Datasets:

harsharora

/

Rp_CommonC_207

like 0

__label__cc

HCM World 2018 Recap, Part 2: Tools and Strategies for the Future of HR With customers, partners, and HR luminaries coming from all over the globe to congregate and strategize, it's no wonder that last week's HCM World conference... With customers, partners, and HR luminaries coming from all over the globe to congregate and strategize, it's no wonder that last week's HCM World conference was such an enlightening event. The perfect weather in Dallas provided an appropriate backdrop to a series of thought-provoking sessions that spanned new product functionality, emerging trends, and everything in between. New challenges and opportunities HCM World 2018 kicked off in fine fashion with a keynote from... With customers, partners, and HR luminaries coming from all over the globe to congregate and strategize, it's no wonder that last week's HCM World conference was such an enlightening event.... HCM World 2018 Recap, Part 1: What the Press Is Saying Another HCM World is in the books, and surely attendees are pondering how the best strategies from breakout sessions can be applied to their own HR departments.... Another HCM World is in the books, and surely attendees are pondering how the best strategies from breakout sessions can be applied to their own HR departments. This year's conference—held last week in beautiful downtown Dallas—was a particularly exciting one since it coincided with an extensive Spring product update designed to help companies "make work more human." More detailed coverage of HCM World 2018 will be posted throughout the week, but to start, here are thoughts... Another HCM World is in the books, and surely attendees are pondering how the best strategies from breakout sessions can be applied to their own HR departments. This year's conference—held last week... Spring Update of Oracle HCM Cloud Aims to 'Make Work More Human' Amid all the economic banter about taxes, regulations, and national debt levels, the underlying reason for stalled productivity growth worldwide comes down to... Amid all the economic banter about taxes, regulations, and national debt levels, the underlying reason for stalled productivity growth worldwide comes down to one main factor: Companies aren’t getting the most from their people. Why is that? Employees in this day and age often are disconnected from business goals. They must deal with rigid, cumbersome work processes. And they’re forever being asked to shift gears amid the torrent of business changes. Meanwhile, the tech... Amid all the economic banter about taxes, regulations, and national debt levels, the underlying reason for stalled productivity growth worldwide comes down to one main factor: Companies aren’t... Experience the Future of HR at Oracle HCM World Oracle HCM World, March 20–22 in Dallas, is a thought leadership conference featuring inspirational speakers, over 80% customer-driven content, unparalleled... Oracle HCM World, March 20–22 in Dallas, is a thought leadership conference featuring inspirational speakers, over 80% customer-driven content, unparalleled networking opportunities, and 70+ sessions across seven distinct content tracks including Talent, Rewards, and Growth, All in the Numbers, and Core (HR) Strength. Attendees will hear real-world stories from peers who have implemented change, learn about Oracle’s HCM solution roadmap, talk with industry experts, and dive... Oracle HCM World, March 20–22 in Dallas, is a thought leadership conference featuring inspirational speakers, over 80% customer-driven content, unparalleled networking opportunities, and 70+ sessions... What You Need to Know about Workforce Health and Safety Incidents Co-author: Glen Walton, Senior Manager, Product Management at Oracle What comes to mind when you think about safety at your workplace? At Oracle headquarters, I... Co-author: Glen Walton, Senior Manager, Product Management at Oracle What comes to mind when you think about safety at your workplace? At Oracle headquarters, I may not think about it very often and certainly not a daily basis; the environment I work in is far from being inherently hazardous. Even though this might be the case, there are still visible reminders of the care that I need to take and that Oracle has taken on behalf of its employees, contractors, and visitors to... Co-author: Glen Walton, Senior Manager, Product Management at Oracle What comes to mind when you think about safety at your workplace? At Oracle headquarters, I may not think about it very often and... How to unify your workforce and stay on course for growth Oracle’s Oscar Lausegger explains how companies can harness the power of a unified workforce to keep the wind in their sails It’s difficult to recruit the... Oracle’s Oscar Lausegger explains how companies can harness the power of a unified workforce to keep the wind in their sails It’s difficult to recruit the best people, and just as hard to keep them on-board. Any company that believes its work is done once a new joiner has signed their contract is deluding itself. Your people are your business, and you need to invest in them just as you would invest in serving customers. How can companies hold on to their best workers in the... Oracle’s Oscar Lausegger explains how companies can harness the power of a unified workforce to keep the wind in their sails It’s difficult to recruit the best people, and just as hard to keep them... Why it’s time for HR teams to stop focussing on HR Most employees don’t care about HR, at least not until they have an issue they need to resolve. It’s not that people feel strongly against human resources, it’s... Most employees don’t care about HR, at least not until they have an issue they need to resolve. It’s not that people feel strongly against human resources, it’s just that they don’t see how it contributes to their day-to-day job. That doesn’t mean HR is dead. People remain a business’ most valuable asset, and it is when HR spearheads the recruitment, nurturing and teamwork between these people that they perform at a high level and make the company profitable. The reason... Most employees don’t care about HR, at least not until they have an issue they need to resolve. It’s not that people feel strongly against human resources, it’s just that they don’t see how... What HR can learn from DevOps culture Melanie Hache outlines five ways HR can become more lean and agile According to the Gartner glossary, DevOps represents a focus on rapid IT service delivery... Melanie Hache outlines five ways HR can become more lean and agile According to the Gartner glossary, DevOps represents a focus on rapid IT service delivery through the adoption of agile, lean practices as part of a system-oriented approach. Importantly, DevOps puts the emphasis on people and on collaboration between operations and development teams. All of this is underpinned by technology, particularly automation tools. Thanks to the rise of DevOps, IT departments can... Melanie Hache outlines five ways HR can become more lean and agile According to the Gartner glossary, DevOps represents a focus on rapid IT service delivery through the adoption of agile,... Playing the Numbers Game: Metrics That Matter When Sourcing Talent Employees are the lifeblood of every company. Talent acquisition is critical to a business’s success, and much money is spent on finding candidates for open... Employees are the lifeblood of every company. Talent acquisition is critical to a business’s success, and much money is spent on finding candidates for open positions and on identifying the best ways to find those new hires. So it’s not surprising that metrics have become an important way to understand what’s working and what isn't. Here are eight of the most important metrics HR can track. 1. Cost per hire. This statistic is cited by the Society for Human Resources... Employees are the lifeblood of every company. Talent acquisition is critical to a business’s success, and much money is spent on finding candidates for open positions and on identifying the best ways...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line549

__label__wiki

New Year’s Resolution — Update Your Home Theater! By Staff Blogger 12/30/2014 04:46:00 PM No comments We all make New Year’s resolutions but rarely keep them. Why? Because promising to lose some weight or exercise more isn’t fun. How much better to make a resolution that you want to keep — like updating your home theater? That’s a resolution worth keeping and, with the latest technologies now more affordable than ever, there’s no reason not to start the New Year than by having a better television and speaker system than in the old year. Let’s look at exactly what the choices now are. New Year’s Resolution #1 — A Big Screen TV One of the best things about today’s televisions are their size. TVs have gotten bigger in size — 19” was the standard over a dozen years ago, but now 50” and greater — much greater — is commonplace in homes. • A Large TV: Think 55” & greater — the more people can watch without being crowded. In the old days, whoever was seated dead-center to the display (on a couch, etc.) had the best view, while those seated next to him or her didn’t — and those seated farther at the edges suffered. With bigger TVs, so too comes a wider angle of view for those watching. • The Movie Experience: Going to the movies always meant a bigger screen than what you could see at home, but now that’s not true (proportionally speaking). A 65” or even a 70” TV can be had at costs once thought unheard of — not to mention that there’s even 79” and larger TV displays to be had. New Year’s Resolution #2 — A Better Resolution TV Another change to today’s televisions is the “resolution” which affects how much detail is seen when watching a TV show or a movie. The higher the resolution, the greater the amount of detail to be found. But that’s not all there is to it. The increase in resolution over the “old school” TVs also improves the contrast and colors, not to mention the blacks which are so vital to making the picture being displayed look realistic. • Up-Scaling: The television knows what to do with high-definition content when it gets it — be that from a cable box, satellite receiver or a video source player — but it also knows that not all of the content it is getting matches the level of resolution that it can display. So technology inside takes that content and “tweaks” it to be more dynamic and to perform more appropriately when it splashes across the display. Read that as look much better than it would otherwise. • 4K TVs: Televisions employing 4K resolution are able to display content with 4X that of HDTV, with a corresponding increase in those areas of contrast, color and blacks. Nothing special has to be done to take advantage of what a 4K TV can do — it’s treated like any other TV and that includes the lightweight and sleek nature that TVs are now expected to have. Just turn it on, sit back and enjoy the show. • Organic LED (OLED) 4K TVs: These televisions provide a high-resolution view and, due to the display’s construction, have no limitations on the amount of contrast they can display (i.e., infinite). They also possess a high color range (i.e., brilliant color) and the ability to display black areas amazingly. This enhances the image quality overall. Plus Organic LED (OLED) TVs have an exceedingly wide angle of view: those to the side of the TV (i.e., not “dead-center”) don’t lose out on any of the brightness or color — the view is even and the colors distinct. New Year’s Resolution #3 — Better Audio TVs make for a great picture, but sound — no, for that you want a separate component. Speakers by their very nature need to have room to “breathe” and that requires an enclosure with enough space for them to exist inside. Compared to the minimal space that a TV allocates for its speakers, a separate speaker will perform better and provide more dynamic and enjoyable sound. • Sound Bars: A sound bar contains all the speakers needed in a slim package that, while not taking up much room, enhances the decor that the TV has been placed in. They can be sized to be similar to that of the TV, so when placed below they don’t jar the senses, and contain all the electronics needed to do the job. And in a simple but effective manner — in most cases a single cable is all that is needed to connect between it and the TV. Add the inclusion, in many cases, of a wireless subwoofer, and does the sound ever “sound” so much better now. • Audio/Video Receivers: For those who prefer placing speakers around the room (so as to have a dedicated surround sound effect), the power that comes from an A/V receiver can’t be underestimated. Updating to a new receiver doesn’t mean replacing all the audio — just make sure to stay within the power range of the speakers — but it does allow for greater volume and the addition of new technologies, such as Bluetooth. And for those looking to use the receiver as an A/V switcher so as to minimize the number of remotes needed, the addition of 3D and 4K pass-through is now available. New Year’s Resolution #3— Better Content What you watch is up to you — but getting it to your TV will happen either through streaming (requiring a home network and an online connection) or through a video source player. • Network Capability: In order to watch high-definition content through streaming, the home network’s Internet connection must be “fast.” Cost ties in directly to just how “fast”, but there’s also the issue of the area where you are located — not all high-speed connections are available in all areas. Fortunately even slower speeds are able to be taken by today’s televisions and modulated into highly enjoyable pictures. • Cable boxes/Satellite Receivers: Depending on the service provider you choose (or is available for your area), high-definition content can be provided to you through the same service currently offering television shows. This has the advantage of being taken care of for you by the service provider — you sit back and enjoy while they take care of the tech in the background. • Blu-ray Player: A Blu-ray player has the ability of playing local content (i.e., on a disc) and so doesn’t care whether there’s an Internet connection or not. Blu-ray discs are able to provide a consistent HD picture because there’s no external issues that could cause interference. And of course they can play DVDs even better than the DVD players can. • 4K Media Players: Still relatively rare, these players provide 4K high-resolution video on demand; they download the content for you and store it for use before you choose to watch it. For all practical purposes it is no different from using a Blu-ray player, in that the Media Player is connected to the 4K TV and functions in tandem with it as the content is local. Improving your home theater is not only fun to do, but will benefit everyone in your family. When’s the last time a New Year’s resolution promised to do that? Movies for The Holiday Season High Resolution Audio is Yours For the Listening Choosing Your Best Bluetooth Speaker

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line550

__label__wiki

Yamaha Boats boats for sale in United States 83 Boats Available Currency $ - CAD - Canadian Dollar $ - US Dollar $ - Canadian Dollar € - Euro £ - British Pound $ - Australian Dollar Kr - Swedish Krona Kč - Czech Koruna Ft - Hungarian Forint zł - Polish Złoty kr - Norwegian Krone kr - Danish Krone Fr. - Swiss Franc руб. - Russian Ruble $ - New Zealand Dollar Sort Sort Order Relevance Length (longest to shortest) Length (shortest to longest) Price (highest to lowest) Price (lowest to highest) Make (A to Z) Make (Z to A) Year (new to old) Year (old to new) Date Listed (new to old) Date Listed (old to new) Sponsored Boats Yamaha Boats 242 Limited S Jenks, Oklahoma, United States Seller Michael Parker Arlington, Texas, United States Seller POP Yachts Westbrook, Connecticut, United States Seller Atlantic Outboard / Westbrook Marine Center Bradenton, Florida, United States Seller Sea Beyond Marine Group Prescott Valley, Arizona, United States Seller Outdoor Sports Seller Just Add Water Boats, LLC Madera, California, United States Seller Boulder Boats - California Yamaha Boats 242 Limited S E-Series Seller Riva Motorsports of Miami Key Biscayne, Florida, United States Seller Florida Yachts International Salt Lake City, Utah, United States Yamaha Boats 242 Limited S H.O. Santee, California, United States Palmetto, Florida, United States Seller Compass Consignments LLC Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States Seller Team Winnebagoland Hollywood, Florida, United States Brick, New Jersey, United States Seller Global One Yacht Sales Bakersfield, California, United States Roxboro, North Carolina, United States Make: Yamaha Boats Model: Yamaha Boats Filter Boats By All New (31) All In Stock - New and Used (83) Ski and Wakeboard $0 - $10000 $50000 - $100000 4 - 8m / 13 - 26ft Any 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 Any 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 to Day Cruising Overnight Cruising Browse all Classes Length (longest to shortest) Length (shortest to longest) Date Listed (new to old) Date Listed (old to new) Yamaha Boats Bowrider (27) Runabout (10) Ski and Wakeboard (4)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line561

__label__wiki

U California San Diego Boosts Sustainable Energy Research with Private Partner MIT Holds First Clean Earth Hackathon Commuting | News Santa Clara University Takes Ridesharing Social By Leila Meyer Santa Clara University (SCU) has established a private online ridesharing network to help students, faculty, and staff share commutes or one-time road trips. The university's new ridesharing network uses Zimride, an online carpooling tool that helps drivers and riders find each other. It's intended to complement the school's existing registered carpool program, which provides free parking to members. Despite the incentives of the registered carpool program, the majority of the school's faculty and staff have continued to commute alone, as have the the majority of students who drive to school rather than walking, biking, or using public transit. "We hope Zimride will encourage more people to carpool and hopefully get more people signed up for SCU's carpool program," said Millie Kenney, SCU's interim service manager for Campus Safety Services. Zimride currently has more than 350,000 users and 80 private Zimride networks in addition to Santa Clara University. Although Zimride has a public network to help anybody share a ride, it focuses on college, university, and corporate communities to facilitate ridesharing between friends, classmates, and coworkers. Zimride members can sign in to the private ridesharing network for their school using a valid e-mail address associated with the school or using their Facebook account if they are a member of that school's Facebook network. Public users must sign in using a Facebook account. Once they are logged in, members specify whether they are a passenger, driver, or either, and enter the starting and ending points for their trip, as well as the frequency and timing. Zimride provides options for regularly or irregularly scheduled commutes, as well as one-time trips. Zimride users can limit their ride to members of their Zimride network, make the ride public, or share it with other trusted Zimride networks. Users can also create member profiles to indicate their favorite in-car music and radio stations, as well as smoking preferences. Santa Clara University is striving to reduce the number of cars on its campus. The university has already eliminated 107 parking spaces and has converted six parking spaces to charging stations for electric cars. "Zimride's solution is appealing to our students, faculty, and staff, which will enable us to reduce congestion and make campus commuting more efficient for everyone," said Kenney. "This is a win-win situation for everyone, especially for students who live off campus and for faculty and staff whose commute can be terrible in the mornings and evenings," said Courtney-Lauren Seymour, SCU's student body president. "Anyone who regularly drives on Bay Area freeways knows how brutal traffic can be. By carpooling, they'll be able to drive in the carpool lanes, shortening the amount of time they spend on the road." Santa Clara university is a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco. It is California's oldest operating higher-education institution and serves more than 8,800 undergraduate and graduate students at its Silicon Valley campus. Further information about Zimride is available at zimride.com. Leila Meyer is a technology writer based in British Columbia. She can be reached at [email protected]. Laying the Groundwork for AI

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line565

__label__cc

Tag: Republicans Worth reading: Lincoln’s Cooper Union Speech Photo of Abraham Lincoln taken February 27, 1860 in New York City byMathew Brady, the day of his famous Cooper Union speech I watched a couple nights ago the movie Lincoln and also last week I finished reading Ronald C. White‘s biography of Abraham Lincoln. I must accept that before reading the book I had little sympathy for this men, due to many of the violations he committed against the people of the United States of America when he was a President. However, after reading his biography many of my prejudices disappeared. I found that there were many interesting things to learn also from this President. One of them was the text of the Cooper Union Speech. The Cooper Union Speech was delivered by Abraham Lincoln on February 27, 1860, at Cooper Union, in New York City. Lincoln was not yet the Republican nominee for the presidency, as the convention was scheduled for May. It is considered one of his most important speeches. Some have argued it was responsible for making him President.[1] In the speech, Lincoln elaborated his views on slavery, affirming that he did not wish it to be expanded into the western territories and claiming that the Founding Fathers would agree with this position. The journalist Robert J. McNamara wrote, “Lincoln’s Cooper Union speech was one of his longest, at more than 7,000 words. And it is not one of his speeches with passages that are often quoted. Yet, due to the careful research and Lincoln’s forceful argument, it was stunningly effective. I invite you to carefully read this text. It is a great work and the ideas portrayed in this speech are impressive. Cooper Union Address Mr. President and fellow citizens of New York: – The facts with which I shall deal this evening are mainly old and familiar; nor is there anything new in the general use I shall make of them. If there shall be any novelty, it will be in the mode of presenting the facts, and the inferences and observations following that presentation. In his speech last autumn, at Columbus, Ohio, as reported in “The New-York Times,” Senator Douglas said: “Our fathers, when they framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now.” I fully indorse this, and I adopt it as a text for this discourse. I so adopt it because it furnishes a precise and an agreed starting point for a discussion between Republicans and that wing of the Democracy headed by Senator Douglas. It simply leaves the inquiry: “What was the understanding those fathers had of the question mentioned?” What is the frame of government under which we live? The answer must be: “The Constitution of the United States.” That Constitution consists of the original, framed in 1787, (and under which the present government first went into operation,) and twelve subsequently framed amendments, the first ten of which were framed in 1789. Who were our fathers that framed the Constitution? I suppose the “thirty-nine” who signed the original instrument may be fairly called our fathers who framed that part of the present Government. It is almost exactly true to say they framed it, and it is altogether true to say they fairly represented the opinion and sentiment of the whole nation at that time. Their names, being familiar to nearly all, and accessible to quite all, need not now be repeated. I take these “thirty-nine,” for the present, as being “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live.” What is the question which, according to the text, those fathers understood “just as well, and even better than we do now?” It is this: Does the proper division of local from federal authority, or anything in the Constitution, forbid our Federal Government to control as to slavery in our Federal Territories? Upon this, Senator Douglas holds the affirmative, and Republicans the negative. This affirmation and denial form an issue; and this issue – this question – is precisely what the text declares our fathers understood “better than we.” Let us now inquire whether the “thirty-nine,” or any of them, ever acted upon this question; and if they did, how they acted upon it – how they expressed that better understanding? In 1784, three years before the Constitution – the United States then owning the Northwestern Territory, and no other, the Congress of the Confederation had before them the question of prohibiting slavery in that Territory; and four of the “thirty-nine” who afterward framed the Constitution, were in that Congress, and voted on that question. Of these, Roger Sherman, Thomas Mifflin, and Hugh Williamson voted for the prohibition, thus showing that, in their understanding, no line dividing local from federal authority, nor anything else, properly forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in federal territory. The other of the four – James M’Henry – voted against the prohibition, showing that, for some cause, he thought it improper to vote for it. In 1787, still before the Constitution, but while the Convention was in session framing it, and while the Northwestern Territory still was the only territory owned by the United States, the same question of prohibiting slavery in the territory again came before the Congress of the Confederation; and two more of the “thirty-nine” who afterward signed the Constitution, were in that Congress, and voted on the question. They were William Blount and William Few; and they both voted for the prohibition – thus showing that, in their understanding, no line dividing local from federal authority, nor anything else, properly forbids the Federal Government to control as to slavery in Federal territory. This time the prohibition became a law, being part of what is now well known as the Ordinance of ’87. The question of federal control of slavery in the territories, seems not to have been directly before the Convention which framed the original Constitution; and hence it is not recorded that the “thirty-nine,” or any of them, while engaged on that instrument, expressed any opinion on that precise question. In 1789, by the first Congress which sat under the Constitution, an act was passed to enforce the Ordinance of ’87, including the prohibition of slavery in the Northwestern Territory. The bill for this act was reported by one of the “thirty-nine,” Thomas Fitzsimmons, then a member of the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. It went through all its stages without a word of opposition, and finally passed both branches without yeas and nays, which is equivalent to a unanimous passage. In this Congress there were sixteen of the thirty-nine fathers who framed the original Constitution. They were John Langdon, Nicholas Gilman, Wm. S. Johnson, Roger Sherman, Robert Morris, Thos. Fitzsimmons, William Few, Abraham Baldwin, Rufus King, William Paterson, George Clymer, Richard Bassett, George Read, Pierce Butler, Daniel Carroll, James Madison. This shows that, in their understanding, no line dividing local from federal authority, nor anything in the Constitution, properly forbade Congress to prohibit slavery in the federal territory; else both their fidelity to correct principle, and their oath to support the Constitution, would have constrained them to oppose the prohibition. Again, George Washington, another of the “thirty-nine,” was then President of the United States, and, as such approved and signed the bill; thus completing its validity as a law, and thus showing that, in his understanding, no line dividing local from federal authority, nor anything in the Constitution, forbade the Federal Government, to control as to slavery in federal territory. No great while after the adoption of the original Constitution, North Carolina ceded to the Federal Government the country now constituting the State of Tennessee; and a few years later Georgia ceded that which now constitutes the States of Mississippi and Alabama. In both deeds of cession it was made a condition by the ceding States that the Federal Government should not prohibit slavery in the ceded territory. Besides this, slavery was then actually in the ceded country. Under these circumstances, Congress, on taking charge of these countries, did not absolutely prohibit slavery within them. But they did interfere with it – take control of it – even there, to a certain extent. In 1798, Congress organized the Territory of Mississippi. In the act of organization, they prohibited the bringing of slaves into the Territory, from any place without the United States, by fine, and giving freedom to slaves so bought. This act passed both branches of Congress without yeas and nays. In that Congress were three of the “thirty-nine” who framed the original Constitution. They were John Langdon, George Read and Abraham Baldwin. They all, probably, voted for it. Certainly they would have placed their opposition to it upon record, if, in their understanding, any line dividing local from federal authority, or anything in the Constitution, properly forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in federal territory. In 1803, the Federal Government purchased the Louisiana country. Our former territorial acquisitions came from certain of our own States; but this Louisiana country was acquired from a foreign nation. In 1804, Congress gave a territorial organization to that part of it which now constitutes the State of Louisiana. New Orleans, lying within that part, was an old and comparatively large city. There were other considerable towns and settlements, and slavery was extensively and thoroughly intermingled with the people. Congress did not, in the Territorial Act, prohibit slavery; but they did interfere with it – take control of it – in a more marked and extensive way than they did in the case of Mississippi. The substance of the provision therein made, in relation to slaves, was: First. That no slave should be imported into the territory from foreign parts. Second. That no slave should be carried into it who had been imported into the United States since the first day of May, 1798. Third. That no slave should be carried into it, except by the owner, and for his own use as a settler; the penalty in all the cases being a fine upon the violator of the law, and freedom to the slave. This act also was passed without yeas and nays. In the Congress which passed it, there were two of the “thirty-nine.” They were Abraham Baldwin and Jonathan Dayton. As stated in the case of Mississippi, it is probable they both voted for it. They would not have allowed it to pass without recording their opposition to it, if, in their understanding, it violated either the line properly dividing local from federal authority, or any provision of the Constitution. In 1819-20, came and passed the Missouri question. Many votes were taken, by yeas and nays, in both branches of Congress, upon the various phases of the general question. Two of the “thirty-nine” – Rufus King and Charles Pinckney – were members of that Congress. Mr. King steadily voted for slavery prohibition and against all compromises, while Mr. Pinckney as steadily voted against slavery prohibition and against all compromises. By this, Mr. King showed that, in his understanding, no line dividing local from federal authority, nor anything in the Constitution, was violated by Congress prohibiting slavery in federal territory; while Mr. Pinckney, by his votes, showed that, in his understanding, there was some sufficient reason for opposing such prohibition in that case. The cases I have mentioned are the only acts of the “thirty-nine,” or of any of them, upon the direct issue, which I have been able to discover. To enumerate the persons who thus acted, as being four in 1784, two in 1787, seventeen in 1789, three in 1798, two in 1804, and two in 1819-20 – there would be thirty of them. But this would be counting John Langdon, Roger Sherman, William Few, Rufus King, and George Read each twice, and Abraham Baldwin, three times. The true number of those of the “thirty-nine” whom I have shown to have acted upon the question, which, by the text, they understood better than we, is twenty-three, leaving sixteen not shown to have acted upon it in any way. Here, then, we have twenty-three out of our thirty-nine fathers “who framed the government under which we live,” who have, upon their official responsibility and their corporal oaths, acted upon the very question which the text affirms they “understood just as well, and even better than we do now;” and twenty-one of them – a clear majority of the whole “thirty-nine” – so acting upon it as to make them guilty of gross political impropriety and willful perjury, if, in their understanding, any proper division between local and federal authority, or anything in the Constitution they had made themselves, and sworn to support, forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in the federal territories. Thus the twenty-one acted; and, as actions speak louder than words, so actions, under such responsibility, speak still louder. Two of the twenty-three voted against Congressional prohibition of slavery in the federal territories, in the instances in which they acted upon the question. But for what reasons they so voted is not known. They may have done so because they thought a proper division of local from federal authority, or some provision or principle of the Constitution, stood in the way; or they may, without any such question, have voted against the prohibition, on what appeared to them to be sufficient grounds of expediency. No one who has sworn to support the Constitution can conscientiously vote for what he understands to be an unconstitutional measure, however expedient he may think it; but one may and ought to vote against a measure which he deems constitutional, if, at the same time, he deems it inexpedient. It, therefore, would be unsafe to set down even the two who voted against the prohibition, as having done so because, in their understanding, any proper division of local from federal authority, or anything in the Constitution, forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in federal territory. The remaining sixteen of the “thirty-nine,” so far as I have discovered, have left no record of their understanding upon the direct question of federal control of slavery in the federal territories. But there is much reason to believe that their understanding upon that question would not have appeared different from that of their twenty-three compeers, had it been manifested at all. For the purpose of adhering rigidly to the text, I have purposely omitted whatever understanding may have been manifested by any person, however distinguished, other than the thirty-nine fathers who framed the original Constitution; and, for the same reason, I have also omitted whatever understanding may have been manifested by any of the “thirty-nine” even, on any other phase of the general question of slavery. If we should look into their acts and declarations on those other phases, as the foreign slave trade, and the morality and policy of slavery generally, it would appear to us that on the direct question of federal control of slavery in federal territories, the sixteen, if they had acted at all, would probably have acted just as the twenty-three did. Among that sixteen were several of the most noted anti-slavery men of those times – as Dr. Franklin, Alexander Hamilton and Gouverneur Morris – while there was not one now known to have been otherwise, unless it may be John Rutledge, of South Carolina. The sum of the whole is, that of our thirty-nine fathers who framed the original Constitution, twenty-one – a clear majority of the whole – certainly understood that no proper division of local from federal authority, nor any part of the Constitution, forbade the Federal Government to control slavery in the federal territories; while all the rest probably had the same understanding. Such, unquestionably, was the understanding of our fathers who framed the original Constitution; and the text affirms that they understood the question “better than we.” But, so far, I have been considering the understanding of the question manifested by the framers of the original Constitution. In and by the original instrument, a mode was provided for amending it; and, as I have already stated, the present frame of “the Government under which we live” consists of that original, and twelve amendatory articles framed and adopted since. Those who now insist that federal control of slavery in federal territories violates the Constitution, point us to the provisions which they suppose it thus violates; and, as I understand, that all fix upon provisions in these amendatory articles, and not in the original instrument. The Supreme Court, in the Dred Scott case, plant themselves upon the fifth amendment, which provides that no person shall be deprived of “life, liberty or property without due process of law;” while Senator Douglas and his peculiar adherents plant themselves upon the tenth amendment, providing that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution” “are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” Now, it so happens that these amendments were framed by the first Congress which sat under the Constitution – the identical Congress which passed the act already mentioned, enforcing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwestern Territory. Not only was it the same Congress, but they were the identical, same individual men who, at the same session, and at the same time within the session, had under consideration, and in progress toward maturity, these Constitutional amendments, and this act prohibiting slavery in all the territory the nation then owned. The Constitutional amendments were introduced before, and passed after the act enforcing the Ordinance of ’87; so that, during the whole pendency of the act to enforce the Ordinance, the Constitutional amendments were also pending. The seventy-six members of that Congress, including sixteen of the framers of the original Constitution, as before stated, were pre- eminently our fathers who framed that part of “the Government under which we live,” which is now claimed as forbidding the Federal Government to control slavery in the federal territories. Is it not a little presumptuous in any one at this day to affirm that the two things which that Congress deliberately framed, and carried to maturity at the same time, are absolutely inconsistent with each other? And does not such affirmation become impudently absurd when coupled with the other affirmation from the same mouth, that those who did the two things, alleged to be inconsistent, understood whether they really were inconsistent better than we – better than he who affirms that they are inconsistent? It is surely safe to assume that the thirty-nine framers of the original Constitution, and the seventy-six members of the Congress which framed the amendments thereto, taken together, do certainly include those who may be fairly called “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live.” And so assuming, I defy any man to show that any one of them ever, in his whole life, declared that, in his understanding, any proper division of local from federal authority, or any part of the Constitution, forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in the federal territories. I go a step further. I defy any one to show that any living man in the whole world ever did, prior to the beginning of the present century, (and I might almost say prior to the beginning of the last half of the present century,) declare that, in his understanding, any proper division of local from federal authority, or any part of the Constitution, forbade the Federal Government to control as to slavery in the federal territories. To those who now so declare, I give, not only “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live,” but with them all other living men within the century in which it was framed, among whom to search, and they shall not be able to find the evidence of a single man agreeing with them. Now, and here, let me guard a little against being misunderstood. I do not mean to say we are bound to follow implicitly in whatever our fathers did. To do so, would be to discard all the lights of current experience – to reject all progress – all improvement. What I do say is, that if we would supplant the opinions and policy of our fathers in any case, we should do so upon evidence so conclusive, and argument so clear, that even their great authority, fairly considered and weighed, cannot stand; and most surely not in a case whereof we ourselves declare they understood the question better than we. If any man at this day sincerely believes that a proper division of local from federal authority, or any part of the Constitution, forbids the Federal Government to control as to slavery in the federal territories, he is right to say so, and to enforce his position by all truthful evidence and fair argument which he can. But he has no right to mislead others, who have less access to history, and less leisure to study it, into the false belief that “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live” were of the same opinion – thus substituting falsehood and deception for truthful evidence and fair argument. If any man at this day sincerely believes “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live,” used and applied principles, in other cases, which ought to have led them to understand that a proper division of local from federal authority or some part of the Constitution, forbids the Federal Government to control as to slavery in the federal territories, he is right to say so. But he should, at the same time, brave the responsibility of declaring that, in his opinion, he understands their principles better than they did themselves; and especially should he not shirk that responsibility by asserting that they “understood the question just as well, and even better, than we do now.” But enough! Let all who believe that “our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now,” speak as they spoke, and act as they acted upon it. This is all Republicans ask – all Republicans desire – in relation to slavery. As those fathers marked it, so let it be again marked, as an evil not to be extended, but to be tolerated and protected only because of and so far as its actual presence among us makes that toleration and protection a necessity. Let all the guarantees those fathers gave it, be, not grudgingly, but fully and fairly, maintained. For this Republicans contend, and with this, so far as I know or believe, they will be content. And now, if they would listen – as I suppose they will not – I would address a few words to the Southern people. I would say to them: – You consider yourselves a reasonable and a just people; and I consider that in the general qualities of reason and justice you are not inferior to any other people. Still, when you speak of us Republicans, you do so only to denounce us a reptiles, or, at the best, as no better than outlaws. You will grant a hearing to pirates or murderers, but nothing like it to “Black Republicans.” In all your contentions with one another, each of you deems an unconditional condemnation of “Black Republicanism” as the first thing to be attended to. Indeed, such condemnation of us seems to be an indispensable prerequisite – license, so to speak – among you to be admitted or permitted to speak at all. Now, can you, or not, be prevailed upon to pause and to consider whether this is quite just to us, or even to yourselves? Bring forward your charges and specifications, and then be patient long enough to hear us deny or justify. You say we are sectional. We deny it. That makes an issue; and the burden of proof is upon you. You produce your proof; and what is it? Why, that our party has no existence in your section – gets no votes in your section. The fact is substantially true; but does it prove the issue? If it does, then in case we should, without change of principle, begin to get votes in your section, we should thereby cease to be sectional. You cannot escape this conclusion; and yet, are you willing to abide by it? If you are, you will probably soon find that we have ceased to be sectional, for we shall get votes in your section this very year. You will then begin to discover, as the truth plainly is, that your proof does not touch the issue. The fact that we get no votes in your section, is a fact of your making, and not of ours. And if there be fault in that fact, that fault is primarily yours, and remains until you show that we repel you by some wrong principle or practice. If we do repel you by any wrong principle or practice, the fault is ours; but this brings you to where you ought to have started – to a discussion of the right or wrong of our principle. If our principle, put in practice, would wrong your section for the benefit of ours, or for any other object, then our principle, and we with it, are sectional, and are justly opposed and denounced as such. Meet us, then, on the question of whether our principle, put in practice, would wrong your section; and so meet it as if it were possible that something may be said on our side. Do you accept the challenge? No! Then you really believe that the principle which “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live” thought so clearly right as to adopt it, and indorse it again and again, upon their official oaths, is in fact so clearly wrong as to demand your condemnation without a moment’s consideration. Some of you delight to flaunt in our faces the warning against sectional parties given by Washington in his Farewell Address. Less than eight years before Washington gave that warning, he had, as President of the United States, approved and signed an act of Congress, enforcing the prohibition of slavery in the Northwestern Territory, which act embodied the policy of the Government upon that subject up to and at the very moment he penned that warning; and about one year after he penned it, he wrote LaFayette that he considered that prohibition a wise measure, expressing in the same connection his hope that we should at some time have a confederacy of free States. Bearing this in mind, and seeing that sectionalism has since arisen upon this same subject, is that warning a weapon in your hands against us, or in our hands against you? Could Washington himself speak, would he cast the blame of that sectionalism upon us, who sustain his policy, or upon you who repudiate it? We respect that warning of Washington, and we commend it to you, together with his example pointing to the right application of it. But you say you are conservative – eminently conservative – while we are revolutionary, destructive, or something of the sort. What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried, against the new and untried? We stick to, contend for, the identical old policy on the point in controversy which was adopted by “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live;” while you with one accord reject, and scout, and spit upon that old policy, and insist upon substituting something new. True, you disagree among yourselves as to what that substitute shall be. You are divided on new propositions and plans, but you are unanimous in rejecting and denouncing the old policy of the fathers. Some of you are for reviving the foreign slave trade; some for a Congressional Slave-Code for the Territories; some for Congress forbidding the Territories to prohibit Slavery within their limits; some for maintaining Slavery in the Territories through the judiciary; some for the “gur-reat pur-rinciple” that “if one man would enslave another, no third man should object,” fantastically called “Popular Sovereignty;” but never a man among you is in favor of federal prohibition of slavery in federal territories, according to the practice of “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live.” Not one of all your various plans can show a precedent or an advocate in the century within which our Government originated. Consider, then, whether your claim of conservatism for yourselves, and your charge or destructiveness against us, are based on the most clear and stable foundations. Again, you say we have made the slavery question more prominent than it formerly was. We deny it. We admit that it is more prominent, but we deny that we made it so. It was not we, but you, who discarded the old policy of the fathers. We resisted, and still resist, your innovation; and thence comes the greater prominence of the question. Would you have that question reduced to its former proportions? Go back to that old policy. What has been will be again, under the same conditions. If you would have the peace of the old times, readopt the precepts and policy of the old times. You charge that we stir up insurrections among your slaves. We deny it; and what is your proof? Harper’s Ferry! John Brown!! John Brown was no Republican; and you have failed to implicate a single Republican in his Harper’s Ferry enterprise. If any member of our party is guilty in that matter, you know it or you do not know it. If you do know it, you are inexcusable for not designating the man and proving the fact. If you do not know it, you are inexcusable for asserting it, and especially for persisting in the assertion after you have tried and failed to make the proof. You need to be told that persisting in a charge which one does not know to be true, is simply malicious slander. Some of you admit that no Republican designedly aided or encouraged the Harper’s Ferry affair, but still insist that our doctrines and declarations necessarily lead to such results. We do not believe it. We know we hold to no doctrine, and make no declaration, which were not held to and made by “our fathers who framed the Government under which we live.” You never dealt fairly by us in relation to this affair. When it occurred, some important State elections were near at hand, and you were in evident glee with the belief that, by charging the blame upon us, you could get an advantage of us in those elections. The elections came, and your expectations were not quite fulfilled. Every Republican man knew that, as to himself at least, your charge was a slander, and he was not much inclined by it to cast his vote in your favor. Republican doctrines and declarations are accompanied with a continual protest against any interference whatever with your slaves, or with you about your slaves. Surely, this does not encourage them to revolt. True, we do, in common with “our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live,” declare our belief that slavery is wrong; but the slaves do not hear us declare even this. For anything we say or do, the slaves would scarcely know there is a Republican party. I believe they would not, in fact, generally know it but for your misrepresentations of us, in their hearing. In your political contests among yourselves, each faction charges the other with sympathy with Black Republicanism; and then, to give point to the charge, defines Black Republicanism to simply be insurrection, blood and thunder among the slaves. Slave insurrections are no more common now than they were before the Republican party was organized. What induced the Southampton insurrection, twenty-eight years ago, in which, at least three times as many lives were lost as at Harper’s Ferry? You can scarcely stretch your very elastic fancy to the conclusion that Southampton was “got up by Black Republicanism.” In the present state of things in the United States, I do not think a general, or even a very extensive slave insurrection is possible. The indispensable concert of action cannot be attained. The slaves have no means of rapid communication; nor can incendiary freemen, black or white, supply it. The explosive materials are everywhere in parcels; but there neither are, nor can be supplied, the indispensable connecting trains. Much is said by Southern people about the affection of slaves for their masters and mistresses; and a part of it, at least, is true. A plot for an uprising could scarcely be devised and communicated to twenty individuals before some one of them, to save the life of a favorite master or mistress, would divulge it. This is the rule; and the slave revolution in Hayti was not an exception to it, but a case occurring under peculiar circumstances. The gunpowder plot of British history, though not connected with slaves, was more in point. In that case, only about twenty were admitted to the secret; and yet one of them, in his anxiety to save a friend, betrayed the plot to that friend, and, by consequence, averted the calamity. Occasional poisonings from the kitchen, and open or stealthy assassinations in the field, and local revolts extending to a score or so, will continue to occur as the natural results of slavery; but no general insurrection of slaves, as I think, can happen in this country for a long time. Whoever much fears, or much hopes for such an event, will be alike disappointed. In the language of Mr. Jefferson, uttered many years ago, “It is still in our power to direct the process of emancipation, and deportation, peaceably, and in such slow degrees, as that the evil will wear off insensibly; and their places be, pari passu, filled up by free white laborers. If, on the contrary, it is left to force itself on, human nature must shudder at the prospect held up.” Mr. Jefferson did not mean to say, nor do I, that the power of emancipation is in the Federal Government. He spoke of Virginia; and, as to the power of emancipation, I speak of the slaveholding States only. The Federal Government, however, as we insist, has the power of restraining the extension of the institution – the power to insure that a slave insurrection shall never occur on any American soil which is now free from slavery. John Brown’s effort was peculiar. It was not a slave insurrection. It was an attempt by white men to get up a revolt among slaves, in which the slaves refused to participate. In fact, it was so absurd that the slaves, with all their ignorance, saw plainly enough it could not succeed. That affair, in its philosophy, corresponds with the many attempts, related in history, at the assassination of kings and emperors. An enthusiast broods over the oppression of a people till he fancies himself commissioned by Heaven to liberate them. He ventures the attempt, which ends in little else than his own execution. Orsini’s attempt on Louis Napoleon, and John Brown’s attempt at Harper’s Ferry were, in their philosophy, precisely the same. The eagerness to cast blame on old England in the one case, and on New England in the other, does not disprove the sameness of the two things. And how much would it avail you, if you could, by the use of John Brown, Helper’s Book, and the like, break up the Republican organization? Human action can be modified to some extent, but human nature cannot be changed. There is a judgment and a feeling against slavery in this nation, which cast at least a million and a half of votes. You cannot destroy that judgment and feeling – that sentiment – by breaking up the political organization which rallies around it. You can scarcely scatter and disperse an army which has been formed into order in the face of your heaviest fire; but if you could, how much would you gain by forcing the sentiment which created it out of the peaceful channel of the ballot-box, into some other channel? What would that other channel probably be? Would the number of John Browns be lessened or enlarged by the operation? But you will break up the Union rather than submit to a denial of your Constitutional rights. That has a somewhat reckless sound; but it would be palliated, if not fully justified, were we proposing, by the mere force of numbers, to deprive you of some right, plainly written down in the Constitution. But we are proposing no such thing. When you make these declarations, you have a specific and well-understood allusion to an assumed Constitutional right of yours, to take slaves into the federal territories, and to hold them there as property. But no such right is specifically written in the Constitution. That instrument is literally silent about any such right. We, on the contrary, deny that such a right has any existence in the Constitution, even by implication. Your purpose, then, plainly stated, is that you will destroy the Government, unless you be allowed to construe and enforce the Constitution as you please, on all points in dispute between you and us. You will rule or ruin in all events. This, plainly stated, is your language. Perhaps you will say the Supreme Court has decided the disputed Constitutional question in your favor. Not quite so. But waiving the lawyer’s distinction between dictum and decision, the Court have decided the question for you in a sort of way. The Court have substantially said, it is your Constitutional right to take slaves into the federal territories, and to hold them there as property. When I say the decision was made in a sort of way, I mean it was made in a divided Court, by a bare majority of the Judges, and they not quite agreeing with one another in the reasons for making it; that it is so made as that its avowed supporters disagree with one another about its meaning, and that it was mainly based upon a mistaken statement of fact – the statement in the opinion that “the right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution.” An inspection of the Constitution will show that the right of property in a slave is not “distinctly and expressly affirmed” in it. Bear in mind, the Judges do not pledge their judicial opinion that such right is impliedly affirmed in the Constitution; but they pledge their veracity that it is “distinctly and expressly” affirmed there – “distinctly,” that is, not mingled with anything else – “expressly,” that is, in words meaning just that, without the aid of any inference, and susceptible of no other meaning. If they had only pledged their judicial opinion that such right is affirmed in the instrument by implication, it would be open to others to show that neither the word “slave” nor “slavery” is to be found in the Constitution, nor the word “property” even, in any connection with language alluding to the things slave, or slavery; and that wherever in that instrument the slave is alluded to, he is called a “person;” – and wherever his master’s legal right in relation to him is alluded to, it is spoken of as “service or labor which may be due,” – as a debt payable in service or labor. Also, it would be open to show, by contemporaneous history, that this mode of alluding to slaves and slavery, instead of speaking of them, was employed on purpose to exclude from the Constitution the idea that there could be property in man. To show all this, is easy and certain. When this obvious mistake of the Judges shall be brought to their notice, is it not reasonable to expect that they will withdraw the mistaken statement, and reconsider the conclusion based upon it? And then it is to be remembered that “our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live” – the men who made the Constitution – decided this same Constitutional question in our favor, long ago – decided it without division among themselves, when making the decision; without division among themselves about the meaning of it after it was made, and, so far as any evidence is left, without basing it upon any mistaken statement of facts. Under all these circumstances, do you really feel yourselves justified to break up this Government unless such a court decision as yours is, shall be at once submitted to as a conclusive and final rule of political action? But you will not abide the election of a Republican president! In that supposed event, you say, you will destroy the Union; and then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! That is cool. A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, “Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer!” To be sure, what the robber demanded of me – my money – was my own; and I had a clear right to keep it; but it was no more my own than my vote is my own; and the threat of death to me, to extort my money, and the threat of destruction to the Union, to extort my vote, can scarcely be distinguished in principle. A few words now to Republicans. It is exceedingly desirable that all parts of this great Confederacy shall be at peace, and in harmony, one with another. Let us Republicans do our part to have it so. Even though much provoked, let us do nothing through passion and ill temper. Even though the southern people will not so much as listen to us, let us calmly consider their demands, and yield to them if, in our deliberate view of our duty, we possibly can. Judging by all they say and do, and by the subject and nature of their controversy with us, let us determine, if we can, what will satisfy them. Will they be satisfied if the Territories be unconditionally surrendered to them? We know they will not. In all their present complaints against us, the Territories are scarcely mentioned. Invasions and insurrections are the rage now. Will it satisfy them, if, in the future, we have nothing to do with invasions and insurrections? We know it will not. We so know, because we know we never had anything to do with invasions and insurrections; and yet this total abstaining does not exempt us from the charge and the denunciation. The question recurs, what will satisfy them? Simply this: We must not only let them alone, but we must somehow, convince them that we do let them alone. This, we know by experience, is no easy task. We have been so trying to convince them from the very beginning of our organization, but with no success. In all our platforms and speeches we have constantly protested our purpose to let them alone; but this has had no tendency to convince them. Alike unavailing to convince them, is the fact that they have never detected a man of us in any attempt to disturb them. These natural, and apparently adequate means all failing, what will convince them? This, and this only: cease to call slavery wrong, and join them in calling it right. And this must be done thoroughly – done in acts as well as in words. Silence will not be tolerated – we must place ourselves avowedly with them. Senator Douglas’ new sedition law must be enacted and enforced, suppressing all declarations that slavery is wrong, whether made in politics, in presses, in pulpits, or in private. We must arrest and return their fugitive slaves with greedy pleasure. We must pull down our Free State constitutions. The whole atmosphere must be disinfected from all taint of opposition to slavery, before they will cease to believe that all their troubles proceed from us. I am quite aware they do not state their case precisely in this way. Most of them would probably say to us, “Let us alone, do nothing to us, and say what you please about slavery.” But we do let them alone – have never disturbed them – so that, after all, it is what we say, which dissatisfies them. They will continue to accuse us of doing, until we cease saying. I am also aware they have not, as yet, in terms, demanded the overthrow of our Free-State Constitutions. Yet those Constitutions declare the wrong of slavery, with more solemn emphasis, than do all other sayings against it; and when all these other sayings shall have been silenced, the overthrow of these Constitutions will be demanded, and nothing be left to resist the demand. It is nothing to the contrary, that they do not demand the whole of this just now. Demanding what they do, and for the reason they do, they can voluntarily stop nowhere short of this consummation. Holding, as they do, that slavery is morally right, and socially elevating, they cannot cease to demand a full national recognition of it, as a legal right, and a social blessing. Nor can we justifiably withhold this, on any ground save our conviction that slavery is wrong. If slavery is right, all words, acts, laws, and constitutions against it, are themselves wrong, and should be silenced, and swept away. If it is right, we cannot justly object to its nationality – its universality; if it is wrong, they cannot justly insist upon its extension – its enlargement. All they ask, we could readily grant, if we thought slavery right; all we ask, they could as readily grant, if they thought it wrong. Their thinking it right, and our thinking it wrong, is the precise fact upon which depends the whole controversy. Thinking it right, as they do, they are not to blame for desiring its full recognition, as being right; but, thinking it wrong, as we do, can we yield to them? Can we cast our votes with their view, and against our own? In view of our moral, social, and political responsibilities, can we do this? Wrong as we think slavery is, we can yet afford to let it alone where it is, because that much is due to the necessity arising from its actual presence in the nation; but can we, while our votes will prevent it, allow it to spread into the National Territories, and to overrun us here in these Free States? If our sense of duty forbids this, then let us stand by our duty, fearlessly and effectively. Let us be diverted by none of those sophistical contrivances wherewith we are so industriously plied and belabored – contrivances such as groping for some middle ground between the right and the wrong, vain as the search for a man who should be neither a living man nor a dead man – such as a policy of “don’t care” on a question about which all true men do care – such as Union appeals beseeching true Union men to yield to Disunionists, reversing the divine rule, and calling, not the sinners, but the righteous to repentance – such as invocations to Washington, imploring men to unsay what Washington said, and undo what Washington did. Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. LET US HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT, AND IN THAT FAITH, LET US, TO THE END, DARE TO DO OUR DUTY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT. Source: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by Roy P. Basler. February 27th In NYC History (manhattan.ny1.com) And that’s the way it was: February 27, 1860 (cjr.org) Guillermo Pineda America, Ethics and Morality, Government, History Leave a comment 27 February, 2013 27 February, 2013 32 Minutes Milton Friedman and Social Security Taxes Agreeing with the economist Milton Friedman, “one of the things that have always shocked me is how people, whom I would have trust with my pocket book in their private capacity and of whom I would never question their integrity, will in their public capacity -because they believe it is in the best interest of other people- lie to the American People.” And this is exactly what happens with Social Security in the U.S. and with the immense Nanny State in Europe and with the corrupt welfare systems of Latin America; all of which I have been able of knowing. I invite you to take a look to this short video of Milton Friedman (1975) explaining how the Social Security taxes are fundamentally a lose-lose option for employees, employers and society. Guillermo Pineda America, Capitalism, Economic History, Economics, Government, Institutions, Property Rights 4 Comments 10 February, 2012 10 February, 2012 1 Minute From Obama’s “The More Americans Succeed, The More America Succeeds” to the Truth Today I was impressed to watch Obama’s Weekly Address of December 03, 2011 in which he literally called for Americans to unite against the Republicans. He said that Republicans were not only opposing the American Jobs Act but that they were actually opposing to the reduction of taxes for middle class families by about $1,000.00. He was giving the speech of “we’ve got to cut taxes” and more so, that he had established a supposed computerized calculator to tell Americans how much money they were going to lose from their pockets if they don’t Stop Republicans. Here is the video, Now, President Obama was lying once again and the reason lies behind the fact that he is calling for $1.5 trillion in new tax revenue. As professor Lew Rockwell from the Ludwig von Mises Institute noted, the proposed cuts are not real cuts, but cuts in the rate of increase, says Rockwell. He pointed out that the tax hikes are aimed at young entrepreneurs and business people starting out, as the oligarchs don’t like new people moving up in society. “Taxes are wealth destruction. So anybody that proposes more taxes seeks to make us poorer as a group. However, the elites will make a lot more money out of this.” More so, Rockwell believes that Obama, funded by the biggest banks, wants to help the ruling class and stick it to the productive class. He argues that the elite bankers, military industrial complex, and big pharma are getting far too rich and must be cut back. Rockwell predicts global inflation will result from the current depression. Watch Rockwell’s complete explanation in this video, Guillermo Pineda America, Capitalism, Economic History, Wealth Leave a comment 4 December, 2011 4 December, 2011 1 Minute Republican Debate Highlights on Foreign Policy and National Security Its been long since the last time I heard a candidate from the GOP really defending the values of fiscal conservatism, respect for individual freedom and a non-interventionist foreign policy for the US in a debate. I have heard it in some Democrat candidates from past debates but never in a Republican debate. Luckily, I was happy to hear Ron Paul doing so and getting my support and applauses. Last night, November 23th 2011, CNN, the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation sponsored a debate on foreign policy. I leave you now with an interesting summary and some notes done by CBS of the most relevant candidates: This was the Texas lawmaker’s strongest debate, getting lots of airtime and challenging many of his rivals about U.S. foreign policy. His views are not in the mainstream of Republican orthodoxy, but he is consistent in his beliefs and not afraid to tell voters what he really thinks. His fundraising numbers could go up in the short-term, based on his debate performance Tuesday night, even if long-term it may be hard for him to broaden his support. Success begets success. Newt has done well in past debates and it has helped him in the polls. With his polling success, moderators gave him more airtime, which allowed the one-time afterthought and current front-runner to show off his debating skills. He took a risk by going against conservative Republican orthodoxy on immigration, and that could backfire, but overall Gingrich showed that he has been thinking about these issues for decades. And since it was a debate focused on foreign policy, no one asked him about his relationship with mortgage giant Freddie Mac and the $1.6 million he earned, which also helped the former House speaker. Jon Huntsman As the former ambassador to both China and Singapore, Tuesday’s national security debate was Jon Huntsman’s moment to shine. And for the most part, he succeeded: Huntsman, who touted throughout the debate his experience living abroad, presented clear policy positions on Pakistan and Afghanistan – at one point getting into a heated debate with Mitt Romney over the Afghan troop drawdown ¬- and even managed to bring the conversation back around to the American economy. Perhaps for the first time in the campaign, the former Utah governor was able to set himself apart from the rest of the GOP crowd. Despite having largely been written off as a major player in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, Rep. Michele Bachmann delivered a strong performance in Tuesday’s debate, demonstrating her confidence discussing policy issues, and taking her competitors to task when they faltered. In a heated exchange with Rick Perry over providing aid to Pakistan, the Minnesota lawmaker blasted the Texas governor for what she described as his “highly naïve” take on the issue; later, she sparred with Newt Gingrich for his stance on immigration. Whether or not Bachmann’s performance was strong enough to get her back in the game remains to be seen – but she certainly earned more screen time than in recent debates. Romney had one of his worst performances of the 11 debates so far, but he still managed to do fairly well. Romney is a front-runner for a reason: he has been running for president for five years and that practice has paid off for the former Massachusetts governor. Romney skillfully turned questions about foreign policy into answers about domestic issues where he was able to contrast his own positions with those of President Obama, cementing the idea that this race is going to come down to Romney and one other candidate. Rick Santorum is still widely considered a long-shot candidate, but he earned his fair share of airtime in Tuesday’s debate. And while the former Pennsylvania senator may not have said much to change how America feels about him – he endorsed racial profiling Muslims and mistakenly referred to Africa as a country – he made his best effort to make his way back onto the public’s radar. Herman Cain did not have the standout moment he needed to prove to voters he has a command of foreign policy. After surging in the polls, Cain’s campaign has lost momentum in recent days, most notably after stumbling over a question regarding Libya. The only memorable moment from Cain in this debate came when he flubbed debate moderator Wolf Blitzer’s name, calling the CNN anchor “Blitz.” The Texas governor took some bold positions during this debate, but his policy stances were vigorously challenged by his colleagues. Perry almost seemed to immediately backtrack on the tough stance he took against foreign aid to Pakistan after Michele Bachmann called his position “naive.” Perry was also on the defense when other candidates — Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Ron Paul — said they disagreed with Perry’s assertion that the U.S. should consider a no-fly zone over Syria. Republican Foreign Policy Debate Post-Mortem (outsidethebeltway.com) GOP presidential debate: National security discussed as Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney fend off challenges (nj.com) Republican debate: Winners and Losers (cbsnews.com) Foreign-policy debate gives GOP voters a tough choice (hotair.com) Wrap-up of 11/22 CNN GOP Presidential debate on Foreign Policy (diglotting.com) Guillermo Pineda America, Capitalism, Central America, Europe, Global Studies, Globalization, Middle East, Migration 1 Comment 24 November, 2011 24 November, 2011 4 Minutes Jefferson: The Civil must always be in complete control of The Military Image by djking via Flickr The ideas of the Founding Father‘s were an inspiration across the breath of Europe and Latin America. Even now, more than 200 years later, the words of the great Thomas Jefferson should and must be remembered now that the new governments we elected continuously impulse the centralization of agricultural, commercial and industrial production. “But the true barriers [bulwarks] of our liberty in this country are our State governments . . . Agriculture, manufactures, commerce, and navigation, the four pillars of our prosperity, are the most thriving when left most free to individual enterprise . . . standing armies in time of peace should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and that in all cases the military should be under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power.” Jefferson, Thomas. Annual Message to Congress (1801) As important, Thomas Jefferson’s message to the new Citizens of the United States was that it was fundamental to the survival of a Republican country that The Civil must always be in complete control of The Military. Jefferson had made this warning as an answer to the Constitution that Virginians had written. Nowadays, however, the message goes to the citizenry that fails to recognize that the role of an army in time of peace should be avoided and kept under strict subordination to, and governed by, the civil power. These are some of Jefferson’s messages that helped the United States build a stable government based on Republicanism. In the cases in which The Military and their allies may sometimes control the executive power they must constantly be remembered that it is the strict following of The Constitution their most important obligation. This is the only tool in which The Civil will complete The Military; failing to do so will only secure autocratic governments in which The Civil loses their rights just as history has shown. Guillermo Pineda America, Capitalism, Central America, Government, History, Institutions, Latin America Leave a comment 7 November, 2011 17 November, 2011 1 Minute

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line567

__label__cc

Home Paper Money Paper Money Auctions Extremely Special CH#55-20-02 1884 5 Dollar Banknote at Stack’s Bowers NYINC Auction Dealers and Companies Shows & Conventions New York International Paper Money Auctions Paper Money World Stacks Bowers Extremely Special CH#55-20-02 1884 5 Dollar Banknote at Stack’s Bowers NYINC Auction Stack's Bowers In the Stack’s Bowers Galleries Official Auction at the January 2020 New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC), we will be offering a very special 1884 Bank of British North America 5 Dollar note certified by PCGS Currency. This extremely rare example is one of only seven pieces known. Two are housed in an institutional collection and another is stamped canceled. This leaves only four redeemable notes in private hands. The last example sold was in the January 2012 Heritage Signature FUN Auction where it realized $34,500 USD. It was PCGS-certified VF-20. Our January offering is an opportunity that many collectors will wait a lifetime for – the chance to purchase such a highly revered and respected piece of Canadian Banknote history. The Bank of British North America was founded in England in 1836 as a private institution meant to conduct commerce through certain North American provinces. For 82 years the British Bank of North America succeeded in banking, with over 92 branches. However, World War I imposed restrictions on communication and travel, making it difficult for the bank directors in England to continue operating in the same manner. In 1918, the Bank of British North America was absorbed by the Bank of Montreal. At the time of the merger, the bank had total assets of $78 million. All issued banknotes are redeemable today. This treasure is certified by PCGS Currency as Fine 15 with comments of “Small Edge Splits”, which are negligible for key notes like this. About Stack’s Bowers Galleries Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, Internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s 80-year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few. World coin and currency collections include The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, The Guia Collection, The Thos. H. Law Collection, and The Robert O. Ebert Collection. Topping off this amazing numismatic history is the inclusion of the world record for the highest price ever realized at auction for a rare coin, the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar graded Specimen-66 (PCGS) that realized over $10 million, part of their sale of the famed Cardinal Collection. The company is headquartered in Santa Ana, California, with offices in New York, Wolfeboro, Hong Kong, and Paris. Stack’s Bowers Galleries is an Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic conventions, including American Numismatic Association (ANA) events, the New York International Numismatic Convention (NYINC), the Whitman Coin & Collectibles Spring, Summer, and Winter Expos, and its April and August Hong Kong Auctions. Previous articleSwiss Mint Honors Tennis Star Roger Federer with Presale of New Silver Coin Next articleThe Tumultuous Times of the 1861 Indian Princess Gold Coin

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line573

__label__wiki

Review: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 by Jamie Filed under: Review | Tags: 2010, Alan Rickman, Alexandre Desplat, Bill Nighy, Brendon Gleeson, Conrad Pope, Daniel Radcliffe, David Barron, David Heyman, David Thewlis, David Yates, Death Eater, Eduardo Serra, Emma Watson, england, Fiona Shaw, Harry, Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Helena Bonham Carter, Hermione, Heyday Films, Hogwarts, Imelda Staunton, J. K. Rowling, John Hurt, John Williams, london, Lucius Malfoy, Magic, Mark Day, Michael Gambon, Mudblood, Muggle, Ralph Fiennes, Rhys Ifans, Richard Griffiths, Robbie Coltrane, ron, Rupert Grint, Steve Kloves, Timothy Spall, united kingdom, Warner Bros. Pictures, witch, wizard Well the end is nigh for the Harry Potter series and it begins with this film, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1’ or Harry Potter 7 for brevity’s sake. Yes it’s been a long, strange trip with it’s ups and its down but how does this film fare as the opening of the close? Let’s find out. So the basic story is that of Harry, Hermione and Ron roaming Britain trying to find and destroy the horcruxes that contain Voldermort’s soul and the effects that the Dark Lord’s return are having on the wizarding world in general. That’s pretty much it. It’s a pretty simple story and yet it manages to be complex in it’s simplicity. Wow, that might be the wankiest thing I’ve ever written. Wanky or not, it’s true. The film manages to be both incredibly simple yet deep and complex at the same time. The biggest change from earlier films is that all of the action takes place outside of Hogwarts. Gone are the little whimsical touches that were littered throughout that school in general. Instead what you get is a far more realistically grounded film. Yes, you still have people using magic and that but there’s no keys with insect wings or talking portraits. It’s much more serious fare. And with good reason. This is a very, very dark film compared to others in the series. For one thing, there’s a very fascistic overtone to Voldermort’s overtaking of the Ministry of Magic. The parallels are obvious with Nazi Germany. There’s a scene where they are actually creating propaganda entitled ‘Mudbloods And The Danger They Pose To A Perfect Pure Blood Society.’ So yeah, you don’t really need to scratch the surface too much to find the analogy. What I am surprised by is just how far they’re willing to take everything for what is still technically a kids film. There are scenes of Hermione screaming as she’s tortured by having the word ‘mudblood’ scrawled into her skin, an opening scene where someone is killed because they promote the ideas of muggles and wizards ‘mating’ (as Voldermort puts it) and a beautifully animated sequence about three wizards and their encounters with Death himself. Beautiful but dark. There’s been much talk about the number of scenes where the trio are just camping with some saying that the film is basically just that but I honestly didn’t feel as if that was dragged out at all. In fact the film seemed to be paced relatively well, perhaps a little slow here and there but not egregiously so. Still, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t some problems with the film. For example, one of the horcruxes they find is a locket which, when worn, turns the person wearing it into a bit of a douche bag so my question is why wear it? Hermione had a magical Mary Poppins-esque bag so why not just keep it in there? Importantly, this is also the first film where the story of the kids was the most interesting part of the film. In earlier instalments I found myself not really caring what the youngest generation of wizards and witches got up to, caring far more about the story of the adults. In fact I really wouldn’t mind a prequel that told the story of Voldermort’s rise to power the first time around and the death of Harry’s parents/ This time round, however, it was all about kids without much input from the adults at all and I went into the film thinking I might have some problems but the story was engaging enough that I didn’t really mind at all. Still over all, it is a highly, highly enjoyable film. Just don’t see it if you haven’t seen the films that came before it because you really do need to know the story up to this point in order to follow it. I also have to say I wouldn’t recommend it for younger children, no matter how much they beg. Seriously, that scene with Hermione screaming continuously for what seemed like forever was almost too much for me and I like dark shit. Oh and thank fuck there’s no fucking Quidditch. That’s gotta make it one of the best in the series so far. Anyway, overall 4 pints out of five. Laterz. Last Year In Film: In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale by Jamie Filed under: Last Year In Film | Tags: a, awards, boll, boring, burt, cinema, dull, dungeon, film, Films, in, jason, john, king, liotta, lord, movie, movies, name, nominated, nominee, of, off, perlman, raspberry, ray, razzie, reynolds, rhys-davies, rings, rip, ron, siege, statham, tale, tedious, the, uwe, worst There are tales as old as time. Tales of bravery, of good versus evil, of kings and wizards. Then there are tales of people with plastic personalities, wearing plastic armour and fighting with plastic weapons against men in rubber suits who move as if there balls are always uncomfortably caught in their underwear. Uwe Boll’s In The Name Of The King: A Dungeon Siege Tale is the latter. I suppose I should begin by saying I’ve never played Dungeon Siege so I have no idea how faithful this film is to the game so there’s that. What I can say, however, is that I have seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy and my guess is that Uwe Boll has certainly seen them as well. There are shots, costumes and even an actor directly lifted from the fantasy epic and as you watch it, there’s something you simply have to admit. Uwe has some massive balls. For it does indeed take massive balls to so relentlessly rip off a series of films that everyone has seen, received almost universal acclaim and then stand back and still consider yourself a director of any worth. Yet Uwe does and he’ll fight you if you say otherwise. Anyway, the films about Farmer, a man so called because that’s what he is, who must rescue his wife and avenge his son after an attack on his village by the murderous Orc hordes… Sorry, I mean Krug hordes. The Krug army is controlled by evil wizard Ray Liotta who is playing Saruman wanna-be Gallian. He has a base in a volcano, like Mordor and beneath it is a big lava filled foundry, like Isengard. This is where Farmer and his companions, Norrick played by Ron Pearlman and Bastian played by someone else, must travel to if he ever hopes to see his wife again. Meanwhile King Burt Reynolds decides to fight this new menace by sending out his armies and stuff. He’s betrayed by his nephew Duke Fallows, played by Matthew Lillard. Oh God, I’m getting bored just writing this synopsis. Anyway, Farmer finds out he is Burt Reynolds’ son and true heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Ehb or something. Then Fallow kills the King and the armies of man join up with the tarzan-esque Elves who go on to assault the land that would be Mordor. Farmer kills Ray Liotta and all is right with Middle-Earth… I mean Ehb. Oh, John Rhys-Davies plays Merick, the kings Magus. Yep, somehow he got roped into this shit. Maybe he just really like getting payed to LARP or something. Oh one more thing. There are ninjas in it too. Make of that what you will. This film wouldn’t even be in the so bad it’s good if not for two people, Ron Perlman and Matthew Lillard. Ron Perlman always brings a smile to my face, no matter what piece of shit he’s in. Hell, he was the best thing about Alien Ressurection. As for Matthew Lillard, well, what can I say about Matthew Lillard. His over the top portrayal of Duke Fallow is so fantastically awful that you can’t help but enjoy it on some level, though I guarantee not the level intended. Everything he does is terrible. He minces through scene after scene overacting to a ridiculous degree, his accent not helping at all. In fact it’s the accent he puts on which reminded me of another performance that made another bad film so bad that it was good, the heroically stupid role of John Travolta in Battlefield Earth, my own personal yardstick by which all other terribly hilarious performances are measured. Unfortunately, Lillard isn’t in the film nearly enough during it’s two hour running time to make this really worth watching but I will say this for Uwe Boll. Terrible as this film is, he did actually manage to make a film. It has a plot, actors and direction. All of them terribly, terribly poor but it’s still more than you can say for Meet The Spartans and Disaster Movie. Well done Uwe, you get a whole pint out of a possible five. Last Year In Film: Frost/Nixon by Jamie Filed under: Last Year In Film | Tags: 2008, academy, actor, adapted, award, awards, bacon, best, cinema, david, director, editing, film, Films, frank, frost, howard, interviews, kevin, langella, michael, movie, movies, nixon, nominated, oscars, picture, richard, Rockwell, ron, sam, screenplay, sheen, watergate I am an all round geek. A jack of all geek trades and a master of none and one of the facets that makes up that geek whole is political geekery. I first started to become interested in politics around the time that George W. Bush came to power as the president of the United States and so my interest has always been with American politics, which is far, far more interesting than our rather underwhelming British system, and in particular the dark, shadier side of the political scene. It should be no surprise then that Richard M. Nixon is a particularly fascinating figure to me. His name has become synonymous with political corruption, scandal and abuse of power. There are many who blame him for thousands, even millions, losing faith in the democratic establishment and the political process. The Watergate scandal shook the American system to it’s very core and even today it’s ramifications are felt, so much so that the suffix -gate is attached to almost every political scandal. Three years after Nixon resigned from the presidency, Nixon agreed to be interviewed by British talk show host David Frost, for the sum of $60,000 and 20% of the profit. The film Frost/Nixon, directed by Ron Howard and starring Frank Langella and Michael Sheen, tells the story of those interviews. Now, I’ll admit it doesn’t sound like the most exciting subject matter for a film but bear with me. This film is fucking awesome. I cannot impress upon you just how good it is. I remember seeing the trailer at the cinema, possibly before Oliver Stone’s W and I was instantly interested but the trailer did give me the impression that it was heavily, heavily overly dramatised and I’ll admit that having seen the film it most certainly is but to be fair what do you want? It’s a movie, it has to have heightened drama. The performances are incredible. Michael Sheen is perfect as portraying the young David Frost, a cocky playboy type filled with confidence who you should probably find annoying but he remains insanely likeable. Sheen also has Frost’s voice down perfectly and, if it weren’t for the fact that I’ve grown up knowing Frost as the older gentleman he is today, I’d probably forget I was watching someone else portray him. Frank Langella delivers a powerhouse performance as Richard Nixon. Ugh, I feel disgusted with myself having read that sentence. Let me try again. Frank Langella fucking rules as Richard Nixon. There much better. He manages to convey a strange mixture of devious intelligence, ignorance and genuine sadness to create a Nixon who is so more compelling than the one-dimensional prick who people are generally thinking of when they talk about the former president. Rounding out the cast are Matthew Macfadyen as Frost’s producer John Brit, Oliver Platt as journalist Bob Zelnick, Sam Rockwell as journalist James Reston Jr, Rebecca Hall as Frost’s love interest Caroline Cushing and Kevin Bacon as Nixon’s Chief of Staff Jack Brennan. The cast is all pretty good but Rockwell and Bacon really stand out. Rockwell plays Reston as a man who clearly feels as though Nixon has twisted the very concept of Democracy and must be made to confess and Bacon is great playing a man who’s dedicated to Nixon until the end and seems to genuinely believe that the former president is a great, great man that the American people never appreciated as he deserved. The film runs to about two hours but it never loses it’s pace, even during some of the long pauses during the interviews themselves. In fact these pauses are integral to the interviews, particularly during the last one and manage to rack up the tension as if you were watching a kind of Mexican stand-off and in a way you are. Several times throughout the characters refer to the interviews as battles and that’s the way they seem especially, once more, that final interview about the Watergate scandal. The only difference is that instead of guns they are using words. Now, if there’s one complaint I have about the film it’s the occasional intrusion of the main storyline by short little, pseudo-documentary interviews. It features the actors portraying the characters discussing the events that have just happened in the film and at times it can really take you out of the film. It’s certainly an interesting idea and at times, it can work by giving a sense of the story going on around the main storyline without intruding on it with unnecessary sub-plots but at times it can come off as superfluous and some of these scenes feel almost like they were just used as padding to build up the running time. Ooh, now I think of it, there is one complaint I’ve heard and that’s the historical accuracy of the film, in particular the Watergate interview. I can’t really speak to that, I’m afraid as although I have the interviews on DVD I haven’t watched them in a good few months and I have the recall of a goldfish who has repressed most of it’s memories. Probably should have watched them again before I watched this. Nevermind. I’ll probably watch them again later and if it turns out that the Watergate interview is radically different from the way it’s portrayed in the film then those intrusive interviews will probably take me out of the film even more than they did before. All that having been said though, I really do recommend this film particularly if you have even a passing interest in politics. It really does manage to give you a sense of how people felt about Nixon at the time and just why distrust towards the system, particularly in America, is so rampant today. I can’t wait for the sequel Frost/Skeletor in which Frank Langella reprises his role as the The Evil Lord Of Destruction and answers tough questions on whether or not he let down the people of Eternia during his ill-fated invasion of Castle Greyskull. Until then I give Frost/Nixon four and a half pints out of five.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line577

__label__wiki

This training covers the important history of the Clean Air Act, how Clean Air Act regulations might interact with federal carbon pricing, as well as a framework to utilize for evaluating the interaction of greenhouse gas regulations and carbon pricing legislation. /topics/carbon-fee-and-dividend H.R.763 includes a Section 8 that adds some language to the Clean Air Act, entitled “Section 330 Suspension of Regulation of Fuels and Emissions Based on Greenhouse Gas Effects," which would provide in essence a regulatory pause. This essentially only suspends EPA enforcement authority in two areas: (1) GHG regulations on any fuel that is covered by the carbon fee, and (a) GHG regulations on any fluorinated gas that is covered by the carbon fee. But that section also explicitly states that the EPA is entirely free to: Regulate emissions for any reason other than GHG effects. Consider collateral benefits of limiting GHG emissions. Regulate black carbon or any other non-GHG pollutant that causes warming. Continue monitoring, reporting, investigating, or collecting information on GHG emissions. Regulate methane leakage from industrial systems or water treatment facilities. When 10 years have passed, if emissions are not meeting the targets spelled out in the bill, the suspension of regulations will end. Not only that, but the EPA would then be obligated to issue regulations strong enough to meet those targets. In other words, the law would chisel the H.R.763 targets in stone, whether or not the carbon fee is working well enough to meet them. Section 8 also specifies that EPA retains authority to regulate GHG emissions from nonroad engines and vehicles and from aircraft. It also stipulates that in case of any ambiguity, the law should be interpreted on the side of the “most effective abatement of greenhouse gas emissions.” And finally, there will be no interference with any State law or regulation, meaning that States can impose stricter GHG regulations if they choose to do so. How and Why Does H.R. 763 Restrict EPA Regulations? To maximize broad bipartisan support, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act limits the EPA’s ability to issue some regulations on greenhouse gases (GHGs). The changes under this provision mainly affects the Clean Power Plan (CPP) and related GHG limits for new and expanded power plants and factories. [1,2,3] Vital aspects of the Clean Air Act remain intact, including the core EPA authority to regulate CO2 as a pollutant. [4] There is no change to EPA’s ability to regulate other forms of air pollution, [5] vehicle fuel economy (CAFE) standards [6] or renewable fuel content in gasoline. [7] Government can still enforce appliance efficiency standards [8] and regulate methane leakage from the natural gas system. [9] With the aggressive carbon-cutting schedule under H.R.763, the limited GHG rules in question would be redundant. [10] They are not even currently active, [11] but would still pose a potential administrative and legal burden to businesses while not cutting a single additional ton of CO2. H.R.763 would cut over a billion tons more GHG emissions than the Clean Power Plan 2030 goal, even if it were being implemented. [12] Furthermore, this regulatory suspension would only be in place for 10 years, and then if the emissions targets mandated by H.R.763 are not being met, the restriction would not only be lifted, but the EPA would then be required to write regulations to meet those targets. There is strong evidence from economic literature that a policy like the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act will reduce GHG emissions more efficiently than existing or proposed regulations, [13] so this regulatory pause will not in any way slow down our path to a livable climate. “FACT SHEET: Overview of the Clean Power Plan.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (snapshot) (19 Jan 2017). “Regulation Database – New Source Performance Standards for GHG Emissions from Electric Generating Units.” Columbia Law School Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (accessed 27 Mar 2019). “PSD and Title V Permitting Guidance for Greenhouse Gases.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air and Radiation (Mar 2011). “Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (11 Jul 2017). “Clean Air Act Issues in the 116th Congress: Air Quality Standards.” EveryCRSReport.com (18 Apr 2019). “Clean Air Act Issues in the 116th Congress: Standards for Motor Vehicles.” EveryCRSReport.com (18 Apr 2019). “Renewable Fuel Standard.” Alternative Fuels Data Center, U.S. Department of Energy (accessed 28 Mar 2019). “Appliance and Equipment Standards Program.” Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy (accessed 28 Mar 2019). Tsang, L. “EPA’s Methane Regulations: Legal Overview.” Congressional Research Service (24 Jan 2018). Gundlach, J. “To Negotiate a Carbon Tax: A Rough Map of Interactions, Tradeoffs, and Risks.” Columbia Journal of Environmental Law. (2 Mar 2018). “Clean Air Act Issues in the 116th Congress.” Congressional Research Service (18 Apr 2019). The CPP target for 2030 is a 32 percent cut in power sector CO2 emissions compared to 2005. From EPA data, 2005 power sector CO2 emissions were 2,401 Mt, so 32 percent lower would be 1,633 Mt. But 2016 power sector CO2 emissions were only 1,809 Mt, so compared to that amount, the CPP target for 2030 would amount to a cut of 176 Mt. In comparison, H.R.763 requires 2030 emissions to be 1,551 Mt lower than 2016 emissions. Therefore, H.R.763 would cut 1,375 Mt more than the CPP. Rosetti, P., D Bosch, and D. Goldbeck. “Comparing Effectiveness of Climate Regulations and a Carbon Tax.” American Action Forum (2 Jul 2018). Intro & Agenda How Administrative Law is Implemented & Legal History The Clean Air Act History EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations The Energy Innovation Act’s Pause Evaluation Framework For Carbon Pricing & Regulations Final Takeaways Dr. Ross Astoria Download the PowerPoint or Google Slides presentation. What questions do you have about how carbon pricing policy impact and interact with Clean Air Act regulations? Emissions, Energy Market and Economic Impacts of the Energy Innovation Act - #CCL2019 Conference (external YouTube video) Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy - "Interactions between a Federal Carbon Tax and Other Climate Policies" (external link) Energy Innovation Act Q&A - Regulatory Question See all resources associated with the Energy Innovation Act.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line579

__label__cc

CBCNY Citizens Budget Commission of New York Blog State Budget Balancing the State Budget – Halfway There, But Running Out of Gas? This month’s overhaul of New York’s tax code was an important step in closing the estimated $3.2 billion gap in New York State’s fiscal year 2012-13 budget. It provided $1.9 billion in additional annual revenues; $1.5 billion will help close the budget gap and $400 million will be dedicated to new commitments. As Governor Andrew Cuomo stated, “We just did 50 percent of the budget,” meaning at least half of next year’s budget gap will be financed with new revenue. As the Governor prepares the Executive Budget due next month, he should avoid more new taxes as the way to close the rest of the budget gap. Instead the focus should be on containing spending growth and reducing reliance on gimmicks. The case for avoiding more revenue measures is based on two considerations: Spending has grown throughout the recession; the tax base has not. As of this fiscal year, New York’s tax base is 7 percent smaller than it was four years ago. That is, if the State had left the 2008 tax system in place, state tax coffers now would be 7 percent or $4.1 billion less full. Despite this contraction the State continued to expand spending through fiscal year 2011. Even with this year’s reduction, total spending in fiscal year 2012, including federally-financed programs, is fully $15 billion, or 13 percent, higher than in fiscal year 2008. New York sustained this spending growth by enacting revenue enhancements and using temporary resources. While the soon-to-expire income tax surcharge generated the most debate, New York enacted another $6 billion in permanent revenue measures including the MTA’s new payroll tax, increased assessments on hospitals, expanded revenue from lottery sales, an increased cigarette tax rate, higher fees and fines, and the elimination of various corporate tax “loopholes.” Spending will go up next year, even if no additional revenues are authorized. The projected $3.2 billion budget gap is based on spending growth of 5 percent. The $1.5 billion in new income tax revenue guarantees spending growth of half that, or 2.5 percent. If the remainder of the fiscal year 2013 budget is balanced with cuts, state spending will still grow by that 2.5 percent. However, some portions of the budget will not be so lucky. The Governor has committed to increasing both Medicaid and school aid by 4 percent. Because these two areas combined are half of general fund spending, simple math suggests that all other areas of spending would have to be held nearly flat to keep the overall growth at 2.5 percent. Instead of calling for more revenue to fill the budgetary gas tank, New Yorkers should be calling for more reforms that get us better mileage. With a more manageable budget gap for next year, and the latest increase in state resources, New York should adhere to the following actions next year: Close the remaining budget gap with structural reform measures that slow down the fastest cost drivers - pensions, school aid and Medicaid The fastest growing area of the state budget has been required contributions to its pension funds. In the past decade state pension contributions and other fringe benefits have risen on average about 8 percent each year. The Governor has proposed a pension tier for new hires that increases the retirement age and vesting period and reduces pension spiking from overtime. This change would save $120 billion over 30 years. The set of school aid programs can be designed to run more efficiently. New York spends hundreds of millions in school aid to wealthy districts that could finance high levels of spending without state assistance. The basic formulas by which school aid is distributed should be reopened to address better the great disparities in local districts’ wealth and capacities to fund their schools. With the local property tax cap in place, these formulas have even greater importance. The State’s innovative approach to curbing growth in Medicaid spending has proven effective and should continue. The Medicaid Redesign Team’s oversight and deliberation must continue to be a priority next year if spending is to be contained. In addition, New York’s inequitable local financing scheme for Medicaid should be phased out. The State has taken on a growing portion of Medicaid financing but still requires poorer counties with greater Medicaid populations to shoulder an unfairly large share of the program costs. Resist the temptation for more economic development spending Grants totaling $785 million were awarded this month, and the Governor has indicated that he intends to propose an additional $200 million for another round of competition in the Executive Budget. The competition was helpful in sparking the creativity of regional participants and jumpstarting many fruitful partnerships, but it should not be continued. Instead, the State should ensure that the new and “old” money, some $6 billion, is used well. State leaders should focus on repurposing existing funding to preserve scarce resources for other priorities, and concentrate on tuning up the transparency and accountability on any public subsidies for private sector projects. Reduce reliance on fiscal gimmicks The Governor and Legislature plan to continue two gimmicks enacted in prior years: the deferral of $970 million in business tax credits and the amortization of a $782 million payment to the pension system. These gimmicks mask the State’s structural deficit and come with long-term costs: lost confidence in state promises to businesses, in regard to the former, and long-term interest costs in regard to the latter. Both should be ended while addressing the underlying cost drivers. The State should also take a hiatus from one-shot revenues. Every year the State uses “one-shot” resources to close a portion of its budget gap, including sweeps from dedicated revenue funds and mandatory contributions from public authorities. Even last year, when the State used a minimal amount of one-shots, they added up to over $800 million. The $1.5 billion in new revenue put some more gas in the tank, but it will not get New York to the destination of a balanced budget next year. Instead of thinking about another stop to fuel up again, New York should begin making its gas guzzler more efficient. The Executive Budget should chart a path toward more sustainable spending and a more sensible division of State and local responsibilities. By Tammy Gamerman CBC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization pursuing constructive change in the finances and services of New York City and State. Citizens Budget Commission © 2020 Citizens Budget Commission

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line581

__label__cc

A great video from Rutherford County Magazine that talks about the history and philosophy CCRC and shows off the the beautiful facilities, staff and residence. History of CCRC Based on the information and research of Mr. Ed Annable 1892 – 1946 – The beginnings of the County Farm started as the county government “poorhouse” founded on the property where Community Care now sits. During this period there was a poorhouse, insane asylum, prisoner work house and pest house. On January 6, 1891, an agreement was reached that the county work house should be included in the plan for a self-sustaining “county farm.” By January 4, 1892, it was reported to the county court that acreage on the Jack Wade place had been purchased and the self-sustaining county farm was started. Mr. J. A. Carlton was the superintendent also a minister and for $540.00 per year he had a job description as follows, “feeding and waiting on the paupers, then burying the dead, free of charge to the county.” On April 2, 1901, a committee was appointed to build a pest house. In the early 1900’s the state of Tennessee endured many diseases such as flu, cholera, smallpox, dysentery, and the worst being yellow fever. Two separate houses were built, one for black patients and one for white patients. Dr. J. B, Murfree, Jr. was employed as the pest house physician at $3.00 per visit. By the 1930’s the Great Depression affected the county farm in many ways. The cost for seed caused a reduction in the food supply and the population of the county farm increased. One interesting fact was the increase in “inmates” at the farm. In 1930 the inmate average population was 66, in 1931 it was 68 and then in 1932 it had climbed to 73, this compared to the average population in 1925 of only 49 inmates. By the 1940’s, writes Mr. Ed Annable, it appears that the notion of a “rest home” began to formulate. On October 12, 1959, the court voted to build a new county rest home according to the standards of the state licensing board. By January 9, 1961, a 50 bed nursing home was nearing a reality. This would become the Rutherford County Rest Home and then later in the 60’s the Rutherford County Nursing Home. While most of the buildings at the county farm built during the early period with the bars and the cells are gone, there are still remnants. Pictures from this period show the harsh living conditions of the times. Several of these pictures can be found in the Historical Society documents that are referenced. One such picture shows a house with cells and a wood stove at one end, another had space with the wood stove within bars so those housed would not get burned. The superintendent’s residence is still standing and thanks to the hard work of Jeremy Warren and Jim Delaney, has been restored to a livable home. Artifacts have been found periodically that indicate Civil War troops had been on this land and research continues. The pauper’s cemetery has been located and through research several names of those buried have been found. Future plans include finding more names of those buried and then placing a plaque at the cemetery to remember some of the men, women and children, both black and white, who lived and died at the county farm. The information and documentation for the County Farm history can be found in the Rutherford County Historical Society Publication No. 30, published in the winter of 1988. Thank you to Mr. Ed Annable for his research and writing about the history of the farm. Community Care of Rutherford County was established in 1987, new additions have been built. Future plans have begun to be put on paper to accommodate culture change as we move away from institutional living and begin to create homes for our elders. The staff, current residents and family members hope to continue to add to this rich history. 2 thoughts on “About CCRC” Kiley Barrett To whom it applies, I would like to inform you on my interest to volunteer at Community Care of Rutherford County . I would truly enjoy coming and spending quality time with some of your residents. I have always admired and respected the qualities of elders. With that I do believe that I would be a great candidate to assist in communicating with guests. A downside is I am only 14 I will be 15 in August, but I would be willing to bring an adult to accompany me if needed. I hope that you consider my interest in volunteering at CCRC,thank you. I appreciate all you do,

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line582

__label__wiki

Key changes to the Tier 1 Investor visa route announced by Home Office The Tier 1 Investor visa category will remain opened contrary to the rumours that this route will be suspended or closed. The published changes to the rules make clear that the Tier 1 Investor visa category will remain open to new applicants from 29 March 2019. The key changes are listed below. Applicants will need to have held their investment funds for at least 2 years prior to the date of application; The Home Office will have power to refuse an application where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the funds have been, or will be, transferred internationally by means which are unlawful in any of the countries involved; Applicants will need to provide confirmation from a UK bank that it has carried out all required due diligence checks and Know Your Customer enquiries. The new rules will not require investors to undergo enhanced checks on their financial situations and business histories, carried out by a UK-regulated auditor, before making a visa application, as was previously anticipated. Applicants will no longer be able to simply buy up UK national debt to qualify as an investor. Purchase of UK government bonds is being excluded as a qualifying investment.Transitional arrangements for current investor visa holders will be in place until 5 April 2023 for extension applications and 5 April 2025 for settlement applications. Full changes announced can be seen at Statement of Changes to the Immigration Rules HC1919.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line584

__label__wiki

5 Most Underrated Van Gogh Paintings 5 Tips for Mother of the Bride to Wear on a Destination Wedding Party Season Kicks Off In Mykonos For Summer 2018 Apple about to Release New Emoji for 2017 66 percent of Americans under 30 disapprove of President Trump, poll finds Absolutely Stunning New Poster for Alien: Covenant Released 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' Almost Had A Lot More Cameos! Warner Bros. Animation reveals Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge animated film Singer David Olney Dies On Stage During Performance Paris Hilton Looking To Launch Her Own Production Company - TCA Lindsay Lohan will release a new album in February Cancel your plans: Studio Ghibli films are coming to Netflix Selena Gomez got a kidney transplant due to lupus The actress has always been vocal about her struggles with autoimmune disease Lupus , which was behind the need for the transplant. But the most incredible p... Laura Simpson insists 'nothing happened' on night out with Wayne Rooney And Holly went on to question why she had got in a vehicle late at night with a married man, saying that was something she would never do. But Laura denied th... Future and Cher team up for Gap fall campaign It's a far cry from Cher and Future's best known duets with Sonny Bono and Drake , respectively, but worth a watch - if only for the sheer oddity of it all... Angelina Jolie's son Maddox calls mum 'a wonder' to work with Maddox also worked on the production side of Angelina's acclaimed First They Killed My Father . Jolie is now on the promotional trail for new documentary fil... Daniel Dae Kim set to replace Ed Skrein in Hellboy reboot The role was originally offered to Deadpool star Ed Skrein , but the actor made a decision to bow out of the role when fan outcry brought the casting's w... The Game Of Thrones Finale Will Have Multiple Endings To Avoid Spoilers Bloys' comments were apparently pulled from the speech he gave at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Maryland last week. HBO has neither confirmed nor denied the ... Misdemeanor pot charges against Zach Randolph dropped If he does all his community service and stays out of trouble for a year, he can then have the resisting-arrest charge taken off his record. The 36-year-old w... Former Psychiatric Patient Attacks 7 People in France Three injured police officers were treated by Fire Department paramedics. Two civilian victims were taken to the Toulouse-Rangueil Medical Center. The man, ... Priyanka Chopra Gets Trolled For Her Comments On Sikkim Priyanka spoke about Sikkim in an interview to ET Canada at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 7. Her production Pahuna is not the "f... Sarah Harding ENDS feud with Cheryl in cute Twitter exchange But it looks like Sarah might be ready to bury the hatchet and make peace with the new mum as she replied to a public tweet from Cheryl this week. "My make-... Justin Bieber and Marilyn Manson Are Having the Weirdest Feud Ever It wasn't just that Bieber was wearing the shirt - it's what he said to the goth rocker. The designer also wrote, " Thanks for understanding our approach and r... Tyrese Gibson pleads with Dwayne Johnson to ditch 'Fast & Furious' spin-off Taking to his co-star's comment section, Gibson-who has played Roman Pearce in five of the Furious films-made it clear that there was trouble in paradise. The... Granddad, 83, pushes burglar off La Puente roof after hours-long standoff Burgess' grandaughter, Ashley Wrenn, captured the whole scene on video. "Capt. Tim Murakami of the sheriff's Industry Station took to Twitter to say Burgess p... Letting go - Walk raises money to help families, fund research A guest speaker gives students a chance to hear about a touchy subject from someone else's perspective. It can be scary when you learn that a friend or loved ... Anushka shoots ad with beau Virat Kohli In one of the photos, shared by the couple's fan club on Instagram, Anushka looks happily into the camera but Virat just can't take his eyes off her. So far, we... Catherine Zeta-Jones makes rare appearance with lookalike daughter Carys at NYFW Nicole Kidman , Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones front-row at Michael Kors . "I loved it - first show ever. I'm so happy", exclaimed the daughter of Zeta... Two men attempt to steal power pole in Jacksonville after Hurricane Irma Perhaps the alleged thieves thought no one would believe that the massive item on top of their van was stolen. We're not sure, but two men had plans for a pol... Zayn Malik: Harry just wasn't my Styles One thing's for sure when it comes to a One Direction reunion: No matter which of the lads you ask, the consensus seems to be that they're all open to the pos... Mom hit by falling Central Park tree to sue city, attorney says Anne Monoky Goldman's attorney filed a $200 million notice of claim against the city and the Central Park Conservancy for the American elm that the conservancy ... Behati Prinsloo And Adam Levine Are Expecting Their Second Baby! Behati Prinsloo , the handsome wife of Adam Levine , took to social media to reveal that she and the singer are expecting their second baby! The 28-year-old ... Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (NASDAQ:MRVL) Traded Over Its 50 Day Average It was reported on Sep, 13 by Barchart.com. Currently, the stock has a 1 Year Price Target of $19.52. Cowen & Co maintained Marvell Technology Group Ltd . The ... Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez 'Make Each Other Better' J.Lo and Rodriguez, who's six years younger than the "Shades of Blue" star, made their all-important red carpet debut at the Met Gala in May, and she's been ... New Flash and Legends of Tomorrow Promos Debut Alchemy, an unwitting pawn of the season's "Big Bad", Savitar . Team Flash will face a new foe this season named Clifford DeVoe a.k.a. The Thinker . The c... Kiri Te Kanawa Announces Retirement Te Kanawa said she stopped performing a year ago, but had not announced her retirement until now. "And that was the end". She has not even listened to the pie... Rihanna Launches Fenty Beauty, a Global Makeup Brand, in 17 Countries Now, celebrities are coming out to show their support. Rihanna made her second fashion week debut with her Fenty x PUMA collaboration. Rihanna rod... Hear the Star Trek: Discovery main title theme And a lot of expectations are riding on Star Trek: Discovery as the first Star Trek series to hit the small screen in 12 years. The theme song for Star T... Here's your first look at David Harbour as Hellboy For those not in the know, Hellboy was created in 1993 by writer-artist Mike Mignola . As he grew older, Hellboy was trained as an agent of the BPRD assisti... TMZ: Frank Vincent dies at 78 As fans of The Sopranos will remember all too well, Frank's character often came to blows with James Gandolfini's on-screen persona Tony Soprano . Vincent ... Willie Nelson, Leon Bridges say "Harvey Can't Mess with Texas" All proceeds from the show will benefit the Rebuild Texas Fund , which hs raised upwards of $44 million so far to benefit the rebuild after Hurricane Harvey .... The Cassini spacecraft nears its voyage end - and a 70000 miles per hour crash Its final act will be to destroy itself on Saturn rather than risk a collision with one of the moons... The probe was scheduled to come back into contact with... Back 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460 461 462 463 464 465 466 467 468 469 470 471 472 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 480 481 482 483 484 485 486 487 488 489 490 491 492 493 494 495 496 497 498 499 500 501 502 503 504 505 506 507 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 536 537 538 539 540 541 542 543 544 545 546 547 548 549 550 551 552 553 554 555 556 557 558 559 560 561 562 563 564 565 566 567 568 569 570 571 572 573 574 575 576 577 578 579 580 581 582 583 584 585 586 587 588 589 590 591 592 593 594 595 596 597 598 599 600 601 602 603 604 605 606 607 608 609 610 611 612 613 614 615 616 617 618 619 620 621 622 623 624 625 626 627 628 629 630 631 632 633 634 635 636 637 638 639 640 641 642 643 644 645 646 647 648 649 650 651 652 653 654 655 656 657 658 659 660 661 662 663 664 665 666 667 668 669 670 671 672 673 674 675 676 677 678 679 680 681 682 683 684 685 686 687 688 689 690 691 692 693 694 695 696 697 698 699 700 701 702 703 704 705 706 707 708 709 710 711 712 713 714 715 716 717 718 719 720 721 722 723 724 725 726 727 728 729 730 731 732 733 734 735 736 737 738 739 740 741 742 743 744 745 746 747 748 749 750 751 752 753 754 755 756 757 758 759 760 761 762 763 764 765 766 767 768 769 770 771 772 773 774 775 776 777 778 779 780 781 782 783 784 785 786 787 788 789 790 791 792 793 794 795 796 797 798 799 800 801 802 803 804 805 806 807 808 809 810 811 812 813 814 815 816 817 818 819 820 821 822 823 824 825 826 827 828 829 830 831 832 833 834 835 836 837 838 839 840 841 842 843 844 845 846 847 848 849 850 851 852 853 854 855 856 857 858 859 860 861 862 863 864 865 866 867 868 869 870 871 872 873 874 875 876 877 878 879 880 881 882 883 884 885 886 887 888 889 890 891 892 893 894 895 896 897 898 899 900 901 902 903 904 905 906 907 908 909 910 911 912 913 914 915 916 917 918 919 920 921 922 923 924 925 926 927 928 929 930 931 932 933 934 935 936 937 938 939 940 941 942 943 944 945 946 947 948 949 950 951 952 953 954 955 956 957 958 959 960 961 962 963 964 965 966 967 968 969 970 971 972 973 974 975 976 977 978 979 980 981 982 983 984 985 986 987 988 989 990 991 992 993 994 995 996 997 998 999 1000 1001 1002 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008 1009 1010 1011 1012 1013 1014 1015 1016 1017 1018 1019 1020 1021 1022 Forward Kylie Jenner's New Cosmetics Ad Features Unreleased Travis Scott & Don Toliver Track Cameron Diaz's daughter's full name revealed Dove Cameron's Ex-Fiancé Ryan McCartan Accuses Her of Cheating Niners RB Coleman carted off with shoulder injury How to Watch 2020 SAG Awards Online ‘Bad Boys for Life’ Crossing $100 Million Worldwide WWE adds big bets to tonight's table game on Friday Night SmackDown Thomas Markle accuses Megan and Harry of 'cheapening' royals Perhaps even on the P40 series phones launching soon. In fact, Huawe... Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan is set for a release on February 21, and ... Additionally, Kuo likewise restated that Apple intends to launch its l... The bundle's recommended price is $25 (£19), which considering some of... Going down the list we have the Samsung Galaxy A71 and the Galaxy S10... The 38-year-old says she's simply been playing a character thus far in... Studio Ghibli films will be available to stream on Netflix's worldwid... The allegations were sent to the board in an anonymous letter dated De... However, the problems still do not end there, and the situation is fur...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line586

__label__wiki

Vinnie Moore Player Profile Vinnie Moore (b. 1964) Full Name: Vincent Andrew Moore Born: August 21st, 1964 (Scunthorpe) Position: Midfielder Signed: September 8th, 1984 Career Totals: 44 appearances, 4 goals Also Played For: Airdrieonians, Albion Rovers, Ayr United, Stirling Albion 1986-87 Premier Division 6 (8) 1 0.07 1 0 21.4% 21.4% 57.1% 1985-86 Premier Division 18 (9) 3 0.11 3 0 14.8% 29.6% 55.6% 1984-85 First Division 3 0 - 0 0 100.0% 0.0% 0.0% Totals: 27 (17) 4 Nov 29th, 1986 29/11/86 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (A) 3 - 3 Nov 22nd, 1986 22/11/86 League Premier Division vs. Motherwell (H) 2 - 3 Nov 1st, 1986 01/11/86 League Premier Division vs. Falkirk (A) 0 - 1 Aug 21st, 1985 21/08/85 League Cup 2nd Round vs. Raith Rovers (H) 7 - 2 Aug 17th, 1985 17/08/85 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (H) 4 - 0 Nov 22nd, 1986 22/11/86 League Premier Division vs. Motherwell (H) 2 - 3 (58') p Jan 4th, 1986 04/01/86 League Premier Division vs. Hibernian (A) 3 - 2 (3') p Aug 21st, 1985 21/08/85 League Cup 2nd Round vs. Raith Rovers (H) 7 - 2 (24') Aug 17th, 1985 17/08/85 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (H) 4 - 0 (61') Dec 3rd, 1986 03/12/86 League Premier Division vs. Hibernian (H) 0 - 0 (sub) Nov 8th, 1986 08/11/86 League Premier Division vs. Hearts (H) 0 - 3 (sub) Oct 8th, 1986 08/10/86 League Premier Division vs. Hibernian (A) 2 - 3 Oct 4th, 1986 04/10/86 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (H) 0 - 2 (sub) Aug 27th, 1986 27/08/86 League Cup 3rd Round vs. Motherwell (A) 0 - 2 (sub) Aug 16th, 1986 16/08/86 League Premier Division vs. Celtic (H) 0 - 1 (sub) Aug 9th, 1986 09/08/86 League Premier Division vs. Hamilton Accies (A) 1 - 0 (sub) May 3rd, 1986 03/05/86 League Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (H) 0 - 6 Apr 26th, 1986 26/04/86 League Premier Division vs. Hearts (A) 0 - 1 (sub) Apr 19th, 1986 19/04/86 League Premier Division vs. Dundee Utd (H) 1 - 1 (sub) Apr 5th, 1986 05/04/86 League Premier Division vs. Motherwell (H) 1 - 1 (sub) Mar 1st, 1986 01/03/86 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (A) 0 - 4 Feb 8th, 1986 08/02/86 League Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (A) 1 - 4 Feb 3rd, 1986 03/02/86 Scottish Cup 3rd Round Replay vs. Falkirk (A) 0 - 1 (sub) Jan 25th, 1986 25/01/86 Scottish Cup 3rd Round vs. Falkirk (H) 0 - 0 Jan 18th, 1986 18/01/86 League Premier Division vs. Dundee Utd (A) 0 - 4 Dec 23rd, 1985 23/12/85 League Premier Division vs. Dundee (H) 0 - 0 Dec 14th, 1985 14/12/85 League Permier Division vs. Motherwell (A) 0 - 3 (sub) Dec 10th, 1985 10/12/85 League Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (H) 2 - 1 (sub) Nov 13th, 1985 13/11/85 League Premier Division vs. St Mirren (H) 1 - 1 (sub) Nov 2nd, 1985 02/11/85 League Premier Division vs. Rangers (A) 0 - 0 (sub) Oct 30th, 1985 30/10/85 League Premier Division vs. Hibernian (H) 2 - 4 Oct 12th, 1985 12/10/85 League Premier Division vs. Motherwell (H) 1 - 1 Oct 5th, 1985 05/10/85 League Premier Division vs. Aberdeen (A) 1 - 3 Oct 1st, 1985 01/10/85 League Premier Division vs. Hibernian (A) 0 - 5 (sub) Aug 28th, 1985 28/08/85 League Cup 3rd Round vs. Dundee Utd (A) 0 - 2 Aug 10th, 1985 10/08/85 League Premier Division vs. Motherwell (A) 0 - 0 May 4th, 1985 04/05/85 League Division 1 vs. St Johnstone (H) 2 - 1 Jan 19th, 1985 19/01/85 League Division 1 vs. Meadowbank Th (A) 3 - 1 Jan 1st, 1985 01/01/85 League Division 1 vs. Airdrie (H) 1 - 0 Clydebank 1 - 0 Airdrieonians League (Division 1) Vinnie was born on this date in Scunthorpe. Debut - Clydebank 1 - 0 Airdrie Tuesday, January 1st, 1985 First Goal - Clydebank 4 - 0 Dundee Last Goal - Clydebank 2 - 3 Motherwell Saturday, November 22nd, 1986 Last Appearance - Clydebank 0 - 0 Hibernian Wednesday, December 3rd, 1986

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line587

__label__wiki

Bullying Incident Turned Scholarship Megan Evans, Staff Writer During the second week of September, a fourth grade student at Altamonte Elementary School in Altamonte Springs, Florida dressed up for “College Colors” day at his school. The little boy did not own any clothing of his favorite team, so he decided to make his own. He taped a piece of paper where he had written “U of T” for the University of Tennessee under his orange T-shirt. During lunch that same day, a couple of girls bullied him for his homemade shirt. He came back to class, put his head down and cried. One of his teachers, Laura Snyder, turned to Facebook right away. She explained the incident in detail to let her Facebook friends know that one of her students was bullied for his T-shirt and how devastated he was. “When I told my students about [College Colors Day] a week before, this particular child came up to me and told me that wanted to wear a University of Tennessee shirt, but he did not have one,” said Snyder. “We discussed that he could wear an orange t-Shirt… he was so excited to show me his shirt.” What happened over the next week was monumental for this young student. The Facebook instantly went viral and it eventually reached the University of Tennessee. The university sent me a box of UT attire and fan accessories but then decided it wasn’t enough. They made his drawing worthy of an official T-shirt and more than 50,000 orange shirts with the boy’s design were pre-sold by the university’s official store, VolShop. Tons of fans and students supported the boy by wearing the t-Shirt to games. The boy’s name was not given due to privacy, but he was also offered a full four year scholarship to the University of Tennessee for the class of 2032 as long as he keeps up his grades. Megan Evans, staff editor/media assistant Megan Evans is a junior and this is her first year as a member of The Prowler. She enjoys spending time with friends and family and watching football....

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line588

__label__wiki

Washington Post-ABC poll shows support for Supreme Court rulings on gay marriage Author: Robert Barnes and Scott Clement Most Americans think the Supreme Court got it right last week in decisions that bolstered same-sex marriage, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. The court in a 5 to 4 ruling struck down a key component of the the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which withheld federal recognition and benefits from same-sex couples who are married in states where it is legal. The poll found that 56 percent approve of the ruling “providing legally married same-sex couples with the same federal benefits given to other married couples,” while 41 percent disapprove. By a smaller margin, 51 percent to 45 percent, Americans say they approve of the court’s action on a case involving same-sex marriage in California. The court did not rule directly on California’s Proposition 8, which defined marriage in the state to be between one man and one woman. The justices said proponents of Prop 8 did not have legal standing to challenge a lower court’s decision that it was unconstitutional.Gay marriages in the most populous state resumed last week. Those results are similar to other surveys conducted since the court’s historic term ended Wednesday. The Post-ABC poll showed a narrow majority disapproving of the court’s decision on the Voting Rights Act, however. The court struck a key section of the law that singled out some states, mostly in the South, for federal oversight, requiring approval from Washington before any election law changes may go into effect. Asked if they approved or disapproved on the court’s decision “striking down a key part of the federal law overseeing voting rights for minorities,” only 33 approved, while 51 percent answered negatively. A poll by the Pew Research Center found different results, with slightly more people approving of the ruling than disapproving. More than four in 10 offered no opinion on the question, which did not specify whether the court upheld the law or not. Those results underscore that public perception of the Supreme Court’s work is often based on its most noteworthy decision, and this term the issue that broke through was same-sex marriage. According to the Pew survey, two-thirds of Americans knew that the court’s rulings favored those who supported same-sex marriage. There was far less awareness of the voting rights decision. In the Post-ABC poll, the gay marriage decisions drew strikingly different partisan reactions, while the decision on voting rights showed a deep racial disparity. On the question about DOMA, support for the court’s decision is defined heavily by ideology, partisanship and age. The poll showed that 79 percent of self-described liberals and 68 percent of Democrats approve of the decision, while 62 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of conservatives are opposed. More than six in 10 independents and moderates approve of the decision. The age difference was also pronounced: two-thirds of 18-29 year-olds approve, while 56 percent of those over 65 take the opposite view. The decision was supported in every region of the country except the South, where people were pretty evenly split. More than two-thirds of Americans feel intensely about California gay marriage case, and equal portions are strongly supportive of the same-sex marriage decision and strongly opposed. Among those who had an opinion about the voting rights decision — a sizable 15 percent said they did not — less than half of any racial or partisan group approved. More than seven in 10 African Americans said they disapproved of the decision, compared to less than half of whites. The telephone poll was conducted June 26 through June 30 among a random national sample of 1,005 adults. It has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Clement is a survey research analyst with Capital Insight, the independent polling group of Washington Post Media. Capital Insight pollsters Jon Cohen and Peyton M. Craigill contributed to this report. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/washington-post-abc-poll-shows-support-for-supreme-court-rulings-on-gay-marriage/2013/07/03/bf4a27c2-e353-11e2-a11e-c2ea876a8f30_story.html?wpisrc=nl_pmpol

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line589

__label__cc

Anti-Gun California PUBLISHED: 8:15 PM 31 Aug 2018 Quartet Of Anti-Gun Laws Passed In Legislature "This brings the total of anti-gun bills awaiting Jerry Brown's signature this week up to eight." by Austin Lewis After the state legislature sent him one quarter of anti-gun bills, they managed to send along a second four in the same week, all awaiting Governor Jerry Brown's signature. California is one of the most unfriendly states when it comes to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, and quite possibly the worst state for anyone hoping to do so. As bad as the state’s arbitrary gun control laws are, however, that doesn’t mean that they couldn’t end up worse, especially under the leadership of leftists like those who dominate the state’s legislature. A series of four anti-gun bills that were approved late this week are on their way to the desk of leftist Governor Jerry Brown. Assembly Bill 2888, along with State Bills 221, 1100, and 1177, all push leftist gun control talking points, and could make the state even less friendly for people who dare to desire to own a firearm. The legislature enacted “long arm” regulations, with leftist politicians openly admitting their goal was to cater to a person who believed “we need fewer guns.” Perhaps the most horrific, and most easily-abused of the four would be AB 2888. That bill would expand the list of who can file for California’s ‘Gun Violence Restraining orders.’ Namely, it would add co-workers, employers, and school employees to the somewhat limited list of ‘family members and police officers’ that currently exists in the state’s law. These ‘violence restraining orders, pioneered by the state of California and widely mocked as ‘turn in your neighbor’ laws, allow for the government to temporarily seize firearm rights from individuals accused, with minimal due process recourse. SB 221 is a much more targeted bill. It prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunition at the state-owned ‘Cow Palace.’ The historic venue has been the location of a number of guns shows throughout the years, angering leftist politicians. Specifically, politicians from the nearby city of San Francisco, a city that managed to use laws and harassment to force out its last gun store three years ago, were angry that people were getting together and selling firearms and ammunition inside Daly City’s ‘Cow Palace.’ The bill’s sponsor, California Senator Scott Wiener, a democrat from San Francisco, tried to tie the fact that the country is ‘awash in guns’ to school shootings, and said that they needed to do anything they could to stop the proliferation of firearms, since Washington ‘won’t.’ The third bill, presented by Senator Anthony Portantino and known as SB 1100, would ban sales of firearms to anyone under the age of 21. This policy became popular after the Parkland, Florida school shooting. Now, the same leftist politicians who believe that 16-year-old teens should be able to vote in national elections are voting in favor of arbitrarily barring ownership of firearms to those same young people. This policy, which has been passed in Florida and Vermont, also triggered legal challenges in both states. Finally, Portantino, a Los Angeles County democrat, proposed SB 1177, which hopes to ‘ration’ purchases of firearms to one a month. Nothing says ‘freedom’ like the government telling you how much of a legal product you can buy at any one time, after all. Under California law as it already exists, the purchase of handguns, the weapons most commonly used in crime, is already limited to one every 30 days. However, this bill, if signed by Governor Brown, would extend that limit to rifles and shotguns to a single purchase every month per citizen. Only Washington D.C., Maryland, and New Jersey have ‘gun rationing’ laws, and those laws extend solely to handgun purchases. These bills are heading to the desk of a leftist governor in the same week that four other anti-gun bills do so. Among those bills is one that would make it even more difficult for a law-abiding citizen to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the state, which already has some of the strictest laws and the lowest rates of actually issuing permits in the nation. In many counties in California, the only people able to get such permits are the wealthy, the politically-connected, and the famous. For decades, California has sought to make the process of purchasing or possessing a modern rifle, pistol, or shotgun as tedious and difficult as possible, even for law-abiding citizens. Their regulations are so stringent that most major firearms companies either offer specially-designed models of firearms for sale in the state, often called ‘CA compliant,’ or they simply refuse, outright, to ship their firearms into the state. Likely, the leftist politicians in the state realize that they cannot simply bar citizens (or at least, the average citizens) from owning firearms, so they simply ‘infringe step-by-step, at the right to keep and bear arms in the state. If Governor Jerry Brown signs these bills, and there’s no reason to expect he won’t, it won’t be long before California democrats are pushing further restrictions. Senator Warns Gun Owners “You Will Be Arrested As A Domestic Terrorist”

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line592

__label__wiki

Royal African Company Royal African Company ( in English "Royal African Company"), Africa 's western coast to do business in the House of Stuart was founded by a commercial company and Londoners traders. II. Charles ' brother was led by James the Duke of York . The company's main target was the gold fields above the Gambia River , which was discovered by Prince Rupert during the Fetret period . In addition to the main purpose, the company also engaged in the trade of goods and slaves. Initially the Royal African Adventurers Trading Company ( Company of Royal Adventurers Trading to Africa ), known as the company, in 1660 issued a charter to West Africa trade between Britain monopoly was given privilege. With the help of the British army and navy, the company established a fortress on the West African coast. The profit was halved between the company and the king. The company fell into a difficult situation in the war with the Netherlands in 1667 . After Admiral Robert Holmes attacked Dutch merchant ships in Africa in 1664, the company found itself in war. Cape Corse has lost most of its castles on the African coast. The next few years, the company only employees continued some irregular trading activities including giving licenses to private traders, starting from January 1, 1669, Gambia Adventurers also called the merchant to the Bight of Benin 'decade for the north to trade periodicals were given licenses. In 1672, the company was restructured with a new regulation and re-emerged as the "New Royal African Company". The new regulation gave the company broader powers than ever before, including the right to establish a strict governance of the castle, the factory and its own army to carry out gold, silver and slave trade in West Africa . At the end of 1678, the company was merged with the Gambia Trading Company after the expiration of the license period for the Gambian adventurers . The company carried about 5,000 slaves a year in the 1680s. The breasts had the "RAC" stamp on the breasts of the company. Between 1672 and 1689 about 90-100 thousand slaves moved. This meant a huge increase in the financial strength of those controlling the company from London. 1694 until 1700, the company Eguafo Kingdom 's (now Ghana ) port Komenda 'also realized Komenda War 's was the largest participant. The company joined a rich merchant named John Cabess and several neighboring African realms to dethrone the king of Eguafo and set up a factory with a permanent castle in Komenda . When the 1688 lost its royal power as a result of the British revolution , the company lost its monopoly rights in 1689. This was an advantage for Edward Colston and other British traders dealing with distant maritime trade . For this reason, the number of slaves carried by the British ships increased dramatically. Company, ivory and gold started to be preferred to purchase slaves slaves of dust until 1731, and continued to move, and kronolojist mathematician Charles Hayes (1678-1760), he directed the company until 1752, the company dispersed. Company dissipated replaced by African Company of Merchants (African Company of Merchants) took. The Royal African Company logo depicts an elephant and a castle. From 1668 to 1722, Royal African Company provided gold to the British Mint . The coins made with this gold include an elephant and a castle under the bust of a king or queen. This gold coins to "guinea" (the guinea) is named.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line594

__label__cc

Fifty million shades of hot Leave a Comment / Uncategorized / By dcthome22 I’m reading Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James because I have to find out what all the fuss is about. I’m on page 142, and I have no idea. So far, it seems about as traditional as a romance can be. I’ve heard it gets kinky, and that’s what made some reviewers call it “mommy porn.” Or maybe the sentence should be written this way: I’ve heard it gets kinky, and that’s what’s made some reviewers call it “mommy porn”??? Some people don’t like Fifty Shades being referred to as porn. Some people don’t like any erotic material written by and/or for women to be referred to as porn. I don’t know if Fifty Shades is porn, so I turned to someone who’s pondered the distinctions between porn and other types of erotic material, author Sylvia Day. In her blog, Day says porn is “stories written for the express purpose of causing sexual titillation.” Plot, character development and romance are optional. Erotica, on the other hand, is “about the sexual journey of the characters.” Emotion and character growth are important, but erotica need not show the development of a romantic relationship. In erotic romance, Day says, “sex is an inherent part of the story, character growth, and relationship development, and couldn’t be removed without damaging the storyline. Happily Ever After is a REQUIREMENT.” Since I haven’t finished Fifty Shades, I don’t know if it meets the definition of erotic romance. But by Day’s definitions, I think can I say it’s not porn. On the other hand, I have read a few novels and short stories that purport to be erotic romance, but are really as porny and porn can be. A woman douses herself with a hose in the backyard on a hot day; the hot guy in the house behind her comes outside with an erection; they have hot sex in several orifices. The biggest development here is not in the characters, but in the character of the writing. Using words like “cock,” “cunt” and “puckered seam,” and dialog like, “I’m going to fuck you hard,” it sounds like the kind of writing that, thirty years ago, was aimed exclusively at men with the exclusive goal of causing arousal. So now I wonder, when did the kind of writing that was universally regarded as porn for men become don’t-you-dare-call-it-porn for women? I’m hesitant to say it’s a simple case of hypocrisy or double standard. But according to ABC News, “about one in three women now admit that they watch porn.” So why should it surprise anyone that they’re also reading it? Or offend anyone? Angie Rowntree, whose sssh.com specializes in erotica, told ABC that the fair sex’s demand for sexy material is growing. What women want is passionate love scenes “filled with chemistry and sensuality.” And a storyline. Oh, yeah. The storyline. Comedian Ritch Shydner said about men and shopping in an HBO special twenty years ago that “most guys don’t like to shop. We’ll buy it, but the process throws us off. We don’t have the patience. There’s something prehistoric in our makeup. We have to bag it and drag it back to the cave as quickly as possible.” I say that’s our attitude about erotic material, too. Story? It’s about sex—get to the point already. Of course, I had to subdue those primal urges when I was writing Fast Lane. While Fast Lane has sex scenes, there’s more to the story than sex. After 142 pages, I’m not sure that’s the case with Fifty Shades of Grey. Sex has been the only topic on the agenda, and it’s got me thinking “get to the point already.” For the last 141 pages. Maybe the real question, though, is what constitutes porn. A female friend said she’d never read Fifty Shades because she’s not interested in “anything to do with that sickness.” But a million readers can’t all be perverts. Right? Maybe what all the fuss is about is that while there may be fifty shades of James’ hero Christian Grey, the number of shades of grey in the area of erotic literature may just equal the number of people living on planet Earth.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line598

__label__wiki

Home / About Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India About Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India - data.gov.in - is a platform for supporting Open Data initiative of Government of India. The portal is intended to be used by Government of India Ministries/ Departments their organizations to publish datasets, documents, services, tools and applications collected by them for public use. It intends to increase transparency in the functioning of Government and also open avenues for many more innovative uses of Government Data to give different perspective. The base Open Government Data Platform India is a joint initiative of Government of India and US Government. Open Government Data Platform India is also packaged as a product and made available in open source for implementation by countries globally. The entire product is available for download at the Open Source Code Sharing Platform "GitHub". Open Government Data Platform India has 4 (four) major modules, as detailed below, implemented on a single Drupal instance – An Open Source based Content Framework Solution Data Management System (DMS) – Module for contributing data catalogs by various government agencies for making those available on the front end website after a due approval process through a defined workflow. Content Management System (CMS) – Module for managing and updating various functionalities and content types of the Open Government Data Platform India Platform. Visitor Relationship Management (VRM) – Module for collating and disseminating viewer feedback on various data catalogs. Communities – Module for community users to interact and share their zeal and views with others, who share common interests as that of theirs. node-048 Last updated on 04 Oct, 2015

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line600

__label__cc

It’s time to see red about the world’s indifference to genocide, crimes against humanity and persecution. Red Wednesday was on November 22nd. Read details here. November 24, 2017 November 24, 2017 / David Alton Stonyhurst College, Lancashire: Red Wednesday November 22nd 2017. Red Wednesday was on November 22nd. It’s time to see red about the world’s indifference to genocide, crimes against humanity and persecution. Red Wednesday 2017 at Walsingham, Norfolk. 22nd November 2017 #RedWednesday Event London Standing in solidarity with those suffering for their faith By John Newton #REDWEDNESDAY is a sign to those who suffer for their faith around the world that they are not forgotten – according to the newly appointed Coptic Orthodox Bishop of London. Coptic Orthodox Bishop Angaelos’ remarks came during an address he gave at a service outside Westminster Cathedral to mark #RedWednesday (22nd November) which drew attention to the persecution of Christians and members of other faiths. Pointing to the busy streets of London, Bishop Angaelos said: “In the midst of all of this, it is unfathomable to think that there are still hundreds of millions potentially who suffer for their faith today. ← Why Liverpool University would be wrong to remove Mr.Gladstone’s name from a hall of residence in Mossley Hill What kind of country provides a pay packet of £217 million to its highest paid woman – for running a gambling firm? What kind of country produces five billionaires and 15 multimillionaires from the proceeds of gambling – and increased their wealth last year by nearly 20% to £19 billion? – and then turns a blind eye to the 2 million people in the UK who are either problem gamblers or at risk of gambling addiction – including young people driven to suicide? →

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line601

__label__cc

Daily Discipleship Video RUN LIKE A CHAMPION RUN WITH ENDURANCE THE RACE SET BEFORE YOU View All Discipleship Videos DAILY VIDEO DEVOTIONAL Click Here to Download this Discipleship Video К Ефесянам : Chapter 5 15) Итак, смотрите, поступайте осторожно, не как глупые, но как мудрые. 16) Дорожите временем, потому что в эти дни много зла. 17) Не будьте легкомысленны, а лучше старайтесь понять, в чем заключена воля Господа. 18) Не напивайтесь вином, это ведет к распутству[d]. Но лучше исполняйтесь Духом. 19) Наставляйте друг друга псалмами, гимнами и духовными песнопениями. Пойте и прославляйте Господа в ваших сердцах. 20) Всегда и за все благодарите Бога Отца во Имя нашего Господа Иисуса Христа. Христианская семья 21) Подчиняйтесь друг другу из страха перед Христом. Sammy Tippit told his fiancée, “I can’t promise we’ll be rich, but life won’t be boring.” Sammy had no idea what an understatement that would become. Beginning in the bars of Baton Rouge and the nightclubs of Chicago, Tippit has shared the news of life-changing faith in Christ all over the world – including in the middle of a revolution in Romania, the aftermath of genocide in Rwanda, and war in Burundi and the Congo. Sammy’s lifelong adventure has come at a great price. He’s been cursed, threatened, arrested, deported, and blacklisted. He’s also been personally broken, ravaged with illness, and devastated by grief. Yet he continues to preach to in stadiums, in open fields, and via satellite technology to hundreds of thousands around the globe. For all other books… Family Life – 5 Sammy Tippit: We’ve been talking about husband-and-wife relationships, and we’ve especially been talking about communication and how vitally important communication is. We want to continue that discussion about how to communicate effectively. When the Bible begins to talk about the husband-and-wife relationship in Ephesians, chapter 5… “Submitting yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ.” Or you could say to submit in the reverence of Christ. A lot of times, the word submit is a word people don’t like, but the Bible says it. It says to submit yourselves. So what does that mean? I’ve come to a definition of what submission means. It means respecting with a spirit of humility at its root. We respect one another with a spirit of humility. When we have that respect for one another and it’s rooted in humility, that enables communication and enables us to communicate with one another. So let’s talk about communication and respecting and what those mean to you. How do you do that? How do you develop that spirit of respect for one another and develop that spirit of humility? Dave Tippit: As I mentioned in a previous session, I think respect has to be earned. I think that sometimes, as we talked about with the different love languages, we’re projecting what we want, what we respect in someone else, onto our spouses. But they may have a different value system of how to earn that respect. For example, your wife may be someone who really needs someone to listen to her, have an attentive ear, empathize, not really say much, and not try to fix the problem whenever she’s sharing her heart with you. That’s what she respects. On the other hand, there may be a husband who comes from a more no-nonsense background and just kind of says what it is and is plain and straightforward in how he speaks. That’s what he respects. You just tell him the truth, and… Sammy: You’re talking about us? Dave: I’m not looking at y’all for any reason. Tex Tippit: The fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it? Dave: I do think you have to learn to appreciate and value each other in the way each party respects and try to meet them in the middle with what you’re talking about. I think true respect is born out of that. Whenever you do meet in the middle and don’t try to get your wife to just do it your way or vice versa, respect will start to happen. Kelly Tippit: I think that also just focusing on each other’s strengths instead of weaknesses… If you’re naturally somebody who sees the glass half empty instead of half full, you tend to focus on the weaknesses and want to change and make them a certain way. So I think that people like me who find that more of a challenge need to continually be focusing on the strengths and remembering that’s what you want the other person to be doing. So you need to do that as well, and that will help build mutual respect. Sammy: You know, one of the chief complaints I hear from couples when we talk about respect is that… One person will say, “Well, my spouse is always trying to play the Holy Spirit, trying to say, ‘I’m going to make this person like Jesus.'” Of course, that’s an impossible task, especially for Tex, because I have a long, long way to go. Humility then plays a really great role in that. Again, we keep coming back to this idea of humility. I think that to be able to communicate, it’s having that humble spirit that is important. I see that in you. For me, that spirit of humility has been there, and sometimes I get convicted because I go, “Oh man, I see how I’m not like that.” So tell me what causes you to develop that kind of humble spirit. I’m not trying to say you’re Ms. Humble, but you have to be with me. Tex: We married, so… That’s one thing that is like an eggshell. When an eggshell has been broken and you put it together, the pieces complement one another. I think that in all of our lives, like Kelly was saying, there’s brokenness in places, yet we have our strengths and our weaknesses, and that brings us together. I think one of the things I have appreciated most about you is that you are so open, so you do challenge me in that area. You challenge me to be more open. It has been a blessing in my life, and at times… Sometimes you’re so strong that I think, “Whoa!” and it causes me to pray, so I think it points me back to Jesus. Sammy: This is all communication. That’s what we’re talking about. My voice… Braden, who is y’all’s youngest, is like me in some ways. I identify with Braden because my voice naturally is louder than I hear myself, so sometimes I’m speaking loudly and people think I’m being more… To me, I’m not that way, but it feels that way. You’ve been able to… This is what I was talking about with regard to humility. You have watched me, and you’ve kind of learned me and realized, “Hey, he’s not meaning that the way it’s coming out.” You’ve been able to discern that. To me, I don’t know what it is, but I know it’s a God thing. I know it’s something God has done in your heart, because only God could do that. What about you guys? What is something you see in each other that just has blessed you or helped you to develop (like you said, you earn respect) that respect? Kelly: I think that when I look at Dave, I really respect the way he values people who are different from him. He can see differences in people, and instead of being afraid of them or pushing them away, he learns from them. It’s not trying to get them to change to be like him or to change their mind. He just really, genuinely cares. I think that has a lot to do with traveling. Growing up, he traveled so much, and he was around people who had different religions, different beliefs, and different customs and food, even, and it doesn’t scare him to be around that. I do really value the way he can make someone feel comfortable just because he accepts them. There’s no judgment there, and he’s really good at learning from people who are different from him. Dave: I mean, there are a couple of things, but I think that for me, the thing at the top of the list would be the fact that Kelly has that self-sacrificial servant’s heart Christ has. She lives it every day. You can say things, but your actions speak louder than words, and every day she does selfless things that are really the glue to our family. It’s thankless so many times, especially from our kids (and me too). It’s thankless, and she just keeps doing it out of that genuine, deep love she has for each one of us. She knows it’ll make our family better, it’ll make our family operate the way it’s supposed to operate. Part B, really quickly, is what I mentioned earlier. It’s just her heart for others. That ties into humility too. It’s especially with those who don’t have a voice, the voiceless, those who are being bullied, those who just haven’t been given much in life. She wants to walk alongside them and help them get to a point where they can thrive in how God has made them to be. I really appreciate that. Sammy: Even in just discussing this, this is communication we’re talking about. You brought this out, Kelly. Just recognizing the strength in the other person and how helpful even just verbalizing that is… One of my great weaknesses is verbalizing what I see. I see that I appreciate, but I need to verbalize it more. I need to verbalize the strengths in other people. That’s something Tex has done. One of the things that will help with our communication is to start communicating with each other those strengths we see in one another just like we’ve done here. Building that respect keeps us rooted in that spirit of humility by seeing… The Scripture says, “…esteem others better than yourselves…” Seeing their strengths and recognizing that can be really, really helpful. Submitting yourselves to one another in the reverence and fear of Christ, that when you look at each other and you respect one another, your heart is rooted in a spirit of humility… That’s what the Scripture says we can do that will help us, I believe, to communicate with one another. About Sammy Tippit Ministries STM has been providing inspiration and help around the world for nearly 50 years. Sammy Tippit, founder and president, is a world renowned counselor, teacher and evangelist with experience serving and helping people in over 80 countries. Sammy provides materials that help people tackle a broad array of social, societal, psychological and spiritual issues. He is particularly passionate about making materials accessible to other countries around the world. Sammy is married to Debara “Tex” Tippit, and they have two children and five grandchildren. Sammy Tippit Ministries is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization. Contact: info@sammytippit.org

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line602

__label__wiki

News & Events Info: (212) 815-7555 Home » PEP May Jun 2019 PEP May Jun 2019 Urban Park Rangers Find a Lost 83-year-old Man on a Search-and-Rescue Mission July 17, 2019 // 1 Comment By DIANE S. WILLIAMS Local 983 Urban Park Rangers in Staten Island’s Ocean Breeze fanned out across the tidal marsh in a search-and-rescue mission to find a lost 83-year-old man on May 2. Headed to Staten Island University Hospital for a doctor’s visit, the elderly man missed his bus and decided to take a shortcut through the vast meadows he walked as a youngster. He told reporters that he had walked for almost 30 minutes only to discover too late that what he remembered to be dry land decades years ago is now 110 acres of wet marshland. Tired and disoriented, the man stepped in mud, fell backward, and began to sink. He used an old flip phone to call 911. UPR Sgt. Anne Marie Santos was at her post in Ocean Breeze when she saw police gathering. They told her about the 911 call that went out around 2:15 p.m. She radioed UPRs and PEP Officers Winston Farrell, Charles Williams, and [More...] Moving UP Thanks to the Union’s Ed Fund: From Dietary Aide to Registered Nurse By DIANE S. WILLIAMS A unique Education Fund program opened a door to life-altering opportunities for Dietary Aide Yolanda Jeter and other hospital workers to earn college degrees and acquire skills leading to jobs, promotions and better salaries. “I went to a Local 420 membership meeting and that’s where I learned about this incredible program,” said Jeter, a per diem worker at Susan McKinney nursing home since 2013. “Attending that union meeting changed my life.” What Jeter learned about is the Food and Nutrition Worker Education Fund program for dietary aides and other employees with union titles at NYC Health + Hospitals facilities who are supervised by Sodexo management. The program helps NYC H+H employees advance through higher education and certifications, providing up to $2,000 in annual tuition assistance and reimbursement for education, professional development and [More...] Union’s 9/11 Memories at Memorial Glade Dedication By MIKE LEE “It is 17 years since we completed the cleanup of the World Trade Center site. We’re not going to be here that much longer, you know?” said Local 375 member and Dept. of Design and Construction Project Manager and Chapter 4 President, Mike Kenny at the dedication of the 9/11 Memorial Glade near the World Trade Center on May 30. Kenny was part of a contingent of DC 37 members — veterans of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack — who spent months of arduous rescue and recovery work at the site. At the Thursday morning ceremony, the greenspace at the site was packed with spectators; elected officials; workers who toiled at the site, and family members. They congregated under the morning’s gray sky to remember the dedication of thousands of public workers and volunteers who risked their lives to help seal the wound caused by the 2001 event, which took more than 3,000 [More...] By HENRY GARRIDO Honoring the past is important. Building a future is essential. Perhaps nothing has exemplified the grit and determination of our union quite like our headquarters at 125 Barclay St. in lower Manhattan, which has been our prime location for generations. DC 37 headquarters has been the place where contracts have been negotiated… where elected officials have come to explain themselves… where our rich cultural diversity has been celebrated. It is where members’ rights have been affirmed — and where members’ problems have been solved. This is where DC 37’s past and present come together with a promise and commitment for a better future. During our decades at 125 Barclay St., we’ve had to leave the building twice for prolonged periods of time — the first time after the tragedy of 9/11 in 2001; and, more recently, after the devastation wrought by Superstorm [More...] Paid Family Leave Benefit is a Hit 3 By GREGORY N. HEIRES In the first six months since its inception, more than 1,000 union members took advantage of the new paid family leave benefit. “We are glad so many members are participating,” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said. “The union and New York City are setting an example for the rest of the country.” As of early June, 1,032 DC 37 members had applied for paid family leave, which went into effect in January. The union won the benefit as part of the 2017-21 economic agreement. Most participants–64 percent–took the benefit to bond with their newborn child. Other reasons cited were 35 percent responded they took paid family leave to care for a family members. In 2019, the paid family leave benefit allows members to take up to 10 weeks to care for family members. The benefit covers 55 percent of the statewide average weekly wage, with a maximum [More...] CUNY Sets Contract Pay Dates By GREGORY N. HEIRES The City University of New York has set pay dates for its new contract with the union, for 2 percent increases effective Feb. 1, 2017, Feb. 1, 2018 and Feb. 1, 2019. The tentative pay date for full-time and part-time employees at CUNY’s senior colleges is Aug. 1. Full- and part-time employees working in CUNY’s community colleges will receive their pay rate increases and retroactive pay on Aug. 23. College Assistants represented by Local 2054 in Community Colleges will be paid on Aug. 23. The pay dates for College Assistants in senior colleges had not been finalized as PEPtalk went to press. CUNY’s recent announcement of the pay dates for the 2017-21 economic agreement came after the union pressed the city’s university system to implement the increases. DC 37 and CUNY settled the new contract in November 2018. Members overwhelmingly approved the agreement the [More...] DC 37 Efforts Pivotal in Green New Deal Passage BY MIKE LEE Overcoming staunch political opposition from the real estate industry, New York City has embarked on an unprecedented effort to reduce greenhouse emissions citywide. DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido joined New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, City Council Environmental Protection Committee Chair Costa Constantinides and other Council members and community leaders in announcing OneNYC2050, an ambitious green initiative that comes on the heels of the passage of the Climate Mobilization Act. The Climate Mobilization Act, spearheaded by Constantinides and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, provides $14 billion in investments to cut carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2030. DC 37’s involvement was key in lobbying the City Council, working with community and environmental groups to rally support for the legislation. “Climate justice is the moral imperative of our [More...] Budget Win! Union Gains in Parks, Libraries By MIKE LEE Standing with City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and other council members and union leaders including DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido in the rotunda of City Hall, the mayor announced an agreement for a budget for fiscal year 2020. “We have a budget. The budget is balanced. It is progressive — and it’s early,” Mayor de Blasio said. Over months, DC 37 waged fierce campaigns with community-based coalitions to press the City Council for hiring and improvements. At rallies at City Hall and in testimony before the City Council, union members urged lawmakers to increase support for public services. . In the end, the union’s message was heard loud and clear. For Parks and Recreation, the city answered with $31 million in additional funds. This includes baseline (permanent) funding of $9.5 million to create positions for 100 seasonal park workers, 50 [More...] Equal Pay For Equal Work! Local 372 Goes to Court for School Crossing Guards By MIKE LEE The union is backing a legal effort to equalize pay for the more than 2,500 school crossing guards with the city’s Traffic Enforcement Agents, both of whom perform the same work. Board of Education Employees Local 372 held a rally and press conference in front of the federal Court House in Foley Square in lower Manhattan on May 16, shortly before an important hearing in a lawsuit against New York City stating it is in violation of the Equal Pay Act. The case, Miller v. New York, was filed on behalf of the union’s school crossing guards, workers who are predominantly female and paid substantially less than the city’s Traffic Enforcement Agents who perform similar job functions—and are mainly male. The goal of the lawsuit is to equalize pay between the SCAs and TEAs, given that the latter is often called upon to work as crossing guards, but at the same rate as their [More...] Union Wins on New Full-Time Positions at H+H Facility BY DIANE S. WILLIAMS In an ongoing fight to protect jobs and benefits, the union settled a group grievance to convert nine per diem, hourly and part-time workers at the Susan B. McKinney long-term care facility in Brooklyn to permanent, full-time positions. “These members were hired as part timers but management assigned extra hours and full time work schedules from day one without full time benefits or the opportunity to become full time NYC Health+Hospital employees,” said Local 420 President Carmen Charles, who represents the eight Patient Care Technicians and one Housekeeper the union filed the group claim for. “To add insult to injury,” Charles said, “McKinney management would hire new people off the street as full-time employees, without considering these workers who were already on staff.” “Many of the workers felt they were overlooked because the nursing director [More...] Search the DC 37 Blog OFFICIAL DC 37 BLOG. DC 37 is New York City's largest public employee union, represents 125,000 members and 50,000 retirees. Our members help to make New York run by working in over 1,000 titles - everything from Accountants to Zookeepers. Union’s TV Show focuses on New State Enhanced Tenant Protections DC 37 CUNY Days: We Can Help You Jumpstart Your Career! DC 37 union backs Councilman Donovan Richards for Queens borough president 125 Barclay St. to Close Jan. 21 2019: Growing Union Power Stay Connected with DC 37 © District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO. 125 Barclay Street, New York, NY 10007. Privacy Policy

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line605

__label__wiki

Who we are / Staff / Robert A.G. Monks Robert A.G. Monks Robert A.G. Monks is the publisher of www.ragm.com, which is focused on the assembly and dissemination of information and opinion about global issues of corporate governance and government capture. Mr. Monks is a substantial shareholder in, and advisor to, Trucost, the environmental research company. He is also the founder of Lens Governance Advisors, a law firm that advises on corporate governance in the settlement of shareholder litigation. His principal occupation is the development of ideas harmonizing corporate energies with the long-term interests of global society. He was the founder of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc., and served as its president from 1985-1990. ISS is now the leading corporate governance consulting firm, advising shareholders with assets in excess of $1 trillion on how to vote their proxies. In January 2007, ISS was sold to Riskmetrics. He founded the investment fund known as LENS, which since 1992 has developed the “institutional activist” mode of investment. The fund has achieved returns in excess of the S&P average throughout its life. In 1998, in partnership with British Telephone Pension Scheme to promote the same investment principles in the United Kingdom, he founded Hermes LENS Asset Management Company of which he served as Joint Deputy Chairman. This fund also exceeded its index performance standard. Mr. Monks served as the President of Henley Management College’s Center for Board Effectiveness from 2000 to October 2003. He is also the board chairman of Governance for Owners – G40 – for both the London and U.S. based share-ownership services venture formed by former Hermes directors Peter Butler and Steve Brown which has initially focused on a European fund informed by the principles of value to be added by proper governance. He is a graduate of Harvard College, Cambridge University and Harvard Law School. He was a partner in a Boston law firm and served as vice president of Gardner Associates, an investment management company. He was president and chief executive officer of C.H.Sprague & Son Company, a coal and oil concern and served as a board member and chairman of the Board of The Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Company and the Boston Company. He served as director of the United States Synthetic Fuels Corporation through appointment by President Reagan who also appointed him one of the founding Trustees of the Federal Employees’ Retirement System. He served in the Department of Labor as Administrator of the Office of Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs having jurisdiction over the entire U.S. pension system. Mr. Monks has served as a member of the board of directors of ten publicly held companies.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line606

__label__cc

Articles by: Inamul Haq Citizen Amendment Bill and Student Protest in India Co-Written by Inamul Haq & Dr. Beryl Anand The ongoing student protest in India against the policies of government is not new in the history.It is revolution among the young students, who does not believe in boundaries, religion, identity, class and region. The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is considered as a hub of anti-government protests. However, the rest of the[Read More…] by Inamul Haq — 0 comments — India Humanitarian Home Minister of India: His Dictions and Failures Home minister of India Amit Shah started his office by promising to security, liberty, prosperity and right to life to the common masses. However, this self-styled Chanakya Amit shah came withdifferent plan. Whatever he used to saying in the election campaign tried to Implement on ground. Amit shah, a man with criminal charges became the president of BJP first and[Read More…] by Inamul Haq — Comments are Disabled — India Remembering Gang Rape of Kunan Poshpora (Kashmir) Co-Written by Inamul Haq& Tajamul Maqbool Rape as well as sexual violence committed by security forces against women have been an indispensable element of Indian military strategy in conflict zones like Kashmir and northeast. Those who were legally bound to protect the civilian rights have been involved incrimes particularly against women in Kashmir. For two decades there have been incidents[Read More…] by Inamul Haq — Comments are Disabled — Kashmir Pulwama Aftermath: Freedom of Speech and Present India Freedom of speech became a debatable issue in India during the regime of Modi government. From 2014, criticism against any government policy or step becomes the activity of anti-national. Nobody dares to speak against the authority. Even in Indian constitution, article 19 guarantees the right “to freedom of speech and expression.” However, the constitution also allows the government to limit freedom[Read More…] Gaw Kadal Massacre: A Turning Point The word massacre denotes a form of collective action that destroys the defenceless individuals. In European middle ages, the word has been used in reference to animals. There is a difference between massacre and genocide. Every massacre is not a genocide, a genocide is primarily composed of one or more massacres. There are many categories of massacre like local (face[Read More…] Aasifa: A Question to the Humanity “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (Martin Luther King). Aasifa, 8 years old girl belonging to Gujjar community of Rassana village of Hiranagar Kathua was brutally raped, murdered and was decomposed nearby forests in the month of January 2018. After five days, her body was found in soaked blood and mud, which led to the suspicious that the[Read More…] by Inamul Haq — Comments are Disabled — Human Rights Massacres in Kashmir: A Revision of 2018 Kashmir and its history is replete with intimate massacres. These massacres were not witnessed after the birth of nation states who drafted the independent nation into disputed territory. These massacres were also witnessed during Mughal rule, Afghan rule, Sikh as well as in Dogra rule. In the year 1947, when one side the sub-continent of India got their independence from[Read More…] by Inamul Haq — 1 comment — Kashmir Identity Formation in the Kashmir Valley: An Overview Identity is a concept for understanding and learning about social conflicts. The issue of Muslim identity in the Kashmir conflict became a concern, thereby turning potentially negotiable issues into intractable conflicts centered on conflicting groups’ self-image and religion. A stalemate has followed because of the perception that the identity of a Kashmiri Muslim is non-negotiable. Identities are complex, historically bound[Read More…]

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line607

__label__cc

Social Media Can Be Hazardous to Your Cybersecurity Health Part 1: The Problem It is difficult to overstate the current backlash against social media. Social media giants are under attack from virtually all sources, including both governments and individuals. The #humblebrag du jour is a social media addict publically stating the intent to close accounts, take social media sabbaticals, cull friend and follower lists, and boasting about how much better life has become after weaning themselves from the constant attention-drain – even if many do not follow through on the threat. If you join the movement, you might be helping your company’s information security profile. Social media accounts often contain sensitive personal data that can be accumulated, hacked, sold and resold in their own right. But beyond that, they provide corporate hackers with enough information to guess passwords, whereabouts and interests, and provide enough data to craft sophisticated and effective spear-phishing emails – personalized missives that reflect the character and wording of the individuals they spoof, down to grammar, spelling and tone. That’s why it’s so important to include a cybersecurity-focused review of your company’s social media policy and practices. If you aren’t going to set strict social media standards for C-level executives and consider conducting regular audits of their social accounts, then you at least need to educate them about the risk. Some of the key risks – but only the most obvious ones – are below. Continue reading Posted in: Risk Evaluation and Management Overstate Your Cybersecurity at Your Peril – Lessons from the Equifax Data Breach Looking back with the perspective of two years, the Equifax data breach still has many lessons to teach us. Unfortunately, some of the most important lessons are masked by the extremes of the errors that characterized the original breach, which include insider trading by top executives after the breach was discovered but before it was disclosed. That, combined with the length of time the company withheld news of the breach, and the irony that its entire business model is built on security, may lure some observers into believing that the incident is unique, and they could never screw things up as magnificently. That would, however, be a mistake. As litigation over the breach continues, there are some takeaways that might not be as obvious, but which are important to all companies. As courts and regulatory agencies struggle with how to respond to such breaches, punish companies that disregard regulations and look to compensate victims, it becomes increasingly clear that securities compliance is more important than ever. For public companies, data breaches are doubly dangerous. First, a key lesson from Equifax is that words matter. Earlier this year, a federal judge upheld most of the plaintiffs’ claims in a securities class action against Equifax (note, these are claims brought by shareholders, not those whose data was breached, though of course those subsets likely overlap), in part because statements on the company’s website, in SEC filings and during investor conferences stated it employed “strong data security.” Plaintiffs allege that the statements misled investors regarding “the strength of Equifax’s cybersecurity systems, its compliance with data protection laws, and the integrity of its internal controls.” All companies, and especially those in the security business or whose business model is based on gathering, storing and processing information, can be tempted to tout one’s defenses as “the best,” “state of the art,” “industry-leading,” etc. More to the point, a marketing department is bound to use that kind of language. That language, however, is the basis for shareholder lawsuits, FTC enforcement actions and other problems. Here are three steps to take to ensure your cybersecurity statements aren’t what compound your misery after a breach: Continue reading Posted in: Boards of Directors, Data Breach and Policies and Procedures Illinois Expands Protection of Biometric Information – Who’s Next? Opening the gates to expensive class actions and “sue and settle” lawsuits By Michael Gold and Bob Braun A new ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court could trigger expensive class action lawsuits and private litigation against businesses, even where plaintiffs do not allege actual injury. The case demands attention, not only from those doing business in Illinois, but throughout the nation. The Case and Its Holding On January 25, 2019, the Illinois Supreme Court issued its long-awaited decision in Rosenbach v. Six Flags – and the unanimous opinion doesn’t do any favors for business. The Court ruled that individuals alleging violations of the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) in state court – like using a thumbprint to clock in and out of work on a biometric time clock, without the statutorily required notice and acknowledgments in place – do not need to allege concrete injury in order to sue. Rather, simply pleading a violation of BIPA’s technical requirements will be enough, without alleging any actual injury. Because each violation carries a substantial fine, and the statute provides for a private right of action and recovery of attorneys’ fees, the Court has effectively opened the doors to the next wave of extremely risky and costly litigation for Illinois businesses. The decision is a warning sign, not only for Illinois businesses that use biometric information, but for businesses generally. The case is one of a series that make it easier for plaintiffs to bring claims without asserting damages. In other words, plaintiffs do not need to make one of the essential allegations of any lawsuit claiming money damages – that they have been harmed in fact. This has, for years, been a stumbling block for lawsuits arising out of data breaches, as the existence of damages has been difficult to prove. Just as more courts are willing to assume damages in those kinds of cases, the Illinois court has done the same for violations of BIPA. Importantly, this will not only ease the burden for individual plaintiffs; it is likely to expand the availability of class action claims as well. The case is also demonstrative of the increasing willingness to reshape statutes that may not originally have been treated or viewed as privacy protection statutes. The Federal Trade Commission, many attorneys general, local district attorneys and private plaintiffs have used laws prohibiting “unfair and deceptive trade practices” to address perceived privacy and security shortcomings. The use of BIPA in this context may well embolden governmental and private plaintiffs alike to consider whether existing statutes can be used to bring claims. Finally, the Court’s opinion reflects a shift in attitude that underlies privacy legislation in the United States. Just as the European Union and other jurisdictions have adopted the position that personal information belongs to the individual, this case recognizes the same trend in the United States. This decision, along with the California Consumer Privacy Act, and proposed laws in Washington, Vermont and other states – as well as measures being considered by the federal government – point to a new attitude toward the use of personal information by businesses. Actions to Take The Rosenbach case has implications far beyond Illinois. Businesses operate in a world where regulators, law enforcement, and private individuals actively seek ways to hold companies responsible for ensuring personal privacy. Part of their method is to use laws that may have been ignored, or to find ways to interpret existing laws, to support damage claims. This creates a challenge for companies, since addressing the challenges posed by these laws requires companies to focus not on reacting to events, but on establishing information governance systems that addresses the collection and use of personal data. These developments also cannot be effectively addressed solely at a technical level – in particular, they cannot be delegated to an information technology department. Rather, the active involvement of senior management is crucial to evaluating the risks a company is willing to take in the context of existing and emerging privacy laws, and ensuring deployment of governance frameworks that realistically address these risks without undermining the company’s business mission. The JMBM Cybersecurity and Privacy Group counsels companies on incorporating privacy and information security into enterprise governance. For additional information, contact Michael Gold (MGold@jmbm.com) or Bob Braun (RBraun@jmbm.com). Posted in: Boards of Directors and Litigation Cybersecurity Predictions for 2019 In their column, Top 10 cybersecurity predictions for the new year, Robert Braun and Michael Gold, co-chairs of JMBM’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Group offer predictions on federal privacy legislation (they won’t pass any and if by chance they do, it won’t work), data localization (more companies will have to decide whether to maintain services in foreign jurisdictions or leave those markets), governance (companies will get finally get real about enforcing written cybersecurity policies), and more. Published by the Daily Journal, you can read the column here. About JMBM’s JMBM’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Group JMBM’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Group counsels clients in a wide variety of industries, including retail, aerospace, health care, utilities, sports, media, and professional services such as accounting firms, law firms, business management firms and family offices. We represent clients in matters ranging from development of cybersecurity strategies, creation of data security and privacy policies, responding to data breaches and regulatory inquiries and investigations, and crisis management. The Cybersecurity & Privacy Group uses a focused intake methodology that permits clients to get a reliable sense of their cybersecurity readiness and to determine optimal, client-specific approaches to cybersecurity. About the Daily Journal The Daily Journal is California’s largest legal newspaper. Published daily, it includes breaking news and exclusive coverage of California legal affairs, California law firm news, updates on business transactions, and special reports throughout the year. Robert E. Braun and Michael A. Gold are co-chairs of the Cybersecurity & Privacy Law Group at Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP. Contact Bob Braun at RBraun@jmbm.com or +1 310.785.5331. Contact Mike Gold at MGold@jmbm.com or +1 310.201.3529. Posted in: Boards of Directors, International Law and Privacy Regulations Why is data security so hard in the hospitality industry? What can be done about it? Written prior to Marriott International’s announcement on November 30, 2018 that a data breach exposed the private data of up to 500 million guests, Robert Braun, co-chair of JMBM’s Cybersecurity & Privacy Group, wrote the article Guest Privacy – It’s Your Business, published by HotelExecutive.com on December 2, 2018. In that article, he writes: “Gathering and processing information [about guests] provides not only opportunities, but creates obligations, one of the most basic of which is ensuring the security of guests’ personal information. That obligation has become increasingly complex due both to the vulnerability of hotel companies to breach, and the enactment of laws and regulations, worldwide, that impose additional burdens on hotels – the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, California’s Consumer Privacy Act, as well as industry developments have further heightened the concerns with guest privacy and security.” He also notes: “This focus must be seen in the context of two key issues: first, that hotels collect large amounts of data from their guests, both directly and through third parties; and second, that the hospitality industry has a checkered track record in protecting personal information. Both these demand that the hospitality industry take a renewed focus on data security.” To read the full article, including Braun’s suggestions as to what hotel owners and operators should do to begin the process of securing their systems, see Guest Privacy – It’s Your Business. To read more on Braun’s take on the Marriott International data breach, see Avoiding Hotel Data Breaches with a Risk Assessment Audit – Lessons from the Marriott International “Glitch”. Posted in: Data Breach and Policies and Procedures Updated: December 3, 2018 11:55 am Data Breaches and Cybersecurity: What the hospitality industry can learn from the Marriott breach Today’s revelation by Marriott International that a data breach exposed the names and personal details of over 500 million guests sent a shudder throughout the hospitality industry worldwide. Hoteliers know they are an appealing target for hackers as their databases contain identifying and financial information for very large numbers of people, and they have systems that by necessity must be accessible to many different levels within the company. Because privacy laws in the US, the EU (and other countries around the globe) are becoming increasingly stringent, hoteliers are also keenly aware that the retention and use of guests’ personal information now comes with greater potential liability than ever before. It is time for hotel brands, and hotel owners and operators, to create effective and comprehensive privacy and cybersecurity policies, procedures and systems. For JMBM’s Hotel Law Blog, I have outlined some key takeaways from the Marriott International breach. To read the blog, see Avoiding Hotel Data Breaches With a Risk Assessment Audit – Lessons From the Marriott International “Glitch” — Bob Braun Cyber Risk and Internal Accounting Controls: How Should Boards Respond? The SEC warns public companies that lax cybersecurity practices could violate rules governing internal accounting controls, and offer nine scams as cautionary tales. The SEC has become increasingly active when it comes to cybersecurity. Last month, it issued an investigative report about Business Email Compromises (BCEs) involving nine public companies that lost nearly $100 million when they wired funds to thieves impersonating corporate executives or vendors. While the SEC did not take action against the companies, it noted that policies and procedures that allowed for the thefts, accomplished via simple means of email and wire transfers, could leave a company in violation of accounting rules requiring that public companies safeguard corporate assets. The report makes a strong case that all companies, not just the boards of public companies, need to be aware of and protect against scams of these sorts. The Commission considered whether the victimized companies complied with the requirements of Sections 13(b)(2)(B)(i) and (iii) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Those provisions require certain issuers to devise and maintain a system of internal accounting controls that provide reasonable assurances that management authorizes corporate transactions and access to company assets. “While the cyber-related threats posed to issuers’ assets are relatively new, the expectation that issuers will have sufficient internal accounting controls and that those controls will be reviewed and updated as circumstances warrant is not,” the report stated. The Commission chose to issue the report as guidance and declined to bring charges against the companies. While these companies dodged a second bullet, all companies should take this opportunity to benefit from the SEC’s analysis, and how important it is that board members understand the multiple aspects of cybersecurity, cyber risk, and related compliance. Some directors may still assume that a cybersecurity breach is one that involves hackers infiltrating a company’s computer systems and stealing the customer data. With this preconception, an enterprise will focus on hardware, software, and firewalls and other technical solutions, which can lull management into thinking that increasing the data security budget is enough to address security threats. But almost all breaches have a human element – these losses cited in the SEC report were based on social engineering,” which we’ve written about – exploiting human weakness, not technological failures. The only thing “hacked” was what should have been the proper level of suspicion of the employee targeted, and lax internal controls. So how should companies respond, and what do board members and top executives need to do to avoid problems? Continue reading Posted in: Boards of Directors, Human Firewall and Policies and Procedures Cyber Resiliency: Designing for Disaster Cybersecurity is a method to protect your data and systems. Cyber resiliency is a way of doing business in the face of the inevitable. When Hurricane Michael struck the Florida Panhandle earlier this month, it wiped away wide swaths of Mexico Beach, a coastal town on the Gulf of Mexico. Left conspicuously standing was a house built just last year of reinforced concrete, specifically designed to withstand a Category 5 storm. The house, elevated on pilings to survive the storm surge, lost its stairwell—by design. It was built to separate from the building without damaging the structure itself. Other than the missing stairs, the house suffered only minor water damage and a cracked shower window. This story is an important lesson, and a metaphor for cyber resiliency, taking steps to weather a data or systems catastrophe while maintaining ongoing business operations. The adoption of cyber resiliency is an important mindset shift for those dealing with cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is the approach that focuses on the methods and processes of protecting electronic data – the goal is to thwart an attack, and emphasizes training people and systems to recognize infiltration so it can be stopped. Cyber resilience, on the other hand, assumes an attack will occur. The underlying premise could be summed up this way: “What can go wrong, will. What are you going to do about it?” Many companies have made meaningful improvements in protecting their data. They have implemented better firewalls, procedures and training to reduce the likelihood of an attack. While these steps are essential, implementing a cyber resilience program focuses on how the enterprise can continue doing business in the midst of and in the wake of an attack. Cyber resiliency requires a different set of tools and, more importantly, a corporate culture more attuned with surviving natural disasters. Continue reading Posted in: Human Firewall, Policies and Procedures and Risk Evaluation and Management Updated: October 30, 2018 10:10 am Lessons From the Record-Setting Uber Data Breach Settlement Uber has had a hard time getting data security right. This past week, the ride-sharing company agreed to pay $148 million in a settlement with 50 state attorneys general and the District of Columbia after it intentionally concealed a 2016 data breach. According to the New York Attorney General, it is the largest settlement ever in a multi-state breach case. Uber was found to have breached notification laws by hiding the fact that hackers accessed the information of 57 million users. Uber then paid the hackers $100,000 to destroy the data, without publically disclosing the loss. This isn’t Uber’s first time mishandling customer and driver personal information, and misleading the public. This spring, Uber agreed to expand an earlier settlement with the FTC, agreeing to additional conditions. “After misleading consumers about its privacy and security practices, Uber compounded its misconduct by failing to inform the Commission that it suffered another data breach in 2016 while the Commission was investigating the company’s strikingly similar 2014 breach,” acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen said in April 2018. Just to be clear, Uber failed to report a data breach while in the midst of an ongoing FTC data breach investigation – not easy to believe, but true. Some of the lessons here are crystal clear. Others are still unfolding. But they will come to bear on all companies, not just Uber. Uber’s conduct creates a more highly charged environment for all companies. Here’s why. The cover-up is worse than the crime. Uber guessed that it could cover up its mistakes , and it guessed wrong. Uber used its “bug bounty program” to try to hide the fact that it paid a ransom to have the data destroyed. It’s not even clear that a breach notice would be required under many state laws because the data that was stolen didn’t include personal financial information, even if it included what we now consider, broadly, personal information: names, mobile phone numbers, and email addresses of customers and, in the case of drivers, their driving license information. But in trying to hide the issue, Uber heaped problems on itself. Uber could have reported the issue up the line and let those with real authority decide how to handle it. Instead, the matter was hidden from Uber’s CEO for months, denying the company the chance to go to regulators and seek their guidance. Welcome to a stricter data regime—for all of us. As part of the settlement, Uber is now mandated to put in place more secure systems, and acknowledge breaches of a broad variety of personal information. It will undergo 20 years of audits, at significant expense, both monetary and in terms of human resources. The company is also required to provide records of its bug bounty reports relating to any vulnerability of consumer data, as well as turn over all third-party audits in full to the FTC. One could argue that the FTC is now running security at Uber, not the company. This is a new line in the sand; any company with less than stellar security programs should be on notice that if they don’t install state-of-the-art systems and processes, the government will be happy to direct them specifically how to do so. The FTC does not like to be fooled, and, while no lap dog in the past, the commission will surely not tolerate being trifled with again. The expansion of the definition of protected data. Up to this point, data breach notification laws have focused on financial data, such as credit card numbers or social security numbers, or other sensitive protected information, such as health records. This action has the possibility of enlarging the scope of protected data that must be reported if accessed or breached to include any information that can identify a person, much as the European Union has done through the General Data Protection Regulation, or California proposes in its recently-enacted Consumer Privacy Act. This means that the conditions that would merit government disclosure of a loss of information have greatly increased, perhaps exponentially. Look for more coordinated state actions. The coordinated action by all of the state Attorneys General may foreshadow additional joint action in the future, which could have an effect on pending federal proposals, and impact the FTC’s authority. The $148 million fine was paid directly to the states (California received $26 million), making large fines a powerful incentive for state regulators to jump on what it sees as egregious conduct. And seeing this kind of money on the table will only embolden class action counsel representing consumers whose data is compromised. We’ve previously written how to handle ransomware attacks. What we didn’t mention in that post, because it seemed to go without saying, is that regardless of the amount of data stolen, or the seemingly innocuous sum requested to get it back, is that all breaches should be analyzed and acted upon as quickly as possible so that the responsible parties evaluate and minimize the risks from a breach. The fact that there may be a chance to secure the data, or ensure it is destroyed, or confirm it has not yet been misused, should not enter the equation. The risk in not acting on a breach is 100%. And getting more expensive by the day. Posted in: Data Breach Updated: October 1, 2018 1:17 pm

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line612

__label__wiki

First round of land auctions “successful”, says farm minister The cultural values and sights of the Southern Transdanubian region of Hungary – Video Budapest, November 21 (MTI) – Auctions to sell state land have been “successful” and around 200 Hungarian farmers bought altogether more than 1,800 hectares of state farmland at an average of 9 hectares each, the minister of agriculture told a news conference on Saturday. Sandor Fazekas said the sales had generated revenues of 4.8 billion forints (EUR 15.5m) for the state, higher than initial estimates. The minister said that in Budapest and a number of counties only Hungarian citizens had purchased the land. All auctions went off smoothly, he said, adding that a disturbance had taken place in Heves County when an LMP lawmaker had joined radical nationalist Jobbik party protesters in attempting unsuccessfully to disrupt proceedings. Not all large and more expensive tracts of land were sold, Fazekas said, adding, however, that these would be up for auction in the future, too. In the first four days, 353 land areas were advertised of which two were withdrawn, 155 were unsuccessful and 196 sold, he said. Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line614

__label__wiki

At risk: Fair and valid census data for Connecticut by Aparna Nathan and Mark Abraham The 2020 Census could be in jeopardy — and it could hit close to home in Connecticut. The right to equal representation for equal numbers of people is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and the Fourteenth Amendment; though imperfect, this is the basis of our democratic system. The Constitution requires that every ten years, the nation undertakes what is arguably its most essential task: ensuring a fair and valid count of every single one of its now 330 million residents. Map of areas with low mail response rates to the 2010 Census questionnaire. The decennial census is a feat of manpower, logistics, and advertising. Mailings are sent to every household in the country, and Census Bureau field workers go door to door to collect information from non-respondents. The products of these efforts are data sets that characterize our population, create political districts, and enable virtually all other ongoing data collection efforts. Among the projects made possible by the decennial census are the American Community Survey, which determines the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of annual government expenditures, and the DataHaven Community Wellbeing Survey, a statewide effort of over 100 partner organizations to track neighborhood-level quality of life and well-being. Counting dollars, counting people Carrying out the decennial census understandably requires a significant investment. Given its importance to all other operations of government, however, the census is arguably one of the most cost-effective federal programs. Funding for the Census Bureau is appropriated by Congress for each fiscal year. Typically, as the Census Bureau figures out the real cost of each stage of planning and execution, Congress adjusts the projected budget for the census, says Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant and former congressional staffer who directed the House’s census oversight subcommittee and now lives in Stamford, Connecticut. But, this is the first time in modern history that a census has had an upfront cap on its total spending, Lowenthal says. In 2012, Congress told the Census Bureau to spend no more than they spent on the 2010 Census, and even encouraged them to spend less. Carrying out the same operation as in 2010 would cost a projected $17.8 billion overall, but the 2020 Census Operational Plan aims for $12.5 billion. According to the 2020 Census Operational Plan, these lower projections reflect the amount of human outreach required. In the past, field workers have gone door to door before the census to check addresses, and then again after the forms have been mailed out to follow up with the significant number of non-responding households. Looking forward to 2020, the Bureau has been planning technology and communications strategies to minimize the required manpower. For example, existing data and satellite imagery will help verify lists of addresses, and respondents will be able to fill out the short questionnaire online, by phone, or using a paper form, to make it as convenient as possible. Unfortunately, so far, Congress has not even been meeting the scaled-back funding requests of the Census Bureau. The Bureau originally requested $1.64 billion for fiscal year 2017, but the budget passed in April only granted them $1.47 billion. The new administration requested just $1.497 billion for fiscal year 2018, which pales in comparison to the 60 percent increase that was provided between fiscal years 2007 and 2008 leading up to the 2010 Census, or the near doubling between fiscal years 1997 and 1998 leading up to the 2000 Census. “The funding for the Census Bureau needs to ramp up sharply,” Lowenthal says, noting that this is especially true in the final three years leading up to the census. Tests canceled and Communications Delayed The lack of funding and delayed budget approvals are already having a broader impact than intended. As Congress has tightened the purse strings, the Census Bureau canceled its 2017 field tests in Washington, the Dakotas, and Puerto Rico. In a memo written last year, Lisa Blumerman, an associate director at the Bureau, wrote that the Bureau “will not continue expending resources to prepare for the FY 2017 field tests,” given the insufficient resources to conduct them. They said they would instead direct their efforts toward the End-to-End Census Tests in 2018, a sort of dress rehearsal, Lowenthal says, that allows the Bureau to test every step of the administration process. Since then, the Bureau cancelled two of the three intended 2018 tests of the full operations in a suburban Washington county (a site that includes a Native American reservation) and a rural region in West Virginia. This leaves one final End-to-End Test in urban Providence, Rhode Island, but it means that they won’t get the opportunity to make sure their targeted outreach is working in rural areas or on reservations, not to mention the lost chance to test their bilingual offerings in the canceled 2017 test in Puerto Rico. Those tests could have been relevant to the 2020 count in Connecticut, both in rural areas and cities such as Hartford with large Spanish-speaking populations. According to Lowenthal, the Census Bureau is also lagging behind on its communications plan, which includes the research and design of targeted messaging to reach populations that are considered to be “hard to count.” At this point, just three years away from the actual administration of the 2020 Census, outreach is everything. “Hard to count” is a term that includes African American and Hispanic households, non-English speakers, low-income families, renters or people living in transient housing, immigrants, and college students. These are populations that typically have low response rates for the decennial census for varying reasons, says Anna Mariotti, who worked as a partnership specialist with the 2010 Census in Connecticut. The risk of undercounting Connecticut residents An underfunded 2020 Census is likely to systematically undercount some of the state’s more vulnerable populations and undermine efforts to create a more equitable, opportunity-rich state. This is particularly concerning given the end purpose of census data. Since population distributions are used to draw voting districts and determine the number of representatives each state or neighborhood gets in our legislative bodies, undercounting hard-to-count groups means that their vote may count less and their voice might not be heard at the state level or in Congress. In Connecticut, many groups could be susceptible to an undercount if they don’t receive sufficient outreach. For example, sizeable immigrant populations throughout much of the state, and refugee populations in Hartford and New Haven, might find themselves questioning the confidentiality and importance of the census, especially in the current climate of fear and anti-immigrant rhetoric, Lowenthal says. “Communities that feel threatened by the government right now—racial/ethnic minorities, particularly immigrant families—will be less likely to fill out or answer detailed questions in response to queries by government workers,” agrees Sharon Langer, advocacy director at Connecticut Voices for Children, a nonprofit that advocates for policies that benefit children and families in the state. Spanish-speaking populations in Hartford and New Haven, and Polish-speaking populations in New Britain, might also find the 2020 Census to be less accessible than hoped. Structural challenges are a concern as well: Hartford also has some of the lowest homeownership rates in the state, at about 24 percent, and much of its population is living in unstable housing, making it more challenging to ensure that everyone is counted at their current addresses. If low-income families are undercounted, Connecticut will receive less funding from Washington to support critical public assistance programs like Medicaid, Medicare, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and housing assistance. During the 2010 Census, Connecticut managed to reach a 74 percent mail response rate, surpassing the nationwide rate of 72 percent. Connecticut was the 15th highest responding state, and led the rest of its New England neighbors. But this wasn’t representative of all parts of the state. In particular, Connecticut’s large cities tended to have lower mail response rates. In the final days leading up to 2010’s Census Day, the Census Bureau announced its concern that Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford, in particular, were nowhere near their response rates from 2000. By the end of the 2010 Census, the Connecticut neighborhoods with the lowest two percent of mail response rates statewide were all concentrated in the largest cities in Connecticut (Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Stamford, Waterbury, and New Britain). Their response rates ranged from 41 percent to 56 percent, meaning that census takers had to try to track down residents during the far more costly door to door operation in order to eventually achieve what these communities hoped would be as close to a complete count as possible. It’s not surprising that Connecticut’s cities are particularly vulnerable, Langer says. These neighborhoods—“block groups,” in census jargon—with low response rates have demographics that match up to hard-to-count populations. Places with lower response rates had more African American and Hispanic residents (by almost 30 percentage points), as well as more non-English speakers and renters. On average, 82 percent of residents in each of the bottom two percent of low self-response block groups were renters, compared to 14 percent in the rest of the block groups. In some areas of Connecticut, the share of renter households and Latino residents has grown significantly since 2010. Implications on Connecticut cities and towns “Hard to count” areas in central Connecticut. Source: Census 2020 HTC Map application, CUNY Center for Urban Research, http://www.censushardtocountmaps2020.us/. Connecticut organizations and elected officials interviewed for this article are concerned that the people who stand to benefit the most from programs whose funding is based directly or in part on the 2020 Census will not be fully counted. An undercount, leading to fewer federal dollars, would impact communities as a whole, as well as the state budget. For example, after Medicaid and Medicare, SNAP benefits brought in the next highest amount of census-based funding, at over $715 million dollars in fiscal year 2015, according to the “Counting for Dollars” project at George Washington University. Large shares of the families in block groups with low mail response rates during the initial phase of the 2010 census are beneficiaries of SNAP and other federally-funded programs. Undercounting these families puts the programs that support them and their communities at risk. Similarly, Connecticut received $387 million dollars in census-based Section 8 voucher funding in fiscal year 2015. The block groups with the lowest response rates each received housing choice vouchers for an average 37 percent of their households, compared to 17 percent in the rest of Connecticut’s block groups. Families rely on these programs to have a roof over their head, put food on the table, and ensure good health. But the state is already struggling to maintain the current level of funding for these programs—it has reduced eligibility for HUSKY, for example—and there are limited resources to replace the lost dollars should the census undercount their potential beneficiaries in Connecticut. Funds for transportation infrastructure are also allocated based on census counts. Mary Ellen Kowalewski, director of policy development and planning at the Capitol Region Council of Governments, says her organization is responsible for planning transportation in the Hartford metro area, and they use census data to ensure that transportation is accessible to the people who need it the most. “There’s a strong desire for equitable development within our regional plan,” Kowalewski says. “Census data helps our staff identify critical needs.” Even the enforcement of civil rights laws, and other programs tied to the protection of the rights of minorities, are also linked to census data. Groups that have historically been threatened by disenfranchisement, hate crimes, lending discrimination, and other forms of oppression could be at greater risk if they are not represented with accurate data. For this reason, LGBT advocates were disappointed when the Census Bureau recently decided to drop questions about gender identity. Nonprofits are also major users of census data, because it helps them pinpoint real needs, says Scott Gaul, director of research and the Community Indicators Project at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. What will it take to revitalize the 2020 Census and correct the oversights of the 2010 one? Adequate funding, Lowenthal says. She acknowledges that the constraints on the federal budget are significant but there is a chance that Congress will re-evaluate its stringent budget for the Census Bureau. National networks of businesses, advocates, institutions, and government agencies, such as The Census Project, are actively encouraging Congress to allocate the resources necessary to produce fair and accurate census data. “In the past, Congress has come up with funds at the eleventh hour. They realized, when push comes to shove, in the years ending in 9 and 0, that they have a lot at stake and the most to lose at the possibility of a failed census,” Lowenthal says. “But we don’t yet have any signs that Congress is going to loosen those purse strings significantly.” If the resources won’t come from the federal government, it could come from other entities instead. Some states allocate additional funds for census outreach efforts, but it doesn’t look promising in Connecticut, given current budget woes. Mayors and city councils may be asked to play a larger role as concerns mount. At the local and regional level, various institutions and agencies, coupled with leadership from grassroots organizations that represent hard-to-count groups, could collaborate to develop more effective, data-driven outreach within available resource constraints. Another step is to look to philanthropy. The Funders Census Initiative aims to bring in money to supplement inadequate federal funding to ensure an accurate census count. Gaul says the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving has demonstrated interest in the Initiative, and they have also discussed how they can make sure census takers reach all the demographic groups in their region, especially those of greatest need. “We need boots on the ground and outreach to do what we can to reach those groups,” Gaul says. Other funders have echoed this concern, and organizations like the United Philanthropy Forum and Annie E. Casey Foundation have recently published resources and guidance on how communities can help ensure a valid 2020 count. Funders have a lot at stake, especially in their own communities where the Census Bureau may need more money than anticipated to hire people to staff partnership programs that specifically target hard-to-count populations. This could mean putting reminders about the Census on church newsletters, including messaging about the census on monthly utility bills, or working with local grassroots organizations. Lowenthal estimates that, during the 2010 Census, philanthropy brought in at least $34 million dollars to fund these campaigns—an important step, but nowhere near the amount needed nationally. “Philanthropy can only do so much in filling the gaps, and does not have the resources to fill large gaps,” Langer says. As a partnership specialist during the 2010 Census, Mariotti knows just how important outreach is. For the 2010 Census, Mariotti began outreach efforts the year prior, specifically collaborating with colleges across the state to make sure that students filled out the census for their Connecticut addresses. She also worked in New Haven, where she connected with grassroots organizations like Junta for Progressive Action and Unidad Latina en Acción, as well as the NAACP, to build trust and educate people about the census and its purpose. “I think not educating people—not doing the outreach or letting people know the importance of the census and what it means for their community—still has the potential to make a big negative impact on the response rate,” Mariotti says. While the continued limitations on federal resources may make a complete count more challenging than ever before, local mobilization may help mitigate the potential harm to Connecticut’s residents and neighborhoods. Aparna Nathan is Research Assistant and Mark Abraham is Executive Director at DataHaven, a formal partner of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership with a 25-year history of public service to Greater New Haven and Connecticut. DataHaven’s mission is to improve quality of life by collecting, sharing and interpreting public data for effective decision making.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line621

__label__wiki

Tag Archives: ABC No one watched a great Emmys telecast, which really shouldn’t surprise us The 2016 Emmys were, quite objectively, a well-produced show. They came in on time, helped by a couple of absent acting winners. They included a meaningful number of surprises, including wins for young stars Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) and Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black), to help offset the predictable series wins for Veep and Game Of Thrones. They had a dynamic host in Jimmy Kimmel, who managed the combination of prepared bits and contextual quips admirably. They had a diverse array of winners, and Academy president Bruce Rosenblum used his speech to call attention to below-the-line workers, bringing out two craft winners from the Creative Arts ceremonies for a deserved round of applause. They even managed to find a way to mount specific In Memoriam tributes to television greats—the Garrys, Shandling and Marshall—without making the evening too somber. While there are winners I’d quibble with, there was nothing in the narrative of the evening that to me demonstrates a failing on the part of the producers. The 2016 Emmys were also, objectively, the lowest-rated ever. This dichotomy has to be frustrating for producers, who put on a show that I would identify as a successful celebration of television as a medium, but who were summarily punished for that. And so as CBS prepares to mount its latest version of the Emmys next year, the question becomes whether or not parties involved believe that there is a need to change the central goals of the Emmys to draw larger audiences. Filed under Award Shows, Emmy Awards, Uncategorized Tagged as 2016, ABC, Analysis, Awards, CBS, Emmy Awards, Emmys, Ratings, Review American Crime puts Pedagogy before Story (ABC/Felicia Graham) A lot of television criticism becomes a critique of execution. Good ideas are put forward, but something’s off: a performance doesn’t quite land, the character logic doesn’t quite track, or limitations of budget or time—basic realities of making broadcast television—stand in the way of telling the story the way they wanted to. But then you have cases like tonight’s American Crime, which I believe is executing the story it wants to tell at a high level. It’s just not the story I thought they were telling, and dramatically alters the scale and focus of the show in ways that in my experience undercut what made the show so compelling earlier in the season. Filed under American Crime Tagged as ABC, American Crime, Episode 8, John Ridley, School Shooting, Season 2, Taylor, Television, TV Risk/Reward: The Crude Experimentation of ABC’s Mixology Mixology doesn’t make sense, at first. During the panel at the Television Critics Association press tour for the series in January, the producers were asked a range of questions about the viability of the show’s premise—documenting ten singles in one night in one bar—before I got a chance to ask my question, which was basically a good-natured way of asking “Did anyone try to convince you not to do such a thing?” Television development is a game of risk/reward. Mixology represents a substantial risk for creators Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, as it’s their first television show and they’re playing with narrative in ways that most would advise against. As I noted in asking my question, there is no escaping this premise—whereas other shows can throw out their premises (see: Cougar Town) or make significant adjustments to characters as they evolve over time (see: Parks and Recreation, The Office), Mixology is tied to telling one story about ten characters in one night in its first season (which debuts tonight at 9:30/8:30c on ABC). To their credit, Lucas and Moore were fairly open about the fact that this was a swing. Speaking to reporters, Moore described the process of the show’s creation: “We just kind of sat down and thought what would be the best show, most interesting show to us, how to do it differently, how to show people, like, meeting and falling in love and that comedy in a different way. And we didn’t really think about, sort of, the structure of TV and how it works and all of the rules.” It’s easy to scoff at this—I do it often when film writers move into television, seemingly with no attention to the medium’s specificity—but in talking with Lucas and Moore after the panel it became clear they understand television enough to know they’re breaking some rules. Although the room didn’t exactly buy Moore’s attempt to sell the show as “Lost in a bar,” it was at least a gesture toward the televisual tradition the show leans on, and on principles of episodic and seasonal storytelling the show needs to address to succeed. Mixology has aspirations, ones that make it an interesting experiment in how we connect with characters, and how stakes function in television comedy. It’s also a show that, six episodes in, makes more sense than it did at first, if not enough to make it a fully successful experiment. Filed under Mixology Tagged as ABC, Analysis, Comedy, Pilot, Premiere, Review Fleeting Footholds: The 2012 Primetime Emmy Nominations The 2012 Primetime Emmy Nominations While Cultural Learnings has certainly been put on the backburner as I spend my summer studying, my willpower to keep myself from writing about television is at its weakest during Emmy season. While you would think that an early analysis of the leadup to the nominations and a piece on the nominations itself—focusing on Downton Abbey’s successful transition to the Series category—over at Antenna would be sufficient, I found myself hitting the site’s word count limit while still having a whole collection of narratives left to play out. Accordingly, there are two points I want to make here. The first is the way in which this year’s awards demonstrate the capacity for a show to fall completely off the radar, and the other is what this year’s awards mean for the different networks and channels who are always looking to retain a footing within the race for nominations. Filed under Emmy Awards Tagged as 2012, ABC, Analysis, Breaking Bad, CBS, Emmys, FOX, FX, Glee, HBO, Justified, NBC, Showtime, The Office, TV Modern Family – “Dash, Flash, Crash” “Dash, Flash, Crash” Last week I posted about concerns regarding Modern Family’s relationship with questions of race and ethnicity (albeit focused on the former), and over at TV Overmind the commenters were…well, they were angry. My point was not to say that the show is racist, but rather that there are moments when questions relating to sensitive issues are located within the production of the series rather than character actions. Let’s take, for example, Phil’s “If you ain’t white, you ain’t right” t-shirt which angers an African American taxi cab. It’s highly offensive, sure, but it plays into his cluelessness in ways we recognize. It is the intersection of his inability to realize what his words mean with questions of race in today’s society, and its continued presence (“And this year I predict total White domination!”) makes it seem less like that single flashback is necessary in order to construct the joke. It seems like something Phil would do, makes me laugh, and happens to transition into the best episode since “Fizbo.” In other words, next time you hear me ragging on Modern Family? Manny’s birthday. Filed under Modern Family Tagged as ABC, B.B. Gun, Bitrthday Family Camp, Cameron, Claire, Danny Zuker, Dash Flash Crash, Entertainment, Episode 8, Flash Mob, Free Your Mind, Gloria, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Julie Bowen, Luke, Manny, Mitchell, Phil, Race, Review, Rico Rodriguez, Season 2, Sofia Vergara, Television, TV, White Team The Construction of Race in Modern Family’s Second Season ABC’s Modern Family has always been concerned with questions of race: that Gloria and Manny are Colombian, and that Lily is Vietnamese, were prominent factors in the series’ pilot, so questions of race (and racism) have been evident throughout the series. And yet, something seems different in the second season. While nothing has been fundamentally changed in terms of questions of race, the show is going to racial humor more often and in a few instances from a different perspective. I would never go so far as to say that the series is racist, but in its desire to increase the amount of racial humor it seems to have forced the issue without allowing it to flow naturally from its characters or even its storylines. While it is not enough to condemn the series, I would argue that the way race has been presented so far this season shifts ownership of these dynamics to the people behind the scenes as opposed to the characters within the series, creating problematic questions of authorship that threaten both the series’ realism and its complexity. Tagged as ABC, Analysis, Cameron, Chirp, Commercial, Gloria, Manny, Mitchell, Native American, Race, Racism, Savezilla, Season 2, Sitcom, Television, TV, Unplugged Cougar Town – “Keeping Me Alive” “Keeping Me Alive” At this point, Cougar Town is sort of like a history lesson. This isn’t to say that I had forgotten that Jules and Bobby were once married, and that the former has been paying alimony to the latter, but it hasn’t played a role in the show’s storytelling since the Cul-de-Sac Crew came together. We’ve just sort of accepted Bobby as a fun guy who lives on a boat, and since finances have never been a major concern for the show it’s not as if there’s any real question of whether the alimony will make or break the show. Rather, it becomes the latest in a series of investigations which return to a storyline that could disrupt the series’ dynamic and then prove that it is not going to actually disrupt the series’ dynamic. And while I do think that “Keeping Me Alive” is pushing the pattern a bit too heavily, and the show will have to introduce an actual storyline at some point, there’s enough to keep this episode grounded for me to continue to sing the show’s praises. Filed under Cougar Town Tagged as 100% Cougar Free, ABC, Analysis, Bobby Cobb, Brian Van Holt, Busy Phillips, Competition Penny Can, Episode 5, Grayson, Jules, Keeping Me Alive, Laurie, Review, Season 2, Television, Truth or Penny Can, TV

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line622

__label__cc

Posts Tagged voodoo economics Through Gaia’s Eyes, Eden Arise: Chastened by the Environment We’ve Created, We Are Forced Inward to Rediscover Our Deeper, More Cooperative Human Nature Posted by sillymickel in activism, allegory, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, Humor, life, nonconform, occupywallstreet, philosophy, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on June 1, 2013 The Heart of the Problem, Gaia’s Cure, and Back to the Drawing Board for Humans: It’s a Consciousness Revolution as We Rediscover Our Natural Self Apocalypse No! Chapter Seven Nature Balances HerSelf We Discovered the Heart of the Problem in the Heart of America: Our First-Hand Look Into “Tinkle-Down” Economics, Reagan-Style, and Where It Would Lead Lest We Forget and Things Never Before Seen: A View Into Reagan’s America — A Place We Never Left, Its Dire Prophecy Still Unfolding “Tinkle-Down” Economics “This land is your land,” they sing. Taking them at their word, my wife and I spent a year, in the early Nineties criss-crossing our land in a twenty-three-foot Prowler travel trailer, pulled by an old but ambitious Oldsmobile with way too little horsepower. Our idea was to attend conventions and trainings in our field before we had to be in Northern California, by September 1992, where I had accepted admission into a graduate program. [Footnote 1] So West and East, North and South we went—there was much to see…all too much to be alarmed about. This was, after all, in 1991-1992, the final year of the Reagan-Bush era when Reagan’s voodoo economics had played its course in distributing the wealth upward to the wealthy where it could be squandered on luxury items like yachts and overpriced objects of art and the trickle-down theory had shown itself to be a piss on the poor or, let us say, “tinkle-down” reality. Correspondingly, the 1980s “party” was over. It left little money for government to do its job properly, though. The National Debt, after all, had nearly been quadrupled in this Reagan-Bush give-away to the rich. Budget cutbacks at all levels of government were in effect…and these cutbacks were grossly evident in what we saw. “Neutron-Bomb Turf” Similarly, the suckers…or coke-heads, or both…who had bought into the false prosperity promised by the Robin-Hood-in-reverse fiscal policies of the Eighties were now waking up from their mania with the hangover of ill-conceived schemes in ruins surrounding them. This was apparent in the places we traveled as well. All over Florida and Georgia, for example, we saw shopping centers looking half like ghost towns—evidence of recent bankruptcies or, my wife wondered, is it possible those spaces were never leased? The only thing comparable in my experience I could think of was Springfield, Oregon, during the recession of the early Eighties. I remember well, while doing door-to-door anti-nuclear canvassing, how up to half the houses in a given neighborhood would be empty and unoccupied…the continual frustration of nobody answering doorbells leaves an imprint, I suppose…. We used to call it “neutron bomb turf”; and it almost—but not quite—served as an excuse for not making “quota.” In Springfield, where the lumber industry was taking a beating because of the lack of new housing starts caused by the recession, people had moved out of town to look for work where it still existed. But in the South in the early Nineties it was somehow different. My wife and I wondered if this plethora of vacancies had something to do with the S&L scandal: all those boondoggles…all those poorly conceived investment projects gone belly up, leaving only haunted shells as evidence of that mania. Budget Cutbacks Throughout the South, evidence of the cutbacks in services was everywhere. Too often we found rest areas along the highways so overcrowded we had to drive on for lack of parking. We saw tractor-trailers forced to park along exit routes, or side roads—anywhere there was space. Some rest areas had “two hour limit” signs—something else I had never come across—and others were closed down completely…”for cleaning,” allegedly. I half expected to see truck wrecks littering the roadsides as I envisioned the plight of truckers pushing on in bleary-eyed exhaustion for lack of some place to pull over; or raising themselves up from a dead sleep, in a fog, with an alarm clock set to abide by the two-hour limit. I myself was rather dangerously dazed several times when, in the wee hours, we were forced to continue past eagerly anticipated rest areas that turned out to be barricaded or otherwise unavailable. These imaginings of sleep-driving truckers barreling, obliviously, across medians and into oncoming traffic it turns out were premonitions, as a few years later they were proven to be horrifyingly correct. In 1998 to be exact, this problem became big enough to finally become a story in the mainstream media. Highway deaths, caused by a lack of places for sleepy truckers to park, were piling up in numbers too large to ignore any longer. Of course, the media provided an alternative to fully acknowledging this truth—as they are wont to do—by laying alongside the actual facts a concocted theory that some trucking companies were at fault, for pressuring truckers to meet unreasonable deadlines for delivery. Regardless, scores of cars and other trucks have been involved in some of these accidents, including head-on collisions, with people dead and many injured. But in ’91-’92, these realities had not been statistically blatant enough to make the evening news and went unnoticed. However our U.S. Congress was not completely oblivious to such effects of its cutbacks. “America can no longer afford to maintain its infrastructure,” they said in 1993 when they had the chance to appropriate money for ordinary maintenance. To get themselves off the hook, they dared to call these highway and infrastructure funds “pork barrel.” And instead they wrote laws to crack down on the truck drivers and their employers for overtime driving…now that’s gonna find ‘em a place to pull over! In our travels we also found that roads were often bumpy and wavy—“these are supposed to be freeways,” I mused,” not side roads.” The “deteriorating infrastructure of America,” they called it. Related to this, we found many roadways were not clearly marked and signs were out of date. In trustingly following them, we got lost a number of times. It seemed nobody cared out there; nobody was paying attention. I lost count of the number of side journeys and turnarounds we were forced to make. I don’t remember ever—in my fifteen or so transcontinental adventures over twenty-three years—having so much trouble with signs. Often we were forced to return to the point of departure from the true course, and I’d examine the sign that led us astray. “Yes, dammit, the sign does indicate to turn here for that route.” I wondered if perhaps that was once the correct way but had since been changed without the sign being corrected. Some Joke And then I imagined all the other cars, of all those others who didn’t just so happen to live in the area and be aware of this anomaly, traveling up that side road and turning back around again…almost as if that were part of the route—to make that kind of loop before proceeding. I pictured a local watching these cars, one by one, turning around in the course of a day. “Check it out, Mabel,” he’d chuckle. “We got another one.” Or, “Strangers in town! Strangers in town!” It is something to behold…smacks of human futility and ridiculousness. Some Loss I thought of the gallons of gas wasted in this way…of the jobs in maintaining these services—to keep things in working order and correct—that no doubt were lost. I thought also of the huge sums of money now gone that could have been spent this way—money which was wasted instead for weapons to fend off a Red Menace that turned out to be a straw man. I recalled with anger how the warhawks tried to take credit for the downfall of Communism by claiming it a victory for their weapons-production policies, how I never heard it pointed out that the fact that Communism collapsed from within indicates a tremendous waste of money and poor policy to think that we needed to prepare to fight it from without. But the Pentagon was not the only “bottomless well” in the Eighties. I thought of all the money funneled into the coffers of the wealthy in the orgy of extravagance that we taxpayers got the bill for as the S&L scandal. I thought how that money could have been used not only for signs, for roads, for rest areas…but also for all the pressing needs of our people, so neglected in the Reagan-Bush years. So much for being the “wealthiest nation in the world.” And then there was the situation in the state parks. More than once we were prevented from camping for a night. We arrived too late at a park and were unable to enter—an iron gate barring the driveway. We found other evidence of cutbacks: a cutback in employees; areas roped off and blockaded, not to be used. My mind liked to break into a “This Land Is Your Land” melody when encountering such barriers and fences; the overall effect would be altogether depressing. All this of course in addition to the other signs of deterioration: pollution of the countryside, over-industrialization, wilderness areas turned stinking and worn by commercial interests. On one occasion while hiking in a Florida park, once more due to a lack of signs we lost our way. During the inadvertent nine-mile hike back to our campsite, we saw signs…at least there was money for these…indicating how the dunes should not be walked on because the sea oats would be worn down and killed—resulting in sand drifting, blowing around, killing trees, and destroying campgrounds. And indeed everywhere we walked it appeared as if thousands of people had stamped beneath the trees, so that even the space between them looked like trails. I began to speculate on just how many people there are on the planet. Clearly the basic problem was there were too damn many of us here! Gaia Heals HerSelf: So Far Astray and With Global Cabin Fever, We Are Forced to Look Inward and Go Back to the Drawing Board Chastened by the Environment We’ve Created, It’s Back to the Drawing Board for Humans: Nature Balances HerSelf How Far Astray I began to consider how far we’ve gone astray from any meaningful or sustainable path for our species on this planet. I reflected on how the effects of the changes we’ve made—for example, the reduction of oxygen in the atmosphere that goes with the increase of carbon dioxide, known commonly as the greenhouse effect—how it’s been discovered that these effects keep people close to their unconscious pain, closer to their unconscious in general. It is as if we as part of Nature are also regulated by Nature, that the very effects of our overpopulation and our straying from a cooperative ecological niche for our species result in consequences that are inevitably going to bring us back into line …one way or the other! Going Inward Knowing as I do that environmental pollution and lowered oxygen levels promote diseases, general illnesses, hay fevers, epidemics of allergies, and a general weakening of our immune system–all of which, since the Reagan Eighties, we are seeing in abundance—I realized that people are more and more being forced to go inward because they are less and less able to go outward in a healthy manner. Chastened by the Environment We’ve Created Another factor in this is that the deteriorating quality of air and the increasing levels of toxins that we ingest are also attacks on ego defenses, which has important yet previously unexplored implications. As I said previously, both Stanislav Grof and Arthur Janov—and others as well, I am told—at one time used carbon dioxide to take people into a nonordinary state of consciousness where people would be more open to their repressed traumas, to their unconscious mind. They did this to help these people heal these traumas. They found that slight increases in carbon dioxide inhalation invariably brought up primal pain and birth-trauma feelings—that is, repressed painful feelings from our experiences of birth and infancy that our ego defenses normally keep “safely” tucked away in our subconscious. Consider for a moment what that means for those trapped in the pollution-ridden cities! Though keep in mind that increased carbon dioxide is an atmospheric problem that affects everyone on this globe. I recall a TV report when I lived in the air-chunk-city of Denver, Colorado, in 1978. At the time, Denver’s air was rated as being the second worst in the country, behind Los Angeles, partly because the high altitude made for thinner air and thus higher percentages of toxins relative to normal air. Anyway, the TV report proclaimed how the number of hospital admissions for spouse abuse, child abuse, alcoholism, and related violence would soar on days when the air pollution index was high. Air Pollution as a Psychedelic Apparently, the reduction of oxygen in these situations acts similarly to a reduction of blood sugar or glucose to the brain, which results in an inhibition of the ego’s defensive ability to keep out unwanted information. Coincidentally, research has shown that this same kind of reduction of glucose to the brain is instrumental in producing the effects of certain psychedelics, including mescaline and marijuana. But this reduction in defenses is not experienced or understandable only by those who have experimented with psychedelics. In fact, in at least minor ways we have all experienced it. The workings here are similar to those in the common experience of being more cranky; irritable; irrationally emotional; more prone to depression, anger, and tears; more excitable; and in general, closer to one’s “shit,” when one is tired, overworked, or just gotten up from a sound sleep. In these situations as well the brain is inhibited—here because of fatigue—from being able to effectively fend off unwanted information, impulses, and emotions. The evidence concerning heavy metal toxicity indicates that it, also, can have a similar effect at times on one’s mental and emotional state. Global Cabin Fever Also, there is the experience of “cabin fever,” which many people are familiar with. We like to think that simply the fact of being cooped up for a long period of time psychologically leads to wanting to break out and be free, to be irrational and highly prone to emotional outbreaks, and in the extreme to result in delusions and hallucinations. But obviously this is not the case or else these symptoms would be rampant in other situations where one is contained for a long period of time, and they are not. It turns out that there are biochemical reasons—not simply the fact of being cooped up—which account for cabin fever symptoms. Consider that cabin fever describes a situation, most often, in which one lives in an environment that is insulated against cold winter weather—thus keeping out fresh air. And in which very often oxygen is further depleted by the burning of oxygen-consuming wood fires in fireplaces or woodstoves, or oxygen-consuming coal fires…whatever. With this in mind one can easily understand that that environment is going to be increasingly deficient in its oxygen level as time goes on. Add what we now know about lowered oxygen levels leading to lowered defenses and eruption of unconscious content, and we can see how such environments can lead to the symptoms that, combined, we call cabin fever. When you consider that on a smaller scale, with the greenhouse effect, we are globally setting up the same conditions as that of cabin fever, we can see why there would be an emerging perinatal unconscious occurring. With the entire world suffering a low-level cabin fever, it becomes even more understandable why there is the current fascination with escaping the Earth and setting up colonies on other planets and in other solar systems. This idea we see in science fiction scenarios of all kinds—consider the popularity of the Star Trek programs and movies. But I’ve also heard it coming out of the mouths of NASA spokespersons. At NASA, they have considered building colonies on Mars! A multibillion dollar project—talk about high-cost housing! But this fascination and irrationality is understandable when you think of it as a symptom of a global cabin fever. Apparently, we not only wish to be break out and be free in traffic jams, we have magnified it to wanting to break free of our planet itself—as if Gaia, Mother Earth, were some confining, stifling Mother-womb that we needed to bust out of or die! Of course, the other symptoms of cabin fever—being highly emotional, irrational, delusional, and prone to hallucinations—we have already discussed as being part of the furniture of our current global reality, so we need not go into them here. Back to the Drawing Board for Our Species But the consequences of all these factors taken together are inescapable: As we edge our way, in a myriad of ways, toward global destruction, we increasingly “sicken” ourselves both physically and emotionally/ mentally in the process. And this “sickening” is one of an eruption of unconscious material that causes us to psychologically “return to the drawing board” and seek solutions—both inner and outer—to our misery. Eden Arise: Consciousness Revolution as We Rediscover Our Natural Self — A Deeper, More Cooperative Nature Moratorium and Death as an Ally: Apocalypse Is the Teacher to Wake Us and Return Us to Eden, Our Natural Self Down Can Be Up Specifically, I am saying that inhibited brain functioning—whether through oxygen depletion, heavy metal toxicity, or other environmental anomalies—has the effect of heightened “mind” functioning…in the sense, at least, of lowered ego and defensive functioning. Thus, in the same way that psychedelic substances can open us to repressed perspectives by inhibiting “brain” activity, these environmental changes can be helpful in the sense of opening us up to suppressed individual…and global/universal…truth. Therefore this “sickening,” this seeming decline or going down, can really be an “up”—in other words, it can be viewed as part of a necessary “negative” retreat for the purpose of bringing in new information and re-evaluation. And we may then create anew our more harmonious ecological role based upon this more accurate information. Now, I am not espousing environmental poisoning as a technique of higher consciousness. But I am saying that apparently Nature…and we are part of Her…has ways of balancing HerSelf. Death As An Ally In this respect I might note that our co-habitation with the bomb and with environmental destruction is a spur to our growth of consciousness in a way akin to the traditional spiritual paths that speak of the catalyzing power of “having death as an ally.” That is, that the realization of the imminent possibility of death, which is in truth our existential condition, has been known to act as a spur to taking life seriously, and spiritually, and to “waking up” in general. “Pay Attention!” The power of this spiritual attitude can be imagined by considering how one would live one’s life if one constantly asked oneself: “If I knew I was going to die tomorrow…or in an hour, or next minute, et cetera...how would I live this day…hour, minute…before me?” Indeed, a lot of the transformative power of near-death experiences is known to come from their ability to jog one into awakening to the fact of one’s mortality—the precariousness of one’s biological existence. In this light, we might view environmental damage on a global scale, then, as analogous to the bonk on the head from the stick of a Zen meditation teacher, telling us to “pay attention!” The upshot of all this is that with this degradation of the external environment we are forced to go inward, to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, whether we want to or not. Illness in general and lowered oxygen levels in particular lead to a rising up of people’s repressed emotional pain, and they force us to confront the roots of our motivations and patterns of cultural engagement as well as our social and relational styles. This “turning inward” is the essential meaning of the “peace” symbol, when you think of it. The upside-down cross pointing downward in a circle has rightly been used to symbolize “moratorium” — in other words, a period of halting of action in the world because nothing worthwhile can result from the ways we are currently doing things, and a turning away from the external world and looking inside to reevaluate. It is as if Nature, completely unbeknownst to us, balances us, pushes us down to our deepest programming and back to our earliest “grids,” individual by individual, and that this forces us to reassess our lives and causes us to create more meaningful lifestyles, more synergistic patterns. So in a sense Nature’s reaction to our misconduct is to cause us—by means of the psychological effects induced by the biochemical alterations that are the result of environmental changes—to create new social and cultural forms. We cannot help but do this. And collectively, cumulatively, it cannot help but result in massive cultural changes of one form or another. Through Gaia’s Eyes – Nature Balances Herself: Eve of Destruction or Global Healing Crisis Eden Arise — The More Natural Self Many have proclaimed, in these strange days, that it is our Western estrangement from Mother Nature—our particular need to control—that is at the core of the threats to the end of life on this planet. In such a case, one needs to regain harmony with Nature and acquire a consciousness of cooperation, not control. It’s Cooperative Not Controlling As Grof has claimed—and my personal experience attests—such a cooperative human nature is indeed our most fundamental human nature. In contrast to the “me versus them,” aggressive, and competitive imprint that is derived from our traumatic and premature human births, this more fundamental human nature is the result of a more fundamental imprint of symbiosis with the Other, as was the case in the womb surround during the relatively blissful prenatal period. The relation of the fetus to the mother at that time is one of cooperation, all needs met, flow in <——> flow out, and synergy of intents. And when, as an adult, we reconnect with this more fundamental human nature, this more fundamental imprint, it manifests in us as a tendency toward that same kind of reciprocal relationship—cooperative, synergistic, and mutually beneficial. Only, as an adult, the Other with which this reciprocal relationship is had is Society and Nature. For these bear the same characteristics and relation to the adult as the womb did to the fetus. Our More Fundamental Human Nature—Back to Eden Furthermore, as Grof and I and many others have discovered, such a more positive human nature occurs naturally in a person when they have faced, reexperienced, and integrated their perinatal unconscious…as opposed to what is usually done, which is, completely denying it, projecting it on a scapegoat or enemy and engaging in wars and social violence. So it is the recovery of this sort of more fundamental human nature—one in which we are in cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship with Nature, all life on this planet, and other humans—that would remove us from the brink of extinction. Looking Through Gaia’s Eyes When you think of it, when you consider that all of Nature—the whole planet, Gaia—is threatened by the actions of our species, and that that Nature would want to avoid this by balancing the elements that are currently skewed, it may be just the kind of global situation we see now around us that Nature would need to create in order to save “HerSelf.” It’s simple: We either change or die. Hey, why the long face!? If Gaia doesn’t look out for HerSelf, who will? Granted, some people are not dealing in a healthy or positive way with the material that is arising. Instead of re-doing their basic programming, these people “act out.” Thus we have increased crime, aggression, hostility, one person against another. And this fact is glaringly apparent in our big cities, where many who are not integrating this emerging information from outside their ego boundaries—from the unconscious—sadly are instead venting the energy of their pain—which our degenerating environment is opening up to them or giving them access to—in violent, destructive, wasteful, self-destructive, and pathetic ways. One can also look to the grasping at racism, nationalism, and fundamentalism, which are not primarily urban phenomena by any means. These conduits of hatefulness are also a response that people are using to the feelings of pain, uncertainty, insecurity, and doubt that rise up, especially initially, in conjunction with these emerging truths. Similarly, a great majority of people in general in our society are using drugs of one form or other to gloss over and obscure this emerging material rather than facing and integrating it. All in all these kinds of responses add up to a tragedy. And it is something that, if these reactions end up prevailing, could actually do every one of us in. [Footnote 2] But about these others, what can we do—those of us who are changing our programming and creating new cultural patterns? It may be practical and advisable much of the time to just get out of their way if the ones acting out choose to kill each other off. But we are often not able to “get out of the way” of those who are trapped in negativity. In addition, since we are all interconnected, we are bound to at least be indirectly affected by their actions. And most importantly, since we are One and these others are actually ourselves in different garb, to the extent we are able to show compassion and be of assistance, we should not always want to step aside. I begin taking this up in the next chapter, “Derailing the Cycles of War and Violence.” I discuss more fully how exactly we can be helpful to these others, in both small and large ways. “Eve of Destruction” or Scenery of Healing? To put the current chapter’s theme another way: If we were to concoct a world situation in which we would be forced to take a quantum step in consciousness evolution by healing the nefarious elements of our perinatal unconscious, would not that world situation look something like what we see around us today? Would it not be a world rife with obvious perinatal elements…and influences…with some people resolving and thus being healed of them? While others would act them out and self-destruct because of them…not to mention contributing to our collective global self-destruction, as mentioned earlier? In other words, the situation today, as it looks, could as easily be seen as a prologue to an apocalypse and just as easily be seen as a healing crisis preceding a massive consciousness transformation. Put another way, this same situation can be seen by one person as the “eve of destruction” and another as the “scenery of healing on the pathway to peace.” So which will it be? In the next and final chapters of this book we will take a look at what are the most likely possibilities for ourselves and our planet, considering all that has been said so far. We will bring together all that we now know to conjecture: Apocalypse? Or Earth rebirth? Continue with Apocalypse No! Chapter Eight: Derailing the Cycles of War and Violence Return to Apocalypse No! Chapter Six: Healing Crisis – Getting “Sick” To Be Well 1. “This Land Is Your Land” is most often used as a form of feel good jingoism and heart-swelling expression of love of the homeland. But this defense of the Fatherland is also, rather pathetically, a feel good denial and a counter to the reality of what we are doing to our land and our country in the US. The lyrics, as Woody Guthrie wrote them, are indeed anything but jingoistic. The same thing has happened with Bruce Springstein’s “Born In the USA,” by the way, where a critique of the Fatherland has become a patriotic anthem by ignoring most of the lyrics except the ironic chorus. It has been harder to distort the meaning of John Mellencamp’s “Little Pink Houses,” thankfully. Anyway, here is the unsanitized version of Woody Guthrie’s sarcastic “anthem.” This land is your land, this land is my land From California to the New York Island From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters This land was made for you and me. As I went walking that ribbon of highway I saw above me that endless skyway I saw below me that golden valley I roamed and I rambled and I followed my footsteps To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts While all around me a voice was sounding When the sun came shining, and I was strolling And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling A voice was chanting, As the fog was lifting, There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me; Sign was painted, it said private property; But on the back side it didn’t say nothing; Woody Guthrie has a variant: As I went walking I saw a sign there And on the sign it said “No Trespassing. “But on the other side it didn’t say nothing, That side was made for you and me. It also has a verse: Nobody living can ever stop me, As I go walking that freedom highway; Nobody living can ever make me turn back In the squares of the city, In the shadow of a steeple; By the relief office, I’d seen my people. As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking, Is this land made for you and me? From Wikipedia, “This Land Is Your Land“ 2. I wish to draw your attention to something I posted in the last year bringing together these aspects of rising prescription drug use and rising social, political hatred-idiocy. It was in response to an article announcing evidence that antidepressants, specifically, Paxil, make one more “normal.” “Is Paxil creating more people who aren’t self-reflective? More “Conservatives Without a Conscience”? Happy Idiots?” 3. See also “Are Some ‘Sick’ People More Healthy Than Normals?” on the Primal Spirit site. 60s, act out, adult, aggression, air, air pollution, alcoholism, ally, America, Anthropology, apocalypse, Arthur Janov, astray, atmosphere, awaken, balance, Birth, birth trauma, blood sugar, bomb, brain, brain activity, budget cutbacks, cabin fever, carbon dioxide, change, child, Child Abuse, city, climate, compassion, competition, Consciousness, consciousness evolution, consciousness revolution, consequences, control, cooperation, crim, culture, current-events, death, defenses, delusion, denial, Denver, depression, die, disease, doubt, drawing board, drug, drugs, Earth, ecology, Eden, Ego, emotional state, emotions, end of life, enemy, Environment, eruption, Eve of Destruction, Evolution, existence, existentialism, experience, extinction, fetus, filthy rich, fukushima, fundamentalism, gaia, generation, global destruction, globe, glucose, God, greenhouse effect, grids, hallucination, harmony, hate, healing crisis, health, heavy metal, heavy metal toxicity, hell, higher consciousness, hostility, human, human nature, human-rights, humans, imprint, infancy, information, insecurity, integration, life, lifesytle, Los Angeles, marijuana, Mars, matrix, media, mental state, mescaline, mind, misery, Moratorium, mortality, mother, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, motivations, NASA, nationalism, natural self, Nature, near death experience, negativity, neutron-bomb, niche, nonordinary state of consciousness, nuclear, Obama, occupy wall street, overpopulation, ows, oxygen, oxygen depletion, pain, pattern, pay attention, peace, peace symbol, perinatal, personal experience, planet, poisoning, Politics, pollution, positive, power, prematurity, prenatal, prenate, primal, primal pain, programming, projection, psychedelic, psychedelic substances, psychedelics, Psychology, quantum leap, racism, reality, rebirth, reciprocity, recovery, reexperience, relationship, repression, Republicans, return, revolution, scapegoat, scenery of healing, science, science fiction, self, self-destruction, sick, sixties, society, solution, species, spirituality, spouse abuse, Stanislav Grof, Star Trek, state of consciousness, subconscious, sustainable path, symbiosis, synergy, teacher, tendency, toxicity, toxin, tragedy, transformation, trauma, travel, trickle down theory, truth, uncertainty, unconscious, violence, voodoo economics, wake up, war, womb, world, Zen teacher Forgetting the Past, We Were Doomed to Repeat It … The Revolution That Wasn’t Televised: Before Voting Romney, Remember, We Knew This Before Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Comedy, Culture, economics, globalrevolution, History, Humor, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on October 26, 2012 If Freedom of the Press Was Repealed, How Would You Know? Dire Vision, Revelation … Words a Decade Old Come Back to Haunt Culture War, Class War, Chapter Seventeen: Freedom Repealed Dire Prediction: Before Voting for Romney, Remember, We Knew This Before. Will We Continue Shooting Ourselves in the Foot? Forgetting the Past, We Were Doomed to Repeat It … A Message Arrives from Twelve Years in the Past Predicting Today’s Events A Message Arrives from Twelve Years in the Past Predicting Today’s Events We are disturbed reading that twelve years ago our present national situation was foreseen. Worse, we are reminded of what we lost; what could have been; how we’ve managed to block that from our memory in accepting the much diminished prospects now; but also how we should not forget; how we should remember how it happened; who was to blame; who helped and colluded in bringing it about, and why; so that, remembering, we might never let it happen again. Forgetting the Past, We Were Doomed to Repeat It For we learn, worst of all, that our chance to progress, rather, just to survive, now depends on remembering. Because twelve years ago, in the year 2000, all that’s happened since could easily have been prevented if only we had not allowed ourselves to be talked into forgetting the history of only eight years prior to that. This is a serious and thoughtful piece, which everyone would do well to know if we are to survive another fifty years, not to mention a century or longer. Still, I am not the sort to feel that facing harsh realities means we need go around glumly, martyr-like, in sack-cloth and ashes. Rather, I feel we might as well enjoy and make use of all the God-given abilities we have whatever the outcome of our efforts. So don’t be surprised that this exposition is aided by guest appearances making their points in hilarious fashion. If you’ve never heard George Bush as Bluto from Animal House, you’ve got to. Wolf Blitzer is not recognized for being a comic, but when he goes on to explain to his faithful viewers how they’ve been lied to and manipulated for years, because of pressure from the powers-that-be, and how grateful he is for their gullibility as he is receiving promotions and honors because his viewership is polling the highest in mindlessly accepting the concocted view, well we see many new sides of Wolf. Thought-provoking but funny, another thing he explains is that their incredible success over the years in getting people to believe and or to forget whatever they want, has resulted in their having a little celebration consisting of an experiment as well…which they hope will bring them in even tighter with the now all-powerful filthy rich and their Republican water boys. The celebration-experiment consists of a documentary in which the entire truth of the multiyear campaign to lie, deceive, and to control minds is laid out. And the experiment part is that they are certain that the next day and ever afterwards when such thing ever being aired is denied, the people will completely forget it and believe they must have been mistaken. Wolf signs off: “One last reminder on our special tonight, the documentary, “Freedom of the Press, Repealed. The Story and How, this Repeal Now Thoroughly Institutionalized Over Twelve Years, We Can Now Reveal How We’ve Duped You and Will Continue To.” Tune in, don’t miss it; You’re sure to forget it.” Ok, I’m gettin myself off the floor I was laughin so hard I couldn’t help myself. Ok, now to a more serious part. Time Capsule Discovered Not long after Bush left office, I unearthed, March 9, 2009, 9:49am, three never finished drafts of an article I intended to publish on my website prior to the 2000 Presidential election involving Bush v Gore. Stuffed and interwoven among the electrons of the backups of old computers, I had completely forgotten ever having written any of it. Engulfed, indeed, pushed around and battered within the intensity and sharpness of recent political, geopolitical, and economic and financial forces of late, I was shocked to see the words, written a decade earlier, which, desperately intoning, warned of specific dire happenings should George W. Bush be elected. For it seemed those exact words, of so long ago, had just been lifted from the headlines and front pages of today’s daily news. At any rate, I certainly thought at first that I was reading something about the recent collapse when I read what I had written in early 2000. I think I’ve said way too much without providing some meat—what kinds of things did I find? OK, in mid-2000, long before Bush was put in power and had a chance to show anything at all of what kind of president he would be, I wrote these words concerning what I thought would be the result of a George W. Bush getting elected: [If Bush gets elected in 2000,] “I believe we are in grave danger of losing, not just an election, not just a Supreme Court, not just our environment, not just our good economy, not just our recent relative peace in the world but things far worse than those horrors. I believe we are in danger of losing all hope of maintaining, let alone progressing, in the freedoms and privileges that we take for granted. Prophetic? Eerie? I don’t know quite what to make of it. Reading more, this popped to my attention: So is this election important? I believe it is. For me it is especially important, for I feel that if the Republicans take over, they will do so much to damage the dreams of my generation that even if the Democrats were to be reelected to all branches of government in 4 or 8 years, they will do so much damage (the example of Reagan-Bush nearly QUADRUPLING the National Debt in their mere 12 years being the perfect example) that My Generation will have to clean up their mess afterward, taking more years. And only then will we be in a position to progress in this country and world and bring it more in line with the ideals of peace, love, community, and harmony we envisioned in the Sixties. Now back to 2012. The Obvious but Hidden Becomes Visible by Contrast. Though I had foreseen it, I couldn’t have felt more helpless. I was made to face the fact that America’s, indeed the world’s, prospects for regaining a financial footing, whereas a mere twelve years ago looked like lift off, now was predicted as decades off. And that just to regain an ordinariness of life, with some saying that Americans will never again, ever, enjoy the standard of living they once took for granted. It certainly disturbed me and got me to wondering and then to writing. It saddens me what could have been. Reading it, I am stunned by how we’ve managed to vanquish from our minds and our media the insane, chaotic, and truly awful outlines of our times, as the events of the last decade crept daily into our lives and world and shaped them and it in drastic ways that we can discern only by the contrast. It was such a slow and gradual change, you see. These unpolished catscans of a mind and time provide such a contrast, stark and shocking. Concerning Time Capsule, I have much to say, much have I remembered, and much have I reviewed in my mind observing the timeline of these events and the changes in the social and cultural scenery, and in people themselves as these events happened over the last decade, one following another changing us all. I will make myself clearer following the text of the former piece to follow. A Revolution That Would Not Be Televised: If We’d Lost Freedom of Speech and of the Press, Would You Find Out About It on the News? Dire Vision, Revelation But before going into either my writing from 2000 or the recent events that it shows more clearly by contrast, I wish for you to consider how I felt coming across this piece that so clearly laid out the future and revealed the fact that those ideas were not brought out into the media. I wish for you to get a notion of what went through me as I mused upon the abject failure of our media to remember history so as to keep from repeating it. Words from a Decade Ago Come Back to Haunt, Sadden, Provoke, Enlighten, Motivate How would you feel if you found out for sure that you foresaw in an eerily accurate way the events over the last decade before they happened? Sometimes we all have a sense of what the future is likely to bring forth. Everyone, in fact, has some working model of the future. But be honest, you’ll probably acknowledge those models of the future are almost always some kind of continuation of the present and of the recent past, perhaps with a few technological advances thrown in. And usually, being the hopeful optimists we must be in order to continue our daily efforts, we envision something that is at least somewhat a progression. Something a little better at least. What if you foresaw an exact reversal of the current trends, including an economic debacle, recession, market crash nine years before it happened? And even that it would happen about the time it did? You could think yourself prophetic; it could pump up your ego. However if you also knew that you did not pick those predictions out of the air but that you had lived through a similar period in the past, well then you might consider the prophecy to be an astute but quite expected conclusion arising from the visible evidence of the times … and nothing unusual. After all, you are no important person, pundit, or professional prognosticator. The masses have not come scrambling to your door. You expect that you are not unusual in your perceptions. You feel that other people have similar predictions inside themselves. Isn’t that what you would think? But then these events unfold over the years, as you predicted, and … and this is surprising … without exception the experts, the paid prognosticators and pundits all of them, to a person, bemoan wearily the complete inability of anyone to have foreseen any of what transpired on each of these things, as the years go on. And to a person they talk as if these things came completely out of nowhere, like a freakish weather pattern or an act of God; or as if they came falling to Earth like the frozen chemicalized ice bombs of jetliner rest room waste or appeared like the lightning bolt out of some dark mysterium tremendum hovering high in the sky above us, but in no way having any roots in any previous events. No, these people, these commentators on events who you see nightly and whose every word is broadcast into the minds of multimillions, who knows, billions? … and whose words are often repeated … they may have another show … or they are offered up more than once … as their very words are echoed by other commentators around the world. In the United States, their words are echoed far and wide by people at all levels and in all countries afterward. These people with such immeasurable power to reach and influence the minds of a global populace. Well they also went through the same events as you, as proven by their age. Yet they never mention the times previous that were so similar as to cause you earlier to make the obvious conclusions you made. And, now, even after the fact, in retrospect, those obvious near exact patterns of events of the not so long ago are not mentioned by them … they are overlooked, ignored. Specifically, I remembered what happened with the Reagan-Bush tax cuts and how we went into a great recession because of them that resulted in Clinton getting elected in 1992. Eight years later, with Clintonomics, and Clinton creates a budget surplus and has balanced the budget for the first time in decades. But then W. Bush, the Republican, gets in, and nobody’s mentioning even as he’s doing his first tax cut and blowing the surplus that this didn’t work last time only a decade earlier with Reagan and his own father, H.W. Bush. And then through the years of Bush’s terms, with more ballooning debt and budget deficits, did any of those events of the not so long ago and up till 1992, with Reagan and Bush, Senior, get mentioned? No. Instead when all the expected results … well, expected by informed liberal nobodies like me, anyway … when all the expected results of trickle-down, voodoo economics begin manifesting, well, an attitude of “we’re only human” and “nobody could have known ahead of time” predominates among the Republicans responsible. And these representatives of the filthy rich, the 1%–these Republicans–they get away with that excuse because the media was not pointing out past history to them when they were implementing those foolish policies. It is as if those earlier events hadn’t been brought up in such a long time, so those past events, which should have been instructive, are as if they never happened. Mistakes get repeated endlessly as the media cooperates with the powerful in covering up awareness of earlier mistakes of the same kind. Well this would cause you to ponder, would it not? How could so many people, people whose job it is to do so, not connect the obvious thoughts you and others did a decade ago? And now even in retrospect they are unable to. Some of the possibilities for that occurring are that the people who are speaking for everyone–these pundits and commentators–have not risen to their levels of influence on their abilities and that something else is behind their rise to positions to speak and shape the thoughts of the multimillions. Yes. That could be it. You might also ponder then if better more astute prognosticators and analysts were being kept out of the positions of influence intentionally. Yes. That would follow of necessity. And so on. How else do you explain it? What it would come down to is you have to ask yourself, are you somehow the only one who is capable of making predictions from the recent past? And believing that might make you feel good if you have some problem in your life which makes you doubt your abilities, that is, if you are so lacking in real self esteem. But if you continue to think that way, such narcissistic attitudes would have you living in a world of your own that did not have any ties to reality eventually. You know what I mean. Or, if humble and astute enough and not so desperately needy for a pleasant thought about oneself, you would have to ask yourself to consider more seriously the prospect that the media reaction may very well be an unexpected part of the original prediction. If you were sane enough, you would be driven to an unwanted and dire conclusion: Something had gradually and so unnoticeably gone very, very wrong with the media and the public discourse of your society. If We’d Lost Freedom of Speech and of the Press, Would You Find Out About it on the News? You might be led to reason: If you had predicted an erosion of basic rights if Bush were to get elected, and you had seen that had come to pass … I mean basic human rights, like given us from the Bill of Rights … why would not freedom of speech and of the press be part of that erosion? Thinking more deeply would it not have been a necessary part of the erosion of the rest? For if the press had been doing its job, would it not have been acting as protectors of our rights in decrying any assaults, proclaiming any intrusions, documenting any erosions, and so on, in the uncountable ways it has done in the past? Would that not have been a second “2″ which added to the other “2″ makes sense out of the “4″ you are observing and trying to understand? (two plus two equals four.) But as usually happens when stumbling on the hidden but obvious things, other, sometimes laughably obvious, correlates come to mind: If Freedom of Speech and of the Press had been part of the erosion in human rights—the rights laid out by our Bill of Rights—well, who would be researching, detailing, proclaiming, or making documentaries about it? The Press? HA! In order to give you a sense of the way I began viewing things, after the Time Capsule’s revelations, I’d like to take you on a little journey, a little reverie that may provide a glimpse ahead, perhaps an understanding of the unbelievable, as a journey through the looking glass can often do. So in answering the question above: If freedom of speech and the press were rescinded who would tell you? I would say that it would be one “revolution” that would not be televised, for starters. “Well, of course,” you think, cynically, “surely they would have done lots of things.” Yes, I respond dryly, one of them might have gone like this: “Freedom of the Press, Repealed — The Story of How We’ve Duped You and Will Continue To. Tune In, Don’t Miss It; We’ll Make Sure You Forget It.” A Satire on the Mainstream Media Control by the 1% Begun with Installing George W. Bush into the Presidency … Featuring “Wolf Blitzer” Wolf Blitzer – Freedom of the Press, Repealed “This is Wolf Blitzer. Tonight, tune in as CLN details the way we, and the rest of the mass media, have been slowly but relentlessly pressured and bullied into presenting the views of the party in power, the Republicans; how we have learned it to be in our interests, if we were to continue unobstructed, to eliminate more and more of the voices contrary to those in power. You will hear how we learned techniques of deception of our own so that we could seem to be presenting a range of views but how we could easily get the viewer to conclude that the party pressuring us was the most credible. How? “Tune in and learn how we matched the words of sophisticated and savvy talking heads from the right wing against the least informed and least polished of those on the opposition, and how we managed a game…which we termed, keep-out-the-insightful…of politely putting off, through excuses of saying we were focusing on areas not in their realm at the present. And how we used a multitude of such ploys on lefties until, as years went by, they began to doubt their own currency and thus doubted themselves and no longer sought to air their views in any but much smaller venues. “So that’s how we managed to get the intelligent opposition away. “Or even letting people know that they were still around or alive. In fact we were able to get people to think that those people had simply changed their minds and were believing what everybody else was believing, or something. “But, anyway: Tune in to see how mass media like ourselves were able, because of our collectively acting in the same way, having been pressured toward the exact same ends by the one power in America currently, the Republicans and the “filthy rich” owners of our corporations—being essentially one and the same with one being the public and the other the private faces of the same group—were able to cast doubt…the newscasters were able to cast doubt…into the minds of seasoned intelligent and astute analysts as to their worth and currency and that of their ideas in the current era, making them feel that their time had come and gone and that personally they were has-beens, as at the same time we were recruiting the least able and the most naïve to take their places. “Other ploys: See how we kept media favorites who opposed conservatives and who were astute observers and witty, articulate communicators for their side, how we kept them on the dole and were even able to reap the profits of their appearances but how we slyly undermined their positions in myriad sly ways, using known effects of time of day scheduling, competition in particular time slots, sequencing of segments within shows, and of the shows themselves in the lineup—you know, placement of shows and so on—all in ways to discredit them and garner the least audience for these voices. “But still, we reap the benefits of having them on the show and collecting the advertising money. Additionally, we just look better in seeming to be more balanced. “So, in our documentary, see how we maintained our position and survived an assault on the Press, by caving in to the dictatorial demands of a Party that also essentially owned us, surreptitiously of course, but how we managed to fool the public that we had in any way done so; how we managed at times to fool the public that we were their adversaries for truth and a counterbalance, as the Fourth Estate traditionally had been, to the powers of government and wealth, while in fact we were totally their tools in concocting the realities we were told to and muddying or ignoring the truths that came our way that would have been illuminating to the public presented fairly, but would have undermined the position we were pressured to present. “So, tonight, our special documentary, “Freedom of the Press, Repealed. The Story, and How—This Repeal Now Thoroughly Institutionalized Over Twelve Years—We Can Reveal How We’ve Duped You and Will Continue To.” “Be sure to tune in or TiVo it. For it is just a little fun we are allowing ourselves—that of spilling the beans about what is really behind the things we bring to you as actual events and true analysis—as a kind of celebration of the thoroughness of our success, and as a proof to the administration at how thoroughly we have manipulated your thinking that we can dare to lay it all out and feel certain that it will fail to enlighten a single one of you, in fact we feel it will aid us in an aspect of our campaign—that of keeping you confused so that you will be dependent on us for your conclusions. “Especially when tomorrow evening and from now on, there will be no mention that this documentary ever existed, it will be expunged from all lists and archives and thoroughly be extracted and destroyed, as if it never existed. “At that time we will begin…we’re already assuming our success here…and we’re planning a comprehensive campaign to add to our success so far in confusing and then convincing the public of the one-percent’s version of events, and to add to our favor with the now sole power in America…basically to suck up to them…we will have begun a calculated effort that we have designed that we think will be very successful and that you will enjoy, of the slow elimination, first, of American’s, of your collective memory of your past, beginning with the most recent and then, hopefully if successful and of course with your help, will continue further into the past; and following right behind the elimination of memory—no, we’re not going to tell you exactly how, now that wouldn’t be very game-spirited of us would it? Naw. “Although, no one but you and I here now, I’ll give you a hint—confusion, for one, has been found to be extremely powerful in clouding out the details of memory—now, that’s all I’m gonna say, and believe me, if I wasn’t so totally convinced that we have been so successful that we can tell you just about anything and get away with it, then I wouldn’t have even said that. “But of course, I am. That’s why people like me still have these jobs, while—gad, for a second there I almost said, my god just like it were the old days, I almost said, while “you may have noticed the losses and demotions of many formerly household names here at CLN who haven’t been as cooperative, supportive, committed, or as convinced, as I certainly am, of our ability to totally manipulate your thinking, as we wish.” “Yea, I almost said that. But then that would have assumed that you had remembered any of them. Oh. Old habits are hard to drop. “And anyway, I have to say I have my viewership to thank for that…for my success. Sincerely, I owe a great debt of gratitude to you folks who regularly tune in to my show in particular. “Why, the absolute malarkey that I was putting out to you, slowly at first, not feeling totally convinced of your gullibility, I mean, still in those days it was pretty irrational and unbelievable bull droppings, completely concocted out of only the hot air emanating from egotistical rants of those whose sole desire is only to comfort and enslave you. “Yet, the pollings that came in showed that I could practically fart out these concoctions and you would swallow them whole like tasty confections! I truly began to feel that I was like Moses bringing nightly the stone tablets; such was the utter inability among the masses of you to evaluate in any way what you were being fed. “My colleagues say that my success is my beard and frizzy hair—part patriarchal, paternal, Moses-like, as well as appealing to My Generation base of long hairs and facial hair valuing; to which we added my supposed background as a member of a Sixties band and interest in current rock music—we felt we needed to do more to convince them, with their tradition of question authority and all—and, well, we must’ve got some of them at least because the polls were overwhelming in their insistence on my staunch credibility. “So, I just want to say again that my success is owed completely to you, my viewers, and your unbelievably vapid minds, inane gullibility, or busied, stressed, overworked, or threatened existences as to make you grasp at anything outside as being of more substance than what you feel inside, and perhaps more pleasant. “But whatever it is, thank you, and keep it up. In this next experiment, I’m sure you’ll show up, among all the segments of our viewership, as being the least able to remember and the easiest to forget what we will tell you later tonight. I’m sure you can do it. I’m counting on you. “Oh, but now I’m forgetting. Sorry, I just got caught up in a wave of heartfelt gratitude to you all. The high ratings you give me and the solid staunch belief in my credibility that comes so high in the pollings, well they just … just that I get choked up … sorry, folks … this part is between me and you and … well, you’ll forget it anyway, if it’s decided by the Deciders later, that you can’t have it … so between us, well, how do you thank someone who has taken you from the ratings floor to the moon? How do you thank someone who has given up their reason, their very reason and rationality, for your success? You see, I take it as a kind of personal affection you must have towards me…. “And that wasn’t me trying intentionally to sound like Bill Clinton at all. No it wasn’t…. “How do you thank someone who has given up their reason and rationality…their individuality for your success? “You see? I take it as a kind of personal affection you must have towards me when…who you don’t even know, to be so willing to be the greatest mass of idiot viewers on TV, getting the prize certainly. “Because, you know, I simply can’t imagine that people exist who could be so unbelievably lacking in reason, intelligence, or simply the ability to remember what we say from one night to the next, as to swallow so hungrily the pig slop that I’ve been out here portraying as accurate, unbiased, etc. HA. Ha. Oh, the drivel we won’t say. “So, unless somehow they’ve managed to create people with air balloons for brains… ha, ha…… “No, No, no! Sorry, my friends, my bad on that. Let me assure you that has not happened. No, there are no people who’s heads are actually balloons. Believe me, OK? “Ok, then, what I’m saying is that unless the greatest percentage of you is vapid minded or brain dead—and that I don’t believe folks—then the only thing could be that you folks really care about me and making me a success as to sacrifice your own thought, reason, and individuality. “Well, yeah, I’m sure you’re getting something out of it too, Y’know. I’m sure it helps having not to think and being able to just tune in nightly to be told what’s true and what to believe and never to be given anything unsettling or contrary as to cause you to be upset and have those horrible feelings of uncertainty. “So, anyway, we get it, we get each other, and together let’s go make newscasting history—if they’ll ever keep an accurate one… hmmm… oh well. “But at least for now, going back to what I was telling you about our next big wave of … well, some on our side might call it mind control or even enslavement … but you and I know that you’re better off with us giving you your reality, your memories, your beliefs. I’m sure you’ve all realized by now that we’re doing a whole lot better than the crappy reality you all had before we started helping you out. “So the exciting next phase, as I was saying, begins with the slow elimination of recent memory, then memory further back. And to put it in a nutshell: We’re going to give you new happier memories, and interpretations of those memories that you’ll just relish. Just like we’ve recreated your present by substituting confusing reality with simple heart-warming, however untrue, views and perceptions. “Well, together we’ve been so successful that we’re going to show our gratitude by doing the same for your past. Of course, in pleasing our Deciders, it will be the grand events of the past, the ones that are in their interest to change, that will be conveniently removed and replaced by versions to suit them, but you can trust us, you’ll much prefer, in fact we guarantee, you’ll enjoy what we give you. “And, be patient, once we’ve been able to do that; you’re going to have to help of course… of course you will; with that accomplished, we’ll be able to help more and more with your personal memories. Not too long now, and you’ll have wonderful happy memories—we’ll have taken your miserable real ones and instead we will give you these happy memories, splendid memories that will completely buttress the views that we’ve been feeding you, giving you personal, unreal, memories of personal experiences that prove the validity of the beliefs that we’ve caused you to have. “And believe you me, we’re going to load it up with goodies of all kinds—ice cream dates, Christmases perfect and loving, Fourth of July celebrations and innocent love under the fireworks—but that’s enough. Just you be assured, your gonna have your very own “Happy Days” for a personal past. Our guarantee at CLN – the Central Lying News. “Now, back to regular programming, save one last reminder on our special tonight, the documentary, ‘Freedom of the Press, Repealed. The Story, and How—This Repeal Now Thoroughly Institutionalized Over Twelve Years—We Can Reveal How We’ve Duped You and Will Continue To.” Tune in, don’t miss it; You’re sure to forget it.’” Well, thanks, Wolf. You’re a real trip, man. But anyway, back to reality, er, some version of it. After that little trip into a parallel, bizarre universe that might actually be closer to the truth than we would like to realize…I think a lot of us would like to know how true it is… Anyway, let’s take a look at that catscan from the past that I was talking about. Continue with Culture War, Class War, Chapter Eighteen: Dire Prediction Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter Sixteen: The Fall of “Obvious Truths” Invite you to follow me on Twitter: 1%, 2000, 2012, 60s, 9-11, abject failure, Al Gore, America, authenticity, authority, Barack Obama, beliefs, Bill Clinton, Bill Maher, Bill of Rights, blame, Bluto, budget, bush, Central Lying News, change, CLN, CNBC, Comedy, Consciousness, corporations, crash, culture, current-events, damage, debacle, deception, democrats, documentary, economy, election, enslavement, Environment, experiment, experts, filthy rich, forget, Fourth Estate, Fox News, freedom, freedom of the press, future, generation, George H W Bush, George W. Bush, Glen Beck, Gore, government, harsh realities, headlines, History, humor, idiocy, individualism, intelligence, last decade, life, love, mainstream, market crash, mass media, matrix, media, memory, mess, message, mind, Mitt Romney, nation, National Debt, national situation, news, newscasters, nonconform, Obama, obvious, occupy wall street, ows, past, Pat Buchanan, peace, ploys, Politics, polls, prediction, president, presidential election, press, progress, prophecy, Psychology, public, pundits, rationality, reagan, reality, reason, recession, repeal, Republicans, revolution, Robert Reich, Romney, ronald reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Santana, satire, sixties, society, standard of living, stock market, Supreme Court, tax cut, Tea Party, television, time capsule, timeline, trickle down economics, truth, truths, tv, views, voice, voodoo economics, wealth, wolf blitzer If Freedom of the Press Was Repealed, How Would You Know? Freedom Repealed, Part Two—Dire Vision, Revelation … Words a Decade Old Come Back to Haunt Posted by sillymickel in activism, allegory, authenticity, Class, Culture, economics, globalrevolution, History, individualism, nonconform, occupywallstreet, psychology, spirituality, US on October 17, 2012 Continue with “Freedom of the Press, Repealed — The Story of How We’ve Duped You and Will Continue To. Tune In, Don’t Miss It; We’ll Make Sure You Forget It.” Return to Dire Prediction: Before Voting for Romney, Remember, We Knew This Before. Will We Continue Shooting Ourselves in the Foot? 2000, 2012, 60s, 9-11, abject failure, Al Gore, America, authenticity, Barack Obama, Bill Maher, Bill of Rights, blame, Bluto, budget, bush, change, CNBC, Comedy, Consciousness, crash, culture, damage, debacle, democrats, documentary, economy, election, experiment, experts, filthy rich, forget, Fox News, freedom, freedom of the press, future, generation, George H W Bush, George W. Bush, Glen Beck, Gore, government, headlines, History, last decade, life, love, market crash, matrix, media, memory, mess, message, mind, Mitt Romney, nation, National Debt, news, nonconform, Obama, obvious, occupy wall street, ows, past, Pat Buchanan, peace, Politics, prediction, presidential election, press, progress, prophecy, Psychology, pundits, reagan, recession, repeal, Republicans, revolution, Romney, ronald reagan, Rush Limbaugh, Santana, sixties, society, standard of living, stock market, Supreme Court, tax cut, time capsule, timeline, trickle down economics, truth, voodoo economics, wolf blitzer In the Wake of the Idiot King: Obama Rising and The Awakening—“This Is Not the Way America Is Suppose to Be!” Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, life, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality on September 7, 2012 The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” 99% Rising, and Awakening in a Plundered Land: Their Intentions Are No Less Than Those of the Nobles of Old Culture War, Class War, Chapter Sixteen: The Fall of “Obvious Truths” Truth Will Out – Their Intentions Are No Less Than Those of the Nobles of Old: The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part One “This Is Not the Way America Is Suppose to Be!” The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part One – Truth Will Out So, we have these Big Lies, these “obvious truths,” which are actually not true, and they are all pervasive. It makes it virtually impossible to know what is actually going on. Lies Are Being Called for What They Are Until just recently. For now the truth’s being told again. And the Republicans are on the run. They are being found out to be the liars they are. That term, lie, for the first time in my lifetime is being used for what they do. They are being discovered to be who they are and what they have been doing all those years is being told. All the things they like to do–the undermining of unions and the collective bargaining system, the ever increasing giveaways to the rich–are being brought into the light. The Republican Lie About JFK Being a Supply-Sider America was prosperous in the Sixties under Kennedy. And Republicans like to refer to his cutting taxes on the wealthy as support for their policies. They like to point to the good economy then as being the sort of thing that happens with their voodoo economics of shoveling money into wealthy hands, and they dare to imply that he would be in agreement with them. But Rich-publicans have been extracting far more from America than the modest gain they had under Kennedy. What they’re not telling you is JFK reduced taxes to percentages in the seventies. The tax cut was actually not implemented until Johnson took office, so the prosperity we remember from the JFK’s America happened with the marginal rate above ninety percent. They’re not pointing out that America boomed under Eisenhower, a Republican, when it was also in the nineties. They’re avoiding the fact that their hero, Reagan, took JFK’s levels to the twenties and caused a recession. The Republican Lie That Cutting Taxes Creates Prosperity So Republicans are comparing a small reduction enacted during prosperous times—the early Sixties—with huge cuts in times that are precarious—currently. And they’re failing to point out how lower taxes in the Twenties before the Depression, in the Eighties before Reagan-Bush’s recession, and in the last decade under Bush all devastated the economy. Despite these dire consequences they would opt for the highest bracket of taxes to be in the low thirties even now when they can hardly be afforded, and they pushed Obama into continuing their tax cut at the end of 2010 and are blaming him for the economy not responding since then. So Republicans firmly maintain that Matrix of misinformation and switching the blame whose purposes are to confuse the other-than-wealthy and thus keep them helpless. It Is Now Clear That Their Intentions Are No Less Than Those of the Nobles of Old They would keep us helpless for lack of a clearer understanding , as well as to keep us disintegrated and disunited. No big union movements, no big antiwar movements, no big environmental movements, and no movements for the poor and economic justice. The misinformation overlay has become so pervasive, the masses have lost the solidarity that they had enjoyed only a decade or so earlier when issues were clearer. Even Clinton’s America was a time when the truth was easier to make out through the concerted Republican campaign to enrich themselves and to keep the average American confused, poorer, poorer and poorer, helpless, and thus dumber and more controllable, easier to manipulate, and overworked because of crazy-making ways of doing things. “This Is Not the Way America Is Suppose to Be!” – OWS Protester What does their consistent, daily, pervasive and unrelenting repetition and lies accomplish? What does all that amount to? Their intentions are no less than those nobles of old, to keep people in servitude and serfdom, essentially to bring people into compliance with their totalitarian will. But I refuse to believe that is the only possible fate for workers and the masses of people. I still actually believe in those things we were all taught about America in our schools. I still think of what we are supposed to be. We’ve Brought Down Soviet Oppression…Only to Raise It Ourselves. But in our propaganda and lies we have become the the Soviets in many ways. But we’ve done it in a much slicker way that has got everybody confused. Well, I did say this was about the rise and fall of the “obvious truths.” And I talked at length about those lies and those obvious “truths” that were never challenged. I hope I made my case. But What Did It Take for Such Truth to Be Revealed? It is our good fortune for these lies to become clearer in recent years and for the perpetrators to become more visible. But what did it take for those guys to be seen for what they are? It took a lot of suffering by the American people. For eight long years, it took a lot of being abused by the powerful. The Republicans got so cocky, they took so much money, they were so uncaring of the suffering, of the dying of Americans. They were so obviously not caring…not even putting up a pretense of being for the American people, who they were supposed to be representing and who they were claiming to be on the side of. They were obviously the wealthiest of us and those fighting for those interests of the filthy rich, but they were insinuating that they were all people, that what suited them was a benefit to us all. Arrogance Comes Before the Fall But you see you can get so cocky that you can lose your discipline and then you start to say things that people can see through. And then you have a war and people are dying. And then you finally have a collapse, an economic collapse that was based upon taking away regulations that people and good thinking Democrats and so on had instituted to protect people from having their life savings taken away from them…regulations that were also put into effect to level the playing field with the rich and anybody else playing the stock market. We had such regulations, but then they go and take them away. We see that lapdog for the filthies, Alan Greenspan, saying we have come into some bright new era when corporations no longer need restraints for they are (magically) now self-regulating. Their Thievery Blatant, Cocky And we saw what happened. The rich people…they went crazy, they went amok. Even at the end they took 700 billion dollars out of the American Treasury, and got away scot free. I was making the point earlier how that was extortion on such a grand scale. I brought to mind how extortion happens a lot more among the hundreds of million of Americans but when they do it on a tiny scale they go to jail, but when this elite does it on a large scale, well they just talk about it as if it is history. And It’s like, “That’s too bad. We gave all that money to them, and they didn’t do what they said they were going to do. Hmmm. Too bad. I mean there’s nothing we can do.” The American Awakening – 99% Rising … in a Plundered Land: The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part Two Awakening in the Wake of an Idiot King: The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part Two – 99% Rising However people did start to see through the “obvious truths,” finally, through all of the haze of omnipresent untruth. Maybe it was because so many people were out of work they had some time to think. I don’t know. 99% Rising And then Obama came along. He spoke plainly. He spoke like one of us because he was one of us. Like Bill Clinton, who incidentally was also raised by a single mother, Obama had a middle class background and humble origins. His mother was said to be a “hippie” of sorts; she was certainly internationalist in her perspective, not jingoistic. She died owing medical bills and, sadly, struggling with insurance companies. Obama’s origins have nothing in common with those of, say, a Romney…or a Bush. He wasn’t cradled in wealth, and his family had no ties with Nazis like the Bushes. You couldn’t say he wasn’t one of us; you couldn’t make Obama out to be an elitist. Of course, they tried to; they got so cocky there is nothing the filthy rich and their Republican lackeys would not speak to see if they could get away with it. Obama was called “elitist” when he was campaigning and when in office they changed that to “socialist” and un-American. He had the same kind of pejoratives thrown at him that the 1% have always drummed up against any of us radicals, “hippies,” activists, or any of us coming up from the 99%. He forgo taking up some lucrative position in the corporacracy after his university years and instead worked as a community organizer. I personally can appreciate that having done something similar at one point in my own life. But, no, he spoke like us. He made sense. He used rational arguments like his Democratic predecessors, but unlike them he could weave that logic with examples and words from our lives. Perhaps Clinton is the only president in recent memory who could really do that as well. And, being black, he obviously didn’t look like our usual American overlords. Certainly, they tried to make him into some rich person. It is amazing how the filthy rich will paint their opponents with the brush that belongs to them. One of the big lies they always put out there is that “The Democrats are the ones who are rich.” And they’d say, “Well the Kennedys were…” Seriously, they do this. It is so typical. Nowadays they bring up the name, George Soros. They find the one billionaire on our side. They don’t tell you that he’s got one-tenth the wealth of the Koch Brothers who fund the Republicans and the extreme right. With Soros’s billions dwarfed and insect-like up against the mountains of gold behind Republicans, they still make him out to be some kind of source of all evil. Unbelievable. But that’s what the Republicans and the right-wing-nuts to. They will find one example of anything. Always just one example will they be able to come up with, but they will use that to make their crazy “truth.” Indeed, Obama chose a running mate, Joe Biden, who also had unprivileged beginnings. Biden grew up in the unassuming city of Scranton, in the center of the one-time Pennsylvania coal region, only ten miles from where I happened to have been raised. Biden was one of the least moneyed if not the actual poorest of any of those in the Senate. He ran his first campaign on a shoestring budget and was still taking the train to Washington at the time of his nomination to the vice-presidency. You can argue the policies of these Democrats all you want, but what you cannot do is include them in the ranks of the 1%. So by the time of the 2008 election and after a sorry eight years of the reign of a foolish Bush, these “obvious truths”—such as that you give money to the rich and it’s gonna create prosperity—well, they were falling. They came out into the light and began being seen to be the lies that they are. Not all of them, of course. But some, at great cost to Americans during eight years and more of suffering, were swept like cobwebs from the minds of an awakening populace in America. The American Awakening began. It began in reaction to an idiot “king” and on the shoulders of a new committed generation of Millennials. It swept the first African American ever into the office of the presidency of the United States. Within three years, and knowing Obama’s election was not enough to throw off the vines of tyranny that had grown over America during a full fifty years of “obvious truths,” it caught the headwind of an Arab Spring and sailed into a Wisconsin union movement and an American Autumn. Between the Occupy Wall Street and Wisconsin uprisings, America saw the largest outpouring of revolutionary fervor since the Sixties. Not only did the throngs of demonstrators mirror, perhaps surpass, the numbers that rose up in the Sixties, but the movement this time was world-wide; the cause was the same, world-wide. A Global Awakening had begun. Their Legacy Remaining But the fields upon which we arose had been burned and the earth in which we tried to take root had been salted. There had been that massive transfer of wealth upward to the coffers of the already stinking-with-it since the Eighties, over the course of some thirty years. It had been going on full throttle since the Republican coup that put Bush into power in 2000, which, without blinking an eye, swallowed up the Budget Surplus that had tediously been built over the eight years of the Democrat, Clinton. All that money squandered on those not needing it could have paid for child care for everybody in America, could have given everybody in America solar power, so that we would be completely energy independent in that way, not worried about terrorism or anything. No, but all that money was just thrown at the rich people. These very important life and death issues were tossed aside as irrelevant in the game. The players were intent on winning and it was like nobody really cared anymore if anybody got hurt. After all, once you start telling people that poor people deserve to be poor and that they are responsible for any misfortune that others heap on them…even if they get hurt or killed…you’ve opened the door for much more. It’s like “Oh, yea, it’s the gangs they’re in. They’re having gang wars, they can’t control themselves, they’re not like the rest of us, they’re always starting trouble, they can’t be helped, they’ll always be poor, the poor we always have with us….” And once you start saying things like that you’re speaking their talk. You’re helping to keep the rich in control of you, because you’re helping them to cover up what they do. You’ve allowed them to distract you from their nefarious game to focus on some other group. You begin having it out for some easy scapegoat and begin to think of those unfortunates as not part of the “real” Americans. The wealthy have you thinking after a while about this scapegoated group the way they think of you. They do not think you are as human, as deserving of a nice life as them. They want you thinking that there is some group…Jews, blacks, hispanics, gays…who are responsible for your problems and are not as deserving, are not as American as you. So they create all kinds of lies so you’ve got someone to blame that is not them, that is not the actual perpetrators of these things. The Fall of “Obvious Truths” So this is what is meant by the rise and fall of “obvious truths.” We see through their bombardment of inanities and lies, yet they have desperately stepped up their assault…as frightened actors can be expected to do. This proves we are winning. Yet they increase their control of the dialogue in America with a virtual media monopoly, spinning their line, their narrative almost exclusively and leaving the internet the only unconquered land outside their broadcast hegemony. And I can only hope that the truth will continue to come out, that it will really come out and continue to awaken people to their own interests instead of them working against themselves and each other. Obama is an intelligent person; he’s doing as good job as might be expected in the plundered land that’s been left him. And I hope it’s not forgotten what he is doing. I saw what a good job Clinton did and I saw how that was covered up, how we were distracted to seeing only a scandal. Oh, yea, so he had sex. Our leader had sex, how horrible. So all of the people who died because of the Bushes and Reagan, all the suffering caused by rubbing people’s faces in the dirt of poverty are not to be mentioned. But Clinton had sex with some woman; that’s a cause for outrage. Wow. But you hear that enough and you don’t have any real perspective any more. You cannot weigh the gravity of one wrong against the other, or in this case a supposed wrong against real ones. But Americans are starting to know again what is really important. Pushing against the media tides, they are connecting outside of the public limelight. They are using the internet to exchange views. They are learning and taking action, gathering by the hundreds of thousands in rallies for change and to speak out against what is continuing to be imposed on them to benefit the well off. They are doing this despite being ignored by the media, the media continuing its policy of trying to make some realities to go away while blowing up the ridiculous and the insignificant into matters of great and pressing portent. So in spite of it all I think Americans have started to get back their solidarity. I think they are starting to get back their ability to reason. I just hope that we’re going to get back some jobs too…and some money …and be able someday to enjoy some of that prosperity I remember from the past. Continue with Culture War, Class War, Chapter Seventeen: Freedom of the Press Repealed Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter Fifteen: Money Madness 1%, 60s, 80s, 99%, America, American Awakening, Americans, antiwar movement, arrogance, authenticity, Awakening, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, bush, class war, collective bargaining, confusion, Consciousness, corporations, culture, Culture War, death, democrat, democrats, economic collapse, economic justice, economy, Eighties, Eisenhower, elite, environmental movement, extortion, filthy rich, generation, George W. Bush, Great Depression, hippie, humble origins, individualism, JFK, Kennedy, liars, lies, Lyndon Johnson, marginal rate, matrix, media, middle class background, misinformation, Mitt Romney, money, Nazi, nobles, nonconform, Obama, obvious truth, obvious truths, occupy wall street, ows, Politics, progressives, propaganda, prosperity, prosperous times, protest, protester, Psychology, publicans, rational arguments, recession, regulations, repetition, Republican, Republicans, rich, ronald reagan, Scott Walker, servitude, sixties, socialist, society, solidarity, Soviets, stock market, suffering, supply side economics, tax cut, taxes, totalitarianism, Treasury, truth, undermining of unions, unions, voodoo economics, Wall Street, war, wealth, wealthy, workers Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on July 24, 2012 However people did start to see through the “obvious truths,” finally, through all smoke and lies. Maybe it was because so many people were out of work they had some time to think. Continue with The American Awakening – 99% Rising … in a Plundered Land: The Fall of “Obvious Truths,” Part Two Return to Hippies, Yippies, Yuppies … How the 1% Diluted the Progressive Movement by Slandering Boomers to Foster Culture War Between Them and Gen Xers and to Distract from Their Own Looting 1%, 60s, 80s, 99%, America, Americans, antiwar movement, arrogance, authenticity, Bill Clinton, bush, class war, collective bargaining, confusion, Consciousness, corporations, culture, Culture War, death, democrats, economic collapse, economic justice, economy, Eighties, Eisenhower, elite, environmental movement, extortion, filthy rich, generation, George W. Bush, Great Depression, individualism, JFK, Kennedy, LBJ, liars, lies, Lyndon Johnson, marginal rate, matrix, media, misinformation, money, nobles, nonconform, Obama, obvious truths, occupy wall street, ows, Politics, progressives, propaganda, prosperity, prosperous times, protest, protester, Psychology, publicans, recession, regulations, repetition, Republicans, rich, ronald reagan, Scott Walker, servitude, sixties, society, solidarity, Soviets, stock market, suffering, supply side economics, tax cut, taxes, totalitarianism, Treasury, truth, undermining of unions, unions, voodoo economics, Wall Street, war, wealthy, workers Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Foolin’ the People About America and The Rise of Obvious “Truths” … It’s About Creeping Corporate Insertion Into Every Aspect of Your Life. Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, life, nonconform, occupywallstreet, Politics, psychology, US on July 18, 2012 Peaking in the Sixties, Starving for Prosperity, The Compassion Gap, Starving the “Beast,” Humbug for the Poor, Democratizing the Hate … Your Money or Your Life Culture War, Class War, Chapter Fourteen: Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Peaking in the Sixties Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part One: Peaking in the Sixties Americans are innovators and problem-solvers. There’s nothing Americans can’t do, no problem we can’t solve, once we put our minds to it. Things just keep getting better in America Republicans are for small business. So unfortunately, after Reagan instituted “voodoo economics,” with prices on health care and pharmaceuticals going through the roof along with the sudden unexpected increases of other necessities of life, you had that lowered standard of living we have now become accustomed to for the great majority of Americans. You had a population that was poorer, in relative terms, and got increasingly poorer. Over time, over the course of my lifetime, though we might ostensibly have appeared to prosper we did not. The apparent rise in standard of living was a result of the glut of new consumer items produced in an increasingly technological and complex culture. You might be able to afford plenty of cheap trinkets and toys, but for things that pertained to your well-being and quality of life, such as health and medical care, good schools, wholesome food, higher educational opportunities, a clean environment, recreational opportunities, fuel and energy, leisure, family, and quality time, and so on we were ever more wanting. In retrospect I can see we prospered in the Fifties and Sixties. The records show that Americans achieved a peak of affluence in the Sixties and that since then, and rapidly accelerating since the Eighties, we have been on a downward slide. Poor Mothers Could Afford to Stay Home and Take Care of the Kids. I can see the ways we, living in the Fifties and Sixties, were as a culture fairly well off, though personally my circumstances were anything but that. My father made only fifty dollars a week for a time. But my mother never had to go to work. She actually did get a part-time job much later in life for the enjoyment of it. Can anyone today imagine that? How Much for That House? Ok, Let Me Get My Wallet. My father never made over a hundred dollars a week until later in his life he actually started his own small trucking outfit…that’s another story about who are the real job creators in America that I get into elsewhere. Yet he bought his home with cash he had saved up. Eight thousand dollars smack on the barrelhead in 1953. He never had to work three jobs to get by either, like some folks have to today. No mortgage on his house and he bought every car he owned—roughly once every five years—also with cash he had saved. College Educations for Free in the Sixties and Seventies. #occupycollege today No loans, never in debt and yet five of his six children attended at least some college and two attained at least Master’s degrees. I was talking with my older brother about his college education, which mirrored my own, and we both remember getting by with very little or no debt afterward. We both received enough to cover all college plus living expenses most years just on scholarships and grants—mostly state and federally funded—yet we both attended private, somewhat prestigious, colleges. I know, millennial generation, but don’t blame us, we’re on your side. #occupycollege. What’s Health Insurance? My family didn’t have any health insurance, had never even heard of it. We were not well off, but we like most people could afford to go to the doctor. And similar to others we could even normally pay hospital bills, for maternity and so on. If anything very serious developed that required more money no one ever imagined that they would be turned away at a hospital. The Mercy Hospital in my city, run by a religious order of Catholic nuns and funded by contributions, was a place one could always go regardless of one’s means. Sounds unbelievably quaint, doesn’t it? I know. I can hardly believe it was once that way myself. Starving for Prosperity Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Two: Starving for Prosperity Foolin’ the People About America Obvious “Truths” There is an abundance of food in America There is a huge problem with obesity in America because folks actually have too much to eat. People are overweight because they eat too much. “Have Some More, There’s Plenty!” And my family never starved back in the Fifties and Sixties. The dinner refrain was “Have some more, there’s plenty.” Though we were fairly poor by the standards of that time, I never, ever, ever imagined there being a lack of or limitation on food. There were big restrictions on sweet treats and goodies, but not on wholesome food. So it shocks me to see how much more concerned parents are today about how much their children will eat, as well as how precisely they mete out their gustatory offerings when entertaining. “You’re Not Leaving This Table till You’ve Eaten All Your … Ketchup.” When not long ago I worked in a group home for troubled boys I was shocked and distressed to see the controversies over the food portions given and the restrictions on when they could eat. This was a government-funded group home and had to abide by all kinds of minimal standards in nutrition. Still, ever since Reagan determined that ketchup qualified as a vegetable serving, I have noticed this public stinginess about food. Where I worked, sugared-water drinks qualified as juice, and peanut butter consumption was limited to a thin layer like that of butter that’s spread on bread. Cheap sugar this and thats and nutrient-low, colon-clogging baked goods, noodle dishes, and pizza were the at-hand substitutes for wholesome, more substantial offerings. The resulting blood-sugar swings and erratic, aggressive behavior were handled with drugs and listed within their case histories. “Please, Sir, Some More?” There was much more like this but suffice it to say that I could hardly believe the happenings in this Oliver Twist world. My heart went out to those young boys who in this once wealthy land and still surrounded by plenty in this post-millennial, rich suburban California stood near the kitchen with plate in hand, their eyes pleading if they might “please have some more.” This miserliness about food seems a prevalent thing throughout the culture as it is evident in school lunch programs also. Whereas at the grammar and secondary schools I attended while growing up I enjoyed complete wholesome meals on a par with and sometimes surpassing the enjoyable repasts at home and even seconds were allowed, what is considered a decent school lunch today is shocking. Corporations have taken over as suppliers. Can you believe we had a Joe the Cook in grade school who concocted home-style offerings, which were ladled out by those of our mothers, including my own, who had volunteered? The Beloved School Cook–Pepsico Today the school meals are akin to that in fast food restaurants and just as monotonous … pizza, chicken nuggets, spaghetti, greasy burgers, hot dogs, fries. They are not “cooked.” From what I understand, they are taken from freezers, popped in microwaves, and dealt out to pupils like one would cards. The epidemics of obesity and diabetes in our country attest to how much worse is the nutrition for young folks today. Aren’t America’s “Extermination Policies” Just More Undetectable Than Nazi Germany’s? Starving the “Beast”—That Means You: Your Money or Your Life Foolin’ the People About America. Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Three: Starving the “Beast” Your Medical Payment or Your Life What else is different now than fifty years ago? Well, there’s people who can’t pay for health care… can’t get health care? …. Now that’s something new for me too. Can’t get health care. Wow. You mean you’re sick, you’re gonna die, but you can’t get help in the medical system? Unbelievable. That used to be unheard of. I know. You’re thinking, “But we passed universal health care in recent years.” Remember though, we passed universal health care “coverage” … not care. Everyone has to be insured does not mean everyone gets taken care of. At any rate, none of this “universal health care” has “trickled down” to the very needy as far as I can tell. Now, I don’t know if folks are being turned away from hospitals like they were before it was passed. Folks got refused care for lack of coverage in recent decades. And sometimes they died. (I wonder how many others died while struggling to fill out the forms to apply for health care for the needy? *sarcasm*) Regardless, health care that is delayed, rationed out, or cut back and denied for certain conditions can be just as much a death sentence as being turned away at a hospital door. Example? After we passed “universal” coverage Governor Jane Brewer of Arizona allowed a change in policy in their state-funded health care to deny organ transplants to those folks who could not afford it otherwise. These were organ transplants needed to save their lives. These people would have received them under some other coverage, but falling through the cracks and being poor—some of them born too disabled to be able to work at a job—they were essentially told, “We can’t afford to keep you alive (we’ve got tax cuts for the rich to pay for).” So they did. They died. Republicans clamored about “death panels” beforehand; then promptly implemented one as soon as they could. Isn’t this the kind of health care the opponents of “socialized medicine” say we would get if we went to single-payer? Well, we’ve got it folks—delays, rationing, denials, complications … and stress!—without any of the benefits of “socialized medicine.” I’ve watched it take two weeks to get a prescription in Riverside County, California, when it should have taken 45 minutes or less. The folks there handling health care for people who include poor folks on Medi-Cal are so overworked and stretched thin that you need to stand in line, literally stand in line for sometimes four hours or more to get a prescription filled. Think I’m exaggerating? I’m aware of at least one elderly gentleman who collapsed while waiting and was removed on a stretcher. I felt like I was in a scene from the movie Soylent Green, wondering where they were taking this one who had fallen by the wayside. And the answer is no. No to the other question in your mind: “Don’t they have places you can sit down?” I know of no other place where you have to stand to get your prescription, you’re REQUIRED to stand. But then this is a huge county hospital catering to the poor. It handles many poor people…and it does it poorly. The unwritten rule is, “You’re asking for health care at a discount!? Well, WE’LL MAKE YOU PAY…ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, DAMN YOU!” Starve the “Beast” You don’t think this attitude trickles down to the masses from policy on high? Well, you tell me what the policy makers of the 1% are thinking when they say they are going to “starve the beast” of government … continually cut back funds for government services…as a back door way of making government smaller. This is the exact wording they have used, since Reagan, for their policies of tax cuts for the rich that require massive spending cuts on services for poor and middle income folks. But think now: Just who do they imagine is really that “beast”? And why use the word, “starve”? Yes, the “beast” of the masses, the riff-raff, is being “starved”—being made to suffer for lack of sufficient money for systems and workers so folks can be served faster. With money stretched thin for humane processing systems and employees to implement them, people are refuse…”beasts”…having to stand and suffer. I wonder how this is not simply a more undetectable way of eliminating in America the handicapped, disabled, and/or mentally challenged than the way the Nazis did it to the same sort of “riff raff” when they got to power during the time of the Third Reich. Universal Health Care in America? Don’t Make Me Laugh… You Get an “Assumed Doctor” and Like it or You Choose to Die. Foolin’ the People About America. Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Four: But Do You Get a Doctor? And Do You Get a Doctor? Do you get a doctor, though? Not in this decade you don’t. When I was a child we went to the doctor’s office and paid $7 for a doctor’s visit. Even on my Dad’s $50 a week, that was affordable; and that was the least he made. When you now have doctor’s visits that cost a hundred to three hundred dollars if you pay out of pocket (or more), do you realize how much you’d have to make for it to be as affordable as it was for my Dad? Figure $700 to 2 to 3 thousand a week. Some people make that nowadays, but not the poor. Remember, my father was dirt poor, getting by on $50 a week with six kids. House Calls in the Past; “Pretend” Doctors Today But we got to see a real doctor. We even got a doctor who made house calls. Today? Well you get a pretend doctor who confers, along with a gaggle of other pretend doctors, with an actual physician, then gets back to you as you wait…and wait some more. And You Wait Recently, it took four hours for the visit and another four hours to get the prescriptions at the same hospital in another place…and the prescriptions didn’t all come through until after two weeks and a number of phone calls, as at one point they had to order a common prescription and then lost the order (had no record that it had ever been made; though on several phone calls they referred to it) and had to make it again. And this experience has been common. I’ve experienced it a number of times. I’m trying to acquire health care elsewhere, believe me. You Get an “Assumed” Doctor Did I get a doctor? No. Oh, they call themselves doctors. The last one was more honest and announced when he came in that he was so and so who was a “student doctor.” I didn’t hear him correctly. My mind scanned thousands of files in an instant and what it came up with I just had to ask. I said, “Did you say you are an ‘assumed doctor’”? And You Like It And being “processed” like a piece of meat this way, you get a different “assumed doctor” every time. There is no continuity. You don’t bother to keep track of their names, for it doesn’t matter. You start all over on every visit. The only thing they know of you is what has been electronically recorded from previous visits; nothing human or relational is carried forward. They will tell you it is because all the “assumed doctors” are equally competent and qualified, so it doesn’t matter. Of course that is a rationalization for a system so “starved” of funding the personal touch has long ago been squeezed out in favor of assembly-line efficiency. Or You Choose to Die So what is the upshot of all this. It is that many folks have to weigh getting health care in America—which is claimed to be “available”—against the complications and time of getting it. I don’t have a job, so I was able to persevere. What of folks who have to work full time or more? I was well enough to stand around and coherent enough to make notes and make phone calls. What of folks who are sicker than that? The Unspoken Costs of Health Care The upshot is that many folks are weighing THESE costs of health care when choosing whether or not to seek help. And their decision is leaving many of these folks dead. I know of a number of people who have made such a decision; many of you also do. Some Are Choosing a “Soylent Green” Escape I know of one instance where it was even done consciously, for the person did not want to spend what might be her last time on Earth struggling with an insensitive and mean-spirited medical system, so she just opted to let her cancer take her in the serenity of her home and surrounded by loved ones. (Why am I thinking of that movie Soylent Green again? Well, maybe you remember that scene as well.) Others Are Risking It I know I myself weigh these costs in time and suffering and inconvenience whenever I feel I might need to be looked at for something. And very often…most of the time actually…I put off being looked at. I postpone doing tests that are made more time consuming and painful for poor folks (don’t get me started on that); and I often give up in pursuing the treatments and medications that I am prescribed…figuring that putting up with the suffering of the ailment is better than the suffering incurred in its cure. And I am not alone. Will it cost me my life? Perhaps. Universal health care in America? Don’t make me laugh.. America—Best Health Care in the World …Before Them Now, compare all this with the way it was fifty years ago. A friend of mine on Facebook shared how her brother was treated when he had a life threatening injury. This was that long ago and she relates they were poor. She says, they flew in a specialist from Australia to perform the delicate operation. I repeat, they were poor. But then this was all before Reagan…and Nixon. I’m getting to that. With the Excuse of “The Game,” Small-Hearted Folks Can Now Flaunt Their Mean-Spiritedness – The Compassion Gap “Stop War? Now, Don’t Go Gettin’ All Kumbaya on Me!” … Foolin’ the People About America. Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Five: The Compassion Gap So what happened to our country? We were supposed to be a country that valued human life, for example, but is now valuing contract law over that. The Word’s More Important Than The Life So the word has become more important than the person, and better that people sleep in the gutters or lie out in the park than to lend them a hand. And god forbid when you have children, that one of them get sick, someone have an accident, or someone get killed…. Rules (Made Up to Benefit the Wealthy) Are Now More Important Than Life Goddamn it. Y’know, here you’ve got Rick Santelli saying, well they must have put in a kitchen or else they wouldn’t have gotten foreclosed on. Where does he get that? That’s not a fact. That’s a made up thing, just to get people angry. And that’s the game. A game that’s not founded on any facts, only played to be won, and it’s won by making the best argument to arouse the most passions, the most negative passions in people, and to find scapegoats. Stop War? Don’t Be Silly. And this is the kind of thing that was brought up year after year over the decades to the point where it became that the things that I heard being valued growing up were laughable: compassion, if you were caring about people, or not wanting people to die. Say, there was a war or something and there was agony over the loss of life. And all these people would gather together out of their concern. I’m sure you’ve heard about it. People anguished and horrified by other people’s deaths and sufferings…reaching out to help them, help each other, comfort each other, pray together…hope…weep. Oh My Lord, Kumbaya. Yea, a great big kumbaya moment! Wow. And I’m sure that’s what you heard, too. So I get it. Ok, so you shouldn’t have any feelings toward your fellow suffering brother or sister. Is it, what, silly? Uncool? Weak? Wussy? Sappy? What? What is it you’re trying to prove to others with that? What is it you’re hiding about yourself? … What would Jesus have said to that… It seems more than the standard of living was lowered since those days. And I’m sure they are in many ways connected…. I’ll get into that later. Health Not-Care: Democratizing the Hate, Humbug for the Poor, and The Middle Class Is the Last Bastion of Who You Can Give a Damn About Foolin’ the People About America…The Middle Class Is the Last Bastion of Who You Can Give a Damn About. Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Six: Health Not-Care Getting back to the change in the physical standard of living that Reagan wrought, though, let’s take for example the increase in health care costs. This is one of the necessities of life, and it’s been climbing out of reach, putting a burden on people, ok? … Humbug for the Poor As I explained in Part Two of “Obvious Truths,” Nixon addressed that problem in the Seventies. He was supposedly helping out the people, the poor…. Uh. But, no, he would never say that. He would never say he wanted to help the poor! Previous to him, in Johnson’s time…The Great Society and all that, yes. That was surely a time when you would hear talk like that. There was actually a War on Poverty then. But by the time of Nixon…. So, I guess that’s when it started happening. You couldn’t say you were actually going to help out the poor anymore. Because the truism, which I’m sure you all agree with, whether you admit it to yourself or not, is that the poor people deserve to be punished because obviously they’re lazy. Think about that; isn’t that the same stuff that, back in the day, they were saying about African Americans? … Democratizing the Hate So isn’t it kind of like that racism has become classism? It’s kind of like a hatred that’s not been eliminated because they’re still saying that about people of color, but it’s been expanded. It includes more people–whites and blacks…and all other kinds of colors. All the poor, they’re all now lazy, deserving what they get. The Middle Class–The Last Bastion of Who You Can Give a Damn About So instead what you hear today is like the “middle class”! Well, supposedly the middle class are ok people. They’re not deadbeats; they didn’t put in that kitchen they can’t afford…. Actually they’re the ones who are owning homes so some of them actually are the ones getting those new kitchens. Health Not-Care Nixon Cared About Health…Healthy Profits. So Nixon’s answer to health care, to help the middle class, he started the move toward HMOs. And remember how it came about. There were actual White House tapes, an actual taped phone conversation of it. You hear Nixon talking to Ehrlichmann. And they are discussing the matter, health care. Nixon is told that Kaiser, and this is the guy who started Kaiser Permanente, one of the top HMOs. He is told that Edgar Kaiser is proposing a “for profit” system of health care. Now here we have people who can’t afford health care and now you want to have a system that’s going to add to the costs of it. How’s that you say? Some People Just Wanting to Get Sick Again and Again! You say HMOs lower health care costs by reducing overhead? Maybe, but to all necessary costs that are already there, HMOs add the cost of profits to go to the owners of that health care system. Ok? Also, Kaiser pointed out it would discourage “overuse” of medical treatment. Wow! So, here we go again. So now we see that people who need medical treatment are just like those deadbeats, they’re like poor people, they’re overusing medical care. My god! They’re getting sick too much. And if you had a for-profit system, well, they could deny people coverage. And they could deny people medical treatment, no doubt, because they would naturally want to increase their profits. GOP-Think. GOP, Think! GOP…Think? So guess what? So, Nixon replied, “Well, now that I like.” This is a true story. So this is a look into how Republicans think. Well not long afterwards, Nixon gives a speech to present his sweeping new health care proposal. What does he say? Remember, there is this obvious disdain for certain groups of people who might be getting too much health care. On the other hand, Nixon is wanting to see that certain other groups of people will make out big time from profits that will be involved. But his speech doesn’t go like that. Nixon is recorded giving a speech, proposing a big solution, purportedly to answer the problem of the rising health care costs that are beginning to be felt at that time. He will emphasize that his proposal would be a great benefit to the middle class. [Footnote 1] Make It to the Middle Base and You Score. Keep in mind as I was saying in Part Two, there was a time in which influential groups would consider they “had a home run” when they could make a case that their proposal was going to benefit the American people. But by this point, because of the culture war and mean-spiritedness being stirred up in the country by Republicans, it had become necessary to single out the middle class as the only ones receiving the benefit, because, y’know, poor people…they’re not Americans. Thanks for Those Health Care Savings, Dick! Nixon’s Big Idea: HMOs … for One-Stop Larceny Foolin’ the People About America…”Thanks for the Health Care Savings, Dick!” Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Seven: Hit Men for the HMOs Foolin’ the People About America: Nixon’s Big Idea—HMOs Thanks for the Health Care Savings, Dick. So Nixon says he is going to lower health care costs. Well, you can see how right he was about that. Just look at Michael Moore’s movie on American’s health care system if you can handle knowing how bad it got. The documentary, “Sicko,” lays out in brutal detail how devastating it was to inject the profit motive into health care. “I Was a Hit-Man for the HMO.” There is one especially disturbing example of this. A former employee of a huge HMO testified before Congress. Crying and tearful she related how she was rewarded for denying an operation that would have saved a man’s life. It would have cost the HMO a half million dollars. Instead, he died; they increased their profits. In another situation an HMO employee received bonuses upwards of $20,000 for cancelling coverage on people who were costing the insurer a lot of money. She cancelled hundreds of policies, including for those who were scheduled for life-saving procedures. In one “particularly good” year for this person, she saved her employer $6 million. I don’t know offhand how many folks died in exchange for her dutiful and lucrative actions and am not sure I want to. This is hard to look at, isn’t it? The upshot is these HMO-persons were rewarded for taking people’s lives; and they are in no way untypical. Linda Peeno, the physician who testified before Congress, admitted as much; she admitted her action amounted to a murder, for which she should have been charged but wasn’t. She pointed out how perverse it was that instead the system rained rewards up her. Now you show me the moral dividing line between theses actions of professionals of the HMO and “professional” assassins…mafia hit men. For I don’t see it. Pay Us Now. We’ll Think About Covering You Later. Now you might argue that saving money on costly care means there would be more help for others. But, no. That’s not the rationale. That’s another part of it. They can deny health care on any basis. They can deny it on any basis but they went out and they found more ways to make even greater profits. If you were going to cost them a lot of money, if what you needed to live was medical treatment that they might consider too expensive, well what they would sometimes do is hire people to look into you. These people would be paid to research your background, to see if they could find something that could be used as an excuse to deny your costly procedures to you. Michael Moore records in his documentary at least one such researcher who explains, with remorse, what he had been paid to do and how he would go about it. He, and people like him, would pore over your records to look for something, even slight, that they could hang a denial of coverage on. They would in particular look into your childhood for any care that they could say indicated the presence of a medical condition for you at that time. When they found something, they would be able to say that you had a pre-existing condition and so they were not liable for your care now. They would claim that you lied on your application in not listing such an ongoing ailment so that they could drop you from coverage and let you die. So people were being left to die, killed in this manner. Does this not amount to more “hits” put out on people by the HMO? Buuuut It’s Contract Law!! Did You, At Any Point in the Past, Pre-exist This Application? Buuut it’s contract law! …dollar laid, dollar played, y’know. And it’s contract law that is stretched to benefit the people with the most money and who have the better lawyers and who can, y’know, twist things better in their favor. Here you have a situation, where, let’s say, somebody is dying and they’re dying of emphysema. I don’t know enough about medicine to know if that would be the kind of thing that could entail very costly care, but let’s just say it did. So this person very ill with emphysema might be informed that it had been discovered, let’s say, that they had a bronchial condition as a child…maybe to them, they were prone to get colds. But they would make the determination that your frequent colds shows a preexisting condition for you. Now you tell me how a person who is dying is going to be able to fight that. Over Your Dead Body Getting Paid We’ve all heard Obama’s story about his mother and what she had to go through prior to her death. She spent the last months of her life arguing with the medical insurers over the bills. She was being told they didn’t have to cover her. Are those the kind of final days you would want for a loved one of yours? How does that prospect fit your own view of your last days? One-Stop Larceny Getting back to Nixon, at the time of his health care proposal he said huge managed care systems, which he touted as being one-stop medical systems, were going to lower health care costs. This was so, he claimed, because cost sharing and lower overhead would rein in the price of providing medical care. He said these lower expenses would benefit the whole system. Apparently he forgot to mention the for-profit part, which ended up funneling all those benefits, those lower expenses, into the pockets of the owners and shareholders. That is what happens when you put profit-hungry businessmen in charge of care. Gradually, America’s medical needs were primarily the purview of business, big business. Remember, again, that the health care law that went into effect under Obama was to make sure everyone would receive coverage, not health care. It remains to be seen how effective this health care reform will be in reducing these sorts of abuses by insurers. No doubt it is better than what existed before. But it leaves intact the profit motive in American health care. So any regulation and prohibitions of abuses are likely to amount to tying down a ravenous beast with bungee cords. It is hard to believe this monster created by Nixon will not break free whenever it can and wreak much havoc before being stopped again…but again with piles of dead Americans in its wake. You Mean You Care…And You’re Not Paid To?? (Oh, Kumbaya.) Previous to all this with big business put in charge of the life or death decisions of Americans, much of what was involved in caring for the sick had been attended to by religious and charitable organizations. These concerned social institutions might be dedicated to idealistic or religious principles, for example, which included compassion and caring for the sick as one of their values or one of their religious ideals. So, much of health care had been in the hands of charitable entities and people dedicated to the idea of service, caring for the sick, getting them well, caring for your fellow person, your fellow man or woman, and so on; naturally the type of care you received was infused with such ideals. But with Nixon all that changed. And Nixon loved it. Corporations Crowding Out the Mom and Pops … HMOs Driving Out the Private Physician, It’s the Same Old Monopoly Game Better Off Than Fifty Years Ago? Part Eight: The Monopoly Game Again…It’s About Creeping Corporate Insertion Into Every Aspect of Your Life. The Monopoly Game Again: HMOs Drove Out Private Physicians So then also, these businessmen with their HMOs are having near monopolies; they’re the only HMO providing health care in many areas. The only alternative is privately paid physicians. And these medical providers have costs that have have gone up because of their reduced client base, their patients having been siphoned off by the HMO. “Buy One Appendectomy, Get a Second One for a Dollar!” So private care physicians have the same overhead, and now they’ve got less clientele. In addition to that, now with their making less money and having higher costs, they also have extra costs, of competition, advertising for the first time. “I Need to Take Two Aspirin…I’ll Call YOU in the morning.” But that’s only one of the many costs that occur in a situation where you have a small market, with the same number of providers. You have a scrambling with other private small medical practitioners over a smaller pile, which increases not only the competitive costs involved in having to put oneself out there to win clients from competitors and thus further increases the cost of private care, it also increased pressures and tensions on private physicians who now are required to have two jobs. They have to be medical provider and business person. They have to work longer hours because of this too. Of course you can imagine what a boon this was for medical care in our country. Now you not only have to pay more for private care but also compared to not so long ago it is being increasingly performed by angry, stressed, tense, overworked, underslept professionals. Well what happens when you’ve got those kind of people providing you medical care on the private side? So, on the one side–the mega-care side, you have them denying you medical care even if you’ve paid. You’ve got them denying you coverage if you have anything wrong, or if you’ve ever had anything in your life and you admit it. You either don’t get covered at all, or you may have paid premiums for years but when you get sick you don’t get treated so you die. “Take Two Aspirin and Call Me After Tax Time.” On the other hand, you can pay the higher costs for private care out of your pocket. And these people are overworked, spending much of their time trying to drum up business and trying to take care of all the increasing paperwork of a competitive business enterprise and that of an ever increasing number of payers. So they’re making more mistakes. And more mistakes equal what? More mistakes in medicine means more people dying, by mistake, or having the wrong procedure done, or having the wrong limb removed. The extra stress will push some physicians to “operate under the influence” of alcohol or the readily available prescription mood drugs glutting the market. You get the idea that things may have been getting worse over the years in a lot of areas? So with all the extra pressure on medical practitioners, we begin to hear more and more about malpractice. So, another cost is introduced. And medical malpractice insurance for physicians has ever increasing premiums. This adds even more to the price of private care. The Kind of Care That Increases Suffering So you can see that the suffering of the masses, in both health care systems, is going up. As for the doctors themselves, well now they’re either out of business because they made a mistake or they’re keeping up with the competition and trying to make a living. But now they have these huge malpractice insurance payments. This is a cost HMOs can easily absorb, but for private physicians, it adds even more to their costs of business, their need to increase their fees, their loss of patients, their financial stress. So what happens? They’re forced out of their professions. Or, they’re minds are filled up with financial considerations and they are burdened with concerns…and now they’re gonna treat you! Foolin’ the People About America: Republicans Are for Small Business? Making It So You Need a Car to Do Anything Well, I’ve been around long enough, I saw this before. It’s a pattern of the big guys gobbling up the little ones. It’s the story of creeping corporate insertion into every aspect of your life that you keep seeing over and over again in America. And it’s changed America. Back in the Time of Neighborhoods There was a time when there were no supermarkets in America. I remember that time. You used to be able to walk up to the corner, walk down the street, and you’d see bakeries, drug stores. There were penny candy stores, there were meat markets…. There was a wonderful ambiance of community about it…it was a garden of delights…people smiling and everything. Drive to the Store, Get a Loaf of Bread. And now they have these huge mega supermarkets. And I saw the way it slowly changed; it didn’t happen overnight. Republicans—On the Side of the Mom-and-Pop Walmart Those supermarkets — run by hourly wage workers — could beat mom-and-pop prices. Gradually over the years we don’t have meat markets, bakery stores…. And Republicans say they are for the small businesses, the backbone of the middle class. Well, this is an example of just what a lie that is because, no, supermarkets are not small businesses. It’s all those meat markets, bakery stores and all that–those are the small businesses, they are the mom and pop, those are the average Americans trying to be self employed. Self-employment is not huge corporations. Continue with Culture War, Class War, Chapter Fifteen: Money Madness Return to Culture War, Class War, Chapter Thirteen: 1. For a humorous, hard hitting aside on this callous attitude of Republicans, on behalf of the rich, and as contrasted with Democratic efforts, check out this audio monologue of mine, “You’re Turning Down my Money for ME!…To Stare Down…Who?!!”: Likely Constituent’s Response to Republican Governors Who Turned Down Unemployment Money from Stimulus to “Score Points” Against Obama“ below. This four and a half minute clip is taken from the longer, 35-minute audio, “Naked Republicans Blue Meanies Fleeing or Looking Foolish.” “You’re Turning Down my Money for ME!…To Stare Down…?!!…” –Comedy Monologue, audio clip by SillyMickel Adzema Here is the audio clip of my comedic monologue. Click on the link to the audio site above or click the link to the audio player below. The script for this piece is included below the player, fyi. About the audio above [From July 2009] What a riot these Republicans are. There was Louisiana, Alaska, Arizona, South Carolina, and Texas governors refusing stimulus money to “show up Obama.” Then they turn around and ask for it secretly, or as in the case recently with Texas, which turned down almost 550 million in unemployment extension money at the time, only in this last week (7/14-7/18) to ask for a loan from the federal government for about 440 million, get this, to pay for extensions on unemployment. HA! Well, in this clip, I play a constituent of the Louisiana governor who went nationally to say he was going to turn down the unemployment money from the stimulus. Now, if you’re a Louisianan, and you’re on unemployment…hmmm…just imagine how freaking happy you’d be to hear that! Well, that is what I express in this clip. Keep in mind this happened just after this governor had given the (horrible) Republican “response” to Barack Obama’s unofficial “State of the Union” address in January. And this governor, Governor Bobby Jindal, at the time was being touted big time as a presidential front-runner for the Presidency in 2012. You’re gonna love this response to the self-serving “more principles-than-brains” political one-upsmanships at the expense of their constituents by these Republican x@#&%$%#@@# governors. And the text of the “You’re Turning Down my Money for ME…” audio: Ok, so now I’m one of those “constituents.” I’m thinking… Thanks a lot, bastard, you think I got it easy? You jerk! Who the hell you think you are down there in Louisiana, Mr. freaking Governor who don’t need no additional unemployment money. No, idiot! You GOT a job! It’s me that can’t find work and that’s worried about my kids getting sick and, well, now the almost certainty, by the way because of your stupid-assed spiteful action to turn down my money for me. Now, I ‘m gonna lose my house, worry about my kids staying healthy, but you’ve done what? You’ve stood up to Obama (the guy who was gonna give me money?) You’ve said we don’t need no stinkin’ money and made yourself a spectacle on the national stage and, you think (here’s that lying again. You screwed us over and then you’re thinking you can tell us that we were better than that or something of other of a slick confusing fog of insanity.), and you think that this will give you a leg towards the Presidency. Well, Mr. Jerk-off turning down my money for me like it’s my pride your fighting for, do you really think we are still that stupid, still that happy to be burdened and crushed for your aspirations, which obviously don’t include, you’ve made that damn clear, doing anything for any person, any “constituent, any citizen, no, not anyone” and it’s clear that our burdens are so meaningless to you that you will heap misery on us to do, now what was that again? You “stood up” to Obama? What the fuck, are you in grade school? Do you think I give a shit who’s staring who down? I’m trying to live a life; a life that you have just put a cloud of unhappiness and worry over that will not go away form many many years; in fact I may never own a home again. But I won’t go on about things that cause your eyes to glaze over. Just let me ask you this Mister, wise-potato? You “stood up” to the guy who’s gonna give me money, and hold out his hand to me. Ok, Mr. more principles-than-brains, what’s your next big plan? Oh, I see, you’re gonna stand up to, well, Santa Claus. Oh, yeah, I hear it all right. Out on the National stage; spoutin out as if you’re talkin our mind; shit, you ain’t even one of us. But I hear you:” “Nope, Mr. Matthews, you see we’re Louisianans? Not beggars. We don’t need Christmas. We can take care of ourselves. Let you folks out there have Christmas. I mean, if you’re so weak. So you’ve had it your whole life and now you’re kind of like addicted to it. Well OK. I’m not going to talk down any on those who are obviously so weak and needy. But, you see, Mr. Matthews… Mr. Matthews, well let me put it this way, you ever come down to Louisiana? Ever? To visit or anything? You have? So you’ve met with some of our citizens, have you? You have. Well, then you know what a strong-willed, strong-spirited, and PROUD people we are down here, don’t you? You agree. So you see that’s why. I knew you would agree because it’s so obviously true about the folks that live down here, I didn’t see how you’d miss it. So that’s OK, let Santa go somewhere else where he’s , you know, where they’re the folks that need to have a handout and can’t get by the year without having a good time. No, my constituents are strong-willed, and they wouldn’t have me letting any squirrely funny-suited guy out here prancin around and lookin foolish. Well, not us. We’re not foolish. We’re PROUD. 60s, abundance, abuse, ailment, Americans, antiwar, best health care in the world, big business, blood sugar, boehner, budget cuts, bush, business, businessmen, candlelight vigil, car, care physicians, caring, cars, cash, Cheney, choose, college, comfort, community, competition, consumer, corporation, corporations, costs, coverage, culture, current-events, death, death panels, debt, deficit, demonstration, denial, diabetes, die, doctor, documentary, drugs, eat, Education, Eighties, Environment, family, fast food, Fifties, Fifty years, food, food stamps, fruit drinks, greed, grocery, Grover Norquist, health, health care, health care coverage, health insurance, healthy-living, heart disease, hippie, History, hit man, HMO, hospital, house, hunger, insurance, Jesus, job, juice, ketchup, kill, kumbaya, larceny, life, Linda Peeno, Lord, malpractice, managed care, market, maternity, matrix, medical, medical provider, medical providers, medical system, medicine, michael moore, mistake, mom and pop, money, Monopoly, monopoly game, mortgage, mothers, neighborhood, Nixon, noble, Nordquist, nutrition, Obama, obamacare, obesity, obvious truths, occupy wall street, occupycollege, Oliver Twist, overweight, ows, paperwork, patient, Peaking, Pepsico, pharmaceuticals, physician, pizza, policy, Politics, poor, population, practitioner, pre-existing condition, premium, prescription, prescriptions, pressure, private, private care, private physicians, private side, profit, profit motive, prosperity, protest, protestors, provider, Psychology, reagan, Republican, Republicans, restaurants, rich, Rick Santelli, risk, ronald reagan, rules, Sappy, scapegoat, scholarship, school lunches, Seventies, sick, Sicko, single-payer, sixties, small business, society, Sol's death, soylent green, standard of living, starve, starve the beast, starving, store, student doctor, suffering, sugar, supermarket, sweets, tax, tax cuts, tax rates, Tea Party, tension, tests, the game, union, universal, universal health care, value compassion, vigil, voodoo economics, Walmart, war, wealth, wealthy, wimp, win, working poor, wuss Drugs of Choice and Generational Cultures – Fifties, Gen X, and Millennials … and the True Story of How America Was Remade in the 70s and 80s to Benefit the 1% Posted by sillymickel in activism, authenticity, being yourself, Class, Culture, economics, Generations, globalrevolution, History, individualism, life, nonconform, occupywallstreet, philosophy, Politics, psychology, spirituality, US on June 28, 2012 Culture War, Class War Chapter Four: Drugs of Choice and Generational Cultures – Concocted Worlds Dawn of the Dead: Yuppies, “Me” Generation, Reagan, Matrix Manifesting, and Drug Effects – Speed Drugs of Choice and Generational Cultures – Concocted Worlds. America’s Values Were Reversed Drug Effects—Cocaine, Speed Drugs in the amphetamine class are stimulants. This includes cocaine, methamphetamine, “meth,” “crystal,” crack cocaine, “crack,” speed, amphetamine, uppers, “whites,” and so on. They repress Pain extraordinarily well. Building castles in the sky They are euphoriants and cause one to have the feeling that one’s mental capacities are expanded. One feels that one can envision projects and outcomes precisely. So one expends oneself in organizing and preparing for great achievements, which rarely are embarked on. Free from fear, reckless, overconfident, risk-taking Since these drugs repress Pain, creating an amped state of mind more than normally able to fend off unwanted emotional material, they repress the normally present residue of fear, with its attendant caution in the face of activities outside of one’s comfort zone requiring forethought and anticipation. One does not feel constrained by normal fears or apprehensions, so one throws oneself into new activities with reckless abandon. One feels overly confident in one’s abilities and engages in all kinds of risk-taking—financially, sexually, interpersonally, legally. These activities have one embarking on dubious schemes which rarely pan out. A land of light and darkness Despite these negatives the corollary of this mental activity is that one’s ability to think and see more clearly on some issues is enhanced, just because one’s fears can pollute one’s perception and apprehension of things. It is enlightening to remember that Sigmund Freud, among other notables in history, experimented with cocaine. At one point, Freud was heartily endorsing its use to his colleagues; he was waxing expansively about its benefits for mental life and clarity of consciousness. Of course, he changed his position on this later. No doubt his use led him to see its face of darkness as well. Glimpses of clarity Nonetheless, concerning the positive aspects of cocaine, it can be mentally enhancing partly because of its repression of fear. For fears, as mentioned, are both of the helpful-cautionary as well as the oppressive types. Being released from the oppressiveness of fears, being freed of the constraints of “fearful thinking,” can result in seeing one’s reality more clearly. Feeling fearless can lead one to acknowledging truths and realities normally defended against—thus being therapeutic even, getting a glimpse of reality outside of one’s fears. Being freed from normal caution, however, can lead one into reckless activities with consequences far beyond one’s ability to handle in either a normal, or drugged, state. It is no coincidence that these drugs have seen heavy usage by wartime participants—notable are their use by fighter pilots and by Vietnam warriors. A land of empathy and insensitivity Lastly, since these stimulants repress feelings, they can lead to insensitivity toward others. But since they can repress fear which blocks truer perception of and appreciation of others they can lead, paradoxically, to feelings of love toward others and a feeling of finally really seeing others and appreciating them for who they are, not simply in the way one has cast them (“pigeon-holed” them) to fit into one’s scripts, agendas, ego projects, or desires. Matrix Manifesting The Eighties saw an epidemic of use of cocaine. This was commonly attributed to Yuppies, which is the popular term for the Young Upwardly-mobile Professional character of this era and is contrasted with the idealistic, activist, and anti–Vietnam-War Yippies (Youth International Party, whose founder and most famous member was Abbie Hoffman). Reagan, Yuppy-Kay-Yo-Kay-Yay Yuppies came in at the same time as Ronald Reagan into the White House and, indeed, exemplified much of what Reagan stood for. They were seen as greedy, over-achieving, materialistic, narcissistic, and societally and environmentally insensitive careerists. “Love is all you need” turned into “Money is good!” They were portrayed in film; one in particular that sought to delineate the attitudes of this character type was “Wall Street,” in which Charlie Sheen plays the role of the Yuppie, mentored by the Fifties Generation character, Gekko, played by Michael Douglas. Together they give a portrayal of complete self-centeredness and insensitivity to the ways their Machiavellian strategies harm others or the environment. They are driven solely by a value that “Money Is Good!”—a slogan completely the opposite of the previous generation — the Sixties Generation — whose attitudes were expressed in lyrics like “I don’t care too much for money; money can’t buy me love” and “Love is all you need”; who bought and lived by books with titles such as How to Live on Nothing, The Greening of America, and Back to Eden; and whose most famous slogan was “Tune in, Turn on, Drop out” (or it was sometimes said, “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out”—I’m not sure anyone in the generation knew which was the “proper” way to say it). In any case, another term used for the Yuppie Generation was The “Me” Generation. Thus it was that from the late Sixties, early Seventies (the height of Vietnam-Era Youth’s influence on society and culture) to the late Seventies and most of the Eighties—within a period of a mere decade—the prevailing, media-amplified cultural values of our society swung, pendulum-like, a hundred-and-eighty degrees from where they had been. The Big Lie About Yuppies Being Hippies: Matrix Manifesting, Class Warfare Against Sixties Activism History of the Movement: The Continued Slandering of a Generation, So an Activist One Would Never Again Arise Matrix manifest and The Big Lie This change had a great deal to do with the efforts of the World-War-Two Generation—in total horror at the way their sons and daughters seemed to be reversing the values they had lived, and fought, for—to “take back” society. The WWII Generation did this by putting pressure, as well-to-do alumni, on universities and colleges across America to turn their curricula away from liberal arts and toward job-oriented curricula, and by using their positions of power in the media to influence the flow and content of the information to be fed to the mainstream public. For example, in the early Seventies, the WWII Generation’s money and power directed the press to declare that a “conservative backlash” was occurring in America, when in fact the opposite was occurring. But eventually their “Big Lie” tactics won out so that people began to believe and then to create what they had been repeatedly told…the opposite view having, as part of the strategy, been censored in the media. [Footnote 1] Thus, the Yuppies were the creation of the WWII Generation in their attempt to reverse the course of society that their own daughters and sons, as “Sixties Youth,” had put it on. Scapegoating an Entire Generation Coinciding with and supporting the strategy just described, and because the World-War-Two Generation during the Eighties were still in their Triumphant Phase—a psychohistorical term meaning they were at the stage of their life in late adulthood in which they had pretty much gained control of the reins of society—they furthered their cause by managing to plant a fantasy in the collective consciousness of American culture concerning the origins of Yuppies which persists to this day. Designer generation In obvious denial (again, their predominant defensive posture) of the fact that they had helped to “create” the Yuppies and so of the similarities between their own values and those of the Yuppies, as exemplified by the similarities between the (World-War-Two-era) Reagan-Bush political agenda and that of the Yuppies—who indeed helped elect Reagan and Bush—yet aware of the criticism that their very own values, taken to the Yuppie extremes, was generating in the independent press as well as the negative publicity there about the cocaine use of the Yuppies, the World-War-Two Generation saw an opportunity not only to defeat but also to “get back” at their opponents, the Sixties Generation, by ridiculing them. In the predominant World-War-Two Generation fashion of scapegoating (the accompaniment of denial), which they had been directing from the outset at the Sixties Generation (who had of course incurred the wrath of the WWII Generation by opposing and confronting them on the Vietnam War in sometimes harsh and hostile ways), the Yuppies, with their cocaine use, were portrayed in the WWII-Generation-paid-for media as former Sixties hippies who had simply grown older but—consistent with their alleged “narcissism”—were still selfish, only now, materially so, thus the appellation, The “Me” Generation. So the Vietnam-era or Sixties Generation began being denigrated in the press with the accusation, “The ‘Me’ Generation,” and Sixties values were also denigrated—the scapegoating of the Sixties Generation continuing—despite the fact that it was a different age group in society, the younger Yuppies, who were actually the ones triggering the attack. Opposing Worlds The hypocrisy of the charge becomes even more blatant when considering that the values of the Sixties Generation included such selfless acts as risking, sometimes incurring, violence and personal harm, jail time, and a lower standard of living for the sake of their idealistic beliefs in peace, environmental restoration and preservation, and selfless communitarian living, among others—none of which have any overlap with Yuppie careerism, consumerism, materialism, and individualistic greedy selfishness. Despite the success in our society’s collective consciousness of the fantasy of Yuppies being former hippies—once it had been planted in the popular culture by the WWII Generation sitting comfortably in front of American society’s steering wheel—the truth is that these Yuppies were predominantly the generation that shadowed the Sixties generation, arising as youth in the aftermath of the Sixties cultural revolution. Yuppies, Created by a Desperate WWII Generation, Had Fifties Generation Parents Marinated in War Fears History of the Movement: The Truth and Lies About Yuppies and Their Fifties Generation Parents Yuppies—Products of the WWII Generation’s Todo List Their values become understandable, then, in that they were in secondary schools and universities during the Seventies when the “Conservative backlash” Big Lie was being promulgated. For as I’ve mentioned at that time universities were cutting back funding from courses in liberal arts, philosophy, psychology, literature, politics and government, and the like and were turning themselves into career-factories dedicated to producing compliant business persons, engineers, physicians, and scientists who were not being educated to think for themselves but how to achieve and make money in a culture the World-War-Two Generation was comfortable with. Yuppies—Children of Fifties Generation Parents The values of the Yuppies are understandable, furthermore, in that they were the sons and daughters of a generation between the World-War-Two and Baby-Boomer Generations, who are rarely talked about. It is often said that the World War Two Generation was followed by Boomers and that Generation X were the children of Boomers. Nothing could be further from the truth. The generation that followed the WWII Generation and the actual parents of Gen Xers were born 1925 t0 1945 and came to adulthood during the somnolent Fifties. So we might call this overlooked generation the Fifties Generation, or the Eisenhower-McCarthy Generation, or the Elvis Generation, or the Happy Days Generation…a more cumbersome but more accurate term for them would be the War-Born Generation. They have been called the Silent Generation, and this does say something about them. They’ve been invisible but running things from behind the screen, since they took over conservatism and greed from the WWII Generation and upped the ante. They have been accurately represented by the Gekko character in the movie Wall Street, played by the Fifties Generation Michael Douglas (born 1944) whose protege, correctly enough, was played the by the yuppie-Generation Xer, Charlie Sheen (born 1965). [Footnote 2] Not So “Happy Days”: The War-Born Generation—Fifties, Eisenhower Generation The media tends to focus on the big trends and to ignore or miss the lesser ones. The way our recent history was portrayed, you would think that just because there was a huge number of babies born in the decade and a half after World-War-Two’s end—the much discussed Baby-Boomer Generation—that there were no babies born during the War…almost as if every man in America was overseas fighting or that, when home on leave or whatever, they simply would not or could not conceive! Marinated in the Womb of War Fears However, of course these ridiculous notions are not true, so there is a pre-Baby-boomer Generation who happened to be born during or shortly before WWII, i.e., between about 1925 and 1945. And the Yuppies were predominantly the sons and daughters of this—let us call it—Fifties Generation. Marinated in the womb with Great Depression and war fears and born around the time of the war, the Yuppies’ parents then had their formative adolescence and young adulthood during the Fifties. Abandoned, overlooked, fearful, resentful, rooted in conservatism So their beliefs are rooted in the cultural soil of Fifties conservatism, the Cold War, Elvis Presley, McCarthyism, Eisenhower, traditional religion, belief in the economic primacy of capitalism and the evil of communism, and the early “schmaltzy” rock and roll (e.g., “Teen Angel,” “Leader of the Pack,” etc.). Their roots reaching deep into war fears–hot and cold, many would feel jealous and angry about the freedoms and openness of the generation immediately after them. They would, as well, heartily resent all the attention being showered on the much larger cohort of Baby-Boomers. Yuppies, Fifties Nostalgia, Materialism And it is the worldview of this Fifties Generation that was passed on to their children, the Yuppies. It is no coincidence that when these Gen X Yuppies were teens and young adults (mid-Seventies through the Eighties) we saw also a lengthy period of Fifties nostalgia alongside the caricaturizing and ridiculing of Sixties lifestyles, values, and beliefs. It is easy to see that the materialism the Fifties Generation members were nurtured in after World War II, as a reaction to the fear and uncertainties their parents had because of the Depression, the war, and The Bomb would be replicated in their children. Only the fear and uncertainty their children would try to amass wealth against was the tumult, anomie, violence, and confusion of the decade of the Sixties, the era the Yuppies would experience swirling around their roots and upsetting the stability of their nurturant years. Manic Irrationality, Voodoo Economics, Booming Debt and Mean-Spiritedness: The Eighties Began with Reagan Rising and Lennon Dying Manic Irrationality, Voodoo Economics The Eighties Began, Ominously, with Reagan’s Election and John Lennon’s Assassination The Eighties began, significantly enough, with the death of John Lennon and the election of Ronald Reagan. Concurrent with the epidemic of cocaine use was a manic economy, massive military expenditures, and a tripling-plus of the National Debt. It is relevant to note that the huge increase in the National Debt was caused by a tax cut for the rich, which of course benefited those of the World-War-Two Generation who either inherited or earned, with a lifetime behind them, their wealth, as well as those upwardly mobile, materialistic Yuppies. The rationale for the tax cut—which was characterized by some commentators as “Robin Hood in reverse,” because it also coincided with cutbacks in social programs—was a “voodoo economics” (George H.W. Bush’s term) with a “trickle-down” theory of investment and economic growth. That Voodoo That They Do So Well This economics is based on a belief that a “dollar,” metaphorically speaking, given to a rich person will be more wisely invested, creating more jobs and wealth for everyone, than will that same “dollar” given to a middle-class or poor person. This view, however, ignored human psychology, the standard economics of marginal returns, and the common observation that, simply put, for a person with a little or a moderate amount of money, that metaphorical dollar will have more value (because it will represent a much larger increase, percentage-wise, in their financial situation) than it will for a rich person, for whom its value is only marginally related to a rather large “purse,” so to speak. Trickle-Down Ignores Human Psychology Therefore, common sense tells us that “dollar” will be more conscientiously and thoughtfully spent or invested, creating more jobs and wealth for all, by the moderate-income person, who of course will attempt to maximize its benefit to him- or herself so that he or she can also rise to the ranks of the wealthy. To the moderate income person that “dollar” represents an opportunity for a rise in economic status; hence it will be invested, sweated over, and monitored intensely. In general, he or she will attempt to squeeze every possible ounce of benefit out of it, very often starting businesses of their own and thereby creating new jobs, opportunity, and wealth in the process. Whereas for the already wealthy person, that “dollar” is only a dollar alongside many others, and is only marginally relevant, reaping only marginal, or minor, returns. And Of Course It Didn’t Work, Still Didn’t Work, Still Didn’t Work… Voodoo economics did not work, of course, as indicated by the tripling of the National Debt. Another important indication of the falsity of its premises was the huge expenditures of money, during the Eighties, on luxury items, like yachts, works of art, expensive cars, and so on. Art items and artifacts were being bid through the roof and the prices they were going for were making headlines in newspapers and stimulating commentaries on the tube. Along with this was the overinvestment in spurious business transactions, including “junk bonds,” soon-to-be-left-unrented commercial buildings, and unwanted real estate. Much has been said about how these manic and ill-considered business transactions led to the lengthy recession of the late Eighties and early Nineties. Along with this is the connection with the S&L scandal which was behind the plethora of boondoggles and ill-advised investment. The Manic Mentality and Mindless Waste But there are two aspects of it that are especially relevant here for a discussion of drugs and generational cultures. They are the manic quality of the times—the go, go, go, buy, buy, buy mentality of the investing—and the obvious proof it gave to marginal returns theory, i.e., the money, given to the rich, was valued little and was mindlessly blown on trivialities—it was said that the Eighties was a huge party for the rich. So rather than creating wealth for the wealthy, which would “trickle down” to the less well off, Reaganomics, as it was also called, turned into an unparalleled failure. It was called the largest shift of wealth in America’s history, taking it from the poor and middle class and benefiting the richest, top two percent of Americans. More than that, it led to a debt that will be adversely affecting the well-being, lifestyles, and financial pictures of several generations to come. The Hypocrisy and Materialism Going into such detail about the intricacies and results of the economic policy promulgated by the WWII Generation, in alliance with the Yuppies and their parents, the Fifties Generation, is important because of the hypocrisy it demonstrates in the charge leveled at the Baby-Boomer Generation of being a “Me” generation and of being narcissistic. Again, we see the WWII Generation’s same tendency to denial, projection, and scapegoating. To continue, however, other elements in the Eighties cultural arena, existing alongside the epidemic of cocaine use, was the aforementioned careerism and materialism among the Yuppies (comprised primarily of the youth in their twenties and early thirties who followed behind the Vietnam-era Generation), whose mantram was to get rich, get powerful, erect and maintain “family islands” which they saw as competitive with the rest of society (quite unlike the communitarianism of the Sixties Generation), and to retire early…social and environmental problems be damned. The Necessary Mean-Spiritedness – Hating on the Kumbaya Other standouts of the cultural scenery of the time included a rise of mean-spiritedness, e.g., cutbacks in social programs and charities, which, as it was said, had one effect of emptying the mental hospitals into the streets. It became fashionable to sneer at and blame (often scapegoating) the more unfortunate ones of society—the poor, helpless, mentally ill, children, the powerless–making some time for that alongside of outright snickering and smugness directed at the “hippie-dippie” values and “kumbaya” visions of the generation older than them. Generation X and Their “Fallow Generation” Parents… No Wonder They’re So Pissed Was Disconnected from The Sixties The next generation to wander into the cultural limelight has been termed Generation X. Whereas Yuppies came of age during the Eighties, Generation X came into adulthood in the Eighties and Nineties. As I’ve been saying, Yuppies were the earliest contingent of Gen X. Predominantly these are not the sons and daughters of the Sixties Generation as the values of the Vietnam-era Generation included marrying late and having children late so that their children are mostly younger than and not among Generation X. This value concerning marrying or having children later in life tied in with the Sixties folks’ belief in personal freedom, but is more closely related to the hypocrisy they perceived in the marriages of their parents, those of the WWII Generation. They not only perceived their parents’ marriages as being false and loveless, they perceived themselves as being the victims of poor parenting, wherein they felt they were not understood and were not accepted for who they were or supported in what they uniquely wanted to do with their lives. Furthermore, they saw the social and global context as a negative and highly dangerous one. For one thing, having been children during the “drop and roll” and bomb-shelter, nuclear-shadow era of the Fifties, and having seen the assassination of idealistic values in the deaths of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King during their teens and young adulthood, they had great doubts about the future of the world. Though of course the Sixties Generation is noted for its idealism and for its attempts to fight these perceived dangers and injustices, underneath there has always been for them an uncertainty that success is possible, so that bringing a child into this particular dangerous and unjust social context was seen as possibly not a good thing for the child. Parented by a Fallow Generation So it is that Generation Xers are predominantly the sons and daughters of the Fifties Generation as well as those less idealistic of the Vietnam-era Generation that had, more often than not, opted for the traditional route of career, home, and family and thus had started having children many years earlier than their more socially conscious counterparts. This Fallow Generation , let us call it, would conceive the children who would be called Generation X—who are noted for their apathy and lack of distinctiveness. But keep in mind that the Fallow Generation is not a true generation in the sense that it is composed of two age groups—the Fifties Generation and those of the Baby-Boomers who opted for a family instead of the social activism, college education, and establishing a career before raising a family decisions of their more heralded peers. . Fallow Generation Distracted by The Trivial Hence Generation X’s lack of a unifying cause, value, or characteristic may have to do with their being children of parents from two different age groups and generations. Drugs and Generations: Generation X Returned to Booze At any rate, and understandably because they are mostly not children of the idealistic segment of Sixties youth, the drug use of Xers strayed back to the use of alcohol and cigarettes—the drugs used by their Fallow Generation parents, including the smaller number of them who were Boomers and who did not make either the cultural or drug changes of their peers. Alongside this “traditional” drug use, Generation Xers are noted for their pessimism, defeatism, and fascination with death—as, for example, in their selection of black clothes, their tendency to ripped jeans, tattoos, and the insertion of all sorts of pins and studs, as adornments, into virtually all parts of their bodies, and, in the extreme ones among them, a fascination with vampirism. Generations, Their Drugs, Their Politics: Millennials, Ecstasy, Activism Generations – Those Boomer Kids, The Millennials … Drug Use — Ecstasy… and The Movement — Activism… Again Drug Effects—Ecstasy This drug is very similar chemically to the amphetamines. Ecstasy has an hallucinogenic aspect, which distinguishes it, however. But it more reliably elicits the opening to love for others and the favorable perceptions of others and sense of unity with them as described above as occurring for amphetamines also along with the driveness of speed that is more characteristic of it. Ecstasy came into use in the late Seventies and in the Eighties; and it has had continued appreciation of its effects through to the present. In fact, it is considered the drug of choice at raves—one of the more recent generational phenomena. The growth in popularity of raves maps near exactly on the increasing appreciation for Ecstasy. It would be hard to view that as coincidental. Disco Yupp So the free love and communalism of the Sixties was superseded by a disco phase in the late Seventies. The disco phase emerged and grew immediately upon the waning of use in the psychedelics, the increasing use of marijuana as a “cocktail,” mixed with alcohol, and the predominant use of cocaine by the Yuppies and Me Generation—the early contingent of Generation X. Rave on, Millennials! Raves became an emerging phenomenon following somewhat upon the fading of the disco phase—a decline which occurred in the late Seventies, early Eighties. So raves were a phenomenon coincident with the rising use of Ecstasy and primarily affecting the generations following the Yuppie/ Me Generation, i.e., Generation X and the Millennial Generation. Baby-Boomer Echo Generation For some reasons that may be obvious by now and until just recently, little had yet been said in the media about the daughters and sons of the Sixties Generation. This generation is currently in their twenties and thirties, though some are still in college and even junior and high school because of the tendency for some Baby-Boomer parents to postpone having children, often waiting till the very end of a woman’s reproductive years, just before the age of forty. This generation has been called an “echo” of the Baby-Boomers in that just as the Baby-Boomers represented a significant population increase, conceived in the post-WWII euphoria and stability, these children of Boomers also represent an incoming population wave, due to the numbers of their parents. There was a wave of increased school attendance during the Nineties and post-millennial years. Universities more recently have been attending to their needs. Just as in every other generation mentioned, this Echo Generation, also called Millennial Generation, shares many of the characteristics and values of their parents. Similarly, they mirror the drug use of their parents. There was a great to-do in the press during the Nineties about the increase in drug use among the young, particularly in high school. Furthermore, in typical WWII-Generation style, the media and Republicans in Congress attempted, during the Nineties, to scapegoat Sixties-Generation President Bill Clinton on this issue of drug use. For though during the Nineties the WWII Generation was in the process of leaving the scene, those elderly of them left were conducting a fierce rearguard battle to save what they could of the culture they knew and created. In their desperation, they risked any cost in terms of outlandish scandals, government costs, and loss of social progress and governmental effectiveness. They were helped by a Fifties Generation entering retirement with a lot of wealth who, as I’ve said, were extremely jealous of the attention paid to the larger Boomer generation who came after them. Nevertheless, the truth of the matter is that the increase in drug use among the young—which significantly enough involves predominantly an increase in the use of marijuana and, as they say: LSD…It’s b-a-a-a-a-ck!—had to do with the fact that the parents of these young people are indeed the people of the Sixties who themselves experimented with these substances. Lest I be misunderstood, I am in no way saying that parents, in general, actively teach their children to take drugs—whether we are talking about the alcohol and cigarette use of the WWII Generation or marijuana and LSD use of Boomers—yet children are influenced by what their parents do or have done, even if just in the fact that the parents are more tolerant of such usage, having done it themselves. I say this because it could be countered that even the Sixties Generation, as parents, were engaged in the public antidrug campaign. Yet when they did so they were doing it out of a fear for their children’s physical welfare, not from a severe moral perspective that these drugs are the royal road to hell or from such other paranoid attitude, as was most often the case in the parents of the other generations discussed so far. [Footnote 3]. Politics – Activism, Values – Idealism To return to the point, though not enough has been said or written about this “echo” generation, these are some of what has been noted about them: Beginning in 1992, with the election of Bill Clinton, the youth vote has swung back to going for the Democrats. There has been an increase in activism and idealism among the young in the last two decades, surprisingly this increase was noticed as early as when this generation was in high school and grade school. Polls done on their attitudes as children and adults showed a strong increase in their concern about social and global issues. In fact, the issues that appeared to concern them the most have to do with racism and the environment. It is no coincidence that in the peak of their influence as young adults, there was an astounding wave of participation in Obama’s campaign, largely by this cohort, that resulted in the first African-American to attain the presid

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line623

__label__wiki

Shared Lives Scheme Thriving in the Black Country It is a little over two years since national charity, Camphill Village Trust decided to add Shared Lives to their already established Stourbridge community in the Black Country. In this time, the new scheme has gone from strength to strength, networking closely with other community-based organisations to gain momentum. Not only has the charity been awarded the contract to deliver a Shared Lives service on behalf of Dudley MBC, they have also recruited 12 new households to boot. Shared Lives is still a relatively unknown model of care that is similar to foster care, where specially trained Carers open up their home and support people with additional/complex needs to lead as independent life as possible and stay connected with the local community. Currently, there are approximately 14,000 people being supported up and down the UK in this way. New Carers like Chris and Nicky from Kingswinford who were approved by an Independent Panel last November and were carefully matched with Alex in March of this year as part of a live-in Arrangement, are now starting to reap the benefits of this fresh approach. For Alex this has meant getting used to new family routines to further develop his independence. ‘Where I lived before, I was getting up when I wanted and eating ready meals every day, but I’ve got lots more things to do now and I’ve learned how to cook my favourite meal, spaghetti bolognese…and I’d never touched an iron, but Chris has shown me how to do my own washing and ironing.’ With the support of Chris and Nicky, Alex is also starting to take on new challenges, ‘I’ve written to the Black Country Museum about volunteering and I’m also about to go to college as well. I’m hoping to do Health & Social Care and Child Care Level 2, as I’d like to work in a nursery or for people with disabilities.’ Chris and Nicky added ‘Before Alex was matched to live with us, he was leading a quite unfulfilled lifestyle. I think it would be fair to say he did not have certain life skills that we possibly all take for granted. Now, just a few months on, Alex has really grasped the opportunities that have been presented to him, he has settled well into our family set up and is flourishing within his new environments. As this is our first Shared Lives Arrangement, the scheme has been so encouraging; right from the assessment and induction process, we were always confident about Kate and the team supporting us. All we have offered is our time, experience and knowledge, so it’s very satisfying when people say they can already see a change in Alex. That’s when it sinks in, that we are providing a nurturing and caring environment for Alex to develop the skills, which will one day will enable him to lead an independent life of his own’. Registered Manager, Kate Morgan commented ‘The last two years have been quite incredible which has taken considerable time and effort from everyone involved, but as you can see, we have expanded rapidly as a result. In the beginning, we had a very clear plan in that we wanted to raise the profile of the new scheme across the area as quickly as possible, which would enable us to attract a steady stream of new Carers. This was always going to be a bit of a gamble as we had not yet signed a contract with Dudley, but we were confident in our strategy, as we had already recruited staff with previous experience in the independent Shared Lives sector.’ The scheme is nearly a full year into the new contract and has already set up 11 Arrangements, receiving over 60 enquiries with a variety of additional support needs from learning disability, autism, mental ill health, through to older people and hospital discharges. Kate emphasised further ‘Dudley council are very ambitious and wish to see the scheme grow significantly over the coming years; we are working in close partnership to ensure we receive suitable referrals and use every platform available to promote Shared Lives. After a recent marketing campaign, we are currently in the process of assessing a further six new households, with another 5 in the early stages, so we definitely have our work cut out going forward. Shared Lives offers opportunity for those people with the right values and commitment to develop a social care career and earn up to £29K annually as a self-employed Carer…it’s such a rewarding role which really challenges the assumptions of what can be achieved within an ordinary family home.’ Huw John, Chief Executive of Camphill Village Trust added ‘It is important for any charity today to be able to respond to the changing social care world and the Shared Lives model sits neatly within our existing services and community-based ethos. The new scheme has brought a lot of energy to our Stourbridge community, which is now at the centre to a network of Shared Lives Arrangements across the region. This not only provides new housing and support options but also offers people the chance to lead the life of opportunity they deserve.’ If people wish to find out more about how the scheme is developing, please contact Kate Morgan on 01384 441505 or kate.morgan@cvt.org.uk or follow on twitter: @CVTSharedLives

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line627

__label__cc

English sentences with company in context, 251092 exact matches You should take pics for these companies making rdas If you're being paid by a company to fake a reaction to paint a game in a positive light, that's bad. company (noun) A team; a group of people who work together professionally. A group of individuals who work together for a common purpose. A unit of approximately sixty to one hundred and twenty soldiers, typically co... A team; a group of people who work together professionally. A group of individuals who work together for a common purpose. A unit of approximately sixty to one hundred and twenty soldiers, typically consisting of two or three platoons and forming part of a battalion. A unit of firefighters and their equipment. The entire crew of a ship. Nickname for an intelligence service. An entity having legal personality, and thus able to own property and to sue and be sued in its own name; a corporation. Any business, whether incorporated or not, that manufactures or sells products (also known as goods), or provides services as a commercial venture. Social visitors or companions. Companionship. company (verb) To accompany, keep company with. To associate. To be a lively, cheerful companion. To have sexual intercourse. a girl that will come over to 'spend time' with ya 2 members of a squad. Companies don't hope and pray someone can fix the code they're having a problem with. Companies (including mine) pay for Matlab because it works. Companies get hacked because they are weak. Not exactly about screenwriting but pretty good book, used by USC I think, COO of a company I interned at recommended it. Angus Finney writes a lot about UK film industry, used to run a production company (Renaissance Films) there as well, and now lectures at the LFS and manages the Production Finance Market in london I think. Edit: Run Tampa does group runs each Saturday in various places, and there's also one starting in Hyde Park each Sunday, if you like running with company. The thing about higher taxes on the rich is that you're just giving more money to the military, health insurance company profits, and NSA programs. Thats many companies unfortunately. If a customer gives you that much grief and your company doesn't have your back, then it isn't a company you want to work for. And 2) Like a company would spend the time and resources to weight every single PS4. it's not just fake internet points, there is speculation that some mods take endorsements from companies and it has come to light before. Again, these are the CEO's words; if one goes through the list of companies he's started/co-founded, well, there's no obvious connection to "cybersecurity" entities; although I imagine these sorts of decisions aren't made relatively public. The game is made by 3 different companies. This is why companies like Midroll, Archer Avenue, etc. My job is actually at one of my step-dad's work's client's company, and is one of two similar places I work at on a casual basis, so connections help too. The Inq is like the guy who started in the mail room that ended up taking the company public and buys his own island. i firmly believe wcw should have been run as a separate company with wrestlemania being the big interpromotional blow off each year In tn, it is illegal for the company to have a no guns in the car policy. That said, my company has a no weapons policy in the buildings, but are specifically allowed in the parking lots. And hopefully your friends do visit, its great having some company on special occasions! Companies should lost remaining space before you buy a product. This keeps companies from snatching up intellectual properties and holding them forever. But there's not misinformation here, there's an ineptitude to the business practices of the company you work for. Again, you work for one of the shittest least ethical and customer friendly companies in the US and possibly the world. You have to make a living, but leave the company tow line when you punch out. Seriously, get a receipt for every interaction you have with this company. I am a project manager for a engineering/construction company. I have worked with one of these shady companies. It let's a certain type of fan know this guy got the honor, the company believes in him, and for the other type of fan, it's the kayfabe importance. Morgan seems to spend a lot of time on the site, way more than most people with jobs would and his company (FixU Computers) seems pretty neglected in comparison, FixU Computers also "powers" GG so I suppose he could be kind of "employed" in some way and this kind of is his job. But its not the view points of the company themselves. When I saw your title, I thought to myself, this may be a good idea as low oil price would spur more refinery business and those companies should benefit. When I invest, I like to know what the company is doing with the profit. I'm in sales for an oil/gas services company. The software company I work for spends 50% of its revenue on the sales department. Their PAC is like the largest of any defense company. Keep the company from publicly fucking up. not only will it save you a bunch of headaches, but there are numerous ways to make sure their money goes to where they want it without all of these different people/companies wanting a slice of the pie. I read the company will replace it for free it the dog chews it, but I think that would be taking advantage in our case. Certainly, it is only one kind of accomplishment; I know guys who have finished the full course at Coronado, and others who have turned what started as one man operations into billion dollar companies, and I would call them all "accomplished". Surely the company HAS to comply with something they legally sold a customer? As a CSR, you might not be "able" to do it within the system, but the company certainly CAN and probably could legally be forced to do it. I had to get my EMT-Basic and got hired part-time with an ambulance company. Interestingly it only became a Blockbuster ~6 months before the company went under.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line632

__label__wiki

Abdication document signed by ex-queen Liliuokalani, January 24, 1895 formally giving up the throne and swearing her allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii by Disruptive Host Created OnOctober 13, 2018byDisruptive Host You are here: KB Home Treaties Hawaii Abdication document signed by ex-queen Liliuokalani, January 24, 1895 formally giving up the throne and swearing her allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii < BackAbdication document signed by ex-queen Liliuokalani, January 24, 1895 formally giving up the throne and swearing her allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii.... Read More UH Board of Regents Debate with Edward Halealoha Ayau vs Ryan Thompson More Lies coming from the Kia’i? byDisruptive Host Abdication document signed by ex-queen Liliuokalani, January 24, 1895 formally giving up the throne and swearing her allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii. Also, Oath of Loyalty to the Republic of Hawaii. ***** QUEEN LILIUOKALANI’S LETTER OF ABDICATION THE ABDICATION LETTER AND THE OATH OF LOYALTY, BOTH PERSONALLY SIGNED BY LILIUOKALANI, ARE AVAILABLE IN THE ARCHIVES OF THE STATE OF HAWAII. Photocopies are available in file folders available on request from the librarian, and the originals are kept in a safe accessible only with the permission and direct supervision of the head Archivist. PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ORIGINALS WERE TAKEN ON MARCH 25, 2008 AND CAN BE SEEN AT http://historymystery.grassrootinstitute.org/2008/04/04/liliuokalanis-abdication-and-loyalty-oath/ ISLAND OF OAHU, HONOLULU, Jan. 24, 1895. TO THE HON. SANFORD BALLARD DOLE, President of the Republic of Hawaii: SIR: — After full and free consultation with my personal friends and with my legal advisors, both before and since my detention by military order in the Executive building, and acting in conformity with their advice, and also upon my own free volition, and in pursuance of my unalterable belief and understanding of my duty to the people of Hawaii, and to their highest and best interests, and also for the sake of those misguided Hawaiians and others who have recently engaged in rebellion against the Republic, and in an attempt to restore me to the position of queen, which I held prior to the 17th day of January, A. D. 1893, and without any claim that shall become entitled, by reason of anything that I may now say or do, to any other or different treatment or consideration at the hands of the Government than I otherwise could and might legally receive, I now desire to express and make known, and do hereby express and make known, to yourself, as the only lawful and recognized head of the Government, and to all the people of the Hawaiian Islands, whether or not they have yet become citizens of the Republic, or are or have been adherents of the late monarchy, and also to all diplomatic and other foreign representatives in the Hawaiian Islands, to all of whom I respectfully request you to cause this statement and action of mine to be made known as soon as may be, as follows, namely: First. In order to avoid any possibility of doubt or misunderstanding although I do not think that any doubt or misunderstanding is either proper or possible, I hereby do fully and unequivocally admit and declare that the Government of the Republic of Hawaii is the only lawful Government of the Hawaiian Islands, and that the late Hawaiian monarchy is finally and forever ended, and no longer of any legal or actual validity, force or effect whatsoever; and I do hereby forever absolve all persons whomsoever, whether in the Hawaiian Islands or elsewhere, from all and every manner of allegiance, or official obligation or duty, to me and my heirs and successors forever, and I hereby declare to all such persons in the Hawaiian Islands that I consider them as bound in duty and honor henceforth to support and sustain the Government of the Republic of Hawaii. Second. For myself, my heirs and successors, I do hereby and without any mental reservation or modification, and fully, finally, unequivocally, irrevocably, and forever abdicate, renounce and release unto the Government of the Republic of Hawaii and the legitimate successors forever all claims or pretensions whatsoever to the late throne of Hawaii, or to the late monarchy of Hawaii, or to any past, or to the existing, or to any future Government of Hawaii, or under or by reason of any present or formerly existing constitution, statute, law, position, right or claim of any and every kind, name or nature whatsoever, and whether the same consist of pecuniary or property considerations, or of personal status, hereby forever renouncing, disowning and disclaiming all rights, claims, demands, privileges, honors, emoluments, titles and prerogatives whatsoever, under or by virtue of any former, or the existing Government, constitution, statute, law or custom of the Hawaiian Islands whatsoever, save and excepting only such rights and privileges as belong to me in common with all private citizens of, or residents in the Republic of Hawaii. Third. I do hereby respectfully implore for such misguided Hawaiians and others as have been concerned in the late rebellion against the Republic of Hawaii, such degree of executive clemency as the Government may deem to be consistent with its duty to the community, and such as a due regard for its violated laws may permit. Fourth. It is my sincere desire henceforth to live in absolute privacy and retirement from all publicity, or even appearance of being concerned in the public affairs of the Hawaiian Islands, further than to express, as I now do and shall always continue to do, my most sincere hope for the welfare and prosperity of its people, under and subject to the Government of the Republic of Hawaii. Fifth. I hereby offer and present my duly certified oath of allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii. Sixth. I have caused the foregoing statement to be prepared and drawn, and have signed the same without having received the slightest suggestion from the President of Hawaii, or from any member of the Government of Hawaii, concerning the same or any part thereof, or concerning any action or course of my own in the premises. Relying upon the magnanimity of the Government of the Republic, and upon its protection. I have the honor to be, Mr. President, Your most obedient servant, (Signed) LILIUOKALANI DOMINIS. [** note by Ken Conklin: “Dominis” is her married name as a private citizen, and not a royal signature **] ** Note by Ken Conklin: As the “fifth” item listed in Lili’uokalani’s abdication says, she swore an oath of allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii, also dated January 24, 1895. Here is the text of her oath: ***** LILI’UOKALANI’S OATH OF LOYALTY TO THE REPUBLIC OF HAWAII Honolulu, Island of Oahu ss. Hawaiian Islands. I, Liliuokalani Dominis, do solemnly swear in the presence of Almighty God that I will support the Constitution, Laws and Government of the Republic of Hawaii, and will not, either directly or indirectly, encourage or assist in the restoration or establishment of a Monarchial form of Government in the Hawaiian Islands. [signed] Liliuokalani Dominis Subscribed and sworn to this 24th day of January A.D. 1895 before me, [signed] W L. Stanley Notary Public [notary seal] Source of the abdication document: William De Witt Alexander, “History of Later Years of the Hawaiian Monarchy and the Revolution of 1893 (Honolulu: Hawaiian Gazette Co., 1896). Hawaii State Library, call number “H 996.9 A”. The abdication statement is found on pp. 215-216, in the portion at the end of the book (pp. 203-232 were written by Wallace Rider Farrington). Introductory comment written in 1896 by Wallace Rider Farrington on page 215 immediately preceding the actual abdication statement: When it became apparent that all hopes of the restoration of ex-Queen Liliuokalani had been irretrevably blighted, it became generally rumored that the ex-Regent was prepared to make a formal abdication of her claims as the only lawful ruler of the people of Hawaii — a claim to which she had adhered most tenaciously from the day of the overthrow. During her detention in the Executive Building she was in constant touch with her friends and advisers, through her agent Charles B. Wilson, who was allowed free access to her apartments by the military authorities. On the afternoon of January 24th, the members of the Cabinet were informed that the ex-Queen had an official document which it was desired should be presented to the Executive. They signified their willingness to listen to any communication which the now military prisoner might submit. During the latter part of the day a copy of the following correspondence was put in the hands of Attorney-General Smith. The letter was drawn by Judge A. S. Hartwell who had been consulted by Messrs. Wilson, Parker and Neumann regarding the matter, and acted as advising counsel for them. Judge Hartwell also attended the execution of the document: Comment by Ken Conklin, website editor: The formal abdication document makes it absolutely clear that Lili’uokalani not only renounced the crown but also offered and presented “my duly certified oath of allegiance to the Republic of Hawaii.” Liliuokalani instructed her followers “… the late Hawaiian monarchy is finally and forever ended, and no longer of any legal or actual validity, force or effect whatsoever; and I do hereby forever absolve all persons whomsoever, whether in the Hawaiian Islands or elsewhere, from all and every manner of allegiance, or official obligation or duty, to me and my heirs and successors forever, and I hereby declare to all such persons in the Hawaiian Islands that I consider them as bound in duty and honor henceforth to support and sustain the Government of the Republic of Hawaii.” Today’s diehard deadender Hawaiian sovereignty royalists might assert the objection that Lili’uokalani wrote her statement under duress, because at the time she was a prisoner of the Republic of Hawaii being held in the Palace awaiting trial on charges of misprision of treason as a co-conspirator in the attempted counter-revolution a few days earlier by Robert Wilcox. (She had allowed guns and bombs to be hidden in the flower bed of her private residence nearby at Washington Place; and she had signed documents appointing cabinet ministers and department heads for her anticipated revived government in the days before the attempted counter-revolution). However, the preliminary comments by Wallace Farrington clearly describe that Liliuokalani had constant free contact with and advice from close friends and Kingdom government officials whom she had appointed and also her personal attorney Paul Neumann (a citizen of Germany who at her request had drafted her proposed new Constitution which precipitated the revolution of 1893). Send comments or questions to: You may now See the compilation of webpages about Historical Issues Related to Hawaiian Sovereignty — Revolution (Overthrow of monarchy), Annexation, Statehood, Indigenous Status, Hawaiian Language Ban, Ceded Lands, Etc. On January 24, 1895 ex-queen Liliuokalani signed a five-page letter of abdication and a one-page oath of loyalty to the Republic of Hawaii. Six witnesses including her personal attorney and her cabinet ministers signed a statement certifying that she had freely and voluntarily signed in their presence. Notary W.L. Stanley also notarized the documents. Knowing that at least 19 nations had already recognized the Republic of Hawaii, and that the attempted counter-revolution by Robert Wilcox had been crushed earlier in the month, Liliuokalani decisively ended any hope for the monarchy and pledged her loyalty to the Republic. Thus Liliuokalani herself formally recognized the Republic — her abdication and loyalty oath belong among the letters whereby heads of government around the world (including Liliuokalani for those who believed her position as head of state for the Kingdom of Hawaii was still viable) gave de jure recognition to the Republic as the rightful government of Hawaii. Click on the photos to zoom in for more detail. Abdication letter, pages 1 – 5: Six witnesses to Liliuokalani’s Abdication and Loyalty Oath: Certification of Liliuokalani signature by notary (seal also visible): Loyalty oath signed by Liliuokalani with notary signature (seal also visible): All eight pages were the originals from 1895, stored in the safe of the Archives of the State of Hawaii. A packet containing all 8 pages was brought out from the safe by Archivist Luella H. Kurkjian and photographed by Sandra Puanani Burgess, assisted by Kenneth R. Conklin, on March 25, 2008. Liliuokalani’s letter of abdication and her oath of loyalty to the Republic are available as digitized text (they can be copy/pasted and searched) at http://www.angelfire.com/planet/big60/LiliuAbdication.html Full text of the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii, to which Liliuokalani was swearing her oath of loyalty, can be found at http://www.angelfire.com/planet/big60/RepubHawConst1894.html Larger view of the photos below Liliuokalani Abdication Letter Witness p6 Liliuokalani Abdication and Oath to the Republic of Hawaii Loyalty oath signed by Liliuokalani with notary signature (seal also visible) Abdication document signed by ex-queen Liliuokalani Oath to the Republic of Hawaii Queen Liliuokalani Disruptive Host Recognition of the Republic of Hawaii – United States Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line635

__label__wiki

Crowle Parish Council Parish Plans The Government’s November 2000 Rural White Paper stated that Parish Plans should “identify key facilities and services, set out the problems that need to be tackled and demonstrate how distinctive character and features can be preserved”. They should set out a vision for the community in the future and identify the action needed to tackle issues of concern in addition to including everything that is relevant to the people who live and work in the community, from employment needs to playgrounds. The Parish Plan should consult everyone and give them a chance to say what they think about the social, economic and environmental issues affecting them and how they’d like to see their community improved during the next 5, 10 or even 15 years. The whole community has to be involved, not just those who come along to Parish Council meetings. Crowle Parish Plan 2008-2020 A Plan produced by Parishioners which takes account of their views and give direction to the Parish Council for it's future work in the Parish.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line638

__label__wiki

Content made available via the Community History Archives, Advantage Archives, and associated brands, and in partnership with sponsoring institutions, is either within the Public Domain, or the Rights Holder has granted the sponsoring institution and/or Advantage Archives, permission to use specified copyrighted content and a executed agreement between parties is on file. Advantage acknowledges and respects that the content and intellectual property belong to the Rights Holder. As well as the validity of all copyrights for the content owned by Rights Holder and all associated intellectual property contained within this archive. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17 United States Code) governs the making of reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to create a reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the reproduction is not to be “used for a purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.”, however Advantage enter agreements that authorize expanded use of the Rights Holder’s copyrighted content. The agreements grant Advantage permission to digitize the Rights Holder’s content and provide online access to the digitized content either in a limited (restricted), or open (online) access model per the Rights Holder’s wishes as indicated within this Agreement. This service will be provided to and paid for by the Library or Sponsoring Institution, or by Advantage at Advantage’s own expense. Advantage acknowledges and agrees that, unless specifically negotiated as such, these Agreements are non-exclusive and that Rights Holder may license others to provide and distribute Rights Holder’s content. The Rights Holder agrees that Advantage may, without materially changing the content, migrate the Content to any medium or format for preservation & access purposes and that may keep more than one copy of the Content for purposes of security, back-up, preservation, and with specific guidance from the Rights Holder, reuse commercially and/or monetize the Content, to help support the free and open access to historical records for institutions partnering with Advantage. Advantage also has agreed to not sell, grant sub-licenses to, or provide the digital content to a 3rd party without the prior written approval of Rights Holder. These agreements do not constitute, and are not intended to give rise to, a partnership or joint venture by and between the parties, and each party will operate under the terms of that Agreement as an independent entity and not as an agent for, or an employee of, the other. The Rights Holder or Advantage reserves the right to refuse a user or institution, if, in its reasonable judgment, use of the content violates provisions of the agreement. The agreements are entered into for the full term of copyright and any extensions of copyright to facilitate access to services funded by the Library, Sponsoring Institution, or Advantage. " Learn More Advantage Archives About Advantage Archives Why Partner With Advantage? Learn More About Who Advantage Partners With Learn More About What Advantage Offers Their Partners Discover The Community History Archives How The Archives Work Your Community’s History Online Connect With Advantage Archives: Email Us: info@AdvantageArchives.com Follow Advantage Archives Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Disclaimer Copyright Policy DMCA and Copyright Takedown Sitemap These newspapers have been made available to the community for the purpose of research, study and to satisfy curiosity. Due to the nature of the colloquialisms, culture, attitude, region, and/or political climate of the various time periods represented, some content me be viewed by some as “inappropriate" if viewed outside of their historical context. In addition, the newspaper pages, logos, branding, mast heads and other identifiers of the publications are the trademarks of the newspaper publishers. Our use of newspaper content contained in this archive in no way implies an affiliation with, or endorsement from, the publisher. Change Brightness & Contrast

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line639

__label__wiki

Myanmar Official Says Hpa-An Coal Plant Cancelled Home / Media Release / Myanmar Official Says Hpa-An Coal Plant Cancelled Location: Hpa-An, Myanmar Myanmar language version attached below. Saw Aung Than Htwe Hpa-An Community Member Saw Nay Lin Htun Saw Tha Phoe Karen River Watch Coordinator April 4, 2018, Hpa-An, Myanmar – Myanmar Union Minister of Electricity and Energy U Win Khaing announced at a press conference on March 14 that the Myanmar government will not grant permission for the proposed 1,280 MW coal power plant in Hpa-An, Karen State. Local communities and civil society groups who have campaigned tirelessly against the proposed coal plant are celebrating this victory and welcome the news from the new Minister of Energy. “We are very happy and appreciative to hear the announcement of the Union Minister that this project has been cancelled. Despite our happiness at the result, we remain cautious. We hope that state-level government representatives will help reduce our concerns by following in the footsteps of the Union Minister and announcing their support for the project’s cancellation.” said Saw Aung Than Htwe, a member of one of the Hpa-An communities. We, the undersigned 131 organizations and networks call on the Myanmar Union government to follow up on the Minister’s statement and officially cancel all proposed and suspended coal-fired power plants. We also call on the government to pass a national moratorium on coal power plants because of the devastating and irreparable harm they would cause to the environment and people of Myanmar. We further call on the government to create policies and laws to promote and regulate the implementation of sustainable renewable energy projects that are consistent with the needs and wishes of communities. In April 2017, the Karen State Government (KSG and Toyo Thai Power Myanmar Co Ltd (TTCL) signed a memorandum of understanding to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed Hpa-An coal plant. In June 2017, 42 Karen State-based civil society organizations and 130 other civil society organizations released a statement against the project. In October 2017, the KSG and TTCL signed joint venture and lease agreements for 815 acres with a concession period of 40 years. The proposed project site was on the Thanlwin (Salween) River. Local civil society groups collected around 2,980 signatures from Karen State residents who opposed the project and submitted them to the Karen State Chief Minister. In November 2017, local communities gathered to demonstrate against the project. Despite knowledge of this opposition, TTCL persuaded the KSG to organize people from Hpa-An to go and visit Hekinan coal-fired power plant in Japan in an attempt to influence and promote their project in Hpa-An. “Although the project has been declared cancelled at Union level this remains unclear at state level. Public access to information on the project remains limited, and land has recently been purchased by TTCL in the project area,” said Saw Nay Lin Htun, a member of one of the Hpa-An communities. It was also reported that TTCL attempted to implement the Hpa-An project in Karen State after having failed to do so in Ann Dinn, Mon State. The local communities in Ann Dinn strongly opposed this project. Around 5,000 people protested the project in 2015, and a result of this strong and continuous opposition, the Ann Dinn project was cancelled. Communities in Myanmar have continuously opposed coal-fired power plant projects throughout Myanmar, expressing serious concerns over forced relocation from their lands, pollution to the air and water, the resulting loss of livelihoods, and harmful consequences to their health. Renewable energy options also make projects such as the one proposed for Hpa-An unnecessary and inexcusable. Developing countries are installing renewable energy projects almost twice as fast as developed countries. Among the factors contributing to this shift is the decreasing cost of component materials and increasing efficiency of renewable energy technologies. In addition, renewable energy projects can bring electricity to communities across Myanmar much quicker than coal power plants and large hydropower projects. Rural communities in Myanmar have already successfully implemented more than 3,500 off-grid sustainable renewable energy projects that are consistent with local energy needs and conserve existing natural resources. “This moment presents an opportunity to discuss steps towards sustainable and decentralized community-managed alternative energy, and to open space for clear and people-centered plans for energy governance,” said Saw Tha Phoe, coordinator for Karen River Watch. The global trend towards renewable energy is also due to increasing awareness worldwide that coal emissions are a primary contributor to climate change and cause devastating impacts to the environment and human health. If Myanmar continues to develop coal power projects, it will miss an opportunity to become a leader in renewable energy, instead sacrificing the health of its communities and the environment. There can be no justification for the continued use of fossil fuels for power generation. Click here for a PDF with the full list of endorsing organizations. 180404_PR-HpaAn Closure_English 180404_PR-HpaAn Closure_Myanmar Thailand Must Act on its Commitments to Business and Human Rights for Thai Investments Abroad Colorado Communities File Lawsuit Against Oil Giants for Climate Change Costs

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line640

__label__cc

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ 1 a The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, b the son of David, c the son of Abraham. 2 d Abraham was the father of Isaac, and e Isaac the father of Jacob, and f Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and g Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 1 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by h Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and i Jesse the father of David the king. And j David was the father of Solomon by k the wife of Uriah, 7 and l Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 2 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, m and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, 3 and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and n Josiah the father of o Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: p Jechoniah was the father of q Shealtiel, 4 and r Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of s Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to t the Christ fourteen generations. 18 Now the birth of u Jesus Christ 5 took place in this way. v When his mother Mary had been betrothed 6 to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child w from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling x to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, y an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and z you shall call his name Jesus, a for he will save his people from their sins." 22 b All this took place c to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 d "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name e Immanuel" (which means, God f with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And g he called his name Jesus. Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli. 2 Samuel 7:12 - 16 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down w... The Lord swore to David a sure oath from which ... There shall come forth a shoot from the stump o... Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord,... He will be great and will be called the Son of ... And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in... Has not the Scripture said that the Christ come... Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God... Of this man's offspring God has brought to Isra... Concerning his Son, who was descended from Davi... Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the... "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you... And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, "And to offsprings," referring to many, but referring to one, "And to your offspring," who is Christ. Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore him, Isaac. Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "This time I will praise the Lord." Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she ceased bearing. Ruth 4:18 - 22 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron. 1 Chronicles 2:1 - 15 These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun. But Rahab the prostitute and her father's household and all who belonged to her, Joshua saved alive. And she has lived in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho. The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite of Bethlehem in Judah, named Jesse, who had eight sons. In the days of Saul the man was already old and advanced in years. Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. And Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph. 1 Chronicles 3:10 - 14 The son of Solomon was Rehoboam, Abijah his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son. In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign. Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son. The sons of Josiah: Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum. Who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. After Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken into exile from Jerusalem Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, together with the officials of Judah, the craftsmen, and the metal workers, and had brought them to Babylon, the Lord showed me this vision: behold, two baskets of figs placed before the temple of the Lord. Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take away, when he took into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem - And the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel his son. The son of Joanan, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri. Then arose Jeshua the son of Jozadak, with his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his kinsmen, and they built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. And assembling all the chief priests and scribe... Now when John heard in prison about the deeds o... Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the S... Saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Wh... Neither be called instructors, for you have one... And he asked them, "But who do you say that I a... As the people were in expectation, and all were... He first found his own brother Simon and said t... The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is ... The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. And Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. To a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy - the Son of God. When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him. But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. But knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. For unto you is born this day in the city of Da... And there is salvation in no one else, for ther... God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and... Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, tha... God, having raised up his servant, sent him to ... This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him and fled. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken. And remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: "He shall be called a Nazarene. So that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. And it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass on, reaching even to the neck, and its outspread wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel. Take counsel together, but it will come to nothing; speak a word, but it will not stand, for God is with us. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. Why is the Babylonian exile mentioned in Matthew 1:17? Is there an error in the counting of the generations in Matthew chapter 1? Is the Rahab listed as an ancestress of Christ the same as the Rahab from Joshua? If so, was this known before the time of Christ? How did Mary, the mother of Jesus, conceive a child when she had not been with a man? Why is it significant that Joseph 'did not know' his wife until after Jesus was born? Why are the Bibles on this site different than the printed versions? Why does Matthew mention that there are 14 generations from Abraham to David and 14 generations from David to the carrying away to Babylon and 14 generations from Babylon to Jesus? What does the name Jesus mean? What is the etymology of the name Jesus? Is believing in Jesus' virgin birth a requirement for salvation? How is it beneficial to study geneaologies in the Bible? Concerning this genealogy of our Saviour, observe the chief intention. It is not a needless gen... Let us look to the circumstances under which the Son of God entered into this lower world, till... The bookG976 of the generationG1078 of JesusG2424 Christ,G5547 the sonG5207 of David,G1138 the sonG5207 of Abraham.G11 Book G976 Biblos properly, the inner bark of the papyrus plant,... Generation G1078 Genesis from the same as genea; nativity; figuratively... The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. ... Matthew 1:18 - 25 • 2 Votes Who arranged the order of the New Testament books and and is the order important? Who was the grandfather of Jesus? Are all people considered equally valuable as children of God, or are people who were born as a result of an unplanned pregnancy not as important to God?

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line642

__label__wiki

(2E)-2-[(1-benzyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridin-4-yl)methylene]-5,6-dimethoxyindan-1-one hydrochloride (1:1) (2E)-3,7-dimethylocta-2,6-dien-1-amine 700-035-8 6246-48-6 Intermediate Individual Intermediate Use Only View substance registered dossier (2E,4E)-2,4-decadienoic acid (2E,4E)-2-methyl-5-phenyl-penta-2,4-dienal (2E,4E)-Isobutyl-deca-2,4-dienamide (2E,4R)-5-(biaryl-4-yl)-4-[(tert-butoxycarbonyl)amino]-2-methylpent-2-enoic acid - - Intermediate Individual Intermediate Use Only View substance registered dossier (2R)-2,8-dimethyl-2-[(4R,8R)-4,8,12-trimethyltridecyl]-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-6-yl beta-D-glucopyranoside 805-675-2 102340-61-4 Full Individual 0 - 10 tonnes per annum View substance registered dossier (2R)-2-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethanoic acid (2R)-2-amino-2-phenylacetamide 420-370-0 6485-67-2 NONS Individual Tonnage Data Confidential View substance registered dossier (2R)-2-methyloxirane (2R)-4-hydroxybutan-2-aminium (2S)-hydroxy(phenyl)acetate (2R)-6-fluorochromane-2-carboxylic acid (2R)-N-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-1-propylpiperidine-2-carboxamide - (2R,3R)-2,3-dihydroxysuccinic acid - propan-2-ol (2:1:1) (2R,3R)-2,3-bis[(4-methoxybenzoyl)oxy]butanedioic acid (2R,3R)-2,3-Dihydroxybutanedioic acid--(2S)-N-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-1-propylpiperidine-2-carboxamide (1/1) (2R,3R)-3-((R)-1-(tert-butyldimethylsiloxy)ethyl)-4-oxoazetidin-2-yl acetate (2R,3R)-3-(2,5-difluorophenyl)-3-hydroxy-2-methyl-4-(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)butanethioamide (2R,3R)-5,7-dihydroxy-2-(3,4,5-trihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-chromen-3-yl 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate 479-560-7 989-51-5 NONS Individual Tonnage Data Confidential View substance registered dossier (2R,3R,4R,5R)-5-(4-benzamido-2-oxopyrimidin-1(2H)-yl)-2-(benzoyloxymethyl)-4-fluoro-4-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-yl benzoate (2R,3R,4R,5S)-2-(hydroxymethyl)piperidine-3,4,5-triol (2R,3R,4S,5R)-2-(acetoxymethyl)-6-oxotetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triyl triacetate (2R,3S)-N-(3-amino-2-hydroxy-4-phenylbutyl)-N-isobutyl-4-nitrobenzenesulfonamide hydrochloride 425-260-6 244634-31-9 Intermediate Individual Tonnage Data Confidential View substance registered dossier (2R,3S,4R,5R)-2,3,4,6-tetrakis(benzyloxy)-5-hydroxy-1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl) hexan-1-one (2R,3S,4R,5R,7R,9R,10R,11S,12S,13R)-10-[(4-dimethylamino-3-hydroxy-6-methyltetrahydropyran-2-yl)oxy]-2-ethyl-3,4,12-trihydroxy-9-methoxy-3,5,7,9,11,13-hexamethyl-6,14-dioxo-1-oxacyclotetradecane 433-820-6 118058-74-5 NONS Individual Tonnage Data Confidential View substance registered dossier (2R,3S,4R,5R,8R,10R,11R,12S,13S,14R)-11-(((2S,3R,4S,6R)-4-(Dimethylamino)-3-hydroxy-6-methyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)-2-ethyl-3,4,10-trihydroxy-13-(((2R,4R,5S,6S)-5-hydroxy-4-methoxy-4,6-dimethyltetrahydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)oxy)-3,5,8,10,12,14-hexamethyl-1-oxa-6-azacyclopentadecan-15-one (2R-(2α,3Z,5α))-3-(2-hydroxyethylidene)-7-oxo-4-oxa-1-azabicyclo[3.2.0]heptane-2-carboxylic acid, 1:1 salt with 2,4,4-Trimethylpentan-2-amine (2RS,3RS)-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-2-(4-fluorophenyl)-[(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl]oxirane (2S)-(5α,7α)-7-(2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutan-2-yl)-3,6-dimethoxy-18,19-dihydro-4,5-epoxy-6,14-ethenomorphinan-17-carbonitrile (2S)-(5α,7α)-7-(2-hydroxy-3,3-dimethylbutan-2-yl)-6-methoxy-18,19-dihydro-4,5-epoxy-6,14-ethenomorphinan-3-ol (2S)-1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-4-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylic acid

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line643

__label__wiki

Armenian cochineal Porphyrophora hamelii (female) Porphyrophora hamelii (male) Phylum: Insectacar Coccoidea Margarodidae Porphyrophora Brandt, 1833 P. hamelii Porphyrophora hamelii Synonyms [1] Porphyrophora hameli Brandt, 1834 (revived by Jakubski, 1965) Porphyrophora armeniaca Burmeister, 1835 Coccus radicis Meyer, 1856 Margarodes hameli Cockerell, 1902 and Fernald, 1903 Coccionella armeniaca Lindinger, 1954 Coccionella hamelii Lindinger, 1954 Coccionella hameli Lindinger, 1954 The Armenian cochineal (Porphyrophora hamelii (Brandt)), also known as the Ararat cochineal or Ararat scale, is a scale insect indigenous to the Ararat plain and Aras (Araks) River valley in the Armenian Highlands. It was formerly used to produce an eponymous crimson carmine dyestuff known in Armenia as vordan karmir (Armenian: որդան կարմիր, literally "worm's red") and historically in Persia as kirmiz.[1][2][3][4][5][6] The species is critically endangered within Armenia.[7] The Armenian cochineal scale insect, Porphyrophora hamelii, is in a different taxonomic family from the cochineal found in the Americas. Both insects produce red dyestuffs that are also commonly called cochineal.[8] 1 History and art 3 Habitat and conservation History and art[edit] Porphyrophora hamelii is one of the ancient natural sources of red dye in the Middle East and Europe, along with the insect dyes kermes (from Kermes vermilio and related species), lac (from Kerria lacca and related species), and carmine from other Porphyrophora species such as the Polish cochineal (Porphyrophora polonica), and the plant dye madder (from Rubia tinctorum and related species).[3][4][6][9][10][11][12][13] It is possible that Armenian cochineal dye was in use as early as 714 BC, when the Neo-Assyrian king Sargon II was recorded as seizing red textiles as spoils of war from the kingdoms of Urartu (the geographic predecessor of Armenia) and Kilhu.[3][4][14][15][16] The Roman-era physician and pharmacologist Dioscorides, writing in the 1st century AD, noted that the best kokkos baphike, the kermes shrub and its "grain" (kermes insect) that some ancient writers likely confused with Porphyrophora hamelii, came from Galatia and Armenia.[3][4][17] In the Early Middle Ages the Armenian historians Ghazar Parpetsi and Movses Khorenatsi wrote specifically of a worm-produced dyestuff from the Ararat region.[4][16] During the Middle Ages the Armenian cochineal dyestuff vordan karmir, also known in Persia as kirmiz, was widely celebrated in the Near East.[4][5][6][16] Kirmiz is not to be confused with dyer's kermes, which was derived from another insect.[6] The Armenian cities Artashat and Dvin were early centers of the production of kirmiz: during the 8th through 10th centuries Arab and Persian historians even referred to Artashat as "the town of kirmiz".[4][16] The Arabs and Persians regarded kirmiz as one of the most valuable commodities exported from Armenia.[6] The Armenians themselves used vordan karmir to produce dyes for textiles (including oriental rugs) and pigments for illuminated manuscripts and church frescos.[4][16][18][19] Chemical analyses have identified the dye of Porphyrophora hamelii in Coptic textiles of the 3rd through 10th centuries, a cashmere cloth used in a kaftan from Sassanid Persia in the 6th or 7th century, silk liturgical gloves from 15th-century France, Ottoman fabrics such as velvets and lampas of the 15th through 17th centuries, and a 16th-century velvet cap of maintenance that belonged to Henry VIII of England.[6][20][21] At the time of the Renaissance in Europe, Porphyrophora insects were so valuable that in Constantinople during the 1430s, one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of Porphyrophora hamelii insects was worth more than 5 grams (0.18 ounces) of gold.[6][22][23] The crimson Porphyrophora-based dyes were especially prized in Europe for dyeing silk, as the scarlet dye kermes was more plentiful, cheaper, and more effective for dyeing woolen textiles, which are heavier than silk and require more dye.[6] It has been estimated that on the order of a half million dried Porphyrophora hamelii insects were required to dye one kilogram (2.2 lb) of silk crimson during this period.[6][24] On the comparison between Armenian and Polish cochineal, the author of a 15th-century treatise on silks in Florence wrote that "two pounds of the large [Armenian cochineal insects] will dye as much [silk] as one pound of small [Polish cochineal insects]; it is true that it gives a more noble and brighter colour than the small, but it gives less dye."[6][25] Around the end of the 16th century the Old World Porphyrophora dyes were supplanted by dyes of the Dactylopius coccus cochineal species from the Americas, which could be harvested several times per year and yielded a much more concentrated dye.[15] The carmine dyestuff of Porphyrophora hamelii owes its red color almost entirely to carminic acid, making it difficult to distinguish chemically from the dyestuff of cochineal from the Americas.[6][9][10][15][26] The dyestuff of Porphyrophora polonica can be distinguished by its small admixture of kermesic acid, which is the major constituent of kermes from Kermes vermilio. In 1833 the German naturalist Johann Friedrich von Brandt suggested the scientific name Porphyrophora hamelii after the Russian physician, traveler, and historian of German descent Iosif Khristianovich Gamel (Josef Hamel) (ru), who visited the Ararat plain in the early 1830s and wrote a report about the "cochineal" insects living there.[27][28] Vordan karmir ceiling art at Noravank Monastery Khachkars (cross-stones) at Geghard Monastery painted with vordan karmir[29] Silk liturgical gloves (left) of Cardinal Pierre de Foix (15th century), dyed crimson with P. hamelii carmine[6] A 2006 Armenian postage stamp depicting P. hamelii Biology[edit] Porphyrophora hamelii cysts around the root of Aeluropus littoralis Porphyrophora hamelii is a sexually dimorphic species.[30][31][32] The adult female, from which carmine is extracted, is oval-shaped, soft-bodied, crimson in color, and has large forelegs for digging. The females can be quite large for a Porphyrophora species: up to 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long and 7 mm (0.28 in) wide.[30][32] It has been noted that one troy pound (360 grams) of cochineal insects requires 18,000–23,000 specimens of Porphyrophora hamelii, but 100,000–130,000 specimens of the sister species Porphyrophora polonica (or 20,000–25,000 specimens of Dactylopius coccus).[33][34] The adult male Porphyrophora hamelii is a winged insect. The life cycle of Porphyrophora hamelii is mostly subterranean.[7][30][31] Newly hatched nymphs emerge from the ground in the springtime and crawl until they find the roots of certain grassy plants that grow in saline soil, such as Aeluropus littoralis (Armenian: որդանխոտ (genus Aeluropus),[18][35] literally "worm's grass") and the common reed Phragmites australis.[7][30] The nymphs continue to feed on these roots throughout the spring and summer, forming protective pearl-like cysts in the process. From mid-September to mid-October adults emerge from the ground between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. to mate.[6][7][35][36] The adult insects, lacking mouthparts, do not feed.[31] Adult males live for only a few days, but adult females can live longer, burrowing into the ground to lay their eggs.[31] Habitat and conservation[edit] The historic habitat of Porphyrophora hamelii. Vordan Karmir State Reservation is in red and the historic dye-producing cities Artashat and Dvin are in purple. The red dye-producing insects of the Ararat plain were once plentiful: a 19th-century French traveler wrote that shepherds' flocks, when led to drink from the Araxes (Araks) River, would appear bloody from the insects.[4] In the mid-20th century the extent of occurrence in Armenia was 100 km2 (39 sq mi) with a recorded distribution that included the Ararat and Armavir provinces in Armenia as well as the Turkish, Iranian, and Russian Caucasus, but by the 1990s the extent of occurrence in Armenia had shrunk to about 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi), mostly in Armavir Province.[7][30][37] During the Soviet period, desalination of the Armenian salt marshes to create "economic and agricultural regions", and the creation of lakes for fisheries, "severely restricted the [habitable] area for the insects and [endangered their] existence."[35] Vordan Karmir State Reservation, Armenia The population in Armenia resides almost entirely in the Vordan Karmir State Reservation, a salt meadow habitat of 198.33 ha (490.1 acres) northwest of Arazap village and 21.52 ha (53.2 acres) in the north of Jrarat village established in 1987 near the Araks River border with Turkey, plus a site southeast of Ararat village and a few patches of several hectares elsewhere.[7][38][39] There have been no recent scientific reports on populations of Porphyrophora hamelii outside the surroundings of Mount Ararat.[6] Porphyrophora hamelii is considered critically endangered within Armenia by meeting the following conditions: an area of occupancy of less than 10 km2 (3.9 sq mi), plus severely fragmented occupancy or known to exist at only a single location, plus continued decline (observed, inferred, or projected) in the area of occurrence, area of occupancy, and area, extent, and/or quality of habitat; and an extent of occurrence of less than 100 km2 (39 sq mi) with the aforementioned conditions of continued decline.[7][40] Threats to the Porphyrophora hamelii population in Armenia include the development of saline lands, agricultural improvements, uncontrolled livestock grazing, and possibly climate change.[7] Natural foes of the species include mold mites, lady beetles, harvester ants, and erratic ants.[1][2] ^ a b c Ben-Dov, Y.; Miller, D.R.; Gibson, G.A.P. (9 October 2014). "ScaleNet, Porphyrophora hamelii". ScaleNet. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2014. ^ a b Ben-Dov, Yair (2005). A Systematic Catalogue of the Scale Insect Family Magarodidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the World. United Kingdom: Intercept (Lavoisier). ISBN 978-1-84585-000-5. ^ a b c d Forbes, R.J. (1964) [1956]. Studies in Ancient Technology. IV (2nd ed.). Leiden, Netherlands: E.J. Brill. pp. 102–103. ISBN 90-04-08307-3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Donkin, R.A. (1977). "The Insect Dyes of Western and West-Central Asia". Anthropos. Anthropos Institute. 72 (5/6): 847–880. JSTOR 40459185. ^ a b Vedeler, Marianne (2014). Silk for the Vikings. Oxford, United Kingdom: OXBOW BOOKS. p. 52. ISBN 978-1-78297-215-0. Vedeler, citing Cardon (2007), notes that "the Persian name Kirmiz originally referred to the Armenian carmine, a parasitic insect living on Gramineae grass, but the same name was also used by Arab geographers for insects living on oak trees in Maghreb and Al-Andalus, probably referring to Kermes vermilio", although "[i]t is ... not clear whether the 'Kirmiz' dyestuff mentioned in early Arab texts always refers to the use of the insect Kermes Vermilio." ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Cardon, Dominique (2007). Natural Dyes: Sources, Tradition, Technology and Science. London, United Kingdom: Archetype Books. ISBN 978-1-904982-00-5. English translation by Caroline Higgitt of Cardon's French-language book Le monde des teintures naturelles (Éditions Belin, Paris, 2003). ^ a b c d e f g h Khachatryan, H. "Porphyrophora ham melii Brandt, 1833". Red Book of Armenia. Ministry of Nature Protection, Armenia. Retrieved 9 October 2014. ^ Eastaugh, Nicholas; Walsh, Valentine; Chaplin, Tracey; Siddall, Ruth (2004). Pigment Compendium: A Dictionary of Historical Pigments. Oxford, UK and Burlington, MA: Elsevier Butterwoth-Heinemann. pp. 118–119. ISBN 0-7506-5749-9. Retrieved 4 December 2015. ^ a b Robinson, Stuart (1969). A History of Dyed Textiles. London, United Kingdom: Studio Vista. ISBN 978-0-289-79644-3. ^ a b Böhmer, Harald; Thompson, Jon (1991). "The Pazyryk Carpet: A Technical Discussion". SOURCE: Notes in the History of Art. Ars Brevis Foundation. 10 (4): 30–36. JSTOR 23203293. ^ Koren, Zvi C. (2005), "Chromatographic analyses of selected historic dyeings from ancient Israel", in Janaway, R.; Wyeth, P. (eds.), Scientific Analysis of Ancient and Historic Textiles: Informing, Preservation, Display and Interpretation (PDF), London, United Kingdom: Archetype Publications, pp. 194–201, retrieved 8 October 2014 ^ Cardon, Dominique (2010), "Natural Dyes, Our Global Heritage of Colours", Proceedings of the 12th Biennial Symposium of the Textile Society of America ("Textiles and Settlement: From Plains Space to Cyber Space") (October 6–9, 2010), Lincoln, Nebraska, USA: Textile Society of America ^ Kirby, Jo (2011), "Dyes, Dyeing and Lake Pigments – Historical Background", Back to the Roots – Workshop on the Preparation of Historical Lake Pigments (March 23–25, 2011) (PDF), Munich, Germany: Doerner Institut, retrieved 9 October 2014 ^ Thureau-Dangin, François (1912). Une Relation de la Hutième Campagne de Sargon (714 av. J.-C.) texte Assyrien inédit, publié et traduit (in French). Paris, France: Librairie Paul Geuthner. p. 57. Retrieved 8 October 2014. ^ a b c Phipps, Elena (2010). Cochineal Red: The Art History of a Color [adapted from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 67, no. 3 (Winter 2010)]. New York City and New Haven, USA and London, UK: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-19560-6. Retrieved 8 October 2014. ^ a b c d e Kurdian, H. (1941). "Kirmiz". Journal of the American Oriental Society. American Oriental Society. 61 (2): 105–107. doi:10.2307/594255. JSTOR 594255. ^ Obaldeston, T.A. (2000). Dioscorides, De Materia Medica. Five books in one volume: new modern English translation. 4. Johannesburg, South Africa: IBIDIS Press. pp. 588–591. ISBN 978-0-620-23435-1. Retrieved 4 January 2015. English translation by T.A. Obaldeston with introductory notes by R.P. Wood. ^ a b Babenko, Vitali (1988). "Vordan Karmir or Armenian Cochineal". Oriental Rug Review. Oriental Rug Auction Review. VIII (5): 40–41. Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 9 October 2014. ^ Mushak, Paul (1988). "The use of insect dyes in Oriental rugs and textiles: Some unresolved issues". Oriental Rug Review. Oriental Rug Auction Review. VIII (5): 33–39. Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 9 October 2014. ^ Petroviciu, Irina; Crețu, Ileana; Vanden Berghe, Ina; Wouters, Jan; Medvedovici, Andrei; Albu, Florin; Creanga, Doina (2012). "A discussion on the red anthraquinone dyes detected in historic textiles from Romanian collections" (PDF). e-Preservation Science. Morana RTD. 9: 90–96. Retrieved 4 January 2015. ^ "Henry VIII's Cap of Maintenance". Treasures of Medieval Waterford, Ireland: Medieval Museum. Retrieved 28 November 2015. ^ Cardon, Dominique (2000), "Du verme cremexe au veluto chremesino: une filierè vénitienne du cramoisi au XVe siécle", in Molà, L.; Mueller, R.C.; Zanier, C. (eds.), La Seta in Italia dal Medioevo al Seicento (in French), Venice, Italy: Fondazione Giorgio Cini, pp. 63–73 ^ Some articles improperly cite Cardon to suggest, incorrectly, that Armenian cochineal insects were more valuable, by weight, than gold (i.e., one gram of insects was worth several grams of gold) during this era. Cardon (2007) does, however, note that according to the records of a Venetian merchant trading in Constantinople during the 1430s, even the cheapest Armenian cochineal insects were still worth more, pound-for-pound, than some live slaves (Circassian women and adolescents) that he had bought. ^ 400,000 to 560,000 dried P. hamelii insects were required to dye 1 kg of silk according to the figures of Cardon (2007): 1,000 g to 1,400 g of dried insects per 100 g of silk, with 40 adult females per gram of dried insects. Note that Virey (1840) reports 18,000–23,000 insects per 360-gram troy pound (50–64 insects per gram; not stated whether they were dried). ^ Gargiolli, Girolamo, ed. (1868). L'arte della seta in Firenze. Trattato del Secolo XV, pubblicato per la prima volta, e dialoghi raccolti da Girolamo Gargiolli (in Italian). Florence, Italy: G. Barbèra. p. 32. Retrieved 16 October 2014. ^ Wouters, Jan; Verhecken, André (1989). "The Coccid Insect Dyes: HPLC and Computerized Diode-Array Analysis of Dyed Yarns". Studies in Conservation. Maney Publishing. 34 (4): 189–200. doi:10.1179/sic.1989.34.4.189. JSTOR 1506286. ^ Brandt, Johann Friedrich; Ratzeburg, Julius Theodor Christian (1833). Medizinische Zoologie oder getreue Darstellung und Beschreibung der Thiere, in der Arzneimitellehre in Betracht kommen, in systematischer Folge herausgegeben (in German). 2. Berlin, Germany: Trowitzsch and Sohn. p. 356. Retrieved 11 October 2014. ^ Hamel, J. (1833), "Über Cochenille am Ararat und über Wurzelcochenille im Allgemeinen" (PDF), Mémoires de l'Académie Impériale des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg / Sciences mathématiques, physiques et naturelles (in German), Tome III (1835) [publishing the second part of Tome I (1833)], Frankfurt, Germany: Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main, pp. 9–64, retrieved 11 October 2014 . Publication of Hamel's 4 May 1833 report on the Ararat cochineal. Hamel's report mentions Brandt. ^ "Geghard 7: Monk cells, Khachkar Wall. Geghard's Khachkars". Armenian Monuments Awareness Project. Retrieved 12 October 2014. The red color found on some of the cross stones is a result of their being painted with Vortan Karmir, a red dye made from beetles native to Armenia. The red dye was among the more famous exports of the kingdom, and was valued more than gold in Europe and the Near East. Its resilience has long since proved itself; the color you see now is more than 800 years old. ^ a b c d e Vahedi, Hassan-Ali; Hodgson, C.J. (2007). "Some species of the hypogeal scale insect Porphyrophora Brandt (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Margarodidae) from Europe, the Middle East and Africa". Systematics and Biodiversity. Taylor & Francis. 5 (1): 23–122. doi:10.1017/s1477200006002039. ^ a b c d Foldi, Imre (2005). "Ground pearls: a generic revision of the Margarodidae sensu stricto (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea)" (PDF). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. New Series. Taylor & Francis. 41 (1): 81–125. doi:10.1080/00379271.2005.10697442. Retrieved 9 October 2014. ^ a b Jakubski, Antoni Władysław (1965). A Critical Revision of the Families Margarodidae and Termitococcidae (Hemiptera, Coccoidea). London, United Kingdom: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). ^ Virey, M.J.J. (1840), "Remarks on the former uses of purple or scarlet colouring insects. New cochineal of Persia and Armenia.", in Watt, Charles; Watt, Jr., John (eds.), The Chemist: Or, Reporter of Chemical Discoveries and Improvements, and Protector of the Rights of the Chemist and Chemical Manufacturer, I, London, United Kingdom: R. Hastings, pp. 209–210 ^ Fennel, James H. (1842), "On useful insects and their products", in Watt, Charles; Watt, Jr., John (eds.), The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, I, London, United Kingdom: J. Limbird, pp. 295–296 ^ a b c "Vordan Karmir: The Red Worm (From the Soviet Armenia Encyclopedia, Vol. 8, 1982, pp. 642–43)". Oriental Rug Review. Oriental Rug Auction Review. VIII (5): 42–43. 1988. Archived from the original on 2013-07-01. Retrieved 9 October 2014. ^ Cardon (2007) cites her own field mission in Armenia in 1989 as well as the papers by Jakubski (1965) and Mktrtchian and Sarkisov (1985) for her description of Porphyrophora hamelii biology, which states that the mating time is from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia (1982) and the online Red Book of Armenia (which cites Mktchyan and Sarkisov (1985) and others) state that the mating time is from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Note that in 1982 and 1985 the emergence of the insects in early September would have been in Armenian Summer Time (UTC+5), whereas the Republic of Armenia has been on UTC+4 time year-round since 2012. ^ "Political Administrative Region (marz): Armavir" (PDF). Regional Environmental Center for the Caucasus (REC Caucasus). Retrieved 10 October 2014. ^ «Որդան Կարմիր» Պետական Արգելավայրի Կանոնադրությունը Հաստատելու Մասին ["Vordan Karmir" State Reservation Statute of Approval]. Armenian Legal Information System (ARLIS.am) (in Armenian). Government of the Republic of Armenia. July 12, 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2014. 1. «Որդան կարմիր» պետական արգելավայրը (այսուհետ` արգելավայր) ստեղծվել է Հայկական Սովետական Սոցիալիստական Հանրապետության Մինիստրների խորհրդի 1987 թվականի փետրվարի 2-ի N 61 որոշմամբ` Հայաստանի Հանրապետության Արմավիրի մարզի աղուտ հողերի վրա: Արգելավայրն զբաղեցնում է 219.85 հեկտար տարածք, բաղկացած է երկու առանձին տեղամասերից` Արազափի գյուղական համայնքի հյուսիսարևմտյան մասում (198.33 հեկտար) և Ջրառատի գյուղական համայնքի հյուսիսային մասում (21.52 հեկտար)` Արարատյան հարթավայրում, ծովի մակերևույթից 835–850 մետր բարձրության վրա: ^ "Էնդեմիկ Տեսակներ: Կենդանիներ [Endemic Species: Animals]", Հայաստանի Ազգային Ատլաս [Armenian National Atlas] (in Armenian), I, Yerevan, Armenia: "Geodeziayi ev Kʻartezagrutʻyan Kentron" POAK, 2007, p. 83, ISBN 99941-0-176-5, retrieved 3 January 2015 ^ IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, Version 3.1, Second Edition (PDF) (Report). International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Species Survival Commission. 9 February 2000. pp. 16–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 January 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2014. Katazome Leheria Reactive dye printing Ring dyeing Rōketsuzome Tsutsugaki Types of dyes Traditional textile dyes Brazilin Cudbear Cutch Dyewoods Dyer's broom Polish cochineal Woad Use of saffron In Scottish Highlands Craft dyes Inkodye Procion Glossary of dyeing terms List of dyes Taxon identifiers Wikidata: Q10637838 EPPO: PORPHA Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Armenian_cochineal&oldid=928718090" Endemic fauna of Armenia Insects of Asia Animal dyes Armenian art Insects described in 1833 Taxa named by Johann Friedrich von Brandt Taxa named by Julius Theodor Christian Ratzeburg CS1 French-language sources (fr) CS1 Italian-language sources (it) CS1 German-language sources (de) CS1 uses Armenian-language script (hy) CS1 Armenian-language sources (hy) Articles containing Armenian-language text

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line646

__label__wiki

Nepal/Tallest Building < Nepal Nepal has already started constructing a massive 35 storey building. It is the official building of the NTC (Nepal telecom company )Nepal Telecom, the country's incumbent landline and GSM network operator has announced plans to build on of the tallest buildings in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) region. The building, to be constructed at the Jawalakhel NTC compound in Kathmandu will have upto 35 floors and a transmission network installed on the roof. Once completed, "the building will be the pride of the nation," Sugat Ratna Kansakar, managing director of the NT, a state-run telecom company, told reporters last week. "We have been preparing the design of the building," he said, adding that efforts were on to receive permission from the Nepal Electricity Authority, Nepal Drinking Water Corporation and the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN). The Nepal Telecom is yet to estimate the cost and time needed to construct the building, Kansakar said. The tallest building in Nepal is currently 8 stories high. The region is subject to earthquakes so building that high will be a challenge." http://ktm2day.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/ntc_sundhara.jpg Retrieved from "https://en.wikiversity.org/w/index.php?title=Nepal/Tallest_Building&oldid=1220468"

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line648

__label__wiki

Krish Thiagarajan Sharman Named to Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy at UMass Amherst College of Engineering Krish Thiagarajan Sharman Krish Thiagarajan Sharman, an expert on marine renewable energy and energy producing offshore structures, has been appointed to the Endowed Chair in Renewable Energy in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at the UMass Amherst College of Engineering. The chair was established in 2014 with $2.5 million in funding from the state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to attract a preeminent scholar in the field to provide leadership in positioning both the university and the Commonwealth to take advantage of opportunities in emerging areas of renewable energy. Thiagarajan Sharman will collaborate with DOER staff on renewable energy research and projects. (Renewablesnaps.com, 7/24/18; News Office release) Professor Thiagarajan Sharman is a Fellow of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and leads the Ocean and Marine Engineering Group at UMass Amherst. In that context, he studies: marine renewable energy, including wind, wave, tidal, and thermal energy conversion; hydrodynamics and fluid-structure interaction; marine and offshore platform design; aquaculture engineering; and experimental and computational fluid dynamics. Thiagarajan Sharman’s studies focus on harvesting energy from waves in marine environments. His expertise will broaden and strengthen the research program in renewable energy at UMass Amherst, which has long been a national leader in wind energy. He has published over 125 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings. Thiagarajan Sharman came to UMass Amherst last spring after serving six years as the Presidential Chair in Energy at the University of Maine, where his research attracted more than $22 million in funding. At Maine, he also led the Marine Ocean and Offshore Research (MOOR) Group, which studied how human-made structures interact with the complex ocean environment. MOOR’s focus spanned offshore wind and wave energy systems, coastal infrastructure, and naval architecture. From 1997 to 2011, Thiagarajan Sharman taught at the University of Western Australia in Perth, where he was on the faculty of the Centre for Oil and Gas Engineering, which became a school in 2003. He was a visiting professor at the National University of Singapore in 2011 and at the University of Michigan in 2005, a visiting associate professor at the University of Houston in 2001, and a lecturer at the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania in 1995-97. Thiagarajan Sharman was the guest editor on a special issue on “Offshore Wind Energy” for the Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering in 2013. He was also the technical co-chair for the World Maritime Technology Conference in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2015. Additionally, he has served as the chair of the Ocean Offshore and Arctic Engineering Division for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the coordinator of the Ocean Renewable Energy Symposium at the International Conference on Ocean Offshore & Arctic Engineering. Thiagarajan Sharman completed his bachelor’s degree in naval architecture at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras in 1986. He earned a master’s in ocean engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland in 1989 before pursuing further graduate studies at the University of Michigan, where he was awarded master’s degrees in mechanical engineering and naval architecture and marine engineering, both in 1992, and a Ph.D. in naval architecture and marine engineering in 1993. He was a research fellow in marine hydrodynamics at the University of Michigan in 1993-95. (August 2018)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line650

__label__wiki

Tag: Municipal Municipal elections in Turkey: what did happen there Published on May 6, 2019 May 12, 2019 by Euroculturer MagazineLeave a comment By Sumeyye Hancer On March 31, 2019, Turkey held its municipal elections. According to the BBC, 57 million people were registered and the turnout displayed an outstanding 85%. After 25 years of seat in Ankara, the Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP), known as the Justice and Development Party, has lost its seat in the capital city as well as in Istanbul metropolis and other municipalities. The recession announced last March appears to have played a decisive role against the ruling party. The event took a tragic turn as clashes occurred and four people died in south and east Turkey. Dozens were also reported injured in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakir. In Istanbul, one person was stabbed in Kadıköy district as reported by The Guardian. In the European Union, the German magazine Der Spiegel announced the “Ende eines Mythos” (“The End of a Myth”, in English). In France, Le Monde spoke of “un revers cinglant” (“A scathing reverse”). In Spain, El País mentioned “un duro revés” (“a harsh reverse”) and the loss of the “islamistas turcos” (“Turkish islamists”). Indeed, the results seem to showcase patterns of a new momentum vis-à-vis the 2023 national elections, albeit the outcomes have been contested by the ruling party which at first denounced “invalid votes and irregularities in most of the 12,158 polling stations in Ankara”, then “irregularities” and “organised crime”. The result of the election in Istanbul was appealed as announced by Ali İhsan Yavuz, the deputy chairman of AKP. However, on April 9th The Guardian announced that the partial recount process confirmed the lead of the CHP (Republican People’s Party) candidate, Ekrem İmamoğlu. Today, half of the citizens support Erdogan and the other half despises him for polarising the country, according to the analysis by Mark Lowen, BBC Turkey correspondent, in article published on April 1st entitled “Turkey local elections: Setback for Erdogan in big cities”. How do I approach the event as a Euroculture student? Continue reading “Municipal elections in Turkey: what did happen there” → Categories Magazine, Opinion, Politics, Society•Tags Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP), AKP, democracy, demonstrations, elections, Erdogan, Europe, European Union, France, Germany, Istanbul, Kurds, Middle East, Municipal, Opinion, Politics, polls, protests, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Sumeyye Hancer, Turkey, violence Where are you from? Uzbekistan?!

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line652

__label__cc

Here’s How Martial Arts Helped This Director Excel At Work When Sarah Gulston expatriated to Singapore in 2002, Muay Thai classes were the last thing on her mind. Her primary purpose for relocating was to further her career working as a Divisional Director for an insurance company. Sarah has always had an affinity for Asian culture and martial arts, dabbling in a few different styles like Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and Wing Chun during her schooling years. While getting acclimated to her new home, Sarah considered rekindling her passion for Taekwondo, but fate had something else in mind. During a business trip, she was exposed to Muay Thai for the first time, and she found herself intrigued by it. A few weeks later, she walked through the doors of Evolve MMA. It was love at first sight for Sarah. “My first trial was awesome,” Sarah recalls. “I found it really fun, and I really enjoyed it. I could tell that there were so many very experienced people there, and all the instructors were very careful and very attentive, so I thought it was definitely going to be a good place to be.” Sarah credits her dedication to martial arts for a lot of the success she has enjoyed as a professional. She is grateful for all the values she has learned over the years. Here are a few ways signing up for Muay Thai classes made it easier for Sarah to adjust to her new home in Singapore and allowed her to excel at work: 1) Provides serenity Martial art training helps Sarah feel calm and content. That allows her to deal with any issues that come up at work with a positive attitude. Working in a fast-paced industry, being able to interact with clients and her team members effectively is crucial. The stress-relief Sarah gets every time she trains, allows her to think clearly when it’s time to come up with solutions to unexpected problems at work. “Sometimes we miss the bigger picture, and we blame others for our own shortcomings or things that go wrong in life,” Sarah explains. “If you have a positive attitude about life, and a positive view of things, life will be easier and better for you. I can hear Kru Non say 200 knees and go ‘Oh my God! 200 knees’ or I can carry on and do 200 knees. And do the best 200 knees that I can do and achieve and feel better for having done it. Sometimes, martial arts give you the patience to let you see that it is a balance of having the power, but also having the control, and not being afraid of being stronger than you think you are.” 2) Provides energy to persevere at work Sarah trains Muay Thai under multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke at Evolve MMA. Motivation has never been an issue for Sarah, but martial arts have taught her how to push herself even more. The strength she gains from driving herself to complete difficult drills during her Muay Thai classes carries over when it is time to go above and beyond at work. Attending martial arts classes daily also ensures Sarah’s body and mind are tired when it is time for her to get some rest, making it easier for her to fall asleep. That leaves her with more energy to tackle her days. “Martial is so important to me. It’s important for my own sense of well-being,” Sarah explained. “It just gives me the energy to get on with my life, with my daily grind at work. If I come here, it cheers me up. It gives me the energy to carry on for the rest of the day.” 3) Makes it easier to see the big picture The energy Sarah gets from training Muay Thai allows her to excel at work. Martial arts is all about makings consistent small gains. After some time, you get promoted to the next level. This constant progression teaches Sarah valuable life skills like discipline, hard work, respect, and dedication. No one sees themselves performing advanced techniques the first time they step on the mat, but if you are disciplined and rarely miss classes, work hard every time you are at the gym, and dedicate yourself to becoming a better martial artist, you will find yourself moving quickly through the ranks. At the end of the day, your rank is not all that important. It is the lessons you learn during your journey that will translate into other parts of your life like your career. “It’s important not to focus on the end game, but to enjoy the journey,” Sarah added. “I’m enjoying feeling strong, feeling more confident.” 4) Opportunities to make new friends Training Muay Thai with friends makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Making new friends becomes increasingly difficult as you get older, especially if you find yourself immersed in a new culture half-way around the world. Luckily for Sarah, her decision to dedicate herself to Muay Thai gives her lots of opportunities to make new friends. That is one of the great benefits of signing up for martial arts classes. You get to be a member of a closely-knit community that is made up of positive-minded people from all works in life. Your shared passion for martial arts will serve as a foundation to build friendships upon. “I’ve made many friends,” Sarah says. “It’s like a big melting pot. It’s like a place where we are all equal. It doesn’t matter what your background is. And I am so happy that I am proud and humbled to be a part of this family.” Martial arts can help you perform better at your job as well The benefits Sarah has gained from training martial arts over the years continue to help her in her professional and personal life. You can also gain these benefits by signing up for a martial arts class as well. It’s never too late to start reaping the many rewards of martial arts. Stop using your job as an excuse. If Sarah can fit martial arts classes into her busy schedule, so can you. So if you’re looking for a way to get fit, relieve stress, and learn to defend yourself, sign up for a trial class today and start gaining the benefits of being a martial artist! Book your complimentary trial class with our World Champions below! Please fill out all required fields Name Email Phone Age Location Evolve MMA (Far East Square - Raffles Place) Evolve MMA (Orchard Central - Orchard) Evolve MMA (Clarke Quay Central) Evolve MMA (Kinex - East Coast) Children’s Program

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line658

__label__wiki

Subtotal, Disaster Payments Cumberland County, North Carolina Pick a county North Carolina State Total Alamance County, North Carolina Alexander County, North Carolina Alleghany County, North Carolina Anson County, North Carolina Ashe County, North Carolina Avery County, North Carolina Beaufort County, North Carolina Bertie County, North Carolina Bladen County, North Carolina Brunswick County, North Carolina Buncombe County, North Carolina Burke County, North Carolina Cabarrus County, North Carolina Caldwell County, North Carolina Camden County, North Carolina Carteret County, North Carolina Caswell County, North Carolina Catawba County, North Carolina Chatham County, North Carolina Cherokee County, North Carolina Chowan County, North Carolina Clay County, North Carolina Cleveland County, North Carolina Columbus County, North Carolina Craven County, North Carolina Cumberland County, North Carolina Currituck County, North Carolina Dare County, North Carolina Davidson County, North Carolina Davie County, North Carolina Duplin County, North Carolina Durham County, North Carolina Edgecombe County, North Carolina Forsyth County, North Carolina Franklin County, North Carolina Gaston County, North Carolina Gates County, North Carolina Graham County, North Carolina Granville County, North Carolina Greene County, North Carolina Guilford County, North Carolina Halifax County, North Carolina Harnett County, North Carolina Haywood County, North Carolina Henderson County, North Carolina Hertford County, North Carolina Hoke County, North Carolina Hyde County, North Carolina Iredell County, North Carolina Jackson County, North Carolina Johnston County, North Carolina Jones County, North Carolina Lee County, North Carolina Lenoir County, North Carolina Lincoln County, North Carolina McDowell County, North Carolina Macon County, North Carolina Madison County, North Carolina Martin County, North Carolina Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Mitchell County, North Carolina Montgomery County, North Carolina Moore County, North Carolina Nash County, North Carolina New Hanover County, North Carolina Northampton County, North Carolina Onslow County, North Carolina Orange County, North Carolina Pamlico County, North Carolina Pasquotank County, North Carolina Pender County, North Carolina Perquimans County, North Carolina Person County, North Carolina Pitt County, North Carolina Polk County, North Carolina Randolph County, North Carolina Richmond County, North Carolina Robeson County, North Carolina Rockingham County, North Carolina Rowan County, North Carolina Rutherford County, North Carolina Sampson County, North Carolina Scotland County, North Carolina Stanly County, North Carolina Stokes County, North Carolina Surry County, North Carolina Swain County, North Carolina Transylvania County, North Carolina Tyrrell County, North Carolina Union County, North Carolina Vance County, North Carolina Wake County, North Carolina Warren County, North Carolina Washington County, North Carolina Watauga County, North Carolina Wayne County, North Carolina Wilkes County, North Carolina Wilson County, North Carolina Yadkin County, North Carolina Yancey County, North Carolina Intelligent Storage Services Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative North Carolina NRCS Pick a district 1st District of North Carolina (Rep. G.K. Butterfield) 2nd District of North Carolina (Rep. George Holding) 3rd District of North Carolina (Rep. Walter Jones) 4th District of North Carolina (Rep. David Price) 5th District of North Carolina (Rep. Virginia Foxx) 6th District of North Carolina (Rep. Mark Walker) 7th District of North Carolina (Rep. David Rouzer) 8th District of North Carolina (Rep. Richard Hudson) 9th District of North Carolina (Open Seat) 10th District of North Carolina (Rep. Patrick McHenry) 11th District of North Carolina (Rep. Mark Meadows) 12th District of North Carolina (Rep. Alma Adams) 13th District of North Carolina (Rep. Ted Budd) Subtotal, Disaster Payments in Cumberland County, North Carolina totaled $12.1 million from 1995-2019‡. Programs included in Subtotal, Disaster Payments Misc. Disaster Payments $9,248,783 Supplemental Revenue Assistance Payments Program $2,418,246 Emergency Conservation $928,818 Livestock Disaster / Emergency $139,818

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line661

__label__cc

Posts Tagged Little Cairo Divorce Islamic Style: book review Posted by Amy Steele in Books on April 5, 2012 Divorce Islamic Style by Amara Lakhous. Publisher: Europa (April 2012). Literary fiction. Trade paperback. 144 pages. 978-1-60945-066-3. “I have to constantly remind myself that I’m Tunisian, and this neighborhood is full of Egyptians. Many people don’t know that there are rivalries among the Arabs. For example, it’s not smooth sailing between Syrians and Lebanese, between Iraqis and Kuwaitis, between Saudis and Yemenis, and so on and so on. It’s why they can’t come up with a plan for unity, in spite of common history, geography, Arabic, Islam, and oil. The model of the European Union will have to wait!” In the superb novel Divorce Islamic Style, two characters narrate and propel the events in Rome: Christian, a Sicilian who speaks fluent Arabic and works as an operative for the Italian government; and Sofia, an Egyptian immigrant who runs a hair salon in defiance of her strict Muslim husband. Christian’s assignment is to uncover a terrorist cell in the Viale Marconi neighborhood. Going by the name of Issa and changing his appearance and mannerisms he infiltrates “Little Cairo” as a Tunisian. He rooms at a boarding house with numerous other immigrants and takes a job washing dishes at an Italian restaurant run by an Egyptian, who turns out to be Sofia’s husband. I’ve acquired certain habits, like sleeping nude, temperature permitting, or reading before I go to sleep; I love biographies of famous people. Here it is not a good idea to be the self-taught immigrant and passionate reader. At a hangout spot where people watch Al Jazeera and make calls home, Christian meets Sofia who attracts him with her striking looks and mannerisms. Surprising to Christian, she wears a veil, uncommon in Rome, in Italy, in many Western countries. He discovers that Sofia neither acts conventionally or predictably. Several days before her wedding, Sofia’s husband asked her to wear the veil. “Put on the veil? Maybe I hadn’t understood. Were we going to live in Italy or Iran? Is the veil compulsory in Rome? The real problem is that we live in a society where the male is both the opponent and, at the same time, the referee.” In writing about Sofia’s plight, author Amara Lakhous astutely provides a feminist perspective to this novel in a natural and provocative manner. He brilliantly depicts Rome’s Arab community “Little Cairo.” He satirizes the immigrant community as deftly as modern day Rome and its idiosyncrasies and fears. I understand the comfort level of creating one’s own community after immigrating to another country. Beyond that though I don’t understand why some immigrants do not assimilate more by learning the new language or befriending natives. Lakhous explains the minutiae within the Arab community and what motivates many to move to other countries. Much can be explained in looking at opportunities in Western countries versus Arab countries where rules might be stricter and prospects fewer. Some Arabs stay in these Western countries and become citizens while others work for a while to better their family situations in their home country. Born in Algiers in 1970, Amara Lakhous earned degrees in philosophy and cultural anthropology. He now lives in Italy. I adore Divorce Islamic Style so much that I’ve mentioned it several times in casual conversation. I want to recommend it to everyone. It’s fantastic. Snappy. Sharp. Intelligent. Humorous. –Amy Steele purchase at Amazon: Divorce Islamic Style Amara Lakhous, divorce, Egyptian, Europa Editions, Italy, Little Cairo, Rome, terrorism, Tunisian

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line664

__label__cc

Displaying 1 - 10 of 11. Show 10 results per page. Project acronym ADAPTIVES Project Algorithmic Development and Analysis of Pioneer Techniques for Imaging with waVES Researcher (PI) Chrysoula Tsogka Host Institution (HI) IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS Summary The proposed work concerns the theoretical and numerical development of robust and adaptive methodologies for broadband imaging in clutter. The word clutter expresses our uncertainty on the wave speed of the propagation medium. Our results are expected to have a strong impact in a wide range of applications, including underwater acoustics, exploration geophysics and ultrasound non-destructive testing. Our machinery is coherent interferometry (CINT), a state-of-the-art statistically stable imaging methodology, highly suitable for the development of imaging methods in clutter. We aim to extend CINT along two complementary directions: novel types of applications, and further mathematical and numerical development so as to assess and extend its range of applicability. CINT is designed for imaging with partially coherent array data recorded in richly scattering media. It uses statistical smoothing techniques to obtain results that are independent of the clutter realization. Quantifying the amount of smoothing needed is difficult, especially when there is no a priori knowledge about the propagation medium. We intend to address this question by coupling the imaging process with the estimation of the medium's large scale features. Our algorithms rely on the residual coherence in the data. When the coherent signal is too weak, the CINT results are unsatisfactory. We propose two ways for enhancing the resolution of CINT: filter the data prior to imaging (noise reduction) and waveform design (optimize the source distribution). Finally, we propose to extend the applicability of our imaging-in-clutter methodologies by investigating the possibility of utilizing ambient noise sources to perform passive sensor imaging, as well as by studying the imaging problem in random waveguides. The proposed work concerns the theoretical and numerical development of robust and adaptive methodologies for broadband imaging in clutter. The word clutter expresses our uncertainty on the wave speed of the propagation medium. Our results are expected to have a strong impact in a wide range of applications, including underwater acoustics, exploration geophysics and ultrasound non-destructive testing. Our machinery is coherent interferometry (CINT), a state-of-the-art statistically stable imaging methodology, highly suitable for the development of imaging methods in clutter. We aim to extend CINT along two complementary directions: novel types of applications, and further mathematical and numerical development so as to assess and extend its range of applicability. CINT is designed for imaging with partially coherent array data recorded in richly scattering media. It uses statistical smoothing techniques to obtain results that are independent of the clutter realization. Quantifying the amount of smoothing needed is difficult, especially when there is no a priori knowledge about the propagation medium. We intend to address this question by coupling the imaging process with the estimation of the medium's large scale features. Our algorithms rely on the residual coherence in the data. When the coherent signal is too weak, the CINT results are unsatisfactory. We propose two ways for enhancing the resolution of CINT: filter the data prior to imaging (noise reduction) and waveform design (optimize the source distribution). Finally, we propose to extend the applicability of our imaging-in-clutter methodologies by investigating the possibility of utilizing ambient noise sources to perform passive sensor imaging, as well as by studying the imaging problem in random waveguides. Project acronym ERGODICNONCOMPACT Project Ergodic theory on non compact spaces Researcher (PI) Omri Moshe Sarig Host Institution (HI) WEIZMANN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Summary The proposal is to look for, and investigate, new ergodic theoretic types of behavior for dynamical systems which act on non compact spaces. These could include transience and non-trivial ways of escape to infinity, critical phenomena similar to phase transitions, and new types of measure rigidity. There are potential applications to smooth ergodic theory (non-uniform hyperbolicity), algebraic ergodic theory (actions on homogeneous spaces), and probability theory (weakly dependent stochastic processes). The proposal is to look for, and investigate, new ergodic theoretic types of behavior for dynamical systems which act on non compact spaces. These could include transience and non-trivial ways of escape to infinity, critical phenomena similar to phase transitions, and new types of measure rigidity. There are potential applications to smooth ergodic theory (non-uniform hyperbolicity), algebraic ergodic theory (actions on homogeneous spaces), and probability theory (weakly dependent stochastic processes). Project acronym HYDROFAKIR Project Roughness design towards reversible non- / full-wetting surfaces: From Fakir Droplets to Liquid Films Researcher (PI) Athanasios Papathanasiou Host Institution (HI) NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS - NTUA Summary Creating tunable surfaces that are able to undergo reversible transitions between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic behaviour is a challenging and vital issue due to their potential use in applications involving self cleaning, very low flow resistance and liquid handling without moving mechanical parts. Superhydrophobic surfaces arising from micro-scale roughened hydrophobic materials spontaneously exhibit transitions to become superhydrophilic when their material wetting properties are suitably modified by external stimuli. The reverse transition, however, requires external actuation/ perturbation which can be strong as to deteriorate the liquids handled and therefore limit the use such techniques in applications. Here we plan to combine continuum and mesoscale computational analysis of wetting phenomena in solid surfaces to create designer roughness that will minimize, or even eliminate, the strength of the actuation required to achieve full- to non-wetting reversibility. The modelling will be done in a continuous dialogue with surface fabrication and wetting tests. Wetting experiments will be performed along with novel microactuation techniques for liquid interfaces. Creating tunable surfaces that are able to undergo reversible transitions between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic behaviour is a challenging and vital issue due to their potential use in applications involving self cleaning, very low flow resistance and liquid handling without moving mechanical parts. Superhydrophobic surfaces arising from micro-scale roughened hydrophobic materials spontaneously exhibit transitions to become superhydrophilic when their material wetting properties are suitably modified by external stimuli. The reverse transition, however, requires external actuation/ perturbation which can be strong as to deteriorate the liquids handled and therefore limit the use such techniques in applications. Here we plan to combine continuum and mesoscale computational analysis of wetting phenomena in solid surfaces to create designer roughness that will minimize, or even eliminate, the strength of the actuation required to achieve full- to non-wetting reversibility. The modelling will be done in a continuous dialogue with surface fabrication and wetting tests. Wetting experiments will be performed along with novel microactuation techniques for liquid interfaces. Project acronym LARGEMS Project The Dynamic Composition of Protein Complexes: A New Perspective in Structural Biology Researcher (PI) Michal Sharon Summary 80% of the proteome exists in complexes or large macromolecular assemblies. It is accepted that revealing the structure of these protein complexes is a key towards mechanistic understanding of cellular processes. Yet, this might not be sufficient; a higher level of complexity probably exists and protein complexes may not be static and uniform in form and function as thought. A protein complex may actually represent an ensemble of compositionally distinct entities with functional versatility. My main aim is to provide evidence for this conceptual change and to reveal the dynamic architecture of a protein assembly. As a model system, I will investigate the COP9 signalosome (CSN), an evolutionary conserved multisubunit complex, which is involved in a variety of essential functions ranging from cell-cycle progression, DNA-repair and apoptosis. My strategy is based on a comprehensive approach, made up of four main steps; i) Revealing the structural organization of the native complex. ii) Establishing whether the complex has co-existing independent modules that function separately of, or coordinately with the holocomplex. iii) Monitoring in real-time the biogenesis and activation pathway of the complex and developing an approach for shifting its oligomerization equilibrium. iv) Determining the correlation between modularity of the complex and cell cycle progression and comparing its composition in healthy versus cancerous cells. I will integrate genetic, biochemical and structural biology approaches. In particular, I will apply a state of the art mass spectrometry technique, that will enable us to define the stoichiometry, subunit composition, dynamic interactions and structural organization of protein complexes isolated directly from the cellular environment. 80% of the proteome exists in complexes or large macromolecular assemblies. It is accepted that revealing the structure of these protein complexes is a key towards mechanistic understanding of cellular processes. Yet, this might not be sufficient; a higher level of complexity probably exists and protein complexes may not be static and uniform in form and function as thought. A protein complex may actually represent an ensemble of compositionally distinct entities with functional versatility. My main aim is to provide evidence for this conceptual change and to reveal the dynamic architecture of a protein assembly. As a model system, I will investigate the COP9 signalosome (CSN), an evolutionary conserved multisubunit complex, which is involved in a variety of essential functions ranging from cell-cycle progression, DNA-repair and apoptosis. My strategy is based on a comprehensive approach, made up of four main steps; i) Revealing the structural organization of the native complex. ii) Establishing whether the complex has co-existing independent modules that function separately of, or coordinately with the holocomplex. iii) Monitoring in real-time the biogenesis and activation pathway of the complex and developing an approach for shifting its oligomerization equilibrium. iv) Determining the correlation between modularity of the complex and cell cycle progression and comparing its composition in healthy versus cancerous cells. I will integrate genetic, biochemical and structural biology approaches. In particular, I will apply a state of the art mass spectrometry technique, that will enable us to define the stoichiometry, subunit composition, dynamic interactions and structural organization of protein complexes isolated directly from the cellular environment. Project acronym LAST Project Large Scale Privacy-Preserving Technology in the Digital World - Infrastructure and Applications Researcher (PI) Yehuda Lindell Host Institution (HI) BAR ILAN UNIVERSITY Summary Data mining provides large benefits to the commercial, government and homeland security sectors, but the aggregation and storage of huge amounts of data about citizens inevitably leads to erosion of privacy. To achieve the benefits that data mining has to offer, while at the same time enhancing privacy, we need technological solutions that simultaneously enable data mining while preserving privacy. The current state of the art has focused on providing privacy-preserving solutions for very specific problems, and has thus taken a local perspective. Although this is an important first step in the development of privacy-preserving solutions, it is time for a global perspective on the problem that aims for providing full integrated solutions. Our goal in this research is to study privacy and develop comprehensive solutions for enhancing it in the digital era. Our proposed research project includes foundational research on privacy, an infrastructure level for achieving anonymity over the Internet, key cryptographic tools for constructing privacy-preserving protocols, and development of large-scale applications that are built on top of all of the above. The novelty of our research is in our focus on fundamental issues towards comprehensive solutions that are aimed for large-scale data sources. The project s outcome will allow migration from local solutions for specific problems that are suited for small to medium scale data sources to comprehensive privacy-preserving database and data mining solutions for large scale data warehouses. Achieving this great challenge carries immense scientific, technological and societal rewards. Data mining provides large benefits to the commercial, government and homeland security sectors, but the aggregation and storage of huge amounts of data about citizens inevitably leads to erosion of privacy. To achieve the benefits that data mining has to offer, while at the same time enhancing privacy, we need technological solutions that simultaneously enable data mining while preserving privacy. The current state of the art has focused on providing privacy-preserving solutions for very specific problems, and has thus taken a local perspective. Although this is an important first step in the development of privacy-preserving solutions, it is time for a global perspective on the problem that aims for providing full integrated solutions. Our goal in this research is to study privacy and develop comprehensive solutions for enhancing it in the digital era. Our proposed research project includes foundational research on privacy, an infrastructure level for achieving anonymity over the Internet, key cryptographic tools for constructing privacy-preserving protocols, and development of large-scale applications that are built on top of all of the above. The novelty of our research is in our focus on fundamental issues towards comprehensive solutions that are aimed for large-scale data sources. The project s outcome will allow migration from local solutions for specific problems that are suited for small to medium scale data sources to comprehensive privacy-preserving database and data mining solutions for large scale data warehouses. Achieving this great challenge carries immense scientific, technological and societal rewards. Project acronym MINT Project Multiphoton Ionization Nano-Therapy Researcher (PI) Dvir Yelin Summary The application of nanotechnology for addressing key problems in clinical diagnosis and therapy holds great promise in medicine and in cancer in particular. Recent works have shown significant progress in nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery and therapy. In these applications, however, the small dimensions of the nanoparticles have been used primarily for efficient delivery and specificity, while the effects mediated by the nanoparticles occur away from the particle itself, affecting the entire cell\tumour volume. We propose to study and develop, for the first time, a novel scheme for cancer therapy that treats cancer cells at nanoscale resolutions. Briefly, when noble-metal nanoparticles are illuminated with femtosecond laser pulses tuned to their plasmonic resonance, order-of-magnitude enhancements of the optical fields several nanometres away from their surfaces lead to local damage only to nearby molecules or cellular organelles. This process, which practically involves no toxic agents, is at the basis for this proposal; we will utilize techniques for targeting nanoparticles to cells, initiate and control cancer cell destruction using nanoparticles and femtosecond laser pulses, and develop technology for conducting image-guided minimally invasive cancer therapy in remote locations of the body. Preliminary results supporting the proposed scheme include nonlinear optical imaging and ablation of living cells, in vivo endoscopic imaging of cancerous tumour nodules, and computer simulations of light-nanoparticle interactions. Using state-of-the-art concepts in nanotechnology, biology, chemistry, and medicine, the proposed novel multidisciplinary research will attempt at offering a feasible and safe addition to existing forms of cancer therapy. The application of nanotechnology for addressing key problems in clinical diagnosis and therapy holds great promise in medicine and in cancer in particular. Recent works have shown significant progress in nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery and therapy. In these applications, however, the small dimensions of the nanoparticles have been used primarily for efficient delivery and specificity, while the effects mediated by the nanoparticles occur away from the particle itself, affecting the entire cell\tumour volume. We propose to study and develop, for the first time, a novel scheme for cancer therapy that treats cancer cells at nanoscale resolutions. Briefly, when noble-metal nanoparticles are illuminated with femtosecond laser pulses tuned to their plasmonic resonance, order-of-magnitude enhancements of the optical fields several nanometres away from their surfaces lead to local damage only to nearby molecules or cellular organelles. This process, which practically involves no toxic agents, is at the basis for this proposal; we will utilize techniques for targeting nanoparticles to cells, initiate and control cancer cell destruction using nanoparticles and femtosecond laser pulses, and develop technology for conducting image-guided minimally invasive cancer therapy in remote locations of the body. Preliminary results supporting the proposed scheme include nonlinear optical imaging and ablation of living cells, in vivo endoscopic imaging of cancerous tumour nodules, and computer simulations of light-nanoparticle interactions. Using state-of-the-art concepts in nanotechnology, biology, chemistry, and medicine, the proposed novel multidisciplinary research will attempt at offering a feasible and safe addition to existing forms of cancer therapy. Project acronym PAC Project Proofs and Computation Researcher (PI) Eliyahu Ben Sasson Summary The project described in this proposal studies formal proofs and their interaction with computation. The study of propositional proofs is connected to a spectrum of problems in our field, starting with the meta-mathematical quest to explain our failure to understand computation and make progress on the basic questions haunting our field (such as P vs. NP), and ending with the industry-driven quest for better algorithms for solving instances of the satisfiability problem. In a seemingly different direction, the recent introduction of magical probabilistically checkable proofs (PCPs) has opened new horizons in computer science, ranging from a deeper understanding of approximation algorithms and their limits to the construction of super-efficient protocols for the verification of proofs and computations. We suggest to study proofs and computation with three main objectives. First, to construct better SAT solvers via a better understanding of propositional proof systems. Second, to expand the range of applications of PCPs and transform them from the purely theoretical objects that they currently are to practical and accessible formats for use in all settings where proofs are encountered. Third, to expand our theoretical understanding of the intrinsic limits of proofs, with an eye towards explaining why we are unable to make significant progress on central questions in computational complexity. We believe this project can bridge across different regions of computer science such as SAT solving and proof complexity, theory and practice, propositional proofs and probabilistically checkable ones. And its expected impact will start on the theoretical mathematical level that forms the foundation of computer science and percolate to more practical areas of our field. The project described in this proposal studies formal proofs and their interaction with computation. The study of propositional proofs is connected to a spectrum of problems in our field, starting with the meta-mathematical quest to explain our failure to understand computation and make progress on the basic questions haunting our field (such as P vs. NP), and ending with the industry-driven quest for better algorithms for solving instances of the satisfiability problem. In a seemingly different direction, the recent introduction of magical probabilistically checkable proofs (PCPs) has opened new horizons in computer science, ranging from a deeper understanding of approximation algorithms and their limits to the construction of super-efficient protocols for the verification of proofs and computations. We suggest to study proofs and computation with three main objectives. First, to construct better SAT solvers via a better understanding of propositional proof systems. Second, to expand the range of applications of PCPs and transform them from the purely theoretical objects that they currently are to practical and accessible formats for use in all settings where proofs are encountered. Third, to expand our theoretical understanding of the intrinsic limits of proofs, with an eye towards explaining why we are unable to make significant progress on central questions in computational complexity. We believe this project can bridge across different regions of computer science such as SAT solving and proof complexity, theory and practice, propositional proofs and probabilistically checkable ones. And its expected impact will start on the theoretical mathematical level that forms the foundation of computer science and percolate to more practical areas of our field. Project acronym QUORUMPROBES Project An Integrated Chemical Platform to Elucidate Eukaryotic Sensing of Bacterial Crosstalk Researcher (PI) Michael Meijler Host Institution (HI) BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY OF THE NEGEV Summary The term quorum sensing (QS) describes the ability of a population of unicellular bacteria to act as a single multicellular organism in a cell-density-dependent manner. Bacteria achieve this feat by the use of small diffusible molecules to exchange information among themselves. Examples of QS-controlled behaviors are bioluminescence, virulence factor expression and biofilm formation. These processes are advantageous to a bacterial population only when they are carried out simultaneously by its members. In recent years, a surprising new role has been found for several QS molecules diverse eukaryotes have been found to react strongly to the presence of these compounds. My aim is to examine the hypothesis that diverse eukaryotic species have developed mechanisms to react to the presence of specific bacterial QS molecules in a receptor-mediated fashion. Specifically, we aim to identify receptors that are highly specific for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa QSM 3-oxo-C12-AHL, as no receptor has been identified yet. This is a significant challenge, that we will address developing an innovative platform of chemical, biochemical and microbiological investigations. Identification of specific QSM receptors in eukaryotes will allow us to further understand the complex mechanisms of coexistence and evolution of coexistence between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The insight obtained from these experiments could lead to: a) an increased understanding of important principles that guide the evolution of symbiotic relationships between competing species; b) new approaches in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections, as well as to potential new drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases; c) the development of an integrated platform that will enable the discovery of unknown receptors for small hydrophobic bioactive compounds. The term quorum sensing (QS) describes the ability of a population of unicellular bacteria to act as a single multicellular organism in a cell-density-dependent manner. Bacteria achieve this feat by the use of small diffusible molecules to exchange information among themselves. Examples of QS-controlled behaviors are bioluminescence, virulence factor expression and biofilm formation. These processes are advantageous to a bacterial population only when they are carried out simultaneously by its members. In recent years, a surprising new role has been found for several QS molecules diverse eukaryotes have been found to react strongly to the presence of these compounds. My aim is to examine the hypothesis that diverse eukaryotic species have developed mechanisms to react to the presence of specific bacterial QS molecules in a receptor-mediated fashion. Specifically, we aim to identify receptors that are highly specific for the Pseudomonas aeruginosa QSM 3-oxo-C12-AHL, as no receptor has been identified yet. This is a significant challenge, that we will address developing an innovative platform of chemical, biochemical and microbiological investigations. Identification of specific QSM receptors in eukaryotes will allow us to further understand the complex mechanisms of coexistence and evolution of coexistence between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The insight obtained from these experiments could lead to: a) an increased understanding of important principles that guide the evolution of symbiotic relationships between competing species; b) new approaches in the treatment of P. aeruginosa infections, as well as to potential new drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases; c) the development of an integrated platform that will enable the discovery of unknown receptors for small hydrophobic bioactive compounds. Project acronym SMARTDRUGENTITIES Project Sophisticated Well-Targeted Therapeutic Entities based on Biologically Compatible Ti(IV) Active Cores and Building Blocks Researcher (PI) Edit Tshuva (Goldberg) Summary I propose to develop sophisticated anti-tumor agents targeted particularly to the location of activity. My team has recently introduced a new family of Ti(IV) complexes that demonstrates higher activity than known compounds with substantially higher stability and defined hydrolytic behavior, properties that were found to be essential. I propose to study various derivatives and identify the parameters affecting activity, including steric and electronic effects, enantiomeric purity, ligand lability etc., and elucidation various mechanistic aspects of reactivity. More importantly, I propose to construct pH-sensitive transport units that will allow protection of the sensitive active species throughout their delivery and release only near the target location based on the variable pH conditions of different human tissues. In particular, unique spherical molecules held together by metal-ligand interactions will be prepared. The building blocks will consist of the planar ligands of C3-axis bound to three biocompatible Ti(IV) ions each with defined angles and geometry. The resulting spherical compounds will be utilized to encapsulate the active complexes and release them upon hydrolysis at the desired pH based on the pH-dependent hydrolysis pattern already established for related compounds. Preliminary calculations have confirmed the possibility of forming these compounds, which are particularly matching in their expected size to encapsulate our complexes. Larger spheres will also be prepared as cavities for larger molecules, which may be linked together for the delivery of multiple drugs. These compounds may find applications in various areas where a protected environment or delivery of sensitive compounds is required, such as in gene therapy, nano-technology, and catalysis. I propose to develop sophisticated anti-tumor agents targeted particularly to the location of activity. My team has recently introduced a new family of Ti(IV) complexes that demonstrates higher activity than known compounds with substantially higher stability and defined hydrolytic behavior, properties that were found to be essential. I propose to study various derivatives and identify the parameters affecting activity, including steric and electronic effects, enantiomeric purity, ligand lability etc., and elucidation various mechanistic aspects of reactivity. More importantly, I propose to construct pH-sensitive transport units that will allow protection of the sensitive active species throughout their delivery and release only near the target location based on the variable pH conditions of different human tissues. In particular, unique spherical molecules held together by metal-ligand interactions will be prepared. The building blocks will consist of the planar ligands of C3-axis bound to three biocompatible Ti(IV) ions each with defined angles and geometry. The resulting spherical compounds will be utilized to encapsulate the active complexes and release them upon hydrolysis at the desired pH based on the pH-dependent hydrolysis pattern already established for related compounds. Preliminary calculations have confirmed the possibility of forming these compounds, which are particularly matching in their expected size to encapsulate our complexes. Larger spheres will also be prepared as cavities for larger molecules, which may be linked together for the delivery of multiple drugs. These compounds may find applications in various areas where a protected environment or delivery of sensitive compounds is required, such as in gene therapy, nano-technology, and catalysis. Project acronym SOFTGROWTH Project Growth and Shaping of Soft Tissue Researcher (PI) Eran Sharon Summary Many natural structures are made of soft tissue that undergoes complicated continuous shape transformations that accurately and reliably serve specific elaborate tasks. Such processes can be slow, as in growth of a tissue, leading from an initial, featureless, shape to the desired elaborate structure of the adult organ. In other cases continuous shape transformations of soft tissue are rapid and are used for the production of mechanical work, as in the case of the action of the hart. Our understanding of natural growth is limited and our ability to produce controlled motions of soft tissue is poor. A central problem in both cases is how to incorporate all local changes in the tissue in order to determine the mechanical state of the entire body. In addition, there are problems regarding how to measure a deforming body and how to characterize the deformation. Finally, there is a problem of how to control motion and growth in artificial and natural soft tissues. I propose a multi disciplinary study, based on an approach I have started developing. According to it there is an underlying common mathematical way to describe continuous large shape transformations of stretchable tissues. This approach clearly defines the way to determine the mechanical state of a deformed tissue and to measure its local growth/deformation. The project will involve a theoretical study within mechanics and differential geometry, an experimental-physics work, which will be focused on the construction of responsive deformable tissue elements and measurements of their shape evolution, and a biophysical work, in which the natural growth and motion of leaves will be measured and will be correlated with biological activities. Such an integrative study has the potential of advancing our understanding of the fascinating process of growth and to improve our ability to construct bio-inspired &quot;soft machinery&quot;. Many natural structures are made of soft tissue that undergoes complicated continuous shape transformations that accurately and reliably serve specific elaborate tasks. Such processes can be slow, as in growth of a tissue, leading from an initial, featureless, shape to the desired elaborate structure of the adult organ. In other cases continuous shape transformations of soft tissue are rapid and are used for the production of mechanical work, as in the case of the action of the hart. Our understanding of natural growth is limited and our ability to produce controlled motions of soft tissue is poor. A central problem in both cases is how to incorporate all local changes in the tissue in order to determine the mechanical state of the entire body. In addition, there are problems regarding how to measure a deforming body and how to characterize the deformation. Finally, there is a problem of how to control motion and growth in artificial and natural soft tissues. I propose a multi disciplinary study, based on an approach I have started developing. According to it there is an underlying common mathematical way to describe continuous large shape transformations of stretchable tissues. This approach clearly defines the way to determine the mechanical state of a deformed tissue and to measure its local growth/deformation. The project will involve a theoretical study within mechanics and differential geometry, an experimental-physics work, which will be focused on the construction of responsive deformable tissue elements and measurements of their shape evolution, and a biophysical work, in which the natural growth and motion of leaves will be measured and will be correlated with biological activities. Such an integrative study has the potential of advancing our understanding of the fascinating process of growth and to improve our ability to construct bio-inspired &quot;soft machinery&quot;.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line667

__label__cc

Category: Theology Second Edition of Political Visions and Illusions May 10, 2019 May 10, 2019 ~ Elliot ~ 1 Comment Long-time readers of this blog (hi, Dad!) may be familiar with David T. Koyzis’s book Political Visions and Illusions, which was originally published in 2003 and I reviewed here in 2012. When I first read it, it was a game-changer for me. I had read some political philosophy here and there, but lacked a coherent framework that would help me to make sense of the essential differences between ideologies and evaluate them from a Christian perspective. I found that in Koyzis’s work, and especially in his connection of ideologies with the Christian understanding of idolatry. Specifically, he argues that political ideologies (he treats five in the book: liberalism, conservatism, nationalism, democracy, and socialism) tend toward idolatry insofar as they attempt to locate ultimate sources of good and evil within creation. Elevating some part of creation to an ultimacy reserved for God alone amounts to worship, and hence can be accurately described as idolatrous (for more on this, see Bruce Ashford’s review). Considering my appreciation for the book, I was happy to learn a few months ago that the publisher, InterVarsity Press, would be coming out with a second edition. I’ve just begun to dip into it, and am looking forward to giving it a slow read over this summer. So far I’ve read the preface, and was again refreshed by Koyzis’s take on the blind spots of typical political discourse. Many of the battles in the political realm are shaped not simply by a refusal of one side or another to “face facts” or to “be reasonable,” as one typically hears, but by differing views of reality rooted in alternative paradigms. In fact, however, … many of these different views of politics, under whatever ideological label they may fall, find their origins in a single religious worldview that sees the cosmos as an essentially closed system without reference to a creator/redeemer. In short, for all the apparent conflict among the several ideologies, all are subspecies of the larger category of idolatry. from the preface to the second edition This new edition includes an updated treatment of Koyzis’s five ideologies with a new emphasis on the story each one tells, as well as a “Concluding Ecclesiological Postscript” directed toward those who are responsible for preaching and teaching in the church. I’m excited to get into it, and hopefully I’ll be able to carve out some time to write a few more reflections on the book as I proceed. Christ and the Powers (Colossians 2:6–15) September 19, 2018 September 25, 2018 ~ Elliot About a month ago I preached a sermon on the concept of the principalities and powers, taking Colossians 2:6–15 as my text. When I’m given the opportunity to preach on whatever I want, I usually explore questions I have. The main question that led me to look at the principalities and powers is, “Why do groups and systems behave the way they do, and why is it so hard to change?” I think of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which at the time was one of the most Christian countries in Africa. I think of Enron, whose CEO, Ken Lay, was a leader in his church, and yet he and others forged a culture of systematic deception. I also think of Congress, where only 9 percent of people approve of the job they are doing. And yet when we vote in new people, nothing seems to change. The culture persists, even despite efforts to move in a different direction. The usual Christian answer to this question is sin. We humans have rebelled against our Creator and gone our own way, and we suffer the consequences of living out of step from the way we were meant to. But there’s more to it than that. I’m tempted to sin in certain ways as an individual, but groups and societies can be tempted to sin in persistent ways. Racism looks different in the US than it does elsewhere. Gun violence looks different in the US than it does elsewhere. The New Testament sheds light on this question with what the apostle Paul calls the “principalities and powers.” In Colossians, for example, Paul is fighting against a system of thought that included elements of Judaism but also magic and interest in a variety of spiritual forces. It may not seem like this could apply to the secular West, but even here you still hear people talk about the universe telling them things or guiding them. Even for those who are spiritual but not religious, there seems to be a sense that there are larger forces at work in our lives. What are the powers? There is a continuum of thought among Christians as to what the powers are. On the one end, you have personal demons spitting sulphur. If you grew up in church in the ’90s like I did and read any Frank Peretti novels, that is the idea. On the other end, you have impersonal social and cultural forces, structures, and institutions. You tend to find this in more theologically liberal writers like Walter Wink. There is some truth in both. The first gets right that the powers are supernatural and greater than human, but can only focus on how they work on individuals. The second gets right that the Bible seems to talk about them differently than angels and demons, and they affect more than individuals. But this end of the spectrum tends to minimize or forget that these really are supernatural forces, not merely a term for the way human institutions behave. Here’s what we can learn from a few texts about the principalities and powers: They were created good. They did not always behave the way they do now. Just as there was a fall in the human realm, there was also a kind of fall in the spiritual realm. “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers (archē) or authorities (exousia); all things have been created through him and for him” (Col 1:16). They function in human political and religious spheres. Elsewhere, Paul writes that the powers were at work in Christ’s crucifixion. It wasn’t just Pilate, Herod, and the crowd. There were spiritual forces working behind them that wanted Christ put to death: “We declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers (archōn) of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor 2:8). They have been disarmed but not destroyed. In his death and resurrection Christ has plundered the powers, disarming them and leading them in a victory parade: “Having disarmed the powers (archē) and authorities (exousia), he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 2:15). They are subject to Christ. Because of the system of thought Paul is fighting against in Colossians, he repeatedly stresses Christ’s supremacy over all other spiritual powers. “In Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power (archē) and authority (exousia)” (Col 2:10). Our struggle is against them. Colossians and Ephesians both mention the powers several times. The two cities were relatively close together, and it seems like many of the cultural forces that were at work in one were also at work in the other. Toward the end of Ephesians Paul says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers (archē), against the authorities (exousia), against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12). This is important. If we forget this, we are likely to continue to get really angry at our fellow image-bearing humans and even unintentionally contribute to evil ourselves. The church’s job is to make manifest to them God’s wisdom. Ephesians again: “His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers (archē) and authorities (exousia) in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph 3:10–11). This is the wisdom of the cross and resurrection. David Garland, in his commentary on Colossians, sums it up well: “The stoicheia, powers, and authorities come in all sorts of guises, and in different cultures they receive different names and definitions. But they share a common characteristic in that humans take them to be unrelenting forces that suppress us and squelch our happiness. More important, humans open themselves up to their power through sin and ignorance. But to those who are in Christ, these forces, powers, and authorities are completely impotent.” Upon hearing about these powers, some people may become obsessed with classifying and resisting them, but that’s never the point when the New Testament talks about the powers. The point is if we rebel against God and take matters into our own hands, we don’t become free individuals. We submit ourselves to the powers. We don’t have to know exactly what they are. But we should be able to recognize them at work. How do we recognize the powers at work? In my reading on this subject in preparation for the sermon, I found many authors gave examples of things that can function as powers: Government is necessary, but it may become tyrannical. Universities can become places of indoctrination rather than education. Companies can begin to serve the greed of a few instead of serving their customers or helping their employees flourish. Money is useful for facilitating exchange, but it can exert control. Communication can function as propaganda and obscure the truth. Tradition may devolve into traditionalism. It seems almost anything can function as a power. But as I read through these examples, a few traits emerged over and over. The powers tend to cheapen human life. Technology is not bad, but when it divides us and takes priority over people it functions as a power. Family, kinship, tribe are not bad, but they may turn into racism and xenophobia in which we see other people as subhuman. I even saw numbering called a power. One example of this comes from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s excellent Vietnam War documentary, in which you hear several veterans talk about “the body count.” Counting dead bodies was the only measure they had for determining how successful they were. Over time this tempted them to exaggerate, and it blinded them to the larger reality of war. Numbering can become a power when the only thing that matters is what can be measured and quantified. The powers ignore sin and give us false ways of fixing things. In politics we tend to think a regime change will fix things, that seizing the levers of power will fix things, but throughout history the oppressed tend to turn into oppressors. In Colossae Paul’s opponents gave a list of things you had to do to get right with God, but they misunderstood who Christ was and what he had done. Without understanding sin, we adopt false goalposts, false hopes, while all the time we are still enslaved by the powers. The powers cause frustration, fear, and despair. When we want to do the right thing but don’t think we can, the powers are at work. When we’re afraid that what we do doesn’t matter, the powers are at work. The powers want us to feel despair and helplessness, like going along with evil is our only choice. Pay attention to those feelings, because they may be an indication that the powers are active. How do we struggle against the powers? In Ephesians 6, Paul’s famous passage about putting on the armor of God is all about resisting the powers. But my sermon was based in Colossians, so I came up with a few other things. Remember the supremacy of Christ. Powers tell us we can move on past the cross, or need to have Christ plus something else to be accepted by God. So Paul told the Colossians by being united to Christ, they’re no longer subject to the powers. By submitting to the powers, Christ exposed them and disarmed them. Missiologist Lesslie Newbigin wrote in his book The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, “God still upholds the structures; without them the world would collapse and human life would be unthinkable. But the structures lose their pretended absoluteness. Nothing now is absolute except God as he is known in Jesus Christ; everything else is relativized.” We don’t need to fear powers. The worst has already happened, and Christ won. Remember that Christ works through weakness: the cross’s and our own. Marva Dawn writes in Powers, Weakness, and the Tabernacling of God, her book on the powers, “Our churches act as fallen powers when they forget the cross at their center.” The powers tell us the cross’s weakness is shameful, that it’s better to be strong. When we believe that, we’re more liable to be deceived by charismatic personalities, money, and the need to keep secrets to protect our institution. But it is by weakness that Christ disarmed the powers and put them on display for what they really are, and his church disarms the powers in the same way. Newbigin writes that the Christians conquered the powers behind the Roman Empire not by seizing power but by kneeling in the Colosseum and praying for the emperor in Jesus’ name. Remember to pray. Speaking of prayer, it’s crucial when discerning and fighting the powers. In Colossians 4:2 Paul says, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” It’s easy, even for Christians, to vacillate between two poles: we think we can handle life through our own ingenuity, or we think we’re at the mercy of impersonal forces. Sometimes we feel both these things in the same day. Both times we need prayer. Life is complex—too complex for us to understand everything on our own. There are unseen forces that are hostile to us. We can’t discern and defeat these fallen powers on our own, but in prayer we have access to one who has. Strange Days (Review) June 14, 2018 June 14, 2018 ~ Elliot ~ 2 Comments In my previous post, I reviewed Australian pastor and cultural critic Mark Sayers’s book Disappearing Church. Just after finishing Disappearing Church, I read his next book, which came out in 2017: Strange Days: Life in the Spirit in a Time of Upheaval. As I read the book, I kept thinking of conspiracy theories. Not that Sayers is a conspiracy theorist at all, but like conspiracy theorists he is interested in answering the question: “What in the world is going on?” If you’re drawn to conspiracy theories, you want to believe that there is a pattern behind everything that is going on in the world, and that pattern is sinister. What is really controlling things is the government/the conservatives/the progressives/the deep state/the evangelicals/the Illuminati, or whatever. In fact, Wikipedia has a handy list of conspiracy theories. Sayers essentially argues in Strange Days that there is a conspiracy going on: the kingdom of God is breaking into this world, fighting its elemental forces, and those who live life “in the Spirit” can join in this battle on the good side. “The social structures and movements bouncing this way and that in our world have spiritual forces behind them and, thus, require spiritual solutions” (98). The book comes in three parts. In part 1 (chapters 1–2), he posits that there are forces of chaos in the world and looks at where this chaos comes from. In part 2 (chapters 3–8), he looks at the historical pattern of chaos, asking how we can find the spiritual dimensions behind war, terrorism, “non-places,” the breakdown of the family, and other issues. In part 3 (chapters 9–13), he explores how life in the Spirit offers an alternative to chaos, promising the ability to live in light of Christ’s victory over the flesh and the elemental forces of the world. His goal, as he says in the introduction, is “to grasp our cultural moment, to help you understand its landscape. There is a pattern to the chaos, and what is more, there is a door out, into the holy expanse that is life in the Spirit” (18). Sayers writes a lot about how humans want to create spaces of order that keep the chaos at bay, and are compelled to police the borders between order and chaos: “Because humans are spiritually homeless, we dream of holy spaces, utopias, motherlands, golden ages, and soulmates. We yearn for reconnection to the divine, re-admittance to the sacred and pure space” (25). Again, “behind all social architecture, be it ancient or modern, Western or non-Western, are ‘practices concerning holiness, purity, and sacrifice.’ These are the rules, rituals, relationships, and social structures that organize life” (42). We create these rules in accordance with the elemental forces of the world, which the New Testament calls “the powers”: “The powers are the unseen superstructures behind human life, and, just like places, nations, institutions, they protect us from the chaos in the world that threatens to break through” (106). However, the problem with policing the borders with chaos is that chaos and “the flesh” live inside us: “The structures, communities, and institutions we create in order to protect ourselves from the chaotic ravages of the flesh do not free us from the effects of the flesh. For the flesh is within us” (31). In all this he acknowledges his debt to Peter Leithart’s book Delivered from the Elements of the World. Modern Westerners, even many Christians, might dismiss this kind of talk as very woo-woo. We’ve moved past all that, haven’t we? On the contrary, we might sometimes convince ourselves we have, but this only seems plausible inside the safety of the “non-places” we have created—the places, like an airport or a shopping mall, that allow individuals to pretend they are rational, autonomous, cut off from their community and even their own history: “Non-places are the temples of the West’s religion, which masquerades as a non-religion. Preaching an oversimplification of life. Appearing to be content free while discipling us in a secular fundamentalism. The gospel that the world is your playground. Evangelizing us into a faith that fails” (69–70). Interestingly, terrorists usually attack non-places. So faced with a situation where we can’t manage the chaos outside and inside in our own strength, where we try to hunker down inside non-places but the chaos and meaninglessness break in anyway, where the powers make us feel helpless, what do we do? “This is the good news of the gospel. Humans no longer have to be bound to these myths and powers. Those trying to scratch out Eden in the dust don’t have to anymore. There is a way out of the fray. And for those who already have come to believe the gospel, and who feel displaced and dizzy in all the chaos, this truth remains a comfort. All the powers swarming around us, most of them beyond our understanding, have been disarmed. Yes, they are still active, but only in the same way a chicken is after its head is cut off” (108). The good news is that Christ has “disarmed the powers” (Col 2:15). Those who follow him are called to live in light of this disarmament: “As the gospel was preached, as history unfolded, Christ’s victory over the powers would spread. The elemental forces had been fundamentally altered, and a new kingdom had broken in, and thus the powers gradually lost their hold over people. However, as Christianity spread, so did heresy” (116). The powers have been defeated, but there is now the threat that the church should become ineffectual by embracing ideas that are not in accord with the gospel. These heresies, Sayers says, currently tend to take three main shapes, which could be classified as the heresies of the non-place, the right, and the left: Some churches will reshape themselves as kinds of Christian non-places, detached from history, relationships, and given identity. … Other churches, attuned to the dislocation and meaninglessness created by the non-place of globalization, will fiercely create nationalist, social, and racial boundaries, presenting meanings that emerge not from Christ and the kingdom, but place, nation, myth, and the flesh. … A third group of churches, recoiling both from the implicit prosperity gospel of the churches that create Christian non-places, and disturbed by the falling back into cultural Christianity and the blurring of nationalism and the way of Jesus, will link arms with the New Left. (117–19) To resist these temptations to heresy, the church must remember that she is in exile—but not the same kind of cultural exile that the Jews endured when they were taken away to Babylon in 586 BC. “This is a post-elemental forces faith. Thus exile cannot be the same. … As heavenly citizens we exist in a kind of exile, but in a different epoch, thus deserving of a different missional posture. Yes, we are called to flourish, but we are called also into a spiritual war against the powers and principalities, now humiliated on the cross by Christ. There is a key nuance here: flourishing needs a fight against the flesh” (157–58) So the solution to finding meaning and purpose and finding order in the chaos all around us and within us is to live life in step with the Holy Spirit. “Christians live life in the Spirit before a watching world. We are not called to retreat from the world, nor to embrace it, but to live on earth as it is in heaven. … Our exile is life in the Spirit, but that spiritual life is exceedingly practical” (165). We still struggle against the flesh, so we need to test our own motivations and desires through prayer and discernment in community. Since most of this review has just been me recapping the argument of the book, you probably know by now that I enjoyed it and recommend it. It is short, as all Sayers’s books tend to be, but it packs a big conceptual punch. He is doing nothing less than seeking to expand modern Western Christians’ view of the world for the sake of mission. To engage in mission in the West, you have to be aware of the powers whose existence our culture has resolutely denied, and to be aware of how Christ has disarmed them. Because the truth is that our age is not as modern, unique, and progressive as it believes. Like all ages, it is shaped by the elemental forces. Even in its secularism it is thus ultimately religious. Thus with our heavenly viewpoint we can become interpreters of the age, godly guides, merchants of holy hope. Our age is an age of clashing stories. Do not underestimate the power of the story you carry within your heart, the gospel that drips with goodness. For when a community of people, called by Christ, living as the church, come together, something truly wonderful happens. (170) All Religion Isn’t Bad, but There Is Such a Thing as Bad Religion (Review) You don’t often hear people called heretics anymore. In 1905, the British journalist G. K. Chesterton wrote a book called Heretics, in which he critiqued the teachings of several of his contemporaries, including H. G. Wells and George Bernard Shaw. Even then, though, writing a book calling out heresies was kind of cheeky. In the age of the modern nation-state, when dissenters from orthodoxy no longer get punished (and by the way, I think that’s a good thing), it hardly seems worth one’s while to call someone out as a heretic. Nevertheless, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat does just that in his book Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics (2012). Douthat himself is a Catholic who has sympathies with conservative Protestantism. In this book, he takes as a starting point that the famous secularization thesis popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth century is wrong; societies do not inevitably become less religious as they become more modern. Rather, Douthat writes that “every human culture is religious—defined by what its inhabitants believe about some ultimate reality, and what they think that reality demands of them” (3). All societies have some beliefs about what the world is like and what people ought to do. Whether that belief involves the supernatural or not, or has weekly services or not, it functions as a religion. If religion is inescapable because beliefs about ultimate reality are inescapable, then religion itself is not the problem and trying to get rid of all religion is not the solution. If you try your best to get rid of some forms of religion, other forms will pop up in their place. On the other hand, if you’re a religious person, then secularization is not the main problem. “The secular mistake has been to assume that every theology tends inevitably toward the same follies and fanaticisms, and to imagine that a truly postreligious culture is even possible, let alone desirable. The religious mistake has been to fret over the threat posed by explicitly anti-Christian forces, while ignoring or minimizing the influence that the apostles of pseudo-Christianity exercise over the American soul” (4). The problem, according to Douthat, is bad religion: “America’s problem isn’t too much religion, or too little of it. It’s bad religion: the slow-motion collapse of traditional Christianity and the rise of a variety of destructive pseudo-Christianities in its place” (4). The book comes in two parts. In the first, “Christianity in Crisis,” Douthat traces the devolution of Christianity over the course of the latter half of the twentieth century. While heresies have always been present, he argues, what makes our current climate different is the weakness of the orthodox Christian response to them. He begins the second, “The Age of Heresy,” by pointing out heresy’s inclination toward resolving ambiguity. Whereas Christian orthodoxy has always embraced paradox and sought to hold seemingly contradictory things in tension (Is Jesus God or human? Yes.), heresies have always sought a ruthless narrowing (Does Jesus seem in some ways unlike the God of the Old Testament? Get rid of the Old Testament). “The goal of the great heresies … has often been to extract from the tensions of the gospel narratives a more consistent, streamlined, and noncontradictory Jesus” (153). This, Douthat argues, has led to the “lost gospel” trend in scholarship about Christian origins. In it, scholars like to present a one-dimensional vision of Jesus—as only human, or as only a wise teacher, or as only a Gnostic sage. Usually, these one-dimensional portraits of Jesus look an awful lot like the scholar (or popularizer, in the case of the novelist Dan Brown) who is arguing that this is what Jesus was really like. Upon closer examination, these claims about the early history of Christianity prove to be inconclusive or outright false, but their popularity tells a lot about what many Americans want to believe. The next three chapters Douthat spends looking at other heresies that have emerged from the tendency to make Jesus in our own image and to forcibly resolve paradoxes that have existed in Christianity from the beginning: the prosperity gospel of preachers like Joel Osteen, the therapeutic “god within” theology of Oprah, Deepak Chopra, and others, and God-and-country-but-mostly-country Christian nationalism. He then closes the book with a vision of what a renewed Christianity might look like. First, it will be political without being partisan, avoiding the temptation to fit Christianity into the mold of ideologies on the right or the left but at the same time not becoming quietist or indifferent. Second, it will be ecumenical but also confessional, reaching out to like-minded others without watering down one’s own theological commitments. To do this we need strong institutions. Christians who are part of churches with clearly defined theological commitments will be less susceptible to watering down their faith by uniting it with (for example) a political platform. Third, it will be moralistic but also holistic—not downplaying the ethical demands of Christianity while at the same time not becoming unduly focused on hot-button moral issues (sexual immorality) to the neglect of other, just as important, moral issues (gluttony, greed, pride). Fourth, it will be oriented toward sanctity and beauty. It will cultivate both saints and artists. Here he quotes Joseph Ratzinger shortly before he became Pope Benedict XVI: “The only really effective apologia for Christianity comes down to two arguments, namely, the saints the Church has produced and the art which has grown in her womb” (291). This is a great book, and I recommend it to any Christian believer who wonders how we got to a place where so many Americans want to believe that there were suppressed gospels, that God wants to make them wealthy, that the only God that matters is inside each of us, or that God may be subservient to a political ideology, whether on the right or the left. I found the first part of the book to be a tough slog, focused as it was on recounting a history that I was mostly familiar with. And while I was not sure about parts of Douthat’s interpretation of that history, I agree with his central insights—that secularism is more of a bogeyman than a real threat to Christianity, that heresy tends to resolve the paradoxes of orthodoxy in a self-serving way, and that heresy is rampant today in part because of the weakness of orthodox Christianity’s response. The Hum of Angels (Review) March 8, 2017 July 12, 2017 ~ Elliot When you hear the word “angels,” what do you think of? Some spiritual being that accompanies people as their guardian? The chubby cherubs from that painting by Raphael? Or do you dismiss them as credulous superstition, the product of overactive imaginations, and leave it at that? New Testament scholar Scot McKnight has set out to clear up what exactly angels are in a book published last month called The Hum of Angels. The “hum” of the title comes from a story that he tells at the outset about a visit to a pet store. He was telling the attendant that there were no hummingbirds where he lived, but the attendant told him there most definitely were. You just had to have the eyes to see them. McKnight went home determined to attune his eyes to see hummingbirds, and now he sees them everywhere. In that way, angels are like hummingbirds. They are all around us, McKnight says, but we need to train our eyes to see them. He doesn’t set out in this book to prove to the skeptical that a spiritual realm exists. Rather, his audience is people who already believe in something beyond the physical but aren’t so sure whether angels exist or what they are. “If you believe in God,” he says, “you also believe in angels.” But how do you know what to believe about angels? You could listen to stories about angel encounters, but without some kind of other foundation for identifying what angels are it won’t be clear whether some of these experiences really involve angels or not. As a Christian (and a biblical scholar at that), it isn’t surprising that McKnight turns to the Bible to find out what it teaches about angels. And the Bible has a lot to say about angels. McKnight puts the core of what the Bible has to say about angels this way: God is love. All that God does is loving. God sends angels to us because God loves us. Love is a rugged commitment to be With, to be For us so that we can progress Unto Christlikeness. Angels are sent to express God’s love by being God’s presence with us, by being God’s presence for us, and to lead us into the redemption of Christlikeness. He spends most of the book unpacking what the parts of this statement (which he repeats, with some variations, in almost every chapter) say about what angels are. I won’t get into the specifics, but here are a few takeaways from the book: The Bible nowhere teaches that people become angels when they die. According to McKnight, “the model for what we will be like after death is not angels but the resurrection body of Jesus—who, again, did not become an angel” (20). Just in case it needs to be said, the moment when a friend says on Facebook about a departed loved one that “heaven gained an angel” is NOT THE TIME to instruct them on this point. But in light of how widespread this misunderstanding is, I do think churches ought to make a point of teaching on it. Not all angelic visitations are from good angels. Angels always point to God, and “angels that don’t summon us to see God are not doing God’s work” (27). Angels are messengers of God’s love, and God’s love is more than the presence of positive feelings about someone. Love, McKnight says, “has a goal.” It “is not tolerance or deciding to put up with one another or doing our best to get along. Love, if it is Christian love, leads to mutual growth into Christlikeness” (42). Angels who do not point us toward God in Christ are what the Bible calls demons, or evil spirits. So modern-day “angel experiences that do not draw us to God’s Son must be held either loosely or not at all” (125). The Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament is not a pre-incarnate Jesus. Now, not all biblical scholars agree about this, so this shouldn’t be asserted dogmatically. But after looking at several passages, McKnight comes down on the side of believing that while “God becomes present to us in special ways in the Angel of the Lord” (85), that is not the same as saying it is the pre-incarnate Jesus. The Bible isn’t clear about whether people have guardian angels assigned to them. It is clear that God does send angels to protect and guard and guide us, but it stops short of saying that each person has an assigned guardian angel. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom believed in guardian angels, though, if their opinion matters to you. They probably don’t look like the chainsmoking angel on the cover of the classic Van Halen album 1984. Okay, McKnight actually doesn’t address this. But I think it’s a pretty safe assumption. Should you read this book? There are many books about angels out there, and I honestly haven’t read many of them so I don’t know how it compares to others. But if you are curious about angels, and what the Bible says about angels is an important consideration for you (and if you are a Christian, it should), then you may find this book helpful. Note: Thanks to WaterBrook, the publisher, for a review copy of this book. I was not asked to give a positive review. A Christian Missionary to Christians: A Review May 28, 2016 May 28, 2016 ~ Elliot The nineteenth-century Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard was a Christian, but subsequent Christian readers have expressed divergent opinions about him. Francis Schaeffer, for example, associated Kierkegaard with the so-called “leap of faith” and condemned him for encouraging irrationality. Dave Breese, in Seven Men Who Rule the World from the Grave, expresses a similar view. On the other hand, Kierkegaard is viewed more positively by thinkers like C. Stephen Evans and Merold Westphal, and exerted an influence on such later Christian theologians as Karl Barth. And if you decide to wade through opinions from secondary sources and judge for yourself (as it were) whether Kierkegaard is worth reading, where do you start? Many of his works, such as the famous Fear and Trembling and Either/Or, are written under assumed names, and it isn’t always clear to what extent what he says in those works is what he really thinks. Thankfully, Mark Tietjen has written Kierkegaard: A Christian Missionary to Christians, an accessible introduction to Kierkegaard that summarizes some of his thought and points out some of the ways in which he is still relevant to our own time. But how can you be a Christian missionary to Christians? Tietjen explains: One of Kierkegaard’s stated aims is to reintroduce Christianity into Christendom. In a sense Kierkegaard is a Christian missionary to Christians. This odd predicament necessitated, he believed, an indirect approach. If someone already believes he or she is a Christian, then the direct charge “you ought to become a Christian” will make little sense and likely offend or alienate one’s audience. So Kierkegaard decides he will take an indirect approach and provisionally grant his contemporaries their Christianity, and he will write some books from a non-Christian point of view with the hopes of generating introspection among the “Christians” of his day (42). In other words, Kierkegaard was troubled by the fact that so many people in nineteenth-century Denmark, called themselves “Christians” because they mentally assented to a list of doctrines when they really were not Christians at all. His response was to make Christianity more difficult, and also to point out how the ways these alleged Christians were living actually diverged from real Christianity. In his book, Tietjen points out how Kierkegaard went about this with regard to the subjects of Jesus Christ, the human self, Christian witness, and the life of human love. Along the way, he sets the record straight with regard to the criticisms of Schaeffer, Breese, and others. Kierkegaard was not endorsing irrationality when it came to faith or saying that truth was unattainable. Rather, he saw that what was missing from the Christianity of his time was inwardness—the personal, whole life commitment to follow Jesus. According to Tietjen, “Despite this emphasis on passion or inwardness or the subjective side of Christian faith, Kierkegaard does not denigrate or minimize Christian doctrines or what his pseudonym calls objective truth. In fact, Kierkegaard assumes Christian truth to be true. He simply takes seriously the biblical view that the faith that transforms a human life reaches beyond the mind to one’s heart, soul and strength—to one’s passions” (41). This is a wonderful book for those who have had some sense that Kierkegaard still has something to say, but aren’t sure where to start in his writings. Especially in places where it is assumed that what makes you a Christian is that you were raised in church or even mentally subscribe to a list of doctrines, Kierkegaard continues to call out that Christianity is both harder and better than this. And his style of indirect communication gives us an example of how to approach those who think they know what Christianity is but don’t. Note: Thanks to InterVarsity Press for a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Also, here are a few resources for learning more about this book: “Why We Still Need Kierkegaard,” Gregory Alan Thornbury “Christian Missionary to Christians?!” Interview with the author Audio interview with the author on the Eric Metaxas Show Spurgeon’s “Let the lion out of the cage” quote July 31, 2012 August 20, 2015 ~ Elliot Every now and then, I hear it attributed to some great preacher of the past that the gospel (or sometimes, the Bible) is like a lion (or sometimes, a tiger). The idea is that it doesn’t need to be defended; it just needs to be let out of the cage. It’s a great quote, but what is the source? It comes from Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century Baptist preacher. He actually said it in at least three different forms. The first version I was able to find is from a book called Speeches at Home and Abroad, from a speech at the Annual Meeting of the British and Foreign Bible Society, May 5th, 1875: There seems to me to have been twice as much done in some ages in defending the Bible as in expounding it, but if the whole of our strength shall henceforth go to the exposition and spreading of it, we may leave it pretty much to defend itself. I do not know whether you see that lion—it is very distinctly before my eyes; a number of persons advance to attack him, while a host of us would defend the grand old monarch, the British Lion, with all our strength. Many suggestions are made and much advice is offered. This weapon is recommended, and the other. Pardon me if I offer a quiet suggestion. Open the door and let the lion out; he will take care of himself. Why, they are gone! He no sooner goes forth in his strength than his assailants flee. The way to meet infidelity is to spread the Bible. The answer to every objection against the Bible is the Bible. And like many preachers with a good illustration, he repeated it. This is from a sermon called “Christ and His Co-Workers,” preached on June 10, 1886: A great many learned men are defending the gospel; no doubt it is a very proper and right thing to do, yet I always notice that, when there are most books of that kind, it is because the gospel itself is not being preached. Suppose a number of persons were to take it into their heads that they had to defend a lion, a full-grown king of beasts! There he is in the cage, and here come all the soldiers of the army to fight for him. Well, I should suggest to them, if they would not object, and feel that it was humbling to them, that they should kindly stand back, and open the door, and let the lion out! I believe that would be the best way of defending him, for he would take care of himself; and the best “apology” for the gospel is to let the gospel out. Never mind about defending Deuteronomy or the whole of the Pentateuch; preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. Let the Lion out, and see who will dare to approach him. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will soon drive away all his adversaries. Finally, this from a sermon titled “The Lover of God’s Law Filled with Peace,” preached on January 2, 1888: The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it. See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes! See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion. O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care? Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries. UPDATE: Want to see another example of Spurgeon telling an illustration multiple times? Read this post! The Nature of the Cure Tells the Nature of the Disease February 14, 2012 February 14, 2012 ~ Elliot Recently I’ve been listening to Victor Shepherd‘s lectures from a class called “Theology of the Human Person.” I’ve never taken a class from Shepherd, who teaches at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, but Regent College sells some of his lectures through Regent Audio. I’ve listened to a series of his lectures on historical theology, and another lecture on Calvin and predestination, and have enjoyed them a great deal. Here is a quote from Theology of the Human Person, on how people gain knowledge of sin: A knowledge of redemption alone generates a knowledge of sin. An apprehension of the cure acquaints you with the nature and scope of the disease. The cure defines the ailment. Reconciliation highlights the nature and the fact of alienation…. Can sinners, of themselves, know themselves to be sinners? No. Only the grace of redemption acquaints us with the fact that we are sinners. Sinners of themselves can know themselves to be guilty, self-alienated, fed up, frustrated, lethal—but sin by definition is a defective relationship with God. Who is the God with whom we are defectively related? And how do we know that we are defectively related to him? All of this has to be revealed to us. This is not naturally knowable…. If the cure discloses the nature of the disease, we ought never to preach on sin without preaching of sin forgiven. We ought never to preach on estrangement without preaching on estrangement overcome in Christ. Because only the overcoming of estrangement acquaints us with the nature of the estrangement. I think that in church, we have preached many times on sin, and very lamely, and too lately, gotten around to sin forgiven. We left people in a worse condition than ever, and we made them bigger and better moralists. If you preach on sin without preaching on sin forgiven you’re going to fall into the moralistic trap.If you think that the moral person is any closer to the kingdom than the immoral person, then you think that the Pharisee is going to go into the kingdom ahead of the [tax collector]. Jesus says the harlots and the tax collectors go into the kingdom first because the one thing they have is no illusion about the fact that they’re moral. Moral people always manage to convince themselves that they’re not sinners. August 2010: Books Read August 31, 2010 January 8, 2012 ~ Elliot 1. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. Reviewed earlier here. 2. Hannah’s Child: A Theologian’s Memoir by Stanley Hauerwas. Theologian Stanley Hauerwas’s memoir is called Hannah’s Child, but it could easily have been called Things that Didn’t Occur to Me At the Time. Out of the long list of things in his life that he acknowledges he was clueless about, a few are that a person would go to divinity school in order to prepare for ministry, that Protestants would not be allowed to partake in Catholic Mass, or that he would have to get used to the differences between Durham and South Bend when he moved from Notre Dame to Duke. Nevertheless, this was a fascinating book. Hauerwas tells his readers exactly what they expect in a theologian’s memoir: how he came to study theology at Yale in the first place, how he was influenced by his professors, how he came to be one of the few Protestants on the theological faculty at Notre Dame, how he was influenced by John Howard Yoder and Alasdair MacIntyre (among others), and how he came to teach at Duke. He also tells us more: specifically, he talks frankly about his marriage to a woman with bipolar disorder. In some ways, this memoir is a paean to friendship, and he tells us all about the many people he has encountered and become friends with along the way. The only interactions with him that I have ever had were a letter that he was kind enough to respond to in 2001, and a brief meeting when he came to Vancouver to give the Grenz Lectures in 2009 (he autographed one of his books that I bought for my dad). But at the end of this book, after having him open up so much of his life, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit as if Stanley had become my friend. 3. William F. Buckley (Christian Encounters Series) by Jeremy Lott. Reviewed earlier here. 4. Getting It Right: A Novel by William F. Buckley. I read this book because Lott mentioned it in his biography of Buckley. Somehow I had missed that Buckley was a novelist in addition to being conservative pundit, and so I decided to read one of his efforts. I chose this one in particular because it contained Buckley’s critique of Ayn Rand, whose Objectivist philosophy seems to be undergoing something of a renaissance at the moment. Besides being a critique of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, it is a fictionalized history of conservatism between 1956 and 1965, beginning with the repressed Hungarian Revolution and ending just after Barry Goldwater’s failed bid for president. In addition to critiquing Ayn Rand, it also contains a critique of the paranoid anti-Communist John Birch Society. Buckley himself makes a cameo, and it is clear by the end of the book that it is his brand of conservatism (rather than that of Rand or the JBS) that ought to win, and in fact did win. 5. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. While Buckley’s book was a fictionalized history of mid-20th-century conservatism, this book was fictionalized financial advice. Clason wrote this book in the 1920s, but in a stroke of genius he set it in Babylon and told it as a set of ancient parables. His advice is nothing new, but striking because it is so seldom followed: save 10% of all you earn. Be conservative rather than greedy in your investments. Seek investment advice, especially in areas you are not familiar with. Not particularly exciting stuff, but this book has had enduring popularity in part because of its brilliant presentation. It’s a story, which is always more interesting than straight advice, and it is presented as wisdom from the ancients. The edition I read was even in King James English, though I believe there is a modern-English version. 6. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller. In this short book, Keller focuses on the familiar parable of the “prodigal son,” but presents it in an unusual way. That difference can be seen in the title: “prodigal” doesn’t mean “lost,” as so many people assume, but rather “recklessly extravagant; having spent everything.” This is why Keller applies the word to God, who as the father in the parable is extravagant both in giving his son his inheritance prematurely and in welcoming him back when he returns. Though this book is short, it gave me a lot to chew on. Take this quote: “Mercy and forgiveness must be free and unmerited to the wrongdoer. If the wrongdoer has to do something to merit it, then it isn’t mercy, but forgiveness always comes at a cost to the one granting the forgiveness” (83). Also, his description of the elder brother – and his claim that the elder brother was just as lost as the younger brother, but didn’t know it – struck home. Jesus told this parable so that the Pharisees would understand why he spent time with people they regarded as sinners, and to invite them to lay down their religious moralism and superiority. I was left wondering, How have I been an elder brother? The main thing that I will take away from this book is this: Keller makes a sharp distinction between religious moralism and Christianity. This is a distinction that needs to be made sharply in our world, where Christianity (at times deservedly) has the reputation of being the same as religious moralism. March 2010: Books Read May 2, 2010 January 8, 2012 ~ Elliot 1. Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain. I’m a big fan of Mark Twain. As a fan of Twain’s, I have already read his most well-known works, like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. I have also read Roughing It, Life on the MIssissippi and an awful lot of his essays. It was about time, then, that I got around to reading Puddn’head Wilson. It was not bad, but clearly there is a reason why this is not among his most-read stuff. It is about two children who were switched as infants, with one being raised as the scion of a wealthy family and the other being raised as a slave. The plot was interesting enough, but for a “mystery,” the ending was not at all surprising. The characters were not as compelling as in some of his better work. And this book was written in the 1890s, when Twain was becoming more and more of a cynic – as can easily be seen in the epigraphs at the beginning of every chapter. Though he was still talented, his later work is, with some exceptions, just not as entertaining to read. 2. Jane Austen (Christian Encounters Series) by Peter Leithart. Reviewed earlier here. 3. Being Consumed: Economics and Christian Desire by William T. Cavanaugh. This is an excellent, short work on the interaction between Christianity and economics. It is made up of four essays, and is only 103 pages long. Cavanaugh is Catholic, and draws mainly on Catholic theologians, but his theology is not so distinctly Catholic that other Christians can’t benefit from his insights. Cavanaugh critiques the definition of economic freedom as only “freedom from” and proposes instead that economic freedom ought to be “freedom for” participation in community and realizing our humanity more fully. He also critiques consumerism, globalization and the economics of scarcity. It is simultaneously a quick read and a dense read, and unfortunately I read it over a month ago and can’t describe its arguments with the nuance they deserve. It is a book well worth picking up, though. 4. The Glory of Preaching: Participating in God’s Transformation of the World by Darrell W. Johnson. I studied preaching under Johnson at Regent College, so it was no surprise that I found much to agree with in this book. He honed the material for this book in his preaching classes, so a lot of it was not new. What is unusual about this book, as over against most other books about preaching, is Johnson’s confidence in the biblical text. That is not to say that other books on preaching are not confident in the Bible to change people’s lives. It is unusual, though, for a writer to say, as Johnson does, that when the living God speaks, something ALWAYS happens. Another unique thing about this book is that Johnson thinks preachers are not responsible for applying the text to people’s lives. I remember, when I was in preaching class, that some students pushed back on this. Johnson was adamant, though. Preachers can imply what the text means – they can state the truth that the text leads us to. But applying – that is, telling people what particular things they ought to do – is the job of the Holy Spirit. This is a wonderful book, and one that I will return to over the years. 5. The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott. I decided that during Lent this year, in addition to fasting from something, I would read something that led me to focus on Jesus. I’ve had this book on my shelf since my time at Regent, and it is as good a book as any to accomplish that goal. There isn’t a lot that I could say about this book, aside from saying that it is a classic work on what Jesus’ death meant and means. If you are interested in learning more about what Jesus’ death accomplished, this is the first place to turn.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line669

__label__wiki

Vol.5 No.10(2014), Article ID:48881,16 pages DOI:10.4236/psych.2014.510140 Latinas’ Experience of Sexual Assault Disclosure Melissa Villarreal Interdisciplinary Health Services (BS-IHS) Program, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA Email: melissa.villarreal@wmich.edu Received 11 June 2014; revised 8 July 2014; accepted 4 August 2014 This study describes Latina’s experience of sexual assault disclosure. This study contributes Latinas’ voices to the literature on sexual assault disclosure, about feelings experienced during the initial disclosure—regret, shame, and negative judgment of self, and about consequences experienced from the disclosure—feeling spoiled for marriage, silenced, and disbelieved. It points to the need for further research on social interventions to empower Latina sexual assault survivors. Although the literature review identified some research in the area of sexual assault with Latinas, there has been a limited amount of research conducted on feelings and consequences experienced specifically by Latinas during a sexual assault disclosure. Keywords:Hispanic, Latina, Sexual Assault, Initial Disclosure, Feelings and Consequences The Latino population is expected to increase to over 30% of the United States population by 2050 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008). Latinas are a diverse population with a variety of levels of acculturation, different immigration histories, and different family systems, socioeconomic levels, and attained educational levels (Comas-Diaz & Greene, 1994). Latino culture is complex and creates the context for differing responses to victimization among Latina sexual assault survivors. In all the studies reviewed, only 6% to less than 50% were Latino participants. In searching the published literature about interpersonal victimization, Cuevas and Sabina (2010) found that only approximately 1% focused on Latinos. Although the literature review identified some research in the area of sexual assault with Latinas (e.g., Ahrens, 2006; Morrissey, 1998; Ramos-Lira, Koss, & Russo, 1999; Romero, Wyatt, Loeb, Carmona, & Solis, 1999; Sorenson, 1996), there has been a limited amount of research conducted on feelings and consequences experienced specifically by Latinas during a sexual assault disclosure. And the studies that do exist are based on comparisons with other ethnic groups, such as African Americans and non-Latinos White Americans. Latinas have shown higher rates of nondisclosure of sexual assault than other women from other ethnicities (Arellano, Kuhn, & Chavez, 1997; Romero et al., 1999). Other research indicated that sex, rape, and abuse are rarely discussed among Latinas (Adames & Campbell, 2005; Ahrens, Rios-Mandel, Isas, & del Carmen Lopez, 2010). Furthermore, traditional beliefs about marriage contribute to this reluctance of Latinas to report their sexual assault abuse. With regard to what cultural themes will be beneficial to the current study, a review of current literature on Latinas and sexual assault revealed themes such as the high value placed on virginity (Morrissey, 1998; Ramos-Lira et al., 1999); the likely desire for revenge on the part of a male family member (Bachman, 1998; Fisher, Daigle, Cullen, & Turner, 2003; Morrissey, 1998; Ramos-Lira et al., 1999); the fear of family shame (Ahrens et al., 2010; Morrissey, 1998; Ramos-Lira et al., 1999); self-blame (Lefley, Scott, Llabre, & Hicks, 1993; Ramos-Lira et al., 1999); and the shame and embarrassment that accompanies the taboo of discussing topics of sexual relations (Adames & Campbell, 2005; Ahrens et al., 2010; Romero et al., 1999). Several studies show that negative social reactions were more likely received by sexual assault survivors disclosing to formal support sources than informal ones (Ahrens, 2006; Campbell, Wasco, Ahrens, Sefl, & Barnes, 2001; Filipas & Ullman, 2001; Starzynski, Ullman, Filipas, & Townsend, 2005; Ullman, 1996a; Ullman, 1996b; Ullman & Filipas, 2001). A majority of sexual assault survivors are more likely to disclose to informal support sources than formal ones such as the police (Ahrens, Cabral, & Abeling, 2009; Bachman, 1998; Filipas & Ullman, 2001; Fisher et al., 2003; Golding, Siegel, Sorenson, Burnam, & Stein, 1989; Smith, Letourneau, Saunders, Kilpatrick, Resnick, & Best, 2000; Starzynski et al., 2005; Ullman, 1996a; Ullman & Filipas, 2001). This reflects the reality that they receive more emotional support from friends and family members than that from formal support sources (Ahrens et al., 2007; Ahrens, Campbell, Ternier-Thames, Wasco, & Sefl, 2009; Sudderth, 1998; Ullman, 1996b). Several studies identified that between two thirds and four fifths of sexual assault survivors disclose the assault to at least one person (Ahrens et al., 2007; Fisher et al., 2003; Golding et al., 1989; Starzynski et al., 2005; Ullman, 1996b; Ullman & Filipas, 2001). Three of the research articles addressed how receiving negative reactions from others during a disclosure may lead to additional psychological trauma (Campbell et al., 2001; McAuslan, 1998; Ullman, 1996b). In addition, self-blame contributes to poor recoveries (Ahrens et al., 2007; Eadie, 2000; Campbell et al., 2001; Routbort, 1998). After in-depth analysis on narratives given by eight rape survivors (five African American and three non-Latina White) who initially disclosed their sexual assault, but then were silenced for a significant period of time, Ahrens (2006) found that the participants experienced four similar types of negative reactions. These were: “1) being blamed; 2) receiving insensitive reactions; 3) experiencing ineffective disclosures; and 4) receiving inappropriate support” (p. 269). Romantic partners were the most likely to blame the victim and attempt to control the situation, while providing the least tangible aid and providing only moderate emotional support. However, friends and counselors were more likely to provide the most emotional support and tangible aid with not as many negative reactions. In another study exploring the recovery process, Sudderth (1998) explored women’s decisions to delay disclosure or to talk about the rape through a qualitative analysis of 30 survivors’ reflections. The author also explored how others’ reactions affected these women’s subsequent willingness to discuss the rape. Sudderth found a mixture of reactions experienced by most of the participants to some degree; these were distributed into four categories: supportive, inconsistently supportive, silence or avoidance, and hostility. The two most important forms that hostile reaction took were to blame the victim/survivor and to believe that the incident was consensual. In a study that interviewed 102 adult women rape survivors through snowball sampling conducted in urban settings (Chicago metropolitan area) about the social reactions they received from family members and friends after rape disclosure, Campbell, Ahrens, Sefl, Wasco, and Barnes (2001) found that negative reactions may impede survivors’ recoveries more than positive reactions. It may be much more beneficial for survivors not to receive any support than to receive negative reactions from others that can lead to hurtful effects on psychological and physical health outcomes. With regard to feelings experienced, anger has been found to be the most common emotional reaction identified in prior research. Depression, anxiety, fear, guilt, and feeling of being dishonored or spoiled were the other emotional reactions experienced by the sexual assault survivors (Morrissey, 1998; Sorenson & Siegel, 1992). McAuslan (1998) identified several findings, but only those that relate closely to the consequences of disclosure and to the present study are reviewed here. McAuslan’s study, the final sample size was 320 female participants, undergraduates from Wayne State University, most of the participants were African American (46%) or Caucasian (39%), and seventy-two percent (n = 229) of the sample had experienced a sexual assault. With regards to the findings, McAuslan found that participants who received more negative social reactions when they disclosed experienced higher levels of somatic and psychological symptomatology. Next, the study showed that greater expression of emotions during a disclosure was associated with increased experience of anxiety and depression by the sexual assault survivor. Furthermore, Latinas were found to experience higher levels of psychological distress than other ethnicities studied, but were less likely to speak to a psychotherapist about their incident than the non-Latino participants (Lefley et al., 1993; Morrissey, 1998; Sorenson & Siegel, 1992). It is in recognition of such limitations, data from 13 Latina sexual assault survivors were analyzed to engage and critique what feelings and consequences are experienced during initial disclosures. Although a number of fairly consistent themes, such as those summarized here, have emerged from prior research, the relevance to the actual experience of sexual assault disclosure can be understood by asking Latina women to narrate their experiences of disclosure. Therefore, this study was designed to use qualitative, semi-structured interviewing techniques to address the following question: What feelings and consequences do Latinas remember experiencing during their initial disclosure? 2.1. Recruitment Procedures Data was gathered in two waves from Latinas at a women’s center for domestic and sexual violence and a center for psychotherapy services. All thirteen Latina participants had been sexually assaulted at least once throughout their life. First data set of seven interviews was gathered in 2005. This initial round of interviews was conducted under a research protocol approved by Hope College’s Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB). During 2010- 2011, another six Latinas were recruited to participate in the current study. This phase of the process followed the new research protocol approved by the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB) of Western Michigan University and HSRB of Hope College. At the same time, the data set of the first wave of seven interviews was reapproved for analysis. Recruiting the new set of participants allowed me to add more questions to the interview to further clarify interpretations of decisions to disclose. The participants for the research were female, 18 years and older (the actual participants ranged in age from 18 to 40), Hispanic/Latina (two were Mexican/Mexico-born citizens with United States residency, nine were Mexican American, two were Tejanas/Texasborn Mexican American), and English and/or Spanish speaking. The participants were recruited through poster announcements and informational flyers that were distributed through the Center’s staff counselors, case managers, and in a couple of cases by research participants of this study. Two participants for the second wave were recruited through snowball sampling via referrals by former research participants. As a token of appreciation, each participant received a $25 gift card for her participation in the research. 2.2. Procedures Semi-structured in-depth interview data were collected for 13 Latinas in the study. The interview schedule used in 2005 was extended in 2010 to focus on feelings and consequences associated with the process of disclosure, at the time of disclosure and in retrospect. The final interview protocol used 25 questions along with gathering the participants’ demographics. Once participants expressed an interest and it was clear that they met qualifications for the study, an interview was scheduled. Sessions were made available on different days and times throughout the week to provide participants with suitable options. All interviews were conducted by this researcher and they took place where each of the participants were recruited from, which was either the women’s center for domestic and sexual violence or the center for psychotherapy services. Only one interview took about three hours. The others were completed in an hour or two. Prior to signing a consent form, the potential participants read the consent form either in English or Spanish or had it read to them in English or Spanish. The consent form indicated that they were not required to participate; if they did participate, they were told they would be allowed to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. Furthermore, they were informed orally and in the consent form that their interviews would be audio-recorded and transcribed into verbatim written documents to be analyzed by the researcher. Participants were all given the option to request to hear the interviewing questions and to reply to them in English, Spanish, or to alternate between both languages. All participants were fluent in either or both Spanish and English, and none of them were ineligible for the study. 2.3. Analysis Procedures As stated earlier, audiotapes were transcribed into verbatim written documents. Most interviewees spoke English throughout their session. However, there were two participants that alternated between speaking English and Spanish. Only one of the two spoke more Spanish than English. On that note, Spanish words, phrases, and/or sentences were italicized and translated into English in parentheses. There is no identifiable information on the written documents of any of the transcribed interviews (i.e., none of the transcribed interviews can be linked to an individual’s name). The names used throughout this document and in any future publications are pseudonyms. Prior to analyzing the data, the transcripts were compared to the original tapes and edited for accuracy and readability. A phenomenological method was employed in analyzing the participants’ transcripts, primarily by using a constant comparison approach to discern recurrent significant themes that emerged throughout the interviews. These emergent themes were then combined or divided to create the most relevant thematic categories. The process of categorizing served to highlight similarities and differences between the transcripts. The formal process of data analysis began with documenting detailed field notes immediately following each of the interviews. These field notes provided accounts of the verbal exchanges between the researcher and participants, observations made by the researcher during each of the interviews, and connections made among and about participants’ behaviors. All of the points identified in the field notes were taken into consideration as data were reduced, displayed, and analytical themes began to emerge and define themselves more clearly and definitively. In terms of identifying the themes, a naïve reading was conducted. The interview transcripts were read through from start to finish. No written notes were made during this initial, naïve reading; only mental notes were taken. The transcripts were then re-read and a number of beginning themes, which appeared as important ones were ascertained. After obtaining initial themes, constant comparison between the data from all the interviews was used to confirm these themes and identify new ones. Constant comparison with the literature was also used to interrogate the data for possible themes identified by others. Once themes and patterns were established, they were tested through an active search of disconfirming data in the form of negative examples, rival explanations, and exceptions to the patterns. In other words, constant comparing occurred back and forth between the literature sources and interviews. The documented themes in the transcripts were color coded. After re-iterating everything, third and subsequence readings were done to flesh out the main themes in the second reading. Saturation of the categories occurred through refining each category by seeking examples of it until no new information yielded additional meaning. Table 1 provides the transcription conventions used in this study. Before addressing the research questions, vignettes are used to introduce the respondents and summarize their sexual assault experiences in order to contextualize their personal stories and provide basic demographic information. Pseudonyms are used throughout the vignettes and personally identifying descriptors are avoided, although the ethnicities of the participants are identified using their descriptions. For example, if a participant is identified as Mexican, this means that she described herself as Mexico-born. The term Tejana is used for any Latina who described herself as a Texas-born Mexican American. The term Hispanic/Mexican American is used for Table 1 . Transcription conventions. any Latina who indicated that she was born in America. Mixed ethnic roots (e.g., Mexican-Scottish American) are reported in similar fashion. As stated earlier, most of the participants chose to communicate in English, which might not have been the individuals’ native language. Only Adriana chose to alternate between both languages and Raquel used Spanish a few times to clarify her answers. The seven participants from the existing data obtained in 2005 are introduced first; then, the six new participants from the data in 2011 are introduced. With regard to the types of sexual assault analyzed, it is important to state here that the term sexual assault is interpreted differently by a variety of sources. For the purposes of this dissertation, Michigan’s Penal Codes on Sexual Conduct were used to explain the severity level of sexual assault. A CSC I is the most severe sexual assault. This category involves both force and penetration of any type (vagina, anus, or mouth) with a penis, finger, or object such as a pencil (Legislative Council, Act 328 of 1931, 750.520b). The second most severe type of sexual assault is known as a CSC III. This category includes a person engaging in sexual penetration with another person who may have given consent, but did not have the legal right to do so (Legislative Council, Act 328 of 1931, 750.520d). The third most severe type of sexual assault is known as a CSC II. This type of sexual assault includes molestation, pornography, and exploitation of children (Legislative Council, Act 328 of 1931, 750.520c). Finally, the least severe category of sexual assault is known as a CSC IV. It includes a person engaging in sexual contact with another person through a direct or indirect sexual assault such as through indecent exposure (Legislative Council, Act 328 of 1931, 750.520e). 3.1. Vignettes of Participants’ Sexual Assaults Sandra was an 18-year-old, single Mexican American who was raped (CSC I) by her mother’s stepfather (step-grandfather) when she was 10 years old, while living in Texas with her mother. During a confrontation, Sandra’s brother asked Sandra what was leading her to date older men. Sandra was scared, crying, and yelled out that her Grandpa had raped her. It appears that she was only raped once. No other specific details were given about the assault besides that she was penetrated orally and anally. She was 14 years old at the time of the disclosure. Here is what she said about that disclosure: Well I moved up here (from Texas) when I was 14, and my sister-in-law had me go out with older men, and, I umm… my brother found out and he asked me what was leading me to do this, and that’s when I told him… that night, that Grandpa had raped me. Araceli was a 32-year-old, married and college-educated Tejana. She was a mother of two, who was molested by her grandfather (CSC II) at the age of 7 and raped by two college male acquaintances that she did not know well (CSC I) when she was 18 years old. Araceli did not disclose the first incident until a psychotherapist was completing a psycho-social assessment with her when she was 32 years old. She expressed unclear memories about the exact circumstances that led to the disclosure. Here are her comments about her encounter with the psychotherapist who completed her psycho-social assessment: I don’t know if she (psychotherapist)… I don’t know if she was the one who brought it up, or not. I don’t know how she brought it up… because of my husband, or something… then she started talking about what has happened during my past or whatever, and it came out. The second incident was disclosed to a police officer soon after the assault, but then Araceli did not disclose that incident again until she met the psychotherapist mentioned above to have her assessment completed. With regard to this assault, Araceli was raped (CSC I) by two college male acquaintances. A male detective gave Araceli the impression that everyone, including her parents, would find out about the assault if she pursued pressing any charges. She explained the reasons for her discomfort in the following way: He (the detective) told me that that if I wanted to do that (press charges), that I can do that, but he said “if you tell, you’re dead” (it appeared that Araceli felt as if she would die if anyone, her parents, would find out about the rape); more like… “If you charge them, everyone’s gonna know, it’s gonna be in the paper, and it’s gonna be, this is”, he said “this is gonna be something that pretty much everyone will know. Your parents will find out”. Then, I just decided “no”. Araceli stated a couple of times throughout her interview that she had no intention of disclosing her sexual assaults again because of how she was treated by the police officer. At the same time, she did disclose to her psychotherapist and this researcher. Dominga was a 31-year-old, single, college-educated Tejana who was molested by her biological father (CSC II) at the age of 11 and raped by a male college acquaintance (CSC I) when she was 19 years old. The first incident was not disclosed until Dominga was 26 years old. She disclosed it to a psychotherapist in treatment, then to her mother and brother at a later time. No specific details were provided to the interviewer about the assault or what exactly she disclosed to her psychotherapist, mother, or brother. The only thing she said that she disclosed to anyone was the following: “The incident with my dad, just that he did something, I’ve never told”. The second incident was disclosed soon after the assault. She was 19 years old when a male college fraternity acquaintance raped her (CSC I) and took her virginity. Dominga and her perpetrator were both at a party celebrating his 21st birthday. After the party, several individuals, including Dominga and her perpetrator, went back to the perpetrator’s apartment. Before she realized what was going on, she was upstairs in his bedroom, which was where the rape occurred. Here is her description of what occurred in the perpetrator’s bedroom: I was at a party, drunk, and it was his (the perpetrator’s) 21st birthday. We went back to his apartment, where he lived with three other fraternity brothers. Other sorority sisters of mine went with us… And then, people started leaving slowly, and before I knew it, I was up in his bedroom, but his brother and the other sorority girl were in the room next to us… All I remember is passing out, in and out, in and out, and just remembering people laughing, things happening, clothes coming off, and I kept saying: “stop, stop…” And then I’d pass out, wake up to something else, and I remember his other two roommates laughing, and crawling in and out of the room. I was yelling and crying and screaming and he wouldn’t stop. I don’t know how I got home. I remember the next day, I told him; I called him. I called him and said: “Could I be pregnant? Am I pregnant?” And, he didn’t know what to say. And I remember him saying, “Were you a virgin?” and I said, “Yeah”, but I never told him that he raped me. I never said it was a rape. I was just worried about being pregnant. Feliciana was an 18-year-old, single, Mexican American who was raped (CSC I) by a male acquaintance in her home when she was 13 years old. Feliciana reported only knowing the perpetrator for a couple of weeks. Disclosure occurred quickly to her parents and the perpetrator was prosecuted and incarcerated. Most of Feliciana’s answers to the interviewing questions were quite short. She regretted disclosing because she did not want to experience the court procedures. In other words, Feliciana was uncomfortable sharing her experience in court. Gabriela was an 18-year-old, single Mexican American who was raped (CSC I) more than once within a couple of months by a male relative when she was 10 years old. No other details were provided about this perpetrator or the sexual assaults that she experienced except that they were rapes. Gabriela recalled that the disclosure occurred within a few months after the assault, at a time when she felt emotionally supported by a female cousin. When describing her reason for disclosure, Gabriela indicated an awareness of the possible positive value of telling someone. She said: After talking to my cousin (female cousin), and her being there with me, I had to make it, do it, and it was hard, but you have to deal with it sooner or later, or it’s going to eat at you for the rest of your life. Adriana was Mexican and a 34-year-old mother of three (2-year-old triplets), who was raped (CSC I) by an uncle when she was 10 years old. It took Adriana about 20 years to make her first disclosure, and she disclosed to her boyfriend because he wanted to have a sexual relationship with Adriana. Below, is how she explained what led to her disclosure: Porque (Because) my boyfriend been asking me when was I going to have sex with him. That’s when I told him what happened 20 years ago and after I told him that thing; he was more, mas malo (he was meaner). After this disclosure to her boyfriend, she indicated that she was blamed and mistreated by him. Here is an excerpt of her description of her boyfriend’s reaction to the disclosure: I told him what happened and after I told him he said, “I don’t want to do sex with you cause you’re gross; you have sex with your uncle, yuck”. I didn’t go into detail… He (boyfriend) abused me psychologically. Teresa was a 34-year-old, mother of two, Mexican and Scottish American who was molested (CSC II) by an older biological brother when she was 10 years old. It took her about 4 years to disclose. The disclosure occurred upon his return home from the Marines. Teresa felt that she had to tell a friend what he had done to her when she was 10 to protect herself. Below, she explained her brother’s home coming and what led to her first sexual assault disclosure: My stepfather died all of a sudden and everybody was talking about how my brother was coming home. He was in the Marines. I had to prepare for him to stay at our house. And I… I didn’t want him there. I was so glad when he left. And I… it was hard… I had a friend of mine; he was kind of like a brother to me. He was older than I am. And, I confided in him, but he didn’t believe me. He went and told my mom about it. Of course, my mom didn’t believe me either. So, my mom called my brother in California. There, where he was stationed and asked him about it. Thankfully for him, he was going to church and stuff. He admitted to it. When he came home; he didn’t stay at the house. Veronica was a 21-year-old, single, college-educated Mexican American who witnessed an indecent exposure incident (CSC IV) by a stranger when she was about 10 or 11 years old and working as a school safety guard. Disclosure occurred within minutes and the perpetrator was prosecuted. Raquel was a 20-year-old, single, college-educated Mexican American who had been raped several times by two former boyfriends. The first rape (CSC I) occurred when she was 12 years old. The first perpetrator was a family acquaintance, possibly a distant relative that resided with the family during migrant seasons (OctoberApril). He was an illegal alien from Mexico who had pursued an intimate relationship with her prior to the rape. This first perpetrator was identified to a physician when she was 13 years old in the course of a routine examination. With regard to the second perpetrator, he assaulted Raquel several times when she was 18 years old during their relationship. Raquel reported feeling pressured every time they had sex, but she did not really know how to advocate for herself. Magdalena was a 20-year-old, single, college-educated woman, who identified herself as Mexican. She reported being molested (CSC II) several times by an older male cousin when she was 6 or 7 years old. Magdalena has not disclosed these assaults to anyone except this researcher. It was important for her to know that this information would remain confidential. Here are her comments on confidentiality of the disclosure: It’s just like I feel like… I, um, that I feel like I can talk to you and I can actually let you know and it’s going to stay just between us. Cynthia was a 22-year-old, single, college-educated Mexican American who was molested (CSC II) by an uncle by marriage when she was 13 or 14 years old. She has only disclosed these incidents to her fiancé, college roommate, and to this researcher. Cynthia recalled two sexual assault incidents that she experienced by her uncle. He uncle rubbed his hand down Cynthia’s body from her shoulder down to her knee, but never actually touched her breasts, buttocks, or vagina. At the same time, Cynthia stated that she felt uncomfortable and possibly violated. Cynthia’s maternal aunt is no longer married to the perpetrator (Cynthia’s uncle by marriage). Gloria was a 36-year-old, married, mother of two, college-educated Mexican American who had experienced three different sexual assaults. Gloria decided to participate in the current interview to disclose an assault as a first step toward healing. The first incident occurred when she was about 5 or 6 years old; an older Latino male in the neighborhood molested her (CSC II). This incident was not disclosed until the day she was interviewed for this study. She met with her Godmother prior to the interview and practiced sharing her stories. The second incident occurred when she was 6 years old; an African American male used vulgar language to verbally assault her (CSC IV). Gloria disclosed within minutes, but her biological mother ignored her. They were all at a neighbor’s house party. From this incident, Gloria was silenced for about 30 years. She did not disclose the third set of assaults until a night of drinking with her older sister. As she revealed to the current researcher, the final set of incidents occurred when Gloria was between the ages of 10 and 14 years. Her mother’s boyfriend molested her over a period of several years. The disclosure occurred after her older sister shared with them (Gloria, younger sister, and their mother) that their stepfather (their mother’s former boyfriend) raped her (CSC I). Leticia was a 40-year-old, divorced once, but currently married, mother of five. She is a Mexican American who was not only molested (CSC II) several times between the ages of 10 to 14 years but raped (CSC I) once when she was 14 years old by her first stepfather. The abuse was reported to the police when she was about 15 years old. Leticia’s mother informed Leticia that she (Leticia) refused to follow through with testifying for the prosecution. Leticia did not recall the court proceedings, but her mother informed her about how she walked out of court after stating, “I wasn’t doing it”. It appeared that Leticia chose not to testify against her perpetrator (her first stepfather), but has repressed that memory. Here is what she said when she refused to testify against her stepfather in court: I guess I went into the courtroom and I don’t know, I froze, she said and I walked out, said I wasn’t doing it. 3.2. Demographic Characteristics of Participants Table 2 provides a short description of each of the participants for reader reference. It identifies their pseudonyms, ethnicity, age at the time of first assault, age during the interview, and year interview was conducted. The women’s ages at the time of the interview range from 18 to 40 (M = 26.5). Two of the women identified themselves as Mexican (Mexico-born), two as Tejanas (Texas-born Mexican Americans) and the other nine identified as either or both Hispanic and Mexican American. Table 3 presents aggregate findings of the descriptive information for the 13 Latina participants in the current study. Most of the participants were single at the time that the interviews were conducted (n = 8; 61%). In addition, Table 2 reveals that the majority of the participants’ first sexual assault incidents happened when they were young children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old (n = 10; 77%). Only three (23%) of the participants were sexually assaulted as adults. A very low percentage of the participants (n = 2; 15%) made their first disclosure of any of their assaults to professionals including enforcement officials. In 10 cases (77%), the participants/survivors made their first disclosure to either a friend, including significant other, or a family member. In addition, two participants (15%) who had disclosed at least one of their sexual assault incidents had never disclosed a sexual assault incident(s) until they agreed to participate in this study. In other words, while describing their experience of disclosing a sexual assault, Araceli and Raquel disclosed additional assaults they had not talked to anyone about. The majority of the participants (n = 12; 92%) knew their perpetrators. Furthermore, nine (69%) Table 2. Description of participants at age at time of first assault and time of interview. Table 3. Demographics and selected characteristics of participants and sexual assault incidents. of the participants identified their first perpetrator as a family member. More than half (n = 10; 77%) of the participants took over a year to disclose their first sexual assault incident, whereas two of the other three participants disclosed within 24 hours. Feliciana was raped by an acquaintance in her home. She disclosed the incident to her parents right after he left the residence. Veronica experienced a incident exposure; she was flashed a penis by a stranger while working as a safety guard by a school street corner. She disclosed the incident to a teacher right away, within minutes. Fewer than half of the participants (n = 5; 39%) experienced only one sexual assault, but eight participants (61%) experienced two or more sexual assaults, some by different perpetrators at different points in time. 4. Phenomenological Analysis: Common Experiences and Central Themes The previous vignettes provided short, contextualized descriptions of each participant’s sexual assault experiences. The common experiences and central themes of the current study have been organized addressing the research question guiding this study. They are presented below through tables and with selected quotes for illustration. Research Question: What feelings and consequences do Latinas remember experiencing during their initial disclosure? In this section, feelings and consequences experienced by Latina sexual assault survivors during their initial sexual assault disclosure were identified. The data reduction phase identified nine types of feelings experienced by the participants in this study: regret, shame/embarrassment, negative judgment of self, worry, fear, anger, relief, depression, and hatred. As can be seen in Table 4, regret was the most often felt feeling (n = 7; 54%). In Araceli’s case, she regretted contacting the police soon after her rape for two reasons. First, she felt unsupported by the police officer that took her statement. It appeared that Araceli was convinced not to press charges because she was informed that her parents would find out, which scared her because she did not want her parents to judge her. Second, Araceli regretted that the police officer took her to an emergency room (ER) for a sexual assault examination. Araceli expressed that it was a very uncomfortable examination to experience. Here are the two sections of her interview in which she described feeling regret: Interviewer: What led you to disclose? Araceli: I was scared. I didn’t know. I was thinking; I was thinking about, um, what if I was going to have a baby? Or, if I had gotten a disease? I was thinking that··· That was a bad thing that they did. I didn’t think it was right··· So, I had to call them (the police). I didn’t know who else to call. I did feel like I needed to tell them. But then when I did call, and I did go through with it, I thought, maybe I shouldn’t have called someone. They wouldn’t have taken me to the emergency··· Interviewer: They took you to the emergency room? That’s where they did all the examination, collected all the evidence? That’s why they cut your clothing? Araceli: Yeah. Table 4. Feelings experienced during initial disclosure. Interviewer: Do you regret anything about the disclosure? Araceli: No and yes. I regret calling the police, but I don’t regret telling my psychotherapist. I’m glad I told her because somebody listened. Interviewer: Feeling heard? Araceli: Yeah. My mom probably wouldn’t understand like my psychotherapist does. She would think badly of me. My mother would probably… I don’t know. I think she would have thought or something… She would have thought… You know? Like, I was dumb or something. I don’t know. I always thought, because I’m the only one who went to college. I should have known all that, right? My psychotherapist, because, I don’t think she’s gonna tell me anything and she hasn’t… Isn’t judging me or… The next four most often felt feelings were shame/embarrassment (n = 5; 39%), negatively judging themselves (n = 3; 23%), worry (n = 3; 23%), and fear (n = 3; 23%). The only positive feeling identified by two participants (15%) was relief. With regard to shame/embarrassment, Araceli was taken to the emergency room by a police officer soon after she was raped by two college male acquaintances. She reported that the emergency room visit was an embarrassing experience for her and wished she would not have been taken there. Here, she clearly expressed her feelings of shame and embarrassment: I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t have gone… Cause it was, embarrassing, I felt like, I don’t know, something to examine, I felt really gross, and I didn’t want people looking at me. They were all looking at me··· And checking me, and I wouldn’t have gone if I knew that, but it was, I just kind of stood there and let them do what they did because it was embarrassing. And to know what they knew… Kind of makes you feel like, I don’t know. With regard to consequences, mistreatment was the most often experienced consequence (n = 4; 31%), a sense of feeling spoiled was the second most often experienced consequence (n = 3; 23%), and the lack of support was the third most often experienced consequence (n = 2; 15%). A sense of being ignored, feelings of negative selfworth, an increased sense of being self-guarded, a sense of being silenced, a feeling that one was not believed, and a lack of confidentiality were also experienced. As can be seen in Table 5, the other seven consequences were each identified only once. In Gloria’s case, her older sister verbally assaulted Gloria for not disclosing her sexual assault incidents by their mother’s boyfriend earlier. Gloria’s sister was angry because their mother did not believe that she was assaulted as an adolescent, but if Gloria would have also discussed her assault when Gloria’s older sister did, then maybe their mother would have believed them. This is how Gloria explained her older sister’s reaction to her disclosure: She was angry because she felt like if I would have said something before, my mom might have listened to her before and got us out of the situation. So, she blamed me for not speaking up. Feeling spoiled for marriage or a significant relationship was the second most identified consequence experienced during an initial disclosure. In Dominga’s case, once she lost her virginity, she reported feeling like damaged goods. Here is what she said about how no one may want to marry her: Fear that I wouldn’t have been believed, that I would be blamed, that a man wouldn’t want to be with me, that I was no longer seen as a good girl because I lost my virginity to the rape. I’m Catholic. I feel like I’m damaged goods, I don’t know if anyone will ever marry me. There was no elaboration on this topic. Dominga simply stated feeling spoiled for marriage. At the time of the interview, she was single and had had very little dating experience. This phenomenological study identified a number of themes based on the actual stories of sexual assault disclosures given by 13 Latina survivors. Regret and shame/embarrassment were the most often experienced feelings during initial disclosures identified by the Latinas; these were followed by negative judgment of self, worry, fear, anger, relief, depression, and hatred. With regard to consequences, nine themes were identified. Feeling mistreatment, having a sense of feeling spoiled for marriage, and sensing a lack of support were the most often felt consequences. Other consequences experienced were a sense of being ignored, feelings of negative self-worth, an increased sense of being self-guarded, a sense of being silenced, a feeling that one was not believed, and Table 5 . Negative consequences experienced during initial disclosure. fearing a lack of confidentiality. In working with Latina women, it is important to understand and gain awareness about the potential commonalities they may have with other women in their communities, while being open to each individual’s unique narrative and life story (Comas-Diaz & Greene, 1994). Ahrens, Isas, and Viveros (2011) recommended that more qualitative and participatory methods of collecting data and conducting research with Latinas would reduce isolation and empower Latina survivors of sexual assault than quantitative methods. This study fills the need identified by Ahrens and colleagues. 6.1. Interpretation of Results 6.1.1. Nature of Assault and Circumstances of First Disclosure The qualitative data yielded several themes that both support and expand on previous findings regarding the nature of assaults and disclosure. First, most of the women were sexually assaulted for the first time before the age of 13 years (77%). The median age at the time of the first sexual assault for Latina victims was about 10 years. These results are consistent with findings reported by Romero et al. (1999) suggesting that childhood rape and childhood sexual abuse may actually be higher than reported in other studies of Latinas. In the current study, 7 (54%) participants disclosed their sexual assault for the first time to a family member or a significant other (current boyfriend) and only 2 of the 13 informants had first disclosed their sexual assault to a professional. This may mean that they also are unlikely to seek counseling and assistance from a mental health professional. Indeed only 5 of the women (Dominga, Feliciana, Adriana, Teresa, and Leticia) had sought psychotherapy following their disclosure. This number may actually be high as the recruitment of participants occurred through a counseling center this number might be artificially high. One other interesting occurrence in this study was that 2 (Araceli and Raquel) of the participants chose to use the research interview as an opportunity to disclose incidents of sexual assault that they had never shared with others, however, they had already disclosed at least one sexual assault incident prior to their interviews. The research interview was perhaps perceived as a safe place and/or a reason to disclose the information. In this study, 2 of the 13 participants (15%) were victimized as college women by male college acquaintances. Only 1 participant, Araceli, disclosed the incident to the police. Araceli was raped by two college male acquaintances. She reported feeling ignored about the situation. The police officer scared her into not pursuing legal charges by informing her that everyone would find out about the assault, including her parents. Araceli was afraid of how her parents would react. She thought they would negatively judge her. In retrospect, Araceli regretted her disclosure in part because the police officer transported her to an ER for a sexual assault examination. This experience led Araceli to feel embarrassed. She also regretted her decision to disclose because she felt mistreated by the police officer. Fisher et al. (2003) reported that only a very low percentage of sexually victimized college women in their study reported their incidents to the police and that these victimizations were later disclosed to others. 6.1.2. Feelings and Consequences Experienced during Initial Disclosure As shown in the literature, Sorenson and Siegel (1992) reported that 59% of their participants experienced anger as their most common emotional reaction to a sexual assault. Depression (43%), anxiety (40%), fear (35%), guilt (32%), and feeling of being dishonored or spoiled (29%) were the other emotional reactions experienced by the participants. However, this current study collected data on feelings experienced during initial disclosures, which is not the same as feelings experienced due to the sexual assault. McAuslan (1998) found that greater expression of emotions during a disclosure was associated with increased experience of anxiety and depression by the sexual assault survivor. In contrast to these other articles, the current study found that regret was the most common emotion experienced during the initial disclosure. Regret was experienced by more than half of the participants (n = 6; 46%). Shame/embarrassment (n = 5; 39%), negative judgment of self (n = 3; 23%), feeling spoiled for marriage (n = 3; 23%), worry (n = 3; 23%), fear (n = 3; 23%), anger (n = 2; 15%), relief (n = 2; 15%), depression (n =1; 8%), and hate (n = 1; 8%) were the other emotions experienced by the participants. The difference that exists between the current study and the published literature with regard to what feelings are experienced following sexual assault disclosure may be due to when the respondents are asked about their emotional reactions. I specifically looked at the feelings felt during the initial disclosure, whereas Sorenson and Siegel (1992) may have referred to how their respondents felt soon after the assault instead of after the disclosure. In all, there are some similarities, but this study expanded the range of feelings described by Latina sexual assault survivors. As shown in Table 4, 11 of the 13 participants (85%) took at least a month to make their first disclosure. Emotional reactions to a sexual assault may be very different from the emotional reactions to the disclosure of it. Some individuals need time to deal with their initial feelings of anger, shock, or confusion from an assault first by keeping to themselves instead of showing their true feelings to others. In other words, these individuals disappear into their own “caves” and cope with their initial feelings, then, once they have gained the strength and courage to disclose, they do. Feelings felt during the disclosure would then be different than the initial feelings experienced. With regard to consequences experienced during initial disclosure in this study, mistreatment had the highest occurrence. Four participants (31%) experienced some type of mistreatment. Adriana was rebuked by her boyfriend; Araceli was treated harshly by the police; Dominga was treated unfairly by her sorority sisters; and Gloria was ignored by her mother. Ahrens et al. (2007) found that those who disclosed their sexual assault to a formal support, such as the police, were more likely to receive a negative social reaction than a positive one. Conversely, those who disclosed to an informal support, such as a friend, were more likely to receive a positive social reaction than a negative one. In this study, of the three who reported to the police, only Araceli received a negative social reaction or felt mistreatment. The other two did not report any mistreatment. The reason the two participants, Feliciana and Veronica, received positive social support from the police may have been because they were children during their disclosure, while Araceli was a young adult and was more harshly treated by the authorities. The authorities may have blamed Araceli for the rape she experienced. Campbell et al. (2001) recommended in their study of adult sexual assault survivors that families, friends, and significant others of sexual assault survivors should be taught how to avoid negative reactions when attempting to provide support. They felt that it was better to provide no support than to react negatively. Ullman (1996b) found that 63% of her participants reported being blamed and 62% reported that they were discouraged from talking about their sexual assault. The discouragement came most often from their physicians or the police. In the current study, two individuals (Araceli and Dominga) were discouraged from talking about their assaults, but only one (Araceli) was discouraged by a police officer. The other was discouraged by a psychotherapist employed by the college she attended. 6.2. Limitations of the Current Study Despite significant findings that contribute to the literature, a few limitations to the current study need to be stated. As a qualitative analysis, these results may point to some possible important issues for Latinas, however they should not be used to generalize to the broader population of Latinas in the United States without further confirmation. In addition to this basic issue, the small sample size (n = 13) and the recruitment process show additional limitations. The percentages included while reporting the qualitative analysis were reported on a very small set of participants and should not be viewed as quantitative findings. The study was conducted in a particular area of Michigan and, therefore, results should be applied cautiously to other places. Participants were referred from only two agencies that provided psychotherapeutic treatment programs to Latina women who selfselected. Although the group of women who participated in the current study had relatively wide diversity in terms of education, age at the time of interview, marital status, and types of assaults experienced, it is only a small representation of Latina rape survivors, which further curbs the generalizability of the findings. In other words, the women who chose to participate in this study may differ from the general population of Latina rape survivors. The youngest participants, the three 18-year-olds, gave restrained responses during their interviews. It may be beneficial to conduct more qualitative research with this population to get a fuller understanding of their experience. Second, the sensitivity of the topic may have been a limitation to who would be willing to be respondents. Some potential participants may have chosen not to participate in this study due to their emotional state of mind and fear of retraumatization. Third, only qualitative interview data were analyzed, which may have led to meanings that were specific to this participant group or to implications about the broader population that are unfounded with interpretation of the data collected from the interviews. Other types of data might have produced different results. Thus, although participation was voluntary, the validity of the study may be limited by the bias inherent in the interview items as well as the recruitment and data collection methods used. 6.3. Directions for Future Research This study has begun to fill the gap that exists in the literature on Latina victims of sexual assault. It also provides ample justification for future qualitative, quantitative or mixed studies. The topic of sexual assault and culture among female victims has relevant implications for the psychotherapy, human services, and medical fields. Violence against women should be treated as a significant social, mental, and physical problem, and sexual assaults should be viewed as a transgression against children as well as adults (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). Medical personnel and psychotherapists need to be aware of all the services that are required to provide crisis and clinical services to sexually assaulted women in order to minimize further trauma and re-victimization. Culturally sensitive training in the best treatment of sexual assault victims needs to continue, and it is essential to provide women of different ethnicities with adequate services. The results of the current study also have implications for research on other factors that may lead to sexual assault disclosure or non-disclosure or delayed disclosure for Latinas. Even though the literature on sexual assault disclosure for Latinas has been limited, what has been found is that keeping silent has been a consistent theme among Latinas who are sexually assaulted (Ramos-Lira et al., 1999). These authors also found that many Latinas blame themselves for the sexual assaults, especially if they place a high value on their virginity. Questions recommended for future research include: What is it that needs to be in place to allow a Latina to feel safe about disclosing a sexual assault? Who needs to be available to help Latina victims? What can be said about support systems among Latina sexual assault victims? What are the differences that exist among comparison groups of sexual assault female victims? This last question may lead to a clearer understanding of the degree to which my findings are culture specific. Adames, S. B., & Campbell, R. (2005). Immigrant Latinas’ Conceptualizations of Intimate Partner Violence. Violence Against Women, 11, 1341-1364. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1077801205280191 Ahrens, C., Isas, L., & Viveros, M. (2011). Enhancing Latinas’ Participation in Research on Sexual Assault: Cultural Considerations in the Design and Implementation of Research in the Latino Community. Violence Against Women, 17, 177-188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1077801210397701 Ahrens, C., Rios-Mandel, C., Isas, L., & del Carmen Lopez, M. (2010). Talking about Interpersonal Violence: Cultural Influences on Latinas’ Identification and Disclosure of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 2, 284-295. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0018605 Ahrens, C. E. (2006). Being Silenced: The Impact of Negative Social Reactions on the Disclosure of Rape. American Journal of Community Psychology, 38, 263-274. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10464-006-9069-9 Ahrens, C. E., Cabral, G., & Abeling, S. (2009). Healing or Hurtful: Sexual Assault Survivors’ Interpretations of Social Reactions from Support Providers. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 33, 81-94. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.01476.x Ahrens, C. E., Campbell, R., Ternier-Thames, N. K., Wasco, S. M., & Sefl, T. (2007). Deciding Whom to Tell: Expectations and Outcomes of Sexual Assault Survivors’ First Disclosures. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 38-49. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6402.2008.01476.x Arellano, C. M., Kuhn, J. A., & Chávez, E. L. (1997). Psychosocial Correlates of Sexual Assault among Mexican American and White Non-Hispanic Adolescent Females. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 19, 446-460. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/07399863970194004 Bachman, R. (1998). The Factors Related to rape Reporting Behavior and Arrest: New Evidence from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 25, 8-29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854898025001002 Campbell, R., Ahrens, C. E., Sefl, T., Wasco, S. M., & Barnes, H. E. (2001). Social Reactions to Rape Victims: Healing and Hurtful Effects on Psychological and Physical Health Outcomes. Violence & Victims, 16, 287-302. Campbell, R., Wasco, S. M., Ahrens, C. E., Sefl, T., & Barnes, H. E. (2001). Preventing the “Second Rape”: Rape Survivors’ Experiences with Community Service Providers. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 1239-1259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/088626001016012002 Comas-Díaz, L., & Greene, B. (1994). Women of Color: Integrating Ethnic and Gender Identities in Psychotherapy. New York: The Guilford Press. Cuevas, C., & Sabina, C. (2010). Final Report: Sexual Assault among Latinas (SALAS) Study.. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, NCJRS Publication No. 230445. http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/230445.pdf Eadie, L. F. (2000). The Role of Self-Blame in the Treatment and Recovery of Sexual Assault Survivors: A Project upon an Independent Investigation. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Northampton, MA: Smith College School for Social Work. Filipas, H. H., & Ullman, S. E. (2001). Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Victims from Various Support Sources. Violence and Victims, 16, 673-692. Fisher, B. F., Daigle, L. E., Cullen, F. T., & Turner, M. G. (2003). Reporting Sexual Victimization to the Police and Others: Results from a National-Level Study of College Women. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 30, 6-38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0093854802239161 Golding, J. M., Siegel, J. M., Sorenson, S. B., Burnam, M. A., & Stein, J. A. (1989). Social Support Sources Following Sexual Assault. Journal of Community Psychology, 17, 92-107.http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1520-6629(198901)17:1<92::AID-JCOP2290170110>3.0.CO;2-E Lefley, H. P., Scott, C. S., Llabre, M., & Hicks, D. (1993). Cultural Beliefs about Rape and Victims’ Response in Three Ethnic Groups. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63, 623-632. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0079477 Legislative Council, State of Michigan. The Michigan Penal Code (Excerpt), Act 328 of 1931, 750.520b, 750.520c, 750.520d, 750.520e. http://www.legislature.mi.gov McAuslan, P. (1998). After Sexual Assault: The Relationship between Women’s Disclosure, the Reactions of Others, and Health. Doctoral Dissertation, Detroit, MI: Wayne State University, Dissertation Abstracts International (UMI No. 9915701) Morrissey, B. E. (1998). Cultural and Ethnic Variations in the Experience of Rape: Issues of Diversity in Reporting, Treatment and Coping. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Northampton, MA: Smith College School for Social Work. Ramos-Lira, L., Koss, M. P., & Russo, N. F. (1999). Mexican American Women’s Definitions of Rape and Sexual Abuse. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21, 236-265. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739986399213004 Romero, G. J., Wyatt, G. E., Loeb, T. B., Carmona, J. V., & Solís, B. M. (1999). The Prevalence and Circumstances of Child Sexual Abuse among Latina Women. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 21, 351-365.http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0739986399213009 Routbort, J. C. (1998). What Happens When You Tell: Disclosure, Attributions, and Recovery from Sexual Assault (Doctoral Dissertation, University Illinois at Chicago, 1998). Dissertation Abstracts International, 58, 5655. Smith, D. W., Letourneau, E. J., Saunders, B. E., Kilpatrick, D. G., Resnick, H. S., & Best, C. L. (2000). Delay in Disclosure of Childhood Rape: Results from a National Survey. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24, 273-287. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0145-2134(99)00130-1 Sorenson, S. B. (1996). Violence against Women: Examining Ethnic Differences and Commonalities. Evaluation Review, 20, 123-145. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0193841X9602000201 Sorenson, S. B., & Siegel, J. M. (1992). Gender, Ethnicity, and Sexual Assault: Findings from a Los Angeles Study. Journal of Social Issues, 48, 93-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1992.tb01159.x Starzynski, L. L., Ullman, S. E., Filipas, H. H., & Townsend, S. (2005). Correlates of Women’s Sexual Assault Disclosure to Informal and Formal Support Sources. Violence and Victims, 20, 417-432. http://dx.doi.org/10.1891/0886-6708.20.4.417 Sudderth, L. (1998). “It’ll Come Right Back at Me”: The Interactional Context of Discussing Rape with Others. Violence against Women, 4, 572-594. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1077801298004005004 Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000). Full Report of the Prevalence, Incidence, and Consequences of Violence against Women: Findings from the National Violence against Women Survey. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIJ Publication No. 183781.http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/183781.pdf Ullman, S. E. (1996a). Correlates and Consequences of Adult Sexual Assault Disclosure. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 11, 554-570. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/088626096011004007 Ullman, S. E. (1996b). Do Social Reactions to Sexual Assault Victims Vary by Support Provider? Violence and Victims, 11, 143-157. Ullman, S. E., & Filipas, H. H. (2001). Correlates of Formal and Informal Support Seeking in Sexual Assault Victims. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 1028-1047. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/088626001016010004 U.S. Census Bureau (2008). American Fact Finder. http://factfinder.census.gov ● PSYCH Subscription ●Most popular papers in PSYCH ●About PSYCH News

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line686

__label__wiki

TD Raises Reserves by US$300-million for Further Claims Financial Post, Barbara Shecter, 17 August 2005 Toronto-Dominion Bank is shelling out US$130-million to settle claims with bankrupt Enron Corp., but there could be far worse news ahead as a massive lawsuit filed by shareholders of the disgraced energy trader works its way through the courts. Yesterday, TD raised a reserve set aside to cover other liabilities from its relationship with Enron by US$300-million to US$400-million, which will lower earnings by 34 cents a share in the third-quarter. TD denied liability or wrongdoing in yesterday's settlement, but Ed Clark, TD's chief executive, acknowledged the damage the bank's involvement with Enron has wrought. "The Enron file has been upsetting to anyone involved in it," he told analysts and investors on a conference call. "It is clear to me ... that no one at TD did anything wrong, but we have been swept up in a system which is causing even innocent participants to pay. This is a real economic cost to the bank, and for that I am truly sorry." Ten major North American banks faced multi-million-dollar exposure to regulatory sanctions and lawsuits stemming from their relationships with the disgraced energy trader. Enron sunk into bankruptcy protection in 2001 after a massive accounting fraud, and now exists merely to pursue and fight legal claims. Among other things, banks were accused of helping Enron inflate revenue by disguising loans. Three Canadian banks -- Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, TD and Royal Bank of Canada -- had dealings with Enron. Each was named in the so-called MegaClaims lawsuit filed by Enron for the banks' alleged role in facilitating the scandal. The Canadian banks were also named in a shareholder lawsuit led by the University of California pension fund that was filed in 2003. The potential impact of the Enron scandal on Canadian banks was ratcheted up this month when CIBC stunned investors with a US$2.4-billion settlement with Enron shareholders. Analysts don't expect TD to take the pounding CIBC has endured from investors because TD was not among Enron's "tier one" banks and had a smaller role in the company's misfortunes. Still, analysts at the Dominion Bond Rating Service were mindful of the surprising magnitude of the CIBC settlement in a report released yesterday. "Although TD's capital levels are reasonable and some reserves are in place, DBRS believes the resolution of class-action lawsuits remains unpredictable," analysts Brenda Lum and Robert Long wrote. CIBC, which has so far made the biggest settlement with Enron's shareholders, also settled the Enron Megaclaims lawsuit this month for US$250-million. In late 2003, CIBC paid US$80-million in a settlement with regulators and avoided criminal prosecution by agreeing, in part, to co-operate with an ongoing investigation. To date, Royal Bank of Canada has paid US$49-million to settle claims with Enron but has not set aside any money to deal with the shareholder suit. Royal executives have maintained the bank played a small role in the Enron saga, and that it is difficult to estimate the size of an eventual payment to the satisfaction of accountants. A source close to CIBC said the bank was restrained by similar accounting rules from increasing its $300-million legal reserve, which is now dwarfed by TD's. An increase would have alerted investors to the financial impact of a much larger settlement, and is bound to be an issue if a shareholder-led class action lawsuit gets off the ground in Canada. Mr. Clark said it would be "reasonable to argue" that TD could settle any claims against it for a small amount, "given the facts" of the bank's involvement in Enron. "On the other hand, given the uncertainties in this situation, it would seem prudent to increase our reserve," he said. So far, about US$6.6-billion has been recovered from banks on behalf of Enron shareholders. Enron has extracted about US$670-million through its MegaClaims action. JP Morgan Chase & Co., which paid US$2.2-billion to settle the class action lawsuit in June, agreed to a further US$350-million payment yesterday in the MegaClaims suit that will go to Enron's creditors. Jamie Keating, an analyst at RBC Capital Markets, told clients yesterday he is comfortable with TD's remaining US$400-million litigation reserve because he expects the bank to pay out between US$280-million and US$480-million to settle the Enron shareholder lawsuit. Most of the shareholder settlements so far work out to about 10 times the amount paid to resolve Enron's MegaClaims suit, which would peg TD's liability at closer to US$700-million. In a report last week before TD increased its litigation reserve by US$300-million, Rob Wessel, an analyst at National Bank Financial, said TD's stronger earnings and larger taxable base in the U.S. could help it weather a settlement as high as $850-million. Andre-Philippe Hardy, an analyst at Merrill Lynch & Co., said TD's stock price already reflects an unlikely "Enron impact" of $1.8-billion, as a result of the beating the shares took following CIBC's back-to-back legal settlements this month. TD Tallies U$130 milliion Enron Tab Bank sets aside further U$300 million, to settle impending suit with investors The Globe and Mail, Sinclair Stewart, 17 August 2005 Toronto-Dominion Bank took a major step toward prying itself loose from the wreckage of Enron Corp. yesterday, paying $130-million (U.S.) to resolve a legal dispute with the company and setting aside an additional $300-million in reserves to help fund a possible class-action settlement with investors of the infamous energy trader. TD is absorbing a $238-million (Canadian) after-tax charge this quarter because of the increased legal bills, which will reduce its profit per share by about 34 cents. It now estimates it will cost half a billion dollars to settle the class-action suit and completely sever its ties to the company. Ed Clark, TD's chief executive officer, insisted that TD was a relative bit player with Enron, a so-called Tier Two bank that never had a close relationship with the company. Although TD denied any wrongdoing as part of its deal with Enron, Mr. Clark said he felt compelled to settle because of the expense and unpredictability of a prolonged legal battle. "No one at TD did anything wrong," he told analysts on an early morning conference call. "But we have been swept up in a system which is causing even innocent participants to pay. This is a real economic cost to the bank, and for that, I am truly sorry." TD is the third Canadian bank in the past few weeks to reach Enron-related settlements. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, the domestic bank with the closest ties to Enron, paid $274-million (U.S.) to settle the "MegaClaims" bankruptcy litigation with Enron and a staggering $2.4-billion to escape from the class-action suit, widely known as the Newby case: the biggest settlement so far among Enron's major financial partners. Royal Bank of Canada paid a total of $49-million to settle with Enron, but is still a defendant in the class action along with TD. Yesterday's $130-million settlement with Enron is divided into three separate components. TD is paying $50-million to resolve allegations it aided a pervasive accounting fraud at the company, and is forking over $20-million to settle a bankruptcy avoidance claim filed by Enron. It is also committing an additional $60-million so that Enron will allow several third parties to bring claims against the company. TD sold $320-million worth of claims to these third parties after Enron filed for bankruptcy. TD began stockpiling cash for Enron-related litigation last year, when it took a $300-million (Canadian) provision. This will be augmented by the additional $300-million (U.S.) provision it is swallowing when it reports its quarterly financial results next week, providing TD with combined legal reserves of about $666-million (Canadian). After deducting $160-million for the MegaClaims lawsuit with Enron, TD is left with $506-million, the amount it expects to pay to resolve the Newby class action. "You can't be absolutely certain that you've got it correct . . . so you take the best shot you can," Dan Marinangeli, TD's chief financial officer, said of the latest provisions. "It's a very difficult assessment. We could be wrong." Investors clutched at whatever shred of certainty they could find, as TD's stock dropped only modestly to $55.47, a loss of 9 cents on the Toronto Stock Exchange on a day when the entire banking sector lost ground. Most analysts viewed the settlement as a positive development, as it removed a significant cloud overhanging the company. "The market was concerned that the charge would ultimately be higher than the one they took," said Robert Wessel, an analyst with National Bank Financial Inc. in Toronto. There does seem to be a rough correlation between the size of the Newby and the MegaClaims settlements. CIBC's class-action bill was just under 10 times the amount it paid to settle with Enron. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., which agreed to a $350-million (U.S.) settlement with Enron yesterday, paid more than six times that amount when it resolved the Newby case for $2.2-billion. Judging by this range, it might cost TD between $385-million (Canadian) and $585-million to settle the class action, although the bank cautioned against using this measure as a yardstick. Both Mr. Clark and Mr. Marinangeli declined to comment on the current state of negotiations with lawyers for the University of California, the lead plaintiff in the Enron class action. Settlement score card North American banks have been negotiating legal settlements with Enron Corp. and other litigants over the energy trading giant's 2001 collapse. The total so far: • MegaClaims litigation (Enron bankruptcy) BANK SETTLEMENT ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS TOTAL CIBC $250-million $24-million $274-million TD $50-million $80-million $130-million RBC $25-million $24-million $49-million J.P. MORGAN $350-million $0 $350-million Citigroup Inc. Not settled Not settled Not settled • Newby (Enron class action) BANK SETTLEMENT CIBC $2.4-billion TD Not settled RBC Not settled J.P. MORGAN $2.2-billion Citigroup Inc. $2-billion • Regulatory settlements (2003) CIBC $80-million TD Not applicable RBC Not applicable J.P. MORGAN $160-million Citigroup Inc. $145-million Merrill Lynch $80-million Source: Regulatory filings, company reports. Note: All figures in U$ TD to Weather Enron Easily Globe and Mail, Omar El-Akkad, 12 August 2005 Toronto-Dominion Bank will likely not take a significant hit to its book value if it settles in the Enron class action lawsuit, unlike the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. TD could incur a pre-tax charge of roughly $850-million before it impacts the bank's book value, according to National Bank Financial analyst Robert Wessel. CIBC erased about 25 per cent of its book value last week after announcing a settlement that requires the bank shell out $2.4-billion (U.S.). However Mr. Wessel thinks TD is not likely to suffer as much if it settles. Mr. Wessel reiterated his “outperform” rating on the stock. Although TD had dealings with Enron, unlike CIBC, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan, it was not a so-called “Tier 1 banker” for the company,” Mr. Wessel said in a note to clients. Therefore, its reserve level of $300-million (Canadian) appears more in line with many of the other charges taken by similarly exposed U.S. banks and broker-dealers. Amplifying the damage to CIBC's balance sheet was the lack of a full tax shield, owing to the bank's weak profitability in the U.S, according to Mr. Wessel. Although TD suffered in the U.S. during the downturn, he believes it is profitable there now, and therefore, he doesn't expect the impact of the charge to be magnified by a lack of taxable income. TD also generates 30 per cent more accrual earnings than CIBC, allowing for a larger cushion against the looming charge, Mr. Wessel said. TD is among a group other banks and brokerages, including Royal Bank of Canada, that have yet to reach an agreement in the lawsuit. Ameritrade is Accused of Delaying Trades Kevin O'Hanlon, Associated Press Writer, 10 August 2005 LINCOLN, Neb. -- Online broker Ameritrade is being accused of costing investors $100 million by delaying orders to buy and sell stock. A class-action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Omaha-based Ameritrade Holding Corp. in one instance took more than an hour to execute a trade, costing an investor more than $26,000. "Some of the trades ... were delayed hours," said attorney Max Folkenflik, who filed the lawsuit for Telco Group, Inc., a telecommunications company based in Flushing, N.Y., on behalf of all Ameritrade customers since April 2000. Ameritrade spokeswoman Kim Hillyer declined comment on the lawsuit. Folkenflik said Ameritrade advertised that the median time to execute all trades from August 2003 to January 2004 was less than three seconds. In one example listed in the lawsuit, Telco placed an order to buy 175,000 shares on the Nasdaq Stock Market on Jan. 7, 2004. The high price when the trade order was received was $37.54 per share, while the low price was $37.53. The transaction was received at approximately 3:05 p.m. but was not executed until 4:20 p.m., when the shares were trading at $37.68 per share, according to the lawsuit. "As a result of Ameritrade's failure to process the trade promptly and at the best possible price under the circumstances ... Telco lost $26,250," according to the lawsuit. Another class-action lawsuit against Ameritrade is pending. That lawsuit was filed by David Zannini of Angier, N.C., and three other Ameritrade customers who said the glitches in Ameritrade's online system were caused by "antiquated and inadequate systems and an insufficient number of employees" to help customers make trades. The lawsuit claims Ameritrade spent its money on recruiting new subscribers rather than fixing the problems. That action is pending in Douglas County District Court. The dismissal of another class-action lawsuit against Ameritrade is on appeal to the Nebraska Court of Appeals. That lawsuit was filed by Mitchell Green of Los Angeles, who agreed in 1998 to pay $20 a month for an Ameritrade service to get real-time information on stocks and options. His lawsuit, however, alleged that the information on the options -- agreements to buy or sell a stock at a certain time or price -- was "stale." Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall recently ruled that Ameritrade's promise to make "real time" trades did not amount to a contract with its customers. Founded by Joe Ricketts of Omaha, Ameritrade rapidly expanded in 1997 when it began offering rates as low as $8 a trade. Ameritrade recently signed a deal to acquire rival TD Waterhouse USA from TD Bank Financial Group for about $3 billion. The deal would make Ameritrade the largest online broker -- at an estimated 239,000 average daily client trades. Last year, Ameritrade had net income of $272.3 million, or 64 cents a share on $880.1 million in revenue. Shares in the company rose 9 cents to $20.06 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. TD Raises Reserves by US$300-million for Further C...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line687

__label__wiki

Tag - Howling Back At The Wounded Dog The Rough & Tumble – Howling Back At The Wounded Dog – Folk Roots Radio Interview Tagged with Coco Love Alcorn, Folk Roots Radio, Howling Back At The Wounded Dog, Jan Hall, Jane Eamon, Jason Wilson, John Mann, Miranda Mulholland, Nicolas and The Iceni, Spirit Of The West, The Rough and Tumble Multi-instrumentalists Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler make music together as The Rough & Tumble. If you’re a regular listener to this show you’ll know that we’re big fans of this folky rootsy Americana duo who gave up their permanent home in 2015 for a life on the road with their dogs; traveling from gig to gig in their small RV. They join us on Episode 478 of Folk Roots Radio to chat about their latest album “Howling Back At The Wounded Dog” which feels like a bit of a game changer as far as their career is concerned. Alongside some great songs from the new album, it’s a really fun interview. We also include new music from Jason Wilson, Jane Eamon, Coco Love Alcorn, Miranda Mulholland and a special musical tribute to the late great John Mann, leader of iconic Canadian folk rock band Spirit Of The West. An amazing singer, songwriter, performer, actor and activist, John touched many lives, especially so after being diagnosed with colon cancer, and fighting back and then being diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease several years ago, and still trying to fight back. He will be missed. Check out the full playlist below. https://folkrootsradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/FRR-The-Rough-Tumble-Howl-At-The-Moon-September-10-2019-Web.mp3 Tagged with Dave Coalman, Folk Roots Radio, Howling Back At The Wounded Dog, Jan Hall, Mallory Graham, Scott Tyler, The Rough and Tumble Multi-instrumentalists Mallory Graham & Scott Tyler make music together as The Rough & Tumble. They released “Howling Back At The Wounded Dog” this past September – the follow up to the very well-received “We Made Ourselves A Home When We Didn’t Know” from 2018. The new recording is already picking up some critical buzz, and feels like a bit of a game changer as far as their career is concerned. It has a wonderful, immediate, and almost live, feel to it, and was recorded in just five days in East Nashville with Dave Coalman, who also produced We Made Ourselves A Home When We Didn’t Know. Ten new songs that see them proudly moving forward after what they describe as a year of honesty; time to reflect on some of the challenges they have faced in their lives. If you’re a regular listener to this show you’ll know that we’re big fans of this folky rootsy Americana duo who gave up their permanent home in 2015 for a life on the road with their dogs; traveling from gig to gig in their small RV. We caught up with Mallory & Scott in Grand Rapids MI to talk about the new album. For more information about The Rough & Tumble, visit theroughandtumble.com. Music: The Rough & Tumble “Howl At The Moon”, “The Hardest Part”, “Call Mercy” and “High Fly (Didn’t I Wait?)” from “Howling Back At The Wounded Dog” (2019, Rock Candy Records).

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line689

__label__cc

Giant, Safeway Set To Bargain Labor Pacts With UFCW Locals Representatives of the two largest retail chains in the Baltimore-Washington market – Giant and Safeway – have begun bargaining with the area’s two United Food and Commercial Workers unions – Local 400 and Local 27 – as all sides seek new labor contacts for their retail clerks and meatcutters. The current three-year agreement expires on October 26. All told, approximately 26,000 store associates (15,000 at Giant and 11,000 at Safeway) are impacted. As was the case in 2016 when the two large chains negotiated their last agreements, Giant and Safeway will bargain their contracts separately. Prior to that, the two chains negotiated UFCW labor pacts as one combined entity for more than 40 years. Sources from both sides agreed that the focus of these negotiations will center on reducing the huge unfunded liability of their “FELRA and UFCW” multi-employers pension fund which impacts approximately 35,000 current and retired clerks and meatcutters at both chains. That shortfall now exceeds $1 billion, one of the largest unfunded amounts of any pension plan in the nation. Giant and Safeway associates comprise a majority of the plan’s members. “Both sides have been kicking this can down the road on this issue for years,” said a union executive involved with these negotiations. “Obviously, this is a national issue that’s very complex; there are no quick-fix solutions. However, in the case of the FELRA (Food Employers Labor Relations Association) plan, the unfunded liability continues to grow each year and I believe we’re within a few years of insolvency. Both sides need to find a way to compromise to reduce this massive liability.” Other issues on the table include healthcare benefits and wages. In 2016, both UFCW locals were able to avoid “givebacks” on healthcare. However, as the cost of maintaining health benefits continue to rise, look for this to be a key issue for both sides. Wages, too, promise to be an important item that will be on the table over the next six weeks. In 2016, clerks and meatcutters gained an average compensation increase of $3.35 an hour (wages and benefits). Safeway and Giant believe that they are at a competitive disadvantage when compared to other food and drug retailers in the Baltimore-Washington which are not unionized (the only other major organized retailer in the market is Shoppers which is selling its stores). As such, both chains feel that non-union retailers can afford a higher hourly wage because they are not responsible for paying the same benefit load as the two leading chains in the market. It’s the classic chicken/egg argument that once again will be addressed during the bargaining The unions feel differently, noting that Giant and Safeway’s inability to offer (in some cases) the same wage levels as their non-union rivals has contributed to a weakened labor pool, causing more turnover which ultimately impacts store level perception. According to one retail executive whose company is involved in the negotiations: “You can’t have it both ways. We have to look at this issue by examining our total cost of labor – not just wages. It’s true, that the labor pool is not strong today, but there are several reasons why including an exceptional level of unemployment. We just can’t keep paying more when we recognize that more than half of the Baltimore-Washington market is now comprised of non-union competition whose total compensation package is less than ours.” Previous articleMurphy’s Fresh Markets Hosts Annual Golf Outing Benefiting St. Mary Of The Lakes Next articleAISLE CHATTER Food Trade News Giant Food, Stop & Shop To End Shared Merchandising Services Specialty Distributor DPI To Close Its Mid-Atlantic Division Ramping Up Its E-Commerce Biz, Giant Opens 100th ‘Direct’ Unit

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line690

__label__cc

For Reel A Quiet Passion (2016) A Ghost Story (2017) The Little Hours (2017) Shadows in Paradise (1986) Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Macbeth (1971) The Big Sick (2017) Follow For Reel on WordPress.com Our Little Sister (2015) Filed under: Reviews | Tags: 2015, hirokazu kore-eda, our little sister Director: Hirokazu Kore-eda After the death of their father, three sisters (Haruka Ayase, Masami Nagasawa, and Kaho) invite their half-sister (Suzu Hirose) to live with them in their family home in director Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest family drama. If their history is fraught with emotional turmoil (their father left with another woman and as a result their mother became complacent), the day-to-day conflicts of the sisters at this stage in their life is of the episodic sitcom variety—whether or not to take a new job, or how to bridge the gap between wild living and maturity. Kore-eda is not a director who favors overblown dramatic conflicts (his best films, like Still Walking and Like Father, Like Son, concern themselves with tense dynamics that don’t often bubble to the surface), but Our Little Sister is slight and breezy to the point that it all but drifts away. There is never a concern that the sisters will fail to exist in harmony or that the newly adopted step-sister will struggle to adjust—despite the difficulties that they have faced, the film all-too-often revels in their empathetic, loving glances across a dinner table while the melodramatic orchestral score holds the viewer’s hand. The loveliness of it all is fully convincing when the sisters bond over food, plum wine, and fireworks, but it’s hard to feel something for a family’s bond when there is never any sense of a fragility to it.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line692

__label__cc

FGTR reissues dvdgenesis Re: FGTR reissues Okay, so since my last post I've received two rather uninteresting reissues from the UK and one very interesting one from Russia. First, let's get the boring ones out of the way. One is a 2-disc version that is identical to The Orange Collection aside from the packaging. It divides the album in exactly the same way (i.e., A Place To Call My Own has been moved to the bonus disc) and it even contains the same bad edit at the end of Silent Sun 2006. I would have expected this from The White Collection, etc., but this one is titled The Early Days of Genesis and has somewhat different cover art. Someone has used Photoshop (or a similar technique) to shuffle the boys around in the photo and cluster them in much closer together. The group has then been pushed over to the right-hand side and there was a slipcover with a semicircular cutout that revealed them on the cover of the booklet. Given that the wg and mcps logos are on this as well as The Orange Collection, it's pretty safe to say that this is actually a reissue of a reissue, since it's obviously from the same record company but it's from 2008. The other UK one is a single disc, but also bears the wg and mcps logos. It's titled Genesis - The Peter Gabriel Years and features a small version of the standard group photo on the left with a few song titles to the right of it and a "Music Sessions" logo in the lower-right corner. It is from 2008 or 2009 as I recall. If there were any doubt that this is just the first disc's content from The Orange Collection (or perhaps even the 2008 release described above), the fact that A Place To Call My Own has been left off of this release entirely pretty much clinches it. I have no idea why this company decided to divide the album up this way, but I have a theory. When I load the CD and iTunes checks the Gracenote database, the title comes up as In The Beginning, which doesn't appear anywhere on the packaging. I assume that there was a release called In The Beginning from this company, and all subsequent releases come up that way because of how Gracenote identifies CDs (an algorithm that is based on the number of tracks and running time of each). For that reason, any single-disc reissue of FGTR would come up as the same title as long as the number of tracks was the same and they were in the same order. iTunes sees at least a couple of my 17-track single-disc reissues as the same album, although it is able to discern a difference with one or two of them, probably due to minor differences in the track times. That could explain why different reissues split certain songs in different places, but it's more likely to be due to confusion arising out of having all the tracks segue right into each other without a gap. My theory about splitting the album up differently is that the first disc wouldn't come up as any other reissue if it had one less track than the original album. That theory may be flawed, because they also left the bonus tracks off the first disc, but for example, Disc 1 of the EDSEL release would have the same number of tracks with the same timing as The Orange Collection if they'd have left A Place To Call My Own where it was supposed to be. Regardless of the reason, it's just silly and makes me really glad I don't actually have to rely on these reissues to listen to the album. Well, since I've gone on so long about these rather unremarkable UK reissues, I'll start a new post for my description of the very cool (and somewhat mysterious) Russian release. Thanks for sticking with me so far. Last edited by dvdgenesis on Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total. Now to the juicy bit, and I'm going to refrain from describing exactly how I obtained the Russian release, since I'm not 100% sure of its legitimacy. I wouldn't talk about it at all if I really believed it was bogus... the only reason I'm being cautious about not saying whether I bought or traded for it is because of my general suspicion of any recorded media that originated in that country. For the record, I did not obtain it directly from Russia. Audio-wise, I thought this one sounded very good... maybe not quite up to the EDSEL release, but it seemed significantly less noisy than the ones I described in my previous post. It was apparently released by a company called SomeWax in 2001, and one of the things that makes this release unique is that the song titles are actually laser-etched on the underside of the disc around the outer edge. The key artwork on this release is the "snowy fence" cover art used on the U.S. "Snapper" release, which makes some sense because that version was released in 2000. What doesn't fit is that this is only a single-disc release with no bonus tracks, and the Snapper release was 2 discs. This wouldn't even be the first disc of the Snapper version, because that one had A Place To Call My Own leading off Disc 2 as well (so I guess that happened long before The Orange Collection). The artwork appears no less than FOUR times between the booklet, disc and rear insert. The front cover is particularly unique... it's kind of in the same vein as the Rock Roots cover. On the front, it shows a pile of record jackets, with the "Snapper" release of FGTR on top (odd, because I don't think that version was ever released on LP). The only other cover that I recognize is Foxtrot, the back cover of which is visible in the upper-left corner. At bottom center is printed "GENESIS" with "from genesis to revelation" just below it. Next to that, mysteriously enough, is our friend the hologram sticker, which is often found on counterfeit items, especially from Argentina. Can't say for sure what it means here, and it may actually prove this a legitimate release rather than serving as evidence to the contrary. Would love to know which, but I have no idea how to go about finding out. When considering this release, I had thought I may need to get the real Snapper version to get the real "snowy fence" cover instead of just a cover that features a picture of it, but luckily the full artwork appears on the back of the booklet in its original form. It is also on the disc surface, making this a "picture disc" of sorts. When you lift out the disc, the inside of the back insert is printed with a photo of an open Anvil-type briefcase containing several LPs, again with FGTR on top. Some of you may be able to identify the other albums shown, but none of them strike me as familiar. Obviously, this photo is visible through a clear disc tray. The back of the insert shows another photo of the briefcase, but rather than having black sides like an Anvil (or "roadie") case, it looks more like a metal case that mobile DJs might use to carry large libraries of CDs, and there is a "SOMEWAX" emblem just above the handle. It is closed, and has a stack of LPs on top, with FGTR yet again on top, but this time the back is visible which shows the track list. It is also printed in the lower-left corner of the insert, even though it's perfectly readable from the back of the LP cover. I have to say that I'm not entirely sure that these photos aren't all CGI, or at least computer-enhanced. There is a barcode in the upper-left corner, and given the quality of the packaging and the clarity of the barcode, I'm pretty sure that this is a rare example of a legitimate Russian release. All the appropriate logos seem to be present, and there's even an e-mail address for SomeWax (albeit a Hotmail one that may or may not be valid), which I doubt would appear on a counterfeit. The booklet itself is several pages, and includes what appear to be color-tinted photos of the horizon, or possibly CGI depictions of same, along with lyrics which may or may not be entirely accurate. This is one of the more well-done reissues... not as good as the EDSEL release, but on par with the Varese Sarabande and Repertoire versions. It is also by far the most unusual version I've seen, mostly due to the laser-etched disc. I hope everyone finds this version as interesting as I do, and haven't nodded off two paragraphs in. I'd like to share some photos of my collection, this item in particular, but I haven't really looked into how to do that from within the forum. If there's a good deal of interest, I'll definitely try to share some images in the near future. For now, I'll take my leave until I run across this album again in yet another form. Thanks for reading, everyone! I like this album a lot, but these days I probalby listen to it at most two or three times per year. It occurs to me that I could do that for the rest of my life, and listen to a different release of the album every single time. - babylon5 babylon5 wrote: LOL... yep, you and me both. I don't listen to it a lot myself, but I still haven't got around to getting all my Genesis albums onto my iPod. So far I've only got the Archive boxed sets and various other compilations on it, but I'm planning to eventually get all my CDs into iTunes. This endeavor was mostly just about collecting the various releases, but I now have most of the interesting ones. Sort of off-topic, but I had an experience recently that relates to a previous tangent we went on regarding, ahem, "unofficial" pressings and certain countries that are known for producing them. I'm not advocating the purchase of these in any way... just making an observation about an item from one of those countries. As a Christmas gift, I received Love Songs - A Compilation... Old And New (PLUS EXTRA STUFF) which was the "deluxe" Digipak version that included a bonus DVD of a few videos that did not appear on the First Farewell Tour set. I also got a BEST BUY gift card from the same person, so it seemed appropriate to order the deluxe Digipak edition of Going Back with the gift card. I had actually bought the album at BEST BUY on the day of release, and they did have an exclusive bonus DVD containing an interview with Phil. Unfortunately, the deluxe edition was backordered. I was almost ready to give up until about a week ago when I went to their website and noticed that I couldn't cancel my order because they were in the process of fulfilling it. Because of the exclusive DVD, I was worried that they'd just send me their version (which was in a 2-disc "brilliant box" jewel case rather than a Digipak) instead of what I wanted, but sure enough the Digipak was in my mailbox a few days later. For those unfamiliar with the different versions of this title that have been released, this version contains 25 tracks, plus 4 bonus tracks as .wav and .mp3 files, making up all 29 songs Phil recorded for the project. The bonus DVD includes Going Back: The Home Movie which is very much that... a fly-on-the-wall look at making the album, with running commentary from Phil added after the fact. There is also something called A Conversation With Phil Collins which made me worry that my BEST BUY-exclusive bonus DVD had been rendered obsolete. I needn't have worried, because this was just a more slickly-produced behind-the-scenes featurette that included interviews with just about everyone involved with the project. The interview on the BEST BUY disc was just a single-camera affair with Phil sitting in a chair the whole time. Now comes the part that's slightly off... I noticed that it was apparently made in Argentina, and even had a variation of the usual hologram sticker on the front. The only difference I noticed between it and the U.S. version I already had was that the graphics on the label surface didn't seem to have the translucency that the U.S. discs did, but imports aren't usually as flashy as American pressings, so that's not unusual. I wonder if BEST BUY got duped into selling less-than-legitimate copies of the album, or just got desperate trying to fulfill orders and went with a less-than-reputable distributor. I don't want to assume the worst, and I don't feel cheated at all, but I'm just curious to know if there's a way I can find out whether this is a legit Argentine release or not. For what it's worth, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that not only are all 29 songs available as .wav and .mp3 files, they are also playable via the DVD menu (probably as Dolby Digital, or, dare we dream, uncompressed PCM tracks). As with the Genesis boxed sets, you get a graphic slideshow while the album plays on the DVD. Since I may not ever lay out the cash for the limited edition box of vinyl singles, it was really cool to see the picture sleeve/label art designs from each of them displayed during each song. Whew... another long post out of my system. I would have started a new thread, but this kind of touches on what we talked about before, and made me sort of question my opinion of Argentina as far as CDs go. I didn't notice any Spanish text anywhere, and I don't really know if that would be a good or bad sign. All I know is that I got the deluxe edition and only had to pay a few bucks for shipping. At this point I think I have every song Phil recorded, aside from the album A Hot Night In Paris, which I do plan to buy soon. I would love someone to start a new thread if there might be rare tracks I've missed, though. Of course I mean actual Phil Collins songs, not side projects or sessions. I'm reminded that I still don't have the Brother Bear soundtrack, but I think I have the single of at least one or two of those tracks, and he didn't do all of those himself. I also don't have TARZAN: The Musical, but I don't think he sings those. Anyway, if anyone knows of Phil or Genesis songs that have appeared on an official CD album or single and are really rare, I'm up to the challenge to see whether I have them or not. Until another reissue of FGTR crosses my path... thanks for reading! theSeaHawk Did "Genesis Archive" do a needledrop of the mono version of FGTR? theSeaHawk wrote: I don't understand... what do you mean?

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line694

__label__wiki

At Least 20 Killed, Hundreds Endangered In Flood-Swept Southern Afghanistan FILE: Flood in southeastern Afghanistan. At least 20 people have been killed, including several children, as flash floods struck Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province, UN relief officials say. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on March 2 that floods washed away homes and vehicles after heavy rains hit Kandahar city and surrounding districts. "At least 10 people, including children, are still missing," the UN agency said. "It is anticipated that up to 2,000 homes may have been damaged." It added that severe damage to regional infrastructure was reported. Families hit by the flooding have been evacuated in the region as crews also battle to secure schools, mosques, and government buildings. Abdul Hanan Moneeb, Kandahar's deputy governor, said the flooding was the worst in at least seven years. He said many nomadic herders in the area had their camps and livestock washed away by the floodwaters. The OCHA statement said some 500 Kochi nomadic people were stranded on a riverbank and in urgent need of rescue. Heavy snowfall continues to hamper rescue efforts, officials said. The mountainous region featuring large river valleys is often hit by flash floods as snow melts in the spring and summer. The UN said that about 50 people have been killed so far this year as of February 12 in Afghanistan because of flooding. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line695

__label__wiki

UN Rights Chief Laments Kashmir's 'Untold Suffering,' Calls For Probe Into Abuses FILE: A Kashmiri protestor throws a stone towards Indian government forces during clashes in Srinagar. The UN human rights chief has called for an international investigation into possible rights violations in Kashmir, the disputed region divided between India and Pakistan. A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on June 14 highlighted the "chronic impunity for violations committed by security forces," alleging large-scale abuses committed by both sides in the volatile Himalayan region. "I will be urging the UN Human Rights Council to consider establishing a commission of inquiry to conduct a comprehensive independent international investigation into allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir," High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein said. "It is a conflict that has robbed millions of their basic human rights and continues to this day to inflict untold suffering." Kashmir has been divided between Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan since the end of British rule in 1947. Both claim the region and have fought two wars over it. A secessionist insurgency in the Muslim-majority region has led to the deaths of an estimated 44,000 people over the decades, many of them civilians. The UN report focuses on what it calls serious violations in India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir from July 2016 to April 2018. The report quotes activists as saying 165 civilians were killed by security forces and armed groups during that period. "In responding to demonstrations that started in 2016, Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries," the report said. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein India immediately rejected the report, calling it a "selective compilation of largely unverified information" that creates "a false narrative." Islamabad welcomed Zeid's request for a probe, with the Foreign Ministry saying it was "consistent with Pakistan's several calls to this effect since 2016." New Delhi has long accused Islamabad of arming and training insurgents and helping them infiltrate across the militarized Line of Control that separates the two sides. Pakistan denies the charges and calls the militants “freedom fighters” seeking autonomy. The report also cited alleged violations in the Pakistan-administered portion of Kashmir. It urged Islamabad to end "misuse" of antiterror legislation to persecute peaceful activists and suppress dissent. Pakistan did not immediately comment on the report. Meanwhile, senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari and his police bodyguard were fatally shot on June 14 by unknown assailants in the Indian-controlled portion, police say. Bukhari, who was the editor for a group of daily newspapers, advocated for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute, often participating in peace conferences between Indian and Pakistani officials. With reporting by dpa, Reuters, and AP

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line696

__label__wiki

Up To 20 Killed In Attacks In Northern, Eastern Afghanistan FILE: An Afghan policeman walks at the government district building after a Taliban attack in Khawaja Omari district of Ghazni province in April. The Taliban has killed at least 14 members of Afghanistan's security forces in an overnight attack in the Sayyad district of northern Sar-e-Pul Province, a local official said on June 12. At least 25 others were wounded during the attack, provincial council member Noor Aga Noori said. Noori also said that four of the injured soldiers were taken hostage by the insurgents. In eastern Ghazni Province, a suicide bomber using a military Humvee vehicle killed at least five members of the Afghan security forces, officials said. A spokesman for the Ghazni governor, Arif Noori, said the attack occurred on June 12 in the early hours of the morning. At least 26 others, including a district governor and 18 police officers, were wounded in the blast, Noori said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Noori said the Humvee had been taken earlier from Afghan forces by Taliban fighters in a separate attack. Based on reporting by dpa and AP

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line697

__label__wiki

Xi Seeks To Reassure Critics Over $1 Trillion Belt And Road Project Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during the opening ceremony of the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on April 26. Chinese President Xi Jinping says his plan to recreate the old Silk Road is designed to increase and enhance international trade cooperation, as he bid to reassure critics of the $1 trillion infrastructure project. Xi also told attendees at his Belt and Road Forum on April 26 that Beijing would eliminate anticompetitive subsidies to Chinese firms, a practice that has angered many foreign trading partners, including the United States and the European Union. "We will overhaul and abolish unjustified regulations, subsidies, and practices that impede fair competition and distort the market," Xi said. "We will treat all companies, enterprises, and business entities equally and foster an enabling business environment based on market operation and governed by law," he said. The massive Belt and Road initiative seeks to create new rail, road, port, and energy infrastructure that links China with Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia. The high-profile meeting brings together heads of states including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, whose country became the first G7 member to sign up to the initiative. Also scheduled to attend among the 37 heads of state are Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev. EU members Germany and France are sending ministers while the United States has not dispatched any officials from Washington. The United States and many EU countries have criticized China's project and its lending for regional infrastructure efforts, warning that it has saddled some developing countries with debts they cannot afford to repay. Xi sought to ease those concerns, pledging to prevent debt risks and saying the massive infrastructure project was "not an exclusive club." Xi said that "we also need to ensure the commercial and fiscal sustainability of all projects so that they will achieve the intended goals as planned." He also looked to reassure critics who have complained about what has been called a lack of transparency involved in deals between Chinese companies and some local governments, raising corruption concerns. "Everything should be done in a transparent way and we should have zero tolerance for corruption," Xi said. "Green" development will also be promoted, he said, amid concerns that infrastructure projects are causing long-lasting environmental harm in the region. "We must adhere to the concept of openness, greenness, and cleanliness," he said. Critics have cited several negative developments that have occurred as a result of initiative projects, such as the Sri Lankan government being forced to hand over a deep-sea port to China for 99 years after it was unable to repay loans. Xi reiterated that China would not engage in the competitive devaluation of its yuan currency -- another issue Washington and others in the West have warned against. Since Xi launched the initiative in 2013, China has invested $90 billion in projects while Chinese banks have provided at least $200 billion in loans to foreign governments. With reporting by AFP and Reuters

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line698

__label__wiki

Air Force football standout Geraud Sanders earns pilot training slot but is also eyeing NFL photo by Jerd Smith Gross Reservoir, in Boulder County, holds water diverted from the headwaters of the Colorado River on the Western Slope. The reservoir is part of Denver Water’s storage system Jerd Smith If drought and climate change continue to sap the river’s flows, and a legal crisis erupts with downstream states, six of the state’s eight major river basins could be forced to give up water. The Front Range and Eastern Plains are most vulnerable if shortages hit the river downstream and could lose as much as 97 percent of their Colorado River supplies. Courtesy of Chas Chamberlin {span}Blue Mesa Reservoir is Colorado’s largest reservoir, 20 miles long with a surface area of over 14 square miles. It was created by the damming of the Gunnison River by Blue Mesa Dam in 1966 as part of the Colorado River Storage Project, helping control the flow of water into the Colorado River. Credit: Dean Krakel{/span} Study: River water crisis could dry out Front Range By JERD SMITH Fresh Water News Water sufficient for more than 1 million homes on the Front Range could be lost, and thousands of acres of farmland on the eastern plains and Western Slope could go dry if the state can’t supply enough water from the drought-stricken Colorado River to downstream states as it is legally required to do, according to a new study. Among the key findings: • In the next 25 years, if the state does nothing to set more water aside in Lake Powell, the Front Range could lose up to 97% of its Colorado River water. • All but two of the state’s eight major river basins, under that same “do nothing” scenario, also face dramatic water cutbacks. • If Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico increase their water use by as little as 11.5%, as predictions indicate they will by 2037, the risk of a legal crisis spurring such cutbacks on the river doubles, rising from 39% to 78%, under one scenario, and 46% to 92% under another. “Every water user in every river basin (linked to the Colorado) faces some risk,” said Andy Mueller, general manager of the Glenwood Springs-based Colorado River Water Conservation District, one of the sponsors of the Colorado River Risk Study, as it is known. The Durango-based Southwestern Water Conservation District also sponsored the work. “That’s an important takeaway because when you begin to realize the extent of potential damage, whether it is on the (Western) Slope or the Front Range, then we all come to the realization that we have a shared risk,” Mueller said. Under the 1922 Colorado River Compact, the river’s supplies are divided between the four Upper Basin states (Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico) and three Lower Basin states (California, Nevada and Arizona). The compact dictates that cities and farmers in the Upper Basin whose water rights were obtained after the compact was signed would have to give up some or all of their water to the Lower Basin if there isn’t enough water in Lake Powell to meet the terms of the compact. Colorado uses the most water of all the Upper Basin states and therefore faces the most risk. The study was conducted by Boulder-based Hydros Consulting and released in June. It looked at different scenarios for the way river conditions and reductions to diversions could play out, as well as ways to reduce the risk cities and farms face, including spreading the cutbacks proportionately among all the river basins, something that isn’t typically done. ‘A bit of scare tactics’ Front Range water utilities are wary of the study and have begun a new round of analysis to determine if they agree with the results. Alex Davis is a water attorney for the city of Aurora. At a recent forum on the risk study, she said that the chances of a Colorado River crisis were being exaggerated. And the study acknowledges that under some scenarios the risk of such a legal crisis is low. “All of this talk is helpful to get people to think about the issue, but it also seems like a bit of scare tactics. If the Lower Basin states did try to do something, there would be a whole number of reasons (they would not get far),” she said. Including the fact that the Lower Basin states continue to overuse their share of the river by about 1.2 million acre-feet a year. Before Colorado and its Upper Basin neighbors were asked to cut back, the Lower Basin would have to do additional cutbacks as well, she said. Though the Colorado River flows west, and originates in Colorado’s Never Summer Mountains in Rocky Mountain National Park, a large volume of its flow, more than 530,000 acre-feet annually, are pumped east through the Continental Divide to the state’s Front Range cities, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Boulder, Fort Collins and Broomfield, among others. That’s enough water to supply 1.06 million homes or to irrigate more than one-half million acres of crops. Because these water users built their tunnels and reservoirs decades after the 1922 Compact was signed, they could be among the first to be cut off. Denver’s largest storage pool, Dillon Reservoir, was completed in the 1960s. Front Range cities and farms would lose 97% of their Colorado River supplies if those diversions were completely shut down, according to the study. “You have to start with the fact that 50% of the water on the Front Range comes from the (Western) Slope. Should the Upper Basin fail to meet its delivery obligation, half of water use on the Front Range would be curtailed. That’s an enormous problem,” said Brad Udall, a senior climate and water scientist at Colorado State University’s Colorado Water Center. Other parts of the state also face risk, some more than others. The Yampa River Basin, home to Steamboat Springs, would lose slightly more than 70,000 acre-feet of water, or 30% of its Colorado River supplies. The Gunnison Basin, where agriculture controls historic water rights that predate the compact, is better protected, with the potential to lose just over 57,000 acre-feet of water, or 10% of its share of the river. But a large swath of the southwestern part of the state would also be hard hit. Despite the historic farm water rights in this region, several small communities and irrigation districts built reservoirs after the compact was signed, just as cities did on the Front Range, meaning that those stored water supplies are also at high risk. In this basin, 178,000 acre-feet of water, roughly 36% of its Colorado River supplies, could be lost, according to the study. The likelihood of ongoing drought and hotter summers only deepens the uneasiness over the river’s ability to produce the amount of water the state once relied on. “We don’t expect to see cooler temperatures in the future, we expect to see warmer temps,” Mueller said. “If that is true, then we have to plan on reduced water supplies within our state.” Saving more water? The study comes as the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), the lead water policy agency in the state, is examining whether to launch a massive, voluntary conservation program that would allow the state and its neighbors to save some 500,000 acre-feet of water and store it in a newly authorized drought pool in Lake Powell. The pool, to be used only by the Upper Basin states, could help protect Colorado and its neighbors if drought and climate change continue to sap the river’s flows. Michelle Garrison is a modeler with the CWCB who has analyzed the study’s results. She said the scenarios it considered are important for comparative purposes and may help the Western Slope and Front Range collaborate on any water cutbacks, something that hasn’t always occurred in the past. “It’s a tough one,” she said. “The hydrology in the Colorado River has always been extremely variable and it’s predicted to become even more variable. But I’m really pleased to see them sharing their results.” In places like the Yampa Basin, if the state cut back water use based strictly on prior appropriation, where water right dates determine who gets water first in times of shortage, Stagecoach Reservoir, the most significant storage pool in the valley, could be shut off because its storage rights date only to the 1980s. And residents would be hard-pressed to cope if another long-term drought drained the river and their only source of stored water was no longer able to refill. Kevin McBride is manager of the Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District, which owns Stagecoach. He, like dozens of other water managers across the state, is still contemplating the options. (Editor’s note: McBride serves on the board of Water Education Colorado, which houses Fresh Water News.) “Generally being safe from drought is what it’s all about,” McBride said. “But how do you get there? “It’s complicated and it comes down to how it’s done.” McBride and others on the Western Slope are asking for another round of modeling that would examine more equitable ways to cut back water use, so that no one takes the brunt of the reductions. With insurance, or without? Others have suggested that the state should let the rules embedded in the 1922 Compact and Colorado’s water rights system play out, rather than creating an expensive, legally complex water conservation program. Anne Castle, a senior fellow at the University of Colorado’s Getches-Wilkinson Center for Natural Resources who specializes in Colorado River issues, said that going without a major conservation program carries its own set of very high risks, such as decades of expensive lawsuits or unplanned water shortages. Over the next several months, the state will continue to examine how best to protect its Colorado River water as part of drought planning work it is engaged in with the other Upper Basin states. Late next year, all Colorado River Basin states will begin negotiating a new set of operating guidelines for the entire river system, designed to bring it back into balance and slash the risk of major cutbacks. “Truly, one of the points of this risk study is to make sure that anyone who is at risk understands the risk,” Mueller said. “If you’re a water planner, it may set off some alarm bells. But we don’t want people to panic. The hope is people will look at this and say, ‘Our community is at risk … what are we going to do about it?’” Jerd Smith is editor of Fresh Water News. She can be reached at 720-398-6474, via email at jerd@wateredco.org or @jerd_smith. Fresh Water News is an independent, non-partisan news initiative of Water Education Colorado. Rep. Diana DeGette striving to protect more than 600,000 acres in Colorado | Joey Bunch The game we see in Washington is not usually the game being played. And there’s no bigger football than conservation right now. Colorado ranchers ignore state order to begin measuring water Colorado River Water Conservation District Andy Mueller Kevin Mcbride Anne Castle Upper Yampa Water Conservancy District Michelle Garrison University Of Colorado’s Getches-wilkinson Center For Natural Resources Colorado Water Conservation Board

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line703

__label__cc

Design by Parrish Gem State Patriot News Knowledge is Power as Silence is Consent All-Idaho Gun Debuted at SHOT Show Published on July 15, 2015 July 15, 2015 by Joe Gaines — Reprinted with Permission of The New American magazine — The SHOT Show is the largest tradeshow of its kind in the world. The Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show has more than 1,600 product and service exhibitors using over 630,000 square feet of floor space, drawing more than 65,000 industry professionals from all 50 states and over 100 countries. This show is not open to the public, only credentialed wholesalers, retailers, and military and law-enforcement buyers. Support Gem State Patriot News by clicking through our referral link! There are hundreds of new products debuted every year at The SHOT Show, which was held at the Sands Expo Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 20-23. One of the items on display was a firearm made entirely in the state of Idaho (shown). The project was the brainchild of Joe Anderson, president of Tactical Export Strategies, an international brokerage, compliance, and logistics company located in Idaho. Anderson brought 13 different companies together to construct the AR-15 platform rifle of parts and accessories manufactured by companies within Idaho as a demonstration of the diverse manufacturing capabilities within the state. Anderson also brought the idea to the Idaho Department of Commerce, who, according to IDC Information Specialist Kayla Ruiz said, “It was a good fit for us and our efforts to bring new businesses to Idaho.” The rifle ended up being displayed at the Idaho Department of Commerce Booth for the duration of the show. According to Ruiz and Anderson, the rifle garnered a great deal of interest at the show and an outpouring of interest from other Idaho based manufacturing companies that according to Anderson, “were upset that they weren’t included in the project.” Ruiz also related that due to the interest generated by the All-Idaho Gun, “Idaho Commerce reps met with 20 companies in the firearm and ammo industry in Idaho that have not been on our radar, mostly because they were recent startups.” Unlike the October 1, 2009 court challenge filed by the Montana Shooting Sports Association and the Second Amendment Foundation that sought exemption from compliance with federal gun control laws under the 2009 Montana Firearms Freedom Act (Idaho passed a similar federal nullification law in 2010), the All-Idaho Gun is not intended as a mass-produced firearm for sale to the public. It is a showpiece, which demonstrates the quality and diversity of manufacturing capabilities available in the state of Idaho. The All-Idaho Gun is being donated to, and will be raffled off to benefit the 2015 Governor’s Cup, a 501(c)(3) that provides scholarship money to Idaho students seeking post-secondary education within the state. It is expected to auction for over $10,000. Anderson said, “A second rifle will be assembled and kept in the Governor’s office as a show-piece for visitors, and plans are already in the works to produce a different All-Idaho Firearm each year to donate to The Governor’s Cup.” For the last several years, it has been no secret that the state of Idaho, as well as counties and cities within the state have been attempting to lure rec-tech (recreation and technology) companies to the state. With several states in the northeast passing highly restrictive gun laws in the wake of the Sandy Hook school murders, numerous firearms and firearms accessory manufacturers were looking to relocate to states that were more appreciative of their businesses. In May of 2012, David Brown, mayor of Potlatch, Idaho, went public with his city’s plans to attract firearms-related companies to his once-thriving mill town, and the city is still actively working on it. The state of Idaho is also looking for new businesses to move to the state, and has started the Idaho Rec-Tech Passport Program to help facilitate it. The program is designed to increase the number of small businesses exporting in Idaho, as well as increase the value of exports for small businesses that currently export in the state. The program, in cooperation with the Small Business Administration, will offer certain grants and incentives to businesses relocating to Idaho. Joe Gaines is a retired police sergeant with 25 years of experience. He is a certified police firearms, force options, and EVOC (Emergency Vehicle Operators Course) instructor, with 30 years of competitive shooting experience in pistol and multi-gun disciplines. Don't use Facebook? More commenting options below (scroll down) Published in: NewsTagged: Volume 38 Swamp Osmosis The Fourth Amendment, Civil Forfeiture, & Digital Currency The ‘Enemy of the People’ Media were on the Wrong Side in the Revolution Nullification vs. Constitutional Convention House Votes to Revive No Child Left Behind Support Gem State Patriot News Education and Class Mobility — They’re not gained through Common Core Water Water Everywhere but Who is in Control of It? (Part 1) Senator Rice’s Proposal for Higher Sales Tax is Bad for Idahoans Senator Crapo Against Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Public Education – Feeding the Beast From Obese to Peace Weighing in on the Grocery Tax and State of the State Why has Governor Little agreed to accept Refugees? The Media is the Massage—or Message? Idahoans won’t be ignored about Common Core Handing over Idaho on a Silver Platter (Part 2) Washington is the Disease – Trump is the Cure Redoubt News Battle Over Water Heats Up In Montana Disney Delivers Demons to Children Church and State: Chaos and Unrest in 2020 Strategy for Being Effective with Your Legislator NJ Democrat Fired for Not Towing the Party Line Idaho Report Like Drudge Report for Idaho We report the news and offer interesting articles and opinions from people around the state of Idaho and the Pacific Northwest. 17G2sYjmqAJZSrtajwhTgKJwqb8scJDmgR Support us by clicking through our Amazon.com referral link! As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Copyright © 2013-2020 by Gem State Patriot News. All rights reserved. Website Design by Parrish

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line706

__label__wiki

Humanforce Designs Accessibility-compliant App A new workforce management app aims to encourage businesses to take into account those with disabilities and the elderly when ensuring accessibility levels. Humanforce, an Australian-based global provider of workforce management solutions, designed its app to comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 AA rating, which means the app meats 100% of the recommendations for making content accessible to people with disabilities including colour-blindness and low vision. According to Humanforce’s chief product officer Mike McGee, there is a tension between businesses and technology vendors’ desire to integrate technologies that meet the needs of millennial workers, and make the workplace a more diversity-inclusive space. “Too often we see the former being the priority at the expense of workers with a disability and those that make up our ageing workforce.” Humanforce highlights recent research from McKinsey, which found that businesses with higher diversity are more likely to achieve higher financial performance. According to the report: Companies in the top quartile for racial and ethnic diversity are 35 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians. Companies in the bottom quartile both for gender and for ethnicity and race are statistically less likely to achieve above-average financial returns than the average companies in the data set (that is, bottom-quartile companies are lagging rather than merely not leading). However, people with a disability are often overlooked when it comes to workplace diversity, Humanforce states. The Ministry of Manpower found in June 2018 that 28.6% of people with a disability in Singapore were employed, while 4.2% were unemployed but looking for work, which translate to an unemployment rate of 12.9%. Additionally, it found that 67.2% of people with a disability were outside of the labour force due to poor health or disability. This compares to a 2.3% unemployment rate for the entire Singapore population. “Employers can be doing much more to make the workplace more inclusive for the people with a disability currently working and also to increase employment of the many people with a disability looking for work. And as we see the retirement age raised to 35 by 2030 and the re-employment age also go up to 70 by 2030, we’re also going to see the number of people with a disability in the workplace increase,” says McGee. “A key piece of the puzzle is ensuring all the workplace technologies a business invests in to increase their success don’t work to preference younger workers, while discriminating against workers with a disability and the ageing population,” he concludes. Humanforce has offices in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Customers include Flight Centre, Delaware North, and Auckland Council. Source: Biz Edge Compliance Employment Workplace

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line708

__label__cc

Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook Publisher: National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment of the Humanities, National Assembly of State Art Agencies The goal of “Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator’s Handbook” is to provide guidance to cultural administrators on accessibility and inclusion for creating new or opening up existing programs to include individuals with disabilities and older adults, whether as staff, volunteers, program participants or audience members. Produced by: National Endowment of the Arts, National Endowment of the Humanities, National Assembly of State Art Agencies, and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Since the disability rights movement rose to prominence in the 1970s, federal legislation has been passed, and disabled individuals are finally becoming part of the cultural mainstream. Great strides have been made, particularly in architectural and program access. Many Americans with disabilities now have the opportunity to create and participate fully in the arts and humanities. Much work, however, remains to be done. “Design for Accessibility: A Cultural Administrator's Handbook” represents an update of the Arts Endowment's "The Arts and 504” (1992) with additional information from the 700-page “Design for Accessibility: An Arts Administrator’s Guide” produced by the Arts Endowment and NASAA in 1994. This resource is designed to help you not only comply with Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act, but to assist you in making access an integral part of your organization’s planning, mission, programs, outreach, meetings, budget and staffing. Accessibility Design Guide Americans with Disabilities Americans with Disabilities Act National Endowment of the Arts United States

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line709

__label__wiki

Principal Franz Liszt, Vol. 1: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847 Franz Liszt, Vol. 1: The Virtuoso Years, 1811-1847 The first volume in Alan Walker's magisterial biography of Franz Liszt. "You can't help but keep turning the pages, wondering how it will all turn out: and Walker's accumulated readings of Liszt's music have to be taken seriously indeed."―D. Kern Holoman, New York Review of Books "A conscientious scholar passionate about his subject. Mr. Walker makes the man and his age come to life. These three volumes will be the definitive work to which all subsequent Liszt biographies will aspire."―Harold C. Schonberg, Wall Street Journal "What distinguishes Walker from Liszt's dozens of earlier biographers is that he is equally strong on the music and the life. A formidable musicologist with a lively polemical style, he discusses the composer's works with greater understanding and clarity than any previous biographer. And whereas many have recycled the same erroneous, often damaging information, Walker has relied on his own prodigious, globe-trotting research, a project spanning twenty-five years. The result is a textured portrait of Liszt and his times without rival."―Elliot Ravetz, Time "The prose is so lively that the reader is often swept along by the narrative. . . . This three-part work . . . is now the definitive work on Liszt in English and belongs in all music collections."―Library Journal Categories: Art\\Music Editeur: Knopf Téléchargement (epub, 10.42 MB) Franz Liszt, Vol. 3: The Final Years, 1861-1886 Franz Liszt, Vol. 2: The Weimar Years, 1848-1861 liszt2332 concert268 franz200 beethoven157 concerts140 pianist110 franz liszt104 acla102 keyboard94 paganini93 berlioz92 chopin85 czerny83 geneva77 llb75 thalberg68 leipzig68 diary59 ramann58 pest57 erard55 honour54 musicale54 vols54 countess53 pupil53 schumann53 pianists52 conservatoire51 unpublished51 wagner50 young liszt48 hiller48 raiding46 orchestra45 sonata45 adam liszt44 schubert44 liszts42 concerto42 biographers41 Mastering Project Management Integration and Scope: A Framework for Strategizing and Defining Project Objectives and Deliverables Pearson FT Press Dietmar Sokowski The Death of Jacob: Narrative Conventions in Genesis 47.28-50.26 Kerry D. Lee, Jr. Liszt and the Keyboard Liszt knows no rules, no form, no dogma; he creates everything for himself. M. G. SAPHIR1 The years 1839–47 are still described by Liszt scholars as his “years of transcendental execution,” when he embarked on a virtuoso career unmatched in the history of performance. Liszt’s recitals have never been properly chronicled. He visited, among other countries, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, France, England, Poland, Rumania, Turkey, and Russia. Since he often gave three or four concerts a week,2 it is safe to assume that he appeared in public well over a thousand times during this brief, eight-year period. His legendary fame as a pianist, which he continued to enjoy long after his official retirement from the concert platform, aged thirty-five, rested mainly on his accomplishments during these fleeting years. That is a remarkable fact, and before unfolding a detailed account of Liszt’s concert tours the biographer has a duty to stand back and take stock of his achievements. Merely to list them is to observe musical history in the making. Liszt’s career remains the model which is still followed by pianists today. The modern piano recital was invented by Liszt. He was the first to play entire programmes from memory. He was the first to play the whole keyboard repertory (as it then existed), from Bach to Chopin. He was the first consistently to place the piano at right angles to the platform, its open lid reflecting the sound across the auditorium.3 He was the first to tour Europe from the Pyrenees to the Urals, and that at a time when the only way to traverse such distances was by post-chaise, a slow and often uncomfortable mode of travel. The very term “recital” was his; he introduced it in London on June 9, 1840, for a concert in the Hanover Square Rooms. In Milan and St. Petersburg he played before audiences of three thousand people or more, the first time a solo pianist had appeared before such vast assemblies. His Berlin recitals of 1841–42 are worth special mention: in ten weeks he gave twenty-one concerts and played eighty works—fifty of them from memory.4 Few pianists today could match that feat. It was not merely that he could learn so much, but that he could learn so quickly. One example can stand for the others. When he was in Vienna in December 1839 he was asked to play Beethoven’s C-minor Concerto, which he did not at that time know. Less than twenty-four hours later he played it in public, with an improvised cadenza.5 The pianos which greeted Liszt as he arrived at the smaller provincial towns of Europe give us pause for thought. Liszt played on Broadwoods, Streichers, Pleyels, and Erards—still the last word in piano manufacture. For his tour of Spain and Portugal in 1844–45 Liszt played on a Boisselot which travelled around the country with him, but that was exceptional; he usually played on whatever instrument each town and hamlet could best provide. The results were occasionally unsatisfactory. In Ireland, at the little market town of Clonmel, Liszt played on a small Tompkinson upright which rattled and shook as he performed. Most of those instruments had a restricted compass and a delicate tone best suited to the salon; their light materials made them inadequate for Liszt’s bigger works. Some of the older models which confronted him were little better than boxes of wood and wire, and they sometimes collapsed beneath the strain. Perhaps his worst experience occurred in 1840 at Ems, where he gave a command performance before the Tsarina Alexandra of Russia and her retinue. The piano was old, and as Liszt played the strings started to snap one after another. Bound by strict court etiquette, everyone sat stiff and erect, watching in consternation as the disaster unfolded before them. The instrument might have literally broken to pieces under Liszt’s powerful playing had not the empress finally thought of a way out of the ghastly predicament into which she had plunged her circle, by declaring herself to be ready for a cup of tea. Clara Schumann once described Liszt as “a smasher of pianos.” It is a false image. Even Clara snapped a string or two in public. Most pianists in the first half of the nineteenth century regarded it as a normal hazard of their profession. Liszt’s practical solution was occasionally to have two pianos standing on the platform simultaneously, and he would make a point of moving from one keyboard to the other several times in the course of a recital.6 Not until the great firms of Steinway and Bechstein produced their powerfully reinforced instruments in the 1860s did Liszt’s repertoire of the 1840s come into its own. Necessity was the mother of invention. No artist before Liszt, not even Paganini, succeeded so completely in breaking down the barriers that traditionally separated performing artists from those who were then grandly called their “social superiors.” After Liszt, all performers began to enjoy a higher status in society. Haydn and Mozart had been treated like servants; whenever they visited the homes of nobility they had entered by the back door. Beethoven, by dint of his unique genius and his uncompromising nature, had forced the Viennese aristocracy at least to regard him as their equal. But it was left to Liszt to foster the view that an artist is a superior being, because divinely gifted, and that the rest of mankind, of whatever social class, owed him respect and even homage. This view of the artist who walks with God and brings fire down from heaven with which to kindle the hearts of mankind became so deeply entrenched in the Romantic consciousness that today we regard it as a cliché. Nonetheless, the cliché is important, since it explains much about Liszt that would otherwise remain a mystery. When he walked on stage wearing his medals and his Hungarian sword of honour, it was not out of vanity but rather to raise the status of musicians everywhere. It was the most telling gesture he could make to show the world that the times had changed. Here, he seemed to say, was an artist with as many titles and medals as a monarch. It would be tedious to list all those titles, but four can be mentioned here. He received the Cross of the Lion of Belgium. The title Cavalier of the Order of Carlos III was bestowed on him by Queen Isabel of Spain, who had the order’s cross encrusted with diamonds. The Sultan of Turkey, Abdul-Medjid Khan, also decorated him in diamonds with the Order of Nichan-Iftikar. Finally, Wilhelm Friedrich IV of Prussia elevated him to the Ordre pour le Mérite, a purely military distinction normally gained on the field of battle. Inevitably it was said of these decorations that Liszt had manoeuvred to get them. The French newspapers, as usual, were the most vocal in their condemnation and fabricated some strange stories. One of their best efforts deserves to be better known. In 1845 they circulated a false report that Liszt was planning to marry the Queen of Spain and that the queen had given him the title of the Duke of Pianozares.7 How could anyone take such a report, to say nothing of such a title, seriously? The general public did, however, since Liszt received a number of letters of congratulation. If we wish to know what Liszt himself thought about the propriety of public recognition for services rendered towards art, the evidence lies to hand. In 1840 the Gazette Musicale claimed that Liszt had been angling for the Legion of Honour. Liszt at once wrote a strong denial to the editor, Maurice Schlesinger. London, May 14, 1840 Allow me to protest against an inexact assertion in your last number but one: “Messieurs Liszt and Cramer have asked for the Legion of Honour,” etc. I do not know if M. Cramer (who has just been nominated) has asked for the cross. In any case I think that you, like everyone else, will approve of a nomination so perfectly legitimate. As to myself, if it be true that my name has figured in the list of candidates, this can only have occurred entirely without my knowledge. It has always seemed to me that distinctions of this sort could only be accepted, but never “asked for.” I am, sir, etc., F. LISZT8 That Liszt would have felt contempt for any artist who requested a formal distinction is beyond question. He himself occasionally went out of his way to make an enemy of powerful aristocrats if he thought that his dignity as an artist had suffered. Into this category falls his chilling reply to Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, who arrived late and then started talking during one of Liszt’s recitals in St. Petersburg. He stopped playing and sat at the keyboard with bowed head. When Nicholas inquired the cause of the hushed silence, Liszt replied, “Music herself should be silent when Nicholas speaks.” This public rebuke may well have cost Liszt a medal. It was, as Sacheverell Sitwell pointed out, the first time that “music herself” had answered back. Tsar Nicholas later made it known that he wanted Liszt to give a benefit concert for the survivors of the Battle of Borodino. It was a tactless idea and Liszt refused. “I owe my education and my celebrity to France,” he said. “It is impossible for me to make common cause with her adversaries.” When the tsar heard that, he remarked to one of the ladies of the court, “The hair and political opinions of this man displease me.” This was promptly reported to Liszt, who retorted, “I let my hair grow in Paris and shall cut it only in Paris. As for my political views, I have none and will have none until the day the tsar deigns to put at my disposal three hundred thousand bayonets.”9 A similar scene took place in the drawing room of Princess Metternich in Vienna. After keeping Liszt waiting while she chatted idly with her other guests, she suddenly turned to the pianist and said, “You gave concerts in Italy—did you do good business?” Liszt bowed stiffly and replied cuttingly, “Princess, I make music, not business,” and left.10 Thanks to Liszt, artists soon became the new aristocracy, and the great public was quick to recognize it. After 1842 “Lisztomania” swept Europe, and the reception accorded the pianist can only be described as hysterical. Admirers swarmed all over him, and ladies fought over his silk handkerchiefs and velvet gloves, which they then ripped to pieces as souvenirs. Sober-minded musicians like Chopin, Schumann, and Mendelssohn were appalled by such vulgar displays of hero-worship and gradually came to despise Liszt because of them. Was Liszt to blame for the unrestrained conduct of his audiences? That is rather like asking whether Niagara Falls is to blame for so many suicides. Liszt was a natural phenomenon, and people were swept away by him. The emotionally charged atmosphere of his recitals made them more like séances than serious musical events. With his mesmeric personality and long mane of flowing hair, he created a striking stage-presence. And there were many witnesses to testify that his playing did indeed raise the mood of the audience to a level of mystical ecstasy. In 1840 Hans Christian Andersen, a close observer of men and manners, happened to be present at one of Liszt’s Hamburg recitals. He recorded his impressions in his travel book A Poet’s Bazaar. As Liszt sat before the piano, the first impression of his personality was derived from the appearance of strong passions in his wan face, so that he seemed to me a demon nailed fast to the instrument whence the tones streamed forth—they came from his blood, from his thoughts; he was a demon who would liberate his soul from thraldom; he was on the rack, his blood flowed and his nerves trembled; but as he continued to play, so the demon vanished. I saw that pale face assume a nobler and brighter expression: the divine soul shone from his eyes, from every feature; he became as beauteous as only spirit and enthusiasm can make their worshippers. Not only artists but hardened critics were shaken by Liszt’s magnetic playing. The Russian critic Yuri Arnold once heard Liszt play in St. Petersburg. “I was completely undone by the sense of the supernatural, the mysterious, the incredible,” Arnold wrote. “As soon as I reached home, I pulled off my coat, flung myself on the sofa, and wept the bitterest, sweetest tears.”11 In former times the old aristocracy had had a motto: Noblesse oblige! The new aristocracy, the men of genius, Liszt resolved, should have a motto too: Génie oblige!12 Much of the fortune Liszt accumulated during these years of travel he gave away to charity and humanitarian causes. His work in behalf of the Beethoven monument and his support of the Hungarian National School of Music are well documented. Less well known are his generous gifts towards the building fund of Cologne Cathedral, the establishment of a Gymnasium at Dortmund, and the construction of the Leopold Church in Pest. There were also many private donations to hospitals, children’s schools, and charitable organizations such as the Leipzig Musicians Pension Fund.13 When he heard of the Great Fire of Hamburg, which raged for three weeks during May 1842 and devastated much of the city, Liszt at once gave concerts in aid of the thousands of homeless.14 Never before had an artist given so liberally of his time and his talent. Inevitably his goodness was sometimes abused. He became the target of petty vindictiveness when he was unable or unwilling to help. In Halle he was sued by a local music teacher who claimed that Liszt owed him 4 louis d’or for advance publicity. Liszt fought and won the case. He then felt sorry for the man’s wife, who was in childbed, and sent her 8 louis d’or.15 History has not always been kind to Liszt when reviewing his Glanzzeit. Whatever the final verdict, one thing seems sure. He will never be freed of the charge of not doing more to raise the level of public taste, through his enormous prestige, instead of pandering to its base desires for pyrotechnics and an endless stream of such trifles as his operatic paraphrases, “reminiscences,” and popular arrangements. The low quality of his programme-building is a matter of record. What are we to make of the following, a recital he gave at Kiev in 1847? Hexaméron Variations “The Trout” SCHUBERT-LISZT Invitation to the Dance It is eccentric by modern standards. Yet to accuse Liszt of poor taste shows a lack of historical imagination. In 1847 he had nothing to guide him. Indeed, he felt it quite proper to let others plan his programmes for him. “I seldom … planned them myself, but gave them now into this one’s hands, and now into that one’s, to choose what they liked. That was a mistake, as I later discovered and deeply regretted.”16 By leaving the organization of his concerts to others, Liszt sometimes fell victim to amusing errors. He once played in Marseille and included in the programme his arrangement of Schubert’s “La Truite” (“The Trout”). Owing to a printing error the piece appeared as “La Trinité,” and the unsuspecting audience sat through this bubbling music with quasi-religious reverence. When Liszt realized the mistake he got up from the piano and made an impromptu speech, asking the audience not to confuse the mysterious idea of the Trinity with Schubert’s trout, a helpful interjection which caused great hilarity.17 Génie oblige! Liszt’s motto still exacts a posthumous penalty. It was very easy for a later generation of pianists to avoid his mistakes while criticizing him for having made them. By 1860, in fact, long after Liszt had retired from the concert platform, a legend in his lifetime, scores of long-haired, champagne-sodden virtuosos (often with a mere half-dozen pieces in their briefcases) were roving around Europe, vainly trying to emulate his triumphs. Even the greatest pianists of the second half of the nineteenth century—men of the calibre of Tausig and von Bülow, both pupils of Liszt who, at their best, may have equalled him—did not come close to matching his public impact. The reason was simply that Liszt was there first. History does not enshrine the names of those who follow the pioneers. [image: ] Liszt’s Years of Travel (1838–47: A Summary) (illustration credit 15.1) LISZT’S YEARS OF TRAVEL, 1838–1847 Liszt’s fame as a performer rested mainly on the great tours of Europe and Asia Minor undertaken by him during the years 1838–47. His marathon journeys, which spanned thousands of miles, ranged from Lisbon in the west to Constantinople in the east, from Gibraltar in the south to St. Petersburg in the north. The map shows only the main towns and cities in which Liszt played during this remarkably brief period. The list that follows adds more details of his itinerant life. Naturally, he often visited certain places more than once. And in some cities (for example, in London, Berlin, and Vienna) he appeared before the public many times. Agen, France Altenburg, Germany Angers, France Angoulême, France Arad, Rumania Augsburg, Germany Baden-Baden, Germany Bautzen, Germany Bayonne, France Belfast, Ireland Berdichiv, Ukraine Bernburg, Germany Besançon, France Beziers, France Bielefeld, Germany Birmingham, England Blandford, England Boston, England Boulogne, France Braunschweig, Germany Breslau, Germany Bridgwater, England Brieg, Germany Brighton, England Brünn, Czechoslovakia Bucharest, Rumania Bury St. Edmunds, England Cassel, Germany Cadiz, Spain Cette, France Châlons-sur-Marne, France Chalon-sur-Saône, France Chelmsford, England Cheltenham, England Chichester, England Clifton, England Clonmel, Ireland Coblenz, Germany Coburg, Germany Colchester, England Colmar, France Constantinople, Turkey Córdoba, Spain Crefeld, Germany Czernovtsy, Ukraine Darlington, England Darmstadt, Germany Dessau, Germany Detmold, Germany Doncaster, England Douai, France Eisenstadt, Austria Elberfeld, Germany Elisabetgrad, Ukraine Ems, Germany Erfurt, Germany Eszék, Yugoslavia Exeter, England Exmouth, England Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany Fürstenwalde, Germany Galatz, Rumania Glogau, Poland Gotha, Germany Gottingen, Germany Grantham, England Hague, Holland Halifax, England Halle, Germany Harborough, England Hechingen, Germany Heilbronn, Germany Hermannstadt, Rumania Horncastle, England Huddersfield, England Hull, England Huntingdon, England Iserlohn, Germany Jassy, Rumania Jena, Germany Klausenburg, Rumania Königsberg, Russia Köszeg, Hungary Kremianets, Ukraine Leeds, England Leamington, England Leicester, England Lemberg, Ukraine Leyden, Holland Libourne, France Liegnitz, Poland Liverpool, England Lübeck, Germany Ludwigsburg, Germany Lugos, Rumania Lyme Regis, England Mâcon, France Magdeburg, Germany Mannheim, Germany Mansfield, England Marburg, Poland Metz, France Mitau, Latvia Montauban, France Mulhouse, France Mühlhausen, Germany Nagyenyed, Rumania Neisse, Poland Nemirev, Ukraine Neuilly, France Newcastle, England Newport, Isle of Wight, England Nicolaiew, Ukraine Northampton, England Norwich, England Nottingham, England Odessa, Ukraine Oedenburg, Hungary Olmütz, Czechoslovakia Osnabrück, Germany Peterborough, England Pécs, Hungary Pest, Hungary Plymouth, England Portsmouth, England Posen, Poland Prague, Czechoslovakia, Pressburg, Czechoslovakia Raab, Hungary Ratibor, Czechoslovakia Rheims, France Richmond, England Rochdale, England Rohitsch, Yugoslavia Rotterdam, Holland Rudolstadt, Germany Ryde, England Seville, Spain, Sheffield, England Sidmouth, England Solingen, Germany Southampton, England Spa, Belgium Stamford, England Stanislav, Ukraine Stettin, Poland Sunderland, England Szekszárd, Hungary Tartu, Estonia Taunton, England Teignmouth, England Temesvár, Rumania Teschen, Czechoslovakia Tilsit, Russia Trieste, Italy Troppau, Czechoslovakia Tübingen, Germany Utrecht, Holland Valenciennes, France 1838/39/40/46 Wakefield, England Weimar, Germany Wesel, Germany Weymouth, England Winchester, England Wolverhampton, England Zagreb, Yugoslavia Zhitomir, Ukraine Zimony, Yugoslavia Whatever else the world may debate about his life and work, one thing is generally conceded: Liszt was the first modern pianist. The technical “breakthrough” he achieved during the 1830s and ’40s was without precedent in the history of the piano. All subsequent schools were branches of his tree. Rubinstein, Busoni, Paderewski, Godowsky, and Rachmaninoff—all those pianists who together formed what historians later dubbed “the golden age of piano playing”—would be unthinkable without Liszt. It was not that they copied his style of playing; that was inimitable. Nor did they enjoy close personal contact with him; not one of them was his pupil. Liszt’s influence went deeper than that. It had to do with his unique ability to solve technical problems. Liszt is to piano playing what Euclid is to geometry. Pianists turn to his music in order to discover the natural laws governing the keyboard. It is impossible for a modern pianist to keep Liszt out of his playing—out of his biceps, his forearms, his fingers—even though he may not know that Liszt is there, since modern piano playing spells Liszt. When he was already thirty years old, Busoni began the study of the piano afresh in order to remedy what he considered to be defects in his own playing. He turned to Liszt’s music. Out of the laws he found there Busoni rebuilt his technique. “Gratitude and admiration,” wrote Busoni, “made Liszt at that time my master and my friend.”18 In his younger days Liszt’s total absorption with the piano provoked comment even from his friends and supporters. Why not branch out into the larger orchestral forms, like Berlioz, instead of wasting time at a keyboard? Liszt reflected carefully on his position and produced his “Letter to Adolphe Pictet,” an autobiographical document of some importance. His abiding love for the piano, and his unshakable belief in its future, shine forth. You do not know that to speak of giving up my piano would be to me a day of gloom, robbing me of the light which illuminated all my early life, and has grown to be inseparable from it. My piano is to me what his vessel is to the sailor, his horse to the Arab, nay even more, till now it has been myself, my speech, my life. It is the repository of all that stirred my nature in the passionate days of my youth. I confided to it all my desires, my dreams, my joys, and my sorrows. Its strings vibrated to my emotions, and its keys obeyed my every caprice. Would you have me abandon it and strive for the more brilliant and resounding triumphs of the theatre or orchestra? Oh, no! Even were I competent for music of that kind, my resolution would be firm not to abandon the study and development of piano playing, until I had accomplished whatever is practicable, whatever it is possible to attain nowadays. Perhaps the mysterious influence which binds me to it so strongly prejudices me, but I consider the piano to be of great consequence. In my estimation it holds the first place in the hierarchy of instruments.… In the compass of its seven octaves it includes the entire scope of the orchestra, and the ten fingers suffice for the harmony which is produced by an ensemble of a hundred players.…19 According to his own testimony, Liszt sometimes practised for ten or twelve hours a day, and much of this labour was expended on endurance exercises—scales, arpeggios, trills, and repeated notes. He set great store by the absolute independence of each finger. Every scale was practised with the fingering of every other scale (using, say, C-major fingering for F-sharp major, and D-flat major fingering for C major). No pianist can afford to neglect Liszt’s fingering. It is both imaginative and original and often looks far into the future of the keyboard. Here are three ways in which he tackled scale-building: Particularly intriguing is Liszt’s solution to the problem of how to produce a chromatic glissando scale, which is not strictly possible on a piano keyboard. The second finger of the right hand, nail down, plays C-major glissando. Simultaneously the five fingers of the left hand play every black key. When both hands move at the same speed, the result is a chromatic scale, glissando.20 Such solutions as these, utterly bold and original as they are, bring home a central truth about Liszt’s technique. He did not conceive of a pianist’s hands as consisting of two parts of five fingers each, but as one unit of ten fingers. From his youth Carl Czerny had instilled into him the doctrine of finger equalization. But Liszt far outstripped his old mentor in the wholesale application of this philosophy. The interchangeability of any finger with any other became an ideal towards which he constantly strove. Many of the models in Liszt’s twelve volumes of Technical Studies21 are obsessed with the problem. They reached a peak of audacity in this kind of passage. Until the hands are truly “interlocked,” such fingerings will seem perverse. The difficulty is mental, not physical. Once the pianist has grasped the notion that he does not have two separate hands, but a single unit of ten digits, he has made an advance towards Liszt. In this radical approach to the keyboard, there might be something to be said for numbering the fingers from one to ten. Incidentally, the logical outcome of the interlocking two-fingered scale shown above appeared in this shining passage from La campanella, which unfolds two dovetailed chromatic scales. Liszt’s contemporaries were constantly amazed at his finger dexterity. He could apparently respond to any emergency. Joachim never forgot the manner in which Liszt accompanied him in the finale of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, all the time holding a lighted cigar between the first and middle fingers of the right hand.22 Lina Ramann relates a similar story. She once told Liszt that Ludwig Böhner had played fugues on the organ, in spite of two lame fingers. Liszt pondered this problem for a while, then, “with a certain tension of the muscles of the face, he seated himself at the piano and began to play a difficult fugue by Bach, with three fingers of each hand.”23 Liszt’s playing of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto in Vienna on the fiftieth anniversary of the composer’s death was the occasion for an equally impressive feat. Sometime before the performance he cut the second finger of his left hand.24 He played the concerto without using that particular finger, redistributing the notes among the remaining ones in such a way that no one was aware of the injury he had sustained. Wherever Liszt has left us his own fingerings, then, the modern pianist does well to consider them before exhausting himself on all the alternatives. The reason is really quite simple: all the alternatives were known to Liszt and rejected by him. Consider this double-thirds passage from the sixth Paganini Study. Its fingering is unorthodox. Yet how much simpler it is than the official conservatory fingering for such passages. The left hand forms itself into a fork, or two-fingered prong, shaking its way up the keyboard. It happens to be such a natural solution to the problem that even mediocre pianists can play the passage well. A similar procedure was followed in the first Hungarian Rhapsody, this time in the right hand. The technique reached its apogee in such passages as the following (also in the First Rhapsody), which unrolls a pair of interlocking, double-third chromatic scales, spread across two hands. Any other fingering than that proposed by Liszt would hamper the mercurial progress of this inventive texture. It is easy to understand why Liszt was accused of “destroying the true art of piano playing.” Old Marmontel, the doyen of piano teachers at the Paris Conservatoire, charged Liszt with “striving too much after eccentric effects.” In general, teachers were always Liszt’s enemies. He disturbed their fixed ideas, and his free, creative approach to the keyboard terrified them. The concept of “interlocking” hands led Liszt to discover one of his most sensational effects. Known to this day as “Liszt octaves,” it symbolized clearly the difference between the old and the new schools of playing. Liszt worked up some spectacular storms with this effect. It is achieved by interlocking two sets of octaves, with the thumbs as pivots. A favoured way of practising such passages, in fact, is with the thumbs alone. A typical passage comes from the Paganini Study no. 2, in E-flat major. For the rest, in all his technical discoveries Liszt appears to have heeded Quintilian’s maxim: Si non datur porta, per murum erumpendum (“If there is no doorway, one must break out through the wall”). Liszt’s hands were long and narrow, and his fingers were notable for their low-lying mass of connective tissue, which gave them the appearance, in Edward Dannreuther’s graphic phrase, of being “the opposite of webbed feet.” Because his finger-tips were blunted, not tapered, they gave him maximum traction on the surface of the keyboard. These were distinct advantages. The lack of webbing between the fingers allowed of wide extensions. Liszt could take a tenth with ease. The following passage from the first version of “Gondoliera” in Venezia e Napoli (1839) was not uncomfortable under Liszt’s hand, although he later modified these stretches. Liszt’s fourth fingers were unusually long, and that, too, encouraged him to employ fingerings difficult for normal hands. Consider this stretch between fourth and fifth fingers in Au Lac de Wallenstadt. Almost equally difficult is the right-hand accompaniment at the beginning of Bénédiction de Dieu. It would be a mistake, however, to assume that Liszt’s keyboard writing is idiosyncratic. He had an unerring sense of the “topography” of the piano. There is not a passage in Liszt, however difficult, that is truly unpianistic. Even Schumann and Chopin occasionally lapsed here: both wrote passages against, rather than for, the piano, passages in which the limitations of the fingers are ignored while purely musical considerations prevail. Liszt’s passage-work is often simpler to play than Chopin’s, although it may sound more brilliant. Busoni is of interest here. He wrote, “An eye-witness relates how Liszt—pondering over a cadenza—sat down at the piano and tried three or four dozen variations of it, playing each one through until he had made his choice.” The secret of that choice, Busoni concluded, was symmetry.25 A good example may be found in the opening cadenza of Totentanz. Once the basic pattern (X) has been grasped, the rest must follow. It is often said that Liszt frowned on the use of “mechanical aids” to develop the hands. This was true only in later life. A wealth of testimony from his Weimar master classes held during the 1870s and ’80s suggests that he was bored by technique, never taught it, and was singularly unimpressed when his young “matadors of the keyboard” displayed it. In his youth Liszt’s attitude was different. As early as 1828 Liszt’s Paris studio, as we have seen, contained a piano with a specially strengthened keyboard on which it was impossible to play without effort. In 1832 he recommended to Valérie Boissier that she practise her octaves “on the brace,”26 a mahogany handrail which could be attached to each end of the keyboard and which ensured smooth lateral movements of the arms. He also suggested to the same pupil that repetitive exercises be mastered while reading a book, in order to avoid boredom. As late as the 1840s, during his European tours, Liszt was still using a dumb keyboard on long journeys. Leaps were a particular speciality. Liszt himself clearly enjoyed taking risks, and there are times when he asks the pianist to perform some difficult feats. The following passage comes from the first version of Au Bord d’une source (1835). Textures such as these led Henry Chorley to observe that Liszt appeared to take up more space on the keyboard than any other pianist he knew.27 Contemporary caricatures show Liszt seated at the piano with a multitude of hands and fingers jostling for a place on the keyboard. “See, he has three hands!” they used to exclaim of Thalberg. With Liszt it sometimes seemed like ten. A notorious example of rapid leaps, and one which has brought about the downfall of many a pianist, occurs in Campanella. It is not so much the distances to be traversed (at most two octaves) as the fact that the player must endure the ordeal of leaping back and forth across the void at speed for extended periods. In order to play such a passage with security, the player must feel that the piano is an extension of his own body. You do not need your eyes to tell you that your limbs are attached to your torso. Likewise, this passage can be played blindfold by the pianist who has “internalized” the topography of his instrument. Again, the caricaturists of the time drew truer than they knew when, inspired by Greek mythology, they depicted Liszt as a piano-centaur—half man, half piano—a unique amalgam in which the instrument and the player had become indissolubly merged. Note-repetition was another branch of keyboard technique that Liszt made his own. Ever since Sébastien Erard had perfected the double escapement, which made rapid note-repetition easy, pianists had been looking for an opportunity to explore the mechanism to the full. Liszt found it in La campanella, a piece containing quick-fire note-reiteration such as the piano had never been challenged to play before. Another splendid summit of this branch of Liszt’s art is displayed in the Tarantella from Venezia e Napoli. Liszt here produces a magical illusion. Like some latter-day Merlin, mixing potions and casting spells across the keyboard, the wizard deludes us into thinking that the piano has been metamorphosed into a sustaining instrument of radiant beauty. It was Liszt’s view that all keyboard configurations, however complex, could be reduced to a small group of elements—scales, octaves, leaps, repeated notes, etc.—and that if the student worked at them consistently, he could meet any challenge. Trills and tremolos Liszt placed under the category of repeated notes: a trill, that is, is merely two repeated notes alternating with one another. A method Liszt used to make his trills more brilliant was to finger them not with two, but with four fingers. The first indication of Liszt’s technical “breakthrough” at the keyboard had come in 1838–39 with the appearance of the twelve Transcendental Studies and the six Paganini Studies. These eighteen pieces represented a treasury of keyboard resources not found in any earlier work. Such is their historical position in the world of piano music that some account of their genesis is called for. As we have seen, Liszt was only thirteen years old when he composed the first version of the Transcendentals, in 1824.28 He now took these juvenile exercises and transformed them into works of towering difficulty. It is not clear why he chose to revise his ’prentice pieces, rather than to compose a completely fresh set of works; the transformations doubtless came into being gradually, as a natural result of his improvising increasingly complex variations over the first models. Whatever the reason, twenty-four studies were announced; once again, only twelve appeared. They were published by Haslinger of Vienna in 1839 with a dedication to Carl Czerny, and were called Grandes Etudes. A review copy found its way into the hands of Schumann, who astutely observed their connections with the juvenile pieces, overlaid though they are with monstrous technical complexities, and described them as “studies in storm and dread for, at the most, ten or twelve players in the world.”29 It was partly as a result of playing his Grandes Etudes in public, under widely varying circumstances, that Liszt revised them yet again (after his official “retirement” from the concert platform in 1847), smoothing out their more intractable difficulties. He brought out this third version in 1851, under the generic title Etudes d’exécution transcendante, and again dedicated them to his old master Carl Czerny, “from his pupil, in gratitude and respectful friendship.” At the same time Liszt added programmatic titles to all but two of the individual numbers. The original tonal connections (first laid down in the juvenile set) were meanwhile preserved.30 1. Prelude (C major) 2. Molto vivace (A minor) 3. Paysage (F major) 4. Mazeppa (D minor) 5. Feux-follets (B-flat major) 6. Vision (G minor) 7. Eroica (E-flat major) 8. Wilde Jagd (C minor) 9. Ricordanza (A-flat major) 10. Allegro agitato (F minor) 11. Harmonies du soir (D-flat major) 12. Chasse-neige (B-flat minor) Modern scholarship has done a disservice to Liszt by suppressing the two earlier versions, arguing that they do not represent Liszt’s final thoughts.31 For Liszt, however, a composition was rarely finished. All his life he went on reshaping, reworking, adding, subtracting; sometimes a composition exists in four or five different versions simultaneously. To say that it progresses towards a “final” form is to misunderstand Liszt’s art. Entire works are “metamorphosed” across a span of twenty-five years or more, accumulating and shedding detail along the way. The famous F-minor Study, for example, originally (1824) took this form. In the second (1838) version it has been transformed into a work of prodigious complexity. Later still (1851), Liszt reformulated the texture of bar 3 (and all the others modelled on it) and notated it thus: The transformations in Feux-follets are equally remarkable. Compare the juvenile model with the highly developed concert study which later sprang out of it. The one version shimmers behind the other, and the moment the player knows it his performance is bound to be affected. In the Transcendentals Liszt really unfolds a part of his musical autobiography in public: Liszt the supreme virtuoso openly reminisces about Liszt the youthful prodigy. It may not be essential to learn the early models before one plays the Transcendentals well. But it will certainly colour the player’s attitude towards them, in a positive sense, and will bring him more closely into line with Liszt’s own attitude towards them, if he hears the Transcendentals over that same musical background against which Liszt himself composed them. The modern pianist may disparage Liszt’s studies, but he should be able to play them. Otherwise he admits to having a less than total command of the keyboard. Paradoxically, the biggest enemy of the Transcendentals is not the pianist whose technique is too bad to play them, but the pianist whose technique is only just good enough to do so. The former is instantly exposed for what he is: incapable. The latter, however, gamely attacks all the difficulties but leaves behind him a battlefield in which the piano and the pianist have totally exhausted themselves in physical combat. Such pianists give the Transcendentals a bad name. They create the impression that Liszt has demanded too much of the piano when he has merely demanded too much of them. All they succeed in doing is to communicate the music’s difficulties. What the Transcendentals require, above all, is a pianist whose technique is so advanced that he succeeds in communicating their simplicities.32 Only then will their musical attractions stand revealed. True, we are describing a pianist who not only commands all branches of keyboard technique, but has absorbed them deeply into his second nature and so placed distance between himself and the keyboard. We are describing a pianist who negotiates all difficulties with magisterial ease. We are describing a pianist for whom all things are easy, or they are impossible. We are describing the twenty-eight-year-old Liszt. What harsh words have been uttered against Liszt’s virtuosity, usually by those who could not match it! How strongly has it been attacked in the name of Art! Yet virtuosity is an indispensable tool of musical interpretation. One recalls Saint-Saëns’s telling aphorism: “In Art, a difficulty overcome is a thing of beauty.” Henri Maréchal once informed Liszt (who was by then an old man living in Rome) of the disgust he had felt at seeing an “imbecile pianist” play the Rigoletto Paraphrase in a difficult arrangement for the left hand. This showman had had the nerve to take out his silk handkerchief with his right hand and blow his nose in the middle of the piece, so that the audience might see that only the left hand was working. As Maréchal was telling Liszt that such antics were fit only for the fairground, Liszt gently squeezed his arm and said with a smile, “My dear child, for a virtuoso that is necessary! It is absolutely indispensable.”33 The background to the six Paganini Studies is less complex. Liszt wrote these pieces under the influence of the great violinist whose name they bear. Five of them are transcriptions from Paganini’s Twenty-four Unaccompanied Caprices, epoch-making works which raised violin playing to a new level. (It was no accident that Liszt turned to these particular pieces for his transcriptions, which were a constant reminder of the sort of goals he had set himself on the piano.) The remaining item is La campanella, a set of variations on the well-known tune of that name which Paganini had used in the Rondo of his Violin Concerto in B minor. When Liszt first published these six studies, in 1840, he gave them the title “Etudes d’exécution transcendante d’après Paganini.” Eleven years later he revised them, together with the Transcendentals, and provided a new title, Grandes Etudes de Paganini. The six items are: 1. G minor (tremolos) 2. E-flat major (scales and octaves) 3. G-sharp minor, La campanella (leaps and repeated notes) 4. E major (arpeggios) 5. E major, La Chasse (thirds and sixths) 6. A minor (theme and variations) Again, a comparison between the two versions is instructive. The conscientious player, moreover, will want to consult Paganini’s violin originals and see for himself how Liszt has achieved his transfers. Typical of his procedure is the Study in E-flat major. Paganini’s original is an exercise in scales and double-stops. The problem posed by Paganini is how to switch effortlessly from the one technique to the other. Liszt does far more than transfer these notes to the keyboard. He transfers the problem as well, reformulating it in pianistic terms. How to jump from the last note of the scale to the chord immediately following? That is not Liszt’s problem; it is Paganini’s. Liszt has simply incorporated it into his transcription as faithfully as he can, placing physical obstacles on the keyboard which match the ones experienced on the violin. By handicapping the pianist’s right hand with double-thirds and a flying leap to the other end of the keyboard, Liszt is attempting to translate an essential technical point in Paganini’s music. When Liszt revised this study he introduced many simplifications which, on the whole, make it “speak” more effectively. The same passage in the final version (1851) unfolds thus. During the 1830s and ’40s Liszt developed some unconventional marks of expression, presumably because the ones currently in use were not subtle enough for his needs. Thus a single straight line over a group of notes (———) indicated a ritenuto. An oblong box ([image: ]) indicated an accelerando. Both symbols were used in the first version of Ricordanza (1839). Another symbol was the double line with open ends ([image: ]), which stood for an agogic accent. The piece called Lyon (1834) contains many examples of this expressive device. Although these symbols, which have the merit of simplicity, gave Liszt exact control over tempo rubato, he later formed the view that such decisions are best left to the player, and dropped them. They are of interest chiefly because they tell us how Liszt himself may have played. Equally indicative of his personal interpretations are his unusual dynamic markings. Liszt often placed a single stress mark over two or more notes simultaneously. These “multiple accents” are found, for example, in Venezia e Napoli. Even a simple crescendo or diminuendo could be transformed by Liszt into a vehicle of great expressive power. He once told Valérie Boissier to practise crescendos like this: This telling effect is captured to perfection by the symbol that represents it, and renders descriptive comment superfluous. Closely allied to Liszt’s expression marks is his pedalling, which is occasionally both daring and futuristic. At a time when his contemporaries still regarded the sustaining pedal as a special effect, to be used with caution, Liszt perceived in it the very soul of the piano, without which the instrument dies. He realized the great advantage the pedal gives to the player in freeing his hands to do other things. Not least was he intrigued by the endless possibilities of mingling “foreign” harmonies in new combinations. Ever since Debussy and the Impressionists it has been accepted that clarity in piano texture is not always a virtue, that deliberate blurring and clouding of the harmonies is a genuine musical effect. In Liszt’s day this was a novel attitude. Accordingly, such pedal markings as we see at the beginning of Funérailles were without precedent; there is nothing to match them in Chopin or Schumann. The player who lacks the courage to keep the pedal down may produce a “cleaner” sound, but he will lose the noise and clangour of funeral bells which build up to a deafening roar. If he loses that, he loses the piece. Unlike his contemporaries, Liszt was interested in the use of the soft pedal as an expressive device. In his early paraphrase on Auber’s La Fiancée he even indicates that both pedals are to be used simultaneously, casting a soft veil over the timbre. Liszt’s notation is worth special study; it is often highly original. Since his compositions frequently arose from his improvisations, his notation occasionally assumes a spontaneous, almost wayward appearance. It must sometimes have been a problem for him to find a form of notation that perfectly matched his free-ranging creations. In the first Apparition (1834) a temporary lull in the music produces a similar lull in the notation. Liszt heard, and he wrote what he heard. Likewise, he frequently unfolded his keyboard music on three (sometimes four) staves in order to avoid overcrowding and make his intentions clearer. His arrangement of Schubert’s Mélodie hongroise in E-flat major contains a typical example, whose left hand, incidentally, offers an object lesson in note-distribution. By contrast, Liszt unfolded an entire piece on one stave alone, without ambiguity, in his E-major Paganini Study. In his visionary Harmonies poétiques et religieuses (1834) the young Liszt produced an advanced, asymmetrical effect worthy of Bartók. The numerical divisions are Liszt’s own, and he clearly thought them essential for a correct rendering of this problematic passage. What is the true time signature of the first bar? It is characteristic of Liszt to leave the question open. For the rest, notation does not produce music; music produces notation. Notation’s sole function is to symbolize the “sonic surface” of the composition which lies behind it; and even when it functions well, it needs must carry out its task imperfectly. The evidence lies everywhere to hand. How often have we heard performances (especially of Liszt’s music) in which the notes are all there but the piece is missing? Liszt’s operatic paraphrases happen to be important in the history of keyboard notation. To condense an operatic score (soloists, chorus, and orchestra) into a viable piano texture need not be difficult. To transform that texture from a dull piano reduction (a dead copy of the original) into a living composition calls for a touch of the magician’s wand—with poetic licence, roulades, diamond-bright cascades, and even the occasional eruption of flame and fire—to cast a spell over the keyboard and persuade it to illuminate by suggestion the creative spirit of the original. A perennial problem in this kind of work is the clear separation of melody and accompaniment. Liszt’s favoured solution was to print his notation in two different shades of typeface—light and bold—so that the player is at once informed how to distribute his tone. Nowadays this is commonplace, in Liszt’s day it was new. The Rigoletto Paraphrase offers a good example. This separation of melody and accompaniment was perfectly understood by Liszt. However complex the ornamentation, it was subordinated to the composition as a whole. His great pupil Moriz Rosenthal has told us that under Liszt’s hands, “the embellishments were like a cobweb—so fine—or like the texture of costliest lace.” The same cannot be said of Liszt’s would-be imitators, who frequently vulgarized these compositions by “bringing out” the difficulties inherent in the embellishments in a misdirected effort to score a public ovation. After Liszt’s death the operatic paraphrases fell into neglect for fifty years. There were good historical reasons for this. The operas that they had so bravely pioneered, even popularized, were by now well known; the original, crusading impulse for playing such compositions in public was therefore diminished. But a deeper reason prevailed. The early twentieth century saw the rise of musicology, with its emphasis on “authenticity,” in which the composer’s original thought was perfectly preserved, in which every note was sacrosanct, in which the “sonic surface” of the music was reproduced as nearly as he himself envisaged it. The crime of the paraphrase now was that it was a paraphrase. It was not interested in preserving the “original thought”; it changed music’s notation with impunity; it lacked reverence for the “sonic surface” of a work; indeed, it often flitted about, chameleon-like, donning the most far-flung acoustic disguises, lording it over territory it had no business to occupy. Liszt’s sixty-odd paraphrases, out of temper with the times, were hushed up and forgotten. An inimitable treasury of piano music was silenced by prejudice. It never seemed to occur to our forefathers that every opera has an overture. And what are the best overtures but arrangements of the themes of the operas they precede? Brahms, no Liszt admirer, used to maintain that in Liszt’s old operatic fantasies was to be found “the true classicism of the piano.” It is in this spirit that they have been revived in modern times, and the best of them—Norma, Rigoletto, and Faust—are likely to remain in the repertoire for as long as the operas after which they are modelled. The bigger effects in Liszt’s music called for a large hall to contain them. We recall that it was Liszt who took the piano out of the salon and placed it in the concert hall. When, as early as 1837, he gave a recital before three thousand people in the Scala opera house, he was democratizing the instrument. Strange to say, in order to achieve this worthy end he had to overcome much prejudice. There were many musicians whose thinking was rooted in the eighteenth century and who regarded the piano—much as they had regarded the harpsichord before it—as a chamber instrument meant to be played only before a small circle of connoisseurs. Chopin, Hummel, and Moscheles had all made their reputations in that way. When Chopin played in the salons of Paris before a select audience drawn from high society, it was on the silvery-toned Pleyel with its light action that he gave his incomparable performances. Liszt had often played the Pleyel and found it wanting: he scathingly described the instrument as “a pianino.” The seven-octave Erard, with its heavier action and larger sound, was more congenial to him. The morning after his Scala recital, the twenty-six-year-old pianist wrote a letter to Pierre Erard expressing his satisfaction with the instrument. Como, December 11, 1837 Let them not tell me any more that the piano is not a suitable instrument for a big hall, that the sounds are lost in it, that the nuances disappear, etc. I bring as witnesses the three thousand people who filled the immense Scala theatre yesterday evening from the pit to the gods on the seventh balcony (for there are seven tiers of boxes here), all of whom heard and admired, down to the smallest details, your beautiful instrument. This is not flattery; you have known me too long to think me capable of the least deception. But it is a fact, publicly recognized here, that never before has a piano created such an effect.34 This raises the question of Liszt’s own interpretations. By all accounts they were unfettered by “performing tradition,” especially during his days as a touring virtuoso. He continually sought out new ways of playing old works. “The letter killeth but the spirit giveth life” was his watchword. He would try to penetrate to the very heart of a composition, playing it through in a variety of different ways until he thought that he had divined its true meaning. This sometimes led him into exaggeration and made him the target of criticism. Once, during a performance of Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata (with Ole Bull), such liberties were taken with the interpretation as to “call forth the disapprobation of the audience.”35 One wonders what exactly took place. We do well to put such matters into historical perspective. “Classical” playing was a discovery of the Romantics. Beethoven, that is to say, did not play his music classically.36 What in the profession is nowadays called fidelity to the text was hardly fostered until the second half of the nineteenth century, when it became associated with the “restrained” performances of such artists as Clara Schumann and Joachim. Today, of course, it has become dogma. Liszt was deeply concerned by this trend, which he regarded as a denial of the player’s artistic personality. He aptly called it the “Pilate offence”—washing one’s hands of musical interpretation in public37—and he would have nothing to do with it. There is no doubt that in his youth his performances were often considered unconventional, and he may well have played fast-and-loose with the text when the Gypsy in him stirred. We know from the lessons he gave to Valérie Boissier that he viewed the entire question of tempo in a liberal light. “I don’t play according to measure,” he once told her. “One must not imprint on music a balanced uniformity, but kindle it, or slow it down, according to its meaning.”38 It was the same during the Weimar years with conducting. He considered it demeaning for the conductor “to function like a windmill.” Liszt indicated phrasing and tempo through very general gestures. He was fond of making a nautical analogy: “We are helmsmen, not oarsmen.”39 Sometimes his helmsmanship led him to chart a dangerous course and sail his ship towards treacherous waters. Charles Hallé once heard him tack the finale of Beethoven’s C-sharp minor Sonata (op. 27) onto the Variations of the one in A-flat major (op. 26), without any break, and was offended by such a disrespectful approach to the classics.40 But as Liszt matured, his attitude towards interpretation modified. We have the testimony of such witnesses as Berlioz, Wagner, and von Bülow that once Liszt was out of earshot of the great public, his Beethoven performances were faithful marvels of re-creative beauty.41 When von Bülow dedicated his edition of the Beethoven sonatas to Liszt (the results of “the fruits of his teaching”), he was not merely paying his respects to his former master; he was also acknowledging Liszt’s supremacy as an advocate and interpreter of Beethoven. But even in Liszt’s twilight years his playing was not entirely predictable. He lived by the maxim “Tradition is laziness.” Whatever doubts still linger today about Liszt’s cavalier attitude towards the printed page are largely dispelled the moment we consult his editions of Bach, Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, and others. There is not a single case of bowdlerization. All adhere faithfully to the basic text,42 and the degree of “touching up” which Liszt allows (e.g., in the domain of dynamics, phrasing, and pedalling) is not extreme by nineteenth-century standards. Those who object to any licence in this field are free to dispense with Liszt’s editions altogether, but they should not forget that after a hundred years these volumes have themselves become important tools of research, offering one of the few direct insights into how Liszt might have interpreted the classics. After all, each piece is different and makes different demands. Liszt’s saying, “There is music which comes of itself to us, and there is music which requires us to come to it,”43 is illuminating, since it lays down a central distinction of use both to editors and players alike. The important thing, of course, is to get the distinction right. 1. Der Humorist, November 22, 1839. 2. ACLA, vol. 1, p. 405. 3. Tomášek, in his autobiography, claimed that Dussek had already positioned his piano in this way, the better to show off his beautiful profile. Dussek did not do this consistently, however, and in any case his career had no lasting impact on the history of piano playing. Liszt appears to have been unaware of Dussek’s tentative reforms when he came to the conclusion that one must not only play the piano but “play the building,” and to that end he experimented with the placement of the instrument until he got it right. Martainville’s press notice of the young Liszt’s Paris concert in 1824 is worth re-reading, since the disadvantage of having the end of the piano pointing towards the public (its usual position) is there made plain. See p. 100. 4. RFL, p. 41ff. 6. See, for example, Buchner (BLB, p. 93) on his Prague recitals of 1846 and Stasov (SSEM, p. 121) on his St. Petersburg recital of 1842. At his inaugural concert in Vienna on April 18, 1838, Liszt had the misfortune to wreck three pianos in succession. He had borrowed Thalberg’s Erard grand for this important occasion but strained the action during a performance of Weber’s Concertstück. A Viennese Graf was then pushed into position for him. Less than a quarter of the way through the Puritani Fantasy, two brass strings snapped. Liszt, by now exasperated, personally dragged a third instrument (another Graf) from a corner of the stage and plunged into a performance of his Transcendental Study called Vision. Before he had reached the closing chord, two more strings had snapped beneath his powerful fingers. (WFWB, pp. 93–94.) During Liszt’s stay in London in the summer of 1840, the periodical John Bull (May 3) carried an advertisement informing its readers that “each piece” to be heard in Liszt’s first concert on May 8 “will be played on a separate Grand Piano, selected by himself from Erard’s.” Since he played at least four solo items on that occasion, the stage must have been jammed with keyboards. 7. RLL, pp. 87–88. 8. LLB, vol. 1, pp. 35–36. As we have seen, Liszt did not receive the Legion of Honour until five years later (n. 4 on p. 146). Concerning the French love of decorations generally, he later wittily observed, “In France one must go about with a decoration. One is less noticeable on the boulevards.” (Le Moniteur à Paris, March 19, 1886.) 9. RLKM, vol. 2, p. 186. Stasov dismissed this anecdote as “a ridiculous fairy-tale.” The tsar, he said, never arranged concerts. (SSEM, p. 136.) Liszt’s first visit to St. Petersburg, however, did coincide with the annual Lenten Concert for the veterans of 1812. He did not participate in that concert, but pointedly gave other charity concerts while in Russia. For further comments of Liszt on Tsar Nicholas, whom he grew to detest, see LLB, vol. 2, p. 335, and LLB, vol. 3, p. 129. 10. BALV, vol. 3, pp. 405–6. This amusing exchange was confirmed by Felix Lichnowsky, who later told Liszt, “The whole city is in a flutter, people speak only of this affair.” (LBZL, vol. 1, p. 33.) 11. SSEM, pp. 127–28. 12. “Genius has obligations.” 13. CMGM, vol. 2, p. 245. See also Archives of the Grand Duchy of Thuringia, vol. 13, p. 304. 14. See the letter of thanks from the Hamburg City Council (WA, Überformate 129, 1M). 15. ACLA, vol. 2, p. 246. 16. LLB, vol. 1, p. 257. 17. Le Nouvelliste, Marseille, July 31, 1844. 18. BEM, p. 86. 19. RGS, vol. 2, p. 151; CPR, p. 135. 20. Liszt once told Olga von Meyendorff, “For your glissando exercises I once again advise you to use only the nail, either of your thumb or of your index or third finger, without even the tiniest area of flesh” (Liszt’s emphasis). (WLLM, p. 390.) 21. WTS. 22. MJ, p. 70. 23. RLKM, vol. 1, p. 166. Ludwig Böhner was the eccentric real-life model on whom E.T.A. Hoffmann based his character “Kapellmeister Kreisler,” later to become a source of musical inspiration to Schumann in his Kreisleriana. 24. Not the right hand, as the earlier biographies have it. Liszt corrected this mistake in his own copy of RLKM, vol. 1, p. 166 (WA, Kasten 352). The cut occurred while Liszt was being shaved by his valet, Spiridon Knézéwicz. It was “completely my own fault,” wrote Liszt. “I was recommending something to Spiridon while he shaved me and, stupidly, raised my left hand too high—and have learned to esteem even more the excellence of his razor.” (LLB, vol. 7, p. 168.) 25. BEM, p. 155. 26. BLP, p. 65. Symbolic of the piano’s increased popularity during the 1820s and ’30s was the meteoric rise to prominence of J. B. Logier and his invention of the “Chiroplast”—a complex mechanism of brass rods and rails for disciplining ’prentice hands at the keyboard—which ruined many a promising career before it had properly started. Logier subsequently developed a system of mass piano teaching based exclusively on its use, which allowed him to coach up to a dozen beginners simultaneously. Since they all paid him simultaneously as well, Logier soon became rich and opened “Chiroplast instruction centres” in most of the large cities of Europe (including Berlin, Paris, London, and Dublin), laying the foundations of a reputation as a piano teacher which the results hardly seemed to justify: not one pianist of stature was produced by this method. Among the advocates of the Chiroplast was Kalkbrenner, whose notorious handrail was clearly modelled on Logier’s invention. Even the young Liszt was swept up by the handrail and recommended it to his pupils, although he later abandoned such advice, once he understood the harm that could flow from it. 27. Chorley left a compelling account of Liszt’s total command of the keyboard in CMM, pp. 45–51. 28. See pp. 118–19. 29. NZfM, no. 11, 1839. 30. See p. 118. It is not generally known that Liapunov, a Liszt admirer, also composed a set of Transcendental Studies, which complete Liszt’s key-scheme, starting in F-sharp major (the next key in Liszt’s descending spiral). He dedicated his pieces to the memory of Liszt. 31. See, for example, the editorial preface to NLE. 32. Friedheim once reported Liszt as having remarked, “To be able to play Beethoven well, a little more technique is required than he demands.” Liszt might well have been speaking of his own music. 33. MRS, pp. 111–12. 34. BQLE, p. 10. See also PMPE, p. 97, in which Liszt expresses himself vehemently against the Pleyel pianos provided for his concerts in Bologna and Florence in 1838: “The keyboard is prodigiously uneven, and the bass, middle, and upper registers are all terribly muffled.” The Bologna instrument he described as “despicable.” In despair, he borrowed a Streicher from Prince Hercolami, on which he completed his concert engagements in Bologna. Erard, it seems, could not always keep up when Liszt set out on his travels. 35. Musical World, London, June 9, 1840. A few days earlier (June 1) Henry Reeve had heard Liszt play the same sonata with Batta at a private gathering in London “en doublant les passages.” (RML, vol. 1, p. 117.) 36. SBLB, p. 413. Ries, Cramer, Tomášek, and others all testified to Beethoven’s unpredictable performances of his own music. Cherubini characterized his playing as “rough.” 38. BLP, p. 35. 39. RGS, vol. 5, p. 232. “Wir sind Steuermänner und keine Ruderknechte.” 40. HLL, p. 38. 41. Count Apponyi, who was present at Wahnfried in the 1870s when Liszt performed the slow movement of the Hammerklavier Sonata, has described the impact his playing had on Wagner: “When the last bars of that mysterious work had died away, we stood silent and motionless. Suddenly, from the gallery on the first floor, there came a tremendous uproar, and Richard Wagner in his nightshirt came thundering, rather than running, down the stairs. He flung his arms round Liszt’s neck and, sobbing with emotion, thanked him in broken phrases for the wonderful gift he had received. His bedroom led onto the inner gallery, and he had apparently crept out in silence on hearing the first notes and remained there without giving a sign of his presence. Once more, I witnessed the meeting of those three—Beethoven, the great deceased master, and the two best qualified of all living men to guard his tradition. This experience still lives within me, and has confirmed and deepened my innermost conviction that those three great men belonged to one another.” (AAM, pp. 100–101.) Liszt tells us, incidentally, that he had played the Hammerklavier Sonata from the age of ten, “doubtless very badly, but with passion—without anyone being able to guide me in it. My father lacked the experience to do it, and Czerny feared confronting me with such a challenge.” (LLB, vol. 7, p. 164.) 42. See, for example, Liszt’s preface to his performing edition of the Schubert sonatas (1870), which is a model of correct musicological practice, placing before the player the various typographical symbols used to distinguish Schubert’s original text from Liszt’s (comparatively few) editorial suggestions. 43. RC, p. 27. Enter Marie d’Agoult Six inches of snow covering twenty feet of lava … “DANIEL STERN”1 At the beginning of 1833 Liszt was introduced to the woman who changed the course of his destiny. When he first met Countess Marie d’Agoult she was twenty-eight years old, unhappily married to a man fifteen years older than herself, and the mother of two children. She was beautiful and elegant, with “a profusion of blond hair that fell over her shoulders like a shower of gold.”2 Despite the difference in their ages (Liszt was twenty-one), and still more the difference in their backgrounds, the couple were drawn violently together. The story of their ill-starred romance (which appeared to the world like a brilliant liaison, but which in reality bore all the marks of classical tragedy, generating untold misery in its wake) has been related so often that the reader may well ask if there is anything left to say. During the past thirty years or so, however, sufficient new material has come to light to call for a fresh examination of this turbulent relationship. The first meeting between Liszt and Marie d’Agoult was carefully documented by Marie herself. It took place in the salon of the Marquise Le Vayer,3 who liked to surround herself with writers, artists, and “women of the world” in her spacious apartments in the rue du Bac. Her niece was Charlotte Talleyrand, whose love of music had led her to become a pupil of Liszt and who lost no time in telling her aunt of the phenomenal talents of her young mentor. One afternoon the marquise gathered together a female choir to perform a piece by Carl Maria von Weber. Marie d’Agoult was asked to participate because of her agreeable mezzo-soprano voice. The guest of honour was Liszt. Although Marie arrived late, Liszt arrived even later, and so she chatted to her hostess until the proceedings could begin. Marie herself picks up the story. Madame L. V. was still talking when the door opened and a wonderful apparition appeared before my eyes. I use the word “apparition” because I can find no other to describe the sensation aroused in me by the most extraordinary person I had ever seen. He was tall and extremely thin. His face was pale and his large sea-green eyes shone like a wave when the sunlight catches it. His expression bore the marks of suffering. He moved indecisively, and seemed to glide across the room in a distraught way, like a phantom for whom the hour when it must return to the darkness is about to sound.4 Madame Le Vayer came forward and introduced the young man to her distinguished friend. Liszt seated himself next to the blond-haired beauty, and they began to talk as if they had known one another for a long time. The effect that this first encounter with Liszt had on Marie d’Agoult is evident from her Mémoires, in which she writes in romantic vein of “his flashing eyes, his gestures, his smile, now profound and of an infinite sweetness, now caustic,” which “seemed to be intended to provoke me either to contradiction or to intimate assent.” Suddenly the spell was broken. The piano was opened and the candelabra were lighted at each end of the music desk. Madame Le Vayer approached and whispered some words in Liszt’s ear that he did not let her finish. He rose abruptly and walked impatiently towards the piano, around which was grouped the small chorus of singers. Marie followed and took her place among the mezzo-sopranos. After the piece was finished, Marie joined the others in offering some complimentary remarks on Liszt’s accompaniment. He replied with a silent bow. Marie went home rather late, and that night, she tells us, her sleep was troubled by strange dreams. Prompted by Madame Le Vayer, who called on her the next day, Marie wrote to Liszt inviting him to visit her. She tore up three drafts of this troublesome note before getting it right—an indication of her confused state. Liszt did not reply. He turned up in person, and the instant he entered her salon she felt again his magnetic attraction. From that day he became a frequent visitor. After six years of marriage, as Marie points out, she enjoyed complete independence, and there were no barriers to their meetings. From the begining our conversations were very serious and, by common accord, quite free from anything banal. Without hesitation, without effort, by the natural inclination of our souls, we embarked at once upon elevated subjects, which alone had any interest for us. We talked of the destiny of mankind, of its sadness and incertitude, of the soul and of God.… Franz spoke with a vivacity, an abundance, and an originality of impressions that awoke a whole world that had been slumbering in me; and when he left me I was sunk in reveries without end. The voice of the young enchanter, his vibrant speech, opened out before me a whole infinity, now luminous, now sombre, forever changing, into which my thoughts were plunged and lost.… Nothing of coquetry or of gallantry was blended with our intimacy, as so often happens between fashionable persons of opposite sexes. Between us there was something at once very young and very serious, at once very profound and very naive.5 In order to understand the origins of this love-affair, to say nothing of its tempestuous development, we must explore Marie d’Agoult’s personality and family background in greater depth than is usual in a biography of Liszt. Who was this woman, about to throw away every social advantage in order to link her life with his? She remains a stranger to most musicians, even to those who have a right to claim some acquaintance with the minutiae of Liszt’s daily life, being known mainly by her mundane title of “first mistress.” Yet the force of their initial encounter and their subsequent love-affair, followed by the violence with which they ultimately rejected one another, left them emotionally drained and produced psychological scars which they carried to the tomb. Marie d’Agoult was descended from the powerful Bethmann family, one of the wealthiest banking dynasties in Germany. The enterprise on which the family fortunes were built had been founded by the brothers Simon Moritz and Johann Philipp Bethmann during the first half of the eighteenth century in Frankfurt-am-Main. In 1793 Johann died, leaving his massive inheritance to his Swiss-born widow, Katherina, and their two children, Moritz and Marie-Elisabeth. The family lived in a palatial mansion in Frankfurt called the Baslerhof, a name which emphasized the Swiss connection, where they were surrounded by servants and luxuries of all kinds. Frau Bethmann ruled over this household with a rod of iron. Although her son now ran the business, he was dominated by his mother. Her daughter, Marie-Elisabeth, had been married off at sixteen to her father’s elderly business partner, Jacob Bussmann, but within two years he had died and left his child-bride a widow. Frau Bethmann used to entertain lavishly at the Baslerhof; her business connections were worldwide and her dinner parties became famous. In the 1790s Frankfurt harboured large numbers of French émigrés, officers in the French army who were still loyal to the toppled monarchy and who were prepared to restore it by force of arms if necessary. Among these officers was the dashing young Viscount de Flavigny. In due course he received an invitation to one of the Baslerhof dinner parties, and when the eighteen-year-old widow Marie-Elisabeth met him she fell in love with him. Frau Bethmann heard of the affair and was determined to stop it. It was easy for her to arrange for the authorities in Frankfurt to find something wrong with the papers of this young officer-refugee, and he was promptly sent to jail. But the old matriarch reckoned without the intransigence of her stubborn daughter. Marie-Elisabeth bribed her way into the prison and spent the night in her lover’s arms, under the watchful eye of his jailor. The next morning she returned to the Baslerhof, happily compromised, and confronted a horrified Frau Bethmann with reality: either allow the wedding to take place or face the unfortunate consequences. The young viscount was hastily released from jail and a wedding arranged. Three children were born of the marriage. The first was a son, Eduard, who died in infancy; then in 1799 came a second son, Maurice; six years later their daughter was born, and they gave her the grandiloquent name of Marie-Catherine-Sophie de Flavigny. Since the viscount refused to return to France while Napoleon ruled, Marie was brought up in the ancestral home of her grandmother in Germany. Marie’s childhood memories were dominated by Frau Bethmann dressed in black, sitting bolt upright in her enormous thronelike chair in the vast drawing room of the Baslerhof, from where she issued her orders to servants and family alike. Marie hated and detested her. When Viscount de Flavigny led his eighteen-year-old bride to the altar, she was not only a widow but the mother of a small daughter, Augusta, Marie’s half-sister. Augusta was mentally unstable. Her new stepfather was unable to control her. She was allowed to grow up quite wild and several times amazed Frankfurt by her eccentric behaviour. When she was still in her mid-teens, and inspired by her mother’s example, she compromised the poet Clement Brentano, who was obliged to marry her. This disastrous match ended in divorce, but not before Augusta twice attempted suicide (once by stabbing herself with a penknife and once by drinking poison).6 A second marriage was no more successful, although it produced four children, about whom Marie writes in her Souvenirs. After a public quarrel with her husband in a Frankfurt restaurant, Augusta flung herself into the river Mainz and drowned. Marie knew well the instability in her family and sometimes feared that she herself might go mad. She became a lifelong victim of depression and psychosomatic illnesses, for which she regularly sought treatment in Paris at the clinic of Dr. Emile Blanche. In the spring of 1869 her private nightmare became reality: her reason snapped and she temporarily turned into a raving lunatic. Her son-in-law Emile Ollivier witnessed a dreadful scene in which Marie was forcibly put into a straitjacket and removed to Dr. Blanche’s clinic for observation.7 Not a word of this has crept into Marie’s biography, let alone the various accounts of Liszt’s own life. But enough is now known of her violent attacks of spleen, which contrast so sharply with the refined image of marbled beauty handed down to us, to make us wonder how Liszt was able to endure their ten years together. Her early childhood was tranquil enough, however. Though feeling little affection for her mother she adored her father, who brought her up on Horace, Ovid, and Voltaire. Her literary tastes were acquired early; she was familiar with Greek myths long before she knew her Bible. She never forgot that warm Sunday afternoon in September when, as a little girl, she was walking in the garden with a cousin and company unexpectedly arrived. Her mother called her indoors. A kindly old gentleman caressed her golden hair and spoke a few words of greeting to her. It was Goethe, whose ardent admirer she later became, and whose profile is today carved on her tombstone. When Marie was thirteen years old her father died. She had been playing in the woods around her home and when she returned was told that he had fallen ill. She ran to his bedside and he asked her where she had been. “For a beautiful walk,” she replied. “I’m glad you have enjoyed yourself,” he said; “I’m in pain.” The remark was not intended to wound, but it cut the child to the heart; and when her father died three days later without having spoken to her again, Marie was devastated. Unable to confide in her mother, she hugged this private grief to herself throughout her adolescence. It was the first great trauma of her life, and she learned to handle it with the same self-restraint she exhibited in later life in times of stress. Her inability thereafter to find her “great man,” and the evident difficulty she had in choosing a husband, can be traced to the irreparable loss of her father during her formative years. Those who did not know her well thought her cold and heartless. But the icy exterior was a mask whose rigidity stood in inverse ratio to the boiling emotions it held in check. She was aptly portrayed in her womanhood as “six inches of snow covering twenty feet of lava,” a description she quotes in her Souvenirs without disapproval.8 When she was sixteen Marie was sent to a fashionable convent school in Paris, the Sacré-Coeur, which was run by Jesuits, in order to finish her education. As the heiress to the Flavigny fortune she was treated with deference, being allowed the privilege of her own room and a piano, which enabled her to continue the music lessons she had begun in her early teens. This was a consolation to her. Nonetheless, her years of adolescence were lonely. She writes with distaste of this period, hating the stifling routine and “the odour of sanctity.” One story stands out from this time. She befriended a younger pupil, an ugly and awkward child who was further handicapped by her slow intelligence. The other pupils cruelly tormented her until Marie, goaded beyond endurance at the young girl’s distress, rushed into the fray, scattering her tormentors in all directions.9 From that day no one dared touch the girl, and Marie was treated with new respect. It was an early indication in her of Flavigny chivalry. When she became “Daniel Stern” and developed Republican sympathies, she would break many a lance for the underprivileged and distressed. In due course Marie, like other young ladies of her social class, “came out.” It was now expected of her that she marry. Such matters were usually negotiated by the families of the interested parties, and Madame de Flavigny and Marie’s brother, Maurice, who had entered the diplomatic service, proceeded to screen some possible candidates. Marie was now a dazzling blonde beauty, one of the most desirable debutantes in society. There was no shortage of suitors. Chaperoned meetings were set up, but the young Lorelei found no one with whom she felt compatible. Shy and reserved, Marie had come to resemble George Sand’s later description of her as “straight as a candle, white as a sanctified wafer,” and her suitors found her aloof. After three or four seasons had slipped by and Marie was still unmarried, her mother and brother began to worry. At last she showed an interest in a certain Count de Lagarde, aide-de-camp to the Duke of Richelieu. Lagarde was forty-five, more than twice Marie’s age, but after several visits she felt that he might offer her paternal affection. Unfortunately, Lagarde was as shy as Marie, and he found himself unable to express his feelings. The silence dragged on for several months. Lagarde finally decided he must end it. He paid one last visit to the salon of Madame de Flavigny, resolving that if Marie herself asked him to stay he would remain, the happiest of men; if not he would leave, never to return. Here is how Marie continues the story. Marie d’Agoult, an oil portrait by Henri Lehmann (1839). (illustration credit 10.1) M. de Lagarde had been in the salon with my mother for nearly an hour before I could bring myself to enter it. I had needed all this time to pluck up my courage. As I opened the door M. de Lagarde was on the point of leaving. I went towards him and held out my hand. “You’re going then?” I said, with tears in my eyes. “Yes, I’m going,” he said, as his eyes met mine. And as I could say nothing, “I’m going,” he repeated, emphasizing his words, “unless you yourself order me to stay.” Stay!… This short little word, which would have changed my whole existence, came to my lips more swiftly than thought; I felt it vibrate and tremble there … and die … in an incredible weakness of my love and my will-power.… Someone else came in; M. de Lagarde went.10 The departure of Count de Lagarde changed the course of her life. Marie relates in her Souvenirs that she was so upset that she resolved to marry the next suitor to present himself and told her family to arrange a suitable match. Their choice fell upon Count Charles d’Agoult. Born in 1790, and therefore fifteen years Marie’s senior, the count belonged to one of the oldest families in France. A distinguished military career lay behind him. He had joined the French army at seventeen and had risen to the rank of colonel. During the Battle of Nangis he had led a cavalry charge against Russian infantry and was shot in the left leg. Thereafter he always walked with a limp. Marie quickly perceived that Count d’Agoult was a man of great kindness and integrity. Although she did not love him, she came to respect him, and when he proposed to her she accepted. He told her that he would willingly give her back her freedom should she ever regret her decision. And eight years later, when that crisis came, he kept his word. The wedding took place on May 16, 1827, in the fashionable Church of the Assumption. A glittering assembly of aristocratic families gathered to mark the event. The marriage contract was witnessed by Charles X himself, and the dauphin and the dauphine. According to Count d’Agoult, his wife brought 300,000 francs to the marriage as her dowry.11 Shortly afterwards Marie was presented at court, where she created a sensation with her train of white silk and gold brocade, adorned with diamonds. The honeymoon was spent in London. The Channel crossing was rough, and the count retired below, indisposed. Marie stayed on deck throughout the voyage, however, admiring the turbulent seas. The event was symbolic of the manner in which their independent relationship was to unfold. The unpublished memoirs of Charles d’Agoult offer us some rare insights into the character of his wife. She never travelled anywhere without trunkfuls of writing paper, which even accompanied the newlyweds on their honeymoon, to the count’s evident exasperation. Stranger still is the story the count relates concerning his wife’s experiment in transvestism. “One day,” he writes, Madame d’Agoult came into the drawing room (where I was alone) wearing my military cap, dressed in my greatcoat, wearing a pair of my trousers, my boots with spurs, and my riding crop. At first I was somewhat taken aback. Then I hastened to tell her that the costume suited her very well—it was true—and that she even had the swashbuckling air of a musketeer. She looked at herself in the mirror, swished the air with her crop, and went out saying, “That’s what I needed, a pair of trousers and a crop!”12 As Marie d’Agoult scribbled away, covering reams of paper with her daily jottings about other people, memorabilia that she would one day incorporate into the account she gave of herself to the world, she had no idea that she herself was being closely observed—by her husband. Count d’Agoult had no literary talent; nor did he have any interest in “setting the record straight” (neither his wife’s Mémoires nor her correspondence with her lover were published during his lifetime). But he understood his wife’s difficult character through and through. His unpublished account is a straightforward description of their years together. It differs in detail from the received picture of Marie d’Agoult—calm, poised, unruffled—which was painted largely by herself. After their return to France, Marie and Charles d’Agoult installed themselves in a mansion on the Left Bank of the Seine, almost opposite the Tuileries Palace. It was here that the countess held her first salon, scoring her greatest success with Rossini and his troupe of singers. From her balcony she witnessed the violent clash between workers and soldiers during the July Revolution. She recalled seeing soldiers running in all directions across the Tuileries and heard gunfire, screams, and breaking glass as furniture was thrown out of windows. Finally, to her astonishment she saw the tricolour flag run up over the Clock Pavilion. The monarchy had collapsed. It was Marie’s first encounter with “the people.” Two children were born of the marriage: Louise in 1828, and Claire in 1830. In 1832 Marie d’Agoult bought a permanent home for her family: the Château de Croissy, a palatial residence built in the time of Louis XIV. Situated six miles from Paris and set in beautiful grounds, Croissy offered Marie an ideal retreat from the social whirl of the city. Her husband was frequently absent from Croissy for long periods of time. Posterity has not treated Count d’Agoult kindly. He is usually depicted in biographies of Liszt as an insensitive husband and an indifferent father, giving Marie ample reason to leave him. It is time to set this canard aside: Charles d’Agoult held his wife and small daughters in great affection. He had feared for the stability of his marriage from the start, rightly pointing out that in her youth Marie had been surrounded by bad models. The marriage was scarcely a year old when they had their first serious quarrel. Charles felt instant remorse and wrote Marie a soothing letter. Three years later a more serious rift occurred, resulting in a temporary separation. In one of his rare letters to Marie, Charles wrote: I’m longing to hear from you, for the thought that you or my children are far away from me gives me no peace. I reproach myself for my last letter; it will have hurt you when you were ill, and that is far from my intentions! I was wrong to be so hard, forgive me that fit of bad temper. As you say, who among us does not have reproaches to make against themselves? It’s that sometimes I have moments which are a little sad, for my wife and children are everything to me and nothing can replace them.13 This was Marie d’Agoult’s background when the twenty-one-year-old Liszt entered her life. Her marriage was strained, her adolescence had contained many frustrations, her half-sister was suicidal, and Marie herself was neurotic and liable to bouts of depression and melancholia. It is a less flattering account of her personality than the one we are used to reading. Since her wedding day, she confessed, she had not enjoyed a single happy hour. By the summer of 1833 the Liszt-d’Agoult affair had begun to develop rapidly. Liszt sometimes travelled out to Croissy, and Marie occasionally came to Paris, where they met secretly in his small apartment (referred to jocularly as the Ratzenloch, the “rat hole”). That fact alone makes it obvious that Marie was a willing partner in the liaison.14 In order to avoid detection, they resorted to elaborate subterfuge, writing to one another through intermediaries. As early as December 1833 Marie was urged by Liszt to forward her letters to one Madame Vial15 (“I am completely certain of her”). He, in turn, sometimes addressed his envelopes to “Marquise de Gabriac at the Château de Croissy,” and would then begin the letter in English (a language Marie could read), “This is not for the marquise. Do you understand?” His letters are studded with German and English phrases to obscure the time and place of their next tryst.16 At first their correspondence was formal and correct. But as the couple saw more of one another, their letters acquired intimate overtones. By January 1834 at the latest there was an open declaration of love. In the early summer Liszt spent an idyllic week at Croissy. On his return to Paris he wrote, “How ardent, how glowing on my lips is your last kiss!” And a short time later: “Write to me often. You write so divinely, so straight from the heart; your every word burns with an inner flame. There is only one name now that I repeat every hour.” Marie, for her part, had long since declared herself; although many of her letters are missing from the Correspondance, she had written as early as May 1833, “Sometimes I love you foolishly, and in these moments I comprehend only that I could never be so absorbing a thought for you as you are for me.”17 She had already addressed one of her letters “To a genius.”18 Even in these early days the course of their love-affair did not run smoothly. It seems that Marie had come into possession of some old letters that Liszt had written to Adèle Laprunarède and others. All of them dated from 1831, but her jealousy was aroused and she confronted him with them. He explained that these affairs were over long before he had met her. That did not satisfy Marie. She required him to confess to her in the greatest detail all the indiscretions of his past. He appears to have done so, but protested that he was not ashamed of these love-affairs and would never deny them.19 Marie “forgave” him, but the episode rankled. It was a dress-rehearsal for the many lovers’ quarrels that would typify their relationship in the years to come. It is entirely in keeping with what we know of Marie d’Agoult’s character that she now consulted a clairvoyant to predict her future. The name of this fortuneteller was Mlle Lenormand, and she lived in the rue de Tournon, then one of the seamiest quarters in Paris. At the height of her fame Mlle Lenormand had numbered among her clients Alexander I of Russia and the Duke of Wellington, who consulted her in 1818 in order to discover who had attempted to assassinate him. She was now old, fat, and ugly, and she held her consultations in a dark, stuffy room, seated in a leather armchair in front of a table on which she shuffled some cards, while a black witch’s cat circled at her feet. So deeply did this eerie scene affect Marie’s impressionable mind that she was able vividly to recall the details even after a lapse of many years. Your destiny [Mlle Lenormand told Marie] will be changed completely two or three years from now. What seems impossible today will come to pass. You will change your way of life entirely. Later you will even change your name, and your new name will become famous not only in France but in Europe. You will leave your country for a long time. Italy will be your country of adoption; there you will be loved and honoured. You will love a man who will make a sensation in the world and whose name will cause a great stir.20 This prophecy became true in all the essential details. Throughout the summer of 1834 Marie had ample time to dwell on her destiny. Liszt was 200 miles away with the Abbé Lamennais at La Chênaie, where he remained for three months. It seems that the separation was planned in order to give the couple time to reflect on the consequences of their relationship. Whether Marie, under normal circumstances, could ever have mustered the courage to leave her home and husband in order to link her life with Liszt’s is uncertain. But the hand of fate now intervened. In October Marie’s elder daughter, Louise, fell ill; by December she was dead. Marie has left a moving account of this tragedy. The six-year-old child apparently contracted a fever at Croissy which turned into inflammation of the brain. She became delirious and went into long fainting fits. Marie took her to Paris for expert medical treatment, and did not leave her daughter’s bedside. Just before the end, and after three nights without sleep, it seemed to Marie that the crisis had passed, and she retired to the next room to tidy herself. A facsimile of a letter from Liszt to his mother, dated Bernay, May 19, 1834. “My unfortunate piano has still not arrived. Go at once to Erard and give him my complaints and reproaches.” (illustration credit 10.2) Hardly had I gone when some instinct drew me back to her bed. How terrible! The child was bolt upright, her eyes open and haggard. I rushed towards her. She threw her arms round my neck in terror as though to escape an invisible hand. I clasped her to me. She uttered a cry; I felt her body sag and hang limp against my breast.21 Prostrate with grief, Marie became severely depressed. Liszt called at the house every day for news, but she refused to see him. Nearly six months had elapsed since the pair had last seen one another, and we have a number of Liszt’s letters to Marie which tell of his anxiety and despair; they remained unanswered. Marie returned to Croissy in a suicidal frame of mind, threatening to drown herself.22 She had hardly any recollection of the days and weeks that followed. A sad footnote to the tragedy was that she was quite unable to bear the presence of her younger daughter, Claire, whose innocent laughter and playfulness during this period of mourning so jarred on her nerves that she placed the child in a convent. One morning, Marie relates, after she had begun her convalescence, she was given a pile of letters that had arrived at Croissy during her illness. Among them was one from Liszt announcing his intention of leaving France and expressing a desire to see her one last time before his departure. No such letter exists in the Liszt-d’Agoult Correspondance; Marie merely cites it in her Mémoires. Whatever the cause, Marie’s resistance crumbled. She travelled to Paris to see Liszt, and their emotional reunion took place in his apartment in the rue de Provence. That must have been no later than March 1835: their first child, Blandine, was born the following December. It was now impossible for the lovers to remain in Paris. In order to avoid a scandal, they planned an elopement to Switzerland. The arrangements were made in absolute secrecy.23 The only two people Liszt confided in were his mother and his spiritual adviser, Abbé Lamennais, who hurriedly left his retreat in Brittany and travelled to Paris in an attempt to dissuade Marie from pursuing so radical a course. Their discussion lasted more than an hour, but Marie remained obdurate. She set out from Croissy at the end of May in the company of her mother, Countess de Flavigny, who had as yet been told nothing about the reasons for the journey. Liszt delayed his own departure until June 1, for appearance’ sake, having arranged to rendezvous with Marie in Basel a few days later.24 Just before leaving Croissy for the last time, Marie wrote a letter to Charles d’Agoult, perhaps the most difficult lines she ever penned. I am going to leave, after eight years of marriage.… Whatever you may think, I have not been able to make such a decision without a cruel struggle, without bitter tears. I have no wrongs to reproach you with, you have always been full of affection and devotion for me; you have thought always of me, never of yourself, and yet I have been truly unhappy. I am not blaming you for this unhappiness. Perhaps (and I cannot reproach you for this opinion) you think that the blame for it lies solely in me. I do not think so. When fate has joined two people as dissimilar as we are in temperament and mind, without their knowing one another, the most constant efforts and the most painful sacrifices from both sides only serve to deepen the abyss which separates them.… I ask for your forgiveness on Louise’s grave.… Your name will never leave my lips except when it is uttered with the respect and esteem which your character deserves. As for me, I ask only for your silence in the face of the world, which is going to overwhelm me with insults. M.25 Henceforth Charles d’Agoult’s lot was not easy. He continued to

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line713

__label__wiki

Tag Archives: Bundestag G10-Kommission A Bundestag committee whose four members, not mandatorily Bundestag members, are appointed by the Bundestag’s intelligence-agencies-monitoring parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium. The G10 committee monitors compliance with the German constitution’s requirement for individuals’ rights to letter secrecy [Briefgeheimnis], postal secrecy [Postgeheimnis] and telecommunications secrecy [Fernmeldegeheimnis]. The G10 committee supposedly must approve each surveillance or search of German citizens’ phones or computers by Germany’s intelligence agencies, which can only be possible if such surveillance is done on a very small scale. In July 2013, Spiegel-Online wrote that only 156 surveillance actions were approved by the G10 committee in 2011. And that the foreign intelligence service BND is permitted to ask for broadly-defined surveillance that is not however allowed to exceed 20% of the information out there and usually supposedly hovers at only 5%. (Gay TSAYN comb eess y own.) Briefgeheimnis/Bundesnachrichtendienst/Bundestag/Data protection/Datenschutz/Fernmeldegeheimnis/G10/Human rights/Militärischer Abschirmdienst/Postgeheimnis/Verfassungsschutz Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium, PKG “Parliamentary supervisory committee” whose eleven Bundestag members are said to supervise Germany’s intelligence agencies Bundesnachrichtendienst, Militärischer Abschirmdienst and federal Verfassungsschutz. The P.K.G. is a German parliamentary committee presumably similar to e.g. the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Its meetings are secret, held in a supposedly unsnoopable room, and its members cannot discuss what they learn, even with other Bundestag members. This committee is the nominal control of Germany’s intelligence agencies. Spiegel.de wrote there can be disagreement between the eleven committee members and the intelligence agencies about what is worth reporting to the committee about the activities of the agencies’ tens of thousands of employees, quoting P.K.G. member the excellent Christian Ströbele (Green party) as saying in frustration “How are we supposed to control the secret services when we get no information?” Update on 10 Jul 2014: Clemens Binninger (C.D.U.), a former policeman, is apparently chairing the PKG. (Pah lah men TAH rish ess con TROLL gray me oom, pay kah gay.) Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz/Bundesnachrichtendienst/Bundestag/Militärischer Abschirmdienst/Organization/Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium/Spies/Verfassungsschutz Ringtausch A circular exchange. Concept used to describe how intelligence agencies from countries in the Five Eyes alliance kindly spy on the other four countries’ populations so each can say they’re not spying on themselves. A Leftists party speaker used the term in the Bundestag discussion on the occasion of the first day of work for the Bundestag’s new N.S.A. investigation committee [NSA-Untersuchungsausschuss]. The American N.S.A. probably won’t send anyone to testify before this Bundestag committee. The eight members (six government, two opposition) will nevertheless try to find out what Germany’s intelligence agencies have been doing and witnessing, and how they’ve been cooperating. Like the U.S.A., Germany appears to have a parliamentary committee that is nominally in charge of its intelligence agencies but might be more of a powerless excuse that is not even fully informed: the Parliamentarisches Kontrollgremium. (RINGED ow! sh.) Bundestag/Five Eyes/National Security Agency/Reregulation/Suspicionless surveillance/Warrantless wiretapping Null Null Sieben The 007 license plate of the car that dropped off Chancellor Merkel at the E.U. summit on 24 Oct 2013 in Brussels, where the hot unofficial topic was outrage at revelations about U.S. spying on the German chancellor’s cell phone and in previously-unknown but huge volumes in France. Possibly also Italy, including the Vatican. And now Spain. “Spying on your friends is not okay.” —Angela Merkel (C.D.U.) “That would represent an entirely new quality, and cast a new light on all statements made by the N.S.A. in the past few months.” —Ronald Pofalla (C.D.U.), who as Kanzleramtschef, the chancellor’s chief of staff, is responsible for coordinating and monitoring Germany’s intelligence agencies. He had declared the scandal over last summer in response to assurances from the U.S.A. “We will not allow ourselves to be treated like that by the Americans. The trust has been harmed. I think a few things have to happen now before this trust can be restored.” —Hans-Peter Friedrich (C.S.U.), interior minister “The Americans are not fully aware of the situation. And then you’re told things like, ‘but everyone spies on everybody.’ And that’s where you have to say loudly and clearly: that is not okay. Friends are not allowed to eavesdrop on friends. And how would people react in America—this is what we’re saying on our visit here, how we’re describing it—if the Bundesnachrichtendienst were to spy on the U.S. president.” —Elmar Brok (C.D.U.), chair of the European Parliament committee for Foreign Affairs, currently visiting Washington D.C. to complain “The chancellor’s cell phone is important, but the private and business communications of normal burghers is just as important. We will stand up for the protection of the basic rights of German citizens[…]” —Thomas Oppermann (S.P.D.), chair of the Bundestag’s Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium intelligence committee that is tasked with but not always successful at monitoring and controlling Germany’s intelligence agencies. Mr. Oppermann may be hoping to become the new Justice Minister, replacing Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (F.D.P.). “What sort of terrorists are they trying to find in the chancellor’s cell phone? This is a really absurd indication that the reasons they’ve told us so far absolutely cannot be true.” —Christian Ströbele (Green Party), member of the Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium intelligence committee “It’s good that the clarification of the facts appears to be starting, now, and that at least a healthy distrust vis-à-vis the American intelligence services also appears to be arising, now.” —Steffen Bockhahn (Leftists), member of the Parlamentarisches Kontrollgremium “The German government now mistrusts all claims and assurances made by the U.S. government in the entire N.S.A. affair. Now that we know they bugged the chancellor’s cell phone, the U.S. government can no longer sustain its claim from last summer that it did not injure Germany’s interests. It did, and representatives of all parties agree on this, utterly deceive Germany.” —Ulrich Deppendorf, ARD studio head and news editor-in-chief “I think we should be honest that we have the capacity to obtain information that we didn’t have before. What we need now is the appropriate legislation that ensures we are not seeking or not using the capacity that we have.” —Fredrik Reinfeldt (centrist Moderate Party), Prime Minister of Sweden. (Approximate quote; his original English was drowned out by the German translation.) “So we have to think about what we need. What data protection agreements do we need, what transparency do we need. We stand between the United States of America and Europe, before shared challenges […]” —Angela Merkel (C.D.U.) “When I walk into a negotiation and must fear that the other side, a friendly democracy, already knows from espionage what I want to say in that negotiation, that’s no longer eye-to-eye.” —Martin Schulz (S.P.D.), president of the European Parliament “007, might be funny if the matter weren’t so serious. […] But this isn’t just about the chancellor’s cell phone. The much bigger concern is industrial espionage, which could cost European companies billions.” –ARD correspondent Rolf-Dieter Krause In a wonderful interview given in German on the evening of Oct. 24, E.U. commissioner Viviane Reding said she’d heard that England’s government did not want European data protection but Poland, Italy and France had joined together to fight for it. Also: “Both of us, both the Americans and the Europeans, need this Transatlantic Trade Agreement. But to be able to negotiate an agreement, you need trust. I think this trust is no longer quite as present. That’s why the first thing that must be done is to restore that trust. And then, so that Europe can speak with a single voice, for that you need strong data protection that is Europe-wide. And that has to be the basis from which we can then move into negotiations with the Americans.” “The whole time, Frau Merkel acted as if the affair was unimportant, as if it wouldn’t impact anyone in a big way. But then when it affects her, she gets upset? When all German burghers were affected, when it was about protecting burghers’ basic rights, she didn’t do anything then.” —Anton Hofreiter (new Green party co-chair) “It is strange: umpteen million communications from Germans alone are recorded every month by British and U.S. intelligence agencies. With these extraordinary claims from the documents supplied by the ex-N.S.A. man Edward Snowden the snooping story exploded into public view last summer, but left the German government, and one must say most Germans as well, rather strangely unmoved. Then last night a single cell phone was added to the mix—OK, it was the chancellor’s—and suddenly all hell broke loose.” —Claus Kleber, moderator at ZDF heute journal The new Bundestag scheduled an extraordinary meeting or special session [Sondersitzung] to discuss the N.S.A. spying affair in mid-November. All political parties also agree a parliamentary inquiry [Untersuchungsausschuss] is “unavoidable.” Many parties would like to invite Edward Snowden to testify before the committee, after which he can apply for asylum in Germany. Update on 28 Oct 2013: On Thursday, Brazil and Germany will introduce a draft United Nations resolution against N.S.A. spying. FAZ.net reported that a large majority was predicted to approve it, and that though United Nations General Assembly resolutions tend to be nonbinding, unlike Security Council resolutions, the fact that Brazil and Germany are behind this and that so many of the 193 member states support it give it extra significance. Brazilian reporter Sonia Bridi from TV Globo said Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff’s government wants the world to make international regulations for internet access and international telecommunications such that no individual state can ever again have access to the world’s key communications hubs or nodes. Update on 26 Nov 2013: The United Nations Human Rights Committee approved Germany and Brazil’s U.N. resolution against data spying. It will be sent on to the U.N. General Assembly, where the nonbinding resolution is considered certain to pass in December 2013. “Today, for the first time, a resolution in the United Nations expressly specified that human rights have to be protected online just as much as they must be protected offline.” –Peter Wittig, permanent representative to the U.N. for Germany since 2009 (Newel newel ZEEB en.) Brazil/Bundestag/Consumer protection/Data protection/Datenschutz/European Union/France/Germany/Human rights/Italy/Parliamentary democracy/Regulatory framework/Rogue states/Snowden trove/Spain/Spies/Suspicionless surveillance/Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership/Transparency/Trust/United Nations/Warrantless wiretapping/Warren Terra Steuerabkommen “Tax agreement.” Germany’s ruling CDU/CSU + FDP coalition negotiated an agreement with Switzerland that untaxed German money in Swiss bank accounts could be subjected to a one-time tax (21% to 41%) and repatriated to Germany with no prosecution for tax evasion. This agreement had to be ratified by German parliament but was not because the SPD and Green Party objected to the low rates, saying tax avoiders would be granted immunity yet pay a lower overall tax rate than people who had obeyed the laws. The matter will now undergo arbitration. Update on 06 Dec 2012: A tax agreement between Greece and Switzerland is under discussion that it is hoped would return 9 billion euros to Greece. Again, the tax evaders would pay between 21% and 41% and remain anonymous. Negotiations have been ongoing for two years. Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that over 20 billion euros were moved from Greece to Swiss banks between 2009 and 2011. Gerhard Schick, finance speaker for the Green Party in the Bundestag, said in a position paper quoted in this Süddeutsche Zeitung article about the constitutionally anchored tax-free status of Greek shipping families that the EU should be negotiating these tax agreements with Switzerland, that the Swiss tendency to negotiate separately with each EU country gives Switzerland disproportionately too much power. “Divide et impera.” Update on 12 Dec 2012: Arbitration was unsuccessful. (SHTOY err OBB come en.) Banks/Bundestag/Gerhard Schick/Greece/Green Party/Latin/Switzerland/Tax Justice Network/Taxes “Voting law.” The Bundestag is debating an overhaul of Germany’s electoral system. On 17 Oct 2012, Spiegel reported one issue was that the reforms currently under discussion might increase the size of the Bundestag to 700 M.P.’s (Spiegel-Online, “Bigger Than North Korea,” saying Germany would have the world’s second-largest parliament after China). Electoral reforms were necessitated by the Federal Constitutional Court’s decision in July 2012 that parts of the current law were unconstitutional, particularly with regard to Überhangmandate (which will be balanced out by proportional extra seats for the other parties). If a final agreement is reached rapidly, the new law could be in effect by Christmas 2012. Update on 21 Feb 2013: The Bundestag reached an agreement on the new election rules. Überhangmandat seats will be canceled out by Ausgleichsmandat, compensation mandate, seats. (VALL wrecked.) Bundestag/Bundesverfassungsgericht/China/Elections/Electoral reform/North Korea/Parliamentary democracy Gläserne Abgeordnete “Transparent parliament members.” What the CDU/CSU wants to avoid, which is why they oppose full disclosure of Bundestag members’ supplementary income. The CDU/CSU is concerned that full disclosure of supplementary incomes would make it more difficult for middle-sized businesspeople to become M.P.’s. The FDP is worried about protecting lawyers’ privacy. (GLAY zer neh OB geh ord net teh.) Bundestag/CDU/CSU/Data privacy/German Pirate Party/Glass/Government transparency/Speaking fees “Side incomes,” translated by dict.leo.org as ancillary or auxiliary income; casual, incidental earnings or discretionary earnings; emoluments and perquisites. On 16 Oct. 2012 the Bundestag debated the SPD’s proposal to have Bundestag members disclose all incomes in addition to their M.P. compensation. Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU party was opposed, as was their coalition partner the FDP, who said their primary concern was that working lawyers would have to disclose their clients. Greens and Leftists said they were ready for full transparency. The debate was triggered by attacks on a vulnerability of the SPD’s challenger to Angela Merkel in the upcoming election. Peer Steinbrück, who was called the Bankenschreck (terror of the banks, banks’ bane) when he was Finance Minister under an SPD government, has since then been receiving high speaking fees from banks and e.g. hedge funds. Calls from rival party members for Steinbrück to disclose these fees have turned up opportunities to improve the laws regulating extra-parliamentary compensation. The SPD’s proposal suggested disclosing the type of work, amount paid and payer’s name, because apparently that’s not required now. Violations would be punished by a reduction in the M.P.’s salary. Tagesschau.de reports that Peer Steinbrück (SPD) is the top earner in the Bundestag, followed by mostly members of the ruling conservative CDU/CSU and FDP parties (nine of the top ten, yet because of the nature of the old system these are minimum incomes and not accurate numbers). Update on 25 Oct 2012: The ruling coalition CDU/CSU + FDP finds themselves in a bind because while they wanted to attack Steinbrück, they never wanted transparency for supplementary M.P. incomes, reports Spiegel-Online. The ruling coalition has now agreed to a reform plan that changes the disclosure system from three steps to ten steps. The three-step scale was up to EUR 3500, 3500 to 7000, and >7000, monthly. The ten-step scale will be, either monthly or annually (hasn’t been decided yet), EUR 1000 to 3500, to 7000, 15000, 30000, 50000, 75000, 100000, 150000, 250000 and >250000. With the old scale an M.P. who earned e.g. EUR 150,000 for a speaking engagement only had to disclose EUR 7001. The SPD is concerned that under the new system an M.P. could take ten EUR-900 fees without having to disclose, so they have proposed disclosure of fees exceeding EUR 10000 in one year. The SPD and Leftists (Die Linken) parties remain committed to full transparency. The Greens have proposed two models: full disclosure or a thirteen-step scale. The frequency of mandatory reporting is also still under debate; AbgeordnetenWatch.de points out that with modern technology this useful information can be made available very rapidly to voters. Update on 22 Feb 2013: Today the Bundestag agreed on a new 10-step plan to disclose M.P.’s supplementary incomes. (NAY ben eye n coon fteh.) Abgeordnetenwatch.de/Bankenschreck/Bundestag/CDU/CSU/FDP/German Pirate Party/Green Party/Leftists (Die Linken)/SPD/Speaking fees Überhangmandate “Overhang mandates,” overhang seats. Unusual parliamentary seats resulting from Germany’s two-vote election system. With their first vote, burghers choose a candidate. With their second vote, a political party. If a party has more direct candidates elected in a district than the seats they would have won by percentage, the party can still retain the directly elected excess candidates as Überhangmandate. According to ZDF heute journal reporting on 25 July 2012, after Angela Merkel’s government’s recent electoral reforms there were an unprecedented 24 overhang seats in the subsequent election, a new record, and all belonged to Angela Merkel’s ruling party CDU/CSU. The Federal Constitutional Court has now declared the recent reforms imperfect and in need of revision, during which there will presumably be substantially more debate and resistance from the opposition, who now say these reforms were in fact rather inconsistent and hastily pushed through the legislative process. In future, the Constitutional Court said, a maximum of only 15 overhang seats will be permissible. (OO ber hong mon DOT eh.) Bundestag/Bundesverfassungsgericht/Elections/Electoral reform/Parliamentary democracy

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line715

__label__cc

Sports traveling The Rugby World Cup 2019: What to see, eat and do in the host cities of Japan (part 1) The top 20 rugby squads in the world will duke it out over 6 weeks in Japan, from the opening match in Tokyo on Sept 20th to the final in Yokohama on Nov 2nd. There are some notes when you are in Japan’s host cities for the Rugby World Cup 2019. 1. Japan has a relaxed attitude to drinking with thousands of gastro-pubs called izakaya. Rugby World Cup organisers fret that some might dry up before half time amid reports of Olympian feats of drinking by Irish, English, and Australian fans. Therefore, pub owners have been warned to stock up. 2. Be well prepared for natural disasters. Earthquakes are an unlucky feature of life in Japan. Few countries in the world are better equipped to deal with them; however, last year, foreign tourists found themselves struggling and isolated after a quake in Hokkaido, main northern island of Japan. So, spend a bit of time before you leave to familiarize yourself with the place where you are going to and what to do if the worst thing happens. Make sure to always carry some cash and a fully charged mobile phone with you so the folks back home can reach you. 3. Bring plenty of yen. In spite of its high-tech prowess, Japan remains a cash-based society. Although hotels and larger service businesses accept Visa and MasterCard, many smaller bars and restaurants won’t. You can find foreign-friendly ATMs in 7-Eleven convenience stores, post offices, some department stores, airports, and train stations. 4. Leave your stash at home as Japan takes a very dim attitude to drugs. Possession of marijuana is punishable with up to 5 years in prison. Cocaine can be even more frowned upon while tiny pot busts can still ruin celebrity careers. 5. From being one of the more obscure tourism destinations, Japan has become the world’s fastest growing tourist market. More than 31 million people visited last year, triple the 2013 figure; the government believes 40 million might come in 2020. Although some venues moan that they are being overrun by badly behaved gaijin, one result of the tourist growing is that English use is now widespread. Michelle Cunningham October 1, 2019 Sports travelingEarthquakes, Japan, the Rugby World Cup 2019 Read more > The Best Traveling Destinations For Sports Fans (part 2) Luzhniki Stadium – Moscow With a long history, Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is the national stadium and also the largest stadium in Russia. It has been renovated and is a landmark on its own. In terms of dining, Olymp Junior with its close proximity to the stadium is a great choice, offering delicious Russian and Azerbaijani cuisine. Where to stay: The Swissotel Krasnye Holmy has panoramic city views, an award-winning bar, and a stylish indoor pool. While enjoying the spectacular city, you can relax with a cool cocktail at the City Space Bar & Restaurant on the 33rd floor. Carrara Stadium – Gold Coast, Australia Carrara Stadium – also known as Metricon Stadium, the home of the Gold Coast SUNS – is one of Australia’s greenest and most contemporary stadiums. Inside Carrara Stadium, you can find various take-away food options such as pizza, chips, fish, and sushi. However, you need to give a try to the hot beef pie – the beloved snack in Australia. Where to stay: The RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast which is not so far from Carrara Stadium is set on a 27-hole championship golf course. You can also enjoy drinks or light meals by the pool or have a full meal in one of the five restaurants of the resort. Camp Nou – Barcelona, Spain It is undeniably easy to life in Barcelona, Spain with lively beach culture and glorious climate that dare you to live your life in the sun. For adventure, the Gothic Quarter is a great option, but for a soccer game at the largest stadium in Europe, go straight to Camp Nou which is best-known as the home to the football team of Barcelona. A sandwich with botifarra sausage, a popular alternative to the classic hot dog, is one of the most beloved snacks in this city. Where to stay: The Flateli Roger 6 is a stylish apartment which is only a short walk from Camp Nou stadium. With two separate bedrooms and a fully-equipped kitchen, it’s ideal for a group of friends or family to stay in. Michelle Cunningham May 3, 2019 Sports travelingAustralia, Camp Nou - Barcelona, Carrara Stadium - Gold Coast, Luzhniki Stadium - Moscow, SPAIN Read more > With many sporting events that are taking place across the world, 2019 is a big year for sports. A Booking.com survey showed that sports can sway the traveling decisions, with 1 in 5 travelers planning their trips around hot sporting events. However, what’s a game without game-day food? So, we’re listing some of the best foods to enjoy near each iconic sports destinations. Fenway Park – Boston There are just a few things to define Bostonians as much as their love of the Boston Red Sox – their home baseball team. If you’re in Boston during the baseball season, you really should catch a game at Fenway Park, cheering for the team with the locals. On your way, grab a pepper sandwich and a famous sausage from one street vendor outside the stadium. Where to stay: The Hotel Commonwealth, located just a short walk from Fenway Park, offers modern rooms, some of which can overlook the stadium. You can enjoy the fresh seafood dishes at the restaurant Island Creek Oyster Bar. Wembley Stadium – London Renowned for its majestic art, fashion, and theater scene, London is a great destination to watch sporting events, too. Wembley, the soccer stadium, is one of the most favorite stadiums of the city and the largest in the UK. You can get a quick bite at one of the kiosks on the first and fifth levels of the stadium, with a selection including burgers and pizza, fish and chips. Where to stay: Overlooking the Wembley Stadium and setting next to the Wembley Arena, the Hilton London Wembley features a rooftop terrace and a bar inspired by the world’s famous athletes who have played at the stadium. The Field of Dreams Movie Site© – Dyersville, Iowa Despite not being a technical stadium, the Field of Dreams Movie Site© in Dyersville, Iowa is an iconic landmark for people who fall in love with the 1989 classic. If you’re looking for something to eat, Dyersville has a lot of family-style restaurants which can offer you a quick bite or a cup of coffee. Where to Stay: The Field of Dreams Movie Site© house is available for nightly rentals for the first time. With the perfect view of the baseball field, it is the best place to stay to watch the annual softball game on Labor Day Weekend. Michelle Cunningham March 9, 2019 Sports travelingFenway Park - Boston, Iowa, The Field of Dreams Movie Site© - Dyersville, Wembley Stadium - London Read more >

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line716

__label__cc

Obama Admin: Palestinians Who Throw Molotov Cocktails at Israelis Are Not Terrorists Washington Free Beacon Staff - October 27, 2014 4:52 PM The Obama administration insisted Monday that a Palestinian killed by an IDF while attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail at Israeli civilians is not a terrorist. The Palestinian, a teenager with U.S. citizenship, was shot Friday and buried wearing a green Hamas headband. The Obama administration said in a statement on Friday that it "expresses its deepest condolences to the family." At a State Department briefing today, Associated Press reporter Matt Lee asked spokesperson Jen Psaki whether it is appropriate to offer "deepest condolences" to the family of someone killed while attempting to carry out an attack on civilians. "There are reports … that [the Palestinian teenager] was throwing Molotov cocktails at cars on a highway, and I'm wondering, if that is the case, would you still have been so speedy in putting out a statement and offering your condolences to the family?" asked Lee. "The argument that is being made by some in Israel is that this kid was essentially a terrorist, and you don't agree with that, I assume," Lee continued. "Correct, we don't," Psaki said. Lee then asked whether the fact that the teenager was buried wearing a Hamas headband was "of concern at all." Psaki replied, "I just don't have any more on this particular case." This entry was posted in National Security and tagged Hamas, Israel, Terrorism. Bookmark the permalink.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line718

__label__cc

Being honest about prices is considered bad for business and an act of an amateur, so bargaining is expected. Lebanon is believed to be the oldest country name in the world and has been unchanged for over 4,000 years. Find in-depth views on current international business topics? Read the globalEDGE Blog Lebanon: Introduction Lebanon is a country located in the Middle East on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria and Israel. Lebanon's rugged terrain and location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups within the country. The government system is a republic; the chief of state is the president, and the head of government is the prime minister. Lebanon is a member of the League of Arab States (Arab League). Lebanon: U.S. Commercial Service - Country Commercial Guide open_in_new Lebanon: World Bank - Doing Business Indicators open_in_new Lebanon: BBC - Country Profile open_in_new Lebanon: U.S. Department of State - Country Travel Information open_in_new Noun: Lebanese (singular and plural) Adjective: Lebanese Beirut (+2 GMT) Lebanese pound (LBP) attach_money Currency Converter Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1% Muslim 57.7% (28.7% Sunni, 28.4% Shia), Christian 36.2% (Maronite Catholics are the largest Chrisitan group), Druze 5.2%, very small numbers of Jews, Baha'is, Buddhists, and Hindus (2017 est.)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line719

__label__wiki

Posts tagged ‘Bill O’Reilly’ McConnell, Boehner to IRS: End ‘Intimidation and Harassment’ of Tea Party Groups. Top Republicans in the House and the Senate insist the Obama administration is using new proposed IRS rules to continue its “harassment and intimidation” of conservative groups, and they are calling on the new IRS Commissioner to abandon the plans. In a joint letter issued Wednesday to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell also contend that, much like the agency’s targeting of tea party groups which stifled their influence in the last two election cycles, the latest round of rules are a new attempt to silence them in the run-up to the 2014 elections. The rule, which hasn’t been finalized, could limit spending from outside groups officially classified as non-profit social welfare organizations. The groups spent more than $310 million over the two-year 2012 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics that tracks campaign finance. Some $265 million of that — about 85 percent — was from organizations that align with Republicans, according to the watchdog group. “It is our view that finalizing this proposed rule would make intimidation and harassment of the administration’s political opponents the official policy of the IRS and would allow the Obama Administration to use your agency as a partisan tool,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter signed by nine other colleagues. The new IRS rules would prevent 501(c)(4) tax-exempt groups from running television ads, organizing get-out-the-vote efforts and voter registration drives, and handing out literature on political issues. The GOP lawmakers contend the new rules amount to an assault by the administration on First Amendment rights. “You are now left with a simple choice,” they wrote. “Reform the IRS and root out any hint of corruption or targeting of political opponents, starting by withdrawing this proposed rule, or allow the administration to use the agency as a means to infringe on the constitutionally protected right to free speech.” In the letter the lawmakers also say that congressional investigators have uncovered evidence that the draft rules had been under consideration for at least two years, “suggesting a political motivation well outside the bounds of the agency’s mission.” The IRS has asked for public comment on whether the same definition should apply to labor unions and business groups. Many Democrats say the IRS should adopt a strict definition that follows the word “exclusively” in the tax code. Meanwhile, a House Ways and Means Committee investigation is underway this week into the IRS targeting scandal. Koskinen told reporters Wednesday after the hearing that the singling out of conservative organizations for heightened scrutiny would be “intolerable,” and vowed the IRS is not doing so now. “It won’t happen going forward,” Koskinen said, according to Fox News. “And to the extent that people suffered accordingly, I apologize for that.” On Thursday, GOP super lawyer Cleta Mitchell told representatives that the systematic effort to delay the processing of grass-roots groups applications for nonprofit status continues to occur. The proposed rule being discussed would define political activity broadly, including voter registration drives and voter guides. The proposal has drawn more than 22,000 comments so far, mostly opposing the change. The proposed rule doesn’t say how much political involvement would be enough to disqualify groups from obtaining and keeping social welfare status, and that’s an issue the IRS would have to resolve before it implemented the change. Koskinen also said he would cooperate with all six separate investigations into the scandal. President Barack Obama said in an interview Sunday with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly that the targeting was inappropriate but insisted there was no corruption in the agency “There was some boneheaded decisions out of a local office,” Obama said, adding that there was “not even a smidgen of corruption.” Since the proposed changes were announced in November, conservative groups have been vociferous in their opposition, saying it’s the administration’s latest attempt to silence them. Mitchell, who represents tea party groups that were targeted by the agency for scrutiny, said last week that the new rules demonstrate that the IRS is a “rogue, lawless agency” and “the enforcement arm for the Democratic Party.” McConnell: New IRS Chief Must Oppose Rules Limiting Free Speech New IRS Chief to Congress: Give Us a Fresh Start By Melanie Batley IRS regulations John Koskinen Cleta Mitchell: IRS Targeting of Conservatives Continues. Cleta Mitchell testifies on Capitol Hill on Feb. 6. On the panel with Mitchell are, from left, Catherine Engelbrecht, Founder of King Street Patriots, Becky Gerritson, Founder and President Wetumpka Tea Party, Inc., and Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel American Center for Law and Justice. By David A. Patten Explosive testimony lit up a House hearing on the IRS targeting scandal Thursday, as GOP super lawyer Cleta Mitchell told representatives that the systematic effort to delay the processing of grass-roots groups applications for nonprofit status continues to occur. Mitchell represents several grass-roots conservative organizations whose applications under sections 501C3 and 501C4 of the internal revenue code were delayed for years in the run-up to the 2012 election. She said that targeting had not stopped. Editor’s Note: Govt Prohibited From Helping Seniors (Shocking) GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told Fox News on Thursday that the effort to suppress conservative voices was “almost Nixonian,” noting President Obama said in a recent interview that there was “not even a smidgeon” of corruption involved in the apparent IRS effort to chill conservative groups after the tea party movement emerged in February 2009. “How could you possibly say that when Lois Lerner in charge of tax-exempt groups pled the fifth?” Graham asked. Also testifying Monday was Jay Sekulow, head of the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ). ACLJ officials also contend the IRS targeting continues to this day. There were 41 grassroots groups named as plaintiffs in the ACLJ lawsuit alleging widespread abuses of the First Amendment rights of assembly and free speech by the Obama administration and the IRS. Of those, 13 still have not yet received adjudication of their request for non-profit status. The oldest of those 13 pending applications for nonprofit status dates back to December 2009, French says. That would mean at least one group has been sidelined through two election cycles, with a third rapidly approaching. Of the 13 groups in limbo, two sought 501c3 non-profit status and the other 11 sought 501c4 status as “social welfare” organizations, French said. According to the ACLJ, five other groups joined the lawsuit after withdrawing their nonprofit applications due to frustration over the IRS approval process. Also, two of the plaintiffs refused to answer IRS questions that they considered unconstitutional, which led to the IRS closing their nonprofit applications without further consideration. The proposed new IRS regulations seek to limit 501c4 groups’ activities. Conservative activists say the rules have exacerbated their sense of uncertainty and intimidation. “Of course that has a chilling effect,” says French. “And until it is decisively and emphatically stopped through public, legal accountability, that chilling effect is likely to linger.” Mitchell, who represents grass-roots conservative activists not included in the ACLJ lawsuit, recently echoed the view that conservative groups continue to be singled out in the run-up to the 2014 elections. “The IRS is still, very deliberately targeting conservative organizations and subjecting them to additional intense and burdensome scrutiny — and this has not stopped,” she said. “This is still ongoing.” According to House Ways and Means Chairman Dave Camp of Michigan, the new proposed IRS regulations, which were first unveiled in November, appear to single out as political activity the precise sorts of programs tea party organizations typically run: Candidate forums, voter registration drives, and distributions of voter guides. In a column published in the February edition of Newsmax Magazine, the Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley A. Strassel contends that conservative groups are much more likely to become ensnared in the new proposed limitations. She notes that neither unions, which conduct most of their activities as 501c5 groups, nor 501c3 organizations such as the liberal League of Women Voters Education Fund, are affected. That’s because the rules were not written to apply to those types of nonprofits. The reaction of conservative activists has grown increasingly strident. Everett Wilkinson, chairman of the grass-roots National Liberty Federation organization, tells Newsmax: “Never before have we seen such attitudes and actions taken in America by an administration or government body. “They are intentionally trying to silence the voices of millions of Americans, who all they want is to be heard.” Wilkinson said his organization is closely following nine critical Senate races that could flip either way. But the fear of some that they could become targets of the IRS is having an impact, he says. “Through this intimidation a lot of people have said, ‘I don’t know if I want to risk the IRS or the Treasury Department or whoever they’re going to send after me,’” he says. Recent remarks by Democrats appear to have exacerbated conservatives’ concern that the IRS has been politicized. In January, New York Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer urged the IRS to “redouble [its] efforts immediately” to constrain the tea parties. Urgent: Is Obama Telling the Truth on IRS, Benghazi Scandals? During his Super Bowl interview with Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, President Obama said there was “not even a smidgeon of corruption” involved. This despite the fact that the FBI has yet to release the findings of its investigation. Such remarks appear aimed at energizing a Democratic base that has seen tea party nonprofits as fair game ever since the Citizens United ruling made it easier for corporations to get involved in politics. Curiously, the IRS targeting has had relatively little impact on the major activist groups that raise millions of dollars each year. A recent New York Times story reported that four major conservative organizations — FreedomWorks, Tea Party Patriots, the Club for Growth Action Fund, and the Senate Conservatives Fund — are actually outraising their more establishment GOP counterparts such as Crossroads GPS. But unlike the big groups that can afford to “lawyer up,” it is the smaller activist organizations all over the country — with names like Linchpins of Liberty, Colorado 9/12 Project, First State Patriots, Mid-South Tea Party, and American Patriots Against Government Excess — who have been ensnared by the long arm of the IRS. Those smaller organizations are believed to play a key role in getting out the vote in local neighborhoods. Wilkinson praises the myriad local tea parties as “the most effective system out there, compared to the Republican consulting groups that get millions of dollars in TV ads and radio ads. “They put every dollar they have in, and their heart and soul. They’re getting people to the polls for maybe pennies on the dollar.” How those groups will fare as the tax laws they must comply with grow increasingly complex and demanding is open to question. French says the proposed IRS rules will mean “an enormous amount of activity undertaken on the basis of issues, is now re-characterized as political, and now subject to limits. “That essentially takes a group’s ability to engage in issue advocacy and then completely neuters it in the days and the weeks leading up to an election, by defining political activity so very broadly,” he adds. When the targeting controversy first broke last May, President Obama said the IRS targeting was “inexcusable,” and added: “I’m angry about it.” The “social welfare” and issue-advocacy 501c4 organizations have received special attention in part because their donors’ names generally do not have to be disclosed. The controversy over IRS targeting dates back to May 2013. That’s when former IRS executive Lois Lerner revealed that IRS personnel had acted in what she called an “absolutely inappropriate” way by holding up the non-profit applications of groups with the terms “tea party,” “patriot,” or “9/12” in their names. The IRS asked the targeted groups to answer intrusive questionnaires regarding their activities — ranging from information on their members’ employers, donors lists, and even in one case how much time a particular organization spent “on prayer groups.” At the time, GOP Sen. Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, received several complaints. He wrote a letter of inquiry to then-acting IRS Commissioner Stephen T. Miller. Miller wrote back with assurances that no conservative groups were being targeted. But not long after Lerner’s disclosure, Miller was asked to resign. The Obama administration has portrayed the IRS affair as a limited imbroglio involving a few rogue agents in the IRS’s Cincinnati office. But Mitchell says several of her clients were told a final decision on their applications would be handed down from IRS offices in Washington, D.C. Not every grass-roots leader is concerned that conservative activists’ IRS problems will work to Democrats’ advantage, however. Tea Party Express chairwoman Amy Kremer is among those predicting it will backfire. “When all this came out about the IRS targeting, it made people mad,” she tells Newsmax. “It made them mad as hell. “…You get these individuals, under whatever local group, they don’t care: They’re going to go out there, and work their hearts and souls out for the cause.” American Center for Law & Justice Amy Kremer Becky Gerritson Catherine Engelbrecht Cleta Mitchell Dave Camp Everett Wilkinson IRS targeting Kimberely A. Strassel Orrin G Hatch Stephen T. Miller Wetumpka Alabama Proposed IRS Regs Threaten GOP’s 2014 Senate Push. Proposed new IRS regulations, combined with the intense ongoing scrutiny of grass-roots conservative groups, could suppress their get-out-the-vote activity enough to hand Democrats the one or two races they need to keep control of the Senate, conservative leaders warn. “Once caught red-handed,” American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) Senior Counsel David French said, “the administration didn’t change its goal [of] suppressing the free speech of these conservative groups. ”It’s just shifted methods. The ends are the same, only the means have changed,” he says. Of the 41 grassroots groups named as plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) — a case alleging widespread abuses of the First Amendment rights of assembly and free speech by the Obama administration and the IRS — 13 still have not yet received an adjudication on their request for non-profit status. The oldest of those 13 pending applications to the IRS for nonprofit status dates back to December 2009, French says. That would mean at least one group has been sidelined through two election cycles, with a third rapidly approaching. Washington GOP super lawyer Cleta Mitchell, who represents grass-roots conservative activists not included in the ACLJ lawsuit, recently echoed the view that conservative groups continue to be singled out in the run-up to the 2014 elections. The reaction of conservative activists has grown increasingly strident. Everett Wilkinson, chairman of the grass-roots National Liberty Federation organization, tells Newsmax: “Never before have we seen such attitudes and actions taken in America by an administration or government body. But unlike the big groups that can afford to “lawyer up,” it is the smaller activist organizations all over the country — with names like Linchpins of Liberty, Colorado 9/12 Project, First State Patriots, Mid-South Tea Party, and American Patriots Against Government Excess — who have been ensnared by the long arm of the IRS. Those smaller organizations are believed to play a key role in getting out the vote in local neighborhoods. 2014 Senate Push American Conservative Union Citizens United ruling David Campos IRS approval process United States Treasury Department Washinton Gop Obama to O’Reilly: Fox News Reason for My Problems. President Barack Obama twice blamed Fox News Channel for misinforming the public on issues that have bedeviled his presidency in the past year during a pre-Super Bowl interview with the network’s Bill O’Reilly. The two sat down in the White House on Sunday for a live pregame interview that started about 4:35 p.m. and aired for about 10 minutes. Story continues below video. O’Reilly first noted that Obama’s detractors believe he did not initially say the Sept. 11, 2012, attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans dead was terrorism because it happened in the heat of an election. Obama had just weeks earlier said al-Qaida was on the run after U.S. Navy SEALs assassinated its leader, Osama bin Laden. “That’s what they believe,” O’Reilly said of Obama’s detractors. “And they believe it because folks like you are telling them that,” Obama said in the often testy interview. “No, I’m not telling them that. I’m asking you whether you were told it was a terror attack,” O’Reilly countered. Obama said it was “inaccurate” to say that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told him the attack was terrorism when he first gave him the news. O’Reilly noted that Gen. Carter Ham, head of operations in Libya, has testified he immediately told Panetta the attack was terrorism, and not the result of a spontaneous demonstration over an anti-Muslim video. “But it’s more than that because of Susan Rice,” O’Reilly said, noting that Rice, who was then U.N. ambassador, used the video explanation days later on the Sunday talk shows. “Just as an American, I’m just confused,” he said. “Bill, I’m trying to explain it to you if you want to listen,” Obama countered. The president also turned on Fox News when questioned about the IRS scandal, in which conservative groups were scrutinized more heavily when seeking tax-exempt status. “These kinds of things keep on surfacing, in part, because you and your TV station will promote them,” Obama said. O’Reilly asked if Obama was saying there was no corruption in the IRS scandal. “No,” Obama said. “There was some boneheaded decisions out of a local office,” adding that there was “not even a smidgen of corruption.” O’Reilly also asked why Obama didn’t fire Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius over the botched rollout of the Obamacare website in October. Obama argued that while glitches had been anticipated, no one expected a complete failure of the site. He said everything had been fixed, and the site is now running as it should. O’Reilly noted that only 8 percent of Americans agree with Obama, and again pressed about firing Sebelius. “I’m sure that the intent is noble,” O’Reilly said, “But I’m a taxpayer, and I’m paying Kathleen Sebelius’ salary, and she screwed up. And you’re not holding her accountable.” “Well, I promise you that we hold everybody up and down the line accountable,” Obama said. “But when we’re midstream, Bill, we want to make sure that our main focus is, how do we make this think work so that people are able to sign up, and that’s what we’ve done.” O’Reilly asked if Obama considered the biggest mistake of his presidency telling “the nation over and over, if you like your insurance you can keep your insurance?” “Oh, Bill, you’ve got a long list of my mistakes in my presidency,” Obama said. But he did admit he regretted that the “grandfather clause” written into the Affordable Care Act didn’t cover everyone. “That’s why we changed it,” he said. “You gave your enemies a lot of fodder for it,” O’Reilly said. The interview was scheduled to continue after the live broadcast. The recorded interview is set to air Monday night on “The O’Reilly Factor.” “I know you think maybe we haven’t been fair,” O’Reilly noted near the end of the live interview, “but I think your heart is in the right place.” Obama Interview Reaction: He Even Dodged Super Bowl Prediction Bill O’Reilly, Barack Obama to Sit Down for Pre-Super Bowl Interview By Greg Richter 2000 Terrorism Act Carter Ham IRS scandal Bill O’Reilly Says Holy Spirit Inspired Controversial New Book, ‘Killing Jesus’. Bill O’Reilly’s controversial new book, ‘Killing Jesus,’ is expected to become a national best-seller. Bill O’Reilly has been the king of cable television news for more than a decade. But lately he’s been making headlines for another reason. His last two books, Killing Lincoln and Killing Kennedy, have sold more than 5 million copies. And his latest release, which came out Sept. 24, is likely to be the most popular and divisive of all. It’s calledKilling Jesus, and it’s already hit No. 1 on Amazon. The book, which he wrote with historian Martin Dugard, is expected to become a national best-seller. O’Reilly is a devout Catholic, but Killing Jesus is not a religious book. He doesn’t refer to Jesus as the Son of God or the Messiah, and some of his points are in direct contradiction to what the Bible teaches. For instance, O’Reilly argues that Jesus did not say “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” from the cross. He says it wouldn’t have been physically possible. “You die on a cross from being suffocated,” he says. “You can hardly breathe. We believe Jesus said that, but we don’t believe He said it on the cross because nobody could have heard it.” Despite his controversial remarks, O’Reilly says the Holy Spirit inspired him to write Killing Jesus. He claims he woke up in the middle of the night and thought, “Killing Jesus.” “I believe because I’m a Catholic that comes from the Holy Spirit,” O’Reilly explained in Sunday’s airing of 60 Minutes. “My inspiration comes from that. And so I wrote Killing Jesus because I think I was directed to write that.” In the program, Norah O’Donnell asked O’Reilly why he thought the Holy Spirit would choose him. After denying the title “chosen one,” he said, “I’m just one of many who have been given gifts. I can write. I can bloviate on TV. So I’m trying to use the gifts in a positive way. And I believe that’s all directed. And that’s why I’m here on the planet.” The news broadcaster admits the title is a bit sensationalist but says he wanted the book to get attention. “Of course it’s sensationalist. That’s who I am,” he told O’Donnell. “I’m a sensationalist. I’m a big mouth. I get attention. In this world you have to—if you want a mass-market presentation, you have to get attention.” O’Reilly hired Dugard to do the research, which included a visit to the Holy Land to replicate Jesus’ return to Jerusalem and His final walk, CBS reports. O’Reilly once taught history, and Dugard is a history writer. Since O’Reilly is in New York and Dugard is in California, the team works together on their books by computer and over the phone. Killing Jesus took just eight months and included an advance of more than $10 million. Source: CHARISMA NEWS. GINA MEEKS Killing Lincoln Bill O’Reilly: ‘Killing Jesus’ Best Available Evidence on Crucifixion. Bill O’Reilly didn’t become the most popular personality in cable television news by being noncontroversial. And he told CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Sunday that he wasn’t afraid to spark controversy in his new historical thriller, “Killing Jesus.” Though he used the New Testament‘s four Gospels as source material, he left out parts he doesn’t believe happened as written. For instance, Jesus didn’t say, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” from the cross, the Catholic O’Reilly maintains. It wouldn’t have been physically possible, he said. “You die on a cross from being suffocated,” he said. “You can hardly breathe. We believe Jesus said that, but we don’t believe he said it on the cross because nobody could have heard it.” Story continues below. People have a right to take the Bible literally, he said, but in the case of “Killing Jesus,” he was trying to be historically accurate. He never says in the book that Jesus was the Son of God because his book is not intended to be religious. “So is this the Gospel according to Bill?” asked “60 Minutes” correspondent Norah O’Donnell. “This is best available evidence according to Bill,” O’Reilly responded. The most important thing he learned while writing the book was that Jesus of Nazareth became the most famous human being who ever lived, yet he had no infrastructure. He had no government, no public relations expert, no money and no structure, O’Reilly said. “It’s never been done.” “Killing Jesus,” follows two other best-sellers by the former high school history teacher, “Killing Lincoln” and “Killing Kennedy,” about two U.S. presidents assassinated a century apart. He writes the books with a co-author who does extensive historical research. O’Reilly uses the material to rewrite a fast-moving, compelling story. He admits the titles are sensational, but explains that’s the only way to be heard in the marketplace. “I just want to write about important things in a very entertaining way,” he said. “That’s the formula.” While the book isn’t religious, O’Reilly is. He says he was inspired to write “Killing Jesus” by the Holy Spirit. He says he just woke up in the middle of the night and thought, “Killing Jesus.” Asked by O’Donnell why the Holy Spirit would mark him as “the chosen one,” O’Reilly denied any such title. Instead, he said, he is “just one of many who have been given the gift. I can write and I can bloviate on TV.” O’Reilly now makes more than $20 million a year through Fox News Channel’s “The O’Reilly Factor,” a syndicated column and a live tour he does with comedian Dennis Miller. Two of O’Reilly’s third-grade classmates told O’Donnell he used to get the whole class in trouble by arguing with the nun who taught the class. “Ain’t America great?” O’Reilly responded. “I was a little thug, and now I’m getting paid millions of dollars for being a big thug.” Bill O’Reilly: OK for Cruz to Pull GOP Further Right Biblical-era Town on Sea of Galilee Discovered; Did Jesus Sail There? Norah O'Donnell O'Reilly Factor David Nelson: US Workforce Can’t Continue to Look in Rear-View Mirror. David Nelson is chief strategist of Belpointe Asset Management and a Moneynews contributor. I usually find myself in agreement with most of Bill O’Reilly’s nightly memos. He does a masterful job of taking on the difficult issues facing our society. However, when he delves into the world of economics, he sometimes doesn’t grasp the secular themes at the heart of the problem. In a recent show he talked about the economy, referring to fast-food workers who are protesting for higher wages. He is mistaken about the root causes behind the inability of workers to move up to higher-paying jobs. Editor’s Note: Put the World’s Top Financial Minds to Work for You While I agree with him that raising the minimum wage isn’t the answer, it’s important to fully understand changes in the world economy and its effects here at home. Many workers today have little desire to push themselves or move outside their comfort zone. However, there are even more going the extra mile at work while continuing their education — and they receive little or no reward for their efforts. The world has changed and today’s employed often don’t have the same opportunities their parents did. Decades ago, the U.S. dominated the world’s economic arena both in education and opportunity. Today, that is no longer true. China and other countries became the manufacturing centers of the world offering an educated and productive workforce, ready to take over jobs once enjoyed by millions of Americans. Willing to work for less, they’ve attracted industries from every corner of the globe. The end result is a double-edged sword. As consumers, we reap the benefits of cheaper goods but the effects on our job market are obvious. Big-muscle jobs go to where big-muscle jobs are cheap — and that simply isn’t here. Water always seeks its own level. Until the cost of manufacturing a good on one side of the planet is the same as the other side, the flow of capital and jobs will be out of balance. For the last decade, the standard of living for many Americans has declined and that problem has actually accelerated during the last few years. How many of you reading this enjoy a lifestyle that even approaches where you were 10 years ago? If you do, you are in the minority. Part of the problem is the two bubble economies we’ve witnessed since 1999. The Internet bubble and the housing bust both destroyed wealth at all levels of our society. However, the real damage to our standard of living is the simple fact that we now live in a global society. The United States may still enjoy the highest standard of living but global competition has forever changed the work dynamic and has dulled our competitive edge. I suspect that over the next decade, the standard of living of our competitors will rise and the standard of living for many Americans will continue to fall until both are in balance. Adopting a “woe is me” attitude is never the answer. Over time, workers in other countries will demand higher wages. The increased pressure on margins will force these companies to raise prices and the United States will appear relatively more competitive. The concept of the 9-5 job is all but a memory and the family of today, with two working spouses, is the norm. There is much we can do to improve our education, including new online options that dramatically reduce cost. We will live longer than our parents and should probably expect to work longer as well. We need to stop living in the past, looking to government to buy us back the lifestyle of yesterday.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line727

__label__wiki

The University of Toronto is internationally renowned as the birthplace of insulin in 1921, a discovery that changed the lives of millions. In the hundred years since, researchers at the University have invented the world’s first electronic pacemaker, discovered transplantable stem cells, and identified genes responsible for early-onset Alzheimer’s, revolutionizing health-care delivery in Canada and globally. Federal and provincially supported research has allowed our faculty and students to advance health care. The University’s researchers are working at the intersection of health-care research and policy, ensuring that advances in AI, for example, increase both efficiency and accountability to patients. As well as public support, our work has been recognized by our generous private donors, including the Rogers family and the Labatt family. Minister Bains congratulates U of T’s Medicine by Design on advancing precision medicine research Federal innovation, science and industry minister Navdeep Bains congratulated the Medicine by Design community on its successes at the regenerative... U of T helps keep community healthy with on-campus flu shot clinics Students, staff and faculty got a head start against this year’s flu virus, taking advantage of campus clinics to get... U of T Susan Chatwood celebrated for work on public health in Arctic Having spent her early years in Labrador, the North was always part of Susan Chatwood’s circle of friends and family.... U of T researchers measure blood pressure using a smartphone A study led by University of Toronto researchers, published today in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging, found... U of T researchers evaluate solutions for hallway medicine in Ontario Researchers from the University of Toronto are launching a multi-pronged research project that aims to help the province of Ontario... U of T provides global leadership at summit in Paris At the U7 alliance summit in Paris earlier this month, leaders from the U7+ universities committed to addressing collectively five... U of T student-led team wins international self-driving car challenge for second year in a row U of T student-led team, aUToronto, wins international self-driving car challenge for second year in a row. aUToronto is composed... Kids explore their 'superpowers' at UTM's Bring Our Kids to Work day U of T welcomed more than 450 students in grades four to seven for “Bring Our Children to Work Day”... AI discovers poverty and chronic stress increase diabetes risk Drawing on machine learning and artificial intelligence for her research, Laura Rosella, an epidemiologist and associate professor at the University of... Family doctors keep Toronto healthy The recently released University of Toronto Family Medicine Report shows a wider variety of ailments are being treated by family...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line729

__label__wiki

Business/Finance, Community, Justice, News, Politics, U.S. February 12, 2014 WASHINGTON — President Obama‘s executive order to raise the minimum wage for workers under future federal contracts includes a key provision to address concerns raised by advocates for disabled workers, according to the White House. The president, who is set to sign the order at a ceremony in the White House East Room on Wednesday afternoon, announced his plan to take unilateral action at last month’s State of the Union Address and hike the minimum wage for low-wage workers to $10.10 from the current rate of $7.25. Almost immediately after announcing his plan, advocates for the physically and intellectually disabled began pressing the White House to include the group among those getting raises. Under a government program that dates back to 1938, employers could pay certain disabled workers subminimum wages — sometimes for a fraction of the prevailing minimum wage. But with Obama’s executive order, that practice will be discontinued with disabled workers laboring under federal contracts in the future. “Under current law, workers whose productivity is affected because of their disabilities may be paid less than the wage paid to others doing the same job under certain specialized certificate programs.” The White House says Obama will continue to push Congress to back legislation that would gradually raise the minimum wage for all workers to $10.10 by the end of his presidency, but the effort faces stiff resistance in the GOP-controlled House. The executive order is intended to cover people who perform janitorial, kitchen work and other low-wage services on behalf of federal contractors. The action is eventually expected to help roughly 250,000 workers, but it is unclear how many of those are disabled workers who receive subminimum wage under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Ari Ne’eman, president of the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, welcomed the news and said he’s hopeful that the president marks the first step toward ending the practice of issuing the special certificates. About 95% of disabled workers who work for subminimum wages under the provision are employed in segregated sheltered workshops. “We applaud the administration for hearing the voices of the disability community and including disabled workers in the new minimum wage protections for contractors,” Ne’eman said. “We hope to work with them going forward to convince Congress to repeal Section 14(c) for all disabled workers. Equal rights should apply to everyone — we took a significant step forward on that road today.” Operators of sheltered workshops say that including 14(c) workers in Obama’s minimum wage hike would inevitably lead to many disabled people being pushed out of work. article by Aamer Madhani via usatoday.com Filed under: Ari Ne'eman, Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, disability community, Executive Order on minimum wage, fair wages for disabled workers, Federal Minimum Wage, minimum wage law, President Barack Obama Attorney General Eric Holder Calls for Ex-Felons to Get Their Voting Rights Back

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line732

__label__wiki

‘Fallout 4’ vs ‘The Witcher 3’ – What to Do and What Not to Do in Open World RPGs Edward May If three or four years ago the gaming community was told that in 2015 both Fallout 4 and a third Witcher game were going to be released, most would believe this too good to be true. Yet this was the reality of 2015, a year where perhaps the two best game developers, in terms of RPGs, were both going to release another instalment into two brilliant RPG franchises. However, with over a year since The Witcher 3 was released, nine months since Fallout 4 hit the shelves and almost all DLC content out, when comparing the two, it becomes clear CD Projekt Red and Bethesda took two very different approaches to their games, and Bethesda’s failed, while CD Projekt Red’s succeeded. Before either game was released, within the gaming community it was generally accepted that Bethesda were the leading developers of Open World RPG games, with the Elder Scrolls and Fallout series being the best RPG experiences one could find in gaming. This isn’t to say CD Projekt Red had not gained a large fan base in the first two Witcher games, because they had already begun to make a name for themselves as high-quality game developers. Yet when comparing the hype for the two games, Fallout 4 absolutely dominates The Witcher 3 and this was then reflected in the sales of the two products. However, now with both games out, there may be a shift in favor between Bethesda and CD Projekt Red. Initially, the reviews for the two games were very similar with large gaming websites like IGN and Gamespot giving both games at least a nine out of ten and much of the fan response being very positive. However, as time went on, the feelings surrounding each game differed immensely with fans enjoying Fallout 4 less and less, whereas fan support remained fairly constant for The Witcher 3. This in and of itself displays the major differences with the two approaches each developer took, with Bethesda focusing less on story and more on gameplay, while CD Projekt Red clearly focused on the story and characters of their game. The most confusing thing about Bethesda’s approach is why they couldn’t find a balance between story and gameplay, as they previously had in Skyrim which brought new brilliant gameplay improvements from Oblivion, like being able to battle in almost any way you pleased, be it swords and spells, dual wielding or archery, and adding the awesome feature of shouts. And yet they still maintained numerous interesting stories and characters throughout. This was something Fallout 4 failed at, and much of this can be blamed on the awful settlement system which consisted of 30 settlement locations, meaning 30 locations devoid of story and character, each simply being there for you to scrap. This again shows Bethesda’s focus on gameplay, attempting to create places for you to customize and make your own, but the mechanics are clunky and as fun as it can be, customizing a settlement is not what Fallout means to gamers like myself. The combat of Fallout 4 did feel fresher and was an improvement on Fallout 3, but this again was tarnished with the new legendary enemies mechanic which should not be called legendary by any means, seeing as almost every encounter with enemies meant fighting a “legendary” enemy. On the other hand, The Witcher 3 didn’t really try to develop any new sort of gameplay. Now this could be a major critique of the game since much of the combat and progression was very similar to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, with slight adjustments that make the game feel more modern. However, with how many interesting, layered and deep characters and stories the game throws at you, you stop caring about the fact that the gameplay hasn’t really changed. This is almost the opposite effect of Fallout 4 which has such little character and story to it. Fallout 4 isn’t a bad game by any means, but considering it followed Fallout 3 and Skyrim, it is without a doubt, very disappointing. In order for Bethesda to bring themselves back on top of the RPG developer world, they must go back to the story driven games that made them a success and, until they do, CD Projekt Red are the new leaders in creating deep, story driven games that stay true to what an Open World RPG should be. Related Topics:Elder ScrollsFalloutFallout 4The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Bethesda E3 2019: The Good, the Bad, and the etc. ‘Fallout: The Vault Dweller’s Official Cookbook’ Review: Better Than Deathclaw Steak What’s in the Box? Unboxing the Fallout Mystery Box from Toynk

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line733

__label__wiki

Goylake Publishing The Local Publisher with International Reach Sylva Fae Hannah Howe Mansel Jones Kate McGinn Rachael Wright Melanie P. Smith Mom’s Favorite Reads Tag Archives: Saxons Arthur of the Britons March 31, 2019 Mansel JonesArthurian Legends, Britons, Dark Ages, Gildas, King Arthur, Medieval History, Pendragon, Saxons, WalesGoylake Publishing by Mansel Jones Arthur was a warlord of the late fifth and early sixth centuries who defeated the Saxons at the Battle of Badon, a victory that heralded a fifty year period of relative peace. Although sources for Arthur are scarce, he is mentioned in the Annales Cambriae (Welsh Annals), the Historia Brittonum (History of the Britons) and a number of early medieval poems, including Y Gododdin. And yet many modern historians choose to write Arthur out of history. Why should this be? Historians who dismiss Arthur as an historical figure point to Gildas’ sixth century polemic De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae (On the Ruin and Conquest of Britain). In De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae, Gildas records the Battle of Badon and yet makes no mention of Arthur by name. That said, Gildas does not mention any leader by name at the Battle of Badon, thus allowing the possibility that Arthur was the leader of the Britons. Those historians arguing against the existence of Arthur also point to the fact that he is not mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, c890s, or in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People, c731. However, given that Arthur was a hero of the original Britons and the developing Welsh nation it is little wonder that his name was ignored. The earliest literary references to Arthur can be attributed to Welsh and Breton sources. In these sources Arthur is portrayed as a peerless warrior who protects Britain from the Saxons and from monsters, including giant cats, ferocious dragons and divine boars. In these tales Arthur also appears as a sort of superhero living in the wilds of the landscape and, in the Welsh tradition, as someone who can bridge the gap between this world and the Otherworld or Annwn. Clearly, these tales are just that, stories, but for millennia stories have been written, reshaped and based on real events and real people. Arguably, the same holds true for Arthur. A Victorian image of Arthur by Charles Ernest Butler (1864 – 1918) Several poems attributed to the sixth century poet Taliesin also refer to Arthur. These poems include ‘Kadeir Teyrnon’ (‘The Chair of the Prince’), making reference to ‘Arthur the Blessed’, ‘Preiddeu Annwn’ (‘The Spoils of Annwn’), which recounts Arthur’s expedition to the Otherworld, and ‘Marwnat Vthyr Pendragon’ (‘The Elegy of Uther Pendragon’), a poem that refers to Arthur’s valour. Another early Welsh text includes a poem found in the Black Book of Carmarthen, ‘Pa gur yv y porthaur?’ (‘What man is the gatekeeper?’) Arthur is denied entry to a fortress and a dialogue develops between himself and the gatekeeper. During the dialogue Arthur recounts his deeds and the deeds of his men, notably Cai and Bedwyr. Cai and Bedwyr, and a cast of over two hundred men, also feature in the Welsh prose tale, Culhwch and Olwen (c. 1100). Culhwch and Olwen is included in the Mabinogion and the story tells of Arthur and the assistance he offers to his kinsman, Culhwch, as the latter attempts to win the hand of Olwen. In the story Culhwch has been set a series of apparently impossible tasks, including the hunt for the great semi-divine boar, Twrch Trwyth. Hunting the boar, Twrch Trwyth If the stories of an Otherworldly Arthur appear too fanciful, then we can look to Welsh battle poetry. The Welsh battle poem, Geraint, was written in the tenth century and the poem describes a battle at a port-settlement, possibly modern-day Portsmouth. Geraint, the son of Erbin, was a sixth century king and the praise- poem written in his memory mentions Arthur: ‘In Llongborth I saw Arthur, brave men hewed with steel. Emperor, ruler of battle’. In another battle poem, Y Gododdin, which is attributed to the sixth century poet Aneirin, one stanza refers to a warrior who kills many of his enemies. The warrior’s bravery is acknowledged ‘although he was no Arthur’. Surely these poems place Arthur’s name in history? However, what if the poets were writing about another Arthur? This is possible, but if so, where did the name Arthur originate from? As with everything about Arthur, the origin of his name is a matter for debate. Some historians believe that ‘Arthur’ derives from the Roman name Artōrius, while other scholars suggest that the Welsh arth (bear) and gwr (man) offer a solution to his name. Dr John Morris makes the excellent point that the name ‘Arthur’ was almost unknown in the early fifth century and yet by the sixth century the name had become very popular amongst the Britons, Arthur ap Pedr, a Prince of Dyfed, born c575 A.D. serving as an example. What gave rise to this phenomenon? Possibly, a generation of parents naming their sons after the man who had resisted the Saxon advance? Princely genealogies list Arthur and many members of his family. You could argue that the creators of these genealogies were looking for nothing more than an association with success, a link to a prosperous dynasty. This may be so. However, the belief in Arthur’s success must have been real to these people for them to claim association with Arthur in the first place and many of these people lived only a few hundred years after Badon and so were far closer in time than we can ever be. It is a modern myth to suggest that because we are more ‘advanced’ and ‘civilised’ than the people of the eighth and ninth centuries it follows that we also know more about the past than they ever did; these people lived within generations of Arthur and obviously his name resonated with them. Genealogies associated with Arthur list Uther as his father, Eigyr as his mother, Madog as his brother and Gwyar as his sister, with Gwalchmai (Sir Gawain in the Norman tradition) as his nephew. Furthermore, the genealogies from the thirteenth century Mostyn MS. 117 claim that Arthur is the son of Uthyr, the son of Custennin, the son of Cynfawr, the son of Tudwal, the son of Morfawr, the son of Eudaf, the son of Cadwr the son of Cynan, the son of Caradoc, the son of Bran, the son of Llŷr. Genealogies and pedigrees were very important to medieval Welshmen, in terms of status and land ownership, and even if some of these pedigrees are false, the people who compiled them clearly attached a great deal of importance to Arthur. Medieval pedigrees and genealogies also offer us a glimpse into Arthur’s family. His first wife, Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere in the Norman tradition) is well known, but a far more interesting character is Arthur’s second wife, Eleirch, or Eleri, the daughter of Iaen. Eleri’s story forms the centre-piece of my novel, Pendragon. Guinevere, a stained-glass window by William Morris Arthur also features in many early medieval texts and vitae (lives of post Roman saints). One of the most famous of these texts is the Historia Brittonum, a ninth century Latin document, which has been attributed to the Welsh cleric Nennius. In the Historia Brittonum, Nennius lists twelve battles fought by Arthur culminating in the Battle of Badon, where Arthur defeated the Saxons in the decisive encounter of the British- Saxon war. Another text that mentions Arthur is the Annales Cambriae, which dates to the tenth century, though its contents are probably based on a chronicle dating to the eighth century. The Annales Cambriae links Arthur with the Battle of Badon and it also mentions the Battle of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medraut (Mordred) fell, c537–539. In the Life of Saint Gildas, written in the early twelfth century by Caradoc of Llancarfan, Arthur is said to have killed Gildas’ brother Hueil and some historians believe this is the reason why Gildas did not mention Arthur in his De Excidio et Conquestu Britanniae. In the Life of Saint Cadoc, written c1100 by Lifris of Llancarfan, the saint offers protection to a man who killed three of Arthur’s soldiers and Arthur demands a herd of cattle as compensation for his men. Cadoc delivers the cattle as requested, but when Arthur takes possession of the animals they turn into bundles of ferns. The Legenda Sancti Goeznovii, a hagiography of the Breton saint Goeznovius, which dates from 1019, includes a brief section that mentions Arthur and Vortigern. Arthur is also mentioned in the vitae of Carantoc, Illtud and Paternus. Unless there is a remarkable discovery, it is unlikely that we will find a document directly linking Arthur with Badon and the events of the fifth century and so we are compelled to rely on secondary sources. From an historian’s point of view, this is not ideal, but much of our recorded history is based on secondary sources and if we were to remove these sources from the record then we would have an insubstantial view of the past. Clearly, there is a gap in the fifth century historical record and common sense suggests that Arthur fills that gap. To deny the man who did so much to preserve a way of life for the Britons is churlish. It is also unfair, unfair to the man and to his cultural background. What is undeniable is that each generation recreates Arthur in its own image and the words each new generation of historians write about Arthur say as much about those historians and prevailing social attitudes as they do about the past. Mansel Jones has been researching and writing about medieval history for the past forty years. He is an acknowledged expert in his field and academics and universities seek his views. He is the author of A History of Kenfig, Pendragon and Tangwstyl. You can discover more about Mansel’s books here: Amazon Follow Goylake Publishing on WordPress.com

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line734

__label__wiki

TATA SIA Airlines, known by the brand name Vistara, is a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. Blaze to Brilliance In 2013, two legendary brands, namely, Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, decided to fulfil a long-cherished shared dream to bring forth a distinguished flying experience to air travellers in India. With its strong historical ties to the civil aviation sector, the Tata Group had long wished to re-enter the aviation sector. Both the Tata group and Singapore Airlines were also firm believers in the growth potential of the Indian aviation sector and hence tried to enter the market in the past; first, in 1994 by setting up a joint venture to start an airline in India and then in 2000, teaming up to purchase stakes in Air India. However, after the lifting of foreign investment restrictions in 2012, the partners once again sought approval for a tie-up which was given in October 2013. On November 5, 2013, Vistara’s holding company, TATA SIA Airlines Limited, was incorporated. With the achievement of this key milestone, Vistara is now a reality painting the Indian skies with its new livery colours. 1. Tata Sons holds 51% stake whereas Singapore Airlines owns 49% stake in the joint venture. 2. Vistara offers three distinct cabin classes to provide a personalised seamless service. PROMISE BEACON 1. Vistara has already flown more than 2 million happy customers within the short span of time. 2. Vistara now serves 18 destinations including Port Blair with over 400 flights weekly. Faith Factor When Tata and Singapore Airlines came together, the common goal was to provide Indian customers a memorable and personalized flying experience that blends Tata and SIA’s service excellence and legendary hospitality. This common goal led to the birth of a new brand ‘Vistara’ which means ‘limitless expanse’. Vistara offers three distinct cabin classes to provide a personalised seamless service, which is thoughtfully delivered. The aircraft cabin has been thoughtfully designed to provide a conducive and pleasant environment for both business and leisure travellers. Regardless of which cabin class one chooses to travel, the brand strives to ensure that they experience an enjoyable flight and arrive at their destination feeling relaxed. Engagement tha t Enthralls Tata and Singapore Airlines are partners, both from a shareholding perspective and also in their ambition of wanting to deliver a level of customer focus and quality of service that does not exist in the Indian aviation industry today. Tata Sons holds 51% stake whereas Singapore Airlines owns 49% stake in the joint venture. Innovedge In a short span of 18 months, Vistara has rapidly expanded its footprint both in terms of network and service proposition. Vistara now serves 18 destinations including Port Blair with over 400 flights weekly which will increase to 500 weekly by the end of this year. The destinations served are Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Goa, Guwahati, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Srinagar, Jammu, Kochi, Chandigarh, Kolkata and will soon commence operations in Port Blair with effect from September 30, 2016. Vistara has already flown more than 2 million happy customers within this short span of time. Vistara believes in upholding the highest ethical standards .With a commitment to fleet modernization, product and service innovation and market leadership, the Airline quickly distinguishes itself as a world-class carrier. ibrands 360 - December 9, 2019 LG Dual Door-in-Door

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line739

__label__cc

Jennifer Braun Canadian luxury clothing retailer Ssense launched on Friday an exclusive collection for dogs. Ssense launches luxury dogwear. - Ssense Marking the retailer's first expansion into petwear, the collection includes dog apparel and accessories from a mix of luxury brands and emerging designers. Ssense commissioned exclusive collections from the likes of 032c, Ashley Williams, Burberry, Smith, Stutterheim, Versace, and VIP, to name a few. For many of the brands, it was the first time producing dog apparel and accessories. The first items including harnesses, leashes, collars, sweaters, collar charms, and more retail from $60 USD to $1,395 USD. The foray into dogwear was inspired by Ssense’s highly-popular Instagram series #SSENSEInterns, which features employees' dogs modeling in the latest fashions. "Increasingly, millennials are spending more on their pets, especially dogs. There is a growing interest to reflect their individual style and their dog's personality through clothing,” explained Brigitte Chartrand, senior director of womenswear buying for Ssense. “With almost 80 percent of the Ssense audience falling between the ages of 18 and 34 years old, we saw an immediate surge in engagement whenever we posted #SSENSEInterns on our Instagram account. Furthermore, almost 70 percent of Ssense employees are millennials so we saw firsthand the growing focus that is placed on pets in our dog-friendly office.” To launch the dogwear collection, “dog models" that reflect the personality of each brand were carefully selected. While items are now available on Ssense.com, collections by 1017 ALYX 9SM, MISBHV, Martine Ali, Maisie Wilen, Thom Browne, and more will be released in Spring 2020. The Montreal-based company, founded in 2003, carries a mix of luxury, streetwear, and avant-garde labels like Off-White and Vetements. It currently services 150 countries, generates an average of 76 million monthly page views, and has achieved high double-digit annual growth since its inception.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line740

__label__cc

C-SAIL: Studying the Impact of College- and Career-Readiness Standards April 6, 2016 Blog Editor NCER The nationwide effort to implement college- and career-ready standards is designed to better prepare students for success after high school, whether that means attending a postsecondary institution, entering the work force, or some combination of both. But there is little understanding about how these standards have been implemented across the country or the full impact they are having on student outcomes. To fill that void, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) funded a new five-year research center, the Center on Standards, Alignment, Instruction, and Learning (C-SAIL). The center is studying the implementation of college- and career-ready standards and assessing how the standards are related to student outcomes. The center is also developing and testing an intervention that supports standards-aligned instruction. Andy Porter (pictured right), of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, is the director of C-SAIL and recently spoke with James Benson, the IES project officer for the center. Here is an edited version of that conversation. You have been studying education standards for over 30 years. What motivated you to assemble a team of researchers and state partners to college- and career-readiness standards? Standards-based reform is in a new and promising place with standards that might be rigorous enough to close achievement gaps that advocates have been fighting to narrow for the last 30 years. And with so many states implementing new standards, researchers have an unprecedented opportunity to learn about how standards-based reform is best done. We hypothesize that the only modest effects of standards-based reform thus far are largely due to the fact that those reforms stalled at the classroom door, so a focus of the Center will be how implementation is achieved and supported among teachers. What are the main projects within the Center, and what are a few of the key questions that they are currently addressing? We have four main projects. The first, an implementation study, asks, “How are state, district, and school-level educators making sense of the new standards, and what kinds of guidance and support is available to them?” We’re comparing and contrasting implementation approaches in four states—Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio and Texas. In addition to reviewing state policy documents, we’re surveying approximately 280 district administrators, 1,120 principals, and 6,720 teachers across (the same) four states, giving special attention to the experiences of English language learners and students with disabilities. The second project is a longitudinal study that asks, “How are college- and career-readiness standards impacting student outcomes across all 50 states?” and “How are English language learners and students with disabilities affected by the new standards?” We’re analyzing data from the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) and other sources to estimate the effects of college- and career-readiness standards on student achievement, high school completion, and college enrollment. Specifically, we’re examining whether implementing challenging state academic standards led to larger improvements in student outcomes in states with lower prior standards than in states with higher prior standards. The third project is the Feedback on Alignment and Support for Teachers (FAST) intervention study, in which we are building an original intervention designed to assist teachers in providing instruction aligned to their state’s standards. FAST features real-time, online, personalized feedback for teachers, an off-site coach to assist teachers in understanding and applying aligned materials, and school-level collaborative academic study teams in each school. The fourth project is a measurement study to determine the extent to which instruction aligns with college- and career-readiness standards. C-SAIL is developing new tools to assess alignment between teachers' instruction and state standards in English language arts and math. How do you envision working with your partner states in the next few years? How do you plan to communicate with states beyond those partnering with the Center? We’ve already collaborated with our partner states–Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Texas–on our research agenda, and the chief state school officer from each state, plus a designee of their choice, sits on our advisory board. Additionally, we’re currently working with our partner states on our implementation study and plan to make our first findings this summer on effective implementation strategies immediately available to them. All states, however, will be able to follow our research progress and access our findings in myriad ways, including through our website (pictured left). Our Fact Center features downloadable information sheets and the C-SAIL blog offers insights from our researchers and network of experts. We also invite practitioners, policymakers, parents and teachers to stay up-to-date on C-SAIL activities by subscribing to our newsletter, following us on Twitter, or liking us on Facebook. Looking five years into the future, when the Center is finishing its work, what do you hope to understand about college- and career-readiness standards that we do not know now? Through our implementation study, we will have documented how states are implementing new, challenging state academic standards; how the standards affect teacher instruction; what supports are most valuable for states, districts, and schools; and, how the new standards impact English language learners and students with disabilities. Through our longitudinal study, we will have combined 50-state NAEP data with high school graduation rates, and college enrollment in order to understand how new standards impact student learning and college- and career-readiness. Through our FAST Intervention, we will have created and made available new tools for teachers to monitor in real-time how well-aligned the content of their enacted curriculum is to their states’ college- and career-readiness standards in ELA and math. Finally, but not least, we will have led policymakers, practitioners and researchers in a national discussion of our findings and their implications for realizing the full effects of standards-based reform. Improving Transitions: How NCSER-supported Work is Helping Prepare Students for Success March 23, 2016 Blog Editor NCSER Talk of “transition” on Capitol Hill frequently focuses on political issues, such as the transition from one administration to the next. But on March 4, the conversation was about a very different type of transition—promoting positive outcomes for students with disabilities after high school. For students with disabilities, post-high school goals are often similar to their non-disabled peers, but preparing them for success requires planning, support, and targeted interventions. Over the past several years, the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) in the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has funded research to innovate and develop as well as rigorously assess interventions that help students make successful transitions after high school. A briefing on Capitol Hill was held this month to share recent research on transition for these students conducted by experts in the field. These experts have all received funding support from NCSER to help us better understand the transition challenges facing students with disabilities and to develop research-based programs and supports to increase the chances of success for students with disabilities. "Young people with disabilities want the very same things as anyone else. A satisfying job, close relationships, a comfortable and safe place to live, a college degree, involvement in their community, friends they can count on, a chance to give something back, and an opportunity to be part of caring communities." – Dr. Erik Carter, Vanderbilt University Mary Wagner, of SRI International, began the briefing by talking about the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (known as the NLTS2), the more recent longitudinal study of the experiences of youth with disabilities as they transitioned from secondary school into postsecondary life over a 10-year period. Dr. Wagner presented findings that show that there has been progress in preparing students for, and engaging them in, postsecondary education. Additional academic courses, a paid job, and participation in transition planning and goal setting in high school were associated with increases in postsecondary education enrollment for these students after high school. However, the improvements have been uneven for some groups of students with disabilities and many challenges remain. For example, the rates of employment over time have not increased. David W. Test, of University of North Carolina-Charlotte, presented information about the innovative program “Communicating Interagency Relationships and Collaborative Linkages for Exceptional Students” or CIRCLES. This program involves three levels of interagency collaboration to promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities in secondary schools. The program connects students to more information and resources as well as provides mentoring support and partnerships. Ongoing research indicates the CIRCLES program is having a positive impact on student outcomes as compared to students receiving school services typically provided to support transition. In addition, participating students overwhelmingly agreed with the statement that they were “prepared for life after school” and their parents strongly agreed that they had “a better understanding of their child’s needs” and reported playing an active role in transition preparation. The final two speakers discussed programs aimed at helping with transitions for students who face some of the greatest challenges. Laurie E. Powers, of Portland State University, presented a research-based intervention program, “My Life,” for youth in foster care who also have disabilities. This program combines youth-directed coaching, workshops, and partnerships and mentoring to assist students in identifying goals and provide information and guidance they need to help them to experience success and to understand that they can achieve their goals. Many youth in foster care face extreme challenges in general: higher levels of unemployment, poverty, homelessness, abuse, and other mental health issues, and face incarceration rates of 10 times more than the general population. In addition, about 6 in 10 receive special education services and many also have developmental disabilities. Research results have been positive. Students in the My Life program were found to be better prepared for postsecondary education and careers, and more were graduating from high school and fewer were homeless. After one year, postsecondary employment rates were up and rates of incarceration were down compared to the students who received services as usual. Lastly, Erik Carter, of Vanderbilt University, presented research on improving workplace transitions for youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) in high school through a summer job support program. Although a disability does not predict aspirations, it does often predict post-high school experiences. Based on an analysis of data from the NLTS2, most youth with ID have a goal of employment, but only about 15 percent of all adults with ID are employed. A factor positively predicting outcomes for these students were the high expectations of those teaching them. Project Summer embodies high expectations for these students and involves individual summer-focused transition planning, identification of community resources, and opportunities for youth to connect to community support and employment opportunities. Research indicates that the youth involved in Project Summer were much more likely to obtain employment or volunteer experiences in their community (66%) than their peers (19%) and all were paid above the minimum wage. This research also demonstrated that schools and communities have the capacity to support and promote the employment of youth with severe disabilities. The briefing was sponsored by Senator Lamar Alexander, of Tennessee, Representative Suzanna Bonamici, of Oregon, and Representative Michael Honda, of California and was arranged by the Friends of IES, a group that advocates for education research. Certainly, there is much more work to be done to help students with disabilities successfully transition from high school and help them achieve their goals. But this month’s briefing demonstrated that progress is being made. By Kimberley Sprague, Senior Research Scientist/Education Analyst, NCSER, and Dana Tofig, Communications Director, IES Career Technical Education is Growing; Research Must Follow February 3, 2016 Blog Editor NCER By Corinne Alfeld, Program Officer, NCER February is Career Technical Education (CTE) month and there is certainly cause to celebrate for those who value CTE. After years of being marginalized in K-12 education and education research, CTE programs and offerings are growing across the country. Once known as “vocational-technical education,” CTE has undergone a transformation in the last decade that keeps pace with changes in workforce. High schools now offer elective CTE courses such as agricultural science, business entrepreneurship, computer graphic design, culinary arts, communications, health care, and mechatronics. High school CTE courses have the ability to provide a context for students to explore possible careers, test their interests and abilities, apply academic knowledge and skills to real-world problems in a more project-based, hands-on way, and learn a useful skill. In other words, CTE can answer the question that many students ask: Why do I need to learn this? Due in part to employer interest and involvement, CTE has become more of a focus for policymakers and education leaders as a way to ensure students are “college and career ready” when they graduate from high school. In 2015, the Association for Career and Technical Education documented 150 new and revised CTE laws or policies across 46 states. CTE programs are undergoing transformation with newfound vitality and momentum, with new delivery models, such as career academies, in which the entire curriculum is focused on one career area; programs of study that link high school and college courses with workplace experience; and regional CTE centers, which contain specialized equipment shared by multiple schools or districts and focus solely on CTE. This means that CTE learning opportunities for students may range from a single introductory course in a traditional high school setting to a highly coordinated curricular experience of classroom- and work-based learning, culminating in a capstone project. As CTE becomes a larger part of the current education landscape, policymakers and practitioners need better evidence to guide their decision-making, especially given limited resources. For example, more research is needed on the following: The relationships between specific career-focused school, program, or curricular features and student education outcomes; Longitudinal pathways and outcomes for students enrolled in K-12 CTE programs (e.g., postsecondary education and employment); Development of effective career-oriented programs or policies designed to support students’ career readiness outcomes; Rigorous evaluation of existing career-focused schools or programs, including career technical programs of study, career academies, and other K-12 CTE delivery models; Rigorous evaluation of state or district policies or reforms to support career technical education at the K-12 level, including the awarding of vocational diplomas, the use of career readiness measures, career academy models, awarding academic credit for CTE courses, and CTE teacher certification requirements; and Development or improvement of measures of technical, occupational, and career readiness skills. There are certainly challenges in studying CTE. In addition to the wide variety of CTE courses being offered, the range and quality of instructional CTE offerings can vary within and across schools. Researchers must struggle with questions, such as what is the treatment? How does one account for self-selection bias? Who are the counterfactuals? What are reliable and valid (and meaningful) outcome measures? How soon can effects be seen? As CTE expands in our K-12 education system, the field is in need of creativity and perseverance from researchers to overcome these challenges and build a robust body of both descriptive and causal evidence on which education leaders and policymakers can make decisions. If you have ideas for CTE research projects, NCER would love to hear from you. Please contact Research Scientist Dr. Corinne Alfeld (corinne.alfeld@ed.gov or 202-245-8203) to share your thoughts or ideas.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line742

__label__wiki

Paul Langton Gentle Annie Gentle Annie (film) Gentle Annie (song) Paul Langton (April 17, 1913, Salt Lake City, Utah - April 15, 1980, Burbank, California) was an American actor perhaps best known for his role as Leslie Harrington on the television series Peyton Place. Making his movie bow in 1941, Paul Langton became a contract player at MGM, frequently appearing in war films. Later, Langton was seen in character parts or supporting roles in such films as The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957). Langton began appearing on television in 1951 in a series called The Web; his first regular role being that of Walter Dennis on the daytime series The Brighter Day. He also made five guest appearances on Perry Mason from 1958-1962, three of which were as prosecuting attorneys. But it was the role of Leslie Harrington on the prime time serial Peyton Place (1964–68) that finally gave him a level of stardom. After he was written out of the series, he appeared in half a dozen other programs including It Takes a Thief (1968), Ironside (TV series) and, in his final role, Emergency!, before retiring due to ill health. This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Paul_Langton Gentle Annie may refer to: "Gentle Annie" (song), an 1856 American song composed by Stephen Foster, and a popular Australian parody version "Gentle Annie" (Tommy Makem song), a song by Tommy Makem Gentle Annie (film), a 1944 American film Gentle Annie, a novel by MacKinlay Kantor; basis for the film "Gentle Annie," a Celtic mythological figure with similarities to the Irish goddess Anu Cenchrus longispinus or Gentle Annie, a species of grass Gentle Annie Road, a road near Taihape, New Zealand Gentle Annie Summit, an elevation near Tiniroto, New Zealand People nicknamed "Gentle Annie": Francis Joseph Bayldon (1872–1948), Australian master mariner and nautical instructor Anna Etheridge (1839–1913), Union nurse during the American Civil War Alfred Jefferis Turner (1861–1947), Australian pediatrician and entomologist This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Gentle_Annie Gentle Annie is a film with a Western theme, directed in 1944 by Andrew Marton, starring Donna Reed and James Craig. Marjorie Main played the role of Annie Goss. A notable actor in this film is Harry Morgan, who plays Cottonwood Goss. Morgan is best known for his role as Col. Potter in the TV show M*A*S*H. A frontierswoman turns her family into a band of bank robbers. James Craig as Lloyd Richland aka Rich Williams Donna Reed as Mary Lingen Marjorie Main as Annie Goss Harry Morgan as Cottonwood Goss (credited as Henry Morgan) Paul Langton as Violet Goss John Philliber as Barrow Hollywood Reporter news items and MGM publicity material provide the following information about the production: MGM purchased MacKinlay Kantor's novel in February 1942. Filming began on October 6, 1942, but when director W. S. Van Dyke became ill in early November 1942, production was halted. Tay Garnett was to take over direction on November 9, 1942, but the project was shelved and not revived until June 1944. This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Gentle_Annie_(film) "Gentle Annie" is a popular American song composed by Stephen Foster in 1856. The song has original lyrics but is said to be based on a traditional Irish melody. According to his niece, Evelyn Foster Morneweck, there is a tradition that it was written in honor of Annie Jenkins, the daughter of a grocer in Federal Street, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, named Morgan Jenkins. She disputes this, and states that it is probably written in honor of his cousin, Annie Evans, who died shortly before it was composed. Some sources say it is Foster's farewell to his maternal grandmother, Annie Pratt McGinnis Hart. His paternal grandmother was Ann Barclay. Australian version An alternative version from Australia is also known as Gentle Annie. This was published in Australian Tradition, Vol. 1, no. e, in 1964. It was recorded by Martyn Wyndham-Read. The tune is the same as the Stephen Foster version, but the lyrics are different. The Australian lyrics were written by Lame Jack Cousens of Springhurst, Victoria. Sources state that its subject is Annie Waits. The song "Gentle Annie" sung by Tommy Makem is a different song from both the Foster and the Australian version. This page contains text from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia - https://wn.com/Gentle_Annie_(song) saintpaulantiques.com saopaulolive.com saintpaulweather.com gentlewayjudo.com saintpaulglobe.com jeanpaulbelmondo.net anniemachon.net saintpaultv.com aplaceforannie.com saintpaulpost.com paulrobesonlive.com ronpaulbullion.com stpaulscathedral.net paulcezannegroup.com paulrobeson.net stpaulherbal.com ronpaulincredible.net stpauladventures.com paulscofield.net Gentle Annie, Unknown Gentle Annie, Kate & Anna Mcgarrigle (G) G D7 G C / G D7 / G D7 G C / G D7 G The harvest time's come, gentle Annie, And your wild oats are all scattered round the field. You'll be anxious to know, gentle Annie, How your little crop of oats is going to yield. C G / G D7 / G D7 G C / G D7 G We'll say farewell, gentle Annie, For you know with you I can no longer stay. Yes, I'll bid you adieu, gentle Annie, Till we meet you on another threshing day. Your mutton's very sweet, gentle Annie, And I'm sure it can't be packed in New South Wales, But you'd better put a fence around the cabbage, Or they'll all get eaten up by the snails. You'll take my advice, gentle Annie, And you'd better watch your chappie goin' away With his packbag flung over his shoulder, And he stole some knives and forks the other day. The bullocks they are yoked, gentle Annie, So I'll bid you adieu, gentle Annie,

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line743

__label__wiki

Book Preview: Cartography and how it shapes the world. Part Two March 23, 2019 March 31, 2019 | historicalragbag The first part of this post covered cartography more generally and my more general books. You can read it here. This post is going to look at three of my more specific books on cartography and what they show us about the story of maps. In the last post I looked at Theatre of the World, History of the World Map by Map, Visions of the World and The Map Book. In this post, I’m going to examine The Writer’s Map, Metropolis: Mapping the city and The Art of Cartographics, each of which have a different perspective on the world of cartography. I’m going to begin with The Art of Cartographics, because it is the most general and leads on well from the books discussed in the last post. The Art of Cartographics is a fascinating look at modern mapping and the many different ways that are used to make maps, not just of place and landscape. This isn’t a book that looks at Google Maps (see my previous post of that discussion). This book includes maps of everything from literary London, transport systems in Russia, world maps, a map of the global market for cacao. These are by and large physical maps, created in everything from a concrete wall, pins and stress balls. There’s folded maps, maps that unfold to make shapes, maps shaped from tree branches and maps that come together to make a person’s face. These maps are made from paper, lights, stamps, stone and even honeycomb. The book explores the multiplicity of ways we express our world and our knowledge through cartography. Basically it’s a fascinating book, that is well worth having a copy of. Sadly though, I can’t write about every map in the book. So I am going to focus on three. One is a world map made entirely of honeycomb, two is a literary map of London and three is the map of the NASA jet propulsion laboratory. Between the three of them they represent a good cross section of the types of maps included in the book. A non geographically accurate (but recognisable) map rendered in a non conventional material, a conventional material map of a concept over-laid geographically, and map that is a useful navigational aid, but also tells a completely seperate story. I’ll start with the honeycomb map. As you can see above, it is a world map created by honeycomb. It is the work of artist Ren Ri, in a collaboration with bees. It is an artwork in its own right, much like many of the earlier maps, which were created as visual masterpieces as much as they were intended to be useful. This map is very recognisable as a world map, though it is a slightly different perspective to the Mercator projection that most people are familiar with. What I love about it, is how much of a collaboration the work is. Ren Ri created his work by carefully clearing part of the beehive and placing relief maps in. The bees then moved back in and laid their honeycomb over the top. The work of the bees makes the map almost appear topographical, to me it looks incredibly tactile as well. The second map from Art of Cartographics I want to discuss is the literary London map This map represents central London with characters from the pages of books that are set there. London is such an old city, with such a strong literary tradition that 250 novels were drawn from to create this map. Each character has been plotted into the approximate area they lived or worked within their fictional world. As well as being a mine of fascinating literary information, this map also succeeds in being roughly geographically accurate. It is a wonderful representation of the many different concepts that can be expressed in map form. It also harks back to older forms of mapping such as the medieval mappa mundi, which aimed to present a view of the world rather than one of geographical accuracy. Like past maps it draws on tradition, in this case literary rather than cartographical. The third map I wanted to consider, is firmly rooted in the present. You can’t get much more forward looking that the Nasa Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL). This double sided map was given to all employees at the 76th birthday party and is still given to all new employees and interns at orientation. JPL is so large that even employees need GPS to find their way around sometimes, and the buildings are not blessed with sequential numbering. This map is intended not only to be a useful navigation guide, but it also tells the story of JPL and provide several different walking tours depending on what you want to see, and which part of the story you want to discover. So it serves as both a navigational aide and as a depiction of JPL’s narrative, as well as being an art work in its own right. In many ways it is a combination of all the characteristics of the first two maps discussed. Additionally, despite being so modern, it still holds to many traditions of cartography, especially the pictorial depiction of creatures that inhabit the physical space, or mythological space of JPL. There is a real sense of ‘here be dragons’ (a concept used for unknown territory) and in the tradition of peopling maps with fantastical creatures. These three maps are only a taste of The Art of Cartographics, there’s many truly incredible and fantastical maps in its pages. It illustrates the many fascinating ways maps can be used to express the human experience and gives hope that cartography is not lost in the past. Continuing with maps in the real world is Metropolis: Mapping the city by Jeremy Black. Black covers a lot of ground chronologically, starting with incredibly early civilisations like the city of Nippur in Mesopotamia. In c.1250BCE it was depicted on a stone tablet when irrigation canals were built. The writing on the map is cuneiform. What is truly incredible about this map, is how recognisable it is as a map of a city, even though it is only a fragment and is thousands of years old. This is a map that was clearly intended to be useful. Nippur was found on the Euphrates in what is now Iraq and it was a religious centre for most of its existence. Originally it was dedicated to Enlil, by the time it was abandonded in around 800CE it was a Christian city. The map is depicting the Euphrates on the far left, emerging from it up the very top is a canal that continues into the city. You can also see the city walls and a moat. It is truly remarkable how readable the map is even after all this time. Black continues on through other very early city maps, through medieval maps of major cities like Jerusalem, London and Cathay (most of which tend to be very pictorial), on to grand Renaissance cities, with appropriately grand maps. He then examines, new world maps as the Europeans began to spread out across the world, through the epic imperial maps of the 1700s to the 1800s, the maps of innovation in the 1800s to 1900s, the global maps of 1900s and 2000s and concludes with the future possibilities of mapping cities. What is clear in Black’s depiction of millennia of city mapping is how much a city’s identity can be caught up in its maps. This is never more true than in some of the, arguably, most powerful cities; the Renaissance city states. An example is the Carta Della Catena, a map of Florence from the 15th century. Unfortunately the image you can see below is a 19th century copy because the original was lost in a Berlin museum in World War II. What this map illustrates is not only Florence at the height of its powers, but a period of transition in cartography. The map is still pictorial and in a sense representative rather than geographically realistic (that’s the artist in the bottom right) as you would expect from a medieval map. However, there is the real beginnings of realism as we’d understand it in a modern sense. It also illustrates the layout of Florence very recognisably and shows quite clearly just how important the city was. Black’s book is a really interesting exploration of mapping cities, and much like Art of Cartographics, it is not too Western focussed. It draws on city maps from all over the world. It’s certainly worth reading. I wanted to finish off my exploration of mapping and the books on mapping that I own, with something a little different. While all the previous books have been very much rooted in real world cartography, The Writer’s Map edited by Huw Lewis-Jones is a look at maps of fictional worlds. Lewis-Jones edits a book of chapters both by writers who have had maps of their worlds created and by those who created the maps. What is most fascinating about this book is how grounded in real world cartographic history these fictional maps are. I received this book for Christmas and spent two days sitting on the deck doing not much else but reading it. It is truly absorbing. I’d love to be able to explore every map discussed with such genuine enthusiasm, but that would defeat the purpose of this post (just buy the book). So I’ll focus on three very different but classic fictional maps. Middle Earth, Hundred Acre Wood and The Marauder’s Map. Most people these days are probably most familiar with the maps created for the movies, but I wanted to use the map from 1970 by Pauline Baynes. I chose this map because Tolkien gave her detailed instructions, including the colour and size of the different ships and where different creatures should appear. It is also, arguably, the progenitor of fantasy mapping. The maps of Middle Earth are very much steeped in the history of mapping and they are not dis-similar to many of the epic world maps discussed in part one. In The Writer’s Map the Middle Earth chapter is written by Daniel Reeve who was one of the map makers from the films. He drew on Baynes’ original map as well as mapping traditions and created maps that appear in the movies, but also as the background for the publicity materials. Reeves discusses the processes in making the maps, as well as sneaking the outline of Wellington harbour and his home town as the Gulf of Lune into a Fellowship of the Ring map. He also looks a at why we make maps and what they show us. The maps in Lord of the Rings have become the visual mainstays for the immensely complex fantasy world Tolkien created. On a much less epic scale, but of equal importance, is Winnie The Pooh’s Hundred Acre Wood, as drawn by Christopher Robin with help by Ernest Shepard in the 1920s. It was inspired by the real Ashdown Forest and, while simple, perfectly encapsulates Pooh’s world and the world of a child. It gives the world of the book a physical presence. You can see all the important geographical features of the story including: Pooh’s trap for Heffalumps, big stones and rox, Eeyore’s Gloomy Place (which is rather boggy and sad) and of course the directions for the North Pole. The map is in some ways like the city maps I discussed earlier, it depicts the totality of a world, not necessarily with geographical accuracy, but showing what is important to the creator and those it is created for. From the perspective of the Winnie the Pooh stories this map shows its heart. Shepard also did the maps for the Wind in the Willows and along with Hundred Acre Wood, they went on to create a tradition that can be found in many Western children’s books. The Marauder’s Map from Harry Potter is a tricky one to show, as part of its appeal is the way in which it depicts people moving around Hogwarts, but it is such a crucial part of the books that I couldn’t leave it out. The Writer’s Map also has a fascinating chapter by Miraphora Mina, one of the creators of the Marauder’s Map in the films. She’s one of the creative team who worked on the Potter films and is now working on Fantastic Beasts. Mina knew that the Marauder’s Map had to be special; logical and bewildering at the same time. They made it from scratch, everything hand cut and folded, glued and written. In many senses it was like the early maps, only for a school inhabited by wizards. She made more than twenty maps to be used in the film, and their physicality blurred the line between fantasy and the real. Although these props can’t really show people moving around on them, in creating a map it made a world physical, there in ink and paper. This is true for all fictional maps. They bring their fantastical world into the real. You can trace the Lonely Mountains with a finger, follow the borders of Tortall, understand how the Island of Berk fits with its surrounding geography or see the route taken by the Swallows and Amazons. Fictional cartography gives real world substance to the fantastical, partly because of the long and understood history of cartography. Maps, whether fictional or real, make a mark on how we see our world. Daniel Reeve sums it up beautifully right at the end of his chapter on Middle Earth. Maps are “inevitable” because “we feel a need to make a mark where we are, where we’ve been and where we imagine ourselves going.” Honey Map Image: https://www.boredpanda.com/bees-honeycomb-beeswax-sculptures-ri-ren/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic https://www.pearllam.com/exhibition/ren-ri-yuansu-projects/ Literary London Image: https://literarylondonartprints.co.uk/Literary-Central-London-Map JPL image: https://www.lukedjohnson.com/nasa Nippur Map: https://www.bookofjoe.com/2008/04/nippur-babyloni.html Florence Image: https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/la-veduta-della-catena-florence-and-its-monuments/JAIiVU6eaWEIJQ https://www.facarospauls.com/apps/florence-art-and-culture/4215/pianta-della-catena Middle Earth image: https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/files/2016/10/LOTRMapBaynes0000.jpg Hundred Acre Wood image: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44306069 Marauder’s Map image: https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Marauder%27s_Map Books: The Writer’s Map: An atlas of imaginary lands edited by Huw Lewis-Jones ISBN: 978055519509 Metropolis: Mapping the city by Jeremy Black ISBN:9781844862207 The Art of Cartographics: Designing the modern map ISBN:9781741175615 Book Preview: Cartography and how it shapes the world. Part One. February 18, 2019 | historicalragbag Maps show a lot about the way we view the world, whether it is a modern map (even Google Maps) or a 14th century mappa mundi. Maps are not always intended to be accurate geographical depictions of landscape, to be used only for navigation. Of course that is the purpose of some maps, but some are symbolic and all maps illuminate (through what they include and what they don’t, how they are made and who commissioned them) the society in which they were created. This is not going to be a typical post from me, covering a building, person, area or place. This post is going to examine (briefly) maps and what they can show us about the world, beyond geographical features. It is based around several books on cartography that I already owned as well as some new books on maps and mapping that were released at the end of last year, which I was lucky to be given for Christmas. With these additions my collection of books on maps and mapping is large enough to have a section in my library. In this post I’m going to focus on the general cartography books and part 2 will examine the more specific volumes. So what sorts of books am I talking about? I currently own a variety and I have written about one before when I first started this blog. The Map Book was my first acquisition on cartography and helped to introduce me to the sheer beauty of maps. You can see my book selection (including The Map Book) below. Each of these books outlines something slightly different about cartography. Theatre of the World is the most comprehensive from a western perspective, though it is the least visual. It is written by Thomas Reinerstsen Berg in Norwegian and I read the translated English copy. In fascinating detail it traces the very beginnings of map making (maps carved in stone) through to digital map making and Google Maps. In this epic journey Reinerstsen Berg takes you through the classical cartography including the work of Aristotle and Plato and Claudius Ptolemy. Around the year 150 CE Ptolemy was working in the Library of Alexandria, drawing on older sources (Roman and Greek) and as many recent observations as he could to create a depiction of the world. He was drawing on sources that have long since been lost – many in the destruction of the Library of Alexandria. His work survived the destruction, mainly through copies, and was rediscovered in the 14th century and helped to shape later ideas about maps and mapping. Reinerstsen Berg continues through medieval cartography some of which was less focussed on geographical depictions and more on the holy view of the world. An excellent example is the Hereford Mappa Mundi from 1300. It depicts Jerusalem as the centre of the world, which for medieval christians it was, along with hundreds of towns, figures, animals and mythological sites. It is an illustration of the view of the world, rather than the world itself. It is also really lovely. Reinerstsen Berg continues through time, highlighting the importance of the first atlas created in 1570 by Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp- it was called Theatre of the World. It was the conclusion of decades of work collecting the best maps he could find from geographers and cartographers across the known world. He redrew the maps himself for consistency and put them together in an atlas declaiming the importance of cartography for history and, in Reinerstsen Berg’s words, “for the first time, those who could afford it were now able to purchase the whole world, bound within a book” (127). Reinerstsen Berg concludes with digital mapping and Google Maps and Google earth, which for the first time in the history of mapping have the capacity to create maps that show our world down to the tiniest detail. The problem with Google Maps is the same problem that has haunted all cartography; who controls the information included. Google Maps has the 70% market share of digital mapping and it fundamentally shapes how many people physically view the world in which we live. It is a free service, because businesses can pay to have their businesses displayed and it can collect information about users. The monetary nature of mapping and information provision goes right back to the early cartographers, maps are created (usually) at least partly to make money. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is one worth keeping in mind. Reinerstsen Berg’s book is extensive and really interesting. I only had two complaints. The first is that it is extremely Western civilisation focussed. He makes very clear at the start that he is writing about mapping from the point of view of his part of the world; Scandinavia. It does mean that there is lot more about Scandinavia that you would normally find in a general mapping history, which is actually really interesting. So as he is upfront about it, I have less of an issue. My main concern is the images. There are many beautiful and illuminating images of maps, but most are not in the section in which they are discussed, I found this quite dislocating. Problems aside, Theatre of the World is an eye opening book. The other two most general books are The Map Book (which I have written about before) and Visions of the World. Both are beautiful books which take an overall and very visual look at maps. The both make a chronological and thematic examination of maps throughout time. They both take a much more worldwide and less euro-centric look than Theatre of the World and they are both much more focussed on the beauty of the maps themselves. They cover everything from Indian mapping to mapping in mosaic in Jordan in 565 CE. The map below was created during the reign of Emperor Justinian. In 1884 a mosaic map was discovered on the floor of the old church in Madaba. It is somewhat fragmented (the largest surviving portion is 10.5m by 5m) but originally it would have covered the entire width of the nave and depicted the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan river and Syria and parts of Egypt. The fragment you can see above is Jerusalem. The detail is incredible showing trees, fish, towns, animals and even the ferry to Jordan. It illustrates how the christians in Byzantium would have seen the Holy Land as it began to develop. The Madaba Map is just one of treasures throughout both books. They also cover the detail of maps, looking not just at broad geographic maps, but maps of specific towns and areas. Both books make clear how political map making can be- often depending on who was doing the mapping and who was paying them to map. They are visual delights, with an immense amount of detail. The final book I’m going to discuss in this post is History of the World by Map. This book is quite different to my other general sources. History of the World covers a general history of world through the rise and fall of civilisations across the world, but while it uses maps to do it, the book creates its own maps to explain the movement of civilisations. In its existence it shows just how useful maps can be and what they can illustrate beyond general geography. History of the World is also very impressive in its scope: covering indigenous Australians, imperial china, Africa, Polynesians, Mansa Musa and much more besides. it provide a fascinating window in which to compare what was happening in the same time in totally different parts of the world, both when they affected each-other and when they didn’t. Western centric histories tend to give the impression that the centre of the world was Europe and not much else was happening anywhere else. History of World gives an easily accessible depiction of how interconnected and vast the world has always been, as well as how much was happening beyond the narrow confines of Europe. Part 2 will continue the story of cartography and my cartography collection, by considering the remainder of the books which all focus on more specific elements of cartography. The Map Book: edited by Peter Barber ISBN: 9780297843726 Theatre of the World: The maps that made history. By Thomas Reinertsen Berg ISBN: 9781473688629 Visions of the World: A history of maps by Jeremy Black. ISBN: 1840008342 https://archive.org/details/theatrumorbister00orte/page/n4 https://www.themappamundi.co.uk/index.php The pictures of the books are mine. The Hereford Mappa Mundi is creative commons licensed. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Hereford_Mappa_Mundi#/media/File:Hereford-Karte.jpg as is the Madaba Map https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Madaba_Jerusalem_Mosaic.jpg Book Preview: The Grand Medieval Bestiary September 3, 2014 September 23, 2014 | historicalragbag The Grand Medieval Bestiary is one of the most epic and beautiful books I have ever had the pleasure to see. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is in the photo to illustrate just how large the Grand Medieval Bestiary is. This is a book on a monumental scale. The Grand Medieval Bestiary tells the stories of the animals that featured in illuminated manuscripts. It depicts real world animals, such as the elephant, and how they were seen by people in the medieval period. In the case of the elephant it was believed that its primary natural enemy was the dragon. Additionally it was believed that elephants never lay down to sleep. They always leant against a tree and slept standing, but they had to be careful to choose the correct tree. If they didn’t choose correctly and the tree collapsed they couldn’t get up again. If this happened a smaller elephant would climb under a larger elephant and help it up. The Grand Bestiary also includes mythical animals such as the hydra. The hydra was the mythical beast Hercules fought as one of his twelve labours. The authors of medieval bestiaries came up with logical explanations for the depiction of the hydra regrowing its heads after He rcules chops them off. However they did believe that the hydra was a creature who lived in the Nile and fought the crocodiles there by entering their jaws while they slept and tearing them apart from the inside. The hydra also apparently caused an edema of the legs, which was best treated with ox dung. The Grand Medieval Bestiary is a fabulous book, full of life, colour and truly beautiful images. It brings the medieval world of bestiaries and animals wonderfully to life. It is also endlessly entertaining. If you have the shelf space for a book this big, it’s worth it. Title: The Grand Medieval Bestiary: Animals in Illuminated Manuscripts. Authors: Christian Heck and Remy Cordonnier

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line747

__label__wiki

Institution > The 1946 House Elections About this object This piece of election memorabilia, aimed at attracting women voters, read “Nixon for Congress” and “Put the Needle to the P.A.C.,” a jab at a labor union suspected of having Communist ties. Riding widespread discontent with the postwar economic policies of the Harry Truman administration, Republicans on this date recaptured majority control of the House from Democrats for the first time in 15 years. The GOP gained 55 seats for a 246 to 188 advantage (with an additional third-party Member). Though Republican control of the chamber lasted only one Congress, the large class of 91 freshman Members who entered the 80th Congress (1947–1949), included a distinguished group of individuals—some of whom remained mainstays of American politics for decades. Among the first-term Representatives were future Speaker of the House Carl Albert of Oklahoma and Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania—the great-great-grandnephew of the first House Speaker. Others included future House Public Works Committee Chairman John Blatnik of Minnesota, future Senators Jacob Javits of New York and George Smathers of Florida, and Katharine St. George of New York, who became the first woman ever to serve on the influential House Rules Committee. The new class also included two future Presidents: John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Richard M. Nixon of California. Kennedy won election to a seat vacated by James M. Curley who had announced his intention to run (successfully) for a fourth term as mayor of Boston. In his Boston-centered district, Kennedy defeated perennial GOP candidate Lester Bowen with 72 percent of the vote. Nixon benefitted from the Republican electoral groundswell, engineering an upset victory over five-term veteran Democrat Jerry Voorhis in a suburban Los Angeles district with a 56 percent majority. Related Highlight Subjects Albert, Carl Artifacts in the House Collection Familial Connections House Firsts and Records Javits, Jacob Kennedy, John F. Muhlenberg, Frederick A.C. Nixon, Richard M. Record Holders St. George, Katharine Election Statistics, 1920–Present History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “The 1946 House Elections,” https://history.house.gov/Historical-Highlights/1901-1950/The-1946-House-elections/ (January 20, 2020)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line748

__label__wiki

Papers relating to the foreign relations of the United States, 1931, Volume II The Chargé in Nicaragua (Beaulac) to the Secretary of State Managua, February 18, 1930. [Received February 24.] Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s telegram No. 4 of January 16, 1930, and to the Legation’s despatch No. 1290 of January 21, 1930, with reference to a possible improvement in the condition of the Nicaraguan Judiciary which would result in the establishment of civil courts adequate to handle cases involving banditry. During my conversation with President Moncada reported in my despatch above referred to, the latter requested me to draft a memorandum which he could present to the Supreme Court embodying the substance of the Department’s telegram No. 4. I prepared and handed to him a memorandum of which a copy is enclosed. On February 8, 1930, President Moncada’s private secretary sent me a copy of a letter addressed to him by the Secretary of the Supreme Court in reply to my memorandum and to a letter addressed to the President by General McDougal concerning an entirely different matter. A copy of the letter of the Secretary of the Supreme Court dated February 7, 1930, together with a translation of that portion [Page 867]of it dealing with the Legation’s memorandum are transmitted herewith.50 After studying the letter of the Secretary of the Supreme Court I became convinced that there had been a fundamental misunderstanding of what was desired by the Department of State, inasmuch as in Paragraph 2 of the letter the following appears: “The Supreme Court of Justice understands that that program embodies the following points: (a) the faculty that American officials may exercise the function of judges within the military jurisdiction to which they are assigned; that they should take cognizance of and decide cases involving civilians who commit offenses against the military, in order that the Guardia Nacional may carry out more efficiently the high purposes for which it was instituted…[”] The President of the Supreme Court, Dr. Carlos Morales, called at the Legation at my request and after having called his attention to the clause quoted above I reminded him that far from interpreting correctly the program that the Department of State had suggested, it was directly opposed to the Department’s desires as expressed in the first sentence of my memorandum which states “the Department of State cannot approve of the trial of Nicaraguan civilians by members of the Guardia so long as this institution is directed by American officers”. Dr. Morales said that the Supreme Court had apparently fallen into an error in interpreting the Legation’s memorandum. He said that this could be explained by the circumstance that the Court had in mind not only the Legation’s memorandum but the Articles for the Government of the Guardia Nacional de Nicaragua, which do provide for Guardia courts with jurisdiction over civilians. I reminded him that I had made no mention of the Articles for the Government of the Guardia in my memorandum and that the point that the Department had brought up specifically was that Nicaraguan civilians should not be judged by Guardia courts but by Nicaraguan civil courts. He said that this circumstance placed a new light on the matter and that he would have another memorandum prepared in the light of the Department’s desires as I had pointed out to him. He stated, however, that the Supreme Court was still in a very difficult position because the Department’s wishes as outlined in my memorandum were directly contrary to the Articles for the Government of the Guardia which provided specifically for the Guardia courts to which the Department objected. He said it was very difficult for the Supreme Court to reconcile divergent points of view and still remain within the law. With respect to the establishment of civilian courts to handle cases of banditry in Departments where martial law has been declared, he said that an attempt had been made to utilize the ordinary courts in this connection but it had resulted in failure, not on account of the unwillingness of the Judges to cooperate, but because under the law those Judges had to abide by the ordinary rules of evidence, etc., which were usually lacking in cases of bandits taken in the field and even in the cases where such evidence was obtainable the long delay in terminating cases in strict accordance with the law was prejudicial to the interests of the Government. He stated that in his private opinion the solution of the problem would be a total reform of the Constitution. He said there were many other provisions of the Constitution unsuited to present day conditions in Nicaragua and that he had for a long time favored the adoption of an entirely new Constitution. He said that this was feasible inasmuch as the Conservative Government two years ago had taken the initial steps to replace the present Constitution with a new one and the present Legislature could complete the total reform of the Constitution during the present session. I have not had the opportunity to verify the circumstances alleged by Dr. Morales but I presume that his information is accurate. Since Congress has adjourned for fifteen days there is no possibility of immediate action to reform the Constitution even though the Executive Power should agree with the recommendation made by Dr. Morales to the Legation. This recommendation of course was entirely personal. I should appreciate having the benefit of any views which the Department may wish to express on the subject. I have [etc.] Willard L. Beaulac [Enclosure] The American Chargé (Beaulac) to the President of Nicaragua (Moncada) The Department of State cannot approve of the trial of Nicaraguan civilians by members of the Guardia so long as this institution is directed by American officers. The purpose for which the Guardia has been established is the maintenance of public order and save in the case of military offenses, it should not be called upon to prescribe the penalties of the law even though the ordinary courts fail to function properly. If the Nicaraguan courts are ineffective, it is obviously preferable that measures should be taken to bring about a strengthening of this branch of the Government than that it be further weakened by the transference of its duties. The responsibility [Page 869]for the maintenance of order, so far as the punishment of offenders is concerned, rests squarely upon the Nicaraguan judiciary. In the establishment of proper courts for handling bandit cases it is assumed that the Supreme Court would be willing to assist the Executive in so far as appointments are concerned and that the Nicaraguan Congress could pass new legislation if any were needed. It is believed that there exists no insuperable obstacle to action by the Nicaraguan Government which would result in the establishment of civil courts with sufficient authority and sufficient courage to deal with this situation. Managua, January 18, 1930. List of Papers Colombia: (Documents 1-68) Cuba: (Documents 69-105) Dominican Republic: (Documents 106-146) Ecuador: (Documents 147-159) Egypt: (Documents 160-184) El Salvador: (Documents 185-250) Ethiopia: (Documents 251-270) France: (Documents 271-314) Germany: (Documents 315-366) Great Britain: (Documents 367-386) Greece: (Documents 387-404) Guatemala: (Documents 405-428) Haiti (Documents 429-528) Hejaz and Nejd: (Documents 529-536) Honduras: (Documents 537-611) Hungary: (Documents 612-616) Iraq: (Documents 617-631) Irish Free State: (Documents 632-633) Italy: (Documents 634-674) Liberia: (Documents 675-742) Mexico: (Documents 743-790) Morocco: (Documents 791-814) Netherlands: (Documents 815-822) Nicaragua: (Documents 823-965) Insistence of the Department of State that so long as the Guardia Nacional is directed by American officers it should not try Nicaraguan civilians (Documents 934-950) Norway: (Documents 966-967) Panama: (Documents 968-984) Peru: (Documents 985-1013) Poland: (Documents 1014-1035) Portugal: (Documents 1036-1049) Russia: (Documents 1050-1055) Spain: (Documents 1056-1082) Sweden: (Documents 1083-1086) Switzerland: (Documents 1087-1097) Turkey: (Documents 1098-1104) Union of South Africa: (Documents 1105-1106) Uruguay: (Document 1107) Yugoslavia: (Documents 1108-1110)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line749

__label__cc

Justice for Palestine: A Call to Action from Indigenous and Women of Color Feminists Between June 14 and June 23, 2011, a delegation of 11 scholars, activists, and artists visited occupied Palestine. Sharing a toilet with Tutu – that's a first by Cheryl Carolus The unbanning of political parties caught people unawares, but most can recall where they were. “I was on a toilet with Archbishop Tutu.” That was my response to the question from an American visitor, who had asked: “Where were you on that day?” Transformational Mafia State by Dr Mzukisi Qobo, 25 November 2014, Thai Theatre, New Academic Building From Transformational Leadership to Mafia State? Observations from South Africa's Two Decades of Democracy From Transformational Leadership To Mafia State? Observations From South Africa's Two Decades of Democracy by Connor Vasey (LSE), December 10th 2014, South Africa From Transformational Leadership To Mafia State? Observations From South Africa’s Two Decades of Democracy To understand SA's History Curriculum change in Democracy, lets first look at this change during Transformation by Maluleka Paul, 15 January 2015, news24.com South Africa is currently transforming its education system as the last traces of the apartheid (history) curriculum are being phased out and a new (history) curriculum is introduced. Numsa's United Front: Forward to the Past? by Jane Duncan The country’s largest trade union federation, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), has expelled the National Union of Metalworkers’ of South Africa (Numsa), for not supporting the African National Congress (ANC). When the split hits the fan: Vavi’s future at a crossroads by Stephen Grootes The expulsion of metalworkers’ union NUMSA is a seismic event. It will eventually rock the foundations of our politics and will probably become the split of COSATU. As predictable and well-signposted as Friday night’s decision was, the shockwaves are still reverberating. Numsa unleashed and full throttle: Welcome to the ANC’s biggest nightmare by Ranjeni Munusamy Imagine an alliance or political front featuring Irvin Jim, Julius Malema, Zwelinzima Vavi and Joseph Mathunjwa. The night of the long knives by Jay Naidoo The big split has happened: NUMSA has been expelled from COSATU. And the extraordinary decision to boot NUMSA from COSATU calls for a deep reflection, analysis and evaluation on the state of our nation. COSATU was always more than a labour federation. Vavi's plea to S'dumo Cosatu general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi has written a two-page letter to the union federation's president, S'dumo Dlamini, pleading with him to save it from collapse following the expulsion of the National Union of Metalworkers of SA.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line750

__label__cc

The Bogalusa Housing Authority, Bogalusa, LA, Did Not Always Administer Its Public Housing Programs in Accordance With Requirements We reviewed the Bogalusa Housing Authority’s public housing programs based on the activities included in our annual audit plan and because the Authority has not been audited in more than 15 years. The objective of our review was to determine whether #2019-FW-1006 Northlake Homeless Coalition, Mandeville, LA, Did Not Always Follow Continuum of Care Program Requirements We reviewed the Northlake Homeless Coalition’s Continuum of Care Program (CoC) based on a hotline complaint alleging impropriety in Northlake’s selection of grant award recipients and as part of our annual audit plan. The objective of our review was to determine whether Northlake administered its CoC in accordance with the U.S. The State of Louisiana, Baton Rouge, LA, Did Not Always Maintain Adequate Documentation or Comply With Website Reporting Requirements We audited the State of Louisiana’s Restore Louisiana Homeowner Assistance program as part of our annual audit plan to review Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery programs. Our objective was to determine whether the State ensured that it complied with (1) its eligibility requirements for the Homeowner Assistance program and (2) website reporting requirements. The Owner of Luther Towers II, Wilmington, DE, Did Not Manage Its HUD-Insured Project in Accordance With Its Regulatory Agreement and HUD Requirements We audited Luther Towers II because it was a high-risk multifamily project that received low inspection and financial assessment scores on our multifamily risk assessment for projects within our region and we had never audited it. Our audit objective was to determine whether the owner managed the project in accordance with its regulatory agreement and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. #2018-PH-1006 Jefferson Parish, Jefferson, LA, Did Not Always Properly Administer Its Rehabilitation Program We audited the Jefferson Parish Community Development Department in response to a citizen complaint and in accordance with our annual audit plan to review the U.S. The City of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, Did Not Always Properly Administer Its HOME Program We audited the City of New Orleans’ HOME Investment Partnerships program in response to a citizen complaint alleging that the City did not monitor its HOME-assisted projects and in accordance with our annual audit plan. Our objective was to determine the validity of the complaint allegations and whether the City administered its HOME program in accordance with Federal and HUD requirements. The City of Albuquerque, NM, Did Not Administer Its Community Development Block Grant Program in Accordance With Requirements We audited the City of Albuquerque’s Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program based on our risk analysis and as part of the Office of Inspector General’s annual audit plan to review community planning and development funds. The audit objective was to determine whether the City administered its CDBG program in accordance with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requirements. The Hammond Housing Authority’s, Hammond, LA, Administration of Its Housing Choice Voucher Program Had Weaknesses We audited the Hammond Housing Authority as part of our annual audit plan to review public housing programs. Our objective was to determine whether the Authority properly administered its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program in accordance with HUD requirements. St. Tammany Parish, Mandeville LA, Did Not Always Administer Its CDBG Disaster Recovery Grant in Accordance With HUD Requirements or as Certified We audited the St. Tammany Parish grants department’s administration of its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) disaster recovery program, as part of our annual audit plan to review the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013 funds. Our objective was to determine whether the Parish administered its disaster recovery program in accordance with U.S. The State of Louisiana’s Subrecipient Did Not Always Comply With Its Agreement and HUD Requirements When Administering Its Disaster Assistance Programs We audited the State of Louisiana, Office of Community Development’s disaster assistance programs, administered by the State’s subrecipient, St. Community Improvement (9) For Families (5) Housing and FHA (7) (-) Louisiana (54) (-) New Mexico (8) (-) Delaware (5)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line754

__label__cc

tlafleur / Travis LaFleur Huffduffing since May 21st, 2011 There are no people in tlafleur’s collective. Subscribe to a podcast of everything huffduffed by tlafleur. Huffduffed (62) Matthew Weiner | A.M. Homes | The New York Public Library Listen to audio on your iPhone or iPad Viewing videos on NYPL.org requires Adobe Flash Player 9 or higher. Get the Flash plugin from adobe.com Copy the embed code below to add this video to your site, blog, or profile. Video (584MB MP4, 1 hr 13 min) Audio (127.4MB MP3, 1 hr 28 min) Matthew Weiner, creator, executive producer, writer, and director of the critically acclaimed drama Mad Men, is one of the television industry’s most esteemed showrunners. Weiner spent nearly a third of his life nurturing and bringing Mad Men to life – a show that has been touted as “a television drama with all the ingredients of the great American novel” (Telegraph). Just days after the series finale, Weiner will be joined by novelist A.M. Homes in a reflection on the characters and themes in Mad Men in his first public discussion of the show from beginning to end. MATTHEW WEINER serves as creator, Executive Producer, writer and director on the critically acclaimed drama Mad Men, which has become one of television’s most honored shows. In 2011, it joined an elite group when it became only the fourth drama to be awarded four consecutive Emmy® Awards for Outstanding Drama Series, and has received countless other nods, including three Golden Globe® Awards for Best Television Drama Series; a Peabody Award; three Producers Guild Awards; four Writers Guild Awards; two BAFTA Awards; five Television Critics Association Awards, including Program of the Year; and being named seven years running to AFI’s Top 10 Outstanding Television Programs. Weiner has been awarded for outstanding writing, efforts behind the camera, and his extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision in the process of creating television programming. In addition to his television credits, Weiner wrote and directed the feature film, Are You Here, and served as an Executive Producer and writer on The Sopranos, and as writer on various television comedy series including The Naked Truth, Becker, and Andy Richter Controls the Universe. Weiner currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, architect Linda Brettler, and their four sons. A.M. HOMES is the author of the novels, This Book Will Save Your Life, Music For Torching, The End of Alice, In a Country of Mothers, and Jack, as well as the short-story collections, Things You Should Know and The Safety of Objects, the best selling memoir, The Mistress’s Daughter along with a travel memoir, Los Angeles: People, Places and The Castle on the Hill, and the artist’s book Appendix A. She has also created original television pilots for HBO, FX and CBS and was a writer/producer of the Showtime series The L Word. Additionally, Homes wrote the adaptation of her first novel JACK, for Showtime. Director Rose Troche’s 2003 adaptation of The Safety of Objects marks the screen debut of Kristen Stewart. Other Homes novels currently in development include, In A Country of Mothers, Music For Torching and This Book Will Save Your Life. A.M. Homes has been the recipient of numerous awards including Fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, NYFA, and The Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at The New York Public Library, along with the Benjamin Franklin Award, and the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. In addition she has been active on the Boards of Directors of Yaddo, The Fine Arts Work Center In Provincetown, The Writers Room, and PEN-where she chairs both the membership committee and the Writers Fund. Additionally she serves on the Presidents Council for Poets and Writers. A.M. Homes was born in Washington D.C., she now lives in New York City and teaches in the Creative Writing Program at Princeton. A note to our patrons: LIVE from the NYPL programs begin promptly at 7p.m. We recommend arriving twenty minutes before the scheduled start time to get to your seats. In order to minimize disturbances to other audience members, we are unable to provide late seating. Become a Friend of the Library to receive 40% off all LIVE from the NYPL tickets. Join Now. Check out our LIVE Shorts here! LIVE from the NYPL is made possible with generous support from Celeste Bartos, Mahnaz Ispahani Bartos and Adam Bartos, and the Margaret and Herman Sokol Public Education Endowment Fund. The 10th Anniversary of LIVE from the NYPL is sponsored by the Ford Foundation. Financial Times is the media sponsor of LIVE from the NYPL’s Spring 2015 season. http://www.nypl.org/node/302926/audio Tagged with nypl the new york public library manhattan bronx staten island —Huffduffed by tlafleur 4 years ago Why the Mad Men are Mad at Us | IA Summit Library Our world is changing. Advertising agencies blew the web opportunity the first time around, but they’re not going to let this happen again. They’re smart. They understand communication. They can run persuasive rings around BJ Fogg. And they’ve been doing user research since before Jakob Nielsen was born. If you’re considering a job as an IA or UX professional at a traditional ad agency, you don’t want to miss this session. Ad agencies generally stayed out of the blast range when the dot.bomb went off. And they’ve since waited patiently. Happily, most ad folks still haven’t got a clue as to what IAs do. But when they finally do “get it,” we are either going to learn to get along with them or find ourselves relegated to an unenviable group of semi-human subcontractors — a status otherwise reserved for printers, layouters, and the gopher who delivers lunch each day. The last couple of years, IAs have learned to appreciate business thinkers like Philip Kottler and Peter Drucker. Now it’s time to get acquainted with the ad industry’s pioneers: Claude Hopkins, John Caples, Rosser Reeves, Bill Bernbach, and David Ogilvy. This presentation will take a closer look at what ad agencies consider “good” advertising, how they interpret “concept,” and why our notion of “proof of concept” is completely nonsensical in the world of advertising. I’ll show you some successful campaigns and some award-winning campaigns — these are not necessarily the same thing — and explain out why these are admired or condemned by so-called “creatives” at ad agencies. Together, we’ll explore why advertising creatives despise web types in general and usability folks in particular. You’ll find out why stuff that “works” on screen doesn’t work in print ads — and vice versa. And I’ll dispel some of the popular myths about advertising, such as “all advertising is good advertising.” Why the Mad Men are Mad at Us [ 41:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download http://www.slideshare.net/ericreiss/why-the-mad-men-are-mad-at-us The 2014 IA Summit podcasts were recorded and produced by the fantastic team at UIE. UIE is a research and training company that brings you the latest thinking from the top experts in the world of User Experience Design. UIE’s virtual seminars allow you to get your hands on that information, to absorb as much as you can, on your schedule. Of course, you can keep up with all the shenanigans by signing up for UIE’s free newsletter, UIEtips. Eric Reiss: Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for getting up at 9:30 on a Sunday morning. I realized that this is what we call in the industry the death slot because you’ve been karaoke-ing until four in the morning. I figured I’d bribe you with Bloody Mary’s. Some of you have Bloody Mary’s. Very good. We do what we can. Bribery is how advertising works, completely disreputable profession. How many of you watch "Mad Men" on TV? Quite a few of you. For those of you who don’t, both of you, [laughs] you can be an ad man, which means you work for an advertising agency, but most of the advertising agencies were centered on and around Madison Avenue in New York. That’s where Mad Men come from. It’s not necessarily because they’re angry, but I was quite pleased that I got this picture of Don Draper because he looked very very upset. I want to introduce you to Jacques Séguéla, who you probably never heard of. He was Francois Mitterrand’s Director of Communications when Francois Mitterrand was President of France. Séguéla is credited with having said, "Don’t tell my mother I work in advertising. She thinks I play the piano in a whore house." [laughter] I mean that’s where advertising sits in the grand scheme of things. I’ve won a lot of awards. I’ve been nominated for a Cleo. I’ve been in this business for a long time. And I’m pretty good at what I do. But what really gives me the authority to speak about advertising is that I actually have played piano in a whore house. [laughter] I think I’m the only person in advertising who’s a… Big Al mother’s head had a whore house above a flea market in St. Louis. Above his…never mind. It was a very depressing experience. If any one of you are contemplating a career change, let me tell you playing piano in a whore house on a Saturday afternoons is not a good thing. This is nap time. There are no customers. I’m the only person who has ever worked at a whore house and left a virgin. [laughter] That’s how bad it was. What can I say? But it gives me a unique insight into advertising, somehow. You work that out. Advertise means to notify, to call public attention, especially in order to sell. This is a notice from ancient Thebes, about 1300 BC. "For the return of my slave to the shop of Hapu the weaver, a whole gold coin is offered." This is communication. Hapu the weaver was not content with just trying to advertise that he wanted his slave back. Instead, "The shop of Hapu the weaver, where the best cloth is woven to your desires." It’s the earliest ad I could find. Hapu just couldn’t resist saying, "Hey, I’m really good at what I do." That’s advertising. Our problem in the UX community — how many of you actually have worked at advertising agencies? Surprising number. OK, good. Then I hope you’ll agree with this. Maybe this is just my own perspective, but I think it’s true, and if you think I’m full of shit, just call out or have another bloody Mary or go to see Jon Kolko. Whatever. The problem I’ve experienced is that if we do not understand how the Don Drapers of the world think, we can’t really expect them to understand how we think. There is a tremendous schism between what we do in UX and IA and what people in advertising do. That’s what I wanted to introduce you to today, so that you’ll understand why the advertising industry consistently fucks up and why we have so much trouble trying to communicate our message. There are three good ways to ensure that we never get invited back to that table. The first is — and these are real bullets, by the way. These are Remington self-loaders. Insisting that we invented user research, misunderstanding the concept of "concept," and finally, humiliating established art directors. That’s about the worst thing you can possibly do. Let’s take a look at this brief history of advertising. We all know that Jakob Nielsen invented user testing. Jakob. The truth is that… [laughter] Right. This is an advertisement, written by a fellow by the name of John Caples back in 1925. As you can see, it’s a coupon ad. There’s rather a lot of copy text. "They laughed when I sat down at the piano, but when I started to play…" This advertisement taught the United States how to play the piano. In the days before we had Netflix and whatever, people had to make their own entertainment. They learned to sing and they learned to play the piano and other things. John Caples’ ad ran for almost 50 years with incredible success. They changed the visuals, they updated it and so on. But the point is, this is probably one of the most effective coupon ads in the history of advertising. "Tested Advertising Methods," now in it’s fifth edition. It has been in print since 1932. This is the man that invented A/B testing. Do not go into an advertising agency and start to lecture them on testing. We know this. We know this. Except nothing is true about what works best in UX, until it has been scientifically tested. 1932. Let’s move on. OK, because we understand research. This ad was written by Claude Hopkins in 1908. Now, Claude Hopkins was approached by the Van Camp’s company. The Van Camp’s got their start during the Civil War in the United States in the 1860s. They could put things in tins and they wouldn’t spoil. This was very good, because you could give the tins to the troops and they could open them with bayonets — this is before can openers, by the way — and they got a hearty meal. Pork and beans, which became the signature product for Van Camp’s, is actually very difficult to make. What Hopkins did was, well, he went down to the diners, he went down to the docks. He talked to the people who ate pork and beans and he talked to the people who made pork and beans to try and find out why this was good. Try our rivals, too. He’s not scared. He’s not scared of this at all. He spent a lot of time talking to these people. He wrote two books, "My Life in Advertising," and "Scientific Advertising." Now, listen to this. "Talk to the people who are going to buy your product, this is the first step in any successful campaign." 1930. How many of you are still fighting with your employers or your clients to get them to do years of research? Thank you. Well, if you go into an advertising agency, don’t start talking about this, because the advertising people understand this. We’ve got BJ Fogg, he talks about question, and Kristina Halvorson, she has taught us about content. David Ogilvy wrote this ad in 1960 to introduce the Rolls-Royce to North America. "At 60 miles an hour, the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock." To which the engineers at Rolls-Royce said, "We’ve got to do something about that damn clock." It’s a long ad. There is a lot of content on that page and yet, it introduced a brand to the United States which today is an icon for classy cars. He wrote two books, Mr. Ogilvy. The first was the "Confessions of an Advertising Man." This was the first time that anyone actually started to talk about advertising in public, because we all play pianos in whorehouses. This book, "Ogilvy on Advertising," if you have not read it, order it today and read it. Because it will keep you out of a lot of very eggy situations when you deal with advertising people. It’s a very easy, readable book and I beg you to take this seriously, because this man knew what it was about. Listen to this. "What really decides consumers to buy or not to buy is the content of your advertising, not its form." Content strategy? Come on, darlings. Old wine in new bottles. Let’s meet a couple of other people. This is Rosser Reeves, he talks about the USP. How many of you have been shown a list of USPs by your clients? Quite a few. Your clients are assholes. Do you know what USP stands for? Unique selling proposition. Unique means one. It’s not a fucking feature list. How many of you remember the Creative Zen? None of you. The Creative Zen came out around 1999. It was a five-gigabyte MP3 player with a really good algorithm. You remember. Audience Member: It was a brick. Eric: It wasn’t so much a brick, Michael. Excuse me? [audience member speaks] Eric: Yeah, that’s right. It was round and it was purple and whatever, and they advertised it as, "We are a five-gigabit MP3 player." In a whole room of geeks, virtually none of us remember it. How many of you know what an iPod is? Oh, amazing. The iPod understood the concept of the USP. Thousands of songs in your pocket. That’s a USP. Rosser Reeves came up with this. Does anyone know what the tag line is for M and Ms? Audience Members: [together] Melts in your mouth, not in your hand. Eric: Amazing. Amazing. After 60 years, half of this room remembers what Rosser Reeves wrote. Very good. This is Leo Burnett. He started an agency in Chicago. He talked about finding the drama. He invented the Marlboro Man — who died of lung cancer, by the way. He also invented the Jolly Green Giant and he invented Tony the Tiger. We’ll get back to Leo. He’s an important figure. Bill Bernbach, one of the few Jews in an otherwise WASP-dominated industry, to all people of color, women, this is a very closed arena. I apologize for that. That’s just the way it is, and let’s try and change that. If you say, "Why are there no blacks or Asians or whatever?" it’s because these people, these groups, have not necessarily been able to get into this industry. I think that is absolutely despicable. 30 years after the Equal Rights Amendment, we still have problems getting women into advertising and getting people of color and so on. This is not good. Bill Bernbach started to change that. How many of you know DDB? Have you heard..? Well, that’s Doyle Dane Bernbach. Meet Mr. Bernbach. He was the one who came up with "we try harder." He also did the Volkswagen campaign. Actually, he was smart enough to hire this woman, Phyllis Robinson, to walk the Volkswagen campaign. Not only did they start hiring Jews, they started hiring women. That was kind of interesting. DDB, God bless you. Thank you for that. You started to change things. I want to introduce you to the Mattel See and Say. How many of you are familiar with this? Oh, good. How many of you are not familiar with this? Why? Mike Atherton, what kind of a cave do you live in that you’ve never seen a See and Say? Mike Atherton: I was raised by wolves. Eric: He was raised by wolves. [laughter] Eric: I believe that you know this man brought me bear meat from Helsinki. [laughs] Well, as a public service, not for you lot, but only for Mike Atherton, I actually have a See and Say. [laughter and applause] This is the most well-traveled See and Say in the world. I bought it on eBay. It was made in China. Apparently it’s crossed the Pacific. It ended up in Iowa, and then they sent it to my home in Denmark, and it’s been across the Atlantic several times now. It’s more traveled than most people in Davenport. [laughs] Now, see, Mike, let me show you how this works. See, we have different animals here, OK? Pick an animal. Mike: I think maybe a coyote. Eric: A coyote. Oh, excellent. Excellent. A very good choice. We point the thing at the coyote, and then pull that string. [sound of string being pulled] It is quite wonderful, and the duck goes and the dog goes. Oh, the consultant goes, "It depends." [laughter] This is the See and Say. In advertising, we consider the See and Say absolutely to be the lowest form of advertising. Absolutely useless. Let me explain why. I spent all night working on this. It’s the first animated GIF I’ve ever done. You’re saying, "What was that about?" That was the problem in a nutshell. See, we’ll do it again. See? That is a See and Say. We’ll do it again. [laughter] I’m quite proud of that. Thank you. Thank you. In the communications industry, we talk about something called AIDA. That’s the model — awareness, interest, desire, and action. When you have 1.7 seconds and you’re trying to get people to read your advertisement while they’re leafing through a magazine, you need to catch their attention. Then you have to make it interesting in some way. At one point, you want them to actually desire your product and actually go to the store or fill out the coupon or call the toll-free number, whatever course of action you’ve given them. Now, the thing is, there’s a line that runs through this, and this is where the advertising agencies and those of us in interactive media go in different directions, because the traditional art directors think that if they’re going to do a website, they have to start with awareness. The point is, nobody goes into a website or downloads an app by accident. "Well, I wanted to see what the weather was going to be like in San Diego, but OK, I’ll buy a new suitcase. All right." It doesn’t work that way. This is a critical divide, that the advertising industry does not understand, and this is where we start to fight with the art directors. It’s sad, but this is what we do. Now, back to Leo Burnett. This is absolutely interesting. The secret of all effective originality in advertising is not the creation of new and tricky words and pictures but of putting familiar words and pictures into new relationships. That is good advertising, and that does not mean a See and Say. All you IAs, what would you label this picture? Audience Member: Landscape. Eric: What? Eric: Right. What kind of a landscape? Audience Member: Winter. Eric: Winter landscape. Good. This is what we do. A link is a promise. When you click on winter landscape you expect to come to a page that will deal with a winter landscape. Do we agree on this? Would this catch anybody’s attention of they’re leafing through a magazine? No, so instead we’ll do something else. Scene of the crime. No blood, no footprints, this is fascinating. We have got to…what do they mean by "Scene of the crime?" This is what we do in advertising, but if you use "Scene of the crime" as a link, it’s not going to work. The things that make us good online are exactly the things that make us shit offline. The advertising people think that what makes them brilliant offline also apply online and it doesn’t work. That is the problem. Here are some things that are not See and Says. HSBC, the Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation has had the longest running and most successful advertising campaign in the history of financial advertising. This is beautiful. In the future, there will be no difference between waste in energy and they’ve got banana peels as windmills. This is lovely. Very clever. A fish with a bar code. In the future, transport networks will think for themselves. In terms of a See and Say, look at this, wonderful. Style, soldier, survivor. That’s a see and say, but they’ve given it a twist. Only by understanding what people value can we better meet their needs. This is good advertising. This is lovely, [foreign language] . "There are better car rental agency than sixth." This is on a jet-way at an airport, and so Pinocchio’s nose grows as the thing expands. Lovely, lovely way. What makes the See and Say the lowest for advertising, basically these things rely on eye-catching irrelevancies. [background noise] See, there was absolutely no point to bring a spitfire into this, but this is the kind of thing that bad advertisers do. Are you the picture of health? This is HP, you would think that a company like HP knew better, but apparently not. Their advertising sucks. I’m sorry. We’re here in San Diego, but I’m not going to pull any punches. They have some of the shittiest advertising out there. Pop quiz, Australia, ahead by leaps and bounds. What do you think is in the visual? Kanga-fucking-roos, absolutely. [laughter] This is, without question, one of the most talent-less ads ever produced. Happily, this is only for the invest in Australia company. The tourists board does stuff. They like…"Hey, we’ve shampooed the camels and we’ve laid on a great sunset, so where the hell are you?" You know, "Where the bloody hell are you?" They do good ads. This is crap. You can also force a See and Say. This is quite odd. This is like a Coke machine. A cold drink would be nice, but it would be great if I could find a product to help me develop more profitable customer relationships. [laughter] I didn’t Photoshop this crap. Don’t be a victim. This is Toshiba, you think they’d know better. They’re talking about the cost of toner, and what’s happened is this photo copier has come and snatched her purse. Words cannot describe. "This is quite a writing for global markets, bring the words of the world to your fingertips." She has a map, two desks, and she’s apparently typing on both of them at the same time. Bloody hell. Illustrations, OK. This is from the UPA Conference. The UPA sometimes does it right, usually they do it wrong. Patterns, blueprints for usability, it’s on the edge. This is a Time magazine from a couple of years ago during the first presidential election for Obama. "The race is on." This is a good headline, but if they had said, "Darling, you need a bloody Mary very, very much. Are you OK? You…OK, good." Who needs a bloody Mary by the way at this point? Everyone. All right. They’re there. They’re there. They’re there. The bar is open. You know, just get up and get them. You know, ignore me. I’m just going to waffle on until…if they had said, "The race to the White House is on" it probably would have been too close. OK, but this is acceptable. You can also use it for logos. For example, wines. If we take something like Chateau Margaux, what is on the label? A picture of the chateau. If we take Frog’s Leap, what is on the label of Frog’s Leap? Come on, we’re in California. A leaping frog. If I say, "There’s a wine called, Red Truck," what do you think is on the label? A red truck. OK, that’s fine. These are logos. Sex sells. Now, all of you women who think that advertising is sexist, I want to introduce you to Helen Resor, because she’s the fault. She married Stanley Resor, who bought an agency called, "J Walter Thompson" in 1916," and in 1917, she started selling woodbury soap, "A skin you love to touch." Some of the sexiest ads ever done at the time of the first world war. It’s Helen’s fault that we have sex in advertising, so don’t blame it on the men. H&M. My god, they sell sex like nobody’s business. Just, you know, to try and even the playing field, we also have men in their pictures. This one I rather like. [laughter] This company sells faux fur bags, and if you buy their bag they contribute part of their revenue to protection of animals and so on. The best part of this ad is if you buy that particular purse, you can get a bikini wax. [laughter] In the advertising industry, we talk about babies, boobs, and beagles. That’s what sells. "We double dog dare you," it has absolutely nothing to do with the ad itself. We just have a cute kid, and so he’s the eye-catching irrelevancy, but there are better ways to do it. This is Michelin. This is slightly better. Michelin, "Because so much is riding on your tires." The next one is absolutely bloody brilliant. "Children of parents who smoke go to heaven earlier." That’s a good ad. They got the kid in there, they’re getting the attention, and they’re selling the message. This is the American Red Cross for god sakes. [laughter] "Oh man, she wants my bodily fluids? She can have them." This is not Photoshop, these are real ads. Sex sells. The American Red Cross, they want you to donate blood. Shower gel. "What’s in your martini?" "Hey, I worked in a whore house, I know." Then of course we have the beagles. "Finding the right job can be rough." What’s the point of this dog? The Molson people, they combine sex and dogs. [laughter] "Hundreds of thousands of woman pre-programmed for your convenience." This is rather nice. [laughter] This is from the Calgary zoo. "Have you heard the one about the dyslexic man who walked into a bra?" [laughter] We have pseudo-creativity. I’ve never understood this one for Intuit, "What’s your passion?" It’s a cute picture, but it makes no sense. This one I can’t even read, and this has been hanging in the Copenhagen Airport for about a year. I have no bloody clue what this is about. We have a woman who has clearly never held a cello in her life. We have a stoplight and hidden insights with high performance analytics. I do not get it. If any of you know what this is about, send me a mail because I’m really curious, because this is a spot that costs like hundreds of thousands of dollars and I don’t get the ad. I see this twice a week when I go the airport. [Female Participant talking weakly in the background] [laughter] You probably have a point. [laughter] I think it’s such a bad ad that I’m presenting it to you lot, so that you can make fun of this and Tweet about it all day and say, "Eric had all these really shitty ads that he showed us." You’re probably right. I mean, I have been in sales pitches where I know I’ve sold crap, but I had a boss that said, "This is the campaign. This is what we’re doing." This is also why I left advertising and started my own agency. "Tell the story," that’s what Leo Burnett talked about. Find the drama. How are we doing? We’ve got 15 minutes. This, I think is a brilliant ad for the BBC. "Terrorist, hero, victim? Demand a broader view." Absolutely lovely ad. This one from the streets of New York. "Gaffer tap, gasoline, and a pussycat. Whatever you can imagine, we’ve seen worse." This is for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Same concept used by Penn & Teller, "Two words, wood-chipper." [laughs] Reinventing the yes-man. This man does not look like a yes-man. Again, a standard phrase. A fairly stocked picture and yet put together in a new way that creates drama. That’s good advertising. It’s not the See and Say. Apogee, I don’t know how many of you know they are a Hongkong based usability agency. Wonderful people. They do some of absolutely the best work in their part of the world, but advertising…"Bridging the gap between your users and your products. Your users," and a bridge, "And your products." [laughter] Are we all on the same page? This is the way good information architects do ads. [laughter] All right? The metadata is all in place. You know, it’s all working. Apparently, somebody talked to the people at Apogee and said, "Well, you know, you could actually do these a little better," so they hired an advertising agency and they came up with…I think this is one of the most brilliant ads I’ve seen in a long time because usable interfaces live forever. They are talking about Asia. We know that the abacus is still in use. I’ve seen people who can do things on an abacus faster than I can do it on a calculator. Brilliant ad. "Simple designs promote use." Lovely. At which point, apparently Apogee decided, "We don’t need no sneaking advertising agency," and so we’re "Lighting the path for your users." It’s like "Whoa, well, where did this come from?" That’s sad, because they were on the right track, but they didn’t understand what the advertising industry or the creatives were bringing to the table. The other agencies don’t always get it right either. This is an advertisement that was done by my former agency to advertise sort of a desktop firewall. The idea was that people were taking their laptops, they were going out on vacation, logging into all types of networks, coming back with viruses. When they came in behind the firewall and tapped in back at the office, all kinds of bad things were being spread. The idea of this particular software product was to keep the vira and other things concentrated within the individual laptop and not let them go out into the network. My old agency did this. It only takes one bad laptop to bring down your entire network and they’ve built this house of cards. They did AB testing. I was actually the competing agency at that point and I came up with something that was rather more low brow. "Jimmy had a fantastic vacation, but his laptop picked up a communicable disease," and that sold 10 times as much product as the first one. Sometimes, you can be too creative for your own good. Rosser Reeves, Mr. USP says, "Yeah, you want fine writing or you want your fucking sales to go up?" That’s really what it’s about. Lets talk about concept. In advertising, the concept is the big idea. It’s look and feel. This is from Land Rover. [laughs] You’ve got this mountain goat on top of the car, which I think is quite lovely. In our world, this is the kind of stuff we have, "Are you not sure what your website should look like?" This is how we’re selling concept? The advertisers think that concept is look and feel, and we know that concept, at least in terms of interactive media, is a question of function. This is a very difficult thing to communicate to the traditional advertising community, precisely because of AIDA, because of this awareness interest desire action. There’s only one proof of concept and that’s sales in advertising. This is an advertisement for a company that sells cement factories, and believe it or not, I have sold cement factories. We needed to create an ad that would get people to sign up for service agreements, so this is what we came up to. Sometimes a simple upgrade is all you need. This sold five million dollars worth of product within the first two weeks and there is not a cement factory in the picture. Let me explain how art directors think. We had a client that sold something called, "OSS." What the hell did "OSS" stand for? It had to do with all these software services…I can’t remember what it was. It was software that was designed for the telcos so that they could do roaming charges correctly, hand-offs, and all this stuff. What the hell did OSS mean? Anyway, the problem was it was a really quirky piece of software. I mean, it wasn’t something shrink wrapped. It was something that you really had to work on and customize because every telco was a little different. Deutsche Telecom was not the same as British Telecom, which wasn’t the same as Vodafone, which wasn’t the same as AT&T, and so on and so forth, so there was a lot of tweaking to be done. You couldn’t just open this operational support systems. Operational support systems, that was it. Yeah, OSS. Operational support systems, so that’s the software. The company color was blue. Now we will be the art directors here. Oh, but that’s boring, so we’ll change it to green. And they have this swoosh that we have to live with. That’s rather bright, that white. We’ll tone that down a little bit. Thank you. There’s something slightly yin and yang about this, isn’t it? We have this operational support systems software. We clearly want to appeal to the business community. [laughter] So, what would be the opposite if we’re going to go the yin and yang route? Shit, I don’t know. Oh, tattoos. We’ll do tattoos. "Off the shelf OSS solutions are great if you have off the shelf customers." That was the campaign, it sold a lot of product. That’s kind of the creative process and it’s very different from what we do in our particular arena. We could roll this out to brochures and this is the kind of website shit that…never in my career has anyone ever said, "Oh please, can’t we have more pdfs?" [laughter] This is the kind of stuff people do in mock up and it’s a shame. I want to kill a myth. I brought the light to the picture. "All advertising is good advertising." "Well, that’s what they say," and it’s not. Let me tell you a story. There was a Milwaukee brewer, Schlitz. They found out that people who could actually remember their advertising bought less beer from them. I’m not kidding. See, Schlitz used to have an ad, they had these macho men often in sailing or skiing or something like that, but they had a great tagline, "If you’re out of Schlitz, you’re out of beer." It was brilliant. In terms of beer advertising, this is a good tagline. Old Milwaukee, the beer that made Milwaukee famous, also a great tagline. Well, at one point, this was in 1972, by 1976, Schlitz was the second largest brewer in the United States after Anheuser-Busch. That’s rather impressive. Well, somebody got tired of this and so in 1982, "Behind every Schlitz is a man who knows his beer." You know what their advertising looked like in 1984? This. They were out of business. Bad advertising hurts. In summary, I want to introduce you to Bernice Fitz-Gibbon. She worked primarily in the retail industry. She worked for Gimbells, Macy’s, Wanamakers, a lot of big department stores. She wrote a book in 1967, which is really very interesting if you’re into this kind of thing. I’m going to get back to Bernice in a minute, but I want to talk about titles. Back in 1995, we had webmasters. I mean, these were basically long gray pages. There wasn’t a lot on there, but by 1998, we had a webmaster, we had a visual designer, we had a copywriter. Does this look familiar? Good. 2000, we had a developer, web designer, information architect, and a copywriter, maybe. Where are we today in 2014? [background conversations] I’m the token baby boomer. I will wait while you take your picture. Do you need my Twitter handle? Yes, it’s ELReiss. It’s advertising, guys. I think this is a problem because all these people expect to be creative and they’re not. There’s a too many cooks syndrome going on, and I don’t think that with these great teams where everyone is expected to love each other and go on group hugs and whatever that we’re actually producing better product. This is where I get back to Bernice Fitz-Gibbon. She says, "Creativity varies inversely with the number of cooks involved in the broth." I think that we really need to step back and be very very careful about where we’re going because I see a lot of our disciplines being split up into little bitty pieces. Let me tell you, I think a cracker is worth more than a handful of crumbs. We have to be very careful about what we’re doing. David Oglivy said something that I think is wonderful, "In all the parks in all the cities you won’t find statues of committees." Thank you for listening. [applause] We have 30 seconds to take questions. No question? OK, lets go and drink some more. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you. [applause] http://library.iasummit.org/podcasts/why-the-mad-men-are-mad-at-us/ Tagged with ia summit 2014 eric reiss advertising mad men user experience From Paths to Sandboxes | IA Summit Library Designers are trained to guide users toward predetermined outcomes, but is there a better use of this persuasive psychology? What happens if we focus less on influencing desired behaviors and focus more on designing ‘sandboxes’: open-ended, generative systems? And how might we go about designing these spaces? It’s still “psychology applied to design”, but in a much more challenging and rewarding way! In this talk, I’ll share the journey I’ve been on, from trying to shape and influence a user’s path, to creating these sandbox environments. You’ll learn why systems such as Twitter, Pinterest, and Minecraft are so maddeningly addictive, and what principles we can use to create similar experiences. We’ll look at education and the work of Maria Montessori, who wrote extensively about how to create learning environments that encourage exploration and discovery. And we’ll look at game design, considering all the varieties of games, especially those carefully designed to encourage play — a marked contrast with progression games designed to move you through a series of ever-increasing challenges, each converging upon the same solution. Finally, we’ll look at web applications, and I’ll share how this thinking might influence your work, from how you respond to new feature requests to how you design for behavior change in a more mature way. From Paths to Sandboxes [ 43:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download http://www.slideshare.net/stephenpa/from-paths-to-sandboxes Stephen Anderson: Thank you all for making it out this morning. Quick question, how many of you were of the karaoke tribe last night? Raise your hand. How many of you were of the game night tribe? Raise your hand. Good. I’m more of the game night tribe, sorry. A little background on what I’m going to be talking about. For the past several years, I’ve been very interested in psychology and design. Specifically, how can we use psychology to design more fun, engaging, and effective interactions and this led to a book that I published with new writers a few yeas ago called "Seductive Interaction Design." It also led to a toolkit I created called "The Mental Notes Card Deck." Again, this theme of psychology and how can we apply it to our work to the designs we do. The talk I’m going to give today is really where that thinking has led me, where I’m at this. I’m thrilled, because this is for the first time in my career I feel like I really have a strong viewpoint or a strong perspective on a lot of the daily work I’m doing… With that, let me start. Last fall, I was flying into Waterloo, Canada for a conference there. As I flew in, I looked out the window. Actually, I took a photo looking out the window, and my first thought was, "Wow. Look at the vibrant colors here. This is just incredible. What a lovely place I’m about to visit." My second thought was, "Wow. This looks like Settlers of Catan." Stephen: I’m a little obsessed with games, particularly board games lately. If you’ll indulge for a few minutes, I’d like to share three games that I’ve been playing a lot of lately, probably, more than a healthy individual should. This first game I’m embarrassed to admit to that I’ve been playing, but you may have heard of it. It’s a game called "Candy Crush." Stephen: How many of you have played Candy Crush? Those of you who have not played Candy Crush, do not start. Stephen: It’s like they perfected the Skinner box and slot machine Las Vegas mechanics, and you will get addicted. I won’t tell you what level I got up to before I quit cold turkey, but I can say, I’m 47 days without Candy Crush. Stephen: Can we have a round of applause, please? [applause and cheering] Stephen: For those of you who don’t know Candy Crush, it’s almost like "Bejeweled" on steroids with lots of leveling up and novelties thrown in and things like that. The other game which I’m not going to go into very much for this talk or at all is a board game called "Seven Wonders." Basically, you play this game in 18 rounds, and you try to create the most advanced civilization by the end of 18 rounds. All I’m going to say is I love this game, fantastic game. If you are a product owner, product manager, product strategist, anyone making leadership decisions for a company, this is required playing. It’ll be better than any book you can buy on the subject. All right? Finally, the other game I’ve played a lot of, especially with my boys, is Minecraft. Another show of hands — how many of you have played Minecraft, or know about it? OK — homework assignment. You all have to go out and play Minecraft. I don’t care if it’s iPad, PC, whatever — incredible game. Minecraft’s a little bit hard to describe to folks. In fact, a lot of people look at it and they scratch their heads, like, "What’s the point of the game?" It’s almost like you’ve been thrown into a virtual box of Lego bricks, and you can build and make stuff. There’s none of the usual trappings that you get with a game. There’s no leveling up or badges or points or assignments. You’re in this world where you can create and play and discover. There’s a little bit of tension thrown in where you start off during the day building stuff, but then, night comes and that’s when things like zombies start approaching. If you didn’t do stuff in the afternoon to protect yourself or bury yourself in a hole, then, you might be in a little bit of trouble. But you can play it in survival mode like that or you can play it in creative mode. And people create some of the most amazing things. Again, this is with little pixel squares inside this game. Here’s the "Up" house as an example. I’m going to hold these three games up as exemplars of different types of games that we can learn from — we can learn patterns from. This is not a talk about games, but this is a good reference point or exemplar for what I am going to talk about. I’m going to remove Seven Wonders for the purpose of this talk, but if you want to ask me about that later on, I would love to talk about that. Candy Crush I’m going to hold up as an example of a path, and Minecraft I’m going to hold up as an example of a sandbox. That’s what I’d like to talk about for the first half of this talk, is a path and a sandbox, and what are the differences between those two things? Paths — the word very explicitly comes from some of the research about how to motivate people and how to design for behavior change. There’s this idea that we have to direct the writer. That’s our conscious thought. But the writers…it’s like riding an elephant. The elephant’s going to do what the elephant wants to do, which is our automatic system, it tries its best to direct it. Then there’s this idea of shaping the path that people go down. This idea has shown up in a lot of books on persuasive design, on psychology, on behavior change, on how to hook people, all these types of things. How do we create the path that influences the behavior we would like to see? Here’s another model I came across recently that I’ve actually enjoyed. It’s not a path, but it’s the persuasion slide. I actually think it’s really good way to approach this kind of work — to talk about, what’s the nudge to get people started down the slide? Have you removed all the friction, all the gravel in the slide? What’s the slope of the slide, the conscious and unconscious motivators? And what’s the gravity — the customer’s initial motivation? Lots of examples of paths in the persuasive design world. Candy Crush is obviously a literal path where you level up and go do more and ever-increasing challenges. In fact, paths are common to probably most video games that we’ve grown up playing for the last several decades. If you look at all of these games from Pac-Man to Portal to Myst, there’s a leveling up involved with most of these — ever-increasing challenges. We see this in the real world, as well, with things like scouting programs, where you earn badges and you increase in rank. Paths are very common in well-designed experiences, like checking into a hotel. They want to describe the customer experience and the path you go through. Schools work on designing paths that funnel kids through from K through 12 and exit them with the program. You level up in businesses. There’s all sorts of paths in the regular workforce in everyday environments. Paths are designed to lead people along for better or for worse. I want to share a few examples here. This first one’s rather neutral. This is the path-tracker experiment that was done I think seven, eight years ago. Basically, they just put RFID tags in a grocery store and they monitored the paths that the carts went down. The RFID tags were in the carts. They were able to get a map of all the places that shoppers went frequently, infrequently. Then, they could make decisions or make changes based on that data. Fairly neutral. It’s just good information to act on, good data. If you look at Las Vegas, that is a really, really well-designed path. They’ve attended to every detail for one purpose — to separate you from your money. You walk in and even the doors to get in are huge, but the doors to get out are often very narrow and you often have to get in a line to get out. Every experience in a Las Vegas casino has been designed for one specific purpose. But let’s flip to Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World — I went there with my family last September. It’s also a bunch of really well-designed paths. They’ve attended to absolutely every detail. Like Las Vegas, there’s a transaction. I’m paying money for hopefully a good/great family experience, and they want to design every detail they can to ensure that I have a great experience. That’s what I mean that paths aren’t necessarily good or bad. It’s just attention to detail in controlling or directing the outcomes or the experience that people have. Paths are obviously prevalent in our work, as well. We have things like customer journey maps, service blueprint scenarios. We have all these paths where we map out the experience that people are going to have. Amy Jo Kim talks about the player journey, from newbie to regular to enthusiast. Dan Lockton talks about influencing behavior in "Design with Intent," and he has three paths he talks about. Even in my own workshops on Seductive Interaction Design, I talk about ways to nudge people towards completion, ways to assist people in developing new skills, and ways to assist in establishing or putting an end to new habits. These would all fit under this description or definition of paths. Paths aren’t necessarily bad, but I did want to pull out two quotes, two sentiments. This is a reaction and a backlash to some of this persuasive design that I’ve seen coming out over the last year. The first is Quora, which is a site I actually like quite a bit. They’ve got a really designed system for asking and getting questions answered. They send out a customer survey just to say, "How do you like Quora?" This is the email response that one person posted publicly. I wanted to read a couple of his responses so you can get an idea of the sentiment against paths. He says, first, "I hate how gamified the system is. I hate how it’s obvious that the people running it do not have any compunctions about manipulating human psychology to eke out engagement and growth. I think Quora epitomizes what’s wrong with Silicon Valley start-ups — A/B testing everything to the point that you lose your humanity." Then he goes on to say, "Where would I like to see improvement? I’d like you to start treating your users with an ounce of respect. I’d like you to start treating me like a human being, not an f’ing statistic." This is from Kathy Sierra. She talks frequently on these same issues and she talks about engagement. She says, "If we really cared about our users, we would not use any behavioral tricks, nudges, to suck them into spending more time on our site." "If we really cared about our users, we would try to help them spend less time engaging with our site. If we really cared about our users, we’d take all the persuasive manipulative tricks — intermittent variable rewards, et cetera — and do the opposite." She actually points to some companies whose goal is to get people to spend less time onsite. That’s their internal metric. Just to give you some general comments about paths, and this’ll make a lot more sense when I contrast them with sandboxes. Paths obviously shape behavior. They’re games to be played, and people often, when they’re put in a path, will play or hack the game. Paths lead people along. They have predictable outcomes, so people have designed the path and they know where it’s going to lead people, and they plan for the scenarios. They’re measurable. They design every detail. They’re consumptive, meaning people are consuming something along the way. They create dependency, often, on directions or the boundaries of the path. They have a clearly defined purpose. They lead to completion, ultimately. They’re best for instruction, and ultimately, they end in an exchange of some sort. I’ll comment a little bit more on this when I put up the contrasts for sandboxes. Is there something more? Well, obviously, I think there is, or else I wouldn’t be up here. Let’s talk about sandboxes for a moment here. Before I talk about sandboxes, I’d like to run you through the question I asked myself about a year ago. This talk started a little over a year ago, when I was doing a workshop about psychology and persuasive nudges, and these things. Just at random, I said, "Let me pick three sites that are maddeningly addictive, three experiences that people just spend tons of time on." The three I picked are random. There are others to choose from, but I picked Pinterest, picked Minecraft, and I picked Twitter. I said, "Let me deconstruct what mechanisms, what things they’re using to make these sites, these experiences, so maddeningly addictive." Before I tell you what I found, I’m going to give you a chance to answer this question yourself. Pick one of these online experiences. Hopefully, you’ve had experience with one of these three services. Pick one. I want you to list why you think people find them addictive. List as many reasons as you can. You will have 90 seconds. On your mark, get set, go. Stephen: Time is up. If we were in the workshop, what would happen next is we would share and talk about those things you just wrote down. This is what I did a year ago, but personally, in the process of identifying these things — and I came up with a bunch of things, like site completion, sequencing, status, self-expression. Maybe you didn’t know the word for it, but you wrote down something that approximates some of these principles. In the process of deconstructing and listing these things out, there was something deeper and more fundamental about those three examples I picked that I just couldn’t let go of, that I was chewing on. I started looking at, what do all these experiences have in common? There’s something below the leaves. There’s a substrate there beneath all these superficial things, if you will, on the top. There were two observations I made, two pretty fundamental observations about these three examples I had picked. One, these are platforms. You make of them what you want. There is no prescribed way to use the system. Number one, these are platforms. Because they’re platforms, they create what I call the WTF problem. It’s not what you think. This is the "what’s this for?" problem. If anyone was on Twitter in the early days, you may have scratched your head and said, "What’s this for? Why do I use it? How do I use it?" That was a big or has been a big problem with Twitter, that initial engagement. I experienced the same thing with Pinterest the first time I used Pinterest. I added a few pins and boards, but then really, moved on to other stuff, and didn’t come back to it until about a-year-and-a-half later, when my wife was using Pinterest to pin some ideas for how we could remodel our bedroom. I said, "Wow, I could use that to pin ideas for how to decorate my office, or I could use this as a visual bookmarking system for a lot of the Internet of Things and embedded technology stuff I’m following," but it wasn’t until I saw someone else doing it that I had this idea about how to use it. Same thing with Minecraft. A lot of people land in it and they’re like, "What’s the point? What’s the challenge? What’s the game?" Then they watch others and they say, "Oh, that sounds like fun. I’m going to try that," or "Oh, let’s play in this." That leads to the second observation. These are social spaces — or social places, as Andrea Resmini would correct me. People learn from each other how to use the system. Many of the psychological nudges that follow stem from observing others. I mentioned a few of these. Minecraft uses this idea of positive mimicry. Actually, all of these, the idea here is positive mimicry. We learn what we should do in a system by watching others and their behaviors. I watch my boys, particularly my oldest boys, build and construct these amazing things in Minecraft. I’m like, "How did you do that?" Then I ask them and they show me. They’re learning on their own. They’re also going outside of Minecraft to YouTube and watching YouTube videos, watching other players play Minecraft, to learn what they can do. The hash tag in Twitter was largely an emergent element. People started using it, it shows up, and other people use it, it catches on. It wasn’t prescribed or built into the system. It was an emergent property. Again, I mentioned with Pinterest, I saw my wife pinning it, and that’s what brought me back to this tool I had signed up for earlier. Sandbox. I’m using this phrase. This actually comes from the game world, and the definition of a sandbox game is this. It’s a style of game in which minimal character limitations are placed on the gamer, allowing the gamer to roam and change a virtual world at will. In contrast to a progression-style game, a path, a sandbox game emphasizes roaming and allows a gamer to select tasks. Here’s what I like. Sandboxes create open spaces for self-directed play and creativity. This is something I love — when you create a space for play and creativity and you can be surprised and delighted by what people do. People can do things you never imagined possible. We’re seeing this. Here’s another example online. We’re seeing this with GitHub. GitHub is kind of a sandbox. We’re seeing a lot of writers say, "Wow, we could use GitHub," which started off as a tool for devs, to check in and out code, and they’re saying, "Why don’t we use GitHub for writers to check in and out versions or drafts of our writing?" You see sandboxes with things like LEGOs. When kids have this bin of LEGO bricks, they can build anything. It’s a sandbox environment within which to play. You have these amazing things that there weren’t instructions for, people just came up with them. These are all built out of LEGOs. Yes, I have a Pinterest board of all these Lego creations that I find fascinating. As a parent, I started thinking about this paths versus sandboxes thing, and I’m going to make an assumption here. At some point, if you’re a parent, you probably created these bins or these boxes to help organize your children’s toys. Here, you have dolls, and what is that? [inaudible 0:18:25] and music stuff. Right, some sort of bin to organize in structure, and I’m willing to bet particularly at an IA conference a lot more of us have done, OK. [laughter] We’ve done this because it’s the only way to keep sanity in the house when you have young children. I was watching Toy Story for the umfteenth time, I was like "Wow, I love how Andy just plays with all the toys and mixes them and just makes up these creative worlds, and does this really imaginative play. I wish my boys did that." Then I said, "Well, wait a second. I’m forcing them to pull one out, play with it, and put it back before they get another one out," right? I’m trying to teach them some structure and discipline, and in doing so I wasn’t encouraging them to do that kind of open collaborative play and to mix everything and mash all the toys together. Paths and sandbox show up in these subtle areas of parenting. Continuing on this theme, and again, because this is the IA summit, you can’t have a talk without referencing Christopher Alexander of pattern language. One of the patterns he talks about is the adventure playground and he describes it like this, he says, "A castle made of carton, rocks, old branches by a group of children for themselves is worth a 1,000 perfectly detailed exactly finished castles made for them in a factory." His recommended solution, he says, "Set up a playground for the children in each neighborhood, not a highly finished playground with asphalt and swings, but a place with raw materials of all kinds, nets, boxes, barrels, trees, rope, simple tools, frames, grass, and water where children can create and recreate playgrounds of their own." This is the perfect example of a sandbox. Now, this sounds all great, and I want you to look closely at the picture. Some of you may have already seen this. Here’s a young kid in the single digits and he’s got a saw. [laughter] There’s no supervision there. There’s a part of me that’s terrified by that, right? I’m sure many of us as parents are kind of like "This sounds good, but that’s scary," right? "It’s really scary." I read this quote and I think this is actually scarier. I agree with this next quote. "I’m convinced that standardized playgrounds are dangerous, just in another way. When the distance between all the wrongs in a climbing net or ladder is exactly the same, the child has no need to concentrate on where he puts his feet. Standardization is dangerous, because play becomes simplified." It’s like "Ah, that’s a new way to reframe and look at this." In contrast to paths, let me run through some of the characteristics of sandboxes. Where paths shape behavior, sandboxes create engagement. Where paths are games to be played, sandboxes are spaces in which two play. Very different. Subtle, but very different. Paths lead people along, sandboxes let people explore. "Paths have predictable outcomes, sandboxes have unknown outcomes. Again, not necessarily recommending one or the other. You know, you’re going to have to think about what’s perfect or what’s right for your situation. Paths are measurable, sandboxes are observable. Paths design every detail, where sandboxes underspecify the design. Paths are consumptive, sandboxes are generative. People create things in sandboxes. Paths create dependency on directions. Paths encourage autonomy, ownership, independence. People find their own ways to do things. Paths clearly find purpose. In sandboxes, the purpose is self-determined. Paths lead to completion, sandboxes lead to understanding. Paths are best for instruction, sandboxes are best for performance. Finally, I would say, whereas paths end in an exchange, sandboxes end in learning and discovering. That leads me to the next section I want to talk about. This was another lens and another catalyst on this change in my thinking. I work a lot in the ed tech space and I’ve been a huge fan of the Maria Montessori method of education for many years. I went through a Montessori program through sixth grade, but it wasn’t until the last five or six years I really started to appreciate what my parents did for me, putting me in a Montessori program. I want to read to a you a couple of quotes from the Montessori method that Maria Montessori wrote well over a 100 years ago. I was finally getting around to reading this and trying to understand the Montessori method and what it means, and I came across these quotes, these two that I’m going to share with you. This really just nudged my thinking along. By the way, this quote right here sums up my views on gamification, if you are wondering about that. "The jockey offers a piece of sugar to his horse before jumping into the saddle. The coachman beats his horse that he may respond to the signs given by the reins, and yet, neither of these runs so superbly as the free horse of the plains." Now, some people would say, "If you just let horses run free on the plains, they won’t ever actually do anything," and Maria Montessori doesn’t say that. She goes on to say, "We have prepared the environment and the material." She’s very specific. This is a design project. She designs the classroom and she designs the materials where the objects are placed in the environment to encourage kids to want to learn, to discover, to teach, and learn on their own terms. It’s very much a designed environment. It’s not just backing off and saying, "Go play. Do everything on your own." She has designed the environment. Montessori, if you’re wondering what some of the key characteristics are, lots of use of manipulatives. I remember the counting beads. I remember learning letters by tracing sandpaper. I remember cutting the cheese slices, cutting them in half and then half again. I had no idea that I was learning fractions. That’s what they were teaching me. There’s mixed age classrooms, there was a K-3 class and then a 4-6 class. They have these specialized education materials. This is heavy emphasis on manipulatives. Student choice, students can choose the activity from within a prescribed range of options. There’s objects placed in the environment that students can choose of their own, volition. There’s uninterrupted blocks of work time, and this is in stark contrast to most public schools, where you have the bell rings and you close up your work and you go onto the next class. In the Montessori method, if they see a kid who’s engaged in learning, creating, and crafting stuff, they let that kid do that. They’ll let them do that for hours, days, weeks on end to pursue a project and pursue an interest, because there’s something more important than the content of the learning. They’re teaching people how to be curious life long learners. Also, they have a constructivist or discovery model where students learn concepts from working with materials rather than by direct instructions, hands-on maker based learning. I think this has shaped kind of something I strongly believe in my philosophy on everything I do, playing is learning. Now, you can even say the opposite, learning is playing. If you approach the world like this like the world is a game. It’s a play space, it’s fun. You get thrown something that you don’t enjoy and you reframe it and say, "There’s something enjoyable here. What am I going to learn? How am I going to be challenged?" You look at some noted entrepreneurs and people who we’ve probably heard of, this is Will Wright, who created SimCity and Spore. He went to Montessori. He says, "Montessori taught me the joy of discovery. It’s all about learning on your terms rather than a teacher explaining stuff to you. SimCity comes right out of Montessori. Founders of Google, Larry Paige and Sergey. "Friend, we both went to Montessori School and I think it was part of that training of not following rules and orders, and being self-motivated, questioning what’s going on in the word, doing things a little bit differently. Sandbox education teaches you to play at life." I love this model. I think this sums up this whole point very accurately. I’ll just let you look at this. This is a sandbox mentality, someone who writes their own rules to the game and says, "I’m going to play life on my own terms." Right, and you see this coming up in a lot of books published in the past year or two, especially those related to education, talk about creating innovators. They talk about "I tell them I built this," design, make, play, invent to learn, so this making as a way of learning and making, playing, and learning is a theme that’s growing within a lot of education circles. This goes back to some fundamental psychology. Edward Deci says, "Human beings have an inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges to extend and exercise their capacities, to explore, and to learn." If I was to some up paths and sandboxes in the context of education, I would say, paths equate to formal institutional learning, what many of us have gone through or went through in public schools. Sandboxes equate to informal, non-institutional learning. If you want to go back to the Greeks, you could say, "Paths view students as vessels to be filled. Sandboxes view students as fires to be kindled." Paths specify performance goals, we expect you to get an A in French. Sandboxes lead to learning challenges. Learning to speak French is the challenge, not the A. Now, if you’re following along, particularly this, you’re probably starting to think, "Wait a second, is it that black and white? Are they that dispirit?" No, this is a false dichotomy. You need a mix of both at various times, but I think too often I see things that are designed as paths and not as sandboxes or with no sandbox elements. When I say, "Combined," here’s an example. What about a giant sandbox with just in time learning? Really short paths, I’m in the sandbox playing, but I need to learn how to do this skill to continue making or creating. That’s just in time learning, very short paths. In my research on this, I actually came across several articles that did just this. There was one research study designed to teach girls in junior high how to program Java. Now, of all languages to start with I don’t know why they pick Java. They’ve got a pretty big hurdle, but what they did, they created an environment, a sandbox environment where kids were actually thrilled and excited to learn this programming language. They set it up in a way where you have this fantasy world and this challenge…I’ll just read it here. "Normally, learning in code spells is encouraged by ways of a series of quests that must be completed with the use of Java based spell crafting. In our version, the players could walk up to in game gnome like characters who would give various spells to the player, along with simple explanations. Our hope was that these spells would serve as starting points for code exploration." This is the giant sandbox with just in time learning paths. You could also look at Lego bricks, which I mentioned earlier as a sandbox. Actually, when you first buy that set and it has the instructions, those instructions are a path, and as you build that thing that you bought in the picture on the cover it’s teaching you the skills you need to then go and create whatever you want. The path is scaffolding to get you to a place where you can play in the sandbox and you can do whatever you want. Philosophically, you’re probably with me and you’re like "OK, this is good, this is really interesting." You may be thinking about your work. You might be asking, "OK, but how is this useful? I’ve got to go back to work tomorrow or Tuesday. Are there some practical tips that I can take from this?" I did say this has reframed and changed my work, and everything I do. I have a perspective on the work I do that literally translates into features and discussions, and I’d like to share a bit of that, some of the lessons. This is all emergent. I’m learning along the way, but these are seven or eight things that I’ve applied coming out of this mentality. The first credit to Carzell Frank for this, I’ve learned to underspecify features. This is going to be a hard one for a lot of us who work in lean and agile environments to swallow. Before I explain why, I want to show an example. The starring functionality of Twitter, when it came out there was no prescribed use case or use story. It was just you could star stuff, and because you could do anything with a star, it wasn’t prescribed what it was, people have used in easily fix, six, maybe eight different ways. I use starring as a form of bookmarking. Other people use starring as a form of liking, to say, "I like that," right? You might use starring as a way to sync up with a program like IF to do some scripting and collect stuff. There’s different ways you can use the starring functionality. Imagine if we were writing the use case for this before starring was added. As a user, I want to flag interesting tweets for reviewing later. As a user, I want to give kudos to people for sharing something interesting. As a user, I want to save positive tweets for later use as testimonials in my company. If you had specified use case, as one of these things, you probably would design it a bit differently, where it was very specific for that. By under specifying that, people have been able to use this feature in whatever way they want. The product I’m working on right now, we had a date picker. We’re going to put a date picker in that for time, another reasons we say, "Let’s not worry about the date picker. Let’s just put an empty string in and suggest that you put a date in like specified time." We did that and right away within the day, we saw people typing on things like instead of a date, they make this goal on hold. Make this one active. We saw them using that empty string on ways we never anticipated. Now, as a company, as a design group, we saw different things we never anticipated by under specifying the feature. Avoid long workflows. Paths to find but one thing I’ve learned is to use short paths, not really long paths. Confession time, I worked on a project a few years ago where I felt so good about this stuff. All the psychology, this is think surely after my book is published. I was working on this app where I was in meetings and making promises and all those stuff. I was so proud because we mapped out every possible action the user would take. The idea was must provide the scaffolding to help them do the right things. This is just one moment or one state from the entire apps. If I zoom out, this is the entire blueprint. We had everything mapped out. I felt like a tutor in adventure novel like you knew exactly what users would do. When I project, what happened? People didn’t mapped everything we had set out. We didn’t anticipate everything. People were frustrated like people called this. "Why are you constraining me like this?" We forgot the very fundamental principle which is keep users in control. Practical take the ways, build and consume your own APIs. How we’re building things now? Instead of one model of stock, we’re building things in a service oriented way. There’s ways to create stand boxes of different levels. The interface, allowing people to choose what features they tag off run. At the API level, allowing people to build on top of their API, extend what they’re doing. Maybe in the case of Minecraft, there are a lot of people that add modes to what you’re doing. You could just open the source code base and see what people do with it. See what other versions of your system people build. There’s all different ways to open up from a technical perspective and the feature perspective your system and make it more of a sand box. Back up, let people make mistakes and learn through trial and error. Another project I worked on, we work closely with several charter schools. We design something that map closely to their workflow. That should have been a signal there that word workflow. What we had to do two years later, as we scale across the State and worked with more schools, as we have to come back and say, "You know what, that workflow that we built our system are based our system on. It’s restrictive and doesn’t scale to these other schools." When we made a major overhaul last summer, these are some of the themes. I’ve highlighted some of the diverse sandbox related. Last click, shared views, simple scheduling, open and flexible, only one done button, for we have done multiple buttons for each stage or each gate. Sequence is suggested and never required. We were opening up and making this more of the sandbox so it’s scale across the US to different schools who have different systems and different workflows. Personal favorite, this influences a lot of decisions and making direct manipulation is best. AKA, no more wizards. This is why I don’t blog very often. Right here, this is the other that I have to use on a current system. There is so much friction to this and frustration that I only blog two or three times a year. You probably are all gone through this. Retype it up and you hit that preview. You go to the preview version. You see a typo and you go back and you make it. You go back, you go back and forth between these two modes like the writing mode and the preview mode. Let me show you one of my favorite writing editors. This is medium. Medium, you are directly manipulating the object. The text fields were there. As you write, you’re actually seeing exactly how it will look. It’s a hard to do. Like, there’s some batches when you get to build things in this way. There are companies who are really doing this successfully. Mediums one, square space as another to look at. You are building what the world will see. You’re seeing it directly. There’s not that gap. That will probably take away. Help people understand through playful interactions. This was a big theme of the workshop that Carl Fast gave on Wednesday. It’s going to be a big thing on the next book I am working on with version file media. It’s about how we learn or how we understand and make sense of the world interactions. It’s the big part of that. Here’s an example of a [inaudible 0:35:22] . This is what Victor talks about. He says that most editors are like playing the piano. When you hit that note, you can’t actually hear the note until two minutes later. Like, imagine on trying to learn piano, everything was delayed like two minutes. What he’s talking about here is real time feedback loop on code. In the moment, even with slight years, you can play and see the cause and effect relationship between the code and the outlet. You have certain up these moments like that one where things go crazy that you never expected. Imagine if you were changing that number by number and hitting save and refreshing and looking. In a minute, you might have gone through three or four iterations. You just saw hundreds in that same amount of time just by having a slide on these numbers. You could see the effect of what you’re doing. Highly recommend this by the way. This video from Brat Victor. These well against slide blinks at the bottom will be there as well. Another example, again I started work with a lot of EdTech companies that work in a lot of schools. I see a lot of online learning programs. This one, ST Math’s, stands head and shoulders above all of the ones I’ve seen. Just a little background before I’ll play your clip of the founder of this EdTech. The founder actually struggled with Math as a child because he had dyslexia. He realized later on in life that words and language are so intertwined with Math concepts that it’s actually getting in the way with him just being a good Math student. He wanted to create a Math program that does not rely on words. He went on to get his cognate in neuroscience and he found in this company. They created this program that’s absolutely amazing. Just play a clip here and let him come on this system. Video Character: Here’s some exponents and some captions. We’re basically able to buy all Math down to how do you help a little penguin across the street? Stephen: Later on the presentation, he said this quote which I agree with a 100 percent. It’s everything that I’m writing that I’m interested about it right now. He says, "The approach to teaching without words that I’m proposing makes heavy use of interactivity and instant informative feedback." How do those examples on that I’m going to read it again. I did want to come and sum up with a couple of key points. The big take away, I’m going to quote Cathy Sierra again. These are her words, "Will this help users take us? Will this help our users?" There’s another observation, another practical take away if you’re looking for a framework or something to put this together, because I was just six or seven random ideas. Remember the monastery quote where I said, we have prepared the environment and the materials. If you start looking at a lot of game, design books, and I’m talking books from the game world. You’ll find this theme. There’s the environment, there are objects in the environment and there are rules. The language may be different, but these are the patterns you start to see. This is from a presentation Dave Gray gave. He was talking about the game world. He says there are rules. There are boundaries. There are artifacts. There are players in the goal. Like, its different words, but the same fundamental concept. What I love about this is he wasn’t necessarily talking about games. He was talking about how to approach every day work with the game mind set. He said this. "The idea for knowledge games acme from watching people of the cutting edges of new disciplines. People who are entrepreneurs, people who are creators, designers and innovators, watching them work, watching them play." I love this part. "Sometimes, having difficulty telling the difference." It’s beautiful. I love that. That means it’s final closing thought I will make. That’s the idea of playing it life. I’ve talked about past. I’ve talked about sandboxes. I illustrated more on education and talked about some practical ways. I want to step back and talk about how this guy is reframing how I approach life or how I do things. How do you approach life? Do you approach life like a path to follow or like a sandboxes on which to play? I want to come back to this diagram. The person who did this clearly approaches life like a game to play on their own rules, on their own terms. I was watching a video, a documentary and that’s a group behind the special effects from movies like, "The Lord of the Rings". They talk about their early days from a few people and building and growing. One of the quotes that stuck with me was this. "What we learn from that project then allowed us to, and then, I talked like going on to the next project." Every project was a series of learning things. You see this in companies that way. You see this in companies like Pixar, where they’re exploring the boundaries of the technology they’re playing and seeing what they can do next. There’s a great story. There’s a great craft there. Also, exploring technology things. What can we do now that we haven’t done before? What seem to be created that we could not have done it a year ago? What do we know now that we didn’t know before? Does this enable us to do something new and different? It’s just constant learning, playing as learning. John Piaget, one of my favorite people. "Play is answered how anything new comes about." To it, personal examples of my life. Going back over a decade ago, when I was doing primarily graphic design and marketing type things, one of the clients that we got was a company that does this. They make these things. These are called durable products labels. The bar codes on the back of your VCR are you TiVo whatever. That’s what they make. Now, many graphic designers and many people working in marketing would be like, "Oh, gosh. Seriously like this is the best we have. I’d much rather work on a Pepsi campaign or something like that." In retrospect, this is probably one of the most exciting projects that going in the best plans I ever worked for. We looked at that. We started doing user research. One of the things that came up, other user research was, that was a small and significant thing. You know what, if we forget about it, it’s going to delay everything. We’re not going to be able to ship our product on time. That little gem, that little thing like this whole campaign where we will do things like this is the postcard for example. I would say it’s just the label. We played up this idea. It’s just the label. You’ll know this there’s actually labels to occur in. Curiosity was used to get the person appeal it off. If you peel it off, you are in reflect peeling off the wings that says in without it. Your product won’t much. This whole idea, we took across media and across many things. It was a fun project to work on. Who would ever thought that? The company that makes durable bar codes, durable labels. With my book proposal, I was handed the normal word template to answer these 20 questions, those types of things. I just felt confined by that. I didn’t feel like I could tell the story of the book I want to write in that format. I knew publishers are looking for people to answer these specific questions. I had to answer that. Those are rules that I couldn’t fudge around. The presentation, I didn’t have to fill in the word document and fill an online form. The proposal I came back with was actually a two-dozen slide presentation. This is viewed on all the slides. This is my book proposal. This is my book pitch. I can say Louise are excited. He actually made the comment. He said, "Wow, in this enthusiasm and this energy that you put into proposal. We’re going to see it translating the book. That’s the book right itself." He was very enthusiastic and brace less, love this. Again, I was playing in some ways on my own terms. I knew what he needed but I want to do things on my way, as well. Put my own signature on it. Good Tom Robins quote to start wrapping things up. "Humanity has advanced. When it has advanced, not so it has been responsible and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, an immature." The question I’d like to end with, two questions, are you designing paths for sandboxes in your every day work? For you, personally, are you following a path where you are playing in the sandbox? Thank you very much. http://library.iasummit.org/podcasts/from-paths-to-sandboxes/ Tagged with ia summit 2014 stephen p anderson journey mapping psychology user experience John U. Bacon: Old MacDonald Went To College : NPR A sportswriter and a former Michigan Wolverines football player imagine the college days of a nursery rhyme farmer in this quiz about animal mascots and the noises they make. http://www.npr.org/2014/07/31/336570477/john-u-bacon-old-macdonald-went-to-college?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=askmeanother&utm_term=artsculture&utm_content=20140731 Tagged with college days nursery rhyme farmer animal mascots Ducks and Decorated Sheds A talk I got to give at UX Thursday in Detroit Blog post with slides: understandinggroup.com/2014/06/ducks…-ux-thursday/ Photo (c) Alaina Kraus twitter.com/AlainaRachelle/stat…06322962432/photo/1 https://soundcloud.com/dan-klyn/ducks-and-decorated-sheds Reframing the Problem of Information Architecture PETER MORVILLE We are sure glad that Peter happened upon […] The post Reframing the Problem of Information Architecture appeared first on UX-radio. http://ux-radio.com/?p=543 IA Summit 10 – Richard Saul Wurman Keynote « Boxes and Arrows With the majority of the earth’s population now living in cities, Richard Saul Wurman realized there was a yawning information gap about the urban super centers that are increasingly driving modern culture. In this keynote presentation from the 2010 IA Summit, Mr. Wurman discusses his 19.20.21 initiative: an attempt to standardize a methodology to understand comparative data on 19 cities that will have 20 million or more inhabitants in the 21st century. He encourages the design community to take initiative and solve big problems rather than make small changes incrementally. Tagged with laughter things people something richard saul wurman Neil DeGrasse Tyson Explains Why The Cosmos Shouldn’t Make You Feel Small : NPR The astrophysicist says that participating in a "great unfolding of a cosmic story" should make us feel large, not small. This spring, Tyson hosts a TV series called Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey. http://www.npr.org/2014/02/27/283443670/neil-degrasse-tyson-explains-why-the-cosmos-shouldnt-make-you-feel-small Tagged with tyson hosts tv series space-time odyssey Episode 003: Valiantly Defending Jobs | Exponent This episode is all about the (alleged) Apple Beats acquisition. While it may make a certain amount of business sense, does it signify a small but significant change in Apple’s priorities, and is it a cause for concern? Topics covered include: The rationale for the acquisition The difference between making and recognizing market opportunities What makes Apple uniquely capable of building revolutionary products Apple’s previous responses when threatened in music How to think about mergers and acquisitions How to best motivate employees Why Apple is Buying Beats – Ben Thompson The New M&A Playbook – Clayton Christensen One More Time: How Do You Motivate Employees? – Frederick Herzberg | Download http://exponent.fm/episode-003-valiantly-defending-jobs/ Tagged with apple beats acquisition business sense market opportunities employees links motivate employees Cake Or Death? Gâteau, S’il Vous Plaît! : NPR British comedian Eddie Izzard talks with NPR’s David Greene about doing stand-up in foreign languages, running far too many marathons, and why he rarely performs in drag these days. http://www.npr.org/2014/04/28/306526660/cake-or-death-g-teau-sil-vous-pla-t Tagged with david greene Page 1 of 7Older advertising animal mascots apple beats acquisition bronx business sense college days david greene employees links eric reiss ia summit 2014 journey mapping laughter mad men manhattan market opportunities motivate employees nursery rhyme farmer nypl people psychology richard saul wurman something space-time odyssey staten island stephen p anderson the new york public library things tv series tyson hosts user experience

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line755

__label__wiki

The return of gunboat diplomacy The Law of the Sea Treaty was created to settle maritime disputes but has failed to do so — take for example the aggression between China and Japan over the Senkaku Islands. Iain Murray and Riley Walters Last September, China deployed six surveillance ships in response to the Japanese government�??s attempt to buy the disputed Senkaku islands, which the Chinese call the Daioyus, from their current owner, a wealthy Japanese family. Both countries are signatories to the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, better known as the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST), which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. LOST was supposed to settle disputes between countries over maritime boundaries, but China and Japan seem not to have gotten the memo. More recently the Chinese province of Hainan ratified a new law that gives Hainanese officials jurisdiction to board vessels in an area where China currently has joint sovereignty alongside the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan recently said that this new legislation could seriously aggravate tensions among these Asian nations and pose a threat to global trade. American supporters of LOST argue that the treaty will reduce international tensions over disputed territories by helping to resolve potential conflicts. They also argue that the treaty will provide the legal certainty that U.S. companies need to exploit sub-sea floor resources that would otherwise go to competing nations like Russia and China, which are signatories to LOST. Five Republican former Secretaries of State�??Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, James Baker III, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice�??argued in a May 2012 Wall Street Journal op-ed, �??By becoming party to the treaty, we would strengthen our capacity to influence deliberations and negotiations in other nations�?? attempts to extend their continental boundaries.�?� Yet, the problem lies in the treaty�??s process itself. LOST asserts jurisdiction over maritime boundaries that have been recognized and enforced for centuries. The treaty does this by creating a new global governing body�??ominously named the Authority�??for the high seas or �??the Area,�?� which would remain �??the common heritage of mankind.�?� To settle international disputes, LOST created the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). LOST was created to settle maritime disputes but has failed to do so. In fact, the dispute would probably not exist with LOST, which made the ownership of a group of small rocks a critical issue in determining the extent of the �??exclusive economic zones�?� it sets out for signatory countries. Now it appears that at least one party, seemingly frustrated with the process, plans to return to gunboat diplomacy. China ratified LOST in 1994 and Japan ratified in 1996. Both countries, however, continue to claim sovereign right over the same area of the South China Sea. China Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Hong Lei stated, �??Isn�??t it a weird thing in international affairs to submit a sovereign country�??s territory to international arbitration? What a chaos the world will be in if this happens?�?� Yet chaos is unfolding in the Pacific now, as two LOST signatories escalate their confrontation. The United States has not ratified LOST. It should not do so. Not only has the treaty proven ineffectual at settling disputes, it would expose America to a storm of international litigation. LOST not only redistributes maritime boundaries, potentially taking away from existing U.S. territory, but also sets new regulations on pollution for not only the sea, but also potential contaminants from U.S. land- and air-based sources. For example, emissions from manufacturing plants can pass into the ocean when it rains. Rivers near plants can also wash chemicals down into the ocean. This opens all manufacturing sites, or any facility that emits waste, to international litigation aimed at stopping the corresponding economic activity. For America, LOST represents a new source of global regulation aimed at stifling development of natural resources and affordable energy sources. It is the failed Kyoto Treaty redux, this time with its own court. American consumers will see the result in higher prices for energy. Higher energy prices will drive up transportation costs�??and all products need to be transported. The increased cost of adhering to new international regulation would cause business owners to pay for these costs through an increase in the price of their products, which then fewer people will be able to afford. So what does LOST achieve? It incentivizes countries to seek litigation to gain sovereign rights over territory they believe is theirs, in disputes they believe they can win. In some cases, countries that can�??t, or won�??t, resolve disputes among themselves will turn to ITLOS, which may or may not issue a ruling, more often simply letting countries to continue talks among themselves. This incentivizes countries to ignore the possibility of an adverse ruling when they believe they will lose. LOST has failed miserably to reduce international tensions. It creates bad incentives and offers no solutions for those problems, while imposing extra costs on the citizens of countries that sign up for it. The treaty deserves to be lost at sea. Iain Murray is a Vice President and Riley Walters a Research Associate at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (www.cei.org). Obamacare Jiujitsu Sowell: Taxing the poor Written By Iain Murray and Riley Walters

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line756

__label__wiki

Home App Store iVerse Comics For iPhone And iPod Touch iVerse Comics For iPhone And iPod Touch iVerse announced Comic Reader software which will be used to create comics for iPhone and iPod Touch. The company is also opening up for submissions from comic book hopefuls as well as established pros. iVerse’s application lets you read comics in landscape mode on your iPhone or iPod touch, flicking through pages with a swipe of your finger. Each comic built on iVerse’s technology will be available as its own application and can sport a custom icon and title. “We have developed an extremely simple iPhone Application that allows us to display comics that have been specifically formatted for the iPhone/iPod Touch,” - said iVerse Media owner Michael Murphey. “What we’re doing is creating new comics, and adapting existing comics into a format that makes reading comic books an enjoyable and easy experience on these devices. There’s no “zooming” or “pinching” required. All you have to do is flick your finger.” The company is also inviting comic book authors and studios to provide content for the service, which will be made available through iTunes. Comics adapted using the iVerse Media software will be available in the iTunes App Store for as little as $.99. iVerse Comics is a digital comic company that produces digital long form comic books for the iPhone and iPod Touch. The company has almost 10 Million iPhone and iPod Touch users. Labels: App Store

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line758

__label__cc

About ISIM Support ISIM ISIM Courses Graduate Certificate in Refugees and Humanitarian Emergencies SCS Certificate in International Migration Studies Walsh School of Foreign Service Refugees, Migration and Global Governance Refugee and Migrant Children Environmental Migration and Displacement Natural Resource Management in Protracted Displacement Situations Access to Durable Solutions for IDPs in Iraq Forecasting the Break Planned Relocations International Responsibility Sharing and Refugees Crisis Migration Immigration Policy and Reform With more than 13 million people trapped in protracted refugee situations in more than thirty countries, the environmental impact of refugee camps on both refugee residents and host communities and ecologies has become a direct and operational area of concern. This is particularly the case where camp populations are as large, and often larger, than the local communities hosting them. Increased refugee camp populations are often hypothesized to trigger soil erosion, loss of habitat and wildlife, air pollution, water depletion and contamination, as well as energy and transportation problems. Decisions on site selection generally do not anticipate long-term settlement, and one of the crucial difficulties is the lack of land allocated for agricultural growth and production. Initial Study In an initial study funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau for Population, Refugees, and Migration, the research team presented a comparative evidence-based assessment of this hypothesis based on fieldwork in primarily arid and semi-arid regions with harsh conditions and limited rainfall – Ali Addeh refugee camp in Djibouti and Aysaita camp in Ethiopia. The team carried out interviews with refugees and stakeholders in 4 languages and collected survey data from over 700 households. The interviews included questions about natural resource use such as fire, fuel and water, changes in natural resources over time, comparisons between home area and/or pre-camp context, organizational assistance, resource sharing, resource conflicts, perceived challenges, and best practices. This information was supplemented and cross-checked using a remote sensing and geospatial analysis-based survey of land cover and land use change over the period of encampment. The results generated discussions of “climate conditions” versus natural resource usage, availability, and management policy and practices. The comparative results indicate that climate conditions and refugee camp emplacement have had relatively insignificant impacts on the existing natural resources, and conflict and competition in these two camps was not as pronounced as previously assumed. In both cases, however, the refugees were placed in an already environmentally-hostile arid location with minimal vegetation and variable access to sufficient water, particularly for livestock and growing vegetables, although some of the constraints are political rather than environmental. Moreover, heavy dependence on firewood for cooking, heating, and lighting has led to a variety of problems, including the need to travel long distances to collect (Aysaita) or import (Ali Addeh) wood as well as respiratory diseases related to wood burning. Camp waste and overfull latrines were also cited as areas of concern. Some of these issues also affect local host populations. The findings also highlighted areas of concern about the integration of refugees, and potential opportunities for better information exchanges on capacity building, livelihoods, and education. Our recent publication in the Journal of Refugee Studies (see link below) explores these findings in greater detail. Current Study In 2018, the research team received a grant from the Georgetown Environment Initiative to undertake a comparative study that examines the impact of protracted displacement on natural resources in a fertile climate, and recently completed fieldwork at the Meheba Refugee Settlement in the Northwest Province of Zambia. In partnership with the UN Refugee Agency, the team used a multi-temporal environmental change assessment of the settlement utilizing remotely sensed images of Land Cover/Land Use change classification methods and then conducted ground-truthing of these data on site. The team also held focus group interviews with members of the refugee and local host communities regarding natural resource management and environmental change, using use in-depth open-ended questions to understand how refugees and local host populations in fertile climates manage natural resources in their respective communities, as well as potential options for changes in practice. The team further conducted in-depth interviews with other stakeholders, including camp managers; health services providers; key organizations; and local officials who are responsible for environmental resource management. Analysis of the findings is now in progress. For further information, contact Nili Sarit Yossinger. Local Integration and Shared Resource Management in Protracted Refugee Camps: Findings from a Study in the Horn of Africa Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography: Environmental Resource Management in Refugee Camps and Surrounding Areas— Lessons Learned and Best Practices Environmental Resource Management in Refugee Camps and Surrounding Areas: Final Report Environmental Resource Management in Refugee Camps and Surrounding Areas: Lessons Learned and Best Practices Harris Building 3300 Whitehaven St, NW P. +1 (202) 687-2350 F. +1 (202) 687-2541 isim@georgetown.edu © 2020 Walsh School of Foreign Service Close the Search Dialog

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line759

__label__wiki

Healing Hands Travel to Hangzhou When Charles Lieder travels to China next week, he will be building a bridge of sorts. A fellow with IU Health’s orthopedic trauma team, Lieder, will combine his training as a doctor of osteopathic medicine with his motivation to learn new techniques not commonly practiced in the United States. The 10-day trip is part of an inaugural visit to Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province, and home to Zhejiang University School of Medicine. “I think it’s important that the fellows get world view experiences of ortho traumatology,” said Dr. Anthony T. Sorkin, Program Director for Orthopedic Trauma Fellowships, IU Health Methodist Hospital, and System Director for the Orthopedic Service Line, IU Health. It was when he was working with other medical professionals providing relief efforts after the Haitian earthquake of 2010 that Sorkin became acutely aware of the importance of such cultural exchanges in the medical field. “This is an opportunity to collaborate on advanced education and research,” said Sorkin, who toured Hangzhou medical facilities last year, including a hospital affiliated with Zhejiang University School of Medicine. “It’s a very busy trauma hospital so I started an inquiry with them about IU Health getting more involved.” Sorkin will return to Hangzhou next week for a short stay to commemorate the collaboration between the two hospitals. Lieder will join the orthopedic trauma team working directly with pediatric trauma patients, said Sorkin. “He will scrub in with ortho surgeons and follow patients on the floor and observe variations in technique,” said Sorkin. “This trip to China is very important to me for many following reasons,” said Lieder. “I hope to expand my thinking and open my mind to other treatments for orthopaedic injuries. I also would like to gain some knowledge regarding the health system in China compared to that of the United States.” He plans to share his experiences with colleagues when he returns to Indiana later this month. -- By T.J. Banes

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line760

__label__cc

Page 1 of Wednesday, 5th March, 2014 March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 1 PARLIAMENT OF KENYA THE SENATE THE HANSARD Wednesday, 5th March, 2014 The Senate met at the County Hall, Parliament Buildings, at 2.30 p.m. [The Speaker (Hon. Ethuro) in the Chair] RAID BY POLICE OFFICERS AT MASJID MUSA MOSQUE Mr. Speaker, Sir, this being the soonest opportunity after resumption of the House, I rise on Standing Order No.43(2)(c) to seek a Statement from the Chairman of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations regarding the raid by police officers at Masjid Musa Mosque in Mombasa on 2nd February, 2014. This raid was occasioned by the dispersal of what was alleged to be a jihad convention. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Statement, I would like the Chairperson to address himself to these particular issues: (1) What necessitated the raid? Could the Chairperson state who ordered the raid and clarify what other tactical options to the operation were explored? You would realise that after the raid, many of us, leaders, from the Muslim community were quite outraged by this raid that we believe contravened some of the core beliefs of the Muslim faithful. (2) Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want the Chairperson to clarify how many persons lost their lives in this raid and how these lives were lost, including the life of a police officer. How many of them were tortured and injured and how many more have disappeared as a consequence of this raid? (3) Further, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish the Chairperson to address himself to how many persons were arrested in the raid, because as far as we are concerned, a number of people were arrested and over 100 have since been released, which shows that it was, more or less, a blanket victimization. In the circumstances, therefore, the Chairperson should provide the names and confirm as to whether those arrested were held The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 2 incommunicado for almost five days without the benefit of lawyers, which is provided for under the Constitution of our Republic. (4) Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also hope to seek from the Chairperson the nature of the charges which were preferred against those who were arrested and how many to date still face those charges. (5) Further, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want the Chairperson to confirm whether that raid was in contravention of Article 25(a) of the Constitution, which prohibits torture and all other forms of degrading treatment; and Article 49(1)(c), which touches on the rights of arrested persons. (6) Further, Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want the Chairperson to reveal the whereabouts of one of those persons who was photographed in the media, one Mr. Hemed Salim Ahmed, who was arrested and last seen in the custody of police officers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as an attendant to this question, I think Kenya has evolved to the point where forced disappearances is a crime under our Statutes. Therefore, any police officer or person who causes the disappearance of any person commits a crime. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Forgive me if I am not getting it right. Is Sen. Hassan Omar Hassan Sarai, who is my friend, making some contributions to some certain Motion or is he seeking a Statement? I am a little bit lost--- An hon. Senator He is expounding! Mr. Speaker, Sir, what I am doing is that I am connecting one statement or question to another and, therefore, as I connect them, that is why when I talk about forced disappearance, it gives me the basis to ask the next question; whether the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ordered an investigation--- Order, Sen. Hassan; you are just making your case worse! It is that connecting bit that is giving Sen. Murkomen problems. So, please, do not connect; just seek your Statement. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the last time I knew of Sen. Murkomen, I knew that he was a genius who was able to decipher these issues. I think his one year stint in the Senate has eroded that. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Is it in order for Sen. Hassan – the Senator in black – whom I actually saw mingling with other men in black in a different forum – to attempt to insult me or insult the intentions of this House when actually our rules are very clear; if you rise to seek a Statement, you seek a Statement? I think that is very personal and he must be ruled out of order. Sen. Hassan, you must withdraw and apologize to Sen. Murkomen. I have withdrawn the statement and I equally--- The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Ekwee David Ethuro (March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 3 The Speaker) And for your own understanding, Sen. Murkomen was not only intelligent, but was actually asserting his intelligence by being alert to what the Standing Orders provided for! Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to apologize and withdraw that statement. I do believe that I hold him in high esteem intellectually; it was on a light touch. But he went further to accuse me of being a ‘man in black;’ so, I also hope that in future outside this House, he will withdraw that statement and apologize to the media. (7) Has the DPP ordered an investigation into the circumstances of the raid, including the whereabouts of Mr. Ahmed and, if so, what is the finding or status of such investigations? (8) Mr. Speaker, Sir, when is the Government going to address the systemic human rights abuse in the coastal region in general and the killings of purported radical Muslim clerics in particular with a view of curbing and ending extremism and radicalisation in the region? I stand guided by the Chair and my friend, Brother Sen. Murkomen. Stewart Mwachiru Shadrack Madzayo On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. Apart from Mr. Ahmed, who is generally known that he is missing now, could the Chairperson tell the House how many young Muslims also lost their lives in this operation? Secondly, were the police officers justified in taking into the Mosque---? Order, Sen. Madzayo! I think I said yesterday and last week that we are in Session 2; in Session 1, we were talking about the low learning curve. That curve must be shortened now. The Statement is made by one Member and, so, it shall be Sen. Hassan’s Statement. You will not purport to share his Statement. So, let us get the Chairperson responding. Mr. Speaker, Sir, could I be allowed to--- Order, Sen. Madzayo! The procedures are very clear; every Statement you see here has already been approved by the Chair. I am not aware of your Statement in the first place. I think we agreed that we are going to be very robust this time round. So, you are completely out of order, the Senator from Kilifi; you can try next time. The Chairperson of the Committee? Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I believe this Statement is really lengthy and I would request, with your indulgence, that you give us about two weeks to respond to it. Thank you. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Sen. Hassan, are you satisfied with the three weeks? Mr. Speaker, Sir, because the incident took place over a month ago and this being the earliest opportunity, having resumed Senate last week and then having to deal with the Standing Orders, I think this should be a very robust assignment for a person and Committee of your quality. One week should be sufficient. I want to agree with Sen. Hassan. The incident has taken place, so the information must be available; it is just a matter of collecting it. I mean, for an incident that took place one month ago, you want another one month to collect information? Two weeks is a good compromise. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I think I requested for two weeks, not a month. You did not request for three weeks? No, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I requested for two weeks. Then Sen. Hassan has requested that you reduce that by half. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for my sister’s sake, for the Committee’s sake and for the sake of this Senate, I think two weeks is then a good compromise. Sen. Hassan, the Chair is coming to your aid and you are now the first one to refuse to be aided! Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to seek a Statement--- What is it, Sen. Murkomen? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was just listening to the Statement by Sen. Hassan; my only concern was what he was raising. Even as the Chairperson is going to respond, I thought that some of the questions were touching on matters that are in court, also filed by a Senator in this House and who is a colleague of Sen. Hassan. So, even as she answers, I think those issues must be--- So that, you know, there has been a message out there that we ignore court directives and matters that are sub judice . I wanted your direction to the Committee that they basically continue answering the Question, but navigate those terrains of sub judice well so that we get an answer here that respects the doctrine of separation of power. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the contribution by Sen. Murkomen, I believe this is known to the relevant departments of the Government, especially on matters that are touching on the courts. So, we will respond accordingly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. First, Chairperson of the Committee, I did not give you the chance! But since you have been provoked – and I seem to agree with you completely – that is why I could not stop you. Sen. Murkomen, I think there is no need to be very excited on some of these things. I would imagine that the Chairperson of the Committee, as she has said, will look at those kinds of issues. They know the rule of sub judice so that any matter that is before court, you do not even navigate; you just invoke the rule and the Chair will uphold it. So, definitely, the ones who will provide information will be alive to the same facts. Sen. Kembi-Gitura, you have the Floor. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POWER OF MERCY ACT Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations on the implementation of the Power of Mercy Act. Mr. Speaker, Sir, it is common knowledge that the power of mercy has not been exercised since 2012. This power is provided for under Article 133(1) of the Constitution and the Power of Mercy Act, 2011. Under this Act, a Committee is established to consider cases brought before it by the public. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in his Statement, I request the Chairperson to explain why the power of mercy was not exercised in 2012 and 2013 despite clear provisions of the Constitution and the Act, and despite the Power of Mercy Committee having made its recommendations on those people to be bestowed mercy. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think this particular Statement is very clear because there is a board that is already established as per the provision of the Act. So, we will provide the answer to that statement maybe within a week’s time. Thank you. Amos Wako On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Is it in order for that particular question to be directed to the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations and not the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, which is charged with the responsibility of all issues touching on the Constitution? As far as I know, the membership of that particular Committee, the Chairperson used to be the Attorney-General, who is a very astounding member of that particular Committee together with the Minister for Home Affairs. So, is it really in order that the Question should be directed to the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations and not to the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 6 Sen. Kembi-Gitura Mr. Speaker, Sir, with your permission, first and foremost, I stand guided and I will be quite happy to receive it from a Committee that is going to give me an answer on this very important issue. So, if it is the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, then I accept it. I hope that the Chairperson can then undertake to give that answer within the same one week. But, Mr. Speaker, Sir, having said that, I was going to request that the answer be given on or about 25th March, 2014, and not in a week’s time. I am requesting for an extension of the time when the answer can be given. Because you will not be around! Actually, it is because I may not be in the House and, again, because I think it is a question that I would like to get clarifications on, with your permission. Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations, do you have any response? Mr. Speaker, Sir, according to my understanding, the Question is directed to penal institutions, which directly fall under the security docket. Again, it is also touching on legal aspects; and so, it is touching on the mandates of both committees. Therefore, it all depends on what kind of direction you will give us in terms of who should deal with the Statement properly. Thank you. As far as I can determine, because the Senator for Murang’a pointed out very clearly that this is under Article 133(1), which is the power of mercy, and that power is exercised by one office, what the Attorney-General emeritus is referring to is what he used to do in his capacity as the Attorney-General then. I am sure with the one who has taken over from him, they are just part of a Committee which is supposed to advise the same; and that Committee also comprises of the Cabinet Secretary responsible for correctional services. So, that should still be interior. So, I direct that the matter should be addressed by the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations and according to the time requested by the Senator for Murang’a. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir I am much obliged But the Senator for Busia being a member of the House, he has always taken the opportunity to help the House in one way or the other; but not in his capacity as the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee. Mr. Speaker, Sir, of course, I accept your ruling; there is no appeal over and above your ruling. But this is really an exercise of a constitutional power by the President when all the machinery – the judicial process – has been exhausted and now the prisoner pleads with the President to exercise his power of mercy. So, it is not, strictly speaking, a matter for the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Ministry of Home Affairs is a member of the Committee, but the Attorney-General even up to today is still the moving force, because the President is exercising his constitutional powers. When it comes to The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. that, we look at legal affairs and human rights. But you have ruled that I can give any assistance; but I am no longer the Attorney-General. Please, get the answer from the Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya; but the Attorney-General emeritus may help you in the process. It is so directed. INCREMENT OF PARKING FEES IN NAIROBI COUNTY Gideon Mbuvi Mike 'Sonko' Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I wish to request for a Statement from the Chairperson of the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government and the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations on the increment of parking fees in Nairobi County. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in the Statement, the Chairpersons should explain the following: (1) Why the Nairobi County Government has increased parking fees by over 200 per cent, contrary to the resolution of the County Assembly. (2) Why the registration number plates are being unlawfully removed from matatus, taxis and motorcycles within the Central Business District (CBD). (3) When the Nairobi County Government is going to revert to the approved parking fees as per the County Assembly resolution and not the exaggerated parking fees of Kshs300. (4) When the Nairobi County Government will withdraw the traffic marshals and reinstate traffic police officers to control traffic in Nairobi County. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. The Sessional Committee is not constituted yet. So, in the meantime, Sen. Yusuf Haji, would you respond? Yusuf Haji Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will issue the statement in the next two weeks since we have another two Statements. Sen. Sonko? Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a matter of public interest and you will agree with me that all Senators who are in this House today, all the Members of Parliament (MPs) who are in the National Assembly today; all the Cabinet Secretaries, the President and the Deputy President reside in my county. So, I am the Senator for all these hon. Members. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a very sensitive matter which can paralyze the economy of this county and this country at large. So, with all due respect, I am requesting if this Statement can be delivered next week instead of waiting for two weeks. Chairperson, before responding, let us hear the point of order from Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this matter is so urgent that even on 411 news alert, the police have advised that the problem of parking is going to escalate because touts and matatu owners have blocked traffic from entering the city and, in the process, many of the residents walked to the city. Some of us were caught in the traffic because we could not enter the city for over four hours, which is almost the whole morning. It is important that if the owner of the Statement allows, it can be issued tomorrow so that we open up the gridlock. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am speaking as the de Chair of the Sessional Committee on Devolution and, hopefully, that I will be the next member. This issue is so critical considering that there are also issues of law that touch on the uniqueness of Nairobi County. We should not just give an answer that is sought from someone; we must give an opportunity for the Committee to basically invite the officers that are involved to come and shed light on this issue, and it will be something that will cut between Nairobi County, but there is also a role to be played by the National Government as well. For that reason, I wanted you, in your generous, well thought and intelligent orders, to also anticipate that should the Sessional Committee be in place as required, hopefully by Thursday as it had been planned, it will be joined by the Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations to ventilate on this issue. I think one week should be enough, in my view. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. This is a very important issue of national importance which, as the Chair of the Committee on Devolved Government and others have stated, really cuts across a number of committees. It is not just a matter for the Committee on National Security and Foreign Relations, the Committee on Devolved Government, Committee on Finance, Commerce and Economic Affairs or the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights. This matter touches on many issues. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in view of the fact that this is a matter of national importance, is it in order for me to suggest that it goes beyond the chairperson of a Standing Committee or Sessional Committee, but that the Senate Majority Leader be entrusted to use his office The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. and get the right answers in the quickest possible time, as a matter of extreme urgency and deliver the statement tomorrow or Tuesday, next week? On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to agree in terms of balance between the urgency where we get a statement tomorrow yet I do not think it will resolve whatever we have today and possibly tomorrow, the reason being the depth that we require so that we can interrogate this matter once and for all. As Sen. Mbuvi rightly pointed out, we are all here as his guests and immensely suffer commuting in the city. I can promise you that if you come to Mombasa County you will be better taken care of. Moses Masika Wetangula (The Senate Minority Leader) Yes, Sen. Wetangula. While I agree with Sen. Wako on the importance and urgency of this matter, I would have offered unsolicited advice to Sen. Sonko Mbuvi, that this a matter that is so serious that he should have sought advice to move a Motion of Adjournment for this House to air its views on the matter. The proceedings recorded on HANSARD can then be transmitted to the committees and the relevant authorities, including the county government. I agree with you! Mr. Speaker, Sir, I concur with my friend, Sen. Wetangula. With due respect, I request if we can adjourn to allow me move this Motion. I am already prepared with all the facts. Order, Senators. While I am a firm believer in what the good Bible says, as the spirit leads, but this House has procedures. I am sure you looked at all the possibilities and you decided the one of the statement was the right one. That is now a matter that is before us. The other one will require another procedure all together. So, we can proceed along the lines that the Order before us is “Statements.”. Senate Majority Leader, you have been requested to respond to this issue. (Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have no problem. If the feelings from my colleagues and the relevant chairs of committees is that they want the Senate Majority Leader to do that work, that is okay. However, the Standing Orders speak about chairpersons of committees. But that notwithstanding, I am willing to do that with only one caveat, which is that the President and the Cabinet are in Nyanyuki until tomorrow. Perhaps, if we work with Tuesday, then you will get a comprehensive answer. I must declare that the Majority Leader is my friend. However, I disagree with the suggestion that he should bring questions to this House. He can only The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 10 bring his statement. The reason is, the rules are very clear, that this House works through its committees. Secondly, this is not just an issue that we just go and pick an answer from Governor Kidero, the Cabinet Secretary or the Inspector-General. This is an issue where you invite those people to come to that committee. The Senator of Nairobi should also be in that committee as an interested party. We will then ventilate the issue, so that what we bring here are not the kind of things where if we ask the Majority Leader, he will say: “I defer” because he does not have the totality of the answers. Mr. Speaker, Sir, for this question to be answered well, we need a committee. That committee must be able to sit down and ask itself about what needs to be done, including the implementation of the Urban Areas and Cities Act, whose provisions require that there should be a close working relationship between the county and national governments. So, to give this issue the weight that it deserves, I suggest--- Sen. Wako was imagining that literally Sen. (Prof.) Kindiki is the Prime Minister. That is not true. Therefore, I request that this issue be handled at committee level and not as a one man committee. GG Kariuki What is it, Sen. G.G. Kariuki? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am just seeking your guidance whether it is possible to allow the Senator for Nairobi County to move an Adjournment Motion, so that after the debate, which will take us about one hour, the committee will have material enough to invite those who are involved, so that we can get a more serious reply than what is anticipated now. A further point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I noticed from your reaction that the distinguished Senator for Nairobi County was not following the right procedure. That may very well be so, but that is the reason why the clerks sit here. It is their duty to advise the Senator on the Standing Orders. Once a Senator says he wants to move a Motion of Adjournment, they have a duty to advise him which Standing Order is relevant, at what stage of the proceedings that should be done, so that we can do the right things. I am saying this because we do not want to lose the opportunity to talk on a matter so important as this, because it not just affecting Nairobi County, neighbouring counties like Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado are directly affected. The other day, we saw trucks blocking roads in Machakos County for similar reasons. This Senate has a fundamental duty to ventilate on this matter. That ventilation may be much deeper, more important and far reaching than even committee work. What is it, Sen. Haji? This should be the last one. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 11 Sen. Haji Is Sen. Wetangula in order to expect the clerks to walk from where they are to advise the Senator when the Speaker is in the Chair? Order, hon. Senators. Sen. Haji is very correct. Instead of pushing the matter to the clerks, he could have approached the distinguished Senator of Nairobi County, to use his own words, and offered unsolicited advice. But from where I sit and where the clerks sit, we can only watch the proceedings. Until you request the clerks to assist you, they cannot volunteer their assistance. That is the case; that is the way it ought to be and that is the way it shall be. Some of these things should not be solicited from the Chair. You can move to your neighbour or the Clerks-at-the- Table. All I await for is the product of those consultations. But to expect the Chair to start offering advice on the way you should proceed on a matter is strange way of doing business in this House. (Several hon. Senators stood up in their places) Order, hon. Senators! This is not a debate, I have already allowed a lot of time on this. I am convinced that this matter may be beyond one committee. Under those circumstances, the Majority Leader in his umpire role – in fact, the last time he used the word “ de facto” Prime Minister. I am surprised today he has decided to agree with me when last time he was not completely agreeable. But it is true what Sen. Murkomen is saying, that the Standing Orders are very clear that we seek responses to statements from the chairpersons of committees. The Standing Orders also allow joint committees to sit on a matter beyond just one committee or which is affecting more committees. But in a matter of this nature, given that the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government is not also operational – you know the business of the House cannot stop, it must always proceed – I feel strongly persuaded that the Majority Leader can give us a response on Tuesday as requested. I also admit that there are weighty issues which Members have raised and they will require more interventions than the time given. But there are also issues which are quite urgent which need to be disposed of. If we are going to wait for the time for committees to start inviting people, it might take longer to deal with the other issues. I am sure the Majority Leader in his wisdom will engage the committee chairs, agree on the issues that are urgent, like the ones raised by Sen. Wako and then you will also agree on the issues that might require more interventions, even at a time when the Sessional Committee on Devolved Government is in place. So, we expect responses along those lines. What is it, Sen. Mbuvi? Mr. Speaker, Sir, although you have just given your ruling, I want to say something with regard to Sen. G.G. Kariuki’s sentiments and the fact that I have gone The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. back to the university; I understand the law. It will just take me five minutes to draft a Motion. I am just requesting if you could--- Order, Sen. Sonko! Resume your seat! One, you cannot really try to push your luck through the microphone. These are things that require consultations before they come to the plenary. The time of the plenary is so valuable that it cannot be used for soliciting. Apply to the Clerks-at-the-Table who will advise you on what needs to be done. In the meantime, let us proceed. Most obliged, Mr. Speaker, Sir. But the reason I was pushing for that is because the way our Governor is running the affairs of this county – he is running this county as if--- this is not Mumias Sugar Company, this Nairobi County! Order, Sen. Sonko! He is running this County the way he used to run Mumias Sugar Company! Order, Senators! I thought I was very clear. Sen. Mbuvi, we would like to assist you, but there is a way in which you can get that assistance. For you to mislead the Chair that you are saying you are obliging and then you take another direction all together, the Chair cannot entertain that! These are challenges of governance and they will be addressed accordingly. That is why you have been elected as the Senator to take advantage of your privileged position to see how these challenges can be addressed. That is why we are here. (Sen. Hassan and Sen. Mbuvi stood up in their places) Order, Sen. Sonko and Sen. Omar Hassan! You have no right over any other Senator just because you want to take the microphone without the permission of the Chair. Rise on a point of order and wait to be given that chance. It is not automatic. It is not to be granted even if you are alone. Next Statement, if any? Yes, Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo. MANAGEMENT OF TURKWELL HYDRO ELECTRIC POWER STATION The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 13 Sen. (Prof.) Lonyangapuo Mr. Speaker, Sir, I have two Statements to seek. First, I rise to seek a statement from the Chairperson of the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation related to the management of the Turkwell Hydro Electric Power Station which is owned by the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen). I would like the chairperson to:- (1) State whether he is aware that the current chief engineer has been causing conflicts and fueling tension between neighbouring communities living around the company’s locality. (2) Explain why several requests by local area leaders to the Managing Director of KenGen, to have the officer removed, have not been granted. (3) State when the officer will be removed and a competent one appointed to take his place. PAYMENT OF DUES OWED TO BUSINESSMEN FROM WEST POKOT COUNTY BY KMC Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also rise to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources related to the operation of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC). I would like the Chairperson to:- (1) State whether he is aware that businessmen from West Pokot County who delivered livestock to KMC between July and August, 2013 have not been paid their money to date. (2) Explain why it has taken so long for the payment to be processed. (3) State when they will be paid. The second Statement should be responded to by the Chairperson of the Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources. The first one is directed to the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation. Chair of the Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation, what do you have to say? Danson Mwazo Mr. Speaker, Sir, we shall respond to the issue by Thursday, next week. What about the issue of the KMC? Sen. Boy Juma Boy? Boy Juma Boy Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will respond to the issue of the KMC within one week. So, we will get the Statement next Wednesday? Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 14 Sen. Mutula Kilonzo Junior Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to renew three statements that lapsed in the last session. It is fair to say for the record that all of them were due sometime in November last year. DISPUTE BETWEEN MACHAKOS AND MAKUENI COUNTIES OVER KONZA CITY BOUNDARY First, I rise to seek a Statement from the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources regarding the Konza City Boundary. In the Statement, the Chairperson should:- (a) Confirm that the boundaries of the 47 counties were demarcated in accordance with the Districts and Provinces Act, Cap.105A of the Laws of Kenya. (b) Confirm whether Konza City is located in Makueni County; (c) Explain the legal basis upon which the Director of Survey has placed the Konza City boundaries within Machakos County. (d) State whether any measures have been taken to address the discrepancies. ALLOTMENT OF MASONGALENI SETTLEMENT SCHEME Mr. Speaker, Sir, the second statement is directed to the same Committee on Agriculture, Land and Natural Resources and relates to the allotment of Masongaleni Settlement Scheme in Kibwezi East Constituency, Makueni County. In the Statement, the Chairperson should state the following:- (a) the number of persons issued with the allotment letters; (b) the size of land allotted to each person; (c) whether there is a database for the persons issued with allotment letters; (d) whether survey and subdivision of the said land has been carried out and beacons placed; and, (e) the reasons for the delay in the issuance of title deeds since 1992. CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MAKUTANO-KIKIMA TOWER ROAD Mr. Speaker, Sir, the third statement is directed to the Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Energy, Roads and Transportation. The Statement relates to the construction of Makutano-Kikima Tower Road D517. In the Statement, the Chairperson should address the following:- (a) Whether he is aware that the contract for the construction was awarded to Victory Construction Company at a sum of Kshs1,800,094,559.84 for a period of 24 months starting September, 2007 and lapsed on 13th September, 2009; The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. (b) Explain why more than six years later the work is incomplete, yet it should have been completed. (c) State how much money has been paid so far for the work and what has been allocated in the current financial year; (d) Explain why the contractor has left the site, yet the work is far from completion. (e) Lastly and most importantly, state how long it would take for the road to be completed and when the portion between Kikima Market and Kyambalasi-Makutano Junction will be done. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Committee chairs, what is your response? Bw. Spika, kwa sababu maswali ambayo yameulizwa yanahitaji kazi ndefu, ningeomba wiki mbili kujadili na kutoa Statement hizo. It is so ordered. Which committee was the next statement directed to? Mr. Speaker, Sir, Energy, Roads and Transportation. That is right. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we will be able to issue the Statement by Wednesday, next week. It is so ordered. Next Order. RESETTLEMENT OF IDPS IN NYANDARUA COUNTY Stephen Muriuki Ngare On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Last week on Thursday, I requested a Statement with regard to the status of IDPs in Nyandarua County. The Chair of the Committee promised to issue the Statement today. I did not hear anything about it. Could we know the position of this Statement? Chair, what do you have to say? Mr. Speaker, Sir, regrettably, I am not able to issue this Statement. The effort to get the Statement was not fruitful because the Cabinet Secretary as well as the Principal Secretary have not been in the office from yesterday up to this moment. But I will try to pursue the matter as soon as they come back. If we can be given one more week, I will be grateful to the hon. Senator. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is a grave matter. We have a meeting of Nyandarua County elected leaders on Friday, 14th March, 2014. One of the serious matters for this gathering is the situation of the IDPs in the County. We have over 36,000 of them. We say they are integrated people who are in various places. I would request the Chair to rule that this Statement be given on Tuesday, latest Wednesday, next week, in time for the leaders of the county to be able to delve into this matter conclusively. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. (Sen. Haji spoke off the record) Sen. Haji, you are not on record, use the microphone. Sorry, Mr. Speaker, Sir. We will attempt to give an answer on Wednesday, next week. If I find any problem, I will report back. While I appreciate your intentions, but to attempt on Wednesday can be problematic. Why do you not confirm for Wednesday? You may wish to attempt on Tuesday. Much obliged, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I take your instructions accordingly. Just a minute, Sen. Omar Hassan. I will allow you shortly. Next Order! COMMENDATION TO LUPITA NYONG’O FOR WINNING AN OSCAR AWARD Mr. Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the following Motion:- THAT, aware that the film industry is one of the leading and prestigious occupations; noting that Ms. Lupita Amondi Nyong’o is a Kenyan actress who featured in the movie “ 12 years a Slave ”; further aware that she made history by being the first African woman to win an Oscar Award of the best supporting actress at the 86th Academy Awards held in Los Angeles, United States of America, for her role in the movie; appreciating that it is through relevant education, training and hard work that she was able to win this award and many others; realizing that she is an inspiration and a role model to many including the African women and youth; cognizant of the fact that she has uplifted the Kenyan profile in the world; the Senate records its commendation to Ms. Lupita Amondi Nyong’o for her exemplary performance. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is very important for us, as a Senate. This is really an exemplary performance. It is something that has happened in this country. For the sake of history, it is important for us, as the Senate, to recognise that this young lady, Lupita Amondi Nyong’o, has performed exemplarily well. She won an Oscar Award which is as a result of the hard work that she has put in. It is important for us, as leaders of this country, to recognise that we have so many Lupitas out there among our youth. Mr. Speaker, Sir, my second congratulation goes to Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’- Nyong’o and his wife. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. It is as a result of their guidance and support that Ms. Nyong’o was able to achieve what she has achieved. She has made the family very proud. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Lupita Nyong’o is a role model that the youth of this country need to emulate. She managed to compete with international competitors. When she was giving her address, she was almost in tears because she thought she was not going to win. I really feel that as a Senate and as leaders of this country, there are many Lupita Nyong’os out there, but as a country, we have not done much to ensure that the youth, women, people living with disability and marginalized communities are able to achieve their objectives, articulate and realize their talents. We have a very good provision in the Constitution which we passed recently that if we take seriously, we will be able to uplift or give opportunity to the youth and women in this country. If I may quote Article 21(3) of the Constitution which obligates state organs and public officers to address the needs of vulnerable groups within the society including women, all the members of the society, persons with disability, children, youth, minority groups or marginalized communities and members of particular ethnic, religion or cultural communities. This is a very good provision but naturally as Kenyans, we have enacted legislation and even the Constitution but the unfortunate bit is that in as much as we have these provisions, we do not actually address the real concerns of our communities especially the youth who constitute the largest percentage of our country. We also have women and persons living with disability who should be assisted so that they can realize the benefits of the provisions of this Constitution and various policies of the Government. The second article is Article 55(c) which obligates the state to take measures, including affirmative action programmes, to ensure that the youth have the opportunities to associate, be represented and participate in political, social, economic and other spheres of life. These are very good provisions that if implemented, will change this country. It is really important to also recognize the congratulatory message sent by His Excellency the President where he promised to establish film academies. It is important for this gesture to be passed down up to the county level to ensure that we have these academies because we have so many youth in our country who are unable to actualize their talents. Therefore, I feel it is important for us to take this very seriously. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the other point is with regard to the Government directive that 30 per cent of procurement opportunities should be given to women, youth and people living with disabilities. These are very good policies given by the President but if you go on the ground right now and audit what the county governments are doing, none of those individuals or groups of individuals are really benefitting from this policy. It is important as leaders that we follow up these issues to make sure that as a Senate, since we are the ones who should oversee the work of the county government, to ensure that these policies are implemented. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, another very good example is the youth and women funds. The Government has actually been pumping money into these funds but there is no time that as a country, we have looked back to assess the impact such funds have had on our youth, women, people living with disabilities and the marginalized. Mr. Speaker, Sir, film, music and sports are actually talents and we should regard them as professions. As a country and as leaders, we do not do that. I would want to narrate a discussion that I had when I went to visit the Office of the Deputy President. I was in his waiting room and Citizen Television was on. We were watching the Nigerian movies. I was there with a colleague and some two white visitors. Then they asked if we could remove that movie because it was not interesting. One of them said that Kenyans really like Nigerian movies, so you do not have to remove. It is really amazing because we have our own young talented and upcoming film makers. We have movies that we have made as a country, so why can we not be proud of that instead of us always watching Nigerian movies on our screens? It is important for us to be proud of what we are and be proud of our youths, women and people living with disabilities who are talented. These people are able to bring change in their lives through talent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, we also have cultural backgrounds that do not allow some of our youths and women to participate in the film industry, sporting and music. There are both positive and negative aspects of our cultural backgrounds and it is important to change our thinking and cultural beliefs into a positive aspect. Finally, I would like to say that we always cry about lack of jobs out there, and the largest population of this country is youth and women. Most of them are not empowered. They are marginalized and unemployed but if we allow or give them opportunity to produce films and utilize their talents, then they will be able to earn a living. I want to conclude by saying that as a Senate, we need to ensure that the rights of youth, women, persons with disabilities and marginalized groups are protected as provided for in the Constitution and various legislations. I want to call upon Sen. Lesuuda to second this Motion. CONTINUED DISREGARD OF THE SENATE’S LEGISLATIVE MANDATE BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir, without trying to interrupt the Motion, I thought it is important to bring to the attention of this House. I want to seek direction from the Chair, the Senate Majority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader. This morning as I watched the proceedings of the National Assembly, and this is about principles which these two Houses must acquire, I recall Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale brought before this House a Bill about flags, emblems and titles for all public officers including The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. the pecking order of the Government. One of the Members of the National Assembly had introduced an amendment to the County Governments Act that tried to defeat either the concurrence or otherwise of a Bill that emanated from the Senate. I believe the Senate had communicated the same to them. This Senate had asked for their concurrence as per the Constitution. I have no reason to doubt that the Bill was not received by the Speaker of the National Assembly but the direction I want to seek from the Chair is why the National Assembly has continued to introduce similar amendments in total disregard of the Bill that emanated from this Senate. I recall that even as the debate progressed, there was an inference to the fact that another Bill would be introduced that stipulates the pecking order of the Government. I know that the Leader of Majority and the Leader of Minority have closed ranks with the National Assembly on matters that are of common interest but I think it is important for us to continue to assert the mandate of this Senate. I rose on this point order despite this very important Motion because I felt slighted as a Senator and wondered why the National Assembly continues to disregard the mandate of this Senate. The National Assembly is being contemptuous of the Senate. Therefore, it is important for this Senate to assert itself and the Speaker’s Office to give direction as to how we need to move forward particularly with matters of law making. I find it unacceptable and an affront to our mandate as a Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I was equally disturbed when I saw the proceedings that were taking place in the National Assembly. We have remained a House of soberness, a House basically that focuses on the law, where it requires that we work together with the National Assembly, we have been very careful to follow the law. If you read Article 110, it provides that Bills concerning county government means a Bill containing provisions affecting the functions and powers of county governments. Matters of whether a Governor can fly a flag or not, matters of whether a county assembly member can be called honourable or not, matters about how the county government institutions and individuals running those institutions are going to be referred to and what privileges they are going to have, is a power that is necessary for that public officer to have in the exercise of the functions that are given in the Fourth Schedule. So, it is important that your counter-part in National Assembly and the leadership of the National Assembly foster a good working relationship. We have Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale’s Bill that went to the National Assembly. I followed the proceedings when the question arose as to whether it was a Bill concerning counties and I was waiting for the Speaker of the National Assembly to rule on the Floor of the House that the determination of whether a Bill concerns counties or not is in the domain of himself and yourself. Since he already allowed that Bill to proceed in this House and the National Assembly, it was fait accompli . That procedure of determination of whether it is a Bill concerning counties or not had already been passed. So, the only ruling that the Speaker of the National Assembly would make is to tell the hon. Member who raised the point of The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. order that the decision has already been made and the Bill has already passed that stage. So, they would proceed and determine the Bill and bring it here. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, the domain and responsibility of ensuring that the two Houses do not pass unconstitutional legislation is our responsibility as the Senate and the responsibility of our brothers in the National Assembly. We should ensure that we do not pass legislations which on the day they are being gazetted, they are being declared unconstitutional. We need to pass Bills that once they get out of this House, they can function or have effect. We cannot just do business the way it is going on. I thank Sen. Hassan - among the many things we agree on are matters of law - for raising that important issue. I want to request you in your usual sober manner and in the usual sober manner that we are raising issues here, that you sleep over that issue and in the shortest time possible, for example, tomorrow afternoon, to give communication to this honourable House. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I concur with Sen. Hassan and Sen. Murkomen’s remarks but it would be premature for us to discuss this matter at this juncture because the matter has just been debated in the National Assembly and we do not have the HANSARD. What we have is hearsay; Sen. Hassan has just come here and whispered. We need our brothers and sisters in the National Assembly; they stood with us in our war against the judiciary--- Aaah! There is no war! We never had war but what I can say is that just the other day the Chief Justice gave a very rude statement over our ruling on the Embu Governor’s impeachment--- Order, Sen. Mbuvi. The Standing Orders are very clear. You do not discuss the Chief Justice. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. We do not need any further wars with the National Assembly. The first person who defended this House on our ruling against the Embu Governor was the Speaker of the National Assembly. I would like to repeat my earlier remarks. Let us get the HANSARD from the National Assembly and see what was debated in the National Assembly and from there, we can raise the matter on Tuesday. If you allow me, these are two Houses; the National Assembly and the Senate which is the Upper House. I do not want to repeat my earlier sentiments with regard to the impeachment of Governor Wambora. There were threats which were issued against us. I do not know if I would be right to say that---- Order, Sen. Sonko. I think you are repeating yourself. You have made your case. You have said that we should wait for the HANSARD. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I rest my case. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 21 Sen. Elachi On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. As you sleep over it as our colleague has just said, I would like, as you give your communication, to guide us. It seems as if the Principal Secretaries do not understand whether, indeed, a Bill can emanate from the Senate or the National Assembly. It will be important, as you make that communication, to explain to the Principal Secretaries to understand that a Bill can come from the Senate and not necessarily from the National Assembly. It will be important, as you make the communication, to make us and the Cabinet Secretaries, understand that a Bill can come from either House and end at the House that it was moved. Mohammed Abdi Kuti Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I stand to support what Sen. Omar has said. I would like to speak about some measures we need to take as leaders. I think there is a lot of “boxing” going on among leaders of various institutions. I think at times solutions can be sought and found without necessarily the public being aware. I think we need to develop a system where leaders of various institutions handle matters quietly through consultations. Should the consultations fail, then we can go ahead and express ourselves in public. Some of the issues are happening because of the teething nature of implementing the new Constitution. I am sure that this can be sorted out through consultations and through forums other than bashing one another and placing everything before the public eye, creating confusion among the same public that we lead. I would like to state that even if there are incidences or issues that may come up; we should liaise with you, in your office, and discuss the matters before bringing them on the Floor of the House. We should try to find a solution to the problems first. These issues should only reach the public ear when there is no other alternative. I really urge all leaders and not only the Senate but all institutions at all levels; be it the Judiciary or any other, to stop confusing the public. We have been raising issues, all the time that reveal that we are always at war. These wars should now come to an end. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to agree with Sen. (Dr.) Kuti because this is not the first time that we are bringing this issue here before the Senate. The more we play it in the public domain without a solution, the more ridiculous we appear. For the purpose of the Senate, we are looking superfluous and it seems as if we are whining instead of looking for a way forward. Having said that, it is important to look at what the Constitution says about both Houses. Houses of Parliament; the Senate and the National Assembly, consider Bills. None of the Houses passes Bills. A Bill is passed by Parliament and those provisions in relation to how a Bill is passed are in Article 116. A Bill matures for assent by the President when it has been passed by Parliament. What worries me is that the legislation that goes through the National Assembly, if we are to consider the objective situation as far as the enactment of legislation in this country is concerned, then it would appear that every single law that has been passed, apart from one or two, have not been passed in accordance with the Constitution. The Advisory Opinion of the Supreme Court is very clear on this matter. The fact that Bills that originate from the National Assembly are not forwarded to you undermines the authority of the Office of the Speaker of the Senate. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want you to listen to this. Every single Bill that originates in the National Assembly but is not considered by the Senate, in effect, undermines the authority of the Speaker of the Senate. Therefore, this is a matter which you have to find a way of resolving. You have made an attempt through the courts. However, you know about the historical struggles between the House of Commons and the House of Lords. It was not very easy to see where the authority lay but it was a historical struggle for the House of Commons to assert its feet. We are not fighting for supremacy, as it were, because we are all organs of the Constitution. The Constitution is Supreme and we believe in constitutionalism. As we speak now, the real legal situation is that 95per cent of the laws that have been assented to by the President are invalid by virtue of the opinion of the Supreme Court. If this will continue, I think we will have anarchy in the legislature. I just have one advice for you; the only office that you need to persuade is that of the President because he has a role to play. He can refuse to assent to any Bill that has been considered by the National Assembly but has not been considered by the Senate. If he refuses in terms of the constitutional provisions, then the National Assembly will have nothing else to do but to follow the law accordingly. I believe in your art of persuasion but I am beginning to see that we need to take this to school a little bit. There is only one single office that you need to advise. If you cannot advise, then the Attorney-General is sleeping on his job. If he is sleeping on his job, then the Senate may have to take action against the Attorney-General. This is a matter which the Attorney-General Emeritus, by virtue of his office, considering that he is the Chair of the Senior Committee of Senior Counsel, holds an office which is a step away from one which is very important in the rule of law. I think the Attorney-General E meritus, should also make a step, publicly, together with the Speaker in persuading the President. He has a role to play in the Senate. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I am a bit surprised that we stopped what we were doing to listen to hearsay. This is because we are trying to do the work of the two Speakers. If somebody is serious and he thinks that this House is being undermined by any other institution, the first person they should see is the Speaker of the House. (Sen. Murkomen consulted from the back) Sen. Murkomen, please, allow other people to air their views. We have been to school like you have been. Therefore, I think you need to listen. I am suggesting that for the progress of the House, considering that the debate was hijacked on a matter like this was not quite fair. Let us also agree that the Speaker of the Senate cannot stop any Member from airing issues which are irrelevant. However, we are not quite sure about what happened following what Sen. (Dr.) Kuti said. We do not know what transpired. We listened to one Member of Parliament, whom we have allowed The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. collectively, to take our wisdom away. We are now debating something that we are not very sure about. Mr. Speaker, Sir, you need to control the debate of this House. It was relevant from the word go. Mr. Speaker, Sir with respect, I think you need to control this House. This debate needed to be brought as a Motion if we are serious about it either tomorrow or today as a matter of urgency. We should not stop a debate which was very important to listen to this matter. Kiraitu Murungi On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I want to make a very brief intervention. I was following the debate in the National Assembly on radio this morning. What I heard from there was that a Member rose on a point of order questioning the constitutionality of the Bill that was before the National Assembly from the Senate. The issue was whether the Bill should have originated from this House or that House. The Deputy Speaker, in her own wisdom, decided to give a considered ruling over the matter. As of today morning, as I followed the debate, the considered ruling had not been given. However, she allowed the debate to continue meanwhile as she was considering the matter. So, I think it is not proper for us to rush into this matter. It is important that we give the Speaker time to consult, lead and to give a considered ruling and if we have any comments to make, we can make them after that. If we have any comments to make, we can make them after that ruling is made. That is what I think we should do. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I support what has been said by a majority of the Members, especially on the last three opinions; that it is time for us, as a Senate, to do whatever we have to do, albeit, through you as the Speaker of this House to try and cement as much as possible a strong relationship with the National Assembly such that solutions can be found, where possible, internally without a lot of friction. As we are speaking now, there is already a retreat which has been called by Governors and Members of the County Assemblies. The purpose for that retreat, which has been called, is because the Governors have called Members of the County Assemblies to lobby them and to take a common position against both Houses of Parliament. Their target is largely because of the Sang Bill. They want to lobby Members of the County Assemblies against the Sang Bill with regard to the formation of the Ward Boards. I heard serious sentiments from Members of my County Assembly pegged on that. When both Houses are facing such an affront, we also need to fortify our ground and ensure that we do not lose the National Assembly especially so as to move forward. We should try as much as possible to find internal solutions to this issue. The Chair should use the office and the Committee they are going to form so that we have a common working ground with the National Assembly. That way, we can be able to win the legislative agenda for this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, just to add a word on this debate, notwithstanding Sen. G.G. Kariuki’s sentiments that we perhaps hijacked a Motion which was on the Floor of the House, but nonetheless, some of these things become so urgent that there is need for some sort of intervention from the Chair on our behalf. When we The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. recently had a Kamukunji that was chaired by the two Speakers, one of the issues which were discussed to some extent was Sen. (Dr.) Khalwale’s Bill. Some suggestions were given and therefore, it is of great concern to this House that even after a semblance of understanding between the two Houses was made, the Chair in that House has allowed a Bill similar to the one which has come from the Senate to be debated to the extent that it has. Much as I agree that we wait, this is very urgent because they were on the Second Reading and because most Members did not have much to say, they supported it only after two or three minutes. So, they could easily pass it and go to the Committee Stage and Third Reading and before long, it will be before His Excellency the President. Therefore, the intervention of His Excellency the President is important and urgent. You did also report in that Kamukunji that that morning you were to have a tripartite meeting between the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive, and the Executive did not show up. In our minds, this is the real reason why there are many issues arising. If I can remember very well, once these Bills come to Parliament, they should be tabled at a joint meeting of the two Speakers. To our observation, it is not happening. If it has not happened and, therefore, it is unconstitutional and it eventually ends up with the Head of State and he signs it into law, I think I entirely agree with the Member who suggested that that is the real problem. With those few remarks, I urge that this matter be handled very urgently, otherwise we shall be ridiculed. Thank you Mr. Speaker, Sir. I salute you for allowing the interventions on this matter; the sentiments of my good brother Sen. G.G. Kariuki notwithstanding because this is very important. Article 110 of the Constitution is very clear. If you look back since we started this Senate, there has been a pattern of conduct, behaviour, speech, utterances, some normal, some reckless from the Speaker of the Lower House towards this House. They have been very condescending and sometimes arrogant. We have raised this with you as our Speaker in public and in private. If you may recall, the Lower House has forwarded to this House – I was away for about two months and if something else happened, you forgive me – only one Bill. There have been many Bills that definitely fall within the ambit of the constitutional provisions that require to be sent to this House for consideration. This continuing overlook and disregard of the presence and the existence of the Senate is something that we must all be concerned about. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this morning, I also listened to the debate that was going on in the National Assembly and I was shocked to hear what was going on. It was a debate of a Bill completely identical to the Bill that we have passed here and we have forwarded through a message to the National Assembly. This definitely raises more questions than answers. We want to encourage you, that using your position which you hold with the authority of the Constitution, to communicate and seek audience with the two offices. The President does not assent to any Bill passed by any House without proper legal The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. advice from the Attorney-General. Is the Attorney-General advising the President to assent to Bills that have been passed and erroneously ignored to be sent to either House? The second one is that, you have a constitutional duty as the head of one of the Houses of Parliament; a critical arm of Government to seek audience with the President who assents to Bills and give him advice because you owe him that duty as well; that he should be considerate and careful and seek legal opinion whenever Bills are presented to him for signature. We do not want to engage into the Sri Lankan like legal adventure of running to court on everything, including the cutting of a tree. We want to be a country that is orderly, that respects the rule of law; that respects institutions and the relationships between institutions. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the drafters of this Constitution did not create the two Houses for nothing. They did not create the counties and the county assemblies for nothing. It is wrong and dangerous for our constitutional dispensation and the management of the bicameral system to be derailed and rubbished by the conduct of one office holder. This is wrong and dangerous. I urge you that you may not give us an opinion or ruling now, but you definitely have a duty to consult as widely and extensively as possible and bring this matter to an end. Otherwise, this Senate has a duty either individually or collectively or even Omtata out there to go to court and challenge the constitutionality of every Bill that is passed and assented to on the basis of this; and that is not the direction that we want to take. Mr. Speaker, Sir, through my observation, I think it is the right time we summoned the Attorney-General to come and try to vet his wisdom in advising the President on assenting to Bills, because even the Attorney-General may not be understanding the whole concept of what is happening between the two Houses. So, I think we could be dealing with the wrong person. I think it is the right time we summoned him to come and tell this House why he has actually been advising the President wrongly to assent to Bills which are not supposed to be assented to. Thank you. Ali Abdi Bule Mr. Speaker, Sir, the issue of wrangling here and there will not help Kenyans. The solution lies in the hands of the President of this country. We must seek his intervention. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, Sir, while I agree with my colleagues on their sentiments, I happen to have followed the debate last week on Thursday when it was moved by the Chair of the Committee in charge of legal affairs in the National Assembly. I also listened to the interventions and I remember very well that the Deputy Speaker at that time promised that a ruling would be made in ten days. This morning, I happened to have listened to the debate. On Sunday, I talked to the National Assembly Majority Leader and hon. Chepkonga and I thought it is prudent that we allow them to make a ruling and subsequently we follow the route which most of the Senators seem to be agreeing with. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. That notwithstanding, on the other Bills which had earlier on been passed, we can follow the route of engaging the Attorney-General and the Head of State on that so that we are above board as we have been. If we now engage in this debate and yet there are still a lot of things which are still pending, the other House may not necessarily act the way we are acting. So, I am pleading with you, as you make that ruling to consider engaging the Speaker of the National Assembly quietly as you have always done. It was very good when we had a joint Kamukunji last week. I thought it was a step in the right direction to make things work for both Houses. I want to plead with my colleagues that it seems they are following the right direction since the Bill also came here as a Private Member’s Bill, being a Wednesday morning and it happened that the Deputy Speaker was on the Chair and she allowed it to continue awaiting a ruling. As colleagues, we are all politicians and individually before we issue statements, we should give them time. We should collectively act together. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to contribute to this matter. I think when we had the joint Kamukunji, that was a very good indication that we are now starting to talk. I think we should not spoil that spirit. We should wait for the ruling from the National Assembly and then the two Speakers will sit together and discuss the matter. Once a Bill or a Motion has been put before the House, you cannot read the minds of the Members. We should let them debate it because at the end of the day, they will take a vote on that Bill and there will be a ruling. So, I think we should wait for that ruling and then the Speaker will take up the matter in his wise wisdom and advise the House on the way forward. Janet Ongera Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I just want to add my voice also to what my friends and distinguished Senators have said. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to urge you to exercise your quiet diplomacy with your brother, Speaker Muturi. This is a very serious matter that requires careful thinking. But the buck at the end of the day stops with the President. I would like to plead with my friend, hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, who is our President, not to assent to these Bills, so that we are enabled, as Senators, to do what our constitutional mandate is. This is because when we speak about “Parliament” passing any law, Parliament cannot exist without the Senate. So, I want to join my brother, the distinguished Senator for Tana River, in supporting that, in this matter, the buck stops with His Excellency the President. We, indeed, plead with him not to assent to these Bills. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I will not make any lengthy contribution. I agree with the sentiments that have been expressed here--- On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. If the speaker was not the Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, I would not interrupt it. But did you hear him call the Speaker “Mr. Chairman” and he wants to get away with it? Did he? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 27 Sen. Orengo Yes, Mr. Speaker, Sir, and he keeps on saying that he is the Attorney General emeritus. We can remove that title from him. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will wait for the HANSARD. I do not trust him on this one. Order, Sen. Wako! It is self-evident that when you speak, you close your ears. I want to confirm that I heard you loud and clear. You referred to the Speaker as the Chairman. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you heard me loud and clearly, then I withdraw that, call you “Mr. Speaker, Sir” and apologize. But I could not trust him on this particular one. Proceed, Sen. Wako! Mr. Speaker, Sir, I really want to follow what Sen.(Dr.) Kuti stated; that a lot of these issues, really, we should not be rushing here and making public statements. It tends to exaggerate the problem more than it is. Honestly, if it were my way, and if I knew that the Speaker of the National Assembly has yet to make a ruling, I would not even be engaged here now. I would have come to you and asked you: “Please, exercise your diplomacy, which you have in plenty, and have some quiet consultations with the Speaker before he makes that ruling.” That is the way that I would have gone. Most likely maybe the ruling would have been a good exposition of the law, the way Sen. Orengo exposed here, as to what the procedures ought to be. There would have been no need to have been exchanging a lot of accusations and so on. So, for me, the only amendment that I would make is that rather than wait for the ruling to be made before you intervene, exercise your diplomacy now and go and have a quiet chat with the Speaker of the National Assembly before that ruling. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. (Sen. (Dr.) Kuti stood up in his place) Order, Senators! Order, Dr. Kuti! I thought that you were pleading for leniency and accommodation. First, I want to say that the hon. Senator for Mombasa is perfectly in order to raise the matter. I think that all of you have a responsibility to the Chair to bring a matter of that nature to the attention of the Chair. Now whether you should do it on the Floor or make some clandestine visits to the Chair, I think that, that is up to you. But once he has selected the route that he has taken, given that this is a matter of public importance, it is not a private affair. If he did not do so, how could your Speaker have benefited from the kind of interventions that you have made, including the extremist view of Sen. G.G Kariuki or the legal prosecution by Sen. James Orengo and Sen. Murkomen, plus many The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. other interventions that you have made, which I think will make your Speaker even wiser than you have been saying? So, first, I want to confirm that those are very good interventions. Two, I want also to be very clear that I have just obtained the correspondence that we have followed from the Senate – the due process. For a Bill originating from the Senate, before even the First Reading, we communicate with the National Assembly, so that we agree whether or not it is a Bill affecting counties, as per the procedure in Article 110(3). We have done that. Unless you were not part of this thing, the other day when we had a joint Kamukunji, these matters were also canvassed and actually, it was part of the communication read finally, and there was no disagreement whatsoever. The Chair, of course, has followed also the proceedings of this, because as per the agreement of that Kamukunji , the matter came to the Floor of the National Assembly and rightly so. A Member, as most of you have observed, raised a matter, just like Sen. Omar has raised today. The presiding officer, who was the Deputy Speaker, asked for ten days to make the ruling. So, I was equally surprised that this morning, the same presiding officer could also entertain a Bill similar to the one that was awaiting the ruling. Surely, these matters cannot be lost on keen observers, unless we are the proverbial ostrich who decide to bury our heads in the sand. So, I think that it is perfectly in order when Senators get a bit concerned, even on some things that seem to be obvious, but are not very obvious to all of us. I will look at the HANSARD and inquire from all the relevant persons on what has transpired and then make my considered ruling. I will only promise you one thing; that we hold these offices in public trust, under the Constitution and we must deliver as per that Constitution. We will consult the relevant offices that you have mentioned, as we have always done, because we cannot act alone, and our record is there for everybody who cares to know. So, we will be led by the Constitution. Finally, I want to confirm that I do not believe that the Senate has any war with the Judiciary. So, when Sen. Sonko says that we have been assisted in some war, I do not think that we engaged in any war. We have made our Communication in terms of the court orders and process that was before the House, and they are very clearly spelt out in the Reports of the impeachment. Anybody who cares to read can avail himself or herself a copy of the Committee Report chaired by Sen. Boni Khalwale. So, I do not want that impression to be created. Our issue has been about contested jurisdiction and we respect each and every arm of Government. That will remain so. For Sen. Wetangula, in my recollection, I do not see any Bill that came from the National Assembly to the Senate. The last time when they made an attempt, they withdrew it. Sadly, that is what made us go to court. I thought that after the advisory opinion of the court, at least, all of us would abide by that advisory opinion, which categorically stated that it was binding to all the parties involved. But, as your humble servant, I have faithfully transmitted all our business to the National Assembly as per the Constitution. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. I agree with Sen. G.G. to some extent that the timing of the intervention was a bit off-guard, because the Motion was just to be seconded. But that is the nature of our business. Let us proceed! (Debate on the Motion resumed) Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to second this Motion and also appreciate the nature of the intervention that was made. It was valid and important to this House, just as you have ruled. Mr. Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to thank and congratulate the Mover of the Motion. She has moved this Motion at the opportune time. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I think that it will be important that our Members consult in low tones or walk out in silence. Order! Order, Senators! I am sure that Sen. Lesuuda is very clear on her request and I direct that you comply. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir. I do not know why it is the men who are walking out, but I will continue. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Mover of this Motion for two reasons. One, she has shown that this House is not a House of retirees or people who are not aware of what is happening in the world, especially of something which is of pride and we celebrate not only as Kenyans, but also as Africans. So, I want to thank Sen. Fatuma Adan for bringing this Motion to this honourable House. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I also want to congratulate most sincerely Lupita Nyong’o for daring to dream not only for herself, but for many Kenyan and African girls and women. I also want to echo her sentiments when she said that, that award reminds her that regardless of where you come from your dreams are valid. I want to stand in this Senate and say Ms. Lupita’s achievement really gives us hope as people of this country and people of Africa. I agree with her that our dreams are valid regardless of where we come from. Yes, dreams are valid if you dare to dream. It is also important for us, as a Senate, to deliberate on this matter because we are happy about her achievement. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. We know there are many instances where Kenyans are celebrated outside, but they are not appreciated in this country. I urge those who are given awards by the State be celebrated here before they are recognized outside. This Motion also comes at the right time when we will be celebrating the International Women’s Day on the 8th of this month. It is also a right time for us to reflect on the strides that women have taken. Some of the Kenyan women have placed us on the international map. For example, the late Prof. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize. Now Ms. Lupita is the first African woman to win the Oscar award. She is the first African and the seventh to win the Oscars as a supporting actress. We also have other women of this country in various fields. We have Ms. Ajuma from Turkana in modeling. As Ms. Lupita said regardless of where you come from you can make it. We have other women like Ms. Tecla Lorupe who have placed us on the international map. We also have from my own backyard, Ms. Josephine Kulea who is the United Nations (UN) person of the year. We have many other women who are doing extra ordinary things from the African continent. We, as a nation, must support and nurture talents of our people. This should not only be concentrated on acting, but also in sports. Look at our football and rugby; do we invest in these young people and the talents they have regardless of where they come from in our country? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would also like to thank the parents of Ms. Lupita, not only because the father is a Senator in this distinguished House, but because they knew the value of education as well. They took her to the most prestigious schools. I am sure they sacrificed a lot to ensure that she got the best in terms of education. That brings the question about education; how many of our children can access quality education in this country? Samburu County was ranked number one in this country. This is something that we, as leaders from the county, are celebrating. However, are these children really exposed? Do they easily access quality education? I am sure Ms. Lupita was able to excel because she accessed quality education. It is also because of her hard work, determination, sacrifice and very many other things that she won this award. Therefore, it is important for us to think about the quality and accessibility of education in our country. As we also think about talent, let us also think about the beauty of our country. These films can even be shot in our country. We have the sun dunes of Marsabit County and the beauty of Rift Valley. We should make use of our beautiful country to encourage the film industry and the arts. It is also important for us, as a country, to remember these artists. That the young people will not only be performing during political rallies. The only time we see them is when they come to dance and sing for us during campaign period. We should make sure that they earn from their talents. I happened to have interacted with the likes of Mama Kayai, Baba Kayai and other comedians. It is unfortunate that at their sunset years, it is when they are enjoying fruits of their hard labour. Why could they not enjoy that when they were younger, when they had children in schools and when they could invest? Fortunately, they have been very resilient. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. There have been some directives in this country that 30 per cent of what we watch and listen to on televisions and radio, respectively be local contents. How much of the local contents do we watch and listen to in this country? It is not that they are not there, but we just do not follow them. I agree that we have been watching Nigeria movies. After all, the ones they have produced, they have not won such a prestigious award. This means we need to invest more in our people. How many other Oscar award winners would we be talking about? How many other awards would we be talking about if we accept that we have to invest in our young people? I would also like to challenge the issue of youth fund. The Government says they have committed Kshs300 million for soft loans to improve talent. However, what is on the ground is quite different. It is not working. I would like to thank our President because he sent a message of his best wishes to Ms. Lupita. He made a commitment, which I hope and know that he will keep, to ensure that the film and the arts industry prospers in this country. Mr. Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, I would like to encourage all of us to support facilities that made Ms. Lupita who she is today. She acted in Phoenix and the National Theatre here in Nairobi. So, we have the best facilities here in Kenya. We, as Kenyans, know what we need to do. We have no option, but to do so. So, I take this opportunity to really commend her. As young people, we can be who we want to be. For some of us to be in this Senate is a big motivation to many girls from the pastoralist communities and others. They know very well that they can also make it. They can also be the best in whatever they aspire to be. I beg to second this Motion and most sincerely congratulate Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. Mr. Speaker, Sir, thank you very much for the opportunity. It is a moment like this that brings us together as a nation and we realize exactly what we are made of. This is a moment of pride for the whole of our nation. I want to thank Sen. Fatuma Dullo for coming up with this Motion. It is important that we should commend Ms. Lupita Nyong’o for the achievement that she has made, not just for herself, but for this nation. I agree with her when she said, particularly to the youth, that they must be living their dreams because their dreams are valid. That is a statement that will go down in the history of this country, particularly for the youth, because, indeed, their dreams are valid. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I had occasion to talk to her father Sen. (Prof) Anyang’- Nyong’o about this issue in the presence of Sen. Wetangula. I told him long before she was declared the winner of the award and when it was becoming quite obvious that she was going higher as pertains to this award, that she had done us proud already. Even if she had not gone to the final leg, she had already taken a very long journey and she made us feel very proud. I talked about that in the context of nationhood, the way that we The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Kenyans come together when one of us does so well because that should exactly be how we should look at ourselves 365 days in a year. That is what makes us Kenyans. This country has a very long history. As I said before, we have many heroes and heroines. They are the ones who make us what we are. When I was working out of the country, and I had a chance to go to the stadia in Europe to watch our athletes run, there is nothing that gave me as much pride as seeing our athletes. During the Diamond League, I was watching our athletes like David Rudisha and others show the world what athletics is all about. When we raise that flag as Kenyans living in the diaspora to appreciate what David Rudisha and others did, it made us very proud. Therefore, this tells me that our dreams are valid and it is true that our youth should be able to achieve these goals. Mr. Speaker, Sir, lately you have seen our young footballers go to Europe and other places and make a very good show for themselves. They have shown that it can be done. This encourages our youth, like Sen. Lesuuda has said. It is very important for our youth to have role models, that is, people they can look up to. What Ms. Lupita Nyong’o has achieved, I dare say it is a new frontier for this nation. I dare say that it is something that we should seriously think about in encouraging our youth. That is why this Motion is very important. The question that we ask ourselves is this: How can our youth get to that position that Ms. Lupita has now opened up? I would like to thank the local television networks that have, without being pushed by any law, found it important to have local content in the television shows that we see. On Monday evening, I am very happy to be at home to watch Inspector Mwala because I can see he has been acting for a very long time. Because of him and other local content, you find that many young people have become interested. Other shows are like Churchill live and the youth showcase their talents in these shows. This is how we are going to build those other industries. It is not enough to say that the Nigerian movies are not good. People watch them. Why do they watch them? It is because there is a vacuum in our movie industry. Therefore, we must commend and even push legislation, which I think had been tried in 2003 during the Ninth Parliament, to have as a statutory requirement that there should be more local content on television shows in Kenya. We need to create that talent and tell those youth that education is one of the most important tools of trade. It will help them achieve those goals, but not performing as a student does not always shut the doors because one may be talented in other areas, be it athletics, soccer and other things. That is why when you talk about education, where there are many universities and very few polytechnics or middle level colleges, it is time for us to wake up and think of the importance of middle level colleges which are able to absorb those who cannot go to university. It also important for the Ministries that we have or the departments of Government we have to think seriously about the academies that are going to be there; be they academies for soccer like in West Africa, where their young people have gone to Europe and made money out of football. They have started academies in their own countries, therefore, perpetuating the talent of other young people. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. With regard to Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, I would like to say that she has done us, as a nation, proud. She has shown the youth that it is possible. Everywhere we go as leaders and Senators, once we talk about Ms. Lupita Nyong’o or the great athletes like Kipchoge and others, we are helping our people to know one thing; that it is possible for us to talk with one voice and to forget the things that divide us because they are much less than those that bring us together. That is why when anybody stands to talk about Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, they will be talking about her, the Kenyan who has made Kenya proud. Ms. Lupita Nyong’o is a Kenyan, a great Kenyan of great talent whom we should accord that commendation. She burned her toes for us to show us that we, as a nation, can create our heroes and heroines and to stand up for them so that we show our children, the generations that will come after us, what a great nation we are in. I want to support this Motion and to take this opportunity, on my own behalf to congratulate Ms. Lupita Amondi Nyong’o for having achieved what she has achieved, both for herself and for the nation. I want to congratulate, lest I am misunderstood, her parents because it is the nurturing, encouragement and the building of confidence that has taken her that far. On a point of information, Mr. Speaker, Sir. Do you wish to be informed? Was that Sen. Sonko? Indeed, that was Sen. Sonko. What is his point of information, Mr. Speaker, Sir? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to inform the hon. Senator, the Mover and the Seconder that Ms. Lupita Nyong’o was born in Mexico on 1st March, 1983. However, she was conceived in Nairobi County, Jerusalem Estate, four or five houses away from where the former Prime Minister was residing. Ms. Lupita Nyong’o’s thanksgiving service was held in Nairobi at Ridgeways Baptist Church a couple of weeks ago. On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, Sir. While I appreciate the contribution of my Senator, hon. Sonko, I would not wish to trivialize this very important matter that we are discussing. However, is it in order to drag in the name of the former Prime Minister in matters pertaining to the conception period of Ms. Lupita Nyong’o? What is he trying to insinuate? Is it in order? Sawa, kaa chini . Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am in order because we, as a county, are trying to appreciate Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. You are out of order! Order, Sen. Ongoro! You must make a distinction between the time you preside and when you are on the Floor. What is it, Sen. Orengo? The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Mr. Speaker, Sir, Sen. Ongoro has stood on a point of order on account of the Senator for Nairobi trivializing an important debate. However, he has also made a statement of fact which I want to draw your attention to. Should it turn out that the statement is completely false; the Senator for Nairobi should be disciplined and thrown out of the House! He said that – I have known the Nyong’o family for a long time - Ms. Lupita was conceived in Jerusalem. That is a statement of purported fact. I know that it is wrong and I know the kind of insinuation that he is trying to make. That statement is wrong and he should not be left to get away with it. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me defend myself. We are trying to appreciate Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. I am not lying. Order, Sen. Sonko! You have been challenged to substantiate. So, you need to substantiate the matter you have been challenged about. Mr. Speaker, Sir, let me substantiate. We are proud of this young lady. I wish the father was here for me to give my--- What does the father have to do with this? Mr. Speaker, Sir, I am substantiating--- Senator, have a seat. Just relax. I have the Floor. The sentiments I have made are true and not false. The first thanksgiving service for Ms. Lupita Nyong’o was held in Ridgeways Baptist Church, Nairobi where both her parents were present. Her aunts and friends were also present to congratulate this young lady. We are very proud of her. I think my colleagues are misquoting me, but I am trying to compliment her. Order, hon. Senators! First, you must appreciate that Sen. Sonko is not even contributing. He is trying to inform the Senator from Murang’a. I do not know to what extend that Sen. Kembi-Gitura has been informed. Sen. Kembi-Gitura, please, concludes. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to apologise to the House because if I knew the kind of information I was going to get, I would have declined it. I am saying this seriously. I am not saying this in jive or triviality, but because I hold this House in great importance. I am sure that the Speaker would not have approved a Motion that was not, otherwise, important. My knowledge is that we are talking about a young Kenyan who has achieved tremendously. She is Kenyan and that is why we are discussing this in the Senate, the Upper House. I wish to apologise to Members. That is why, at times, we need to have a peep of what will be said so that you decide on whether or not to accept it. Having said that and as I conclude, let me say, as I said before I was interrupted, that I would like to thank and appreciate her parents, including the schools that she attended that had to nurture that great talent. I will end by saying exactly what Sen. Fatuma Dullo said when she moved the Motion. I believe there are very many Amondi Nyong’o’s out there, whom we have nurtured and who have made this country a great place to be. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Ekwee David Ethuro (March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 35 The Speaker) Order, your time is up! I know that my time was not being held when there were many points of order being raised. There is a small price to pay for what you also accepted. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, Sir for giving me an opportunity. I also want to salute the Deputy Speaker for his reaction. I watched him react with horror as the purported information flowed towards him. I salute Sen. Dullo for moving and bringing this Motion and Sen. Lesuuda for seconding and saying such kind and relevant words about a young Kenyan. This young girl has achieved for this country an unparalleled level of pride. It is true she is the first Black African to get an Oscar award. We have had a white lady from South Africa before and, of course, Omar Sharif, the Egyptian who won an Oscar. However, she has won an Oscar as a young African girl in her first bidding in acting. There are many people, black and white who waited for 30 years to be nominated for an Oscar. The great James Bonds like John Conrail was nominated for Oscars after acting for 25 years. Ms. Lupita has been nominated after her first major movie. We congratulate her and salute her. As we do so, we cannot forger her parents. Prof. Nyong’o was our teacher at the University of Nairobi. His wife Dorothy was my year mate at the University of Nairobi. I think they have brought up their children well. However, even without that – that is why I was horrified to see the distinguished Senator for Nairobi trivializing the issue - even if Ms. Lupita Nyong’o was a street girl and she went on to achieve what she has achieved, she has achieved it for Kenya. She has exploited her talent well. I want to salute many Kenyans who have made this country proud. At one point when I was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I landed in New York and that afternoon, three Kenyans had won the Boston Marathon. Every television screen was screening them after every five minutes. When the Immigration officers saw my passport and got to know that I was a Kenyan, they saluted and said; “those guys are good.” I want to encourage the leadership of today not to neglect Ms. Lupita Nyong’o the way we neglected Wangari Maathai. Wangari Maathai rose to a point of prominence where one African President, the President of Congo asked me, why we were not utilizing the great lady. In fact, he appointed her as a goodwill Ambassador for Congo in conjunction with the President of Congo DRC, something that Kenya did not do for Wangari until she went to her grave with all her immense talent. We have had many goodwill ambassadors. I pride myself because Ms. Pamela Jelimo was the first Kenyan girl to win the Golden League Grand Prix and bagged a million dollars for herself. I called her and ignored all the rules and limitations of who should get a diplomatic passport. I gave Ms. Pamela Jelimo a diplomatic passport to go around the world to show the distinction she had achieved for this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. We have many talented people. If you go to Tanzania, across the border, every Tanzanian, at the time when Vitimbi is screened on their televisions, they stop all the other things they were doing to watch it. It is one of the most popular television series in Tanzania. In Kenya, when we see Ojwang and Mama Kayai come on television, we see them as a source of constant laughter and not as talent. You can see how our talented people have ended up; Mr. Ojwang, I believe, has no car. Mama Kayai walks on foot and they have to look around for fees for their children. I agree; the Nigerian movies dominate our screens. Today, the Nigerian film industry, Nollywood, generates more that US Dollars 10 billion. That is one quarter of our GDP. This is just one indicator in their economy. This House can originate legislation and I want to encourage Sen. Wako and his committee to do so--- If you go anywhere around the world, in any hotel television, you will watch National Geographic, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel which are all filmed in Kenya; Maasai Mara, Tsavo and Amboseli. Those who come to film those films that we watch simply walk in with a tourist visa and a camera and stay in the Maasai Mara for one month, paying nothing to the country and its people and they go and make billions out of our heritage. We need to legislate on how to harness our talent and our heritage that we have preserved for so long. In fact, one time I asked former President Kibaki that his Government ought to have brought up legislation so that we track and follow anywhere where wildlife from the Maasai Mara and the great migration is being showed and we ask for our royalties, so that we bring money to this country. [The Speaker (hon. Ethuro) left the Chair] [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kembi-Gitura) took the Chair] Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, Ms. Lupita Nyong’o has made us very proud. I told her father, our colleague Sen. Anyang’-Nyong’o, that success at a very early age has challenges. We have seen the tragic case of talented young girls like Whitney Houston who succeeded immensely at the age of about 20 years and ran into a drug man called Bobby Brown who took her completely astray until she died of a cocaine overdose in her bath tub. I talked to my friend Sen. Anyang’-Nyong’o and told him the girl has succeeded and now he has a duty to make sure that she is properly and professionally managed to nurture and grow her talent so that she can succeed. She could be another Oprah Winfrey and not to be another Michael Jackson. She could be another Sydney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Denzel Washington and all those who have succeeded because they are well managed. We have seen how our young boys are now doing us proud; Macdonald Mariga, Victor Wanyama and Dennis Oliech. Those young men are now earning a weekly stipend that not a President of Kenya can earn in one year. This is great talent and we can see in Ms. Lupita that it can be done. We can see in Lupita that, yes we can’ yes it is possible; The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. yes we can succeed. I salute her. I salute her parents and I salute all those of good will that are supporting this talented girl. Let us go out there now and seek and search for more talent that is lying out there and bring them up like Jesus said: When you light a lantern, do not put it under the stool, put it on the stool for everybody to see. I support. Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir. I want to add my voice to appreciating Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. I do not want to overstate my appreciation of her efforts in achieving what she has achieved, but I am definitely very excited to stand here in the Senate and talk about a young girl who has really excelled in her career choice. I believe that she must have achieved this through many ways and one of them must be her strength of character. (Sen. Wako consulted loudly) Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Attorney-General emeritus has forgotten that he is now in the Senate. Leave that to me. I want to remind him - I had occasion to discuss the issue with him - to read Standing Order No.105. Please, do as directed. Order! Just proceed. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, this young girl must be having a lot of strength in her character. I believe that maybe earlier on, her parents might have wanted her to do something, the society must have expected something else, her peers could have encouraged her to do something else, but going by what I have noticed in her speeches and her presentation, she has the kind of intelligence that qualifies her to just become about anything. However, she chose to do something that she believes in. Not many of us, especially parents, will encourage and invest in an intelligent child who qualifies to be a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer, but who chooses to be an actor. For us, we have not come to the level of appreciating that any career is good enough. There are four things that we can learn from this individually as parents, as a society and as a nation. First, we need to invest in early childhood education as we debated in this Chamber before, to allow us to search for such talents and to nurture them and encourage them and then promote them to the right academies where such talents can be nurtured and even to have our children going abroad to those academies. The second lesson that we learn is that, as parents, teachers, leaders, society and as a nation, we should respect career choices of the youth. We must learn to appreciate that while you think somebody might be a good doctor, appreciate when that person insists on becoming a nurse. Let us also learn that through these kinds of achievements, the Government should walk the talk and provide the infrastructure development and the finances that will encourage these kinds of talents. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, lastly, we have under-utilized these kind of opportunities as a nation. What do we do when Rudisha, for example, wins a gold medal? How many times do we use such opportunities to sell our country not only as a tourist destination, but even as an investment destination? We now have Ms. Lupita Nyong’o; what structures have we put in place to make maximum use of this opportunity that has put Kenya one more time on the global screen so that even when we sell ourselves in the tourist industry through the face of many animals that are so exciting, what are we going to do with this achievement, to brand Kenya through this achievement of Lupita, to sell ourselves globally maybe through an audience that is not excited through the animal lense, so that we sell ourselves as a destination? There are people who may just want to come to Kenya to see where Ms. Lupita was born and bred. I will conclude by saying that as a young girl who was born and bred in Kenya, she has made a big statement to all of us, and especially to the youth, that everything is possible when you remain focused, you give it your best and when you do not deviate from your career choice, when you are not distracted and when you get encouragement from your family. Thank you very much, congratulations Lupita. Gino osekao . Zipporah Jepchirchir Kittony Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to congratulate the Mover of this Motion and, surely as I stand here, I stand on behalf of 51 per cent of Kenyans. Those are the mothers, the grandmothers and the sisters of Ms. Luptia Nyong’o. Truly, we are indebted, proud, happy and very happy as mothers of Kenya, more so to Dorothy Nyong’o who is the mother of Lupita. It is no longer business as usual when we used to say that the place for a woman is in the kitchen. The women of Kenya have made Kenya proud through our athletes, the late Wangari Maathai and the rest. I am so overjoyed because the women have done it. The foundation of a child which revolves most of the time with the mother is what we have seen. This has been proven. We are indebted to this good foundation. I would like to urge all the parents to give their children a chance to prove themselves. In most cases, we interfere with their choices, but I think we should leave them to choose what is best for them in their lives. I believe that the inspiration that this young Kenyan has given to Kenya is remarkable and the challenge that Lupita has given to the young generation of Kenya is supposed to be noted and to allow parents to give their children a chance. [The Deputy Speaker (Sen. Kembi-Gitura) left the Chair] [The Temporary Speaker (Sen. Ongoro) took the Chair] I would like to pay tribute to the parents of Ms. Lupita for a great foundation and good upbringing that they gave to her and also for her life. You can give a child what you can, but I think Lupita has proven herself. What we have seen is commendable. What I am only urging as one of our colleagues said is to nurture Ms. Lupita from there. We do The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. not want to be disappointed because we know the temptations that revolve around people, especially when they live out there. I believe Ms. Lupita is hearing us from this august House. We want to wish her the very best so that she lives a good life and gets good managers of her affairs so that she may continue to inspire many others. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Mover of this Motion did it at an appropriate moment when we are celebrating the International Women’s Day. Maybe you do not know why we are celebrating the International Women’s Day. It is because the journey of women in the struggle for leadership has been a long and winding road. It is still long, but we need the support of everyone. If I can remind you, in 1985, we had the first United Nations Women meeting in Kenya, that is the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies and then we came a long way to Beijing where we identified the very critical areas of concern. From there the United Nations took over the issues of equality and gender violence. Now even in this House we have 18 women serving and in the other House we have quite a number of women, although we have not reached the two-thirds number that we want. We are still fighting and we have seen what Ms. Lupita has done. This is a strong message to say that women are here and need to be recognized. When it comes to recognizing our efforts, I think that the Government of Kenya and the awards committee should seriously give the right medals to the right persons and not do so on friendly basis. This is because in most cases those who deserve to get them are not getting them. So, it should be done on merit. Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to thank the Mover for bringing this Motion at a very appropriate time. Some of us will be going to attend the Commision on the Status of Women (CSW) and hope that maybe we will meet Ms. Lupita in the United States, the first Black African to get an Oscar award. Madam Temporary Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to support. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this important Motion. Madam Temporary Speaker, first of all, I would like to congratulate Sen. Dullo for thinking about this important Motion at the right time, while the incident is very vivid and recent. Secondly, I would like to congratulate Ms. Lupita and her parents also for nurturing and guiding her to be able to face the world and win the way she did. Madam Temporary Speaker, these kinds of incidents make us all very proud as Kenyans. These are the kind of days when I feel very proud to be a Kenyan. This is because I look back and see a very beautiful country; the only country in the world where the equator passes on a snowcapped mountain. The snow is there 24 hours a day and the sun is right there over it everyday. You feel proud to see that we have the best physically fit people, who are superpowers themselves in the athletics field. Now, slowly our talents and abilities are emerging even in other fields, including even the film industry. Therefore, while we whine and have our own political issues and corruption, there are days that you rise above those and feel very proud. Today is one of those days. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Madam Temporary Speaker, this country is a very beautiful country. It is a country that actually is so suitable for the film industry. “Walking with the Lions” was made in the famous Shaba Game Reserve. It was one of the very famous movies. The fact that we are able to excel even in international fora, I fully agree with Sen. Dullo that we have a lot of Lupitas, but we need to work as a nation; and the leadership of this country needs to provide the necessary infrastructure, especially security. This is because right now the place where “walking with the lions” was filmed, most of the time cannot be visited, because of the insecurity that keeps popping up once in a while. We need to provide security in these areas and encourage and attract the movie industry to develop. Now that we have the Kenya Film Board (KFB), I want to challenge it to come up, be visible and utilize this opportunity that we have scored so highly in the international arena. They should bring it home; that Kenya is now not only the industrial and economic hub of this region, but also the entertainment and film hub of Africa. Madam Temporary Speaker, there are a lot of talents. I happened to be the first Minister for Youth Affairs. In fact, the Ministry of Youth Affairs was my baby. During that period I had the honour to interact with Kenyan youth who were very talented and innovative people in the areas of arts and music. The problem that they are facing is the fact that, in fact, as a nation, most of the artists and athletes are successful out of their own initiative. It has a lot to do with them than the infrastructure and support that the State provides. In fact, it is just maybe by luck that they happen to take a path. Therefore, there is no focused approach. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other issue is copyrights, where a lot of Kenyan artists, including musicians are wallowing in poverty after they have done a very good job and produced music. This is because their music is pirated all over. While the copyright laws have been enacted, they are not being enforced. Therefore, a lot of talents get stolen and many youth are not able to get the fruits of their talents. We need to ensure that the copyright laws are enforced, so that our artists can enjoy their sweat. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other issue is theatre. I would encourage the counties to take advantage of this win by Ms. Lupita, so that they can establish theatres. There are very few theatres even in Nairobi. We do not even see prominent people attending the theatres. It is important that we appreciate our people and their performances. That gives them a lot of encouragement to excel. Madam Temporary Speaker, the other issue is education and support. We also have our own awards, which I am sure many women leaders are not aware of. There is the Kisima Awards which happens every year in this country. I do not know how many Senators in this House actually are aware and were able to attend and give encouragement to Kenyans. These are the kinds of things that we need to support our youth on. We need to be with and recognize them. We need to be aware of what is going on, so that we are able to craft the necessary laws that will support our young people. Madam Temporary Speaker, with those few remarks, I beg to support. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 41 Sen. Ong’era Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. May I also begin by commending Sen. Dullo and Sen. Lesuuda, for moving and seconding this very important Motion, respectively. This Motion could not have come at a more opportune time, especially now that this week we are celebrating the Women’s Day. It could not even have come at a more opportune time, than when you are presiding over on this occasion as we celebrate Ms. Lupita Amondi Nyong’o. Madam Temporary Speaker, as you are aware, Ms. Lupita Nyong’o took home the academy award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “ 12 Years a Slave.” She solidified her place as the queen in many people’s hearts in Kenya and the world. I was even surprised to check on Facebook that the Mexicans were actually celebrating her more than us here in Kenya. Madam Temporary Speaker, Ms. Lupita is our daughter. Although we thank her parents for having brought this child to the world, she has now become a child of this world. Her achievement has been great because she not only topped many great and seasoned actresses, for example, Jennifer Lawrence, for this award, but also received a standing ovation; a thing that rarely happens for black Africans in the Oscars. Her words to our youth; that no matter where you come from, your dreams are valid, are really encouraging. It means that youth from my village in Otachi, children who do not have shoes – like I went to school without shoes – can aspire to be great actresses of the world. They can aspire to be the great Lupitas and Presidents of this world, like President Obama. What Ms. Lupita has done for our youth is to put them in their place of history; that they too, no matter where they have come from, can be the children of this world and the very great actors and actresses of tomorrow. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to come now to the local scene. When we look at the local content in this country, many of our great actors, who could be the Lupita Nyong’os had they gotten the opportunity, are not taken into consideration, respected or acknowledged. I have in mind our great actors like Inspector Mwala, the children in Machachari – Fatso and Stella – and actors and actresses in the Mother-in-Law Programme that we watch as local content. These actors and actresses have been thoroughly ignored by our country. I will be very happy to see a situation in this country where we would develop something almost like the Oscar Awards ceremony, where we can recognize our very own actors and actresses in this country. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to challenge our national Government, particularly at this time when we are all sending Ms. Lupita Nyong’o messages of congratulations. Can we also think about developing and enhancing the Nairobi Academy of Performing Arts, so that especially the youth can enroll and be trained, so that they can also become the Lupita Nyong’os of tomorrow? I would be very happy to see that in this academy will have programmes on research and curricula like classic ballet, perhaps, which many of us, especially our rural children, have not heard about, but it is a great curriculum in the performing arts. There are also things like salsa and hip-hop dance. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. These are things that would really enhance our cultural practices and also help our children to become more exposed to the world. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to end by giving a story that the distinguished parents of Ms. Lupita who are very close to me once told me. That the young Lupita, at the age of 10 years old was very sick and they took her to hospital. On the way to hospital she asked the parents where they were taking her and they told her they were going to the hospital. She then told them to stop so that they can pray first. This goes a long way to illustrate that Lupita put God first in her life. She was a visionary leader, she could see far and that with God she could go far. Therefore, I end by congratulating our distinguished and honourable Senator, my political mentor and friend, Sen. (Prof.) Peter Anyang’- Nyong’o and Mama Dorothy for giving us such a wonderful child. Sammy Leshore Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to congratulate Sen. Adan for bringing this Motion. First, as a father I have known Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’- Nyong’o for the last 21 years. He has been a very good friend of mine. He has been good in all the issues that we have been raising together from the Lower House and now in the Senate. I am very happy that Ms. Lupita has shown the world that Kenyan girls can become actresses all over the world. I am very proud of her. I do not want to say much because I am a father. Traditionally, we fathers do not speak a lot about our daughters. I wish her all the best in this world. I wish she would go and tell other young talented Kenyans that where there is a will, there is a way. Madam Temporary Speaker, I am proud of that young Kenyan. I would like to thank Kenyans generally from President Kenyatta, former Presidents Moi and Kibaki because one thing that Kenyans have not recognized is that they have been supporting Kenya Schools Drama Festivals since 1960s up to today. That is where we measure talent in Kenya. As Sen. Ong’era said, if we want to bring something like an Oscar, we should support our institutions to nurture the talent we have in Kenya. We have a lot of talent in our youth and Ms. Lupita has just shown that. We have also shown these talents in cinemas like Roaming with the Lions, Toto’s Journey where Kenyan born actors have performed very well. I do not know if any of you has seen those films. You will see Kenyan actors doing us proud. I would urge this House to come out strongly and tell the Government to support these young talented Kenyans. Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to support what my friend from Isiolo said; that our country has very beautiful sceneries for film-making. From Sarova Shaba, all the way to Lake Turkana, we have beautiful scenery more than Hollywood. I would like the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Arts to come up and support the Kenya Film Corporation. We should promote Kenya as a film industry so that our young talents can be measured there. With those few words, I support fully. Madam Temporary Speaker, Sir, I would like to start by being very clear that I support this Motion in its entirety. I support because Ms. Lupita Nyong’o has made history, not only in Kenya, but in Africa by being the first Black African to win The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. an Oscar award. In her own words, she said that it was a testimony that all the dreams that the children of this country have are valid, whatever it takes or whatever happens in your life. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to start by congratulating the parents of Ms. Lupita Nyong’o for doing something that many Kenyans do not do. We like to push our children to do the courses we imagine are the most important, the ones we believe bring money. I can imagine when this young lady went to her father or mother and said that she wants to be the best actor in the world. I think it takes an understanding parent to accept his child to be an actor. This is a professor of political science and economics who has to accept that his child is going to be actor. That is something that could not have been imagined at that particular time. Many parents would like to push their children to do medicine, law, engineering or to be what they wanted to be, but they never were. The decision to support Ms. Lupita in terms of doing arts, is something that we must congratulate Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o, his wife and the entire family. I am really very proud that I shall go on record to be that Senator that served at the same time with the father of an Oscar Award winner. There shall be that relationship. If Sen (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o comes back here, you will see that more people want to take pictures with him because it is a representation of history that the family has produced someone of honour. Can you imagine that in 32 nominations, she has won 24 awards? She goes into history to be in the same league with Whoopi Goldberg, Jennifer Hudson, Monique, Octavia and Spencer as the few black women to win an Oscar award as the best supporting actress. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is something that is inspiring for young people in this country. Ms. Lupita Nyong’o is in my age bracket despite the fact that I look a bit older. She is 31 years old and I am just three years older than her. So, she could have been my playmate if I had been brought up somewhere around where she was brought up. Therefore, we must celebrate the great work that she has done; the commitment, the passion and the hard work. She was featured in the latest edition of Time Magazine . How many people want to be featured in the Times Magazine ? Even me, I would just want to be in the footnotes on Times Magazine and Ms. Lupita Nyong’o was heavily featured in that magazine. When I looked at what she had done, I was reminded of a quote from Martin Luther King Jnr. who once said that if a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep the streets, even as Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep the streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth would pause to say: “Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.” If Martin Luther King Jnr. was living today, he would have improved this quote by saying; if a woman is called upon to be a street sweeper, she should sweep the streets even as Michaelangelo painted, Beethoven compose music or Shakespeare wrote poetry or Lupita Nyong’o acted. Because she did this with commitment, precision, passion and hard work to ensure that she has achieved what she wanted to do in life. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. As a result, she has carried the flag of this country high. This is an achievement of a wonderful lady which I believe will inspire our young people. As we do that, this should not just be a celebration for the sake of it. I would like to suggest that by a resolution of this House, the Government of Kenya, in honour of Ms. Lupita Nyong’o should ensure that funding to performing arts is increased. Every county must have a facility that will assist young people to be trained in matters of music so that they sing like my friend, Juliani or act like Inspector Mwala or even do better like Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. I stand here to support and to urge all of us to celebrate the performance of this lady and to ensure that we support women. We should ensure that apart from supporting the boy child, we also support our girl children so that they bring honour and glory to this great Republic. With those many remarks, I salute Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, the family and everybody else who has assisted her to be who she is. I support. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I will be very brief. It is significant that Ms. Lupita Nyong’o took Kenya to the first world. Indeed, an Oscar is a world event. Although my friend, Sen. Janet Ong’era, talked about others who were also competing for the same award and recognition, she was competing with the best in Hollywood. If you did not know, amongst the persons competing for this award was a very well known lady and world personality, Oprah Winfrey. There was also an actress who has, previously, obtained Oscar awards for being the best actress, Julia Roberts. To that extent, we should be proud of our daughter, Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. She was competing with the best. I join Sen. Zipporah Kittony in saying that we should think of how we will give her this national award. We should be giving national awards to the best. Sometimes, you will find James Orengo being awarded Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH). However, what has James Orengo done? Probably, behind me there is a great scandal which is unresolved. As I get the award, members of the public may be calling me a thief who is going for a national award. I think the next time that this Committee sits to give these awards; they should not give to someone just because he occupies a certain position. It must be somebody who has brought honour and glory to this country and not just because somebody has campaigned for it and is being recognized as such. Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o and his family have been lovers of art and culture for a long time. I know that as a matter of fact. When I was in school with Sen. Anyang’- Nyong’o, he took a big interest in the debating club in Alliance High School and acted in many plays like the Shakespeare plays. Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o also belonged to a group which was unique in the kind of songs that they used to sing. They used to sing Calypso songs from the Caribbean and they were called the “Deep River Boys.” Although Dorothy was not in Hollywood to see her daughter being honoured, she has also been a lover of arts and culture. If you go to any major exhibition in Nairobi for arts The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. and culture, you will find the Anyang’-Nyong’o family there. This is a realization of how they have brought up their family. For the past seven years, I thought that Ms. Lupita was in the wrong profession. It is very difficult to make it through in the performing arts because here in Kenya, you are not well rewarded or recognized. However, through personal journey and struggle, this lady has brought us great pride and honour. She is the only black African woman, ever, to get an Oscar award. This is a great honour to Kenya and to the continent. The other people who have won this honour are Omar Sharif who is an Egyptian actor and a white lady from South African, Charlize Theron. Kenyan men have also not been beaten. One of the actresses who won the awards in 2006, Jenifer Hudson is married to a man of Kenyan decent. So, the Kenyan men are also doing very well in this spot talent. Mr. Speaker, Sir, in overall, this is a time when Kenya should think about--- On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker. Is the distinguished Senator for Siaya, James Orengo, in order to refer to you as Mr. Speaker when he clearly knows that you are a Madam Speaker? Elizabeth Ongoro Masha (The Temporary Speaker) Senator, if you, indeed, called me “Mr. Speaker”, then you should correct that. The tradition of the House is that the Chair has no gender. No, you are out of order! Madam Temporary Speaker, I withdraw and apologise. I do not want to take a lot of time because there are many who want to contribute to this. But I am hoping, as Sen. Kuti and Murkomen, have said that we will be discussing the Budget in the next three months. The honour that Lupita has brought to Kenya should be appreciated by giving money in the area of arts and culture and promoting this in schools. We should create academies so that Kenya continues to feature in that direction. Thank you, Sen. Dullo, for bringing this Motion. Daisy Nyongesa Kanainza Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this Motion. I start by congratulating Sen. Fatuma Dullo for seeing the importance of discussing what Ms. Lupita has done in making Kenya proud. As we celebrate Ms. Lupita, the best actress in the Oscar awards, I want to remember the contribution made by the late Wangari Maathai and the late Samuel Wanjiru. Madam Temporary Speaker, this is a motivation to many Kenyans, especially young Kenyans who have talent in different aspects like sports, cultural activities and drama among, other things. They should have the same opportunity to rise and shine like Ms. Lupita did. This morning, I was listening to a local radio station and there was an interview going on by Vincent Ateya with a young boy who got a grade “A” from Alliance Boys School. When asked what he wanted to be, he said he wanted to be a journalist. This is not common for young people who get an “A”. This is because we have a culture that if someone gets a grade “A”, they either have to pursue engineering or medicine and be a doctor. This is a challenge. It is a challenge because we take The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. journalism and these other courses as option “b” of our career, but Ms. Lupita has been a motivation to many people and even to our parents who think that some courses are not the best to be taken. As we celebrate Ms. Lupita, we are doing it as Kenyans and Africa. It kills tribalism and we see ourselves as Kenyans. Madam Temporary Speaker, one day, I remember Churchill saying that his parents are still waiting for the time he will be employed. This is because they do not appreciate what he is doing whereas he has been able to nurture so many other people like Eric Omondi and even Mwalimu Wanjiku that we celebrate. This is a good opportunity that was given to Ms. Lupita by the parents. I also want to hail the role that the parents have played to make sure that Ms. Lupita’s dream comes true. At the same time, this is a challenge to young people. We see many young people growing up with talent in primary and secondary schools, but unfortunately, it dies as they mature. This is maybe because they lack role models or they are forced to take specific courses in school. We also need to appreciate the local programmes on our local television stations like Vitimbi, Vioja Mahakamani and even Tahidi High. In most cases, people lack opportunities. As Sen. Lesuuda said, in Samburu people are very proud to see her in the Senate. Even in the larger western region, people are proud to see a young Senator representing them here. I also want to thank Sen. Ong’era who has just left and my political party ODM for giving me an opportunity to represent the young people here. I stand today as a proud Kenyan and congratulate Ms. Lupita by saying that success is equal to hard work. I conclude with a quote by Nightingale; “We become what we think about”. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, I also rise to support this Motion and to thank Ms. Lupita--- On a point of order, Madam Temporary Speaker. Sorry for interrupting the distinguished Senator. In view of the tremendous interest being shown in this debate and that we have just about a half an hour to go, would I be in order to request you to regulate the time so that as many Members as possible can speak because this is a very historic debate? I propose an average of three minutes per Member so that every Member can have an opportunity to put on record their feelings about this great Kenyan girl. Proceed, Sen. Elachi. Madam Temporary Speaker, from the outset, I want to thank the father and mother of Ms. Lupita. Indeed, if they did not take courage and let the girl follow her dreams, then she would not be the Lupita we are talking about. I also want to thank her for the Oscar award that she got which started way back in 1927. Indeed, we are proud to be Kenyans and Africans. When I look at my history I remember the Road to Timbuktu where we cried as Africans when our brothers and sisters were being carried away to become slaves. We should not forget our history. That is how we suffered for us to become what we are today. Today, in America, they look up to Africa. We, as |Kenyans, are proud because even their own President is an offspring of this country. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. Therefore, Kenya must be a blessed country. Kenya has people who can transform the world. Madam Temporary Speaker, I want to thank the Senate Minority Leader said that even if somebody has achieved, they should be advised because if somebody is not careful, he or she is bound to be carried away with drugs and alcohol. We are talking of different movies. Recently there was a movie in which young Somali boys were acting. I hope where they are today, they are benefitting. When you read about them you find that they cannot even manage themselves yet those who acted with them are still benefitting and reaping the fruits of the movie every day. So, we, as a country, should ask ourselves whether we are able to take care of our heritage and protect what is ours to ensure that it benefits us. When I see a Nigerian movie on a television screen, I ask myself how many times the movie has been shown on Citizen Television and how many millions have watched it and how much money Nigeria is making from it. We should find out whether the Government is serious in terms of investing in young people and their talents. Recently we saw our athletes complaining why their earnings were being taxed whereas when they go out there, they make us proud and fly our flag. They wanted to get into an agreement as to what can be taxed and what not to be taxed. If we want to encourage our young people, these are some of the issues the Government should sort out because this is what makes Kenyans forget the Post Election Violence, the Westgate siege and all that. It is the Lupita’s and the sportsmen and women who brand the country. Today I know if you arrive in the United States, you will be honoured as you enter the immigration area as a Kenyan, they will serve you faster. So, let us not just take some of these things for granted. We should be serious about investing. Madam Temporary Speaker, one of the challenges that we face as a country is investing in some things that are not important. For example, we should create an enabling environment for the UN bodies in Geneva and New York to come and be headquartered here so that we can create employment for our Kenyans. We have refused to put up a permanent building at the UN offices to ensure that other offices are also created. We have also not invested in talent. If you look at the late Samuel Wanjiru who was an athlete, who will write his history and tell his story? Who will tell the story to his children that their father made us proud? There are many others. Madam Temporary Speaker, this is something that the Senate must come in. We have talked about a sports academy and many other academies, but I think that it is time that we got serious and came up with an academy where we can invest in talents of young people. Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to support. The Senate Minority Leader has made a request and I just want to state that he is in order. I think that he was making reference to Standing Order No.98 (4). But I also want to draw your attention to Procedural Motions that always take place at the beginning of every session. I think that on 26th The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. February, you passed a Procedural Motion, which limited debate to three hours on such a Motion. Having started at 3.30 p.m. we were supposed to end at 6.30 p.m., but there was an interruption of 45 minutes. That means that tomorrow this Motion will still have 45 minutes to continue. So, anybody else can contribute by that time. In case there is a unanimous agreement that we still limit contributions, then I will, probably, go by the majority. Five minutes! Are we in agreement? Then that should be carried. Let us give an opportunity now to Sen. Nanjira. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. I support this Motion and thank the Mover, Sen. Fatuma, for bringing it. That is an indication that, for sure, the strength of a woman is very important. Madam Speaker, as we celebrate the international day of women, Kenyan people will have every reason to celebrate and even feel happier, because this is our year and our own has made it. It is time to appreciate the strength of a young lady, Ms. Lupita Nyong’o. I cannot forget to thank God for her. This is because it is through God that her parents were touched to support the vision that is in this lady. It is also through God that she is able to do whatever she is doing. Madam Temporary Speaker, it is the high time, under our Constitution, that the policy implementers, who are the service providers, especially the Ministries, that they worked extra hard by identifying young people, especially from rural areas, with talents that go unnoticed, nurture and support them. We have young girls in the rural areas who are talented, but lack support from parents, simply because the girl-child is supposed to work indoors. They are not given the opportunity to exercise and nurture the talents that are in them. Madam Temporary Speaker, my fellow Senators have spoken about the other heroes in this country who have made us proud. I cannot forget to bring to the attention of this House that among those people, we have role models from the paralympians like Tarbei. There is also a young lady from Bungoma County, Mary Nakhumicha, who is making this country proud and flying its flag. However, their strength is not being noticed and they lack support. In that regard, I want to urge that as we budget, it should come out clearly how much money is specifically budgeted for young talented people and those with disabilities. This is because right now on my desk, I have a case where women on wheelchairs, who were supposed to go out of the country, have not gone because of lack of support. The men are also supposed to go out of the country in April, but there is a challenge because of lack of support. Madam Temporary Speaker, if we could support young people, then we are going to reduce insecurity and incidents of crime that young people engage in because of idleness. Ms. Lupita Nyong’o has shown young people that, indeed, they have other The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. options in life. In fact, it is a lesson to parents, that as much as we emphasize academic excellence. It is not only in academics that people can excel. Some youth are good in extracurricular activities. If supported, they can be self-reliant and reduce the dependence syndrome. This will in turn reduce poverty in this country. Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to support. Wilfred Rottich Lesan Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker. First, I would like to associate myself with colleagues, the Senators, who have made very significant comments as regards the lady that we are talking about. Madam Temporary Speaker, I wish to congratulate this jewel of a girl, Ms. Lupita Nyong’o, for her achievements. It is clear that these achievements by this young girl have been attained by recognition of talents. It is important to note that there are very many people who have talents, but they have never recognized them and will never do so throughout their lives. It is great that this young girl actually recognized her talents and exploited them to the full. But on top of that, it is clear that she has had to work extremely hard to attain what she has attained in a very short period of her life. So, I want to take time to really congratulate this young girl for what she has done. Madam Temporary Speaker, the Oscars is now 86 years old. As we recognize talents like this, we, as leaders of this country, also need to start doing something. I am looking at 86 years from now as we grow up. I think it is important that we decide today that we also have an award to offer our children. When and which award it will be is what we decide today. As I was listening to the other Senators contribute, I found a name for the award that we can formulate and present to our children in the years to come; that is, the Lupita Award. I am sure we can start today to formulate and work out a way in which we can award excellent performers. We, as Kenyans, should start getting away from post-humous recognition of people who are talented. We wait until they are not there and we recognise their talents. It is important that we both recognise and appreciate talents when these people are still with us. Therefore, in this country, we can have no better role models that those who are living. It is important that we start recognizing the living legends when they are here so that they become real role models to our children. Lastly, I want to make a small comment about our education system. It is very important that although we occasionally deride our education system, there have been many instances in this country where our education system has produced world leaders. This is one of them. We have the late Prof. Wangari Maathai who grew out of our system. We should not rest on our laurels as we see these successes. We should use these successes to continue to continually critique our own education system and continue to improve and mould it so that we can have many Ms. Lupitas not far apart but close together. With those few remarks, I beg to support. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. March 5, 2014 SENATE DEBATES 50 Sen. Chelule Madam Temporary Speaker, thank you for giving me this chance. First, I want to congratulate Sen. Dullo for bringing this Motion to the Floor, and the Motion was seconded by Sen. Lesuuda. I want to congratulate Ms. Lupita and moreso her parents for supporting her to that level. I want to request my fellow Senators that apart from that kind of celebration, we also need to do something better. We know that there are young people in the community who have a lot of talent, but they are not economically empowered. I want to believe that we know Ms. Lupita reached that level because of her talent and because her parents were economically empowered. I know there are those young people in the community who cannot even move one kilometre if they wanted to promote their talent. So, it is my request today on this Floor that as leaders of this country, we need to formulate policy that will encourage and promote all the talented young people at the community level. Sen. (Dr.) Kuti was talking about sensitizing and he also talked about Kisima Awards. The fact is that most of us are not aware of it. So, sensitization in this matter is very key and we also need to encourage the parents of young people to identify and know the talents of their children so that we can be in a better position to promote them and bring them to a level that they would feel they have maximized their talents. I am so happy and I celebrate with other women because of this young lady and I really congratulate the parents of Lupita, Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o and his wife, for actually supporting this young lady to this level. With those few remarks, I beg to support. Madam Temporary Speaker, I wish to congratulate the young Lupita, her parents, all the women of Kenya and all our youth. I would also like to congratulate the American people. These are people who have allowed fairness to thrive. If America was not a country of opportunity, our girl would not have been given a chance. Very briefly, I want to congratulate the young lady because at one stage she was quoted as having dedicated her success to the late Prof. Nyong’o who was her uncle. I have a small thing to share from there because the late Prof. Nyong’o was my lecturer of pathology at the School of Medicine. These are very exciting times. As we congratulate Ms. Lupita, I feel proud to count the number of Kenyans who sit in the international lime light. I was looking at a photograph of the Group of 20 (G20) and I could not help noticing that Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi was seated among those people. He comes from this country. When I watch the Italian Soccer, I see McDonald Mariga, a youth of this country. When I watch the Belgian League, I see Denis Oliech and feel proud. When I watch the English Premier League, I see young Robert Wanyama who plays at Southampton. This makes me very proud. We are also doing well because in the Kenya Football Federation (KFF), we have started recognizing talent. It was very exciting that last year, the best player came from one of those communities which are least associated with playing soccer. This was a The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. young Kamba boy called Keli. He is the one who won the award of the best player in the country. I want to conclude by saying that the Nigerian soap operas that are on our televisions do not have to be there if only we could go to the library at the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE). There are many plays that have been written by our drama teachers, Oliver Minish of Kakamega High School, Cleophas Malala and Emmanuel Angura. They have written very good plays that if we were to translate those plays into movies, Kenyans would not have to be watching the Mexican and Nigerian movies that have made some of us to start going home late. There is so much kissing in the sitting room and owing to our orientation, I cannot sit there when my 18 year old daughter is seated there. This becomes very embarrassing. We have to come up with some good policies regarding our local television stations. I want to urge our Government to spend money in youth talent centres. There was a great footballer in this country called Wilberforce Mulamba. Wilberforce came from the Olympic centres that were started by a German. If we could only start youth talent centres in this country, the fortunes of our youth in sports would change. Who does not know that the Kalenjin children do well because of the investments in Kapsabet and Eldoret? We need to do this in all counties so that the sporting industry that is employing and paying youth very well can also be of benefit to our youth. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for giving me a chance to contribute. First, I would like to thank the Mover of the Motion, Sen. Dullo and the Seconder for bringing this Motion to the Floor of the House. I want to congratulate her because she recognized that it was important for the country to recognize Ms. Lupita in what she has achieved. I join fellow Kenyans in congratulating Ms. Lupita Nyong’o on her achievement that culminated in the winning of the Oscar award. This is an honour to Africa as a continent and the Africans in the Diaspora. This is a young girl who knows what she wants to do in life. She is very committed and decided to go for it. Go getters always achieve in life. She has actualized her dream. I would also like to congratulate Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o. As parents we feel proud to be part of the celebrations. I am sure the United States President is keen to know the background of this young girl which can only be traced to the Senate. We, as Senators, feel very proud to be associated with Sen. (Prof.) Anyang’-Nyong’o and his family. Madam Temporary Speaker, I would like to call upon our Government to recognize the talents in these young people. If you look at football, we have very good footballers in this country. Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards fans always fight when they play against each other. Somebody should intervene because these young men have a talent and it can be nurtured to a higher level up to the European leagues. We also have our athletes who do very well and are paid lots of money which they bring back to the country. They have used that money to start industries. For example, Eldoret Town has The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. come up because of the athlete’s money. It is high time the Government invested in sports and theatre arts, because the Lupita case is a sign that our youth can do it. We should not ignore our youth and think that they are idle and do not know what to do so that we have to choose for them the subjects that they must do in school. This is because as a parent you think that your daughter should be a doctor or an engineer. I think we should let the youth explore their talents because they know what they want to do in life. I remember one time I told my daughter that I wanted her to be a lawyer and she told me to go and attend a parallel course in law and become one. This is because she wanted to do something else. I would like to encourage parents to let the youth exploit their talents so that they do not engage themselves in idle activities. Madam Temporary Speaker, there are some youth who excel in sports. For example, Congestina the boxer who was very good, but she fell sick and nobody pays attention to her. I think our Government should get involved so that we support the youth and motivate them. As we celebrate Lupita’s Oscar award, on 8th March, we shall remember her as we celebrate the World Women’s Day. I want to leave a motivational quote for anyone of us and people watching us on television. “Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out”. This was by John Wooden. Thank you, Madam Temporary Speaker, for the opportunity to speak to this Motion. In the same breadth, I want to thank my two colleagues, Sen. Adan who generated this Motion which was seconded by Lesuuda. Coincidentally, although they are two ladies presenting a Motion that is touching on the lady of honour, Ms. Lupita Amondi Nyong’o, if it was a man, definitely they would still have brought it here. I want to join my colleagues in thanking this lady for bringing honour and glory to the people of Kenya, both in Kenya and the diaspora. For once, anybody who did not know Kenya would really want to know where this country is as a result of the dedication of people such as Ms. Lupita. As I thank this lady, I do not want to forget that I thought I heard at one time that we were going to have a Riverwood where we were going to shoot films somewhere on River Road Street. People were talking about it for sometime and I do not know what happened. It disappeared. It looks like we do not recognize and appreciate what we are able to do and our people as well. I would urge the national Government and even the county governments to set funds aside to bring up these talents. Can we revive “Riverhood” just like we talk about Hollywood and so on? Madam Temporary Speaker, there was a time when we were real champions in boxing. We had Wangila, who died and we just forgot about him. I do not know whether we have any statue or anything named after him, having brought glory to Kenya at that time. Kenya is known as a house of fame because of athletes who participate in Commonwealth games, the Diamond League and so on. We do not have a single athletics academy in Kenya, yet every year, we thrive in the same. It is a challenge to all of us when we see people who run and torture themselves in the hills and valleys of Kenya, without formal training. Suppose we had enough athletics academies scattered around the The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate. regions where athletes emanate from; we would be doing very well and leaving our footprints across the world. Madam Temporary Speaker, in football what became of Gor Mahia and AFC? In the 1970s, they were the heroes of Kenya. Something must have gone wrong. We need to pay attention and see whether we can revive them, so that we can have more young men excel, just like Mariga. We should have our own league that makes sense. Madam Temporary Speaker, I do not know whether we are going to tax any money earned by this girl called Ms. Lupita. We have people like Ms. Tecla Lorupe, Ms. Conjestina and many others who were given bills that they were unable to pay in the name of tax, just because they brought some money into the country. We have not been very fair to our people. Do we also have national awards dedicated to people who excel? What happened to music in high schools? We destroyed music which was a subject in primary and secondary schools. It is time that the relevant Ministry revived it. There is also drama which we do not pay much attention to. We have enough talent that we can tap and enjoy as Kenyans. The Brand Kenya organization should not be there without these athletes and heroes. Madam Temporary Speaker, I beg to support. Hon. Senators, this Motion still has 45 minutes to continue tomorrow. We have exceeded debate time by two minutes, but, again, that is allowed under Standing Order No.30 (2) and by discretion of the Speaker. Elizabeth Ongoro Masha (ADJOURNMENT The Temporary Speaker) Hon. Senators, it is now time to interrupt the business of the Senate. The Senate now stands adjourned until tomorrow, Thursday, 6th March, 2014, at 2.30 p.m. The Senate rose at 6.30 p.m. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line767

__label__wiki

Privacy Policy for INFOTECHBOY At infotechboy, accessible from http://www.infotechboy.com/, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by infotechboy and how we use it. infotechboy follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit websites. All hosting companies do this and a part of hosting services’ analytics. The information collected by log files include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks. These are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. The purpose of the information is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking users’ movement on the website, and gathering demographic information. Like any other website, infotechboy uses ‘cookies’. These cookies are used to store information including visitors’ preferences, and the pages on the website that the visitor accessed or visited. The information is used to optimize the users’ experience by customizing our web page content based on visitors’ browser type and/or other information. You may consult this list to find the Privacy Policy for each of the advertising partners of infotechboy. Our Privacy Policy was created with the help of the Privacy Policy Generator. Third-party ad servers or ad networks uses technologies like cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons that are used in their respective advertisements and links that appear on infotechboy, which are sent directly to users’ browser. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. These technologies are used to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns and/or to personalize the advertising content that you see on websites that you visit. Note that infotechboy has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. infotechboy’s Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers or websites. Thus, we are advising you to consult the respective Privacy Policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information. It may include their practices and instructions about how to opt-out of certain options. You may find a complete list of these Privacy Policies and their links here: Privacy Policy Links. infotechboy does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records. This Privacy Policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in infotechboy. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line769

__label__cc

Projects for Acquisition Solar Power – Improving People’s Future By Peggy Hammond As developers of U.S. utility-scale solar farms, ISS understands what we do has the ability to help people by providing access to affordable electricity. But for those who live in regions with high poverty levels, solar power brings much more than cost savings; it causes significant improvements in living conditions. Imagine how our lives would change if our homes lacked electricity. As much as we might like to think it is no longer possible in the 21st century to be without reliable power, across the world people face this reality every day. For instance, the Navajo Nation in northeastern AZ, USA, deals with crippling poverty and a lack of basic necessities, including electricity. Approximately 18,000 homes don’t have access to the grid, leaving those residents to rely on what most would consider early 20th century fixes: using kerosene for light and wood for heat. However, the Kayenta Solar Project, the Navajo’s first utility-scale solar farm and boasting a 27.3MW capacity, has brought improvements to around 13,000 homes. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority wants to expand solar, which will be welcome help for a community in need. And as a University of AZ Indian Studies professor noted: “Navajo is a big, spread-out community where having access to electricity – good, well-priced electricity – is important to community welfare.” Guyana, South America, with a population of less than 750,000, has approximately one-third who live below the poverty level. In 2018, some Guyanese experienced a level of relief via electricity from a solar array. Supporting its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2025, Guyana added a 400kWp solar system with energy storage capacity of 400kWh. Because the system’s location is in the rainforest, it took coordinated efforts to deliver necessary materials and then construct the array. Efforts were successful, and as a result, 700 residents in the community of Mabaruma have a more consistent electricity supply. Countries in sub-Saharan Africa, suffering from extreme poverty, are “starved of electricity . . . . According to the World Energy Outlook 2017, . . . more than half the region’s population . . . [lived without] access to electricity in 2016.” In October 2018, UC Berkeley researchers published a report suggesting “solar energy could be the key to providing low-cost, highly reliable energy to the roughly 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who currently live without power.” Some relief is coming, thanks to new solar facilities. Kenya plans to have its first utility-scale solar farm operational in early spring 2020, with the expectation that the 40MW plant will provide electricity to 824,000 people. In Malawi, construction is underway on a 60MW solar facility, with completion expected this spring. This is welcome news in a country that has roughly 19 million residents, but electricity is available to only 12% of the population. The plan is to bring the number of homes with power to 30% by 2030, and solar is expected to go a long way in helping meet that goal. Solar energy can change lives for the better. At ISS, we are proud to be part of the solution and bring affordable electricity to communities across the U.S. For more information on our utility-scale solar farms, please call 828-424-7884 or visit www.innovativesolarsystemsllc.com. Previous: Previous post: Top 5 U.S. Solar PV Developer Available for Acquisition – Innovative Solar Systems, LLC Next: Next post: Agrovoltaics – Bringing Agriculture and Solar Together Innovative Solar Systems, LLC © 2020 Innovative Solar Systems (828) 424-7884

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line772

__label__wiki

Director, Constituent Relations and Development, Law School Description The DAR (Development and Alumni Relations) division is responsible for leading the university’s alumni and fundraising efforts and seeks to promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the university community, including alumni,... From CASE Career Central The George Washington Univesity Description The DAR (Development and Alumni Relations) division is responsible for leading the university’s alumni and fundraising efforts and seeks to promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the university community, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations, patients and other friends. Our goal is to advance GWs mission of excellence in education, research, scholarship, and patient care. Established in 1865, the George Washington University Law School is the oldest law school in the nation’s capital and one of the most prestigious law schools in... Executive Director, Constituent Engagement & Development Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. To apply for the position, please click the Apply for this Job link/button. George... From execSearches.com Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening. To apply for the position, please click the Apply for this Job link/button. George Washington University is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or to apply for a job on this site as a result of your disability. You can request... Director, Foundation Relations Description The Division of Development and Alumni Relations ( DAR ) at the George Washington University (GW) seeks a Director, Foundation Relations. This position focuses on a portfolio of foundation prospects in support of GW’s School of Medicine... From EMBS Description The Division of Development and Alumni Relations ( DAR ) at the George Washington University (GW) seeks a Director, Foundation Relations. This position focuses on a portfolio of foundation prospects in support of GW’s School of Medicine and Health Sciences. DAR is responsible for leading the university’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts. The School of Medicine and Health Sciences is the 11th oldest medical school in the country and the first in the nation’s capital. The school is at the forefront of medical education, and has grown to include highly-ranked programs in the... Public and Media Relations Manager Ref ID: 04510-0011146562 Classification: Public Relations Manager Compensation: DOE The Creative Group is seeking a success-driven and detail-oriented Public and Media Relations Manager with a strong background in public and media relations within... Ref ID: 04510-0011146562 Classification: Public Relations Manager Compensation: DOE The Creative Group is seeking a success-driven and detail-oriented Public and Media Relations Manager with a strong background in public and media relations within a production company, studio, or entertainment agency. The selected candidate will support one of our industry-leading television networks in strategizes and implementing publicity plans, press coverage, viewership, awareness and special events. Public and Media Relations Manager Responsibilities Include: • Oversee publicity campaigns from strategy... Temporary Livestream Community Manager Tracking Code 577-783 Job Description Since 1984, Share Our Strength has led the fight against hunger and poverty by inspiring and organizing individuals and businesses to share their strengths. Today, through the No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters... From LocalJobNetwork Tracking Code 577-783 Job Description Since 1984, Share Our Strength has led the fight against hunger and poverty by inspiring and organizing individuals and businesses to share their strengths. Today, through the No Kid Hungry and Cooking Matters campaigns, Share Our Strength is ending childhood hunger in America by ensuring all children get the healthy food they need. No child should go hungry in America - we're on our way to making that a reality and we want you to join us. We're bold, creative, always open to new ideas, and 100% dedicated to our mission. If that sounds like you, we'd like... Next Generation Engagement Officer : Assists in managing initiatives to establish a new generation of philanthropy, thought leadership and innovation to future-proof Pathfinder’s work and mission in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Serves as project lead in... From Pathfinder International : Assists in managing initiatives to establish a new generation of philanthropy, thought leadership and innovation to future-proof Pathfinder’s work and mission in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights. Serves as project lead in developing a strong community of allies under the age of 40 years old. Manages relationships with next generation leaders, partners and philanthropists and creates opportunities to advance Pathfinder’s visibility among target population. Acts as brand ambassador for organization on digital platforms and in person. Works across different departments to... Executive Director of Development, GSEHD and CPS The George Washington University Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division is seeking an Executive Director of Development to oversees the fundraising operations of two of its graduate schools, the Graduate School of Education and Human... From Ladders The George Washington University Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) Division is seeking an Executive Director of Development to oversees the fundraising operations of two of its graduate schools, the Graduate School of Education and Human Development and College of Professional Studies. DAR is responsible for leading the university's alumni and fundraising efforts and seeks to promote a culture of philanthropy throughout the university community, including alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, corporations and foundations, patients and other friends. Our goal is to advance GWs... American Humane seeks an ambitious, experienced Social Media Manager to join the Communications team. This position is based at American Humane?s national headquarters in Washington, DC and reports directly to the National Director, Communications.... American Humane seeks an ambitious, experienced Social Media Manager to join the Communications team. This position is based at American Humane?s national headquarters in Washington, DC and reports directly to the National Director, Communications. Founded in 1877, American Humane is committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and well-being of animals. Our leadership programs are first to serve in promoting and nurturing the bonds between animals and people. We are first to serve, wherever animals are in need of rescue, shelter, protection or security. Through our innovative leadership... Occupation: Public Relations and Fundraising Managers Professional, Science, & Technical (8) Public Relations and Fundraising Managers (8)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line777

__label__wiki

Davis: Government Efficiency Key To Kansas Budget Posted: December 16, 2016 at 3:59 pm EDT by John Celock | Updated: December 16, 2016 at 8:40 pm EDT Rep. Erin Davis By John Celock The newly appointed vice chairwoman of the Kansas House Appropriations Committee is planning to take budget writers on a deep dive into an efficiency study lawmakers were delivered almost a year ago to address the state’s budget issues. Rep. Erin Davis (R-Olathe) told The Celock Report Friday that she plans on taking a “very pragmatic eye” to how the Alvarez and Marsal efficiency study can be translated into budget savings. On Thursday, Appropriations Committee Chairman-designate Troy Waymaster (R-Russell) said that he had tasked Davis with leading the House’s six budget committee chairs in reviewing the 105 recommendations from the report. The in-depth review of the efficiency study comes as the state faces a $346 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year and a multi-million dollar budget deficit for the next two fiscal years. “At this point everything is on the table and a full vetting needs to be done,” Davis said. “That’s the task of the individual budget committees.” Davis said with half of the current fiscal year over it is imperative that budget writers begin an immediate look at not only cuts but at management efficiencies for the state. She said that the immediate task for the six budget chairs and their committees is to not only identify cuts for the current fiscal year but to look at the A&M study for immediate plans that can be implemented for savings in the current fiscal year and future years. Davis said the A&M study will guide her work and the budget chairs for the entire legislative session as they seek to develop legislation to implement recommendations contained in the report. At the same time she said the state’s current budget deficits cannot be solved quickly but rather will involve a lot of discussion and debate in the budget committees and the full appropriations committee. She said she views the efficiency report as providing a road map for lawmakers to start their work. “I am hesitant to say there is a magic bullet. I am pragmatic enough as a person to say there isn’t a magic bullet,” Davis said. “It will require imaginative thinking. I do think having each committee look at the suggestions is not just beneficial but necessary to make sure that we are running government in the most efficient and effective way possible.” The A&M study, which was commissioned by legislative leaders in 2015 contains a series of recommendations covering all aspects of state government. These include changes to the state’s procurement procedures, the consolidation of the state’s leasing programs, consolidating school district employees into a single statewide health plan, new sponsorship programs for state roads, outsourcing of certain state functions, changes to the state’s payment schedule for vendors, changing the process for hiring engineering firms, consolidating offices in social services and transportation and expanding the market for the state’s prison industries. Lawmakers conducted reviews of the plans in budget committees last year, but debates over school finance and the budget overtook the efficiency study. The House did reject a proposal from the House Education Budget Committee for consolidating school district procurement into a statewide purchasing pool. Lawmakers did advance a plan referenced in the A&M report to allow the expansion of prison credits from education and training programs for inmates from 90 days to 120 days. The proposal has been praised by public safety lawmakers as a way to reduce recidivism along with delivering a cost savings. The plan was under consideration by lawmakers and the state Department of Corrections prior to the A&M report being released. The efficiency review and the budget cuts in the Appropriations Committee come at the same time that legislative tax writing committees will be reviewing the state’s 2012 tax cuts, which have contributed to the budget deficit. Davis, who succeeds retiring Rep. Sharon Schwartz (R-Washington) as vice chairwoman, said that she is “excited” to take on the role and focusing on the management study. In terms of the state budget deficit, Davis said that she anticipates everything being on the table as the Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee begin their reviews. Waymaster told The Celock Report that the results of this year’s legislative elections, which elected more moderate Republicans and Democrats to the state House and more moderate Republicans to the state Senate will play a role in whatever budgets are crafted. Sen. Carolyn McGinn (R-Sedgwick), a moderate Republican, has been named chairwoman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. House Republicans have voted in a leadership split between Speaker-elect Ron Ryckman (R-Olathe), a conservative, and Majority Leader-elect Don Hineman (R-Dighton), a moderate. Davis said that she hopes that lawmakers are able to unite behind a budget plan. “We have a lot of new members who just won elections saying that they wanted to be solutions minded and wanted to be able to debate certain issues. I think that benefits our state overall,” she said. “I am hopeful that we will come together as a body and thoroughly debate these issues with the idea that we want to find a solution that is workable and will put Kansas on a trajectory for success.” Davis, who has been known for her advocacy for the developmentally disabled, said that she plans to work with the Appropriations Committee to craft a budget that will provide services to that community and others. “I think making sure that we are able to deliver services to those who are the most vulnerable amongst us is imperative,” she said. “We’re going to have to make difficult decisions and I am willing to work with our budget chairs, the Appropriations Committee and the Legislature as a whole to find solutions that will meet the needs of vulnerable Kansans in the most efficient and effective manner.” Davis was elected by GOP committee members in Johnson County to fill a vacant House seat at the beginning of 2014 and been elected twice since. A year ago she was tapped to serve as vice chairwoman of the Children and Seniors Committee. She has also served on the Pensions and Benefits Committee, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Committee and Judiciary Committee in the last session. She has also served on legislative study committees focused on foster care and chaired a 2015 special committee which reviewed a complaint against comments Rep. Valdenia Winn (D-Kansas City) made about a bill repealing in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants. The complaint against Winn was unanimously dismissed by the panel. Davis worked in the public relations field prior to having children and went to law school when her son and daughter were eight. She practiced family law for several years and is currently general counsel to a health care company. Earlier this year, she worked with state Treasurer Ron Estes (R) to pass the ABLE Act, which allows for the creation of new savings accounts for children with disabilities. Davis said she is eager to get to work and has been speaking with the budget chairs and Waymaster about the efficiency study and the budget. Waymaster said that he and Davis are planning a meeting with the six budget chairs before the Legislature reconvenes on January 9. “I’m honored that the speaker chose me to be part of the leadership team for appropriations,” she said. “There is no doubt it is one of the most important committees in the Legislature and the one that will have long lasting effects on the state. I take the responsibility seriously. I look forward to working hard to craft good solutions for the state.” Tagged erin davis, erin davis kansas budget, government efficiency, kansas efficiency study, kansas politics |

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line779

__label__cc

Brown’s Electoral Reform Package Is Too Little, Too Late In his speech to the Labour Party Conference in Brighton yesterday, Prime Minister Gordon Brown made a half-hearted attempt to seize the high ground on reforming Parliament by promising that if Labour is returned to power next year, it will organise a referendum to ask the public whether they want to stick with the present discredited first-past-the-post voting system for general elections, or switch to an Alternative Vote system (AV), such as that used in Australia. But it would be wrong for electoral reformers to start popping the champagne corks. First, it is highly unlikely on present polling evidence that Labour will win the next election (at least with an outright majority), which makes the pledge worthless; if there is going to be a referendum held, it ought to be on the same day as the general election. Second, AV is not a huge advance on first-past-the-post. Yes, it gives voters a degree of preferential expression in constituencies in which no candidate gets over 50% of the vote. But it is still a majoritarian system, not a proportional one. And fair voting must be predominantly proportional. So, what should we all do now? The first thing is to express disappointment at Mr Brown’s failure to tackle the problem of Britain’s political bankruptcy head-on. Then one can usefully sign up to the campaign being run by the NGO Unlock Democracy, which is calling for a citizens’ convention, which would give people the opportunity to help choose the electoral system they would like, rather than effectively imposing it from above (as New Labour loves to do). In the meantime, I shall be arguing for STV — the singe transferable vote, which gives electors a far greater chance of getting the elected representatives they want, as well as promoting greater diversity. If it’s good enough for the Irish — including the residents of Northern Ireland — why isn’t it good enough for mainland Britain’s general elections? Link: www.unlockdemocracy.co.uk Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: Alternative Vote, Australia, AV, citizens' convention, electoral reform, first-past-the-post, Gordon Brown, Ireland, Labour Party conference, single transferable vote, STV, Unlock Democracy | Leave a Comment »

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line780

__label__cc

Category Archives: women in journalism Amy Moritz, sports reporter and blogger for the Buffalo News, was voted president-elect of the Association of Women in Sports Media recently. The Association works to promote diversity in sports media, including offering scholarship and internship opportunities. (FYI: This year’s scholarship/internship deadline for applications is Oct. 31.) Moritz took some time to talk to Journajunkie about ways she hopes AWSM can help both mid-career journalists and young journalists starting out and why a group like this is still needed in 2009. Q: What would you like to do as president-elect? A: I would like to get involved in our mid-career grant program. With so many changes in the world of journalism (and public relations for that matter) many of us in our 30s and 40s are needing new skills. While there is no replacement for good writing and good reporting, the nature of HOW we tell the story is changing. And while that landscape is a bit unclear, there are ways that I feel AWSM can help its members be better equipped to use multi-media. Q: I see that AWSM does a lot to help students interested in sports-related communication careers. Can you tell us a little about what you do and why? A: We think it’s so important to reach out to young women who want to get into sports communications, whether it be a form of journalism or public relations. In part, it’s our way of paying it forward because along the way, someone helped us out with an internship or scholarship. But also, we want to help talented young women get their foot in the door and get the experience they need. To that end, we’re working on grants to fully fund internships at media outlets as the industry feels the economic pinch and can’t afford to hire as many interns, if any at all. Q: What would you say to people who think and/or would argue that in 2009, we don’t need a group like Association of Women in Sports Media? A: Just because things are better doesn’t mean that they’re good. Women still are vastly under-represented in management positions (especially as sports editors). And sadly, issues still do arise over the treatment of women in sports media. The case of Erin Andrews demonstrates that women still face barriers which can be not only detrimental to the ability to do one’s job but brings up safety issues as well. Q: What advice would you give journalism teachers about helping to prepare women and men for careers in sports media? A: Sports journalism is still journalism. The explosion of sports talk radio and various opinion and sports/entertainment shows can blur the line for students who think being loud with an opinion is the way to go. You have to have experience and credentials. Don’t succumb to the lowest common denominator. This would be the same for aspiring political journalists who watch the attack shows on cable news networks. At the end of the day, we’re telling stories that entertain, inform and perhaps inspire. The cliche that sport is a microcosm of society means that there are plenty of stories, and types of stories, to tell. And not all of them will be the ones that lead SportsCenter. In fact, the best ones are usually the ones that would never make SportsCenter. Q: Is there anything you’d like to say to journalism students or teachers? A: The advice I give is the same as the advice I received as a journalism student: Read as much as you can and write something every day. The medium is not as important as the ability to communicate what you have learned and observed, but take advantage of learning as many skills as possible. Posted in future of journalism, newspapers, teaching, women in journalism Tagged Association for Women in Sports Media, Buffalo News, future of journalism Female newscasters face same old battles? WIVB-TV, Buffalo’s top-rated news station, fired a long-time morning news anchor this week. By all accounts, she was liked and had a good reputation. She was, however, not your typical female TV news anchor. Although attractive, she was not a young, slender, model-like woman. (See an older clip of Lisa here.) My first thought was she was fired because of her weight. I was not alone. Posts to The Buffalo News’s Talkin’ TV blog echoed my thought. For example, one poster writes: I don’t care if the person reading the news weighs 250 or 85, is 4″2″ or 6’6″. All I care about, is that they know how to read, and do it in a professional manner. Lisa Scott did so, for many years for Ch 4, and to get rid of her is stupid, stupid, stupid. I realize these are hard economic times and journalists everywhere are losing their jobs. WIVB says Scott’s firing was part of a restructuring of the station. (Lisa wasn’t the only one to lose her job. Reporter Ellen Maxwell, who had worked for WIVB for eight years, and an internet manager lost theirs, too.) I also realize that salaries for new reporters are a helluva lot less than for experienced ones. However, I can’t help but think about Christine Craft and whether things have really changed much for female TV anchors and journalists. More than 25 years ago Craft was fired from her job as a TV anchor following a consultant’s report that said viewers thought she was too old, not attractive enough and not deferential enough to men. She sued and initially won her sex discrimination case, although that judgment was overturned eventually on appeal. For Lisa Scott and others like her, I can’t help but think that things have not changed as much as we would like. Posted in women in journalism Tagged future of journalism, journalism

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line781

__label__cc

Jehoshaphat’s Big Mistake Jehoshaphat played the fool by trying to travel two roads at the same time. And the admonishment God gave him back then still applies to us today. His Shepherd Cyrus World history is boring!” Did you ever hear such a thing? I know I did. Why learn the names of people and places you never heard of? What difference does it make? Bound for Babylon Tell 10 Jewish people they are the Chosen People of God and at least half will reply, “I wish He had chosen someone else!” While such an example of Jewish wit is amusing… You’ve Come A Long Way, Israel Israel may be small, but it ranks high when it comes to education. Such regard for learning is rooted in Scripture. Nehemiah 8:8 states, “They read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God… Making Medicines That Help the World Seventy-one-year-old Iowa resident Ruth Brown may have no idea that she owes a debt of gratitude to an Israeli company located south of Haifa. Doctors had probed Ruth’s stomach and performed a colonoscopy… Israel: A Technology Power House When E. F. Hutton talks, people listen.” So says the investment firm of E. F. Hutton, anyway. The company’s slogan made the point that it is so good at what it does that everyone… The Jewish ‘Doomsday Clock’ The Doomsday Clock (see doomsdayclock.org) has graced the cover of each issue of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists at the University of Chicago since the magazine’s inception in 1947. Midnight symbolizes total nuclear destruction… Israel’s True Tikvah They looked for Him throughout all their agonies and heartaches, through centuries of oppression and persecution. The Hebrew Scriptures clearly told of His coming. So what happened? How to Identify Him Genesis 49:10—His Authority The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people. This portion… The Emerging Church: What Is It? Candles, incense, mood music. Can this be church? A revolution is taking place in worship, and it’s causing many people to look around with wonder and ask, “What’s going on?” The EC and Israel Historically, church saints have looked to God to take them up to meet the Lord in the air at any moment (1 Th. 4). Furthermore, said theologian David L. Larsen, “Neither John… Glossary for the Emerging Church Movement Absolutism: theory of objective values; a philosophy in which such values as truth and morality are absolute and not conditional based on human perception. Conversation: expresses the desire to interact and share… The Faithful Remnant To most people, the word remnant means something that is left over. Leftovers aren’t usually thought of positively. One thinks of leftover food, a sock that missed the laundry, or screws… Solving the Sin Problem So reads The Friends of Israel’s doctrinal statement. Although sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, the knowledge of sin came through the Mosaic Law given to the Jewish… A Better Sacrifice When I was a boy, my grandmother would take me downtown to a butcher who sold live chickens. This was an important trip for her. She took great pains… War: What Is It Good For? Ezekiel 38:1—39:16 God’s prophetic Word reveals much about war, particularly the great, future battle involving Gog and Magog. The World of the Hasidim Conclusion Without question, Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer (also known as the Besht and the Ba’al Shem Tov) left a permanent mark on Judaism. The Hasidic (ultra-Orthodox) movement flourished under his care. But all Hasidic… The Roots of Nazism How could a country that gave the world the great reformer Martin Luther also produce Adolf Hitler? The answer may shock you. The World of the Hasidim Part Two Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer, known as the Ba’al Shem Tov (“Master of the Good Name”), is such a significant figure in Jewish history that even today his name evokes admiration and respect… The Protocols of the Elders of Zion God is the author of Klanism,” and Jesus Christ was the Klan’s “first real member.” So said the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1925.1 “Just like Christ, I have a duty to my own… The Fascinating World of the Hasidim Part One Everything about them is different. Who are they? What do they believe? This first of three articles explores the intriguing, unusual world of Hasidism. O Jewish Town of Bethlehem This time of year these are the thoughts most often associated with the birth of the Lord Jesus. Pastoral little Bethlehem, in the midst of shepherds and their sheep, peaceful and tranquil before the appearance… Jewish and Christian Tradition Get It Right The biblical explanation of the origin of man and the world around him should satisfy Jewish people as well as Bible-believing Christians. Yet some in both groups reject the Genesis creation account. Darwin’s Turn From Christianity Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. His grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was an evolutionist/naturalist, poet, and philosopher. His father, Robert, was a successful and wealthy physician. His mother died when he was eight. The Monkey Trial It was called the “trial of the century.” Eighty years ago this month the Scopes trial brought evolution to the forefront in American education. Making the Wrong Assumptions Never assume anything.” This well-known adage works particularly well when applied to the science of biblical interpretation. Assuming too much about a scriptural text can lead to inaccurate conclusions that miss… False teachers can pose a health hazard. Perhaps you remember some from our own time. On November 19, 1978, 913 followers of Jim Jones committed suicide at the People’s Temple in Jonestown, Guyana, by drinking… If the Maccabees Had Lost Each year around December, wherever there is a significant Jewish population, television screens across America flash the greeting… The Importance of Considering the Source If you think Jesus was hard on the Jewish leaders, you should read the Old Testament prophets. And then remember, it’s all in the family. It is our duty to praise the Lord of all things, to ascribe greatness to Him who formed the world in the beginning, since He hath not made us like the nations of other lands… Workmen’s Circle The children of Israel provided an interesting name for the heavenly bread sent to them from the Lord. They called it manna, which means “What is it?” (Ex. 16:15). The same question is asked today… Baruch Ha Shem Elohim appears more than 2,500 times in the Old Testament. It is powerful, plural, and used by two divine personalities. Sports radio, a relative newcomer in the arena known as talk radio, is a result of the mutual admiration between professional athletes and the fans who watch them. The last names of the people who produce… Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Conclusion In Old Testament days, Jewish worship revolved first around the Tabernacle and later the Temple. Crucial to that worship was music, particularly the skill and purpose of
its presentation. In accordance with 2 Chronicles… Jewish Music: Capturing the Heart of a People Part One As an art form, music is multi­functional. It can tell stories, teach, record great events, inspire people to action, vent human emotion, or just be enjoyed. Stated simply, music… Blessings on Your Head At the beginning of the movie Fiddler on the Roof, Jewish people in the little Russian village of Anatevka ask their rabbi if there is a special blessing for the czar. The czar ruled… Akiva: Ascension to Prominence Joseph Akiva is known by Jewish people around the world as the famous Rabbi Akiva. Though he lived from A.D. 50 to 135, he is deeply revered among Jews today for his amazing insights… Is the New Testament Anti-Semitic? If I had been asked, “Is the New Testament anti-Semitic?” during my university years, I would not have hesitated a moment before answering, “Yes!” My formative years were spent surrounded by people whose perception… The ‘Final Solution’ How does a nation plan genocide? Hitler’s systematic, calculated method will alarm you, even as it confirms the truth of the depravity of man. A Day for Remembering Yom Hashoah Some of the most disturbing words in all of Scripture are found in the book of Esther: There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom… Pondering the Question of Evil Why is there so much evil in the world? That question has challenged philosophers and scholars since time began. Spend just 30 minutes watching the national news—with its usual display of wars, man’s injustice… When You’re Dead, You’re Dead! A number of years ago, I attended the funeral of a dear Jewish friend named Max. I had met him through mutual friends shortly after his right side had become crippled by a stroke. Camping Out Under the Stars So you don’t like camping? You may change your mind after you get a glimpse of life in today’s sukkot. So, What Exactly is That? Meeting new people is a regular part of my job. Usually it takes just a short time before I find myself asking the inevitable question, “What do you do?” Sometimes (not often, I hope)… Chosen? for What? Were you ever the first one onto the baseball diamond but the last to be chosen for a team? Or worse, maybe you were never chosen at all? Maybe, though, you were the best player… Aliyah for the People of the Book The People of the Book.” Whom do you think of when you hear that phrase, which so clearly distinguishes a specific people? Which people and what book? The people are the Chosen People, the Israelites… Organized for Service In 1843 twelve Jewish men, each one an immigrant, met on the Lower East Side of New York City. Their purpose was to form an organization to help their own people in need—a type of People for a Land You would think that such a want ad would yield few, if any, applicants. Yet just after the turn of the twentieth century, forty thousand Jewish people made aliya (immigration to Israel)… Lost Hope Reclaimed Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost; we are cut off on our part… The First Line of Defense Once a year an Orthodox community in Israel assembles to honor the boys from fatherless families who are ready for bar mitzvah. The fathers of these boys all lost their lives in service to their… From Badge to Banner Vexillology. Most people have never heard the term; but according to World Book Encyclopedia, it is the study of the history and symbolism of flags. Its root can be traced to the Latin word for… God’s Heart for Israel Romans 9-11 God chose Israel thousands of years ago. Has He stuck with her? This article examines Romans 9, 10, and 11 in light of the sovereignty of God. The Man Who Brought Hebrew Back to the Land For its first issue of the year 2000, The Jerusalem Report, a prominent international Jewish magazine, published the results of a poll in which it asked its readers to choose the one hundred greatest Jews… The obstetrician wanted to be sure. His patient had told him the date she expected her baby to be born. Taking into account her age, size, and weight gain… Judaism vs Jewishness He could have been a poster boy for a Jewish magazine. Reared in an observant home, he had celebrated bar mitzvah at age 13. He graduated from Hebrew school at the age of 18, and it was clear he had a firm grasp of Jewish history and culture as well as… Giving and Receiving the Blessing Do you remember the old TV program Star Trek? In that series, the expression “Live long and prosper” became a familiar utterance. It was used by First Officer Spock as a greeting and a farewell to special people visiting the starship… The Zion Connection: Common Enemies Possibly the most disturbing event in our nation’s recent history took place in a cozy mountain state in upper middle-class America. At a time when young people concern themselves with test scores, term papers, and final exams, students were… Try It—You’ll Like! For many of us, food is an emotional experience. The sights and aromas of various food items evoke wide-ranging passions, both positive and negative. It is not uncommon to observe grimaces and other contortions as people view… Baptism or Mikveh “Steve, I can’t do it, I just can’t do it. I know all about the plans we’ve made, but this is not going to happen. I’m Jewish; this would be too much for my family.” The voice on the other end of the phone was quivering with emotion. This was not… From the time of Israel’s inception as a modern state 51 years ago, the United States has been its consistent and loyal friend. In our country, many issues seem to be based on political affiliation. The treatment of Israel has not been one… “I Was Born a Jew, and I Will Die a Jew.” There are many religions in the world. While some seem to overlap and even share common beliefs and practices, most have distinctive characteristics that mark them out or set them apart. Many have unique, identifiable practices, including… Who Killed Jesus? Picture this: A Jewish family spending quality time decorating a Christmas tree. Does this sound odd to you? When I was 17, I was invited to a Christmas tree decorating party at the home of a Jewish acquaintance. Confusion would best describe my initial reaction… The Call of the Shofar Have you ever been driving along the highway when, seemingly out of nowhere, you hear the shrill sound of sirens? At first you are startled as the high-pitched sound seems to engulf you from almost every direction. Instinctively you try to… What’s In a Name? One of the wonderful things about becoming parents is the ongoing debate between husband and wife over what to name the child. What couple hasn’t purchased a book of names and then uttered the words, “Hey, what about…?” The Tattoo Is Taboo Our neighborhood boasted a penny candy store ingeniously located on my route to school. In addition to the tempting and inexpensive candy, one of the most popular items in the store was the individualized tattoo. The shopper had a choice of… Wanting to Be a Somebody Written in the flyleaf of one of my books are the words, “Great to be a somebody. I’m most grateful for everything. T. G. [Thank God].” A friend of mine wrote those words in 1960. When he wrote that note, Max was indeed a somebody. An immigrant child whose… The Pioneering Spirit The pioneering spirit has always captivated me. Remnants of wagon trails can still be seen in various Western states. The courage and tenacity displayed by those trailblazers are lessons for all of us. Yet, as much as I admire those brave Americans who… Uncovering Our Roots: The Pale Of Settlement An understanding of our family background—how our ancestors lived and how they came to the United States from their countries of origin—satisfies a curiosity in many of us. For myself and other Jewish people with Eastern European ancestry, tracing our roots can… A Jew Lives Here Jewish people who are serious about practicing their Judaism realize that living incognito is not an option for them. Judaism, by its very nature, teaches its people not to be ashamed of their identity. Fermished and Ferblonjet A guide is a person who shows the way by leading, directing, or advising. The Friends of Israel uses excellent guides when we host our tours to Israel. These individuals provide insightful information… How to Be a Mensch My mother gasped when she saw me walk through the door after a semester away at college. I had left home clean shaven with short hair, and now—well, let’s just say she had trouble finding… The Pharisees: “They Weren’t All That Bad!” Intense is the only way to describe an informal discussion that took place among several young students of the Bible. The topic being discussed? The Pharisees during the time of Jesus… A Jew, or Not a Jew? A rabbi tells a story of his days in rabbinical school. As part of his curriculum, the professor asked his students to list the names of the ten greatest Jews of the 20th century. The Question of Time It is often joked about among Jewish people that whenever the time is set for an appointment or a date, the time specified will not be the actual time to begin. Tzedaka: It Is More Blessed to Give A story is told of the rabbi of Nemirov. His followers, all Hasidim, stated emphatically that every night their rabbi went up to heaven. Another Jewish group, Mitnaggedim (opponents), ridiculed the Hasidim about this belief. Israel’s New Reality This statement, made by former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Perez, may have paved the way for his failure in May to be officially elected to that position. The Dynamic Of Jewish Prayer Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lᴏʀᴅ. Siddur: The Book Of Prayer Like so many other Jewish adults, I well remember the long and arduous process of learning the liturgy of Hebrew prayers involved in worship. It started with the simple rote learning of the Hebrew alphabet. Prayer: The Service Of The Heart Prayer is not unique to Judaism, yet Jewish prayer is unique. In synagogues around the world, congregants meet together to worship. But Jewish prayer is not confined to a synagogue. Because It’s A Mitzvah When people visit Mea Shearim, one of the most Orthodox communities in all of Israel, or observe the crowds gathered at the Western Wall of Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem, questions often arise… Kabbalah: Making a Mystery of God’s Word An expert is defined as a person who displays a special knowledge derived from training or experience. Over two decades ago, as a junior in college, I was boarding with several other students—all Gentiles. Rambam and Rashi: Bringing the Bottom Line Separated by time (about 100 years) and distance (several hundred miles), two men provided the means for the Jewish people to study both the Talmud and the Bible. These “helps” are still used today… The State of the State The subject of politics can be volatile and is often avoided in polite conversation. Still, jokes about politicians, parties, and their performance permeate our society. Who among us is not interested in the various national… Hillel: The Kind Pharisee Jewish tradition states that the oral law was transmitted from Moses to Joshua, from Joshua to the elders, from the elders to the prophets, and from the prophets to the men of the great assembly. The Talmud “No! No! No!” the grandmother screamed as the six-year-old boy placed the clean spoon into the drawer of clean utensils. “That spoon goes with the milchig [dairy].” The youngster should have known; Are There Horns Under That Hat? Several years ago there was a TV series called Little House on the Prairie. One of the show’s characters, a youngster named Albert, became friendly with an elderly Jewish man. Tenach, Torah, & Targum The Torah is the foundation stone for the Jewish people. Inspired by God and written by Moses, it has been central to Jewish life since its inception. Food, with its various tastes, smells, textures, and visual appeal, is a powerful trigger in the process of remembering. Whether it is in the preparation, serving, or eating, certain foods seem to prompt many people… Fussy Fressers Food is an integral part of Jewish life. One man explained it this way: “For our people, food is more than a necessity of life; it is an emotional experience.” A Special Diet Food, glorious food! We need it to survive. We eat it to celebrate almost any occasion. We offer it in hospitality or comfort. Socially, food somehow helps to build bridges for easier and better communication… Dressed for Worship Part Two As Tevya, the milkman in Sholem Aleichem’s story Fiddler on the Roof, considered various practices unique to his Judaism, he turned to the audience and asked, “Why do we do the things we do?”… Dressed for Worship Part One: The Tallit Who hasn’t had it happen—a missed appointment, that lack of association between a name and a face, the forgotten anniversary or birthday? Forgetfulness is a plague that knows no prejudice. Death and Mourning Chai is the Hebrew word for life. Jewish people frequently wear gold charms depicting this Hebrew character on chains around their necks, emphasizing the fact that life is Judaism’s most precious and cherished commodity. Holidays are commemorative days used by most people to participate in recreational activities, to travel, or just to relax. Conversely, holy days are special days set aside for worship. A Little Sanctuary Ezekiel 11:16 As a youngster growing up, I can remember two synagogues in our neighborhood. Sitting high on a hill was an imposing, three-story brick building with beautiful white stone pillars in the front. Beware of a False Alarm Suddenly the alarm sounded! Judging from the teachers’ faces, this was no drill. All of the students filed out quickly and quietly, looking around for signs of trouble. The Jewish Wedding Marriage is regarded as one of the most important and significant decisions in the lives of Jewish people. The Torah (the five books of Moses) clearly states that God made “an help fit” for Adam… On Saturday morning, June 11, 1966, I walked from the stage of the synagogue to the platform (bema) where the Torah lay open. Following in the tradition of my father and grandfather… The birth of a boy into a Jewish family is cause for great joy and celebration (simcha). On the eighth day after his birth, a ceremony takes place that unites him with all other Jewish… The Modern Emergence of Jerusalem in the Last Hundred Years The ancient rabbis said, “Ten measures of beauty descended to the world. Nine were taken by Jerusalem and one by the rest of the world.”

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line782

__label__wiki

Wrecking yard site has high contamination William C. Dietz, KP News According to a letter from the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, addressed to the couple who own the land on which Horseshoe Lake Auto Wrecking is located, “The site’s hazard ranking… has been determined to be a 1. The ranking scale ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the highest relative risk and 5 the lowest relative risk.” The Horseshoe Lake Wrecking Yard was placed on the state’s Hazardous Sites list last year. Photo By Mindi LaRose A site assessment conducted in April 2002 turned up significant amounts of benzene and cadmium. Benzene is a natural constituent of crude oil, but is usually synthesized from other compounds present in petroleum, and was once used to increase octane ratings and reduce knocking. Two-thirds of cadmium, an impurity found in zinc, is used to make batteries. Both substances are classified as carcinogens, which is why the site has been targeted by the county and the state. When asked about the status of the site, Rebecca Lawson, Southwest Region manager for the Department of Ecology’s Toxic Cleanup Program said, “I don’t think we’ve taken any action on that… Unfortunately, we have highly ranked sites that have been on the list for years, and we don’t have the resources to work on them as quickly as we want to.” Lawson explained that while she was recently allowed to hire three new staff people, it was with the understanding that they would work on sites within half a mile of Puget Sound, as part of Gov. Chris Gregoire’s Puget Sound Partnership. A plan which, according to the Partnership’s Website, is an initiative “to protect one of the state’s crown jewels.” So sites like the Horseshoe Lake Wrecking Yard, off State Route 302, remain on the list until Lawson’s department musters the resources necessary to go after them. And that’s when the hammer will fall. “When Ecology approaches them they don’t have an option,” Lawson says. “They have to clean it up.” If they don’t, the agency can issue an enforcement order requiring the cleanup. “Or we can clean it up ourselves — and recover the cost from the owners,” Lawson said. In the meantime, owners Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Ennis could legally sell the wrecking yard, if someone were willing to buy it in spite of the contaminated soil. Lawson says that isn’t likely, since most lenders wouldn’t loan funds for a contaminated site, but there’s nothing to prevent such a transaction if the buyer has enough money. Len Lonning Sr., who lives behind the Lonning Saw shop located just south of the wrecking yard, filed the complaint about the contamination. “After oily looking water backed up into my garage, I took samples, and took them to the county,” he said. “They took a look but they haven’t done anything.” The saw shop, which was originally owned by Lonning’s grandfather, is operated by his son, Len Lonning Jr. When asked how he feels about the situation, Lonning Jr. expressed more unhappiness with county, state, and federal regulatory agencies than the neighboring wrecking yard. “There are too many regulations,” Lonning said, “and they’re too expensive.” Asked if he’s comfortable with having contaminants like benzene and cadmium right next door, he replied, “To a degree, yes. But they should have a containment at the wrecking yard. Common sense should prevail.” Lonning Sr. said, “I wish there was some way to divert it (the water) so it wouldn’t run into my garage. They have bales of hay over there — but they don’t stop it. The problem is that it runs past my place to Little Minter Creek.” Lawson said regarding the creek allegation, “We won’t know until we go in to do a remedial investigation.” And because of the staff shortage, that investigation could be years away. Leonard Larson, who has operated the wrecking yard for 10 years, has a different perspective. “I don’t have to stop the water,” he said. “I just have to make sure that it’s clean.” Both Larson and his daughter, Deane, were eager to tell KP News about the containments they use to keep toxic materials from leaking into the ground, the water samples they submit to the county on a regular basis, and their ongoing efforts to understand relevant regulations and comply with them. “You really have to have a college education to understand the regulations,” Deane Larson said. “But I call and ask questions.” On the day KP News was there, a pile of hand tools was sitting on top of one spill kit, which made it difficult to access, and the cleanup materials that were supposed to be stored inside the other kit were missing. For his part, Ennis said, “Like anyone else I’m concerned with the level of contamination. That’s why we spent $45,000 to have an engineer come in and map out the situation.” Ennis says that after drilling bore holes, and taking soil samples, Raymond Donahue of Environmental Consultants Inc. concluded the site could be returned to “pristine condition” using one of two methods. The first approach, which would cost Ennis about $35,000, would be to scrape the topsoil into a pile and infuse it with contaminate eating microbes. That process would take years to complete. The second cleanup method, which would cost approximately $80,000 and could be completed in a matter of months, involves scraping the topsoil off and having it hauled away to be recycled. Either approach would force the wrecking yard to shut down, thereby forcing Larson out of business, and denying both men the incomes they presently derive from the property. So, until the government forces some sort of action, there’s no motivation for Larson or Ennis to do anything other than prevent further contamination. “You do what the law requires,” Ennis said, “and that’s what we’re doing.” As for the possible contamination of Little Minter Creek, Ennis said, “Little Minter I don’t think is affected. I haven’t tested it and I don’t think the county has. We haven’t been cited for contaminating the creek.” Given the fact that the adjacent fire station recently sold for nearly half-a-million dollars, Ennis admits his property could be worth as much as $1.5 million. He said they don’t have any “near term plans” to sell the wrecking yard, but they would have to sell it if forced to close it. Arts organization wraps up successful year Parks board president tenders resignation; family, work reasons cited Geoduck Farming up Again at KPAC Geoduck Aquaculture: A Brief Review Manure Bins Can Save Money and Prevent Pollution: Workshop Coming Sept. 9 Bringing Magic to December Burley Lagoon Quality Downgraded Pierce County Shoreline Master Plan Finalized State Climatologist on Salmon and Climate Change Nisqually Reach Reserve Expansion Under Review PreviousArts organization wraps up successful year NextDecember 2006 full issue

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line783

__label__wiki

Our logo and colours How Galas work Gala Checklist Qualifying times Entry Reports for Galas Results from Galas Vacancies for parents Club Day Swim Munster Swim Munster website Munster training ← 16th November 2015 notes 14th December 2015 notes → 7th December 2015 notes Posted on December 7, 2015 by killarneyswimmingclub What a fantastic fortnight it has been for the club with swimmers taking part in an Invitational gala in Tralee on the 28th of November and in a “B” gala in Askeaton on the 6th of December. Showing huge commitment and improvements all around, our swimmers can now look forward to a break from competition until the New Year, with only our own annual fun gala, on the 20th of December in Killarney, scheduled for between now and Christmas. Well done to all. Under 11 girls – Congratulations to Pia Hickey who put in some powerful displays in Tralee taking silver in the 100 metres backstroke and a second silver in the 50 metres freestyle. Barely pausing to draw a breath, she proceeded to win silver in the 200 metres freestyle and in the 100 metres butterfly in Askeaton. Under 11 boys – Some great performances by these young lads in Askeaton with Ethan O’Neill winning gold in the 100 metre breaststroke and silver medals in the 100 metres backstroke and the 200 metres Individual Medley. Nathaniel Doncel won a trio of bronze medals in the 200 metres freestyle, the 100 metres butterfly and the 100 metre breaststroke while Colm Looney won bronze in the 100 metres backstroke with a very fast time indeed. In Tralee, Wiktoria Niewiadomska had a great day in the pool winning gold in both the 200 and 50 metres freestyle and also picking up a bronze in the 100 metres backstroke while in Askeaton Saibh O’Brien won a tricky gold in the 100 metres backstroke and a stylish silver in the 100 metres butterfly. Meanwhile, Ellen Farndon took a well-deserved bronze in the 100 metres backstroke and Aisling Coffey, showing great pace, won a bronze medal in the 100 metres butterfly. Charles O’Brien showed some serious style in Tralee taking a difficult bronze in the 200 metres breaststroke and then dismissed all opposition in Askeaton to seize the gold in the 100 metres breaststroke. Also in Askeaton the Daly brothers, Donal and John were knocking lumps out of each other (and anyone else who stood in their way) in all disciplines with Donal winning silvers in the 200 metres Individual Medley and the 100 metres breaststroke together with bronze medals in the 200 metres freestyle and the 100 metres backstroke. In Tralee, Margaret O’Brien won a spectacular gold medal in the 200 metres butterfly, undoubtedly the hardest race on the card. Also in Tralee, Alan O’Shea won a very tasty bronze in the 200 metres backstroke. In Askeaton, John Daly was refusing to be outdone by his younger brother and took silver in the 100 metres backstroke, the 100 metres butterfly and the 200 metres Individual Medley together with a handy bronze in the 200 metre freestyle – both brother easily notching up “A” gala qualification times. Over 16 girls – A special entry in Tralee was Marta Doberschuetz who took to the waters for the club in some style winning gold in the 100 metres breaststroke, silver in the 200 metres breaststroke and another silver for good measure in the 100 metres freestyle. In Askeaton Janine O’Connor, relying on her speed, won a gold medal in the 200 metres freestyle, and a pair of silver medals in the 100 metres backstroke and the 200 metres Individual Medley – they’ll look good on the Christmas tree in Fossa! Over 16 boys In Tralee, Shane Courtney won a bronze medal in the most difficult and closely watched swimming stroke of all, the 200 metres butterfly. Robert O’Brien produced some powerful strokes to win silver in the 100 metres breaststroke, bronze in the 100 metres butterfly and yet another bronze medal in the 200 metres backstroke while Shane Kerins drew attention by winning silver in the 100 butterfly and bronze in the 50 metres freestyle. Relays – Under 12 girls – Well done to Aisling Coffey, Ellen O’Connor, Moya Noctor and Ellen Farndon who won gold in the freestyle relay and silver in the Medley relay. Under 12 boys – Nathaniel Doncel, Colm Looney, Charles O’Brien and Ethan O’Neill did the business for the club in the 200 metres Medley Relay winning gold medals. Under 14 boys – Paul O’Leary, Rian O’Donovan, Sean Farndon and Donal Daly, who were on fire all day, won gold in the Medley Relay and silver in the freestyle relay. A special mention for Elizabeth McGuire who was taking part in her first “B” gala and who had some really superb swims – definitely one to watch for the future. Also Eva Quinn who became our first soldier injured in combat when she fell in Tralee and broke a bone – but that didn’t stop her travelling to Askeaton, complete with crutches, to support her teammates! Well done Eva and we’ll see you back in the pool in January. Thanks to our coaches who travelled to Tralee and to Cathal O’Brien and Leontia Doody who were fantastic in Askeaton. Thanks also to all parents who travelled in poor weather conditions, especially those who took part in the timekeeping. 14th of January 2020 notes 18th of November 2019 notes 4th of November 2019 notes 30th October 2019 notes 28th of September 2019 notes

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line784

__label__wiki

Larry Nance Jr Inks Extension to Remain in Cleveland [VIDEO] David Settle Lachlan Cunningham, Getty Images Larry Nance Jr is staying home, as he signed a new deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on the eve of the new NBA season. Nance signed a four-year, $44.8 million extension with the Cavs Monday according to sources. He’s in his fourth NBA season and second with Cleveland after coming over in a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Nance is averaging 7.1 points and 3.9 rebounds per game over his career. He had 11 double-doubles last season, which included five as a Cavalier. Nance is an Akron, OH native. Cleveland opens its season Wednesday against the Raptors in Toronto. Filed Under: Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Nance Jr., nba Categories: News, Sports, Videos

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line785

__label__wiki

Yes, Led Zeppelin Supergroup Drummer Alan White Wants Recordings Released Jack Taylor / Dave Kotinsky / Kevin Winter, Getty Images Yes drummer Alan White said he was still hopeful that unfinished recordings featuring late bandmate Chris Squire and Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page could be released, and added that it would be “quite amazing” if Robert Plant could be persuaded to sing on them. The short-lived project, titled XYZ for “Ex Yes and Led Zeppelin,” was abandoned in 1981 for a number of reasons, one of those being that it took place too soon after the death of John Bonham for Page’s comfort. That was also one of the reasons Plant decided not to take part after visiting the fledgling band in the studio. “Chris said to me, ‘Jimmy Page wants you to come out west and come over,’” White told Rolling Stone in a new interview. “We started jamming in Jimmy’s studio for a while. Chris had some ideas. I had some ideas. most of the stuff we actually recorded was stuff that Chris and myself wrote.” He recalled that "then the management got involved, like Peter Grant and Brian Lane. I remember Robert coming down and listening to the music and feeling like it was a bit complicated for him. It could have been a band at that time if Robert joined, but it kind of fizzled out once the managers got involved.” White said he discussed XYZ with Page when they met in the U.S. a few years ago. “Jimmy said, ‘I want to dig those tapes up and finish them off and release an album.’: he noted. "I said, ‘Just call me.’ I think he put the project on hold though when he got back to England.” He added that he needs "to get in touch with Jimmy and be like, ‘Let’s finish those tapes off.’ Maybe we can get Robert to sing on them or something. That would be quite amazing.” In 2015 Page said completing the XYZ recordings was “something I wanted to do.” "The music was really good,” he said. Plant also recalled the music as “really, really good” and “an interesting blend.” See Yes and Other Rockers in the Top 100 Albums of the '80s You Think You Know Led Zeppelin? Next: Top 10 Pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page Songs Source: Yes, Led Zeppelin Supergroup Drummer Alan White Wants Recordings Released Filed Under: Led Zeppelin, yes

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line786

__label__cc

Local News Regional Top Stories Video Weather News January 13, 2020 Nicole Costantino 138, 230, 62, allstate, falling trees, heavy snow, high winds, interstate 5, odot, quickmap, Siskiyou Summit, snow, tripcheck, winter weather It was a busy day for the Oregon Department of Transportation Monday as winter weather created hazardous driving conditions. Wind gusts up to 50+ miles per hour caused an estimated 100 trees to fall across Oregon 230, another 200 leaning on to the road. ODOT closed the 24-mile highway Monday morning. “Not sure how much work they’ll actually get done up there today because of the hazardous conditions,” said ODOT spokesperson Gary Leaming. “We don’t want to put our crews at risk.” Late Monday afternoon Oregon 138 east was shut down for some of the same issues. More south, Siskiyou Summit had crews out with plows and salt working to keep the roads clear, the pass was expecting more snow into Tuesday morning. “Because of our staffing, the resources that we have that shouldn’t be a problem,” Leaming said, “but still drivers should be prepared for winter driving conditions.” “Give yourself a lot of room for braking,” Allstate Agency Owner James Nolan said, “because if you don’t, then you’ll end up hitting the car in front of you.” Monday evening, ODOT announced it closed Oregon 62 from Prospect to the west boundary of Crater Lake National Park due to heavy snow and fallen trees. Be sure to visit tripcheck.com in Oregon and use Quick Map in California for road conditions before getting in the car. Nicole Costantino Nicole Costantino is a reporter and weather forecaster for NBC5 News. She comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona where she graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She also received a minor in Meteorology. Before coming to NBC5 News Nicole was an anchor, weathercaster and reporter at KAET in Phoenix, AZ. In college, she interned for CBS Evening News in New York City and the NBC4 Investigative Team in Los Angeles. In her free time, you can find Nicole cheering on her Sun Devils and exploring the Pacific Northwest. Feel free to send story ideas and chocolate chip cookie recipes to her on Facebook (@NicoleCostantino) or Twitter (@NicCostantino).

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line787

__label__cc

Kate McCabe Warehouse Giggidy Gigs! Come and See Me! My Comedy Links and Vids Strong Female Leads Bumford & Rons Had some fun with Photoshop today. I don’t HATE Mumford & Sons. Sure, I think they are a bit sucky…but this isn’t a blood feud. I just think bums are funny and Ron Weasley is also amusing. Filed under comedy, Music Tagged as Mumford & Sons, Photoshop February 3, 2015 · 12:40 pm We’ve all heard the complaints about be-quiffed British crooner Sam Smith’s dirge of a song “Stay With Me” more or less directly ripping off American folk-rock scarecrow Tom Petty’s terrible ode to perseverence”I Won’t Back Down”. Here’s the video proof: But, the other day, I was eating a bowl of Golden Grahams and noticed even MORE intellectual theft. Check out the similarities between these two tracks: You can hear it now, can’t you? I’m youurrr Jean Grey toooniiiight. Argh, sentinels! Filed under Comics, Music Tagged as Plagiarism, Sam Smith, Song Theft, Tom Petty, Whitney Houston, X-Men Robyn All The Beats You may or may not have noticed that I haven’t blogged here in over a year. I fell off. I didn’t pay enough attention. I failed to maintain. It’s not that things stopped being great for me to love. Things are still great and I, as a general stance, still LOVE things that are great. I just didn’t love my work schedule over the last year or so. Now, has it recently changed to being better since I fell off? No. I’m still pretty craze-balls here there and everywhere between my day job, improv, stand-up, and my social/family commitments. But, the main difference is that I’m just gonna be more flagrant about when I do all this stuff. So, hopefully, by caring a little less about getting shit-canned, I’ll get more done! That’s how it works, right? I’m like the world’s worst super-hero. Trying to juggle all my (non) heroic duties. The Craptacular Spider-Man. With great workloads comes half-assed attitudes and sloppy output. Pfft. What a tit. So, what am I short shrifting my work to talk about today? It’s Swedish Popstar, Robyn! Robyn Carlsson, to be exact. I like this because Carlsson is also Carl’s last name from THE SIMPSONS. Carl Carlsson. 173. Robyn Really, I first knew of her from back in the early 90s. Her “Show Me Love” surfaced in the singles charts for a big and it was an enjoyable if ultimately forgettable little tune. It also had the misfortune of landing in proximity to another song called “Show Me Love”. This one was by Robin S. (Another Robin, just to add further confusion), and when comparing the two, Robin S.’s was bigger, bolshier, and all around more memorable. I’ve just looked it up and the songs were 4 years apart. Not long enough for me to really differentiate considering that those were years that were high school and college for me and I was mostly concerned with silently fancying girls at my Catholic school. So, if it wasn’t Jill Sobule or Sophie B. Hawkins, I was less likely to retain that track information. Anyway, several years had passed since Robyn’s “Show Me Love” was on our American radios. I kept busy, going to University–studying writing and performance in tandem with Stella Adler studios, working my summers at a meat factory, eventually graduating and then finding work as a bartender, doing comedy in the alternative club scene in NYC, meeting my future wife, moving to LA, moving to Baltimore, moving back to Brooklyn, moving over to the UK–first living and working in Scotland and subsequently shifting down to England, hitting the Manchester comedy circuit, getting married, honeymooning in Ecuador, riding horses around a volcanic crater a couple hours outside of Quito, hiking Hadrian’s Wall for charity and occasionally dining out and seeing films with friends. Those were wild times. Finally, 2007 arrived. I’d been so busy with my own life that I hadn’t even bothered to consider that all this time, the Swedish soprano chanteuse had been laying it wait. Coiled like a short, blonde-tufted, snake, about to strike with a song that would infect my ears, my head, my dancing shoes, and yes, my heart. What’s that YouTube? You have a clip of the song that you want to show us? Well, that’s great, I’d love to listen to it again. I hoped you liked that song. It’s a testament to the track that I still like it even though the supershitty neighbors we had upstairs from us for a while at our old apartment in the Castlefield (yes…a whole field of castles!) neighborhood in Manchester used to blast it at their terrible parties full of even shittier friends. These guys were real dirtbags. Just scum. I mean, they stole balcony furniture from other tenants and would let their cigarettes fall through their balcony slats down to ours. Gross. I want to give you some idea of what they were like so I’ve googled ‘hipster douchebag’ and this is the first image that appeared. Works for me. Hiya mate. I’m gonna steal your plastic chairs. Anyway, it’s that good that I still love it even over that negative association. I like Robyn because she makes perfect pop music which still seems authentically artful. I like that she has both singing talent AND ideas about what she wants to create. In fact, she started Konichiwa Records in 2005 over creative disputes with her former record company. She wanted to go more electro and they were all like, ‘naaah’. So, she was like, ‘bye I guess’. But it’s her collaboration with and video for “You Should Know Better” that is the real centerpiece of this blog entry. I love everything about it, from the gender-swapping kids to the choice pop partnership to the general badassery to the shout out for a woman pope. Here she is with Snoop Dogg (he was still Dogg at that point and not Lion, I believe). I love that the kid pulls so many Robyn dance-moves from previous vids. It’s perfect casting for both of the reverse doppelgangers. *Fun Fact* Robyn plays his Mom in that video. Here’s a bonus bit of fun with The Lonely Island. This pleases me because I think that the fact The Lonely Island reached out to her means that she’s cool enough in America again to be appreciated by these creators of cultural touchstones. Goodo. OK, you know. I started this blog post in February…I mean, obviously, you won’t know that because it looks like it has practically no content except videos and that it would have taken approximately four seconds to write…but it’s now the middle of March now and I STILL haven’t posted it. Yet, today there is NEW Robyn news. Check out this brilliant song from my favorite Buffalo-stancin’ British rapper, Neneh Cherry featuring none other than Robyn. I like it very much and since I’m so desparate to share it with you, I’m finally gonna hit publish on this post. Thanks for pushing me off the plank, Neneh Cherry. P.S. For more amazing Swedish recommendations see the film SHOW ME LOVE, The Cardigans, Abba, Ikea, and The Swedish Parliament (which has the highest ratio of female lawmakers in the world!!!) Tagged as Neneh Cherry, Robyn, Robyn Carlsson, Snoop Dogg, Swedish Pop, The Lonely Island Dance My Doormat Blues Away And we’re back! Edinburgh was fun, thanks. Will probably do a blog-recap of it shortly. Anyway, back to the day-to-day stuff. It was a bank holiday weekend here in the UK (hooray) and I had a really good one. Went to gig in Newcastle on Friday. Though it’s a long way to go for an unpaid spot (about a 3.5 hour drive), the gig itself was absolutely lovely and the three of us who went from Manchester had a warm glow of happiness on the drive home. Then on Saturday, had a good sleep in and spent the rest of the day eating nice food, reading a book, and playing PS3–that is living the dream. On Sunday, we went out to grab lunch with a friend and had a couple of beverages. Then yesterday (Monday), Karey spent almost the whole day in the kitchen churning out treats both sweet and savoury–whilst I tidied up the place a bit and continued on with my idyllic weekend of reading, eating, and gaming. Now it’s Tuesday–here at work for a four-day work week (the lovely after effect of a three-day weekend). Started the day with a bit of a bump though and although it’s a minor nuisance, I’m really in a funk about it and can’t shake the feeling. You see, we’ve only been in this new flat for a couple of months now and we’re still trying to settle in/get to know the building/say howdy to the neighbors and all that. We’ve been buying bits of furniture and decor along the way as we can afford them–trying to make the place feel a bit more ‘us’. That mostly means me throwing comics and candy bar wrappers about the place and Karey not putting her shoes away and lighting far too many candles. But, we did get one nifty little item to throw into the hallway outside the door to our place. Check out this adorable doormat. We hardly new ye. We put that sweet little number in the hallway and for a good week it brought smiles to our faces as we stepped into the flat. ‘Bonjour!’, we’d say in response to the confident poodle. Anyway, a week’s worth of happiness is all we got from it…because some nasty pice of work has stolen it! To make matters worse, the store is out of stock and the line is cancelled. Can’t even get a replacement. Plus, it has the bonus negative effect of making me distrustful of our neighbors. It seems like such a nice building too! Not sure who is guilty. To be sure, I’m going to smear boogers on EVERYONE’S door. It’s my only solace. We can’t have anything nice…Even though I’m feeling a bit burnt and negative about this brazen theft, I’m going to try to focus on the positive. Let’s do a great thing blog! So, without further adieu, here’s today’s great thing: 168. Janelle Monae’s “Tightrope” video Let’s watch it! Why do I like this video so much? You’ve seen it–it should be clear. But just in case you don’t dig on the same things I do, here’s why: 1. Super dancing! I like the fancy smooth footwork of Monae and her asylum inmate friends. This is also why I liked the video for “Single Ladies” when it first came out, because the choreography seemed so new and brilliant. It wasn’t five boy-banders just throwing shapes in synch. It was specific to the act and a pleasure to watch. I love the black and white of their saddle shoes flashing in front of my eyes. 2. It has a sort of story-line element. Far too few videos bother trying to craft any sort of narrative nowadays. Though it’s not crystal clear what is happening here, you can at least see that Janelle Monae and her friends are trying to boogie their way out of an anti-dancing sort of insane asylum. Apparently, the director, Wendy Morgan–who has directed for Bloc Party and Gnarls Barkley as well, references Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon, an experimental film from the 40’s which I can’t say I’m familiar with. It’s where she got the idea for the mirror-faced dementors. Highbrow! Meshes of the Afternoon 3. Tuxedos. I like ’em. I used to be a cater waiter and maybe if we were all better dancers, this is what our breaks at work would have looked like. Alas, at those intervals we were mostly text messaging people, making fun of party guests, or stealing food and not staging super-jive jamborees. 4. Originality. I love that a pop star is using a creative edge instead of a tight top to get attention. Class act! I like it when people who could likely just coast on their voice and slick production actually wind up bringing something new to the table. I don’t have the whole album, but I have picked up a few tracks from iTunes and I like what I hear so far. Janelle Monae was born in 1985. 1985!!!! There are grown ups around who were born in 1985!!! She’s from Kansas City. This helps in establishing her cool credentials. It’s good to be from a place with a mythos around it–like Kansas City, New Orleans, or Cool World. She then studied in NYC with an original goal of heading to broadway, which goes to explain her theatricality. Another reason to anticipate further magical awesomeness from Monae? Check out this info from io9.com: Monáe has stated that she has an alter-ego named Cindi Mayweather who according to Monáe is from the year 2719.[22] In her first EP she gave her alter-ego a back-story stating that she is on the run after breaking the law in her home town of Metropolis after falling in love with a human named Anthony Greendown. Monáe explained about Cindi, saying “The Archandroid, Cindi, is the mediator, between the mind and the hand. She’s the mediator between the haves and the have-nots, the oppressed and the oppressor. She’s like the Archangel in the Bible, and what Neo represents to the Matrix io9.com The world needs more robots with cool hair! Fact! I bet she’s kick-ass in concert. I will only go out to live concerts and risk standing around and being moshed up against for special artists. She will qualify to be on that list. Do you hear that Janelle Monae? Now, come to Manchester please. Tagged as Good Choreography, Janelle Monae, Music Video, Tightrope, Tuxedo Hot Air Balloons Would Have Been Too Predictable By my estimation, about 98% of music videos manufactured today are forgettable, tasteless, copycat crap. Every time someone innovates, we wind up seeing approximately 500 knock offs over a few years of said innovation. Using a fish-eye lens? Trying out a flash mob type feel? Putting your artist up solo against a wall of lights? Sorry, it’s already been done to death. Yeah, and so has open top car journey and the comedy sketch in the middle of the vid. The trick, I think, is to create something that is so unique to the song that it just can’t be replicated by some cheat who’s been assigned to direct the next Usher video. It either needs to be keenly specific to the song or so odd that the rip-offery would be far too blatant to even attempt…so weird that it could never possibly become a trope. Today’s great thing is a perfect example of that. It is the hypnotically engaging and absolutely un-trope-able: 159. The Video for Daft Punk’s Around the World. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Daft Punk would get a wholly original director to helm one of their videos. They are, undoubtedly, one of the most unusual commercial acts around. The two Frenchmen, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, rarely appear publicly out of their cool-ass robot helmets and have always emphasized visuals and story-telling in their music. Though I could give a fudge-bar (yeah, that’s right…I think Fudge bars are Cadbury’s worst candy bar!) about seeing the new Tron movie, I am eager to hear the score that they’ve created for it. Too bad the film looks like such kak–even if my friend Paul says it wasn’t that bad. I’m convinced he’s only saying that so he doesn’t get all mad at himself for spending money to see it in the theater. French robots use their electronica powers for good. It’s worth noting that Michael Gondry was the director in question. Gondry has a pretty excellent track record when it comes to creating memorable videos for creative musical artists. Just two notables include Bjork’s “Human Behavior” and The Chemical Brothers’ “Let Forever Be”. He, of course, went on to helm such great pictures as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and maybe the slightly less good The Science of Sleep. Fun fact, he utilized the bullet-time technique in film-making BEFORE it appeared in The Matrix. “Around the World” was choreographed by Blanca Li (NOT the Blanka that we all know and love from “Street Fighter”.) No...not Blanka, B-L-A-N-C-A Blanca Li is a Spanish choreographer, silly. Before I show the video, let’s chat about why it looks the way it looks? (How do pin-headed athletes, “disco girls” in swimsuits, and mummies all wind up on the same stage?) What Gondry focussed on when making this video was it’s simple but super hooky structure. It utilizes only five instruments and each of those five instruments have different patterns…hence the five groups of characters. If you watch closely, you can see how they all respond directly to their own instrumentation. Here is a key: Athletes–bass guitar Skeletons–guitars Mummies–drum machines Disco Girls–keyboards Androids–robo-singing voice The platform itself is supposed to represent a vinyl record. Neat-O! Let’s watch: It’s all so harmonious. For once, the video matches how cool it sounds with how cool it looks (and vice versa). Also, is it just me or does the choreography feels a bit like patting your head and rubbing your belly. I think it’s marvellous how they all keep time without distracting each other–especially considering the costumes they’re all wearing. The mummies, especially, I think would draw my attention away from my rhythmic footing. Not bad...AND the one on the left can juggle...or something. I wanted to close out this blog post with a couple of tributes to “Around the World”. Though with this next video, you might say that my earlier argument of this video being “un-trope-able” has just fallen down. But to that, I say “Nay!” Take a look and I think you’ll understand why it still stands…perhaps even stronger than before. I definitely think we can label this as an homage as opposed to a copycat. You can watch this Freemason’s video and still know that Daft Punk and Michael Gondry did it first. You dont’ forget the original…whereas you might not remember who first did filmed their performer against a wall of lights thanks to the sheer numbers of parrots who have done so since. Plus, unlike in the “Around the World” video, the dancers in this video don’t seem to correspond with any instrumental counterpart…they’re just dancing in time. So, it doesn’t have that eerie cadence to the choreography that the original does. It both celebrates and fails to match the original. A more creative and fitting tribute comes in this cover by Señor Coconut and his Orchestra. Based on the mellow awesomeness of this bossa nova (or samba?) version of the floor-filler, I think I’m going to check out Señor Coconut’s whole album. Now, if I can just find four friends who are willing to invest in the materials, I think I may go as a tribute to this video next Halloween…or at least the next costume party I get invited to. But I totally call the android costume. I’m not going as the disco girl. Filed under Music, Uncategorized Tagged as Around The World, Blanca Li, Daft Punk, Michael Gondry, Music Video Tropes, Senor Coconut Merry Misery! Making up my Christmas playlist on my iPod this year, the final tally reached an impressive 160 songs. That’s a jingly jam session that includes Rat Pack versions of classics, some choral tunes, the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack and some pop standards like The Waitresses’ “Christmas Wrapping“. But, even with over seven hours of holiday listening, one can grow weary of hearing the same tracks over and over. (I listen to my iPod A-LOT). So, I was on the hunt for a few new and worthy Christmas releases to add to the collection when I stumbled quite accidentally upon today’s great thing: 156. The Hives and Cyndi Lauper A Christmas Duel Cyndi Lauper has a Christmas album all to herself that I enjoy thoroughly. Christmas stockings! But this new(ish) addition to her repertoire is a terrific surprise. Cyndi is such an old favorite of mine that it truly pleases me when more modern acts also recognize her brilliance. So, I thought it was pretty cool that Swedish rock band The Hives sought her out. They’re a respectable band and you may know their killer track “I Hate To Say I Told You So”. Of the team-up a Hive says: “We came up with the song and we figured it was a duet, and we’d always hoped to do a duet with Cyndi Lauper.” Good enough for me! I’m pretty sure the process also included shopping at Ikea, playing some Abba, and chasing it all down with some meatballs and Akvavit..and other stereotypical things that I know about Sweden… and finally there you have it, a modern Christmas classic was born. Fashion by H & M? The charm of this song is that it’s about a miserable married couple having a ‘one-up’ sort of argument. A song done years earlier in a similar vein is “Fairytale of New York” by The Pogues (and featuring Kirsty MacColl). Now, to most here in the UK this will sound like sacrilege, but I do not like “Fairytale of New York”. All the cool kids over here rank it seriously hight. I get that it’s supposed to be bleakly humorous, but for my tastes it’s too bleak. Even if the lyrics are funny, the music never picks up. It’s like an awful dirge with no spark of cheer in it. And I just can’t abide that at Christmas. That’s why I find this track a bit of an improvement. It’s got the black comedy in it…but it also has a bit of jingle jangle. In fact, if you listen closely, it sounds absolutely inspired by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. Listen now and judge for yourself. There’s no official video…so this is just the track over some stills. I hope you dig it. The track reached number 4 on the Swedish charts. Not too shabby. It’d be nice to see it get more play worldwide though. For further reading, here’s a link to a Rolling Stone notice of the track: A Christmas Duel Now, for an extra holiday treat, here’s a second great thing for you today. Let’s call it the B-Side to today’s great song. The Killers’ “Don’t Kill Me Santa Claus” is a fabulous blend of 60’s style dramatic narration, coupled with mod rock beats, and Brandon Flower’s patented rock-boy keening. Released in 2007, it was an AIDS charity single. It’s got a good beat and I can dance to it. Tagged as A Christmas Duel, Christmas Music, Cyndi Lauper, Don't Shoot Me Santa, Fun, The Hives, The Killers The Concert That Got Away There’s a fair number of people who may be instantly turned off when they hear a musician described as ‘girl with a guitar’. Lilith Fair, for all its supportive female-progressive intentions, also dragged a certain stereotype into the spotlight. There was much suffering throughout the nineties and early noughts caused by ‘girls with guitars’–women with poetry on their minds who thought just strumming out a few chords in progression amounted to a song/musical career. Well, it just ain’t so. But for every feeble haiku-spouting white girl with dreadlocks, there are ladies with actual song-writing abilities who just happen to play guitar as well. See Feist, Martha Wainwright, and today’s great thing: 147. Brandi Carlile If that name doesn’t ring any bells (no it’s not BELINDA Carlisle), you’ll thank me for introducing you to her tunes. Born in the early eighties in Seattle, Carlile was signed to Columbia Records in 2004, Rolling Stone magazine named her one of 10 to watch in 2005. Her style is difficult to categorize. A bit folk, indie, country, alt-rock. Let’s just say that she fits comfortably in the ‘songwriter’ genre–along with some of my other faves…Rufus Wainwright, Neko Case, and Arcade Fire. Only one of her singles has even made it to the top 100 in The States. That was “The Story”, and that only reached #75. It probably received a bit of a bump after a contestant on American Idol covered it. (Though I find that program grows more loathsome with every passing year, I AM suitably impressed when a contestant chooses something unusual–so, props to season nine contestant Lacey Brown for choosing this ace tune). So, considering how under-appreciated she is by the world at large, how excited was I to see that this person was coming over here? To Britain! To Manchester! Where I live! A concert! Of course, I bought tickets immediately. Joining the cast of Young Guns III I also purchased one for my friend Kathryn and gave her a copy of Carlile’s CD’s…creating a new fan (you’re welcome, Brandi Carlile). I was curious, actually, about what the turnout would be for the show. at The Manchester Academy (a University venue). It’s often the case that The US and the UK have different musical tastes. For instance, they like both Scissor Sisters and The Gossip more than Yanks do…even though both groups are American. Likewise, they don’t recognize the strains of “Workingf or The Weekend” by Loverboy when I sing it at the top of my lungs on Fridays at work. Additionally, I’ve been proven wrong with a few niche-type acts that I thought wouldn’t have massive foreign followings. My girlfriend loves The Indigo Girls–they had a huge swelling of support at their gig here in Manchester–as did Tegan & Sara. I guess lesbians over the world are just supportive in general of other lesbians. Sisterhood and all that. I’m supportive of the endeavours of women. Except for Sarah Palin and Christine O’Donnell. I can’t get behind that shit. So…the show was supposed to be earlier this year. I’d been anticipating it greatly. I had my best checked-shirt pressed and ready to go. Then, thanks to a certain volcano that shall remain nameless, it was cancelled. I shake my fist at YOU Iceland. A bit of a bummer, but the gig was rescheduled for October. Again, I’ve been waiting eagerly for the show…and now I just found out that it’s off. Full stop. Period. The high numbers of cancelled/volcano gigs sort of wiped them out financially and it’s not viable for them to reschedule travel at this point. I don’t know where to cast my rage. Brandi Carlile, you can totally sleep in my spare bedroom in Manchester if you want to reconsider and if it helps you save money. We can play Guitar Hero if you want. Here’s a bit from an interview she did with the website AfterEllen.com (entire interview here–AfterEllen): AE: You just announced your U.K./Ireland and European tour dates which takes you from mid-April to mid-May. Any plans to tour solo beyond this leg? BC: We’re going to tour all throughout the summer. We’re doing the Newport Folk Festival, Telluride, Bonnaroo; and in the fall, we’re putting together a compilation of symphony shows. We’re going to go to Denver, Cedar Rapids; we’re going to play symphonies. We’ll get like seven, eight, nine towns going with their local symphony. It’s going to be a real charge to play with a symphony. If you think “The Story” is epic, just imagine it with a 40-piece orchestra behind it. Gutted. I want to hear “The Story” with a symphony. Anyway, enough typing, let me know share a few tracks with you so you too can get the gist and perhaps become a fan. These are a few of my favorite Brandi Carlile songs. Here’s “Josephine”. My friend Michelle, who I work with, swears that Carla Bruni does a cover of this. I’ve been unable to locate it. Anyone know more about that? I think she’s wrong. Brandi has travelled with a couple of guys that she just calles “The Twins” for a little while now. They are actually the Hanseroth twins–Tim and Phil–rounding out her touring band are cellist Josh Neumann, and drummer Matt Chamberlain. The Twins freak my girlfriend out a little bit as they are very tall and bald. It helps Karey relax a bit about it when they wear hats. Here they are performing “Dreams” live at a Borders Bookstore. Luckily, hats are present. (Short interview at the start of the clip, btw). Pretty good so far, yes? Would you like to know more? Of course you would. Borders (I swear this is not a commercial for their store) also has a series of cool interviews on YouTube where they interview celebrity guests about their favorite books/CDs/and films. Here’s Carlile’s: At this point, I would also like to say that I have not one copy but TWO copies of The Neverending Story on DVD…just to sweeten that offer of housing if Brandi Carlile makes good on that UK tour promise…I also have The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth of course. We could pop popcorn and have a marathon! BC (that’s what I’m calling her now), makes comment on how important a singer’s vocal quality is to her. I don’t think she’s referring to the fact that someone might be pitch perfect. Or maybe she is, I don’t know. But, what listening to Brandi Carlile makes me appreciate is the delivery of the song…the focus of the singer on telling the story and singing the truth out of it. I know that sounds so fruitily intangible, but I think you DO hear what I mean in artists like Freddie Mercury, and KD Lang, Rufus Wainwright and Brandi Carlile. Anyway, back to the music. I only just became aware that Elton John sings the male vocals on this track–“Caroline”: Whilst reading another charming interview at medleyville (see here: : medleyville), I also discovered that in 2006 she played my hometown! Erie! Pennsylvania! She was there! At the Civic Center! Oh Brandi, why must we always be ships passing in the night? So many missed connections. The Atreyu years? Oh well, best not to leave on coulda shoulda wouldas…here’s the song that you probably know IF you know any of Brandi Carlile’s songs. “The Story”. Warning! The Twins don’t have hats on. So, if you’re afraid of tall balds…well…look away now. Tagged as Borders Interview, Brandi Carlile, Erie, Female Songwriters, The Neverending Story Memories of Great Months Past Memories of Great Months Past Select Month March 2019 November 2016 July 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 April 2015 February 2015 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 January 2012 December 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 Moar Righting Recent Articles For Standard Issue Love The Player. Love The Game. My Jessica Jones Review Vittles Draggedy Ann My Cast of Dunces Kate McCabe Warehouse · Comedy/Improv/Teaching/Writing

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line788

__label__wiki

Arthur Suydam The Zombie King," as he is known, rose to stardom for his work on the smash hit series "Marvel Zombies," the lines at his booth at any given show are a testament to the enduring "zombie craze," with Suydam as a forerunner. He is also renowned as the Deadpool cover artist on "Merc with a Mouth." As well as "The Walking Dead." And he is credited as being one of the first artists to bring fine art painting techniques to the world of comics in such books as "Cholly and Flytrap" and "Mudwogs." Recent awards for Arthur include "The Spike TV Scream Award (Best Artist)," "Spectrum Gold Award for Institutional Art," "The San Sebastian Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award,"as well as the "University of Maryland Eastern Shore Lifetime Achievement Award," His work can also be seen on works for "The Walking Dead," "Deadpool, "Batman," "Wolverine," "Fantastic Four," "X-Men," "Ghost Rider," "Army of Darkness" "Vampirella," and too many to name here. His "Cholly and Flytrap" series has recently been compiled into a collected volumne, marking that great achievement and it's place in comic history. Art Suydam will be available Saturday and Sunday. No Panels scheduled at this time. Diana Greenhalgh Diana Greenhalgh is a professional illustrator in comics, trading cards, film and television. You can find her work in many places, from props in DC's Legends Of Tomorrow, to movie posters for Twentieth Century Fox's Deadpool and X-Men: Apocalypse, illustrations for over 30 licensed trading card sets (including DC, Marvel, and Dynamite properties), and inks on numerous independent and mainstream comic titles for publishers such as IDW and Marvel. Diana currently works as an editor and artist for Pocket Jacks Comics, a new independent production company, and as an illustrator for The Upper Deck Company. She also specializes in character art, illustrating sexy femme fatales and other fantastic characters. In her spare time, she produces original pinup and fantasyart for prints, trading cards, and other collectibles. Diana Greenhalgh will be available Saturday and Sunday. facebook.com/DianaGreenhalghArt instagram.com/mechangel twitter.com/DianaGreenhalgh patreon.com/mechart mechangel2002.deviantart.com Zac Thompson Zac Thompson is a writer born and raised on Prince Edward Island. He is best-known for his critically acclaimed homeless noir series, The Dregs, from Black Mask Studios. His first novel, Weaponized, a Cronenbergian body-horror book about sexually transmitted guns came out in 2017. He's also written comics like Come Into Me at Black Mask Studios, Her Infernal Descent at Aftershock Comics, and Marvel's Cable. Later this summer his science fiction blockbuster, Relay, will release from Aftershock Comics. When he's not writing Zac loves to cycle and hang out with his two cats Pancho and Wilson. Zac Thompson will be available Saturday and Sunday. Peter Ricq Peter Ricq is the creator of Once our Land graphic novel and co-creator of the animated television series League of Super Evil (L.O.S.E.). He also participated in the animated television series Storm Hawks as a junior designer. His last animated short film (Glitch) was awarded with nine best animation awards and one jury prize. He is the co-founder of the indie-electronic pop duo Humans. We are very lucky to also have Peter as our DJ for our VIP party! Peter Ricq will be available Saturday and Sunday and DJing our VIP party Saturday night! https://www.instagram.com/pricq https://twitter.com/dashumans https://onceourland.com/ Jeff Chiba Stearns Jeff Chiba Stearns is an Emmy® nominated and Webby award winning animation and documentary filmmaker. After graduating from the Emily Carr University with a degree in Film Animation, he founded Vancouver based boutique animation studio Meditating Bunny Studio Inc. in 2001. From animated viral video ads and broadcast commercials for companies like Sharpie, 3M and Post-it Note, to short and feature films such as “What Are You Anyways?” (2005), Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), One Big Hapa Family (2010), Ode to a Post-it Note (2010), Yellow Sticky Notes | Canadian Anijam (2013) and Mixed Match (2016), Jeff’s work has broadcast around the world, screened in hundreds of international film festivals and garnered over 40 awards. In 2018, he wrote and illustrated his first children's book entitled, Mixed Critters and has plans to release another picture book early next year. Jeff Chiba Stearns will be available Saturday and Sunday. https://www.facebook.com/pg/chibastearns https://www.meditatingbunny.com/ https://www.instagram.com/meditatingbunny/ https://twitter.com/meditatingbunny MATTHEW SOUTHWORTH is a cartoonist and musician living in Seattle, WA. Best known for his work on Stumptown, he has published work with nearly every major comic company, including Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Oni, and Image. He has also worked on projects for Microsoft, Entertainment Weekly, the Independent Film Channel, and Starz Television. He is an executive producer on the new ABC television series, Stumptown, and he has an upcoming graphic novel project with novelist Garth Stein (author of The Art of Racing in the Rain) called The Cloven. Mathew Southworth will be available Saturday and Sunday. http://www.matthewsouthworth.net/ John Delaney is an multi award winning Storyboard Artist, Director, Designer, Animator and Comic Book Artist with over 30 years of experience in live action production and both 2D & 3D animation as well as Gaming. He is the first director in Canada to direct, design and deliver a full 26 episode season of an international action/adventure property -Voltron Force which debuted as the highest rated premier ever on Nicktoons. In comics John has drawn for DC Comics – Adventures in the DC Universe, Justice League Adventures, Superman Adventures, Dexter's Laboratory, Scooby Doo, Cartoon Network Presents and many more. For Bongo Comics John has drawn The Simpsons, Bart Simpson Comics, the Eisner award nominated Death of Comic Book Guy, the McBain one shot and Futurama. He is currently working on a creator owned series DocNoc for Komixstream John Delaney will be available Saturday and Sunday. https://www.instagram.com/johndelaney40

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line789

__label__cc

SFSFC Awards SMOFCon Scholarships We actually made the decision on these awards back in September, but there was a delay in getting an acceptance confirmation. We obviously couldn't announce them, or even tell the other applicants they hadn't won, until we got confirmations from all the winners. San Francisco Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (SFSFC) has awarded scholarships of $300 each to Michael Higashi and William Warriner to help them attend the SMOFCon convention-runners convention in Portland, Oregon this year over the weekend of December 2-5, 2005. Michael Higashi began attending conventions in 1977, started volunteering at ConFrancisco in 1993, and was most recently Administration Division Manager for BayCon 2005. He was an area head at ConJose, the 2002 Worldcon. William Warriner is the Chair of FanimeCon 2006 and has been actively working with anime conventions since 1998. SMOFCon is an annual convention about organizing science fiction conventions. Subject matter ranges from managing small conventions up to the unique challenges of World Science Fiction Conventions. The convention is held in a different city each year. The 2005 SMOFCon will be in Portland, Oregon at the Red Lion Convention Center Hotel, December 2-4, 2005. More information about this year's SMOFCon is available on their web site, http://www.osfci.org/smofcon/. This is the second year that SFSFC has issued scholarships to allow promising convention runners to attend SMOFCon. SFSFC issued two SMOFCon scholarships in 2004, helping send two fans to SMOFCon 22 in Washington DC. Applications were judged by the scholarship administrators, who for 2005 were the three directors of SFSFC who have chaired Worldcons: David W. Clark, Kevin Standlee, and Tom Whitmore. SFSFC was the parent non-profit corporation of ConJose, the 2002 World Science Fiction Convention, and ConFrancisco, the 1993 Worldcon. I'm pleased we were able to present these scholarships again, and hope we do so next year as well. I know I find SMOFCon valuable, and I think it's an important thing to encourage people to learn how others run their conventions. We get better conventions when we're communicating with each other, and not just by e-mail, LJ, etc. There's still value in in-person meetings. Tags: baycon, conjose, conventions, fanimecon, smofcon, worldcon

cc/2020-05/en_head_0053.json.gz/line791