Individuals Before enactment of the ACA, LGBTQ individuals often had to rely on a confusing web of state and local laws to protect against sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination in health care settings. Section 1557 of the ACA became the first federal law to provide protections to LGBTQ individuals in health care settings. Sec.1557 provides that an individual shall not, on the ground prohibited under title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 …, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 …, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 …, or section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 …, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under, any health program or activity, any part of which is receiving Federal financial assistance, including credits, subsidies, or contracts of insurance, or under any program or activity that is administered by an Executive Agency or any entity established under this title (or amendments).[96] Although Sec. 1557 does not contain an explicit prohibition against sexual orientation or gender identity discrimination, it imports the protections against sex discrimination contained in Title IX. Decades of Title IX litigation has established that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination are forms of sex discrimination, because they rely on sex stereotypes.[97] Section 1557’s implementing regulations explicitly define sex discrimination to include gender identity.[98] The regulations do not explicitly interpret sex discrimination to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, though the preamble to the final rule concludes that Section 1557’s prohibition of discrimination on the basis of sex includes, at a minimum, sex discrimination related to an individual’s sexual orientation where the evidence establishes that the discrimination is based on gender stereotypes. Accordingly, OCR will evaluate complaints alleging sex discrimination related to an individual’s sexual orientation to determine whether they can be addressed under Section 1557.[99] After these regulations were issued, however, several state attorneys general and religiously affiliated providers filed Franciscan Alliance v. Burwell, challenging HHS’ Sec. 1557 regulations. In late 2016, a Texas judge issued a nationwide injunction barring HHS from enforcing the “rule’s prohibition against discrimination on the basis of gender identity . . .” and stayed further court proceedings while HHS “reconsiders” the regulations at issue.[100] Although HHS has yet to issue a proposed rule to “reconsider” Sec. 1557, in 2017 HHS removed the words “gender identity” and “sex stereotypes,” as well as associated training materials from its “Section 1557: Frequently Asked Questions” webpage.[101] More on Franciscan Alliance It is important to note what the Franciscan Alliance injunction does not do. It does not nullify established Title IX and Title VI case law holding that discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination due to transgender identify, nor does it affect the statutory protection of Section 1557. The Franciscan Alliance injunction has not stopped courts from enforcing these protections. For example, in Prescott v. Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, a federal court denied the hospital’s motion to dismiss a claim that it discriminated against a transgender boy.[1] Kyler Prescott was a 14-year-old transgender boy who sought hospital treatment for suicidal ideation. While Kyler was hospitalized, staff repeatedly referred to him as a girl and verbally harassed him, despite protests from him and his family. According to the complaint, the harassment was so severe and was causing Kyler such distress that Kyler’s medical providers concluded he should be “discharged early because of staff conduct.”[1] Five weeks later, Kyler died by suicide.[1] The hospital asked to stay the proceedings pending the outcome of Franciscan Alliance, but the court denied the stay, noting that, “the Court’s decision under the ACA does not depend on the enforcement or constitutionality of the HHS’s regulation.”[1] As long as the Franciscan Alliance injunction exists, HHS’ administrative complaint process is not a viable route enforcing 1557 claims based on gender identity discrimination, and the fate of claims based on sexual orientation discrimination is unclear. Furthermore, courts that previously relied upon HHS’ regulations to uphold claims of discrimination may be tempted to stay proceedings in light of HHS’ statement that is “reconsidering” the regulation at issue.[1] Rather than moving to shore up protections for LGBTQ people in the face of this uncertainty, the Trump administration has been working through various methods to undermine the health rights of LGBTQ individuals. LGBTQ People with Behavioral Health Needs Must Have Access to a Full Range of Behavioral Health Services without Barriers to Access For LGBTQ Individuals with Coverage, Incomplete or Limited Coverage of Behavioral Health Services Can Limit Access to Care For LGBTQ people with behavioral health needs, it is important to have access to a full range of services; it is not sufficient to have health insurance coverage, if the services someone needs are not covered under their insurance plan. For example, as of 2018, 10 states’ Medicaid agencies do not cover Methadone for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Medicaid enrollees with Opioid Use Disorder, five do not cover Naloxone in at least one formula without prior authorization, six do not cover individual therapy, and 17 do not cover intensive outpatient therapy.[102] And even where services are covered, barriers still exist that disproportionately limit access to behavioral health care for LGBTQ people. Some of these barriers may be due to miscommunication between state insurance commissioner’s offices and insurance carriers in that state, while other barriers are due to a lack of sufficient network adequacy assessments.[103] All barriers, however, are detrimental to the behavioral health needs of people, and have a disproportionate impact on LGBTQ people who already face other barriers to care. For example, some LGBTQ people may not have ready access to LGBTQ-competent behavioral health treatment that might be available in a different state or region with more LGBTQ-inclusive providers. Meanwhile, transgender people may have to pay more for prescription medicine for a mental health condition, such as gender dysphoria-induced anxiety, than other health conditions. Other LGBTQ people may have a separate deductible for behavioral health services that is not a part of their overall deductible, may have a higher copay for mental health therapy than other non-behavioral health services, or may be denied SUD treatment that their doctor has prescribed.[104] Each of these barriers limits access to important care. There is great variation in coverage of behavioral health services in both private insurance and in Medicaid programs. In addition, provider training and availability ranges significantly from one plan and region to another. All of these barriers, unless addressed, will continue to threaten the health of LGBTQ individuals and others with behavioral health needs. Parity protections ensure that Medicaid and ACA coverage of behavioral health services is meaningful for LGBTQ individuals Access to health coverage is not enough to ensure that people get the behavioral health services they need. Laws must exist to ensure that LGBTQ individuals do not experience discrimination when seeking behavioral health care. Existing law is designed to help to ensure that many people with coverage through Medicaid or the ACA marketplace have access to a wide range of mental health and substance use disorder services. The 2008 Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), built upon the Mental Health Parity Act of 1996, made important strides in ensuring parity. MHPAEA applies to most private plans, including those sold in the ACA marketplaces. While MHPAEA does not require plans to offer mental health or substance use disorder benefits, it does require that plans that offer those services must do so in parity with its coverage of medical/surgical benefits. The ACA went further to ensure that benefits covered for most enrollees in Medicaid and CHIP comply with this parity requirement.[105] In addition, as described previously, longstanding law requires Medicaid programs to cover all services necessary to correct or ameliorate physical or mental illnesses or conditions for beneficiaries under age 21. This provision requires states to offer a robust package of mental health and substance use disorder benefits for their youngest enrollees. Thus, in practice, LGBTQ enrollees in Medicaid should have access to a broad range of behavioral health services. These protections are particularly important for LGBTQ individuals who, as previously discussed, are at increased risks for stigma and discrimination in health care. Even though LGBTQ people continue to face bigotry and discrimination that puts them at risk of developing mental health conditions and substance use disorders, they continue to self-advocate and build partnerships to improve their health and the health of their community members.[106] Yet, these grassroots efforts should not be taken as a substitute for needed systems-level change. As the movement for LGBTQ health equity continues, disparities will more rapidly diminish, and our society as a whole will grow stronger, if our health care and political systems, at the local, state, and federal levels, advance policies supporting the specific health needs of the LGBTQ community. Only when the U.S. health care and health insurance systems affirm everyone’s sexual orientation and gender identity, become responsive to the wide variety of behavioral health needs, and more sensitive to the intersectionality of people’s identities will the health needs will LGBTQ people receive the high quality care that all people deserve. Specifically, advocates must continue to work to enforce the legal protections in place that ensure LGBTQ people have access to health coverage, that they are not discriminated against in health care on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and that when they have coverage, their coverage includes the full range of behavioral health services without improper limitations. [1] Mentalhelp.net, Mental Health in the LGBT Community, https://www.mentalhelp.net/mental-health-in-the-lgbt-community (last visited Mar. 19, 2019). [2] There is no single definition for the LGBTQ community. The term LGBTQ encompasses sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. People may consider themselves part of the community as a result of their attractions, behaviors, or overall identities. While some individuals may identify with a binary identity, others feel that their identity is less binary. When referring to gender identity, some individuals may identify as cisgender (when their gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth) or transgender (when their gender identity is different from the sex they were assigned at birth), while others identify as non-binary, gender non-conforming, genderqueer, or in another way. Further, some individuals experience fluidity in their identities. The term “LGBTQ” is used to represent the wide range of diverse sexualities, gender identities and gender expressions that exist along a spectrum. [3] Jen Kates et al., Kaiser Family Found., Health and Access to Care and Coverage for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals in the U.S. 3 (2018), http://files.kff.org/attachment/Issue-Brief-Health-and-Access-to-Care-and-Coverage-for-LGBT-Individuals-in-the-US. [4] Although LGBTQ identities can largely influence someone’s life, no identity exists in isolation. Instead, LGBTQ individuals live multi-dimensional lives, and often find that their identities interact with each other along racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic lines, as well as other factors such as age, immigrant status, ability status and rurality of residence. While this issue brief notes trends in the behavioral health needs and experiences of LGBTQ people, every individual’s intersecting identities contribute to unique experiences that cannot be captured in an issue brief. For example, some LGBTQ individuals experience additional discrimination and prejudice based on their race, gender, disabilities, or other identities. See, e.g., Nat’l LGBT Health Education Ctr., Understanding the Health Needs of LGBT People (2016), https://www.lgbthealtheducation.org/wp-content/uploads/LGBTHealthDisparitiesMar2016.pdf. [5] Stephen E. Gilman et al., Risk of Psychiatric Disorders Among Individuals Reporting Same-Sex Sexual Partners in the National Comorbidity Survey, 91 Amer. J. Of Pub. Health 933 (2001), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1446471/pdf/11392937.pdf. [6] David J. Lick et al., Minority Stress and Physical Health Among Sexual Minorities, 8 Perspectives on Psychological Sci. 521, 528, 535-36 (2013), http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/comm/kjohnson/Lab/Publications_files/LickDursoJohnson.pdf. [7] Grace Medley et al., SAMHSA, Sexual Orientation and Estimates of Adult Substance Use and Mental Health: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2016), https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-SexualOrientation-2015/NSDUH-SexualOrientation-2015/NSDUH-SexualOrientation-2015.htm. [8] Dan Gordon, Discrimination can be harmful to your mental health, UCLA (Jan. 13, 2016), http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/discrimination-can-be-harmful-to-your-mental-health. [9] Jillian C. Shipherd et al., Transgender Clients: Identifying and Minimizing Barriers to Mental health Treatment, 14 J. Gay & Lesbian Mental Health 94 (2010). [10] Lambda Legal, When Health Care Isn’t Caring 11 (2014), https://www.lambdalegal.org/sites/default/files/publications/downloads/whcic-report_when-health-care-isnt-caring.pdf. [11] Sandy E. James, Nat’l Ctr. for Transgender Equal., The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (2016), https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf. [12] Id. at 5. [13] Id. at 113. [14] Lambda Legal, supra note 10, at 11. [15] Somnath Saha et al., Patient-Physician Relationships and Racial Disparities in the Quality of Health Care, 93 Am. J. Pub. Health 1713 (2003). [16] Sandy E. James & Bamby Salcedo, Nt’l Ctr. for Transgender Equal., 2015 Transgender Survey: Report on the Experiences of Latino/a Respondents (2017), http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTSLatinReport-Nov17.pdf; Sandy E. James et al., Nt’l Ctr. for Transgender Equal., 2015 Transgender Survey: Report on the Experiences of Black Respondents (2017), http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTSBlackRespondentsReport-Nov17.pdf. [17] James & Salcedo, supra note 16, at 21; James et al., supra note 16, at 19. [18] Ctrs. for Disease Control & Prevention, HIV and Gay and Bisexual Men, https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/group/msm/index.html (last visited Mar. 21, 2019). [19] Ctrs. for Disease Control & Prevention, Gay and Bisexual Men’s Health: Mental Health, https://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/mental-health.htm (last visited Apr. 10, 2019). [20] U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Servs., Mental Health and HIV, https://www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/staying-in-hiv-care/other-related-health-issues/mental-health (last visited Apr. 10, 2019). [21] Am. Psychological Ass’n, HIV and psychiatric comorbidities: What do we know and what can we do?, https://www.apa.org/pi/aids/resources/exchange/2013/01/comorbidities (last visited Apr. 10, 2019). [22] Dominica Hernandez et al., Psychosocial Complications of HIV/AIDS-Metabolic Disorder Comorbidities Among Patients in a Rural Area of Southeastern United States, 41 J. of Behavioral Med. 441 (2018), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6063516. [23] Nat’l Ass’n of State & Territorial Aids Directors, Behavioral Health Integration within the HIV Continuum of Care 1 (2018), https://www.nastad.org/sites/default/files/resources/docs/issue_brief_final.pdf. [24] Nat’l LGBT Health Educ. Ctr., Suicide Risk and Prevention for LGBTQ People 5 (2018), https://www.lgbthealtheducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Suicide-Risk-and-Prevention-for-LGBTQ-Patients-Brief.pdf. [25] Am. Psychiatric Ass’n, Mental Health Disparities: LGBTQ 1 (2017), https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/Mental-Health-Disparities/Mental-Health-Facts-for-LGBTQ.pdf. [26] Ning Hsieh, Explaining the Mental Health Disparity by Sexual Orientation: The Importance of Social Resources, 4 Am. Sociological Ass’n 129, 146 (2014). [27] Campaign for Southern Equality, The Report of the 2018 Southern Trans Health Focus Group Project 6 (2018), https://southernequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018SouthernTransHealthFocusGroupExecutiveReport.pdf?pdf=Exec-Report&source=LandingPageThumbnail. [29] See generally Movement Advancement Project, Where We Call Home: LGBT People in Rural America (2019), http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/lgbt-rural-report.pdf. [30] Crosby Burns et al., Ctr. for Am. Progress, Living in Dual Shadows: LGBT Undocumented Immigrants (2013), https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/LGBTUndocumentedReport-6.pdf. [31] Nat’l Latina Inst. for Reproductive Health, Queer Immigrants & the Affordable Care Act (2018), http://latinainstitute.org/sites/default/files/Queer-Immigrants-and-Affordable-Health-Care.pdf. [33] Ctr. for Am. Progress, How Police Entanglement with Immigration Enforcement Puts LGBTQ Lives at Risk (2017), https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/reports/2017/04/12/430325/police-entanglement-immigration-enforcement-puts-lgbtq-lives-risk/. [35] Equal. Archive, Undocuqueer Movement, https://equalityarchive.com/issues/undocuqueer-movement/ (last visited Mar. 21, 2019). [36] Crosby Burns et al., Ctr. for Am. Progress, Living in Dual Shadows: LGBT Undocumented Immigrants 9 (2013), https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/LGBTUndocumentedReport-6.pdf. [37] Caitlin Ryan et al., Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults,123 Pediatrics Online 205 (2009). [38] The Nat’l Acad. of Sci., Eng’g, and Med., The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding 157-59 (2011), https://www.nap.edu/read/13128/chapter/6. [39] GLSEN, The 2015 National School Climate Survey: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Youth in Our Nation’s Schools 12-13 (2016), https://www.glsen.org/sites/default/files/2015%20National%20GLSEN%202015%20National%20School%20Climate%20Survey%20%28NSCS%29%20-%20Full%20Report_0.pdf. [40] Id. at 49. [41] Nat’l LGBT Health Education Ctr., supra note 4, at 6. [42] RWS Coulter et al., The Effects of Gender- and Sexuality-Based Harassment on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Substance Use Disparities, 62 J. Adolesc. Health 688 (2018). [43] Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness, LGBTQ, https://www.nami.org/find-support/lgbtq (last visited Mar. 19, 2019). [44] Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015). [45] Mark L. Hatzenbuehler et al., The Impact of Institutional Discrimination on Psychiatric Disorders in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: A Prospective Study, 100 Am. J. Public Health 452 (2010), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2820062/. [46] Sharon Scales Rostosky et al., Marriage Amendments and Psychological Distress in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual (LGB) Adults, 56 J. Counsel. Psychol. 56 (2009), https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/cou-56-1-56.pdf. [47] Rachel H. Farr, Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter? A Longitudinal Follow-Up of Adoptive Families With School-Age Children, 53 Developmental Psychol. 252 (2017); Abbie E. Goldberg & JuliAnna Z. Smith, Stigma, Social Context, and Mental Health: Lesbian and Gay Couples Across the Transition to Adoptive Parenthood, 58 J. Couns. Psychol. 139 (2011), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3081377. [48] Gregory Herek et al., Internalized Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Insights from a Social Psychological Perspective, 56 J. Counsel. Psychol. 32 (2009), https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9d12/59019b149a1171493f4cd584e36fb957adc7.pdf. [49] Gilman et al., supra note 5; Ilhan H. Meyer, Nat’l Inst. Health, Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence 1-39 (Nov. 9, 2007), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2072932/pdf/nihms32623.pdf. [50] Meyer, supra note 49. [51] Michael King, et al., A Systematic Review of Mental Disorder, Suicide, and Deliberate Self Harm in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual People, 8 BMC Psychiatry 70 (2008), https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-244X-8-70. [53] Dejun Su et al., Mental Health Disparities Within the LGBT Population: A Comparison Between Transgender and Nontransgender Individuals, 1 Transgender Health 12, 17 (2016) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5685247. [54] Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness, supra note 43. Similarly, SAMSHA estimates that over one in three (37%) of LGBTQ people have a mental health condition and 13 percent have a serious mental illness, compared to 17 percent and 4 percent of their peers, respectively. Medley et al., supra note 7. [55] Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness, supra note 43. [56] Ctrs. for Disease Control & Prevention, Sexual Orientation and Health among U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey 2 (2015), https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/sexual_orientation/asi_2015_stwebsite_tables.pdf. [57] David G. Ostrow & Ron Stall, Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Use Among Gay and Bisexual Men, in Unequal Opportunity: Health Disparities Affecting Gay and Bisexual Men in the United States 121, 125 (Richard J. Wolitski et al. eds., Oxford Univ. Press 2007). [58] Medley et al., supra note 7. [59] Michael P. Marshall et al., Sexual Orientation and Adolescent Substance Use: A Meta-Analysis and Methodological Review, 103 Addiction 546, 556 (2008), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2680081/pdf/nihms-101961.pdf. [60] Kelly E. Green & Brian A. Feinstein, Substance Use in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: An Update on Empirical Research and Implications for Treatment, 26 Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 246-254 (2012), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3288601/. [61] Kates et al., supra note 3, at 12, 14. [62] Movement Advancement Project, Non-Discrimination Laws, http://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps/non_discrimination_laws (last visited Mar. 20, 2019). [63] Edward R. Berchick et al., United States Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2017, https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-264.html (last visited Mar. 20, 2019). [64] Kates et al., supra note 3, at 13. Such limitations may be unconstitutional. See generally Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2584 (2015). [65] Arlene Zarembka, Nat’l Res. Ctr. on LGBT Aging, Medicaid & the LGBT Community: Paying for Long-Term Care, https://www.lgbtagingcenter.org/resources/resource.cfm?r=63 (last visited Mar. 20, 2019). [66] Robin Rudowitz & Rachel Garfield, Kaiser Family Found., 10 Things to Know about Medicaid: Setting the Facts Straight 4 (2018), http://files.kff.org/attachment/Issue-Brief-10-Things-to-Know-about-Medicaid-Setting-the-Facts-Straight. [67] Kerith J. Conron & Shoshana K. Goldberg, The Williams Inst., LGBT Adults With Medicaid Insurance 1 (2018), https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/LGBT-Medicaid.pdf; see also Candace Gibson & Priscilla Huang, Nat’l Health Law Prog., Fact Sheet: Medicaid & Reproductive Justice (2018), https://9kqpw4dcaw91s37kozm5jx17-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Joint-NHeLP_Medicaid-and-RJ.pdf. [68] Jane Perkins & Ian McDonald, Nat’l Health Law Prog., 50 Reasons Medicaid Expansion is Good for Your State (2017), https://healthlaw.org/resource/issue-brief-50-reasons-medicaid-expansion-is-good-for-your-state. [69] Kaiser Family Found., Status of State Action on the Medicaid Expansion, https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/state-activity-around-expanding-medicaid-under-the-affordable-care-act (last visited Apr. 10, 2019). [70] Rachel Garfield et al., Kaiser Family Found., The Coverage Gap: Uninsured Poor Adults in States that Do Not Expand Medicaid (2019), http://files.kff.org/attachment/Issue-Brief-The-Coverage-Gap-Uninsured-Poor-Adults-in-States-that-Do-Not-Expand-Medicaid. [71] Kellan E. Baker et al., Ctr. for Am. Progress, Moving the Needle: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on LGBT Communities 12 (2014), https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/LGBTandACA-report.pdf. [72] Laura E. Durso et al., Ctr. for Am. Progress, LGBT Communities and the Affordable Care Act: Findings from a National Survey 3 (2013), https://www.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/LGBT-ACAsurvey-brief1.pdf; Kellan E. Baker et al., Ctr. for Am. Progress, Moving the Needle: The Impact of the Affordable Care Act on LGBT Communities 7 (2014), https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/LGBTandACA-report.pdf. [73] See 42 U.S.C. § 1396a(a). [74] Id. §§ 1396a(a)(43)(C), 1396d(r)(5); see also id. §§ 1396a(a)(10)(A), 1396d(a)(4)(B). [75] Id. § 1396a(a). [76] See Medicaid & CHIP Payment & Access Comm’n, State Policies for Behavioral Health Services Covered under the State Plan (2016), https://www.macpac.gov/publication/behavioral-health-state-plan-services; see also Kaiser Family Found., Medicaid Behavioral Health Services Database (2019), https://www.kff.org/data-collection/medicaid-behavioral-health-services-database. [77] Cindy Mann, CMS, Dear State Medicaid Director (Nov. 20, 2012) (SMD # 12-003) (RE: Essential Health Benefits in the Medicaid Program), https://www.medicaid.gov/Federal-Policy-Guidance/Downloads/SMD-12-003.pdf. [78] Medicaid & CHIP Payment & Access Comm’n, MACStats: Medicaid and CHIP Data Book 136 (2018), https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/December-2018-MACStats-Data-Book.pdf. [80] Nat’l Alliance on Mental Illness, supra note 43; Jerome Hunt, Ctr. for Am. Progress, Why the Gay and Transgender Population Experiences Higher Rates of Substance Use: Many use to Cope with Discrimination and Prejudice 5 (2012), https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/issues/2012/03/pdf/lgbt_substance_abuse.pdf. [81] Nat’l Ctr. for Lesbian Rights, Born Perfect: The Facts About Conversion Therapy, http://www.nclrights.org/bornperfect-the-facts-about-conversion-therapy/ (last visited Mar. 21, 2019); see Substance Abuse & Mental Health Servs. Admin., Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth (2015), https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma15-4928.pdf. [82] Lambda Legal, supra note 10, at 5. [84] Erin Wingo et al., Reproductive Health Care Priorities and Barriers to Effective Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer People Assigned Female at Birth: A Qualitative Study, 28 Women’s Health Issues 350, 350-357 (2018). [85] Ctr. for Am. Progress, Discrimination Prevents LGBTQ People from Accessing Health Care, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2018/01/18/445130/discrimination-prevents-lgbtq-people-accessing-health-care/ (last visited Mar. 20, 2019). [87] Jaime M. Grant et al., Nat’l Ctr. for Transgender Equal. & Nat’l Gay & Lesbian Task Force, Injustice at Every Turn: A Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey 72 (2015), http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/resources/NTDS_Report.pdf; Ctr. for Am. Progress, Discrimination Prevents LGBTQ People from Accessing Health Care, https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/lgbt/news/2018/01/18/445130/discrimination-prevents-lgbtq-people-accessing-health-care/ (last visited Mar. 20, 2019). [88]Knowing how to find, and work with, LGBTQ-inclusive providers is an important step for diagnosing, treating, and preventing behavioral health concerns. See GLMA, Find a Provider, http://www.glma.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=939 (last visited Mar. 21, 2019) (a provider directory of LGBTQ inclusive providers); see also Human Rights Campaign, Healthcare Equality Index, https://www.hrc.org/hei (last visited Mar. 21, 2019) (list of LGBTQ-inclusive health care organizations); Ass’n of LGBTQ+ Psychiatrists, AGLP Online Referral System, https://aglp.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14&Itemid=74 (last visited Mar. 21, 2019) (online referral system for LGBTQ-inclusive providers); Substance Abuse & Mental Health Servs. Admin., Know Your Rights: Parity for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Benefits (2016), https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma16-4971.pdf (pamphlet on parity for behavioral health benefits); Campaign for Southern Equal., Insurance Coding Alternatives for Trans Healthcare (2019), https://southernequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/InsuranceCoding.pdf (list of ICD-10 insurance codes and their corresponding diagnoses and treatments that may be relevant for transgender people); Out2Enroll, Out2Enroll, https://out2enroll.org/ (last visited Mar. 21, 2019) (LGBTQ-inclusive health insurance literacy, outreach and enrollment materials, including transgender-specific insurance guides by state). [90] Kira Shepherd et al., Public Rights/Private Conscience Project at Columbia Law School & Public Health Solutions, Bearing Faith: The Limits of Catholic Health Care for Women of Color (2018), https://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/microsites/gender-sexuality/PRPCP/bearingfaith.pdf. [93] Movement Advancement Project & Nat’l Ctr. for Transgender Equal., Religious Refusals in Health Care: A Prescription for Disaster (2018), http://www.lgbtmap.org/file/Healthcare-Religious-Exemptions.pdf. [94] Nat’l Health Law Prog., Re: RIN 0945-ZA03–Protecting Statutory Conscience Rights in Health Care; Delegations of Authority (Mar. 27, 2018), https://healthlaw.org/resource/national-health-law-program-urges-hhs-to-withdraw-conscience-rights-rule. [95] Abby Phillip, Pediatrician refuses to treat baby with lesbian parents and there’s nothing illegal about it, Wash. Post (Feb. 19, 2015), https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/19/pediatrician-refuses-to-treat-baby-with-lesbian-parents-and-theres-nothing-illegal-about-it. [96] 42 U.S.C. § 18116. [97] See Jen Lav, Nat’l Health Law Prog., Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act: Protections for Transgender Individuals in Health Care Settings 2-3 (2018) (collecting cases), https://healthlaw.org/resource/q-a-section-1557-of-the-affordable-care-act-protections-for-transgender-individuals. [98] 45 C.F.R. § 92.4. [99] Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities, 81 Fed. Reg. 31375, 31390 (May 18, 2016). [100] Franciscan All., Inc. v. Burwell, 227 F. Supp. 3d 660, 696 (N.D. Tex. 2016) (order on motion for preliminary injunction). [101] Rachel Bergman, Web Integrity Project, Language Removals Pertaining to Sex Discrimination from HHS’s Office for Civil Rights Webpages about Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (2018), http://sunlightfoundation.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/CCR-9-HHS-OCR-1557-180716.pdf; U.S. Dep’t of Healthcare Servs., Section 1557: Frequently Asked Questions, https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-individuals/section-1557/1557faqs/index.html (last visited Mar. 19, 2019). [102] Kaiser Family Found., Medicaid Behavioral Health Services Database, https://www.kff.org/data-collection/medicaid-behavioral-health-services-database/ (last visited Apr. 11, 2019). [103] Substance Abuse & Mental Health Servs. Admin., Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices from the States (2016), https://store.samhsa.gov/system/files/sma16-4983.pdf. [104] The Kennedy Forum, Parity Violation Examples, https://www.parityregistry.org/parity-violation-examples/ (last visited Apr. 11, 2019). [105] Cong. Research Serv., Medicaid Alternative Benefit Plan Coverage: Frequently Asked Questions 8 (2018), https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45412.pdf; CMS, Frequently Asked Questions: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Final Rule for Medicaid and CHIP (2017), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/faq101117.pdf. [106] Matt Cohen, La Clínica del Pueblo Opens First LGBTQ Health Center Focused on Latinx In Maryland, Wash. City Paper (June 2, 2017), https://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/news/city-desk/blog/20863518/la-clnica-del-pueblo-opens-first-lgbtq-health-center-focused-on-latinx-in-maryland. Medicaid as an LGBTQ Reproductive Justice Issue: A Primer Candace Gibson and Priscilla Huang The reproductive justice framework is rooted in the belief that all individuals and communities should have the resources and… Webinar: Trump’s Proposed Rollback of the ACA’s Nondiscrimination Protections Candace Gibson, Wayne Turner, and Mara Youdelman At the end of May the Trump administration released a proposed regulation that would undermine or eliminate key protections… National Health Law Program Joins Advocates in Urging Appeals Court to Uphold Constitutionality of Affordable Care Act dfitzgerald Health care advocates including, Families USA, Community Catalyst, National Health Law Program, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, and…

HSO 34019:2015:2015 - Mental Health Services ← All Standards The lifetime prevalence of mental illness continues to increase and affects nearly half the population worldwide, specifically mood and anxiety disorders. These disorders are often underdiagnosed as only two in every five people seek assistance in the year of onset of the disorder. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which clients realize their own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and are able to make a contribution to their community.” HSO’s Mental Health Services standards are for organizations providing mental health services in a variety of settings such as a clinic; community agency; hospital; client’s or family’s home, school, or workplace. Services should be provided in the client’s preferred environment whenever possible and may include mental health promotion and education, early intervention services, crisis intervention, counselling and therapy, treatment, peer/self-help programs, diversion and court support, and social rehabilitation/recreation. HSO’s Mental Health Services standards contain the following sections: Investing in Mental Health Services Having the Right People · Delivering Mental Health Services Maintaining Client Information Monitoring the Safety and Quality of Mental Health Services Who this standard is for HSO’s Mental Health Services standards are for organizations providing mental health services in a variety of settings such as a clinic; community agency; hospital; client’s or family’s home, school, or workplace. Questions about this standard? Want more information? EN - Mental Health Services FR - Services de Santé Mentale Health Services Provider

› Guest Blog – Sarah Schumm, Clinical Fellow, Optometry Guest Blog – Sarah Schumm, Clinical Fellow, Optometry 2020 marked a momentous year for optometry within HEIW. It celebrated the first year of inclusion into the clinical fellowship program, alongside other primary care professions, medical, dental and pharmacy. To say we were excited for the addition is an understatement. Two optometrists were granted fellowships to work with HEIW and Welsh Government, on workforce and contract reform projects. Sarah Schumm was fortunate enough to be one of them. We asked her about her experience and here’s what she had to say… “I am a community optometrist, qualified for 16 years, my background is purely clinical. Being an optometrist can be quite a lonely profession. Yes, clinics are full of patients, but with little time for collaboration with peers. I was keen to explore what other opportunities were available to me outside of my six-by-four meter testing room. The fellowship has certainly delivered. I have discovered a world I had no previous knowledge of, and whilst this has been incredibly exciting and empowering, it has highlighted my ignorance. The learning curve was steep. I have been used to task-and-finishing within a time frame each day. There was a strict routine, with no loose ends. Having that structure was comforting, clear and neat. The total opposite to what I embarked on with the fellowship! Yes, I set myself targets and time-frames, but I was not used to relying on others to meet them. It took some time to acclimatise to this, but the support and engagement I have received from everyone has been overwhelming. I would like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Nik Sheen, who has been very patient with me, allowing me to find my feet, whilst guiding and encouraging me. Myself and Tim, my fellow ‘fellow’, have taken the opportunity to explore every avenue, no matter how obscure, and have thoroughly enjoyed the luxury this fellowship has afforded us. My project is to deliver a workforce strategy for optometry for now and the future. It has been challenging to say the least as nothing like this has been attempted before. We are a workforce that is growing in recognition for the healthcare services we provide. Much of our workforce is constantly up-skilling, taking post graduate courses and gaining extra qualifications to help ease the burden on secondary care. We are being utilised far more by GP’s for further investigations, and by pharmacists for anterior eye complaints. My job this year is to ensure that we have the appropriate workforce to deliver these services throughout the whole of Wales, to ensure equity for all, not just now, but going forward into the future. We are an ageing population, with many eye conditions worsening with age. We need to continue to deliver the advanced care required to maintain the population’s sight. One other area I am keen to explore further is to raise the awareness and importance of optometry, not just to other healthcare providers and the public, but within optometry itself. During the first five months of this fellowship, I have learned so much about the profession I have spent the last 16 years in. Without this opportunity, I may never have discovered it. I would like continual professional development (CPD) to be delivered and available to us like it is other primary care professions, to include reflections and opportunities for alternative learning and advancement. There are so many ways that people within the profession can up-skill themselves, they just aren’t aware of it. Traditionally, we have just delivered eye examinations. However, we are in a position to offer so much more. HEIW will be key to delivering this message and I look forward to the input and resources that will be made available. We are a profession that wants to be utilised. Our response during Covid-19 has highlighted this by our need to continuing to stay open to deliver eye examinations throughout the whole of the pandemic, and immediately volunteering to help with the vaccination program. I am looking forward to the remainder of my fellowship year, my only gripe being that I wish it were for longer!” For further information, or if you’re interested in contacting a fellow, please email heiw@wales.nhs.uk or follow the fellows on Twitter @WelshFellows

ATL Airport District Appoints Heather McCargo as Marketing Manager of Communications, Events Experienced Professional to Help Lead Marketing Efforts for CVB and its Partner Cities ATLANTA – (March 8, 2023) – The ATL Airport District, the destination marketing organization for the cities of College Park, Hapeville and Union City, Georgia, today announced the appointment of Heather McCargo as communications and event marketing manager. McCargo is a marketing professional with extensive media experience and a passion for storytelling. In her new role, she will oversee the marketing efforts surrounding events hosted by the ATL Airport District and its partner cities. “We are thrilled to welcome such a motivated and positive individual to our team,” Cookie Smoak, president of the ATL Airport District, said. “We look forward to seeing Heather leverage her combination of skills in writing, editing, media interaction and interpersonal communication to support all the exciting happenings in the District.” A graduate of Georgia State University with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, McCargo gained experience in the entertainment industry throughout her career. She served as the standards and practices editor for Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros Discovery, where she reviewed a wide variety of content and partnered with production teams to ensure parental guideline ratings aligned with industry standards. Between her tenures working for entertainment companies, McCargo also worked in education as a fifth-grade teacher for Gwinnett County Public Schools. In her free time, McCargo manages the “Burb Is The Word” Instagram account while also contributing to its blog, writing reviews of family-oriented events, small businesses, local restaurants and day trips in and around the North Atlanta suburbs. For more information on the ATL Airport District, call 404-334-7500 or visit www.ATLdistrict.com. For updates on everything in “The District,” follow @ATLDistrict on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. About the ATL Airport District: The ATL Airport District is the official destination marketing organization for the cities of College Park, Hapeville and Union City, Georgia. Home to the world’s most traveled airport, Georgia’s second largest convention center, more than 7,000 hotel rooms, an abundance of arts and culture, an eclectic mix of great restaurants, and located just minutes from downtown Atlanta, the ATL Airport District offers big-city amenities balanced with Southern charm. Cameron Trice, Hemsworth Communications

Numerical methods for optimal experimental design of ill-posed problem TITLE: Numerical methods for optimal experimental design of ill-posed problems SPEAKER: Dr. Eldad Haber While experimental design for well-posed inverse linear problems has been well studied, covering a vast range of well-established design criteria and optimization algorithms, its ill-posed counterpart is a rather new topic. The ill-posed nature of the problem entails the incorporation of regularization techniques. The consequent non-stochastic error introduced by regularization, needs to be taken into account when choosing an experimental design. We discuss different ways to define an optimal design that controls both an average total error of regularized estimates and a measure of the total cost of the design. We also introduce a numerical framework that efficiently implements such designs and natively allows for the solution of large-scale problems. To illustrate the possible applications of the methodology, we consider a borehole tomography example and a two-dimensional function recovery problem. Contact: ISyE DOS Optimization Seminars (http://www2.isye.gatech.edu/dos/) Numerical methods for optimal experimental design of ill-posed problems Contact: Anita RaceH. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems EngineeringContact Anita Race Fees: $0.00 Linear , optimization

Joseph Okpako/WireImage A$AP Rocky Drops New Single 'Same Problems?,' Reveals 'Heavy Hitter' Features On New Album by Mackenzie Cummings-Grady A$AP Rocky has released a new single called “Same Problems?” while revealing some details about his forthcoming album. Featuring background vocals from Lil Yachty and Miguel, the self-produced song finds the A$AP Mob leader in a plaintive mood as he mourns the seemingly endless deaths in Hip Hop. “N-ggas dyin’ every other night / N-ggas cryin’, that’s a part of life / Lyin’ to my face, tryna say that it’s all good / No, I’m not alright,” he softly raps over the stripped-down production before asking: “How many problems get solved if we don’t get involved?” The track was premiered during Rocky’s Amazon Music performance in December, during which photos of 2Pac, Biggie, Nipsey Hussle, Pop Smoke, Mac Miller and other late rappers flashed on the giant on-stage screen behind him. In a rare interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Pretty Flacko explained the inspiration behind “Same Problems?,” admitting he felt guilty for perpetuating violence through his music. “I think I was feeling remorse. I think I was feeling plight,” he said. “I think I was also feeling a sense of guilt, because every time we lose somebody in our community, we all, especially me, have a habit of just saying things like, ‘It’s messed up. It’s wrong. Why do these kind of things happen?’ “I never took time out to really understand that I was part of the problem because I was contributing those kind of lyrics and whatnot to songs. Without preaching too much, I just wanted to touch on something a bit different opposed to just being braggadocios, flamboyant and just regular rap content for me.” In the same interview, Rocky also shed light on his long-awaited fourth album, which is reportedly titled Don’t Be Dumb. In addition to Lil Yachty and Miguel, the project will feature other “heavy hitters” like Tyler, The Creator and Thundercat. “We got some help from a lot of friends there. We got Miguel, we got Tyler, The Creator, we got Lil Yachty here, we got Thundercat,” he told Zane Lowe. “Those are some heavy hitters.” As for his relationship with Tyler — with whom he’s worked numerous times in the past — he said: “That’s why we take so long. It’s him, bro. He play too much man. He want to joke and prank people all day, man. He’s the biggest prankster.” A$AP Rocky & Rihanna Share First Images Of Their 7-Month-Old Son A$AP Rocky went on to say that the album is coming soon and that it will be some of the most grown, self-aware music he’s made. “It’s finished and we just putting the finishing touches on it. It’s coming for sure,” he promised. “I think we all need time for growth. I think that it’s pointless for artists to put out music when they have no fuel or no subject matter. Sometimes, I need to live a bit to give you the right subject matter to convey my experiences.” He added: “The new stuff is me being vulnerable, and it’s just no filter, and just where I’m at, at my stage. My age and how I see things, my peers, the younger kids, the older cats, it’s just my perspective. We come in with some whole new fresh shit. If we talking about inspiration and style and stuff like that, creativity, I do that in my sleep and we’re coming with that. “I think now, my perspective has aged a bit. It’s like fine wine, and I’m starting to become more aware of things that I was oblivious to, things that I ignored, and a lot of things I was ignorant to. I’m more aware. I’ve experienced it firsthand or it’s just in my face every day. I think about encapsulating into albums. I try to figure out how to do that every time.” The Harlem native previously touched on his forthcoming LP in an interview with GQ last month, promising a heavy Metro Boomin presence. “I’m gonna put it to you like this: This next album needs to be just called Flacko Boomin, you hear me?” he said. “Most artists wanna make [collabs just because they’re hot]. For us, it’s like, that’s really my n-gga.” The last full-length album fans got from A$AP Rocky was 2018’s Testing, which boasted appearances from the likes of Frank Ocean, 21 Savage and Kodak Black and debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 with 75,000 first-week units.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash Midwives and Doulas are Tending to Womb Trauma in Women of Color by Nena Lezama July 26, 2022 Pregnancy and giving birth, particularly for a first-time mom, remain somewhat of a mystery for many women. During pregnancy, the mainstream conversation revolves around the dos and don’ts of surviving the intensity of the next nine months. But no one can fully explain it to you in a way you could understand unless you’ve been through it before. The whole experience is, while transformative, also traumatic. It changes you forever. It is exhausting, lonely, depressing, sad, and emotionally and physically draining, all while you’re trying to hold yourself together long enough to care for, feed for, and provide for this new, tiny, fragile life. As vulnerable individuals, we want to ensure we have a team of professionals taking care of every aspect of our lives, putting all our trust and faith in Western society’s standards of gynecology. However, for women of color, many of our traditional expectations, practices, and needs are left out of the birthing and labor conversations. In Western medicine and gynecology, the midwifery and doula work is often ignored — leaving many of us to try to trust our doctors solely. But unfortunately, women of color are losing faith in doctors who have failed to care for us all equally. Recently doulas and midwives have grown in popularity in some states in the U.S. though they’ve always been popular in Latin America. Traditional birth work is important because women of color, particularly Black women, are not receiving the same quality of prenatal care as white women. This fact is a telling sign that modern gynecology practices may not understand the biological, medical, mental, and physical needs of women of color. Dominican twin sisters Dr. Miguelina Rodriguez and Dr. Griselda Rodriguez-Solomon, better known as Brujas of Brooklyn, extensively study women healing amongst marginalized communities. Dr. Rodriguez-Solomon tells HipLatina that “Western gynecology was spearheaded by white men that found a niche in gynecology. They determined that this type of practice was profitable. There was also this idea that If you can control people’s health, then you can control a population”. It’s not shocking to realize that racism and colonialism both have roots in the gynecology field. More surprising is how far back doula practice and midwifery have been pushed out of modern medicine’s prenatal, postnatal, and maternal care dialogue — mainly because it is part of our ancestry. Historically, women relied heavily on community elders to help them give birth. Older and experienced women in tribal environments were considered healers, wise women, and medicine women. They were doctors without the lab coats and the degrees. It was women of color who taught European men their first lessons in gynecology medicine. “You have to think back to the black grand midwives. They were the healthcare providers for their communities before they were enslaved. In this country, the grand midwives got pushed out of births because doctors decided they wanted to start doing it. Doctors used to do home births because it’s what midwives did, but doctors felt more comfortable in the hospitals, so they moved it to the hospitals,” certified birth doula and postpartum doula Annette Perel tells HipLatina. She continues to share that doctors attached academic qualifications to their profession so that midwives would be considered “unqualified” and unable to practice. Knowing that the practice of doulas and midwives is part of history for women of color can help us feel safer with this type of birth work. Understanding the sacred connection we may have with birth workers can impact our birthing and postpartum experience. Mainly because, as women of color, we already have traumas lingering in our system. “Centuries of structural forms of oppression, specifically the TransAtlantic Slave Trade, have left profound spiritual and emotional wounds that people of African descent have passed on, through the bloodline, from one generation to the next.” Dr. Rodriguez-Solomon explains. She adds that women of color inherit these traumas that manifest in the womb. This, combined with unhealthy family dynamics, low quality of food, high-stress environments, and low socioeconomic status, can create multiple issues and mental health problems for WOC specifically Black women. Essentially, we don’t have the support needed to raise a child in a healthy environment and none of this is typically discussed in a gynecology office. “Birth is a very spiritual experience. We transverse many realms when we are giving birth. Even with an unmedicated birth, you have to transcend the pain. It’s a moment where a first-time mother, in particular, but all people, when giving birth and bringing another human life to earth, changes the biochemical brain patterns (research-backed), and heart space can open. Trauma or fear attached to the process can really push people into a form of depression or disassociation.” Dr. Rodriguez-Solomon shares. Marginalized communities have endured trauma for decades, from slavery and colonization to racism, assimilation, food insecurity, and low-quality health and educational resources. Living through oppression can cause PTSD, which manifests in symptoms of anxiety, dissociation, irritability, and drastic mood changes. “Our communities have been so devastated in many areas of life that it’s hard to get back to that community center. Imagine living in poverty, already trying to figure out where your next meal is coming from, and now you have to worry about taking care of a baby. We have no support. The system is not set up to help us,” Perel explains. The stress that comes with being a minority in this country can be triggered during pregnancy or at birth which the fetus can absorb. That fetus then becomes a baby who believes mom’s triggers are their own and mom’s trauma is their own. “If a mom is stressed, it affects her milk production, her ability to bond with her baby, her sleep and mood patterns, and all of that affects the baby,” Perel says. She explains that every traumatic event the mother experiences in her life can be triggered during pregnancy or birth and that trauma then shapes the new cells, biologically passing down distress, fear, and trauma to the fetus. This is how generational trauma develops. This is why advocating for peaceful birth work, and a trusting team is crucial to the birthing process. It makes a lasting impression on both mom and baby’s life. It can change the trajectory of both of their lives. With this growing rise in awareness around doula work and midwifery. Home births, natural births, and dialogue amongst women have brought up our natural and inherited ability to heal, care for one another, and care for the most vulnerable. While modern medicine and traditional medicine practices differ in many ways, many hospitals can now integrate both a gynecology team and a midwife and doula. Patient advocacy is the responsibility of the patient. Still, those who practice traditional birth work believe that improving prenatal and postnatal care is in the hands of all women. Dr. Rodriguez-Solomon says, “before men took over, women were the healers.”

Link between Your Diet and the Risk of Acquiring Cancer By Anis In NUTRITION , Vegetarian It is general knowledge that vegetarian food is the most nutritious. Foods from plants prove to have more vitamins and minerals and help in having a longer and stronger life. Diseases, which are chronic in nature and even seasonal illnesses can be reduced and possibly even eliminated by eating food that is in its natural state. These natural foods contain large quantities of enzymes, minerals and vitamins and whole other nutrients that help us in sustainability in providing topnotch health and give us energy and stamina. Restraints, hotels and drive-ins are some of the areas we frequently visit and though these are great occasionally, they can render us incapacitated if we visit them often. Needless to say we can live for the good hundred years that we are originally meant to if we reduce the amount of junk we consume. Yes, this includes your favorite potato chips and your love for sugary candy. Vegetarian diets are considered healthy, nutritious and it also helps in having a longer life by eradicating the complete use of meat, this includes fishes, poultry and often-even eggs. Vegetarians eat foods from plants and eliminate the use of all of the above from their palettes. Sometimes vegetarians can also turn into vegans wherein they don’t take animal by products including diary products like cheese, milk, cream, butter and others. They don’t eat meat and neither do they eat diary products. Vegetarians however consume diary products. This may seem bland and boring but actually it isn’t and it proves to have positive effects in the long term. Research has shown that there is a positive link between chronic terminal illnesses like cancer and the kind of food one eats and hence it isn’t surprising that a vegetarian diet is good for you and enables you to reduce the risk of cancer. Can the risk of acquiring cancer be reduced if one switches to a vegetarian diet? There are an increasing number of researches undertaken by scientists and nutritionists in the dietary field. Extensive research has shown a positive link or correlation between vegetarian diet and cancer reduction. Thus, it is now a proven fact that reducing meat or completely eliminating meat from your diet can have a good impact on reducing cancer. Vegetarian food is completely plant based and hence it is rich in several nutrients like fibers and fresher vitamins and minerals. These are used in combinations to prevent and eliminate cancer especially cancers that are common like digestive ones like colon cancer and oral ones. Fiber intake is linked to prevention of cancer and studies have shown that countries, which consume more fiber, have a lesser risk of developing cancer especially cancer like colon cancer and other digestive related cancers. Countries like the United States and Europe have more meat in their food habits and therefore there is less fiber in their diets causing a higher rate of digestive tract related cancers. Why is it that Fiber Works in Preventing Cancer? Well, it is unknown why or how fiber helps prevent cancer but research is being currently undertaken for it. Doctors and other scientists claim that fiber is not a substance that is digested and hence it pushes food through the large intestine and small intestine. This way it moves through food carrying cancer causing substances like carcinogens from the food and helps flush the toxins out of the body from the digestive tract. Water, which is present in large quantities in fiber, helps in diluting these cancer-causing substances and hence the risk of developing cancer is much lesser. Fiber also acts as a binding agent by binding together and combining with bile juices from the gall bladder. The acids present in bile turns in cancer causing substances by bacteria present in the gut. When they are bound by fiber they are unable to get digested and hence they are thrown out of the body via excretion. Fiber gets fermented in the colon causing the pH level to rise causing the tract to become acidic in nature. This in turn reduces the pH of the bile making it less effective in causing cancer. Even stomach cancer and breast cancer are known to be prevented by usage of fiber, owing to the fact of its effect on reducing cancer-causing particles. Moreover, the intake of fiber reduces the quantity of estrogens present in the body and this by itself helps reducing the risk of acquiring breast cancer. Eating a vegetarian diet or incorporating more fiber into your diet will help prevent cancer. Fruits and vegetables like beans, carrots, and pumpkins have high quantity of fiber. In addition to that lentils and grains can also be incorporated. It is best to consume about 40 grams of fiber every day. Vegetarian Diets and Fat Consumption of high amounts of fat has been linked to breast cancer and colon cancer. The easiest and simplest way to reduce the intake of fat is to switch from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian diet. Due to lack of meat vegetarian diets are said to be less fatty and hence reduces beefing up. Studies have shown that those areas in the world, which consumes lower amounts of fat, have lesser rates of breast and colon cancer cases. Reducing your intake on dietary fat from milk and cheese and other milk products can help you fight breast cancer and help eliminate cancer-causing substances after being diagnosed with breast cancer. It must be noted that vegetarian diets are not fat free but simply has lesser amounts of fat. Fats are also found in vegetables in the form of vegetable oils and seed oils. The fat found in animals is considered more cancer producing. A vegetarian diet will reduce and eradicate the animal fats and this in turn will reduce the chances of acquiring cancer. Studies show that there is an increase in estrogens due to an increase in hormones caused by eating more animal products like meat and this increase in estrogen can cause breast cancer. Animal fat when inside the body increases the amount of bile acids produced by the gall bladder and this can increase colon cancer. It is best to follow a rule of thumb of consuming a diet with less that 14 per cent fat. Following a Vegetarian Diet Can Help In Other Ways Beta-carotene is found in vegetables like carrots and beetroots and turnips and even in some fruits. They are also abundantly found in leafy and green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. These are cancer eliminating nutrients and helps in prevention of several forms of cancers including bladder cancer, lung cancer, laryngeal and oral cancer. Chemicals like indoles and flavones are found in vegetarian diets and studies have shown that these are essential substances in preventing and even fighting cancer. Fruits like pomegranates and apples are rich in antioxidants and these are found in abundance in vegetarian diets and plant-based diets. These help eliminate and fight free radicals, which can give rise to cancer producing cells. Vegan or vegetarian diets produce better immunity due to the greater amount of minerals and vitamins and other important enzymes. They also have other chemicals and natural nutrients that are not present in meat eating diets and hence these are useful in preventing cancer. The natural killer cell activity is more in vegetarians and this reduces and kills cancerous cells and cancer causing substances that are present in the body. On the whole it is believed that vegetarian diets can help eradicating cancers and other terminal illnesses. It will build your immunity against cancer and is a healthy alternative for those seeking safety and security from cancerous substances. Intermittent Fasting & Intermittent Diets by Anis | Jan 7, 2019 Intermittent fasting and intermittent dieting has become quite the health craze in the modern world. But did you know that there are many ancient cultures that have integrated fasting for spiritual, mental, and physical health long before dieting fads? Catholics:... Finding Your Motivation To Shed The Stubborn Pounds by Anis | Nov 22, 2018 One of the biggest obstacles that most people face when trying to achieve their weight loss goals is a loss of motivation. While everything may have seemed exciting and fun in the planning stages or when they were making their New Year’s Day resolution to transform... Be Competitive To Lose Weight And Get Fit Competition is a motivational tool that’s been used for centuries. People compete in games, among their peers and with themselves. 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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘we are loved today. Jesus is with us today’ tag. Wanting to Jump to the End of the Story April 28, 2014 in Uncategorized | Tags: God's perfect plan, Live for today, living for today, we are loved today. Jesus is with us today, we can't handle the truth | Leave a comment “So they asked Him, saying; ‘Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?'” Luke 21:7 “They asked Him, saying ‘Lord will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?'” Acts 1:6 I’m not sure if it is this way with all writers, but for me, I love to read. Now as it comes to the end of the book, there are two major types of readers: the first, reads all the way through never taking a peek at what is to come; the second, starts the book, but very quickly, leafs back to the last few pages and reads the end. Ugh, I must admit I am the latter of those two types. I try and I try; don’t go to the back, wait to see what happens, I tell myself. Alas, at some point, I am going to break down and go to the back to read the ending. Fortunately, no matter how surprising or different than I thought, it doesn’t spoil the book for me. For I find myself just as intrigued about how the author will bring about that ending as I would be not knowing the ending. Toward the end of His ministry, His disciples and a few others closest to Him, were acquiring the understanding that Jesus was truly different than anyone who had come before. The disciples would even declare that He was the Son of God, although until the Holy Spirit, they did not grasp the full power of that revelation. Jesus had been telling them about things that were going to happen in the near future; His death and resurrection, so that when they happened; the disciples would believe in Jesus. So given Jesus’ ability to see the future and His special relationship with His Heavenly Father, it would seem only natural that Jesus would know about the end of the world and the restoration of God’s Kingdom. It is also only natural for the disciples to be curious and ask about it? They wanted to hear about the end of the story that they had been so involved in the writing. They wanted to flip to the back of the book. Jesus answer must have been a little frustrating. For Jesus never gave them the clarity and definiteness of an answer they were looking for. For one, as far as an exact date; Jesus was very clear, He did not know. Even being God’s own Son, He was not privy to that information. God alone knows the exact timing. Second, remember Jesus was a human being as well as the Son of God. That means that Jesus understood how we thought, understood our limitations as it applies to living in a linear time; that is hour to day to month to year to so on and on, kind of existence. Jesus knew and knows that although we ask for, seemingly desperately seek after, the end of the story future truth, end a slight change to the famous words uttered in a movie: “We can’t handle the truth!” Here’s the issue: What if God revealed the specifics of His future plan, in detail with us? What if God laid out His plan, perfect plan that it is, day by day to us? Remembering that the plan is perfect, yet: What if the plan had some tragic, painful, disastrous segment included in it? On the other hand, what if God’s plan had some glorious, uplifting, tremendously positive segment that was going to take years to get to? Think about how much more difficult our lives could be; how much more likely we would be to miss the blessings of each day; how much more likely we would be to overlook the joys, love, needs and ministering to those God has put into our lives now because we knew and were either dreading or anticipating greatly our future. Would Joseph have gone out to meet his brothers if he knew they would beat him and sell him into slavery? Would Mary have gone through being Jesus Mother, if she knew the crucifixion was going to happen? Jesus understands both our limitations and our needs. So in love, He gave us the only answer He could. He gave us the truth that we could handle. Jesus gave us a framework of future times. He warned us that His returning to heaven was not going to usher in a time of heaven on earth. He warned them (and in so doing us) of the trials and tribulations to come. He extolled them to remain faithful as they/we watch. Finally, Jesus gave us much, much more. He gave us the promise that, no matter what each day held, however the future might unfold, one future truth was certain; we are loved. No earthly circumstances can ever sever that love. No matter the earthly tragedy, Jesus promised that we will be comforted. Even should our physical bodies be broken, Jesus promised safety and peace for our eternal souls. And Jesus extolled us; concentrate on today. For today is what we can impact. Today is where our love makes a difference. Today is when the world needs to see our lives faithfully lived in Love of Our Heavenly Father and in Praise to His Most Holy Name. The story does have an end. The ending will be perfect and glorious. How many pages are there until then? God only knows. So let’s concentrate on being on the same page. The page that truly matters right now. The page of today. Our Most Gracious Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that You are Creator God; Your existence is eternal and Your plan is perfect. Forgive us Merciful Father when we want to overlook today, to attempt to ascertain the plan of the future. Through Your Spirit, help us to be fully grounded in today; embracing the blessings it contains as well as seeing to the needs of others that you have placed with us. Keep us from becoming focused on tomorrow so that we forget to praise You for today. That we may strive to live in Your Love of today, which is the same everyday and praise Your Most Holy Name for it. In the Name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen

Informal discussions of policy with former Provisional President Henriquez y Carvajal—Reports of the military governor—Establishment of an Advisory Council of Dominicans Informal discussions of policy with former Provisional President Henriquez y Carvajal—Reports of the military governor—Establishment of an Advisory Council of Dominicans2 2. A general survey of conditions and accomplishments through the year 1919 is given in the booklet Santo Domingo, Its Past and Its Present Condition, published by the Military Government, Jan. 1, 1920. [49] The Consul at Santo Domingo (Edwards), Temporarily in Charge of the Legation in the Dominican Republic, to the Acting Secretary of State Santo Domingo, March 23, 1919. [Received April 3.] 839.00/2126 [50] The Military Governor of Santo Domingo (Snowden) to the Secretary of the Navy (Daniels) Santo Domingo, 17 April, 1919. [51] The Acting Secretary of State to the Consul at Santo Domingo (Edwards), Temporarily in Charge of the Legation in the Dominican Republic Washington, April 24, 1919, 4 p.m. 839.00/2127: Telegram [52] The Secretary General of the Commission to Negotiate Peace (Grew) to the Acting Secretary of State [Paris,] April 25, 1919. [Received May 13.] Santo Domingo, May 1, 1919, 7 a.m. [Received May 3, 1.10 p.m.] [54] The Minister in the Dominican Republic (Russell) to the Acting Secretary of State Santo Domingo, June 3, 1919. [Received June 19.] [55] The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in the Dominican Republic (Russell) Washington, June 20, 1919. [56] The Minister in the Dominican Republic (Russell) to the Secretary of State Santo Domingo, August 8, 1919. [Received August 22.] [57] The Acting Secretary of the Navy (Roosevelt) to the Secretary of State Washington, August 27, 1919. [Santo Domingo,] 28 August, 1919. [59] Doctor Henriquez y Carvajal to the Acting Chief of the Division of Latin American Affairs of the Department of State (Johnson) Washington, September 5, 1919. [60] The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Navy (Daniels) [61] Memorandum of Mr. J. C. Dunn of the Division of Latin American Affairs of the Department of State [Washington,] September 8, 1919. [Washington,] September 13, 1919. Washington, September 13, 1919, 5 p.m. 839.00/2147a: Telegram Santo Domingo, September 15, 1919, 5 p.m. [Received September 17, 10.40 a.m.] [65] Doctor Henriquez y Carvajal to the Secretary of State Washington, September 18, 1919. [66] The Secretary of State to the Minister in the Dominican Republic (Russell) Santo Domingo, October 10, 1919. [Received October 20.] Washington, October 27, 1919. Santo Domingo, October 29, 1919, 6 p.m. [Received October 30, 5.16 a.m.] Washington, October 30, 1919, 6 p.m. [71] The Military Governor of Santo Domingo (Snowden) to the Chief of Naval Operations (Coontz) [Santo Domingo,] 1 November, 1919. Santo Domingo, 7 November, 1919. Santo Domingo, December 5, 1919. [Received December 26.] Washington, December 10, 1919, 2 p.m. 123R911/115c: Telegram Cuba: (Documents 1-35) Czechoslovakia: (Documents 36-44) Danzig: (Documents 45-48) Dominican Republic: (Documents 49-93) Political and economic affairs (Documents 49-74) Informal discussions of policy with former Provisional President Henriquez y Carvajal—Reports of the military governor—Establishment of an Advisory Council of Dominicans (Documents 49-74) Ecuador: (Documents 94-128) Hungary: (Documents 367-368) Persia: (Documents 672-691) Salvador: (Documents 768-777) Yugoslavia: (Documents 830-834)

The Secretary of War (Patterson) to the Secretary of State Washington, February 13, 1946. Dear Mr. Secretary: The Office of Military Government has advised the War Department of a development in the Coordinating Committee of the Allied Control Council for Germany which threatens to obstruct further progress in the completion of the reparations program. As you know, agreement has been reached in the Control Council that Germany would be permitted to retain steel production capacity of 7.5 million ingot tons and that annual production of steel in Germany would be limited in any one year to 5.8 million ingot tons. Although, for a short time, the British representative on the Control Council insisted that levels of production in other industries should be established on the basis of 7.5 million ingot tons of steel, the Office of Military Government has now advised the War Department that the British have agreed to the preparation of a level of industries plan based on an annual production of 5.8 million ingot tons of steel, without committing themselves to final acceptance of such a plan. However, at a meeting of the Coordinating Committee on February 1, 1946, the French representative officially presented a request that in determining the specific steel plants to be left in Germany under the decision fixing production capacity at 7.5 million tons, the study should be based upon two alternatives: (1) that Germany will retain its present geographic boundaries West of the Oder-Neisse line and (2) that the Saar will be annexed to France. General Clay advised the French representative that the American delegation would not consider reparations under the second alternative, since it felt itself bound by the Potsdam Agreement to treat Germany as an economic unit. General Clay pointed out that the exclusion of the Saar from Germany would not only affect the entire reparations program in the remainder of Germany but would also affect delivery of reparations. The British representative expressed a willingness to make the study requested by the French but stated that any conclusions with respect thereto would be beyond the scope of his authority under the Potsdam Agreement. The Russian representative took the position that there was no question involved inasmuch as the decision had already been made at Potsdam that the remainder of Germany, except as provided in the Potsdam Agreement, would be treated as an economic unit. General Clay has advised the War Department of his view that until this question is resolved little progress can be made in the completion of the reparations program. Moreover, he expresses his view that the question cannot even be studied in Berlin until it is resolved at governmental levels by reason of the fact that the Soviet representative will refuse to make any studies of reparations which do not treat Germany as an economic unit within the terms of the Potsdam Agreement. I am, therefore, calling this problem to your attention as a matter of urgency with the request that the State Department resolve the issue with the French Government and that the War Department be [Page 503] advised concerning the instructions to be transmitted to the Office of Military Government for Germany (US) as to their future course.35 Robert P. Patterson In his reply of February 16 to Mr. Patterson, Secretary Byrnes indicated that the problem of Germany’s Western frontier was one which would have to be solved on a quadripartite intergovernmental basis. The State Department concurred in General Clay’s previously raised objections to the French proposal to exclude the Saar from Germany and observed that the entire Level of Industry Plan would be affected by such a move (740.00119 Control (Germany)/2–1346).↩

How to Implement HIPAA-Compliant Video Conferencing for Healthcare Providers by John S. Kim, Cofounder and CEO of SendBird 07/15/2020 Leave a Comment John S. Kim, Cofounder and CEO of SendBird Video-conferencing software like Zoom has been getting a lot of attention of late as more and more people turn to digital tools to communicate remotely, whether to stay connected with loved ones, keep work flowing, or communicate with clients. Healthcare is certainly no exception. A global FICO study found that around 80% of people want to use their mobile phones to interact with doctors and other healthcare providers. Digital healthcare solutions were already on the rise before the global outbreak COVID-19, but given the high risk of transmission and the enormous pressure healthcare providers are under, there is a greater need than ever for remote healthcare solutions that reduce interpersonal contact while allowing doctors to continue to deliver a high standard of care. The challenge? Many popular video-conferencing tools simply aren’t HIPAA-compliant, which means they can’t legally be used to provide the remote care that’s called for. For instance, grave concerns have been raised around Zoom’s security. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) aims to protect patient privacy and ensure that patients have easy access to their medical records. So what makes a video-conferencing tool HIPAA-compliant? When it comes to video conferencing, both the HIPAA Privacy Rule and the Security Rule apply. In a nutshell, HIPAA-compliance means that any software used to store or communicate data pertaining to patients’ personal health information needs to adhere to stringent security and privacy standards. Let’s take a closer look at what that entails. The Basics of HIPAA-Compliant Video Conferencing With the growth of telehealth, video conferencing commonly involves the transmission of protected health information (PHI) including the following: Name or social security number Home or business address Dates (of appointments, payments, etc.) Telephone number, email address or fax number Medical record number Health plan or insurance number Payment information (e.g. account number) Device identifiers such as serial numbers Internet Protocol (IP) address or web URLs Biometric identifiers (fingerprint, retina scan or voice recording) Photographic images or video material Vehicle identifiers such as license or registration number Any other characteristics that may be used to identify an individual HIPAA Implementation Essentials There are a number of measures that healthcare industry stakeholders that deal with the transmission of ePHI can take to ensure that they remain HIPAA-compliant, particularly in the crowded video-conferencing landscape where non-compliance is running rife. Let’s take a look at some of the key considerations. One of the critical considerations when it comes to video conferencing is ensuring that bad actors and unauthorized third parties cannot gain access to the video call or the data generated in the course of the call. This raises the question of encryption. Does your video-conferencing software use encryption? How easy is it to access the encryption key? End-to-end encryption is the golden standard for HIPAA compliance because it means that only the devices used to make the video call have access to the encryption key. Peer-to-Peer Connection Another important question to consider is routing. Does the video connect your computer or handheld device directly to your patient’s device, or does it get routed through a server? Direct peer-to-peer routing makes for much faster and better quality video conferencing and offers security benefits. However, for true HIPAA-compliance, your video-conferencing tool should also be encrypted end-to-end. Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) are another essential aspect of HIPAA-compliance. This agreement stipulates that all concerned parties will take active measures to ensure that protected health information is appropriately safeguarded. Vendor Access and Auditing Another crucial consideration for HIPAA compliance is who has access to sensitive personal data. Video conferencing providers may protect patient data from outside eyes, but what about their own employees? It’s crucial that vendors have administrative, physical, and technical safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized users from accessing any information classified as ePHI. For instance, only a select few authorized individuals should have sign-in credentials, all devices including smartphones and tablets should be password protected (preferably 2FA), and the video conferencing software itself should feature user authentication and be password protected. Ideally, vendors should have robust auditing measures in place and be able to generate reports containing logs of who accessed each file containing ePHI, and when. This can be invaluable in protecting healthcare practitioners when isolated intentional violations occur, as well as in identifying and addressing vulnerabilities such as employees not being sufficiently familiar with compliance best practice. Accidental Violations While tools like Zoom might technically qualify as HIPAA-compliant if they turn off certain features for healthcare users, you could still violate HIPAA regulations simply by sending your patient a meeting invitation or inadvertently storing their information in your Zoom account. This is why it’s important to partner with a vendor that understands the HIPAA regulations inside and out and help you to avoid violating them inadvertently. How to Choose HIPAA-Compliant Video Conferencing Building any video conferencing software from scratch is enormously complex and takes a lot of time and resources. With the added complication of needing to be HIPAA-compliant, this task becomes even more challenging. It’s much, much easier to simply use an industry-leading video conferencing tool that’s HIPAA-compliant right out of the box and integrate that into your own telehealth app or platform. However, it’s vital that you select a video API that was built with HIPAA-compliance in mind from the start, instead of choosing one where it was merely added as an afterthought. Here are some tips for choosing a HIPAA-compliant video-conferencing vendor: Make sure they offer a BAA Check whether they offer end-to-end encryption and which encryption standard they use Ask whether the calls are routed through a server or peer-to-peer Inquire as to their access control as well as audit control standards Find out what safeguards they have in place Read reviews and testimonials from other healthcare industry professionals that have used their software With this knowledge, you can rest assured that your doctor-to-patient video calls as well as discussions between colleagues and consultations with specialists will remain securely encrypted and 100% HIPAA-compliant. About John Kim John S. Kim is the Cofounder and CEO of SendBird (Y Combinator W16), a B2B startup providing a messaging solution for enterprises. The platform currently serves tens of millions of monthly active users and many of the best-known logos around the world, like Yahoo! Sports, GO-JEK, Hinge and one of the most active websites in the world. John is a serial entrepreneur and an expert in the messaging space. Tagged With: API, Box, Digital Healthcare, health insurance, HIPAA, hipaa-compliant, medical records, patient privacy, PHI, risk, telehealth, video, Vital, Y Combinator

Screenwriting Alumna Debuts Novel Amy Talkington ‘88 released her first novel “Liv, Forever” in March During her high school years, Amy Talkington ‘88 was just another Hockaday student. Now, she is living the life of her dreams in Hollywood as an award-winning screenwriter, director and now author of her first novel, “Liv, Forever,” which was released on March 11. Published by Soho Teen, teenage fiction novel “Liv, Forever” centers around love and the supernatural. Motivated by the Occupy Movement, a series of international protests against social and economic inequality, Talkington wanted to convey the divide between the people of the U.S. through a novel. “[It] comes to play in the school’s mythology and conspiracy,” she said. “Liv, Forever” is set at a boarding school, inspired by the two high schools Talkington attended—Hockaday and Choate Rosemary Hall, a co-ed boarding school in Wallingford, Conn. Before Talkington began writing novels, however, she wrote screenplays. Many of her Hockaday teachers, including Fine Arts Department Chair Ed Long, inspired her career in the film industry. “She was an interesting blend of someone who had incredible concentration and someone who could have certain joy in things,” Long said. “In some ways, that’s very predictive of film directing because you have to concentrate on a dime, yet what you may be concentrating on has to appear effortless.” These qualities helped Talkington advance in her career as a screenwriter. “To be a happy screenwriter in Hollywood, you have to derive pleasure from what you do on a day-to-day basis and not get too invested in the final outcome,” Talkington said. One of the many struggles of screenwriting, Talkington said, is accepting defeat when movies are either developed, but never completed, or completely rewritten by someone else. As a result, Talkington transitioned from screenwriting to novel writing. “Publishing a novel has helped mitigate all that because I’m putting something into the world, and it wasn’t even rewritten by anyone except me,” Talkington said. Talkington had to delve deep into her past and explore herself in order to obtain a clear idea for the main character of her novel before writing. She wanted to portray Liv as similar to her true teenage self: “an artist…[who] projected a tough attitude but when it came down to it was emotionally vulnerable,” Talkington said. “I’d have to say that the character of Liv was my inspiration….she’s a heightened version of my teenage self, and I wanted to explore that,” she said. Talkington also wanted to publish a novel because of her interest in the supernatural. “I’ve been interested in ghosts and the supernatural world for a long time, so I started to think about how I might craft a ghost story involving a character like Liv,” she said. While writing “Liv, Forever,” Talkington read specific books to research how ghosts had been portrayed in recent teenage fiction novels. These books included “The Name of the Star” by Maureen Johnson, “The Diviners” by Libba Ray, “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman, “Ghostgirl” by Tonya Hurley and “The Lovely Bones” by Alice Sebold. After pondering the “ghost rules,” Talkington said, she wrote her own story, focusing on how ghosts interact with the world and themselves. “To me, the story is all about learning to love,” she said. “That is really Liv’s journey—learning to love herself, her art and others.” Talkington recently received the Junior Library Guild Selection Award of 2014 for “Liv, Forever.” Her novel was also awarded the “Best Young Adult Book of the Month” by Amazon.com. She is currently writing a sequel to “Liv, Forever,” as well as a feature film script. Talkington’s achievements include writing and directing several feature films, short films and TV shows in her career. Some of these include “Night of the White Pants,” “Second Skin” and Disney’s “Avalon High.” She has received many awards for her achievements, such as the Writer’s Guild Award for “Outstanding Children’s Script” in 2011 for “Avalon High” and the New Line Cinema Award in 1998 for “Best Director” for “Second Skin.” But no number of awards will hinder Talkington from striving to attain higher goals. Her publisher at Soho Teen, Meredith Barnes, has high hopes for the future as well. “I would hope that we’re getting ‘Liv, Forever’ on the big or small screen,” Barnes said. “Amy has been hard at work putting together a great group of people that want to see [it] filmed, it’s coming along swimmingly so far.” In support of “Liv, Forever,” Talkington will be reading and signing books at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Park in Dallas on Friday at 7 p.m. – Erin Thomas

HOLY SPIRIT VIDEO SERIES /The Spirit Gives Witness & The Spirit Remembers (Postponed) Monday, December 14, 2020, 6:30 PM

Through the Viewfinder: A Quartet of Snapshots of Charles Lindbergh at the Los Angeles Coliseum, 20 September 1927 Today, I finished A. Scott Berg’s absorbing Pulitzer Prize-winning 1998 biography of Charles Lindbergh, the legendary “Lone Eagle” whose solo flight across the Atlantic from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis in May 1927 was one of those very rare epochal events and which also instantly made the attention-averse aviator the most famous person on the planet. The book was a fascinating deep dive, with total access to the papers of Lindbergh and his remarkable wife Anne Morrow, a writer of great distinction, into the highly complex, multi-faceted life of the aviator. Lindbergh worked on important scientific endeavors, advocated strongly for the promotion of aviation technology, fought in battles against the Japanese in the Pacific during World War II despite his highly controversial “America First” anti-war speeches and despite the fact that he was not in military service, lived and worked with indigenous people in Africa and Asia, and was a passionate conservationist, coming to sour on what his achievement and what aviation did to the planet. Los Angeles Times, 21 September 1927. As Berg sensitively discussed, his marriage to Morrow was extraordinarily complicated and his relationship with her and their five surviving children (the eldest, Charles, Jr., was kidnapped and killed in 1932 and which is one of the most dramatic elements of the biography) was marked by his frequent absences, his strictness, his often withering criticisms and other facets that were not publicly known. What Berg, or Anne or her children, did not know was that Lindbergh had six other children by three women, although there was an affair of a few years running by Anne in the later 1950s, as well. What the book is an apt reminder of, among many things, is the issue of exalted celebrity juxtaposed with the frequently flawed but also often admirable qualities of Berg’s subject—a figure who accomplished a great deal in his 72 years, but, for many, was forever identified for his anti-Semitic remarks during his calls for American neutrality during the war. Having put the book down just a little while ago, this seems a good time to share a set of four snapshots take from the stands at the Los Angeles Coliseum on 20 September 1927 when hordes of cheering admirers, with some sources stating 60-65,000 in attendance with most of them children, welcomed the hero during his months-long tour of the nation following his fabled flight. The Los Angeles Times, in its coverage of Lindbergh’s day in the Angel City, proclaimed: For seven, mad memorable hours yesterday Los Angeles and her adjacent sister cities put on their greatest show. A slim, modest, blue-eyed youngster—the stamp of illimitable distances and horizons on his face—was the cause. The lonely voyageur of the air lanes, bronze and scored, but with the same old smile flashing out now and then, was back after a six-months’ absence—back as Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, conqueror of the sinister Atlantic, America’s “lone eagle,” me[t]amorphosed in those six months from a relatively unknown pilot into the world’s most beloved modern hero. The piece went on to note that old men threw their hats in the air and danced a jig, while women wept and everyone else cheered, roared and shrieked, while Lindbergh kept his poise and displayed the calm unruffled and modest demeanor for which he was rapidly becoming known during these early days of his apotheosis as a national (and world) hero. Times, 21 September 1927. The paper separately reported that, given the approximately 250,000 admirers who thronged the city to see “Lucky Lindy,” there were relatively few accidents. 16-year-old Walter Stanley was riding to the Coliseum for the big event there when his motorcycle collided with an automobile and the teen suffered a leg fracture, fractured skull and likely internal injuries and was not expected to survive. Two men, including a Los Angeles Police Department motorcycle officer, and five women were moderately injured because of accidents, though it was added that an American Red Cross station at the stadium was not used at all. At the Coliseum, the Times reported, some 90% of the crowd was comprised of young people and “when the gates were thrown open at noon a tumbling, laughing throng of merry school children made a grand rush for the front seats,” so that, within an hour or so, “the great bowl was a veritable rainbow of color, with young America clamoring noisily for the arrival of their hero.” There was music from the Army 160th Infantry Band and the Roberts Golden State Band until a rumble was heard in one of the tunnels at about 3:30. When Lindbergh arrived “on the flower-covered car carrying a small replica of his famous Spirit of St. Louis,” he was driven around the massive venue to the full-throated cheers of the crowd and then taken to a platform at the center of the field, where a system was set up for remarks to be broadcast on several regional radio stations. Introductory remarks were made by “Mr. Los Angeles,” attorney and renowned local orator Joseph Scott, who declared that “this youth who is [a] model of American young manhood fought his way through darkness to the light, went along the hard trail of grinding and sacrifice for a service he believed in.” Scott begged those in the stadium to support a municipal airport (Mines Field near Inglewood became the city airport and is now Los Angeles International) as well as the use of air mail, imploring the children to “go when you leave here to the nearest mail box and send [a letter] to grandpa, grandma or anyone else you can think of.” When Lindbergh stepped to the microphone, however, he “made it plain to his hearers that his present tour is not one of the conquering hero, but one to foster a science to which he had dedicated his life, that of making flying the foremost transportation of the day.” He told the crowd, This tour you have heard so much of was conceived and is being carried out for the one and only purpose of promoting commercial aviation in this country to a practical basis. Commercial aviation should be distinguished from pioneer aviation . . . commercial aviation chiefly deals with passenger, express and mail carrying, the latter being the only well-developed division . . . While the pioneering division includes development of designs, testing and experimentation, the latter coming under the category of hazardous flights. It is not pleasant to look back upon tragedies that have followed in the wake of aerial transportation development . . . the risks of pioneering are materially insignificant in comparison to the results which will have been attained when America has placed her air lanes on a practicable basis. Commercial aviation is comparatively safe and compares favorably with other forms of transportation which have been in service for years . . . and while casualties will continue, they will have no effect whatever upon the future of commercial aviation. The aviator hoped that transoceanic air travel on consistent schedules would be achievable in his lifetime, provided that the commercial aspect on land was improved so that “the people come to depend upon it as the fastest form of transportation.” The former took some time, but movement in passenger air travel proved to be rapidly pursued and initiated, while air mail service expanded dramatically. He echoed Scott by stating that a municipally owned airport in every major city would assist markedly in broadening commercial aviation’s development and reach. After airports, the most important component was “the construction of passenger and express air liners. Obviously, Lindbergh could hardly envision that, by the time of his death just under a half-century later, we would have supersonic jets, much less space travel to the moon. In his popular column, “The Lancer,” Times journalist Harry Carr remarked that Lindbergh “is, no doubt, a great flyer; but he is also a mighty fine boy. If America can produce enough of his kind, it doesn’t matter much whether or not they know how to fly.” He professed that “it is a great deal easier to get into an airplane and fly to Paris —with a 100-1 chance of getting there alive—than for a young boy to keep his head and charming modesty in the midst of all this hullabaloo.” Covina Argus, 23 September 1927. Because of the broadcasting of his speech, those who didn’t venture into Los Angeles to see the “Lone Eagle” in person could tune in via radio and the Covina Argus, for example, reported that big crowds gathered at the city’s music store and radio shop to listen to the reception and Lindbergh’s approximately 300-word address. As for the effect he had on his hearers, the Van Nuys News noted that Dick Holloway, captain of the local high school football team, substituted for his father as one of the welcoming committee members from the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. The teen wrote to the paper saying that he thought the aviator would be fixated on his aircraft, but noted Lindbergh’s calmness as he shook hands with dignitaries, including Holloway. Calling him “just a perfect example of American youth,” the high schooler added, I never realized what a young looking fellow he is. His hair was short and mussed up, and carried the characteristics of a typical young fellow of about eighteen. He impressed me like no other personage has ever done, and I consider him America’s greatest hero. Notwithstanding, Holloway’s limited experience in life, he was, of course, hardly alone in placing the aviator on a pedestal, where Lindbergh largely remained for about the next fifteen years, until his vocal opposition to the war, along with his anti-Semitic remarks and lack of criticism for Nazi Germany (Hitler gave him an award in 1938 just before the outbreak of World War II, but Lindbergh refused to return or disown the honor) turned many Americans against him. To the end of his life, Lindbergh mostly avoided involvement in commemorations of his historic flight, though his second book on the subject (We was hurriedly published in summer 1927 and the flyer was not happy with the results), 1954s The Spirit of St. Louis, was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and was made into a 1957 film directed by Billy Wilder that garnered mixed reviews and underperformed at the box office. Though he was fascinated by and very supportive of the space program and got to know astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins well, Lindbergh, with his mounting concerns for the conservation of Planet Earth, expressed reservations about the long-term effects of aviation for the natural world. Reading Berg’s superb biography helped provide a broader understanding of the hero figure, which Lindbergh strived to downplay, with a deep analysis of his complex subject. Van Nuys News, 23 September 1927. These photos, taken while Lindbergh was at the apex of his fame and trying to figure out how he would deal with the adulation, are especially interesting having heard more of the story and as we approach the centennial of the trans-Atlantic flight. One wonders what 2027 will bring in terms of commemoration? Posted in Holidays & Celebrations, Transportation & InfrastructureTagged 1920s Los Angeles, Aviation Los Angeles 1920s history, Charles A. Lindbergh Los Angeles 1927, Covina Argus history 1927, Dick Holloway Van Nuys California 1920s, Harry Carr The Lancer Los Angeles Times, Joseph Scott Los Angeles history, Lindbergh trans-Atlantic flight 1927, Los Angeles Coliseum events 1920s, Los Angeles Times history 1927, Paul R. Spitzzeri, Through the Viewfinder, Van Nuys News history 1927 Prev “The Steadfast Friend of the Chinese?”: Race and William H. Workman’s Campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles, December 1886 Next “We Have Drunk Deep of the Cup of Affliction”: Reading Between the Lines in a Letter from Clarinda Temple Bancroft to F.P.F. Temple, 18 January 1857

Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach בס”ד Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach Torah Reading: Exodus 33:12-34:26 Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 This Shabbat is the Shabbat which occurs during the festival of Unleavened Bread. Since this Shabbat is part of the … Read More Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach Exodus 33:12-34:26 בס”ד Shabbat Chol HaMoed Pesach Exodus 33:12-34:26 Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 This Shabbat is the Shabbat during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, therefore we have special readings. The Feast of Unleavened Bread is … Read More Spring Cleaning: A Passover Reflection “Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a … Read More The First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread בס”ד The First Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread Torah Reading: Exodus 12:21-51 Maftir: Numbers 28:16-25 Haftarah: Joshua 3:5-7, 5:2-6:1, 6:27 This Shabbat is not only a regular seventh day Shabbat, but it is … Read More Parashah for Chol HaMoed Passover בס”ד Parashah for Chol HaMoed Passover Exodus 33:12-34:26 Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 There are special readings on this Shabbat because we are still in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. We … Read More Shabbat Chol Hamoed (Exodus 33:12-34:26) בס”ד Shabbat Chol Hamoed (Exodus 33:12-34:26) Maftir: Numbers 29:20-25 Haftarah: Ezekiel 38:18-39:16 This week is the final Shabbat of the Torah reading cycle. We actually finish the reading of the Torah on Simchat Torah later … Read More Shabbat Chol Hamoed: Exodus 33:12-34:26 ; Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25 ; Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 בס”ד Shabbat Chol Hamoed: Exodus 33:12-34:26 Maftir: Numbers 28:19-25 Haftarah: Ezekiel 37:1-14 Shabbat Chol Hamoed is the Sabbath during the festival of unleavened bread. The normal weekly Torah portion is delayed to the following week. … Read More Preparation for Passover As Passover approaches one of the things that we are doing in our home is cleaning it from all of the Chametz (leavened) things. Cleaning the Chametz is to commemorate the fact the Jewish people … Read More

Department of Anthropology Bridge to Faculty postdoctoral fellowship in Sociocultural Anthropology https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/1155?c=uic Description: The Department of Anthropology at the University of Illinois Chicago invites applicants for a Bridge to Faculty postdoctoral research associate position in sociocultural anthropology beginning August 16, 2023. Research Areas: We seek to hire an exceptional emerging scholar with broad and innovative theoretical interests in sociocultural anthropology. We are particularly interested in anthropologists who work at the intersections of health, medicine and the environment. Anthropologists who focus on racial disparities in health and access to health; migrant and refugee health; environmental toxicity; or food justice with a medical or environmental focus are particularly welcome. The preferred area of regional expertise is open. The successful candidate must have completed their PhD in Anthropology within the past five years – no earlier than August 15, 2018 and no later than August 15, 2023. Postdoctoral research associates are expected to teach one course per year and to maintain an active research program. This is a full-time position and includes research funds Purpose: The Bridge to Faculty Scholars program seeks to advance diversity on the permanent faculty level by encouraging the recruitment, retention, and promotion of outstanding scholars from different backgrounds, with an emphasis on attracting individuals from groups who have been historically underrepresented in our discipline. Bridge to Faculty is designed to recruit scholars with the goal of transitioning them to faculty members after two years. After the first year, and subject to satisfactory performance and University approval, this position may be re-appointed for a second year. Successful postdoctoral associates may have the opportunity to transition to tenure track faculty starting in the 2025-2026 academic year. Scholars will participate in a mentoring experience within the department, with the opportunity to meet other Scholars through cohort-based events and workshops organized by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Engagement. The Bridge to the Faculty Fellowship is funded by the Chancellor’s Office and administered through the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, and Engagement. For additional information about the department, go to http://anth.uic.edu/. Inquiries can be sent to the Search Chair: Dr. Molly Doane (mdoane@uic.edu.) For full consideration, applications should be received by January 3, 2022 (extended deadline). Applicants should submit materials to https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/1155?c=uic. Please complete the on-line application with the names and email addresses of 3 references and also include: A cover letter which succinctly addresses the applicant’s interest in the position, their current scholarship, and a brief statement on their teaching philosophy. A full curriculum vitae that includes the names and email addresses of three academic references. Please note, for applicants who are currently ABD, and for whom we solicit letters we would expect the dissertation advisor to clearly certify that the doctoral degree will be conferred no later August 15, 2023. A research statement/research plan that addresses what the applicant plans to accomplish in terms of research and scholarship as a postdoctoral associate and early career assistant professor. This should outline the aims of your research beyond your thesis work. A diversity statement that addresses the applicant’s commitment to diversity and how the applicant would contribute to UIC’s goal of teaching and mentoring a diverse and multicultural student body. A writing sample not to exceed 40 double spaced pages. Context: Located in the heart of one of the most vibrant cities in the United States, UIC is a comprehensive urban public research (R1) university with a diverse student body and a strong tradition of support for difference and equality. Part of the University of Illinois land grant higher education system, UIC is among the nation’s top five most diverse campuses; it is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). UIC’s undergraduate population is currently 26.4% Hispanic, 23.1% Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander, 7.9% Black, 35.8% White, 9.3% International, and 4.3% other/unknown. 53% of UIC’s students are low income, and 36% are Pell eligible. The University of Illinois Chicago is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer, dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, Veteran, or disability status. The University may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Background checks will be conducted in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes. The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899

IIHF to decide between Slovakia and Switzerland for 2019 World Championship 10th Sep, 2014 Posted In Event Bidding Posted By: Ben Avison comments Slovakia and Switzerland will compete to host the 2019 IIHF World Championship Slovakia and Switzerland have submitted bids to host the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) annual World Championship in 2019. The IIHF will make a decision on the respective bids from the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation and Swiss Ice Hockey Federation at its 2015 Annual Congress in Prague during the Czech Republic’s hosting of the national team tournament in May next year. Slovakia hosted the 2011 World Championship in Bratislava and Kosice and the two cities are at the heart of its latest bid, with the possibility of adding a new multifunctional arena should one be built elsewhere in the country. Bratislava was also a host city when the former Czechoslovakia staged the event in 1959 and 1992. The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation will announce its bid venues in October. Berne and Zurich-Kloten were its host cities when it last staged the World Championship in 2009 - the eighth time the competition went to Switzerland in its history. Russia and France/Germany will host the 2016 and 2017 World Championships respectively, while Denmark won a landslide vote in May to serve as host for the first time in 2018. The Scandinavian country had fallen short on two previous occasions. Denmark’s successful bid will result in Copenhagen and Herning serving as host cities under a proposal that overcame a pitch from the Latvian capital Riga by 95 votes to 12. The latter bid was seeking to hold the tournament at Arena Riga, which was home to the 2006 World Championship. This year’s IIHF World Championship took place in Minsk, Belarus. The host nation bowed out at the quarter-final stage to bronze-medal winner Sweden, which in turn lost to eventual winner Russia - 5-2 final victors over Finland. Matches took place at the Minsk Arena and Chizhovka Arena, which had respective capacities of 15,000 and 9,600. Related Topics: IIHF IIHF World Championship Ice Hockey GAISF Winter sports Sailing Cirque du Soleil Horticulture 2030 Winter Olympics International Crown Insurance Technology Covid Recovery

AAHOA chairman Biran Patel welcomed attendees from a virtual conference room. by Adam Perkowsky August 11, 2020 AAHOACON20 Day 1: Advocacy, Resilience Are Key During Crisis NATIONAL REPORT—On the opening day of AAHOACON20, Chairman Biran Patel welcomed guests (viewers) to the first-ever virtual conference for the organization. “As you can imagine, this isn’t exactly what we envisioned when we began planning our convention,” he said. “We were prepared for four festive days of celebrating your accomplishments and our industry in sunny Orlando, FL. So many Americans are facing a tough new reality because of COVID-19, and we’ve had to make some changes. This pandemic is having a profound impact on our industry and our country.” He continued, “Over 160,000 of our fellow Americans have lost their lives from this virus. Big parts of our economy and our society are on pause. Businesses are struggling and millions of people in our industry are out of work. Hotel owners are struggling to keep their lights on and stay current on their mortgage. It’s easy to get down in these challenging times, but we hoteliers are resilient people and a resilient industry.” Jagruti Panwala, AAHOA’s immediate past chair—who pointed out that the group’s membership has risen to nearly 20,000, the highest in its history—discussed how important political advocacy is to the association and its members. “When I first became involved in AAHOA over a decade ago, I saw just how important advocacy is to our industry. Advocacy became a passion of mine,” she said. “As entrepreneurs living the American dream, we have an incredible story to tell. We can use our story to share valuable insights into the laws and regulations that govern our industry. When we engage in advocacy, we put faces to our names, to our businesses, to our issues and to our contributions in our communities. When our elected officials know who we are, our hotels cease to be just part of the landscape.” She continued, “Over the past year, we achieved great things in Washington, DC. We worked with our coalition partners to help with the reauthorization of Brand USA. We also mobilized hoteliers to inform the new rules of joint employer, which will fundamentally strengthen the success of the franchise business model. And AAHOA officers stood with the president at the White House as he announced the important initiatives that help small businesses. We must keep building this relationship and increase our footprint in the political sphere, especially as the crisis challenges our livelihood.” ‘Do the Best You Can’ Harris Rosen, president and COO of Orlando-based Rosen Hotels & Resorts, offered leadership advice in a keynote address. “In the 46 years that we’ve had our little company, I must confess that this has been the worst time by far. It’s been an awful experience. We’ve tried our best, but we can’t control what is going on, and that’s the great tragedy,” he said. “Normally, if we’re having challenges, we can step forward, confront those challenges and do something about it. What is occurring now is well beyond our control, and that’s what’s so frustrating. So, my advice is: Just do the best you can. There really isn’t much advice I can offer because this has never happened to us before.” He added, “What can we do? We can take a deep breath, do the best we can under these circumstances and hope and pray that within a reasonable amount of time there’ll be a vaccine and then things will get better.” He offered a suggestion to hoteliers who will have to decide whether or not to close their hotels. “Put together a pro forma based on open, put together a pro forma based on closed—whichever works best for you, my recommendation would be to do it,” he said. He recommended that the industry continue to plan for the future. “This is not the end for any of us hopefully. We’ll all survive. It will be a struggle but we will survive,” he said. “A question that we have asked ourselves, and I’m sure many of you are asking yourselves: Now what? Let’s assume in the next six months to a year things get better, and within a couple of years we’re back to normal. If we have plans for the future, what do we do? My advice is pretend as though this didn’t happen. The likelihood is that it will never happen again in our lifetime. Do everything you normally do to prepare for additional rooms, for a new property, whatever it is that you’ve been dreaming about and hoping for. Don’t let this interfere with your future.” Posted in Events | Tagged AAHOA, AAHOACON20, Biran Patel, Harris Rosen, Jagruti Panwala, Rosen Hotels & Resorts AAHOACON20 Day 2: AHLA, USTA and Young Hoteliers Have Their Say NATIONAL REPORT—Day two of the virtual AAHOACON20 kicked off with a session moderated by Cecil P.… AAHOACON20 Day 2: It's All About the Data NATIONAL REPORT—During the virtual AAHOACON20 session “What the Data Says: Before, During, and After the Pandemic,”… AAHOACON20 Day 3: Execs Talk Brands, the Way Forward NATIONAL REPORT—The third day of AAHOACON20 saw many hoteliers discussing the way forward from the COVID-19… AAHOA Webinar Offers Tips for Owners During COVID-19 Crisis ATLANTA—During a recent AAHOA webinar, "The Impact of COVID-19 on America’s Hotel Owners: Holding the Line…

It’s Time To Admit It — Europeans & European Culture Are BULLIES There are protests now all over the world in support of Black Lives Matter and their mission to end police violence. That’s remarkable if you think about it. Three months ago, Black Lives Matter couldn’t, um, “get arrested”. What’s even more remarkable? The protests happening outside America aren’t just protesting what happened to George Floyd and everyone who looks like him, they’re protesting their own contributions to the flourishing of racism across the planet. In Bristol, England, a statue of slaver Edward Colston was torn from its place and pitched into Bristol Harbor. Colston (1636 – 1721) was, by the standards of his time, a great man. He was a merchant and Tory member of Parliament. He got wealthy (per Wikipedia) “initially trading in wine, fruits and cloth, mainly in Spain, Portugal and other European ports.” When he started trading in slaves — after 1680 — as Deputy Governor of the Royal African Company (the English company that held the monopoly on the English trade in African slaves) — that’s when Colston got rich. But, Colston also was charitable. He (again, per Wikipedia) was also “a philanthropist, donating money to charitable causes which supported those who shared his political and religious views.” Most of those people lived in Bristol. I wonder if any of the slaves Colston bought and sold ever felt touched by Colston’s charity… The people of Bristol on the other hand felt so touched that they put up a statue of Colston after he died. They put it in a very prominent place — right there by the Bristol Harbor. The kicker to the story is, someone clever moved the statue’s location on Goggle Maps from where it had been on their map to where it now lies — at the bottom of Bristol Harbor. In Antwerp Belgium, Black Lives Matter protesters (most of the Belgian, I assume because of the lockdown) tore down a statue of Belgian King Leopold II. Leo was notorious as a colonizer for brutalizing the Congo. The city authorities of Antwerp got a jump on the protesters. They took down Leo’s statues before anyone even asked them to. As we know from European history, the Europeans have always been incredibly competitive with each other. Though they’ve shared the same continent for a thousand years (and before that as all the scrubby little tribes that “became” French people and Italians and Spaniards), most European countries don’t get on that well with their neighbors. The English have always hated the French. The French have hated the English and everyone else. The Swiss don’t hate anyone — they just don’t want to get involved. The Italians are only a country because we say they are; they’re really a reluctant grouping of Italian tribes who want nothing to do with each other. Jared Diamond in his brilliant Guns, Germs & Steel postulates that Europeans held an advantage over everyone else because Europe had, under it, the material needed for humans to expand successfully beyond their borders: steel. Steel allowed Europe to industrialize first. And weaponize. Chinese explorer Zheng He set sail to expand China’s view of the world almost 100 years before Columbus did. He sailed ships that, legend had it, would have dwarfed Columbus’ scurvy little armada. He (per Wikipedia) “commanded expeditionary treasure voyages to Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Western Asia, and East Africa from 1405 to 1433. He visited other cultures without dominating them. Without attacking them. Without bullying them. Chris Columbus? To be fair, Columbus didn’t know he was carrying pathogens more lethal to the people of the New World than any weapon he possessed. Had he have known, he could have saved the brutality — though I bet that wasn’t a bug of European exploration, it was a feature. Bad enough Europeans brought their germs, guns and steel to the New World (and everywhere else they went exploring). Worse, they brought the faith they’d all taken up — conflicted as they were as to which version was the “true” version. The Europeans didn’t let the supposed core message of their church — “Do Unto Others” — dissuade them from doing unto others what they absolutely did not want being done unto them: massacres. Europeans massacred native peoples mostly for greed. But also they murdered them because the locals didn’t want to accept the Europeans’ ooga-booga. They had their own ooga-booga, thanks — and it had served them just fine. They didn’t need the Europeans and their hack job on “being good”. Hey, I grew up Jewish. I know what it’s like to have (European) Christians insist their faith is the superior faith and if you don’t go along, their imaginary friend will beat the living shit out of my imaginary friend. I’ve had those conversations. Europeans bully because they believe they are divinely entitled to do so. They think their faith — screwy and hostile as it is — is superior to any other faith and that the culture that flowed from their faith — Western Culture — is superior to any other culture. But European Culture started from a false premise — that its faith was “the true faith” and that everything they did was ordained by God himself. The more intense monotheistic faith gets, the more monotheists seem to think they hear and grasp the word of God. They believe they understand what most others do not. That’s incredibly dangerous because the “God” they’re thinking about exists solely inside their head. There’s a lot of transference that happens there. The ideas of the deity become fused with the self — since the self understands and hears and obeys the deity. The more intensely some people believe in God, the more likely they are to think they are God. Maybe not out loud. Maybe not even to themselves. But if you think you have a “personal relationship” with the deity who created everything? That’s not coming from him, it’s coming from you. YOU think you have that relationship. Unless you can provide emails or texts — you are alone in this relationship. When Donald Trump shoved those peaceful protesters out of his way so he could get to a church he wasn’t invited to, he demonstrated every aspect of European bullying live on TV. He lied about why he was doing it. He lied about how he was doing it. He lied about who he was doing it for. And then — the icing on the bully cake — HE got all bent out of shape when everyone called him on it. The best way to deal with a bully is to say “No!” to him. “No, you may not bully me”. Bullies hate that — as the fascists among the Europeans always prove. But “No” is the only way. No is all bullies understand. But they do understand it. It’s time for the Euro-bullies to get their damned knee off of everyone else’s neck. Back It Up Or It’s Bullshit, Political Commentary, Racism, Slavery, The Nature of Evil Bullying, Christopher Columbus, Donald Trump, Edward Colston, European culture, Europeans as bullies, Trump Walks To St Johns, Zheng He ← Musings On Marijuana → Blunt Truth — Marijuana Prohibition Was ALWAYS About RACISM And Nothing But One response to “It’s Time To Admit It — Europeans & European Culture Are BULLIES” Why Did We Ever Criminalize Drug Use To Begin With? Because Judging People Is Easier Than Helping Them… – How To Live BULLSHIT-FREE says: […] very illegalization of drugs has always been about judging the drugs users. Let’s face it — white Europeans are the biggest bullies on the planet. They’re professional hegemonists — spreading their culture and “true faith” […]

BHP and MCA at loggerheads on coal, again Media Comment 25 January 2018 Commenting on the results of BHP’s review published today, executive Director of Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR) Brynn O’Brien said: “BHP’s decision to cut ties with the world’s peak coal lobby, the World Coal Association is a seismic shift in the world of anti-climate lobbying. “It is an emphatic market signal that the era of aggressive anti-climate lobbying is no longer acceptable. ”It is further proof that a small group of responsible investors can have a positive influence on a company’s behaviour. “However, BHP’s equivocation in relation to membership of the MCA, in giving the MCA another 12 months to change its tune on coal, points to the highly-charged environment in which climate policy is made in Australia. “It is also unsatisfactory that BHP continues to withhold full details of the amount of shareholder funds spent on memberships. “There was a time that supposedly responsible corporates could get away with shelling out shareholder funds to climate dinosaurs; that time is over. The MCA and their ilk have been put on notice.

Caveat Emptor: Why Investors Need to Do Due Diligence on U.S. Treasury and Related Securities Catherine Austin Fitts Carolyn A. Betts, Esq. ~ February 18, 2019 ~ “There can be no time, no state of things, in which Credit is not essential to a Nation…” ~Alexander Hamilton, “Report on a Plan for the Further Support of Public Credit,” 1795 II. Which Securities and Financial Assets Are Affected by FASAB 56? III. The Rating Agencies IV. Laws Related to U.S. Monetary and Fiscal Policy V. FASAB 56: Recent Events Leading Up to FASAB 56 VI. FASAB 56: The Final Statement VII. FASAB 56: What Is the “National Security” Information That May Be the Subject of Modifications? VIII. Existing Securities Laws That Have the Effect of Reducing Transparency for National Security Purposes IX. The Post FASAB 56 World: Who Can Help Assess Credit, Risks, and Price? X. The Post FASAB 56 World: What Is the Federal Credit? XI. Conclusion XII. Links XIII. Appendices A & B Investors have experienced challenging times since the change in U.S. Presidential administrations in 2017 initiated a period of reverse globalization with continuous changes in tax, trade, and other U.S. federal policies. Unnoticed in the fray is the October 2018 adoption by the U.S. Congress and Administration of an obscure federal accounting policy that signifies the most important change in the balance of power between the public and private sectors, between overt and covert operations, and between the democratic and fascistic aspects of the American political system: Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board Statement of Financial Standards 56 (“FASAB 56” or “Statement 56”). In simple terms, FASAB 56 claims to override the last 230 years of U.S. Constitution and financial management laws and accounting conventions established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The policy allows approximately 170 federal reporting entities to shift amounts from line item to line item, and sometimes even omit spending entries altogether, in their financial statements if “national security” purposes make it necessary to avoid revealing classified information. Essentially, the federal government has adopted an accounting and public reporting policy that allows a small group of unelected individuals with security clearances and “need to know” access to information to engage in secret processes to establish and maintain separate sets of classified secret books in most federal agencies and “component” entities. It also allows members of this group to purge from the publicly available financial statements anything the group deems to be worthy of national security protection. With the implementation of FASAB 56, when added to existing disclosure exemptions for national security and classified information that apply to the U.S. Treasury, federal agencies, banks, and companies doing business with the federal government and making a market in their securities, the greater part of the U.S. securities market has now effectively gone dark. This development, taken together with the growth of index funds, means that almost no one is “watching the store.” In our opinion, FASAB 56 is particularly sobering in light of the events of the thirteen months leading up to its issuance. The extent to which mandatory market disclosure has been reduced by Statement 56 and the events that inspired its issuance constitute “material facts” within the meaning of SEC’s Rule 10b-51 to which investors surely are entitled. Consequently, these changes call for global and domestic investors—both individual and institutional—to exercise a new and greater level of due diligence in reaching an understanding of the U.S. Federal credit and its risks. We believe the changes brought about by Statement 56 will materially affect the accuracy of current methodologies applied in both credit evaluation of issuers and valuations of their securities. Since current market pricing and credit evaluations do not reflect the new risks inherent in non-disclosure of key information to the investment decision, the prudent investor, with this new information in hand, may be embarking upon a lonely journey for some period of time. In this article, we explain, with reference to other materials available on The Solari Report site, that it is no longer prudent for the investor to rely solely upon primary and secondary securities dealers, the U.S. rating agencies, and mandatory disclosure by issuers to accurately assess the risks and values of certain securities. While we encourage investors to do their own due diligence, we also recognize that FASAB 56 eliminates any hope that the investor will be able to obtain sufficient information to accurately assess the credit and value of his or her holdings of U.S. Treasury and other securities whose values are affected by Statement 56 (i.e., a meaningful percentage of U.S. public and private equity and debt securities). The central-banking warfare model that has been the basis of the success of the Western world for 500 years is undergoing significant stress. The Bretton Woods system that has formed the structure for global trade since World War II is also unraveling. In this process, the secrecy and conflicts of interest that thread throughout the governance and management of the U.S. federal credit—whether by the government or the related financial institutions, market makers, investors, and contractors—have reached a point where the ancient rule of caveat emptor (“buyer beware”) applies. You are responsible for doing your own due diligence. We hope the materials that we have assembled in this article and in the 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money will help you do so. What securities and other financial assets are affected directly or indirectly by the credit of the U.S. government and market values of its securities? Here is a preliminary list to help investors determine which of their holdings may be affected by a material fact or change like FASAB 56. U.S. Treasury Bills, Bonds, and Notes Full faith and credit securities issued directly by the U.S. government that have been recorded on the official books and records, whether in terms of the payment of interest or to “roll over” or pay off at maturity. This category includes short-term T-bills and notes, medium- and long-term Treasury securities, savings bonds, and similar securities. Official statistics indicate that the following are the holders of the officially outstanding $21.21 trillion of National Debt as of June 30, 2018: U.S. investors: $6.89 trillion—32.5% Federal Reserve: $2.38 trillion—11.2% U.S. government: $5.73 trillion—27% Foreign investors: $6.21 trillion—29.3% See here: [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/us-debt-holders/] for more on U.S. debt holdings. Note that U.S. government securities (together with, in some cases, full faith and credit securities and Government-Sponsored Enterprise [GSE] securities) are the only securities that can be used for various purposes by certain other entities, e.g., to support bank and broker-dealer reserve requirements and for corporate and municipal bond sinking funds. If any downgrade of these reserve securities were to occur, there could be an automatic bond default or default by banks or broker-dealers in satisfying their statutory reserve requirements, resulting in a cascade of defaults and margin calls throughout the investment economy. Other U.S. Full Faith and Credit Securities Full faith and credit securities issued or guaranteed by a government agency and backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. This category includes other securities, including securities guaranteed by Ginnie Mae, for which the U.S. government guarantees unconditional and timely payment of principal and interest. FHA issues debentures that carry the full faith and credit of the U.S. Mortgage Securities Backed by Secured U.S Insured/Guaranteed Loans Mortgage-backed securities comprising mortgages guaranteed or insured (usually not 100%) by FHA, VA, and the Rural Housing Administration. These securities are not “full faith and credit” because they are not unconditionally guaranteed (there being conditions to payment and delays in payment), and the guarantees and insurance do not cover 100% of outstanding principal and interest. Their collateral involves, however, direct insurance or guarantees by the U.S. government. Pools of Unsecured U.S. Guaranteed Loans Interests in pools of student loans and other similar unsecured federal government-guaranteed loans. These securities are subject to certain risks that are not guaranteed by the federal government, including a lack of collateral and administrator and similar risks (e.g., that the loans have not been serviced or originated properly), but the underlying loans are federally guaranteed if all conditions are satisfied. Money Market Funds—U.S. Government Only Units in money market mutual funds that hold Treasury securities, federally secured certificates of deposit, and other short-term securities that are dependent upon federal government credit. These securities have outside, issuer-related risks as well and, therefore, trade at greater discounts than do the underlying securities. U.S. Government-Sponsored Enterprise (GSE) Securities Securities issued by traditional government-sponsored entities: Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae securities Connie Lee securities (college loans) Federal Home Loan bank securities (backed by residential loans) Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation (Farmer Mac) (backed by farm loans) Securities issued by Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation (Farm Credit) GSEs are private companies operating under government charters. Their securities (except to the extent risk has been transferred elsewhere) carry only an “implicit” guarantee of the U.S. government and have relatively high ratings because it is assumed (as was the case during the Financial Crisis for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securities and for Farm Credit Program securities during the 1988 bailout) that the U.S. government will make good on the agency guarantee if the agency is unable to do so. In case of a significant U.S. government credit downgrade, it is unlikely that investors in these securities could depend upon the government for payment. U.S. Insured Deposits Bank, savings and loan, and credit union deposits guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA). Both FDIC and NCUA have funding through user fees payable by the banks, savings and loans, and credit unions whose deposits they back, but the funding is not sufficient to cover all deposits and, therefore, there is a risk that the U.S. government will be called upon to fund any shortfall in claims by depositors. Corporate Contractor Bonds and Stocks Equity and debt securities issued by government contractors reliant for their business upon contracts with the federal government. The largest U.S. government contractors include the typical defense contractors like Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Boeing, Raytheon, BAE Systems, Bechtel, and Northrup Grumman; IT and service contractors like L3 Technologies, Hewlett-Packard, Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CACI; and other companies that are not as associated with defense contracting but for which a large percentage of business involves government contracting, like UnitedHealth, Humana, Verizon, McKesson, General Electric, Accenture, Deloitte, Merck, Corrections Corporation of America, FedEx, AT&T, Berkshire Hathaway, and the State of California.2 Fed Member Bank Bonds, Stocks, and Derivatives Equity and debt securities of Federal Reserve Bank members, whose capital positions and profits depend upon favorable borrowing rates from the Federal Reserve, which in turn borrows at favorable rates from the federal government. This includes members of the New York Fed and others of the twelve federal reserve banks that provide depository functions for the U.S. government and may be legally liable for any illegalities in the management of and transaction in federal funds and assets. This category also includes securities of banks and securities dealers whose capitalization depends upon their holdings of brokered deposits or repo agreements backed by Treasury securities. U.S. Primary Dealer and Exchange Stabilization Fund Agent Bonds, Stocks, and Derivatives Securities of banks that manage the sales of Treasury securities (primary dealers) and that assist in the New York Fed agent function for the Exchange Stabilization Fund for the Federal Reserve acting as agent for the U.S. Treasury (JPMorgan Chase, UBS, Goldman Sachs). Note that if illegal transactions were conducted over the years following World War II through the Exchange Stabilization Fund, or if there were questionable gold transactions by these same “bullion banks” on behalf of the Federal Reserve, the liabilities of the banks that implemented these transactions could be material. See here: [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/primary-dealers-of-u-s-government-securities/] for a list of the primary dealers in U.S. government securities and here [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/top-broker-dealers/] for a list of the top fifteen broker dealers based on their assets under management in 2018. U.S. State and Local Government Municipal Bonds and Notes and Municipal Money Market Securities State and local governments, particularly those with significant unfunded liabilities, that are highly dependent on funding from the federal budget in amounts in excess of the related federal taxes paid from their jurisdictions and municipal money markets using these notes and bonds. Corporations and Financial Institutions with Fixed Income Investments—Stocks, Bonds, and Related Insurance Contracts Any companies with large investment portfolios or pension funds with large holdings of any of the foregoing securities or financial assets. Clearly, deterioration in the U.S. federal credit continues to debase the spending power of the U.S. dollar. There are three major U.S. nationally recognized statistical rating organizations (NRSROs) according to standards promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission:3 Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Moody’s Fitch Group (which is dual-headquartered in New York and London and controlled by Hearst) These three agencies are responsible for rating approximately 95% of rated securities globally.4,5 The SEC permits issuers of bonds with high NRSRO ratings to use short-form prospectuses and permits money-market mutual funds to purchase only securities with high NRSRO ratings. NRSRO ratings also are used in satisfying net capital requirements by banks; broker-dealers and insurance regulators use credit ratings from NRSROs to ascertain the strength of the reserves held by insurance companies. Due to the reliance of regulators upon NRSRO ratings, such ratings have become a requirement for many private-sector transactions (e.g., for pension funds and banks) and are the basis for favorable analyst reports in the fixed-income market. Unfortunately, investors have a tendency to rely solely upon ratings rather than also doing their own due diligence in making purchase decisions. The reputations of the ratings agencies suffered significantly as a result of their failure to do proper due diligence in rating mortgage-backed securities leading up to the 2008-2012 Financial Crisis. The rating agencies earn fees from the issuers. They had clearly bowed to the practices and wishes of the issuers and—no doubt—the wishes of the Fed, the U.S. Treasury, and other federal agencies that engineered the mortgage bubble. One might rely on their failure to rate outliers whose securities present obviously unacceptable risks (and therefore have “junk” status), but if an entire sector faces the same risk (e.g., reliance on U.S. credit) that has been, traditionally, de minimis, the likelihood that the rating agencies will downgrade a whole class of securities is minimal. In the words of the Conclusions of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission6 (January 2011): The three credit rating agencies were key enablers of the financial meltdown. The mortgage-related securities at the heart of the crisis could not have been marketed and sold without their seal of approval. Investors relied on them, often blindly. In some cases, they were obligated to use them, or regulatory capital standards were hinged on them. This crisis could not have happened without the rating agencies. To demonstrate the likelihood that rating agencies are no longer able to withstand political pressure, notwithstanding post-Financial Crisis attempts to become more independent, witness what happened when, in August 2011, for the first time in history, Standard & Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit from AAA to AA+. A furor ensued. In order to mend its relationship with the U.S. government, eighteen days after the U.S. debt was downgraded, S&P asked its then-CEO, Devin Sharma, to step down. Think about this for a minute. The CEO of a rating agency was fired for allowing his rating analysts to issue a perfectly reasonable rating change on the U.S. government’s credit. Subsequently, the Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated an investigation into S&P’s role in the rating of several mortgage-backed securities that played a role in the 2008 Financial Crisis. In February 2013, DOJ and nineteen states’ attorneys general and the DC U.S. Attorney filed a $5 billion lawsuit against S&P and its parent company, McGraw-Hill, based upon the findings in the investigation, which was settled two years later for $1.375 billion. Neither of the other major rating agencies, which had not downgraded the U.S. credit but had joined S&P in the Financial Crisis debacle, was subject to such a lawsuit. This was a clear warning shot fired to prevent any rating agency from considering any future such downgrades. In our opinion, no U.S. rating agency can downgrade the U.S. government or issue a watch-list warning on the U.S. federal credit without jeopardizing its existence as well as that of its holding company. Such a rating action could also threaten the physical, financial, or legal security of its executives or board members. In short, a “prudent man” in the U.S. should not rely solely on the U.S. rating agencies with respect to ratings of U.S. Treasury and related securities. To understand FASAB 56 and the immediate events leading to its issuance, it is essential to understand the U.S. laws related to U.S. monetary and fiscal policy. Learning the law related to U.S. federal finances is challenging if you have not gone to law school. To ease the task, The Solari Report commissioned attorneys Michele Ferri and Jonathan Lurie to prepare briefing papers to summarize the legal infrastructure of the U.S. federal financial system. These papers, including one on FASAB 56, are available in the 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money at https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/us-federal-finances-the-law/ and are available to the public at https://constitution.solari.com. Monetary: Federal Reserve The History and Organization of the Federal Reserve: The What and Why of the United States’ Most Powerful Banking Organization Fiscal: U.S. Treasury The Appropriations Clause: A History of the Constitution’s (As of Yet) Underused Clause The U.S. Statutes Creating Modern Constitutional Financial Management and Reporting Requirements and the Government’s Failure to Follow Them The Black Budget: The Crossroads of (Un)Constitutional Appropriations and Reporting Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Policy #56: Understanding New Government Financial Accounting Loopholes We hope these assist you in understanding the legal infrastructure created by the federal government budget, management, and reporting laws. Catherine Austin Fitts served as Assistant Secretary of Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner in the Bush I Administration from 1989-1990. At the time, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had a $320 billion portfolio of mortgage insurance-in-force and was originating $50-$100 billion in mortgage insurance annually. During that period, Catherine led the reform of the FHA financial and reporting operations, working closely with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). These efforts included designing the relevant titles in the HUD Reform Act of 1989. In creating a new financial model for FHA’s and HUD’s financial operations, the FHA was returned to a financially sound basis during that period. The Administration adopted the model on a government-wide basis under subsequent financial management laws. (See “The U.S. Statutes Creating Modern Constitutional Financial Management and Reporting Requirements and the Government’s Failure to Follow Them” here: [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-u-s-statutes-creating-modern-constitutional-financial-management-and-reporting-requirements-and-the-governments-failure-to-follow-them/].) In implementing these changes, Catherine became knowledgeable regarding financial management and reporting practices in the U.S. mortgage programs, at HUD, and in federal agencies in general. After leaving the Administration, Catherine started an investment bank and financial software developer, The Hamilton Securities Group. In 1993, Hamilton won a competitive-bid contract to serve as the lead financial advisor and portfolio strategist for the FHA and served in that capacity until 1997—leading $10 billion of highly successful sales of defaulted mortgage loans from the FHA-“held” mortgage portfolio (i.e., loans as to which FHA had paid off insurance claims by lenders and then taken title to the loans). Hamilton was able to more than double FHA’s recovery rates on these loans and generate $2 billion of increased returns to the FHA Funds. Hamilton’s assigned tasks involved developing significant software tools and databases to make FHA’s portfolio, originations, and markets transparent to decision-makers. Hamilton also developed software that used geographic information system (GIS) applications to map federal resources in counties and Congressional districts. The highly political termination of Hamilton’s relationship with FHA in 1997 and the seizure, destruction, and ultimate theft of Hamilton’s software tools and databases was followed by a decade of bill-collecting litigation, with Hamilton emerging as the winner and finally settling with the Department of Justice in 2006. Carolyn Betts had been an investment banker with Hamilton, served as general counsel to Hamilton, and continues to serve as general counsel to Hamilton’s successor corporation, Solari, Inc. These events have been described in Catherine’s online book Dillon Read & Co. Inc. & the Aristocracy of Stock Profits [https://dillonreadandco.com], which includes, in the Resources section, an extensive litigation section and supporting documentation. This case study is one of the best documented examples of the extent to which the federal government and supporting media, financial institutions, and private interests will go, no matter the expense, to destroy efforts to bring transparency to the federal credit—in this instance in the mortgage and securities markets. In 2000, during the litigation period, Carolyn was reviewing HUD-related documents posted on the GAO website and found the testimony of HUD Inspector General Susan Gaffney before the House Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology on the “Status of Financial Management at HUD” in which Gaffney explained her refusal to certify HUD’s financial statements for FY 1999 as required by law. She described unaccountable voucher adjustments in FY 1998 and FY 1999 of $17 billion and $59 billion, respectively, along with failure of the installation of new computer systems (HUDCAPS) and unsupervised access to accounting systems and information by HUD contractors. Given the financial controls and resources that Catherine had seen put in place, these discrepancies should not have been possible. Her conclusion: the only logical explanation was significant fraud and illegal transactions. One of the reasons we picked up on this so dramatically was that we had been told in April 1997 by the President of CalPERS, the largest U.S. pension fund, that “we” were going to be moving all the money out of the country in the fall (which was the beginning of federal fiscal 1998). Originally, we assumed that this meant the pension funds and large institutional investors were increasing their allocations to offshore investments, particularly to Asia. After we learned about the $17B and $59B in undocumentable adjustments at HUD, Catherine’s view of the CalPERS President’s statement changed. See the full story here: [https://dillonreadandco.com/financial-coup-detat-1998/] Thus began an effort spanning two decades in which Catherine and her companies have worked steadily to bring transparency regarding U.S. federal government financial statements and publicize the government’s refusal, or inability, to comply with the laws that mandate responsible financial management and reporting. The total amounts uncovered and publicly available, yet infrequently reported, are now $21 trillion of undocumentable adjustments in the accounts in the Department of Defense (DOD) and HUD.7 This “missing money,” together with the financial bailouts, are what Catherine has referred to as the “financial coup d’état.” For a full description of the history of Catherine’s efforts to reform the U.S. federal finances, see “Missing Money: A Personal History—1989 to 2019” in the 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/2019/04/07/missing-money-a-personal-history-1989-to-2019/]. In 2016, Catherine began writing and speaking about the latest and largest addition to annual undocumentable adjustments at DOD in fiscal 2015: $6.5 trillion. Dr. Mark Skidmore, Morris Chair of State and Local Government and Policy at Michigan State University, heard her and assumed that she was mistaken—no doubt she meant $6.5 billion, he thought. Dr. Skidmore accessed the DOD financial reports and discovered that Catherine was correct. The undocumentable adjustments at DOD for FY 2015 were, in fact, $6.5 trillion. Working with his graduate students, Dr. Skidmore offered to do a survey of financial reports at HUD and DOD for the fiscal years 1998-2015 to identify all reports of undocumentable adjustments. At the time, Catherine had identified $12.5 trillion of such adjustments. After a thorough review, Dr. Skidmore and his students identified a total amount of undocumentable adjustments of $21 trillion, roughly equivalent to the official outstanding U.S. Treasury debt. In September 2017, The Solari Report launched a dedicated website at https://missingmoney.solari.com to publish Dr. Skidmore’s report on the survey results and all of the underlying documentation from DOD and HUD. The site also includes current and past media coverage of the “missing money” and ongoing report updates and radio and Internet interviews by Catherine and Dr. Skidmore. Dr. Skidmore’s report is available in the 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money here [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-real-game-of-missing-money-ii-summary-report-on-unsupported-journal-voucher-adjustments-in-the-financial-statements-of-the-office-of-the-inspector-general-for-the-department-of/] and is available to the public at the Missing Money site here [https://missingmoney.solari.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Unsupported_Adjustments_Report_Final_4.pdf]. On October 5, 2017, Dr. Skidmore’s team discovered that both the HUD and DOD Offices of Inspector General (OIG) had taken down their financial reports from the Internet. After this fact was highlighted in public interviews with Catherine and Dr. Skidmore, the financial reports were discovered in early December republished at different URLS. By way of explanation, the DOD OIG insisted that the reason for the new URLs was that DOD was reorganizing its website. Because The Solari Report had downloaded the reports before publishing its Missing Money website, readers had uninterrupted access. Although OIG audit reports in previous years had always been made available online without formal restrictions or evident censorship, a DOD OIG report on a U.S. Navy financial statement for FY 2017 then appeared in heavily redacted form—not just the numbers it contained, but even its title! Only bureaucratic sloppiness enabled the readers to see that the report concerned Navy finances (because the censors had missed some of the references to the Navy in the body of the report). A request to the OIG for an uncensored copy was met with the response, “[i]t was the Navy’s decision to censor it, and we can’t do anything about that.” Senator Chuck Grassley also requested that the OIG uncensor the report. Again, the OIG refused. As explained in more detail in “FASAB Statement 56: Understanding New Government Financial Accounting Loopholes” [https://constitution.solari.com/fasab-statement-56-understanding-new-government-financial-accounting-loopholes/], FASAB 56 came about just as the Department of Defense was about to announce that after almost 28 years of failing to produce audited financial statements (notwithstanding legal requirements to do so) and the revelations of approximately $21 trillion in unsupported journal voucher adjustments against Treasury, the 2018 fiscal- year clean audit under generally accepted accounting procedures (GAAP) DOD had been promising (again—this was one of a number of successive promises) was not to be. Ernst & Young and other independent public accounting firm auditors announced that the task was hopeless because DOD’s financial records were “riddled with so many bookkeeping deficiencies, irregularities, and errors that a reliable audit was simply impossible.”8 To help the investor better understand the events leading up to the issuance of FASAB 56, The Solari Report has provided a chronology available in flexible table form for the 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money: [https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/missing-money-chronology/]. The process of issuing FASAB 56 consisted of the following: (1) FASAB issued the exposure draft of Statement 56 proposed language (“Exposure Draft”) on December 14, 2017, with comments requested by March 16, 2018. (2) Upon release of the Exposure Draft, FASAB provided notices and press release to the FASAB email listserv, the Federal Register, FASAB News, the Journal of Accountancy, Association of Government Accountants (AGA) Topics, the CPA Journal, Government Executive, the CPA Letter, the Chief Financial Officers Council, the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, the Financial Statement Audit Network, and committees of professional associations generally commenting on exposure drafts in the past (for example, the Greater Washington Society of CPAs and the Association of Government Accountants Financial Management Standards Board). (3) FASAB followed up this broad announcement with direct mailings of the Exposure Draft to the following relevant congressional committees: House Homeland Security Committee: Full Committee; House Homeland Security Committee: Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency; House Homeland Security Committee: Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence; Senate Select Committee on Intelligence; House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Senate Armed Services Committee; House Armed Services Committee; House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; Senate Appropriations Committee; and House Appropriations Committee. (4) FASAB issued a classified exposure draft of the first Statement 56 Interpretation: “Interpretation of Federal Financial Accounting Standards 56: Classified Activities, July 12, 2018, with comments due by August 13, 2018.” (5) FASAB held two “reading sessions” of the Interpretation exposure draft in a secure room for those it deemed had the appropriate “need to know” and security clearances for two hours on July 18, 2018 (Session One) and for two hours on August 1, 2018 (Session Two). Who attended these sessions? We do not know. (6) The final version of FASAB 56 was made available to the public on October 4, 2018 (the day that the FBI report on its investigation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh took up the public’s attention9) and is largely unchanged from the Exposure Draft upon which comments were received from various federal agencies and accounting firms. In a piece on FASAB 56 for Rolling Stone (“Has the government legalized secret defense spending?”), Matt Taibbi captured the timing well in his subtitle: “While a noisy Supreme Court fight captivated America last fall, an obscure federal accounting body quietly approved a system of classified money-moving.” Because the adoption of FASAB 56 required the approval of both sides of the aisle in Congress and the White House, the intimate bipartisan cooperation on the adoption of FASAB 56 contradicts the divisiveness portrayed during this period by the media. While the initial distribution of the Exposure Draft was wide within the accounting community and Congress, and it appeared in the Federal Register, it garnered no attention from mainstream press that we have been able to identify. The final version of FASAB 56 does not differ greatly from the Exposure Draft. The adoption of the new permitted accounting treatment or “standard” by FASAB in FASAB 56 would alter the rules for auditing the books of federal agencies, without any approval of Congress, thereby effectively changing the mandates previously enacted by Congress in various statutes that required first 24 agencies—and then all components (or “reporting entities”) of the federal government—to produce unqualified independent financial statement audits. FASAB 56 could provide a back-door, secret remedy to eliminate the need for reporting unsupported journal voucher adjustments against Treasury in order to balance the books of government agencies: it could allow an agency, under the auspices of “national security,” to make unexplained financial statement adjustments in order to achieve an unqualified audit under FASAB standards. And not only can the adjustments be “unaccountable” in terms of purpose, but they can be secret (i.e., classified) and unlimited in amount. By the time we know for sure what the problems with FASAB 56 might be (given the failure of the government to address the previous $21 trillion of undocumentable adjustments), it could be too late to do anything about them. In reliance upon FASAB 56, in the future, an agency could not only make secret expenditures or liquidations of assets, but, for “national security” purposes, it could go without explaining (except within a small group of “properly cleared” individuals) why the expenditures or asset transfers were made; it also would not have to report to most of Congress or the public how much such expenditures cost taxpayers or the value of the transferred assets. Presumably, the agency could, in the future, achieve an unqualified audit in which only a selected few unelected officials with top security clearances would view the underlying (and classified) support. We concede that these actions might be illegal and not in accordance with the spirit of Statement 56, but in light of past efforts to hide the truth from taxpayers, is it any wonder we suspect a nefarious purpose? FASAB 56 applies to otherwise-unclassified financial statements of federal agencies and their components—General Purpose Federal Financial Reports (GPFFR). It provides that, in order to protect classified information from disclosure: (1) An entity may modify information required by other FASAB standards if the effect of the modification does not affect the net results of operations or net position. (2) A component reporting entity may be excluded from one reporting entity and consolidated into another reporting entity. The effect of this modification may be to change the net results of operations and/or net position. (3) An entity may apply Interpretations of FASAB 56 that allow other modifications to information required by other FASAB standards, and the effect may be to change the net results of operations and/or net position. FASAB 56 also allows modifications to be made to unclassified disclosures, required supplementary information (RSI), and required supplementary stewardship information (RSSI) required by other FASAB statements to prevent the disclosure of classified information. This would include financial statement footnotes, for example. In other words, any modification may be made if it does not change the net results of operations or net position (#1 above). However, a modification may affect the net results of operations or net position if it results from excluding a component from one reporting entity and consolidating it into another (#2 above) or if it results from applying an Interpretation allowing the modification (#3 above). For example, a modification can be a change in one line item (e.g., a subtraction from the amount of the line item) and a corresponding change in another line item (e.g., the addition of the same amount to another line item), resulting in no net change (#1 above); this would have the effect of mischaracterizing the subject of an expenditure, with no explanation or disclosure of the modification. The second type of permitted modification is a consolidation modification, which results when a component of a reporting entity is moved out of that reporting entity and consolidated into a different reporting entity (#2 above). As an example, the finances of a division of the Navy (which is a reporting entity) could be deleted from the Navy’s financial statements and moved (consolidated) into the Army’s financial statements. Or, presumably, part of the Army’s finances could be moved into (and consolidated with) the operations of HUD or NASA or any other reporting entity. It appears that the only permitted modification that has the effect of changing the entire federal net results of operations (as opposed to moving money from one part of the government to another part) is when the modification is pursuant to an Interpretation issued by the FASAB that affects statements other than FASAB 56. Thus, an unlimited number of classified Interpretations not available to the public may be issued by FASAB that have the effect of permitting modifications to federal financial statements that misstate bottom-line numbers, and such misstatements may have a material effect on the reporting entities’ financial statements. Already, one Interpretation applicable to Statement 56 was issued before Statement 56 became final. Was this to ensure a publicly acceptable level of undocumentable adjustments when the inability to complete the new audit was announced? There is no way to know. Does this mean that FASAB 56 necessarily will result in no net change in federal government balance sheets (i.e., assets and liabilities) and income statements on a government-wide basis unless some future Interpretation expressly provides for an exception? What damage can be done even if there is no net change, government-wide? In theory and at first blush, it may appear that, in the absence of an Interpretation to the contrary, there would be no net change and therefore no “harm.” However, that would be the case only if no one cares whether a government asset is listed as, for example, gold or land or a claim against a foreign government—or whether an expenditure is listed as a loss on FHA insurance on an apartment complex or an expenditure for food stamps or a bribe to a foreign dictator. There are also fact patterns under which the net position can remain unchanged notwithstanding manipulation of accounts for purposes like the funding of secret mercenary armies. But if there is no requirement that Congress or the public be informed of the number or amount of modifications or the nature of the expenditures or assets modified, how can anyone know whether even FASAB 56 requirements are being followed? And we wonder whether FASAB 56, in limiting modifications (except those pursuant to Interpretations) to those that do not have the effect of changing results of operations, would nevertheless permit modifications within the same reporting year that, if reported on a date other than the end of the fiscal year, would have the effect of changing net results of operations. In other words, suppose that in October a reporting entity (e.g., the Department of the Army) were to transfer the title to a $10B satellite to a government contractor, creating an undocumentable journal voucher adjustment against Treasury in the form of a $10B debit against U.S. government assets. As long as, before September 30 of the following calendar year, there is a $10B undocumentable journal voucher adjustment against Treasury in the form of a credit to the balance sheet of the Army or any other reporting entity, there is no year-end net effect on the overall government’s results of operations. Will the government’s independent accountants—who, in the future, are to issue unqualified audit letters as a result of permitted and undisclosed modifications pursuant to FASAB 56 and future, potentially classified, Interpretations—have access to classified information so that they can certify that the requirements of both FASAB 56 and future Interpretations and their professional obligations under SAS 122 have been satisfied? (See Kearney comments on the Exposure Draft in Appendix B.) It appears maybe not.10 The only reference to this subject in the final Statement (other than disclosure of the six-step process for the issuance of Interpretations) is this: “[D]uring the audit, the preparer [i.e., governmental reporting entity] would inform the properly cleared auditor whether and how this Statement and related Interpretations were applied. GPFFR modified pursuant to this Statement and related Interpretations would be considered in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.” The six-step process as outlined in the FASAB Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) provides for “proper clearance,” including execution of a non-disclosure agreement and demonstration of a “need to know” regarding the classified information. Whether and how many independent public accountants providing audit opinions will be granted the “proper clearance” is left unstated, leaving the reader with only a reference to standard procedures for classified information. Those who have not experienced the procedures for an independent audit of financial statements by an independent public accounting firm may not know that such a firm depends to a great extent upon various certifications by officers of the audited reporting entity, and the audit opinion is qualified to the extent of such assurances. Therefore, it may be that future auditors of government financial statements will place even greater reliance upon managerial certifications than they ordinarily would because support in the form of records is not made available to them. If auditors do not have access to all classified information taken out of the GPFFR unclassified statement, it seems a fair question how government agencies can be said to have satisfied statutory requirements that they produce audited financial statements. How will independent auditors of such financial statements issue “clean” audit opinions if they cannot follow the procedures required by the AICPA under SAS 122? Reference to the various comments received by FASAB on the Exposure Draft of FASAB 56 are instructive. See Appendix B for a detailed description of the seventeen comment letters from accounting firms and organizations and federal agencies. Executive Order 12356, “National security information,” was issued by President Ronald Reagan, on April 2, 1982. According to Executive Order 12356, which set forth U.S. classification policy, information is considered classified if it concerns: Military plans, weapons, or operations The vulnerabilities or capabilities of systems, installations, projects, or plans relating to the national security Foreign government information Intelligence activities (including special activities), or intelligence sources or methods Foreign relations or foreign activities of the United States Scientific, technological, or economic matters relating to the national security United States government programs for safeguarding nuclear materials or facilities A confidential source Or other categories of information that are related to the national security and that require protection against unauthorized disclosure as determined by the President or by agency heads or other officials who have been delegated original classification authority by the President. Any determination made under this subsection must be reported promptly to the Director of the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO). The ISOO is a component of the National Archives and Records Administration. It receives policy and program guidance from the National Security Council. ISOO is responsible to the President for policy and oversight of the government-wide security classification system and the National Industrial Security Program. Those with original classification authority are the President, agency heads, and those to whom agency heads delegate this authority. Under Executive Order 13526, which was issued by President Barack Obama in 2009, government contractors and others may play a role in classifying information. Thus, the Order provides: “[W]hen an employee, government contractor, licensee, certificate holder, or grantee of an agency who does not have original classification authority originates information believed by that person to require classification, the information shall be protected in a manner consistent with this order and its implementing directives. The information shall be transmitted promptly as provided under this order or its implementing directives to the agency that has appropriate subject matter interest and classification authority with respect to this information. That agency shall decide within 30 days whether to classify this information.” Under Executive Order 13526, automatic declassification is the declassification of information based upon the occurrence of a specific date or event as determined by the original classification authority; or if the original classification authority was unable to specify a date, the expiration of a minimum of ten years from the classification date (unless the original classification authority determines the sensitivity of the information requires classification for a maximum time frame of 25 years). Only 25-year-old or older records that have been determined to have “permanent historical value” in accordance with title 44, U.S. Code are subject to automatic declassification. Agency heads may exempt 25-year-old, permanently valuable classified records from automatic declassification only when the information contained in them has been determined to satisfy one or more of the exemption categories in section 3.3(b) of Executive Order 13526. Information exempted from automatic declassification under this section remains subject to the mandatory and systematic declassification review provisions of the Order; no information may be classified indefinitely. Only information that reveals one of the following is exempt from automatic declassification: The identity of a confidential human source Information that would assist in the development, production, or use of weapons of mass destruction Information that would impair U.S. cryptologic systems or activities Information that would impair the application of state-of-the-art technology within a U.S. weapon system Formally named or numbered U.S. military war plans that remain in effect, or operational or tactical elements of prior plans that are contained in such active plans Information, including foreign government information, that would cause serious harm to relations between the United States and a foreign government, or to ongoing diplomatic activities of the United States Information that would impair the current ability of United States Government officials to protect the President, Vice President, and other protectees for whom protection services, in the interest of the national security, are authorized Information that would seriously impair current national security emergency preparedness plans or current vulnerabilities of systems, installations, or infrastructures relating to the national security Information that would violate a statute, treaty, or international agreement that does not permit the automatic or unilateral declassification of information at 25 years In other words, classification, or the rendering as secret from the public, of information known to the U.S. government is largely within the control of the Executive Branch, with little oversight by the Judiciary or Congress, although we have no way of knowing what, if any, disclosure is voluntarily made to members of Congress (who, as we see below, are not required to obtain security clearances) and their staff members or to members of the Judiciary to the extent necessary for the Judiciary or Congress to carry out their respective Constitutionally-mandated responsibilities. What about Congressional members? According to the CIA website, all members of Congress have access to intelligence by virtue of their elected positions. They do not receive security clearances per se. Congressional staffers who require access to intelligence in connection with their official duties receive security clearances based on background investigations conducted by the FBI. As a general rule, only committee staffers receive clearances; those in members’ personal offices do not. While it may be true that members of Congress theoretically have access to classified budget information, classified intelligence reports are routinely provided only to the committees that have responsibilities in the national security area. Members of these committees receive preference from the intelligence community in satisfying their requests on an individual basis. Among the national security committees, the intelligence committees and their members are accorded “preferential treatment.” Committees that do not have national security responsibilities and individual members who do not serve on national security committees may request intelligence support but are typically given a “lower priority.” As for legislation involving national security matters, the intelligence community usually is asked to provide briefings that are open to the entire body. These are ordinarily arranged at the request of the leadership in either house and are held in a secure briefing room on the fourth floor of the U.S. Capitol. The National Security Act states that Congress must be kept “fully informed” of significant intelligence activities, but many presidents have interpreted this clause to mean they only need to notify the “Gang of Eight” rather than the full membership of the congressional intelligence committees. The Gang of Eight consists of the Senate and House majority and minority leaders, and the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees. The leadership in each chamber—the majority and minority leaders of the Senate and the speaker and minority leader of the House of Representatives—are ex officio members of their respective intelligence committees and have access to intelligence held by the committees. Typically, a member of each leader’s staff serves as liaison to the intelligence committee, keeping up with the committee’s activities and serving as a conduit for information to his or her boss. Each of these Congressional leaders also has staff responsible for national security issues who can make independent requests to the intelligence community for support—which may include briefings and/or written analysis. The two intelligence committees (House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and Senate Select Committee on Intelligence) are the repositories of most intelligence shared with Congress. Their offices and hearing rooms are physically located in vaulted areas that meet the CIA standards for storage and discussion of information relating to intelligence sources and methods. They review the annual intelligence budget submitted by the President, oversee the operations of intelligence agencies, and prepare legislation for appropriations to them. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) is its Ranking Member. There are twenty-four members on this House committee—fourteen Democrats and ten Republicans. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) is the Chairman and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Nineteen members serve on this committee—ten Republicans and nine Democrats. As of February 2019, members on one of these two committees and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), as House Minority Leader and member of the Gang of Eight, represented eighteen states and districts in an additional nine states.11 Thus, more than half of the country and all of the largest states are represented by a Member of Congress with access to classified information (if they so choose). Most national security appropriations appear as a single lump sum in the defense budget. Each appropriations committee (i.e., House and Senate) has a defense subcommittee that holds most of the control over the intelligence budget. Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-IN) in the House and Richard Shelby (R-AL) in the Senate are chairmen of these committees, which have a total of eleven members each. What does the information in this section tell us? First, a lot of members of Congress representing investors in many, if not most, states have access to and power to obtain information and exercise oversight or spending authority over intelligence matters and, presumably, classified financial information or financial information involving classified projects and programs. These representatives, particularly the relevant committee chairmen and House and Senate leadership, know the issues involved and the type of information that is behind the “national security” shield and have the wherewithal, if they wanted, to stop an FASAB standard that would mislead the American people. Given the refusal of Congress to enforce the Constitution and financial management and reporting laws to date, we see no reason why they would start now, other than through the intercession of significant political or investor pressure. It should be noted that the primary source of campaign contributions is increases in capital gains from real estate and stock market value of major corporate and wealthy contributors. Consequently, the conflict of interest between the interests of Members of Congress in raising campaign contributions and any dedication they may have to transparency in the financial statements of major government agencies, contractors, and banks is clear. See the case study involving private prison stock profits in Catherine’s Dillon Read & Co. Inc. & the Aristocracy of Stock Profits here: [https://dillonreadandco.com/] for a detailed description of how privatization can increase government costs in a manner that generates enormous amounts of stock profits and campaign contributions. Catherine learned while serving as Assistant Secretary of Housing that through FHA’s General Fund, HUD had what amounts to a put on the Treasury: at the end of each year, since the General Fund was not expected to be operated on a self-supporting basis (i.e., with mortgage insurance premiums covering claims and expenses), HUD merely sent a bill to Congress for the net deficit, with no obligation to account to Congress or provide a breakdown of the losses. Carolyn Betts learned while employed at Hamilton Securities, then FHA’s lead financial adviser, that FHA’s complete second mortgage portfolio was available only on a Lotus spreadsheet kept on a single HUD employee’s hard drive. These observations form just the tip of the iceberg of financial management loopholes available, at least at that time, for hanky-panky by those having an interest in manipulating numbers for the benefit of third-party interests. Catherine has provided links for those who wish to learn more about HUD hanky-panky as an example of the numerous loopholes in the federal system at “Missing Money: A Personal History—1989 to 2019.” Second, there are a lot of subject matter areas that could, arguably and with some stretch of the imagination, be lumped into “classified” or “national security” or “intelligence” information, particularly in the catch-all category of “other categories of information that are related to the national security and that require protection against unauthorized disclosure as determined by the President or by agency heads or other officials who have been delegated original classification authority by the President.”12 And even government contractors have a shot at seeing to it that information they generate may become classified. On the other hand, at least in theory, most classified information is automatically declassified within ten years; only a select few categories of classified information can remain classified for ten to twenty-five years, and virtually no classified information that a typical investor would consider important in everyday life may remain legally secret for more than twenty-five years. Third, given the complexity of the workings and finances of the many intelligence agencies, House and Senate intelligence committee staffers, with their required security clearances, have a great deal of power to influence appropriations for intelligence programs and projects and to keep key intelligence committee members informed about relevant issues. Fourth, the President of the United States, or those who control him or her and the information he or she is given, and the Director of National Intelligence13 exercise virtually complete control over what the public can know or find out about anything the President determines in his or her sole and complete discretion, without any oversight, to be a matter of “national security.” Finally, with reference to the history of HUD’s hundreds of billions in undocumentable adjustments since FY 1998 and its inability to produce audited financial statements, it is difficult to imagine what “national security interest” could be served by making modifications to HUD and FHA financial statements under FASAB 56. However, such authority has been provided. Oliver North’s statement alleged by one whistleblower that “HUD is the candy store of covert operations” and the statement by the chief of staff of Senator Kit Bond (chairman of the Senate HUD appropriations committee at the time of HUD’s first undocumentable adjustments and audit failure) that “HUD is being run as a criminal enterprise” come to mind. In light of Catherine’s experience while serving as HUD’s Assistant Secretary-FHA Commissioner that the FHA portfolio included properties for which insurance claims had been paid after no debt service whatsoever had been received from day one (at least once capitalized interest had been used up), is there any reason to believe that HUD’s books, with many billions of dollars of credit and other assets, could not have been used to launder secret and illegal government cash flows? After all, in order to hide a billion dollars in illegal expenditures or the transfer of billions of dollars of assets out of the government, one would have to find a government agency with billions of dollars on its books. HUD’s FHA Fund is just such a potential hiding place. The U.S. government agency responsible for integrity and full disclosure in the U.S. securities markets is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The four primary post-Depression laws enforced by the SEC are the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”) governing the issuance of securities; the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) governing secondary sales of securities and regulation of public companies; the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) regulating mutual funds; and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”) regulating investment advisers. Historically, the emphasis of most SEC laws and the rules and regulations promulgated under these acts is one of complete disclosure of material information about securities, the securities markets, and the market participants (advisers, primary and secondary market dealers, and issuers). It is, therefore, a major development in the regulation of the issuance and sale of U.S. securities when the primary enforcer of transparency in the markets promulgates exemptions from disclosure requirements for the stated purpose of protecting U.S. government classified information. The first SEC exemption for classified information occurred when, on May 24, 1968, SEC promulgated Rule 0-6 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR § 240.0-6), entitled “Disclosure detrimental to the national defense or foreign policy.” Rule 0-6 provides in pertinent part: (a) Any requirement to the contrary notwithstanding, no registration statement, report, proxy statement or other document filed with the [Securities Exchange] Commission or any securities exchange shall contain any document or information which, pursuant to Executive order, has been classified by an appropriate department or agency of the United States for protection in the interests of national defense or foreign policy. (b) Where a document or information is omitted pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section, there shall be filed, in lieu of such document or information, a statement from an appropriate department or agency of the United States to the effect that such document or information has been classified or that the status thereof is awaiting determination…. A registrant may rely upon any such statement in filing or omitting any document or information to which the statement relates. This rule operates as an exemption from SEC rules and regulations that would otherwise require the disclosure in a public filing of material classified information or documents in connection with the public offering of a security (by, for example, a government contractor working on a classified project) and reporting requirements under the Exchange Act applicable to public reporting companies, which require, among other things, the filing of annual financial statements certified by an independent accounting firm (i.e., so-called “audited” financial statements). To date, the SEC has provided no publicly available guidance on whether this rule prohibiting the public disclosure of information might render a securities prospectus misleading for purposes of the antifraud provisions of Rule 10b-5 (17 C.F.R. 240.10b-5), which states in pertinent part: It shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, by the use of any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce, or of the mails or of any facility of any national securities exchange, (b) To make any untrue statement of a material fact or to omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in connection with the purchase or sale of any security. Rule 10b-5 and several similar rules permit potential recovery of losses by a purchaser or seller of any security (public or private) who later experiences a loss attributable to a misrepresentation of the counterparty (i.e., seller or purchaser, respectively) or failure of the counterparty to disclose information that—if disclosed or disclosed accurately—would have affected the aggrieved party’s decision to purchase or sell the security. In other words, if the issuer of a security, say, a government contractor that builds weapons systems, fails to provide material information about a key project or provides misleading information about the project that might cause a potential investor in the security not to purchase or sell the security—and the potential investor purchases or sells the security on the basis of the false, misleading, or omitted information, the security value drops, and the holder of the security sells it at a loss—the aggrieved purchaser of the security may be able to recover his or her losses from the issuer under Rule 10b-5. Query whether, if this government contractor had filed with the SEC under Rule 0-6 a statement from the Department of Defense that omitted materially important information from the contractor’s prospectus, the contractor could use compliance with Rule 0-6 as a defense to the investor’s Rule 10b-5 claim, in reliance on the Rule 0-6 statement that “[a] registrant may rely upon any such statement in filing or omitting any document or information to which the statement relates.” We know of no reported cases on this issue and doubt that there are any, but we can imagine circumstances (e.g., the failure of a company due to the cancellation of a classified production contract involving a major secret military vehicle) under which certain risks are known by the contractor but are classified (whether properly or improperly) and, therefore, cannot be disclosed. The next SEC rule that comes into play in connection with classified information in the context of private-sector securities is the Exchange Act § 13(b)(3) exemption from requirements that public companies (i.e., companies with securities registered under the Exchange Act that are required to satisfy public reporting requirements under Sections 13 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act)14 keep detailed and accurate accounting records and systems. Specifically, such companies are required under 15 U.S.C. §78m(b)(2) (Section 13(b)(1) of the Exchange Act) to: [M]ake and keep books, records, and accounts, which, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the issuer; (B) devise and maintain a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that— (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary (I) to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles or any other criteria applicable to such statements, and (II) to maintain accountability for assets; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. Included in the next paragraph of this statutory provision, however, is the following exemption § 13(b)(3): With respect to matters concerning the national security of the United States, no duty or liability under paragraph (2) of this subsection shall be imposed upon any person acting in cooperation with the head of any Federal department or agency responsible for such matters if such act in cooperation with such head of a department or agency was done upon the specific, written directive of the head of such department or agency pursuant to Presidential authority to issue such directives. Each directive issued under this paragraph shall set forth the specific facts and circumstances with respect to which the provisions of this paragraph are to be invoked. Each such directive shall, unless renewed in writing, expire one year after the date of issuance. This exemption (about which, we think, few securities analysts and attorneys outside the defense establishment are aware) appears to provide for a get-out-of-jail-free card to allow government contractors, in particular, to keep secret accounting records and file financial statements that fail to include all information that would otherwise be required in annual and quarterly reports, proxy statements, and other SEC filings. The only catch, it seems, is the administrative hassle of annually renewing the federal department or agency directive. In February 2006, President George W. Bush delegated the exemption authority under Section 13(b)(3) of the Exchange Act to the Director of National Intelligence (then John Negroponte), thereby shrouding the government defense establishment in further secrecy. Now, in light of the issuance of FASAB 56, the SEC’s mission to protect investors, maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets, and facilitate capital formation seem far from reach. It is not clear, however, how a public company could make material alterations of its financial records in accordance with Exchange Act § 13(b)(3) or Exchange Act Rule 0-6 and still (in the absence of a private-sector policy analogous to SFFAS 56 in the federal government sector) fulfill its Exchange Act obligations to file annual audited financial statements. It is possible that, as suggested in the Kearney & Company comment letter on the SFFAS 56 Exposure Draft (see Appendix B), the public accounting firm issuing a clean audit opinion on such a contractor’s financial statements does so through the application of AICPA’s AU-C Section 805, Special Considerations—Audits of Single Financial Statements and Specific Elements, Accounts, or Items of a Financial Statement with reference to Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 122, “Preface to Codification of Statements on Auditing Standards, Principles Underlying an Audit Conducted in Accordance With Generally Accepted Auditing Standards.” SAS 122 was issued in October 2011, effective for financial statements after December 15, 2012.15 AU-C No. 240 is entitled “Considerations of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit.” The scope of this standard is stated as follows: This section addresses the auditor’s responsibilities relating to fraud in an audit of financial statements. Specifically, it expands on how section 315, Understanding the Entity and Its Environment and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement, and section 330, Performing Audit Procedures in Response to Assessed Risks and Evaluating the Audit Evidence Obtained, are to be applied regarding risks of material misstatement due to fraud. IX. THE POST-FASAB 56 WORLD: WHO CAN HELP ASSESS CREDIT, RISKS, AND PRICE? As we stated in Section III, we do not believe a “prudent man” would rely solely on the U.S. rating agencies regarding the U.S. federal credit. We should also explain why a “prudent man” would not rely on the media, issuers, dealers, or financial institutions either. We have seen that FASAB 56 was first proposed in the Federal Register in December 2017. Yet, with the exception of ongoing coverage by The Solari Report, a special report and update from Dr. Skidmore, an article by Steven Aftergood of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Matt Taibbi’s Rolling Stone article in December 2018, there has been nary a peep from those who should have an interest in an accounting standard that could have the effect of making material misstatements of the financial operations and position of every agency of the federal government. That fact, in itself, should be a warning that investors are on their own in doing due diligence on their investments where risks of financial solvency and stability of the federal government are concerned—that is, for many, if not most, of the equity and particularly debt securities and derivatives available in the market. We have also seen that the traditional SEC-required disclosure, in public securities offerings as well as annual and quarterly reports and proxy statements of public companies, should be viewed with a degree of caution where securities issued by federal government contractors and banks are concerned, because classified information relevant to the investment decision may have been excluded with the blessing of the SEC under Exchange Act Section 13(b)(3) and Rule 0-6. Federal contractors, however, may include more than the obvious military-industrial complex contractors like Lockheed Martin and SAIC. This also includes the banks (like JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and others) that, largely without wide disclosure of the fact, act as agents of the U.S. government in the gold markets, with respect to the Exchange Stabilization Fund, and otherwise in government financial market interventions. From the 2008-2012 Financial Crisis, we learned that the investment banks (like Goldman Sachs) traded in mortgage-backed securities to benefit their own private interests, even to the detriment of their investor clients who were counterparties in the same transactions.16 With all the fanfare accompanying legislation purportedly addressing the “too big to fail” phenomenon witnessed during the Financial Crisis, since that time, the big banks have only gotten bigger. Several investment banks (Merrill Lynch and Goldman Sachs, in particular) have become banks, thereby being able to borrow at the Fed’s window and take advantage of FDIC insurance while engaging in proprietary transactions for their own accounts. We see no sign of a “come to Jesus” moment in the financial sector that would lead us to believe that the major financial institutions are now generally dedicated to integrity and transparency, let alone when it is contradictory to their self-interest. Threats to the dominance of the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency make it more likely that the U.S. making good on its guarantees will require the Federal Reserve to print more money, leading to a significant debasement of the U.S. dollar. U.S. military dominance is a major factor in holding up the value of the U.S. dollar, but this is not a politically correct factor for a primary or secondary dealer to incorporate in its analyses of credits of either direct U.S. obligations or obligations dependent on the U.S. credit, especially when such military dominance depends on secret weaponry and covert operations. Consequently, the investor is advised to rely on his or her own due diligence as opposed to the assessments of third parties, be they media, dealers, rating agencies, or issuers. X. THE POST-FASAB 56 WORLD: WHAT IS THE FEDERAL CREDIT? What Is Sovereign? According to Wikipedia, the word “sovereign” is borrowed from the Old French soverain, which is ultimately derived from the Latin superānus, meaning “above.” “The roles of a sovereign vary from Monarch or Head of state to head of municipal government or head of a chivalric order. As a result, the word sovereign has more recently also come to mean independence or autonomy…. The sovereign is the autonomous head of the state.” “Sovereignty is the full right and power of a governing body over itself, without any interference from outside sources or bodies. In political theory, sovereignty is a substantive term designating supreme authority over some polity.” A government or sovereign bond is a bond issued by a national government. Government bonds are typically denominated in the issuing country’s currency. Consequently, the government can never be forced to default, because it can simply create more currency to fund payment of principal and interest. One of the important characteristics of state sovereignty has been Westphalian sovereignty—the principle that each state has exclusive sovereignty over its territory. Established by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, this principle means that a sovereign government has a monopoly on the use and exercise of physical force within its jurisdiction. There is an important question that investors must ask: What does it mean to the credit of U.S. Treasury securities that the U.S. has been privatizing parts of its military and intelligence function? It means that the U.S. military and enforcement authorities no longer maintain a monopoly on force within the U.S. jurisdiction. Rather, in our opinion, the number of parties that can and do kill with impunity on behalf of both governmental and non-governmental agencies and parties has been growing faster over recent decades than the U.S. GDP—and there is certainly a relationship between these two trends.17 Economic performance is driven increasingly by force. With the development and implementation of drone and robotics weaponry, the potential impact will be far-reaching. Who Hires and Fires the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing-Single Family at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development? As described earlier, the FHA, an agency within HUD, is a mortgage insurance operation, generally divided into two funds. The first is the Mutual Mortgage Insurance (MMI) Fund, which funds the single-family residential mortgage insurance originated by FHA. Officially outstanding mortgage insurance in force in the MMI Fund as of fiscal 2018 was approximately $1.1 trillion, with the fiscal 2018 budget requesting authority to issue $400 billion in new mortgage insurance. The management of the single-family operations at FHA is traditionally undertaken by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing-Single Family who reports to the Assistant Secretary of Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner who reports to the Secretary of HUD. Both the Secretary of HUD and the Assistant Secretary of Housing-Federal Housing Commissioner are Presidential appointees. They are nominated by the President and approved by Senate confirmation after an extensive FBI background check. The Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) of Housing is traditionally recommended for appointment to the Secretary by the Assistant Secretary of Housing, reviewed and approved by the White House, and then appointed by the Secretary after a background check. When Catherine became Assistant Secretary of Housing in 1989, one of her first jobs was to review and recommend the people for four main deputy positions, including the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing-Single Family. One of the resumes forwarded to her by the transition team was for Ronnie Rosenfeld. Catherine knew Ronnie from her time serving on one of the boards at The Wharton School. After an initial interview, she invited Ronnie to lunch and asked him the most important question. Why was someone with such a successful career in real estate and finance interested in serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary to reform what was at the time a very troubled operation? Although required by law to be financially self-sustaining, the FHA single-family fund was instead losing $11 million a day—a significant amount at a time when the officially reported single-family mortgage insurance in force was approximately $300 billion. To this day, Catherine remembers Ronnie’s answer. He spoke about how his family had come to America—and thanks to the opportunities we enjoy here—had done very well. Now he wanted to give back. The next day, Catherine forwarded a recommendation to then HUD Secretary Jack Kemp for Ronnie Rosenfeld to be appointed the DAS-Single Family. Shortly thereafter, Catherine received a call from the executive director of the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB). The message said it was urgent. Could he and the president of NAHB meet with her as soon as possible? Soon enough, Catherine found herself in a small temporary office (she had not been sworn in yet, having just arrived at FHA) with the executive director and president of NAHB. The NAHB president was quite upset. It seemed, she said, that Catherine had made a terrible error. She had nominated Ronnie Rosenfeld to be DAS for Single Family. That appointment, the president said, was in fact the NAHB president’s to make—the DAS for Single Family essentially reported to her. She did not seem to be aware that the growing HUD scandals that were part of the savings and loan (S&L) crisis and the Iran-Contra scandal signaled a new day at HUD. In the meantime, Catherine was beginning to understand how the MMI Fund had arrived at the point of losing $11 million a day and not being in compliance with existing federal financial management laws. Catherine explained that the new administration was planning on running things by the book and that the DAS for Single Family was going to be appointed by the HUD Secretary with approval of the White House. Catherine was only going to recommend to the Secretary candidates qualified to do an excellent job based on merit. Washington lobbyists needed to understand that the line management of a $320-plus billion government insurance program would report to government officials—not to the president of the National Association of Homebuilders. The president stood up, pointed her finger closely at Catherine’s face and, using the F-word liberally, explained, “I will have you fired.” Catherine looked her in the eye and said, “You know you probably can, but it will take you a while. In the meantime, I am going to get this place on a sound financial footing.” Catherine then picked up the phone, called security, and requested a security guard to physically evict the NAHB president from the building. Inspired by the call, the executive director quickly hustled the president, spitting and yelling, out of the office and down the hall to the elevators. Before Ronnie arrived, Catherine bounced the fellow who was processing land development deals with the company owned by the president of NAHB from the Single Family office and, with the assistance of now-Deputy Assistant Secretary of Housing Ronnie Rosenfeld, shut down the program. Catherine was fired approximately eighteen months later, in part for a refusal to respect or implement illegal orders, but by that time FHA was on a sound financial footing—which was not to last. Catherine had experienced some of the basic truths of sovereignty. For a government to have sovereignty, it must have information sovereignty. The President of the United States must be able to call the Prime Minister of England and have a conversation without eighteen intelligence agencies and telecommunications companies recording and sharing it with numerous banks, private companies, and media outlets. A sovereign government’s information and payments systems need to be controlled by loyal government officials rather than private corporations and banks that can profit from funds being moved illegally out of or laundered through the information systems or securities being issued without being recorded on the government books.18 For a government to have sovereignty, it also must have financial sovereignty. If no one accepts its currency or will buy its bonds, a government cannot provide the basic operational capacity it needs to run and maintain control within its borders. If a country practices deficit spending and becomes highly leveraged, it is ultimately controlled by the owners of its central bank, its creditors, and the dealers who manage its bond markets rather than by its citizens. The president of the NAHB and Catherine disagreed in 1989 regarding whether FHA was part of sovereign government or simply a rich trough for the feeding of insiders. The reason the FHA Single-Family Fund was losing $11 million a day, although required to be run on a self-sustaining basis, was because it had lost its sovereignty. Indeed, some of Catherine’s greatest struggles involved getting basic financial data about the operations, including from the defense contractors19 who ran HUD’s IT and payments systems and would refuse requests for basic financial data. Certainly, FASAB 56 has great potential to allow such contractors even greater protection with respect to their control of agency resources and their financial relationship with both the government and shareholders. In 2000, Catherine met with the chief of staff to the Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees HUD appropriations. The mortgage bubble was in full bubble mode. The staff member asked Catherine what she thought was going on at HUD. Catherine deferred and asked what the chief of staff thought was going on. The response was, “HUD is being run as a criminal enterprise.” This was after billions of dollars started to disappear from HUD, with $17 billion and $59 billion of undocumentable adjustments in fiscal 1998 and 1999. HUD is run on a matrix structure with the majority of operations handled by large defense contractors, New York Fed member banks, the U.S. Treasury, and the Department of Justice. HUD was indeed being run as a criminal enterprise—and those entities were intentionally running it as a criminal enterprise. Further outsourcing and privatization can only be expected to make things worse, not better. The bailouts during the 2008-2012 Financial Crisis were in amounts that were several multiples of what would have been needed to pay off all the residential single-family mortgages in the country. How could that happen, you might ask? Among other things, it could happen because the federal agency responsible to lead policy and regulation for the United States was not run as a sovereign government agency and was handing out credit and booking undocumentable adjustments with abandon. In 2003, Catherine challenged a retired senior civil servant who had held a senior position at HUD to find an existing member of the civil service at HUD who understood how the financial operations then worked. He accepted the challenge and had to buy Catherine dinner when he lost. It turned out that the banks and corporations were in complete control, he said. There was no government official or employee who understood the operations or finances, let alone was in a position to govern or manage the private banks and contractors at their tasks. He was stunned. HUD had achieved a full privatization operationally without anyone knowing it. Not surprisingly, the housing bubble continued to expand while HUD finances and financial systems remained—perhaps not so mysteriously—a complex, near-impossible-to-understand mess. Indeed, as you read this, we are being regaled by media reminding us how government is inefficient and telling us that we should let corporations run more government operations. As you read the 2018 Annual Wrap Up, we encourage you to step back and see the big picture of where we are. The more power private banks and corporations get to run the U.S. government, the more money goes missing, and the larger and more secretive the National Security State grows. In essence, the U.S. government is like a large double-decker bus. The friendly driver wears a hat and has a big steering wheel. That steering wheel, however, does not connect to the bus wheels. On the lower level, there is another driver with another steering wheel that does indeed connect. That wheel is controlled firmly by the private banks, corporations, and contractors who run the federal government and fund the campaign contributions for Congressional and presidential campaigns. The passengers get angry at the friendly driver every four or eight years and vote in a new friendly driver. And nothing changes. The situation could change—but that would require cutting off the funding to the real driver, which, of course, threatens the real system and the existing cash flows that generate “fees for your friends” and levitate the corporate profits on U.S. equity markets. FASAB 56 The collapse of U.S. sovereignty that was under way when Catherine threw the president of the NAHB out of FHA is now complete with the issuance of FASAB 56. This is a material event in the context of investor and citizen risk. The U.S. government is maintaining secret books through a secret process without any independent verification that those with proper clearances are following the rules that supposedly authorize this secrecy. The people making these decisions are, for the most part, secret. An obscure accounting policy overrides the U.S. Constitution and federal financial management and securities laws. Since the banks and corporations that have run the U.S. government outside those laws for twenty years now have even more power, it is not clear on what basis we would presume they will follow the new set of rules issued to institutionalize their refusal to follow the old set of rules. There is a simple way to cut through the complexity of what is happening. The U.S. government is not a sovereign government. It does not have information sovereignty. It does not have financial sovereignty. It does not have operational sovereignty. And it has accumulated undocumentable transactions from fiscal 1998 to 2015 at two of its 24 agencies equal to the amount of its officially reported outstanding debt: $21 trillion. This brings us to the question of the outstanding U.S. debt. The official amount of outstanding U.S. Treasury debt is now $22 trillion and rising quickly. U.S. Treasury debt grew by 6% in 2018. It is expected to grow by 8% in 2019. That is despite many years of what is being called an “economic recovery.” If the economy slows or goes into recession, as it inevitably will, the debt growth will accelerate. If unfunded liabilities are added, the picture deteriorates further. One important question is, who will buy this debt? As described in Section II and at our tables at “Contractors, Investors, and Dealers” in the 2018 Annual Wrap Up, U.S. investors own 33% of the debt, the Federal Reserve Bank owns 11%, and the U.S. government owns 27%—for a total of 71% that is owned domestically. That leaves 29% owned by foreign investors, who are currently net sellers. In addition, the next two years will also see a significant volume of corporate bond maturities, significantly increasing corporate refinancings. Given high global government debt levels, the competition for capital is fierce. Another question facing investors is, what exactly are they buying? If the U.S. government is no longer a sovereign government (and indeed, aggressive plans for further privatization underscore the fact that there is no possibility of that changing in the near and intermediate future—quite the contrary), what does it mean? It means that a U.S. Treasury bond is not a sovereign bond. It is something else. The term “sovereign” no longer applies. So, what is it? It is a bond issued by a governmental shell that is secret and whose operations are run by private corporations and banks that fund—or whose investors, lawyers, and lobbyists fund—the campaign contributions that elect the politicians who serve in Congress and the White House. We have no way of knowing for sure whether the assets financed by bonds issued by this government continue to be owned by the government, thus providing some form of collateral as a credit matter. We cannot say whether the assets financed by government bonds are being laundered out to private corporations in a manner that supports a high U.S. domestic stock market and the resulting campaign contributions. That possibility would certainly help to explain the dramatic outperformance of the U.S. stock market relative to world markets, however. Is the U.S. government a government, or rather a tax collection operation that is also a marketing shell for the U.S. Treasury financing operation? In New York State, when Catherine was on Wall Street, they used to call a certain class of bonds “moral obligations.” That was because it was considered essentially a political fait accompli that the New York State legislature would vote appropriations to pay debt service. But the State did not have a legally binding obligation to do so—the debt was a “moral obligation,” subject to the future will of the legislature. Presumably, the legislature could be expected to appropriate the necessary funds because members did not want the State’s bond market access to come to an end. For twenty years, Catherine has steadily referred to unaccountable adjustments by HUD and DOD and bailouts—$21 trillion in missing money combined with $24-plus trillion in bailouts—as “the financial coup d’état.” Now, the financial coup d’état period is coming to a close. With the squeeze in the bond market upon us, as the amount of outstanding debt grows at an accelerating rate, the U.S. and global investors are entering a new phase. Think of this as a leveraged buyout. The investors who can afford the biggest positions in Treasury bonds and can afford to buy new ones are likely the very groups that engineered the financial coup. This means governmental control is likely being purchased with the money stolen from and through the government. As Catherine always says, “crime that pays, is crime that stays.” So now, investors have a “moral obligation” bond secured by a secret government being run as a criminal enterprise. There are two reasons most investors assume that such a Treasury bond has financial value. The first is that the U.S. military is considered the strongest in the world. Consequently, a nuclear arsenal should count for something on the global chessboard, despite the unraveling of the global trade system. Second, U.S. Treasury and related debt is denominated in dollars, and the Federal Reserve and, if necessary, the U.S. Treasury can simply create as many dollars as they want—there is no need to default. The problem is that nowhere in this system are there internal controls that would require economic optimization or fundamental productivity. It has been cheaper to buy people’s political loyalties on a pay-as-you-go basis, using, among other tools, control files made economic by digital technology and media control. The price of secrecy and privilege, however, is that, over long periods of time, they subject the system to ever greater rates of entropy. The more uneconomic and entitled the system becomes, the more it depends on force rather than trust. The result is the downward spiral in performance that is now happening concurrently with an upward spiral in debt. Secret Funding for Secret Armies This brings us back to our last condition of sovereignty—Westphalian sovereignty. With very little fanfare, over the last three decades, the United States of America has made a significant investment through its intelligence and defense budgets in building private mercenary armies. Those private armies have been lobbying aggressively to be allowed to replace the U.S. Army in the Middle East and in hot spots around the globe. Private armies are now a financial constituency that lobbies for profitable opportunities to use force that generate U.S. corporate and bank profits and capital gains and the resulting campaign contributions. If you look at the covert operations happening around the United States—including shootings, assassinations, false flag events, and likely weather warfare—it is clear that United States military and federal enforcement and state and local governmental subdivisions no longer maintain a monopoly on the use of force within U.S. borders. Here is what Catherine wrote to one reporter after FASAB 56 was adopted quietly while the country was in an uproar over the Kavanaugh Supreme Court confirmation hearings: “The story is simple and obvious. What is it about secret financing for secret armies that you do not understand? The U.S. government just officially changed its governance model from a constitutional republic to fascism through an obscure accounting policy. No need to bother with a Constitutional convention. The U.S. Treasury is free to tax and then borrow from our pension funds and global and domestic investors and then transfer the money and assets financed and technology found or created without limit, compensation, or oversight to private corporations and investors. This is privatization by the ‘just do it’ method. Think of this as the extension of the bailouts to a permanent open bailout structure. The White House and Congress just opened a pipeline into the back of the U.S. Treasury and announced to every private army, mercenary, and thug in the world that we are open for business. Every mercenary on the planet is now generating proposed schemes to create business for themselves that pumps up U.S. corporate profits and campaign contributions. Why do you think Mattis is suddenly out, and ads are suddenly running that ‘Blackwater is Coming’? My advice? Ask now-former DOD Secretary Mattis—who opposed mercenary armies—how he feels about using his credibility to arrange significant increases in DOD appropriations and then getting the boot as soon as the mechanism to finance secret private armies goes into place.” Catherine should have added General Kelly as well. With large appropriations achieved, he was replaced as White House Chief of Staff by the head of OMB, who himself had led the Administration approvals for FASAB 56. So, not only are the U.S. sovereign bonds no longer sovereign, but the U.S. military that has heretofore served as the backbone of the U.S. financial strength is no longer a sovereign military—it is increasingly being privatized or replaced by private armies, free to roam in U.S. territory as well. This state of affairs is not unrelated to the fact that an increasing number of the senior officials and legislators in the U.S. government are reported to have dual citizenship. Unfortunately, an accurate account of the number of dual citizenships is also secret.20 Where do these officials’ and legislators’ loyalties lie? Where does that leave us? If we have a “moral obligation” bond in a governmental financial mechanism operating under the cloak of secrecy in a jurisdiction with multiple secret intelligence agencies, and private armies are operating on behalf of private investment syndicates, who is really in charge, where are they going, and what does it mean to investors? Honestly, we don’t know. If there is no law, and there is no coherent understanding of how resource management works and who is in control and how that control operates, then we are approaching a system where fiat currency has little or no meaning. We suppose that if you are a member of the secret societies that now run everything, and you trust your secret decoder ring, then you have a way of understanding this. Essentially, to continue to finance such an operation, we have to trust the “moral obligation”; we have to trust a secret group of people, and we have to trust that assets are not being transferred out the door—although $21 trillion in undocumentable adjustments clearly would suggest otherwise. And, given the rate of entropy in the economics and the many indications that it is accelerating, we have to depend on the military mechanism and, increasingly, private armies to keep the harvesting machinery fed. Even from the point of view of one who is a member of the committee that runs the secret government, how is anything this big and this secret supposed to work? Given where we are, U.S. Treasury bonds are not just “moral obligation” bonds. Rather, they may represent a new mechanism for financing disaster capitalism—how about “Benghazi bonds”? Our challenge is, as we look around the world, that there is a planet full of warlords, oligarchs, and bullies who clearly offer no practical alternative for our capital. This is a powerful argument for challenging the United States to rebuild a sovereign government, rather than accelerating the growth of corporate and bank control. Some investors believe that diversifying their capital into the banks and corporations that have been successful at engineering these rolling coups and “piratization” is the way to go. Given the underlying economics and lawlessness, we are not as confident in that as a strategy. Whatever happens, creditors will be better protected if we reduce operational and political dependency on privileged secrecy and a bloated National Security State. The U.S. is reversing two decades of globalization by “reshoring” significant operations and capital. The decision to do this is logical, given the unraveling of the Bretton Woods system and new developments in manufacturing technology and material science. As part of this process, the U.S. Congress and Administration have now taken a series of steps in federal accounting policies that render a significant portion of the U.S. government and U.S. fixed-income, derivatives, and equities markets “dark.” With FASAB 56, the U.S. has created significant new capacity to continue to operate outside the law with impunity. This enhances its ability to field and fund private armies domestically and internationally, engage in securities fraud, launder the assets and profits of war out of and through the United States government and transfer them to private corporations and investors, and complete the corporate and banking control of U.S. government operations. Ask yourself how you feel about private corporations owning and controlling nuclear weapons. President Eisenhower was furious when Stephen Bechtel, Sr. first suggested that Bechtel should be permitted to own nuclear weapons. Eisenhower would have none of it. During the George W. Bush Administration, Bechtel assumed control of the U.S. nuclear laboratories, calling this takeover a “privatization.” Another description would be “coup d’état”—turning over the nation’s nuclear energy and weapons complex to a private company financially vested in starting a new Cold War. Do you want the private investors who profited so richly from the Iraq War—and who have a vested interest in starting a new Cold War with the Soviet Union—to be in charge of the nation’s nuclear arsenal? Sally Denton, in her book The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World, quotes a senior employee at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who referred to this new style of private management of our nuclear energy and weapons infrastructure as a combination of “the worst aspects of the Department of Motor Vehicles and Goldman Sachs.” Given the level of uncertainty and secrecy, only you, the investor, can decide if this is something that you wish to finance. If you do wish to finance it, you must determine the nature of what your financial asset is and your investment risk and how to price it. For many years, most investors have purchased U.S. Treasury bills and bonds or related securities secure in the knowledge that this was one credit they did not have to worry or think about. That time has come to an end. A sure thing has been replaced by something that is no longer sure. And, the investor cannot be sure exactly what that thing is or who controls it—just that it’s secret. As a U.S. or global citizen and as a fiduciary responsible for family or institutional assets, you must also determine your responsibility and risk if the enterprise you are financing continues to aggressively reorganize its global and domestic operations at your expense and the expense of those you love. Caveat emptor is the ancient rule. It certainly applies. There is another ancient rule that applies as well: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It’s your money. You are responsible for where it goes and what it does in your name. “FASAB Statement 56: Understanding New Government Financial Accounting Loopholes,” The Solari Report, December 29, 2018. https://constitution.solari.com/fasab-statement-56-understanding-new-government-financial-accounting-loopholes/ FASAB Statement 56, “Classified Activities,” from FASAB Handbook. http://files.fasab.gov/pdffiles/handbook_sffas_56.pdf FASAB Issues Exposure Draft: “Interpretation of Federal Financial Accounting Standards 56: Classified Activities, July 12, 2018. http://files.fasab.gov/pdffiles/CAI_ED_NR.PDF “The Missing Money: $21 trillion dollars is missing from the U.S. government. That is $65,000 per person—as much as the national debt!” The Solari Report, 2018 Annual Wrap-Up. https://missingmoney.solari.com/ “Enforce the Constitution.” The Solari Report. https://constitution.solari.com/ 2018 Annual Wrap Up: The Real Game of Missing Money, Catherine Austin Fitts, The Solari Report. https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/ “Summary Report on ‘Unsupported Journal Voucher Adjustments’ in the Financial Statements of the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development,” Catherine Austin Fitts and Dr. Mark Skidmore, The Solari Report, September 23, 2017. https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-real-game-of-missing-money-ii-summary-report-on-unsupported-journal-voucher-adjustments-in-the-financial-statements-of-the-office-of-the-inspector-general-for-the-department-of/ “The History and Organization of the Federal Reserve: The What and Why of the United States’ Most Powerful Banking Organization,” Michele Ferri and Jonathan Lurie, The Solari Report, https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-history-and-organization-of-the-federal-reserve-the-what-and-why-of-the-united-states-most-powerful-banking-organization/ “The Appropriations Clause: A History of the Constitution’s (As of Yet) Underused Clause,” Michele Ferri and Jonathan Lurie, The Solari Report, https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-appropriations-clause-a-history-of-the-constitutions-as-of-yet-underused-clause/ “The U.S. Statutes Creating Modern Constitutional Financial Management and Reporting Requirements and the Government’s Failure to Follow Them,” Michele Ferri and Jonathan Lurie, The Solari Report https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/the-u-s-statutes-creating-modern-constitutional-financial-management-and-reporting-requirements-and-the-governments-failure-to-follow-them/ Matt Taibbi, “Has the Government Legalized Secret Defense Spending?” Rolling Stone, January 16, 2019. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/secret-government-spending-779959/ Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists’ Project on Government Secrecy, “Financial Accounts May Be ‘Modified’ to Shield Classified Programs,” Secrecy News, August 15, 2018. https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/2018/08/fasab-modified/ SAS No. 122, “Clarified Statements on Auditing Standards,” clarifies previously issued statements; links to the redrafted standards and related interpretations are included in a table at this link: https://www.aicpa.org/research/standards/auditattest/clarifiedsas.html AU-C Section 240 (SAS No. 128), “Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit.” https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/research/standards/auditattest/downloadabledocuments/au-c-00240.pdf AU-C Section 250, “Consideration of Laws and Regulations in an Audit of Financial Statements.” https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/research/standards/auditattest/downloadabledocuments/au-c-00250.pdf AU-C Section 805 Special Considerations—Audits of Single Financial Statements and Specific Elements, Accounts, or Items of a Financial Statement, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants SAS No. 122, effective for audits of single financial statements or specific elements, accounts, or items of a financial statement as of or for periods ending on or after December 15, 2012. https://www.aicpa.org/Research/Standards/AuditAttest/DownloadableDocuments/AU-C-00805.pdf AU-C Section 806 (SAS No. 125) “Reporting on Compliance With Aspects of Contractual Agreements or Regulatory Requirements in Connection With Audited Financial Statements.” https://www.aicpa.org/content/dam/aicpa/research/standards/auditattest/downloadabledocuments/au-c-00806.pdf Bryan Bender, “Iraq Audit Can’t Find Billions” Boston Globe, October 16, 2004. http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/10/16/iraq_audit_cant_find_billions/ “HUD Oversight and Management Issues: Testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies,” March 16, 2017. https://missingmoney.solari.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/3-16-2017-HouseHearing-Written-TestimonyPDF.pdf GAO Testimony before the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives: “USDA Faces Major Financial Management Challenges,” March 21, 2000. https://www.gao.gov/assets/110/108320.pdf GAO Audit Report to Department of Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, September 29, 1995. https://www.gao.gov/assets/90/84932.pdf GAO (Charles Bowsher) Testimony before the Senate Government Affairs Committee, “Aggressive Actions Needed for Air Force to Meet Objectives of the CFO Act,” February 19, 1992. https://www.gao.gov/assets/110/104281.pdf GAO Report: “Ongoing Challenges with Reconciling Navy and Marine Corps Fund Balance with Treasury” (December 20, 2011) https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-12-132 GAO Report to Congressional Testers: “Lack of Disciplined Processes Puts Implementation of HHS’ Financial System at Risk” (September 23, 2004) https://www.gao.gov/assets/250/244269.pdf GAO Report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, and the Committee on Science, House of Representatives “NASA’s Integrated Financial Management Program Does Not Fully Address Agency’s External Reporting Issues” (November 2003) https://www.gao.gov/assets/250/240751.pdf GAO Report to the Honorable Charles E. Grassley, U.S. Senate, “Differences in Army and Air Force Disbursing and Accounting Records” (March 2000) https://www.gao.gov/assets/230/228745.pdf GAO Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives: “Indian Trust Fund Accounts Cannot Be Fully Reconciled,” (March 8, 1995) https://www.gao.gov/products/T-AIMD-95-94 Testimony [Statement of Comptroller General David Walker] Before the Subcommittee on Government Efficiency, Financial Management, and Intergovernmental Relations, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives; U.S. GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FY 2001 Results Highlight the Continuing Need to Accelerate Federal Financial Management Reform (April 9, 2002) https://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02599t.pdf Comment letters on FASAB Exposure Draft of Statement 56, https://fasab.gov/projects/active-projects/classified-activities/ca/ Conclusions of the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission Report, (January 2011), http://fcic-static.law.stanford.edu/cdn_media/fcic-reports/fcic_final_report_conclusions.pdf Kai Ryssdal, “Negroponte given power to waive SEC rules,” Marketplace (May 24, 2006), https://www.marketplace.org/2006/05/24/economy/negroponte-given-power-waive-sec-rules Executive Order 12333, United States Intelligence Activities (December 4, 1981) https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12333.html#3.4 Executive Order 12356, “National Security Information,” https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12356.html Executive Order 13526, “Classified National Security Information,” https://www.archives.gov/isoo/policy-documents/cnsi-eo.html XIII. APPENDICES Appendix A: Explanation of the Interpretation Process under FASAB 56 Appendix B: FASAB 56 Comment Letters Explanation of the Interpretation Process under FASAB 56 Under the FASAB MOU, there was a six-step procedure for the issuance of future (presumably classified) Interpretations pursuant to which Standard 56 permits modifications that may have the effect of altering the government’s net results of operations and net position. This process is disclosed in the Appendix of Statement 56 as follows: a. Identification of accounting issues and agenda decisions i. The Board will carry out this step by consulting with cleared stakeholders in secure facilities. Stakeholders—including preparers, auditors, and users of classified information—will be informed regarding the process for raising issues for Board consideration. b. Preliminary deliberations i. Preliminary deliberations will engage all members of the Board. Deliberations will occur during closed meetings. Closed meetings will be approved and announced in the Federal Register consistent with the process established in the Federal Advisory Committee Act. c. Preparation of initial documents (issues papers and/or discussion memoranda) i. We expect that all initial documents will contain classified information and will therefore be subject to federal requirements pertaining to classified information. Initial documents will be prepared by cleared individuals of FASAB staff and representatives of affected organizations who have original or derived classification authority. Such documents will be shared with members in a setting appropriate to the classification level of the documents. Members will be afforded adequate time to review the materials, ask questions, and deliberate over the materials before making decisions regarding the issues raised. d. Release of documents to the public, public hearings, and consideration of comments i. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposed Statement. The public will be able to comment on the general subject matter discussed in the proposed Statement and the existence of classified Interpretations. The Board will consider all comments provided. ii. Also, because we expect that all documents related to Interpretations will contain classified information, release will be limited to cleared individuals and organizations that have signed a non-disclosure agreement and have a need-to-know, in accordance with federal requirements pertaining to classified information. The Board will ensure a representative group of stakeholders with varied perspectives and appropriate clearances are engaged. The Board expects to seek input from elected representatives of the public and appointed government officials to ensure the needs of citizens are balanced against national security interests. The Board will consider all comments and input received from the representative group of stakeholders. e. Further deliberations, exposure draft, and consideration of comments i. This step will occur in closed sessions as noted above. The Board will seek input from cleared individuals, including elected and appointed officials, and organizations to the greatest extent possible given the classified nature of the materials and deliberations. The Board will consider all comments and input received from the representative group of stakeholders. f. Vote to approve proposed Interpretations i. Consistent with the Board’s established procedures for consideration of proposed Interpretations, final classified Interpretations will be those approved by a majority of the members and not objected to by a member representing the Comptroller General, the Secretary of the Treasury, or the Director of OMB during a 45-day review period. Final classified Interpretations will be maintained by FASAB. Component reporting entities should contact FASAB to arrange access to the classified Interpretations as needed. FASAB will provide access to any relevant Interpretations following appropriate security procedures. FASAB 56 Comment Letters Comments on Standard 56 Exposure Draft On December 14, 2017, FASAB issued the Exposure Draft for Classified Activities for comment. Comments were due March 16, 2018. On July 5, 2018, the “Sponsor Review” draft of proposed Standard 56 was released [https://fas.org/sgp/news/2018/07/fasab-review.pdf]. On July 12, 2018, FASAB issued the Exposure Draft Interpretation of Federal Financial Accounting Standards 56: Classified Activities. On July 17, 2018 the FASAB issued a Notice of Request for Comment on the Exposure Draft of a Classified Interpretation of Federal Financial Accounting Standards (SFFAS) 56: Classified Activities. The Standard was issued in final form in the Federal Register on October 15, 2018. Seventeen comment letters were received on the FASAB 56 Exposure Draft, two from independent public accounting firms (Kearny & Company and KPMG), three from associations of CPAs (the AICPA, the Association of Government Accountants/FMSB and the Greater Washington Society of CPAs) and twelve from various federal government reporting entities.21 The accounting firm comments are most instructive in providing us guidance as to what ought to have been incorporated in the Statement, as opposed to what was actually adopted, and what risks are involved in the application of Standard 56 by the government’s independent public accounting firm auditors (if, in fact, such auditors are able to perform successful government audits within the restrictions imposed under Standard 56). Kearney & Company Kearney & Company’s Jamie Cox, an administrative assistant at the firm (instead of its CEO or government services executive) submitted Kearney’s comments to FASAB on Statement 56, presumably with the authority to speak for the firm.22 In answer to the question “Do you agree or disagree with the Board’s overall proposed approach for protecting, classified information? Please provide the rationale for your answer.” Kearney responded: Disagree. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) should not be modified to limit reporting of classified activities. Rather, GAAP reporting should remain the same as other Federal entities and redacted for public release or remain classified. This approach retains the benefits of GPFFR and audited financial statements in terms of improving underlying processes, systems, and controls, as well as the usefulness of GPFFR to users, even if those users are limited. The FASAB’s proposed approach could result in material omissions in [General Purpose Federal Financial Reports]. By FASAB’s own definition, “The determination of whether an item is material depends on the degree to which omitting or misstating information about the item makes it probable that the judgment of a reasonable person relying on the information would have been changed or influenced by the omission or the misstatement.” If GPFFR can be modified so material activity is no longer accurately presented to the reader of financial statements, its usefulness to public users is limited and subject to misinterpretation. [Emphasis added] In other words, users cannot rely upon financial statements modified in accordance with the Exposure Draft, which was adopted without significant change as the final Statement 56. Kearney’s comments go on to point out that allowing modifications based upon classified interpretations would “limit due process and transparency,” elements that are crucial to the process of developing GAAP. Kearney “disagrees” with allowing modifications of disclosures and required supplementary information (i.e., financial statement footnotes, which are key to an understanding of audited financial statements). Assuming that Statement 56 is adopted (an eventuality Kearney clearly opposes in anything like the Exposure Draft form), Kearney proposes that two sets of books be produced: modified and unmodified, with “[f]ormalized crosswalks of the unmodified financial statements to modified/condensed financial statements” as well as further parameters for classification of line item or disclosure. In response to the proposal that no disclosure be made to users as to the existence of financial statement modifications, Kearney politely but firmly states that it disagrees, because “GAAP serves the purpose of providing complete, consistent and reliable information to users of financial statements. Permitting these omissions would seem to go against these purposes. Kearney proposes two alternative methods of protecting classified information from disclosure in audited federal financial statements: either (1) the preferred approach, where all required activity is included in the face of the financial statements and, at the line-item level, classified activity is concealed within line item balances or (2) the less preferred method, where classified information is excluded from the financial statements, a disclosure is made that the exclusion has occurred and the audit report relates only to the scaled down financial statements that exclude classified information. Kearney proposes that financial statements of classified entities should remain classified or redacted like other classified documents before release to the public. Under its preferred approach, Kearney would require reporting entities to reporting entities to first attempt to comply with existing standards and not use the classified activities standard. In coordination with the independent public accountants, the reporting entity should attempt to broadly describe financial information in a manner that classified data is protected. If the disclosure modification cannot be avoided, Kearney believes the disclosure modification should be disclosed to make users aware that relying on the information within the footnotes should be done so understanding that certain disclosures have been modified for the protection of classified information. The problem with this “fix,” however, may be that the whole point of Statement 56 is to enable the government reporting entities not to disclose sufficient information to users (i.e., the public) to enable it to understand the extent to which the financial statements have been modified and the inherent risks in allowing only those with top secret clearances to understand the real expenditures and asset transfer line items underlying the modifications. Kearney’s second (less preferred) approach would be to rely upon AU-C Section 805, “Special Considerations—Audits of Single Financial Statements and Specific Elements, Accounts, or Items of a Financial Statement” to remove the classified information from the publicly accessible federal financial statements. It appears, although Kearney’s comments do not go into detail on this point, that, using AU-C Section 805, the independent public accountants would produce two separate sets of audited financial statements, one “scaled down” version released to the public and another one that is classified and is available only to those with proper security clearances and a “need to know.” The classified portion would be for the “single financial statements and specific elements, accounts or items” covered by AU-C Section 805. The unaddressed problems with this approach are at least twofold: (1) even under AU-C Section 805, the independent public accountants issuing the audit opinions are required to conduct the audit of both sets of statement in a manner that satisfies the professional standards under SAS 122, the goals of which are to render financial statements fully transparent to the user, and it would appear impossible for the modifications permitted under Standard 56, particularly those made in accordance with classified “interpretations,” which may have the effect of modifying the net results of operations, to “pass the smell test,” so to speak, under SAS 122 and (2) in order for independent public accountants to form an audit opinion on the classified portion of the government’s financial statements, the accountants would have to review the “real” books and, presumably, have proper security clearances. Nothing in the professional standards outlined in SAS 122 addresses classified information and the prospect that the issuer of the audit opinion is under regulatory constraints, with specter criminal liability, for disclosing information. Can independent public accountants, even with security clearances, be counted upon to safeguard the secrecy of the classified audited statements if they suspect that fraud or illegitimate motives may be involved?23 If the independent auditors cannot render a clean audit opinion on the classified financial statements, under AU-C Section 805 they may be forced to disclose in the public portion of the financial statements the fact that they could not render a clean opinion on the classified statements. Under AU-C Section 805, it appears that a separate independent public accounting firm could issue the audit opinion on the classified statements, thereby reducing the number of accountants involved in viewing the classified supporting records and modifications, but even those accountants would be required to be independent public accountants (as opposed to employees of the U.S. government). If the classified statements (presuming classified information could be segregated into separate financial statements, which may not be the case) could not be audited, it may take an amendment to the [CFO Act] by Congress to exempt the classified portions of government financial statements from audit requirements. Presumably, if members of the deep state believed that Congressional approval could be obtained for such an exemption, there would have been no need for Statement 56. KPMG’s comments on the exposure draft begin with the self-serving statement that “We support the Board’s efforts to address the challenges posed by the financial statement presentation of classified activities” and then immediately points out the obvious elephant in the room of FASAB 56, “[w]e believe there are certain aspects of the [Exposure Draft] that are unclear, which will make implementation difficult.” The authors suggest that the paucity of detail in the Exposure Draft (and final) FASAB 56 make it not only difficult, but impossible, for independent public accountants to implement FASAB 56 while conforming to GAAP and GAAS. Among the key issues addressed in the KPMG comment letter are: (1) Inconsistency of Standard 56 with underlying concepts applicable to the presentation of federal financial statements under 16b of SFFAC 8, which provides: “Operating Performance. Federal financial reporting should assist report users in evaluating the service efforts, costs, and accomplishments of the reporting entity; the manner in which these efforts and accomplishments have been financed; and the management of the entity’s assets and liabilities.” (2) Complexity – “The brevity of the standard implies a simplicity in its application. As we considered several possible scenarios under this proposal, we realized that each masking decision leads to other decisions that take the preparer further away from the stated objectives in SFFAC 8.” For this reason, KPMG suggests an example be given to users. (3) Disclosure – KPMG states that it believes that there should be disclosure that modifications of presentations and omissions of disclosure have been made because, in the absence of such an alert to users, their ability to assess how much weight to place on reported results in evaluating an entity’s operating performance will be impaired. (4) Future Interpretations – Since Statement 56 apparently allows for the issuance of “interpretations” that would, arguably, override existing statements instead of merely clarifying existing statements (as the FASAB Handbook indicates interpretations are intended to do), KPMG suggests, instead, the issuance of new standards to deal with what the Statement 56 Exposure Draft envisions being contained in “interpretations.” The problem with this fix, as noted by KPMG, is that it does not deal with the fact that Statement 56, Appendix A, provides for classified interpretations. The comment letter rightly questions how management of a reporting entity can contend that its financial statements have been prepared under GAAP when management [not to mention the independent accountants], do not have access to all of GAAP. KPMP’s other comments include a concern that the inclusion of the statement that “unclassified reports should be presented in a manner that protects the classified information” as a GAAP requirement leads to the conclusion that the audit opinion provides assurance that the entity has protected its classified information, and that would not be the case. KPMG also recommends including a statement that a modification does not change the character of rhe underlying asset. For example, “if Asset X is presented as Asset Y in the financial statements, Asset X retains the accounting for the type of asset it is.” Aside from other technical, largely insubstantial, comments, KPMG’s only remaining issue is whether OMB is required before the exclusion of a classified reporting entity. Given that the main goal of SEC regulations is transparency in disclosure to investors and the general public, it is worth noting that the SEC’s only comment on the Exposure Draft of Standard 56 is in response to the question whether every component reporting entity of the federal government should be required to disclose that certain presentations may have been modified. SEC’s comment was: We believe that this would be misleading and likely to cause confusion for financial statement readers, by implying that SEC is involved in classified activities. It’s likely that SEC, as well as other agencies, would receive numerous inquiries from the public and from the media by including such an unexpected disclaimer in its financial statements. In other words, the agency whose mandate it is to protect investors from undue risk from the absence of disclosure, or existence of misleading or incomplete disclosure, about the financial and other risks of investing in U.S. securities is mainly interested in preventing nuisance questions from investors as to why SEC-sanctioned financial statements of government reporting entities have an overbroad statement that indicates, incorrectly, that all government financial statements may have been modified when, in fact, the particular statements that are the subject of investor focus may not have been modified. In other words, the SEC does not believe that a given reporting agency’s financial statements should include the boilerplate “modification legend” set forth in the Exposure Draft if that reporting agency’s statements were not modified because that would lead to many inquiries of the SEC that would not otherwise be necessary. The SEC indicated no concern that massive modifications to government financial statements for alleged national security purposes (without any support as to the legitimacy of such national security interests) may result in the issuance of meaningless disclosure, or that U.S. investors will be unable to assess the risk of investing in securities whose values may be affected by the economic stability of the U.S. government. The SEC’s apparent lack of concern (or concession that it is powerless to change what the deep state has decreed must happen) about potentially-misleading financial disclosure must be put in context. The SEC is the U.S. government agency that sets the standards for what disclosure is required for public companies and companies issuing registered and exempt securities in offerings to investors. It is the SEC that issues guidance and regulations on the accounting methods to be used in financial statements that are filed with it by publicly traded companies pursuant to the federal securities laws and it is the SEC that oversees the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board24 created under Sarbanes-Oxley in 2002 to oversee audits of public companies. Anyone who has been through an internal or external audit of a registered securities broker-dealer or investment adviser or an SEC/PCAOB audit or the audit of a public company by an independent public accounting firm knows that moving one line item in a financial statement to another line item, filing financial statements without explanatory footnotes, making unaccountable voucher adjustments and keeping key support information from auditors is strictly verboten and would be cause for shutting down the company immediately. Yet the SEC is in support of these very practices by the U.S. government, without any requirement that the validity of the need for obfuscation for “national security” purposes be verified by any independent auditor or the SEC itself. Association of Government Accountants on behalf of the Financial Management Standards Board Not surprisingly, the AGA/FMSB [agrees] with the conclusion and FASAB’s overall rationale as presented in the Basis for Conclusions in the Exposure Draft, believes that the overall approach is reasonable, since “[o]ne element of national security is the ability to restrict the viewing of sensitive information,” and agrees that reporting entities should be permitted to modify their presentation when it does not change net results and net position. However, AGA/FMSB believes even those modifications should not change the meaning of the information or be misleading. It takes issue with the lack of disclosure to explain modifications resulting in amounts associated with one financial statement line item being presented in another financial statement line item. AGA/FMSB agrees with the proposed process for the adoption of classified interpretations as stated in the Exposure Draft whereby there is a development of classified proposals, comment on the proposals from individuals and organizations holding appropriate clearances, consideration of comments, and issuance of Interpretations to individuals and organizations holding appropriate clearances. As regards the omission of required disclosures, this commenter recommended that the FASAB should clarify that omitted disclosures should not negatively affect other financial information. This latter comment is not entirely clear, it appears that AGA/FMSB would propose omission of only disclosures for which omission would not negatively affect (i.e., mislead as to) other financial information. AICPA’s comments on the Exposure Draft were made from the perspective of the AICPA’s role in the designation of FASAB as the body to establish generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) for federal government entities and not to comment specifically on the proposed accounting and related questions posed in the Exposure Draft. One focus was the limited due process accompanying the adoption of Interpretations when necessary to provide detailed guidance not included in the Statement 56 itself. AICPA believes that the six-step process described in the Exposure Draft, which includes cleared preparers, auditors, and users of classified information is adequate under the circumstances and consistent with the Board’s normal due process procedures as outlined in FASAB’s MOU. AICPA emphasizes, however, the importance of including a representative group of stakeholders with varied perspectives and appropriate clearances be engaged in the due process of Interpretations and the fact that the determination who has a “need to know” will be critical to the process. AICPA believes as broad an interpretation as possible the realm of federal requirements for classified information is advisable. The AICPA comment letter concludes with this cautionary statement: Finally, we recommend that FASAB closely monitor the implementation of this standard and the development of any future classified Interpretations from a Rule 203 perspective through the Board’s annual self-review process. Following the standard protocol established between the FASAB and AICPA, we would expect that any issues or concerns that arise relating to any of the Rule 203 criteria (e.g., reportable events) would be reported to the AICPA on a timely basis. Greater Washington Society of CPAs The Greater Washington Society of CPAs Federal Issues and Standards Committee (FISC) states that its 3,300 members include thirty who are active in financial management, accounting, and auditing in the Federal sector. While generally supporting FASAB’s approach to protecting classified information, FISC recommended the following: a. [T]he FISC suggests that the Board consider the impact of classified information on total budgetary resources. If the Board’s intent is to purposefully include or exclude total budgetary resources for this Standard, then the FISC suggests that the Board address this matter in the final Standard. b. The FISC suggests that the Board include in the final Standard whether a modification could be so material that the overall financial statement presentation no longer represents a fair presentation of the financial position and operations of the entity. c. The FISC suggests that the Board consider additional guidance or action on ensuring the consistent classification and presentation of transaction cycles or end items among component reporting entities. Such discussions could occur through a Board-appointed or Board-sponsored working group, which would include a representative group of stakeholders, to evaluate the consistent application of this Standard among reporting entities. Other Federal Agency Comments Other federal agencies that submitted comments on the Exposure Draft largely approved of and agreed to the proposed terms of Statement 56 with one notable exception – some (Treasury, HUD, DoD, Energy, and Interior but not Homeland Security) expressly approved only modifications that would not affect net results of operations and net position. However, it is not clear that all commenters “got” the loophole that unclassified financials statements could include modifications that affect net results of operations and net position if supported by a classified Interpretation. HUD’s only substantive comment was: HUD does not believe that every component reporting entity of the federal government should be required to disclose that certain presentations may have been modified. Revealing the mere presence of such information, in a particular reporting component, may compromise the classified information or the underlying reporting component entity that generated the classified information. This comment is particularly interesting in light of HUD’s history of reporting large unsupported journal voucher adjustments against Treasury and the fact that HUD’s mission would appear to not involve any need for withholding of classified information from its financial statements. The DOD strongly supports the issuance of classified Interpretations and generally approves of Statement 56 as proposed but disagrees that every component within the federal government should disclose that its financial statements may contain modifications in order to protect classified information. DOD’s primary concern appears to be that FASAB’s due process requirements adequately protect sensitive information and that the mechanisms for that include strict enforcement of validation of any stakeholder’s need to know and obtaining a signed non-disclosure agreement. The Department of Veterans Affairs is in agreement with the whole approach of Standard 56 except that it strongly disagrees that component reporting entities should not have to disclose certain presentations may have been modified, unless there are actual modifications. Its reasoning is that such a policy would lead to questions from external parties if an agency with no expected classified activities adds a disclosure that presentations have been modified. Adding the disclosure to only entities with classified activities should not present a security concern to the United States or its citizens. Treasury strongly believes that, in order to protect classified information, every component reporting entity in the U.S. Government should disclose that its financial statements may have been modified. Homeland Security’s comments included two unsolicited proposals not covered by other comment letters. First, it noted that one of its component reporting entities favored having classified activities audited by properly-cleared members of its Office of Inspector General. Second, Homeland Security suggests that the Board may wish to consider adding an accounting category that covers secret spending and secret projects (without revealing the details of how much applies to any specific project. The comments from the Office of Personnel Management stressed the importance of applying GAAP standards but were in favor of disclosure that modifications may have been made to financial statements to protect classified information only in the first year of implementation of Standard 56. The Department of Labor favors at least annual review by the Board of Standard 56 so that “FASAB may act proactively as opposed to reactively in response to changes that may occur in the Federal security environment.” Finally, an “Other Governmental Agency” comments stated in answer to most questions posed that protecting classification information should take precedence over [the issuance of audited] financial statements. An additional comment is that “. . . there definitely needs to be a limited audience/participative base to protect the discussion of need to know information. . . The current lack of guidance leaves accounting practices open for interpretation, creating an environment where financial reporting preparers, reviewers and independent auditors may arrive at different conclusions that impact the financial statements” The “current lack of guidance” comment may be an indication of past problems on the government accounting front. From its designation and comments, we might speculate that these comments came from the CIA, NSA or similar intelligence agency or component. 1 Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b-5 (codified at 17 C.F.R. 240) is the major antifraud provision in U.S. securities law. It enables an investor to recover damages from the counterparty in the purchase or sale of a security if the investor suffered a loss as the result of the counterparty’s untrue statement of a material fact or omission to state a material fact in connection with the purchase or sale 2 See https://hudmissingmoney.solari.com/top-100-u-s-government-contractors/ for Solari’s list of the top 100 government contractors. 3 The Credit Rating Agency Reform Act of 2006 (Pub.L. 109–291, 120 Stat. 1327) was enacted on September 29, 2006. This law required the SEC to establish clear guidelines for determining which credit rating agencies qualify as NRSROs. It also gives the SEC the power to regulate NRSRO internal processes regarding record-keeping and how they guard against conflicts of interest and makes the NRSRO determination subject to a Commission vote (rather than an SEC staff determination). Notably, however, the law specifically prohibits the SEC from regulating an NRSRO’s rating methodologies. In June 2007, the SEC promulgated new regulations that implemented the provisions of the Credit Rating Agency Reform Act. In February 2009, the SEC promulgated amended regulations designed to address concerns about the integrity of the process by which NRSROs rate structured finance products, particularly mortgage-related securities. [Source: Wikipedia] 4 Source: Wikipedia, “Credit Rating Agency” fn. 3, citing Christopher Alessi, “The Credit Rating Controversy. Campaign 2012,” Council on Foreign Relations, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/credit-rating-controversy. 5 Other credit rating agencies include DBRS (owned by Carlyle and Warburg Pincus), Kroll Bond Rating Agency, A.M. Best (for insurance companies), Egan-Jones, and Morningstar (for mutual funds). 6 Page 118. Get the report here: http://fcic-static.law.stanford.edu/cdn_media/fcic-reports/fcic_final_report_conclusions.pdf. The Commission was established as part of the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act passed by Congress and signed by the President in May 2009. This independent, 10-member panel was composed of private citizens with experience in areas such as housing, economics, finance, market regulation, banking, and consumer protection. Six members of the Commission were appointed by the Democratic leadership of Congress and four members by the Republican leadership. The Report was issued in January 2011 and is often referred to as the “Angelides Report” after its chairman, Phil Angelides. 7 An unsupported (or “undocumentable”) journal voucher adjustment against Treasury by DOD or HUD is a debit or credit on the books of the federal reporting entity that has to be made in order to reconcile the agency’s version of its assets, liabilities, income, and expenditures with what the U.S. Treasury’s books reflect. In order to pass an audit, however, an explanation has to be made by the agency’s independent public accountants as to what caused the discrepancies. When DOD says that it has made $20T in undocumentable journal voucher adjustments against Treasury, without more information, we do not know whether the net of the adjustments is positive or negative: if all of the adjustments are debits, then the agency has “lost” $20T, whereas if the credit balance and the debit balance of adjustments is equal, the net balance is zero and the agency is just unable to explain its mistakes, but there is no gain or loss. In the unlikely event that all of the adjustments are credits, then the agency has just “found” $20T it did not know it had. Complicating this analysis is the fact that when one adjustment is made, it may require an adjustment in sub-accounts. Assuming the adjustments of the sub-accounts are included in the total of “unsupported journal adjustments,” the total of all adjustments may tend to overstate the problem through duplications. On the other hand, multiple debit and credit adjustments over a single reporting period (a government fiscal year, from October 1 until September 30 of the following year, in the case of an audit), may net out to zero, making it appear that no adjustment has been made but enabling the agency to mask secret or unauthorized expenditures (debits) with accounting entries that zero out the results of operations over the year (i.e., credits). In any case, even one trillion dollars is a big number—once explained as approximately one dollar for each second going back to Jesus Christ. 8 See: “Exclusive: The Pentagon’s Massive Accounting Fraud Exposed,” The Nation (January 7, 2019). 9 Credit for this observation goes to Matt Taibbi. See “Has the Government Legalized Secret Defense Spending?” Rolling Stone, January 16, 2019. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/secret-government-spending-779959/ 10 In a February 13, 2019 conversation with a member of the staff of the FASAB, we were told that independent auditors would have access to classified supporting information, but we cannot verify this from publicly available materials, and we do not know whether there are limits on access to classified documents. 11 Senate: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Maine, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, New Mexico, Maine, Florida, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, and Virginia Colorado. House: Ddistricts in the additional states of Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Utah, Vermont, and Illinois, Washington, Vermont, Ohio and Utah. 12 Note that in Barack Obama’s executive order on classified information (Executive Order 13526), the list of classified items includes only nine categories, eliminating the “catch-all” tenth category. We do not know whether, as has been suggested elsewhere, Obama’s restatement of existing directives from the original Reagan executive order (Executive Order 12356) has the effect of rescinding or replacing matters that are dealt with in both executive orders. If so, the Obama executive order may have the effect, in this regard, of narrowing the amount of information that may be legally subject to classified treatment. In other ways, however, the Obama executive order is expansive, specifically, in providing for a process for government contractors to request that information over which they have control is classified. 13 In 1981, President Ronald Reagan delegated authority over the SEC classified information exemption from the requirements that public companies keep accurate books and records to the Director of National Intelligence. 14 A public company is a company with securities (equity and debt) owned and traded by the general public through the public capital markets, generally through a securities exchange like the New York Stock Exchange, or over the counter on the NASDAQ. Shares of a public company are openly traded and widely distributed. Under the Exchange Act, any company with more than $10 million in assets and 500 shareholders of record is required to register with the SEC under the Exchange Act and is subject to reporting standards and regulations under Sections 13 and 15(d) under the Exchange Act. Registration under the Exchange Act is separate and distinct from registration of securities in an initial public offering under the Securities Act of 1933 (“Securities Act”), although Exchange Act registration often follows a company’s initial public offering. 15 The title and a synopsis of each section in the professional standards covered by SAS 122 can be found at https://www.aicpa.org/research/standards/auditattest/clarifiedsas.html. 16 C.f., Portia Crowe, “We have new details on Goldman Sachs’ $5 billion legal settlement,” Business Insider, April 11, 2016, https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-sachs-mortgage-backed-securities-settlement-2016-4 and “Senate subcommittee investigating Financial Crisis releases documents on role of investment banks,” New York Times, April 14, 2010, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/documents/goldman-sachs-internal-emails. 17 For those interested in learning how commonplace these techniques have become, covert harassment and violence for political ends are covered regularly on The Solari Report. We also recommend Richard Dolan’s documentary series “False Flags,” the litigation section in the Resources section at https://dillonreadandco.com, and a general search on “banker deaths” and “natural doctor deaths.” 18 A review of spying and leaks by the U.S. intelligence agencies and enforcement services during the 2016 Presidential Election and the incoming administration offer an excellent example of this sovereignty “collapse.” For a reader interested in knowing more, see the excellent coverage at The Last Refuge (https://theconservativetreehouse.com) and video interviews available at YouTube on this subject with William (Bill) Binney, retired technical director of NSA. 19 It is noteworthy that the lead contractor on DOD IT and payment systems from fiscal 1998 to fiscal 2015 (and lead on HUD IT and payment systems for a portion of the time as well) spun their government contracting division out to Leidos (to which SAIC had spun a portion out to the previous year) after the close of fiscal 2015, but before the announcement that $6.5 trillion was missing at DOD. See “Lockheed Cuts and Runs” at The Solari Report: https://home.solari.com/lockheed-cuts-runs/ 20 See “Dual Citizens in Congress? We Need to Know” by L. Michael Hager, from Foreign Policy Journal, December 10, 2018. https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2018/12/10/dual-citizens-in-congress-we-need-to-know/ 21 These included the Department of Veterans Affairs–OFP, Department of Energy–OCPO, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Labor–OCPO, the Department of Interior, the Office of Personnel Management, the Department of Defense OIG, the Department of Homeland Security–OCPO, the Department of Treasury–OCPO, and an “Other Governmental Agency.” 22 The firm’s website makes the following statement about its government auditing practice: Kearney experience includes financial audits at the department and agency levels, major components, and Government corporations. Kearney’s approach for providing financial audit services is consistent with the GAO/CIGIE FAM, which defines a methodology for conducting financial statement audits of Federal entities. Kearney reaches beyond FAM guidance to tailor our audit approach to the unique needs of each client. Our financial audits are designed to add value and insight, to improve financial management, operations, and accountability. 23 AU-C 240.05 states that: An auditor conducting an audit in accordance with GAAS is responsible for obtaining reasonable assurance that the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or error. Due to the inherent limitations of an audit, an unavoidable risk exists that some material misstatements of the financial statements may not be detected, even though the audit is properly planned and performed in accordance with GAAS. 24 Among other things, the SEC approves the PCAOB’s rules, standards, and budget.

Tag: progress September 9, 2015 September 9, 2015 Posted in LifeTagged education, growth, keep it real, movement, progressLeave a comment There is a large sect of people who whole heartedly believe that in order to keep it real they can’t progress. They can’t wear fitted clothing, because that’s for (insert a certain group of people that make them feel insecure). They can’t make a subject and verb agree, because that would mean they think they are uppity after applying the lessons from their education. They feel like if they dine at places with white table cloths or dress up as oppose to dumbing it down they have sold out. To those people I would argue that keeping it real is a temporary state of mind. That is to say that real should be based on your current situation. It should not be a cage or jail cell that holds you hostage throughout your twenties, your thirties, and so on. If you still speak the same, dress the same, act the same, and think the same way you aren’t keeping it real you’re missing out on growth. Keep it real and keep learning keep growing and keep developing. Many of us don’t challenge the way we think or allow others to. We take the exact same trips with the exact same people literally and figuratively. Travel to a place you’ve yet to experience. Go alone. Meet up with some people who’ve been good to you and learn a little more about them. At one time I said I would never wear fitted clothing. I felt the need to speak in ways that weren’t representative of the education I had received. I wouldn’t try new foods and I ordered the same thing no matter what restaurant I visited. I missed out on so many opportunities to expand my pallet and to try something new. I missed a chance to move ahead of where the old me was. I would argue that I even kept company that no longer pushed me, challenged me, and allowed me to stay the same. I won’t say I’ve broken all the things keeping me from moving ahead but I’ve identified them and I’m working on removing those blocks. When you look back on your life, look back on a life where year over year you beater your last year. Look back and see you moved forward maybe your path wasn’t the perfectly laid path at the beginning, but look back and see you created a path that you have no regrets on. Move ahead of where you were yesterday, last week, last month, and last year. Keep it real by learning more about yourself by experiencing things you’ve yet to experience with people you may have not given the opportunity.

How to Deal with a Sarcastic Boss Do we really need to know how to deal with a sarcastic boss? Well yes, dealing with a sarcastic boss isn't as easy as one may think. It takes a lot more than just patience and ignorance. To know more about it, read the article below for interesting facts and tips. Home / Job Market / How to Deal with a Sarcastic Boss Do we really need to know how to deal with a sarcastic boss? Well yes, dealing with a sarcastic boss isn’t as easy as one may think. It takes a lot more than just patience and ignorance. To know more about it, read the article below for interesting facts and tips. There are different types of bosses, from the kind to the arrogant, and the polite to the sarcastic. In this article, we shall see how to deal with a sarcastic boss and still maintain all calm and efficiency at work. There are various ways in which you can deal with a boss who speaks sarcasm as a second language. Some of these ways are listed below for you to check out. Before you proceed to these ways, take a minute and contemplate. Is your boss really sarcastic, or is it just what you think? You need to do figure it out here, as it is your job at stake if you give the slightest chance for misinterpretation. Misunderstandings are an everyday thing, so if you can let them pass, and try to know your boss before concluding anything; it will be beneficial for you in the long run. If the sarcasm is not bothering you much, just let it be. However, if it’s an issue that it too much to handle, you have these tips. Another golden rule, if you want to succeed, there are only two rules you need to follow and I’m sure you must ‘ve heard of them before. Rule 1 ~ The boss is always right. Rule 2 ~ If you think the boss is wrong, read rule no. 1 again. Simple, isn’t it? Now to the tips… How You Can Deal with a Sarcastic Boss Effortlessly Ignorance is Bliss The first step is to ignore all those sarcastic comments and remarks. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Ignorance will give you a feeling of complete satisfaction. Assume that your boss is sarcastic just for the sake of it, and that he/she doesn’t really understand what he/she says. If your boss sees that you are ignoring all the sarcastic comments he/she throws at you, the comments might even stop. Here, you’re not saying or doing but just plainly ignoring. There is no action from your side that might result in a reaction from your boss’ side. Flatter Him/Her Flattering helps in most cases where the boss is just plain moody, and needs someone to tell him he’s great. Sarcasm might just be a way to vent out his anger and frustration. You can just never know, can you? Shower him/her with some flattering comments. Say how good they are at their job and how perfectly they execute all their duties. Tell the boss that he/she is an inspiration for you and that you think of him/her as your idol. Sugar coated words are seldom put down, they’re always appreciated. Understand the Language There are times, when a boss is sarcastic in only some particular circumstances. He/she won’t usually even bother but there are certain situations that are sure to draw some sarcastic comments from him/her. If there are such situations or circumstances you’ve been noticing, try to ignore them completely. Maybe coming late to office is just not accepted, even though you are willing to wait or maybe a particular manner of answering the call. It can even be something as simple as an unkempt desk. Don’t Give a Chance If you want to know the easiest way, it’s to function as an escapist. Just don’t come in front of him. Do your work and keep conversation with him/her limited. Only when it’s absolutely necessary, or when all the options fail you. Try not to hang around his/her cabin much, or take an altogether different route to your desk. Pretend you’re on a call every time he/she passes you. Run to the washroom if you see the boss approaching your workstation. This can be done only if the boss visits sometimes, not always. Sweet Confrontation One of the last options in dealing with a sarcastic boss is to confront him/her, but sweetly. Don’t even show the slightest signs of anger or irritation. This will work in your favor specially if your boss is of the opposite sex. The communication is a little limited in that case. Next time a sarcastic comment comes your way, just pretend you’re stupid and didn’t understand anything and ask what the comment meant in a very polite and sweet manner. You’re boss will eventually give up! Now that these tips have told you how to deal with a sarcastic boss, you can play your cards well the next time he/she gets to you. Sarcastic people are not really mean, that’s just the way they are, and with time, you will eventually build a rapport. Just give it time and don’t let anything infuriate you to an extent that your job is endangered. As long as you are efficient with the work that is your responsibility, you’re safe! Hope your boss gives you more than just sarcasm. Best of Luck!

Archives for posts with tag: redneck The Leisure Seeker ***1/2 The Leisure Seeker is little more than a piece of scurrilous hate mail that disguises itself as a valedictory love letter to the Baby Boomer generation. Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren play John and Ella Spencer, an elderly couple whose twilight years are rapidly fading to black. John is a retired literary scholar whose intermittent lapses of long- and short-term memory at times reduce him to petulant childishness, and Ella is dying of cancer and getting by on pills and alcohol. Conscious that they both have little time left, Ella, without informing their worried son and daughter, is taking a final road trip with John to Key West for a life-and-death-affirming pilgrimage to Ernest Hemingway’s house. The title refers on the literal level to the Spencers’ gas-guzzling motor home and on the figurative level to hedonistic selfishness as the outmoded vehicle in which the Baby Boomers tripped, crashed, and will righteously burn. Morbid vitriol thinly veiled as bittersweet dramedy, The Leisure Seeker will hold the most appeal for the unperceptive. 3.5 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that The Leisure Seeker is: 4. Gun-ambivalent. Ella defends herself against redneck highway robbers with a shotgun, but the senile old man’s access to the weapon is intended to cause the viewer anxiety, and Ella discards the shells after the would-be muggers have gone. Guns, if permitted at all, should be placed in women’s responsible hands, the movie appears to suggest. 3. Pro-gay. It is strongly insinuated that the Spencers’ cake-baking son Will (Christian McKay) is a homosexual. Ella is not only unperturbed, but seems to be fond of the idea. 2. Pro-miscegenation. John and Ella barge uninvited into a retirement home to visit her black ex-boyfriend, Dan (Dick Gregory), who, as it turns out, does not even remember who she is. Ella’s wistful expression on seeing him again makes clear, however, that her memories of him are dear. 1.Anti-white. The Leisure Seeker evinces resentment and distrust toward the Baby Boomers, whose revolutionary potential and openness to new experiences have ended in mindless, maudlin conservatism. The film is set shortly before the 2016 presidential election and a tacky pickup truck flying Trump flags rolls into view during opening credits as Carole King can be heard lamenting, “it’s too late, baby, now it’s too late, though we really did try to make it.” In a later sequence, John, in one of his absent states, confusedly wanders into a crowd of Trump supporters robotically chanting “USA! USA!” and seems to be enjoying himself until his wife retrieves him like a mother apprehending an errant toddler. This is the film’s representative Trump voter: a senile and disoriented bumbler in need of supervision. Disingenuous appeals to Boomer nostalgia are inevitably undermined, as when John and Ella’s attempt to resuscitate the disco spirit makes her nauseous and causes their dance to be interrupted when she abruptly vomits. Displaying their insensitivity to the people of color oppressed by their hegemonic ancestors, John and Ella visit a theme park simulating colonial America and blithely ignore the background actors performing as toiling negro slaves. Their self-absorption reveals that the Boomers have failed to make amends and that further generational redress will be necessary. They repeatedly bore and annoy the younger and browner people around them, such as when John insists on discussing Hemingway with strangers in restaurants. In one key scene, however, John encounters a bright black waitress who turns out to be a Hemingway scholar herself (as contrasted with a ditzy white waitress featured in a previous scene). When John suffers a memory lapse and cannot recall a passage from The Old Man and the Sea, the black waitress finishes his thought for him, demonstrating that the white man has become a redundancy and that non-whites are fully capable of serving as the repositories of high culture going forward. Rainer Chlodwig von K. Rainer is the author of Protocols of the Elders of Zanuck: Psychological Warfare and Filth at the Movies – the DEFINITIVE Alt-Right statement on Hollywood! Tags 2016 presidential election, 60s, 70s, Africanus cinematicus, allegory, anti-gun, anti-redneck, anti-South, anti-white, anti-white male, Baby Boomers, black people, blacks, Boomers, cancer, Carole King, Christian McKay, cinema, comedy, Dick Gregory, disco, Donald Sutherland, Donald Trump, drama, dramedy, Ernest Hemingway, film, Florida, gun control, gun-ambivalent, hate, hedonism, Helen Mirren, homosexuality, Key West, literature, MAGA, miscegenation, movie review, movies, nostalgia, politics, pro-gay, pro-miscegenation, redneck, road trip, seventies, sixties, symbolism, The Leisure Seeker, The Old Man and the Sea, white people, white privilege, white trash Wonder Wheel ****1/2 I have mixed feelings about Allan Konigsberg. Revelations about his sexual proclivities as well as my own awakening to the director’s participation in a massive tribal project of hostile culture distortion make it impossible for me to like “Woody Allen” the way I did when I was younger; but it would be dishonest of me to pretend that his body of work did not influence my intellectual development. Coming from a blue-collar Midwestern background, Konigsberg’s stories of New York sophisticates were exotic and illuminating. His movies made me want to become a literate person so that I could be witty and impress complicated women. And – as much as I dislike to concede it – he has continued to produce worthwhile entertainment well into his decrepit years. Wonder Wheel is no exception, and offers exactly what those familiar with the writer-director’s filmography have come to expect. Its tawdry tale of two shiksas – older, married woman Kate Winslet and naïve stepdaughter Juno Temple – who both fall for sophisticated and handsome Jewish aspiring playwright Justin Timberlake contains a great deal of Hebraic wish-fulfillment, particularly with Jim Belushi portraying the boorish and slovenly goy alternative. Set in the bustling Coney Island of the 1950s, Wonder Wheel is both a rather painful melodrama and a comfortable nostalgia piece, evoking fondness both for America’s past and for Konigsberg’s, so that the whole experience seems like old times. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Wonder Wheel is worth seeing if viewers can do so without putting any money into the filmmaker’s probably candy-filled pockets. Also: 4. Anti-drug. Looming over Ginny (Winslet) and Humpty (Belushi) throughout is the specter of alcoholism which threatens to reassert itself over their wills in times of stress. Ginny embarrasses herself in a drunken state at the end of the film. 3. Borderline pedophiliac. Juno Temple, like previous Konigsberg muses Mariel Hemingway and Christina Ricci, evinces a childlike presence despite her experience. The word “Toys” is visible in a shop window in a scene in which Mickey (Timberlake) picks up Carolina (Temple) to give her a ride, slyly emphasizing her youth. 2. Anti-family, anti-marriage. “Don’t ever have kids,” Ginny advises. Marriage, too, is “scary”. Ginny is only “going through the motions of lovemaking” while she has “so much to give” to a smart and beautiful Jewish boy. Ginny also insinuates that Humpty has incestuous inclinations toward his daughter when she accuses him, “You treat her like a girlfriend.” 1.Anti-white. Carolina rejects the “dull, colorless, boring [i.e., WASPish] guys” her father would have preferred she marry. Instead, she falls in love with a tribesman. There is a sort of malicious glee in Konigsberg’s decision to name the head of the household “Humpty”, presenting the American father of yesteryear as a gruff and abusive but fragile figure destined to fall and never to be restored to his previous station. Humpty distrusts the influence of movies and radio – i.e., the Jewish-dominated mass media – on his family, calls psychology a “phony head doctor” racket, and is probably therefore suspect in Konigsberg’s imagination as a potential anti-Semite. Ginny’s son (Jack Gore), meanwhile, is a little pyromaniac – symbolic of the potential of every goy boy to grow up to perpetrate the world’s next Holocaust. Sadly, waitress Carolina must endure the indignity of serving “redneck clowns” in her clam house – representing the ever-present threat posed by rustic deplorables infiltrating and crudely stinking up the nice, respectable, kosher stronghold of New York City. Tags alcohol, alcoholic, alcoholism, Allan Konigsberg, anti-drug, anti-family, anti-marriage, anti-Semitism, anti-white, Christina Ricci, cinema, Coney Island, film, Hollywood, Holocaust, Humpty Dumpty, incest, Jack Gore, Jewish, Jewish question, Jews, Jim Belushi, Juno Temple, Justin Timberlake, Kate Winslet, mafia, Mariel Hemingway, marriage, movie review, movies, New York, nostalgia, pedophile, pedophilia, psychology, redneck, WASP, white trash, Wonder Wheel, Woody Allen 10 Cloverfield Lane ****1/2 Nasty woman Mary Elizabeth Winstead wakes up chained to a cot in survivalist John Goodman’s basement in 10 Cloverfield Lane, a genre-bending experience in the tradition of Cabin in the Woods (2012) and The Signal (2014). Is Winstead, recalling Misery (1990), the prisoner of an obsessive loser who intends to possess her sexually – or is Goodman telling the truth when he claims that he only intends to keep her alive and that the world outside is uninhabitable, that everyone she knows and loves is dead, and that civilization has collapsed after a catastrophic apocalypse? Is it the Russians? The Martians? Or is it just a tall tale to dissuade his uncooperative guest from attempting to escape? Finding out is as frightening and fun as being held captive in John Goodman’s basement! [WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS] 4.5 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that 10 Cloverfield Lane is: 4. Alt-media-ambivalent. Goodman is “like a black belt in conspiracy theory”, a mixed bag of a man simultaneously tuned-in and misled as to a number of topics. The fact that, in addition to aliens and Russkies, he is also concerned about “Al Qaeda” seems to suggest that the film is condescendingly and disingenuously conflating neoconservative outlets and various conspiracy-oriented media of varying quality. 3. Anti-redneck. Goodman’s character represents a typical cosmopolitan millennial’s idea of a conservative Republican: a slovenly gun nut, “authoritarian personality”, and “no touching” prude scared of Martians and the prospect of a real-life Red Dawn scenario. He is stuck in a vanished American past, as evidenced by his Frankie Avalon records and VHS collection. The fact that major elements of his assertions turn out to be correct prompts the deliciously implied question at the heart of the film. Which would be more horrifying for a millennial woman – the prospect of an alien invasion that razes everything and everyone she knows, or the possibility that, for all of these years, those hateful, judgmental, beer-bellied, rifle-toting, misogynistic deplorables were right? 2. Disaster-alarmist. Turning viewer expectations upside-down, Goodman’s conspiracy-theory-fueled survivalism comes in handy when the shit really hits the fan. Rather than rejecting extreme preparedness outright, the movie suggests that liberals, rather than pointing and laughing at the conservatives, ought to appropriate such foresight and associated skill sets for themselves. The idea that fashion design could become a survival skill in a post-apocalyptic landscape is no doubt highly appealing to a number of young women and homosexuals with tacky, clashing heaps of student loan debt in the closet. 1. Feminist/anti-family. Goodman presents a negative patriarchal archetype (“I want us to be a happy family.”). Winstead also recounts a traumatic memory of seeing a man cruelly pulling his daughter by the arm and hitting her. Perhaps under the influence of such impressions of family life, she rejects the possibility of reuniting with her boyfriend in order to strike out on her own as a superheroine and save the planet – a choice about which the director, Dan Trachtenberg, expresses a cuckolded you-go-girl enthusiasm in his audio commentary. Tags 10 Cloverfield Lane, abduction, Al Qaeda, aliens, alternative media, anti-family, anti-redneck, anti-South, apocalypse, apocalyptic, basement, Cabin in the Woods, captive, cinema, Cloverfield, conservatism, conservative, conspiracy, conspiracy theories, conspiracy theorist, Dan Trachtenberg, deplorables, disaster, fashion design, feminism, feminist, film, Frankie Avalon, genre-bending, hick, horror, invasion, John Goodman, kidnapping, liberal, liberalism, Mars, Martians, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Misery, movie review, movies, mystery, neocon, neoconservatism, nostalgia, patriarchy, plague, post-apocalyptic, prisoner, psychological drama, Red Dawn, redneck, Russia, sci-fi, science fiction, survival, survivalism, survivalist, terrorism, The Signal, Thriller, VHS, white trash Road to the Well ****1/2 Laurence Fuller plays a frustrated beta male desk jockey, Frank, who discovers that his girlfriend has been having an affair with his boss. Serendipitously, an old friend of his, handsome drifter Jack (Micah Parker), breezes into town and convinces his buddy to meet him for a few drinks at a night spot, where he also goads Frank to approach a woman (Rosalie McIntire) who catches his eye at the bar. From here, Frank’s life takes a left turn down a darker avenue than he ever knew existed, with Road to the Well developing into a fantastic, albeit eccentric, little thriller sustained by painful tensions and moments of unexpected strangeness. Only one superfluous scene broadly and condescendingly characterizing conservatives as “bigoted trash” taints what is otherwise a recommendable film, and writer-director Jon Cvack is to be commended. Barak Hardley is also worthy of mention for his portrayal of spoiled millennial man-child Chris, while Marshall Teague, glaring out of the screen from the other end of the masculinity spectrum, is also highly effective. For those interested, Road to the Well was recently released on DVD and VOD. Four-and-a-half out of five stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Road to the Well is: 8. Anti-capitalistic, with prostitution furnishing the film’s model of free enterprise. Undignified Frank continues to work for his company (in order to “build a cushion,” he says) even after learning his boss has cuckolded him. He despises his erstwhile friend Chris, however, as a “hoity-toity yuppie” – but it is possible also to read the envy hiding behind Frank’s feigned contempt for Chris’s material security. Jack is utterly dismissive of regular employment, and encourages Frank to call in sick. “I don’t work anymore,” he says. 7. Anti-war. An implicit parallelism emerges during a scene between a murderer and a military man. One character understands something about the other’s experience. 6. Judgmentally anti-slut. The wages of sin is death! 5. Pro-gay. A corny anecdote is told about a homosexual adolescent who shot himself after being bullied. A homophobic redneck landlord who makes light of his own son’s participation in the bullying is intended to represent the low standard of sophistication prevailing among opponents of sodomy. Frank’s exaggerated reaction to this insensitivity is, one assumes, meant to establish his character’s moral credentials. 4. Manospherean. Frank, over the course of the film, is taught by his experiences to man up and assert himself. “Everything is fine as long as you got some money and a nice piece of pussy” is Jack’s philosophy. 3. Anti-Christian. A chaplain (Teague) has lost his faith and become suicidal. “My faith? What the hell is that?” 2. Anti-marriage. “It’s like marriage is this weird construct we’ve made up for ourselves and handed down from generation to generation,” moans Chris, who is soon to be married. “It’s meaningless, right?” A committed relationship is “not exciting”. 1. Antinatalist. “It’s like they’re these tiny little animals and I’m responsible for ‘em,” Chris frets, imagining the prospect of fatherhood. “If I don’t change their diaper, then they just, what, sit in their shit all day? Or, like, if you touch their fontanelle, you’re like, touching their brain, and you got a dead baby. […] No thank you.” Tags anti-capitalist, anti-capitalistic, anti-Christian, anti-family, anti-marriage, anti-slut, antinatalism, antinatalist, antiwar, babies, Barak Hardley, beta male, capitalism, Christianity, cinema, conservatism, drifter, film, homophobia, homosexuality, independent film, infidelity, Jon Cvack, Laurence Fuller, man-child, manosphere, marriage, Marshall Teague, materialism, Micah Parker, millennials, movie review, movies, murder, pro-gay, prostitute, prostitution, redneck, Road to the Well, Rosalie McIntire, slut, Thriller, white trash, yuppie Cabin Fever *** This pointless reboot of the Cabin Fever franchise serves no purpose whatsoever apart from making a few cruddy shekels, as very little of value has changed since the original. Furthermore, most of the offbeat humor that was present in the first film is disappointingly missing from this comparatively straight-faced and innocuous remake. Most disappointingly, Deputy Winston, the inscrutable party guy played by Giuseppe Andrews in the 2002 version has been replaced by a scar-faced bisexual deputy played by Louise Linton. Curiously, like the first film, Cabin Fever ’16 also fails to exploit the comedic potential latent in the suggested premise of whether or not a character could survive a horror movie while only subsisting on beer. The leg-shaving scene is perhaps more horrific than in Eli Roth’s original; but, throw in a generic cast and some unappealing tattoos on one of the women, and what the viewer has is a passable but decidedly underachieving horror outing. 3 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Cabin Fever is: 4. Luddite! One vacationer mistakes his video game experience for “years of training” for the handling of a firearm. Karen (Gage Golightly), preoccupied by her cell phone, has to be reminded to enjoy the outdoors. 3. Anti-gay, furnishing publicity for an abnormal lifestyle but presenting a comically grotesque example of a lesbian in law enforcement. 2. Anti-redneck (i.e., anti-white), offering the typically creepy depictions of backwoods European-Americans. The film fails to reference any other races’ parasitic roles in the world economy, but does refer to “hillbilly vampires”. One rustic local is dubbed “Deliverance”. A faded American flag visible at the rednecks’ dilapidated gas station would seem to connect white trash with the idea of America’s decline – possibly in connection with supposed wars for oil. 1. Anti-gun. Bert (Dustin Ingram), the least mature of the vacationers, brings an “assault rifle” and accidentally shoots a man. Tags anti-gay, anti-gun, anti-redneck, assault rifle, bisexual, Cabin Fever, cinema, Deliverance, Eli Roth, film, Gage Golightly, gay, Giuseppe Andrews, gore, gun control, hillbilly, horror, Jews, Luddism, Luddite, movie review, movies, redneck, remake, review, technology, technology-skeptical, Travis Z, War on Terror, white trash, Zionism Straight Outta Compton ****1/2 In the opening moment of Straight Outta Compton, the street thug who would one day win fame as Eazy-E is seen retrieving a pistol hidden in a speaker in the trunk of his car. The image perfectly captures the unapologetic essence of Niggaz wit Attitudes, the hip-hop supergroup E would form with Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, DJ Yella, and MC Ren, and which famously made music that packed a nasty and influentially lethal punch. N.W.A. were the founding fathers of gangsta rap, and Straight Outta Compton traces their sordid story from inauspicious ghetto beginnings through celebrity, infighting, dissolution, and Eazy-E’s untimely demise from AIDS. Raw and angry but intelligent lyricist Ice Cube is portrayed in the film by his son, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., while the surprisingly mild-mannered Dr. Dre is played by Corey Hawkins. Jason Mitchell is believably street as the devious Eazy-E, and R. Marcos Taylor is positively savage as brutal Death Row Records kingpin Suge Knight. It is Paul Giamatti, however, who steals the show as the group’s super-sleazy Jewish promoter, Jerry Heller. 4.5 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Straight Outta Compton is: 7. Pro-gay. Two women kiss during a threesome. 6. Sexist! “Life ain’t nothin’ but bitches and money.” Jiggly booties abound. 5. Anti-white. Eazy-E is afraid to tour the South, where rednecks are “waitin’ to lynch niggers”. He therefore insists on taking a machine gun with him on the tour bus. To its dishonor, Straight Outta Compton perpetuates the myth of the unprovoked police attack on Rodney King, thereby pouring more synthetic fuel onto the ongoing black radical agitation of the Obama years. 4. Pro-gun. In one crowd-pleasing scene, the N.W.A. boys grab their gats to scare away a disgruntled cuckold. 3. Pro-drug. The “chronic” reignites Dr. Dre’s genius after a bout of doldrums and rapper’s block. The War on Drugs, furthermore, is a hypocritical and oppressive failure. 2. Libertarian/anti-police. “Fuck tha police!” Racist white cops hassle Ice Cube and call him a “nigger”. “I’m the only gangster around here,” one of them tells him. Others, including one black cop, have the rudeness to slap hamburgers out of the rappers’ hands for no reason. “Fuck the law enforcement community,” Ice Cube challenges those who would censor the group’s message. “We got freedom of speech, man.” Striking a relativistic note, the film opens with a sound montage containing a snippet of Oliver North, reminding the audience of the American deep state’s role in the importation of the cocaine that would come to define the thug life glorified by gangsta rap. 1. Anti-Semitic! Straight Outta Compton does not flinch from the truth that Jews played a decisive role in taking gangsta rap out of the ghetto and thrusting it into white people’s living rooms. Heller appears as a stereotypically seedy and greedy Jewish wheeler-dealer and propagator of cultural degeneracy. In Straight Outta Compton’s funniest scene, Heller throws a fit when he hears Ice Cube’s post-breakup diss track “No Vaseline”, containing the line, “You let a Jew break up my crew.” “I’m callin’ my friends at the JDL!” Heller snarls, referring to the violent Jewish Defense League. Have shopping to do and want to support icareviews? The author receives a modest commission on Amazon purchases made through this link: http://amzn.to/1VPp2iZ Tags 80s, 90s, AIDS, anti-police, anti-redneck, anti-South, anti-white, Barack Obama, biopic, black people, booty, chronic, cinema, cocaine, conspiracy, Corey Hawkins, Death Row Records, DJ Yella, Dr. Dre, drugs, Eazy-E, film, gangsta, gangsta rap, gangster, hamburger, hip-hop, ho, Ice Cube, Jason Mitchell, JDL, Jerry Heller, Jewish, Jewish Defense League, Jews, lesbian, lesbianism, libertarian, libertarianism, marijuana, MC Ren, movie review, movies, music, music industry, Niggaz wit Attitudes, NWA, O'Shea Jackson Jr., Oliver North, Paul Giamatti, police, police brutality, pop music, pot, pro-gay, pro-gun, R. Marcos Taylor, rap, redneck, review, Rodney King, South, Straight Outta Compton, Suge Knight, thug, War on Drugs, weed, white trash The Baytown Outlaws *** Prospective viewers may be disappointed to discover that ostentatiously billed Billy Bob Thornton has only a potty-mouthed supporting role as villain Don Carlos in this violent ersatz-Tarantino concoction disingenuously passing itself off as genuine good ol’ boy entertainment. The film concerns the reckless redneck exploits of the Oodie brothers, Brick (Clayne Crawford), Lincoln (Daniel Cudmore), and McQueen (Travis Fimmel), as they rip through an array of ridiculous comic book adversaries to rescue a handicapped teenager (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) from Don Carlos’s clutches. The Baytown Outlaws is lightning-paced and at times diverting, but too condescending and mean-spirited to squarely hit its target. Worse, its perpetrators (writer-director Barry Battles, is that your real name?) betray a disturbing moral confusion and an obvious disregard for human dignity and life, as typified by the scene in which one of the brothers accidentally shoots and kills a maid and says, “Oh shit. My bad, lady”, and then goes casually about his business. Flippant to excess, this one may appeal to ADHD-afflicted consumers of films of the Snatch or Cat Run type. 3 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that The Baytown Outlaws is: 11. Drug-ambivalent. Don Carlos abuses pills. Liquor’s antiseptic quality comes in handy during a medical emergency. “You want one of these?” Brick asks, offering a minor a cigarette after a battle and telling the boy, “You earned it.” 10. Ostensibly Christian. Brick wears a cross on a necklace, but this fashion statement would appear to be the extent of how his faith expresses itself. The Oodies claim with sarcasm to have been in church while they were actually out raiding a residence and exterminating its occupants. “This Is Our Song”, a southern-fried hip-hop tune that plays over the end credits, says, “Folks round here still believe in God” and “Tell the government to leave my check and church alone”. A cross tattoo on a hitwoman suggests that the Christian content of the film is something less than sincere, however. 9. Anti-police. Celeste (Eva Longoria) wants peace of mind, “something the cops can’t give me,” she says. Officers catching sight of the Oodies locked in rowdy highway warfare turn a blind eye and give no pursuit. 8. Anti-corporate. “I kind of look at my future empire as the Wal-Mart of bottom dollar retail crime,” Don Carlos explains to impertinent underlings who have approached him about a raise. “I need stockers and cashiers and mercenaries and mules.” 7. Localist/pro-vigilante. The sheriff resists federal meddling and even eschews the law itself, maintaining the Oodies as his personal vigilante squad to keep criminals off the streets and spare the court system the trouble. 6. Gun-ambivalent. A t-shirt reads, “If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns.” The Oodies are poor poster boys for responsible handling of firearms, however, and kill several people by mistake. 5. Pro-immigration. Illegals are bright, talented, underappreciated professionals like nurses who, if given a chance, would be a boon to the U.S. What is more, they are whites’ intellectual betters. “Your ignorance is unbelievable,” a valiant wetback bimbo tells Brick when he says, “You’re a nurse. You oughtta be helpin’ people,” and suggests she become naturalized. “Your country doesn’t make it that easy for us,” she complains. 4. Black supremacist. The black sheriff (Andre Braugher) enjoys sassing and establishing his mental superiority and official authority over whites. “Just do what you’re told,” he scolds a deputy. In a scene that is seemingly intended to draw an ironic humor from racial role reversal in view of the hoses that were once turned on civil rights agitators, the sheriff unsmilingly sprays a white child with a garden hose for no apparent reason and tells him, “I don’t even know you.” 3. Family-ambivalent/anti-marriage. “This Is Our Song” includes the line, “God and my family is all I need”; but, with the exception of the Oodies’ mutual loyalty, the representations of family relationships in the film are derogatory. The Oodies have “no known mother” and the irresponsibility of their father, an abusive Ku Klux Klansman, necessitated their being transferred to foster care. Don Carlos is another negative father figure whose relationship with Celeste has ended in violence. “There goes the longest relationship I ever had,” McQueen reflects after he and his brothers dispatch a bevy of biker hitwomen. 2. South-ambivalent. “Welcome to the South, motherfuckers!” The Baytown Outlaws is something of a Trojan horse where the South is concerned, any regional pride it evinces being superficial and devious. Brick Oodie, who, along with his brothers, seems never to bother changing his clothes, always wears a sleeveless shirt bearing the Confederate stars and bars – but, as with his cross, more as a fashion object than as a proclamation of political philosophy. The hell-raising, empty-headed redneck, forever the film industry’s favorite image for the perpetually stereotyped southern white male, appears in The Baytown Outlaws as a kind of cute, quaint, grotesque curiosity, something like a dog to be petted and encouraged in its animal eccentricities, but also restrained by a master’s leash. The redneck can be an endearing type and useful as long as his wild ways are harnessed by a black representative of the state made wise by his sufferings during the struggle for civil “rights”. That one of the brothers, a brutish mute, is named Lincoln may be interpreted either as a sarcastic joke or as an indicator that progress is being made in the South and that northern dictators now vie with General Lee in the christening of white trash children. Alabama, it is observed, has its own pace but is “behind the times”. 1. Un-p.c. and repeatedly racist! The Baytown Outlaws is an exercise in what is termed hipster racism, which occurs when progressives knowingly appropriate stereotypes for their own putatively innocuous purposes and so expect a free pass for their playful, winking insensitivity. The Baytown Outlaws strains the confines of this classification, however, with its depiction of a group of Indian assassins who scalp their victims and shoot arrows. There is also a pack of vicious, foul-mouthed blacks, one of whom feels compelled to warn another, “This time, try not to hit the motherfuckin’ baby.” Other instances of political incorrectness include the use of “faggoty”. Tags action movies, alcohol, analysis, Andre Braugher, anti-capitalist, anti-capitalistic, anti-corporate, anti-marriage, anti-police, Barry Battles, Billy Bob Thornton, black supremacist, capitalism, Cat Run, Christ-ambivalent, Christian, Christianity, cigarette, cinema, civil rights, Clayne Crawford, criticism, critique, Daniel Cudmore, drug-ambivalent, drugs, Eva Longoria, exploitation, family-ambivalent, film, good ol' boy, gun-ambivalent, hicks, hillbilly, hipster racism, immigration, Indians, KKK, Ku Klux Klan, localism, localist, mercenaries, Mexicans, Mexico, movies, political correctness, politically incorrect, pro-immigration, pro-vigilante, Quentin Tarantino, racism, racist, redneck, review, smoking, Snatch, South, South-ambivalent, The Baytown Outlaws, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Travis Fimmel, un-p.c., vigilante, Wal-Mart, wetback, white trash Dallas Buyers Club **** Matthew McConaughey, who over the past few years has become one of this writer’s favorite actors working today, is the only reason to watch Dallas Buyers Club, the most recent attempt to subvert and metamorphose the American cowboy into a gay activism icon after the manner of Brokeback Mountain (2005). McConaughey stars as Ron Woodroof, a narrow-minded ne’er-do-well whose life changes forever – or, anyway, for what remains of it – after he is diagnosed with what Andy Warhol called “gay cancer”. Jennifer Garner portrays a concerned physician, while Jared Leto munches the scenery as junkie transvestite Rayon, who becomes Woodroof’s business partner in the “Dallas Buyers Club”, a grassroots enterprise designed to provide AIDS sufferers with a healthier treatment alternative than the big pharmaceutical competition. Woodroof’s drive to prolong his life and combat the establishment’s market stranglehold is fairly compelling, but squeamish viewers are forewarned that the movie contains such tacky attempts at heart-tuggery as the sight of a sick, self-pitying transvestite drooling blood and whining “I don’t wanna die . . .” 4 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Dallas Buyers Club is: 9. Anti-Christian. Woodroof dresses as a priest while attempting to smuggle drugs into the U.S. from Mexico. The image of an AIDS patient wearing a clerical collar is of course no sartorial accident and works as a barb directed at Catholic moral hypocrisy, so many priests being closeted homosexuals, many of whom are known to have succumbed to AIDS. 8. Anti-drug. Woodruff’s intravenous drug use, along with his inveterate whore-chasing, has put him at greater risk for contracting AIDS. Also, Rayon’s dope addiction only exacerbates his decline. 7. Anti-racist. One of the personal failings Woodroof must overcome is his racism, evidenced by his references to Asians as “chinks” and Saudis as “sand niggers”. As his drug procurement operation goes global, he learns to appreciate the profitability of doing business with foreigners. “I like your style,” he tells a Japanese doctor. 6. Feminist. In addition to overcoming his racism, Woodroof must also come to accept women’s contributions to the modern workforce. “I don’t want a nurse, I want a doctor!” he protests in one early scene. 5. Anti-redneck. The spectacle of a gun-toting “homophobic asshole” and piece of “Texas hick white trash” suffering from AIDS and lashing out in his agony as dignified professional women and minorities look on with contempt is pure political porn for liberals, the quintessence of their wishful thinking. 4. Capitalist. Dallas Buyers Club betrays a left-libertarian streak in its combination of social liberalism and celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit, attempting to illustrate how unfettered markets will serve both the small businessman and consumer. “I say what goes in my body, not you.” 3. Anti-corporatism. The IRS, DEA, and particularly the FDA appear as antagonists in the film, the cronyist footmen of big pharma monopolists looking to squeeze the competition. “Now that’s the shit that’ll rot your insides,” Woodroof avers, examining a package of meat in a grocery store. “What a surprise,” he then adds, “FDA-approved.” The FDA, Dallas Buyers Club alleges, merely functions as big pharma’s glorified street pushers. 2. Pro-gay. Through a business partnership that blossoms into a friendship, Woodroof learns to appreciate Rayon as an individual, and comes to appreciate the general plight of homosexuals as he succumbs to the disease they share. AIDS, as the great sexual-sociopolitical equalizer, almost seems to be the movie’s unsung hero. Demonstrating his transformation from homophobe to humanitarian, Woodroof in one scene grabs his bigoted friend T.J. (Kevin Rankin) and holds him in a headlock until he agrees to shake Rayon’s hand. Homosexuals appear as sensitive and nurturing throughout Dallas Buyers Club. 1. Pro-NWO. “Look at this place,” Woodroof muses, surveying the scene in a bohemian clinic south of the border. “Fuckin’ chinks, homos, herbs, hot nurses. You got a regular New World Order goin’ on here . . .” Tags 80s, AIDS, alternative medicine, Andy Warhol, anti-capitalist, anti-Christian, anti-corporatism, anti-cronyism, anti-drug, anti-racist, anti-redneck, anti-state, Arabs, AZT, big pharma, bigot, biopic, Brokeback Mountain, capitalism, capitalist, Catholic Church, Catholicism, chick flick, Christianity, cinema, corporation, corporatism, corruption, cowboy, criticism, critique, crony capitalism, cronyism, crossdresser, Dallas, Dallas Buyers Club, DEA, doctor, drag queen, Drug Enforcement Agency, drugs, eighties, FDA, feminism, feminist, film, Focus Features, Food and Drug Administration, gay interest, gay rights, globalism, globalist, HIV, homophobe, homophobia, homosexuality, Internal Revenue Service, IRS, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Kevin Rankin, left-libertarian, liberal, libertarian, libertarianism, medical establishment, movies, new world order, NWO, period piece, politics, priesthood, pro-gay, pro-NWO, racism, redneck, review, rodeo, Ron Woodroof, Saudi Arabia, Texas, transvestism, transvestite, Voltage Pictures, white trash Wild **** A career highlight showcase for star Reese Witherspoon, this freewheeling emotional odyssey into triumphant you-go-girlism concerns real-life tramp Cheryl Strayed, whose epic hike along the Pacific Crest Trail takes her from “piece of shit” and “hobo” to liberated and self-actualized piece of shit with an Oprah’s Book Club pick. As with all wilderness pictures, from Jeremiah Johnson to Rescue Dawn, there is an innate fascination to the scenes of Strayed’s one-woman struggle with the elements. The interspersed flashbacks to the unpleasant experiences that drive her to make her quest, however, are hit-and-miss, diminishing any sympathy this reviewer is able to muster for her. Laura Dern appears as Strayed’s long-suffering, cancer-ridden mother. 4 out of 5 possible stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Wild is: 6. Drug-ambivalent. Wild sends mixed messages about Cheryl’s life as a heroin addict. Marijuana, however, seems to be a laid-back thing to do. Alcohol appears as a no-no, though, with Cheryl vomiting after some hard stuff. (see also no. 1) 5. Anti-Christian. Foulmouthed Cheryl utters multiple blasphemies. 4. Anti-redneck. The rural white male is a constant menace hovering in the gloaming of Cheryl’s consciousness, leering at her and making unsavory advances. 3. Pro-choice. Cheryl has an abortion. 2. New age, peddling mass market paperback mysticism that might have been cribbed from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The film ends with Witherspoon reciting some philosophical gobbledygook about how nobody knows what leads to what – the scientific method, contrary to this reviewer’s mistaken impression all his life, turning out never to have been invented after all – life being one big mysterious journey, each seeming adversity or disastrous decision constituting a necessary step toward destiny’s fulfillment. People – and, by extension, societies – might as well experiment to their hearts’ content on this starry trek of objectively valueless existence. 1. Feminist. Wild celebrates the junkie-adulteress-intellectual as heroine. One of its many nuggets of womany wisdom is that divorces, unlike marriages, tend to be lasting. Regarding her serial back-alley extramarital humps and heroin habit, Cheryl apologizes to her nice-guy husband (Thomas Sadoski) but later confesses that she harbors no regrets about anything. Adrienne Rich’s poem “Power”, a favorite of the protagonist, furnishes Wild with its theme. Marie Curie’s “wounds”, Rich explains, “came from the same source as her power”. Witherspoon’s body, accordingly, appears with unsightly contusions and cuts throughout the movie, these presumably being the feminist stigmata symbolizing the suffering through which she has attained her “power”. In a parallel characterization, Cheryl’s mother is an abused wife who abandons her alcoholic husband and goes back to school for her education because, she says, she never felt like she was in the driver’s seat of her own life. Oprah’s Bucks Club Tags abortion, Adrienne Rich, adventure, alcohol, alcoholic, alcoholism, analysis, anti-Christian, anti-marriage, Beatles, blasphemy, cancer, Cheryl Strayed, chick flick, Christianity, cinema, criticism, critique, drug-ambivalent, drugs, epic, feminism, feminist, film, hike, hobo, infidelity, Jeremiah Johnson, Laura Dern, male chauvinist pig, Marie Curie, misandrist, misandry, movies, nature, new age, nihilism, nihilist, Oprah Winfrey, Oprah's Book Club, Pacific Crest Trail, PCT, philosophy, poem, poetry, pro-choice, pro-slut, redneck, Reese Witherspoon, relativism, relativist, Rescue Dawn, review, sexism, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, slut, survival, Thomas Sadoski, white trash, wilderness, women's liberation Machete Kills *** September 28, 2014 // Rodriguez’s most recent contribution to the Mexploitation subgenre, Machete Kills is exactly the movie one would expect it to be: a shallow, self-congratulatorily hip, and hyperviolent celebration of Mexican ethnic pride and muscle-flexing Reconquista. Danny Trejo reprises the role of the righteous butcher who in this sequel accepts a presidential offer of American citizenship in exchange for stopping a cataclysmic missile strike on Washington. Machete Kills is sufficiently fast-paced to ward off snores, but the cartoonish tone and the flippant approach to the violence keep it from generating any emotional interest or genuine suspense. One hopes for the sake of the future of film that this big-budget B-movie brand of Tarantinoid, winking, self-aware exploitation fetishism has almost run its course. 3 out of 5 stars. Ideological Content Analysis indicates that Machete Kills is: 13. State-skeptical. “Justice and law aren’t always the same thing.” 12. Anti-military. Corrupt soldiers sell government-issue arms to a drug cartel. 11. Anti-family. A whore recounts how her father raped her. (see also no. 2) 10. Drug-ambivalent. Machete “don’t smoke”, but lights a bazooka like a bong. The drug cartels are his enemies. 9. Pro-miscegenation. Can anyone blame Miss San Antonio (Amber Heard) for being unable to resist Machete’s haggard, wrinkly, and humorless Aztec charms? 8. Anti-gun. Machete prefers blades. A campaign commercial associates Second Amendment advocacy with pork spending on military hardware. The principal villain, Voz (Mel Gibson), is a firearms manufacturer. 7. Globalist and war-ambivalent. “This isn’t about Mexico no more. It’s about the world.” Voz reveals he has installed puppet troublemakers in North Korea and Russia so as to pump government interest in his military wares. While there is truth in the notion that international bogeys are frequently manufactured as pretexts for war, Machete Kills endorses the neocon worldview to the extent that it accepts that Russia and North Korea are legitimately threatening to American national security. “Fuck world peace,” says Miss San Antonio. 6. Feminist. “Don’t call me sweetheart,” bristles Sartana (Jessica Alba) before gunning down a male chauvinist pig. Machete Kills milks the tired non-novelty of women acting tough and shooting their mouths and machine-guns, which here include weapons mounted on the bosom and crotch. Interestingly, the long tradition of sexual violence directed exclusively at the male genitalia finally seems to be coming home to haunt the feminists in the form of the sickening “pussy punch”. Only girls are allowed to play this dirty hand, however. (see also no. 2) 5. Anti-Christian. Voz looks forward to a day when “kingdom comes”. White supremacist Sheriff Doakes uses expressions like “Amen” and “Hallelujah”. Assassin the Chameleon (a shapeshifter portrayed at different points in the film by Walter Goggins, Cuba Gooding, Lady Gaga, and Antonio Banderas) drives a truck called the “Holy Roller”, with kitschy religious knickknacks on the dashboard. “Preach it, Sister,” says villainess Miss San Antonio. 4. Anti-white. Whites – surprise, surprise! – are the bad guys. Those who, like Sheriff Joe Arpaio, concern themselves with America’s sovereignty and security, are represented in Machete Kills by the likes of the dopey Minutemen-like “Freedom Force” and Sheriff Doakes (William Sadler), who calls Mexicans things like “taco” and “beaner”. Voz plans to abscond into outer space with a load of Mexicans to serve him as slave labor. Blonde beauty and secret agent Miss San Antonio lives up to her hair color and turns out to be a traitoress. The decision to cast Mel Gibson, with his off-screen baggage of accusations of anti-Semitism and bigotry, as supervillain Voz reinforces the anti-white/anti-racist theme. 3. Pro-amnesty. Machete is Mexico, observes President Rathcock (Charlie Sheen), who by offering citizenship to Machete is in effect endorsing the wholesale naturalization of everybody south of the border. “Even Jesus couldn’t get through that damn wall.” Sadly, many of the ignorant dupes who see this movie will probably be led to believe that there actually is a wall protecting the U.S. from turd world invasion. 2. Anti-human. The title says it all, with enough red splattering to paint a barn. In addition, Miss San Antonio in her pageant speech endorses “a woman’s right to choose.” 1. Razist. “You fucked with the wrong Mexican.” Tags abortion, action, action movies, Aldamisa Entertainment, Amber Heard, amnesty, anti-Christian, anti-gun, anti-human, anti-racist, anti-redneck, anti-Semitism, anti-slavery, anti-white, Antonio Banderas, AR Films, Arizona, Aztlan, beauty pageant, bordello, border security, brothel, campy, Charlie Sheen, Christianity, cinema, criticism, critique, Cuba Gooding Jr., Danny Trejo, defense contractor, defense industry, degeneracy, espionage, exploitation, feminism, feminist, film, globalism, globalist, gore, gun control, illegal aliens, illegal immigration, immigration, immigration reform, incest, Jessica Alba, Lady Gaga, Machete Kills, Mel Gibson, Mexicans, Mexico, Mexploitation, Minutemen, miscegenation, movies, neocon, neoconservatism, neoconservative, nihilism, nihilist, North Korea, Open Road, outer space, pro-amnesty, pro-miscegenation, pro-slut, profanity, prostitute, prostitution, pussy punch, Quentin Tarantino, racism, razism, razist, Reconquista, redneck, religious kitsch, review, Robert Rodriguez, Russia, Second Amendment, sequel, sexploitation, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, slave labor, slavery, sleaze, slut, state-skeptical, Third World, Tom Savini, tongue in cheek, trash, ultraviolence, Universal Studios, vulgarity, Walter Goggins, war-ambivalent, wetback, white trash, whore, William Sadler

The economic benefits of hiring disabled employees March 7, 2014 /0 Comments/in Archives, Networks Employment Solutions /by Island Community Mental Health https://icmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/handshake.jpg 1200 1200 Island Community Mental Health https://icmha.ca/wp-content/uploads/log-300x200.png Island Community Mental Health2014-03-07 23:45:002015-07-15 17:26:45The economic benefits of hiring disabled employees 5 tips for tracking missing persons with dementia The Button Project

Playhouse Square’s 2017-2018 Broadway Season! March 2, 2017 March 6, 2017 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment It’s one of my FAVORITE times of year … the time of year when Playhouse Square announces its next Broadway season! Earlier this week, I was privileged to get a sneak peek at what’s coming to Cleveland at their Broadway Series Launch Party. This year, I went with Cuoghi and not only did it made for a fun girls night and of course it was great to start to plan which shows I NEED to see! Oh yeah, and not only did they announce what shows are coming – BUT SARA BAREILLES WAS THERE. (that’s her below on the left chair) And not only was Sara Bareilles there (she’s performing as the lead on Broadway starting at the end of March for 6 weeks!), but SHE PERFORMED A SONG FROM THE MUSICAL. Oh my god. @sarabareilles literally just took my breath away. #bwyincle A post shared by mom, runner, blogger | Melissa (@koskim) on Feb 28, 2017 at 5:21pm PST I know, caps overload, but B and I both LOVE Sara and I really liked the movie Waitress back in the day and the song she sang gave me goosebumps. Besides Waitress, here’s what is coming into town: On Your Feet Love Never Dies (did you know there was a sequel to The Phantom of the Opera?!) What shows am I most excited about? In no order: RENT! I love RENT. I saw it many years ago when I was in college and then again when it came to Cleveland a few years ago. I’m so excited it’s back!!!! Hamilton! I mean come on – who isn’t excited about Hamilton? It’s in Cleveland for SIX weeks so I hope I can get tickets! Waitress! Not only did the song that Sara Bareilles sing haunt me (I’m still listening to it!) but who wouldn’t want to see her songs performed live? Have you seen any of these shows? Any recommendations? What’s the last (or next!) musical you’ve seen? Disclosure: I was given two complimentary tickets to Playhouse Square’s Broadway launch party. All views on this post are my own. Interested in seeing any of these shows? The only way to guarantee your seats right now is to get season tickets. Announcing Playhouse Square’s 2016-17 Broadway Season! March 24, 2016 March 23, 2016 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / Leave a comment Hooray! The time is here to announce NEXT year’s Broadway Season in Cleveland! As you know, one of the things I love about living in Cleveland is the great access I have to the Arts – we have a great variety of museums (including FREE ones), a world class orchestra and amazing theaters and performances that I’m lucky enough to attend and are right outside my apartment. I know I’ve shared this before, but Playhouse Square is the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City – and it’s just a walk away from where I live! This year, once again, I was lucky enough to be invited to the 2016-2017 Broadway Series Launch Party. I got to go with Mary for a mini girls night out. The event was GREAT. We were given early access to a preview of all the shows coming to the theater this coming season AND the post-show media party. Here is a sneak peek of what’s to come! Fun Home Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time This year’s event was so much fun, with surprise visits along the way! Allison, one of the child understudies from Fun Home, wowed us with her performance! (photo from Playhouse Square) The Singing Angels got us in the mood for Into The Woods with their rendition of “Children Will Listen” (photo from Playhouse Square) Trista Moldovan, a Broadway star from Northeast Ohio, did an emotional song from Finding Neverland (photo from Playhouse Square) Such a cool event! It’s hard to say which shows I’m most excited about. BUT If I had to pick THERE shows, which would I pick to see? (this is always a hard question for me…but here’s what I think and some of the music/background info] Interested in seeing any of these shows? Get your tickets today by becoming a Season Ticket Holder. What’s the last musical you’ve seen? (movie or live) Disclosure: I was given two complimentary tickets to Playhouse Square’s Broadway launch party, plus access to the post-party media event. All views on this post are my own. Playhouse Square’s 2015-16 Broadway Season! April 2, 2015 March 31, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments Those of you that know me know that I’ve grown to love and embrace my new (is it still new if I’ve been here 7 years?) city, Cleveland. I’m always celebrating Cleveland and telling friends and family who are not from here how great it is and what the city has to offer. One of the things I love about this city is our amazing theaters and performances that I’m lucky enough to attend and are literally a walk away from my apartment. As you may know, Playhouse Square is the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York City. This week, I was lucky enough to be invited to the 2015-2016Broadway Series Launch Party AND I got to go with my sister-in-law Mary for a lovely girls night! Some highlights from the event: Trying out a selfie stick thanks to the Playhouse Square crew (including a former intern of mine!) Wearing a media pass! (and being at a non-work related event and doing so) Playing around at the Playhouse Square photo booth! AND for what you’ve all been waiting for – at the party, I got to hear what shows are coming to Cleveland next season. Here’s what’s coming to town! Bullets Over Broadway A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder If/Then Beautiful (The Carole King Musical) What am I most excited about? If I had to choose only 3: I’m SO excited for some of these shows, especially Matilda. I LOVED the book growing up and then the movie and am so ready to see the show brought to life on stage! 2. If/Then looks really interesting and good. I love the plot line (a 30-something year old woman trying to determine her future, find herself, etc.) AND I’ve heard it’s MADE for RENT fans (ahem – me!) 3. Phantom. Okay, so I’ll admit I’m not the typical theatre junkie and obsessed with Phantom of the Opera, but B likes it and I want to give it another try. And in all honesty, the sat time I saw it we were behind a family that talked the whole time so hopefully this time with better seats I can enjoy it more. Bonus: Beautiful. We got to hear several performances from this musical and they were incredible. I don’t know much about Carole King, or her music, but the show looks great and I’d love to learn more! Interested in seeing any of these shows? Become a Season Ticket holder to secure your seats now! Okay, have you seen any of these shows? Any recommendations? Do you have a favorite musical or one you’ve seen over and over again? Wicked and RENT and Newsies. Can I have more than one? Have you used a selfie stick? Disclosure: I was given two complimentary tickets to Playhouse Square’s Broadway launch party, as well as access to the post-party media event. All views on this post are my own. A Review Crew Review – Billy Elliot at Playhouse Square November 23, 2010 November 24, 2010 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 4 Comments This week, thanks to my participation in the Review Crew, I was lucky enough to catch a showing of Billy Elliot at the stunning State Theater of Playhouse Square. If you haven’t seen the show yet, you should really buy tickets. The choreography is stunning, and the children dancers are incredible. There’s a reason it won 10 Tony Awards, including best musical. In fact, there’s never a better time to buy tickets – I got an email from Playhouse Square today saying they’re having a super Cyber Monday online shopping event. Before you rush to see it, however, I would recommend you do your homework and come prepared. It’s not a musical I’d necessarily recommend seeing blind. In order to have the best experience, here’s how to make sure you’re prepared before seeing Billy Elliot: Read up on your British miners’ history: Much of the play relies on the audience’s knowledge of key events in the British coal industry. The UK Miners’ Strike sets the stage for the play, and if you don’t see the movie ahead of time, or know about this historical event, you’re likely to be confused. What, you don’t know the 1984 miners’ strike like the back of your hand? Don’t worry, neither did I, seeing as it started before I was even born. So I read about it before seeing the play. Don’t know where to start? Wikipedia’s entry can’t hurt. Come prepared to be wowed by the dancing, but don’t expect to be singing all of the songs on your way home. The dancing was amazing. Incredible. Breathtaking. [insert random synonym here] I mean, how often do you see a young boy tap dancing and jumping rope at the same time? I’ve never even seen that on DWTS! The music, however, failed to win me over. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the music, especially the Expressing Yourself number (my favorite!) – but with a score by Elton John, I had hoped the mind-blowing dancing would be accompanied by equally contagious music. It may be filled with talented kid actors (I even heard that they have 50 20 children traveling with them for all the different parts) – but it’s not necessarily for kids. The plotline can be confusing (especially with the British history … see #1) and the play is filled with foul language – the majority of it coming from the young kids themselves! I wasn’t offended by any of the language (yes, there were even a few f-bombs), but I could imagine a mom taking her children to see the play worrying that her kids would imitate the children’s language. It’s definitely not worse than anything many shows on TV, but parents should be aware of the language coming from the young stars. (Side note – I heard the US version of Billy Elliot has been toned down significantly, so I can’t imagine what the language in the original British version was like!) Expect to be inspired and amazed by Billy … but don’t sleep on the other characters. Billy, played by Giuseppe Bausilio when I saw it, was amazing. ‘Nuff said. But I couldn’t keep my eyes off Jacob Zelonky who plays his friend Michael. He was my favorite character – not only was his character complex, but he was an amazing dancer and he completely stole the Expressing Yourself scene. And who could forget Billy’s dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson? The part of Mrs. Wilkinson was played by Tony Award-winning Faith Prince, who received loud applause the moment she stepped on stage. Her singing, dancing and overall presence was incredible – you won’t be disappointed. Blue Man Group Comes to Cleveland … you MUST see it! October 12, 2010 October 15, 2010 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments A few weeks ago, I found out I was selected to join the Playhouse Square Review Crew. It’s a cool new initiative that Playhouse Square is trying out to engage social media users for their Broadway series. I’m really excited to be part of it – as a member, I get to view the opening night shows of the Broadway Series at Playhouse — for free! In return, if I want I can provide a review of each performance. First up? Blue Man Group. I saw Blue Man Group in Boston my freshman year of college and loved it. I didn’t remember too much about it, besides the men in blue of course, but I was excited to see it again. The verdict? You MUST see it! Clevelanders – get out your credit cards and go online and order tickets NOW. Seriously – it was such a good show, put me in such a good mood and was tons of fun. Not convinced? Here are 3 reasons why you should see Blue Man Group: 1. You are guaranteed to leave in a great mood, no matter what you were feeling when you got there The energetic music, bright lights and interactive music of Blue Man Group got my heart beating and my mouth smiling and I was hooked. I’ll admit that before the show started, I was having a less than stellar week. Stressed out and and working late most of last week made for a less than lovable Melissa. But after leaving the theatre, I commented to my fiance, “I feel great! I don’t know how I’m going to get to sleep tonight, I’m so wired!” 2. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before Blue Man Group is truly indescribable. Sure I could think of about a thousand adjectives to describe the performance (energizing, amazing, tons of fun, etc.), but to tell you what the actual show was about? Nearly impossible. “Three guys in all blue dance, act, play music and never talk” just doesn’t do it justice. It truly is something like you’ve never experienced before. What other broadway show have you seen before where the audience is encouraged to get up and shake their booty to a song that proceeds to name all the terms there are for your behind (including rumpus, buns, bedonkadonk, “place where all the burritos go,” etc. )? That’s what I thought. 3. It will make you think, but not so much that it hurts As I mentioned, the first time I saw Blue Man Group was in college and to be honest, I just saw it as pure entertainment. This time, however, I noticed that the show is clearly making a commentary on society. Cultural differences and our dependence on technology are addressed, but not in a smothering preachy manner. So you don’t just leave entertained, you are also enlightened. And if none of those reasons convinces you, maybe this will- I missed Glee last week just to see it…and it was worth every minute!* *Gleeks don’t usually miss Glee unless they’re deathly ill. By the way – if you want to see my review, along with the other Review Crew, check out the video below.

FEDERAL AID CUTS WOULD WEAKEN IDAHO'S ECONOMY Rocky Barker reports Idaho will be a poorer state if the federal government’s deep budget cuts dramatically reduce spending and employment here. Economists say Idaho’s private economy would have to boom to make up for the 10 to 20 percent federal budget cuts that Gov. Butch Otter has state agencies analyzing. No one, of course, knows for sure what will happen with federal aid to the states. In June, the Statesman reported that Otter had asked state departments to prepare for cuts of up to 20 percent in federal assistance — which supports a third of all state spending — because of uncertainty over federal budgets, expiring tax breaks and the possibility of “sequestration” mandating $1.2 trillion in cuts over nine years beginning next year under a deficit-reduction deal. Otter’s contingency planning focuses on how Idaho’s state government will keep crucial services like schools, prisons, health and environmental protection funded if federal assistance is reduced significantly. But that’s not the only place where Idaho would feel the pain if the feds have to slash. IDAHO’S FEDERAL WINDFALL Idaho has long received far more federal dollars than its citizens have to pay in federal taxes. In 2011, The Economist magazine analyzed how much different states benefit from federal spending compared to how much they pay in taxes. From 1990 to 2009, the federal government spent $148.4 billion in Idaho. That was money for roads, schools, Mountain Home Air Force Base, the Idaho National Laboratory, the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, Social Security payments, farm subsidies, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, federal housing grants, economic development grants, fish and wildlife management, tribal health programs, federal employee salaries and benefits, and more. During the same 20 years, the federal government collected $124.3 billion in taxes from Idahoans. That left the state with a $24.1 billion windfall that contributed to its $53.7 billion gross domestic product in 2009. Deep cuts in federal spending inevitably will mean fewer dollars flowing into Idaho, and the economy will suffer unless the private sector is able to make up the difference, said Mike Ferguson, director of the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy and a former state economist. BIGGEST BUDGETS, BIGGEST HITS Payments to the state for Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and tribal health programs don’t count in the GDP — that is simply money transferred from the government to recipients, said Peter Crabb, an economics professor at Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa. Any cuts to those programs, he expects, will not be as severe as those to non-entitlement spending for such things as energy, education and even defense. “The biggest impact would be at Mountain Home Air Force Base or the Idaho National Laboratory,” Crabb said. “If they have fewer people there, that will have an effect.” The Idaho National Laboratory creates more than 24,000 Idaho jobs and generates $3.5 billion in economic impact, according to a 2010 report by Boise State University economists. INL, the Department of Energy nuclear research facility in eastern Idaho, had more than 8,000 people working directly for the government or its contractors in Idaho, making it the second-largest employer in the state. The largest is Idaho state government, the BSU study said. An additional 16,133 people had jobs because of the INL. The “multiplier effect” means that spending ripples through the wider economy, benefiting restaurants, real estate agents and repair shops and creating new jobs, new spending and new businesses. “Although state government is Idaho’s largest employer, it is important to keep in mind that most of its funding comes from sources within the state,” said Geoffrey Black, chairman of the Department of Economics at Boise State and a researcher on the project. “INL is not only the second-largest source of jobs in the state, but nearly all of its funding comes from outside Idaho. “This provides a huge shot in the arm to the state’s economy, particularly in the eastern part of the state,” Black said. “Nothing else comes close.” The Air Force estimated the economic impact of the Mountain Home base at just over $1 billion annually in 2010. It estimated its 5,300 military and private workers create another 1,700 indirect jobs in the community, not counting retirees. Crabb doesn’t expect dramatic cuts in the staff or agencies that manage Idaho’s federal lands, which account for 62 percent of the state land mass. “We’re still going to fight fires,” Crabb said. “The agencies that manage public lands already run lean staffs.” But Ferguson points out that rural areas already are the most dependent on federal dollars and would be hurt most when those are reduced. “The rural parts of the state are going to take disproportional hits,” Ferguson said. What it comes down to is lost income, Crabb said. During the recession, Idaho benefited from increased crop and precious-metal prices, and the farmers and miners enjoying favorable markets have helped cushion the state’s economy from a more severe downturn. What also would help Idaho is a rebound in the housing market, which would boost the state’s building and forest products industry. If Idaho doesn’t get such boosts, it won’t be able to make up the income gap, and Idaho as a state will be poorer, Crabb said. New jobs and profits could come from existing businesses or new companies attracted to Idaho, such as Chobani Yogurt in Twin Falls. Commerce Secretary Jeff Sayer said he’s focused on filling the gap that would be left by reduced federal spending. INDUSTRY, BUSINESS MAY FILL GAP Cutting the federal budget will have varying impacts across the nation because the states’ net contributions vary dramatically, The Economist reported. For instance, New York got $2.3 trillion from 1990 to 2009, but its taxpayers still gave the rest of us a net $956 billion. Delaware got a measly $86 billion in federal spending while paying $211 billion in taxes, a transfer of $124 billion out of the state — or more than twice its 2009 GDP of $60 billion. About a third of all federal spending that comes to Idaho comes through the state government, Ferguson said, and state decisions will play some role in how much federal cuts hurt. Take Medicaid, for instance. The federal government pays about 70 percent of the costs today, and the expansion envisioned in the new health care act would pay for 100 percent in the first phase and 90 percent later. Taking that money could ease the economic impact of some federal cuts elsewhere, Ferguson said, while letting Idaho provide health service to people who need it most. TOUGH POLICY CHOICES Policy decisions will be driven by state politics. With less federal money to go around, said Crabb, “we’ll be poorer.” “If people choose to fund those same services, (money) will have to come from somewhere else or higher taxes,” he said. Ferguson sees it differently. If the state doesn’t keep up its services, he said, it will be less attractive to businesses looking to expand or relocate. He points to the state’s ranking at 50th in spending for education among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. “You have to have the infrastructure to handle it, and part of that is an educated workforce,” Ferguson said. “We’re forsaking that part.” Rocky Barker: 377-6484 Rocky Barker has been covering federal issues in Idaho for more than a quarter-century. His Statesman beats also include energy and the environment. Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/07/08/2182706/federal-aid-cuts-would-weaken.html#storylink=cpy

Pair Startup Ideas A platform that pairs people who have a spare room in their home with those who need a place to stay. A free library of “crowd sourced” electronics repair instructions, with a database of more than 100,000 step-by-step guides for common problems with over a million unique parts. A startup that creates online courses that teach people how to do common home repairs A company that connects people with local handymen, who can perform repairs for them for a percentage of the cost. A platform for booking and selling home services like plumbing and electrical repairs. A startup that helps companies locate and hire the right candidates, including people who are blind or visually impaired. A startup that wants to pair people up with mentors. A startup that creates a directory of local home repair experts so people can find someone to do small home repairs A startup that provides a service to help people organize and repair their garage A company that helps companies and individuals find the best local plumbers for renovations and repairs. A startup that provides homeowners with discounted rates for insurance and home repairs. A company that makes a pair of Bluetooth headphones that are like a high-end pair of AirPods, but with a subscription service to make them more affordable. A personal robot designed to help people with mobility impairments, with a goal to help them live more independently and improve daily living. This startup is building a platform that lets anyone customize a pair of shoes for any use, whether it be running a marathon, doing yoga, or just trying to look cool. An automatic marketplace for business and personal users for those looking for an iPhone screen repair and other Apple repair services. This startup is building an automatic repair system for the Internet of Things, a term for everyday objects with sensors and connectivity. A startup that lets you scan a barcode and get a quote for repairs on your iPhone or watch in the UK. A platform that connects cars to the internet allowing them to be monitored and repaired remotely. A new kind of pairing app that allows you to chat with potential partners and find out if they have mutual friends. A company that specializes in developing innovative products to help the visually-impaired. The company has developed a range of solutions to help blind users interact with the world around them. A startup that sells a directory of people who will come out and do odd jobs around your house - like repairing fixtures, painting, A mobile app that pairs with a “machine-learning algorithm” to help drivers find the best routes to their destinations. A company that helps with home repairs and renovations, letting customers research and book local contractors A startup that provides a service for people who are interested in learning how to do their own home repairs A startup that builds apps for the blind and visually impaired who want to use the the cutting-edge features of their smartphones. A ridesharing app that will pair people with drivers who have a car that can fit the rider’s luggage. The startup wants to make it easier for people to visit the city on vacation. A startup that pairs freelance designers with clients to create logos, websites, and more A company that pairs with local taxi drivers to make group rides more affordable. A startup that connects auto repair shops and customers via mobile app A startup that creates a directory of people who are trained to do repair work on a variety of things like plumbing, electrical wiring, and AC work A company trying to bring together auto repair information from different sources into a single, searchable place. Marketplace for home repair, including licensed contractors. A startup that provides mobile phone repair for $5, and a service in which customers can have their phones fixed by their friends. A company that makes it easier for the visually impaired to translate symbols. The startup has raised $1.2 million. A platform that connects car dealers and automakers to help them sell, advertise, and service new cars and repairs and replace existing ones. A simple pair of sunglasses that tells you which app you’re using. The startup behind Pachube has expanded into the market for connected devices that allow users to collect and share data. The company has launched two other products since the acquisition: the Pachube Watch, which is a customizable wristband that can be paired with smart devices to collect fitness data and share data with other devices, and the Pachube Photo, which is a way for users to capture and share their photos with other users. A startup that helps convert documents into video so they can be more easily used by the visually impaired. A startup that wants to offer a safer way for people to get their cars repaired. An AI-based matchmaking system that pairs job seekers with employers. A startup that pairs patients with farmers via its mobile app, helping patients manage their personal medical records and their personal health data. The startup aims to build a “virtual pharmacy” that can help patients manage continuous care. A startup that helps you find contractors for construction, home repairs, or even getting a new dog sitter. A startup that pairs you with a community of debt-free, budget-conscious people who are willing to split the cost of a car, home, furniture, or other major purchase. A social network for shared care that pairs doctors with patients. Polite.com is building on the idea of “time banking” — people who trade their time for other people’s labor. They have a number of products that do this, including a new one that pairs people with tasks and then allows them to track their work. A B2B company that helps property managers and agents manage rental properties by automating tasks like invoicing, collecting rent and taking care of repairs. One of several startups that are building alternative work schedules that let people swap out their hours for the week. They all basically pair an employer with a local worker who can come in for extra hours in exchange for a small fee or a flat rate. A virtual assistant platform that connects customers with local car repair professionals. A car insurance company that helps drivers who are blind or visually impaired A platform for streamlining the process of managing rental properties, meant to save landlords money on things like insurance and repair work. A startup that wants to help connect apartment tenants with home repair services. A startup that’s making it easier for users to supercharge their mobile devices by pairing them with high-performance wireless chargers. Its 10K program is now open for sign-ups. A consumer app that pairs with a free service that helps consumers track their spending. A startup that makes wearable tech for people with disabilities, like those with visual impairment. The startup is building software that helps people with disabilities to be more independent. A product that teaches people how to pair wine with food and make cocktails. A restaurant-booking app that pairs with your favorite restaurant so you can just look at the menu and book a table. The company has raised $1.3M to date. The startup is looking to pair the benefits of a collaborative economy with the efficiency of a shared economy. The company offers a system that can match the right person with the right job while also providing them with a flexible schedule. A logistics marketplace for e-commerce companies. The startup wants to help buyers and sellers find each other, and has already paired up with a few major retailers. A pair of heavy-equipment spare parts specialists in the Midwest. These guys help companies find used equipment, they’ve made over 200 sales to date. A “worker-owned cooperative” that will put a new spin on the working world, pairing freelancers and clients with each other to help them co-create a working space, and to help members through a “micro-retirement” plan. A way to help people find out if their car insurance will pay for car repairs A startup that’s building a marketplace for dispute resolution for startups and small businesses. It pairs companies with a lawyer who works in conjunction with a separate, neutral party. A home services marketplace that helps users coordinate with contractors and service providers to make repairs and renovations. The startup also offers a concierge service that lets users put the app on a desk, and it works with home services companies to help them grow. A company that helps installers and service providers manage contract maintenance and repair. LOWCOUNTRY is a startup building a live-action reenactment of the history of the Appalachian Mountains. The company is a production company that shoots reenactments, and it is building a storytelling platform to pair with them. A startup that helps brands leverage influencer marketing and endorsements using a platform that pairs up brands with influencers A startup that helps small businesses track repairs, maintenance, and replacements rather than having to rely on spreadsheets and stops receiving Ubers and other ride-share services. A startup that pairs up its product design expertise with a developer to build a custom mobile app. It takes a few days and the startup will provide a working prototype. An AI-powered personal assistant that helps people access their organization’s knowledge base to find information on the go. The startup wants to build a simple single-app solution that’s paired with a native iOS app. A DIY platform for home repairs, from painting to drywall installation to building a deck. The company wants to make it as simple as possible to have something built and out the door. This is a company building a platform where an existing customer can find and hire a contractor to repair or remodel a specific item in their home. It’s a marketplace for homeowners looking to hire contractors, and the startup is profitable. A startup that helps small businesses connect with local merchants in a similar way that Zumper and other real estate startups connect landlords. It counts a pair of YC startups among clients. A startup that provides a service that helps people with disabilities, including those with mobility impairments, be more independent A digital drawer that provides a digital photo frame, calendar, diary, and address book. It’s designed for the elderly and visually impaired. A system for companies to track and manage their repair/replace parts inventory A startup that provides a “digital dictionary” for the visually impaired A peer-to-peer car sharing app with an emphasis on safety. It’s also a marketplace for car parts, car sharing, and car repair. The company currently has around 100,000 members and $3M in revenue. The company is pairing the digital technology used by banks to process payments to the physical elements of a cash machine, such as a keypad and a printer, to create an end-to-end solution. A startup working with AAA automobile associations to give car owners access to in-home maintenance, repair, and tracking services. A messaging app that was built from the ground up to be used by people who are hearing impaired. A startup that helps real estate agents with "after-hours" showings The startup wants to grow into a managed marketplace that serves as a broker for all home services, from repairs to insurance A fixer-upper app, with a focus on home renovations. Founded by a pair of ex-Googlers, it allows users to record their repairs on a map to see how they match up with others. A tool that pairs with a customer’s bank account to automatically route money and send bills. A tool for scheduling and estimating repairs. It currently has over 2,000 customers in the UK. A startup that’s building a version of the Oculus Rift for the visually impaired A company that makes a social network for people who are visually impaired. A restaurant discovery site/app that pairs diners who would like to dine with a restaurant and diners who are willing to open their own restaurant A new startup that helps students learn how to do their own repairs by teaching them the basics of repair. A web-based service that helps auto mechanics diagnose and repair vehicles. The company charges a subscription for its services. The company is building a new kind of augmented reality headset that pairs with your phone, allowing users to see the real world blended with computer generated images. A free form writing and editing tool for people with a visual impairment. A peer-to-peer marketplace for reclaimed building material, with a well-documented process for sourcing and ensuring quality before selling. The company’s founders are also part of a collective that works to repair Habitat for Humanity homes. A startup that pairs job seekers with employers and arranges interviews, enabling the hiring process to happen without the hassle of having to deal with recruiters. A startup for booking and managing automotive services. The startup builds software that allows customers to book services like oil changes, tune ups, and repairs, and also lets mechanics and mechanics’ shops set up recurring bookings. This startup is building a closed social network for people who are physically or emotionally unable to socialize with others in the same way as most of the world. The idea is that they’ll want to be part of a social network, but they can’t be fully active because of a physical or emotional impairment. This startup helps users find and repair faulty appliances. A company that designs and manufactures 3D printed medical devices. The startup wants to build a device that helps the blind navigate and helps the visually impaired to see better. It’s working with an area hospital and hopes to have a product out this year. An online hub for people who are visually-impaired and hard of hearing. The site’s founders say that they’re currently in talks with hearing suppliers to help them build a suite of apps for users. Everyone has a friend or acquaintance that they’d like to loan money to, but they have no way to do so. MoneyBroker does just that, pairing people with other people in need of cash with those who have funds to give. The startup has already raised $2.5 million and is currently on-boarding more than 2,000 users a month. This startup is building a tool that helps auto repair shops like the ones in Indianapolis monitor their cars and figure out the best course of action. A camera system that “drives and fixes” things. “Drive and Fix” is a smartphone app that tells you when your car needs a repair, and sends you a video of it being done. The product is a hardware device that uses machine learning to help you take the best shot of a face. The startup uses AI to learn faces and pair them with photos of them taken by users. It’s the company's first product, which was launched in June, and was a finalist in the class of 2018. This startup helps businesses sell their spare computer parts to repair shops for cash. A pitch from a pair of former YC founders, who say they’re using self-driving cars to help Detroit’s homeless. A platform for organization and management of music and audio on a mobile device for the blind and visually impaired This startup is building an app that helps people save money, either by pairing them with institutional investors or automated investing services. Founded by a pair of former Stripe engineers, this startup helps companies store and deliver their data in a way that is accessible to developers. A platform that matches customers with repair services. A platform that pairs clients with freelancers to get the job done. It’s not quite an Uber, but it’s the next iteration of a task-based model. A startup for your home, including repairs. A company that wants to build out a “citizen army” of robots that can do warehouse work and increase efficiency. The founders claim they can do the same work in half the time by pairing robots with humans. The startup is building a platform for helping homeowners with home repairs. They want to build a service that connects homeowners to contractors and contractors to materials, allowing homeowners to shop around for bids and get materials more easily. A startup that makes software for managing, organizing and coordinating repairs at a home. It’s for homeowners and building managers who have been frustrated with the process of addressing issues with their homes. A tool for electronics repair technicians that is now available in the US. The idea is to give them better tools beyond the manual they’re given to learn. This is an online tool that allows companies to schedule and track vehicle maintenance and repairs. A startup that helps employees find, manage, and repair their own company-provided computers. The company sells a tool that allows you to take a photo of a paper receipt and get an instant quote for your repair job. A wearable device meant to help people with visual impairments navigate the world. The startup is looking to deploy its product in the US and UK, and has raised $2.5 million in seed funding so far. An underground “mixing” app that uses the concept of the blind date to pair people up based on shared interests and provide a means for them to meet. A company that’s building a platform to help tenants and landlords in the US remotely manage properties, including maintenance and repair services, through a web app. This startup wants to be the all-in-one platform for managing mobile repair and maintenance. It serves companies like Best Buy, which have over 1,100 stores, and wants to help them easily manage and pay for repairs. This startup is working to ensure that your home insurance policy covers home repair, and will alert you if you’re not getting the protection you need. They’re already in the process of introducing a data-driven product to the US market. A startup that allows people to connect with local services in their area, including handyman, repairmen, and the like. A startup that lets anyone buy a pair of tickets to a concert or sports game. A Wi-Fi-enabled fitness tracker that allows the user to measure their body fat percentage. When paired with Omron’s blood pressure monitor, it can also provide access to one’s general health history. A wearable for the visually impaired, which uses machine learning to convert a video of the world, like a restaurant or a landscape, into an audio guide. A platform that lets people rent tools, repair their own things, and get their things fixed instantly through the app, which uses a subscription-based service to keep costs down. A software as a service to help people who are blind or visually impaired to read text from screen to screen. A platform to help retailers buy, maintain and repair their products. A startup that helps businesses find a local contractor and reserve time with them for maintenance and repairs. This startup’s mission is to make helping out in-person with home repairs as easy as booking a ride on Uber A company that aims to help people learn to code by pairing them with a mentor, and teaching them by providing a platform for them to practice. A company providing home repair services, with a focus on renovations. An AI-powered app for pairing workers with projects around the world. A startup that pairs a user’s phone number with a set of features that are only available during a certain time of day. It’s meant to help users fill out surveys faster by making the process more convenient. A card for the visually impaired that is integrated into their bank card and ATM rewards, allowing them to save money and access other services. A startup that wants to use VR to help visually impaired people read. With the help of VR, users can read much more quickly than they could without it. A startup that helps fund civic infrastructure projects like bridge repairs and solar panels. A mobile app designed to allow teachers to pair student collaboration tools with social media. A startup that wants to help students in the United Kingdom study abroad through a program that pairs them with a local student. A platform that connects homeowners with local contractors to provide home maintenance and repairs. The startup is currently focusing on Chicago. A software package that helps create threadless repairs for consumers. A way to get instant quotes for home repairs and improvements, then pay them on the spot. A startup that’s building an AI for image recognition. On Rains is building an AI that can do lip-reading for people with hearing impairments. A suite of tools for people who are blind or vision impaired that helps them better navigate technology and the web, and access content. A startup that creates a marketplace for household services. The company is building a platform that allows buyers and sellers to connect and create a marketplace for items like roofing, plumbing and electrical repairs, and lawn care. A new service that connects customers with people they can call to help with home repairs. A digital assistant for the blind and visually impaired. The startup plans to make all of its products mobile and accessible through various apps. A startup that connects business users with nearby vendors who can help with things like installation, maintenance, or repair. An e-commerce platform for small and medium sized businesses that pairs sellers with brands and streamlines and improves the buying process. The app is estimated to have 1 million monthly users. A startup that connects customers with local employees that can help them take care of household repairs, like carrying groceries upstairs, or going to the grocery store for you. A logistics company that helps small businesses get more repeat business from their customers by pairing them with a local merchant to handle delivery and pick-up of the goods. A mobile-first accounting app that pairs with the startup’s cloud accounting platform and allows users to manage their accounts and taxes. The startup is looking to create a “modern banking experience” for the average consumer. A company that pairs “futurists” with the startups and brands they write about. The startup charges a small fee to write a piece and shares some of that revenue with the futurist. The company pays writers $50 to $100 per piece, with a minimum payout of $200. A startup that provides users with a way to find a place to get their car repaired, or to get their garage cleaned. A B2B platform connecting companies with third-party service providers, giving companies a way to pay their bills and get repairs done. An online marketplace for repairs, with a mobile app. The startup aims to help small businesses get quick and easy access to repairs, with a promise to deliver same day service. A bunch of people who operate a mobile repair shop and “shop app” that lets them track the progress of their customers’ repair orders and manage their business from across the globe. This startup is building a tool for scheduling and tracking mobile phone repairs, with a focus on the auto industry Autopilot is building a device for the visually impaired that lets them use their phones to control devices like lights, coffee machines, etc. A startup that plans to pair a wealth manager with the wealthiest of wealthy individuals, who would then fund the startup on their behalf. A startup that wants to build an app for connecting into a car’s software systems, allowing drivers to make repairs or even tweak settings themselves. A new way for universities to leverage their name brand in their recruiting, using algorithms to pair it with their students’ grades and other information. A company that sends a building inspector to a property and then sends a team of contractors to complete the repairs. A company that helps technicians and technicians-to-be learn how to repair basic electronics. A startup for public housing residents in Los Angeles. The startup provides home repair services to residents who otherwise don’t have access to those kinds of services. A platform that allows investors to invest in other investors. The platform pairs investors with other investors to provide capital to investors who are interested in backing other startups. A computer for the blind and visually impaired. The startup is looking to build a computer that can read braille and speak. A solution for auto-repair shops that sends customers an alert when a car needs service. Cultural accelerator startup: A startup that pairs companies with investors to help bring their products to the global market. A platform for servicing or repairing vehicle systems. If you have a “check engine” light on your car, you can book the job with the startup’s app. A new app for Google Glass that will help people find restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that are open to people with mobility impairments. A startup that wants to build a “self-serve” marketplace for home repair and maintenance services. A company that makes an animated series about a pair of mischievous kittens, who’re always up to trouble. They’re a bit like the Fake News guys in their own way. A chatbot to help you schedule home maintenance and repair, with an iOS and Android app to help you track the job. A digital platform that pairs journalists with startups, non-profits and institutions that need help with their messaging. This startup is building technology for auto repair shops to enter data about customers and repairs into a single, cloud-connected database. The startup is based in New York City. A startup that pairs riders with drivers to pick up groceries, or any other task. An on-demand platform for contractors to arrange services like small home repairs, car repairs, and easy on-site services. A start-up that helps people plan and manage their next vacation, using an app that pairs with a future travel service. People can opt to book their travel services (airline tickets, rental cars, etc.) before they leave, and then pay and track their expenses later. This pair of Latinx entrepreneurs wants to use data and analytics to help people who’ve been affected by incarceration make a successful transition back into society. A startup that is building a mobile app that can guide cyclists through repairs to their bikes, helping them keep their bikes in good shape. A startup that helps the visually impaired use their phone to read text. It’s a text-to-speech app that uses synthetic speech and does not require a camera. A startup that wants to be a "Facebook for the blind". Color was created by two brothers — one blind and one sighted — who want to help their visually impaired friends connect with one another in the same way that sighted people can. An online platform that lets you pick out a pair of shoes that has all the right stuff for your foot type, and have them delivered to your house. A platform that pairs homebuyers with rehabbers, allowing them to swap services (like carpet cleaning or in-home staging) and receive a discount. The startup is building an automated system to help real estate agents find homes in their area that are in need of repair. Realeyes is an AI that can read printed text and translate it into a form of sign language. The startup wants to use it to help the blind and hearing-impaired interact with TVs, smartphones, and other devices. A startup that pairs a person searching for an apartment with one willing to rent out their apartment. A text-based chat app for the blind and visually impaired that leverages voice search and voice-to-text. A tool for pairing workplaces with skilled tradesmen. A startup that sells a pair of sunglasses for $100, but in a way that doesn’t require the purchase of a prescription. A wearable device that listens to noise and activity levels and sends alerts to the user’s phone when they are too quiet, which they say can help the hearing impaired get a full night’s sleep. A platform for companies to manage the process of hiring, onboarding, and training employees, pairing employers with candidates through a series of one-on-one interviews before managing a candidate’s learning process and performance in a single place. A tool for making fashion and lifestyle designs more accessible to the visually impaired. It’s designed to be a sort of digital notepad, allowing users to record and share their ideas, or “riffs” as they call them. A mobile-first venture that helps people find the right pair of shoes — one that’s right for your weight, your foot type, and the style you want. Business mentor startup: A startup that pairs investors with startups. A startup for scheduling repairs at home and work. The company currently has 3 employees. A place where people can shop for high-end, cheap, and secondhand sunglasses. The startup’s founders are a pair of optics industry veterans with an idea for a pair of industry-focused sunglasses, and a desire to sell them directly to consumers. A digital assistant that helps people optimize their behavior, improve their health and manage their finances. The digital assistant will pair with a smartwatch to work as a personal coach, health coach and financial manager. A platform for home services including repairs and insurance A startup that wants to make it easier for people to replace their phones, by making it easier to buy and replace your phone. They’re focusing on the repair side of the equation and working on the software side of things. A startup and marketplace matching tool for the crowdsourced home repair market This startup lets people unlock the Internet with the wave of their hand. It’s like a WiFi-enabled and Bluetooth-enabled pair of glasses, but instead of tracking your eye movements, it tracks your hand movements. A startup to track and share maintenance and repair services at home One-Tracker that connects to your iPhone and pairs to your Fitbit, etc. and keeps track of everything you do. A startup that makes a tool to help people with visual impairments view and manipulate digital content, by creating a 3D representation of images and text. The goal of the startup is to give the blind access to the same content that is available to sighted people. A platform for the visually impaired. The app translates text into an audio reading of that text, with the readout played on a phone’s loudspeaker. While the smartphone app is free to download, the smartphone’s loudspeaker is not. A startup for home repair projects. It’s a platform for homeowners to get paid for providing services, which they’ll do by doing the job themselves or hiring someone else. A luxury marketplace that pairs designers with makers who want to make limited edition products. A person can’t buy domain names any more. So instead they can go to a URL registrar like GoDaddy and buy a name pair like “www.airlines.com”. The startup is taking names in the .com, .net, .org, .us and .gov TLDs and buying them up in bulk with the idea that it can then resell them at a premium. Multi-city, crowdsourced apartment rentals, as well as a matching service that pairs renters with potential roommates A business-to-business service that pairs growing brands with retailers to help them forge relationships. The company has 25,000 retailers in its network. This is a startup building a tool to help visually impaired people to see the world through their smartphones and mobile devices. The startup is aiming to build into mobile devices some of the technology that blind people use to see and hear. A startup that pairs brands with nonprofits to raise awareness of the latter’s work and encourage donations. The company wants to help nonprofits reach a wider audience. A robotics company building a machine to help build and repair houses. The company wants to make construction faster, more efficient, and more affordable. A startup that’s building a platform for connecting consumers with used cars. The startup will let people browse a catalog of used cars and get quotes for repairs and maintenance. A startup looking to reduce costs and increase reliability for appliance manufacturers. The company is in the process of building a platform for manufacturers to automatically test their products for failures, and then automatically repair the failures when they happen. It’s an idea similar to the AirWatch platform that Apple uses to manage its software updates. A startup that helps you check if your car insurance covers you for car repairs, and lets you print out a claim form. A tool for helping the many people in the world who are visually impaired to read documents. A startup that is building a crowdsourced search engine to help people who are blind and visually impaired to augment their vision. A platform for energy workers. The startup is focused on people who build, maintain and repair energy systems, with a focus on the oil and gas industry. This is an app that helps people with Alzheimer’s or other cognitive impairments communicate with loved ones. These are basically a Bluetooth-connected pair of earbuds that you wear while running to monitor your steps and encourage running more. An image-capture app for the visually impaired. The startup is building an app that would let people with a visual impairment read images and make them accessible to other people. It’s currently working on a no-cost product for people with low vision. This startup hopes to make it easier for people to buy and swap in-home devices, providing a single platform for finding compatible parts, warranties, and repairs. An on-demand service that pairs a plumber with a homeowner, with the plumber providing on-demand services. The startup is currently in LA, and has been in operation for six months. A new type of “digital twin” for buildings, created by MIT and designed to help engineers troubleshoot, repair, and modernize existing buildings. The company aims to make it easier for engineers and architects to use 3d models of buildings to plan and design them. A startup that offers mobile phone repair at its storefronts, with the first location opening in June 2015. The company says that most of its repairs cost $70, but that it can return a phone to a customer for free if it doesn’t work. A startup that helps people find their next team project, paired with a tool that helps employees set up a quiz to find out if the project will work for them. A platform that provides insurance quotes for a range of services, including taxi rides, car repairs, and home remodeling. A vision-based app that uses AI to help people with visual impairments. It’s a virtual assistant that uses a person’s eyes to navigate the world, and uses voice and gestures to navigate web and mobile applications. A startup that provides an online chat system that is paired with a mobile app where people can message a doctor for a diagnosis Idea: A startup that pairs businesses with highly-rated freelancers Idea: A company that connects car mechanics and drivers to make repairs easier Idea: A startup that is building a way to share the cognitive load of family planning. The service pairs a chatbot with a fertility tracking app to help couples track their progress. A startuplication for helping the visually impaired navigate the physical world.

Michal Pawel Markowski IFK_Senior Fellow Mimesis at verge. Trompe-l'oeil and the paradoxes of pictorial representation Michal Pawel Markowski focuses on the 17th-century illusionist paintings which are considered commonly as a marginal movement in the history of Western painting. Trompe-l'oeil requires now a more philosophical and cultural interpretation as the pivotal point in the history of modern art. The main question of this analysis can be stated as follows: why trompe-l'oeil, which apparently brought mimesis to its perfection, had immediately been expelled from the pictorial space as the synonym of a mean and empty artificiality? Why was it considered not as a fulfillment of the re-presentative power of art, but as a dangerous supplement to it? The hypothesis is that trompe-l'oeil, being a full realization of mimetical rhetoric, was paradoxically too subverting for the philosophical and aesthetic premises of the mimetological organon of culture (Louis Marin). Mere things which had previously been inscribed in a broader significant frame and thus bestowed with many kinds of familiar meaning suddenly gained their uncanny autonomy destroying the safe contemplative distance between representation and the beholder, on which mimetological ideology is thoroughly based. This aesthetic subversion, however, inherent in trompe-l'oeil, could not be limited to the field of art. Since there is a strong affinity between perception and politics, the trompe-l'oeil painting, evading the conventional rules of looking at images, was also displaying a high political potential. Michal Pawel Markowski is Professor at and Chairman of the Department of International Polish Studies and Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland. Visiting Professor at American universities including Harvard and Northwestern University. Co-editor of the series "Horizons of Modernity", editor of the series "Hermeneia". (among others): The Unforeseeable. Essays, Kraków 2007; Theories of Literature in the 20th Century, Kraków 2006; Dark Waters: Gombrowicz, World, Literature, Kraków 2004; Identity and Interpretation, Stockholm 2003; Anatomy of Curiosity, Kraków 2000; Desire for Presence. Philosophies of Representation from Plato to Descartes, Gdansk 1999.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Social Service Trauma is defined as “an emotional response to a terrible event such as an accident, rape or natural disaster”. Traumatic events are considered as events that threaten the physical integrity of a person, his life, his loved ones, his beliefs about the world and people. Exposure to or witnessing negative experiences such as natural disasters, life-threatening health problems, torture and armed conflict are within the scope of the concept of traumatic event. As a result of the traumatic event, changes may occur in the physical, mental and social dimensions of the individual’s life. Post-traumatic stress disorder, which occurs after a traumatic event, is followed by symptoms of hyperarousal, avoidance of stimuli reminding or evoking the trauma, and re-experiencing the traumatic event through dreams and “flashbacks” and continues for at least 1 month. defined as a psychological disorder. Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur with death, threat of death, serious injuries, sexual assaults, witnessing acts of violence and learning about a traumatic event experienced by relatives. As a result of PTSD, the traumatic event can come to mind involuntarily, events can be reflected in dreams, the traumatic event can be experienced again and again through flashbacks, and internal and external reactions that remind the traumatic event can be given. Psychosocial Support of Individuals Diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder within the Framework of a Holistic Approach Post-traumatic stress disorder can cause significant harm to the well-being of individuals, families, groups and societies. At the point of restoring well-being, social work profession, discipline and education have important roles. Social work aims to help people solve their conflicts with nature and people; trying to realize this assistance with the method of creating change at the level of the individual, group and society; It is defined as a profession that has a staff consisting of practitioners who are trained in terms of change with information about people, society, social work service programs that are active in the fields of social services, social welfare and security, and who comply with professional ethics and their assistance. According to another definition, social work is defined as a practice-based profession and discipline that adopts social change, development, social cohesion, empowerment and liberation of people as a principle. Social justice, human rights, shared responsibility and respect for differences are at the heart of social work. In this definition of social work, which is widely accepted, the academic and professional existence of social work is revealed. It has been stated that the differences, diversity and values ​​that can be found among people are regarded as richness and are approached with respect. In addition, it was stated that in order to achieve the final goals, they should be hand in hand with a sense of common responsibility. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/igusabder/issue/32050/343152 #ColourTherapy #ArtTherapy #MentalHealth

Position: Home > News > Latest > Content University of Westminster Visited GDUFS North Campus, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, April 23th2018: On April 23th, Alexandra Hughes, Vice President of the University of Westminster (UK) and her delegation visited GDUFS. CHEN Linhan, Vice President of GDUFS, received the guests in the VIP Hall of the Administration Building. The two sides talked about the cooperation between the two universities. Talks between the two sides CHEN Linhan warmly welcomed Alexandra Hughes’ visit and briefly reviewed the cooperation history. He expressed that the two universities have a long history of cooperation and a mature student exchanging project. He hoped that in the future the cooperation between the two universities would be deepened and broadened into more fields. Alexandra Hughes thanked GDUFS for the welcome. She mentioned that the cooperation between the two universities has achieved a lot in the last few years. GDUFS’ sending of talented students injected fresh life into the University of Westminster. She hoped the two sides would keep and deepen the present relationship and construct a broader cooperative platform. They discussed cooperation matters including student exchange projects and academic English teaching and training in detail. CAI Hong, Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange, and WEI Huiliang, Vice Dean of the International College, also attended the meeting.

About IME Veliko Dimitrov The Legislature in Bulgaria: What happens There? In order to get a more precise notion about the "evolution" of the legislative assembly and the law-making process in Bulgaria, we could examine the Parliament in two aspects, namely, in the micro and macro aspects. Each of these aspects possesses its own characteristic features and probably dynamics (although it is not clear in which direction each kind of dynamics develops). On the first level is the way of life of every member of Parliament, and on the second level is the combination of all 240 deputies, respectively the law-making process and, on a larger scale, the economic development of the country (this last allusion does not howsoever come into question, taking into consideration the availability of a great number of similar writings- some economic in nature, with or without meaning; others sociological, written by politicians, including ministers,[1] as all those mentioned categories are of course complementary to each other). The micro-level of the legislation has a few unique attributes. Some individuals, "units" in the legislative process among which are specific political leaders, are regularly absent from the Parliamentary sessions (which literally means absent from the official positions and duties bestowed on them by the people). Other "units" in the legislation, colleagues of the afore-mentioned politicians, like to play the role of "substitutes" for them, even for several politicians at the same time, despite the fact that at the time of general elections, as well as at the time of voting in the Parliament, every deputy still has only his/her own vote at his/her disposal. And polygamy is against the law! Other landmarks from the Parliamentary landscape are also the regular interviews willingly given by the national law-makers, something which does not represent a negative aspect by itself. But the manner in which the interviews are given is definitely negative. The interviews are not about views and convictions, but mostly about political parties, officials and their faults, and respectively about foreseeable and logical results. Moreover, the interviews appear to be about people, while in reality the emphasis is only on specific groups of the society; often the interviews comprise the term "public," while in reality they are all about the "state" (for example, state orders which, as it is well-known, represent the basic mechanism through which the state buys goods and services). The interviews are also about politics, government and leadership, but they are actually about the formation of conditions (whatever they could be) as well as about harmonization, when de facto, with some exceptions, only a particular set of rules, between which one should choose, should be taken into consideration. What is happening on the macro-level of the legislation? A few very important things for sure: 1. According to the Statute for the Organization and Functions of the National Assembly,[2] the bills must be introduced along with binding motives, which must also include an evaluation of the expected consequences including the financial aftermath. It is an open secret that such an evaluation is not usually made, although, except in the Statute, such a requirement is also written down in the Law for Restricting the Administrative Regulation and Control over the Economic Activities. Indeed this law has to do solely with introduction of regulatory regimes (a part of the regulations) which duly means that in specific cases the inaction infringes one act, while in other cases- two or more acts. 2. In order to present public motives (it is clear that there is no evaluation), it follows that there should be a text of a bill to which to apply these motives. At the time of their introduction, all bills should be immediately registered in the Public Register for "Bills" and they should be accessible on the webpage of the National Assembly. In part of the cases this requirement is observed, but experience shows that there is a number of bills whose contents are completely missing, which is inadmissible. Let me give you a few examples:[3] the current 11 bills are examined as the ratifications are excluded. In the following 6 bills all kind of content is completely missing. – A Bill for Amendment to the Code of Social Security (look here) – A Bill for Amendment to the Law of Corporate Income Taxation (look here) – A Bill for Amendment to the Law of State Orders (look here) – A Bill for Amendment to the Law of Income Taxes over Physical Persons (look here) – A Bill for Amendment to the Law of the Political Parties (look here) – A Bill for Amendment to the Law of Elections of Members from the Republic of Bulgaria for the European Parliament (look here) 3. It is not clear in what order the bills enter the Parliament. There are no explicitly written rules which can determine certain logic and order in the examination of the introduced bills (for instance, by date of introduction or by allocation to a leading commission). In that way a part of the proposals are delayed with months and years, while other proposals (introduced by the Council of Ministers, i.e. by the ruling majority) are discussed and accepted with priority. From the first 35 proposals in the present Parliament, there is not even one bill introduced by the Council of Ministers which is under a regime of discussion, while there are some bills under discussion introduced by particular deputies (some of these bills were introduced more than a year and a half ago). 4. To what extent do the law makers possess the initiative to accept standards, regardless of the executive? In Bulgaria the Council of Ministers, as well as all members of Parliament have the right of initiating legislative acts. From all 664 bills introduced in the Parliament till the present moment almost half of them (331) are initiations by the Council of Ministers. The rest (333) are introduced by one or more members of Parliament, including those elected members belonging to one of the three political parties forming the ruling coalition. It could be accepted that more than half of the proposals are directly or indirectly introduced by the government, or in other words, by the executive, not by the legislature. Having this in mind, it has often happened to me to level criticisms against the members of Parliament with respect to certain proposals. Probably the right thing to do is to direct a share of my criticisms towards the government as the actual carrier of around 50 and more percent of the state power (it is not 1/3 of the state power as recognized in the books representing the idea about the perfect division of power between the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary). [1] Strangely, but it appears that the Minister for State Administration has written with his own hand a short macroeconomic review with adjoining evaluations, which probably, despite the positive intentions of the author to clarify a bit basic economic issues to his boss, should not be read by beginners in economics. The review can be found here. Still, it is worth noting that minister Vasilev by himself, in contrast to almost all of his colleagues, can write or tell something which is not a pure populism, nonsense, or just a bad sense of humor. [2] You can read here. [3] The complete database of the register for "Bills" can be accessed on this webpage: http://www.parliament.bg/?page=app&lng=bg&aid=4&action=execute Related publications. The Recovery and Resilience Plan – risks are rising Rising interest rates are holding budgetary illusions down No success without integration – emergency aid in the recovery plan Alternative option for the temporary removal of the Prosecutor-General The new budget for state investment The Recovery Plan – another delay and new changes Local Investment – Opposing Trends Throughout the Crisis IME and “Data for Good” created an application to highlight public spending on a daily basis Bulgaria’s reform that may be swept under the rug once again Sofia 1000 10 Patriarch Evtimii, floor 2 2023 © Institute for Market Economics Content Usage Policy

New Report Sheds Little Light on Deportation Debate Posted by Benjamin Johnson | Mar 31, 2014 | Enforcement, Immigration 101, Immigration and Crime A new report from the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) sheds little light on the ongoing debate around who does and does not get deported from the United States. The report would have us believe that the federal government is knowingly letting tens of thousands of violent foreign-born criminals go free. It’s certainly a sensational claim, but it has no basis in reality. CIS distorts the numbers, and stereotypes immigrants—all in an attempt to cast doubt on the practice of “prosecutorial discretion” by immigration-enforcement agents. The report begins by claiming that the roughly 722,000 foreign-born individuals “encountered” by U.S. Immigration and Customs (ICE) is 2013 were “potentially deportable aliens.” This is a significant stretch, with very little evidence to back it up. As programs like Secure Communities have cast an ever-widening dragnet over the foreign-born population, even individuals whose interactions with law-enforcement were fleeting and inconsequential have found themselves “encountered” by ICE. This includes Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs), and would likely include recently naturalized immigrants as well. Moreover, the “offenses” that led to their ICE encounter may not even be deportable under the law. Yet the subtext of the CIS analysis is that an LPR driving a car with a broken tail light should be charged by ICE and removed from the country even though there is no basis in U.S. law for doing so. Second, the CIS report expresses outrage that, of all the foreign-born persons encountered by ICE, only 195,000 were charged. This omits a key fact: not everyone that is removed by ICE is issued a charging document. As ICE says in its 2013 statistical report, of the 368,644 immigrants deported in FY 2013, 160,000 were removed based on the reinstatement of a prior order of deportation and 23,455 were “voluntarily returned” to their country of birth—neither of which requires the filing of charges. The claim in the CIS report that ICE has simply chosen to “release” 68,000 “criminal aliens” through the exercise of “prosecutorial discretion” is inaccurate. Being released by ICE is not the equivalent of being set free. It often means being released with an ankle bracelet or under an order of supervision, or issued a notice to appear in court. Just as importantly, many of the immigrants being released have committed minor, non-violent offenses that do not constitute a threat to public safety. These details were conveniently left out of the CIS analysis. What the CIS report also ignores is the essential question of whether it is more important to have quantity or quality when it comes to immigration enforcement. A simple illustrative point is that in 2008 the total number of removals that came from the Violent Criminal Alien Section of ICE was a grand total of one. By 2012, the number had grown to 1,114. It’s hard to argue that this kind of shift in resources is a bad thing simply because it has drawn time and money away from removing people with non-criminal violations of immigration law. The bottom line is that the effort by ICE (however flawed and incomplete) to focus more of its law enforcement resources on the worst of the worst, rather than simply trying to rack up removals numbers that consist overwhelmingly of those who pose little threat to communities, is law enforcement 101. The far more difficult question to answer is why weren’t they doing it before? What CIS also fails to understand is that prosecutorial discretion is about the rational use of law-enforcement resources, as well as the humane treatment of people who aren’t a threat. Why spend inordinate sums of money imprisoning people who are not dangerous, especially when effective alternatives to detention exist? Why needlessly submit non-violent people to the hardships of imprisonment when they can be monitored while living in their own homes? Prosecutorial discretion is about common sense and common decency. Understanding deportation data is important in the current debate over immigration reform. However, reports full of false and misleading data do nothing to move the discussion forward and pave the way for further polarization and inaction. Photo by Johan Hansson. FILED UNDER: center for immigration studies, Department of Homeland Security, enforcement, featured, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Immigration Law, lawful permanent resident, prosecutorial discretion, USCIS PreviousHow the Broken Immigration System Hurts Farmworkers Who Pick Our Crops NextHigh-Tech Immigrant Entrepreneurs are Crucial to Local Economies Benjamin Johnson is the former Executive Director of the American Immigration Council.

I told you in my latest post that there is another aspect of how to niche when you want to work with corporates and that is this; inside of corporates you don’t just have ONE person who has a particular challenge that you could help with, but several others – and they all have challenges on different levels. The first level – Operational The second level – Ripple Effects The third level – Support Functions I have written elsewhere about why you should contact more than one person when approaching corporates (comment if you want to be tagged). But in a nutshell, it’s that you have one type of person who has an immediate problem with parts of their team (the operational level). That means they cannot achieve their goals, e.g. they cannot get a project completed or a new product to market or achieve sales targets because their team are burnt-out. You then have a second level of people who experience a ripple effect of this challenge above; these people cannot achieve their strategic goal (e.g. breaking into a new market, delighting shareholders, etc) due to the challenge, but they are still slightly removed from the immediate issue. Then there is the third level that relates to the support functions. Often, that is HR (but it can also be others, like marketing, customer service etc). They again have the challenge that people in operations have and are burnt out, but their angle of concern is about absenteeism and resignations. To be successful in selling to corporates, it is vital to understand your niche from all of those angles because that is the only way to really target your communication to their needs. Identifying these types of people is a bit of an art (they don’t state these things on their LinkedIn profiles) and that’s one of the things that I help you with in my 1:1 mentorship programs. As an example: if you are new to working with corporates, following my approach you should be able to generate 2-3 conversations with prospects per week, typically starting in email/LinkedIn messenger, then moving to discovery calls and close 1-2 new clients per month @$5k-$15k while delivering repeat work at $8k-$25k+. If you are already working with large business clients, I can help you build the structures and processes that lift your income by 50-200% depending on your starting position I approach all my 1:1 work the same way as my corporate consulting programs, so I customize them to your needs. Timeframes can range from single-day VIP Strategy Sessions to varying intensity 3, 6, or 12-month programs, starting at £3k/month. If you’re interested, the next step is to DM me and we’ll have a chat to see if it’s a good match for your business.

Editorial 7th September, 2016 Hackathon for Gender Equality. The last weekend (3-4 September, 2016) was an exciting one for all of us here at Breakthrough. Breakthrough has consistently used media, pop culture and technology in order to raise awareness about the issue of violence against women. One of the recent ways we have been exploring, in our attempt to engage technology with gender issues, is a hackathon. The intention was to get people with diverse skill sets such as designers, illustrators, researchers, writers, techies (app developers, web developers etc.) under the same roof and produce content which is interesting and can be widely and digitally disseminated. Our focus for this hackathon was data visualisation. What is a Hackathon? What is data visualisation? What is the purpose that it serves? There is a lot of data that is collected which is valuable quantitative research and is integral to understanding certain issues. However, how can we make this data more readable? To address this question, we provided the participants with data sets covering various gender issues and the ask was for them to find a way to visually represent the data sets provided to them. Some of themes of the data sets made shared with them included themes such as gender gap, sexual health, crime data, literacy, street lights, toilets amongst others. Basically, we tried to include every factor that impedes the creation of gender inclusive safer spaces. Let’s remember that this hackathon was also a part of our larger ongoing campaign, #StandWithMe. The Raw Materials An interesting data set which was provided to the participants was a survey conducted by Breakthrough itself. This survey helped give form to our ongoing campaign #StandWithMe. The campaign aims to get conversations going about creating gender inclusive safer spaces posing a stance that if such spaces exist, cases of sexual harassment will reduce. The survey results depicted how aspects such as inter-generational dialogue, a stigma free environment are essential for creating a safer space. We hope to use the content generated by the participants of the hackathon across our platforms for the same. To give shape to this project which was presented by Facebook and organised by us, we teamed up with various partners like The Bachchao Project and Hacks/Hackers India. The Bachchao Project helped out with critical issues like outreach and finding datasets that would be the backbone of the visualizations conceived by our participants. Hacks/Hackers brought in knowhow about outreach and technology. The Mentors also had a huge role to play in this. We had several mentors who are veterans of open source and open data. Guneet Narula gave his pep talk about open data and gave our participants (who were mostly college students) a look at what visualization meant. Neha Vaswani, our design mentor talked about the importance of design. Nasr Ul Hadi, Shobha SV and Chinmayi SK also talked about the process and were immensely helpful in helping the participants come up with ideas. Before the presentations, a representative of Facebook gave us a presentation on how to be safe on Facebook. Since a prominent theme of our campaign, #StandWithMe was online safety, the timing of this presentation could not be better. This was of particular importance because the audience was actually comprised of people Facebook and we wanted to engage with. While the end result of the Hackathon was fantastic, we believe that the outcome of the hackathon cannot just be assessed on the basis of the final outcome. Each step of the two day event was a step towards making a bunch of young people think, question, engage with gender. Majority of our participants were engineering students. Their motivation for coming to the hackathon varied. While for some it was to get an experience of a hackathon or further build up on their exposure to such events, for a few it was the combination of a hackathon with the theme of gender which sealed the deal. From a total of about thirty participants, only three were women. A figure which speaks volumes about the lack of representation of women in the field of technology and how that directly impacts the knowledge creation in this particular field. We’ll be uploading the products online soon! Ideation was a step which took the longest time. After the participant’s came up with an initial plan, there was a discussion which followed where mentors raised concerns and tried to initiate a dialogue around it. Some of these concerns included aspects such as the correlations the participants wanted to establish using certain data sets. The challenge was to represent the data in a way which is not a reflection of our own assumptions, biases rather a correlation which raises questions and is indicative of the multiple variables which determine a particular trend. The topics taken up by the various groups included some very interesting data sets. The visual representation of data sets enabled several tough questions from the audience who within the short span of the discussion were able to draw some very insightful inferences. Some of our most interesting projects included interesting maps, bar graphs and concentric pie charts. One of the projects included a representation of how a survivor knows the perpetrator in 95% of rape cases. It cut right through our assumptive trope of a shady man lurking in the dark and nabbing women. Another one was a representation of the number of married women using contraceptives in a bar graphs that was correlated with the literacy rate of the state. While no apparent correlation appeared, it was an insight into certain very important aspects about human development. Other projects dealt with streetlights and statistics related to crimes against women. All the projects will be under a creative commons license and can be used by anyone who wants to use it. In conclusion, this was a hackathon that was very different from traditional hackathons. Traditional hackathons are primarily about tech. There is no room for political and social discussions. There is very little room for a larger conversation. Here, the tech aspect of it was inspired and informed by social and political issues. Social and political conversations were the larger tapestry in which everything else converged in. We liked it all the more because we got to have conversations about gender, sexuality and crimes against women with people in engineering colleges, where there is usually very little room for such conversations. We hope to do this again soon. And hope to reach out to many more people and tell them that there is a world out there to help build, and that if they are informed and engaged and use their skills to solve these critical issues, they can share in that load. genderHackathonSexual HarassmentStandWithMeTechnology

6 Things To Know About Promo Girls Perth ByMaria February 8, 2023 February 8, 2023 Promo girls Perth is a genre of modeling that aims to showcase this beautiful city’s beauty and culture. The city is full of natural wonders, fantastic shopping centres, restaurants, and nightlife; with such a variety of incredible places to see, there are many reasons to visit Perth, Australia. But you’re right; there aren’t any. There is only one reason to visit Perth, Australia — promo girls perth! Promo girls in Perth are very charming and reliable. Promo girls in Perth are very charming and reliable. They can be your partner in a perfect world. They will make you happy, and you will be happy with them. They are lovely, they are charming and fun to be with. They are also very friendly and caring. You can always rely on them as they will always keep their promises. Their love for money is not as much as their love for people. They want to earn money so they can go about their lives without worrying about anything else. They have a lot of respect for themselves and others around them, which makes them unique from the rest of the people who would like to date them. They are exceptionally well groomed. The way a girl dresses can have a significant impact on the impression she makes, and you must take this into consideration when you’re choosing a girl for your next event. The first thing to consider is her clothing. Does she dress in a way that would be appropriate for the occasion, or does she go all out? If you notice that she is wearing something inappropriate for the occasion, then it’s best not to hire her. Another factor to consider is how much makeup she wears. If she doesn’t wear any at all, that’s fine — but if she has too much makeup on, that could be a sign of poor hygiene and hygiene issues that could arise during the date. Finally, ensure that the girl looks like an attractive woman before hiring her. If you see that she looks like a complete mess with no makeup and dirty clothes, then there’s probably no point in hiring her. Once you’ve selected the right girl for your event, the fun part comes: going out with her! Make sure you keep this opportunity from slipping through your fingers before it’s too late! They have exceptional communication skills. Promo girls Perth are very good at communicating with their clients and making them feel comfortable. They can create a rapport with their clients, which is very important in the relationship between a customer and an agency. This will help them build trust and confidence in their clients, which will help them overcome any obstacles during negotiations. They have a professional attitude. The girls have a professional attitude and know precisely what they do when arriving at your event. Because of this, you can tell that they are very experienced in what they do. The fact that most of them come from overseas means that there is no barrier between you and your guests, which means that communication is more accessible between all parties involved. They are not pushy or aggressive. Promo Girls Perth is not pushy or aggressive; instead, they are polite and friendly so that everyone feels welcome while there with you. They do not try to rush anyone into making any decisions or taking any action during your party; instead, they observe until everyone has had enough time to enjoy themselves without being pressured into anything by any of them or anyone else present at the event itself! They have high artistic talent. Promo girls in Perth are highly talented and artistic people. They love to work on their creative talents, and they can easily create something new out of the box. Promo girls in Perth are also good at singing and dancing; some do those things very well. They can also be good at acting if given proper training. Our team strongly recommends considering Promo Girls Perth for your upcoming events. Their girls are lovely, professional and very friendly, and you may find that hiring them is the best decision you ever make for your event. Becoming a Roofer: Skills, Specialisms and the Range of Expertise A Provocative Experience: A Cheonan Business Trip Massage

Barnala athlete Akashdeep Singh qualifies for Paris Olympic Games 2024 IEP Chandigarh, February 14 Akashdeep Singh, an athlete from Kahneke village in Barnala district, qualified for the Olympic Games, World Championships and Asian Games by setting a new national record in the 20 km walk with a time of 1.19.55. This is India’s first quota in athletics for the Paris Olympic Games-2024 and the fourth Indian athlete overall to qualify for the Olympics. Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer congratulated Akashdeep Singh on this proud achievement and said that this is the result of his hard work. He said that Akashdeep Singh is the first Indian athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games in athletics which is a proud moment for the entire state. He said that the sports department is making continuous efforts under the commitments made by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to make the state a leader in sports. He attributed this achievement to Akashdeep Singh, his parents and coaches. Akashdeep Singh who is preparing under the supervision of the coaches of the sports department at Baba Kala Mehar Stadium Barnala, set a new national record of 1.19.55 in the 10th Indian Open Race Walking competition at Ranchi (Jharkhand) and won Gold Medal in the 20 km walk. AMAN ARORA CALLS ON UNION NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY MINISTER; SEEKS VGF FOR SETTING UP 100MW BIOMASS POWER PROJECTS IN PUNJAB SIBIN C ASSUMES CHARGE AS CHIEF ELECTORAL OFFICER OF PUNJAB

GAPIO- Award for the PGI faculty IEP Chandigarh PGI faculty has again brought laurels to the institute by bagging awards by the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO). Dr Ajay Duseja, Professor and Head of the Hepatology department, has been conferred with prestigious GAPIO- Dr. IA Modi Award in the Distinguished Category. The awards were given by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Chief Minister of Gujrat, Bhupendrabhai Patel during the Annual conference of the GAPIO at Gandhinagar. GAPIO is a non-profit organization which brings together 1.4 million physicians of Indian origin in the world on one professional platform and has presence in 54 countries. This substantial workforce of physicians is a valuable resource, which can help to mobilize significant developments in healthcare globally as well as in India. Prof Duseja received this award for achieving excellence in Medicine and for his research and contribution in the specialty of Hepatology. He has more than 30 years of post MD teaching experience with his focused research in the field of Hepatology. He is Fellow of National Academy of Medical Sciences (FAMS), Fellow of American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (FAASLD), Fellow of American College of Gastroenterology (FACG) and Fellow of the Society of GI Endoscopy of India (FSGEI), Fellow of Indian Society of Gastroenterology (FISG), Fellow of Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (FINASL) and Master of Indian Society of Gastroenterology (Master-ISG). He is currently the Secretary General of the Indian National Association for Study of the Liver (INASL), National Convener of the INASL Task Force on Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and the Principal Investigator of the Indian consortium on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (ICON-D) and various other extra-mural research projects. He is the member of the Chronic Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF) NASH Committee (USA), member of the Asia- Pacific Working Party on NAFLD and member of the Gut and Obesity in Asia (GOASIA) working group. He is author of more than 320 papers in reputed international and national journals including 25 chapters in the Gastroenterology and Hepatology text books. He is a recipient of various other international and national awards and honours including, Dharamvir Datta Memorial Oration Award from Indian Council of Medical Research, Gen. Amir Chand Oration Award from National Academy of Medical Sciences, Om Prakash Memorial Award, SR Naik Memorial Award, Zydus Oration Award and Dr. CM Habibullah Oration Award from Indian Society of Gastroenterology and Inspiring Gastroenterologist of India award from The Economic Times of India. Haryana: Seven caught for taking bribe worth over Rs 1.66 lakhs in last fortnight Himachali Nati and Bengali music shows enthralled audience by famous classical numbers

Home » An inside look at the rise and fall of the Carolina RailHawks Posted inSports An inside look at the rise and fall of the Carolina RailHawks From Game Day to eBay by Neil Morris 02/09/2011 02/05/2023 RailHawks timeline Although it’s unclear what will happen if the USSF affirms its decision to rescind Division 2 sanctioning at this weekend’s annual general meeting, the RailHawks’ first game of the 2011 season is scheduled for April 9 at WakeMed Soccer Park. Like many of the ideas within the Carolina RailHawks organization, fan “theme nights” were usually last-minute whims spawned during spitballing sessions held a day or two in advance of home matches. One recurring go-to gimmick was “Hawaiian Night,” which usually consisted of playing Beach Boys tunes over the loudspeaker and inviting ticket buyers to wear Aloha shirts. But there would usually be no marketing tie-in or giveaways for fans at the gate. No theme décor. Not even a lei. According to a former Railhawks staffer, in 2009, a woman who frequently brought her grandchild to matches, seeing a sign outside WakeMed Soccer Park advertising the latest Hawaiian Night, approached a RailHawks employee and asked how early she should arrive to make sure her grandchild got the free promo material she presumed would be given out. Embarrassed and unwilling to keep up the ruse with this regular customer, the staffer sheepishly responded, “Don’t worry about getting here early. We won’t have anything to give out.” The mantra “overpromised and underdelivered” was a familiar refrain throughout the offices of the RailHawks during their four-year history. On one hand, this still-fledgling lower division professional soccer franchise has clawed its way to tremendous successes on the field. A two-year playoff run was capped this past season by a run at the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) Division-2 Pro League championship. At least three players from last season’s roster have migrated to Major League Soccer. The team boasts some of the best training and playing facilities in the United States, a strong selling point for recruits being courted by the club. However, precision on the pitch contrasted sharply with endemic dysfunction and mismanagement at WakeMed Soccer Park. The same ambition and hubris that propelled the RailHawks to reach great heights also contributed to their slow decay, culminating recently with the dissolution of the club by its two-year majority owner, Selby Wellman, and the peddling of the team’s brand, logo, Internet domain name and even its mascot on eBay last month. Left in its wake are an estimated 50 front-office personnel who rotated in and out of the RailHawks organization. Today only four staffers remain as another ownerTraffic Sports USAattempts to nurture the RailHawks back to health in a nascent league that boasts a 2011 playing schedule but still awaits official imprimatur by the USSF. We spoke to a dozen current and former RailHawk executives, employees and playersmany on the record, some on the condition of confidentialityto dissect the so-called rise and fall of the RailHawks. We approached some; many reached out to us on their own. Virtually all share a similar story of hope, enthusiasm, frustration and regret. In many ways, the hatching of the RailHawks traces back to the days of the Carolina Courage, the Women’s United Soccer Association franchise that called WakeMed Soccer Park (formerly SAS Soccer Park) in Cary home until the league folded in 2003. Many staffers for the Courage eventually took positions with the RailHawks. More important, the Courage fostered a loyal fan base that continued to pine for professional soccer in the Triangle even after the team disbanded. Brad Myers worked for the Courage for three years before taking a job with the Town of Cary as a director of SAS Soccer Park. One of the goals of the town was finding another pro tenant for the park. Myers and the town eventually reached out to Chris Economides, then a front-office executive with the Rochester Rhinos of the United Soccer Leagues. Myers spearheaded an effort to woo Economides into planting a new USL franchise in Cary. In January 2006, Economides and his Rochester-based investment group announced the formation of a new Cary-based USL franchise. Myers was hired as one of the club’s initial employees, a post that eventually turned into vice president of marketing. However, Myers’ primary job was developing the team’s brand and identity in advance of its debut in the spring of 2007. “It was exciting,” Myers remembers. “I’ve been involved in soccer for about 20 years here, so I had a great knowledge about the market … We were severely undercapitalized during that time. I knew that, and it did worry me some. I knew Chris was going to have to go out and find some additional investors in order to keep the team going past year one. But I was willing to make this [leap of faith] to see if we could make this thing work, because I had very high hopes for it.” On July 19, 2006, the club announced its new name: Carolina RailHawks FC. Although the team was operating on a shoestring budget, the struggle to foster marketing relationships led to productive media partnerships with Time Warner Cable and Curtis Media Group. During this time, the club adhered to a tangible marketing strategy, what Myers called “a living, breathing document.” “We certainly made mistakes along the way, but we had a good, solid marketing plan in place as we were heading into year one,” he says. Over 14 home league matches during their inaugural 2007 season, the RailHawks averaged 5,124 fans per game, ranking fifth out of the 12 clubs in USL Division 1. They brought in another 13,705 fans for midseason friendlies against Chivas USA and Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul. On the field, the team finished with a sub-.500 record in regular-season play, but it made the league playoffs and advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, defeating MLS side the Chicago Fire before losing in extra time to the New England Revolution. (Reported attendance figures are an imprecise gauge of success because they don’t reflect the proportions of paid, discounted and free tickets.) “We generated the most revenue and had the most fans,” says Myers. “But that’s typical of how any sports team is going to be. During the first year of the product, people are going to be excited and want to see what’s it’s about. What’s important then is maintaining longevity.” Economides of scale Despite a heady debut season, Economides knew he needed to land local investors to improve the RailHawks’ financial viability. Furthermore, the Rochester investment group was facing lawsuits back in New York related to the construction of the Rhinos’ new stadium. As a result, the group’s ongoing capital investment in the RailHawks began to dry up. Brian Wellman was already serving as the RailHawks’ assistant general manager under Economides when the issue was broached of whether Selby Wellman, Brian’s father and a former Cisco Systems executive living in Cary might be interested in investing in the club. After months of negotiation, Selby agreed to become majority owner, with Economides and others remaining as minority owners. Trouble brewed from the start. “Because of our severe undercapitalization, the investment that Selby was making was a little more than he realized when he got into it,” says Myers. Myers says a power struggle ensued between Economides and Brian about who was really in charge, “which necessitated Selby having to become more involved on a day-to-day basis, something he didn’t want to do. He had to become mediator between those two.” The RailHawks finished 2008 with their second consecutive losing season in league play and did not make the playoffs. Attendance decreased sharply to an average of 3,869 per game, although the team drew less than 3,000 fans in only three out of 15 home matches. It was at this point that the staff began to hear rumblings about a major front-office upheaval. The first indication was when Selby Wellman sacked head coach Scott Schweitzer, an N.C. State alumnus who enjoyed a close relationship with Economides dating back to Schweitzer’s seven seasons with the Rochester Rhinos. “With Scott around, Chris could help pick players for the team as general manager,” says Myers. “When Scott left and a new coach came in, Chris lost a lot of control over who plays on his team. That scared Chris because all he ever knew was being a GM: picking players, signing players, etc. When a new coach comes in who wanted his own players, Chris lost his identity.” Schweitzer’s departure proved a harbinger of Economides’ eventual exit. Speculation persists over the reasons Economides ultimately sold his ownership stake to Selby Wellman after the 2008 season. “My personal opinion,” says Myers, “is that when we weren’t hitting our numbers in year two, when the player budgets were growing and the revenue coming in was lower than expected, Chris saw the end in sightfor him and the teamand covered his rear end and needed to do something different or he’d be out of a job.” Economides, who is now an executive with the USL Pro league, declined to comment for this story. The choice to let Schweitzer go continues to be debated among the RailHawks faithful. On one hand, his ouster seems perfectly reasonable, even wise. Despite some success, the team largely floundered on the pitch, with two consecutive eighth-place finishes in league competition and a reputation for goonish play, earning the moniker “JailHawks” from opposing supporters. The team’s accomplishments in 2009 and 2010 under the Wellmans’ new coach, Martin Rennie, further validate the decision. While Myers acknowledges these justifications, his opposing opinion is grounded in other factors. “Those who agree with Scott’s firing are looking at it from a soccer perspective. I’m not looking at it from a soccer perspective,” he says. “Scott works for a very successful academy [Next Level Academy] in Raleigh that has about 600 families involved. A big portion of our fans on game day was this group of parents and kids that wanted to see Scott and [former assistant coach] Damon Nahas and other local players they knew and could connect with. “When Scott exited, there wasn’t a directive that said, ‘Don’t go to RailHawks games,’” Myers says. “But people felt a little betrayed by that … In my opinion, if Selby and Scott had been able to work together back then moving into year three, we’d be having a very different conversation right now.” [page] Groundswell Once the Wellmans assumed near-total control of the RailHawks, the changes were immediate and dramatic. They brought in new minority investors in former Red Hat CEO Bob Young and Dr. Paul Singh, a physician living in Cary. Besides hiring an entirely new coaching staff, Rennie retained only a handful of players from the 2008 season. Moreover, the offseason preceding the 2009 campaign saw a chain reaction of front-office departures. David Cieslinski, the club’s VP of sales operations, returned to Rochester a few months after Schweitzer and Economides left. Then Myers stepped down from his post in March 2009. “I was starting to get some pushback on how I felt our events should be run,” says Myers. “Brian wanted to go back to a soccer-centric product, while I wanted to keep game days as more of an event. You can’t rely on the product on the field to bring fans into the game. “We can’t all be purists of the game,” Myers continues. “I love soccer, but that’s not why we go. I don’t go to Hurricanes games necessarily for the hockey. I go to drink beers with my friends up in the club level and spend time with my family, and they have an incredible product. That’s what I was trying to replicate at the RailHawks.” Beyond game-day atmosphere, Myers said he made many other suggestions that were discounted, such as additional TV and radio spots. “I wanted to buy 10,000 squishy balls with the team’s logo for us to give out at events and to kids that would have cost $2,000 to produce. I would get asked, ‘Well, how much money is that going to get us in return?’ Well, nothing necessarily from giving them out, but what you’re doing is promoting your brand in the community. That request was refused.” In contrast to the previous two years, Myers says, “[t]here was no marketing budget in 2009. We essentially had zero money to work with from a marketing perspective. “Selby tightened the purse strings; if you weren’t bringing revenue into the company then you weren’t deemed as needed. Salespeople turned over hand over fist, and when you don’t have those consistent folks working in the office, you start to have some distrust from employees over whether they’re going to have jobs or not.” By contrast, Myers says the budget for player personnel began to “skyrocket,” ballooning to approximately $650,000 during 2009, a payroll that was at or near the top in the league. “When you have ownership that’s not really interested in hearing your ideas anymore and wants to go in a different direction, you can see the writing on the wall,” Myers says. “So I got to a breaking point and I needed to make a decision to move on.” By March 2009, Dean Linke, the RailHawks radio and TV play-by-play announcer and sponsorship salesman, had taken over the club’s day-to-day operations. The post, Linke admits, “was not something I ever asked to do.” He accepted the position, he says, because he “wanted soccer to succeed and I was hoping that it would.” In turn, Linke recruited John Dilts, a former corporate marketing executive, to take the job of VP of ticket sales and corporate partnerships. Dilts, a passionate soccer fan, was eager to embark on what he viewed as his “dream job.” Starting with the club on March 14, 2009, Dilts was given the task of procuring sponsorship sales from businesses and organizing the ticket office. According the Dilts, the job was daunting from the beginning. Already encumbered by an ailing economy and not having an offseason to cultivate corporate sales, Dilts also discovered that the team had an identity crisis. “One of the biggest challenges that the team had was nobody knew who they were,” says Dilts. “My real estate agent, who found me a home down here in 2006, has lived here 24 years. I went to her and [asked] if she’d like to sponsor the team. She said, ‘What soccer team?’ She had no idea there was even a professional soccer team in Cary, and she’s a professional relocation expert.” Echoing the frustrations of Myers and other staffers, Dilts also encountered delay or rejection whenever he requested funds for marketing and promotion. Even a simple request like a soccer ball to present at halftime to a business owner who had given thousands of dollars in sponsorship met resistance. “I repeatedly made requests about doing billboards across town,” he says, “putting the face of the team out here … and papering the I-40 corridor, where you’re getting 100,000 impressions driving by RTP every day.” Dilts estimates the cost would have ranged from $1,800–$9,000 per year for each billboard. “That idea was just dismissed out of hand, like it was something they ‘just didn’t do.’ “There wasn’t [a marketing plan],” recalls Dilts. “It was done week-to-week. There was no formal plan that was presented to me that showed what we were doing six weeks out. Everything was done by the seat of their pants, which puts ticket sales at a severe disadvantage.” Speaking publicly for the first time since his father divested ownership in the club, Brian Wellman admits that mistakes were made in marketing. “That’s where Selby and I disagreed … heavily, heavily disagreed,” Wellman says. “There were a lot of tense moments from our very first year in 2007 until recently. [Marketing] is where I saw a glaring need and that’s what I thought we needed to put a lot more effort into. But there was a lot of pushback from the top to invest in that. “Selby and Bob Young came out of the tech rush of the 1990s, [and they told me] there’s a lot going on ways to be effective without spending a whole lot of money in legacy advertising like TV and print advertising, etc.,” Wellman says. “And I agreed with that and went after it completelybuilt a good website, put a lot of thought into our online ticket mechanism, etc. Selby and Bob are rightyou can save probably one or two job positions by doing your Internet right. We did that, and we did it well. “But I still believe there’s a transition period in the midst of this new emerging advertising world where people still watch TV and pick up a newspaper,” Wellman continues. “I thought we still needed to do more legacy advertising while developing our online presence.” Even as the RailHawks were enjoying their best season yet on the field, ticket sales and revenue plummeted during 2009. The team averaged only 2,730 fans per regular-season home match, third-lowest in the 11-team USL-1. During this period, the RailHawks office was literally and figuratively a house divided. The operational staff was located in the main office beneath the grandstands adjacent to the locker rooms. Meanwhile, the sales staff was housed inside the ticket booth on the opposite side of the stadium. So stark was this divide that the ticket office did not even have a fax machine; anyone wanting to transmit a facsimile had to walk across to the main office. Behind the scenes, the morale in the office was eroding. For some, the work atmosphere was oppressive and, at times, demoralizing. Sources recount fellow employees being openly insulted during staff meetings. Dilts, who by this time was repeatedly clashing with Linke and other management over faltering sponsorship sales and other matters, was fired in August 2009. Dilts countered by filing a breach-of-contract lawsuit against the club, which remains pending at this time. Linke says such episodes stemmed from the high expectations that were placed on everyone inside the company, including himself. “When you’re running a show like that under that kind of pressure, there’s not many COOs who are going to be able to please everyone,” he says. “You could have easily talked to four or five other people who said that there wasn’t a more giving person,” he says. “I don’t think anyone, myself included, ever meant to hurt anyone’s feelings.” In early 2009, Selby Wellman presented staffers with copies of a book called Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies, a business title published by Harvard Business Press about adapting to an online marketing landscape. Wellman required his staff to read and write a report about the book. Some staffers enjoyed the read; others questioned the utility of Wellman later stopping operations for a half day to discuss their reports. After the 2009 season, Wellman brought each employee into his office for a one-on-one meeting and demanded they each bring another report, this one justifying his or her job with the club. In the midst of the post-2008 player purge, all Latino players from the previous year’s roster were released or signed elsewhere, including Santiago Fusilier, a fan favorite who had starred at N.C. State, and Martin Nuñez, a flashy forward who had just been a league rookie of the year finalist. These departures sparked one of the most pervasive complaints about the RailHawks in recent years: their failure to make marketing inroads into the soccer-stoked Latino community. (Rennie says the team tried to bring back Nuñez, but he chose to sign with the Puerto Rico Islanders, a league rival and Caribbean power.) The club did work to foster relationships with various members of the local Spanish-speaking media. However, according to multiple staffers, the attitude of the RailHawks management was that the Hispanic market would support any team that was local, regardless of the roster. The most infamous quick fix to the lack of a Hispanic presence on the roster came just before the 2009 season with the signing of Marcelo Romero, the former Uruguayan international who spent six seasons with Málaga CF of the Spanish first division La Liga, where he played against such global superstars as Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham. Dazzled by Romero’s résumé, the club signed him to a sizable contract and fronted other related expenses, including transportation and a translator. Romero’s arrival was highly publicized in the local media in advance of his debut in a March preseason friendly against the New England Revolution. However, it was only after Romero arrived in camp that the team learned what due diligence should have discovered before signing him. The 32-year-old was out of shape and, more significantly, suffering from severely injured knees. He appeared as a substitute against the Revolution before being quietly released in April 2009 without ever appearing for the RailHawks in a league game. With the burgeoning player payroll came a dramatic increase in the size of the roster. This trend reached its zenith during the 2010 season, when the RailHawks at one point had nearly 30 players under contract despite being allowed to dress out only 18 per match. Staffers quipped to each other that the whole enterprise seemed like “Brian’s fantasy soccer team.” John Gilkerson was a two-year starting fullback for the RailHawks, signing with the club at the start of Rennie’s first year with the club. Gilkerson says revolving lineups and expanding roster size contributed to an inconsistency that fostered some resentment inside the locker room. “At times I would play seven or eight games and then get banished for no reason,” Gilkerson says. “That rubbed some players the wrong way … Some players felt like they were being misled, and that started [manifesting itself] towards the end of the 2009 season.” In response to this complaint, Rennie told the Independent that issues of playing time are common in locker rooms of every sport. In lower-division soccer, some players signed midseason are brought in to compensate for injured starters, and if those replacement players perform well and the team is winning, it isn’t always easy to reinsert the old starter without disrupting team chemistry. Gilkerson says that by the 2010 season, “I got fed up with the whole situationplaying and not playing … there was no consistency.” His relationship with Rennie suffered as a result, and the two agreed that he would not return to the RailHawks for 2011, a fact Rennie confirmed to Triangle Offense, the Indy‘s sports blog, last month. Another big issue in the locker room, Gilkerson says, was the funding shortage for one particular player benefit. In January 2009, the club formed the Spread Your Wings Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation that was advertised at the time as an avenue to encourage players to provide charitable work and other assistance in the community. Gilkerson says each player’s contract stated that he could earn up to $1,000 per month for charitable time, contingent on funding being available through the foundation. The pay for players ranged from several thousand dollars a month for better, more experienced performers to playing solely for free housing, in the case of at least one marginal player. Given the prospect of earning extra money through the foundation, many players, particularly at the lower end of the pay scale, eschewed part-time jobs in favor of volunteering through Spread Your Wings. Gilkerson says this supplemental pay was also used as an incentive for some players to sign for a lower overall guaranteed monthly salary. By the end of 2009, however, the players discovered that the foundation was running out of money. The club began to restrict the days of the week players could work through the foundation and pressured some players, particularly those with higher salaries, to cut back their overall volunteer hours. Some players complied, while others continued to volunteer without compensation for organizations with which they had already developed a relationship. After the 2009 season, Dean Linke had stepped down as COO. His replacement, Jim Houghton, did not start until January 2010, despite interviewing for the post the previous fall. In the meantime, Martin Rennie acted as the de facto head of operations during Brian Wellman’s frequent absences. Indeed, it was at this time that another pursuit had captured the Wellmans’ fancy. Selby Wellman’s decision to spearhead a group of dissident USL-1 owners who wanted to split off and form their own league, later branded the new North American Soccer League (NASL), was one of the most fateful in the team’s history. Even Wellman’s critics concede that the USL power structure was flawed and inequitable. Team owners had little or no control over the direction or operation of a league that charged annual franchise fees ranging between $75,000 and $150,000 per club. The league’s television contract with Fox Soccer Channel was a “pay to play” arrangement in which individual teams had to pay for the right to have their home matches broadcast. Brian Wellman recalls that at the start of the 2009 USL-1 playoffs, the league sent an e-mail to teams informing them that the two that advanced to the two-game championship finals would be required to pay upward of $30,000 to the league for FSC coverage, as well as airfare and hotel rooms for USL officials flying in for the matches. Staffers recall that Selby was ebullient and confident during this time, boasting to anyone within earshot that the New York Cosmos and new teams in Los Angeles and San Antonio would soon join the reincarnated NASL. But the decision to leave USL created uncertainty that crippled the team from a marketing standpoint. Staffers struggled to sell season tickets and sponsorships to people and companies that were uncertain if the team would even play the following season. Gilkerson remembers that “[s]ome guys were getting e-mails from USL saying they were free agents, and then the club was telling them they weren’t free agents. No one knew what they could do and what they couldn’t do, or if there was a league or wasn’t a league.” “In my opinion, I don’t think there should have been a battle between USL and the new NASL,” says Brad Myers. “What that did was cause division in the league and a lot of confusion in the market. But Selby decided that was a road he needed to go down with this team.” Even Brian Wellman concedes a tiny degree of second-guessing. “Do I regret not being in USL? The answer is no,” Wellman maintains. “I actually do think that USL PRO has a good model they’re working with now.” Wellman keeps in touch with an executive of the Charleston Battery, a team loyal to the USL. “I say, yeah, that’s a model that may be a little better if you’re only averaging 2,000–3,000 fans per game. Maybe [it] does make sense. “But what I’m sure of is that even though that might be the right model, the right people aren’t in charge of it. That hasn’t changed.” According to multiple insiders, once Jim Houghton arrived to take over as COO, he discovered the same bitter reality as Myers, Dilts and others before him. Promises of a robust marketing budget were yanked out from under him. Ideas about giveaways at gates, tattoos or water bottles for kids, professionally made promotional literature and business discount cards were summarily dismissed. Although paid attendance in 2010 actually increased 15 percent from the previous year, according to Brian Wellman, the average per-game home attendance sank to 2,241. No league match at WakeMed Park drew more than 3,000 fans. However, the RailHawks set a record for wins, finished atop the NASL Conference and won their first-ever playoff match before losing the league championship to the Puerto Rico Islanders. After the final match of the championship series, the RailHawks players unfurled a homemade sign that read, “Thank You Fans.” After the season, with the NASL in a battle for Division 2 sanctioning from the USSF, Wellman unceremoniously dissolved Triangle Professional Sports, LLC and Carolina RailHawks, LLC on Dec. 31, 2010. After a year of taking depositions and exchanging discovery, a trial date for Dilts’ lawsuits was already tentatively scheduled for April 25, 2011. It remains to be seen whether his complaint holds merit, but the dissolution of the limited liability companies dramatically decreases the chance Dilts or any other creditors can recover money owed by the now-defunct entities. Curt Johnson, recently named president of Traffic Sports’ new Carolina RailHawks, remains excited about the future of soccer in the Triangle. “I’m pleased the transition from old ownership to new ownership has taken place,” says Johnson. “In Traffic Sports, we’ve got a global soccer company that believes in the Raleigh market, as I do.” In terms of the identities of the new team’s managers, it remains to be seen how much transition will take place. “The Wellmans are pretty clever people,” says Dilts, expressing a sentiment born equally from experience and mistrust. “I don’t see them walking away from this without having some stake in the new team. They were always very passionate about soccer … I can’t see them putting all those millions of dollars in a team and walking away like this.” Last weekend, the NASL held its first annual player combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Two representatives traveled on behalf of the new RailHawks: Martin Rennie and Brian Wellman, who at this time is an unpaid advisor and consultant for the new RailHawks. The rise of a phoenix? As the USSF’s final decision on NASL sanctioning looms at this weekend’s annual general meeting in Las Vegas, Johnson appears to recognize the RailHawks’ previous troubles. “Stability and continuity have been the shortcomings,” he admits. “We’ve had a tremendous amount of money invested in pro soccer over the past 16 to 17 years. We’ve had a tremendous amount of fan support and great group of players. And we’ve had owners with incredible resources. The problem is we haven’t harnessed all that, or even a high percentage, at one time. “The key problem we’ve had over the past few years is reinventing the wheel too often. I believe that the resources necessary will be provided. It has to be a long-term, sometimes grinding process.” Linke says the Wellmans should receive credit for their commitment of resources to soccer in Cary. “I truly believe the Wellmans deserve a great deal of praise and even some gratitude from anyone who believes in pro soccer in this market for going into their bank account to keep that dream alive. “It’s a tough, tough road, and I commend them. I think they deserve our praise, not our anger.” Despite all the difficulties, Brian Wellman feels a sense of accomplishment. “Walking away from being president of the RailHawks and leaving behind this great team and atmosphere and giving it the opportunity to succeed, I couldn’t be more proud,” he says. Myers takes a more wistful approach. “I don’t dislike the Wellmans at all,” he says.”I think their hearts were in the right place and I think they wanted to do the right thing in this area. They just struggled to connect with the market, they struggled to connect with people they wanted to come to their games and they struggled with the direction they wanted the team to go. “I took a lot of pride in that brand,” Myers says. “I took a lot of pride in that logo; I took a lot of pride in those colors. I helped create all of them. To see it failing now makes me sad.” Tagged: Issue: 2011-02-09, soccer, Sports

Home » Cal Cunningham Posted inElections Cal Cunningham Name as it appears on the ballot: Full legal name, if different: James Calvin Cunningham III 118 West Third Avenue, Lexington, NC 27292 Mailing address, if different from home: 115 South Main Street, Lexington, NC 27292 Campaign website: www.calfornc.com Occupation & employer: Attorney and Reservist in the Army info@calfornc.com 1. What do you see as the most important issues facing North Carolina and the nation? If elected, what are your top three priorities in addressing those issues? Creating jobs and restoring our economy are the top concerns for North Carolinians. I have put comprehensive and detailed plans to address economic issues on my website, www.calfornc.com. In the short term we must get businesses hiring again. Spurring small business growth means providing tax breaks for companies that hire more workers and ending the freeze on small business lending. In the medium term we must fix our failed trade policies. Long before the current economic collapse, our state was hurting because of tax breaks that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas, bad trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA that must be renegotiated and because of currency manipulation and unfair trade practices by China. A recent report showed that North Carolina has lost almost 100,000 jobs to China alone in the last decade. In the long term, rebuilding our economy means investing in education. We must prepare children for the 21st century workforce, and do so in a way that encourages innovation. Innovation is essential for economic success, and a high quality education is the best vehicle we have for passing that from one generation to the next. 2. What in your record as a public official or experience demonstrates your ability to be effective in the U.S. Senate? This might include career or community service; be specific about its relevance to this office. An effective U.S. Senator is driven by a record of public service. I have a lifetime of demonstrated service in and out of government, from pro bono legal work for victims of domestic violence and indigent tenants to church and community college; from student body president at UNC to the State Senate; and from Fort Bragg to Iraq with the Army Reserves. I am now running to serve our state and our community in the U.S. Senate because now is an extremely important time for the future of our country. An effective U.S. Senator must also work across party lines to address large budget deficits, improve education, rebuild our economy, curb our addiction to foreign oil and address the threat of global climate change. I was elected to represent a swing State Senate district, which President Bush carried by 60% of the vote. In the State Senate, I pursued bipartisan sponsorship of legislation, while maintaining focus on lowering class sizes, adopting a Patient’s Bill of Rights, passing the Clean Smokestacks Act, and balancing the budget. Finally, an effective U.S. Senator must understand the consequences of decisions affecting war and peace. My family has paid the high price for President Bush’s decision to invade Iraq – 900 days of active duty, stressful months of separation and the experiences shared by tens of thousands of veterans and military families. As we face the challenges of two foreign wars and threats of further terrorism, my experience as the first Iraq War veteran in the U.S. Senate would inform all of my votes and priorities. 3. How do you define yourself politically, and how does your political philosophy show itself in your past achievements and present campaign platform? I am a pragmatic progressive, someone who believes in finding solutions and moving our country forward. The approach that I have always taken has been to rely upon the experiences of people on the ground and place the power of government at their service. Too often, elected officials rely upon party leadership or staff and do not understand what the people they represent are actually facing. As a State Senator, I was always in touch with local leaders, held town halls, and did my best to make decisions based upon “on the ground” knowledge and if elected I would continue to do so. I believe that government can be a part of the solution to our challenges by providing the tools and framework for hard-working Americans to succeed. That’s why I’ve fought for leveling the playing field when it comes to international trade, for better education, and for ensuring we protect our families and small businesses from irresponsible Wall Street banks. My political philosophy is illustrated in part by the endorsements our campaign has received. For example, I have been endorsed by the North Carolina Association of Educators, who represent 65,000 educators across our state, by organizations of workers such as the Teamsters, by the Council for a Livable World, by General Wesley Clark, and by over 400 leading North Carolina Women. 4. ID a principled stand you might be willing to take if elected that you suspect might cost you some popularity points with voters. I support equal rights for LGBT Americans. I believe Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is morally wrong, wrong for our military, and counter-productive. We should immediately end it. 5. If these issues haven’t been addressed above would you please comment on: a. What has our nation learned from invading Iraq? How will that inform your decisions if elected? What should our policy in Iraq be today? Should we base substantial military forces there for the foreseeable future? North Carolina deserves a Senator who understands what a decision to send troops to war means to a family – something our family has experienced firsthand. I joined the Army Reserves after September 11th and I have spent over 900 days away from my family on active duty because of the ill-conceived decision to invade Iraq. We also have learned that terrorism is a war fought not on traditional battlefields, but for the confidence of the next generation of civilians who must choose to forsake violence. We must adapt our policies to win the war that is being fought right now, and not the war that was fought in previous generations. Our current policy must be to conclude the mission in Iraq with honor and bring our troops and contractors home. b. Evaluate the war in Afghanistan and the situation in Iran. What is our goal in those places, in your view? What should our policies be? What legislation should be introduced to address those issues? As an Iraq War veteran and eleven-year member of the Reserves, I understand we must clearly define and pursue our national security interests in Afghanistan by fully implementing counterinsurgency strategy, seizing momentum, protecting the population, allowing no geographic safe-haven for Al Qaeda, building Afghani capacity to secure itself, and turning over the security mission as soon as possible. We can save the most lives and funds by ensuring our success now. I believe that we must not allow Iran to thwart the will of the international community and complete their development of weapons-grade uranium. We must work to convince other nations that a nuclear-armed Iran will set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and drastically increase the danger of nuclear proliferation. This is an unacceptable outcome and we must pursue strong sanctions on refined petroleum to reverse Iran’s course. Right now, our debt to China is making it increasingly difficult for us to persuade them on a host of diplomatic efforts including Iran, so we must engage in policies that get our national debt under control. c. Universal health care: Why don’t we have it? What have you learned from the current health care debate? What specific reforms do you support, and what will you do to get them passed? What has this process told us not only about health care but about the way that politics work? We took a historic first step in passage of health care reform, but there is still work to be done. The costs of health care are rising rapidly and placing a crippling burden on both small businesses and families — and we must not further increase those costs by unfairly taxing plans that provide good coverage already. At www.calfornc.com I have stated that health care reform must bend the cost curve, extend the blanket of coverage and protect our commitment to seniors. I was happy to see that state based exchanges were included, but if they do not do enough to contain costs we should create a public option, allow for early Medicare buy-in or end the anti-trust exemption that protects insurance companies from competition. Reform has been a slow and painful process because of the power and influence of the special interests who oppose it. The influence of large health insurance companies and other corporations on politics is the reason this effort has taken decades. That is why I was a chief architect of our state’s publicly financed judicial elections, and why I pushed for greater transparency in donations and a ban on unregulated soft money contributions in our state elections. d. What do you see as the primary sources of our current economic problems? What measures should Congress use to resolve address them? How would you begin to reduce the federal deficit? Is this an issue of not enough revenue or of overspending? What are some of the possible negative consequences of your proposed solutions? The unsupervised and reckless behavior of Wall Street helped create the worst economy in generations. I have proposed reforming regulation of that conduct on my website, www.calfornc.com. This financial crisis cascaded quickly through our economy because the wall between commercial and investment banking was lowered, allowing financial supermarkets to be created and putting ordinary deposits and the family home at risk. To address the situation I have proposed ending “Too Big to Fail,” support the creation of an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency and common-sense regulation of the derivatives market. We must end the failed trade policies that contributed to our current economic collapse as they undermined the solid foundation of manufacturing and even white-collar jobs that supported our families. A recent report showed that North Carolina has lost almost 100,000 jobs to China alone in the last decade. Bad trade deals like NAFTA and CAFTA must be renegotiated and we must act now to end China’s currency manipulation and unfair trade practices. I also believe we need to return our federal budget to sanity. Congress must restrain unnecessary spending, root out inefficiencies and loopholesin the tax code, enforce “pay-as-you-go” budgetingand, most importantly,reignite jobs growth in the economy.America’s record deficits are caused by both overspending and decreased revenue. I would end the Bush Tax Cuts for the wealthiest 1% of Americans and replace them with tax cuts for working families. One area I would cut spending is the 2.4 million contractors added to the federal payroll by the Bush administration. I have also supported closing a number of corporate tax loopholes that encourage outsourcing of jobs and allow companies to avoid the same capital gains taxes individuals and families must pay. We must be careful in the very short term to ensure that the government is sufficiently priming the pump to help businesses create jobs so that we exit the recession as quickly as possible, but avoid setting off inflation and growth-stifling higher interest rates. e. The stimulus legislation and the bailout: What worked and what didn’t? What would have done differently in hindsight? How will that inform your opinion in the future? Under what circumstances would you advocate for such legislation? At the time of the bailout, almost everyone feared that our country might be falling into a financial abyss, but I would not have backed the bailout in the form it was passed. I would have required far greater bank accountability and more stringent executive compensation standards when they received taxpayer dollars. In the Senate, I will continue to be a voice for ensuring that the taxpayers are fully paid back for the bailouts in their entirety. In the future, businesses should have “living wills” in the event that they fail and we should never again hear the phrase “too big to fail.” The President’s efforts to turn the economy around were necessitated by some of the most irresponsible fiscal policies in our nation’s history, and we have slowly started to regain our nation’s economic footing and confidence of our citizens in the market. The stimulus bill has been slow in pulling our country back from the brink, and we must do more to restore our economy. I have endorsed a U.S. House-passed plan to provide additional federal funds for the States to aid public payrolls in vital services such as education and first responders. We need to insure that we are investing now to provide the foundation for businesses to start hiring again, and our first priority must be to prime the pump to ensure our economic recovery accelerates so we can create jobs in America. f. Education: What should classrooms of the future look like? What will you do about the dropout rate, the achievement gap and the lack of students excelling in math and science? What can be done to attract and retain better teachers in American schools? I was the first candidate in this race to release a comprehensive education policy, which is available at www.calfornc.com/economy/education. The simple premise of that plan is the belief that every student is entitled to the resources they need to gain the knowledge and skills to succeed, including technology, qualified teachers, and proper infrastructure. While in the North Carolina State Senate, one of the first bills I co-sponsored was aimed at closing the achievement gap in education. I served on all three committees on Education, and have served on the board of my local Community College since leaving office. We must begin reform by addressing the problems in No Child Left Behind. To attract and retain the best teachers we need to reduce class sizes, pay teachers fairly, give teachers opportunity to develop professionally, and provide teachers additional support in hard to staff schools. Attracting qualified teachers and providing support to schools to give additional attention to students are the two best measures we can take to address the drop-out rate. In the North Carolina Senate, I took a lead role in class size reduction legislation, financial support for educators and paraprofessionals, work on professional development, efforts to close the achievement gap, additional support for hard-to-staff schools and efforts to issue school bonds to repair, construct and modernize schools. As a U.S. Senator, I will continue my commitment to building a strong education for North Carolina and our country. My commitment to education is why I was endorsed and chosen by over 83% of ballots cast by members of the North Carolina Association of Educators. 7. What is your position on capital punishment? I believe that capital punishment should be considered only for the most heinous crimes, in cases of terrorism and when law enforcement is targeted. I have served as a state, federal, and military prosecutor and have never pursued the death penalty even in murder cases. When I was in the State Senate I voted to ban the death penalty for the mentally retarded. I cosponsored legislation that allows district attorneys to take the death penalty off the table in 1st degree murder cases, and cosponsored legislation requiring the use of DNA evidence in all cases in which it is available. 8. What is your position regarding LGBT rights and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell? I support equal rights for LGBT individuals and couples and an end to Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is morally wrong, wrong for our military and it is counter-productive. We should immediately end it. As a student leader at UNC in 1994 I fought for protection for LGB students in the university’s anti-discrimination policy. 9. Do you support women’s reproductive rights, including the “right to choose” as set out by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade? Yes. I was extremely disappointed by the insertion of abortion into the health care debate and opposed the Stupak Amendment. The government has no business stepping between a woman, her doctor, and her faith. 10. What changes, if any, do you support in federal entitlement programs (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans programs, etc.) To ensure the long term solvency of social security, Medicare, Medicaid and the VA, we must responsibly address entitlement reform in our country. It is long past due that we fully fund the VA and make certain that our veterans receive the benefits they have earned. This is an area in which I differ from Richard Burr; he has resisted efforts to improve health care for Veterans and has even missed over half of his Veterans Committee hearings in the U.S. Senate. We must also resist efforts to privatize Social Security, such as those Richard Burr supported, leaving our seniors at the whim of the stock market. In order to make certain that benefits exist for future generations, we must take steps to balance our federal budget so that we do not raid the Social Security trust fund to pay off interest on our national debt. We must honor our commitment to seniors by keeping Medicare the robust program that has covered them for decades, and I oppose lowering benefits for Medicare recipients. Medicare should be allowed to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Closing the Medicare Part D donut hole, a necessary fix that health care reform has accomplished, was a terrific and long overdue reform. 11. What should Congress do to prevent banking disasters like the one that nearly plunged this country into a second Depression two years ago? Wall Street’s reckless and unsupervised behavior helped create the bad economy we are dealing with right now. To address the situation I have proposed ending “Too Big to Fail,” creating an independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency, and instituting common-sense regulation of the derivatives market. We also need to look carefully at our mortgage lending system and housing valuation, as the collapse in housing prices that built up as a result of lenders’ speculation and poor valuation practices contributed to the collapse of the Wall Street firms. As part of my “Voices of North Carolina” series available at www.calfornc.com I featured Rusty Triebert, a man who lost his home because of a job loss bank foreclosure. 12. What’s your take on the Obama Administration so far: Too aggressive? Too cautious? Or about right? (Choose one, please.) President Obama has made great strides in fixing the problems that our nation faces. I look forward to working with him, and I am honored to have his confidence and the confidence of the White House in this campaign. However, I have let him know that there will be areas where we will disagree on the issues, and I believe the Senate should hold any administration, regardless of party, accountable for the decisions that they make. Now that health care is off the legislative agenda, I encourage the administration to move aggressively on financial industry reform and energy and climate legislation. Tagged: Candidate Questionnaires, elections, Issue: 2010-04-14

Bearcats in the Kitchen Posted by Allyson Lambert on Fri, Jul 31, 2015 @ 11:07 AM Welcome to my new blog series, "Bearcats in the Kitchen!" Whether you commute to campus, work part-time at an internship or just moved into your first apartment after graduation, this series will provide you with cooking tips and recipes to fit your busy lifestyle. 1 Comment Click here to read/write comments Topics: Allyson Lambert, Bearcats in the Kitchen, Dining, Student Life, Saint Vincent College, Cooking About the Alumni Blog On our alumni blog, young graduates of Saint Vincent College share their thoughts, stories and tips on life after graduation. Visit our Career Center page My name is Jessica Kennedy. I graduated from SVC in 2012 with a dual major in accounting and business management with a minor in international business. While at SVC I was on the swim team as well as being involved in SGA and SAAC. I am currently the Assistant Director of Business Affairs at the Naval Academy Athletic Association in Annapolis, Maryland, where I reside with my dog, Zoey. I also own my own photography company, KennedyPhotographyCo, where i display and sell my prints on Etsy. I still swim and have also taken up running and have ran over six half marathons in the last three years. My name is Elizabeth Susko, and I am a 2015 graduate of Saint Vincent College (mathematics major with a secondary education certification). After Saint Vincent, I moved away and became a high school Math teacher in the Northern VA area. I couldn’t imagine being where I am today and I hold some of that journey to being a Bearcat. Can’t wait to share my daily adult life (post-undergrad) experiences with you! Hello there! My name is Megan DePrimio, and I am a 2013 graduate of Saint Vincent College (communication major and English minor). I also have a master’s degree in sports management from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. After grad school, I became an athletics marketing intern at the University of Notre Dame and I now work in Development. Every day I am amazed at the path I have been on since I was a young Bearcat. Even the planner in me couldn’t have forecasted this journey! Happy to be here. Allyson Lambert graduated from Saint Vincent in December 2013 with a degree in finance. She currently works in the Financial Leadership Development (FLD) Program at PPG Industries in Reno, Nevada.

Magazine Promotes Sterilization For Women In Their 20’s Filed under: abortion, Britain, China, darwin, Dictatorship, Empire, Eugenics, Europe, european union, Fascism, global elite, Global Warming, Hitler, huxley, internationalist, internationalists, london, Nazi, New World Order, Population Control, Propaganda, Psyops, Racism, sterilization, Uncategorized, United Kingdom | Tags: Eugenics Society, evolutionists, fallopian tubes, forced sterilization, Margaret Sanger, Marie Stopes, The Galton Institute, tubes tied, vasectomy ‘Young, Single and Sterilized’ article advertises for birth control clinic founded by Nazi eugenicist Marie Stopes A popular women’s magazine in the UK recently featured an article entitled, Young, Single and Sterilized, in which women in their 20’s discussed why they had undergone an operation to prevent them from ever having children. The article is little more than PR for a “women’s charity” called Marie Stopes International, an organization that carries out abortions and sterilizations and was founded by a Nazi eugenicist who advocated compulsory sterilization of non-whites and “those of bad character”. The story appears in a weekly magazine called Love It (click for PDF enlargement). One of the women featured in the article, Chloe, explains why she decided to have herself sterilized at the age of just 20. “By the time I was 18, I knew I was never going to change. I couldn’t imagine letting something take over my body and then my whole life.” “I couldn’t even look at a baby without feeling uncomfortable.” Following the sterilization procedure, Chloe celebrates the fact that “I’ve got a lifetime of going out ahead of me now,” presumably meaning going out, getting mindlessly drunk and having sex with random strangers, as is British culture, while not having to worry about the risk of pregnancy or the responsibility of looking after a child. Despite admitting that she has not told any of her family and not even her own mother about the sterilization, the article ends with Chloe boldly stating that it was, “the most sensible adult decision I’ll ever make.” Another ’success story’ as the article skews it is Charlie McCann, who was sterilized on her 30th birthday and, we read, “is happy with her choice, insisting the men in her life have to adjust.” Her then boyfriend decided to adjust by ending the relationship because he couldn’t bear never having children. Ironically, another woman speaks about how she first became interested in the idea of being sterilized after reading about the subject in a women’s magazine. Jacquelyn Arnold tells of how she felt “irritation” at the sight of children playing in a garden and decided to go ahead with the operation, which is described in routine and straightforward terms. Arnold says she has no regrets and has ‘taken control of her life’. Sterilization is lauded as an “excellent method of birth control” by Dr. Patricia Lohr of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service. The article includes an advertisement that encourages women to seek “more information about sterilization” by contacting Marie Stopes International. We read that, “Over the past year, a quarter of the women who booked a sterilisation consultation with women’s charity Marie Stopes were aged 30 or under.” Marie Stopes was a feminist who opened the first birth control clinic in Britain in 1921 as well as being Nazi sympathizer and a eugenicist who advocated that non-whites and the poor be sterilized. Stopes, a racist and an anti-Semite, campaigned for selective breeding to achieve racial purity, a passion she shared with Adolf Hitler in adoring letters and poems that she sent the leader of the Third Reich. Stopes also attended the Nazi congress on population science in Berlin in 1935, while calling for the “compulsory sterilization of the diseased, drunkards, or simply those of bad character.” Stopes acted on her appalling theories by concentrating her abortion clinics in poor areas so as to reduce the birth rate of the lower classes. Stopes left most of her estate to the Eugenics Society, an organization that shared her passion for racial purity and still exists today under the new name The Galton Institute. The society has included members such as Charles Galton Darwin (grandson of the evolutionist), Julian Huxley and Margaret Sanger. Ominously, The Galton Institute website promotes its support and funding initiative for “the practical delivery of family planning facilities, especially in developing countries.” In other words, the same organization that once advocated sterilizing black people to achieve racial purity in the same vein as the Nazis is now bankrolling abortions of black babies in the third world. While the issue of abortion is an entirely different argument, most would agree that no matter how extreme it sounds, a woman has the right to sterilize herself if she so chooses, just as a man has the right to a vasectomy. But when a magazine aimed primarily at young women all but encourages girls as young as 20 to have their fallopian tubes tied in order to prevent the “irritation” of children entering their lives and then advertises an organization founded by a Nazi eugenicist that can perform the operation, something has to be amiss. Even more shocking than this is the fact that the majority of people in the UK routinely express their support for society’s “undesirables” to be forcibly sterilized by the state, harking back to a time when such a thing was commonplace right up to the 1970’s in some areas of America and Europe. As we highlighted earlier this month, respondents to a Daily Mail article about Royal Mail honoring Marie Stopes by using her image on a commemorative stamp were not disgusted at Royal Mail for paying homage to a racist Nazi eugenicist, but were merely keen to express their full agreement that those deemed not to be of pure genetic stock or of the approved character should be forcibly sterilized and prevented from having children. “A lot of people should be sterilized, IMO. It’s still true today,” wrote one. “Just imagine what a stable, well-ordered society we’d have if compulsory sterilisation had been adopted years ago for the socially undesirable,” states another respondent, calling for a “satellite-carried sterilisation ray” to be installed in space to zap the undesirables. Shockingly, another compares sterilization and genocide of those deemed inferior to the breeding and culling of farmyard animals, and says that such a move is necessary to fight overpopulation and global warming. Here is the comment in full from “Karen” in Wales; We breed farm animals to produce the best possible stock and kill them when they have fulfilled their purpose. We inter-breed pedigree animals to produce extremes that leave them open to ill-health and early death. It is only religion that says humans are not animals. The reality is that we are simply intelligent, mammalian primates. The world population of humans has increased from 2 billion to 6.5 billion in the last 50 years. This planet can support 2 billion humans comfortably. 6.5 billion humans use too many resources and leads to global warming, climate change and a very uncertain future for all of us – humans and all other life sharing this planet with us. Marie Stopes believed in population control and in breeding the best possible humans. So did Hitler. Neither of the aims are bad in themselves. It is how they are achieved that is the problem. The fact that we still remember Marie Stopes is an achievement in itself. The nature of these comments is so fundamentally sick and twisted that one is tempted to dismiss them as a joke – but these people are deadly serious. Presumably they would also agree with China’s one child policy, which is routinely enforced by intimidation as young pregnant women are grabbed off the streets by state goons and taken to hospitals where forced abortions are carried out. Now with popular women’s magazines advising women in their 20’s where they can go to be sterilized and ensure a lifetime of partying and carefree sex, it’s no surprise that experts predict that by 2010 one in four western women will be child free for life. The yearning to have children is the most beautiful, natural and innate emotion either a man or a woman can possibly experience. That is not to say that it’s always wrong for some people not to have children – extreme circumstances can justify such a decision. But to have yourself sterilized because you find children to be an “irritant” and want to live a life free of responsibility or consequences is an awful message to send to young women, especially in the sex-saturated entertainment culture that we are now forced to endure. Furthermore, the outright promotion of Marie Stopes International as ‘the place to go’ to get sterilized if you’re under 30 is stomach-churning considering the fact that the origins of this organization can be found in Nazi ideology, racist and backward early 20th century eugenics and a long-standing agenda to cull the population of undesirables, an abhorrent belief still held by elites across the planet today. Legislator Proposes Plan To Pay Women $1,000 To Get Sterilized http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl092408cblabruzzo.a931c79f.html

Juan Carlos De Martin Co-Founder and Co-Director Un CV in italiano aggiornato di J.C. De Martin è disponibile qui. Juan Carlos De Martin is full professor of the Polytechnic of Turin (Italy) where he teaches computer science and digital culture and where, since March 2018, he serves as Rector's Delegate for Culture and Communication. Since 2011 he has also been associated with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, first as Faculty Fellow and now as Faculty Associate. Between 2007 and 2011 Juan Carlos De Martin was the coordinator of COMMUNIA, the European thematic network on the digital public domain, with 50 members from Europe and overseas. In 2012 he edited, together with Melanie Dulong de Rosnay, the book The Digital Public Domain: Foundations for an Open Culture (OpenBookPublishers, UK), while in 2017 he published a book on the future of university in the Internet age, Università Futura - Tra Democrazia e Bit (Codice Edizioni, 2017). Between 2014 and 2018 De Martin served as an expert member of the Study Commission on Internet Rights established by the President of Italy's Chamber of Deputies. Juan Carlos De Martin also serves as member of the Scientific Board of the Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia Treccani. He is an op-ed contributor to the national newspaper "la Repubblica" and he often acts as a commentator in Italian media.

At Winchester, a small but diverse corpus includes Types 7, 8a, 8b, 14b, and a possible Type 3 fragment, as well as ten finds of Type 4 riveted mounts, and a case for a Type 6 comb. There are also two fragments of Type 1b combs (not, in the view of this author, Type 1c as implied by their 'Celtic' attribution in the text; Galloway 1990, 667). This material is well analysed elsewhere (see Biddle 1990a; 1990b; Galloway 1990), and need not be discussed further here. At nearby Abbots Worthy, a Type 2b comb has been recovered (Riddler 1991b, 46, fig. 36).

INTERESTING FACTS WORLD Incredible and fun facts to explore Climbing Mt facts While investigating facts about Climbing Mt Everest and Climbing Mt Fuji, I found out little known, but curios details like: In 1996 during an SAS training exercise 21 year old Bear Grylls broke his back after falling from 16,000 feet due to a torn parachute. His surgeon said it was questionable whether he would ever walk again. 2 years later he climbed Mt. Everest how many have died climbing mt everest? About 2 guys, who, without proper permits, equipment and no food and money, climbed Mt. Everest, and then paraglided and kayaked into the Indian Ocean in one trip What is involved in climbing mt everest? In my opinion, it is useful to put together a list of the most interesting details from trusted sources that I've come across answering what to wear climbing mt fuji. Here are 50 of the best facts about Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro and Climbing Mt Rainier I managed to collect. what is the cost for climbing mt everest? Neil Armstrong went to the North Pole with Sir Edmund Hillary (first to climb Mt Everest) and other prominent explorers. He said that he was curious to see it from the ground, since he'd only seen it from space. The summit of Mt. Everest has just become another "tourist spot" for the rich and you can go despite having no prior mountain climbing experience In 1996, Bear Grylls broke his back after falling 16'000ft when his parachute ripped. Two years later he climbed to the summit of Mt. Everest. There's an area on Mt. Everest called “Rainbow Valley”, named for the multicolored down jackets and climbing gear attached to the numerous corpses littered along the hillside. Arunima Sinha, an Indian national (now, ex) volleyball player. She was pushed out from a moving train by thieves. Immediately, a train coming in from a parallel track crushed her leg, forcing it to be amputated later on. Today, she is the first female amputee to climb Mt. Everest. Mt. Massive and Mt. Elbert in Colorado are so close to each other in height that their supporters started competing with each other, with Mt. Massive supporters piling stones on the summit to increase its height, and Mt. Elbert supporters climbing the mountain to knock them back down. K2, with a 25% death rate, is more dangerous to climb than Mt. Everest, where only about 3% of climbers are killed. A vegan tried to prove "vegans can do anything" by climbing Mt. Everest actually died climbing Mt. Everest. About green boots, a man who died during his climbing of Mt. Everest, his body is now used as a land mark to gauge how far from the summit climbers are In 1933, the British explorer Frank Smythe attempted to climb Mt. Everest alone. As the time passed, due to isolation he became so convinced that someone else was accompanying him on his climb that he offered a piece of cake to his invisible climbing partner. What are the dangers of climbing mt everest? Related Topics to explore further why is climbing mt everest dangerous? Prove Vegans Climb Mount Climbed Mount Climb Mt Ascent Mt Climbed Mt Summit Mt Summit Mount Climbing Mount Reached Summit Taller Mt Summited Mount Reach Summit Mt Everest Andrew Waugh Yuichiro Miura Tenzing Norgay Peak Mount Hillary Tenzing Edmund Hillary Peak Mt Why is climbing mt everest so dangerous? You can easily fact check why is climbing mt everest so expensive by examining the linked well-known sources. Fewer people have run a sub-four-minute mile than have climbed Mt. Everest Two British explorers once climbed a mountain in Australia and were so underwhelmed by the view from the top, they named it Mt. Disappointment. - source The fastest time to climb Mt Everest is 8 hours and 10 minutes, by Pemba Dorje Sherpa - source Wim "Iceman" Hof climbed most of Mt. Everest, Kilimanjaro, completed a full marathon above the arctic circle in Finland, dressed in nothing but shorts. While over 4,000 people have attempted to climb Mt. Everest, only 660 people have been successful and 142 people have died trying and 120 are still buried on the mountain. The usual cause of death is being buried by an avalanche where millions of tons of snow fall down off the mountain slope. Where to stay when climbing mt fuji? There was a movement in the 1970s to make Mt Massive the highest point in Colorado by stacking rocks upon the summit. Rival groups would periodically climb up and knock down the tower to preserve Mt Elbert as the Colorado high point. How many died climbing mt everest? In 1933 Englishman Maurice Wilson decided to buy a plane and fly to India to undertake the first solo climb of the unconquered Mt. Everest-without any previous knowledge of flying or mountaineering. With luck and sheer determination he made it high onto Everest before freezing to death. Mt. Everest is always covered in snow and ice. Many successful climbs to the summit happen in May. This is because the weather conditions are more favorable. An Irish teacher climbed a 2,365 ft mountain and walked the equivalent of nine marathons with a Washing Machine on his back, and plans to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro with the Washing Machine to raise funds for Mental Health Services. Charlotte Fox nearly died on Mt. Everest in the "Into Thin Air" blizzard. Her boyfriend had died a few years earlier while ice climbing. She then married a man who would later die while paragliding. It takes 2 months for the human body to adapt to climbing Mt. Everest because of the air getting so thin with increasing altitude (height). Where to stay when climbing mt kosciuszko? The oldest person to climb Mt. Everest was 80-year-old Japanese man Yuichiro Miura, while the youngest was American Jordan Romero at age 13 in 2010. The four tallest mountains in the world (Mt Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, and Lhotse) were climbed in descending height order in 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956. A man who lost his legs at the age of five from a genetic disorder climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands and in his wheelchair while raising funds for charity A permit to climb Mt. Everest costs $11,000. A man with no legs named Spencer West climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on his hands Climbing mt coolum how long? Wim Hof climbed Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Everest (22,000 feet) wearing shorts. He also ran a full marathon above the Arctic Circle wearing nothing but shorts. the Annapurna Massif, and not Mt Everest, is the deadliest mountain to climb, with the highest fatality rate. George Mallory was last seen climbing upwards 800 feet from the summit of Mt. Everest in 1924. 75 years later, his body was found, and no one is entirely sure whether or not he reached the summit. The Youngest Person to Ever Climb Mt. Everest Was Only 13 Years Old The treadmill was originally invented as a torture device for prisoners, who were forced to climb up to 14,000 ft (roughly half of Mt. Everest) a day. The cost to climb Mt. Everest is at least $35,000 (not including prices of gear, travelling, and phone bill spikes) Robert Kennedy: failed the third grade, smashed a beer bottle over some dude's head in a bar fight, owned a sea lion, and was the first person to climb Mt. Kennedy. There is a mountain in Tibet that has never been climbed, despite several plans to do so. Locals say of Mt Kailash that a climber would have to "turn himself into a bird and fly to the summit." If you want to go climb Mt. Everest, it will cost you at minimum $25,000 (solo). If you want to go with a guide or group, prices rise to $37-45,000 While climbers pay tens of thousands of dollars to climb Mt. Everest, the Sherpas who get there only get paid $7.50 per day. Phurba Tashi, a Nepalese mountaineer, has made the most total ascents of eight-thousanders (mountains above 8,000 meters), with 30 climbs. He has climbed Mt. Everest 21 times. The F-15 Eagle, in 1975, smashed 8 time-to-climb records, including reaching the height of Mt. Everest in under one minute, and reaching a maximum altitude of 102,300 feet In 1924, George Mallory ignored a premonition about not returning home to his wife and three children and attempted to climb Mt. Everest. He died on the trip and no one knows whether or not he reached the summit. The first person to climb Mt. Everest died less than ten years ago The first winter ascent of Mt Everest happened in Feb 17, 1980. It was also the first winter ascent of a peak above 8000m. Today, only two 8000m peaks have never been climbed in winter. This is our collection of basic interesting facts about Climbing Mt. The fact lists are intended for research in school, for college students or just to feed your brain with new realities. Possible use cases are in quizzes, differences, riddles, homework facts legend, cover facts, and many more. Whatever your case, learn the truth of the matter why is Climbing Mt so important! Veselin Nedev Trending Facts pistol shrimp hagia sophia mt rushmore 💡 Interesting Facts • Contact • Terms • About

Trump is trying to restore deterrent capability The President of the United States Donald trump in response to missile tests in Iran warned that it would not waive any possible means. This statement, at least theoretically, returns on the agenda of a possible military operation against Iran. Although trump has issued a warning about the missile program of Iran, the previous us administration in the same tone talked about the nuclear program and the possibility of Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons. During the stay of Barack Obama in the White house changed the US attitude to military operations. While the negotiations on the nuclear program progress, the administration argued that it is not rejecting this option. The Americans said that “all options remain on the table”. Israel followed the same approach. Only the US and Israel have made similar warnings to Iran, but other countries feared the consequences. But in the period preceding the signing of the agreement, the Israeli position was different from the American one. The Americans argued that, although the use of force is possible, but the conditions for this yet. First, such a move will not stop the Iranian nuclear program, only delay it for a few years. Second, Iran will respond with attacks on American targets and U.S. allies, and this will lead to a General chaos in the middle East. Finally, the military operation will accelerate Iranian nuclear programme and will give Iran a reason to acquire the atomic bomb. For these reasons, the American administration has opposed an Israeli strike on Iran, fearing that the US will be dragged into this. Israel, for its part, did not oppose military operations and criticized the U.S. government for its statements about the inappropriate action of time undermines the effect of the threat of use of force. Before signing the agreement, the U.S. administration refrained from mention of the use of force, fearing that it might damage the atmosphere of negotiations. As the development of the agreement and especially after the signing of the United States said that the military operation ineffective, and warned Israel to refrain from such actions. Only a short time representatives of the American security said that the agreement justifies the use of military force in case of violation of agreements. The Obama administration renounced the use of force, and this led to the fact that Iran ceased to be with US, being assured that so long as the agreement remains in force, America will not attack. The agreement has also dampened the effect of the threat of use of force by Israel, as it is clear that Israel will not be able to attack, while the agreement remains in force, so as not to break the agreements between Tehran, the United States and Europe. In such a situation Jerusalem risked to remain with Tehran alone, without the support of Washington. Trump statements that he will not be “as good” with Iran as its predecessor, and that all means can be used, was intended primarily to recover significantly weakened U.S. deterrent capability against Iran. Unlikely trump will soon order to attack, and there are several reasons. First, Iran has not violated the agreement, and secondly, other parties to the agreement against the attacking third, not yet lifted restrictions against the Iranian nuclear program, the agreement has more benefits than disadvantages. But the rules have changed, and Tehran doesn’t know what trump’s plans against Iran. The Iranian leadership should behave carefully and realize that, while in the White house is the unpredictable leader, the likelihood of an American attack against nuclear facilities and, perhaps, missile bases, in the case of a breach increases dramatically. It is possible that the trump, unlike his predecessor, will not oppose Israeli operations to strengthen deterrent capability. Dr. Ephraim Kam is a senior researcher of the Institute of national security studies. Bankrupt and “Private”: NBU showed debts of Ukrainian banks (infographic) In Canada from the sale of seized a shipment of vodka fortress 81% Main autonovelties 2017: sports coupe for a spy, and super saver hybrid Dovgy has proved that he is a serial politician – Karasev In Ukraine over Bank clean – a member of the NBU Council The Kremlin hopes soon to agree on the date of the telephone conversation Putin and trump 5 reasons to use olive oil Why are we so painfully perceived even the most constructive criticism The last outburst? Trump complains that journalists ignore the voices in his head

Peggy Maes Peggy Maes, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer Peggy Maes became Sylvamo’s senior vice president and chief people officer at its inception as a spinoff of International Paper. Peggy joined International Paper in 2014 as human resources director, Europe, Middle East and Africa and has 37 years of human resources experience, including helping multi-national corporations with start-ups, turnarounds, acquisitions and spinoffs. She spent 15 years working in high-tech industries, HR consulting roles, as well as global human resources and talent management for Ingersoll Rand and Stanley Black & Decker. Peggy has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Instituut FUNCK (Belgium) and a Master of General Management from Solvay Brussels School (Belgium).

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News On Iran & Its NeighboursIraqIraq signs deal to buy arms, ammunition from Iran... Iraq signs deal to buy arms, ammunition from Iran – documents By Shahin Mahmoudi Reuters: Iran has signed a deal to sell Iraq arms and ammunition worth $195 million, according to documents seen by Reuters – a move that would break a U.N. embargo on weapons sales by Tehran. By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iran has signed a deal to sell Iraq arms and ammunition worth $195 million, according to documents seen by Reuters – a move that would break a U.N. embargo on weapons sales by Tehran. The agreement was reached at the end of November, the documents showed, just weeks after Iraq’s Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki returned from lobbying the Obama administration in Washington for extra weapons to fight al Qaeda-linked militants. Some in Washington are nervous about providing sensitive U.S. military equipment to a country they worry is becoming too close to Iran. Several Iraqi lawmakers said Maliki had made the deal because he was fed up with delays in U.S. arms deliveries. A spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister would not confirm or deny the sale, but said such a deal would be understandable given Iraq’s current security troubles. “We are launching a war against terrorism and we want to win this war. Nothing prevents us from buying arms and ammunition from any party and it’s only ammunition helping us to fight terrorists,” said the spokesman, Ali Mussawi. The Iranian government denied any knowledge of a deal to sell arms to Iraq. It would be the first official arms deal between Shi’ite Iran and Iraq’s Shi’ite-led government and would highlight the growing bond between them in the two years since the departure of U.S. troops from Iraq. The U.S. State Department said it was looking into the reports. “If true, this would raise serious concerns,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a news briefing. “Any transfer of arms from Iran to a third country is in direct violation of UNSCR 1747. We are seeking clarification on the matter from the government of Iraq and to ensure that Iraqi officials understand the limits that international law places on arms trade with Iran,” Psaki said, referring to the U.N. resolution that imposed an arms embargo on Iran. A U.S. official said such a deal could further complicate Washington’s approach to negotiating with Iran on easing international sanctions over its nuclear program, which the West suspects is aimed at producing bombs. Iran says its aims are purely peaceful. Asked at the Washington briefing if the deal could have come about due to Iraqi frustration at the slowness of U.S. deliveries, Psaki said the United States was committed to supporting Iraq and had provided it with more than $15 billion in military and security equipment, services, and training. “We’re working to accelerate our … deliveries of critical CT (counterterrorism) equipment,” she said. Psaki said recent U.S. shipments included Hellfire missiles, hundreds of small arms and large quantities of small arms and tank ammunition. She said the U.S. government had also notified Congress of plans to supply Iraq with Apache helicopters. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry reiterated U.S. support for Iraq’s fight against militants and discussed the security situation in the Iraqi province of Anbar in a call with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari on Saturday, Psaki said. A U.N. diplomatic source close to the U.N. Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee was aware of the Iran-Iraq arms deal and voiced concern about it, while declining to disclose details about those concerns. The source spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE The official documents seen by Reuters showed that six of eight contracts were signed with Iran’s Defense Industries Organization to supply Iraq with light and medium arms, mortar launchers, ammunition for tanks as well as artillery and mortars. A final two contracts were agreed to with the state-owned Iran Electronic Industries for night vision goggles, communications equipment and mortar-guiding devices. One of the contracts includes equipment to protect against chemical agents. An Iraqi army major with knowledge of procurement issues said that would include items such as gas masks and gloves, as well as injections. Baghdad has expressed fear the militants will use such agents against its forces. Officials from the Iraqi and Iranian defense ministries signed the agreements, according to the documents. They did not list a timetable for deliveries and it was not possible to confirm whether they had taken place. Maliki has been engaged in a nearly two-month-old battle in western Iraq against Sunni al Qaeda-inspired militants and rebellious tribesmen. The prime minister has blamed the unrest in Anbar on the conflict spilling over from neighboring Syria. One Western security official said U.S. government experts believed an Iranian-Iraqi arms deal had been in the works for some time. The growing friendship between the two countries is discomfiting for the United States, which has accused Iran of having shipped arms to the Syrian government through Iraq. Iran already supplies Baghdad with electricity and gas and reiterated an offer of military assistance in January. The weapons purchases amount to a drop in the ocean for Iraq, which receives most of its arms from the United States and has also bought weapons and helicopters from Russia and other countries. But they are politically significant as Maliki purses a third term in office. Iraqi politicians consider Iran’s blessing as a necessity for seeking power. Maliki won his second term in 2010 only after the Iranians exerted pressure on recalcitrant Shi’ite parties on his behalf. Many Iraqis accuse Iran of funding Iraqi Shi’ite militias who have seen a resurgence in the last two years as Iraq’s security has deteriorated. Images of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei now decorate posters seen around Baghdad of Iraqi Shiite fighters slain fighting in Syria. “We have here a political and not a military deal,” said Amman-based Iraq analyst Yahya al-Kubaisay from the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies, a think tank filled with political opponents of the Shi’ite-led Iraqi government. “On one hand it is aimed at financing Iran, which is desperately in need of dollars, and on the other it is clearly aimed at winning Tehran’s support for Maliki’s third term.” MALIKI’S MESSAGE Three Iraqi lawmakers, who said they had knowledge of the deals, argued they were due to Maliki’s unhappiness with Washington’s response to his request to supply Iraq with arms and ammunition to fight militant groups during his visit late last year. Iraq has long complained the timetable for U.S. weapons and aircraft delivery was too slow. “The Americans were obviously dragging their feet from implementing the arms deals signed with Baghdad and under different pretexts, and that was a reason to get urgent shipments from Tehran,” said one of the lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject. In recent months, the U.S. government has delivered Hellfire missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq as part of its long-standing relationship with Baghdad, which it invaded in 2003. It has also supplied Iraq with M1 Abrams tanks and is in the process of delivering F-16 fighter jets. Since fighting broke out in western Anbar in January, Washington has pushed to move ahead with the sale of 24 Apache attack helicopters to Iraq, which had been held up for months due to the concerns of U.S. lawmakers about how Maliki, who is increasingly at odds with minority Sunnis, would use them. A Shi’ite lawmaker close to Maliki said the deal with Iran sent a message to Washington that threatening to withhold or delay arms purchases would no longer work. “If you went to a shop to buy a toy and they refused to sell it to you, then as long as you have the cash, you can get it from the shop next door. It’s as simple as that,” said the official, who also asked to remain unidentified by name due to the sensitivity of the issue. A senior Iraq army officer said Iran was the best source for quick shipments as some of the arms used by the Iraqi army are similar to those manufactured by Tehran, including assault weapons, mortars, artillery and tank ammunition. Iran even produces ammunition for U.S.-made M-12 assault rifles, used by the Iraqi military. Maliki defended Iraq’s counterterrorism strategy last week in an editorial published on the website of the influential U.S. journal Foreign Policy: “Thanks to our rapidly growing economy, we are able and willing to pay for all the military equipment we need,” he wrote. Mohammad Marandi, a professor at University of Tehran, told Reuters he had no knowledge of an arms deal with Iraq, but that Iran would not be troubled by the idea: “Iranians don’t accept the legitimacy of sanctions. Plus, Iran sells military equipment to many countries.” The eight contracts signed with Iran are as follows: * Ammunition for light and medium weapons: $75 million * Ammunition for tanks artillery and mortars: $57.178 million * Light and medium weapons and mortar launchers: $25.436 million * Artillery ammunition type 155 mm: $16.375 million * Day and night vision goggles and mortar guiding devices: $7.320 million * Protective equipment against chemical agents: $6.676 million * Communications equipment: $3.795 million * M12 USA ammunition 20 X 102 mm: $3 million (Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball, Phil Stewart and David Brunnstrom in Washington, Lou Charbonneau in New York and Michelle Mariam Moghtader in Dubai; Editing by Isabel Coles, Ned Parker, Philippa Fletcher and Jonathan Oatis) Avoiding misuse of U.S. arms sold to Iraq Merkel in Israel to discuss Iran, peace talks Shahin Mahmoudi Women's Rights & Movements in Iran December 23, 2004 Runaway teenage girl sold to man twice her age serves prison time Iran Focus: Tehran, Dec. 23 - A 15-year-old girl... Women's Rights & Movements in Iran February 26, 2005 Paris conference highlights women’s rights abuses in Iran Iran Focus: Paris, Feb. 26 – An international conference... According to reports, Iran's gas exports to Iraq have... Will Iraq Get Ever Free of Iran’s Sway? After many years and massive popular protests, there are... New Blow to Iran’s Government, Iraq Seeks To Remove It From Its Energy Market Iraq is facing many problems due to the continuation... Iran’s Projection on the Terror Attack Against Al-Kadhimi in Fear of Accountability The news of the drone attack on the Iraqi...

IRC chat logs for #ltsp on irc.libera.chat (webchat) Request log from specific day: ...20 March 202319 March 202318 March 202317 March 202316 March 202315 March 202314 March 202313 March 202312 March 202311 March 202310 March 2023 9 March 2023 8 March 2023 7 March 2023 6 March 2023 5 March 2023 4 March 2023 3 March 2023 2 March 2023 1 March 202328 February 202327 February 202326 February 202325 February 202324 February 202323 February 202322 February 202321 February 202320 February 202319 February 202318 February 202317 February 202316 February 202315 February 202314 February 202313 February 202312 February 202311 February 202310 February 2023 9 February 2023 8 February 2023 7 February 2023 6 February 2023 5 February 2023 4 February 2023 3 February 2023 2 February 2023 1 February 202331 January 202330 January 202329 January 202328 January 202327 January 202326 January 202325 January 202324 January 202323 January 202322 January 202321 January 202320 January 202319 January 202318 January 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logs by username and/or keyword (will take a few minutes): Channel log from 29 May 2008 (all times are UTC) 00:16 Q-FUNK has quit IRC 01:10 subir has joined #ltsp 01:19 cpunches2 has quit IRC 01:25 deavid has joined #ltsp 01:35 Pascal_2 has quit IRC 01:35 Pascal_1 has joined #ltsp 02:16 ufo` has joined #ltsp 02:17 ufo_ has quit IRC 02:18 alkisg has quit IRC 03:04 bobby_C has joined #ltsp 03:07 Faithful has joined #ltsp 03:08 Pascal_1 has left #ltsp 03:17 exodos_ has joined #ltsp 03:43 Appiah has joined #ltsp 03:54 Appiah has quit IRC 04:21 alkisg has joined #ltsp 04:30 bobby_C has quit IRC 04:46 ogra_ has joined #ltsp 04:46 ogra has quit IRC 04:46 ogra_ is now known as ogra 04:50 Q-FUNK has joined #ltsp 04:54 ogra has joined #ltsp 04:59 captain_1agnus has joined #ltsp 05:02 wolfaba has joined #ltsp <wolfaba> Hi all. I have simple question. When LTSP thin-client mounts NFS root FS, how is it done, that changes are not written into this NFS root FS, but only temporary/static only for this client? I use unionfs. Do you have some other/better solution? Thank you for answer. 05:06 mikkel has joined #ltsp <ogra> ubuntu uses unionfs ... and no nfs we found that using an nbd blockdevice that exports a squashfs which during boot gets merged with a tmpfs in a union is a lot faster than using plain nfs the old nfs mounting had a method to copy single files and dirs into a tmpfs and link them to get writability debian still uses that 05:13 captain_magnus has quit IRC 19:09 ltspbot has joined #ltsp 19:25 vagrantc has quit IRC 19:31 husimon has joined #ltsp <husimon> hey does anyone use ltsp with rhel 5? I really need to get that working <gbolte> husimon, I am sure someone here knows something ya if they are awake :) thats the key seems like you should be able to use it with whatever distro by using the tar 4.2? 4.2 ? ltsp 4.2? that works with rhel 5? what version are you trying to use i haven't tried any version yet but I saw that ltsp 5 is the latest version and so far only debian and ubuntu are integrated 19:34 * gbolte is on opensuse with ltsp5 so how did you do that? started from scratch? no the distro has to support ltsp5 ltsp 4.2 was its own distro so anything "should" support it 5 changed a lot of things i've seen a few hacks with ltsp5 to get it working with other distros <johnny> gentoo integration is almost done husimon, what is the reasoning for having to use RHEL and fedora works too gbolte, because we pay for support and everyone here is used to it ask warren about rhel warren, would be the man husimon, the reason I ask is because we pay for SLED and SLES but ended up using opensuse because it works gbolte, hehe we still use sles though gbolte, well if it worked on centos i'd use it gbolte, fedora is a little different though. sure.. it perhaps does not work on rhel yet, but will i imagine http://wiki.ltsp.org/twiki/bin/view/Ltsp/Ltsp5TarballInstructions that seems to say it should 19:39 savetheWorld has quit IRC 19:43 irule has joined #ltsp husimon, what kinda setup are you planning to run ltsp on? wanted to run it on a rhel 5 box with buncha ram/cpu then take my old shitty desktop computers and use them as clients for our library really don't want to need to manage all those shitty computers sounds like a plan the other plan I had was us sunray servers are they already running rhel <irule> how may I in CLI quickly see what users ip address are using ares or any other p2p program? we just added more so some are and some aren't I wonder if it's possible ltsp to a jewdows box husimon, sure ltsp to rdesktop probably need terminal services lic seats and stuff though you would I might just fool around with vms irule, netstat -npt might show you something thanks gbolte gbolte, i dunno ubuntu looks tempting quick, easy, and it will work husimon, yeah and if you have no ties other than its what you used before to RHEL I wouldnt bother might have to rebuild a few pieces of software like what 20:09 gentgeen__ has quit IRC 20:10 oh207 has quit IRC 20:20 gbolte has quit IRC 20:23 japerry has quit IRC 20:44 ltspbot` has joined #ltsp 20:44 ltspbot has quit IRC 20:46 mccann has quit IRC 20:55 elisboa has joined #ltsp 21:01 elisboa has quit IRC 21:10 talntid_ has quit IRC Hey I just setup ltsp and the client hangs when I put the user/pass in just says authenticating password, and then hangs. tried updating the ssh keys then the client image no luck <sh00p> i can't even get that far lol husimon, try sshing to that server from another box with the right account johnny, kk I can ssh from the server to itself on that account maybe it's listening on the wrong interface i'll check that well.. another way to try set SCREEN_02=shell in lts.conf and then ctrl+alt+f2 on the client and try to ssh to the server from there then you'll see exactly what the client is seeing plus you can check /var/log/ldm.log there 21:42 savetheWorld has joined #ltsp man I hate how debian based distros don't kill the dhclient after you change the network settings to static that was the problem..... johnny, thanks for the screen option, I like the idea of having that available. 21:50 vagrantc has joined #ltsp 22:03 gonzaloaf has joined #ltsp 22:16 joebaker has quit IRC 22:38 husimon has quit IRC 23:04 cyberorg has quit IRC 23:12 sh00p has left #ltsp 23:18 MacIver has quit IRC 23:26 japerry has joined #ltsp 23:44 cpunches is now known as DrVague 23:46 Faithful has quit IRC 23:56 cyberorg has joined #ltsp Copyright © 2000-2021 the LTSP developers

OBJECTIVE: Presurgical, window of opportunity trials have been proposed as a model to assess the activity of preventive and therapeutic interventions in a cost-effective manner in prostate cancer (CaP). The aim of the study was to explore karyometry as a method for monitoring the efficacy of intervention with preventive agents in patients with CaP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The material used in this investigation was from the 2F study, i.e., an Italian prospective randomized phase IIb presurgical study of finasteride vs. low-dose flutamide vs. placebo in men with CaP. Image analysis was performed in 16 cases treated with finasteride, 24 with flutamide, and 20 with placebo. For all these cases, CaP and normal looking secretory epithelium were present in the pretreatment biopsies as well as the post-treatment ex-vivo biopsies obtained from the radical prostatectomy specimens. RESULTS: To establish a direction of nuclear change from normal to malignancy, i.e., the so-called line of progression, a discriminant function was derived with the normal looking epithelium in the pretreatment biopsies as one endpoint, and the CaP in the pretreatment biopsies as the other. The discriminant function was then applied to the post-treatment groups. The increase in relative nuclear area was the dominant feature. In the placebo group, 15 out of 20 CaP (75%) cases had a higher discriminant function score at the end of study, with a significant increase of the mean score by 90%. The flutamide treated CaP cases had increased discriminant function scores in 19 out of 24 cases (79%) and an increase of the mean score by 43%; the 5 cases with lower scores involved only minor reductions. In contrast, the finasteride treated CaP cases had increased discriminant function scores for 8 out of 16 cases (50%), but the increase in the mean score was by only 8%. CONCLUSION: This exploratory study establishes that karyometric monitoring can track the results of subtle nuclear changes induced by preventive interventions in men with CaP, thus allowing assessment of agent activity in a cost-effective manner. A randomized phase IIb presurgical study of finasteride vs. low-dose flutamide vs. placebo in men with prostate cancer. Efficacy monitored by karyometry MONTIRONI, RODOLFO;Bartels P. H.;Decensi A.;Puntoni M.;Hurle R.;Decobelli O.;Carmignani G.;MAZZUCCHELLI, Roberta;Bartels H. G.;Alberts D. S.;Maffezzini M.

January – March 2021 Jan – Mar 2021 Stem Cell Club: Koehler/Kuri Check back soon for details. Contact Diona Cashioli (diona.cashioli@pennmedicine.upenn.edu) with any questions. IRM Retreat 2021 The Institute for Regenerative Medicine will host a virtual edition of our annual retreat on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 from 1 PM to 5 PM. This year, we plan to focus on collaborations: how have IRM researchers recently partnered on exciting projects and how can we foster new team science efforts. We hope to share examples of team-ups across disciplines, approaches, and the basic/clinical gap. Our goal is to have an afternoon of great discussion to help you think about your own research and what is possible in the coming years. If you have any questions, please email Chris Yarosh (yaroshc@pennmedicine.upenn.edu). CALL INFORMATION https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/j/98059940714?pwd=eFlMZTNoayszSWVTZFJ3dEFZcnRYUT09 +13126266799,,98059940714# US (Chicago) Find your local number: https://pennmedicine.zoom.us/u/abdlBegLjd Categories: Past Stem Cell Club: Ito/Sasaki Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 4 PM EST Junpei Ito, DVM, PhD (University of Tokyo) Kotaro Sasaki, MD, PhD (University of Pennsylvania) Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Biology, Disease, and Therapy Mar 9 all-day REGISTER | SCHEDULE | PROGRAM BOOK | SPEAKERS | POSTER INFO | SPONSORS Join us for the IRM’s spring symposium! This year, we are taking a comprehensive look at hematopoietic stem cells: their biology, their failure in bone marrow syndromes, and their use in gene therapy approaches. Come learn all about these topics and more from Penn experts and leaders from around the world. Consistent with COVID-19 related health guidelines, this will be a virtual event. Sean Morrison, Ph.D. UT Southwestern Jeff Magee, M.D., Ph.D. Washington University St. Louis Daniel Lucas, Ph.D. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Camilla Forsberg, Ph.D. UC Santa Cruz Paula Rio Galdo, Ph.D. CIEMAT/CIBERER, Spain Saar Gill, M.D., Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania Stefano Rivella, Ph.D. Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vijay G. Sankaran, M.D., Ph.D. Boston Children’s Hospital Akiko Shimamura, M.D., Ph.D. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Daria Babushok, M.D., Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania Lightning Talks and Posters We are excited to offer students and postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to present during this event! Trainees working in the broad area of hematopoietic stem cell biology or related disease and therapy areas are invited to submit abstracts for posters and consideration for lightning talks! Please read the information below and indicate your preferences during registration. Prizes will be awarded! Lightning talks: A select number of trainees will be chosen to present 1 slide, 90-second overviews of their research during the main session of our event. These talks are “pitches” or previews of your poster sessions and should get your colleagues excited to come learn more about your work. Lightning talk speakers will be chosen from submitted abstracts and notified the week prior to our event. Posters: Posters will be presented during our lunch hour in individual Zoom rooms. Please create a short slide deck corresponding to the sections of a traditional poster (Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions, etc.). Attendees will be free to circulate into your Zoom room and listen as you present and ask questions. Judges will evaluate posters for potential prizes! Abstract format and submission Abstracts must include a title, authors and affiliations, and no more than 250 words describing the research. Abstracts are due by 5 PM EST on Friday, February 26th. Submit abstracts via email to yaroshc@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. Use “HSC Symposium Abstract” as the subject line. Thank you to our generous sponsors: Founded by scientists, Proteintech Group recognises the tireless efforts and sacrifices made by researchers to advance scientific discovery. Proteintech aims to match its’ customers’ dedication to research with high quality, reliable reagents that contribute to reproducible results. Learn about their human cell-expressed, recombinant proteins. The future of advanced medicines relies upon deeper access to in vivo biology to create durable, curative impacts on disease. IsoPlexis’ systems, which drive convergence of dynamic proteomics and single cell biology for the first time, are creating this deeper connection to accelerate curative medicines. The Pediatric Comprehensive Bone Marrow Failure Center (CBMFC) at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) was established in 2010 as a comprehensive, multidisciplinary center dedicated to providing world-class care for children and adults with inherited and acquired forms of bone marrow failure (BMF). The CBMFC at CHOP collaborates with partners at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) for both clinical and research efforts. Penn’s Hematology/Oncology Division is a comprehensive program dedicated to the clinical care and research, providing the most advanced treatment for all types of cancers and blood-related disorders. Our faculty members, more than 130, are involved in research to develop new and more effective methods for diagnosing and treating these diseases and for educating the physicians and researchers of the future. The Sickle Cell and Red Cell Disorders Curative Therapy Center (CuRED) offers integrated and coordinated care from multiple pediatric specialists for children with sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and other red cell disorders. The CuRED team provides patients with a comprehensive evaluation and individualized cutting-edge treatments for management of their chronic disease, while exploring the potential for a curative therapy. CuRED is also driving towards the development of their own gene therapy for sickle cell disease and thalassemia leveraging CHOP’s world-class translational research expertise. The program’s mission is to continue to advance the field of curative therapies across a full range of red blood cell disorders. The Division of Hematology at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides inpatient and outpatient services for children and adolescents with all hematologic disorders other than malignancies. Research in the Division of Oncology falls under Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Childhood Cancer Research, which was established more than a decade ago as a state-of-the art program that integrates a wide array of basic, translational, and clinical research efforts. The Center brings together the diverse talents of investigators in Children’s Hospital renowned multidisciplinary program in pediatric cancer research, patient care, and genomics. The Hematologic Malignancies Program at the Abramson Cancer Center drives basic scientific discoveries and translates them into novel therapeutics for patients with myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms. Formed in 1994, the Program has two scientific aims: 1) Develop a mechanisms-based understanding of the genetic, cellular, and biochemical processes regulating malignant hematopoiesis; and 2) Translate basic scientific discoveries into more effective and less toxic therapies for hematologic malignancies. As the premier scientific marketplace, Fisher Scientific has defined unparalleled choice and convenience for over a century. Focused first and foremost on delivering innovative yet eminently practical solutions, we have developed a comprehensive portfolio of laboratory equipment and supplies, chemicals, safety products, and services to help our customers increase productivity and drive innovation in research, healthcare, education and industry — all with greater ease and efficiency than ever before. Categories: Past Symposiums

May – October 2021 May – Oct 2021 Faculty Lunch: Ernestina Schipani Sep 1 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Stem Cell Club: Uyhazi and Farrelly Sep 15 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Katherine Uyhazi, MD, PhD (Penn), Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology Olivia Farrelly (Penn), Rompolas Lab Distinguished Seminar Series: Samantha Morris Sep 20 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm This week, we are hosting Samantha Morris, Ph.D., from Washington University Faculty Lunch: Marisa Bartolomei Oct 6 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Distinguished Seminar Series: Tobias Meyer Oct 11 @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm This week, we are hosting Tobias Meyer, Ph.D., from Weill Cornell

Replacement Siding Union County SD The Best Home Siding Options In Union County, South Dakota: A Comprehensive Guide Homeowners in Union County, South Dakota have a variety of siding options to choose from when it comes to updating or replacing their home’s exterior. With this comprehensive guide, you’ll be able to review the pros and cons of each siding type and determine which one is right for your home. So whether you’re looking for an economical option or something more durable and stylish, we’ve got you covered! When it comes to choosing the right siding for your home in Union County, South Dakota, there are a lot of factors to consider. But don’t worry, we’re here to help! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll go over some of the best siding options available in Union County and what makes them great. We’ll also touch on a few things you should keep in mind when making your decision. So without further ado, let’s get started! Types of Home Siding There are a few different types of home siding available on the market, each with its own set of benefits and drawbacks. The most popular types of siding are vinyl, aluminum, wood, and fiber cement. Vinyl siding is one of the most affordable options and is relatively easy to install. It is also low maintenance and comes in a variety of colors. However, vinyl siding can be damaged by hail or high winds, and it may fade over time. Aluminum siding is another affordable option that is durable and low maintenance. However, it is not as energy efficient as other types of siding and may dent easily. Wood siding is a classic choice that can give your home a traditional look. It is also energy efficient and can be painted or stained to match your home’s exterior. However, wood siding requires more maintenance than other types of siding and is susceptible to rot and insect damage. Fiber cement siding is a durable option that resists fire, wind, and insects. It is also low maintenance and comes in a variety of colors and textures. However, fiber cement siding is one of the more expensive options. Benefits and Advantages of Each Type There are a few different types of home siding options available on the market today. While there are many choices available, the three most popular types of siding used in Union County, South Dakota homes are vinyl, wood, and steel. All three have their own set of benefits and advantages that make them ideal for certain types of homes and homeowners. Vinyl siding is one of the most popular siding materials used on homes today. Vinyl siding is durable, easy to maintain, and comes in a variety of colors and styles to choose from. One of the biggest advantages of vinyl siding is that it is relatively inexpensive compared to other types of siding materials. Vinyl siding is also very easy to install, which makes it a great option for do-it-yourselfers or those who want to save on installation costs. Wood siding is another popular type of siding used on homes in Union County, South Dakota. Wood siding adds a natural look to any home and can be stained or painted to match the exterior trim color scheme. Wood siding is also very durable and can last for many years with proper care and maintenance. One downside to wood siding is that it does require more maintenance than vinyl or steel siding – it will need to be stained or painted every few years to keep it looking its best. Wood siding is also one of the more expensive types of sidings Costs of Installation for Home Siding in Union County, South Dakota When it comes to choosing the right home siding option for your Union County, South Dakota home, one of the key considerations is the cost of installation. Depending on the type of siding you choose, the costs can vary significantly. For instance, installing vinyl siding is typically much less expensive than installing stone or brick siding. However, if you’re looking for a more high-end look, stone or brick may be the better option regardless of the increased cost. Another factor to consider is whether you hire a professional installer or attempt to do it yourself. Hiring a professional will obviously increase the overall cost, but it may be worth it for peace of mind and a guaranteed quality installation. Finally, keep in mind that the costs of installation can vary depending on the size and complexity of your project. A smaller, simpler job will obviously cost less than a larger, more complex one. So, when considering the cost of installation for home siding in Union County, South Dakota, be sure to take all of these factors into account in order to get an accurate estimate. Pros and Cons of Each Type When it comes to your home’s siding, there are a lot of options to choose from. It can be tough to decide which type is right for you and your home. To help you make a decision, we’ve put together a list of the pros and cons of each type of siding. Vinyl Siding: Pros: Vinyl siding is one of the most popular types of siding because it’s affordable and easy to maintain. It’s also available in a variety of colors and styles, so you can find something that fits your home’s style. Cons: One downside to vinyl siding is that it can fade over time. Another downside is that it’s not as durable as some other types of siding, so it may need to be replaced more often. Wood Siding: Pros: Wood siding is a classic choice that adds natural beauty to your home. It’s also very durable and can last for many years if properly maintained. Cons: Wood siding is one of the more expensive options, and it requires more maintenance than some other types of siding. It also isn’t as fire-resistant as some other materials. Tips for Choosing the Right Siding Option When it comes to choosing the right siding option for your home in Union County, South Dakota, there are a few things you need to take into account. Here are some tips to help you choose the right siding option for your home: 1. Consider the climate. The climate in Union County can be harsh, so you need to make sure that the siding you choose can withstand the elements. 2. Consider your budget. There are a variety of siding options available, so you need to make sure that you choose one that fits within your budget. 3. Consider the style of your home. You want to make sure that the siding you choose complements the style of your home. 4. Consider your maintenance needs. Some types of siding require more maintenance than others, so you need to make sure that you are willing and able to maintain it properly. 5. Get multiple quotes. Once you have decided on the type of siding you want, get multiple quotes from different contractors to ensure that you are getting the best price possible. With this comprehensive guide, you should now have a better idea of the best home siding options in Union County. You can choose from wood, vinyl, fiber cement, and aluminum siding to find the one that fits your home’s needs. Depending on the climate and conditions of your area in South Dakota, you may want to consider investing in insulated or impact-resistant siding for extra protection against extreme temperatures and severe weather. No matter what type of material you select for your home’s exterior, make sure it is properly installed by a reputable contractor who has experience with specific materials so that your house will look beautiful while also being well protected.

I Highly Doubt That I Could Have Done It Myself I wish you to thank you for your help and professionalism that you showed handling my case. I know that it wasn’t a big case, but nonetheless you treated my case with accuracy, professionalism and with the urgency that the case needed. The agreement that you reached with the IRS is very good to me and I highly doubt that I could have done it myself without your help. That you for your help, it is very much appreciated.

Filters: Author is Bonnie Nardi [Clear All Filters] Nardi, B., "Appropriating Theory", Theory Development in Information: Reflecting on the Process, Austin, University of Texas Press, pp. 204-221, 2016. Lustig, C.., and B. Nardi, "Algorithmic Authority: The Case of Bitcoin", 48th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS), Kauai, Hawaii, pp. 743-752, January, 2015. Nardi, B., N. Gajdamaschko, and J. A. Vadeboncoeur, "Agency, Identity, and Objects in Work and Play", Mind, Culture, and Activity, vol. 24, no. 3, pp. 181-182, July 3, 2017. Kaptelinin, V., and B. Nardi, "Affordances in HCI: Toward a mediated action perspective", ACM SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. Best Paper Award, Austin, TX, May 5-10, 2012. Fjeld, M.., P.. Woźniak, J.. Cowls, and B. Nardi, "Ad-hoc encounters with big data: Engaging citizens in conversations around tabletops", First Monday, vol. 20, no. 2, February, 2015. Muralikumar, M. Devii, and B. Nardi, "Addressing LIMITS through Food Tracking", Computing within LIMITS Workshop, Toronto, Canada, ACM, May 13-15, 2018. Kaptelinin, V., and B. Nardi, "Activity Theory in HCI: Fundamentals and Reflections", Synthesis Lectures on Human-Centered Informatics: Morgan & Claypool Publishers, pp. 105, April, 2012. Kaptelinin, V., and B. Nardi, "Activity Theory as a Framework for Human-Technology Interaction Research", Mind, Culture, and Activity, vol. 25, issue 1, pp. 3-5, February, 2018. Kaptelinin, V., and B. Nardi, Acting with Technology: Activity Theory and Interaction Design, , Cambridge, MIT Press, 2006. Debeauvais, T., B. A. Nardi, C. V. Lopes, N. Yee, and N. Ducheneaut, "10,000 gold for 20 dollars: an exploratory study of World of Warcraft gold buyers", International Conference on the Foundations of Digital Games (FDG '12), Raleigh, NC, May 29- June 1, 2012.

Hannah Moersberger Deputy Director, France Hannah is the deputy director of the Future Earth Global Hub in Paris. She is the lead of Future Earth’s Capacity and Networks function; particularly, she is working to set up a global network of early career change-makers in sustainability. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Global Sustainability Scholars programme and the coordinator of the Natural Assets Knowledge-Action Network. Her field of expertise lies in the area of biodiversity and nature's contributions to people. Hannah holds degrees in Applied African Studies and Environmental Policy and volunteers with reforestation projects in Europe whenever she can.

Music–Suits TV Show I’m a fan of the TV show Suits USA Network. SUITS. It has a great concept of a lawyer show. It is not like the Ally McBeal show of the past. It has drama, some acting, and a little suspense. One interesting part that I have found interesting is the music in the show. I’ve found a few spotify playlists for …

E-Commerce Jobs in Oregon at Chico's In an E-Commerce role, you can grow your career in a variety of ways at Chico's FAS, Inc. Because we have three brands and hundreds of boutiques across the U.S. and Canada, we are able to leverage talent across the enterprise and throughout North America. From finance and accounting to technology and merchandising careers, Chico's has corporate Jobs in Oregon for talented professionals to join our team of retail associates who share our commitment to excellence. E-Commerce Jobs in Oregon at Chico's can include: Director, Digital Commerce - Team members in this E-Commerce job are responsible for overall operations, site experience, profitability, and traffic initiatives. This position develops and executes the division's product strategy to drive the Brand to achieve financial objectives. With hundreds of boutiques and outlets throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as an online presence for each of our brands, it takes sophisticated technology, resources and infrastructure to ensure the continued success of our businesses. Apply online today for E-Commerce Jobs in Oregon at Chico's. At Chico's, there is no such thing as a typical career path, and we encourage everyone in a E-Commerce role to take advantage of the many opportunities that exist. Apply online today for E-Commerce Jobs in Oregon at Chico's. Bend, OR Jobs Happy Valley, OR Jobs Lake Oswego, OR Jobs Lincoln City, OR Jobs Medford, OR Jobs Woodburn, OR Jobs

Chemicals 84 Petrochemicals & Refining 16 Minerals & Mining 4 Energy, Renewables & Nuclear 3 Consultancy 1 Food & Drink 1 Insurance, Risk & Safety 1 Chartered Engineer 2 Lead Engineer 2 Engineer 1 Health & Safety 1 Principal Consultant 1 Project Manager 1 Biochemicals / Pharmaceuticals Water & Waste Oil & Gas Plastics & Manufacturing Process Engineer Chemical Engineer Process Safety Manager Featured £100,000 - £140,000 yearly Overview Holcim builds progress for people and the planet. As a global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions, Holcim is enabling greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improving living standards around the world. With sustainability at the core of its strategy, Holcim is becoming a net zero company, with its people and communities at the heart of its success. The company is driving the circular economy as a world leader in recycling to build more with less. Holcim is the company behind some of the world’s most trusted brands in the building sector including ACC, Aggregate Industries, Ambuja Cement, Disensa, Firestone Building Products, Geocycle, Holcim and Lafarge. Holcim is 70,000 people around the world who are passionate about building progress for people and the planet through four business segments: Cement, Ready-Mix Concrete, Aggregates and Solutions & Products. If you would like to get more information about our corporate organization in... Minerals & Mining Plastics & Manufacturing Holcim Holderbank, Switzerland Chartered Engineer Chemical Engineer LNG Process Engineer Overview / Responsibilities Wood is currently recruiting for an experienced LNG Process Engineer . Local candidates to the Houston, TX Office please as there is no relocation assistance or per diem provided. Authorization to work lawfully in the US without sponsorship from Wood is required Thorough knowledge and experience in LNG process engineering for the design of regasification and liquefaction projects. Uses advanced technical knowledge to perform engineering assignments including complex problems and to complete any project tasks with minimal guidance and direction. Highly competent to perform all process engineering functions including: deliverables such as feasibility and optimization studies, process simulations and heat and material balances, process equipment sizing, process data for instrument and mechanical data sheets, hydraulic piping line sizing and other philosophies and... Chemicals Oil & Gas Work Your Magic with us! Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us. This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US. Your Role: As Process Engineer, you will be responsible for providing key engineering support and project coordination to all phases of plant operations. The Process Engineer is also responsible for interfacing with internal and external clients in support of product technology transfers and manufacture, as well... Sr. Principal Engineer – Process At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. The Sr. Principal Process Engineer in IAPI (Indianapolis Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) provides technical leadership and expertise for production operations in the areas of: Coaching and Mentoring Process Engineers, Developing and Sustaining Process Knowledge, Process & Equipment Support, Process Optimization & Continuous Improvement, Equipment Capability & Asset Management, and Adherence to... Lilly Indianapolis, IN, USA Process Engineer Director - Process Chromatography Engineering (SMDD) At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. At Lilly, Small Molecule Design and Development (SMDD) is involved in key activities for the development of synthetic active pharmaceutical ingredients from pre-clinical phases through commercialization of drug substances and drug products. Our scientists and engineers develop key technical and business solutions across the portfolio using their deep technical expertise to accelerate testing of the clinical... Lilly Indianapolis, IN, USA Principal Consultant Process Engineer At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Lilly is entering an exciting period of growth and we are committed to delivering innovative medicines to patients around the world. Lilly is investing over $1 billion to create a new state-of-the-art manufacturing site, in Concord, North Carolina. The brand-new facility will utilize the latest technology to increase the company's manufacturing capacity in parenteral (injectable) medications, device assembly and... Lilly Concord, NC, USA Process Engineer Drug Substance Process Engineer - Advanced Therapies Manufacturing At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Lilly is currently constructing an innovative facility for the manufacture of new modalities including Gene Therapy in Lebanon, Indiana. This facility will be Lilly’s most technically advanced manufacturing site focused on the delivery of the next wave of innovative products at Lilly. It will include next-generation manufacturing technologies and advanced data collection and analysis platforms that will deliver... Lilly Lebanon, IN, USA Process Engineer At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Our new RTP facility will be one of Lilly’s most technically advanced manufacturing sites and will include robotic technologies, and advanced data collection and analysis platforms that will result in safety improvements, increased productivity, and variability reduction. This role will be part of the RTP Site Engineering team responsible for the delivery and stewardship of the lines. Key... Lilly Durham, NC, USA Process Engineer Sr. Engineer-Process At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Mainly serve as material prep primary loop process engineer 主要作为物料准备设备的一线工艺工程师 The following objectives/deliverables support process equipment located in Lilly Suzhou site. General Description: 作为主要人员支持现场工作（日常生产支持） Responsible for primary loop support that provides direct on-the-floor support for processes (daily manufacturing support). 从设备和工艺性能方面确保符合法规和安全要求 Ensures regulatory... Lilly Suzhou, Jiangsu, China Process Engineer Process Engineer - Indy Device Manufacturing Asset Delivery At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world. Organization Overview: Indianapolis Device Manufacturing (IDM) - Asset Deliver Process Engineering provide the technical leadership in developing, designing, constructing, and delivering/upgrading automated device assembly and packaging lines for IDM globally to both Lilly sites and Contract Manufacturers (CMO). Responsibilities: IDM Asset Delivery Process engineers oversee the...

Sermon: It Gets So Much Better Than This Sermon preached 03.20.2011 based on John 2:1-12. This morning we continue with the second sermon of our worship series called We Would See Jesus where we are looking at some of the encounters people have with Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. Last week Pastor Bob looked at Nathanael’s encounter with Jesus, as his friend Philip introduced him to the one he thought might be the messiah, Jesus son of Joseph of Nazareth. Today we turn from the first chapter of John to the second, and we hear the story of Jesus’ first miracle, or sign: Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding banquet in Cana. As we look at this story today, I want us to appreciate the masterful way in which John has crafted his story. Sometimes we want the Gospel writers to have been reporters today, as if we are watching this couple’s wedding video and seeing the event first hand. You Are There When I was in grade school, I remember liking those You Are There movies they would show us from time to time. Walter Cronkite, the quintessential news anchor, told about historic events as if he were reporting on a current news story. He would appear at his news desk to introduce a story, like the signing of the Declaration of Independence or Washington crossing the Delaware River. He would then cut to a reporter “live on the scene.” We would see the event happening right there before us with an on the scene reporter describing the events. Inevitably, the reporter would find one of the prime actors in the scene to “interview.” For example the reporter might ask John Hancock why he signed his name so large, or something like that. Sometimes I want the Gospel writers to be Walter Cronkite. I sometimes expect the text to function as a You Are There for Jesus and his disciples. I want to read the accounts as a textbook that is just giving me the facts – as if John were an unbiased reporter on the scene just recording the events. The more I study scripture I have learned how limited this way of reading the Bible is. When we read that way we miss so much. I want to encourage you as we read the Gospel of John throughout this season of Lent, to try to appreciate the incredible storyteller that John is. When you read John, you are reading the work of a masterful writer and deep-thinking theologian. John is retelling the story with purpose – a purpose he states as “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:30-31 NRSV). To that end, John is deliberate in telling a story a certain way, he makes intentional word-choices, and he even tells us that his story choice, all add a depth to the Gospel story, layering it with meaning and texture. For example, look at the his word choice for the opening of his Gospel, “In the beginning…” It is difficult to miss that he has intentionally used the same words that open the Bible in Genesis 1 – the Creation story. As we read the Gospel of John we would do well to stay closely connected to the creation story in Genesis, for one of John’s themes is that in Jesus we are experiencing a new creation, a new beginning. That theme pops up through out the book. On Easter Sunday we will read that John includes two details not in the resurrection stories of the synoptic gospels – Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Mary meets Jesus in a GARDEN in John, possibly alluding to the Garden of Eden of Genesis; and Mary mistakes Jesus for the GARDENER, alluding to Jesus as the “new Adam” the gardener in Eden. And did you notice the Creation reference in our text today? The story starts of with this subtle hint: “On the third day…” Now he may just be talking about it being 3 days after the last event, and he could have said “three days later.” Instead he uses language that sounds an awful lot like Genesis 1:13 that ends a day of creation by saying, “And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.” On the third day of Creation, God gathered the waters together to separate land from sea, and said, “‘Let the earth put forth vegetation: plants yielding seed, and fruit trees of every kind on earth that bear fruit with the seed in it.’ And it was so” (11). Water and grapes. Water and wine. Hmmm. I think John is saying something here about who Jesus is. This story is ripe with symbols and great sermons that one could preach. Like the symbolism of wine used by the prophets of the Old Testament to talk about the presence of God, the abundance of God, the providence of God. Notice that Jesus doesn’t just make some wine – he makes a ridiculous amount of wine – an over-abundance of the presence of God is known as we walk with Jesus. That’d be a good sermon. I could instead preach about the jars he uses to make the wine in. The jars for ritual purification were more than just convenient, they also serve as sign and symbol. He takes the vessels that were used to make things ritually clean and fills them with wine. Jesus is letting us know that we are now made pure not through ritual, but through walking with him, and some might say through the wine of communion, his blood. I could also do a sermon about the fact that this not just any party, but it is a wedding banquet – one of Jesus’ favorite images for the Kingdom of God. I think I’m up to four sermons already. Take just about any text in the hands of this master writer John, and you can pretty much do that. One commentator, talking about our text for today, writes this: With this story we begin to see the subtlety of the art of the Fourth Evangelist, for the story works on two levels. There is the historical one, certainly, but the story has been told because it aptly displays the theological and social significance of Jesus – he is the one who brings the new wine of the Gospel, which eclipses and makes obsolete previous sources of life and health such as Jewish purification water. (Witherington 78). The challenge this morning is that I have several divergent sermons I could preach, and it is tempting to try to get them the all in here (and maybe I just did). Instead, I will try to be disciplined and delve into only one aspect of the story that is in line with the theme of our series that recounts interactions with Jesus and the growth that happens in the characters as a result. So this morning, our focal point is the conversation that happens between Jesus and Mary. Actually, did you notice that John does not use her name? He never does. He never refers to her as Mary. He simply calls her “his [Jesus’] mother.” That is her only identity for John. Mom. We revere mom on Mother’s Day, but my experience is that when you ask most people about their relationship with their mothers you get a response like, “I love my Mom, but…” The same is true of Dads, but Dads seem to get off easier, maybe because the expectation is lower. Many of us though seem to have, shall we say, “complicated” relationships with their mothers. Maybe the reason is that our moms never seem to forget the toddler we were, even well into adulthood. What is it that moms say, which is a blessing and a bit uncomfortable at the same time? “No matter how old you get, you’ll always be my little Johnny.” They say it when you get enter high school, when you get your drivers license, get married, and even at your retirement dinner. I remember when I told my mom that I thought I was feeling called into ordained ministry she said something like, “But you are too normal to be a pastor.” While that may reflect on what my mom, the church secretary, had learned about her pastors, what I think she meant was that I was just “her kid,” and not someone who could be a pastor. I was her little boy, Joe. Not Pastor Joe. Just Joe. And I never will be my mom’s pastor. It is good to be reminded that we are our parents’ children – just “normal.” But every once in a while, it seems we need to remind our moms (and dads) that we have grown up. Jesus seems to be having one of those moments this morning. He has been baptized, having the Spirit descend upon him like a dove. He has received his first disciples. He is establishing himself as a religious teacher, leader, and scholar. His ministry is starting to take off. Jesus turning water into wine But there’s this thing he has to do. He has been invited to a wedding, maybe before all of his ministry stuff started to take off, and his mom is there. His mom doesn’t see the man standing before her. She sees the kid, the boy who used to run around the carpenter shop calling to Joseph, “abba, abba.” She remembers him getting lost, as she sees it, in the Temple when he was twelve. His mom doesn’t see Jesus, Son of God, the Messiah. Mary sees her “little Yeshua” (Jesus in Aramaic). Yet we get the sense that Mary knows something no one else in the story knows at this point. Somewhere along the way she has seen his power. She knows what he is capable of. Maybe he has fixed a problem or two around the house, so she knows that he can fix this. “Yeshua,” she says, “they’ve run out of wine.” Now a lot has been made about this wine thing, and what an embarrassment this would have been for the groom’s family, and all of that. But honestly, this is one of those miracles that just makes me shake my head. This is not a life-and-death situation. This is wine at a wedding. Weddings usually lasted about a week in Jesus’ day, and when the wine ran out it was a good sign the party was over. The wedding had probably already been going on for days, would it have been such a disaster for it to shut down? Probably not. We expect Jesus to obediently say, “OK mom. I’ll see what I can do.” But he doesn’t. In fact, he is rather short with her. He responds, according to the NRSV translation, with these words, “Woman…” I need to stop right there. I’m guessing that some of you hear that first word of his response, and it becomes the last word you hear. Maybe its because you heard that from a husband or boyfriend, and what followed was never good. Maybe it was by a man in your life to keep you down. Maybe you heard your mom addressed that way when you were a child, and that was a sign that the situation was deteriorating, and things were going to go badly. Still today when you hear that word used that way you feel a pit in your stomach and the anxiety rise within you. Hear this clearly. Jesus is not saying it that way. This is not a pejorative term. The word used here is one used to address a female with respect, similar to the way we might use ma’am. In the Gospel of John Jesus uses the same word to address the woman at the well in chapter 4 and Mary Magdalene in the garden after the resurrection in chapter 20. Both polite interactions. Having said that, we still need to recognize that this is not a term that one would expect Jesus to use to address his mother. One commentator tells us that while calling a woman “woman” was not disrespectful writes, “There are, however, no known examples of a son’s using such a term to address his mother” (Witherington 79). NONE. So while this is not disrespectful, it is still quite jarring. He could have said mother, mom, or even ma. That would have at least shown some warmth. Instead he calls her woman, or ma’am. A respectful but generic term he would use to address any other woman. Jesus is disengaging (Witherington) from Mary at this point, putting her out at arms length. Remember when Philip is telling Nathanael about Jesus, he calls him “Jesus, son of Joseph of Nazareth.” There is a connection to Joseph that Nathanael gets beyond, as he begins to see Jesus as the Son of God, rather than Joseph. The same is happening here. Jesus is being distanced from his mom, so that we can see him as so much more than Mary’s little Yeshua. Jesus’ response continues, “Woman what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come” (vs 4). In that short sentence Jesus is letting her and everyone else know that his authority to act comes not his earthly mother or anyone else, but from his Heavenly Father. “My hour has not yet come,” is a way of Jesus saying that he is waiting for God’s timing because he is not doing whatever he wants, but is carrying out the will of God. He is clarifying that he is not at the beck-and-call of anyone other than God, not even his mom. In what some might say is typical mom-fashion, Mary completely discounts the response of her son. Reading the text you have to wonder if she even heard him. Unfazed, she recruits the help of the servants, telling them to “Do whatever he tells you.” Sure enough Jesus comes through, provides the wine, and keeps the wedding banquet going. On the one hand, Mary is a mom, and we can relate somewhat on that level. On another level of reading though, she is every one of us at some point in our faith development. We know Jesus’ power. We know what he can do for us and others, and we can get stuck there, stop our faith development there. If we are willing to continue in our faith journey though, it gets so much better than this. When I was a kid, I learned this through a bit of parable with my bicycle. My family lived on a dead-end street in a quiet neighborhood (Beachwood, NJ). I had several friends about the same age, and we all hung out together. Our bicycles were an important part of our daily lives. We rode bikes for fun – having races, building ramps, and riding just to ride. Our bikes were also our primary means of transportation to our friends’ houses in the neighborhood, or to the bakery down the street for the best peanut butter cookies in the world. I took good care of that old red Schwinn with the white banana seat. I washed and even waxed it from time to time. As I got older, I learned some basic maintenance like oiling the chain and I remember being pretty good at putting the chain back on when it fell off. But flats were hard. I remember one flat in particular. I was at the age where I thought I should be able to fix it myself, but I hand’t been taught that one yet. Undeterred, I went into our “cold room” – a closed-in carport that functioned as storage of all of our outdoor stuff – turned by bike upside down and got to work. I couldn’t do it. So, I left my bike upside down in the room, knowing that when my dad got home from work he would go through that room as he always did, see my bike, and know what to do. I made sure it was right in his way so he would have to move it to get by. No way he could miss it. Then I went off to play something else with my friends. When I got home that evening for dinner, my dad was already home, and I went into the cold-room to see if he was working on my bike. Nope. Maybe it was already done. Nope. Surely he would ask me about it at dinner. Nope. Maybe he would do it after I went to bed. I got up the next morning and found out. Nope. So I went another day without a bike. The next day, I got smart and when my dad got home from work I asked if he would help me fix my tire. “Sure,” he said. And I learned where the “right tools” were to get the job done. While we were working, I remember asking my dad why he didn’t fix it the night before. He simply said, “You never asked.” Several thoughts went through my head that I was smart enough not to say, like, “Why do I have to ask? You knew I had the flat; you knew what the bike meant to me; why didn’t you just fix it?” Have you ever asked that question about God. He knows everything, so He knows my need. He knows I can’t fix it, and He knows that he can. Why doesn’t he just do it? Why do I have to ask? I learned that day that my dad wanted to be more than my bicycle repair guy. He wanted to be my dad, to have a relationship with his son. The same is true of God. He wants us to realize that He is so much more than our “big fix in the sky.” He wants us to live in relationship with him. Water into wine When Mary says to Jesus, “They have no wine,” I see an upside down bicycle in the middle of the cold room with a flat tire in the way of the one person who can fix it. So Jesus gives that odd response “Woman what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” Jesus doesn’t want to be just a genie in a bottle – rub him the right way, present the problem properly, and he will fix it. He wants more. He wants a relationship with each of us. The Gospel message is so much more than having a Jesus “good luck charm” to carry around in our back pocket to solve our problems. It is a little unsettling to hear Jesus distancing himself from his earthly family, disengaging from Mary, as one author puts it. That is because we have only read half of the story. Mary at Cross The other half of the story happens much later in the Gospel of John, the only other time we read about Mary in the entire book. Mary appears here at the beginning of Jesus ministry, and then again, at the very end, at the foot of Jesus’ cross. John reports that Mary is one of the witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion. As in the wedding story John does not use her name, but simply refers to her as “his mother.” The whole episode of this second and final interaction between Jesus and his mom takes just 3 verses (25-27) to tell, but we hear so much in it. 25And that is what the soldiers did. Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman [there’s that word again], here is your son.” 27Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (NRSV) Again there are two levels at work here. One, in a physical and practical, earthly sense. Jesus is fulfilling his responsibility as the eldest son making sure his mother is well cared for after he is gone. On another level, he is moving Mary from status as his mom, to a member of the “family of faith” as he introduces her to one of his disciples as “here is your son” and “here is your mother.” Notice that does not happen in the production of wine, in the miracle of abundance. Instead it happens in the brokenness of the cross. So too it is for us. We too need to travel to the foot of the cross and move beyond just the abundance of wine to a relationship with the one who loves us so deeply that he went to the cross for each and every one of us. Yet that is what is so often preached. Faith in Jesus in the abundance of wine, because of what he can do for us. “Believe in Jesus and you’ll have a great life, great kids, the house and car you want, the job that satisfies you, and more!” Believe in Jesus and the party will never stop. I’m sure I am not the only one who is sometimes troubled by the way Christianity is celebrated in the media. I hear people thank God or “give all the glory to Jesus” when they win an award, and watch them kneel in the end zone after a touchdown. I hear Christian artists talk about how Jesus helped them get them in the recording business, which seems easy to say when you get to do what you love and make a bunch of money doing it. In other words, it seems to me that we often hold up faith during the wedding when it is pretty easy to be a follower of Jesus. Relying on the wine, relying on the blessings, is so fleeting. Seeing Jesus as a simple miracle worker doesn’t go far enough. There is so much more to our faith than just what we get. I hear John saying to us today that it gets so much better than this. Contrast this “what Jesus does for me” attitude of faith, with a sense of call because of what we have. I don’t know Sandra Bullock’s faith-story, but it was reported this week that she is giving $1million to help with Japan’s recovery from the earthquake and tsunami. Again, I don’t know Angelina Jolie’s expression of faith, but I am impressed that with her celebrity and wealth she is helping the poor in other countries and bringing worldwide awareness to the issue of poverty. Bono, the lead singer of U2, who is a confessing Christian, is said to live a fairly modest lifestyle, and uses his money and celebrity to do much the same, raising awareness for the poorest of the poor all over the world. On a different scale I think of a mom I heard of recently, who had a child die from cancer, and is now a volunteer in a cancer ward, grieving with parents. I know of Stephen’s Ministers who give their extra time to work with those in our congregation who are hurting. We have a crew leaving today to work at the United Methodist Committee on Relief’s (http://umcor.org) depot in Salt Lake City, and our youth going on their mission trips this summer – people giving up their vacation time to do something for others. Talk to those who give like that and you will hear that it gets so much better than an abundance of wine. Wine Steward There is this little detail at the end of the story, almost a little tag, that always makes me smile when I read it. The wine steward tastes the wine and is impressed with the quality of Jesus’ work. He calls the bridegroom over, whom he assumes has provided the wine and says to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). On one level this is a comment about the quality of what Jesus does. But, as we often see in John, there is often another level at work. Read symbolically we can hear John with a wink and a nudge, telling us that something better is still to come. If you think the “miracle working” Jesus is good – just wait, it gets so much better than this. This is just the appetizer – cheap wine masquerading as the good stuff. The best is still to come. Published in Sermon Texts Previous Post Entrainment Next Post Working With My Hands » Mis-Reading the Bible Joe Iovino April 27, 2011 […] day of the meal for symbolic effect. John writes more like poetry than history or reporting (see this sermon I recently preached that opens with a discussion on this), and thus can be read on several levels […] Embracing the future – Joe Iovino June 14, 2019 […] such a hopeful lyric about how all of us can move into the future with hope. “People get ready.” This train is going […]

Still from a movie about "The Bridge" called The Crux Edwin Friedman, a rabbi and family therapist, wrote a fable about a man who is offered and takes a rope. Once he has a good grip on the rope, the man who handed it to him jumps off of a bridge with the rope tied around his waist. The first man is caught in a dilemma. Can he let go of the rope and get on with his life, or should he put his life on hold and take responsibility for the welfare of the one now dangling off the bridge? (Our lead pastor Bob Kaylor preached on this story yesterday: read it - hear it). Sometimes I find myself taking responsibility for the feelings of others. When one friend is upset with another friend, I sometimes take the responsibility to mediate. When my boss is frustrated, I want to take on some of his/her workload to make it easier. When my family is hurting I do all in my power to make everything better. When a church member complains that they don’t like something in the church, I sometimes feel the need to do something about it even when it is not about a ministry area for which I am responsible. Sometimes that inclination is positive. It is good to be able to see a situation through someone else’s eyes. That is called empathy. More of us should reflect on how our actions affect our children or how the actions of others might be hurting members of the church, co-workers, or friends. Other times it crosses a line. When we begin to feel personally responsible for the happiness and well-being of the people around us; when we suspend our lives to keep someone else from getting upset; when we allow others to dictate what we do, when we do it and how, that is no longer healthy. When that happens we need to think about letting go of the rope, or better yet not take it in the first place. That other person’s survival is not our responsibility. We can help. We should help. But we cannot do it for the other. There is another parable I have heard used in sermons and motivational speeches that makes a similar point. The story is of a butterfly-watcher who had two chrysalises he was keeping an eye on, waiting for the butterflies to emerge. One morning he awoke to see that one of the butterflies had broken free of his/her chrysalis, but the other was still struggling break through. The man, wanting to be helpful, grabbed a knife, cut open the chrysalis, and freed the poor, struggling butterfly. The butterfly fell to the ground, unable to fly. Apparently, without the struggle of breaking from the chrysalis it had not developed strength enough in its wings for flight. The man’s “help” had inadvertently done damage to the insect. Sometimes our “help” is no help at all. Parents whose children are not strong enough to face the outside world. Pastors of churches whose faith cannot withstand a struggle. Leaders who burn out because they micromanage every aspect of an organization or business because they don’t want others to feel the stress. Politicians who only give the people what they want rather than lead with integrity. Sometimes we need to let people struggle their way out of their chrysalis. Sometimes that is more help then doing it for them. At first it may seem callous, but it’s not. Sometimes the best and most loving thing to do, for them and for us, is to let go of the rope. Previous Post Hometown missions Next Post Thoughts on “Love Wins” by Rob Bell » Nice is overrated Joe Iovino May 30, 2011 […] is holding on to the rope of the needy person. Direct is allowing the other to take responsibility for her/his own life and […]

Silence, complicity and LGBTQIA inclusion NYOJoe 002: A book on the church’s silence about and complicity with racism, challenged me to no longer remain quiet about LGBTQIA inclusion in the church. Show notes & links Cartoonification by Kristi Iovino “Did you say ‘social fedia meeds’?” Yes. Apparently I did. Blog post: Racism is not ‘someone else’s’ problem The Color of Compromise by Jemar Tisby ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ by MLK How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Race Matters by Cornel West Ephesians 6 Welcome to Not Your Ordinary Joe, a podcast about living a faithful, Christian life in the real world… here… now. No easy answers allowed. Reflecting on a book I recently finished, echo chambers and a memory from my seminary days, has me thinking about speaking up, especially about LGBTQIA inclusion in the church. My name is Joe Iovino, and I am NOT your ordinary Joe. If you have read any of the descriptions of Not Your Ordinary Joe, you’ve learned that my primary goal is to wrestle honestly with difficult questions and topics—things I’m thinking about, learning about, struggling with. Sometimes it may be something I’ve always been taught or thought must be understood or believed in a certain way—but I’m having a hard time with it. So while I have several easier topics ready to record, I thought I should dive in here in episode 2 and give you a sense of what I want to do. Please know that not every episode is going to be as intense, but let’s get it started. In recent days, I have been struggling with the idea of complicity—the complicity of the church and frankly my own—by not having the courage to stand up and be counted. In my recent readings of Ibram X. Kendi, Cornel West, and a rereading of Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ I’ve been reminded how the silence of the church—our unwillingness to say what might be unpopular with some of our members, friends, colleagues—has allowed evils of oppression, like slavery, racism and sexism to continue. In his book The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity with Racism, Jemar Tisby puts it succinctly, “Being complicit,” he writes, “only requires a muted response in the face of injustice or uncritical support of the status quo.” Then in the last few pages of that book, he continues, “Too many Christian leaders refuse to use their platforms to publicly speak against racism. Those who do tend to speak in generalities… More Christians, particularly people with large platforms, must be willing to take the criticism that comes with taking a prominent stance against bigotry.” As a Christian with a platform, I was challenged when I read those lines. And in many ways, that section of Tisby’s book is the spark that moved this podcast from something I had been talking about for months, to becoming the reality you are listening to now. I want to use my small platform to come out from the silence. To speak to what I believe God has placed on my heart. To share what I have been thinking about for days, weeks, months and often years regarding LGBTQIA inclusion. So, since silence is complicity, I need to speak out. To clearly say that I am for LGBTQIA inclusion in the church. We should drop any objections that bar people from membership, leadership, marriage or in any other way limit the participation of anyone due to their sexuality. How did I get to this place? Let me begin with a confession. For a long time, I have been silent on this issue. I hinted, but never spoke out about where I stand. When asked about it, my default was that if an alumnus of one of my youth groups asked me to perform a same-sex wedding ceremony, I would make the decision at that time. Secretly, however, I always hoped it would never come to that, and that’s embarrassing to admit. Standing up to the church, putting my clergy credentials—my livelihood—on the line, seemed foolhardy at best. But I also knew there were ‘kids’ I wouldn’t be able to say no to. So I hedged. I stalled. I tried to be the welcoming pastor to the LGBTQIA people I knew, but I’m guessing they saw right through it to my fear. That’s not to say I have always been in this place. Over the years, my thinking has changed. I’ve grown. It started for me in seminary, from a place that might sound a bit strange, but hang with me. As a student in the late 1980s, I was still questioning the validity of female clergy—I told you, strange place. It’s so embarrassing to admit that at 23 years old, I wasn’t sure about whether it was OK for women to be pastors. I was raised in what I have come to learn was a fairly conservative United Methodist church, or at least the youth group was. Then, sitting in a seminary preaching class, I had a lightning bolt moment. A young woman was sharing a sermon that moved me. Her primary illustration was the day her husband proposed to her. I don’t remember all of the details, but the sermon had to do with election—I went to a Presbyterian seminary—and I remember it being beautiful, one of those moments when you get chills because you sense something divine taking place in your presence. She talked about what it felt like to have someone say they wanted to commit themselves to her, and to ask if she would commit to him also. What an amazing way to think about Jesus’ invitation to follow him. It’s been more than 30 years, and I still think about that from time to time. As a man, a single man at the time, I immediately recognized that this was an experience I was never going to have. This was a sermon I would never be able to preach. What a gift to hear and be challenged to think anew about God’s love for me and commitment to me. Within a moment or two, I wondered what the church would be missing out on if this woman was not permitted to pursue her call to ministry. That thought challenged what I had heard (overtly or just absorbed) as an objection to female clergy. What is it about my Y chromosome that makes me inherently more fit for clergy status than someone without it? Why wouldn’t I want to hear more from the perspective of this thoughtful, gifted preacher? And others like her? Before long, the whole debate over female clergy was over for me. I knew that any rules prohibiting women from being ordained were not only foolish, but actually harmful to my—and many others—spiritual growth. What would the church be missing out on? What were we missing? Today I wonder, What are we missing when we refuse to listen to those who are different from us? The echo chamber In the 60s, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr identified 11 o’clock on Sunday morning as one of the most segregated hours in America. Little has changed in the more than 50 years since. When we go to church, not only are we racially segregated, but we are also often economically, politically, and theologically segregated as well. That should not be. We know, and readily admit, that many in our society live in echo chambers. We tend to fill our social media feeds—and even our selection of news and commentary sources—with people who espouse what we already believe. We friend and follow people that agree with us, and likewise unfriend and unfollow those whose opinions differ from our own. It’s a problem. For example, I’m guessing there are those who turned off this podcast as soon as I stated my stance on LGBTQIA inclusion. If you disagree with me and are still listening, thank you. While we readily recognize it in our podcast and social media feeds—or at least the social media feeds of others—we don’t typically talk about our churches as theological echo chambers. But for many of us, they are. We attend churches pastored by those with whom we already agree. And when they step out of line with our thinking, there is always another church down the street or one whose worship service we can watch online in our pajamas, that will tell us we’re already correct in our thinking, reinforce our current beliefs and never really challenge us. When I was preaching on Sunday mornings as an associate pastor, that could not have been more obvious. Whenever a controversial subject was mentioned from the pulpit—regardless of what was said about it—we were certain to receive pushback, and often threats of people leaving the church. It was so much easier to preach about things no one could possibly object to. Though I’m guessing today there are fewer and fewer of those topics. Two quick examples: The lead pastor in a church I was serving, once mentioned the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in a sermon. He talked about his experience of meeting Palestinians in Israel who still had the keys to the house they had been removed from years before. I know we lost one family in leadership over just mentioning that, and I’m pretty sure there were others as well. Another time, I was assigned a sermon on sexuality (seemed like I was always assigned those sermons) and I mentioned homosexuality—I just mentioned it was a discussion in the church. After the service, a mom complained to the lead pastor that her middle school son had never heard about homosexuality before and she had to explain it to him. I still have trouble believing that a middle school student didn’t know what homosexuality was, but to their credit, the family didn’t leave the church over it. People are typically more forgiving of the associate 🙂 Additionally, I was criticized for taking our youth group to <quote> too many Native American reservations on mission trips, for talking about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa during a sermon, and for suggesting during a Bible study that Jesus might have been a pacifist and didn’t expect the Kingdom of God to come to earth by force. While it’s never fun to receive negative feedback, I recognized that disagreements are healthy. That’s what fosters conversation and growth. Far too often, however, when people disagree they leave. But they don’t have to. When the echo chamber stops echoing and we are being challenged to rethink something—even something we think is fundamental or core—we don’t have to leave. We can choose instead to listen and struggle with a new idea. That new idea might just contain some insight that helps to strengthen our faith, that makes us a better of disciple of Jesus Christ. When I get to this place, I like to remember that the name Israel, Jacob is told, means ‘one who wrestles with God.’ Hmm… maybe that’s what we’re called to do. Getting out of the echo chamber Maybe our churches aren’t supposed to be echo chambers? What would it be like to hear about your faith from someone whose life experience is different from your own. Maybe it’s a person from another culture or a different experience in the faith. One of my favorites—which I don’t do near enough of—is reading Old Testament commentaries by Jewish scholars. But it could be as simple as a sermon about Jesus’ invitation to commit to him, from a pastor who compared it to being asked to enter into a lifelong, committed relationship with her husband. A thought, a sermon, an understanding that would have never occurred to me because of my lack of that experience. Had she not pointed that out to me, I would have missed it completely. The same can be applied to our LGBTQIA brothers and sisters. Some of the people I know who have the deepest faith, who are most committed to the church at a time when they have every reason not to be, are LGBTQIA brothers and sisters. So why does the church bar them from leadership? Why do they consistently hear from the church that they don’t belong? Why do we in the church think we have nothing to learn from all of our brothers and sisters? Why can’t we recognize that we’re missing out? To put it as simply as possible, why is this a division we think we need? The Bible says so… Of course, I know the answer to that questions. Most who disagree will say, “The Bible says so.” If they’ve done a bit of homework, they may be able to quote Leviticus, Mark or Romans or another verse whose reference fits neatly within the 280 characters of a Tweet. Case closed, right? Well… no. We need to look much more deeply at the Bible than that. We need to allow Spirit to speak to us through the Bible and not simply quote it and walk away—especially with no context. I’m working on an episode on the witness of Scripture to share in the coming weeks. That’s a separate, complicated conversation, but here’s a bit of a preview. There are times when an apparent “clear reading of Scripture” doesn’t match up with my experience of the world. What do you do when that happens? Most people see two simple choices—deny scripture or deny their experience—and people make one of those choices every day. Some do what seems crazy to me, and deny their reality. Their child comes out to them and they deny that reality. They choose instead, to ignore or abandon their child. My Bible says homosexuality is an abomination, so my child is an abomination. It’s ugly and extremely hurtful. Families are fractured over this. Others choose instead to walk away from their faith, assuming the Bible isn’t relevant for the 21st century. Someone recently said to me, “I’ve never read the Bible” and then a few seconds later, “I don’t believe in the Bible.” Yeah, that’s the problem that comes from hearing how other people have read the scriptures. Witness of Scripture But there is a third choice. When my experience with LGBTQIA friends doesn’t match with Leviticus calling homosexuality “an abomination,” I need to take another look at the scripture, to go a little deeper, to see if there might be something there. Because I believe the Bible is relevant for our time and our experience—as well as for the times and places in which these things were written—I want to take the time to understand ‘the witness of Scripture’—the whole of Scripture—rather than simply quoting it and walking away. This mode of thinking automatically puts me at a disadvantage in a conversation—especially one on social media—because it doesn’t fit in a Tweet. At best I need a Twitter thread to make the point, and who has time to read all of that that 🙂 But those are the kinds of things we do, right? There was a time when people quoted 1 Corinthians 14:34, “the women should be quiet during the meeting. They are not allowed to talk,” to say that women were not permitted to be pastors an preachers—in some circles that time continues into today (Beth Moore just experienced it recently). Again, we can’t just quote it and walk away—God said it. I believe. That settles it. Instead, we have to do a little more work. We have to dig a little deeper. Again, I’ll work through this more in a future episode, but for now, let me just say that I understand the tension. It feels like we’re picking and choosing what scripture passagess to listen to and which to ignore. Instead, it’s about listening to the whole of the Bible and not just parts of it. I believe the “witness of scripture” calls me to recognize and honor the imago dei—the image of God—in everyone. That’s a biblical understanding from Genesis 1, when God says, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us.” All people regardless of gender, skin tone, sexuality, nation of origin, or any other false division we might want to construct are created in the image of God. We are all one people, one family, each bearing the image of our Creator. Who are we to separate that? To say that others in the human family somehow do not belong because of some disqualifying trait? Maybe you’ve seen the meme that says, “I’d rather be excluded for who I include, than included for who I exclude.” I used to put it this way: I can’t imagine standing before the pearly gates / judgment seat / choose your image, and being told that I’m not going to be admitted to paradise because I loved people too much, showed people too much grace, accepted people too easily. Witness of the elders One more quick thing that I hope is not an aside. I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking with several people who were civil rights leaders in the 60s and every single one I’ve spoken with, has talked about LGBTQIA inclusion. It appears that many of our elders who have thought deeply about racial justice—who have been discriminated against because of the color of their skin—are on the side of full inclusion. My reading about antiracism from the likes of Ibram X. Kendi, Cornell West (I recently reread Race Matters), Jemar Tisby and others, has me understanding that any exclusion of anyone does harm to the human family. And as the church, to the body of Christ. I am finding it increasingly difficult to talk about dismantling racism without also talking about LGBTQIA inclusion. We have to stop dividing the human family. Stop talking about who belongs and who doesn’t, about insiders and outsiders. I am convinced that as Christians, there should never be a ‘them.’ We’re all ‘us.’ We’re all one, deeply-connected family that needs each other. And that is by the design of our creator. A couple of quick Bible images: In 1 Corinthians 12, the Apostle Paul writes about us fitting together like a body, the body of Christ. In that description, he writes, “the eye can’t say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you,’ or in turn, the head can’t say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you.’” But isn’t that exactly what we do when we choose to exclude? Or let’s look at Ephesians 6—those verses about “principalities and powers”—another passage I have wrestled with over the years. I recently heard a great sermon that reframed the verse by looking at what comes before and after it—Yes, I’m a big fan of context. And you don’t have to go far for this one. That verse begins with these words, “We aren’t fighting against human enemies,” before it gets to the spiritualizing part, saying “but against rulers, authorities, forces of cosmic darkness, and spiritual powers of evil in the heavens.” I’ve heard so many people quote the 2nd part while ignoring the first. Even while saying we need to remove some “enemy” from our midst. Look, I get that it’s a lot easier to get elected when you convince people that the “other side” is the enemy. It may even be simpler to convert people to your faith when you convince them that the other churches, denominations, worship styles, theologies, religions, expressions of faith and the people that adhere to them, are the real problem. It seems to me, however, that whenever we say, “If only we could get rid of them—whoever your them is (the conservatives, the liberals, whoever)—then everything would be perfect,” you are thinking in a way that is harmful and contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 6 is warning us against that very thing. We cannot split humanity up into us and them. We aren’t fighting against human enemies—at least we shouldn’t be. And in the midst of an election season, that’s what we’re hearing over and over again. If you are on one side, you’re hearing Biden is the enemy. If you’re on the other, you’re being told Trump is the enemy. The same is true in the church. Those people who believe that, are the enemy. I’m not listening to them anymore. I wish we could focus less on the second part of that verse and more on the first, “We aren’t fighting against human enemies.” So, this is my confession. This is me coming clean. This is me finally saying what I’ve wanted to say for some time but was too afraid of what the repercussions might be. LGBQTIA inclusion is long, long overdue. Thank you for listening. Not Your Ordinary Joe is now available on your favorite podcasting site, including Spotify and Stitcher. Subscribe or follow so you don’t miss an episode. And to learn more about me and Not Your Ordinary Joe, go to joeiovino.com/NYOJoe Published in Not Your Ordinary Joe Previous Post Humility, Striving and Satisfaction Next Post Percolator hospitality Backroads, monuments and the witness of Scripture – Joe Iovino October 13, 2020 […] I started this conversation in episode 002: Silence, complicity and LGBTQIA inclusion […]

Suwon Bluewings Hong Chul (Hangul: 홍철; Hanja: 洪喆; Korean pronunciation: [hoŋ.tɕʰʌl]; born 17 September 1990) is a South Korean football player who plays for Ulsan Hyundai.

P.Pinang PJ City FC Yoges a/l A. Muniandy (born 13 November 1998) is a Malaysian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Penang in the Malaysia Premier League.

5 Tips to Get You Out of a Slump Whether you’re a seasoned real estate agent or a newly-licensed agent trying to get your business off the ground, you may find yourself in a slump from time to time. What do you do to overcome it? We sat down with national real estate coach Sherri Johnson to get her advice on how to get out of a slump. Click the video below to watch this insightful interview. Want more of Sherri Johnson’s expert tips for real estate agents? Check out her 90-Day Bootcamp, or set up a free one-hour strategy consultation. Don’t have time to watch the video? Here’s are a few key takeaways so that you can get the gist (although you will get the most information and value from watching the full interview). #1: Show up for your job If you don’t know how to get out of a slump and you’re thinking, “I’m not going make it. I’m going to quit real estate and get a ‘real job,’” think again. Being a real estate agent is a real job, and it’s the best job in the universe, Johnson asserts. So the first thing is to get up every morning, show up for your job, and get to work. #2: Have a business plan Write up a plan detailing what you’re going to do to generate more business. Ask yourself, “Am I going to go after my sphere? Am I going to call expireds? Am I going to up my social media?” Decide what you’re going to do to get more exposure and get more people into a pipeline. FREE GUIDE: Want to earn 5% more for each listing? This free guide explains how. #3: Generate a pipeline of leads “You have unrealized business you don’t even know you have,” says Johnson. Don’t just look at the people who are ready to buy or sell right now. Write down all the people that you’re talking to about buying and all the people you’re talking to about listing and create a pipeline to generate future business. “If you build a pipeline of future business, you will have business every single month, which I call consistent, predictable monthly income,” Sherri states. #4: Create daily habits and routines Set a goal to get so many listings each week, and establish daily habits and routines to help you accomplish that goal. Remember, if you want to increase your real estate income, the key is to go on more appointments. Create daily routines of calling your sphere, calling expired listings, and getting those appointments. Write down your goals and put them up around your home and office as reminders to help you stay focused. “You have to say to yourself, ‘I am going to list a house this week, I just don’t know the address,’” Johnson advises. “You have to start with yourself and you have to believe that you can make this happen.” #5: Don’t give up “You can get to wherever you want to go. Don’t give up,” Sherri encourages. “Go on my website at sherrijohnson.com. There’s a Gold-Mine Pipeline™ webinar on-demand that you can watch for free. The form will be emailed to you, and you can just start right now today.” Want more advice on how to get out of a slump and accelerate your real estate business? In her 90-day Bootcamp, Sherri Johnson will give you the confidence to hit the ground running with proven strategies to help you generate immediate results in the first month. featured, how to get out of a slump, real estate, real estate agent, real estate career, real estate listing, real estate tips, Sherri Johnson

Joseph Mellor Update: The Road to Quantum Mechanics is Coming Back New article in the series just came out and you should expect at least one more by the end of the month. It’s strange how clear things look in hindsight. I knew that you should take a break is better when you’re feeling burnt out and I had even said it before when describing how I get things done, but I didn’t. While banging your head against a wall until it breaks has… More from Joseph Mellor BS in Physics, Math, and CS with a minor in High-Performance Computing. You can find all my articles at https://josephmellor.xyz/articles/.

Logo Design Love book David had contacted me back in Mar. '09 about being one of the contributors. I was honoured to be featured on three of the pages. I was excited to receive David Airey's new book, Logo Design Love in the mail a few days ago. Filmaps logo and sketches Overall I was very impressed with the book. I found it easy to read and very insightful. It seemed I was always either agreeing or learning as I read. It really renewed my love for what I do for a living and made me want to strive harder to do my best. Definitely in my top three design books - and I have a lot of books.

(Contemporary Issues in) Technology Education (DL 31.5.2023) Technology in Mathematics Education (Closed) Sustainability and Education (Closed) (Contemporary Issues in) Technology Education LUMAT invites researchers, practitioners, and educators to contribute to the upcoming special issue on (Contemporary Issues in) Technology Education. In a contemporary world, technology is ever more present in the everyday life of all citizens regardless of their age. Hence technological literacy is becoming an increasingly important part of general education and its development should be enhanced throughout the educational path. Technology education contains many facets including understanding the role and relations of technology in society (technology as a phenomenon), grasping the essential aspects of creating a technological artifact or solving a technology-related problem (technology as a process), and using technology in different situations and circumstances (technology as a tool). Technology education aims to help students with technology by providing them with the tools and skills needed to understand and utilise it. It can take place in all levels of education from kindergarten to adult education. Technology education is a complex domain with several interrelationships between discourses surrounding technology and social, economic, political, cultural, and philosophical perspectives. It can relate to numerous topics, subjects, and disciplines, and cover a broad range of activities from a learning task accomplished in minutes to long processes for mastering a great comprehension or expert skill. However, a common denominator for all technology education is/should be that it explicitly aims at learning about technology. Thus, it can be questioned whether, for example, the mere use of educational technology in teaching and learning other subjects with no learning objectives related to technology, can be regarded as technology education. This special issue welcomes both theoretical and empirical contributions from all aspects and all levels of technology education. We do, however, require, that the work presents clearly how it relates to learning about or for technology. Topics to be addressed can include – but are not limited to: Exploring the variety of approaches that are used to teach technology, such as Inquiry-based learning, Problem-based Learning, Project-based learning, and Design-based Learning, by defining, and identifying the advantages and disadvantages for teaching and learning. Exploring the implications of drawing on discipline curriculum knowledge into mainstream integrated technology education projects, and how student learning can be mapped. Investigating how both boys’ and girls’ interests and behaviors can be accommodated in technology education to help ensure the development of appropriate literacies for all. Deadlines and special issue timetable: Submission deadline (full paper): May 31, 2023 After the deadline we will implement continuous publication model. We welcome both empirical as well as theoretical manuscripts in English, Finnish and Swedish Acceptance criteria for the manuscripts are that they: Are research-based and have not been previously published. Contain the following subsections: Context/relevance of the study: Why the research was conducted. Aim/research questions: What guided the research. Theoretical framework/conceptual rationale/pragmatic grounding: How the current research is connected to the earlier studies. Research methods and research design: How the research was conducted (both empirical and theoretical manuscripts are welcome). Results (in theoretical manuscripts, the discussion on how the manuscript contributes to the earlier research can be combined with the discussion section and Result section might be omitted. Discussion/Conclusions/Implications: How the research questions were answered, how the research results contribute to the field. References in APA 7 style: Use the template on the journal website. Follow the academic research guidelines for ethical and professional academic publishing, such as: publishing original work, accurate and detailed findings and methodology, including those writers as authors that have contributed to the work significantly; including all the permissions to publish previously published content from the copyright holders; adhering to (personal) data protection legislation (confidential information, identifying individuals, etc.) Are clearly written - English clarity and correct grammar are expected. If necessary, the authors are asked to proofread, and copy edit the manuscripts prior to the submission. General paper submission guidelines can be found here. PhD Johanna Naukkarinen, LUT University, Finland PhD Sonja Niiranen, Tampere University, Finland Chemistry Education Physics Education Technology in Education editoriportal Usage Statistics Information We log anonymous usage statistics. Please read the privacy information for details. LUMAT: International Journal on Math, Science and Technology Education Published by the University of Helsinki, Finland and LUMA Centre Finland. Follow LUMAT on LinkedIn and Twitter via #lumatjournals.

Is Wage Garnishment the Only Way to Collect on Judgments? We recently published a rather detailed post explaining why it’s necessary to understand garnishment laws in your state. That post led to another question: is wage garnishment the only way to collect an outstanding judgment? In short, no. While garnishment is an effective tool in some cases, there are other ways to get debtors to settle up. Judgment collection firms will use garnishment when it is deemed to be the right course of action. When it is not appropriate, other options are looked at. Then there are the cases in which garnishment is combined with other strategies to increase the chances that a given judgment is paid in full. Establishing Voluntary Payment Plans A typical judgment collection service is not looking to forcibly compel debtors to pay up using heavy-handed tactics. We are no different here at Judgment Collectors. We would be very happy if every debtor we pursued willingly worked with us to establish a voluntary payment plan. From our perspective, there is no need to create friction where none exists. Unfortunately, voluntary payment plans are not the norm in our business. When we can work with debtors in this way, we encourage them to pay as much as they can on a regular basis. Hopefully, they keep up their end of the bargain and the judgment is paid off in short order. But if not, there are still other options. Placing Property Liens One of the most effective tools we have above and beyond garnishment is the tried-and-true property lien. We may discover that a debtor owns a piece of real estate property not being used as a primary residence. That property is an ideal target for a lien. Placing a lien on a piece of property prevents it from being sold until the judgment is satisfied. If the debtor insists on selling the property anyway, any sale proceeds go to satisfy the debt first. If there is anything left over, it goes back to the owner. Lump-Sum Payments Yet another tool is the lump-sum payment. You would probably be surprised by how many debtors choose this option when we finally catch up with them. It turns out they have had the money to pay all along. But rather than doing so, they chose to avoid payment in hopes that we or the creditor would just give up and walk away. As a successful judgment collection agency, giving up is not the way we do business. Why We Use Other Tools Getting back to garnishment one last time, we use other collection tools because garnishment has some inherent limits. For example, most states limit the amount of money that can be garnished from a person’s paycheck. Also, not all of a person’s wages are subject to garnishment. The end result of state limits is that garnishment generally doesn’t produce sizable payments. Even though the creditor gets a little bit every time the debtor gets paid, it could take years to pay off a judgment of any size. Our goal as judgment collectors is to get the debt paid as quickly as possible. If that means garnishment plus something else, we are okay with that. Garnishment is an effective tool to get payments started. It is also a way to ensure that creditors are being slowly repaid on a regular schedule. But in the end, garnishment is neither the only nor the most effective tool for collecting on bad judgments. We have other tools that produce equal or better results. Rest assured that we use every available tool to get debtors to pay what they owe. debt collection unpaid judgments Tagged wage garnishment Why Your Attorney May Not Be the Best Person for Debt Collection 4 Signs Suggesting You Need Help Collecting Judgments

← The Lord Reigneth: Psalm 93 and 97 KJV Warning: Those who depart from the Lord Jesus Christ shall be written in the earth. Jeremiah 17:13, John 4:14, and John 8:1-19 KJV → Take heart the words of Jesus regarding making disciples of all nations in Matthew 28:18-20 KJV Posted on July 8, 2017 by Julia Garrison's blog And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world, Amen.

Penal Code 632 Recording Conversations Without Consent Kaass AK October 24, 2016 Criminal Law Is it Legal to Record Conversations Between Parties? Generally, under California law you are not allowed to record confidential communications between two or more parties. California Penal Code 632 (PC-632) and Invasion of Privacy Act Under Penal Code Section 632 (PC-632), authorized under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, makes it illegal for an individual to record a “confidential communication” whether the communication is carried among one of the parties or recorded on a telephone. Recording Confidential Communication California Penal Code section 632.7 enforces criminal liability upon persons who record confidential communications. While Penal Code section 637.2, enforces civil liability upon persons who intercept or receive a communication involving a cellular or cordless telephone and record the communication without consent. Under Penal Code § 632(c), defines “confidential communication” as any communication disclosed between two persons in a private environment. This excludes communication exchanged between two people in a public environment because the conversation could be overheard or recorded by anyone within the vicinity of that area. What Are the Penalties for Violating PC 632? Fine of up to $2,500 and/or Imprisonment for up to a year. What Are Exceptions to Recording Confidential Communication? In California, Police officer generally may record conversation without the knowledge of another during criminal investigation In California, informants using a hidden recording device as part of a criminal investigation are generally permitted to carry out that act See Penal Code Section 632.7(b) Recording Confidential Communication Under California Penal Code Section 632.7 (b) (b) This section shall not apply to any of the following: (1) Any public utility engaged in the business of providing communications services and facilities, or to the officers, employees, or agents thereof, where the acts otherwise prohibited are for the purpose of construction, maintenance, conduct, or operation of the services and facilities of the public utility. (2) The use of any instrument, equipment, facility, or service furnished and used pursuant to the tariffs of the public utility. (3) Any telephonic communication system used for communication exclusively within a state, county, city and county, or city correctional facility. (c) As used in this section, each of the following terms have the following meaning: (1) “Cellular radio telephone” means a wireless telephone authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in the frequency bandwidth reserved for cellular radio telephones. (2) “Cordless telephone” means a two-way, low power communication system consisting of two parts, a “base” unit which connects to the public switched telephone network and a handset or “remote” unit, that are connected by a radio link and authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in the frequency bandwidths reserved for cordless telephones. (3) “Communication” includes, but is not limited to, communications transmitted by voice, data, or image, including facsimile. Cases Involving Recording Confidential Communications Pursuant to Roberts v. Wyndham defendants’ motion to dismiss plaintiffs’ claims brought under Cal. Penal Code § 632.7 was denied because plaintiffs suspected a communication involving at least one cellular phone, which satisfied the California Supreme Court’s interpretation of § 632.7. The appeal of section 632.7 to plaintiffs is that it may not require the subject communication be confidential, unlike section 632. The question is raised, though, if section 632.7 even applies to the parties to a cellular or cordless telephone call. Please get in touch with KAASS Law for any questions or concerns. Previous Previous post: California Commercial & Recreational Drone Regulations Next Next post: California Extortion and Blackmail Crimes Under Penal Code 518 PC

Startseite » Karaoke Songs » Best Karaoke Songs 80s Best Karaoke Songs 80s We are reader-supported. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Are you ready to sing your heart out? It’s time to hit the dance floor with some of the best karaoke songs from the 80s. We’ve gathered some of the best karaoke songs from the era, so you can start belting out your favorite 80s tunes. You’ll find classic hits from all genres, from pop and rock to hip-hop and R&B. So let’s get this party started and sing along to the best 80s karaoke songs! “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey Dont Stop Believin by Journey is one of the most iconic songs of the 1980s and an absolute classic for karaoke enthusiasts. Its an uplifting, feel-good anthem that will bring back great memories for many people. The songs easy-to-sing chorus is incredibly catchy and its memorable guitar riff will get everyone singing along. The song’s lyrics tell a powerful story of hope, and youll find yourself belting out the chorus at top volume. The song is perfect for group karaoke, but it can also be a great solo performance. No matter how you decide to sing it, its sure to be a hit with the crowd. So grab the mic and don’t stop believin! “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston is one of the most iconic and beloved karaoke songs from the 80s. Released in 1987, the song was an instant hit, topping the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for an incredible four weeks. The infectious tune is still a favourite of karaoke lovers today. Whitney’s powerful and soulful vocals are the perfect accompaniment for a passionate karaoke performance. Whether you’re looking for a fun party tune or a romantic ballad, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” is the perfect karaoke song to belt out with friends. It’s sure to get the party started, or bring a tear to your eyes if you’re singing it to someone special. So grab the mic and let your inner diva shine! “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper is an absolute classic karaoke song from the 80s. It’s one of the most beloved songs of the era, and is the perfect choice for any karaoke night. The song was originally released in 1983, and was a huge hit not just in the US but around the world. It was one of the first songs to bring a girl-power message to the mainstream, and it’s still just as relevant today. The song’s catchy chorus is easy to sing along to, and its cheerful lyrics are sure to get everyone in the mood to party. It’s one of the most iconic songs of the 80s, and it’s a great song for getting everyone singing and dancing. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! The classic 80s hit Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! is an absolute must-have for any karaoke night. This upbeat and fun song is sure to have everyone on their feet and singing along. The music video is an iconic part of 80s pop culture, with the band members dressed in their colorful and funky outfits while they dance and sing along to the song. This classic 80s hit is sure to be a hit with your friends and family, as everyone will recognize and sing along to the catchy chorus. The lyrics are easy to follow, and the lyrics are also quite uplifting and encouraging, which makes it a great choice for karaoke nights. So if you want to get the party going, turn up the volume and get ready to sing Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins is one of the most iconic karaoke songs of the 80s. The infectious beat and catchy lyrics make it a crowd-pleaser every time it comes on. The song is about breaking free from the chains of oppression and embracing the joys of life. The upbeat tempo and strong chorus encouraged people to get up and dance, making it perfect for the karaoke stage. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including a remake by Blake Shelton. But nothing beats Loggins’ original version. So if you’re looking for a classic 80s karaoke song to get a party started, “Footloose” is the perfect choice. It’s sure to get the crowd singing and dancing along in no time. “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts If you’re looking for an 80s karaoke classic, then you can’t go wrong with the iconic “I Love Rock n Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. The song was released in 1982 and quickly became a chart-topping hit. It’s full of attitude and rebellion, with its catchy riffs, powerful lyrics, and of course, Joan Jett’s signature vocal style. This classic 80s anthem has been covered by numerous artists over the years, but nothing beats the original. The song is great for karaoke because it’s easy to learn and the chorus is very catchy. The next time you fire up the karaoke machine, put on “I Love Rock n Roll” and get ready to rock out with the best of the 80s! What Songs Did Adele Sing In Carpool Karaoke? Alex December 1, 2022 December 2, 2022 | Are you ready to take a musical drive with one of the world’s most talented singers? Join Adele on her… What Are the Most Popular French Karaoke Songs In Usa? Do you have a special talent of singing French songs? Are you looking for the best French karaoke songs to… Best Karaoke Songs To Sing At a Bar Are you looking for the perfect song to sing on karaoke night? Look no further! We’ve compiled a list of… Spotify Karaoke Mode What to Wear to Karaoke Night How to Host a Karaoke Party What Should I Sing At Karaoke Carpool Karaoke Karaoke Games Karaoke Microphones Karaoke Speakers -50% Rabatt SUP Guide Berlin bis Sonntag 23:59

Published by Kashell Triumph at May 31, 2020 Trials of Mana. A remake done right. One of the games included in the Collection of Mana was one of the most longed for games during the Super Nintendo’s era: Secret of Mana […]

Home News & Community Coming together to build a better Nogojiwanong/Peterborough and a better world Coming together to build a better Nogojiwanong/Peterborough and a better world Next steps from five action teams on implementing the United Nations' sustainable development goals locally Hayley Goodchild of Peterborough GreenUP and Shaelyn Wabegijig of the Kawartha World Issues Centre are the project coordinators for a local initiative to implement five priority areas (Indigenous leadership, poverty eradication, clean water and sanitation, quality education, and climate action) from the 17 sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015. After working on the initaitive since last year, the pair recently met for the first time in person at GreenUP's Ecology Park. (Photo: Genevieve Ramage) Each week, GreenUP provides a story related to the environment. This week’s guest column is by Shaelyn Wabegijig, Co-ordinator, Kawartha World Issues Centre. Like many communities around the world, Nogojiwanong/Peterborough is ramping up efforts to deal with the critical issues before us. Following a virtual forum held in March, where community group representatives and interested individuals came together to learn about and discuss a local strategy to address global challenges, we are now ready to take the next step. The issues of greatest importance to our region — as identified in a community gathering in February 2019 — are prioritizing Indigenous leadership, eradicating poverty, quality education, clean water and sanitation, and climate action. Four of these five priority areas were selected from the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015. The fifth, prioritizing Indigenous leadership, was chosen by our community to frame and lead the other four priority action areas. An Indigenous Leadership Action Team was created to prioritize Indigenous leadership. Made up of representatives primarily from local Michi Saagiig First Nations — along with an Elder advisor and two Michi Saagiig Anishinaabe consultants — the action teams representing poverty, education, clean water, and climate action were guided to understand and consider their issue from an Indigenous worldview and perspective. To help the action teams, the Indigenous Leadership Action Team highlighted existing resources, offered important insight, and identified voices missing from the consultation process. At the spring forum, the community was introduced to the five action teams tasked with leading the local SDG response. Four months later, our local action teams, as supported by the Kawartha World Issues Centre and GreenUP, are ready to share their approach, strategies, and the opportunities they see for our community. The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, with the four priority action areas for Nogojiwanong/Peterborough outlined in black. A fifth priority area, prioritizing Indigenous leadership, was chosen by the local community to frame and lead the other four priority action areas. (Graphic: United Nations) To promote an understanding of the local SDG project, what the priority areas mean locally, and how they can be addressed, the action teams created reports for our use. They can be found alongside the local SDG project overview at www.kwic.info/advancing sdgs. Below you’ll find a sample of next steps from each of the action team reports. While reading them, consider how they might be applied to your own lives, work, and community. In the report from the Indigenous Leadership Action Team, team members recommend we work towards increasing access to cross-cultural, land-based learning. This will enable us to build stronger relationships with each other and the land. The report also suggests creating more opportunities for youth, identifying and supporting Indigenous champions, and promoting the development of reciprocal relationships between local decision-makers and Indigenous communities. Finally, the Indigenous Leadership report encourages a shift in our current system to one where we are open to transformation through Indigenous knowledge, relationships and worldviews. This would enable us to move beyond “us and them” to a more collaborative way of living together and moving forward. The next step in the local SDG process, as recommended by the No Poverty Action Team Report, involves ensuring that those who have experienced, or are experiencing, poverty are included in the development and delivery of anti-poverty initiatives. To address their challenge, this team also recommends building deeper partnerships and support systems between community organizations, including those that haven’t historically identified themselves as part of the anti-poverty movement. Before the pandemic, a group of students from Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School in Peterborough helped to plant trees, shrubs, and perennial flowers at Applewood Retirement Residence in the city’s Kawartha Heights neighbourhood, as part of Peterborough GreenUP’s Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods program. This is an example of how the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of “quality education” can be implemented locally. (Photo: Hayley Goodchild) The local Quality Education Action Team wants to ensure we’ve included the input and engagement of people who’ve been excluded from quality education initiatives in the past, especially youth from traditionally marginalized groups. Quality education initiatives should respond to the specific needs of a community. Greater representation during both program design and implementation will ensure that these initiatives provide meaningful opportunities for all learners. Next steps from the Clean Water and Sanitation Team Report include developing or building upon existing local groups, partnerships, and networks in a way that enables a diversity of stakeholders to advocate for clean water. This team is interested in collecting data on local water and watershed health in order to initiate meaningful future improvement. Our local governments and community groups have already put much thought and consultation into developing a response to climate change in our communities. In their report, the Climate Action Team indicates that an important next step in addressing this issue is to prioritize the implementation of these plans and policies, and to collaborate across sectors to maximize their impact. Ultimately, the SDG action team reports provide a model for how to approach and advance the key priority areas for our community and engage individuals that are often excluded in local decision-making. “Great efforts have been made to include as many voices as possible in this project,” says Brianna Salmon, executive director of GreenUP. “Like the global SDG movement, the project is committed to ensuring no one is left behind. We want everyone to feel welcome to share their concerns and to be a part of the solutions.” Many in our global community agree that now is the time for change and transformation. While global frameworks like the sustainable development goals are helpful in getting national priorities on track for positive change, we need real action at the local level. On February 24 and 25, 2021, the Kawartha World Issues Centre and GreenUP hosted a community forum in Peterborough/Nogojiwanong to update and further develop the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals at the local level. More than 200 people, representing various communities, interests, and organizations, attended the forum via Zoom. (Screenshot: Shaelyn Wabegijig) As a community, we’ve been gifted with a diversity of citizens — including you — who have the knowledge, skills and determination to improve our world and address the challenges we face. The local SDG team encourages you to continue the conversations we’ve started, look for opportunities to implement these recommendations, and build relationships to move this project forward, together, in a good way. If you have any questions, please email shaelyn@kwic.info. 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Winter wonderland for disabled children and young people Murray Evans / December 30, 2021 Eloise enjoys the Winter Wonderland with the help of her mum A disabled children’s resource centre in Herne Bay was transformed into a winter wonderland, complete with ice rink and Santa’s Grotto. Children with disabilities used specially-adapted wheelchairs to skate on the ice, and there were fun push-along penguin ‘skate aids’ available for disabled children without wheelchairs to help them skate around the rink at Windchimes, in Reynolds Close As well as the ice rink and Santa’s grotto, there was a magic show, a bubble fairy, a silent disco, face-painting, Christmas-themed arts and crafts, gingerbread decorating and North Pole letter-writing to keep children entertained and enjoy the excitement of the run-up to Christmas. The event was organised by the charity SNAAP, which provides an extensive range of services to children and young people up to 25 years old with disabilities. Tickets to the event were booked in advance and around 100 children attended each of the two sessions. Carrie Wood, who founded the charity, said: “It’s such a pleasure to be able to put on this magical winter wonderland for our disabled children and young people. Teddy with his dad, Lee “I have a son who is disabled, and he is absolutely mesmerised by the magic of Christmas storytelling, but it can be difficult going to events that don’t specifically cater for disabled children and young people. His love of Christmas inspired me to create this winter wonderland for disabled children, giving them the chance to enjoy all the magic of Christmas in accessible, safe and secure surroundings. “The pandemic will have been particularly tough for disabled children and events like this can really boost their mental health, giving them the chance to spend quality time with their friends and family and enjoy the thrill of skating on ice. “We have been running Covid-safe activities during the pandemic and keeping up-to-date with the latest government guidelines around Covid safety. The event took place outside, with marquees that have their sides up to allow for constant airflow, plenty of hand-sanitisers around the venue and timings for Santa visits to eliminate the need for queuing. “All staff and volunteers had to show proof of a negative lateral flow test on the day, and we encouraged parents to take a test before attending.” Jenny with Holly, one of the helpers at the event The event has received £4,666 funding from Kent County Council’s Locality Grants scheme, provided by the Reconnect: Kent Children and Young People programme. Carrie added: “The Reconnect funding has added huge value to our event, enabling us to provide the ice rink with special wheelchair facilities, the magician, face painter as well as other Christmas-themed activities that our funding wouldn’t have been able to cover. We hope that the children and young people left the event having had a wonderful festive experience and special memories of their time with us.” Alfie, skating with the help of a penguiin Sue Chandler, KCC’s Cabinet Member for Integrated Children’s Services, said: “It’s fantastic that Reconnect funding gave disabled children and young people the chance to experience ice-skating and all the other Christmas activities that Carrie and her colleagues in SNAAP have put on. “It is local charities and organisations like SNAAP who are coming together to put on amazing activities and making a real difference to Kent’s children and young people. “I hope it was a lovely Christmas event for children and young people to remember for many years to come, and hopefully events like these inspire other people to volunteer their time to make a positive difference to children’s lives.” About SNAAP SNAAP (which stands for Special Needs Advisory and Activities Project) was started in 2003 by a group of parents who wanted to make a difference to the lives of disabled children and young people, and their families, and realised that they were not alone in feeling isolated and frustrated. With the help of Contact a Family, who carried out a consultation that highlighted a lack of support and information and very few leisure opportunities for disabled children, SNAAP was born. About Reconnect The Reconnect: Kent Children and Young People Programme was created in April 2021 to try to reconnect children and young people with things they have missed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Young people have told us that they want to return to doing fun activities with friends and family, enjoy new experiences such as festivals and camping, start their hobbies again and take part in clubs, and enjoy the outdoors by taking part in activities such as climbing and kayaking. Reconnect is a universal programme, focussing on providing positive experiences and opportunities for Kent’s children and young people, in recognition of the sacrifices they have made throughout the pandemic. The programme runs from April 2021 to the end of August 2022. More information about Reconnect can be found on our website. Winter wonderland for disabled children and young people was last modified: January 17th, 2022 by Murray Evans December 30, 2021 in Media Releases. Tags: Children, disabled, Windchimes, Winter Wonderland ← Reuse before you recycle this Christmas A New Year message from the Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough →