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Ancient Geoglyphs This event has been RESCHEDULED to Friday, March 27 at 7 PM. The deserts of the American southwest contain one of the largest concentrations of geoglyphs outside of Peru’s Nazca Lines. These ancient Native American works of earthen art can be up to hundreds of feet long, and yet are often invisible until viewed from above. Before drones, GPS, or Google Maps, photographer Harry Casey began a unique archaeology project. Armed with nothing more than topographic maps, 35mm film cameras, and his beloved Piper J3 Cub aircraft, Casey spent thirty-five years documenting the region’s geoglyphs before natural erosion and human intervention could destroy these fragile sites. A newly published book, Geoglyphs of the Desert Southwest: Earthen Art as Viewed from Above, authored by Harry Casey and Anne Morgan, collects Casey’s photographs into the first visual record of these beautiful and mysterious features. A book signing will take place after the lecture. Geoglyphs of the Desert Southwest, published by Sunbelt Publications, is the first book dedicated to the earthen art of the southwest deserts of the United States. Steven M. Freers, rock art researcher and co-author of Rock Art of the Grand Canyon Region praises the book, “This definitive book is an elegant historical account of the relentless pursuit to document and comprehend one of humankind’s great enigmas as expressed on desert surfaces. It is a gem, an essential addition to anyone’s library where the mysteries of rock art holds special status.” The eldest of three sons born into a farming family east of Brawley, California, Harry Casey had always been interested in flying, photography, and desert archaeology. These interests led him to take classes from noted archaeologist and historian Jay von Werlhof at the Imperial Valley College in El Centro, California. After many years of flying and photographing, Casey donated his extensive collection of photographs and research to the Imperial Valley Desert Museum, where Anne Morgan was the Head Archivist/Curator. Anne met Harry and his wife, Meg Casey, and what began as an archival project on nearly 10,000 aerial images became a friendship and partnership as she helped edit Harry’s original manuscript into a published book. Date: RESCHEDULED Friday, March 27, 2020 Location: San Diego Archaeological Center Register for Ancient Geoglyphs Artifact of the Week: Chinese Hair Pin Shrouded Heritage Watershed Explorers Hike HandsOn San Diego Day of Service

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Why the world needs Robin: Advocates launch Robin Hood Tax Global Week of Action By Meredith Mazzotta on May 15, 2012 . Robin Hood Tax supporters protest in Spain. A hodgepodge group of charities, green groups, trade unions, community organizations, celebrities, religious leaders and politicians are rallying this week to bring global attention to a Financial Transaction Tax (FTT) meant to “reform Main Street” with a small tax on bank profits. The idea is to implement a tax of less than half of one percent on the purchase/sale or transfer of the four main financial asset classes (equities, bonds, foreign exchange or other derivatives) and use that money, which the campaign estimates to be in the hundreds of billions, to fund a variety of initiatives, including jobs to kick-start the economy, saving the social safety net here and around the world, and dealing with the world’s “climate challenges.” “We want a new smart tax on bank speculation. Every time the banks trade currency or shares they give back a tiny microtax to do good. Nothing to them, everything to people in desperate need,” said Dr. Paul Zeitz, vice president of Policy at ACT V: The End of AIDS, one of the initiators of the Robin Hood Tax USA Campaign. “Ordinary people should not pay the price of bank’s mistakes. The reckless behavior of the financial sector helped push millions of people into poverty, led to huge job losses and cut backs to essential services.” Launched in February 2010, the campaign has grown into a global movement with more than half a million active campaigners in 45 countries. The coalition is ramping up to push a group of nine European countries – led by Germany and France – to implement an FTT this year, with other European Union member states expected to take on the issue at meetings in the coming months. Robin Hood Tax supporters rally in Rwanda. “Robin Hood supporters believe that banks, hedge funds and the rest of the financial sector should pay their fair share to clear up the mess they helped create,” the U.S. campaign website reads, referring to the financial crisis and subsequent recession that shook the world in 2008. This week’s launch of the U.S. Robin Hood Tax campaign at a Chicago rally of unions and civil society organizations was timed to coincide with the annual G8 Summit (May 18 – 19), where leaders of the world’s eight largest economies will gather in Camp David, MD. Supporters hope the rally will bring attention to the cause. Specifically, the U.S. site states that there will be enough money generated to protect American schools, housing, local governments and hospitals, and enough to pay for lifesaving AIDS medicines. All the while, it won’t affect the personal savings or everyday consumer activities of ordinary Americans. Zeitz, who calls the tax doable and desirable, said the Robin Hood Tax can help respond to global emergencies, including global health priorities like ending AIDS and combatting tuberculosis (TB), for instance by ensuring that the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria can expand programs to end these diseases of mass destruction. This entry was posted in Budget, HIV/AIDS on May 15, 2012 . ← Updated: FDA committee recommends Truvada’s approval as PrEP UNITAID seeks innovative HIV, TB and malaria proposals → One thought on “Why the world needs Robin: Advocates launch Robin Hood Tax Global Week of Action” David Bryden May 15, 2012 at 3:53 pm The momentum for this in Europe is exciting, and now it’s picking up in the US too. It does not have to be implemented globally to work – I recommend this essential reading: http://www.stampoutpoverty.org/?lid=11539 The nurses are leading the charge -see this interview by Bill Moyers! http://billmoyers.com/segment/roseann-demoro-on-the-robin-hood-tax/

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DANIEL TOSH HAPPY THOUGHTS DVD Contest Seat42f and Comedy Central have teamed up to give FIVE lucky winners a copy of DANIEL TOSH HAPPY THOUGHTS on DVD. For a chance to win leave a comment below telling us why you want to add DANIEL TOSH HAPPY THOUGHTS to your DVD collection. Only one entry per person. Contest ends March 15th. Winners will be notified on March 16th via email so make sure to use a valid email address when you post your comment. Open to US & Canadian residents only. DVD RELEASE DATE : MARCH 8TH Breakout star Daniel Tosh, host of COMEDY CENTRAL’s hit series, “Tosh.0,” tackles religion, racism and politics with his exceptionally cutting comedic deftness in the World Premiere of “Daniel Tosh: Happy Thoughts,” a one-hour COMEDY CENTRAL Original Stand-up Special, debuts Sunday, March 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. With deliciously twisted and ruthless abandon, Tosh takes on celebrities, sports figures, illegal immigration, the Amish, Mormons and more in this brand new special that was filmed in front of a packed house at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Holiday Giveaway : RLJE Films On Tuesday, March 8, “Daniel Tosh: Happy Thoughts,” extended and uncensored, will be released on DVD nationwide by COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment® and Paramount Home Entertainment® and on CD and digital album by COMEDY CENTRAL Records®. Both the “Happy Thoughts” DVD and CD contains the extended and uncensored performance, and the DVD also features over 60 minutes of bonus material including: Tosh’s post-show, encore performance; “A Day in the Life,” a featurette filmed exclusively for the DVD that takes fans behind-the-scenes for a day on the set of “Tosh.0,” performances by Tosh’s opening act comedians Jasper Redd and Matt Fulchiron; as well as the as- seen-on-television cut of the special. Seat42F March 2, 2011 WHITE IRISH DRINKERS Trailer MERLIN Season 3 Episode 8 The Eye Of The Phoenix Sneak Peek Clip

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Secure Planet Innovative Products for a Secure Future Secure Planet, Inc. Introduces TacID Guard Dog scott roth Arlington, VA – Secure Planet, Inc., announced today the release of TacID Guard Dog™, a real time on-the-move biometric capture, screening and alerting solution for border control, defense, access control and perimeter security environments. Guard Dog™ can be deployed on a variety of operating system platforms, requires no special or proprietary hardware, and embeds facial recognition algorithms from Rank One Computing (ROC). ROC’s algorithms – specifically designed to handle unconstrained face detection – have been deemed the most accurate from U.S. companies participating in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Face Recognition Vendor Tests (FRVT) “Ongoing,”1 have demonstrated the fastest enrollment speeds and True Identification Rate (TIR) of any “Western” face recognition algorithms, and yield one of the industry’s lowest failure-to-enroll rates. Guard Dog™ is competing in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate’s (S&T) 2018 Biometric Technology Rally at the Maryland Test Facility (MdTF)2, having been down-selected in December 2017 and granted final system acceptance in March 2018. “We’re very excited about government, industry and public volunteer collaboration to evaluate new and advanced technology like Guard Dog™,” said Secure Planet CEO Bob Kocher. “With Guard Dog™, Secure Planet offers the most versatile combination of accuracy, affordability and efficiency in real-time facial recognition technology,” says Kocher. About Secure Planet, Inc. Secure Planet, Inc. is an Ideal Innovations, Inc. (I3) affiliated company and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). The company specializes in facial recognition products and software development services for government, industry and commercial clients, and is committed to providing excellent customer service and innovative and affordable solutions that forge the way to a more secure planet. For more information about Secure Planet please visit www.secureplanet.com. About Rank One Computing Rank One™ is an industry leader in facial recognition algorithm development, offering the world’s best combination of accuracy, speed and efficiency. Rank One is an employee-owned small business located in Denver, CO. All of Rank One’s solutions are Made in the U.S.A. Learn more at www.rankone.io. 1 https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/face-recognition-vendor-test-frvt-ongoing 2 http://mdtf.org/rally/ About the author: scott roth Radiant Solutions Introduces Facial Recognition into AFIX Tracker™ Copyright © 2017 Secure Planet. all Rights Reserved

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“Keep Calm And Rape A Lot” T-Shirts Show Automation Growing Pains David J. Hill The automation revolution is well underway around the world and with it, some rather public and unfortunate growing pains. While some fear the surge in drones and others worry of losing their jobs to bots (or worse, their lives in a Terminator-like doomsday), another group of people were really upset some weeks ago about T-shirts. Specifically, an inadvertent computer error that led to a string of offensive phrases, such as “Keep Calm and Rape A Lot,” printed on T-shirts that were sold on Amazon. What started as a handful of poor reviews and some chastising blog posts for the shirts swelled into mass outcries against Solid Gold Bomb — the company that sells the shirts — and Amazon for selling them. So how exactly did a bunch of offensive shirts get on Amazon in the first place? Solid Gold Bomb used an algorithm (software that follows an automated step-by-step process) that combined words pulled from a few lists to generate thousands of catchy T-shirt phrases. These phrases were automatically loaded into a T-shirt manufacturer’s computers, and overlaid onto a T-shirt photo to produce images that are then displayed on Amazon. When someone places an order for a shirt on Amazon, the manufacturer’s computers are notified and the shirt is then printed, packaged, and shipped out. In other words, once the word lists are built, almost the entire process is controlled by computers. Thousands of shirts manufactured daily with hardly anyone being involved in the work flow. It’s a truly amazing example of the possibilities that today’s automation can deliver and bears similarity to the approach of another Amazon seller named Philip Parker who is using computers to produce hundreds of thousands of books. At the same time, fewer eyes means the potential for something to slip through and that’s how the world ended up with “Keep Calm and Rape A Lot” T-shirts (along with a bunch of related and equally offensive slogans). The lesson here is automation empowers individuals, amplifying both their successes and their failures. Solid Gold Bomb is a 5-year-old wholesale T-shirt company with a handful of employees originally founded in Australia that also serves the US and UK markets (according to Manta). Many of the T-shirts that are sold online are graphic tees usually depicting some kind of popular artwork or slogan and are sold for around $20 plus shipping. The company offers a boatload of different designs on Amazon (over 500,000 different items of clothing at one point). As explained in an apology letter written by company founder Michael Fowler, about a year ago a line of T-shirts was created parodying the “Keep Calm And Carry On” meme that had grown in popularity. Fowler produced a cloud-based database from word lists (verb list, pronouns, and prepositions) and scripts that strung the lists together in every possible combination, which is somewhere in the millions of phrases. The master list of words was whittled down to about 700 by criteria that selected primarily for graphics that would make the words fit on the shirt. Finally, the phrases were laid out in a template and converted into image formats ready for screen printing. Now, many of the T-shirts that are offered by the company through Amazon indicate that they are in stock, but warn of an additional 3-5 day processing time. That’s because the company doesn’t have a warehouse somewhere full of thousands of preprinted T-shirts and a crew of quality control inspectors to go over each product. Instead, it worked with a larger supplier that prints the shirts on demand as they are ordered by utilizing a database of uploaded image files. Then, the T-shirts are automatically packaged and shipped out to customers. Because almost this entire T-shirt operation is automated, the company can sell T-shirts at a low price point and stay in business. Lots of companies around the world work in this exact way, and owners are always thinking about what other processes can be automated to lower their overhead even further. Things like cloud computing do just that. In light of this, it is rather easy to see how the error might have slipped in. Somehow the verb “rape” survived the culling stages, perhaps because no one else but Fowler looked at the list and let’s face it, offensive language on T-shirts is not a new thing. Furthermore, one would not expect a small clothing wholesaler to have a full-time editor on staff who might speak up about words on the list or the combinations that could result. Perhaps Fowler missed the offensive words because of their position in the alphabet or maybe he only spot checked the list. What really happened? No one will likely ever know. Though some online commenters believe it was intentional, his apology letter suggests it was accidental and appears professionally sincere (assuming Fowler doesn’t become a repeat offender). Automating the slogan generation process is not dumb or irresponsible, but savvy in today’s world. Its basically a two-pronged strategy. On one hand, offering an enormous number of T-shirt designs may mean that only a few of each type are sold, but when that happens hundreds times a day, sales can be significant. On the other hand, a few designs will likely prove quite popular, so the more that are offered, the greater the probability of getting those high-selling winners. By all indications, Fowler built an international company on this strategy through an automation process that is now being called into question because a set of combinations turned out to be highly offensive. T-shirts with these slogans is clearly regrettable and pulling the line was absolutely the right move (it should go without saying that rape is heinous and promoting it on a T-shirt is scraping the bottom of the IQ barrel). However, when it comes to algorithms and the future of artificial intelligence, we can all take a lesson from this incident that will serve us well: embrace the reality of automation and realize this will happen again and again, in one form or the other. Why are we doomed to be offended again? Because computers have no way of knowing what upsets people unless they are programmed to and that’s a tall order, especially when the responsibility falls on a single person to ensure that computers understand. While this all could have been a simple mistake, Solid Gold Bomb may never recover, even with the entire “Keep Calm” line of clothes removed. The current Amazon reviews for other, nonoffensive T-shirts that the company lists now have a slew of negative comments blasting Fowler for profiting off of hate speech against women. Hopefully, the company now has a second set of eyes looking over the automatically generated lists. Whether this particular situation blows over in a few months or the company will soon meet a dismal end (which seems likely) is not really going to stop this from happening again. Perhaps in a future world, algorithms will be programmed to be personally attuned, culturally sensitive, socially accommodating, and politically correct, but until then, humans appear to be the best at getting offended. At least there’s one job that won’t be replaced quickly. I've been writing for Singularity Hub since 2011 and have been Editor-in-Chief since 2014. My interests cover digital education, publishing, and media, but I'll always be a chemist at heart. Follow David: What Needs to Happen to Get to the Flying Car Future

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Republican congressman says the Holocaust happened because Jews were unarmed Rep. Don Young (R-AK) seriously thinks that the Holocaust happened because Jewish people were unarmed. At an Alaska Municipal League (AML) meeting in Juneau last Thursday, Young was asked what should be done to prevent school shootings. “What can municipalities do? What can the federal government do to stop the massacre of children in our schools?” asked Dimitri Shein, a Democratic candidate running for Young’s seat. Young responded by arguing that teachers should be armed. He then invoked the Holocaust to argue that making sure everyone had guns was the best solution. “How many millions of people were shot and killed because they were unarmed? Fifty million in Russia, because their citizens weren’t armed,” Young said. “How many Jews were put into the ovens because they were unarmed?” The comment is anti-Semitic, outrageous, and incredibly stupid, but just in case you need a debunking: That is not why or how the Holocaust happened. The Nazi gun control theory is a tired, ahistorical refrain from conservatives. Former Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson also argued that gun control laws let the Holocaust to happen in his book A More Perfect Union — and at least twice more on the campaign trail. Congress has invited people who make this argument to speak about the dangers of gun control. Fox News, Alex Jones’ conspiracy website InfoWars, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) have all invoked the Holocaust to argue against gun control. You don’t need to know about gun control in 1930s Germany to know that this argument isn’t true. Adolf Hilter managed to fight entire armies across Europe; Jewish civilians — who at the time made up less than 1 percent of the German population — having more guns wouldn’t have stopped the Holocaust. Holocaust scholars, Jewish groups, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum have all repeatedly called for Nazi analogies to stay out of the gun control debate. No serious scholarship of the Holocaust points to the lack of guns as a serious factor. The argument also overlooks the fact that there was armed resistance. Take a look at the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, as just one example. Following massive deportations to forced-labor camps and killing centers, people in the ghetto organized and resisted with pistols, grenades, and automatic weapons and rifles. The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum has an entire page dedicated to other examples of armed resistance to the Holocaust, detailing uprisings in Vilna, Bialystok, and other ghettos. German troops still crushed the uprisings and sent their residents to camps. There was also armed resistance from Jewish partisans, who created their own units after escaping the camps. Blaming the Holocaust on the lack of guns also allows people to ignore Nazism and anti-Semitism — both of which seem to be on the rise in the United States today. Arming teachers to prevent school shootings is a common NRA talking point. More guns in schools lead to more accidents, put students of color in particular at greater risk, and don’t actually prevent most shootings from taking place. There was also an armed officer at the scene of the Parkland shooting earlier this month that left 17 people dead. https://thinkprogress.org/don-young-holocaust-gun-control-623b787a6ea1/ invoked forced-labor {"anger":0.490574,"disgust":0.178449,"fear":0.21827,"joy":0.108297,"sadness":0.525205} Video Shows 3 Stanford University Band Members Kneeling During National Anthem Headlines February 27, 2018 National Poll Shows Warren Up Double Digits on Biden Trump has been clobbered by the courts -- and there may be more ahead 'We're going to win the league': Liverpool fans start to dream after victory over Manchester United An abandoned husky with 'weird' eyes has been adopted after her photos went viral A dentist was filmed extracting a tooth while on a hoverboard. He was found guilty on 46 counts Florida Police Sergeant, Good Samaritan Save Woman from Burning Car Wreck

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In Conversation with Matthew Lawson By Tina Wu Tina Wu Matthew Lawson, the Student Engagement, Events and Reporting Programme Manager, discusses his work in promoting environmental awareness among staff and students. What is your role as the Student Engagement, Events & Reporting Programme Manager? I’m responsible for oversight over supporting a positive student experience, the types of events we deliver to students, staff and the wider public, and our annual Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report. My team of three work on student engagement events, festivals, and mapping the sustainable development goals and curriculum. What climate change initiatives have you implemented? One of my favourite projects is the Student Pathways, where we work with a group of dedicated students who want to improve their knowledge and skills around the climate crisis. We also have the 30-minute online Be Sustainable course. We recently launched a Sustainability Champions network, which aims to develop a broader network of staff and students who want to see change in their areas – the student launch event is on 16 October. Why is it important to raise awareness on social responsibility and sustainability at the university level? I think the university has a responsibility to make sure that all of its students can critically engage with these issues. Students will have to address these issues in their future careers, in any sector, because the impacts will certainly be more visible and prominent. You studied international relations as an undergraduate and a masters in Multi-level and Regional Politics. How did you end up in the environmental sector? I didn’t really set out to go down this path! While doing my masters, I got involved with a group of students who were establishing Transition Edinburgh University – an initiative that raised awareness on peak oil and climate change. I worked with their Engagement Team and eventually joined the university’s Sustainability Office and Estates, and was involved putting together the very concept for this department. What did you originally set out to do? I was really keen on how to implement national climate change policy at a local level. Part of my research for my dissertation is how local authorities in Scotland were doing that and I was really fascinated by that and I thought brilliant, I want to go into that. But fast forward about nine years, I’m still at university and I find it an absolutely fascinating place to work. It’s at the forefront of change. How can students get involved with making a difference in these issues? Our department offers a range of opportunities that students can apply to. We also have a student project grant, so if students are interested in developing, designing and delivering sustainability projects, there is some seed funding for them as well. Image: Edinburgh University Scottish heritage is my heritage: what the... Girl Up Edinburgh launches Eliminating... Has the digital revolution paralysed us with too much choice? The refugee crisis: life on the ground in Austria The blue glow: does technology help or hinder sleep? Exploring The Student’s Archives: population concern in 1973

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Final Public Oral Exam of Federica Vannucchi Princeton University School of Architecture Announces the Final Public Oral Exam of Federica Vannucchi “A DISCIPLINARY MECHANISM: THE MILAN TRIENNALE, 1964-1973” Monday, February 18, 2019, 10:30 a.m. S-118, Architecture Building Lucia Allais (Princeton SoA), advisor Pippo Ciorra (MAXXI Center for Architecture in Rome) Romy Golan (CUNY Graduate Center) Spyros Papapetros (Princeton SoA) Eeva-Liisa Pelkonen (Yale) This dissertation traces the reform of architecture as a discipline in postwar Italy by examining one particular public institution in which architecture, its theorists, and its designers, directly confronted both public and political power: the Milan Triennale (officially known as the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts and Modern Architecture). In the 1960s and early 1970s, the dissertation argues, the Milan Triennale functioned as a “disciplinary mechanism,” that is, as a laboratory and testing ground for reshaping the relationship of architecture in both its theoretical and practical dimensions to politics. This relationship to power is examined through the lens of the tension between ideas presented at the exhibition and the nature of the Milanese institution as both executor of government resolutions and agent of the public’s will. Against the backdrop of Italy’s first abrupt period of economic unrest after World War Two, an interruption in the politics of centrismo (the center-right coalition that dominated Italy from 1947 to 1962), uprisings by students and workers, and the onset of a new era of reformism, the curators of three seminal exhibitions tested architecture as a means of political resistance against power and thereby refused to comply with the long-standing alliance between the Milan Triennale and the government. The exhibitions Tempo libero (Leisure) (1964) curated by Umberto Eco and Vittorio Gregotti, Grande numero (Greater Number) (1968) curated by Giancarlo De Carlo, and Architettura-città (Architecture-City) (1973) curated by Aldo Rossi led to a new understanding of architecture as a discipline that existed both “within and against” political power, to borrow an expression coined by neo-Marxist philosopher Mario Tronti. This dissertation follows the struggles of architects and critics as they operated “within” an institutional setting that was to endow their ideas with greater power, but also declared themselves as being “against” this very power structure. A copy of the dissertation is available for review in S-110

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Racism Vs. Academic Freedom RECENT UNIVERSITY-BASED anti-racist activities have prompted a media backlash: Attacks on campus racism are derided as assaults on freedom of speech, as left-1st attempts to enforce “politically correct” views on everyone else.(1) Mainstream publications offer little, if any, space to anti-racist activists to rebut these charges. This is not the first time oppositional groups have been denied the opportunity to present their own case in the mass media. Although such bias is incompatible with the news media’s purported commitment to objective inquiry, it is defended by claiming that media access is, after all, a commodity, and so available only to those rich enough to pay for it or powerful enough to influence it. This reply makes a mockery of the notion that “the free market of ideas” can be expected to promote objective inquiry, as opposed to beliefs favorable to the interests of the rich and powerful. But it also highlights a contrast between the professed aims of academic inquiry and of “free speech” in the marketplace, and hence also between the institutional embodiments of “freedom of speech” within and without academia. For the academy does ostensibly commit itself to an ideal of objective inquiry. In which people acquire beliefs because they are supported by argument and evidence, not because they are backed up by money and power. The academy, unlike privately owned media, has no market excuse for systematically depriving subordinate groups—such as the poor, people of color, and women—of an effective voice. This contrast between the underlying points of freedom of speech in the academy and in OW market, however blurred in practice, provides a key for understanding the directions a campus-based anti-racist movement should take. What Kind of Freedom? The campus anti-racist agenda is and ought to be deeply by an ideal of academic freedom which is distinct from the generic notion of “freedom of speech.” That the purposes of speech and hence the freedoms it properly enjoys are different within and without the academy is uncontroversial. Lying and faking research results are constitutionally protected activities outside the academy, as long as they are not used for commercial fraud, libel, or slander, yet they are punishable within the academy. This difference reflects the fact that the market seeks profitable speech, whereas the academy is supposed to seek true and reasoned speech. Campus-based activists can strengthen their anti-racist agenda by linking their attacks on racist speech to the specific alms of academic freedom. Outside the academy, legal support for punishing racist epithets must be found in such positions as the “fighting words” doctrine, as Alan Wald argues. The possibility of prosecuting such speech then depends upon showing that the epithets are not merely “offensive” but virtual incitements to violence. (Alternatively, an analogy can be drawn between racist harassment and sexual harassment in the form of obscene phone calls, which are also constitutionally unprotected.) Inside the academy, racist epithets appear not only in these guises, but as symptoms of the much larger problem of systematically distorted communication between whites and people of colon Systematically distorted communication occurs whenever class, race, gender, or other relations of domination influence a community’s acceptance of claims, its assignment of burdens of proof, and the quality of attention it pays to different speakers and to different human interests, problems, and experiences.(2) Wherever this occurs, subordinated groups occupy a status of second-class academic citizens and enjoy a lesser degree of educational opportunity than dominant groups. In depriving subordinated groups of equal freedom and opportunity to influence the course of inquiry, the academy also undermines the very goal for which academic freedom is supposedly instituted—the pursuit of an understanding of the world supported by reasoned argument and evidence rather than power, prejudice, and superstition. The public meaning and effect of assaulting a person of color with a racist epithet in a campus context is to attack the recipient’s legitimacy and power to engage in inquiry on equal terms with others in the university—to command the respect that is a prerequisite for her contribution to be taken seriously, and to command the self-confidence needed to get on with the project. Racist Speech Attacks Freedom Recent events at the University of Michigan illustrate various ways in which racist speech on campus constitutes an attack on people’s academic freedom. The attack may take the form of a direct threat to the presence of people of color on campus, as in a poster once plastered over the campus that declared that “niggers ought to be hanging from trees.” Or it could effectively deter inquiry through humiliating retort, as when, in a political science class, a white student derided a Black student’s question by calling Blacks ignorant Or it could constitute an attack on the importance of studying phenomena of racism and oppression, as when students in a European history class loudly complained about having to study the Holocaust, since what did they care if the Jews had been gassed? Such remarks do not constitute “inquiry,” but assaults on the conditions for freedom of inquiry itself. As such, they are no less deserving of punishment by the university than other betrayals of academic freedom such as plagiarism, fraudulent research, and tampering with other people’s experiments or computer files. Of course, care must be exercised in determining when a remark undermines the background conditions for free and open discussion, and when it constitutes an offensive but sincere attempt by someone with racist beliefs to understand the reasoning behind rival views. Open discussion of racist beliefs is a painful but necessary part of anti-racist education, and must not be stifled by fears that any potentially offensive remark relating to race might be punished. An academic policy that punishes racist epithets would have to clearly distinguish harassment, abuse, and other acts of domination from sincere but offensive inquiry. This is not a very difficult task; contextual clues such as posture, tone of voice, responsiveness to challenges, surrounding cautionary remarks, and the presence of a specific target of attack can aid the interpretation of remarks, and be used by sincere inquirers to signal their intention to engage in reasoned discussion rather than abuse of others. Systematically Distorted Communication Racist speech is especially objectionable in the university. As a form and cause of systematically distorted communication, it denies an equal education to people of color and undermines objective inquiry. But sporadic and intentional outbursts of racist speech constitute only a small part, although perhaps the most overt, hateful, and immediately painful part, of such practices. A unified and coherent anti-racist agenda should frame its response to racist speech in the context of the far more pervasive, systematic, institutionalized, and unconscious (and hence more damaging and resistant) educational practices that silence, exclude, ignore, distort, or drown out the voices of people of color and other oppressed groups in society. The aim of the campus struggle should be to eliminate the influence of race-, gender- and class-based power relations on whose voices, interests, questions, problems, experiences, and presuppositions are taken seriously in teaching and research. A brief survey of a few practices that systematically distort academic communication—in admissions policies, pedagogy, research methodology, the academic hierarchy of disciplines and fields, hiring practices, and the specific presuppositions and concepts of research programs in different fields—suggests how daunting a challenge this is: —Teachers habitually pay most personal attention to white male students, and least attention to Black female students. They thereby give higher priority to the educational interests and problems of white men, and inculcate unequal expectations in students as to what demands they may make on teachers’ attentions. —Teachers expect and thus demand more from white students than from students of color, and more from male than female students in fields such as mathematics. Since teacher expectations are an important factor in student performance, and the history of performance is an important factor determining a student’s access to more and higher quality education, racist and sexist expectations constitute a self-fulfilling prophecy. —Lower-class students and students of color are more often placed in lower educational “tracks” in high school or earlier. Universities thus inherit a pool of students whose “qualifications” are already shaped by institutional racism and classism. While universities have taken some steps to remedy these problems in the admissions process, they remain ill-equipped to deal with the educational problems and perspectives of students from subordinate groups, since their educational programs have been designed for privileged students. —Having been taught that their opinions are important and that they are entitled to express them, white, economically privileged men feel entitled to “take over” classroom discussions, expect others to defer to their opinions, and aggressively interrupt people of color and women more than they are interrupted. —The “attributional fallacy” inclines people to give more respect and credence to opinions ascribed to white men, or uttered by lighter-skinned, taller, lower-voiced persons of whatever race or gender. Thus, even when persons of color and women get a word in edgewise, their opinions are discounted by race and gender, or by factors highly correlated with race and gender. —The common conservative methodological principle that new theories “fit” with what is already “known” imparts a bias in favor of investigations that cohere with past racist and sexist theories, and with racist and sexist background assumptions of dominant groups in society, whose opinions are more salient and appealing to most researchers than those of oppressed groups. Similarly, the common emphases on expanding the predictive range of established theories and on finding a unitary research program, rather than on criticizin4 the background assumptions of theories and developing rival research programs, impart a bias in favor of theories that have been developed for a long time, regardless of the ideological interests that made them salient and appealing in the first place, and discourages investigation into these interests.(3) —The academy continues to resist opening up its professorial ranks to members of groups with background assumptions and interests contrary to those of dominant groups in society. Yet the history of each discipline touching on human interests shows that to expose and criticize the influence of race-, class-, and gender-based assumptions in inquiry, research itself must be conducted by people who do not share these assumptions and who have an people of color on campus, anti-racist activists seek not only to provide equal educational opportunities to all, but to realize the conditions under which, for the first time, academic inquiry can proceed undistorted by racist ideology and racist power relations.(4) Of course, it doesn’t appear this way to the mainstream academy and media. They are convinced that perfect academic freedom already exists for everyone on campus, and that the anti-racist movement threatens to inject politicized motivations into the process of inquiry, thereby distorting its basic neutrality and objectivity. There is one element of truth in this portrayal of the campus anti-racist movement It is politically motivated—that is, it is motivated by civic concerns. Its aim is to realize two basic civic conditions required for all to enjoy academic freedom: that research and educational opportunities be equally provided to all, and that members of the academy engage in inquiry undistorted by relations of racist domination and subordination. See, for example, -Taking Offense,’ Newsweek, December 24, 1990, 48-54. back to text The phrase is borrowed from Jurgen Habermas, without specific commitment to his analysis of communication. See “On Systematically Distorted Communication,” Inquiry 13 (1971): 205-218. See P. Feyerabend, Against Method, rev. ed. (New York. Verso Press, 1988) and Helen Longino, Science as Social Knowledge (Princeton: Princeton University Press 1990) for critiques of the conservatism of scientific methodology. Wald discusses this concern. May-June 1991, ATC 32

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Home News Wrappers Audio News Wrappers SBN Launches Subscription Audio and Video Services TOPICS:audiocontentnews coveragesbnsubscriptionvideo View of the media covering Rob Andrews press conference, from our camera position. CHERRY HILL —(SBN)—To continue to support its newsgathering efforts in audio and video stories, StateBroadcastNews.com is launching a subscription-based service for readers interested in accessing long-form video and audio reports about important conferences and news events around New Jersey. Subscribers will be guaranteed a minimum number of audio and video programs each month and will be able to download all interviews, conference recordings, and video news reports for a low monthly fee. Initial reports will cover the commercial real estate industry, but we anticipate expanding the coverage sectors based on subscriber interest. Beginning July 1, audio and video content on the SBN website will be paywall-protected and only available to subscribers or purchasers of individual programs. “News coverage of important interviews with industry experts and political leaders needs to reach our subscribers, but the cost of producing this kind of reporting has to be covered,” said SBN News Director Steve Lubetkin. “We believe we have unique, high quality audio and video content that people need so they can make important business decisions. Providing a subscription solution for distribution of this news reporting is a good way to share the costs with our readers who find the stories and conversations most valuable.” Monthly subscriptions will cost $50 and provide subscribers with at least two audio reports a week that average between 15 and 20 minutes each. Longer conference and seminar programs will also be provided. For a limited time, charter subscribers will get the first month for $10. Individual audio and video programs will also be available for purchase as digital downloads. To sign up for a subscription to audio and video content, click here. Steve Lubetkin Steve Lubetkin is the news director for StateBroadcastNews.com. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. In May 2019, he began anchoring and reporting for the new weekly podcast, "The CRE News Hour," a news and features program focusing on the commercial real estate industry. From 2014 to 2019 he was New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com and filled in covering Chicago/Midwest and Atlanta. He has won numerous awards for his audio and video news reporting from the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced audio podcasts on CRE topics for the NAR Commercial Division and the CCIM Institute. Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies. Steve also reports on-camera and covers conferences for NJSpotlight.com, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC. Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996. Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional. You can email Steve at steve@statebroadcastnews.com.

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York Councils empty property list revealed Freedom of Information response confirms that buyer has pulled out of deal to buy 29 Castlegate List of long term empty properties in York owned by the Council The York Council has confirmed that it owns 12 substantial properties in the City which have been empty for over 6 months. Two of the properties, Ashbank and the Guildhall, have been unused for over 6 YEARS. Ashbank was reported as being sold for £1.3 million a year ago. The Council now just says it is “sold subject to contract”. The new Executive is expected to review the affordability of a £20 million scheme at the Guildhall which would see the creation of a “business club” there. If the project goes ahead, work will start in the autumn with reoccupation expected in 2021. The estimated total value of the assets is put at between £30/40 million. Little attempt has been made to secure short term lets for the properties which include prime sites like 29 Castlegate, the former youth advisory HQ. Most of the properties have been exempt from paying business rates. Had they been occupied then Council taxpayers would have benefited from an additional £200,000 a year in income. To this would be added rental income of around £400,000 a year or a substantial capital receipt. The Castlegate property was to have been purchased by the York Conservation Trust with the York Civic Trust hoping to subsequently lease the building as part of its expansion plans for the adjacent Fairfax House. The agreed purchase price of £430,000 was criticised at the time as being “too low” for a building in such a prime site. 29 Castlegate Now the Council says that it was notified on 21st May that the Conservation Trust would not be purchasing the building. However, the York Civic Trust had been told the same at their AGM last year. The Council say that they are now “reviewing” the position. No public reports have been made on asset utilisation issues at the York Council this year. The Council is spending around £80,000 a year on maintaining and securing the properties. Only one of the properties has a temporary occupant (20 Piccadilly) The table does not include underused assets like 19/21 Piccadilly (Spark) or land with a development potential. The latter includes land purchased in 2008 to accommodate an extension to Acomb Explore Library and which has been unused ever since. 19/21 Piccadilly The Council says that it has only one Council house, at Glen Lodge, which has been empty for longer than 6 months. The Council Housing department has been criticised in the past for allowing some of its estate garages to remain empty for extended periods of time. The revelations have led to calls for a more proactive approach by the Council in the use of its assets. The new Council leadership has been advised to reintroduce a 6 monthly public report on empty property issues. It may be that the time has come for the York Council to seek outside help in managing its huge commercial building portfolio Posted on July 5, 2019 by Steve Galloway in Behind closed doors, Budget, Environment, News | Tagged 29 Castlegate, Ashbank, Asset management, Guildhall, Oakhaven, Spark | 2 Comments

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By Peter Salus A Short History of Computers in the Movies: Panel Lights, Spinning Tapes, and Lab Coats Test and Monitor | Posted December 23, 2013 The big screen has always tried to keep step with technology… usually unsuccessfully. Let's look at how the film industry has treated computing. The always-reliable Wikipedia states: “Burroughs B205 hardware has appeared as props in many Hollywood television and film productions from the 1960s onwards,” so I guess the B205s in The Night the World Exploded (a 1957 seismic disaster flop) and Angry Red Planet (a 1959 monsters-on-Mars disaster) were illusions. Big Iron on the Big Screen Early movies reflected the computer technology available at the time – usually with spinning tape drives and blinking lights. UCLA installed a GE differential analyzer – a mechanical analogue computer designed to solve differential equations by integration, using wheel-and-disc mechanisms – in 1947. It didn’t take long for one to get into film: In 1950 we saw it calculate the trajectory of the moon rocket in Destination Moon. The very next year it was employed to confirm the course of Bellus/Zyra and hence predict the end of the world in When Worlds Collide. Later, the differential analyzer is used to translate intercepted alien messages and so we learn of their plot to invade our planet in Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956). The first two of these might have been within the analyzer's capabilities; the translation certainly wasn't. 1957 brought us the Remington Rand UNIVAC in The Invisible Boy, a disjoint film in which a boy and a robot (Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet [1956]) save the world from a super computer, as well as Desk Set, a prescient Spencer Tracy – Katherine Hepburn lark about an IBM installation in a reference library. Desk Set reminds me of the programming problems of Healthcare.gov: Once the computer (EMARAC – the Electromagnetic Memory and Research Arithmetical Calculator) is finally introduced, Hepburn and her staff receive pink slips on the very first payday, courtesy of another Emarac that has been installed in the payroll department. In the climactic scene, when Sumner (Spencer Tracy) visits the research department to see how the new computer is working out, all hell is breaking loose. The research department is being deluged with phone calls that the new female and anal retentive operator of Emarac can not process accurately. When she feeds the machine a question as to whether the King of the Watusis drives a car, the machine can only spit out a movie review of King Solomon's Mines, which included the keyword “Watusi.” Robots aren't computers, I guess. But the earliest notable one must be the “False Maria” in Fritz Lang's 1927 masterpiece, Metropolis. Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) introduced audiences to the Arma Torpedo Data Computer, an electromechanical analog computer used to calculate torpedo firing solutions during World War II. It was later patented (in 1962) by the BOSCH ARMA CORP, as a “Torpedo intercept calculating apparatus.” In the film, Clark Gable employs it in wreaking revenge on the vessel that had sunk his previous command. So, by 1960 (when a B205 “starred” in the truly vapid Sex Kittens Go to College – along with Mamie Van Doren, Tuesday Weld, and Mijanou Bardot, Brigitte's baby sister) we had viewed equipment made by Bosch Arma, Burroughs, GE, IBM, and Remington Rand. In Sex Kittens, a Westinghouse robot (“Sam Thinko”) selects Van Doren to head the college's Science Department. Unfortunately, computers were customarily mere background, not useful tools to Hollywood. Thus, Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick's 1964 masterpiece, shows us Peter Sellers in front of a full IBM 7090/94 installation. Batman: The Movie and Fantastic Voyage (both 1966) revert to the archaic Burroughs B205, though Fantastic Voyage also shows an IBM AN/FSQ-7 Combat Direction Central. At 250 tons for each installation (there were about two dozen) the AN/FSQ-7 was the largest computer ever built, with 60,000 vacuum tubes and a requirement of 3 megawatts of power to perform 75,000 ips for regional radar centers. The last IBM AN/FSQ-7, at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, was demolished in February 1984. A large number of FSQ-7 components are on exhibit at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. In 1967 Hollywood discovered the Honeywell 200, which appears in both Billion Dollar Brain and in Casino Royale. Billion Dollar Brain is a first-rate Len Deighton thriller. This first Casino Royale is a bizarre, frequently funny, mix of the Pythons, Woody Allen, and a vague tinge of Ian Fleming, created by 10 writers and six directors. Hot Millions (1968) features Peter Ustinov and Maggie Smith in a comic film about an embezzler who codes the computer to send him checks. Interestingly, the computers seen are an English Electric System 4 and a LEO III. (Ustinov remarks of the LEO: “I don't think they get as much fun out of life as we do!”) How to make a Doll (also 1968) shows an IBM 360, but all the other films that year are stuck with the Honeywell 200 or the AN/FSQ-7. 1969 brought us The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, arguably Disney's worst film, with an antique B205, and Marooned, a space thriller in which three astronauts are stuck in orbit with a piece of an IBM 1600 on the wall of the space station and a Control Data Corporation (CDC) 6600 in the NASA control room on earth. Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) employs an IBM 1620, but City Beneath the Sea (1971) features computer over-kill: B205s in the city's control room and in the research center; an AN/FSQ-7 in the control room; and a bank of SDS Sigma-7 tape drives and a console in the Admiral's office. Other 1971 films (Earth II, Paper Man, Sweet, Sweet Rachel, and THX) show us the usual B205s, H200, IBM 360, and AN/FSQ-7. Surprisingly, in Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory, a Siemens 4004 is employed to search out the remaining golden tickets. To me, 1972 is notable in movies only for The Stone Tape, a BBC made-for-TV horror/SF film in which the lovely Jane Asher tries to analyze the “ghost” using a DEC PDP-8/F (we even see her typing on a DECwriter). Woody Allen shows us an AN/FSQ-7 as the “control center” of a man's brain in Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask. The next year (1973), he uses the same panels in the robot repair lab in Sleeper. Microcomputers… eventually At this point in history, a lot was going on in computer development. Unfortunately, where Hollywood and its British and European equivalents were concerned, computers meant flashing lights and tape drives – although some of the mainframe brands changed. 1973's Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Invasion of the Bee Girls (don't ask), and Westworld all use AN/FSQ-7s. The Doll Squad and Girl Most Likely To... employ IBM 360s, while Call to Danger and The Thief Who Came to Dinner advanced to IBM 370s (despite the fact that the hero of the latter film used to work for CDC!). In Westworld, the computer controls the robots; in Girl, the IBM 360 keeps college records and Ed Asner reads text from an IBM punch card. In The Mad Bomber, a CDC 3100 is used to profile the bomber, while in Soylent Green a CDC 6600 lurks in the background. Though over-long (over three hours), Werner Fassbinder's Welt am Draht (World on a Wire) patriotically employs a Siemens 4004. The Towering Inferno in 1974 falls back to the Burroughs B205 and AN/FSQ-7 combo, though Scaramanga's power generation scheme in Man with the Golden Gun is controlled by an ICT 1301. The only item of interest in 1975 – movie-computerwise – is the use of a DEC PDP-8E in Three Days of the Condor, a CIA thriller. In 1976, Futureworld emulates Westworld in its use of the AN/FSQ-7 while Pink Panther Strikes Again employs the ICT 1301 from Golden Gun to control the doomsday machine. In 1977, The Brain Machine involves an IBM 360 and both Capricorn One and Damnation Alley (the latter much changed from the novella by Roger Zelazny) fall back on AN/FSQ-7 panels. The next year (1978), The Cat from Outer Space, The Swarm, and The Time Machine all employ AN/FSQ-7s, though (gosh!) we can see B205 tape drives in The Swarm and both an SDS Sigma-7 and a UNIVAC 1110 in the remake of The Time Machine. The Commodore PET 2001 first shipped in October 1977, so it's notable that we see one in A Man, a Woman, and a Bank (1979), while The Ultimate Impostor falls back upon a Sigma-7 to upload memory into a spy's brain. Both Brave New World and Airplane! confirm that the now trite AN/FSQ-7 is still with us, but by early 1980 the Commodore PET 2001 is visible in Incubo Sulla Città Contaminata (Nightmare City) where we find radioactive, blood-sucking zombies, slicing and dicing their way across Italy. (Sounds a lot like your last code review, doesn’t it?) IBM OS/2 fans may appreciate its big moment on the screen in 1995’s Bond flick Goldeneye. Though the OS/2 Warp logo is clearly visible, it’s on the computer screen of the bad guy. Oops. Though the last AN/FSQ-7 was decommissioned nearly 30 years ago, Hollywood's fascination with those panels extended for decades after Airplane! The second (The Spy who Shagged Me, 1999) and third (Goldmember, 2002) Austin Powers films contain panel views – as well as a B205 in Spy and a Powerbook G4 in Goldmember. The most recent use of the AN/FSQ-7 I know of is in 2003's Return to the Batcave, but it is shown on a 1960s TV set. Mel Brooks uses the panels in both Spaceballs (1987) and in Get Smart, Again! (1989). Bizarrely, this “secret” SAGE computer is found on the abandoned Russian research vessel in Virus (1999), one of my favorite film anomalies. The Era of Product Placement In recent years, the movie industry appears to have incorporated increasing Apple use. For instance, in 2006 the formulaic teen comedy John Tucker Must Die contains a Powerbook G4, a Power Mac G5 and an iBook G5; Night at the Museum has both a G3 and a G5; and The Devil Wears Prada shows us both a G5 and a MacBook Pro. On the other hand, the Italian coming-of-age in the '80s teen comedy, Notte Prima Degli Esami (The Night Before Exams), features a Commodore 64 and an Amiga 2000. Read it and weep, a Disney made-for-TV film, has a Gateway CX 210 (though it might be an M 275). But Apple computers certainly dominated 2006. 2007's spy thriller Breach is one of under a half-dozen films containing a Palm III while Tropa de Elite [Elite Squad] features the Brazilian Prologica CP500 in a violent pseudo-documentary. The satirical flop Epic Movie shows a Powerbook G4 and the kid-flick The Last Mimzy (based on Lewis Padgett's short story, “Mimsy were the borogoves,” from Astounding Science Fiction, February 1943) has an iMac G5. Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth in the Bruce Willis series, is chock-full of improbable action stunts as well as showing us a Nokia 700 and a Nokia 9300. (I've seen only a few other Nokia shots.) In 2008's quasi-documentary Der Baader Meinhof Komplex, we see a Siemens 4004 and in Operation: Zeitsturm, a time-machine/Nazi bizarrie, there are several incongruous Commodore computers. M's assistant in Quantum of Solace employs a Sony Vaio UX to track 007. These aside, Apple ruled the year's films. The Box, based on a Richard Matheson story, was an interesting 2009 movie with an HP 9830, and three DECs: a PDP-8, an 11/34, and a 12. Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden (The Girl Who Played With Fire), based on the Steig Larsson novel, contains a Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and several Apple systems. Men Som Hattar Kvinnor (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo), also based on a Larsson novel, has a Macbook Pro. There's a Vaio in Paul Blart: Mall Cop, but nothing else worth saying about a poor comedy that's supposed to be set in New Jersey, yet is clearly the Burlington Mall in suburban Boston. Oh, and another Vaio in Pink Panther 2. Steve Martin should have let Peter Sellers be. There are Apples in The Proposal and in The Stepfather. Ho-hum. In 2010 a rogue CIA agent uses a Thinkpad in The Expendables and there's an Alienware game in Hot Tub Time Machine, which is barely better than it sounds. A Panasonic Toughbook makes an appearance in Hunt to Kill and an autistic savant uses an Amiga 4000 to save the earth from a gravitational anomaly in Quantum Apocalypse. Everyone else in 2010 has a Mac. And Apples are all over in 2011, too, even in Sydney, Australia, where an iMac sits on Lucy's boss’s desk and the employment agency uses a Macbook Pro in Sleeping Beauty. There's an iMac, too, in the Danish Over Kanten (Over the Edge) in 2012, a truly Hitchcockian psychological thriller; and there are more Apples than I could count in iSteve (2013) a tender, yet comic tribute to Steve Jobs. But, by and large, for Hollywood, Scandinavia and Australia, computers are Macs. I worry about the movie flood of tablet computers in the offing. Computers and Doctor Who: The First 20 Years 40 Years of UNIX, and ‘The Scariest Thing I’ve Ever Done’ Telephony, the Internet and Technological Growth [dfads params='groups=932&limit=1&orderby=random']

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Islamic Arms and Armor in The Metropolitan Museum of Art Price: 50$85.00|$50.00 Member Price: 45$76.50|$45.00 By David G. Alexander Armor and weaponry were central to Islamic culture not only as a means of conquest and the spread of the faith, but also as symbols of ... View Full Product Details By David G. Alexander Armor and weaponry were central to Islamic culture not only as a means of conquest and the spread of the faith, but also as symbols of status, wealth, and power. The finest arms were made by master craftsmen working with the leading designers, goldsmiths, and jewelers, whose work transformed utilitarian military equipment into courtly works of art. This book reveals the diversity and artistic quality of one of the most important and encyclopedic collections of its kind in the West. The Metropolitan Museum's holdings span ten centuries and include representative pieces from almost every Islamic culture from Spain to the Caucasus. Presenting 126 objects, each handsomely photographed and richly documented with a detailed description of discussion of its technical, historical, and artistic importance, this overview of the Met's holdings is supplemented by an introductory essay on the formation of the collection, and appendixes on iconography and on Turkman-style armor. The Metropolitan Museum's holdings span ten centuries and include representative pieces from almost every Islamic culture from Spain to the Caucasus. Presenting 126 objects, each handsomely photographed and richly documented with a detailed description of discussion of its technical,...See More Publisher: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Author: David G. Alexander Illustrations: 400 in full color Dimensions: 9 3/4'' x 12''

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Warriors sign all-star DeMarcus Cousins to one-year, $5.3M deal 0 0 Tuesday, July 3, 2018 Edit this post Former New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins signed a one-year agreement with the Golden State Warriors on Monday, adding another all-star to the defending champions. File photo by Jon SooHoo/UPI | License Photo By Alex Butler, UPI All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to a deal with the Golden State Warriors. Cousins agreed to the deal on Monday. ESPN reported, and Yahoo Sports reports the pact is for one year and $5.3 million. The two-time All-NBA selection and four-time all-star joins a decorated Golden State locker room coming off of its second consecutive NBA title and third championship in four years. [post_ads]Cousins, 27, played the first six seasons of his career with the Sacramento Kings before he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in February 2017. He posted 25.2 points, and a career-high 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game last season. "The third 'Splash Brother,'" Warriors star Stephen Curry tweeted Monday. "Let's go Boogie Cousins." Cousins played in 48 games last season before tearing his achilles tendon on Jan. 26 and ending his season. He is expected to be out until December or January, according to ESPN. Cousins was also considering a move to the Boston Celtics. Golden State used its taxpayer mid-level exception to reach a deal with the 6-foot-11 center. Cousins' signing came a day after four-time NBA MVP LeBron James announced he would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have also added Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and JaVale McGee. Sports - U.S. Daily News: Warriors sign all-star DeMarcus Cousins to one-year, $5.3M deal https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBgsYw_57IU/Wztn-Br0RkI/AAAAAAAAw28/SuUIgR3Oot0_qj3QnBZkIqm-7NYAlgt8gCEwYBhgL/s1600/2.jpg https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qBgsYw_57IU/Wztn-Br0RkI/AAAAAAAAw28/SuUIgR3Oot0_qj3QnBZkIqm-7NYAlgt8gCEwYBhgL/s72-c/2.jpg https://sports.dailynews.us.com/2018/07/warriors-sign-all-star-demarcus-cousins.html

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Ganguly: 'What Smith did was absolute stupidity' Steve Smith has been banned for a Test by the ICC for his involvement in the ball-tampering saga in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town. New Delhi 26 March, 2018 22:44 IST Saurav Ganguly had many run-ins with the Australians in his career. - R.V. Moorthy Former India captain Sourav Ganguly, on Monday, slammed Australian cricket team’s “win at all cost” attitude, and said that the ball tampering plot, hatched by Steven Smith and his players, in the Test against South Africa, was an act of sheer stupidity. “Steven Smith need not have to do it (ball tampering). I think what Smith did or David Warner did, or Bancroft did, was absolute stupidity,” Ganguly said at a panel discussion on ‘India Today’ channel. Smith has been banned for a Test by the International Cricket Council (ICC), for his role in a plot that saw team-mate Cameron Bancroft tamper with the ball, by using yellow sticky tape, during the third Test against South Africa, in Newlands. Bancroft escaped with a fine of 75 per cent match fee and three demerit points. READ: Australia coach Lehmann has questions to answer, says Hussain “Actually, I think he (Smith) had a brain fade. I thought it was for the sake of just saying when he last said in India that he had a brain fade. But after this incident, I thought he actually had a brain fade,” said the former India skipper, who had many run-ins with the Australians in his career. Smith had sought dressing room advice on whether to go for review under DRS during the Bangalore Test, in 2017, against India, which was not permissible under the rules and he later said that he had a brain fade moment. “This idea of win at all cost (of the Australians) is not right. There was this underarm delivery in a Test against New Zealand in 1981. That is the way Australia have been playing cricket,” Ganguly said. ALSO READ: MCC: ‘Smith’s behaviour had fallen well below standard required’ “In the contest in 2008, there was only one side playing with the spirit of the game. I was batting at 60-odd and Ricky Ponting got me out one bounce. After I got out, the Test match was different,” Ganguly said. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who also took part in the discussion, said Smith and Bancroft should have been given harsher punishments by the International Cricket Council. “Without any proper investigation and without any proof (in the Monkeygate scandal in 2008), I was handed three-match ban, and here you see the player (Bancroft), who was actually involved in ball tampering, was let off with a fine of 75 per cent of match fee,” he said. “Both Smith and Bancroft should have been given harsher punishments. I will not say ban of 6 months or life ban, but maybe 2 or 3 matches.” South Africa vs Australia Australia vs South Africa

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April 20, 2015 In Tibetan The basis of all TSAMPA products is the Tibetan basic food Tsampa. It consists of barley, which is first roasted and then ground to a flour. For the Tibetan population, Tsampa is their companion throughout the day and for all activities. Whether it is for breakfast, lunch, dinner or whilst traveling: Tsampa is always there! Tsampa also plays a very important role in Tibetan culture. Here we would like to give you a brief overview of the history of Tsampa. In Europe Tsampa is still quite unknown and the idea of roasted barley is not common, although the use of barley is widespread. Why is barley so important in Tibet? And what makes Tsampa so special? Barley the source of energy In the high mountains of the Himalayas the landscape is very rough and the soil is not fertile. Barley is the only grain that meets the demands of the soil. Thus it is one of the few sources of food that can be cultivated in sufficient quantities. Which is no problem, because barley has excellent properties: it is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fiber and minerals. Barley plays an important part in a balanced diet because of these ingredients. What makes barley different from other grains is that it is a huge source of energy! The large proportion of long-chain carbohydrates supports a long-lasting energy supply. The important vitamin B stimulates energy production and processing in the body. The beta-glucans of barley are used by intestinal bacteria as a source of energy; they support the intestine during digestion and can prevent over-acidification. Tsampa in the Tibetan culture Barley was cultivated for practical reasons in Tibet and proved to be a very useful source of food and energy for the Tibetans. Its versatility as a food, barley – and the resulting Tsampa means that it has secured an important place in Tibetan culture. The use of Tsampa goes back more than 1000 years and had already been used even before the spread of Buddhism. So it is no surprise that Tsampa has played an important role in Tibetan Buddhism. It is also referred to as “food of the gods”. According to the Dalai Lama, it is part of his daily diet. Even in ceremonies like weddings it is thrown in the air as a symbol of joy. The history of Tsampa is also political; it gained importance for Tibetan culture after the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1952. Due to the size and geographical characteristics of Tibet, the Tibetans are not unified people. Language, religion and ethnicity can differ from region to region. Tsampa is what unites all of them together. Before the Tibetan Revolution in 1958, the Tibet Mirror newspaper published a public notice: “Tsampa Eaters”, addressing all Tibetans. Tsampa was then regarded as a symbol that unified the people of Tibet. Since then with the Tibetan diaspora, the common link for the Tibetan identity of Tsampa has gradually shifted to Tibetan Buddhism. For centuries the Sherpas and nomads of Tibet have used Tsampa as food on their journeys. Tsampa is stuffed into a traditional Tibetan bag and later prepared for consumption. Tsampa is commonly mixed with butter tea which consists of water and yak butter. From this it is eaten either as Pa, small Tsampa balls mixed with butter tea, or as Tsamthuk, a Tsampa soup. It is mixed with different spices and depending on the region it can vary in taste and texture. Talailamo

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Tax Controversy Watch Focusing on Significant Developments in the Tax Controversy World Tag Archives: identity theft Recent Sentences for Federal Tax Crimes in 2014 – Part 3 Posted on April 15, 2014 by Stephanie C. Chomentowski Today we conclude our review of recent sentences imposed in federal tax crime cases in 2014. In our two previous posts here and here, we reviewed sentences relating to Foreign Bank Account, Tax Evasion, Employment Tax, False Tax Returns, and Tax Return Preparer crimes. In this post, we review sentences imposed for crimes for Returns Submitted via Identity Theft. Merely based upon the number of sentences detailed here, you can easily see how this area of the law has become a focus for the Justice Department. Returns Submitted via Identity Theft As the leader of a multi-state fraud conspiracy based in Alabama, Christopher Davis had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S., wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. Mr. Davis and co-conspirator Kenneth Blackmon would utilize personal identifying information, obtained from a number of sources, including from an Alabama medical facility, to file false tax returns that claimed refunds. Mr. Davis would receive the refunds from the IRS on prepaid debit cards and then direct runners to travel to Georgia and South Carolina to make cash withdrawals using the debit cards and return the cash to Mr. Davis. At one point, Mr. Davis had over 600 stolen identities and 200 prepaid debit cards. Mr. Davis was sentenced to 60 months in prison and was ordered to forfeit over $300,000. [DOJ press release here]. Another ringleader of a tax refund conspiracy run out of a Bronx apartment from 2011 to 2012, Jose Angel Quilestorres (a/k/a Carlos Jose) had pleaded guilty to several counts, including making a false claim, aggravated identity theft, and conspiracy to defraud the government. The tax refund fraud mill operated by Mr. Quilestorres caused false tax returns to be filed utilized personal identifying information from individuals living in Puerto Rico, who are issued Social Security Numbers but do not have to pay income tax unless they receive income from a U.S. company or the U.S. government. Using more than 8,000 stolen identities, Mr. Quilestorres obtained the fraudulent refund checks sometimes by bribing mail carriers to intercept the checks and deliver them to at least a dozen other individuals who were involved in this scheme. Mr. Quilestorres was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered to pay $10.1 million in restitution. [Quilestorres complaint found here]. David Haigler, of Alabama, had pleaded guilty for a stolen identity tax refund fraud scheme. He had obtained 263 tax refund checks totaling over $600,000, obtained fictitious powers of attorneys for the individuals named on the checks, and then cashed the checks. He paid a portion of the proceeds to those who provided him with the fraudulent checks. Mr. Haigler was sentenced to 37 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $606,781 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. Noemi Rubio Baez, of California, had pleaded guilty to having conspired in a scheme from 2008 to 2012 to electronically filing false tax returns using false income information and falsely claiming refunds through false tax credits. She had also pleaded guilty for aggravated identity theft because some of the filers had been unaware that she had filed returns using their names. Ms. Baez was sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $703,536.86 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. Former Alabama bank teller LaQuanta Clayton had pleaded guilty to crimes related to her opening five bank accounts in the names of another individual, without his knowledge, in order to receive fraudulent tax refunds. She then made withdrawals for the refund amounts and provided them to others who were involved in a larger scheme of submitting false returns for fraudulent refunds. Ms. Clayton was sentenced to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $185,730 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. An Alabama husband, wife, and son, Christian Young, Mary Young, and Octavious Reeves, had pleaded guilty to conspiring to obtain stolen identities in order to file false tax returns claiming refunds that were issued on prepaid debit cards, which proceeds, totaling over $400,000, were withdrawn by the family. All received sentences that included imprisonment – Ms. Young for 87 months, Mr. Young for 70 months, and Mr. Reeves for 51 months – and three years of supervised release. Mr. and Ms. Young were ordered to pay over $400,000 in restitution. Mr. Reeves was ordered to pay $42,257 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. Ricky Lee Greenwood, of Oregon, had pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, and filing a false return. He had filed at least 66 false returns using fictitious wage and dependent information, including of unemployed individuals, in order to maximize credits to claim false refunds. Mr. Greenwood was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $296,106 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. Virginia Parks-Bert, of Virginia, had pleaded guilty to defraud the government and aggravated identity theft. She had false returns for herself and others that contained false wage and tax withholding information in order to obtain false refunds, intentionally in small amounts so as to avoid IRS detection. Ms. Parks-Bert was sentenced to 42 months in prison and three years of supervised release and ordered to pay over $135,000 in restitution. [DOJ press release here]. Posted in Criminal Tax, District Court Litigation, Sentencing, U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division | Tagged identity theft, sentencing, tax crime | Leave a reply Our Tax Controversy Practice Helping clients navigate sophisticated tax issues for more than 60 years... Read More Here Stephanie C. Chomentowski Jed Silversmith David Kuchinos Jill E. Misener David J. Moise Madeline Obler-Grill Jeffrey M. Rosenfeld ADD TO YOUR FEED Significant Changes to Partnership Tax Audits Coming in 2018 IRS Criminal Investigation Division Announces New Priorities Tax Court Holds IRC Charitable Contribution Subsection is not Self-Executing in the Absence of Regs IRS Announces Plans to Move Forward with Passport Revocation Program Pennsylvania Announces 2017 Tax Amnesty Details Bank Secrecy Act Civil forfeiture Civil Tax Crime-fraud exception Criminal Tax District Court Litigation FBAR Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act Geographic Targeting Order IRS Appeals IRS Budget IRS Criminal Investigation Division IRS Examination Division IRS LB&I John Doe Summons National Taxpayer Advocate Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Initiative (OVDI) Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) Required Records Doctrine Responsible officer penalty Streamlined Filing Compliance Procedures Swiss Bank Program TIGTA Trust fund taxes U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division United States Tax Court Work product doctrine Bankruptcy Law Watch Securities News Watch Procedurally Taxing Federal Tax Procedure The Taishoff Law Firm

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Home News 2015 04 Teamsters Applaud Report Members Parliament Conditions National Express Group Plc Teamsters Applaud Report By Members Of Parliament On Conditions At National Express Group PLC School Bus & Transit Workers Industrial Trades Drive Up Standards Report Details Labor Rights Violations, Supports Teamster Shareholder Resolution Kara Deniz Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 624-6911 (WASHINGTON) – A report released today by two Members of United Kingdom’s Parliament, Ian Lavery and Jim Sheridan, reveals serious labor rights violations at National Express Group PLC (LON: NEX) operations in the United States. The report’s recommendations support a Teamster-sponsored shareholder resolution that will be voted on at the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders on May 6 in London. The proposal is a shareholder resolution calling for an independent review of employment practices in National Express’s U.S. school bus business. National Express is the parent company to Durham School Services, the second-largest school bus transportation provider in the United States. The resolution is sponsored by holders of approximately two percent of the company’s stock, including United Kingdom pension fund members of the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum. The report, “Broken Commitments, Vulnerable Workers,” reveals the Parliamentarians’ serious concerns over systemic anti-union bias at National Express’s U.S. subsidiary and calls for intervention by the company’s Board of Directors to resolve these issues. The report details their concerns with safety and maintenance, as well as retaliation against workers exercising their federally-protected right to form a union. The report highlights poor worker treatment and working conditions, including wage theft, at the company’s U.S. school bus yards. Lavery and Sheridan traveled to the United States in February after hearing reports from Durham school bus workers, parents and community leaders about poor working conditions and anti-union bias at Durham operations in the U.S. The Members of Parliament traveled to Charleston, S.C. and Memphis, Tenn., to meet with dozens of school bus drivers and monitors and attend community meetings where concerns were raised about the company’s operations. Their findings led to more than 30 of their colleagues in Parliament putting forth an Early Day Motion condemning the anti-trade union activities of National Express, and stating their belief that the company has “largely ignored the safety concerns raised by employees and parents alike when transporting children to and from school.” “If anyone can tell me why hardworking people in the United States should be treated different from hardworking people in the U.K. at the same company, I’ll listen. All school bus workers should be treated with respect and be provided with safe and roadworthy buses appropriate for transporting children,” Lavery said. The Members spoke with Durham school bus workers from South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Illinois and New Mexico about their experiences working for the company, and included their findings in the report. “We find depressing the stories we are hearing from U.S. workers about the way a subsidiary of a renowned U.K.-based company treats its workers. A child in the United States of America is just as important as a child in the U.K. What we’ve heard from the drivers leaves a lot to be desired and the company needs to sit down with the unions because it is every worker’s fundamental right,” Sheridan said. The report concludes there is need for intervention from the National Express Board of Directors to take a collaborative approach with unions in North America. This includes in places like Santa Rosa County, Fla., where Durham drivers and monitors voted overwhelmingly in February 2013 in favor of representation by Teamsters Local 991 in nearby Mobile, Ala. Two years later, the company continues in its refusal to recognize the union. The National Labor Relations Board has certified the workers’ election as valid. The Teamsters’ Drive Up Standards campaign is a global campaign to improve safety, service and work standards in the private school bus and transit industry. Since the campaign began in 2006, more than 38,630 North American school bus and transit workers have become Teamsters. For more information on Drive Up Standards, go to www.driveupstandards.org. Founded in 1903, the Teamsters Union represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters. Blogwatch Yearly News and Press Release Archives Dental, Vision, Telehealth

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Today HONOR announced at IFA 2019 the launch of PocketVision, an AI-powered app that makes it easier for the visually impaired and people with low vision to read. According to the World Health Organisation, it is estimated that approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of visual impairment. PocketVision uses the power of HONOR’s AI (artificial intelligence) and superior quad-camera technology in the HONOR 20 PRO to deliver a portable, affordable alternative to other magnifiers and type scopes currently on the market, creating an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world. Developed by social enterprise Eyecoming and pioneered by HONOR’s cutting-edge technologies, PocketVision features three key modes to help people read more clearly. Text-to-Speech Mode; powered by HONOR HiAI and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, this mode helps to convert pictures to text faster and more accurately. It then narrates the text from books, documents, menus and more with ease. Zoom-In Mode; leveraging the HONOR 20 PRO’s 48MP quad-camera lens and 8MP telephoto lens for ultra-clarity, this mode allows users to zoom into text using the volume buttons on their device, making even the smallest type larger, less blurry and more legible. Negative Image Mode; providing a range of colour filters to enhance the text, this mode improves the contrast of printed materials for people who struggle to see certain colours “At HONOR, we believe in the relentless pursuit of innovation; creating cutting edge technologies which make a positive impact on the world,” said George Zhao, President of HONOR. “Harnessing the power of the HONOR 20 PRO’s next-generation AI capabilities and pro-grade camera technology, PocketVision aims to level the playing field for the visually impaired, giving this community a portable, affordable solution to other reading aids on the market. In launching this app, we hope to create an enhanced reading experience for people all around the world, enabling a greater sense of independence and giving people with low vision the confidence to unlock their potential and pursue their passions.” Armed with best-in-class software and hardware, the HONOR 20 PRO offers users a truly intelligent experience. From its superior 48MP AI quad-camera, which takes ultra-clear shots from the day to night, to its 8MP telephoto lens which allows users to take extreme close-ups, capturing every detail has never been easier. Powered by the 7nm Kirin 980 AI chipset, the device features a 4,000 mAh battery that can support a full day’s uninterrupted use, 256GB storage and a Virtual 9.1 Surround Sound system, allowing for a more conducive audio environment. To help raise awareness of the barriers blind and partially sighted people face, HONOR has partnered with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) which supports people with vision impairment. Robin Spinks, Senior Innovation and Technology Relationships Manager at RNIB commented: “Smartphone technology is playing an ever-increasing role in enabling everyday independence for blind and partially sighted people. PocketVision is an example of an exciting new category of apps that allow on-the-spot accessibility. Using this app, people with low vision have the ability to convert any text into a readable format, making the world a more accessible place, giving a greater sense of freedom and breaking down barriers to create a more inclusive society.” PocketVision can be downloaded for free from today on the Huawei AppGallery and supports English, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Italian and Chinese language. Related Items:Honor, Honor 20 Pro, IFA 2019, PocketVision, RNIB Honor lowers prices for January with Honor 8A Beth Mead football star teams up with HONOR for a special surprise HONOR devices lower in price throughout January VOXI’s biggest ever data deal is back

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Macomb Mall a case study in still-kicking mall retail Original article published by: Crain’s Detroit Business KIRK PINHO | February 03, 2019 12:01 AM Lormax Stern, Time Equities have invested $28 million-$30 million in improvements to Macomb Mall since acquiring it in 2013 Attracted H&M, Ulta, At Home and Dick’s Sporting Goods as new tenants A food court is on the way, by popular demand Larry Peplin Vacancies have decreased at Macomb Mall in the five and a half years that Lormax Stern Development Co. has owned the property. Christopher Brochert walks around Macomb Mall in a shoulder sling, a byproduct of a surgery a few days earlier. In the middle of the afternoon during the middle of the work week, it’s surprisingly busy. The mall on Gratiot Avenue at Masonic in Roseville also went under the knife in the five and a half years that West Bloomfield Township-based Lormax Stern Development Co. has owned the property, which Brochert categorized as rundown and in need of serious TLC when they acquired it. “Right now it’s Thursday afternoon at 2:30 or 3 p.m. When we came in here at 1:30 p.m., the place was jamming,” said Brochert, the cofounder and partner of the company. It co-owns the property with New York City-based Time Equities Inc. He declined to discuss the ownership structure. Brochert said $28 million to $30 million was spent improving it and overhauling the tenant roster, including building a new Dick’s Sporting Goods store. The result is a mall that upends the notion that one of the symbols of 20th-century consumerism is dying. While some malls may be suffering (Eastland Center) or closed (Summit Place, Northland, others) as anchor tenants and other retailers shutter, others have found ways to survive and, in the case of Macomb Mall, reinvent themselves. “(Lormax Stern) did a great job and it shows what true professional retail development expertise can do in a still-vibrant infill location with the right demographics,” said Dennis Bernard, a metro Detroit real estate expert who is founder of Southfield-based Bernard Financial Group. “They understood both the location and the needs of the community and aligned them very successfully with the appropriate retailers. Mall retail is not necessarily dead, just still shifting around the life cycle.” Lormax Stern Macomb Mall boasts tenants such as H&M, Ulta and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Today, the mall boasts tenants such as H&M, Ulta and Dick’s Sporting Goods, all of which were lured to the mall under Lormax Stern’s ownership. The company brought in Dick’s by demolishing the 127,000-square-foot former Value City Store and building the new 50,000-square-foot sports retailer. A Hobby Lobby is also on the way in an attached anchor formerly occupied by Sears; At Home also is in the space. “When we took over in 2013, the first thing we had to do was get rid of all the riff-raff,” Brochert said. “The cigarette store selling the burner phones and the lotto tickets.” Dated tiling was replaced with more contemporary flooring. Ceilings were opened up to allow for more natural light. Storefronts were updated. Some retailers were moved to different locations in the mall, while others expanded, like Payless, which nearly doubled its footprint to 6,000 square feet, Brochert said. And a food court is on the way. “That’s the No. 1 thing that people asked for in this mall: Food,” Brochert said. Time Equities says the mall today is 93 percent occupied, compared to just 81 or 82 percent when it was bought by Lormax Stern, which also handles leasing and management for the property. “The consumers that live in the area, we have given them a reason to come to Macomb Mall,” Brochert said. tei-admin Foothills Mall steps up with new flooring CSA — 10 Under 40: Retail Real Estate’s Rising Stars Eddie Lampert Wants to Save Sears but Mall Owners Say Don’t Bother Newgate Mall Owns Its Train Town Origins

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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 240 › Jones National Bank v. Yates Jones National Bank v. Yates, 240 U.S. 541 (1916) Jones National Bank v. Yates Nos. 163-166 Argued April 5, 1915 Restored to docket for reargument June 21, 1915 Reargued January 12, 13, 1916 Although plaintiff's petition does not refer in terms to a federal statute which determines defendant's liability, if it appears that the case made is essentially one governed by that statute, the action inherently involves the federal question of liability under the statute. Even though the defendant in such a case may have averred in his answer that his liability, if any, must be determined under that statute, that assertion is simply a contention as to essential elements of the plaintiff's claim, and where the state court has denied liability under the federal statute this Court has jurisdiction to review the judgment of the state court under § 237 Jud.Code. Under the local practice in Nebraska, where trial by jury is waived in an action at law, the findings made by the trial court have the same force and effect as the verdict of a jury, and the hearing in the Supreme Court is not a trial de novo, and where the judgment of that court, reversing a judgment of the trial court in favor of the plaintiff, is upon the ground that the plaintiff's case is legally insufficient under the federal statute, the questions in this Court are whether the findings of the trial court were supported by substantial evidence and justified recovery under the federal statute. The trial court, having found that defendants had knowingly made false statements as to the condition of a national bank of which they were directors, and that plaintiffs were entitled to recover from defendants their losses by reason of their reliance thereon, this Court reverses the supreme court of the state and affirms the judgment of the trial court, and held that plaintiffs, as creditors of a national bank, may recover from those directors who knowingly made statements required by the National Bank Act that were false or who knowingly permitted, assented to, and allowed the same to be made and published, and also held that, in this case, the findings of the trial court as to the condition of the bank and the knowledge by the defendant directors of the falsity of the statements made and published under the federal statute, and the reliance thereon by the plaintiffs, were supported by substantial evidence. 93 Neb. 121 reversed. The facts, which involve the right of creditors of a national bank to recover their loss from the directors of the bank, are stated in the opinion. ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA MR. JUSTICE HUGHES delivered the opinion of the Court. The Capital National Bank of Lincoln, Nebraska, suspended payment on January 21, 1893. The plaintiffs in error were unpaid depositors, and brought these actions against directors of the bank to recover damages attributed to false representations of the bank's condition. With their denials of breach of duty, the defendants averred that their liability, if any, was to be determined by the provisions of the National Bank Act. Judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, upon the verdict of a jury, was affirmed by the supreme court of the state. Yates v. Jones National Bank, 74 Neb. 734. It was held that the actions were for deceit at common law, and the judgments were sustained upon that ground. Upon writ of error, the judgments were reversed. 206 U. S. 206 U.S. 158, 206 U. S. 181. It was the view of the court, even if it were conceded "that there was some evidence tending to show the making of alleged written representations other than those contained in the official reports made by the association to the Comptroller of the Currency, and published in conformity to the National Bank Act, that such latter statements were counted upon in the amended petition and were, if not exclusively, certainly principally, the grounds of the alleged false representations covered by the proof." Id., p. 206 U. S. 171. It was therefore concluded that the recovery had been based upon conduct of the defendants in the discharge of duties imposed by the federal statute; that, with respect to such conduct, the statute (Rev.Stat. § 5239) furnished an exclusive test of liability, and that this test had not been applied. It was held that responsibility, by the terms of the statute, arose from its violation "knowingly," and hence that "something more than negligence is required -- that is, that the violation must in effect be intentional." Id., pp. 206 U. S. 179-180. Upon remand, the petitions were amended, but there was no material change in the nature of the causes of action. By agreement, the several cases were tried together, and trial was had by the court without a jury. Official reports, as published, of the condition of the bank, were introduced in evidence. Two of these (of December 28, 1886, and December 9, 1892) had been annexed to the petition, and the allegations were broad enough to embrace others. It appeared that the official reports of December 28, 1886, December 12, 1888, September 30, 1889, July 9, 1891, December 2, 1891, and December 9, 1892, had been attested by the defendant Yates; those of September 25, 1891, and September 30, 1892, by Ellis P. Hamer, the intestate of the defendant, Louisa Hamer, and those of December 28, 1886, August 1, 1887, October 2, 1890, December 19, 1890, and July 9, 1891, by the defendant, David E. Thompson. Each of these statements showed the capital stock intact and also surplus and undivided profits. On behalf of the defendants Yates and Hamer, the following special findings among others were requested: "III. That neither the defendant Charles E. Yates nor Ellis P. Hamer, the deceased, knowingly violated or knowingly permitted any of the officers, agents, or servants of the Capital National Bank to violate any of the provisions of the national banking act under which said bank operated." "IV. That neither the defendant Charles E. Yates nor the deceased, Ellis P. Hamer, knowingly participated in or assented to any violation of any of the provisions of said national banking act by any of the officers, agents, or servants of said Capital National Bank." "IX. That the defendant Charles E. Yates, in attesting said reports of date December 28, 1886, and December 9, 1892, did not, with actual knowledge thereof or intentionally, make an untrue statement or representation of the assets or liabilities of said Capital National Bank, nor of any of the items of either its assets or liabilities." "X. That neither the defendant Charles E. Yates nor the deceased Ellis P. Hamer, with actual knowledge or intentionally, made any untrue statement or representation of any or all of the assets of the Capital National Bank in any or all of the statements or reports made to the Comptroller of the Currency and published by said bank, as required by the national banking act, which reports are shown in the testimony in this case. " The trial court found "against each of the defendants and in favor of the plaintiff" respecting the third and fourth requests. On the ninth request, the court answered "in the negative" as to the report of December 28, 1886, and "in the affirmative" as to the report of December 9, 1892, and on the tenth request, the court found "in the affirmative." These rulings "in the affirmative" were taken to be findings against these defendants, each of whom at once (on a motion to set aside the findings and for a new trial) filed exceptions -- the defendant Yates stating that the court "erred in finding against defendant on the ninth request as to report Dec. 9, 1892," and each of the defendants Yates and Hamer stating that the court "erred in finding against defendant on the tenth request." Among the requests for findings submitted by the defendant Thompson were the following: "4. Whether this defendant, at any time prior to its failure or suspension, had actual personal knowledge that any of the official statements made by the Capital National Bank to the Comptroller of the Currency, and referred to in the petition or the evidence, were in any material respect false and untrue." "5. Whether this defendant in fact participated in any of the official reports made by the Capital National Bank to the Comptroller of the Currency other than the five several reports dated respectively, December 28, 1886, August 1, 1887, October 2, 1890, and December 19, 1890, and July 9, 1891." "6. Whether, in attesting such of the official reports of the Capital National Bank to the Comptroller of the Currency as are shown to have been attested by him, the defendant acted in good faith." "7. Whether, in attesting such of the official reports of the Capital National Bank to the Comptroller of the Currency as are shown to have been attested by him, the defendant acted fraudulently and with actual personal knowledge that such reports or any one of them were in any material respect false and untrue." As to the fourth request, the trial court found "in the affirmative," and the defendant Thompson filed his objection that the finding was "not sustained by sufficient evidence" and was "not consistent with the findings made in response to the sixth and seventh requests." As to the fifth request, the trial court found "that the defendant attested only five reports mentioned in said request." As to the sixth and seventh requests, it was found: "Respecting the sixth and seventh requests of the defendant, the court finds that the defendant had no actual personal knowledge of the truth or falsity of the reports made to the Comptroller, attested by him, but, in attesting such reports, the court finds that the defendant relied upon the statements made to him by the president and cashier of the bank, and without any investigation, and that, at the time of attesting such statements, the defendant knew that he had no personal knowledge of the truth or falsity of such reports, and that the same were attested recklessly and without performing his duties as a director to ascertain the truth or falsity of such reports before the same were attested by him, and in this respect the court finds that the same were not made in good faith." The trial court, upon its own motion, found in each case, as to all the defendants, as follows: "The Capital National Bank at the time it assumed that name and at the time it increased its capital stock to $300,000, had sustained losses greatly in excess of its purported capital stock, and that it never, in fact had any capital stock, undivided profits, or surplus, and that it was at all times insolvent and so continued up to the time it ceased to do business, on January 21, 1893, at which time its liabilities exceeded its assets by more than a million dollars. " The court finds that from and after September, 1891, the said Ellis P. Hamer, and the defendants Yates and Thompson, and each of them, had knowledge and knew that the statements, advertisements, and representations of the bank's financial condition and capital stock, both official and unofficial and voluntary, shown by the evidence, were being published in the newspapers and sent to the plaintiff, by the officers of the bank, as alleged in the amended petition, and that they contained the names of all the directors, including said Ellis P. Hamer, and the defendants Yates and Thompson, and purported to be made and published under and by their authority, in their names, and with their sanction and consent. "The court further finds that the said Ellis P. Hamer and the defendants Yates and Thompson, and each of them, from and after September, 1891, had knowledge and knew said statements, representations, and advertisements aforesaid contained material false representations of the financial condition of said bank, and were in fact false and untrue, as in plaintiff's amended petition alleged, and with knowledge of all of the matters and facts aforesaid they and each of them knowingly permitted, assented to, and allowed the same to be made, published, advertised, and sent to plaintiff, as aforesaid, as in the amended petition alleged. That said statements and advertisements aforesaid showed and represented the bank to be in a sound, solvent, and prosperous financial condition when in fact it was at all times wholly insolvent and unable to pay its liabilities." It was further found "that the allegations of plaintiff's amended petition are true." The trial court, as to each of the defendants, also set forth its conclusion that the plaintiffs were entitled to recover "in an action of deceit under the principles of the common law exclusive of the requirements of the national banking act," and fixed the damages sustained. Motion for a new trial was denied. Upon appeal, the judgments in the several cases were reversed by the supreme court of the state, and the actions were dismissed. 93 Neb. 121. The appeals were heard by six judges, two of whom dissented from the conclusion reached. Three judges concurred in one opinion (delivered by Hamer, J.), taking the view that the amended petitions contained "no material additional statement of facts," that they "still charge the defendants with making false statements to the Comptroller of the Currency as to the condition of the Capital National Bank, and this is the main foundation or basis for recovery," and that the plaintiffs, "having failed to allege and prove that the defendants personally knew of, or personally participated in, the acts of the officers of the bank of which they now complain," were not entitled to recover under the decision of this Court as to the rule of liability established by the federal act. Id., pp. 123, 130. The remaining judge (Letton, J.), whose concurrence was essential to the reversal, stated his views in a separate opinion. After pointing out that the issues were the same as when the case was presented to this Court on the former writ of error, and that this Court had held that a federal question was involved, he said: "I agree with the former judgment of this court and that of the several inferior federal tribunals before which the question was presented that the petitions state a cause of action at common law for deceit, but think this court is bound by the opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States. I am also inclined to the view that the evidence would support a judgment upon such a theory of the case. The findings of the district court are to that effect. I am not satisfied they are unsustained by the evidence. The presumption is that they are so sustained, but I have not examined the evidence so critically as would be necessary to determine this, for the reason that, under the holding of the Supreme Court of the United States as to the measure of duty and of liability of directors under the banking laws of the United States, I think a case has not been made. For that reason alone, I concur in the conclusion." The appellees moved for a rehearing, contending, in part, that the court had erred in denying to them "the right to recover under the national bank laws." On this motion, the court was equally divided, and the motion was denied. And these writs of error to review the judgments of reversal and dismissal have been prosecuted. 1. It is insisted that the writs should be dismissed in the view that the plaintiffs in error sought to enforce liability upon nonfederal grounds and that the federal question was raised exclusively by the defendants in error. But this objection ignores the nature of the plaintiffs' case. The fact that their petitions did not refer, in terms, to the federal statute is not controlling. Thomas v. Taylor, 224 U. S. 73, 224 U. S. 78-79; Grand Trunk Ry. v. Lindsay, 233 U. S. 42, 233 U. S. 48. It was alleged that statements published by the defendants, acting as directors and officers of the bank, with respect to its financial condition, were false, and were known to be false, and were made with intent to deceive plaintiffs and others. Two of these statements -- official reports formally attested -- were, as we have said, annexed to the petitions. The proof of representations chiefly concerned these reports and others of a similar sort. In contemplation of law, the question upon the case made by the plaintiffs was essentially one as to the liability of these directors for conduct governed by the federal act. The conclusion of the trial court that there could be a recovery at common law, independent of the federal statute, did not alter the inherent character of the actions. Recognizing that these must be deemed to rest upon transactions falling within the purview of that statute, and that the plaintiffs' rights must be measured accordingly, the supreme court of the state reversed the judgments and dismissed the actions. Although the defendants alleged in their answers that, if any liability attached to them as directors, it was determined by the federal act, the construction of which was necessarily involved, this was not, properly speaking, a matter of affirmative defense. What is called the defendants' assertion of federal right was simply their contention as to the essential elements of the plaintiffs' cause of action. In Thomas v. Taylor, supra, the case was framed in deceit under the common law, but the appellate courts of the state decided "that it was the facts pleaded, and not the technical designation of the action, which constituted grounds of recovery." We accepted that decision, saying: "There is nothing in the national banking laws which precludes such view. Those laws are not concerned with the form of pleadings. They only require that the rule of responsibility declared by them shall be satisfied." If the plaintiffs' cause of action required the application of the federal statute in defining the liability of these directors with respect to the acts alleged and proved, the plaintiffs were entitled to its correct application. Their case, as made by their pleadings and proofs, is not to be treated as of one character for the purpose of dismissing it in the state court, and as of another sort for the purpose of denying their right to complain of the dismissal. We conclude that this Court has jurisdiction. 2. It is apparent that there were no findings of fact by the supreme court of the state. The actions being at law and trial by jury being waived, the findings of fact made by the trial court -- as we understand the local practice -- had "the same force and effect" as the verdict of a jury. Citizens Ins. Co. v. Herpolsheimer, 77 Neb. 232; Dorsey v. Wellman, 85 Neb. 262; Darr v. Kansas City Hay Co., 85 Neb. 665; Madison Bank v. Gross, 98 Neb. 684. It was not a case of a trial de novo upon appeal, as in an equity suit. First National Bank v. Crawford, 78 Neb. 665. But, apart from these considerations, findings of fact by the supreme court would necessarily require the action of a majority of that court, and it is plain that the opinion of the three judges, unaided by the concurrence of the fourth, could not be regarded as embodying such findings. Justice Letton, whose concurrence in the result made the reversal possible, stated specifically the sole ground of his action, and his statement did not purport to be the resolving of questions of fact. After saying that he was inclined to the view that the evidence would support a judgment upon a cause of action at common law for deceit, and that "the findings of the district court" were "to that effect," he added that he was not satisfied that these findings were "unsustained by the evidence." He considered the presumption to be that they were "so sustained," but he had "not examined the evidence so critically as would be necessary to determine this," for the reason that, in view of the holding of this Court "as to the measure of duty and of liability of directors" under the federal act, he thought that "a case had not been made." "For that reason alone" he concurred in the conclusion. It is manifest that this was simply the expression of an opinion with respect to the legal sufficiency of the plaintiffs' case. That is, the decisive ruling -- upon which the reversal rested -- was that, as matter of law, applying the federal statute, the plaintiffs were not entitled to their recovery. And the judgment as entered upon appeal simply set forth that the court, finding "error apparent in the record of the proceedings and judgment," reversed and dismissed. In this state of the record, for the purpose of determining whether, in thus reversing the judgments and depriving the plaintiffs of their recovery, the federal question was wrongly decided, there are two questions to be considered: (a) whether the facts found by the trial court justified a recovery under the federal law, and, if so, (b) whether there was substantial evidence to support these findings, as the duty to decide the federal question, in its very nature, involves this further inquiry. Dower v. Richards, 151 U. S. 658, 151 U. S. 667; Stanley v. Schwalby, 162 U. S. 255, 162 U. S. 277-278; Kansas City Southern Ry. Co. v. Albers Commission Co., 223 U. S. 573, 223 U. S. 591-592; Creswill v. Knights of Pythias, 225 U. S. 246, 225 U. S. 261; Southern Pacific Co. v. Schuyler, 227 U. S. 601, 227 U. S. 611; North Carolina R. Co. v. Zachary, 232 U. S. 248, 232 U. S. 259; Carlson v. Washington, 234 U. S. 103, 234 U. S. 106. 3. In addition to the general finding in each case that the allegations of plaintiffs' amended petition were true, we have noted that the court found specially that the bank had sustained losses greatly in excess of its purported capital stock; that it never "had any capital stock, undivided profits or surplus;" that it "was at all times insolvent, and so continued up to the time it ceased to do business on January 21, 1893," when "its liabilities exceeded its assets by more than a million dollars;" and that the published statements shown by the evidence, embracing the official reports to which reference has been made, represented the bank to be "in a sound, solvent, and prosperous financial condition" when in fact it was "wholly insolvent and unable to pay its liabilities." The official reports covered by the findings were those made to the Comptroller of the Currency and published at the times we have mentioned, in pursuance of Rev.Stat. § 5211. * While, as pointed out on the former writ of error, the act did not expressly require that these reports "should contain a true statement of the condition of the association," yet, "by necessary implication, such is the character of the statement required to be made, and by the like implication the making and publishing of a false report is prohibited." 206 U.S. p. 206 U. S. 177. And as it is plain that the making of these official reports, found to be false, was a violation of the statute, the question is whether the findings made a case within § 5239 of the Revised Statutes, which provides that, where the statute is "knowingly" violated or is "knowingly" permitted to be violated, as stated, "every director who participated in or assented to" such violation shall be liable individually for all damages thereby sustained by "the association, its shareholders, or any other person," -- a civil liability which may be enforced in the state court. Id., pp. 206 U. S. 180-181. As to the directors Yates and Hamer (the former having attested an official report to the Comptroller of the Currency as late as December 9, 1892, and the latter having attested an official report of September 30, 1892), the trial court not only found "against each of the defendants and in favor of the plaintiff" upon the special requests for findings that these directors did not knowingly participate in the violation of the act, but the trial court also found explicitly that each of these directors, "from and after September, 1891," knew that the official statements as to the bank's financial condition, which were shown by the evidence to have been published, "contained material false representations of the financial condition of said bank, and were in fact false and untrue," and that these directors, with knowledge "of all the matters and facts aforesaid," had "knowingly permitted, assented to, and allowed the same" to be made and published. The findings as to each of these directors abundantly supported the plaintiffs' recovery within the established rule of liability. With respect to the defendant Thompson (the latest official report attested by him being the one of July 9, 1891), we have seen that the court found that he had "no actual personal knowledge of the truth or falsity" of the reports which he attested, but that, in attesting them, he "relied upon the statements made to him by the president and cashier" of the bank "without any investigation," and that, "at the time of attesting such statements," he "knew that he had no personal knowledge" of their truth or falsity, and that they "were attested recklessly and without performing his duties as a director" to ascertain their truth or falsity before attestation, and in this respect that these reports "were not made in good faith." If this finding, fairly construed, did not import more than mere neglect or inattention, it would not be sufficient to sustain a recovery, for Congress did not make negligence the test of liability, but the fact that the act was violated knowingly, although there may be a violation "in effect intentional," and therefore within the statute, "when one deliberately refuses to examine that which it is his duty to examine." Thomas v. Taylor, 224 U. S. 73, 224 U. S. 78-79. In that case, the directors, having been warned by the bank examiner and Comptroller of the doubtful character of certain assets, still represented them to be good, and their reckless report, in disregard of the official direction, was found to have the quality of an intentional breach of the defined duty. But, in the present case, we are not called upon to determine what should be deemed to be involved in the finding that the attestation of the earlier reports, which were attested by this defendant, was made "without nay investigation" and "recklessly." For there were later reports made on behalf of the bank, and the defendant is not excused simply by the fact that he did not attest them. His liability was not merely with respect to attestation, but for knowingly "participating in" or "assenting to" the violation of the act. 206 U.S. pp. 206 U. S. 177-179. If the defendant Thompson participated in or assented to the making and publication of the official reports to the Comptroller of the Currency, which were made in the year 1892, knowing that they were false reports, he was liable to the plaintiffs deceived and damaged thereby under the express terms of the statute, and he could not escape this liability simply because, while he thus participated or assented, other directors gave the formal attestation. And the trial court found, not only with respect to Yates and Hamer, but as to the defendant Thompson, that each of them after September, 1891, knew that the official statements as to the condition of the bank, shown by the evidence, were in fact false, and that with knowledge of the facts stated in the findings with respect to the condition of the bank, the defendant Thompson, as well as the others, "knowingly permitted, assented to, and allowed" the same to be made and published. This was a sufficient finding of the ultimate fact of participation or assent, and constituted an adequate basis for recovery. We conclude that the findings of the trial court, in the light of the federal statute, supported the judgments it entered. 4. The plaintiffs in error, however, are not entitled to complain of the reversal as a denial of federal right, even though the judgments were supported by the findings of fact made by the trial court, if these findings themselves were not supported by substantial evidence. As to the financial condition of the bank, there is no room for controversy. It would be difficult to conceive of a case of more scandalous maladministration than that which the testimony portrays. There was evidence of manipulation of accounts, of fictitious and falsified entries, of fraudulent concealments. It cannot be said that there was serious effort to meet this evidence. There was no attempt to palliate the offenses which it appeared had been committed by the executive officers in the conduct of the bank's affairs. But these directors were not accountants; presumably they relied upon the books as containing accurate items, and there is no basis for the conclusion that they had knowledge of fictitious or falsified entries in the books, or of the fraudulent transactions which such entries were intended to conceal, and which were revealed after the bank failed. With respect to such concealed transactions, we find nothing to show that the directors knowingly participated in, or assented to, a violation of the statute. We pass, therefore, to matters of a different sort which lay easily within the ken of the directors. The bank had been incorporated as the Marsh National Bank in the year 1883, with a capital stock of $100,000. The assets and liabilities of a preceding concern, Marsh Brothers, Mosher, & Company, were transferred to the bank and became its assets and liabilities. In 1884, the name was changed to the Capital National Bank of Lincoln; the capital stock was then increased to $200,000, and in 1886 there was a further increase, making the total capital stock $300,000. Yates, Hamer, and Thompson became directors in 1884, and continued as such until the failure of the bank in January, 1893. There were seven directors in all, including C. W. Mosher, the president. It appears that, at the time of the failure, the bank's assets at their face value, as shown by the books, were about $1,031,000. The liabilities, as shown by the books, including capital stock, amounted to about $1,017,000; these seem to have been in face (including liabilities on rediscounts) about $1,760,000. Included in the assets above stated, the amount of $850,959.86 (in face value) was in bills receivable of which $155,560.84 were classed by the receiver as doubtful and $397,073.63 as worthless. The actual showing on liquidation appears to have been even worse; the total amount realized from the bills receivable (aggregating $850,959.86) was $229,520.82, and the total amount realized from all the assets of the bank (including rediscounted items placed in the hands of the receiver for collection, and excluding stock assessments) seems to have been less than $400,000. The evidence was that, at the time of the failure, there were on hand worthless notes of C. W. Mosher, the president, amounting to $85,281.67; of the cashier, R. C. Outcalt, $54,166.96 (less an offset of $570.99), and of the Western Manufacturing Company (signed by E. Hurlburt, Jr., manager), $235,000. This concern was apparently but another name for C. W. Mosher; the testimony is that it had no assets, and ceased to do an active business in 1889. There were also notes in the name of E. W. Mosher aggregating $107,085.45, which it was testified were worthless, save for a collection on collateral of less than $10,000. According to the schedules in evidence, these worthless notes had been taken since June 1, 1892 -- that is, within a period of seven months before the failure. And while the totals of these accounts, respectively, were much larger than they had been formerly, the same accounts embracing loans to a considerable amount had long been carried and were included in the published reports. There was evidence that there had been about $200,000 of worthless notes in these accounts in January, 1892. While it is not necessary for the present purpose to go further back, the testimony supports the finding of the trial court that the bank in fact not only had no surplus or undivided profits, but that its actual condition was one of insolvency. In the fourteen months before the failure, the evidence shows three of the official reports made to the Comptroller of the Currency and published in the newspapers in Lincoln; those of December 2, 1891, September 30, 1892, and December 9, 1892. The total resources in these reports are stated, respectively, as $1,143,946.88, $1,033,561.11, and $1,074,867.37. Each of these reports shows the capital stock unimpaired. As of December 2, 1891, the surplus is stated to be $32,000, and the undivided profits, $23,276.89; as of September 30, 1892, these items are $6,000 and $11,978, respectively, and as of December 9, 1892, $6,000 and $21,180.75. In January, 1892, the directors declared a dividend of five percent, and in July, 1892, a further dividend of four percent. There was evidence of serious discrepancies between the items in the published official reports and corresponding items as shown by the books. Without attempting to state the details disclosed by the voluminous record, it is sufficient to say that it was clearly shown by evidence substantially undisputed that these reports constituted grossly false representations of the bank's financial condition upon which the plaintiffs were invited to rely and did rely. There was also substantial basis for the finding that the directors assented to the making and publication of these reports, for, as we have said, whether this or that director attested a particular report is not controlling upon the question of assent. The official reports required by law are the reports of the bank, and not simply of those signing and attesting. As the reports of the bank, they are made under its authority, and presumably with the assent of the board of directors. Taking the proved circumstances into consideration, and particularly in the light of the activity of these directors, to which we shall presently refer, it is hardly conceivable that they did not know of the last-mentioned official reports which were made on behalf of the bank and published in Lincoln. Certainly, the fact of such knowledge on the part of each of them could properly be found. There is no suggestion that they made the slightest objection to the making or publication of these reports, and the evidence was unquestionably sufficient to show their assent to this action on behalf of the bank. The remaining question is with respect to the evidence of the knowledge of these directors of the falsity of these official reports, or of such reckless disregard of the truth or falsity of their contents as would show that the participation in, or assent to, the violation of the statute, was "in effect intentional." Under date of September 8, 1891, the Comptroller of the Currency addressed a letter to President Mosher, referring to a report of an examination of the bank, and criticizing various matters. It was evidently in view of this communication that the trial court took September, 1891, as the time after which the directors had knowledge of facts showing the falsity of the reports. Without reciting the letter in full, it is sufficient to note that the Comptroller called attention to two loans (one being that of E. W. Mosher) exceeding the statutory limit; of the fact that at the time of the last report of the bank the overdrafts shown by the books largely exceeded those stated in the report; to overdue paper, with the statement that such of it as was good should be collected or made active by renewal with satisfactory security; to the excess of current expenses over undivided profits, and to the fact that the bank had a large liability on account of rediscounted paper, said to be caused by the falling off in deposits. It was suggested that some of the loans should be called in as soon as practicable, and the letter closed with the statement that, according to the examiner's report, the board of directors had held only two meetings during the past year, and that there was "no record of their having examined or approved of the loans and discounts." It was pointed out "that the conduct of affairs of a national bank is by law devolved upon the board of directors, and that regular and frequent meetings are therefore very desirable." The defendants insist that they were not apprised of this letter until after the failure. There was evidence tending to show that it was considered at a meeting of the board in September, 1891, but, in addition to explicit denials, there was testimony to impeach the credit of the witness so testifying. There was, however, another letter from the Comptroller of the Currency under date of February 16, 1892, which admittedly was brought to the attention of the directors. This letter, in substance, repeated several of the criticisms which had been made in the earlier letter; it referred to the desirability of collecting as soon as practicable loans that had been carried for a number of years, and to the agreement of Mosher and Outcalt to reduce their liabilities and to close "the bulk of their outside interests," owing to which the business of the bank had suffered; it again emphasized the duty of the directors with respect to the conduct of the bank's affairs, and it concluded with a request for a reply over the directors' "individual signatures." The directors, including those whose liability is now in question, accordingly signed a reply, under date of February 19, 1892, which purported to furnish explanations and promised improvement. It was stated that the bank had always had a discount committee, and that a vacancy caused by the death of a former member had been filled by the appointment of E. P. Hamer. The last-mentioned director also wrote to the Comptroller on February 23, 1892, to the effect that the manner of conducting the bank had not been satisfactory to him, and, promising better management, "Your letter is a move in the right direction; it indicates that we the directors should take a more positive position in the management, which I, for one, shall do." Apparently the Comptroller of the Currency was not satisfied. For it appears that he wrote another letter under date of August 31, 1892, which, having been lost, was not introduced in evidence. But the letter in reply, which the directors, including Yates, Hamer, and Thompson signed individually (under date of September 19, 1892, as stated by defendants' counsel), is in evidence, and its significance cannot be overlooked. Among other things, it stated: "The dividend of July 1st was all right; the expenses since then have exceeded income by reason of having paid taxes & interest on certificates of deposits to an unexpected amount during July. The item of $8,000 losses referred to was an estimate of contingent losses & not any particular loss already incurred, but referred to some matters or process of liquidation, all items mentioned by you shall receive prompt attention." There was thus sufficient evidence from these directors themselves that they were scrutinizing the affairs of the bank; that, prior to the published official report of September 30, 1892, which was followed by the published official report of December 9, 1892, these directors were examining the condition of the bank, that they were considering the losses sustained, the expenses incurred, and the basis of the dividend declared in July. These were not casual statements, but deliberate assertions of activity of supervision in response to official complaint. It was plainly permissible, despite their disclaimers and denials, to attribute to these directors the knowledge which men of ordinary intelligence would readily have obtained with respect to the financial condition of the bank in the course of the supervision which they professed to be actively exercising. Assuming that they were ignorant of the frauds that had been committed and concealed by falsified entries, there was warrant for the conclusion that they could not have failed to acquire sufficient information to be aware that the representations in the official reports of the latter part of the year 1892 were materially false and calculated to deceive. The questions of fact, so far as they arose upon a substantial conflict in evidence, were for the trial court. Citizens Ins. Co. v. Herpolsheimer, 77 Neb. 232; Madison National Bank v. Gross, 98 Neb. 684. It is not necessary for us to review the evidence in detail. It is sufficient to say that our examination of it has convinced us that the findings of the trial court, at least with respect to the last-mentioned reports, had substantial support, and, in this view, we must conclude that the reversal of the judgments, as entered in the trial court, upon the ground of the legal insufficiency of the plaintiffs' case when tested by the federal statute, was error. The judgments of the supreme court of the state are reversed, and the cases are remanded with instructions to reinstate the judgments entered in the district court, which are affirmed. Stanley v. Schwalby, 162 U. S. 255, 162 U. S. 279-283. "Sec. 5211. Every association shall make to the Comptroller of the Currency not less than five reports during each year, according to the form which may be prescribed by him, verified by the oath or affirmation of the president or cashier of such association, and attested by the signature of at least three of the directors. Each such report shall exhibit, in detail and under appropriate heads, the resources and liabilities of the [associations] [association] at the close of business on any past day by him specified, and shall be transmitted to the Comptroller within five days after the receipt of a request or requisition therefor from him, and in the same form in which it is made to the Comptroller shall be published in a newspaper published in the place where such association is established, or if there is no newspaper in the place, then in the one published nearest thereto in the same county at the expense of the association, and such proof of publication shall be furnished as may be required by the Comptroller. The Comptroller shall also have power to call for special reports from any particular association whenever in his judgment the same are necessary in order to a full and complete knowledge of its condition."

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SOUL SEARCHERSDavid2019-02-19T22:26:05+00:00 The Soul Searchers — that’s what you get when you combine Jake with The Blacklash Horns and a powerful rhythm section. The band has an authentic repertoire of R&B stagecraft to support their classic repertoire of songs. Depending on the venue, Jake and the band treat audiences to sights and sounds seldom seen or heard since the golden age of R&B: an opening singer on the drum kit, Hal “Halag8r” Saylor; a dynamic, audience-walking lead singer; a strolling horn section; a full-time emcee/announcer, Kenny “The Conductor” Eunice; and one of the funkiest rhythm sections around. The band’s roots are deep, featuring sidemen who worked with Ike and Tina Turner, Billy Joe Royal, Ernie K Doe, and other R&B and rock pioneers. SOUL SEARCHERS © 2020 Surfboard Records

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We use cookies to optimise the content and display of our pages, to offer social media functionality and to analyse access to our website without creating a profile. In addition, when using the social media share functionality, information on the use of our website is transmitted to the respective providers. Use of the cookies necessary for this purpose can be deactivated in the Privacy Policy. Learn more. If you’ve got the cash and want to get into ebikes, don’t buy this Rattan. My best advice if you have the money is buy a bike store bike with a Bosch/Brose/Yamaha/Shimano drivetrain. We review lots of them here but I’m currently riding a $2000 Raleigh. If you only have around $1,000+ to spend, head to Luna/Rad/Sondors or at least something from a company you’ve heard of with a Bafang motor. The recommendation depends a lot on what you plan to use the bike for and how you plan to ride. That said, I would recommend at least a 750 (if not 1,000) watt motor, and, if you want reasonable range, 48 or 52v cells with a minimum rating of 19ah. For shorter rides, you can use a smaller battery. Multiply battery voltage by amp hour rating to get battery watt hours. Divide the watt hours by the motors power rating to get a general idea of how many hours of heavy use you might get. I’d also recommend a mid drive as opposed to a hub drive, or to find a hub drive wheel rated to take your and the bicycle's combined weight. Speaking of which, if you're used to non-electric cycles, be aware that e-bikes are heavy and capped at 25kph or 15.5mph. In many cases, that means the bike starts to feel like its actively fighting against you, if you try to push the speed higher than that by pedalling. That's especially true with heavier bikes, for obvious reasons, and can take a while to get used to. Chart: Electric bicycles are rapidly becoming popular. This chart shows the growth in sales of what the manufacturers refer to as "electric power-assisted cycles (EPACs)" in European countries over the last decade. Over 1.6 million electric bikes were sold in Europe in 2016 alone, which is about 7 percent of total European bicycle sales. What this chart doesn't reveal is that the bikes are much more popular in some countries than others: four countries accounted for 70 percent of all the sales (Germany, 36 percent; the Netherlands, 16 percent; Belgium, 10 percent; and France 8 percent). Data sourced from the report "European Bicycle Market: 2017", courtesy of CONEBI (Confederation of the European Bicycle Industry). These are the newest figures available at the time this article was last updated (September 2018). No endorsement is required on a driver license in order to operate a motorized bicycle, thus the motorized bicycle may be operated by anyone with a valid driver license. Goggles, windshields and other special equipment required for motorcycles and motor-driver cycles are not required for operation of a motorized bicycle. However, crash helmets are required regardless of operators age. Minors between the ages of 14 and 16 may apply for a restricted license to operate a motorized bicycle, just as they would to operate a motor-driver cycle. For instance, they must take a written test, vision tests and demonstrate their ability to operate the motorized bicycle. The license issued will be restricted to a motorized bicycle only. The license is valid only during daylight hours and within a seven-mile (11 km) radius of the driver's home. Applicants for any type of license less than eighteen (18) years old, must complete a Minor/Teen-age Affidavit and Cancellation form making the parent or legal guardian financially liable for the applicants action. [57] Torque sensors and power controls were developed in the late 1990s. For example, Takada Yutky of Japan filed a patent in 1997 for such a device. In 1992 Vector Services Limited offered and sold an e-bike dubbed Zike.[9] The bicycle included NiCd batteries that were built into a frame member and included an 850 g permanent-magnet motor. Despite the Zike, in 1992 hardly any commercial e-bikes were available. There are generally two types of e-bike: throttle and pedal-assist. Throttle e-bikes, common among food delivery workers, don’t require any pedaling, just a twist of the handlebar to get moving. Wing’s e-bike is pedal-assist. The bike’s battery provides a boost while you pedal — up to 20 mph — but if you stop pedaling, the bike slows just like a regular bike. Power-assist: Also known as pedal-assist bikes, these are the bicycle equivalents of hybrid cars: they're designed to be pedaled quite a lot of the time and electrically powered either when you're tired or when you feel like a bit of electric help (when you're going up hill, for example). Unlike full-power bikes, they don't have hub motors; instead, there's a separate electric motor mounted near the rear wheel and driving it either through the gear sprocket or simply by pressing against the rear tire. Where a hub motor is difficult or impossible to pedal without any power (because you're effectively turning it into a generator), power-assist motors turn easily with little or no resistance when you pedal. That gives power-assist bikes much greater range than hub-motor ones (as much as 80–145km or 50–90 miles). "Medical Exemptions" are also a standard right in the State of Texas for motorcycles & even bicyclists. Through Texas's motorcycle helmet law (bicycle helmet laws from city ordinances), it is only required for those 21 years old or younger to wear a helmet. However, a medical exemption,[133][134][135][136][137] written by a certified licensed medical physician or licensed chiropractor, which exempts one from wearing a helmet, can be used for bicyclists if helmets are required. Louisiana Revised Statute R.S. 32:1(41) defines a motorized bicycle as a pedal bicycle which may be propelled by human power or helper motor, or by both, with a motor rated no more than one and one-half brake horsepower, a cylinder capacity not exceeding fifty cubic centimeters, an automatic transmission, and which produces a maximum design speed of no more than twenty-five miles per hour on a flat surface. Motorized bicycles falling within this definition must be registered and titled under Louisiana law. Additionally, a motorized bicycle operated upon Louisiana roadways or highways by a person fifteen years of age or older and producing more than five horsepower must possess a valid driver's license with a motorcycle endorsement and adhere to laws governing the operation of a motorcycle, including the wearing of approved eye protectors or a windshield and the wearing of a helmet. The statute also states that "Motorized bicycles such as pocket bikes and scooters that do not meet the requirements of this policy shall not be registered." Electric-assisted bicycles are treated as human-powered bicycles, while bicycles capable of propulsion by electric power alone face additional registration and regulatory requirements as mopeds. Requirements include electric power generation by a motor that cannot be easily modified, along with a power assist mechanism that operates safely and smoothly. In December 2008, The assist ratio was updated as follow: Different gears and ranges of gears are appropriate for different people and styles of cycling. Multi-speed bicycles allow gear selection to suit the circumstances: a cyclist could use a high gear when cycling downhill, a medium gear when cycling on a flat road, and a low gear when cycling uphill. In a lower gear every turn of the pedals leads to fewer rotations of the rear wheel. This allows the energy required to move the same distance to be distributed over more pedal turns, reducing fatigue when riding uphill, with a heavy load, or against strong winds. A higher gear allows a cyclist to make fewer pedal turns to maintain a given speed, but with more effort per turn of the pedals. The 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of the United Nations considers a bicycle to be a vehicle, and a person controlling a bicycle (whether actually riding or not) is considered an operator. The traffic codes of many countries reflect these definitions and demand that a bicycle satisfy certain legal requirements before it can be used on public roads. In many jurisdictions, it is an offense to use a bicycle that is not in a roadworthy condition.[citation needed] There are a variety of gadgets in the market for a hunter. These gadgets have made the hunting experience a lot easier and better. However, not everyone requires everything available in the market. It’s from your experience you learn what is best for you. Let’s look at some important gadgets you may want to have on your next hunting trip. Electric Hunting Bikes Electric hunting bikes are a better bet than the dirt bikes or ATV’s. It makes lesser noise than the other modes of transport so you don't spook the wildlife. You can carry your gadgets and hunting... Under Title 23, Chapter 316 of the code, bicycles and motorized bicycles are defined as follows: Bicycle—Every vehicle propelled solely by human power, and every motorized bicycle propelled by a combination of human power and an electric helper motor capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of not more than 20 miles per hour on level ground upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels, and including any device generally recognized as a bicycle though equipped with two front or two rear wheels. The term does not include such a vehicle with a seat height of no more than 25 inches from the ground when the seat is adjusted to its highest position or a scooter or similar device. No person under the age of 16 may operate or ride upon a motorized bicycle. Motorized Scooter—Any vehicle not having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider, designed to travel on not more than three wheels, and not capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on level ground.[90] Rad Power’s lineup of 2019 bikes start at $1,699 (there’s also a Cyber Monday special on their 2018 models), proving that electric bikes don’t have to be over $2,000 to have the amenities and quality you need for daily commuting. Of course, that’s still a steep price for some. But as prices keep dropping in the e-bike industry, affordability breeds better access, and this might be the key that our cities—and their traffic—so desperately need. Artwork: Hub motors aren't the only way to power electric bicycle wheels. If you've ever watched a mouse scampering around inside an exercise wheel, you might have wondered if you could drive a wheel electrically, in a similar way, with something that pushes against the inside of the rim. A company called GeoOrbital has been developing an ingenious mechanical equivalent that can be used to power conventional bikes—and here's a simplified illustration of how it works. It has a motorized drive roller (red) that presses against the inner rim, powered by a battery pack (orange) that sits snugly inside the wheel. Two guide rollers (blue) mounted on a tensioned framework (green) take the place of the conventional arrangement of spokes. According to GeoOrbital, you can fit one of its wheels to a normal bike in just 60 seconds. E-bikes use rechargeable batteries and the lighter ones can travel up to 25 to 32 km/h (16 to 20 mph), depending on local laws, while the more high-powered varieties can often do in excess of 45 km/h (28 mph). In some markets, such as Germany as of 2013, they are gaining in popularity and taking some market share away from conventional bicycles,[1] while in others, such as China as of 2010, they are replacing fossil fuel-powered mopeds and small motorcycles.[2][3] Many newer or smaller companies only design and market their products; the actual production is done by Asian companies. For example, some 60% of the world's bicycles are now being made in China. Despite this shift in production, as nations such as China and India become more wealthy, their own use of bicycles has declined due to the increasing affordability of cars and motorcycles.[102] One of the major reasons for the proliferation of Chinese-made bicycles in foreign markets is the lower cost of labor in China.[103] My homeowners (State Farm) covers bikes , but assumes $500 per bike. They will add the bikes as personal property, but the premium is excessive (about $300/year per bike, and we have four bikes). I did increase our personal umbrella liability coverage, and it covers us if family members any sort of accident on our e-bikes that injures us or others or others' property, though only covers $500 each for our own bikes (under the homeowners coverage). It was not very expensive to increase the umbrella policy (as it resulted also in a reduced rate on our car insurance). To help the rider find the perfect fit, the stem is adjustable. The bike also boasts dynamo powered lights alongside hydraulic disc brakes. The bike will suit riders from 4 ft 10 to 6 ft 5, and also integrates with a child seat. The total weight is 22.5kg, making it admittedly a fairly hefty folder – but that’s fairly uniform across electric versions. This was the first ebike I ever bought. I've since become a builder and make my own. But this was a really reliable vehicle. I used it everyday for transportation. The company sent me any part I needed. It's got a power motor on it so it's super reliable. I wouldn't hesitate to buy this bike especially if you're new into the ebike world. If your looking to have some real fun buy this bike.. If your looking to meet new people buy this bike. If looking to go more green buy this bike. This bike is so much fun you well want to ride all day. This bike should be twice the price . I love love love it . Experiments done in Uganda, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka on hundreds of households have shown that a bicycle can increase a poor family's income as much as 35%.[69][better source needed][70][71] Transport, if analyzed for the cost-benefit analysis for rural poverty alleviation, has given one of the best returns in this regard. For example, road investments in India were a staggering 3–10 times more effective than almost all other investments and subsidies in rural economy in the decade of the 1990s. What a road does at a macro level to increase transport, the bicycle supports at the micro level. The bicycle, in that sense, can be an important poverty-eradication tool in poor nations. Riding a pedal-assisted road bike may seem counterintuitive but during longer training sessions, the minimal addition of power helps prevent overall muscle fatigue and injury. Similarly, those looking to enjoy longer scenic routes will appreciate the general boost an electric drive provides. With a top speed of 28 mph, the Road E+1 uses three power modes to give you ultimate control over your ride and assistance level. A four-point sensory system monitors the pedaling force allowing the motor to amplify your movements seamlessly. Choose a 36- or 48-volt battery with a capacity of 10Ah or 20Ah. Choose a battery designed for use on an electric bicycle, as it will come with a charger and be much easier to install. Make sure the voltage and capacity of the battery you choose is compatible with the conversion kit you purchased. The higher the voltage of your bike's battery, the more powerful your bike will be. When building an electric bike, choose a 36- or 48-volt battery to allow for speed and comfort.[5] Bicycles are popular targets for theft, due to their value and ease of resale.[113] The number of bicycles stolen annually is difficult to quantify as a large number of crimes are not reported.[114] Around 50% of the participants in the Montreal International Journal of Sustainable Transportation survey were subjected to a bicycle theft in their lifetime as active cyclists.[115] Most bicycles have serial numbers that can be recorded to verify identity in case of theft.[116] eBikes are a key part of solution to reduce carbon emissions globally. The Zero-emission part of the eBike discussion is based on re-charging the battery on a daily basis from a Sustainable Electrical Source such as solar, wind, hydro, geo thermal, etc.  The fact is today part of the eBike Battery charge is coming from Power Plants that are running … Built around a heavy-duty alloy frame, the GSD eschews many of the traits of other cargo bikes: long wheelbases, bigger wheels, and especially, an unwieldy ride. Yet it boasts an extensive capacity, nimble handling—even fully loaded, thanks to a short wheelbase and 20-inch wheels—and enduring range in a package not much bigger than most non-cargo e-bikes. The stout frame holds a 250-watt Bosch motor that gives up to 275 percent of your power back to the pedals and reaches 20 mph. The GSD has room for two battery packs, extending the batteries’ combined range to a claimed 150 miles and making the Tern one of the longest-lasting e-bikes on the market. A laundry list of accessories and a (claimed) 396-pound carrying capacity round out the GSD’s status as an epic day-tripper. For many ebike owners, doing their ebike thing usually becomes more than a hobby and good exercise on the weekend with the riding club. It becomes a lifestyle, a utility machine, a darn fun piece of technology on two wheels. As the industry grows and becomes more popular, these unique bikes will be a daily part of many lives and mold into the framework of legal society. Track bicycles do not have brakes, because all riders ride in the same direction around a track which does not necessitate sharp deceleration. Track riders are still able to slow down because all track bicycles are fixed-gear, meaning that there is no freewheel. Without a freewheel, coasting is impossible, so when the rear wheel is moving, the cranks are moving. To slow down, the rider applies resistance to the pedals, acting as a braking system which can be as effective as a conventional rear wheel brake, but not as effective as a front wheel brake.[51] The benefits don’t stop at the physical, however. Our daily lives are spent glued to computer and phone screens, and even if you choose to accept that as an inevitable wave of the future, your mind still needs a release from all that toxic screen time. Because a bike moves more slowly than a car, while also giving you much better sight lines and more direct exposure to the sun, a nice ride — even through city streets — will put you more in touch with nature. Getting in touch with your natural environment can drastically reduce stress levels, which is why biking to and from work is such a good idea: no matter how frustrating your day at the office was, you can let it all go on the enjoyable cycling trip home. Legislative changes in 2012 significantly altered the classification and regulatory structure for e-bikes. The general effect was to establish electric-assisted bicycles as a subset of bicycles and regulate e-bikes in roughly the same manner as bicycles instead of other motorized devices with two (or three) wheels. Laws 2012, ch. 287, art. 3, §§ 15-17, 21, 23-26, 30, 32-33, and 41. The 2012 Legislature also modified and clarified regulation of e-bikes on bike paths and trails. Laws 2012, ch. 287, art. 4, §§ 1-4, 20. Available products (motors, senors, batteries, control systems. etc.) change fast since the e-bike market shows a strong growth. In principle, get a rear motor if you want a lot of raw power and acceleration (e.g. for a 500W motor). Middle motors are more energy efficient and less subject to problems (e.g. overheating). Middle motors usually are combined with integrated rear hub gears, and rear motors with derailleurs. Both have advantages and disadvantages. E.g. the former require less maintenance, are easy to use in go-and-stop traffic, but require taking off weight on pedals when shifting. Therefore the latter (derailleurs) are better for speedy overland and hills cycling. Bike is awesome, warranty support has so far delivered, but is a hassle to deal with (and hassle is acceptable and better than nightmare, or unresponsive/clueless/unhelpful/not-english-speaking). To be fair, this is the middle of Swag's busy season. Check tire inflation, check and tighten fasteners, seatpost and handlebars and stem out of the box, RTFM, charge the battery and you're out the door riding quickly. There are individuals who claim to have lost considerable amounts of weight by using an electric bike.[62] A recent prospective cohort study however found that people using e-bikes have a higher BMI.[63] By making the biking terrain less of an issue, people who wouldn't otherwise consider biking can use the electric assistance when needed and otherwise pedal as they are able.[64] This means people of lower fitness levels or who haven't cycled in many years can start enjoying the many health benefits E-bikes have to offer. [1] Electric bikes vary widely in price, anywhere from $999 to $2000+, so you’ll have to determine how important certain features are to the overall cost. (However, we made a list of electric bikes under $1.000 here.)The battery used to power an electric bike motor is a key factor in how expensive a particular bike is. In general, the more miles a battery can provide, the more expensive it will be, so it’s important to consider the type of riding you plan on doing. If you know you’ll be using predominantly motor-generated power, then paying a bit more for a battery with a longer range is probably a good idea. Alongside with a good quality battery, motor is the most expensive part of an electric bike. Most standard electric bike motors come with a power rating of 250W, and the industry standard in the US is 500W. Maximum power of the motor you can legally use in the US is 750W. The non-electric components used on an electric bike are almost the same with those used on the conventional bicycles. The quality of the components used will affect the maintenance costs of your electric bike down the road, and more quality components mean higher upfront cost. Lastly, there is the frame. Since the frame is basically the skeleton of your electric bike, it’s wise to select a good material that will be the optimum combination of weight and durability. The Christmas day is coming soon, since I receive the bike, it's about a week, and I am satisfied with it! just as advertised, very powerful and good design. the most important point is that once the battery is FULL CHARGE, how far it can reach up to. I have a funny test, in the normal road(not in the dramatic slope or uphill), it can goes almost 44 miles. That is what I give 5 star for this bike! very powerful with reasonable price! For years, riders have been making fun of others who mount mudguards, a rack and a fixed headlight on their bikes. Admittedly, these home-built creations usually aren’t very attractive, but there is a reason why many riders do it anyway. For them, their bike is more than just a piece of sports equipment or a status symbol. They use it in their day-to-day lives and for that, above all else, it has to be practical. Ever more manufacturers are catching on and offering complete, everyday eMTBs, which, compared to trekking bikes, are well suited for light off-road use too. On top of that, the wider tyres and longer travel of the new breed of SUV bikes offer additional safety in urban environments e.g. on kerbs, railway tracks or on wet, dirty roads. Oh, and they look really good too, as proven by the SCOTT Axis eRide we recently reviewed! The most prominent representative of this new breed is Haibike’s new FLYON series. Thanks for reading the fine print. About the Wiki: We don't accept sponsorships, free goods, samples, promotional products, or other benefits from any of the product brands featured on this page, except in cases where those brands are manufactured by the retailer to which we are linking. For our full ranking methodology, please read about us, linked below. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. These fees will not increase your purchase price, which will be the same as any direct visitor to the merchant’s website. If you believe that your product should be included in this review, you may contact us, but we cannot guarantee a response, even if you send us flowers. Hi Levi, I’m not super familiar with Minnesota or the age limits on ebikes but Pedego just launched one specifically for younger riders (it goes a little slower). Many ebikes let you program a top speed and I feel like this is one area where you can decide as a parent. When I was 13 I had a moped and fixed up a goped with my Grandpa on his farm so… I guess it might be a family decision? E-bikes are classified in three different types: Class 1 and Class 3 bikes are powered proportionally to the “input” a rider gives via pedaling. “It feels natural, and you’re still riding a bike, so all your reflexes, skill and comfort you’ve developed over years of riding bikes apply immediately,” says Fritz Rice, sales manager of Gregg’s Cycles, near Greenlake. If you are a regular bicyclist who wants to add some excitement to your rides or wants some help with those hills, a full sized electric bike is the way to go. If you are considering a bike as a means of transportation more than an outlet for amusement, then a smaller, folding electric bike is the convenient choice. In each category, consider the speed and range you want, as these factors impact price. Electric trikes have also been produced that conform to the e-bike legislation. These have the benefit of additional low speed stability and are often favored by people with disabilities. Cargo carrying tricycles are also gaining acceptance, with a small but growing number of couriers using them for package deliveries in city centres.[51][52] Latest designs of these trikes resemble a cross-between a pedal cycle and a small van.[53][54] Hub motors are sold as either geared or direct drive: Geared hubs are preferred for hill climbing ability and zero drag when coasting, while DD hubs are more durable and suitable for high speed. Extreme hill climbing and high torque applications (fatbikes, hauling cargo, popping wheelies) usually requires a mid drive, which is covered in the motor section below. Ebike battery packs from the listed suppliers are generally compatible with kits from any supplier, at worst you may need a different connector, which can be easily replaced. You probably want a battery pack that is 36, 48, or 52 volts, depending on whether you prefer lower price and longer range or a higher topspeed. DIY lipo battery packs can be built cheaply but doing so can be a fire hazard so actual packs are recommended. All hub motors above 24 V should be installed with torque arms for safety. Electric motor assisted bicycles have been banned in the State of New York and are not permitted for on-road use.[50][51] It appears the only known allowance of an electric bicycle is if it is an electric powered moped, at this time. There is a proposed bill to allow ebikes. As of May 2009, Bill A2393("Defines the term electric assisted bicycle") has been passed in the NY State Assembly[52] and its corresponding Bill S4014, sponsored by Senator Thomas Morahan, is before the NY State Senate.[53] Photo: This typical electric bicycle, a Sanyo Eneloop (now discontinued), had a range of about 30–55 km (17–35 miles) and a top speed of around 24 km/h (15 mph). Note the 250-watt hub motor on the front wheel and the 5.7Ah lithium-ion battery pack (black, marked "Sanyo," just in front of the back wheel). Picture by kind permission and courtesy of Richard Masoner, originally published on Flickr under a Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0) licence. The definition was clearly written with gasoline-powered pedalcycles in mind. The requirement of an automatic transmission is troublesome for those who just want to add an electric-assist motor to a bicycle, for almost all bicycles have transmissions consisting of chains and manually shifted sprockets. The registration form asks for a VIN, making it difficult to register some foreign-made ebikes. The fine for riding an unregistered electric bike is approximately $160.00 per event as of 2007.

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in September 2019 31 Prosecutions 21 Convictions CHAPTER 69 - NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP Sec. 1425. Procurement of citizenship or naturalization unlawfully (a) Whoever knowingly procures or attempts to procure, contrary to law, the naturalization of any person, or documentary or other evidence of naturalization or of citizenship; or (b) Whoever, whether for himself or another person not entitled thereto, knowingly issues, procures or obtains or applies for or otherwise attempts to procure or obtain naturalization, or citizenship, or a declaration of intention to become a citizen, or a certificate of arrival or any certificate or evidence of nationalization or citizenship, documentary or otherwise, or duplicates or copies of any of the foregoing - Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 25 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism (as defined in section 2331 of this title)), 20 years (if the offense was committed to facilitate a drug trafficking crime (as defined in section 929(a) of this title)), 10 years (in the case of the first or second such offense, if the offense was not committed to facilitate such an act of international terrorism or a drug trafficking crime), or 15 years (in the case of any other offense), or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 766; Pub. L. 103-322, title XXXIII, Sec. 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104-208, div. C, title II, Sec. 211(a)(2), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009-569; Pub. L. 107-273, div. B, title IV, Sec. 4002(a)(3), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1806.) Based on subsections (a) pars. (2)-(5), (7), (b), and (d) of section 746 of Title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality (Oct. 14, 1940, ch. 876, Sec. 346(a), pars. (2)-(5), (7), (b), (d), 54 Stat. 1163, 1164, 1167). Section consolidates five similar paragraphs, and the punishment provisions of subsection (d) of said section 746 of title 8, U.S.C., 1940 ed., Aliens and Nationality, with minor necessary changes in translations and phraseology. Numerous references to aiding and assisting were omitted as unnecessary as such persons are principals under definitive section 2 of this title. Words "a certificate of arrival or" were inserted before "any certificate" in subsection (b), so as to remove any doubt as to scope of section. 2002 - Pub. L. 107-273 substituted "to facilitate" for "to facility" in last par. 1996 - Pub. L. 104-208 substituted "imprisoned not more than 25 if the offense was not committed to facility such an act of (in the case of any other offense)" for "imprisoned not more than five years" in last par. "fined not more than $5,000" in last par. Amendment by Pub. L. 104-208 applicable with respect to offenses occurring on or after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 211(c) of Pub. L. 104-208, set out as a note under section 1028 of this title.

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Home >> Land Acquisition Government‘S Apathy, Farmers’ Nightmare Land Acquisition Government‘S Apathy, Farmers’ Nightmare Updated: May 28, 2011 5:44 pm The spectre of land acquisition haunted farmers of UP and the country alike this week. And the government took recourse to the decades-old path of treading to suppress the farmers’ voice with exercise of acute brute force, which resulted in death of four persons. In fact, fair compensation must go beyond monetary terms. Land acquisition by the government, whatever the purpose, entails forcible dispossession of farm lands and a loss of traditional livelihoods. For a farmer, finding alternative vocations or investing the money poses challenges in the form of having to take pragmatic decisions. He ends up spending the money, getting swindled or burning his fingers by investing in unviable businesses. The ‘take-the-money-and-get-lost’ approach is neither just nor humane. Dispossessed farmers should have the right to claim a share from the future profits of the project. It is worth mentioning that the land acquisition is the product of British imperial thought. In India, the Central as well state governments are acquiring large track of agriculture land without distinguishing between fertile land and fallow land for the benefit of companies of industrialists and real estate developers. This, coupled with mechanised cultivation, has rendered the farm labour and farmers, with small holdings, jobless. This segment of population of rural India, deprived of its way of living, is migrating to cities to make a living and is compelled to live in slums. Some of the unlucky ones are compelled to live on footpath braving the vagaries of weather. Wherever farmers opposed the acquisition of land they faced the ire of the government. Instances are not lacking where government resorted to force to quell the agitation and even killed the agitators. In this backdrop, it is noteworthy to have a peak into the past of the recent developments that are loaded with the seeds of this conflict. When the state of Uttar Pradesh announced plans to confiscate farmland for a toll road to the Taj Mahal, a grimly predictable plotline ensued—protesting farmers, angry over low compensation, blocked road work. Frustration boiled into fatal clashes with the police. Then opposition politicians arrived to rap the state government on its knucle and take credit of this movement. But not left alone, the state’s Chief Minister Mayawati announced to enhance payments to farmers. But, the farmers, whose land fall on the Yamuna Expressway, which is again under construction, are not satisfied. The project is now regarded as a tentative sign of progress in India’s wrenching fights over land, one of the most serious yet seemingly intractable challenges facing the country. Although fuming confrontations between farmers and business interests took place in every corner of India, it is the British Raj’s land acquisition laws written in 1894 that paralyses the country’s coalition national government on reforming land acquisition laws. It is because of these laws that several scores of conflicts against land acquisition rage across the country, though politicians propose amendments to the Land Acquisition Act (LAA) and a new Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill, which await consideration by Parliament. With endemic opposition to land grabs for special economic zones (SEZs), mines, dams, power plants, highways, housing colonies and any number of ‘development’ schemes across the country, reconsideration of I­ndia’s land acquisition laws could hardly be more timely or important. Yet while the bills were first introduced in the wake of Nandigram and Singur and are ostensibly intended to improve resettlement and rehabilitation of the displaced, in their current form, they would only make it easier for the state to acquire land for private companies. Moreover, they fail to provide an adequate framework for minimising displacement and for ensuring that displaced people are left with viable livelihoods. The reopening of India’s land acquisition laws to amendment would be a significant development to resolve the myriad struggles against displacement across the country. These laws can either be amended to facilitate the forceful transfer of land from farmers to corporations or they can be amended to give people greater security in their land and resources and to ensure that they get a fair deal in the instances when their land is acquired for a truly public purpose. If the government is to solve a problem for people rather than capital, the Land Acquisition Act (Amendment) Bill and Resettlement and Rehabilitation Bill must champion the cause of the farmers. For, land acquisition is always a sensitive matter. Various governments have dealt with this issue rigidly and follow an oligarchic stance. After more than 60 years of Independence, we still have the draconian British Land Acquisition Act of 1894. The absence of a political will to revolutionise such archaic laws shows the indifference on part of the government. In the name of enabling public utility, the government seems to be ensuring that the corporate world is the real beneficiary of such instances of land acquisition, i.e., a very small section of the society, thus the gulf getting further widened between the haves and have-nots. The issue shows that people’s participation in decision making is necessary. The irony is that instead of evolving a national or state-level policy, keeping in mind the concerns of land owners, governments usually resort to the use of unjust and excessive force, which is clearly self-defeating in the long run. These types of measures can only lead to development of reactionary tendencies. Is the government listening? Deepak Kumar Rath Understanding Kashmir Imbroglio The recent attack on our army in Kashmir has raised the steam in this boiling cauldron. The hot and sticky... View Article Here speed means not while driving your vehicle but for morning walk. It is a very essential part of exercise... View Article Prabhu’s Developmental Agenda Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu began presenting his ministry’s budget for the next fiscal year in the Lok Sabha, promising to... View Article Hindu Terror Goebbelistic Propaganda “I am proud to belong to a religion, which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe... View Article This is politics: CM Nitish resigns Nitish takes oath as CM The land of Buddha, which has been the playground of lesser mortals, more materialistic than spiritual and more in pursuit... View Article Re-Energise Yourself A smiling, cheerful person inspires everybody around and creates a positive energy all around him. He not only reduces his... View Article Citizenship Act, NRC weapons of mass polarisation: Rahul Gandhi Kat Is On Twitter The Bollywood community on Twitter has swelled by one with actress Katrina Kaif joining the microblogging site over the weekend.... View Article Musing, Missing Or Meditating The missing Rahul Gandhi is a far better story for TV Channels’ TRPs, than one who occasionally comes out of... View Article The Sustainability Of The Aam Aadmi The taxi was stuck on the wrong side of the road on Howrah Bridge since the driver had impatiently crossed... View Article

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Bareilly News 25% interim relief to victims of acid attack, rape, murder, mob lynching TNN | Updated: Sep 11, 2019, 8:28 IST The airport is expected to start with an annual passenger handling capacity of 60 lakh by March 2023 LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh cabinet presided over by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday approved a proposal to give 25% interim compensation (of the fixed compensation) on immediate basis to victims of the acid attack, rape, murder and mob lynching. Briefing mediapersons, spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said the interim compensation would be given at the recommendation of the district magistrate. Another spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh told reporters that at present the compensation was provided only after the probe, depriving the victims of immediate relief. “The proposal is in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment of July 17, 2018, in Tehseen Poonawala vs Union of India case”, he said. Asked about the amount of compensation to be provided to the victims of mob lynching or their families, Singh said, “There are different categories, and lynching is also in the different categories, and thus, the compensation will be provided accordingly.” The SC had in its order said the state governments should give due regard to the nature of the bodily injury, psychological injury and the loss of earning, including the loss of opportunities of employment, education and expenses incurred on account of legal and medical expenses. The said compensation must have a provision for interim relief to be paid to the victim/next of kin within 30 days of the incident of mob violence/mob lynching. The cabinet also approved 11 proposals, including awarding government and gram sabha land free of cost to the civil aviation department for Jewar Airport. Similarly, land will also be provided for the construction of a bus station in Dibiyapur of Auraiya district. The cabinet also cleared a proposal related to reimbursement of funds equivalent to GST following the CM’s announcement to make the Hindi film ‘Super 30’ tax-free. Similarly, the proposal related to reimbursement of funds equivalent to GST has also been approved for the Hindi film ‘Tashkent Files’. The film is based on the suspicious death of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The cabinet has also approved to extend Rs 3221.63 crore cash credit from cooperative banks to 23 cooperative sugar mills of the state for the year 2019-20. A proposal related to one-time settlement scheme of jaggery and khandsari units has also been approved. Under the paddy purchase policy, a target has been set to purchase 50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy. Paddy procurement will start in some districts from October 1, which will run till January 31, 2020. While in some districts the procurement process will start from 1 November, which will run till 29 February 2020, Sharma said. Farmers producing more than 100 quintals of paddy will have to share proof of the yield. The government will also buy paddy from farmers who are involved in contract farming. Payment to these farmers will be made online within 72 hours of procurement. Target has been set to double agricultural exports by 2024. At present, it is $2,524 million (Rs 17,591 crore). Excise Act has also been amended. A change has been made in the portable and non-portable system to prevent alcohol theft and adulteration. Tankers will be equipped with GPS for online tracking. (The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme Court directives on cases related to sexual assault) Bahraich horror: Woman’s naked body found, burnt with acid Kathak dancer stopped midway for performing on 'Qawwali' at UP govt event

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Articles published in April, 2015 The truth about inequality ‘One myth is that inequality in the UK has risen since the financial crisis. In fact it has fallen quite sharply’ How serious a problem is inequality? And if it is serious, what can be done about it? Myths abound. Many people seem to believe that Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the Twenty-First Century showed that wealth inequality is at an all-time high; instead, his data show that wealth inequality has risen only slowly since the 1970s, after falling during the 20th century. In Europe we are thankfully nowhere near the wealth inequality of the past. Another common belief is that the richest 1 per cent of the world’s population own half the world’s wealth (almost true) and that their share is inexorably increasing (not true). The richest 1 per cent had 48.2 per cent of the world’s wealth in the year 2014, according to widely cited research from Credit Suisse, but that share has fallen and risen over the past 15 years. It is lower now than in 2000 and 2001. Neither is it clear that global inequality is rising. Average incomes in China and India have risen much faster than those in richer countries; this is a powerful push towards equality of income. But inequality within many countries is rising. Research from Branko Milanović, author of The Haves and the Have-Nots, suggests that the two forces have tended to balance out roughly over the past generation. One final myth is that inequality in the UK has risen since the financial crisis. In fact, it has fallen quite sharply. “Inequality remains significantly lower than in 2007-08,” said the Institute for Fiscal Studies last summer. That conclusion is based on data through April 2013. The IFS did add, though, that “there is good reason to think that the falls in income inequality since 2007-08 are currently being reversed.” Given all this, why the sudden anxiety about inequality? The answer is partly political: incomes fell and then stagnated after the financial crisis, and the crisis also made it seem risible to claim that the entrepreneurial activities of the rich would indirectly help the poor. None of this is directly connected to rising inequality but it certainly changes the conversation. Yet there is more going on than a change in the political wind. By most reasonable measures, inequality of incomes has risen substantially over the past 40 years in both the US and the UK, with a particular surge in the 1980s. That should clarify the issue: the problem is most clearly seen within boundaries of nation states rather than globally; in income rather than wealth; and over the past few decades rather than the past few years. And it is stark enough to need no exaggeration. I recently attended the launch of Inequality: What Can Be Done?, a book by Anthony Atkinson. Professor Atkinson is the economist who set the stage for younger stars such as Piketty and Emmanuel Saez; his first major paper on the subject of inequality was published in 1970, before either of them was born. One thing that can be done, says Atkinson, is to use the same old redistributive tools with more vigour. The UK already redistributes income extensively. As Gabriel Zucman of the London School of Economics points out, the UK’s richest fifth had 15 times the pre-tax income of the poorest fifth, but after taxes and benefits they had just four times as much. For some people that will seem more than enough redistribution. Others will disagree, and Atkinson is one of them. He would like to see the current 45 per cent top rate of tax levied at a much lower level (about £65,000), a new 65 per cent top rate for those earning more than £200,000, a substantially higher minimum wage, a “minimum inheritance” paid to every 18-year-old, guaranteed public employment, more comprehensive taxation of inheritance and property and an expansion of universal benefits. Like it or loathe it, this is ambitious stuff. I don’t know if a 65 per cent top rate of tax is likely to be counterproductively high and neither does Tony Atkinson. I suspect that it is, and the available evidence provides some support for that suspicion. However, there is a wide margin of uncertainty so Atkinson is right to say that the evidence doesn’t conclusively rule it out. Atkinson also wants to make market incomes themselves more egalitarian, leaving the welfare state with less to do. Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, once talked of “pre-distribution”, which is an ugly word for the same idea. But neither Miliband nor Atkinson is entirely persuasive about how this might work. Atkinson suggests that competition policy, vetting mergers and breaking up or regulating monopolies, should be used to reduce inequality. Or possibly the state’s support for science and innovation — always important — could favour innovations that complement labour rather than replacing it? In theory all this is possible. But my imagination is not up to the task of figuring out what these labour-complementing innovations might be, nor how the government might help produce them. The UK general election on May 7 might well produce a Labour-led government but it will be astonishing if that government embraces a redistributive agenda half as ambitious as Atkinson’s. The conversation about inequality has changed quickly — but what mainstream politicians are willing to countenance has not. Written for and first published at ft.com. 28th of April, 2015 • Undercover Economist • Comments off The economists’ manifesto If Britain’s top economists were in charge, what policies would they implement? Tim Harford sets the challenge It’s often said that economists have too much influence on policy. A critic might say that politicians are dazzled by data-driven arguments and infatuated with the free-market-fetishising practitioners of the dismal science. As a card-carrying economist, I have never been convinced that politicians are the puppets of economists. Still, the idea seemed worth exploring, so I called up some of the country’s most respected economists and presented them with this scenario: after the election, the new prime minister promises to throw his weight behind any policy you choose. What would you suggest? My selection of economists was mainstream — no Marxists or libertarians — but arbitrary. There is no pretence of a representative survey here. But there were common threads, some of which may surprise. Let’s start with the deficit which, if we are to judge by column inches alone, is the single most important economic issue facing the country. Yet with the chance to push any policy they wished, none of my economic advisers expressed any concern about it. Indeed several wanted some form of increased spending and were happy to see that financed through borrowing or even printing money. Economists have a reputation for being low-tax, free-market champions. Yet none of my panel fretted about red tape, proposed any tax cuts or mentioned free trade. Other untouched issues included the National Health Service, immigration and membership of the EU. Nobody suggested any changes to the way banks are regulated or taxed. Less surprising is that several economists suggested structures that would put decision making at arm’s length from politicians, delegating it to technocrats with the expertise and incentives to do what is right for Britain. The technocracy already has several citadels: the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the Competition Commission and the regulators of privatised utilities. My advisers wanted more of this. That is economics for you: when a political genie offers you whatever policy wish you desire, why not simply wish to have more wishes? Nick Stern Former chief economist of the World Bank, professor at the London School of Economics Nick Stern will forever be associated with the Stern Review, a report into the economics of climate change published in 2006. He hasn’t stopped banging this drum but these days he is reframing the problem as an opportunity. “I would launch a strategy for UK cities to be the most attractive, productive and cleanest in the world,” he says. Cities hold out the hope of being productive and desirable places to live as well as environmentally efficient ones. Consider Manhattan: it is rich, iconic and, with small apartments and a subway, it boasts a much smaller environmental footprint than most of sprawling, car-loving America. That is the aim. But what is the policy? Lord Stern offers what he calls a “collection of policies”, including an expanded green infrastructure bank and more funding for green technology. His broadest stroke is to change the governance of British cities, devolving the power to raise taxes and borrow money but imposing strong national standards on energy efficiency. Stern would introduce a platform for congestion charging to enable cities to develop areas connected by public transport and walking/cycling routes. He’d also raise the price of emitting carbon via a direct tax or an emissions trading system. Stern suggests £25/ton of CO2, and rising. That should add a penny to the price of 100g of airfreighted vegetables and £100-£200 to a household energy bill. It would raise £10bn, less than income tax or VAT but enough to narrow the deficit or allow other tax cuts. But Stern doesn’t dwell on taxation. His policies are “long on UK strengths such as entrepreneurship, architecture and planning”, he says. While warning of the “deep deep dangers” of climate change, he claims his package “is attractive in its own right”. . . . Tim’s verdict Developing these new green city centres is a challenge. Are our urban planners up to it? Political feasibility 3 out of 5 Economic radicalism 3 out of 5 Jonathan Haskel Professor of economics at Imperial College, London “Some people think that scientists have their heads in the sky, and if you gave them more government money they would simply do weirder research,” says Jonathan Haskel. Science enthusiasts, however, would say that weird research can help: Sir Andre Geim of the University of Manchester won the Nobel Prize for his discovery of the revolutionary material graphene — but not before receiving the Ig Nobel Prize for levitating a live frog. Supporting scientific innovation has long been an easy sell for politicians. Who could be against technological progress, after all? The more difficult question is how to encourage this innovation. For Haskel, the answer is straightforward: the government should simply spend more money directly funding scientific research. At the moment the government gives about £3bn to research councils and more than £2bn to the Higher Education Funding Council. For the sake of being specific, Haskel was happy to accept my suggestion of simply doubling this funding over the course of a five-year parliament. Haskel’s research finds that government funding of science is the perfect complement to private, practically minded research funding. “This is an example of crowding in,” he says, meaning that if the government spends more on scientific research it is likely to draw in private funding too. There is a high correlation between the research scientists who receive government grants and those collaborating with or being funded by private sector companies. Haskel has found that sectors that attract government funding are also sectors with high productivity growth. According to Haskel’s estimates, the rate of return on basic scientific research is around 20 per cent at current funding levels — a level that would not displease Warren Buffett himself. This would probably be less if science funding dramatically increased but, even at 15 or 10 per cent return, the case for spending more would be persuasive. An extra £5bn is not trivial. Increasing all income tax rates by one percentage point, or raising VAT to 21 per cent, would cover the cost. But given current ultra-low interest rates, Haskel says he is happy for the government to borrow to fund this spending instead. “I would regard borrowing to fund the science base as a form of infrastructure investment,” he says. It may not be the traditional Keynesian infrastructure of roads and runways but it is investment for the future nonetheless. Tim’s verdict It’s hard to object to scientific progress and Haskel’s evidence is persuasive. Leave a bit of cash for the social scientists, please. Gemma Tetlow Top pensions expert at the Institute for Fiscal Studies A confession: I may have led Gemma Tetlow astray. We begin by discussing how employers can avoid national insurance contributions by diverting some of their workers’ salaries into a pension. This, she says, is an unwarranted subsidy for the comfortably off, and abolishing the rule is “not a bad way to raise £11bn”. As we talk, a bolder thought forms in my mind: why not just abolish national insurance entirely and replace it with higher rates of income tax? That would close Tetlow’s pension loophole and many other inconsistencies besides. I wonder if I have missed something obvious. Apparently not. Tetlow is perfectly happy to endorse the idea of a merger. In some ways this would be a huge change: national insurance raises more than half as much as income tax does, so merging the two would mean huge increases in headline income tax rates. But while the policy would make things simpler and more transparent, it would not greatly alter the tax that most people pay. The idea is tempting to an economist because successive governments have discovered a feat of political arbitrage. They reduce the basic rate of income tax, which gets a lot of attention, while increasing national insurance rates, which do not. Since 1979 the basic rate of income tax has fallen from 30 to 20 per cent but national insurance rates have risen and so the marginal tax rate on much employment income is still above 45 per cent, much the same as ever. A bit more honesty about this would be welcome. As Tetlow explains, national insurance was once a contributory system, designed to cope with a male workforce in conditions of near full employment. Now national insurance is more like an income tax, where people pay if they can afford to and receive the benefits in any case. So Tetlow and I agree that the system could comfortably be scrapped — even if we might be looking to replace it with a basic rate of income tax at 40 per cent or so. The benefits? Transparency, administrative simplicity and the end of a few unwelcome loopholes. The risks are chiefly administrative, although a decision would need to be made about whether to have a special income tax rate for people above the state pension age, who currently pay no national insurance. Could it happen? Tetlow says she would be “astonished” if it did. Perhaps governments are too fond of pretending that the true basic rate of income tax is just 20 per cent. Tim’s verdict I bounced Tetlow into this so can hardly object. But for our politicians, the confusion over national insurance isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity. Macroeconomist at Merton College, Oxford Simon Wren-Lewis has a growing audience as a trenchant critic of George Osborne’s fiscal contraction. I had expected him to make the case that the incoming government should spend more but he has something more radical in mind. “We’re passing the period when the damage was done,” he says. For Wren-Lewis, the policy error was to tighten the fiscal screws in 2010 and 2011 — he estimates that with lower taxes and higher spending the economy today would be about 4 per cent larger, while deficit reduction could wait until the economy was stronger. Cutting spending in a severe but temporary downturn is macroeconomically perverse but makes good sense to voters, so Wren-Lewis feels that a future government would make a similar mistake in similar circumstances. What to do? Economists have faced a related problem before. When politicians controlled interest rates they were always tempted to cut rates before elections, overheating the economy and leading to inflation once the election was safely gone. The solution was to delegate control of monetary policy to the technocrats, as when Gordon Brown gave the Bank of England this power in 1997. “That was a good idea,” says Wren-Lewis. But, he adds, “it was always incomplete.” The missing piece of the puzzle was what the bank should do when interest rates are nearly zero — as now — and cannot be cut further to stimulate the economy. The usual solution is a fiscal expansion — cutting taxes and increasing spending, just what George Osborne has shied away from. Wren-Lewis’s response: in future, the Bank of England should print the money and hand it to the government on condition it be used for a fiscal expansion. This is radical — but not without precedent. Economists from Adair Turner to Ben Bernanke (in 2003) and Milton Friedman (1948) have argued that deficits could be financed by printing money rather than issuing government debt. Funding real spending from paper money might seem like nonsense: if the economy is working well, creating too much money will produce inflation. But when the economy is slack, judicious money printing can turn the waste of a depressed economy into useful output, without dangerous inflation. This is a rare free lunch. The radicalism of Wren-Lewis’s proposal lies less in the economics than the politics: the idea that the Bank of England would decide a fiscal expansion was needed, and shove a reluctant, democratically elected government into it. Wren-Lewis calls his idea “democratic helicopter money”. He feels the government should decide whether the stimulus takes the form of tax cuts, increased benefits or new infrastructure. But the actual decision to cut taxes and raise spending to stimulate the economy? Not something one should leave to the politicians. Tim’s verdict I sympathise with Wren-Lewis’s wish for more stimulus spending in the last parliament but outsourcing such a basic democratic responsibility feels too bold to me. Diane Coyle Professor of economics at the University of Manchester “My starting point is that the extent of income inequality has got too big,” says Coyle. She points to median annual full-time earnings of just over £27,000, while the average pay of FTSE 100 chief executives is — according to Manifest, a proxy voting service — about £4.7m. “If you were to ask me whether the productivity of chief executives is really that much higher, my answer is no. Something has gone wrong with the way the market is operating here.” That market failure is easy to diagnose: it is hard for dispersed shareholders to monitor what is going on and to insist on a more rigorous approach. So Coyle would give them a little help. The most eye-catching suggestion is that companies should publish the ratio between what the chief executive is paid and what the median worker in the company is paid. A review body would give a strong steer as to how high that ratio could reasonably go (“I don’t know what the right number is,” says Coyle) and companies who did not comply would face unwanted scrutiny from shareholders, employees, unions and politicians. “Just talking about this much more would start to shift the social norm,” says Coyle, who in her term on the BBC Trust (soon to end) has seen the BBC start to publish these pay ratios, which have been falling. Coyle wants a binding rule, too, that companies should not be able to pay performance bonuses linked to share price. That is too easily manipulated. Instead, these must be linked to indicators such as customer satisfaction, sales or profits. Tim’s verdict Shareholders and citizens alike should welcome pay that is tied more closely to good management decisions. But can any of this be legislated effectively? John van Reenen Professor at the London School of Economics “Low productivity is the number one problem Britain faces,” says Van Reenen. Even before the crisis, it lagged behind other rich countries. The latest data suggest UK output per hour worked is 30 per cent below US levels, and 17 per cent below the G7 average (at purchasing power parity). Such a problem has no single solution but Van Reenen wants to focus on a lack of investment in the UK’s core infrastructure — housing, energy and transport. As the FT reported recently, government capital investment has fallen by a third between 2009-10 and 2013-14, despite repeated statements by the chancellor that infrastructure is at the heart of plans for growth. Milton Keynes, the last of the “new towns”, harks back to 1967 and has 100,000 dwellings. That gives some perspective on recent proposals to build a “garden city” at Ebbsfleet of a mere 15,000 homes. If the Barker Review’s headline number of 245,000 new homes a year is to be achieved, we need an Ebbsfleet every three weeks and have done for the past 12 years. The HS2 high-speed rail line was first examined in 1999 and is still unlikely to be finished 30 years after that date. An observer might feel the project should either have been cancelled or completed by now. And let’s not dwell on London’s airports: in 1971 the Roskill Commission proposed a major new airport north of Aylesbury after rejecting the idea of building one in the Thames estuary. We are still weighing up the issues. “I would propose to radically change the whole way we deliver infrastructure projects,” says Van Reenen, “with a new institutional architecture for making decisions.” There are three elements to this. First, an infrastructure strategy board to recommend long-term priorities, which would be voted up or down by parliament. Second, an infrastructure planning commission to meet those priorities and arrange compensation to those affected by the march of progress. Third, an infrastructure bank to help finance projects by borrowing from capital markets and investing alongside private-sector banks. If this seems anti-democratic, Van Reenen’s defence is that his approach “puts politics in the right place”. MPs are concerned with the short-term and the local, which causes problems with long-term investments of national significance. Like Simon Wren-Lewis, John van Reenen has more faith in technocrats than politicians. Tim’s verdict An approach that seems justified when facing such a chronic and serious problem. Sign me up. Kate Barker Author of the 2004 Barker Review of Housing Supply I am expecting Dame Kate Barker to propose something controversial but straightforward: that we should build more houses. It is, after all, her report that policy wonks have been citing for the past decade whenever they want a number for how many houses England needs. Instead, some of her solutions “are so unpopular I can hardly bring myself to suggest them to you”. This is music to my ears. In 2002/2003, the private sector completed 125,000 houses in England; the Barker Review argued that number needed to almost double to reduce the growth in real house prices to the EU’s long-term average. But the number of private-sector housing completions in England has fallen to below 100,000 a year from 2009 through 2014. The trickle of new houses is manifestly failing to accommodate population growth. So: more houses? Not necessarily. Barker lays out three options. The first is the status quo. It is not attractive. There will be an increasing divide between the housing haves (who enjoy capital appreciation) and the housing have-nots (who find it ever harder to buy a home). Option two is a dramatic programme of house building, which seems logical. “We’ve built much less than the top-line number associated with my name,” says Barker. “I haven’t changed my view that we need to do more.” But she is sceptical about how feasible it is to expect house building on the scale needed, given the strength of opposition to development. She has had the ear of prime ministers before, after all, and not much changed. And so to option three: resign ourselves to not building enough houses to meet demand, and use the tax system to soften the blow. Meaning what, exactly? Consider someone with the finance and good fortune to buy a home in London in 1992. That person has enjoyed an enormous increase in the real value of her house. But she has paid surprisingly little tax on the windfall. Council tax is proportionately lower on expensive homes. Capital gains tax does not apply to people living in their own homes. If you become a millionaire through skill, effort or entrepreneurial spirit, you will be taxed. If you do it by buying a house in Islington at the right moment, your bounty is yours to keep in its entirety. That’s inequitable and the inequity is likely to last from one generation to the next. Barker suggests two thrusts to the tax reform, and “ideally we would do both”. The first is to replace council tax with a land value tax. This would tax expensive homes more heavily, in line with their value, and encourage valuable land to be used intensively. But it would also weigh heavily on elderly widows living alone in large houses. The second is to charge capital gains tax on people’s principal residency. If you live in your own home and its price starts to soar, you will be taxed. But both these reforms are complicated. A land tax would require frequent revaluations. The capital gains tax reform would require some sort of system for postponing the bill until death or entry into a retirement home. That is fiddly but the alternative might make it impossible to move house without a punitive tax charge. As Baker admits, this is dramatic and unpopular stuff. The people who lose out are clearly identifiable and politically influential. But the same is true of the straightforward proposal to build many more houses. The UK’s housing problem seems to be the toughest of political tough nuts. Tim’s verdict This makes sense despite the difficulties. But Barker identified the cure for unaffordable housing more than 10 years ago — build more houses. It’s depressing that she now has to advocate palliative measures instead. So what would the UK look like with my board of economists in charge? We’d have more borrowing and considerably more investment — in housing, in big infrastructure, in science and in green cities. Taxes seem unlikely to fall but they would be rationalised, with a focus on energy efficiency and a transparent taxation of income and housing wealth. Inequality would be in the spotlight. The economists seem happy to leave the politicians to their usual arguments about the EU, immigration, the price of beer and the problem of tax-dodging. Noting that every party makes similar promises about funding the National Health Service, the economists have let it be. Perhaps that is for the best because if the economists have their way, one big thing will change after the election: politicians will be kept at a safe distance from the decisions that matter. 25th of April, 2015 • Highlights • Undercover Economist • Comments off Paying to Get Inside A Restaurant Me, writing in May’s edition of The Atlantic: The next time you’re fortunate enough to have dinner at a high-end restaurant, take a moment to enjoy not only the food and wine, but the frisson of a really good puzzle: Why do restaurants price things the way they do? The markup on food makes sense. It takes time and skill to prepare the perfect cold-smoked salmon with balsamic-vinegar sorbet. But why are the wine prices so inflated? How hard can it be to pop open a bottle? Meanwhile, restroom access is free and unlimited for customers—a curious cross-subsidy. Most mysterious of all: When reservations at hot new restaurants are so sought-after, why are they simply given away? Why indeed? The full article is here and free to read online. 23rd of April, 2015 • Marginalia • Other Writing • Comments off Cigarettes, damn cigarettes and statistics We cannot rely on correlation alone. But insisting on absolute proof of causation is too exacting a standard It is said that there is a correlation between the number of storks’ nests found on Danish houses and the number of children born in those houses. Could the old story about babies being delivered by storks really be true? No. Correlation is not causation. Storks do not deliver children but larger houses have more room both for children and for storks. This much-loved statistical anecdote seems less amusing when you consider how it was used in a US Senate committee hearing in 1965. The expert witness giving testimony was arguing that while smoking may be correlated with lung cancer, a causal relationship was unproven and implausible. Pressed on the statistical parallels between storks and cigarettes, he replied that they “seem to me the same”. The witness’s name was Darrell Huff, a freelance journalist beloved by generations of geeks for his wonderful and hugely successful 1954 book How to Lie with Statistics. His reputation today might be rather different had the proposed sequel made it to print. How to Lie with Smoking Statistics used a variety of stork-style arguments to throw doubt on the connection between smoking and cancer, and it was supported by a grant from the Tobacco Institute. It was never published, for reasons that remain unclear. (The story of Huff’s career as a tobacco consultant was brought to the attention of statisticians in articles by Andrew Gelman in Chance in 2012 and by Alex Reinhart in Significance in 2014.) Indisputably, smoking causes lung cancer and various other deadly conditions. But the problematic relationship between correlation and causation in general remains an active area of debate and confusion. The “spurious correlations” compiled by Harvard law student Tyler Vigen and displayed on his website (tylervigen.com) should be a warning. Did you realise that consumption of margarine is strongly correlated with the divorce rate in Maine? We cannot rely on correlation alone, then. But insisting on absolute proof of causation is too exacting a standard (arguably, an impossible one). Between those two extremes, where does the right balance lie between trusting correlations and looking for evidence of causation? Scientists, economists and statisticians have tended to demand causal explanations for the patterns they see. It’s not enough to know that college graduates earn more money — we want to know whether the college education boosted their earnings, or if they were smart people who would have done well anyway. Merely looking for correlations was not the stuff of rigorous science. But with the advent of “big data” this argument has started to shift. Large data sets can throw up intriguing correlations that may be good enough for some purposes. (Who cares why price cuts are most effective on a Tuesday? If it’s Tuesday, cut the price.) Andy Haldane, chief economist of the Bank of England, recently argued that economists might want to take mere correlations more seriously. He is not the first big-data enthusiast to say so. This brings us back to smoking and cancer. When the British epidemiologist Richard Doll first began to suspect the link in the late 1940s, his analysis was based on a mere correlation. The causal mechanism was unclear, as most of the carcinogens in tobacco had not been identified; Doll himself suspected that lung cancer was caused by fumes from tarmac roads, or possibly cars themselves. Doll’s early work on smoking and cancer with Austin Bradford Hill, published in 1950, was duly criticised in its day as nothing more than a correlation. The great statistician Ronald Fisher repeatedly weighed into the argument in the 1950s, pointing out that it was quite possible that cancer caused smoking — after all, precancerous growths irritated the lung. People might smoke to soothe that irritation. Fisher also observed that some genetic predisposition might cause both lung cancer and a tendency to smoke. (Another statistician, Joseph Berkson, observed that people who were tough enough to resist adverts and peer pressure were also tough enough to resist lung cancer.) Hill and Doll showed us that correlation should not be dismissed too easily. But they also showed that we shouldn’t give up on the search for causal explanations. The pair painstakingly continued their research, and evidence of a causal association soon mounted. Hill and Doll took a pragmatic approach in the search for causation. For example, is there a dose-response relationship? Yes: heavy smokers are more likely to suffer from lung cancer. Does the timing make sense? Again, yes: smokers develop cancer long after they begin to smoke. This contradicts Fisher’s alternative hypothesis that people self-medicate with cigarettes in the early stages of lung cancer. Do multiple sources of evidence add up to a coherent picture? Yes: when doctors heard about what Hill and Doll were finding, many of them quit smoking, and it became possible to see that the quitters were at lower risk of lung cancer. We should respect correlation but it is a clue to a deeper truth, not the end of our investigations. It’s not clear why Huff and Fisher were so fixated on the idea that the growing evidence on smoking was a mere correlation. Both of them were paid as consultants by the tobacco industry and some will believe that the consulting fees caused their scepticism. It seems just as likely that their scepticism caused the consulting fees. We may never know. Online ads: log in, tune out, turn off How annoying does an ad have to be before a website should refuse to run it? Online banner ads are not the advertising industry’s most glorious achievement. From the pop-up to the sudden blast of music, the clickbait to the nonsensically animated gifs, the stroboscope to the advert that simply appears to have a spider scurrying across it, there seems to be no end to the ways in which banner advertisements can annoy us. Up to a point, this is part of the deal. Publishers offer something we want to look at, our attention is worth money to advertisers, and the advertisements help to pay for the content we’re enjoying. But how annoying does an ad have to be before a website should refuse to run it? While the question is obvious, the answer is not: it’s hard for publishers to know how much the adverts may be driving readers away. Daniel Goldstein, Preston McAfee and Siddharth Suri, all now at Microsoft Research, have run experiments to throw light on this question. (They are, respectively, a psychologist, an economist and a computer scientist; do send in your suggested punchlines.) The experiments are intriguing as much for the method as for the conclusion. Traditionally, much experimental social science has been conducted with all the participants in the same room, interacting on paper, face to face or through computers. Then the computer-mediated experiments moved online, with researchers such as Goldstein assembling large panels of participants willing to log in and take part in exchange for a modest payment. Now there is an easier way: Amazon Mechanical Turk. The original Mechanical Turk was an 18th-century chess-playing “robot” which, in reality, concealed a human chess player. Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) also uses humans to do jobs we might expect from a computer but which computers cannot yet manage. For example, Turk workers might help train a spam filter by categorising tens of thousands of emails; or they might decide which of several photographs of an item or location is the best. From the point of view of social-science researchers, MTurk is a remarkable resource, allowing large panels of diligent experimental subjects to be assembled cheaply at a moment’s notice. It is striking and somewhat discomfiting just how little MTurk workers (“Turkers”) are willing to accept — a study in 2010 found an effective median wage of $1.38 an hour. Siddharth Suri says that, because of its speed, flexibility and low cost, MTurk is rapidly becoming a standard tool for experimental social science. So, back to those annoying ads. First, Goldstein, McAfee and Suri recruited MTurk workers to rate a selection of 72 animated adverts and 72 static ads derived from the final frame of the animations. It may not surprise you to know that the 21 most annoying adverts were all animated, while the 24 least annoying were static. The researchers picked the 10 least aggravating and the 10 most excruciating and used them in the second stage of the study. In this second stage, Goldstein and his colleagues hired Turkers to sort through emails and pick out the spam — they were offered 25 cents as a fixed fee plus a “bonus” that was not specified until after they signed up. The experiment had two variables at play. First, the Turkers were randomly assigned to groups whose workers were paid 10 cents, 20 cents or 30 cents per 50 emails categorised. Second, while the workers were sorting through the emails, they were either shown no adverts, “good” adverts or “bad” adverts. Some workers diligently plodded on while others gave up and cashed out early. Usually researchers want to avoid people dropping out of their experiments. The wicked brilliance of this experimental design is that the dropout rate is precisely what the experimenters wanted to study. Unsurprisingly, the experiment found that people will do more work when you pay them a better rate, and they will do less work when you show them annoying adverts. Comparing the two lets the researchers estimate the magnitude of the effect, which is striking: removing the annoying adverts entirely produced as much extra effort as paying an additional $1.15 per 1,000 emails categorised — and effectively $1.15 per 1,000 adverts viewed. But $1.15 per 1,000 views is actually a higher rate than many annoying advertisers will pay — the rate for a cheap advert may be as low as 25 cents per 1,000 views, says Goldstein. Good adverts are much less destructive. They push workers to quit at an implicit rate of $0.38 per 1,000 views, for an advert that may pay $2 per 1,000 views to the publisher. Generalising for a moment: good adverts seem worth the aggravation but bad adverts seem to impose a higher cost on a website’s readers than the advertisers are willing to pay. It is no wonder that websites hoping for repeat traffic tend to avoid the most infuriating adverts. A sting in the tail is that the animated adverts may not even work on their own terms. An eye-tracking study conducted in 2003 by Xavier Drèze and François-Xavier Hussherr found that people avoided looking at banner advertisements in general; in 2005 Moira Burke and colleagues found that people actually recalled less about the animated adverts than the static ones. How could that be? Perhaps we have all learnt a sound principle for browsing the internet: never pay attention to anything that jiggles around. 7th of April, 2015 • Undercover Economist • Comments off

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Home > new music > theartsdesk in Fes: The Festival and the Moroccan Spring theartsdesk in Fes: The Festival and the Moroccan Spring | reviews, news & interviews theartsdesk in Fes: The Festival and the Moroccan Spring Youssou and Iraq's biggest heartthrob perform at the best world music festival by Peter CulshawWednesday, 15 June 2011 Kadem Al-Sahir: Iraq's weapon of mass seduction Strange portents – the weather is always dry and baking hot this time of year in Fes. This time it was like winter, with lashing rain and thunder for the first few days of the Fes Festival. But then things are strange in general here; events are moving fast throughout the Maghreb. The first day I was there saw a demonstration of thousands in Rabat, and a smaller one in Fes. By the last day a new constitution had been posted online, with the King renouncing some of his powers. The energy in the city seems slightly giddy with expectation and a certain optimism. Fes was always a fascinating city, but just as Morocco itself is at a central point between the Maghreb, sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, Fes itself is the centre and heart of Morocco, one of the three great spiritual cities of Islam, with a university started three centuries before Oxford, by a woman. So is it really changing? The Festival of World Sacred Music, to give it its full title, is now in its 17th year, and was set up initially as a response to the first Gulf War. The idea of music being performed by musicians of different faiths in an Islamic country was a powerful one as a symbol of tolerance, and even more so since 9/11. A strong part of the festival is the Fes Forum, a colloquium which tended to be rather nebulous and well-meaning for more pragmatic Anglo-Saxon tastes but still valuable (one of the main benefits is the connections made in the down time). This time it was dealing with some grittier matters like corruption and the Arab Spring. Nothing overly controversial was said – but at least such subjects were being discussed. At the Forum I met two members of Transparency Morocco – an anti-corruption outfit still taking baby steps, raising awareness of the issue and lobbying for the rights of whistle-blowers. No bad guys have been arrested yet. But at least it is a start. There was a general sense of opening. I was told you risked arrest a few years back for wearing a T-shirt I wore from a film festival in the refugee camps (or “hostage” camps if you take the official Moroccan line). Tindouf in southern Algeria is run by the Polisario Front who have been in conflict with Morocco for 30-odd years; 200,000 people live in its camps. At least two people, including one I'd known for years, said that they had been in prison for political reasons, something not mentioned before. Why risk any aggravation? Delegates like Youssou N'Dour and Katherine Marshall, a professor of Georgetown University and long-term supporter of the festival, spoke out on TV (see video of Al-Arabia TV below) with cautious appoval of the unfolding situation. Watch a clip about the Fes Festival from Al-Arabia TV Fes still is a religious powerhouse with the city the centre of some of the biggest Sufi brotherhoods in the world – such as Tijani who have millions of followers in many countries. I met Ibrahim Tijani, the grandson of the Sheikh (the leader of the Tijanis), who runs the internet part of the operation. He’s one of the super-bright Moroccans who are likely to end up in leadership positions as Morocco pivots into the future. Ibrahim, like most Moroccans, feels that the country is more united than others in the region despite the mix of Arab, Berber, Sarahawi and other peoples who have histories of conflict, and while “birth and death can be violent”, they all hope Morocco will have a relatively painless transition. The King is a revered figure by the majority as a unifying force, and Tijani and others estimate the hard-core Islamist element to be less than 20 per cent. “Evolution not revolution”, as Mohammed Kabbaj put it; he is the former mayor of Casablanca, adviser to the King and one of the powers behind the festival - the others being music director Alain Weber and Faouzi Skali whose idea the festival was initially and who is now back at the helm after a few years running his own rival Sufi festival in Fes. Youssou N’Dour is one of the followers of the Tijani, who are particularly popular in his native Senegal. When the programme describes him as “a veritable icon of west African music”, they do not exaggerate. Now 51, Youssou’s music is fabulously grown-up and mature these days rather than the eternal adolescence of most long-established rock bands. (Pictured right, Youssou N'Dour performs at Bab Makina. Photo by Omar Chennafi.) Youssou does rock, but also takes us on a journey as a kind of musical magus. I’ve never heard him and his band, the Super Etoiles de Dakar, in such yearning, bluesy form. The trip takes us from despair to joy, lifted up by his impeccable musicians and, if things got a bit slow, some amazing acrobatics (although not from Youssou who is a bit long in the tooth for somersaults). He also did a couple of numbers from his more spiritual album Egypt, an innovative and beautiful recording he debuted here in Fes with an Egyptian orchestra in 2004 – one of the most memorable concerts of the last decade. Youssou’s voice remains, as I called it the last time he was in London, one of the seven wonders of the world. Watch Abd Al Malik perform at the Fes Festival One of the great things about Fes is the showcasing of stars in other parts of the world that are not known much in the Anglo-Saxon world - such as Abd Al Malik (see video above), a “rappeur, slammeur and compositeur” who lived in Brazzaville, Congo and who is now a big figure in France. Unlike most rappers, he surrounds himself with a great band of jazzy musicians and his lyrics reflect the fact that he is a follower of the Boutchichiyya, an important Sufi group, also with millions of followers with its HQ in the east of Morocco – in other words, no songs about guns and bitches. The biggest star of the week, though, was Kadem Al-Sahir (pictured left), an Iraqi heart-throb who had scalpers wanting large amounts of dirhams for tickets. Le tout Fes turned up in their finery, men in suits and women glammed up in dresses and high-heels. With a swooning orchestra under the moon outside the gates of the King’s Palace at the Bab Makina (and an old weapons armoury on the other side), he thrilled the crowd. He told me that he would sprinkle his set with a few spiritual numbers as he was in Fes, which he did, but the fans wanted to hear songs like "The School of Love". I first met Al-Sahir in Morocco a few years back, during the height of the Iraq war when he was filming a video for a new song called “The Older You Are, the More Beautiful You Become” - a message happily received by his female fans of a certain age. Al-Sahir, now 53, says women definitely find him more attractive as he ages. Weeks before the Iraq war broke out, he made the bold move of touring the United States. Was that really the best time? "Yes, it was perfect. Because it was necessary to portray another face of Iraq. Of beauty and poetry rather than of war." The song of his that regularly brought the house down was “Beauty and His Love”, dedicated to the city of Baghdad: "The city is like a beautiful girl," he explains. "Even when I am unfaithful, living in other cities, she is the one I dream of. A city of singers, artists and philosophers." Born in northern Iraq, Al-Sahir dismayed his parents when at the age of 12 he sold his bicycle and bought a guitar, saying he wanted to pursue the precarious career of a musician. He studied hard and was accepted for the prestigious Baghdad Music Academy after being in a rock band: "I had long hair and listened to The Beatles as well as Arabic music and composers like Beethoven." Drafted into the army at 21, he remained in Baghdad, although his best friend and many others he knew perished in the war with Iran. It wasn't long before he was running into trouble with the authorities, who asked him to change the lyrics of a song called “Snake Bite”, read by many Iraqis as a criticism of the Iran war. Another, which had a video of 4,000 people chanting, "We are living in a house of hell", was also censored. When he got calls to appear on programmes boosting Saddam and the regime, he could not refuse. "There was no choice. I was frightened. But I always wanted to be free and independent." He defected after a concert tour in 1992, and now has houses in Paris and Cairo, but still returned for occasional concerts in Iraq until 1997. Would he like to go back and play or record there now? "There is nowhere to play and the best musicians are still abroad. But I will come back and play and bring in equipment from abroad. My hope is that Iraq will recover to how it used to be, a centre of culture." He undid his shirt and showed me a lyric tattooed on his chest. It was his song “The School of Love”, written in the Gulf War of 1991. "I placed this song and some others in one room and slept in another, so that if a bomb came, only one of us would go and I put a note with the song saying, 'Please give this to someone who knows about music.'" Like others I met in Fes this time, for the first time in decades, they have some tempered optimism about the future of the region. Generally, although, for musical enlightenment the biggest treasures were smaller events like the showing of Franz Osten’s extraordinary classic silent movie from 1929, The Light of Asia, about the life of the Buddha, accompanied by a wonderful group of Muslim and Hindi musicians from Rajasthan. Extract from The Light of Asia (with less interesting music) The ensemble Paraguay Barroco d’Ascunción mixed Baroque music and traditional polkas and guaranis to sweet effect. Their Vivaldi attempt was a bit out of tune for European ears, but the mix of more traditional songs was utterly charming. A group of Sufis called Syubbanul Akhyar from Java gave an Indonesian flavour of flutes and strings in the delightful surroundings of the Musée Batha and sung a hugely memorable, heart-melting song to the Prophet which I kept remembering for days afterwards. Most of the audience seemed to be dancing under the famous giant Barbary oak with joy when they encored that one. Walking along the quayside a legless sailor beckoned to him and said, “I am the genie who is also living in your father" The festival has free concerts for those not able to afford the prices in Bab Makina, especially in the open square of Bab Boujloud, impressive for the thousands of swirling swallows at sundown. I saw a terrific group of massed Aissawas, one of the more musical brotherhoods,(pictured, below) whose music is known to have healing effects, causing people regularly to go into trance. The audience of thousands started pogoing, especially when the big n’far horns were deployed. Making an unearthly noise, they are used for waking people up – literally and metaphorically, an alarm call from Allah. The Sufi nights at Dar Tazi in the medina at 11pm remain essential - the highlight this year being the unexpected appearance of Fareed Ayyaz and Party, one of the top Qawalli groups from Pakistan (a style made popular in the West by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan). Part of the experience of such a festival is to meet the kind of people you don’t normally run into - such as a woman from a village in Niger called Salamatu who made an impact at the Fes Forum, a democracy activist planning a festival in Niger next year (theartsdesk absolutely intends to attend). She was rather saintly, but with a penchant for gold braid; I nicknamed her “Saint Bling-Bling”. She outraged some feminists by speaking in favour of polygamy. “The worst position to be is the second wife of three,” she told me. (She is the first wife of two.) I also met an Iranian psychoanalyst living in Paris, who told me she was kept awake by her neighbour noisily making love to different women each night – then she spotted said neighbour at the festival, who came up and asked if they knew each other from somewhere. There’s also a magical underground in Fes, as in the rest of Morocco. One night a Moroccan kept me up late with stories which sounded as though they came from One Thousand and One Nights. An educated, modern guy living in Casablanca, he said he had no time for the old superstitions. Then his uncle began displaying strange symptoms: his eyes were staring and he spoke in a different voice. Being modern, they thought he had some neurological illness. But then he began to say he was possessed by a genie (or d'jinn as they say in these parts) that was able to live in two humans and that his story would be proved if he went to Larache, on the coast. His son decided to go. Walking along the quayside a legless sailor beckoned to him and said, “I am the genie who is also living in your father.” What Fes has is a striking balance of the ancient and the modern. The Medina, where the so-called New Town dates from the 13th century, doesn’t give up its secrets easily. It's next to the French colonial Ville Nouvelle. (Ben Harper, who headlined the last night on Sunday with his gospel-tinged music, said that he was embarrassed to admit that this was his first visit to Africa and after a 10km walk in the Medina his life would never be the same again). Faouzi Skali talks of "the nostalgia of Andalusia" in Fes, a more or less accurate image of a golden age where Islam was at the forefront of science and where different faiths lived more or less harmoniously. When the Muslims and Jews were ejected many came to Fes. The hope is for a 21st-century Andalusia, for a birth that is not violent, for a transformation into a modern society, with more democracy and less corruption, but keeping the best of the ancient culture and not as materialist as the West. There remain huge problems, notably the level of youth unemployment, but there is that precious commodity of hope. There’s no doubt that the Fes Festival, as well as being the most consistently high-quality world music festival anywhere, has had a role in opening things up. Visit the Festival of World Sacred Music website Find Bismillah: Music from the Fes Festival on Amazon While “birth and death can be violent”, they all hope Morocco will have a relatively painless transition Amazon link to Fes Festival Permalink Submitted by Sandy McCutcheon (not verified) on Wed, 15/06/2011 - 20:40 Hi Peter - we would like to reprint an sedited version with a link to the orignal on The View from Fez. Cheers Sandy & Helen more New music Reissue CDs Weekly: The Beloved - Where It Is Charming collection of what the electro house-popsters were up to before the hits Album: Eminem - Music To Be Murdered By Slim Shady's surprise return is patchily potent Album: Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong All grown up now, and back on their bikes Album: Aoife Nessa Frances - Land of No Junction Irish newcomer’s translucent debut album is an early candidate for 2020’s best-of lists theartsdesk in Brussels - jazz, openness and youth at the start of the cultural year A packed cultural calendar and poignant reminders of affection for the British Album: Las Cobras - Selva Dark, dreamlike psychedelia from Uruguay Judy Collins, Grand Central Hall, Liverpool review - how sweet the sound, even at 80 A consummate musician takes a trip down the foggy ruins of time Album: Gabrielle Aplin - Dear Happy Self-love soundtrack to a songwriter piecing herself back together Reissue CDs Weekly: She Came From Liverpool! - Merseyside Girl-Pop 1962-1968 Bold and enjoyable attempt to shift the Merseybeat focus towards the female Album: Field Music - Making a New World Audacious concept album examining the still-extant ripples of World War One Album: Electric Soft Parade - Stages Brighton indie-psyche stalwarts offer a luscious, heart-rending exploration of grief Albums of the Year 2019: Little Simz - GREY Area Records to return to again and again, from a year better left behind

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Racing Incident: Attack or Mistake? posted by Metier FOX - Sep 18, 2018 When fans tuned in to the Moto2 race at the Misano Circuit in Italy, they were probably expecting an exciting race. What happened next not only shocked those viewers, but sent a wave of rage throughout the entire motorcycle racing community. Now, a motorcycle racer’s entire career has been shattered, and he could be facing jailtime, too. The Racing Incident that Rocked MotoGP It didn’t take long for the racing to heat up at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on September 9. The Moto2 class—one of the support races for the MotoGP championship—had just started racing and two stand out racers were already battling. Stefano Manzi and Romano Fenati were trading paint at every other corner. At first, this battle seemed like just another racing rivalry, but that changed as the racers exited Turn 6 at around 12:52 PM. While tearing down the straight at nearly 140 mph, Fenati reached over to his rival’s bike and pulled Manzi’s brake lever. The Forward Racing Moto2 bike went into a headshake that Manzi was able to overcome, but the incident instantly angered stewards. Fenati was given the black flag and disqualified from the race. In addition, the Italian rider was suspended for two races. Fans and fellow racers were stunned. Facing the Consequences MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow was among the first to speak out against Fenati. The British racer stated that pulling Manzi’s brake lever at speed was unforgivable, and he criticized racing officials for not banning the Fenati from world competition. He also suggested that the Marinelli Snipers team should have kicked Fenati out of their garage as soon as he pulled in. Crutchlow’s words did not go unheeded. Only a day after the race, Marinelli Snipers announced their immediate dismissal of Roman Fenati. In addition, MV Augusta Forward Racing—the team looking to sign Fenati for the 2019 season—announced that it would not pursue a contract with the rider. Fenati then apologized to fans for his brash actions before announcing his retirement from motorcycle racing. During his apology to fans, he also claimed that he was responding to Manzi’s dangerous riding, though he also said that was no excuse for his behavior. Others still thought his punishment was too light. On Monday, September 10, a consumer-rights group in Italy formerly reported Fenati to Italian prosecutors. The organization asked the authorities to investigate the racer for attempted murder. The Federation Internactionale de Motocyclisme (FIM) has also summoned Fenati to its headquarters to explain himself. This could mean that a lifetime ban from motorcycle racing is still on the table. Fenati has a history of acting out in MotoGP. In 2015, while riding in the Moto3 category, he notoriously kicked at Niklas Ajo during on track practice. Then in 2016, he was fired from Valentino Rossi’s Sky Racing VR46 team after clashing with members of his own crew. Now, it seems his immature behavior seems to have caught up with him. This MotoGP update was brought to you by the attorneys who ride at Metier Law Firm—helping motorcyclists when they need comfort, safety and strength. Want to know more about Tom Metier ? Get their official bio, social pages & articles on 103.5 The Fox!

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Theiapolis > Cinema > Titles > T... > Th... > The... > The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension1984 [+] Post a Message | Forum | Gallery | Quotes Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984) Source: The Official Trailer for "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension". This photo, entitled "Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)", has been posted on Monday, February 11th, 2013 in the fan-made gallery dedicated to "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (cinema). Starring Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Lewis Smith, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (also known as "Buckaroo Banzai - Die 8. Dimension", "Buckaroo Banzai", "Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, The") is an Adventure/Romance/Comedy/Science Fiction film directed by W.D. Richter, released in the USA on August 10 of 1984. Posted by G98596 - Monday, February 11th, 2013 ↪ 1 comment Gallery for "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" ➤ Photo of Jeff Goldblum, portraying "New Jersey" in "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (1984). (Source: The Official Trailer) "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" Copyright © Sherwood Productions, Inc. ◬ Report by Theia - Photo of Jeff Goldblum, who portrays "New Jersey" from "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (1984) This picture is from the official trailer of "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension", at least this is what the submitter advised. Jeff Goldblum is an American actor. As an actor, Jeff Goldblum has been seen in movies such as The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, released in 2004 (Alistair Hennessey), Between the Lines (1977) playing Max Arloft, The Great White Hype (1996) in which he portrays Mitchell Kane, The Right Stuff (1983), Mini's First Time (2006) as Mike Rudell, and Auggie Rose (2000) in which he plays John Nolan. Details about "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension": Directed by W.D. Richter, "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (also known as "Buckaroo Banzai - Die 8. Dimension", "Buckaroo Banzai", "Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai, The") is an Adventure/Romance/Comedy/Science Fiction film, released in the USA on August 10 of 1984 . Peter Weller (Buckaroo Banzai) and John Lithgow (Lord John Whorfin/Dr. Emilio Lizardo) are starring, alongside Ellen Barkin (Penny Priddy), Jeff Goldblum (New Jersey), Christopher Lloyd (John Bigboote) and Lewis Smith (Perfect Tommy). Here are some memorable quotes from "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" Chase One Helicopter Pilot: This is Chase One. We got his tracks, they go right up to a wall of rock! Holy shit! Home! Home is where you hang your hat! I feel so broke up... I want to go HOME!(John Lithgow/"Lord John Whorfin/Dr. Emilio Lizardo") { To New Jersey, as they are performing brain surgery } You can check your anatomy all you want, and even though there may be normal variation, when it comes right down to it, this far inside the head it all looks the same. No, no, no, don't tug on that! You never know what it might be attached to.(Peter Weller as "Buckaroo Banzai") As an actor, Lewis Smith has been seen in movies such as The Heavenly Kid, released in 1985 in which he portrays Bobby Fantana, Love Child (1982) as Jesse Chaney, Diary of a Hitman (1991) in which he plays Al Zidzyck, Our first christmas (2008) in which he plays Pastor Brown, I Ought to Be in Pictures (1982), and The Final Terror (1983) in which he portrays Boone. As an actor, Christopher Lloyd has acted in movies such as Camp Nowhere, released in 1994 (character: Dennis Van Welker), InSight (2011) portraying Shep, Radioland Murders (1994) (Zoltan), Why Me? (1990) (character: Bruno Daley), Back to the Future (1985) portraying Dr. Emmett Brown, and Delhi Safari (2012) playing Pigeon. Some information about W.D. Richter (film director of "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension"): W.D. Richter is an American screenwriter, writer, producer, and director. W.D. Richter has directed . Details about this picture: Part of a fan-made tribute gallery for "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension", this image ("Jeff Goldblum as New Jersey in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)") has been uploaded on Mon, 11 Feb 13 18:33:12 +0000, considering that the poster has done it in a responsible and legal manner. This poster certainly thought doing something well by sharing this picture, however, if you consider that this image has not conformed to a fair-use or is inappropriate, please report this to Theiapolis.com immediately, and we will delete it as soon as possible. Thank you for your help. Go further: This picture has been posted in the fan-made tribute gallery for "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" Photo gallery for Jeff Goldblum. Do not hesitate to reply to this post, this can be about additional information, anecdotes, corrections, comments or anything else. No message has yet been posted about The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension. You can't see them...but they can see you.: "The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension" (1984), a film by W.D. Richter 1 message - Starring Peter Weller, John Lithgow, Ellen Barkin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Lloyd and Lewis Smith, «The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across... Jeff Goldblum from "The Fly" (1986), a film by David Cronenberg 1 message - Starring Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz, Joy Boushel, Leslie Carlson and George Chuvalo, «The Fly» (also known as "Mouche,... New Photos from "The Adventures of Tintin", a film by Steven Spielberg 1 message - Directed by Steven Spielberg, and written by Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, Joe Cornish and Hergé, «The Adventures of Tintin» (also... New HD Pictures from "The Adventures of Tintin", a film by Steven Spielberg 2 messages - «The Adventures of Tintin» (also known as "De avonturen van Kuifje - Het geheim van de Eenhoorn", "Les aventures de Tintin... ( 1989 )Eversmile, New Jersey Directed by: C. Sorin, starring D. Day-Lewis, M. Jokovic, G. Acher, J. De Grazia... ( 1999 )The New Adventures of Pinocchio Directed by: M. Anderson, starring M. Landau, U. Kier, G. Thomson, G. Gregory... Resources: Sherwood Productions, Sherwood, Wikipedia and contributions from movie fans. Anyone can submit additionnal information and corrections, you can post a message into the forum, or you can contact me by e-mail. Information and materials are submitted by users and thus may not always contain up-to-date and correct information, so do not hesite to report mistakes, and submit corrections.Thank you!. Direct editing is no longer available, sorry. Due to health issues, this site has been maintained on and off during the last few years. Some information is outdated, and I am trying to fix things progressively. Thank you in advance for your indulgence -The Webmaster- Messages posted at this site are the sole opinion and responsibility of the poster. In no way will Theiapolis.com be liable or responsible for their content. If you believe something is inappropriate please do not hesitate to report it. Information available at this site are based on the contributions submitted movie fans (visitors, registered members). I cannot guarantee the validity, accuracy or reliability of the information found here. If there are mistakes, or outdated information, I truly apologize. You can use the contact form to submit additional information. Thank you! - Contact Us - Some of the "Quotes" included on this page are from Wikiquote which are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. 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Abigail Child - Watch Trailer On the Downlow "On the Downlow" presents an intimate portrait of four men negotiating their bisexual desire within the African-American community of Cleveland, Ohio. These men selfdescribe as "dipping on both sides of the fence". The film showcases their secret lives and aspirations as it reveals the complex intersections of sexuality, race, class and family in contemporary middle America. We enter barely-understood sexual worlds to witness astonishing revelations, many of which have never been seen before. Discounts available for high schools, public libraries and community organizations "There are no perpetrators and victims in the film… Nobody is screaming that these men are responsible for the high rates of HIV infection among African American women… Child's film shows men who, while not necessarily conflicted about their sexual orientation, fear familial, institutional or societal repercussions for revealing the truth." - Anthony Glassman, Gay People's Chronicle, Cleveland, Ohio "Child creates a compelling collective portrait of the physical, psychological and emotional travails of an underground lifestyle finally surfacing above ground." - Tribeca Film Festival, New York NY "Abigail Child's film takes a sensitive and understanding approach to the interview subjects and to issues related to downlow sexuality." - NewFest, New York "On The Downlow is a sensitively handled documentary focusing on bisexual African- American men in Cleveland who struggle to come out amidst the pressures of both the gay community and the black community." - Brooklyn Academy of Arts, New York "Highly Recommended. This excellent documentary focuses on several African-American bisexual men living in Cleveland, OH, exploring their relationship to their parents and children, to women, to the HIV/AIDS crisis, to their own sexuality, and to society. These young men, ranging in age from 18 to mid-thirties, share how they think of themselves and esplain the various ways they present themselves to society…"On the Downlow" is highly recommended for class on gender, sexuality and African-American studies." - Martha Kelehan, Binghamton University, Educational Media Reviews Online Tribeca Film Festival, New York, 2007 NewFest, The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Film Festival, 2007 The Best of NewFest at BAM, New York, 2007 Frameline 31, The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival, 2007 Queer & LGBTQ Studies

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opinion Opinion November 4, 2019 What’s in a name: Katy Perry and the Aussie designer [op-ed] Nathan Jolly Image: Facebook / Katy Perry Katy Perry is getting very used to the court system. The singer is currently appealing a July verdict that ordered she and her label pay $2.78 million for plagiarising a largely unknown Christian rap song on her 2013 hit ‘Dark Horse’. This week, photo agency Backgrid sued her for $150,000, for uploading one of their photos to Instagram in 2016. The photo is of Perry dressed as Hillary Clinton for Halloween. And now an Australian designer who trades under the name Katie Perry has launched litigation proceedings against her for trademark infringement. So she is currently involved in legal battles over her music, her likeness, and her name. These are hard times for Katy Perry. In late 2006, Sydney-based designer Katie Taylor started a fashion label using her maiden name, Katie Perry. She started off slowly, with a stall at Paddington Markets. In July 2008, the debut single from a pop star also named Katy Perry hit the Australian charts, going on to enjoy a six-week reign at #1. The day before the song finally dropped out of the Australian Top 10, Katie Taylor formally trademarked the name ‘Katie Perry’, which she had then been trading under for close to two years. Unluckily for Taylor, Perry quickly became one of the biggest pop stars in the world. And in 2009, Katy became aware of Katie. Taylor claims Perry’s representatives “tried to bully me to give up my trademark by attempting to initiate opposition proceedings and threatening to sue me.” Taylor couldn’t be scared off, and so Perry gave up and simply started selling her own line of Katy Perry clothing, “placing herself above the law in Australia.” This isn’t just concert merch we’re talking about here. Katy Perry clothing lines have been sold in Australian Target and Myer stores. It’s worth pausing here to note that Katy Perry isn’t actually Katy Perry’s name. It’s Katy Hudson. In 2001, she released an unsuccessful Christian record under her birth name, before changing it in 2003 to avoid confusion with the actress Kate Hudson. And now, ten years since the singer first threatened to sue the designer, the tables have turned and it’s Taylor bringing proceedings against Perry, calling the lawsuit a ‘“real David and Goliath fight.” This type of thing happens all the time. The history of the music industry is littered with similar trademark claims. Most of them are straightforward and rarely get to court. Brisbane band Cub Sport were originally named Cub Scouts, but after receiving a visit from a few woggle-wearing heavies (or maybe it was just a legal letter), they decided to change their name and avoid any complications. As Jack White’s band The Raconteurs readied their album release in 2006, they discovered a Queensland band already held the rights to the name in this territory. A similar David and Goliath fight was sidestepped when the band decided to just call themselves The Saboteurs when releasing music and touring here. White released a statement to Australian media, explaining: “The Raconteurs name was already taken by a jazz band; to make things easier, and in the spirit of espionage and subversion, we have decided to become The Saboteurs in Australia only.” Of course, the record collector in White must have been delighted by this odd chain of events. In 2013, Van Halen sued their drummer’s ex-wife Kelly Van Halen for using her own name for a range of design products. Under the name ‘Kelly Van Halen’, she sold swimsuits, children’s blankets, pillows, ponchos and more. Kelly had divorced Alex Van Halen in 1996, but kept her married name, as many people do (like Jack White, for example). The band claimed “an intentional violation of rights”, citing unfair competition with the band’s own merchandise which is laughable when you consider she was selling alpaca blankets and patchouli soaps. They settled out of court, under the proviso that Kelly never puts her name to anything considered a music product. A similar delineation was made during a series of long-running legal disputes between Apple Computers and Apple Corps, a music company created by The Beatles in 1968 as a tax shelter. In 1978, Apple Corps filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the new computing company, which was settled out of court three years later; Apple Computers paid $80,000 to continue using the name, with the clear agreement that they wouldn’t enter the music business. Over the years, as Apple Computers added MIDI capabilities, audio recording programs, a chime sound effect and, most brazenly, the iTunes music store, new lawsuits were launched and the terms of trade between the two companies were adapted for the changing marketplace. And it is a 2006 lawsuit between the two Apples that might hold the legal defence that Perry’s team will lean upon. Now, this will seem like I’m messing with you, but there is a legal test known as “a moron in a hurry.” It has been used in many prominent trademark infringement cases over the years, and could apply here. The regrettable phrase was first uttered in the court of law by Justice Foster during a 1978 case between two newspaper publishers. A British Communist Party paper named The Morning Star filed an injunction to shut down a new tabloid named The Daily Star, claiming confusion would arise if the two were on the same newsstand. When throwing the case out, the judge explained his decision by saying, “If one puts the two papers side by side I for myself would find that the two papers are so different in every way that only a moron in a hurry would be misled.” Another judge quoted the phrase in a lawsuit between Newsweek and BBC the same year, and a catchphrase was born. “A moron in a hurry” was used throughout the years to argue that two different items couldn’t reasonably be confused by a passer-by. In 2007, Apple’s lawyers claimed that “even a moron in a hurry could not be mistaken about the difference between iTunes and the Apple record label”, nor about the differences between the Apple Corp Grammy Smith logo and the”cartoonish apple with a neat bite out of its side.” The judge agreed, Apple Corps strict hold over the trademark was relaxed, and Apple Computers went on to completely control the music industry for a while there. So, would this defence work in an Australian court? It has been used in Canada, the UK and the US. More importantly, would ‘a moron in a hurry’ mistake Katie Perry’s fashion line with the branded Katy Perry clothes? It’s hard to make the case that the Katy Perry Pyjama Set, with its Paddle Pop pants and singlet slathered in Perry’s likeness, would ever be mistaken for the elegant pieces in Taylor’s range. In 2017, Kylie Minogue blocked Kylie Jenner from trademarking the name ‘Kylie’ for use for her beauty range, with her snipey legal papers calling Jenner “a secondary reality television personality” and Minogue an “internationally-renowned performing artist, humanitarian and breast cancer activist known to the world simply as Kylie.” The US Patent Office agreed, which – if Australian courts follow similar logic – would see them side with Katy Perry. It’s likely that Perry will simply try to settle out of court. But what will the terms be? Perry isn’t about to stop selling fashion items, and Taylor is very unlikely to change the name of her label. A local brand name, built over 13 years, is worth something. Soon we will see exactly what is in a name, and what that name is worth. And don’t even get me started on the spelling… Opinion by Nathan Jolly 13 Jan 2020 Is buying shares in songs a smart investment? [op-ed] Opinion by Nathan Jolly 9 Dec 2019 The 100 best Australian songs of the decade Opinion by Dan Rosen 4 Dec 2019 ‘The biggest ARIA Awards we’ve ever had’: Dan Rosen [op-ed] Opinion by Nathan Jolly 29 Nov 2019 Being banned by police is the best promo OneFour could hope for [op-ed]

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Happy New Year of the Dog! New Year’s greetings in Japan are generally never given before January 1, so again this year I am posting this on the morning of December 31 here in the U.S. but after the New Year has already begun in Japan. In the countries of East Asia, including Japan, 2018 is the Year of the Dog. There is a 12-year cycle in the Asian zodiac, each named after an animal. Today ends the Year of the Rooster. The Chinese (or lunar) New Year, which is celebrated not only in China but also in other Asian countries with strong Chinese influence, doesn’t begin until February 16 this year. If you were born in 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, or 1982, you were born in the Year of the Dog and the new year is a special one for you—or would be if you lived in East Asia—for it will be your ataridoshi, your “lucky year,” since it is the year of the same zodiac animal in which you were born. According to Japanese folklore, those born in the Year of the Dog have many fine qualities of human nature. They have a sense of duty and loyalty, they are extremely honest, and they always do their best in their relationship with other people. Or according to a Chinese website, People born in the Year of the Dog are usually independent, sincere, loyal and decisive according to Chinese zodiac analysis. They are not afraid of difficulties in daily life. These shining characteristics make them have harmonious relationship with people around. Two of my children were born in the Year of the Dog, so I basically agree with the above. In many ways Keith and Karen are similar in their personalities, so that has caused June and me to place some credence in the Japanese/Chinese zodiac. But then there is Donald Trump, who was also born in the Year of the Dog. What are we to make of that?? A Plea for Dogged Determination One of my hopes for the year of the Year of the Dog is that Robert Mueller and his special counsel will, and will be allowed to, thoroughly pursue all the facts surrounding the Russian involvement in the 2016 presidential election and the relationship of DJT and his family/associates both before and following the election. The blog article I posted a year ago today was titled “Happy New Year of Resistance,” and while I haven’t done much myself in actual activism, I have supported the efforts of those who have actively resisted much of the craziness of the current Administration. Now, however, I am troubled by the strong resistance being mounted against Mueller and his team. In a Dec. 22 op-ed piece, Kenneth Starr (remember him) wrote about the deafening “drumbeat of criticism” against Mueller. A New York Times interview with DJT on Dec. 28 was somewhat encouraging in this regard. Still, fears that the Mueller investigation might be unjustly ended prematurely may not be unfounded. Mr. Mueller, hang in there with dogged determination! So, I send special greetings to all of you who were born in the year of the Dog, and I hope you will enjoy your special year. I am also taking this means to wish all of you a Happy New Year, and I pray for your health and happiness throughout 2018. Further, I pray that during the Year of the Dog Robert Mueller will have the determination, and the freedom, to find and to publicize the facts about Russia’s intrusion into U.S. politics and about DJT’s (illegitimate?) connection with Russia. Labels: Japan, Mueller (Robert), new year A Big “Christmas” Hoax Mid-day on December 20, DJT tweeted, “We are delivering HISTORIC TAX RELIEF for the American people!” That was followed by a GIF showing a present opening with the words “Tax Cuts for Christmas!” bursting out of a box. This, I contend, is all a big “Christmas” hoax. An Early Celebration DJT and the Republicans in Congress celebrated “Christmas” five days early, after passing the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” Then on Dec. 22, DJT signed the massive bill into law. The vote on the tax reform bill was 51-48 in the Senate—all the Republicans against all the Democrats. In the House, the vote was 224 to 201 with all the Yes votes being by Republicans and the No votes being by all the Democrats and 12 Republicans. How in the world could there be 249 Congresspeople opposed to what is touted as a wonderful Christmas gift to the USAmerican people? And why do most polls show that more Americans oppose the newly enacted bill than approve of it? Yes, the “tax cuts for Christmas” were celebrated by DJT and the GOP days before Christmas this year. But one wonders how much celebration there will be by most USAmericans by next Christmas or in the years following. Who Celebrates? It is evident that there are reasons for some to celebrate this new tax bill. Corporations are jubilant over the reduction of their tax rate from 35% to 21%, a huge drop—although many corporations already pay around 21%, or far less (see this report). The wealthiest people in the land also celebrate the passing of the tax bill for several reasons. “Final Tax Bill Includes Huge Estate Tax Win For The Rich” is the title of a Dec. 21 article on Forbes.com. Among other super-rich people in the country, DJT and the Trump family are, no doubt, celebrating their personal gain as well as their political gain from this bill. “Trump stands to save millions under new tax measure, experts say,” is a recent article in the Washington Post worth noting. Last Wednesday DJT said, ““I promised the American people a big, beautiful tax cut for Christmas. With final passage of this legislation, that is exactly what they are getting.” Well, that’s at least true for Donald, Jr., Ivanka, and others of the Trump clan. They certainly have reason to celebrate. But many do not. Who Won’t Celebrate? There are many serious problems with the newly-passed tax bill, including (1) most likely a large increase in the national debt, (2) an increase in taxes for the poorest 1/3 of U.S. taxpayers, and (3) a large decrease in the number of people who have health insurance and a large increase in the cost for many who do have insurance. While the numbers for the final bill are likely slightly different, the CBO Report of Nov. 26 indicated that the Senate version of the bill would show an increase in taxes for people (units) with income of less than $30,000—more than 1/3 of the taxpaying units. By contrast, those with incomes of more than $100,000 –fewer than1/4 of filers—would get tax reductions of from 10.6% to 27.5%. Those figures are for 2019. They get much worse for the poor and much better for the wealthy by 2025. (Here is the link to the PBS NewsHour article consulted.) So, yes, the new tax bill seems to be a “hoax” as a Christmas present, especially for the poor. But the wealthy will fare well, as is cleverly depicted by this cartoon by Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman: Labels: Christmas, Republicans, taxes, Trump (Donald) Does the Old Testament Prophesy the Birth of Jesus? Forty-five years ago on December 23, 1972, Abraham Joshua Heschel, the eminent Polish-born American rabbi, passed away at the age of 65. He was one of the leading Jewish theologians/philosophers of the 20th century. Heschel’s Brilliant Book Although he was the author of several books, the most notable was The Prophets, published in 1962. That was when I was a financially poor seminary student. But along with Here I Stand, R. Bainton’s book on Luther, Heschel’s book was one of the very few non-textbooks that I bought. I thought then that it was a brilliant book—and I still do. Recently I looked to see how Heschel interpreted the Old Testament prophecies of the birth of Jesus. I was quite surprised that in the 16-page “Index of Subjects and Names” there are only two brief references to Jesus—and one of those is in a footnote—and nothing listed for Messiah. Christians, of course, see numerous Old Testament passages as prophecies of Jesus. (This website lists “353 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ.”) But Heschel apparently didn’t think a single one of those were prophecies about Jesus. Heschel’s Passion for Justice According to Heschel, one of the main characteristics of the Old Testament prophets was their passion for social justice. In the opening paragraphs of the first chapter of his book, he cites Amos 8:4-6 as an illustration of the prophets’ condemnation of injustice. Then his 11th chapter is titled simply “Justice.” Heschel identified with the OT prophets in many ways. In the 1960s, he marched for justice with Martin Luther King, Jr., and his daughter says that he was “close friends” with Christian justice-seekers such as Daniel and Philip Berrigan as well as with William Sloan Coffin when he was the Protestant chaplain at Yale. Sadly, though, it seems that not only did Heschel not see the birth of Jesus as having been prophesied in the Old Testament, he apparently did not even consider Jesus a Jewish prophet—although Jesus self-identified with the words of the prophet Isaiah at the beginning of his public ministry (see Luke 4:16-21). In his book How God Became King, N.T. Wright emphasizes that the “fulfillment of Israel’s story” is “in the story of the Messiah” (p. 112). That clearly seems to have been Jesus’ understanding, and it certainly was the early church’s understanding of Jesus. But that was not something Heschel could accept or affirm. Heschel’s Fate? In his book Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God, which I introduced (here) earlier this year, Brian Zahnd tells about sitting with his dying father, who could no longer communicate with him. On one occasion in that situation, BZ said he was reading Heschel’s book The Prophets—which I found most interesting. BZ makes only positive statements about Heschel—such as, “Everything I’ve ever read from Heschel has shown him to be a thoroughly God-saturated soul.” As he was leaving the hospital that particular night in 2009, though, this question “erupted from some fundamentalist outpost” in his brain: “Is Abraham Joshua Heschel in hell?” BZ concluded that such an idea was “irredeemably ludicrous” (pp. 118-120). Because of his worldview/faith, Rabbi Heschel could not accept the core beliefs of his Christian friends—or of others who are followers of Jesus Christ, such as BZ or me. But even though he could not acknowledge Christ or the prophecies about him, we can accept/affirm him as one who truly believed in “the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:1). In this Christmas season, may we all nurture a passion for justice such as Rabbi Heschel—and especially such as Jesus Christ—embraced. Labels: biblical prophecy, Christmas, Heschel (Abraham Joshua, Jesus, social justice, Zahnd (Brian) A Disastrous Rebellion December 17, 1637, was the beginning of a terrible time for Christianity in Japan. Even though it was 380 years ago, a rebellion of some Christians that started then had repercussions that lasted for centuries—and there’s some similarity of erroneous beliefs then to those of some Christians now. The Christian Century in Japan The introduction of Christianity into Japan began with the arrival of Jesuit missionary Francis Xavier on the shores of southern Kyushu (the southernmost major island) in August 1549. As a result of his remarkable influence, and that of other missionaries who came later, a sizeable number of Japanese people in southern Japan became Christians. The number and influence of Japanese Christians in the decades following 1549 led to the designation of that period as “the Christian century in Japan.” (The British historian C.R. Boxer published a book with that title in 1951.) By the 1630s, some estimates say that there were as many as 750,000 Christians in Japan—or about half as many as now and, of course, a much larger percentage than now. The growth in the number of Christian believers did not last for a century, though. The disastrous rebellion of 1637-38 reduced the number of openly professed Christians to almost zero—and it also resulted in Japan being completely closed to Christianity, and to most of the Western world, for some 220 years. The Shimabara Rebellion A British historian's 2016 book Shimabara is the name of a peninsula in Nagasaki Prefecture, and the historical events that began there on Dec. 17, 1637, and lasted until April 15, 1638, are usually called the Shimabara Rebellion. That disastrous rebellion was primarily by Christians. It was largely due not to religious motives as much as to widespread dissatisfaction with overtaxation and the suffering caused by famine conditions in the area. Amakusa Shirō, a charismatic 16-year-old youth was chosen as the rebellion’s leader. He was considered by local Christians as “heaven’s messenger,” and miraculous powers were attributed to him. As the shogunate troops began to gather in Shimabara in a concerted effort to put down the rebellion, the rebels holed up in Hara Castle—and the troop’s siege of the castle lasted until April, when the resistance was finally broken and destroyed. (The ruins of Hara Castle are about 40 miles east of Nagasaki City.) It is said that some 37,000 rebels (men, women, and children) were beheaded at the end of that disastrous rebellion. This was in spite of the hope/belief of Amakusa and some of his followers that this was going to be a Japanese “battle of Armageddon”—the time for the intervention of God and the beginning of God’s heavenly kingdom. Apocalyptic Fervor Then and Now The German Peasants’ War of 1524-25 and the Münster Rebellion (also in Germany) of 1534-35 were earlier “Christian” rebellions that shared similar characteristics to the Shimabara Rebellion. There were apocalyptic overtones, or underpinnings, to each of those rebellions also. The leaders of both of those earlier rebellions believed that violence was sanctioned by God and was necessary to establish God’s new world order. But the rebels in both Germany and Japan learned by sad experience that those who take the sword die by the sword. Now, there are those who see DJT’s Dec. 6 recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in apocalyptic terms. For example, consider this Dec. 11 article: “Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem excites apocalyptic fervor.” DJT’s “spiritual adviser” Paula White says that “evangelicals are ecstatic” at the decision to move Israel’s capital to Jerusalem, for that means Jesus’ Second Coming is nearer. But might this be the beginning of another disaster similar to but far, far worse than the Shimabara Rebellion? Labels: apocalypticism, Japan, Nagasaki, Peasant's Revolt, Shimabara Rebellion, Xavier (Francis) The Relevance of Jonah Strange as it may seem, I was moved to write this article while reading a book on Palestinian liberation theology. Please think with me about the ongoing relevance, even to Palestinian Christians, of the Old Testament book of Jonah. Preaching on Jonah From way back, I have long been interested in the theological and missiological meaning of Jonah. The sermon I preached in my seminary homiletics class was on Jonah. I can’t remember if the sermon on Jonah was the only one I preached before the class. But I do remember it—and wish I still had the manuscript for that sermon. (Why can’t I find it on my hard drive?) At that time (1961), June and I were pursuing a career as overseas missionaries, and I was convinced that there was a strong missionary message in Jonah. That conviction has not changed, although it has been refined some. Thus, it was with great interest that I read about Jonah in a new book on Palestinian liberation theology. Ateek’s Emphasis on Jonah Naim Stifan Ateek is a Palestinian Christian and an Arab who is a citizen of the nation of Israel. Ateek (b. 1937) is the retired Canon of St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem. His book A Palestinian Theology of Liberation was published earlier this year. Since I have written about the plight of the Palestinians previously (see especially here and here), this article is only about the main point that Ateek makes about Jonah in his book. “The Theology of Jonah” is a brief section (pp. 76~80) in Ateek’s book. He asserts: “Through the story of Jonah, the Old Testament reaches its theological climax.” Jonah is the apex of OT theology because there we find emphasis on God as the God of the whole world, an inclusive God. Secondly, Jonah teaches us that “God’s people include all people.” Ateek’s main point is the third thing we need to learn from Jonah: “The story of Jonah emphasizes that there is no one particular land that belongs to God. God is the God of the whole world. . . . God is concerned about all lands.” From the NIV Quickview Bible Thus, “Authentic understanding of land rejects the exclusionary monopoly of one people that brings about the negation, expulsion, and ethnic cleansing of the people of the land” (such as the Palestinians). Ateek goes on to stress, “The challenge of authentic faith is to overcome and defeat whatever is exclusionary regarding our theology of God, neighbor, and land, and to embrace whatever is inclusive.” Bell’s “Take” on Jonah Pastor Rob Bell made a splash in the theological world with his book Love Wins (2011)—about which I wrote in my blog article titled “Bell on Hell.” Bell’s latest book is titled, What Is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything (2017). “Fish,” the 13th of his 43 short chapters, is about Jonah. Bell cautions against Christians placing importance on “defend-the-fish” arguments in interpreting Jonah while missing “the point of the story, the point about allowing God’s redeeming love to flow through us with such power and grace that we are able to love and bless even our worst enemies” (p. 104). Harking back to my most recent article (here), Jonah teaches the importance of loving those whom we have othered. At this time when the U.S. Administration—and evangelical Christians who are some of its strongest supporters—tends to other (“illegal”) immigrants, Muslims, the poor, they—and we all—need to pay close attention to the relevance of the theology of Jonah. Labels: Ateek (Naim), Bell (Rob), inclusion, Jonah, othering, Palestine Othering and "One Anothering" This article is partly the lament of an old white guy. It was sparked by a Thinking Friend telling me in an email that she had been advised to "give up on old white guys." The Problem: Othering My thinking on this subject was also stirred by Cierra Lockett writing about how some African-Americans have a problem feeling bicultural because “though they're American citizens, it's hard to feel American because of how the country historically and currently oppresses and ‘others’ them.” That, without a doubt, is far, far worse than the othering I have experienced. But it is a difference of degree, not of kind. While in the U.S. it is much worst for African-Americans and American Indians, every group—or individual—who suffers from prejudice is a victim of being “othered.” It is not hard to see why old white guys are the target of criticism—and of being othered. Perhaps most of the problems of the world are the results of the “sins” of old white guys. But prejudice is thinking that all the people of a group partake of the characteristics of the problematic people of that group. Thus, I am saddened when “written off” because of the mistakes of so many old white guys, past and present. For example, I have been disappointed that few youngish people read and comment on my blog articles. I have tried to get people below 30 or even 40 to read and comment. Few have—for a variety of reasons, no doubt. Perhaps one main reason, though, is because most think that an old guy doesn’t have anything of value to say to them. Last month I was criticized for suggesting that becoming/being bicultural might be something beneficial for African-Americans to consider. I was told by several people that whites shouldn’t make any suggestions to blacks. There is also the problem of us guys saying anything substantial about matters relating to women: the charge of “mansplaining” has become rather common. So, whether intended or not, “old white guys” are sometimes (often?) othered by those who are young, by people of color, and by women. Perhaps such othering serves us right—but, still, it is a cause of sadness. The Solution: One Anothering Is there no way we all can relate to one another simply as human beings? The Bible says “Love one another.” That surely doesn’t mean we are to love only people like us—for the old to love the elderly, whites to love whites, and males to love males. (And, of course, I am talking about agape-love here, not erotic love.) To love one another surely means to accept/respect everyone without prejudice regardless of age, ethnic, or gender differences. Is that kind of mutual love/acceptance/respect too much to expect? Back in 1990 Richard C. Meyer, a Presbyterian pastor in Florida, wrote a book titled One Anothering. The book was mainly written for small groups, but the title has an important broader meaning. Those of us in a position of privilege, though, have the main responsibility to take the initiative and to reach out in love to those who have been othered most severely. South American liberation theology has often spoken about the “preferential option for the poor.” It is perhaps time for most of us, especially us old white guys, to promote a preferential option for those individuals/groups who are suffering most because of being othered. That kind of one anothering means actively loving whether we are reciprocally loved or not. Labels: love, one anothering, othering, prejudice Is Wright Right? N.T. Wright is an eminent British New Testament scholar whom I have respected for many years. How God Became King: The Forgotten Story of the Gospels (2012) is one his many books. It is mainly about the central message of the four gospels in the New Testament. What Are the Gospels About? As Wright (b. 12/1/1948) explains in the Preface, “the story that the four evangelists tell is the story, as in my title, of ‘how God became king’.” Early in the book, he notes that Protestant Christianity has assumed atonement and justification “to be at the heart of ‘the gospel.’ But,” he insists, the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—“appear to have almost nothing to say about those subjects” (p. 6). Further, the classic Christian creeds say little about the bulk of the four gospels: They “were all about God becoming king, but the creeds are focused on Jesus being God” (p. 20). So, again, Wright clearly asserts that “the whole point of the gospels is to tell the story of how God became king, on earth as in heaven” (p. 34). I think that basically Wright is right in what he writes here. Where is the Kingdom of God? Conservative/evangelical Christians have long emphasized that the Kingdom of God (KoG) will come into fruition at the end of the present world. It is seen primarily as being in Heaven following the end times. Partly because the KoG is always called “kingdom of heaven” in Matthew’s gospel (beginning with Mt. 3:2), it has commonly been viewed as “other-worldly” and primarily about the future rather than the present. However, there has been a growing recognition among liberal, moderate, and even left-wing evangelical Christians that the KoG is about the here and now as well as about “the sweet by and by.” This new understanding is based partly on the Lord’s Prayer for God’s will to be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” As I wrote in my Feb. 28 blog article, through the years I have come to understand that the KoG is as much about, or even more about, God’s reign on earth now than after the “end of the world.” Indeed, if God became King in and through Jesus’ death and resurrection, as Wright writes, then the KoG is here and the KoG is now. This basic understanding is also found in the recent writings of popular Christian authors such as Brian McLaren as well as in the books of Brian Zahnd, such as Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God (2017), which I wrote about on Sept. 5 (see here). (Both McLaren and Zahnd hold Wright in high regard.) Why Doesn’t It Look Like God is King? The perplexing question, of course, is why, if God is King, doesn’t the world look more like what we would expect God’s Kingdom to look like? Please consider these brief suggestions: 1) There was no promise that the full realization of the KoG would come quickly—and considering the age of the universe or the history of Homo sapiens, what is a mere 2,000 years? 2) The KoG is being established, slowly, only by peaceful means and without coercion. Every use of coercion by Christians, and there have been a multitude of attempts to expand the KoG by force—has caused a setback. 3) There has been progress—although the struggle continues. As Wright acknowledges, “the story of Jesus” is seen in the New Testament “as the clash between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world” (p. 138). So we continue to pray, “Your Kingdom come”—while both working and waiting for that to happen. Labels: eschatology, Kingdom of God, Wright (N.T.) Carnegie and the "Death Tax" Andrew Carnegie, the industrial giant and philanthropist, was born on this day (Nov. 25) in 1835. His life and legacy is somewhat of a conundrum: he was both a hard task-master and cruel industrialist as well a warm-hearted, benevolent man who greatly wanted world peace—and who favored an inheritance tax. The Coming (?) Change is the “Death Tax” As of this writing, the both highly touted and highly criticized tax reform bill currently being considered by the U.S. Congress is still in flux. But the present estate tax provision will most likely be unchanged in the final version of the bill, which possibly will be signed into law. DJT is promising this will be done before Christmas. The opponents of the current estate tax provision, which seem to include most Republican legislators, are wont to call it a “death tax.” Further, they emphasize how unfair it is to the families of hard-working people who wish to pass their accumulated wealth on to their descendants. So, changing this provision is one of many changes in the tax reform bill, which has already passed by the House. The Senate version, yet to be voted on, currently has the same projected estate tax change as the House bill. Misleading Claims about the “Death Tax” Sam Graves is the U.S. Representative from the district where I live. In his Nov. 15 email newsletter to people in his district, Rep. Graves decried the estate tax, writing that “a tax that kicks in when you die is absurd.” His main point: “Farmers are hit especially hard by the death tax.” What Rep. Graves failed to mention is that currently $5,490,000 is exempted from the tax that he thinks is so despicable. (I wonder how many farmers in north Missouri have an estate worth more than that.) According to the Center on the Budget and Policy Priorities (see here), in 2017 only two out of every 1,000 estates will owe federal estate tax—5,500 out of the nation’s 2,700,000 estates (about 0.02%); only 80 of those (0.003%) are small farms and businesses. The tax bill already passed by the House doubles that exemption immediately and eliminates it completely after six years—and this in the name of tax reform for the benefit of the working middle class. But guess who benefits from this change in the estate tax? The wealthiest people in the land, of course—including the Trump children who will potentially gain as much as $1.4 billion if the tax reform bill is signed into law by the President. Carnegie’s Surprising Support of Estate Tax Many of you perhaps read my article about the questionable philanthropy of Andrew Carnegie and two other wealthy people. (You can read/review that article here.) In reading about Carnegie before writing that article, I was surprised at what he said about the need for an estate tax. In a June 1889 article titled “Wealth,” Carnegie wrote, Of all forms of taxation, this [the estate tax] seems the wisest. Men who continue hoarding great sums all their lives, the proper use of which for public ends would work good to the community, should be made to feel that the community, in the form of the state, cannot thus be deprived of its proper share. By taxing estates heavily at death the state marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life. Near the end of that article, Carnegie asserted that the person who dies rich “dies disgraced." When Carnegie died in 1919, he had already given away over $350,000,000 (over $5 trillion in 2017 dollars) of his wealth. After his death, his last $30,000,000 was given to foundations, charities, and to pensioners. Kudos to Carnegie! Labels: Carnegie (Andrew), taxes, Trump (Donald) Observing World Children’s Day As you may know, today (November 20) is World Children’s Day. At least the World Council of Churches (WCC) has been promoting today by that name. Since 1954 the United Nations has been calling Nov. 20 Universal Children’s Day—a different name with the same basic emphasis. The WCC asserts that today is “a time for world community and churches to express their dedication to children’s wellbeing” (see here). Surely this is an appeal that most of us can respond to positively. UNICEF (The United Nations Children's Fund) also calls today World Children’s Day and encourages thought and action for the sake of the children of the world (see this link). A sizeable number of the world’s children are in dire straits. While the numbers have, thankfully, significantly lessened in recent decades, still according to WHO there are around 15,000 children under five who die every day. Perhaps as many as two-thirds of these deaths were/are preventable. So perhaps at least 10,000 children under five needlessly die every single day because of hunger and because of malnutrition-related and other health issues that could be remedied by inexpensive medication. In addition, according to a UNICEF report issued a little over a year ago, nearly 50 million children worldwide have been uprooted from their homes due to violence, poverty and other factors out of their control. Here is a picture of Rohingya refugee children reaching out for food in a refugee camp in Bangladesh—and these are better off than many Rohingya children are now. This is just a partial look at the problems many of the world’s children are facing at this time. Our Response? What can people of goodwill do for the sake of the world’s suffering children? 1) We can become more aware of the deep need of so many of the world’s children. That is one major intention of today being designated World Children’s Day—and one of the main purposes of this article. 2) We can seek, over time, to elect politicians who are concerned about the welfare of people, especially children, worldwide rather than focusing on making America “great again”—especially by such things as enacting tax reform (or “deform”) that benefits primarily the wealthiest in the land. To a large degree, the suffering of so many children, here and abroad, is a political problem—in both the narrow and the broad senses I mentioned in my previous blog article. 3) We can examine our own lifestyles and buying habits in order to see if there are ways we can share more generously to help alleviate the serious needs of some of the world’s children. Some charities endeavor to support needy children by seeking monthly gifts to help individuals. World Vision is one organization that does that, and years ago June and I sponsored children through that organization. I have recently learned about a similar group: Kids Alive International, which has an excellent rating by Charity Navigator. Perhaps it is better, though, to see the “big picture” and work for societal change by supporting organizations such as UNICEF (which doesn’t have a very good Charity Navigator rating), Bread for the World, or Water.org. (The latter two organizations are not just charities for children, but children benefit greatly from their activities.) So, on this World Children’s Day, I am asking each of us to consider what we can do to help the suffering children around the world. And many of us have to grapple with this difficult question, especially during the upcoming holiday season: Why do my children or grandchildren need so much when there are so many children who have so little? Labels: Bread for the World, hunger, refugees, UNICEF, World Children's Day, World Council of Churches Recently I have been reading and thinking about the relationship between religion and politics. Two devout Episcopalian lawyers have been helpful in this regard. The Position of Stringfellow William Stringfellow (b. 1928) graduated from Harvard Law School in 1956. He soon moved to a tenement in Harlem, New York City, where he worked as a tireless advocate for racial and social justice. Then in 1967 he moved to Block Island, R.I. He lived, and was an active member of the Episcopal church, there until his untimely death in 1985. Back in September, I re-read An Ethics for Christians and Other Aliens in a Strange Land, the thought-provoking book by William Stringfellow, who was a lay theologian and a stimulating author. Stringfellow’s book was first published in 1973 during the Nixon Administration, but it seems very relevant to the present situation in the U.S. under the current occupant of the White House. “Biblical politics” is the title of the first section of the first chapter of Stringfellow’s book. He declares, “The biblical topic is politics.” And then he continues with this long, significant sentence: The Bible is about the politics of fallen creation and the politics of redemption; the politics of the nations, institutions, ideologies, and causes of this world and the politics of the Kingdom of God; the politics of Babylon and the politics of Jerusalem; the politics of the Antichrist and the politics of Jesus Christ; the politics of the demonic powers and principalities and the politics of the timely judgment of God as sovereign; the politics of death and the politics of life; apocalyptic politics and eschatological politics (pp. 14-15). How’s that for a weighty sentence! The Position of Danforth The year of 1963 was a very special one for John Danforth (b. 1936). That was the year he graduated from both Yale Divinity School and Yale Law School as well as the year he was ordained as an Episcopal priest and admitted to the bar. Danforth practiced law for a while but then became a politician, serving as the Attorney General of Missouri (1969~1975) and then as a U.S. Senator from Missouri (1976~1995). In September I also read Danforth’s 2015 book, The Relevance of Religion. In his first chapter, Danforth sets forth “four broad principles” for how religious people ought to relate to politics: (1) We should insist that politics remain in its proper place. It is not the realm of absolute truth and it is not the battleground of good and evil. (2) We should be advocates for the common good. (3) We should be a unifying force, working to bind America together. (4) We should advocate political compromise, and make the case that the spirit of compromise is consistent with our faith. Danforth’s emphases on compromise, on working with those with different ideas, on listening to others and not idolizing one’s own position are good, important ones—and attitudes/actions that I wish more Washington politicians would put into practice today. The Better Position For “professional” politicians, Danforth’s position is a good one, as I have just indicated. But for those of us who are not politicians, perhaps Stringfellow’s position is more helpful—and challenging. There are those, including many Christians, who say that they don’t want to be involved in politics—and most won’t be in the way that Danforth was. But people of goodwill, perhaps especially Christians, should be involved in politics the way Stringfellow suggests. When I wrote last November about being a one issue voter (see here), I was writing about being involved in politics in the way promoted by Stringfellow. Jesus said, “Seek first God’s kingdom and God’s justice” (Mt. 6:33). We can’t do that without being active in politics. Labels: Danforth (John), politics, Stringfellow (William) Becoming/Being Bicultural Studying and thinking about Drew Hart’s noteworthy bookTrouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism (2016) stirred me to reflect on a potentially helpful mindset for minorities living in a dominant culture. The Meaning of “Being Bicultural” “The term bicultural describes a state of having or inheriting two or more cultures (e.g., one of an ethnic heritage and one of culture lived in) or two or more ethnic traditions.” That is the opening sentence of a helpful article about the subject in an iResearchNet piece about biculturalism (check it out here). Massey University in New Zealand gives the following explanation of the meaning of being bicultural: While becoming bicultural can cause problems for some individuals, for most there are far more benefits than difficulties. The Experience of Becoming Bicultural Last Sunday was my dear daughter Kathy’s birthday. She celebrated her 6th birthday in Japan after she and her brother Keith, who is two years older, arrived in that fascinating country with June and me on September 1, 1966. By that November when we celebrated Kathy’s birthday with a family overnight trip to Hakone National Park near Mt. Fuji, we were well on our way to becoming bicultural. Being bicultural, though, doesn’t usually mean an equal balance between two cultures. Our children went to English-speaking schools and we spoke only English at home. Our dominant cultural identification continued to be as English-speaking Americans. Still, the children played with their Japanese neighbors, we became active in Japanese-speaking churches, and we enjoyed participating in Japanese cultural activities. In my career as a full-time faculty member at Seinan Gakuin University, I was elected to administrative positions of increasing importance—not because I was a gaijin (foreigner/outsider) but because in spite of being a gaijin I was an integral part of the Japanese cultural and educational milieu. For June and me, as well as for our children, being immersed in and accepting of Japanese culture did not mean giving up our American cultural identity. But we were largely able to become bicultural and to enjoy being a part of two cultures without having to choose one over the other. Recommending Becoming Bicultural Drew Hart is a youngish Anabaptist pastor and college professor, and his book introduced above is a good and helpful one. Last month, several of us read his book and gathered to discuss it a few days before he preached at Rainbow Mennonite Church. Hart is an associate professor at the predominately white Messiah College (in Penn.), his alma mater. In many ways, he is a black man who has “made it” in the predominant white culture—but he is painfully aware of the racism and the injustice that still a part of that culture. What he says about racism must be taken seriously, and what I say next about becoming bicultural does not downplay the persistent problem of injustice or the pressing need to be aware of and to combat racism in American society today. Still, I got the impression from reading Hart’s book that he thought he largely had to give up his African-American identity to fit in with the dominant (white) culture. That is when I realized that deliberately seeking to be bicultural could be a possible solution to his, and other African-Americans’, unease at living in the majority culture. For those within minority cultures, becoming bicultural and being able to function well in the dominant culture need not lessen their identification with or appreciation of their primary culture. For people born into a minority culture, becoming/being bicultural is certainly a possibility that promises many positive benefits. Labels: African Americans, biculturalism, Hart (Drew), racism DJT and the Heritage Foundation A year ago this week Donald J. Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States. Two days after the election, an article in the Washington Examiner began, “The Heritage Foundation might be the biggest winner of 2016.” Introducing the Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (HF), founded in 1973, is a conservative think tank that according to one ranking organization is the third most influential of the nearly 2,000 think tanks in the U.S. The HF was established largely due to the work of Paul Weyrich (1942-2008) who, incidentally, was also co-founder (with Jerry Falwell) of Moral Majority in 1979—and the one who coined that name. From the beginning a major funder of the HF was Joseph Coors, Sr., (1917-2003) of the Coors Brewing Company. Coors also was a generous donor to Moral Majority and other Christian Right organizations and movements. According to their website, The mission of The Heritage Foundation is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. While it is no longer on their website, I noted in my 2/20/11 blog article that the Heritage Foundation was then making the following appeal for new members (and for funding): Become a Member: Donate to Heritage – Join Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and more than 710,000 conservatives in fighting liberals and advancing conservative principles as a Heritage Foundation member. Influence of the Heritage Foundation In a May 2017 article in Marketplace, Atlantic staff writer Molly Ball related that soon after Reagan was elected President in 1980, the HF presented him with 2,000 ideas in a 20 volume package. Reagan handed out those ideas to every member of his Cabinet in their first meeting. By the end of Reagan’s first year in office, the HF estimated that 60 percent of those ideas had in some way been put into practice by the President. Through the years the HF has been characterized as a right-wing think tank seeking to abolish civil rights laws, minimum wage laws, environmental laws, affirmative action, rights for the handicapped, and arms control. The strongly fiscal conservative stance of the HF was seen in its selection of sitting S.C. Senator Jim DeMint, a leading figure in the Tea Party Movement, as its new president in 2013. He served in that position from 2013 until May of this year. Influence of the Heritage Foundation on DJT Without question the HF has sought to influence DJT as it did Reagan. A statement they released on March 24 announced, “Trump Administration Budget Looks a Lot Like Heritage’s Plan.” The HF also seems to have had considerable influence on the tax cut plan long promised by DJT. On Oct. 17 he spoke to the HF and called for them to support his tax reform efforts. That seems to have been a redundant appeal, for many of the reform proposals were the HF’s suggestions to begin with. The House version of the tax plan released last week—and crafted only by the GOP—will likely be altered in multiple ways before the final vote is taken. And it still may not pass. But as it stands now, it definitely seems to provide “an enormous bonanza for the wealthiest” people in the country. (See “Shameful GOP Tax Plan Taxes Reality,” posted on 11/2.) Moreover, this tax overhaul plan would also allow churches to endorse political candidates, a position favored by the HF’s DeVos Center for Religion & Civil Society. We citizens of the U.S. who don’t like the way the country is going under DJT need to be aware, and beware, of the Heritage Foundation. Labels: Heritage Foundation, separation of church and state, taxes, Trump (Donald) "Here I Stand" Tomorrow, 31 October 2017, is the 500th anniversary of what is regarded as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. This noteworthy anniversary has been talked about for months and even years already. But please consider with me the following matters. The Courage of Martin Luther Roland Bainton (1894-1984) was a prominent British-born American church historian. His book Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther was published in 1950—and sold more than a million copies. It was so well-written and informative that during my years as a seminary student it was one of the few books I bought that was not a textbook. According to Bainton, in 1517 on the eve of All Saints' Day, the Catholic holy day celebrated on November 1, “in accord with current practice,” Luther posted “on the door of the Castle Church [in Wittenberg, Germany] a printed placard in the Latin language consisting of ninety-five theses for debate” (p. 79). That rather unpretentious act triggered such a reaction that it is generally regarded as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Posting those theses (topics) for debate was not an especially courageous act—but standing firm despite his censure by the Roman Catholic Church was. In June 1520 Pope Leo X issued a papal bull demanding that Luther renounce 41 of his 95 theses. Luther not only refused to do that, he publicly burned that decree of the Pope. As a result, in January 1521 the Pope excommunicated Luther—which was a “big deal” for someone who had been a Catholic priest, as Luther was. Three months later, Luther was called to defend his beliefs before Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms (a city in Germany). It was at that trial where he was famously defiant. In response to the demand that he recant, Luther declared, My conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe, God help me. Amen. Bainton then notes, “The earliest printed version added the words, ‘Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise’” (p. 185). For his courageous refusal to recant his writings, the emperor declared him an outlaw and a heretic. The Compromise of Luther Luther was saved from possible martyrdom by the intervention of Frederick the Wise, the German prince who was one of the most powerful men in the Holy Roman Empire. The religious-political union of Luther and Frederick was of great benefit for Luther, but not for the great number of “peasants” in the German principalities. The writings of Luther and new Bible-derived notions of the basic equality of all people precipitated the tragic Peasant’s Revolt of 1524-1525. Luther was not unsympathetic to the plight of the peasants, but in the end he sanctioned the violent suppression of the peasants who had unwisely sought to gain more equality through violence. By his union with the political rulers and his approval of the slaughter of the revolting peasants—as many as 100,000 were killed!—Luther compromised his courageous stand in asserting that “the just shall live by faith.” There was need for a more thoroughgoing radical reformation—one that would not only change the believers’ relationship to the church but also to the state. The Reformation after Luther There can be no doubt about the tremendous importance of the Reformation started by Luther 500 years ago. But also of great importance is the “radical reformation” started eight years later by a small group of Christians in Switzerland. I am looking forward to the 500th-anniversary celebration of that reformation in 2025. The courageous “here I stand” position for many of those reformers meant martyrdom. Labels: Luther (Martin), Peasant's Revolt, Radical Reformation, Reformation Revelation: The Most Misused Book in the Bible While I usually try not to make strong, dogmatic statements that cannot be empirically supported, I am quite certain that the book of Revelation is the most misunderstood and misused book in the Bible. A Traditional View of Revelation Growing up in a conservative Southern Baptist church, it was not uncommon to hear sermons about the impending end of the world based on passages from Revelation, the last book of the Bible. Especially when visiting evangelists preached “revivals” at my home church, Revelation was often used to emphasize that the end times were upon us for sure and we had better get ready for the rapidly approaching doomsday. I still remember hearing frightening sermons along those lines in 1950 or before. Twenty years later, the final Battle of Armageddon still had not come, but Hal Lindsey wrote powerfully about the impending end times in The Late Great Planet Earth (1970), said to be the bestselling non-fiction book of the 1970s. Especially over the past 200 years, the Bible has been used frequently to predict the imminent end of the world. The books of Ezekiel and Daniel in the Old Testament have also been used for such “prophecy,” but the main basis has been the book of Revelation. But I have long been convinced that the traditional “dispensational” view of Revelation is wrongheaded and that the widespread way Revelation has been used among conservative Christians is erroneous. A New View of Revelation In the early 1960s, my understanding of Revelation greatly changed—and greatly improved, I believe—by reading the book Worthy is the Lamb: An Interpretation of Revelation (1951) by Ray Summers, who was one of my seminary professors. One of the main points that I realized from reading Dr. Summers’ book is that Revelation was written for Christians at the end of the first century, not for the purpose of prophesying what was going to happen in the last half of the 20th century. During each of my two pastorates while a seminary student, I taught Revelation over the course of many Sunday evenings, using Worthy as the Lamb as the main commentary for interpreting that difficult book of the Bible. Repeatedly, I reminded those in attendance that every part of Revelation was written to help/encourage the persecuted Christians at the end of the first century. Thus it is important, first of all, to see what meaning each part of the book had for them. To say the least, it would not have been helpful for the early Christians to learn that Revelation was predicting how Russia was going to trigger the Battle of Armageddon in the 1960s or ’70s. A Recommended View of Revelation This article on Revelation was prompted by Brian Zahnd, author of the previously introduced book Sinners in the Hand of a Loving God. Three of the chapters (7~9) of that engaging book are about Revelation, and last month BZ preached a sermon at Word of Life Church where he is pastor on “What About the Book of Revelation?” (That sermon, which you can hear here, is certainly worth listening to). BZ also agrees with my opening dogmatic statement. He writes, “The book of Revelation is easily the most misunderstood and misused book in the Bible” (p. 149). Revelation is, truly, an important part of the Bible. It must, however, be read and interpreted wisely. If properly read and interpreted, it gives us Christians hope for the future and strength to oppose political idolatry and evil in the present. Rather than neglect Revelation because of its misuse, we need to pay attention to its abiding message, even for us today. Labels: Bible interpretation, Revelation, Zahnd (Brian) Does the Old Testament Prophesy the Birth of Jesus...

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Will electric buses take our kids to school? All parents want their children to get to school safely, but also in comfort and in time. A zero-emission school bus may become a flagship product of Polish electromobility. Clean and sustainable public transport is something that both manufacturers and city authorities are now focusing on by arranging their budgets to allocate funds to the development of electromobility. At the same time, criticism of fume-generating diesel-run city buses is becoming more and more severe. Nearly all school buses use diesel as fuel. For instance, in the USA 95 per cent of the characteristic yellow vehicles are powered by diesel engines. This means additional exposure of children to air pollution, even more harmful at their young age. It is common knowledge that car fumes intensify symptoms of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Air pollution is also a commonly known cancerogenic factor. In America, where the issue is getting a widespread publicity in mass media, a lobbying campaign has started to introduce electric buses as means of school transport. Arguments raised include not only lower greenhouse gas emissions, but also long-term benefits: lower expenditure on healthcare in the future or lower overall costs of maintenance of the electric bus fleet during the vehicles’ entire lifecycle. In the process of converting to electric transport, three areas are the most important: Educating people. Only access to reliable data and effective publication of such information may intensify public pressure to speed up the process of replacing today’s old vehicle fleet. Identifying the needs and communicating with manufacturers. Each school district has its own unique transportation needs. Different features of school buses are needed in Warsaw and different ones in the country, in the east of Poland, for instance. An offer properly customised to local needs may be an essential element in the process of finding the best solutions. Coordination of activities in the public sphere. Charging stations must ensure problem-free use of the buses. In Poland the replacement of the school vehicle fleet is still yet to come. RAFAKO is one of the companies that prepared an offer for schools by presenting its school e-bus. Representatives of the manufacturer ensure that their bus may be used not only in the centres of large cities. It will also prove fine in cities with multiple historic buildings and in popular tourist spots. A zero-emission school bus may also be successfully used in smaller towns, on longer routes. A well-developed network of electric school buses could become a flagship product of Polish electromobility and play an important role in popularization of this concept amongst the public. It is necessary to provide proper support, financial in particular, to local governments and carry out open discussions about the means of transport used by our children on their way to school. What happens to solar panels at night? Return of the Micro Power Plant Concept Digitalization vs. transport in the light of environmental challenges and CO2 emission standards

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Virtue, Happiness, and the Meaning of Life in Guest Blogger, Virtue, Happiness, & the Meaning of Life July 1, 2016 July 1, 2016 1,604 Words Breaking for a Better World In 2009 I gave a talk on “Break Dance” culture at Hunter College, New York. A student who had taken a few classes around the city raised his hand and asked “How come all the breakers I meet are so happy? Why are you guys so happy all the time?” After thinking about this question, it occurs to me that breaking creates an artistic community that allows for individual self-expression but also requires commitment to the greater good of both the breaking community and the larger world where breaking finds its practitioners and audiences. Dancers must be committed to each other, but they must also demonstrate a deep commitment to making the world a better place for everyone. In the 1980’s the general public was introduced to the phenomenon of break-dancing—young men spinning on their heads, dance battling, and flipping in the streets of New York. However, bboying—or breaking, as the practitioners themselves like to call it—was invented much earlier in the late 1960’s as a mix of Latin and African dances, martial arts, and gymnastics. In other words, the dance and its culture was nothing like its portrayal in the media. While many people still think of breaking as a kitsch 80’s thing (cardboard, white gloves, abandoned warehouses), the dance has a deep and positive philosophy and a vibrant community. Today, that community is stronger than ever (more than a million people worldwide) in part because of the value placed in virtue and self-transcendence. As we shall see, breaking culture is profoundly Aristotelian. Aristotle believed that human beings should work towards their own happiness to have a meaningful life. However, the word happiness was used differently then. In contemporary English a Chai Latte, or a the newest iPhone might make us “happy”, but that kind of happiness is fleeting, and bound up in consumerism. Aristotle’s use of the word happiness–“eudaimonia”–translates much more as something like “human flourishing.” Happiness is not a quick fix, but a process down the long road of self-cultivation and hard work. In other words, there is a huge difference between being a human that is merely happy and a human who is truly flourishing. Aristotle’s notion of virtue and breaking culture both agree that human flourishing requires the cultivation of virtue (also sometimes called good habits or dispositions). Breaking culture in the 1970’s realized much as Aristotle did back in 400 BC that the road to true flourishing is a form of balance between excessive and insufficient character traits. Take learning the back-flip as an example. In order to learn such a stunt a person must be courageous. However, too much courage is being brash, and the brash person will throw themselves into the flip without preparation and technique. This will more than likely lead to a serious injury. However, a deficiency of courage—cowardice—will make it hard for the dancer to learn anything as difficult as a backflip. The fear factor has to be overcome. A cowardly dancer is a bad dancer, but breakers and Aristotle alike would also agree that such a dancer is a person lacking in good character. In fact, the four most important virtues described by Aristotle (courage, temperance, wisdom, justice), are vital to becoming the perfect bgirl/bboy. Next I will show how wisdom and temperance (self control) are integral parts of the dance, and finally move on to justice. But to understand the wisdom of breaking one must also understand its basic history. Photo by Kien Quan. As the result of fiscal and political neglect, the South Bronx of New York City was one of the most abandoned and dangerous neighborhoods in the U.S during the 60’s and 70’s. The construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway, spearheaded by Robert Moses, had displaced more than 60,000 people and created an economic and humanitarian crisis. Gang war was rampant, drugs flooded the streets, and it was more beneficial for landlords to burn down their own buildings to collect insurance money than to keep tenants (hence the phrase “the Bronx is burning”). It was out of these dystopian conditions that breaking emerged as part of the art form and social movement we know today as Hip-hop. Breaking became an outlet for young men and women to express their creativity, energy, and anger. The flashy acrobatic dance that most people know from TV shows and music videos started as a response to poverty, racism and abandonment. It is therefore not surprising that Breaking has philosophical answers about how to overcome those problems. Breaking as a belief system is still very much an oral tradition. Every bboy/bgirl has one or more mentors that pass down the history and philosophy of the movement. Even though much has been written on the history of breaking, not much has been written on its philosophy (with the exception of Foundation by Joseph Schloss which I highly recommend). The mentors not only teach the next generation their movements and history, they also pass down important life lessons. The emphasis put on passing down the knowledge of how to overcome society through dance, makes wisdom a key virtue of breaking culture. Every bboy/bgirl must move from being seen as a social stereotype to being recognized as an individual. A successful bboy or bgirl must be unapologetically themself. How is this achieved? By cultivating the virtues of creativity, discipline, courage, humility empathy, and wisdom. A practitioner with these virtues has all the tools to express herself fully. In other words, the virtues lead to a form of liberation through dance. But even with courage, creativity and wisdom in place, spinning on the ground or flying through the air is still extremely difficult. There must be an organizing principle to it all. Temperance is therefore an integral virtue of breaking. Without self-discipline at most one can hope to achieve are some spasms on the ground. Photo by Kein Quan. Breaking culture measures how successful each member is at practicing the virtues by holding intense competitions known as “battles”. This happens formally through organized competitions, but more importantly, informally, in dance circles known as “Cyphers”. The more battles that are won, the more a breaker has testimony that they have achieved individuality and thereby liberation from social constraints. Although breaking puts a lot of emphasis on the flourishing of the individual, community is in fact the most important aspect of the dance. Which brings us to the final of our four Aristotelian virtues, namely justice in the context of a self-transcendent aim. Aristotle sees justice not only as a way of acting towards particular cases, but also as a way of acting towards one’s community. The ethos of breakdancing orients each of its practitioners towards each other and the larger world in a self-transcendent way that makes breakdancing about making the world a better place for everyone. Each of the mentioned breaking virtues—courage, temperance, wisdom, justice– are supposed to be cultivated in a community-oriented manner. A successful bboy/bgirl must “pay their dues” by contributing to the community at large. The oral history must be continued, techniques must be taught and preserved, but most importantly, opportunity must be created for all members of the community. In other words a strong sense of justice serves as the motivating factor behind the enterprise of breaking. As a community at large breakers must move from few life opportunities to many, and it is the responsibility of the practitioners to create these opportunities for one another. From the outside, breaking appears to be highly driven by competition, but actually opportunity building is at the core of its philosophy. The 1984 song Peace, Unity, Love and Having Fun, by Afrika Bambaataa, is emblematic of a deeper current of thinking found in breaking and the Hip-hop movement at large. The four breaking goals of Peace, Unity, Love, and having Fun are only achieved when members of the community provide opportunity for one another. Hence the slogan “Each one, teach one” was adopted by breakers to not only refer to technical skill, but also to encourage care about fellow practitioners. This notion extends from passing on job opportunities to fund-raising for community members to paying their medical bills. For example, in 2016, the U.S breaking community came together to save the spouse of a dancer by raising money for her chemotherapy. The demand to go above and beyond oneself and care for the larger community is explicitly repeated not only by mentors, but at most breaking events. In fact, the community emphasis is so strong and explicit that it is considered rude and abnormal to turn down a request for free lodging by traveling breakers. In short, breakers partake in a culture that is centered on the idea of flourishing through the cultivation of self-transcendent virtue, and this orientation means that for them dancing really can change the world. Bboys and bgirls know that their efforts contribute to the continuation of a unique and meaningful culture that artistically and materially helps people spin out of poverty. As with Aristotle, we see in breaking, that a meaningful life, comes with hard work towards the betterment of one’s self; beyond this, breaking’s self-transcendent orientation turns this cultivation of virtue and human flourishing outwards, towards larger communities. Christian Kronsted is a graduate student assistant with Virtue, Happiness, & the Meaning of Life. Breaking and transcendence Christian Kronsted Kien Quan Massive Monkees Practical Transcendence Practical Virtue & Transcendence The 9th Biennial International Meaning Conference Spirituality, Self-Transcendence, & Second Wave Positive Psychology – Toronto, Canada Days 1-2 Working Group Meeting in Chicago – photos

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Kazimierz Jaworski Fellow Since 1995 Okregowa Spoldzielnia Telefoniczna This description of Kazimierz Jaworski's work was prepared when Kazimierz Jaworski was elected to the Ashoka Fellowship in 1995 . In rural Poland, Kazimierz Jaworski is modernizing long-neglected physical infrastructure, starting with telephones, in a way that generates independent local organization and investment. The New Idea Kazimierz Jaworski is countering the lethargy and mood of helplessness that pervades post-communist rural Poland by mobilizing communities to build long-neglected physical infrastructure such as telephones, drinking water, sewage, electricity, and roads. His originality in doing so lies in the fact that this new infrastructure is built and serviced through local investment by local cooperative social action. This represents a 180 degree turn from the prevailing pattern of waiting for things to be done from above-by central government, Western Europeans, Americans or anyone else.To get things moving, Kaz started with a telephone service. Many of the people in his home region of Chmielnik had never used a telephone, nor did they particularly see the need to do so. But Kaz believed that by providing this powerful means to communicate, the larger goal of promoting social collaboration would be advanced. His strategic insight was to structure the service initially so that local phone calls were free. This variation of the well-known retail practice of the "loss leader" worked a small miracle. Where people generally had seen and spoken with one another only once a week in church, they were now talking incessantly on "their" telephone network. And just as Kaz had hoped, the experience of owning, operating and, most of all, using the telephone network together has created an appetite for more such local action. The community has subsequently initiated a number of other cooperative development efforts. Meanwhile, Kaz has begun to spread his approach to other regions of rural Poland and neighboring countries. Polish farmers courageously resisted Communist collectivization and retained their family farms. As a consequence, they were persecuted heavily throughout the Communist period. One form of persecution involved the systematic denial of physical infrastructure. Fewer than ten percent of rural households currently have telephones and more than half are without indoor plumbing or electricity. Rural households were also deliberately impoverished by the Communist State, which forced the farmers to sell their products through government marketing institutions that systematically cheated them. Regrettably, the rural situation has not improved significantly since the collapse of communism. Poland's early transition to a free market was chaotic and even now delivers benefits unevenly. Budgets for public services are shrinking and the urban areas capture the overwhelming share of this limited public investment. The provision of rural infrastructure has not been seen as "profitable" by commercial and quasi-commercial investors. As a result, a mood of lethargy and helplessness pervades the rural areas. The dominant posture is one of waiting for things to be done from outside by someone else. This is reinforced by the larger historical process of economic integration into the global economy, which implies that capital and expertise are "out there" in massive quantities "just waiting to be tapped." The result is that rural Poland is lagging behind the political and economic reforms of the new democratic era. Kaz believes that sustained development in rural Poland needs local collaborative social action. Because infrastructure needs are so great, it is possible to show immediate benefits and get a "quick win" for the larger goal of promoting local self-organization by beginning with core infrastructure needs. Accordingly, Kaz started the first independent telephone company in Poland in order to trigger the peoples' capacity to forge their own communities. Initially there was considerable resistance to Kaz's proposal, which emphasized that the company should be owned by local citizens within a "cooperative" legal structure. Many felt that it was "the government's responsibility." Others chided Kaz for advocating a cooperative legal structure: "You, such a good Catholic, and you are organizing an anti-Christian coop?" With a core of volunteer professionals and backing from the local government, Kaz raised the capital required to launch the service from the commercial banking system. He then set about providing a quality service that would transform its customers into active owners of the company. The telephone service that he established provided the most advanced telephone features in all Poland (e.g., call waiting, three-way calling and caller identification), and was a source of immediate pride and delight. The most important feature was its fee structure, in which all calls within the local network were free. This policy was designed to promote local communication and build social capital, and it worked almost magically. The people of Chmielnik began talking to each other, incessantly, on "their" telephone network. Just as Kaz had hoped, the experience has legitimized cooperative social action more generally and has spurred further collaborative initiatives to improve local infrastructure. "In a way," says Kaz, "the telephone cooperative has been too successful. Now some people want cooperatives for everything! At a meeting we organized to consider an investment in waste and ecological cleaning plants, I had to work hard to convince them that this time they have to look for some other, more relevant solution." In that instance it was decided to incorporate the initiative directly into local government, where it is now well underway. The program has also diversified in Chmielnik to commercial ventures, including a joint stock company, Chmielnik Spring, to bottle and market local spring water, and a milling cooperative. Plans are well advanced to establish a cooperative for water quality protection. In order to facilitate this economic and social transformation, Kaz set up a nonprofit organization, the Foundation for Promotion of Telephones Co-ops, which promptly established the Tyczyn Regional Telephone Co-op and continues to catalyze and facilitate new community initiatives. It is a fixture in the community as a resource bank of technical expertise, of assistance in accessing investment finance and, most importantly, of ongoing training and support to run a now perennial stream of new community projects. From the outset, Kaz envisioned the process in Chmielnik as a model for rural Poland and beyond. To ensure that his approach was replicable, Kaz designed the Foundation as a low-budget, high-social capital organization that works predominantly through volunteers. His initial program in Chmielnik includes nine part-time technically-skilled persons as well as 25 volunteers (e.g., teachers, engineers, business managers, priests, farmers and youth). Building on the success in Chmielnik, Kazimierz has begun to turn his attention to spreading his model. His spread strategy involves inviting leaders from other parts of rural Poland (so far Mielec, Ustrzyki Dolne and Brzozow), Bulgaria, and the Ukraine to the area to experience the Chmielnik program. Visitors see the social benefits from the program, observe local seminars and training, and study the operations of the cooperatives and other project initiatives. For those who choose to replicate the model in their own areas, Kaz has developed a specific course on how to put together a low-budget, high-social capital organization like the Foundation for Promotion of Telephones Coops. Replications are underway in Mielec, Ustrzyki Dolne and Brzozow in Poland and in the Ukraine as well. Kaz's Foundation provides ongoing training, advice and support to these groups, which Kaz sees as the nucleus of an emerging rural revitalization movement. Kaz is also seeking to influence national policy. In 1996, he was appointed as one of five members of a expert advisory committee to the national government on rural telephonization. He also organized an international conference in Warsaw in 1996. Kazimierz grew up in Chmielnik and knows the hardships of rural Polish life firsthand. He frequently speaks of the suffering of his family at the hands of the uncaring regime which purposely kept his family and his village in poverty because of their unwillingness to submit to forced collectivization. In the 1980's, he was an active member of the Solidarity movement and was persecuted during the period of martial law. During the Solidarity years, Kaz saw and seized the opportunity to promote and spread the idea of local self-government as an integral part of the transition to democracy. Then, with the collapse of Communism, Kazimierz was able to return to his village and begin his life's dream of bridging the gap between urban and rural Poland. Kaz is a dedicated father to his four young children, and even in his personal life he cannot repress his entrepreneurial bent. After he observed that children in his community who do not dance were more likely to drink vodka and get into trouble than those who dance, he launched a program for teaching all the children in his area how to dance. He also set up the Sober Rural Community Foundation to promote a healthy lifestyle and to combat alcoholism and other dependencies.

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Category Archives: heat waves As our hearts go out to the people of Australia, as they battle with unprecedented and devastating fires across the country, with lives lost, as well as homes and a billion of their unique marsupial and other wildlife species being burnt to death, I have to ask the question: Is this one of the first of many such events that we are going to witness over the next decades? Is this going to be the face of the effects of climate change in the future? Are we going to witness even more harrowing events and deaths across the world? Photographs from Australia during the fires in recent weeks Animals that survive the fires, like this wombat pictured in New South Wales, will struggle to find food and shelter How much more dreadful is it going to become globally, as we see multiple fires, floods, hurricanes, monsoons, high temperatures, coastal erosion and mass loss of species? Ecologists are already saying that they fear two rare species (found only on Kangaroo Island, to the south of Australia), may have been wiped out in the recent fires. These include a small mouse-like marsupial, called a dunnart, and glossy black cockatoos. See: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/empowering-the-planet/australia-wildfires-entire-species-may-have-been-wiped-out-by-inferno-conservationists-say/ar-BBYDoQk?ocid=spartandhp The endangered marsupial: Kangaroo Island Dunnart See also: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/04/ecologists-warn-silent-death-australia-bushfires-endangered-species-extinction An article in Nature, by an Australian ecologist Michael Clarke, describes the aftermath of such terrible fires. He says, “It is deathly silent when you go into a forest after a fire. Apart from the ‘undertakers’ — the carrion eaters like currawongs, ravens and shrike-thrushes — picking off the dead bodies, there’s nothing much left in the forest. It’s a chilling experience. For survivors, it’s a perilous existence in the months that follow. Any animal that manages to make it through the fire uninjured faces three major challenges. One is finding shelter from climatic extremes — places they can hide from bad weather, like a hollow tree or a hole in the ground. The second is the risk of starvation. And third, they’ve got to avoid predators like feral cats and foxes. They’re exposed; there’s nowhere to hide in a barren landscape. Even if an animal makes it to an unburnt patch, the density of organisms trying to eke out a living will be way beyond the area’s carrying capacity. After fires in 2007, one unburnt patch I visited in the Mallee [a region in the far north of Victoria] was literally crawling with birds, all chasing one another, trying to work out who owned the last little bit of turf. It was clearly insufficient to sustain them all. Animals like koalas that live above ground in small, isolated populations and that have a limited capacity to flee or discover unburnt patches of forest are in all sorts of trouble. During past fires, we’ve seen some really surprising creative behaviours, like lyrebirds and wallabies going down wombat burrows to escape fire. But a large majority of animals are simply incinerated. Even really big, fast-flying birds like falcons and crimson rosellas can succumb to fire. Some animals are more resilient to fire than others. The best adapted are those that can get underground. Termite colonies happily hum along underneath these all-consuming fires. Burrow-dwelling lizards are similar.” See: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00043-2 Professor Michael Clarke Australia is not alone in facing wildfires. In 2018, a similar thing happened in California. The 2018 wildfire season was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire season ever recorded in California, with a total of 8,527 fires burning an area of 1,893,913 acres (766,439 ha), the largest area of burned acreage recorded in a fire season, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), as of December 21. Through to the end of August 2018, Cal Fire alone spent $432 million on operations. As of May 2019, insurance claims related to this fire season had reached $12 billion, most related to the Camp Fire, in Butte County (see Wikipedia). And wildfires happened in Europe too. In India, from June to September 2019, the country received the highest amount of monsoonal rain in the past 25 years. According to the India Meteorological Department, those rains are not expected to retreat until at least October 10th, which would be the latest withdrawal of the monsoon in the country’s recorded history. 2019 monsoon flooding in India According to Wikepedia, climate change in China is having major effects on the economy, society and the environment. The energy structure and human activities caused global warming and climate change, and China suffered from negative effects of global warming in agriculture, forestry and water resources. Photograph taken in Beijing, China, where smog pollution reaches 24 times the WHO recommended safe level and children are kept from attending school as a result. I have chosen to mention these three countries – Australia, India and China – because they were exempted from the UN Kyoto Protocol agreement, because at that time, they pleaded that they were only just beginning to industrialise and needed to be given a chance to compete with industrialised countries. This chance was given and, now, they have become amongst the highest polluting countries in the world, with China in the lead, despite its intentions to tackle climate change. Ironic, isn’t it? It’s easy to criticise with hindsight but I believe the UNFCCC should have had the confidence to stand firm over the Kyoto Protocol. Because of this, many countries (including the USA – another high polluter) did not ratify it. I came across an interesting graph a few months ago, which shows that carbon emissions have continued to climb, despite UN efforts and agreements: Rio, Kyoto and Paris and beyond. The dates of these initiatives is marked on an ever-upwardly climbing graph of global carbon emissions. But, to get back to my first question. Are the Australian bushfires, and subsequent losses, a portent of what is to come? Are even more horrifying disasters awaiting the global population in the future? Australian climate scientist, Joelle Gergis, thinks that we have reached a tipping point. He comments in The Guardian: “As I’ve watched the events of this summer unfolding, I’ve found myself wondering whether the Earth system has now breached a tipping point, an irreversible shift in the stability of the planetary system. There may now be so much heat trapped in the system that we may have already triggered a domino effect that could unleash a cascade of abrupt changes that will continue to play out in the years and decades to come. Rapid climate change has the potential to reconfigure life on the planet as we know it. Many people think that we will be facing food scarcity (which is already manifesting in Africa) in the UK, and this could well happen, as we are nowhere near 100% sustainable in the UK for meeting all our food needs, as 46% of our food is still imported.” See: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jan/03/we-are-seeing-the-very-worst-of-our-scientific-predictions-come-to-pass-in-these-bushfires However, I believe that global warming and climate change will have multiple effects across the world; some of it will be related to food scarcity but the other effects will be more random: fires, floods, hurricanes, heat stroke, coastal erosion and the loss of islands, as well as land in low-lying countries. And, of course, the disappearance of many iconic species of wildlife. And, as a Biologist and an animal lover, I feel enormous grief over this devastating loss – and I know that I am not the only one. Unless huge co-operative efforts are made to limit the burning of fossil fuels, the future looks bleak for all of us, including some of the wonderful and unique species with whom we share this planet. If we are seeing these effects with just 1 degree of global warming, what will it be like at 1.5 degrees, 2 degrees or even higher? Three degrees and above are predicted if carbon emissions do not start to fall in the very near future. Categories: carbon emissions, climate change, climate denial, endangered species, heat waves, loss of species, UNFCCC | Tags: Australia, bush fires, carbon emissions, global warming, heat waves, India, Kyoto Protocol, monsoons, Paris agreement, portent?, smog, UN, wildfires | Permalink. How a Green New Deal will benefit us all Taken from the Labour Party’s manifesto and written by Paul Halas, with acknowledgements also to: https://watershed2015.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/how-a-green-new-deal-will-benefit-us-all-paul-halas/ There’s been a lot of excitement about Labour’s Green New Deal, but what does it involve and how will it affect us? Burning up carbon deposits – in the form of oil, coal and gas – which were laid down over hundreds of millions of years, is pushing us to the brink of extinction. To avoid this we need to take some pretty drastic action and we’ll have to be prepared for major changes in the way we live, work, travel and even eat. As part of its Green New Deal, Labour has undertaken to make the UK carbon neutral by 2030. This is how – Some of the biggest changes will have to take place at the top, starting with the major international corporations – which carry the biggest responsibility for carbon emissions. They produce and sell both the fossil fuels and the machines and gadgets that cause climate change. By increasing tax on products and services that release more carbon, and reducing it on ones that cause less damage, big business can be made to do the right thing. Greener energy will be a priority. Renewable energy sources now account for half our electricity, but to reach carbon neutrality by 2030 green energy must still be increased vastly. Labour plans to double offshore wind-powered generation, and will encourage local energy production – whether it’s from sun, wind or water, or a combination of them. Transport and travel are major contributors to climate change. The Green New Deal will encourage greener ways of travelling, more sustainable technologies and better ways of making use of the resources we have. While they’re only a partial solution, the development and ownership of cars running on electricity from renewable sources will be helped, public transport will be improved and bus and rail networks widened. In the areas still not well served by public transport, vehicle-sharing schemes will be created. Energy saving begins at home, and the Green New Deal proposes both a massive scheme of building new, energy-efficient homes and finding ways of improving existing buildings. There will be a major drive to insulate homes better, and the Conservatives’ tax increases on solar heating will be reversed. Over time we’ll have to adapt our eating habits. Clearly, flying in foodstuffs from the four corners of the globe produces an unacceptable carbon footprint; equally, industrial-scale meat production releases an incredible amount of methane, another greenhouse gas. Producing more of our food closer to home will reduce our carbon output and help our economy, and a more plant-based diet will be less wasteful and in the end healthier. Old systems will have to go as new technologies are developed. Much of our economy depends on technology and services that are no longer sustainable and will have no place in our greener future. Old systems will have to go as new technologies are developed. This will inevitably mean that some jobs disappear, but an expanding green economy will mean that more and better jobs will be created, and training will be provided for those who fill them. The green technological revolution will be funded by a £250 billion national investment scheme. As well as a greener future, Labour’s Green New Deal aims to bring about a more equal future too. The excesses of the super-rich corporations will be curbed; tax avoidance will at last be tackled. The multimillionaire class have taken more and more, while the rest of us – the many – have been left with less and less. One way to tackle the problem is through taxation, and another is through localism – also known as Community Wealth Building. Many communities throughout the world are already benefiting from these schemes, and an increasing number of towns and cities in the UK are adopting them. The idea is that communities and councils always give priority to local suppliers and services. For instance when building a new school, or hospital, or sports complex, etc, local firms will always be preferred to the big players to carry out the work. The same goes for services. Under the Labour Green New Deal local energy suppliers will be encouraged, especially if they are publicly-owned, or run by people’s co-operatives. Local credit unions will be created, house-building schemes, housing associations, food co-operatives – all manner of local enterprises – all creating fairly-paid, unionised jobs. That way money earned in the locality stays in the locality and benefits local people. It cuts down our carbon output by reducing transport of both people and goods, and encourages green technologies. It also creates a greater degree of equality and reduces our dependence on the big corporations. What’s not to like? To prevent catastrophic climate change we’re all going to have to adapt to major changes. But they needn’t be daunting. We’re not going to go back to a pre-industrial age. We won’t have to cycle everywhere unless we want to, and we won’t have to live on a diet of turnips and pottage. Many of the changes will be beneficial and will bring about a more equitable and contented society. They should be embraced. These policies were mentioned in Jeremy Corbyn’s address to the 2019 Labour Party Conference and the Campaign against Climate Change Trade Union Group is campaigning on the Green New Deal as part of the Campaign against Climate Change which set up the One Million Climate Jobs campaign. Categories: carbon emissions, clean energy, climate change, economy, endangered species, environment, heat waves, Political Issues | Tags: climate change, economy, Green new deal, Localisation, new technologies, Renewable Energy, tax avoidance, Transport, travel | Permalink. Hundreds of temperature records beaten over the summer of 2019 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-49753680?intlink_from_url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science_and_environment&link_location=live-reporting-story Story on BBC website by Nassos Stylianou and Clara Guibourg, Data journalists Almost 400 all-time high temperatures were set in the northern hemisphere over the summer, according to an analysis of temperature records. The records were broken in 29 countries for the period from 1 May to 30 August 2019. A third of the all-time high temperatures were in Germany, followed by France and the Netherlands. People cooling off during the heatwave in France The analysis was carried out by the California-based climate institute Berkeley Earth. Over the summer, there were 1,200 instances of places in the northern hemisphere being the hottest they’d ever been in a given month. The data included measurements from weather stations in the northern hemisphere that had at least 40 years of observations. Some of this data has not yet been subjected to formal review by weather agencies. These reviews, to check for problems that might have produced false readings, sometimes cause a small fraction of the records to be discounted. European heatwaves Heatwaves in Europe in June and July sent temperatures soaring, smashing a number of local and national records. France set an all-time high-temperature of 46C, while the UK, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands also reported new highs. This summer was notable for the very large number of all-time temperature records set in Europe, according to Dr Robert Rohde, Lead Scientist at Berkeley Earth. “Some places in Europe have histories of weather observations going back more than 150 years, and yet still saw new all-time record highs,” he told the BBC. The extent of the hot spells on the continent is clearly visible when looking at a breakdown of when the most temperature records were broken. In late July, all-time temperature records were set in a number of European countries including the UK. Elsewhere, more than 30 all-time records were broken in the US, according to the Berkeley Earth data. In Japan, where 11 people who died as a result of the summer heatwave, 10 all-time temperature record highs were set. The summer saw 396 all-time high temperatures in total. Most all-time temperature records in measuring stations covered by the data were broken in 2010, followed by 2003. The increasing number of record high temperatures are a part of the long-term trend of global warming, said Dr Rohde. “As the Earth warms, it has become easier for weather stations to set new all-time records. In the past, we would usually only see about 2% of weather stations recording a new record high in any given year,” he explained. “But, recently, we sometimes see years, like 2019, with 5% or more of the weather stations recording a new all-time record high.” Further data and charts can be found on the BBC website cited at the beginning of this article. This chart of global weather hot spots from Jan-June 2019 was produced by Climate Central: Europe was not the only place to experience extremely hot weather during the year. The following came from Vietnam: And another bar chart from NASA showing increasing temperatures over the last century: Categories: climate change, drought, heat waves | Tags: 2019, European heat wave, global temperatures hottest on record | Permalink. French farmers affected by climate change and droughts A report in the Financial Times includes stories from French farmers in the Loire valley who are being put out of business by climate change. This summer’s heatwave has been devastating to them. https://www.ft.com/content/164e75da-b9d3-11e9-96bd-8e884d3ea203?accessToken=zwAAAWyzic-okc8WTnXaudMR6dOWvY6ITT6iAw.MEUCIQCm2mJLhtC-gCdDCfi1hfeh4SFFbMbvJXWn7nnpHtLWFgIgMmQVWAnov1Mq0KqmXSkAJSi6DklRl-tmVNHeqvjwI6E&sharetype=gift?token=1f943f7b-8e69-4e5c-9dda-53bb41e83b9f One of the farmers, Clément Traineau, described the stunted growth of corn, due to the drought, which means that his harvest will be only half of what it should be, so that there will not be enough to feed his cattle during the winter. Beef prices have also been stagnant due to a number of factors, not the least of which is the latest IPCC report calling on people to eat less meat. One farmer has been forced to sell a quarter of his cows to make ends meet. Intense storms on August 6th brought some relief to the drought but they also caused flooding and mudslides. Farmers in the Loire valley are now trying to diversify their income, investing in wind farms and solar panels (on top of the cow sheds). They are also generating power by burning methane from cow dung. M. Traineau is quoted as saying: “We farmers are in the front line of climate change as victims, and — in the media — as the guilty ones for producing meat. But people forget we can also be a means of fighting global warming. Meadows and pastures have a substantial capacity for storing carbon.” Categories: agriculture, climate change, drought, heat waves | Tags: drought, farmers, France | Permalink. The Truth about Heatwaves: 3 In three previous blogs, I have discussed heatwaves and their effects on land, over the oceans and their effects on human survivability. In this (4th) blog, I am going to provide more data linking heatwaves in the UK with a spike in the number of deaths, especially in the elderly, the young and those with specific health issues – vulnerable groups. After the 2018 heatwave, The Guardian, published an analysis of this, based on official statistics; it can be seen at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/aug/03/deaths-rose-650-above-average-during-uk-heatwave-with-older-people-most-at-risk The following includes extracts from The Guardian article: Nearly 700 more deaths than average were recorded during the 15-day peak of the heatwave in June and July 2018 in England and Wales. The height of the heatwave was from 25 June to 9 July, according to the Met Office, a run of 15 consecutive days with temperatures above 28C. The deaths registered during the weeks covering this period were 663 higher than the average for the same weeks over the previous five years, a Guardian analysis of data from the Office of National Statistics shows. ONS analysis for previous years indicate hundreds of additional deaths were associated with brief periods of heatwave conditions in July 2016 and June 2017. The full toll of the 2018 heatwave could reach 1,000, according to one prediction. “Although the 2018 data is only preliminary, there seems to have been a concerning increase in the number of deaths,” said Dr Isobel Braithwaite, of the public health charity, Medact. “This fits in with current scientific evidence, which clearly shows that long periods of very warm weather can harm people’s health, particularly at extremes of age and in people with other pre-existing health problems.” “While working in A&E this summer, I saw patients presenting with heatstroke and other conditions that were probably exacerbated by the hot weather, and this obviously places an additional strain on our already struggling health services,” she said. Dehydration can lead to many issues, from dizziness and falls, to an increased risk of infections, heart attacks and strokes. The 2018 heatwave showed that hospitals and care homes must be made ready to cope with high temperatures. Another article, published by the London School of Economics and Political Science last year, stated that people are dying of ignorance: Hundreds are dying from ignorance of rising heatwave risks The article states that many of these deaths could have been prevented if Government Departments and agencies had listened to the advice of experts and improved the shockingly poor flow of information to the public about the rising risk of heatwaves due to climate change. There is evidence that many people perish each summer in the UK because they do not understand that the frequency of heatwave conditions are increasing. The full death toll from summer 2018’s hot weather will not be known for a some months, but is likely to exceed 1000 based on what has happened in previous years. It is a public health emergency about which nobody is talking. If more than 1000 people were killed in flooding, there would rightly be an outcry, particularly if many of the deaths could have been avoided. Researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine identified older people as being particularly vulnerable but also concluded that more people suffer in Greater London, South-East and East England. These are the hottest parts of the UK, and have been experiencing significant amounts of warming over the past few decades. An assessment in 2014 found statistically significant increases in daily maximum, minimum and mean air temperatures between 1910 and 2011, with “the rate of change increasing from the north and west to the south and east”. Public Health England published in 2015 an annual heatwave plan (PDF) and jointly operates, with the Met Office, the ‘Heat-Health Watch’ which issues warnings ahead of heatwave conditions occurring. However, the Met Office fails frequently to tell the public that climate change is increasing the risk of heatwaves in the UK. Another report about the UK heatwave in 2019 had similar findings. It was from the Office for National Statistics (ONS): https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/causesofdeath/articles/dosummerheatwavesleadtoanincreaseindeaths/2019-10-07 The number of deaths spiked on the hottest day of the summer, provisional official data shows. There were 1,473 deaths on July 25 registered in England and Wales, rising from about 1,100-1,200 deaths per day around the same time, according to figures from the ONS. July 25 saw temperatures reach 38.7C in Cambridge, breaking the record for the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK. The ONS was looking at whether “killer heatwave” news headlines are backed up by the data in a release called ‘Do summer heatwaves lead to an increase in deaths?’ The stats body cautioned that the May to August 2019 data is “highly provisional” due to the amount of time it can take for deaths to be registered, meaning the recorded number of deaths per day is likely to increase as more deaths are registered. While comparisons with previous years cannot yet be made using the recent summer’s data, the statisticians compared the number of deaths per day in summer 2018 with the five-year average (2013-18). The ONS said: “The comparatively high number of deaths occur mainly on days that are defined as heatwaves by Public Health England (PHE) in their deaths relating to heatwaves report.” These spikes tended to be followed by periods of lower-than-average deaths, the ONS said. The report went on: “This means that at a daily level, extreme heat seems to have an impact on the number of deaths, but across the summer period as a whole the number of deaths is similar to previous years. “This could be because the most vulnerable people, for example, those with pre-existing respiratory or cerebrovascular diseases are more susceptible to death during heatwaves.” Even when taking into account the heatwaves, the effects of winter on mortality are consistently greater than summer, the report added. Another Public Health England (PHE) report analysed the number of death during the 2016 heatwave. It found an excess of 908 deaths during the heatwave periods, when the Met Office had issued heatwave alerts. See: Public Health England, “PHE Heatwave Mortality Monitoring: Summer 2016”, June 2018. Available: https://assets.publishing.service. gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/714933/PHE_heatwave_mortality_monitoring_report_2016.pdf The executive summary to the document is as follows: “Heatwaves are predicted to increase in frequency and intensity as a result of climate change. The health impacts of these events can be significant, particularly for vulnerable populations when excess mortality can occur. England experienced several heatwaves in the summer 2016. This report summarises the excess deaths observed throughout the heatwaves of summer 2016. The summer of 2016 saw 3 Level 3 heatwave alerts issued by the Met Office. Excess daily mortality was estimated using baseline death registration data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The first heatwave occurred from 18 July to 22 July 2016, where there were an estimated 612 excess deaths observed above baseline in the 65+ year olds. The second heatwave occurred between 22 August to 26 August 2016, where there were an estimated 296 excess deaths observed above baseline amongst 65+ year olds. The third and final heatwave of the summer 2016 occurred between 12 September and 17 September 2016, where there were no significant excess deaths observed. This resulted in a total estimate of 908 excess deaths over the summer 2016 The Conclusion to the report is as follows: “England observed 3 heatwave periods in 2016, with significant excess mortality impact in the >65 year olds decreasing in size and geographical extent with each heatwave across the summer. No significant impact was seen in the <65 year olds and the impact on mortality of 908 excess deaths was less than seen in 2006 (2,323 deaths) and 2003 (2,234 deaths). The UK has had a heatwave plan since 2004, the importance of which continues to be highlighted year on year.” Categories: climate change, health, heat waves | Tags: 2018, dehydration, heat stress, heat waves, heatwave plan, human death rate, humidity, Met Office, ONS | Permalink. The G20 summit, the European heatwave and the lack of international progress on climate change A heatwave spread across Europe this last week; thermometers soared past 40C as temperatures broke new records. Schools close to Paris were forced to close; Germany introduced speed restrictions on its autobahns; and a Spanish meteorologist tweeted a map of the country’s weather forecast with the caption: “Hell is coming.” Temperatures are also running high in the climate change debate ahead of the G20 meeting in Osaka. Japan is set to omit references to “global warming” and “decarbonisation” from a G20 communiqué in a bid to please the US. This comes just days after four central European states — Estonia, Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria — stopped the EU from committing to a 2050 net zero carbon emissions target last week. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is trying to prevent the publication of the IPCC Report. Last week Republican senators in Oregon fled the state to block the passage of a landmark bill that would commit the state, like neighbouring California, to ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. School strikes by teenagers and direct action, such as that by Extinction Rebellion, who demand governments “tell the truth”, have become a regular occurrence in recent months. Yet, international progress on fighting climate change is in danger of stalling. Bold and decisive leadership is needed if temperatures are to be prevented from rising to catastrophic levels. Countries that depend on fossil fuels will ultimately face a choice between foot-dragging or being left behind by technological progress. Renewables are often beating traditional sources on cost as well as on carbon emissions. Blocking international agreements will not keep coal viable. Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, is rightly making a stand. He has pledged to refuse to sign any G20 communiqué that leaves out a reference to the 2015 Paris agreement on combating climate change. Bottom-up pressure seems to be working where top-down international conferences stumble. Green parties were big gainers in last months’ European Parliament elections. France and Britain are pushing ahead on their own with net zero targets; Bavaria, a German state not usually known for its radicalism, is going further than the national government to end the use of coal. In the US, city mayors and state governments are stepping in to compensate for the lack of federal government action. Britain, France and California are all relatively large economies but ultimately tackling climate change will depend on action by the largest emitters — China, the US, India and the EU. This makes global co-operation essential, despite some countries blocking progress since the Paris accord. Governments will need to step up just to meet the Paris targets in coming years. It means being honest with companies, workers and taxpayers about the costs. Spain’s programme to phase out coal, which involved early retirement for miners and payments to coal-dependent regions, provides one model for a so-called “just transition” which spreads costs fairly. Frustrating international agreements can do nothing but delay the inevitable. The reality of climate change will catch up with politicians. That may be in the form of angry voters on the streets, or of extreme weather that makes cities uninhabitable and crops fail. As fugitive Oregon senators and G20 leaders in Osaka will eventually find, running away is not an option. See also: https://on.ft.com/2KJQuB4 Categories: climate change, heat waves, Paris COP21 and its targets, Political Issues | Tags: European heat wave, G20 summit, IPCC report | Permalink. Devinder Sharma writes about droughts in India This is taken from a piece written by Devinder for Ground Reality on 13th June 2019: Drought getting more pronounced in India, while cities in drought affected regions remain like an oasis. The struggle for getting water pic courtesy Livemint As drought looms large in many parts of the country, more than 50,000 farmers from Ahmednagar district in Maharashtra have moved to nearly 500 makeshift cattle camps that the district administrated has built across eight talukas. “This has been our home since March this year. Problems galore at these cattle camps but we have little choice,” Dagru, a farmer told the media. They cook their meals at the camp and during the day go out looking for job. At present, there are 1,501 cattle camps across Maharashtra. As parts of Maharashtra faces its worst drought since 1972, another news report warns of fodder supplies running out for an estimated 10 lakh cattle housed in these camps. While the state government is thinking of setting up more cattle camps, this time for sheep and goats as well, I shudder to think how the farming families are surviving in these cattle camps. And yet I marvel the sensitivity and compassion some well know economic writers have demonstrated by saying there is no visible farm crisis ! Maharashtra Chief Minister Devender Fadnavis has allocated Rs 1,300-crore for these cattle camps. With the prices of cattle feed soaring, the government has raised the daily allowance for cattle contractors to Rs 100 per cattle per day and Rs 50 for each calf. The cattle are milked twice daily, but over the weeks the milk yield is coming down. Obviously, with the fodder supplies getting scarce in a worsening drought situation is beginning to take its toll. Water is supplied regularly by tankers. Writing in The Wire, journalist Sukanya Shantha brings out the pain and agony that hapless families, including women who carry their children along, are undergoing: “What can we do, anyway? We would also like for our children to continue going to school but there is no one to feed them in the village right now,” Lalitabai Jhimmal was quoted. Her three children, in Classes VII, V and III, have been squatting at the camp along with her, intermittently attending their school. “There is no water in the village. Here, at least, we have water to drink,” says the eldest one. With the houses locked, many nearby villages have become empty as the villagers have moved along with their cattle to the cattle camps. This is despite the fact Maharashtra had vowed to become drought free by 2019. Instead, with 72 per cent Maharashtra hit by drought, and approximately 43.4 per cent of the country reeling under drought, an estimated 600 million people have been hit hard by an acute water crisis in the country. As crop land become parched, most of the land lying fallow, crops wither and fail, the soaring temperature has made life difficult in the drought-affected villages. But the biggest tragedy is the appalling disconnect that such a devastating drought has with the city dwellers. People living in Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, which has 500 cattle camps in the district, are by and large oblivious of the severity of the drought only a few kilometres outside the city premises. Life goes on as usual, as if everything is normal in the rest of the district. Not only in Ahmednagar, every time I go to Bangalore I have never even remotely felt that people in the city even realise that Karnataka too has been reeling under a severe drought. In 2017, a severe drought prevailed, and as many as 139 of the 176 taluks were declared drought hit. And this year too, nearly 82 per cent of Karnataka is reeling under a drought. But go to Bangalore, you will not even get a hint of a terrible human suffering that continues to be inflicted year after year. Karnataka has suffered drought for 12 out of the past 18 years. But life in Bangalore has never been affected. Such is the disconnect that life in any mega city does not even give an inkling of a severe drought prevailing just 10 kms away. I find it too strange. After all, have you ever pondered why is it that while drought hits the region as a whole it is only people living in the villages who bear the brunt? Why is that drought rarely, if at all, strikes the cities and towns? For instance, I travel to Bangalore very often, at least four times a year, and never have I returned with a feel of an acute water-stress that the people are faced with. But how long will the cities continue to be like an oasis in an otherwise dry and parched landscape? That’s a big question. But a recent report by Niti Aayog warns that 21 cities – including the four metropolis Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi — will run out of ground water by 2020, just a year away. Since ground water provides for 40 per cent of the water needs, about 100 million people are expected to be hit. I am not sure whether water availability will be down to a trickle in these cities, but for sure the emphasis will shift to farmers advising them not to waste water. Farmers have always been a soft target. I wouldn’t be surprised if the entire blame shifts to farmers. In Punjab, free power and water guzzling crop like paddy have always been the target. They are now being advised to go in for drip irrigation for which the government is being asked to provide 80 per cent subsidy. But a fact no one wants to acknowledge is that the consumption of water in the cities is no less a culprit. At a price of about 4 paise a kg, water supply is almost free for the urban consumers. While the farmers are being asked to go in for drip irrigation to reduce water wastage when was the last time you heard urban consumers being asked to do away with showers in their bathroom? Every time someone uses the shower for about eight minutes roughly 65 litres of water goes down the drain. A typical bathtub, of the size 30 inches wide and 60 inches long, can contain 300 litres of water. If a luxury hotel has on an average 100 rooms, imagine 30,000 litres of water being drained simply for bathing every day. This is not fair. We can’t force the poor farmers alone to make sacrifices while we allow the rich to bathe in luxury. And another piece in The Tribune by Devinder Sharma: https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/india-is-drying-up-fast/789376.html India is drying up, fast Devinder Sharma, Food and Agriculture Specialist Traditional water bodies and harvesting systems need urgent revival “Congratulations to all… we have achieved 50 degree temperature this year. Let’s cut more trees to achieve 60 degrees the next year,’ a sarcastic tweet the other day came as a jolt. It was, however, hard to tell whether the quiet sarcasm was lost on a majority of the readers who are following Twitter or had made more and more people sit up and think. Whatever had been the impact, the fact remains that while 2018 was the fourth hottest year on record in the past 140 years since the world began to keep a track on temperatures, NASA expects 2019 to be still hotter. The heat is therefore on. In India, a 22 per cent deficit has been recorded in pre-monsoon showers in the months of March, April and May — the second lowest in the past 65 years — and with monsoons delayed by a fortnight or so, daily temperatures have been sizzling. Churu in Rajasthan has already crossed 50°C thrice this season, and even Delhi burnt at an all-time high of 48°C. With nearly 43 per cent of the country engulfed in a drought, an estimated 600 million people are reeling under its fury. With temperatures soaring, water sources going dry, parched lands staring as far as one can see, ‘hundreds of villages have been evacuated as historic drought forces families to abandon their homes in search of water’, reports The Guardian. In Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar district, such is the wrath of a continuing drought that over 50,000 farmers have shifted to 500 camps meant for cattle. There are 1,501 cattle camps in Maharashtra, where 72 per cent of the area is faced with a drought. Reports say village after village around the capital city of Mumbai has been deserted. More than 88 per cent of Karnataka is somehow surviving under a severe drought. With 156 of the 176 talukas declared drought hit, Karnataka has faced 12 years of drought in the past 18 years. Karnataka’s economic survey for 2018-19 projects a growth rate of minus 4.8 per cent in agriculture. Therefore, while drought has taken a heavy toll on standing crops and also crippled the farming-led economic activity, not only in Karnataka, but also in nearly half the country, adequate attention is finally coming to the declining groundwater levels. With the conundrums of water conflicts between states, between communities within a state, and as well as individuals standing in queues increasing over the years, policy makers are now realising the importance of conservation. Already the alarm has been raised with a recent report by Niti Aayog warning that 21 cities — including the four metropolises — Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Delhi — will run out of groundwater by 2020. Since groundwater provides for 40 per cent of the water needs, about 600 million people may be hit. But the problem of groundwater depletion is not only confined to the cities. In fact, it is because of the unbridled exploitation of groundwater that even a short dry spell turns into a more destructive drought. At most places across the country the rate of depletion exceeds 0.5 metre a year and often touches 1 metre. Add to it the reduced availability of water from shrinking rivers; the resulting water crisis has reached worrying levels. Reports say the water availability from the mighty Narmada has declined, from 30.84 million-acre ft in 2007-18 to 14.80 million-acre ft in 2017-18. The Ministry of Water Resources estimates water levels in 91 reservoirs falling to 18 per cent of their capacity. Moreover, water from numerous dams is being diverted from agriculture to meet the needs of the urban areas, including drinking water. This has added to farmer protests, leading to rural-urban conflicts. Over the years, the emphasis shifted from water conservation, water harvesting and groundwater recharge. Revival of traditional water bodies, which could have played a major role in drought-proofing, received lip service. Restoration of ponds and measures for recharging groundwater remained incomplete, abandoned or preceded at a slow pace. There still exist close to 2 lakh traditional water bodies, ponds and tanks across the country which need to be revived. In Punjab, where 110 of the 138 blocks are in the ‘dark zone’ (over exploited), the revival of the 15,000 ponds and traditional water bodies could not only help in recharging groundwater, but also providing irrigation. So far, only 54 such ponds have been rejuvenated. Strangely, even in Rajasthan, instead of reviving the excellent water conservation structures perfected over the ages, the emphasis is on drip irrigation. Not even a drop of rainwater was allowed to go waste in these baoris. In Karnataka, an estimated 39,000 traditional ponds and tanks existed. While nearly three-quarters of them have dried up, encroached upon or turned into sewage dumps, there is still a sizeable number that can be revived. Meanwhile, Karnataka has launched a jalamrutha scheme under which the traditional water bodies would be rejuvenated. But the pace needs to be hastened. Although Karnataka is trying to preserve the kalyanis, and Odisha has the kutta and munda water systems, the traditional wisdom association with water harvesting has been more or less lost. Several years back, travelling to Texas A&M University, I was surprised to see the traditional water harvesting structures of Tamil Nadu being followed. The Centre for Science and Environment had published a book, Dying Wisdom, listing all traditional harvesting systems. In the age of borewells, the emphasis has to revert to traditional harvesting. Recharging the depleting groundwater in a sustainable manner is urgently required. But this cannot be in isolation. Destroying forests, water bodies, catchment areas in the name of development must cease. Otherwise, crossing the Rubicon may turn out to be catastrophic.” Categories: drought, heat waves, water shortages | Tags: cattle camps, drought, India, livestock, small farmers, temperatures, water shortages | Permalink.

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Tag Archives: sixth mass extinction New UN report states that 1,000 species are at risk of extinction A UN Report launched in Paris yesterday (6th May 2019) is the result of 3 years of study of species across the world. It concludes that up to 1,000 animal and plant species are at risk of extinction and that things are happening faster than we realised. UN Report: Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented’; Species Extinction Rates ‘Accelerating’ The IPBES Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is the most comprehensive ever completed. It is the first intergovernmental Report of its kind and builds on the landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment of 2005, introducing innovative ways of evaluating evidence. Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the past three years, with inputs from another 310 contributing authors, the Report assesses changes over the past five decades, providing a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development pathways and their impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades. The average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900. More than 40% of amphibian species, almost 33% of reef-forming corals and more than a third of all marine mammals are threatened. The picture is less clear for insect species, but available evidence supports a tentative estimate of 10% being threatened. At least 680 vertebrate species had been driven to extinction since the 16th century and more than 9% of all domesticated breeds of mammals used for food and agriculture had become extinct by 2016, with at least 1,000 more breeds still threatened. Other notable findings of the Report include: Three-quarters of the land-based environment and about 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions. On average these trends have been less severe or avoided in areas held or managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities. More than a third of the world’s land surface and nearly 75% of freshwater resources are now devoted to crop or livestock production. The value of agricultural crop production has increased by about 300% since 1970, raw timber harvest has risen by 45% and approximately 60 billion tons of renewable and nonrenewable resources are now extracted globally every year – having nearly doubled since 1980. Land degradation has reduced the productivity of 23% of the global land surface, up to US$577 billion in annual global crops are at risk from pollinator loss and 100-300 million people are at increased risk of floods and hurricanes because of loss of coastal habitats and protection. In 2015, 33% of marine fish stocks were being harvested at unsustainable levels; 60% were maximally sustainably fished, with just 7% harvested at levels lower than what can be sustainably fished. Urban areas have more than doubled since 1992. Plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980, 300-400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge and other wastes from industrial facilities are dumped annually into the world’s waters, and fertilizers entering coastal ecosystems have produced more than 400 ocean ‘dead zones’, totalling more than 245,000 km2 (591-595) – a combined area greater than that of the United Kingdom. Negative trends in nature will continue to 2050 and beyond in all of the policy scenarios explored in the Report, except those that include transformative change – due to the projected impacts of increasing land-use change, exploitation of organisms and climate change, although with significant differences between regions. The Report also presents a wide range of illustrative actions for sustainability and pathways for achieving them across and between sectors such as agriculture, forestry, marine systems, freshwater systems, urban areas, energy, finance and many others. It highlights the importance of, among others, adopting integrated management and cross-sectoral approaches that take into account the trade-offs of food and energy production, infrastructure, freshwater and coastal management, and biodiversity conservation. Also identified as a key element of more sustainable future policies is the evolution of global financial and economic systems to build a global sustainable economy, steering away from the current limited paradigm of economic growth. The Chair of the panel launching the report, Sir Robert Watson is quoted as saying, “The health of the ecosystems on which we and other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide. “We have lost time. We must act now.” Sir Bob Watson, Chair of IPBES David Obura, one of the main authors on the report and a global authority on corals, said: “We tried to document how far in trouble we are and to focus people’s minds, but also to say it is not too late if we put a huge amount into transformational behavioural change. This is fundamental to humanity. We are not just talking about nice species out there; this is our life-support system.” Three-quarters of all land has been turned into farm fields, covered by concrete, swallowed up by dam reservoirs or otherwise significantly altered. Two-thirds of the marine environment has also been changed by fish farms, shipping routes, sub-sea mines and other projects. Three-quarters of rivers and lakes are used for crop or livestock cultivation. As a result, more than 500,000 species have insufficient habitats for long-term survival. Many are on course to disappear within decades. Further information can be found at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/23/destruction-of-nature-as-dangerous-as-climate-change-scientists-warn Since 1992, the world’s urban area has doubled – largely at the expense of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands – a process that is decoupling our consumption habits from the means of production, and severing our understanding of our dependency on the natural world. “There are people that really understand the linkage, although they don’t live it,” says Sebsebe Demissew, professor of plant systematics and biodiversity at Addis Ababa university. He has spent decades collecting and documenting plants across Africa, often working with indigenous and traditional peoples. “But there are other people that don’t even think that nature’s contribution to people is so important, because sometimes if you are in town what you are really concerned about is what bread or something would cost, rather than its effect on a poor farmer.” Prof. Sebsebe Demissew, of Addis Ababa University In short, what is happening can be described by the subtitle of my book “Human Activity and the destruction of the planet.” Is it too late to reverse the trend? Many of my colleagues in the climate action movement fear it is too late, though others are hopeful that we can turn the corner. But it needs a global realisation of the significance of climate change and loss of biodiversity. Alan Simpson, a previous Labour MP and now advisor to the Labour party on environmental issues, has written the following in the Morning Star: https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/climate-jesus-versus-pharisees It is entitled “Climate Jesus versus the Pharisees”, with the sub-heading: We need to stop building more runways, motorways, or shopping malls and replant forests, green our cities and give pollinators places to feed, breed and shelter in. “As political parties dust themselves down after the drubbing of local government elections, the good news is that all the answers are to be found in bigger, rather than smaller, issues. Climate, not Brexit, is the key. We live in revolutionary times. And we have our children to thank for still filling them with hope rather than despair. The unthinkable is happening. Parliament, public institutions and the press are waking to the fact that climate change can only be constrained by systems change. This recognition is still in its infancy, but it is already unstoppable. I recently came across an early version of what will have to be every (credible) party’s next election manifesto. Pasted up on a wall was a simple drawing of an elephant, with the words “climate change” on its back. It summed up what all future political choices revolve around: climate change is the elephant in the room. Labour can pride itself for having introduced the world’s first Climate Change Act, and for passing the first “climate emergency declaration,” but we shouldn’t pretend that Parliament wasn’t “bounced” into doing so. Since the 2017 general election, there have been ample opportunities for MPs to show real political leadership on the climate crisis. They never did. Instead, Parliament has preferred to play Trivial Pursuit with Brexit absurdities. Social movements had to step into the vacuum; addressing the big picture issues politicians had been choosing to ignore. They, and they alone, have been the ones insisting that existential threat to human existence forms the centrepiece of political debate. Across the planet, this has been a debate shaped from outside parliaments, not inside. We now know how much we owe to our children for doing so. But while the kids may have written the script, they weren’t alone. “One Planet” documentaries helped. So too did insightful journalism, climate physicists and church leaders. With the latest protests taking place over Easter it was really helpful for church leaders to have pointed out that, though protesters were undoubtedly breaking the law, Christ too had entered Jerusalem knowing he would face prosecution. Ultimately, however, it was the creative irreverence of Extinction Rebellion (XR) that has turned this into a movement that cannot be stopped. In place of derision, Greta Thunberg is no longer the lonely child outside an indifferent parliament. Without vanity, she trailed an uncompromising challenge to every adult Establishment on the planet. The abuse she received from parts of the press that continue to be at the heart of the problem merely accelerated the growth of the movement. Britain’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) would not have had the political space to bring forward their own “pull your finger out” report without the occupations that brought London streets to a halt. Nor would they have been listened to. The latest UN report on species extinctions now gets treated as evidence, not argument. Politicians of all shades queue up, calling for a programme to deliver the CCC rescue plan. Few grasp the upheavals involved (or that, in itself, this will still not be enough). Over 60 per cent of what the CCC calls for involves behaviour change; all of which is doable. What they duck is that you won’t get behaviour change without systems change. The gap between Extinction Rebellion and the CCC may be one defined by climate physics, but it can only be delivered through transformative politics. This is precisely what Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have been calling for. For the party as a whole, though, this invitation is where the problems begin. Internal battle-lines are already being drawn. How can Labour deliver climate stability if large parts of the party are still locked into airport expansions, fossil fuel subsidies, expanding road programmes and the illusion of a new era of global free-trade deals? Physics tells us there are no “slow track’ survival options left. Labour traditionalists insist they need longer timescales than the one (decisive) decade in which the science calls for transformation. Those pushing for faster change already face criticisms of “trying to play Climate Jesus.” What their critics fail to see is that the imagery puts slow-track traditionalists into the role of Pharisees; defenders of an order that is about to implode. The Tories have made themselves almost irrelevant to this conversation. Conservative supporters no longer even look to their party for bigger answers. It is a party in free-fall disarray. Bless. But cross-party Brexit negotiations risk dragging Labour down too. Theresa May should be left to sink on her own. The last thing Labour needs is a to be part of a suicide pact. A better starting point lies somewhere between Extinction Rebellion and the CCC. To join in, Labour may need to tear up whatever has been its draft manifesto for the next election, replacing it with a new “climate emergency” one. Tomorrow’s political stability will revolve around societal mobilisation and ecosystems repair. This requires a new economics that can live within contracting carbon budgets, give fresh life to abandoned localities (as key drivers in tomorrow’s sustainable, low-carbon economics) and offer an antidote to today’s obsessive, self-destroying consumerism. Conventional pledges to fairness, inclusivity and rebooting an industrial economy don’t automatically answer this existential threat. Suggestions that Labour might do so by expanding production, consumption and world trade would be ridiculed by XR, scientists and schools climate strikers alike. In the ballot box, it would be a disaster. We all need a different script. Former Labour leader Ed Miliband was right in telling Radio 4 that the British economy must be “put on a war footing to tackle climate change.” This “footing” must begin with reversing the damage we’re currently doing. The latest UN report, Nature’s Dangerous Decline, details the risk of 1 million species — not types of plants, animals, birds or insects, but whole species — facing extinction within the coming decades. The answer isn’t to go building more runways, motorways or shopping malls. What we need is to replant forests, green our cities, and give pollinators places to feed, breed and shelter in. And for the public, we need a national programme to green the nation’s habitat too; delivering warm homes that also produce more energy than they consume. I don’t care if this gets denounced as “loaves and fishes” idealism. It’s what the science (and the kids) know is our only choice. Today’s Pharisees can protest as much as they like that “the system” needs more time — to cleanse the air, restore the seas and heal the soils. But time is the one thing they no longer have. Outside the parliamentary temple, a growing social movement understands that we can either save “the system” or save society, but not both. Like Corbyn and McDonnell, this movement calls out for transformative change. Anyone’s manifesto that offers less will not be seen as Old Testament, just old hat. It’s what the science (and the kids) know is our only choice. Today’s Pharisees can protest as much as they like that “the system” needs more time — to cleanse the air, restore the seas and heal the soils. And another article, published by phys.org, highlights the importance of plant species, and their loss, on human needs: https://phys.org/news/2019-06-species-extinctionand-danger-poses-life.html Up to 1 million species may go extinct due to human activity according to a recent report, some within decades. We all know the mammals in trouble—polar bears, giant pandas and snow leopards—but how many of us could name an endangered plant? A 2019 report assessed 28,000 plant species and concluded that about half of them were threatened with extinction. This failure to notice and appreciate plants has been termed “plant blindness,” and it’s particularly worrying because there are significantly more plant species at risk than mammals, despite the latter hogging most of our attention. Luckily, we developed a one minute cure for plant blindness that’s free and easy to do. Simply stop what you’re doing and look around. Are you in a room with wood or fiberboard floorboards or furniture? Do you see wallpaper, books or tissues? These are all made from plants. Your clothes may be made from plant fibers, such as cotton and linen. Perhaps you have food, fruit juice or a glass of wine nearby. Even if you’re in an office with plastic furniture, carpet tiles and wearing a polyester suit, these were made from oil generated over millions of years from plant and animal remains. Our lives are utterly dependent on plants, so why don’t we see them? Our lack of appreciation for plants is a fairly recent thing. Our history tells a very different story. The dawn of farming around 12,000 years ago was when people became obsessed with growing plants for food, changing the way we live and our planet forever. Starting with domesticating cereals such as barley, rice and wheat, humanity’s increasing population and sedentary communities depended on their ability to farm, leading to entire civilizations focused on agriculture. Industrialisation and the more recent “green revolution” in agriculture led to incredible increases in cereal production and farming efficiency, allowing more people to live in cities rather than work on farms. Our agricultural success is a major reason why, for the first time in our history, most humans no longer farm, leaving people free to ignore our complete dependence on plants. Tragically, our talent for farming has come at a huge cost to biodiversity. Right now, half of the habitable land on earth is used for agriculture, a major reason behind our current extinction crisis. Should we care about losing the diversity of plant species, as long as we are producing enough food? Absolutely. Plants are the major food producers in most ecosystems, providing nourishment and shelter to microbes, fungi, insects and animal species which themselves play key roles in ecosystems. While some creatures eat one type of plant—such as the bamboo-dependent giant panda—micro-organisms which live in the soil and make land fertile by recycling plant nutrients, perform better the more different plant species there are growing. Plant diversity also improves how much carbon is pulled from the atmosphere and stored in the soil – vital for mitigating climate change. Our health is also intimately connected with plant diversity. Just under half of all prescription medicines come directly from plants or by remaking plant chemicals. We’ve screened only a fraction of species for potential medicines—we don’t know how many useful plant chemicals and genes remain to be discovered. Even the most overlooked plants can be enormously important. You might be surprised to learn that the species most studied to understand how plants work is a genus of tiny weeds called Arabidopsis. Most people have never heard of them and couldn’t identify them, even though they regularly pull them from their garden. By studying Arabidopsis, scientists learned how plants know when to flower, which is being used to improve our understanding of flowering in vegetable crops—key to improving their yield. They also learned how Arabidopsis defends itself from pathogens, which could be used to make crops resistant to disease. We can cultivate an appreciation of plants and their importance by improving access to parks, botanic gardens and forests, as well as including plant biology throughout the science curriculum in schools. But we also need to ensure there is a future for the thousands of species threatened with extinction. We need to produce more food on less land, so that natural habitats can thrive. Plants could contribute even more to society’s needs in the future. Technologies already exist for making fuels and plastic from the agricultural waste of straw, grain husks and potato peel. These alternatives sadly won’t compete with cheap oil until we pay the full cost of our current lifestyles with a carbon tax. To avoid mass extinctions, we need transformative change in our politics, economics and technology to preserve and sustainably use the incredible natural resources that Earth provides. A painless first step towards making this change is something you could do every day: our one minute cure for plant blindness. If we stop, think and appreciate how plants enrich our lives, we will learn to respect our agricultural heritage and natural habitats and better manage the trade-offs between them. Categories: biodiversity, endangered species, loss of species, UNFCCC | Tags: humans as invasive species, loss of habitat, over-fishing, plastic pollution, sixth mass extinction, species loss | Permalink. Earth’s Next Major Mass Extinction has already started The title of my book is based on the fact that scientists have predicted that there will be a sixth mass extinction of species on the earth in less than three generations time. Now, at last, this theme is being picked up by the mass media. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/earths-next-major-extinction-event-has-already-started_uk_5964df75e4b005b0fdc86f67? The Huffington Post reports on similar scientific studies, as follows: Human overpopulation and over-consumption by the wealthiest in society are driving factors behind the destruction of species on planet Earth, which is having a negative impact on ecosystems, according to researchers. The grim warning, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, states that the hidden rate of species population decreases mean “Earth’s sixth mass extinction episode has proceeded further than most assume”. The report, involving scientists at both Stanford and Mexico City universities, found the current rate of vertebrate extinction during the last century was two species a year – this was compared with two species every 100 years over the last two million years. They warned the estimates were likely to be “conservative”, with “several” species of mammal now endangered despite being at “relatively safe” levels at the turn of the millennium. The report said: “As much as 50% of the number of animal individuals that once shared Earth with us are already gone, as are billions of populations. “We emphasise that the sixth mass extinction is already here and the window for effective action is very short, probably two or three decades at most. “All signs point to ever more powerful assaults on biodiversity in the next two decades, painting a dismal picture of the future of life, including human life.” Scientists said the loss of animals from the planet would “promote cascading catastrophic effects on ecosystems”, including plants and other wildlife. The report added: “The resulting biological annihilation obviously will also have serious ecological, economic, and social consequences. Humanity will eventually pay a very high price for the decimation of the only assemblage of life that we know of in the universe.” Big cats are very much endangered The report was based on analysis of 27,600 mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and cited double-digit decreases in the populations of species such as African lion, which has seen a 43% drop since 1993. Researchers did not state how long it predicted the human race to survive, but said there was scope to “address the decay of biodiversity.” This same issue is dealt with in Chapter 1 of “Three Generations Left: Human Activity and the Destruction of the Planet” (see home page). Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: big cats, ecosystems, human population, sixth mass extinction, vertebrate extinction | Permalink.

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Astronomers answer key question: How common are habitable planets? By: Robert Sanders NASA’s Kepler space telescope, now crippled and its four-year mission at an end, nevertheless provided enough data to answer its main research question: How many of the 200 billion stars in our galaxy have potentially habitable planets? The field of view of the Kepler space telescope, located in the constellation Cygnus, just above the plane of the Milky Way Galaxy. Kepler made precise measurements of the brightnesses of 156,000 stars for four years. Based on a statistical analysis of all the Kepler observations, astronomers at UC Berkeley and University of Hawaii, Manoa now estimate that one in five stars like the sun have planets about the size of Earth and a surface temperature conducive to life. Given that about 20 percent of stars are sun-like, the researchers say, that amounts to several tens of billions of potentially habitable, Earth-size planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. “When you look up at the thousands of stars in the night sky, the nearest sun-like star with an Earth-size planet in its habitable zone is probably only 12 light years away and can be seen with the naked eye. That is amazing,” said UC Berkeley graduate student Erik Petigura, who led the analysis of the Kepler data. “It’s been nearly 20 years since the discovery of the first extrasolar planet around a normal star. Since then, we have learned that most stars have planets of some size orbiting them, and that Earth-size planets are relatively common in close-in orbits that are too hot for life,” said Andrew Howard, a former UC Berkeley post-doctoral fellow who is now on the faculty of the Institute for Astronomy at the University of Hawaii. “With this result, we’ve come home, in a sense, by showing that planets like our Earth are relatively common throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.” Petigura, Howard and Geoffrey Marcy, UC Berkeley professor of astronomy, will publish their analysis and findings this week in the online early edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Earth-size may not mean habitable “For NASA, this discovery is really important, because future missions will try to take an actual picture of a planet, and the size of the telescope they have to build depends on how close the nearest Earth-size planets are,” Howard said. “An abundance of planets orbiting nearby stars simplifies such follow-up missions.” Artist’s representation of the “habitable zone,” the range of orbits where liquid water is permitted on the surface of a planet. The authors find that 22% of Sun-like stars harbor a planet between one and two times the size of Earth in the habitable zone. The team cautioned that Earth-size planets in orbits about the size of Earth’s are not necessarily hospitable to life, even if they reside in the habitable zone around a star where the temperature is not too hot and not too cold. “Some may have thick atmospheres, making it so hot at the surface that DNA-like molecules would not survive. Others may have rocky surfaces that could harbor liquid water suitable for living organisms,” Marcy said. “We don’t know what range of planet types and their environments are suitable for life.” Last week, however, Howard, Marcy and their colleagues provided hope that many such planets actually are rocky and could support liquid water. They reported that one Earth-size planet discovered by Kepler – albeit, a planet with a likely temperature of 2,000 Kelvin, which is far too hot for life as we know it – is the same density as Earth and most likely composed of rock and iron, like Earth. “This gives us some confidence that when we look out into the habitable zone, the planets Erik is describing may be Earth-size, rocky planets,” Howard said. NASA launched the Kepler space telescope in 2009 to look for planets outside the solar system that cross in front of, or transit, their stars, which causes a slight diminution – about one hundredth of 1 percent – in the star’s brightness. From among the 150,000 stars photographed every 30 minutes for four years, NASA’s Kepler team reported more than 3,000 planet candidates. Many of these are much larger than Earth – ranging from large planets with thick atmospheres, like Neptune, to gas giants like Jupiter – or in orbits so close to their stars that they are roasted. To sort them out, Petigura and his colleagues are using the Keck telescopes in Hawaii to obtain spectra of as many stars as possible. This will help them determine each star’s true brightness and calculate the diameter of each transiting planet, with an emphasis on Earth-diameter planets. Independently, Petigura, Howard and Marcy focused on the 42,000 stars that are like the sun or slightly cooler and smaller, and found 603 candidate planets orbiting them. Only 10 of these were Earth-size, that is, one to two times the diameter of Earth and orbiting their star at a distance where they are heated to lukewarm temperatures suitable for life. The team’s definition of habitable is that a planet receives between four times and one-quarter the amount of light that Earth receives from the sun. A census of extrasolar planets What distinguishes the team’s analysis from previous analyses of Kepler data is that they subjected Petigura’s planet-finding algorithms to a battery of tests in order to measure how many habitable zone, Earth-size planets they missed. Petigura actually introduced fake planets into the Kepler data in order to determine which ones his software could detect and which it couldn’t. “What we’re doing is taking a census of extrasolar planets, but we can’t knock on every door. Only after injecting these fake planets and measuring how many we actually found could we really pin down the number of real planets that we missed,” Petigura said. Accounting for missed planets, as well as the fact that only a small fraction of planets are oriented so that they cross in front of their host star as seen from Earth, allowed them to estimate that 22 percent of all sun-like stars in the galaxy have Earth-size planets in their habitable zones. “The primary goal of the Kepler mission was to answer the question, ‘When you look up in the night sky, what fraction of the stars that you see have Earth-size planets at lukewarm temperatures so that water would not be frozen into ice or vaporized into steam, but remain a liquid, because liquid water is now understood to be the prerequisite for life?’” Marcy said. “Until now, no one knew exactly how common potentially habitable planets were around sun-like stars in the galaxy.” All of the potentially habitable planets found in the team’s survey are around K stars, which are cooler and slightly smaller than the sun, Petigura said. But the researchers’ analysis shows that the result for K stars can be extrapolated to G stars like the sun. Had Kepler survived for an extended mission, it would have obtained enough data to directly detect a handful of Earth-size planets in the habitable zones of G-type stars. “If the stars in the Kepler field are representative of stars in the solar neighborhood, … then the nearest (Earth-size) planet is expected to orbit a star that is less than 12 light-years from Earth and can be seen by the unaided eye,” the researchers wrote in their paper. “Future instrumentation to image and take spectra of these Earths need only observe a few dozen nearby stars to detect a sample of Earth-size planets residing in the habitable zones of their host stars.” In January, the team reported a similar analysis of Kepler data for scorched planets that orbit close to their stars. The new, more complete analysis shows that “nature makes about as many planets in hospitable orbits as in close-in orbits,” Howard said. The research was funded by UC Berkeley and the National Science Foundation, with the assistance of the W. M. Keck Observatory and NASA.

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What Canada's Free Speech Victory Says About America's Matthew Shepard "Hate Crimes" Bill Kevin Michael Grace When American leftists dream, they dream of Canada. North of the border, we've had socialized medicine since 1965; abortion on demand (pretty much) since 1969 (and with no restrictions whatsoever since 1988); official multiculturalism since 1971; and nationwide gay marriage since 2005. All this, and higher Third World immigration, relative to our population, too. And best of all, there is almost no opposition to our continuing revolution—because in 1977 the Canadian Human Rights Act essentially banned it. There is nothing like VDARE.COM in Canada—because until Wednesday it would have been against the law. In Canada, people like Steve Sailer and Peter Brimelow (despite his career in the Canadian MSM) have not been allowed to exist. My own Wikipedia entry notes my contributions to VDARE.COM with something like astonishment. When Antonia Zerbisias, [Email her]staffer at the liberal daily Toronto Star said some nice things about me, she was quickly instructed in the party line and duly flinched in horror. It goes without saying that I am no longer employed in journalism in my home and native land. But if America's bien pensants (and the shade of Teddy Kennedy) were looking north for an imprimatur with which to burnish the impending Matthew Shepard "Hate Crimes" Act, they must now look elsewhere. Because in a genuinely shocking decision on September 2, Wednesday, , a bureaucrat at the heretofore unimpeachably statist Canadian Human Rights Tribunal declared section 13(1) of the Canadian Human Rights Act "unconstitutional." Section 13(1) has been key to the Canadian Establishment's suppression of debate on immigration and other matters. It reads: "It is a discriminatory practice for a person or a group of persons acting in concert to communicate telephonically or to cause to be so communicated, repeatedly, in whole or in part by means of the facilities of a telecommunication undertaking within the legislative authority of Parliament, any matter that is likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt by reason of the fact that person or those persons are identifiable on the basis of a prohibited ground of discrimination." Canada's "protected classes", as defined by section 15(1) of the risibly-named Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, are those defined by "race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability"—and in 1992 our Supreme Court subsequently "read in" (i.e., legislated) "sexual orientation" as an additional class. (Section 15(2) of the Charter specifically protects quotas, or as we call them here, "employment equity".) The chilling power of the weasel words "likely to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt" were further strengthened by the policies that mens rea (intent) is not necessary for conviction, that hearsay is not excluded and that the government funds the complainants but not the accused. And, oh, there's the Tribunal's 1998 ruling in Citron v. Zündel that even truth is not a defence. So, for example, for a Canadian newspaper to report, without comment, that Sikhs and Vietnamese are disproportionately involved in the Vancouver drug trade is against the law. Indeed, even to list the names, without further identification, of the 100-plus Sikhs killed in the Vancouver drug wars of recent years is probably against the law as well. (This is not to say that Vancouver media haven't reported these facts—they have. But until Wednesday, they were subject at any time to government prosecution for doing so. Truth was not a defence.) The Canadian Human Rights Act came about as the result of pressure from Canadian Jewish organizations, specifically, in the form of the "Cohen Committee" of 1966. Canada's "first political prisoner" was an old neo-Nazi called John Ross Taylor who was in the habit of leaving political comments on his telephone answering machine's Outgoing Message. After Taylor's conviction was upheld in 1990 by the Supreme Court of Canada, the Canadian Jewish Congress and B'nai Brith Canada in effect enjoyed carte blanche to suppress any speech they deemed contrary to their interests. (And to understand just how trivial that speech could be, click here to read what Taylor was imprisoned for.) It was in the 1990s that Canada's provincial human rights tribunals began to feel their oats, going so far as to ban the quoting of Bible verses condemning homosexuality. The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal also convicted Vancouver's most popular columnist, Doug Collins, for his devilishly "subtle" anti-Semitism. So subtle, indeed, that the Tribunal was forced to employ a daring new "sociolinguistic" technique called "discourse analysis." One of the Tribunal's star witnesses was forced to explain darkly that Collins "doesn't use overtly racist comments, and he calls attention to power and control by using techniques of trivialization ... 'in other words, you have to read it fairly carefully to get the full impact of what he's really saying.'" The Tribunal was obviously unfamiliar with the old nursery rhyme, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but techniques of trivialization will never harm me." But it was after 2001, when the Canadian Human Rights Act was extended to the Internet (in the guise of "anti-terrorism"), that the number of Canadian "hate speech" prosecutions exploded. In 2002, a sinister fellow called Richard Warman joined the Canadian Human Rights Commission. Suddenly every basement Nazi ranting about the Rothschilds on the World Wide Web was at risk of being called before Canada's Grand Inquisitors. Warman initiated literally dozens of complaints, citing himself as the aggrieved party, and collected dozens of consent orders, cease-and-desist ukases—lining his pockets, as the aggrieved party, with many thousands of dollars in judgments. (Canadians are jailed for speech only if they defy Tribunal verdicts.) Even after leaving the Commission in 2004, Warman continued to churn out the complaints—and he never lost. In fact, the Canadian Human Rights Commission had never lost a single section 13(1) complaint...until Wednesday. That's how they spelled "justice" in Canada: G-U-I-L-T-Y. In 2003, however, Warman made the mistake of going after a webmaster called Marc Lemire. It was the usual operation: set 'em up, knock 'em down, shut 'im up, grab the cash. But a funny thing happened—Marc Lemire refused to go down. With the help of his lawyers, Barbara Kulaszka and Doug Christie, Lemire exposed the outrageous procedural irregularities of Warman and the Commission. (Full disclosure: for the past year, I have acted as a part-time legal clerk to Christie.) Among other revelations: it turned out that Warman and Commission employees were in the habit of pretending to be basement Nazis, signing up with false IDs and giving fulsome encouragement to the Jew-baiters who hang out at websites like Stormfront and Vanguard News Network. (And this is as good a time to as any to mention that Canadians have been routinely prosecuted for "publishing" messages on American websites. Take that, Helsinki Accord! The "principle of non-interference" won't stop the Canadian Government.) Entrapment is not new to the Canadian managerial state. In 1989, an agent of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service was instrumental in founding and funding the neo-Nazi Heritage Front—one of whose roles was to infiltrate the emerging Reform Party. Ironically, the Reform party ultimately took over the discredited Canadian Progressive Conservative Party and one of its leaders, Stephen Harper, is now Prime Minister. But Harper has done nothing about the continuing "Human Rights" horrors. Given Lemire's dodgy past, Canada's soi-disant civil libertarians had a convenient excuse to ignore him. But then another funny thing happened—Canada's Muslims decided to have a go at state censorship, in the form of comically inept complaints against lawyer and journalist Ezra Levant (histrionic Conservative Party factotum and Sammy Glick of the Canadian Right), celebrated columnist Mark Steyn and Maclean's magazine. This put Canada's bien pensants (and the Jewish organizations) in a quandary. "Jews v. Nazis" was one thing, but "Muslims v. Jews" (or neocons, at least) was a different kettle of "hate" entirely. It was at this point that Canada's media actually began to use the phrase "free speech" without quotation marks. Last November, Canada's governing Conservative Party took the seemingly brave step of voting at convention to repeal section 13(1). "Seemingly", because Prime Minister Stephen Harper had no intention of instructing his Justice Department to cease and desist from opposing Lemire at trial. Back in 1999, Harper had thundered, "Human rights commissions, as they are evolving, are an attack on our fundamental freedoms and the basic existence of a democratic society … It is, in fact, totalitarian." But ten years later, in January, Harper purred to Maclean's editor Ken Whyte that his government "has no plans" to protect free speech. Doing his best John Conyers impersonation, he explained that Canadian Stalinism "exist[s] for valid reasons, which is obviously to prevent public airwaves from being used to disseminate hate against vulnerable members of our society." Harper's intervention quelled the Conservative free-speech uprising. Levant's book Shakedown became a national best-seller (although self-servingly ignoring opponents of the Human Rights totalitarianism prior to himself), but Lemire's case seemed hopeless. Perhaps he might score a few procedural points against the Commission, but Richard Warman's perfect record would surely remain unblemished. And then came Wednesday's miracle. Tribunal Member Athanasios Hadjis uncovered the obscure section 2 of the Charter of Rights, which purportedly guarantees Canadians "the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association." Section 2 had long ceased troubling Canada's legislators and judiciary, but Member Hadjis concluded that it rendered section 13(1) illegal. Dum spiro, spero!— "While I breathe, I hope". Yet despite Wednesday's victory, it is too early to declare victory. It is unknown whether the Commission will appeal—or simply ignore Hadjis's decision as not setting a precedent. This is what the Canadian Jewish Congress proposes. At press time, Stephen Harper has had no comment. Given his previous duplicity, he may well continue to order his Justice Minister to uphold the status quo ante. Although Harper was brought to power by an insurrectionary movement, he appears to be attempting to co-opt the center-left Liberal Party's electoral coalition. His rejection of anything like a Canadian version of the "Sailer Strategy" becomes ever more intense. Abetted by his Immigration Minister, the singularly odious Jason "Curry in a hurry" Kenney, Harper panders to Canada's ethnics as no Prime Minister has pandered before. Harper and Kenney actually believe they can induce both the Jews and the Muslims to support the Conservative Party. Paging Karl Rove…Will Karl Rove please go to the red courtesy phone… As C.S. Lewis pointed out, the road to Hell is not paved with good intentions; it is paved with bad intentions. Ezra Levant claims that the Canadian Human Rights Act was "a beautiful idea that failed". This is pure mendacity. And take it from this Canadian: so are the claims now being made in the U.S. that the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill contains nothing that "shall be construed to prohibit any expressive conduct protected from legal prohibition by, or any activities protected by the free speech or free exercise clauses of, the First Amendment to the Constitution". The CHRA ran roughshod over Canada's Constitution for 27 years, while our Parliament and judiciary yawned. The purpose of the CHRA was secret but obvious. It was to kill politics in Canada. And in that it succeeded. Canada may have the highest immigration rate in the world, but this is not an issue. Canada's major cities may have been turned into simulacrums of the Third World, but this is not an issue. Quebec is the tail that wags the Canadian dog, but this is not an issue. There is little left of what we used to be, and what little that exists steadily disappears, but this is not an issue, either. Self-censorship has become a defining Canadian characteristic. Despite Hadjis's brave decision, it is unlikely we will see a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend any time soon. At the Lemire hearing, Commission employee Dean Steacy actually declared: "Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value." If you take anything from this essay, take this: if you pass the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes bill, freedom of speech will turn out not to be an American concept either—with all of the attendant evils that have befallen my country. Kevin Michael Grace (send him email) testified as an expert witness before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in Citron v. Zündel . He lives in Victoria, British Columbia, and his blog, TheAmbler.com, features original commentaries. NBC: Time to Make Voting Republican Illegal Because It's Racist

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Pons Fabricius Subject: Pons Fabricius Sat Dec 25, 2010 6:26 pm The Pons Fabricius (Italian: Ponte Fabricio, meaning "Fabricius' Bridge") or Ponte dei Quattro Capi, is the oldest Roman bridge in Rome, Italy, still existing in its original state. Built in 62 BC, it spans half of the Tiber River, from the Campus Martius on the east side to Tiber Island in the middle (the Pons Cestius is west of the island). Quattro Capi ("four heads") refers to the two marble pillars of the two-faced Janus herms on the parapet, which were moved here from the nearby Church of St. Gregory (Monte Savello) in the 14th century.[1] According to Dio Cassius, the bridge was built in 62 BC, the year after Cicero was consul, to replace an earlier wooden bridge destroyed by fire. It was commissioned by Lucius Fabricius, the curator of the roads and a member of the gens Fabricia of Rome. Completely intact from Roman antiquity, it has been in continuous use ever since. The Pons Fabricius has a length of 62 m, and is 5.5 m wide. It is constructed from two wide arches, supported by a central pillar in the middle of the stream. Its core is constructed of tuff. Its outer facing today is made of bricks and travertine. Medical Marijuana Dispensary lunamoonfang Location : VietNam Member of : vernlen.forumotion.com Subject: Re: Pons Fabricius Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:34 am county coupons Cartier Ballon Bleu replica

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← Parliament versus the People: the Newport rising of 1839 Elections and electioneering, 1832-1868 → Posted on November 25, 2019 by salmonphilip Thomas Abdy’s political career provides a useful reminder of the chicanery, lies and corruption sometimes associated with 19th century English electioneering – venal traditions that became increasingly unacceptable during the Victorian era. Albyns, Essex Born into a naval family – his father was a captain who had married an admiral’s daughter – Abdy initially trained for the bar before inheriting vast family estates in Essex, including the Jacobean manor of Albyns in 1840. His ‘extensive landed means’ were put to ample use at the 1841 election, when he stood for the Essex borough of Maldon. Here the number of freemen voters had been greatly reduced by the 1832 Reform Act, enabling money to become ‘the best patron’ as bribery became much easier to manage. Abdy described himself as a ‘warm friend’ to the Liberals, but his obfuscation on some key issues, including the protectionist corn laws that he wished to ‘adjust’ but not ‘entirely repeal’, was eagerly seized on by his Tory opponents. They accused him of making statements ‘suited to all parties’ in order to ‘catch every fish that floats in the political ocean’. Fake and misleading hand-bills were circulated by both sides purporting to have been produced by their political opponents. At one point Abdy was even threatened with being horse-whipped. Although he lost his election by 33 votes, he secured 290 ‘plumps’ or single votes. It was only the split voting of some electors, who cast one of their votes for Abdy but gave their second vote to one of his rivals, that cost him the seat. “Falsehoods circulated by the Blues”, election hand-bill, 1847 Following his 1841 defeat, Adby set up the South Essex Reform Registration Association and became a leading figure in promoting and funding Liberal registration activity. This aimed to both recruit new Liberal supporters on to the electoral rolls and remove as many Tories as possible, by lodging legal challenges against their qualifications in the annual registration courts, even if these were just speculative or ‘vexatious’. ‘Watch the registration’, Abdy implored the Maldon branch of the new association. ‘Success depends not on the day of election, but … the registration courts’. The strategy worked. At the 1847 general election a Liberal candidate ousted Tory MPs in South Essex and in Maldon, despite more ‘falsehoods’ and fake hand-bills allegedly being distributed by the Tory ‘Blues’ . Abdy, meanwhile, opted to stand for Lyme Regis in Dorset, where there was local interest in the railway schemes in which he was involved as a railway director. He was backed by the borough’s former MP William Pinney, who had been unseated for bribing electors with cheap loans in 1842. Abdy’s promises to employ voters on railways and his lavish ‘treating’ with beer, food and entertainment secured his return by just three votes. His Tory opponent, however, immediately lodged a petition against the result, alleging foul play. What happened next exposed details of ‘borough-mongering’ that surprised even some of the most battle-hardened Victorian electioneers. The inquiry into the petition discovered that it had been sponsored and bankrolled by John Attwood, the newly elected Tory MP for Harwich. A ‘self-made’ Birmingham ironmaster, Attwood had purchased the splendid Hylands House estate in South Essex in 1839 and become a staunch rival of Abdy in local Essex politics. It also emerged that Attwood had been buying up properties in Lyme Regis in order to create a ‘pocket borough’ for government use, with a view to securing himself a peerage. Abdy’s lawyers immediately set about arguing that the petition from Abdy’s Tory opponent, in these circumstances, ‘was not bona fide’. Before the inquiry could rule, however, Attwood got the petition withdrawn, leaving the committee with no choice but to declare Abdy duly elected, despite his own electoral misdemeanours. Abdy’s subsequent campaign for an investigation of Attwood’s misconduct in Lyme Regis, for which he brought up a petition to the Commons, 4 Apr. 1848, came to nothing, but much to his glee Attwood was unseated for ‘corrupt practices’ in his own constituency of Harwich later that year. By now it was clear that Abdy’s tenure as MP for Lyme Regis would be brief. His promises of railway employment had not been forthcoming, thanks in part to the collapse of the railway investment bubble, prompting local complaints about his ‘treachery’ and ‘lies’. As well as having to cover his own railway losses, Abdy was liable for the very substantial costs of defending his election on petition. In 1849 he was also sued by agents for unpaid election debts at Maldon totalling over £5,000. By the time of the next general election, in 1852, he was in no position to defend his seat at Lyme Regis, which Pinney took over, and he retired to his estates. Abdy made no attempt to re-enter the Commons until 1868, when, shortly after coming into yet another ‘highly profitable’ family inheritance, he stood for the newly created constituency of Essex East. He was defeated in fourth place. Two years later he came forward for a vacancy at Colchester, only to withdraw. The constituency of Lyme Regis was abolished for electoral corruption in 1868, when both Harwich and Maldon were partially disfranchised for similar reasons. John Attwood never sat again after 1849 or obtained his peerage. In December 1849, however, the Whig-Liberal government of Lord John Russell gave Abdy a baronetcy, which still exists today. K. Rix, ‘The Second Reform Act and the problem of electoral corruption’, Parliamentary History, 36:1 (2017), 64-81 K. Rix, ‘“The elimination of corrupt practices in British elections”? Reassessing the impact of the 1883 Corrupt Practices Act’, English Historical Review, CXXIII (2008), 65-97 ‘Electoral reform and the political modernization of England’, Parliaments, Estates, and Representation, xxiii (2003), 49-67 VIEW This entry was posted in Biographies, Constituencies, Corruption, Elections, MP of the Month, Uncategorized and tagged election corruption, Election petitions, Electioneering, Registration. Bookmark the permalink.

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State bad bank fails to disclose relevant material to investigating judge; and separately to pursue former Nama executive, Paul Pugh, for disclosing confidential information by Frank Connolly 26 September, 2018, 12:37 pm 0 Comments The revelation that the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has failed to disclose “relevant material” to the Commission of Investigation into its controversial sale of its 11.5 billion (£1.24 million) Project Eagle loan portfolio in the North in 2014 will not come as any surprise. Many NAMA watchers have been wondering how the Commission, headed by retired High Court judge, John Cooke, has been progressing given that it is now more than a year since it was established. It took the previous two years to convince the reluctant former Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, and then Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, to concede to a formal inquiry into the portfolio sale to US fund Cerberus despite the dramatic and shocking allegations of corporate and political corruption that first emerged in July 2015. At that time, Independent TD, Mick Wallace, told the Dáil that a sum of £7m had been lodged in an Isle of Man bank account in connection with the sale and that it was intended for political and business interests associated with Project Eagle. NAMA executives were not exactly forthcoming about the background to the loan disposal and rejected out of hand the conclusions of the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG), in September 2016 that the agency had incurred a loss of a potential €223m (£190m) from the sale. The C&AG, Seamus McCarthy, resisted intense pressure from Noonan, the Department of Finance and NAMA executives and board to withdraw his damning report which then formed the basis of an inquiry by the Public Accounts Committee in late 2016. Its report was even more damning of the agency and of Noonan’s role in permitting the sale to proceed despite knowledge of questionable fee payments relating to it. The finance committee at Stormont carried out its own investigation in 2015 to which many of the parties to the deal gave evidence – although the NAMA chairman, Frank Daly and chief executive, Brendan McDonagh declined an invitation to attend as did the senior staff and advisors of the agency most intimately connected to the Project Eagle sale. Although it was essentially a ‘value for money’ exercise the C&AG report highlighted serious conflicts of interest in the sale process, not least relating to the role of Frank Cushnahan, the former member of the Northern Ireland Advisory Committee of NAMA. The C&AG reported that NAMA underestimated the value of the loans, applied too high a discount and had failed to act when it discovered details of some £15m in “success fees” promised to Cushnahan, US law rm Brown Rudnick and Belfast solicitor, Ian Coulter of Tughans by US fund PIMCO before it withdrew from the sale in March 2014. Since then Cushnahan, Coulter and a former head of asset recovery at the agency, Ronnie Hanna, have been questioned by the National Crime Agency in connection with the deal while former first minister, Peter Robinson and his son Gareth, have also come under scrutiny for their role in the extraordinary Project Eagle affair. Hanna and Cushnahan were arrested in May 2016 while Coulter, a former head of the Confederation of British Industry in the North who was responsible for transferring some £5 million to the Isle of Man in late 2014 after the sale to Cerberus was completed was also subjected to a grilling by the NCA team. Property developer John Miskelly who admitted to the BBC some years ago that he had legitimately paid large sums of cash to Cushnahan, and had secretly taped his exchanges with the business consultant, was also arrested in 2017 as part of the NCA probe. Last month, it emerged that charges may now be brought against two of the nine people under investigation and there is intense speculation as to who, if anyone, will finally be brought to account over a property disposal that helped to Enrich Cerberus and associated accountancy, legal and other professionals at the expense of the public purse. Also intriguing is the recent decision by the DPP to withdraw charges against a former NAMA official who was accused of disclosing confidential information from the agency. In this case, NAMA executives made the complaint which led to the arrest of its former staff member Paul Pugh in 2013. Pugh was charged with intentionally disclosing loan and other details relating to builder, John McCabe and his UK company, McCabe Builders. Pugh was accused of sending the information to Gehane Tew k of London based Connaught & Whitehall Capital UK in June 2012. When the case came to court in recent months the DPP and investigating gardaí said that they were not proceeding with the prosecution for reasons that were not fully explained to the judge or the public. It appears that the NAMA executives whose complaint prompted the arrest of Pugh in the first place are now less than enthusiastic about pursuing the case, despite the five-year investigation into the matter. Not for the first time, NAMA has failed to disclose its reasons for not pursuing this case to conclusion. Tagged with: bank, charges, confidential information, investigation, Ireland, Judge, NAMA, Paul Pugh, Village Magazine Previous article Mr Eddie Sheehy and Village Next article THE DUP SKELETONS IN THERESA MAY’S CLOSET Ireland, Italy and the Disclosures Tribunal by David Langwallner 11 May, 2018 0 Comments Conflict in Corner by Michael Smith 29 October, 2017 0 Comments

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James Pollock on Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Archaic Torso of Apollo” Archaic Torso of Apollo by Rainer Maria Rilke I have read and taught Rilke’s Petrarchan sonnet “Archaïscher Torso Apollos” many times — that is, in Stephen Mitchell’s beautiful and powerful English translation— and I even have some things to say about it in an essay in my latest book. But it wasn’t until I sat down just now to think anew about the famous volta in the final line that I quite realized how Rilke prepares the way with two earlier images of turning. The first is to be found in lines four and five, where he compares the statue’s torso to a candelabrum (“ein Kandelaber”), or, in Mitchell’s version, “a lamp, in which his gaze, now turned to low, // gleams in all its power.” The image is of a candelabrum in which the candles have just now been blown out, and whose wicks are therefore still glowing. But the German phrase is “nur zurückgeshraubt,” literally “only screwed back,” or “merely turned down low,” an idiom more proper to a kerosene or gas lamp than the afterglow of a candelabrum. This suggests that Rilke wanted particularly to convey an image of light turned down rather than blown out, to give it the power to be turned up again at the end of the poem. The second image of turning, in the next sentence, is lost in Mitchell’s translation: the curved breast could not dazzle you so, nor could a smile run through the placid hips and thighs to that dark corner where procreation flared. (5-8) Rilke wrote this: Sonst könnte nicht der Bug der Brust dich blenden, und im leisen Drehen der Lenden könnte nicht ein Lächeln gehen zu jener Mitte, die die Zeugung trug. (5-8) Here’s my literal, word-for-word, crib: “Else could not the curve / of the chest blind you, and in the slight twist / of the loins could not a smile go / towards that center, that procreation bore.” That turning of the body so characteristic of ancient Greek sculpture is registered here in “im leisen Drehen / der Lenden,” “that slight twist / of the loins,” a movement deftly enacted in the enjambment after “Drehen” which turns the verse precisely on the word “twist.” Rilke calls our attention to this image of turning with internal rhymes, too: “blenden . . . Drehen . . . Lenden . . . gehen,” that is, “blind . . . twist . . . loins . . . go.” And it is this very twist in the loins that produces the smile; the slight crease of flesh between abdomen and thigh makes a shape like that of lips turned up at the corners. Moreover, this smile “go[es] / towards that center” of procreation, the physically missing but somehow still present genitals of the god. In turning toward the genital center, the knowing smile suggests that its procreative, or at any rate creative, powers are still intact, and again, this is borne out, figuratively speaking, at the end of the poem. Taken together, these two tropes of turning—the gaze like a candelabrum “turned down low,” the stone loins “twist[ed]” into “a smile”— make a kind of chiasmus or crisscross structure of transformation. (Justus George Lawler, in his book Celestial Pantomime: Poetic Structures of Transcendence calls chiasmus “primarily representative of the intersection of the infinite and the finite,” and this is clearly the case here, too.) In the first trope, the god’s gaze is transformed through metaphor into something inanimate, a mere candelabrum, the way the characters in Ovid’s Metamorphoses keep getting turned into something inhuman. (Think of Daphne who, chased by the lustful Apollo, turns into a laurel tree). But in the second trope, the stone loins become animate again, and smile toward those divine genitals; it’s an Ovidian transformation in reverse, in which the dead stone is turned back into a living god. In fact, the latter constitutes the most fundamental turn in the poem, without which the more famous volta at the end would be impossible. Thus, by the time the light of the sun god “bursts like a star” from the statue in the penultimate line of the poem—that is to say, by the time the god has fully re-entered the statue, the way Athena, as the ancient Athenians believed, continually re-entered the statue of the goddess in the Parthenon in response to the sacrifices of her devotees— a careful reader of the poem has already seen it coming. It’s worth recalling that for the ancient Greeks the word “theos,” or god, meant primarily an event. And what this event precipitates here is a sudden awareness on the part, not of us (the “we” of the first line), but of “you”: an awareness of being seen by the god. Earlier, his gaze was “turned down low,” so that, notwithstanding that it “gleam[ed] in all its power,” still one was not entirely conscious of being seen. Now, however, the direction of the gaze in the poem is reversed; one’s privileged status as a visitor to an art museum, gazing at the blind statues with aesthetic detachment, has been obliterated by this sudden awareness, which is nothing if not a religious experience. The religious experience in turn produces the electrifying volta of the last sentence, the ethical imperative “You must change your life”—which here means, “you must be transformed, turned into something else, just like the statue.” Mark Doty has called this ending “the sharpest last-minute turn in sonnet history,” and it’s true; up to this moment the poem has been a description of the statue, and now suddenly it’s a revelation inside “you.” As the climax of the poem’s plot, it deploys simultaneously both of the elements Aristotle insisted were indispensable to a good climax: reversal and recognition. (In the best plots, Aristotle added, these elements occur at the same time.) But for all its power to surprise, its greatest surprise for us today may be that it is not in fact disjunctive; there is no surreal or language-y non sequitur. Indeed, the imperative “You must change your life” follows logically from the statement that precedes it: “for here there is no place / that does not see you.” It is a religious logic, to be sure, but then, this is essentially a religious poem. Apollo is the god of poetry. And it is important to understand the role of this poem in Rilke’s development as a poet. He had been working as Rodin’s secretary in Paris, and visiting the art museums and the zoo nearly every day at Rodin’s instigation. Rodin’s advice (“one must work, always work”) and the example he set of a disciplined artist who worked tirelessly to transform the perishable bodies of his human models into durable bronze statues with great spiritual power—all this had a profound effect on Rilke. It turned him from a poet who waited for inspiration to one who felt the responsibility of his art in a new and profound way. It made him change himself into a poet whose calling was to transmute the impermanent things of this world—a corpse, a black cat, the statue of Apollo—into a higher order of reality within himself. No wonder he placed “Archaic Torso of Apollo” first in the second volume of his New Poems, to mark this crucial turning-point in his career. James Pollock is the author of Sailing to Babylon (Able Muse Press, 2012), which was a finalist for the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award in Poetry, runner-up for the Posner Poetry Book Award, and winner of an Outstanding Achievement Award in Poetry from the Wisconsin Library Association; and You Are Here: Essays on the Art of Poetry in Canada (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2012), a finalist for the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Award for a collection of essays. His poems have been published in The Paris Review, AGNI, Poetry Daily, and other journals, and appear or are forthcoming in anthologies including The Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology 2013, Heart of the Order: An Anthology of Poems about Baseball, and The Poet’s Quest for God: 21st Century Poems of Spirituality. His critical essays and reviews have appeared in Contemporary Poetry Review, Canadian Notes & Queries, Arc Poetry Magazine, and elsewhere. He is an associate professor at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa, where he teaches poetry in the creative writing program. He lives with his wife and son in Madison, Wisconsin. Tagged: James Pollock, literary analysis, literary criticism, literature, poems, poetry, poetry analysis, poetry criticism, poetry turn, Rainer Maria Rilke, volta Nikku says: Hi Professor Pollock For years, I’ve been searching for a particular translation of this poem, which I first read in an anthology before the internet. As a non-poet, it’s interesting and slightly befuddling to see how many different translations of this poem exist. The one I want to find used the phrase ‘where the generative power thrived’ for Mitchell’s ‘where procreation flared’. Every year or so, I spend a night searching Google to see if I can find that version. Tonight I came across your pages. I wonder if you know the version I’m talk about? It had such a profound effect on me, once. I want so much to read it again. Nikku voltagepoetry says: Hi, Nikku! Mike Theune, one of the co-editors of Voltage Poetry, here. Thank you for your comment. Might this be the translation you’re seeking: http://picture-poems.com/rilke/features/alderspring.html (scroll down) This translation, it seems, is by Cliff Crego. Also, there’s a great discussion of the various versions of Rilke’s “Archaic Torso of Apollo” in William Gass’s book Reading Rilke: Reflections on the Problem of Translation. Hi Mr. Theune That’s it!! Thank you so much! I didn’t even have to click the link, I knew it was the right one when I read the name of the translator. I don’t know why I couldn’t find this on my own. Needless to say, I’m now going to make sure that I have a copy safely stored away. It’s hard to describe how happy this made me today. I will definitely check out the Gass book. Once again, thanks so much for taking the time to find that link and to respond. My great pleasure, Nikku! All best! –Mike “Pivot and Parataxis in Joshua Beckman’s ‘A rake in the garden. The garden,’” by Malachi Black | Voltage Poetry The Rilkean Volta | Structure & Surprise Leave a Reply to Nikku Cancel reply « Clayton Eshleman’s “A Gloss of Hart Crane’s ‘Lachrymae Christi'” Virginia Bell’s “The Turn as Poetic Striptease in Anne Carson’s ‘Wildly Constant’” »

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Difference between revisions of "Compagnie Générale de Géophysique" Sabrina.leroe (talk | contribs) (added to infobox, removed links from headings) Isaac tlol (talk | contribs) (→‎External links) reservoir management. === Citation for the Award === Citation for the Award ''Contributed by [[Ken Larner]]'' [http://www.cgg.com www.cgg.com] [[Category:Companies]] Compagnie Générale de Géophysique Latest company 1 SEG Distinguished Achievement Award 2006 1.1 Citation for the Award SEG Distinguished Achievement Award 2006 SEG is honoring the Compagnie Générale de Géophysique with a Distinguished Achievement Award for its contributions to the science of exploration geophysics over the past 75 years. Founded in 1931 by Conrad Schlumberger, CGG has remained independent and has throughout its history contributed to the advancement of geophysics. Historically CGG has been a leader in land-based multicomponent seismic, time-lapse acquisition and processing, converted-wave applications, portable crews, land and marine telemetry, VSP acquisition, depth migration, noise attenuation, and ocean-bottom and conventional marine acquisition. CGG employs 4000 people, from more than 30 nationalities, working at 50 sites around the world and is a force among international industry associations. CGG currently operates through two business sectors. Sercel is a leading international supplier of land and marine seismic acquisition systems. The company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports a full range of high-tech, integrated equipment. CGG Services covers onshore and offshore seismic acquisition, seismic data processing, and reservoir management. Contributed by Ken Larner Just one year after SEG celebrated its 75th anniversary, the Society most fittingly has chosen to honor, with the SEG Distinguished Achievement Award, Compagnie Générale de Géophysique, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Since its founding in 1931 by Conrad Schlumberger, CGG throughout has remained an independent geophysical company with a record of innovation unparalleled in breadth of geophysicalexploration methodologies spanned. No mergers with other service companies; 75 years of independence, providing service of the highest quality, sparked, as from the start, by pioneering innovation. CGG today is one of the premier geophysical exploration companies emphasizing seismic methods in petroleum exploration and reservoir management. Yet, throughout its history it has been far more than that. It all started in 1931 with dc electrical sounding methods developed over the previous two decades by the Schlumberger brothers. Ever since, CGG researchers have developed the theory and practice for acquiring and processing electrical data in mining, civil engineering, and hydrologic applications. Much the same holds for its extension to electromagnetic methods, starting in 1942, including induced polarization for mining exploration and use of transient currents for hydrocarbon prospecting. There immediately followed the combining of electric and magnetic field data in the development of multicomponent magnetotelluric methods. Even earlier on, back in 1937, CGG started a wave of developments in gravity prospecting, including the first heliportable survey, in the Sahara, in 1956. Shortly thereafter was the first (underwater) marine gravity survey, and over more than three decades, starting in the early 1930s, the company pioneered a succession of new techniques for processing and interpreting gravity data. Also, while CGG’s application of high-sensitivity airborne magnetic surveying in both mining exploration and petroleum prospecting dates back to 1962, its advances in theory and processing of such survey data go back even farther, to 1953. No mere follower of fashion, while much of the seismic industry was largely focused in one or two conventional directions, CGG’s eyes were cast in all directions. For much of the history of seismic exploration, for example, the industry’s approaches were almost exclusively directed toward surface, P-wave exploration along 2D profiles. CGG’s bread-and-butter services had that focus as well. Meanwhile, however, CGG’s researchers investigated underlying principles of 3D wave propagation and the generation of shear waves, as well as measurement of waves down boreholes in vertical seismic profiling. They field-tested developments in each of these research areas, pioneering wide-line profiling to address the problem of out-of-plane reflections, developing novel means of generating shear waves, acquiring multicomponent data and processing them to recover mode-converted (PS) waves, and developing early methodology for exploiting these waves to enhance lithologic identification. Over the past four decades, CGG researchers were among the leaders in digital signal processing, including developing sophisticated methods for inversion of multiples-contaminated data, for interpolation of missing data, for suppression of various types of seismic noise, and for depth migration and imaging of seismic data. This brief citation allows no more than the mention of a regrettably incomplete list of names of outstanding CGG researchers over the years: R. Mailet, V. Baranov, G. Kunetz, R. Garotta, D. Paturet, D. Michon, J. M. Fourmann, R. Soubaras, and S. Spitz. The emphasis in this citation has been on CGG’s many innovations in geophysical exploration technology over the decades. The foundation for its outstanding research, however, derives from the company’s commitment to substantial reinvestment of annual revenue into R&D, revenue derived from continuing success in worldwide acquisition and processing of geophysical data—today dominantly seismic—both onshore and offshore. In turn, that success derives from the high trust and respect that CGG has earned from its clients. In the years and decades ahead, geophysical exploration companies will come and go, through company mergers and takeovers, but 25 years from now we can well expect to find an ever-independent CGG celebrating 100 years of innovation through research that poses and tackles technological questions in exploration geophysics that others don’t even think to ask. www.cgg.com Retrieved from "https://wiki.seg.org/index.php?title=Compagnie_Générale_de_Géophysique&oldid=55084"

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===Board Members=== A new chairman has been lined up at Imperial Brands but the appointment is being held up by legal issues. The eight-months long hunt for a replacement for Mark Williamson has allegedly taken longer than expected because of the difficulty of finding "high-calibre directors willing to oversee a tobacco business." In addition, it had to compete with its arch rival British American Tobacco, which is also looking to replace its chairman, Richard Burrows. <ref>[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/legal-issues-delay-hunt-for-tobacco-boss-82vhvh9t5 ‘Legal issues’ delay hunt for tobacco boss], ''The Times'', 7 October 2019, Accessed 9 October 2019 </ref> The directors of Imperial Brands have been accused of aggressive accounting, losing credibility and operating a questionable bonus scheme. <ref>[https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/broker-tells-tobaccogiant-to-clear-smokefrom-its-statements-nvfpzg8kx Broker tells Imperial Brands to clear smoke from its statements], The Times, 28 September 2019, Accessed 10 October 2019 </ref> {| class="wikitable" ! style="font-weight:bold; width:20%" |Name ! style="font-weight:bold; width:20%" |Position ! style="font-weight:bold; width:50%" |Bio |- |Mark Williamson, CA (SA) |Chairman of the Board |Mark was Chief Financial Officer of International Power plc until 2012 and is experienced in managing relationships with the investor and financial communities. He is also a former Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of Alent plc. He joined the Board in July 2007 and was appointed Senior Independent Non-Executive Director in February 2012. He was subsequently appointed Deputy Chairman of the Board in January 2013 before being made Chairman in February 2014. ''Committee Membership:'' Chairman of the Succession and Nominations Committee. ''External Appointments:'' Chairman of Spectris plc; Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of National Grid plc. {{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Alison Cooper, BSC, ACA |Chief Executive Officer |Since being appointed as Chief Executive Alison has led the development and implementation of the Group’s sustainable sales growth strategy. Alison joined the Group in 1999 and, through a number of senior roles, has contributed significantly to the international expansion of the Group. Appointed Director in July 2007. Appointed Chief Executive in May 2010. {{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Oliver Tant, BSC, CA (SCOTLAND) |Chief Financial Officer |Oliver held a number of senior positions in a 32-year career at KPMG, including Global Managing Director Financial Advisory and Private Equity Division and Head of UK Audit. He was also a member of both the UK and German boards of KPMG. He brings to Imperial international experience in change management, organizational restructuring, corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. Appointed to the Board of Directors in October 2013 and became Chief Financial Officer in November 2013.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Matthew Phillips, LLB |Chief Development Officer |Matthew held a number of senior roles prior to his appointment to the Board as Corporate Affairs Director in June 2012 and has been integral to the development and implementation of the Group's strategy. In his current role he is responsible for Next Generation Product innovation, product science, smokeless tobacco, corporate development and corporate and legal affairs. Appointed Director in June 2012. Appointed Chief Development Officer, June 2015.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Therese Esperdy |Non-Executive Director |Therese has significant international investment banking experience having held a number of roles at JP Morgan including Global Chairman of JP Morgan’s Financial Institutions Group, Co-Head of Asia-Pacific Corporate & Investment Banking, Global Head of Debt Capital Markets, and Head of US Debt Capital Markets. She began her career at Lehman Brothers and joined Chase Securities in 1997 prior to the firm's merger with JP Morgan in 2000. Appointed Non-Executive Director in July 2016. ''Committee Membership:'' Member of the Audit Committee and the Succession & Nominations Committee. ''External Appointments:'' Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Finance Committee of National Grid Plc.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Simon Langelier |Non-Executive Director |Simon has significant international experience within the tobacco industry. He held a number of senior commercial positions during a 30-year career with [[Philip Morris International]], including in Latin America, Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa. In addition, he was President of their Next Generation Products & Adjacent Businesses. Appointed Non-Executive Director in June 2017. ''Committee Membership:'' Member of the Audit Committee and the Succession & Nominations Committee. ''External Appointments:'' Chairman of PharmaCielo Limited; Ambassador of Lancaster University.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Steven Stanbrook |Non-Executive Director |Steven brings considerable international executive experience to the Board, gained in a number of FMCG companies. This includes 18 years at SC Johnson & Son Inc., most recently as Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for managing their international operations. Steven is a partner of Wind Point Partners and a Director of both Autism Speaks and The Vollrath Company, LLC. Previously he held senior positions at Sara Lee Corporation, including as Chief Executive Officer of Sara Lee Bakery and at CompuServe Corp. He is also a former Non-Executive Director of Chiquita Brands International, Inc. and Hewitt Associates. Appointed Non-Executive Director in February 2016 ''Committee Membership:'' Member of the Remuneration Committee and the Succession & Nominations Committee.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Karen Witts, FCA |Non-Executive Director |Karen brings significant financial and management expertise to the Board. She is currently Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Kingfisher plc and was previously Chief Financial Officer of the Africa, Middle East, Asia and Asia Pacific Region, at Vodafone plc. Prior to that, Karen held a number of senior positions at BT, including Chief Financial Officer of BT Retail and Managing Director Operations Openreach. Appointed Non-Executive Director in February 2014 and Chairman of the Audit Committee in February 2017. ''Committee Membership:'' Chairman of the Audit Committee and member of the Succession and Nominations Committee and the Remuneration Committee. ''External Appointments:'' Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director of Kingfisher plc.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |Malcolm Wyman, CA (SA) |Senior Independent Non-Executive Director |As a qualified accountant and former Chief Financial Officer of SAB Miller plc, with responsibility for the group’s financial operations, corporate finance and development and group strategy, Malcolm brings not only a wealth of financial expertise but also considerable general management experience to the Board. He also meets the recent and relevant financial experience requirements of the UK Corporate Governance Code. Appointed Non-Executive Director in October 2011, and Senior Independent Non-Executive Director in February 2017. Appointed Chairman of the Remuneration Committee in July 2018. Chairman of the Audit Committee from February 2012 to February 2017. ''Committee Membership:'' Chariman of the Remuneration Committee and member of the Succession and Nominations Committee. ''External Appointments:'' Senior Independent Non-Executive Director and former Chairman of the Audit Committee of Nedbank Group Limited, listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |John Downing, MA, SOLICITOR |Company Secretary |John joined Imperial in 2005 having worked for the law firm Linklaters. He has had a number of senior legal roles in Imperial including playing a leading role in the Altadis acquisition and becoming Head of Group Legal in 2010. He has considerable experience in managing key corporate projects related to financing, business development and other commercial matters. In addition to his Group Company Secretary role, John also has responsibility for the Group's governance, Code of Conduct, security and information security. ''Appointment:'' Appointed Company Secretary in June 2012.{{r|IB_WEB_LEADERSHIP}} |- |}

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<< Previous TITLE 22 / CHAPTER 7 / § 262g-2 Next >> 22 USC 262g-2: Establishment of guidelines for international financial institutions Text contains those laws in effect on January 18, 2020 From Title 22-FOREIGN RELATIONS AND INTERCOURSECHAPTER 7-INTERNATIONAL BUREAUS, CONGRESSES, ETC. Jump To: Source CreditReferences In TextEffective DateMiscellaneous §262g–2. Establishment of guidelines for international financial institutions (a) Consultation with representatives of member countries The Secretary of the Treasury shall consult with representatives of other member countries of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Fund, and the African Development Bank (if the United States becomes a member of that Bank), for the purpose of establishing guidelines within each of those institutions which specify that, in a manner consistent with the purposes and charters of those institutions, a specified proportion of the annual lending by each institution shall be designed to benefit needy people, primarily by financing sound, efficient, productive, self-sustaining projects designed to benefit needy people in developing countries, thus helping poor people improve their conditions of life. (b) Congressional findings regarding implementation of objectives The Congress finds that projects to construct basic infrastructure, to expand productive capacity (including private enterprise), and to address social problems can all meet the objectives of this section if they are designed and implemented properly. For the purposes of this title, "needy people" means those people living in "absolute" or "relative" poverty as determined under the standards employed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association. (Pub. L. 95–118, title XI, §1102, as added Pub. L. 97–35, title XIII, §1361(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 745 .) This title, referred to in subsec. (b), is title XI (§§1101–1103) of Pub. L. 95–118, as added by Pub. L. 97–35, title XIII, §1361(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 745 , which enacted sections 262g–1 and 262g–2 of this title and enacted a provision set out as a note below. For complete classification of title XI to the Code, see Tables. Section effective Aug. 13, 1981, see section 1372 of Pub. L. 97–35, set out as a note under section 290i of this title. Reports to Congress Pub. L. 95–118, title XI, §1103, as added by Pub. L. 97–35, title XIII, §1361(b), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 746 , required reports on the progress being made toward achieving the goals of this section, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 101–240, title V, §541(d)(4), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2518 .

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Watch the teaser trailer for Mark Wahlberg’s Boston Marathon bombing film ‘Patriots Day’ By Michael Marottaon October 5, 2016 On Monday we reported that Academy Award-winning duo Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have been enlisted to provide the score for Mark Wahlberg’s upcoming film Patriots Day. Today, the first teaser trailer for the movie, which details the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the subsequent manhunt for the bombers, has been released. Watch it below. In addition to Wahlberg, the Peter Berg-directed film also stars John Goodman, Kevin Bacon, J.K. Simmons and Michelle Monaghan. It’s based on the book Boston Strong: A City’s Triumph Over Tragedy, co-authored by former Boston Herald reporter Dave Wedge and writer Casey Sherman. “The courage and stories of the survivors, first responders and other organizations who stepped up that morning and every day since are the inspiration for this film,” says Berg, via Mashable. Patriots Day will open December 21 in a limited run in three cities, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles a nationwide release of January 13. Mark WahlbergPatriots Day

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Turkish Iftar During Ramadan Has New Significance This Year In Louisville By Roxanne Scott Photo: Roxanne Scott At 9:06 p.m. on Thursday, dozens of Muslims completed the fourth prayer of the day at the American-Turkish Friendship Association. The prayer lasted for about 15 minutes after sunset, and attendees moved to the next room to join others for their second meal of the day. Muslims across the globe are celebrating the holy month of Ramadan. Part of that celebration includes Iftar, or the nightly meal Muslims eat to break their fast. Mirac Ozkir is a math teacher in Louisville. He’s also a board member of the association. One lesson he’s learned from Ramadan is how to cope with change. Roxanne Scott | wfpl.org Mirac Ozki at ATFA Iftar “We all have routines in our life, routines are making our lives easier,” he says. “But all of a sudden, Ramadan starts and God says you know what you need to stop. This is your new routine for one month.” He also sees the evening meal as a way to connect Muslims and non-Muslims in the city. Although the ritual of Iftar is consistent, Ozkir has noticed a difference this year. “It’s like way bigger than previous years,” he says. The Trump administration’s words and policy decisions are seen by many as unfriendly to Muslims. And Ozkir said he has witnessed many Louisvillians showing up to Iftar in support of his community. Although Muslims make up only about 1 percent of the U.S. population according to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Americans are at least “somewhat” concerned about Islamic extremism in the country. A day after Trump’s January executive order banning travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, the association held a dinner to combat racism and islamophobia. The dinner was planned months before Trump’s announcement. Organizers expected a crowd in the dozens, but hundreds attended the dinner to show their support. The travel ban has since been revised to six majority-Muslim countries and includes other amendments, but federal courts have blocked it from going into effect. For Ozkir, who was also present at the dinner earlier this year, the larger than usual crowd at Iftar may be an extension of that support. “Compassionate Louisville is taking care of us really well,” he says. “We don’t see some bad part of America. Maybe they’re hiding from us.” islam religion

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This site will always try to be as politically incorrect as possible. February 5, 2000, Bill Lind Variations of this speech have been delivered to various AIA conferences including the 2000 Consevative University at American UniversityWhere does all this stuff that you’ve heard about this morning – the victim feminism, the gay rights movement, the invented statistics, the rewritten history, the lies, the demands, all the rest of it – where does it come from?For the first time in our history, Americans have to be fearful of what they say, of what they write, and of what they think. They have to be afraid of using the wrong word, a word denounced as offensive or insensitive, or racist, sexist, or homophobic. We have seen other countries, particularly in this century, where this has been the case. And we have always regarded them with a mixture of pity, and to be truthful, some amusement, because it has struck us as so strange that people would allow a situation to develop where they would be afraid of what words they used. But we now have this situation in this country. We have it primarily on college campuses, but it is spreading throughout the whole society. Were does it come from? What is it? We call it “Political Correctness.” The name originated as something of a joke, literally in a comic strip, and we tend still to think of it as only half-serious. In fact, it’s deadly serious. It is the great disease of our century, the disease that has left tens of millions of people dead in Europe, in Russia, in China, indeed around the world. It is the disease of ideology. PC is not funny. PC is deadly serious.If we look at it analytically, if we look at it historically, we quickly find out exactly what it is. Political Correctness is cultural Marxism. It is Marxism translated from economic into cultural terms. It is an effort that goes back not to the 1960s and the hippies and the peace movement, but back to World War I. If we compare the basic tenets of Political Correctness with classical Marxism the parallels are very obvious. First of all, both are totalitarian ideologies. The totalitarian nature of Political Correctness is revealed nowhere more clearly than on college campuses, many of which at this point are small ivy covered North Koreas, where the student or faculty member who dares to cross any of the lines set up by the gender feminist or the homosexual-rights activists, or the local black or Hispanic group, or any of the other sainted “victims” groups that PC revolves around, quickly find themselves in judicial trouble. Within the small legal system of the college, they face formal charges – some star-chamber proceeding – and punishment. That is a little look into the future that Political Correctness intends for the nation as a whole. Indeed, all ideologies are totalitarian because the essence of an ideology (I would note that conservatism correctly understood is not an ideology) is to take some philosophy and say on the basis of this philosophy certain things must be true – such as the whole of the history of our culture is the history of the oppression of women. Since reality contradicts that, reality must be forbidden. It must become forbidden to acknowledge the reality of our history. People must be forced to live a lie, and since people are naturally reluctant to live a lie, they naturally use their ears and eyes to look out and say, “Wait a minute. This isn’t true. I can see it isn’t true,” the power of the state must be put behind the demand to live a lie. That is why ideology invariably creates a totalitarian state.Second, the cultural Marxism of Political Correctness, like economic Marxism, has a single factor explanation of history. Economic Marxism says that all of history is determined by ownership of means of production. Cultural Marxism, or Political Correctness, says that all history is determined by power, by which groups defined in terms of race, sex, etc., have power over which other groups. Nothing else matters. All literature, indeed, is about that. Everything in the past is about that one thing. See entire article here.

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WikiPicky Celebrity Gossip, News and Entertainment Sport Celebrity Home » Celebrity » Ami James Wiki, Married, Wife, Divorce, Tattoos and Net Worth Ami James Wiki, Married, Wife, Divorce, Tattoos and Net Worth Date: 20 Jan, 2016 Report This Date of Birth/Birthday 47 Years 9 Month(s) American, Israeli Wife/Spouse Andrea O'Brian(div), Andrea O'Brian Yes(once) Girlfriend/Dating $5.1 Million Dollars Height/Tall 5 feet 10 inches(178 cm) Children/Kids Shayli Haylen James, Nalia James Ami James is an Israeli-born tattoo artist who was born on April 6, 1972. He was born with Jewish ethnicity to an American father who converted to Judaism three years earlier from moving to Israel. He is very popular for his skills and tattoo designs. James is one of the well-known tattoo artist who has large no of fan followings and admires. Talking about his early life and childhood days, he was born to an Israeli army with Israeli nationality. As his father was an army, he spent most of his childhood days in Egypt and Israel. He spent most of his childhood days without his father as he left them when James was four years old. As his father had tattoos and was also a painter, James also had interest on tattoos, art and tattooing. At the age of 11, James moved to United States in order to live with his grandparents and moved to Miami at the age of twelve. In his teens, he went back to Israel in order to join military service in the Israel Defense Forces as a sniper. He got his first tattoo experience at the age of fifteen and thought of pursuing his career as a tattoo artist. In the year 1992, he started his artisanship with talented tattoo artist Lou at Tattoos By Lou. After lots of dedication, interest and hard work, he is one of the well known tattoo artist who is the co-owner of the Miami Beach, Florida tattoo parlor Love Hate Tattoos which is also a theme of Miami Ink; the TLC reality television program. Similarly he owns the Miami nightclub Love Hate Lounge and DeVille clothing company. He also has created designs for Motorola's RAZR V3 mobile phones. Recently he has invested in a jewelry line named Love Hate Choppers Jewelry. Later on he moved to New York in order to begin his new show named NY ink. Talking about his personal life, not much is revealed about his girlfriend and affairs. But he is said to be married to Jordan. They have two children namely Shayli Haylen James and Nalia. He seems to have good relation with his wife or kids since there is no any information about his divorce and other dating. This doesn’t mean he being a gay. He is a handsome young man, who has a great physique and measures about 1.78m in height. That is about 5 feet and 10 inches tall. James has been working out at the gym, and has revealed his well-shaped body and tattoos in many shirtless pictures, that can be found in the media. As he has gained much fame within a very short period of time, he has got a large fan following especially on his Twitter and Instagram accounts. One can follow him in different social networking sites and can find his biography on wiki. He earns an eye catching net worth of $5.1 million dollars. Therefore he is a pure class man and after being so popular and successful, he is very calm and determined towards his profession. Jonathan Demme Wiki, Bio, Wife, Health and Net Worth Jacques Torres Wiki, Bio, Wife, Children and Net Worth Bill Klein Wiki, Bio, Age, Married, Wife, Children and Net Worth Emmanuel Jal Wiki, Bio, Married, Wife or Girlfriend and Net Worth Colin Trevorrow Wiki, Married, Wife, Girlfriend or Gay and Net Worth Izzy Stradlin Wiki, Married, Wife or Gay and Net Worth Ansel Elgort Wiki, Girlfriend, Dating or Gay Marlo Hampton Wiki, Bio, Age, Married, Husband and Net Worth John Frusciante Wiki, Wife, Divorce, Girlfriend, Tattoos and Net Worth Alexis Arquette Wiki, Married, Husband and Plastic Surgery Brandon Davis Wiki, Bio, Married or Girlfriend, Dating and Net Worth © 2020 Wikipicky.com and All Rights Reserved By using WikiPicky.com you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Published contents by users are under Creative Commons License. WikiPicky.com

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← The Mounseys of Clashnevin The Melmerby Smiths after 1821 → Hannah Huddart of Gamblesby Posted on April 8, 2013 by Jean Hannah Huddart was one of my great-great-great-grandmothers. She was born in Gamblesby, in the County of Cumberland, in late 1753 or early 1754 and was baptised at Addingham Parish Church in Glassonby on 3 February 1754. The Huddart family lived in Gamblesby where Hannah’s father was a farmer and Hannah lived there until she married John Smith from Melmerby in June 1777. It is through her marriage to John Smith that she became one of the Mrs Smiths in my family tree. Also due to her marriage, she moved from Gamblesby to Melmerby, a distance of about 1.5 miles (or 2.5 km). Hannah had nine children, of whom seven survived to full adulthood. Her second youngest son Joseph died at the age of thirty in 1822. The oldest surviving son William became the heir to the property of both his parents. Her third-oldest surviving son was my great-great-grandfather Lancelot Smith of Gamblesby. Aside from knowing who she married and how many children she had, I know one other thing about Hannah Huddart: according to her great-grand-daughter Agnes Nicholson, Hannah was converted to Methodism during a visit of John Wesley to Gamblesby. I believe that would have been around 1772, when Hannah was about 18 years old. Despite Hannah’s conversion, and presumably raising her children later on to become good Methodists, all of her children were baptized in the Anglican Church in Melmerby and some of them were buried in the churchyard there as well. The Methodists did not separate from the Anglican Church until after 1784. By 1795, the Methodists were legally able to conduct marriages and perform religious sacraments. The chapels were then authorized by the Methodist movement to start conducting communion services, marriages, burials and baptisms. These changes would only have happened gradually with the agreement of local chapel leaders and probably did not take effect in more remote places like the Cumberland Fells until well after 1800. As far as I know there was no Methodist chapel ever built in Melmerby. Methodists in that community would probably have gone to Gamblesby to attend chapel services. It is not clear how much Hannah’s husband John Smith was devoted to the Wesleyan Methodist cause because it seems that his heir William Smith and William’s descendants were regular members of the Anglican Church in Melmerby. (However, having key life events recorded in the Anglican Church has made finding information on the Smiths of Cumberland a great deal easier for me than looking for Methodist circuit records.) After 1808, the Methodist movement split between Wesleyan Methodists and Primitive Methodists on several issues of religious practice. The chapel in Gamblesby remained Wesleyan Methodist. Hannah’s son Lancelot Smith of Gamblesby was a Wesleyan Methodist and raised his children in that religion (although they too were baptised in the Anglican church). Hannah’s grandson Lancelot Smith of Corballis was also a staunch Wesleyan Methodist but, by the time his children had grown up in County Dublin, the next generation had moved back to being members of the Anglican Church. Methodism was strongly established in the Fells in later years of John Wesley’s long life and stayed strong there for many years after he died in 1791. The village of Gamblesby had its first Methodist chapel built in 1784. This was more than 80 years before it had a small Anglican church which was built in 1868 – perhaps partly to compete with the local Methodist chapel. This church was what is called a chapel-of-ease, which was subsidiary to the parish church for Addingham Parish in Glassonby, a few miles away. (The Anglican chapel-of-ease was decommissioned and converted into a private house in 2011.) The original Methodist chapel was replaced by a new chapel in 1864 and it still stands today. Looking back to Hannah’s ancestry, it has not been possible to find out much about that. From the records of Addingham Parish I found that Hannah’s father was William Huddart from Gamblesby and his father may have been called Joseph Huddart, also from Gamblesby. William Huddart was a farmer and it seems that he bequeathed at least some of his property to Hannah when he died in 1785, aged 71. I have not found any parish records for children other than Hannah whose father was William Huddart so it is possible that Hannah was his only child. Hannah died on 12 September 1831, aged 77, and she was buried in Melmerby Churchyard. In her will probated in 1832, Hannah gave all her land in Gamblesby to her oldest son William. He also got her oak kitchen table and a crook (which I take to be a shepherd’s crook). Her younger children got money: £120 each to her younger sons Thomas and Lancelot and £100 each to her three daughters. Her daughters were also given her household effects – furniture, linen and clothes. A bequest of £120 at that time would be worth about £87,500 today in terms of income. This entry was posted in Families, Gamblesby, Huddart, Melmerby, Photographs, Smith and tagged Gamblesby, Hannah Huddart, Hannah Smith, Melmerby, Methodism, Mrs Smith. Bookmark the permalink.

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Mexico: Patents Comparative Guide Patents, Topics of Interest Mexican patent law is contained in the Mexican Industrial Property Law and its complementary regulation. Read more here. On February 22nd, 2011, the Mexican Industrial Property Institute (IMPI) announced the establishment of the first Pilot Program for the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), aiming to expedite and streamline the patent system in Mexico. The Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) enables an application whose claims have been determined to be patentable in the Office of First Presentation (OPP) may undergo an expedited review in the Office of Second Filing (OSP) with a simple procedure at the request of the applicant. As such, each of the Offices win benefits from previous work, avoiding duplication of efforts and speeding the procedure for granting patents, resulting in a reduction in the examination workload and an improvement in quality of patents. This Pilot Program which became operational on March 12, 2011, provided an expiration date on February 29, 2012. The program was then extended and the current expiration date is August 31, 2012. In order to enter the PPH program, the original priority application should have already been granted or allowed. A copy of the claims as granted must be submitted, as well as copies of all relevant office actions issued relating to the patentability of the application. A claims correspondence table, showing the relationship between the granted claims and the claims submitted in the Mexican application must also be submitted. Please note that the request must be submitted before the in-depth examination at the Mexican Patent Office begins. Therefore, once the notification has been received indicating that the application has passed the formal examination phase, the request to enter the PPH should be submitted. Please contact us if you are an applicant or you represent an applicant that is interested in proceeding with the PPH program in any patent application filed in Mexico, so that we may provide further information.

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Geraint Hardy Geraint Hardy is a familiar face and voice to many, having had a successful career for the last 12 years presenting on such channels as S4C, CBBC, BBC Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and Capital FM. He is also a very experienced corporate host having worked with UEFA, Barclays Premier League, Principality, SONY UK, Celtic Manor Resort, Cardiff City FC, Olympic Broadcast Service, LOCOG and the National Assembly for Wales. In his time as a presenter he has been involved in projects which have been nominated for BAFTA UK Kids and BAFTA Cymru awards, and has been fortunate enough to win a BAFTA Cymru and 2 Arqiva Awards. His knowledge and experience within the industry has led him to create 218 Events but he also runs the Presenter wing of Regan Management italising his contacts to create work for others within the industry. Owain Gwynedd Following an academic start to his career as a LLB Law student in Cardiff University, followed by ACCA accounting course, Owain Gwynedd has gone on to enjoy a varied career of the last 10 years as a TV presenter and reporter. Owain, who hails from Porthmadog in North Wales, can be seen on television daily on S4C’s magazine programmes Heno (Tonight) and Prynhawn Da (Good Afternoon), whilst also following his passion for sport broadcasting. He has anchored Premier Sport and S4C’s rugby coverage and been a regular reporter for BBC Radio Wales & Radio Cymru’s Saturday afternoon sports programmes. He has also been seen on rugby programmes for BT Sport, Channel 5 and ITV. Having played and refereed rugby to a semi-professional level, the now Cardiff based Owain, feels fortunate to be able to continue his love for sport even though his time on the playing field has ended. Dragons Rugby, Cardiff City and S4C can be added to his corporate events CV. As a presenter, Owain’s contributions have been recognised with nominations for a Media Mind Award (‘Un Cam ar y Tro’, S4C) and BAFTA Cymru (Stwnsh Sadwrn, S4C). ‘218 Events’ is the next chapter in an interesting and varied career - an opportunity to combine knowledge an enthusiasm to sculpt a business to be proud of. Cardiff, Wales, UK info@218events.co.uk ©2018 by 218 EVENTS.

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Sentimental Journey Les Brown Orchestra Doris Day discography and songs:. Sera) / I’ve Gotta Sing Away These Blues, Sentimental Journey / Twilight Time, 1945 • Single • Les Brown and His Orchestra. Oh, but I often hear my all-time favorite song, “Sentimental Journey” by Les Brown and his Band of Renown with vocalist Doris Day. DORIS DAY? Oh, that Doris Day! I would gladly have married her when I. Nov 1, 2003. Big-band “Lost Treasures” remastered for Doris Day & Les Brown US CD. Doris Day was a supreme lead vocalist alongside Les Brown & his orchestra. Invitation to the Blues; Sentimental Journey; Lady from 29 Palms. Whats Better Between Choir And Orchestra Musical Instrument Sales In Connecticut Aug 02, 2018 · ANSONIA — Joe Shapiro’s dream in purchasing Banko’s was “to make it the center of the music scene in the Valley and beyond.” Rising costs and flat sales shelved those plans after two. 49 results. Musical Instrument Stores in Hartford on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone "Sentimental Journey" – (H. Green/L. Brown/B. Homer), with Les Brown and his orchestra rec. 11/20/44 rel. 1/22/45. "My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time". Once her career rolled with the Les Brown Orchestra, with whom she had her first hit, "Sentimental Journey" in 1945, there was no looking back. But all was not hunky dory on her personal front. She. Her breakthrough came while she was working with the Les Brown Orchestra, with whom she had her first hit, Sentimental Journey, in 1945. By this time she had met, married and quickly divorced her. May 13, 2019. Orchestra leader Barney Rapp saw potential in everything but her last name, and. Les Brown, she scored her first hit, “Sentimental Journey,” a. In 1945 and 1946, Doris Day and the Les Brown Band sent six more songs to. Williamsburg Brooklyn Live Music Dinner May 21, 2018. This Italian restaurant in Greenpoint has excellent jazz nights. Saturday nights here are live jazz nights. You have to have some delicious. Apple has announced Up Next Live, a series of performances from past and present Apple Music Up Next artists including Bad. Wandering around Williamsburg. Sunday night it was Brooklyn Bowl Sentimental Journey: Hits From The Second World War by Various Artists – CD (2007) for $8.20 from OLDIES.com Big Band & Swing – Order by Phone 1-800-336-4627 Listen to Sentimental Journey by Les Brown & His Orchestra – Give Me Love For Christmas, Vol. 2. Deezer: free music streaming. Discover more than 53 million tracks. Read or print original Sentimental Journey lyrics 2019 updated! Gonna take a sentimental journey / Gonna set my heart at ease / Gonna make The recordings date back to a series of rehearsals from Dylan and the Rolling Thunder Revue, a touring band Dylan performed with. Bart Howard’s “Fly Me to the Moon,” Les Brown and Been Homer’s. This weekend, swing, swing, swing! at a performance saluting the Big Band Era, also known as the Swing Era. Choo-Choo," Irving Berlin’s "White Christmas," Les Brown’s "Sentimental Journey," and. Sentimental Journey – Belgrade Dixieland Orchestra. Doris Day & Les Brown – rare 1985 reunion video of "Sentimental Journey" Sep 1, 2001. Les Brown led the band for more than sixty years before handing the. popular singers, Doris Day (who can forget “Sentimental Journey”?). Miller Orchestra one of the Swing Era's most enduring benchmarks, “In the Mood”). She was 97. She began her career in 1939 at 17 as a big band singer and had her first hits in 1945 with two number one songs "Sentimental Journey" and "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" with. And with Les Brown’s big band, she had one of the biggest hits of World War II. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY") DAY: (Singing) Going to take a sentimental journey. Going to set my heart at. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939 and her popularity increased with her first hit ‘Sentimental Journey’. After leaving Les Brown and His Band of Renown to embark on a solo career, she. Download free for Doris Day Sentimental Journey 1945 Les Brown His Orchestra Wwii or search any related Doris Day Sentimental Journey 1945 Les Brown His Orchestra Wwii. By the age of 17 she was performing in nightclubs, and her 1945 hit “Sentimental Journey” was a bluesy, wistful lament. Recorded with Les Brown’s orchestra, it clearly resonated with soldiers fighting. but her career began as a big band "girl singer," and with Les Brown’s big band she had one of the biggest hits of World War II: "A Sentimental Journey." For many GIs, Doris Day represented the kind. Sentimental Journey lyrics – Les Brown – Album: other songs, Sentimental Journey ringtones, search for Les Brown lyrics, album: other songs @NoMoreLyrics.net 11-9-2007 · Sentimental Journey:. Little Brown Jug (Glenn Miller & His Orchestra). The title song (Les Brown’s "Sentimental Journey"). Les Brown: Sentimental Journey Piano, Vocal and Guitar. , Sentimental Journey – Frank & Orchestra Sinatra – free sheet music and tabs for baritone sax, #Original #RIPDorisDay Wiki: Les Brown and His Band had been performing the song, but were unable to record it because of the 1942–44 musicians’ strike. Here’s the guitar track for "Sentimental Journey". This is a link to the lyrics of the song as done by Doris Day with the Les Brown Orchestra:. Les Brown and His Band of Renown, Soundtrack: Enemies: A Love Story. Danube Waltz (An Der Schönen Blauen Donau)" – as Les Brown and His Orchestra). "Swamp Fire", "Sentimental Journey", "Mexican Hat Dance" – as Les Brown and. Musical Instrument With Keys And Strings Oct 2, 2017. It has six strings, and it's strung like a guitar with a key difference: The strings are stretched across the body of a harp. All six strings are at the. Mixing Instruments & Synths – Keys – EQ Cut Compression The compression on keys often sounds great with an attack time between Sentimental Journey Piano Pdf Free >>> DOWNLOAD and Les Brown and His Band of Renown, the latter of which recorded Day sunnily crooning “Sentimental Journey” and “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time.” While both ballads made her the toast of. Posts about Sentimental Journey written by dannyfriar. It was first recorded by Les Brown And His Orchestra with Doris Day on lead vocals in 1944 and released the. Jan 9, 2001. Conservatory of Music, where he played in the orchestra and started a big. with disc jockey Alan Courtney, later came up with Sentimental Journey, That success put the band, now known as Les Brown And The Band Of. Day began her career performing with the big bands Barney Rapp and Bob Crosby. Her first big hit came when she joined Les Brown’s band and recorded “Sentimental Journey” in 1945 at age 23. Day used. Musical Instrument Sales In Connecticut Aug 02, 2018 · ANSONIA — Joe Shapiro’s dream in purchasing Banko’s was “to make it the center of the music scene in the Valley and beyond.” Rising costs and flat sales shelved those plans after two. 49 results. Musical Instrument Stores in Hartford on YP.com. See reviews, photos, directions, phone numbers and more for the Sentimental Journey Lyrics by Les Brown & His Orchestra on Sentimental Journey Soundtrack 1s “Sentimental Journey”, “My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time”, “Love. 1, Sentimental Journey, Les Brown & His Orchestra, Vocal chorus by Doris Day. Mercer Island Parks Live Music July 8th Part of the Bettendorf Public Library’s 8th annual Outdoor. food trucks, live music, produce and more. In case of bad weather, activities will move indoors to Catalyst Kitchen located inside St. Part of the Bettendorf Public Library’s 8th. Rock Island Parks and Recreation Department for this outdoor concert honoring her aunt, Aunt Laura Swedberg Schoonover 30-3-2008 · it’s by les brown and his orchestra. What do the lyrics mean, if you know tell me the history of the song? please help Les Brown discography and songs:. The Uncollected Les Brown and His Orchestra, Vol. 2 [archival] 1978 +1. Sentimental Journey with Les Brown. May 13, 2019. Les Brown and His Band of Renown, with which Doris sang in the '40s — most. career with Brown and landed her first hit with Sentimental Journey in 1945. Simon wrote in an early review of Day with the Brown orchestra. MUNSTER | Munster High School Auditorium is the destination at 2 p.m. Sunday for a “Sentimental. years performing Big Band favorites. Accomplished solo artists as well, the trio has graced the. Buy Complete Recordings with Les Brown – 2 CD- Set by Doris Day on Blue Sounds Store. Sentimental journey 17. And His Orchestra 1957-1958 (2-CD). Doris Day is one of them, as was amply proved by A Sentimental Journey. all set to be a film star from the moment she got spotted singing with a band. The band was led by Les Brown (the Australian. Category: Go to Live Gigs.

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Dr. Patrick R. Nichols AADC Tour Clinic Policies Skin and Ear Issues Ectoparasites New Patient Appointment Request New Patient Welcome Map/Contact Pet Medical Library Animal Allergy and Dermatology Center of Central Texas Exclusive to the diagnosis and treatment of skin and ear issues 2207 Lake Austin Blvd. Austin, TX 78703 512-477-ITCH (4824) | 512-477-4826 (fax) | Send us an Email About UsDr. Patrick R. Nichols Animal Allergy & Dermatology Center of Central TX 2207 Lake Austin Boulevard www.aadcaustin.com Patrick R. Nichols, DVM Dr. Nichols was born and raised in the beautiful Piney Woods of East Texas where he lived a childhood full of family, faith, academics, and sports. His late father, whom everyone hailed as "Doc," was a cornerstone of the community and the only veterinarian in all of Tyler county. The experiences of assisting his father perform almost every veterinary procedure imaginable inspired his desire to follow in his father's footsteps and pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Dr. Nichols earned a Biomedical Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1983 and a Doctoral degree from the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine in 1987. He gained broad experience as a general practitioner in Austin for nine years, during which time he developed a specific interest in allergy and dermatological issues. He was granted and completed a two-year residency at Gulf Coast Dermatology & Allergy in Houston, where his resident training was accredited by the American College of Veterinary Dermatology. He then gained further expertise by performing a year-long internship at the Animal Dermatology Clinic of Southern California, working alongside and learning from some of the most highly-regarded experts in the specialty. In 1999, he returned to Austin to open the Animal Allergy and Dermatology Center of Central Texas. Practicing veterinary medicine for over thirty years and exclusively veterinary allergy and dermatology for over twenty years has been immensely fulfilling. He greatly appreciates the connections he makes with pet owners as they become friends instead of "clients" and the difference he makes in helping pets lead healthier, happier lives. He enjoys spending time with his wife of over thirty years, Jennifer, and their two sons, Luke and Blake. The family loves their retired drug dog, Jazz, Charlie the cat, and recently added three new rescues - Frankie, Joey, and Phoebe. (appointments) 8:00-noon (immunotherapy pick-up and demos)

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AETN > Engage > Pressroom > AETN to launch free 24/7 multiplatform PBS KIDS services Jan. 16 AETN to launch free 24/7 multiplatform PBS KIDS services Jan. 16 The Arkansas Educational Television Network will launch AETN PBS KIDS 24/7 on AETN-3 Monday, Jan. 16. The free services will include a new TV channel and live stream on digital platforms. The effort is AETN's latest initiative to support early learning in Arkansas. 'AETN has been an integral part of the community for years, delivering content and services that parents trust and that move the needle in early learning,' AETN Interim Executive Director Tony Brooks said. 'We are excited to build on the work we do every day for Arkansas families by adding these new 24/7 services to our offerings, ensuring that our proven educational content is accessible anytime and anywhere to all kids – especially those who need it the most.' AETN will broadcast PBS KIDS 24 hours a day on AETN-3 and offer a live stream, making it easy for Arkansas children to watch their favorite series during primetime and other after-school hours when viewing among families is high. Viewers will be able to watch the AETN-branded live stream through pbskids.org and on the PBS KIDS Video App, which is available on a variety of mobile devices, tablets and over-the-top platforms such as Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Xbox One and Chromecast. The live stream complements on-demand clips and full episodes, which will continue to be available for free on the PBS KIDS Video App and streaming via pbskids.org. Following its initial launch, the localized live stream experience will expand to offer an integrated games feature, enabling children to toggle between a PBS KIDS show and an activity that extends learning – all in one seamless digital experience. The live stream and games feature is grounded in research demonstrating that measurable gains in learning are achieved when children engage with PBS KIDS content on multiple platforms. The games will align with the learning goals of each TV series, deepening children's involvement and supporting learning. According to Nielsen data, PBS stations reach more kids aged 2-5, more moms with children under 6 years old and more children from low-income families than any other kids TV network. With its new 24/7 channel and digital offerings, AETN will extend its commitment to early learning by offering more families high-quality PBS KIDS content that is trusted by parents and proven to help kids learn. In a recent Smarty Pants survey, PBS KIDS led all networks in improving kids' behavior, with 74 percent of parents saying their child exhibits more positive behavior after engaging with PBS KIDS. And, years of research confirm that PBS KIDS media content helps children build critical skills that enable them to find success in school and life, while also helping parents increase their own engagement. A recent study conducted by WestEd found that PBS KIDS resources can help narrow the math achievement gap for children from low-income families and better prepare them for kindergarten. Additionally, parents' awareness of their children's math learning increased significantly – as did their use of strategies to support their children's learning. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently released new screen time guidelines, recommending that parents of children 18 months and older introduce high-quality media programming, such as PBS KIDS content, to their kids. Co-viewing and co-playing are strongly encouraged to help them better understand different concepts and how to apply these concepts to the real world. AETN PBS KIDS will include popular favorites such as 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood,' 'Odd Squad,' 'Wild Kratts,' 'Dinosaur Train;' 'Nature Cat,' 'Ready Jet Go!' and 'Splash and Bubbles.' AETN will provide the PBS KIDS channel in addition to its current primary channel, which will continue to feature a PBS KIDS daytime lineup. The schedule of children's programming on the primary channel will be different from the 24/7 channel, offering families a variety of options. All of AETN's channels are available free over the air using an antenna. Cable companies are only required to carry the primary channel, AETN; however, many cable companies are choosing to carry AETN's additional channels. At this time, satellite providers only carry AETN. A complete list of cable companies and channels carried is available at aetn.org/channelinformation. As of Jan. 16, AETN World will move to AETN-4, and Arkansas Information Reading Services for the Blind (AIRS) will be available on SAP on AETN World. The 24/7 PBS KIDS offering is an integral part of AETN's long-term vision for its children's service and will build on its reach and impact in the community, where it provides essential services for kids, parents and teachers. In the coming year, AETN will roll out a variety of additional initiatives designed to meet the needs of today's children, including new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) content, digital innovations and customizable tools for parents and caregivers. The Arkansas Educational Television Network is Arkansas's statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at aetn.org. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).

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Disabled at Disneyland: Best Practices for Barrier-Removal – Part 1 By Mark Bookman This is part 1 of a 5 part series. You can read part 2 here, part 3 here, part 4 here and part 5 here. The Barrier-Free Section of Tokyo Disneyland’s website is truly a sight to behold. Not only does it offer detailed information about park accommodations for persons with visual, hearing, and mobility impairments, it also speaks to other aspects of accessibility that entertainment centers often overlook including dietary restrictions, sensory environments, and the use of service animals. The “Kingdom of Dreams and Magic” presents itself as a wonderland for persons with disabilities, where barriers from the outside world are overcome with assistance from a friendly support staff. As I recently found out, however, the park’s carefully curated image of a cartoonland without boundaries does not always translate into reality for its (dis)abled guests. In this five-article series, I use my experiences as an American wheelchair user to reflect on the ways in which Disneyland’s haphazard implementation of restrictive access policies can steal away the pleasure of its patrons. I also draw on my training as a scholar of Disability Studies to provide practical solutions for improving the park’s accessibility, including the development of new channels of communication. My experience at Tokyo Disneyland can be divided into three distinct stages: 1) planning the trip; 2) entering the park; and 3) enjoying the attractions. In the articles that follow, I describe how the expectations that I developed during the first two stages of my experience failed to align with the realities of the third. Focusing on problems related to diversity, transparency, and inclusion, I illustrate what I believe to be the park’s most fatal flaws regarding the accommodation of persons with disabilities: namely, the staff’s differential understanding of park-wide regulations and poorly-constructed user feedback system. By pointing out Tokyo Disneyland’s flaws, I hope to facilitate a larger conversation about how those flaws might be overcome and encourage my readers to think about problems tied to the construction of accessibility in other times and spaces. Indeed, I conclude each article with a list of takeaways and travel tips for persons with disabilities. Mark Bookman received his B.A. in Global Interdisciplinary Studies from Villanova University in 2014 prior to researching Buddhist Philosophy in Japan as a Fulbright Fellow. He earned his M.A. in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, where he currently studies the history of disability in Japan as a PhD Candidate. At present, Mark is working with experts on disability and barrier-removal at the University of Tokyo’s Research Center for Advanced Science and technology as a Japan Foundation Research Fellow. Even though Mark keeps himself busy (VERY busy!) he has agreed to take on a role at Accessible Japan as a researcher and consultant. You can read more about Mark on his website https://bookmanresearch.com/ Categories DestinationDisabilitySightseeingStory Tags destinationdisabilitymodern culturestorytiptravel Accessible Japan

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Accessibility in Japan While many people have an image of Japan being an inconvenient place for people with disabilities, in fact, it is quite the opposite! The following gives you some general information on accessible travel in Japan – no matter what your disability. Wheelchair Size Yamaha Wheelchair Japan has a number of natively built wheelchairs, including some by Yamaha and Panasonic. The space restrictions in Japan has lead to a type of wheelchair that is a hybrid of manual and electric. While maintaining the general build and weight of manual wheelchair, special wheels with built-in motors are added to provide limited mobility – typically 6km/h with a short range. The benefit is that they are compact and lightweight – and often able to be easily lifted. This fits well with the landscape and culture of Japan. Unfortunately, many foreign wheelchairs don’t fit. The biggest challenge most electric wheelchair users will face is the small aisles, and restrictive space, in many stores and restaurants. This may mean you might have to pass up going to an interesting looking restaurant or looking at a shop’s merchandise from the window. There has been a lot of effort to build slopes in most areas and you will likely not encounter much of a hassle in major centres when out and about. Some clever, culturally appropriate adaptations have been made, such as the wooden ramp at a temple in the top image. All curbs in Japan are cut, but as with any country in the world, sometimes they may be a bit too steep. On smaller streets there is often no sidewalk and pedestrians share the road with cars. Elevator at Sensoji temple In the last 15 years Japan has put a lot of effort into adapting and adding elevators – they even put one in at Sensoji Temple in Asakusa that blends in well! A large number of elevators in high traffic areas have lowered priority buttons. These buttons are lowered and specifically call the elevator that is easiest for people using wheelchairs. These elevators feature buttons that are at a lower level and arranged horizontally so the user does not need to reach high. While those are the great elevators, there are some uniquely Japanese situations as well. The first is elevator size. Some elevators in smaller buildings are literally the size of a wheelchair and are either impossible to use, or require incredible manoeuvring skills! The other issue that occasionally pops up is elevators at the top of a few stairs. The building code in Japan requires any building over 4 stories to have an elevator but does’t seem to care about where! Both of these problems do exist, but for the most part are in smaller buildings and older areas. If (un)lucky you may get to ride on a wheelchair accessible escalator like this one: Visual Impairments Tenji Blocks For those with visual impairments, you will be glad to hear that Japan is the originator of tactile paving. In fact, the first tactile blocks were used in Okayama City in 1967 and then spread around the world. These blocks, called “tenji blocks” (lit. “braille blocks”), are everywhere in Japan. There are two types – elongated lines to indicate path direction, and small circles to indicate caution (the end of a path, train tracks, etc). Japan also has made extensive use of braille. Unfortunately, it is a unique Japanese braille that is unreadable by users of English braille. If travelling by train alone, people with visual impairments can ask staff for assistance when passing through the ticket gates. A staff member will guide you to the train and call ahead to your destination where another staff member is waiting to guide you through the station. Rie Saito, deaf politician (Picture: http://the-japan-news.com) People with hearing impairments in Japan sign to communicate, and, as you might expect, they don’t use American Sign Language (ASL)! Japanese Sign Language (JSL) is called 手話 (shu-wa, lit. “hand language”), and though people with hearing impairments have faced an uphill battle for recognition, the “Basic Act for Persons with Disabilities” that came into law in 2011 officially recognizes JSL as a language. Among the growing number of advocates, is Kiko Princess Akishino of the Japanese Imperial Family who is a trained sign language interpreter, as well as Rie Saito a famous politician who chronicled her life as a hearing impaired club hostess. As with any other sign language, JSL consists of signs for nouns, verbs, adjectives, or any other part of a sentence, including suffixes indicating tense and negation. Another important aspect is 口話 (ko-wa, lit. “mouth talk”) or mouthing, where the person signing will mouth the word they are signing to help distinguish between similar ideas (ie “house” and “home”). Facial expressions are also very important. Gestures for the phonetic elements have been introduced as well, but are mostly only used when talking about foreign names. As JSL is based on Japanese with its heavy emphasis on writing, when signing, many people will write characters in the air. This is mostly used for conveying names or places or to distinguish between one of the many Japanese homonyms. For those interested in learning, here is a YouTube channel called Shu-wa de Hanaso! with over 3,500 videos to learn from! (As the site is in Japanese, the link goes through Google Translate and may look a bit odd.) Saving the best for last. While Japan may be (in)famous for its toilets that clean your behind for you, it also has another great concept: the multipurpose toilet. Unlike many other countries that may have a stall at the back of the restroom that is a bit larger than the other stalls, throughout Japan multipurpose toilets are located in-between the men’s and women’s toilet. They are often spacious, feature handrails, facilities for those with ostomate bags, and even a full-sized changing table. (Please note that there is no apparent standard and they can vary quite a bit.) Unfortunately, they often don’t have backrests – making it hard for people with difficulties balancing. These multipurpose toilets can be found across Japan. Almost every train station has at least one, as do shopping centres, public spaces, attractions, museums, many tourist destinations and – thanks to Japan’s safety and cleanliness – even in local parks. Click Here to Learn about Accessible Toilets

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(-) Remove Trade filter Trade (-) Remove Cross Government filter Cross Government A Preliminary Examination into the Allocation of Grant Funding for the Co - Location of National General Practice Organisations The Shadow Minister for Health and Ageing, Mr Stephen Smith, wrote to the Auditor-General on 11 March 2002 formally requesting an investigation into certain matters in relation to the 'Co-Location of National General Practice Organisations', a message detailed in the Health Portfolio Additional Estimates Statements 2001-02. The Federal President of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Limited wrote to the Auditor-General on 11 March 2002, requesting a comprehensive audit of funding decisions by the Minister for Health and Ageing. The Australian National Audit Office has undertaken a preliminary examination of relevant papers relating to the 'GP House' matter. The preliminary examination focussed on whether or not due process was followed in making the decision to transfer funds between Outcomes. The preliminary examination also considered the procedures adopted by the Department of Health and Aged Care in developing the funding proposal, the advisory role played by the Department of Finance and Administration and specific advice provided by both departments to their Ministers. The examination further considered the disclosure of the related budget measure. Department of Finance and Administration; Department of Health and Aged Care Published: Tuesday 7 May 2002 Administration of the 30 Per Cent Private Health Insurance Rebate The 30 per cent Private Health Insurance Rebate is a financial incentive for individuals to purchase health insurance cover. The rebate provides for a reimbursement or discount of 30 per cent of the cost of private health insurance. It is available to all Australians who are eligible for Medicare and have private health insurance. The objective of the audit was to determine the effectiveness of Commonwealth Government agencies administration of the rebate. Australian Taxation Office; Department of Finance and Administration; Department of Health and Aged Care; Department of the Treasury; Health Insurance Commission Published: Thursday 14 February 2002 Home and Community Care Follow-up Audit This follow-up Audit reviewed the Department of Health and Ageing's implementation of the recommendations of Audit Report No. 36, 1999-2000, Home and Community Care. The objective of the follow-up audit was to assess the extent to which the Department had implemented the nine recommendations of Audit Report No. 36, 1999-2000. The audit examined areas relating to funding, guidance, fees, coordination with other aged and disability care programs, acquittals, accountability and data requirements, and records management. Client Service Initiatives Follow-up Audit The objective of this follow-up audit was to assess Austrade's implementation of the recommendations contained in ANAO Report No. 4 of 1998-99 (Client Service Initiatives - Australian Trade Commission (Austrade)), and whether the implementation of the recommendations or appropriate alternative measures has improved the management and delivery of Austrade's client service. Australian Trade Commission

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Spiri Programmable Flying Robot Hovers Over $125,000 Kickstarter Funding Goal 2013/09/10 6:42am PDT Sep 10, 2013 Today we are looking at the successful funding of a programmable flying robot that is anything but a drone. Patrick Edwards-Daugherty's team wanted $125,000 on Kickstarter to fund the development of Spiri, a Linux-powered robot that is both obedient and autonomous, and they ultimately received just shy of $130,000 in pledges. Just don't call their project a drone - you won't find the word anywhere on the page. That's likely because drones are scary, and the Spiri's developers want it to be anything but. It isn't merely a robot, it's a social creature that's capable of scoping out the landscape, detecting land mines, watering plants, reporting the news, and saving lives. Check out the video below to hear the developers explain their vision themselves. Spiri isn't smart enough to do all of those things out of the box, but there is one thing that it doesn't have to be taught, and that's how to fly. Spiri's flight programming is isolated from the user-facing Applications Platform, which is there to empower users to get the robot to do precisely what it is they want it to do, not wrestle with how to get the thing to get off the ground. All of this runs on top of Ubuntu Linux with ROS, a "Robot Operating System" supported by an active community, enabled by a 1GHz dual-core processor and 4GB of flash storage. Here's where things get interesting. You can get your hands on a Spiri for less than the cost of an unsubsidized high-end smartphone. It costs just $520 to own your own robot ally, a possibility that would have had Star Wars fans foaming at the mouth mere decades ago. If this is too steep, you can still contribute $65 and get your hands on what is an admittedly awesome poster. Robots won't ship until April 2014, but posters will be delivered just next month. Spiri, a programmable flying robot flying robot Spiri [New App] Simplenote Notation Service (From The Makers Of WordPress) Gets An Official Android App International LG Optimus G Pro (E986) Gets Official CyanogenMod Support, Nightly 10.2 Builds ...

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Filter / Refine Subjects / Genre Biography & True Stories (1) DVD video (28) CD-Audio (1) Epub (Adobe) (1) Epub (Kobo) (1) 2-4 Day Delivery (17) In stock with supplier (10) Ages 15 + (24) Search results for "George Clooney" Displaying results 1 to 41 of 41 Relevancy Bestsellers Price (low to high) Price (high to low) Ratings Release Date (newest to oldest) Release Date (oldest to newest) Alphabetically A-Z by Anna Kendrick, Vera Farmiga, George Clooney, Jason Reitman, Danny McBride and Ivan Reitman by George Clooney, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Frank Langella, Robert Downey Jr, George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Patricia Clarkson Gravity (2013) by Alfonso Cuaron, Ed Harris, Alfonso Cuaron, Orto Ignatiussen, George Clooney, David Heyman and Sandra Bullock Hail, Caesar! by Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Ralph Fiennes, Joel Coen, Ethan Coen and Various Others Hail, Caesar! (Blu-ray/UV) by Owen Wilson, Willem Dafoe, George Clooney, Allison Abbate, Meryl Streep, Bill Murray, Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman by George Clooney, Juliette Lewis, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel and Robert Rodriguez OFF RRP $10.0 Ocean's Trilogy (Ocean's Eleven / Ocean's Twelve / Ocean's Thirteen) by Steven Soderbergh, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Andy Garcia by George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West, Jodie Foster and Daniel Dubiecki Screen Gods: The Playboy Interview by Dustin Hoffman, Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Richard Burton, George Clooney, Playboy, Jack Lemmon, Robert Redford, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Paul Newman and Robert De Niro Triple the Drama (State of Play / The American / Being Flynn) by George Clooney, Anton Corbijn, Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Paul Weitz, Kevin Macdonald, Tim Bevan and Robert DeNiro Not in stock... The Men Who Stare at Goats by Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Grant Heslov, Jeff Bridges and Ewan McGregor by George Clooney, Brad Bird, Raffey Cassidy, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie and Damon Lindelof by Sammy D. Linz, George Clooney, Michelle Pfeiffer, Lynda Obst, Mae Whitman, Michael Hoffman and Charles Durning by George Clooney, Jean Durjadin, Cate Blanchett, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, George Clooney, Grant Heslov and Hugh Bonneville An Education / Forces of Nature / Like Crazy / Revolutionary Road / Up in the Air (Epic Drama 5 Movies) by Vera Farmiga, Sandra Bullock, Alfred Molina, Felicity Jones, Sam Mendes, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Clifford, Various Others, Jonathan Schwartz, George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Finola Dwyer, Bronwen Hughes, Susan Arnold, Drake Doremus, Peter Sarsgaard, Jason Reitman, Ben Affleck, Bobby Cohen and Lone Scherfig by Kevin Bacon, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Chris Colfer, Vanessa Garcia, Dustin Lance Black, Campbell Brown, Jamie Lees Curtis, Matt Bomer, Cleve Jones and George Clooney The Descendants (Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy) by Judy Greer, Robert Forster, Jim Burke, George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Alexander Payne and Alexander Payne Anton Corbijn: Inside the American by George Clooney and Anton Corbijn by George Clooney, Kevin Spacey, George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Paul Lister, Grant Heslov, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor and Robert Patrick by Danny McBride, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Clifford, George Clooney, Anna Kendrick, Ivan Reitman, Jason Reitman, Jason Reitman and Daniel Dubiecki Ocean's Eleven by Jerry Weintraub, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Steven Soderbergh, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Eddie Jemison, Shaobo Qin, Casey Affleck and Andy Garcia by George Clooney and Grant Heslov by Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Daniel David Stewart, Rafi Gavron, Barbara A. Hall, Ellen Kuras, Grant Heslov and George Clooney Suburbicon by George Clooney, Noah Jupe, Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac, Julianne Moore and Grant Heslov by George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Jack O'Connell, Dominic West, Jodie Foster, Daniel Dubiecki, Lara Alameddine and Various Others Gravity (2013) (Blu-ray Only) RRP $20.0 by Michael Countryman, George Clooney, David Rasche, Joel Coen, Armand Schulz, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, J.K. Simmons, Olek Krupa, Richard Jenkins, Brad Pitt, Hamilton Clancy, Ethan Coen and Tilda Swinton by Jeep Swenson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elizabeth Sanders, Pat Hingle, Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney, Joel Schumacher, Uma Thurman, Vivica A. Fox, Chris ODonnell, Michael Gough, Elle Macpherson and John Glover OFF RRP $9.95 by Jerry Weintraub, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Al Pacino, Eddie Izzard, Jerry Weintraub, Elliott Gould, Scott Caan, Steven Soderbergh, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Ellen Barkin, Matt Damon, Carl Reiner, Eddie Jemison, Julian Sands, Shaobo Qin, Casey Affleck, Andy Garcia and Vincent Cassel Ocean's Eleven (2001) by Jerry Weintraub, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Elliott Gould, Steven Soderbergh, Bernie Mac, Carl Reiner, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, Eddie Jemison, Scott Cann, Shaobo Qin, Casey Affleck and Andy Garcia O Brother, Where Art Thou? by Michael Badalucco, John Turturro, George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, Holly Hunter, Joel Coen, John Goodman, Ethan Coen and Charles Durning The American (2010) / The Men Who Stare at Goats / Out of Sight (1998) (Deluxe Icon Movie Set) by Irina Bjorklund, George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Lopez, Paul Lister, Steven Soderbergh, Grant Heslov and Anton Corbijn The War 6 Movie Collection (Windtalkers/The Bridge at Remagen/Von Ryan's Express/The Monuments Men/The Thin Red Line/Battle of Britain) by George Clooney, Frank Sinatra, George Segal, Nicolas Cage, Harry Saltzman, Various Others, George Clooney and James Kennaway by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Steven Soderbergh, Jennifer Lopez, Ving Rhames and Danny DeVito Our Brand is Crisis by George Clooney, Anthony Mackie, Grant Heslov, Sandra Bullock, David Gordon Green, Billy Bob Thornton and Joaquim De Almeida by George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Tate Donovan, Alan Arkin, Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Ben Affleck and Victor Garber by Judy Greer, Robert Forster, George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Tracy Boyd, Alexander Payne and Alexander Payne by Steven Soderbergh, James Cameron, George Clooney, Jon Landau, Natascha McElhone, Rae Sanchini, Jeremy Davies and Viola Davis

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Khelo India logo Khelo India Youth Games is good platform for youngsters, says gold medalist Abhinav Shaw New Delhi [India], Jan 5 (ANI): Abhinav Shaw, the youngest gold medallist at the Khelo India Youth Games in 2019, said that the upcoming event is a good platform for the budding athletes. While speaking about the Khelo India Youth Games, Abhinav Shaw said that the competition is a good platform for the youth. The third edition of the tournament will be held in Guwahati from January 10 to 22. "The Khelo India Youth Games is a good platform for youth athletes. My biggest achievement in my career so far has been the gold medal I won in the Khelo India Youth Games in 2019. The competition was very tough and the athletes were very good. I participated in the 10 m air rifle mixed team event (along with teammate Mehuli Ghosh in the U-21 category)," said the 11-year-old. Abhinav, who is currently preparing for the India trials (youth, junior and senior categories), has not played an international tournament yet. However, the young shooter has had success at the national level. "I started shooting two and a half years ago at the Asansol rifle club. I have not played any international tournament as yet. I am currently preparing for the India trials (youth, junior and senior), which will take place in January. I have played in the senior nationals in 2018 and 2019. I won two gold medals in the mixed team event (youth and junior category) at the nationals in 2018," Abhinav said. Shaw's father Rupesh Kumar Shaw named Abhinav after India's first individual Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and decided that his son would become a shooter. Rupesh, who is a home tutor, also had a stint in a shooting. He played in the 10m air pistol event for East Zone. "I decided that Abhinav would be a shooter on the day he was born. Abhinav was born in the year 2008, the year when Abhinav Bindra won the gold at the Beijing Olympics. Our son is named after the great Abhinav Bindra. I took our son to the club at the age of eight and started his shooting training," said Rupesh. "When he was nine years old, he cracked the youth trials at Trivandrum in 2017. He became the state senior champion in 2018 and then he went on to win the gold at the Khelo India Games. Everyone says that Abhinav is a natural shooter," he added. (ANI) Shooter Abhinav Shaw Khelo India Youth Games 2020 Khelo India Guwahati 2020 Olympics medalist

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Anna's Passion A Window into my Life Ghostwriting and Editing Anna's Obsession King by Right of Blood and Might Reviews for King by Right The Making of a Mage-King The Speed of Dreams The Fortunes of Magic Blog Novel - The Fortunes of Magic Half-Breed The Trials of the Youngest Princess The Mystery of Planet Wer Lord of the Land To Reclaim the Throne What Future, Slave What Future, Slave - Synopsis Life as a slave can be precarious but it is also rather simple. A slave’s life is not so bad, though it can be. Most people treat their slaves as they would treat their livestock; if you take care of it and keep it healthy, it’s more valuable. On the island of Alimashrem, there were two classes of slave. Normal slaves were generally criminals that had been sold into slavery for one reason or another, or they were born of slaves in an effort to expand one’s herd. High-class slaves generally had one acknowledged free parent and that parent could decide whether the child remained a slave or was free. Marda was one such slave. Her mother had been a high-class slave; she had died during childbirth. Her father was the chieftain of the holding. She understood her parentage at a very early age, but she didn’t quite grasp the difference between her and her father until her father had her Nana sold off for one of her transgressions; she had become too old for childish temper tantrums. After that, Marda worked hard to be very proper - not so much willing to please, as doing nothing for which she would be punished. She took to tending the holding garden; it was peaceful work and kept her mostly isolated from other people, unless she was required to dance for some of her father’s guests at feast. Marda was a skilled dancer, even at a very young age. For all her life, and for years uncounted already past, war was a constant occurrence, especially during the summer, as each holding chieftain sought to take what their neighbor had in order to feed his people through the cold winter or just because he thought he was strong enough to take what he wanted. By the time Marda was ten, she had taken to helping the healer; at first it was just with his herb garden and then with the wounded. As the number of wounded grew, Marda spent an increasing amount of time at the healer’s cottage. By the time she was a teenager, she was an accomplished healer in her own right. One day, Marda noticed that the fighting had stopped, then a new wave of wounded flooded the cottage and she was too busy to think on it. Marda was still a slave, however, and now she had a new master. It didn’t take long for her new master, Brindar, to learn her parentage. Marda’s mother had been taken from Brindar's holding and Marda herself could well be his daughter, Brindar was going to set his son on the throne, but with the discovery of Marda, it was her right to sit there. Freed, Marda the slave no longer existed. Ekentna, the soon to be queen, had taken her place. It was a vast step for Marda/Ekentna to take, but with Brindar's encouragement, she tried. Ekentna soon discovered that different people wanted her for different and reasonable reasons, but she had yet to discover who and what she was. She longed for the simplicity of slave life, but that was beyond her now. When a man tried to kill her, she made her decision; she would take herself away from all this before she lost her sanity. Under cover of darkness, she ran into the Haunted Woods and there she discovered another race of men. They took her to their home underground, to hide and to meet their queen. There, she learned that a long ago ancestor of hers had been a member of these people and that her soul had passed from mother to daughter all the generations since. Since Ekentna was the reincarnation of that first queen, it was only reasonable that she use her name, so once again, Marda’s name changed, but this name, Arawyn, fit best of all. The queen, Sarlaena, saw to it all her questions were answered and all her curiosities were satisfied. She eventually learned that there was yet another race on the small island of Alimashrem and that winter, she traveled to their home high in the mountains. At both places, Arawyn learned what they had to teach and a good deal of it was their different magics. It wasn’t until the spring was looming on the horizon that she learned that, once again, people were pulling at her. She was expected to unite all three of the peoples and halt the incessant fighting. Once again, the only thing she could think to do was to run away. But it was a very long way out of the snow-covered mountains and this time, she didn’t make it. Resigned to her fate, she would do her best. Nearly a month later, and accompanied by men from both the mountains and the underground races, Arawyn started her journey, planning to hit all the holdings as she traveled in a circuit around the plains. They came across Brindar a short ways into their travels and discovered that his noble intentions had degraded considerably since last she’d seen him. She forced him to stop his war and go home, compelling him to build his palace with its throne. Arawyn was unable to make the circuit in a single summer so they went back to the mountains for the winter and finished what they had started the next spring. The palace looked so very new when they arrived and much still needed to be finished, but it was discovered that Brindar had included plans of returning the queen to slave chains in his construction plans. Arawyn could not return to being a slave now; too much had happened since then, so once again, she ran away, but this time, she didn’t run far. Anna L. Walls Slavery might not be so bad, but what would it be like to find out that you inherited the soul of your mother the moment you were born and she died?

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Palestine Pulse Israel bans Palestinian dairy, meat exports to East Jerusalem READ IN: العربية Ahmad Abu Amer July 10, 2019 Israel has decided to ban Palestinian dairy and meat exports to East Jerusalem, which if the decision actually enters into force would result in the Palestinian government banning a number of Israeli firms from exporting their goods to the Palestinian territories. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa A Palestinian man works in a dairy factory in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, Dec. 17, 2018. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israel’s July 1 decision took the Palestinian dairy and meat producers by surprise, as it prohibits the export of their products to East Jerusalem as of Aug. 1, without explaining why. The decision, which was printed on a large banner next to the West Bank-Jerusalem Qalandia crossing that Palestinian cargo trucks use, was issued by the Israeli Ministry of Health and State Veterinary Services and Animal Health. The Palestinian government parties are yet to be officially notified of the decision. Speaking to Voice of Palestine Radio July 1, Minister of National Economy Khalid al-Assaily said that a similar decision targeting Israeli products would be taken by the Palestinian government if the Israeli decision enters into force. In July 2010 and March 2016, Israel banned five Palestinian companies — Hamoda Group, Al-Rayyan Dairy, Al-Junidi Dairies, Salwa Food Industry and Siniora Food Industries — from bringing their products into East Jerusalem. The Palestinian government responded by banning five Israeli companies, including Tnuva, Tara Dairy and Strauss Group, from bringing their products on the Palestinian market. Israel bailed on its decisions only a few weeks later, caving into pressure from the US administration, the Quartet and Israeli judiciary. As a result, the five companies resumed their exports to East Jerusalem, which account for 40% of products on the market there. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Bassam Abu Ghalyoun, director general of the Palestinian Food Industries Union (PFIU), said that many Palestinian companies told the PFIU that the Israeli Civil Administration's agriculture staff officer Samir Muadi had notified them about the latest decision. He noted that the decision is applicable to eight Palestinian companies, namely Hamoda Group, Pinar, Al-Rayyan Dairy, Al-Junidi Dairies, Salwa Food industry, Siniora Food Industries, Ghosheh Industrial Food Company and Hidmi Food Industries, despite being granted quality control certifications and meeting food safety standards and sanitation conditions and having been subject to the control of many government departments. Abu Ghalyoun anticipates that the Israeli Ministry of Health and Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development wants these companies to fill out a veterinary questionnaire in order to ensure that the breeding process and the transport of dairy and meat products are subject to quality control, safety procedures and are meeting the requirements relating to food storage, similar to the Israeli decision against some of these companies in 2016. He added that 4,500 tons of Palestinian dairy products and 100 tons of meat are exported to East Jerusalem every month. Tareq Abu Laban, assistant undersecretary for the economic sector at the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, told Al-Monitor that they had not been informed officially of the Israeli decision, noting that Muadi notified by phone some of the Palestinian companies about the decision. He said that all of the factories and products are subject to control by the Palestinian General Administration for Veterinary Services and Animal Health to ensure the products' quality and safety. He pointed out that Israel is using the sanitation aspect as a pretext to prevent the entry of products that genuinely compete with the Israeli products into East Jerusalem. He noted that there was a political goal behind Israel prohibiting the entry of dairy and meat products into East Jerusalem in 2016, namely the requirement that the Palestinian companies obtain “the external source of animal origin” certificate. He added that this demand was rejected by Palestinian government authorities as East Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territories and is not part of another state. In addition, he noted, these companies were required to fill out a veterinary questionnaire. The Israeli decision is a violation of the 1994 Paris Protocol on Economic Relations that established reciprocal relations between the two sides, when it comes to each bringing its products into the other one’s market. Mohammad al-Sous, planning and public relations director for Hamoda Group, told Al-Monitor, “We received a telephone call from the Israeli food inspector at Beitunia crossing and another call from the Israeli Civil Administration's agriculture staff officer Samir Muadi of Beit El, located near Ramallah, who told us about the decision to ban the export of goods to Jerusalem.” He added, “We asked the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy to pressure the Israeli side to back down on the decision,” and that the government told them it would apply the same decision to the entry of Israeli dairy and meat products into the Palestinian market. He explained that bringing the decision into force as of Aug. 1 would cause Hamoda Group and the other seven companies huge losses, and result in 500-600 Palestinian workers losing their jobs. He pointed out that his company supplies East Jerusalem with 45% of its products. Sous stressed that they received the ISO 22000 certification that sets out the requirements for food safety management standards, similarly to the companies and factories operating as part of the farm-to-table chain. Speaking to Al-Monitor, Marketing Director at Siniora Food Industries Ahmed al-Karmi warned against the big losses his company and other companies would incur, and added that they would amount to millions of dollars. Azmi Abdul Rahman, director general of the Planning and Policy Department at the Ministry of National Economy in the West Bank, told Al-Monitor that Israeli companies that would be banned from bringing their products into the Palestinian territories are the same as those banned in 2016. He said the Palestinian companies and factories are able to meet the total need of the Palestinian market for dairy products and processed meat. There are more than 40 Palestinian dairy factories whose production capacity ranges from 550 to 600 tons per day, with exports to Arab countries amounting to $6 million. Ziad Hamouri, director of the Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights, told Al-Monitor that the Israeli decision came in light of Palestinian products successfully competing with Israeli products. He called on the Palestinian government to protect the Palestinian products, so that Jerusalemites are not forced to buy Israeli products. Talat Abu Rajab, professor of economics at Hebron University, told Al-Monitor that the Israeli decision will have a negative impact on many Palestinian sectors other than the factories, including cattle farms, veterinary clinics and plastics manufacturers, as well as hundreds of employees being laid off. Israel is unlikely to back down on its decision anytime soon, in light of the tension prevailing over its relationship with the Palestinian Authority (PA), after deductions since February from the tax revenues it transfers to the PA and the Palestinian government’s economic disengagement plan. Continue reading this article by registering at no cost and get unlimited access to: The award-winning Middle East Lobbying - The Influence Game Al-Monitor - Intelligence on the trends shaping the Middle East. Found in: Israeli-Palestinian conflict Ahmad Abu Amer is a Palestinian writer and journalist who has worked for a number of local and international media outlets. He is co-author of a book on the Gaza blockade for the Turkish Anadolu Agency. He holds a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Gaza. Next for you Is Israel dangling economic carrot to lead Hamas to a truce? Instead of slandering it, Israel should join the ICC Why pastrami’s eastern version still rekindles rivalry Stateless Jerusalemites call on Jordan to restore their citizenship Birzeit bans ‘military’ events, sparking student protests

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Home » Articles » Interviews Gregory Porter: Sound & Vision By CHRIS M. SLAWECKI Sign in to view read count Artists who mix or move between two styles, no matter how smoothly, sometimes risk being critically or commercially marooned between them. Gregory Porter sings in a style deeply steeped in the best soul and rhythm-and-blues schools; his deep and warm instrument conjures echoes of Sam Cooke, Lou Rawls and other legendary voices. Even so, his first two albums are unmistakably jazz records. Water (Motéma, 2010) and Be Good (Motéma, 2012) are brightened by sharp arrangements, shimmering production (by Brian Bacchus and Porter's musical director and occasional saxophonist Kamau Kenyatta) and the crack instrumental prowess of Porter's working band: bassist Aaron James, drummer Emanuel Harrold, saxophonist Yosuke Sato and pianist Chip Crawford. The success of these first two albums seems to fit Gregory Porter's broader pattern: he has spent his life spanning and connecting distances. He was born in California and got his start singing in small jazz clubs in San Diego while attending San Diego State University on a football scholarship, but he ultimately relocated to the Bedford- Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Porter was raised by a single mom and grew up without his father. He spanned this emotional gap by throwing himself into the music of Nat "King" Cole, whose legendary mellow baritone Porter's own voice resembled. Porter listened to Cole's music for so long and so deeply that he imaginatively created a deep emotional connection with him in the absence of his own father. In 1998, several threads of Porter's life came together. Kenyatta had heard Porter sing and was aware of his fondness for Cole, so he invited the young vocalist to visit him in the studio where Kenyatta was helping to produce Hubert Laws Remembers the Unforgettable Nat King Cole (RKO/Unique Records, 1998). When the flutist heard Porter sing along to the tracking for "Smile," Laws adjusted the setlist to include a bonus version of this Chaplin classic that featured his vocal—Porter's first studio recording. This session also kicked off a series of events that culminated in Nat King Cole & Me, Porter's more-or-less autobiographical musical that he performed for several successful months at the Denver (Colorado) Center for the Performing Arts. Porter's star has since continued to ascend and glow. His debut, Water, was nominated for a Best Jazz Vocal Grammy Award and was named the Jazz Album of the Year for 2011 by Jazzwise magazine in the UK. He has also appeared in the UK as a featured performer at the London Jazz Festival, as a special guest on BBC4's Carole King & Friends at Christmas 2011 holiday television special, and on several live dates and television broadcasts throughout 2012 with the Jools Holland Orchestra. Released on Valentine's Day, 2012, Be Good furthers Porter's unique connectivity between soul and jazz, while its insistent imagery reveals personal experiences that profoundly connect the singer and listener. "Mother's Song" honors the internal and external beauty of the primary influence on Porter's life, "a mother who taught all her children to love and be loved by each other." His simple declaration of love in "Real Good Hands" provides this set's most direct tune, emotionally, lyrically and musically. The singer's voice seems to organically flow in and out of "Painted on Canvas" with a sound as natural as the whisper of waves kissing the shore. The title track shares an indelible sense of loss and wonder, with Porter subtly opening up his range from the first to the second verse to reveal more of his grief and yearning. But nothing that comes before is preparation for the last two tunes on Be Good. Porter's furious flight through lyrics about a prison chain gang in Nat Adderley's "Work Song" reveals the full range of his power and depth—and his band kicks this arrangement's ass. This might have explosively closed Be Good, but Porter's solitary a cappella rumination through "God Bless the Child," Billie Holiday's prayer of hunger and loss, lays it more gently to rest, swaddled in the profound and intimate sound of a man connecting his voice with his muse. With Be Good, Gregory Porter continues to connect and span distances. "The more personal your story, the more universal it is—the more people connect," he suggests. "People know what it is because they feel like they're going through it with you or they've been there themselves." All About Jazz: Not many male singers who have the type of instrument you have sing in the jazz context that you sing in, so that's where we'd like to start. How did the band behind you come together, and how did your relationship with them start? Gregory Porter: St. Nick's Pub at 149th and Saint Nicholas in Harlem. We had all come to work there on Tuesday nights. All of us were brought together by a musician who had Monday and Tuesday nights there, Melvin Vines, a trumpet player. One thing led to another, and when it came to the point that I was going to record, I wanted to have the rhythm section that I was working with, that had played some of the songs that I was working on for Water at St. Nick's Pub. When it was time to record, those were the cats to do it. AAJ: Wow, that's surprisingly logical. GP: [Laughs] Yeah, you know, when I had the budget for the first album, there was some discussion about me getting this guy or getting that guy, and use half of my budget to have this person on the album. Those are dreams, but, quite frankly, for me, it just made sense to work with the guys who know me, who know the story why I would write a song about my mother, who maybe even know some of the relationships that I'm talking about in some of the songs. AAJ: We're catching you in between performances in Europe—from where did you just return and where will you soon be heading? GP: I was just in Europe for about seven weeks: many places in France, a couple of great performances in Paris, at a Blue Note in Milan and at some festivals. In the UK, I've been touring with Jools Holland. That's been great. I still have several dates to do with him. He invited me on his show, which is how we met; we had just an immediate camaraderie, and he had an immediate respect for what I was doing and my sound and my story. He invited me to sing with his orchestra, so I will play a total of about 15 concerts with him. I did half Jools Holland dates and half my own, and it's been great—we did festivals and concerts all over Europe in some great locations. AAJ: Is the difference between a jazz singer and an R&B singer the single matter of material, or can you articulate something more? GP: There are some harmonic differences in the things you would do in R&B and in jazz. In jazz, you can use a lot of notes, but you can also over-sing, which is something that you really don't want to do in that tradition of the music; you can over-sing in jazz, even though there's a whole bunch of notes that are at the disposal of the jazz singer. But I don't like to put up these walls in between jazz, soul and R&B singers, because all that music is very close cousins birthed out of gospel and blues. It all depends upon the individual artist, but there are some things that are different. Yes, it is the material. And yes, there's an approach. There's that improvisational switch, that trigger, in jazz; it doesn't happen for every artist, and even some of the great artists sang everything the same way every time, which is perfectly acceptable. But in jazz, there's a freedom and a bounce and a swing that should happen, which is not really a requirement for R&B. AAJ: Are there instrumentalists who you think sound similar to you? GP: I think about that all the time. People talk to me all the time about, "Wow, your soulful approach to jazz; you're combining the genres of soul and jazz." I'm thinking, "Yeah, I listen to Cannonball Adderley"—I am not comparing myself at all to Cannonball Adderley—but his approach and his attack to the music is what I want to do. I think of Gary Bartz and I think of Les McCann, of those and other soulful instruments. But then there's a situation like the song "Illusion" on my first album. When it's a ballad, I think of a record by Keith Jarrett where he's playing so simply and so beautifully. He has all this facility where he just destroys the piano, but he just plays so simply and so beautifully, and I think that's the approach that I took with "Illusion." I took out all this melisma and melodrama and just laid it out there. Just lay it out there simply and beautifully, and the notes and the tones will convey the message that you're trying to get across. AAJ: How many people tried to talk you out of ending Be Good with that unaccompanied rendition of "God Bless the Child"? GP: I didn't ask anybody. Now, let me tell you why. This is the second day of recording. There's no band. Brian, our producer, was running late, and so I had about an hour-and-a-half of being in the studio by myself—just a perfect time for me to play around with the microphones, I thought. I had thoughts of doing an a cappella version of something; I didn't know what. I started singing this into the microphone, and it just felt good to me. I'm not of the belief that songs can be over-sung, because every day, someone is born who has not yet heard it. With that in mind, I recorded it without anybody there. I told everyone afterwards, "Oh, by the way, track number 13 is me just doing whatever the hell I want to do." AAJ: That's like painting a big bull's eye on the end of this set, though—you're putting yourself quite naked out there. GP: Sometimes we've got to get out of ourselves and not try to be so impressive. I'm not trying to be impressive. I'm just kind of dealing with it like my mother used to pray. And in a way, not to sound too spiritual, but it really gets to that place for me sometimes: "Let me have a conversation with Billie Holiday," you know what I mean? "Let me consider those words from the best of my own understanding." They're her words. She wrote them. I understand that I can't meet her, I can't touch her, I can't have a conversation with her. I understand that. But I can close my eyes and consider her words as I'm singing her song in my way. AAJ: The songs on Be Good tell great stories, but they also reveal the feeling that they're not revealing everything, that there are stories behind their stories. The opener, "Painted on Canvas," strongly suggests that you work in visual media— do you? GP: I love it. I would never show any of my paintings to anybody, but I'm attracted to that medium. I'm into photography as well. I'm very drawn to it, and in every city and country that I go to, I always find myself in a museum standing in front of some canvas. It is important to me. But that song is really about letting people be who they are and allowing yourself to have the shape and color that you feel you should have. I think about this sometimes. When I walk into a room with people who don't know me, sometimes there's the unspoken undercurrent, "Who is this guy? What's he doing here? What's he all about?" Sometimes you can just see people throw a bucket of paint on you without being delicate. Other times, they use a fine brush. We often do it. Somebody walks through the door and we say, "Oh, young black guy, better watch my purse," or "Old white guy. He's got a bunch of money and he's racist," or, "Oh, there's a fat woman—she probably eats way too much." We do these things. But people are deeper than that, and we have to take a fine brush and take the time to figure out who and what they are. They have a right to some of these definitions that we make. I have the right to say who I am. It's not all up to you. About Gregory Porter Gregory Porter Interview Chris M. Slawecki GoMedia PR United States Sam Cooke Lou Rawls Kamau Kenyatta Emanuel Harrold Yosuke Sato Chip Crawford Nat King Cole Hubert Laws Nat Adderley Billie Holiday Cannonball Adderley Gary Bartz Les McCann Keith Jarrett Miles Davis John Coltrane Charlie Parker Sarah Vaughan Carmen McRae Joe Williams Dinah Washington Harold Mabern Mahalia Jackson The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra By La-Faithia White Bruce Jones: Growing Up With Jazz By Mackenzie Horne Ruslan Sirota: A Journey Away By Mike Jacobs Bob Lanzetti: Snarky Guitars, Part 2 By Friedrich Kunzmann Jonathan Kreisberg: A Spirit Captured in Constant Motion By Franz A. Matzner Adam Rudolph: Ragmala and Prototypical Music By Ian Patterson Donna Khalifé: On The Silent Wings Of Hope Mark Lettieri: Snarky Guitars, Part 1 By Seton Hawkins Sisonke Xonti: A Leap of Faith

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China convicted more than 700 for terrorism, separatism in 2014: Court BEIJING, China - China convicted and sentenced 712 people for terrorism, separatism and related crimes last year, the country's top court said on Thursday, saying such offences were its top priority for 2015. Violent attacks and unrest have been on the rise in recent years in China's remote Xinjiang region, home to the mostly Muslim Uighur minority, and Tibetan areas, where reports of self-immolation in protest against Chinese rule often hit global headlines. China has vowed to step up punishment of what it calls "violent terrorists" and is drafting its first-ever anti-terrorism law. Rights groups have warned it would grant the Communist Party even greater powers to "define terrorism and terrorist activities so broadly as to easily include peaceful dissent or criticism" of government policies. The number of people sentenced last year for crimes such as inciting secession and terrorist attack was up 13.3 per cent from 2013, the Supreme People's Court said in its report to the National People's Congress, the country's Communist-controlled legislature. It put "maintaining national security and social stability" at the top of its agenda this year. "(We will) actively participate in the fight against terrorism and separatism and firmly punish violent terrorist crimes according to the law," it said in the report. "(We will) seriously punish the various crimes that gravely harm the people's safety, resolutely maintain national security, ethnic unity and social stability," it added. Among those jailed last year was prominent Uighur scholar Ilham Tohti, who taught economics at a university in Beijing and was sentenced to life in prison for "separatism" in September. His case prompted international diplomatic condemnation and several of his students were subsequently tried and convicted for the same offence. "The judiciary has become a tool to oppress the Uighurs," Dilxat Raxit, spokesman for the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, said in an email to AFP. Three dead, 79 injured in Xinjiang attack 'Strike hard' More than 450 people were killed in Xinjiang last year, a rights group said earlier this month - with three times as many deaths among Uighurs than Han Chinese, the country's ethnic majority. Information in the area is tightly controlled and difficult to independently verify. Rights groups say that harsh police treatment of Uighurs and government campaigns against religious practices, such as the wearing of veils, has led to violence, with Raxit saying resistance had grown in the face of "systematic repression". China defends its policies, arguing that it has boosted economic development in the area and that it upholds minority and religious rights in a country with 56 recognised ethnic groups. Clashes and increasingly sophisticated strikes have spread, both in Xinjiang - home to just over 10 million Uighurs - and outside it. Among the most shocking attacks was a deadly rampage by knife-wielding assailants at a train station at Kunming in China's southwest last March, when 31 people were killed and four attackers died. Beijing has responded by launching a harsh crackdown in the region, with hundreds of people jailed or detained on terror-related offences following a deadly May attack on a market that killed 39 people. Authorities in January announced the extension of the year-long "strike hard" campaign until at least the end of 2015, alarming rights campaigners. "It is pretty startling the number of arrests that are taking place in the crackdown," William Nee, China researcher at London-based Amnesty International, told AFP. "We are just very concerned about the issue of fair trials and how the anti-terrorism law will fit into the picture and be a tool for the strike hard campaign." Nee said the draft of the new law contains measures for a "non-stop strike hard campaign", signalling that the crackdown could continue "indefinitely". McDonald's Japan launches its Adult Cream Pies, and the verdict is in

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No hollow feat: These pack a historical punch (From left) Yo Poh Tee, Chan Siew Mun, Lt-Col (Retired) Kwek Boon Yong, the league’s vice-president Colonel (Retired) Lau Kee Siong, NHB’s group director of policy Alvin Tan, league president B-G (NS) Winston Toh and Major (Retired) Ishwar Lall-Singh with the brass cartridges from the first and last shots fired during a 21-gun salute at Singapore’s first National Day Parade in 1966. Melody Zaccheus SINGAPORE - For the past five decades, Mr Ishwar Lall-Singh has kept two brass gun cartridges at home and would take them out to polish every other day. These cartridges are not just any shells - they are the first and last shots fired during a 21-gun salute at Singapore's first National Day Parade (NDP) in 1966. But Mr Lall-Singh, a member of the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans League, will no longer be doing any polishing. He donated the artefacts to the league last month, which recognised their historical significance. The league, in turn, loaned them to the National Heritage Board (NHB) for preservation yesterday. "I'm getting on in years and it's been hard to maintain them properly," said the 85-year-old. The loan will benefit Singaporeans. NHB told The Straits Times the mementos will be part of a travelling exhibition next year on the country's first NDP. A documentary on the first parade was also uploaded on the board's website yesterday. The Republic's first NDP, held at the Padang, involved 23,000 men, women and children. Both President Yusof Ishak and Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee, also the Colonel of the Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteer) or SRAV, inspected the parade's contingents to the sounds of the gun salute. The salute, a tradition handed down by British military forces, is typically reserved for heads of state. In 1966, it was fired by men from the "S" Battery of SRAV from the grounds of the former Raffles Institution - where Raffles City stands today. Mr Lall-Singh knew, for many years, that the cartridges celebrated a seminal moment in the young nation's history. Soon after the parade, when he was 37 and an administrative officer at the SRAV camp in Beach Road, the unit discarded many items, including the shells, when it was moving to a new site in Taman Jurong. He realised the importance of the shells and salvaged the first and last cartridges, taking them with him each time he moved house - a grand total of six times since the 1960s. "They struck me as significant as Singapore's very first 21-gun salute. I couldn't keep all 21 shells at home, so I chose the first and the last to keep as souvenirs," he said. NHB group director of policy Alvin Tan said the board is "heartened" by the community coming forward to contribute mementoes and stories. "We will continue to work with them on projects showcasing defining moments in Singapore's history," he said. The league's vice-president, retired colonel Lau Kee Siong, 67, said the group realised the historical significance of the rounds to the nation. "We wanted to have them kept safely in the hands of a proper institution, which will... take care of them and present them to future generations." This article was published on May 6 in The Straits Times. Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

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Syrian warRussia|Opinion Putin’s ‘Syria victory’ claims ring hollow By Neil Hauer Russia just launched its latest celebration of victory in Syria. As part of the “Defenders of the Fatherland” holiday, officials on February 23 inaugurated the “Syrian Breakthrough” train in Moscow. The train, which contains more than 500 war trophies from Russia’s campaign in Syria, will traverse the country multiple times over the next two months, covering 29,000 kilometers and stopping at more than 60 cities. The exhibition is the first major event by Russia’s newest branch of the armed forces, the Main Military-Political Directorate, a new public-relations division equipped with a fittingly Soviet title. And just as appropriately old Soviet, little of Russia’s celebration over Syria correlates with reality. Moscow has declared “victory” or withdrawal from Syria several times since its direct entry to the conflict in 2015. In March 2016, President Vladimir Putin announced a large-scale withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria. This was followed shortly thereafter by a triumphant victory concert in the recaptured city of Palmyra in May (it was lost again to ISIS before the end of the year). In a December 2017 visit to Russia’s Hmeimim airbase on the Syrian coast, Putin again declared victory, while in June 2018 he announced that dozens of aircraft and more than 1,000 servicemen (out of an official total of roughly 5,000) had been withdrawn from the country. Almost none of these events have reflected the situation on the ground in Syria, or that the conflict is truly reaching a close. The one exception may be the December 2017 announcement, coming as the Syrian government’s campaign against ISIS in eastern Syria reached its end. There are no such successes to mark the present moment, however. Russia in fact finds itself facing largely the same conundrums in Syria as it has over the last six-plus months: what to do with Idlib and Manbij. In both cases, its goals are directly at odds with the other major arbiter involved, Turkey. Moscow has repeatedly asserted that the “presence of terrorists” in Idlib is “unacceptable,” and it is an open secret the Kremlin would like to see most of the governorate return to Syrian government control. It has likewise pushed for a similar solution to Manbij, with Syrian government forces and its own military police replacing Kurdish troops. But nearly no progress has been made with Ankara on either point, despite months of talks. Reports of clashes between Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian forces have surged since the start of the year, with the two sides experiencing unprecedented turbulence in their relationship in a development that further weakens Moscow’s hand vis-a-vis Ankara If anything, Russia’s problems in Syria at present appear to be multiplying, rather than receding. Reports of clashes between Russian- and Iranian-backed Syrian forces have surged since the start of the year, with the two sides experiencing unprecedented turbulence in their relationship in a development that further weakens Moscow’s hand vis-a-vis Ankara. Potentially even more ominous is the burgeoning insurgency in Daraa, where killings of Syrian military personnel and improvised explosives targeting government vehicles have cropped up in the past three months. The receding rebel threat has meanwhile opened the door to far greater discontent with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime from within its own core constituencies, with growing resentment against an economic situation that continues to worsen amid the brazen corruption of profiteering elites. None of these are particularly auspicious signs for Moscow. Nevertheless, Putin clearly feels he needs to demonstrate to his domestic electorate that the conflict has been a straightforward success that is nearly at an end. Since announcing a massively unpopular pension reform last June, the Russian leader’s ratings have plummeted. Polls show that disapproval of the Russian president recently hit their highest-ever mark since he first came to power in 2000, with 35% of Russians now displeased. The populace is increasingly tiring of foreign adventurism amid stagnating or deteriorating conditions at home: the social-media response to the “Syrian Breakthrough” was rife with sarcastic remarks that the train “should be delivering free food” instead. Three and a half years of nightly newscasts informing Russians of another hundred terrorists killed in Syria have run their course. There was another less-reported aspect of Russia’s latest triumphalism, one potentially more interesting. On February 21, Salah-Haji Mezhiev, the Grand Mufti of the Chechen Republic, made a visit to the Khalid Ibn Walid Mosque in Homs, Syria, for its ceremonial reopening. The mosque is one of two whose reconstruction has been funded by the Chechen government’s Akhmad Kadyrov Foundation, one of several ways in which the Sunni Muslim province of Russia has contributed to Moscow’s public relations efforts in Syria. Mezhiev met with Syrian government figures, including the minister of religious affairs, and noted that the rehabilitation of the second mosque, the Umayyad Mosque in Aleppo, was nearing completion. There is reason to believe that event will be marked by a more high-profile visit by Chechnya’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, who recently stated his intention to visit Syria. The Chechen attempts to portray the end of the conflict on the ground in Syria dovetail with Moscow’s efforts on the home front. Regardless of the narrative, there are signs that Moscow is quietly preparing for the long haul. The recent deployment of additional military police to Manbij hints at a desire to establish more control on the ground, a strategy that may come to facilitate further Kurdish agreements with the Damascus regime as the US withdraws its troops. The establishment of additional ties with regime formations like the Fifth Corps also represent a long-term investment. Putin may wish to be done with Syria, but Syria isn’t done with him. This article was provided to Asia Times by Syndication Bureau, which holds copyright. Asia Times is not responsible for the opinions, facts or any media content presented by contributors. In case of abuse, click here to report. TurkeyVladimir PutinISISBashar al-AssadIdlibChechnyaManbij Neil Hauer Neil Hauer is a security analyst based in Tbilisi, Georgia. His work focuses on the Syrian conflict, particularly Russia’s role; politics and minorities in the South Caucasus; and violence and politics in the North Caucasus, particularly Chechnya and Ingushetia.

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Student News: 3/10/17 in: Education Eleanor Henn Of Woodbridge On RPI’s Lacrosse Team Troy, NY—Eleanor Henn of Woodbridge is a member of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) lacrosse team. The Biology major helped the Engineers to a 9-5 victory over SUNY Oneonta in Thursday’s season opener. For specific information about Eleanor, please visit the team’s roster page at http://rpiathletics.com/roster.aspx?path=mlax and click on her name. For specific statistics on Henn as well as the team’s schedule, visit http://rpiathletics.com/schedule.aspx?path=mlax& and click on the link in the upper right corner. Harry Chartoff Returns Following Intensive Research Project Worcester, MA—Harry Chartoff of Woodbridge, Conn., a member of the class of 2018 majoring in biomedical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), was a member of a student team that recently completed an intense, hands-on research project in Puerto Rico. The project was titled Historic Bridge Preservation. In their project outline, the students wrote, “The WPI project team utilized literature reviews, on-site assessments, and SolidWorks to create new bridge designs, develop a cost-benefit analysis with differing choices in materials for each of the historic bridges, and designed informational signs that would be placed around the bridges.” At WPI, all undergraduates are required to complete a research-driven, professional-level project that applies science and technology to addresses an important societal need or issue. A signature element of the innovative undergraduate experience at WPI, the project-based curriculum offers students the opportunity to apply their scientific and technical knowledge to develop thoughtful solutions to real problems that affect the quality of people’s lives-and make a difference before they graduate. Dean’s/President’s List Michael Berkley Makes Goodwin Dean’s List For Fall 2016 East Hartford, CT—Michael Berkley has earned a spot on the Goodwin College Dean’s List for the Fall 2016. Michael, a student from Woodbridge, is one of 975 students to make the Dean’s List, reserved for those who demonstrate great academic performance. Dean’s List inclusion requires a student to earn a minimum 3.5 GPA, the equivalent of an A- average, during a given academic session. The student must also be enrolled in a minimum of six academic credits to qualify. Goodwin College congratulates Michael on making the Dean’s List and demonstrating such a high standard of excellence in the classroom and beyond. Michael Berkley Makes Goodwin College President’s List For Fall 2016 East Hartford, CT—Woodbridge resident Michael Berkley has achieved a perfect 4.0 grade point average at Goodwin College for the Fall 2016 session, earning a spot on the elite President’s List. The List is the highest academic honor roll at Goodwin College, a nonprofit school that believes that all students are capable of great success academically, professionally, and in their personal lives. Students like Michael exemplify the rigorous work ethic and commitment to education it takes to succeed in higher education. Goodwin College extends its congratulations to Michael for such a tremendous academic achievement. To qualify for the President’s List, a student must be enrolled in at least six credits at Goodwin College and earn perfect marks in all classes. Hofstra Congratulates Local Students On Fall 2016 Dean’s List Hempstead, NY—Hofstra University congratulates the following Woodbridge students named to the Fall 2016 Dean’s List for their outstanding academic achievement. Students must earn a grade point average of at least 3.5 during the semester to make the Dean’s List. Those named to the Dean’s List are: Haritsa Halepas and Victoria Staniewicz. Nora Pfund Named To RIT Dean’s List For Fall Semester Rochester, NY—Nora Pfund of Woodbridge was named to the RIT Dean’s List for the fall 2016-2017 semester. Nora is studying in the photographic sciences program. Degree-seeking undergraduate students are eligible for Dean’s List if their term GPA is greater than or equal to 3.400; they do not have any grades of “Incomplete”, “D” or “F”; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours. Local Students Graduate From The University Of New Haven Wallingford, Conn. – The following students graduated from the University of New Haven of West Haven, Conn. at a ceremony on December 18 at the Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre. Those graduates from Woodbridge are: Vladimir Auster, Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, Tagliatela College of Engineering; Yenju Cho, Master of Public Admin, Public Administration with a concentration in Public Admin – General, College of Business; and Justin Parker, Bachelor of Science, Business Management with a concentration in Business Mgmt – General, College of Business. Tags:Student News Previous : President’s Volunteer Service Award Next : High School Students Organize Fundraiser Belfonti to Serve as Chairman of Amity Regional Board of Education Historical Society Tag Sale From Across The Aisle – 4/8/16

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If you’re interested in creating a travel blog to showcase your travel photography The Blogger Course is the best thing you can invest in! It’s a 12 week course sharing all the secrets to making money and finding an audience created by Monica of The Travel Hack. I’ve also contributed a weeks lesson on Advanced Photography. Sign up and you’ll also get access to a secret Facebook Group that’s invaluable for sharing advice and getting feedback. That would point to the Lakers as another possible destination for a trade. — Brett Martel, The Seattle Times, "Agent: Anthony Davis tells New Orleans that he wants a trade," 29 Jan. 2019 Will and Kate reportedly chose the island of Mustique as the destination for their trip, which coincides with George's fifth birthday. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Prince George Is Reportedly Celebrating His Birthday on a Private Island, NBD," 22 July 2018 The sitter can accompany a child to the airport, on the plane and to a destination. — Kay Manning, chicagotribune.com, "Considering having a child fly solo? Here's what to know," 29 June 2018 According to their leaked Save The Date invitation, the couple have chosen France for a picturesque, destination wedding in 2019. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas Were Absolutely the Cutest at the Grammys After Party," 11 Feb. 2019 But clicking though the digital album of a destination wedding has its own distinct appeal. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "The Most Extravagant and Enviable Destination Weddings in Vogue," 11 Jan. 2019 The jet continued to its destination and landed safely. — Dominic Gates, The Seattle Times, "Lion Air pilots struggled against Boeing’s 737 MAX flight-control system, black-box data shows," 27 Nov. 2018 Following their gorgeous destination wedding in Italy last spring, the couple jetted off to Ecuador to do community-building work for the charity organization WE—and famously invited Drew's twin brother Jonathan along! — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "Property Brothers' Drew Scott on Balancing Work and Married Life With Wife Linda," 19 Nov. 2018 What has quickly become a year-round destination, Beaver Creek offers the unique experience of a lifetime for anyone looking for adventure, fun, and inspiration. — Discover Magazine, "One-on-One with Executive Chef Kevin Erving," 6 July 2018 However I didn't realize that he had done lovely work documenting a rural Chinese opera troupe in Sichuan featured on the International Business Times..thus providing me with valuable inspiration for my own long term book project involving Chinese opera of the Diaspora. My primary focus in this project is on the "rural" or provincial troupes who perform their art during Chinese celebrations and religious observances. This was a really informative article Hillary :) Just wish I found it sooner because just a week ago I went to the Grand Canyon to snap some photos. I didn't have this article to help, but I found a similarly useful article that provided some kind of checklist of things to do before traveling. If anyone's interested, here's what helped me out before I went to the canyon: http://www.adoramapix.com/blog/2016/10/16/photography-101-packing/#.WFH9... Aga Szydlik is a professional culture photographer and a doctoral candidate based in South Africa. She tells us that her journey with photography started with Muay Thai (the famous Thai fight style) which she documented extensively. Based in Thailand, she able to explore South East Asia, onwards to Indonesia and South Africa. She is enthusiastic about alternative processes, analogue photography, Lomography and salt/albumin prints as well as mixed media. Whether at home or abroad, when you know the ins and outs of a particular location, you can provide photography tours and location-specific workshops to serve both tourists and serious photographers. In Greece I found a professional photographer offering pricey photo tours in Santorini, a popular island with stunning viewpoints that are difficult to locate. Part of this photographer's service was to unveil these secret locations. Back in Holland, photographer Michiel Buijse offers nighttime photography workshops in Amsterdam, helping photographers shoot stunning long exposures along the historical canals. Consider what you can offer in a location you know well. Setting goals and thinking about the reason you want to be a travel photographer sounds like a pretty easy step to skip but believe me, you want those goals to look back at one day. When you’ve had a bad few months without work, when you’re knee deep in mud because you took the term ‘getting the shot’ a bit too far…you want to be reminded of why you’re doing it. Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge Castle Ward Cliffs of Moher Croagh Patrick Crumlin Road Gaol Derrigimlagh Dingle Peninsula Downpatrick Head Dublin Castle Dursey Island Fanad Head Fermanagh Lakelands Giants Causeway Glendalough Guinness Storehouse Irish National Stud & Gardens Keem Strand Killary Harbour Loop Head Lough Gur Malin Head Mizen Head Mount Stewart Mullaghmore Head Old Head of Kinsale Powerscourt Ring of Kerry Rock of Cashel St George's Market Skellig Michael Slieve League Cliffs The Gobbins Trinity College Another place to capture expressions are the subways; either on the platforms or in the cars themselves. My favorite images are the one of a young woman avidly watching a movie on her smartphone, while wearing a single hair roller to tame her fringe....and of the young girl who appears to be viewing a smart phone screen on an ad on a subway platform while her mother is busy texting on her real phone. Whether you're licensing photos through an agency or you're working with local businesses, destination photos sell. If you're just starting out, consider uploading your best work to sites like 500px, where you can offer your images for license quite easily. If you already have a strong portfolio of work, consider applying to Stocksy, the most reputable agency in the stock photo business. Interested in reportage? You can sign up for a Demotix account to get started in travel photojournalism. Thanks to CheapAir, you can book the most comfortable and cheapest flights to your favorite cities. Beyond just buying discount flights, we also help you find and book flights with wifi and other amenities to make your journey enjoyable. Cheap Air is your trusted online travel agency. Since 1989, our customers have relied on us for airline flights at affordable rates. We're so confident about our cheap flights that the flights you book on CheapAir.com are eligible for our exclusive Price Drop Payback™ program. If the CheapAir flight price is lower after buying, we'll send you a voucher for the difference, up to $100 per ticket. Hooray! That's a terrible route. You should be able to fly to Heathrow and then it's only 12 hours to Cape Town. We don't spend 36 hours in the air. Hawaii to Atlanta is 9 hours and then 18 hours on one flight to Joburg. The best time I've ever had is 34 hours door to door total travel time from Kona to Joburg but it's not fun. I've met people on the Atlanta flight that do it every month. They normally work for some charity or in Oil & Gas. With that many miles they get business or first so that makes it a lot easier but I'm sure it still takes its toll. I enjoyed looking at your work. I need to spend more time on the road. Chinese opera has a long, rich history that dates back to 200 A.D. Over the centuries, a handful of styles of opera emerged — each with its own distinct makeup, music, and acting traditions — reflecting the eras and tastes of the changing dynasties. Sichuan opera is the youngest style, emerging around 1700 in Chengdu, Sichuan province, where it is still performed today by a dwindling roster of troupes. Knowing how to use your camera is essential to success as a travel photographer because more often than not, it’s those spur of the moment shots that generate the goods. If you can quickly adapt to the surroundings and know what settings to change in a split-second in order to capture a moment, you’re in with a pretty good shot of becoming a professional photographer. The third image is of Jinru Lee; a student and part-time model in Georgetown (Penang Island, Malaysia). It was made in late August 2018 under the sweltering sun of Penang, and inside the Cheah Kongsi Clan House Temple on Lebuh Armenian. I was in Penang to photograph the various Hokkien operas during the Hungry Ghost festival, and took the opportunity to set a photo shoot in its streets for a forthcoming audio slideshow (aka photo film) titled "The Phantom of the Opera". The more willing you are to travel at a moment's notice, the more opportunities you can access. Day jobs will limit travel, so will mortgages and car payments. Photojournalist Lynsey Addario recently wrote about being 7 months pregnant while on assignment in Gaza. I deeply admire her bravery and commitment to her work, but I imagine many photographers aren't willing to make such compromises. Consider your lifestyle, and how much time you're willing to spend away from home. As for myself, I'm a long-term digital nomad traveling with a suitcase and a backpack and an open mind. Being available and flexible has made a monumental difference to my career. Some of these 'singalong' parlors still exist, faded and tired but otherwise unchanged, offering a taste of popular and cheap entertainment from a past era. How these survive in anyone's guess. The parlors usually have an organist (who can also play a guitar) and a handful of habitual customers who sing Cantonese songs...and occasionally Western oldies such as "Sealed With A Kiss" by the Canton Singing House organist. Travel & Leisure is part of the Travel & Leisure Group. CopyRight 2019 Meredith Corporation. Travel & Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel & Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel & Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Ad Choices | Your California Privacy Rights | EU Data Subject Requests Travels (published in 1988) is a nonfiction book by Michael Crichton that details Crichton's attempts to leave his medical education at Harvard Medical School, followed by his subsequent travel to Los Angeles and adventures continuing his professional writing career, beginning with The Great Train Robbery (1975). After his initial book became a movie starring Sean Connery, Crichton describes his adventures over the world, and ultimately his experience with mysticism, including out-of-body experiences, astral projection, and fortune-telling. Once a black image is created, I clicked on File> Add Layer(s) From File, and used the Quick Mask tool (yellow arrow on left) to "paint" a line around Gui Lian. The Quick Mask tool wasn't sufficiently precise in blacking out all of the targeted areas, so I also used the Masking Brush tool (red arrow) and went over these areas on complete the task....a task that took me no more than 12 minutes; well within my range of tolerance. I then pumped up the saturation using Iridium Developer tools...a task that took under a minute. The setting for the photo shoot which resulted in the slideshow was the beautiful Lin Ben Yuan Family Mansion and Garden (林本源園邸) in the Banqiao District, Taipei. It was a residence built by the Lin Ben Yuan Family, and is the country's most complete surviving example of traditional Chinese garden architecture. It can be traced back to 1847 when it was built for storing of rice crop whose location was more convenient for the increasingly wealthy Lin Ben Yuan family. A few years later, it became the family's main residence. All the photographs in this gallery were made using the Fuji X-Pro2 and the Fujinon 18mm 2.0 pancake lens. Since I keep camera dangling from my neck as I click the shutter, the lens aperture ring occasionally slips, so I have a small piece of gaffer tape keeping it at 2.8 or 4.0 at all times. I also keep the iso at 640 most of the time. The photographs were processed with Silver Efex; my favorite monochrome software.

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Foxtel CEO Patrick Delany Becomes MCN’s Chairman Once Again By Huntley Mitchell Multi Channel Network (MCN) hasn’t been short of news lately, and has extended its time in the spotlight with the appointment of Patrick Delany as its new chairman. This is the second time Delany has been chairman at MCN, having given up the role after being chosen to lead Foxtel in January. He was replaced by News Corp Australia’s chief financial officer, Stacey Brown. However, an MCN spokesperson told B&T that now the decision has been made by Ten to split with MCN, Delany has become the company’s new chair “to ensure a clear focus on greater collaboration and partnership between Foxtel and MCN”. Delany’s appointment also follows the departure of MCN’s long-time CEO, Anthony Fitzgerald, last month, who was replaced by the company’s chief sales and marketing officer, Mark Frain. Foxtel MCN Multi Channel Network Patrick Delaney

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Bankers Life and Casualty Company Supports Alzheimer's Association With More Than $300,000 CHICAGO (July 17, 2008) - Through its annual street corner fundraiser and a separate corporate donation, Bankers Life and Casualty Company is supporting the Alzheimer's Association with over $300,000. Bankers' annual Forget Me Not Days® event raised nearly $203,000 for the Alzheimer's Association. In addition, Bankers - a national life and health insurer focusing on the retirement market - recognized the Association on a national level with a $100,000 donation to aid in the support of the Association's mission. "We're proud to support the Alzheimer's Association and the remarkable work they do to advance research and provide patient and caregiver support," said Scott Perry, president of Bankers. "This disease has a significant impact on our customers, and as our Forget Me Not Days event continues to grow, our employees and agents across the country are committed to doing what it takes to fight this disease and give something back to our customers and our communities." In its sixth record-breaking year, Forget Me Not Days saw more than 1,000 Bankers volunteers collect donations at locations in 104 U.S. cities on May 16 and 17. "The dedication of Bankers' employees and agents to raise awareness of Alzheimer's disease and support their local communities is making a significant difference for people who are directly affected by the disease and their families," said Claudine Larocque, of the Alzheimer's Association. "The growth of the Forget Me Not Days event is very encouraging, as it has an immense impact on bringing this disease to the forefront, and in helping to fund programs, services and research that improve care for those with the disease and offer hope for the future." About the Alzheimer's Association The Alzheimer's Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care, support and research. Our mission is to eliminate Alzheimer's disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health. Our vision is a world without Alzheimer's. For more information, visit www.alz.org. Established in 1879 in Chicago, Bankers Life and Casualty Company focuses on the financial security needs of the mature market. The nationwide company, a subsidiary of Conseco, Inc., offers a broad portfolio of health and life insurance and retirement savings products designed especially for seniors. Visit us online at www.bankers.com. Contact: Barbara Ciesemier b.ciesemier@banklife.com

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Martin: "It is powerful" Manager speaks of bond between players and fans as Barnet beat Chester to stay seven clear. Martin Allen was pleased to see his side kick off the festive period in style on Saturday, as Barnet beat Chester 3-0 at The Hive to stay seven points clear at the top of the Conference table heading into Christmas. Speaking after the game, the manager admitted that Chester had provided some stern opposition, although it was nothing less than he had been expecting: “They have just drawn with Barnsley in the FA Cup and we have just beaten them 3-0. They are a good side; don’t kid yourself. “In the week they played against Barnsley [in the replay] and had 58 per cent of possession, which is some going. “We knew they were going to try and keep the ball and move it about the pitch, but we probably expected in the second for them to tire after such a big game in the week and that is how it panned out. “The longer the game went on the stronger we got, after our players had all been rested and it was a very strong performance against what has been a team in form.” Barnet took the lead during the first half after John Akinde pounced on a defensive error to score his nineteenth of the season before Charlie MacDonald added a second shortly before the hour mark to put the Bees well in control. It was the captain’s first goal since September having missed two months with a knee ligament injury, and Martin admitted that it was good to see him back on the scoresheet: “Charlie probably returned too quickly from his operation. He was desperate to get back and I was obviously desperate to get him back and I probably brought him back into the team too soon. “He is 33 so it takes a little bit longer to recover. But he is such an influence over the rest of the players and it a real catalyst within what we do at Barnet. “That cross that went across the six yard box - that is the Charlie MacDonald we all know. He deserved that for sure and he will be relieved. He has worked very hard in training and everyone is delighted for him in the dressing room.” Martin finished by picking out all of the Barnet supporters for special praise, and reiterated his belief that they are starting to turn The Hive into a real fortress with two more home games to come in a busy Christmas schedule: “It was a good day with all of the supporters singing and happy at the end. It is a good atmosphere here. “It is an atmosphere now that reminds me of the energy and enthusiasm of the old ground. It is starting to feel now like this place is taking shape with the supporters and the backing of the players. “The players are definitely enjoying it; I know that because I hear them talking in the dressing room. The camaraderie and the support for all of our players is now very powerful. It is powerful, you can feel it.”

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BenchMark Process 6 Blunders to avoid in Retirement Leverage your 401k for a Pittsburgh Retirement! 50 Something's Action Plan for Retirement Tower Square Investment Management Tip: Dividend Dates. There are four important dates for dividends: Declaration Date: The company announces when it will pay a dividend and how much the dividend will be worth. Ex-Dividend Date: Shareholders of record before this date are entitled to receive the next dividend payment. Record Date: On this date, the list of stockholders is finalized. Payable Date: On this date, the taxable dividend is paid to shareholders. When interest rates reach historic lows, some investors in search of income-generating investments turn to dividend-yielding stocks. Dividends are taxable payments made by a company to its shareholders. When a company makes a profit, that money can be put to two uses—it can be reinvested in the business or it can be paid out to the company’s shareholders in the form of a dividend. Some dividends are paid quarterly and others are paid monthly. Dividend Ratios Investors track dividend-yielding stocks by examining a pair of ratios. Dividend per share measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each share of dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by adding up the total dividends paid out over a year (not including special dividends) and dividing by the number of shares of stock that are outstanding. Dividend yield measures how much cash an investor is scheduled to receive for each dollar invested in a dividend-yielding stock. It is calculated by dividing the dividends per share by the share price. Other Dividend Considerations Investing in dividend-paying stocks can create a stream of taxable income. But the fact that a company is paying dividends is only one factor to consider when choosing a stock investment. Dividends can be stopped, increased, or decreased at any time. Unlike interest from a corporate bond, which is normally a set amount determined and approved by a company’s board of directors. If a company is experiencing financial difficulties, its board may reduce or eliminate its dividend for a period of time. If a company is outperforming expectations, it may boost its dividend or pay shareholders a special one-time payout. When considering a dividend-yielding stock, focus first on the company’s cash position. Companies with a strong cash position may be able to pay their scheduled dividend without interruption. Many mature, profitable companies are in a position to offer regular dividends to shareholders as a way to attract investors to the stock. Dividend income is currently taxed at a maximum rate of 20%. Be cautious when considering investments that pay a high dividend. While past history cannot predict future performance, companies with established histories of consistent dividend payment may be more likely to continue that performance in the future. In a period of low interest rates, investors who want income may want to consider all their options. Dividend-yielding stocks can generate taxable income but, like most investments, they should be carefully reviewed before you commit any dollars. Keep in mind that the return and principal value of stock prices will fluctuate as market conditions change. And shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. The information in this article is not intended as tax or legal advice. It may not be used for the purpose of avoiding any federal tax penalties. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. Dividends Can Make a Difference This chart shows the role dividends have played in stock market performance during the past 35 years ended December 31, 2017. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Thomson Reuters, 2018. The S&P 500 Composite Index and S&P 500 Composite Index (Total Return) are unmanaged indices that are generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. Index performance is not indicative of the past performance of a particular investment. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Individuals cannot invest directly in an index. Benchmark Financial Advisors 2605 Nicholson Road Securities and advisory services offered through Registered Representatives of Cetera Advisor Networks LLC (doing insurance business in CA as CFGAN Insurance Agency LLC), member FINRA, SIPC, a broker/dealer and Registered Investment Advisor. Cetera is under separate ownership from any other named entity. This site is published for residents of the United States only. Registered representatives of Cetera Advisor Networks may only conduct business with residents of the states and/or jurisdictions in which they are properly registered. Not all of the products and services referenced on this site may be available in every state and through every representative listed. For additional information, please contact the representative(s) listed on the site or visit the Cetera Advisor Networks site at www.ceteraadvisornetworks.com. Online Privacy Policy | Important Disclosures | Business Continuity | Privacy Policy | Order Routing Disclosure

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Will Louisiana allow flagship, LSU, becoming LS Who? Written by Jim Brown by Jim Brown Huey Long was the best friend and supporter LSU ever had. He was called the father of the modern LSU by the Virginia Quarterly Review in commenting: “Huey stroked LSU as if he had been coddling a newborn pet elephant. During fiscal stringency in all other American states, Huey force-fed LSU with increasing appropriations.“ The Kingfish made no bones about his long-term goals for the state’s flagship university. “LSU’s going to be the Harvard of the South.” LSU’s significant relevance as an educational pillar in the South continued into the 1950s. Prominent writers like Cleanth Brooks and Robert Penn Warren made the Baton Rouge campus a gathering point for major literary figures. The Southern Historical Association began publishing its Journal of SouthernHistory as well as the long respected Southern Review, all from LSU. And the LSU Press became the publishing beacon for serious fiction and non-fiction rivaled only by the University of North Carolina Press. Outstanding young academicians in a variety of fields were attracted to Baton Rouge, and the music department produced grand opera accompanied by its own symphony orchestra under directors of international acclaim. The efflorescence of so much creative and academic talent drew accolades for Louisiana nationwide. But that was then. Along came the 60s and other southern states did not have the huge reservoirs of oil and gas. Education became a key to their survival. But in Louisiana, who cared about having a college degree when an oil field worker with a tenth grade education could make as much or more than many professionals with graduate degrees. A college degree became less relevant. And that’s when politics came into the mix. With the economy running on auto pilot in Louisiana and unemployment running way behind other southern states, the cry for “keeping the flagship university strong” fell on deaf legislative ears. Rural legislators were more concerned about beefing local colleges up to LSU status, and even building unneeded new colleges and trade schools. And LSU became its own worst enemy by not aggressively making its case of why a flagship university was, and is today, critical to the economic well-being and future of the state. What happened in recent years that caused Louisiana State University to be an also ran, not just nationally, but right here in the Deep South? The leadership of LSU made a number of mistakes that allowed it to fall into the fiscal abyss the university finds itself in today. It did not aggressively defend and promote its status as the flagship. I was around the state capitol as an elected official in various capacities trough the 70s, 80s and 90s. LSU was just one of the many education interests lobbying the legislature and the Governor. The university leadership at the time did not consider themselves in any unique category, and so were not given any special deference as the flagship. Another mistake was the failure to develop a solid endowment plan. LSU could well have the lowest endowment of any major college of its size in the. Successful college endowments grow through investments, and are a significant income source for any major university in the country. Not so at LSU. The Times Picayune reported just this week that “Louisiana's flagship university is dead last among schools in the Southeastern Football Conference when it comes to the rate of alumni giving and the size of the school's endowment.” James Carville dismissed many of the state’s problems by saying that Louisiana is not just a way of life; “It’s a culture all its own.” But every state has its own special ambiance, or way of life that is unique. Maybe they don’t throw Mardi Gras beads and use Tabasco sauce. Saying Louisiana is “special in its own way” is a cop out if the state’s educational and political leaders have not made the commitment to accentuate its best and brightest. Louisiana is at a crossroads. If the new governor and state legislature do not work to protect and promote a high degree of excellent achievement at LSU, the best and the brightest students will leave the state or settle for a less challenging education offering them few opportunities in the future. The whole state will suffer from such a loss. “Half the crowd in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night can’t even spell LSU.” Peace and Justice. Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. You can also hear Jim’s nationally syndicated radio show each Sunday morning from 9:00 am till 11:00 am Central Time on the Genesis Radio Network, with a live stream at http://www.jimbrownusa.com. Jim Brown is a Louisiana legislator, Secretary of State and Insurance Commissioner. JimBrownla.com Latest from Jim Brown Eddie Rispone's elephant in the room: President Donald Trump Syria move clumsy but Trump belts out "America First" limits Eyeing Louisiana's election night skies: Governor's race, Insurance Commission, more Crystal Ball: Edwards tops 50%, Donelon loses Insurance Commissioner seat Louisiana Insurance Commissioner election, Temple vs. Donelon is one to watch

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The AMP's New Extrajudicial Complaint System Is Underway! Executive Summaries May 24, 2019 Vicky Berthiaume The provisions of the Act respecting the Autorité des Marchés Publics concerning complaints in public contract matters will come into effect on May 25, 2019. A business may file a complaint with the Autorité des Marchés Publics (Quebec's Public Procurement Authority) (or "AMP") regarding a call for tenders if the documents pertaining to this call for tenders: include conditions that do not ensure fair and equitable treatment of competitors; do not allow competitors to participate, even if they meet the relevant requirements; or do not otherwise comply with the normative framework. A business may also file a complaint with the AMP regarding the decision of a public body to award a contract by mutual agreement. A public body may, in exceptional circumstances, award a contract by mutual agreement that would ordinarily have been awarded through a public call for tenders. This may be the case, for example, when only one supplier is able to provide the materials or services required. To do so, however, the public body must publish its intention to award a contract by mutual agreement on the electronic tendering system for the Government of Quebec ("SEAO"). The public body's failure to publish its intention constitutes grounds for complaint to the AMP. A business may also file a complaint with the AMP if, after expressing an interest in performing a contract that the public body would prefer to award by mutual agreement, the public body still refuses to issue a call for tenders and maintains its intention to award the contract by mutual agreement. The extrajudicial complaints system set up by the Act respecting the Autorité des Marchés Publics is one of the most eagerly awaited elements of judicial reform that led to the establishment of the AMP. The AMP is the watchdog for public procurement in Quebec and its creation was the primary recommendation of the Charbonneau Commission. The AMP's mission is to monitor public contracts and ensure that they are awarded and managed with integrity. Following a complaint pertaining to a public tender, the AMP may, among other things, require a public body to: amend its public tender documents or cancel the public tender; or not pursue its intention to award a public contract by mutual agreement. The powers of the AMP are extensive and extend well beyond those aforementioned. In order to prevent complaints, it is likely that public bodies will question certain practices. While public bodies have always been subject to the general jurisdiction of the Superior Court for injunctive relief and judicial review of the content of their tender documents, the new right of complaint will greatly facilitate bidders who do not have the resources to bring such actions before the courts. In addition, the new regime will be subject to strict time limits, and it should be noted that the AMP's extrajudicial complaint system will be much more expeditious than the traditional judicial system before the courts. As such, the extrajudicial complaint system represents a major change for businesses and contractors participating in public tenders. The AMP has made a mandatory complaint form available, which can be used by any business wishing to file a complaint in relation to a public tender. In addition, we must remember that any complaint to the AMP must first be preceded by a complaint to the public body in question. This preliminary complaints procedure will enable public bodies to self-regulate and to ensure that their public tenders comply with the normative framework. Furthermore, as of May 25, 2019, any person may relay information to the AMP relating to the procurement or award of a public contract or the implementation of such contract when the public body concerned does not appear to be acting in compliance with the normative framework. This information will enable the AMP to get a better idea of issues surrounding the awarding and management of public contracts. The powers of the AMP following the disclosure of information are less extensive than in complaint cases, but may nonetheless lead to their intervention and to improvement of processes. Any business that considers itself wronged should not hesitate to use the information disclosure mechanism, especially given its confidential nature. Finally, let us not forget that the new extrajudicial complaint and disclosure systems that will take effect on May 25, 2019 follow on from the transfer of power from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers ("AMF") to the AMP on January 25, 2019 and relate to the issuance of the necessary authorisations that allow businesses to enter into contracts with public bodies, as well as managing the registry of businesses eligible for public contracts ("REA") and the registry of businesses not authorised for public contracts ("RENA"). The creation of the AMP and the implementation of all its powers represent the beginning of a new era for public procurement in Quebec. BCF's lawyers will follow the evolution of this field with interest. Stay on the lookout! Subscribe to our communications and benefit from our market knowledge to identify new business opportunities, learn about innovative best practices and receive the latest developments. Discover our exclusive thought leadership and events. News of the Firm Jan 13, 2020 BCF Names 16 New Partners for Its 25th Anniversary Executive Summaries Dec 5, 2019 Aggressive Tax Planning and Public Contracts: Are You Ready?

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CEO and CMO Dr. Sonia Mehta: Wearing Two Hats at Loretto Hospital - Friday, February 22nd, 2013 Print | Email Sonia Mehta, MD, MBA, has served as CEO and CMO of Loretto Hospital in Chicago since November 2012. Prior to joining Loretto, Dr. Mehta served as president and CEO of the Hospital Sisters Health System Illinois/Wisconsin Medical Group based in Springfield, Ill., and has more than 16 years of healthcare leadership and clinical experience. She has held senior administrative positions at Victory Medical Center in Stanley, Wis., Condell Acute Care Centers in Libertyville, Ill., Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., and Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Ill. In her role as CEO and CMO of Loretto Hospital, Dr. Mehta uses her dual experience as a clinician and an administrator. "I wear two hats in everything I do, and I always look at things from both perspectives," she told Becker's Hospital Review. "My leadership and clinical expertise are interwoven, so I don't split my job as CEO and CMO." Dr. Mehta earned her medical degree from NHL Municipal Medical College of Ahmedabad, India, and completed her residency in internal medicine at West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, Ill. She received her MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. If you have additional information or updates for this profile, or would like to recommend a leader to be profiled in the future, please contact Lindsey Dunn, editor in chief, Becker's Hospital Review at ldunn@beckershealthcare.com. More Articles on Hospital CEO Profiles: CEO Martin Bieber: Living up to His Role at Kennedy Health System CEO Joe Mullany: Excited to be a Part of Detroit Medical Center President Samuel Moskowitz: Clinically Integrating at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center

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www.beckylondon.com Becky London has worked on Broadway in “Marlene,” at Lincoln Center in “Ubu,” in Wendy Wasserstein’s “Isn’t It Romantic” at the Lucille Lortel Theater, in “Othello” with Theater for a New Audience at CSC, in “Last of the Red Hot Lovers” in its Off-Broadway revival at American Jewish Theater and in “The Charity That Began At Home” at the Mint. As a member of Charles Busch’s Off-Broadway Theater-in-Limbo Company, she appeared in “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom,” (New York and Tokyo), “Psycho Beach Party”, “Shanghai Moon” and “Pardon My Inquisition.” Regional credits include the “The Real Thing” (The Old Globe), “Fires in the Mirror” (Trinity Rep), “Twelfth Night” (Walnut Street Theater), as well as appearances at Yale Rep, Centerstage, San Jose Rep, Capital Rep, Portland Stage, Tennessee Rep, Caldwell Playhouse, Cincinnati Playhouse, the Wilma Theater and many others. Television credits include all three "Law & Orders", "Blue Bloods," “Conviction,” “Third Watch,” “Quantum Leap,” “The Equalizer,” “All My Children” and “Guiding Light.” Film work includes "United 93," "Changing Lanes," "El Camino," "Never Forever," and “A Very Serious Person.” Becky was a founding member of UNYYC, the Unofficial New York Yale Cabaret. With UNNYC, she directed "Separating the Men from the Bulls," and adapted and starred in "Wendy's Words," a tribute to the late Wendy Wasserstein, adapted from her short stories and magazine articles. Becky was also a founding member of the Writers Lab and a company member of Singular Productions, both in Los Angeles. Becky is a Yale School of Drama grad. Becky has been working as a coach and acting teacher for over 20 years in both Los Angeles and New York.

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Aware/Self Defense is Important Women in Serious Danger Need Serious Help All women live with a certain level of risk of violent crime. Statistics show that a woman now 21 years old has a 1 in 4 chance of experiencing a violent crime in her lifetime. For them, much information is already available about how to reduce their risk ("stay alert") and how to respond if something bad happens ("fight back"). Being in Danger But some women are at an unusually high risk of serious assault or even murder. Just watch your local news carefully, it seems that every month or two a woman is murdered, usually by abusive ex-spouses or ex-boyfriends. Most of these tragic deaths could have been prevented. Betsy McCandless Murray knew her ex-husband was out to get her. She did everything that women are conventionally advised to do, including obtaining a restraining order, filing criminal charges, going into hiding, changing her address, hiring a private investigator, and taking a self-defense class. Despite all these precautions, she was murdered by her ex-husband. Janice LaCava of Worcester, MA also used the normally recommended avenues for protection, filing two restraining orders against her estranged husband. Yet he murdered her in the parking lot of her apartment building in Worcester. Helping Yourself Sometimes, violence comes despite the best possible avoidance measures, and when it does, there is often no opportunity to summon help. In those cases, a woman is forced to face her attacker alone, using only her own resources and knowledge to survive. Fortunately, women who are properly trained and confident in their ability to protect themselves can do so quite effectively. After the McCandless Murray tragedy, the media was full of stories that said things like “Betsy’s murder is proof that safety is not reliably within reach.” But this is not the right conclusion to draw, as evidenced by a Letter to the Editor in the Boston Globe written by Ellen Gugel: “I’ve heard the claims. To make women safe, we must change the judicial system, police departments, the way little boys and girls are raised, society’s ideas of marriage. . . A woman in a violent attack doesn’t have time for that; she needs to be able to defend herself.” Crime Rates? Who Cares? Who cares? Really. Do you care whether the violent crime rate is one per thousand or two per thousand? People tend to use crime statistics in one of two ways: to scare people into thinking that they are likely to be a crime victim, or to convince people that they are so unlikely to be a crime victim that they don't have to do anything to protect themselves. AWARE isn't in the business of scaring anyone. We believe that every woman should know that a crime might happen to her, and she should know how to avoid it, if possible, and how to deal with it if avoidance isn't possible. Do you know the rate of fires in US households or businesses? Probably not, but you know some basics of fire prevention and what to do if you find yourself in a building with smoke or flames. However, if you really, really, really do want some statistics, you can get boxes of them from sources such as the Uniform Crime Reporting Program of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics. Remember that some statistics are based on reported crimes (and thus tend to underrepresent crimes like rape and stalking that are underreported). Other statistics are based on surveys, and are historically only as good as the survey methods and sample size used.

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NOTHING BUT THIEVES to support MUSE Nothing But Thieves have announced they will be supporting Muse for 16 dates of their ‘Drones’ tour, throughout the UK and Europe starting on Thursday. Following this announcement, Nothing But Thieves have made some changes to previously scheduled dates, on their ‘Under My Skin’ tour. Fully amended dates for their ‘Under My Skin’ tour can be found on their Facebook page. Nothing But Thieves said: “We're over the moon Muse have asked us to support them. We get to hear "Plug In Baby" in arenas every night for a month...pretty awesome!” Nothing But Thieves will support Muse on the following dates on the ‘Drones’ tour: Thursday 3rd March – Paris, France Friday 4th March – Paris, France Sunday 6th March – Cologne, Germany Monday 7th March – Amsterdam, Netherlands Wednesday 9th March – Amsterdam, Netherlands Thursday 10th March – Amsterdam, Netherlands Saturday 12th March – Brussels, Belgium Sunday 13th March – Brussels, Belgium Tuesday 15th March – Brussels, Belgium Wednesday 16th March – Brussels, Belgium Saturday 2nd April – Birmingham, UK Sunday 3rd April – London, UK Tuesday 05th April – Dublin, Ireland Wednesday 06th April – Belfast, UK Friday 08th April – Manchester, UK Monday 18th April – Glasgow, UK Meanwhile the band continue to tour the UDS with Mute Math and have performed live on many Top US Shows such as Jimmy Kimmel and Carson Daly.

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Themes: History and learning French copy of Bede's Commentary on the Gospel of ... Manuscript Created date: Early 11th century The great Anglo-Saxon scholar, Bede (b. c. 673, d. 735), is often ranked alongside the Church Fathers for his widely-cop... French copy of Isidore of Seville’s Etymologies The Etymologies by Isidore of Seville (b. c. 560, d. 636) was a vast reference work that functioned as an encyclopaedia.... French copy of St Augustine’s De Trinitate Manuscript Created date: c. 1060 St Augustine (b. 354, d. 430) dedicated nearly 30 years of his life to complete his 15-book treatise De Trinitate (On th... Hrabanus Maurus, De Laudibus sanctae crucis Manuscript Created date: Mid-11th century The poem De Laudibus sancte crucis (In Praise of the Holy Cross) is the work of Hrabanus Maurus (b. 780/781, d. 856), on... Illustrated scientific and historical works Manuscript Created date: 1060–1063 The Benedictine abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés was a wealthy centre of royal patronage and intellectual life jus... Macrobius, Commentary on the Dream of Scipio In around 430, the Latin grammarian and philosopher, Macrobius wrote Commentarii in somnium Scipionis, a commentary on t... School texts This manuscript contains a collection of fragments from England and France in the 11th and 12th centuries. It consists o... St Augustine, Contra Faustum Manichaeum St Augustine was born in Tagaste, now Souk-Ahras in Algeria, in 354. As a young man he was attracted to the ideas of Man... St Augustine, De civitate Dei St Augustine (b. 354, d. 430) composed De civitate Dei (The City of God) in response to an attack on Rome by the Visigot... Virgil's collected works The writings of classical and late Antique authors such as Cicero (d. 44 BC), Ovid (d. c. 18) and Prudentius (d. after 4...

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Last call at John Harvard’s arrived 20 minutes before midnight. By then, the post-commencement crowd had petered out. The music — a low, thudding bass — faded. On every TV, the Toronto Raptors trounced the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The stalwarts lifted their pints and cried “Last call!” in raucous unison as a barkeep clanged an iron bell. John Harvard’s Brewery & Alehouse celebrated its last hurrah May 30 before shutting its doors for good, ending a 27-year run on Dunster Street in Harvard Square. It was just the latest in a wave of closings in the square that has some business owners and residents on edge, fearing what it portends for the bustling district. “I think what’s gotten people’s attention at Harvard Square over the last, say, two to three years has been the number of businesses that have had to leave — particularly in the very central part of the square,” said Cambridge’s vice mayor, Jan Devereux. John Harvard’s Brewery & Alehouse celebrated its last hurrah May 30 before shutting its doors for good.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/Globe Staff Over the past three years, dozens of businesses have exited, including independently owned mainstays like Crema Cafe and Tealuxe, as well as major chains like Chipotle, Starbucks, and CVS. The World’s Only Curious George Store will depart from the Abbot building for Central Square on June 30. And Harvard University’s renowned American Repertory Theater is leaving for Allston, thanks to a $100 million donation, though no departure date has been set. The vacancies are hard to ignore. Empty storefronts covered in “Coming Soon” and “Space for Lease” signs dot Massachusetts Avenue and Brattle and Church streets. The vacancy rate for the square’s 321 business property listings has climbed to 11 percent. Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, says 3 to 4 percent is more typical. Mayor Marc McGovern blames a confluence of factors, including rising rents and a flurry of renovations following eye-popping, multimillion-dollar purchases of real estate by investment firms. McGovern has no doubt the vacancies will be filled, he said, but he’s worried about the types of businesses that will occupy those spaces — namely, that they will be large national and international chains that can pay top dollar for a spot in the busy square, at the expense of quirky independent stores. For now, he said, property owners continue to sit on empty storefronts until they can get the rents they want. “What’s going to take the place of those shops?” he asked. “Is it going to be more banks? Is it going to be more cellphone companies?” “I’m talking about the mallification of Harvard Square,” he continued. “I don’t want it to be an open-air shopping mall, and I think we’re really in danger of that.” An empty space at 11 John F. KennedyStreet. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff/Globe Staff Of course, Cambridge officials have been wringing their hands over that very issue for decades. In 1997, when the beloved Tasty closed after 81 years, it prompted similar soul-searching. Another quirky institution gone, observers warned. Another victim of rising rents replaced by a chain store, bank branch, or fill-in-the-blank franchise. Now other forces are at work, too. Brick-and-mortar stores in even the most vibrant shopping districts are struggling as more people buy online or skip a night out in favor of having Uber Eats deliver dinner. Still, despite the vacancies, Jillson’s outlook is sunny. She points out that more than 70 percent of the businesses in Harvard Square are locally owned and independent and that a number of businesses are set to occupy the vacant spaces. The Australian company Bluestone Lane Coffee will replace Crema Cafe. And an announcement concerning the business that will take over the John Harvard’s space is imminent, she added. Centerplate, the hospitality group that owns John Harvard’s, declined to elaborate on the decision to close the Cambridge outpost. Some independent business owners in the square were more forthcoming about the pressures they face. Others said they were fearful of speaking on the record. Kim Teirlynck has owned Motto, an artisan jewelry, textile, and accessories store in Harvard Square, for 31 years. She said she was “forced out” of her previous location, 19 Brattle St., after a new owner, Charlotte, N.C.-based Asana Partners, tripled her rent just before Christmas. Asana Partners did not immediately respond to a phone call and e-mail seeking comment. She moved her store to 26 Church St. last week. Her new landlord is Harvard University. “The new owners coming to the square, they don’t care about having any of the independents,” Teirlynck said. “They just want to make it all big-brand mall stores.” Tess Enright, owner of Tess, a high-end women’s clothing boutique in Harvard Square, credits its survival to customer word-of-mouth and referrals from local business owners. Tess opened on Brattle Street in 1995. Last year, Enright had to move her shop a block north, to 52 Brattle St., while the real estate firm Regency Centers prepared to renovate her former building. Like many other small-business owners, Enright is uneasy about Harvard Square’s future. “I do get afraid,” Enright said. “I don’t want to have to think about another move, because I could never leave Harvard Square.” Harvard Square patrons like Dan Rubin are more ambivalent. As John Harvard’s final night of revelry wore on, the 29-year-old recalled his favorite memory of the basement tavern: besting a player on the Harvard rugby team in a drink-off back when he was an undergraduate at Curry College in Milton. But beyond his nostalgia, Rubin, who lives in Allston, said he won’t miss much about John Harvard’s. A craft beer enthusiast, he was disappointed when John Harvard’s stopped brewing its own beer on site in 2016. He thought the food was better at Charlie’s Kitchen across the street. He hopes another restaurant-brewery takes John Harvard’s place. “If you’re not from here, like most Bostonians, you wouldn’t know the difference,” Rubin said about the changes at Harvard Square. “It’s just a cycle,” he added, shrugging. “It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” Deanna Pan can be reached at deanna.pan@globe.com.

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Writing a New Chapter of Interwholesale silicone braceletsnational Human Rights Exchanges and Cooperation Author：Mushroom | 2018-12-04 04:30:42 | wholesalesiliconebracelets An Different To Bake Sales & Carwashes For Fundraising - Wristbands! Accessories are substantial this yr, with the frugality becoming the way it is and girls uncover it really straightforward to switch up a dress with girls watches. Decorated details, two-tones and tons of oomph are what 1 can assume when purchasing for a new chronometer. Edgy is in, and the narmi watches have caught the eyes of the most refined fashionistas. These classy time pieces decipher to suggest gorgeous and exceptional. They come in various colours, shapes and types. Girls time pieces are a serviceable piece of jewellery and make a spectacular style accessory. 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If you choose a design and style that is greatest described and most favored by the artists, you catch the eyes of the followers as effectively. Prices on guys"s bracelets vary from web site to site. To discover an excellent value, assess merchandise from several websites ahead of you buy. Often examine for high quality just before you acquire any piece of jewellery. Gold bracelets come on the higher finish entire silver value a lot much less than gold. If you don"t want high-priced jewellery you can also attempt titanium, tungsten, etc. if you like leather jewellery, you will uncover a whole lot of selection in this kind too. Leather embedded with metal are below great demand. The least expensive ones are the silicone wristbands which a lot of people have started out employing recently. Now gaining mass publicity on the No Doubt tour, The Sounds have no much better cause than to rest their hopes on Crossing The Rubicon. Tracks like "Lost In Enjoy" and "Underground" are customized-created for a dance floor complete of Valley women in b/w checker skirts and rubber bracelets. Quirky but with a big drum sound and the keyboard fashion that Martin Gore of Depeche Mode lower his on in 1981. In a battle to the death among The Sounds and retro thieves The Killers, the Nordic bunch would drink their blood from the skull of Brandon Flowers. "I employed HydraPour only at Barr Camp and I waited in line for it since the volunteer wouldn"t just use the pitcher to refill my bottle when I asked." commented one particular person. Other men and women had the exact same troubles. As with any fad that would seem harmless, there are troubles that have come up with these rubber band bracelets. They are not severe issues, but your young children could react very badly if they are really into this trend. Several kids have been so distracted by trading and sharing these in school that some schools have banned them and they are taken away when youngsters are caught with them. If you find out they are not permitted at school, remind your little one that the instructor can get them away and there is nothing at all you can do about it. However, luckily for you the two, they are low cost adequate to substitute if that transpires. Editor"s note: With the convening of the South-South Human Rights Forum in Beijing on Thursday, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Baodong expounds on China"s international exchanges and cooperation on human rights. Saad Alfarargi, special rapporteur on the Right to Development of the United Nations Human Rights Council, delivers a speech at the South-South Human Rights Forum in Beijing on Thursday.Zou Hong / China Daily Facing profound transformation in the international environment, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made insightful observations of the trends of the times and drawn up and implemented comprehensive, strategic and forward-looking plans, and as a result, great progress and development have been achieved in China"s diplomacy. As an important part of China"s diplomatic endeavors, international exchanges and cooperation on human rights have also registered remarkable achievements, opening up a new vista for human rights diplomacy with Chinese characteristics. First, we have made new breakthroughs in international human rights governance. Over the past five years, China has taken an active part in international human rights governance and worked for the establishment of a fair, just, reasonable and effective international human rights system. China has hosted a series of human rights related events, including the Beijing Forum on Human Rights, the International Seminar on the 30th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Right to Development, the South-South Human Rights Forum and the 16th Informal ASEM Seminar on Human Rights. In his congratulatory letter to the opening of the Beijing Forum on Human Rights, President Xi Jinping noted that "there is always room for improvement when it comes to human rights protection", "China has embarked on a path for human rights development suited to its reality through combining the universality of human rights with China"s specific conditions", and "China will unswervingly stay on the path of peaceful development and steadfastly advance human rights development both in China and in the wider world". These remarks chart the course for China"s human rights development and provide guidance for China to fully participate in international human rights governance. Through the Human Rights Council and other UN platforms, China has incorporated important concepts such as "a community of shared future for mankind" into Human Rights Council resolutions, and raised the visibility of the Belt and Road Initiative. China has worked for the adoption of resolutions entitled "Promoting the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health through Enhancing Capacity-Building in Public Health", and "The Contribution of Development to the Enjoyment of All Human Rights", delivered joint statements on behalf of over 140 countries on "Enhancing Dialogue and Cooperation to Protect and Promote Universally Recognized Human Rights", "Realizing Development for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights" and "Promote and Protect Human Rights, Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind", among others, and held side-events and exhibitions, including those themed "Promotion of Human Rights: Role of Poverty Reduction" and "Progress of China"s Human Rights". These proactive efforts have helped to enhance China"s soft power and influence in international human rights arena by translating domestic governance philosophies into international consensus, and highlighting China"s human rights practices as fine examples of international cooperation. China was re-elected to the Human Rights Council by an overwhelming majority for the years of 2014-2016 and 2017-2019, making China one of the few countries that have won the elections four times. China was also re-elected as a member of the UN Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations. Several Chinese experts currently serve on multilateral human rights committees, including the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee against Torture, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and the Human Rights Council Advisory Committee. China"s human rights achievements have gained more international recognition, and strengthened its influence in multilateral human rights agencies and its ability to shape the development and the rules-making process of the relevant agencies. Second, we have taken new actions to uphold national interests and image. China has thwarted some countries" attempts to deliver joint statements against China and interfere in China"s internal affairs in the Human Rights Council, and facilitated the adoption of its Universal Periodic Review report. China has played a constructive role in the meetings of the Third Committee, Human Rights Council and its affiliated mechanisms, resolutely refuted the unfounded accusations made by some countries and anti-China forces, and garnered greater understanding and support for China"s human rights endeavors. We have upheld the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and adeptly used UN rules and procedures to make sure that we hold the high ground of morality and rules compliance in fighting anti-China forces, thus safeguarding China"s national interests, sovereignty, security and dignity. Third, we have registered new progress in fulfilling international human rights obligations. China participated in the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council, during which China elaborated on its achievements in promoting human rights, held candid and constructive dialogue with other countries, listened to their suggestions with an open mind, and accepted 204 (81 percent) of the 254 recommendations they had raised. This demonstrated China"s open, inclusive and earnest attitude, and highlighted the policies, actions and measures carried out by the country to promote and protect human rights. China completed the second periodic review of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which was hailed as "an exemplary review" by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In a positive, confident, inclusive and open spirit, China also received reviews on its implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, among others. In the process, China has established its reputation as a major country committed to improving people"s well-being, honoring acceded agreements, and enhancing international cooperation. Fourth, we have adopted new measures for international human rights exchanges. Over the past five years, China has conducted more than 50 human rights dialogues with Western and developing countries and actively and appropriately carried out cooperation with UN human rights agencies. China has held 29 such dialogues with the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and other Western countries. China-US Legal Exchange and China-Australia Human Rights Technical Cooperation were also carried out. These efforts have deepened exchanges among government departments, judiciaries and academic groups, enhanced mutual understanding, effectively managed disagreements and offset the disturbances inflicted by the US, other Western Countries and anti-China elements under the pretext of human rights. China has held human rights consultations with over 10 developing countries or regional organizations such as Russia, Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Malaysia, the African Union, Pakistan, Belarus, Cuba, Laos, Sri Lanka and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. China worked to put in place a regular meeting mechanism among BRICS countries" permanent representatives in Geneva. Through mutual learning and closer cooperation, the unity and coordination among developing countries has been strengthened, the united front for human rights endeavors expanded and our friend circle enlarged. China has maintained constructive contacts with the UN Office at Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights and others, and encouraged them to perform their duties in an objective and just manner and attach importance to the concerns of developing countries. China contributed funds to the Special Rapporteur on the right to development, invited the Working Group on the Issue of Discrimination against Women in Law and in Practice, Independent Expert on the effects of foreign debt and three Special Rapporteurs including the one on extreme poverty and human rights to visit China, and received members of the Committee Against Torture, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and others. During these exchanges, China focused on its own agenda, demonstrated goodwill, enhanced trust, reduced misgivings, and helped international human rights agencies to view China"s progress in human rights endeavors impartially and objectively. Fifth, we have made fresh headway in increasing our say on human rights issues. China has released the National Human Rights Action Plan and the White Paper on Human Rights, and employed multiple channels such as photo exhibitions, interviews, news articles and briefings to fully and faithfully present China"s understanding of and progress in human rights from different angles; China uses the Human Rights Council, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly and other important international platforms to express its unequivocal opposition to politicizing human rights issues and interfering in other countries" internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, and to speak up for developing countries; China takes the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an opportunity to actively engage in international assistance. By 2016, China has provided a total of over 400 billion yuan ($60.5 billion) of foreign assistance and supported more than 120 developing countries in their efforts to follow through on the Millennium Development Goals. Parties involved highly commend China"s relevant measures and regard them as support for international peace and development and contribution to the global human rights cause. The international "human rights deficit" is still prominent. There is a rising tendency toward politicizing human rights, double standards remain rampant, and certain countries still seek to interfere in other countries" internal affairs under the pretext of human rights. There is still injustice, intolerance and instability in our world today, and global development remains unbalanced, uncoordinated and unsustainable. To pursue the noble goal of "Human rights for all", "promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom" and build a community of shared future for mankind, we should make efforts in the following four areas. First, advancing human rights with peace. Peace and security are the most important human rights. All parties should respect each other, conduct consultations as equals, resolutely reject Cold War mentality and power politics, and embark on a new path of state-to-state relations where dialogue and partnership prevail over confrontation and alliance. We should settle disputes and disagreements through dialogue and negotiation, take coordinated efforts to address traditional and non-traditional security threats and oppose terrorism in all its manifestations. The UN and other international organizations should leverage their influence and play their roles as the main channels for political mediation, conflict prevention, restoring peace and fighting terrorism, among others. The Third Committee and the Human Rights Council should give priority to large-scale human rights violations caused by armed conflicts and urge relevant parties to reflect on the root causes and avoid the tragedies from happening again. Second, advancing human rights with development. Development is of paramount importance. For developing countries, poverty elimination and development pose pressing challenges and represent their fundamental needs when it comes to the issue of human rights. All parties should follow the UN Declaration on the Right to Development, take a development-based approach in implementing the 2030 Agenda, and advance sustainable development in environmental protection, health, education, employment, gender equality, disaster prevention and mitigation and other fields. Through joint efforts, we can blaze a trail for fair, open, comprehensive and innovative development. The international community should provide more financial and technical support for developing countries, prioritize the rights to survival and development, create conditions for the people in developing countries to share the fruits of development, and make sure that no one is left behind. Third, advancing human rights with the rule of law. The rule of law is the fundamental guarantee for human rights. All parties should observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms governing international relations, respect other countries" sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and the social systems and development paths they have chosen, uphold the authority of the international rule of law and ensure equal and uniform application of international law. Governments should continue to strengthen judicial protection of human rights, promote law-based governance on all fronts, ensure everyone is equal before the law and do justice to the role of the judiciary as the last line of defense to safeguard social fairness and justice. At the same time, measures taken by a country to maintain social stability and fight crime in accordance with law must be respected. Fourth, advancing human rights with cooperation. There is no one-size-fits-all standard in the world. As an integral part of a country"s economic and social development, human rights must be advanced in light of specific national conditions and people"s needs. No human rights development path should be regarded as the only right choice. The international community should encourage countries to choose their own paths of human rights development and respect their choices. Countries with different paths of human rights development need to respect and learn from each other and make progress together. Multilateral platforms such as the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council should serve as bridges for dialogues and exchanges between countries rather than arenas where countries put pressure on others or engage in confrontation. UN human rights officials and the Human Rights Council"s Special Procedures should perform their duties in accordance with their mandates and do more to promote cooperation and bridge differences instead of making futile efforts in naming and shaming and aggravating tensions. History has proven once and again that politicizing human rights and fueling confrontation will lead nowhere while only dialogue and cooperation offers the right solution. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China marked the beginning of a new journey for China, a journey in which the Communist Party of China will lead the Chinese people in fully building a modern socialist country. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, China will continue to hold high the banner of human rights, make consistent efforts to promote and advance protection of human rights, and break new ground for major country human rights diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in a new era. We will stay committed to the "Chinese path" suited to our national conditions. We uphold both the universality and particularity of human rights, work to ensure that progress in democracy and betterment of people"s lives reinforce each other, and strive for coordinated progress in peace and development, and have thus found a distinctive Chinese path of human rights development suited to China"s reality. This demonstrates our confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics. China"s successful practice has also provided more options for human rights protection in the world and offers a whole new alternative for countries and peoples who want to accelerate their development while maintaining their independence. China will continue to bear in mind its own national conditions, adopt a people-centered approach, give top priority to development, promote rule of law and derive impetus from opening-up. China will unwaveringly stay committed to the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics in a new era, foster the Chinese concept of human rights featuring core socialist values, connect China"s development with that of the world, and work to realize the Chinese Dream and build a community of shared future for mankind. We will continue to play a "Chinese role" in global human rights governance. China will stay committed to the path of peaceful development, continue to pursue a win-win strategy of opening-up, forge a new form of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation, advance the building of a community of shared future for mankind and solidify the foundation of human rights protection. Following the principles of equality, mutual trust, inclusiveness, mutual learning and win-win cooperation, China will fully and deeply participate in global human rights governance, push for all parties to observe the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold the principle of state sovereignty, respect each country"s human rights development path, and help diversify the paths of global human rights development. China will promote unity, collaboration, communication and coordination among developing countries to safeguard the common interests of the developing world, build a human rights united front and advance democracy in global human rights governance. China will encourage countries to place equal emphasis on both the economic, social and cultural rights and the civil and political rights to realize balanced development of all types of human rights. We will continue to make "Chinese contribution" to the international human rights cause. China firmly supports globalization, multilateralism and the international system with the UN at its core. China"s efforts to carry out the Belt and Road Initiative with other countries, launch the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and set up the Silk Road Fund are all aimed to provide more public goods for the world and share the dividends of China"s development with others. China will build the Belt and Road into a road of peace, prosperity, openness and innovation and a road connecting different civilizations. China will continue to provide other developing countries with assistance within its capabilities and earnestly implement the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, the South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund and other important funds and projects, serving the interests of the Chinese people and the common interests of people across the world. We will build on our achievements and strive for new progress. The 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened a new chapter for realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation. China will forge ahead on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, continue to promote well-rounded human development and all-round social progress, further advance and protect human rights and better demonstrate the vitality of the path of human rights development with Chinese characteristics. Macao SAR passport holders have more tradisney next generation experiencevel facilitation Yunnan police crack drug caslivestrong type braceletse Hot Macao to strengtherubber band bracelets fundraisern links to nation"s development Hot Chcheap wristbands for eventsina well on track with air quality goals Hot 70 years ocustom cancer wristbandsf Tibetan healthcare - by the numbers Hot China claims world"s planted fblue rubber wristbandsorest record Hot Guideline pushes for qhospital banduality tourism

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2421 BISSONNET STREET • HOUSTON, TEXAS 77005 • 713.523.0701 IndieNext Titles The Brazos Book Club Not YA Mama's Book Club Inprint Reading Series Kids Articles Staff Picks for Kids Home » Book » Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Paperback) Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (Paperback) By Doris Kearns Goodwin Not On Our Shelves. Usually arrives in 1-5 Days Winner of the Lincoln Prize Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. When Lincoln emerged as the victor, his rivals were dismayed and angry. Throughout the turbulent 1850s, each had energetically sought the presidency as the conflict over slavery was leading inexorably to secession and civil war. That Lincoln succeeded, Goodwin demonstrates, was the result of a character that had been forged by experiences that raised him above his more privileged and accomplished rivals. He won because he possessed an extraordinary ability to put himself in the place of other men, to experience what they were feeling, to understand their motives and desires. It was this capacity that enabled Lincoln as president to bring his disgruntled opponents together, create the most unusual cabinet in history, and marshal their talents to the task of preserving the Union and winning the war. We view the long, horrifying struggle from the vantage of the White House as Lincoln copes with incompetent generals, hostile congressmen, and his raucous cabinet. He overcomes these obstacles by winning the respect of his former competitors, and in the case of Seward, finds a loyal and crucial friend to see him through. This brilliant multiple biography is centered on Lincoln's mastery of men and how it shaped the most significant presidency in the nation's history. Doris Kearns Goodwin’s interest in leadership began more than half a century ago as a professor at Harvard. Her experiences working for Lyndon B. Johnson in the White House and later assisting him on his memoirs led to her bestselling Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. She followed up with the Pulitzer Prize–winning No Ordinary Time: Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II. She earned the Lincoln Prize for the runaway bestseller Team of Rivals, the basis for Steven Spielberg’s Academy Award–winning film Lincoln, and the Carnegie Medal for The Bully Pulpit, the New York Times bestselling chronicle of the friendship between Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. She lives in Concord, Massachusetts. Visit her at DorisKearnsGoodwin.com or @DorisKGoodwin. "An elegant, incisive study....Goodwin has brilliantly described how Lincoln forged a team that preserved a nation and freed America from the curse of slavery." —James M. McPherson, The New York Times Book Review "Goodwin's narrative abilities...are on full display here, and she does an enthralling job of dramatizing...crucial moments in Lincoln's life....A portrait of Lincoln as a virtuosic politician and managerial genius." "Splendid, beautifully written....Goodwin has brilliantly woven scores of contemporary accounts...into a fluid narrative....This is the most richly detailed account of the Civil War presidency to appear in many years." —John Rhodehamel, Los Angeles Times "Endlessly absorbing....[A] lovingly rendered and masterfully fashioned book." —Jay Winik, The Wall Street Journal Biography & Autobiography / Presidents & Heads of State History / United States / Civil War Period (1850-1877) Political Science / Political Process Hardcover (October 25th, 2005): $37.50 Paperback (October 16th, 2012): $21.00 Paperback, Large Print (September 24th, 2013): $20.99 Hardcover, Large Print (June 5th, 2013): $32.99 Paperback (February 1st, 2009): $28.75 2421 Bissonnet Street Click for hours and directions » Brazos Book Club 2421 Bissonnet Street | Houston, Texas 77005 ©2013 Brazos Bookstore | All Rights Reserved Design by Field of Study

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THE 2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS The 2016 Summer Olympics email alerts Get emails on The 2016 Summer Olympics news, photos & more. The Town Hall & Winter Jazzfest Present Seu Jorge With Roge by TV News Desk - January 02, 2020 Singer, songwriter, film actor (City of God), and Rio native Seu Jorge is the reigning king of samba-funk: a sound, born in the 1960s, that merges Brazil's trademark dance rhythm with soul, R&B, hip-hop, and other black pop styles from the U.S. His hits, notably a?oeCarolina,a?? a?oeAmiga da Minha M... (more...) NBC Sports Group Celebrates a Decade of Milestones NBC Sports Group – the home to many of sports media's first-ever game presentations on radio, television, and live streaming – next week completes the Decade of the 2010s, which was highlighted by viewership records, milestones and firsts.... (more...) Leonardo DiCaprio to Present Robert De Niro with 2019 SAG Life Achievement Award Academy Award(R) winning actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio will present the SAG Life Achievement Award to two-time Oscar(R)-winning actor, producer and director Robert De Niro during the 26th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards(R), the producers announced today. Accepting SAG-AFTRA's ... (more...) La Mirada Presents GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL Featuring Cathy Rigby and More by BWW News Desk - August 15, 2019 La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & Mccoy Rigby Entertainment present the West Coast Premiere of GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, (Adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson), additional orchestration... (more...) Transforming Our World through The Next Generation, Six Young Scientists Are INVENTING TOMORROW Premiering 7/29 by BWW News Desk - July 02, 2019 Inventing Tomorrow follows six young scientists from Indonesia, Hawaii, India and Mexico as they tackle some of the most complex environmental issues facing humanity today—right in their own backyards. Each student is preparing original scientific research that they will defend at ISEF, the Intel In... (more...) Free Entertainment Returns To The Marcus Center's Peck Pavilion by BWW News Desk - June 12, 2019 Live @ Peck Pavilion returns to the Marcus Performing Arts Center grounds this summer. The season will run from June 26 through September 5 with each day of the series featuring a different program focus. Optimist Theatre: Shakespeare in the Park returns to Peck Pavilion from June 26-July 13 with th... (more...) Pasadena Playhouse Announces LAMDA Summer Acting Intensive by BWW News Desk - March 22, 2019 Pasadena Playhouse, State Theatre of California, welcomes the LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) for a Summer Acting Intensive from July 22 through August 2.... (more...) Review Roundup: Were Critics So In Love With KISS ME, KATE On Broadway? by Review Roundups - March 14, 2019 Roundabout Theatre Company presents the new Broadway production of the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, starring Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, opening tonight!... (more...) The Reduced Shakespeare Company Comes The The Broad Stage by BWW News Desk - February 26, 2019 In this "tale told by idiots," The Reduced Shakespeare Company weaves all of The Bard's famous characters, greatest lines and magnificent speeches into a brand new Shakespearean smorgasbord. William Shakespeare's Long Lost First Play (abridged) is a comic misadventure that will feel strangely famili... (more...) Creative Teams Confirmed For Goodspeed Musicals Five Show Season Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals has brought together an extraordinary group of artists to helm the five exciting productions planned this season: an All-American classic, a heart-warming musical tale, an electric dance-filled tuner, an extraordinary true story, and an inspirational jo... (more...) ADAPT Leadership Awards Gala To Honor David Muir, Tamron Hall, Peter M. Meyer, And John and Mark X. Cronin Edward R. Matthews, CEO of ADAPT Community Network, announced the 2019 ADAPT Leadership Award honorees for its 2019 ADAPT Leadership Awards Gala to take place on Thursday, March 14th, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.... (more...) Dream Theater Release Debut Single From DISTANCE OVER TIME There is a palpable excitement level surrounding two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans, Dream Theater and their upcoming 14thstudio album, Distance Over Time. On the heels of two recently released tracks, “Untethered Angel” and “Fall Into The Light” (both of which h... (more...) BWW Review: Childsplay & Black Theatre Troupe Present AND IN THIS CORNER... CASSIUS CLAY by Herbert Paine - February 05, 2019 Childsplay's current staging of Idris Goodwin's AND IN THIS CORNER… CASSIUS CLAY (in co-production with Black Theatre Troupe), features a superb cast, led by Rapheal Hamilton as Cassius and including some of the Valley's heavyweight talents. It packs a solid punch to the heart in an insightful and i... (more...) 42nd Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival Announces 2019 Lineup by BWW News Desk - January 31, 2019 The 2019 Freihofer's Saratoga Jazz Festival features an extraordinary roster of twenty-two musical groups, highlighted by the festival debut of Grammy award winning artist Norah Jones, and the return of jazz legend George Benson and festival favorite Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Back by popular... (more...) Candoco Dance Company To Partner With ASOS Candoco Dance Company, the company of disabled and non-disabled dancers, today announces that ASOS, one of the world's leading destinations for fashion-loving 20-somethings, will support a residential dance training intensive for young dancers in Summer 2019.... (more...) BWW Interview: Matthew Bourne's Prince of a Performer - CINDERELLA's Andrew Monaghan by Gil Kaan - January 30, 2019 Choreographer extraordinaire Matthew Bourne, already a force of nature in the British dance arena since 1988, turned the international dance world upside down with his ground-breaking SWAN LAKE in 1995. His unique take on CINDERELLA will land at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre beginning February 5, 20... (more...) The Canterbury Company Of Resident Artists Announced Joey Folsom, Artistic Director of The Classics Theatre Project, today announced the formation of a permanent Resident Artists Company for the theatre to be underwritten by Liese and Mike Canterbury. The company members will be, in addition to Mr. Folsom, R. Andrew Aguilar, Sasha Maya Ada, Chad C... (more...) BWW TV: First Look at Tiki Barber in KINKY BOOTS by BroadwayWorld TV - January 20, 2019 On Friday evening, January 18, 2019, Kinky Boots welcomed to the stage for the first time, Tiki Barber, a former American Football running back who played for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. Barber plays the role of "Don" in the Tony Award®-winning musical ... (more...) The Who Announce North American 'MOVING ON! TOUR' For WHO fans everywhere, the announcement of a brand new tour means only one thing: the world's most untameable rock band is about to deliver the goods once again. Never ones for nostalgia, singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist and songwriter Pete Townshend will be unleashing the combustible force that... (more...) Dream Theater Release Second Track FALL INTO THE LIGHT Two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans Dream Theater have released another song from their recently announced 14th studio album, Distance Over Time. “Fall Into The Light” is the second new song from the album slated for worldwide release on February 22, 2019. The new... (more...) Dream Theater Release Debut Track UNTETHERED ANGEL From 14th Studio Album Two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans Dream Theater have released the first song from their recently announced 14th studio album, Distance Over Time.“Untethered Angel” is the first new song from the album slated for worldwide release on February 22, 2019. The new si... (more...) Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen to Host NBC'S NEW YEAR'S EVE 2019 NBC has it all on New Year's Eve as Carson Daly and Chrissy Teigen host “NBC's New Year's Eve” live from Times Square in New York with Leslie Jones. Keith Urban will perform live from Nashville and host the Jack Daniel's Music City Midnight: New Year's Eve from Nashville's Bicentennial State Park. T... (more...) Dream Theater Launches DISTANCE OVER TIME Two-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans Dream Theater recently announced the forthcoming worldwide release of their 14th studio album, Distance Over Time on February 22, 2019. Distance Over Time showcases a newfound creativity for Dream Theater while maintaining the e... (more...) Anna Netrebko Returns In Recital Sunday 12/2 by BWW News Desk - November 13, 2018 Musical America has called her 'a genuine superstar for the 21st century.' Now, for one afternoon, Anna Netrebko will appear at Lyric for a memorable recital.... (more...) O.A.R. Announce New Single, Video, Album & Tour by BWW News Desk - October 26, 2018 O.A.R. has released a new single, “Miss You All The Time “ via RED MUSIC, and is available now on all digital platforms. Listen to the single HERE... (more...)

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We Can Still Be A Top Four Side: Griffin By Matt Encarnacion, Western Sydney Correspondent, NRL.com Tue 15 Jul 2014, 01:48 PM Broncos Head Coach Anthony Griffin believes his team can still be a Top Four outfit this season despite Monday night's 35-34 heartbreaker in Penrith, where club stalwart Sam Thaiday racked up his 200th NRL game. Faced with a 34-18 deficit midway through the second half, Brisbane had all the momentum when they levelled the game on Corey Parker's conversion of Corey Oates' 78th minute try. But any thought of a miracle comeback immediately turned into heartbreak when hardworking prop Josh McGuire coughed up the ball from his charging kick-off hit-up, paving the way for Panthers fullback Matt Moylan to slot the game-winning field goal just three plays later. "We fought back, but we should never have been in that position," Griffin said post-game. "We're better than that, and we're going to be better than that. Whether McGuire drops the ball with a minute to go, we should never have been in that position." It was the second game in a row that Griffin could apply the same description to his team's performance, having given up a 22-0 lead at home against Cronulla two weeks ago. In fact, the 34 points was a club record for the most points scored in a loss. And while last night's defeat left the six-time premiers clinging onto their spot in the Top Eight on for-and-against, Griffin hadn't given up hope of his side joining the rugby league elite. "We still could be a Top Four side. It's not the last game of the year," he said. "But that just wasn't where we needed to be tonight. It was very disappointing to be that loose in defence and scramble away at a game like that." Another major concern for the fourth-year coach was his side's slow start in both halves. The visitors were shell-shocked after conceding two tries in the first six minutes of the game and, although they fought back to lead 18-12 midway through the first half, they let in three more in the first 20 minutes of the second half. "12-0 in the first half and 16-0 in the second, we were just chasing our tails all night," Griffin said. "When possession was with us, we had heaps of momentum. When it wasn't with us, we weren't prepared to work at all. "We just leaked too many soft tries. That was the story of the night. It was just a really loose game and we contributed to that." Having enjoyed last weekend off with the bye, Brisbane have now lost three straight, setting up an important home clash against an in-form Warriors side this Saturday night 19 July for the #RiseForAlex Round. Broncos v Warriors THIS Saturday night 19 July kicking off at 7:30pm from Suncorp Stadium. Saturday Night Fever! Match tickets here - http://bit.ly/TEjkmV Second-rower Matt Gillett is expected to return after missing the game with a slight ankle injury he picked up late in Queensland's win over New South Wales in Origin III. This article first appeared on NRL.com

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Fitness and health with a smile Pupils at All Saints Primary School with their Adopt-A-School programmes THE George Campbell Leisure Centre in March, is now in its second year of the Fitness Industry Association s Adopt-a-School Programme. More than 185 Year 6 children have benefited from the programme so far. The leisure centre s aim with this programme is THE George Campbell Leisure Centre in March, is now in its second year of the Fitness Industry Association's Adopt-a-School Programme. More than 185 Year 6 children have benefited from the programme so far. The leisure centre's aim with this programme is to promote fitness, an awareness of health related issues and a positive attitude to physical activity. The programme allows the centre to take these aims into the community and ensures that primary school children get clear messages that allow them to make healthy choices. It is all about finding a balanced form of exercise that suits the individual and which is fun. A different session runs each time - football, circuit training, dance and team games. Most children try something new and find an activity that they really enjoyed doing. The George Campbell is currently working with All Saints Primary School for the second year running after an excellent response from last years, Year 6 class. Rachel Voss, headteacher at All Saints, said: "The children thought it was wonderful and really enjoyed taking part. Now they have a better outlook on their eating habits, exercise and on life." The Hudson Leisure Centre, Wisbech, and Manor Leisure Centre, Whittlesey, are also running the programme in conjunction with local primary schools. The programme runs for six weeks, with each session lasting a minimum of one hour. Councillor Steve Garratt, portfolio holder for sports, leisure and young people, said: "This is a tremendous scheme for encouraging youngsters to enjoy physical activity at an early age in the hope that it will be something they will enjoy for the rest of their lives.

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Home / Newswires / INTEMA Announces That the Creditors Have Accepted the Proposal INTEMA Announces That the Creditors Have Accepted the Proposal February 25, 2019 by Staff MONTREAL–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Intema Solutions Inc. (“Intema” or the “Corporation”) (TSXV: ITM). The Corporation announces that the Proposal to Creditors filed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, Quebec superior court, by Intema Solutions Inc. was approved by the vast majority of creditors at the Creditors’ Meeting held at 11:00 am on February 22, 2019. Court ratification of the Proposal is expected sometime in the next weeks of March 2019. The company presented a restructuring plan that reduces expenses mainly on the cost of rent, the cost of IT support and staff diminution.” While revenues have remained stable, total expenses were cut by 55%. “I am excited to announce that the Creditors present at the Creditors Meeting in person and by proxy voted in favour of the Proposal submitted by Intema Solutions Inc. We are grateful to our Creditors for supporting us with our restructuring plan to build a stronger and more viable business” as stated Intema Solutions Inc., President & CEO. The Proposal To Creditors is an important step in the restructuring efforts of Intema Solutions Inc. The acceptance of the Proposal today by the Creditors shows that they believe the restructuring plan is the right move for the future of the company. About INTEMA SOLUTIONS Inc. Intema’s mission is to integrate technologies to marketing. The company develops technologies for marketing and services related to predictive marketing, relationship marketing, database marketing and Block chain applications. Since its inception, INTEMA has dedicated its efforts to deliver key solutions to the marketing industry. Amongst its clients are companies of all sizes in North America. For more information, please visit our website at www.intema.com INTEMA: Roger Plourde – +1-514-861-1881 — [email protected] Intema Restructuring Plan MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intema Solutions Inc. ("Intema" or the "Company") announces that the Superior Court of Quebec… The Sky is the Limit for Human AI in the U.S. Air Force The Mission: How will you contribute to the $100M redesign of U.S. Air Force pilot… Showbie Inc. Announces Acquisition of Socrative Showbie and Socrative Unite to Create Suite of Assessment and Feedback Tools for EducatorsEDMONTON, Alberta,…

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Buy ‘Myths, Politicians and Money’ The Global Economy By Bryan Gould On 4 June 2013 In British Politics Tags bankers, economics, economy, quantitative easing, short-termism, uk What Happened to the Money? Larry Elliott is right to ask in Tuesday’s Guardian why 16.5 billion of quantitative easing made available by the Bank of England to the commercial banks through the funding for lending scheme has failed to show up in increased lending to the small and medium-sized businesses which desperately need a boost to their available funding. He is also right to dismiss the lame excuses offered by both the Bank of England and the commercial banks to explain why such lending has actually fallen rather risen since the same time last year. We are, of course, all paying the price, in a slower recovery from recession, higher unemployment, less investment and more business failures, for the fact that this resource, rather than being used, languishes in the banks’ coffers – so we all have an interest in why it has happened. The bad news is that the reasons for it are part of a much wider and longer-term picture. The excuses trotted out include the age-old claim by British banks that the comparatively low level of their lending to business does not evidence any reluctance to do so, but merely a shortage of demand – or, to put it another way, a shortage of suitable projects on which to lend. But no sense of this can be made unless we know not only how much is available to lend but also – and more importantly – the terms on which the banks are offering to lend. And that is precisely, of course, what we are not allowed to know. The banks are always very coy about the terms they offer. But, in the absence of information made available by the banks, we are entitled to make some assumptions on the basis of what is known of the long-term attitude of the British banking system to lending to industry. The information that is available shows that, by comparison with other and more successful economies, our banks lend over a shorter term – the repayment period, in other words, is shorter. This means that the annual repayment costs of bank loans for British firms over the life of the loan are much higher, the adverse impact on cash-flow is therefore more severe, and the need to make an immediate return on investment (and a quick boost to profitability) is much greater. My colleague, George Tait Edwards, has shown that annual repayment costs that are two, three or even five times lower are a large part of the reason for the greater amount and ease of bank borrowing enjoyed by businesses in, for example, Germany and Japan, and in the new powerhouses of China, Korea and Taiwan – and that is, of course, why they are able to buy and make a profit from our failing assets. This is the fons et origo of the much-lamented British disease of short-termism. For many British firms, short-term cash-flow or liquidity is at least as important as longer-term profitability, because it is literally a matter of life and death. It is a factor that both inhibits the willingness to borrow (and therefore the access to essential investment capital) in the first place, and – if the loan is made – greatly increases the chances that it will not and cannot be repaid in accordance with the loan period and terms insisted upon by the banks. If, as is all too likely, a business borrowing on these terms runs into difficulties before the return on the investment funded by the borrowing becomes available, the news gets worse. British banks, unlike their overseas counterparts, show little interest in the survival of their customers. Their sole concern is to recover the loan and interest payments due to them over the short period specified in the loan arrangement. If that means receivership or liquidation – even if the business had a good chance of survival were the investment plans funded by the loan allowed to proceed – so be it. The banks can console themselves not only with the return of the loan and other payments due to them sooner than if the business had been allowed to survive but also with the money to be made from the disposal of the assets (sometimes to foreign buyers) and the receivership process. Many people are vaguely aware of these factors but our lack of interest in what makes competitor economies more successful than ours – indeed, our conviction that we have nothing to learn from them – blinds us to these truths. It is time we opened our minds and demanded better from our banking system. And shouldn’t these decisions in any case be taken in the public interest and not those of self-interested bankers? Bryan Gould By Bryan Gould On 15 April 2013 In British Politics Tags economic policy, economics, labour party, uk An Economic Policy for Labour It was significant that, in the seven issues that Tony Blair – in his article last week in the New Statesman – advised Ed Miliband to focus on, there was no mention of the state of the economy. It is true that Tony never had much interest in or knowledge of economic policy – a deficiency that might have been an exacerbating factor in his precarious relationship with Gordon Brown. But it is nevertheless surprising that, in identifying the big issues that warrant attention, the parlous state of the economy slipped under the radar. Tony Blair is not, of course, alone among leading politicians in disavowing any interest in economic affairs. Most are content to accept advice from supposed experts, which usually means (and was certainly true in the case of Gordon Brown) that they have no option but to go along with whatever may be the prevailing orthodoxy. Yet the issue of how an economy should be run and in whose interests is surely the central issue in democratic politics. The ability to think for oneself and to judge the merits of conflicting views should surely be a minimum requirement of anyone who seeks to run the country. We see today where the orthodoxy of the past thirty years has got us. It is one of the welcome changes that Eds Miliband and Balls have brought about that there is now a disposition in the Labour party to challenge that orthodoxy. There is certainly an appetite for such a change by virtue of a growing if belated realisation in the general public that the old nostrums have failed. What is needed now is more courage, not less – a focus on positive change (which these days means no more than a moderate Keynesianism) and a conscious effort to move the debate’s centre of gravity; the Blair advice to fight shy of any genuine clash of ideas is surely misplaced – not only representing a missed electoral opportunity but a betrayal of the interests that Labour should be fighting for. Labour should be ready to take on the tired and discredited proponents of austerity, monetarism and the “free” market with some bold new (or, in most cases, revived) thinking. What about, for example, abandoning the backward-looking and static view of the economy taken by monetarism (and the irrational reliance on austerity to recover from recession) in favour of a recognition of the great power of a competitive market economy to grow – like the US at the outbreak of World War II, the Japanese in the 1960s and 1970s, and the Chinese today? The new Governor of the Bank of England is signalling that he is already looking at this approach. What about addressing that issue of competitiveness, or lack of it, that has held us back and constantly threatened inflation and trade deficits when we have tried to grow, by making improved competitiveness the central determinant of policy – as Singapore does? Why not tackle that issue by ensuring that – as Keynes warned – a shortage of money (for which read credit) does not hold us back, but that the credit that is created is put to productive purposes by being channelled, with the aid of an industrial strategy agreed with government, business and banks, into strengthening our neglected manufacturing base? What about using specific and focused measures to control inflation through restraining bank credit creation for non-productive purposes, so that the real and positive purpose of macro-economic policy – the productive use of all our resources, and the achievement of full employment in particular – become the main focus? And why not restore such macro-economic goals to their proper place in a democratic society – as the prime responsibility of elected and accountable governments, rather than being sub-contracted to unaccountable and self-serving bankers? And when government uses its power to “print money”, shouldn’t we ensure that those resources help industry through productive investment rather than sitting unused while they boost the balance sheets of the banks? And should we not nail forever the canard that we have to choose between social justice on the one hand and economic efficiency on the other? We have seen just how economically efficient is an economy that is run in the interests of a privileged few. There is nothing economically efficient about placing huge purchasing power in fewer and fewer hands, about allowing the wealthiest to treat the meeting of their tax obligations as a minor voluntary donation, about keeping large numbers out of work so that they are claimants rather producers, about leaving manufacturing flat on its back, about using vast amounts of money from both the taxpayer and the central bank to boost the banks’ balance sheets while both demand and investment remain depressed. A real debate about economic policy would produce great benefits – not just for the party brave enough to initiate it, but for the country as well. By Bryan Gould On 31 March 2013 In British Politics Tags austerity, budget, economics, economy, george osborne, uk George Osborne’s Non-Event George Osborne’s budget was driven by an obvious political imperative but was, in economic terms, largely a non-event. The major interest, such as it was, lay in the minor adjustments offered to long-suffering consumers in the forlorn hope that they would be cheered up by cheaper beer and marginal concessions on income tax, and might not therefore notice that their jobs, services and living standards are still under constant threat. In terms of the wider economy, the Chancellor’s stance was “steady as he goes”; after nearly three years of his stewardship and in the sixth year of recession, nothing much, it seems, needed to change. There was no recognition that austerity as a response to recession had not only been invalidated by experience, both in the UK and in Europe, but had also, as a consequence, been rejected – following a review of their earlier recommendations – by the IMF. The Chancellor was apparently unconcerned that output still lagged behind its pre-recession peak, and that the government borrowing, whose reduction he had identified as one of his primary goals, had continued – reflecting the depressed level of economic activity – to grow as a percentage of GDP. So little account was taken of the most obvious and pressing problems facing the economy that one must wonder whether the Chancellor’s focus is political and social, rather than economic. It may well be that his unstated agenda is to take advantage of the recession to unleash forces and drive through measures that will change the balance of advantage between rich and poor, private business and the public sector, for a generation. The Chancellor may well be, in other words, an (perhaps – if one is being generous) unwitting heir to a long and dishonourable tradition, epitomised by Andrew Mellon, the multimillionaire US Treasury Secretary, who called upon employers in the depths of the Great Depression to “liquidate labour”. Austerity, and the withdrawal of government, represent, after all, increased space for private enterprise (though the Chancellor seems not to have noticed that manufacturing is so enfeebled that it is unable to take advantage of any supposed opportunities); and even the resulting failure to get the economy moving has a silver lining, in that it guarantees that unemployment remains an actual and potential restraint on wage growth. What was needed from the Chancellor in his Budget speech was so far removed from what was in his mind that there seems scarcely any point in rehearsing it. But the Budget speech would have made a positive difference if it had signalled the abandonment of austerity and its replacement by a strategy to recruit government, banking and industry in a joint effort to raise the level of demand, to provide finance for productive investment, to coordinate an industrial strategy focusing on those areas of manufacturing that represent the best possibilities for growth, and to frame a macro-economic policy with competitiveness rather than inflation control at its heart. This article was written for Palgrave Macmillan’s newsletter. By Bryan Gould On 17 March 2013 In British Politics Tags austerity, budget, chancellor, economics, economy, george osborne, uk George Osborne’s Deep Hole Whatever George Osborne may say on Wednesday in his budget speech, he cannot extricate himself from the wreckage that now surrounds him. He may be just about the last person in Britain to believe that austerity offers a credible path to recovery from recession – and it may be doubted that even he remains a true believer. The repeated fall back into recession, a government deficit that goes on rising, and the loss of the country’s top credit rating are surely enough to shake the confidence of even the most arrogant and obtuse practitioner of the dismal science. The Chancellor’s continued commitment to austerity has made a significant personal contribution to the digging of an economic hole from which there now seems no discernible path to recovery. Perhaps his only saving grace is that he should not be left to bear the burden of that responsibility alone. As a long-time critic of British economic policy under successive governments, I hear the flapping wings of chickens coming home to roost; for the truth is that the current difficulties – and the imminent prospect of long-term economic decline – are the inevitable consequences of decades of mistaken policy choices and the worship of false gods. It is hard to grasp, even now, just how thoroughly and comprehensively the favoured nostrums of the last four decades – those nostrums that have guided our fortunes over the whole of that period – have now been disproved and discredited. Let us look at some of them in turn. Take the propositions that the market (and especially financial markets) can be accurately predicted on the basis of mathematical models, that they are self-correcting and do not therefore need regulation, and that any intervention in unregulated markets will automatically produce results that will be worse than if they had been left alone. As Keynes warned, and experience in the form of the global financial crisis has confirmed, markets – and financial markets in particular – are all too likely, if unregulated, to lead to excess and collapse. Or, what about the belief – maintained for more than three decades – that macro-economic policy is not a matter for government but is a simple matter of restraining inflation – an essentially technical task through setting interest rates that can safely be entrusted to unaccountable bankers? Do we still believe that monetary policy is all that is needed for a healthy economy? Or that it is any more effective than pushing on a piece of string as a means of escaping from recession? Or – when we look to more successful economies overseas – that there is no role for government? And what about the related confidence displayed in the expertise and objectivity of bankers in running our economy? Do we still believe that bankers have the common interest at heart and do not make decisions to suit themselves? Are we happy that they continue to enjoy the astonishing privilege, as private monopolies, of creating money out of nothing, thereby exercising hugely more power over our fortunes than do elected governments? What do we think of the faith placed by successive governments, not least by New Labour, in the financial services industry as the means of paying our way in the world? Do we still accept that the huge fortunes made by a few in a largely unregulated City represented real and sustainable wealth-creation in which the rest of us would share? Even more importantly, what do we think of the careless assumption that focusing on financial services made it unnecessary to concern ourselves with our manufacturing base? Do we now understand that the loss of manufacturing means – now that the chips are down – that we are denied the most reliable way of maintaining our standard of living, the most important source of innovation, the most substantial creator of new jobs, the most effective stimulus to improved productivity and the provider of the quickest return on investment? Do we understand that globalisation has meant, with the removal of exchange controls, that major global investors can now move huge volumes of money – totalling as much in a single day as the total annual production of most economies – from one country to another, and have thereby disabled democratic governments from doing anything to protect us? And do we understand that the combined effect of all these policies has been to create a huge mechanism for shifting wealth and resource from the poor to the rich, and that it is that which is responsible, rather than any great ability or virtue on the part of the rich, for the widening inequality that weakens and disfigures our society? Underpinning all of this is a fundamental failure – an obstinate refusal to recognise that the world has changed and that, with the rise of newly efficient economies around the globe, we have no innate right to have a privileged standard of living delivered to us on a plate. The fact is that the UK has been a fundamentally uncompetitive economy ever since the 1970s, but we have preferred to avert our gaze from this uncomfortable truth. The issue of competitiveness is not recognised, let alone discussed in Britain; yet much more successful economies use measures of competitiveness as their guide to what is required from macro-economic policy. We, on the other hand, have preferred to take refuge in a range of nostrums that we can now see have little merit. George Osborne’s budget will be scrutinised for signals that tiny changes in direction might be forthcoming and that salvation might lie therein. But the budget will be a minor factor in an economic dilemma which George Osborne – and his predecessors – have spent painstaking decades in creating. 17 March 2013. Bryan Gould’s new book Myths, Politicians, and Money will be published by Palgrave Macmillan later this year. This article was published in the online Guardian on 18 March. By Bryan Gould On 1 June 2012 In British Politics Tags economic policy, economy, ed balls, uk I Told You So Jonathan Freedland, in last week’s Guardian, congratulates the UK Shadow Chancellor, Ed Balls, on being able to claim the rare privilege in politics of saying “I told you so”. Balls had warned in 2010 that austerity would not pull the UK out of recession – a prediction now in the course of being amply confirmed. It is certainly true that, for most politicians, claiming to have been proved right is rarely possible – and, even if it is occasionally justified, it is not usually a claim calculated to endear the claimant to his audience. So, Ed Balls is fortunate to have someone else make the claim for him. The claim is usually, of course, only of interest if it can be made by or on behalf of a frontline practising politician – someone who either does or might one day exercise the power of government, and whose fitness to do so would perhaps accordingly be enhanced. The claim is even more difficult to make – and of considerably less interest – if made by someone who has long since departed the scene. So why – 18 years after I decided to leave British politics – should I think it worthwhile to make that claim in my own name now? The answer is that I left British politics in 1994 because I despaired of being able to persuade my colleagues in the Labour party that they were pursuing the wrong course on a wide range of issues. And, since it is precisely those issues which have dominated news headlines over recent times, there is now the chance of assessing who was right and who was wrong. What were those issues? First, the dominant role assumed by the City in British economic policy, something enthusiastically endorsed and encouraged by successive governments. In 1986, I led for the Opposition when the Financial Services Bill was debated in Standing Committee, and warned repeatedly that self-regulation, “light-handed” regulation, or no regulation at all, would allow unregulated financial markets to subject us all to unacceptable risks – risks that eventually materialised with a vengeance with the Global Financial Crisis. From even further back, I had argued consistently that macro-economic policy was being formulated in the interests of the financial economy, rather than the “real” or productive economy, and that this was creating a serious structural imbalance which would eventually come back to bite us. That view was dismissed in the euphoria engendered by the sight of large fortunes being made in the City. Like Winston Churchill, I would rather have seen “Industry more content, and Finance less proud.” Then, there was the euro. My argument that the euro, imposing as it did a single and inappropriate monetary policy on a wide range of diverse economies, could not possibly work, had been preceded by my opposition to the euro’s predecessors – the European Monetary System and the Exchange Rate Mechanism, both of which had failed. I was constantly dismissed as “anti-European”, despite my contention that it was the concept of Europe itself that was being put at risk. I was eventually stripped of responsibility for policy-making on this issue. And what about the current controversy over News International? I recall being invited to lunch by Rupert Murdoch in 1988. In retrospect, it is a reasonable assumption that he was interested in how malleable I might be (I was then the Shadow Trade and Industry Secretary) in responding to his ambitions. I remember little of the lunch but I am quite certain that I offered a less pliable prospect than some of my successors clearly have done since – and I remained throughout extremely concerned at and hostile to the dangers posed by the concentration of media ownership. And austerity? I salute Ed Balls for his foresight in warning that austerity by itself takes us further into recession, and that we need a strategy for growth. But we are saddled with the current sterile orthodoxy because we accepted in the 1980s that the “free” (or unregulated) market must prevail, so that – even in a recession – government must step aside to allow the market to re-establish equilibrium. I have spent most of my political life arguing that markets are irreplaceably valuable but not infallible. And, as long ago as 1981, I published – with two colleagues, John Mills and Shaun Stewart – Monetarism Or Prosperity? We argued that macro-economic strategy should be about much more than simply controlling inflation and that we needed a strategy for growth, focusing on full employment, competitiveness and putting the interests of the productive sector first. There are many other (and not just economic) issues on which I would claim that events have supported the views I took – the invasion of Iraq, for example, where I was clear long before the invasion that any such action would be disastrous. My purpose, however, is not to claim any special far-sightedness, since there have been many others who have expressed similar views on each and all of these issues. What I would claim, however, is that I was one of the very few in mainstream, frontline politics to have taken these views and to have swum against the prevailing tide. On all of these issues, in other words, we had choices – and we have suffered greatly from making the wrong ones. The Road Toll A Reckless Decision What Caused the Bushfires An Australian Christmas Keep Faith with the Voters Liking People Matters Must Do Better The American Influence What Does the Haka Mean? 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The British government just admitted it may fail to ratify reforms ahead of the make-or-break Brexit referendum Lianna Brinded UK Prime Minister David Cameron greets German Chancellor Angela Merkel. UK Prime Minister David Cameron faces angering the British public, the opposition, and even factions of his own party after government officials acknowledged that it is highly unlikely that Cameron will be able to seal a new deal and get his reforms ratified before the referendum. Britain's ruling Conservative Party is delivering a referendum by 2017 over whether Britain will stay part of the EU or not. The Tories are largely against leaving the EU and UK Chancellor George Osborne has explicitly said that he would prefer to stay within the EU and negotiate "a better deal." However, the party has a significant faction of MPs who would rather leave the EU, with or without reform. Cameron was reportedly already putting plans in motion to bring forward an in/out referendum by a year. However last week, his office performed a U-turn and ruled out holding a European Union membership referendum on May 5, 2016. Last night, Cameron addressed 27 EU heads of government for 10 minutes. It was the first time he laid out the reforms he would like for Britain's membership in the EU. The chairman of the summit and president of the European council, Donald Tusk, was the only person in the room who responded to Cameron, reported the Guardian newspaper. The proposed reforms included banning EU migrants from claiming in-work benefits for four years as well as giving national parliaments the ability to block EU legislation. “It has been a long night and we have discussed some very important subjects, but above all I am delighted that the process of British reform and renegotiation and the referendum that we are going to hold – that process is now properly under way … we have started that process,” said Cameron. A senior British official said that the prime minister is confident he will embed his reforms in a “legally binding and irreversible” process that will involve a revision of the Lisbon treaty. But the official said that the ratification of treaty change by all 28 member states, which can take years to complete, will not be completed by the time of Britain’s referendum. However, a British official told the Guardian newspaper after the meeting that: “There will be political agreement [of] 27 that these changes will be done. Then there is a process of ratification of those which can take a long time because it needs to be ratified in all 27 countries. “So there will be a process that will need to bring the changes to the treaties into force. But are we absolutely clear that the reforms we are seeking will require treaty change and will need agreement on that treaty change before the referendum? Yes, we absolutely are.” Already, the British public, a slice of the Tories, and main opposition to the incumbent government are highlighting their lack of trust in Cameron securing any reforms at all. A recent poll in the Daily Express showed that over 97% of the 1,926 people who took part in the survey said "no" when asked if Cameron would get "Britain a fair deal in the EU." However, UKIP's leader slammed the comments and said that not being able seal a new deal and get it ratified before the referendum "sounds like a post-dated cheque." "There are so many big fundamental things happening that a promissory note of some kind to Britain may well finish up not being honoured. Post-dated cheques can bounce and one suspects that any post-dated cheque that was given to the Brits would be given by presidents and prime ministers in office now," he said in a statement. “By the time it came to be honoured there would be different prime ministers and different presidents who have been elected on a ticket saying we won’t honour this note anyway. It doesn’t work on any way you look at it.” NOW WATCH: Forget the Apple Watch — here's the new watch everyone on Wall Street wants More: EU Referendum Brexit David Cameron European Union

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Home » Internationaal » Amazon plans to build a bike-friendly headquarters complete with employee showers in Arlington, Virginia — take a look Rebecca Aydin 22 Jul 2019 Foto: Amazon Rendering of Amazon HQ2 on the corner of 15th Street and Elm Street in Arlington, Virginia. Amazon filed its proposed development plans for its second headquarters (HQ2) outside of Seattle in Arlington, Virginia in May. The Metropolitan Park site will feature: two, 22-story LEED Gold-certified sustainable office buildings, 50,000 square feet of retail space, 1.1 acres of open and green spaces, and bike parking for 600 cyclists. Amazon intends to invest $2.5 billion in building HQ2. Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories. Amazon filed its proposed development plans in the spring for its upcoming HQ2 headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and the company projects that construction will begin in Q1 of 2020. “As with our Seattle headquarters, we plan to invest in developing a new headquarters in Arlington that will grow alongside its neighbors, supporting local businesses, building new public spaces for all to enjoy, and integrating sustainable design features throughout our campus,” John Schoettler, Amazon’s Vice President of Global Real Estate and Facilities, wrote in a May blog post. Amazon intends to create 400 new jobs in Arlington in 2019 and 25,000 jobs in the next decade. Amazon has had a presence in Virginia since 2010, investing $34 billion into employee compensation and infrastructure in the Commonwealth. Plans for HQ2 are split into three phases. The first phase in Crystal City of Arlington represents all 2019 progress: Amazon opened its first temporary office in Crystal City in June, and it will add additional temporary office space later in the year. Phase two focuses on the Metropolitan Park area of Pentagon City in Arlington, for which construction will begin in 2020 once Amazon’s development plans are approved by Arlington. Finally, phase three will represent construction in Pen Place in Arlington. Altogether, that’s nearly 4.8 million square feet of Amazon space in the city of Arlington. Amazon famously backed out of its plan to split HQ2 between Virginia and New York in February 2019 after running into vocal pushback from local NYC politicians and residents. Check out Amazon’s proposed development plans for HQ2 phase two at Metropolitan Park: Amazon’s three-phase plan for HQ2 in Arlington involves three neighborhoods. Foto: sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects Phase one, currently underway, is in Crystal City. Phase two in Metropolitan Park and phase three in Pen Place are forthcoming. Here’s a look at the neighborhood Phase 2: Metropolitan Park will be fitting into. The Metropolitan Park phase of HQ2 will have 1.1 acres of public open space. Foto: 14th Street from the park.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects Around an existing centrally-located park, these public and green spaces will include a dog park and farmers markets. Here’s how that open space will be allotted. Employees will have access to the rooftop gardens on the office buildings. There will be enough parking spots for 600 bikes. Foto: 14th Street Gateway.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects Amazon will make space for 600 bikes to be stored, and it plans to extend an existing cycle path, with the aim of bolstering Arlington’s cycling infrastructure. There will also be showers and lockers to encourage biking to work. There will be 50,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Foto: Eads Street retail.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects Besides restaurants and shops, there will also be a daycare center open to local families and Amazon employees with children. Here’s the layout for bike parking and retail space. There will be two LEED Gold-certified sustainable office buildings. Foto: View from the park.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects Amazon will be transforming one block of vacant warehouses into two sustainable office buildings yielding 2.1 million square feet of energy-efficient space. Each tower will be 22 stories and designed for LEED Gold-certification. The level of LEED certification is determined by the number of points a building scores across several sustainability categories, including: energy and atmosphere, location and transportation, and water efficiency. Gold is the second highest LEED sustainability ranking behind Platinum. All of which will be near public transportation. Foto: On the corner of 15th Street and Eads Street.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects With 25,000 incoming employees, public transit has to be a major consideration for Amazon. HQ2 will have a nearby Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station, bus lines, and two metro stations. Amazon will be investing $2.5 billion in building HQ2. Foto: At 15th Street and Eads Street.sourceAmazon/ZGF Architects To put that into perspective, Amazon spent $4 billion on its Seattle headquarters. The company has hired around 5,000 employees in Seattle annually for the past decade, and it calculates that it has generated over 50,000 jobs. HQ2’s Metropolitan Park site will be a quick commute from Washington DC. The morning commute from the White House to Metropolitan Park is about 30 minutes on the metro. Read more: Amazon is coming under fire for ‘deceptive’ ratings and reviews on its website, and lawmakers are now demanding answers

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Loneliness Peaks At These 3 Ages — Here’s What You Can Do About It By Natalia Lusinski Boiarkina Marina/Shutterstock At some point, everyone feels lonely. Whether you’re home alone on a Saturday night — again — just got out of a relationship, or recently lost a loved one and the emptiness you feel seems worse than ever, loneliness is common and it’s OK to feel lonely. Although a new study out of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine found that severe loneliness occurs over an adult’s lifespan, they found it happened most among three age periods: late 20s, mid-50s, and late 80s. No sex differences were found regarding loneliness prevalence, severity, or age relationships. Researchers found that three-fourths of study participants reported moderate to high levels of loneliness, which was more than previous estimates — 17 to 57 percent — among the U.S. general population. “This is noteworthy because the participants in this study were not considered to be at high risk for moderate to severe loneliness,” Dilip Jeste, MD, distinguished professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences and director of the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging, who led the study, said. In other words, he said they didn’t have major physical disorders or suffer from significant mental illnesses, such as depression or schizophrenia, wherein loneliness may be more prevalent. Why Loneliness Is Most Prevalent Among Those Three Age Groups Hannah Burton/Bustle You may be wondering why three age groups in particular — late 20s, mid-50s, and late 80s — are most affected by loneliness. Katie Ziskind, licensed marriage and family therapist and the owner of Wisdom Within Counseling, has some theories. “It is normal to feel loneliness in your late 20s because you may be doing things such as living alone for the first time,” she tells Bustle. You may no longer have college roommates, or perhaps you and your significant other lived together and broke up, so now you’re more lonely. “It’s also natural to feel lonely in your mid-50s because perhaps you’re an Empty Nester,” she says. For instance, people’s children go away to college, then go off on their own. And, as for people in their late 80s, Ziskind says their spouses, lifelong lovers, and friends and siblings have likely died. “It’s very important to have an elderly person receive caregiving, even from someone paid,” she says. “The elderly don’t get hugs or touch as much; having friends stop by to see them can be very healing for loneliness.” How The Study Was Done Three-hundred-and-forty San Diego County residents from 27 to 101 years old participated in the study, and they’d been in one of three prior studies of aging and mental health. However, people who were living in nursing homes or who required substantial living assistance were not included, nor were people with serious physical or psychological ailments, including diagnosed dementia. Various tools were used to conduct the study, including the renowned 20-point UCLA Loneliness Scale, Version 3; a four-item, self-reported measure of social isolation (developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), as well as the San Diego Wisdom Scale, which was created by Dr. Jeste and his colleagues. What Loneliness Is — And Isn’t Ziskind says that it’s important to understand loneliness. “Loneliness is a deep-seated sadness or loss,” she says. “Often, people think loneliness means that they are deficient in some quality or skill; however, loneliness can actually be a motivator for positive transformation.” She says it’s OK to feel lonely since being alone allows you to decompress, such as by napping. “But loneliness can become depression, lethargy, and melancholy when untreated without friendship or socialization,” Ziskind says. She suggests trying something new, like go to a yoga class. “Transform your loneliness into socialization,” she says. The Difference Between Loneliness And Being Alone Andrew Zaeh for Bustle Similarly, Dr. Joshua Klapow, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and host of The Kurre and Klapow Show, tells Bustle that there is a difference between loneliness and being alone. “At our core, we are social beings, so we are, on average, used to and need to be interacting with others,” he says. “However, to the extent that we feel we don’t have deep connections, we can be amongst people and still feel very alone.” Klapow says you can also be physically alone and not “feel” lonely. “Alone is a state of being and lonely is an emotion,” he says. “Therefore, it is very important that we distinguish the two and get our quota of both being with other people (i.e., social interactions) and doing things where we don’t feel alone.” The Likeliness Of Loneliness First author Ellen Lee, MD, a research fellow in geriatric mental health in the UC San Diego School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry said that people who were found to be wiser were less lonely. “That may be due to the fact that behaviors which define wisdom, such as empathy, compassion, emotional regulation, self-reflection, effectively counter or prevent serious loneliness,” she said. But moderate to severe loneliness appears to be highly prevalent throughout adult life. “And loneliness seems to be associated with everything bad,” Dr. Lee said. “It’s linked to poor mental health, substance abuse, cognitive impairment, and worse physical health, including malnutrition, hypertension and disrupted sleep.” Although the authors said this study is the first to assess loneliness the way they did so — for instance, using multiple measures and among a broad age range — they said more research needs to be done on the topic. Dr. Jeste said people should think about loneliness differently. “A person can be alone and not feel lonely, while a person can be in a crowd and feel alone,” he said. “We need to find solutions and interventions that help connect people that help them to become wiser. A wiser society would be a happier, more connected, and less lonely society.” Dr. Klapow agrees. “We can be by ourselves in the middle of a forest and feel very much connected to the world, to the larger Universe, and to ourselves — and, therefore, not feel lonely,” he says. “We can also be with strangers and feel either alone or connected.” He says being alone increases the chances of feeling lonely, but it is the feeling of loneliness that can be harmful. “[B]e aware and make the distinction; then, focus on limiting the time you feel lonely versus limiting the time you are alone,” Dr. Klapow says. How To Feel Less Lonely Ashley Batz/Bustle Dr. Klapow says that having at least one meaningful or fulfilling social interaction per day can help prevent feelings of deep loneliness. He says you can do this many ways — join a book club, mentor a youth, go to a discussion, help out at a shelter, take a class, or try a sport, among other ideas. He also says to remember that feeling lonely does not mean you need to find a romantic relationship if you are single. “The reality is, very often, romantic relationships provide love and romance, but they also provide good, quality social interactions,” he says. “So when you are feeling lonely because of not being in a relationship, make sure that you are getting regular social interactions.” He says you can do this by interacting with people who make you feel loved, engaged, interested, happy, and so forth. “Some of this will come from friends, but some of this could come from co-workers or spending time volunteering at a place like a shelter," Dr. Klapow says. This can provide you with the quality human interaction that you crave. “Don’t just look for ‘fun’ interactions — look for meaningful ones, just like a relationship; not as a substitute, but as a way to nurture your need for social interaction,” he says. By doing this, you will find you feel less lonely because you are less lonely. What To Do If You Keep Feeling Lonely Sometimes, you may still feel lonely no matter how much you try not to. “If you continue to feel lonely even when you are engaged in activities with others — and if feelings of loneliness morph into feelings of hopelessness — it’s time to talk to a mental health professional,” Dr. Klapow says. All in all, no matter what age you are, there are ways to feel less lonely. But if nothing seems to work, it’s best to see a professional.

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Zika Prevention: Wisconsin Counties Trapping, Testing Mosquitoes Posted: Jul 29, 2016 6:35 PM CST The Zika Virus has been transmitted from mosquito to human for the first time in the United States. Florida health officials made that announcement Friday, saying four individuals in the Miami-area have been infected by mosquitoes. It has departments across the country taking note, and increasing efforts to prevent the spread of the disease. In Wisconsin, 14 counties are actively trapping, and testing mosquitoes, searching for one of two types known to carry the Zika Virus. "There's no point looking for the virus if we don't have the vector mosquito," says Entomologist Susan Paskowitz. Paskowitz says the mosquito in question is known as "Aedes albopictus", or Asian Tiger Mosquito. It lives primarily in southern states, but has been spotted as far north as Southern Illinois. "I suspect even if we found them, there'd be no guarantee they'd get through a hard winter freeze." But health officials aren't taking any chances, placing "ovitraps" in specific areas across Southern Wisconsin. "It's basically a little cut with some water in it, and a stick, it looks like a large Popsicle stick. And those are very attractive to these particular kinds of mosquitoes, which use containers to deposit their eggs." The trap is much cheaper than the type used to track the mosquito associated with West Nile Virus. That test requires expensive equipment with specialized chambers. In Milwaukee, health officials are monitoring roughly 20 ovitraps. "Characterizing the mosquito population is incredibly important for us to understand what the risk will be to the public currently, and in the future," says Paul Biedrzycki. Biedrzycki is the Director of Disease Control and Environmental Health for the City of Milwaukee. His department has identified 4 cases of Zika virus in Milwaukee County, but all four were with people who traveled outside the state. So far, there have been 11 reported cases of Zika virus in Wisconsin, all from people who had traveled elsewhere.

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Sky Elstree Studio investment to underpin European productions UK creative sector set to benefit News Discussion (2) Movies & TV News The famous Elstree Studio site is to be redeveloped by Sky to create a major production hub for the European creative industry, creating 2000 jobs and £3 billion investment over 5 years. Having already established Sky Studios to support its original programming, Sky has now announced its commitment to invest in the construction of a new 32-acre, state-of-the-art TV and film studio at Elstree in Borehamwood, just north of London. The project represents a significant new investment in the UK and European creative economy and Sky will be joined by sister company NBCUniversal and backing is provided by Comcast, the owner of both companies, in partnership with Legal & General. The redevelopment will begin upon successful completion of the planning process early next year and the site is expected to open in 2022. Once operational, Sky Studios Elstree will provide a huge boost to Britain’s creative sector with the expected creation of over 2,000 jobs plus an uplift to the local economy alongside an additional £3 billion of production investment in the UK’s creative economy over the first five years of operation. The Studio will house 14 soundstages covering over 20,000 sqft which will support the production of several films and TV shows simultaneously and provide significant capacity for Sky Studios to produce more original content in-house, while continuing to work with independent production companies across Europe. In addition, the site will include production offices, a set construction workshop, a screening cinema and state-of-the-art post-production and digital facilities which will all play host to major film productions from Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Working Title, and television series from NBCUniversal Content Studios. Capacity is such that third party productions will also be supported. Sky has also reiterated its support for the next generation of young and diverse creative talent and says it will use Sky Studios Elstree to build on its existing work. Jeremy Darroch, Group Chief Executive, Sky, said: “Sky Studios Elstree will play a pivotal role in bringing the wealth of UK and European talent and creativity to the world. We know our customers love our award-winning Sky Originals like Chernobyl and our investment in Sky Studios Elstree will enable us to bring more unique stories to more viewers.” Darroch continued, “ We are proud to be working with our colleagues at NBCUniversal and Comcast, and our partners Hertsmere Borough Council and L&G to bring this project to life. Together we share a joint vision to create a world-leading production capability that will support the creation of thousands of jobs in the creative sector. We can’t wait to get started.” With Netflix also setting up a 10 year lease to set up production facilities at Shepperton Studios, it looks like the next decade could be a golden time for the UK creative sector as two iconic studios are bought back into the production limelight. Why not let us know what you think of this news in the discussion thread. Source: Press release Image Source: Sky Disney+ generates $100M in mobile app spending since launch Published Wednesday at 3:59 PM Dolby technologies support 2020 Oscar nominees Published Tuesday at 5:02 PM CES 2020 News: TiVo Stream 4K features live and streaming TV CES 2020 News: Is Dolby Vision IQ the next step in image immersion? BritBox streaming service now supported on Chromecast

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WNC students face 'mountains of debt' More than 60 percent of North Carolina students will leave college with some debt WNC students face 'mountains of debt' More than 60 percent of North Carolina students will leave college with some debt Check out this story on citizen-times.com: http://avlne.ws/1HaC8NR Julie Ball, Asheville Published 3:31 p.m. ET March 20, 2015 | Updated 8:16 p.m. ET March 20, 2015 University of North Carolina Asheville student Austin Hanna, 25, sits on the front steps of the Ramsey Library March 18, 2015.(Photo: William Woody / wwoody@citizen-times.com)Buy Photo ASHEVILLE – Anna DuPont knows she'll spend at least the next 10 years paying back student loans. The UNC Asheville senior will graduate this spring owing $36,000 for her undergraduate education. "I think anytime you look at a number that big, it's a little bit of a shock. And it was definitely a shock knowing that there was no way I'd be able to pay that very soon," she said. Nearly 70 percent of college students nationwide graduated with some debt in 2013. Borrowers owed an average of $28,400, according to the Project on Student Debt at the Institute for College Access & Success, which aims to raise awareness about the issue. The consequences for students are huge. "The implication for the individual and for the economy if you graduate with a lot of debt, it may affect your ability to buy a home, start a family, save for retirement, start a business or save for your own children's education," said Lauren Asher, the institute's president. "No one sat down and decided to redesign our higher education system to rely so heavily on debt, but that is where we have ended up," Asher said. Mounting college debt has prompted many to call for reforms, including President Barack Obama, who recently signed the "Student Aid Bill of Rights." The presidential memorandum, in part, called for creation of a website where students can file complaints about federal student lenders and for an easier, centralized process for repaying loans. The Obama administration also previously took steps to expand a program that caps loan payments. Growing debt At UNCA, 58 percent of UNC Asheville students graduated in 2013 with some level of debt. The average debt for graduates that year was $17,696, according to the student debt report. That number is actually below the state average, which topped $24,000. And UNCA undergraduates leave the school with less debt, on average, than many private and public colleges and universities in the state. The student debt report uses numbers voluntarily reported by colleges to Peterson's Undergraduate Financial Aid and Undergraduate Databases. It's important to note that not every school provides the information. The numbers cover four-year public and nonprofit private schools. For-profit colleges typically do not report their numbers, Asher said. Based on the numbers submitted, North Carolina ranked 39th overall for average debt. The average debt for students in North Carolina has grown from less than $17,000 in 2003-04 to $24,300 in 2012-13. As the amount of debt has grown, so has the percentage of students leaving school with debt. That number is now 61 percent compared to 51 percent in 2004. "The big picture is most students go to public colleges and universities, and state budgets are the biggest driver of rising student debt," Asher said. "As states have covered a smaller share of what it costs to provide a public college education, students and families have had to pick up more and more of the difference." Family incomes haven't kept up, and Pell Grant awards now cover a smaller portion of college costs, Asher said. "At an individual college, a lot of factors come into play and there's rarely a simple answer (for the growing debt)," she said. "Those involve how much of their (the college's) own aid they have to give out and to whom they choose to give that aid." An important factor, according to UNCA senior and outgoing Student Government Association President James Whalen, is the minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 since 2009. That makes it harder for students trying to work their way through school, Whalen said. "The most important reason this is happening is because minimum wage and the jobs that a lot of high school and college students are able to work pay almost nothing," Whalen said. "You have to work something like 80 hours a week at a minimum wage job and pay for school." Whalen also pointed to the loss of programs like North Carolina's Teaching Fellows, which provided money for college in exchange for a four-year commitment to teach. "I have plenty of friends, fraternity brothers, student leaders, who will graduate with mountains of debt, and they will have a long time to pay it off," Whalen said. "The debt wouldn't be so bad if they were able to graduate and immediately get a $60,000-a-year-paying job, but that is not in the cards for most people." Whalen, who will graduate with a double major in math and philosophy, has managed to avoid college debt. He said he got help from his family and also worked during the summer to pay his way through UNCA. And he chose the school because it was more affordable than some other options. He was accepted at Davidson, Notre Dame and UNC Chapel Hill. "I chose UNC Asheville intentionally, but one of the things that went into that decision was I didn't want to go into debt and this was the school that was going to help me not go into debt," Whalen said. UNCA junior Austin Hanna was also cost conscious when selecting a school. Hanna, who served in the reserves, is getting 40 percent of his tuition paid through the GI Bill. He also spent two years at a community college and was able to transfer credits. He estimates he will leave school owing between $5,000 and $8,000. But Hanna has friends who are paying off much more in loans. "It is a huge burden," he said. "I think if you were to graduate with a lot of debt, it would definitely change the way you look at employment," Hanna said. "You wouldn't look necessarily for the job that you dreamed of, but job that you need." DuPont, 22, has worked at the university to pay some of her costs. But she said her parents weren't able to help her, so she relied heavily on loans. "I sort of describe my situation as falling into the unfortunate crack in the system, meaning that my parents make enough money on paper that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid form) says that they are able to contribute, when in reality they are not able to contribute to my education," she said. The FAFSA form is used to determined need for aid and expected family contribution. Whalen said in his case the form didn't take into account that he has two younger sisters who will be going to college. Trina Orr, director of financial aid for Western Carolina University, said the first thing Western tries to do is look for aid possibilities for students that don't have to be paid back. "We try to exhaust all funds that do not have to be repaid initially before we ever even offer a student loan and/or a parent loan," she said. She said the university tries to educate families and get them to look at what the total expenses are going to be, including residential living expenses. "We certainly do try to get out the word and to spread the message that if you do have to borrow, borrow wisely," Orr said. Not all loans are created equal. Need-based subsidized loans are different from unsubsidized loans, Orr said. "The way that the subsidized loan program works is as long as a student is enrolled in school at least half time, which at WCU would be six hours, the federal government will cover the interest for the student so interest does not accrue while they are enrolled in school," she said. Students have a six-month grace period after they graduate before they must begin repaying the loans. Unsubsidized loans are not based on need and the interest does accrue while the student is enrolled. And federal loans are different than private loans, Asher said. Federal loans come with important repayment options "and borrower protections that private education loans do not provide," Asher said. That includes income-driven repayment plans that cap payments based on a percentage of income and family size. "Federal loans are the safest way to borrow if you need to borrow. And it's crucial to know that and to get information about what is and is not a federal loan before you decide how to fund your education," Asher said. Students also need to do their homework when it comes to finding out their entire costs, looking beyond tuition when deciding on a school, she said. "It puts a lot of burden on the consumer, and there's no easy way to figure it out," she said. Students applying for federal aid go through entrance counseling before they are allowed to borrow through the federal loan program. They also go through exit counseling as they prepare to leave school and begin paying off those loans. But UNCA Provost Joe Urgo says more financial literacy education is needed for students. "Just generally speaking, there is a great deal of need for loan education among students so they know how much they are borrowing and whether the loans are accumulating interest while they are in school," Urgo said. "Nationwide a lot of students don't understand this any better than some of their parents understand credit card debt." UNCA has talked about adding more financial education for students. Urgo said public universities also need to continue to make the case "that the state should be funding higher education so that we can keep tuition manageable." "I think this is part of a larger national conversation about whose responsibility is it to fund higher education," he said. "Is it strictly a consumer good where the individual is responsible for it or is the greater good for higher education such that it ought to be a high priority for society as whole." Average debt among undergraduates who graduated from college in North Carolina in 2013 was $24,319. Here's a look at some individual schools: •Appalachian State University - $20,467 •UNC Asheville - $17,696 •Western Carolina University - $20,273 •Brevard College - $23,032 •Montreat College - $27,843 •Warren Wilson College - $22,112 •East Carolina University - $28,312 •UNC Chapel Hill - $17,602 •North Carolina State University - $23,532 •UNC Charlotte - $25,394 •UNC Greensboro - $24,595 Source: Project on Student Debt report, information voluntarily reported by schools to Peterson's Undergraduate Financial Aid and Undergraduate Databases Read or Share this story: http://avlne.ws/1HaC8NR

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CLEAResult Names Dan Crippen to Board of Directors AUSTIN, Texas (April 6, 2016) — CLEAResult, a leader in designing and implementing technology-enabled energy efficiency programs for utilities, has appointed Dan Crippen to the company’s board of directors. A former executive director of the National Governors Association (NGA) and former director of the Congressional Budget Office, Dan is well versed in bipartisan public policy design that derive both public benefits and economic development across an array of industries including healthcare, energy and education. “Dan has an impressive career that spans both the public and private sectors where he has been a transformative leader in helping to shape and implement public policy,” said CLEAResult CEO Aziz Virani, who also serves on the board. “His unique talents will further the board’s mission to maintain and propel CLEAResult’s position as a leader within the dynamic energy landscape.” Dan’s career has included senior advisory roles at the White House, the United States Senate, Merrill Lynch and the Securities and Exchange Commission. Additionally, he co-founded two consulting firms specializing in economic impact and analysis. With consistent commitment to empowering and educating citizens about public services, Dan is also a board trustee for the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Center for Health Care Strategies, and America’s Promise Alliance. Dan received a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota and holds a masters and Ph.D. in public finance from Ohio State University. Jennifer Trou Edelman for CLEAResult Forbes names CLEAResult one of America's Best Mid-Size Employers The New Tech Frontier for Utilities TROVE Names Joe Mattoon to Board of Directors

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“We want to be a company of total trust for society.” We are dedicated to the labor and social inclusion of people at risk of exclusion. The integration of people at risk of social exclusion and, specifically, of people with different abilities, has been for several years the hallmark and main identity symbol of our Company. Currently, 11% of our employees come from groups at risk of social exclusion or with difficulties in accessing employment. We have three Special Employment Centers and a labor enclave in Spain. More than 70% of the people who work in them, in positions related to production, warehouse, logistics, supply and general services, have some kind of functional diversity. Our commitment also materializes in various collaborations. In 2017 we renewed with the ONCE Foundation, for the third year in a row since 1998, the Inserta Agreement. In addition, we continue our collaboration with the Royal Disability Board, the Higher Sports Council (CSD) and the Spanish Paralympic Committee (CPE). We consider it essential to continue moving towards an inclusive and, therefore, sustainable society for all, supporting sports and Paralympic athletes, thus reinforcing our commitment to overcoming, discipline, equal opportunities, effort and perseverance. Therefore, in 2018 we renewed our sponsorship of the Spanish Paralympic Team for the Tokyo 2020 Games, just as we did in the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. In 2018 we became one of the first companies to obtain the Leader Badge as Disability Confident Employer in the United Kingdom, a program promoted by the Ministry of Labor and Pensions to encourage the hiring of people from these groups. After obtaining the “Committed (Level 1)” mark, at Cerealto Siro Foods we have internationalized this initiative, transferring it to the rest of our work centers located in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Mexico. The Valuable 500, is an initiative that aims to include equal opportunities and integration of people with disabilities in the global business leadership agenda, after its launch at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. At the beginning of 2019, we became the first company in Spain to join The Valuable 500 and one of the first worldwide to support it. As a result of our accession, we reinforced a number of commitments, including: We will keep the inclusion of people with disabilities on our first level agenda. Every year we will have at least 10% of people belonging to groups at risk of exclusion from the labour market in our staff, specifically people with disabilities. We will promote experiences of corporate volunteering with people with disabilities to promote awareness and integration internally. We will collaborate with new organizations whose purpose is the creation and promotion of the integration of people with disabilities in the workplace. As a result of our activity framed in this commitment and investment in the labor integration of people with disabilities, we have received a series of awards, including: Merca2 Award “Grupo Siro, inclusive employment”, 2018. ConSalud Award for “Social Integration”, 2018. In conjunction with our Accession to the Europe and Spain Pact for Youth, promoted by the European Commission and CSR Europe and led by Forética in Spain, our Labor and Social Integration of People with Disabilities initiative has been selected by this organization, to join of the European Enterprise 2020 program. “Best company for workers with disabilities”, an international recognition received at the New York headquarters of the United Nations, by the Secretary of State for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Sao Paulo, coinciding with the 10th Anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Bronze Medal for Sports Merit awarded by the Presidency of the Higher Sports Council, for our support to the Spanish Paralympic sport under the ADOP Plan. We thus enter the Royal Order of Sports Merit. At the regional level, we received the 2016 Castilla y León Human and Social Values Award. Grupo Siro Foundation

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Fans Will Go Nuts for Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel at the Pennzoil AutoFair Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel will delight audiences with fun and informative shows on Friday and Saturday of the Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts. CMS photo Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel splashes into Charlotte Motor Speedway for two days of wave-riding fun on April 7-8 during the Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts. Paired with custom water skis and a life jacket, Twiggy will entertain fans and promote an important cause - boat safety - with handler Lou Ann Best. The family-friendly show will captivate spectators with one of the most unique attractions ever seen at the Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts. Lou Ann and Twiggy have set the stage for a wave of water safety messages that are rooted in Twiggy's past. Lou Ann and her husband, Chuck, rescued a small gray squirrel that had fallen from a tree during Hurricane David in 1978. Soon after, Chuck bought a remote-control boat for his daughter, but he realized the boat was best used by an even smaller member of the family. With practice, the family trained Twiggy to ski behind the boat. Twiggy's talent caught on quickly. The Sanford Herald reported on the rescued squirrel's new skill, which motivated the Orlando Sentinel to do the same. Thanks to an ever-expanding audience and a United Press International feature story, Twiggy's aquatic exploits led to an Emmy award-winning segment on "Good Morning America." The family has kept the original Twiggy's tradition alive with a long line of gray squirrels bearing the now-famous name. They've since skied around the world and made appearances in movies and music videos to entertain fans and promote water safety. Charlotte Motor Speedway will host Twiggy at the Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts on Friday and Saturday of the four-day automotive extravaganza. Don't miss Twiggy in a splashing spectacle that will make fans of all ages go nuts with shows at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. The Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts features more than 50 car club displays and more than 10,000 vendor spaces offering an array of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the iconic 1.5-mile superspeedway. In addition, kids can enjoy face painting, bounce houses and other games and entertainment in the Play Zone. Hours for the April 6-9 Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Single-day tickets are $11 each day for adults. Admission is FREE for children 13 and under with an adult. A four-day weekend pass is available for just $32. To buy tickets, AutoFair attendees can call the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267), shop online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com, or buy them at the gate. Keep track of Pennzoil AutoFair presented by Advance Auto Parts attractions and events by following on Twitter and Instagram or becoming a Facebook fan. Keep up with all the latest news and information with the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

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In the News Recent News Chesapeake Bay Program releases results of first-ever diversity profile Chesapeake Bay Program releases results of first-ever diversity profile Partnership commits to increasing diversity in its restoration efforts Reggie Parrish speaks during the Chesapeake Bay Program Diversity Workgroup Meeting at Masonville Cove Environmental Education Center in Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 2, 2016. (Photo by Will Parson) by Stephanie Smith The inclusion of all types of voices and communities is critically important to the success of environmental protection and restoration efforts in an increasingly diverse watershed. Now, the Chesapeake Bay Program is taking steps to make sure the partnership and its staff reflect the diversity of that community through the release of its first-ever diversity profile assessment. In 2016, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay Program, distributed a diversity profile to approximately 750 people who work for or with the partnership. The survey revealed that 84 percent of respondents identified as white, while just 13 percent of respondents identified as non-white. Meanwhile, 35 percent of the people in the watershed—which spans parts of six states and the District of Columbia—identify as non-white. In establishing this baseline, the Bay Program is taking an important first step in making its partnership reflect the watershed it represents. “Setting a baseline and being transparent about the state of diversity in our partnership is a critical first step towards increasing the diversity of people who are engaged in the leadership and implementation of restoration efforts throughout the Bay watershed,” said Jim Edward, Chair of the Bay Program’s Diversity Workgroup. Alongside goals like oyster health and water quality, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement includes a goal to increase the number and diversity of people who support and carry out conservation and restoration work. Under this goal, Bay Program partners committed to increasing representation in leadership and are assisted in this effort by the Bay Program’s Diversity Workgroup. A dynamic assembly of diverse voices from around the watershed, the Diversity Workgroup is dedicated to creating meaningful employment opportunities, promoting environmental justice and engaging underrepresented populations in conservation and restoration efforts. “We are delighted that the Chesapeake Bay Program has not only taken stock of its diversity but has truly committed to ensuring that it reflects the racial diversity of the Chesapeake region,” said Whitney Tome, Executive Director of Green 2.0. “We look forward to collaborating with them on this initiative.” When diversity is taken into account in the planning and implementation of conservation and restoration work, this work is likely to benefit underrepresented and underserved communities. Increasing the inclusion of previously underrepresented communities in our work fosters creativity, drives innovation and ensures all people in the watershed can share in the vibrancy of the region. Chesapeake Bay Program Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement environmental justice diversity Six groups working to grow and diversify the green sector Photo of the Week: Using birds of prey to mentor at-risk youth Restoration Spotlight: Living Classrooms Foundation brings Baltimore to life

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