Mark Hansen, Chief Information Officer, DEXUS [ASX: DXS]
The Challenges of Today's Real Estate CRMs
Federico Masias, SVP of Technology, Baird & Warner
How Using Proptech Makes Our Communities Safer and Healthier
David Faulkner, General Manager, Property Management, Property Brokers
Build-to-Rent Homes are Multifamily's Hottest Sector Nationwide
Karen Key, Managing Director, RangeWater Real Estate
Understanding Metaverse
Karen Strack, SVP, Brand Strategy, Marketing & Customer Experience, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
A Unique Approach Toward Virtual Broadcasting
Striving for D and I in a Virtual World
Creating More Certainty in an Uncertain Market
How Virtual Reality Can Help Real Estate Clients Make Faster, Smarter Decisions
Harnessing the Power of MarTech Drives Results for Leading Independent Real Estate Brokerage
Intersection of PropTech and Flexible Office
Tenant Screening Services
Smart FM - Are we there yet?
Solving the PropTech Conundrum
Streamlining Visitors Management System Through Technology
Are there any great deals left?
How to Pivot and Deliver Personalized Service Under Any Market Conditions
Challenges For Established Brokerages - The Tech Stack
Role of Technology in Personalizing the Customer Experience
Proptech-why it's all about the customer
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Proptech - The Future of Real Estate
Ali Sajwani, General Manager - Operations, DAMAC Properties
'Tech', a suffix that denotes the most phenomenal phase of transformation that the world has ever seen. The emergence of fintech, regtech, suptech, among others, is completely changing the way we live and do business. Digital transformation is the new order, and every industry is either being disrupted or on the verge of disruption. The real estate sector, however, has been slow when it comes to tech adoption. Despite representing the world's biggest and the most valuable asset class, the property sector has always been considered a late adopter of technology, but things are changing fast, and proptech is emerging as one of the hottest trends in realestate.
As consumers become more and more technology-dependent, and businesses look for new ways to increase efficiency while reducing costs, real estate players around the world are turning towards technology as solutions. A recent studyby a global bank indicated that proptech is shaping customers behaviour when it comes to dealing in property. According to the survey, 72 per cent of UAE property buyers search for property online, 67 per cent use online tools to check their property value, 65 per cent search for information on taxes and regulations online, and 64 per cent use internet tools for prospective home prices. While online listings portals have been around for a while, today, real estate developers can transform every aspect of their business with the right technology integration. Let's look at some of the ways in which technologies, both existing and emerging, are reshaping the industry.
Big Data and CRM
The real estate industry has always been a treasure trove of big data. However, the data is often scattered and unstructured. By organising this data and employing the right analytics tools, real estate developers can conduct better financial analysis, take better investment decisions, predict market conditions, and serve customers better. At DAMAC Properties, we have migrated all our customer data to Salesforce, an integrated CRM platform that gives all our departments a single view of the customer. The digitisation of data has enabled us to create Hello DAMAC, a one-stop customer services portal that allows customers to access essential property services 24 x 7.
Speaking about DAMAC’s digital transformation initiatives, Ali Sajwani, General Manager of Operations, DAMAC Properties, said, “For any organisation, digital transformation is a long and ongoing process. However, what’s most important is to get started with a long-term vision in mind. At DAMAC, we have started our journey by adopting technologies that help us engage with our customers better. As an innovative and agile organisation, we are always looking at new ways to improve our processes on all fronts.”
Artificial Intelligence is perhaps one of the most influential forces in the technology revolution that's transforming the world. From voice recognition to autonomous decision making, AI's implications on the real estate sector are genuinely incredible. Through AI and predictive analytics, developers can get access to never-before-seen insights into the market. We can improve the efficiency of operational processes and completely transform the way we make decisions. We can build better, improve the energy efficiency of our projects, and understand the present and future needs of our customersbetter.
For real estate developers to become digitally fit, they need to bring about a culture of innovation at every level
Robotics and Drones
Robotics is changing the way we construct buildings, bringing more efficiency and cost- effectiveness in construction. However, their significance is not just limited to construction or facilities management. Robotic process automation, for instance, the implementation of virtual agents can be immensely helpful in automating repetitive back-office processes such as invoicing, NAV calculations, and documentation, among others. While drones have long been used for site surveillance, we could soon see drones being used for tasks such as property management, inspection and maintenance.
So far, 3D printing has been used extensively to create scale models for real estate projects. Prototypes of 3D printed homes have been created in various parts of the world. The technology could soon become more mainstream and transform the way real estate built. 3- D printing of entire buildings or parts of architecture will have a significant impact on reducing the time involved in construction.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality
Virtual reality has already been successful in marketing real estate. By giving potential customers a virtual tour of off-plan projects, we help them make better decisions. However, the scope of VR in real estate transcends marketing. By integrating VR in planning and construction, developers can take better decisions and improve operational processes. Earlier this year, DAMAC Properties introduced VR to train construction workers on safety procedures. Augmented reality can also be used to show customers and other stakeholders what an under-construction property will look like once completed.
Blockchain will transform various aspects of the real estate industry. The transparency and security associated with blockchain could expedite pre-lease due diligence, improve contract management, and enable more efficient processing of financing and payments. Blockchain also allows real estate tokenisation, the process of representing an ownership interest in real estate with a token. In Dubai, the government is leading the adoptionof blockchain in the real estate sector. In 2017, the Dubai Land Department launched its blockchain platform that uses a smart and secure database to record real estate contracts such as lease and registrations and linking them to telecom and utility accounts.
While 'tech' implies technology, a tech transformation is not just about adopting or acquiring technology. For real estate developers to become digitally fit, they need to bring about a culture of innovation at every level. Proptech can undoubtedly transform the future of our industry. However, we need to adopt a mentality that complimentstechnology.
Copyright © 2023 RealEstate Business Review . All rights reserved.
https://rental-property-management.realestatebusinessreview.com/cxoinsight/proptech-the-future-of-real-estate-nwid-299.html


Putin’s visit to Nizhny Tagil unexpectedly cancelled, fueling rumors serious illness
E1 reported that Putin was to visit UralVagonZavod, one of the largest main battle tank manufacturers in the world, but his visit had been cancelled at the last moment.
The channel stressed the visit had been carefully prepared.
Ahead of the visit by Putin, the snow was cleared from the streets for the first time this winter and the city traffic was restricted. Besides, the Christmas tree opening was cancelled in the district where Putin was supposed to inspect the factory’s various departments.
Read also: Putin on collision course with Russia’s regional elites, expert says
Despite all the preparations made, the cortege that was sent to the airport to pick up the dictator came back without him.
UK tabloids the Sun and Daily Mirror said it wasn’t the first time a public event involving Putin had been cancelled at the last minute in such circumstances.
It comes after Putin also cancelled a traditional end-of-year press address to the government and ice hockey game as well, without any reason being given.
“He appeared twitchy, unsteady on his feet, and out of breath on occasion,” the Sun wrote.
“It has been suggested he could be suffering from stomach cancer – or maybe even Parkinson’s. Mad Vlad was seen clutching a thick blanket earlier this year while watching a parade, and last week was seen swaying and slurring as he spoke with a glass of champagne.”
The Western outlets wrote that Putin recently fell down stairs at his home, bruised his coccyx as he slipped down two steps, and soiled himself — which could be related to gastrointestinal cancer.
Read also: Putin must end war immediately, German Chancellor says
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian Military Intelligence, previously stated that Putin is ill with cancer and a number of other diseases.
“However, it isn’t worth expecting Putin to die tomorrow,” he said.
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine


Tag Archives: Hamas
Christianity, Iran, Persecution
Christian Persecution Updates: July 18, 2012
July 18, 2012 Vicki Leave a comment
July 2012; reported July 18 Nigeria
Boko Haram had declared war on the Christians in Nigeria and it seems that every weekend a church is bombed. Officials are being assassinated. The Red Cross reported yesterday that 5,500 people have fled their homes because of attacks on villages – most of them Christian – during July so far. Over 100 people were killed in these attacks on villages. Over 80 people were killed on July 7th alone. “The humanitarian organisation said it was now providing food, blankets, soap and other essential items to more than 2,800 displaced people.”
Source: ANGOP; ICC
June 16, 2012; reported July 17 Iran
Eshan Behrooz had been imprisoned for his Christian faith, enduring 105 days of solitary confinement during his eight months in prison. In July 2010 he had been arrested along with other Christians; he was not released because he refused to sign a document renouncing his faith. He had been released on a very high bail at one point, but then re-imprisoned. He has suffered mental and health problems because of his treatment in prison, and was not allowed basic rights like seeing his family or a lawyer. He was a student at University of Mashhad, but now may not be allowed to return.
Source: BarnabasAid.org
July 16, 2012; reported July 17 Gaza (Palestine)
A small group of Christians held a brave and rare protest in Gaza, after becoming too frustrated over the forced conversions of Christians and the systematic persecution there that is driving so many Christians out of Gaza. While Christians claim the conversion of a family (Al-Amash, his wife, and daughters) was forced, mediators claim it seems legitimate [there are actual forced conversions in many parts of the Muslim world, so the Christian claim is not unreasonable]. Since Hamas took over Gaza, life for the small minority of Christians has become so bad that many have left. There are only about 1,500 Christians left, when a few years ago there were 3,500. “The two converts, Al-Amash, and Hiba Abu Dawoud, 31, could not be reached for comment. . . . ‘People are locking up their sons and daughters, worried about the ideas people put in their head,’ said Al-Amash’s mother, Huda.”
Source: Haaretz
June 19, 2012; reported July 18 India
In eastern India, in Chhattisgarh state, 150 Hindus forced 12 Christians in Jawanga village to a Hindu temple. The Christians were made to participate in Hindu rituals, worshiping tribal deities. They were reportedly assaulted as well, but details are not available. After this, the assaulting Hindus would not let the Christians return to their homes, but chased them out of the village. The Christians later requested from the village head that they be allowed to return, but they were not given permission. They are all staying in Geelam. Chhattisgarh state had adopted the “Freedom of Relgion Act,” which has actually harmed religious freedom [as many in the West said it would]; about 1 in 50 Indians are Christian. “The June 19 episode is only the most recent example of harassment of Christians in Chhattisgarh. The Evangelical Fellowship of India reported in April that 300 residents of Belgal village disrupted the attempted burial of a man who had converted to Christianity. Ten people were injured, and the burial was completed after district authorities intervened.”
Source: Compass Direct News (primary source, Open Doors News)
ChristianChristianityGazaHamasIndiaIranNigeriapersecution


Father Says He Saw Son Shot to Death By LA Police on Live TV
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By Kevin Eck on Dec. 23, 2013 - 9:47 AM
One of the people watching the live police chase in Los Angeles more than a week ago that ended with the killing of the suspect on live TV was the victim’s father.
Bill Beaird told The Los Angeles Times his youngest son Brian called him while being chased by police the evening of December 13. He said he told his son to pull over after Brian Beaird said he done nothing wrong.
The chase and subsequent shooting was carried live by Los Angeles CW affiliate KTLA and Fresno FOX affiliate KMPH. The family has filed a $20 million claim against the city of Los Angeles.
Later, Beaird watched live as a KTLA-TV News helicopter showed police chasing the Corvette into downtown L.A. He saw his son’s car T-bone another car before spinning onto the sidewalk. The driver staggered out of the vehicle, briefly raised his hands with his back to the police officers, then grabbed his stomach as he fell to the ground.
“I thought it was my son, but I wasn’t sure,” Bill Beaird said.
Beaird said he was initially confused about what happened to the man — the television reporters said he might have been shot with a Taser, he recalled. But when he tried to reach his son and couldn’t, his family began putting the pieces together.
Brian Beaird, 51, had no weapon, police said. Preliminary information indicated three officers from the LAPD’s Newton Division shot more than 20 times.
An investigation of the shooting is underway. After reviewing a preliminary report about the incident on Thursday, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck placed the three officers who opened fire on extended leave pending the final use-of-force investigation.
In announcing his decision to assign the officers to home, Beck said he was troubled by the incident.
“After hearing the preliminary briefing, I am very concerned about the circumstances that led up to and resulted in this officer-involved shooting,” Beck said in a statement.
The names of the officers placed on leave Friday were expected to be released after they were formally notified.
Bill Beaird, an Army veteran, said his son followed in his own footsteps and joined the military. Brian Beaird was discharged from the National Guard in 1988 after undergoing surgery for a brain tumor, his father said.
Bill Beaird said his son was a “disabled veteran” who needed regular medical care. An attorney for the family, Dale Galipo, said that after the surgery Brian Beaird developed some paranoia — including some toward police.
“He was simply afraid and paranoid of the police, even though he has never been convicted of any felonies,” Galipo said. “And that paranoia of the police is one of the reasons why he didn’t pull over.”
Galipo, who has secured multimillion-dollar verdicts in other police shooting cases, said his clients planned to file a federal wrongful death suit should the $20-million claim not be settled. Galipo also said he hoped the district attorney’s office would “strongly consider” criminal charges against the officers involved.
“Usually the story involves, ‘He was reaching in his waistband,’ ‘He had a gun,’ ‘He had something that looked like a gun,’ ” Galipo said. “In this case, none of those stories will work because everybody saw actually what happened on video.”


What are New Testament Text Types?
August 8th, 2020 Paul Gibson
This entry is part 16 of 36 in the series What is Textual Criticism?
Why are there Variations in Different Translations of the New Testament? (1 of 36)
What are Textual Variants? (2 of 36)
How Many Textual Variants Exist in the New Testament Manuscripts? (3 of 36)
Are Spelling Differences Meaningful in New Testament Manuscripts? (4 of 36)
What are Variant Units? (5 of 36)
How Are Textual Variants and Variation Units Related? (6 of 36)
Why did God Allow Variants in the New Testament Manuscripts? (7 of 36)
Do Textual Variants Show Christianity is False? (8 of 36)
How Careful were Scribes when Copying the Bible? (9 of 36)
What are Unintentional Textual Variants? (10 of 36)
What are Intentional Textual Variants? (11 of 36)
Is a Textual Variant Both Meaningful and Viable? (12 of 36)
What is a Singular Reading? (13 of 36)
Were the Church Fathers Aware of Variations in the New Testament Manuscripts? (14 of 36)
Are Textual Variants Motivated By Theology? (15 of 36)
What are New Testament Text Types? (16 of 36)
How do New Testament Text Types Compare? (17 of 36)
What Text Types are the Variants in Colossians 2:2? (18 of 36)
What are the Most Important New Testament Manuscripts? (19 of 36)
Do I Need a Dictionary to Study Textual Criticism? (20 of 36)
What is New Testament Textual Criticism? (21 of 36)
How are the Best Textual Readings Determined? (22 of 36)
What Evidence do Textual Critics Evaluate? (23 of 36)
Is Textual Criticism an Art or a Science? (24 of 36)
What are the Approaches to New Testament Textual Criticism? (25 of 36)
What is a Critical Edition of the New Testament? (26 of 36)
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Apparatus Mean? UBS Edition (27 of 36)
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Apparatus Mean? NA Edition (28 of 36)
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Mean? Swanson Edition (29 of 36)
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Mean? CNTR Edition (30 of 36)
How do English Versions of the Bible Identify the Variant Reading in Matthew 1:7-8? (31 of 36)
What is the Correct Wording In 1 John 5:7-8? (32 of 36)
Why are Some Verses in Square Brackets? (33 of 36)
What is the Purpose of Textual Criticism? (34 of 36)
Do We Have What The New Testament Authors Wrote? (35 of 36)
Is New Testament Textual Criticism Important? (36 of 36)
I’ve spent quite a bit of time describing what Textual Variants are, and now I want to write about how they can be used to identify manuscripts. The Gospel (Good News) spread rapidly across the Roman Empire after Jesus’ resurrection, but for years it was only spread verbally. Once the books of the New Testament were written, some textual variants became common in certain regions. By looking for common textual variants in manuscripts, textual scholars may be able to identify which region a manuscript was written in.
The Authors and Scribes
The New Testament books were copied and sent to other churches and cities. Once they arrived at their destinations, more copies were made and the copies of the copies were sent out. Although most people copying the a manuscript were careful1, changes (both unintentional2 and intentional3) got into the text.
Once a textual variant got into a text, it could then be copied into later manuscripts (unless someone noticed the variant and corrected it). When scholars can identify a large number of variants that consistently occur in a group of manuscripts, they call it a text type. This doesn’t mean all of the manuscripts have exactly the same variants and are completely identical, but rather there are enough similarities in the variants that scholars believe the manuscripts are related, possibly written in the same region.
…during the early centuries of the church, Christian texts were copied in whatever location they were written or taken to. Since texts were copied locally, it is no surprise that different localities developed different kinds of textual tradition. That is to say, the manuscripts in Rome had many of the same errors, because they were for the most part “in-house” documents, copied from one another; they were not influenced much by manuscripts being copied in Palestine; and those in Palestine took on their own characteristics, which were not the same as those found in a place like Alexandria, Egypt. Moreover, in the early centuries of the church, some locales had better scribes than others. Modern scholars have come to recognize that the scribes in Alexandria – which was a major intellectual center in the ancient world – were particularly scrupulous, even in these early centuries, and that there, in Alexandria, a very pure form of the text of the early Christian writings was preserved, decade after decade, by dedicated and relatively skilled Christian scribes.4
In 1881, Brooke Foss Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort published The New Testament in the Original Greek, often called Westcott-Hort, or simply WH5, spending 28 years on the project. They had access to more Greek copies of the New Testament than any scholars that preceded them, and most modern translations of the New Testament reference the work Westcott and Hort did, even when there is disagreement with their conclusions. In their research, they identified four text types: Neutral, Alexandrian, Western and Syrian.
Scholars and archaeologists have found a vast number of manuscripts since Westcott and Hort published their edition of the Greek New Testament.6 The additional manuscripts have allowed scholars to refine the criteria Westcott and Hort used, and modern textual critics now uses five categories7. New Testament Textual Scholars Kurt Aland and Barbara Ashland (husband and wife), categorize the text types based on how close to the original texts they believe the manuscripts are. The modern categories are:
Category I – Alexandrian text type (WH – Neutral and Alexandrian)
Category II – Egyptian (WH – unidentified)
Category III – Eclectic/Caesarean (WH – unidentified)
Category IV – Western (WH – Unchanged)
Category V – Byzantine (WH – Syrian)
The graph8 above only contains about 30% of the total number Greek New Testament manuscripts available, but I believe there’s enough data to be relevant9. The earliest manuscripts are predominately Alexandrian texts, but the majority of manuscripts are late Byzantine texts. When there is disagreement on what the original text may have been in a variation unit, there is vigorous debate whether the earliest text or the majority text should be used.
Blurring of Text Types
Textual critics are learning that the lines between text types are blurring. For example, Codex Alexandrinus (GA 02, A) is Alexandrian in most of the New Testament, but uses Byzantine in the Gospels. A manuscript may be predominately of one text type, but individual variation units may be of a different type. Some times the original scribe may use one text type, but a later corrector may use a different text type.
Computers are making the process of comparing manuscripts easier, by allowing more detailed analysis of individual manuscripts, and by allowing the comparison of large numbers of manuscripts. Both of these were impractical when a person had to read entire manuscripts and compare them with other manuscripts, often in different libraries and museums. What was once a time-consuming, expensive process requiring much travel, can now be done (comparatively) quickly and cheaply, and uses much larger sets of data to produce more accurate results.
Although categorizing manuscripts by text types has been an essential part of textual criticism for well over a century, and will continue to be used for the foreseeable future, modern textual critics are starting to downplay the need for it. The availability of new tools makes the categorization less useful, but increases the accuracy of the research.
Brannan, Rick. New Testament Manuscript Explorer (Logos Bible Software, version 8.8; NTME 2015) (Logos)
Wikipedia. Categories of New Testament manuscripts Accessed 18-Jul-2020.
How Careful were Scribes when Copying the Bible?
What are Unintentional Textual Variants?
What are Intentional Textual Variants?
Ehrman, Bart D. Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 2005) Pg. 72.
Westcott, Brooke Foss and Hort, Fenton John Anthony. The New Testament in the Original Greek: Text (Cambridge and London: McMillan and Co., Ltd.: 1881) (Archive.org); Westcott, Brooke Foss and Hort, Fenton John Anthony. The New Testament in the Original Greek: Introduction and Appendix (London: McMillan and Co., Ltd.: 1896) (Archive.org)
How Many New Testament Manuscripts Exist?
Aland, Kurt, and Aland, Barbara. The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: 1987) Pages 105-106, 155-159. (Amazon – newer edition)
Century (Years)
Alexandrian
2nd (100-199) 5 5
3rd (200-299) 37 1 2 1 41
4th (300-399) 5 14 17 2 38
5th (400-499) 3 19 24 1 2 49
6th (500-599) 19 32 12 63
7th (600-699) 3 9 17 4 33
8th (700-799) 5 12 3 20
9th (800-899) 1 9 15 36 61
10th (900-999) 2 8 23 90 123
11th (1000-1099) 2 6 19 261 288
14th (1300-1399) 4 13 233 250
15th (1400-1499) 1 10 92 103
16th (1500-1599) 7 46 53
18th (1700-1799) 3 3
Total 61 102 245 5 1300 1713
BibleQuestions.info, 08-Aug-2020
Resource: Brannan, Rick. New Testament Manuscript Explorer (Logos Bible Software, version 8.8; NTME 2015)
Most of the manuscripts not represented in the graph are Byzantine.
FILED UNDER: Westcott-Hort, Text Type, Textual CriticismTAGGED WITH: Bart Ehrman, Kurt Aland, Barbara Aland, Brooke Westcott, Fenton Hort
Are Textual Variants Motivated By Theology?
How do New Testament Text Types Compare?
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Mean? CNTR Edition – BibleQuestions.info says:
[…] What are New Testament Text Types? (16 of 30) […]
What do the Sigla in a New Testament Apparatus Mean? UBS Edition – BibleQuestions.info says:
How do New Testament Text Types Compare? – BibleQuestions.info says:
The Law of the Lord is Perfect, Reviving the Soul
— Psalms 19:7 (ESV)


Magistrate reports: Somerset
The following preliminary hearings are scheduled before District Judge Ken Johnson of Somerset:
Robin Eileen Ansell, 45, Klink Hollow Road, Rockwood, was charged with driving while under the influence and a related summary offense of careless driving. State police said Ansell drove erratically with a blood alcohol level of 0.18 percent on Route 281 in Somerset Township Aug. 22. A hearing is scheduled at 9:50 a.m. Nov. 3.
Marylynn Farbo, 50, Penn Avenue, Somerset, was charged with driving while under the influence and related summary offenses of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness. State police said Farbo drove with a blood alcohol level of 0.23 percent on Nicholas Lane in Somerset Township Aug. 20. She walked into a residence uninvited, according to a police report. When police arrived at the residence, they found Farbo lying on the ground in front of the residence with her vehicle running, its lights on and the radio blaring, according to a probable-cause affidavit. A hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. Nov. 3.
Troy Alan Miller, 52, Cedar Ridge Lane, Somerset, was charged with driving while under the influence and related summary offenses of maximum speed limits, careless driving and restriction on alcoholic beverages. State police said Miller drove with a blood alcohol level of 0.26 percent on Route 985 in Lincoln Township Aug. 30. A hearing is scheduled at 10 a.m. Nov. 17.
Sean Patrick Monaghan, 25, West Fairview Street, Somerset, was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence of controlled substances. Somerset Borough police said Monaghan drove with a blood alcohol level of 0.16 percent and marijuana in his system on West Patriot Street May 3. A hearing is scheduled at 11:20 a.m. Nov. 3.
Justin James Overly, 20, Acme, was charged with driving while under the influence and minor prohibited from operating with any alcohol in his system. Somerset Borough police said Overly drove with a blood alcohol level of 0.13 percent on East Main Street June 24. A hearing is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. Nov. 3.
Thomas Beaken, 43, Summit Avenue, Johnstown, was charged with retail theft. State police said Beaken took a tape measure valued at $4 from Wal-Mart in Somerset Township Aug. 31. A hearing is scheduled at 2:40 p.m. Nov. 3.
Paul Lee Baluch, 47, Kingwood Road, Confluence, was charged with possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Somerset Borough police were called to a residence at Village Way June 5 for a drug overdose. When they arrived, Baluch was responsive and able to talk to the police officer, according to a probable-cause affidavit. His eyes were glassy and his pupils were constricted, police said. He told police that a heroin stamp bag in the residence was his. He told police he used a rolled dollar bill to snort the drug. A hearing is scheduled at 10:40 a.m. Oct. 13.
Woodrow Clites Jr., 49, South Vincent Avenue, Somerset, was charged with theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. Somerset Borough police said Clites shoved stainless steel Scotch Brites valued at $1.35 down his pants while in Dollar General along East Main Street Aug. 27. A hearing is scheduled at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 3.
Curtis Alan Matrey, 25, Old Hollow Road, Corriganville, Maryland, was charged with identity theft, false swearing, false reports, providing false identification to law enforcement authorities and four related summary counts. State police stopped Matrey’s Ford Ranger on Route 219 in Somerset Township July 17. He gave police the name of Justin Wiley and his birthdate when asked for his information. When Wiley received a notice in the mail from the state Department of Transportation referencing the traffic stop and citations, he told police that he was not in Pennsylvania on July 17 nor was he operating a Ford Ranger. Matrey operates a Ford Ranger belonging to his girlfriend’s family, he told police. A hearing is scheduled at 10:10 a.m. Nov. 10.
Charges withdrawn
Charges of possession of a small amount of marijuana for personal use, possession with the intent to use drug paraphernalia and retail theft were withdrawn against Samantha Walters, 23, Shanksville. A charge of disorderly conduct was moved to nontraffic status, which involves a fine.
Charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession with the intent to use drug paraphernalia were withdrawn against Allen Lee Strait, 55, Somerset. A charge of disorderly conduct was moved to nontraffic status, which involves a fine.


George Anstee (DY 22)
DY 22. George Anstee: He was born in 1811 in Dyrham, baptised 3 March 1811, to parents John Anstee (DY 14) and Betty Strange. He married Jane Button (b 1812 Middlesex) in c1836 and they had children in Brixton Hill/Lambeth:
Emma Anstey (b 1837, married William Harrison in 1857 in Lambeth and was living at 33 Temple Street, St George Southwark in the 1861 Census with her brother Alfred John Anstey);
James Anstey (b 1838, died an infant?);
William Henry Anstey (DY 39 – b q4 1840);
Mary Ann Anstey (b 1844);
George Joseph Anstey (DY 40 – b 1846);
Thomas Charles Anstey (b 1849, died 1884 as Charles Thomas Anstey?); and
Alfred John Anstey (b 12 November 1852, living at 33, Temple Street, St George Southwark in the 1861 Census with his sister Emma. By the 1871 Census he had joined the Royal Navy – he was unmarried – in fact he joined on 21 April 1868 (Service Number: 5619B) as a ‘Boy 2nd class’ and then signed up for 10 years on his 18th birthday)
In the 1841 Census the family was living at Anne Street, St Mary, Lambeth where he was a labourer – with them was Jane Button, presumably his mother-in-law. In the 1851 Census the family was still living in Upper Ann Street, Lambeth where he was an undertaker – he was confirmed as “age 40 born in Dyrham Gloucester“. He died in 1858 in Newington.


State Sets Massive Precedent — Refuses to Enforce THC Blood Limit for Driving
Oregon says there is no evidence for setting an arbitrary, unscientific blood-THC number for DUI charges, as six other states have already done.
There’s a lot to be said for states that have legalized recreational and/or medical cannabis, but even Colorado and Washington have one problem – arbitrary blood-THC limits which imply a driver is impaired.
These numbers, such as Washington’s 5ng/ml, have no scientific basis for assessing the level of impairment. Despite this, six states with legal weed have per se limits for tetrahydrocannabinol; being over that number automatically makes you guilty of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID).
Oregon, however, is bucking the trend. In its DUI Legislative Report, the state’s Liquor Control Commission said it is recommending against a per se THC limit. By relying on the actual state of science, this welcome exercise in rationality should set an example for other states setting up their own regulatory framework.
Oregon’s Liquor Control Commission was tasked in 2015 with “regulating the recreational marijuana market in Oregon, with studying the question of THC-related intoxicated driving.”
According to the report:
“Due to restrictions on cannabis research and limited data, it is difficult to make definitive statements about the risk of THC-intoxicated driving. The body of evidence that does exist indicates that while attitudes towards driving after marijuana use are considerably more relaxed than in the case of alcohol, the risk of crashes while driving under the influence of THC is lower than drunk driving. Little evidence exists to compel a significant change in status quo policy or institute a per se intoxication standard for THC.”
A widely-reported study by the American Automobile Association in 2016 found no scientific basis for blood-THC limits and called on the six states using such laws to abandon them. Chemical tests for THC have not been shown to correlate to things like brake and gas pedal coordination, distance perception and general attention.
The only thing we know about blood-THC and driving is that it is not comparable to the tests for alcohol impairment. There is no THC breathalyzer test, and urine tests cannot detect it. Some blood tests can distinguish between THC and its longer-lasting metabolites, but these levels can vary widely depending on how often the person uses cannabis. Test results will also vary based on whether one smoked or ate the cannabis.
One person can feel impaired at 5ng/ml while another can function with no detectable impairment. In fact, many people charged with DUID based on arbitrary blood-THC limits have convinced juries they were not impaired when they were pulled over.
Even so, driving studies show driving while on cannabis is far less dangerous than driving on alcohol, including one finding virtually no driving impairment from cannabis. Other studies have found that speed is typically reduced while driving on cannabis, and people deliberately compensate for any impairment, although multitasking was somewhat affected.
In no way does this mean anyone can just toke up and get behind the wheel. Cannabis is psychoactive, and people unaccustomed to cannabis – especially teenagers – should certainly refrain from driving.
The Oregon Commission’s report also supports the premise that cannabis users are more responsible drivers than alcohol use.
“The rate of drivers tested by Drug Recognition Experts who are positive for THC intoxication rose between 2013 and 2014, but did not increase following legalization. Fatal accidents data is highly variable year-to-year, making trend analysis difficult. But in Oregon in 2015 there were only three more traffic fatalities involving a driver testing positive for THC compared to 2004. Moreover, the rate of THC-related fatal accidents is also considerably lower than such accidents involving alcohol intoxication. Finally, while overall traffic fatalities and alcohol-related fatalities spiked in 2015, THC-related fatalities did not.”
As a spokesman for AAA noted when their study was published, the increased risk from driving on cannabis is about the same as driving with a “noisy child in the back of the car,” and only half as dangerous as talking on a hands-free cellphone (legal in all states).
While thankfully avoiding an arbitrary blood-THC limit recommendation, the Oregon Commission still felt compelled to offer advice on cannabis and driving. It recommended increasing the use of “Drug Recognition Experts” who administer lengthy sobriety tests specific to cannabis, as well as implementing a voluntary oral swab test to collect data.


Revenge-Porn King Hunter Moore Indicted on Federal Charges
By Jessica Roy
Hunter Moore, who has been called “the most hated man on the Internet” for his alleged operation and defense of a revenge-porn website, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury, according to an official at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles.
Moore, 27, has claimed to be the operator of isanyoneup.com, a site that posted nude photos of people, many of whom say they did not consent to having their images appear on the Internet. The indictment from the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California charges Moore and a man named Charles “Gary” Evens, 25, with conspiracy to “access a protected computer without authorization to obtain information for private financial gain” and other counts.
On multiple occasions, Moore paid Evens to break into the email accounts of victims and steal nude photos to post on the website isanyoneup.com, according to the indictment.
The pair are scheduled to appear in court Tuesday afternoon — Moore in federal court in Sacramento, Calif., and Evens in U.S. district court in Los Angeles.
“We’re ecstatic,” says anti-revenge-porn activist Charlotte Laws, who has been fighting for Moore’s arrest for years and who says her daughter Kayla is one of the victims listed in the indictment. “We’re superpleased that the FBI have brought this to fruition. I’ve talked to several of the victims and they are extremely pleased, and I know all the victims are going to feel happy and they are going to feel that finally justice is being served.”
Revenge porn is a genre of pornography where explicit images are uploaded to the Web, most typically by scorned ex-lovers, without the consent of the photo’s subject. Moore’s isanyoneup.com was one of the most prominent hubs for such material until its shuttering in April 2012, when Moore sold it to the antibullying site BullyVille.com and swore he had a change of heart.
Later that year, however, Moore launched a new site, HunterMoore.TV, which he said would map revenge-porn victims’ photos with their locations. (He later denied making that statement.) The site does not appear to have ever gotten off the ground as a revenge-porn hub, and currently serves as a repository for party fliers.
Victims and activists have long attempted to fight against revenge porn, but so far few states have workable anti-revenge-porn laws on the books. Moore long defended his actions by claiming he was protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which states that website owners cannot be held liable for content submitted by users. If he actively solicited illegal content, however, as the indictment alleges, he would no longer be granted Section 230 immunity.
This isn’t Moore’s first brush with the law. In March of 2013, a judge ordered he pay $250,000 to BullyVille.com founder James McGibney for defamation damages.
You can read more about Moore and the battle over revenge porn here and here.
Moore’s former attorney, Reza Sina, tells TIME that he represented Moore for about a year but Moore ceased being a client last year. “In May of 2013, I was in Washington, D.C., and he called me and told me he was being questioned by the FBI, and it’s at that time I decided to cease all communications with him,” Sina says.
The full indictment is embedded below.
Hunter Moore / Charles Evens Revenge Porn Indictment
We’ll continue to update this story throughout the afternoon.
No Good Way to Die


HANSARD 1803–2005 → 1970s → 1971 → April 1971 → 28 April 1971 → Lords Sitting
HL Deb 28 April 1971 vol 317 cc1185-7 1185
§ LORD MAELOR
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty' s Government whether they will make a statement as to their attitude towards granting China a seat in the United Nations in view of the more favourable attitude displayed by the Chinese Republic relative to foreign affairs.]
§ THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN)
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have for many years supported the seating of the representatives of the People's Republic of China in the China seat in the United Nations. They did so again last year.
My Lords, I must thank the Minister for his most satisfactory reply, though it hurts me to say that from these Benches. Is he aware that President Nixon is apparently about to visit Peking, and could he persuade his right honourable friend to do likewise?
§ THE MARQUESS OF LOTHIAN
My Lords, I have only seen what I suspect the noble Lord has seen in the Press regarding the possibility of the President visiting Peking. I have no knowledge 1186 at all whether or not it is correct. I have no doubt that my right honourable friend the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary has also seen the reports.
§ LORD SHINWELL
My Lords, may I ask the noble Marquess whether the Government, in supporting the proposal that the Chinese People's Republic should have a seat in the United Nations, have taken into account the position of Taiwan? Further, in view of the somewhat favourable situation that has developed at the present time with the Chinese People's Republic's more friendly attitude, may I ask whether the Government are taking into account the conversations that have been proceeding for some time and are, I understand, continuing between the U.S.A. and the U.S.S.R. on the SALT talks? Would not the Government consider that although it is desirable that the Chinese People's Republic should be a member of the United Nations, at the same time a favourable conclusion of the SALT talks is of equal importance?
My Lords, I quite agree with the noble Lord, although I think it is really a different question, that the successful conclusion of the SALT talks is of prime importance. In answer to the noble Lord's first question, may I say that he has put his finger on a difficulty regarding the Taiwan Government? That is something of which Her Majesty's Government are fully aware.
§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, is the noble Marquess not aware that the Secretary of State, Mr. Rodgers, made a very clear statement yesterday at the opening of the SEATO Conference that the United States Government very much welcomes the new atmosphere between China and the United States? In view of this very encouraging atmosphere, would it not be right for the United States and the United Kingdom Governments, with others at the United Nations, to do everything possible at the next meeting of the United Nations to see that China is admitted into the Assembly?
Yes, my Lords, I quite agree with what the noble Lord has said. We are all very pleased at the improvement in atmosphere between the Chinese People's 1187 Republic and this country, and indeed with the United States.
§ LORD SEGAL
My Lords, can the noble Marquess say whether the admission of Communist China to membership of the United Nations will automatically qualify her for a permanent seat on the Security Council?
My Lords, I think I should require notice of that question.
§ LORD BROCKWAY
My Lords, while welcoming the new atmosphere, both in China and in America, may I ask whether the real issue is not likely to be the position of Taiwan, to which my noble friend referred? Would Her Majesty's Government consider the suggestion that there should be a period when there should be no representation of Taiwan at the United Nations, and, at the end of that period, a referendum of the people there to decide their future and their right to independence with, in such circumstances, membership of the United Nations? Is that not the real problem?
My Lords, I think the noble Lord is quite correct in pointing to the fact that this is a very difficult problem. I should not like to comment on his interesting suggestion, but I will certainly take note of it.
My Lords, will the noble Marquess also consider, with his right honourable friend, whether it would now be right at least to undertake discussions with the Government of the People's Republic of China to raise the status of our representation in China, and their representations here, to ambassadorial level?
My Lords, I think the noble Lord may know that we are in favour of an unconditional exchange of ambassadors with China, and have been for some time. I think we had better see how far we can get with this in the present atmosphere.
Back to Preamble
Forward to KILLINGHOLME GENERATING STATION (ANCILLARY POWERS) BILL [H.L.]


Titans in talks to replace Nissan Stadium with Roman Colosseum
Nashville, TN - According to reports, the Tennessee Titans are in talks to replace Nissan Stadium with Roman Colosseum.
The move comes after efforts to renovate Nissan Stadium were put on hold due to a $600 million price tag for upgrades and enhancement.
Sources say the Colosseum idea was suggested by a member of the renovation committee.
The unnamed member reportedly told the group, "If we're going to spend $600 million on renovating Nissan Stadium, we might as well buy the Colosseum and renovate that."
The committee loved the idea and began initial phone calls to Rome.
It is still unclear if the replacement will happen or how Italy will ship the Colosseum to Nashville.


Bi-Annual Draft Begins in the Russian Military
October 6, 2009 09:24 PM Age: 13 years
On October 1 the fall military draft began in Russia with the defense ministry publicizing its “serious reorganization of the enlistment offices system,” while admitting that recruitment levels had been adjusted downwards to 271,000. The scale of this change is staggering, which has provoked many to question whether the targets for the draft will be met. The number of military commissariats (enlistment offices) has been drastically cut: in the spring of this year there were 1,647, now there are only 81. Colonel-General Vasily Smirnov the Chief of the Main Organization and Mobilization Directorate of the General Staff noted that all military posts in these offices were abolished on October 1, and replaced with civilians. Its aim is to improve control over record keeping, streamline the administrative structure and ensure its efficient use of budget allocations. However, some officers have expressed doubts over the restructuring of the enlistment offices, ranging from questioning their ability to organize training for reservists to whether having civilians overseeing the draft will result in any improvement (RIA Novosti, October 1).
Nevertheless, Smirnov was in no doubt that the draft faces serious challenges, which the reorganization is partly designed to tackle. For instance, he estimated that more 100,000 citizens temporarily move their place of residence in order to evade the draft. He was unclear about how the new system will address such problems, but his near farcical threat to hunt down draft dodgers hiding with their babushka’s in the dacha in the countryside was unconvincing; many young men will prefer to take their chances with their grandmother protecting them from military service (Interfax, September 30).
The defense ministry is convinced that after reducing the term of service to twelve months that dedovshchina or institutionalized bullying within the armed forces is now in decline, and offers statistics to support this assertion. Smirnov claimed that the recorded instances of bullying had declined over the past year by 93 percent. Nonetheless, the Chief Military Prosecutor Sergey Fridinskiy said that more than 800 servicemen had been convicted of such breaches of regulations in 2009. Violent crime is gradually declining; which offers little comfort to those petrified by the prospect of conscription. In the first eight months of 2009 compared to the same period last year, there were 13 percent fewer cases related to bullying and an 11.5 percent drop involving violence. According to the chief military prosecutor’s office the share of crimes against young conscripts in the army “is not too high,” accounting for 15 percent of all recorded crimes (Interfax, September 30).
More than 30 percent of those who presented at enlistment offices in the spring 2009 draft were deemed unfit for military service, or were granted deferments on health grounds. The former chief of the defense ministry’s Main Military Medical Directorate Vladimir Shappo said that more than 340,000 people were given deferments for health reasons in the fall of 2008, and 334,000 in the fall of 2007. 10,000 recruits were told to gain weight, which cost the state 75 million rubles ($2.5 million). Efforts to address these issues include improving the quality of medical examinations, with the numbers of military doctors more than doubling to around 700 (compared with this year’s spring draft) present at draft commissions. Smirnov said that conscripts drafted in Chechnya would continue to serve only in that republic, despite earlier claims by Russian authorities that no conscripts served in Chechnya; any future resumption of counter-terrorist operations in the region will likely involve conscripts. Moreover, he confirmed that conscripts will serve in the new bases in the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia alongside Kontraktniki, or those serving on a contract basis (Interfax, September 30).
The recruits in this draft cycle will experience something previously unknown, since on December 1 all units in the Russian armed forces will transfer to permanent readiness status. Maintaining these units at their wartime strength will above all allow the military to organize proper combat training (ITAR-TASS, September 30). Nonetheless, they are unlikely to notice any significant improvement in the use of modern weaponry. According to Nikolay Tabachkov an auditor in the Audit Chamber, the current proportion of modern weaponry in the inventory does not exceed more than 6 percent (ITAR-TASS, September 23).
The new command structure will likely escape their attention. On September 7 Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye accurately predicted that strategic-operational commands will be formed on the basis of the existing military districts. The Moscow-based defense journalist Viktor Litovkin later interpreted the confirmation of this latest reform as a return to an earlier abortive plan. He noted that Army-General Vladimir Boldyrev the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces had recently said that President Dmitry Medvedev will sign a decree in December to make each military district simultaneously into a strategic-operational command (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, September 30). Boldyrev said that groups of troops will be subordinate to the strategic level commander “primarily in the operational planning, as well as in the general planning of the use of the group and its training.” This initiative resembles a failed attempt by the former Chief of the General Staff Army-General Yury Baluyevskiy, who proposed creating strategic-operational commands in theaters of operations, though not on the basis of individual districts, but by unifying several districts and fleets under the new command. However, this never received adequate support among the generals or district commanders, who apparently feared losing power and influence. Crucially, it now appears that support for implementing this reform emerged from deep within the structures, and consequently it gained sufficient backing higher up the chain of command.
The precise role of the future reserve remains unclear, which will only be clarified once a new military doctrine is passed later this year. As much as the defense ministry emphasizes the “new look” armed forces, these conscripts will be trained on the basis of combat training manuals, which are currently being re-written and will take time to introduce; many of these recruits will finish their service before the combat training system is overhauled. They will be among the first conscripts, however, to experience the new structures, as well as serving in permanent readiness units. The speed of implementing these changes is undoubtedly causing significant upheaval throughout the structures, which the defense ministry hopes will prove to be temporary (Vremya Novostei, September 25).
Turkey Considers the Status of AbkhaziaNext
Japanese Prime Minister Hatoyama Meets P..


Octopus City Blues Gets New Demo
Kerwin Tsang October 20th, 2014 - 1:49 AM
Indie developer Ghost in a Bottle are working on their latest effort, a self-described “simulator” titled Octopus City Blues, a surreal adventure game that almost defies description. Understandably, one might be hesitant to spend their money on such a bizarre title, so the developers have put out a demo for all to sample.
Octopus City Blues casts players in the role of Kaf Kafkaryan, a bit of a loser who lives in a city constructed around a giant octopus. Lately he’s been experiencing some strange dreams, which is saying a lot considering the nature of the entire game, and this prompts him to explore the city he lives in for clues that would help explain his dreams.
Gameplay revolves entirely around exploring the environments and interacting with NPCs. There are also dialogue options throughout, and the story has branching paths depending on the actions of players, allowing for some degree of replayability.
The demo takes place during the first stages of the game, and kudos to you if you can figure out what the blazes is going on. The game’s visuals are surprisingly detailed, although the developer’s artist must be color blind. Aurally, Octopus has excellent sound design, with some creepy ambient sounds in various levels and a charming 16-bit soundtrack. Just about everything and everyone can be interacted with, although in most cases these lead absolutely nowhere.
Octopus City Blues found success in Kickstarter last year, where it was funded to the tune of $20,419, well over its initial $7000 goal. Its developer, Ghost in a Bottle, consists of Kuwait-based lead designer Firas Assaad, Spanish pixel artist Marina Navarro Travesset, and American composer Aaron Eason, as well as other minor contributors. Their official website is a real hoot and worth visiting.
Ghost in a Bottle
Octopus City Blues


Vail physical therapist David Honda retiring this week
Honda has owned Vail Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy since 1989
smiller@vaildaily.com
Jennifer Martin, left, is taking over from David Honda, right, at Vail Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy.
Help David Celebrate A retirement celebration for David Honda is set for Friday, Feb. 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Vail Sports Medicine Physical Therapy. The office at 1295 Westhaven Drive in Vail’s Cascade Village.
VAIL — Like so many others, David Honda came to Vail to ski for a while. Now, after a career of getting active people back in their games, it’s time to retire.
Honda has owned Vail Sports Medicine Physical Therapy in Cascade Village since 1989. In that time countless patients have come through the doors, many more than once.
Patients who came for therapy after blowing out a knee in the 1990s are now returning for help with recovery from knee replacements.
Honda’s journey took him in and out of Vail a few times. He worked as an aide and then therapist for Mark Larson, the valley’s first physical therapist. After spending a few years in Los Angeles, Honda had the opportunity to buy Larson’s practice. He’s been in Vail ever since.
Honda said while his clinic works closely with surgeons and other medical providers, he’s proud that his clinic has remained independent from other practices. He’s also proud of all the people who have come through the clinic as volunteers or aides.
“About 20 aides and volunteers got into professional schools after gaining experience here,” Honda said.
Some of those people started as patients. Others have been local high school students interested in the field.
And there’s a lot to learn.
In the early days, physical therapy was based more on empirical evidence of which techniques helped patients.
Today, there’s a lot more science involved, Honda said.
Jennifer Martin, who’s taking over Honda’s practice, has a doctoral degree in the field — that’s required now.
Honda said there’s now a lot of research into what works and what doesn’t.
“But there are still some things that work that we don’t know why,” Honda said. “There’s something to be said for touch, too.”
Aside from research, some of the equipment has changed, too.
Honda noted a technique called blood flow restriction training uses something like a cuff from a blood pressure monitor to help ease the load on a patient’s joints and speed recovery.
Honda said he intends to continue to live in Vail, but will probably split time between the Rockies and Newport Beach, California.
“My goal is to be able to wear flip-flops and shorts in January,” he said.
Martin is one of the people whose career Honda helped start.
“David was my first employer,” Martin said.
Martin said she’s proud to take over Honda’s practice. “His dedication to this community and its people is remarkable,” Martin said.
Honda said the clinic and its patients are in good hands. And, while Martin said she expects her former boss to stop by the office from time to time, Honda isn’t so sure.
His road bike awaits in the coming weeks, and there’s more golf and pickleball to play. And, he said, he needs to work on becoming a better swimmer.
It sounds like a busy schedule. And, after 31 years at the clinic, he’s earned it.
Vail Daily Business Editor Scott Miller can be reached at smiller@vaildaily.com or 970-748-2930.
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Celebrating and Learning about Juneteenth with Young Kids
June 7, 2021 by Rachel Gupta
Texas Historical Commission Juneteenth Marker
(Photo Source: Texas Historical Commission)
Note: We used the traditional terms of ‘slavery’ and ‘slaves’ in our infographic as it’s generally taught this way in schools. The target audience of this article is kids so we wanted to use familiar terminology. However, our blog post reflects the more appropriate ‘enslavement’ and ‘enslaved people’ that separate a person’s identity from their circumstance.
Why Is Juneteenth Important?
Just over a year past George Floyd’s murder and the invigoration of the Black Lives Matter movement, we must continue to do the work. We must put out the effort to raise anti-racist kids as we move toward a truly equal society, and we must include the not-so-shiny parts of United States history. We need to teach kids about enslavement, segregation, the Civil Rights movement, redlining, and America’s failure to lift up Black communities. Kids are capable of understanding the history behind racial injustice and systemic racism. Moreover, these topics are fundamental if we are to make sense of race relations today.
Imagine teaching your kids that lions eat deer and expecting them simply to accept that as fact. Without the context of lions needing food, predators being a natural part of the food chain, the circle of life, and all that jazz, it wouldn’t make sense. Why would one animal just eat another? Similarly, teaching kids that people of color aren’t yet truly equal makes no sense without the historical context of how we got here. It’s unreasonable that something as random and uncontrollable as skin color potentially defines one’s treatment by others and one’s life trajectory. It would be hard for kids to accept because it’s really not a logical cause and effect.
As a native Texan, celebrating and learning about Juneteeth is especially relevant. It’s also an important part of American history. But first, let’s start with some basics for the adults before we discuss how to celebrate with kids.
President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation
effective in 1863 (Photo Source: Flickr)
President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation effective January 1, 1863, which set all enslaved people free. However, due to the Civil War and questions about Union power, enslavement continued in the South. The message of freedom didn’t even start spreading in the South until Robert E. Lee finally surrendered his Confederate troops on April 9, 1865.
However, enslavement continued in Texas — perhaps because it was further South or perhaps because the greedy farmers wanted one last harvest using free, enslaved labor. Finally, on June 19, 1865, or Juneteenth, General Granger rode into Galveston, TX. He issued order No. 3 that stated:
“The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer.”
Upon hearing they were free, the Black community celebrated with jubilation and joy at finally being liberated.
*Note: Texas was technically not the last state to free its slaves. The Emancipation Proclamation covered only the Confederate states. Two Union states, Kentucky and Delaware, never seceded from the Union and didn’t officially abolish slavery until the adoption of the 13th amendment on December 6, 1865.
Having Age-Appropriate Juneteenth Discussions with “Littles”
Juneteenth may be hard to explain to your little ones, especially if they have never heard about enslavement before. We briefly explained enslavement to our son when he was 5. At the time, we talked more about racism, skin color, and how people haven’t always been nice to Black people. Now that he is almost 6 years old, this is how we explain Juneteenth to him:
A long time ago, White people were being very mean to Black people and made them work for them without paying them. (How would that make you feel?) On June 19th, or Juneteenth, the leaders told everyone that they couldn’t make Black people work for them for free anymore. Also, they were told that the Black people were free to decide where they wanted to work and live. The Black people were so happy to hear this news, and they celebrated and celebrated! So, every year, on that same date of June 19th, we celebrate the freedom of Black people from the White people being mean to them and not paying them for their work.
After you provide your explanation, see what questions your kids may have and feel out the conversation from there. A great book to help you discuss enslavement with younger kids is Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith, Jr. For more helpful ideas, check out 10 Children’s Books Celebrating Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Infographic for Kids
A brief history of Juneteenth and why we celebrate Juneteenth
Our Juneteenth infographic is a great way to introduce discussions on enslavement, Juneteenth, and its meaning. The keywords in the infographic are in 3 colors:
Red represents the period before Juneteenth. It is marked by enslavement, inequality, the landowners “owning” slaves, oppression and inequality. This also includes the Civil War between the Union and the Confederacy and the move towards the abolition of enslavement.
Black represents positive steps toward the freeing of the enslaved people. They include Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Granger’s announcement in Galveston, gaining independence, etc.
Green represents the annual celebration of Juneteenth to commemorate the true freedom of Black people in the United States. Festivities may include music, dancing, soul food, barbeques, Miss Juneteenth contests, and a coming together of community. It is also a time to remember, learn and reflect upon this terrible time in U.S. history.
Juneteenth is not yet recognized as a national holiday. However, the push for it is stronger than ever. The state of Texas, via State Representative Al Edwards, was the first to declare Juneteenth a state holiday, starting with June 19, 1980. So, encourage your Representatives to support making Juneteenth an important national holiday!
Racial Justice: Resources for Teaching Children
Black History Month Resources for Kids
Discussing Intersectionality with Children
Rachel Gupta
Rachel is passionate about teaching kids to embrace all types of diversity in the world. She creates content and craft kits to help parents find fun and creative ways to learn about other cultures and ideas through her business, Artsy Dinos. Inspired by her son "Bubba", she wants kids to be so proud of their own cultures as well as have respect and knowledge of others as well!
Latest posts by Rachel Gupta (see all)
What’s in a Name? Three Tips for Helping Others Get Your Child’s Name Right - July 18, 2022
International Travel with Kids: 5 Tips to Picking the Perfect Destination - June 20, 2022
Celebrating and Learning about Juneteenth with Young Kids - June 7, 2021
Filed Under: Children's Activities, Teaching Diversity Tagged With: Celebrating and Learning about Juneteenth with Young Kids, Juneteenth, racial justice, talk about Juneteenth with kids, What is Juneteenth


Jamaal Franklin Making Impressive Case to Join Los Angeles Lakers Next Season
Published: March 9, 2015Posted in: LA LakersTags:
Jamaal Franklin was flying way off the NBA radar just a few months ago. But the explosive 6’5”, 191-pound wing is now showing why he deserves a chance to join the Los Angeles Lakers next season.
Franklin joined the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, on Jan. 21. Since then, the 23-year-old has averaged 23 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game—off the bench.
He has also notched five double-doubles and a triple-double in just 13 games.
The former member of the Memphis Grizzlies who was waived after his rookie season has not only scored in double figures in all 13 of his games with the D-Fenders, he has had three steals on three occasions and is the team’s third-leading rebounder.
As further evidence of his versatility, Franklin started in place of Roscoe Smith at the power forward position against the Santa Cruz Warriors Feb. 8, scoring 27 points.
But there is more to the second-year pro than a stat-stuffing obsession.
After putting up 22 points, 11 assists, 10 boards, two steals and a block with no turnovers in a win against the Westchester Knicks Feb. 25, Franklin cast his effort in a refreshing light.
“The best thing about this game was the winning, not the triple-double,” said Franklin to Christina Kaplan of Lakers.com. “The biggest key is we’re moving the ball and playing defense now.”
That’s the kind of attitude that could benefit the Lakers—a team with a 16-46 record and needs across the board. Los Angeles has the worst defense in the league—giving up 105.8 points a game. And, the Lakers are only middling when it comes to putting the ball in the bucket, ranked 16th at 99.4 points per game.
It’s also the kind of mindset that could play well with Lakers coach Byron Scott, a practitioner of old-school fundamentals.


Israel-Palestine: It’s time to abandon the two-state solution
An interview with Jeff Halper
Mersiha Gadzo / May 28, 2015 / 9 min read
Middle EastWar Zones
Jeff Halper. Posted on screenbooker.com.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is currently in a process of collapse.
So says Jeff Halper, an American-born anthropologist, Nobel Peace Prize nominee, co-founder and director of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). Speaking in 12 Canadian cities from January 17 to February 13 as part of his fundraising tour, Halper explained the conflict in Israel- Palestine and where it’s headed.
For decades, Halper has been advocating for the human rights of Palestinians and resisting Israel’s policies of dispossession in the Occupied Palestinian Territories through ICAHD. An activist, writer and commentator, he’s known for coining the concepts of “matrix of control” and “people warehousing” as practiced by Israel on Palestinians in the occupied territories, especially in Gaza.
Halper sat down with Canadian Dimension magazine and spoke about ICAHD’s future, the dangers he has faced as an activist, the current state of collapse and what Europe’s recognition of the state of Palestine really means.
Marisha Gadzo: ICAHD will be reaching a major milestone soon: in two years it will be ICAHD’s 20th anniversary. What have been ICAHD’s greatest achievements since its inception?
Jeff Halper: We’ve raised the issue of house demolitions onto the map. Before then, no one knew anything about house demolitions.
When I’m speaking before a group, I walk them through the demolition. There’s one family in particular, their house has been demolished six times, and I show them the demolitions, how it was done, why it was done. The house demolition issue can be a vehicle, a window to let people in to see how the occupation works.
Israel has demolished 48,000 Palestinian homes in the occupied territories since 1967, so obviously that’s not a two-state solution. It shows how the occupation works, what Israel’s intentions are — which is to take control of the whole country — and the human cost, especially the Palestinians.
The second thing is what I call “Global Palestine.” I have a concept that’s called the “matrix of control,” how Israel has developed a matrix of control, to control Palestinians in the occupied territory. In fact, Israel is exporting that matrix. Canada for example, is importing all kinds of Israeli security devices, weapons, tactics into its own police forces and prisons. In a way, Israel is packaging the occupation and selling it with all its policies to countries like Canada. To point out the globalization of the occupation is another thing we’ve done.
Canadian Dimension’s Marisha Gadzo speaks with Jeff Halper. Photo supplied by the author.
MG: You said ICAHD would be celebrating its 20th anniversary in two years if it manages to get there. Is it possible that ICAHD will cease to exist in the near future?
JH: First of all, financially, it’s always hard to fundraise. If you’re a political organization critical of Israel, that’s trying to end the occupation, who’s going to support you? So I have to go literally hat in hand.
But in addition to that, the real problem is the political. The Palestinians have to be the ones that formulate and determine what the solution is. I’m not a Palestinian, I can’t tell them what to do. The Palestinians are in a very difficult situation; they’re very fragmented, most of the leadership is either dead or in prison. The two-state solution is gone; they don’t know where exactly to go.
Our organization is dedicated to ending the occupation, but if there is no political movement, and if we don’t have Palestinian partners to work with and if there’s no end game to this … just going around and telling about the occupation isn’t what we want to do; we want to end it.
If there’s no political process, then I don’t know if there’s a point to continue to exist. We’re in a process of re-evaluating what is our role. Do we still have a role? Or do we have to wait a while until the Palestinians come around and say ‘okay, this is our end game, our solution”?
MG: During your lecture you stated that we’re currently in a process of collapse. What do you mean by that?
JH: I think our mistake is that we’re looking at this conflict in a linear way. The linear way is the way most people look at things. If there’s a problem, if you do 1, 2, 3, 4, you get to the solution. But in fact, in a linear process you can also get to a dead end; you can get stuck. And that’s where we are.
It’s been years, decades of negotiations of this plan, that plan, and its clear that Israel is simply not going to allow a Palestinian state to emerge, period. It’s not going to happen and this has Canadian and American support.
Israel doesn’t have to compromise with the Palestinians because it has support for anything it does. It can attack Gaza and the Canadian government will support it. In that scenario then, we’re stuck. There is nowhere else to go.
I think there’s a degree of repression of Palestinians that’s going to lead inevitably to an uprising. In general, the Palestinian issue is very disruptive of the international system. Even John Kerry said a while ago, that you’re not going to resolve these issues of ISIS, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and all the instability and conflict of the Middle East until you resolve the Israel-Palestine issue. It doesn’t cause the rest of the conflicts, but it’s this aggravating factor. So I think there’s a real stake that the world has in ending this.
It seems to me that it’s unsustainable. That’s where I think sooner rather than later there’s going to be a collapse. By a collapse I mean mainly the Palestinian authority will leave the scene; it will either collapse, or it will resign or it will be killed. Israel and the United States are threatening to withdraw all the income, all the money to the Palestinian Authority; hundreds of millions of dollars, which would make it collapse.
That’s the game changer — if the PLO leaves the scene, that would be a good thing. Then I think Israel would have to re-occupy the Palestinian areas, but it would create such an intolerable situation that the world will start looking for a solution in a very urgent way.
[Once] the two-state solution is gone, I think the world would begin to move to a one-state solution. How can Israelis and Palestinians share the same state as a solution? That I think is the way we should go. That’s the good thing about collapse; it opens up possibilities that don’t even exist today. I think the one-state solution is a solution that’s just, that’s doable that doesn’t exist today until you get this collapse.
MG: You’ve been living in Jerusalem since 1973. How have you seen Israel change over the 40 years since you’ve been living there?
JH: It’s gotten worse and worse. When I arrived, the occupation was only five, six years old. There really weren’t settlements yet; you still had a labour government. It was still kind of liberal; you didn’t have Begin and Sharon and Netanyahu. The country was even socialist to a certain degree, and nobody thought the occupation was going to last.
What’s happened over the years is that it’s not an occupation anymore. Israel has…the word we use is to Judaize, to make Jewish the entire country. There is no more occupied territory; it’s all Israel. Israel has created one state between the Mediterranean and the Jordan River. It’s all one government, one currency, one army.
There’s now one country in which half the population is Palestinian, but that still privileges the Jews so that it’s become an apartheid state. I never really expected Israel to become the new South Africa, but it has really made its occupation of the Palestinian territory permanent. So it’s a permanent regime of domination because it can’t give Palestinians citizenship and it can’t give them equal rights.
MG: We’re always hearing how Israel is violating international laws with its policies, such as the 4th Geneva Convention. But how powerful is international law in delivering justice? It’s constantly being cited, but how much power does it really have?
JH: The problem is the implementation. The International Court of Justice in The Hague, which is the highest court in the world supposedly, ruled in 2004 that the wall that Israel’s building is illegal and has to be dismantled. That decision was adopted by the entire general assembly of the UN, by everybody in the world, except the United States and Israel; even Canada in those days supported it. Everybody agreed that the wall was illegal…and had to be dismantled, but who’s going to do that? Is the UN going to send troops into Israel to do that? That’s the missing part.
Let’s say you have the International Criminal Court — that the Palestinians are all turning to — say, “Netanyahu is a war criminal for what he did in Gaza and he should be arrested.” Who’s going to put Netanyahu in jail? You can do that with certain African dictators, you can do that with Charles Taylor, maybe you can do that with Milosevic from Serbia.You can’t do that with white heads of global north countries; they’re sort of immune to this.
In fact, Israel is calling for the dismantlement of the ICC because they want to bring Israelis before it. The United States and Israel have never signed on to the ICC because they don’t recognize human rights and international law as being over them, and so there’s no implementation.
Not that it’s irrelevant. In other words, Israel is afraid of the criminal court, mainly because of the PR damage it could do. Israel is trying to represent itself as a global north country, the only democracy in the Middle East. If the international court rules that Israel is a major violator of human rights and issues warrants for arrests for Israelis, that puts a dent in your PR, in your image.
Rightist Israeli youth in racist anti-Arab mobilization, Jerusalem, July 2014. Photo by Tali Mayer.
MG: You spend a lot of time speaking, holding lectures in the West. What would you say is the biggest misconception that Westerners have of the conflict?
JH: They bought into this thing that Palestinians are terrorists. “Terrorists” is the most powerful word that Israel uses. They’ve co-opted that word. It rolls off your tongue: Palestinian Terrorists. That demonization. It’s hard to fight that.
The first question is, “What about Hamas?” Israel’s managed to deflect from what they’re doing and their responsibility…I think that’s the biggest not just misapprehension, but using a word to frame the discussion in a way that serves Israel.
That’s the main kind of thing we have to fight, this idea that Israel is fighting terrorists…it creates a closed system of thought you have to break through.
MG: Recently, the European perception has been shifting. Many European countries have been officially recognizing the state of Palestine one after the other. How significant is this for Palestinians and for Jewish Israelis?
JH: On the one hand it’s a good thing. It shows that people are starting to understand the Palestinian cause, people are being critical of Israel, certainly recognizing Palestinian national rights, all of that is good.
The problem is it’s five years too late; the train has left the station. The two-state solution is gone, so now recognizing the Palestinian state is meaningless because there is no place.
They’re simply symbolically recognizing Palestine…it’s not so good because it locks us into a two-state solution. It stops well short of actually resolving the conflict. Now if you want to go to a one-state solution, the Europeans will say, “Hey, we just voted in our parliament for two states to recognize Palestine. What, you want us to change now?”
It had a good intention, and it shows the degree to which people are starting to understand the conflict, but it also shows that Europe isn’t ready to move to a one-state solution. It’s really stuck on the two-state because the Europeans will say, “Look, we want to be critical of Israel, we want the occupation to end, but Israel itself is an ally, a friend of ours, we don’t want to hurt Israel.” So they would never go the route of a one-state solution, a state for everybody.
Mersiha Gadzo is a journalist and online producer for Al Jazeera English. Prior to joining Al Jazeera she worked as a freelancer in Bosnia & Herzegovina and the occupied Palestinian territories.
This article appeared in the March/April 2015 issue of Canadian Dimension (The Surveillance State).
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ConspiracyMind ControlRecent Articles
Distorting Fascism to Sanitize Capitalism
The facile and indiscriminate use of the term fascism has led to a widespread misunderstanding and misuse of its meaning.
Asked to define fascism, most people would respond in terms such as dictatorship, anti-Semitism, mass hysteria, efficient propaganda machine, mesmerizing oratory of a psychopathic leader, and the like.
by Prof. Ismael Hossein-Zadeh
Such a pervasive misconception of the meaning of the term fascism is not altogether fortuitous. It is largely because of a longstanding utilitarian misrepresentation of the term. Fascism is deliberately obfuscated in order to sanitize capitalism.
Ideologues, theorists and opinion-makers of capitalism have systematically shifted the systemic sins of fascism from market/capitalist failures to individual or personal failures.
Thus, the origins, the rise and the ravages of the classic European fascism are blamed largely on Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, not the socio-economic circumstances that gave rise to those instrumentally “useful” characters.
An obvious flaw of this interpretation of fascism is that it cannot explain recent manifestations of fascism: since the archetype European fascism is attributed to Hitler and Mussolini, their demise ought to have logically meant the end of fascism.
Yet, manifestations of fascism has been a recurring phenomenon characteristic of periods of capitalist crisis, as evinced by today’s expressions of fascistic tendencies in most of the core capitalist countries.
These ominous developments are testament to the fact that the germs of fascism are intrinsic to capitalism, as periodic economic crises are intrinsic to capitalism. As such, it is bound to periodically resurface as long as capitalism continues to be the dominant mode of socio-economic production.
Just as the original European fascism was blamed on Hitler and Mussolini, so is today’s display of fascistic propensities blamed on characters such as Donald Trump (in the U.S.), Marine Le Pen (in France), Norbert Hofer (in Austria), Alexander Gauland (in Germany), and so on. The real culprit, however, has been market failure and economic insecurity, both now and then.
In addition to the intended absolution of capitalism from the sins of fascism, its utilitarian misrepresentation has the political advantage of conveniently demonizing any “unfriendly” politician or “rogue” state leader as fascist.
As Jean Bricmont recently put it on this site: “New Hitlers spring up in the Western imagination like mushrooms in an autumn woods”: Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Assad, Milosevic, LePen, Putin, and Ahmadinejad have all been subjected to such characterizations.
Indeed, a number of “unfavorable” nationalist leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Gaddafi were first branded as fascist before they were overthrown and murdered.
Misrepresentation of fascism is intended to absolve capitalism from its responsibility in two major ways.
First, it blames the executive agent of fascism (for example, Hitler) for the rise and the crimes of fascism. Second, the executive agent, in turn, shifts the blame from the system, or the socio-economic structure, to scapegoats such as migrants, ethnic, racial, or religious minorities.
Fascism cannot be defined capriciously. It cannot be reduced to the crimes of individual leaders of Nazi Germany, or the pathological problems of Hitler’s mind, or the “unfriendly” nationalist leaders who disobey the imperialist agenda of war and militarism.
While obfuscationist judgments of this sort may succeed in dressing in the uniform of Adolf Hitler the horrific acts that the capitalist system can occasionally perform, such reductionist judgments would not be very useful for the purposes of averting social conditions that may lead to the recurrence of fascism.
Fascism is a specific historical category that evolves out of particular socio-economic circumstances. It grows out of conditions of severe economic distress and deep social discontent.
As such circumstances tend to give rise to protest demonstrations and radical demands from labor and other grassroots on the Left, they also prompt counterbalancing social forces on the Right.
In other words, fascism is essentially a counter-revolutionary strategy to preempt revolutionary developments.
Read: FBI Quietly Declassified Secret Files Attesting Hitler Fled to Argentina in 1945
This means that, at its core, fascism is a social-political strategy or tool that is employed by big business, or the ruling capitalist class, to simultaneously pacify the discontented public and fend off radical, socialistic developments.
It also means that, while antithetical, both fascism and socialism are incidents that are latent in a relatively advanced capitalist structures—a case of the unity of opposites.
During cycles of economic expansion and relatively low levels of unemployment and poverty, such potential occurrences remain dormant.
By contrast, during periods of deep and protracted cycles of economic contraction signs and symbols of both begin to re-emerge. In general, fascistic signs and symbols remain dormant as long as socialistic manifestations remain dormant, as former manifestations often emerge in reaction to the latter ones.
The development and brutality of fascism is proportionate with the degree of the severity of economic crisis, or the level of the gravity of class struggle.
For example, the intensity of the 1930s socio-economic crisis in Europe and the strength of socialist movements and organizations, especially in Germany, played a critical role in catapulting the Nazi forces to power and precipitating the vicious rule of fascism there.
By contrast, as the bureaucratic labor leaders in the current (2016) US presidential elections chose to support the candidate of the status quo, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders’ campaign agenda stopped way short of a meaningful socialist program, fascistic manifestations of Donald Trump’s campaign remained largely sporadic and relatively mild.
Had the class collaborationist big union leaders (the “labor lieutenants of capitalism,” as the late Leon Trotsky put it) charted an independent labor-grassroots campaign and demanded a substantive socio-economic revolution, instead of Sanders’ hollow “political revolution,” fascistic tendencies or displays of the Trump campaign would have escalated to dangerous levels.
It must be pointed out in passing that the capitalist ruling class (especially the “far-sighted,” non-partisan, big business establishment) would employ fascistic methods of control only as a means of last resort.
As long as there is no serious grassroots threat to the status quo, it prefers to mitigate economic distress and social tensions by means of minimal reforms and usual “democratic” measures.
Only when such measures fail to pacify the restless and rebellious masses of workers and other grassroots, that is, only when the ruling class finds itself unable to rule with the help of “democratic” machinery, would it employ fascistic means of control.
It must also be pointed out that a direct link can be detected between the recent rise of fascistic tendencies in most of the core capitalist countries, on the one hand, and the rise or reign of parasitic finance capital in these countries, on the other.
As the unproductive, scrounging financial sector has systematically emaciated the productive, real sector of the economies of these countries, chronic stagnation has become a perennial feature of their markets.
Accordingly, high levels of unemployment, poverty and inequality have also become prevailing features of these societies. As these ominous developments have given rise to public discontent and workers militancy in these countries, they have also given rise to expressions of fascism.
And as economic crises tend to recur more frequently in the age of the dominance of parasitic finance capital, the specter of war and militarism abroad along with threats of repression and police state at home also tend to become more menacing.
It follows from this brief discussion that crisis situations present both opportunities and dangers, both revolutionary/socialistic occasions and counter-revolutionary/fascistic prospects.
Such socio-economic periods of contradictory developments prompted the late German revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg to declare: socialism or barbarism. Whether socialism or barbarism would prevail depends crucially on the balance of political power, or the outcome of class struggle.
Many radicals have dropped class politics at exactly the moment it is needed most. Rosa Luxemburg’s view that socialism is the only humane alternative to capitalist barbarism is as relevant today as when she expressed it (during the carnage of World War I).
Barbarism stares us in the eye in many disguised forms. Yet, much of the left these days shy away from using words such as class struggle, organization, or the crucial role of labor for social and economic change.
While participation of all the layers of the grassroots is crucial to the success of the fight for a superior civilization to what is prevalent under capitalism, the role of labor in the attendant coalition of the masses would be most critical.
Only labor — labor in the broadest sense of the term that would include both the so-called blue-collar and white-collar workers — can bring an end to the rule of capital, thereby to the constantly lurking threats of economic crises, of fascism, of poverty, and of police state at home, and of war and militarism abroad.
Transforming the world economy in the interests of the majority of the people is, of course, not easy. It certainly cannot be brought about in one jump or an overnight uprising.
It can come about only as the cumulative outcome of many steps along the path of a long and difficult journey of continuous social and economic change. Nobody can tell a priori how long or what form such transitional steps or stages may take.
It is clear, however, that to change the world economy in the interests of the majority of its inhabitants, labor would need new politics and new organizations to articulate the struggle for change.
This requires a new labor movement with independent politics and organization(s). Whatever the new labor organization is called, it has to be different not only from the U.S. business union model but also from the Social Democratic model of Europe, trade unions + party.
This means that the new labor movement and/or organization has to represent the interests of the entire working class, not just organized industrial labor, nor only its singular economic interests.
In addition, it must aim at defending the interests of all those who challenge the logic of the profit-driven market mechanism.
The working class can influence, shape, and ultimately lead the world economy if it takes on the challenge (a) on an international level, and (b) in the context of broader coalitions and alliances with other social strata that also struggle for equity, environmental protection, and human rights.
Ismael Hossein-zadeh is Professor Emeritus of Economics (Drake University). He is the author of Beyond Mainstream Explanations of the Financial Crisis (Routledge 2014), The Political Economy of U.S. Militarism (Palgrave–Macmillan 2007), and the Soviet Non-capitalist Development: The Case of Nasser’s Egypt (Praeger Publishers 1989). He is also a contributor to Hopeless: Barack Obama and the Politics of Illusion.
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Netflix's show 'Jailbirds': Where are they now?
After a glimpse into the lives of inmates in the Sacramento County Jail, the Netflix series could leave viewers wondering: "Where are the women now?"
Author: Chelsea Shannon
Published: 6:21 PM PDT May 22, 2019
Updated: 12:57 PM PDT June 14, 2019
SACRAMENTO, Calif — After watching a show like Netflix's "Jailbirds", it is easy to feel invested in the lives of the inmates inside the Sacramento County jail system.
The series showed the release of four people and explained that several people would be in custody of Sacramento County Jail for a while. But, that was nearly a year ago since the show was filmed. A lot has changed since then for some inmates, while very little has for others.
Here is where some of the inmates featured in the show are now:
WATCH: Jailbirds Cast: Where are They Now? | What's happened since the Netflix series wrapped
Yasmin Sundermeyer
From the series: The intake officer during the series said that this was Sundermeyer’s first felony charge. Her original arrest charges were for suspected carjacking, assault of an officer of the peace, receiving a known stolen vehicle, unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, driving while under the influence of alcohol and drugs and evading police.
Sundermeyer was also charged with escaping from custody. That charge was filed around five months after the series began.
Where is she now? She is still in Sacramento County Main Jail. Her total bail is $1.2 million. Her next court date is scheduled to be on May 31 at 8:30 a.m.
Najla “Noonie” Jones
From the series: Jones was arrested on charges of pimping and pandering. Her bail was set at a little over $1.01 million.
Where is she now? She is still in the custody of Sacramento County Main Jail. Her next court date is scheduled for May 30 at 9 a.m.
Courtney “Jay” Koranda
From the series: She was arrested for evading and resisting arrest. When she first appeared on the show she was detoxing from drug addiction, and she later stated when she was released that she did not use drugs while she was in jail.
Where is she now? During the series filming, Koranda was released after serving 180 days in jail and there is no evidence that she has returned.
Megan "Monster" Hawkins
From the series: Hawkins said in the series that she was from the east coast and was a tattoo artist. She said that her other form of income came from “hustling and selling drugs.”
She said she was arrested and served three months for crimes committed on the east coast, then came to the west coast. Hawkins said in the Netflix series that she served 180 days in Sacramento County Jail for grand theft auto, transporting narcotics, possession of a controlled substance, check fraud and committing a felony while on bail.
She said she had 13 pounds of marijuana and 65 grams of methamphetamine at the time of her previous arrest. Hawkins was released in 2018, while the series was being filmed.
Where is she now? She is back in Sacramento County Main Jail. Hawkins was arrested May 17, 2019, for suspected unlawful use of personal identifying information, theft and unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, purchase or receipt of a stolen vehicle, violating the terms of probation, unlawful possession of controlled substances and make, alters, forges check bond, bank bill.
Hawkins is currently ineligible for bail and her next court date is planned for May 23 at 8:30 a.m.
RELATED: Megan 'Monster' Hawkins, of Netflix's 'Jailbirds' series, back in Sacramento County Jail, talks about her arrest
Tayler Renee Coatney
From the series: In the show, Coatney disclosed that she was the 17-year-old involved in the home invasion burglary in South Sacramento where a father and his two sons were murdered. Coatney was transferred to Sacramento County Jail while awaiting sentencing after serving a part of her original sentence in juvenile detention.
Where is she now? She is currently serving the rest of her sentence at California Institution for Women in Corona. She will be eligible for parole in 2022.
Rebecca “Baby Girl” Temme
From the series: She was first introduced to viewers as an inmate in administrative segregation. She was there because of an in-house infraction involving being in possession of heroin. She was in jail for suspected murder and robbery charges.
Where is she now? There was no bail allowed for Temme and she is still awaiting trial in Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center. Her next court date is scheduled for June 28 at 9:00 a.m.
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WATCH MORE: 'Monster' from Netflix's 'Jailbirds' speaks out after arrest | Extended Interview
Watch the extended interview of Megan "Monster" Hawkins after her May 17 arrest.