Her Paralyzing Disease Led to a New Nonprofit
Natalie Parra was diving off the coast of Oahu, Hawaii, a few years ago when the then 23-year-old spotted a gleaming octopus tentacle, dangling as bait off a fisherman’s hook. Not far away was a small sea turtle. “I knew in my head, that turtle’s going to grab that octopus leg the moment it sees it,” she says. Sure enough, within minutes, the turtle was stuck on the hook. The fisherman, far away on the shore and unaware of the drama, began to reel in his catch.
Natalie watched, horrified, as the sea turtle flipped to and fro while it was dragged underwater. At that moment, a fellow diver burst into the fray. The diver grabbed the turtle, cut the line, and took the hook out of his flipper. Off the turtle sped.
As a diver, Natalie had seen this kind of thing before: turtles and sharks tangled in fishing line, covered in nets and ropes, struggling for their lives. “I grew up just adoring animals and adoring the ocean, but once I started to dive…it becomes so much more real,” she says. “I couldn’t not do anything. It wasn’t an option.”
Natalie Parra is back among the marine life that she has committed to protect. Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo
That’s why Natalie and her friend Siena Schaar began work on a project they called Keiko Conservation. Initially, the pair were hoping to do a few beach cleanups and support other conservation groups, but they didn’t have a formal mission.
Then in October 2014, just days after founding Keiko, Natalie went on a diving trip to Tonga, in the South Pacific. There, she was bitten by a mosquito that may have been carrying a virus. At first, she showed no symptoms. She flew to Los Angeles to visit family and planned to return home to Oahu. But when she was getting ice cream with her mom, “I just had this, like, weird arm pain,” recalls Natalie, who was 21 at the time. “And I kept thinking, wow, if I were any older, I would think I was having a heart attack or a stroke.” When Natalie was admitted to the hospital, she was in “unbearable” pain. “I remember telling the doctor in the ER that it felt like someone had taken a rope and tied it really tightly around my arm.”
The virus had triggered something called transverse myelitis, a rare and serious autoimmune reaction that left Natalie paralyzed from the neck down. Respiratory failure ensued. Natalie spent nearly a month in the hospital. After her release, she stayed with her parents in California, still bedridden. “I was bummed because we had just started [Keiko], and there were so many things that I wanted to do and I was really passionate about,” she says.
Natalie's organization aims to spread awareness and do more for ocean life. Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo
Instead, Natalie spent a lot of time online. She came across a fisherman in Florida who was posting about hunting and killing sharks. “I remember being so upset about it, but not really knowing what to do,” Natalie says. “And what could I do? I was still crippled at home.”
Natalie started Googling fisheries law and contacting the Florida Wildlife Commission. But, she says, officials gave her the runaround, saying they were unaware of the issue. Frustrated, she took to social media, telling people to call the Commission and complain. (The Commission said the fisherman in question was the subject of an investigation, which was closed due to insufficient evidence.)
By this time, Natalie realized the difference someone can make with nothing more than a telephone and a Wi-Fi connection, especially if they can get their friends and contacts on board.
Now, Keiko Conservation’s mission is to leverage social media en masse to spread awareness and petition governments and businesses to do more for ocean life. Keiko will alert their social media followers about a damaging practice, like serving shark at a restaurant, and Keiko’s followers will fill that company’s feeds with protest hashtags.
In the past year, Keiko’s volunteers have tripled in number, to more than a dozen, and its projects have become more ambitious and international. They’ve opened chapters in Ecuador, Japan, and Russia and have plans to extend into Norway and Italy. In late 2017, they began the process of registering as a nonprofit. They also sell slogan T-shirts, towels, and jewelry in their online shop, the proceeds of which fund educational pamphlets and other efforts to raise awareness. And Natalie’s personal store, Thessalonike, supports Keiko Conservation’s efforts.
Natalie herself is mostly back on her feet, several years after her illness. “I definitely have some issues. My left arm still doesn’t work fully all the way.”
But getting back into diving, she says, helped her to cope. Her illness also left her with an important insight about the marine life Keiko works to protect. “I know that core feeling of wanting nothing but to be living. And animals really don’t ask a lot from us at the end of the day—that’s kind of all they want too,” she says. “They just want to be here.”
Words by Anne-Marie Vettorel
Reference photo of Natalie Parra by Chiara Salomoni


Grade A-listed former school is on the market with hotel and offices potential
19th century-built Old High School put up for sale by
The Old High School is a Glasgow landmark
The Grade A-listed former Old High School in Glasgow city centre is up for sale for possible development as a hotel or offices.
The Charles Wilson-designed buildings on on Elmbank Street opened in 1846 as private school Glasgow Academy. It was bought in 1878 by the Glasgow School Board and became the new home of the High School, the city’s oldest school founded in 1460. It was closed in 1976 and has most recently occupied by Strathclyde Regional Council and Police Scotland. The present High School of Glasgow in Anniesland was founded independently.
Hotel group to build seven-storey venue on site of former RBS building
Graham + Sibbald has been appointed to market the buildings by City Property (Investments). The 87,000 sq ft, self-contained site is in a designated Strategic Economic Investment Location (SEIL) compatible with continued class 4 office use. Graham + Sibbald says it is suitable for redevelopment into a "high end luxury hotel".
The school ended up in the hands of Glasgow City Council, which sold its portfolio of disused properties to. City Property (Investments) for £120 million in March 2010.
Innes Flockhart, chartered surveyor at Graham + Sibbald, said: “G+S are delighted to bring this very prestigious site to the market. The surrounding area continues to see significant investment and we anticipate a number of exciting development proposals coming forward at the closing date.”
Rundown office building on the market as hotel development site
Allan McDonald, disposal services manager at City Property, said: “This property provides an exciting opportunity to create something unique in Glasgow given the character of the buildings and the recent resurgence of commercial development to the area."


Defend Dignity, Ending Sexual Exploitation in Canada
I recently had the chance to catch up with our friend and ally, Glendyne Gerrard, of Defend Dignity in Canada. Defend Dignity has a campaign called “Choose Change” modeled after our Dirty Dozen List, in which they identify organizations and entities that facilitate sexual exploitation through their policies.
In one of their recent Choose Change victories, Defend Dignity got the The Keg Steakhouse and Bar, one of Canada’s leading restaurant chains, to enable filters to block sexually explicit content on the free wi-fi they offer their customers!
Launched in 2010, Defend Dignity addresses all forms of sexual exploitation in their work including pornography, strip clubs, escorts, massage parlors and prostitution and note that each of these involves “the selling of sexual services which undermine the dignity of women, men and children.”
They conducts awareness, advocacy, and aid campaigns. Through their aid campaigns, they assist individuals, non-profits, and faith organizations working to help victims of sexual exploitation. With their awareness campaigns, they seek to educate the public on the public health harms of sexual exploitation. And through their advocacy efforts, they are working to change public policy.
They are doing amazing work in Canada, and Glendyne shared some of their recent successes in their work to end sexual exploitation. Watch the video above to learn more!
Katherine Blakeman
Katherine Blakeman is a former employee of NCOSE where she worked to foster a community of people who want to restore human dignity and end sexual exploitation through traditional press outreach, digital media, and email marketing. She has appeared on, or been quoted in, several outlets including LifeSiteNews, NewsBusters, American Family News, EWTN Radio, Relevant Radio, Cosmo, Elle, Deseret News, the Daily Signal, the Daily Caller, NPR, HLN, and Fox News. She has been featured on Matt Fradd’s Love People, Use Things podcast, as well as the North Carolina Family Policy Council’s radio show Family Policy Matters.


SpaceX announce Hyperloop high-speed travel pod design contest
Posted on 17 Jun 2015 by Matthew Buckley
Rocket and spacecraft company SpaceX is holding a competition to design and build pods for the company’s high-speed travel 'Hyperloop'.
The ‘Hyperloop’ is a concept that SpaceX’s founder Elon Musk outlined in a white paper in 2013. It is a transport system in which a pod containing passengers travels at up to 750mph (1207.5km/h) through a tube from Los Angeles to San Francisco and vice versa.
Traditionally, if an object has to travel through a non-vacuum tube that is not much wider, the object needs to press against air within the tube. One example is when pushing the plunger of a syringe.
However, Musk’s SpaceX Hyperloop concept solves this problem by having an electric compressor fan mounted on the nose of the pod. The fan would transfer high-pressure air from the front of the vessel to the back.
The electric compressor fan would also create a cushion of air that would act as a low-friction suspension system. Thus, the pod would float on a cushion of air, which would enable it to move quickly, like the air on an air hockey table does to the puck.
The Hyperloop would have an external linear electric motor, and would be powered by solar panels on the tube.
Musk came up with the idea as a means of there being Los Angeles-San Francisco transport that is very high speed, resistant to earthquakes, self-powering, safe, convenient, cheap to run, immune to weather, and not an inconvenience to people nearby.
The Hyperloop competition
SpaceX is now holding a competition in which entrants design and build a half-scale Hyperloop pod. Entry details are available here.
As part of the competition, SpaceX will design and build a sub-scale Hyperloop test track approximately 4-5 feet wide and approximately one mile long. The entrants’ pods will be tested on this track.
SpaceX will likely build its own pod to demonstrate on the track. The team that builds this pod will be ineligible to win.
Entrants must submit their Intent to Compete in the competition by September 15, 2015, and their Final Design Packages by December 15, 2015.
On the weekend of January 9, 2016 the entrants will showcase their designs to an evaluation panel comprised mainly of SpaceX engineers, university professors, and Tesla Motors engineers.
Companies will then choose which teams to sponsor.
SpaceX says that entrants who are not interested in building a pod can still submit designs for a pod, an individual subsystem, or a safety feature. They would subsequently receive feedback.
On a weekend in June, 2016, the pods will be tested on a track.
Criteria and rules for the competition will be released in August 2015.
SpaceX is yet to announce what prize the competitions winners will receive.


No VAT on women’s sanitary products
The UK was unable to zero rate VAT on women’s sanitary products under EU rules and the items were subject to 5% VAT. Following the end of the transition period the UK is no longer bound by the EU VAT Directive which mandates a minimum 5% rate of VAT on all sanitary products.
The VAT charge on sanitary products became widely known as the 'Tampon Tax' has therefore been abolished from 1 January 2021. This measure had been announced in the Spring Budget 2020 and honours a government commitment to scrap the tax as soon as was possible. This means that there will be no VAT whatsoever charged on women’s sanitary products.
This measure is part of a wider strategy to make sanitary products affordable and available for all women which includes:
January 2020 roll out of free period products for all young people in English state schools and colleges and extension of the scheme into 2021
the NHS offering period products to every hospital patient who needs them (including long-term in-patients) since 2019
the Tampon Tax Fund, established in 2015, which allocated the funds generated from VAT on period products to projects supporting vulnerable and excluded women and girls
The Tampon Tax Fund will continue to provide funding for projects supporting vulnerable women and girls.


DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID d. Carl Reiner, 1982 + Intro/Supporting Programme at The Cinema Museum (18 DEC 19:30):
Kennington Noir presents: “Our choice of Christmas film is a unique one. In mid-1980, comedian Steve Martin was having lunch with director Carl Reiner and screenwriter George Gipe. They were discussing a screenplay Martin had written where he suggested that they use a clip from an old film. From this suggestion came the idea of using multiple clips from many old films to make up an entire new feature. The result, after a lot of clever production work, was DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID.”
#32BoroughsOfFilm: Following our report from their last screening of 2019 – NINOTCHKA (03 DEC) – we’re delighted to announce the new Spring/Summer 2020 programme at Wimbledon Film Club.
Films in London today: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at The Chateau (18 DEC).
THE DAY SHALL COME d. Chris Morris, 2019 + Q&A with the director at Curzon Soho (18 DEC 18:30):
“The return of satirical mastermind Chris Morris, following his explosive, critically acclaimed Islamist satire FOUR LIONS. Moses is ready to lead a global uprising against the ‘accidental dominance of the white race’. The only trouble is that he only has three followers, no money and is struggling to put aside hallucinations about a talking horse.”
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR d. Norman Jewison, 1973 + Drag Singalong at The Chateau (18 DEC 19:00).
TNB London & The Batty Mama present: “The Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera about the life and death of Christ is brought to the big-screen after success on Shaftesbury Avenue and Broadway. The story of Christ’s (Ted Neely) last week on Earth is told by a group of travellers who arrive in modern-day Jerusalem on a tour bus. Events are seen from the perspective of Apostle Judas (Carl Anderson), who betrays Jesus to the Judaic religious leaders in return for thirty pieces of silver. Songs include ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, ‘Hosanna’, ‘Herod’s Song’ and the now-famous theme tune.”
STAR WARS TRIPLE BILL at Genesis Cinema (18 DEC 18:00):
“Get your lightsabers at the ready and catch this Star Wars Triple Bill with THE FORCE AWAKENS, and THE LAST JEDI before the midnight premiere of RISE OF SKYWALKER.”
Also available at: Catford Mews (18 DEC 18:00); and, Rich Mix (18 DEC 18:00).
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM d. John Chester, 2018 at DocHouse (18 DEC 16:30).
THE CAVE d. Feras Fayyad, 2019 at Curzon Aldgate (18 DEC 18:15 – Other Curzons available!).
HEIMAT IS A SPACE IN TIME d. Thomas Heise, 2019 at ICA (18 DEC 14:20).
HUMAN NATURE d. Adam Bolt, 2019 at Regent Street Cinema (18 DEC 19:30).
THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at The Prince Charles (18 DEC 11:35).
MILES DAVIS: BIRTH OF THE COOL d. Stanley Nelson, 2019 at ICA (18 DEC 14:15).
On Venus, Still d. Patrick Staff at ICA (18 DEC 18:45).
SHOOTING THE MAFIA d. Kim Longinotto, 2019 at DocHouse (18 DEC 12:30).
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN d. Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen, 1952 at Phoenix Cinema (18 DEC 18:30).
SORRY WE MISSED YOU d. Ken Loach, 2019 presented by Screen25 at Harris Academy South Norwood (18 DEC 19:45 – Use promo code “CIRCUS19” to book & save).
WHITE CHRISTMAS d. Michael Curtiz, 1954 at Regent Street Cinema (18 DEC 12:00 & 15:30).
Films in London today: QUERELLE, part of CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (18 DEC).
DIE HARD 70mm d. John McTiernan, 1988 (18 DEC 20:45).
BIG SCREEN CLASSICS: GETTING TOGETHER at BFI Southbank (DEC):
THE LADYKILLERS d. Alexander Mackendrick, 1955 + Intro by Mark Duguid (18 DEC 18:10).
CHRISTMAS AT THE PCC at The Prince Charles (NOV to DEC):
Grind shows: THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL d. Brian Henson, 1992 (01 to 24 DEC – various formats/check venue); IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 35mm d. Frank Capra, 1946 (01 to 24 DEC – some digital/check venue); and, ELF d. Jon Favreau, 2003 (04 to 24 DEC – various formats/check venue).
THE APARTMENT 35mm d. Billy Wilder, 1960 (18 DEC 18:15).
CHRISTMAS FILMS at Regent Street Cinema (14 to 24 DEC):
WHITE CHRISTMAS d. Michael Curtiz, 1954 (18 DEC 12:00 & 15:30).
CLOSE-UP ON RAINER WERNER FASSBINDER at Close-Up (until 21 DEC):
QUERELLE d. Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982 (18 DEC 20:15).
CURATOR’S PICKS at Barbican (13 to 19 DEC):
SAUVAGE d. Camille Vidal-Naquet, 2018 (18 DEC 18:20).
MAURICE PIALET AND THE NEW FRENCH REALISM at BFI Southbank (OCT to DEC):
LE GARÇU 35mm d. Maurice Pialat, 1995 (18 DEC 20:40).
42ND STREET d. Lloyd Bacon & Busby Berkeley, 1933 (18 DEC 20:30).
Re-releases: THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG aka Les Parapluies de Cherbourg d. Jacques Demy, 1964 (06 to 30 DEC).
We don’t think there are any film festivals in London today… but we might have missed something! Let us know…
Films in London today: ALVA at ICA (13 to 19 DEC).
ALVA d. Ico Costa, 2019 at ICA (18 DOC 16:35):
“After committing a crime, a man hides in the forest. Shot in the Portuguese highlands, in 16mm, the film follows Henrique, a solitary man running away from his life and from the world. In a progressively immersive style, you are transported into this space of solitude, in search of what really moves the protagonist.”
AQUARELA d. Victor Kossakovsky, 2018 at DocHouse (18 DEC 20:30):
“Set to the backdrop of an original soundtrack by the Finnish symphonic metal band Apocalyptica, AQUARELA’s roving lens takes you on a visceral global journey, allowing you to feel the raw power and beauty of water in startling visual detail.”
FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES d. Max Lewkowicz, 2019 at JW3 (18 DEC 12:40 & 20:30):
“When Fiddler on the Roof opened on Broadway in 1964, it explored themes of tradition, religion, and anti-Semitism against a modern backdrop of radical social change that addressed gender roles, sexuality, and race. Rare archival footage and interviews with musical luminaries explore the legacy of this long-running, award-winning musical.”
THE KINGMAKER d. Lauren Greenfield, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (18 DEC 12:20 & 17:00):
“Documentary centring on the controversial political career of Imelda Marcos, the former first lady of the Philippines whose behind-the-scenes influence of her husband Ferdinand’s presidency rocketed her to the global political stage.”
THE CAVE d. Feras Fayyad, 2018 at DocHouse (until 19 DEC). CITIZEN K d. Alex Gibney, 2019 at ArtHouse Crouch End (13 to 19 DEC). HONEY BOY d. Alma Har’el, 2019 at The Castle Cinema (until 24 DEC). THE IRISHMAN d. Martin Scorsese, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (14 DEC to 05 JAN). KNIVES OUT d. Rian Johnson, 2019 at The Lexi (until 18 DEC). LA BELLE ÉPOQUE d. Nicolas Bedos, 2019 at Ciné Lumière (until 03 JAN). THE NIGHTINGALE d. Jennifer Kent, 2018 at Watermans (13 to 19 DEC). PHOTOGRAPH d. Ritesh Batra, 2019 at Whirled Cinema (16 to 18 DEC). PINK WALL d. Tom Cullen, 2019 at Catford Mews (13 to 19 DEC). SO LONG, MY SON d. Wang Xiaoshuai, 2018 at ArtHouse Crouch End (until 19 DEC). THE STREET d. Zed Nelson, 2019 at The Lexi (15 to 18 DEC). THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG aka Les Parapluies de Cherbourg d. Jacques Demy, 1964 at Ciné Lumière (until 07 JAN). THE WOLF’S CALL d. Antonin Baudry, 2019 at Watermans (13 to 19 DEC).


California approves solar power law for new homes built from 2020
Talal Husseini 6 December 2018	(Last Updated December 6th, 2018 11:27)
The California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) has approved a new solar power law that requires houses built in the state from 2020 to include rooftop solar panels.
California has approved a new requirement that houses in the state are built with solar power electric systems from 2020. Credit: Kenji Thuloweit.
The eight members of the CBSC voted unanimously to write the new requirement into the state’s building code, making California the first US state to make it obligatory for solar energy to be installed in single-family and multi-family dwellings, as well as condos and apartment buildings up to three stories.
California Energy Commission executive director Drew Bohan told the CBSC on Tuesday: “While per capita electricity consumption in the US has increased steadily over the last 40 years, California’s per capita consumption has remained flat, due in large measure to building and appliance efficiency standards.
“The new standards presented today will guide the construction of buildings that will continue to keep costs down, better withstand the impacts of climate change, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
The California Energy Commission predicted that the new solar power law will increase the initial costs of housing by $9,500 on average, but could save as much as $19,000 in the long run in energy savings over a 30-year period.
Some in the industry are concerned that electricity costs in the state will rise even further. University of California-Berkeley associate professor at the Haas Business School told CNBC: “You don’t need a mandate here — we already have vast amounts of solar in California. Half of US solar is installed in California, so it’s not at all clear to me you needed the mandate. We’re actually paying other states to take our electricity during daylight hours.”
“We already have some of the highest electricity rates in the country, and this will only be exacerbated by this mandate. As more and more rooftop solar gets installed, that pushes the cost onto all the non-solar customers.”
The solar power law does allow for some new homes to continue running on natural gas, but California is hoping to reduce its gas dependence over time.
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) vice-president of state affairs Sean Gallagher said: “Today’s unanimous vote was the culmination of more than two years of work by SEIA, its partner organisations and of course policymakers in the Golden State. We hope other states will look at what California has done and consider similar policies to encourage clean and low-cost solar energy.”
California is currently the seventh highest state in terms of electricity prices, with the average cost of electricity at 19.39 cents per KWh in September 2018. The highest electricity prices reached 32.29 cents per KWh in Hawaii, while in Louisiana they were as low as 9.28 cents.
Only 15%-20% of single-family homes in California currently have solar panel installations, according to the California Building Industry Association. Seven cities in California, including San Francisco, already have some form of solar requirement for new buildings.
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Megan, who was the only one of the two to be named "Rapper of the Year" by GQ, told the magazine about her experience in the early hours of July 12.
The rapper told the magazine that she tried to leave a car heading to a party after an argument broke out. Her phone battery was dead and she was in a bikini, so she decided to get back in the car. Then, she claimed she tried to walk away a second time when Lanez started shooting at her.
"Like, I never put my hands on nobody," she said. "I barely even said anything to the man who shot me when I was walking away. We were literally like five minutes away from the house."
She went on to say that Lanez begged her and her friend not to say anything about the incident, even offering them money. A lawyer representing Lanez denied that he had offered money.
Police eventually did investigate, at which point Megan said her feet had been injured by some glass. "[At this point] I'm really scared because this is like right in the middle of all the protesting," she said, referring to the Black Lives Matter uprising that was taking place at the time. "Police are just killing everybody for no reason, and I'm thinking, 'I can't believe you even think I want to take some money. Like, you just shot me.'"
Tory Lanez, who is Canadian, was specifically charged with one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and one count of carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He could face up to 23 years in prison.


Angels give Trout record $1M deal
Sources: Ex-Dodger Baez, Astros agree to deal
Mike Trout signs 1-year contract
The Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday signed star outfielder Mike Trout to a one-year contract worth $1 million, a prelude to a much bigger deal in the future.
It's the largest pre-arbitration contract for a player, surpassing a record shared by Ryan Howard, who got $900,000 from the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007, and Albert Pujols, who got the same amount from the St. Louis Cardinals in '03.
"It's a landmark to do a $1 million with a two-plus player,'' Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "I think it's fitting and Mike's earned that and we're glad to provide that for him.''
Trout also was pleased about the deal, saying, "It feels good."
Negotiations continue between the Angels and Trout, 22, on a multiyear contract. Yahoo! Sports has reported the sides were discussing a six-year contract worth about $150 million.
"I just go out there to play the game,'' he said. "If the money is where it's at, that's where it's going to be.''
The Angels renewed Trout's contract last year for $510,000 -- just $20,000 above the major league minimum at the time.
Trout is one of only four players to bat .320 with 50 homers and 200 runs scored in his first two full seasons. The others: Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio and Pujols, now a teammate of Trout's with the Angels.
Two-time All-Star outfielder Mike Trout and the Angels continue negotiations on a multiyear deal. Christian Petersen/Getty Images
When Howard tied the previous record for a pre-arbitration player, he already had won National League Rookie of the Year and MVP awards and was coming off a 2006 season in which he led the majors with 58 home runs, 149 RBIs and 383 total bases. Pujols was coming off a 2002 season in which he batted .314 with 34 homers and 127 RBIs and was second in NL MVP voting.
Trout, who finished second in American League MVP voting in each of his first two full seasons, said last week he's not interested in discussing contract negotiations with the media. Manager Mike Scioscia said this week he's not worried about contract talks becoming a distraction for Trout.
Called up a month into the 2012 season, Trout won the AL Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .326 with 30 homers and 83 RBIs. He followed that with 27 homers, 97 RBIs and a .323 batting average in 2013.
"We thought his performance was exceptional,'' Dipoto said. "There are players that force you to break rules. What he did for two consecutive years forced us to break our own rule. His performance certainly merited us to do differently than any of the others.''
ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


mdigital » Pop » American Quartet - I Love It / A Bit Of Grand Opera
American Quartet - I Love It / A Bit Of Grand Opera download mp3 album
American_Quartet
American Quartet
I Love It / A Bit Of Grand Opera
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The String Quartet in F major, Op. 96, nicknamed the American Quartet, is the 12th string quartet composed by Antonín Dvořák. It was written in 1893, during Dvořák's time in the United States. The quartet is one of the most popular in the chamber music repertoire. Dvořák composed the quartet in 1893 during a summer vacation from his position as director (1892–1895) of the National Conservatory in New York City.
Earth Opera is the eponymous first studio album by the psychedelic folk band Earth Opera. It was recorded and released in 1968 on Elektra Records. The group featured Peter Rowan and David Grisman, who made their solo careers in much different genres than this record of mainly psychedelic music. All compositions by Peter Rowan, unless otherwise noted. The Red Sox are Winning" – 3:34. As It Is Before" – 7:25. To Care at All" – 3:35. Home of the Brave" – 4:51.
Album · 2008 · 38 Songs. By Gaetano Donizetti - Vincenzo La Scola, Hungarian State Opera Orchestra & Pier Giorgio Morandi. Aida, Act II: Grand March. By Giuseppe Verdi - National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland & Rico Saccani.
The debut album by the Aizuri Quartet is called Blueprinting. David Stith/New Amsterdam Records. The album's title alone connotes its socially conscious threads - "Niña," with a text by Mexican poet and diplomat Octavio Paz, captures the elemental power of children. The fevered love song "Tu y Yo" is set to words by the pioneering Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío. Other songs flash back to the nueva cancíon movement in Latin America in the 1960s, when songwriters paired socially poignant lyrics with folk-infused melodies. Before I fell in love with the crackling performances on this album, I'd never heard of the band Forma Antiqva.
A Night At The Opera album is a masterpiece. Everything from its title to the music, the whole pomp and circumstance of the entire package is majestic. Freddie’s often covered ‘Love Of My Life’ (written for girlfriend Mary Austin) is a quite beautiful ballad, embellished with May’s harp, Roger’s delicate cymbals and the predominant Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar – coincidentally purchased by Brian in Japan the previous spring. Brian’s ‘Good Company’ is one of his wise family pieces – a song full of sound values and mature reflection. Why not? But if he kept his reasoning private, the public response was amazing, especially when he cunningly gave a pre-release tape to DJ friend, Kenny Everett, with a winking, But you’re not allowed to play it on air in its entirety.
Read American Quartet's bio and find out more about American Quartet's songs, albums, and chart history. Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. Long before the rise of the Mills Brothers and the Ink Spots in the 1930s, the American Quartet (also known as the Premier Quartet) reigned supreme as one of the definitive male vocal groups in traditional pop. The foursome (which should not be confused with a 21st century gospel group that has the same name) was not the only vocal group that was active during traditional pop's acoustical era, which ended with the introduction of electrical recording technology in the mid-1920s and the rise of the crooners.
Unfortunately, the rock opera is also a bit of a cheat, as any classical music fan knows. If you're used to kicking back with a little Verdi, and someone comes along and plays you Pink Floyd's The Wall, declaiming, "Behold! Here is another kind of opera to blow your mind," you might point out that a rock opera isn't really an opera at all, but more, maybe, like a cantata, or a suite. Or even a musical, without the choreography. The Kinks uncorked Arthur in 1969, an album that some fans argue is the rock-opera gold standard, never mind that it's essentially a collection of vignettes-albeit gorgeous and well-drawn ones. That other rock opera by the Who-1973's get the attention that Tommy does.
The beautiful Aizuri Quartet, Kaoru, and Satoshi our backbone and foundation of the show. I love singing with you guys. And, please consider donating to the Aizuri Quartet’s Indiegogo campaign to help support the making of this album by , unique album cover art by and two full length music videos for two of the pieces (one of them featuring Lembit’s work!).
Opera is a drama set to music. An opera is like a play in which everything is sung instead of spoken. Operas are usually performed in opera houses. The singers who sing and act out the story are on the stage, and the orchestra is in front of the stage but lower down, in the orchestra pit, so that the audience can see the stage. An opera is normally divided into two, three, four or even five acts. In older operas the music was mostly recitative and arias
A I Love It
B A Bit Of Grand Opera
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Sophienburg Museum and Archives > Blog > Around the Sophienburg > Story of German Adelsverein told in new fictional trilogy
Story of German Adelsverein told in new fictional trilogy
The “Adelsverein” trilogy can be purchased at Sophie’s Shop at the Sophienburg.
Author Celia Hayes will be the guest speaker at the Scholarship Brunch of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Ferdinand Lindheimer Chapter, on Saturday, March 12. Brunch and book review are $20. Reservations may be made by calling Roberta Schmidt at (830) 626-2225 before Feb. 28.
Author Celia Hayes has written a historical novel called “Adelsverein”. It’s actually a trilogy (three books, one story). Novels are not my favorite form of literature, but this one is different. This is not a “looking at the world through rose-colored glasses” type of book, and as in all good fiction, one can learn much about human nature.
Members of the Steinmetz family are the central family throughout the books. Hayes has an understanding of the values of the old German settlers. The father, Christian Steinmetz, decides in Germany that he wants to go to Texas. He is a freethinker and doesn’t agree with the restrictions of the church or the aristocracy. The family is educated and talented. Although Mrs. Steinmetz has reservations about leaving her home, she is more swayed by the wishes of her husband.
The author takes us to the port at Bremen and the family’s departure in November of 1845. The description of the conditions inside the ship and what they endured are gripping:
“We can’t live like this, not for two months, or even two days”, says Mrs. Steinmetz. But the conditions just got worse and were described as “a long purgatory of darkness and misery.”
Soon the inevitable seasickness: “A great sheet of seawater cascaded down the companion way to the lower decks, mixing with the stink of vomit and the contents of the upset privy buckets washing back and forth across the floor”.
Oh my gosh! Have you ever been seasick? What choice does one have on a ship? No relief from the misery. They couldn’t go back. Should they jump over and drown or remain in misery?
After two months, Hayes takes us to another tragic period when so many were abandoned on the coast. John Meusebach becomes the central historic figure of the Adelsverein at this point. When the family finally arrives in New Braunfels, they decide to go on to Fredericksburg and it is in this area that the rest of the story takes place.
But before we go on, we are introduced to the first leader of the Adelsverein, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels. The author takes us to San Antonio where Prince Carl meets Ranger Jack Hays, who pops in and out of the story throughout the trilogy. The Prince meets Hans (Johann) Rahm and tells him of his plan for colonization. Rahm describes the prince “as sleek and brushed as a pedigree horse on race day, arrogance setting in every line of his countenance.” Rahm tells the prince about a beautiful place where the springs come out of the land. Prince Carl brags that the Germans can make it better.
The fictional character Carl Becker, who later marries into the Steinmetz family, tells the prince why he shouldn’t go to the Llano and he left out no nauseating detail about the Indian problem. Becker calls the prince “a fool with money and powerful friends which makes him about the most dangerous kind there is.”
Book two tells us about frontier life in the Hill Country during the Civil War. The fear of “brother against brother” comes true within the family. There are detailed descriptions of persecution by Confederates of those who refused to take the loyalty oath especially in the Hill Country.
Book three takes the reader to a period after the Civil War.
Based on true stories of atrocities on settlers by Indians, factual episodes of scalping and kidnapping of women and children are all too frightening and gruesome.
Sophienburg Executive Director Linda Dietert and author Celia Hayes examine relics from the emigrant ships in the museum.
Your ticket for the: Story of German Adelsverein told in new fictional trilogy


What does the winner of The Great British Bake Off get?
Another batch of contestants are hoping to become the next Bake Off champion.
By Patrick Cremona
Monday, 21st September 2020 at 5:19 pm
Another series of The Great British Bake Off is all set to get underway, and telly fans up and down the country are looking forward to getting to know another batch of excellent amateur bakers as they battle it out to become series champion.
This year’s Great British Bake Off contestants were revealed last week, and each of them will be hoping to follow on from last year’s winner David Atherton by impressing judges Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith with their signature bakes, technical challenges and showstoppers.
But as well as gaining lots of media attention – and perhaps even being on the receiving end of an elusive Hollywood handshake – is there a cash prize at stake for the lucky winner as well?
Read on for everything you need to know about the Great British Bake Off prize.
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What does the winning Great British Bake Off contestant win?
Bake Off actually differs from most other popular competition shows, in that the winning contestant does not receive a cash prize.
They don’t leave the tent completely empty handed though – with the winner walking away with a special cake stand and a bunch of flowers, not to mention the prestige of being able to label themselves a Bake Off winner and the national treasure status that grants them.
Of course, in some cases winning the competition can also act as a launch pad to a successful TV or baking career – best exemplified by the tremendous success of 2015 winner Nadiya Hussain, who has gone on to present a variety of shows on the BBC including the recent Nadiya Bakes.
Another success story is 2018 champion Rahul Mandal, who has been writing a column in The Times Magazine as well as making appearances on This Morning.
Meanwhile even some former contestants who didn’t win their series have gone on to successful careers since their time on the show – notably Liam Charles, who participated in the 2017 edition and now co-hosts Bake Off: The Professionals.
The Great British Bake Off starts on Channel 4 on September 22nd at 8pm. To keep up to date with the latest Bake Off news, see here. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV guide.
Meet Lottie, GBBO contestant and pantomime producer
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Meet Rowan, GBBO contestant and music teacher
Meet Sura, GBBO contestant and accounting student


Mega Man 11 Announced for Release in Late 2018!
- Series returns, celebrating 30 years and 32 million cumulative units sold -
Capcom Co., Ltd. (Capcom) today announced the latest entry in the Mega Man series, Mega Man 11, which will be released worldwide for the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC.
Since Mega Man debuted on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987, the series secured its position as one of Capcom's major brands, boasting cumulative sales of 32 million units worldwide (as of September 30, 2017). Mega Man gained a following due to the challenging gameplay that contrasted with the memorable design of its characters; in the 30 years following its launch, the series has spawned numerous spin-offs, which altogether still enjoy the support of a deeply passionate fan base, consisting of everyone from younger players to hardcore gamers alike. In addition to video games, Mega Man has been featured in a wide range of products around the globe, such as cartoons, movies, comic books, toys and a wealth of other licensed merchandise.
Mega Man 11 is a completely new title, and is scheduled for release in late 2018. Taking advantage of the latest generation of hardware, it will feature smooth animation and beautiful, hand-drawn characters and environments, alongside the tight side-scrolling action that the series is known for. The title will provide a progressing sense of achievement, giving long-time fans a chance to relive the thrill of their first time playing the series, and new players an opportunity to experience the fun of beating a 2D action game.
Beginning with this announcement, Capcom is looking to build excitement around the Mega Man brand by kicking off the Mega Man Series 30th Anniversary. In addition to this title, in 2018 Capcom plans to release both Mega Man Legacy Collection and Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 for the Nintendo Switch, as well as all eight Mega Man X titles for the PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC. What is more, in addition to these games Capcom is preparing numerous Mega Man brand initiatives to roll out across the globe.
Capcom remains firmly committed to satisfying the expectations of all users by leveraging its industry-leading game development capabilities in order to create highly entertaining gameplay experiences.
1. Title Mega Man 11
2. Genre Action
3. Platforms PlayStation®4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PC
4. Release Date Late 2018
*"PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
*Microsoft and Xbox One are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
(Address) 3-1-3, Uchihiranomachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0037, Japan
(Tel)+81-6-6920-3623 (Fax) +81-6-6920-5108
Blow out the candles, Capcom's "Mega Man" is turning 20!


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Big CEO interview: Dr Andy Palmer, Aston Martin
PUBLISHED: 10:12 06 January 2017
Nicky Godding
CEO Dr Andy Palmer
Photographer - Max Earey
Dr Andy Palmer is turning around the fortunes of the UK’s most iconic car brand and investing in new car design
Aston Martin, the only independent British car company of any size left in the UK, is the epitome of timeless cool.
The marque of choice for almost every James Bond since 1964, the well-tailored bottoms of Britain’s most debonair actors have warmed the seats of Aston Martin DB5s to the DB10s.
Last September, after a hiatus of over a decade, Aston Martin’s DB marque made a comeback as the first DB11 began rolling off the company’s production lines at Gaydon, Warwickshire. It followed the DB9, launched in 2003. (The DB10 was designed exclusively for the film 2015 Spectre and only ten were manufactured). The DB11 is heralding the start of a new, hopefully profitable, era for Aston Martin.
For it’s true to say that the history of Aston Martin, founded in 1913, has been rocky at times, the company has been bought and sold many times throughout its 103-year history.
Now its future seems as secure as it can be. Owned by two Kuwaiti families (Investment Dar) and one Italian Family (Investindustrial), German car company Daimler also has a 5% ownership. In 2014 Aston Martin announced the appointment of one of the automotive world’s most successful executives, Dr Andy Palmer. Andy is now Aston Martin’s President and CEO and he’s wasted no time in accelerating the company’s ambitions.
A self-confessed product man, Andy is personally inspecting the first 1000 DB11s currently rolling off the production line. That’s a good 30 minutes per car, 500 hours or so of his head under each perfectly polished bonnet, around 40 working days of his life signing off perfection.
DB11 comes off the production lines
“I’m a product guy, it’s what I know and love,” he says. “I’m in our design offices every day, and walking the factory floor a couple of times a day. The DB11 is Aston Martin’s latest design. There’s often a reticence to buy the first of any new car model so I’m putting my name and email address on the first 1000 engine inspection covers. That’s a new owner’s security that the car is good, because I’m personally vouching for it.”
You might expect the boss of one of the world’s most lauded luxury car brands to be to be perfectly suited, booted and with an urbane, perhaps snooty manner. You’d be wrong. When we meet at Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters, Andy’s jacket is hanging off the back of his chair and his shirtsleeves are rolled up. This man means business.
Dr Andy Palmer might have a Bachelor’s degree, a Master’s, an MBA and a PhD under his belt, not to mention four professorships, but his career began in 1979 as an automotive apprentice in the Midlands, and his engineer’s mindset has never faded.
His apprenticeship, completed by the time he was 20, was overshadowed by the British car industry sinking to its lowest point. “As a supplier to British Leyland, the company I worked for was regularly teetering on bankruptcy thanks to really poor productivity. It was crazy. There had to be a better way.”
Determined to understand the industry’s problems and help solve them, Andy began a Bachelor’s degree at Coventry University, studying at night over three years. While studying he secured a job at Austin Rover, working under Clive Hickman (now chief executive of the Midland Technology Centre, part of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult). Clive encouraged Andy to study further, and Austin Rover paid for him to do a three year Master’s at Warwick.
Meanwhile his career was blossoming. Austin Rover was working with Honda and the contrast between the chaos of Austin Rover manufacturing and the sleek processes followed by the Japanese carmaker came sharply into focus. “I looked at the Japanese engineers and thought ‘these guys are bloody good’, why can’t we be the same.”
Andy wanted to learn from the best. After six years with Austin Rover, he joined Nissan in 1991, vowing to discover their secrets and return to fix the UK’s broken automotive industry.
At Nissan, where he rose to be the company’s most senior engineer in Europe, he learned more about the Japanese ‘Kaizen’ method of engineering: ‘if it’s broken, fix it and make sure it never happens again.’ A simple concept, but back then amazingly difficult to implement in a British context.
Kaizen methods or not, at that time Nissan was struggling financially. In 1999 its’ saviour was French car company Renault which took a 34% stake in the business. Andy was invited to turn around the company’s failing Light Commercial Vehicle business. He did so, very successfully, rising again and taking on planning, IT, marketing – finally becoming one of Nissan’s three global chief operating officers.
Then Aston Martin came calling. “I could have stayed in Japan, being second in command, or I could be the boss at Aston Martin,” he says. It was a no-brainer. “Aston Martin is a great brand, based near where I went to school and no one had been able to make the business profitable for years. It was the luxury end of the automotive market, one part of the industry I’d yet to conquer.” He joined aged 51, determined to doing something spectacular with the company.
For the first four months he listened: to his global dealership and to the employees at Gaydon. Then he took his plan to the board in January 2015.
“When I joined we were selling a 10 year old range of cars with nothing in the pipeline to replace them. Our plan is to stay in sports cars but replacing all the ones we currently manufacture. We’ll be bringing back the Lagonda name, and we are designing a brand new Aston Martin Sports Utility Vehicle.”
The company has bought a site in South Wales, near Cardiff specifically to manufacture the new SUV.
“We will end up with seven cars, over seven years with a seven-year life cycle. That gives us a consistence expenditure on R&D, and revenue return which provides a positive free cash flow to invest in the next generation of cars, giving the company a surer financial footing,” says Andy.
Why is Aston Martin, the car of cool, intent on building a SUV? Surely ‘utility’ is the polar opposite of luxury, even with ‘sports’ tacked in front?
It’s simple mathematics. There are around 16 million high net worth individuals in the world, and in that very select world there isn’t a car company that covers all type of car.. “72% of our customers have an SUV in their garage,” Andy says. “Why shouldn’t that SUV be designed by Aston Martin?
“Yes we make luxury sports cars. Everything we do is about proportion and beauty. Every one of our cars has to be the most beautiful one in its segment and the Aston Martin SUV will be the best of the best.” The first SUV will roll off the production lines in 2019.
Just over two years at the helm of one of the UK’s most iconic brands and business is on the up. “We are on a long journey, but early sales are going well,” says Andy.
Andy Palmer’s unique recipe for success
“I get things done, but my style of management has adapted a lot from the confrontational style of survival politics driven by testosterone I encountered in Austin Rover. I matured when I worked at Nissan and hopefully the guys at Aston Martin will say I’m relatively logical and much softer. I’ve got a steely edge, but management is more about motivating others to work hard. The Japanese are process orientated. It’s about data. It’s about what I know here (he puts his palm to his forehead), rather than what I feel here (he strikes his heart). I work hard, and when everyone else has gone home, I leave.”
Aston Martin boosts apprenticeship training
Aston Martin needs engineers to thrive and grow, but many engineers are being drawn from its supply base, and the UK already has a problem of too few UK suppliers. The country needs to invest in apprentices and bring more suppliers to this country, says Andy.
The car company has increased its number of apprentices significantly, and the good news for them is that due to the lack of apprentices coming through over the last 20 years, they are likely to get promoted quickly because Andy’s cohort of 1970s apprentices are closer to retirement.
“We train them at Gaydon, using Walsall College as our training partner,” says Andy. “We offer training opportunities to apprentices from 16 to 21. Our graduate apprentices study at Warwick University.
“My goal is that by 2025, no matter if you came as a 16, 18 or the 21 year old route, you will receive on the job training, and we’ll put you through your industrial management qualifications. By 2025 every apprentice will be equal, no matter what route they came through. That’s when democracy ends and after that it’s how good you work and how hard you are prepared to work.”
Britain needs an industrial strategy
Andy has given evidence to a May Government parliamentary steering committee on the UK’s industrial strategy. “It’s not enough to want an industrial strategy- you’ve got to work out how you want it to drive the economy,” he said. “If you want to concentrate on the services and financial industries, you’ve got to get interest rates and inflation under control and don’t worry about the manufacturing sector, we’ll just die out.
“But if you want a country that makes things, concentrate on getting the pound strength back, or if you want the intellectual property, nurture exports which means actively managing a weaker pound in the same way that Japan does with its Yen. It’s not always a success but there are parallels. It’s an island and it exports. Sound familiar?
Aston Martin’s biggest market outside the UK is the United States, with Europe its’ second biggest and Asia Pacific is growing fast.


Bruce Willis cars highight Bonham sale
The Bruce Willis cars inspired great interest among collectors at the Bonhams auction Saturday at the The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. The actor’s 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 convertible sold for $161,000. His 1969 Dodge Charger coupe sold for $86,580, and the 1957 Chevy Corvette given to him by Demi Moore sold for $79,500 .
Bonhams & Butterfields celebrated the sixth year of exceptional motorcycles, motorcars and automobilia on Saturday with an auction at the Petersen Automotive Museum. The auction was highlighted by The Bruce Willis Collection and memorabilia from Steve McQueen.
Led by a ‘68 Shelby Mustang from the Bruce Willis car collection, the sale featured a guest appearance by Neile McQueen Toffel (a.k.a. Neile Adams), Steve McQueen’s first wife. An at-capacity crowd of collectors paid out nearly $2 million before the event was finished.
Among the highlights:
The Bruce Willis cars inspired great interest among collectors, particularly the actor’s 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500 Convertible, selling for $161,000. His 1969 Dodge Charger Coupe sold for $86,580, and the 1957 Chevy Corvette given to him by Demi Moore sold for $79,500.
A 1974 Ducati 750SS, ranking on collectors’ “Top Ten Most-Desirable Bikes” lists for 20-years, sold for $81,900.
The diamond-studded Hot Wheels car, designed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the brand and the production of its four billionth Hot Wheels car, brought $60,000, with proceeds benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.
McQueen’s hardstone Asian seal, well-carved with a depiction of a dragon, sold for $27,600. His12-gauge shot gun, featured in the film “The Getaway,” sold for $22,800, and his U.S. passport brought $9,000.
“With our unique offerings of entire collections and individual items from the likes of Steve McQueen, Bruce Willis, Clark Gable, Charles Bronson and Von Dutch over recent years -- not to mention outstanding performance cars and bikes -- our annual ”Classic California” auction is consistently the best of its kind anywhere in the world," said Mark Osborne, VP of the Motoring Department at Bonhams & Butterfields. "Needless to say, we are very pleased with the results.”


From The Summer Local: SK8EVL
Before we begin, let’s get something out of the way. If you are of the attitude that skateboarding (and snowboarding, for that matter) consists of shady kids looking for trouble, please get out from the rock you’ve been living under. No longer are these sports — or activities, whichever you’d prefer — anti-establishment, or any of the other preconceived notions society likes to label something different. Skateboarding is going to be an Olympic sport in 2020, and let’s be honest — would you rather our youth be glued to Fortnite, or be outside getting exercise and building confidence?
Great! Glad we’re all on the same page.
Chris and Brenda Perks love skateboarding. When they began preliminary discussions a few years ago about opening their own indoor park, the cost and difficulty made them rethink it, as an endeavor of that magnitude would be almost impossible for the private sector without substantial investment. The dream would have to wait.
But skateboarding fate wouldn’t be so quick to be done with the Perks’ vision. Last August, they connected with The Tony Hawk Foundation’s western New York project manager Trevor Staples, an Ann Arbor, Michigan native who had heard rumblings of a young, local couple trying to stoke the local skateboarding fire.
“Trevor heard about what we wanted to do and got in touch with us,” Brenda said. “We met with him and learned more about the Tony Hawk Foundation’s ‘Built-to-Play’ initiative. The organization has teamed up with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to offer communities matching grants (up to $250K) to build outdoor concrete skateparks that are open to the public and free to use. There are some requirements to qualify, but Ellicottville matches all of them. We’re in the running for it.”
The late Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., former owner of the Buffalo Bills, was an outstanding human being. His fund, distributed through the foundation bearing his name, supports local communities throughout western New York and southeast Michigan. In 2018, the foundation announced that $200 million would be split evenly between the two regions to create parks and trails. The Tony Hawk Foundation, created by the world’s most recognizable skateboarder, has donated over $9 million to assist in creating 623 skateparks nationwide.
“Basically, we need to fundraise $250,000 and they’ll match it,” Perks said. “We’ll apply for the grant in September. Those grants will be approved in December, and from that point, we’ll have one year to raise the money. After that, we’ll have one year to build and open it. The skatepark’s proposed location is in the Village Park.”
The amount that needs to be raised is no easy task. Fortunately, the Perks’ involvement in the community has allowed them an already-established relationship with those who will ultimately make the decision on approving the proposed project. So far, the skatepark has been galvanizing.
“The reception has been incredible,” Perks said. “It’s been very well received. We’re pleasantly surprised to have the amount of support we’ve gotten from the Village. When we first presented it, we were a little nervous there would be some blowback. Because there’s this stigma about skateboarding. But right off the bat, a lot of people were on board — realizing that this is a tourism town, and this will only help bring in more visitors.
That leads us to the point made at the beginning of this story. A mom or dad that skated in the 1970s and 80s — when the sport was in its infancy — are now all grown up, married, have families of their own and have passed the thrill of four wheels onto their children. A majority of skateboarders are predominantly teenagers and young adults, but it’s not uncommon to find those now-moms and dads still rippin’ it up. And for those moms and dads that don’t skate, you’ll see them dropping their kids off to skate at the proposed park, then they’re going to head into the Village and eat, drink and shop. There’s an economic impact here.
The Perks’ have been working with Kathy Elser, a local grant writer (and Chris’ aunt), and the Village’s grant writer, Diana Cihak, to assist in seeking out money from local, county and state grants. And the committee currently has the wheels in motion for a ton of fun, unique fundraising ideas. The support of the community throughout this entire process will be critical.
“We really want to emphasize — this isn’t our project. It’s the community’s project,” Perks said. “Not only does having a skatepark encourage people to get outside, but there’s a socialization aspect of it as well. There are so many things it can be utilized for besides skateboarding. Lessons, annual events that can raise money for other organizations, and a place for people to feel a part of something. Anyone that wants to get involved, we’re highly encouraging them to do so.” [Read More…]
PreviousPrevious post:Ellicottville Times: Fund to bring skate park to Ellicottville established, meetings in the worksNextNext post:Village of Ellicottville NY Awarded $300,000 Built to Play Skatepark Grant


Igniting a Movement of Peace from the Grassroots: Tostan and Partners launch Project USAID UNAAM KAYRAAY
27 June 2018 | News
On 12th May 2018, representatives from USAID, Partners Global, Tostan, Plateforme des Femmes pour la Paix en Casamance (PFPC), Partners West Africa and regional officials proudly launched the project ‘USAID UNAAM KAYRAAY’, or ‘Engaging Civil Society for Peace in the Casamance’ (CSPC). The initiative, financed by USAID, is implemented by Partners Global as lead partner and Tostan as one of the three sub-partners. The overarching goal is to strengthen the resilience of civil society, particularly women, in using non-violent means to resolve conflict in the Casamance region of southern Senegal, and across borders with Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia. Here, our intern Isabelle Wheeler introduces Tostan’s role in the project and show how our grassroots, human rights-based model engages civil society to contribute to the UN’s Global Goals, notably Goal 16 for Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.
Human Rights Education as a Base for Peace and Prosperity
Tostan’s Peace and Security module will be implemented in 40 communities that have previously completed the three-year Community Empowerment Program (CEP): 30 in Senegal and 10 in the Gambia. The CEP is a holistic and participatory program that has empowered over 3,000 African communities to fulfill their own visions for dignity and wellbeing since 1991. The CEP classes, facilitated in local languages, are often the first occasion participating communities have to learn about topics such as human rights, democracy, health and hygiene, literacy, numeracy and project management — knowledge which enables them to make decisions to improve their quality of life, and which they share with friends and neighbors to create a movement for positive social change.
Participants perform a sketch about the right to live in peace, at a previous project launch in Tankanto Maounde, Senegal, 22 April 2012.
Believing that there is always something more to learn, Tostan offers a variety of post-CEP projects and modules. These include our Reinforcement of Parental Practices module, the impact of which has been celebrated in an external evaluation by Stanford University, and the Peace and Security module, the ultimate goal of which is to empower communities with the knowledge and tools they need to create an environment of safety, security and cooperation from the grassroots. The module allows the positive changes engendered through the CEP (in areas such as education, health and gender equality) to flourish and develop for the wellbeing of all. The Peace and Security module was developed and piloted with the support of the The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) over the period 2010-2017. As a result, 120 communities in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and the Gambia established Peace Committees and resolved over 1,500 local conflicts. More recently in 2016, 5,285 women and girls from 120 communities in Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Mali learned about how to prevent and resolve conflict in their communities, such as domestic disputes or arguments over land rights.
The ‘USAID UNAAM KAYRAAY’ project will run until November 2019, with the aim of creating a platform for peace and security across the border region of southern Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Border communities here share a common cultural heritage and maintain closely-linked economic, political, and security ties with the Casamance, which has been unsettled by conflict and unresolved peace processes for decades. USAID have stated that: “USAID CSPC will contribute to long-lasting peace in the region of Casamance by creating a space for the inclusion of local civil society and women in the process of peace. We believe that when local voices are significantly and intentionally integrated to influence decision-making processes, innovative and reactive solutions arise, creating a base of results with durable and long-term effects.”
Tostan facilitators have already begun leading classes in 40 rural communities on human rights and responsibilities and over the following 18 months they will teach peacebuilding theories and tools for conflict mediation. To respond more directly to specific security issues faced in this border region, Tostan will lead dialogues on the grievances, challenges and risks posed by illicit trafficking, as well as identify potential solutions for communities that do not put them in harm’s way.
Contributing to the Global Goals
Through the CEP and post-program modules, Tostan supports communities to contribute to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or ‘the Global Goals’. Our programs empower communities to form a base from which they can achieve their vision of wellbeing and prosperity, parallelling the United Nations’ model to build a better world where no one is left behind. The Peace and Security module specifically empowers communities to address Goal 16 for ‘Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.’ In addition to the Community Management Committee (CMC) – the grassroots institution established during the CEP to ensure the sustainability of community development activities – Tostan helps to establish community-led Peace Committees. Tostan trains committee members in how to understand, prevent and manage conflicts, and provides mediation tools with which to lead peaceful dialogue around complicated and sometimes controversial issues. The Committees disseminate knowledge through awareness-raising meetings, and often become involved in local politics, mobilizing politicians at a local and even national level to listen and respond to pressing community issues. In this way, community members are empowered to build a movement for peace and justice from the grassroots up.
Please look out for updates and results from ‘USAID UNAAM KAYRAAY’ on our website and social media platforms.


Bulgaria’s Soviet Jets: Trojan Horses In A NATO Air Force? – Analysis
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has announced a tender for Russian and Belarusian state-owned companies to overhaul its Su-25 close air support aircraft, marking the latest in a decade’s worth of false starts and reversals plaguing Bulgaria’s efforts to replace aging Communist-era equipment. It also raises the question of whether US and NATO leaders are doing enough to support Bulgaria’s transition into the Western alliance. The short answer? No.
Ever since its accession to NATO in 2004, Bulgaria has struggled to bring its defense capabilities in line with alliance standards and ensure compatibility with other NATO militaries. Its fleet consists mostly of Soviet-era Su-25s and MiG-29s. NATO requires Bulgaria maintain at least one squadron of twelve planes in fighting shape; out of 16 aircraft in the Bulgarian Air Force, only seven meet that standard.
As a result, in February 2016, the Bulgarian parliament begrudgingly authorized NATO to help protect its air space due the state of its own planes. Matters worsened in October 2017, when pilots outright refused to flytheir MiG-29 jets due to concerns about the safety of the aircraft.
Successive Bulgarian governments have faced the dilemma of either pouring money into repairing Soviet-era equipment or buying unaffordable replacements from NATO partners. Sourcing parts and maintenance from Russia creates an inherently vulnerable supply chain. Each replacement engine for Bulgaria’s Soviet jets has to be certified by the Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, making their supply contingent on relations between the two countries.
Continue reading here https://www.eurasiareview.com/16092018-bulgarias-soviet-jets-trojan-horses-in-a-nato-air-force-analysis/
Source: Bulgaria’s Soviet Jets: Trojan Horses In A NATO Air Force? – Analysis – Novinite.com – Sofia News Agency


Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena discusses systematic repatriation process
Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Foreign Relations, Skills Development, Employment and Labour Relations in an interview held on Siyatha TV ‘Morning Show’ at 6.55 am today (25 May 2020) discussed the systematic repatriation process of Overseas Sri Lankans amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Sri Lanka plays an active role at the CS 76 in Bangkok
The seventy-sixth session (CS 76) of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) was successfully conducted on a virtual platform for the first time in its history, due to the COVID 19 situation, on 21 May 2020, in Bangkok. The CS 76 deliberated on ‘Promoting economic, social and environmental cooperation on oceans for sustainable development’, reiterating commitments to realize SDG 14 on ‘life below water’, as its key theme for the Session. Delegations also engaged on a discussion on ‘Regional cooperation to address the socio-economic effects of the global health crisis’, where Sri Lanka joined in cosponsoring the resolution presented by the Secretariat, emphasizing the need for collaborative action in response to the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic to the world and particularly to the developing countries in the most populous Asia and the Pacific Region.
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Message of H.E. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka on the occasion of Ramazan
( Sinhala ) (Tamil) ( English )
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Memorial Day Commemoration on Monday May 25th at 5:30 PM US EST (Virtual Event)
The annual Memorial Day event organized by ACOBA-EC will take place on Monday May 25th at 5:30 PM.
Please join us on Zoom to commemorate the sacrifices made by US and Sri Lankan veterans of all past wars.
Read more about Memorial Day Commemoration on Monday May 25th at 5:30 PM US EST (Virtual Event)
Interview of Secretary/Foreign Relations on News 1st Newsline - 21 May 2020
Read more about Interview of Secretary/Foreign Relations on News 1st Newsline - 21 May 2020
Full text of the speech made by His Excellency the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the National Ranaviru Day commemorations on May 19th 2020.
Reverend Maha Sanga representing Maha Nayaka Theros and Anu Nayaka Theros of Malwatta and Asgiriya Chapters, Amarapura and Ramannya Nikayas,
His Eminence Cardinal,
Hindu Kurukkal leader, Islam Mowlawi,
· Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
· Hon. Maithripala Sirisena, former President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka,
· Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda,
· Marshal of the Air Force Roshan Gunatilleke, Governor of the Western Province
· Secretary to the President,
· Secretary Defence,
· Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force,
· Acting Inspector General of Police, Director General of the Department of Civil Defence,
· Distinguished guests,
· War heroes of Army, Navy, Air Force, Police and Civil Defence,
· Dear parents, wives, sons and daughters of war heroes,
May 19th is a very important milestone in the history of Sri Lanka.
11 years ago on a day like this, on May 19th 2009, we completely defeated the separatist terrorism which had been a curse to the country for nearly 30 years.
It was President Mahinda Rajapaksa who gave the leadership for this battle in his capacity as the Commander-in-Chief.
With the end of terrorism, an environment where people could live without fear or anxiety and enjoy their human rights freely was created.
After a period of 30 years, we ensured democracy and build an atmosphere where free and fair elections could be held.
The atmosphere where people can travel freely without any restrictions to any place of the country was restored.
Read more about Full text of the speech made by His Excellency the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the National Ranaviru Day commemorations on May 19th 2020.
Ranaviru Day Message of H.E the President
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COVID-19 Community Briefing: Facing Today and Preparing for Tomorrow
Read more about COVID-19 Community Briefing: Facing Today and Preparing for Tomorrow
Repatriation of amnesty beneficiaries from Kuwait to commence tomorrow
Sri Lankans who have sought to benefit from the Amnesty declared by the Kuwaiti Government for Sri Lankans who are out of status, will commence repatriation tomorrow.
Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena who had a telephone discussion with his Kuwaiti Counterpart Dr. Ahmad Nasser Al Mohammed Al Sabah today (18 May) agreed that the first batch of returnees, numbering approximately 460, will arrive on two Kuwaiti Airways flights on Tuesday 19 May 2020.
The Foreign Minister also said in consultation with the immigration authorities, the Sri Lanka Embassy in Kuwait will verify and issue emergency travel documents to those Sri Lankan nationals who will qualify for the Amnesty, when the Kuwaiti government reopens for them to register. The general Amnesty enables those out of status to leave with no consequences, and also to return to Kuwait for work in a legal manner.
Minister Gunawardena assured his Kuwaiti counterpart that the government of Sri Lanka is committed to facilitate future repatriation of amnesty beneficiaries in Kuwait, consistent with previous practice. However Sri Lanka would require to coordinate it carefully in a manner that is consistent with the availability of space in quarantine centers, which are limited.
Read more about Repatriation of amnesty beneficiaries from Kuwait to commence tomorrow
Over 38,000 Sri Lankans in 143 countries seek to return home
Over 38,983 Overseas Sri Lankans (OSLs) in 143 countries at present seek to return home, based on information gathered mainly through the ‘Contact Sri Lanka’ Web Portal of the Ministry of Foreign Relations. This comprises 3,078 students, 4,040 short term visa holders, 27,854 Migrant workers, 3527 dependents and 484 duel citizens and others. Meanwhile since 21 April, up to now, 3600 OSLs have been repatriated from 15 countries, largely comprising foreign students and government officials on training, as well as their dependents.
Recognizing the need to collect data on vulnerable OSLs, the Ministry of Foreign Relations, with the assistance of the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA), on 26 March 2020 created the ‘Contact Sri Lanka’ Web Portal, within a week following closure of the airport to inbound commercial flights. In parallel to the Portal, Sri Lanka Missions were also instructed to collect data on those who wish to return. The two sources, serve as the base for identifying vulnerable groups, prioritizing and repatriation.
Read more about Over 38,000 Sri Lankans in 143 countries seek to return home


Granes v. 2389193 Ontario Inc.: Damages for Sexual Harassment, Toronto Employment Lawyer
Human Rights Tribunal awards damages for injury to feelings, dignity and self-respect
Section 7(2) of the Ontario Human Rights Code (“Code”) states the following:
Every person who is an employee has a right to freedom from harassment in the workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression by his or her employer or agent of the employer or by another employee.
“Harassment” is defined in section 10 of the Code as “engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” Sexual harassment would be a course of vexatious comment or conduct based on sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.
Usually more than one incident is required to justify a human rights complaint, however a single incident may be seen as sufficient if the conduct is serious enough that the harasser must have known that their behaviour was offensive.
Under Canadian case law, the term “sexual harassment” covers a broad range of conduct. The conduct can be physical or verbal. The more obvious forms of harassment being unwelcome physical conduct such as touching, kissing, and hugging. However, it also includes other conduct such as offensive remarks, remarks about physical appearance, inappropriate staring and offensive jokes.
There may be instances where the harasser does not realize that their comments are offensive. However, if the recipient makes it clear that the conduct is annoying and/or inappropriate, the harasser has been put on notice that their actions or words are unacceptable and should stop.
The standard for establishing sexual harassment is objective: would a reasonable person in the recipient’s position find the comments or conduct inappropriate?
Granes v. 2389193 Ontario Inc., 2016 HRTO 821
In the Granes Application, the applicant was a full-time head server for a restaurant owned by 2389193 Ontario Inc. (“the Restaurant”). In September of 2013, the Restaurant changed ownership and the personal respondent, Mr. Dutta, became co-owner with Mr. Patel.
On February 1, 2014, the personal respondent sexually harassed the applicant multiple times. The applicant described numerous incidents of inappropriate comments and touching/groping. It was revealed during her testimony that the applicant asked him to stop on numerous occasions and made clear to him that his behaviour was unwanted and inappropriate.
One of the main legal issues in this Application was whether there was discrimination with respect to employment because of sex, including sexual harassment, and sexual solicitation or advances contrary to the Code.
Damages to be Awarded
The Tribunal refers to the decision of Sanford v. Koop, 2005 HRTO 53, which outlined the factors to assess the appropriate amount of the award for injury to dignity, feelings, and self-respect:
a.Humiliation experienced by the applicant;
b.Hurt feelings experienced by the applicant;
c.An applicant’s loss of dignity;
d.An applicant’s loss of self-esteem;
e.An applicant’s loss of confidence;
f.The experience of victimization;
g.The vulnerability of the applicant;
h.The seriousness, frequency, and duration of the offensive treatment
The Tribunal also references the following principles which are also relevant:
a.An award for monetary compensation must not be set too low as to trivialize the social important of the Code by creating a “licence fee” to discriminate (ADGA Group Consultants Inc. v. Lane (2008), 91 OR (3d) 649 (Div. Ct.)).
b.The low end of the monetary spectrum involves circumstances of a few incidents, less serious incidents, and/or incidents that did not include physical touching. Conversely, the high end of the monetary spectrum includes multiple incidences, incidences of a serious nature and physical assault and/or reprisal or loss of employment (Vipond v. Ben Wicks Pub and Bistro, 2013 HRTO 695).
It was also noted that cases of sexual harassment involving explicit sexual touching tend to garner higher monetary compensation awards (Payette v. Alarm Guard Security Service, 2011 HRTO 109).
After having considered the circumstances of the Application and the factors set in previous decisions, the Tribunal found that the infringement of the applicant’s right to be free from discrimination was serious and was exacerbated by the Restaurant’s lack of response, which left the applicant no choice but to resign from her position. The impact this had on the applicant’s dignity, feelings and self-respect was significant. The applicant was awarded $20,000 in monetary compensation for injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect.
The case highlights that sexual harassment in the workplace will be taken seriously by the Human Rights Tribunal and damages will be awarded to those whose right to be free from discrimination has been violated. If you have been discriminated against, it is best to talk to a lawyer specializing in Employment Law when facing this situation. Please contact Monkhouse Law today at (416) 907-9249 for a free 30 minute consultation over the phone to discuss your options.


The murky morality of biobanking
Donated tissue samples could yield invaluable knowledge
Biobanks are in short supply in South Africa, a place whose inhabitants have some of the greatest genetic diversity in the world. These repositories of human tissue, used for health research, could save lives as scientists find links between diseases and population groups – and, possibly, cures to currently untreatable diseases. But in giving consent for researchers to use your tissue, you are in effect also giving consent on behalf of your parents, family members and children – and possibly all those who share your genetics.
Biobanks are “a major advance in terms of science and technology”, says Professor Ames Dhai, director of the Steve Biko Centre for Bioethics at the University of the Witwatersrand.
A bank containing hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions, of samples with the donors’ medical and demographic information would allow scientists to conduct research with the possibility of statistically significant results. This could pave the way for personalised medicine tailored to South Africa’s population.
Yet biobanks are not mentioned in South Africa’s National Health Act of 2003, which governs human tissue usage, for therapies or research. Department of health deputy director general Terence Carter told the Mail & Guardian that workshops are planned to plug holes in the current law and regulations, and that ethicists will be included in these discussions.
This is “a scientific tissue issue, but also a major ethical issue, so we are bringing together the experts in ethics as well as cell technologies and genetics”, Carter said.
A major question in this area is the notion of consent, and what it means to give informed consent.
“Informed consent has different applications,” says the deputy dean of law at the University of South Africa, Professor Melodie Slabbert. “[You have] medical treatments on the one hand, such as between doctor and patient, and research between research participant and researcher on the other … Consent has specific legal requirements for it to be regarded lawful and valid consent.”
Dhai, in a 2008 article in the South African Journal of Bioethics and Law, says: “The traditional Hippocratic belief that one could do almost anything on a patient as long as the principles of beneficence (best interests) and non-maleficence (no harm) were upheld has been considerably revolutionised over the last century.”
Today, before a healthcare professional administers treatment to or conducts surgery on a patient, they need the patient’s – or a proxy’s – “informed consent”.
Informed consent requires that the patient has been informed about the procedure and its risks, benefits, possible alternatives and costs, Dhai says. She notes that patients are sometimes not informed about the full costs of their treatment beforehand.
She also says: “Informed consent is a process, not a signature on a piece of paper at a point in time. It is not just information; the healthcare practitioner must ensure that the patient understands the information, otherwise they are only paying lip service to informed consent.”
The law and responsibilities to do with medical treatments are well established, but those regarding biobanks are not, especially when it comes to the question of consent.
“The fundamental issue is the patient’s competency to make the decision [to have their tissue used for research],” says Jacquie Greenberg, a professor of human genetics at the University of Cape Town. “When I ask a patient for cells, do they know what I am asking for? Do they understand what we are going to do with the sample?”
These questions become even more complicated when the patient or donor’s tissue is stored indefinitely. Though they might have originally given their consent for their tissue to be used for a certain research project, it is possible that – if it is stored in a biobank – their tissue will be used as part of another study for which they had not explicitly given consent.
“Tissues are stored and the data is stored, and research may be done [on that tissue sample] many years later, even by different researchers. This could be important research,” Dhai says. “How does one go back to the participants [of the first study]? Is it always possible to get back to the participant who gave the tissue for every project? It’s not. It’s too costly and slows down important research.”
Also, “if you look at biobank research and genomics and genetics research, you have to look at an intergenerational period of 25 to 30 years”, Dhai says. “With informed consent, you have to tell participants exactly what is going to happen and the exact research projects that are going to be done. It is impossible to know what research questions will come up later.”
Asked about biobanks, Medical Research Council president Glenda Gray said: “It allows the opportunity to make new discoveries … [but] it is important that it is regulated to avoid exploitation [by pharmaceutical companies or other countries].” She noted that all research conducted in this area would require ethics approval.
“The important thing is how to regulate it, that it isn’t exploited and that samples that are accessed go through a rigorous ethical review,” she said.
The reality is that genetic research does carry risks, in the form of stigmatisation and discrimination. “DNA is a unique identifier,” Oxford University’s Jane Kaye told a conference in 2013. “This makes it difficult to make it anonymous.”
A group of Native Americans has become a cautionary tale in genetic privacy: they offered their DNA to a study that was looking at diabetes among this population group. But this data was reused, without their consent, to look for a genetic predisposition to mental illness. These findings were published in journals and media, and now that community is associated with mental illness.
“It is important that we acknow-ledge that [stigmatisation and discrimination] can happen,” Dhai says. “That is why it is important to speak to the individual [involved in the research]. We need to inform them that this is a possibility … Research ethics committees will only okay research where the benefits outweigh the risks.”
But the question of consent for this type of research remains, as well as how to balance the privacy of the individual with the wellbeing of society.
Human Tissue Act
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Our starch cravings date back to cave dwellers
Science body pushes for better human genetics ethics guidelines
How biobanks can help improve the integrity of scientific research
Ancient DNA research makes important addition to our understanding of human history
New research proves society favours tall and skinny people


Bracknell Town celebrate at Coleshill Town. Photo: Neil Graham.
Home | News | Club News | Uhlsport Hellenic Football League announce January Team of the Month
Table calculated on games played and won as well as team discipline
Darrell Freeland
The Uhlsport Hellenic Football League have announced Bracknell Town as Premier Division team of the month for January.
The award is presented monthly to the best performing team in the Premier Division and there’s also a combined award for Division One East and West.
Performance is calculated for each month of the season, with the production of a league table based in games played in the respective divisions along with FA Cup, FA Vase, and Hellenic League Cup games – it does not include County FA cup games or any external other cup a team may have entered.
A very important part of the final table produced for each month is a deduction of points for the number of bookings accrued during play. 1 point deducted for each yellow card – 2 points for a double yellow sending off in a game – 4 points for a straight red – 10 points for a mass melee. The monthly total of those points are averaged against the number of games played. So effectively in any month a team could be top of the table having won every game, but end up bottom by not applying to the rules of the game.
Congratulations to the Robins who join previous winners Highworth Town (August and September), Brimscombe & Thrupp (October) and Thatcham Town (November and December).
Main image: Bracknell Town celebrate by Neil Graham.
Bracknell Town FC, Uhlsport Hellenic League
Darrell is the co-editor of FootballinBracknell. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of local football, it's teams and leagues and was previously club secretary at Bracknell Town FC. 'Duds' sadly passed away in April 2019 - this website is dedicated to his memory.


What would be a cause for the arrow shown in the graph:
A. Decrease in 2-3 DPG
B. Increase in body temperature.
C. Decrease in H+
D. Decrease in CO2
Correct Answer » B
Ans: B. Increase in body temperature.
Right Shift is shown in the Oxygen Dissociation Curve.
Oxyhemoglobin dissociation curve
It describes the relation between the partial pressure of oxygen (x-axis) and the oxygen saturation (y-axis).
A hemoglobin molecule can bind up to four oxygen molecules in a reversible way.
Hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen increases as successive molecules of oxygen bind.
More molecules bind as the oxygen partial pressure increases until the maximum amount that can be bound is reached. As this limit is approached, very little additional binding occurs and the curve levels out as the hemoglobin becomes saturated with oxygen. Hence the curve has a sigmoidal or S-shape.
At pressures above about 60 mmHg, the standard dissociation curve is relatively flat, which means that the oxygen content of the blood does not change significantly even with large increases in the oxygen partial pressure.
The partial pressure of oxygen in the blood at which the hemoglobin is 50% saturated, is known as the P50.
Righ shift :
indicates that the hemoglobin has a decreased affinity for oxygen.
This makes it more difficult for hemoglobin to bind to oxygen (requiring a higher partial pressure of oxygen to achieve the same oxygen saturation), but it makes it easier for the hemoglobin to release oxygen bound to it.
The effect of this rightward shift of the curve increases the partial pressure of oxygen in the tissues when it is most needed, such as during exercise, or hemorrhagic shock.
The right shift shows the decreased affinity, as would appear with an increase in either body temperature, hydrogen ions, 2,3-bisphosphoglycerate (2,3-BPG) concentration or carbon dioxide concentration.
Left Shift:
indicates that the hemoglobin has an increased affinity for oxygen so that hemoglobin binds oxygen more easily, but unloads it more reluctantly.
Left shift of the curve is a sign of hemoglobin’s increased affinity for oxygen (e.g. at the lungs).


"First, this isn't about telecommuting, because we still have offices that people will come to regularly when they need to brainstorm together, meet with clients, or do research in the library."
Jay Chiat
judge Jay Chaudhry (born 1958/1959), American billionaire, CEO and founder of Zscaler Jay Chiat (1931–2002), American advertising designer Jay Cooke (1821–1905)...
Name Jay Chiat
I'd make a terrible casting director.
Gail Honeyman, Writer
More Quotes by Gail Honeyman
"Fire has impacted every part of our lives - without fire, there would be no shopping, right? - that's how the Internet will intrude on our lives, particularly our kids' lives."
"Our technology is very scalable. Our software can accommodate enormous numbers of clients. It's a marvelous opportunity. We'll keep developing products."
"One is that that's the way we started and we thought there would be more value and less confusion if the business model was just based on delivering news that's of value to Web sites."
"I can't say the advertising model is obsolete yet but it doesn't make a lot of sense in the long range."
"It's hard to build a brand, competitively, and tell people what you do as well."
"Research we've done seems to indicate that people who are on the Net like the idea that they don't have to leave what they are reading to go buy something."
"We set up a beta site, a test site, with movie, music and book reviews. If you're reading them and you want to buy a book or a ticket for a movie that's reviewed on the site, you can do that without leaving our site."
"If you really think about it, when watching television, you have product placement all the time."
"Charlie Rose is the ultimate ad."
"I like the Gap ad, the khaki one. I liked that."
"Advertising ought to work by telling you what it is you want to tell, you should understand what you want us to do, what you want us to think, where you want us to shop."
"But I think technology advertising will have to stop addressing how products are made and concentrate more on what a product will do for the consumer."
"Technology is the fashion of the '90s. It affects everyone, and everyone is interested in it - either from fear of being left behind or because they have a real need to use technology."
"The intellectual architecture means focusing on doing great work instead of focusing on agency politics."
"The team architecture means setting up an organization that helps people produce that great work in teams."
"You come to work because the office is a resource: The office is a place where you can meet with other people, and the office has libraries of books and information on CD-ROM that might help you with your work."
"We don't have titles on our business cards. No one really gets any special treatment. No one gets a corner office to put pictures of their family and their dog in."
"Second, we're spending a huge amount of money on technology so that everyone can check out laptops and portable phones. We're spending more money to write our existing information into databases or onto CD-ROM."
"Eighty percent of what everyone's talking about never happens. I don't mean in terms of product development that's happening right now, I'm talking about the far-flung visions of the future."
"In the '20s they were telling us we'd all have our own private plane and take vacations to the moon."
"Outside of advertising, the person who's influenced me most is quite possibly Frank Gehry."
"Transferring successfully to the next generation means producing work that's as good as or better than the work of the first generation that founded the agency."
"Taking risks gives me energy."
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