Datasets:

harsharora

/

Rp_CommonC_222

like 0

__label__cc

Dirk L. Knies, Mission on Malta Operation Mobilization in Malta Dirk has been in full-time ministry for 44 years as a pastor, evangelist, and missionary who has served around the globe in the Netherlands, Greece, and throughout Europe with Campus Crusade for Christ, European Christian Mission and is currently with Operation Mobilization in Malta, reaching out to North Africa and the Middle East. Remembering the Persecuted church The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization that offers practical and spiritual help to persecuted Christians around the world. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned 14 years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ. His wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In the 1960s, Richard, Sabina, and their son, Mihai, were ransomed out of Romania and came to the United States. Through their travels, the Wurmbrands spread the message of the atrocities that Christians face in restricted nations, while establishing a network of offices dedicated to assisting the persecuted church. The Voice of the Martyrs continues in this mission around the world today through the following main purposes: Our ministry is based on Hebrews 13:3: "Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body." VOM’s Five Main Purposes: To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. To provide practical relief and spiritual support to the families of Christian martyrs. To equip persecuted Christians to love and win to Christ those who are opposed to the gospel in their part of the world. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries where they have formerly suffered oppression. To promote the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of the faith and courage of persecuted Christians, thereby inspiring believers to a deeper level of commitment to Christ and involvement in His Great Commission. Anthony and Nikki Testa Serving in a Reliant Mission in Turin, Italy About the Testas' Ministry: The Testa's are a crazy-for-Jesus, worshiping, mountain climbing, church planting family serving Italians, europeans and anyone else God brings along in Turin, Italy. They believe that God wants to call everyone "Into the Wilderness" to meet with Him and to experience His infinite love! They have helped to found two churches in Italy and are now involved in a house church planting network. They also founded and oversee the Into the Wilderness program, designed to bring people into experiential encounters with the Creator in the wilderness through camping, rock climbing, mountaineering, rafting, trekking, and other mountain adventures. Eagle's Nest Wilderness Ranch Marcia House, Executive Director We believe there are many children who dream, hope and long for the opportunity to be part of a family who truly loves them. They desire a family who will provide for them, protect them and guide them with their best interests in mind. A family who will always be there for them, comforting and encouraging them, helping them make choices and decisions that will be best for them in their future. A family who will provide safety and security with structure and boundaries. It is in the family setting where you can learn to relax, be yourself and be accepted for who you are. It provides opportunities for enjoying one another in play, work, helping one another and togetherness. It’s a place where memories are made and relationships are built. At Eagle’s Nest Wilderness Ranch we will create that sense of family and help our children realize their dreams for a family to call their own. We will also help them dream about who they would like to be and what they would like to become by helping them find their God given gifts, talents and abilities.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745143

__label__cc

CompositesLab Design Flexibility Composites VS. Composites VS. Steel Composites VS. Aluminum Composites VS. Wood Composites VS. Granite Pipe and Tank Composites 101 What Are Composites? History of Composites Open Molding Closed Molding Cast Polymer Molding Products made from composites provide long-term resistance to severe chemical and temperature environments. Composites are often the material choice for outdoor exposure, chemical handling applications and other severe environments. Composites do not rust or corrode. There are many examples of glass fiber reinforced polymer ductwork being in service in chemical manufacturing plants for more than 25 years, operating in harsh chemical environments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Composites offer corrosion-resistant solutions for many industries, including air pollution control, chemical processing, desalination, food and beverage, mineral processing and mining, oil and gas, pulp and paper, solid waste landfill and water and wastewater treatment. Corrosion resistance is determined by the choice of resin and reinforcement used within the composite application. There are various resin systems available which provide long-term resistance to nearly every chemical and temperature environment. The choice of reinforcements is much more limited but crucial for certain chemical environments. Properly designed composites have a long service life and minimum maintenance. History of Corrosion Composites In 1953, the first high-performance industrial corrosion resins were developed by Atlas Chemical and Hooker Chemical Companies. The pulp and paper and chemical processing industries were quick to recognize the benefits and use composites in their processing equipment. In 1961, the Amoco Division of Standard Oil introduced the first underground gasoline storage tank. Between 1961 and 1965, Shell Oil and Owens Corning researched corrosion-resistant solutions, ultimately producing the first commercial line of large composite underground storage tanks. During the 1970s, the use of composites in industrial applications became widespread. Then in 1989, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers published the seminal design standard for FRP tanks, Reinforced Thermoset Plastic Corrosion-Resistant Equipment. By the 1990s, the corrosion industry had accumulated 40 years of experience and case histories to build a positive performance record. Today, corrosion-resistant composites account for approximately 11 to 15 percent of the total composites market and generate an estimated $3 billion in annual sales. Resin’s Role in Corrosion Resistance One of the primary functions of resins in composites is to protect the fibers they surround. There are dozens of resins designed to provide corrosion resistance. Each unique formulation offers protection against specific conditions, such as caustic solutions, acidic environments, alkaline environments, oxidizing chemicals and high temperatures. The first corrosion resins employed bisphenol fumurate and chlorendic anhydride resin chemistries. Subsequently, isophthalic resins were developed and became the mainstay of corrosion-resistant resins. Isophthalic resins – along with epoxy vinyl ester resins – are commonly used today. Reinforcement’s Role in Corrosion Resistance While the same resin matrix will typically be used throughout the composite structure, reinforcements may be used in three specific areas of the laminate. A fiberglass or synthetic veil is used at the inner surface of the laminate. The inner surface is the interface of the composite and corrosive material. The veil serves to provide a resin-rich (90% resin) surface for the composite while preventing micro-cracks in the resin which would otherwise occur if a resin-only surface (or gel coat) was attempted. The next layer is the chopped fiberglass layer which provides a more robust backup for the veil and is also resin-rich (70% resin). This layer is usually considerably thicker than the veil layer and when combined with the veil layer forms a 100 to 200 mil thick corrosion barrier. The last layer, and by far the thickest layer is the structural portion of the laminate. Different forms of fiberglass reinforcements can be used in this layer to provide a high glass content (35% resin, 65% reinforcement) structural layer: direct draw single-end rovings, fabrics, or choppable reinforcements. There is a vast choice of materials used for the veil layer since this is the first line of defense against a corrosive assault. C-glass, E-CR glass, several types of synthetics thermoplastic non-wovens and carbon veil are the main material choices for veils. Each has a specific environment where they excel. E-glass is almost never used due to its poor corrosion performance. The material choices for the chopped fiberglass layer and the structural layer narrow considerably to E-glass and E-CR glass. Industry Design Standards If you’re planning a project using corrosion-resistant composites, the design will likely need to adhere to industry standards. The most widely used standards for corrosion applications are issued and maintained by ASTM International and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). All standards address the basic issues of scope of applicability, design, materials, construction, quality control, testing and record keeping. While there are more than a dozen standards associated with construction design related to composite corrosion applications, the primary one is ASTM C582. It’s a standard specification for contact-molded reinforced thermosetting plastic (RTP) laminates for corrosion-resistant equipment. It covers composition, thickness, fabrication procedures and physical property requirements for corrosion-resistant tanks, piping and equipment manufactured by contact molding – also known as open molding. Back To Benefits Continue To Design Flexibility Copyright © ACMA

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745144

__label__cc

Bruce Schneier on Security Theater I don't usually put up blog posts that are simply links, but I think for this essay it is worth doing. "Bad News for Housing: Prices Flattening" The quote is the headline of a story on CNN money. The author seems to take it for granted that it is good for housing to cost more, bad for it to cost less. I don't know if it has occurred to him that every time a house is sold, it is also bought, and that while a lower price is bad news for the seller, it is good news for the buyer. Toleration vs Diversity Both toleration and diversity are viewed by many moderns as good things. I am not sure to what extent people realize that they are to some degree conflicting goals, that toleration can be a threat to diversity. The point occurred to me most recently in my readings on Jewish law. For about two thousand years after Israel ceased to be an independent polity, Jews, scattered around the world, continued to live under Jewish law. Gentile rulers found it convenient to subcontract the job of ruling, and taxing, their Jewish subjects to the local Jewish communal authorities. One result was to preserve the differences between Jewish culture and the culture surrounding the communities of the diaspora. What changed that was emancipation—the shift, beginning in the late 18th century, towards treating the Jewish subjects of Christian countries just like everybody else, as Italians or Germans or Frenchmen rather than as Jews living in Italy or Germany or France, as natives rather than resident aliens. Seen from some angles it was a large improvement. But from the point of view of cultural diversity as a good, it was a catastrophe. Jewish law, in particular, ceased to be a living, functioning legal system providing the legal framework for millions of people and became instead a combination of an intellectual game and a legal system applying to a limited subset of activities and enforced only by belief. In the U.S. the process was almost total, which is why the fact that my ancestors were Jewish is only a minor element of my identity. Elsewhere it is still incomplete. I still remember, traveling in Europe as a graduate student, a conversation with a group of European strangers at (I think) a youth hostel. They wanted to know where I was from; I told them I was an American. Oddly enough, one of them asked to see my passport, so I showed it to him. At which point he told me that he was (I'm making up details--this was about forty years ago) French the same way I was American and another of the group was Italian and ... . They were all Jews, had presumably deduced from my name on my passport and other less obvious signs that I was Jewish, and to them that was a stronger identifier than nationality. And, as evidence that the emancipation was a slow process from the other side as well, I am told that it was not until sometime after the end of World War II that Swedish law changed to make it possible for a Jew to be elected to the legislature. The same point occurred to me earlier in my studies of different legal systems. Gypsies, for about a thousand years, have maintained their very distinct cultural identity, including multiple distinct legal systems, despite being scattered as a minority through non-gypsy lands. As I interpret my readings on the subject, that identity is now under threat in the U.S. and Canada—because we are too tolerant. The ultimate punishment under Gypsy law, in most times and places, was ostracism from the Gypsy community. That was a potent threat for people who believed that all non-gypsy were marginally human slime and (correctly) that the attitude was reciprocated by the non-gypsies surrounding them. It becomes less effective in places where gypsies, especially young gypsies, who are unhappy with the constraints of their own culture have a realistic option of merging into the surrounding culture. One result has been pressure on Gypsy institutions to relax their own constraints, under threat of losing control over their own people. The point of this post is not to argue that it would be better if Americans hated Gypsies or Europeans saw Jews as aliens. Only that it would be different, and that one of the differences is one that many people see as good. Jewish Law, Oaths, and Expensive Religious Rules Some religions impose costs on their members—shaved heads for Hare Krishnas, keeping kosher for orthodox Jews, fasting in Ramadan for Muslims. Many years ago I heard a talk by Larry Iannacone, an economist who specializes in the economics of religion, exploring the reasons for such requirements. The puzzle he raised was why they survive in an environment like modern day America, where there is a free market in religions. Why isn't a religion that imposes such costs outcompeted by a variant that keeps everything else but leaves out the unnecessary burden? His (interesting) answer to that puzzle is probably somewhere in his published writings; readers are invited to find it for themselves. What reminded me of that talk was an interesting feature I noticed in my study of Jewish law—the role of oaths. There are many situations in which, due to the lack of evidence, a legal dispute comes down to "he said/he said." The usual resolution, in Jewish law as described by Maimonides, is by an oath. One of the two parties—which one depends on the details of the case—is asked to swear that his account is true. If he is the plaintiff, he gets to "swear and take." If he is the defendant, he gets to "swear and be quit." Either way, if he swears he wins the case, if he declines to swear he loses it. The nature of the oath he must swear depends on the nature of the case. Pretty clearly, some oaths are considered more serious than others. Why would someone refuse to swear if the result is that he loses his case? The obvious answer is that the parties to the case are believers who either feel obligated to swear truthfully, fear supernatural punishment if they swear falsely, or both. A "suspect party" is someone who is not permitted to swear and so, in such a situation, automatically loses. One reason to be suspect is that you have sworn in the past to something that later turned out to be false. Another is that you been observed in the past to violate religious rules—for example by eating food that was not kosher. This suggests a function for religious rules that impose costs. They act as a filter, a signal, a way of distinguishing people who really believe in the religion from ones who don't. Knowing whether someone really believes in the religion can be valuable information. It tells you, for instance, whether to believe his oaths. Status and Evolutionary Biology Economists tend to judge in absolute terms. If my real income doubles that's a big win for me—even if yours triples. We find it odd and annoying that other people often prefer to look at relative measures. If the income of poor people doubles and the income of rich people triples, many will see that as the poor losing out, or at least falling behind. In Choosing the Right Pond Robert Frank, an original and interesting economist, explored the implication for economics of the fact that people care about relative as well as absolute outcomes. That fact suggests an obvious question: Why do we care about relative outcomes? To explain why humans are as they are, the obvious tool is evolutionary biology. Humans, like other living creatures, are "as if designed" for reproductive success. Reproduction requires two sorts of inputs—resources and a mate. If you are a better hunter than I am you will get more resources than I will, making you better able to feed your offspring. But that doesn't make me any less able to feed mine. From our standpoint as members of a hunter/gatherer tribe, the environment in which humans spent almost all of their evolutionary history, game is out there to be hunted in effectively unlimited supply. If you are a better hunter than I am, more generally if you have more resources, status, whatever matters in our society than I do, you will also be better able to attract a mate. Mates, unlike game, are in strictly limited—for practical purposes, perfectly inelastic—supply. The better you are at attracting one or more, the worse my chances of doing so are. That is a good reason for me to be concerned about relative as well as absolute results, to wish not only that I should succeed in the hunt but that you should fail. It might even be a reason for me to put some efforts into increasing the chance of your failing if suitable opportunities arise. The late George Stigler taught me an important lesson when he rejected the original version of what was to become my first published journal article in economics. He told me that in order to be publishable, the article required not only a theory—in my case of the size and shape of nations—but also some way of testing that theory. In revising to meet that requirement I not only found evidence in support of my theory, I also, and perhaps more important, was forced to think through more carefully and precisely what the theory said. I have done no testing of my theory of why we care about relative status, but I do have predictions. The first is that males should be mainly concerned about their status vis a vis other males, females about theirs vis a vis other females, since males are competing with males for mates, females with females. The second is that males should be more concerned with relative outcomes than females. Reproductively speaking, wombs are a scarce resource, sperm is not. Even a not very successful female can expect to reproduce, although her success in mate search may determine how much help she gets raising her children. An unsuccessful male is likely to have no children at all, a successful one many. From the standpoint of reproduction, being male is a high risk gamble. The third prediction is that people should be most concerned about relative outcomes in a range near their own level. If Bill Gates increases his wealth from twenty billion dollars to thirty billion, that has no effect on his ability to compete with me for mates; insofar as wealth is the relevant criterion, at twenty billion I've already lost, although that would be less true in a polygynous society, where his extra wealth might result in his bidding a few more potential wives away from me. If a homeless man finds a job at MacDonalds, that has no effect on his ability to compete with me for mates either. The people I ought to worry about—supposing that I am a male in the mate market, as most males were for most of their adult lives in the environment where we evolved—are the men at about my level, the ones who might beat me out in courtship if they were a little richer, or a little handsomer, or ... . This is a blog post not a journal article; I haven't actually done the research to test these predictions, although I wouldn't be surprised if someone else has. If any readers know of such ... . (It has been many years since I read Robert Frank's book and I don't have a copy ready at hand to check; it's possible that he came up with some or all of my explanation first.) An Entrepreneurial Proposal Many museums, such as the Metropolitan Museum in New York, sell replicas of some of the historical jewelery in their collection. Typically the quality of the replica is significantly lower than the quality of the original—cast when the original was constructed, sometimes using glass instead of the original gemstones. Typically the replicas are expensive. For quite a long time, I have been seeing imported jewelery, usually in silver, coming from places such as Bali and India, with a quality of execution comparable to that in historical pieces—precise filigree, some of it possibly done by the fusion/colloidal hard soldering technique developed in antiquity to do fine filigree and granulation without having the details blurred by solder. Such jewelery is, materials aside, better than the museum replicas—and much less expensive. This suggests an interesting possibility for an entrepreneur with an interest in historical jewelery and suitable contacts somewhere in the third world. Put together, and web, a collection of pictures of pieces of historical jewelery. Locate craftsmen willing and able to make copies of those pieces. Offer to make, for online customers, any piece in the collection, at a suitable price. For a somewhat higher price, guarantee never to make another copy of the same piece. This particular example occurred to me because I happen to be interested in historical jewelery. But there must be many other market niches of the same sort, categories of goods for which the combination of online marketing and hand-craft technology would make it possible for customers to get unique items of special interest to them, while providing profitable work for craftsmen in low income parts of the world. More Fun with Jewish Law I've been reading Maimonides and came across two things that I found interesting. Suppose you kill someone who is dying of a lethal disease. Maimonides concludes that that isn't really murder, since he would have died anyway—while pointing out that you have to be really sure he was dying of a lethal disease. Now suppose someone who is dying of a lethal disease kills someone else. If, being a helpful sort, he commits the crime in the presence of the court, he has committed murder and can be convicted of doing so. If, however, he only commits the murder in the presence of witnesses, there is a problem. Witnesses, in this case or others, might lie. In other cases, one thing discouraging them from perjury is that if it is discovered that their false testimony led to the execution of an innocent defendant, they will be found guilty of murder and themselves executed. But if their testimony leads to the execution of an innocent defendant who is himself dying of a lethal disease, they won't be executed, because killing someone who is dying of a lethal disease isn't murder. Since the witnesses are not at risk of execution for perjury, they might commit it, so their testimony can not be trusted—cannot be taken as sufficient evidence to convict someone of murder. So if someone who is himself dying of a lethal disease commits murder, and doesn't do it in the presence of the court, he cannot be convicted. There is a certain beautiful logic to this very screwy result. In Maimonides' discussion of what we would call tort law, he considers a number of borderline cases—cases where it is not clear whether the tortfeasor owes the victim a damage payment equal to half the damage or a quarter of the damage done. His conclusion in such cases is that the court can only award the plaintiff quarter damages. If, however, the plaintiff has seized property of the defendant amounting to half damages, the court will not make him give it back. Part of what is going on here seems to be a rule holding that the court will not transfer property unless it has good reason to do so. It can't award half damages, because it isn't sure that more than quarter damages are owed. But it can't make the plaintiff who has acted on his own to collect half damages give part of the money back, because it isn't sure that half damages aren't owed. A different way of looking at this is that it represents a hybrid of a conventional legal system, with action by the state or analogous authorities, and a feud system, in which parties act on their own, within some set or explicit or implicit rules, to enforce their rights. I get the same impression looking at the legal rules applied to killing. Under some circumstances, a killer cannot be convicted and punished by the court. But the "avenger of blood," the kinsman of the victim who, in a feud system, would be expected to avenge the killing, can kill the killer with impunity. His right to do so is complicated by various rules, in particular the existence of cities of refuge; once the killer gets to one of those he is in theory safe. I should probably add that Maimonides is writing at a time when there are no cities of refuge and have been none for a thousand years or so. Substantial parts of his legal code describe what the rules were back when the kingdom of Israel was a going concern and the Temple still standing. One possible explanation is that he believed that that situation was going to be reestablished in the not too distant future—so legal scholars ought to be prepared. AIDS in Africa: Disturbing Evidence In the U.S. and Europe, AIDS transmission via vaginal intercourse seems to be very low, with sexual transmission occurring mainly via anal intercourse—one reason why the infection rate is much higher among male homosexuals than in the general population. It is widely believed that this is not true in Africa, that, due perhaps to the prevalence of genital sores, vaginal transmission rates are high enough to provide much of the explanation of the very high rates of AIDS infection. As a result of references in an online discussion, I recently came across two published articles which offer evidence that this explanation is wrong, that vaginal transmission rates in Africa are not substantially higher than elsewhere. They go on to suggest that what is really going on may be iatrogenic, doctor caused, disease, that much of the transmission may be due to sloppy medical procedures, in particular the reuse of needles for injections. The evidence is in part from the pattern of infection—rates are apparently much too high among young people who have not had sex and whose mothers are not HIV positive, suggesting a non-sexual transmission mechanism. In part it is from studies that try to measure the transmission rate via vaginal intercourse. In part it is from regional patterns that don't fit the patterns of the supposed causes. The articles are: Evidence of iatrogenic HIV transmission in children in South Africa HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa not explained by sexual or vertical transmission My non-expert impression is that they represent serious scientific work, and that the evidence presented is pretty convincing. The implication is that this is a case of people trying to do good and doing harm instead, always disturbing. Does any reader know of later work either confirming or rebutting the argument? Dishwasher Woes A while back, we replaced our dishwasher, which came with the house when we bought it some fourteen years ago. The new one, selected on the basis of a positive online discussion of the previous model in the (Bosch) line, turned out to be in almost all ways worse than the old. It held fewer dishes, cleaned less well, dried much less well. It's only significant advantage, so far as we could see, was that it was quieter. It is bad enough so that we are considering simply throwing out our new dishwasher and replacing it with another, after doing a more thorough job of research. It occurred to me to wonder whether part of the problem had to do with pressure, either from the market or from regulation, for energy efficiency. The external dimensions of a built-in dishwasher are fixed. One way of making it more energy efficient is by putting on more insulation to make it easier to keep things hot while they are being washed—which also makes it quieter. More insulation is likely to mean thicker insulation, which means less space for dishes. Along similar lines, the new dishwasher, unlike the old, doesn't have the option of hot air drying—dishes are dried (or not dried) only by the residual heat from the washing. That saves energy, but makes the dishwasher a good deal less useful. Does anyone reading this know enough about dishwasher engineering to say whether new dishwashers are, typically, worse than old for these reasons? Whether, if so, the problem is energy efficiency standards set by regulation, or merely the advantage of being able to advertise energy efficiency and low noise?

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745148

__label__cc

Subtitle V. Telecommunications. Chapter 18A. Pay Telephones. § 34-1831. Pay telephone service providers. (a) The Public Service Commission shall have the power and authority to prescribe rules and regulations for the operation, maintenance, and location of outdoor pay telephones in the District of Columbia. (b) The Commission shall, by rules or regulations, establish standards: (1) To certify a pay telephone service provider seeking to provide pay telephone services in the District of Columbia; (2) For the registration, renewal of a registration for a pay telephone, and transfer of ownership of a registered pay telephone; (3) For the installation and removal of a pay telephone; (4) To investigate a consumer complaint regarding pay telephone service; and (5) to establish operating requirements for all outdoor pay telephones. (c) The Commission shall by regulation or order prescribe procedures for reviewing any complaint relating to pay telephone services in the District of Columbia. The regulation or order shall include provisions for a formal hearing, decision, and appeal arising from any complaint. (d)(1) In weighing evidence regarding whether a pay telephone constitutes a public nuisance, the Public Service Commission shall give great weight to the: (A) Written recommendation of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in which the pay telephone is located or proposed to be located; and (B) Written statement or testimony of a member of the Metropolitan Police Department. (2) For the purpose of this section only, great weight means that, unless there is a compelling reason to do otherwise, the Public Service Commission shall defer to the opinion of the Metropolitan Police Department or Advisory Neighborhood Commission. (Apr. 12, 2005, D.C. Law 15-342, § 201, 52 DCR 2346.) For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 201 of Omnibus Utility Emergency Amendment Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-12, January 28, 2005, 52 DCR 2945). Law 15-342, the "Omnibus Utility Amendment Act of 2004", was introduced in Council and assigned Bill No. 15-872 which was referred to the Committee on Public Interest. The Bill was adopted on first and second readings on December 7, 2004, and December 21, 2004, respectively. Signed by the Mayor on January 31, 2005, it was assigned Act No. 15-760 and transmitted to both Houses of Congress for its review. D.C. Law 15-342 became effective on April 12, 2005.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745149

__label__wiki

DNA: A winding string of achievements by Randall Willis | Email the author Alicia Keys croons into a studio microphone, headphones firmly in place. Elsewhere, a rapper beats about the unfairness of the world in a smackdown with another rap artist. Two hardhats stand at a construction site, reviewing plans for the building that is growing around them, while a scene that smacks of the movie Tron touts the next-generation wonders of a new cell phone. What do all of these events have in common? DNA. DNA headphones. The rapper DNA. The DNA3 condominium complex rising in Toronto. The Droid DNA cellphone from HTC. Walking down the main drag of Alexandria, Va., one is met with the usual signs. A drugstore. A Starbucks. An antiques shop. A Starbucks. A carpeting center. A Starbucks. And the letters D-N-A. Salon DNA, which not only has the name, but also offers a logo design reminiscent of a sequencing gel. Crick, Franklin, Watson and Wilkins could not have imagined any of this when they were generating and analyzing the crystallography data that led to the elucidation of the structure of DNA, work that put a face on what was already known as the core of life: A simple, elegant biochemical staircase that scientists and now laypeople have climbed for six decades to see worlds well beyond the vistas imagined by the intrepid, and often conflicting, quartet. In his 1962 speech at the Nobel Banquet on behalf of himself, Crick and Wilkins (Franklin passed away in 1958 and was therefore ineligible to be recognized by the Nobel committee), James Watson openly recognized the significance of their work in the broadest of terms. "At that time, we knew that a new world had been opened, and that an old world which seemed rather mystical was gone," he said. It is important to remember that the quartet didn't discover DNA, as has commonly been misreported by the media. To be completely frank, much of what was technologically accomplished in the decades since could have been achieved in the absence of a known structure—you didn't need to know what insulin looked like to understand how it works. The structure elucidation clearly established a visual frame of reference, however, that facilitated an understanding of the genetic landscape and perhaps more importantly, a conceptual framework upon which generations of future scientists could dream. And dream they did, as shown by the timeline "60 years of DNA milestones," (see table at the bottom of this screen) which highlights just a few of the seminal achievements that followed the structure determination and formed the foundation of the biotechnological era in which we now live and work. From its humblest beginnings as a multistep process performed by hand, through its first awkward steps of automation, to its dramatic transition into a high-throughput science, DNA sequencing has become the cornerstone of the genetic era, as all other technological advancements are moot without the understanding of what those sequences do and for what they code. In a recent interview for the 10th anniversary of the completion of the Human Genome Project, Eric D. Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, gave his perspectives on a decade of technological advances. "What's happened in the arena of DNA sequencing technology development in the last 10 years has been truly spectacular," he opines. "Go back 10 years. We had just generated that first sequence of the human genome, and the active sequencing part took about six to eight years, consumed about $1 billion—that was about the cost for organizing of the sequencing and actually doing the sequencing. "Fast-forward 10 years, after these spectacular new technologies have been developed, and we're well under $10,000," he continues. "In fact, the current estimates for getting the sequence of a human genome are something on the order of $3,000 to $5,000 and down to $1,000, I think, within a year or two. And remarkably, today, you could do it in a couple of days, and probably by the end of this calendar year, I am being told, within a day." For Green, though, the real success of these efforts will come with an improved understanding of the genomic basis for human disease. Until recently, he suggests, this understanding has been limited to rare diseases that center around simple genetic paradigms, rather than more complex diseases with multiple genetic components. Before the Human Genome Project, he says, we knew the genetic basis of about 60 genes involved in rare diseases. By the end of the project, that number exploded to about 2,200. In the 10 years since then, that number has more than doubled up to almost 5,000. Not wishing to underplay the rare disease efforts, however, he adds, "what's going on with rare genetic diseases has been truly remarkable." As Green's comments allude, early efforts to improve sequencing technologies focused on increasing throughput to maximize the amount of samples that could be processed in a single run, as the focus of initiatives like the Human Genome Project was to simply catalogue the broadest spray of genomic sequences. Now that this has been done—or is at least well on its way—the needs within the industry and in medicine have become more refined and more focused on individuals rather than on populations. To that end, companies such as Illumina have adjusted their next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to suit not just genomics centers, but also hospital clinics and smaller field laboratories. "From a clinical perspective, there is great potential for NGS in the management and treatment of human health," said Richard Tothill and colleagues at Melbourne's Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, in a 2011 review examining the clinical applications of NGS systems from Illumina, Roche and Life Technologies. "It is easy to imagine that soon every patient will have both their constitutional and cancer genomes sequenced, the latter perhaps multiple times in order to monitor disease progression, thus enabling an accurate molecular subtyping of disease and the rational use of molecularly guided therapies," the authors added. As suggested in previous articles in DDNEWS, however, and echoed here by Tothill, the new technologies and data streams will require a re-education of clinician who are currently ill-prepared to act upon the NGS results. "Protocols for dealing with NGS data that guide what and how particular information will be reported and conveyed to the clinician will need to be established," Tothill says. While applauding the improvements made in speed, throughput and cost, Barrett Bready, CEO of positional sequencing company Nabsys, suggests still more is required to see NGS reach maximal utility. "While these advances have been impressive and important, many applications of sequence data—in medicine, as well as in basic biological research and agriculture—require similar levels of improvement in data accuracy, information content, reduced data and computational burden and simplified workflow," he said while he prepared for presentations at the Annual Advances in Genome Biology and Technology meeting held in Florida last year. Many human diseases are the result of large-scale genomic insertions, deletions or duplications, according to John Thompson, Nabsys' director of assay development, information that can be critical to diagnosing and treating patients. Many such variants, however, can be difficult to detect using standard or next-generation sequencing methodologies. The Nabsys platform uses nanoscale detectors and specific hybridization probes to generate not only sequence information, but also provide a positional reference for the sequence within the genome. Thus, over scales of hundreds of kilobases to megabases, the sequences can be examined within the context of other DNA segments, allowing for an accelerated assembly of de-novo sequences. Aside from efforts to sequence entire genomes at increasingly shrinking costs, there has also been a strong effort in the idea of sequencing genomes at increasingly shrinking scales—perhaps even down to the genome of a single cell. In the April edition of Genome Research, scientists at the J. Craig Venter Institute published their efforts to recover and sequence the genome from a single cell of Porphyomonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen they isolated from a biofilm in a hospital sink. Without culturing and within a biofilm population that included 25 different types of bacteria, the researchers were able to sequence and assemble the genome of one literally microbe. Comparing that sequence to cultured strains, the researchers noted 524 unique genes in the biofilm exemplar, some of which may be involved in virulence. "A vast majority of bacteria in the environment, as well as those associated with the human microbiome, have eluded standard culturing approaches, and therefore, their physiology and gene content are unknown," the authors write. "This leaves a large gap in our knowledge of the potential roles for these organisms in the environment, and also in human health and disease." As the recent spate of highly publicized hospital-acquired infections indicates, biofilm research is becoming increasingly important as clinicians and scientists attempt to expand their understanding of how these microbes change in becoming part of a biofilm. This knowledge will hopefully lead to insights on how best to fight both biofilm formation on surfaces such as catheters, sinks and medical instruments, and kill the organisms once part of a biofilm. "Capturing genomes from environmental samples using single-cell approaches could support studies on the prevalence and genotype of pathogens from environmental sources and may ultimately help reveal their possible modes of transmission between the host and environment," the authors conclude. Sequencing isn't the only DNA technology that is moving clinical research forward. With increasing pressure to provide companion diagnostics with new therapies, several other molecular workhorses continue to ply their trade, including fluorescent in-situ hybridization (FISH) and PCR. In January, Epizyme announced its collaboration with Roche to develop a PCR-based companion diagnostic to support its efforts with Eisai to progress its EZH2 target for lymphoma. The goal is to identify patients who carry a mutant form of the enzyme involved in cancer proliferation and then treat those patients with their selective inhibitor. In announcing the effort, Epizyme President and CEO Robert Gould said, "Epizyme is committed to the creation and commercialization of personalized therapeutics and companion diagnostics for patients with genetically defined cancers." Following through on that pitch, Epizyme in April announced a partnership agreement with Abbott to develop a companion diagnostic for its mixed lineage leukemia candidate EPZ-5676, an inhibitor targeting the DOT1L histone methyltransferase. Under the agreement, Abbott will develop FISH assays to identify patient samples that include oncogenic mutations of DOT1L and identify eligible patients for the inhibitor. Meanwhile, Dako in March announced it received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its HER2 IQFISH pharmDx platform as a companion diagnostic for Genentech's HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer treatment Kadcyla, an antibody-drug conjugate derivative of Herceptin. In discussing personalized medicine with DDNEWS last year, Henrik Winther, Dako's vice president of corporate business development, said, "in my personal opinion, I could easily foresee that in seven to eight years' time, you will see no oncology drug being prescribed without having a companion diagnostic attached to it. Looking at the flow of diagnostics tests performed in a pathology lab today, I could also foresee a significant change in favor of companion diagnostics. More and more patient cases are being referred to prognostic and predictive assays simply because you want to be able to provide better treatment and prognosis to the patients." Spell me a solution Of course, from a human health perspective, the holy grail of the genomic revolution remains the ability to go into the human body and correct disease-causing errors at their roots: gene therapy. After some modest successes and high-profile failures in the 1990s—the most famous of the latter being the death of Jesse Gelsinger in 1999—gene therapy research efforts continued, but largely took a back seat to other therapy development efforts. As our understanding of therapy vectors has improved over the intervening years, however, gene therapy is looking at something of a renaissance. Last November, uniQure's Glybera became the first gene therapy product to be approved by the European Commission. Designed as a treatment for lipoprotein lipase deficiency, Glybera uses an adenoviral vector to introduce a variant of the human lipoprotein lipase gene into patients, facilitating the metabolism of fat-carrying particles in the bloodstream that might otherwise obstruct small blood vessels and can cause acute pancreatitis. "This therapy will have a dramatic impact on the lives of these patients," said Glybera researcher John Kastelein of the University of Amsterdam. "Currently, their only recourse is to severely restrict the amount of fat they consume. By helping to normalize the metabolism of fat, Glybera prevents inflammation of the pancreas, thereby averting the associated pain and suffering, and if administered early enough, the associated co-morbidities [early-onset diabetes and cardiovascular complications]." Although the initial push for gene therapy was largely limited to orphan conditions that offered few other treatment options, it is also starting to make clinical progress in the treatment of more widespread conditions. In March, Japan's AnGes MG announced it received FDA approval on its Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) for its global Phase III study of Collategene, a gene therapy product developed in collaboration with Vical. The agreement hopefully paves the way for success of the trial in critical limb ischemia and thereby opens the door for future regulatory approval. A month later, researchers at Celladon and Imperial College London announced the initiation of the CUPID2 trial of Celladon's Mydicar gene therapy, an AVV-mediated delivery of the gene for SERCA2A directly into the heart to reverse heart failure and improve heart function. According to Alexander Lyon, consulting cardiologist from Royal Brompton Hospital and an Imperial College lecturer, "Heart failure affects more than three-quarters of a million people across the U.K. Once heart failure starts, it progresses into a vicious cycle where the pumping becomes weaker and weaker as each heart cell simply cannot respond to the increased demand. Our goal is to fight back against heart failure by targeting and reversing some of the critical molecular changes arising in the heart when it fails." A legacy of vision The ripples of the DNA revolution continue to be felt down the biological stream with an 'omics for every biomolecule available, providing ready fodder for publications such as DDNEWS. Outside of the lab and outside of the clinic, however, the democratization of DNA continues as wider swathes of society embrace its potential, both real and metaphoric. "We must continue to work in the humane spirit in which we were fortunate to grow up," Watson concluded his Nobel speech. "If so, we shall help insure that our science continues and that our civilization will prevail." This was clearly an understatement as their science has not only prevailed, it has flourished and evolved in ways the original quartet could never have realized. (click here for the rest of this Special Report on the history of DNA and a look toward the next 60 years...)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745150

__label__cc

Teaching the Gospel of John On the Occasion of His Thirty-Ninth Birthday (a po... Not Gone, Just Thinking Thinking Theology and Technology III: Technology ... Thinking Theology and Technology, Part II Thinking Theology and Technology A Song for the First Day of Spring A Song for Valentine's Day Revisiting A Lesson from St. Valentine On St. Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday Musical Mondays (XIV) Contending Against the Baal Within Musical Mondays (XIII) Theology and Technology, a Reading List 4 ways a Middle Earth Worldview is more Biblical Musical Mundays (XII) The failure of Barak and the Assassination of Sise... On Oaths, Vows and Spiritual Formation My Evangelical 2012 in Review The 2012 Literary Awards I hope everyone's Christmas celebrations were blessed with all the peace, joy, hope and love the season has to offer. I realize that, as far as this blog is concerned, it's "been a long time since I did that stroll" (to quote Led Zeppelin). I am planning to reboot terra incognita for 2014, though I've decided to take things in a slightly different direction. When I started this blog back in 2009, I was looking for a space to vent all the pent-up theological steam I had accumulated in five years of Seminary. Five years later, I've exhausted most of that steam by now (pun intended). And, given I have so much opportunity to practice theological writing in my day-to-day duties as a pastor, I've decided to use this space for more creative writing projects. Expect to see more poetry, songs, word-play, story-telling and humorous sketches. I'm currently working on some "reserve material" and I'll be resuming regular posting (my goal is twice a week) in the New Year. Until then, and as a taste of things to come, I'm posting my annual album of home-made music. Each year I try to do a recording of original songs and offer it as an online Christmas gift to friends, family and passers-by. This year's project, an album I'm calling "soundings" was recorded in the garage through September and October. You can click here to download. Enjoy. Merry Christmas. See you in 2014. Labels: music, songwriting I was teaching Bible out at Pine Orchard Camp this week. We've worked our way through the Gospel of John, using what I call the "helicopter approach" (i.e. touching down on key texts, looking at them closely, and then "lifting off" to see how the same themes/ideas fit into the bigger picture of John's Gospel). I wanted to make the material for this study available in digital form, and figured the blog would be the quickest way. If you're interested in downloading the Gospel of John material, you can download it by clicking here. On the Occasion of His Thirty-Ninth Birthday (a poem) this side of forty and the view's okay in both directions: Another chapter for my story with no more answers than I have questions. Labels: birthday, poetry In light of my recent lengthy silence in the blogosphere, let me assure you that I was not called out on assignment with the British Secret Service, nor was I abducted by aliens, nor did my recent work on the theology of technology scare me off of blogging once and for all. I didn't go anywhere. It's just that spring was long and late and dreary this year, and I had a lot on the go, and somehow or another, blogging just never seemed to make the cut whenever I made the "A-List" of "Things to Do Today." It's not you, it's me. But the break has been good. I've been thinking through some big-picture stuff regarding this blog, and feeling like it's time for some re-purposing. When I started terra incognita four plus years ago, it was because I needed a venue for my pent up theological musings; and then it was to chronicle of my new life as a pastor. These days, though, I have plenty of venues for theological musing that use up a lot of the energy that would otherwise have been devoted to the blog; and my life as a pastor has found enough of a regular rhythm that there doesn't seem as much to chronicle anymore that's all that new. I don't wish to shut down terra incognita, but, like I say, I'm looking to re-purpose it. Ideas are still in development, but I'm thinking about making it less a "theological musings" space and more a creative-writing space (think fiction, poetry, story, songs). This will probably mean fewer posts, but more interesting posts when they come along. I'm planning to take the rest of May to reflect on what the new face of terra incognita might look like, and then June and July to do some initial writing without the pressure of posting, so you probably won't hear from me for a few more months. In the meantime, if for no other reason than to keep the spark glowing, I'm posting a song from my last recording project, echoes. This is a new arrangement of a song I wrote and recorded almost 10 years ago; the song's called "windhover," and it's based on a Gerard Manley Hopkins poem of the same name. It's about hope and joy and longing for release. Enjoy. Windhover Thinking Theology and Technology III: Technology Among the Powers Before examining what, exactly, a “redemptive, realistic and intentional” use of technology would look like for Christians, it is perhaps helpful here to note some of the ways it exerts a spiritual influence over us, to show why, after all, we have listed it as one of “the powers” the way we have. Though this field of study is still relatively young, a number of sociologists, psychologists and media theorists alike have begun to examine the impact of internet technologies on our culture, our society, and even our brain anatomy. Their findings suggest that technology does indeed have a significant spiritual dimension. In particular we will look at the impact of these technologies on our social interactions, on our experience of cultural diversity, and on our mind’s capacity for traditional spiritual disciplines like silence, focused prayer or meditation on Scripture. In her 2011 book Alone Together, MIT technology specialist Sherry Turkle identifies one of the ironies of our relentless use of social media: that “[Americans] brag about how many they have ‘friended’ on Facebook, yet [they] say they have fewer friends than before” (Turkle, 280). “Technology,” she argues, “has become the architect of our intimacies. Online we fall prey to the illusion of companionship, gathering thousands of Twitter and Facebook friends and confusing tweets and wall posts with authentic communication.” In particular, her research suggest that these technologies predispose us towards interactions that are superficial (in that they encourage us to meticulously engineer our online image), inauthentic (in that they encourage us to lie about or experiment with our online identity), insecure (in that they encourage us to craft our online messages carefully, sometimes obsessively, but then to post them as though they were spontaneous), and above all, ambiguous (in that they convince us that such superficial, inauthentic and insecure interactions are actually deep, authentic and safe). Turkle notes, for instance, the way such technologies have conditioned young people to avoid or even to fear face-to-face interactions (191); or the phenomenon of “risk-free” online confessing (236); or the way “we defend connectivity as a way to be close, even as we effectively hide from each other” (281). Turkle’s work is of special concern for a theology of technology, inasmuch as authentic, deeply connected community is central to our experience of salvation, our spiritual formation, and our ongoing sanctification. We might consider 1 John 1:5-7, as one of many examples where the Bible aligns spiritually healthy community with a deepening life with God. Though Turkle is not specifically interested in Christian spirituality, her work suggests that our growing and unreflective dependency on social media makes the kind of “fellowship with one another” envisioned in 1 John 1:7 increasingly rare and ephemeral. In Turkle’s own words: “in the half-light of virtual community, we may feel utterly alone. Sometimes people feel no sense of having communicated after hours of connection. And they report feelings of closeness when they are paying little attention. In all of this there is a nagging question: Does virtual intimacy degrade our experience of the other kind, and, indeed, of all encounters, of any kind?” (12). This brings us to a second area where we see the spiritual impact of internet technologies: their tendency to isolate us from perspectives different from our own. Again there is an irony here. Though social media promise to increase the range of our social networks, they actually shrink them, because they feed into our natural tendency to identify only with the like-minded. Sometimes called “the echo chamber,” a number of observers have noted this phenomenon: because it uses similarity as the main criteria for connecting, the internet tends simply to echo our own opinions back to us. Social activist Eli Parsier analyzes this problem extensively in his 2012 book, The Filter Bubble: How the Personalized Web is Changing What we Read and How we Think. He looks in particular at the “personalized filter algorithms” that sites like Google, Yahoo News or Facebook use to customize the information we encounter on the net. These filters draw on a variety of statistical data about individual users to predict what the user’s preferences will be, and then “tailor” their query results to fit them. As an example, Parsier describes the day he noticed that Facebook had systematically removed all the “politically conservative” links in his Facebook feed, based on the types of searches he (as a political liberal) had been making. In a 2012 TED Talk, he suggested that filter-bubbles like these are moving us “very quickly towards a world where the internet is showing us what it thinks we want to see, but not necessarily what we need to see.” The ethical, and subsequently the spiritual implications of the world-wide “echo chamber” deserve careful theological reflection here, because, as Paliser argues, “the structure of our media affects the character of our society.” A society that never has to encounter ideas that challenge, stretch or contradict it is likely to develop an ethically stunted character; a Christian who never has to encounter ideas that challenge, stretch or contradict him is likely to develop a spiritually stunted character. Indeed, for Christians especially, such “filter bubbles" should raise particular concerns. They feed a natural (but unbiblical) Christian tendency to retreat from the world and surround ourselves with those who think and act just like us (see 1 Cor 5:10 for warnings against such isolation). They reduce our appreciation for the radical gospel vision of unity in diversity, as people from “every nation, tribe and tongue” worship the Lamb together (see Revelation 5:9, 14:6 to catch the vision). And they limit our ability—even perhaps our desire—to genuinely speak the truth to one another in love, by pandering to the false belief that one’s own narrow, individual perspective on the truth is all the truth that needs telling (see Ephesians 4:15). Along with the fragmentation of community and the creation of spiritual “echo chambers,” a third dimension of technology that deserves special consideration here is the physiological impact it is having on our brain-functioning . In his 2011 book, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, Nicholas Carr argues that technologies are never simply “exterior aids” but are also always “interior transformations of consciousness” (Nicholas Carr, 51). He cites a variety of neurological research which suggests that the brain is far more plastic than previously thought, continually adapting itself to the tasks it is called upon to perform; and he refers to a number of studies which suggest that the particular tasks the brain is called upon to perform while surfing the web have begun to change the way the brain learns, thinks, and process information. “The Net’s cacophony of stimuli,” he argues, “short circuits both conscious and unconscious thought, preventing our minds from thinking either deeply or creatively. Our brains turn into simple signal-processing units, quickly shepherding information into consciousness and then back out again” (119). In particular, his research suggests that the internet physically reduces our capacity for deep, sustained, and focused thought; that it develops the habit of scanning superficially for easily digested data-bites while reading; that it actually hinders our ability to concentrate and remember and imagine and reason. “The mental functions that [we] are losing” he warns, “are those that support calm, linear thought—the ones we use in traversing a lengthy narrative or an involved argument, the ones we draw on we reflect on experiences or contemplate and outward or inward phenomenon” (142). The kind of research Carr cites in The Shallows has huge implications for our theological analysis technology, because so many of the traditional spiritual disciplines of the Christian faith—lectio divina, prayer and meditation, silence, Scripture reading and so on—to say nothing of the more intellectually rigorous disciplines like theology and apologetics—require us to “traverse lengthy narratives,” to “reflect on experiences,” and to “contemplate outward and inward phenomenon”. If Carr is right when he argues that the internet actually discourages these mental functions, wiring our brain instead to be especially good at “locating, categorizing and assessing disparate bits of information in a variety of forms while we are being bombarded by stimuli,” then as ominous as it sounds to say it, it may actually be changing the way we know, and experience and relate to God. Whew! This is turning out to be harder than I thought. Here is the second section in my draft of a "theology of technology." Still only at the "thinking out loud stage," but here's what I got: II. Christ and the Powers: Technology Disarmed, Technology Redeemed From the vantage point we gain when we view “technology” as one of “the powers,” we are better able to see how the Gospel of Christ informs our response and redefines our relationship to it. After all, though the Bible says very little about Facebook, it has very much to say about “the Powers” and the way Christians ought to relate to them. In Colossians 1:16, on the one hand, Paul affirms the Powers as a part of God’s good created order, insisting that all things (and he specifically includes “the powers and the principalities” in the list) were created by and for Christ. This moves us out of black-and-white, good-or-bad dualisms when it comes to things like developments in social media or the ubiquity of the Internet. It allows us instead to recognize and affirm the positive potential off all such technologies, while at the same time insisting that they are not “ultimate,” that Christ is the Lord of world, even of the world- wide-inter-web. (See also Ephesians 1:21, where Christ is pictured enthroned in the heavenlies, “far above all ‘power’.”) On the other hand, of course, the Bible is hardly naive when it comes to the fallenness of the Powers. Paul states quite strongly that “the Powers and Principalities” are ranged against us in the struggle of the Christian life (Ephesians 6:12), and he implies just as strongly that in their fallenness the Powers do not recognize the Lordship of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:8). This keeps us from blindly accepting technology as “given” or “spiritually neutral,” and forces us to acknowledge that if they are to serve Christ, “the Powers” must be both dethroned and redeemed. This brings us, at last, to the Cross of Christ, allowing us to see how the Gospel actually shapes our relationship to things even as seemingly mundane as the text-message. In what is probably the pivotal text for any theology of technology, Colossians 2:15 describes the redemptive work of the cross and then applies it specifically to the Powers. “God has disarmed the powers” he writes. “He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them through the cross.” The word translated “triumphing” here (thriambeuō) is actually a technical term for one of the special victory parades a Roman General would make through the city of Rome after a successful military campaign. They would lead their troops, their chariots, and especially their prisoners of war in a victorious procession while the citizens cheered in triumphant celebration. Paul applies the potent symbolism of such a parade to the work of the Cross, indicating that through his death and resurrection, Christ has stripped “the Powers” of their idolatrous claim on our lives, nullifying their influence over us, and making them now to serve his purposes for them (in much the same way a defeated prisoner of war displayed in a public “triumph” served the political purposes of the Roman Empire). Because the “disarming of the Powers” is so abstract but also so essential to any theology of technology, Berkhof’s analysis of Colossians 2:15 is worth quoting here: “Christ has ‘disarmed’ the Powers. The weapon ... is struck out of their hands. This weapon was the power of illusion, their ability to convince men that they were the divine regents of the world, ultimate certainty and ultimate direction, ultimate happiness and the ultimate duty for small, dependant humanity. Since Christ, we know this is illusion. We are called to a higher destiny ... we stand under a greater Protector. ... Unmasked, revealed in their true nature, [the Powers] have lost their mighty grip on men (sic.). The cross has disarmed them; wherever it is preached, the unmasking and the disarming of the Powers takes place" (ibid, 39). To spell this out in practical terms, we might say it like this: every modern “technology,” by its very nature as a human effort to order our life together, has an unseen spiritual dimension to it that exerts a very real spiritual influence over our lives. This influence is evident, for instance, when we accept new technologies unquestioningly as indispensable to human life, or when we depend on them for meaning and identity, or when we allow them to dictate the terms of our relationships and the means of our social interactions, or when we trust in them for a kind of “salvation” (i.e. to hold society together and keep us from sliding into chaos). In the death and resurrection of Christ, God, has exposed all such claims (technology is ultimate, it’s a source of meaning, it’s a “saviour” from chaos, etc.) as the illusions that they are, showing us instead that Christ is ultimate, that life in him is the source of meaning, and that he alone is saviour. Having thus disarmed the Powers like this, technology among them, the Gospel frees us to relate to the Powers, technology included, in ways that are: 1) redemptive (i.e. affirming their goodness and potential), 2) realistic (i.e. accepting their limits and acknowledging their subservience to Christ), and 3) intentional (i.e. discerning of their “spirit” and wisely selective in how we will use them). In this way, our redemptive, realistic and intentional use of technology becomes a concrete instance of what Paul was talking about in Ephesians 3:10, when he said, “God’s intent in Christ was that, through the church, his manifold wisdom should be made known to the powers and authorities in the heavenly realms.” One of the projects I'm working on for the FMCiC's Study Commission on Doctrine is a "theology of technology," which would lay out a theological framework for thinking about technology as a Christian. As I mentioned earlier, I hope to use this blog as a place to "think out loud" as I work through this project, and to that end, I'm posting here the first section of draft one. I welcome feedback. One of the challenges we encounter when we try to think theologically about issues related to modern technology is the question of categories. On the one hand, the modern use of that word “technology” is so broad in scope that it is hard to know what exactly we mean by it; on the other hand, most of the things we do mean when we refer to technology—computer science, communication technologies, social media and so on—simply did not exist in the world of the Bible and find neither reference nor parallel in Scripture. If we wish to approach them theologically, then, we must first ask: In which theological category do they belong? The first and perhaps closest reference we have in Scripture to something that today we would call “technology” is the account of Tubal-Cain in Genesis 4:22. Tubal-Cain, we’re told, was the original “forger of all implements of bronze and iron”; and while a bronze axe-head is admittedly a far cry from an ipod, there is still something instructive for us in this ancient account of the “origins of metalsmithing.” It can’t be accidental that Tubal-Cain, the father of “all” metalurigcal technologies, is also the last son of Lamech, the notoriously vengeful descendant of Cain who will bring the whole of that failed line to its ignoble end. After Lamech boasts of avenging himself seventy-seven times on his enemies (4:23-24), the genealogical record abandons Cain altogether and switches to the birth of Seth (4:26), a brand-new branch on Adam’s family tree, whose line will include Noah, and Abraham, and ultimately Christ. If Tubal-Cain is indeed the father of “technology” (or at least a father of certain kinds of technology), it must be noted that he is also the last of Cain’s fallen descendants. Whatever else we will say about the Bible’s perspective on “technology”, the fact that it first appears as fruit on Cain’s family tree assures us that for all its usefulness, it is still a fallen force in the world. Biblically, then, technology is useful but fallen. And when we look for a theological category that allows us to talk about it both in terms of its usefulness to human life and its spiritual fallenness, the category that best holds these two aspects together is the biblical concept of “the powers.” Picking up on the many references to “the powers and principalities” in Paul’s writings (see, for instance, 1 Cor 2:8; Eph 1:20, Col 2:15), a number of theologians have suggested that when the Bible refers to “the powers” like this, it is describing the “invisible structures” or “inner reality” of human society (see, for instance, Hendrik Berkhof, Christ and the Powers; Walter Wink, Naming the Powers). As a theological category, “the powers” refer to the spiritual dimension that is inherent to any human effort to order its life together, from political and economic institutions, to cultural, religious or technological ones. All such “organizations” of human society are, of course, useful and necessary; but they are also inevitably “spiritual,” and, owing to the fallenness of human nature itself, inevitably fallen. In their fallenness, “the powers” exert unintended, often unrecognized spiritual influence over us, behaving, in Berkhof’s words, “as though they were the ultimate ground of being and demanding from [people] an appropriate worship” (Berkhof, 30). We might point to the cult of Roman Emperor worship for an ancient example of “the Powers,” or to the inexorable “givenness” of the global economy for a contemporary one. We might point to the psychological impact of advertising media for a cultural example; and we might point to the way the internet has begun to shape and redefine our social interactions for a technological one. Because, though it is unlikely in the extreme that Paul had the iphone 5 specifically in mind when he said it, technology can and should be listed under that broad category of human institutions he has in mind when he talks about “the Powers.” It doesn't feel especially like spring here in Oshawa, what with a gentle snow falling and the temperature hovering a bit below freezing and all, but technically speaking today marks our passing of the Spring Equinox. I've been bogged down with the late winter doldrums these last few weeks, with little energy or motivation for fresh blog posts (what was that warning to Caesar about the ides of March?). However, in the interest of breaking my month-long post-less streak, I thought I'd offer you a song in honour of the first day of Spring. This is an old e. e. cummings poem I set to music a few years ago. The song's more about wonder and savoring the small stuff and living in the now than it is specifically about Spring, but the imagery is very much spring-y, and the breezy feel of the song, I hope, makes for a fitting "adieu" to Old Man Winter and warm "Welcome in" to Lady Spring. i thank you god (for most this amazing) If the audio player fails to load, you can download the song here. Labels: poetry, songwriting, spring As part of my theological analysis of the themes of St. Valentines Day, I share this song somewhat hesitantly. The hesitancy has to do with the fact that I wrote the words as a much younger man, and the sentiment seems a bit naive to me today; but it's also because I recognize that the themes of sexuality that the song deals with are far more complex than a 5:10 ditty could handle well, and I don't want to appear flippant or trite when it comes to these matters. I will refer you to this insightful discussion of the "psychology of sexual purity" over at Experimental Theology, if you'd like to do some "deep-sea" fishing with the can of worms I've opened here (so to speak). In the meantime, I'm still posting "New Song of Solomon" today, the above disclaimers notwithstanding, because like I say: we're theologically analysing the themes of St. Valentine's Day this February at terra incognita, and whatever else it is, this song is about the Bible's vision for sexual wholeness, and how we humans have so often distorted that vision (verse 3 quotes Ophelia from Hamlet, as if to say: this problem is no modern one). Confession songs are rare in the praise-and-worship ethos of modern evangelicalism, but "New Song of Solomon" is actually meant as a prayer of confession, acknowledging the many ways North American Evangelicalism has simply acquiesced to the sexual ethic of the modern world. Click here to download the song. In keeping with the Theological Analysis of Valentine's Day I introduced yesterday, I thought I'd re-post this Valentine's Day reflection I posted back in 2009. I went through a phase where I was really intrigued with the lives of the saints. I'm not big-C Catholic, of course, but the strange mix of legend and biography, adventure and romance, faith and fiction that is the church's hagiography fascinated me. St. Patrick lighting the paschal fire on Slane hill, St. Brendan saying the mass to the fish in his little skiff on the Atlantic, St. Francis preaching the gospel to his "brother birds": there's some really mysterious and magnificent stuff in there. I'm saying this because today is the Feast of St. Valentine; or, as we would say in our iconoclastic tradition of Hallmarkangelicalism: Valentine's Day. There are actually a few saints by the name of Valentinus, but there's general agreement that the Valentinus of Valentine's Day fame was martyred under Emperor Claudius II. A number of stories surrounding Valentine might explain how his name became synonymous with waxy chocolate hearts and timid 3rd Grade card-exchanges. While in prison he sent notes of encouragement and love to his parishioners. He also restored sight to the blind daughter of his jailer, who would later fall in love with him. As legend has it, his last note to her before his execution was signed: "From your Valentine." But there's one story in this strange mix of legend and history that has always stuck with me. They say that Valentine was martyred because Emperor Claudius had made it illegal for soldiers in his Imperial army to marry. Apparently Claudius was having a tough time recruiting males. Believing it was because married men were reluctant to leave their wives and families, he annulled all marriages and engagements in Rome. Valentine continued to perform Christian marriages in secret, convinced that there was a Lord of marriage whose authority transcended the Emperor's. He was caught, and brought before the Emperor. When he refused to renounce his Faith in the true Lord of marriage, Valentine was condemned to be executed by clubbing, stoning and beheading. Now here's a little Valentine's Day chocolate food for thought: Valentine died convinced that marriage is not just an end in itself. He was not martyred for marriage, he was martyred for Christ. He stood before Claudius convinced that Christian marriage served a living Lord whose redemptive reign could not be renounced. Marriage is but one of the many human goods that God has given us to bear witness to His loving lordship in Christ. I'm not big-C Catholic. But in the Evangelical tradition I call home, I think we might learn a small lesson from St. Valentine. Because here the family is an institution of special focus; and I sometimes wonder if, in all our focus on marriage, we inadvertently make it an end in itself. Do we stand convinced that our marriages have meaning-- not because they satisfy our romantic desires-- not because they fulfill our domestic needs-- not because they make us happy-- but because they bear witness to the loving lordship of Christ? Some of the stronger Evangelical rhetoric I've heard defending marriage has seemed more about what's politically or socially expedient than about the good news of Jesus. The word martyr itself means "a witness." As I reflect on the martyrdom Valentine, I wonder: what would my marriage look like if it were transformed by a spirit of martyrdom-- if I could see my life together with my wife as bearing loving witness to the redemptive reign of Jesus? Labels: marriage, sexuality, St Valentine's Day In case you've yet to purchase a bouquet of roses or some such similar gesture of appreciation for the object of your affection, let me remind you that today is St. Valentine's Day Eve. It's also, incidentally, Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, but I try as I might, I couldn't find any "Happy Ash Wednesday" cards at the local Walmart. Another case of Hallmark commercialism trumping the sacred calendar in our collective reckoning of the year. In different post, I'd maybe tackle the themes of Lent, and lament, perhaps, how little air-time they get in the modern evangelical church; but then, my favorite blogger over at Experimental Theology beat me to it, and with much more ease than I could have done, so I will simply refer you to his "Ash Wednesday" reflection here and turn my attention to our forthcoming celebration of love, passion, affection and eros happening tomorrow. Owing to the unexpected popularity of my theological analysis of Halloween last October, I am planning to do a similar treatment of the themes St. Valentine's Day over the next few days, exploring the theological significance of this red-letter day and especially that most potent of human bonds it celebrates. To start things off, let me share a sermon on modern love that I preached at the FreeWay a few months ago. Happy listening, and Happy St. Valentine's Day Eve everybody. Song of Solomon 4:15-5:1 "A Love Song of Love Songs" Click here to download the sermon. Here's another song from "echoes" to start your week off. By way of explanation, let me say that Zoe is the Greek word for "life" and the lyrics are meant as an ode to life in Christ. By way of credit-where-credit's due, let me say that the mandolin solo towards the end is a medley of two traditional Irish jigs (St. Patrick's Day, and The Priest's Leap). And in the spirit of Ephesian 5:18, let me say that the song (and my performance thereof) is my best effort at writing a worship song that sounds for all the word like an Irish drinking song. Cheers. Download the song here. Zoe is dancing again in the daylight She comes to me lovely and full of delight Skipping and spinning with all of her might She sets my heart free Richer than milk and sweeter than honey Stronger than wine, more precious than money A blue sky divine, all brilliant and sunny She dances lovely Life! Springing up from the Ground, like nothing that I've ever Found, on this sweet earth Joy! Filling my heart like Wine! Now that I know that you're Mine, I'm filled with mirth Zoe is shining again in the twilight She's burning like stars in the darkness of night She's casting off blindness and putting on new sight To make my heart see Flowing like water, burning like fire Sent from the father to like me higher Anointed with laughter, delight and desire By Christ my master Love! Bubbling up in my Soul! Your mercy has made me Whole, and gave me new birth Zoe! Foaming out like a spring You teach my spirit to sing To sing your worth Zoe is running again in the rain She is leaping and falling and rising again She's there in the joy and there in the pain The life Christ gave me A blue sky divine all brilliant and sunny She dances, lovely Labels: music, worship In Judges 6:32, when the Lord's "Valiant Warrior" Gideon destroys the altar of Baal that was in Orphah, he earns himself the nickname "Jerubbaal." Jerubbaal is a combination of the Hebrew name baal, and the verb rı̂yb-- to contend or strive with. It means essentially: Let Baal contend with him, and when you put the name in the context of the story, the meaning is clear. Gideon has knocked down the altar of Baal, a competitor in the people's hearts for the glory due to YHWH; if Baal is indeed true god, then let him contend with Gideon. This nickname is a challenge to Baal's legitimacy as direct and as poignant as the contest with the priests of Baal that Elijah had on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:20ff). And when you consider that the act of vandalism which earned Gideon his nickname was actually his first step in leading the Lord's Army against the invading Midianite horde, it also becomes a profoundly political statement. If Israel is going to be victorious in its struggle, it will take a radical purge of anything that stands between then and single-minded devotion to YHWH, fancy altars to Baal be damned. Let Baal himself contend with us, if Baal doesn't like it. But here's the curious thing I've been mulling over this morning. Later, after YHWH has trounced and routed the Midianites, the tribe of Ephraim complains that General Gideon didn't call on them to join in the fight (See 8:1). This is interesting on a number of levels. First, Gideon is from the half tribe of Manasseh, the half tribe for which Ephraim forms the other half. So that's curious: there is a close kinship between Gideon and the men of Ephraim. More curious still is the motive behind Ephraim's complaint. Judging by the tack Gideon takes in placating them, speaking self-deprecatingly, and then flattering them with that line about how the "grapes of Ephraim" are better than the "Wine of Abiezer" (8:2)), it seems like the reason they're put out has to do with their sense of honour. By not including them in the fight, Gideon has shamed them, or at the very least, denied them the opportunity to win glory for themselves in battle. That's curious to me especially because in 8:1 it says that (again, presumably because of their loss of tribal honour) the men of Ephraim "contended with Gideon vigorously." And the word translated "contended with" there? You guessed it: rı̂yb. The same rı̂yb that gave Gideon the nickname Jerubbaal-- let Baal contend with him. In 6:32, Gideon tears down the altar of a competitor for YHWH's glory, leaving his friends dumbstruck and earning himself the title: Jerubbaal. "Let Baal contend (rı̂yb) with him." And then in 8:1, after the battle's been fought and won, Baal does indeed, one might say, contend (rı̂yb) with Gideon-- through the contentious vainglory of his closest countrymen. At least: if Baal represents those things that compete in our hearts for the glory due to YHWH, then Ephraim's complaint that Gideon denied them a chance to win glory for themselves, whatever else it is, is Baalistic to the core. When they contend with Gideon for letting YHWH win the glory instead of sharing it with them--whatever else is going on there--that is certainly the spirit of Baal, if not Baal himself, contending with Gideon. The reason this matters to me is because it suggests that the real enemy in Gideon's fight against the Midianites was not the Midianites at all. Gideon was actually leading a struggle against the "Baal-within"-- the spirit of Baalism in us, that prompts us to steal for ourselves the glory that belongs to the Lord alone (read the rest of Chapter 8, if you're not convinced). When I consider Gideon's war in this light, the story suddenly rings sharply and prohpetically in my ears. Could it be that the greatest struggle in the Christian life is actually against the Baal within? Sometimes Christians can move into "crusade mode" when it comes to things happening in the culture, resisting and entrenching and contending for causes with all the zeal of an Ephraimite after a retreating Midianite horde. Sometimes churches can. Sometimes, maybe, you've seen it. And if this is ringing any bells for you, then let Ephraim's contention with Gideon ring louder and clearer. The struggle against godlessness "out there" is really a struggle against the Baal within. Labels: judges, OT Here's another song from "echoes" to start your week off. The song grew out of that opening riff, which came to me one day when I was practicing some scale patterns. It hooked me enough that I figured: there's got to be a song in there somewhere, and I kept playing it till something more substantial bobbed to the surface. Bonus points to anyone who gets the hommage in the bridge. If the audio player doesn't load below you can click the title to download the song. Enjoy. You Said (Seeking You) You said, if we would seek you we would find you If we sought you with all of our heart You said if we would call you, you would answer If we called you with all that we are You said, if we would ask you, you would grant it If we asked you according to your will You said if we would seek you we would find you If we knocked you would open the door We are seeking you with all of our heart Lord We are seeking you with all of our mind We are seeking you with all of our strength Lord Leaving the treasures of this world far behind One of the issues the Free Methodist Church in Canada's Study Commission on Doctrine is tackling these days is the "theology of technology," which is our way of asking questions like these: In what ways should the Bible inform and guide our use of technology in the modern world? What are some of the key theological issues that should colour our perspective on technology? What theological issues does the ubiquity of electronic communication technologies raise for us? What ethical issues? What faith issues? Since I'm part of the group that has been tasked to do some research along these lines, I'm hoping to use this bloggin space once in a while to air out some ideas, work through some reflections and generally think out loud when it comes to the theology of technology. For starters , I thought I'd post my current "technology reading list" to give you an idea of some of the work that's already been done in this area, and to suggest trajectories for my own thinking about the issue. The attached "jacket blurbs" come almost word for word from www.goodreads.com. The asterisks mark books I've already read. The Theology of Technology: An annotated Bibligoraphy * Jardine, Murray. The Making and Unmaking of Technological Society: How Christianity Can Save Modernity from Itself. Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2004. “ The advance of modern technology is certainly ambiguous. It has promised less work and more leisure, but we actually work longer hours than premodern peasants and villagers. Present-day Western societies are facing a moral crisis, argues Murray Jardine, and our inability to make ethical sense of technology is at the root of this crisis. Jardine shows how Christianity fostered an ethic of progress that led to our technological expertise. However, Christians never fully grasped the implications of technological progress and failed to create an ethic that embraced unconditional grace. Jardine advocates a Christianity that fully understands technology, its responsibilities, and its possibilities.” * Postman, Neil. Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology. Vintage, 1993. “In this witty, often terrifying work of cultural criticism, the author of Amusing Ourselves to Death chronicles our transformation into a Technopoly: a society that no longer merely uses technology as a support system but instead is shaped by it--with radical consequences for the meanings of politics, art, education, intelligence, and truth.” Waters, Brent. From Human to Posthuman: Christian Theology And Technology in a Postmodern World. Hampshire England: Ashgate, 2006. "Technology is one of the dominant forces shaping the emerging postmodern world. Indeed the very fabric of daily life is dependent upon various information, communication, and transportation technologies. With anticipated advances in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and robotics, that dependence will increase. Yet this growing dependence is accompanied with a deep ambivalence. For many, technology symbolises the faith of the postmodern world, but it is an ambivalent faith encapsulating both our hopes and fears for the future. This book examines the religious foundations underlying this troubled faith in technology, as well as critically and constructively engaging particular technological developments from a theological perspective." * Stahl, William A. God and the Chip: Religion and the Culture of Technology. Wilfred Laurier Press, 1999. "Our ancestors saw the material world as alive, and they often personified nature. Today we claim to be realists. But in reality we are not paying attention to the symbols and myths hidden in technology. Beneath much of our talk about computers and the Internet, claims William A. Stahl, is an unacknowledged mysticism, an implicit religion. By not acknowledging this mysticism, we have become critically short of ethical and intellectual resources with which to understand and confront changes brought on by technology." Carr, Nicholas. The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains. W. W. Norton, 2010. "'Is Google making us stupid?'” When Nicholas Carr posed that question in a celebrated Atlantic Monthly cover story, he tapped into a well of anxiety about how the Internet is changing us. He also crystallized one of the most important debates of our time: As we enjoy the Net’s bounties, are we sacrificing our ability to read and think deeply? Now Carr expands his argument into the most compelling exploration of the Internet’s intellectual and cultural consequences yet published. Weaving insights from philosophy, neuroscience, and history into a rich narrative, The Shallows explains how the Net is rerouting our neural pathways, replacing the subtle mind of the book reader with the distracted mind of the screen watcher. A gripping story of human transformation played out against a backdrop of technological upheaval, The Shallows will forever alter the way we think about media and our minds." Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books, 2011. "Consider Facebook—it’s human contact, only easier to engage with and easier to avoid. Developing technology promises closeness. Sometimes it delivers, but much of our modern life leaves us less connected with people and more connected to simulations of them. "In Alone Together, MIT technology and society professor Sherry Turkle explores the power of our new tools and toys to dramatically alter our social lives. It’s a nuanced exploration of what we are looking for—and sacrificing—in a world of electronic companions and social networking tools, and an argument that, despite the hand-waving of today’s self-described prophets of the future, it will be the next generation who will chart the path between isolation and connectivity." Parkin Grant, George. Technology and Justice. House of Annasi Press, 1991. "George Grant—philosopher, conservative, Canadian nationalist, Christian—was one of Canada's most significant thinkers, and the author of Lament for a Nation, Technology and Empire, and English-Speaking Justice. Admirers and critics of the author will welcome these compelling essays about society's traditional values in a technological age." Labels: books, technology ... than our own. What with The Hobbit's release piquing fresh interest in all things Tolkien at our house, prompting a family movie marathon through the Lord of the Rings and inspiring my daughter to muscle her way through all three books in about two weeks, I've got Middle Earth on the brain these days. One of the things that struck me forcibly this time through the series, and especially as I unpacked them with our kids, is how different the worldview of the book is from our own. "Worldview" is a way of describing the psychological underpinnings, the cultural values, the epistemological framework, and the philosophical assumptions that unconsciously guide the way we interact with the world. The worldview of our modern, western world, for instance, tends to seek instant gratification, places a premium on the image, takes a mechanistic approach to nature, has an evolutionary outlook on life and society, values self-expression and individuality, gives epistemological authority to screens, numbers, results and speed, sees the self as ultimate and the latest as best. Realizing that each one of the above statements is loaded far beyond the ability of a mere blogpost to unpack, let me just suggest that these things-- instant gratification, the image as prime, nature as machine, the individual as ultimate-- these things are different from a biblical worldview. When the writers of the Bible looked at the world, they felt different things were of utmost importance. They made different assumptions about how things worked and what you could reasonable expect out of life. They drew meaning from different source. They concluded things were "true" based on different criteria. And then, as an experiment in "worldview studies," let me point out some ways the worldview of the inhabitants of Middle Earth is also very different from our own, but curiously (even unexpectedly) very much like the Bible's. 1. Older is better. When Tolkien points out that something is old, it's usually said with reverence, awe, humility and deference; indeed, some of his most poetical passages are devoted simply to describing the age of something. This is because in a Middle Earth worldview, older is proven; older is wiser; older is tested; older is true. Our world tends to see the newest and youngest as best-- fresher, original, more innovative--but this is neither a universal nor especially a biblical assumption. Generally speaking the Bible's worldview, like Tolkien, sees age as venerable (It's not for nothing He's called the Ancient of Days). 2. Nature is deeply alive. One of the brilliant aspects of Tolkien's book, I think, is the way he spiritualizes nature without deifying it. He draws out the deep-down "aliveness" of the natural world without slipping into the ditch of paganism. In our worldview, we tend to view nature as a dead, cause-and-effect machine that is ours to tinker with (witness the latest talk about "bioengineering" or "geoengineering"). Not so in Middle Earth, where trees, rocks, rivers and creatures alike are vibrant with a life that give them intrinsic worth. Though it's sometimes overlooked, this too is a biblical worldview. When Isaiah talks about the trees of the hills clapping their hands and the mountains breaking forth into song, it's a metaphor, but it's no mere metaphor. 3. Song and Story are authoritative. No war council in the modern world would have begun by recounting in full detail the story of the enemy's chief weapon, reviewing all the twists of fate and turns of history that brought the allies to the point they find themselves at. But that is precisely where Elrond starts with the war council of Rivendell, on the assumption that the decisions of the council depend precisely upon their hearing this story. It always struck me that in the book, great emphasis is placed on Aragorn's ability to recite the legends, songs, lore and stories of Middle Earth, as though his claim to the throne rested as much on this as it did on his skills with a sword. That none of Aragorn's songs make it into the modern film adaptation of the book is evidence itself that our world draws "epistemological authority" from other sources. 4. Fellowship, Community and Fealty are profoundly humanizing. When Merry is sworn in as a guard of Gondor, Denethor promises to reward his "fealty with honour." When Theoden musters his cavalry for their glorious charge onto the plains of Minas Tirith, he calls on the men to fulfill "oaths they have taken." In his final rousing speech at the Black Gates of Mordor, Aragorn assures his men that "a day may come when we forsake all bounds of fellowship, but it is not this day." In a world like ours, that so highly values individuality, these appeals to higher commitments that draw us up and out of ourselves may seem like a relic of a bygone time. In Tolkien's world, however, bonds of fellowship, commitment to community, loyalty to causes that transcend the self-- these are things that separate humans from all the other mythical races (it's no coincidence, for instance, that the orcs always end up battling and devouring themselves; nor is it a coincidence that the elves remain so detached from the plight of Middle Earth). This, too, is very much like the biblical worldview, where community is throbbing at the heart of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Labels: community, film, literature, tolkien This song comes from my latest recording project, "Echoes" (see sidebar). Over the next few weeks, Musical Mondays will be dipping in to some of the tracks from this compilation for your listening edification. Today's offering is the first track from the album, "Speak Lord"; its a piece I started almost ten years ago, after an inspired reading of Psalm 29. It's been through a couple of permutations and combinations over the years, but this is a brand-new recording of a fresh arrangement of it. If you're curious, you can explore some of the theological reflections underlying the song here, in this post from back in 2009. Enjoy. If the audio player doesn't load below, you can click on the title of the song to download. The Voice of the Lord Labels: psalms, songwriting The failure of Barak and the Assassination of Sisera-- on Violence in the Book of Judges This idea is only half-baked, so feel free to tell me if it needs to go back into the oven for a while more-- and I know that former OT instructors of mine check in on terra incognita once in a while, so consider this an open invitation to tell me I'm out to lunch altogether... but ... I was reading the Book of Judges the other day and something sort of hit me I'd never noticed before. First a disclaimer: I have always found the violence in the Book of Judges unpalatable (on the one hand) and somewhat barbaric (on the other). Only a few chapters in, for instance, we have that vivid but disturbing image of Ehud disemboweling Elgon, the King of Moab, by thrusting a dagger so deep into his belly that the fat closes around it and he's unable to draw it free. Of course, if you read 3:22-24 closely, you'll notice a subtle, if gruesome irony in the telling of this story. Verse 22 specifically mentions that when Ehud slew Elgon, the dagger cut so deep that his "dirt" (KJV) or "offal" (NIV) or "refuse" (NASB) spilled out. It is, I'll admit, a strange and disturbing detail to mention. But then in verse 24, after Ehud has made good his escape, leaving King Elgon dead in his own offal, the servants come. Finding the doors to the chamber locked, they wait "to the point of embarrassment" for Elgon to emerge. They assumed, the text points out carefully, that he was "relieving himself in the cool of the room." And I call this "gruesomely ironic" because the Hebrew phrase that's used here-- they assumed Elgon was "covering his feet"-- is an euphemism for having a bowel movement (see 1 Samuel 24:3). Indeed he was having a bowel movement, one might say, though they had no way of knowing in what particularly grisly a way his bowels had in fact been moved. I point all this out because it suggests to me that, for all their graphic violence, these narratives have been carefully, one might say artfully honed, so that the violence, while disturbing, serves the narrative (rather than the other way around). There is a larger purpose beyond simply thrilling or grossing-out the reader, that the violence in some way or other fits into. Which brings me at last to the half-baked idea I'd like to share here. Because the next story after Ehud is the one about Barak, Deborah and the assassination of Sisera (who was the General of the Cananite army). If you recall, Deborah inspires Israel to a stunning victory over the Cananites, and Sisera flees for his life. He hides out in the tent of a Kenite woman named Jael, who, after lulling him to sleep, takes a hammer and drives a tent peg and through his temple and into the ground. "And so Sisera died." (Incidentally, Jael's betrayal of the code of hospitality here probably would have sent colder chills down the spine of an ancient reader than even the assassination itself). But here's what I'm wondering about. The Israelite general who was supposed to have led the charge against Sisera, but wouldn't until Deborah agreed to join him, was Barak (in Hebrew Bârâq). His name means "thunder-bolt" and many commenters point out the irony inherent in the fact that the Lord's "thunderbolt" was so reticent to join the battle (so Deborah's indictment of Barak in 4:9). But there may be an even deeper word-play here: in Hebrew, the phrase "into the temple (of one's head)" (bᵋraqqâh) sounds a fair bit like "barak." Bârâq ... bᵋraqqâh ... At least, they're enough alike to my very inexperienced Ancient Hebrew ears, that I wonder if there isn't a vivid pun going on in the telling of this assassination, too. The Lord's Bârâq failed to live up to his name, so Jael was forced to kill Sisera bᵋraqqâh. (If that seems like a strech, then imagine I was telling you the story of a certain figureskating feud from the 90s, but to protect the innocent, maybe, I changed the names to Nancy O'Kneel and Tonya Knee. You'd get it, wouldn't you?). Again, I welcome input from heads better-trained in Hebrew than mine. I admit, for instance, that the similarity is less convincing when you attach the third-person pronoun to bᵋraqqâh, which is how it actually appears in the text. And let's be clear, Barak was still called to a pretty gruesome duty; Hebrew homophones alone can't let us off the hook when it comes to making sense of this violent war. But if I am on to something, it would suggest that the violence here, at least, is hardly gratuitous. The disturbing image of a Canaanite general, with a bloody tent-peg in his murdered temple, killed bᵋraqqah by the Kenite woman who had been his hostess, is meant very much to disturb us. It is, in fact, a further indictment on Barak. Had Bârâq lived up to his name, and joined the battle swiftly, this horrid murder bᵋraqqâh might have been avoided. And if you're still with me, then perhaps you could wonder out loud with me a bit, here at the end. Are there similar acts of meaningless and disturbing violence happening in our world today, that might be avoided if the People of God would but live up fully to their name? Those who know me well know that early January is one of my favorite times of the year; and this is especially because I find making New Year's resolutions to be a pleasant activity. I know I'm in a sparsely-populated boat on this one, but ever since I was young, the first few weeks of my Januarys have always been scattered with lists of goals, drafts of reading lists, records of my aspirations for the coming year, and freshly-started journals. It's only two weeks into the new year now, and some of my resolutions have already fallen by the wayside; but then again, some are still with me, or I with them, and if even one or two make it right through to 2014, I'll feel the effort was worth it. A New Years Resolution, of course, is kin to making a vow or taking an oath. Admittedly, it's not nearly as solemn, nor as binding, but the kinship is real, which is perhaps why it struck me so forcibly the other day when, right at the height of New Years Resolution season and all, I was reading this book about Christian leadership that pointed out the deep connections between spiritual bondage, spiritual formation and vow-making. This book (Mentoring Leaders, Carson Pue) unpacked Leviticus 5:4, where it says that anyone who "thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil, in any matter one might carelessly swear about" is guilty of sin and must go to the priest with a sacrifice for atonement. I've read this verse a few times before and, aside from deeply appreciating how Christ is the atoning sacrifice who fulfills and transforms the Old Testament Law for us, I've never really thought much about how this specific injunction against thoughtless vows might play out in a contemporary Christian context. The book I was reading, however (and have been mulling over ever since) suggested that thoughtless vows can actually be a source of spiritual stuntedness, even bondage in our lives, and that identifying and renouncing such vows can be an important piece of our spiritual formation. Let me be clear: we're not talking about New Years Resolutions here, and more importantly, we're not talking about those solemn vows that Christians take in Christ's name and are actually essential to our maturity in the Faith-- baptismal vows, child dedication vows, wedding vows, ordination vows and the like. In a different post I'd talk about how such vows as these are humanizing, how they enlarge our spirits and how they deepen our discipleship. But that's a different post for a different kind of vow. What we're talking about here are those hasty promises we make to ourselves in moments of fear, resentment, hurt, bitterness or pride, often without ever realizing we've done so, and usually without ever considering that we have, in fact, sworn a vow. And we're talking about how such vows stunt our spiritual growth because they close areas of our lives off from the healing work of the Holy Spirit. Some examples will probably help. Who has ever heard someone say, or said perhaps themselves, something along these lines: "I'll never to talk to them again." or "I'll never forgive him for what he did." or "That's the last time so-and-so will get the upper hand on me." or "I swear I won't grow up to be like him (or her or them)." or "I promised myself I wouldn't cry (or 'go there' or go back to 'that' again)." or "I'll get even." It's hardly blood-oath material, to be sure, but such statements have an oath-taking ring to them, at least, and whether we realize it or not, when we make determinations like these in our hearts, whatever else is going on there, we've made a thoughtless vow. God's Torah says that anyone who has made a thoughtless oath "about any matter one might carelessly swear about"-- is in need (in sacrificial need) of atonement. I won't speculate a lot on why, except to point out that when we vow such things to ourselves (I'll never forgive so-and-so ... deal with such-and-such ... become like so-and-so ...); when we make these inner self-commitments out of hurt, fear, resentment or pride, whatever else is going on when we do that, we are actually setting our wills against the possibilities of God's sanctification in our lives. Consider it this way: Saying "I'll never grow up to be like 'her'" (or "him" or "them" or whomever) shuts you off from the possibility that there may in fact be something in "her" (or him or them or whomever) that God wants you to grow in or learn from or redeem. Promising myself "I won't go there," is actually closing my heart to God's healing in that particular area of my life. Vowing "never to speak to so-and-so again" is vowing unforgiveness. I need to stress some things. Forgiveness doesn't mean allowing someone to hurt us again; nor does "dealing with the past" mean accepting the dominant narrative about the past; there may be patterns of relating or cycles of behaviour in those around us that we personally want to break free from, and it's altogether appropriate to articulate that; there are times when genuine reconciliation is not possible this side of eternity. It's not wanting things to be different or better or whole or safe that's in question here. It's the act of exerting our wills over our lives-- taking matters into our own "emotional hands"--in such a way that it excludes or precludes the sanctifying work of God precisely there, in that area of our lives. That's what's in question. And maybe it's because thoughtless vows have this dangerous edge to them that Leviticus 5:4 prescribes a sacrifice of atonement for the guilt of swearing such oaths. Which leads me to appreciate all the more deeply still that Christ is the atoning sacrifice who fulfills and transforms the Old Testament Law for us. Because in Christ we have a saviour who not only atones for those thoughtless acts of self-exertion that cut us off from the sanctifying work of God, but in him we also have the Spirit who can answer the fears, heal the hurts, redeem the resentment or humble the pride that led us into the vow in the first place. In Christ we discover not only the invitation to stay fully open to the possibilities of God's redeeming work in our lives, but also the grace to answer "yes." Labels: holy spirit Another year of news-making has come and gone. Not to trivialize Kate Middleton's morning-sickness or anything, but as I look back over the headlines of the last 365 days, I'm thinking more about those news items that impacted the Evangelical world, and more particularly Evangelical Canada, in some way or another. I am, of course, no pundit, so in presenting this list of the "Top Headlines of the Evangelical Year," I am not claiming any expertise on these matters; they are simply the stories that stood out to me as significant. January 3: Mark Driscoll publishes Real Marriage. Nearly everything Pastor Mark says in the public sphere seems calculated to shock his listeners into sending it viral, if not by assent then at least by incredulity, so I don't want to give this tell-all "marriage manual" any more air time than absolutely necessary. However, the publication of a very explicit and prescriptive book about the state of holy matrimony, by the self-styled guru of locker-room evangelicalism was notable to me for a number of reasons. (Not least of which was the way it reinforced my commitment to rigorous and christocentric exegesis when it comes to teaching the Scriptures. Esther is not a housewife's handbook, nor is the Song of Solomon simply a Christian Karma Sutra.) January 9: Rob Bell's final service at Mars Hill. I followed the publication circus that was Love Wins pretty closely (see my review of the book in the sidebar), so the headline announcing Rob Bell's last service at Mars Hill stood out for me. Whether or not Pastor Rob's decision to leave his church was really due to the fallout from his book (as some suggest), a number of things stand out to me in this dramatic conclusion to the story. Among other things, it shows how the "culture of celebrity ministers" in the States actually has a pretty dark underbelly. (Note how Pastor Bell was maligned almost as viciously for leaving his church as he was for publishing the book in the first place. In celebrity culture, the once the famous have fallen from grace the only thing left to do is devour them whole.) March 5: Invisible Children launch Kony 2012 campaign I have not been able to establish whether Invisible Children should be called a "Christian organization" or not. They have certainly been accused by their detractors of being "insidiously Evangelical," though nothing in their literature or campaigns is explicitly Christian. What stood out to me in the Kony 2012 campaign, however, is how black and white the underlying narrative they presented was, and how simplistic the solution they proposed (wear an arm band and throw up some posters). Even if Invisible Children is not a Christian group, there are lessons for the Church here. Solutions to world issues are seldom as simple as getting the "good guys" to stop the "bad guys." And as a side note, we might take the whole thing as a cautionary tale, pointing out how celebrity has become the new source of moral authority in an age of viral videos (what was going to stop Kony, after all, was "fame"). Whatever else we make of the campaign, it illustrates how inconsistent and unstable this particular "source" of authority actually is. March 21: Canadian film-maker Kevin Miller releases Hellbound Kevin Miller's documentary "Hellbound" explores traditional Christian perspectives on the fate of the departed from a number of angles, interviewing pastors, psychologists, theologians and historians alike. Coming so soon after the aforementioned Love Wins debacle, and from the hands of a Canadian film-maker no less, it suggests that the question of Hell will be the hot issue (no pun intended) for Canadian Christians in the coming years. August 16: Dr. Gary Paterson elected new moderator of the United Church of Canada Realizing that a two or three line mention on a list like this is hardly space enough to unpack the significance of the vote itself, I will simply state that it is extremely significant, that this year the United Church of Canada became the first Christian denomination in history to appoint a practicing homosexual as its leader. September 27: Rona Ambrose votes in favor of Motion 312 I mention this one if for no other reason than that it vindicates me in this blog post last month. Rona Ambrose was the Federal Minister for the Status of Women; Motion 312 was a private member's motion introduced by Conservative MP Stephen Woodworth asking Parliament to review the Criminal Code's definition of when life begins (i.e. does it begin, like the Criminal Code states, only after the baby fully emerges from the birth canal, or does it begin at some point between conception and birth?). The motion failed, but pro-abortion advocates slammed Ms. Ambrose for being one of the few MPs who voted in favor of it. Of all people, they claimed, the Minister for the Status of Women ought to have known better than to risk reopening the abortion debate. Ms. Ambrose's defense: as Minister on the Status of Women, she felt the issue should be studied, because in some parts of the country gender-selective abortions are being used to terminate girls. October 30: Rachel Held Evans publishes The Year of Biblical Womanhood There were, I am sure, more scholarly books published this year on gender issues and the Christian faith, but I note this one here because A) I suppose if there is such a thing as a yang to the yin of Mark Driscoll's Real Marriage, The Year of Biblical Womanhood would probably be it; and B) as a blogger, the fact that Ms. Held Evan's writing ministry began on the blogosphere suggests to me that there have been some pretty seismic shifts in the balance of power in the Christian publishing industry. November 21: The Church of England rejects female bishops A friend pointed out to me the irony inherent in the fact that the Anglican Church could have accepted a theological canon as loose as John Shelby Spong as bishop for so long, but still vote to reject women (although, to be fair, Spong is Episcopalian, not specifically C of E). But the point still stands: the Church of England, it seems, missed a golden opportunity to follow the gospel to some logical conclusions here. December 26: President Morsi signs Egypt's Islamist constitution into law Speaking of inherent irony, I suppose there is some small irony in the fact that Egypt's President Morsi signed the Muslim Brotherhood's Islamist Constitution into law the day after Christmas-- inasmuch as many analysts suggest that a constitution based on Sharia Law bodes very ill for the Coptic Christians in the country, and is likely to result in increased marginalization and persecution of Christians in that part of the world. As William Dalrymple suggests, the much lauded Arab Spring is turning into a Christian Winter (and by and large the Christian West seems indifferent to the plight of their Middle Eastern Brothers and Sisters). Labels: new year, retrospective Reading forms a pretty major piece of the spiritual jigsaw puzzle that is my life. I read for work; I read for leisure; I read for spiritual formation; I read for recreation. My habit of recording the books I read each year started sometime back in 1999, when I was teaching High School English and trying to catch up on "the classics." The habit stuck, and 13 years later I still find it satisfying to look over the year's reading list and reflect on what I found and who I met there. The habit of awarding "literary awards" to the good, the bad and the ugly reads of the year started three years ago, as a bit of an experimental blog post. In the hopes of nurturing this habit into a tradition, I am pleased to present here the third annual terra incognita literary awards. You can check out previous awards ceremonies here and here. Most Annoying Read: Leading with a Limp, Dan Allender Judging almost entirely by the cover, I bought this book thinking it would be a refreshing change from the more typical "purpose driven" books on leadership I'd read. In awarding it the "most annoying" honours, I don't mean to imply that I disagreed with Allender's main thesis-- that godly leaders must be authentic and transparent when it comes to their weakness, flaws and mistakes. It's just that his style was so rambling and unfocused that it often left me wondering where he was going, or where he had been with his point. This confusion at times bubbled over into annoyance. Most Traumatic Read: Dragonslippers, Rosalind B. Penfold This was one of the required texts for a course in "the dynamics of abuse" which I audited this spring. Presenting her book as the "illustrated diary" of a woman who has escaped a sexually and emotionally abusive relationship, Rosalind B. Penfold (pseudonym) tells her story in a series of deceptively simple, but haunting cartoon drawings. Although it was indeed a traumatic read, it was also one of the most vivid and compelling illustrations of the dynamics of abuse I have ever encountered. Most Disappointing Read: Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Wolf. I first read this ground-breaking stream-of-consciousness novel for a University course on the English Novel, back in my undergrad days. Some 20 years later, I remembered little of it, except that the account of Septimus Warren Smith's suicide had deeply moved me back then. I reread it last winter for old times sake, and, while I still found Septimus Warren Smith a sympathetic character, the rest of the book was far more tedious than I ever remembered. Since it's unlikely the novel itself has changed, I can only assume my reading tastes have; that, or the many shots of espresso I consumed before reading the novel the first time, at 3 am the night before the big final exam, gave Mrs. Dalloway's quest for the flowers (which she said she would buy herself) a certain je ne sais pas which I will never recapture. Most Rewarding Re-Read: The Power and the Glory, Graham Greene Another re-read, though this one was satisfying in every way Mrs. Dalloway was not. Graham Greene's story of a failed Catholic priest on the run from the communist government in revolutionary Mexico is one part redemption story, one part spiritual odyssey, one part spy-thriller. I love this book, and the longer I do ministry, the more sense it makes to me. It helps, perhaps, that this time I read it while on vacation in Mexico. Most Enraptured Read: Five Smooth Stones for Pastoral Work, Eugene Peterson Eugene Peterson uses the megaloth--the five traditional books read on the five feast days of the Jewish Calendar (Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther)--as thematic entry-points for the five practices of pastoral work (prayer-directing, story-making, pain-sharing, nay-saying and community-building). This book was food for the head and balm for the heart. I read it as much for Eugene Peterson's whimsical style as for the deep insights he offers into the real nature of pastoral ministry. A must-read for any fledgling pastor. Most Willing Required Read: From Darkness to Light: How One Became a Christian in the Early Church, Anne Fields This one was required reading for a seminar on the "theology of conversion" our ministry network hosted this year. It's essentially an anthology of readings, sermons and liturgy excerpts from the early church's catechism for baptismal candidates, peppered through with a bit of commentary from Ms. Fields herself. It showed, essentially, what a third Century prosylete would undergo if he or she wanted to become a member of the Christian community. The forty-day ordeal of daily sermons, scripture lessons and exorcisms which culminated in a public baptism on Easter Night (a naked, public baptism, mind you), makes the "ask Jesus into your heart" fare of now-a-days look like the TV dinner of conversion experiences. Most Unexpectedly Interesting Read: Evoking Change, Anna Christie The reasons why my expectations were so low when I started this one are complicated, but among other things, let me say that the dust-cover's claim that this book will "put you on a foolproof path that will positively impact all aspects of your life and eventually improve the world" seemed a bit grandiose for my taste. There was much I disagreed with here, both theologically and psychologically, but its overall thesis resonated with me: that leaders can only effect outward change in the systems they are called to lead when they are willing to do the painful work of inward transformation. And, important theological quibbles notwithstanding, Anna Christie offers some very helpful and challenging insights into human psychology and systems theory in her unpacking of this thesis. Most Edifying Read: The New Testament and the People of God, N. T. Wright. I've blogged before (and effusively) about N. T. Wright. I have been waiting for a while now for the fourth installment in his Christian Origins and the Question of God series, breath bated ever since The Resurrection of the Son of God heralded for me the end of the world as I knew it (but I feel fine). Anyways, rumour has it that part four, Paul and the Faithfulness of God, is due any day now, and to brace myself (or while away the time, as the case may be) I started re-reading the first three books in the series. I finished The New Testament and the People of God this week and found it as edifying as before, and perhaps twice as rich, academically speaking, coming as it did after a couple of years in the ministry trenches. What can I say: I'm a Bible Geek. Labels: books, literature Like I usually do this time of year, I have been waxing especially reflective today, thinking back through what was in 2012 and looking ahead to what might be in 2013. Usually, of course, years-in-review get done in the week leading up to the start of the new year, but between double services on Christmas Eve and the general festivities of the season, who's got the time? So my year end retrospectives tend to happen in the first week of the New Year. Not to disappoint, I am working on a couple of posts along those lines -- the highlights of the media, ministry moments, literature-read and lessons-learned in Dale's world this year -- which will be appearing over the next few days. As you stay tuned, let me start you off with this brief review of the highlights from this blog over the last year. Here are (in my humble opinion) the ... Best Blogging Moments of terra incognita's 2012 Best Post of 2012: A Bottle of Pop for Eddy Bearnaise A writer's opinion of his best work doesn't always match the opinion of his readers, so I doubt this one will resonate with everyone. For my part,however, it was a post I'd been mulling over for almost two years, one that summed up a couple of themes I'd been reflecting on, and let me "stretch my legs" with some rhetorical flourishes, too. Enjoy. Best Blogging Series: The Halloween Files. Who knew when I started this somewhat whimsical theological analysis of Halloween that it would strike so many chords? It is by far the most shared and most "hit" series I've done since I started blogging. Start here if you're curious. Most Fun Post to Write: When King Solomon's Temple Meets Minecraft. This post earns the title "most fun" simply because of the joy it was to actually make the Minecraft model of Solomon's Temple with my kids. You can take a tour here. Best Exegetical Work: The book of 1 Samuel caught my imagination in a special way this year. I did a couple of posts on this book in 2012, but this is the one that started it all for me: On Being a Reject Messiah. Best Sermons: The Book of How!? It's perhaps a bit sketchy of an enterprise to "rate" sermons, but when it came to challenging and formative work for the preacher this year, this series on the Book of Lamentations was stretching and edifying to prepare. Start here if you're interested. Like I shared in a recent post, I came close to shutting down this blog this year. Partly because I'd felt like it had served its purpose and partly because I'd lost a bit of the heart for it, I was getting ready to hang up the blogger's hat. After a bit of a gut-check this summer and a bit more re-purposing this fall, recommitted to regular posting, a commitment I'm renewing here for the New Year. I hope that at least some of what you find here, in the flotsam and jetsam of my spiritual musings, is helpful or thought provoking to you. If one or two readers enjoy one or two posts here even half as much as I enjoy writing them, it will have been worth it.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745153

__label__wiki

BackYou are here: MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec Year200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020 5101520253050100All The Second Statement from CPI (Maoist) on the Train Accident (Note: In view of the train accident that took the lives of more than a hundred passengers and left many more injured who had been travelling by Gnaneswari Express, the railways have been contemplating of postponing train services along that route at night and re-schedule its timings accordingly. In response, the CPI(Maoist) has issued a statement on 29 May 2010 that came out in a Bengali daily Ananda Bazar Patrika published from Kolkata. It was published on 30 May 30, 2010 under the caption 'The Maoists ask the railways to ply trains without fear' in page 7.) "We were not involved in the sabotage in the railway line. Still we are being falsely implicated in it." CPI (Maoist) tells the Indian rail authorities to ply their trains Let the railway authorities ply their trains on schedule. There is nothing to fear. On Saturday, on behalf of the State Committee of the CPI (Maoist), Aakash issued this statement to the press. "We were not involved in the sabotage in the railway line. Still we are being falsely implicated in it. There is no need to stop railway service on the plea of Maoist sabotage. Let the rail authorities ply their trains. Nothing (no harm) will be done from our side". The Maoists stated: We gave a call for organizing a 'Black Period' from 23 May to 2 June; it was not directed against the railways. Besides price rise and operation by the security forces, it was also directed against the central government policy of selling out shares of public sector undertakings, taking US assistance for the defence sector and the creation of special economic zones. Our aim was to make propaganda and create awareness on these issues among the people. Wearing black badges, organizing processions comprise part of our programme, but there was nothing against the railways. The Maoists claimed: "Whenever there is any programme against the railways or a call for stopping railway services, there is a formal notification much before that date". Army may step in, chief to meet Chidambaram NEW DELHI: With Army chief General V K Singh meeting home minister P Chidambaram after the latest incident involving Maoists on Friday, the armed forces are finalizing action plans to meet any contingency if their role in the ongoing anti-Naxalite operations is extended beyond the present training, surveillance and logistical. "If the government orders us, we will have to step in and take the lead. Drawing up of concrete contingency plans have gained momentum after the Army commanders' conference earlier this month discussed the likely developments and resources required for the anti-Naxalite operations," said a senior officer. Trevor Selvam on the West Bengal Train Crash as a Casus Belli By Trevor Selvam First, the Ms. Quasimodo of Bengal and Indian politics, Mamata Banerjee announces that it was a “bomb blast” with great bombast. Then, Bhupinder Singh, the Police IG and KPSGill-wannabee (who had earlier smeared and lied about Chatradhar Mahato’s insurance, property etc and never bothered to retract anything) says that two posters were found proving that the Maoist PCAPA had taken “responsibility ”for the train disaster. The two posters, it turned out, merely stated the intent of the local PCAPA the reasons for their on-going struggles. Ms. Bomberjee also claimed that a pilot vehicle had passed by just before. She did not state how “before” it was. One hour, two hours, five hours, one day? After the entire place is “infested” with Maoists. Is it not? Now the tone is changing gradually. A foot and half of fish-plates were found removed. A BBC cameraman has displayed the gap in one of their broadcasts. No evidence of a blast any longer. No evidence of gelatine, dynamite, ammonium nitrate. The foreign press had already expressed some caution, in their statements and terminology. But not the Indian press. They are so free, unfettered and dynamic when it comes to spreading innuendo! Both the CPI (Maoist) and PCAPA have denied their involvement in the Friday train derailment by G. N. Saibaba Yesterday's( 28 May 2010) Gnaneshwari Express and a goods train tragedy near Kharagpur in West Bengal in which 80 people were killed and 200 injured was attributed to CPI(Maoist) and Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) by the media. The media unscrupulously played false news stories blaming CPI (Maoist) and Peoples Committee for two days. Some political parties like Trinomial Congress and the ruling CPI(Marxist) also blamed these organisations without any verification. Significantly Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has declined to attribute the blame on the CPI (Maoist) and also announced that there was no evidence of any bomb blast in the incident. The Union Home Minister has ordered an enquiry to find out any possibility of sabotage. During the day the leaders of CPI (Maoist) clarified through a long statement that they were not responsible for the train tragedy and condemned any possible sabotage work if any force involved behind the incident. They have also expressed their condolences for the families of deceased. The PCAPA also clarified that their activists are not involved in this incident. They suspected the ruling CPI(Marxist) to have been involved in the sabotage desperately trying to tilt the public opinion against the fighting forces. Purposefully the media did not cover the statement issued by the CPI (Maoist) while playing the false stories and commentaries blaming the CPI (Maoist) for the incident. 2nd Letter from Peoples’ Committee Against Police Atrocities to Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Lalgarh Mancha 2nd Letter from Peoples' Committee Against Police Atrocities to Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) and Lalgarh Mancha Friends, Hul Johar, Hope you did receive the letter that we sent to you around the end of this March. We don't have any of your addresses. Moreover, posting the letter is a great problem. Interior villages do not have post offices. Where there is a posting facility, Harmads or the joint forces or both have camped near it. If the bearer of the letter is caught before it is being posted, it is certain that he/she will not return home. This is the scenario of the democratic establishment of Buddha-Chidambaram in today's Jangal Mahal. We believe that there might be a few days' delay, but you will definitely receive this letter. The continuous false propaganda in the papers and on wireless or on TV about people's movement in the Jangal Mahal is creating a misconception about us amongst you living in urban and suburban areas. Only 10 to 45% of our statements that are coming out almost every day are covered. That too is appended with the adverse comments of a variety of people, from local newsmen to top brass of the administration. Unlawful Activities Prevention Act designed for Intimidating Opponents Statement by Human Rights and Civil Liberties Groups The recent alert regarding use of Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), issued by the gov­ernment in so-called "public interest", has brought into the open what had so far been implicit in its anti-Maoist policy. The purpose of the circular is to intimidate voices of protests and dissent over govern­ment policies, particularly with regard to Operation Green Hunt. The statement criminalises dissent and makes a mockery of the spirit of critical inquiry, which is at the foundation of a strong democracy. As members of civil rights groups, we consider the statement as an attack on civil society and reminiscent of the Emergency era. Fix root causes: Dantewada report author to Govt New Delhi : The man the Home Ministry chose to inquire into the killing of 76 CRPF personnel by Naxalites in Dantewada last month has a very different opinion of the Naxal problem than that of the Ministry or Home Minister P Chidambaram. Former BSF Director General E N Rammohan, who submitted his inquiry report to Chidambaram, today said the government must address the "root causes" of the Naxal problem without which counter-insurgency operations would not be successful. Orissa - POSCO : Letter to the Prime Minister I am writing in the context of the brutal attack of the Orissa police on the peaceful protesters of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti in Jagatsinghpur District, Orissa. More than 100 people, including many women, have been injured; those seriously injured are receiving no medical care; the police have burned houses and shops as well as the protesters' tents; and the police are blocking the entry or exit of any person from the area. This kind of atrocity can never be justified. But what makes it doubly criminal is that the Orissa government claims to be doing so as they have rights over the land. PEACE NOW in Tribal Areas - Open Letter to the President of India by Dr. B. D. Sharma (Former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) Dear President, 1. I, with my life-long association with tribal affairs, beginning with the troublesome days in Bastar (1968) and having the privilege of being the last Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (1986-1991), am constrained to approach you at a critical time when we are witnessing virtual collapse of the constitutional regime for the tribal people while being attacked and suppressed in a war like situation.. Denizens of the Other India by D. Bandyopadhyay Ms Arundhati Roy's "Walking With The Comrades" (Outlook, March 29, 2010) is one of the finest pieces of political travelogue in the current Indo-English literature. It compares well with the classic socio-political writings about the Chinese Revolution like Red Star Over China, Fan Shen, The Scalpel and the Sword and the like. Any convulsive political event does produce such literature from the pens of sensitive and empathic writers. That such a piece would create discomfort and unease in the minds of persons who believe and thrive in the status quo is natural. Hence, I am not surprised to read B.G. Verghese's "Daylight At The Thousand-Star Hotel" (Outlook, May 3, 2010). I would not have joined issues with the doyen among Indian journalists but for correcting some of the wrong information he tried to put forward. In polemical writings a certain degree of sarcasm, banter and derision is permitted. I have no problem with that and Ms Roy is highly competent to handle it if she so desires. I felt a bit uneasy with the word "massacre" used by Verghese in his first sentence. Massacre conveys a sense of indiscriminate slaughter of innocent people who may or may not be involved in any conflict. More often than not, it means the killing of a large number of unarmed persons unable to defend themselves against armed marauders. Orissa/AP - Adivasis allege torture in anti-Naxal operations Aman Sethi and D. Chandrabhaskar Rao Koraput/Khammam: Seventeen Adivasi villagers of Samna in Orissa's Narayanpatna block claim that they were brutally assaulted in custody last week, an allegation the police have denied. According to the villagers, they were picked up on May 9, as part of a joint operation conducted by the Orissa and Andhra Pradesh police along the inter-State border, airlifted to a police station in Andhra Pradesh and held in custody for three days before being released on May 14. "Uniformed policemen surrounded our village on Sunday morning [May 9], when we were leaving for the market," said Nachika Jaddo, one of those who were picked up. "Seventeen men, including two dokras [old men] were rounded up, beaten up and then dragged to a spot 2 km away." The villagers were then bundled into a waiting helicopter, blindfolded and flown to the Salur police station in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh. PEACE NOW in Tribal Areas--Press Invitation Date: May 18, 2010 (Tuesday) Time: 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM Venue: Press Club of India, 1 Raisina Road, New Delhi Why is it that the largest democracy in the world as India claims to be is undemocratic to some of the most democratic people-the tribals? Why is it that the Indian government since independence has not kept its word with the tribals who believe in the honour of the word? We the concerned citizens would invite you to a Press Conference by Dr. BD Sharma, the Former Commissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, someone who has spend more than half his life among the tribals in his tireless endeavour to understand them closely so as to make sure the place for the inherently democratic tribal people in the Indian Union after 1947. On the public statement of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi Press Statement, 17 May 2010 We the undersigned welcome the public statement of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi, the President of the Congress Party that the extreme neglect of the tribal areas is at the root of the present crisis in those regions. We hope that this appreciation of the need to go deeper into the question would lead to initiatives for immediate cessation of hostilities and dialogue so that the process of people-oriented development can be made feasible. Signatories: Justice V R Krishna Iyer, Judge (Retd) Supreme Court of India Justice P B Sawant, Judge (Retd) Supreme Court of India, former Chairperson, Press Council of India Shankar Ghosh, Poet Amit Bhaduri, Professor Emeritus, Jawaharlal Nehru University Mahasweta Devi, writer Italian Interview of GN Saibaba, vice-president of the Revolutionary Democratic Front of India by Geraldina Colotti for the Italian daily Il Manifesto. (Translation by the International Department of the CARC Party) 1) May you give me some biographical and professional information about you? Which is your current political role? Do you live and work in Andhra Pradesh State? Ans: I started my social activism during my student days, starting from 1989. I was associated with a revolutionary student movement called Radical Students' Union (RSU) which originated in 1980 in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This student body mobilized hundreds of thousands of students on all social and political issues along with that pertaining to students and educational institutions. It gave the historic call of 'Go to Villages' to the students. This call actually revolutionised the urban spaces in Andhra Pradesh. This organization was banned by the government in 1991. A number of revolutionary student leaders were killed in cold blood by the police/armed forces of the state. Later on I started working in an anti-imperialist organisation formed at the all India level called All India Peoples' Resistance Forum (AIPRF). This anti-imperialist organization worked to mobilize hundreds and thousands of people all over the country in major rallies and demonstrations against Dunkel draft, WTO, suicide deaths of farmers, against imperialist wars and all other major pro-imperialist policies of Indian rulers. The AIPRF in 2005 merged with other similar organisations to form Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF). It is a federation of revolutionary people's organizations like workers, peasants, youth, students, women and revolutionary cultural organizations across India in 13 states. In most states, its members and main functionaries are arrested and incarcerated. Hundreds of its functionaries either suffer in prisons or work in different forms. But it still works among the people vigorously. Its members are being branded as having links with CPI (Maoist) just because it also believes in revolutionary transformation of Indian Society. But then an overwhelming majority of the Subcontinent does so. Presently our organization is involved in mobilizing democratic voices against a major military offensive that the Government of India (GOI) has initiated on the indigenous people of the country, called the Operation Green Hunt (OGH). I am an assistant professor of literature at the University of Delhi. I originally come from Andhra Pradesh but for the last one decade am settled in New Delhi. 2) What are the activities of the Revolutionary Democratic Front of India? Ans. This front, as has been mentioned above, is a federation of revolutionary mass organizations working at grassroots level. While each of the constituent organizations works among the various sections of the people on their issues, to revolutionise them as per the understanding of New Democratic Revolution (NDR), the front focuses on larger political issues pertaining to all these sections at state and country-wide level. Another Bloodbath in on the Way in Jharkhand Gladson Dungdung It is utterly painful for us to inform you that another bloodbath is ready to take place in the name of Development in Jharkhand. A corporate house "Bhushan Steel and Power Limited" is going to conducted "Bhumi Pujan" (format inauguration) of its project on May 16, 2010. The company has singed an MoU with the Jharkhand government on 7 September, 2006 for establishing an integrated steel plant of 3 Mt and 900 MW power plant with the estimated investment of 10,500 crore. Since, a strong People's Movement against the land acquisition for steel and power plants of the Bhushan Steel and Power Limited has been going on at Potka of East Singbhum district in Jharkhand since 2006. Consequently, the company was unable to materialize its project. Orissa govt mobilising forces near Posco plant site BHUBANESWAR: With Orissa government mobilising forces to start forest survey and land acquisition at the proposed plant site of Posco-India near Paradip, the anti-displacement agitators are planning a rally to be addressed by CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan on May 19. Jagatsinghpur district collector N C Jena and Superintendent of Police Debadutta Singh confirmed that mobilisation of forces were taking place. "We have mobilised forces in view of the law and order situation in the area. How can the agitators deny government servants and police entry to the area?" Jena told PTI. About 25 platoons (750 personnel) of armed police have been deployed as well as ambulances and fire tenders in the area. Anti-displacement activists guarding Orissa village after clash Jajpur (Orissa), May 13 (PTI) Anti-land acquisition agitators today kept a vigil over Chandia village in Kalinga Nagar steel hub, where a tribal died and 24 others were injured during a clash between protestors and police. Activists and supporters of Bisthapan Birodhi Jana Manch (BBJM), the body protesting displacement of tribals, were guarding the village and not allowing anybody to enter, police said. Meanwhile, the body of Laxman Jamuda (55), killed during the clash yesterday, was handed over to a relative after post-mortem, said his nephew Lalmohan. Orissa : One killed in police firing in Kalinga Nagar Jajpur, May 12: At least one person was killed and several injured in police firing in Kalinga Nagar steel hub today. The decaesed was identified as Laxman Jamuda, a resident of Chandia village. Police fired at least 10 rounds, sources said. Police opened fire when villagers opposing establishment of a steel plant by Tata Steel and construction of a common corridor road in the locality came out to oppose the entry on policemen into their villages. The Battle for Dandakaranya By Nachiketa Desai Bastar (Chhattisgarh): A fierce battle is raging along the Indrawati river in Central India. On one side of the river are deployed the para military forces of the Indian state. On the other side, in dense forest, are the Maoist guerrillas. The Indian militia calls the battle, operation 'Green Hunt', which is aimed at flushing out the Maoists from the mineral rich forest land so that Indian and multinational corporations can fatten their bottom line by exploiting iron ore, coal and bauxite. The Maoists are fighting to protect the 40,000 square kilometers of dense forest land known as Dandakaranya from these marauding companies. Al Jazeera - Avi Lewis interviews Arundhati Roy In 1997, Arundhati Roy's first novel The God of Small Things made her the first Indian woman to win the prestigious Booker Prize. More than six million copies of the book were sold worldwide. Since then, she has turned her pen to politics. During the Bush years, she was a fierce critic, calling the invasion of Afghanistan "an act of terror on the people of the world". In India, she has campaigned against mega dams projects, denounced the rise of Hindu nationalism, and has been imprisoned by the Supreme Court of India for "corrupting public morality". Supreme Court calls for Chhattisgarh report on NHRC findings New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to send a team of rights activists, at this stage, to Chhattisgarh to look into complaints of rights violations. Instead, it directed the State government to submit a report on the action taken on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). What steps have been taken? A Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B.C. Chauhan said: “As regards the implementation of the NHRC Report, the government is directed to file a detailed report as to what steps have so far been taken regarding the registration of various criminal cases and the progress made in the various criminal cases which are already pending in courts.” Civil society groups criticize threats against "Maoist sympatheizers" Civil society groups take umbrage at MHA's warning to Maoist sympathizers GN Bureau | new delhi | May 07 2010 Civil society groups and individuals have reacted sharply to the Home Ministry's statement warning severe punishment to anyone found supporting the Maoists by propagating their ideology or collaborating with them. Delhi University professor G.N. Saibaba described it as a clear violation of democratic rights of individuals and civil society groups, many of whom, he said, held political views similar to those of the Maoists though they had no link with the ultras. "There is a possibility of misuse of power as views of people who are against the government's policies may be interpreted as propaganda for the CPI(Maoist)", he remarked. Saibaba, who is often seen with civil society groups opposing the government's anti-Maoist security operation, said the MHA directive directly violated the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution. Mahipal Singh, national secretary of the People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), a leading organization fighting against infringement of civil and democratic rights, said holding a political view and political ideology was no crime, even if it was the Maoist ideology. Demand the release of Mr. Mirza Iftikhar Hussain! Condemn the blatant communal prejudice in the matter of delaying the release of Mr. Mirza Iftikhar Hussain! We condemn the harassment of Dr. SAR Geelani who has been targeted for a criminal prosecution on the basis of false and extraneous considerations. The Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners (CRPP) takes strong exception to the way the media has voiced the story of Dr. SAR Geelani facing criminal proceedings for "furnishing false information" to the court. Given the vitiated atmosphere that media trials have generated, particularly the prejudice caused to those who belong to a certain community , it is important to bring forth certain facts which squarely expose the patent lies that have been carried in the media regarding the case slapped on Dr. SAR Geelani. The Indian state tries to stifle protests (The following is a compilation of important news reports related to the Home Ministry's statement directed towards intellectuals and civil society organisations) The Government of India has warned what it calls "sympathisers" of the Maoists / Naxalites in the country that they face action under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The state's warning that it can take such action simply means that the expectation of inquiry and dialogue into the causes underlying Maoist / Naxalite programmes is a misplaced one. The statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs is titled 'Government Asks People to Be Vigilant of CPI (Maoist) Propaganda' (Thursday, May 06, 2010): Telegraph India: Rebel friends warned OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT New Delhi, May 6: The Centre today issued a public warning to social workers, artists and authors with whom it suspects Maoists are in touch and threatened them with arrest if they helped the banned rebels in their propaganda. Human rights activists immediately saw in the warning a precursor to a large-scale countrywide crackdown on civil liberties outfits, writers, lawyers, academics and journalists. The move is exceptional in that such a public warning through a media note has probably never been made even against fundamentalist outfits. The press note, issued by the Union home ministry, described the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and its frontal organisations as terrorists "whose sole aim is armed overthrow of the Indian state and that they have no place in India's parliamentary democracy". The note warns the public against assuming that the Maoists are a political outfit and asks them to be treated like terrorists. Supporting Maoists will invite 10 year jail NEW DELHI: Those who speak in favour of Maoist guerrillas will face legal action and 10 years imprisonment, the government announced Thursday in a warning to civil society groups who raise voices in favour of Leftwing extremism. "Any person who commits the offence of supporting such a terrorist organisation (like Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoist) with inter alia intention to further the activities of such terrorist organisations would be liable to be punished with imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or with fine or with both," a home ministry statement said. It said such action would be taken under Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. An Appeal against the Home Ministry’s Act of Intimidation This is to inform you that the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Government of India has been monitoring my activities almost everyday, which I got to know from an officer of the Ministry who visited to my office at 11 AM on 29th of April 2010. He informed me that I was taken seriously by the Ministry in 2008 when I had started raising serious questions against the Arcelor Mittal Company, who has signed an MoU for 12 Mt Steel Plant with the investment of Rs. 40,000 crore. Mr. Arjun Munda then the Chief Minister of Jharkhand had shown it as the biggest achievement of his one-year tenure. We the Adivasi youth had protested under the banner of Jharkhand Indigenous People’s Forum against a tie-up between the DON BOSCO ITI and Arcelor Mittal Company. Consequently, they had to break the tie-up. Chidambaram greeted with black flags, slogans at Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi, May 5 (PTI) Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was tonight greeted with slogans and black flags by a group of students at the Jawaharlal Nehru University here over the government's approach to combat the Maoists. Chidambaram arrived at the JNU campus at around 9:30 pm to attend an anti-Maoist programme organised by NSUI, the students' wing of Congress, at the School of Social Sciences auditorium. Activists belonging to All India Students Association (AISA) and Democratic Students Union (DSU) shouted slogans against the Home Minister outside the auditorium as he reached the venue. Chattishgarh : Project-affected villagers boycott NMDC hearing Aman Sethi Dantewada: "Is there anyone in this room from Kadampal village?" asked presiding officer Emil Lakra at the environmental public hearing held at the Collector's office in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh. "Anyone from Cholnar? Hiroli? Goomiapal? Madari?" Not a single project-affected person stood up, but the hearing for the expansion of mining operations of the National Mineral Development Corporation's Kirandul project continued regardless. NMDC officials briskly went through a power-point presentation filled with tables, bullet-points and contour maps as the gathering of about 50 women and 10 men, collected by the NMDC and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, watched mutely. Delhi : May 4 Protest Dharna against Assault on Democratic Rights PRESS RELEASE May 4, 2010 In protest against the mounting atrocities and assaults on people and their democratic rights ever since the UPA-2 Government came into power at the Centre almost a year ago with Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister, a dharna was organized by civil and democratic rights organizations, people's organizations, students organizations, trade unions at the Jantar Mantar on the 4th May 2010. While addressing the dharna many of the speakers talked about the increasing detention, incarceration and witch hunt of various activists and leaders of people's organizations. Many of the speakers pointed about the complicity of the media in this vicious campaign of the Indian state to stifle all voices of dissent. Among the speakers who addressed included Neelabh, progressive writer, GN Saibaba Forum Against War on People, Mrigank of the Nav Jawan Bharat Sabha, Shoma Sen CAVOW, Arjun Prasad Singh, PDFI, advocate Rajesh Tyagi, Anees Campus Front of India, Vijendra JNU Forum Against War on People, Munishwar CPDM etc. All struggles in defence of land, of mineral resources, for defense of democratic rights are the targets of the government. Anyone who are daring to raise their voice against the anti-people, pro-corporate, policies of the government have become the target of state repression in the form of an undeclared emergency. Natural resources under threat from eminent domain doctrine: Binayak Sen Natural resources in the country are under threat as vast tracts of land, forest and water reserves are being handed over to Indian affiliates of international finance capital under cover of the eminent domain doctrine, or the state's pre-eminent ownership of land, Binayak Sen, human rights activist and vice-president of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, said on Monday. Dr. Sen cited Chhattisgarh as an example of the dispossession phenomena to illustrate how the hold exercised by the poor over their resources was increasingly coming under challenge with industrial and economic development. Kalinganagar villages under siege Amit Sengupta On March 30, they tried yet again to crush this non-violent movement. Since then, tribal villages in Kalinganagar in Orissa are under siege by the police, in symphony with "Tata goons" - as locals call them - and ruling party (BJD) supporters. 'Outsiders' are not allowed to get in, people are not allowed to move out. Food, medicine, relatives, journalists, civil society groups, nobody is allowed. BJP leader Jual Oram and Congress leaders were attacked by "BJD-Tata goons"; three journalists were beaten up badly when they tried to record this attack, their cameras smashed, their valuables looted. Here's a report by independent journalists from the ground, confirmed by activists and documentary filmmakers from Orissa who spoke to Hardnews during the Independent People's Tribunal held in Delhi from April 9 to 11: "The March 30 attack was the culmination of months of sporadic aggression by the police and Tata goons. That day the police simply did not try to maintain law and order, rather they first sprayed rubber bullets and plastic pellets on the tribals, entered Baligotha village, set food-stocks afire, poured kerosene in the wells, killed cattle, vandalised the memorials of the martyrs of January 2, 2006 police shootout, looted valuables, stole livestock and destroyed all sorts of electronic machines like TVs, DVD players, sewing machines, etc... Odisha tribals oppose operation Green Hunt Malkangiri, May 1: It was a rare show of strength when more than 10000 tribal men and women gathered in this district headquarters town today to oppose operation Green Hunt against the Maoists. The tribals who came under the banner of Malkangiri Zilla Adivasi Sangha took out a rally holding banners and placards opposing the alleged police excesses in the name of action against the Maoists.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745166

__label__wiki

DR CROKES GOLF SOCIETY Happy 2018 to all members. Leading the troops for 2018 are Shane Horgan, Captain and Niall Brosnan, President. Our Captain for the year is none other than the all round sportsman Shane Horgan. Shane was born in May 1978 to parents Mossie and Betty Horgan and raised in Ardshanvooley. Married to fellow great golfer Deirdre Prendergast, he has two children Brian 8yrs old and Fionn 6yrs old. He played underage football with his beloved Crokes under the stewardship of Eddie O Connor, Jim Connelly and Patrick O Sullivan. He had a number of successful years at underage winning a few East Kerry titles. His potential as a future senior club player was brought to an abrupt temporary halt when he shattered his shin playing a Minor game against Rathmore. His layoff from the game was substantial and he only went back playing in his mid twenties and played most of his football thereafter at Junior level. He played Junior B football in 2017 winning the junior league. Shane had other sporting achievements and he was one of the most high profile players on the Killarney basketball scene for several years. Shane first came to prominence with the St. Paul's and Killarney Community College teams in the early 90s. He was selected for the Munster schoolboy’s team and from there he progressed to represent Ireland at International level in 1994. Despite being one of the youngest players on the team, Shane was an instrumental figure at point guard on the St. Paul's Killarney team that defeated Star of the Sea Belfast in the U-19 National Cup final in 1995. Two years later, he was the team captain when St. Paul's clinched the same National Title again against the same opposition, winning 65-63. Shane then went on to enjoy an excellent playing career at National League and Superleague level from 1996 to 2008. He was the first choice point guard for the Kerry Spring St. Paul's team of the late 1990s and was a driving force on the Gleneagle Lakers team for most of the noughties. With the return of National League basketball in Killarney this season, after the absence of nearly a decade, Shane Horgan has again featured as an experienced player on the Scott’s Lakers squad but has concentrated mostly on Assistant Coach duties passing on his vast knowledge and wisdom to the younger players. And of course there is GOLF. The Society’s lowest handicapper for a number of years, the talented all-rounder started playing golf over the summer months while at College and became addicted to our wonderful game. He is a current senior cup player with Killarney He won the Captain’s Prize in Killorglin in 2004. He also won the Singles Matchplay in Killorglin against another Killarney and Crokes man Peter Fleming. Over the last two years he was 2nd in Peter O Briens captain Prize 2016 and went one better in 2017 winning Brian Clarkes Captain’s Prize. Our President for 2018 is Niall Brosnan. Niall, a Solicitor by profession was born in 1953. Juvenile football was very much in its infancy back then and Niall was spotted by the great Crokes stalwart Tadghie Fleming playing in an Altar Boys v Choir Boys game. Tadghie must have seen something as the following day there was a knock on the door of 63 New Street where Niall grew up and Tadghie asked would he play with the Crokes. He of course accepted and the Black and Amber has run through his veins ever since. He won a Hogan Cup with the Sem in 1969 before moving onto UCC where he won a Cork County Championship medal along with fellow Crokesman, Denis Coffey (RIP), Sean and Donal Kavanagh and Tom Looney. On the field with the Crokes he lost the first seven O Donoghue Cup finals he played in before deciding to retire as his Legal Practice in Killarney and Kenmare was growing quickly. After a break of a couple of years he was asked to come back with the Seniors along with his great friend, the late Denis Coffey and with a young emerging side, they succeeded in winning two O’Donoghue Cups in 1981/2. He trained the Crokes senior team winning the Intermediate Championship in 1985 and the club hasn’t looked back since. Off the field Niall has always been very actively involved in the running of the Club becoming Vice-Chairman at the age of 22 and Chairman at the age of 24. Never a man to be found wanting, Niall has also been involved in fundraising efforts on behalf of the Club and also undertook all legal work for the club during his professional career. He has recently retired from Practice and now that he has more time on his hands, he is sure to get even more actively involved in the club. He has been a member and sponsor of the Golf Society since its foundation and has previously held the role of Golf Society Captain. Married to a Cavan lady Bridie and father to Eimear, former Kerry and Crokes Star, Eoin and to Kieran, who also played Club Senior until work took him away from Killarney. We wish both Shane and Niall and enjoyable and memorable year in 2018 Again like every other year we ask members to heed the membership section of this letter and make sure they are not disappointed by paying their membership fee to any member of the committee before or on our first outing ¨ Membership Membership of the society will again cost €40 if you have already paid your club membership. Club membership for 2018 is either €100 through the “Clear Air Boys” or €50 for standard membership. As can be seen by the fully equipped Gym & the Storage Shed, funds generated by the Clear Air Boys” have been put to good use and I would encourage members of the Golf Society to support this initiative. Note, membership is to be paid before or at the first outing (if playing) or the 31st of March to any committee member. As the number of members is capped and there is a waitlist in operation, payment received after this date will not guarantee membership. Fixtures for 2018 ¨ March 31st Mahony’s Pt t/t 8.30am – 10.40am ¨ June 16th Dooks t/t 9.00 am – 10.50am ¨ July 13th Killeen t/t 1.00pm – 3.20pm ¨ Aug 11th Kenmare t/t 10.00am – 11.40am ¨ Sept 15th Dingle t/t 10,00am – 11.20am ¨ Nov 24th Killarney Mahony’s Pt t/t 10.30am shotgun start with Gneeveguilla Timesheets will be in operation as usual. Please email or text me (lchartnett@msn.com). Some outings will be limited during the year because of the available tee time. Do not include your name if you are doubtful about travelling, as members were disqualified in the past from one outing for failing to show on the day. ¨ Sponsors We would sincerely like to thank our sponsors and ask you to support them throughout the year. Speakeasy Scott’s Hotel Niall Brosnan Mike Buckley Tatler Jack Johnny Courtney Vince Casey Brendan Keogh Harry & John Bartlett The Coffey family are sponsoring a perpetual trophy in memory of our former Captain Denis Coffey RIP. This will be presented to the winner of our first outing each year. Thanks to our outgoing Captain Brian Clarke and outgoing President Paul Downey for a successful year in 2017. Congratulations to Niall O Mara on winning the Player of the Year. Many thanks to the Committee Members for their hard work throughout the year. Good health, prosperity and enjoyable golfing to all in 2018 On behalf of the Committee Liam Hartnett Liam Hartnett, Secretary Brendan Keogh (Treasurer), John McEnery, Ger O Shea, Vince Casey and Michael Howard

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745167

__label__wiki

Difference between revisions of "Henry Coey Kane" Simon Harley (Talk | contribs) (→‎Life & Career) FredBot (Talk | contribs) (Update appts) ==Life & Career== Kane was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} with seniority of 22 January, 1877.<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/24413/pages/502 no. 24413. p. 502.] 2 February, 1877.</ref> Kane was promoted to the rank of {{CommRN}} with seniority of 22 January, 1877.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/24413/pages/502 no. 24413. p. 502.] 2 February, 1877.</ref> Kane was promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}} on 26 December, 1897, vice [[Richard Duckworth-King|Duckworth-King]].<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26924/pages/7854 no. 26924. p. 7854.] 31 December, 1897.</ref> In accordance with the provisions of the [[Order in Council of 22 February, 1870|Orders in Council of 22 February, 1870]], [[Order in Council of 5 August, 1875|5 August, 1875]], and [[Order in Council of 26 June, 1886|26 June, 1886]], he was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 25 August, 1899.<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27114/pages/5520 no. 27114. p. 5520.] 5 September, 1899.</ref> Kane was appointed as Commander (second-in-command) of the armoured cruiser ''Northumberland'' on 30 October, 1879.{{NLMar80|p. 227}} He was advanced to the rank of {{AdmRN}} on the Retired List on 8 February, 1907.<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27993/pages/899 no. 27993. p. 899.] 8 February, 1907.</ref> For services rendered during the operations in Egypt Kane was specially promoted to the rank of {{CaptRN}} with seniority of 18 November, 1882.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/25169/pages/5173 no. 25169. p. 5173.] 17 November, 1882.</ref> On 6 January, 1883, he was appointed [[Naval Attaché (Royal Navy)|Naval Attaché]], which appointment was twice-extended by one year periods, in 1885 and 1886. On 25 January, 1889, he commissioned the cruiser {{UK-1Calliope}} for service on the [[China Station]]. In 1889 he expertly extricated her from a Samoan anchorage as it was besieged by a cyclone. ''Calliope'' was paid off on 1 May, 1890, and on 1 July he was appointed in command of the {{UK-1Inflexible}} on the [[Mediterranean Station]]. He was superseded on 11 April, 1891, at his own request, on account of ill health. Nevertheless, on 29 December he was appointed in command of ''Victory'' as Flag Captain to the [[Portsmouth Station|Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth]]. On the occasion of King George V's coronation he was knighted and promoted Knight Commander in the Order of the Bath (K.C.B) on 19 June, 1911.<ref>''London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28505/supplements/4588 (Supplement) no. 28505. p. 4588.] 19 June, 1911.</ref> On the occasion of the Queen's birthday Kane was appointed an Ordinary Member, or Companion, of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 30 May, 1891.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26167/pages/2921 no. 26167. p. 2921.] 30 May, 1891.</ref> ==Footnotes== Kane was promoted to the rank of {{RearRN}} on 26 December, 1897, vice [[Richard Duckworth-King|Duckworth-King]].<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/26924/pages/7854 no. 26924. p. 7854.] 31 December, 1897.</ref> In accordance with the provisions of the [[Order in Council of 22 February, 1870|Orders in Council of 22 February, 1870]], [[Order in Council of 5 August, 1875|5 August, 1875]], and [[Order in Council of 26 June, 1886|26 June, 1886]], he was placed on the Retired List at his own request on 25 August, 1899.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27114/pages/5520 no. 27114. p. 5520.] 5 September, 1899.</ref> {{reflist}} He was advanced to the rank of {{ViceRN}} on the Retired List on 30 May, 1903,<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27561/pages/3576 no. 27561. p. 3576.] 5 June, 1903.</ref> and to the rank of {{AdmRN}} on the Retired List on 8 February, 1907.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/27993/pages/899 no. 27993. p. 899.] 8 February, 1907.</ref> On the occasion of King George V's coronation he was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 19 June, 1911.<ref>''The London Gazette'': [http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/28505/supplements/4588 (Supplement) no. 28505. p. 4588.] 19 June, 1911.</ref> {{WP|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Coey_Kane}} * Wikipedia: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1889_Apia_cyclone 1889 Apia Cyclone] ==Bibliography== {{refbegin}} *"The Hero of H.M.S. Calliope" (Obituaries). ''The Times''. Thursday, 1 February, 1917. Issue '''41391''', col F, pg. 3. *"The Hero of H.M.S. Calliope" (Obituaries). ''The Times''. Thursday, 1 February, 1917. Issue '''41391''', col F, p. 3. {{refend}} ==Service Records== *The National Archives. [http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7914558&queryType=1&resultcount=3 ADM 196/36.] *{{ADM196|36|D7599080}} <div name=fredbot:appts>{{TabApptsBegin}} {{TabNaval}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''New Command'''|'''[[H.M.S. Calliope (1884)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Calliope'']]'''<br>25 Jan, 1887<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/15.|D7588083}} f. 372.</ref> &ndash; 1 May, 1890<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/15.|D7588083}} f. 372.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Henry Peter Routh|Henry P. Routh]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Edward Hobart Seymour|Edward H. Seymour]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Inflexible (1876)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Inflexible'']]'''<br>1 Jul, 1890{{NLJul90|p. 226}}<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/15.|D7588083}} f. 372.</ref> &ndash; 24 Apr, 1891<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/15.|D7588083}} f. 372.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Richard Duckworth-King|Richard D. King]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Henry St. Leger Bury Palliser|Henry St. L. B. Palliser]]'''|'''[[H.M.S. Duke of Wellington (1852)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Duke of Wellington'']]'''<br>29 Dec, 1891{{NLMar92|p. 216}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Wollaston Comyns Karslake|Wollaston C. Karslake]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''?'''|'''[[H.M.S. Victory (1765)|Captain of H.M.S. ''Victory'']]'''<br>29 Dec, 1891{{NLMar92|p. 264}}|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Francis Charles Bridgeman Bridgeman|Francis C. B. Bridgeman]]'''}} {{TabApptsRow|Preceded by<br>'''[[Compton Edward Domvile|Compton E. Domvile]]'''|'''[[Naval Ordnance Department (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]]'''<br>5 Mar, 1894<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/36.}} f. 741.</ref> &ndash; 17 Aug, 1897<ref>Kane Service Record. {{TNA|ADM 196/15.|D7588083}} f. 372.</ref>|Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edmund Frederick Jeffreys|Edmund F. Jeffreys]]'''}} {{TabEnd}} </div name=fredbot:appts> {{DEFAULTSORT:Kane, Henry Coey}} {| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="center" {{CatPerson|UK|1843|1917}} {{CatGunneryOfficer|UK}} | colspan="3" align="center" style="background:#CEDFF2" | '''Naval Offices''' {{CatAdm|UK}} {{CatBritannia|Pre}} | width="220" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" align="center"| Preceded by<br>'''[[Compton Edward Domvile|Compton E. Domvile]]''' | width="220" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" align="center"| '''[[Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes (Royal Navy)|Director of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes]]'''<br>1894 &ndash; 1897 | width="220" style="border-bottom:1px solid grey;" align="center"| Succeeded by<br>'''[[Edmund Frederick Jeffreys|Edmund F. Jeffreys]]''' [[Category:1843 births|Kane]] [[Category:Royal Navy Naval Attachés in Europe]] [[Category:1917 deaths|Kane]] [[Category:Roman Catholics in the Royal Navy]] [[Category:Personalities|Kane]] [[Category:Royal Navy Naval Attachés|Kane]] [[Category:Commanding Officers of H.M.S. Calliope (1884)|Kane]] [[Category:Flag Captains to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth|Kane]] [[Category:Directors of Naval Ordnance and Torpedoes (Royal Navy)|Kane]] [[Category:Royal Navy Admirals|Kane]] [[Category:Royal Navy Flag Officers|Kane]] [[Category:Roman Catholics in the Royal Navy|Kane]] Kane was appointed as Commander (second-in-command) of the armoured cruiser Northumberland on 30 October, 1879.[2] For services rendered during the operations in Egypt Kane was specially promoted to the rank of Captain with seniority of 18 November, 1882.[3] On 6 January, 1883, he was appointed Naval Attaché, which appointment was twice-extended by one year periods, in 1885 and 1886. On 25 January, 1889, he commissioned the cruiser Calliope for service on the China Station. In 1889 he expertly extricated her from a Samoan anchorage as it was besieged by a cyclone. Calliope was paid off on 1 May, 1890, and on 1 July he was appointed in command of the Inflexible on the Mediterranean Station. He was superseded on 11 April, 1891, at his own request, on account of ill health. Nevertheless, on 29 December he was appointed in command of Victory as Flag Captain to the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth. On the occasion of the Queen's birthday Kane was appointed an Ordinary Member, or Companion, of the Military Division of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (C.B.) on 30 May, 1891.[4] He was advanced to the rank of Vice-Admiral on the Retired List on 30 May, 1903,[7] and to the rank of Admiral on the Retired List on 8 February, 1907.[8] On the occasion of King George V's coronation he was appointed an Additional Member of the Second Class, or Knight Commander, in the Military Division of the Order of the Bath (K.C.B.) on 19 June, 1911.[9] Wikipedia: 1889 Apia Cyclone "The Hero of H.M.S. Calliope" (Obituaries). The Times. Thursday, 1 February, 1917. Issue 41391, col F, p. 3. New Command Captain of H.M.S. Calliope 25 Jan, 1887[10] – 1 May, 1890[11] Succeeded by Henry P. Routh Edward H. Seymour Captain of H.M.S. Inflexible 1 Jul, 1890[12][13] – 24 Apr, 1891[14] Succeeded by Richard D. King Henry St. L. B. Palliser Captain of H.M.S. Duke of Wellington 29 Dec, 1891[15] Succeeded by Wollaston C. Karslake ? Captain of H.M.S. Victory Francis C. B. Bridgeman 5 Mar, 1894[17] – 17 Aug, 1897[18] Succeeded by ↑ The London Gazette: no. 24413. p. 502. 2 February, 1877. ↑ The Navy List. (March, 1880). p. 227. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 25169. p. 5173. 17 November, 1882. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26167. p. 2921. 30 May, 1891. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 26924. p. 7854. 31 December, 1897. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27114. p. 5520. 5 September, 1899. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 27561. p. 3576. 5 June, 1903. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 28505. p. 4588. 19 June, 1911. ↑ Kane Service Record. The National Archives. ADM 196/15. f. 372. Retrieved from "http://dreadnoughtproject.org/tfs/index.php?title=Henry_Coey_Kane&oldid=290614" Gunnery Officers Gunnery Officers (UK) Flag Officers Flag Officers (UK) Admirals (UK) H.M.S. Britannia (Training Ship) Entrants of Pre Royal Navy Naval Attachés in Europe

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745168

__label__cc

Encyclopedia > Hebron, Maine Hebron, Maine Hebron is a town located in Oxford County, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,053. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.4 km² (22.5 mi²). 58.1 km² (22.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.62% water. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 1,053 people, 389 households, and 296 families residing in the town. The population density is 18.1/km² (47.0/mi²). There are 410 housing units at an average density of 7.1/km² (18.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.82% White, 0.09% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 389 households out of which 41.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% are married couples living together, 6.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% are non-families. 18.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 5.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.71 and the average family size is 3.07. In the town the population is spread out with 27.4% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 101.3 males. The median income for a household in the town is $45,417, and the median income for a family is $47,292. Males have a median income of $30,529 versus $22,900 for females. The per capita income for the town is $19,086. 4.6% of the population and 3.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 7.1% are under the age of 18 and 2.9% are 65 or older. ... Nacional de Inteligencia[?] (CNI[?]) (2002 - ) Sweden S�kerhetspolisen[?] (S�PO) Switzerland Nachrichtendienst[?] (ND) Turkey Milli Istihbarat Teskilan[?] ...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745175

__label__wiki

(Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures) Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” does not disappoint Jacob Kernis, Eastside Sports Editor Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a gut-wrenching drama that pulls no punches leaving you walking out the theater in sheer astonishment. The incredible performances by the entire cast, a genius screenplay, and its horrifying realism form an unforgettable film. Three Billboards follows Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand), a middle-aged woman that is “public enemy number one” within the confines of small town Ebbing, Missouri. Hayes has gone through traumatized events throughout her recent life, and she takes her anger out towards the Ebbing Police Department. Chief Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), the revered sheriff, and his immature second-in-command Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell) are forced to deal with the actions taken by Hayes as well as their own obstacles. The film begins with Mildred driving by three abandoned billboards owned by Red Welby (Caleb Landry Jones), the Ebbing Advertising Company. She storms into Welby’s office with $5,000 to rent out the billboards for a year to call to action the lack of attention brought to her daughter’s rape and murder case. The controversial message becomes the foundation of a series of unfortunate events in Ebbing. Three Billboards is held upon the legs of the performances, especially by the lead actors. McDormand will dismantle anyone in her way to get the answers she is looking for, and it is amazing to watch. Throughout the first-third of the film Frances McDormand is a nasty woman that, although mourning for the loss of her daughter, has little redeeming qualities. She is hard-nosed, but deep under, her shell is broken. As the plot begins to advance, McDormand’s shell begins to open but her determination does not reduce. By the end of the film, Hayes transformed to a rough but empathetic protagonist. Director Martin McDonagh wrote the character specifically for McDormand, and she played it to perfection. Frances McDormand as Midlred in “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri As well as McDormand begins magnificent, immature and prejudice cop, Jason Dixon, portrayed by Sam Rockwell, is unbelievable. Much like McDormand, Dixon goes through a large character change. Rockwell is dealt the tough task of creating a racist cop that is so easy to hate, but by the end of the film might be the most beloved of all. Dixon gets extremely aggravated and insulted by the message written on the billboards, and makes it his mission to see Hayes behind bars. Dixon is full of hatred, and the scenes where he takes it out on the townspeople are riveting. Later in the film after his career takes a turn for the worse, Dixon learns a different way of looking at life, and through that, redeems his character’s actions. This was absolutely his career defining performance. The performances by leads McDormand and Rockwell are marvelous, but as a whole, the cast is incredible. McDormand and Rockwell are both nominated for Academy Awards, in addition to Woody Harrelson for Chief Willoughby. Harrelson puts in one of the best performances of his career. Supporting actors Peter Dinklage (James, a friend of the characters) and Lucas Hedges (McDormand’s disturbed son Robbie) are also great. Going hand-in-hand with performances is genius screenplay. Writer and director Martin McDonagh brilliantly uses the art of language, or sometimes the lack of, to push forward the plot without making it sound like plain explanation. The actions written for the characters are so great and so emotionally investing, an actor’s best work is required. McDonaugh wrote an intense and emotional roller coaster, and it was brought to screen impeccably. See Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri? How was it? Amazing! Would highly recommend! Good. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was ok. I did not see it. The film is a masterpiece, it will go down as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century. The directing is great, the screenplay is genius, and the performances are beautiful. At heart, Three Billboards explores the darkness of life through a wounded protagonist and broken town, and the character’s journeys to finding the light amongst them. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has been nominated for seven Academy Awards, and frankly it deserves even more. Although a fantastic film, it is not made for all ages. Cursing, adult violence, and inappropriate themes take place throughout the film. To connect to this story, you do not need to be a film savant, but to relate to the dark realities of life and look for the light in it all. I give Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri a five out of five stars. Eastside • Copyright 2020 • FLEX WordPress Theme by SNO • Log in

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745182

__label__wiki

Not Quite Ready for the Boneyard In recent years, the Air Force has been in a mad scramble to retire the venerable U-2 spy plane. Despite constant upgrades over its 50-year operational history--and impressive intelligence collection capabilities--the "Dragon Lady" was deemed ready for the Boneyard, clearing the way for the unmanned Global Hawk. As the Air Force reasoned, the UAV could not only fly longer missions, it also eliminated the need for expensive "extras," including the extensive training and life-support system needed for U-2 pilots and their high-altitude missions. So, with an opportunity to save millions of dollars, with minimal impact on intelligence gathering, the USAF began planning for the U-2's retirement. But, as Aviation Week reports, the projected phase-out of the U-2 keeps getting pushed back. Initially, the service hoped to start retiring the Dragon Lady in 2007, but that schedule was soon scrapped. Current plans call for retiring the U-2 in 2012, but that date may be slipped until 2014, and for rather obvious reasons. Despite its impressive endurance--and prospective cost-savings--the Global Hawk still can't match the U-2. Regional commanders such as in the Pacific realm rely heavily on the U-2. Key advantages of the aircraft over the Global Hawk include higher altitude (above 70,000 feet) and more available onboard power to run a larger selection of intelligence-gathering sensors. The U-2 can collect data from all seven of its available bands (versus the Global Hawk’s five) simultaneously. They include green, red, near infrared (visible), two shortwave infrared bands and a midwave infrared (which can be tuned to day or night collection). The seventh band is a redundant, midwave thermal infrared channel. The shortwave bands collect images in the invisible reflected solar wavelengths and are most useful in detecting objects in adverse conditions such as haze, fog or smoke. The latest variants of the decade-old U-2S (part of the U.S. fleet of 33 remaining Dragon Ladies) also carry the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS) 2A designed by Raytheon (originally for mapping) that’s so sensitive it can detect disturbed earth in areas where explosive devices and mines have been planted. The Pentagon has said it will not retire the U-2 at least until the Global Hawk Block 30, which will carry the Advanced Signals Intelligence Payload, is flying. A USAF official said that flight could take place imminently. Another major milestone will be integration of the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program sensor onto the Global Hawk Block 40 next summer. Still, the arrival of more advanced Global Hawks won't necessarily mean a short-term demise for the U-2. As one Air Force official told Aviation Week, "retiring a mainstay intelligence collector during wars that require vast amounts of sensor data" is unlikely. In some respects, attempts to get rid of the U-2 are reminiscent of Air Force efforts to retire the A-10. More than 20 years ago, the service decided that the "Hog" was too slow to survive on modern battlefields, and began experimenting with a Close Air Support (CAS) version of the F-16. The Viper CAS variant (dubbed the A-16) was part of a larger, inter service tug-of-war over roles and missions. The Army, banned from operating fixed-wing combat aircraft by the 1948 Key West Agreement, wanted the A-10 to complement its Apache attack helicopters. While the Air Force was never particularly enthused about the A-10, it wasn't willing to surrender hundreds of aircraft, thousands of pilot slots and millions in funding to the Army. In the end, the USAF was forced to retain at least two A-10 wings, and there was never an order for the A-16. However, the service did equip 24 F-16s from the New York Air National Guard with a pod version of the A-10's 30mm cannon. Those aircraft deployed to the Middle East for Operation Desert Storm, along with scores of A-10s. While the Hawg compiled an impressive combat record, the F-16s with their pod-mounted 30mm cannon were considered a failure. As the New York guard pilots soon discovered, the center-line pylon wasn't as steady as the fixed nose mount of the A-10. Firing the gun shook the aircraft and made it difficult to control. Additionally, the higher speed of the F-16 gave pilots less time to acquire the target and aim the gun accurately, further reducing its effectiveness. In the end, the pod-mounted 30mm cannon was used as an area weapon, but even that proved unsatisfactory. After only a couple of days in combat, the 30mm cannon pods were removed, and never used again. As for the A-10, it is expected to remain in the Air Force inventory until at least 2028--and possibly longer. So far, no other aircraft has been able to fully replicate its capabilities--a lesson the USAF is learning again with the U-2. Labels: USAF; U-2 retirement; A-10 I'll defer gladly to expertise in intel, but must disagree considerably with the business regarding the A-10/F-16/CAS issue. The A-10 is an essentially single-role aircraft--very good at that mission, but don't ask for air superiority, escort, SEAD, BAI, interdiction, intercept or nuclear capability out of the Hawg. When you don't have a permissive environment, armor oriented battlefield, you really don't have much work left for your A-10s. Vipers on the other hand are multi-role and in most instances the airframe is more capable than the training of the particular unit's crews. Re-roling as the war progresses is very flexible. Lots of options. Most importantly CAS has changed significantly. Stand-off precision guided munitions have largely eliminated the "whites-of-their-eyes" "troops-in-the-wires" need for snake-n-nape at low level. In other words, you don't need a lot of strafe capability and certainly not anything bigger than the 20mm Vulcan in most instances. At least that's what this tactical aviator thinks. You've got the spook stuff, I'll take the fast-mover missions. DWB said... Would someone please tell me why the SR-71 (Blackbird) can't do what the U-2 does? Why was the SR-71 retired? I thought it was the replacement for the U-2. The previous commentator has a minor problem, thich is commmon to many military types in command. No one has ever been able to forcast accurately what the next "war" will be like. Thus we need as many varied systems available as possible. dwb notes the inability to not predict the next war correctly. Which is exactly my point--if you can only buy a limited number of tactical jets, then the ones you buy must possess maximum flexibility. A single function jet like the A-10 might be perfect in the anti-armor role and still reasonably effective but not as survivable in the CAS mission but that's where the utility of the Hog ends. The last war syndrome was seldom more apparent than with the purchase of the A-10 which was designed as a replacement for the A-1 in the Vietnam permissive environment. With the probability of that sort of conflict remote and mass armor ground war in Europe equally unlikely, a more flexible force is needed. I'll agree with you up to a point, having cut my teeth (as an intel officer) in F-16 units in TAC and PACAF. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Viper, and those who fly it. True, the F-16 is probably the most flexible multi-role fighter in military history. We've asked it to do everything, and it has performed reasonably well at all assigned missions. Obviously, the F-16 is not the CAS platform that the A-10 is; not the same SEAD platform as an F-4G; not the tac recce bird that we had with the RF-4C and not quite in the same ballpark as the F-15 as an interceptor (at least, until AMRAAM came along). But, with the right sensors, armament and trained pilots, the F-16 can do a reasonable job at these (and other) missions. And, in an era when new fighters run $40 million a unit (or more), we need more flexible platforms. The days of the single-mission fighter are now past. However, I don't think the A-10's capabilities are quite as narrow as you describe. Along with its CAS mission, the Hog is also an excellent airborne FAC (filling the role once performed by the O-2 and OV-10). It is also ideal for the "Sandy" mission, the job once handled by the A-1. Additionally, A-10s flew quite a few BAI missions during Desert Storm and Kosovo, sometimes as part of killbox ops. My old platform (ABCCC) worked these operations with more than a few A-10 units. You couldn't beat the Hog's loiter time, and between the gun, bombs, and Maverick, they packed quite a punch. The caveat, of course, was the air defense environment. Against MANPADS and light AAA and older SAMs, the A-10 could hold its own. How it would fare against double-digit SAMs is another matter. Of course, we're not going to send any "non-stealth" manned platform into a dense AD environment without a prepatory SEAD campaign. Among my memberships is: Society of Wild Weasels #2488. Flew SAM Hunter/Killer extensively in SEA with F-100F, F-105F and G, and even F-4C Weasels. Didn't quite get the press of MiG-Killers, but satisfying work nevertheless. IMO, one of the biggest mistakes we ever made was getting rid of the F-4G. The F-16CJ HTS is NOT the equivalent of the APR-47(?) in the G-model, not to mention the fact that you had a trained EWO running the show in the F-4 Weasel. There are plenty of B-model F-15s sitting in the Boneyard that could have been easily converted to the Weasel mission. Not to mention the EWO expertise that was lost (or relegated to staff work) with the demise of the F-4G. Many lament the loss of the "Geasel", but in the context of limited total system numbers and the trend toward stand-off air/ground weaponry, the production of a new generation (even using old airframes) Weasel can't be justified. ARMs are longer range and more discriminating, targets aren't serviced from us close-in anymore, and realistically the need for sophisticated SAM SEAD is lower than other needs. It's the same fight rationale as Gates v Mosely/USAF regarding buying F-22/35 or UAVs. Gates leans toward equippage for today, the USAF learned a long time ago that lead times are long and tomorrow's enemy must be anticipated. "O" Swings into Action More Security Personnel for Missile Units What Really Happened in Georgia Mr. Donley's Road Ahead Our Kind of Estate Sale We Support the Troops, But Not Their Success Moving the Goalposts Mark Your Calendars... Belated Congratulations The Non-Event Another Dud Iran's "Plan," Revisited Moscow Creates an Opening On the Brink of Collapse? Russia's Black Eyes in Georgia Even More Security Problems at Minot Cyber Command on Hold? Extending the IADS Back in the Barrel The Next Phase Going for the Knockout Digger Dowling, RIP Mrs. Obama Meets the Military Mulling the Military Option Back to the Caribbean The Tanker War Heats Up Crash Update A Step Closer?

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745186

__label__wiki

Multi-Grammy Award winning GEORGE DUKE has worked with a Who’s Who of musical greats, including Cannonball Adderly, Anita Baker, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau and Dianne Reeves. One of the foremost keyboard pioneers, George helped usher in the 70’s fusion revolution with his work with Jean Luc Ponty and Frank Zappa. Through the years, along with his 30 solo projects and busy producing schedule, George has acted as musical director for numerous artists and television specials, including the “Soul Train Music Awards” (nine years) and “NBC’s Sunday Night Show.” He has composed for films such as The Five Heartbeats soundtrack, the title song for the movie Karate Kid III and music for Paramount Pictures Leap Of Faith and Meteor Man. In addition to his many Grammy nominations and awards, Duke was named “R&B Keyboardist Of The Year” by Keyboard Magazine several years in a row and received the coveted Edison Life Time Achievement Award in Rotterdam. He was also nominated for a NAACP Image Award in music.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745188

__label__cc

Go East, young woman, and grow up with the world (Originally published in the Greenwich Citizen) This June was not the best time to graduate from college. Employers hired 43,000 fewer recent graduates than they had in 2008. Michael Jackson died. And as if the world weren’t already coming to pieces, the World Health Organization declared that swine flu was a global pandemic. Given the circumstances, I leapt at a summer job opportunity in China, a country about which I know very little. I somehow escaped high school without a course on world history: the closest GHS came was freshman year’s ‘World Themes,’ which defined the ‘world’ as the US and Europe. I hardly improved on the record in college, where I focused on comparative government but, yet again, left out China. Contrary to appearances, I have not been living under a brick, and I was eager to learn more about the country that houses one out of every five living people on this planet. I backpacked around China for ten days last summer with a Chinese-American friend, but the Olympics were in full swing and the entire country was on its best behavior. Factories were shut down to improve air quality, private cars were taken off the road, and guides in white and blue outfits hovered at every corner, eager to direct hapless foreigners to their destinations. I enjoyed myself, but I wanted to see what China was like outside of the big tourist-friendly cities. The job opportunity, teaching English in the heart of Guangdong province, seemed like it would do the trick. Guangdong is the powerhouse of China’s industrial south, adjacent to Hong Kong. Guidebooks describe it as ‘charmless,’ ‘uninteresting,’ and, my favorite, ‘a wasteland.’ I packed my bags. Just before I flew over, a dispute at a factory in Guangdong sparked riots in Xinjiang, a province in northwestern China that is predominantly Muslim. Around 180 people were killed and 700 injured in some of the worst ethnic violence China has seen in recent years. I’d had a hunch China in the summer of 2009 was going to be very different from my experience in 2008. Now I was certain it would be. The border crossing from Hong Kong confirmed my suspicions. The cheerful blue-and-white-clad welcomers were replaced with rifle-toting officials who surrounded my bus and pointed what looked like pistols at the forehead of every passenger. They were checking our temperatures – the ‘pistols’ were thermometers – in an effort to make sure that no one with a fever entered the country. Swine flu hysteria was just beginning to hit China. I never bought in to all the fuss surrounding swine flu: yes, it’s new, and yes, it is highly contagious, but in the end it is a relatively minor illness that tends to pass after a few days and only seriously endangers people already in fragile health. Administrators at my college didn’t share my nonchalance: they banned handshakes and hugs throughout graduation week. But students, professors, and families alike laughed at the heavy-handedness of the policy and universally ignored the ban. The reaction has not been so light-hearted in China. In a country of 1.3 billion people where 43% of the population lives in extremely crowded cities, it hardly seems worth the effort to try and contain a virus so contagious and relatively innocuous. However, memories of the 2002 SARS epidemic are fresh in China, and many feel that the government did too little too late to adequately address that health scare. The Communist party is taking no risks this time around. Strict quarantine has been imposed on people exhibiting flu-like symptoms. The detention of foreigners, mostly from the US and Great Britain, has kept consulates busy, though in this case at least the Chinese government has the upper hand: it was the American Center for Disease Control which generated so much of the hype around swine flu in the first place. On July 27th, another counter-flu initiative was sent from the hallowed halls of the Communist Party: all schools, summer camps, and conferences were to be terminated immediately. The logic, if it can be called that, behind the initiative was that children’s parents could take care of them better than summer camp administrators. The reality was that millions of sick people flooded into the national transportation system. But at least they were on their way to becoming their family’s problem instead of the state’s. Jacky Chen, my oldest student. The ban shut down my school, of course, so I’m now out of a job in an unfamiliar, flu-crazy country. Let the fun begin. Drinkin’ Beer, Smokin’ Buds Most people who travel to China take at least a few pictures of what is fondly known as ‘Chingrish’: the bizarre language spewed from online translating software onto tourist-oriented dinner menus and street signs. More often than not, there are enough imaginary words and misplaced adjectives to make Shakespeare blush. ‘DANGREE!’ admonishes a sign next to a cliff. ‘Meatish delight of the baby’, the (cannibalistic?) dinner menu offers. ‘Let pregnant people shit on you,’ instructs a sign on the bus. I could go on. It’s one thing to try and communicate a message that relates to public safety, and quite another to clothe your body in slogans you don’t understand. But supply meets demand, and lord is there demand for clothes with English catchphrases. From the inane to the inappropriate, here are some highlights from the past week (the second might be my favorite of all time): Flesh-eating fishes and the Overnight City, part II I’ve received some concerned emails about the title of my last blog post. I’m happy to reassure you that I was not making any cryptic metaphors. I took a bath with some flesh-eating fishes last weekend. The sensation of having live animals eating the dead skin off your feet and arms is not something you get to experience every day. The only troubling thing, really, was how ineffective they are. I expected to leave the pool feeling raw and rejuvenated. I should have just bought a pumice stone. I’m not usually the spa type, but it’s hard to turn down a 90-minute massage when it only costs five dollars. I’m continuously blown away by how cheap labor is in China. Economist Judith Banister estimates that the average factory laborer in China earns 64 cents an hour, compared to $21.11 in the US. But if microeconomics doesn’t interest you, here’s another example. I got a very good haircut my first weekend for 38 RMB, which is about $5.50. A fellow teacher got a thirty minute massage, wash and blow dry for 15RMB, or about $2.20. The off-brand shampoo I bought from the clearance aisle at Walmart (yes, China has had Wal-mart since 1997) cost 42 RMB/$6.15. In other words, China has so many people that skilled labor costs less than common chemicals. On clearance. In 1979, in an effort to combat overpopulation, the Chinese government declared that couples (with some exceptions) could have no more than one child. Many called it barbaric, but almost everyone who has witnessed the overpopulation of China first-hand calls it necessary. Some parts of the policy, most prominently allegations of forced abortions, can be seen as a violation of fundamental human rights. Because couples who can only have one child prefer sons, who traditionally take care of their parents in old age, there are many reports of female infanticide. And there are chilling implications for the future. An aging population means one grandchild could feasibly be expected to support two parents and four grandparents in old age. Multiply by a quarter of the world’s population, and the stress on the European health care system right now looks as easy to solve as the crossword puzzle in Seventeen Magazine. My friend Robert pointed out another danger: ‘We’re looking at a rising generation that is almost 75% male. That means at least half the Chinese population will not get a chance to marry – might not even lose their virginity. How excited are you for the world’s most populous nation to be led by a bunch of men with no yin to their yang?’ There are other things keeping me up at night, I told him. But it’s something to consider. Flesh-eating fishes and the Overnight City, part I Guanxi (see last post) came in handy again this weekend: the lawyer for the school happens to be the lawyer at a nearby resort, and so some fellow teachers and I found ourselves installed in lakeside bungalows with a free ticket to the spa. It was even better than the 80 cent DVDs. The resort was on the outskirts of Shenzhen, a coastal city adjacent to Hong Kong. In 1980, the Chinese government declared Shenzhen a ‘special economic zone’: a hopeful utopia where western-style market capitalism could blend with Chinese social (and socialist) values, generating prosperity ‘capable of satisfying the needs of any person or business,’ to quote a tourist guide I picked up. Like any well-thought out act of social engineering, Shenzhen comes with a creation myth. I will attempt to paraphrase from a variety of disagreeing sources. From the first days of population in the 12th/15th century until the 1970s, the city was a poor and backwards/idyllic and wholesome fishing village. Evil British/admirable-mostly-Chinese Hong Kong pressured/inspired Deng Xiaoping to grant ‘Special Economic’ status in 1980 in an attempt to resurrect China from the economic disasters wrought by the visionary/bat-crazy Mao Zedong. A windfall of hasty/miraculous foreign investment resulted in unprecedented growth: Shenzhen, colloquially known as the ‘Overnight City’, has been the fastest-growing urban area in China for the last thirty years. That the city’s success revolutionized China’s economic system is undisputed. Whether or not that is a good thing is the subject of heated debate. The drive from Dongguan to Shenzhen carves through the the hills of the Pearl River Delta on China’s southwestern coast. I’ve driven through the Pallisades in New Jersey and the Delaware water gap every summer of my life and always thought of hills as rolling. Here, they rise and fall like mini-mountains, or a choppy sea frozen mid-swell. Many are grooved with terraced rice fields, reminding me for the hundredth time of how long people have been living in China. Some look like they hadn’t been cultivated for centuries, but still bear the marks of human hands: trees grow in obedient rows, mountain streams turn at abrupt and useful places. I’ve never seen such compelling evidence that humans can control the natural world. Sunshine after an eclipse The Chinese word for eclipse translates roughly to ‘Moon eats sun’. The entire school had the morning off to watch the twenty-minute event, which was only visible on this side of the world (a cool animation of the trajectory can be found here). We stared at the disappearing sun through thick layers of colored cellophane, which I’m pretty sure is completely insufficient for avoiding retinal damage. This didn’t seem to be an issue. In general, care for the future seems to be in short supply here. From toilet paper to computers, everything is expendable. Toilet ‘paper’ is plastic-based, which means it can’t be flushed or recycled, but is carted off in loads of foul-smelling garbage. Electronics are routinely fried by power surges, but they are replaced instead of repaired. Merchants sell fake or faulty goods – admittedly at rock-bottom prices – because the chance of any one consumer coming back to a store repeatedly is small: there is such a multiplicity of goods, and people are so often on the move, that courting consumer confidence hardly seems worth the effort. But I’m not telling the full story. Of course some people settle, and these people build up tremendously important networks. Anyone who has tried to do business in China will tell you about the importance of guanxi, connections. I’d always thought of China as an almost obsessively meritocratic culture – test after test, heirarchy into heirarchy. I’ve been surprised to hear people say that top government positions, business contracts, and even University admissions are not earned, but traded. The supervisor at my school has close guanxi with a DVD seller at the local mall, where she took the English teachers last weekend. The DVDs, which were retailing for around $3, were reduced to 80 cents when she was standing next to the cashier. I took advantage of the discount to buy Sunshine, the mostly overlooked movie Danny Boyle made between 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire. Boyle manages to take an absurd premise (team of scientist/astronauts on a mission to reignite the sun) with predictable plot development (they go crazy under the pressure), throw in a sort of undead monster (he’s good at this – see 28 Days Later), and turn it into one of the most compelling films since Apocolypse Now, which happens to feature an absurd premise (soldiers sent into the jungle to kill a renegade officer), predictable plot development (they go crazy under the pressure), and a half-dead monster-human (Brando, how little we knew ye). I first saw Apocolypse Now in London. When I returned the movie to a rental place on Earl’s Court Road, the wiry-haired clerk looked at the jacket and laughed. ‘That’s my movie,’ she said. ‘What do you mean, your movie?’ ‘I was the music producer on Apocolypse Now. I chose all the music.’ I was impressed. ‘How was that? I mean – what was it like?’ The clerk smiled and waved her hand, as if wafting away the ghost of ganja past. ‘It was great. We all just sat around, smoked a lot of spliffs, and listened to a lot of groovy music.’ I wanted to ask her why she was now a clerk in a movie rental place in London, but thought it might be rude. It does make me feel perversely better about being a soon-to-be-unemployed Harvard grad. One more week of teaching! If I can just figure out a way to teach a class of lower-intermediate English level kids about sustainability… Jacky Chen, Edward, Kevin, and Bob A new student arrived last Wednesday. She is from Inner Mongolia. This sets her apart from the majority of students, who are either scholarship students from Dongguan or scions of the newly wealthy in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Guangzhou. At nearly six feet, she is the tallest person I have seen in China. She is sixteen and cannot weigh more than a hundred pounds. The girl from Mongolia is the only one of my students who did not arrive in class with an English name. Apparently, choosing your American alter ego is the first step in English classes here. I feel guilty making the girl do the same: it feels like cultural imperialism. I said as much to my supervisor and she laughed at me. She asked if I am bothered by the dominance of western classical music in the opera houses in Beijing. That’s different, I told her. Have you ever tried to listen to Chinese opera? Watching a chorus of monkeys being electrocuted would be a more pleasant way to spend an evening. Chinese names, on the other hand, are beautiful and it seems odd to make my young students assume an alternate identity before I teach them. The girls in my class have chosen names, and manners, straight out of the1950s: bookish Sophie, quiet Michelle, shy Diana, cute Yvonne. Then there’s Kinki. Kinki is nine years old and I have no idea how to tell her that she has a stripper name. I play through the situation in my head: I tell her that Kinki is a very unusual name in America and it might be good to change it. Bewildered, she asks why. I try to explain, and she looks at me like I have just told her Santa Claus touches children in inappropriate places. My supervisor assures me that I am not the first to have to confront a student over his or her name. Last year, a boy named himself Chair, and steadfastly refused to change it. Two years ago, Icemen (not Iceman) arrived on campus and cried when his teacher changed his name to Henry. The woman who is teaching the sixth level of English let her students pick American names and somehow ended up with a boy named Cha-cha-cha. I didn’t want to take any chances with the girl from Mongolia, so I printed out the top fifty girl’s names in the US right now (FYI, there are going to be a lot of Avas and Makaylas graduating from college in twenty-odd years). In a display of remarkably good taste, she chose Lauren. I stood next to Lauren as we watched the solar eclipse that arced over Asia this morning. It’s hard to get her to speak more than a few words at a time: she is painfully shy, like many tall girls. On her other side was Jacky Chen, who at seventeen is my oldest student. He is talkative in class, but tongue-tied around Lauren. So much is different over here, but the awkwardness of teenage romance seems to be universal. Oh, Modernity! Another day, another typhoon. The concept of surge protectors hasn’t caught on in this corner of southern China. At the first rumble of thunder, there is a flurry of activity: everyone runs to unplug the computers, air conditioners, anything that might be fried by an errant bolt of lightning. This isn’t helpful, however, when the entire school is run on two circuits attached to faulty lightning rods. Yesterday’s typhoon succeeded in frying the entire system. Teaching children English is never easy. It is especially difficult when the classroom is over one hundred degrees. The slightest movement exhausts you. Thinking makes you sweat. Everything seems to pulse, as if the heat has melted teacher, student, desks, fields, and walls into one big organism. It’s not that I haven’t been hot places before. I worked in Madrid last summer, where the temperature seldom dipped below a hundred degrees, and I once visited Cairo, where it topped out around one hundred fifteen. But both places were dry. A pair of sunglasses and the hint of a breeze kept the days bearable, even pleasant. Without power, there is no way to sanitize tap water, which must be boiled before it is safe to drink. Food can’t be cooked or refrigerated, and we’re told not to use running water while the electricians are at work. The electricians, by the way, are six men who look like they have sprung straight to life out of an eighteenth century woodcut. Clothed in ancient overalls and wide-brimmed hats shaped like the bottom of an onion, they arrive before we have finished breakfast. They dig a hole in the ground to expose a set of thick wires, then squat on their heels and stare at it. When I pass by after morning classes, the only thing that seems to have changed is that they are eating a lunch the school provide. It is late evening before the lights flicker on and the air conditioners sputter back to life. Feed the artists Back to Detroit: the July/August Atlantic featured a modest article entitled ‘Fifteen ways to Fix the World’. One that seems so ridiculous it might actually make sense is to turn Detroit into the capital of the newly proposed high-speed rail network. The factories which spewed GM’s mechanical jalopies could be reconfigured for train production, and no doubt Michigan’s many skilled engineers would like to stay in their homes if jobs will come back. With twelve percent of energy consumption in the US coming from new building projects, refitting existing structures makes as much sense getting vaccinated before going abroad. (I really hope I don’t get Dengue fever. I’ve had enough plague this summer.) Other ideas from the article: License kids to drink before they turn 21, provided they have gone through a course in alcohol awareness: ‘Clearly, state laws mandating a minimum drinking age of 21 haven’t eliminated drinking by young adults – they’ve simply driven it underground, where life and health are at greater risk.’ Amp up federal arts funding: ‘For every $30,000 or so spent on the arts, one more person gets a job, compared with about $1 million if you’re building a road or a hospital.’ This clearly isn’t sustainable in the extreme, but maybe there’s a happy medium? It ain’t easy being Steven Chu Small explanatory detail: I am teaching English for the summer at a small school in southern China. At the school’s opening ceremony today, the head teacher opened with the following anecdote: A very prominent Chinese scientist graduated with a PhD from UCBerkeley and his two younger siblings graduated with PhDs from Harvard. The Berkeley grad went on to win a Nobel Prize. He called his mom to tell her the good news and she said ‘So? You still didn’t graduate from Harvard.’ He went on to be named Secretary of Energy by President Obama. The mother: ‘So? You still didn’t graduate from Harvard.’ He was then invited to speak at the 2009 Harvard commencement, which means he was granted an honorary degree, and finally his mother was proud of him. I think the Chinese have a skewed sense of the importance of a Harvard education. The head teacher then turned to my fellow teachers and me with ‘a very interesting question.’ He said he knew a man who was eighty years old and was still so spry that he could leap up onto his roof whenever it needed to be repaired. He also slept only half an hour every night – but when he slept, you could light him on fire and he wouldn’t notice. Finally, he was a man, but he had two breasts that, if you squeezed them, would produce milk. ‘How do you explain that?’ I think the Chinese have a skewed sense of the breadth of a Harvard education. He spoke in Chinese, which his daughter then translated to English. I know absolutely no Chinese, so his speech mostly sounded like a fundamentalist church on Pentecost. Occasionally, though, words would stick out: ‘Obama,’ ‘Harvard,’ ‘New York’. He also kept on saying something that sounded like ‘niggah’: ‘how-chi-kun-wey-niggah-qin-woah-niggah-wot’. I’m going to have to find someone to translate that word for me. Update: Apparently ‘niggah’ in Chinese is the equivalent of saying ‘um’ or ‘er’ in English. Facebook, youtube, myspace, twitter, etc, are not always blocked, but have since the beginning of the recent Uighur-related unrest in Western China. More on that – and less of me being a presumptuous news critic – soon. The Detroit-Kabul connection I’m beginning to settle into the school where I’ll be teaching for the next month. It feels very remote, so naturally my first instinct is to get online. I find I can open very few of the pages that result from my search for ‘Uighur uprising.’ Facebook and Blogspot have been completely blocked (as have YouTube and Myspace). For the foreseeable future, then, I’m going to be exploiting friends’ good will to post these thoughts. But more on China later. In a trend I foresee continuing, I want to backtrack a few days and an ocean. On Tuesday, I drove from northern Michigan to Detroit with Jon, a friend of my brother’s who spent four months teaching accounting at Kabul University. (He too kept a blog, and I’m hoping I manage to keep this one as interesting as his). Like any delusional idealist who studied post-conflict development in college, I’ve thought it might be interesting to look for work in Afghanistan. I heartily agree with the new philosophy governing (at least in theory) the latest troop surge. The language (Dari, a dialect of Farsi) is nowhere near as intimidating as Arabic. Three other friends who have worked there as civilians rave about the beauty and dynamism of the country. And, cheesy as it seems, I like to think that I could help build things there, and that I could put my education to good use. I pestered Jon with questions for most of the four hour drive to Detroit. The news isn’t good. Kabul is, unsurprisingly, a disaster after thirty-odd years of intense conflict, starting with the Soviet invasion in 1979. Bombed-out buildings, no underground sewage, the kind of poverty that makes you ashamed to be human and not devoting all your efforts to changing things… To top it off, plants not far outside the city process sewage by burning it, giving the air high fecal content. I never thought I would hear about something that made the smog in China sound appealing. Towards the end of our drive, we passed a gigantic factory on the outskirts of Detroit. Rivers of rust trickled down the side of the building as if it were the victim of a drive-by shooting. With the sun catching the edges of glass in the broken windows, it looked somehow splendid in all its catastrophe. ‘That,’ said Jon, ‘that is what Kabul looks like.’ I guess the news isn’t good in Detroit either. Still, I think I might like Kabul. Feces notwishtanding. Gillian in China, the second time I flew into Hong Kong under a typhoon warning. I expected drama when I arrived, but the air was perfectly still. The white birches lining the hallway seemed somehow sepulchral. There is nothing so terrifying as the calm before the storm. It didn’t help my feeling of unease when, at the border, a Chinese official wearing a mask pointed something that looked very much like a pistol at my head. Apparently, he was measuring my temperature in an effort to make sure that no one with swine flu made it into the country. The typhoon never materialized. Posted on July 9, 2009 July 12, 2014 Poetry of San Francisco Graffiti on the front steps of a townhouse on Haight St: ‘Pig tested, Big Brother approved.’ Man to woman on street: ‘Do you have 25 cents? No? Thanks anyway diablo motherf***ing satanic fingernail-ripping b****.’ Original composition, inspired by my friend Sarah’s predilection for haikus (for example, see June 26 post in Euroclass09): San Francisco sucks Everyone is so happy They hog good karma Man at bus stop: ‘Are you homeless?’ Me: ‘No, but thanks for asking.’ I really should buy some new clothes. Fortunately, thrifty chic is the norm in China. I take off in a few hours. Truly, northern Michigan in summer is one of the most beautiful places in the world (not my leg). The crystal-clear lakes bring to mind a less pleasant beach experience I had last summer, which I described the last time I updated this blog: ‘Qingdao is an old German colony with one of the most unappealing beaches I have ever seen: brown, rocky and weed-strewn, tidepools that smell more like cesspools, and a horizon dominated by ill-conceived modern architecture. After two days, I headed back to Beijing. On my way out of the city, I marveled at its size: it seems like there are enough skyscrapers to house all the jobs in the world. And yet there are cranes everywhere – dormant while the city struts its stuff for the Olympics, but ready to roar back into action. Celtic tigers and lions notwithstanding, it is hard to imagine a future not dominated by the Chinese dragon.’ (23 Aug. 2008) I’ll be back in China next Friday. Can’t wait to see how things have changed.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745198

__label__cc

Blacks were disproportionately targeted by Ferguson police March 3, 2015 UncategorizedFerguson Police, Michael Brown, Police State, Race and Racism, RacismGreg Laden According to a source cited by NPR the Ferguson Police Department … violated the Constitution when it policed to raise money and with a racial bias toward African-Americans, according to a law enforcement official familiar with the report. The investigation, the source says, concluded that blacks were disproportionately targeted by the police and the justice system and that has led to a lack of trust in police and courts and has led to few partnerships for public safety. The report will be released on Wednesday. But there are some tidbits available including two emails between police and court employees. One says Obama will not be president for long because “what black man holds a steady job for four years.” Another says a black woman in New Orleans was admitted to a hospital to end her pregnancy and then got a check two weeks later from “Crime Stoppers.” According to the data assembled in the report, African Americans constitute 67% of the Ferguson population but make up 85% of the vehicular stops and 93% of those arrested, and are twice as likely to be searched as whites but less likely to possess drugs or weapons one searched. In the court sytem, African Americans were 68% less likely than non-African Americans to have cases dismissed by municipal judges and more likely to have arrest warrents taken out on them. NPR reports that “From October 2012 to October 2014, 96 percent of people arrested in traffic stops solely for an outstanding warrant were black,” and “Blacks accounted for 95 percent of jaywalking charges, 94 percent of failure to comply charges and 92 percent of all disturbing the peace charges.” Have you read the breakthrough novel of the year? When you are done with that, try: In Search of Sungudogo by Greg Laden, now in Kindle or Paperback Links to books and other items on this page and elsewhere on Greg Ladens' blog may send you to Amazon, where I am a registered affiliate. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, which helps to fund this site. ← Cry for me, Willie Soon The Dismal Office Hour → 4 thoughts on “Blacks were disproportionately targeted by Ferguson police” Greg Laden says: This was a federal investigation. You can read it tomorrow. Kieran Suckling says: Michael 2, African Americans were searched disproportionately often, but of searched-people, whites were more likely to possess drugs. Thus decisions to search whites were more driven by cause than decisions to search African Americans. This is strong evidence countering your suggestion that police were proportionately targeting criminals by disproportionate by targeting African Americans. Kieran Suckling Kieran, exactly. I want to see more of the report, but it looks like the determination will be that the Ferguson police and courts were acting unconstitutionally, which, if based on the numbers, means bias. Astrostevo says: Well, ain’t that a surprise! “We might as well learn not to expect nothing from Southern justice. They’re going to stack the cards against us every time.” Sterling said.’ (Italics original.) – Page 60, ‘Black Like Me’, John Howard Griffin, Panther Books, 1960, 1961. dean on A History of Impeachment RickA on A History of Impeachment BBD on A History of Impeachment RickA on Live Blogging 2019-nCoV (Wuhan coronavirus) Joseph M. on Biden/Sanders/Warren Joseph M. on Live Blogging 2019-nCoV (Wuhan coronavirus) Bernard J. on A History of Impeachment Jeffh on A History of Impeachment Now in Kindle, Soon in Print: In Search of Sungudogo by Greg Laden. Sometimes called the "fourth African ape," Sungudogo is not a Gorilla, not a Chimpanzee, not a Bonobo, and possibly not even real. Years ago, Sungudogo drew the interest of the world famous primatologist Dieter Phillips, who was funded by a secret society of "scholars and gentlemen" to launch an expedition to determine the veracity of this mysterious primate. Dieter never returned from that expedition, and as the years passed, the whole story drifted into obscurity. But the watchers were always watching, always waiting, for clues of the fate of this expedition. When new evidence came to light, the investigation was renewed into the outcome of Phillip's ill fated trek into the Rain Forest. Who better to follow Dieter Phillip's tracks than his former student, aided by an explorer and mercenary familiar with the area, assisted by two willing Congolese park guards?They were to learn things that went beyond their wildest imaginations, and they would discover secrets about Phillip's expedition, about the rift valley, about themselves, about humanity, that they would never be able to share but that would change their lives forever. This is the Climate Change Science Search Engine Categories Select Category 2020 Election (32) Anatomy and physiology (5) Animals (20) Anthropology (32) Archaeology (11) Behavior (4) Biology (21) Birds (44) Books (98) Brain (1) Climate Change (172) Computers (8) Cooking (9) Education (11) Energy (40) Environment (41) Evolutionary Biology (37) Falsehoods and Skepticism (29) Gender, Reproductive Biology, Sex (12) Health and Medicine (29) Humor (15) Information Science (13) Language (5) Mind (1) Mind-brain-behavior (1) Minnesota (6) Other (151) Palaeoanthropology (10) Palaeontology (16) Physical Science and Math (31) Politics (273) Race and Racism (70) Science (12) Severe Weather and Other Disasters (39) Shopping guides and reviews (32) Technology (97) TV Shows and Movies (9) Uncategorized (5,292) Violence and Guns (56) War on Science (10) Archive Select Month January 2020 (16) December 2019 (9) November 2019 (3) October 2019 (10) September 2019 (8) August 2019 (23) July 2019 (37) June 2019 (27) May 2019 (24) April 2019 (7) March 2019 (17) February 2019 (28) January 2019 (33) December 2018 (26) November 2018 (54) October 2018 (50) September 2018 (37) August 2018 (66) July 2018 (48) June 2018 (17) May 2018 (16) April 2018 (27) March 2018 (54) February 2018 (27) January 2018 (21) December 2017 (34) November 2017 (45) October 2017 (120) September 2017 (45) August 2017 (37) July 2017 (29) June 2017 (32) May 2017 (37) April 2017 (44) March 2017 (39) February 2017 (39) January 2017 (38) December 2016 (25) November 2016 (43) October 2016 (49) September 2016 (62) August 2016 (31) July 2016 (11) June 2016 (36) May 2016 (38) April 2016 (33) March 2016 (36) February 2016 (34) January 2016 (34) December 2015 (19) November 2015 (42) October 2015 (35) September 2015 (44) August 2015 (30) July 2015 (16) June 2015 (22) May 2015 (33) April 2015 (35) March 2015 (38) February 2015 (36) January 2015 (74) December 2014 (28) November 2014 (42) October 2014 (86) September 2014 (61) August 2014 (29) July 2014 (38) June 2014 (34) May 2014 (28) April 2014 (44) March 2014 (48) February 2014 (51) January 2014 (38) December 2013 (31) November 2013 (44) October 2013 (20) September 2013 (44) August 2013 (46) July 2013 (59) June 2013 (65) May 2013 (66) April 2013 (74) March 2013 (50) February 2013 (93) January 2013 (68) December 2012 (105) November 2012 (146) October 2012 (110) September 2012 (113) August 2012 (101) July 2012 (141) June 2012 (115) May 2012 (150) April 2012 (135) March 2012 (182) February 2012 (172) January 2012 (212) December 2011 (221) November 2011 (244) October 2011 (266) September 2011 (221) August 2011 (57) July 2011 (86) June 2011 (75) May 2011 (77) April 2011 (91) March 2011 (143) February 2011 (93) January 2011 (117) December 2010 (110) November 2010 (125) October 2010 (191) September 2010 (188) August 2010 (182) July 2010 (197) June 2010 (219) May 2010 (138) April 2010 (135) March 2010 (127) February 2010 (108) January 2010 (149) November 2009 (26) October 2009 (306) September 2009 (275) August 2009 (253) July 2009 (175) June 2009 (220) May 2009 (175) April 2009 (207) March 2009 (254) February 2009 (187) January 2009 (121) June 2008 (177) May 2008 (148) April 2008 (230) March 2008 (245) February 2008 (268) January 2008 (317) December 2007 (465) November 2007 (281) October 2007 (1) February 2007 (19) January 2007 (16) December 2006 (4) Climate Change Search Use this search box to find information on climate change and global warming from trusted and well informed sites. Skeptical Search Use this search box to find information on science, heatlh, etc. from a select subset of sites that are not selling woo.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745199

__label__cc

Louis Leblanc National Bank Financial The Quebec Program The Canada Program Education Advantage Investors Save Canada now “Our reputation with the government is unrivaled.” Louis Leblanc, Senior Vice-President, IIROC AdvisorReport Integrity, Experience, Service National Bank Financial is the most respected and, most senior financial intermediary involved in Canada’s Immigrant Investor Program, and a government-approved facilitator. We have been in the business of helping entrepreneurs and their families put down financial roots in Canada since the first program was introduced in 1986. In fact, we collaborated with the government in its creation. We have served more immigrant investors, over a longer period of time, than any other firm, by far. With our network of certified agents and an office staffed with knowledgeable advisors speaking many languages, our clients can be assured of getting the professional help they need at every stage of the decision-making process. National Bank Financial is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of National Bank of Canada. National Bank of Canada is a public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA: TSX) Founder, Immigrant Investor Program Senior Vice-President, National Bank of Canada In 1986, Louis Leblanc, a seasoned trader on the floor of the Montreal Stock Exchange with a degree in Economics from McGill University, joined with a team of government experts to create a program designed to bring entrepreneurs from other parts of the world to Quebec, Canada’s largest province. This program proved so successful that it was emulated and expanded by the Government of Canada, and has become a model for similar programs around the world. Over the more than 20 years since the program was introduced, Mr. Leblanc has earned an unequalled reputation for efficacy and integrity, and has helped close to 7,000 investor families settle in Canada and become Canadian citizens. Operating and enhancing the program, with the backing of an exceptional team of highly trained professionals, is his principal occupation. Mr. Leblanc travels widely to serve clients, and maintains active ties with a global network of mandataries. To learn more about the National Bank Financial Immigrant Investor Program and how NBF can help you build a long and successful career, please contact Mr. Leblanc directly. Founded in 1902, National Bank Financial is one of Canada’s leading investment firms. Headquartered in Montreal, it has nearly 1,000 Investment Advisors in more than 100 points of service across Canada, with approximately $104 billion CAN in assets under management. National Bank of Canada is its parent company. The Immigrant Investor Program, established in 1986, is one of many innovative services offered by NBF. To help you establish yourself in Canada, National Bank Financial offers transition planning services for immigrant investors and their families, in addition to corporate plans. Our experience and guidance will help you make informed decisions about everything from wealth management, taxation and estate planning to the finer points of taking up residence in a new country. Focused on Service Continuing a tradition that goes back to 1902, National Bank Financial has made client service and the development of long-term client relationships the cornerstone of its operating philosophy. The firm goes out of its way to fully understand the needs of its clients, and to respond with creative solutions and value-added services. National Bank Financial Services Personal and Corporate Banking Services Off-shore Trusts Founded in 1859, National Bank of Canada today ranks among Canada’s major chartered banks, with 2.4 million individual clients, and is the leading bank in Quebec. Through its representative offices, subsidiaries and many alliances, it is present and active around the world. With assets of $470 billion CAN and a Canada-wide network of 428 branches and 23,960 employees, National Bank of Canada offers a full range of financial solutions. A front-runner in the area of electronic banking services and new technologies, National Bank of Canada is also recognized for its efforts in ensuring the security and confidentiality of transactions and protecting the personal information entrusted to it. In addition to offering a full line of banking products and services for individuals, small and medium-size enterprises and large corporations, National Bank of Canada is also an active player on international capital markets, and through its subsidiaries, in securities brokerage, insurance, wealth management and mutual fund and retirement planning and management. Thanks to its numerous representative offices, subsidiaries and partnerships, National Bank also serves clients in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. The Bank’s securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (NA: TSX). For more information, visit the Bank’s website, at nbc.ca. National Bank Financial – © 2019

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745202

__label__wiki

Back to ISA Global Express GD1.5, July 2011 GD1.4, April 2011 GD1.3, February 2011 GD1.2, November 2010 GD1.1, September 2010 GD2.5, August 2012 GD2.4, May 2012 GD4.4, December 2014 GD4.2, June 2014 GD4.1, March 2014 For an Eco-Socialist Vision: An Interview with Qingzhi Huan 75 Years of The Great Transformation Polanyi’s The Great Transformation at Seventy-Five The Market as Statecraft: A Polanyian Reading Polanyi, Accounting, and ‘Beyond GDP’ Great Transformations: Marketizing East Asia The Fear of Population Replacement The Road to Populism The Enduring Legacy of Karl Polanyi Ann Barden Denis: In Appreciation Migration, On the Move European Imaginations and African Mobility Realities The Central American Caravan: A 21st-Century Exodus Refugees as Unfree Labor Force: Notes from Turkey Undoing Borders in Solidarity Cities Students for Future: Towards Ecological Class Politics Private Catholic Education in Senegal Sociology of the Senegalese School System Strategic Adjustments in Franco-Arab Education in Senegal Secular Private Education in Senegal Socio-Anthropology of Religious Leadership in Senegal Making Women’s Rights a Part of Everyday Life The Twists and Turns of Peruvian Sociology by Nicolás Lynch, National University of San Marcos, and former Minister of Education of Peru Currently, Peruvian sociology exists as a scientific discipline and as a profession. Nonetheless, it is not well institutionalized, as well as lacking recognition and influence. The development of sociology in Peru has gone through four stages: concern with social issues, sociology as a professional occupation, the deterioration of sociology in NGOs, and the return of a critical sociology. The concern with social issues has motivated intellectual reflection in Peru since the turn of the 20th century. Nevertheless, at that point, it largely took the form of great diagnostic essays about the crossroads facing the country and efforts to delineate, in broad strokes, the direction that Peru’s evolution, development, and transformation should take. Thinkers in this early period began to ask big questions about Peru for the first time. They included people associated with the conservative right, who expressed the positions of the dominant oligarchy, as well as others from the reformist and revolutionary left, which had begun to emerge and produce its first, great intellectuals. On the right, important names included those of José de la Riva Agüero, Francisco García Calderón and Víctor Andrés Belaúnde; on the left, those of Manuel González Prada, Víctor Raúl Haya de la Torre and José Carlos Mariátegui. In this first period, specifically in 1896, sociology also appeared as a university course in the Department of Letters at the University of San Marcos. As a course, it was relatively marginal to the analysis of national issues. Rather, the course followed the postulates of Comte and Spencer to develop a theoretical explanation of social development. Curiously, in this first stage, there was little contact between the analysis of social concerns and sociology, in spite of the fact that, in the following decades, the former would be central to the development of the latter. The Development of Sociology as a Professional Occupation Only recently, in 1961, did sociology become a professional occupation in Peru, with the founding of the Department of Sociology at the University of San Marcos. A few years later, in 1964, something similar happened at the Pontific Catholic University, which established a School of Social Sciences, including a major in sociology. Foreign support and influence proved important in both: the University of San Marcos received funding from UNESCO, and the Catholic University from the Dutch government. In the beginning, structural functionalism imported from the United States strongly influenced both teaching and research in sociology. The technocratic turn, with the idea of ‘solving specific social problems’, would be very important in this first moment of academic sociology. Nevertheless, this technocratic sociology shifted almost immediately to a sociology influenced by the arrival of Marxism through the student movement, and the momentum of leftist thought in Latin America, which would drive critical thinking. That time also marked the appearance of a nationalist, leftist government, the result of a military coup, which would, despite being a dictatorship, radically expand the number of jobs available to sociologists. This was 1968, a meaningful year in Peru as it was in the rest of the world. This shift would give sociology the revolutionary identity it maintained during the following decades, at least until the neoliberal regression of the 1990s. The Marxist influence pushed the prior technocratic orientation aside, putting sociology at the service of what, at that moment, was considered the revolutionary transformation of society. During the 1970s, the new orientation and an improved labor market brought sociology to its peak in Peru. At that time, not only were new sociology majors established in various universities, but sociologists were also employed in various state agencies, pushing forward the military government’s reforms. There were important developments in sociological research, especially in the field of politics and in the characterization of the capitalist development that was occurring in the country. The profession acquired significant status as a new career, expressing the spirit of an epoch of change. The appeal of Marxism lay not only in its global perspectives but also because it returned to sociology’s progressive precursors of the first decades of the 20th century, especially the figure of José Carlos Mariátegui whose works appeared in new editions. An important debate arose over his legacy, with significant interventions from the Peruvian sociologist César Germaná and the Argentine José Aricó, not himself a professional sociologist but a key figure nonetheless. Still, as a line of critical thinking, Marxist influence remained limited although there were advances made, particularly in the journal Sociedad y Política (Society and Politics), directed by Aníbal Quijano, with its memorable analysis of the military government in the decade of the 1970s. The journal El Zorro de Abajo (Zorro from Below), directed by anthropologist Carlos Iván Degregori but run by an editorial committee mostly made up of sociologists, was also important during the 1980s. Sinesio López, a member of its editorial group, was particularly influential. Using Antonio Gramsci’s framework, his writing offered an interesting lens to understand the development of the state and the characteristics of nascent social movements. Julio Cotler provided a rare example of a blend of Marxist and Weberian thinking that focused on Nation State building and the lack of legitimacy of the oligarchical power in the country. His major book Clases, Estado y Nación en el Perú has gone through several editions since the original publication in 1978. The other side of Marxism, which would prove to be the most influential in sociology and in Peruvian social sciences as a whole, was Marxism-Leninism. This dogmatic Marxism came hand in hand with the rising influence of the Maoist segment of the communist movement, very powerful in public universities in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s, especially where sociology was offered. Dogmatic Marxism sought to reconstruct social science curricula requiring all professors be political addicts who limited their bibliographies to the manuals of the former USSR Academy of Science and the selected works of Marx, Lenin, and Mao. The intellectual domination of this dogmatic Marxism coincided with years of political violence in Peru, when the insurgency of the Maoist group Sendero Luminoso cost the country twelve years of internal war and approximately 70,000 deaths. This conversion practically spelled the death of sociology in the country, drastically reducing its influence as a form of professional knowledge and its presence in public institutions, and marginalizing it intellectually. Several public and private universities eliminated their majors in sociology. It persisted with some quality only in the two original centers: the University of San Marcos and the Catholic University. With the collapse of the discipline, needless to say, individual, professional sociologists suffered degradation as well as personal challenges of survival. The Deterioration of Sociology in NGOs During the decades of the 1980s and 1990s, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) became an important place of refuge for professional sociology. NGOs literally served as a refuge, because these were the decades of internal warfare (1980s), first, and then, after that, of the neoliberal dictatorship of Alberto Fujimori (1990s). In that epoch sociology’s identification with the left, and even worse with the revolution, worked against the discipline. The demand for sociologists diminished drastically, most of all in the public sector but also, as was mentioned above, because various universities that used to offer sociology courses closed their doors to the discipline. NGOs were formed, in part, by sociologists who put together small development projects and obtained financial support from international sympathizers. This type of work had the virtue of helping many sociologists develop professionally in a line of work that was closely linked to social needs. Nevertheless, sociology was deprived of great minds, limiting possibilities for its intellectual development. This became especially true as funding increasingly came from multilateral agencies like the World Bank, imposing the influence of the so-called Washington Consensus. The hegemony of this form of thinking led to the ‘subalternization’ of critical social categories. In perhaps the best example of this, the category of poverty almost completely replaced the category of inequality. On a positive note, in the decade of the 1990s, the College of Peruvian Sociologists, a professional association of Peruvian sociologists, was formed. The College has been a reference point for sociologists and sociology. Even though it is still developing, the College has made it possible to bring together professional sociologists and to certify them as skilled in the application of sociology to new areas and activities. Sociology under the Return to Democracy Peru’s return to democracy in the year 2000 coincided with a turn to the left in Latin America that had both cultural and political repercussions. Elsewhere spaces opened up for the development of the social sciences, especially sociology, but less so in Peru where democracy was not accompanied by a turn to the left (at least until the latest elections, this year, in 2011). The tension between the technocratic turn of the 1990s and critical sociology continues apace, without any solution in sight. Paradoxically, in academic discussions, the technocratic turn tends to attach itself to a bull-headed defense of sociology as an extension of the natural sciences. Thus, critical sociology remains limited to the domain of intellectual engagement. New ideas did develop, however, in graduate programs, both master’s degrees and doctorates, which have proliferated in the last 15 years. Nevertheless, like the initial proliferation of university majors in the 1970s, the quality of these programs has been very uneven. Still, there have been several master’s theses and a few doctoral theses based on interesting research in urban sociology, culture, and gender. The dogmatic imprint of Marxism-Leninism seems to be buried and incapable of resurfacing. However, it’s important to mention a new paradigm, driven by Aníbal Quijano with the inspiration of Immanuel Wallerstein, and that is the “coloniality of power.” This critique is considered an extension of the work of José Carlos Mariátegui. Quijano argues that Peru participates in a type of capitalism imposed by the metropolis on Latin America, condemning them to a permanent subsidiary role. Based on an old pattern of nation-states, the state is unable to identify with its own supposed nationals and maintains a vision that is Eurocentric and basically evolutionist. The critique suggests that modernization, or Marxism-Leninism, has failed to bring about development. Quijano proposes to think about the region as located in the Global South, thereby reclaiming the identity of its inhabitants, and constructing its own forms of politics and economic development. This is especially pertinent now, given the new window of autonomy for this part of the world. In addition to Quijano, there are others who have begun to rebuild the field: César Germaná in methodology; Sinesio López in politics and particularly citizenship; Gonzalo Portocarrero and Pedro Pablo Ccopa in education and culture; and Alberto Adrianzén on the Latin American turn to the Left. Peruvian sociology has had limited development both academically and professionally. Dominant lines of thought are still only embryonic and tend to reside in individual intellectual personalities. Its institutional development is largely limited to university teaching, mostly at the introductory level. There are no research centers specific to the discipline that merit mention, or projects that bring together different academics. Nevertheless, Peruvian sociology has overcome the threat of destruction that loomed over it in the 1980s and 1990s, due to the dogmatic hand of Marxism-Leninism and neoliberalism. Surviving these threats has allowed it to re-emerge in specific research areas and develop niches of professional knowledge. But, most important, today it still sustains itself as a form of critical knowledge. If it takes advantage of the emerging context, Peruvian sociology may find ways to contribute to a new, regional autonomy and a new form of development in Latin America as a whole, marked by the progressive turn in culture and politics. Here lie the possibilities for new developments and different horizons. Lynch Nicolás Peru, Volume 2, Issue 1 © 2020 Global Dialogue

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745203

__label__wiki

GoingFullNerd Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo: Grasscutter Debuts at IDW with Artist Select Edition ONYXXX December 6, 2019 http://nyforeclosurelaw.com/3802-2/page/4/ The Most Faithful and Complete Collection of the Eisner-Award buy Keppra cheap Winning Tale is Now Available from IDW Limited SAN DIEGO, CA (December 04, 2019) – IDW Publishing (OTC: IDWM) is proud to announce that seroflo 125 uk Grasscutter, the critically acclaimed storyline considered to be the seminal tale in Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo comic book series, is now available in the prestigious Artist Select Edition format, sold exclusively online by IDW Limited. For the first time ever, the beloved Grasscutter storyline is collected in its entirety in a single volume, comprising both the original Eisner Award-winning storyline from Usagi Yojimbo #13-22 and its sequel, Grasscutter II, published in issues #39-45. The Artist Select Edition treatment delivers each page of Grasscutter’s powerful narrative to the reader in its most faithful presentation ever: scanned from Sakai’s original art, courtesy of the artist’s personal archives, in the same manner as the multi-Eisner award-winning Artist’s Edition series from IDW. “Saying I am pleased with this book would be an understatement,” said Stan Sakai, “The presentation of my work, the attention to detail and the design, make this the best collection ever done of my stories. I could not be happier with it.” Limited to 999 copies, the massive 464-page tome measures 9” x 13” and features a lovely dust jacket that showcases a beautiful new watercolor painting by Sakai, created especially for this project. The book comes in a beautifully designed silver foil-stamped slipcase, and retails for $150.00. The Artist Select Edition is available to order here. Additionally, a truly extraordinary Usagi Yojimbo: Grasscutter Artist Select Deluxe Edition is available from IDW Limited, numbered to only 50 copies, which includes a hardcover portfolio case with a unique, original drawing by Stan Sakai inside. Both the book and portfolio are presented in a custom clamshell case that completely encloses the book and portfolio. The Deluxe Edition retails for $350.00. The Deluxe Edition is available to order here. As an added bonus to fans, IDW Limited is proud to offer a free autographed copy of a Usagi Yojimbo comic to those customers who purchase a Regular or Deluxe Edition of the Grasscutter Artist Select within its first 48 hours of online availability. Stan Sakai began his comic book career by lettering, starting with Groo for Sergio Aragonés. His work led him to meet Stan Lee, who asked him to letter for Spider-Man Sunday comics, which he did for 25 years. Sakai is most famous for his original creation of Usagi Yojimbo, an epic saga celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2019 and featuring Miyamoto Usagi, a samurai rabbit living in late-sixteenth and early-seventeenth-century Japan. His work on Usagi has led to multiple awards, including several Eisner Awards, the Harvey Award for Best Cartoonist, the Parent’s Choice Award, and multiple Young Library Association Awards. Skillful weaving of facts, legends, and Japanese culture into his work has made Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo a favorite among educators as a curriculum tool. Since then, Usagi has been featured on television with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and has been consistently named as one of the top 100 comic book characters of all time. A TV show is currently in the works, produced by Gaumont Studios, Sakai, James Wan’s Atomic Monster, and Dark Horse Entertainment. Stan also loves to travel with his wife Julie, cook, and play with his three dogs, Ani, Momo, and Mika. IDWIDW PublishingUsagi Yojimbo: Grasscutter THIS VALENTINE’S DAY, HEARTS ARE MEANT TO BE STOLEN IN ACTION LAB’S “GOING TO THE CHAPEL” TPB OUTLAWED!

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745205

__label__wiki

The Building of a Nation: Historical Civic Works in Osaka (Travel) Historical sites in Japan aren’t all mist-shrouded castle ruins and cobblestone avenues lined with paper lanterns. Between the shogunate’s two centuries of isolationism and the post-war/pre-Bubble glitz lies the Meiji period, a hectic helter-skelter of modernization that spanned the 44 years following the fall of the Tokugawas. This is when Japan pulled out all stops to “catch up” with the Western world economically, industrially, and socially. When the public purses allowed (and sometimes when they didn’t), massive projects and far-reaching legal reforms were the orders of the day. For those with an interest in the history of engineering, there is one example of the former that still remains in shockingly good condition up in the sleepy residential section at the northern tip of Osaka’s economic and business heartland, Kita Ward. Registered as a National Cultural Treasure in 2008, the site is called the Old Keba Weir and Number 1 Keba Lock, or simply the Keba Lock for short. First, let’s take a look at the background. Writer’s Photo: Nagae Bridge and the Hankyu Senri line rail bridge across the Yodo River Located along a peaceful, grassy stretch of the south banks of the Yodo River, the park-like atmosphere surrounding the 100-meter brick-and-concrete lock belies the wide-scale engineering efforts that went into creating the current landscape. Called the Seta or the Uji as you travel further upstream toward its source at Lake Biwa, the Yodo was the dominant waterway for the people of old Osaka, not just for watering crops but for trade, as well. It was the artery connecting Osaka with Kyoto, and the landscape of the river was dominated by a type of slender vessel called a sanjikkoku-bune (thirty-koku boat, a koku being an old measure for rice of about 150 kg or 280 liters). Yet, disaster struck in the form of repeated flooding, which both brought ruin to rice paddy farmers along the river and famously filled Osaka Bay with silt in the early Meiji era. Writer’s Photo: A map showing the dramatic rerouting of the Yodo River This is where Hyogo-born grandfather of waterway civic engineering Tadao Okino stepped in. There had been an attempt in the recent past to merge the bulk of the winding, flood-prone southern branch of the Yodo River (the Oo) into the northerly branch of the Nakatsu River, but it was Okino who saw the project through to completion. Over a 14-year period of construction from 1896 to 1910, the torrents of the Yodo River were shifted to a near-straight shot path along the bed of the Nakatsu, changing the landscape enormously and turning the southern Oo River into a far more tractable waterway. However, things are hardly ever so simple when topography is involved. The rerouting of the river caused a difference in height of more than a meter between the waters of the new Yodo River and the Oo River, which was still an important waterway for commerce. Okino and co.s’ s engineering again came to save the day, this time in the form of the Keba Lock, completed in 1907. Let’s take a look at the construction of this historical feat of engineering, piece by piece. Writer’s Photo: One of the many meganebashi (spectacles bridge) in Japan; completed 1914, restored 1980 Related Article: Nagasaki’s Symbolic Megane-bashi Bridge: Japan’s Oldest Arched Bridge Looks Like Glasses When you arrive at the site, the lock itself will be hidden from view. You’ll first pass under the meganebashi, coming around to the Oo River-side set of gates. Writer’s Photo: The miter gates at the Oo River end of the lock The lock used a pair of miter gates, a technology invented by Leonardo da Vinci and named after the joined fabric of a bishop’s mitre. Writer’s Photo: The miter gates at the Yodo River end of the lock Though miter gates require a stout construction to stand against water pressure, they don’t require any mechanisms whatsoever above the gate, which would otherwise limit the height of vessel passing through. Writer’s Photo: A mooring ring with mooring chain, both coated in rust Mooring rings were set at intervals along both sides of the chamber. These rings held boats in place while the water level was raised and lowered, allowing vessels to pass between the two rivers. Writer’s Photo: The patched brick and steel gates of the second set of miter gates Walking along the mooring chain to the staircase to the base of the Yodo River-side gates, you can appreciate how even a meter’s difference in water levels can present a huge hurdle for maritime activity. The movement of ships wasn’t the only challenge these Meiji-era terraformers had to face. Silt accumulation would still be a problem around the newly-created junction, and the Oo River would require regular adjustment for flow volume. To address both these issues, construction began in 1904 on a type of flow-control facility called a “dredge weir,” which would allow both easy silt removal as well as water flow adjustments on the Oo through the insertion and removal of large pieces of timber. Writer’s Photo: The only remaining three gates of the original 10-gate weir The weir was finished up in 1910. However, even as these facilities were under construction, time marched on and technology was changing, and in that same year, the Keihan Electric Railway had its inaugural run between Osaka and Kyoto, coming to largely replace cargo traffic along the Yodo River. Still, operations continued for over six decades. In January 1976, the nearby Keba took over for Keba Number 1 Lock. At that time, the weir’s duty had already been taken up by a modern sluice facility over a year before. Luckily for the historically-inclined visitor, these civic works of the early 20th century remain in a well-tended condition. To get there, leave Exit 2 of Tenjimbashisuji 6-chome Station on the Tanimachi/Sakaisuji subway lines and turn left to head north away from Miyakojima Dori. It’s about a 10 to 15 minute walk straight along this road to the levee. You’ll find the entrance about 100 meters east (right) of the T-section at the levee that ends your journey north. Alternatively, just put “3-3-25 Nagarahigashi, Kita Ward, Osaka” into your map application and let your GPS do the walking. Bonus for the Buddhism-inclined Writer’s Photo: Three bibbed Jizo, one of them worn down to an almost-unrecognizable rock On the river side of the lock across from the meganebashi, you’ll find a copse of trees and a small hill where a stone staircase leading up to a memorial stone commemorating the completion of the lock and weir. However, just nearby is an unassuming looking open-faced wooden hut housing three statues. Weathered over countless centuries, these stone sculptures are actually Jizo statues excavated or dredged up during various construction projects in the area, including the lock and weir construction. Though the statement is of doubtful historicity, legend holds that these are three of the 60,000+ Jizo statues created during the semi-legendary reign of Prince Shotoku in the 6th and 7th century as part of his promulgation of Buddhism. Category BLOGS CULTURE OSAKA Tags HistorySightseeing World wanderer and travelling translator, with a great love for language learning, blue-collar cuisine, and rural realms. View all articles by Barry 8 Real Life Locations Used in Anime “Love Live!” (Tokyo, Akihabara, Okinawa) Why So Popular!? Saitama's Hanyu Rest Stop Reproduces Edo TV Drama Set

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745206

__label__wiki

Lars Vilhelm Hofman-Bang built a summer home in Mellbystrand at the cove of Laholm in the county of Halland, Sweden in 1919. The total area of the property was 15,239 sqm located at Kustvägen, the main road. The house was one of the first to be built in this new summer resort and stood for many years all alone on the heath. Later, in the 1950's and 1960's Mellbystrand grew and soon became a well-known and appreciated holiday spot - mostly for people coming from either Gothenburg or Stockholm. The journey from Stockholm to Mellbstrand took almost 12 hours in the 1960's. However, Mellbystrand has never reached the same attractiveness as Båstad and Torekov which both are located nearby. The families of Lars, Tore and Erik Hofman-Bang shared the house until 1960 after which Lars took it over. In 1966, the commune of Laholm suddenly advised they wanted to make the property into a swimmingpool-centre for the benefit of the inhabitants of Mellbystrand. Therefore, they called upon a law which made it possible to buy the property by force. The commune completed the transaction on 30 August 1966 at a price of SEK 175,000. However, the plans for a swimmingpool centre never were put into action. Instead, the house was left to detoriate. Finally, in 1977, the house was demolished after an almost endless debate in the commune and the local press. The area was cut up and lots sold to the public. Very soon thereafter a number of houses were built. The only thing reminding people of the Hofman-Bang era is a road-sign next to the former property - it reads "Hofmanbangs väg" - spelled in error. Many times over the years the sign has been taken down by members of the Hofman-Bang family but has soon appeared again - always in-correctly spelled. Page updated: 26 Jan 2020

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745212

__label__cc

Howe Island Our Domicile HOWE ISLAND INFO MORE ABOUT ... HOWE ISLAND Howe Island is a 31 km² (12 mi²) island located in the St. Lawrence River in Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada. Howe Island is part of the Thousand Islands chain. It is located south of and about midway between Kingston and Gananoque. Howe Island together with Wolfe Island and Simcoe Island are some of the oldest rural municipalities in Ontario. These three islands form the Township of Frontenac Islands. The Township of Frontenac Islands was formed in 1998 by the amalgamation of two of Ontario's oldest rural municipalities: Howe Island and Wolfe Island. Both islands can trace their European roots back to New France, but it was only in the years after the War of 1812 that settlement took place in any numbers. The Wolfe and Howe islands are named after two of Britain's generals from the time period of the Seven Year's War: James Wolfe (d. 1759) and William Howe (d. 1814), a subordinate of Wolfe's at the Plains Of Abraham and later Commander-in-Chief of British troops in North America during the American Revolution. The islands' current names first appeared on a map in 1818 when Captain William Fitzwilliam Owen of the Royal Navy conducted a naval survey of the 1,000 islands, and then some, located in the St. Lawrence River. Howe Island measures 13 km (8 mi) long and 5 km (3 mi) wide. Located in the St. Lawrence River just east of Kingston, the island forms river's Bateau Channel on the north, with the main current of the river passing to the south. Today, the island has a mixture of agricultural and rural lifestyles with a growing proportion of residents commuting to Kingston or elsewhere. The population of Howe Island currently numbers approximately 500 full-time residents. The island's population doubles in the summer months when recreational properties are occupied. Two ferry services connect the island with mainland. A bigger 15-car ferry operates 24/7/365 on the north-west side of the island. A smaller 3-car ferry operates 18/7/365 from the most eastern tip of the island. Either ferry service runs on demand and takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to board and cross the water. Check the link below for more detals: FRONTENAC ISLANDS TOWNSHIP - FERRY SERVICES INFO (C) Copyright 1999-2014 ... Richard W. Walkus

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745217

__label__cc

The Mantle of Science Del Ratzsch, in Science and Its Limits, makes this provocative statement: “Our worldviews, in short, are inescapably shaped by science.” We often assume the public understands what we mean by science. If someone makes a statement such as, “According to science…” it is often taken as a mantle of authority generating respect or awe. We often assume the public completely understands what we mean when the term science is invoked. But people in science professions or science education are often disappointed to discover the public’s deficient grasp of the subject. Even so, when the subject of evolution is raised, supporters often reverently clothe the subject with the mantle of science. Those who teach evolution, pressuring others to believe it is a true account of human origins, use public ignorance of science in their powerful lobbying campaign. As a working discipline, science is enormously complex. Beyond the understanding of nearly everyone that the root word of science is knowledge, there is considerably less agreement on what science is and how it works. Many who profess to “like” science look favorably on the acquisition of knowledge, particularly if they are both interested in a certain scientific subject and have confidence that the knowledge they acquire is real and true. If they suspect the knowledge they acquire is not real and true, sometimes they will not view the science favorably. Science is also described as the process of how knowledge of the natural world is gained. There is considerable variability in how scientists go about acquiring their knowledge. When non-scientists discover the complexity and challenge involved in gaining good scientific knowledge, some become discouraged or skeptical. At times the scientific methods may be flawed. On other occasions science conclusions may be driven by the strongly agenda-driven consensus of certain groups of professional scientists. Science is a distinctly subjective human enterprise--a fact sometimes not recognized. Public attitudes toward science often fail to include an adequate knowledge of science philosophy. Calvin College philosophy professor Del Ratzsch states, “The philosophy of science is basically the study of what science is, what it does, how it works, why it works, and what we should make of it.” Sometimes even the scientists themselves fail to appreciate the philosophical and epistemological dimensions of their science--their presuppositions, values, what kinds of knowledge claims they make, and how they are justified. Most people prefer simple answers to scientific questions. They see science philosophy as esoteric, even unnecessary. Philosophy drives the scientific enterprise, however. Few people are interested in the philosophy that powers science. Unfortunately, most scientific laypersons merely stop off at, “What does science say?” on significant questions of our day. Evolution is a topic of wide ranging impact in our secular culture. Within the evangelical community, theistic evolution is increasingly becoming an issue of profound metaphysical and theological significance. Theistic evolution is becoming strong in some evangelical media, churches, and campuses. Perhaps the dilemma is more important in evangelical culture than in secular culture. While the secular culture has generally embraced evolution, in the evangelical community embrace of theistic evolution may amount to a virtual paradigm shift. We might ask, “What is the main support pillar for the theistic evolutionists’ drive to convert creationists to their origins belief system?” After reading large volumes of material produced by proponents of theistic evolution generally and BioLogos personnel in particular, I conclude their repeated invocation of the term “science” as a mantle of support for the evolutionary paradigm works well for them. The technical science of genetics they claim supports evolution is often obscure or difficult for laypersons to understand, but being generally on board with “science” resonates with the public. We must be aware that the methodology and philosophy driving “science” are highly variable and have changed dramatically over time. Young people, in particular, want to be perceived as scientifically literate. I am fearful, however, that one’s self-perception of support for “SCIENCE” and belief in evolution sound with the same modern ringtone. Many evolutionary claims are supported largely by inference and the consensus of bio-scientists. That community has a strong evolutionary bias. I encourage all who find theistic evolution appealing, or even “elegant,” to continue the challenging task of prayerful inquiry, intent on discovering the truth God has for His people. There are many wonderful and helpful written resources available on all sides of the question. Proper judgment is not possible without carefully studying the material produced by all of the stakeholders. Naturalistic Foundations of Theistic Evolution Theistic evolutionism ranges along a spectrum of positions, just as does creationism. It is not a monolithic belief system. The most common position, however, is the “fully gifted” model, in which the Big Bang was God’s last physical intervention, at least until New Testament times. Evangelical TE adherents may have a high view of New Testament miracles, but not Old Testament miracles. They do not accept any interventional acts of creation or design after the initial creation of time, space, matter, and energy. They claim God “front-loaded” the creation and then stepped aside to let things happen. Life self-originated and evolved all the way to modern humans. In this model, the distinction between theism and deism is not easy to make. Some TE enthusiasts may not wish to concede that evolution’s foundation is grounded in scientific naturalism. Metaphysical (philosophical) naturalism is the belief that “nature is all there is.” Methodological naturalism is the operational principle of modern scientists: Proceed with your scientific activities as if nature is all there is, as if there is no supernatural, and as if all processes in our cosmos are naturalistic processes. This operating principle, in turn, forces the predetermined scientific conclusion that all life developed naturalistically. Since this is the only scientific conclusion possible, the consensus judgments of scientists operating under this principle force the conclusion that evolution is good science, the best science, and of course, the only science. There is no discussion--no argument--because only one conclusion is possible. Anyone working in biological science who wishes to achieve respect in that community must commit to methodological naturalism. He may not publish research with even a suggestion that in some cases naturalism is a dead end. A host of theistic evolutionists relentlessly state that evolution is “serious” science and the “best” science, that we should be intellectually honest, seek straight answers, come to grips with evolution, and struggle to resolve conflicts between our Christian faith and scientific knowledge. For them, it is impossible to conceive that any honest, open minded, struggling person seeking straight answers could possibly reach a conclusion that evolution may not be true. The power of their argument is the power of the logical fallacy of begging the question: assuming the truth of the very point in question. Evolutionists do not caution us concerning other logical fallacies such as the false authority fallacy: accepting statements just because others (in this case most of the biological science profession) say it is correct. If virtually everyone in biological science is driven by methodological naturalism or philosophical naturalism, of what value is their argument that “everyone” in the field of biology has reached a certain conclusion, and therefore, so should we? Their conclusions are driven by philosophy, not science. I have encountered many brilliant people who use this appeal to authority as one of their strongest arguments. That is the worst reason for accepting evolution, I retort. This is not the end of the discussion. Theistic evolutionist scientists, theologians, and journalists muddle the picture at this juncture. Peter Enns refers to “a continuing struggle between Christian faith and scientific knowledge.” Any young person interested in science is thrust into conflict, especially by suggestions that anyone who opposes evolutionary science is doing the church a great disservice. Our Christian young people wish to betray neither their faith nor their love for science. But they are being forced to make a choice at odds with the theological truth expressed in Holy Scripture. This blog has repeatedly stated that if scientific and theological interpretations are both correct, they will not conflict. Phillip E. Johnson wrote several books critical of evolution in the early 1990s. He discusses the commitment of bio-scientists to philosophical naturalism. His arguments resonate even today. Johnson has been the victim of intense disdain from scientists with a stake in the evolutionary paradigm. He correctly says the mutation-natural selection mechanism claimed to drive the evolutionary process is not affirmed by actual observation of the process in action, “…but because their guiding philosophy assures them that no other power is available to do the job.” Evangelical theistic evolutionary scientists, driven by this philosophical commitment, are caught in a vice grip. The philosophy of scientific naturalism they have embraced dictates “what is real” for them. Johnson’s Darwin On Trial (1993) discusses the conflict of those TE adherents who claim to retain their evangelical faith: “Scientific naturalism, on the other hand, does leave a place for ‘religious belief,’ provided that the religious believers do not challenge the authority of naturalistic science to say what is real and what is not.” If science has this authority, what has become of the authority of our theology? Theistic evolutionary scientists, some of whom claim to embrace evangelical faith, are chained to metaphysical (philosophical) and methodological naturalism, helping them formulate their worldview. Evolutionary theory is based largely on inference: Natural selection was the creator. Genesis 1 states: “God created.” Discrediting Faith? Beautiful sunsets, magnificent mountains, and various other glorious natural displays have long triggered deep feelings of worship. My mother was fond of quoting the King James translation of Psalm 121:1: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help.” She balanced the poetic quality of verse 1 by a follow-up quote of verse 2: “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.” For her, the majestic hills in our northwest New Jersey neighborhood triggered deep reverence. But my parents’ Christian faith was affirmed even more deeply in gaining understanding of how God’s created world worked. My father was a statewide agent for a seed company during the 1940s. In that role he was involved in promoting the cutting edge agriculture which widely came into use during the first half of the 20th century--the development of plant hybrids. Two pure strains of plants called “inbred” varieties are crossed to produce a hybrid plant which manifests the best traits of both inbred varieties. Further crossing of that hybrid with another hybrid results in a “double cross,” manifesting the best traits of all four original pure inbred strains. A small “Corn Data Notebook” from Hoffman Farm Seeds of Landisville, PA, 1946 edition, states “These great hybrids are continually improved, season after season—by patient, careful selection and progeny testing…and by introduction of new bloodlines.” The Hoffman firm was my father’s employer. As a child, I remember my father using mysterious terms like “inbred” and “cross.” He kept busy planting “test plots,” visiting farmers and helping them overcome the inertia of traditionalism, persuading them of the value of hybrid plants possessing “hybrid vigor” and their potential for greatly increased yields. One may wonder whether discovering and applying genetic knowledge of how hybridization works weakened my father’s faith in God as the Creator of the many thousands of strains of pure, inbred plants. Quite the contrary! He praised God for man’s ability to discover how hydridization works and embraced it enthusiastically. The Genesis 1:28 exhortation to "...Fill the earth and subdue it...Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground" would appear to apply here as well. Dr. Francis S. Collins, in his much discussed book The Language of God, has captured the imagination of some evangelical Christians by proposing the compatability of theistic evolutionary beliefs with traditional orthodox Christian precepts. His topics for chapters 7-10, successively, are (1) Atheism and Agnosticism, (2) Creationism, (3) Intelligent Design, and (4) Biologos (codeword for theistic evolution). He calls each of these positions “options.” Collins dismisses options (1), (2), and (3), and suggests that the correct position is option (4)--theistic evolution. Collins, in Chapter 9 (p. 193), claims belief in intelligent design attempts to “ascribe to God various natural phenomena that the science of the day had been unable to sort out – whether a solar eclipse or the beauty of a flower.” We may infer that Collins cites a solar eclipse as an example of an errant belief that God periodically performs a miracle of blackening the sun. We may further infer that people citing the beauty of a flower believe God is performing a “miracle” each time a flower blooms. Collins implies many intelligent design adherents have a “God-of-the gaps” religion, citing the above as examples. He states such “theories” have a dismal history, because “advances in science ultimately fill in those gaps,” thereby discrediting their “faith” that God performs miracles. In The Language of God, Collins paints adherents of intelligent design as God-of-the-Gaps believers in a “discouraging tradition” running “a huge risk of simply discrediting faith.” He states “Advances in science ultimately fill in those gaps,” thereby discrediting the faith of many that God ever acted supernaturally along earth’s historical timeline. I conclude Collins would say that since we now know the moon, in its precise and predictable motions, periodically comes between the earth and the sun, our faith that God ever performs any sort of miracle has been discredited. Naturalistic scientists commit the argumentum ad futuris fallacy in their argument: Accept our argument because future evidence will support it. Some writers have named this the "naturalsim-of-the-gaps" argument. As my parents grew older they became more aware of natural processes set in place by God to form mountains or make hybridization possible. Were my father alive today he would see the biotechnology of genetic engineering in the same light. Application of such technology reflects the function of intelligent design features long present in the world of nature. We do not weaken the credibility of the intelligent design concept; we strengthen it. One of the best examples of this strengthening effect is the incredible increase in our knowledge of the cell’s complexity since 1950, including the structure and coding functions of the DNA molecule. Intelligent design theists do not believe in God because of what we do not know, but because of what we do know. Because of science, the concept of intelligent design has been strengthened exponentially. Rules and Rulings Scientific conclusions about cause and effect in earth’s bio-history must adhere to rules. Did observed effects “just happen?” Or was God involved in the actions in some way? Intelligent Design, by rule, is declared not to be scientific because it makes inferences of action by a supernatural being. Intelligent Design is the whipping boy of diverse groups involved in the lively discussion of human origins. The ID movement is accused of being irrational, unscientific, and a “god-of-the-gaps” cop-out. Dr. Francis S. Collins, well-known former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute and currently director of the National Institutes of Health stated in The Language of God that, “Intelligent Design burst on the scene in 1991.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The concept of design in the natural world originating from an intelligent mind goes back thousands of years. We could distinguish biblical creation accounts using the term “formed” from later arguments for the deliberate actions of a designer. Plato and Aristotle proposed teleological arguments hundreds of years before Christ. Likewise, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Newton, Boyle, and ironically, even many non-theistic scientists up to the present time have made reference to the abundant apparent design features in the world of nature. Some of these scientists make humorous references to “monkeying” with physics, cosmic “tinkering,” and fine-tuning. Collins correctly voices the visceral objection of many ID adherents: The natural world and living things in particular are far too complex to have organized themselves. On one hand Collins commends the “thoughtfulness and sincerity of ID’s proponents” and further states “this movement deserves serious consideration.” Then he assumes the default position of the majority of scientists today who control our public educational institutions: “Intelligent Design fails in a profound way to qualify as a scientific theory,” he claims. According to the philosophical and methodological box the field of SCIENCE has constructed for itself, I must agree that this statement is true. SCIENCE is a naturalistic enterprise. Using empirical methods, it investigates only natural cause and effect. Notwithstanding that abductive reasoning’s inference to the best explanation may point to a possible or likely “outside the science box” interpretation of evidence, no such explanation is ever permitted, either as conjecture or as a subject for further research. Naturalistic presuppositions permit only naturalistic conclusions. Therefore, evolution is awarded the verdict. Evolution wins on a technicality. Examples of winning or losing on a technicality abound in the world of sports. The game of golf is rife with obscure rules. Violation of any of the rules costs dearly. Sometimes the penalty seems harsh. On August 16, 2010, Dustin Johnson suffered a two stroke penalty on a technical rule and thereby lost his chance to win the PGA championship. He grounded his club in a bunker before a shot, a seemingly insignificant offense which had no impact on his real score, but was against the rules, nonetheless. He was docked two strokes. But forming false conclusions about the reality and implications of intelligent design and the creative acts of God in our cosmos have infinitely more significance as we search for eternal truths. The penalty negatively impacts our basic worldview. The fundamental operating principle of science is methodological naturalism. This is a distinct change from former times. Scientists “do” science and make conclusions about reality as if there is no supernatural. Methodological naturalism is the driving force of scientists. Theistic scientists may believe in God and in God’s direct involvement in cause/effect relationships in origins research, but voicing this belief in connection with their work in science will only result in a heap of trouble. Alvin Plantinga, a philosopher known for applying analytic methods to defend orthodox Christian beliefs, made some important observations following the court ruling in the case of Kitzmiller v. Dover (PA) Area School District in 2005: “What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing science in accord with methodological naturalism? There is a good deal to be said on both sides here. For example, if you exclude the supernatural from science, then if the world or some phenomena within it are supernaturally caused—as most of the world’s people believe—you won’t be able to reach that truth scientifically. Observing methodological naturalism thus hamstrings science by precluding science from reaching what would be an enormously important truth about the world. It might be that, just as a result of this constraint, even the best science in the long run will wind up with false conclusions." Theistic evolutionists are taking the biological science community’s conclusions about evolution to be true. Those conclusions provide the best science, they intone. While this may be true according to our culture’s technical rules of the game for science, perhaps their quest should focus on making “inference to the best explanation.” Science of Theistic Evolution Dr. Francis S. Collins makes an interesting statement near the beginning of Chapter 8 in his popular book The Language of God. “Taken at face value,” says Collins, “the term ‘creationist’ would seem to imply the general perspective of one who argues for the existence of a God who was directly involved in the creation of the universe. In that broad sense, many deists and nearly all theists, including me, would need to count themselves as creationists.” But the remainder of Chapter 8 is a polemic against creationism--young earth creationism. YEC believes, according to Collins, that “all species were created by individual acts of divine creation, and that Adam and Eve were historical figures created by God from dust in the Garden of Eden, and not descended from other creatures.” Indeed, this is also the general position of old earth creationism. But there is no polemic against old earth creationism in Collins’ book. Most OECs also believe in individual acts of divine creation and in Adam and Eve as historical figures created by God. But Collins believes neither in individual acts of creation since life appeared on earth, nor in Adam and Eve as historical figures. Creationism of the young earth variety is easy to discredit scientifically based on plentiful and overwhelming scientific evidence for a universe of enormous age. Old earth creationism is not so easy to discredit. Dr. Collins clothes theistic evolution with the mantle of science, as if to affirm the validity of the evolutionary paradigm just by assigning it that linguistic mantle. Some strong and convincing science affirms important tenets of old earth creationism. Conversely, there is considerable science which raises questions about the evolutionary paradigm. Yes, there is some science which may suggest an evolutionary scenario. But the supoporting science must be better understood. Dr. Collins and his BioLogos successors energetically clothe themselves in the mantle of science, claiming “Evolution, as a mechanism, can and must be true.” This is a classic example of “begging the question” (assuming an answer to the very point that is in dispute). Then they proclaim evolution is good science. Such claims muddy the waters of understanding on a very complex issue. The issue is not which viewpoint can most effectively claim the imprimatur of science. Rather, the issue is, “What really happened with respect to the origin of life, appearances of major diverse categories of plants and animals, and the appearance of man? Is the explicit claim of the Bible correct when it states God created the diverse life forms, including man? Science is underpinned by consensus of the practitioners of science and by statements from philosophers of science. Consensus and philosophy are powerful forces. Both forces are generally beyond the understanding of most laymen who gather their information from sound bytes and productions of popular media produced by stakeholders in the discussion. The public is confused by claims that certain positions represent “good science.” At best, some such claims are inaccurate. At worst, the claims are manipulative. The question should not be, “Does science support this view?” Rather, the question should be, “What is true? Theistic Evolution Apologetics The BioLogos Foundation was organized by Dr. Francis S. Collins several years after publication of his successful 2006 book The Language of God. Collins was the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute until 2008. The Institute helped sequence the human genome, a great stride in providing biotechnologists with the tools to develop new medical applications. President Obama appointed Collins director of the National Institute of Health (NIH). He resigned as president of BioLogos Foundation to assume the NIH position in 2009. Dr. Darrel Falk then assumed the presidency. Dr. Collins has perhaps now become more famous for promoting theistic evolution--the idea that modern man has come into existence by naturalistic processes--and stating that such beliefs are totally compatible with a belief in God and with scripture as God’s revelation. Most Catholics and mainline Protestants believe in theistic evolution. The target group for Collins’ efforts is evangelical Christians who have a personal conflict with the issue and who may feel cultural pressures to believe in evolution--the position of a large segment of the professional science community and almost everyone in biological sciences. Collins’ account of his conversion to Christianity, his path to faith in God, and God’s coming to earth in the person of Jesus Christ seems to conform with traditional orthodox Christian faith. He speaks of his surrender to Christ. He believes in “Christ dying in the place of us who deserve God’s judgment for our wrongdoings.” Collins writes “Christ paid the ultimate price to free us from the bondage of sin.” The scientist states the crucifixion and resurrection provide a remedy for “…self-will, in order to be reborn as a new creation.” But the ideas of creationism and intelligent design (ID) in the natural world are not persuasive for Collins. He acknowledges the Big Bang is entirely compatible with…“the Judeo-Christian tradition, the opening words of Genesis (‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’)” Collins acknowledges the Big Bang event with a certain ambiguity. One of his six stated premises upon which theistic evolution rests reads, “Despite massive improbabilities, the properties of the universe appear to have been precisely tuned for life." A curious passage reads, “One must leave open the door to the possibility that future investigation in theoretical physics will demonstrate that some of the fifteen physical constants that so far are simply determined by experimental observation may be limited in their potential numerical value by something more profound, but such a revelation is not currently on the horizon.” The last quotation seems to reveal an interesting reservation theistic evolutionists may hold concerning not only Genesis 1:1, but also the remaining verses of Genesis 1 and Genesis 2. They explicitly state God created the heavens and the earth, a succession of living creatures, and finally, man. The ancient bara is the strongest of several Hebrew words translated “create” in our English versions. It could mean to produce something out of nothing. At the very least, scripture uses the term to mean the fashioning of something “new, fresh, good, perfect, and pristine,” as one commentator stated. Bara always signals the actions of God. Theistic evolutionists, taking their cue from secular, non-theistic evolutionists, lean toward a naturalistic explanation for every observable event with respect in the natural world. This is the hallmark of methodological naturalism driving the practices and presuppositions of the scientific community, and it is the hallmark of evolutionary scientists. The book jacket for The Language of God declares “For Collins, science does not conflict with the Bible, science enhances it.” What kind of science does Collins refer to? Defenders of theistic evolution refer to evolutionary science which is saturated with naturalistic presuppositions. One of the theistic evolutionist plenary speakers at the October, 2010 Vibrant Dance of Science and Faith Symposium in Austin, TX stated there is a naturalistic answer for the Cambrian explosion (a geologically sudden, stunning proliferation of new animal phyla about 540 mya) and that theistic evolutionists are still searching for a naturalistic answer to the sudden appearance of bio-chemically complex life on Planet Earth 3.8 bya. I have read with interest the naturalistic explanations for the Cambrian explosion. Those accounts do not make a persuasive case. There exists far less hope for a naturalistic event sequence explaining life’s initial appearance. Even for naturalistic scientists this issue is a mystery. Dr. Collins writes, “…the precise mechanism of the origin of life on earth remains unknown…” Genesis 1-2 appears to pose a more credible mechanism: “God created.” Concordism's Counterbalance If concordism is the position that Biblical references to natural history find realization in modern scientific discovery and knowledge, we may wonder if there is a balancing or opposing view. Some Bible scholars question the literality of many scripture creation passages, seeing mere figures of speech in those texts. We may draw only spiritual truths from those literary devices, they claim. Accomodationists state scriptures reflect the human contexts in which they were created and cannot be viewed as literal accounts. Accomodationism allows generous leeway in interpreting what scripture actually means. I have stated that scriptural language may indeed utilize linguistic imagery more typical of the culture of the day it was written. Had our modern scientific concepts been injected into the language of the Bible in their pre-scientific era, the result may have been confusing and less than fruitful. But accomodationists commonly go much further, making statements which cast serious doubt on the accuracy of many Bible accounts. They say, for example, that the use of “firmament” (Hebrew raquia) sometimes signifying a hard, domed shell covering a flat earth may suggest other errors in the Bible. Another term currently used to mold perceptions of scripture was popularized by Peter Enns, reformed evangelical scholar in his 2005 volume Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the problem of the Old Testament. In the context of the book’s thesis, the incarnational model would take account of the dual divine and human aspects of scripture production. In reading the material of Enns, Darrell Falk, Karl Giberson, and others involved in the leadership of BioLogos Forum, it is clear that this view of scripture allows them to make an easy leap to supporting the BioLogos endorsement of theistic evolution: a “molecules to man” evolution, a denial of the literality of Adam and Eve as the first human beings, and an unceasing effort to find naturalistic explanations for mysterious sudden appearances of diverse or novel life forms and other unexplained sudden innovations many view as transcendent creation events. These sudden innovations have been described in detail by secular scientists with no stake in a theological belief system. BioLogos Forum has cast a broad net to attract a wide range of theistic believers. In particular, they appeal to evangelicals who are disillusioned with traditional creationist positions for one reason or another. Under the BioLogos umbrella, it is completely acceptable to believe in evolution and still find inclusion in the Christian community, even the evangelical Christian community. This appears to be a noble and lofty endeavor. But I do not make this statement without expressing a number of my serious concerns with theistic evolution. Many of these concerns relate to the embrace of naturalism. Some of my previous posts have dealt with the implications of both philosophical and methodological naturalism. I invite you to review my upcoming posts and previous archived posts on these topics from 2007 and 2008.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745223

__label__cc

A Startling Irony Irony is defined as a state of affairs or an event that seems contrary to what one would expect. Our focus on the proliferation of data and the resultant increase in knowledge resulting from the recent Digital Revolution triggers a question concerning beliefs of professional scientists: With the exponential increase in scientific understanding of our world and their ability to rapidly expand the use of technology, how has belief in God as the Creator of all things and the fount of knowledge been affected? Statistics point to a startling irony. In a 1998 survey of American Academy of Science members, only 7% possessed a personal belief in God. Other organizations report a smaller percentage of scientists possess a personal belief in God. Science professionals demonstrate far less belief in God as creator and sustainer than non-scientists. Scientists are familiar with fine tuned physical constants governing our universe as well as characteristics of matter and the laws of nature. They did not invent the constants, characteristics, and laws. Rather, they discovered and applied them. God created the matter, as well as the constants, characteristics, and laws. In effect, the Creator of all things instructs scientists, “Now, go to work. I have supplied the raw materials and your tool kit for discovery and application.” Science is not an invention of men. It is God’s gift to men. Humanity is no more intelligent now than he was in the days when the Old Testament Book of Job was written, but we are currently awash in technological advances. The Scientific Revolution beginning in the 16th century was supported by the collective discovery of many gifted giants of scientific intellect. The Digital Revolution or Digital Age, often called the Information Age from mid-20th century to the present, was coincident with the population explosion of the last two centuries. It is a startling irony that belief in God has generally decreased among science professionals. We do not diminish the wondrous achievements of gifted human scientists including those who possess faith in God and those who do not. But we are troubled by the tendency of the vast majority to favor self-recognition and self-empowerment over a creative entity beyond themselves. If there is justifiable pride in their accomplishments, we commend them. We are saddened, however, by unbelief which prevents acknowledgement of the Creator governing and sustaining “all things.” Increased knowledge of science need not undermine belief in God. Instead, it should enhance belief. A similar irony relates to the popular conception reported by Christianity Today that “Overall, people with high IQs and test scores are less likely to be religious.” CT cautioned against placing too much weight on these findings. There may be an implicit bias in their reporting. Sociologist Frank Furedi correctly questions the value of such a project where “science research turns into advocacy research.” Many argue that smart folks including scientists reject religion, but scripture disputes that statement: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.” (Psalm 111:10 NIV) The disbelief of the majority of secular scientists is troubling. In contrast, a famous Psalm 19 passage addresses an observable theological truth: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4 NIV) Message of the Medium Marshall McCluhan (1911-1980) coined a amusing play on the title of his famous best seller, “The Medium Is the Message.” In humor, McCluhan once substituted “massage” for message. The Medium is the Massage recognized that visual or print media could “massage” human awareness and leave a profound impact on an individual’s perception of reality. The letter substitution was originally a printing error. Since McCluhan’s death in 1980, his work has received increased attention owing to the expanded impact of audio, visual, and printed media. In particular, we consider how modern media have been impacted by the overwhelming effects of the Digital Revolution. McCluhan’s thesis was prophetic long before the widespread results of the Digital Revolution became an overwhelming phenomenon of our modern life. McCluhan stated, “New technologies have a gravitational effect on cognition.” He railed against print technology and media such as television almost a half-century ago. Wikipedia reports, Media…“plays a role not by the content delivered over the medium, but by the character of the medium itself.” We wonder how Marshall McCluhan would characterize today’s ubiquitous social interaction via e-mail, cell phones, texting, and instant on-demand entertainment available to contemporary young people and adults if he were yet alive. As wonderful as the science of digital technology is, we must strive to balance its positives with its sometimes frightful negatives. Digital media supplies wonders such as our ability to be in instant audio and visual communication with our loved ones virtually anywhere in the world, to activate our GPS unit safely guiding us to our destination, to access stores of vital information, and to take advantage of distance learning, to name only a few. The negative consequences are at least worth contemplating with equal diligence. We wonder about influences on personal time allotment, cognition, comprehension, and thinking ability. What are the subtle effects of having the media embed itself in the message as McCluhan cautioned? The DuPont Corporation established a new slogan in 1999—“The Miracles of Science.” Surely we must acknowledge that the modern Digital Revolution qualifies as a “miracle of science.” It accomplishes the so-called miracle by utilizing digital wonders similar to the body’s neural systems and information codes in DNA in body cells. Other applications of the expression “The Medium Is the Message” exist in our past blog discussions of life origins and existence. For example, we may consider cell material containing DNA composed merely of ordinary atoms of elements and compounds the physical medium of all life. To the metaphysical naturalist, the medium of physical matter, atoms and molecules, comprises the ultimate message, since he sees physical matter as “all there is.” He believes spiritual entities such as God do not exist. Some scientists may acknowledge the existence of God, but as a practical matter, God may as well not exist. The philosophy of methodological naturalism (MN) is an epistemological protocol of the science profession in all of their investigations. In light of scientists’ metaphysical beliefs or philosophical epistemological protocols, therefore, the medium of self-created, self-existent, and self-sustaining matter is their ultimate message. Creationists, in contrast, see the God of Judeo-Christian scripture as the ultimate executor of a dual message: God is (1) the creator of physical matter and (2) the author of DNA’s incredible ability to produce life embodied in physical matter. In short, God is the Creator of all things—the divine “Message of the Medium.” The Digital Revolution has the imprint of codes wherever we look. Codes are languages and are evidence that an intelligent agent had substantial input into the digital coding process. Not often when we use a digital device do we consider the significance of the coding phenomenon. The phenomenon today is rather like breathing air. Our air breathing example, however, is remarkable in itself. All of its processes are a source of wonder. We must insure that our sense of wonder includes giving glory to God for sustaining mundane events. As we research the phenomena of the Digital Revolution, we discover we must dig more deeply into examples of how intelligent agency makes digital technology possible. Examples may be readily explainable on a technical level, but we may be left wondering how digital technology is intelligently contrived. In our past posts we have discussed how computers, CDs, smart phones, and a host of other devices utilize digital coding. Instead of the smooth modulations of frequency and amplitude by which our eyes and ears perceive sound and light energy, digital technology enables our devices to receive familiar sound and light signals as multiple digits of discrete binary signals represented by “ons” or “offs.” The simplest binary scheme represents the energy stimuli as 0s or 1s. An 8-digit binary code may appear as 01010011. In pre-Digital Revolution days, we may have wondered, “Could it be this simple?” In a digital electronic series of bytes, eight consecutive ons or offs, or even bytes of sixteen or thirty-two ons or offs, the signals must be converted to the equivalent of analog—smooth modulations of frequency and amplitude for sound, and smooth modulations of color and brightness for vision in order to be meaningful for human senses. Our ears hear in analog, not digital; our eyes see in analog, not digital; our ability to read words occurs in analog, not digital. Physical sound, changes of pitch and variations of intensity, are encoded as simple streams of binary digits. A 440, the tuning standard for musical pitch, represents 440 high pressure regions passing a given point per second. The digital readout represents these regions. In Media Essentials, A Brief Introduction, we read, “In digital audio recording, digital audio is directly recorded to a storage device as a stream of discrete numbers, representing the changes in air pressure for audio and chroma and luminance values for video through time.” Video coding is aided by a process using the same principle. It is termed gamma encoding. Written text is encoded to represent a repertoire of characters. It is the most straightforward and easily grasped form of encoding. The process of assignment of eight digit bytes (or more) to represent air pressure, light waves, or characters and their subsequent translation is clearly a project of an intelligent mind. All codes originate with an entity possessing intellect. We cite two examples of physical codes operating in humans as well as in all living things. The principles of coding and its intelligent origin are even more incredible in their wonder-inspiring outcomes—the neural code and the DNA code. Mechanical pressure waves striking the ear, electromagnetic energy impinging on the retina, the pressure of physical touch on the skin, and many other bodily sensations trigger “action potentials” in millions of neural conduits to the brain. Most simply, these are described as “spikes,” also called action potentials or nerve impulses—temporary reversals of electrical polarity rapidly traveling down the length of the nerve fibers. This “spike” may be compared with a switch which is either on or off, or digits 0 or 1 having only two values. Electrical spikes traveling down millions of neurons is coded information. Our brain is able to decode the neural signals, making them intelligible as meaningful sound, vision, or other stimuli. How our conscious brain accomplishes this task is the subject of intense research in physiology. Scientists have learned much concerning the process, but many answers are shrouded in mystery, known only by the Creator of the Code. The DNA code is arguably the most awe inspiring code governing living things on this earth. DNA is essentially a giant molecule possessing a digital code. Only two nucleotides, molecular assemblages in the DNA molecule known as base pairs, exist on the helical DNA molecule. These base pairs occur on the DNA ladder in a specific binary digital order. The occurrence of three specific nucleotides in a certain grouping signal that one of twenty amino acids should be produced and assembled into thousands of different proteins—building blocks of the human body. Scientists have discovered what happens in the production of a new living entity, but in their discoveries of how it happens they come up short. Many coding secrets have been revealed, but the secrets of life are multidimensional. The DNA code is recognized by scientists as a language as are other codes. All languages come from a mind. Information theorist Perry Marshall has clearly articulated these proposals in the last few years. He poses the Atheist’s Riddle: “Show me a language that does not come from a mind.” Psalm 139:14 reveals additional truth: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well (NIV). GPS and Digital Technology Many 21st century residents are highly attuned to technology as an instructional tool to plumb previously unknown mysteries of how our God-created world works and how man has harnessed its working features. The modern world supplies ample opportunity to study scientific advances occurring at an ever accelerating pace. Recently our automobile trip to a family reunion in Georgia gave us reason to examine popular current and past technologies and how our reunion attendees utilize them. Of 28 reunion attendees, 12 were “middle aged” Gen Xers, born between 1966 and 1981. The Digital Revolution began just before most of these Gen Xers were born. Most of them barely recall the onset of compact disc (CD) technology in the early 1980s. It was always part of their lives. CD technology was an important turning point in the Digital Revolution which has revolutionized our lives in multiple ways. One of the family reunion Gen Xers was our daughter. About ten years ago she informed us she had just purchased a GPS (Global Positioning System) for her car. She explained it was able to pinpoint her location with a moving visual graphic of her car superimposed on her local street at that moment, complete with instructions on how to arrive at her programmed destination. For me, a member of the Silent Generation, born 1925-1945, it was merely one more example of a novel technological “digital miracle.” The days of awkward unfolding of paper maps and squinting at the maps’ fine print were a thing of the past. The Digital Revolution is barely a half-century old. Until then all transmission of voice, image, and data was analog. In contrast, today almost all such communication is digital. What does analog mean? Parents of today’s Gen Xers were raised on analog media. It simulated what occurred when we perceived audible sound varying in frequency (pitch) and amplitude (loudness) in a constant modulation. This means pitch and loudness gradually and constantly changed to produce our perception of sound. Likewise, visual images consisted of a constant modulation of light waves in their frequency (color) and amplitude (brightness). Several decades ago vinyl records reproduced sound with physical grooves on the record to physically match and reproduce the pattern of sound waves in air. Vinyl records were, therefore, a physical analog of actual sound, producing an analog sound recording. Video cameras also used analog technology until recently. The color hues and image brightness recorded on the video tape matched the natural modulation produced by the external object. GPS technology is one of the “newest kids on the block,” joining the ongoing flow of the Digital Revolution. All family members used their smart phone GPS apps to arrive at Georgia’s Lake Lanier. One week later, barely 24 hours after their departure, family members from six states had arrived home, their GPS units at the ready. Although GPS signals from three different satellites arrive at Earth by electromagnetic microwave radiation, digital mapping technology has enriched the Digital Revolution to provide modern society with life saving benefits. Airborne digital camera systems capture images of terrain and create mosaics of the earth surface features using plentiful related information from other sources. What does a digital camera system do? It breaks images into thousands of tiny individual portions of discrete information rather than reproducing the smooth, continuous flow of sound or light information from old fashioned analog recording devices. Each of the thousands of individual portions known as a byte is usually digitally represented as a series of eight binary digits, either 0s or 1s. In this manner, information is represented symbolically. Later it is translated to more familiar auditory and visual stimuli with little loss of fidelity. Most people cannot tell the difference between an analog reproduction and a digital reconstruction of the original sound or light stimulus. The advantages of digital technology over analog are enormous. Computers digitally store far more information now than was ever possible several decades ago. Digital technology has enriched our lives beyond the wildest imagination of the five family seniors raised as members of the Silent Generation. Our younger reunion goers were not nearly as astonished. We now live in the Information Age, an outgrowth of the Digital Revolution. The prophetic Book of Daniel contains a passage referencing the knowledge explosion in end times of Earth existence. Recognizing that human knowledge has been on the increase for hundreds and thousands of years, we perceive the current explosion as extraordinary. The passage in Daniel 12:4 concerning the explosion of knowledge has been interpreted as a clear reference to the stress inherent in end times. It is worthy of contemplation in terms of the positives and negatives of the Digital Age, also known as the Information Age: “But you, Daniel, close up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge” (NIV). One might wonder if the proliferation of information and the increase of knowledge gives us cause for concern or for thankfulness. Perhaps it is a cause for both. God's Positioning System Our post title is a play on the popular term GPS—Global Positioning System. Summer is the active season for vacations and family reunions, sometimes in distant locales. Travel by automobile is not nearly the same challenge as decades ago. One travel accessory was the inevitable set of roadmaps and Trip-tiks. In our day many still feel secure with old fashioned folded road maps. These travel aids are still useful for supplying automobile occupants with the big picture of where they are going, how long the trip will take, and other calculable details. But the traditional reliable printed guides have been replaced by GPS screens on the dashboard. Even better, GPS I-phone apps provide incredible capabilities. In 1978 our military launched their first GPS satellite powered mainly by solar energy. Currently there are 24 GPS satellites orbiting 11,000 nautical miles above earth. Each satellite orbits the earth at 18,000 mph. In order to pinpoint a precise three-dimensional spot on earth to 15 meter or better accuracy we must know the accurate, instantaneous distance to four different orbiting satellites. The exact distance between the GPS satellite and the GPS receiver on the ground must be calculated. From 11,000 nautical miles a microwave signal travels between the GPS receiver and the satellite it is tracking. The microwave signal takes about 0.06 seconds to travel this distance. Microwaves travel at the known speed of light. The distance between the GPS satellite and the GPS receiver on the ground may then be calculated by multiplying the exact time taken for the signal to reach the ground times the speed of light, known to be 186,000 miles per sec. This supplies the distance between the two devices. Geometrical calculations take over in a process called trilateration. The I-phone screen reveals its wonders each second of highway travel. A portion of the landscape, complete with in-scale graphics of local streets, roads, parks, and water bodies, scrolls down the screen along with a symbol of your vehicle moving forward along the highway at speeds matching your real speed. Each position of your vehicle on the screen represents your instantaneous position as calculated by the trilateration described above. Positioning information is renewed many times per second. In addition to display of instantaneous ground position, movement, speed, and projected arrival times, GPS technology has applications to agriculture, reconnaissance, guided missiles, emergency response, and many others. Our omniscient God is aware of all physical locations in the universe at each moment. In addition, he knows the spiritual location of all humans. We must search for our spiritual location. God provides accessibility to himself. “God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being…” Acts 17:27-28 (NIV). In terms of our physical location modern humans now have instant access to this information. Through the wonders of the electromagnetic spectrum an unlimited array of different wavelengths is able to transfer energy and information from distant places at the speed of light. Through modern technology we have learned to harness electromagnetic energy such as microwaves and blend other scientific discoveries to produce the full scope benefits of our GPS devices. Alexander Graham Bell’s initial invention of the telegraph was demonstrated in 1844 in a light speed communication between Washington and Baltimore. The coded message was “What hath God wrought?” That message still remains appropriate today with increasing frequency. Our Creator has designed a physical world demanding precision fine tuning of hundreds of systems to be comfortably and healthily habitable. These physical systems with all their cosmic and geological magnificence could be perceived as a work of grandeur even if humans did not exist. Creation’s purpose, however, would be unfulfilled without the presence of humanity as its crowning creative achievement. Considering earth’s millions of diverse species, none comes close to a conscious grasp of the beauty and complexity of the created order and how its systems function. No living creature possesses the ability to comprehend the workings of the physical environment. Living creatures respond to their environment by searching for physical satisfaction—food, comfort, and yielding to their instinctual drives. Any knowledge of ontology, the study of existent entities, and metaphysics, the study of being beyond the physical, are unknown to any creatures beneath man. Humanity was in view in the mind of God before the sequence of creation events was initiated. Genesis 1:26 quotes God as saying “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…” As an eternal and omniscient being, God, the Creator of heaven and earth, created the physical system of heavens and earth with its living plants and animals as a grand prelude to his ultimate creative goal—man. In the mind of the Creator even man’s ultimate spiritual redemption was conceived before the beginning of time (I Cor. 2:7, II Tim. 1:19, Tit. 1:2). Without man the purpose of creation would be unfulfilled. We imagine that God’s plan for the ultimate existence of man in his image and his joy in creating man would have been imperfect and incomplete. The physical systems of the cosmos and Planet Earth would have been magnificent, but there would have been no humans present to comprehend reality and appreciate the beauty of the systems. As humans we are capable of determining the most opportune manner in which to alter our physical system in accord with God’s Genesis mandate to “subdue the earth.” Early man learned how to progress beyond the hunter-gatherer stage. He learned how to fashion tools, how to acquire complex building strategies, and in modern times, he discovered the use of digital technology based on physical realities such as ubiquitous natural and man-made electromagnetic radiation. With such advanced intellectual capability to fashion our environment have come both beneficial and detrimental changes to our environment. Never was the command to “subdue the earth” to be used more responsibly than in our modern times. Several of our recent posts have centered on climate change. Our “subdue the earth” strategies have not all had desirable effects on our atmosphere. For example, in the last decades of the 20th century our population suffered several detrimental atmospheric events. Acid rain was the name given to the effect of release of oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, mainly gases released into the atmosphere from the burning of coal. These gases formed acidic reactions in the air and soil which were proved to harm some plants and fish, especially in the US northeast. Another effect was the depletion of atmospheric ozone composed of three chemically joined oxygen atoms. The natural atmospheric ozone shield prevented UVB radiation from passing through to earth’s surface. UVB could cause increased skin cancer, plant damage, and harm to the plankton population. Ozone was degraded by certain man-made aerosols such as refrigerants accumulating in the atmosphere. The good news is that these two problems have been partially remedied to repair this man-made atmospheric pollution by treatment of released gases and substitution of less harmful chemicals. We are on track to solving these problems more completely in the future. The cost has generally been less than anticipated. By far the most difficult environmental issue is climate change. The issue is complex and overstated by a large contingent of commentators. The problem may not be solved by heeding alarmist pronouncements that we must spend literally trillions of dollars to find alternate energy sources in coming years. There is sharp disagreement that increased CO2 concentration will truly result in harmful warming of earth’s climate in view of thousands of climate subsystems—feedback mechanisms we still do not understand. Benefits of a slight warming of climate and slightly increased CO2 levels may be more beneficial than harmful in light of advantages of slightly elevated global warmth and enhanced growth of food crops. There is intense disagreement that imposing astronomical costs of fossil fuel substitutes will be effective in reducing global temperature even a small amount. Third world countries will suffer the most harm because they cannot afford to implement this unproven remediation scheme. It would drive these nations into increased poverty in the face of our desire to help the world’s poor. We must intensively study and pray over these issues for answers laden with wisdom from our Creator (James 1:5).

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745224

__label__wiki

Icon and The Black Roses started in 1999 under the name of Blue Obsession. In this early period the band recorded a demo called “4 Winter Songs” which allowed them to secure a deal with Dark-Wings records in 2001. Dark-Wings requested a 5 Track CD to be edited in Germany, so the band spent time in studios in Lisbon, Hamburg and Tenerife recording the debut EP. The drums on the EP were performed by Daniel Zimmerman and produced by Gamma Ray’s Dirk Schlächter. The final mix was handled by Charlie Bauerfiend (Blind Guardian, Hammerfall, etc). Dark-Wings decided later that year to extend the release to a full album. The band flew to Berlin to record the extra material and in June 15 2004, their self-titled debut album was released by Dark-Wings with distribution by SPV. The album went down very well with the listeners and the press, with Icon winning the award for the best new act for LOUD‘s readers. Reviews averaged at 8 out of 10 whilst Icon was being played on radio stations worldwide, charting on a number of European stations. Following the initial success the band split for personal reasons. In 2011 the band announced their return with a new line up whilst songs from the first album were featured on the hit computer game “ROCKBAND (xbox/PS/wii)”. In 2013 the band released a lyric video for Wings of a Dreamer, an advance from their latest album “Thorns”. Thorns has been recorded between Lisbon, London and Alessandria and mixed by Daniel Cardoso. Thorns still has similar colours to that of their previous release from 2004 but adds a new sound to the band which is heavier and more energetic. “Icon shows great care with every song, which is what I admire the most in this band, what I call love at first listen” Horns Up 5/5 “I’m charmed by the melodic vocals. Highly recommended!” Metal-Temple.com 10/10 Icon And The Black Roses are: Johnny Icon – Vocals Lucien Yorg – Guitars Sean Rose – Bass Jax Cairn -Drums Antonio Agate – Keyboards

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745226

__label__wiki

You are here: Home Drama Beat Latest Drama News Chinook High School explores compassion in the Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time Chinook High School explores compassion in the Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time Tuesday, 11 December 2018 18:44 Richard Amery We’ll take a cup of kindness, yet. Chinook High School hopes to promote compassion and understanding with their production of “ the Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-time, which runs Dec. 12-17. The Simon Stephens penned drama, based on Mark Haddon’s novel is a five time Tony Award winning, seven time Olivier Award winning play. Chinook High School drama teacher Duane Piper is directing the production. “ So we feel pretty lucky to be able to do it,” said assistant director, Grade 12 student Kaitlin Carter. “It is about Christopher Boone, A 15-year-old with autism who is really good at math. We get to see the world through his eyes,” Carter continued, adding the 25 member cast and crew tell the story though a lot of tech, sound, storytelling as well as the acting itself. “The Story opens with Christopher finding a dead dog on the road and is blamed for it because he is first on the scene, but he decides to try and solve the mystery and find out who did it,” she described, noting as the story progresses, he discovers a devastating secret about his family. “ It’s a really exciting project for us to work on,” she said adding Chinook students are working with more tech and fewer cast than in most of their previous performances. “It’s definitely a drama, though there are some funny moments,” she said, adding the story contains some important lessons about compassion, caring and empathy for other people. “There are two actors who play Christopher. One of them is on the spectrum for autism, though Christopher is a lot further along the spectrum, she added, noting the cast hand crew have learned a lot of lessons about compassion from working with an actor with autism. “We wanted to portray the character in a respectful way,” she said. The cast and crew have been rehearsing this production since the beginning of October. Damian Currie, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student, noted he brings out Christopher’s innocence. “ There are two of us playing Christopher and they are both slightly different. He’s a nice kid. I’ve been trying to bring out his innocence,” Currie said, noting he has been acting since he was 7. “ Christopher Boone is a 15-year old with autism. He”s really nice and he loves his pet rat, Toby,” Currie continued. “ I’ve been to bring out his really innocent way of seeing the world,” he said. “I’m a lot different than he is. He’s really good at math and I’m terrible at it,” he said. “The is play is a really great way to get into the mind of someone with autism and see the world through their perspective,” he said. The play is still running on Broadway and London’s west end, it was just opened up for other productions last year, and to director Duane Piper’s knowledge, this is the southern Alberta premiere though The Citadel Theatre in Edmonton did it last spring.
Parental guidance is recommended as the play includes mature themes and language. The show begins at 7 p.m. each night.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745228

__label__cc

Lily Hoang is a regular author to HTMLGIANT. Lily Hoang Lily Hoang is the author of five books: Parabola (Chiasmus Press, 2008), Changing (Fairy Tale Review Press, 2008), The Evolutionary Revolution (Les Figues Press, 2009), Unfinished (Jaded Ibis Press, 2010), and Old Cat Lady (1913 Press, forthcoming 2014-15). With Blake Butler, she edited 30 Under 30 (Starcherone Books, 2011), and with Joshua Marie Wilkinson, she is editing the anthology The Force of What’s Possible: Writers on the Avant-Garde and Accessibility (Night Boat Books, forthcoming 2014-15). She is Associate Department Head at New Mexico State University, where she teaches in the MFA program and serves as Prose Editor for Puerto del Sol. Lily Hoang’s faculty page at New Mexico State University Books by Lily Hoang TrenchArt: Maneuvers Harold Abramowitz Paul Hoover Mathew Timmons The Evolutionary Revolution CHRIS TYSH

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745232

__label__cc

Earth A.D. Earth A.D. Letra 1, 2, 3, 4 whoa oh, when you feel like you're going too slow i bet you're gonna like it in ad ad people gonna talk about ad ad bloody hell and sacrifice you, your head's on a big display well you're really gonna like it here ad ad people gonna talk about ad ad living hell is not so bad you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hills have eyes, yeah you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hill have eyes and then there's gonna be god instead of death is mine and then you oh, ooh, on earth as it is in hell we'll see you get to like it in ad ad people gonna talk about ad ad bloody hell and sacrifice you, your head's on a big display oh, you're really gonna like it in ad ad the people gonna talk about ad ad living hell is not so bad you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hills have eyes, yeah you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hill have eyes and then there's gonna be god instead of death is mine and then you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hills have eyes, yea you bet your life there's gonna be a fight you bet your life because the hill have eyes and then there's gonna be god instead of death is mine and then you

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745233

__label__wiki

Hippie shake-up Alyn Griffiths Jonathan Barnbrook California: Designing Freedom Design Museum, London 24 May – 15 October 2017 Curated by Justin McGuirk and Brendan McGetrick Exhibition graphics: Barnbrook What do Victor Moscoso’s psychedelic music posters, Harley Davidson’s Captain America chopper, the film Easy Rider and a pair of Snapchat Spectacles have in common? According to the curators of an exhibition at Design Museum, they are all ‘tools of personal liberation’, created in California and indicative of a philosophy that has made The Golden State the most influential place on the planet for groundbreaking design and technology. ‘California: Designing Freedom’ presents a version of Californian creativity that eschews the familiar figures of West Coast mid-century Modernism (Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames et al) in favour of exploring the way that 1960s counterculture might have influenced Silicon Valley’s tech start-up boom. ‘This shift in what we mean by “California design” – from postwar interiors to global communication tools – is the story of how design itself has evolved as a discipline,’ writes Justin McGuirk (the Design Museum’s chief curator) in his introduction to the catalogue. The exhibition is divided into five sections that attempt to group the diverse works according to attitudinal themes instead of a more typical chronological format. The first theme, ‘Go Where You Want’, focuses on mobility and escape, from pioneering transportation concepts to pocket-sized devices that allow us to explore and communicate with the world while on the move. The other four sections explore ideas relating to perception and alternate realities (‘See What You Want’), rebellion and freedom of expression (‘Say What You Want’), production and autonomy (‘Make What You Want’), and collaboration and community (‘Join Who You Want’). The psychoactive drug LSD features in ‘See What You Want’, where it is described as a ‘tool of consciousness’ that informed the music and graphics of the counterculture, including the trippy posters created by artists including Moscoso and Rick Griffin. The curatorial approach largely succeeds in presenting Californian design as an ethos or mentality rather than a style or movement. However the objects and graphic materials on display lack the blockbusting visual thrust or thematic consistency of many design exhibitions, and may therefore struggle to engage an audience seeking aesthetic gratification. Activism and freedom of expression are the main focus of the ‘Say What You Want’ section, with the artwork created by Emory Douglas for the Black Panther Party illustrating how design formed a vital part of 1960s protest. Poster by Emory Douglas, 1969 (Collection of the Oakland Museum of California). Top: Installation photo of ‘California: Designing Freedom’ by Luke Hayes. The Whole Earth Catalog (see Eye 78) is prominently featured in the show as an important reference point for both the hippie communes of the late 1960s and those behind a subsequent revolution prompted by the emergence of personal computing. Stewart Brand’s pioneering publication influenced the first generation of hackers, whose quest to liberate computers (from the military and large corporations) laid the foundations for a move towards virtual communities in which individuals use the same digital platforms as pop stars and presidents. Some of the most noteworthy exhibits focus on the role design has played in making computers and digital devices more accessible, intelligent and user-friendly. The development of graphical user interfaces that allowed non-experts to communicate more intuitively with computers are represented by items such as Susan Kare’s early Macintosh icons, and April Greiman’s Does it Make Sense? poster for Design Quarterly magazine. These exhibits may feel archaic, yet they helped shape the things we all now see and interact with daily. The show’s narrative is based on a notion of creative freedom that has led to California’s social and technological revolutions. However, visitors without prior knowledge of the ideas and objects being presented may struggle to reconcile, for example, low-tech anarchist publishers with commercial giants such as Google and Facebook. McGuirk insists that the success of such companies is in part down to a ‘disruptive’ attitude and a determination to innovate that is profoundly Californian. ‘This paradox does exist at the heart of the exhibition,’ he says. ‘There’s no contradiction in Californian ideology between creating things that empower people, like a search engine, and making yourself billions of dollars. What differentiates the likes of Google and Apple, and makes them interesting in this context, is the way they have harnessed the power of design.’ With so many of us carrying around devices designed or developed in California, there is undoubtedly some merit in examining the ideas that informed their creation and helped produce the connected world we currently inhabit. Although some of the exhibits feel a little dry or insignificant in their own right, in this context they form part of a timely examination of California’s significant role in the past, present and future of design. See also: Abbott Miller’s ‘California is a state of mind’ a review of Earthquakes, Mudslides, Fires and Riots: California & Graphic Design, 1936-1986 in Eye 90 Alyn Griffiths, journalist, editor, copywriter, Edinburgh First published in Eye no. 94 vol. 24, 2017 Eye is the world’s most beautiful and collectable graphic design journal, published quarterly for professional designers, students and anyone interested in critical, informed writing about graphic design and visual culture. It is available from all good design bookshops and online at the Eye shop, where you can buy subscriptions, back issues and single copies of the latest issue. You can see what Eye 94 looks like at Eye before You Buy on Vimeo. Popular Review Articles Information and emancipation Design odyssey Impressions of another time Hard-working hooligans

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745236

__label__wiki

The First Domestic Project Of Sodium-nickel Battery Was Completed Date:Apr 24, 2019 Since April 3, the stock price of Chaowei Power has continued to climb, and the cumulative increase in 10 trading days has been about 25%. In this regard, the market generally judged that the rise in stock price was attributed to the official launch of Zhejiang Anli Energy Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Chaowei Group, which is the second in the world and the first sodium-sodium (sodium salt) battery project in China. According to public information, in January 2017, Chaowei Group signed a cooperation agreement with General Electric Company (GE) for the Durathon sodium salt battery project, and launched a total investment of US$105 million to jointly establish Zhejiang Anli Energy Co., Ltd. (Anli Energy). And plans to produce and sell a total capacity of 500MWh sodium-nickel battery. Today, the first phase of the project's 50MWh capacity has been completed and put into production. In addition, according to relevant reports, on April 1 this year, the energy storage system of the monitor station communication base station of the No. 6 Jiangjiang Road in Jianggan District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Province adopted the sodium-nickel battery produced by Zhejiang Anli, which is also the first sodium nickel in China. The battery energy storage pilot project was completed and put into use. In the industry's view, sodium-nickel (sodium salt) batteries are considered to be a new industrial energy storage technology for new energy grid-connected, distributed generation and micro-grid. Yang Yusheng, the chief engineer of Anli Energy Battery, interviewed by the "Securities Daily" reporter believes that among many energy storage technologies, sodium-nickel batteries are characterized by more safety and reliability, long cycle life, high specific energy and environmental friendliness. Zhang Hongtao, deputy general manager of Anli Energy, told the "Securities Daily" reporter that the current 50MWh sodium-nickel battery capacity has been difficult to meet the demand for orders. "We have considered further expansion in the short term." It is understood that sodium-nickel battery is an important part of Chaowei's emerging sector. Therefore, Zhou Mingming, chairman of Chaowei Group, has high hopes for Anli Energy. According to public information, the sodium-nickel battery was developed by General Electric Company in the United States for 11 years. It achieved commercial breakthrough in 2012 and was applied in various fields such as communication, energy storage and vehicles. It has built optical storage and wind storage in 25 countries around the world. , peak management, communication base stations and other projects, operating time is more than 100 months. In 2017, Chaowei Group established the above cooperation with General Electric Company of the United States. It is reported that in addition to intellectual property rights authorization, the United States General Electric Company has also invested in Anli Energy. Related reports show that on April 1, China's first sodium-nickel battery energy storage pilot project was completed and put into use, which is the product of Yangli Energy. It is understood that in October 2018, Chaowei Group's Zhejiang Salvage Yongming Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Anli Energy Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Unicom Operation and Maintenance Department initially proposed the willingness to test sodium-nickel batteries. After several exchanges, the operation and maintenance department It is recognized that the sodium-nickel battery has high specific energy, high ambient temperature tolerance, cycle life, high safety and high reliability, and agrees to carry out the application of sodium-nickel battery. After many discussions, in the beginning of March this year, Zhejiang Unicom approved the sodium-nickel battery-based communication base station energy storage pilot program proposed by the company. On April 1st, the monitoring tower communication base station of the No. 6 Jiangjiang Road, Jiangtong Road, Jiangtong District, Hangzhou, using the sodium-nickel battery produced by Anli Energy was completed and put into use. Zhang Hongtao introduced that, looking at the international market, the experience of using sodium-nickel batteries in the field of communication has been relatively mature. "Only in China, there is still a need for an acceptance process that requires pilot testing. But we expect that sodium-nickel batteries will show their skills in the field of communication. At the same time, he also revealed to reporters that in the existing orders, in addition to communications, customers are mainly concentrated in the user side, grid side, data center and so on. Yang Yusheng told reporters that sodium-nickel battery is a kind of high-temperature sodium battery, which has the characteristics of safety, environmental protection, long cycle life and low cost. It is extremely safe and is a non-combustible, non-explosive battery; it is very adaptable to the environment and can work normally in the environment of minus 40 degrees Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius, and can be used in the Arctic Arctic and the Equator region; Its monomer specific energy reaches 135 watt-hours per kilogram, the service life is 2 to 5 times that of lithium batteries, and the 80% DOD cycle life reaches 7500 times. After the system is formed, the volume is 50% smaller than the lithium battery system, and the whole life cycle. The cost is 50% lower than lithium batteries. However, some industry insiders told the "Securities Daily" reporter that the task of reducing the cost of sodium-nickel batteries is still arduous and depends on the standardization effect. However, considering the advantages in terms of life, the cost reduction of sodium-nickel batteries seems to be broader. ←Previous: Battery Classification Next: Why Can't Electric Vehicle Batteries Be Replaced By Lithium Batteries?→

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745241

__label__cc

Home » Articles » Lowe Art Museum Features Carlos Estevez’s Distinctive Vision in “Cities of the Mind” Lowe Art Museum Features Carlos Estevez’s Distinctive Vision in “Cities of the Mind” Posted by Elisa Turner Celestial City. 2017. Oil and watercolor pencil on canvas. 88 x 88 inches. The lacy filigree of geometric patterns in Celestial City takes the eye on a circular journey. (Photo courtesy of Carlos Estevez) THESE MAPS will not make a difference if you are lost. These maps will not get you from point A to point B. These maps could even make you more lost than ever. And, just maybe, that might be a good thing. You could be startled into discovering a distinctive new way of seeing the world. Maps and their traditions have long found their way into the work of Cuban-born artist Carlos Estevez. He’s also taken creative cues from illuminated manuscripts, ancient classical and medieval literature, astronomy, and art history. His current show at the Lowe Art Museum, “Cities of the Mind,” charts a cartographer’s curious quest to map the rich historical and metaphorical life of cities. This creative strategy merges what sometimes resemble architectural blueprints of built environments with his own delicious, time-traveling imagination. He amplifies that imagination with painstaking techniques. First, he treats canvases with oil paint applied in assorted ways, from sponging to wiping with layers of colors. Next, he places detailed watercolor pencil drawings over that surface. In addition, another layer of patterns, created by stenciled dots and geometric shapes, distinguishes these intricate, obsessive paintings. The effect can be mesmerizing, sometimes spatially disorienting — not at all what you’d expect from a conventional map. Inner Vision of the Outer Space. (2017). is an homage to the famed astrological clock in Prague’s Old Town Square. (Photo courtesy of Carlos Estevez). Oil and watercolor pencil on canvas. 96 inches diameter. These nine monumental, map-inspired paintings occupy a single gallery at the Lowe that’s been painted a deep royal blue. For the most part, this shade of blue enhances their vibrant, even at times mystical, presence. The paintings “Thera” and “Savannah,” with subdued tones and less inventive compositions, don’t match the show’s overall intensity. “I was born in the heart of Havana … Palaces, castles, squares, and colonial houses surrounded my neighborhood,” Estevez writes in the exhibit catalog. “It was there I learned to observe life. When I think of Havana, I imagine the city’s profound relationship with its inhabitants. The same thing happens when I take up temporary residence in or even visit other significant sites, including Venice, Paris, London, and Madrid (to name but a few).” A passionate traveler, thanks in part to artist’s residencies in the United States and Europe, Estevez was inspired for this exhibit by his visits to cities including Athens, Avila, Istanbul, Prague, as well as Savannah, Ga. “Inner Vision of the Outer Space” is a stunner. It shines with glorious color and an elegant, rhythmic composition. The artist sees this painting as an homage to the famed astrological clock in Prague’s Old Town Square. Formally, the painting does suggest the inner workings of a clock, recalling how a vintage timepiece contains circular mechanical devices known as movements, as well as gears propelling their timekeeping motion behind a clock’s face. Animating “Inner Vision of the Outer Space” is a spirited composition with more than 20 circles, large and small. They are elaborately painted on a tondo, or round canvas, that’s 8 feet in diameter. It creates a movement for the eye that can be both dizzying and meditative, as the artist has transformed the singular medieval landmark of a singular city into a multi-tasking metaphor for the passage of time and ancient efforts to map starry constellations. This painting’s accumulation of radiating circles can bring to mind the spectacle of a star-studded night sky, with the added benefit of outrageous color. Perhaps with this expansive work, the artist is making several creative leaps, alluding to the dramatic explosion of celestial colors brought on by the Northern Lights or aurora borealis. Sanctuary City. (2019). Features oil and watercolor pencil on canvas. (Photo courtesy of Carlos Estevez) The painting “Celestial City” is an even more resounding witness to his fascination with starry nights. As he explains in the catalog essay, it was directly inspired by ancient maps of the skies, although he confesses that: “I never manage to decipher animals, creatures, or gods in the sky as figurative representations.” For this painting, he envisioned “my own patterns in the sky, imaginary urban maps based on the cosmos.” The lacy filigree of geometric patterns in “Celestial City” takes the eye on another circular journey, punctuated with multiple diagonal and curving pathways like avenues leading to a city center. They lead to the painting’s radiant heart, where concentric circles surround a piercing blue dot marking the midpoint of the canvas. This dot is akin to the round oculus window found atop domed buildings throughout architectural history, from the Romans to the Renaissance and beyond. This type of window allows light to shine inside from a high vantage point as well as dramatically framing a view of the heavens. Named for the Latin word for “eye,” an oculus window implies the presence of a distinctive vision. Certainly this artist’s distinctive vision is at the heart of “Cities of the Mind.” What: “Carlos Estevez: Cities of the Mind” When: On view through May 3 Where: Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, 1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, noon -4 p.m. Sundays Cost: $12.50 for adults and children age 12 and older; $6 for students; $8 for seniors; free for members, children younger than 12, UM students and faculty and staff, US military personnel, AAM members, AAMG members More information: 305-284-3535; lowe.miami.edu Published with permission from Artburst Miami. ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit source of theater, dance, visual arts, music and performing arts news. Sign up for their newsletter and never miss a story.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745242

__label__cc

Tue, 2 Oct 2018 Sun On The Village: A Poem for Puerto Rico Filters: Arts & Humanities Fri, 14 Sep 2018 Murray Sams, Jr Recalls Birmingham Church Bombing Mr. Murray Sams, Jr. is an Army Veteran with six years of service. He joined in 1964 and was stationed in Munich, Germany where he was with the Fifth Battalion, 32nd Armory as a gunner and tank commander. But before his heroic service, the 74 year old was working as an orderly at Hillman Hospital in Alabama on a Sunday morning 55 years... more... My Feets Remembering Birmingham...My Feets An Artist on Top of the World – Remembering... One night during Memorial Day weekend of 2014, my friend Bobby and I stood on the roof of a skyscraper residential building on 72nd street. As our friends and family partied around us and fireworks went off in the distance, we looked down upon New York City. I said to him, “Everything that we want is within reach, bro.” He... more... Peace Is Complicated The philosopher Confucius was onto something when he stated, “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” This quote applies to many areas of life, but these days it makes me think specifically about conflict resolution, particularly on a national and global level. It seems that the higher the stakes are,... more... When Companies You Love Do Bad Things I find myself running out of airlines to choose from. Recent news reports of passenger mistreatment leave me disappointed in these companies for their policies and/or personnel, and I remember these feelings when I travel, which is fairly frequently. If I am to maintain a stance of solidarity with the grossly mistreated, my options are... more... Thu, 6 Apr 2017 My Workplace is Sacred I often refer to Studio 145, the performing space housed at Intersections International, as a sacred space. Its prestige is tied to religion, but not one particular religion. It’s a space where reverence is expected for all people, with respect for their spiritual beliefs. I believe that universal kind of reverence is foundational... more... When I Took On a Role Originated for a White Man Last year, I began playing the role of Sam Simon in the one-man (and two musician) play The Actual Dance, the story of a married couple’s navigation of the wife's breast cancer diagnosis, told through the husband’s perspective. The anxiety and anticipation of potentially losing her is compared to waiting in a ballroom to... more... Am I Willing to Die For Justice? I’ve probably heard it a thousand times now, Martin Luther King’s “Mountaintop” speech. He gave the speech in Memphis, TN the night before his assassination. It’s haunting. Especially the end where he specifically talks about having “been to the mountaintop.” And then it’s... more... Thu, 22 Dec 2016 The Good in Messy Theatre “It felt very one-sided,” one audience member said. “It’s one side of the story. Good theatre should at least create a sense of doubt about the message.” “So basically, he’s saying ‘All Lives Matter,’” a friend later said to me, summing up that audience member’s gripe. I... more...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745243

__label__wiki

Bishop Tarabay's Homily Homily delivered by His Excellency Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay For the Occasion of His Installation Mass As Fourth Maronite Bishop of Australia At St Maroun’s Cathedral, Redfern Allow me first to express my deep gratitude to His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, for his presence here tonight, for his support, guidance and collaboration during my ministry in Sydney over the last 10 years. Next, I thank His Excellency Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Apostolic Nuncio to Australia, for his presence with us on this special occasion. His Excellency is representing our Holy Father, His Holiness Pope Francis, whom I was privileged to meet on my recent trip to Rome where I received his Apostolic Blessing for me and for the Maronite Eparchy of Australia. I renew today my filial obedience, loyalty and affection to the Holy Father as Supreme Pontiff, Bishop of Rome and successor of St Peter. As a son of the Syriac Maronite Catholic Church of Antioch, I would like to thank His Eminence and Beatitude Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and with him, I thank the fathers of the Maronite Synod of Bishops for welcoming me amongst them and for their fraternal support especially over the last weeks. My sincere gratitude goes to His Excellency Bishop Mounir Khairallah, Maronite Bishop of the Diocese of Batroun, who is representing His Beatitude the Patriarch at this, the Installation of the fourth Maronite Bishop of Australia. I would also like to thank the members of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference for the support they show to the Maronite Church in Australia. I also thank and welcome all my brothers the Bishops of the Eastern Churches. I assure you of my readiness to work with you in the same spirit of collaboration as His Excellency Bishop Ad Abikaram. My fraternal affection and sincere gratitude also goes to His Excellency Bishop Ad Abikaram, who has served the Eparchy of Australia for the last 11 years. I have worked alongside His Excellency on several occasions and I have witnessed his dedication to the Eparchy and to all the Maronites. Your Excellency, we thank you for all your efforts and we pray that the Lord may grant you good health and graces that you may continue your mission in Lebanon at the service of the Gospel. Brothers and Sisters, if I may, I will shortly reflect on my journey, not from pride, but rather, because I am humbled and filled with wonder to see the graces that Our Lord has blessed me with. I was called to consecrate my life and, so, I entered the novitiate of the Lebanese Maronite Order of Monks in Kfifane, Lebanon in 1983 at the age of 16. Ten years later, in 1993, I was ordained to the priesthood having completed my formation and studies with a degree in Theology and Philosophy. Over the last 20 years, I have served as priest in different parishes and capacities. I have administered the sacraments, lectured in Moral Theology and Bioethics, and worked in the fields of education and formation of new generations. And now, Our Lord has called me to the fullness of the priesthood to become the shepherd of his Maronite flock in Australia. Tonight, at the commencement of my Episcopal tenure, the first step for me is to renew my vows by which I consecrated my life to the Lord, and to serving Him and you, his brothers and sisters, especially the little ones. For me, the face of the Lord is beyond conception, unless I can find it reflected in some way within both the face of humanity and the faces of each individual child of God. The essence of my call and vocation are to be found in the words of the Lord: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit.” (John 15:16) With a sense of wonder, I tell you that it is a grace beyond any expectation or understanding of mine that I should have been chosen by the Lord for this ministry. If I try and think about it, I become amazed: he called me to follow Him, and now he has chosen me to tend to his sheep, and feed his flock. It almost overcomes me to say this, but it is as if I hear him asking: “Antoine-Charbel, do you love me more than these?” Before you now, I respond, standing beneath his gaze: “Lord Jesus, I have no other answer to make than St Peter’s, You know everything and You know that I love You.” I have been chosen by Our Lord to shepherd His flock, but it is only in loving Him more than anybody or anything else and submitting myself to His holy will that I can become a good shepherd. Moreover, I realise that when God chooses someone, he gives also, with his election, an abundance of gifts and blessings, he bestows the fullness of love and mercy. From the start of my consecrated life, I noticed how the Lord rained down upon me blessings without number and beyond my desert. Such generosity has left me questioning, as the Psalmist did: “"What shall I return to the Lord for all his goodness to me?”[1] Because the Lord is great and merciful, he did not leave me in my questioning and confusion, but he graciously revealed his divine will, and called me to lift up the chalice of salvation and call upon His name. This chalice is to be raised with you, brothers and sisters, and all people of good will, as a chalice of blessing and sanctification. Let it be a chalice of commitment and testimony, a chalice of faithfulness and openness, a chalice that leads us through the sacrament of sacraments to our sanctification. For sanctification is in its essence, an ecclesiastical act centered on the communion of life with the Word of God who became man for our salvation. In preparation for my Episcopal ordination, I chose to have my spiritual retreat at the Monastery of Our Lady of Qannoubine in the Holy Valley of Kadisha in Lebanon. My time there was an opportunity to stay close to the roots of the Maronite Church where our forefathers lived and responded to the call of holiness and gave real witness to the Lord through an ascetic life of prayer, sacrifice and martyrdom. In that valley of rough and rocky land, with very limited means and under persecution, they lived holy lives with unshakeable faith in God and in unity with one another. From the Kadisha Valley to Australia, this vast and blessed land of freedom and opportunity, openness and dialogue, this land of diversity and harmony, may we always, dear Maronites, live the values of the Kadisha Valley and appreciate and defend our beloved Australia, respect its diversity and commit ourselves to the social, political and religious fabric of this nation. As proud Maronite Australians, faithful to our rich heritage and traditions, let us continue to contribute to this generous land of Australia, the land of the Holy Spirit, and to the mission of its people. It is a testimony to the role that our community plays in this country and the respect in which it is held, that the Commonwealth parliament has treated the ordination of the new Maronite Bishop as being of national significance, and sent representatives of both Government and Opposition to Lebanon. I would like to thank all the Australian leaders who travelled to Lebanon to attend my episcopal ordination. As a proud Australian, I have been privileged to call Australia home since 2004. It is today the nation closest to my heart as it is the land of my mission, the land where Our Lord has called me to serve His people. Thirty years ago, the Lord called me to consecrate my life to Him in the Lebanese Maronite Order of Monks. Since then, the Order has been my home and my spiritual mother where my talents were nurtured, my faith was deepened and my character was moulded. I cannot thank the Order enough for all that they have offered to me. I especially thank the Superior-General, Most Reverend Abbot Tannous Nehme, who is a role model for monastic life and spiritual fatherhood. I thank him for travelling the long distance from Lebanon to Australia accompanied by a large delegation of the LMO to be with me today. It is fitting that I take as my patron, St Charbel, the first canonized saint of the Lebanese Maronite Order. In his honour, and that of St Anthony, whose name my parents gave me, I take as my episcopal name, Antoine-Charbel. I ask St Charbel, the holy hermit, who reached the glories of heaven to intercede for me that I may be a good shepherd and lead my flock to green pastures. Dear monsignors, fathers, monks, sisters and religious present here today, I greet you and thank you for joining us. We are all workers in the field of the Lord serving Him through our brothers and sisters in Christ and we will continue to work together for our Church in Australia and around the world. My gratitude goes to all the clergy, sisters and community members who travelled to Lebanon for the ordination. To my dear Maronites in Australia, thank you for your wishes, prayers and messages over the last weeks. A special thank you goes to those who have come from Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane to be with us today. Following my appointment as bishop, I realized that the field before us - you and I – is endlessly rich and it has made me proud and happy to hear you say that the new bishop is “one of us”. The young say that they have been given a young bishop who understands their concerns and aspirations, speaks their language and has worked with them for many years, in their homes, schools and workplaces. The mature say that they have a bishop who has extensive experience like theirs, who likes to meet them and their families, and who speaks Arabic and understands the issues facing those who have emigrated from Lebanon, for like you, I too, am an emigrant. I am one of you, I know you and you know me. In the recent past, you have known me as Fr Antoine Tarabay, Rector of St Charbel’s Church, Monastery and College, and today, I am Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay. The name and the responsibilities may have changed but our relationship, collaboration and unity in the Lord remain unchanged. I trust that we will always work hand in hand faithful to our Church’s teachings and traditions and open to the diversity of our country Australia. I greet the elderly, our families, the children and especially the youth to whom I say: Dear young people, as your new Bishop, I would like you to know how proud I am of all of you, and that you are a priority in my apostolate. You are the future and a source of hope for the Church. We need your ideas, your energy and your talents. Allow me today to thank my family, especially my parents, my sisters, and all those who travelled all the way from Lebanon to be with me this week. I thank my parents, brothers and sisters for their love, support and assistance. Events such as these take a lot of preparation and organization. My sincere gratitude goes to the organizing committee of this mass and the cocktails that will follow, to the volunteers, and to all those who helped in any way, especially St Charbel’s Parish choir led by Fr Challita Al-Boustany. My dear Maronites of Australia, you belong to one of the largest Maronite Dioceses in the world. This diocese spreads across a vast country, an entire continent. Our Church here possesses a unique identity which has been organically formed by living Maronite traditions in this prosperous land of diversity. I take as my episcopal motto: Faithfulness and Openness. I shall strive to remain faithful to my Maronite roots and heritage and to be open to the fruit and opportunities of Australia. May I humbly follow the example of His Holiness Pope Francis, when he asked the faithful to pray for him at the beginning of his pontificate. I now invite you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to pray with and for me to Our Lord, saying together: O Jesus, Good Shepherd, pastor filled with compassion, tenderness, and wisdom; teach me to live in Your likeness, to give myself to my flock, and to dedicate myself for their sake. Grant me, O Lord, through Your grace, to bear their weaknesses with patience, to be compassionate and to help them to discern the truth. Help me to console those who are sad, encourage those who are weak, and aid those who have fallen to rise up again, so that I may lead to You all those entrusted to my care. Place on my lips, O Lord, the right words that I may build my flock up in faith, shepherd them in hope, and sanctify them in charity that they may adore You in spirit and in truth. I place them all in Your holy hands and entrust them to Your infinite care. O Lord, meek and humble, to You be glory forever. Amen. [1] Psalm 116:12-13.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745249

__label__wiki

http://signaturebookslibrary.org/?p=8627 In 1831 Abram W. Benton, a young man about the same age as Joseph Jr., recalled the arrest for disorderly conduct and the judgement of guilt, adding, “considering his youth, (he then being a minor,) and thinking he might reform his conduct, he was designedly allowed to escape. This was four or five years ago.”35 In Noble’s 1842 recollection, Smith was charged with vagrancy, condemned, and “whisper came to Jo. off off—took Leg Bail (or Gave [Leg Bail]).”36 35. Letter written by A. W. Benton of South Bainbridge, New York, dated Mar. 1831, in Evangelical Magazine and Gospel Advocate 2 (9 Apr. 1831): 120, Utica, New York. Dr. Abram Benton, according to the family Bible record, was born on 16 July 1805. He was later received into the Medical Society in October 1830 (see James H. Smith, History of Chenango and Madison Counties, New York, 100, 144). For a while he lived on the east bank in South Bainbridge just north of the bridge (Chenango County Deeds RR: 587). About 1838 he moved to Sterling, Illinois, and then to Fulton, where he died on 9 March 1867. 36. Noble to Turner, 8 Mar. 1842. The letter arrived too late to be included in Turner’s book, Mormonism in All Ages, 1842 (see correspondence from Absalom Peters, 1 Jan. and 6 July 1842, regarding the printing, in another Turner Collection in the Illinois State Historical Survey Library, Urbana). Noble after 1850 moved to Hartland Township, Huron County, Ohio, where he died on 19 February 1874.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745260

__label__wiki

Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, 18th Century, gardens Right underneath the flight path of planes taking off from the nearby Birmingham International Airport, mere yards from a modern housing estate and a few miles from the centre of the modern city of Birmingham is a tranquil reminder of a time when the surrounding area was just country side. Today we visited Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens The rear of Castle Bromwich Hall The house was built in 1599 by Sir Edward Devereux and extended by Sir John Bridgeman I about 100 years later. The Gardens were then developed by several generations of the Bridgeman Family reaching a peak of excellence around 1760. The Gardens fell into decline during the twentieth century until they were rescued by the Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens Trust in 1985. These 10 acre walled gardens are a rare example of formal English garden design of the style popular before Capability Brown brought in landscape gardens and formal gardens went out of fashion . They are being restored as near as possible to the period 1680 to 1762 when the Bridgeman family moved to Weston Park. The Kitchen Gardens The Green House and Summer House have been restored: The Parterre style of Garden ( French term I believe) was reconstructed from engravings from the 17th century: There are lots of these little well laid out gardens All in all well worth the visit if you like Gardens and historical ones at that. There is a small tea room there. Adults are £4 entry. Two executions – but one man was already dead Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, Historical Figures On the 30th of January 1649 King Charles I of England was beheaded – the first and only English monarch to be executed for treason. The execution occurred at the end of a trial which itself was controversial. England had NO law that allowed a king to stand trial and indeed the court had to write its own rules based on Roman law. The trial was not popular – of 135 Judges that were summoned only 68 turned up and NONE of them wanted to preside. The charges laid against the king were that he acted: “Out of a wicked design to erect and uphold in himself an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people of England.” The King did not recognize the court and refused to defend himself. In the end the court passed judgement. “He, the said Charles Stuart, as a tyrant, traitor, murderer and public enemy to the good of this nation, shall be put to death by severing of his head from his body.” The execution occurred on 30th January. Charles was allowed to go for a last walk in St James’s park and then ate a final meal of bread and wine. The original exceutioners refused to undertake the act but in the end two anonymous men were paid £100 and were allowed to wear masks. At 2.00 o’clock, the king was led to the scaffold. It was a cold day and he asked to wear thick underclothes as he was worried that if he shivered in the cold, the crowd might think that he was scared. Charles gave a last speech but very few people cold hear his words. He was then beheaded. A loud groan went up from the crowd when he was killed and there was a terrible fear that the nation was drawing the wrath of God upon them. However, this did not stop many in the crowd paying to dip cloth rags in the blood of the dead man – a feeling that the blood of a king being powerful still prevailing. Soon afterwards the Commonwealth abolished the position of king. The execution of Oliver Cromwell Now we wind forward 12 years to 1661. Charles II has returned and with the restoration of the monarchy there was a general amnesty on the opponents of Charles I as part of the agreement of Breda that allowed Charles II to come back. There was ONE major exception to the amnesty. Any man who had signed Charles I’s death warrant or been involved in the execution was a regicide. Charles II demanded that these men die. Of the original men involved actually only 13 were executed. Others were imprisoned and many fled abroad to live out their lives in exile. Four men had died before the restoration. These were dug up and ritually hung. The most famous of these was Oliver Cromwell himself who had been the architect of the defeat of Charles I and Lord Protector during the republic. The day chosen for this act of revenge was the anniversary of the execution of Charles I – the 30th of January 1661. Cromwell’s body was exhumed from Westminster Abbey, and along with that of Robert Blake, John Bradshaw and Henry Ireton was hung in chains at Tyburn. Later his head was displayed on a pole outside Westminster Hall until 1685. If you are interested in this subject then you might care to know about a new exhibition at Banqueting House, London: http://www.hrp.org.uk/BanquetingHouse/WhatsOn/charlesiexecution. I could not resist referring to the head of Cromwell in The Last Seal Westminster had its own shops and in Westminster Hall there was a market. The boys at his school would often go there and spend their pennies on books, sweets, trinkets and toys. Ben had been many times and even the decapitated head of Oliver Cromwell, mounted high up on its roof, did not interest him anymore. Although it had been a curiosity of morbid fascination when he had first arrived at the school, he had seen it so often that he barely glanced at it now. Ben had a more distant destination in mind in his search for something distracting. http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/thelastseal.html Tags: charles i, oliver cromwell March 24 1603 Elizabeth I Queen of England Dies Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, history, richard denning March 24th is the anniversary of the day in 1603 when the greatest queen in England’s history so far (and a contender for most powerful monarch perhaps) died. In 1600 Elizabeth, the last Tudor monarch, had been Queen for 42 years. Many in the kingdom had known no other monarch. At the height of her power during the triumph over the Spanish Armada in 1588, she had created an image of an almost immortal majesty. Yet in the latter years her influence and hold on power were weakening. This was a period of unrest. Wars with Spain and conflict in Ireland rumbled on at great cost. This put a strain on the economy that was not helped by poor harvests. At the same time Elizabeth had become more hard line in her approach to religious non conformists – in particular Catholics. The 1590s had been an era of priest holes and raids in the night. Needing money to pursue her policies and not wanting to take it from a parliament who might impose restrictions on her she instead employed a system of patronage whereby she gained money from supporters in exchange for positions of power and influence and the granting of monopolies which made some men rich at the expense of many others and was a deeply unpopular policy. She maintained an illusion of peace and tranquillity with a combination of propaganda and the suppressing of dissent by the use of a network of informers. Nevertheless support from parliament and the people was waning. In these last years her senior advisor Robert Cecil began making plans for the succession. Elizabeth was not willing to discuss her choice of heir so Cecil had to move carefully. He approached James VI of Scotland who was descended from Elizabeth’s grandfather, Henry VII via Margaret his daughter. He encouraged James to flatter Elizabeth and charm seemed to work because Elizabeth although not as such naming James as heir pretty much implied it. In March 1603 Elizabeth’s health deteriorated probably at least in part due to the death of close friends. She died on 24th and James was named King the same day. You can read more about this on this extended article A decade a week:1600 to 1609 Tags: queen elizabeth I Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, Romans I work at a general practice that covers the areas of Great Barr, Streetly and Kingstanding in Birmingham. The area is suburban and full of not terribly inspired estates as well as council housing, playing fields and local shops and schools. As such the area does not have much to recommend it to those interested in history – or at least that seems to be the case. But dig beneath the surface and there are surprising historical remains that are reminders that all around us history happened. King’s Standing Bowl Barrow or Kingstanding Mound. The two trees above are growing out of what today is a shallow bump in the ground not one metre tall and 20 across. Yet on 19 October 1642,during the Civil War, King Charles I is said to have addressed new recruits from this very spot. There is some dispute but it seems likely that it is after this that the name of the area – what is today called Kingstanding – was adopted. Alternatively there is some evidence that it was already called “The King’s Standing” from medieval times. A Standing was a place where the king could wait to have deer driven past so that he could then hunt them. None-the-less Charles stood here and spoke to his recruits and those same recruits then marched on down that road you can see to fight at the Battle of Edgehill only 4 days later. The mound would have been much higher in ancient times but supposedly some years after the incident a new farm tenant levelled the mound. When he later heard from his neighbours of its royal associations he then rebuilt it . That innocuous road is actually on or within a few yards of part of the Roman road to Wall (Letocetum near Litchfield) which is known as Rycknield Street. It crosses Wattling Street (today’s A5) only a few miles away. In Sutton Park you can walk along the Roman Road and there are spots where it can be clearly recognised. The park contains a natural spring which it is believed was used by the Romans as they had a marching camp in the vicinity. So you can see that in a small area there are several echoes and remnants of past times. Not as glorious as the great castles of course but still a reminder that history went on all around us. What hidden secrets are in your back yard? Tags: Birmingham, King Charles I, Kingstanding, Romans What was England like in 1666 and why did I write a fantasy story about it. Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, 17th Century London, The Last Seal What was England like in 1666 This article was originally posted as a guest post on Above Average Below Special. This post is part of a blog tour celebrating the release of my historical fantasy novel, The Last Seal which is set during the Great Fire of London in 1666. The fire was a great historical event, yet I chose to wrap it up into a historical fantasy of Gunpowder and Sorcery. Why? Read on to find out. The 17th century world may not be familiar to many readers so this post will give you a brief idea of the mindset of people on the eve of the fire. It was a time of paranoia, of superstitions and of trepidation. What did the people worry about and what were their fears in that summer of 1666? The population of all of England was only about 4 million people at this time. Greater London had about 300,000 people. Most of the land was rural and people were used to living in small communities except those in the big cities. Nevertheless news did travel about and there are many elements that go into the mix to make up your average Englishman or woman in 1666. Wars and Kings and Dictators England was a land where people still remembered the English Civil War of 1642 -51. This had ended only 14 years before and large numbers of the population had fought in the war. Indeed 100,000 people had died in the civil war which it may surprise you to know is a higher % of the population than losses in World War One or Two! That war had shown the deep divides in the land and many of those divides still existed. At one level the war had been fought between those who believed in the rights and authority of parliament and those who believed in the sovereignty of the King. But it was not as simple as that. Many who fought on one side or the other did so for religious convictions with the Puritans siding with Parliament and those with sympathies for the established church or who were catholic more often favouring the king. Some followed their heart which told them that duty to the king was paramount. Others believed that in opposing the King’s army they were acting to free him from poisonous elements that influenced him. In the end King Charles I had fought against parliament and lost. He was beheaded in 1649 and the land ruled by a rump parliament answerable to the army and ultimately to Oliver Cromwell who eventually became a dictator. After Cromwell died the country slid into chaos and in the end it was the same army that recalled Charles II who returned in triumph in 1660. Politics and Mistrust In 1666 King Charles II had only been king 6 years. There were many who did not fully trust the king and a good number who opposed his restoration and believed in a republic. Some would go as far as armed rebellion or attempts at assassination. There were at least half a dozen plots against the King in those first 6 years. Charles responded by introducing a robust organisation of spies and informers. Because of these attempts to overthrow the king there was great fear of more Catholic papist plots like the Gunpowder plot of 1605 and the more recent attempts on the king’s life. Mistrust was not just confined to home spun plots and enemies. In 1666 England was at war with both Holland and France over domination of the seas and of world trade and everyone was paranoid about foreign spies. As a result all foreigners were viewed with suspicion and stories abounded about atrocities inflicted by these other nations. Witchcraft and Superstition This was also a time of superstitions and a period when people believed in omens and magic. The fire occurred during a time when people were tried and hanged for witchcraft – something like 1000 people had been executed as a witch in the century before 1666. It was also a year particularly associated with evil omens and signs. So there was a solar eclipses in the 1666. Comets had been seen in the skies the year before. There were lunar eclipses. All these events were harbingers of doom. Doom seemed likely to many that year. Although even in our own time every few years people predict that the world will end, many people really believed that 1666 was the end of the world!! This was in part linked to the fact that in the Book of Revelations there is a passage that says that the number of the beast – of the devil is 666. Several famous astrologers has also predicted a great plague in 1665 and a fire in 1666. No doubt many others predicted other events that DID NOT happen so we should not read much into these predictions that did come to be true BUT of course such predictions added to the feelings of anxiety and paranoia that seemed to prevalent at this time. Of course many people lived their lives concerned with the simple facts of existence. In a time of widespread poverty just getting through each day was a struggle. Nevertheless you can well imagine what, taken as a whole, this mix of fears and anxieties produced in the average man in the street. It did not take much to stir up the London mob and there was more than enough provocation due to the Great Fire. Some of these elements – fear of conspirators, state sponsored spy organisations, religious and political tensions and the natural fear of foreigners and even those who are concerned with just getting through each day I have tried to reproduce in The Last Seal. To read the first part of The Last Seal visit my website here:http://www.richarddenning.co.uk/thelastseal.html Check out my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/RichardDenningAuthor/app_190322544333196 I am on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RichardDenning Tags: 17th Cent, 17th Century, England, The Last Seal A decade a week: 1660 to 1665 Posted by rdenning Published in 17th Century History, 17th Century London, richard denning, The Last Seal, Uncategorized General Monck acts: After Oliver Cromwell died in 1658 his son, Richard tried to govern as Lord Protector but he possessed none of the force of will of his father nor his support in the army and he was deposed. The Rump parliament tried to rule but itself was dismissed by one of Cromwell’s officers, Lambert. Lambert tried to impose a military rule but his days in power were limited. General Monck, Cromwell’s trusted lieutenant in Scotland marched south in late 1659 with his army aiming to restore order and parliament. Lambert went out to meet him but his army deserted him and the Rump Parliament was restored. Monck arrived in London in February 1660 and finding the Rump Parliament obstructive set about recalling the Long Parliament (the last full parliament originally summoned by Charles I many years before.) Lambert was sent to the Tower, escaped and tried to cause a republican uprising by summoning supporters to Edgehill but he was captured and this time did not escape. The Long Parliament, under Monck’s guidance passed legislation designed to summon a Convention Parliament, whose role was to decide about the future of the nation, and then dissolved itself. Monck, on behalf of the Convention Parliament began putting out feelers to Charles II, exploring the possibility of a restoration but seeking reassurances over reprisals. Charles, taking a pragmatic approach issued the Declaration of Breda in March 1660. This laid out conditions for his return which promised there would be NO reprisals against individuals for fighting against his father, nor against parliament with one exception. Anyone who had signed the execution order for Charles I was to be put to death themselves. Party time in London: Charles returns! The Convention parliament passed an act which stated that Charles II had been king since his father’s execution in 1649 – in effect wiping the years of the Commonwealth away. Charles arrived in London on May 29th 1660 and entered the city under scenes of ecstatic excitement as if the country had been holding its breath during the dreary years of puritan goverment and now, all that drabness swept away, they let it all out in one huge celebration. Regicides Of the 59 judges who had signed Charles I’s death warrant, 31 still lived. 8 of these along with three captains who had commanded the guards at the execution and the prosecuting lawyer were all executed at Tyburn by the grizzly method of hanging, drawing and quartering. Cromwell and two other senior republicans were exhumated and their corpses hung. Cromwell’s head was then mounted on a spike on Westminster Hall. Early Reign 1661 to 1664 In the early years, Charles appointed as chancellor Edward Hyde. At the same time, Anne Hyde, Hyde’s daughter, revealed that she was pregnant by Charles’s brother, James, whom she had secretly married. Edward Hyde, was created Earl of Clarendon and his position as Charles’s favourite minister was strengthened. Charles’s coronation took place at Westminster Abbey on 23 April 1661. Shortly after the coronation, the ‘Cavalier Parliament’ was summoned and was, not surprisingly , it was overwhelmingly Royalist and Anglican. The Cavalier Parliaments main aim was to discourage non-conformity to the Church of England, and so it passed several acts to secure this. Municipal office holders in the city were obliged to swear alliegance to the established church  in The Corporation Act 1661. The Act of Uniformity 1662 made the use of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer compulsory. The Conventicle Act 1664 prohibited religious assemblies of more than five people, except under the auspices of the Church of England – in effect preventing ANY Catholic gatherings. The Five Mile Act 1665 prohibited clergymen from being inside five miles of a parish from which they had been banished. Much of these acts were known collectively as the Clarendon Code although Clarendon had little to do with them. The Restoration lead to many changes in society. Puritanism – so dominant in the Commonwealth and the 40’s lost its momentum. Theatres were once again opened and bawdy “Restoration comedy” became popular. Alliance with Portugal 1661  and War with Holland starts again 1665 Soon after Charles’s restoration, Queen Lu­sa of Portugal, agreed an alliance with England which lead in May 1662 to Charles marrying Catherine of Braganza in Portsmouth. Under the alliance the territories of Tangier and Bombay were transferred to British control which would in the case of Bombay have a large effect on the development of the British Empire in India. Charles also sold Dunkirk – England’s last enclave in France because it was too costly to maintain. The Second Dutch War was started as a result of England trying to take control of Dutch colonies. The first year or two of the war went well for the English, with the capture of New Amsterdam (renamed New York ) and a victory at the Battle of Lowestoft. The Great Plague 1665 London – and indeed all of Europe were familiar with intermittent plagues throughout history with the 14th Century Black Death killing for around 1 in 3 in England. Plagues in the 17th century were not as dramatic as that but the Great Plague of 1665 would kill 100,000 Londoners (and thousands more around the country) and was the last large scale plague in England. In April 1665 the first case of bubonic plague occurred – thought to be carried in Dutch ships (before the war started). Soon it began to spread with numbers increasing rapidly. By September 1665 7000 people a week were dying and the city was digging great pits to bury the dead in. Those that were able to fled – the Kind going to Salisbury and later Oxford where Parliament also removed itself to. Finally as Autumn turned to winter the death rate slowed and the King and parliament felt safe to return to London early in 1666. Although on a much smaller scale the plague was still going on in the summer of 1666 when something dramatic and terrifying occurred – something which would wipe out the plague once and for all but at a terrible cost. Next week: By Permission of Heaven – the Great Fire of London This article is one of a series connected with the release in August of the new paperback of The Last Seal my historical fantasy set during the Great Fire of 1666. The book is also available on Kindle Tags: Decade a week, The Last Seal King’s Spymaster on the trail of foreign agents and conspirators Recording Audiobooks – my setup Harvest-time and food storage in Anglo Saxon times 12th Night Traditions Libraries that have left their mark. The Darkest Years of the Dark Ages: what do we really know? Alexander the Great dies Jun 13, 323 B.C

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745261

__label__wiki

Live Morning Coverage of GOP Convention Begins Yes, Romney Can; No, Obama Can't In House Critic Calls New York Times Out for Bias NMSU Rolls in Opening Tourney at NIU Re-Shuffle Puts Martinez in Primetime on Wednesday... More Deficit Spending, Bingaman Brags About Pork Former Senate Finance Chair Aubrey Dunn Dead at 84... Railrunner is Killing Taxpayers, But Not This Guy 2016: Obama's America....Not Enough Theaters Environmental groups target New Mexico Senate race... Typical: “Republican” Woman in Obama Campaign Ad i... The Bankrupt Leading the Bankrupt Officers at Alamogordo Department of Public Safety... Posted by Jim Spence on Monday, August 27, 2012 News New Mexico begins its morning coverage each day of the Republican Convention in Tampa, Florida tomorrow. We have three NewsNM contributors: Aaron Henry Diaz, Marita Noon, and Jamie Estrada scheduled to provide updates on what is going on behind the scenes. We will also be speaking with prominent GOP elected officials from New Mexico as well as spokespersons from the Romney organization. Labels: Commentary 1 comments Marita Noon Townhall - President Obama’s energy policies have kept investment and jobs out of America; Romney’s energy plan can bring money and jobs back. Analysts are picking apart Romney’s 21-page energy plan that was introduced in Hobbs, New Mexico, on Thursday. Is energy independence by 2020 possible, or is it, as the Financial Times posited, “an act of hubris?” More important than whether or not his energy play is realistic is the international implications of his “independence” assertion and how he plans to get there. As the news coverage reminds us, “Every US president since Richard Nixon has set an objective of reducing the country’s reliance on foreign oil, and most of them have failed.” President Obama’s approach has been to “end the age of oil.” To that end, he has poured billions of dollars into green energy projects—many of which were risky investments that have now failed or are headed for failure. His approach has done nothing to reduce our reliance on foreign oil—though we are importing less due to the bad economy and high prices, and the new oil boom presently centered on North Dakota. To companies looking to invest in any kind of extractive endeavor, his policies have screamed “You can’t!” Read full story here: News New Mexico Politico - The executive editor of the New York Times is disputing an accusation of liberal bias made by her very own public editor, Arthur Brisbane. In his final column for the Times, Brisbane wrote that his fellow staffers "share a kind of political and cultural progressivism" that "virtually bleeds through the fabric of The Times." Brisbane even argued that Times reporters approached some liberal issues, like gay marriage and the Occupy movement, "more like causes than news subjects." But Times executive editor Jill Abramson says she disagrees with Brisbane's "sweeping conclusions." Read full story here: News New Mexico The New Mexico State volleyball team earned its third consecutive victory defeating Northern Illinois 3-1 (14-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-10) to win the NUI Invitational on Victor E. Court, Saturday, Aug. 25. NM State returns home with a 3-0 record as the Aggies look forward to hosting a tournament in the Pan American Center next weekend. NMSU Volleyball Coach Mike Jordan NM State played tough team defense in the final three sets of the match to bring home the hardware. Sophomore Meredith Hays, who was named tournament MVP, ended her evening with 18 kills. Junior Preslie Alexander put up eight kills, two service aces and a block assist, while being named to the all-tournament team along with junior Desiree Scott. Scott finished the tournament with 18 kills and 16 total blocks in the tournament to help the Aggies to three wins. The Aggies struggled in set one falling 25-14 to NIU. NM State jumped out to an early 4-0 lead but couldn't hold on as the Huskies tied the set at nine. NM State bounced back and took set two 25-19. Had four total team blocks through two sets with three coming in the second. The Aggies held NIU to a .026 hitting percentage in the second set before heading to set three where they jumped out to a 10-point lead at 19-9 and rounded out the tournament winning the final set in dominant fashion, 25-10. The NM State defense showed up against the Huskies as it posted 19 total team blocks and held it's opponent to a -.014 hitting percentage in the match. Re-Shuffle Puts Martinez in Primetime on Wednesday Susana Martinez New Mexico Watchdog - New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez will now precede Paul Ryan on the speaker’s list on Wednesday night as officials rejiggered the format of the Republican National Convention in Tampa as tropical storm Isaac begins to lash the Gulf Coast. Gov. Martinez originally was going to be the second-to-last speaker on Tuesday night in prime time but with Isaac expected to hit landfall early Monday, GOP officials decided to cancel Monday’s scheduled opening of the convention and plan to start on Tuesday (Aug. 28). Under the revised schedule, Martinez will still receive a plumb assignment — being the penultimate speaker on Wednesday night, following former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and coming right before Vice Presidential candidate Ryan concludes the day’s events — guaranteeing her a national audience. Officials lumped Rice, Martinez and Ryan together in a listing slated to start at 10 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Read full story here: News New Mexico Labels: New Mexico News Analysis 0 comments He is at it again, trumpeting dubious spending that will come back to New Mexico. With the federal government running a trillion dollar plus deficit for the fourth year in a row New Mexico Senator Jeff Bingaman seems oblivious. Last week Bingaman announced that the federal government is borrowing more money to fund nine New Mexico groups with "federal grants aimed at fighting drugs." The borrowed money will be given to the New Mexico groups to help support the fostering of citizen participation in local drug prevention efforts. Bingaman offered no comments on the fact that the federal government has not passed a budget for more than three years. Former Senate Finance Chair Aubrey Dunn Dead at 84 NewsNM note (Spence) After retiring from state politics Aubrey Dunn became extremely disappointed in the direction progressives took the Democratic Party in New Mexico. He was openly critical of the radical positions adopted at the state and national level. He was an old school Democrat. May he rest in peace. KRQE - Former New Mexico state senator Aubrey Dunn Sr. has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 84. Family members tell the Alamogordo Daily News that Dunn died Thursday evening in Wichita Falls, Texas, where he had been staying with family. Funeral arrangements are pending. A native of Alamogordo, Dunn served in the Senate for 15 years before retiring in 1980. At one time, he was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Dunn was also a rancher and co-owner of the Daily News. Read full story here: News New Mexico KOB - One man is lucky to be alive after a rail runner train rolled right over him. The bizarre incident happened about around Saturday evening at the Santo Domingo Rail Runner station. Rail Runner spokesperson Augusta Meyers told KOB Eyewitness News 4 the man was drunk when he decided to lie down in the space between the tracks. The train passed over the man without hitting him. Read full story here: News New Mexico The new documentary film 2016: Obama's America expanded from a limited number of theaters to a small nationwide release. It took in $6.2 million to finish at No. 8 at the box office over the weekend. The documentary is based on a book by immigrant Dinesh D'Souza provides factual information on President Obama that was never presented to the American people in 2008 and suggests what the country will be like in four years if President Barack Obama is re-elected. The only problem the film had in its release was there still are not enough theaters showing it. The $6.3 million taken in by the No. 7 movie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt's action tale "Premium Rush," came as a resut of it playing in more than twice as many theaters as the Obama documentary. Environmental groups target New Mexico Senate race Posted by Michael Swickard Nope, this is not Heather Wilson no matter what they say about her in the PAC ads NewsNM: Swickard - as an independent I have been receiving these mailers regularly. They are nasty ads which do not seem true. From the Carlsbad Curret-Argus - By Alexandra Duszak and Reity O'Brien - U.S. Senate candidate Heather Wilson, a moderate Republican, has been on the receiving end of more than $1.4 million to date in attack ads urging voters in New Mexico not to vote for her. But it's not big-business-backed super PACs that are targeting her - it's a who's who of the nation's largest environmental groups. Meanwhile, only $250,000 has been spent urging voters to reject her opponent, Democratic Rep. Martin Heinrich, all of it by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The contest has gained national attention thanks to the retirement of highly popular, five-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Jeff Bingaman, which gives the GOP a chance to pick up a seat that was otherwise out of reach, and bring the party closer to seizing control of the Senate. It is also a race where the lines are clearly drawn: Voters have a choice between a pro-union, conservationist in Heinrich and a pro-business, pro-energy candidate in Wilson. The anti-Wilson spending seems to be helping. Polling group FM3 showed Heinrich with a 3 point lead in mid-May, a dead heat when considering the poll's 4 point margin of error. The lead stretched to 9 points in the first week of August. The ads are for "express advocacy," meaning they urge voters to support or oppose a candidate - not included are "issue ads" that mention a candidate by name, usually in a fairly nasty way, but do not urge a yes or no vote. The Federal Election Commission does not require spending on those ads to be reported until 60 days prior to the general election. Read more Typical: “Republican” Woman in Obama Campaign Ad is Actually a Registered Democrat From Townhall.com a by Dan Doherty - At first blush, this spot looks like one of those insufferable campaign ads suggesting Mitt Romney wants to roll back women’s reproductive rights, or whatever. We’ve seen that played out before, of course, except in this spot (I can’t say I’m surprised) there is a registered Democrat/left-wing activist caught red-handed playing the aggrieved ex-Republican card. Incredible: One of the women in the Obama campaign's new video of Republicans supporting the president because of GOP positions on women's rights appears not to be a Republican at all. Maria Ciano who is featured in the web video has been a registered Democrat since October 2006 according to voter registration records. "People like me and my family have realized that the Republican Party once was inline with our views, but are no longer," the Colorado resident says in the video. UPDATE - Powerline's Jake Hinderaker reports there isn't one, but two faux ex-Republicans in the ad. Wow. Read more Artist drawing of California High Speed Rail stop Commentary by John Ransom - If the world without a strong American economy struggles, so too does an America without a strong California economy. he Golden State, which once represented the promise of America, is mired in swampland of broken promises, graft, political stupidity and liberal fantasy. And if California represents the very best government that liberals can give us- and it likely does- then this country had better take a deep breath and step away from progressive math. Because, it just doesn’t add up. California has a government that is structurally unable to support its’ addiction to runaway government spending- like DC; they have “balanced” their budget based on the fantasy that the federal government will bail them out with increased taxes- like DC; they have municipalities in thrall to public sector unions- governments choosing union benefits over investor rights- like DC did in the GM bankruptcy. “Step right up, ladies and gentleman, and buy a bond. Don’t worry. It’s safe. If we can’t pay, we’ll just declare bankruptcy. And hit you for another loan.” Which leads us to California governor Jerry Brown, who is genderless in our eyes, because really he is just an overgrown child. Hs state is facing a budget shortfall of about $16 billion. His solution? Raise taxes to close the gap and then spend $68 billion on a high speed train to nowhere. The initial spur of Brown’s high-speed fantasy will go from Madera to Bakersfield, passing through Fresno, Selma and the mighty metropolis of Delano. Yeah and if you said “Where?” you are not alone. No one outside of California’s Central Valley understands the project. Oh, never mind that the state will likely never be able to raise the money for the entire project. Just go ahead and spend the $6 billion in initial construction costs, including $1.8 billion in pork barrel spending, and $3.2 billion in federal funds. So now Governor Brown can have a high-speed rail project in the same way that Obama supports the Keystone Pipeline. As long as neither actually goes somewhere, nor does something useful, we can leave the rest to a bailout for another day. Bankruptcy doesn’t seem to be so much of a possibility as it is a feature of California’s government, economy and public ethics. It’s the bankrupt leading the bankrupt. Read more Officers at Alamogordo Department of Public Safety allege superiors asked them to change accident report information Emergency personnel respond to a single-vehicle accident that resulted in a man's death Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009 in Alamogordo. Officers at ADPS allege that their superiors told them to change information on the accident report from this crash. (ADNphoto) From the Alamogordo Daily News - By Duane Barbati - It remains unclear if the New Mexico State Police Investigations Bureau has concluded their investigation into accusations that Alamogordo Department of Public Safety personnel tampered with public records. It is alleged that ADPS may have tampered with public records after a fatal accident Dec. 1, 2009, on the South White Sands Boulevard overpass at the Charlie T. Lee Memorial Relief Route. The accident resulted in the death of Garrett Stoll, 32, of Longmont, Colo. It is alleged that ADPS personnel were asked by administrators to change information on the crash report to indicate that the overpass was not icy at the time of the fatal accident. An email to the Daily News from NMSP spokesman Lt. Robert McDonald stated that "No we (NMSP) do not have any active investigations on ADPS." McDonald also stated in the email that "No one was charged in past cases and we are not assuming anything for ADPS." An email to the Daily News from New Mexico Department of Public Safety spokesman Tony Lynn, on behalf of NMDPS cabinet secretary Gorden E. Eden Jr., stated that "At this time we have nothing to report, but please stay in touch." The Otero County Sheriff's Office is reportedly aware of the tampering investigation, but is unaware of any conclusion or outcome of it, Sheriff Benny House said. Read more

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745262

__label__wiki

GM Offers Buyouts to Work Force DETROIT -- General Motors, eager to lower wages and reduce the losses it saw in 2007, said Tuesday it is offering a new round of buyouts to all 74,000 of its U.S. hourly workers who are represented by the United Auto Workers. Workers will be given the details of the buyouts over the next several weeks. Most of those who accept are expected to leave by July 1, the company said. The UAW represents 98 percent of the company's U.S. hourly workers, with smaller unions representing the rest, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. GM won't say how many workers it will shed, but under its new contract with the UAW, it will be able to replace up to 16,000 workers doing nonassembly jobs with new employees who will be paid half the old wage of $28 per hour. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said he expects fewer than 20,000 workers to accept. Gettelfinger said the union understood that more buyouts would be coming when it agreed to the contract. "We didn't go into the contract blind. We're proud of our membership. There are certain things we cannot control," he said during an interview Tuesday morning with a local radio station. GM had been offering buyouts to about 5,200 UAW workers at service and parts operations and some closed plants since December, but those workers are now eligible for the new, sweetened offer, which raises the incentive payments for retirement-eligible workers by $10,000 for production workers and $27,500 for skilled workers.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745266

__label__cc

The rise of the G20 and OECD’s role G-20 Summit in Antalya: Turkish PM Erdoğan and OECD SG Gurria Noe van Hulst, Ambassador of the Netherlands to the OECD With the eyes of the world on the G20 summit in Antalya, we are reminded how G20 has become a well-established ‘brand’ in the global governance landscape. Yet, it’s only as recently as 1999 that the G20 was created as an informal platform of “systemically significant countries” in response to the financial crisis in Asia and on the initiative of the US and Canada. For many years, the G20 remained below the radar screen, working quietly but effectively at the level of Ministers of Finance and Central Bank Governors, e.g. in the area of countering the financing of terrorism, which is still a very relevant topic. This situation changed completely in 2008 when the global financial crisis hit us all. On the initiative of French president Sarkozy and UK Prime Minister Brown, US president Bush called for the first ever G20 Leaders meeting to fight the crisis in a coordinated way and to avoid a global economic depression. What started as a one-off crisis summit, however, soon became a permanent tradition. In 2009, under the presidency of US president Obama, the Group declared that the G20 is henceforth “the premier forum for international economic cooperation”. Attention gradually shifted from fighting the crisis (2008-2010) to structural policies for a sustainable and balanced recovery of global economic growth. Although the legitimacy of the G20 as a ‘self-appointed club’ is periodically questioned, the G20 is today well-established as the only global forum where advanced and emerging economies cooperate on an equal footing. Since 2010 the G20 agenda started to broaden to topics beyond strict financial and economic policy issues: e.g. agriculture and food security, trade, investment, employment, taxation, anti-corruption, energy, climate, SMEs. In parallel, we are witnessing a wider range of G20 Ministerial meetings beyond just Finance: Labour, Agriculture, Trade, Foreign Affairs, Tourism and under the current Turkish presidency recently the first ever Energy Ministers meeting. What about the effectiveness of the G20 so far? On this key question, opinions among analysts differ. Most people agree that the G20 has been successful in tackling the global financial and economic crisis, with coordinated policies on aggregate demand, more stringent financial regulation and restraining protectionism. However, it is proving to be tougher to make significant progress on the more structural policy areas which often require sensitive domestic policy changes. A good example is the implementation of the Brisbane Growth Strategies, where the OECD Secretariat, in a joint report with IMF and World Bank Group for the Antalya summit, found that less than 50% of the policy commitments encapsulated in the National Growth Strategies have been fully implemented, raising G20 GDP by 0.8% by 2018, while the target is 2.1%. So much more needs to be done, as G20 Leaders acknowledge in their communique. Although the G20 emphasizes its flexible and informal nature, we do see a certain degree of institutionalisation with (sous-) sherpas, working parties and expert groups. Furthermore, a growing group of stakeholders is trying to influence the G20 agenda. This group ranges from business (B20) to trade unions (L20), NGOs (C20), youth (Y20), think-tanks (T20) and since the Turkish presidency also women (W20). The G20 doesn’t have a permanent Secretariat and instead relies on the support of established international organisations. Slowly but surely, the OECD Secretariat has evolved into what is increasingly referred to as the “quasi-Secretariat” of G20. To a certain extent, this is a natural development since the OECD has widely acknowledged strong competences in data collection, benchmarking and solid, evidence-based economic analyses in areas that are closely aligned with the broadening G20 agenda. Many of the other international organisations have a more limited mandate and competence base. Hence, OECD is uniquely positioned to make significant contributions to the G20 work on issues like (green) growth, financial regulation, climate finance, agriculture and food security, anti-corruption, employment and inequality, (green) investment and trade. The same applies to the IEA in the important field of energy which of course is closely linked to climate change. For non-G20 OECD countries, the OECD and IEA roles in the G20 provide a very important window of information and a channel for constructive engagement. A great example of OECD’s important role in supporting the G20 work is the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project. Mandated by the G20, OECD and G20 countries worked jointly for two years on an impressive set of new international tax standards and measures, addressing issues like preventing treaty shopping, country-by-country reporting, fighting harmful tax practices and many others. The final package has just now received the strong endorsement by G20 Leaders in Antalya. In my view the BEPS project is a game-changer because of the unprecedented process in which OECD and G20 countries worked on the development of new international tax standards on an equal footing. This has proven to be a very effective and inclusive way of dealing with a highly complicated and controversial topic. Even though the initial drive came from the G20, the technical work in an extended OECD Committee (with emerging and developing economies participating on an equal footing) created the necessary co-ownership from countries outside the G20. This may well provide an excellent best-practice model of how to proceed in equally complicated policy issues outside the tax area. Turkey’s presidency of the G20 has consistently pursued the 3i’s of “Implementation, Investment, Inclusiveness”. The Antalya final communique is a clear testimony to this. On a personal note, I want to thank the Turkish presidency warmly for including our Minister of Trade & Development Ploumen in the G20 Trade Ministerial meeting in October. As we are looking ahead to the Chinese presidency of the G20 in 2016, it seems that trade and investment cooperation will be one of the top priority areas. In the light of the worrying projections on trade growth in OECD’s latest Economic Outlook, this is highly appropriate and very welcome indeed. Surely, the OECD Secretariat can play a key role here in supporting the G20 to make tangible progress in boosting global trade and investment, which is so critical to restoring healthy growth of the global economy. Read the Ambassador’s blog (in Dutch) OECD and the G20 Tags:G20, international cooperation

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745270

__label__cc

Tetiana Bakhteieva: The power is obliged to end the war and raise the level of social protection of Ukrainians, otherwise the number of emigrants will increase Every minute, “in search of a better life” two people leave Ukraine. Ukrainians most often go to work in the Russian Federation, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Belarus. Without significant advances in foreign and domestic policy, this problem cannot be changed in any way. This was on the occasion of International Migrant Day, said the former People’s Deputy, Honored Doctor of Ukraine Tetiana Bakhteieva. According to her, the main causes of migration in Ukraine are war and poverty. “In Ukraine, more than 25% of the population lives below the poverty line. Back in 2014, this figure was at the level of 15%,” the politician said. However, the ex-MP noted that the main reason for the large-scale internal migration in Ukraine had nothing to do with earnings. “The armed conflict in the east of the country forced more than 1.5 million Ukrainians to leave their homes. At one point, people who have lost everything - a peaceful sky above their heads, shelter, work, salaries and pensions - instead of real support and care of the state, are forced to wander and spend personal miserable savings to pay for rental housing, experiencing need and hunger,” Tetiana Bakhteieva emphasized. “The government is obliged to stop military operations and improve the level of social protection of Ukrainians. If this is not done, the number of Ukrainians forever leaving their country will increase,” the politician summed up. 'site2018:subscribe.form' is not a component

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745271

__label__wiki

Michelle Jaconi Executive Producer, Creative, The Washington Post Michelle Jaconi (SFS ’96, GRD ’97) runs the creative video team at The Washington Post, which creates programs and documentaries on topics as diverse as “How to be a Journalist” and the “Department of Satire.” Prior to the Post, Jaconi founded CNN’s Cross Platform Programming unit, which led breaking news and political coverage across CNN’s television networks, digital properties and mobile apps. In that role, Jaconi executed editorial partnerships with companies such as Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter and produced live programming debates and specials on CNN’s website and social channels. In her six years at CNN, Jaconi launched and led programs in every television day part, most recently with the rebirth of “Inside Politics.” As an executive producer, she ran control rooms and hired teams for both television and digital arms of CNN. She also co-wrote a daily political blog and email newsletter during the 2012 presidential campaign. Jaconi’s proudest journalistic achievements at CNN were serving on the presidential debate team and creating CNN’s “State of the Union” program, where she pitched, sold and executed a 50 state tour of America during the first year of the Obama administration. Prior to joining CNN, Jaconi spent 12 years at NBC’s “Meet the Press with Tim Russert,” the longest-running television program in the world. During her team’s tenure, “Meet the Press” dominated public affairs programming in ratings, ad revenue and cultural impact. The show also pushed innovation — from breaking the high definition barrier in broadcasting to offering the entire program on the web (which was highly controversial at the time). Jaconi has earned multiple awards for her contributions, including the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Media for producing the “Meet the Press Senate Debate Series,” a Peabody for CNN’s coverage of the Arab Spring, and back to back Emmy Awards for presidential election nights, at two different networks — CNN and NBC. Jaconi earned a degree in international politics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and earned her master’s degree from Georgetown’s Communications, Culture & Technology program. Jaconi served on the National Advisory Board of the Poynter Institute and is a volunteer catechist at the Church of the Little Flower.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745273

__label__wiki

Home News Second Global Teacher Prize Winner Named Second Global Teacher Prize Winner Named The Varkey Foundation, the philanthropic arm of GEMS Education in Dubai, has awarded its second annual Global Teacher Prize to Hanan Al Hroub, a teacher at the Samiha Khalil Secondary School in Palestine. Created to recognize an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession, the prize includes a $1 million cash award to be paid over ten years. This year's winner was selected from among ten finalists by a committee that included Dubai Cares CEO Tariq Al Gurg; Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation; Carina Wong, deputy director of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Wendy Kopp, founder and former CEO of Teach For America. Al Hroub, who grew up in a Palestinian refugee camp, professes the slogan "No to Violence" and, as detailed in her book We Play and Learn, employs an approach in the classroom focused on developing trusting, respectful, honest relationships with her students as well as the importance of literacy. She also encourages her students to work with each other, pays close attention to their individual needs, and rewards positive behavior. Her approach has led to a decline in violent behavior in schools where it is a frequent occurrence and has inspired her colleagues to reconsider their own teaching methods, classroom management strategies, and disciplinary techniques. Presented at the Global Education and Skills Forum 2016 in Dubai, the award stipulates that the recipient remain a classroom teacher for at least five years while serving as a global ambassador for the Varkey Foundation, that s/he attend various events, and that s/he address various public forums with the aim of enhancing the prestige of the teaching profession. "Hanan Al Hroub Winner." Global Teacher Prize Press Release 03/14/2016. Subjects: education; international affairs / development People: hanan al hroub Organization: varkey foundation Location: palestine March 26, 2019 2019 Global Teacher Prize Awarded to Kenyan Math and Physics Teacher March 21, 2017 Third Global Teacher Prize Winner Named February 6, 2016 Varkey Foundation Receives $2 Million for Teacher Training January 13, 2016 Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University Announces Inaugural Class June 3, 2015 'Giving Pledge' Announces Ten Families as New Signatories March 17, 2015 Inaugural $1 Million Varkey Foundation Global Teacher Prize Awarded

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745277

__label__wiki

Hansen Looks Forward to 2018 on Heels of Historic Season By: Kacie Albert Sunday, December 31, 2017 @ 11:13 AM Jordan Hansen rides Mike Miller/Torres Bros's Well Hello for 85.75 during the second round of the Uniondale PBR Built Ford Tough series PBR. Photo by Andy Watson NEW YORK – For Okotoks, Alberta’s Jordan Hansen his 2017 season was nothing short of historic. In his second PBR event of the season, Hansen finished a commanding first and second place in Lethbridge, Alberta. Just a few months later, the 24-year-old was the highest finishing Canadian at the first-ever international Major in Quebec City, finishing fourth, before riding in his first-ever premier series event in September in Austin, Texas. RELATED: Hansen Makes Elite Tour Debut in Austin After competing in three elite tour events, and 11 PBR Canada tour stops, Hansen’s success propelled him to conclude the 2017 PBR season ranked No. 7 in the Canadian standings and No. 41 in the world standings. And his success wasn’t just limited to PBR events. Qualifying for the 2017 National Finals Rodeo (NFR), Hansen became the first Canadian since 2001 to accomplish the feat. “I never did think too much on that per say, I more just kind of did everything for myself,” Hansen said of his historic accolade. “But to be the first one in that long, it’s kind of crazy.” “There’s been a lot of other guys that I thought rode better than me that I thought could have made it, but for some reason never did. But it’s definitely kind of cool, and I hope I inspired some other guys to not just hang out in Canada, go out there and try to make it across the border. “It’s damn doable to make it to the NFR so hopefully they can start seeing a lot more Canadians down there as well.” In Las Vegas, Hansen finished sixth, earning $84,038, to conclude the season ranked No. 8 in the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) standings. “I guess I wanted to do a little bit better, but it certainly didn’t go all that bad,” Hansen said of his performance. “It’s a pretty cool event, definitely a lot going on, so I think first round that kind of got to me a little bit. But after I got settled in it seemed like things started to go a little bit better for me. “ Hansen went 4-for-10, earning his first qualified ride in the second round when he covered High Roller for 84.5 points. The highlight moment of his first NFR, however, came several days later, when Hansen rode his third consecutive bull and won Round 8 when he covered Tequila for 86 points. Adding to the significance of the moment was that the round win came on Canadian night. “I don’t think I could have picked a better round, that’s for sure,” Hansen said of his win. “Even just starting it off, we were singing the national anthem for Canada, it was pretty neat.” “It being Canada night makes you just want to step up that much more, not just for yourself, obviously, but you’re representing a whole country. So to be on top that night, I don’t think I could have picked a better night that’s for sure. “ Looking to 2018, Hansen says what his competitive plans are seems to be the, “million dollar question.” “It’s one I get asked non-stop, and I’m not even 100% sure yet,” Hansen said. “I’m going to go to all these rodeos for sure. I did enter the Denver PBR, but you know, right now I’m not on tour. I’m close and with the injuries I might get a phone call, but that’s all stuff I’m not really sure about.” “But one thing I know for sure is I’m going to get into every rodeo I enter so I figure I might as well go to all of those and put my focus on those, and if I get a phone call to go to these elite tour events, I’ll do that as well.” In 2017, one thing fans were watching closely was whether Hansen could complete the historic trifecta of qualifying for the PBR World Finals, NFR and Canadian Finals Rodeo, which he fell just short of in missing the PBR World Finals. Only three Canadian bull riders have ever accomplished the feat: Daryl Mills (1994), Wayde Joyal (1997) and Robert Bowers (1999). RELATED: Hansen in Search of Historic Trifecta And with the 2018 season already underway, albeit in its first few months, it’s a feat Hansen may be able to accomplish this year. “Definitely be a pretty cool thing to happen, but shoot that’s a long ways from now,” Hansen said.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745283

__label__cc

Signaling Pathway is 'Executive Software' of Airway Stem Cells “Studies like ours will enhance efforts to develop effective genetic, cellular, and molecular therapies for airway diseases -- a leading cause of death worldwide.” –Dr. Jason Rock. Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways “decide” to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways. “Our work has identified the Notch signaling pathway as a central regulatory ‘switch’ that controls the differentiation of airway basal stem cells,” said Jason Rock, PhD, lead author and postdoctoral researcher in Brigid Hogan's cell biology laboratory. “Studies like ours will enhance efforts to develop effective genetic, cellular, and molecular therapies for airway diseases -- a leading cause of death worldwide.” Together with the current findings, recent studies suggest that the Notch signaling pathway represents a potential therapeutic target for airway remodeling and lung disease, he said. “Notch is like an executive software package that helps to maintain the delicate balance of the epithelium, the lining of the airway,” said senior author Brigid Hogan, PhD, chair of the Duke Department of Cell Biology. “The Notch pathway plays a role in other parts of the body, including neural stem cells, and this is the first time we have seen the results of the Notch pathway in airways. We have also found that the function of Notch signaling is conserved in basal cells from human airways.” Notch signaling dictates whether the daughters of basal stem cells assume one of two different fates, Hogan said. Sustained, high levels of Notch pathway activation result in more secretory cells. These make the needed amount of mucus to move out particles that need to be cleared. Low levels of Notch signal lead to ciliated cells, which act as brushes to move the mucus along toward clearance. Notch, however, isn’t required for basal stem cells to proliferate and make additional basal cell daughters. Airway disease, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, asthma, acute allergies, and transplant complications, can range from fatal to debilitating, so understanding the secrets of how healthy cells can grow, and in the proper amounts, after injury is important. Fifty-five percent of deaths from lung disease result from changes in the small airways, Hogan said. The researchers also demonstrated in this work that the smallest airway branches in humans are the same size and are organized like the largest (tracheal) airway tubes in mice. The next step for the team is to investigate the behavior of the daughters of basal cells to learn what machinery is involved in making them commit to various lineages, and how this system is coordinated to help restore lung function, Hogan said. Illustration: Microsoft clipart. Duke University Medical Center News Release (06/16/11) PhysOrg (06/17/11) EurekAlert! (06/20/11) Abstract (Cell Stem Cell; Vol. 8, Issue 6, 639-648 (06/03/11))

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745284

__label__cc

RipRoar - West Des Moines Triathlon Seniors Triathlon Intermediate Triathlon Juniors All categories M12 F12 M13 F13 M14 F14 M15 F15 6 223 Mckenna Mazeski Mckenna Mazeski #223&nbspFemale&nbspF14 00:36:26.2 00:36:26.2 F14 1 14 Female 1 100 00:04:10.5 5 1 2 00:00:42.5 40 1 22 00:19:02.0 20 1 8 00:00:31.9 46 5 22 00:11:59.1 4 1 1 Add To Favourites Detailed Results Split Time Accmulative Positions (from start) Split Positions (from prev. split or leg) From Start Prev Leg Prev Split Time of Day Overall Category Gender Overall Category Gender Swim 00:04:10.5 00:04:10.5 00:04:10.5 08:16:14.3 5 1 2 5 1 2 T1 00:04:53.1 00:00:42.5 00:00:42.5 08:16:56.9 9 1 3 40 1 22 Cycle 00:23:55.1 00:19:02.0 00:06:15.9 08:35:58.9 13 1 5 20 1 8 T2 00:24:27.1 00:00:31.9 00:00:31.9 08:36:30.8 16 1 5 46 5 22 Run 00:36:26.2 00:11:59.1 00:11:59.1 08:48:30.0 6 1 1 4 1 1 8 245 Ruth Pardy Ruth Pardy F13 1 13 Female 2 100 00:03:59.7 4 1 1 00:00:20.7 3 1 1 00:18:30.4 12 1 4 00:00:29.2 39 7 19 00:13:28.9 12 1 4 T1 00:04:20.4 00:00:20.7 00:00:20.7 08:18:44.1 3 1 1 3 1 1 Cycle 00:22:50.9 00:18:30.4 00:06:07.0 08:37:14.5 9 1 3 12 1 4 Run 00:36:49.2 00:13:28.9 00:13:28.9 08:51:12.8 8 1 2 12 1 4 10 280 Mj Novelli Mj Novelli F12 1 12 Female 3 100 00:04:58.8 37 5 16 00:00:25.5 12 3 7 00:18:10.2 11 3 3 00:00:27.3 34 5 16 00:13:08.4 9 1 3 Swim 00:04:58.8 00:04:58.8 00:04:58.8 08:23:00.0 37 5 16 37 5 16 T1 00:05:24.3 00:00:25.5 00:00:25.5 08:23:25.6 26 4 11 12 3 7 Run 00:37:10.3 00:13:08.4 00:13:08.4 08:55:11.6 10 1 3 9 1 3 12 287 Emma Brophy Emma Brophy F12 2 12 Female 4 96 00:04:30.4 16 2 6 00:00:24.4 9 2 4 00:17:51.7 8 2 2 00:00:31.1 44 6 21 00:14:45.4 23 2 7 Swim 00:04:30.4 00:04:30.4 00:04:30.4 08:23:29.1 16 2 6 16 2 6 T1 00:04:54.9 00:00:24.4 00:00:24.4 08:23:53.6 11 2 4 9 2 4 Cycle 00:22:46.6 00:17:51.7 00:22:46.6 08:41:45.4 8 2 2 8 2 2 Run 00:38:03.2 00:14:45.4 00:14:45.4 08:57:01.9 12 2 4 23 2 7 15 206 Katie Wentzy Katie Wentzy F15 1 15 Female 5 100 00:04:42.8 24 2 8 00:00:28.9 17 3 9 00:19:41.3 35 4 15 00:00:09.3 1 1 1 00:13:36.6 13 1 5 T1 00:05:11.8 00:00:28.9 00:00:28.9 08:15:12.0 19 2 7 17 3 9 Cycle 00:24:53.1 00:19:41.3 00:24:53.1 08:34:53.3 29 3 14 35 4 15 T2 00:25:02.4 00:00:09.3 00:00:09.3 08:35:02.7 26 3 12 1 1 1 19 244 Faith Quinn Faith Quinn F13 2 13 Female 6 96 00:04:46.2 30 3 11 00:00:37.4 36 5 18 00:18:50.2 16 2 5 00:00:17.8 11 2 6 00:14:59.8 25 2 8 T1 00:05:23.7 00:00:37.4 00:00:37.4 08:19:35.1 25 4 10 36 5 18 23 208 Bethany Smeed Bethany Smeed F15 2 15 Female 7 96 00:04:35.8 21 1 7 00:00:25.4 11 2 6 00:19:31.0 28 2 11 00:00:10.8 4 3 3 00:15:07.3 28 2 11 Run 00:39:50.4 00:15:07.3 00:15:07.3 08:50:11.1 24 2 8 28 2 11 24 459 Margaret Wolff Margaret Wolff F13 3 13 Female 8 92 00:04:21.8 8 2 3 00:00:33.8 31 3 14 00:19:28.8 27 3 10 00:00:22.3 16 3 9 00:15:03.6 27 3 10 Cycle 00:24:24.4 00:19:28.8 00:06:31.2 08:38:42.9 20 3 8 27 3 10 27 209 Grace Quinn Grace Quinn F15 3 15 Female 9 92 00:04:56.2 35 3 15 00:00:38.2 38 6 20 00:18:53.8 17 1 6 00:00:29.3 41 4 20 00:15:25.2 31 3 12 Cycle 00:24:28.3 00:18:53.8 00:06:13.8 08:34:57.9 22 1 10 17 1 6 Run 00:40:22.9 00:15:25.2 00:15:25.2 08:50:52.5 28 3 10 31 3 12 29 221 Emmy Schulz Emmy Schulz F14 2 14 Female 10 96 00:04:44.4 28 4 10 00:00:50.8 49 3 27 00:20:13.8 41 3 17 00:00:24.2 23 4 13 00:14:24.6 21 3 6 Run 00:40:37.9 00:14:24.6 00:14:24.6 08:52:22.4 30 2 11 21 3 6 30 242 Samantha Schoff Samantha Schoff F13 4 13 Female 11 88 00:04:49.9 32 4 13 00:00:24.8 10 2 5 00:19:35.3 30 4 12 00:00:17.3 9 1 5 00:15:35.3 32 4 13 31 282 Amelia Mcewan Amelia Mcewan F12 3 12 Female 12 92 00:04:22.0 9 1 4 00:00:24.2 7 1 3 00:19:38.7 33 5 13 00:00:36.5 55 10 27 00:15:48.1 35 4 15 T2 00:25:01.5 00:00:36.5 00:00:36.5 08:43:12.7 25 5 11 55 10 27 35 211 Kaili Decker Kaili Decker F15 4 15 Female 13 88 00:05:17.7 49 5 22 00:00:23.3 6 1 2 00:19:40.6 34 3 14 00:00:32.0 48 5 23 00:15:50.4 36 4 16 36 284 Caroline Irvin Caroline Irvin F12 4 12 Female 14 88 00:05:04.0 39 6 17 00:00:37.3 35 8 17 00:20:26.3 43 7 18 00:00:37.8 58 11 29 00:15:01.4 26 3 9 37 276 Isabel Vavrinek Isabel Vavrinek F12 5 12 Female 15 84 00:04:49.5 31 3 12 00:00:32.1 24 5 10 00:18:57.8 18 4 7 00:00:20.9 15 1 8 00:17:11.9 47 7 20 39 220 Raegan Wooldrige Raegan Wooldrige F14 3 14 Female 16 92 00:04:42.9 25 3 9 00:00:48.9 48 2 26 00:19:17.8 22 2 9 00:00:20.0 14 2 7 00:17:04.8 44 5 18 40 279 Klaire Oehlke Klaire Oehlke F12 6 12 Female 17 80 00:04:55.1 34 4 14 00:00:35.9 33 7 15 00:20:10.9 40 6 16 00:00:26.9 33 4 15 00:16:58.5 43 5 17 42 224 Kylie Larson Kylie Larson 46 286 Liesel Grube Liesel Grube F12 7 12 Female 19 76 00:05:06.1 43 7 18 00:00:28.0 14 4 8 00:21:43.9 58 9 26 00:00:34.3 52 9 26 00:17:05.6 45 6 19 48 222 Tori Oelrich Tori Oelrich F14 5 14 Female 20 84 00:05:07.4 44 5 19 00:01:01.6 59 4 29 00:21:35.5 57 5 25 00:00:12.4 6 1 4 00:17:19.8 48 6 21 52 207 Kate Truss Kate Truss 53 248 Madalyn Finke Madalyn Finke 57 250 Piper Buck Piper Buck 59 225 Olivia Beschorner Olivia Beschorner F14 6 14 Female 24 80 00:04:29.1 15 2 5 00:01:27.3 72 6 34 00:26:39.4 78 6 34 00:00:36.5 56 6 28 00:13:07.7 8 2 2 Run 00:46:20.2 00:13:07.7 00:13:07.7 08:58:48.7 60 6 25 8 2 2 61 277 Ella Sheeley Ella Sheeley F12 8 12 Female 25 72 00:06:12.4 70 14 34 00:00:33.8 30 6 13 00:21:29.4 54 8 23 00:00:22.8 18 3 11 00:19:01.2 64 12 29 Swim 00:06:12.4 00:06:12.4 00:06:12.4 08:23:57.1 70 14 34 70 14 34 T1 00:06:46.2 00:00:33.8 00:00:33.8 08:24:30.9 66 13 32 30 6 13 Cycle 00:28:15.7 00:21:29.4 00:07:03.1 08:46:00.4 61 10 28 54 8 23 Run 00:47:39.8 00:19:01.2 00:19:01.2 09:05:24.5 62 9 26 64 12 29 62 285 Anne Holt Anne Holt F12 9 12 Female 26 68 00:05:22.5 57 11 28 00:00:37.9 37 9 19 00:22:45.6 69 12 30 00:00:40.8 63 12 32 00:18:51.1 62 11 28 Cycle 00:28:46.1 00:22:45.6 00:28:46.1 08:47:24.4 64 11 29 69 12 30 T2 00:29:27.0 00:00:40.8 00:00:40.8 08:48:05.2 65 11 29 63 12 32 Run 00:48:18.1 00:18:51.1 00:18:51.1 09:06:56.3 63 10 27 62 11 28 63 448 Claire Hermann Claire Hermann F12 10 12 Female 27 64 00:05:44.1 65 12 31 00:01:03.0 61 13 30 00:22:39.2 68 11 29 00:00:32.8 50 7 24 00:18:40.1 61 10 27 64 281 Emily Meyers Emily Meyers F12 11 12 Female 28 60 00:05:20.6 55 9 26 00:00:53.4 50 12 28 00:21:57.1 60 10 27 00:00:44.9 68 13 33 00:19:51.7 67 13 31 Cycle 00:28:11.2 00:21:57.1 00:07:37.5 08:46:17.9 59 9 26 60 10 27 65 278 Hope Quinn Hope Quinn F12 12 12 Female 29 56 00:05:58.0 66 13 32 00:00:39.4 39 10 21 00:24:06.5 72 13 32 00:00:22.5 17 2 10 00:17:59.6 54 8 23 Run 00:49:06.1 00:17:59.6 00:17:59.6 09:06:56.6 66 13 30 54 8 23 68 239 Emily Teets Emily Teets 69 210 Claudia Gay Claudia Gay 71 240 Megan Smelser Megan Smelser 74 249 Stephanie Decker Stephanie Decker F13 9 13 Female 33 68 00:10:34.8 83 10 36 00:30:27.9 00:22:55.5 74 10 35 T2 00:30:27.9 00:30:27.9 00:30:27.9 08:45:07.2 70 8 31 78 247 Ella Gebhart Ella Gebhart F13 10 13 Female 34 64 00:06:03.9 68 8 33 00:02:04.0 77 9 35 00:27:25.8 79 9 35 00:00:39.2 61 8 30 00:19:03.6 65 7 30 79 275 Avery Veigel Avery Veigel F12 13 12 Female 35 52 00:05:22.0 56 10 27 00:01:18.0 68 14 32 00:25:53.1 76 14 33 00:00:46.4 69 14 34 00:22:32.7 73 14 34 84 283 Alayna Kakacek Alayna Kakacek F12 14 12 Female 36 50 00:05:17.9 50 8 23 00:00:48.7 47 11 25 00:14:45.5 1 1 1 00:00:33.7 51 8 25 00:18:18.1 57 9 25 1 259 Griffin Mazeski Griffin Mazeski #259&nbspMale&nbspM12 00:33:58.0 00:33:58.0 M12 1 12 Male 1 100 00:04:27.6 12 3 8 00:00:30.0 19 6 10 00:17:29.7 6 2 5 00:00:35.9 54 14 28 00:10:54.7 1 1 1 T2 00:23:03.3 00:00:35.9 00:00:35.9 08:38:56.5 7 2 6 54 14 28 2 234 Josiah Deyoung Josiah Deyoung M13 1 13 Male 2 100 00:03:49.1 2 1 2 00:00:22.6 5 2 4 00:17:23.4 4 2 3 00:00:26.8 31 3 17 00:12:02.9 5 1 4 3 235 Noah Billings Noah Billings M13 2 13 Male 3 96 00:04:16.7 7 2 5 00:00:28.2 16 3 8 00:16:33.2 2 1 1 00:00:31.5 45 4 24 00:12:15.9 6 2 5 T1 00:04:45.0 00:00:28.2 00:00:28.2 08:18:23.1 4 2 3 16 3 8 4 200 Truman Thompson Truman Thompson M15 1 15 Male 4 100 00:05:06.1 42 4 25 00:01:01.5 58 5 30 00:16:33.7 3 1 2 00:00:46.4 70 5 36 00:11:46.0 2 1 2 5 232 Kevin Mathiesen Kevin Mathiesen M13 3 13 Male 5 92 00:04:28.2 14 3 10 00:00:22.0 4 1 3 00:17:32.6 7 3 6 00:00:22.9 19 1 8 00:12:33.0 7 3 6 7 255 Ike Smith Ike Smith M12 2 12 Male 6 96 00:04:27.8 13 4 9 00:00:26.0 13 3 6 00:18:07.4 9 3 7 00:00:28.1 36 9 19 00:13:16.4 10 2 7 Cycle 00:23:01.2 00:18:07.4 00:05:46.0 08:38:21.1 10 3 7 9 3 7 9 265 Xavier Garriques Xavier Garriques M12 3 12 Male 7 92 00:04:26.8 11 2 7 00:00:28.1 15 4 7 00:17:29.4 5 1 4 00:00:30.1 42 11 22 00:13:56.0 15 4 10 Run 00:36:50.6 00:13:56.0 00:13:56.0 08:53:20.0 9 3 7 15 4 10 11 458 Aidan Oconner Aidan Oconner M15 2 15 Male 8 96 00:04:34.7 19 3 13 00:00:13.5 1 1 1 00:20:19.6 42 4 25 00:00:15.3 7 2 3 00:11:57.0 3 2 3 13 229 Jude Scott Jude Scott M13 4 13 Male 9 88 00:06:38.2 75 10 40 00:24:39.5 00:13:28.3 11 4 8 14 263 Noah Johnson Noah Johnson M12 4 12 Male 10 88 00:04:31.9 18 5 12 00:00:20.4 2 1 2 00:18:42.7 14 5 10 00:00:24.0 22 4 10 00:14:16.5 20 7 15 16 233 Carter Mann Carter Mann M13 5 13 Male 11 84 00:04:42.5 23 5 16 00:00:32.9 25 5 15 00:18:48.7 15 4 11 00:00:42.7 65 7 33 00:14:05.6 18 5 13 17 253 Kellen Tuyls Kellen Tuyls M12 5 12 Male 12 84 00:04:43.8 27 7 18 00:00:33.0 26 8 16 00:19:46.1 36 10 21 00:00:26.8 32 8 18 00:13:37.3 14 3 9 18 256 Atticus Schleusner Atticus Schleusner 20 272 Dylan Alt Dylan Alt M12 7 12 Male 14 76 00:04:13.6 6 1 4 00:00:43.2 42 12 20 00:19:47.7 37 11 22 00:00:18.6 13 2 7 00:14:30.0 22 8 16 T1 00:04:56.9 00:00:43.2 00:00:43.2 08:22:13.6 14 4 9 42 12 20

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745287

__label__wiki

Seneca language classes Cultural pride Dedicated students study Seneca at Nation’s Language House[W]hat if the word you used to talk to your mother is not the same word she used? Or your grandmother? What kind of disconnect is created when young generations are taught a completely different language than that of their ancestors? The Seneca Nation Educational Program is trying to bridge this gap by offering open lessons in Seneca every Tuesday and Thursday evening. “Our doors are open to anyone,” said instructor Marilyn Schindler. “We’re trying to encourage as many Senecas to come down as we can. We try to work around their schedules. Some people have to work all day and can only make it in the evening.” Along with Schindler, Jessica Huff and others of the Language House teach anywhere from three to eight people each week, free of charge. Aleutian schools may teach Unangam Tunuu School board faces Native language issueNext year may see the return of instruction in Unangam Tunuu-–the Native language spoken by the indigenous people of the Aleutian Islands–-in the Unalaska City School District. That's the hope of Katherine McGlashan, an Unangan/Aleut herself, and an active group of Unalaska residents, including educators, former teachers, parents, the Museum of the Aleutians and Ounalashka Corp., the representative Alaska Native corporation. "We as indigenous people would like the opportunity to be able to pass on traditions, values and the Unangan culture and language," wrote McGlashan in a September letter to Superintendent John Conwell. Comics are powerful tool Superman Finds New Fans Among Reading InstructorsIn Maryland, the State Education Department is expanding a new comics-based literacy curriculum, after a small pilot program yielded promising results. In New York City, a group of educators applied to open a new small high school that would be based around a comics theme and named after the creators of Superman; their application was rejected but they plan to try again next year. And the Comic Book Project, a program run out of Teachers College at Columbia University that has children create their own comic strips as an “alternative pathway to literacy,” is catching on. Six years after it started in one Queens elementary school, it has expanded to 860 schools across the country. “It’s very much a teacher-led kind of movement in that teachers are looking for ways to engage their children, and they’re finding some of that in comic books,” said Michael Bitz, who founded the Comic Book Project as a graduate student and is now its director. “For kids who may be struggling and for kids who may be new to the English language, that visual sequence is a very powerful tool.” The recent interest in comics as a literacy tool comes as graphic novels have cemented their status as sophisticated works of literature, and as teachers nationwide are struggling to boost reading scores. Proponents of comics in the classroom say that they can lure struggling readers who may be intimidated by pages crammed with text. They also say that comics, with their visual cues and panel-by-panel sequencing, are uniquely situated to reinforce key elements of literacy, like story structure and tone. Notes on California languages Long gone Native languages emerge from the grave Millions of cryptic notes from linguist John Peabody HarringtonBringing voices from the grave, volunteers at the University of California-Davis are working to decipher nearly a million pages of notes from conversations with long-gone Native Californians, reviving more than 100 languages from the distant past. Word by word, they type the scribbled and cryptic notes left by John Peabody Harrington, an eccentric and tireless linguist who in the early 1900s traveled throughout California interviewing the last surviving speakers of many native tongues, including the local Muwekma Ohlone tribe. Their effort to organize a database of Harrington's vast material will build a Rosetta Stone for these languages and their dialects, creating dictionaries of words, phrases and tribal tales and customs that were destined to disappear. Labels: computers Cherokee classes online Cherokee Nation to offer online language classhe Cherokee Nation will be offering a Cherokee language course online through the tribe’s web site beginning Jan. 7. The Cherokee Nation began offering language classes online in 2003. Since then, approximately 1,000 students register each session. Students from all over the world, including France, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Germany and Canada have taken part in the courses. To make the classes more interactive and easier to access, the Cherokee Nation will use updated software, which will allow for more students to participate, easier login capabilities, full-screen options, archiving abilities and a new cross platform interface for PCs, as well as Mac users. Hopi scholar dies Time catches up with Hopi-language saviorEmory Sekaquaptewa was at once a visionary and a realist—a combination few are blessed with, but a paradoxical trait that produced a lasting legacy. Not everyone can look back and say they wrote their nation's first dictionary and helped revive a language that faced extinction, but those are just a few of the things he accomplished in his lifetime.His greatest achievement:One of Sekaquaptewa's largest accomplishments was a 30-year project that resulted in the Hopi language's first dictionary. The underlying drive behind all of his endeavors—his law degree, his 34 years of university teaching—was to preserve the Hopi way of life. "He was always putting down words on little cards and after a while he decided it would be a good idea to put those together into a dictionary," Krutz said.His work to continue:Healy is in charge of fundraising for Sekaquaptewa's last project, a children's book that will teach the Hopi language to the next generation. The Hopi Children Workbook is designed to teach visual word association, much like the popular Richard Scarry books, only with a Hopi twist.Comment: If the Hopi are doing a children's book with pictures, why not a comic book? "Teaching Our Way" with pictures Faint hope for dying languageThe lesson is an attempt to stop the slow but steady demise of Seminole language and culture by "Teaching Our Way." That's the English translation for Pemayetv Emahakv, the name of the charter school that opened in August on the Brighton Seminole Reservation just northwest of Lake Okeechobee in Glades County. In its first year, the $10 million, 45,000-square-foot school has become a source of pride among the 600 people living on the reservation. There is a waiting list to enroll, and parents and staff are talking about expanding the school beyond its kindergarten through fifth grades.How the language program works:The school uses a system for learning native languages called accelerated second language acquisition. University of Montana Professor S. Neyooxet Greymorning, an Arapaho Indian, developed the system. The method entails pictures instead of written words and learning the language orally before writing it down. The language classroom at Pemayetv Emahakv, pronounced pee-ma-YEH-da eh-ma-HA-ga, is plastered with photos and cartoons of people sitting, standing, laughing, walking and talking. The images are used for teaching verbs.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745291

__label__cc

Home→Crap Cutting 101→What Do We Want to Be? Part III – The Importance of Hope ← Lord Donny on Iran: What a Joke Fixing the Problem With the Press → What Do We Want to Be? Part III – The Importance of Hope Posted on December 31, 2017 by Milt Shook It is hard to believe this is a controversial statement, but given the amount of shit I receive every time I say it, it sure seems to be. Yet, I’m going to keep saying it, because it’s absolutely true: The vast majority of voters are motivated by hope. I know, I know; some progressives are incensed by that statement. Within minutes of posting this, I will be inundated with emails, Tweets and Facebook messages telling me some variation of, “That’s not true. *I* became an activist because I was pissed off.” Forget the inherent narcissism based in that, the statement is purely ignorant. Some people have as their motto: “If you’re not pissed off, you’re not paying attention.” You know, as if being “pissed off” is some sort of virtue. Well, let me tell you a little secret. Almost no one is motivated by anger. Not even you. If you think “pissed off” people change the world, I would seriously suggest a gut check of your values. You might also perhaps stay the hell out of politics. Angry people do not change anything in a democracy. No one in his right mind becomes an activist out of anger. To be an effective activist, you have to address problems and fix them, which is damn near impossible when you’re Always pissed off. Expressing anger and negative emotion does nothing for anyone. Being able to recite all the problems with this country, world or government doesn’t make you an activist. I mean, seriously; anyone with half a brain and a phone or a laptop can post a half million Tweets over a decade about how pissed off they are about the state of the world; I’ve dealt with people like that before and their “activism” always comes apart upon examination. They’re legends in their own minds. To be an actual activist, you have to get out there and try to fix things. There are many ways to do that, of course, but it does involve more than sitting on your ass and whining and being “pissed off.” For example, beginning about March of his year, I will start doing work for Democratic candidates, like writing up position papers, writing speeches and composing informative flyers and the like. Usually, I work for about 10-12, including many I have known since childhood, but this year, there are signs I could be doing it for twice as many this year. The Democrats’ recruiting class has been nothing short of incredible this time, and I look forward to helping them create a wave. And every single one of them will ask me to promote a hopeful theme because that is what works. I am a lifelong progressive. And for a long time, I thought the way many white “progressives” think, in many ways. I would go onto message boards, Usenet and other fora and tell everyone who would listen what I thought the problems were in this country. The one area where I differed, however, was that I didn’t delude myself into believing there was a political group available to me other than the Democratic Party to get things done. Why would I? If you look at everything good that has been done in this country, it has always come from the Democratic Party. Whereas a large number of white liberal “progressives” abandoned the Democratic Party almost 50 years ago and loudly proclaimed themselves as “independent,” and declared themselves politically superior to everyone else in the liberal space, the fact of the matter is, “independents” have never really gotten anything done in our political system. I mean, “progressive independents” always whine about the “two-party” system and proclaim it as too restrictive, but they have had nearly 50 years to build that “third party” they claim to covet, and they have not done so. There are currently 134 registered political parties in the United States right now, and the same two dominate everything and the other 132 feel fortunate to get one percent of the vote in almost every election. Meanwhile, People of Color, immigrants, LGBTQ people and others feel at home in the Democratic Party and they work their asses off to bring hope to their people. They do this even as the same group of whiny white liberals work together to undermine everything because they seemingly believe hope is for suckers. Well, hope is not for suckers, it is the lifeblood of any democratic system. For that matter, any liberal or progressive who is “pissed off” should really look inward far more. That is not how WE win elections. it is not how we win power and undo the damage Republicans and right wingers have been doing since at least 1980. There is no doubt; the middle class and the working class have taken a beating over the last 50 years or so. In 1968, one adult could work at a relatively menial job and make enough to own a home and keep the family running well. People back then worked for the same company for their entire career and even unskilled labor paid enough to live on. Now, it is almost impossible for one adult to work and keep a family going. The minimum wage has not kept up with inflation and wages for most service jobs are barely sufficient to keep a single guy with no kids in his apartment and keeping up his car payments. It has become almost impossible for even one highly trained professional to raise an entire family on one salary. Just getting the education needed to become a professional can put someone in the poorhouse for a long time. I personally know lawyers who came out of law school making upwards of $125,000 per year who are still paying off their student loans 15 years later. And forget being working class right now. That means working 80 hours a week just to pay the bills and having to use public transportation or figure out ways to keep your beater of a car working well enough to get you back and forth to work. It means needing SNAP (Food Stamps) just to make ends meet. It means being forced to work for assholes you don’t like and doing jobs you don’t want to do because one week without two full paychecks would spell disaster. And just for the record, those who live working class in the country are well aware of the problems they face; they don’t need college educated white liberals to tell them. Just saying… Living in the current GOP-dominated era is not easy for anyone. We do need to solve these problems, but we can’t do that simply by being pissed off. We can’t fix these problems if everything that comes through as a “progressive message” is right out of the text of “Chicken Little.” When life is hard, people want to vote for hope. Hope is the key to everything. When you recite all of the problems of the world, you are actually making voters feel more likely to NOT want to vote. When you’re having a difficult time paying the bills, which is more likely to attract a vote; a recitation of all their problems or a promise to fix them? The answer is easy. REALLY EASY. It’s why Bernie lost so badly in the Democratic primary in 2016; he had no solutions to anything and he didn’t sell hope. In fact, his recitation of problems was eerily similar to Donald Trump’s. And let’s be clear about something else; the right wing Republican Party does not win because of their message. They don’t actually win at all. They don’t win, Democrats lose, in part because the progressive rhetoric turns people off and makes them not want to vote. That is the only way they can “win.” Hillary Clinton did not lose because the Republican message attracted more people, she “lost” because turnout was 47 percent, not because she was a “failed candidate.” If anything, white “progressives” failed her, the Democratic Party and the country. Look; the root word of “progressive” is “progress,” and progress is an overwhelmingly positive concept. So, why does the white, far-left progressive message always seem so dire? We’re supposed to be the ideology of hope. Look at what we claim to want to create; We want to set up living wages for everyone, so that everyone who works is able to pay their bills. We want a minimum wage that reflects the reality of today’s economy. Some may think that’s $15, while $11 would keep us in line with the minimum in 1968. Either way, it should be higher. We want everyone to have access to healthcare when they need it, without having to worry about losing everything they have ever worked for. We want everyone to have access to the education they need to follow their dreams, whatever they are, without having to lose their home at some point down the road. We want everyone in this country to be treated equally, with respect and dignity. We want to build a system of justice in which everyone has equal rights under the law. We want a law enforcement system in which everyone treats everyone in the country with the proper dignity and respect and no one has to fear death by cop because of who they are. We want a safety net for the poor that acknowledges the realities of the capitalist system, in which some people are left out through necessity. We want to create a system that provides a minimum income level for everyone, reflecting the loss of jobs that is looming with automation. We want a system of regulation that makes the playing field equal and accessible for everyone and that places health and safety above profit. We want a system of labor that places everyone on an equal footing and lessens the current master-serf relationship that is developing in the employer-employee dynamic. Where is the negativity in all that? We HOPE we can create all these things. None of that is negative, so why do we so often seem negative in our approach. Again, this is not common among all progressives, just the white, well-off, college educated ones who think they’re smarter than everyone else. Our country was built on hope. We became the most powerful nation on the planet because of hope. After World War II, we used hope to build a society that was the envy of the world. Now, under Republican rule, we “hope” we can survive the Trump debacle. But that is still hope. We have an example of how important hope is. His name is Barack Hussein Obama. Obama ran his two campaigns based entirely on hope and optimism, and he won both in a walk. Not only that, but Democrats gained seats both times. The 2008 and 2012 elections featured the highest turnout since 1968. His entire message was hopeful and his presidency was eternally hopeful. But instead of embracing him and the hope he stood for, the progressive movement attacked him and the Democrats incessantly, thereby handing the entire Congress and most state governments right back to the GOP. President Obama still puts hope at the top of his wish list. This weekend, he Tweeted the following thread: Kat Creech, a wedding planner in Houston, turned a postponed wedding into a volunteer opportunity for Hurricane Harvey victims. Thirty wedding guests became an organization of hundreds of volunteers. That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/yxhjwkr5Se — Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 29, 2017 Chris Long gave his paychecks from the first six games of the NFL season to fund scholarships in Charlottesville, VA. He wanted to do more, so he decided to give away an entire season’s salary. That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/NL0RoARkan Ten-year-old Jahkil Jackson is on a mission to help homeless people in Chicago. He created kits full of socks, toiletries, and food for those in need. Just this week, Jahkil reached his goal to give away 5,000 “blessing bags.” That’s a story from 2017. https://t.co/muxPZnEGkd All across America people chose to get involved, get engaged and stand up. Each of us can make a difference, and all of us ought to try. So go keep changing the world in 2018. We do not live in a third world cesspool, as Trump and Bernie Sanders would like you to believe. Best of all, while there are a lot of problems, they are all fixable, as long as we don’t instigate a nuclear war. However, to get everything done, we all have to work from a perspective of hope. Hope is what motivates the most voters and, let’s face it; hope is what progressives and liberals are supposed to sell. We want to once again be a nation that all other nations look up to, and we can’t do that without hope. Also published on Medium. Posted in Crap Cutting 101, Democrats, Election 2018, Progressive Messaging, Progressive Values permalink About Milt Shook A writer with 40 years in the political game (and let's face it, it is a game). I am a liberal because facts have a liberal bias, and I really like facts. If you like facts, you'll like this blog. If not, you'll have a hard time. View all posts by Milt Shook What Do We Want to Be? Part III – The Importance of Hope — 1 Comment Jake c aller on January 21, 2018 at 2:58 pm said: love your message on hope. That is what inspires people. Hatred and fear is not enough. Part of why in my opinion Hillary lost. She did not give a positive enough message. Trump’s message although full of hate had one hopeful componet to it. He was running as a complete outsider who would reform the entire system and make it work for the average voter. That is why he won among other reasons. Keep it positive works.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745292

__label__cc

Exploring is a way of life Learning is more than just sitting in a classroom and completing assignments. I want to encourage you to explore, discover and learn. I mean this both figuratively and literally. A remarkable American named John Hope Franklin once said, "We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey." I hope you will take the marvelous opportunities life offers you to get out there, see new things and learn all you possibly can. Life is an adventure, and I look forward to sharing the adventure with you this year. So, to help set the tone for our journey, I share with you a picture of myself, having an adventure of climbing a frozen waterfall outside of Idaho Springs, Colorado. Never stop exploring. Never stop learning. Discover some new thing every day. - A. Garnet A brief biography of Mr. Garnet Mr. Garnet comes to Palos Verdes from Thousand Oaks, California. He has lived all over Southern California, as well as in Utah and Colorado. He has traveled to most of the western United States and down the East coast, has visited Alaska several times, and has been to a few countries in Europe. He has not yet been to a Spanish-speaking country, but hopes to change that soon. He learned Spanish in the U.S., and has been speaking Spanish since 1999. He has also studied French, American Sign Language, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, and Japanese, and can occasionally remember useful words or phrases in those languages, typically a day or two after they would have been useful. Mr. Garnet attended Riverside Community College for his Associate's degree, and California State University Channel Islands for his Bachelor's degree, where he majored in Spanish and minored in Biology. He received his teaching credential through California State University, Northridge. He has worked in several interesting places before he became a teacher: a data collection company, a fast food restaurant, a hang glider park, several bookstores, an art supplies store, a 411 call center, a video game store, a trophy shop, and he has done freelance computer repair. He has about eight years of experience working as a graphic artist and engraver. He has worked as a bilingual classroom aide in Thousand Oaks, and spent a year as a student teacher in Granada Hills and Simi Valley, California. He taught Spanish for two years at Tokay High School in Lodi, CA. He began teaching Spanish at Peninsula High in 2013 and AVID in 2015, and has been loving it ever since. Mr. Garnet enjoys reading, and typically reads two to three hundred books each year. He is also an accomplished artist, computer expert and amateur chef. Although he may appear to be mostly an indoor person, Mr. Garnet has had several interesting life experiences outdoors, which include jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, whitewater rafting in Alaska and Colorado, rock climbing and rappelling throughout his teenage years, hang gliding, sled dog racing, kayaking down the Colorado river in a homemade boat, and many, many years of backpacking and camping.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745303

__label__wiki

Iowa comes alive in 2nd half, sneaks past Green Bay, 93-82 By ADAM HENSLEY IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) Iowa's offense struggled with turnovers early on, but thanks to its determination to feed the post, the Hawkeyes dominated down low in a 93-82 win over Green Bay on Sunday. Luka Garza and Tyler Cook muscled Phoenix defenders in the paint all game long, as each scored 17 points. "Early on we were getting (the ball) to me inside, then we started getting it to Cook, because we knew we had the advantage there," Garza said. "They couldn't stop us." Forwards Garza, Cook, Nicholas Baer, and Ryan Kriener combined to score 54 points, but it was also Jordan Bohannon's play on the outside that sparked Iowa's second-half breakaway. Connor McCaffery's presence at point guard allowed Bohannon to slide over from point to shooting guard, freeing him from primary ball-handling duties and giving him more looks from long-range. Bohannon scored all 13 of his points in the second half, hitting three of his six 3-point attempts. "I think it helped me get some shots off, especially with them pressing the entire game," he said. "I wasn't really too aggressive - I don't think it was needed for me to be aggressive in the first half. I just let the game come to me." Thanks to early foul trouble on Cook's end and Bohannon's 0-for-2 performance in the first half, the Phoenix held both players to just 3 points combined in the opening half. They scored 27 in the second half. Meanwhile, Green Bay hung around thanks to the hot hands of Sandy Cohen III and Manny Patterson. Both scored 17 points, with Cohen added eight assists and six rebounds in his 37 minutes on the court. The Phoenix forced 17 turnovers, sparking an early first-half lead. Green Bay fell into foul trouble as the game went on, however, as Iowa shot 45 free throws. Green Bay: The Phoenix defense made the Hawkeyes uncomfortable for most of the game, forcing 17 turnovers. That's one turnover better than their last game, and also something head coach Linc Darner should be pleased with. Iowa: Defense was Iowa's Achilles' heel last season and it showed again. It's early, but giving up 82 points isn't ideal for a team that made defense an offseason priority. With less than six minutes remaining in the game, Bohannon stole a Green Bay pass, and the Phoenix failed to stop the ball. The Hawkeye point guard drove to the bucket and made a layup through a foul. He made his free throw, and Iowa's lead grew to nine - its largest of the day to that point. ROLE PLAYER Baer's contributions off the bench kept things from getting out of hand in the first half. He had eight points in the first, and then he added four in the second half. "He was phenomenal in the first half," coach Fran McCaffery said. "He was probably the reason we were up in the first half." STAT OF THE NIGHT Iowa's bench scored 33 points. McCaffery's squad prides itself on a deep rotation, and on Sunday, that was the case. Baer led the way, scoring 12 points, grabbing six rebounds, and tallying a steal and a block. McCaffery scored 11 points and dished three assists and Kriener added eight points. HE SAID IT McCaffery on playing alongside Bohannon: "He makes shots. I can take my guy off the dribble. It's good to have two guards on the floor that really handle the ball, know what we're doing at all times. I think it's a good lineup. I love playing with him." Green Bay returns home after losing its second game in a row, hosting Eastern Washington on Friday. Iowa travels to New York City for a showdown against Oregon on Thursday as the 2K Classic for the Wounded Warrior Project moves from campus sites to Madison Square Garden.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745304

__label__wiki

Home / Team dynamics Top 10 Signs You’re a Great Teammate Category: Team dynamics 10- You’re willing to play any role that helps the team 9- You would rather score less & win than score a lot & lose 8- When the team scores, the first people you congratulate are teammates 7- You love practice as much as you love games 6- You respect your opponents but don’t fear them 5- You listen, are coachable & respects your coaches & officials 4- You are quick to pick up a teammate who is having a bad day 3- You help younger teammates who have less experience 2- You learn & grow from your mistakes as well as others’ 1- You’re confident but not arrogant (Attribution unknown) Rio Focus: USA Water Polo’s Adam Krikorian Seeks a Second Gold: Re-broadcast Category: Olympics, Team dynamics http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Adam_Krikorian.mp3 Athlete-to-coach transition, John Wooden UCLA legacy; Re-broadcast Adam Krikorian struck gold in his first Olympics as head coach – in London 2012 with the USA women’s water polo team. He began coaching the squad in 2009, in addition to having the same role at UCLA since 2000. Adam is a former standout water polo player himself, with lots of fascinating things to say about making the transition from athlete to coach. You’ll hear about how the legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden has been major source of inspiration. Like Wooden, Adam is refreshingly modest and open, qualities that were dramatically apparent in the later stages of the Olympics, which you’ll also hear about when he discusses a key mistake he made and its aftermath. Swimming Coach Chris Plumb of Carmel: Developing Dominance Category: Swimming, Team dynamics, Values & Principles http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Swimming_Coach_Plumb_Carmel_Indiana_2014.mp3 Team values and personal principles Rounding up teenagers at 6:30 in the morning six days a week, 50 weeks a year and turning them into champions, over and over again. Sounds like hard work but also tremendously satisfying for swimming coach Chris Plumb. Chris has helped produce dozens of Olympic caliber athletes at the nationally ranked Carmel Swim Club in Carmel, Indiana. He’s been with the club for over a decade and became head coach in 2006. Carmel has won the USA Swimming Gold Medal Club of Excellence in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He is also head coach of the Carmel High School Swim Team, whose girls’ squad has won 28 consecutive state champions. Sports Coach Radio is a series of weekly in-depth interview with world-class sports coaches, leaders and scientists, hosted by Glenn Whitney, a coaching adviser and leadership consultant. Follow us on Twitter, where we post coaching tips and links to interesting articles just about every day of the week. The handle is @sportscoachtalk. And we’d be grateful if you’d leave a short review of the show on the Apple iTunes page. Key topics: Team values, personal principles, sports-specific training, developing mental toughness Miami Hurricanes and AP Basketball Coach of the Year Jim Larrañaga Category: Basketball, Motivation, Team dynamics http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Jim_Larranaga_11sep13.mp3 Master motivator and community builder What a year it’s been so far for Jim Larrañaga: A 29 and 7 record coaching the University of Miami Hurricanes basketball team, reaching the NCAA Sweet 16. The Associated Press Coach of the Year Award. And very recently a new contract with the ‘Canes that will take him to 2022. If all continues going well, Larrañaga will be a leader in top level college basketball about a decade beyond the retirement age of most of his peers. Sports Coach Radio is hosted by Glenn Whitney, a coaching and leadership psychologist. You can follow us on Twitter, where we post useful articles and coaching tips just about every day of the week. The handle is @sportscoachtalk. And we’d be grateful if you’d leave a short review of the show on the Apple iTunes page. Coach Larrañaga accepted the University of Miami job in April 2011, after having led George Mason University in Virginia for 14 seasons, compiling a 68% win record and making the NCAA Final Four in 2006. Before that he was at Bowling Green in Ohio for 11 seasons, winning 58% of their games. Double Olympic Volleyball Finalist Hugh McCutcheon on Coaching Across Cultures & Genders http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Hugh_Mccutchen_10may13.mp3 Team dynamics, tactics & intensity Very, very few coaches have brought both a men’s team and a women’s team to an Olympic championship final. Hugh McCutcheon has, winning gold for the USA male volleyball squad in Beijing and silver for the female squad in London. Hugh, who was born and raised in New Zealand, also has a novel perspective on elite team performance in the U.S. being the rare non American to head a top Olympic team. Hugh is currently head coach of the women’s volleyball team at the University of Minnesota. We had a fascinating and wide-ranging chat recently about his extensive professional development journey, the differences between male and female athletes, the American high-performance sports culture and lots more. Bucknell Basketball’s Paulsen on Principle-Driven Team Building Category: Basketball, Mental toughness, Team dynamics http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Dave_paulsen.mp3 NCAA Division I, Mike Muscala, Communication Big league college basketball is in focus this week on Sports Coach Radio. We’re joined by Dave Paulsen, head coach of the Bucknell University men’s team. Dave is an inspiring member of a younger generation of emotionally intelligent basketball coaches who achieve great results with today’s somewhat more demanding young athletes. Dave Paulsen has steadily worked his way up the coaching ranks, spending his first 14 years as a head coach with NC double A Division II and III schools. His most successful stint was at his alma mater, Williams, the elite “Little Ivy” college in north western Massachusetts. He posted a 76 per cent winning record during six seasons at Williams. Dave moved up to Division I Bucknell, in central Pennsylvania, in 2008. There he experienced a first season best characterized as “challenging” – winning 7 and losing 23. Since then it’s been onward and upward: a 14 and 17 record in 2009-10, 25 and 9 in 2010-11, 25 and 10 in 2011-12, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament and this past season, the record in the history of the school 28 and 5 when Bucknell again reached the second round of the tournament. If this rate of improvement continues, we’re going to hear quite a lot about Dave Paulsen over the coming years. He was jointly named the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 13 Coach of the Year. We caught up with him the other day en route to his daughter’s lacrosse game. Now normally we say don’t drive and philosophize about coaching at at the same time, but Dave does rather a good job at it. – Respect needed for the coach more than liking – Primacy of the team will always win out over the individual – “The longer I coach the more important values become.” – Bucknell Basketball Core Values: Passion, Talk, Toughness & Focus – Compel them to communicate, if not punish them – On verbal and physical coaching abuse at Rutgers: “Shocking” UNC Soccer’s Anson Dorrance: Possibly the World’s Winningest Coach Ever Category: Featured posts, Olympics, Soccer, Team dynamics http://traffic.libsyn.com/sportscoachradio/Anson_Dorrance_21may13.mp3 NCAA & Olympic Soccer; Mia Hamm This week we welcome a coach who has won 93% of his games over the past 33 years, including the latest season. For Anson Dorrance of the University of North Carolina’s women’s soccer team, and former head coach of the U.S. women’s national team, the unwieldy word “winningest” has to apply. Coach Dorrance is very possibly the winningest elite-level coach in the world, in any sport, ever. In addition to bringing home the women’s World Cup in 1991, coach Dorrance has won 21 national championships. He even had a winning streak of 9 championships and 92 victories in a row, finishing in 1994. Coach Dorrance is rightly famous for innovative techniques and tactics, a ferocious approach to competition and being an expert on the female athletic psyche. So far he has developed 17 of his young women into national players of the year, including Mia Hamm, considered by many to be one of the very best female soccer players ever. Here’s how Coach Dorrance’s 93% win record compares to some other all-time great coaches: Knute Rockne: 84%, John Wooden: 80%, Dean Smith: 78%, Mike Krzyzewski: 76%, Phil Jackson: 69%, Alex Ferguson 58%

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745305

__label__wiki

the Zine Sonic Choir/ Sonic Cathedral's Best Releases of 2010 Zine Sections Sonic Choir All Sonic Choir Articles Sonic Cathedral’s Best Albums of 2010 It’s that time of year when we turn the page on the previous year and embrace the new one. But, not without some reflection. And what better way to reflect on last year’s music than with our very own lists of favorites! Our five current writers on Sonic Cathedral’s staff mulled over the many female-fronted metal albums released in 2011, and each came up with a list of what they consider to be the best. Before we get started, let’s take a brief look back at this past year in female-fronted metal... 2010 was a milestone year for two highly popular Dutch bands. Epica embarked on their worldwide "Design Your Universe" tour, selling out shows in the United States, Canada, South America, and Europe, and cementing their place as one of symphonic metal’s premier acts. And, Delain became the latest band to make their first jump across the pond. Fans rushed to Delain’s first shows in North and South America, including the band’s US debut at ProgPower Festival. For other bands, 2010 was bittersweet. Frontwomen Kerstin Bischof (Xandria), Ruby Roque (WitchBreed), and Telya Melane (Whyzdom) left their respective bands, to the disappointment of their fans. (Xandria and Whyzdom have since announced their new singers, while WitchBreed has yet to as of press time.) Theatre of Tragedy, one of the most influential female-fronted metal bands of all time, criss-crossed the globe on their final tour and played their farewell show in their hometown of Stavanger, Norway. Dutch gothic metallers Morning also disbanded in November after 10 years and two albums together. Most importantly, 2010 had lots to offer in terms of new music. Only a few big-name bands put out new albums – but they made quite an impact. Edenbridge and Tarja reclaimed their seats near the top of the symphonic metal perch with their respective CDs. Therion’s "Sitra Ahra" reminded the world who’s boss when it comes to gothic metal. And, metalcore maestros In This Moment toured almost non-stop to promote their third album "A Star-Crossed Wasteland," which crashed into the Top 40 US album chart this past summer. 2010 also had its share of comeback albums. Tristania put out "Rubicon," their first CD in over three years, while former After Forever chanteuse Floor Jansen jumped back into the scene with her new band ReVamp and their hotly anticipated self-titled debut. And speaking of debuts, 2010 had plenty of those. Diabulus in Musica, The Mariana Hollow, Seven Kingdoms(w/female vocalist), Magion, and The Murder of My Sweet are just a few names that come to mind. So, which albums made our writers’ lists of favorites for 2010? Well, without further ado… Robin Stryker's Top 5 Albums 1. My Ruin – "Ghosts and Good Stories" Much to my surprise, an album from the heaviest end of the metal spectrum tops my list for 2010. My Ruin’s sixth album, "Ghosts and Good Stories," is equal parts a cry of triumph and howl of outrage that announces in no uncertain terms that this Los Angeles band is not fading into the long dark night any time soon. Their release is a sledgehammer of aggression, forged in the fury of Tairrie B. Murphy’s blistering screams, venomous whispers, and rippling spoken-word passages, then given shape on the anvil of Mick Murphy’s rock-infused guitars. Yet, despite being marrow-splatteringly heavy, "Ghosts and Good Stories" ultimately is an album that speaks the band’s personal truth with lovely (if brutal) clarity. 2. Winter in Eden – "Awakening" The debut album by UK metallers Winter In Eden shines with an arctic beauty spun out of threads of loss, longing, sorrow, desperation, and the darkest urges of the human heart. "Awakening" is not a happy romp, nor do the vocals stray into the operatic range. But, you would be hard-pressed to find a more darkly satisfying album of symphonic metal this year. Vicky Johnson’s clear, mid-range voice packs an emotional wallop that fits perfectly with the brooding themes and vivid imagery, and the composition and musicianship (especially the keyboards) are all top notch. For a sampling of Winter In Eden at their finest, check out the heart-breaking "Cry," the war-ravaged "At The Edge Of The World," and the surprisingly tender closing track "The Awakening Chapter Two: Unspoken." 3. Seven Kingdoms – "Seven Kingdoms" Ah, the rarest of metal breeds: female-fronted power metal. Banish any facile comparisons to Nightwish or Epica. Instead, Florida’s Seven Kingdoms falls solidly into the camp usually inhabited by male-fronted bands such as Iced Earth, Hammerfall, and Blind Guardian (for whom Seven Kingdoms opened during their entire 2010 North American tour). Fans of power metal expect fiery guitar riffs, precision drumming, and fantasy-themed lyrics, all of which Seven Kingdom’s self-titled album delivers in spades. What vaults this album beyond being merely an entertaining listen is Sabrina Valentine’s flexible voice, which is muscular enough for the martial tracks and utterly lovely on the pastoral ballad, "A Murder Never Dead." My only criticism of "Seven Kingdoms" is the Cookie Monster vocals that distract from what is otherwise a finely-crafted sound. 4. Embassy of Silence – "Euphorialight" If you think the only metal Scandinavian bands create is either operatic or black, guess again. Finland’s Embassy of Silence hits the sweet spot with their melodic metal debut album, "Euphorialight." The album has a distinctly literary bent that flirts with everything from Shakespeare to "Wuthering Heights" to "The Silence of the Lambs." Rather than being the aural equivalent of Brussels sprouts, "Euphorialight" is oddly hypnotic with unexpected bursts of sly humor. Ines Lukkanen has a slightly throaty, mid-range voice that has no trouble holding its own against the spiraling guitar riffs. I was especially impressed that relative newcomers are confident enough in their craft to allow each song to unfold at its own pace. At the moment, Embassy of Silence’s album is not available in the United States unless you can snag a copy from eBay. Here’s hoping this injustice is remedied in 2011. 5. AnsoticcA – "Rise" The German/Dutch gothic metal band AnsotticA’s debut was released late in 2011, but quickly muscled its way into heavy rotation for me. "Rise" is a guitar-centered album that is occasionally softened by keyboard and violin passages. On balance, however, the sound is unusually thick and heavy, with even the semi-ballad "Willing To Believe" ending with a crash of guitars. This approach works brilliantly for the most part, but the album would have benefitted by a true ballad at the midpoint to let listeners rest their ears. Petty quibbling aside, the highlight of "Rise" is Carie van Heden’s warm, caressing voice that shifts effortlessly from the low end of the scale to dizzying heights. Mercifully, while Carie is capable of hitting ear-piercing notes, her voice stays in the mid-range for the bulk of the album. Expect to hear much more from AnsotticA in 2011. Honorable Mentions: In This Moment – "A Star-Crossed Wasteland"; Triosphere – "The Road Less Travelled"; Snovonne – "It’s Sno, Baby (Not Sugar)"; The Birthday Massacre – "Pins And Needles"; Holiness – "Beneath the Surface"; Last Red Ransom – "Sleep Well Sweet Vanity"; Samandriel – "Awakening" Doctor T’s Top 5 Albums 1. Magion – "Close to Eternity" Although there are a lot of great releases coming from the Netherlands, this may be the finest since 2008’s "Amygdala" from Ex Libris. Magion vocalist Myrthe van Beest can do it all: the metal, the operatic, and everything in between. And, the production sets new levels for sophistication, and it takes that kind of production to showcase the strong musical setlist that makes up this solid musical tour de force. As with so much of the Dutch gothic metal, there is a heavy dose of the classical. Sometimes, it’s the entire selection. Other times, it’s the vocals, or interspersed throughout a track. But, the Magion musicians know their way around a song and are a perfect compliment to van Beest’s vocals. They allow that they are influenced by the best; Nightwish, After Forever, Within Temptation, etc. And, they clearly carry on that tradition with flair. 2. Six Magics – "Behind the Sorrow" Some sounds just reflect your reality at the time and make an impression that just won’t go away. This CD came my way at a time that met those criteria, and the music is just something I can’t get out of my mind. I kind of like the singer a lot, too. But, Six Magics reflects a dynamic musical environment that is taking hold in South America and has to be at the top of that continent’s musical ladder in female-fronted metal. The music is a little different than the typical symphonic operatic I generally prefer. But, with a vocal like the one presented by the truly lovely Elizabeth Vasquez, you have nothing left to desire. The band spends enough time in Western Europe to be familiar with that sound, but adds that subtle South American component that makes this CD pretty much unforgettable. 3. (The)SLOT – "Mirrors" EP This one might be higher on my list if it was a full CD, but I’ve been listening to this band for so long I know pretty much everything they’ve ever done – and I love it all. Again, no operatic vocals, no heavy synthetics. Just some good, solid Russian metal – and always performed in Russian, except this release, which will shortly be followed up by a full release in English. This is an important band, certainly one of the first Russian bands to take full aim at the West and show us that the Russians are a musical presence to be reckoned with. Don’t be surprised to see them at the Female Metal Voices Festival one day. They’ve conquered most of the old Soviet Union and are on their way to Western Europe. Nookie and the boys can crank it, in Russian or English. 4. Emerald Mind – "Tales of Soveena" A little known Russian band that presents a vocal that can compete with the best. They don’t even have a CD for sale; it’s free. And, although the instrumental work may not always compete with the best from Western Europe, the songwriting and incredible vocals from the lovely, blond singer Svetlana Vysotskaya are as good as they get. It’s full opera full-time, with enough instruments backing it up to make the strong song set appealing across every song. I’d like to be more familiar with the lyrics, but I can listen to this pretty much all night and enjoy. Another of what may become a Russian invasion of Western Europe and the Americas in the years to come. 5. Lateless – "Lateless" And finally, another Russian band. What a shock. I guess my liberal tendencies are showing. Lateless is more of the Russian metal sound, with a metal vocalist who is pretty much in the middle between SLOT’s Nookie and Emerald Mind’s Svetlana Vysotskaya. Nataly can do the stronger metal but can approach the operatic when she goes into her higher registers. It’s more of a catchy rhythm orientation, with a slightly gothic direction to some songs. But, the guitars thunder, the drums are crushing, and the overall feel is killer metal, with a flowing vocal that drives the music. Again, strong songwriting drives this music as it does for most of the music I enjoy no matter what the orientation. But, the Russians seem to have captured the magic in female-fronted metal. Now, if only we could just get to see them live. Honorable Mention: Heonia – "Winsome Scar"; Evil’s Desire – "Initium"; Samandriel – "Awakening"; Enemy Star – "Light It Up"; Factory of Dreams – "A Strange Utopia" Sara Letourneau’s Top 5 Albums 1. Star One – "Victims of the Modern Age" Well, yes, Arjen Lucassen’s Star One project predominantly features male vocalists. But, Floor Jansen (ReVamp, ex-After Forever) is one of the best singers in metal, thus making "Victims of the Modern Age" eligible for our lists. And, boy, "Victims" is absolutely mind-blowing! Lucassen has not only reunited the original Star One vocal / musical line-up and recaptured the magic of "Space Metal" (a great album in its own right), but he has also improved the Star One sound. The unique mix of prog metal / space rock is heavier and more guitar-driven, the lyrical content more serious, and the vocal performances superior to those on "Space Metal." It’s rare that an artist can make a follow-up album that’s better than its debut. And, every time I listen to "Victims," I feel like I’m riding a rocket from one edge of outer space to the other – and I’m enjoying the ride so much, I don’t want to come back to Earth. Isn't that the feeling your favorite album of the year should give you? 2. The Mariana Hollow – "Coma Heart" I can’t recall the last time I was so impressed by a new band. The Mariana Hollow has a sound that is truly unique. (I’m always cautious when it comes to using the word "unique," but it’s 100% fitting in this case.) On their debut album "Coma Heart," this alternative metal quintet from London proves that metal isn’t just about shredding, growling, and operatic training. Singer Rebecca Spinks has an emotive fierceness in her voice that’s refreshing to hear. Equally as striking is the sophisticated guitarwork by Danny Russell and Richie Walden. These two musicians alone deliver some of the most captivating soundscapes I’ve heard in a while. However, perhaps the most important reason why I love "Coma Heart" so much is because it came to me in the middle of a difficult, emotional summer. This CD offered comfort and escape when I needed it most – and got pretty heavy rotation on my iPod as a result. All this explains why "Coma Heart" was far and away my favorite surprise of 2010 – and why I believe The Mariana Hollow is on the verge of a major breakthrough. 3. Diabulus in Musica – "Secrets" Call this band an Epica wannabe if you want, but Spain’s Diabulus in Musica is the new force to be reckoned with in symphonic metal. Their debut album "Secrets" is bursting with energy and bold musicality, and presents a new twist on the tired genre. It’s also got great string arrangements and piano-playing, some ethnic flair, and great hooks that will stick in your head for months. I have to commend Diabulus in Musica most, though, for their fearlessness. This band isn’t intimidated by complex song structures and lengthy compositions, and the strongest songs on "Secrets" use both of these elements. Original? Perhaps not. Daring for a new band? Absolutely. Give "Secrets" a listen, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love with one of the best new bands in the business. 4. Avariel – "The Dawn" I’ll admit, this album may be a biased choice, since I personally know the members of Avariel. But, I can’t tell you how psyched I still am that the Boston area has its own female-fronted symphonic metal band! And, in all honesty, "The Dawn" is one of the strongest independent releases to come out of North America this year. The songs are well composed and show the band members’ varied influences from both American and European metal. And, while many American bands tend to repeat the same motifs and lyrical topics in their songs, Avariel offers plenty of variety. Graceful power ballads, triumphant uptempo numbers, winding epics, even a punishing death-metal-esque anthem. You name it, Avariel has it on "The Dawn," and they’ve done it well. I’ve only had this album for a couple of weeks, and all I can is… Wow! America finally has a female-fronted power metal band that can compete with their male-fronted counterparts – and that band is none other than Florida’s Seven Kingdoms. The guitarwork, courtesy of Camden Cruz and Kevin Byrd, ranges from rhythmic and intricate to thunderous and wild. As for singer Sabrina Valentine, her voice is rich and has the range, power, and emotion that will make the more famous singers in female-fronted metal shake in their boots. Did I mention "Seven Kingdoms" also has death grunts, lyrics inspired by Norse mythology and fantasy stories, and virtually no strings or keyboards? Yes, that’s correct. No orchestras or choirs. This is intense, unadulterated power metal at its rawest and finest. Expect a review of "Seven Kingdoms" from yours truly in early 2011. Honorable Mentions: We Are The Fallen – "Tear the World Down"; ReVamp – "ReVamp"; Kingfisher Sky – "Skin of the Earth"; Hydria – "Poison Paradise" Max Levites’ Top 5 Albums 1. In This Moment – "A Star-Crossed Wasteland" In This Moment have made quite a stir on the scene over the past few years, and for good reason. Their newest album, "A Star-Crossed Wasteland," is an apocalyptic metalcore masterpiece, with great songs, a great concept, and a great band behind the instruments and the mic. Maria Brink is easily one of the most versatile vocalists in the business, and one of the few who sings with true emotion in her voice. "World in Flames" might just be the only song to ever bring me near tears, and the rest of the songs are equally as emotive, just in different ways. The album has a couple songs that sound great live and potential metal anthems for future generations, including "Blazin'" and "The Gun Show," as well as one of the most epic songs I've ever heard: "Iron Army." This is hands down my favorite release of 2011, and I really can't imagine In This Moment topping this one. We shall see. 2. Dirty Little Rabbits – "Dirty Little Rabbits" Dirty Little Rabbits is the second band of Slipknot drummer Shaun Crahan, fronted by the eccentric and exciting Stella Katsoudas, truly a one-of-a-kind gal with an attitude to boot. They released their self-titled debut album this summer, and I was taken aback by the absolute awesomeness of it all. The diversity of not only the vocals, but everything else on this album is amazing, and it miraculously stays cohesive and makes total sense in a deranged sort of way. From creepy circus organ music to angst-filled explosions to vulnerable ballads, this album spans the gambit and successfully captures the listener's interest throughout its entire duration. At least, that's it what it did for me. It might not be for everyone, considering Stella has been described by people who've seen this band live as "bat-shit insane." But, that's probably why I love it! 3. We Are The Fallen – "Tear the World Down" We Are The Fallen is made up of three former members of Evanescence and a former American Idol contestant, so it's obvious why many don't take them too seriously, quickly writing them off as an Evanescence copy. Though similar in sound (mostly because guitarist Ben Moody wrote most of the songs on Evanescence's debut, "Fallen") the two bands have obviously gone in different directions; and with added influence from other band members, We Are The Fallen has released an impressive debut album that puts them on the map as a legitimate force. "Tear the World Down" is full of good songs, and though not overly complex or something completely outside expectation, it is an enjoyable album that shows the potential for something even greater to come. I remember finding this band one day, and, seeing on their Myspace that they were playing a show sort-of-near me the next day, bought tickets and went to see them. Totally worth it, and I really hope to hear more and more from this band in the future. 4. Tristania – "Rubicon" Tristania has released two of the best gothic metal albums to date: 1999's "Beyond the Veil," and 2001's "World of Glass." Since Morten Veland's departure after the former, the band's lineup has more or less changed completely, retaining only one or two from the original gathering of musicians. Their albums have also gotten steadily worse after "World of Glass"; I think "Ashes" and "Illumination" were rather horrible. However, with the departure of Vibeke Stene, the band hired a new frontwoman, Mariangela Demurtas, and released "Rubicon," an album pretty much completely different from all the others. It also happens to be absolutely wonderful! The songs are great, catchy, and interesting, and Mariangela has a wonderful voice, completely different from Vibeke's. In my personal opinion, however, this is not Tristania. Sure, bands are allowed to evolve and grow over time. But since the lineup is pretty much completely different, it might as well be a different band. The album is great, though, and I hope they do continue making more awesome music in the future. 5. Tarja – "What Lies Beneath" In all honesty, I thought Tarja's last album, "My Winter Storm," was absolutely horrible. I figured that, without Nightwish, she was just a lost soul riding on the fame of her previous band. Needless to say, my expectations for her sophomore effort were low. Very low. This is why this album took me completely by surprise. In fact, there really isn't a song I don't like on "What Lies Beneath." Tarja has stepped it up and delivered an album more worthy of someone with her vocal talent, and a thoroughly enjoyable one at that. Her voice really is fantastic, especially evident on tracks like "In For a Kill" and "Crimson Deep." Although the heavier, uptempo songs on this album are good in their own right (although a bit forced at times), it's really the slower, softer songs where Tarja really shines. It's no Nightwish, of course, but Tarja really has proved that she's got the skills to give us something worth listening to. Honorable Mentions: Indica – "A Way Away"; Diabulus in Musica – "Secrets"; The Murder of My Sweet – "Divanity" Frozen Angel’s Top 5 Albums 1. Meden Agan – "Promo 2010" Well, I have to admit that Meden Agan is the biggest surprise of 2010 for me. I saw them live in March 2010. I still remember the feeling. They are the most promising act I have ever seen! Really, they are! Five tracks only didn’t really feed my "appetite". I want more, and I really can’t wait for their forthcoming debut album. Progressive elements with combined with amazing soprano vocals! A real "bomb," in a positive sense of the word. I have no words to describe how good they were live. I truly believe that, in a few years, they will rock the whole world. Tarja does not need any further introduction. She is unique. She is the leader (in my personal opinion) in what she is doing. Her second solo album is a lot better than the first one. It’s obvious that she moved one step forward in her personal plan. She is doing very careful steps. And, every step leads her further. Not a real masterpiece, but still "What Lies Beneath" is a really good album. With many guest appearances (Van Canto, Phil Labonte, Will Calhoun, and Joe Satriani), that album couldn’t be something less than exceptional. Tarja is following her dreams. And, her fans are going crazy. She is the queen, after all. Diabulus In Musica was another big surprise of this year for me. I had noticed that they were in the line-up for MFVF 2010 and decided to check them out. I didn’t regret it. Their debut has everything. Power, energy, beautiful lyrics, and great melodies. Everything is in the right place in that album. Zuberoa is a very charismatic vocalist with a unique tone. Certainly the future belongs to them. I can’t wait to see them live (I have noticed that Zuberoa is even better live than on the album!). I feel too young and too small to criticize Mr. Arjen Luccasen. Really, I do. He is one of the "brains" in the metal music industry. I admire him and respect him. Some years before, after making the first Star One album, Arjen said in an interview, "‘Space Metal’ was really magic. I am afraid that I will fail to capture the same atmosphere and actually ruin it! I am actually against sequels, you cannot repeat the same atmosphere and feeling like you had with the first album." Thank God that Arjen was back in 2010 with that album. There is already a very good review about that album, so I will just say that he opens new doors and gives new breath in metal music. Floor Jansen, Russell Allen, Damian Wilson and Dan Swano combine their voices perfectly and make that album a real masterpiece. To tell the truth, I wasn’t one of the Tristania fans who were waiting so impatiently for their new album. I miss Vibeke. She is one the most amazing voices, and I really want her back onstage. But, I have to admit that Tristania released an amazing album. Mary was a very good choice. Although, in my opinion, the band should have changed their name. Nothing in that album reminds of the old Tristania. Only one member is left from the old line-up. They have picked a brand new sound with new elements and characteristics, and I really like that. They have their own new identity and their own sound. I think that we have here a brand new band that will become a really huge name in the future. But, I can’t really imagine how a vocalist like Mary will sing songs like "My Lost Lenore" or "Deadlocked" live. Honorable Mentions: ReVamp – "ReVamp"; Skeptical Minds – "Skepticalized"; Amberian Dawn – "End of Eden"; Therion – "Sitra Ahra"; Indica – "A Way Away"; Exilia – "Naked"; Kingfisher Sky – "Skin of the Earth" ...And there you have it! Our writers’ favorite female-fronted metal albums of 2010. And who knows what 2011 will bring. Several bands have either set dates for new releases or are in the studio working on new music right now. All we can say for now is that 2010 was an exciting year – and we hope this year will be even more so! We’d love to hear about your favorite female-fronted albums of 2010. Just head over to our Facebook page And as always, we welcome any ideas our writers may have for the Sonic Choir section of the Zine. You can send your suggestions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post them on Facebook. Copyright © Sonic CathedralDesigned by olwebdesign

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745311

__label__cc

Flyers re-sign Brian Elliott to one-year, $2 million contract Author: Ryan Gilbert Published Date: June 26, 2019 The Philadelphia Flyers have their backup goalie. Chuck Fletcher and the Flyers re-signed Brian Elliott to a one-year, $2 million contract, the team announced Wednesday. THE MOOSE IS BACK.https://t.co/PEcYAquBzn — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) June 26, 2019 Many thought that Cam Talbot would re-sign after the Flyers traded for him in February, but the Moose is back instead. Elliott took a slight pay cut — from $2.75 million to $2 million per year — on the one-year deal. It makes sense as Elliott was expected to share the bulk of the starts over the course of his last contract. “Brian has played well for us the last two seasons,” said Fletcher. “He is a proven, quality goaltender who competes and battles hard every time he has the net. We are excited to have him rejoin our team.” Elliott played in 43 games (42 starts) in 2017-18, his first season in Philadelphia, posting a 23-21-7 record with a .909 save percentage and 2.66 goals against average. He has dealt with injuries in his two years in Philly, being limited to just 26 games (23 starts) last season with a record of 11-11-1, .907 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average. Elliott will be the backup goalie for Carter Hart with Alex Lyon as the third option. Lyon will likely start for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. The Flyers know what they have in Elliott and, if he can stay healthy, he can be a solid backup for Hart. The contract is reasonable as well for a backup goalie at $2 million. ← Flyers receive high marks for Cam York, Bobby Brink and the rest of their 2019 NHL Draft class Flyers place David Schlemko on waivers to buy out his contract →

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745312

__label__cc

Reunion Agendas History and Highlights University High School Alumni Association Scholarship Click here for Scholarship Information Form Application Period: May 15-July 1 each year The University High School Alumni Association Scholarship is an academic scholarship to The University of Mississippi for full-time undergraduate students who are direct descendants of individuals who attended the University High School during its existence (1929-1963). The scholarship is awarded to an entering freshman or transfer student for their first year at Ole Miss. Each applicant must execute a Federal Application for Student Aid form at the Office of Financial Aid as well as this application. The UHS Scholarship Committee receives applicants and determines the eligibility of applicants. Based on the availability of funds, the Committee determines the amount of each scholarship and the number to be awarded. The minimum stipend is $500 for each of the first two semesters. The Office of Financial Aid makes the final decision in the awarding of scholarship based on need, scholarship, and demonstrated leadership. © 2020 UHS Oxford. All rights reserved. Small Business Websites by

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745323

__label__cc

Timea Bacsinszky reflects on her time on the junior tour February 4, 2016 · Leave a Comment From 25 years of the Tennis Europe Junior Tour: Though she laments that parental pressure took some of the enjoyment out of her junior days, Timea Bacsinszky has some great memories of her first international tournaments. In recent years, she has reconnected with her love for the game; a passion that has seen her break into the WTA Top 10 this year after reaching her first ever Grand Slam semi-final at the French Open. Only two players have ever won Les Petits As twice: You and Martina Hingis. Can you still remember playing there? Yeah, I do remember it well. It was quite amazing at that age to have 4,000 people watching us playing the final. The highlights were shown on Eurosport, so it was really exciting. It’s a junior event, but everything is done so professionally and they make you feel so special, almost like you’re playing a Grand Slam. The first year I couldn’t believe I won it. I lost so many times to Alyssa Kleybanova. It’s a funny story actually – I really remember losing to her in Auray in a 12 & Under event. We played the final against each other and I was leading 5-2 when her mother started coaching and told her to play loopers [moonballs]. So she did that and I couldn’t cope and eventually I lost 7-5 6-0 or something like that. I didn’t win another game, because I was thinking “this is not tennis” [laughs]. Anyway, I played her again at Tarbes but I managed to win and she was 5-2 up this time but I managed to turn it around, and then the second set was 7-5 again or something… What about your second year? Many players fly through the 14 & Under tournaments and don’t get a chance to go back… In 2003 I remember I was so freaked out; it was the first time that I had this pressure – a pressure that you have to learn on the Tour. That’s why the Junior Tour is really good because when you are the defending champion you can replay the tournament and it’s a new kind of pressure. It doesn’t happen that often because you tend to rise an age category, but I think it’s beneficial to try to defend. I learned a little bit how to play with pressure because of that. Great memories; it was an amazing time. You played in a few team events too. How was that experience? Oh, I played in Moscow once, at the Winter Cups. I had some purple soup and I didn’t understand what it was – but it turned out to be beetroot soup! I remember playing Michaela Krajicek there, and Ekaterina Makarova, who I also played in Tarbes. I faced so many of today’s top players for the first time on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour. You didn’t play that much on our Tour when you were younger, but when you did you really made your presence felt… It’s not something I’d recommend to others. I wasn’t deciding for myself when I was younger. Fortunately and unfortunately. But I think it’s good to play a little bit more than I did. There is plenty of time to be a pro later. If you had to give some advice to the players that are on the Tennis Europe Junior Tour right now, what would you tell them? The advice is really to ask yourself, “Do I really love this?” You have to love it. You need to know that you don’t need to win everything. You are going to lose many, many matches. But if you know that you are going to step on court and enjoy it no matter what, that’s the most important thing. Your career is going to be long and you will have plenty of wins, and some losses as well, but you have to be able to accept things. If you can take it that way, your life will be much more enjoyable as a tennis player. Category: Juniors · Tags: 2002, 2003, Alyssa Kleybanova, Auray, Ekaterina Makarova, Les Petits As, Michaela Krajicek, Tarbes, Timea Bacsinszky

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745324

__label__wiki

Posted on by Terry a. O'Neal on November 2nd, 2019 | 0 Comments » Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL, 1900s. Images from Encyclopedia of Alabama By Terry a. O’Neal Gospel music has been the primary ingredient that has bound Black life together as a surviving people fighting to overcome racial and systemic inequality. From generation to generation, gospel music has undergone dramatic transformations, traveling a long way from its humble beginnings of quartet music that was birthed from cotton fields and back wood churches back in the early 20thcentury. Although the origin of gospel music is not well-documented, Black gospel is rooted in the oral method of interaction through songs and chants called call-and-response. It was from this practice that African-American spirituals were born. “Negro Spirituals” published by Belmont Music Co. in 1937. Image Retrieved online from Black Music Scholar. HEARTLAND OF GOSPEL QUARTET MUSIC In the 1800s, Jefferson county was no different than any other slave state in America. With its deep roots in Alabama soil, it is known as the heartland of gospel quartet music, given rise to notable, award-winning gospel quartet groups from as early as the 1920s. Birmingham and other neighboring towns birthed countless gospel quartet ensembles that would later become recognized in the 2012 documentary, “The Jefferson County Sound”. Some notable southern gospel groups including the Sterling Jubilee Singers (1929), The Four Eagle Gospel Singers (1938), the Fairfield Four (1921), the Blind Boys of Alabama (1939), and other pioneering gospel groups from the yellowhammer state, have been instrumental in shaping gospel music throughout the ages, and still remain influential today. Voices were the instruments. Gracefully, the breathtaking isolated vocals created a music all its own. The melodic acapella sound that emerged from the steel mills and coal mines of Birmingham led to its recognition of being named birthplace of acapella gospel singing. SONGS OF STRUGGLE AND SPIRIT Gospel hymns were born in a period of deep economic depression and racial segregation in America. In a time when hope was dying, praise songs ministered to the hearts of the people. Songs, such as “We Shall Overcome” and “We Shall Not Be Moved”, played an integral role in the civil rights movement. These freedom songs became the soundtrack to the largest mass movements in America. Before long, gospel music began to gain popularity in Birmingham in the 1920s. In the course of time, songs from local artists received national exposure. Classic tunes, like “Don’t Let Nobody Turn You Around” and “In the Upper Room/I’ll Tell the World”, by The Fairfield Four, won national awards, and appeared on several movie soundtracks. Thomas Andrew Dorsey, the “Father of Gospel Music”. Image retrieved online from the Georgia Encyclopedia. INFLUENTIAL FIGURES Known as the father of black gospel music, Thomas Dorsey, is an influential figure in the world of gospel. He established the first black music publishing company in the early 20th century. Dorsey began his music career as a jazz and blues singer in the late 1920s. Years later, after undergoing several personal hardships, he transitioned from blues to the church circuit. Dorsey was the first to write and publish gospel songs in 1926. His amazing skill and composing talent would forever change the gospel sound. Dorsey sophisticated the call-and-response in his music, while cleverly introducing jazz rhythms into gospel expressions. He composed numerous gospel classics, such as “Peace in the Valley”, “On the Battlefield”, and “Take My Hand Precious Lord”, laying the foundation for gospel composers to come. Mahalia Jackson, the “Queen of Gospel” Deeply loved and revered, Mahalia Jackson, was known worldwide as the “Queen of Gospel”, taking worship music to the next level. Discovered by Dorsey, Jackson traveled the world with him, becoming the voice to his lyrics. It was the jubilant grace and soul in her contralto voice that would catapult traditional gospel music to the wider world. Over the years, there has been a cross-pollination between gospel, blues, and jazz. Today, it has expanded to include hip-hop, rap, and rock-and-roll. The five-time Grammy award-winning gospel band, Blind Boys of Alabama, is one legendary group that have created timeless classics over the 70 years of the band’s existence. Reigning from Birmingham, one of the gospel quartet group’s founding members, Mr. Jimmy Carter says that gospel has definitely evolved over time. JIMMY CARTER OF BLIND BOYS “Times have changed. Gospel has changed. But the feeling hasn’t changed—not for me,” he says. “When the Blind Boys first started out, they started with nothing but an old hollow-box guitar. That was the music. To remain impactful, you have to change with times.” Over decades, The Blind Boys witnessed their fair share of troubles of the world. They sang their way through the world war, Jim Crow, the civil rights movement, the death of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other pivotal moments in history. “In the beginning, we couldn’t sing to anyone but Blacks. For us, it was a means of togetherness. We could all come together and be on one accord. It was a great feeling,” he recalls. “As time progressed, doors at White establishments were opened to us…We were determined no matter what they cost that we were not going to turn around.” Today, gospel music has become more global, reaching deeper into the secular world. Unlike the traditional way, it’s taking secular beats and creating gospel songs. Some say that nothing can replace the gospel greats of yesteryears. These artists created music that was purely original, from the heart and soul—a missing ingredient from the gospel music of today. For the Blind Boys, their greatest rewards have been achieved through sharing their gift and uplifting others. “Our goal, our aim, is to touch people’s lives. And let them know that there is a God,” says Mr. Carter. “If we just touched one life, it was worth what we all had to go through.” (Published November 1, 2019, in Inspired Southerner Magazine)

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745325

__label__wiki

Telefilm Roundup: April 17 By The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) CHICAGO (thefutoncritic.com) -- The latest telefilm news, culled from recent wire reports: THE LAST KING (A.K.A. UNTITLED CHARLES II PROJECT) (A&E) - More details have emerged about the cable network's four-hour mini-series on the life of King Charles II, his squabbling family and his many mistresses. Diana Rigg ("Victoria and Albert") is set to join Rufus Sewell ("Helen of Troy") and Rupert Graves ("The Forsythe Saga") in the cast. Adrian Hodges ("The Lost World") wrote the script for the project which will be directed by Joe Wright ("Nature Boy") and produced by Kate Harwood ("The Lost World"). Delia Fine and Laura Mackie are the executive produces. Production on the project (which is being financed by A&E and the BBC) began on Monday. LOVE IN VAIN (HBO, New!) - Sean "P. Diddy" Combs will star in the pay channel's biopic of blues singer Robert Johnson. Despite only recording 29 songs and dying at the age of 27, Johnson is viewed as one of the most influential of the Delta blues artists. Tim Blake Nelson ("The Grey Zone," "O") will direct the telefilm from a script by Alan Greenberg. Shooting is expected to begin in September. Jeff Abelson is executive producing. PRAYERS (Showtime, New!) - The pay channel is set to adopt Leroy Aarons' novel "Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms With the Suicide of Her Gay Son" as a telefilm. David Permut ("Face/Off"), Daniel Sladek ("Tale of the Mummy") and Chris Taaffe ("Thank Heaven") will executive produce the project which is being developed under the title "Prayers." The book follows the true story of Mary Griffith, a small-town, religious housewife who became a crusader for gay and lesbian teens after her 20-year-old son Bobby committed suicide in 1983. Katie Ford ("Miss Congeniality") on set to adapt the novel. Susan Sarandon had previously been developing the project at NBC however opted out for unspecified reasons. The telefilm will feature the channel's "Original Pictures for All Ages" banner. SALEM'S LOT (TNT) - Andre Braugher ("Hack") and James Cromwell ("Citizen Baines") have signed onto the cable network's remake of the Stephen King's book. The duo join Rob Lowe, Rutger Hauer and Samantha Mathis in the project, which is currently shooting in Melbourne, Australia. Lowe plays Ben Mears, a journalist who returns to his New England hometown to find that it has become infested with vampires. He's aided by his former teacher (Braugher) and the local priest (Cromwell). Hauer is cast as the town's head vampire, while Mathis plays a waitress who falls for Lowe's character. Sources: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Reuters [april 2003] · CITIZEN BAINES (CBS) · HACK (CBS) · HELEN OF TROY (USA) · LAST KING, THE (A AND E) · LOST WORLD, THE (A AND E) · LOVE IN VAIN (HBO) · PRAYERS (SHOWTIME) · SALEM'S LOT (TNT) · VICTORIA & ALBERT (A AND E) AMC Releases Key Art Ahead of "The Walking Dead" Mid-Season Premiere, Sunday, February 23 at 9 pm ET The images feature Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peletier, Danai Gurira as Michonne and Samantha Morton as Alpha.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745326

__label__wiki

Gravitational wave kicks monster black hole out of galactic core Technologies » CURIOSITIES Astronomers have uncovered a supermassive black hole that has been propelled out of the center of a distant galaxy by what could be the awesome power of gravitational waves. Though there have been several other suspected, similarly booted black holes elsewhere, none has been confirmed so far. Astronomers think this object, detected by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, is a very strong case. Weighing more than 1 billion suns, the rogue black hole is the most massive black hole ever detected to have been kicked out of its central home. Researchers estimate that it took the equivalent energy of 100 million supernovas exploding simultaneously to jettison the black hole. The most plausible explanation for this propulsive energy is that the monster object was given a kick by gravitational waves unleashed by the merger of two hefty black holes at the center of the host galaxy. First predicted by Albert Einstein, gravitational waves are ripples in space that are created when two massive objects collide. The ripples are similar to the concentric circles produced when a hefty rock is thrown into a pond. Last year, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) helped astronomers prove that gravitational waves exist by detecting them emanating from the union of two stellar mass black holes, which are several times more massive than the sun. Hubble's observations of the wayward black hole surprised the research team. "When I first saw this, I thought we were seeing something very peculiar," said team leader Marco Chiaberge of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. "When we combined observations from Hubble, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, it all pointed towards the same scenario. The amount of data we collected, from X-rays to ultraviolet to near-infrared light, is definitely larger than for any of the other candidate rogue black holes." Chiaberge's paper will appear in the March 30 issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Hubble images taken in visible and near-infrared light provided the first clue that the galaxy was unusual. The images revealed a bright quasar, the energetic signature of a black hole, residing far from the galactic core. Black holes cannot be observed directly, but they are the energy source at the heart of quasars -- intense, compact gushers of radiation that can outshine an entire galaxy. The quasar, named 3C 186, and its host galaxy reside 8 billion light-years away in a galaxy cluster. The team discovered the galaxy's peculiar features while conducting a Hubble survey of distant galaxies unleashing powerful blasts of radiation in the throes of galaxy mergers. "I was anticipating seeing a lot of merging galaxies, and I was expecting to see messy host galaxies around the quasars, but I wasn't really expecting to see a quasar that was clearly offset from the core of a regularly shaped galaxy," Chiaberge recalled. "Black holes reside in the center of galaxies, so it's unusual to see a quasar not in the center." The team calculated the black hole's distance from the core by comparing the distribution of starlight in the host galaxy with that of a normal elliptical galaxy from a computer model. The black hole had traveled more than 35,000 light-years from the center, which is more than the distance between the sun and the center of the Milky Way. Based on spectroscopic observations taken by Hubble and the Sloan survey, the researchers estimated the black hole's mass and measured the speed of gas trapped near the behemoth object. Spectroscopy divides light into its component colors, which can be used to measure velocities in space. "To our surprise, we discovered that the gas around the black hole was flying away from the galaxy's center at 4.7 million miles an hour," said team member Justin Ely of STScI. This measurement is also a gauge of the black hole's velocity, because the gas is gravitationally locked to the monster object. The astronomers calculated that the black hole is moving so fast it would travel from Earth to the moon in three minutes. That's fast enough for the black hole to escape the galaxy in 20 million years and roam through the universe forever. The Hubble image revealed an interesting clue that helped explain the black hole's wayward location. The host galaxy has faint arc-shaped features called tidal tails, produced by a gravitational tug between two colliding galaxies. This evidence suggests a possible union between the 3C 186 system and another galaxy, each with central, massive black holes that may have eventually merged. Based on this visible evidence, along with theoretical work, the researchers developed a scenario to describe how the behemoth black hole could be expelled from its central home. According to their theory, two galaxies merge, and their black holes settle into the center of the newly formed elliptical galaxy. As the black holes whirl around each other, gravity waves are flung out like water from a lawn sprinkler. The hefty objects move closer to each other over time as they radiate away gravitational energy. If the two black holes do not have the same mass and rotation rate, they emit gravitational waves more strongly along one direction. When the two black holes collide, they stop producing gravitational waves. The newly merged black hole then recoils in the opposite direction of the strongest gravitational waves and shoots off like a rocket. The researchers are lucky to have caught this unique event because not every black-hole merger produces imbalanced gravitational waves that propel a black hole in the opposite direction. "This asymmetry depends on properties such as the mass and the relative orientation of the back holes' rotation axes before the merger," said team member Colin Norman of STScI and Johns Hopkins University. "That's why these objects are so rare." An alternative explanation for the offset quasar, although unlikely, proposes that the bright object does not reside within the galaxy. Instead, the quasar is located behind the galaxy, but the Hubble image gives the illusion that it is at the same distance as the galaxy. If this were the case, the researchers should have detected a galaxy in the background hosting the quasar. If the researchers' interpretation is correct, the observations may provide strong evidence that supermassive black holes can actually merge. Astronomers have evidence of black-hole collisions for stellar-mass black holes, but the process regulating supermassive black holes is more complex and not completely understood. The team hopes to use Hubble again, in combination with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and other facilities, to more accurately measure the speed of the black hole and its gas disk, which may yield more insight into the nature of this bizarre object. » NASA mission to study black holes set for 2020 launch » Number of known black holes expected to double in two years with new detection method » Hubble Telescope Spots a Distant Planet Orbiting Twin Suns » The Hubble space telescope snapped photos of the biggest black hole we've ever observed » 7 mind-blowing facts about gravitational waves, the 100-year-old prediction just confirmed by scientists (PHOTO) » Scientists just saw light coming out of a black hole for the first time Enter a code:

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745328

__label__wiki

HomeNewsClay Club disbands following conflict with advisor Clay Club disbands following conflict with advisor Christina Conry February 13, 2019 no commentClay Clubconflictdisband Photo courtesy of https://torange.biz/pottery-42400 The University of Puget Sound Clay Club has held a presence on campus since its founding in 2012, but now faces disbandment due to disagreement with the club’s advisor, ceramics Assistant Professor Chad Gunderson. Students can join Clay Club by paying a $15-per-semester fee and signing a waiver outlining the rules they must abide by in order to hold membership in the club. The contract includes respect of the ceramics studio, the club’s tools and the ceramics students. It concludes with the acknowledgement that: “If problems arise, Assistant Professor Gunderson reserves the right to revoke the keycard access of individuals or the entire club.” That’s exactly what happened. Clay Club officers began to clash with Gunderson over issues of accessibility and finances, and as a result now find themselves denied keycard access to the ceramics studio. Recently the officers have been working to reform the club and make it more accessible to students. “Clay Club is here for students, for manifesting that interest and curiosity towards just a completely natural and yet foreign material or medium that people can play with; it is not just for people who are art department students,” club officer Kristen Lee said. Since taking over leadership of the club in 2017, Lee has taken more notice of the mandated fee imposed by the club advisor. “Throughout the years that I have been here, it has increased from $15 a year to $15 per semester and then to $20 per semester. We were able to bring it back down to $15 per semester, collecting the fee through the ASUPS office for more transparency,” Lee said. Members have began to question what exactly these fees are funding and where their money is going. This membership fee does not include clay, and Clay Club has their own tools, with all tools and the studio space maintained by club officers. Lee voiced concerns over halted efforts in making Clay Club more accessible to students due to Gunderson’s unwillingness to compromise. He has refused to lower the membership fee while also failing to provide club officers a detailed accounting of the disbursement of the fees. “Last semester alone we brought in $540 in membership fees, so this is not a negligible amount of money,” Lee said. “I asked him how the money is distributed and what happens to all the surplus fees because I believe the surplus should be returned back to the club budget, but Chad has refused multiple times to provide me with detailed accounting. Last week we had a meeting and he told us it’s $15 per semester or no club at all.” Lee described previous confrontations over finances where Gunderson had alluded to the idea that the fee is used for maintenance of the wheels and to cover the cost of the studio’s raw materials, but the fluctuation of club fees is of interest. Officers and members of Clay Club are concerned that their advisor is blatantly breaking the Faculty and Staff Advisor Agreement by mandating fees and imposing contracts on students. This advisor agreement states that the advisor may not “demand actions from club/organization leaders or members; have authoritative decision-making power; or hold any club/organization leadership positions at any point in time.” As of this semester, Clay Club is officially disbanded. All members have been revoked of their keycard access to the studio, leaving some members unable to retrieve unfinished work or personal tools. The only way to regain access is by enrolling in a class taught by Gunderson. An ongoing question is how to involve students who do not have the financial means to afford this club but possess a genuine interest in participating. For ceramics studios, a $15 membership fee is not unreasonable, but as Lee highlights, “those are legitimate businesses who are trying to earn money. This is an education institution to which we already pay a tuition.” Speaking on behalf of the club and its members, Lee expressed a desire for compromise and an understanding of the necessity of a small fee, but with a detailed explanation of its purpose and where it is going. The future of Clay Club remains unknown. At the time of printing, Assistant Professor Gunderson has not responded to requests for comment. Tags :Clay Clubconflictdisband Diversions Café without a coordinator; student leads pick up the slack Dean’s List requirements change Trump Administration challenges freedom of the press Christina Conry April 26, 2019 President Trump famously does not hesitate in making it known that he has a negative view of the press. His... Tacoma citizens clean up Point Defiance for Earth Day Sofia Vazquez April 25, 2019 Point Defiance is a park that has great importance to the Tacoma community not only because of its beautiful nature,... Tacoma School Board candidate kicks off campaign at King’s Books Julia Schiff April 25, 2019 “She’s taught me so much in my life, how to be just me and it’s ok to be me, to... Tacoma Public Schools to lose $30 million in funding Kylie Gurewitz April 25, 2019 Tacoma Public Schools (TPS), one of the largest school districts in Washington state, serves approximately 30,000 students in K-12. These...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745329

__label__wiki

HomeArts & EventsPuget Sound Jazz Band hosts swinging Valentine’s Day concert Puget Sound Jazz Band hosts swinging Valentine’s Day concert Carlisle Huntington February 21, 2019 no commentJazz bandValentine's Day concert Dee Daniels singing in Schneebeck Concert Hall — Photo credit to Rowan Segura Fingers were snapping, toes were tapping and hearts were ablaze with the magic of music this Valentine’s Day during Puget Sound’s Jazz Orchestra concert featuring singer Dee Daniels. The crowd was alive in the Schneebeck Concert Hall that night, as Daniels and the Puget Sound Jazz Orchestra wooed the crowd with their unique musical stylings. With an expansive and diverse resume, Dee Daniels has shared the stage with a number of symphony orchestras across the U.S. and Canada. According to her website, she has toured with the Noord Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, performed “Songs From Disney Movies” with the Munich Radio Orchestra and recorded her “Wish Me Love” CD with The Metropole Orchestra of Holland. Daniels has also graced the Broadway stage in the 2009 premiere of New York choreographer Twyla Tharp’s new musical “Come Fly Away.” On Thursday, she joined the Puget Sound Jazz Orchestra who, according to senior band member Ian Crocker, had been preparing arduously for the collaboration since last semester. That night, however, all their hard work paid off and the result was an enchanting evening of music and laughter. With her effervescent personality, Daniels was quick to inject the room with her endless energy. “My favorite part of the performance was just sitting back and listening to Dee,” Crocker said. “I was seated directly behind her, playing rhythm guitar on most of the tunes, and I just got absolutely caught up in the way she would phrase her melodies, in how far behind the beat she could stretch before snapping back.” But it wasn’t just Daniels’ impressive technique and four-octave range that captivated the crowd that night. With her quippy jokes and personal stories, Daniels addressed every audience member as if they were an old friend. For instance, before performing her 1990 song “I Got This Bridge I Want You to Buy,” she coolly relayed the inspiration behind the tune: her ex-husband’s shocking infidelity. “One day, instead of turning left to go to work, he walked straight across the street to the neighbor’s and started examining the grass,” Daniels said with a sly grin. “I guess he thought it was greener or something.” While there are many talented musicians in the world, it’s quite rare to find a performer as personally engaging as Daniels. This was perhaps the biggest surprise for the band performing with her that night. “The presence Dee commands on stage is just astounding,” Crocker said. “We’d all practiced the music, of course, and we’d all listened to her work online. But none of that gave us a picture of the communication she’d have with the audience and with the band. It was just a blast out there.” It takes quite a band to back up a performer as technically skilled as Daniels and sure enough, the Puget Sound Jazz Orchestra was more than ready for the task. “We’ve heard a bunch of different folks telling us that this has been the best UPS jazz concert they’d seen,” Crocker said. “And having played in this ensemble all of my four years here, I think the band is as good as it’s ever been.” At the start of her set, Daniels said that her only goal for the evening was that “you will leave here tonight feeling inspired, uplifted and with a big smile on your face.” Daniels and the band undoubtedly succeeded in their goal. Whether you were spending the holiday with that special someone or just trying to make it through the night without crying into a pint of Ben and Jerry’s, the performance that evening proved that sometimes it just takes a little music to spread a lot of love. Tags :Jazz bandValentine's Day concert Students and community members transform library books into works of art Tales from the trail: Finding adventure and perspective abroad

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745330

__label__cc

Audio and visual funding for buses will make journeys accessible for all October 29, 2019 , Editor , Comments Off on Audio and visual funding for buses will make journeys accessible for all £2 million to provide audio and visual equipment for buses to improve journeys for everyone including those with visual or hearing impairment DfT launches new communications campaign ‘It’s everyone’s journey’ to improve disabled people’s experiences on public transport call for partners to sign up to the campaign and join partners already supporting it including British Airways, LNER and Alzheimer’s Society Buses around Great Britain will become more accessible for disabled passengers thanks to a new partnership with the Real Time Information Group (RTIG), announced today (29 October 2019). The group, which supports good practice in the use of communications technology on public transport, will work with the Department for Transport to allocate £2 million of funding to small bus operators for audible and visible on-board information. With around 50% of public transport journeys made on buses, this funding will help to ensure that passengers can board more buses with greater confidence, knowing where they are and when to get off. It coincides with the launch of the It’s everyone’s journey campaign, the first stage of a new government-backed initiative to highlight the part we can all play in improving disabled people’s experiences when using public transport. The department is now calling on charities, transport operators, and commercial organisations to join the campaign, helping to raise awareness of the needs of disabled travellers and share some of the improvements being made to make travel easier for the one in 5 disabled people in the UK. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: It is unacceptable that people still feel they cannot travel by bus, because of a lack of basic route and destination information on board local bus services. This partnership is the next step in ensuring that passengers have the information they need to travel confidently on local bus services throughout Great Britain. However, we know there is more to do which is why I’m delighted we’re also launching our It’s everyone’s journey campaign today and I invite as many partners as possible to join up so that everyone has equal access to public transport. Accessibility Minister Nusrat Ghani said: Transport is at the heart of how we live our lives, and I am determined that we remove any barriers faced by disabled people. Every passenger, regardless of where they travel in Great Britain, should be able to do so confident that they have boarded the correct vehicle and are travelling to the right place. That’s why it’s fantastic to announce this partnership with the Real Time Information Group today, and I hope this funding will help more buses meet the needs of the people who rely on them every day. The fund for the provision of audio and visual information on-board buses was announced as part of the government’s Inclusive Transport Strategy which aims to provide equal access to the transport network by 2030. Operators of local bus services are likely to be required to have audio and visible information systems in their vehicles, and this funding is intended to help small operators which might find this costly to implement. With audio visual equipment only available in limited areas, and predominantly provided by larger operators, the department expects this funding to benefit up to 30 small bus operators. Tim Rivett, General Manager at the Real Time Information Group said: Audio visual information helps reduce barriers to travel and increases confidence in public transport for all passengers, but particularly disabled passengers. RTIG is looking forward to working with the department to help small operators roll out audio visual information and provide the customer benefits more quickly than would otherwise happen. In the first phase of It’s everyone’s journey, the campaign will work with partner organisations to communicate the improvements that are happening at a local and national level to make public transport more accessible and inclusive of disabled people. It will be followed by a public advertising campaign early in 2020 that will challenge how we all use public transport and encourage everyone to reflect on how common, and often unconscious, behaviours can impact others. This is another commitment in the Inclusive Transport Strategy and is the next in a series of improvements by the Transport Secretary to create a more accessible transport network, helping disabled people travel safely and with confidence. Martin Harris, Brighton & Hove and Metrobus’ Managing Director, said: We’re right behind the DfT’s strategy and we welcome it wholeheartedly. Everybody deserves to feel happy and confident while they travel. The best way to make buses more accessible is to keep listening to the experts: our passengers and our communities. Our entire fleet (440 buses) is ‘talking buses’, where passengers can see and hear next stop and other announcements, such as diversions. We introduced them in 2016 after one of our visually impaired passengers told us she had alighted at the wrong stop several times and it was making her anxious. A study commissioned by Department for Transport to investigate how access to transport affects the life opportunities and wellbeing of people living in England found that access to public transport has a wide-ranging positive impact on people’s lives. The research, carried out by NatCen and the University of the West of England, published today along with 2 other studies (Transport, health and wellbeing and Transport and inequality), found public transport is important for being able to access services like healthcare, food shops and education. The government recently announced a major package of new measures worth £220 million, which will invest in new ways to ensure more flexible public transport such as express lanes for buses, to start in the West Midlands. The long term funding plan for the upcoming long-term bus strategy – a first for the UK – is expected at the 2020 spending review. October 29, 2019 at 12:34 pm by Editor (displayed above) October 29, 2019 at 12:34 pm by Editor Posted in Transport. Tagged as buses, make, more, new, partnership A connected UK: government extends Dundee to London flight route for another year Five year disqualification for Dundee scaffolding firm which compromised road safety Government decision on Northern Rail A Passenger focused railway Smart motorways – our current position Academy NW seminar: Radical Home Care 0 comments | posted on January 24, 2020 Baroness Morgan's Oral Statement on UK Telecommunications 0 comments | posted on January 28, 2020 Foreign Secretary's statement on Huawei 0 comments | posted on January 28, 2020 Transport A connected UK: government extends Dundee to Londo… Transport Operation Brock is activated on the M20

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745333

__label__cc

Vista Advisors VG Lifestyles Implementation & Operations Management Legalizing Cannabis Is The Answer To Vaping Concerns cannabis legalization / Previous post Next post Blog page cannabis legalization, cannabis legislation, Cannabis opportunities, cbd legalization, CBD legislation, CBD opportunities, Hemp legislation, hemp opportunities, Marijuana legalization, marijuana legislation, Marijuana opportunities, Marijuana Policy cannabinoid, Cannabis, Cbd, CBG, health, Hemp, Jobs, legislation, Marijuana, medical marijuana, opportunities, opportunity Over the past few months the media has been awash with reports of people getting sick from vaping. Nearly every day, news outlets report on otherwise healthy, usually young, people who have fallen critically ill from the use of vapes that they believed to be a safer alternative to smoking. In response, politicians have been taking action to get ahead of the problem, with most relying on some form of vape ban. A handful of governors and President Trump have proposed banning all flavored vape cartridges, while Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency and banned the sale of all vape products in the state for four months. While these actions may be well meaning, they are likely to only exacerbate the problem. If policy makers truly want to reduce or eliminate vaping-related illnesses, the most responsible solution would be to fully legalize marijuana nationwide, and ensure robust regulation, oversight, and education for users of both cannabis and nicotine vape products. Thankfully, not all governments are responding to the hysteria with bans and prohibitions. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Public Health, which oversees that state’s medical marijuana program, released a statement expressing confidence in the safety of cartridges made by its state-licensed medical cannabis producers and warning patients to not purchase from illicit vendors. Instead of ordering an outright ban, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he would seek to expand warning labels on vaping products, start a $20 million public awareness campaign about the dangers of vaping, and increase enforcement against counterfeit products. Today In: Money It is understandable that the public would be concerned about the seemingly sudden rash of vape-related illnesses. After all, vaping has largely been marketed as a safer method of ingesting nicotine or cannabis than traditional smoking. The problem should absolutely be taken seriously. But it is also important to note that we still don’t have enough information. On Oct. 4, the acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration issued a statement, including this relevant fact: “At this time, the FDA does not have enough data to identify the cause, or causes, of the lung injuries in these cases.” It’s also important to keep the problem and the numbers involved in perspective. To date, 805 cases of people suffering from vape-related illnesses and at least 12 deaths have been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These are genuine tragedies. But so are the 130 Americans who die every single day from an opioid overdose and the 480,000 people who die each year in the United States whose deaths are attributed to smoking cigarettes, according to CDC data. Vista Green Group, LLC A State-by-State Look at Where Cannabis Is Legal Study Funded By Feds Debunks Myths About Marijuana Legalization’s Alleged Harms The first cannabis cafe in the United States opens Seth Rogen To Host Adults-Only, Marijuana-Fueled Carnival To Battle Alzheimer’s © 2018 Vista Green Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745341

__label__wiki

Home > Industrial Relations > Unions > Analysis > Was the union Royal Commission really worth it? Was the union Royal Commission really worth it? By Guest writer on 19 Apr 2016 | 1214 Views Now that it's all said and done, was the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption really worth it? Peter Punch thinks so. By Peter Punch* For almost all of 2014 and 2015, the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption was the best (the only?) show in town for industrial relations “tragics”. It was enmeshed in politics and national personalities; it had its sensational moments, and its embarrassing ones (including one for Commissioner Heydon). For many, the Commission was purely a political exercise conceived by the Coalition government when in opposition and designed by it to: Embarrass major figures in the ALP, particularly Julia Gillard and Bill Shorten, and hopefully result in serious adverse findings against them Focus public attention on infamous conduct within certain trade unions, in order to smear the entire trade union movement and justify legislation to “crack down” on them in various ways; Distract or deflect public attention away from any union or ALP campaign designed to tar the Coalition with a secret agenda to “bring back WorkChoices”. To others of course, the Commission was an overdue examination of corrupt and/or illegal practices endemic in the culture of trade unionism in this country, in order to bring that behaviour and those responsible fully into public light and to account. But with the exercise now over, I would like to think this substantial expenditure of public money will have some enduring value. First – a disclaimer as to the limits of this article I have confined myself to examining those parts of the report that provide an opportunity to look for long term value – that means a distinct concentration on two (comparatively slim) volumes of the final report – namely volumes 1 (Overview) and 5 (Suggested Law Reform). I have “dipped into” other parts of other volumes as time and particular interest allowed, but there is a limit to what I could read and absorb. Nevertheless I hope an examination of these elements of the report against my background of 30-plus years regularly acting for and advising trade unions and employer associations in this area will deliver something of assistance. The basic facts and figures The Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption ( “the Commission”) was a large publicly funded exercise. Here are some basic facts and figures. The Commission ran from March 2014 to the end of 2015 It held 189 days of hearings (155 in public), mostly at its main Sydney premises It examined 505 individual witnesses It issued more than 2000 Notices to Produce It issued an interim report in December 2014 that was in three volumes (one of which remains “confidential”), with the two published volumes comprising more than 1800 pages plus annexures Its final report was in five volumes, comprising more than 3500 pages plus annexures; Its interim report made 12 recommendations for referral of 25 persons and three organisations to law enforcement authorities for consideration of criminal charges and civil penalty proceedings Its final report made 44 referrals to other authorities, mainly law enforcement agencies, 43 of which involved requests to those authorities to consider criminal charges or penalty proceedings against 37 individuals and six organisations The final report made 79 recommendations for law reform Its total cost to the public purse was $45,905,000. Something about the terms of reference – they grew… It is worth mentioning the terms of reference, which can be viewed in full here. The original form of the terms of reference, on my reading (and trying to be objective), focused on investigating “Relevant Entities” – with particular attention to be directed to those entities insofar as they were connected to five named unions (ie, the AWU, the CFMEU, the CEPU, the HSU and the TWU). That is, the main focus of the Commission’s remit was various forms of what are called in common parlance “slush funds”. That was consistent with the political background to the establishment of the Commission – ie the long running and often very public saga over the involvement of Julia Gillard and various figures in the Australian Workers’ Union in the WA incorporated association named “Australian Workers’ Union – Workplace Reform Association Inc.” True it was that there were other “trade union misconduct type” matters in the public gaze coming up to the 2013 federal election – such as the various investigations into the conduct of certain officials associated with the Health Services Union. The original terms of reference did cater for this, but were almost buried in paragraphs (g) and (h). As the Commission proceeded in 2014, its putative remit of investigating union “slush funds” started to broaden into other areas that came to its attention, and resulted in various persons associated with certain of the named unions being referred to authorities for the consideration of criminal charges for a range of activities including (without being exhaustive) threats of violence and falsifying of records. The amendments to the terms of reference on 30 October 2014, apart from extending the reporting deadline by a year to 31 December 2015, introduced a new paragraph (ia) adding this: “any criminal or otherwise unlawful act or omission undertaken for the purpose of facilitating or concealing any conduct mentioned in paragraphs (g) to (i).” Whether justified or not, the Commission’s remit became diffuse, revolving around not only slush funds but any significant criminal conduct that might come to light in relation to the five named unions, and some others. This perhaps explains why a Commission originally constituted primarily to look into corrupt and criminal conduct relating to “slush funds” was able to provide recommendations about whether there should be a separate investigative and regulatory body to deal with the building and construction industry, and whether the CFMEU and various officials should be proceeded against for breaches of various laws, including the secondary boycott provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). How many “big name scalps”? A number of individuals who were either public figures or well known in the field of industrial relations were the subject of investigation by the Commission in various connections, sometimes to do with “slush funds”. It seems to me at least that anyone who was expecting a number of “big name scalps” would have been disappointed. The following table shows individuals who are people “in the public arena” either now or in the recent past who came before the Commission, and what the outcome was in relation to them in terms of the Commission’s findings or recommendations. (In this context it must be remembered, as the Commission itself emphasises in its final report (paragraphs 97 to 105 of volume 1), that the Commission is not a court; it cannot and does not make findings as to the guilt of individuals or corporate bodies in relation to criminal offences or regulatory (civil penalty) breaches – it simply makes its own assessment of the material before it, records its findings and reasons, and refers suspected offenders to the relevant authorities. Nothing may come of some of its referrals. (But, at least in the short term, the public damage to reputations is done.) There are many others of course who are “known” to IR “tragics” but I will omit those (eg Bruce Wilson, John Setka, Diana Asmar). Person Position(s) Outcome Julia Gillard Former Slater & Gordon Partner, Former Prime Minister No adverse findings, some criticisms Bill Shorten Former AWU National Secretary, Minister, Opposition Leader No adverse findings, some criticisms Michael Williamson Former ALP President, HSU East General Secretary Already dealt with in civil recovery proceedings, and by CJS* Craig Thomson Former National Secretary of HSU, Former MHR Already dealt with in civil penalty & recovery proceedings and by CJS* Katherine Jackson Former National Secretary of HSU, Former National Secretary of HSU Civil damages awarded to HSU by Tracey J – $1.3 million; referral to, but already under investigation by, Victorian Police Brian Parker Branch Secretary, CFMEU NSW Referral for alleged false Branch Construction Division evidence; also referral to CFMEU internally for consideration of removal from office under the rules Bernie Riordan Former ALP NSW President; Former ETU NSW Secretary; FWC Commissioner No adverse findings Dean Mighell Former Victorian Branch Secretary, CEPU Referred for civil penalty proceedings re alleged mala fide Federal Court proceedings against B Riordan & others Derrick Belan Former Secretary, NUW NSW Branch Referred to CJS*, General manager of FWC and NSW IR authorities re various *CJS: criminal justice system The Commission’s overall assessment In volume 1 of its final report, the Commission commences with a general overview, which is a mere 116 pages, and a relatively easy read. The substance of the preamble (paragraphs 1 to 10), in my opinion is to the effect that the Commission’s experience leads it to the view that the trade union movement as a whole is afflicted by a culture of misconduct that is at scandalous levels. Any person who has had a significant period of time working with or advising trade unions will know that, from time to time, bad behaviour, indeed very bad criminal behaviour, has occurred in those bodies. What else can be expected after all of entities that are comprised of and operated by human beings? But I respectfully disagree with the overall assessment, as I believe it is simply not justified by any objective measure. That is, the Commission’s report details case studies into eight trade unions, namely: The Australian Workers’ Union The Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union The Maritime Union of Australia The Transport Workers’ Union The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Union The Health Services Union, and The National Union of Workers. Admittedly, each of these eight unions are among the largest trade unions in this country. But: There are currently 46 federally registered trade unions (and many more state registered unions) The overwhelming majority of these unions have multiple (usually geographically based) branches Most such branches have in their registered rules a “local autonomy” rule so that each such branch has most of the attributes of a separate functioning unit (ie its own officers, rules, finances and employees, and independent governance in all except “national” or “more than one State” matters) Most such branches have counterpart state registered organisations in the states where separate industrial relations systems still function (ie all states except Victoria and Tasmania) The report’s focus on the seven trade unions named above is also a focus on the particular parts of each such union – eg the Construction Division of the CFMEU; the NSW Branch (and state union counterpart) of the NUW; the National and NSW Branch of the HSU; and the Queensland Division of the SDAEA. There is also the serious matter of perjury. Paragraph 6 of the overview asserts that “there has been much perjury” before the Commission. However, of all of the referrals of persons to law enforcement authorities in relation to possible criminal or civil penalty proceedings, only two are for alleged false evidence to the Commission (noting however that two CBUS employees were not referred because they had already admitted their perjury to the Commission and that they would plead guilty to that charge). In truth, the Commission’s findings disclose serious misconduct by certain persons within certain parts of certain major trade unions at various times. I have no doubt that a Royal Commission into criminal behaviour in corporations would end up with similar results. But corporations do not carry the “political baggage” that trade unions do. That all having been said, I have to agree with the comment of Professor Anthony Forsyth in his address to the AIRAANZ Conference in Sydney on 12 February 2016 that “In an environment where unions are already battling hard to attract and maintain members, the revelations of the Royal Commission have been toxic.” That having been said the important things surely is: what can be learnt from this exercise and what can be done, responsibly and fairly, to address the shortcomings that have been identified. The “recurring themes” When looking for long term value in the Commission’s report, one of course turns to its recommendations in relation to Law Reform (volume 5). I refer to these below. But the Commission’s overview includes some passages that I believe are actually of long term value. Paragraphs 53 to 68 of the Commission’s overview are under the heading “Some recurring themes”. Four “recurring themes” are identified: Creation of false records or the absence of any or any proper records Failure of committees of management to “stand up” to strong secretaries Payments of large sums of money by employers to unions, and False inflation of membership numbers. Comment on two of these themes First, false or inadequate records. I agree entirely that accurate and comprehensive records are an absolute must for all registered organisations, just as is the case with any significant commercial enterprise or not for profit entity. The critical matter is how this is achieved. The law can do some good in this area (eg see recommendation numbers 9 (financial administration policies) and 16 (keeping of meeting minutes and associated papers)), but attitude and culture are just as important, as is proper external scrutiny (and here, the role of auditors must be critical). Second, the committee of management “standing up” to the secretary. Once again, I agree that it is absolutely critical to the health of a registered organisation (or branch of it) that it have a strong band of committee persons who take their statutory and common law duties seriously and will hold the full time officers to account and scrutiny. But once again, the real question is how this is achieved, particularly when, in the case of trade unions at least, the pool of persons from whom the class is drawn may consist of persons without the skills set that would more likely be found among those who commonly make up the boards of public companies or significant not for profit organisations. Compulsory financial management training for all committee members is of course one tool (see recommendation 8). But the imposition of large penalties on individual committee members for non compliance by the reporting unit with its financial obligations (see recommendation 11) may not be the answer – it might only deter the pool of people in question (ie “the rank and file”) from taking on this type of role, particularly when it is unpaid or only paid by way of “sitting fees” or “honorariums”. I certainly believe that the key to a healthy industrial organisation is a robust and independent committee of management. Achieving it in a trade union in a way that encourages participation by the “rank and file” is the challenge. “Slush funds” Comment is needed on this subject, bearing in mind that it was after all a major element of the Commission’s remit. Both the interim and final reports disclose problems with these various categories of “fund”, which it would be in the best interests of the union movement to address itself. A number of recommendations are made to “reform” these entities. An argument for transparency can however be mounted, but needs to be balanced (at least in the case of election funds) against practicalities and privacy of the individuals concerned. 79 recommendations – how many will be implemented? With respect, many of these recommendations will never see the light of legislative day. With some, the proposals just will never be politically realistic (eg recommendation 1, a single system of registration deregistration and regulation of all registered organisations, federal and state). Others are too politically controversial (eg recommendation 60, calling for specific legislation to bar certain named individuals from holding office in any registered organisation for a specified period). With others, the existing law is sufficiently strong to deal with the “mischief” that is identified (eg most of the recommendations relating to union right of entry to premises). A number of recommendations however may either be implemented, or may well feature in future legislative “rounds”. For example, those recommendations that relate to the establishment and investigative powers of a separate building and construction industry regulator, and those relating to a “registered organisations regulator” separate from the Fair Work Commission are part of the current government’s “double dissolution” strategy, and thus seem likely to be implemented (one way or another). They thus warrant some comment. (In summary, the empirical evidence to justify these two initiatives does not appear to be strong, but nevertheless they appear to be a forthcoming reality which registered organisations need to come to terms with.). Some of the recommendations seem relatively uncontroversial (eg recommendation 16, requiring the keeping of minute books and supporting papers). Others are definitely worth serious consideration, in the long term interest of registered organisations – eg those relating to auditors, to guarantee that they be independent and thorough in their work (recommendations 13 to 15), and (possibly) that one relating to appointing a “financial compliance officer” (recommendation 12). Separate regulator/investigator for the building and construction industry This is of course a controversial matter. All I would think it appropriate for me to say is two things. First, an examination of the report’s material on this matter (chapter 8 in volume 5) does not present to me a cogent empirical case for the proposal (see pages 424 to 436), despite the Commission’s conclusion that it is justified. Secondly, the real issue is what investigative powers the relevant agency has – and if it is to be given the compulsory powers that are conferred on regulators such as ASIC and Workcover NSW, then there has to be safeguards and there has to be balance (eg equal resources should be devoted to investigation of employer breaches of industrial and safety laws, as well as to union conduct). External scrutiny and internal oversight There is a need for strong and thorough auditing of the financial administration of unions (which the report suggests has not been present in some high profile cases), and for the appointment of a specialist employee (with appropriate protections) to deal with financial compliance and transparency. And finally, what about employer organisations? Even though employer organisations were not the focus of the Commission, many of the recommendations in the final report, if implemented, will impact equally on these bodies, as they are governed by the same law that applies to the trade unions. * Peter Punch is Partner, Workplace Law, with Carroll & O’Dea Lawyers in Sydney, NSW. This article is an edited version of a presentation to the Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales on 12 April 2016. WorkplaceInfo Search Workplace Info Find the information or insights you need. Or try one of the below topics to get started: Copyright © 2020 NSW Business Chamber (ABN 63 000 014 504). All rights reserved. No materials on this site or any part of this site may be reproduced or copied in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher. Please refer to our conditions of use, privacy policy and disclaimer.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745342

__label__cc

Some Thoughts on the State of the Global Women’s Movement Carol Barton and Ammu Joseph, international Women activists from several world regions have increasingly tried to put their thoughts on paper regarding the state of the global women’s movement in the midst of recent dramatic and often devastating world events. This issue of IWTC Women’s GlobalNet focuses on the thoughts of Carol Barton of the Women’s International Coalition for Economic Justice (WICEJ) and Ammu Joseph, co-editor with Kalpana Sharma of "Terror Counter-Terror: Women Speak Out" [Kali for Women, New Delhi, 2003]. Ammu was also one of 10 communications experts who participated in the UN/DAW Expert Group Meeting on women and the media, held in Beirut, November 2002 as part of the preparations for the 47th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, March 2003. Ammu Joseph, in an article for the Hindustani Times entitled "Women’s Rights at Stake," writes: A dramatic development shocked most delegates and observers on the last day of the 47th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York. Only half an hour before the 15-day session was to end, Iran's representative, supported by delegates from Egypt and Sudan, rose to register his government's objection to paragraph (o), which read: Condemn violence against women and refrain from invoking any custom, tradition or religious consideration to avoid their obligations with respect to its elimination. They were not prepared to have their reservations on the paragraph officially recorded after the document had been adopted by consensus in its entirety. Nor were other delegations willing to drop the paragraph so that the rest of the document could be adopted by consensus. The session was suspended in the absence of consensus on the agreed conclusions relating to women's human rights and the elimination of all forms of violence against women, and delegates were told they would be informed about a fresh date for the resumption of work. Carol Barton writes: I think the failure of a negotiated agreement on the violence item at the CSW goes far beyond the possible weakness of the chair. The CSW took place parallel to the Security Council negotiations around war in Iraq, in the days right before the war began. It was increasingly clear that the US was planning to act unilaterally if it could not get SC approval. There is already a two-year history of the Bush Administration doing everything to undermine multilateral agreements, including the historic first of "unsigning" support of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Then we have the recent history of the Children's Summit +10 and the Asia-Pacific Population Conference, where the US and other religious conservatives openly tried to backtrack on agreed conclusions. In this climate, countries that are usually willing to compromise became intransigent in the CSW process. We understand that this is currently occurring again at the Commission on Human Rights. It reflects a polarized world driven by a nation functioning from imperial might, that would only use the UN for rubber-stamping and to clean up its messes. It's important to know that the CSW negotiations mark a dangerous new play on the part of fundamentalist countries (which includes the US). These were not "negotiations" on the text of the Beijing platform or B+5. Nonetheless, when the member states tried to fall back on agreed language from those documents as a consensus position, the conservative forces refused to do so. There was an explicit refusal to use Beijing language. What is critical but hard to imagine right now in the context of the US invasion of Iraq, is how we re-build multilaterism and negotiations when raw power is running wild. While this is initiated in the US, it is supported by those governments that want the favors the US has to offer. Current efforts to invoke the "uniting for peace" resolution of the General Assembly to condemn the invasion are hampered by US threats to member states. As NGOs we are in an awkward position. It is more urgent than ever to support the UN as an autonomous player, and to strengthen multilaterism. At the same time, we are averse to allowing the UN to be used and manipulated by the US or other member states for their ends. As Arundhati Roy eloquently put it, "now (the UN is) the world's janitor. She's the Filipino cleaning lady, the Indian jamadarni, the postal bride from Thailand, the Mexican household help, the Jamaican au pair. She's employed to clean other peoples' shit. She's used and abused at will." We would hope the UN will articulate its legitimate role as an administrator of resources, justice and transition in a post-war situation, even if realpolitik does not allow it to play that role. Some of the rage at this situation is reflected in failed negotiations in recent weeks at the UN. We are also witnessing the potential rise of inter-imperialist rivalries, which historically have led to two world wars. This is a very dangerous moment in history. Perhaps our street mobilizations, taking place around the world, will be the most important way to impact global negotiations, by strengthening the backbone of many countries (or forcing a change in leadership). To contact Ammu Joseph, write to: rheas@vsnl.com To contact Carol Barton, write to: barton@nyc.rr.com This issue was researched and produced by Anne S. Walker. IWTC Women's GlobalNet is a production of: International Women's Tribune Centre 777 United Nations Plaza Fax: (1-212) 661-2704 Email: iwtc@iwtc.org Web: IWTC Women’s GlobalNet The International Women's Tribune Centre (IWTC) is an international non-governmental organization, working to improve the lives of women, particularly low-income women, in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Eastern Europe, and Western Asia. From IWTC Women’s GlobalNet, issue no. 228, April 23, 2003.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745343

__label__cc

PARKER Surname DNA Project Marker frequency and DNA matches & mis-matches Marker Frequency The frequency of the genes (alleles) for each marker can provide useful information when interpreting results of the Y-chromosome DNA test. Thanks to the Blair DNA project, we have information on the frequency of each allele from over 4000 tests for the first 12 markers, and more than 2500 tests for the second 13 markers. In the table below I have extracted the frequency for the alleles found in our group of DNA participants. For each DYS marker, there may be one or several alleles (values in the table below). For example, at DYS 393 we only have values of 13; at DYS 390 we have values of 22, 23, and 25. Below each row of DYS values are the frequencies of each of those values from the Blair DNA analysis. If most of the marker values for a person have a frequency of 20% or greater, there will be DNA matches to people with other surnames, where no relationship is likely within the last 500 years. P08 is an example of this. He has one marker, DYS 449, that occurs in only 4% of the people tested. His other markers occur at 15% or higher. If we consider only the first 12 markers, he matches 79 people 12/12 with surnames other than PARKER. He has a common DNA profile or haplotype. It is possible, even likely, that he shares a common ancestor with some of those other surnames, but the ancestor pre-dates our genealogy time frame. That ancestor lived before surnames were adopted. P04 is at the other extreme in allele frequency. His value of 12 on DYS 464a is found in only 2% of peopel tested, and his value of 10 at DYS 439 has a frequency of 5%. The combination of these alleles makes his DNA profile somewhat rare. His only close match is to our participant P06. He has no matches to people with surnames other than PARKER. These frequencies can aid us in evaluating DNA matches to people with other surnames. If you match someone with another surname on 11 of the first 12 markers, or 23/25 or 24/25 on the 25 marker test, and want to examine the possibility of whether you are related, compare your DNA haplotypes. If you and the other person share a rare marker, for example you both have a value of 10 for DYS 385a, and you differ at a marker such as DYS 439 with values of 11 (32%) and 12 (48%), it may be worthwhile exchanging information with the other person. The first step would be to determine from your paper genealogy whether you and the other person had ancestors who lived in the same locallity at the same time. If you have a close match to someone with another surname, but the difference is at a marker where one of you has a rare allele, then the probability of a relationship is lower. DYS Marker # /1 3 value 12 22 13 10 11 13 11 12 10 12 11 29 15 8 8 8 11 23 14 18 27 11 11 14 15 freq (%) 6 11 4 45 62 7 28 74 5 18 26 30 15 21 1 12 97 9 20 11 4 5 1 6 8 value 13 23 14 11 12 14 12 13 11 13 12 30 16 9 9 11 24 15 19 28 12 14 15 16 freq (%) 83 28 71 50 9 58 71 8 32 66 5 23 18 77 29 85 20 65 61 14 14 14 19 17 value 15 25 15 12 14 15 14 12 14 13 17 10 25 16 20 29 14 15 16 17 freq (%) 3 14 19 3 7 19 12 48 15 60 39 70 53 14 23 32 16 56 32 52 value 16 15 16 13 18 11 26 30 16 16 17 18 freq (%) 5 5 8 12 18 1 11 28 4 21 38 19 freq (%) 11 Data adapted with permission from Blair genealogy project: http://blairgenealogy.com/dna/dna101.html DNA Matches and Mis-matches If there is a match to a male with a different surname on they Y-chromosome DNA test, there are several possible explanations. Perhaps we are conditioned by our times to jump to the conclusion that there has been a "non-paternal" event, that is, the father of record was not the biological father. While that is certainly a possibility, and is known in many cases, other events can lead to the same result. The first was mentioned above, two people with different surnames could have a common ancestor before surnames were adopted. Another common event in our early history was adoption and changing of surnames without official records. Take the example of a husband dying young and leaving a widow with small children. The widow could marry again, and the children take the surname of the new husband. The care of orphaned children was often directed by local courts, but there may be examples of these children changing surnames without official records. Children abandoned in infancy, might have no record of their parents, and the surname could be assigned or assumed. We are also aware of men who changed their surname and started new lives, keeping their former identity secret. The DNA of their descendents could match the DNA of a descendent of their brother or uncle, who passed down a different surname. There is also the possibility of genetic "convergence". This results from the fact that our DNA "mutates" or changes over time. If mutations did not occur, we would all have the same DNA and we would all be genetically identical - what a boring world that would be! If we could test the DNA of two unrelated men who lived in the year 1000, their DNA might differ on 6 of the DYS markers. During the 40 or more generations from that time to today, mutations would have occurred in the descendents of these two men. Mutations are random, we cannot predict their occurance, only draw general conclusions based on thousands of observations. It is possible that male descendents of these two men would have matching DNA today, resulting from the random nature of the mutation process. We may also find cases where a paper genealogy indicates that two men have a common ancestor, but the DNA test tells us they are not related. Some people will believe that the DNA test is faulty and their paper trail is correct. This could be checked by having another DNA test performed by a different lab. There are now 3 or 4 labs doing DNA testing for genealogy, and several people have had their DNA tested by all of these labs. So far, all of the labs have returned the same result for individuals who have tested at multiple labs. If the DNA results are valid, the paper genealogy should be re-examined. Most of us know of cases where the wrong person has been placed in a family based on circumstantial evidence. If this has occured, then the descendent of that person would not match a descendent of another branch of that family on the DNA test. If the paper genealogy appears faultless, with good documentation at each level, then a break in the surname line should be investigated. This break could be the result of events mentioned previously; a "non-paternity" event (the father of record is not the biological father); an undocumented adoption resulting in a surname change; a male who changed his surname and kept his former identity secret etc. Occasionally the paper trail will find what we assume are unwed mothers, females for whom there is no apparent marriage record, but with children who have the surname of the mother. We also find females who are listed as a head of household that includes children with different surnames. We may assume that these are her birth children, but we cannot find a marriage record to a male with the surname of the children. In these examples, a DNA test may offer the only method of identifying the father of these children. If the researcher can find clues in the record as to the possible father of the children, it may be possible to find descendents of that line. One of those descendents could be asked to have his DNA tested, to compare with the DNA of the researcher who is trying to find the male ancestor. HOME FAQ LINKS RESULTS ANCESTORS MATCHES & NON-MATCHES

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745347

__label__wiki

Jones, Norah Live At Ronnie Scott’s Live At Ronnie Scott’s (bl Day Breaks (deluxe/live Ed Day Breaks Day Breaks (ltd.) Day Breaks (dlx) Little Broken Hearts EMI GOLD Come Away With Me (h-sacd) Live In New Orleans NORAH JONES Biographie 2016 Norah Jones first emerged on the world stage with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing pop music of the time. Since then, Norah has sold over 45 million albums worldwide and become a 9-time Grammy-winner. She has released a series of critically acclaimed and commercially successful solo albums—Feels Like Home (2004), Not Too Late (2007), The Fall (2009), and Little Broken Hearts (2012)—as well as albums with her collective bands The Little Willies and Puss N Boots. The 2010 compilation …Featuring Norah Jones showcased her incredible versatility by collecting her collaborations with artists as diverse as Willie Nelson, Outkast, Herbie Hancock, and Foo Fighters. But when Norah first moved from Texas to New York City in the Summer of 1999 it was with the hope of being a jazz singer and pianist, and she quickly found gigs singing jazz standards in restaurants and clubs around town. Around the same time she met Jesse Harris (who would collaborate on her debut album and write her breakout song “Don’t Know Why”) and soon fell into the singer-songwriter scene at the Living Room on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. By the time she went into the studio to record Come Away With Me her sound had changed direction and evolved into something much broader and more her own. But her jazz influences—from Bill Evans and Miles Davis to Billie Holiday and Nina Simone—have always remained. In 2014, Norah travelled to Washington DC to take part in the Kennedy Center’s historic “Blue Note at 75” concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of the legendary label that Norah has called home since the late Bruce Lundvall signed her in 2000. Surrounded by a family of Blue Note musicians including McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Robert Glasper and others, Norah was inspired. After performing a gorgeous solo piano rendition of Hoagy Carmichael’s “The Nearness of You” she was joined by what she referred to on-stage as “one of the best bands I’ve ever played with” featuring Shorter on saxophone, Brian Blade on drums, John Patitucci on bass, and Jason Moran on piano for a stunning version of the Jesse Harris song “I’ve Got To See You Again” that appeared on Come Away With Me. That thrilling experience planted a seed… Now Norah has come full circle with Day Breaks, her remarkable sixth album which finds her returning to her jazz roots while also proving her to be this era’s quintessential American artist, the purveyor of an unmistakably unique sound that weaves together the threads of several bedrock styles of American music: country, folk, rock, soul, jazz. Day Breaks is a kindred spirit to Come Away With Me, though it is unquestionably the work of a mature artist who has lived life and grown immensely in her craft. The album features jazz luminaries including Shorter, Smith, and Blade, who played drums on Norah’s debut and became the backbone (and backbeat) of the new album. “I just had so much fun that night at the Kennedy Center,” Norah remembers. “I heard so many great people play, it was a real sense of community. It was nice to reconnect with that side of my musical history. After that, I was just chilling at home, I had a new baby and I was up in the middle of the night, things would go through my head and I would try to record them while I was feeding the baby. I got into playing more piano. We have a piano in our kitchen, so it became a late-night kitchen piano thing, and the songs I started writing over the next year were more piano based. And so this record just started coming together in my head.” If there’s a single common thread that runs throughout Day Breaks it’s the piano. Norah’s unmistakable touch frames each of the album’s 12 tracks: nine originals written or co-written by Norah and her songwriting collaborators Sarah Oda and Pete Remm, as well as three choice covers of songs by Horace Silver, Duke Ellington and Neil Young. “I definitely drifted away from the piano a little bit after that first record,” says Norah. “I still played it, but I was more inspired to write on guitar after that. So when I started writing all these songs on piano it was clear that I would play them on piano, they weren’t really guitar songs. I really loved playing piano on this record.” As Norah was writing the album she found inspiration in a wide array of jazz influences. “I was listening to the kind of jazz records I love that I would have wanted to make like a Blossom Dearie record or a Shirley Horn record or Miles Davis ‘In A Silent Way,’ which is completely different! But those are elements of everything I wanted to do: John Coltrane ‘Lush Life,’ Charles Mingus ‘Haitian Fight Song,’ there were certain grooves and little things from each of those records that I was hearing. I was listening to a lot of organ trio stuff, soul jazz from the 60s, and listening to the Les McCann version of ‘Compared to What?’ a ton.” Finally, Norah and her co-producer Eli Wolf began assembling the musicians for the recording, starting with Blade. “I’ve been a huge fan of Brian Blade’s since I was in high school and I saw him play with Joshua Redman. Brian really was central for me on this album, he’s such an incredible drummer. I wanted somebody who could bring different vibes and different styles and just do all of that naturally and I knew he could.” Norah also brought in Chris Thomas, the bass player in Blade’s Fellowship band. “What I wanted was a rhythm section that was locked in, I didn’t want to hire two people who had never played together before. I wanted to just kind of plug myself in and go. So those first sessions were three days, seven songs, and it was just Chris and Brian and me playing piano, and it was just great, very magical.” The swinging “It’s A Wonderful Time for Love” resulted from those first sessions, remaining in its original trio version. The biting lyric was inspired by the dismal state of current world affairs and written in collaboration with Oda, a longtime friend. “Musically it was done, and I had the line ‘wonderful time for love’ but I didn’t know how to finish the lyrics without turning it into a love song or way too political. Sarah and I sat there and bounced ideas off each other until we honed in the lyrics, it was so fun.” The song “Tragedy” – with an easy-going vibe that belies its sad tale – was written in a similar fashion, with Norah providing the musical framework and lyrical hook while Oda fleshed out the words. “Sarah came in with the story, and I really love the way she put it together. Some of the lines she has are like poetry.” The most rhythmically charged song on the album “Flipside” also has a powerful socio-political charge to it. Norah sets a driving bass line with her left hand and Smith’s organ swirls overhead while her vocal builds to a shout at the chorus. “I was really inspired by the news and the stuff that’s been going on in the world and in this country the last couple years,” she explains. “It’s been really volatile and crazy, and I was listening to that Les McCann song ‘Compared to What’ and very much influenced by how just grooving and amazing it is but it’s also very political and it’s just from the gut.” While the guitar driven title track “Day Breaks” would have fit on Norah’s Danger Mouse produced album Little Broken Hearts, it’s “Carry On” that is perhaps the most reminiscent of Come Away With Me. “’Carry On’ was one of those late-night kitchen piano songs that I wrote. The vibe is kind of like my first album. We did it pretty quick and it was mellow and pretty.” Two songs on the album – “Once I Had a Laugh” and the Neil Young cover “Don’t Be Denied” – feature the rhythm team of drummer Karriem Riggins and bassist Vicente Archer as well as a horn section with trumpeter Dave Guy, trombonist J Walter Hawkes, and tenor saxophonist Leon Michels. “I got to open for Neil Young with my girl band Puss N Boots last summer and it was so fun,” says Norah. “Don’t Be Denied” – from Young’s 1973 live album Time Fades Away – “is a song I’ve loved for a couple years, it’s a little more obscure. It was a hard song for me to relate to lyrically because it’s in first-person and about being a young male kid, so I switched the lyrics around a little, made it third-person, made it about a girl, and then I totally related to it.” To fill out the arrangement Norah also brought in her Puss N Boots bandmates Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper for background vocals, as well as guitarist Tony Scherr, and Remm on organ. The final sessions for Day Breaks were the first that Norah had envisioned for the album with the legendary Shorter and his longtime band members Blade and Patitucci. “I never would have imagined that I would be able to get Wayne Shorter to play on one of my albums,” Norah says, before adding “Not that it’s that far-fetched, he can do anything, he’s played on a lot of pop records. He happens to just be a beautiful musician and human who can make music in any good situation.” With that band Norah decided to re-record “Peace,” a Horace Silver song she had written lyrics for and recorded a solo version of for an EP that preceded her debut album. “It just felt really right, lyrically it’s about peace, and right now it just made sense to do that song.” Featuring Shorter on soprano saxophone delivering a solo for the ages, the track sublimely encapsulates Blue Note’s past, present and future. Norah admits she experienced a rare moment of nervousness playing with Shorter. “I felt comfortable even though in my head I was like ‘What am I doing?!’ I basically hired Wayne Shorter’s quartet but not Danilo Perez and I’m playing piano… ‘What am I doing?!,’” she laughs. “Wayne doesn’t really play unless he’s feeling it and I love that about him. I finished singing the verses and then all of a sudden he’s just there and it’s so beautiful, and I’m just playing under Wayne Shorter, he’s four feet away from me, and luckily I was just in the music and I wasn’t overthinking it and thank god I’ve been playing that song for 15 years so I know it really well!” The album comes to a close with a stunning version of Duke Ellington’s “Fleurette Africaine (African Flower)” with Norah simply humming the melody and another soaring solo by Shorter. “I’m a huge Duke Ellington fan, of course, I love the way he played and his songs are so amazing. This song was just so cool and different and it had the vibe I wanted. It’s a really pretty meditation at the end of the record.” Norah Jones “Take It Away” ft. Tarriona Tank Ball Die neunfache GRAMMY-Gewinnerin Norah Jones setzt ihre gefeierte Serie an Single-Veröffentlichungen mit “Take It Away” feat. Tarriona Tank Ball von Tank And The Bangas fort! Begin Again Begin Again Green Balloon Green Balloon NORAH JONES Single Collection BEGIN AGAIN Ein Neuanfang mit sieben Songperlen. Norah Jones – Live At Ronnie Scott’s Norah Jones veröffentlicht neuen Konzertfilm Live At Ronnie Scott’s, welcher im vergangenen Herbst im legendären Londoner Jazzclub Ronnie Scott aufgezeichnet wurde.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745352

__label__wiki

Togo president running for fourth five-year term in Feb. 2020 polls Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé has been elected as flagbearer for the ruling party, the Union for the Republic, (known by its French abbreviation UNIR) ahead of presidential elections slated for February this year. “The bodies of the UNIR party, gathered on this day (January 7), and reported to His Excellency Faure Gnassingbé on the unanimous will of activists to see him defend the colors of the party in the presidential election of February 22,” said Aklesso Atcholé, executive secretary of UNIR, at a press briefing. Party officials had met behind closed doors all morning, in the presence of President Faure Gnassingbé, after a tour of the various regions of Togo, where they organized consultations with the movement’s base. This is a party meeting, aimed at informing me of the activists' wish to see me still wearing our party colors in the presidential election. I thanked them and in all humility, I accepted. “This is a party meeting, aimed at informing me of the activists’ wish to see me still wearing our party colors in the presidential election. I thanked them and in all humility, I accepted,” Faure Gnassingbé told the press after the meeting. Faure has been in power since 2005, after succeeding his father Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who ruled the country for 38 years. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2015 by disputed ballots. The country went through a serious political crisis in 2017 and 2018, with gigantic protests heavily repressed, to demand the limitation of presidential terms and the departure of the head of state, who at the time was preparing to run for a fourth term. The government in response to the protests introduced a May 2019 constitutional revision which was endorsed by lawmakers. The new rules allowed for not only President Gnassingbé to stand for re-election in 2020 and 2025, but also to benefit from immunity for life “for the acts committed during presidential terms.” A dozen opposition leaders including its historic leader, Jean-Pierre Fabre, and personalities from civil society, also announced their candidacy for this presidential election. Africa criminalizes trafficking of fake drugs African leaders in Togo to help fight fake drug menace Togo's February 22 presidential vote: Head-to-head between Faure and Fabre? Faure Gnassingbe Political crisis in Togo

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745354

__label__wiki

Home News and Vacancies Archived news Barnes appointed for landmark town centre development Barnes appointed for landmark town centre development Barnes has been appointed to work on the next stage of a £6.72million landmark development in the heart of Bury St Edmunds town centre. St Edmundsbury Borough Council bought the empty former Post Office site at 17-18 Cornhill and has designed a scheme that retains the historic Cornhill front, and redevelops the rest of the site to provide a wider walkway at Market Thoroughfare. It will also create a new frontage onto St Andrews Street South and aims to deliver much needed housing. The Council has selected Barnes Construction as its pre-construction contractor. Cllr Susan Glossop, Cabinet Member for Planning and Growth at St Edmundsbury Borough Council, said: “As we would do for any major project, it is important to get advice that will help not only with our planning application, but also with the building programme, all the while mindful to keep any disruption to local residents, visitors and businesses to the absolute minimum. This advice will also help to ensure that our ambitions for dramatic improvements to Market Thoroughfare and St Andrews Street South remain realistic and achievable, providing economic and social benefits for our communities and local businesses as well.” It is anticipated that the Council will submit the planning application for the site in early February 2019.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745362

__label__cc

Landscaping Feature Archive of Articles This listing shows you every single article in the Landscaping Site! The articles are shown in date order, with the most recent articles on top. You can also use the search feature to search for something specific. These listings are shown 10 articles to a page. Archive by Date | Archive by Article Title Cider and All Purpose Apples There are many varieties of apples avilable for the garden. Some are intended for cider, while others are all purpose. Quilting Book Reviews for Gardeners Garden quilts bring the outdoors into the home. For those gardeners wishing to create their own unique garden qults, here are reviews of some excellent quilting titles. The Blanket Flower Gaillardia, also called the blanket flower, is considered a most useful and attractive plant for the landscape. 2011 Garden Calendar Reviews Before the holiday rush begins, buy your 2011 garden calendars now. Purchase some extras for holiday gifts. Guides to Green Living for Gardeners Gardeners tend to be environmentally conscious. With that in mind, here are reviews of some books that offer options and solutions for a greener planet. Garden Quilting Book Reviews A number of delightful quilt books have been released in time for fall. Here are reviews of some titles featuring wonderful garden quilt projects. Holiday Gifts for Gardeners Gardeners love to receive practical holiday gifts they can use throughout the year. Here are a few ideas. Books of Interest to Gardeners Books on a host of different subjects are of interest to gardeners. Here are reviews of several that I've found to be helpful and inspiring. Black Twig and King David Apples There are many fine heirloom apples that are suitable for home orchards. Here are profiles of several. Arnold and Calloway Crab Apples The Arnold crab has been around for over a hundred years. There are some other excellent varieties as well. Pages of Results: 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 | Next Connie Krochmal Do you have a question or landscaping tip? Post it here! Landscaping Forum Napoletano and Persian Basils Supreme Cantaloupe and Tiki Torch Echinaceas Introduction to Pitahaya/Night Blooming Cereus Profumo and Round Midnight Basils Subscribe for free weekly updates from this Landscaping site. Follow Landscaping Landscaping Categories Herbs for the Landscape Indoor Landscapes and Houseplants Landscape Design & Software Ponds & Waterfalls Seasons and Special Occasions The Edible Landscape

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745368

__label__wiki

Dow to use microbes to clean up groundwater contamination By Jessica Brice The Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO — Marking the end of a five-year lawsuit, Dow Chemical Co. announced plans Wednesday to contribute $3 million for San Francisco Bay protection while using new technology to clean up groundwater contamination at its nearby Pittsburg chemical facility. The deal — struck between environmental group San Francisco BayKeeper and Dow — lets the company back out of a previous agreement to build a groundwater pumping plant to clean up the contamination, which could have cost the company up to $100 million. Instead, Dow says it will use bioremediation cleanup technology in which nutrients are pumped 100 feet into the ground, stimulating naturally occurring microbes that will eat away at the contaminants. “Dow figured out a better mouse trap,” BayKeeper spokesman Jonathan Kaplan said. The cheaper alternative will cost the company $15 million to $20 million to build and $1 million to $2 million per year for upkeep, according to Dow spokesman Randy Fischback. In exchange, BayKeeper wanted some of the savings passed on to them. Dow has agreed to contribute $3 million to BayKeeper, the Coastal Conservancy and Ducks Unlimited, Inc. to purchase or restore wetlands at Bel Marin Keys in Marin County, and in Sonoma, Solano and Napa counties. BayKeeper sued Dow in 1997, alleging that the Pittsburg plant — which now produces latex and agricultural chemicals — unlawfully discharged waste that contaminated groundwater and eventually ran into San Francisco Bay. In 1999, the two organizations agreed that Dow would build a plant to pump the water out of the ground, clean it up and return it. But that solution turned out to be costly, labor intensive and would have left waste to be disposed of somewhere else. Dow was fined nearly $200,000 by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board when it failed to follow through with those plans. The company already has started to build “bio-walls” that will circulate nutrients — sodium formate, sodium lactate and possibly even molasses — in the groundwater. The nutrients will stimulate the one-celled bacteria that already exist at the site to consume the contaminants faster. The process could take from a couple of years to decades. The technology, typically used to clean spilled petroleum, has been successful at other sites throughout the nation but rarely has been attempted on such a large scale, Fischback said. The Pittsburg plant, 35 miles east of San Francisco, takes up nearly 1,000 acres. The relatively new technology, however, leaves questions unanswered. Once the microbes have finished their work and exhausted their food supply, they could die — and it’s unclear what effect that would have on the surrounding environment. “We realize it’s cutting-edge technology and that there’s some level of risk,” Kaplan said. “We feel it’s an acceptable tradeoff.”

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745369

__label__wiki

At Rutgers University, he was an all-around athlete, playing varsity quarterback on the football team and winning boxing, swimming, and lacrosse championships. He graduated from Rutgers in 1927, but, while coaching high school football to support himself, return to Rutgers for a law degree, which he earned in 1930. But even though he won scholastic and sports honors, he wound up as a musician. (That is, until he became an actor and producer and director, even including his real-life family on the show with him - but let's not get ahead of the story.) Modeling himself somewhat after Rudy Vallee, Nelson played saxophone and sang romantic ballads and novelties into a megaphone. He and his band performed in hotels and ballrooms and for senior proms around the country. Harriet Hilliard joined them in 1932. The following year, they began "The Baker's Broadcast," a radio series with Joe Penner, a comic best known for inquiring "Wanna buy a duck?" The most famous recordings by Ozzie's big band included And Then Some (Brunswick, 1935), About a Quarter to Nine (Brunswick, 1935), Roses in December (Bluebird, 1937), At Long Last Love (Bluebird, 1938), and White Sails (Beneath a Yellow Moon) (Bluebird, 1939). In the early '40s, Ozzie and Harriet worked on the Red Skelton broadcast, "The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton," which led to the creation of their own radio show, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," on CBS in 1944. given name Oswald George Nelson birth Mar. 20, 1907, Jersey City, NJ death June 3, 1975, Los Angeles, CA, cancer wife Harriett Hilliard Nelson [ r.n. Peggy Lou Snyder ], a vocalist, b. Jul. 18, 1909, Des Moines, IA, m.Oct. 8, 1935, d.Oct. 2, 1994, congestive heart failure brother Don son David Ozzie Nelson, an actor-producer-director, b.Oct. 24, 1936 son Eric "Rick" / "Ricky" Hilliard Nelson, a pop/rock singer, b.May 8, 1940, d.Dec. 31, 1985, plane crash education graduate, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 1927; graduate, Rutgers Law School, hobbies scouting; football; boxing; swimming On their radio show, a situation comedy, Ozzie played a "nice guy" husband and father, and Harriet his wife. The show ran ten seasons. Sons David and Rick at first had been portrayed by child actors, but joined the cast as themselves in 1948. In 1952, while it was still on radio, the program got started on television, where it lasted for 14 years. In fact, it became a phenomenon, with Ozzie as its producer, director, and co-star. "Mr. Nelson was, in fact, almost the stereotype of what television sets forth so often as 'the All-American Dad'-bemused by his wife and children, the butt of much of their jokes, but basically the sturdy, sane, if somewhat exasperated father-figure," Albin Krebs later wrote in the New York Times. Ozzie Nelson in his own words: "Way back when we started our series on radio . . . Harriet and I decided to just do what comes naturally. Sure, we were tempted to employ artifice and pretend to be anything but ourselves, but the thought nauseated us. 'Look,' I said to Harriet, 'we've worked together this far . . . by enjoying what we were doing. We didn't have to pretend for anyone; so why start now?" "I don't make arbitrary decisions. When the boys (David and Rick) were small, Harriet made all the family decisions with me. Two years ago [ 1961 ], we figured the boys were grown enough to make their own decisions about our series. So Harriet and I threw the decision to them as to whether or not we should continue or abandon the series. If either one of the boys had said 'let's quit,' we'd have stopped production right then and there." "Our family has fun at home and it has fun doing this show. Hard work? Sure. But how hard can work be when you're having fun doing it?" "As corny, banal, and cliche-choked as the Ozzie & Harriet series was," Chicago Tribune critic Gary Deeb commented, "it boasted a quiet charm and a precious sense of decency-civility might be a better word-that captured the hearts, if not the minds, of much of America for nearly a quarter-century." In 1973, Ozzie and Harriet returned to the airwaves with "Ozzie's Girls," as an aging couple who took in two college girls, Brenda Sykes and Susan Sennet, as boarders. Ozzie kept himself in good shape by swimming two miles daily in the Pacific Ocean, which made the two episodes of ill health while in his late 60s all that more puzzling. He underwent liver surgery in late 1974, and remarked, "Isn't that odd for a guy who never drank or smoked?" Then eight months later, he died of cancer. His devoted wife was at his bedside when death came. A 1957 LP on the Imperial label, titled, simply, "Ozzie and Harriet," had brought their voices back in front of the country's record buyers, singing ten "oldies-but-goodies" and two recent pops, Sugartime and Catch a Falling Star. "They were a dependable respite for those who were terrified by the pace of the world," Deeb suggested. Imperial was the same company which had begun releasing on 45rpm early rock and roll songs featuring son Rick ("Ricky") singing and playing his guitar. Gary Deeb, "TV/radio: Ozzie Nelson: A nice guy who finished first," Chicago Tribune, June 5, 1975, p.B11. Jack Jones, "Ozzie Nelson Dies of Cancer at Age 68; 'Nice-Guy Dad' of Long Run TV Series," Los Angeles Times, June 3, 1975, p.A1. Albin Krebs, "Ozzie Nelson, Entertainer, Dead at 68," New York Times, June 4, 1975, p.42. "Ozzie Nelson, 68, bandleader and TV star, is dead," Chicago Tribune, June 4, 1975, p.E14. "Ozzie Nelson dies at 68 with Harriet at his side," unidentified newspaper, June 1975. Jay Sharbutt, "Harriet's New Life Without Ozzie," Washington Post, Aug. 23, 1976, p.B7. Joel Whitburn, Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music (Menomonee Falls, WI: Record Research Inc., 1986), pp.334-335. "Working Hard Pure Fun For Modest Ozzie Nelson," Hartford Courant, Feb. 24, 1963, p.5G. I would like to expand this tribute, if possible, with a new interview of someone who was important to Ozzie Nelson's life and career. Are you an alumnus of his band, a member of his family, or a collector who is knowledgeable about his accomplishments? Please contact me via e-mail return to "Biographical Sketches" directory The big bands are back in a new and exciting way! OZZIE NELSON "PERFECT HARMONY" by Music Librarian CHRISTOPHER POPA His family was musical, and he appeared in amateur productions with his parents at the age of 5. Later, he played banjo and sang in a high school band. He was a polite young man, too: at age 13, the youngest Eagle Scout in the United States and one of the American delegates to the first Boy Scout Jamboree, held in London in 1920.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745371

__label__cc

CealTech featured in The Graphene Council CealTech AS – Endless Possibilities – posted by Dexter Johnson CealTech-AS–Endless-Possibilities Established in 2012, Norway-based CealTech AS is already staking claim to being the largest volume producer of graphene in the world. This past year, 2016, was a big year in the company’s development with a number of landmark events occurring, perhaps most notably bringing online a new production unit with capacity of 10,000m3 of single layer graphene. If graphene is going to find use in a more applications, companies like CealTech will undoubtedly play a key role in making that happen by providing high-quality graphene at a competitive price. The company is also moving up the value chain with plans of bringing online this year a large-scale battery production unit that will use graphene on the electrodes. As the newest member of The Graphene Council’s corporate members we took the opportunity to discuss with them how they see graphene and its applications evolving and how they are positioning themselves in this changing landscape. To do this we spoke with the company’s CEO, Runar Tunem. Q: Your website makes the claim of having the largest volume production of graphene globally. Can you say what forms of graphene you are producing, i.e. graphene platelets, and how do your volumes breakdown according to those different forms and how they supply your various markets? A: CealTech produces graphene in powder form. Our graphene is produced by a patented plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD) technology based on DA Boyd, W-H Lin, C-C Hsu, ML Teague, C-C Chen, Y-Y Lo, W-Y Chan, W-B Su, TC Cheng, C-S Chang, et al. Single-step deposition of high-mobility graphene at reduced temperatures. Nature Communications, 6, 2015. The patent pending FORZA™ production unit makes it possible to produce different types of graphene depending on application. More recently, Dr. David Boyd was able to optimize the process for mass production and the quality of the graphene flakes has been found to be very good. Another advantage of the production unit is that flakes can be directly functionalized according to the intended application, e.g. nitrogen and or oxygen functional groups, without any chemical modification. Q: In your company’s estimates what is the global production of graphene in all its forms and what percentage of the production does your company represent? A: Regarding the volumes of graphene, a 28 tons global production was reported in 2010, which is projected to grow to about 575-600 tons by this year. Our estimate lies within the same range for fine- and for ultra-fine graphite. It is important to differentiate between graphite products from graphene’s, as both materials have different properties. We do expect that the market for pure graphene will grow by leaps and bounds in the coming decade. This will be possible thanks to the advances in manufacturing processes which will address the main challenge of producing large quantities of graphene, in various formats, and at an affordable price, with effective yields and a purity sufficient so as not to impair graphene’s desired chemical properties. In that respect, we believe that CealTech’s technology will be a major enabler, and will contribute to taking graphene to the next level, as we soon start our commercial production of graphene – currently planned from March 2017. CealTech’s expected yearly production volume of pure graphene (from March 2017) is 10,000m3, and this volume will be adjusted (i.e. ramped-up) to accommodate the market needs. Q: What were the market drivers in demand that spurred your company to make such a large increase in production capacity this year? A: Over the last couple of years, CealTech has conducted a comprehensive research program aimed at assessing if the use of fine and ultra-fine graphite helped to enhance the properties of a wide range of engineering materials. Examples of the materials investigated by the program are rubber, paints, lacquers, carbon fibers, glass fiber, etc. During the research program, it became apparent that neither the fine nor the ultra-fine graphite available on today’s market are suitable to attaining such a goal. In comparison, when using the pure graphene produced by our patented PE-CVD technique, we achieved great results by significantly improving the properties of the different materials studied by the program. This learning process was one of the catalysts for CealTech to set sight at becoming the world’s largest manufacturer of PE-CVD graphene. Q: Going forward what market segments do you see requiring the most volume of graphene? And, what are the markets that will likely exhibit the largest profit margins for graphene producers? A: The application segments are currently dominated by electronics industry. Due to its high strength and conduction property, graphene is (to be) widely used in this industry. Apart from touch screens for tablets and mobile phones, it can also be used to make circuitry of laptops and personal computers, making them run faster. Also, due to its low thickness, it can be used as a semiconductor. Its chips are faster than the existing silicon chips. The electronics industry is driven by growing demand from the Asia Pacific region and a manufacturing rebound in the U.S. brought on by the economic slowdown of 2007 to 2009. In addition, growing markets for smartphones, tablets, high-definition TVs are further expected to boost the global electronics industry. Composites accounted for the second largest share (36%) of graphene applications in 2016, dispersed among the automotive, plastics, coatings, construction, metals and engineering materials, aerospace, medical implants and energy markets. These composites can enhance the strength and conductivity of bulk materials. The composites and coatings have also found applications in sports, including lawn tennis and Formula 1 racing. Looking ahead, Energy Storage and Supercapacitors are expected to emerge as a key area for PE-CVD graphene, followed by composites and graphene coatings. Graphene inks are said to be constantly improving (while their prices seem to be dropping), which might promote, among others, applications like sensor electrodes and smart packaging. Reports project that energy storage will account for around 40%, and composites, 25%, of the market by 2026, and that nearly $100 million worth of graphene will be sold into the energy storage sector in 2026. Currently, graphene commercialization follows primarily a supplementation/substitution strategy. While products marketed as ‘graphene’ may be on the market in 2016, many, if not all, are still likely (to be) constructed principally from more traditional materials and incorporate a limited quantity of graphite. Accordingly, the profit margins are or will be, to some extent, dictated by the type of graphite used (i.e. quality), and/or the cost of the material that graphene is attempting to substitute. For example, on the low end of the graphene market is bulk material used as a filler to provide strength and conductivity in future day-to-day composite products. The market for carbon fiber composites was $16,479.4 million in 2013, and was expected to grow at a rate of 12.8% annually from 2014 to 2019 with bulk carbon costs on the order of half-a-dollar per gram. Graphene could replace these products if sold at lower costs. Profit margins on the bulk material are likely to be minimal but significant profits will be made through large volumes. On the other end of the spectrum, the highest quality graphene will be used in applications that are being developed that require graphene, or where the use of high-quality graphene significantly improves the product specifications and performance; hence justifying a premium price. This material will probably command the highest margins –assuming a market structure similar to cell phones. Lithium-ion electrodes are an example where graphite is used as an additive to boost the performance of the electrodes and alleviating a key shortcoming: limited cycle life. In this case, profit margins can be proportional to the degree of improvement enabled by graphene, and as such, could be significantly high. Q: Do you foresee a business model in which your company will become more involved in downstream production of graphene-enabled products, i.e. moving from producing graphene to producing graphene-enabled products? A: Further to producing and supplying large volume, high quality PE-CVD Graphene, CealTech is committed to developing and commercializing Graphene-enabled products and solutions for major industries, such as but no limited to: defense, automotive, space & aerospace, energy storage, electronics and sensors, medicine, maritime, and oil & gas. In that respect, our business portfolio is set to encompass everything from Raw Material (i.e. the graphene itself), Manufactured Materials (i.e. graphene doped with oxygen, nitrogen organic and inorganic molecules, etc.), to Component Parts and Finished Products (i.e. battery electrodes, conductive inks, paints and coatings, etc.). On the latter, we are proud to say that we are well on track with the development of a new, revolutionary battery technology. The test results so far are very promising (to be published online soon), and the aim is for an in-house annual production capacity of 20 millions square meters of CealTech’s PE-CVD graphene-based electrodes. Furthermore, we are working with several leading companies, both nationally in Norway and internationally, to implement our PE-CVD graphene in various industrial products. You will have to stay tuned for more information… Q: In the mid-2000s, some large chemical companies, like Bayer, drastically increased carbon nanotube production (multi-walled carbon nanotubes) with the idea that the resulting lowered costs of the material would help drive demand. The demand never picked up enough to soak up the increased capacity. What sort of precautions are graphene producers taking to avoid this same kind of pitfall? A: To answer this, one must try to understand the likely reasons for this ‘pitfall’. Firstly, one can cite the intrinsic problems of Carbon Nanotubes themselves. In an ideal perfect world, the carbon atoms that form nanotubes should be arranged in a hexagonal network. In this way, each carbon atom is bonded to three other carbon atoms making a sp2 bond, but that is when the nanotubes are perfect and they are of a uniform diameter. However, in reality, there are defects in the nanotubes that cause sp3 bonding to occur. Defects can be observed in the gradual widening or narrowing along the length of nanotubes. Also, nanotubes are not flat, and therefore cannot accurately be modeled with sp2 bond characters. Subsequently, CNTs suffer from lack of control of physical and chemical properties, difficulties in scalability, as well as the high cost of production and purification thus limiting the range of their applications. In contrast, our produced Graphene with its Sp2 bonding means that the carbon has a ONE double bond. For a carbon with 1 double bond and 2 single bonds, the orbitals will become 33% “s” and 66.7% “p” making our graphene “sp2.” That means that our graphene does not suffer from the same issues as nanotubes as all of our graphene sheets are identical, and therefore its properties are easily reproduced. Secondly, it is reasonable to say that while some observers believed that the price cut of the MWNT would result in the applications being developed, it was soon recognized that this was a case of putting the cart before the horse, or “technology push” ahead of the preferable “market pull.” In contrast, we see a more downstream-focused approach for the graphene, with the aim of fostering concrete commercial benefits across key industries. As such, significant investments have been made in recent years to hasten the pace at which we start to see more practical applications of graphene and new technologies. For example, the European Union has invested $1.3 billion in ‘The Graphene Flagship’, a consortium of academic and commercial researchers, tasked with taking graphene from the realm of academic laboratories into European society in the space of 10 years, thus generating economic growth, new jobs and new opportunities. Similar efforts are taken by governments across the world (such as USA, China, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, etc.) to build awareness about the vast potential of graphene and to facilitate partnerships and collaborations across the various stakeholders in the ecosystem (e.g., between industry and academia, and/or between upstream and downstream producers). For example, the UK Government has provided £235 million ($353 million) to fund a graphene research center. Tech companies are investing in developing their understanding of the material. Samsung, for example, has already applied for hundreds of graphene-related patents. Furthermore, we see that Graphene producers are also on the ‘offensive’, continuously innovating and developing new technologies aligned to targeted market needs and requirements. For CealTech’s part, we know that our technology expertise and business strategy address both points above. First, our unique PE-CVD Graphene will be of high quality, produced at large scale, in a reproducible manner, and soon to be commercially available. Accordingly, CealTech is strongly committed to having a resilient and flexible supply chain to ensure fast turnaround times and close customer relationships for its graphene production. Second, we acknowledge the risk of being only in the business of producing a nanomaterial that serves just to make some other product. Therefore, and as mentioned above, we are also focused on developing graphene-enabled products for various industrial applications. We are collaborating with other leading companies to contribute to bringing graphene-enhanced products to the market. Q: What do you see being some of the graphene-enabled products that are most likely to grow significantly over the next five years and how will that shape graphene production? A: As stated above, it is expected that graphene continues to be used mainly as a supplementary material in the short term (and through to 2020 at least), until the manufacturing process for graphene is mature enough for it to be used as a key material in products. Barriers to widespread industry uptake mirror carbon nanotubes: functionalization and dispersion; mass manufacturing at an acceptable cost; need for application partnerships; and health and safety issues. So the adoption of graphene and developments of graphene-enabled products depend on how soon these challenges are addressed. As to which graphene-enabled products are expected to grow the most over the next five years, it is best to refer to interview by the Graphene Council with Prof. Jari Kinaret in his interview – we quote: “The early applications are more likely to use exfoliated graphene flakes than large sheets of graphene. Functional and structural nanocomposites fall in this category – wind power plant blades are one specific example. Other low-hanging fruits are applications where graphene and related materials offer advantages as new or greatly improved functionalities. Here advanced batteries or supercapacitors in anything from portable electric appliances to cars is a promising direction. Also flexible electronics – screens, sensors, smart textiles etc. – are coming strongly. Applications that require large, defect free graphene sheets are likely to take longer time to develop; many solid state electronic applications fall in this category.” We are in perfect agreement with this statement as CealTech and the industry alike, are currently focusing on such products as coatings, batteries, structural composites, functional inks, etc. Meet the new CealTech CSO: Jon Are Beukes CEALTECH FEATURED IN THE GRAPHENE-INFO COMPLETED PHASE #1 OF ’GRAPHENE ANTI-CORROSION COATING’ CLIENT PROJECT CealTech names Tor Morten Osmundsen as Chairman and Interim Chief Executive officer Caltech and CealTech have entered exclusive agreement Office and Post address: Kanalarmen 22 sales@cealtech.com Energy efficient technology, partly funded by Enova

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745373

__label__cc

best book by stephen king , book recommendations , books recommended by stephen king , stephen king's favorite books 7 Books Stephen King Recommends 7 of Stephen King's Favorite Books Retired millionaire Jackson Brodie comes back in this book by Kate Atkinson, the events in the book are set two years after “Case Histories.” Brodie followed his girlfriend and former client to Edinburgh for the summer arts festival, where he witnesses a brutal attack in bumper to bumper traffic! Jackson is once again thrown into several mysteries that come together to one sinister scheme. Oryx and Crake While this novel by Margaret Atwood is a love story, it is a sobering vision of what the future could hold. Snowman, or Jimmy before a horrendous plague overwhelms humankind, struggles to survive in a world where he could be the very last person alive. What will happen to Snowman, and all of humanity? Stephen King recommends you read this novel to find out! The Yiddish Policemen’s Union Michael Chabon gives us a great mystery, a love story, exploration of the mysteries of exile, and a call back to 1940s noir in this great book! It is about the Federal District of Sitka and the Jews that have created their own little proud haven. The story follows homicide detective Meyer Landsman. A murder is committed in the same shabby hotel Landsman is staying in, and a life of being a detective means that he has to get to the bottom of this murder, with it happening right under his nose. In this Pulitzer Prize-winning book written by Junot Diaz, we follow the story of Oscar. He dreams of being the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien, and most of all, to find love. But, the overweight and ghetto-nerd Oscar may never get what he desires because of the fukú, a curse that has been in his family for generations. Will Oscar write that book he dreams of? Will he find the love of his life? Mr. King says to read this book and find out! In this story from Neil Gaiman, we follow Shadow, a man with a past. He no longer wants anything more than to live out a quiet life with his wife. But, when Shadow finds out his wife is killed in a horrible accident, he flies home for the funeral and meets “Mr. Wednesday” on the plane. He knows more about Shadow than he possibly should. Shadow’s life is never the same after meeting Mr. Wednesday and is warned about the storm that is coming. 2666: A Novel This book from Roberto Bolaño tracks a New York reporter, a widowed philosopher, and a police officer in love with an older woman, who are all in Santa Teresa searching for hundreds of women who have disappeared over the course of a decade. This novel has received huge praise from critics. Washington Post says that Bolaño joins the immortals with his writing in this book. It is an absolute must! After looking at these books, and knowing that Stephen King recommends these books, I know what I’ll be reading for a while! Continue reading 7 Books Stephen King Recommends

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745376

__label__wiki

Image Courtesy Detroit Water Brigade GreenWatch: What's in the Water #1 / Feb. 7, 2016 10am EST GreenWatch What is in the Water? This is the introductory piece to the new GreenWatch Series “What’s in the Water?” In this series we will explore the stability, conditions, and control of our waters, including the Great Lakes, regional and local ecosystems, watersheds, wetlands, rivers, creeks, pools, ponds, forests, and the headwaters forests. The premise of this series is that access to clean, drinkable water is vanishing and we can find ways to create better water security. We are Flint-Who Owns the Water? If you are surprised or shocked by the ongoing tragedy that has unfolded in Flint, Michigan and it’s contaminated drinking water, you probably should not be. Although we live in a first world country where it seems that access to fresh drinkable water is an important right, the reality is that many are warning us that access to drinking water is not a part of our inalienable and common heritage. The control of our water resources is a hotly contested political and economic issue. The commodification of natural resources has long dominated our strategies to extract and create wealth. Now we are in one of the final frontiers. Control, access, use, and distribution of water. Like any resource war, the fight for control of fresh water is dominated by big players and big scenarios. Commodification of waters is driven by free-market fundamentals and the hidden hands that are securing access for the economically privileged. Impoverished and abandoned communities such as Flint are forced to bear the disproportionate impacts and depredations of the resource wars. More often than not, these communities are dominated by First Nations people and people of color. Flint has an approximate 60% African American population. During the past two years Michigan communities of color including Benton Harbor, Detroit, and Flint have been taken over by appointed political entities that represent “austerity” regimes that continue to rise in our political landscape. 80% of African Americans now live in Michigan communities that have been taken over by Emergency Financial Management Teams. These political regimes focus on seizing public authority, downsizing government through privatization, eliminating taxes, regulations, and eliminating accountability including checks and balances that are built into the public domain. These Governor appointed emergency “teams” have forced local elected officials out of fiscal decision-making roles, have the authority to void contracts, eliminate union influence, reduce wages and benefits, close facilities, and transfer public property and infrastructure to the private sector. People in these communities have lost their rights to elect local leaders and to determine their own futures. While many of us have talked a good game about the issues of disproportionate impact of economic and environmental disasters on communities of color, Flint proves that it remains mostly talk. Flint Council Vice-President Wantwaz Davis likened what has happened in Flint to genocide. At least for the moment, the crisis in Flint and our national and local political campaigns and debates are helping us to focus on these issues. We hope that our GreenWatch series “What’s in the Water” will help to inform you and help to characterize our WNY discussions. Global Water Perspectives According to the United Nations, globally 800 million people lack access to clean drinking water, 2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation, and 1.8 million people die annually of associated diseases. The world’s growing unrest is directly linked to water scarcity. Water scarcity is driving the sustainability of planet earth over the edge. Climate change, growing industrial and agricultural consumption and pollution of freshwater resources, and development strategies linked to economic growth strategies are increasing those numbers. Local, regional, national and global economic disparity plays a critical role in how our future will work for us. Although water is a central theme of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and climate change is a pivotal threat, water was hardly mentioned in the recent Paris COP21 Climate talks. No one on earth is immune to these evolving threats. Those of us that live in the Great Lakes basin have a special responsibility to make clean water a priority. We are on the front lines of this global and national issue. The Great Lakes contain ⅕ of the earth’s entire reserve of fresh surface water. 85% of North American’s depend on these waters in one way or another. And make no mistake. The condition and accessibility of these waters are in jeopardy. Pollution, privatization, and climate change coming from multiple sources and causes are threats that are changing the way we think, and must think about these increasingly valuable resources. Flint Michigan is only the most recent and visible example of what we are facing in the Great Lakes and beyond. It is time to loudly address our cultural responsibilities in the context of what is in our water, who does and or should control it, and how this will effect our stability as a region for coming generations. How we act as a culture will be characterized by how we react to the Flint emergency. In a very real sense, we are all Flint Michiganders. And just to be clear, poison water issues in Flint are just the tip of the iceberg. The Michigander’s Dilemma Privatization and Control If you don’t know the story, the politics of the Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder and his backers forced a change in water supply in 2014 from using water from the City of Detroit and the glacial Lake Huron, to sourcing from the highly contaminated Flint River. This strategy is a part of the water wars that erupted over Snyder’s support of the more corporatized (privatized) and new, Karegnondi Water Authority (KWA), over the more public utility, Detroit Water and Sewer Department which had been providing Flint water from Lake Huron for decades. Snyder and his backers strategies focused on the establishment of laws that allow Emergency Financial Management teams that have taken over previously public systems including elected governments, school systems, and in Flint, the water system. Michigan communities and people including Detroit, Benton Harbor, and Flint, which are primarily minority and poor communities. Governor Snyder’s and his backers initiatives have cost these communities their ability to elect their own leaders, and make their own choices. They have had their futures stolen. Despite the fact that some in politics want you to believe that it is “personal responsibility” that has make these communities and people poor, it is quite the opposite. Cultural responsibilities, including the economic mechanisms that continue to transfer wealth to the 1% are the collective responsibilities of all of us. You want to enforce personal responsibility? Look in the mirror. You may be responsible for this tragedy. Austerity is the economic idol forced into our thinking by the “small government” movement. This is part and parcel of the industrial age sourced privatization strategies that promote a redistribution of wealth away from the 99% and to the .01%. This has caused the vanishing of America’s middle class. These strategies evolved in recent decades in the “smaller government” movements that advocate less or no taxes, less or no regulations, and less or no oversight and accountability as guaranteed in a democratic and publically held system of checks and balances. These strategies are relentlessly pushed by political extremists including Michigan Governor Rick Snyder, Grover Norquist, and the deep pockets of the propaganda arms of the Koch Brothers, their dark money group “Americans for Prosperity”, and the ubiquitous American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Mother Jones magazine reported recently “Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder was elected in 2010 on a platform of fiscal austerity. Snyder, the former head of Gateway computers and a darling of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity, promised to run the state like a company, complete with “outcomes” and “deliverables.” In 2011, he introduced a signature piece of legislation, Public Act 4, which expanded the state’s authority to take over financially troubled cities and school districts. Similar laws exist in about 20 states, but Michigan’s is the most expansive: Emergency managers picked by the governor have the power to renegotiate or cancel city contracts, unilaterally draft policy, privatize public services, sell off city property, and even fire elected officials.” The Michigan laws that allowed the creation of Emergency managers, School District dissolution, and Local Emergency Financial Assistance Loan Boards were repealed by Michigan voters in November of 2012. However the Governor’s party rewrote the Bill, attached it to an appropriations Bill which is cannot be repealed by voter referendum, and is was enacted that December, just a few weeks after the voters rejected the original law. The Mother Jones piece continues: “Since 2011, 17 municipalities or school districts in Michigan have been assigned emergency managers. The majority of them are in poor, predominantly African-American communities that have been hit hard by depressed economies and shrinking populations. Some EMs have worked with communities to generate local buy-in, but their outsider status, lack of accountability, and propensity for cutting public services to save money have generated harsh criticism. As Michael Steinberg, the legal director for the Michigan chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said a recent statement, “Flint is Exhibit A for what happens when a state suspends democracy and installs unaccountable bean counters to run a city.” The Flint Austerity “Emergency” In Flint, the takeover by the Emergency Management laws involved targeting the control and profitability of the water system. A new water system (KWA) with a focus on a privatized anti-union, and anti-regulatory agenda for the region was proposed and developed. The language of austerity became a feature of the attack on the public water system. In what has only recently been revealed (and this continues to develop), the austerity agenda was a political fabrication designed to transfer profits to the private sector. Who would be the beneficiaries of these increased expenses? The construction of a new pipeline for KWA and it’s probable private partners is a big part of the mix. An independent audit commissioned by Michigan State Treasury argued against its construction. The Flint Emergency Manger was a strong advocate of the pipeline and pushed through approvals. According to a variety reports, JP Morgan and UBS, two companies associated with municipal securities fraud are involved in the financing of the pipeline. There is an evidence trail linking the KWA pipeline project to Hydro-fracking operations along the route. Hydrofracking requires billions of gallons of water and creates waste that is not inexpensively or adequately treatable. Access to water from a new pipeline would prop up the opportunties for hydrofracking operations in Michigan. In addition, it was revealed last week that Governor Snyder’s administration is deeply linked to Nestle, a big player in the privatization of water schemes. Emails recently revealed show that the switch to the Flint River was not about saving money. In fact the switch to the Karegnodi Water Authority would cost taxpayers and waters users much more, and that includes more in cash payouts for direct access to water. It now appears that was once argued by the state that a switch to KWA from the Detroit Water and Sewer Department to be a savings of a few million dollars will cost billions in damages. Austerity politics has conclusively supported disinvestment in communities and people and blamed the disinvestment on the people and communities abandoned. The people of Flint are in poverty and receivership because when businesses including General Motors, which was anchored in Flint for almost a century, lost profits in the economic recessions in the 1980’s-1990’s, they fled. GM took advantage of global trade agreements that made offshore labor and offshore production cheaper. Workers with less rights, and countries with far less environmental regulation made it more profitable for GM to abandoned Flint. And they blamed the workers, the unions and regulations. Left to the people of Flint is the legacy liabilities of pollution, poverty, and increased despair. Poisoned water is making thousands of people sick. These are lifelong illnesses. The social and environmental catastrophe has and will cost billions of our tax dollars to repair, at least that which can be repaired. The lead poisoned children of Flint will never be repaired. Black lives matter. Privatization and the elimination of accountablity with public systems is the kind of redistribution of wealth, and the implementation of corporate welfare and socialism that ALEC politics believe in. They have their hands in your pocket. This is not an unusual circumstance; it is rather the way of a broad spectrum of an extractive and globalized business culture. It is what runs Wall Street. If the extraction of wealth from a community is no longer viable, then communities must be abandoned in the name of the shareholders and in the name of profit. The only thing trickling down the leg of this bloated and malformed elephant in the room is our vanishing opportunity to participate in an economic system. What collective resources we have left includes money which we the taxpayers must spend to try to stabilize the situation. GM got out of town without conscience, without plans for the community it had relied on, and without concern for the people left behind. One of the most significant things that you should know is that “what is in the water” is a war for control and access. Is that a good thing? As we continue down the path of natural resource commodification, unchecked, unbalanced, and unaccountable economic development, we continue to “sustain” growth that exploits natural resources as a target of wealth strategies. Is it working? It is apparently working for GM. This week GM announced that its 2015 pre-tax earnings are $11 billion. And they do not pay Federal Taxes. Soul Crushing Facts About American Income Inequality How Income Inequality Makes a Mockery of the American Dream Coming Next: We are Flint/Part II -Western New York Connections.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745377

__label__cc

Price 1 INR Payment Terms Others, Paypal, Letter of Credit at Sight (Sight L/C), Letter of Credit (L/C), Delivery Point (DP), Days after Acceptance (DA), Cheque, Cash in Advance (CID), Cash Advance (CA), Cash on Delivery (COD), Cash Against Delivery (CAD) Main Domestic Market West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Pondicherry, Punjab, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Lakshadweep, Kerala, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Goa, Gujarat, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, West India, East India, North India, Central India, South India, All India Other Products in 'Marble Hanuman Statue' category Marble Veer Hanuman Statue Get latest Price Punchmuki Hanuman statue Get latest Price Marble Hanuman statue Get latest Price Marble Das Hanuman statue Get latest Price

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745379

__label__wiki

http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/stranger-things-beauty-win-big-at-mtv-awards/article/492095 'Stranger Things,' 'Beauty' win big at MTV awards Posted May 8, 2017 by Frankie TAGGART (AFP) Nostalgic horror sensation "Stranger Things" and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" shared the spoils at the MTV Movie and TV Awards, expanded and renamed this year to include television. Director Bill Condon (L) and actors Josh Gad (C) and Emma Watson (R), winners of Movie of the Year for 'Beauty and the Beast' at the MTV Movie & TV Awards JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX, AFP Netflix's hit series took best show and best actor in a show for an emotional Millie Bobby Brown, one of its young stars, while best actor in a movie went to Emma Watson for "Beauty," which also picked up best film. "The village in our fairytale wanted to make Belle believe that our world was smaller than the way that she saw it, with fewer opportunities for her, that her curiosity and passion for knowledge and her desire for more in life were grounds for alienation," said Watson, 27, of her iconic character. "I loved playing someone who didn't listen to any of that. I'm so proud to be a part of a film that celebrates diversity, literacy, inclusion, joy and love the way that this one does." Trevor Noah, wins Best Host for 'The Daily Show' at the 2017 MTV Movie & TV Awards Daniel Kaluuya and Milton "Lil Rel" Howery, the stars of surprise smash hit thriller "Get Out," got the prizes for "next generation" and best comedic performance respectively. Best villain went to Jeffrey Dean Morgan for his turn as the bloodthirsty Negan in "The Walking Dead," while best hero was awarded to Taraji P. Henson for "Hidden Figures." The MTV Movie and TV Awards, hosted this year by comic actor Adam DeVine, have been taking a sideways look at Hollywood since 1992, honoring films and their actors with "golden popcorn" statuettes. The nominees are decided by producers and MTV executives, while the winners are chosen by the public, who vote online. - 'More than a kiss' - As a result, the awards have historically recognized commercial favorites, in contrast to the Oscars and other events based on critical or industry acclaim. The annual celebration of youth pop culture expanded this year to include television, and MTV reverted to broadcasting the event live after pre-recording last year's show. The only hitch came when MTV was forced to cut short its red carpet as downtown LA was hit with an unseasonal hail storm that drenched celebrities and members of the press and public. In another departure with convention it dispensed with gender distinctions in the categories, and awarded best kiss to a same-sex embrace. Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome portrayed two African American teenagers exploring their sexuality in "Moonlight," which won best picture at the Oscars. "I think it is safe to say that it really is okay for us young performers, especially minority performers, to step out of the box and do whatever it takes to tell a story and whatever it takes to make a change," said Jerome, 19. "This award is bigger than Jharrel and I. This represents more than a kiss," Sanders added. "This is for those that feel like the others, the misfits. This represents us." Meanwhile "Hidden Figures," which tells the previously little-known story of the vital contribution of African American women to the NASA space program, won a new "Fight Against The System" category. Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Tyrese Gibson came on stage to accept a "generation award" for the "Fast and Furious" franchise. Diesel thanked the generation of fans "willing to accept this multicultural franchise where it didn't matter what color your skin was." Hugh Jackman and debutante Dafne Keen, stars of "Logan," were recognized for best double act while Trevor Noah of "The Daily Show" got best host. Here is the full list of winners: MOVIE OF THE YEAR: "Beauty and the Beast" SHOW OF THE YEAR: "Stranger Things" BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE: Emma Watson – "Beauty and the Beast" BEST ACTOR IN A SHOW: Millie Bobby Brown – "Stranger Things" BEST HOST: Trevor Noah – "The Daily Show" BEST DUO: Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen – "Logan" BEST KISS: Ashton Sanders and Jharrel Jerome – "Moonlight" FIGHT AGAINST THE SYSTEM: "Hidden Figures" NEXT GENERATION: Daniel Kaluuya TEAR-JERKER: "This Is Us" – Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) and Randall (Lonnie Chavis) at karate BEST MUSICAL MOMENT: "You're the One That I Want" — ensemble, "Grease: Live" BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE: Milton "Lil Rel" Howery – "Get Out" BEST REALITY COMPETITION: "RuPaul's Drag Race" BEST HERO: Taraji P. Henson – "Hidden Figures" BEST VILLAIN: Jeffrey Dean Morgan – "The Walking Dead" BEST DOCUMENTARY: "13th" BEST AMERICAN STORY: "Blackish"

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745381

__label__wiki

Baker McKenzie Strengthens Transactional Practice In Vietnam. Legal News & Analysis - Asia Pacific - Vietnam On 8 January, Baker McKenzie announced the appointment of Yuho (Richard) Kim as Mergers & Acquisitions Special Counsel. Yuho joins the Firm from LOGOS Law LLC, where he was chief of the Hanoi branch from 2010 and an associate in the Seoul office from 2008-2010. He brings a wealth of experience in foreign direct investment, real estate, energy, mining and infrastructure, and mergers and acquisitions. He has helped to steer Korean and multinational companies through complex cross-border transactions in jurisdictions spanning Vietnam, Cambodia, Korea, Africa, and the United States. Throughout his career, Yuho has led outbound and inbound investments and M&A transactions, be it private or public, hostile or friendly. He has also handled matters concerning deal structures, deal protection, minority protection, governance, defensive mechanisms and fiduciary duties. Within the infrastructure space, he has served as lead advisor on a number of complex foreign investments into Vietnam, including a billion dollar hydro power plant; a highway project; and a new city development. Commenting on Yuho's appointment, Frederick Burke, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie Vietnam, said, “I am pleased to welcome Yuho to the Firm. He has won recognition from a number of Korean private enterprises and he has also built up and maintained strong investment relationships. I am confident that Yuho will make a significant contribution to our Vietnam and Korean platforms, our M&A and finance and projects practices and our Firm.” Milton Cheng, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie Hong Kong and Chair of a committee that oversees Baker McKenzie's offices and member firms in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Korea and Vietnam, said, “Yuho's appointment comes at an important time. Korea remains by far the largest foreign investor in Vietnam. We are committed to growing our M&A practice in Vietnam, and across the region, as Korea continues to be a key driver of cross-border M&A activity globally, regionally and especially in Vietnam.” Yuho added, “Baker McKenzie has been consistently ranked as a tier 1 cross-border M&A law firm in Vietnam and the region over many years via various legal awards and rankings. I am excited about the opportunity of working closely with the worldwide team to enhance our positon in the international transactional space.”

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745382

__label__cc

"You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieving it, you become someone worth becoming." CrossFit makes people better. It's not a fitness fad or a gimmick. It's a movement and a lifestyle. It allows people to do things every day that he/she once considered impossible. It doesn't become boring or easy. It gains momentum with each workout and each new triumph. Whether you're trying to do your first unassisted pull-up or you're training for the CrossFit Games; whether you're marathon runner, a body builder, or a couch potato, the answer is "Yes". This workout is for you. It's efficient and fun. It makes you want to come back for more. It's unlike anything that has come before it. Constantly varied. High-intensity. Functional movement. We could have started any type of business, or any type of gym for that matter. We chose to join the 9,000+ community of CrossFit affiliates and the hundreds of thousands of CrossFit athletes (over 100,000 have registered for the CrossFit Games) because we believe it is undoubtedly the superior fitness program. We have yet to see anyone try it consistently (3x a week) for 2-3 weeks and not get hooked. You will make rapid and sustained improvements. Our goal is to reach as many people as possible and commit to do everything in our power to ensure they maximize results and exceed their fitness goals.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745383

__label__wiki

The Comeback of Branded Entertainment Learn More in the Directory! Branded entertainment is back with a vengeance. Companies across multiple consumer verticals have been creating engaging long-form digital video content and harnessing the power of social media on PCs and mobile devices to engage consumers and reach mass audiences. Some examples of the current trend from this past Summer alone include campaigns from Ford ("Random Acts of Fusion") Intel and Toshiba ("The Beauty Inside"), Subway ("The 4 to 9ers" and IKEA ("Easy to Assemble"). Moreover it's becoming clear that these aren't one-time efforts. IKEA, for example, has reported that it currently dedicates 2% to 3% of its global marketing budget on branded entertainment and a former Procter & Gamble executive reported to The Wall Street Journal that the brand-marketing giant is now spending 5% of its marketing budget in this area. However branded entertainment is not new. Its first incarnations were the radio soap operas from Procter & Gamble in the 1930s. Later, marketers carried this model into TV where it dominated until the rise of TV advertisements in the 1950s. In subsequent decades, despite the supremacy of the 30-second spot, branded entertainment never vanished entirely. The advent of the Internet seems to have been the primary impetus for branded entertainment's latest incarnation. Most notably, Unilever created branded video content in 2005 and 2006 to support its I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and Dove Calming Night brands. Still the stream of branded entertainment online remained a trickle until the middle of last year when companies like Intel and Toshiba ("The Inside Experience") and Toyota ("The One and Only") began releasing creative branded long-form video content. What explains the current deluge? Banner Ads Don't Work for Brands Early this year comScore provoked a major controversy when it released a study that found that 31% of online banner ad impressions are never seen by anyone. Less than a month later, venture capitalist Jerry Neumann wrote a piece in AdExchanger in which he suggested that online media may not be appropriate for brand-marketing. Adding fuel to the fire were additional studies whose findings were even more troubling than those reported by comScore. AdSafe, for example found that less than half (49.9%) of online banner ad impressions passed the viewability standard that the IAB has proposed. Moreover, with the rapid rise of social media and digital video as well as the widespread adoption of smartphones and tablets, brand marketers are beginning to seriously question the capability of banner ads to engage consumers. All indicators suggest that brand marketers view social media as a way to reduce marketing spend by investing more in earned and owned opportunities. Many of the top brand marketers are also very skeptical about whether a tiny banner ad impression served on a mobile device will actually be effective in building their brands. Increasingly brand-marketing professionals in the digital space are realizing that the banner ad, which is essentially a carry-over from print media, may no longer be as effective in an environment dominated by social media and video content that must be accessible on PCs and mobile devices. People Have an Endless Appetite for Video With the introduction of digital video accessible via the PC several years ago, and via mobile devices only a few years ago, there was a widespread misconception among brand marketers that the growth of digital video viewing would cannibalize TV viewing. In 2012 it became clear that this is not the case. We now know that, as surprising as it may sound, expanded access to video via digital devices, rather than decreasing TV viewing, is actually increasing the amount of total video content people consume. It appears that people have an endless appetite for video content. Digital Production and Social Media Distribution Have Made it Economical One of the major factors in the original shift from branded entertainment to the 30-second spot was cost. It was simply much less expensive to produce a 30-second spot, which typically costs around $500 thousand, than to produce a TV show, which can easily run into the tens of millions of dollars. However, the cost of entry has dropped significantly in recent years and it is now possible to produce professional branded digital entertainment for as little as $250 thousand. Moreover, distribution was more challenging during the early days of the Internet. In 2006, when Unilever launched its first branded entertainment content on microsites, the company had to rely on a combination link sharing via email and paid banner ads to reach its audience. Now, with the mainstream adoption of social media, brand marketers have a vast arsenal of earned and owned distribution channels that they can employ cost-effectively to ensure mass reach. Social media and digital video accessible everywhere via smartphones and tablets has transformed the digital ecosystem in profound ways that present possibly insurmountable challenges for traditional online brand marketing tactics like display banners. Even in-stream video ads, while certainly a powerful solution may not be the panacea. Consider that a significant quantity of video content is currently consumed through peer-to-peer file sharing applications that do not currently present in-stream advertising opportunities. In this rapidly evolving environment, smart marketers, armed with the insight that consumers simply cannot get enough video content, have been increasingly investing in various forms of branded video and harnessing social media to distribute it organically and grow their brands. Ultimately what initially appeared as a challenge for brand marketers could prove to be the biggest opportunity in brand marketing since the advent of TV.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745386

__label__cc

Game of the Week: #4 North Carolina at #17 Arizona Note: This article also appears at CollegeHoopsNet.com. Game of the Week: #4 North Carolina at #17 Arizona (Saturday, January 27th, 1:00 PM, CBS) With February soon upon us, it’s almost time for the stretch run in college basketball. We all know what that means—bubble talk, conference title races, key intra-conference match-ups, and NCAA Tournament discussion. Aside from the top teams in the big conferences facing off, there is always a quality contest between two teams trying to keep pace in the at-large hunt. There is no shortage of games like that this weekend, including Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, Kentucky vs. Tennessee, Boston College heading to Duke, Michigan going to Indiana, and a host of Big East contests. However, the best game of the week is one that doesn’t involve conference play or standings positioning. It is one of the best non-conference games all year, North Carolina at Arizona. Two of the best offenses in the country will square off in what will likely be a game in the 90s. Fasten your seatbelts—it’s going to be one of the fastest games you will see all season. North Carolina is the deepest and possibly the most talented team in the country, which has helped in leading the Tar Heels to a top-five ranking and a favorite for a #1 seed come March. They are explosive on the offensive end, and have improved their defense drastically over the past few weeks. Ranked #2 in the RPI, the 17-2 (4-1 in the ACC) Tar Heels have been near the top of the rankings all season long. They opened the season with three victories, most notably over Winthrop, but lost their next one to Gonzaga in New York City. UNC bounced back to string together 12 consecutive wins, including victories over Tennessee, Ohio State, Kentucky, and Florida State. After their disappointing loss at Virginia Tech two weeks ago, the Tar Heels have dominated their competition recently, winning at Clemson and over Georgia Tech by a combined 38 points. UNC is only 1-2 in true road games this season, which could mean trouble on Saturday. The Tar Heels average almost 88 points per game, best in the ACC and 2nd in the country. They allow just under 66 a contest. According to Ken Pomeroy, North Carolina has the 4th-most efficient offense and the 2nd-most efficient defense. Arizona has arguably the best starting five in the country on the offensive end, and that talent has translated into a very good (albeit inconsistent) season thus far. However, they really struggle on the defensive end at times, which will need to improve if they are to make a deep run in March. Ranked #3 in the RPI, the 13-5 (4-4 in the Pac-10) Wildcats opened the season with a tough loss at Virginia, but then ran off 12 straight victories, including victories over UNLV, Illinois, Washington, and Memphis. However, they have lost four of five since then, including three straight contests. The Wildcats have struggled on the road so far this season (4-4), and are 7th in the conference standings. They average over 84 points per game, good enough for the nation’s #7 scoring offense—and best in the Pac-10. On the other hand, they give up over 74 a contest, which is next-to-last in the conference. Ken Pomeroy has the Wildcats as the most efficient offensive team in the country, but the 80th -most efficient defensive team. North Carolina Team Breakdown After last season’s success, in which the Tar Heels surprised everyone by replacing four lottery picks and receiving a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, North Carolina is even better this year. They are terrific on the offensive end, nearly unstoppable in an up-tempo game, and also very efficient in the half-court. The Tar Heels are ridiculously deep, with ten guys averaging at least 12 minutes per game, and another two getting at least seven a contest. Defensively, they have improved greatly since the start of the season, and have held 12 of their last 13 opponents to below 70 points. They have athletes and talent up and down their roster, meaning they don’t see a lot of mismatches on the defensive end. They might be the most complete team in the country. North Carolina’s frontcourt is one of the best in the country, and the Tar Heels revolve around their trio up front. It all starts with Tyler Hansbrough. My preseason pick for National Player of the Year, Hansbrough is a beast on the interior. He is absolutely relentless around the basket, and never stops working when he is on the floor. He is very efficient shooting the ball and is a dominant scorer and rebounder. With more help inside this season, Hansbrough has had an even better season but has received less recognition due to his outstanding supporting cast. Brandan Wright has been one of the best freshmen in the country, and looks like a sure-fire lottery pick. He is extremely long and athletic, and is an excellent shot-blocker and rebounder. Wright is very efficient scoring the ball inside due to his finishing ability and variety of post moves. Additionally, Wright is outstanding at running the floor and getting points in transition. He had scored in double-digits in every game this season prior to a nine-point showing against Georgia Tech this weekend. Reyshawn Terry is vastly underrated on a national level, even though his numbers have gone down since last season. He is very smooth on the offensive end, and has the ability to shoot from long-range as well as drive along the baseline for baskets. Terry has been wildly inconsistent this year, however. He has scored in double-figures in only two of his last nine games—after averaging almost 14 a game over the previous four contests. He still is one of the best shooters in the conference, and is also a very good defender. Leading the way off the bench are wings Marcus Ginyard and Danny Green. Both are swingmen, with the ability to play both shooting guard and small forward. Ginyard is a lock-down defender who is very athletic and can really shut down the opposing team’s best scorer. He is also very long, which helps him rack up steals and rebounds. Green is a better offensive player, but he also is a very good defender. He can shoot the three with efficiency, and is one of the best free-throw shooters in the ACC. Green can do a little bit of everything on the court. Inside, Deon Thompson gets the majority of the bench minutes. He is a physical player who has shown the ability to get points and rebounds. Alex Stepheson also sees playing time. The backcourt for the Tar Heels is also extremely deep and talented. Tywon Lawson and Wayne Ellington form one of the best freshmen backcourt duos in the country. Lawson is an extremely quick, explosive point guard who has improved in many ways since the start of the season. He loves to push the ball in the open court so he can use his speed and vision to get easy assists. Lawson is a good defender who can disrupt an opponent’s offense with his ball pressure. He does not turn the ball over much, and is a big-time playmaker. Ellington is a shooter, plain and simple. He has one of the nicest strokes in college basketball this season, which has helped him shoot over 40% from beyond the arc. However, in his last five games, he has hit only 6 of 23 three-point attempts (26%). However, he is also a solid rebounder and passer who can really fill it up if he gets hot from outside. He is third on the team in scoring, and has scored in double-figures thirteen times this season. Ginyard and Green can swing to the backcourt off the bench to provide defense and size. Bobby Frasor and Quentin Thomas help out at the point guard spot. Frasor started last season for Roy Williams, and provides a steady influence at that position. However, he has been hobbled much of the season by an injury, which has forced Thomas to get more minutes. Thomas is extremely quick who can penetrate into the lane and get assists. He sometimes tries to do too much, leading to a turnover. Wes Miller is a very good three-point shooter who has seen his minutes and three-point percentage drop drastically this season. Arizona Team Breakdown Arizona has been one of the best teams in college basketball at times this season, even after a disappointing season last year in which they backed into the NCAA Tournament and lost in the second round to Villanova. Moreover, the Wildcats also lost NBA Draft Pick Hassan Adams, but still have played much better than last season. They have one of the best and most balanced (four guys with at least 14.5 points per game, and another averaging 11.6) offenses in the country, and love to get out and push the ball to get points. The Wildcats don’t press on the defensive end, but have the best running game in the country. No team will beat Arizona if it is a high-scoring contest. The frontcourt of Arizona is one of the most talented and versatile in the country. Senior Ivan Radenovic, sophomore Marcus Williams, and freshman Chase Budinger form an excellent trio capable of matching up with most frontcourts and creating mismatches all over the floor. Radenovic has had a breakout season so far this year, leading the team in rebounding while also placing second in points and assists. He is a very good inside-outside scorer who can shoot the ball with efficiency and also bang on the interior. He is one of the most difficult match-ups in the Pac-10 due to his versatility. Radenovic is also one of the best 6-10 free-throw shooters you will find, hitting his shots at a 90% clip from the line. Williams had a great finish to last season, and has carried that over to this year. He is an outstanding inside-outside player who is one of the best scorers in the conference. His three-point shooting has gone down from last season, but he is better inside the arc this year. He is also a good defender. Williams is averaging almost 22 points per game in Pac-10 play, and is shooting 55% from the field during that span. He has been somewhat inconsistent at times this season, but is definitely hitting his stride when it counts. Budinger has been one of the major impact freshmen this season in college basketball. He has scored double-figure points in every game except three so far—but two of them were in Pac-10 play, which could mean he might be hitting a wall. He is averaging only 10.4 points over his last five games. However, he has shown the ability to score in a variety of ways and is exciting to watch. He is also a solid rebounder and an excellent passer. The supremely athletic Budinger was called the most talented recruit to ever play at Arizona by Lute Olson. Jordan Hill and Brett Brielmaier provide depth off the bench, but play less than ten minutes per game. Arizona’s backcourt is also one of the best in the country, and is much improved over last season. The key to it all has been the play of point guard Mustafa Shakur. After not living up to his high school hype during his first three years at Arizona, Shakur has been one of the best point guards in the country this season, ranking third in the nation in assists at just under 8 per game while also putting up over 14 points per game. Shakur is a very capable three-point shooter and a good defender who is at his best when leading the fast break for the Wildcats. His ability to take care of the ball and find open teammates has been the main reason for the great start of Arizona. His backcourt partner is Jawann McClellan. The 6-5 junior was primed for a big season after playing in only two games last season due to injury. He has enormous potential and is very athletic. Moreover, McClellan is an excellent three-point shooter and has already made more threes this year than he did during his entire freshman season. His defense and rebounding are also solid. However, he is 0 for 15 from long-range in his last five games, and is averaging only 7.2 points per game in that span. Like the frontcourt, the backcourt for the Wildcats lacks quality depth. Freshman Nic Wise provides a couple of minutes of rest for Shakur at the point, while Daniel Dillon is a very good defender who can lockdown opponents off the bench. Match-Up Analysis If you like lots of scoring, this is the game for you. If you like up-tempo basketball with back and forth offense, this is the game for you. If you don’t, and just like to see two Final Four contenders go at it—and who doesn’t?—this is also the game for you. In other words, don’t miss this one. Both teams love to get up and down the floor to get points in transition, and would rather have the game in the 80s and 90s than the 60s. Luckily for them, I don’t see either team attempting to slow the game down. There are several outstanding match-ups all over the court. The frontcourt battles will be outstanding, especially between Brandan Wright and Marcus Williams, and Tyler Hansbrough and Ivan Radenovic. The quickness at point guard of Mustafa Shakur and Tywon Lawson will be a thing of beauty, as well. If Arizona is going to knock off the Tar Heels, they will need to do several things. Obviously, they are going to need to play some sort of defense. They were better against UCLA this past weekend, but the Wildcats still struggle immensely on that side of the ball. They are awful in the man-to-man, but have a decent zone that they have used several times in recent games. However, their athleticism and quickness could be key against North Carolina’s up-tempo offense. UNC would rather push the ball in transition, which could play into Arizona’s hands. If the Wildcats don’t have to lock down defensively in the half-court, they have an advantage right away. Offensively, they are going to need to take advantage of their mismatches. Ivan Radenovic is too quick for Tyler Hansbrough, and could take him outside to open up the lane for the other Wildcats. Moreover, if Marcus Williams and Chase Budinger can get Brandan Wright away from the paint defensively, UNC will really struggle to stop dribble penetration. Virginia Tech killed North Carolina with penetration and transition points, which is exactly what Arizona likes to do. Defensively, Radenovic and Williams will need to stop Hansbrough and Wright. Neither is especially adept on that side of the ball, which could mean a long day with the dominating big man of the Tar Heels. Moreover, Shakur can’t allow Lawson to beat him back in transition for easy baskets. For North Carolina to win on the road, they will have to stop Arizona’s outstanding offense. The Tar Heels play better defense than the Wildcats, but that won’t mean too much in a game that is guaranteed to have at least 170 points combined between the two teams. However, once Arizona gets into a half-court setting, North Carolina should be able to get key stops late in the game. Marcus Ginyard, Danny Green, and Reyshawn Terry are athletic wing players who are exactly the type of players needed to slow down Arizona’s outstanding perimeter guys. Moreover, Lawson is quick and a pest on the defensive end, which could disrupt Shakur and the Wildcats offense. Wright’s shot-blocking will be big as well. UNC really locked down in the second half against Clemson and Georgia Tech, and will need to do the same here. Offensively, their main mission will be to get the ball to Hansbrough and Wright. Arizona simply won’t be able to stop them. Hansbrough is way too strong for Radenovic, and could dominate the paint for the Tar Heels. Wright is very long and athletic, which could spell trouble for Williams or Budinger. Moreover, the Tar Heels need to try to wear out Arizona. UNC goes 10-12 deep every night, while each of Arizona’s starters average over 30 minutes per game. If the Wildcats have foul trouble, that will be huge for UNC. In the end, despite North Carolina’s seemingly huge advantage inside and on the bench, Arizona’s home-court advantage and scoring balance will be too much for North Carolina to handle. Plus, the Wildcats absolutely need this win. I have to give the edge to a desperate team at home. Prediction: Arizona 93, North Carolina 89 Prediction Record: 6-2 NCAA Tournament Stock Report Wednesday, January 31st Predictions It's Never Too Early to Look at March Tuesday, January 30th Predictions Monday, January 29th Predictions Power Sweet Sixteen Rankings Game of the Week: #4 North Carolina at #17 Arizona... Thursday, January 25th Predictions Wednesday, January 24th Predictions Who's Got the Right Stuff? Tuesday, January 23rd Predictions Monday, January 22nd Predictions Game of the Week: #11 Arizona at #3 UCLA Texas vs. Oklahoma State--Game of the Year? Who Could Be This Year's George Mason? Friday, January 12th Predictions Top Ten Countdown: Sixth Men Big-League Breakdown Tuesday, January 9th Predictions Monday, January 8th Predictions Game of the Week: #7 Arizona at Washington State Thursday, January 4th Predictions Notes and Observations from January 3rd Games Wednesday, January 3rd Predictions Tuesday, January 2nd Predictions

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745389

__label__wiki

Concise, critical reviews of books, exhibitions, and projects in all areas and periods of art history and visual studies Before 1500 BCE 1500 BCE to 500 BCE 500 BCE to 500 CE Sixth to Tenth Century Eleventh to Fourteenth Century Central and North Asia Oceania/Australia South Asia/South East Asia Southern Europe and Mediterranean Subject, Genre, Media, Artistic Practice African American/African Diaspora Ancient Egyptian/Near Eastern Art Ancient Greek/Roman Art Architectural History/Urbanism/Historic Preservation Art Education/Pedagogy/Art Therapy Artistic Practice/Creativity Asian American/Asian Diaspora Ceramics/Metals/Fiber Arts/Glass Colonial and Modern Latin America Digital Media/New Media/Web-Based Media Digital Scholarship/History Drawings/Prints/Work on Paper/Artistc Practice Fiber Arts and Textiles Film/Video/Animation Folk Art/Vernacular Art Genders/Sexualities/Feminisms Graphic/Industrial/Object Design Installation/Environmental Art Multimedia/Intermedia Museum Practice/Museum Studies/Curatorial Studies/Arts Administration Patronage, Art Collecting Performance Art/Performance Studies/Public Practice Queer/Gay Art Religion/Cosmology/Spirituality Theory/Historiography/Methodology About caa.reviews Editorial Board and Field Editors Submission Guidelines for Reviewers Republication Guidelines Dissertation Submission Guidelines 2011 Centennial Project Exhibition Reviews View CAA Journals Visit the CAA Website Subscribe to CAA Newsletter Giuseppe Pavanello, ed. The Arts of Piranesi: Architect, Etcher, Antiquarian, Vedutista, Designer Exh. cat. Barcelona: Caixaforum, 2013. 304 pp.; 34 color ills.; 177 b/w ills. Paper $34.95 (9788461576371) Exhibition schedule: Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, August 28, 2010–January 9, 2011; Caixa Forum, Madrid, April 24–September 9, 2012, and Barcelona, October 9, 2012–January 20, 2013; San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, March 30–July 7, 2013 CrossRef DOI: 10.3202/caa.reviews.2013.126 Giambattista Piranesi. Prison (Carceri d’invenzione) (ca. 1761). Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice. The advent of digitization has created methods of cultural production that bring new considerations to the relationships between ideas, artifacts, and audiences. Looking at the San Diego Museum of Art’s exhibition Piranesi, Rome, and the Arts of Design, conceived by Michele De Lucchi, one can observe the effects of digitization, as the eighteenth-century designer and fabulist’s work is expressed though twenty-first-century opportunities. The show goes far beyond previously typical methods of curation, creating entirely new incarnations of Piranesi’s work. The result is an exhibition of eighteenth-century work with the resonance of a twenty-first-century cultural spectacle. Its ambitions tread into the territory of sensations produced by a summer blockbuster movie or theme park whose spectacularity comes from the creation of the uncanny through effects (more than through affect) that manifest realms of the imagined into realms of being that have a notional veracity. One of the curatorial risks of this exhibition is that Piranesi’s material becomes a script for a special-effects version of his work. However, the exhibition is undertaking something much more interesting than offering a spectacle to be consumed: it is a provocation to consider the ontology of our emerging cultural moment; the persistence of the rich, slippery, and complex interplay between the imagination and its externalizations; and how this portends the status and meaning of the art object. Questions about the material and the ideal are sempiternal in philosophy and the arts, from Plato to Jean Baudrillard. The curators of this exhibition have found ingenious ways to pull on this thread in order to connect contemporary aspects of this conundrum to Piranesi’s interplay between the mind and the hand. Differing from the material attitude of today’s blockbuster movie producers, who carefully scrub revelatory gestures of the underlying artifice of the phenomenon from the viewer’s eyesight, Piranesi indulges in his material methods and brings us along for the ride. The circuit between optical subject, its imagining, and its rendering through drawing and etching are carried out with qualities of line that mesmerize the viewer. Our gaze is drawn further into the work as we move from the consideration of its larger subject matter (e.g., the romantic state of classical ruins, sans contemporary contextualization), to the details of the scene (the ivy climbing the walls, the brickwork of the aqueduct), and then into the wavering lines of its fabrication. Piranesi shows us that the fantastic loses nothing by celebrating its own artifice, but it gains from viewers’ participatory compliance in completing the myth. The fantasist’s task is to create a realm that has plausibility. In some cases this involves constructing narrative density—complex scenarios of detailed fake facts that can seem like actual history with interrelationships between competing agencies, i.e., Lord of the Rings, World of Warcraft, the Old Testament. Imbuing these fantasy realms with an intricacy that resembles our world casts them in a light of some alternative relevancy to the humdrum of the actual. Piranesi shows another approach: his visual strategies collapse the realms of the fantastic and the real, creating a vibrant tension between them, with the viewer’s gaze becoming an active component of the narrative logic of the work. The lines drawn between the real and the virtual may seem clear from afar, but up close their undulating chiaroscuro is visible. As a fantasist Piranesi belongs with a later group of artists and writers that includes Franz Kafka, Jorge Luis Borges, and René Magritte. His etchings of Roman ruins are stripped of their contemporary context but not of their temporal destiny. Pulling them out of history sets them as stages for projective fantasies of our collective, historical consciousness. Along with his material strategies of viewer engagement, it is a narrative strategy of viewer participation. The tools of representational rigor of his time present an alternative reality for his moment—a slight shift from the actual to a variant fantasy. This sensibility is familiar today as the way in which representations are routinely executed—whether it is the compositing of multiple layers of green-screened actors, guide wire removals, computer graphic characters and synthetic environments to make a seamless alternative reality scene in contemporary cinema, or the routine photographic recompositions that are now the accepted default of any image. We accept that our representations are probably blends of the fantastic and the real—unless we are told otherwise. (And the truthfulness of representations continues to be doubted: Did we land on the moon? Did Obama shoot that shotgun? What really hit the Pentagon on 9/11?) Piranesi finds further metanarrative strategies when the work moves out of the in-world depictions of perspectival space and into the above-world representations of maps and plans. The map is a drawing of a map that places the viewer in the subject space of the drawing. These drawings of drawings prefigure the nineteenth-century philosopher Josiah Royce’s parable of ontological conundrums: Let us undertake to define a map that shall be in this sense perfect but that shall be drawn subject to one special condition . . . to draw it within and upon a part of the surface of the very region that is to be mapped. . . . To fix our ideas let us suppose . . . a portion of the surface of England is very perfectly levelled [sic] and smoothed and is then devoted to the production of our precise map of England. . . . But now suppose that this, our resemblance is to be made absolutely exact in the sense previously defined. A map of England contained within England is to represent down to the minutest detail every contour and marking natural or artificial that occurs upon the surface of England. At once our imaginary case involves a new problem. This is now no longer the general problem of map making but the nature of the internal meaning of our new purpose. . . . For the map in order to be complete according to the rule given will have to contain as a part of itself a representation of its own contour and contents. In order that this representation should be constructed the representation itself will have to contain once more as a part of itself a representation of its own contour and contents and this representation in order to be exact will have once more to contain an image of itself and so on without limit. (Josiah Royce, The World and the Individual, New York: Macmillan Company, 1901, 504–5) Using examples of these “metanarrative” works as bookends to the exhibition, the curators are destabilizing normative relationships to viewership in an effort to fully ready viewers for a deeper immersion into the exhibition’s central experience: Piranesi’s Carceri (Prisons), and a computer-animated, virtual-world video created from them. The ambitious project of these etchings (which we would now characterize as Kafkaesque) leaves the viewer to question their integral completeness. Perspectival rigor and connections between panels give evidence of an overall logic applied to a highly complex, but possibly coherent, web of a world. It is another of the lures that bring viewers into the work, giving the gaze more operational requirements than one might typically have with a picture that lacks this sort of teasing logic. The exhibition’s curators have taken an extraordinary turn with this series, by manifesting its suggestive geometries as a cohesive whole, presented to the twenty-first-century audience as a cinematic realm. The spatial logic of the etchings is followed as a looping labyrinth—every suggested path isn’t necessarily taken, or resolved, but the spatial logic is shown to have robustness as a scheme, engaging the viewer’s way-finding cognition through a subjective, first-person, immersion. It can initially be seen as a spatial scheme of cinematic extent—facades of sets, enough of which are constructed to articulate the narrative realm. Here, the set is the subject itself, not an environment in which actors carry out a narrative drama, and its artifice is its most salient characteristic. The forms themselves are resolutely planar. It is an origami space made by folding the etchings into a paper warren. The geometry of surfaces is extracted from the perspectival clues of the etchings, but this representation does not enact the etchings as a kind of plan; rather, the geometry is an incantation that releases the latent life embedded within the images. The etchings themselves become the material of their own plan. It is a process that seemingly could have occurred only via a digital transformation, but rather than this distancing us from the objects’ original materiality, it creates a new relationship to it that is almost forensic. We gain a better relationship to not just the suggested spaces, structures, and contents of the prison, but also to the act of their creation, to the gestures of mediation that Piranesi undertook in their making. A cinematic comparison is a bit inadequate, though; the visual language is really more of the postcinematic game space. The experience is a complex navigation through spatial levels, evoking the trope that is as emblematic of game structure as the three acts are to narrative drama. In games, navigation is the means of operationalizing the gaze of the viewer with the temporal responsibility of taking the art form from A to B. Maze tropes have been a part of video games from its earliest Pac-Man days (1980) and the first-person traversals through the pixelated tunnel walls of Doom (1993). The magnified lines on Piranesi’s walls in this game-like simulation recall the materiality of those early texture map distortions (the common technique in video games and virtual worlds where an image is placed on the surface of a 3D model), distinguished from the current push for game environments to become indistinguishable from the visual aesthetics of movies made with similar components that are combined in slightly different ratios. In this way, the simulation of Piranesi’s Carceri reads as a more familiar game space than many new games currently read. Interactivity is not required for a Piranesi prison etching to be thought of as a game space; its use of a game operator’s way of seeing continues the visuality that has always been present in Piranesi’s work, now cast in the current-day media condition. A Piranesi of today would be a game-level designer creating geometries as uncanny as those of Portal (2007), whose figures of gothic lives serve as non-player characters. The creation of the animated Carceri could be thought of as the collaborative completion of Piranesi’s project, though Piranesi could not have foreseen the possibilities of digital image projection. The joy and tension of this modern gesture is its restaging of the ongoing questions about the veracity of representations, sharing the centuries-old anxiety about the nature of reality, descriptions of reality, and the complicated relationship between the two. With the invention of every new form of mediation, we seek to understand the relationship between the sign and the signified—or to have an actual reality that assures us of our own existence: if the fictional and the real collapse into each other, how can we be sure that we are not fictional? These stakes are resonant with the fantasy constructions of movies, which have also used the developments of contemporary media as complicators of our reality schema, in films such as eXistenZ (1999), Videodrome (1983), The Matrix (1999), and Synecdoche, New York (2008) (among others). The transformation of the Carceri etchings into the animated virtual world first requires them to become digitized. Until recently, digitization often implied an inevitable loss of some aspects of the original. But today’s multi-megabyte sensors, gigabyte images, and terabyte files provide a fidelity to the original that far exceeds our senses’ discernment, leaving just a trace of lament from a few vinyl record audiophiles and chemical photography aficionados. The vast majority of media production from the most demanding studios of audio and motion pictures is digital, and once in the domain of data, the demiurgic nature of its inherent mutability presents tremendous creative opportunities. As data, digital productions can be reused in endless ways by simply feeding them into a new algorithm. As we see with the Carceri, the data can be mined for patterns to construct a spatial geometry, and the surfaces of that geometry can be decorated with the perspectivally transformed texture maps of itself, an iterative scheme of fractal representation as Royce described in the quotation above. The exhibition demonstrates other ways that Piranesi’s work can be rearticulated as data phenomena. Objects that Piranesi described through detailed plans and drawings have been brought into existence for the first time though various computer-controlled fabrication processes. The baroque designs of chimneys, tripods, altars, and amphora already seem to be the stuff of computer game fantasies, but rather than simply creating another graphical representation of these imagined artifacts, the organizers of the show have taken this a step further and used the latest methods of data translation to execute their code into material form. Computer-controlled fabrication processes such as rapid prototyping (additive manufacturing where elements are built with three-dimensional pixels) and CNC fabrication (a subtractive process where computer-described models are carved out of chunks of raw material) can be thought of as both a new means of material creation as well as a new method of representation. They provide to object space a flexibility that image space has been developing for the last thirty years as its methods have become increasingly digitized. The expansion of Piranesi’s imagined world into our own takes us closer to the Baudrillardian simulacrum, collapsing the real and imagined. But how “new” is this situation? With this exhibition bridging centuries, it is clear that these contemporary digital methods are just another turn in the interplay between the real and the imagined—the territory that is negotiated in our religions, our dreams, our memories, our histories, and our expectations for the future. Unlike the transformation of etchings into a virtual space, which emphasizes the hand of Piranesi through the exaggerated blow up of his lines, these objects come out of the computer-mediated processes in a near ideal form—without artifacts of tool, material, or author. They lack the history of the ruin, and are evidence of the timelessness of the data state that the work has now become. This contemporary restaging of the work is a channeling of Piranesi’s ambitions, and one can imagine his astonishment at the results, and wonder to what ends he might put these new methods of spatial and temporal conjuring. While an architectural plan is an abstraction of a building yet to be created, and the map operates in the other direction, abstracting the world that exists, the objectification of a fantasy to a new realm of experience creates an uncanny charge to the subject. These fantasy objects are amazing, but no more so than the Asian artifacts down the museum hall or other select Baroque artworks. But the transcendence from original media after three hundred years creates an aura of delight and a celebration of the present collapsed into the past. The new creations mimic Piranesi’s own attitudes of historical fantasy—the computer-fabricated objects have a new historical context that is a merging of past, present, and future. They are imbued with a perpetual possibility of reimagination now that they have entered the circuit as data, for they no longer belong to any fixed material condition. The connection between Piranesi’s work across different media and those of our own time reiterates the satisfaction of “word-building”—the development of scenarios for narrative forms—in which the systems, rules, methods, outcomes, and sites of engagement are holistically bound together. They have lessened their dependency on the external real, taken from it all they require to launch their own worldlet, whose frisson comes from the interface between that world and our own, and our own movements between the two. This is an aspect of the ongoing project of art at large, whether it is found in cathedrals, perspective paintings, novels, photography, the movies, video games, virtual worlds, or rapid-prototyped objects: all are means of manifesting the imagined into the actual, slowly reformatting the real as a product of the imagination. Beyond the presentation of Piranesi’s work, this exhibition is also an invitation to consider our emerging cultural condition and the persistence of complex relationships between the ideal and its materialization. As Piranesi romanticized ruins of Rome, a new romantic view of his moment is created via the perpetual currency of data. With his work accessible as data it will be possible to remake it into new contexts and with the materials available at any present moment. Today it is an HD video of a virtual world, a stereo-lithographed altar, and a laser-cut architectural model. Tomorrow it will be assembled by self-organizing nanorobotic grains of synthetic marble. Its operation as fantasy is perpetual. That is where the true work is, and it can be replayed as a score through whatever new instruments happen to be at hand. Professor, Department of Visual Arts, University of California, San Diego Please send comments about this review to editor.caareviews@collegeart.org. Copyright © 2020 College Art Association. Reviews and essays are licensed to the public under a under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. By accessing and/or using caa.reviews, you accept and agree to abide by the Terms & Conditions.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745391

__label__wiki

Not So Hopeless Endangered animals. The media represents this topic with a wave of negativity rendering people to feel powerless. However, around the world the tides are starting to change as people are working to help our endangered animals. From individuals to large organizations, people are saving animals from near extinction and increasing their populations. In the United States the Endangered Species Act placed in 1973 has been 99% successful at preventing extinction. In Asia engrained traditions that have existed for thousands of years are starting to change as animal protection laws are being put in place and new awareness efforts are starting to shift mentalities. Even in developing and unstable countries in Africa and South America, small communities and individuals are having astounding success in increasing the populations of endangered animals. For my series ‘’Not So Hopeless’’ I’ve been collecting these stories and representing each in a painting. Every painting is an iconic representation of the country and story - and together they will give a visual impact of the positive change happening around the world to save our animals. At this pinnacle moment in history where animals are becoming extinct at high rates because of humans, it is vital that we know these success stories to realize that our actions can make a difference. #notsohopeless @emilyreadart Amur Tiger, Russia амурский тигр (amurskiy tigr), watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 In the 1940s, there were only 40 Amur tigers left due to poaching. Russia became the first country to put full protection on the tiger. Their population raised to 500 by the 1980s and has been stable since, even in spite of increased poaching(1).This is thanks to work done by the WWF, WSC, along with many others. "The vast tracts of tiger forests in the Amur-Heilong landscape are unique....which provide an important habitat for the Amur tiger and its prey—as well as important economic resources for local communities" (2). Conservations efforts are still in need as illegal deforestation and poaching are still threatening the Amur Tiger. ​Learn more: (1)(2)WWF Report, All About Wildlife: Siberian Tiger Saved from Extinction Organisations: WCS Russia, WWF Sea Turtle, Greece θαλάσσια χελώνα (Sea Turtle), watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 "Even as doom and gloom stories flood the news, conservation efforts are turning the tide for threatened sea turtles. New research suggests that all seven sea turtle species are experiencing population growth worldwide, demonstrating the ecological value of long-term conservation policy and action." (1) Julia John “What people have been doing all these years on sea turtles seems to have had a positive impact on their populations,” said Antonios Mazaris, first author on the study published in Science Advances. “We should continue to work to safeguard endangered wildlife.” (2) Countries like Greece are high risk areas for sea turtles due to the increase of tourism, The Sea Turtle Protection Society in Greece protects over 2,500 nests every year.(3) The most important nesting areas have been protected by Greek law since 1999 and by the WWF. (4) Learn more; (1)(2)The WildLife Society, Sea Turtle Populations Rise Globally, Julia John, Science Advances, (3) Archelon (4) WWF, Sea Turtle Organisations: WWF, Archelon Short-Tailed Albatross, Japan アホウド, watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2019 ​In 1954, roughly six breeding pairs were present on Torishima. Given that there are now 609 breeding pairs on Torishima(1), the species has undergone an enormous increase since its rediscovery and the onset of conservation efforts."(2) (1) H. Hasegawa in litt. 2014 (2) IUCN, Short-tailed Albatross Report Hirola, Kenya Hirola, watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 A small community in Northern Kenya has brought back the world's most endangered antelope from extinction. SOS Grantee Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) has reported that their population has tripled in just three and a half years in the Ishaqbini Hirola Sanctuary. "Ishaqbini is part of a network of 33 community conservancies in northern Kenya, operating under the umbrella of the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT). Together they are managing over 44,000 km² of land, stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Great Rift Valley. Not only are they conserving wildlife, but they are securing peace and building resilient livelihoods for rural communities on the back of it."(1) (1) IUCN: World's Rarest Antelope Flourishes Under Community Conservation Organisations: Ishaqbini-Hirola Community Conservancy Lynx, Portugal Lince, watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 After decades of decline, the Iberian Lynx population recently tripled allowing the IUCN to raise their status from critically endangered to endangered. After extensive work in Portugal and Spain, the number of reproductive females increased from just 27 to 97 between 2002 and 2012. The whole population of mature individuals has now reached 156. (1) “This is fantastic news for the Iberian Lynx, and excellent proof that conservation action really works,” says Urs Breitenmoser, Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Cat Specialist Group. “However, the job is far from finished and we must continue our conservation efforts to secure future range expansion and population growth of the species.” (2) ​Learn more: (1) Portugal News: Siberian Lynx Saved from Extinction, (2) IUCN: Conservations Successes Overshadowed, The Guardian: How Spain Saved the Lynx, NY Times: Saving a Fussy Predator in Europe, With Help from 50,000 Rabbits ​Organisations: EuroNatur, WWF Oregon Chub, USA Oregon Chub, watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 After bouncing back from near extinction the Oregon Chub was completely delisted from the Endangered Species list in 2015 - "making it the first fish to ever be delisted dur to recovery" "Today, after 22 years of recovery work, there are an estimated 140,000 chub in 80 populations along the Willamette River and its tributaries." (1) “This is an excellent example of how the ESA (Endangered Species Act) is intended to function,” Hannan added, “partners working together to recover endangered species and the ecosystems upon which they, and we, depend.” (2) Richard Hannan, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wild Life Office Learn more: (1) (2) Gazette Times: Oregon Chub Swims off the Endangered Species List BENNETT HALL Corvallis Gazette-Times Feb 17, 2015, Organisations: Oregon Chub Conservation Markhor, Pakistan مارکور (Markhor), watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2018 In Pakistan, markhor numbers fell by about 70 percent in the 20th century. In Tajikistan, once home to an abundance of the species, fewer than 350 were counted in the mid-1990s. (1) Pakistan took action to protect the animal from poachers and educated the public. Soon Tajikistan followed and took action as well. These actions were extremely effective resulting in the IUCN downgrading the markhor’s listing from “endangered” to “near threatened” in 2015. (2) "Markhor populations have increased to over 1,000 in Tajikistan, according to a 2013 study. Some parts of Pakistan have had a population increase of more than 50 percent since 1999."(1) (1) Huffington Post "Humans Almost Drove These 6 Animals To Extinction. But We Saved Them Instead" - Dominique Mosbergen (2)IUCN Report Red Kangaroo, Australia Red Kangaroo, watercolour on paper, 52x70cm, 2019 "Red kangaroos, the biggest marsupials in the world, live only in Australia. They were originally considered endangered due to "commercial importation of kangaroos, their parts and products," according to the Federal Register species account. Less than 10 years after being included on the Endangered Species list, these bouncers were put up for delisting, but then new data revealed that a severe drought had prevented populations from recovering. Just about a decade after that, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service deemed red kangaroo populations stable, removing these animals from the ESA." (1) (1) Back from the Brink: 13 Animals Saved from Extinction, Michele Berger, Oct 31, 2014, weather.com

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745392

__label__cc

Multi-Hyphen CTRL, ALT, DELETE Podcast: Episode 25 with Laurie Penny Laurie Penny is a journalist, feminist and author of five books including Unspeakable Things (Bloomsbury 2014), Cybersexism (Bloomsbury 2013) and Meat Market (Zer0 2011). She is a contributing Editor at New Statesman and writes and speaks on social justice, pop culture, gender issues and digital politics for The Guardian, The New York Times, Vice, Salon, The Nation, The New Inquiry and many more. She is also on the judging panel for the 2016 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction. We talk about reading, freelancing, the glamourization of writing and our public and private selves. Subscribe on iTunes now! HIT “PLAY” BELOW TO LISTEN. Iris Kirkland says: This is a really good interview. I enjoyed learning from someone who seems so into her career as a writer. The world of work is changing - so how do you keep up? You have the ability to make money on our own terms, when and where you want - but where do you start? If you've been itching to convert your craft into a career, or your side-hustle into a start up, then The Multi-Hyphen Method is for you. All rights reserved. © 2020 Emma Gannon. Designed by smukkeberg.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745393

__label__cc

A little levity about arrogance by Clifford A. Schaffer There are a certain number of people in the world who believe, for whatever reason, that they have the one true answer to some major problem of their time. For a few of them, the belief is strong enough that they charge off like Don Quixote, arrogantly determined to make the whole rest of the world conform to their view of reality. For a tiny, rare percentage of them it is an actual historical truth that they have the one true answer to a major problem. By far the majority, however, are just plain, garden-variety nuts destined to go to their deathbed thinking they almost had it. If you happen to be a person so afflicted, how can you tell whether you really are one of these unique people in history, or just a plain, old nut? Consider, for example, the true story of Emperor Joshua Norton. Joshua Norton was a businessman in San Francisco in the 1800's. In the 1840's, just before the Gold Rush, he tried to corner the market on rice and failed. He went from being very wealthy to being destitute overnight and the experience completely shattered his reason. A couple of months after this event, he put on a formal admiral's uniform, complete with gold braid and epaulets and strode in to the office of the newspaper. He handed the editor a large, official looking proclamation which stated in quite formal language that, due to popular demand, he hereby declared himself Emperor Norton I of San Francisco, California, and Mexico. He bade all his subjects show him loyalty and the other courtesies due a person of such eminent stature. From the pictures of Emperor Norton, it is immediately apparent that this guy has gone around the bend and ain't coming back. His eyes pointed in different directions, and neither one quite caught straight ahead. His uniform was formal to the point of almost gaudy and, at the same time, it was quite apparent that he and soap were not of regular acquaintance. The editor, with a rich sense of humor, decided to publish the proclamation on the front page of the newspaper, in all seriousness. The citizens of San Francisco, being what they are, immediately decided that this sounded like a good idea and, by unanimous acclamation, accepted Norton as their Emperor. It is undoubtedly the only time in history they ever had an unanimous vote on anything. He reigned for about forty years. During that time he ate in all of the finest restaurants and slept in the finest hotels for free -- because he was the Emperor. He had three seats permanently reserved in the front row of the San Francisco opera house -- one for him, and one each for his two dogs. Twice a year he would review the police and fire departments as they paraded by, and then he would make a grand speech to the assembled crowds. He printed his own money, which was accepted in business establishments around San Francisco as legal tender. When bicycles first came out, they got him a bicycle, too, and he looked all the more daft because of it. When one of his dogs died, 10,000 people turned out for the funeral to console their grief-stricken emperor. When the Civil War rolled around, he graciously offered his alliance and military support to Abraham Lincoln, who politely declined. Make no mistake about it, the Emperor Norton was as good a loony as you have ever run across and I can't help feeling that a man who was that intelligent must have had some idea of just how completely nuts he really was. Now here's the problem. During his reign as Emperor, Norton came up with three major ideas: 1) He called upon the other leaders of the world to join him in forming a League of Nations where disputes between nations could be resolved peacefully. 2) He suggested that parts of San Francisco Bay be filled in to make more room to build. 3) He proposed that a suspension-span bridge be built across the spot where the Golden Gate stands now. He even laid out a complete design that looks remarkably close to the bridge that was built sixty years after he died. He correctly predicted that only a suspension span bridge would have the strength to span such a large stretch, and the flexibility to stand up under the extreme stress which would be placed on such a structure. He did this at a time when the only suspension bridges ever built were rope bridges in remote parts of Africa. Of course, when he proposed these ideas, the response was long and uproarious laughter -- the Emperor was up to his old tricks again. In time, all of his ideas became reality. At the time, no one believed him. It has occurred to me that Jesus must have had the same problem. Think of what must have happened when he showed up for his high school reunion. "Hey fellas," He says. "You'll never believe what happened. It turns out I really AM the Messiah." "Yeah, right," his school chums say. "If you're the Messiah, where's your Porsche?" That's probably why he spent all his time doing miracles like turning water into wine -- nobody took him seriously until he showed up with the booze. So put yourself in Emperor Norton's position and consider what you might do. Suppose you are strolling down the street one day, perhaps toking your favorite blend, and a big bolt of lightning comes out of the sky and blasts you right out of your shoes. When you come to, you are thoroughly convinced that you have the one true insight which, unique among men, has given you the answer to one or more of society's most troubling problems. What are you to do? If you keep quiet about it, the world could be missing one of the best emperors ever to come along. Everyone loses, including you. If you act on it, tell everyone about it, and attempt to install yourself as emperor then you could do some real good for both you and posterity. Certainly, if you can really save the world then it seems almost a moral obligation to try. Of course, if you try, you have to face the fact that, statistically speaking, it is far more likely that you are a nut than an emperor, and far more likely that you will be laughed at than taken seriously. There have been lots and lots of nuts, and only a handful of emperors. So what should you do? I think the only thing you can do is act on the belief, keep an enormous sense of humor, and be content with the fact that you might wind up in the encyclopedia next to Emperor Norton. But that's just my take on the situation. Cliff Schaffer's Home Page

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745394

__label__wiki

An Interview with Max Rothschild Nov 2, 2016 by cmrra Max Rothschild While seemingly tucked away quietly behind the scenes, CMRRA’s legal and business affairs counsel, Max Rothschild is very much on the front lines of landmark copyright developments in Canada. Navigating the grey areas between technology and rights holders, his day-to-day work affords a unique window into the future of the Canadian music industry. It’s an enviable position for many. A Toronto native, Rothschild plays an increasingly important role in CMRRA’s legal department, and supports the ongoing efforts of CMRRA’s Vice President of Legal and Business Affairs, Veronica Syrtash. Rothschild’s journey began as an undergraduate Arts student at Montreal’s McGill University in 2009. He then went on to complete a Juris Doctor degree at the Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law in Halifax. After finishing law school, Rothschild returned to Toronto to article with Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP, a law firm boasting one of the largest business law practices in Canada. “Part of what drew me to Cassels Brock was that I’d always been interested in media, arts, technology, and culture generally,” he said. “I wanted to return to Toronto and it was a good fit with where I wanted to take my career.” During his time at Cassels Brock, Rothschild worked with Intellectual Property lawyer, Casey Chisick, on commercial radio and online music tariff filings, which served as his introduction to CMRRA. After being called to the Ontario Bar in the summer of 2014, Rothschild joined CMRRA to work with Veronica Syrtash, recognized industry-wide for landing unprecedented licensing deals with Apple, Google, Spotify, and more recently, YouTube. “As a member of CMRRA’s executive team, Veronica handles both legal matters as well as external partnerships,” Rothschild explained. “I handle the day-to-day licensing negotiations as well as enforcement files, internal policies, and tariffs.” Rothschild’s experience with tariff filings and hearings made him an attractive recruit for CMRRA. “One of the first things I was brought on to do was to work on our tariff development,” he said. “At the time, we were launching our new audio-visual line of business which meant drafting tariffs from scratch.” In addition to tariffs, he spends the bulk of his time working with online service providers to ensure they are fully licensed and compliant in Canada. “A lot of what we do is reach out or respond to online services to explain who we are and the rights we administer on behalf of our music publisher clients,” he said. “Veronica and our external counsel have worked for years to secure some of the best royalty rates in the world in tariff proceedings before the Copyright Board of Canada, and we use those rates as the basis for our negotiations.” Most recently, CMRRA (through CMRRA-SODRAC Inc.) inked a milestone agreement with SoundCloud, one of the world’s largest music and audio platforms, in advance of the Canadian launch of SoundCloud Go in mid-October. “We were pleased to finalize that agreement, as SoundCloud is a major platform for consumers worldwide and in Canada,” he said. “We worked closely with them to license content from music publishers as they prepared to monetize and offer a brand new subscription service.” It follows a landmark deal with YouTube earlier this spring, a major agreement for reproduction rights in Canada. Veronica Syrtash “Veronica did a fantastic job securing a deal for Canada that has a significant impact in the audio-visual market,” noted Rothschild. In fact, CMRRA and CSI have negotiated agreements with all of the major online services operating in Canada, or have applied the CSI Online Music Services Tariff, largely due to the work of Syrtash and Rothschild. “Generally speaking, we either have an agreement in place or are in negotiations with all the online services in Canada,” he said. “It’s been really exciting to see the Canadian music market expand so rapidly over the past few years.” Yet with each new online service comes unique challenges. “Every time a new service comes to us we have to evaluate what it is and how it does or does not fit within our licensing practices,” Rothschild explains. “We constantly have to look at things with fresh eyes. In scenarios where a service does not fit squarely within the four corners of our tariff regime, for example, we are happy to have the flexibility to negotiate a private agreement to find something that makes sense for both us and them.” This is particularly true with licensing webcasting services, as the Copyright Board of Canada has not yet certified a royalty rate for that use of music for CMRRA (via CSI). The most recent CSI Online Music Services Tariff was certified in 2012, and CSI has continued to file new tariffs each year that include proposed rates for webcasters. “When we speak to webcasting services we begin with the rates that we have filed before the Board,” explains Rothschild. “It’s a process of finding a middle ground between ensuring that music publishers are compensated without having final royalty rates certified, and trying to provide businesses with a degree of certainty as to their licensing costs. Rothschild’s daily interactions with technology companies helps him stay abreast of industry trends. “One of the types of things we’re starting to see are online streaming services experimenting with the standard $9.99 per month business model,” he noted. “For example, the introduction of limited tiers where users can access a prescribed number of songs or playlists, and more options available to users above $9.99.” The amount of effort required to ensure the right people are paid for the use of their content is daunting. “There’s a huge amount of work that comes with managing large volumes of data, and ensuring it’s managed the same way on the legal and operational sides of the business,” he said. Rothschild is quick to point to the important role CMRRA’s Licensing and Royalty Distribution System (LDS) platform plays in accurately tracking and managing data. “Information technology is a constant iterative process and we’re always getting better and better at dealing with that,” he explained. “We have a very robust system in place now thanks to the great work of our operational team and our award-winning IT partner, Spanish Point.” When asked about career highlights, Rothschild talks to his experience at the Supreme Court of Canada during the CBC v SODRAC proceedings in 2015. “In my first year of call, Veronica and I went to the Supreme Court to see our external counsel advocate on behalf of rights holders for the value of the reproduction right,” he said. “That was very cool to see, and we were pleased to have the Supreme Court agree with the case made by our lawyers.” Looking ahead, CMRRA’s legal team plans to expand further into the audio-visual marketplace and continue licensing online music services operating in Canada. “We want to make sure consumers and businesses have as many options as possible to access and deliver content, while ensuring content owners are being effectively compensated at all times,” he said. Rothschild is encouraged by the shift in awareness about the types of rights CMRRA administers and how they are applied. “Today, online services are as interested in growing their revenues as they are in making sure they are securing licences and paying rights holders, so they’re very eager to come to the table,” he said. “We work with them to ensure they can do so, and we try to be transparent so that the services know exactly what has been licensed to them, down to the exact share.” To learn more about CMRRA’s recent deal with SoundCloud, see the press release or visit SoundCloud’s website. Interview & writing by: Isabelle Speerin

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745395

__label__wiki

Census • Person • Alexander Hamilton Bio Links Gallery Timeline Notes Mentions Quotes Contemporaries 1755/57, Jan 11 1770s-1804 1804, Jul 12 an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the nation's financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and The New York Post newspaper. As the first Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of the George Washington administration. He took the lead in the funding of the states' debts by the Federal government, as well as the establishment of a national bank, a system of tariffs, and friendly trade relations with Britain. His vision included a strong central government led by a vigorous executive branch, a strong commercial economy, with a national bank and support for manufacturing, plus a strong military. American History from Revolution to Reconstruction Biographical Directory of the US Congress Biography.com The Famous People Historic Valley Forge Varsity Tutors WikiTree Your Dictionary 03/14/1776 - Alexander Hamilton is named captain of artillery company History.com: Alexander Hamilton is named captain of artillery company 10/27/1787 - The "Federalist Papers" begins publication,the first in a series of 85 essays (published serially, until May 28, 1788) by "Publius," the pen name of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, appears in the New York Independent Journal , calls for ratification of Constitution University of Groningen: American History: The war of words: the Federalist Papers Constitution Facts: The Federalist Papers Wikipedia: The Federalist Papers: Publication 06/13/1789 - Mrs. Alexander Hamilton serves ice cream for dessert to George Washington 09/11/1789 - Alexander Hamilton appointed first Secretary of Treasury Wikipedia: Alexander Hamilton 07/11/1804 - Alexander Hamilton is killed in a duel by Aaron Burr in Weehawken, NJ History.com: Burr slays Hamilton in duel 10 essential facts about Alexander Hamilton: Constitution Daily American politics at its most uncivil — in 1804: Burr slays Hamilton in duel: Duel At Dawn, 1804: EyeWitness to History How Alexander Hamilton’s friends grieved: Interview at Weehauken: Fenimore Art Museum What Eliza Hamilton Left Behind: Mentions (4) ...organized the Democratic-Republican Party in opposition to Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Party. He was elected the second... Robert Morris Jr. ...Confederation, and the United States Constitution. Along with Alexander Hamilton and Albert Gallatin, he is widely regarded... Gilbert du Motier ...Revolutionary War. A close friend of George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson, Lafayette was a key figure... Henry Sargent ...national army then being raised under the command of Alexander Hamilton. This service was brief, but it gave Sargent a... Quotes (100) • View in Quotations A feeble executive implies a feeble execution of the government. A feeble execution is but another phrase for a bad execution; and a government ill executed, whatever may be its theory, must be, in practice, a bad government. A fondness for power is implanted, in most men, and it is natural to abuse it, when acquired. A government ought to contain in itself every power requisite to the full accomplishment of the objects committed to its care, and to the complete execution of the trusts for which it is responsible, free from every other control but a regard to the public good and to the sense of the people. And it proves, in the last place, that liberty can have nothing to fear from the judiciary alone, but would have everything to fear from its union with either of the other departments. As on the one hand, the necessity for borrowing in particular emergencies cannot be doubted, so on the other, it is equally evident that to be able to borrow upon good terms, it is essential that the credit of a nation should be well established. As riches increase and accumulate in few hands, as luxury prevails in society, virtue will be in a greater degree considered as only a graceful appendage of wealth, and the tendency of things will be to depart from the republican standard. This is the real disposition of human nature; it is what neither the honorable member nor myself can correct. It is a common misfortunate that awaits our State constitution, as well as all others. As to Taxes, they are evidently inseparable from Government. It is impossible without them to pay the debts of the nation, to protect it from foreign danger, or to secure individuals from lawless violence and rapine. But as the plan of the convention aims only at a partial union or consolidation, the State governments would clearly retain all the rights of sovereignty which they before had, and which were not, by that act, EXCLUSIVELY delegated to the United States. Constitutions of civil government are not to be framed upon a calculation of existing exigencies, but upon a combination of these with the probable exigencies of ages, according to the natural and tried course of human affairs. Nothing, therefore, can be more fallacious than to infer the extent of any power, proper to be lodged in the national government, from an estimate of its immediate necessities. Energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high-handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy. Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred. Foreign influence is truly the Grecian horse to a republic. We cannot be too careful to exclude its influence. Good constitutions are formed upon a comparison of the liberty of the individual with the strength of government: If the tone of either be too high, the other will be weakened too much. It is the happiest possible mode of conciliating these objects, to institute one branch peculiarly endowed with sensibility, another with knowledge and firmness. Through the opposition and mutual control of these bodies, the government will reach, in its regular operations, the perfect balance between liberty and power. Government implies the power of making laws. It is essential to the idea of a law, that it be attended with a sanction; or, in other words, a penalty or punishment for disobedience. Here sir, the people govern. However weak our country may be, I hope we shall never sacrifice our liberties. . I am persuaded that a firm union is as necessary to perpetuate our liberties as it is to make us respectable; and experience will probably prove that the National Government will be as natural a guardian of our freedom as the State Legislatures. I go further, and affirm that bills of rights, in the sense and to the extent in which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in the proposed Constitution, but would even be dangerous. They would contain various exceptions to powers not granted; and on this very account, would afford a colorable pretext to claim more than were granted. For why declare that things shall not be done which there is no power to do? I never expect to see a perfect work from imperfect man. I trust that the proposed Constitution afford a genuine specimen of representative government and republican government; and that it will answer, in an eminent degree, all the beneficial purposes of society. I will venture to assert that no combination of designing men under heaven will be capable of making a government unpopular which is in its principles a wise and good one, and vigorous in its operations. If a well-regulated militia be the most natural defense of a free country, it ought certainly to be under the regulation and at the disposal of that body which is constituted the guardian of the national security. If standing armies are dangerous to liberty, an efficacious power over the militia in the same body ought, as far as possible, to take away the inducement and the pretext to such unfriendly institutions. If the federal government can command the aid of the militia in those emergencies which call for the military arm in support of the civil magistrate, it can the better dispense with the employment of a different kind of force. If it cannot avail itself of the former, it will be obliged to recur to the latter. To render an army unnecessary will be a more certain method of preventing its existence than a thousand prohibitions upon paper. If duties are too high, they lessen the consumption; the collection is eluded; and the product to the treasury is not so great as when they are confined within proper and moderate bounds. This forms a complete barrier against any material oppression of the citizens by taxes of this class, and is itself a natural limitation of the power of imposing them. If it be asked, What is the most sacred duty and the greatest source of our security in a Republic? The answer would be, An inviolable respect for the Constitution and Laws -- the first growing out of the last.... A sacred respect for the constitutional law is the vital principle, the sustaining energy of a free government. If mankind were to resolve to agree in no institution of government, until every part of it had been adjusted to the most exact standard of perfection, society would soon become a general scene of anarchy, and the world a desert. If the federal government should overpass the just bounds of its authority and make a tyrannical use of its powers, the people, whose creature it is, must appeal to the standard they have formed, and take such measures to redress the injury done to the Constitution as the exigency may suggest and prudence justify. In all very numerous assemblies, of whatever character composed, passion never fails to wrest the sceptre from reason. ... Had every Athenian citizen been a Socrates, every Athenian assembly would still have been a mob. In disquisitions of every kind there are certain primary truths, or first principles, upon which all subsequent reasoning must depend. In politics, as in religion, it is equally absurd to aim at making proselytes by fire and sword. Heresies in either can rarely be cured by persecution. In the first place, there is not a syllable in the plan under consideration which directly empowers the national courts to construe the laws according to the spirit of the Constitution, or which gives them any greater latitude in this respect than may be claimed by the courts of every State. Industry is increased, commodities are multiplied, agriculture and manufacturers flourish: and herein consists the true wealth and prosperity of a state. It is a just observation that the people commonly intend the Public Good. This often applies to their very errors. But their good sense would despise the adulator who should pretend they always reason right about the means of promoting it. It is a singular advantage of taxes on articles of consumption that they contain in their own nature a security against excess. They prescribe their own limit, which cannot be exceeded without defeating the end purposed -- that is, an extension of the revenue. It is an unquestionable truth, that the body of the people in every country desire sincerely its prosperity. But it is equally unquestionable that they do not possess the discernment and stability necessary for systematic government. To deny that they are frequently led into the grossest of errors, by misinformation and passion, would be a flattery which their own good sense must despise. It is evident from the state of the country, from the habits of the people, from the experience we have had on the point itself, that it is impracticable to raise any very considerable sums by direct taxation. It is one thing to be subordinate to the laws, and another [for the Executive] to be dependent on the legislative body. The first comports with, the last violates, the fundamental principles of good government; and, whatever may be the forms of the Constitution, unites all power in the same hands. It seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force. If there be any truth in the remark, the crisis at which we are arrived may with propriety be regarded as the era in which that decision is to be made; and a wrong election of the part we shall act may, in this view, deserve to be considered as the general misfortune of mankind. It was remarked yesterday that a numerous representation was necessary to obtain the confidence of the people. This is not generally true. The confidence of the people will easily be gained by a good administration. This is the true touchstone. It will be of little avail to the people, that the laws are made by men of their own choice, if the laws be so voluminous that they cannot be read, or so incoherent that they cannot be understood; if they be repealed or revised before they are promulgated, or undergo such incessant changes that no man, who knows what the law is to-day, can guess what it will be to-morrow. It will not be too strong to say, that there will be a constant probability of seeing the station [of President] filled by characters pre-eminent for ability and virtue. Law is defined to be a rule of action; but how can that be a rule, which is little known, and less fixed? Let the thirteen States, bound together in a strict and indissoluble Union, concur in erecting one great American system, superior to the control of all transatlantic force or influence, and able to dictate the terms of the connection between the old and the new world! Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others. Measures which serve to abridge the free competition of foreign Articles, have a tendency to occasion an enhancement of prices. No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected without being truly respectable; nor be truly respectable, without possessing a certain portion of order and stability. No man in his senses can hesitate in choosing to be free, rather than a slave. Of all the cares or concerns of government, the direction of war most peculiarly demands those qualities which distinguish the exercise of power by a single hand. The direction of war implies the direction of the common strength; and the power of directing and employing the common strength, forms a usual and essential part in the definition of the executive authority. Of those men who have overturned the liberties of republics, the greatest number have begun their career by paying an obsequious court to the people, commencing demagogues and ending tyrants Responsibility, in order to be reasonable, must be limited to objects within the power of the responsible party, and in order to be effectual, must relate to operations of that power, of which a ready and proper judgment can be formed by the constituents. States, like individuals, who observe their engagements, are respected and trusted: while the reverse is the fate of those who pursue an opposite conduct. The aim of every political constitution is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust. The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed. The circumstances that endanger the safety of nations are infinite, and for this reason no constitutional shackles can wisely be imposed on the power to which the care of it is committed. The citizens of America have too much discernment to be argued into anarchy. and I am much mistaken if experience has not wrought a deep and solemn conviction in the public mind that greater energy of government is essential to the welfare and prosperity of the community. The Constitution ought to be the standard of construction for the laws, and that wherever there is an evident opposition, the laws ought to give place to the Constitution. But this doctrine is not deducible from any circumstance peculiar to the plan of convention, but from the general theory of a limited Constitution. The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of the consent of the people. The streams of national power ought to flow immediately from that pure, original fountain of all legitimate authority. The fundamental source of all your errors, sophisms and false reasonings is a total ignorance of the natural rights of mankind. Were you once to become acquainted with these, you could never entertain a thought, that all men are not, by nature, entitled to a parity of privileges. You would be convinced, that natural liberty is a gift of the beneficent Creator to the whole human race, and that civil liberty is founded in that; and cannot be wrested from any people, without the most manifest violation of justice. The great desiderata are a free representation and mutual checks. When these are obtained, all our apprehensions of the extent of powers are unjust and imaginary. The great leading objects of the federal government, in which revenue is concerned, are to maintain domestic peace, and provide for the common defense. In these are comprehended the regulation of commerce that is, the whole system of foreign intercourse; the support of armies and navies, and of the civil administration. The history of ancient and modern republics had taught them that many of the evils which those republics suffered arose from the want of a certain balance, and that mutual control indispensable to a wise administration. They were convinced that popular assemblies are frequently misguided by ignorance, by sudden impulses, and the intrigues of ambitious men; and that some firm barrier against these operations was necessary. They, therefore, instituted your Senate. The idea of restraining the legislative authority in the means of providing for the national defense is one of those refinements which owe their origin to a zeal for liberty more ardent than enlightened. The ingredients which constitute energy in the Executive are, first, unity; secondly, duration; thirdly, an adequate provision for its support; fourthly, competent powers. ... The ingredients which constitute safety in the republican sense are, first, a due dependence on the people, secondly, a due responsibility. The injury which may possibly be done by defeating a few good laws, will be amply compensated by the advantage of preventing a number of bad ones. The instrument by which it [government] must act are either the AUTHORITY of the laws or FORCE. If the first be destroyed, the last must be substituted; and where this becomes the ordinary instrument of government there is an end to liberty! The Judiciary...has no influence over either the sword or the purse; no direction either of the strength or of the wealth of the society, and can take no active resolution whatever. It may truly be said to have neither force nor will, but merely judgment; and must ultimately depend upon the aid of the executive arm even for the efficacy of its judgments. The local interest of a State ought in every case to give way to the interests of the Union. For when a sacrifice of one or the other is necessary, the former becomes only an apparent, partial interest, and should yield, on the principle that the smaller good ought never to oppose the greater good. The natural cure for an ill-administration, in a popular or representative constitution, is a change of men. The present Constitution is the standard to which we are to cling. Under its banners, bona fide must we combat our political foes -- rejecting all changes but through the channel itself provides for amendments. The proposed Constitution, so far from implying an abolition of the State governments, makes them constituent parts of the national sovereignty, by allowing them a direct representation in the Senate, and leaves in their possession certain exclusive and very important portions of sovereign power. This fully corresponds, in every rational import of the terms, with the idea of a federal government. The propriety of a law, in a constitutional light, must always be determined by the nature of the powers upon which it is founded. The prosperity of commerce is now perceived and acknowledged by all enlightened statesmen to be the most useful as well as the most productive source of national wealth, and has accordingly become a primary object of its political cares. The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election... They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided. The republican principle demands that the deliberate sense of the community should govern the conduct of those to whom they entrust the management of their affairs; but it does not require an unqualified complaisance to every sudden breeze of passion or to every transient impulse which the people may receive from the arts of men, who flatter their prejudices to betray their interests. The rights of neutrality will only be respected when they are defended by an adequate power. A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral. The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for, among old parchments, or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam, in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself; and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power. The standard of good behavior for the continuance in office of the judicial magistracy is certainly one of the most valuable of the modern improvements in the practice of government. The State governments possess inherent advantages, which will ever give them an influence and ascendancy over the National Government, and will for ever preclude the possibility of federal encroachments. That their liberties, indeed, can be subverted by the federal head, is repugnant to every rule of political calculation. The tendency of a national bank is to increase public and private credit. The former gives power to the state, for the protection of its rights and interests: and the latter facilitates and extends the operations of commerce among individuals. Industry is increased, commodities are multiplied, agriculture and manufacturers flourish: and herein consists the true wealth and prosperity of a state. The true principle of government is this -- make the system compleat in its structure; give a perfect proportion and balance to its parts; and the powers you give it will never affect your security. The truth is, after all the declamations we have heard, that the Constitution is itself, in every rational sense, and to every useful purpose, A BILL OF RIGHTS. There are certain social principles in human nature, from which we may draw the most solid conclusions with respect to the conduct of individuals and of communities. We love our families more than our neighbors; we love our neighbors more than our countrymen in general. The human affections, like solar heat, lose their intensity as they depart from the centre... On these principles, the attachment of the individual will be first and for ever secured by the State governments. They will be a mutual protection and support. There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism. There is no part of the administration of government that requires extensive information and a thorough knowledge of the principles of political economy, so much as the business of taxation. The man who understands those principles best will be least likely to resort to oppressive expedients, or sacrifice any particular class of citizens to the procurement of revenue. It might be demonstrated that the most productive system of finance will always be the least burdensome. There is nothing absurd or impracticable in the idea of a league or alliance between independent nations for certain defined purposes precisely stated in a treaty regulating all the details of time, place, circumstance, and quantity; leaving nothing to future discretion; and depending for its execution on the good faith of the parties. There is something so far-fetched and so extravagant in the idea of danger to liberty from the militia that one is at a loss whether to treat it with gravity or with raillery; whether to consider it as a mere trial of skill, like the paradoxes of rhetoricians; as a disingenuous artifice to instill prejudices at any price; or as the serious. This balance between the National and State governments ought to be dwelt on with peculiar attention, as it is of the utmost importance. It forms a double security to the people. If one encroaches on their rights they will find a powerful protection in the other. Indeed, they will both be prevented from overpassing their constitutional limits by a certain rivalship, which will ever subsist between them. This process of election affords a moral certainty that the office of President will seldom fall to the lot of any many who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications. To cherish and stimulate the activity of the human mind, by multiplying the objects of enterprise, is not among the least considerable of the expedients, by which the wealth of a nation may be promoted. To grant that there is a supreme intelligence who rules the world and has established laws to regulate the actions of his creatures; and still to assert that man, in a state of nature, may be considered as perfectly free from all restraints of law and government, appears to a common understanding altogether irreconcilable. Good and wise men, in all ages, have embraced a very dissimilar theory. They have supposed that the deity, from the relations we stand in to himself and to each other, has constituted an eternal and immutable law, which is indispensably obligatory upon all mankind, prior to any human institution whatever. This is what is called the law of nature....Upon this law depend the natural rights of mankind. To judge from the history of mankind, we shall be compelled to conclude that the fiery and destructive passions of war reign in the human breast with much more powerful sway than the mild and beneficent sentiments of peace; and that to model our political systems upon speculations of lasting tranquility would be to calculate on the weaker springs of human character. To model our political system upon speculations of lasting tranquility, is to calculate on the weaker springs of the human character. War, like most other things, is a science to be acquired and perfected by diligence, by perseverance, by time, and by practice. Were the pictures which have been drawn by the political jealousy of some among us faithful likenesses of the human character, the inference would be, that there is not sufficient virtue among men for self-government; and that nothing less than the chains of despotism can restrain them from destroying and devouring one another. When occasions present themselves, in which the interests of the people are at variance with their inclinations, it is the duty of the persons whom they have appointed to be the guardians of those interests, to withstand the temporary delusion, in order to give them time and opportunity for more cool and sedate reflection. When you assemble from your several counties in the Legislature, were every member to be guided only by the apparent interest of his county, government would be impracticable. There must be a perpetual accommodation and sacrifice of local advantage to general expediency. Wherever indeed a right of property is infringed for the general good, if the nature of the case admits of compensation, it ought to be made; but if compensation be impracticable, that impracticability ought to be an obstacle to a clearly essential reform. While the constitution continues to be read, and its principles known, the states, must, by every rational man, be considered as essential component parts of the union; and therefore the idea of sacrificing the former to the latter is totally inadmissible. Whoever attentively considers the different departments of power must perceive, that, in a government in which they are separated from each other, the judiciary, from the nature of its functions, will always be the least dangerous to the political rights of the Constitution; because it will be least in a capacity to annoy or injure them. Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint. Wise politicians will be cautious about fettering the government with restrictions that cannot be observed, because they know that every break of the fundamental laws, though dictated by necessity, impairs that sacred reverence which out to be maintained in the breast of rulers towards the constitution of a country. -all-AustriaCherokee nationDenmarkEnglandFranceIndiaIndonesiaIrelandIroquois ConfederacyItalyJapanLenape TribesMexicoMohawk NationMoroccoNetherlandsPeruScotlandSeminole TribesSeneca TribesSerbiaShawnee TribeSwedenSwitzerlandTahitiTurkeyUnited StatesViet NamWales Alexander Hamilton 1755/57, Jan 11 1770 Adolf Frederick 1710, May 14 1751 King of Sweden from 1751 until his death. The first king from the House of Holstein-Gottorp, Adol... Empress Go-Sakuramachi 1740, Sep 23 1762 the 117th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Sakuramachi's re... Louis XV 1710, Feb 15 1715 a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France and Navarre from 1 September 1715 u... Mustafa III 1717, Jan 18/28 1757 the Sultan and Caliph of the Ottoman Empire from 1757 to 1774. He was a son of Sultan Ahmed III ... Peyton Randolph 1721, Sep 10 1743 a planter and public official from the Colony of Virginia. He served as Speaker of the Virginia H... John Morton [2] 1725 1756 a farmer, surveyor, and jurist from the Province of Pennsylvania and a Founding Father of the Uni... Button Gwinnett 1735 1765 a British-born American founding father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Co... Thomas Lynch Jr. 1749, Aug 5 1772 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of South Carolina; ... Philip Livingston 1716, Jan 15 1737 an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He was a delegate for New York to the Cont... John Hart [2] 1710 ca 1750 a public official and politician in colonial New Jersey who served as a delegate to the Continent... Stephen Hopkins 1707, Mar 7 1730 a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, a Chief Justice of the Rhode... Robert Rogers 1731, Nov 7 1746 an American colonial frontiersman. Rogers served in the British army during both the French and I... George Ross Jr. 1730, May 10 1756 a signer of the Continental Association and the United States Declaration of Independence as a re... Cornstalk 1720 ca 1760 a prominent leader of the Shawnee nation just prior to the American Revolution. Cornstalk opposed... Joseph Hewes 1730, Jan 23 1763 Hewes attended Princeton but there is no evidence that he actually graduated. What is known is th... Chief Logan 1725 ca 1770 a Native American orator and war leader born in the Iroquois Confederacy. Although he was of the ... Emperor Go-Momozono 1758, Aug 5 1771 the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Momozono's reign... Francis Lightfoot Lee 1734, Oct 14 1774 a member of the House of Burgesses in the Colony of Virginia. As an active protester regarding is... Reynier de Klerck 1710, Nov 1730 Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1778 until 1780. De Klerk's date of birth is not ... Francis Lewis 1713, Mar 21 1734 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New York. He was... Maria Theresa 1717, May 13 1740 the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was th... George Taylor 1716 ca 1736 a Colonial ironmaster and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a represen... John Witherspoon 1723, Feb 5 1745 a Scots Presbyterian minister and a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence a... Richard Stockton 1730, Oct 1 1754 an American lawyer, jurist, legislator, and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Stockton... Thomas Gage [2] 1718/19, Mar 10 1741 a British general best known for his many years of service in North America, including his role a... Jack Jouett 1754, Dec 7 1776 a politician and a hero of the American Revolution, known as the "Paul Revere of the South" for h... Charles Edward Stuart 1720, Dec 31 1743 the second Jacobite pretender to the thrones of England, Scotland, France and Ireland from the de... John Hanson 1721, Apr 3 1750 a merchant and public official from Maryland during the era of the American Revolution. In 1779, ... Jonathan Trumbull 1710, Oct 12 1731 one of the few Americans who served as governor in both a pre-Revolutionary colony and a post-Rev... Caesar Rodney 1728, Oct 7 1755 an American lawyer and politician from St. Jones Neck in Dover Hundred, Kent County, Delaware, ea... Silas Deane 1737, Dec 24 1759 an American merchant, politician, and diplomat, and a supporter of American independence. Deane s... John Penn 1741, May 17 1762 a signer of both the United States Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation ... Joseph Reed [2] 1741, Aug 27 1770 a lawyer, military officer and statesman of the Revolutionary Era who lived the majority of his l... James Smith [2] 1719, Sep 17 1740 an American lawyer and a signer to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representat... William Whipple Jr. 1730, Jan 14 1751 a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire... Thomas Stone 1743 1764 an American planter and lawyer who signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a dele... Matthew Thornton 1713, Mar 17 1740 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Hampshire. I... Jean Sylvain Bailly 1736, Sep 15 1759 a French astronomer, mathematician, freemason, and political leader of the early part of the Fren... Arthur Middleton 1742, Jun 26 1764 a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence. He was educated in Britain, at Harr... Robert Nugent 1709 1739 an Irish politician and poet. He was tersely described by Richard Glover as a jovial and voluptuo... Juan Bautista de Anza 1736, Jul 6/7 1752 a New-Spanish explorer of Basque descent, and Governor of New Mexico for the Spanish Empire. In 1... Henry Laurens 1723, Feb 24 1757 an American merchant, slave trader, and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political l... Lewis Morris 1726, Apr 8 1760 an American landowner and developer from Morrisania, New York. He signed the U.S. Declaration of ... William Hooper 1742, Jun 28 1764 an American lawyer, politician, and a member of the Continental Congress representing North Carol... Benjamin Franklin 1705, Jan 6 1718 one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A renowned polymath, Franklin was a leading aut... Richard Caswell 1729, Aug 3 1750 the first and fifth governor of the U.S. State of North Carolina, serving from 1776 to 1780 and f... Ethan Allen 1737, Jan 10 1757 a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, and American Revolut... Thomas Nelson Jr. 1738, Dec 26 1761 an American planter, soldier, and statesman from Yorktown, Virginia. He represented Virginia in t... Michael Hillegas 1729, Apr 22 1765 a merchant, sugar refiner, and iron magnate who used his wealth to assist the American revolution... Abdul Hamid I 1725, Mar 20 1774 the 27th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and Caliph of the Ottoman Caliphate (Islam), reigning over ... William Pierce 1753 1775 an army officer during the American Revolutionary War and a member of the United States Constitut... Mohammed III 1710 ca 1748 Sultan of Morocco from 1757 to 1790 under the Alaouite dynasty. He was the governor of Marrakech ... Lyman Hall 1724, Apr 12 1749 physician, clergyman, and statesman, was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independen... Josiah Bartlett 1729, Nov 21 1750 an American physician and statesman, delegate to the Continental Congress for New Hampshire, and ... HRE Joseph II 1741, Mar 13 1765 Holy Roman Emperor from 1765 to 1790 and ruler of the Habsburg lands from 1780 to 1790. He was t... David Brearley 1745, Jun 11 1776 a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention and signed the U.S. Constitution on behalf of Ne... Benjamin Harrison V 1726, Apr 5 1745 an American politician, planter, and merchant, a revolutionary leader and a Founding Father of th... James De Lancey [2] 1732 1758 a colonial politician, turfman, and the son of Lieutenant Governor James De Lancey and Anne Heath... Francis Hopkinson 1737, Sep 21 1761 designed the first official American flag. He was an author, a composer, and one of the signers o... William Paca 1740, Oct 31 1761 a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland, and... Pomare I 1753 ca 1788 the unifier and first king of Tahiti and founder of the Pomare dynasty and the Kingdom of Tahiti ... John Burgoyne 1722, Feb 24 1743 a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War... George Mason 1725, Nov 30 1747 a Virginia planter and politician, and a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, ... Hamengkubuwono I unknown 1755 the first sultan of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.He ruled from February 13, 1755 to March 24, 1792. As a... Richard Henry Lee 1732, Jan 20 1757 an American statesman from Virginia best known for the motion in the Second Continental Congress ... James Wilson [2] 1742, Sep 14 1766 one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a signatory of the United States Declaration... Nguyen Hue 1753 1788 the second emperor of the Tay Son dynasty, reigning from 1788 until 1792. He was also one of the ... HRE Leopold II 1747, May 5 1790 Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary and Bohemia from 1790 to 1792, Archduke of Austria and Gra... John Hancock 1736, Jan 12 1754 an American merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as p... Roger Sherman 1721, Apr 19 1754 an early American lawyer and statesman, as well as a Founding Father of the United States. He ser... Israel Jacobs 1726, Jun 9 1770 a colonial Pennsylvania Legislator and United States Representative from Pennsylvania. In 1790, J... King Louis XVI 1754, Aug 23 1774 King of France from 1774 until his deposition in 1792, although his formal title after 1791 was ... Carter Braxton 1736, Sep 10 1760 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, as well as a merchant, planter, and Vi... Abraham Clark 1726, Feb 15 1775 an American politician and Revolutionary War figure. He was delegate for New Jersey to the Contin... Artemas Ward 1727, Nov 26 1751 an American major general in the American Revolutionary War and a Congressman from Massachusetts.... John Rutledge 1739, Sep 17 1760 the second Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. A lawyer and a judge, Rutledg... Louis XVII of France 1785, Mar 27 1793 the younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette. He was at birth given the... Samuel Huntington 1731, Jul 5 1754 a jurist, statesman, and Patriot in the American Revolution from Connecticut. As a delegate to th... George Clymer 1739, Mar 16 1765 an American politician and Founding Father of the United States. He was one of the first Patriots... Anthony Wayne 1745, Jan 1 1775 a United States Army officer, statesman, and member of the United States House of Representatives... Oliver Wolcott 1726, Nov 20 1747 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and also the Articles of Confederation ... Martha Washington 1731, Jun 2 1789 the wife of George Washington, the first President of the United States. Although the title was n... George Washington 1732, Feb11 1789 the first President of the United States (1789–97), the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental A... Samuel Adams 1734, Jan 20 1750 an American statesman, political philosopher, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United State... Robert Morris Jr. 1734, Jan 20 1750 a Founding Father of the United States, was a Liverpool-born American merchant who financed the A... George Read 1733, Sep 18 1753 an American lawyer and politician from New Castle in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a signer... Thomas Heyward Jr. 1746, Jul 28 1775 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence and of the Articles of Confederation as... Patrick Henry 1736, May 29 1760 an American attorney, planter and politician who became known as an orator during the movement fo... John Mare Jr. 1739 1765 an American painter, businessman, and public figure. Not much is known of Mare's training, althou... Tipu Sultan 1750, Nov 10 1766 a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore. He was the eldest son of Sultan Hyder Ali of Mysore. Tipu intr... Red Jacket 1750 ca 1770 a Native American Seneca orator and chief of the Wolf clan. He negotiated on behalf of his nation... Daniel Morgan 1736, Jul 6 1775 an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gif... Fisher Ames 1758, Apr 9 1774 a Representative in the United States Congress from the 1st Congressional District of Massachuset... Edward Rutledge 1749, Nov 23 1774 an American politician, and youngest signer of the United States Declaration of Independence. He ... Jeremiah Wadsworth 1743, Jul 12 1761 an American sea captain, merchant, and statesman from Hartford, Connecticut who profited from his... Frederick Muhlenberg 1750, Jan 1 1770 an American minister and politician who was the first Speaker of the United States House of Repre... John Watts unknown 1788 one of the leaders of the Chickamauga Cherokee (or "Lower Cherokee") during the Cherokee-American... Robert Treat Paine 1731, Mar 11 1757 a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, best known as a signer of the Declaration of Independence ... George Walton 1749 1774 signed the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Georgia and also serv... George Wythe 1726 1746 the first American law professor, a noted classics scholar, and a Virginia judge. The first of th... Selim III 1761, Dec 24 1789 the reform-minded Sultan and Islam Caliph of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. The Janissarie... John Page 1743, Apr 28 1763 a figure in early United States history. He served in the U.S. Congress and as the 13th Governor ... Christian VII 1749, Jan 29 1766 a monarch of the House of Oldenburg who was King of Denmark-Norway and Duke of Schleswig and Hols... Aaron Burr 1756, Feb 6 1775 an American politician. He was the third Vice President of the United States (1801–1805), servi... Joseph Brant 1743 ca 1750 a Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York, who was closely associated... Blue Jacket 1743 ca 1770 a war chief of the Shawnee people, known for his militant defense of Shawnee lands in the Ohio Co... Buckongahelas 1720 ca 1770 a regionally and nationally renowned Lenape chief, councilor and warrior. He was active from the ... Tecumseh 1768 ca 1800 a Native American leader of the Shawnee who attempted to organize a vast alliance of Native Ameri... Samuel Chase 1741, Apr 17 1761 an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United... William Williams [3] 1731, Apr 23 1771 a merchant, and a delegate for Connecticut to the Continental Congress in 1776, and a signatory o... Thomas McKean 1734, Mar 19 1755 an American lawyer and politician from New Castle, in New Castle County, Delaware and Philadelphi... Benjamin Rush 1745, Dec 24 1769 a Founding Father of the United States. Rush was a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a p... Elbridge Gerry 1744, Jul 6 1765 an American statesman and diplomat. As a Democratic-Republican he was selected as the fifth Vice ... Napoleon Bonaparte 1769, Aug 15 1799 a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and le... Timothy Pickering 1745, Jul 17 1768 a politician from Massachusetts who served in a variety of roles, most notably as the third Unite... John Clopton 1756, Feb 7 1776 a United States Representative from Virginia. He served as first lieutenant and as captain in the... Emperor Kokaku 1771, Sep 23 1780 Given name, Tomohito, the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of successio... Isaac Shelby 1750, Dec 11 1774 the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and served in the state legislatures of Virginia and Nor... Jesse Fell unknown 1800 an early political leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was the first to successfully burn an... William Ellery 1727, Dec 2 1748 a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Rhode Island. In... King George III 1738, Jun 4 1760 King of Great Britain and Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two countries on 1 ... William Floyd 1734, Dec 17 1774 1820 1821. Aug 4 an American politician from New York, and a signer of the United States Declaration of Independen... Joseph Bloomfield 1753, Oct 18 1775 the fourth Governor of New Jersey. The township of Bloomfield, New Jersey is named for him. He at... Charles Carroll III 1737, Sep 19 1772 a wealthy Maryland planter and an early advocate of independence from the Kingdom of Great Britai... Hamengkubuwono II 1750, Mar 7 1792 the second sultan of Yogyakarta 1792–1810, 1811–12 and finally 1826–28 during the Java War.... Manuel Quimper 1757 1770 1829 1844, Apr a Spanish Peruvian explorer, cartographer, naval officer, and colonial official. He participated ... William Clark [2] 1770, Aug 1 1789 an American explorer, soldier, Indian agent, and territorial governor. Along with Meriwether Lewi... Petar I Petrovic-Njegos 1747/48 1782 the ruler of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro as the Metropolitan (vladika) of Cetinje, and Exa... William Wilberforce 1759, Aug 24 1780 an English politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to stop the slave trade. A na... Charles Grey 1764, Mar 13 1786 Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from November 1830 to July 1834. A member of the Whig Party,... HRE Francis II 1768, Feb 12 1792 the last Holy Roman Emperor, ruling from 1792 until 6 August 1806, when he dissolved the Holy Rom... Major Ridge 1771 ca 1790 a Cherokee leader, a member of the tribal council, and a lawmaker. As a warrior, he fought in the... Tenskwatawa 1775 1800 a Native American religious and political leader of the Shawnee tribe, known as The Prophet or th... Artemas Ward Jr. 1762, Jan 9 1783 like his father, Artemas Ward, he was a United States Representative from Massachusetts. He serve... Albert Gallatin 1761, Jan 29 1788 a Swiss-American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist. He was an important leader of th... Richard M. Johnson 1780, Oct 17 1802 the ninth Vice President of the United States, serving in the administration of Martin Van Buren ... Henry Clay 1777, Apr 12 1797 an American lawyer and planter, statesman, and skilled orator who represented Kentucky in both th...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745396

__label__wiki

Census • Person • Pope Marcellus II aka: Marcello Cervini degli Spannochi Bio Links Gallery Timeline Notes Contemporaries 1501, May 6 1535-1555 1555, May 1 Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 9 April 1555 until his death 22 days later on 1 May 1555. Though Marcellus II desired to reform many of the inner workings of the church, his feeble constitution succumbed to the fatigues of the conclave, the exhausting ceremonies connected with his ascension, the anxieties arising from his high office, and overexertion in his performance of the pontifical functions of the Holy Week and Easter. He quickly fell ill. 04/09/1555 - Marcello Cervini elected Pope Marcellus II Wikipedia: Pope Marcellus II Roman Catholic Popes: Innocent VIII (1484-1492): Pope from 29 August 1484 to his death in 1492. Born into a prominent Genoese family he entered the church and was made bishop in 1467 befor... Alexander VI (1492-1503): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 11 August 1492 until his death. He is one of the most controversial of the Renaissance popes, partl... Pius III (1503): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 22 September 1503 to his death on 18 October 1503. He had one of the shortest pontificates in pa... Julius II (1503-1513): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 1 November 1503 to his death in 1513. His papacy was marked by an active foreign policy, ambitious b... Leo X (1513-1521): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 9 March 1513 to his death. The second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, ruler of the Florentine Re... Adrian VI (1522-1523): the 218th pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 9 January 1522 until his death. He was the last non-Italian pope until Pope John Paul II of... Clement VII (1523-1534): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 19 November 1523 to his death in 1534. The Sack of Rome and English Reformation occurred during his ... Paul III (1534-1549): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 13 October 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era following the sack ... Julius III (1550-1555): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 7 February 1550 to his death in 1555. Distinguished as an effective diplomat, he was elected to the ... Marcellus II (1555): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 9 April 1555 until his death 22 days later on 1 May 1555. Though Marcellus II desired to reform many ... Paul IV (1555-1559): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 23 May 1555 to his death in 1559. While serving as papal nuncio in Spain, he developed an anti-S... Pius IV (1559-1565): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 25 December 1559 to his death in 1565. He is known for presiding over the final session of the C... Pius V (1566-1572): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 8 January 1566 to his death in 1572. He is venerated as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church. H... Gregory XIII (1572-1585): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 13 May 1572 to his death in 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the G... Sixtus V (1585-1590): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 24 April 1585 to his death in 1590. As a youth, he joined the Franciscan order, where he displayed ta... Urban VII (1590): Pope (Roman Catholic Church) from 15 to 27 September 1590. His twelve-day papacy was the shortest in history. Urban VII was known for his ch... Gregory XIV (1590-1591): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 5 December 1590 to his death in 1591. Gregory XIV's brief pontificate was marked by vigorous interven... Innocent IX (1591): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 29 October to 30 December 1591. Prior to his short papacy, he had been a canon lawyer, diplomat, an... Clement VIII (1592-1605): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 2 February 1592 to his death in 1605. He was made Cardinal-Priest of S. Pancrazio in 1585 by Pope G... Leo XI (1605): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 1 to 27 April 1605. His pontificate is one of the briefest in history having lasted under a mont... Paul V (1605-1621): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 16 May 1605 to his death in 1621. He is best remembered today as the Pope who persecuted Galileo... Gregory XV (1621-1623): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 9 February 1621 to his death in 1623. Gregory XV interfered little in European politics, beyond assis... Urban VIII (1623-1644): Pope (Roman Catholic Church) from 1623 to his death in 1644. He expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking,... Innocent X (1644-1655): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 15 September 1644 to his death in 1655. Born in Rome of a family from Gubbio in Umbria who had come... Alexander VII (1655-1667): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 7 April 1655 to his death in 1667. Alexander VII disliked the business of state, preferring literatu... Clement IX (1667-1669): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 20 June 1667 to his death in 1669. Nothing remarkable occurred under Clement IX's short administrati... Clement X (1670-1676): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 29 April 1670 to his death in 1676. On 29 April 1670, the papacy was offered to him by fifty-nine C... Innocent XI (1676-1689): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 21 September 1676 to his death in 1689. He is known as the "Saviour of Hungary". Much of his reign w... Alexander VIII (1689-1691): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 6 October 1689 to his death in 1691. He is the last pope to take the pontifical name of "Alexander" ... Innocent XII (1691-1700): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 12 July 1691 to his death in 1700. He took a hard stance against nepotism in the church, continuing ... Clement XI (1700-1721): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 23 November 1700 to his death in 1721. Clement XI was a patron of the arts and of science. He was a... Innocent XIII (1721-1724): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 8 May 1721 to his death in 1724. He is the last pope to date to take the pontifical name of "Innoce... Benedict XIII (1724-1730): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1724 until his death in1730. A man not of wordly matters, he endeavoured to put a stop to the decaden... Clement XII (1730-1740): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 12 July 1730 to his death in 1740. He is known for building the new façade of the Basilica di San ... Benedict XIV (1740-1758): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1740 until his death in1758. Perhaps one of the greatest scholars in Christendom, yet often overlooke... Clement XIII (1758-1769): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 6 July 1758 to his death in 1769. He was consecrated on 16 July 1758. His pontificate was overshado... Clement XIV (1769-1774): Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 19 May 1769 to his death in 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in ... Pius VI (1775-1799): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 15 February 1775 to his death in 1799. Pius VI condemned the French Revolution and the suppress... Pius VII (1800-1823): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 14 March 1800 to his death in 1823. Chiaramonti was also a monk of the Order of Saint Benedict i... Leo XII (1823-1829): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 28 September 1823 to his death in 1829. Leo XII's reign of the Papal States was unpopular and le... Pius VIII (1829-1830): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 31 March 1829 to his death in 1830. His pontificate was the shortest of all the popes of the 19t... Gregory XVI (1831-1846): Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigned from 2 February 1831 to his death in 1846. Strongly conservative and traditionalist, he opposed d... Pius IX (1846-1878): the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 16 June 1846 to his death in 1878. He was the longest-reigning elected pope in the history of th... -all-EnglandFinlandFranceGreeceItalyJavaNorwayScotlandSpainTurkey Pope Marcellus II 1501, May 6 1535 Olav Engelbrektsson 1480 ca 1533 the 28th Archbishop of Norway from 1523 to 1537, the Regent of Norway from 1533 to 1537, a member... John Stone [1] unknown 1530 1539 1539, Dec an English Augustinian friar who was executed, probably in December 1539; he was canonized in 197... John Palsgrave 1485 ca 1513 a priest of Henry VIII of England's court. He is known as a tutor in the royal household, and as... Jeremias I unknown 1513 Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople two times, from 1522 to 1524 and from 1525 to 1546 for the... David Beaton 1494 ca 1519 Archbishop of St Andrews and the last Scottish Cardinal prior to the Reformation. n 1520, his unc... Joannicius I unknown 1546 Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (1546)*Church of Constantinople King Henry VIII 1491, Jun 28 1509 King of England from 1509 until his death and Supreme Head of the Church of England from 1536 to... Pope Paul III 1468, Feb 29 1491 the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 13 October 1534 to his death in 1549. He came to the... William Lamb [1] 1493 ca 1537 a Scottish cleric, lawyer, and author. William Lamb wrote Ane Resonyng of ane Scottis and Inglis ... Robert Wauchope [1] 1500 ca 1539 the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Armagh from 1539 to 1551. Wauchope worked as a theologian in Rom... Edward VI 1537, Oct 12 1547 King of England and Ireland (and Supreme Head of the Church of England) from 28 January 1547 unt... Lady Jane Grey 1536/37 1553 an English noblewoman and de facto monarch of England and Ireland from 10 July until 19 July 1553... Ignatius of Loyola 1491, Oct 23 1508 a Spanish priest and theologian, who founded the religious order called the Society of Jesus (Jes... Hugh Latimer 1487 ca 1515 a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and Bishop of Worcester before the Reformation, and later C... Stephen Gardiner 1483 ca 1531 English bishop and politician during the English Reformation period who served as Lord Chancellor... Nicholas Ridley 1500 ca 1538 an English Bishop of London. Ridley was burned at the stake, as one of the Oxford Martyrs, during... Dionysius II unknown 1546 Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (1546-1555)*Church of Constantinople Pope Julius III 1487, Sep 10 1550 Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 7 February 1550 to his death in 1555. Distinguished as an... Mikael Agricola 1510 ca 1537 a clergyman who became the de facto founder of literary Finnish and a prominent proponent of the ... Reginald Pole 1500, Mar 12 1518 an English cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and the last Roman Catholic Archbishop of Canter... Queen Mary I 1516, Feb 18 1553 the Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 until her death. Her executions of Protestants le... Pope Paul IV 1476, Jun 28 1505 the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 23 May 1555 to his death in 1559. While serving as pa... John Angel unknown 1550 a chaplain to King Philip and Queen Mary I, is said to have been a 'person of singular zeal and l... Alessandro Piccolomini [1] unknown 1528 a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Pienza (1535-1563) and Bishop of Montalcino (152... Pope Pius IV 1499, Mar 31 1546 the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 25 December 1559 to his death in 1565. He is known fo... Suleiman I 1494, Nov 6 1520 the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan and Caliph (Sunni Islam) of the Ottoman Empire/Caliphate, ... Joachim I Pany 1448 ca 1480 served as Patriarch for the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria between 1486 and 1567. A virtuou... Pedro de la Gasca 1485, Jun 1542 a Spanish bishop, diplomat and the second (acting) viceroy of Peru, from April 10, 1547 to Januar... Sunan Gunungjati 1448 1479 one of the Wali Songo, or nine saints of Islam revered in Indonesia. He founded the Sultanate of... Pope Pius V 1504, Jan 17 1528 the Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 8 January 1566 to his death in 1572. He is venerated... John Knox 1513 ca 1546 a Scottish clergyman, theologian, and writer who was a leader of the Protestant Reformation and i... Donald Monro unknown 1526 a Scottish clergyman, who wrote an early and historically valuable description of the Hebrides an... Metrophanes III 1520 1546 the Ecumenical Patriarch for the Church of Constantinople two times, from 1565 to 1572 and from 1... Pope Urban VII 1521, Aug 4 1553 Pope (Roman Catholic Church) from 15 to 27 September 1590. His twelve-day papacy was the shortest... Pope Innocent IX 1519, Jul 20 1544 Pope for the Roman Catholic Church from 29 October to 30 December 1591. Prior to his short papac... King Philip II 1527, May 21 1540 King of Spain (1556–98), King of Portugal (1581–98, as Philip I, Filipe I), King of Naples a... Nicolas de Thou 1528 1547 1598 1598, Nov 5 an eminent French cleric, Bishop of Chartres, and in politics a figure instrumental in the corona...

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745398

__label__cc

CUIMC Home Neurology Library Neuromyelitis Optica (Devic’s syndrome) Neuromyelitis optica, sometimes called NMO, is a rare yet severe inflammatory process of the central nervous system. The condition mainly affects the spinal cord and the optic nerves, or the nerves that carry signals from the eyes to the brain. As a result, the disease can cause paralysis and blindness. With neuromyelitis optica, your immune system attacks a substance in your body called myelin—think of it as the insulation around your nerves. Specifically, the myelin cells in the spinal cord and optic nerves are attacked. Usually, people with NMO have flare-ups of the disease that may strike months or years apart. Between these flare-ups, people may have some recovery. Facts about neuromyelitis optica Neuromyelitis optica most often strikes during childhood or when adults are in their 40s. NMO is especially common in young women, but men can develop it, too. Experts used to think that NMO was a type of multiple sclerosis. They now think it may be a different condition. The conditions do have some similar symptoms, but these are usually more severe in neuromyelitis optica. Vision problems with multiple sclerosis usually affect one eye at a time, but NMO may affect both eyes at the same time. Types of neuromyelitis optica Neuromyelitis optica comes in two forms: Relapsing form, which has periodic flare-ups, with some recovery in between. This is the more common kind, and women are far more likely to have this form than men. Monophasic form, which involves a single attack that lasts a month or two. Men and women get this type equally. These are possible symptoms of NMO: Pain in the eyes Weakness or numbness in the arms and legs Paralysis of the arms and legs Difficulty controlling the bladder or bowels Uncontrollable vomiting and hiccups Doctors may do a variety of tests if they suspect neuromyelitis optica: MRI scan of your brain and spinal cord Samples of your blood and spinal fluid to check for signs of the disease Tests to check on how well your optic nerves are working Experts don't consider this condition curable. But doctors can prescribe medicines or other treatments to reduce the effects of the disease and relieve symptoms. These may include: Corticosteroid drugs to halt the immune system's effect on your nerves Immunosuppressant drugs A process called plasmapheresis, which removes proteins from the blood that may be playing a role in the condition Other treatments to address symptoms such as pain and loss of bowel and bladder control You may also need help from health care providers to cope with blindness and paralysis. It's not known whether you can prevent the disease. Certain treatments may help prevent future attacks. You may also need medical care to treat or prevent complications of NMO. These include an inability to breathe, blood clots, and urinary tract infections. Managing neuromyelitis optica Disability from NMO may become worse over time. Most people with NMO develop weakness in their arms and legs. Others may have more severe symptoms. Many people with NMO need to start using a ventilator, which is a machine that helps them breathe. They may also need to work with an occupational therapist or social worker to address their disabilities. The Neurological Institute of New York, 710 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032-3784 Copyright © 2015 Department of Neurology || Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons || Columbia University Medical Center || NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia Doctors Referral Service (800-227-2762) © 2019 Columbia University | (212) 305-CUMC | Accessibility | HIPAA

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745399

__label__wiki

Battle of the Chinatowns: San Francisco vs. New York City There are only two spots in the U.S. where you can get as close to Asian culture as possible without crossing the Pacific -- San Francisco and New York City's Chinatowns. But if you had to decide between the two -- which should you choose? We've weighed the pros and cons of both so you can decide! SanFran's Chinatown is the oldest in the country, which gives it more of an authentic feel to some. Established in 1848, it served as a hub for many new immigrants, and that has contributed to its a true concern for preserving the traditional culture. It's pretty hilly, but if you think you can manage the relatively small neighborhood of just 30 blocks, you should be able to walk it out. Calligraphy shops, a China Herbs Co, and a China Wok shop are just a few stores you'll enjoy strolling through. Participate in tai chi (an Asian form of yoga) in the park, or take a nightly ghost tour to see spirits of immigrants past. Many small cafes offer buttercream buns, traditional donuts, and juicy chive dumplings to go, or for a sit-down restaurant, try following the actual residents to see where the real treats are -- places such as the RNG Lounge and the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory. Visit the Chinese Historical Society of America to see what it was like to grow up in this small, sometimes cramped neighborhood via life-size dioramas. New York's Chinatown may not be the first, but it claims to have the biggest Chinese-American hub in the country. This Chinatown is much more diverse and strays from the traditional, but offers a lot more to do. Two miles below Manhattan is the terrain covered by NYC Chinatown, and it tends to get a bit crowded. The streets may be wider than most in the city, but you'll still find a crowd. Get a personalized pair of chopsticks at Yunhong's, fabrics and statues at the Pearl River Mart, and tons of Asian groceries at one of the many authentic markets. For some of the most delicious -- and cheapest -- food in the city, head to Jing Fong or the Golden Unicorn, or try something with more American fusion at Dim Sum Go Go, Xi'an Famous Foods, or the Peking Duck House. Enjoy the Hong Kong Boat Races in the park, visit the Museum of Chinese American History, and explore one of the many emerging art galleries. So, which would you choose? Let us know in the comments on Facebook! Written by Angie Velasquez View all posts by: Angie Velasquez

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745402

__label__wiki

Colt Cap & Ball Revolvers Colt Percussion Revolvers: Army and Navy Models, and Pocket Pistols. 1849-1873 In the Frazier International History Museum in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, there is a display featuring a set of custom engraved 1861 Colt Navy percussion revolvers that reportedly were presented to General George Armstrong Custer in 1863 for his outstanding service in the Civil War. They are nickel plated with carved ivory grips, and possibly with gold or brass trim that is partially worn off. They are in a box, complete with a full set of tools and a powder flask, and a few bullets. You can see the place on the grip of one of the pistols where a presentation plaque had once been. Supposedly, Custer's widow had it removed before selling the set, for her own personal reasons. Where that plaque is today is anyone's guess, but should it ever surface and match up, someone is going to get rich. There were actually quite a few Cavalrymen and gunfighters or lawmen throughout American history who liked the Navy Colt percussion revolvers, and some of the more fortunate ones had customized ones that were beautifully engraved. Wild Bill Hickock had a heavily-customized pair of Navy Colts, and there were many others who had sets of the fancy Colt percussion six shooters. Some were even converted over to the more modern metal cartridge style. The percussion firing system came about in the 1820s, and did not really take off until around the 1840s. New things are often slow to take hold. Eventually, percussion weapons began to replace the old flintlock system. Colt produced Police and Pocket percussion pistols in 1847, followed by the now-famous 1851 Navy Colt, although at the time, it's unlikely the name "Navy Colt" was actually used. This led to the more successful percussion Colts of the Civil War. The 1860-1861 Army and Navy model Colts were among the very last firearms using the old percussion system. 1860 was the year that Benjamin Tyler Henry unveiled his lever-action repeating rifle that used a newly-perfected .44 caliber rimfire metal cartridge--invented by Daniel Wesson and perfected by Henry. Nobody may have seen it coming then, but the metal cartridges took the world by storm, and quickly usurped the old percussion and black powder weapons. This technology spread and developed like wildfire, and in a short time, centerfire cartridges and smokeless powder took the place of rimfire (except in small calibers), and not long after that, semiautomatic weapons. After centuries of using black powder and relatively simple flintlock firing mechanisms, the technology of firearms was now on the fast track. Percussion revolvers weren't much more than an innovative, but short-lived technology to fill in the gap between black powder flintlocks and the use of full-metal self-contained cartridges. Cap and Ball percussion revolvers used a small sack (or tube-shaped "paper cartridge") of nitrated paper or cloth filled with a measure black powder, with a small lead ball or conical bullet packed on top of it. This was done with either a ramrod, or in the case of the Civil War-era Colts, a built-in rod (loading lever) on a hinge that would pack the powder and bullet wad into a chamber in the cylinder. The shooter would then attach a percussion cap, a small copper or brass open-ended cylinder enclosing fuliminate of mercury onto the "nipple" (on the rear of the cylinder) which held it in place. When struck by the hammer, the cap would detonate, flashing sparks through a small hole on the back of the nipple into the revolver chamber, igniting the main powder charge and firing the bullet. By placing the hammer in the half-cock position, the cylinder would be allowed to rotate freely for loading. Obviously, this was a much lengthier process than what we employ today with the use of self-contained metal cartridges. These were some of the last of the percussion-type weapons being developed. The predecessor to the 1860 Army and 1861 Navy Colts, was the Colt Pocket revolver made in the late 1840s, and was also known as the "Baby Dragoon" and the "Wells Fargo Pocket Pistol." The most popular Pocket model was the 1849 model, with some variations being the Pocket Police Model and the Pocket Navy. They were especially popular with the California Gold Rush crowd (Sutter's Mill, California '49 Gold Rush, remember?) and also later, during the Civil War. The 1849 Pocket Pistols were set in .31 caliber and had 5-shot cylinders, and like the M1851, had an octagonal barrel, but it was noticeably shorter than on the later Colts, and much smaller than the original massive Colt Dragoon. The Pocket Pistols were produced from 1847 to 1873. This model introduced the successful single-action mechanism that was still used in the M1860 Army and M1861 Navy Colt percussion six shooters. Some of th e distinguishing characteristics of the Civil War-era percussion Colts are the loading lever, which hinges down to pack the bullet and charge into t he firing chamber, and when finished, can be snapped back into place with a spring unde r the barrel. The M1860 Army had a cam in the loading lever hinge that would not allow the lever to fall all the way against the barrel, should it happen to unclip itself and fall during recoil, a handy addition from the older 1851. More than 200,000 of the breech-loading percussion revolvers were produced between 1860 and 1873. While the Army percussion revolver was set in .44 caliber, the Navy version was set in .36 caliber, and was produced in smaller numbers than the Army model. The M1861 Navy had a shorter cylinder, and less recoil than the M1860 Army, but otherwise was nearly identical. Unlike its forbear the M1851, the 1861 had the "creeping" cam feature on the loading lever. Some of the 1860-61 models had fluted cylinders and arrangements for an optional shoulder stock, but most did not. The 1860-61 Colt revolvers had round barrels, while the old 1851 models had octagonal barrels. All of these Colt percussion revolvers from the M1851 through the M1861 were used heavily in the Civil War. Since the Colts--and most others too--were made in the American Northeast (Yep, Union territory!) the Confederate states didn't have access to to new supplies of the weapon once the hostilities began. They had to make do with whatever weapons they alread y had, import new ones from overseas, such as the LeMat revolver by smuggling them through the Union's Naval Blockade. They also had the option to make their own weapons, and they did, but with only limited success. One such weapon was the Griswold and Gunnison revolver. It was actually a bit crude conpared to the Colt revolvers, but was otherwise an exact copy of the M1851 Navy Colt, right down to the .36 caliber size. The Confederates had major issues getting the right kinds of metals they needed, and often ended up using a fused mixture of brass and steel, or whatever they could lay their hands on. Today, the homemade Griswold & Gunnison revolvers are extremely rare, and worth a fortune to collectors, some of whom have paid over a million to get one. The Colt percussion revolvers, produced in larger numbers are not quite as rare, however, if you ever see one (or a pair of them) at auction, complete with a wooden box, bullet mold, original powder flask and other tools, in good shape, and especially if it's engraved or was owned by a famous person, be prepared to spend at least that much. One that's in very good shape, even lacking the engraving or the famous person angle, means that you're looking at a price tag of at least US $400,000, and up to $750,000. Of course, if you can't spare three-quarters of a million bucks for a classic firearm, you could always get a nice, non-firing or blank-firing replica, that looks, feels and acts like the original, right down to the mechanical action, but costs much less. Your Call. Here below is a video showing the non-firing replica of the 1860 Colt Army Percussion Revolver: Firearm Type: Cap and Ball Percussion Revolver, Single Action Nation Of Manufacture: USA 1847-1873 Military Service Dates : 1861-1865, also used at other times Variations: 1849 Pocket (Police, Navy), 1851 Navy, M1860 Army, M1861 Navy Ammunition: .31 Cal. (1849 models) .36 Cal (M1861 Navy) .44 Cal. (M1860 Army) Wars: US Civil War, other conflicts Recent Prices at Auction for Originals: US $6,000-$1,000,000 (depends on condition) Return to Gun Index Interested in an authentic replica 1860 Colt Army Pistol? (2 different finishes) We also offer a non-firing replica of an 1849 Colt Navy Pocket Revolver And we have authentic replicas of engraved 1851 Colt Navy Pistols . Call Us Toll Free in the US and Canada: 1-800-258-5167 Copyright © 2008-2011 4G Company | HTML/CSS Design By Christina Chun

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745403

__label__wiki

Home Florence and surroundings Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano: loves, intrigues and poisons Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano: loves, intrigues and poisons Florence and surroundings Post consigliato per: 1 giorno Since 2013 twelve Medici Villas and two Medici Gardens of Tuscany have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The House of Medici was a powerful family that in the Middle Ages attained political power in the city of Florence through its fortunes as traders and bankers, and supported arts and humanities that made Florence the cradle of the Renaissance. Later the dynasty became hereditary Dukes of Florence, and then Grand Dukes of Tuscany till 1737, when the last representative of the family died without heirs. We have decided to visit all the UNESCO Villas and report our trips here on the blog. We started from the Medici Villa in Poggio a Caiano, in the Province of Prato but just a few kilometres away from Florence, taking advantage of an initiative that last March permitted the security staff to provide visitors with guided tours to the Monumental Apartments of this splenid residence. During our visit we were also told about the intrigues and love affairs that characterized the past of the place. The Villa reflects a perfect Renaissance style, since the architect Giuliano Da Sangallo planned it on a request by Lorenzo the Magnificent, who presided Florence’s Golden Age. The exterior of the Villa has preserved the original Renaissance features but the two staircases leading to the terrace, that were built in the early 19th century to replace the original ones. The interior underwent several transformations over the years, especially when Florence, from 1865 to 1870, was the capital of the new Kingdom of Italy and King Vittorio Emanuele II used the Villa whenever he went hunting in its surroundings. The modifications of this period specifically concern the austere furniture still adorning the rooms nowadays, the decorations with subjects related to horses and haunting, and the creation of a billiard room on the first floor. Still on the first floor after the entrance hall, notable is the 18th-century court theatre, commissioned by Gran Duke Cosimo III’s wife, Marguerite Louise of Orléans, Princess of France. Being used to the luxury life and royal balls of the sparkling court of Louis XIV, she ordered the construction of a place where to enjoy music and plays at the Villa in Poggio a Caiano, where she decided to live in order to stay away from her husband whom she hated and who did not consent to her return to France. Traditionally, the Villa was a stop for all of the newly married Grand Duchesses, before being brought to Florence for the wedding celebration, and in the 16th century had among its guests also Bianca Cappello, a Venetian noblewoman with whom the future Gran Duke Francesco I Medici fell madly in love. Bianca was married but soon her husband mysteriously died, and her relation with Francesco became more and more evident. The affair was one of the most scandalous of the period, since in the meantime the Grand Duke had married to Joanne of Austria for political and strategic conveniences. Nevertheless, once widow, Bianca was brought to Poggio a Caiano, where it is still visible her apartment together with the stair that – through a secret door – led to Francesco’s private rooms. When the Gran Duke’s wife also died, the two lovers finally got married but not many years later they died at the Villa one day after the other from a long fever, deaths officially provoked by malaria, but long rumoured to have been caused by poisoning by Francesco’s brother, Cardinal Ferdinando, that became the new Gran Duke of Tuscany. It was particularly evocative to be told about this mysterious story right in the place where it took place! With the Napoleonic conquests, Tuscany passed into the French sphere of influence, and the Villa underwent several modifications according to the neo-classical style and directed by the desires of Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte, sister of Napoleon, who was from 1804 the princess of Lucca and Piombino and from 1809 the grand duchess of Tuscany. Poggio a Caiano became one of her favourite residences and it seems that here she hosted her presumed love affair with the celebrated violinist Nicolò Paganini, who gave several concerts in the theatre of the Villa. On the second floor, in addition to the magnificent Hall of Pope Leo X with frescos depicted, among the others, by Pontormo and Andrea del Sarto, are the apartments used, when Florence was the Capital of Italy, by King Vittorio Emanuele II and his favourite mistress and later second wife, Rosa Vercellana (also known as Bella Rosina), a commoner from Turin. As testimony of this latest love story that played out at the Villa are two beautiful bedrooms, that of the King, austere as it is the Savoia dynasty style, and that of Rosina, featured by delicate pink flower decorations. The visit ended in the Hall of the Frieze, where is the original grazed frieze of the exterior lodge, representing the Platonic myth of the journey of the soul and made up of around seventy pieces. The frieze visible now outside on the lodge is, in fact, a reproduction. After the visit, we walked through the magnificent gardens, re-arranged in the 15th century in English and Italian style. Within the Villa taking pictures is not allowed, but considering that the admission to the Gardens, the Villa and the Museum of Still life is totally free, it is absolutely worth a visit more than other words. Opening hours and further information on the official website here. Apart from specific initiatives as the one we took part in, the security staff only accompanies the visitors to the rooms and don’t provide guided visits (available only as a service of professional guides), but we do hope that his post can be of help during your visit to this splendid Renaissance jewel. After the visit, we just crossed the road outside the Villa and we had some snacks at the Bar Roberta: after 4 p.m. hot bomboloni filled either with Chantilly cream or chocolate can be tasted, and if you love ice cream as I do, you can treat yourself to a delicious cone or cup with the typical Florentine Buontalenti cream, created by the Architect Bernardo Buontalenti, that worked at the Medici’s court. The best way to end an afternoon dedicated to the most famous family in Florence and Tuscany. firenze, poggio a caiano, prato, ville medicee. Spring exhibitions in Tuscany Galatrona, the sighting Tower of Valdambra

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745408

__label__cc

Country Radio Seminar’s ‘Lunch With Legends’ Brings Programmers & Hall of Famers Together Posted by David Gray in: Local Celebrities Country Radio Seminar’s ‘Lunch With Legends’ Brings Programmers & Stars Together: ‘So Much Talent, So Many Hits, So Much History’2/27/2017 by Chuck Dauphin Courtesy of Webster PRThe Webster Public Relations Legendary LunchLast week’s Country Radio Seminar brought out the star power, with many of the top artists in the format making appearances, including Keith Urban and Zac Brown Band.But it wasn’t just today’s superstars who made appearances at the event: Helping kick off the week of events in Nashville was Lunch With the Legends, an event hosted by Music City power publicist Kirt Webster and sponsored by the Country Music Association, Springer Mountain Farms, DUKE-FM and the Country Music Cruise. The event, now in its third year, united radio programmers with many of the iconic performers who have helped make the country format what it is today.Five members of the Country Music Hall of Fame — Bill Anderson, Brenda Lee, The Oak Ridge Boys, Roy Clark and Bobby Bare — took part in the luncheon, which was moved to the Nashville Hilton after two years at the Palm due to overcrowding. In addition to the aforementioned artists, acts such as Wanda Jackson, Sylvia, Lorrie Morgan, Gene Watson and Crystal Gayle all took part. It was a day full of memories, as one or two artists would be sitting side by side with many of the programmers that have played their records over the years. Carter of WKSR in Pulaski, Tennessee, says the day is one he always looks forward to. “Lunch with the Legends for me is the highlight of CRS. … So much talent, so many hits, so much history. … I had the pleasure of having lunch with ‘Whisperin’ Bill’ Anderson … a great singer, songwriter and person. … It was a true honor. Two weeks later in the mail I received a ‘thank you’ letter from Bill for sharing our time, lunch and conversation. A true class act — so talented, and yet so humble. Truly, a priceless moment.” READ MOREJourney Beyond ‘Traveller’: 6 Great Chris Stapleton Songs Outside His Breakthrough AlbumIt’s not just Carter who looks forward to the day, either. Duane Allen, lead singer of the Oak Ridge Boys, echoes those thoughts, saying, “To be included in a group such as The Kentucky Headhunters, Wanda Jackson or Lee Greenwood means a lot. The Forester Sisters drove all the way up from Lookout Mountain just to be a part of this. We worked all over the United States with the Forester Sisters supporting us. We headlined or co-headlined with just about everyone in that room. They all have been a part of that career, and to be honored with them is chilling to me. It’s history. That group of people will never be together again.”Allen was also mindful of those who kept the Oaks on the airwaves over the years, as well. “The radio programmers have always been so kind to play our music and have been so for decades. It was great to be able to see all of those who have been for us over the years. They are a part of the Oak Ridge Boys story, and we wouldn’t be here without them.”The numbers represented by the artists in attendance at the Hilton are outstanding, to say the least; 1,313 charted singles, 1,033 top 40 appearances and 559 top 10 hits. It was a day that artists nor radio personalities will soon forget. Webster himself just counts himself humble and blessed to be able to bring the programmers and the artists together, saying, “When you look around this room and you see the history of the artists represented — and those that have played them — it can make you rather emotional. I know it does me. These artists were the ones that made me want to be in this business, and making them feel special about their place in the history of the country format is something we all take pride in.” Source: Country Radio Seminar’s ‘Lunch With Legends’ Brings Programmers & Hall of Famers Together | Billboard Previous : Titans GM Robinson, HC Mularkey Forged a Friendship on Job Next : Tennessee drivers ranked worst in U.S. for cellphone distractions Former Nashville home of Dolly Parton on the market | News | wsmv.com Taylor Swift Drops Big Machine Records BMR and signs with Universal Music Group UMG Ronnie McDowell 5 Piece Art Collect| For Sale Limited Number Remaining| Kangen Water Store

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745421

__label__wiki

Connect with FeileAfrica Call us today for more info +353 (0)876715151 AFRICAN CHOIRS BACKLINE & PA THE CONVERGENCE ENSEMBLE Éamonn Cagney is a Cork-based Percussionist-Composer who performs and tours regularly with Mel Mercier, Míchéal Ó Súilleabháin, Liam Ó Maonlaí, Niwel Tsumbu, Donal Dineen and many others. In 2011 he formed Convergence Ensemble, to perform new works of his own plus original compositions by Ensemble members Niwel Tsumbu, Martin Tourish & Dylan Gully. Convergence Ensemble are a powerful and diverse World Music group, with a very authentic Intercultural theme and a line-up that boasts some real virtuoso musicians. Niwel Tsumbu, Dylan Gully and Martin Tourish are also established band-leaders with impressive live and recording resumés. Eamonn Cagney, Niwel Tsumbu and Dylan Gully recently toured China with Trasna Ensemble, led by Liam Ó Maonlaí and Mel Mercier. Martin Tourish was TG4 young traditional musician of the year in 2008. World music / Traditional Irish music / African Rhythm / Balkan-Breton / Jazz(improv) with original works from Éamonn's new album "Convergence", and features of new material from Niwel Tsumbu, Martin Tourish and Dylan Gully. Convergence Ensemble are also available for activities, e.g. Interactive World Music Concerts and Educational Participatory Workshops. Éamonn Cagney is a percussionist, composer, performer and educator. He has performed worldwide over the last 15 years and has been active in Cork for the last 10 years. He has established himself as one of the premiere musicians in the country, having also worked with: Julie Feeney, Steve Cooney, Kila, Micheal Buckley, Afel Bocoum, Nana Tsiboe, John Spillane, The Irish Chamber Orchestra, Liam O’Maonlaí, Kate Ellis, Ma Xiaoue ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" OST), Francesco Turrisi, Donal Dineen, The UCC Choir, Niall Vallely, Oleg Ponomerov, Vivienne Long, Paddy Keenan and Martin Tourish. His interest and deep experience of world, jazz and folk music fuel his debut album "Convergence" (2011), his most recent live project Convergence Ensemble, and his recent work with Trasna, Mel Mercier, Niwel Tsumbu, Roger Doyle and Míchéal Ó Súilleabháin. Past & Current Projects include: Convergence Ensemble (2011-present) A World Music album & performance project, managed by Éamonn Cagney. The album "Convergence" was released in Sept. 2011, and the subsequent Sept-Oct 2011 Convergence Ensemble tour to promote it played dates at: The Droichead Arts Centre Drogheda, The Mermaid Arts centre Bray, St. John's Theatre Listowel, Cypress Avenue Cork (as part of Cork folk festival) Trasna (with Liam Ó Maonlaí) (2009 - Present) An Intercultural Ensemble, Led by Mel Mercier (UCC) & Mary Hickson, and featuring Liam Ó Maonlaí. Trasna have performed for UCC's music series 3 times and collaborated with many intercultural musicians. In 2010 Trasna performed in Shanghai, China, as part of the World Expo collaborating with Ma Xiaoue (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon OST) Niwel Tsumbu (2004 - present) Niwel Tsumbu and Éamonn Cagney have worked together for 9 years, working on 4 albums together. 2011 saw the release of Niwel's Album "S'all Vibration", to great critical acclaim. Featured on RTE 2's "The View" on Oct 27th 2011 & Oct 24th 2006 Michéal Ó Súilleabháin (2008-Present) Éamonn has worked with Míchéal on a number of projects, most notably: Concert at Leuven Institute of Ireland in Europe Nov. 4th 2008 (concert produced by Margaret O'Sullivan, Arts projects Ireland) Doras Luimní concert, Limerick, Dec 8th 2010. Other performers on these projects included: Tunde Jegede, Paddy Keenan, Afel Bocoum POD Fusion (Paul O'Donnell jazz project) (2009 - present) Éamonn and Paul began collaborating on Paul's exciting Jazz/World fusion project in 2009, and have performed at Cork's Jazz & Midsummer festivals, UCC's Fuaim concert series and in many venues in Cork city and county, including The Triskel arts centre, The Spiegeltent, The Everyman palace theatre, The Granary theatre and the Aula Maxima UCC. The project has hosted many of Ireland's leading Jazz musicians, such as Micheal Buckley, Oleg Ponomerov and Dan Bodwell. Dance Éamonn's latest dance-percussion projects include: Collaborative Dance Project w/ John Ó'Sullivan, Padraig Derrane, Lorcan facilitated by Mary Keane at The Firkin Crane, Cork. African Dance module @ UL with dancer/choreographer Catherine Young, and percussionist/arts practise scholar O'dyke Nzewi Press: Éamonn has appeared live on RTÉ TV's ‘The View’ twice and live in studio on national and regional radio including RTE Radio's Eleventh Hour, The JK Ensemble, Spectrum & Arena, Raidió na Gaeltachta, Newstalk and Today FM. He has featured in national and local newspapers including The Irish Times, Hot Press, magazines and online. "Spinetingling percussion..Cagney's percussive contributions were calculus-like, melding elastically with Tsumbu's classically-influenced guitar lines" Siobhan Long © 2007 Irish times About "Convergence" Album: "Somewhere in between all the different projects he was involved in, Éamonn Cagney grabbed what ever time he could to record his debut album "Convergence". "It was just an overall picture of where my composing is right now," he says, "but I'll leave it up to other people to define. I think instrumental world music is the nearest, but it's a grey enough area as well." Contrasting it with the live incarnation, he concludes. "This is more soundtrack studio vibe. This is an album for the home." As well as the African influences, the album touches on Asian and Middle Eastern vbes, but the clearest idiom is traditional Irish. The energetic numbers carry the greatest force. "Éirí na gréine" has real thrust, evoking curraghs briskly chopping homeward bound through the waves." Don O'Mahony, Evening Echo © 2011 Niwel Tsumbu is a virtuoso guitar player who moved to Ireland in 2004 from the Democratic Republic of Congo. An exceptional talent who quickly became a prominent face on the Irish music scene, having collaborated extensively with some of the most celebrated names in Irish Music such as Sinéad O'Connor, Liam O'Maonlaí, and Dónal Dineen, among others, as well as international stars such as Ma Xiaohui (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon soundtrack), Senegalese legend Baaba Maal, and Nigel Kennedy. He has released 3 albums to critical acclaim ("Nzela Molayi", "Songs of the Nations", and "S'all Vibration"), and was funded by Cork City Council Arts Office to write a symphony known as 'The Big Bang Symphony' with The Clear Sky Ensemble, an assembled group of musicians from across the world, and is currently working on two operas scheduled for later this year. "One thing can not be disputed – the sheer musicianship of Niwel Tsumbu. As a singer, he shows flexibility and expressive power, and ranges from a kind of playful scat to full-throated passion. He is as happy digging into complex, involving solos on guitar as laying down rhythmic patterns." .Barra Ó Séaghdha, Journal of Music in Ireland In 2013 his current projects are: Lead guitar in this year's Cork Opera house staging of Piazzolla's "Maria De Buenos Aires" Touring Ireland performing with "The new triangle" - a trio with Roger Doyle and Vivienne Long. Collaborating with Roger Doyle on Roger's latest commission "Space Opera". Performing with his most recent original music project "Multiverse" Niwel Tsumbu trades in good vibrations. His wayward incantations and surgically precise guitar lines were a breath of fresh air" Siobhan Long, Irish Times Dylan Gully was born in Brittany in 1984. He learnt music through both academic studies and travels, as he has always had a passion for traditional music from Eastern to Western Europe. He has played the clarinet and flutes for about 20 years, and for the last 10 years in many transcultural projects fusing jazz, world music, or electronics and as an Engineer in music systems. Dylan achieved a gold medal in clarinet for his performance in 2005 at the 'Conservatoire de Lille' (France), an electronic/computer engineering Diploma in 2007, and a M.Sc. in Music Technology in 2008 at the University of Limerick, specialising in the developement of plugins and interactive systems for live performances. From 1998 to 2003 he played classical, jazz and trad pieces with the Belgian pianist and composer Laurent Beeckmans. In 2003 he collaborated with the French composer Geoffrey François, president of ‘Le Sémaphone’ (Contemporary music organisation) for the creation of a piece for two clarinets based on microtonal materials. In 2005 he was chosen as the solo performer for the Stravinsky piece Ebony Concerto by the Wind Orchestra of 'Conservatoire de Lille'. In 2004 he become part of the ensemble "Tarab Med", fusing Mediterranean music with musicians from Marocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Liban, Turquey, and Greece. Tarab Med have since played about 50 concerts including Festival les Milles et Une, Festival de la danse orientale, Centre Culturel du monde Arabe, and Het Lindeboom Festival. Tarab Med played a series of concerts in tribute to Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwich, and collaborated several times with the Belgian klezmer band 'Krupnik' to promote peace between Jewish and Arab communities. In 2005 Dylan received the ‘Best Soloist’ Award in the competition ‘La piposa’ for Traditional music in the North of France and in 2006 won the Het Lindeboom competition for traditional music with the trio Troad, which then released the album "Effervescence" under the Wild Boar Music imprint in Belgium. In 2007 Dylan founded the band Txütxükan, whose music was a collaborative work of compositions integrating elements of various musics around the world, mainly inspired by Balkan and Gypsy music. Txütxükan released a first album "Balkan Jig" in September 2008, and played over 170 gigs mainly in France, Germany, and Ireland; including: Sligo Cairde Festival, Dun Laoghaire Festival of world Cultures, Fusion Festival, Dingle's Festival Na Beltaine, Sixmilebridge Festival, Festival Wazemmes l'Accordeon, Festival Aurillac, Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Friedrischroda Festival, Cork Midsummmer Festival. The band lived in Ireland for few months to record a new album which is now being mixed & mastered. In 2009 Dylan was chosen as the mascot of the Trek'n Folk Festival for which he created a solo performance with clarinet and electronics. While living in Ireland he was part of the Limerick Jazz Society, and became a member of the Cork band Lazik fusing Irish and Balkan music. Lazik released the album "Far Fetched" in March 2011 and played in many festivals around Ireland, collaborated with the singer Andy Ivrine for Cork Folk Festival and with Martin O Connor and band for Dun Laoghaire festival of world cultures. In 2010 Dylan was part of the UCC transcultural project Trasna, directed by Mel Mercier, where he met and played with Eamon Cagney, Liam O Maonlai, Paul O Donnell, Niwel Tsumbu, Mary Hickson, Francesco Turisi, and Niall Vallely. Trasna collaborated with a Moroccan Gnawa ensemble, traditional Irish music Powerhouse Guidewires, virtuoso Basque Txalaparta duo Ttukunak, dancer Colin Dunne and Miss Ma (Fiddler in the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) representing Ireland in Shangai World Expo. Dylan then started composing and performing sound tracks for theatres and films. He played the piece "Lake of Shadows" with jazz pianist Justin Carroll and the musicians of the band Kilà, for the film "The Rafters" by John Carney. He performed around a hundred shows with actor Damian Punch for the show "Walking Man", a youth theatre production by Graffiti Theatre Company, directed by Sile Ni Bhroin. He recorded for the sound track of "The School for scandals" produced by Mel Mercier for The Barbican Theatre, London, and composed several pieces for short films by Maciek Klich and Naomi Fein. He is also involved in a new "ciné-concert" project directed by French accordion player Benjamin Macke. Since 2011 Dylan has toured with various bands and artists. In 2012 he was funded by the "International gathering for trad clarinet" in Brittany to launch a new Irish Music quartet through residencies and concerts, to promote the use of clarinet within Irish music. Martin Tourish is an accordionist, composer and PhD candidate from Co. Donegal. His debut album Clan Ranald was listed by Earle Hitchner as in the top 20 albums of 2005, a track of which now features on The Rough Guide to Irish Folk Vol. 2. In 2008, he was named as Young Musician of the Year by TG4 for whom he later composed and produced the theme music, for their brand advertisement campaign. In 2010, he presented an episode of the traditional music show Geantraí and worked on the album An Tain with Lorcan Mac Mathuna amongst others, a song from which has recently been selected from over twenty thousand other entries for the finals of the International Song Writing competition. Also in 2010, Martin’s recording with the National Symphony Orchestra was released on the Naxos album Music for Great Films of the Silent Era and featured a French musette sound. In 2011, he and a number of other Irish musicians produced a Galician/ Irish concert with Carlos Nunez as part of President MacAleese’s visit to Madrid. In 2012, his song An Ghealóg was released by Altan on their new album The Poison Glen while another composition The Seventh Degree is played by Triona Marshall of the Cheiftains as part of their show. In early 2013, Martin collaborated with Triona to orchestrate two pieces for The Chieftains. Martin has played swing music with the café orchestra, eastern European music with Yurodny, Congolese music with Niwel Tsumbu, Russian music with Koshka, whilst he has shared the stage with The Chieftains and the Royal Albert Hall, Vicar Street with Donal Lunny, and performed numerous times over the last year playing the accordion role with Altan. Martin's latest album has recently been completed and is awaiting release. He is currently completing his PhD at the Conservatory of Music and Drama and in July, a number of articles he wrote will be published in the forthcoming Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland. Peter Erdei B.A., M.Mus Electric bassist, born in Debrecen, Hungary. He started his music studies at the age of five. He studed Jazz and earned Bachelor of Arts in Jazz Performance Degree at Newpark Music Centre in Dublin-Ireland in 2008 under the guidance of Cormac O'Brien bassist and Mr. Ronan Guilfoyle recognized Irish jazz bassist and composer. In 2011 he completed his Masters Degree in Music at Dublin Institute Of Technology. Peter has performed in several countries including Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Croatia, United Kingdom, Spain, and Ireland on festivals like: Bratislava Jazz Festival, Jazz Hoeilaart Festival in Brussels, Guinness Cork Jazz Festival, Dun Laoghaire Festival Of World Cultures, Wexford Arts Festival. He played and recorded with artists such as Andrea Szulak(H), Kriszta Kovats(H), Peter Gerendas(H), Elastic Axis Band(UK), Nbae Ndjae(SN), Rodrigo Gozalez Pahlen(PY-CH), Liam O’Maonlai, Donal Dineen, Niwel Tsumbu, Martin Tourish, Éamonn Cagney, Hugh Buckley, Alex Mathias, Nick Roth, Dublin City Jazz Orchestra to mention but a few. He also participated in the first live performance of “Windows” by the British composer Alex Harker on the Late Music Festival in York(UK) in 2008. In the recent years he toured twice with NiwelTsumbu’s Song Of The Nations, toured with The Heartbeat founded by the Music Network, and Éamonn Cagney’s Convergence Tour in 2011. In 2012 he co-founded ‘The Multiverse’ , an instrumental trio with Niwel Tsumbu and Shane O’Donovan. TO GET ON THE A.C. FUNDED 2014 IRELAND TOUR CLICK HERE CONVERGENCE PROMO Éamonn Cagney Niwel Tsumbu Dylan Gully Martin Tourish Peter Erdei © Copyright 2017 Feile Africa Events Ltd

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745423

__label__wiki

Jacob Tillemans: the House of Commons c. 1710 (detail) (c) Palace of Westminster Collection These 1,982 biographies cover all of the men who sat in the Hosue of Commons between the general election of February 1690 and the dissolution of Queen Anne's last Parliament in January 1715. The conventions used are described in detail in the 'Method' section of David Hayton's Introductory Survey. In a section on the Members, the Survey analyses the information contained in the biographies, in particular reviewing their background, age, education, occupation, religion, and their parliamentary experience. As the introduction shows, althought the House of Commons was to some degree representative of the rising professional and business classes of later 17th century England, with lawyers, soldiers, sailors and civil servants, merchants, manufactureres and financiers, it was still overwhelmingly an assembly of landed proprietors. Upward social mobility was possible, but still relatively slow, for men of low birth, except for those very exceptional creatures who rose to the heights of the legal profession,a nd who in a single lifetime could travel as far as Lord Chancellor Peter King, from the obscurity of the provincial bourgeoisie to a peerage. Businessmen, however wealthy, even the financiers to whom the government kow-towed in order to safeguard public creidt, would have to wait for their sons and grandsons to ascend the highest ranks of the social order. A series of appendices provide lists of, among other things, Members who were under-age; Protestant Dissenters; 'Civil servants'; Army officers; Naval officers; professional lawyers; merchants and financiers; men of science and letters, moral reformers and philanthropists, and those involved in scandal, either of a financial or sexual kind. The period covers what is sometimes labelled the 'rage of party'. Another section of the introductory survey deals with the politics of the House, and the political identity and affiliations of the Members within it. The biographies have made it possible to investigate in detail the question of whether Members' political actions were guided more closely by their allegiance to Whiggism or Toryism, or to their affiliation to various kinship and patronage groups, and the extent to which the ideas of 'Court' and 'country' parties provided an alternative 'polarity' to the Whig and Tory ideologies. As always, the biographies provide accounts of a rich collection of individuals. Sir Ralph Dutton, whose main hobby – apart from greyhound racing – was attempting to gain the premier position among Gloucestershire gentry, encumbered his estate with huge debts largely through his campaign to win the county seat; Andrew Archer's efforts (including a fact-finding mission) to uncover abuses in provisioning the army in Italy, Spain and Portugal helped to ensure he never got the government job he craved. The biographies include smooth and effective executive politicians like Thomas Coningsby, cordially loathed by Tories – and by many of his fellow Whigs, and obsessive anti-Jacobites like Sir Henry Dutton Colt – of whom one Secretary of State sighed ‘I think we are never to have done with Sir Harry Colt’. There are the many men thought to be more interested in holding on to government jobs than holding consistently to their principles, such as Richard Ferrier – ‘The posts he enjoyed/Though quite varied in kind,/Could not be more varied/than was his own mind’ – but just as many whose dedication to party interest overrode all other considerations, such as Ralph Freeman, who threw himself into efforts in the Commons to challenge the legality of elections won by the other side.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745425

__label__wiki

Home Research > Members > 1558-1603 > MARVYN, James (1529-1611) MARVYN, James (1529-1611), of Fonthill Gifford, Wilts. Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1558-1603, ed. P.W. Hasler, 1981 HINDON b. 1529, 1st s. of Sir John Marvyn† by Jane, da. of Philip Baskerville of Sherborne, Dorset, wid. of William Peverell of Bradford Peverell, Som. educ. M. Temple 1553. m. (1) by 1566, Amy, da. of Valentine Clark by Elizabeth, da. and h. of Roland Bridges, wid. of one Horne of Sarsden, Oxon., 1da.; (2) bet. 1590 and 1601, Deborah, da. and coh. of James Pilkington, bp. of Durham, wid. of Walter Dunch, s.p. suc. fa. 18 June 1566. Kntd. 1574.1 J.p. Wilts. from 1573, commr. recusancy; sheriff, Wilts. 1597-8; dep. lt. from 1601; col. of Wilts. trained bands sent to I.o.W. 1590, 1596; collector of customs and subsidies, Exeter and Dartmouth 1585, 1592. Esquire of the body 1558 or 1559-1603; master of the swans 1561-?1611; bailiff of Wittelsmere 1561-?1611; duchy of Lancaster steward for Dorset regranted 1573, surrendered ?1583.2 Among the families that were gathering together a complex of holdings in Wiltshire during the fifteenth century were the Marvyns. This family had made its home at Fonthill for five generations before Sir John Marvyn† purchased the adjoining manor of Compton Bassett in 1553. His heir, despite the four younger brothers and six surviving sisters also to be provided for, could look forward to an assured position in the county.3 Although his brothers John and Philip are claimed by Eton as alumni, no evidence has been found to connect James Marvyn with any school nor, apart from a reference in his will to his ‘college jugg’, to either university. James was about 24 when he was admitted generally to the clerks’ commons of the Middle Temple, too old to regard the inn as a finishing school, but young enough to spend such time there during the next six years as to qualify him four times for inclusion among the officers of the inn’s Christmas revels. He had the opportunity therefore, to acquire some grounding during his young manhood in what in the sixteenth century was the most important aspect of business.4 His appointment to an office at court so early in Elizabeth’s reign suggests that his loyalty to her was assured from the outset. The office yielded £40 a year in fees and gave him a vantage point from which to pick up rewards and further offices. Thus he was able to acquire, for his services and a fine of £176, the lease for 21 years of the parish church of Chester-le-Street, county Durham, in 1564, and had become a pluralist in offices even earlier. As a collector of customs and subsidies he was still owing £400 from his first term of office two years after its expiry, and during his second complained to Burghley that the commissioners were hampering him by their refusal to acquaint him with their proceedings. The extent to which Marvyn had launched himself independently of his family expectations is reflected perhaps in his father’s will. Sir John concerned himself exclusively with his younger sons, made the two youngest his executors and, by settling his purchased lands (Compton Bassett) on his eldest grandson, John Marvyn, cut James down to the entail. When he had to defend Compton Bassett against a claim of assart in 1607, James included papers drawn up while he was contesting his father’s deposition of it. He had challenged the will as forged by his stepmother and the parson, asserted that the purchased lands had been rented by the family for 200 years and were intermingled with ‘his old inheritors round about his house even to his door’, and maintained that his father, far from wishing to visit his dislikes upon his heir, had held him in great affection.5 As a corollary to his employment in offices of profit Marvyn was called upon to serve in offices for which the only reward was a sense of duty done or of the prestige accruing to them. He bore more than his bare share of duty with the county militia; his friendship with (Sir) Henry Knyvet, whose burial certificate he signed, may suggest a shared interest in military affairs. His own experience as colonel of the shire’s forces may, however, have made him the readier to sympathize with his grandson by marriage, (Sir) Thomas Thynne II, when this irksome duty fell to the younger man’s lot in 1608; certainly Hertford, then lord lieutenant, regarded Marvyn as guilty of connivance in Thynne’s efforts to evade it. Marvyn’s name appears on two lists jotted upon the dorse of letters to Sir Robert Cecil of 1597 and 1599, probably in connexion with the militia. It was a name which occurred frequently also to members of the Council when they had inquiries to make and disputes to settle in the shire; its appearances on a list of persons to be examined, presumably concerning the proposed marriage between the Queen of Scots and the Duke of Norfolk in 1569, is harder to explain, since its owner appears to have been anti-Catholic and loyal. He was one of those chosen to confer with the recusants of his shire and send particulars of their answers to the Council in April 1586.6 Considering his prominence in the affairs of the county it is hard to explain why Marvyn was content to sit in only two Parliaments. His one appearance as knight of the shire was certainly no more than he was entitled to expect as a leading gentleman there; and we know that he was one of the spokesmen who urged on the Earl of Pembroke the desire of the Wiltshire gentry ‘to have their due reserved unto them’ in the matter of county representation. But while many of his fellow gentlemen were anxious to represent a borough faute de mieux, Marvyn appears to have found one experience of this sufficient also. He had property within the borough of Hindon and his seat at Fonthill Gifford was only two miles away from that borough. It is easier to see why he sat for it once than why he did not sit for it more often. He used his influence there on behalf of his nephew John and almost certainly exerted himself to get his grand-daughter’s husband, Thomas Thynne, elected there in 1601; apparently he valued the power to sway elections more than the election itself. He does not appear to have made much of his own parliamentary experience, being named only once on a committee, concerning the subsidy (25 Jan. 1581), and is not known to have spoken in debate.7 Perhaps he found it more gratifying to see himself as Marvyn of ‘Marvyn’s division’, as his administrative section of the shire was called, than to find himself a little-known Member amongst strangers. Certainly there were many demands on his attention both in connexion with his offices and in the shire itself. His feud with Sir John Thynne which lasted for 15 years and culminated in an armed affray between their followers and an action in the Star Chamber may have had its origin in the failure of a marriage projected between Thynne and Marvyn’s daughter in 1574. If so, its bitterness was a measure of his disappointment in failing to effect an alliance with a family which, though newer in the county than his own, was even more markedly prosperous. Marvyn achieved this connexion in the end, when his grand-daughter Maria Audley married Sir Thomas Thynne.8 A marriage alliance which appears to have brought Marvyn little but trouble was that of his stepdaughter Elizabeth Horne of Sarsden, Oxfordshire with Anthony Bourne. Bourne’s disputes with Sir John Conway, who held part of the manor of Cutteslowe in trust for him and his wife and their two daughters and had charge of one of the girls, brought Bourne to the Tower in 1579 and his father-in-law the burden of managing his affairs. When he had laboured to reduce these to order and had made what appears to have been a sincere attempt to reach an equitable arrangement, Marvyn was exasperated to find that Bourne was preparing to set aside one of his decisions and that Elizabeth regarded him as a ‘mercenary man’ who was favouring her husband at her expense. When the Bournes and the Conways reached a settlement nine years later Marvyn was bound in £2,000 for Bourne’s performance of his part of it.9 He was substantial enough to have paid it had the need arisen. To his patrimony of the manors of Fonthill Gifford, Fernchull, Fonthill Charterhouse, Hatche, Swallowcliffe, Compton Bassett, and Widcombe he had added the dowries of two widows, the second bringing him a life interest in Avebury Manor, where his initials on the south porch testify to his responsibility for the building of this side of the house. He was alleged to possess concealed lands in 1583 and appears as the farmer of recusant lands in East Meon, Hampshire, and in Laverstock, Wiltshire, in 1592-3. He had a London residence in Farringdon-Without, probably in Fetter Lane; he was one of those in that ward who had refused to pay towards the setting out of ships for the Queen’s service in August 1596 on the grounds that they had paid elsewhere, the sum in question being £30.10 Proud of his name and of his family’s standing in Wiltshire, he sought to perpetuate both after his death. His only daughter, Lucy, wife of George, Lord Audley, predeceased her father and her heir, Sir Mervyn Audley, was his grandfather’s heir also. But Marvyn was not satisfied with so tenuous a projection of the family name. He arranged a marriage between Henry, eldest son and heir of a remote cousin Edmund Marvyn (of the Durford Abbey branch of the family), and Christian Audley, one of Lucy’s daughters, settling Fonthill upon them and their heirs to perpetuate the name and line there, and demanded from Henry assurances that he would similarly settle his own inheritance of Durford and Bramshill upon himself, Lucy and their heirs. These assurances had not been given when Marvyn drew up his will in 1610, and after his death, which occurred on 1 May 1611, Henry sold Fonthill to Sir Mervyn, on whose attainder in 1631 it passed out of the family for ever.11 James Marvyn showed many of the virtues of his type. He tried in his will to remember his nephews and nieces, to fulfil the obligations of his position in gifts to the parish churches connected with the family at Fonthill, Tisbury, East Knoyle, Bishop’s Fonthill and Barwick St. Leonards; to reward family servants and safeguard the security of tenants, to provide, though belatedly, for a tomb to be erected for his parents in Fonthill church and to ensure that his brother Ambrose should continue to find a home at the manor house after his death as he had done during his life. Author: Muriel Booth 1. Vis. Herefs. 1569, p. 7, gives Marvyn’s fa.-in-law as ‘of Eardisley’, Herefs.; Misc. Gen. et Her. n.s. i. 358-9; W. R. Drake, Fasciculus Mervinensis (privately 1873), pp. 10-14, app. 1. 2. VCH Wilts. v. 82; Lansd. 3, f. 193; 63, f. 70; 70, ff. 157, 171; CPR, 1560-3, p. 212; 1563-6, p. 151; LC2/4/4; CSP Dom. 1603-10, p. 81; Somerville, Duchy, i. 630; Harl. 474; HMC Hatfield, vi. 506; Add. 22115, f. 12. 3. Wilts. Arch. Mag. xlix. 505. 4. Eton Coll. Reg. 1441-1698, p. 225; M.T. Recs. i. 94, 98, 113, 118. 5. CPR, 1563-6, p. 151; Lansd. 70, f. 171; Add. 22115, f. 12; Misc. Gen. et Her. n.s. i. 362; SP14/192/8. 6. Sir H. Knyvet, Defence of the Realm, p. xxii; Wilts. Arch. Mag. i. 223; ii. 174-5; HMC Hatfield, i. 456; vii. 341; ix. 252; APC, x. 28-9; xiv. 173, 319; xv. 112; xvii. 183, 301-2; xviii. 399; xix. 19; xx. 130-1; xxii. 501-2; xxvi. 488-9; xxvii. 112-13; CSP Dom. 1581-90, p. 319. 7. CJ, i. 119. 8. VCH Wilts. v. 125. 9. APC, xi. 34, 124, 128, 340; xiii. 438-9; xiv. 30; xv. 195; xvi. 51, 118, 139-41, 380, 383; xviii. 418, 445-6; CSP Dom. Add. 1566-79, pp. 559-60; Drake, 20-1. 10. Wilts. Arch. Mag. 440-1; Remembrancia City of London, 114-115 Recusant Roll (Cath. Rec. Soc. xviii), 275, 352; HMC Hatfield, xii. 487; Lansd. 78, f. 166; 81, f. 81. 11. Misc. Gen. et Her. n.s. i. 358-9, 362-5.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745426

__label__wiki

Motivational and Inspirational Public Speaking Heather is a renowned keynote speaker who gives inspirational and motivational talks to audiences of anything from 30 to 3,000 people. With talks lasting from twenty minutes to two hours, her ability to address your workforce or membership on almost any theme with her own perspective on it has taken her as a guest speaker all over the world. Watch Heather's Public & Motivational Speaking Video Activist, Campaigner, Ambassador, Medal-Winner, Lady, Wife and Mother; Heather has worked and lived under a number of labels with one core focus: Overcoming Adversity. Not afraid to upset the status quo, and with a perseverance and dogged commitment which many could only aspire to, Heather's work and perseverance serve as inspiration to many. Building a presentation around your message. Heather's many and varied roles have taken her around the world to remote, exotic and even dangerous places. Her message is simple; never give up. Heather will work with you to build a theme for your keynote presentation or to build a talk around your message, seamlessly infusing it with her trademark straight-talking, no-nonsense, get-up-and-go candor. You can expect an original and innovative take on your problem, theme or suggestion and, with that, buckets of motivational energy. Heather recounts tales of her varied and interesting life and draws them back to your message, with ever-such-a-little bit of nonsense thrown in for good measure and to keep the audience listening. Some Kind Words Entrepreneur & Adventurer Initially when you meet her, you just wonder if she’s too good to be true. All she talks about is good causes, ways of helping other people. When I first met her, I must admit I thought is there a side to this that I’m missing, but I suppose that’s because people in Britain are brought up to be slightly cynical and years and years and years later she’s been completely consistent and I don’t believe there is a side. I really do believe she is 100% genuine and I would kill for her, and I think anyone else who got a telephone call would kill for her, and when I say for her, it’s for the other people that’s she’s fighting for. Heather Mills is a dynamic personality with a wealth of knowledge about global humanitarian issues. She is passionate about her focus on nutrition and healthy living, animal rights, AND her life's story is both riveting and remarkable. She has accomplished so much and she has inspired so many people along the way. But she’s also great fun. She’s just someone who lights up a room when she walks in. She combines the seriousness of her mission with the understanding of the fleeting nature of life and the need to enjoy every single minute of this beautiful gift that we’ve been given. And through it all she never forgets, there are many children and many men and women that don’t have anywhere near the blessing that we enjoy today. Mark McCormack Lawyer & Sports Agent I think she has an extraordinary personality, engaging personality, very magnetic personality. It is a story of determination, it is a story of perseverance. What she has gone through in her life, and what she has been able to accomplish is positively mind blowing and so I think people want to hear about someone who can have a lot of adversity and come back and turn that into such positive things. Born in January 1968, Heather worked in war-zones as an activist and London as a businesswoman and model until August 1993 when, having returned from war-torn Yugoslavia, she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle. She lost her left leg, crushed her pelvis and her lung was punctured. In the days after the accident, her family were told four times that she would die. Since that date she has continued to campaign but has also become a global ambassador for high-achieving amputees, winning Gold medals in adaptive skiing for her country and training with the GB Paralympic Squad, for whom she hopes to compete at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Winter Games. Making a difference, a step at a time. Born in January 1968. Heather Mills is an activist charity campaigner, philanthropist and United Nations Association Goodwill Ambassador. A no nonsense straight talker, Heather speaks from the heart and is not afraid to tell it like it is. She campaigned for over 15 years to raise funds and awareness to rid the world of landmines, working with a number of landmine charities around the world. Heather's charity work as an Ambassador for the global landmine campaign helped raise over $18.5 million, funding clearance of over 21 million square meters of mine filled land and benefited more than 400,000 people. Her team became the largest funder of landmine clearance in the world funding over 300 minefield clearance and survivor assistance projects. A no nonsense straight talker, Heather speaks from the heart and is not afraid to tell it like it is. Her efforts and determination in this field took on an ironic significance when in August 1993 her life changed forever when she was involved in a road accident with a police motorcycle and suffered numerous injuries including crushed ribs, a punctured lung, multiple fractures of the pelvis and the loss of her left leg below the knee. Just one year after this accident, Heather arranged for the first convoy of artificial limbs to be sent to Croatia. Since then over 400,000 amputees and survivors of landmine explosions around the world have been helped. Her personal experience as an amputee and the positive and humourous manner in which she dealt with her recovery gives Heather a unique insight and affinity with those who themselves have lived through a tragic experience. Heather voluntarily counsels people from around the world who have lost limbs in accidents, through illness, natural disasters and terrorist atrocities. She found that, after years of helping new amputees and their families, empowering them to help other new amputees once they were strong enough encouraged them to help he build the largest amputee forum of supporters. Her personal advice, determination and commitment help them and their families realize that they can continue to lead rich and fulfilling lives despite their injuries. It was in this spirit that Heather appeared on the hit US television show Dancing with the Stars in 2006, proving this point in spectacular cart-wheeling style. Then, to top that, she took on the challenge of the same format, but on ice skates for Dancing on Ice 2010. Charity & Campaigning Landmines, Animal Cruelty, Fur, Veganism, Press Ethics, Amputees Heather's focus over the years has covered many elements of life and modern-day society, from the widespread maiming by indiscriminate landmines to the plight of farmed animals and animals abused and poached for their fur to the nutritional benefits of veganism and the absence of proper regulation of the press and media. The spreading of compassion across the planet and the promotion of a healthy, sustainable and ethical lifestyle has been at the forefront of Heather‟s campaigning in recent years. Putting her money where her mouth is, Heather donated $1 Million, enough for more than 370,000 "meatless meat" meals, to the Hunts Point Alliance for Children in the Bronx NY, where she serves as Honorary Chairwoman and Received a U.S. Certificate of Congressional Merit for her charity work helping to promote healthy living. Heather has received praise by both Viva! and the Humane Society of the United States for her hands on approach to helping to fight for the humane treatment of animals. Heather joined covert investigations at a pig- breeding unit with Viva! to film the cruelty that breeding Sows have to endure, managing to generate massive publicity to raise awareness of the terrible treatment of these innocent creatures. In one of the most fantastic and awe inspiring moments in her life Heather visited the Ice floes off Canada‟s East coast on the Gulf of St Lawrence in March 2006 to observe the absolutely beautiful newborn Harp Seal pups that grace this harsh terrain. This visit was organized in order to draw international attention to the terrifying inhumanity of this cruel industry that soon after heartlessly clubbed and shot these gorgeous animals. On May 5th 2009 it was announced that the European Union has joined the US and finally outlawed products of the cruel commercial Canadian seal slaughters, a massive step along the way to an outright ban. In a huge victory for Dogs and Cats in China on June 19th 2007 the European Parliament voted unanimously to ban the import, export, production and trade of Cat and Dog fur from China into the European Union by December 31st 2008. MEP Struan Stevenson said Heather played a key role in managing to gather over 250,000 petition signatures from her website, as well as lobbying the EU to get a new law introduced across all 27 Member States of the European Union, affecting 500 million EU citizens and saving the lives of an estimated 2 million cats and dogs each year in China alone, where they faced cruel slaughter and sometimes were even skinned alive to supply the fashion and toy trade in Europe. Heather has picked up a number of awards and accolades along the way Some of these include - Animal Rights Activist of the Year 2008; UNESCO Children In Need Award; Irvine Award; International Advocate for Children with Disabilities; UN Goodwill Ambassador; and disabled-skiing World Cup Gold-Medal Winner On Saturday, 16 August 2008 in Washington, D.C., USA the world‟s oldest and largest animal rights conference sponsored by (FARM) presented Heather with the prestigious “Animal Rights Activist of the Year” award for her leadership, and passionate commitment to the animal liberation and welfare movement. Citing her numerous legislative, regulatory and campaign successes Farm Founder and President, Alex Hershaft thanked Heather for all of her accomplishments on behalf of the nearly 1,000 conference attendee‟s representing over 60 different animal protection groups from nine countries. Heather has won numerous accolades and awards over the years including, the inaugural UNESCO Children in Need Award. The University of California honored Heather with the Irvine Award and has established a Fellowship in her name. She also received an Open University Doctorate in 2004. In 2009 she was named an International advocate for Children with Disabilities for her work counselling children and helping to fit thousands of children with prosthetic limbs since the loss of her own limb in 1993. Heather lectures before audiences ranging in size from 30 to 3,000. Heather truly is a shining example of how a positive attitude can overcome adversity and she has the power and ability to instill enthusiasm and positive thinking into others. Her attitude is contagious. Over the years Heather has developed into one of the best motivational speakers on the circuit as it is not just those that have experienced severe trauma that can benefit from Heather‟s particular brand of motivational magic. Heather developed into a renowned Keynote speaker contacted regularly by businesses, societies and various groups to give inspirational talks, to a wide range of audiences. Lasting from twenty minutes to two hours her ability to address the work force or membership of any field on a universal theme has taken Heather as guest speaker to meetings all around the world. Broadcasting and Investigative Journalism Heather has appeared both as a guest and as a presenter and journalist on various television shows and channels. In the USA, these include - Larry King Live, 60 Minutes, Jay Leno Tonight Show, Ellen de Generes, Oprah Winfrey, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollwood, Matha Stuart, Good Morning America, Matt Lauer Show, Katie Couric, MTV, Dancing with the Stars, Dancing on Ice. In the UK, these include - GMTV, Panorama, Newsnight, BBC Breakfast, Trevor McDonald, Michael Parkinson, BBC Radio and various appearances on the BBC networks. In December 2001, Heather made an emotional return to modelling with a difference. After hearing her speak, when accepting an award at the Mothers & Shakers Awards in New York, American clothing company INC, of Macy‟s, realized that Heather, rather than just being a speaker, was someone who stood out and had a positive inspirational effect on those around her. They then asked her to front their “International Concepts of Inspiration” campaign. The successful campaign raised awareness and funds for landmine removal and prosthetic assistance. To date INC have donated $100,000 to the charity. Over the years Heather has done much Television and Radio work. On the 13th August 2009 Heather guest hosted Richard Greene‟s show "Hollywood Clout", on Air America. Heather lined up some very distinguished guests including Sir Richard Branson, Dr Micheal Klaper and Professor T. Colin Campbell, the author of “The China Study”, for what proved to be a fascinating discussion of the most pressing issues relating to health and the wellbeing of our population And our planet. Topics included the impact diet and nutrition has on human health as well as its impact on our environment. Sir Richard Branson has now given up beef. Heather was also invited by legendary chat-show Host Larry King to guest host two of his shows. "Larry King Live with Heather Mills and Paul Newman" was broadcast worldwide on CNN, April 17th 2004. Larry King was thrilled with Heather's interview. Subsequently, following Heather's impressive debut, she was asked to cover the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, conducting live interviews around the world with various guests. The show was a resounding success. A selection of public speaking highlights Heather has given inspirational and motivational speeches and broadcasted for many different companies. Below are a selection of them. Former Clients Below, a selection of testimonials from the many that Heather has received. You were rated as the best speaker that they had ever had and I received the following delegate comments: "The speaker was refreshing and stimulated a fresh set of values"; "The speaker was brilliant"; The speaker was "An Inspiration"; "I thoroughly enjoyed the speaker – very approachable and down to earth and speech very entertaining"; "I enjoyed the speaker, she knew what she had to say and got on with it, her ability to tell her story continuously was remarkable, she kept the audience captivated". The coordinator of the event added – ‘...as you can see everybody thought Heather was brilliant. The ratings were between 8 and 10, nothing lower. Andrew Macdonald, Speakers for Business Heather's life story and her honesty about her own background provided a heartening role model to those who attended. The description of her physical dilemmas in such a down-to-earth, and sometimes amusing, manner created an admirable background for her innovative strength of purpose concerning the landmine problem. Probably the most common word I heard used to describe the event was "inspirational." Also, I thought "this woman is superhuman" and then she would say something that proved she is human, and that humans can do great things. Heather is an excellent speaker with an engaging style, and her remarks were very well appreciated by UCI's students, faculty and community friends. I know that I speak for all those at UCI who were privileged to attend Heather's talk, when I extend our thanks and appreciation for her visit. Ralph J. Cicerone, Chancellor, UCI, Irvine I had the great pleasure to be in the audience at the Cardiff International Arena when you addressed the IBS/Amway distributors. We have had many fine speakers covering all fields of physical, courageous and momentous achievement in our excellent programme of motivational seminars... and whilst marvelling at their achievements, I have never been as impressed and moved as I was by you. We have been involved with Guide Dogs For The Blind as puppy walker/ fundraisers for many years, and have 2 adopted children, and I consider us very caring people. I have never worked for anyone other than myself for the last 30 years since the age of 20, and am not impressed easily, but you humbled me in hearing what you have achieved despite all the difficulties and setbacks to become the wonderful person that you have become. A better example to the whiners of this world could not be found for taking control of your own destiny and changing, leading and motivating others to be the best that they can be. I know that your journey has a long way to go, and I realize how much I still have to do to even come close to a small amount of what you have achieved so far, but I now know I have to try harder and work faster. Peter Metcalf, IBS/Amway A heartfelt thank you for taking the time out of what I appreciate is a rather gruelling schedule at the moment and for coming to Ljubljana to be part of what has been a most successful conference. We couldn’t have been more grateful. Your presentation was perfect for the close of the conference and was just what was required as a finishing note. You have lived an amazing life and carried out most valuable work and we thank you for your passion for the welfare of animals. Clarissa Baldwin, Secretary & Chief Executive, DogsTrust I wish to thank you for giving such an admirable address at our AGM. It certainly aroused a great deal of interest and so did your book. We are very grateful to you for giving the time when I know you are so busy. Limbless Association I am delighted to say our Conference was a great success with many compliments from delegates regarding Heather Mills’ speech. She was an absolute tonic; her talk was interesting, humorous and yet was delivered with great humility. Our delegates were very pleased to be able to talk to her during lunch – this made it much more personal and she made everyone feel at ease. Deborah Burrows, Rotherham Junior Chamber of Commerce People were very quiet after your talk, which concerned me for a while until I gradually realized that you had made a huge impact, and they were just thoughtful – I guess I am just not used to our delegates being that quiet. Mike McGee, Landmark The evening was a huge success, and you went down a storm. I have had a lot of great feedback from people, many who wish they could achieve as much as you have in such a short time, me included. Vanessa Hemingway, Barnsley and Doncaster "Heather Mills is a dynamic personality with a wealth of knowledge about global humanitarian issues. She is passionate about her focus on nutrition and healthy living, animal rights, AND her life's story is both riveting and remarkable.“ “I think she has an extraordinary personality, engaging personality, very magnetic personality. It is a story of determination, it is a story of perseverance. What she has gone through in her life, and what she has been able to accomplish is positively mind blowing and so I think people want to hear about someone who can have a lot of adversity and come back and turn that into such positive things” “She helped to organise the benefit concert in New York to raise so much money for the families of the fire-fighters, police officers and other rescue workers who sacrificed their lives on September 11th.”
“Through her vital work to keep people safe from landmines and in her devotion to other causes that matter so much to so many she has touched and transformed the lives of literally thousands and thousands of people around our world.” "Heather has received the highest ratings at many of the venues; Limra International awarded her 4.7 out of 5, the highest they have given, when speaking at the same conference as Mark McCormack and Neil Armstrong” “Your talk was truly inspirational, in the achievements you have made from a turbulent childhood, I think you have every right to feel very proud of your achievements for both yourself and the charity you support so vigorously... Once again, can I thank you, and on a personal level, if I ever have the opportunity to listen to you speak in public ever again I will take that choice, I could have listened to you all day!” “Your contribution to the conference was invaluable, your speech made a great impact on the younger members of the audience, who I feel took your words that ‘everything is possible’ away with them. Without the support from figures such as yourself, we would have a much harder task in generating interest into what is such an important topic.” “I am writing to express my grateful thanks to you for coming to our transplant games on Sunday. We appreciated having you with us and the competitors enjoyed receiving medals from you. I hope you enjoyed meeting the transplant recipients. They have had their share of troubles in the past and have a bravery similar to the people you help.” “R.M.R. “You made a terrific impact not only on the governments there but also on the landmine survivors, who all really appreciated the time you spent with them. Government representatives referred to your speech during the first session the following day, so they were listening!” “I have felt compelled to write to you after being privileged to hear you speak at the Conference for the Institute of Healthcare Management. My husband is the outgoing President and I have been fortunate to attend most of the conferences over his time in Office. I have to say I have never heard anyone who has moved me as much. I hope you don’t find that remark patronizing as it is from admiration I speak... I can only say that you are a wonderful source of inspiration to us all not to accept less than is possible and to strive for the improbable but with belief in ourselves... You deserve to be happy and loved for the very rare and special person you are.” “Thank you for agreeing so readily to come on board and be our headline speaker. I admired you before the event I’m bowled over now... The response from people and organizations has been fantastic and we wanted to let you know the admiration and inspiration due to your personal contribution has been immense. So often people say ‘we couldn’t have done this without you’. This is absolutely not a cliché. Thank you so much for being courageous in taking the mike and being a role model supreme.” “We have already started to review some of the delegate feedback and there have been many positive comments about your input. ‘Heather Mills for Prime Minister’ and ‘wonderful, inspirational climax by Heather Mills’ are just two of the many enthusiastic comments made by delegates following your presentation.” "Heather's talk was fantastic. Heather is able to do a number of quite remarkable things in a very short period of time. She comes across as very real, totally unpretentious, and deeply committed. She inspires people in a very direct and immediate way. At one level people are aware that Heather is wholly unique and has packed several lifetimes of achievement into less than half a lifetime. But at the same time, listening to Heather these same people experience a very real sense of their own potential--I can make a difference. She is funny, quick and clearly very intelligent and focused. Because of this she comes across as trustworthy and reassuring. When she says, this is possible, she is completely believable. I have given and attended hundreds of talks in my life--from nervous graduate students to accomplished leaders like Queen Noor and Bill Clinton. I have never seen anyone win a group over so quickly and so completely. I have never seen a crowd leave a room expressing such enthusiasm for making the world a better place. I felt honored to be standing beside her.” "Heather Mills was a delightful Guest Speaker at The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Fundraiser in Houston, Texas. She entertained the audience of 500 with stories of her childhood as well as her adulthood and how she lives life daily as a “Strong Woman,” the theme of our event. She was a pleasure as a guest and was a definite drawing card that helped us sell out the room on this, our first time event!.” If you would like more information on Heather's public speaking or broadcasting, please get in touch. Heather is available for broadcasting and public speaking appearances. Please use the contact form to request further information or to discuss an opportunity. © 2013 Heather Mills. All rights reserved. Designed by Darragh.

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745427

__label__cc

Home : Complete Site List : Search : What's New? : Permission to Use : Contact Us Enter keyword(s) to search entire site Rift Valley South Timna is a copper mining center in the extreme south of modern Israel. It is located on the west side of the Rift Valley 16 mi [26 km.] north of Eilat. It was minded by the Egyptians from ca. 1300 to 1150 B.C. and then for about 100 year by the Midianites. The area is also known as “Solomon’s Pillar” but this seems to be a misnomer for the mines were not in operation during the days of Solomon (970¬–930 B.C.). It was excavated by Beno Rothenberg (1969–1984) and among the numerous finds are the well–preserved foundation walls of a temple. © 2020. All Images are the property of Dr. Carl Rasmussen unless otherwise noted. Permission to Use Home Page | Dr. Rasmussen's Blog | Send Technical Feedback

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745428

__label__wiki

HomeCountry NewsRandy Houser changes course with “Magnolia”: “I had to go make my music and not try to be copying something else” Randy Houser changes course with “Magnolia”: “I had to go make my music and not try to be copying something else” January 14, 2019 kkyaadmin Country News 0 BBR Randy Houser‘s top forty hit, “What Whiskey Does,” is the lead single from his new Magnolia record, but he warns it’s not necessarily the best representation of the rest of the album. “It’s probably the most country thing on the record,” he explains. “I was really afraid that people would think I was trying to make a throwback country record. But that kinda scared me, because the album is not a throwback country record.” “But it’s not a pop/country record either,” he adds. “It’s just… I don’t know how to explain it. I guess it’s just my record.” The Mississippi native’s 2016 album, Fired Up, produced the #1 hit “We Went,” but Randy was ready for a change with Magnolia. “Mainly, sonically, I’m just tired of hearing the same old programmed stuff,” he tells ABC Radio, “and canned sounds that we hear everyday and the subjects and… the same grooves all the time…” “I think it was just, I had to go make my music,” Randy declares, “and not try to be copying something else.” Randy co-wrote all twelve songs on Magnolia, which is available now. Maren, OD, FGL and more have country’s most anticipated albums of 2019, according to “Billboard” Jason Aldean will Ride All Night with Kane Brown and Carly Pearce on 2019 tour

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745429

__label__wiki

Bambi at Walton Fine Arts 'I'm too hot for my burka' by Bambi From the 9th November Walton Fine Arts has held the world premiere for the up and coming street artist Bambi. This is the first official exhibition for the young artist and took place in the well-known gallery on Walton Street, in Knightsbridge. The gallery is the official and exclusive global representative and agent of Bambi. Bambi has already been called the new Banksy by many critics, including David Dimbleby, and already has a distinguished client list including Gary Barlow, Adele and Brad Pitt. It is symbolic of her work that her client list is as varied as it is, as her works cover a vast range of styles from the satirical and gritty element of traditional street art to recent British iconic moments. Over the last three years, the price of street art has risen hugely so that its most famous exponent, Banksy has become one of Britain’s foremost artists. The increasing popularity of this genre has also allowed other artists like Bambi to rise to prominence. Some of the appeal of Bambi’s work is probably due to the fact that she, unlike many of her contemporaries, does not set out to produce a reaction. This doesn’t mean that she doesn’t create thought-provoking works, but that she also produces plenty of work that is pleasing to look at and is not the sort of work you would have to take down when you have distinguished guests around. These works show Bambi’s sensitivity to changing markets and tastes, as she produces images of Usain Bolt and Ai Weiwei (“To di world” and “Ai Weiwei”) whilst also producing pieces that capitalize on the current British mood, such as her portrait of Will and Kate, entitled “A bit like Marmite”. Other works seem to be highly nostalgic, like the famous “I wish” and “Amy”, of the late, great singer – Amy Winehouse. The most apparent difference between her and most other street artists is that she is “interested in people who spread love and joy”, to quote Bambi herself. The exhibition encompasses a huge variety of works; some put together especially for the exhibition, and shows the huge breadth of styles and subjects that Britain’s fastest rising street artist can portray. For more details, contact Walton Fine Arts: 154 Walton Street, London, SW3 2JJ, 020 7581 2332 Esther Brown Joe Fraser Josh Zietcer Lime&tonic

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745436

__label__cc

OSHA’s Final Rule on Electronic Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses Posted by Kdl307 on Mar 27th, 2017 This article was prepared last summer when the regulation was adopted. Now in 2017 the electronic tracking will begin. If you think this regulation would be a good candidate for cancellation by the new administration, I recommend you contact the members of your Congressional Delegation. The following article is posted here. By Thomas Benjamin Huggett on In keeping with [former] Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels’ promise to “shame” employers into compliance, on May 12, 2016, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published its final rule on electronic reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses. Under this rule, OSHA will be publishing employer injury and illness records on the internet without any explanation of the facts and circumstances of the particular cases involved. Further, OSHA has changed the requirements for directing employees on reporting injuries and illnesses and assumed new authority to prosecute alleged retaliation against employees for reporting injuries and illnesses. Finally, OSHA takes the position that to ensure injury and illness reporting, employers must notify employees of their rights, and the agency must be able to police any program that might discourage reporting, such as employer safety incentive programs. What Does the Rule Require? Electronic Reporting The new rule provisions on reporting, which take effect on January 1, 2017, require various employers to submit injury and illness data electronically. OSHA is requiring each and every establishment (i.e., each separate workplace) with 250 or more employees in industries covered by the recordkeeping regulation to submit information from their 2016 injury and illness recordkeeping Form 300A by July 1, 2017. The following year, these employers are required to submit information from all 2017 forms (300A, 300, and 301) by July 1, 2018. Beginning in 2019 and for every year thereafter, the information must be submitted by March 2. For those employers who utilize an alternative to the OSHA Form 301, such as a workers’ compensation first report of injury, as expressly allowed by the existing rules, these changes will in essence require that the employer also complete the OSHA Form 301. Establishments with 20-249 employees in specified “high-risk industries” – identified on a specific list and including all employers in the agriculture, utilities, construction, and manufacturing industries – must submit their Form 300A by July 1 in 2017 and 2018, and by March 2 every year thereafter. Because the information is kept and must be submitted by each establishment, many companies will be required to submit thousands of reports every year. Those employers with establishments that are not required to submit records yearly may still be required to submit information upon OSHA’s direction. OSHA intends to provide notification of these data collections through direct mailings, publication in the Federal Register, and publication on its website and other notices. It remains to be seen whether these data collections will be part of inspection programs like the former Site Specific Targeting (SST) program. Employee Involvement The rule also changes employer obligations for ensuring employees report all work-related injuries and illnesses. Effective 90 days after publication of the rule, on August 10, 2016, employers must establish “a reasonable procedure” for employees to report work-related injuries and illnesses promptly and accurately. The rule does not specify whether this procedure must be in writing, but for practical purposes of proving the existence of the procedure, employers will need to do so. In addition, employers must keep in mind that OSHA is presently litigating a case against U.S. Steel asserting that any program requiring reporting sooner than seven days after the injury or illness is illegal because it would discourage reporting. As set forth in the new rule, no employer procedure can deter or discourage a reasonable employee from accurately reporting a workplace injury or illness. In its explanation of the rule, OSHA expects this provision will allow it to regulate employer safety incentive programs, which the agency believes interfere with reporting injuries and illnesses. After establishing the procedure for reporting work-related injuries and illnesses, employers must inform each employee about it. OSHA does not formally call this training or an educational program, but it is clear an employer will need to be able to prove its employees received the information. Specifically, the employer must tell all employees: (A) they have the right to report work-related injuries and illnesses; and (B) a company is prohibited from discharging or in any manner discriminating against employees for reporting work-related injuries or illnesses. Anti-Retaliation Protections The new rule also expressly prohibits retaliation for reporting a work-related injury or illness. In a new section of regulations, OSHA sets itself up as the arbiter of retaliation through citation enforcement for any employee who files a safety and health complaint, asks for access to the part 1904 injury and illness records, or exercises any rights afforded by the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). Why is the Rule Problematic? The Rule is Inconsistent with the OSH Act Nowhere in the OSH Act has Congress authorized OSHA to publicize establishment-specific injury and illness records outside of the employer’s own workplace. Although Congress gave the agency limited authority to create reporting requirements, for 40 years such information was provided to OSHA and the employer’s own employees only; it was never disseminated to the public. In the proposed rulemaking record, OSHA expressly acknowledged the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 that prohibits the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) from releasing establishment-specific data to the general public. Although the law is in fact applicable only to the BLS, the intent of the law is expressly stated to protect the confidentiality of the information OSHA now proposes to disclose. OSHA does not explain how its release of the information is consistent with the congressional mandate expressed in the law. In other actions, OSHA has argued that this information is confidential and should not be disclosed. Although in at least one case OSHA was ordered to disclose the Lost Work Day Illness and Injury (LWDII) rates, the court made no findings regarding disclosure of the actual numbers of cases in distinct categories or the actual number of hours worked, much less specific information on individual injury and illness cases. OSHA asserted that all items were confidential. The new final rule is an open invitation for mischaracterization and misuse of the records in ways Congress never intended. OSHA is Eliminating Use of Equivalent Forms OSHA’s existing injury and illness recordkeeping rules allow employers to use forms equivalent to the Form 300, Form 301, and Form 300A, so long as same information is recorded. Many employers utilize equivalent forms – particularly insurance and accident investigation forms – in place of the Form 301. In requiring electronic reporting in a particular software format, OSHA is mandating the use of a specific form and eliminating the widespread use of equivalent forms by employers. This change has not been identified or evaluated (benefits, or lack thereof) under the Paperwork Reduction Act provisions applicable to this rulemaking. The incremental benefit (if any) of this rule is significantly outweighed by the increased paperwork duplication created by the use of mandatory forms and elimination of equivalent forms. The Burden of Electronic Submission OSHA’s rule requires employers to adopt an electronic recordkeeping system or to transfer all paper records to electronic format for submission. There is no option for a paper submission for large or small employers. OSHA previously acknowledged that 30% of the establishments responding to the 2010 recordkeeping survey did not submit data electronically. By way of explanation, OSHA noted, “for some of the establishments…it is difficult to submit data electronically. Most agencies currently allow non-electronic filing of information, and some businesses continue to use this option, despite strong encouragement by agencies to file electronically.” That recognition is missing in the final rule. OSHA further failed to explain how it will establish and maintain a confidential and reliable means of electronic submission by employers. The U.S. government famously failed to implement reliable website access for the Affordable Care Act when that was a major policy initiative with full funding. OSHA has received no additional funding or resources for implementing this new rule. OSHA is Likely Discouraging Reporting and Recording Many employers have expressed a legitimate concern that the new rule may discourage recording of cases. Knowing they will be scrutinized on this data by the agency, the public, potential customers, and competitors, and in order to protect their reputation, employers will likely be conservative in analyzing whether to record each and every case in their logs. Putting aside cases involving failure to record covered cases, the inescapable fact is that questionable cases might not be recorded. Further, knowing the impact of their injuries on their employers’ ability to secure future work, employees may be incentivized by OSHA’s new rule not to report cases to their employer. The rule might also motivate employees not to report injuries and illnesses in order to protect their own privacy. Employees will recognize that their case will be reported on the internet, and even without their name appearing on OSHA’s website, in small towns across America, their neighbors and co-workers will know to whom the entry refers. The overall effect of these changes will be to decrease (not increase) the amount of information on injuries and illnesses available to review and effectively create a safer workplace. The “Supplemental” Amending of the Whistleblower Provisions Although not included in OSHA’s August 2014 proposed rulemaking, OSHA published a supplemental notice proposing to amend the rule to include a direct prohibition on retaliation. Section 11(c) of the OSH Act sets forth a specific procedure for the investigation of retaliation complaints with a procedure for enforcement through a federal lawsuit filed by the Department of Labor Solicitor’s Office. However, section 11(c) does not provide for OSHA to establish a separate enforcement scheme where citations and penalties can be issued, nor does it allow OSHA to proceed without a complaint from an employee. Further, because the proposed rulemaking did not include any regulatory text or analysis of the rulemaking, there is a strong argument that this provision in the final rule has not been enacted properly under the OSHA rulemaking requirements. Conclusion and Employer Actions Although there are concerns about the new rule and its enactment will likely result in legal challenges, it is, for the time being, an official and final rule, with its requirements for procedures, employee information, and prohibition on retaliation becoming enforceable on August 10, 2016. Accordingly, employers should consider the following actions: Review and revise procedure for employees to report work-related injuries and illnesses promptly and accurately; Ensure procedures include OSHA’s notice of the right to report and the assurance against retaliation; Review and revise how the procedure is communicated to employees and update that communication for any revised procedure; and Review all safety incentive programs to ensure they will not be alleged to deter or discourage a reasonable employee from accurately reporting a workplace injury or illness. Littler Mendelson’s Workplace Safety and Health Practice Group will continue to monitor developments under this rule and provide timely updates. FedEx Ground’s Veep of Safety Scott Mugno Tapped by Trump to Lead OSHA Occupational Asbestos Exposure Wyoming Oil & Gas Industry Safety Alliance Wyoming OSHA Wyoming OSHA Consultation Federal OSHA Prior OSHA Citation History Email: ken@kdl307.com Casper, WY 82601-6436 KDL Consulting, LLC © 2019 KDL Consulting, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Web Site Design by: Waves Web Design

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745438

__label__cc

Home > Articles > Business & Management > Finance & Investing Introduction to Wealth: Grow It and Protect It By Stuart E. Lucas Good Idea, Bad Start When Opportunity Comes Face to Face with Hard Work and Preparation No Strategic Approach to Wealth Management Alarm Bells It's Hard to Grow Assets AND Enjoy the Fruits of Success at the Same Time! Our Wealth Represented More Than Cash We Needed to Get a Handle on Our Investment Portfolio Introducing Strategic Wealth Management We Are Stewards, Not Owners, of Our Wealth Taking Control for the First Time The Power and Purpose of Entrepreneurial Stewardship Philanthropy Has Emerged as a Shared Interest Among Many Family Members Closer Family Ties The Value of Family Lore How My Dad Taught Me the Value of Money A Book About Strategic Wealth Management Stuart E. Lucas introduces his book, which focuses on what an individual like you and families like yours can do to protect and grow your wealth, share it with others, and build lasting personal and family legacies based on it. Wealth: Grow It and Protect It, Updated and Revised Question: What’s the best way to make a small fortune? Answer: Start with a big one. This book focuses on what an individual like you and families like yours can do to protect and grow your wealth, share it with others, and build lasting personal and family legacies based on it. The lessons learned and shared here come from my many years as a wealth industry professional combined with the experience of representing my family as longtime clients of the industry. There is value in having sat on both sides of the table, and I want to share that value with you. Whether you are building your wealth over time or acquired it suddenly, whether you have a few hundred thousand in assets or a few hundred million, whether your family situation is simple or complex, the principles discussed in this book will help you sustain, grow, and, most important, enjoy your wealth. Everyone dreams of striking it rich—by selling a business, scoring a great investment, receiving an inheritance, or winning the lottery. In fact, most people generate their wealth, small or large, by patiently accumulating and nurturing their asset base. Either way, integrating all the components of wealth management into a coherent, satisfying whole is the challenge we have before us. I was one of the lucky ones because I was born into a wealthy family. For me, the dream began with $25,000 and the founding of what became the Carnation Company by my great-grandfather E. A. Stuart in 1899. Eighty-six years later, the company was sold to the Nestlé Corporation for $3 billion, and I am a beneficiary of that wealth. But I am even luckier because I’ve drawn perspective from a thoughtful family legacy and over a quarter century of working in financial services. I’ve used this perspective to build a flexible framework that can be customized to the unique circumstances of anyone who cares about managing their wealth. That’s what this book is about. My hope is that you’ll use this framework to protect and grow your own wealth, share it constructively with those you love, enjoy financial security, and build a lasting personal and family legacy. But first, I will share a little personal and family history so that you can see firsthand where I’m coming from. The story of Carnation’s founding and of E. A. Stuart’s pluck and grit in revolutionizing the production of fresh, safe milk products at the turn of the 20th century is the stuff of American history. So too is the fortune he amassed in bringing these products to your grandparents, your parents, and now your kitchen table. Back in the late 19th century, E. A. Stuart had a dream of making wholesome, good-tasting milk as available to the Americans of his day as sugar and salt. So in 1899, he co-founded the Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company and spent $25,000 to buy the rights to a process for producing evaporated milk. The circumstances surrounding E. A. Stuart’s purchase of his new milk production process were hardly auspicious. In fact, in the beginning, they had all the markings of a business disaster. At first, poorly sealed cans of evaporated milk spoiled by the wagonload after leaving Stuart’s plant near modern-day Seattle, Washington. Making matters worse, local customers in those days weren’t convinced they needed his product anyway, not in a region where cows dotted the lush local countryside and fresh milk flowed as plentifully from local pastures as cold, clear water did from local mountain streams. But my great-grandfather persisted. “Pluck wins. It always wins,” he used to say in those challenging and sometimes dark early days. Showing flinty resolve, he perfected his milk evaporation process and improved his canning procedures. Dark Side of Valuation, The: Valuing Young, Distressed, and Complex Businesses, 3rd Edition By Aswath Damodaran Extreme Money: Masters of the Universe and the Cult of Risk (Paperback) By Satyajit Das Mastering Market Timing: Using the Works of L.M. Lowry and R.D. Wyckoff to Identify Key Market Turning Points (Paperback) By Richard A. Dickson, Tracy L. Knudsen

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745440

__label__wiki

Menu link 1 Revue de la Pesse Droits du Consommateur La Ronde des Prix Bourse des Valeurs Risque Pays Assistance Aéroport Formalités d’immigration Visite de sites Touristiques Organisation séjour au Gabon Bien se loger au Gabon Loger Chez l'Habitant Offres meublées Assistance Logement [ Inscrivez-vous ] Newsletter, Alertes ICC Prosecutor underlines cooperation with CAR authorities to restore justice The Hague, Netherlands, March 28 (Infosplusgabon) - Justice and accountability are necessary to successfully surmount the recurring cycle of violence in Central African Republic (CAR), International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has said, reiterating her Office's commitment to the pursuit of accountability for atrocity crimes in the country. “The fight against impunity and efforts to stabilise the country are inextricable,” Bensouda pointed out in a statement issued here on Tuesday following her visit to CAR last week when she attended the opening of a training programme for the examining magistrates and judges of the Special Criminal Court in the country. The three-day training programme was the result of collaboration between the French National School of Administration and the Judiciary, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the ICC. “We appreciate all efforts undertaken to restore justice in CAR, including the efforts of the Special Criminal Court,” said Bensouda, noting that the ongoing violence currently plaguing a large portion of the country, including the city of Bangui, is a reminder of how precarious the situation in CAR remains. “Clashes between armed groups persist. The civilian population suffers from this state of instability and violence. These terrible events are a reminder of the major challenges which must be overcome in order to restore stability in CAR. “It is heartening that the men and women of the Central African Republic have called for justice. These demands must be met. We have heard this need expressed by many, including participants in the Bangui Forum of 2015, Government representatives, members of civil society, religious leaders, refugees and members of the diaspora. “As these voices continue to stress, there will be no peace, nor lasting reconciliation, without justice. Each of us has a contribution to make: peace, justice, reconstruction and reconciliation are all different facets of the same struggle. “Only by cooperating and coordinating our respective efforts shall we achieve these goals. As Prosecutor of the ICC, I reaffirm that my Office will continue to play its part in accordance with its mandate under the Rome Statute,” Bensouda said. She pointed out that her Office has always emphasised the importance of cooperation and complementarity; which is crucial to develop strong linkages between national judicial systems and the ICC. She told CAR authorities of their primary responsibility to investigate the atrocities committed and prosecute perpetrators, with a view to ensuring that they are held accountable. “Our efforts are solely undertaken in accordance with our mandate under the Rome Statute, bringing the added value derived from the preliminary examinations, investigations and prosecutions for which we are responsible,” she said. With regard to the situation in CAR, Bensouda explained that at the end of 2014, following a referral by Central African authorities, she decided to open a second investigation. Since then, the representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office have been collecting, and continue to collect evidence relative to crimes committed since 1 August 2012. “We are focusing our efforts on investigating alleged crimes falling under the jurisdiction of the ICC committed during the period in question by both parties to the conflict, namely, the Séléka and the Anti-Balaka armed groups. “We shall fulfil our role, but we cannot address all atrocity crimes committed in CAR, and were never designed to do so,” she said. In Bangui Bensouda had discussion with CAR President Faustin Archange Touadera besides her meetings with national authorities, civil society representatives, judicial actors and the media. She told them that the efforts undertaken by the ICC, national authorities, the Special Criminal Court and other actors are all complementary. They all seek to ensure those responsible for egregious crimes committed in CAR are held responsible, and by so doing, hope to deter future crimes. FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/KJG/GABON 2018 © Copyright Infosplusgabon Qui est en ligne! Liaisons Représentées: Ancien Site Infos Plus Gabon DEPÊCHES Copyright © 2011 -Infos Plus Gabon Tous droits réservés

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745441

__label__cc

Home > Product > IMR Reagent > “MagQu” α-Synuclein Control Solution-H “MagQu” α-Synuclein Control Solution-H Catalog No. CL-ASC-010T For Immuno Magnetic Reduction (IMR) α-Synuclein (SNCA) is a presynaptic neuronal protein and is abundant in the human brain. α-Synuclein aggregates to form insoluble fibrils in pathological conditions characterized by Lewy bodies, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). These disorders are known as synucleinopathies. α-Synuclein is the primary structural component of Lewy body fibrils. Occasionally, Lewy bodies contain tau protein; however, α-Synuclein and tau constitute two distinctive subsets of filaments in the same inclusion bodies. α-Synuclein pathology is also found in both sporadic and familial cases with Alzheimer's disease.1, 2, 3 α-Synuclein Control Solution is used as a standard control for “MagQu” α-Synuclein IMR Reagent (MF-ASC-0060). The antibody conjugated on the surface of Fe3O4 magnetic particles (~ 50 nm) could bind with α-Synuclein and form clusters. With the increase of cluster, the signal of ac susceptibility ( χac ) will decrease in the applied ac magnetic field. That is the principle of Immuno Magnetic Reduction (IMR). By measuring the reduction of χac , we can quantify the α-Synuclein in the sample easily and accurately.4,5 Anzari Atik, Tessandra Stewart, Jing Zhang, “Alpha-synuclein as a biomarker for Parkinson's disease”, Brain Pathology, Volume 26, Issue 3, pages 410–418, May 2016 Oskar Hansson, Sara Hall, Annika Öhrfelt, Henrik Zetterberg, Kaj Blennow, Lennart Minthon, Katarina Nägga, Elisabet Londos, Shiji Varghese, Nour K Majbour, Abdulmonem Al-Hayani, Omar MA El-Agna, “Levels of cerebrospinal fluid α-Synuclein oligomers are increased in Parkinson's disease with dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies compared to Alzheimer's disease”, Hansson et al. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy, 2014, 6:25. D.J. Irwin, V.M.Y. Lee, and J.Q. Trojanowski, “Parkinson's disease dementia convergence of α-Synuclein, tau and amyloid-β pathologies”, Nat Rev Neurosci., 14, 626–636, 2013. C.Y. Hong, C.C. Wu, Y.C. Chiu, S.Y. Yang, H.E. Horng, H.C. Yang, “Magnetic susceptibility reduction method for magnetically labeled immunoassay”, Appl. Phys. Lett. , 88, 212512-1–212512- 3, 2006. C.C. Yang, S.Y. Yang, C. S. Ho, et al, ”Development of antibody functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for the immunoassay of carcinoembryonic antigen: a feasibility study for clinical use.”, Journal of Nanobiotechnology, 2014, 12:44. pH-value at 20℃ (68 °F) Shipped at 4°C. Store at -15°C~-30°C CL-ASC-010T 25 tests 1 mL Applications Content: SQUID-based Immuno-Magnetic Analyzer α-Synuclein IMR Reagent “MagQu” α-Synuclein Control Solution-L Manual & Protocol MSDS＆DOC

cc/2020-05/en_head_0068.json.gz/line745444