Goodell Displays Air Of Arrogance When Answering Deflategate Questions
By JEFF JACOBS |
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell talks about "Deflategate" during his annual state of the league address in Houson on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2017.
The more he talked Wednesday the emptier his suit got. At least, Roger Goodell, the tough guy NFL commissioner, the snarling sheriff, had teeth. Granted some of his decisions were bad and some of those teeth got knocked out, but at least he had bite.
HOUSTON — Roger Goodell, the calm explainer, the artful dodger, has no artfulness. As dancer commissioner, he has two left feet and a mushy mouth.
Asked a handful of times at his annual Super Bowl press conference about the fallout from Deflategate, about whether he got bad advice, about why he hasn't shown up at Gillette Stadium, Goodell essentially said it was time to move on. Wait. That's exactly what he said. What he really meant to say to New England was, "Get over it!"
Or maybe he didn't. Even rehearsed, Goodell couldn't even quite get it right on why he hasn't shown up for a Patriots game since Deflategate began two years ago. He couldn't quite get the legalities of the case right either. So after Goodell sweated out five questions on the subject over nearly an hour of myriad topics in a convention center ballroom, the bottom line is this:
Goodell is just going to have to lump it. Give Robert Kraft and Tom Brady the Lombardi Trophy if the Patriots beat the Falcons, smile a fake smile.
And lump it.
The NFL, as Texans owner Bob McNair said, allowed a deflated football to become a mountain out of a molehill. Brady should have received a much lesser punishment for having the air taken out of his footballs. I'm not among those who claim he's innocent, but a four-game suspension? Brady got thrown in football jail for speeding. Goodell kept talking Wednesday about the violation, the process and the discipline that was litigated and validated by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
"We're moving on from there," Goodell said. "That's part of our history ... we're focusing on the game now."
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That's pretty funny. Those words may play well in the rest of the country, but it had to come off as tone deaf from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Conn. Goodell has a lot of power, but he doesn't have the power to tell the fans of an entire region to move on. If they're still hot, they're still hot. Some will never get over it, but, certainly, until Brady holds up the Lombardi Trophy and maybe even gives Goodell a little dig, Goodell isn't going to get off so easy.
These are sensitive times for the Brady family. Tom's mother Galynn, Tom E. Curran of CSNNE reported this week, has had health problems the past 18 months. Brady grew emotional on Monday night when he talked about his dad being his hero. A dad, who torched the commissioner last week, saying that somebody with Goodell's ethics doesn't belong on the same stage as his son.
"He went on a witch hunt and went in way over his head and had to lie his way out in numerous ways," Tom Brady Sr. told a San Francisco television station. "And the reality is that Tommy never got suspended for deflating footballs. He got suspended because the court said that he could — Roger Goodell could do anything he wanted to do to any player for any reason whatsoever. That's what happened."
Goodell Addresses Deflategate, Foxborough Absence In Q&A With Reporters
A handful of times at his annual Super Bowl press conference, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the fallout from Deflategate, his relationship with
"I would tell you it's not awkward at all for me," Goodell said. "We have a job to do. We do our job.
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"We understand when fans who are loyal and passionate for a team object and don't like the outcome. I totally understand that. That's not an issue for me. … From our standpoint, this is just about making sure we take care of business and do it the way that is right, to uphold the integrity of our teams and our rules for all 32 teams."
If it's not awkward, why not at least show up at Gillette Stadium for one of the two playoff games?
"I was in Boston two seasons ago for two consecutive playoff games, the same way as I was in Atlanta this year," Goodell said.
In putting the Foxborough question to the commissioner, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe pointed out this rationalization strained all credibility.
"If I'm invited back to Foxborough I'll come," Goodell said.
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Jonathan Kraft said a few weeks ago that teams don't invite the commissioner. He tells them he is coming.
"I have no doubt if I wanted to come up to a Patriots game and I asked Mr. Kraft he would welcome me back," said Goodell, trying to clarify things and failing to do so. "That's up to him though."
The Krafts were in the ballroom for Goodell's address. They left before answering questions, but later put out a statement that if the Patriots are fortunate enough to win Sunday, the kickoff to next season would be the perfect time.
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At media night on Monday, Robert Kraft said, "The league messed up royally the way they handled the whole thing, in my opinion. But still we're in a system that we agreed to adhere to what the rules of the system are. So I try to compartmentalize in my life and not get bogged down with the negative. In a strange way, what happened, I think, has energized our fans so that they're more energized in support of this team than, I think, except for the first [Super Bowl] or the second."
Asked if it also energized the Patriots' locker room, Kraft answered, "Oh, yeah."
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In other words, Goodell is going to have to lump it at least through a potential trophy ceremony Sunday night.
At one point during the question-and-answer period, Curran stood up and said to Goodell, "One quick fact check. The courts didn't uphold the investigation. It upheld your right to go ahead and do what you did."
"If you look at the 2nd Circuit Court the decision they set was that there was compelling if not overwhelming facts," Goodell answered.
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I'd submit Curran's version of the punishment being upheld is much closer to the truth. Kevin Duffy, of Masslive.com, went one better. He looked through the 42-page decision and found nothing resembling "compelling and overwhelming facts." Goodell, as Duffy pointed out, was referring to a remark by Judge Denny Chin during the court hearing. That's one judge's opinion, and wasn't used by the three-judge panel to uphold Goodell's arbitration victory. The commissioner won because it was found he acted within his authority. Not because of the inflation or deflation of footballs.
"Listen, we have a disagreement about what occurred," said Goodell, who wouldn't say if he had talked to Tom Brady this season. "We have been very transparent about what we think the violation was. We went through a lengthy process. We disagree about that. But I can continue to respect and admire Robert, Jonathan, the entire organization. They are an extraordinary organization. They are extraordinary people in my view.
"I have a very deep and close relationship to them. But that doesn't change we have to compartmentalize things we disagree on. I'll be honest with you. I have disagreements with probably all 32 of our teams. I'm not afraid of disagreement. I don't think disagreement leads to distrust or hatred. It's a disagreement. You take your disagreements, find a common place and move forward. That's what it is. It's not all personal in nature, which I know people like to make it."
Nothing personal to Brady, to the Krafts, to all those crazed fans? That's fall-down funny. Nothing personal commissioner, but if I had a nickel for every time you used the word disagreement, I'd have enough money to fill your gas tank in Connecticut on your way from New York to a long overdue visit to Foxborough.


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The Rediff Special/Tarun Tejpal
People have asked me why we have stopped updating tehelka.com [site might not show] and whether I am unhappy at this unpleasant development.
There is a monthly server charge of Rs 40,000 to Rs 50,000. Since we did not have the money at that point of time, I told them to put out a notice that the site updating would be suspended due to financial and technical reasons and we would be back very soon.
But the truth of the matter -- and I have been saying this for the last eight months -- is that we have no more staffers and we are not paying salaries any more. We were 120 people when we broke the story Operation Westend exposing corruption in the defence deals on March 13, 2001, and we are now less than five. None of us is a paid journalist.
Even the site was being maintained by loyalists who just came and worked in their spare time. Most of them have been helping us with our legal work because we have loads of cases to look after. We have to go to the Justice K Venkataswami Commission. We have a large number of cases pending in various courts.
In the last one-and-a-half years, we have not been able to do any serious kind of journalism. We are all involved in preparing for the commission.
Do I feel sad that things have come to such a pass? Frankly, no!
You have to deal with these things. Of course it has been a very difficult time. But let me add that I have absolute and complete faith in tehelka's future. It has a great value as an independent media company. And this value would come to pass in the public domain in the coming years.
If you want to know whether I am anxious about the future of tehelka.com I would say that I am not at all anxious about it. I am confident of tehelka's future. Do I have any regrets for what we have done? None whatsoever. In fact, as and when tehelka is healthy again, we would do the same kind of journalism that we have done so far.
The saddest part of it is that we have not been able to do the kind of journalism that tehelka started in India. It took us eight months to do the story on corruption in defence deals and it is more then one year and eight months that we have been defending our story.
The establishment has snarled our progress by illegal, unconstitutional, and dishonest means. There is a regret for the time wasted that could not be utilized for constructive journalism.
The story has had a wide impact and won us acclaim and goodwill across the country from all sections of society. We have to look at the upsides at what we have achieved to enable us to keep going. If we look at the downsides, then we have had many. But we are taking things in our stride.
Tehelka journalism has been an incredible ride. It has been a fascinating experience for those of us who have been a part of it. Besides doing investigating stories, we have done some of the best features in Indian journalism. When I go to smaller towns and villages, I am astonished to hear from the people about the kind of goodwill tehelka has generated.
It has been a pitched battle between tehelka and the establishment for a year-and-a-half. When we broke the story, the kind of response we got was simply phenomenal. We received acclaim from the chief executives of the biggest private companies as well as from the people at the grass-root level.
Unfortunately, nobody came forward to invest even a single rupee in tehelka.com. On many occasions, we were close to clinching deals for investments in tehelka but at the last minute, the people backed out saying that they wanted more time or they would invest when the times change, etc.
People see the potential of tehelka as a media brand and they are ready to invest but are waiting for the right time. This is the biggest media brand in the last 30-odd years. While some fear retaliation from the establishment, others are put off by the kind of independence we would like to have in running the organization.
There is a tremendous difference between the match-fixing story that we broke and Operation Westend. In the match-fixing case, we were dealing with sportsmen, namely the top cricketers. The match-fixing story yielded great results because it led to two major inquiries: one by the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] and the other by International Cricket Conference. Cricketers are not the kind of people who would come and harm you and be vindictive.
But the same is not the case with the politicians. If you hit them and if they are in power, they hit you with their immense power. They try and damage you. If the establishment is immoral, if it is unethical in its conduct, then it has the ability to damage that much more.
Let me say that despite all this we are still there. We are still carrying on. We have survived because we are totally clean. They [the government] have tried their best but they have not found anything on us.
The other thing that has kept us going is the goodwill of the people. I would say that even the most deranged in the government understands that the people are behind us completely. This has acted as some sort of a shield for us.
We have got tremendous support from editors of various newspapers and from other media outfits. Even the Press Council of India has lauded our work. Our story was one of the most explosive pieces in Indian journalism. There has not been a similar story in the last 50 years with this kind of impact.
I think Aniruddha Bahal and Samuel Mathew did an incredible story. If there are people who disagree with certain aspects of the story, they are free to do so. I have no problem with them on this count. Within journalism you can have different perspectives and it depends upon you on the kind of journalism that you want to practice. If people are happy doing press release kind of journalism, it is fine with me.
In my opinion, the time has come in India for journalism to stand up and show its teeth. If that does not happen, then Indian democracy would be severely in danger. The next few years are very crucial.
All governments, all powers, are malign. The only counter that the people of India have to the misuse of power is journalism. Journalists would increasingly become the warriors of the people. They must perpetually be in opposition to those who are in power.
Tarun Tejpal, managing director and editor-in-chief of tehelka.com, spoke to Onkar Singh.
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Aiming to get teens more sleep, high schools consider later start times
By Robert McCoppin
Barrington High School students head into the library about 6:50 a.m. March 2, 2016. High school students in Barrington School District 220 start school at 7:20 a.m. but the school board and community are thinking about moving the start time back to as late as 9 a.m. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)
It may seem like a teenager's dream to be able to sleep in for two extra hours each morning before school. But some teens at Barrington High School don't want to make that dream their reality.
"Everyone I know would like school to start as late as possible … because they like to sleep," said junior Ethan Stearney, 16. "But either way, if they push the time up two hours, then (students) go to bed two hours later. It's up to the kids to get sleep."
Despite such skepticism, research has found that most high school students don't get enough sleep and that starting school later can help them. In response, Barrington School District 220 is considering a proposal to push back the start of the school day, in one scenario by more than two hours.
A backlash from some parents, teachers and students, however, has prompted the school board to lean toward a more modest, interim change at the high school rather than a sweeping overhaul of all school start times that affect schedules for nearly everyone else in the K-12 district.
"It's a complex puzzle, and it's a community reset," Superintendent Brian Harris said. "We know our school start times impact our entire community, our parents, kids, businesses that hire teenagers, park district programs. It does have a ripple effect."
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As evidence mounts that students who get more sleep perform better in school, Barrington is one of several Chicago-area districts considering later start times for high schools. But such changes aren't just logistically complicated — affecting busing schedules, extracurricular activities and work schedules. They also represent a cultural shift at a time many students' days stretch from before dawn until after midnight.
Last year, St. Charles' Community Unit School District 303 tabled consideration of a later start after objections were raised and a survey showed a slight majority of teachers wanted to keep their 7:20 a.m. first bell.
Last fall, Chicago Public Schools also backed off a proposal to delay school start times after objections were raised. The measure, meant to save busing costs, had to be modified at a loss of $4 million,officials said.
The push for later start times for middle schools and high schools comes in part from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC reports that four out of five middle and high schools start before 8:30 a.m. — the earliest start time recommended by the AAP in a 2014 policy statement.
Two out of three high school students don't get enough sleep, the CDC reports, falling short of the recommended eight-hour minimum. With busier-than-ever schedules, researchers say, teens are experiencing an epidemic of sleep disorders tantamount to narcolepsy.
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The problem can be partly alleviated by beginning the school day later, researchers say. One study of 18,000 Minnesota high school students who made such a switch found they averaged an extra hour of sleep.
Of course, many other factors affect how much sleep kids get, such as after-school activities, jobs and staying up late with friends or playing videos, which parents can rein in. But class starting time is the single change that affects all students, said Dr. Judith Owens, a Boston Children's Hospital pediatrician who has led the later-start movement.
Research shows later start times have helped improve attendance, mental health and academic performance, and have reduced sleep-related auto accidents. In response, about 70 districts nationwide have changed to later start times.
In the Chicago area, Arlington Heights-based Township High School District 214 and Naperville Community Unit School District 203 are looking into later start times, and Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire is going through with it.
Next school year, Stevenson will make a modest shift in starting times, from 8:05 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., which spokesman Jim Conrey said was approved without much dissension. Because of scheduling conflicts with grade schools, Stevenson will have to spend an extra $150,000 for buses each school year.
To avoid running into conflicts with extracurricular activities and busing schedules, Stevenson will keep the same ending time, 3:25 p.m., meaning class periods generally will be reduced to 47 minutes from 50 minutes.
In District 214, which operates six high schools, spokeswoman Jennifer Delgado said a committee is looking at the issue and leaning toward moving most start times from about 7:30 to 8 a.m. or later.
School leaders don't want to push back the end of the school day because of conflicts with sports and club schedules, but Delgado said they'll try to shorten the day without cutting class time. Any changes would likely come in the 2017-18 school year.
In Barrington, the later-start proposal has been contentious, drawing hundreds of parents to meetings to debate the merits. The topic has drawn community members into spontaneous debates at the train station, grocery stores and sports games.
An advisory council spent months studying the issue and recommended options including to start much later, at 9 or 9:30 a.m., while pushing back middle school starts from 7:55 to 8:50 a.m.
But grade schools and preschools would start an hour earlier, at 8 instead of 9 a.m. In addition, the plans would cost an extra $58,000 to $845,000 in busing costs annually, depending on the scenario.
Every proposal called for shorter high school class times, by up to six minutes per class, which raised concerns that instruction would suffer. Teachers warned that later dismissal times would cut into sports and club activities. And parents worried about starting grade school earlier, with small children waiting for buses in the winter shortly after dawn.
Community members formed Barrington United for Education, which reported more than 400 signatures on an online petition objecting to the proposed changes.
"We think some of the energy and the angst of the community comes from surprise at the magnitude of the change," group member and parent David Holterman said.
The clock is ticking to find a solution. While any major change was put off until fall 2017, officials said any smaller change for the 2016-17 school year would have to be made by mid-April.
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"The ideal scenario would be to maintain instructional minutes but have later start times," Harris said. "That's the puzzle we're trying to figure out."
rmccoppin@tribpub.com
Twitter @RobertMcCoppin
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Sweet Stocks to Ask to Be Your Valentine
By Debbie Carlson February 5, 2020 5 min read
Fewer folks celebrate Valentine’s Day, but those who do tend to spend more
Candy is the most popular gift, followed by flowers
Rather than exchanging gifts, many choose to celebrate with experiences
Love is in the air and could be in your portfolio.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and spending on this holiday remains sweet for some industries. According to 2019 data from the National Retail Federation (NRF), people who celebrate the holiday were expected to spend $161.96 on average, with $20.7 billion spent overall.
For a holiday that’s supposed to be about tokens of appreciation for a loved one, we’re shelling out more than just a few bucks. And the industries that are most closely associated with the holiday, such as candy manufacturers, florists, jewelers, and experience vendors, could benefit, according to Michael Kealy, education coach at TD Ameritrade.
“The companies involved in the holiday will see, in all likelihood, a bump as a result of the splurging that takes place,” he said.
Valentine Spending Is Up
Even though only 51% of people surveyed said they were celebrating Valentine’s Day, spending has increased over the years. In 2009, the average spend was at $102.50, with overall spending at $14.7 billion that year. By 2019, those figures had risen 58% and 40%, respectively.
The top two categories for gifts are candy and flowers, according to NRF’s survey, with 52% of people giving sweets. Kealy noted two pure-play publicly traded confectionary companies: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory (RMCF) and Hershey (HSY). RMCF is known for its gourmet chocolates and other candies, and its stock has slowly trended higher since late 2018.
Hershey makes its eponymous brand of chocolate (including the Kiss, so appropriate for Valentine’s Day), and the Pennsylvania-based company also boasts a vast portfolio of chocolate company names, including higher-end brands like Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker and Dagoba Chocolate. HSY is at the upper end of its year-long trend.
Candy sales around Valentine’s Day are important for U.S. manufacturers too, according to the Census Bureau. Using data from its 2016 survey of manufacturers, the bureau estimated that the value of chocolate confectionary products shipped by manufacturers in the United States was $16.1 billion, while nonchocolate candy was $10.7 billion.
Flowers remain a popular gift, with NRF noting 35% of people surveyed said they would give their Valentine some blooms. A company like 1-800-Flowers.com (FLWS), which ships nationwide, could see an uptick in business, Kealy suggested. FLWS's price has come down significantly from its 52-week highs.
Although jewelry isn’t as popular a gift as it once was, according to NRF, it’s the gift with the highest individual price point, at $30.34 per person, or $3.9 billion spent overall. The Census Bureau’s data showed the estimated value of jewelry and silverware shipped by manufacturers in the United States was $6.5 billion.
Kealy pointed out the chart for Signet Jewelers (SIG) might look promising. The company's strong holiday sales may have helped push the stock price higher. SIG is the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry and owns well-known, mid-priced brands such as Kay Jewelers, Zales, and Jared. Were you thinking a little more upscale? Luxury brand conglomerate LVMH (LVMUY)—which announced in November it had reached a deal to buy Tiffany & Co. (TIF)—owns several other high-end names such as Louis Vuitton, TAG Heuer, and Bvlgari.
For those who celebrate, age is nothing but a number. Slightly more than half of people ages 18 to 54 said they would participate in Valentine’s Day, while that number dips to 49% for the 55 to 64 age group and 46% for those over 65. Some of us stay romantic all our lives.
For a holiday that’s supposed to be about tokens of appreciation for a loved one, we’re shelling out more than just a few bucks.
Beyond the Valentine’s Day Trifecta
Kealy suggested investors might want to think beyond just candy, jewelry, and flowers when it comes to Valentine’s Day and consider experiential gifts as well. A date night would probably come in right around the average spend for the holiday.
The traditional date-night activity, dinner and a movie, can be part of a portfolio too. Kealy mentioned that Darden Restaurants (DRI), which owns inexpensive chain restaurants like Olive Garden, and two movie-theater chains, Cinemark Holdings (CNK) and AMC Entertainment (AMC), offer low-cost experiences.
IMAX (IMAX) is also a publicly traded cinema company, although Kealy suggested it might not show the traditional Valentine’s Day movie fare.
Even those who don’t participate in the holiday may mark the occasion, with 49% of women and 40% of men treating themselves to a little something-something.
Clothing is starting to uptick in gift-giving, NRF noted, matching jewelry. The percentage of people giving gifts of jewelry is at 18%. Kealy remarked that a firm such as popular retail apparel company Lululemon (LULU) could be the recipient of those gift-giving dollars, whether for a special someone or yourself. “While it might seem a little different to list LULU as a recipient of Valentine’s Day dollars, I don’t see why not. The younger demographic would likely see it as viable in terms of a Valentine’s Day gift for a significant other,” he said.
Or, of course, you could always treat yourself with a new addition to your portfolio.
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History Literature Philosophy Opinion Law & Justice All Topics
Vladimir Nabokov Speak Memory Russian Literature Russian Revolution
The 1905 Russian Revolution through the Eyes of Vladimir Nabokov in Speak, Memory
By Iulia O. Basu-Zharku
2011, Vol. 3 No. 01 | pg. 1/1
Keywords:Vladimir Nabokov Speak Memory Russian Literature Russian Revolution
The insight that Vladimir Nabokov provides into the 1905 Russian Revolution, in his book Speak, Memory, sometimes merges with the general view--presented, for example, by Nicholas V. Riasanovsky in a more traditional account--but at many other times is totally unique, a product of Nabokov’s personal observations.
Many of the causes that determined the 1905 Russian Revolution are presented in Nabokov’s novel. One of these is industrialization, which occurred at a rapid pace: “In the early years of this century, a travel agency on Nevski Avenue displayed a three-foot-long model of an oak-brown international sleeping car.... One could make out the blue upholstery inside, the embossed leather lining of the compartment walls, their polished panels, inset mirrors, tulip-shaped reading lamps, and other maddening details. Spacious windows alternated with narrower ones... and some of these were of frosted glass.... The then great and glamorous Nord-Express... connected St Petersburg with Paris.”1 This industrialization, which grew apace under Witte’s supervision2, was accompanied by a proportionate decrease in the living conditions of industrial workers, who were enduring “overcrowded housing with often deplorable sanitary conditions, an exhausting workday... widespread disease... constant risk of injury from poor safety conditions, harsh workplace discipline, and inadequate wages.”3 All of this could only spread resentment towards the government and the Tsar, helping form a perfect arena for revolutionary ideas, notably Marxism4. However, these details are not dwelled upon by Nabokov, who gives only a glimpse of the luxurious results of this trying process.
In addition, the author presents the poverty and desperation that plagued the countryside: “fatal poverty and fatalistic wealth got fantastically interwoven in that strange first decade of our century. Several times during the summer... the butler, with an unhappy expression on his face, would bend over and inform my father in a low voice... that a group of villagers wanted to see the barin outside.... It presumably had to do with a plea for his mediation of some local feud, or with some special subsidy, or with the permission to harvest some bit of our land or cut down a coveted clump of our trees. If, as usually happened, the request was at once granted, there would again be that buzz, and then... the good barin would be... rocked and tossed up and securely caught by a score or so of strong arms”5.
1st edition cover of Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov.
Nabokov learns of the problems in the country from the village schoolmaster, as well, who “took us [the author and his brother] for instructive walks (‘What you hear is the sound of scythe being sharpened’; ‘That field there will be given a rest next season’; ‘Oh, just a small bird-no special name’; ‘If that peasant is drunk, it is because he is poor’)”6. Through Vasiliy Martinovich Zhernosekov (the school master) one can see as in a realistic painting, the changes happening in the countryside, the liberal and revolutionary ideas that penetrate the villages. The schoomaster is one of those “fiery revolutionaries,” maybe one of the 3rd elements, who “would gesture vehemently on our country rambles and speak of humanity and freedom and the badness of warfare and the sad (but interesting, I thought) necessity to blowing up tyrants, and sometimes he would produce the then popular pacifist book Doloy Oruzhie!... and treat me, a child of six, to tedious quotations”7. However, the rise of the Social Democrats and their more radical factions are not mentioned; only the end result, the Bolshevik Revolution, is mentioned again and again.
Another major problem was the Russo-Japanese war8. At Abbazia (at the Adriatic Sea), in a café, his father sees two Japanese officers at a table nearby “and we immediately left-not without my hastily snatching a whole bombe of lemon sherbet, which I carried away secreted in my aching mouth. The year was 1904. I was five. Russia was fighting Japan”9. English newspapers, of which Nabokov gives the example of the one his governess, Miss Norcott, received, illustrated Japanese cartoons of Russian locomotives drowning as a threat “if our Army tried to lay rails across the treacherous ice of Lake Baikal”10. The war was in the attention of Europe. However, Nabokov sees the war only through a child eyes, to whom General Kuropatkin the movement of the sea with some matches just before he is called “to assume supreme command of the Russian army in the Far East”11. Only later on, as an adult, Nabokov acknowledges that the war ended disastrously: “his [General Kuropatkin’s] armies also vanished, and everything has fallen through, like my toy trains that, in the winter of 1904-1905, in Wiesbaden, I tried to run over the frozen puddles in the grounds of the Hotel Oranien”12.
Nonetheless, the problems did not stop there. Nabokov’s father’s (Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov) brief biography, illustrates further the problems that led to the Revolution of 1905: the pogroms (an example that Nabokov gives is the one in Kishinev in 190313), which are noted by the liberal aristocrats, to which Nabokov’s father pertains. He writes about the pogrom in Kishinbev, thus losing his court title “in January 1905, after which he severed all connexion with the Tsar’s government and resolutely plunged into antidespotic politics”14. This shows another major, probably essential issue that brings about the Revolution of 1905: the Tsar is estranged from his own class-the aristocrats. Nabokov’s father “at an official banquet in 1904... refused to drink the Tsar’s health”15. This note probably alludes to the “banquet campaigns” which were staged by the liberals “featuring fervent speeches and resolutions calling for democratizing political change”.16 It is also a clear example of the gap between some of the members of the aristocracy and the Tsar. In the wake of 1905, political meetings were illegal, and they would frequently be held in secret at the house of one or another, in this case Nabokov’s father’s house estate at Vyra: “he had to attend many committee meetings, and these were often held at our house17.
Thus, up to this point, the Tsar and his government gathered the workers, the peasants and the aristocrats against themselves, creating a perfect context for a revoltuin. A telling episode is the involving Nabokov’s cousin, Yuri, who in 1904 was “coming out of a souvenir shop and running toward me with a breloque, an inch-long little pistol of silver, which he was anxious to show me-and suddenly sprawling on the sidewalk but not crying when he picked himself up, unmindful of a bleeding knee and still clutching his minuscule weapon”18. In some ways, Yuri’s gesture is the one that the whole Russia is doing: rising up, beaten and worked as it is, to ask for a change, and not releasing the weapon at any cost, feeling that it is the last resort in this battle with its own government.
The consequences to all the problems enumerated above, and seen through the eyes of a child, were “furious internal disorders”. Nabokov’s mother is “undaunted by them” and returns after “a year of foreign resorts”19, namely Beaulieu, Abbazia and Wiesbaden20, to Russia. This return was happening “in the beginning of 1905,” just as the Revolution starts. It is a perfect example of a scene of the countryside, which was not as affected by the bloody revolution as the cities were. Amidst the revolution, “a large woman, a very stout woman, Mademoiselle rolled into our existence in December 1905 when I was six and my brother was five”21. Indeed this serene, tranquil country life, dominated by the image of a French governess, is contrasted with the cities’ 1905 “a year of strikes, riots and police-inspired massacres, and I suppose my father wished to keep his family away from the city... where his popularity with the peasants might mitigate, as he correctly surmised, the risks of unrest”22. In Moscow, the trees in Maria Square witnessed “children shot down at random from the branches into which they had climbed in a vain attempt to escape the mounted gendarmes who were quelling the First Revolution (1905-1906)23. These gruesome scenes (which the author emphasizes that were not singular at all24) go beyond what is usually present in history textbooks (general strikes and police shooting at petitioners and workers25) and portray the revolution’s violence and the government’s injustice.
In contrast to his mother, Nabokov’s father is in the middle of the revolution: he goes to Moscow, being one of the founders of the Constitutionalist Democratic Party, and upon his return, he wants his sons to learn Russian and asks the village schoolmaster to teach them26. This shows not only Nabokov’s father’s patriotism (“he ascertained, with patriotic dismay, that my brother and I could read and write English but not Russian”27) but also is a way to introduce his liberalism and protectorate over education: the schoolmaster “revered my father who had recently rebuilt and modernized the village school”28. This glimpse into his father’s activities is also a way to enter the world of the liberals and their newly formed (in 1905) Constitutionalist Democratic Party (or Cadet), after putting the bases of the Union of Liberation, in 190329. This activity of Vladimir Dmitrievich Nabokov is not surprising at all, put in the context that his son puts it. The author’s grandfather, Dmitri Nikolaevich Nabokov, had been Minister of Justice in the time of Alexander III, and Nabokov confesses that his grandfather “did what he could to protect, if not strengthen, the liberal reforms of the sixties (trial by jury, for instance) against ferocious reactionary attacks”30 (pg. 40). His legacy went on to his descendants, especially Nabokov’s father (although Nabokov’s grandmother, Baroness Maria von Korff, opposed it, seeing in the upcoming revolution a disintegration of her class31) and uncle Konstantin, who entered diplomacy and was the protagonist of an incident in “Moscow, on 17 February 1905, when an older friend, the Grand Duke Sergey, half a minute before the explosion, offered him a lift in his carriage, and my uncle said no, thanks, he’d rather walk, and away rolled the carriage to its fatal rendezvouz with a terrorist’s bomb”32. This episode not only emphasizes the long history of liberalism and political life in Nabokov’s family but also portrays lesser known moments of the revolution of 1905, like the assassination of the Grand Duke Sergey Alexandrovich, the Tsar’s uncle by revolutionary terrorist33. Uncle Konstantin was not the only one of Nabokov’s uncles to enter diplomacy: his mother’s brother, Vasiliy Ivanovich Rukavisnikov34 was another one, although about his activities neither Nabokov, nor his family, seem to have known much.
In Speak, Memory, Nabokov gives a frugal look into the 1905 Russian Revolution and its causes, dwelling on the issues he was most familiar with, like the peasants' pleas, the organizations and activities of the liberal aristocrats an the Russo-Japanese war, and less so into the situation of the workers. But in doing so, he also gives us precious details, that history books do not always record; the look and feel of industrialization, the luxury of life in the countryside, despite the problems raging throughout the country, the continuous Westernization of the aristocratic class as well as their professed patriotism, and the personal touch of all the events, such as the realistic and human portrait of the commander in chief of the Russian army. Lastly, it gives details of the 1905 Russian Revolution that show it in all its grotesque and violence, extended from the revolutionaries in the streets, to innocent children, and to the members of the royal family. In this, Nabokov tells us that the 1905 Russian Revolution involved everybody and forgave nobody.
Alexy, Archbishop of Orekhovo-Zuevskij. “The Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.” Spasnanovom. Novospassky Monastery, http://www.spasnanovom.ru/330105.
Nabokov, Vladimir. Speak, memory. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999.
Riasanovsky, Nicholas V. and Steinberg, Mark D. A History of Russia. 7th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.
1.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 107.
2.) Nicholas V. Riasanovsky and Mark D. Steinberg, A History of Russia, 7th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 398-399.
3.) Ibid., 408-409.
5.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 18-19.
6.) Ibid., 71.
9.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 15.
10.) Ibid., 15.
13.) Ibid., 134.
16.) Nicholas V. Riasanovsky and Mark D. Steinberg, A History of Russia, 7th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 379.
17.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 144.
25.) Nicholas V. Riasanovsky and Mark D. Steinberg, A History of Russia, 7th ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 380-381.
26.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 16.
33.) Alexy, Archbishop of Orekhovo-Zuevskij, “The Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich,” Spasnanovom. Novospassky Monastery, http://www.spasnanovom.ru/330105.
34.) Vladimir Nabokov, Speak, Memory (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1999), 50-51.
Basu-Zharku, I. O. (2011). "The 1905 Russian Revolution through the Eyes of Vladimir Nabokov in Speak, Memory." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 3(01). Retrieved from http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=374
Basu-Zharku, Iulia O. "The 1905 Russian Revolution through the Eyes of Vladimir Nabokov in Speak, Memory." Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 3.01 (2011). <http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=374>
Basu-Zharku, Iulia O. 2011. The 1905 Russian Revolution through the Eyes of Vladimir Nabokov in Speak, Memory. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse 3 (01), http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=374
BASU-ZHARKU, I. O. 2011. The 1905 Russian Revolution through the Eyes of Vladimir Nabokov in Speak, Memory. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse [Online], 3. Available: http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/a?id=374
Iulia O. Basu-Zharku graduated in 2010 with a concentration in Psychology from Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT.
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Burned Alive: Can the U.S. Continue to Justify Lethal Injection?
Amanda Fickett
Ken Piorkowski via Wikimedia Commons
For most Americans, the phrase "death penalty" conjures images of an orange-clad inmate strapped to a metal gurney, his last shallow breaths behind glass in a sterile room. Others with longer memories might see the grim outline of an electric chair or a hooded figure edging toward the hangman's noose.
But Salem Witch Trial-style stake burning? Isn’t that rather 1690s?
Unlikely as it sounds, "burning people alive" is precisely what came up at the Supreme Court last week as the justices grilled lawyers during a particularly grizzly session of oral arguments for Glossip v. Gross, a case that could redefine what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in the United States.
Glossip v. Gross is not about whether the death penalty itself is unconstitutional. Instead, this case is about whether the procedure some states use to put prisoners to death is unconstitutionally cruel.
The procedure is commonly referred to as the "three-drug protocol." It involves administering a sedative to cause unconsciousness (and prevent pain), followed by another drug to cause paralysis (and to prevent the unsightly thrashing and convulsing that so often accompanies execution), finishing with a third drug, usually potassium chloride, to stop the heart. Though that may sound as humane as the act of putting another human being to death could possibly be, a problem arises when the drug being used as a sedative proves an unreliable way to render someone unconscious.
Death row inmates who are executed using an unreliable sedative may suffer ghastly agonizing deaths. Potassium chloride, the third drug used in the three-drug protocol, creates the sensation of, put bluntly, being burned alive. Without a proper sedative, lethal injection transforms from an efficient, humane way to administer death into a modern twist on the medieval.
James Heilman via Wikimedia Commons
Midazolam is the drug at the center of this controversy. It is a sedative, but the question is whether it is the right kind of sedative.
If a state’s chosen method of execution creates an imminent risk that a condemned prisoner will feel severe pain, the Court has held such a method would run afoul of the Constitution. If a particular sedative does not reliably put prisoners into a deep state of unconsciousness before the more lethal drugs are administered, there is a strong argument the use of that sedative is unconstitutional. Sixteen professors of pharmacology wrote an amicus brief to the Supreme Court pointing out that "there is overwhelming scientific consensus, including among pharmacologists, that midazolam is incapable of inducing a 'deep, comalike [sic] unconsciousness.'" Essentially, evidence shows that midazolam will put someone to sleep, and it might prevent that person from waking up when a needle is
To read more, continue to the next page.
inserted; however, it might not keep them asleep through more intense pain. In terms of lethal injection, that fact is crucial.
Midazolam also has what's called a "ceiling effect"-- meaning that once you've administered a certain dosage, the effect does not become any more intense. It's roughly analogous to taking more than your recommended dosage of ibuprofen: at a certain point it's not going to help your headache pain dissipate so much as just be toxic to your system.
Fewer choices in the cupboard
The logical question, then, is why use this drug? States have only recently begun to use midazolam; many drugs used in the past are simply no longer available, as pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasingly less willing to supply them for use in executions. Akorn Pharmaceuticals, for example, now requires that its distributors agree to keep its medicines out of correctional institutions.
According to Manny Fernandez of the New York Times, "the decision by manufacturers to cut off supplies of drugs, some of which had been widely used in executions for decades, has left many of the nation’s 32 death penalty states scrambling to come up with new drugs and protocols." That means states must either postpone executions or make do with whatever is in the cupboard, so to speak. And the list of obtainable drugs is growing short.
Support from medical professional associations is rapidly waning as well. Both the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Pharmacist Association currently discourage their respective members against providing medications for executions. In March, the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists adopted a similar policy.
Justice v. Vengeance
The use of midazolam has already resulted in several horrific botched executions. For instance, The Guardian reports that 38-year old Clayton Lockett, "groaned, writhed, lifted his head and shoulders off the gurney and said 'man!'" before blinds were drawn to block witnesses' view of the execution. After that, things took an even more gruesome turn. Witnesses within the execution room recounted Lockett thrashing and gasping, as well as the presence of a lot of blood after a doctor accidentally struck an
artery while searching for another viable vein. Ultimately, it took Clayton Lockett an excruciating forty-three minutes to die.
A few months later, Joseph R. Wood III was executed in Arizona using a similar drug protocol; his death took nearly two hours.
Lockett and Wood were not what you would call sympathetic cases; the fact is, death row inmates seldom are. It's not easy to get the general public to care about how painful a death might be when the sentence itself stems from the commission of a heinous act of violence.
But no matter their crimes and no matter how little consideration they might deserve, the Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibits cruel and unusual punishment--without exception. While the Court has not yet interpreted the Eighth Amendment to prohibit the death penalty altogether, it has held that a "clear risk of severe pain" is enough to postpone an execution until a painless method can be found.
So does a drug cocktail that has the potential to cause a human person to feel as if they are slowly being burned alive meet that standard? The Court will decide in June.
The battle during oral arguments was sharply split along ideological lines. Conservative justices could not contain their ire at what Justice Alito called "a guerilla war against the death penalty," with Justice Scalia railing against the "abolitionist movement" that he seems to believe has taken control away from the American people to decide how to administer punishment. Liberal justices, on the other hand, showed tremendous concern over whether midazolam by itself is sufficiently effective as a sedative to pass constitutional muster.
As with many things ideological, the deciding vote will likely belong to Justice Anthony Kennedy, who sat virtually silent throughout oral arguments. And which way Kennedy chooses to vote will likely depend upon whether he is persuaded that a ruling against an unreliable three-drug protocol will sound the death knell for lethal injections.
While a majority of Americans still agree with the practice, support for the death penalty is declining in the U.S. Approval rates that were as high as 78 percent in the mid-nineties have plummeted to 56 percent in recent years. But while approval rates have tended to yo-yo in the U.S., global support for the death penalty has seen a
steady decline. According to Amnesty International, 16 countries had abolished the death penalty in 1977. That number rose to 140 by 2013.
In 2012, the U.S. ranked 5th highest in the world for the number of reported executions. Despite the perception that criminal investigations operate like episodes of CSI, or that trials play out like episodes of Law & Order, reality is a lot messier. Human beings make mistakes: we misremember things, we forget faces, we confuse facts. Sometimes, as a result, innocent people go to jail. Sometimes those innocent people are put to death. The LA Times reports that according to a study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), around four percent of defendants who are found guilty of capital crimes and sentenced to death are, in fact, innocent. As of January 1 of this year there were 3,019 inmates on death row; if the PNAS study is correct, at least 121 of them are innocent.
Even when we use technology to guide us, those methods can also fail. In a very recent and unsettling article, Business Insider's Christina Sterbenz reports that, before the advent of mitochondrial DNA analysis, the best biological tool in criminal investigation was hair microscopy. In this method, analysts essentially would compare hairs found at crime scenes under a microscope and testify about their findings. According to Sterbenz, "[a]nalysts gave testimony in 268 cases and made 'erroneous statements' in 257 of those cases…. Defendants in at least 35 of these cases got the death penalty, and 33 of those cases contained errors. Five of them, however, died of natural causes while on death row, and nine of them have already been executed." It is very possible that some of the individuals who died in prison or who were executed were innocent.
The extinguishing of innocent life is only one of a myriad reasons that public support for the death penalty is waning. Statistics show that capital punishment is not reserved for our country's most serious offenders. Not only is the punishment applied rather arbitrarily, but race has a tremendous impact on whether a death sentence will be imposed. According to Amnesty International, despite the fact that half of all homicide victims are African-American, "the single most reliable predictor of whether someone will be sentenced to death is the race of the victim," and "African-American defendants receive the death penalty at three times the rate of white defendants in cases where the victims are white."
While we as a nation continue to reevaluate whether the death penalty itself remains constitutional, our Constitution at a minimum requires that, when the state chooses to put people to death, it must do so humanely. While no one disputes that requirement, what constitutes "humane" may rest entirely upon the ideological views of the justices--little comfort for those who might languish on death row, some of whom likely were unjustly accused and sentenced to die.
cruel and unusual death penalty death row Eighth Amendment Glossip v. Gross innocent lethal injection Supreme Court


Music Mondays: Jazz
Members of the CSUN Jazz Band perform for the crowd during the College of Humanities and College of Health and Human Development commencement ceremony on May 23. Photo credit: Erik Luna
Michael Herrera
Jazz has had a major influence on the music most people listen to today. The sounds can be heard through a wide variety of genres including pop, hip-hop, rap and especially rock ‘n’ roll, according to Jazz in America.
The genre was also influential for African-Americans in the South as it provided them with an escape from the harsh realities they lived during the time. It was also widely popular in New Orleans during the 19th century and the city is still considered as the birth place of jazz, according to New Orleans Online.
There are also some people on campus who voiced their love for the genre.
“It just resonates differently,” said Jackie Fonseca, 23, who works for the music department. “I love to listen to live jazz. It just has a deeper, fatter sound.”
Fonseca also said one of her favorite jazz artists is Charles Mingus.
CSUN alumna Marleny Lopez, 25, said she enjoys jazz because she enjoys the different sounds it has.
“I like smooth jazz because I find it relaxing,” Lopez said. “But I also like upbeat jazz because it always makes me want to dance.”
Lopez said some of her favorite jazz artists Fats Waller and Billie Holiday.
This week’s playlist features some amazing artists from the genre including Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra.
Michael Herrera, Author


Saints Of Saints
Paying Tribute to Mr. Lawrence, the Essence of St. George’s School
Sam Shen, Tom Sun, and Cameron Burian|May 29, 2015
Catrina Van Rijn
Mr. Lawrence after the pie eating contest with Dr. Matthews at the Saints Fair.
Principal Shawn Lawrence, who has been teaching at St. Georges for 32 years, announced his impending retirement at the start of the school year, thus marking the retirement of another well respected member of the St. George’s community. Mr. Lawrence has been a pivotal part of St. George’s school, and his leaving of Saints will be a bittersweet moment for both students and staff, leaving behind a commendable legacy for the next principal to follow.
A quick Mr. Lawrence bio:
Mr. Lawrence has been a faculty member at St. George’s for 32 years. He was born on the west side of Vancouver, attending Queen Mary for elementary school. His dad’s business moved his family over to Victoria for a couple of years, but his family moved back to the lower mainland in his senior years. He graduated from Burnaby Central and then went to university locally at Simon Fraser University, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science and kinesiology. He started his respectable career at St. George’s in 1983 as a science teacher, and after 20 years of outstanding service, became the head of grade 12 in the fall of 2003. He was head of grade 12 for nine years and is retiring from St. George’s as the senior school principal. He has been an active member in the athletics department, coaching the first XI soccer team for over 15 years, and he has coached the track and field team over his time at St. Georges. Certainly a large legacy to leave behind.
The Final Assembly
On May 26, the entire school held an assembly to commemorate Mr. Lawrence’s retirement. To start off, Head Boy Quinton Huang shared his memories of Mr. Lawrence as his teacher: “Mr. Lawrence was my first teacher, of the first block, of my first year at Saints”, emphasizing Mr. Lawrence’s longevity and dedication to the school. Following his speech, grade 12 student Christopher Milani spoke about Mr. Lawrence as his soccer coach, always cheering the team up and even letting the team eat breakfast at his house.
The senior school band also played two tribute songs, Arabesque and Bohemian Rhapsody. Dr. Mercer then gave a speech about his fellow staff member, describing Mr. Lawrence as a great biology teacher and a vital part of St. George’s over the past few decades. Dr. Matthews finished it off, delivering a heartfelt speech to his friend and colleague, touching upon Mr. Lawrence as both an amazing teacher and friend. Mr. Lawrence’s daughter, Ms. Lawrence, then presented him flowers and a commemorative gift, capping off an emotional moment for the entire St. George’s community.
Here is an exclusive interview with Mr. Lawrence in which he discusses his retirement and longevity at Saints:
We also interviewed many people to share their opinions about Mr. Lawrence.
First, We interviewed Ms. Lawrence. (Mr. Lawrence’s daughter.)
The Creed: Is Mr. Lawrence’s behaviour different as a dad rather than a teacher?
Ms. Lawrence: Maybe he’s a little more laid back at home life. I’m sure his discipline for students is a lot different than his own children, but some of it also carries through. I’ve only seen him this year at school, so I’m not too sure.
The Creed: How does it feel to work in the same school as your dad?
Ms. Lawrence: Weird and awesome. It’s kinda strange seeing your dad and realizing he’s your dad but also your boss. Saying “Hey dad!” in the hallway is probably inappropriate when I do that, because I should probably be calling him Mr. Lawrence.
The Creed: Did you expect his retirement to be earlier or later?
Ms. Lawrence: I expected it to be around now. I don’t think it would be later.
The Creed: How has he inspired you to become a teacher?
Ms. Lawrence: He’s totally inspired me to become a teacher probably since high school. I think I witnessed his life here at Saints, and it was awesome. As a child, I’ve been coming here since I was born and I’ve been part of the school with my dad, who’s been here for 33 years. So, I get to come to all the Saints’ fairs, children playtimes, and even help staffing. I saw my dad’s experience here and I thought it was awesome, which inspired me to become a teacher.
The Creed: Is there anything you want to tell us about him?
Ms. Lawrence: Well, he’s got four daughters at home, so it’s all girls at home. But he works at an all boys school. So it’s probably quite a different life. It’s kind of funny how we don’t have any boys in our family but he decided to work at an all boys school.
We then interviewed Mr. Yen, a former student of Mr. Lawrence.
The Creed: What classes did you have with Mr. Lawrence?
Mr. Yen: He was my advisor in Gr.11 and my Biology teacher in my senior years.
The Creed: Can you tell us about his teaching skills?
Mr. Yen: He was a calm teacher, and I cannot recall him ever yelling at any of my classmates. He knew so much information about biology. He was great at explaining the subject and he told us everything we needed to know. Overall, he was a great teacher.
The Creed: What was your favourite thing he taught you at school?
Mr. Yen: I think that the favourite thing he taught me was during my advisor group. He really emphasized the sense of community to us and that we were all apart of the same family.
The Creed: Was he a mentor for you to pursuit a teaching career?
Mr. Yen: I am not 100 percent sure if he was a mentor for my pursuit of a teaching career. He was definitely an influence for sure. I like to use his style of teaching when I am the teacher in the classroom.
Finally, we interviewed Dr. Matthews, the headmaster of St. George’s School.
The Creed: How long have you known Mr. Lawrence for?
Dr. Matthews: I’ve known him for 5 years, back when he was the head of grade 12.
The Creed: In 3 words, how would you describe Mr. Lawrence?
Dr. Matthews: Kind, respectful, and upbeat. He’s always positive and just a great person to be around, always with a smile on his face.
The Creed: How would you describe your relationship with Mr. Lawrence?
Dr. Matthews: We’ve had a close relationship over the years, working together on a daily basis. I both admire and respect him.
The Creed: Do you have a favourite Mr. Lawrence memory?
Dr. Matthews: That’s a tough one… there have been so many moments over the years. I would have to say the farewell assembly on Tuesday was very powerful for me. Just the community coming together to say farewell, showing respect and giving kind recognition.
Have a happy retirement, Mr. Lawrence! You will be missed.
Sam Shen, Staff Writer
Tom Sun, Staff Writer
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Travel to London a Perfect Destination
London is one of the world’s leading holiday destinations. An incredible number of visitors travel here each year to view the numerous sight-seeing opportunities the city can offer.
London for the Traveller
The metropolis has got a wealth of galleries and museums, royal palaces, spectacular points of interest, as well as a vast selection of cultural sites such as the parliament buildings, Buckingham palace and market areas.
As a favoured tourist choice, London delivers a broad range of overnight accommodation for its visitors. There is certainly no lack of places to stay or even themed hotels within the main areas.
The Horse Guards is considered the official ceremonial entrance to St James’s and Buckingham Palace. However, the clock face over the entrance has got a black blot marking the hour that King Charles I had been executed, 2pm. A strange way for you to honour the death of your monarch.
You will discover all types of accommodation to match the budget of each and every traveller. Holiday cottages or maybe travel inns are additionally here for those who would like to savour the tranquillity in areas that surround the city.
The capital is well supported with excellent transport links; as a result, it makes it much easier to visit just about any place of interest.
Nonetheless, if you’d like to make your trip more enjoyable, prepare and plan the journey beforehand. Search for hotels from which you will get easy accessibility to nearby points of interest, shopping, and any night-life.
If you’re a budget vacationer, you’ll find several hostels and affordable hotels close to tube-stations or significant attractions and even lively night-life venues.
That said, whether you’re a vacation traveller that’s here to experience the many attractions or any royal sights. Maybe a business traveller on the road, the wide-ranging places to stay to choose from will guarantee that you’re not in short supply of the activities within the city.
Why you need to Visit London
Very few cities around the world can really awaken the feelings, passionate visions, ambitious character, waves of pleasure, possibly even twinges of envy. Let’s not forget the motivation for books and movies.
Even the obsessions of war starved despots, as well as the sales tools for TV companies that display graphics across our televisions, making us think, this has to be necessary. Plausible global news agencies that cover those valuable reports when they take place.
The travel and leisure program that has been to some seriously impressive destinations let’s see the place they are going to this evening. Having said that, you’ll be able to really claim your at the top of the game as soon as they pen a nursery rhyme about one of your best bridges, whether or not it’s falling down.
London could be the greatest survivor.
It’s survived and triumphed over conquests, fires, wars, terrorism, plagues and demonstrations. Through all of that, Londoners stand very proud and defiant while they adjust and carry on and build up their city.
For a person becoming a black cab driver, they have to take a test called ‘The Knowledge’, that requires them to memorise each and every street throughout the capital. Cab drivers may spend years learning the whole thing. Some walk around the city to register every one of the streets and back alleys inside their heads.
Just about the most popular tourist destination worldwide, this magnificent city gives the traveller a mix of new and old worlds like no place else. On the one hand, London can be progressive, dynamic, vibrant, and even excessive alternatively, traditional, practical and frustratingly developed. A mixture of the expected and the sudden, however seldom the disheartening, and people who live here wouldn’t like it any different.
Generally, all people know a bit about London well before they’ve been officially introduced. It could be the recognizable images of the Royal family, cricket at the oval, those fashion-conscious ladies, bowler hats, spectacular castles, the sweeping river Thames, Wimbledon, monopoly board landmarks, East end humour and West End theatre.
Maybe it’s the cobbled streets of Charles Dickens, fish’n’chips drowning in vinegar and passionate soccer fans. Possibly the labyrinth on the tube, or the societal phenomena and mix of music being celebrated through many decades beginning in the swinging ’60s.
But much more than that, the metropolis is acknowledged for its valuable culture and history. The place you’ll find Britain’s national art collections, stunning architecture, world premiere productions, leading orchestras, opera companies. There’s something for all visitors regardless of your traditional and artistic persuasions.
You can be forgiven for thinking we waste time in the pub cracking jokes and telling hard-luck stories. Even doing deals for dodgy stuff that fell off the back of a lorry.
It’s a common mistake, but Big Ben is really not the name of the legendary Tower in London. Big Ben is really the name for the actual bell inside of the Tower. The name is at times extended to clock also. Even locals nowadays relate to this as being the Big Ben tower. The Tower is situated in the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London.
In reality, there are far more recreational areas and green spaces within London than another city of its size worldwide. It’s where many of us stroll, have a picnic, and even have fun, far from the bustle of city living, up until the pub opens up anyway.
The metropolis is known as a shopper’s heaven; ask just about any woman furnished with credit cards and weakest of excuses to go on a spending spree. Right from leading retail stores to fashionable boutiques and street traders, for those who can’t find it while in London, it likely doesn’t exist.
Once you’ve carried everything back to the hotel, you’ll find countless bars, dining places, night-clubs and theatres. Or perhaps stand up comedy and live music venues that will keep you engaged well into the very early hours.
London has additionally accepted multiculturalism like few locations on earth. It is now a cultural cauldron with well over 9 million individuals from around the world today, calling the place home.
The combination with western cultures and people coming from the West Indies, Africa, and across Asia. All have evolved the city into one of the more varied locations for travellers, along with the tens of thousands that come back every single year.
The best places to visit in London
If you’re planning on taking a holiday in London, don’t forget to take full advantage of this fantastic city with everything it can offer.
The entire city of London is filled with a tremendous selection of places to visit and things you can do and discover, for everyone among all cultures and age groups.
Truly being one of the most significant cultural capitals across the world, the city delivers sight-seeing and tour options like nowhere else. Going to London entails enjoying the city within all its beauty and fantastic sight-seeing.
Below are a few of the very best sight-seeing destinations in the city of London.
The British Museum established during 1753 with an assortment of exceptional items which had all been given by Sir Hans Sloane, a doctor. During the 1800s, this particular museum acquired further interest. It started to prosper, which then enhanced its selection of items to at the moment over eight million subjects.
It’s believed that London in the prehistoric era was simply a selection of scattered rural settlements. Spearheads and weapons belonging to the Bronze and Iron Ages have been discovered about the Thames. Also, a recent archaeological dig near Vauxhall uncovered signs of a likely wooden bridge over the Thames around 3,000yrs ago!
This museum’s constitution states it must be open at no cost to everyone curious and who are wanting to learn more. And so, come and have a day roaming throughout the everlasting corridors.
Browsing and finding a lot of the most beautiful works of humankind’s successes and enjoy several of the very best artefacts from the Egyptian and even Greek empires.
The London Eye is probably one of the most fashionable sight-seeing destinations these days. This fantastic wheel stands at 135 meters tall overlooking the city of London, and it’s at present regarded as one of the highest viewing wheels all over the world.
This incredible production of modern-day engineering enables tourists to see over London through an entirely different perspective. Letting visitors see areas of the city that you’ll find are usually never seen from the ground.
Going to the London Eye has long been referred to as an ‘enchanting and provoking experience’ and no trip to London being full without having visited this monument.
Saint Paul’s Cathedral gives a fascinating picture of a British Empire of yesteryear. It is also a fantastic achievement for the reconstruction of London that happened following the great fire of 1666.
The very last execution that was performed at the Tower of London wasn’t nearly as long ago as you may think. During 1941 a German spy named Josef Jakobs had been captured and executed using firing squad in the Tower.
Renowned for hosting wedding ceremonies, festivities and even funerals of many of the most exceptional leaders of Britain, the Cathedral appeals to incredible numbers of tourists every single year.
The National Gallery, located in the middle of Trafalgar Square, houses several of the most beautiful pieces of art worldwide.
Many of these creations go back to the 13th century. Building the gallery began during 1832, and since that time it’s accumulated many excellent works of art, including those by Van Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Da Vinci, and many others.
Visitors often will commit days attempting to see all the items within the gallery.
London Zoo situated on the northern edge of Regents Park is among the most well-liked zoo’s globally it’s where you will find 17,000 animals across more than 750 species. Really worth visiting, people travel from all areas of the planet to discover the wildlife displays that can be put on every day.
Tate Modern considered one of London’s most advanced galleries, typically the Tate Modern includes wonderful collections and various displays of contemporary art. Popular with both, kids and also adults, experts in addition to newcomers, the Tate Modern contains significant collections from artists such as Matisse, Bacon and Andy Warhol.
The London Underground or Metropolitan Railway, as it was first called, opened in 1863 is the world’s first underground passenger railway. Today, this system has 270 stations and 249 miles of track, which makes it the 3rd longest on the planet.
The Tower of London was primarily constructed of stone that has been shipped in from France along with other local stone. The Tower or ‘Bloody Tower’ is known to have imprisoned, secure and in many cases execute wrongdoers in past times.
The Natural History Museum is an enigmatic gothic style property that’s where you will find many of the most popular collections of dinosaurs anywhere. The Natural History Museum contains displays that take over the vast halls and building.
The Madame Tussaud’s a museum that’s packed with life-like waxworks along with animated displays demonstrating the darker side of history.
Westminster Abbey is definitely an ancient work of breathtaking importance as well as the burial ground for many of the very most well-known kings, statesmen, music artists, scientists and even poets ever since the 11th century. The Abbey features many of the most fascinating literary works and creative talent in the form of artwork, wall art and even tombs.
Once you decide to visit London, you’ll be sure of an excellent time. There are numerous sights and places to stay you will end up spoiled for choice.
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Home » Public Involvement and News » Press Releases » DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
For Release: Tuesday, January 12, 2021
DEC Statewide Forest Ranger Highlights
Recent Forest Ranger Actions
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents statewide. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations, and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured, or distressed people from across New York State.
In 2019, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 337 search and rescue missions, extinguished 74 wildfires that burned a total of 212 acres, participated in 29 prescribed fires that burned and rejuvenated 645 acres, and worked on cases that resulted in 2,507 tickets or arrests.
"During New York's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are enjoying the outdoors than ever before and our Forest Rangers are on the front lines to help people get outside responsibly and get home safely," said DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos. "Rangers' knowledge of first aid, land navigation, and technical rescue techniques are critical to the success of their missions, which for more than a century have taken them from remote wilderness areas with rugged mountain peaks, to white water rivers, and throughout our vast forests statewide."
Town of Cortlandt
Wilderness Search: On Dec. 29, 2020 at 6 p.m., a New York State Police Investigator contacted Forest Ranger Lt. Ashida for assistance locating a missing person. The individual was last seen fleeing the scene of a motor vehicle accident in the town of Cortlandt on Dec. 15, 2020. At 11 a.m. on Dec. 30, Lt. Ashida and Forest Ranger Pries organized a search effort along with New York State Police and the Peekskill Police Department, conducting a type 1 search along Sprout Brook Road south of where the accident occurred. A gray hooded sweatshirt that fit the description of what the man was wearing was found approximately 100 yards south of the accident site, just above the water line of Sprout Brook. After several days of searching, on Jan. 4, the missing man was located deceased in a stream about 3/4 of a mile from the accident scene. The incident is being investigated by Peekskill and State police.
Town of Dresden
Wilderness Rescue: On Jan. 9 at 5:16 p.m., DEC's Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from a 28-year-old hiker from Ballston Spa who became disoriented and lost the trail while hiking Erebus Mountain. Three Forest Rangers responded to assist. Ranger Hess entered the Lake George Wild Forest at the end of Shelving Rock Road while Rangers Donegan and St. Claire entered by boat from the Green Island Maintenance Center. At 9:30 p.m., Rangers located the lost hiker and proceeded to warm her and assess her injuries. The hiker was safely escorted down to the boat for transport back to the maintenance center and given a courtesy ride back to her vehicle at the trailhead. Rangers were cleared of the scene and back in service at 10:55 p.m.
Be sure to properly prepare and plan before entering the backcountry. Visit DEC's Hike Smart NY, Adirondack Backcountry Information and Catskill Backcountry Information webpages for more information.
Press Office - Jeff Wernick


Mercedes-Benz Vans to launch midsize pickup.
The new Mercedes-Benz pickup will initially be targeted at markets in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, all of which are posting sustained growth in this segment.nd of the decade, Mercedes-Benz will expand its product range into a promising segment by launching the first pickup from a premium manufacturer.
The midsize pickup segment is currently undergoing a transformation worldwide. More and more pickups are being used for private purposes, and commercial as well as private users are increasingly asking for vehicles that have car-like specifications. Mercedes-Benz is the first premium manufacturer to respond to this market shift by developing its own pickup.
A similar example was the successful introduction of the M-Class around 20 years ago. As the first sport utility vehicle (SUV) from a premium manufacturer, the M-Class completely redefined the segment.
Thanks to their versatility, all-round utility, and payload of about one metric ton, pickups are popular across the world and thus have good sales potential.
Mr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars Division said “The Mercedes-Benz pickup will contribute nicely to our global growth targets, we will enter this segment with our distinctive brand identity and all of the vehicle attributes that are typical of the brand with regard to safety, comfort, powertrains, and value”.
Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, adds: “As part of our ‘Mercedes-Benz Vans goes global’ strategy, the pickup is the ideal vehicle for the international expansion of our product range with a newly developed model.”
Mercedes-Benz Vans: Centre of competence for commercially and privately used vehicles.
The new Mercedes-Benz pickup will initially be targeted at markets in Latin America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, all of which are posting sustained growth in this segment.
The Mercedes-Benz Vans division is responsible for the new vehicle. With its many years of experience in developing, manufacturing, and marketing vehicles that are used commercially as well as privately.
“We are very excited that we will be able to perfectly serve customers looking for a vehicle that offers a high level of utility and at the same time has the comfort, safety, and design of a Mercedes-Benz passenger car. We have been working on this project for a number of years and Australia and New Zealand have been an integral part of the program from the very beginning. We will be conducting product testing in Australia over the next couple of years,” says Diane Tarr, Managing Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans.
Get ready for the Mercedes-Benz pickup


Tag Archives: ghost writers
A woman in a man’s world determined to succeed on her own terms.
(2018) Biographical Drama (Bleecker Street) Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Robert Pugh, Sloan Thompson, Arabella Weir, Máté Haumann, Ray Panthaki, Al Weaver, Virág Bárány, Dickie Beau, Kylie Watt, Janine Harouni, Jake Graf, Joe Geary, Rebecca Root, Julian Wadham, Eleanor Tomlinson, Polina Litvak, István Gyurity, Karen Gagnon, Alexandra Szucs. Directed by Wash Westmoreland
Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, who went by her last name as a pen name (Knightley), was one of the most successful women in the history of French literature. She emerged from La Belle Epoque as a virtual rock star, and her stubborn refusal to live on any other terms but her own remain an inspiration to women – and men – even today.
Colette, a simple girl from the Burgundy countryside, ends up marrying Parisian roustabout Henry Gauthier-Villars (West) who is better known to Parisian society as Willy. He is known for biting and acerbic theater reviews, essays and short stories but the problem is that he hasn’t written a word of any of that. He has an army of writers who supply hi with the material which he passes off as his own.
The most talented of these is his wife and her Claudine novels take Paris by storm. Relegated to a background role by her egotistical husband, at first she is content to write her novels but as Willy’s gambling debts and lavish lifestyle take a toll on their finances, he begins to resort to outrageous measures to force his wife to meet publishing deadlines, such as locking her in a room. His serial infidelity also begins to upset her; she responds by doing the same thing he does – sleep with other women. She also prefers to dress like a man, which was illegal in France at the time and was quite the scandal.
Eventually she manages to win her independence from Willy but it isn’t easy and it isn’t without pain. The real Colette was an admirable woman and this screen version can only scratch the surface of who she was, Knightley’s fine performance to the contrary. Her chemistry with West palpably sizzles, and the two make one of the best dysfunctional couples you’re likely to see on the screen for some time.
Westmoreland has a keen eye and fills the screen with sumptuous scenes of lush countrysides, lavish salons and decadent theaters. There is a lot of sex in the movie – ah, those lusty French! – which to be honest begin to get in the way of the story. It’s a bit on the long side and some of the decadence could surely have been cut out; we get the picture, after all.
This is a pretty decent biography, but it doesn’t do her justice at the end of the day. There are some fine biographies of her extant and you would do better to pick up one of those. It’s not really Westmoreland’s fault; a movie can only do so much justice to a life in just under two hours. Still, it is dazzling to look at and not just because of Knightley’s lustrous beauty.
REASONS TO SEE: Beautifully shot, both exteriors and interiors.
REASONS TO AVOID: Doesn’t really do justice to the subject.
FAMILY VALUES: There is sexuality and some nudity.
TRIVIAL PURSUIT: This is the first feature film to be directed solely by Westmoreland, who until then had always co-directed with his partner Richard Glatzer, who died of Charcot’s disease in 2015.
BEYOND THE THEATERS: Amazon, AMC On Demand, AppleTV, Fandango Now, Google Play, Kanopy, Microsoft, Redbox, Vudu, YouTube
CRITICAL MASS: As of 1/17/20: Rotten Tomatoes: 87% positive reviews: Metacritic: 74/100.
COMPARISON SHOPPING: Coco Before Chanel
NEXT: A Star is Born (2018)
Posted in VOD Review	| Tagged 1890s, betrayal, biographical drama, bisexuality, Bleecker Street, Burgundy, cinema, Cinema365, Colette, decadence, Dominic West, dysfunctional marriage, Eleanor Tomlinson, Films, financial ruin, Fiona Shaw, France, gambling debts, ghost writers, Keira Knightley, La Belle Epoque, lavish lifestyle, menage a trois, movies, Paris, philandering, Robert Pugh, salons, theater reviews, VOD Reviews	| Leave a reply