Black lawmakers boycott conference over state flag
by Adam Ganucheau May 1, 2017 January 11, 2021
Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, spoke about closing the gender pay gap during a news conference on Wednesday. Credit: Rogelio V. Solis, AP
The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus announced Monday it will skip the Southern Legislative Conference, which will be held this year in Biloxi, because of the state flag.
The 51 members of the black caucus said they would boycott this year’s conference because Mississippi leaders have failed to address changing the state flag, which is the last in the country containing the Confederate battle emblem.
The caucus expressed disappointment with House Speaker Philip Gunn and the Southern Legislative Conference for choosing to host its conference in Mississippi because of the flag.
The Southern Legislative Conference, chaired this year by Gunn, is a coalition of state legislators who meet annually to discuss policy work inside statehouses across the South.
“A stronger statement would have been to conduct the 2017 meeting in another state,” wrote Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, in a letter to Gunn. “As a body, the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus voted to boycott this year’s SLC meeting. We believe participation at the meeting would send a message of support for the continued use of the Confederate flag.”
Last session, lawmakers filed 22 bills dealing with the state flag in some manner. All died in committee.
Twelve bills, all drafted by black Democrats, proposed a new state flag, while seven bills, all drafted by white Republicans, would impose statutory punishments for governmental entities refusing to fly it.
Two bills would have left the issue to Mississippi voters on a statewide ballot (one in November 2017 and the other in November 2018), and another would have adopted a second official state flag.
All eight of the state’s public universities have stopped flying the flag, as well as some of the state’s largest cities, including Jackson, Biloxi, Tupelo, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Columbus and Vicksburg.
Williams-Barnes wrote in the letter to Gunn that she hoped he would use his position to “encourage (the SLC) to support our efforts to replace the flag with one all Mississippians can be proud to display.”
“We wish not to turn our backs on the millions of Mississippians, including our constituents, who desire a change in our state’s most prominent official symbol,” Williams-Barnes wrote. “This decision is taken seriously and after much consideration.”
Click here to see the full letter from the Legislative Black Caucus.
In 2001, Mississippi voters decided overwhelmingly to keep flying the current state flag. Since then, no substantial executive or legislative action has been taken. Since 2000, five flag-related initiatives failed to garner enough signatures to make a statewide ballot. Initiative 55, which expired Oct. 15, 2016, would have stripped the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Initiative 58, which expired Nov. 5, 2016, would have cemented the adoption of the current state flag in the Mississippi Constitution.
Mississippi leaders are split on the issue. Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves have cited the 2001 vote, saying Mississippians should vote again on whether to change the flag. Opponents of the flag say a 16-year-old vote should not dictate today’s policy.
Gunn remains the highest-ranking state officials to vocally oppose the flag, citing a portion of the population that feels excluded by the rebel emblem it contains.
“My position on the flag has not changed,” Gunn told Mississippi Today earlier this year. “I still believe the flag needs to be changed. I think we can find something that represents all of Mississippi, so we’re going to continue those discussions to see what we can come up with.”
The Mississippi Economic Council, a coalition of the business leaders that serves as the state’s chamber of commerce, led the 2001 charge to change the flag. In late 2016, the council unveiled a bicentennial banner to honor the state’s 2017 bicentennial. Many, including former council president Blake Wilson, say the banner could spark a new conversation about the state flag.
“You’ve got a brand that disenfranchises 37 percent of your population (who are African Americans), so why would you use that brand?” Wilson said. “It’s not a brand that brings people together.”

Black lawmakers boycott conference over state flag

by Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today
May 1, 2017

The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus announced Monday it will skip the Southern Legislative Conference, which will be held this year in Biloxi, because of the state flag.

The 51 members of the black caucus said they would boycott this year’s conference because Mississippi leaders have failed to address changing the state flag, which is the last in the country containing the Confederate battle emblem.

The caucus expressed disappointment with House Speaker Philip Gunn and the Southern Legislative Conference  for choosing to host its conference in Mississippi because of the flag.

The Southern Legislative Conference, chaired this year by Gunn, is a coalition of state legislators who meet annually to discuss policy work inside statehouses across the South.

“A stronger statement would have been to conduct the 2017 meeting in another state,” wrote Rep. Sonya Williams-Barnes, D-Gulfport, in a letter to Gunn. “As a body, the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus voted to boycott this year’s SLC meeting. We believe participation at the meeting would send a message of support for the continued use of the Confederate flag.”

Last session, lawmakers filed 22 bills dealing with the state flag in some manner. All died in committee.

Twelve bills, all drafted by black Democrats, proposed a new state flag, while seven bills, all drafted by white Republicans, would impose statutory punishments for governmental entities refusing to fly it.

Two bills would have left the issue to Mississippi voters on a statewide ballot (one in November 2017 and the other in November 2018), and another would have adopted a second official state flag.

All eight of the state’s public universities have stopped flying the flag, as well as some of the state’s largest cities, including Jackson, Biloxi, Tupelo, Greenville, Hattiesburg, Columbus and Vicksburg.

Williams-Barnes wrote in the letter to Gunn that she hoped he would use his position to “encourage (the SLC) to support our efforts to replace the flag with one all Mississippians can be proud to display.”

“We wish not to turn our backs on the millions of Mississippians, including our constituents, who desire a change in our state’s most prominent official symbol,” Williams-Barnes wrote. “This decision is taken seriously and after much consideration.”

Click here to see the full letter from the Legislative Black Caucus.

In 2001, Mississippi voters decided overwhelmingly to keep flying the current state flag. Since then, no substantial executive or legislative action has been taken. Since 2000, five flag-related initiatives failed to garner enough signatures to make a statewide ballot. Initiative 55, which expired Oct. 15, 2016, would have stripped the Confederate emblem from the state flag. Initiative 58, which expired Nov. 5, 2016, would have cemented the adoption of the current state flag in the Mississippi Constitution.

Mississippi leaders are split on the issue. Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves have cited the 2001 vote, saying Mississippians should vote again on whether to change the flag. Opponents of the flag say a 16-year-old vote should not dictate today’s policy.

Gunn remains the highest-ranking state officials to vocally oppose the flag, citing a portion of the population that feels excluded by the rebel emblem it contains.

“My position on the flag has not changed,” Gunn told Mississippi Today earlier this year. “I still believe the flag needs to be changed. I think we can find something that represents all of Mississippi, so we’re going to continue those discussions to see what we can come up with.”

The Mississippi Economic Council, a coalition of the business leaders that serves as the state’s chamber of commerce, led the 2001 charge to change the flag. In late 2016, the council unveiled a bicentennial banner to honor the state’s 2017 bicentennial. Many, including former council president Blake Wilson, say the banner could spark a new conversation about the state flag.

“You’ve got a brand that disenfranchises 37 percent of your population (who are African Americans), so why would you use that brand?” Wilson said. “It’s not a brand that brings people together.”

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.


Home/Sports News/Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns says season will be difficult amid off-court tragedies
Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns says season will be difficult amid off-court tragedies
As Karl-Anthony Towns prepares to begin his sixth season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he said he also is continuing to process the death of his mother, Jacqueline Cruz-Towns, and six other family members who also died of complications from the coronavirus.
“I’ve been through a lot, obviously starting out with my mom,” Towns said Friday. “Last night I got a call that I lost my uncle. I feel like I’ve been hardened a little bit by life and humbled.”
On March 25, Towns shared an emotional video on Instagram explaining that his mother had been placed on a ventilator and was in a medically induced coma as a result of the virus. Cruz-Towns died April 13 at the age of 58.
“I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven months,” Towns said. “I have a lot of people who have — in my family and my mom’s family — gotten COVID. I’m the one looking for answers still, trying to find how to keep them healthy. It’s just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive.”
Towns’ father, Karl Sr., also contracted the virus but has recovered.
Towns has posted several video updates to his social media detailing what he went through as he cared for his mother and how he felt after she died. He said that he felt the need to share those videos to help people better understand the effects of the disease.
“I didn’t want people to feel the way I felt,” Towns said. “I wanted to try to keep them from having the ordeal and the situation I was going through. It just came from a place that I didn’t want people to feel as lonely and upset as I was. I really made that video just to protect others and keep others well-informed, even though I knew it was going to take the most emotionally out of me that I’ve ever been asked to do.”
Towns said that his teammates — particularly D’Angelo Russell — helped him navigate the weeks after losing his mother. He said he got a slew of supportive calls and text messages from members of the Timberwolves organization.
Towns said that although getting back to playing basketball is something he welcomes, it also will be challenging for him to play without his mother. Cruz-Towns rarely missed one of his games.
“It always brought me a smile when I saw my mom at the baseline and in the stands and stuff and having a good time watching me play,” Towns said. “It is going to be hard to play. It’s going to be difficult to say this is therapy. I don’t think [playing basketball] will ever be therapy for me again. But it gives me a chance to relive good memories I had.”
Once hospitalized, Black patients with COVID-19 have lower risk of death than white, study finds -- ScienceDaily
Deirdre O'Brien, Apple's SVP of Retail + People, talks about the company's response to COVID-19 and how its retail staff and stores evolved amid the pandemic (Steven Levy/Wired)


Title: Rhode Island Report on the Judiciary 1999
Annotation: This 1999 Annual Report on Rhode Island's judiciary profiles the activities of the State's judicial system during the 1999 calendar year and is intended to be a valuable source of information on the judiciary's operation.
Abstract: The year 1999 saw a number of improvements and innovations in each of the six courts that compose Rhode Island's unified judicial system. In an effort to deal effectively with its massive caseload, the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal installed a new computer system and made various improvements to ensure that the public is served in a more timely and efficient manner. The District Court has continued to deal effectively with its varied and numerically significant case load. Both civil and criminal cases have been managed well. The Family Court has continued to mount innovative programs, such as the formation of a new Truancy Court, a new drug calendar, and an aggressive approach to domestic violence and child support problems. The Workers' Compensation Court continues to be a model for the Nation in its timely disposition of complex cases. It has positively affected the business community by reducing workers' compensation insurance premiums as well as ensuring that employees receive appropriate compensation in a timely manner; most cases are reached for initial hearing within 30 days or less. The Superior Court has continued with its alternate dispute resolution, court annexed arbitration, and mediation programs, and the court has moved closer to meeting its goals of time standard performance. The Supreme Court continues to reduce its case inventory and remains one of the most current appellate courts of its type in the United States; cases are resolved in an average of 10 months from the time of filing to disposition. The plans of the unified judiciary for logistical, computer, and structural improvements are advancing at a satisfactory pace. Appended court statistics, rosters, and directory
Main Term(s): Court management
Index Term(s): Court case flow; Court case flow management; Court statistics; Rhode Island; State courts
Rhode Island Administrative Office of State Courts
Corporate Author: Rhode Island Administrative Office of State Courts
Licht Judicial Complex
250 Benefit Street
Type: Report (Annual/Periodic)


Jesse Cook: The Tempest 25 Tour
Conexus Arts Centre
/ticket/p/2340317/jesse-cookthe-tempest-25-tour-regina-conexus-arts-centre 09-17-2021 22:00:00 09-17-2021 22:00:00 Jesse Cook: The Tempest 25 Tour Conexus Arts Centre true MM/DD/YYYY
REGULAR: CAD62.00 / CAD52.00 / CAD41.50
WHEELCHAIR: CAD41.50
REGULAR / WHEELCHAIR Public Onsale: December 18, 2020 3:23 PM to September 17, 2021 8:00 PM
NEW DATE: Friday, September 17, 2021
We understand you may not be able to make the new date, but have worked with the event organizer to make sure you have an option. You have until Thursday, October 22, 2020 to request a refund. If you do not choose this option by October 22, your ticket(s) will remain valid and honoured on the rescheduled date.
PRICES: $41.50 - $62.00 (Plus Applicable Service Charges)
Award-winning and Internationally acclaimed guitarist, composer and producer Jesse Cook is set to mark 25 years of music with 25 special tour dates across Canada.
The tour serves as a bemusing milestone for a guy who never planned on releasing an album.
“If you had asked me at age 22, I would have said I would never, never make music for the public,” Cook says with a laugh. “I would have told you the public is much too fickle… They may love you one minute and forget you the next.”
“Well… It turns out I did the thing I said I’d never do, and somehow it’s worked out.”
By the numbers, Jesse Cook holds ten platinum and gold studio albums with combined sales exceeding two million copies, five concert DVDs and live discs, and five PBS specials — his most recent, directed, edited and mixed by Cook himself. He holds a JUNO Award win for Best Instrumental Album with 2000’s Free Fall (Narada) — which celebrates its 20th anniversary next year — and 11 JUNO Award nominations. These stack alongside three Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, a Gemini Award and Acoustic Guitar Magazine Player’s Choice Silver Award, not to mention thousands of concerts in dozens of countries, plus millions of views and streams, and countless fans around the world.
“25 years ago, before Tempest was released — and all that would follow — if you had asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I would have told you I was happy in my solitude,” Cook reflects. “I didn’t want to be in the public eye. But I was wrong.”
“Without my fans, none of this would have happened. Words are not enough to thank all the people who have been with me on this crazy, beautiful journey these last 25 years.”
SASK REGULATIONS: Ticket Sales Regulations in the Province of Saskatchewan prohibit the sale of tickets outside the boundaries of Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba, the Northwest Territories, North Dakota and Montana during the first hour of sale. Please be advised tickets are subject to cancellation if the purchasers delivery address is outside of these boundaries. For more info go to, http://www.fcaa.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=e657ee51-e810-4a9a-ac83-1319f122dd8e
TICKET PRICE POLICY: These amounts are only one component of the price of tickets within each category. They include taxes, but do not include service fees and delivery fees, which are (or may be) included in the price of specific tickets offered for sale.
BABES IN ARMS POLICY: It is the Conexus Arts Centre Ticket Policy that all persons entering the Theatre must have a ticket regardless of age. Each person must have a ticket for the performance including children (and infants in arms). For further information on our ticketing policies please contact our Box Office.
PLEASE NOTE: Tickets are non-refundable, and exchanges are not permitted.
The account holder is the only person authorized to pick up tickets at the box office by showing their photo ID and credit card used to purchase the order.


13-yr Omar Farouq: UNICEF demands reversal of sentence - ITREALMS
Despite recently signing Child Protection Bill into an Act, the Kano State Sharia Court at Feli Hockey, Kano, in northern Nigeria, has sentenced a 13-year-old Omar Farouq to 10 years imprisonment with menial labour, reports ITREALMS.
This is coming as UNICEF has expressed deep concern about the sentence and asked the government both at the Federal and Kano State to reverse it.
The sentence was handed down after he was convicted of blasphemy on 10 August 2020.
“The sentencing of this child - 13-year-old Omar Farouk - to 10 years in prison with menial labour is wrong. It also negates all core underlying principles of child rights and child justice that Nigeria - and by implication, Kano State - has signed on to,” said Peter Hawkins, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria.
The sentence is in contravention of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Nigeria ratified in 1991. It is also a violation of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child - which Nigeria ratified in 2001 - and Nigeria’s Child Rights Act 2003, which domesticates Nigeria’s international obligations to protect children’s right to life, survival and development.
UNICEF called on the Nigerian Government and the Kano State Government to urgently review the case with a view to reversing the sentence.
UNICEF expressed appreciation of the strides recently made by the Kano State Government to pass the Kano State Child Protection Bill.
“This case further underlines the urgent need to accelerate the enactment of the Kano State Child Protection Bill so as to ensure that all children under 18, including Omar Farouq are protected – and that all children in Kano are treated in accordance with child rights standards,” said Peter Hawkins.
UNICEF will continue to provide support the Nigerian Government and Kano State Government on child protection system strengthening, including justice sector reform, to ensure that states put in place child-sensitive measures to handle cases involving children. This includes adopting alternative measures, in line with international best practice, for the treatment of children alleged to have committed offences that does not involve detention or deprivation of family care.
The child rights organization stressed the government’s international obligations to ensure child-sensitive judicial measures for children who are alleged to have committed any offence. This should include ensuring quality legal representation and full implementation of child justice principles - all of which are geared towards reform, rehabilitation and reintegration of the child with their family and community.


Exhibit booths--California--Pomona✕[remove]25
Fairs--California--Pomona25
Agricultural exhibits--California--Pomona7
Leopards--United States1
news photographs25
Los Angeles County Fair (Los Angeles County, Calif.)25
Celeste, Olga, 1888-19691
National Orange Show 1
Pomona (Calif.)25
You searched for: Subject Exhibit booths--California--Pomona ✖Remove constraint Subject: Exhibit booths--California--Pomona
Two uniformed boys salute each other in front of a display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
Related to Los Angeles Times article, “County Fair Gates Open on Great Wonderland: Old Mother Goose and Blue Eagle Predominate in Exhibit Array; Pari-Mutuel Betting Begins," 16 Sept. 1933: A1.
[circa September 1933]
Pasadena display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
Orange County display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
Three people sit in a display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
San Bernardino County display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
San Bernardino County display at the Los Angeles County Fair. The base of the display is covered in fruit and topped with an elephant. A woman stands in front of the display and other women are visible on the side. Other people are visible at the side of the display. A sign in the shape of a scroll reads, "San Bernardino County."
Two women stand in front of the San Diego County display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
Two women stand in front of the San Diego County display at the Los Angeles County Fair. A sign resting on the display reads, in part, "Spreckels open-air organ...Balboa Park-San Diego." The base and columns of the display are covered in fruit. Produce lines the floor surrounding it. There is a model of an organ at the center. The columns are topped with lights. There are plants covering part of the display and beyond that a miniature bell tower.
Ventura County display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1933
Ventura County display at the Los Angeles County Fair. There is a structure topped with a Spanish roof and arches with paintings of mountains within them. Above the arches are signs for, "Camarillo" and "Simi." The rest of the display is covered in various types of produce. The entire display is covered by an awning.
Pasadena Chamber of Commerce booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
This photograph appears with the article, "Most Dazzling Show of Southland History, Lavish in Oriental Splendor, Under Way at Pomona," Los Angeles Times, 17 Sept. 1932: A1.
Alhambra display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Alhambra display at the Los Angeles County Fair.
Woman sits with display of quilts at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Woman sits with display of quilts at the Los Angeles County Fair. She holds one quilt on her lap and holds her hand out to another one. Other quilts hang on a rack behind her with tags attached to them.
Los Amigos Rancho display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Los Amigos Rancho display at the Los Angeles County Fair. The sign on the front reads, "Presenting in a 'Persian market' by the patients of Los Amigos Ranch. This booth and every article in it is the work of aged and handicapped patients of the Occupational Therapy Department." The display consists of furniture, blankets, and various small objects including vases and bowls. A woman stands, holding a striped blanket and a girl sits on a chair. Another woman and child stand in the display and another man is visible at the right of the photograph.
Man stands in a rug bazaar display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Man stands in a rug bazaar display at the Los Angeles County Fair. He wears a headdress and robe. There is a hookah at his feet and a loom next to him. Rugs are hung on the faux-brick walls and parts of the display are lined with fruit. A sign reads, "Isphahan rug bazaar" and the background is painted to look like a bazaar.
Woman stands next to a display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Woman stands next to a display at the Los Angeles County Fair. The display is covered with produce of various types, including gourds and walnuts. A sign reads, "Chino walnut growers." At the top there is a globe on top of which sits a doll dressed in overalls and a hat. Figurines of animals and carts circle the globe. Other people and displays are visible in the background.
Three women stand in front of the Yorba Linda display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1932
Related to Los Angeles Times article, "Most Dazzling Show of Southland History, Lavish in Oriental Splendor, Under Way at Pomona," 17 Sept. 1932: A1.
Girl stands beside the San Joaquin booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Related to Los Angeles Times article, "Fair at Pomona Best in History: Los Angeles County Events Now in Full Blast: Exhibits Excel All Records in Size and Beauty: Race Track Laurels Expected to Set New Mark," 18 Sept. 1929: A1.
Sculpture of a man's head at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Sculpture of a man's head at the Los Angeles County Fair. A sign on the side of the base reads, "Please do not handle." A sticker with the number 3 on it is affixed to the sculpture. In the background, other works of art are visible, including paintings and another sculpture.
Orange County booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Chino booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Chino booth at the Los Angeles County Fair. The base of the booth is lined with produce. A sign on the front reads, in part, "The Sahkieh or Egyptian waterwheel." A man is visible at the right of the photograph.
National Orange Show booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
National Orange Show booth at the Los Angeles County Fair. It is made up of a base covered in fruit and pillars that are topped with a pointed dome. Lights surround the border and fabric hangs from the center. A sign reads, "San Bernardino County," and another reads, "National Orange Show." There is another sign on the base that reads, in part, "20th National Orange Show, San Bernardino, February 13th to 23rd 1930..." and another that reads, "This is a complimentary exhibit not [entered] in competition."
Escondido booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
The Escondido booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, which is decorated in an Egyptian theme. There are large pillars and the base of the display is covered in gourds and other produce. Two women stand on the booth, both dressed in Egyptian costumes. There are children visible at the right, along with a man.
Paintings displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Paintings displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair. The painting at the center depicts three people sitting by a body of water with boats in the background. At the right is a painting of a boat, and at the left a landscape including mountains, trees, and a lake. The center painting is propped on the floor, the other two are hanging on the wall.
Cabinet of objects on display at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Cabinet of objects on display at the Los Angeles County Fair. There are small statues, a pillow, and what may be a vase. A few of the items are labeled, "first prize," and the objects at the top right corner are labeled as pottery.
Painting of a boy, displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Painting of a boy, displayed at the Los Angeles County Fair. The boy is seated. He wears a hat and holds a stick. The painting is framed and propped up on a wood rail. Other paintings are visible in the background.
Olga Celeste stands in front of the Ontario booth at the Los Angeles County Fair along with her leopard, Pomona, 1929
Anaheim booth at the Los Angeles County Fair, Pomona, 1929
Anaheim booth at the Los Angeles County Fair. The exhibit consists of two camels carrying a carriage with a woman in it. There is a mannequin next to the camel in the front. The base of the display is lined with produce and beneath that are Egyptian hieroglyphics. Signs read, "California Valencia Orange Show Anaheim" and "'Transportation' from Anaheim oasis to Pomona." Palm trees surround the exhibit. People are visible in the background.


A big new all-inclusive resort is coming to one of the fastest-growing hotel destinations in Jamaica.
The first phase of the new all-inclusive Oceans By H10 Resort is coming to Jamaica’s Trelawny this November, according to Jamaican tourism officials.
That phase will include 513 rooms, a significant boost for Trelawny, a destination considered part of greater Montego Bay that has been seeing a boom in new hotel development in recent years from brands like Royalton.
What the lobby will look like at the hotel.
H10, which is based in Spain, is reportedly investing $250 million in the project, which will be called the Ocean Coral Spring Hotel.
Amenities at the Ocean Coral Spring will include two pools, a lazy river, 10 eateries, four bars, a coffee shop, an ice cream shop and a spa.
A rendering of the beach and the property’s exterior.
The 24-hour all-inclusive will additionally be home to a spa, a gym, two tennis courts, a theater and a bowling alley, among other features.
The family-friendly resort will also include H10’s “Privilege” level of rooms and services, which include everything from in-room amenities like Nespresso machines and nighttime turndown service to an exclusive section of the pool and the beach.
Event space will feature four conference rooms and a total of 840 square meters of flexible rooms – with capacity for up to 800 people, according to the company.
What a room will look like at the new Ocean Coral Spring.
H10 has been steadily growing its resort portfolio in the wider region, though this will be the company’s first-ever hotel in Jamaica.
Its other resorts are located in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
Jamaica’s Trelawny parish, particularly the corridor between Rio Bueno and Falmouth, has some 6,000 new hotel rooms in its development pipeline.
The newest in Trelawny is the Excellence Oyster Bay adults-only resort, which opened its doors over the summer.
For more, info, visit the Ocean Coral Spring.
All-Inclusive, caribbean, cuba, dominican republic, family, h10, hotels, jamaica, mexico, montego bay, pools, trelawny


10 Everyday Items Brought To Us By the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair
By Jocelyn Mackie on January 24, 2015 History
In 1892, when Christopher Columbus was still considered a hero, the United States wanted to hold a world’s fair to commemorate the 400th anniversary of his mis-navigation. Chicago, which existed on the blood of slaughterhouses and continued to rise from the ashes of its Great Fire of 1871, threw in a seemingly hopeless bid that nevertheless beat the more cosmopolitan cities of New York, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. Dedication ceremonies occurred on October 21, 1892, and the public started visiting on May 1, 1893. The Chicago World’s Fair was born.
The Fair attracted one of the first documented serial killers (H.H. Holmes) and witnessed a political assassination (Mayor Carter Harrison, Sr.). Up until its closing ceremonies in October 1893 it gave fairgoers the opportunity to observe the latest groundbreaking inventions. That year, these items were met with wonder and enthusiasm. Today, they blend into the landscape of our modern world.
10. Commemorative Stamps and Coins
In this century, commemorative stamps and coins are commonplace. Very few post office visits or glances into a change jar are without one, and you can blame the frenzy on the Chicago Fair. News of the Fair and America’s excitement about it spread, and the U.S. Post Office jumped on that momentum with its first set of commemorative stamps they called the Columbians. Designed for collection and unusable for mailing, postmaster General John Wanamaker referred to them as “souvenir” stamps.
Commemorative coins arose from a similar fundraising idea. To celebrate the Fair’s opening and Columbus’ anniversary, the U.S. Mint issued a half-dollar with a profile picture of the explorer, predictably named the Columbian half-dollar. First sketches of the design generated controversy because historians and enthusiasts considered the picture inaccurate, but a portrait was eventually agreed on.
9. Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit
Chewing gum wasn’t a new invention, but it wasn’t yet being mass-produced. William Wrigley, Jr., a soap and baking powder salesman, handed out gum to his customers as an incentive to buy his products. He discovered the candy was more popular than his wares, so he started mass-producing chewing gum in 1892. Juicy Fruit was the first featured flavor — Wrigley revealed it to enthusiastic Fair attendees right before introducing Wrigley’s Spearmint. More than 100 years later, Juicy Fruit remains the favorite brand of chewing gum in the United States and is sold all over the world.
8. Pabst Blue Ribbon
The punch line of every beer snob joke started from humble beginnings in 1844, but it didn’t become a blue ribbon favorite until it hit the national stage at the Fair. German immigrant Jacob Best started brewing the well-known lager under the name Empire Brewery in Milwaukie, Wisconsin. It became Phillip Best Company after his son took it over, and later it became Pabst Brewing Company in 1889.
The signature beer of Pabst, Best Select, won ribbons at local and state fairs, but company president Gustave Pabst had greater ambitions. He entered the Best Select in the Fair’s brewing competition, where it won yet another blue ribbon. From that point the name changed to Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the brew for the budget-wary has stayed in popular culture ever since.
7. Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix
Drenched in overtones unacceptable by today’s standards, the original Aunt Jemima was Nancy Green, a slave born on November 11, 1817. Chris Rutt and Charles Underwood were owners of Pearl Milling Company and developed a packaged self-rising pancake flour. He named it Aunt Jemima after a black-face character in a vaudeville show who sang a tune by the same name. Lacking business sense as well as racial sensitivity, Rutt and Underwood were out of business and broke by 1890. They sold the formula to R.T. Davis Milling Company. Needing assistance to market the new product, they discovered Nancy Green and hired her to play Aunt Jemima.
Green and the pancake mix made their debut at the Fair, where she produced instant pancakes for public enjoyment. Between warm food and an even warmer nature, Green was a hit with the public. Police officers had to control foot traffic to keep people from loitering at the booth. At the conclusion of the Fair R.T. Davis Milling Company received 50,000 orders, and Green received a lifetime contract. Aunt Jemima products are now part of Quaker Oats and the company updated her image in 1989 to help her appear less like a stereotypical African-American housekeeper and more like a middle-class homemaker.
6. Cracker Jack
Before it was a staple at baseball games, Cracker Jack started as a mix of popcorn, peanuts and molasses that supposedly debuted at the Fair. Unfortunately, there’s not much solid information on how or why this snack was invented. Lewis and Frederick William, aka F.W. Rueckheim, invented the treat but not the name — that was attributed to an unknown Frito-Lay sales representative. Seeing an opportunity, the pair marketed it at the Fair to good results, keeping the brand in the American mainstay ever since. At least, that’s the story told by its manufacturer — there’s actually no hard evidence it was sold at the Fair, so this may very well be a myth. But true or not, the story has become a key part of Cracker Jack’s place in American pop culture. It’s a better way to be remembered than its other claim to fame — some historians argue that Cracker Jack was the world’s first junk food.
5. Squashed Pennies
You’d be hard-pressed to visit a tourist trap without seeing the squashed penny machine. For a total of 51 cents, you can flatten a penny into a decorated token as proof of your adventures.
These handy money collectors started their careers at the 1893 Fair. Those squashed pennies were simpler, with only raised letters stating “Columbian Exposition 1893.” Each machine had seven different designs for the lettering so tourists could pick their favorite and treasure an elongated coin for the ages.
4. The Zipper
Until you dabble in historical reenactment and deal with corset lacings, hooks and loops, you may not quite appreciate the invention of the zipper. Now so commonplace as to be taken for granted, the zipper started out as a Fair novelty. Elias Howe, sewing machine innovator, started playing with the zipper concept in 1851, patenting it as the “Automatic, Continuous Clothing Closure.” However, he was more fascinated with his sewing machine, so he neglected the zipper.
It took 44 years before Whitcomb Judson discovered and developed Howe’s zipper concept. He invented the “clasp locker” with Colonel Lewis Walker and started the Universal Fastener Company. The two decided to introduce the device at the Fair, but it wasn’t successful. However, the brave debut allowed the concept to receive notoriety and development. After studying the clasping technology Gideon Sundback, an electrical engineer at the Universal Fastener Company, started improving the design until it became our modern day zipper in 1913.
3. Spray Paint
Spray paint wasn’t an exhibit at the Fair, but unbeknown to everyone who attended they could see it on display daily. Even as the Fair started, several buildings remained under construction. The ones that were ready for visitors needed to shine, and fast. To hasten this effort, artist Francis Davis Millet developed a way to spray exterior paint on the buildings to cut back on preparation time. The aerosol sprayer we’re familiar with wouldn’t be invented until 1949, but do-it-yourself home improvers and graffiti artists can thank the Fair for planting the seed for their favorite tool.
2. Dishwasher
Today we argue over how to load it and who gets to empty it. But in 1893 the dishwasher, part of a fully-electric kitchen Fair display, was the stuff of dreams.
Inventor Josephine Cochrane filed the patent on her dishwashing machine on December 31, 1885. She explained it as a system of baskets and levers that would splash soapy water on dishes. Although she continued to develop the concept for the next four years, she wouldn’t get a chance to demonstrate it until it appeared at the Fair. Her company gained momentum, later became KitchenAid, and continued producing appliances for the modern kitchen.
It lacks the thrills of roller coasters, and people who fear heights loathe it. But no midway would be complete without a Ferris Wheel.
Paris hosted a World’s Fair in 1889 and unveiled the Eiffel Tower. This feat proved that large buildings could be constructed out of steel, and the architectural world was in awe. Fair architect Daniel H. Burnham called on engineers and designers to build something even bigger — a tower 500 feet taller than the 984 foot Eiffel Tower.
But let’s face it — towers are boring. At a meeting of engineers and architects headed by Burnham, everyone demanded a unique, novel and flashy structure as a show of American prestige. Among them was a quiet engineer named George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr., who until he revealed his idea had only worked on railroad and mining projects. Needless to say, his proposal was a bit of a departure.
The original Ferris Wheel definitely met the qualification of enormity. Supported on two 140 foot towers and a 45 foot axle, it had a diameter of 250 feet and a height of 264 feet. It included cars that were 24 feet long and 13 feet wide, and each carried up to 60 passengers. A single revolution took nine minutes.
Construction started in late 1892, and the wheel was operational on June 21 the following year. The first passengers, including Burham, Margaret Ferris, and investors, boarded a car while onlookers held their breath in anticipation of disaster or success. It ran without any difficulty for the duration of the Fair, and some accounts believe it’s responsible for keeping the event out of financial ruin — it made $395,000 in profit.
The original Ferris Wheel moved to St. Louis in 1904 for the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. With no one willing to move it again, it lived in neglect until it was blown apart on May 11, 1906. It required a total of 300 pounds of dynamite and, without ceremony or sentiment, the steel was sold as scrap. But the concept, like much of what the fair brought us, remains beloved to this day.
Jocelyn Mackie is an intrepid researcher and web content provider with a fascination for events, buildings, and technology that is 100 years and older. You can see more of her work at www.jocthewriter.com.
Chicago's World's Fair capped off an eventful 19th century.
Read about the greatest inventions of the 1800s, or read the century’s biggest headlines.
Previous ArticleTop 10 Kick-Ass Husbands
Next Article Top 10 Insane Foods to Try From Around the World
Kaniya Purdis on February 1, 2016 3:15 pm
I really want you to tell me mores,,. Like how and why did they invented the
Lynda Appell on January 29, 2015 8:53 pm
Fascinating post. Never realized so many inventions we take for granted started out so long ago back in the 1890s. Crackerjack First junkfood. Well something had to be the first. Right. By the way Dave Appell , the musician, composer, arranger , record exec was my father His first musical instrument was a uekelele. It was his older brother Joseph’s. Joe told him if he ever played it he’d really give it to him. Well dad play it and much better than Joe ever could. So Joe told him you keep it. From arranging for jazz greats such as Benny Carter, Earl “Fatha” Hines, Ben Pollack to recording Grover Washington , my father was a true musician and I’m very proud of him.
Russ Cross on January 24, 2015 1:14 pm
One more factoid for the Ferris Wheel entry. The original Ferris Wheel was built by Luther V. Rice of my hometown, Ladoga, Indiana.


In Halifax, housing advocates fear shortages of shelter adding to the 'new poor'
Published Monday, November 23, 2020 7:52PM AST Last Updated Tuesday, November 24, 2020 10:21AM AST
Grace Fogarty sits at home in her Halifax apartment on Monday, Nov. 23, 2020. Fogarty is facing eviction as the landlord wants to repair and renovate her apartment. Her rent will almost double if she remains in the building. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)
HALIFAX -- Community legal worker Mark Culligan refers to cases of Nova Scotians facing pandemic-era evictions in a hot housing market as "the new poor."
"We're seeing a growth of a new form of homelessness, or housing precariousness," Culligan, who works at the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service, said in an interview Monday.
"It's not just people who have experienced ongoing poverty, but rather people who've never lacked housing before."
Grace Fogarty is among the recent clients at his downtown Halifax clinic -- one of a steady stream of hardship stories emerging as winter approaches.
The 63-year-old woman with a heart condition said in an interview on Friday the owner of her building in the city's west end wants her out of her one-bedroom apartment to conduct renovations.
A written notice she was given last month says her rent would go from $725 a month to more than $1,300 by next April 1, a figure she can't afford on her $13-an-hour job at a local gas station.
"It (the building) is definitely going to be a high-end unit," she said. "But at whose expense? I have no place to go. I can't find an apartment I can afford." The developer who purchased her building, United Gulf Developments, didn't respond to requests for an interview.
Culligan says his options for defending tenants are limited in a province without rent control, unless a landlord isn't respecting notice periods for rent hikes or is using rent to retaliate against a tenant.
In cases of renovations, landlords with a building permit can make an application to the Residential Tenancies Program for a hearing to vacate the building.
There are potential appeal processes, but Culligan says that under typical circumstances, the residents may have to leave within one to two months.
Housing advocacy groups argue the evictions are setting off a chain reaction, where the working poor cannot afford housing, shelters fill up and more people end up on the streets.
According to a study released this month by the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia, the city's homeless population has grown to 477 people, more than double the figure a year ago.
Dean Johnston, director of residential tenancies at Service Nova Scotia, says from July 1 to Nov. 18 this year there were 1,695 applications for evictions from landlords, down from 2,111 applications by landlords for the same time period the year before.
However, he adds the figures are only those cases where a formal application is made by the landlords and don't include voluntary departures that aren't being recorded. "Our case management system is quite old . . . . Things like renovictions (evictions due to renovations) weren't something built into the system," he said in an interview on Monday.
In Dartmouth's north end, tenants in two apartment buildings where one-bedroom apartments were in the $600 per month range are among those obliged to find new homes.
Cathy Young, 53, said she can't pay more than the $550 she was paying if she wants to continue her medications, so she's moved to her sister's home. She says the notice that she would have to move out due to renovations came as a shock.
"I came over to my sister's house and I started to cry, because I didn't know where I was going to go and what I would do," she said in an interview last week.
The building's new owner, Adam Barrett, of Central East Developments, said in an email Thursday that soaring operating costs and deferred maintenance are contributing factors to renovations that lead to tenants departing.
His company had, "no option but to invest millions in revitalizing the derelict properties to create more safe and quality homes for Nova Scotians," he wrote.
"I do have sympathy for those who were and are living in buildings that are unsafe, unhealthy, and lack minimum living standards," he said, adding that Young's former building met that description.
Liberal Premier Stephen McNeil has said his government is looking at ways to assist, but it has yet to announce new measures. "We just don't believe (rent controls) work. That doesn't mean the issue is not real, and we will work with our partners to provide other options," he told reporters in October.
Ottawa has provided $8.7 million for affordable housing in Halifax, and city council is planning a special meeting Tuesday to consider how to use the federal rapid housing money to address the housing crisis in the city.
However, the shelter shortages have been a long time in the making and may require a decade to fix, says Jim Graham, the executive director of the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia.
A study of housing needs in the city carried out in 2015 found about one fifth of people earning $30,000 or less weren't able to come near to affording the average market rental price of about $934.
The numbers in search of affordable housing have almost certainly grown since then, Graham says.
Meanwhile, Young, who faces an indefinite stay with her sister, is grateful for her help but also feels lasting remedies are needed.
"There should be affordable rent that people can pay, and affordable housing that people can pay on a limited wage and limited income," she said.
This is a corrected story. A previous version referred to Mark Culligan as the director of the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service
'It's ridiculous': Calls for affordable housing in Halifax area grow louder
Affordable housing in Nova Scotia getting harder to come by
'There's no affordable housing' advocates say as needs of homeless grow during pandemic


Oh Dear Oh Dear
Clambering along a track I rarely use the other day I noted 2 nearby graves inscribed with “accidentally killed” memorials – one to a man killed while bushfelling in Woodville in August 1912 and the other for a lad drowned in Te Aro pool in December of the same year.
A quick search of New Zealand newspapers using the wonderful facility provided by the National Library - http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz – reveals the details. In the first case the young man, a settler in the area “met with a frightful accident this afternoon, while engaged with a neighbour in bushfelling. Suddenly a large tree came down and pinned Hooper to the ground, and he was unconscious when assistance reached him. It took some time to lift the tree.“
Both Hooper’s legs were broken and he sustained internal injuries. A doctor was summoned, but Hooper died shortly after from shock, it was further reported. His parents lived in South Karori which is presumably why their fourth son, John, was buried in the Karori Cemetery.
The other incident attests to the popularity of the Te Aro Baths. These were saltwater and were the first public baths in Wellington, built in 1862. They were in Oriental Bay, where the Freyberg Pool is now. Although fixed to the shore they were sited in the harbour and therefore tidal. For reasons of convenience and expense, saltwater baths remained the only such facilities built until well into the 20th century. There was another saltwater bathing facility at Thorndon, built alongside the Thorndon reclamation, completed in 1882.
In December 1912 Reggie Jounnax, a telegraph messenger boy, went to the baths for a swim before reporting for work at 6,00pm. Late that afternoon there were between three and four hundred men and boys at the baths. Reggie’s uniform was found on a peg in a cubicle by the caretaker after the baths were closed for the day. The pool was then dragged, but nothing was found, leading to speculation that Reggie may have climbed over the wall and fallen into the harbour, or some suspicious act had taken place. Next morning, at low tide, Reggie’s body was found in about 5 feet of water in the pool, not far from the chute (presumably the precursor of today’s hydro slides). An inquest was held two days later, which concluded “death was due to accidental drowning and that no blame was attachable in any way to the caretaker of the baths.”
These tragic deaths are just two of many who are buried throughout the cemetery and include the sad inscription “accidentally killed” or the brief details of the event which led to the death on their headstone. Come walking with me and I’ll tell you about some of the others.
Contact me on kararicemeterywalk@gmail.com or 021065 3778


Former World Champion Athlete | Martial Arts Teacher | College professor Writer | Collector of Quotes | Student of Life | Peaceful Warrior in Training
DAN MILLMAN is the author of seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, which have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide.
After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan’s teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way.
Nick Nolte starred as Dan Millman’s iconic spiritual teacher and mentor, Socrates, in the feature film “Peaceful Warrior,” which tells the story of a chance meeting with a gas station attendant who becomes a mentor and spiritual teacher to a young gymnast who is recovering from a severe motorcycle accident that shattered his right leg. The film is based on incidents that happened to Dan Millman in real life.
Dan Millman’s work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world. peacefulwarrior.com/
NOTE: Check out this month’s Sandie’s Bookworms Section, and discover why she chose not just one of Dan Millman’s book as her featured bookworm, but the entire Peaceful Warrior’s Way series of books.
Improv Wisdom by Patricia Ryan Madson
Although the author is an Emerita professor from Stanford University in the Drama Department, it is not a book on acting theory or improvisational comedy. Instead, she uses improv principles to teach a constructive approach to living wisely and well. I’m acquainted well enough with the author to know that she has extensive experience with and personally practices these principles. Her writing and guidance are clear and positive. I still have this book on my shelf as one of those lifetime keepers. In a field of innumerable rah-rah self-help books recycling slogans and bromides, this book comes as a breath of fresh air with practical, actionable, realistic reminders anyone can apply in daily life.
Constructive Living by David K. Reynolds
This clear book of uncommon sense was a mind-changer and game-changer for me. This relatively small volume is part de-programming manual and part reality check, bringing spiritual readers back to earth where we live and work. It is a provocative book that reminds readers how to function well – despite changing thoughts and emotions and in its own way, helps transcend even (and especially) the most sophisticated or obscure spiritual teachings.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein
A classic work of humanistic science fiction (like that of Ray Bradbury), but with more of an edge, this book about a Candide-like figure – a human who comes to Earth after being raised by Martians – who brings a fresh and unconventional view of love and life and religion. Both satire and morality tale that somehow transcends morality, and which gave us the word “grok,” was ahead of its time when I read it as a teen and remains both timely and timeless today.
Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman
I found this small volume enchanting in its simple, delightful take on life, and the nature of time is a mind-shifter, to entrance readers even as it leads them out into the universe, taking us into that rarified space where physics and metaphysics dance together.
The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
This classic work was adapted to a film with Anthony Quinn, whose character says, “If you could dance what you just said, I might understand.” This daring work reveals the human side of one of humanity’s illumined spiritual adepts, speculating on what Jesus’ life might have been had he married Mary Magdalene, avoided crucifixion, and lived an ordinary life.
The Holy Man
by Susan Trott
This small, readable, quietly profound parable, like the two other books in the series, draws the reader into a sanctuary of peace and wisdom. In simple language, Trott uses the classic device of a Holy Man who speaks to us all.
The Universe is a Green Dragon by Brian Swimme
It didn’t hurt that I read this book while in Yosemite, which may have lent to my reading experience a certain aura — but even if I’d read it in a basement somewhere, it would have transported me into the cosmos. Until I read it, I hadn’t considered the idea that the author proposes, that “Love is gravity — the universal attraction of one body to all others.” This is a big-picture book of cosmological truths that helps any reader expand beyond the small self into the mystery of life unfolding, helping us to see ourselves in perspective.
Emmanuel’s Book by Pat Rodegast
I don’t normally read or own so-called “channeled” works (although Jane Roberts’ The Nature of Personal Reality nearly made my final 10). But this book — whose foreword was written by Ram Dass — brings a transcendent wisdom equal to that of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, another favorite, into our world. Lyrical, piercing, compassionate wisdom on various subjects as expressed from a timeless being who sees it all from a higher reality and place of understanding.
Zen Mind, Beginners Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
Although I have a number of books on Zen, this volume has that ordinary yet profound taste of “just sitting” and the importance of right attitude that we can bring to meditation and to life, as we retain a clear and yet childlike beginner’s mind to each arising moment.
A Mind at Home With Itself by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell
Although I’ve appreciated the Work and other writings of Byron Katie, I find this an unparalleled modern statement of radical transcendental vision, which goes beyond the usual self-help advice since, as Katie and her husband and brilliant translator Stephen Mitchell state, there is no separate self to be helped.


Rock 'n' funk at two Queen tributes
A pair of tribute shows filled with local musicians and singers at World Café Live at the Queen this weekend were nearing sell-out status at press time: Friday night's Rick James tribute and Saturday night's Rolling Stones-themed "Shine a Light on the Queen" concert.
Friday's "Superfreak: A Tribute to Rock James" at the Queen (500 N. Market St., Wilmington) will once again feature Queen bartender Corey Osby as James, backed by Newark's Universal Funk Order.
Unlike the first time they teamed up back in September, this show will be held in the larger downstairs concert hall.
Tickets are $10 for the 8 p.m. show.
On Saturday, the third annual Shine a Light show will once again bring together about 50 local musicians to perform Rolling Stones songs.
It's the largest fundraiser of the year for the Light Up the Queen Foundation, which uses the proceeds to fund arts education outreach programs.
Take note: Tickets are $60 a pop this year. (That's a 275 percent increase over the $16 ticket price in 2012 for you keeping track at home.) The show kicks off at 8:30 p.m.
Tickets for either concert can be purchased through queen.worldcafe live.com or by calling (302) 994-1400.
— Ryan Cormier
First State Ballet's vampire debut Friday
Sexy and sadistic "Irene," First State Ballet Theatre's vampire valentine, takes the stage Friday at The Grand (818 N. Market St., Wilmington).
The original work features angular women in leather-and-lace-trimmed corsets and polka dot and plaid tutus clawing and shoving one another and crawling around the floor like gremlins.
It's the company's first foray into horror and its first collaboration with Trolley Square guitarist and composer Shaun Dougherty, who will perform live in the pit with a handpicked band.
"Irene" is an all-Delaware affair, choreographed by company member Alex Buckner.
Tickets are $28 to $48 at (800) 37-GRAND or www.ticketsatthegrand .org. The one-night-only performance starts at 7 p.m.
— Margie Fishman
Elk-Tones, Bullets to rock Logan House
Rockabilly and surf music will rule at Kelly's Logan House Friday night at a concert pairing the reunited Elk-Tones with Wilmington rockabilly stalwarts The Bullets.
The veteran acts will be joined by young retro rock act Tin Can Ramblers, led by George Murphy (The Keefs, Scantron).
The instrumental surf rock foursome of The Elk-Tones returned to the stage last year after a seven-year hiatus, performing at Newark's Mojo Main.
This time, the band will look to draw old-time fans in Wilmington, especially since the band is paired with The Bullets, performing at the Logan House for the first time in a while.
There is no cover for the show, which kicks off at 10 p.m.
Wrestler Bazooka Joe faces UD student in the ring
Professional wrestling returns to Newark on Saturday night, as Right Coast Pro continues the 2014 schedule with "Elements of Chance."
The pre-show will feature a special photo opportunity with new RCP heavyweight champion Bazooka Joe and the championship title belt. Bazooka Joe defends his title for the first time later in the evening against University of Delaware student Joey Silver. In other action, crowd favorite Chris "The Show" Steeler will face "Self-Made" Blake in a "Spin the wheel, Make a deal" match, which could hold one of several stipulations (a ladder mater, "I quit" match, strap match, falls-count-anywhere match or pie-in-the-face match).
Right Coast Pro shows are family friendly and concessions are available. Shows are at Life Community Church, 750 Otts Chapel Road in Newark.
Tickets are $15, and $8 for children 12 and younger. Doors open at 6:15 p.m., with a 7 p.m. bell time.
For more information, visit rightcoastpro.com
-Andre L. Smith
World of photos displayed at exhibit
For just a handful of days, local shutterbugs can see what their international brethren have been shooting at the 81st Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography, which opens Sunday.
Filling the walls are about 300 framed photos, as well as 200 more that will be projected during an audiovisual presentation at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Sunday, and again on March 2.
The exhibition will be open from noon to 5 p.m. both Sundays, complete with chamber music from 1 to 3 p.m. If you just want to peruse the framed prints, the exhibition also is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Feb. 28.
The event, which is hosted by the Delaware Photographic Society, is free and is being held at University of Delaware's Arsht Hall, Academy of Lifelong Learning, 2700 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington.
For more information, call (610) 358-5191 or visit www.delaware photographicsociety.org.
-Sarika Jagtiani


Posted on April 13, 2009 by Baron Bodissey
As longtime readers know, we normally avoid posting about LGF’s gradual retreat from any association with most anti-jihad bloggers and writers. Tundra Tabloids has been following this meme, and has created an amusing graphic showing a bus and all the people that Charles Johnson has thrown under it. KGS recently ran out of room and had to expand the picture to add the latest victims.
I know this runs against our customary practice, but I couldn’t let this one pass unnoticed.
One of our readers — who is on CAIR’s mailing list — received a press release today and forwarded it to us. CAIR is alerting its members to an upcoming “Islamophobic” conference in Florida in which Robert Spencer of Jihad Watch will participate [Correction, for the record: CAIR chose to attack Robert Spencer concerning this conference, even though he is not involved in it]. The email included the following paragraph:
The Little Green Footballs blog, also widely known for its Islamophobic viewpoint, wrote of Spencer’s site: “His website has descended into a true hate site at this point, dominated by extreme, bigoted commenters who regularly advocate genocide and mass murder of Muslims.”
So this is what it’s come to: CAIR is now citing Little Green Footballs to score points against one of the most important Counterjihad activists of our time.
Thanks, Charles. You did us all a real big favor.
And now you can rest easily, knowing that your site is 100% Nazi-free.
A more extensive excerpt from the CAIR press release is below the jump.
“If Representative Hasner truly wishes to represent Florida’s diverse religious and ethnic population, he should immediately disassociate himself and the state legislature from this motley collection of Islamophobes and Muslim-bashers.” — CAIR-South Florida Executive Director Altaf Ali
Fla. House GOP Leader Linked to Anti-Islam Hate Fest Rep. Hasner asked to disassociate himself from ‘Islamophobes and Muslim-bashers’
(WASHINGTON, D.C., 4/13/09) — The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) today called on the leader of that state’s House Republicans to disassociate himself from an upcoming anti-Islam conference backed by a “motley collection of Islamophobes and Muslim-bashers.”
CAIR said Rep. Adam Hasner is on the “host committee” for the April 27 conference in Delray Beach, Fla., featuring Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders. Wilders was recently denied entry to Britain because of his extreme anti-Muslim views, including urging that the Quran, Islam’s revealed text, be banned.
Other conference backers include Joe Kaufman, a Florida anti-Muslim extremist with a long history of seeking to marginalize and disenfranchise the American Muslim community and its institutions. He has in the past promoted the views of the terrorist organizations Kach and Kahane Chai and praised the Kahane terror group and its founder Mier Kahane on a forum of the radical Jewish Defense League in Florida.
In 2006, Kaufman joined forces with an anti-Islam preacher in Florida to block the expansion of a mosque in Boca Raton. “This mosque should not exist on American shores,” said Kaufman. (St. Petersburg Times, 7/14/06)
In 2003, Kaufman was forced to remove a link to kahane.org on his website after CAIR exposed his efforts to promote the terror group. That same year, the Washington Post reported that the United States added to its list of foreign terrorist organizations “newkach.org, kahane.org, kahane.net, kahanetzadak.com as aliases for the Jewish group Kahane Chai or Kach, which is suspected of organizing attacks on Palestinians.”
Frank Gaffney, one of the event’s other sponsors, is linked to an anti-Islam group that has advocated prison terms in the U.S. for “adherence to Islam” and that questioned whether women and African-Americans should be allowed to vote. Gaffney has claimed that the use of Islamic finance in America is a form of treason. “[I]t is advancing a criminal conspiracy whose purpose is the violent overthrow of the United States Constitution and government in favor of Islamic rule,” wrote Gaffney. (Washington Times, 9/16/08)
Another event sponsor, Pamela Geller, operates one of the Internet’s most vicious anti-Islam sites. Her blog features categories such as “Advancing Islamic Lies,” “Islam 2008: Religion of Barbarism” and “Slavery: An Arab custom.” Geller has even been criticized by other Islamophobes for her extremism and for supporting far-right groups in Europe.
Robert Spencer, who has also been criticized for the extremism exhibited on his anti-Muslim blog, is listed as a conference “coalition partner.” Spencer was recently involved in a controversy over his joining a Facebook group advocating genocide of Muslims in Turkey.
The founder of another conference sponsoring group, Act! for America’s Brigitte Gabriel, told the Australian Jewish News: “Every practising Muslim is a radical Muslim.” She also claimed that “Islamo-fascism is a politically-correct word…it’s the vehicle for Islam…Islam is the problem.”
When asked whether Americans should “resist Muslims who want to seek political office in this nation,” Gabriel said: “Absolutely. If a Muslim who has — who is — a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Koran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday, who prays five times a day — this practicing Muslim, who believes in the teachings of the Koran, cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America.”
“If Representative Hasner truly wishes to represent Florida’s diverse religious and ethnic population, he should immediately disassociate himself and the state legislature from this motley collection of Islamophobes and Muslim-bashers,” said CAIR-South Florida Executive Director Altaf Ali.
Ali noted that earlier this year, Hasner attempted to block a “Florida Muslim Capitol Day.” In an e-mail to more than a dozen Jewish lobbyists, he wrote: “By now, I can’t imagine you haven’t heard about this upcoming lobbying day for Muslims in Tallahassee.Do you all intend to be part of an information campaign in opposition to it?”
SEE: House Leader E-Mails Alert About Muslim Event to Jewish Lobbyists (St. Petersburg Times)
In 2007, Hasner sponsored a screening of the anti-Muslim film “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” for state legislators.
CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization, has 35 offices and chapters nationwide and in Canada. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
CONTACT: CAIR-South Florida Executive Director Altaf Ali, 954-272-0490, 954-298-8214, E-Mail: aali@cair.com; CAIR-Tampa Executive Director Ramzy Kilic, Tel: 813-514-1414 or 813-486-2529, E-Mail: rkilic@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-488-8787 or 202-744-7726, E-Mail: ihooper@cair.com; CAIR Communications Coordinator Amina Rubin, 202-488-8787 or 202-341-4171, E-Mail: arubin@cair.com
32 thoughts on “Et Tu, Brute?”
Natalie on April 13, 2009 at 4:38 pm said:
Stupid, stupid, stupid! Charles spreads lies about almost everything, from Robert Spencer to Serbia to the counterjihad movement in general. What a singularly annoying person. I am just so sick and tired of him. Have you seen his lauding of Obama since the election? It’s absolutely disgusting.
nimbus on April 13, 2009 at 8:29 pm said:
Has he reverted to being a liberal, or what? What has happened to him?
Charles is technically a 9/11 conservative and he seems to have reverted to his liberal roots. I trace his reversion to October 2007 (October 19, to be exact), when he developed a rather strange vendetta, which he still has today, against the excellent Belgian political party Vlaams Belang.
For a while I tried giving Charles the benefit of the doubt, but he’s become more and more liberal lately, and with him attacking Robert Spencer, that was the last straw. Sad. I like to look at the quicklinks from the viewers at the top of his page, but I can’t stand looking at his topics. What in the world caused him to revert??? And I wonder what his viewership now is.
Natalie on April 13, 2009 at 10:14 pm said:
Have you seen Robert Spencer’s post about this whole thing?
Félicie on April 14, 2009 at 2:43 am said:
He’s gone off the deep end. Have you seen his entry on Obama’s bow to the King of audi Arabia? He tried to say that Bush did the same thing and presented as evidence a video of Bush accepting some medal. Even his lizards took him to task for it. He kept mocking them, Daily Kos style, about becoming paranoid and labeling Obama as evil. I swear, he is fast becoming an Obot.
Holger on April 14, 2009 at 12:51 pm said:
Google.video: Complete Idiot’s Guide to the New World Order
Armance on April 14, 2009 at 12:59 pm said:
Armance on April 14, 2009 at 1:04 pm said:
He’s gone off the deep end. Have you seen his entry on Obama’s bow to the King of audi Arabia? He tried to say that Bush did the same thing and presented as evidence a video of Bush accepting some medal. Even his lizards took him to task for it. He kept mocking them, Daily Kos style, about becoming paranoid and labeling Obama as evil. I swear, he is fast becoming an Obot.Indeed, I saw that thread and the comments and poor Charles reached a new low. I wouldn’t be surprised either if in short time he becomes one of Hussein O-bow-a’s most passionate supporters. Perhaps he feels a sort of regret that he couldn’t bow himself.
Holger on April 14, 2009 at 1:12 pm said:
Baron Bodissey on April 14, 2009 at 1:16 pm said:
Holger —
Please don’t paste long URLs into the comments; they make the post page too wide and mess up the appearance of the permalink page.
Use link tags; the instructions are at the top of the full post’s comment section.
Holger said…Charles is bought by bigger interests!
– Illuminati perhaps that wants to institute a New World Order? Or: CIA? Bilderberger Group. Council on Foreign Relations. Trilateral.
C’mon, guys, it’s obvious “something happened” which lead him to completely change his tune. He was bought up, because he was one of the biggest blogs out there and could influence the most.
He sold out. …And if you don’t believe the Illuminati etc. to be more than a conspiracy theory, do some research on it:
link4/14/2009 1:51 PM
Look, Holger, I’m prone to paranoid moments myself, but consider this…
If Charles was bought and paid for, why did he run his blog into the ground and cause his trafiic to drop by 75%? Not much value there.
Or do you think he was bought and then instructed to destroy the LGF brand?
Sorry, I think I deleted an additional comment by mistake.
Feel free to re-post it. But use embedded links instead of pasted URLs.
Not sure at all about how it all ties together, Baron… BUT unless he went clinically insane why would he turn on a dime like that? He has enough facts to know that what he is saying isn’t true. It’s just like politicians. To the regular folks it just seems they’re “dumb”, but if you look at it from another angle, that they might be on a NWO-agenda for instance, then it ALL makes sense. And you can see how shrewd they are! Seriously: the borders, the economy (establishing shariah banking), the whole dialogue with the enemy bs, the misguided wars – i.e. not fighting where the enemy REALLY is etc. Honestly. I know it sounds paranoid, but when you start looking into it it makes sense. – That being said, I’m not saying 911 was an inside job. And if by the slimest chance possible it was an “Illuminati” job, I’m sure they collaborated with willing Jihadis. =)
Anyway, back to Charles Johnson:
Maybe he was bought and it just didn’t work out that well once he began taking orders? People simply saw through his lies. It would be typical of the “top” people to see us as sheep and that we’d buy anything that came out of the alternative media, because they know many don’t trust the MSM anymore. In other words, they underestimated the intelligence of the people. And as for Charles Johnson, well he basically committed harakiri. Or perhaps it is Karma coming back with his plummeting popularity? His credibility is next to zero, and once his bosses realize that they’ll move on and he’ll be stuck writing about bikes again. That is if anyone is interested in hearing even about that from him.
I’ll start digging deeper if you think I might be on to something =) In fact, I encourage everyone to do their research on the NWO etc, because it isn’t just an urban legend. They ARE talking about it! It’s documented. All you need to do is go on youtube or google.video and hear the Bushs’, Clintons’, Gordon Brown and Obama among others discuss it.
Charles Johnson is just on the payroll, just like they tried to hire Benjamin Fulford, the man in charge of Forbes Magazine’s Asia division. He came out talking about it and it was BIG news for a while, since he isn’t just some nutty crackpot.
Morgan on April 14, 2009 at 2:40 pm said:
Charles Johnson has allowed himself to become an insignificant sideliner as far as the Counterjihad is concerned.
And it’s not just the Counterjihad. It’s also in regards to intelligent design and the questionable validity of Obama’s birth certificate as well.
He derides those who believe intelligent design is valid and question whether Obama was actually born in Hawaii, same as those who think Vlaams Belang is not neo-Nazi.
As far as I’m concerned, he’s just an insignificant tool.
Félicie on April 14, 2009 at 2:59 pm said:
Armance:”I wouldn’t be surprised either if in short time he becomes one of Hussein O-bow-a’s most passionate supporters. “
OK, I admit it: I’v been having the same thoughts as Holger (i.e. Charles Johnson having been bought off), but didn’t dare to voice them for the fear of being called a paranoid conspiracy nut.
My reasons for thinking are his complete turnaround regarding the Obama issue. People just don’t change their views this suddenly. especially considering that with every passing day Obama gives more, not fewer, reasons for concern.
Baron says: “If Charles was bought and paid for, why did he run his blog into the ground and cause his trafiic to drop by 75%? Not much value there.”
But maybe the goal is not to run his blog into the ground but to convert its supporters, given that it’s still a very popular blog?
Look how he does it. He tries to be subtle. Instead of openly bashing Obama, he is on an “anri-extremism” and “objectivity” crusade. Yes, the left is bad. Yes, some of Obama’s policy decisions are regrettable. But look – the right is no better. They are all suffering from the Obama derangement syndrome. They simplistically portray him as evil and don’t give credit where credit is due. He simply wants to redress the balance, ahem… Look at the last 3 Obama-related topics: the bow, the pizza, and kudos to Obama fro the successful naval rescue mission. It’s the same stance – an attempt of a subtle shift of focus, a diluting of truth, an obscuring of crucial differences. Honestly, analyze what he is doing. This doesn’t strike me as a display of immediate emotional reactions, but as a deliberate and cool-headed long-range strategy aimed at gradual change of course.
This is why I am wondering about him being bought off.
By the way, Baron, why do you say that his traffic has dropped by 75%? When I started reading his blog, it had 2-3 thousand comments every day. Now it has 5-6 thousand comments. I don’t remember there ever being 1000 comments after each post before. It used to be several hundred. (OK, 99% of them is trash, but still…)
Felice! You had some very interesting points. Yes, of course he has been bought off. I’d bet my house on it.
As for the right and left-issue; Well, at the top there is no such thing, I believe. They work together for a common purpose. It’s good cop/bad cop but they’re on the same team, and that’s why there will never be any real difference, no matter what you vote. The Republicans didn’t tighten border security. Neither will the Democrats. I don’t think it’s about gaining voters, in the latter case, because no matter who people vote for it’ll still be for one of “the chosen” who are working with the Illuminati, Bilderberger or similar. INSTEAD, and here’s the point, they want to erase all sharp borderlines in order to later open it up for the “Amero”. Just like the EU and the coming EUrabia. That’s why they’re massimporting people from the Middle East – to make it indistinguisable, and so the concept of borders lose all meaning. It’s not due to the fluffy principals of multiculturalism but in order to eventually have one world government.
I know it sounds paranoid, honestly I do, BUT if you don’t believe this to be true, at least do some research on it before you dismiss it. There is only ONE theory that can explain everything from the multicultural madness, lacking borders, shariah banking, 2nd amendment ban, the banking crisis etc…
If people don’t understand the underlying principles behind what’s happening any effort to turn the trend will be just as ineffective as the “war on terror” has been, ie. combating the symptoms rather than the root cause.
Excerpt from the newsletter: “Our Country Desrves Better”. NWO!!!
“Mark Williams of the Our Country Deserves Better Committee here. My friends, I am disgusted by the actions of the Department of Homeland Security which has directed local law enforcement agencies to focus their attention on conservatives.
It’s a shocking document, folks. The report warns of “rightwing extremism” and Washington Times reveals that the report defines such extremism as, “groups that reject federal authority in favor of state or local authority” and “groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single-issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”
Barack Obama’s administration is basically telling law enforcement that the potential enemy to this country and law-and-order are individuals who are pro-life, want the U.S. border secured, and believe in state’s rights. And it gets even worse: the DHS report says military men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan should be perceived to be a potential threat. “
Félicie —
By the way, Baron, why do you say that his traffic has dropped by 75%?Back in the fall of 2004, if I remember correctly, LGF had over 400,000 hits a day. Admittedly, that was during Rathergate, and times are leaner now, what with all the competition.
But still, if you look at his Alexa traffic rankings over the last year or so, you’ll see the steady decline.
I can’t see why buying him would have done anybody any good. It would be like buying GM.
His blog is not a major force anymore. Except for people who go there for the links, there are only the hard-core lizardoids left. Admittedly, they will believe anything CJ says. But what good does that do whoever put him on the payroll?
The advantage of this escapes me. The remaining lizardoids are not going to form the obedient cadres of some right-wing fifth column infiltratingAmerican conservatism. They’re just not smart enough to do that kind of work.
Hey — maybe They should buy us instead. How much do you think I should ask for?
Speaking of paranoia, have you ever read Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon? It’s a masterpiece.
In the book Pynchon composed a series of “Proverbs for Paranoids”. My favorite was:
You may not touch the Master, but you may tickle his creatures.
DP111 on April 14, 2009 at 5:23 pm said:
Blogosphere ‘revolution’ is as phoney as our redundant parliamentary system
Graham Dawson (Archonix) on April 14, 2009 at 5:50 pm said:
DP11, in the context of European politics – and especially British politics – that article is spot on. I’m not so sure how it applies to US politics except that there may be a tier of blogs in the US that want to be like the media.
LGF, incidentally, strikes me as such a blog. CJ wanted to replace the legacy media but rather than being something better and different he’s turned toward copying their activities and motivations. It’s rather like rightist parties moving progressively more to the left in order to capture the “centre ground”. l you do is lose your base.
Holger, all this stuff that has been coming out lately about the new world order, the history of the Federal Reserve, etc., is fascinating. But I am still on the fence as to whether to believe it or not. Maybe some of it is true. But I do, at this point, resist the idea that all our human history has been shaped by a group of people. If it is so, it must be on some spiritual, metaphysical level, such as Eric Voegelin’s idea of gnosticism, or something as general as evil or Satanism, if you will, but not as a specific manifestation through the Rothschild family, for example. I looked up Benjamin Fulford and watched one of his videos. According to him, the history of this secret society goes back to Mesopotamia, Ancient Jews, and the Hebrew Bible, and has been one uninterrupted line. As a person with religious sensibilities, I cannot accept this worldview. I also don’t like the anti-semitic implications of this theory. But I am sufficiently interested not to automatically reject everything these people say and keep an open mind.
Baron, I see what you are saying. If before there used to be 400,000 hits daily, now there are only 70,000. It is a big drop. But maybe CJ’s new employers did not anticipate it. They do, after all, buy out paper media, why not the electronic one? Maybe they were hoping that CJ would be able to re-program his flock.
Today’s headline is a case in point. More attacks on “right wing nuts/conspiracy mongers.”
“The latest cause for hyperventilation in the right-wing blogosphere is a report from the Department of Homeland Security on the need for vigilance against extreme right-wing groups like Posse Comitatus, militias, “Patriot” groups, and neo-Nazis like the Christian Identity weirdos. Some bloggers, prompted by World Net Daily, are reading this as an attempt to “smear half of the country or more as kooks for criticizing the government’s handling of the economy.””
In other words, we are all hyperventilating, hysterical idiots for worrying´, according to him. This is just not normal. Something is going on. If he is on payroll, then I am glad that his taskmasters have miscalculated, and his influence is plummeting.
Profitsbeard on April 14, 2009 at 7:04 pm said:
Johnson’s apologetics for Obama will be his undoing, because Barry Hussein is only going to get worse and worse, and drag all his little lickspittles down with him.
CJ has hitched his wagon not to a star but a black hole.
Nothing racist implied 😉Pamela G. at Atlas Shrugs has a droll video link to a parody of the Lizards in their Bunker as the Gotterdammerung approaches, and Charles is forced to closed his “Lizard Lounge” to stop the dissenting voices.
I will definitely read that book! Thanks for the tip Baron.
Well, Felice, I agree about the whole “anti-zionist-ranting” of Benjamin Fulford. But still, he is an intriguing character. Would someone in his position really jeopardize everything by risking to become the joke of the year? However, people did nonetheless take it seriously, which adds further validity that people higher up knows about Illuminati’s exsistence too. It’s just us the flock of sheep who don’t know for sure.
And finally back to CJ… Yes, he’s GM and that’s exactly why they bought him. They’re looking at it from the angle of reaching out to the most people, even if it’s old and rigid. But that’s probably not WHEN they bought him. The rigidness and plummeting happened after he switched tune.
I don’t think the MAIN purpose with buying Charles Johnson was too convince us of joining the NWO, but rather create a rift. To divide and conquer is the oldest trick in the book! So that’s why they acquired the rights to one big, significant, established player rather than an up’n’comer which would die much more easily or couldn’t have such a great impact if attacking heavy weight as Spencer, Baron, EUropean politicians, Bostom and Pamela Geller etc. No, it had to be someone with power and punch! That’s what I believe happened.
Avery Bullard on April 14, 2009 at 10:30 pm said:
From neocon establishmentarians like David ‘axis of evil’ Frum to popular blogs like LGF and a few others I’m seeing more attacks on the ‘far right’, social conservatives, and ‘anti-immigrant’ anti-amnesty people, than on the left or Muslims.
The advocates of the Iraq debacle, which in turn brought the world President Obama, know that in the public mind the Iraq war and anti-jihadism are linked to unfashionable white Christian conservative Republicans.
Prediction: the neocons and 9/11 conservatives like CJ will win out and eventually be seen as benign and thus respectable by the left establishment; their critics on the right will be exiled to political Siberia like the John Birch Society and so many other ‘right wing extremists’ before them. (The neocons in particular are experts at abandoning sinking ships).
The parasites have fed off their conservative host; little of the host now remains. It makes sense for the neocons to distance themselves from the declining demographic that is so discredited and despised in the eyes of fashionable whites and virtually all non-whites. Next up will be the demographic demise of the conservative base.
(It says a lot about the failed conservatives when even self-proclaimed ‘demography bore’ Mark Steyn cared less about America’s demographics than about ‘liberating’ Iraq, freeing Afghan women, and hating the ‘Euroweenies’.)
Ex-Dissident on April 14, 2009 at 10:36 pm said:
Like many here, I was once a fan of LGF. Johnson managed to gather a community of clear thinking people who discussed important news. I think this changed when he became more and more obsessed with controlling “intolerant” speech on his site. I still think that Charles is a smart guy worth reading, but I also think he has isolated himself from constructive critics. The comments that he allows there essentially parrot his own statements. Strangely I find that Johnson’s views are completely in sync with a liberal troll on Malkin’s site called Chapoteer. It makes me wonder if this is the same person, despite Johnson’s protestations that he never comments on other’s sites.
Zenster on April 14, 2009 at 11:21 pm said:
Off Topic: Baron, there’s a screw loose in the server. I thought it was just my crappy old computer but here in this thread it is quite clear.
Please note how often an HTML isolated group (usually in Italics) suffers an immediate text-wrap connection with the next (usually non-Italicized) paragraph.
This started happening in the last three days and I thought it might just be inattention on my own part. Now it seems as though it is not.
I’ll email you about this as well.
Baron Bodissey on April 14, 2009 at 11:30 pm said:
Zenster —
It’s a Blogger thing. You wouldn’t understand it.
Seriously, it used to happen years ago, and everyone had to compensate for it when using italics. Then it quit doing it.
I think Blogger must have reverted to an older piece of software.
The way around it is to close the italics before the final punctuation, i.e. a period or a quote mark.
Text here.
Another paragraph.
Final paragraph.
A real test:
…and then resume.
Rolf Krake on April 15, 2009 at 6:46 am said:
The Lizard Lounge, saw this brilliant parody on Charles Johnson on NukeGingrich, a very good laugh 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFgKXAphIlc


Chicago Mayor Offers Up Big Promises Of More School Nurses And Social Workers
July 30, 2019, 5:04 p.m. CT
Because of a limited number of nurses in Chicago Public Schools, Florencia Guzman came to school every week to check her daughter’s glucose levels so she could stay for an afterschool program. Mia has Type 1 diabetes and needs constant care. Manuel Martinez / WBEZ
Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Tuesday offered up a long list of big hiring promises but had few details for how Chicago Public Schools would make them happen.
At the same time, she announced the expansion this fall of a teacher recruitment and retention program at hard-to-staff schools.
“Each one demonstrates our commitment to expanding educational equity for all of our students and our families,” Lightfoot said at a news conference at Michele Clark Magnet High School on the West Side.
The big promises include hiring 250 more nurses and 200 more social workers over five years. It also includes providing more case managers so schools with 240 of more special education students can have at least two, she said. These new hires will be school district employees, rather than contractors, CPS officials said.
Lightfoot also said the district is going to expand access to career and technical programs. Under her plan, half of all incoming freshmen will get an apprenticeship or an internship and all others will at least get a “career exposure experience,” by the time they graduate, Lightfoot said. She did not offer details for how the school district will make this happen.
Further, she said the school district is going to spend a year examining whether the way money is doled out to schools creates inequities — and whether there’s a better way. Currently, schools get a stipend for each student, which means schools with shrinking enrollment lose money.
“I have heard feedback from principals and teachers who are operating with squeezed budgets, but are doing everything they can to do right by their own students, even when it means coming out of their pockets to supply and fill the gap that is not otherwise provided,” Lightfoot said.
The Chicago Teachers Union has been demanding more support personnel in schools for years but want promises codified in the teachers contract currently being negotiated. This is shaping up to be a key issue as the union threatens to strike if there is no deal by September.
Lightfoot did not directly answer questions about how much the additional staff or career and technical programs would cost or how she plans to pay for them. Instead, she said the school district can afford it because additional money has been coming from the state since a late 2017 overhaul of the Illinois’ school funding system.
“We believe that we have the resources to be able to address this, starting as soon as possible, that is why we are making this specific commitment,” she said. “The fortunes of CPS absolutely have improved.”
The school district will not provide any additional money for social workers, nurses or case managers in the 2019-2020 school year budget, but plans to start hiring the extra staff next year.
Lightfoot said she is making these commitments because she’s heard about the need from parents and teachers. After years of budget cuts prior to 2018, there has been a groundswell of activism calling for nurses and social workers in particular.
Some of that has come from the Chicago Teachers Union. Lightfoot has been non-committal in the face of the union’s demand for contract language spelling out staff-to-student ratios in key areas.
In response to Lightfoot’s announcement, the union said the hiring pledges must be “supported not by press release or public pledge but a real commitment in revenue and a legally binding agreement with the CTU.”
The union also asked several questions in a press release: “Will these individuals be fully licensed and certified school professionals? Will these individuals be staffed by outside companies with zero accountability to students, parents, faculty or staff? Will we be able to see these individuals on day one or in year five? Is this a fixed commitment to increasing wrap-around services or is this an opening offer? Are there loopholes in these promises that will give the mayor the opportunity to renege in year five?”
While Lightfoot did not talk much about money, she did say the school district is limited in what it can do quickly. She noted a lack of available school nurses and social workers.
“It would be easy for us to say ‘yes, we are going to do this in every school,’ but ignoring the reality that there aren’t enough supply yet. But we are going to be working diligently to make sure we get the pipeline going so we can reach our goal,” she said.
In fact, last summer Lightfoot’s predecessor Rahm Emanual promised he would hire 250 additional social workers. But so far, the district has only been able to bring 45 additional ones on board, according to the CPS June 30 employee roster.
The National Association of Social Workers-Illinois Chapter released a statement criticizing Lightfoot for taking too long to hire these staff. Further, even with these additions, the school district ratio of social workers to students will be 500 to 1, which is more than the recommended ratio of 250 to 1, according to Kyle Hillman, spokesperson for the association.
Recruiting teachers
The one area where Lightfoot and school district officials made a tangible commitment was to include 10 additional high schools in the “Opportunity Schools” program. This program, which was started with 50 schools two years ago, recruits teachers, vets them and then offers them up to schools that have a hard time finding staff.
When it started, it cost the school district $300,000 annually. Since then, the school district has started doing more to support the new teachers in schools. They provide coaches and have them meet on regularly to talk about issues. The school district also works with each school principal to make their welcoming .
The school district did not provide the current cost of the program or the cost of the expansion.
School district officials say the program has decreased the number of vacancies at Opportunity Schools in September. They also say it has helped with retention.
Chicago School Security Guards Accused Of Sexual Misbehavior At High Rates
Chicago Teachers And School District On ‘Collision Course’ Over Staffing
The Chicago Teachers Union Wants More Sanctuary Schools
CPS Teacher Develops Toolkit To Fight White Nationalism


Lagos Theatre Festival 2018: Lagos comes alive with non-conventional theatre festival!
by Laila Ijeoma February 24, 2018, 2:23 pm
Lagos Theatre Festival has released the schedule of performances and workshops that will feature at the 2018 edition of the festival which will be held from 27 February till 4 March 2018 at the Freedom Park and several other venues in Lagos.
Focus for this year is on theatre in unconventional spaces, innovative interpretations of new ideas that will inspire and challenge audiences, and promoting new works that will spark conversations and debates.
The curated strand of the festival will feature 6 productions with over 20 shows throughout the festival. The other aspect of the festival, the fringe strand, has over 35 production programmed to present over 80 shows to theatre audiences in Lagos.
The capacity development thrust of the festival will deliver workshops and trainings in acting, script development and some other theatre related subject matter throughout the festival.
Talking about the programming of this year’s edition, festival director, Kenneth Uphopho explained that productions were carefully selected to offer an interesting array of the arts. He said,
“This year’s festival has been programmed to ensure there is something that appeals to every segment of the society – drama, spoken word, music, workshops, variety shows, visual arts and so many more.
We offer a slice of every bit that you wish to experience.”
Expressing her elation at the growth of the festival over the years, British Council’s Head of Arts in West Africa, Ojoma Ochai revealed that Lagos Theatre Festival has been listed as ‘One of the top 20 theatre festivals around the world’ by America Express Essentials.
She went further to say,
“It is quite commendable that in the 5th year of the festival, we get accorded this recognition as one of the top 20 theatre festivals across the world. Lagos Theatre Festival was listed alongside other festivals such as Edinburgh Fringe, Galway International Arts Festival and London International Festival of Theatre amongst some others. This is good news for us”.
The 2017 edition featured over 80 events at 16 venues across Lagos and was well attended by over 5000 people.
This year is scheduled to present over 100 shows at more than 18 venues in Lagos by production companies from America, Ghana, Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Infinix Is Giving out a Brand New Car in 1 week: Join the Mega Jackpot now to Win
DJ Cuppy, Do2dtun and Infinix Dancers Lit up Turn Up Friday with Infinix
THE 59TH FIRSTBANK LAGOS AMATEUR GOLF OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP TEES-OFF
‘15,897 successful applicants to undergo further screening’ – Gov. El-Rufai
Rapper Stormzy writes an emotional post to fans on his ‘GANG SIGNS & PRAYER’ album