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Dim sum Diving in Hong Kong
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Flashback, Food & Travel
Hong Kong dim sum, Pinoy Eats World
The "ber" months have arrived. And the slightly cooler temperatures get me dreaming about going over to Hong Kong soon for a food trip.
There is no dining destination in Southeast Asia quite as full-on satisfying and culinarily comprehensive as Hong Kong. Last August (appropriately the month of the Chinese Hungry Ghost festival), my friends and I joined the Pinoy Eats World food tour to eat our way through Hong Kong. Although the Philippines and Singapore are great foodie ports of call, they cannot match the wide-ranging diversity and deliciously extensive range and depth of both Chinese and Western cuisines that Hong Kong serves up. From the dingy dai pai dong stalls in Wanchai and yum cha restaurants in Causeway that serve steaming-hot bowls of hand-pulled noodles swimming in broth made from rich mother soup stock that may have been stewing continuously for years to the excellent seafood palaces near the waterfront and the most exciting and even innovative Western restaurants this side of the world.
The term dim sum literally means "point of the heart" because these tasty nibbles were originally intended to be snacks, not main meals, and thus only meant to "touch the heart". According to Wikipedia, "the unique culinary art of dim sum originated with the Cantonese in Southern China, who over the centuries transformed yum cha from a relaxing respite to a loud and happy dining experience." And, indeed, our Pinoy Eats World group definitely enjoyed a loud and happy dining experience throughout the length and breadth of that tummy-and-soul-satisfying morning.
Our first foray into our food trip was at the small hilly streets and back alleys of Central. There, among the noodle and dim sum houses along Stanley and Wellington Streets, we went "dim sum diving" — sampling roast goose here, spicy beef brisket there, some Beijing-style mutton xiao long bao here and other specialities there. Yat Lok, Nam Kee, Wang Fu, and Maks — we visited all 4 restaurants, with a walk or a hike in between each restaurant to keep our appetites sharp and at the ready for the next nosh. And yet, we had barely skimmed the surface of the dim sum treasures that this fine city has to offer. That is why I want to go back. Perhaps the next time, I will dive a lot deeper and spend 2 or 3 days exploring the hidden dim sum gems of Hong Kong.
If you are interested in joining a food tour organized by the Pinoy Eats World group headed by JJ Yulo, just click on the link, which should take you to their Facebook page. Aside from Hong Kong, they also do Pampanga, Bangkok, and Turkey.
I need a meat cleaver!
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Kitchen Essentials
cleaver, Dexter-Russell cleaver
Dexter-Russell 7″ Cleaver
No, I'm not going to Sweeney Todd anybody. It's just that our old meat cleaver is so old, it bounces when we try to cut through bone! It's so old, even our cook's dentures are sharper! But what kind of cleaver to buy? Should I get one with a 6-inch or an 8-inch blade? It's gotta be bad-ass tough, for sure! With just the right heft and balance for me to be able to cut through bones — to get to them succulent marrows, of course! Or to chop up the Lechon Kawali neatly — and rip through chicken flesh and sinew…
Martin Yan, TV celeb chef, said he created the perfect meat cleaver — not the Chinese cleaver, which is basically a cleaver-shaped chef's knife that Chinese chefs like to use — but I couldn't find it on Amazon. So I googled. First I found this review of the best cleavers, tested by Denise Landis, author and NY Times recipe tester in the New York Times website : http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/01/01/dining/20080102_KITC_SLIDESHOW_index.html
Then I saw this website — http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/08/how-to-choose-buy-care-for-a-meat-cleaver.html
Hmmm…Dexter, huh? My favorite serial killer! Sounds real bad-ass to me. Well okay, technically the brand name is Dexter-Russell, but you get what I mean. 6-inch, 7-inch, or 8-inch…? Hmmm… I think this is the cleaver I want. Now to look for it.
"Who is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" again
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Foodie Films
who's killing the great chefs of europe?
Writing recently about some great chefs I've met reminded me of this movie. Who remembers watching this?
Watching Who's Killing The Great Chefs Of Europe? all over again, since the first time I watched it 3 decades ago, is like rediscovering the unmitigated pleasures of my childhood food favorites. Like "dirty ice cream" (queso flavor) or my lola's ube halaya cooked over a firewood stove which she stirred and stirred for hours to decadent sticky smoothness. It was such a joy to experience and relish all over again. Yes, even after all this time, even if some language sounds dated and hokey, it is still very much a joy but in a different way, because now I watch it with the eyes and sensibilities of a well-ripened film and food enthusiast.
In a nutshell, the film is a delicious comedy-mystery, spiced with wit and bon mots. George Segal plays the smooth-talking and slightly coarse American fastfood magnate Robby Ross. Jacqueline Bisset is his ex-wife Natasha O'Brien, a renowned and gorgeous patissière "who may become the last course in an enigmatic killer's lavish platefuls of delicious deaths". The mammoth (in physical size and thespianic talent) Robert Morley plays the role of Max Vandeveer, "an acerbic gourmet magazine publisher whose cascading series of chins and stomachs bear witness to his love of fine dining". Unfortunately, all that gourmandizing has taken a toll on his health and his doctor has commanded him to lose 100 pounds by giving up his most favorite dishes in the world — like the Pressed Duck of La Tour d'Argent or Natasha's supercalorific Bombe Richelieu. Soon, one by one, the great chefs of Europe who created the fantastic dishes Max craves — who, not coincidentally, are all French (at the time, it was the French who ruled the culinary universe) — are murdered in the manner of the their specialities' preparations. Pressed Duck, hence… you get the picture.
I admit that the years of devouring movies and even of marinating in the critical and cynical world of advertising have jaded my palate just a soupçon. 30-plus years since this movie's release is a pretty long time, after all, and taste and sensibilities were different then. Movie-goers were perhaps more naive and less demanding than we are today. And watching this film again, it is easier now to cast a jaundiced eye and see through the tricks of misdirection cooked up by director Ted Kotcheff (he also directed Stallone's "First Blood"). Lovely and elegant Jacqueline Bisset may be, carrying off 70s fashion so stylishly, she was great eye-candy. Sadly, however, she couldn't act if her life depended on it. I had to suspend my disbelief at several points about her character. For one, it was odd that she was cast as an American chef, what with her obviously very-British accent. What was even odder was her character not knowing what chicory is! But George Segal, oldish (or D.O.M.-ish) as he was even way back then, played the charming, slightly greasy rogue perfectly. He was definitely one funny jamón!
I would love, though, to see a remake of this movie. I can see the trenchant and wittily erudite food critic for Vogue Magazine, Jeffrey Steingarten, playing the role of Max. And the luscious and voluptuous Nigella Lawson would be ideal in the role of the gorgeous patisserie chef Natasha. And there are many among today's stars who can play the part of the asinine but charming rascal Robby. Robert Downey, Jr. perhaps?
If you are food-and-film lover, as I am, this movie is definitely worth watching. Maybe not among the pantheon of Oscar greats, but consider it a delicious cinematically high-caloric romp.
Chef Reynaldo Lim reigns
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Food Glorious Food, Hail to the Chef, The Grub Club
Chef Rey Lim, grub club, tjioe catering
When you meet Chef Reynaldo Lim, he comes across as bigger than life. And I'm not talking about physical size, mind you. Although he is rather like a tall and happy Buddha with a bouncing belly to match. But I am actually referring to his large and ebullient personality — he has a childlike charm and infectious vivacity, you just want to hug him. And he is a joy to watch in the kitchen, sometimes serious and stern but most of the time laughing and having the time of his life. His Dom Deluise-ish character and the great fun he derives from cooking is deliciously expressed in the food he serves. Aside from reigning over the kitchen, he also oversees the table decor, choosing the right floral arrangements and decorative touches and even the plateware for the occasion.
The Grub Club had the privilege to have been the beneficiaries of his fabulous food. We could tell how passionate he is about his food because every time a course is served, he would come out of the kitchen and hover over us, checking to see if we were digging in, if we liked the food or not. And if he caught one of us pausing, chatting, and generally not giving due attention to the dish before us, he'd loom over that person and ask "Why aren't you eating? Don't you like it?" Which gets that person promptly shoveling the food in his or her mouth and nodding approvingly, mouth too full to speak. If satisfied, Chef Lim would take a generous sip of wine and smile appreciatively. Fortunately, every dish was superb and sumptuous. But the scene sorta reminded me of a Mother Superior standing guard over students during final exams and saying "No talking! Eyes on your own paper!" Hilarious!
Chef Rey's cuisine has been described as Continental/French with a strong Asian influence. He prefers to describe it as "Western comfort food with Asian overtones". Just imagine fresh king prawns with aligue (crab fat) and pineapple relish, served atop a hefty serving of Arroz a la Cubana. Or his dessert of Zucchini Cake with Lychee Buttercream icing. He learned his craft at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and apprenticed with David Bouley at his restaurant in Manhattan. From there, Lim was everywhere — on the Today Show, with Lufthansa as its Star Chef, and for more than a decade, in Beijing's premium dining spot The Courtyard. In 2010, he left the Courtyard and is now part of the team of chefs of Tjioe Catering (pronounced "chew") with his friends Edwin Tjioe Tan and Chef Jeff "Jaine" Teh. (Find out more about them at their website — http://tjioethecaterer.ph/)
No doubt, Chef Rey Lim amused my bouche no end. Chef Rey Lim reigns supreme!
Seiji by Seiji
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Food Glorious Food, Hail to the Chef, Restaurants
modern Japanese cuisine, Pasay Road, Seiji Kamura, Seiji Restaurant
I first met Chef Seiji Kamura way back in 2009 when he had a small and cozy Italian bistro called Don Eduardo's at the Valuepoint Building in Legaspi Village, together with his partner Ms. Bingbing Santos. The restaurant was named after her father.
Back then, I wrote of Chef Seiji as an uncharacteristically tall and broad-shouldered Japanese who not only looks Pinoy, but even sometimes talks like one. The tanned and soft-spoken Chef Seiji has been working and living in the Philippines for almost 20 years now, starting as the Executive Chef of Tsukiji at the Century Park Hotel in Malate. I first enjoyed his innovative culinary creations when he had his Japanese-fusion restaurant Joan Miró on Pasay Road way back in the early 90s. Aside from his decades of experience in Japanese cuisine, he had also undergone a 2-year stint in France training with the great master himself, Paul Bocuse (one of the proponents of nouvelle cuisine and for whom the international culinary competition, the Bocuse d'Or, is named). I remember teasing Chef Seiji that time: "How international can you get! A Japanese from Yokohama who trained in classical Japanese cuisine AND French nouvelle cuisine cooking Italian in the Philippines!" He was pretty amused himself.
Just this year, Chef Seiji opened his restaurant Seiji along Pasay Road (now called Arnaiz Avenue). He prepares the most masterfully-done traditional Japanese dishes — with ingredients air-flown from Japan such as scallops, sanma (Japanese mackerel pike), wagyu beef — as well as exquisitely inventive and unexpected dishes, our favorite of which was the Foie Gras and Unagi Salad with Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette. Chef Seiji himself will welcome you as you enter and oversees his staff and sous-chefs to make sure everything is just so. In fact, up to now, he wakes up every day in the wee hours of the morning to go to market, usually the Baclaran Seaside Seafood market, to select and buy the freshest ingredients himself, as he has always done since he started working in the Philippines. Although you can order from a selection of premium sakes, he also even makes his own home-brewed sake, flavored with fruits like grapes and pears. And the true professional chef that he is, he holds tasting sessions for his staff so that they can knowledgeably describe to customers what they are like or made of.
For sure, my bouche was more than amused. So much so that Seiji merits a return or two or three…
Seiji Restaurant is located at the ground floor of the Cedar Executive Bldg on 1006 Arnaiz Ave, Makati (across Ayala Center). You may call 478-7550 for reservations.
photos from Kinabuhayan Cafe/B&B
Posted by a_bouche_amused in Come Taste My Philippines, Flashback
dolores quezon, kinabuhayan cafe, mt. banahaw, travel
We came here to Kinabuhayan Café and B&B way back in 2005. Owned by movie production designer and self-taught chef Jay Herrera, it is one of the destinations of the Viaje del Sol art and culture tour of the Southern Tagalog region. It is located in the Herrera family's ancestral estate and sits at the toe of sacred Mt. Banahaw.
The second photo shows a 3-storey treehouse built on and around a tall and ancient sampaloc (tamarind) tree. It's so high up, the mountain breezes provide free-flowing natural air-conditioning while you snooze!
You can tell by the offbeat arrangement of artwork and decorative objects that you are in a very creative space. No corner is left unimagined or artistically put together. A broken blue vase half sunk in a duck pond. Mountain breezes play music on the wood and metal chimes which hang from every cabana. Ornately carved wooden chairs and tables usually found indoors are set out in the open.
We stayed in two cabanas — the ground level area has only 3 walls. What should be the 4th wall is left open. A room-sized net provided the buffer from mosquitos while allowing the mountain night air blow cool and fresh. No TV, no phones or cable (I'm not sure if Jay provides wifi now) – just the pets and other creatures and your traveling companions to provide entertainment. Each cabana has its own ensuite toilet and bath, which has no roof. In the morning, the sun shines right through while you take your shower and other ablutions.
If you wish to stay overnight, you can. For FREE! Simply pay for the day's 3 meals – lunch, dinner and breakfast, which Jay prepares himself. Each meal costs around P500.
The food Jay creates and serves are singular in every way, using locally-grown ingredients. He made us a fantastic dinner with tricolore pastas made up of Penne Arrabiatta (with hot chillis fresh-picked from the Kinabuhayan garden) + Spinach Fettucine with Laing as sauce (Laing is a classic Southern Tagalog dish made of gabi or taro leaves and stalks cooked in fresh gata or coconut cream and chilli) + Fresh Papaya Salad that looks like pasta but is actually made of sweet and semi-ripe (manibalang) papaya fruit, shredded and topped with salsa. He even makes his own desserts like this one that we had: Sweet yam (camote) – baked, caramelized, and diced – topped with fresh coconut cream and chocolate sauce. Accompanied with wafer-thin
crisp camote chips! And the breakfasts are simply hearty and wonderful.
To contact Jay Herrera, you may call or text him at +63916.2215791


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Rep. Kowalko & Rep. Morrison & Rep. Wilson-Anton & Sen. Pinkney & Sen. Sokola
Reps. Baumbach, Bentz, Chukwuocha, Lynn, Osienski, K. Williams; Sens. Ennis, S. McBride
HOUSE BILL NO. 64
AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 30 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PERSONAL INCOME TAX.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE (Three-fifths of all members elected to each house thereof concurring therein):
Section 1. Amend § 1102, Title 30 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:
§ 1102. Imposition and rate of tax; separate tax on lump-sum distributions.
(a)(14) For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2013, and before January 1, 2021, the amount of tax shall be determined as follows:
2.2% of taxable income in excess of $2,000 but not in excess of $5,000;
3.9% of taxable income in excess of $5,000 but not in excess of $10,000;
4.8% of taxable income in excess of $10,000 but not in excess of $20,000;
5.55% of taxable income in excess of $25,000 but not in excess of $60,000; and
6.6% of taxable income in excess of $60,000.
(15) For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, the amount of tax is as follows:
2.2% of taxable income in excess of $2,000, but not in excess of $5,000;
3.9% of taxable income in excess of $5,000, but not in excess of $10,000;
4.8% of taxable income in excess of $10,000, but not in excess of $20,000;
5.55% of taxable income in excess of $25,000, but not in excess of $60,000;
6.6% of taxable income in excess of $60,000, but not in excess of $125,000;
7.10% of taxable income in excess of $125,000, but not in excess of $250,000;
7.85% of taxable income in excess of $250,000, but not in excess of $500,000; and
8.6% of taxable income in excess of $500,000.
This Act creates the following new tax brackets: at $125,000, with a rate of 7.10%, at $250,000, with a rate of 7.85%, and at $500,000, with a rate of 8.6%.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Home > Opinion > Columns
The paranoid style in economics
NEW DELHI - Why do high-profile economic tussles turn so quickly to ad hominem attacks? Perhaps the most well-known recent example has been the Nobel laureate Paul Krugman's campaign against the economists Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff, in which he moved quickly from criticism of an error in one of their papers to charges about their commitment to academic transparency.
For those who know these two superb international macroeconomists, as I do, it is evident that these allegations should promptly be dismissed. But there is a larger question of why the paranoid style has become so prominent.
Part of the answer is that economics is an inexact science, with exceptions to almost every pattern of behavior that economists take for granted. For example, economists predict that higher prices for a good will reduce demand for it. But students of economics will no doubt remember an early encounter with "Giffen goods," which violate the usual pattern. When tortillas become more expensive, a poor Mexican worker may eat more of them, because she now has to cut back on more expensive food like meat.
Such "violations" occur elsewhere as well. Customers often value a good more when its price goes up. One reason may be its signaling value. An expensive handcrafted mechanical watch may tell time no more accurately than a cheap quartz model; but, because few people can afford one, buying it signals that the owner is rich. Similarly, investors flock to stocks that have appreciated, because they have "momentum."
The point is that economic behavior is complex and can vary among individuals, over time, between goods and across cultures. Physicists do not need to know the behavior of every molecule to predict how a gas will behave under pressure. Economists cannot be so sanguine. Under some conditions, individual behavioral aberrations cancel one another out, making crowds more predictable than individuals. But, under other conditions, individuals influence one another in such a way that the crowd becomes a herd, led by a few.
The difficulties for economic policy makers do not stop there. Economic institutions can have different effects, depending on their quality. In the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis, macroeconomists tended to assume away the financial sector in their models of advanced economies. With no significant financial crisis since the Great Depression, it was convenient to take for granted that the financial plumbing worked in the background.
Models, thus simplified, suggested policies that seemed to work - that is, until the plumbing backed up. And the plumbing malfunctioned because herd behavior - shaped by policies in ways that we are only now coming to understand - overwhelmed it.
So, why not let evidence, rather than theory, guide policy? Unfortunately, it is hard to get clear-cut evidence of causality. If high national debt is associated with slow economic growth, is it because excessive debt impedes growth, or because slow growth causes countries to accumulate more debt?
Many an econometrician's career has been built on finding a clever way to establish the direction of causality. Unfortunately, many of these methods cannot be applied to the most important questions facing economic policy makers. So the evidence does not really tell us whether a heavily indebted country should pay down its debt or borrow and invest more.
Moreover, what seem like obvious, commonsense policy solutions all too often have unintended consequences, because a policy's targets are not passive objects, as in physics, but active agents who react in unpredictable ways. For example, price controls, rather than lowering prices, often cause scarcity and the emergence of a black market in which controlled commodities cost significantly more.
All of this implies that economic policy makers require an enormous dose of humility, openness to various alternatives (including the possibility that they might be wrong) and a willingness to experiment. This does not mean that our economic knowledge cannot guide us, only that what works in theory - or worked in the past or elsewhere - should be prescribed with an appropriate degree of self-doubt.
But, for economists who actively engage the public, it is hard to influence hearts and minds by qualifying one's analysis and hedging one's prescriptions. Better to assert one's knowledge unequivocally, especially if past academic honors certify one's claims of expertise. This is not an entirely bad approach if it results in sharper public debate.
The dark side of such certitude, however, is the way it influences how these economists engage contrary opinions. How do you convince your passionate followers if other, equally credentialed, economists take the opposite view? All too often, the path to easy influence is to impugn the other side's motives and methods, rather than recognizing and challenging an opposing argument's points. Instead of fostering public dialogue and educating the public, the public is often left in the dark. And it discourages younger, less credentialed economists from entering the public discourse.
In their monumental research on centuries of public and sovereign debt, the normally very careful Reinhart and Rogoff made an error in one of their working papers. The error is in neither their prize-winning 2009 book nor in a subsequent widely read paper responding to the academic debate about their work.
Reinhart and Rogoff's research broadly shows that GDP growth is slower at high levels of public debt. While there is a legitimate debate about whether this implies that high debt causes slow growth, Krugman turned to questioning their motives. He accused Reinhart and Rogoff of deliberately keeping their data out of the public domain. Reinhart and Rogoff, shocked by this charge - tantamount to an accusation of academic dishonesty - released a careful rebuttal, including online evidence that they had not been reticent about sharing their data.
In fairness, given Krugman's strong and public positions, he has been subject to immense personal criticism by many on the right. Perhaps the paranoid style in public debate, focusing on motives rather than substance, is a useful defensive tactic against rabid critics. Unfortunately, it spills over into countering more reasoned differences of opinion as well. Perhaps respectful debate in economics is possible only in academia. The public discourse is poorer for this.
Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2013.
* The author, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, is the incoming Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
by Raghuram Rajan
More in Columns
Building pressure on ChinaWhat's Korea's choice?
Something is rotten
Supply, demand and human nature
A peripatetic president
Misguided missile comments


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Venom (2005) Pictures, Trailer, Reviews, News, DVD and Soundtrack
http://www.miramax.com/venom/
85 minute(s)
Jim Gillespie
Jennifer D. Breslow, Scott Faye, Kevin Williamson
Brandon Boyce, John Zuur Platten, Flint Dille
Jonathan Jackson
D.J. Cotrona
From the creator of "Scream" and the director of "I Know What You Did Last Summer" comes "The Reaper," a voodoo horror tale set deep in the swamps of Louisiana centered around a group of teenagers fighting for their lives against a mysterious evil force.


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Home / Authors / Dr. Fereidoun Abtin
Last Modified January 3, 2022
Dr. Fereidoun Abtin
Radiation Oncologist & Contributing Writer
Dr. Fereidoun Abtin is a radiation oncologist specializing in thoracic oncological intervention at the UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California. He specializes in pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer and thymomas.
American Board of Radiology
About Dr. Abtin
As an innovative radiation oncologist, Dr. Fereidoun Abtin specializes in minimally invasive, multidisciplinary treatment of pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer and thymomas.
Abtin serves as the director of the Thoracic Imaging Research Laboratory and the UCLA Health Santa Monica Outpatient Imaging and Interventional Center, where he has built a leading lung biopsy practice.
Through his research and various clinical trials, he has helped develop a variety of novel treatments for thoracic diseases.
Abtin uses microwave and radiofrequency ablation techniques. He also has pioneered the use of cryoablation, also known as cryosurgery or cryotherapy.
Cryoablation involves freezing localized tumors with argon gas or liquid nitrogen. It traditionally has been used for prostate, liver and kidney cancers. Abtin has utilized it in combination with immunotherapy as a second-line treatment for pleural mesothelioma.
Abtin graduated from Kasturba Medical College in India and finished his education with a fellowship at the UCLA School of Medicine.
Diagnostic Radiology Role as Medical Reviewer for Asbestos.com
Abtin also assists patients and families by reviewing pages for Asbestos.com, ensuring medical accuracy and optimal clarity. He uses his research background and expertise in oncological thoracic intervention to make sure information being disseminated is accurate and up to date.
The thoracic program Abtin directs is known as the most comprehensive program of its kind in Northern California.
Medically Reviewed Guide
Answers to Your Questions About Mesothelioma
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Karen Selby, RN
Asbestos Expert & Writer
Suzanne Dixon, MPH, MS, RDN
Oncology Medical Writer
Tim Povtak
Senior Content Writer
©2022 by Asbestos.com and The Mesothelioma Center. All rights reserved. | Last Modified January 3, 2022


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Afghanistan: Irish emergency mission helps 36 people out of country
Image source, EPA
In recent days 36 Irish citizens and residents have been evacuated from Afghanistan
An emergency mission to help remove Irish people from Afghanistan has finished, with 36 leaving the country.
This week a group of two Irish diplomats and members of the Irish Defence Forces travelled to the country to carry out the evacuations.
It helped 26 Irish citizens and residents to leave the crisis-hit country.
Ten other people were helped out of Afghanistan as part of earlier efforts by the Irish government.
The Irish Ranger Wing, the part of the Irish Defence Forces which travelled to Afghanistan, is Ireland's special operations force.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said the decision to withdraw from the country on Thursday was "made against the backdrop of an anticipated deteriorating security situation".
Irish Army Rangers go to Kabul to help evacuation
It said that in the past 48 hours it had been contacted by more people requesting assistance.
The department said it was aware of another 60 Irish citizens and their family members in the country and 15 Afghan citizens with Irish residency.
It said it would try to help Irish citizens, residents and their dependants in Afghanistan and advised against anyone travelling to Kabul Airport due to security concerns.
Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said he wanted to thank those involved in the evacuation for their "excellent work".
"I know there are many in Ireland today with deep concerns for family members, friends and colleagues who remain in Afghanistan," he said.
"I can give full assurance that the overall consular effort is continuing and we remain strongly committed to assisting those requiring ongoing consular support in Afghanistan."


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About the Ministry >
The Ministry of Justice's purpose is to deliver people-centred services to provide access to justice for all. How we do this includes the commitment of our people to provide great service to the public every day.
Our Customer Charter is a public declaration of this commitment. It is our statement explaining what our customers can expect when they interact with us – whether that be in person at one of our sites, by phone or email, or on our website.
Print version: Customer Charter [PDF, 2.8 MB]
Our RISE values – respect, integrity, service and excellence – define how we treat each other within the Ministry, so it made sense to use these values to define how we treat our customers.
Te reo Māori pronunciation
Our Charter has also been provided in te reo Māori. If you would like to learn how to pronounce the te reo Māori in our Charter please listen to our audio translation:
Our Customer Charter in Te reo Māori [MP3, 1.9 MB]
Customer Charter video
The Ministry of Justice has more than 3000 people working in 120 locations around the country delivering justice services. Below is a link to a video from our people explaining what providing good customer service means to them.
Where to go for assistance
If you'd like to ask a question, give us feedback or make a non-judicial complaint, please contact us.
Please note that our people can't give legal advice. For legal advice, you should contact a lawyer or Community Law Centre.
This page was last updated: 21st November 2019


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Centre for Journalism releases unique iPad app
With so much of the media excited by the opportunities presented by the iPad and other tablet devices, including Rupert Murdoch proclaiming it "may well be the saving of the newspaper industry", journalists and trainers are looking at the new technology more and more.
Generally only big media companies have been able to take the initiative because of the high development costs needed to work with the new devices, but now Kent University's Centre for Journalism has become one of the first university departments to design its own iPad app and have it approved by Apple.
The CfJ app showcases the work of students and staff at the Centre – including student TV bulletins and video packages. It also includes videos from some of the high-profile masterclasses from media figures including Mark Thompson, Alan Little and Michael Crick. In addition, the app contains a feed from the Centre's web site, and details of all their NCTJ-accredited courses.
The app was developed by Ian Reeves, director of learning and teaching at the Centre for Journalism, who plans to develop it further and add more functionality as time goes on. He said: "I wanted to see whether it was possible for a journalist without specialist programming skills to create an app without the help of teams of specialist developers. It was a steep learning process, and took a couple of months for me to develop."
iPads and other devices provide exciting new possibilities as they allow immersive multimedia journalism to be delivered in new and innovative ways to audiences. They also provide options for publishers to charge for it in a similar way to print based media.


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View print copy
Twentieth century impressions of British Malaya: its history, people, commerce, industries, and resources Page 85
London, Durban, Colombo, Perth (W. A.), Singapore, Hongkong, and Shanghai: Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company, limited, 1908, pg 85
Text on page 85
57 TWENTIETH CENTURY IM PRESSIONS OF BRITISH MALAY A Hindu title), and secondly as Raja Bsar Muda, son of Iskandar Shah. He is also confused with Muhammad Shah, whose place he ought to be given in the pedigree. It is therefore difficult to say whether he or the first King of Malacca ought to be credited with the numerous rules and regulations drawn up for the guidance of Malay courtiers, and given at great length in the " Malay Annals " as the work of " Muhammad Shah." In any case, from this time forward the use of yellow was confined to men of royal birth, the most rigid etiquette was enforced at all court ceremonies, the relative precedence of officers was fixed, and other rules were made regarding the proper attire and privileges of courtiers. The author of the " Malay Annals " discusses all these points at great length, but European students are not likely to take much interest in them. Happy is the country that has no more serious troubles than disputes about etiquette ! The first three Sultans of Malacca must have governed well to bring about such a result as this. Sultan Ahmad Shah (Paduka Sri Maharaja) died about the year 1444. His death was followed by a sort of interregnum, during which the reins of power were nominally held by his son, Raja Ibrahim, or Raja Itam, afterwards known as Abu Shahid, because of his unhappy death. This interregnum ended in a sudden revolution, in which Raja Ibrahim lost his life, and Raja Kasim, his brother, came to the throne under the name of Sultan Mudzafar Shah, the Modafaixa of the Portuguese and the Sultan Wu-ta-funa-sha of Chinese records. The new ruler began his reign in the usual manner by sending envoys to China, but he did not go himself to pay his respects to the Emperor. He had to wage war against the Siamese, who seem at last to have made some sort of effort to enforce their claim to suzerainty over the south of the peninsula. Malay records are not very trustworthy, and we need not believe all that they tell us about victories over the Siamese ; but we can see from the change in the policy of the State of Malacca that it must have been successful in its campaigns against its northern foe, since the Malays, suddenly becoming aggressive, carried the war into the enemy's country. FYom this time onwards the town of Malacca becomes a capital instead of an entire State. Mudzafar Shah died about the year 1459 a.d. According to Portuguese authorities he conquered Pahang, Kampar, and Indragiri ; but, if the u Malay Annals " are to be believed, the honour of these conquests rests with his son and successor, Mansur Shah. Sultan Mansur Shah, we are told, began his reign by sending an expedition to attack Pahang. After giving a good descriptive account of this country, with its broad and shallow river, its splendid sandy beaches, its alluvial gold workings, and its huge wild cattle, the u Malay Annals " go on to say that the ruler of Pahang was a certain Maharaja Dewa Sura, a relative of the King of Siam. Chinese records also say that the country was ruled by princes who bore Sanskrit titles, and who must have been either Buddhist or Hindu by religion ; but they add that the people were in the habitaotherwise unknown in Malayaa of offering up human sacrifices to their idols of fragrant wood. Their language also does not seem to have been Malayan. Pahang was conquered after very little resistance, and its prince, Maharaja Dewa Sura, was brought captive to Malacca. Of the expeditions against Kampar and Indragiri we know nothing except that they were successful. Sultan Mansur Shah married five wives. By a daughter of the conquered Maharaja Dewa Sura he had two sons, one of whom he designated as heir to the throne ; but a murder committed by the prince in a moment of passion led to his being banished from the court, and to his being sent to rule over Pahang alone, under the title of Sultan Muhammad Shah. By a Javanese wife the Sultan had one son, Radin Geglang, who succeeded his stepbrother as heir to the throne, and was afterwards killed while trying to stop a man who ran amuck. By a daughter of his chief minister, the Bendahara, the Sultan left a son, Raja Husain, who ultimately succeeded him. By a Chinese wife the Sultan left descendants who established themselves as independent princes at Jeram, in Selangor. By his fifth wife, the daughter of a chief (Sri Nara Diraja), MALAY MATTING.


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Winston Zeddemore
From GBFans.com
Played by: Ernie Hudson
Appearances: Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters II, Ghostbusters: The Video Game
Winston Zeddemore, a large, impressive-looking black man... - Original Script Description
Winston Zeddemore is the fourth member of the Ghostbusters team who joins when their services are in high demand. Although not a scientist, Winston has extensive training in electronic countermeasures, strategic air command, small arms, and holds a black belt in karate. His no-nonsense approach and level-headedness allow him to act as the voice of reason for the group. Though a devout Christian and initially skeptical about the existence of ghosts, Winston soon becomes aware that the recent surge in paranormal activity may be foreshadowing the end of the world. In the original script for Ghostbusters, Winston Zeddemore was intended to be the smartest and most capable of the Ghostbusters, a former Marine with multiple degrees and a Ph.D., making him more suited for the job than the founding three Ghostbusters. However, in the final screenplay none of these qualifications were mentioned. The changes are discussed in detail in the commentary on the DVD of Ghostbusters, the explanation being Winston allowed the technobabble to be put into layman's terms.
The novelization of Ghostbusters mentions Zeddemore's service with the Marines prior to joining the Ghostbusters. Further, in Ghostbusters: The Video Game, while the Ghostbusters are on a mission in the New York History Museum, Zeddemore reminisces about the time he spent studying for his doctorate in the museum's Egyptology wing. (In context, it's unclear if Zeddemore studied for the doctorate prior to joining the Ghostbusters, or sometime between the events of the movies and the game's setting in 1991.)
Winston Zeddemore's first on-screen appearance was in the movie Ghostbusters, when he applied for a position with the team not long after they were established. Questioned extensively during his application by Janine Melnitz as to whether he believed in a large number of supernatural occurrences and beings (such as UFOs, the Loch Ness Monster and the theory of Atlantis among others), Zeddemore replied, "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say." Though Zeddemore had no previous background in paranormal studies and was not initially a firm believer in the existence of the paranormal, he readily accepts the existence of ghosts and the supernatural as he encounters them as a Ghostbuster. However, despite this, he continues to act as an 'everyman' and voice of reason for the team, and when the jailed Ghostbusters seriously propose asking a U.S. federal judge to release them because they must fight an invading god, Zeddemore is the one who reminds the others that they will not be believed.
Zeddemore is a religious man to some extent, saying in a discussion in Ghostbusters that he believes in God and "loves Jesus' style". While driving the Ecto-1 with Ray he voices his thoughts that the sudden spike in ghosts appearances might be a sign of the apocalypse.
After working with him the previous year on Trading Places, Dan Aykroyd originally wanted Eddie Murphy to play the role of Winston Zeddemore. Aware of his comic abilities, his characterization of Winston would have been in a semi-improvisational style, similar to Bill Murray's performance as Peter Venkman. Murphy was too busy shooting Beverly Hills Cop to commit.
Five years after the defeat of Gozer and the disbandment of the Ghostbusters, Winston and Ray are forced to work children's birthday parties (in full uniform and gear) in order to make ends meet. However, with the the river of slime flowing underneath New York and the resurgence in paranormal activity, Winston rejoins his comrades in cleaning up the city's ghosts and ultimately saving the world from Vigo the Carpathian.
1 The Real Ghostbusters
2 Extreme Ghostbusters
Voice Actors:
Arsenio Hall (1986-1988)
Buster Jones (1988-1991)
"Sometimes, between the four of us, I don't think we have the brains God gave a doorknob."
Many details of Zeddemore's personality and character are revealed in episodes of the Real Ghostbusters. The episode "Cry Uncle" clarifies that, in the show's continuity, Winston has no doctorate; he also informs Egon's skeptical Uncle Cyrus that, prior to becoming a Ghostbuster, he too doubted the existence of ghosts. In "Mr. Sandman, Dream Me a Dream," Winston states that, unlike his three colleagues, he is not a scientist, causing him to doubt his ability to resolve a crisis when the Sandman traps the others within their own dreams, but with encouragement from a dream-version of Albert Einstein, he meets the challenge and wins the day. "The Ghostbusters in Paris" reveals that Winston was once a construction worker prior to joining the Ghostbusters. This idea seems to be further reinforced in the episode "The Brooklyn Triangle", when the Ghostbusters respond to a construction site headed by his father; this would indicate that it might have been a family business, until Winston decided to join the Ghostbusters. In the episode "Devil To Pay", Zeddemore mentions having a girlfriend, though she is never seen on screen during the series. In "Night Game", he is shown to love baseball, and his favorite team is the Jaguars. In several other episodes it is shown that Zeddemore loves mystery novels and detective stories, and in "Boodunnit" he is the one who solves the mystery novel left behind by a deceased mystery writer similar to Agatha Christie, allowing her soul to rest. In "Doctor, Doctor" it is revealed that Zeddemore also likes classical literature, including the works of Herman Melville and Charles Dickens. He is also a fan of The Alan Parsons Project. "The Brooklyn Triangle" introduces Winston's father, Ed, who works in construction. Their relationship is shown to have been strained because of Winston choosing to be a Ghostbuster, but they reconcile by the end of the episode. Finally, in the episode "The Moaning Stones", Zeddemore is revealed to be the reincarnation of Shima Buku, a shaman at war with an immortal demon known only as the Undying One.
Extreme Ghostbusters
Voice Actor: Buster Jones
Winston only appears in the two-part series finale. After the closing down of the Ghostbusters, Winston moved to Montana, near his sister, and got his pilot's license, being the first and only Ghostbuster to be a certified pilot.
Winston: Ray, when someone asks you if you're a god, you say "YES"!
Winston: No offense, guys, but I've gotta get my own lawyer.
Winston: Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.
Winston: Ray, has it ever occurred to you that maybe the reason we've been so busy lately is 'cause the dead HAVE been rising from the grave?
Winston: I love Jesus' style.
Winston: Since I joined these men, I've seen shit that'll turn you white.
Winston: That's a big Twinkie.
Winston: I love this town!
Winston: We have the tools, and we have the talent.
Winston: This job is definitely *not* worth eleven-five a year!
Winston: I hate Jell-O.
Winston: It's very potent stuff. We made a toaster dance with it.
Winston: It's always the quiet ones.
Winston: New York - what a town, huh?
The name "Zeddemore" is misspelled as "Zeddmore" in the closing credits of Ghostbusters. As a result it was also sometimes misspelled in scripts and other sources related to The Real Ghostbusters. The name is spelled correctly on the nametag on Winston's jumpsuit, in the shooting script of Ghostbusters (as published in the book Making Ghostbusters), and in the closing credits of Ghostbusters II. The name is also pronounced correctly (with three syllables) by both Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson in Ghostbusters.
Retrieved from "http://www.gbfans.com/w/index.php?title=Winston_Zeddemore&oldid=7370"
Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters
Real Ghostbusters Characters
This page was last edited on January 9, 2013, at 03:00.
About GBFans.com


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Here's What You Need to Know About Melania Trump's Parents, Viktor And Amalija Knavs
Barron's grandparents are now American citizens.
MANDEL NGANGetty Images
When Melania and Barron Trump moved from Trump Tower in New York City to the White House during the summer of 2017, Melania's parents, Viktor Knavs, 74, and Amalija Knavs, 72, accompanied them on the trip. They've since become familiar faces in the nation's capital—and can often be seen traveling alongside President Trump and the First Lady. Here's what you should know about the couple that raised Melania Trump.
1 Amalija and Viktor Knavs are now US citizens.
AFP ContributorGetty Images
The Knavses took an oath of citizenship in August 2018 after appearing at the federal immigration offices in New York City. Prior to that time, Melania's parents had been permanent U.S. residents living in the country on green cards.
2 They regularly travel with the first family.
Pablo Martinez MonsivaisAP
Amalija Knavs, pictured here, flew back to Washington on Air Force One with the Trumps after they spent the 2018 Easter weekend at Mar-a-Lago.
3 They may or may not be living in the White House.
Barron is very close to grandparents, with whom he reportedly speaks Slovenian, and Politico described them as "hyperinvolved" in his life. While Politico also reported in 2017 that Melania's parents would "become more familiar figures around the White House"—much the way Michelle Obama's mother Marian Robinson did when she moved into the presidential mansion—a White House spokeswoman said she could not confirm the outlet's claim, writing in an e-mail, "We don't comment on the first lady's parents, as they are private citizens and we want to respect that."
Viktor and Amalija Knavs are pictured far left with the rest of the Trump family on stage at the Republican National Convention.
4 They attend events there regularly.
Viktor and Amalija Knavs sat in the front row, next to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, at the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony in the Rose Garden on November 21, 2017. They traveled to Mar-a-Lago with the first family to celebrating Thanksgiving, too.
5 They used to split their time between Trump Tower, Mar-a-Lago, and Bedminster.
Prior to their purported Washington, D.C. move, the Knavs family were in keeping the rest of the Trump family—a pattern they've followed since their daughter married Donald Trump. They reportedly lived in Trump Tower in Manhattan, and are frequent fixtures at Mar-a-Lago, a member of the club explained.
6 They maintain close ties to Sevnica, their hometown in Slovenia.
The first lady was born in Sevnica, a small town with about 5,000 residents that's an hour's drive from Ljubljana, the Slovenian capital. During Melania's childhood, Slovenia was known as Yugoslavia and was under the rule of Communist President Josip Tito. The Knavses reportedly "still own their house [in Sevnica] and visit two or three times a year," according to GQ.
7 Viktor and Amalija met in Sevnica in 1966.
Facebook/Ines Knauss
At the time, Viktor was working as the chauffeur for the mayor of a nearby town and Amalija was a pattern-maker at a children's clothing factory. They are shown here in 1967, according to the caption posted by the first lady's sister, Ines.
8 They didn't start in the penthouse.
The couple lived in a two-bedroom apartment in Sevnica.
9 Their prospects improved.
After his chauffeur job, Viktor became a traveling salesman for a state-owned car company. "In contrast to the privations that so many suffered in Communist times, the Knavses lived well," GQ reports. While Viktor was reportedly a card-carrying member of the Sevnica Communist Party, Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks told the New York Times that Knavs had never been an "active member" of the party. He amassed a collection of Mercedes sedans and a "coveted" Maserati, and GQ describes Amalija as "always impeccably dressed and perfectly coiffed," even when "times were lean" under Communist rule.
10 Viktor is 2 years older than his son-in-law Donald.
Born in 1944, Viktor is 73 years old. Amaljia is 71.
11 Victor and Amalija have 2 daughters.
Photo by Lucien Capehart Photography, Inc/Getty Images
The Knavses's first daughter, Ines, is about a year older than the first lady. The sisters are shown here at Mar-a-Lago with Palm Beach philanthropist Audrey Gruss. They changed their last name from Knavs to its German form, Knauss.
12 Donald Trump has only visited his wife's native country once.
"I was there about 13 minutes," he told Larry King in 2005 of the July 2002 trip to meet Viktor and Amalija. According to the New Yorker, the couple landed on Trump's Boeing 727 in Ljubljana at 8 p.m. and drove to dinner with the Knavses at the Grand Hotel Toplice on Lake Bled, where they ate onion escalope with pan-fried potatoes, and forest blueberries, and Melania interpreted. On the way out, Trump reportedly asked Viktor, "Is this place for sale?" The mogul was "back at the airport before midnight."
13 Amalija and Viktor made their first trip to America in February 2004.
Photo by Stephen Lovekin/FilmMagicGetty Images
The couple visited New York City and Mar-a-Lago, where Trump may have asked for their blessing to marry their daughter; he proposed at the Costume Institute Gala at the Met that April. Here, Amalija is pictured with Melania at a Zac Posen fashion show in New York on February 12, 2004.
More From The Trump Family
Trump Weighs in on Meghan & Harry's Announcement
Everything You Need to Know About Barron Trump
President Trump Is Impeached
First Lady Melania Trump's Style Evolution
Donald Trump Declares Himself a Florida Resident
Jared and Ivanka Celebrated Their 10th Anniversary
The Evolution of Ivanka Trump's Political Style
Melania Working on a White House Tennis Pavilion
Eric and Lara Trump Welcome a Baby Girl
Everything You Need to Know About Eric Trump
The Trump Family
Get to Know Ines Krauss, Melania Trump's Secret Sister
16 Things to Know About Fred Trump, Donald Trump's Father
Melania Trump's Parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, Are Now Legal Permanent Residents
Everything You Need to Know About Melania Trump
What We Know About Jared Kushner's Family From NJ
What We've Learned About Barron Trump So Far


text:
Five Weeks' Notice: The Rush to Partition a Subcontinent
AUTHOR Carol Lobo
"I nearly gave you Lahore," said the man who drew the map of a new India in 1947. "But then I realised that Pakistan would not have any large city. I had already earmarked Calcutta for India." It was an admission made quite nonchalantly by Cyril Radcliffe to veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar, over a cup of English tea. Nayar recalls Radcliffe's words in his book Scoop! (2006), written after he interviewed him in his Bond Street flat in the 1970s.
Radcliffe was a London barrister who had "never travelled east of Paris", let alone visited the land he was asked to carve up. He had no experience in the matter and yet Lord Mountbatten, the Governor-General overseeing the transfer of power from Britain to India in 1947, felt his very inexperience as a cartographer or administrator made him perfect for the job. He believed Radcliffe would approach it without bias.
Five weeks is all he was given. Just five weeks.
Radcliffe arrived in India on July 8, 1947, to chair two boundary Commissions – one for Bengal and the other for Punjab – that would partition the undivided Indian subcontinent into two new nations, India and Pakistan.
He couldn't have been more ill-equipped for the job.
All he had at his disposal were outdated maps and old Census reports. An on-ground study was out of the question as it would have been "impossible to undertake a field survey in June because of the heat", said Radcliffe, whose boundary in the west would separate Pakistan from Kashmir, an area he was "not even aware of" and would hear about only after he returned to England.
Two boundary commissions were appointed to draw the Radcliffe Line – one for Punjab and the other for Bengal. Each was chaired by Radcliffe and comprised four other members, two from the Indian National Congress and two from the Muslim League. All of them were serving judges.
The members of the Punjab Boundary Commission were Justices Mehr Chand Mahajan, Teja Singh, Din Mohamed and Muhammad Munir, while the Bengal Boundary Commission consisted of Justices C C Biswas, B K Mukherji, Abu Saleh Mohamed Akram and S A Rahman.
Radcliffe was not pleased with their recommendations. One Muslim League member, he later revealed, urged him to include Darjeeling in Pakistan, saying he and his family vacationed there every summer and "it would be hard on us if the place went to India".
With just five weeks to cleave a massive subcontinent, Radcliffe was bound to make errors and stir controversies. In Bengal, for instance, many Hindu-majority towns and villages found themselves in East Pakistan. The error was eventually corrected, giving these border towns two Independence Days!
A bitter controversy marked the allotment of two crucial tehsils in Punjab that had first been given to Pakistan but were later awarded to India before the official Radcliffe Line was announced. These were Zira and Ferozepur tehsils, both Muslim-majority areas, which were switched to India to provide the country a link to Jammu & Kashmir. The story goes that the switch was made at Lord Mountbatten's behest, to 'favour India'.
When Nayar met Radcliffe in 1971 and asked him whether he was satisfied with the border he drew, the barrister said he had so little time that he could not do a better job. "If I had two to three years, I might have improved on what I did," said Radcliffe.
His understatement continues to echo through the annals of history.
Referring to the impossibility of Radcliffe's assignment, noted poet W H Auden composed a poem titled Partition (1966), whose lines went thus:
Unbiased at least he was when he arrived on his mission,
Having never set eyes on this land he was called to partition
Between two peoples fanatically at odds,
With their different diets and incompatible gods.
'Time,' they had briefed him in London, 'is short. It's too late
For mutual reconciliation or rational debate
The only solution now lies in separation.
The Viceroy thinks, as you will see from his letter,
That the less you are seen in his company the better,
So we've arranged to provide you with other accommodation.
We can give you four judges, two Moslem and two Hindu,
To consult with, but the final decision must rest with you.'
Shut up in a lonely mansion, with police night and day
Patrolling the gardens to keep assassins away,
He got down to work, to the task of settling the fate
Of millions. The maps at his disposal were out of date
And the Census Returns almost certainly incorrect,
But there was no time to check them, no time to inspect
Contested areas. The weather was frightfully hot,
And a bout of dysentery kept him constantly on the trot,
But in seven weeks it was done, the frontiers decided,
A continent for better or worse divided.
The next day he sailed for England, where he quickly forgot
The case, as a good lawyer must. Return he would not,
Afraid, as he told his Club, that he might get shot.
Radcliffe is said to have been so disturbed by the violence that had erupted on both sides of his line that he left India on 15th August 1947, the very day it was severed from Pakistan and achieved Independence. He apparently burnt all his documents and maps, and didn't even collect the 40,000-rupee fee that was due to him.
The truth is, any line that divided India and Pakistan would have resulted in the violence and bloodshed that followed Partition. Cyril Radcliffe just happened to be the man chosen to draw it.
Cover Image: Members of the Punjab Boundary Commission (Left: Justice Muhammad Munir, Justice Din Muhammad; Centre: Cyril Radcliffe; Right: Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan, Justice Teja Singh)
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text:
Jan Kuyper Erland
Janspan
On Blogger since May 2009
Jan's Brainy Insight
Cognitive and Memory Research, Instruc; sequential memory slills training
Lawrence, Kansas, United States
Attended the University of Texas, the University of Iowa, and graduated with B.S. degree in Education from Drake University, majoring in Education, Speech-Drama, and English. Minored in Science and Social Science. Taught grades K-8 in seven Midwestern public school districts. Received a Masters Degree in Special Education - Learning Disabilities from the University of Kansas, and 1980 formed the non-profit 501 C3 Educational Media Therapy Consultants, Inc. This was later changed to Innovative Learning Stratagems, Inc., a national consulting group offering teacher and parent informative workshops and student scholarhships for cognitive skills retraining and Brain-Based Learning. Additionally, formed Mem-ExSpan, Inc. to develop educational cognitive skills retraining content through continuous classes to help individuals ages 9 to adult. Established thirteen national training-test sites, published and documented research from six experiments over five generational developmental levels. Four published longitudinal reports appeared in The Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching (JALT) with several demographic groups.
Creative writing-blogging, coding, data analysis, technology, blended e-Learning, website development, childrens' theater, vocal artist applying puppetry as an instructional tool
The old classics
Baroque-Classical-Jazz -- especially J.S. Bach, Chopin
Douglas Hofstadter, Godel, Escher, Bach: "An Eternal Golden Braid", Leonard Shlain: "Art and Physics" and "Leonardo's Brain", Pierre Lassus: "Discovering the Hidden Wisdom of The Little Prince".
What is the name of your high school? Pella High School, Pella, Iowa


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Evolve IP
Cloud Glossary
Why Evolve IP?
IDC: Statistics on the Financial Impact of Unplanned Downtime
Blog Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery IDC: Statistics on the Financial Impact of Unplanned Downtime
August 17, 2017 / Evolve IP
Businesses today survive on information. There is an increasing emphasis on information and applications to do everything from communicating with customers, work remotely, treat patients, sell products and more. But we also see increasingly numerous threats to uptime, not just in the form of natural disasters, but also in physical infrastructure vulnerabilities, rising security threats or just human error.
Research firm IDC has found three big realities in today's business continuity landscape:
— Disaster recovery (DR) and business continuity (BC) are consistently rated among the top concerns for CIOs and CEOs.
— DR and BC practices are being audited and tested more frequently.
— Many companies, especially financial service firms, are promoting greater exposure to their DR policies. They are publishing them externally for customers and key stakeholders to review as part of standard operating procedures.
All of these trends are with good cause. IDC found that 71% of U.S. businesses in a recent survey experienced less than 10 hours of downtime per year. While that may not sound like a lot, the implications in terms of financial impact can be significant. Projecting forward the annual costs for those 10 hours of unplanned downtime, an SMB could see up to $125,000 in economic impact. For an enterprise? As much as $17 million.
Disaster recovery testing can go a long way to assuage executive concerns about IT resiliency and ensure that systems are, in fact, ready for any unplanned outage. In the past, DR testing was done annually, at best, even by the largest firms. But today, an optimal scenario has disaster recovery testing occurring regularly and, ideally, several times per year.
IDC found that, of firms with fewer than 100 employees, 35% are never testing their plans. 41% of midsize firms (up to 1,000 employees) are testing their plans once per year. And, of large firms (1,000 – 5,000 employees), 52% test their plans more than once per year, sometimes semi-annually, or even more often. Of course, there is still room for improvement among each group. The point of these tests is to uncover vulnerabilities, to correct those vulnerabilities, and to possibly lead to upgrades in technology to improve upon recovery objectives.
For more information on Disaster Recovery as a Service, check out our product page.
Categories: Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery
About Evolve IP
Evolve IP is The Cloud Strategy Company™. Designed from the beginning to provide organizations with a unified option for cloud services, Evolve IP enables decision-makers to migrate all or select IT technologies to its award-winning cloud platform. Evolve IP's combination of security, stability, scalability, and lower total cost of ownership is fundamentally superior to outdated legacy systems and other cloud offerings. Today, tens of thousands of customers across the globe depend daily on Evolve IP for cloud services like virtual servers, virtual desktops, disaster recovery, unified communications, contact centers, and more.
Halfpenny Technologies
How We Can Help Credit Unions
Credit Union Top Technology Trends
Evolve IP provides business continuity for The Palm Restaurant Group
The Evolve IP Compliance CloudTM
Compliance is a way to do business … not an afterthought when clients need it.
At Evolve IP we have a dedicated compliance and security practice and work with two of the world's top 3rd-party compliance auditors, Grant Thornton and Ernst & Young, to enable customers to extend their compliance to our fully audited cloud. This focus allows us to deliver the documentation and assurances that other's simply cannot including HIPAA / HITRUST, PCI-DSS (all 12 sections), SOC 2/3 and more. The Compliance CloudTM includes true client isolation, encryption in transit and at rest, private VLANs, firewalls and dozens of other security measures.
Compliance may vary by region
"High-level technology, better compliance, cybersecurity, and communication capabilities are expected of all providers of financial services, regardless of size. With the rate of change and costs involved, it is difficult for any size credit union to keep pace. So when we were looking for a cloud technology partner, we emphasized the need to provide to our members with technology solutions that help them compete with larger banks and financial institutions, at a cost they can afford. Evolve IP offers all that, plus broad financial services industry experience and a pedigree of providing first-rate service to support growth and continually enhance the entire member experience."
David Frankil, Chairman of the NJCUL Services Corporation and President/CEO of the New Jersey Credit Union League
"The people that Evolve IP are more personable; you don't feel like there's necessarily a script when you're talking with them, they're easy to understand, quick to get a hold of, and they follow through on what they say they're going to do."
"Evolve IP has been a vendor partner that has grown with us, that has helped us, and that you know stands by us and stands by their word."
"I was a bit of skeptical because I've been told that by sales guys before...but you've all came through on every one of their promises and not only that, but even throughout our subsequent years of working with us as partners, you've stepped up to the plate whenever we needed something and provided a helping hand"
"…we were assigned a project manager for our implementation they weren't just force-feeding one process down. they listened, they work with us, they adjusted schedules and they held our hand every step of the way…"
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Our analyst-acclaimed solutions are built on a world-class, compliant architecture that leverages the blue-chip technologies organizations already know and trust.
We deploy best-of-breed solutions including: Disaster Recovery, Contact Center, Unified Communications, DaaS, IaaS. Our services are analyst-acclaimed, vendor-validated, client recommended and award-winning.
Evolve IP is proud to have achieved the honor of being HITRUST CSF certified! Certification to the HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) affirms that all of Evolve IP's cloud computing and cloud communications services adhere to the strictest security standards for electronic protected health information (PHI). The HITRUST security standard was developed by and for the healthcare industry as a means of going above and beyond the compliance requirements of HIPAA.
The HITRUST Common Security Framework (CSF) was developed to address the multitude of security, privacy and regulatory challenges facing healthcare organizations. The HITRUST CSF was developed by healthcare and IT professionals to provide an efficient and prescriptive framework for managing the security requirements inherent in HIPAA. HITRUST CSF rationalizes healthcare-relevant regulations and standards into a single overarching security framework. An important part of the "What is HITRUST" answer is understanding that the CSF is risk-based and compliance-based so that organizations can tailor the security control baselines and vendor management programs that they follow based on their specific organization type, size, systems, and regulatory requirements.
The Privacy regulations of the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) require health care providers, organizations, and their business associates, develop and follow procedures that ensure the confidentiality and security of protected health information (PHI) when it is transferred, received, handled, or shared. This applies to all forms of PHI — paper, oral, and electronic, etc. Those who fail to adhere to HIPAA can suffer from huge fines climbing into the millions of dollars for major violations.
The Compliance Cloud™ fully enables covered entities and their business associates subject to HIPAA regulations to leverage a secure environment to process, maintain, and store protected health Information (PHI) featuring among other controls.
SSAW 16 Service Organization Control II (SOC 2)
Evolve IP has received an SSAE 16 SOC 2 Type II report on our internal controls relating to how we assess and address the potential risks associated with the security, availability, and confidentiality of not only the cloud-based services that we provide, but also our physical and logical infrastructure. Evolve IP utilizes the Certified Public Accounting firm of Grant Thornton to perform its annual audit and attestation in accordance with the Statements on Standards for Attestation Engagements No. 16 and the associated Trust Services Principles, as published by the AICPA, to evaluate the effectiveness of Evolve IP's service organizations controls.
While Forbes regularly features coverage and recognition about Evolve IP, they've most recently recognized Evolve IP as being the "Best Cloud Computing Companies And CEOs To Work For In 2017". They've ranked Evolve IP in the Top 3 just behind Google and Microsoft in the Cloud Infrastructure classification. (Feb 2017). Forbes also recently recognizes Evolve IP for bringing Singer Equipment Corporation, a mainstream business based in PA, into the cloud by means of unified communication. (Sept 2017). Last year, Forbes recognized Evolve IP's survey of 1,080 executives citing that the number one reason to go to the cloud is the same reason that it is avoided. (Mar 2016).
Unified Communications Product of the Year
TMC and Internet Telephony Magazine have named Evolve IP's unified communications platform as a 2017 Unified Communications Product of the Year Award winner. This marks the 6th time Evolve IP has been honored with this prestigious award and follows a series of product innovations that have allowed the company to rapidly expand its international coverage.
Evolve IP's business collaboration tools and IP phone system dramatically improve employee productivity in the office and on the road with a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform that fully integrates voice, video, instant messaging & presence (IM&P), desktop sharing, audio/web conferencing and more. The company also provides a sophisticated Web-based management portal, OSSmosis®, that allows administrators to easily configure system functions and quickly modify users without the need to reach out to a third party for changes.
Inc. magazine has recognized Evolve IP in the 34th annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive listing of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list will be unveiled in the September issue of Inc.
The story of this year's Inc. 5000 is the story of great leadership. In an incredibly competitive business landscape, it takes something extraordinary to take your company to the top," says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. "You have to remember that the average company on the Inc. 5000 grew nearly six-fold since 2012. Business owners don't achieve that kind of success by accident.
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS)
Evolve IP has achieved Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) compliance covering all 12 sections of the PCI DSS. The PCI data security standard is a comprehensive set of standards that require merchants and service providers that store, process, or transmit customer payment card data to adhere to strict information security controls and processes. It was created by the founding brands of the PCI Security Standards Council, which includes American Express, Discover Financial, JCB International, MasterCard Worldwide, and Visa Inc.
Evolve IP is also a registered and participating member of the CSA Security, Trust & Assurance Registry (STAR). The CSA was formed to encourage transparency of security practices within cloud providers. It is a free, publicly accessible registry that documents the security controls provided by various cloud computing offerings, thereby helping users assess the security of cloud providers they currently use or are considering contracting with. CSA STAR is open to all cloud providers, and allows them to submit assessment reports that document compliance to CSA published best practices. The searchable registry will allow potential cloud customers to review the security practices of providers, accelerating their due diligence and leading to higher quality procurement experiences. CSA STAR represents a major leap forward in industry transparency, encouraging providers to make security capabilities a market differentiator.
Deloitte's Technology Fast 500TM
Evolve IP has been ranked for the second consecutive year on Deloitte's Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America – both public and private. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2012 to 2015. The list is a veritable Who's Who of technology that has included tech companies like Google, VMware and Facebook.
Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, life sciences, and energy the companies – both public and private – in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth during the period from 2012 – 2016.
Red Herring has named Evolve IP as one of the Top 100 Companies in North America. Red Herring's Top 100 recognizes the leading and most promising private companies from around the world. Among the over 20 criteria used to analyze companies for the award, Evolve IP was noted for its financial performance, technological innovation, customer footprint, the DNA of its founders and addressable market.
Red Herring selects the award winners for North America from approximately 1,200 privately financed companies each year in the US and Canada. Since 1996, Red Herring has kept tabs on these organizations and its editors were among the first to recognize that companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Skype, Salesforce.com, YouTube, Palo Alto Networks and eBay would change the way we live and work.
Evolve IP has been recognized as one of the "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America" in Entrepreneur magazine's Entrepreneur360™ Performance Index, a study involving a comprehensive analysis of private companies in America. Based on this study forged by Entrepreneur, Evolve IP is recognized as a company that exemplifies growth, not just in top and bottom line, but in sustainability and the ability to achieve lasting success.
According to Entrepreneur, after evaluating approximately 10,000 U.S. based firms, the team of editors and researchers behind the E360 Performance Index collected more than 250 pieces of data from the finalists, focusing on growth drivers and challenges, goal setting, resource allocations, and reward systems. The analysis uncovered a class of leading companies, including Evolve IP, whose continued success is largely based on superior value creation for their customers, building an adaptive learning culture, and aggressive geographic expansion—placing them amongst the most dynamic firms in America today.
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Collaboration and Communications Survey Reveals Organizations Dealing With Multiple, Unintegrated Systems
January 15, 2020 / Evolve IP
Microsoft Teams Set to Dominate Collaboration Landscape; Unifying Communications and Collaboration a Key Driver for Majority of Businesses Evolve IP®, the world's leading provider of Purpose-Built® cloud solutions, today...
Evolve IP Named for Third Consecutive Year To Gartner's 2019 Magic Quadrant for Contact Center as a Service, North America
October 18, 2019 / Evolve IP
Receives 4.7 out of 5 stars and a 92% recommendation rate within the CCaaS – North America Market Based on Independent Client Reviews From Gartner's Peer Insights Website WAYNE,...
Evolve IP Europe and Evolve IP United Kingdom Exceed 125,000 IP Phone System, Unified Communications and Contact Center Users
September 27, 2019 / Evolve IP
United Kingdom (UK) and European Union (EU) Divisions Capitalizing on Rapid Adoption of Cloud Communications; Private Label and Channel Partners Leveraging New Services to Grow Client Bases in Europe,...
Evolve IP Named For Seventh Time to the Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies
World's Leading Provider of Integrated Cloud Communications and Collaboration, Computing and Identity Management Recognized for Unprecedented Growth WAYNE, Pa.—August 13, 2019—Evolve IP®, The Cloud Strategy Company™, today announced its inclusion on...
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Home/Alumni/Awesome Alumni: Astronaut Sunita Williams, M.S. Engineering Management '95
Awesome Alumni: Astronaut Sunita Williams, M.S. Engineering Management '95
pressable August 16, 2012
Over 200 miles high above the Earth, Florida Tech alumna and astronaut, Sunita Williams, is conducting experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) as part of Expedition 32. She will stay on the ISS through Expedition 33, where she will take command!
Before earning her M.S. in engineering management from Florida Tech, she was flying a little closer to home as a Naval Aviator. Her career sent her overseas to support Operation Desert Storm and Operation Provide Comfort. Sunita also provided aid as part of Hurricane Andrew Relief Operations as the Officer-in-Charge.
Her career and achievements are truly remarkable:
• She currently holds the title for the longest spaceflight among women astronauts for her 195 days spent in orbit.
• She was the first astronaut to run a marathon in orbit. It occurred in conjunction with the 2007 Boston Marathon, which she completed in four hours and 24 minutes.
• She has logged over 3,000 flight hours in more than 30 aircraft.
• She received the Medal for Merit in Space Exploration from Russia in 2011.
• Sunita was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal.
• Sunita received a Navy Commendation Medal and a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.
• Spaceflights completed:
o STS-116 on Space Shuttle Discover as part of Expeditions 14 & 15
o STS-117 on Space Shuttle Atlantis– return to Earth
o Soyuz TMA-05M as part of Expeditions 32 & 33
• Sunita has completed four spacewalks that total over 29 hours. She will complete her fifth spacewalk on August 30, 2012.
• Her dog, Gorby, was featured on the television show "The Dog Whisperer."
• She loves the Boston Red Sox and bow hunting.
• In 2002, she was a crew member on the NEEMO 2 mission, living underwater in the Aquarius habitat for 9 days.
• Sunita donated her hair to Locks of Love during STS-116. Fellow Panther grad, Joan Higginbotham, who was also on the mission, was the one who actually helped Sunita cut her hair.
• She appeared on the Colbert Report to announce the naming of the ISS's node 3 as "Colbert".
• Sunita is a licensed amateur radio operator with the call sign KD5PLB.
If you are interested on checking in on what Sunita is up to onboard the ISS, check out NASA's Space Station Live site.
kibirige jamir says:
that's great for sunita for having developed her career to that level, and great thanks to Florida tech that has contributed a lot her career.


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Summary Judgment & Shifting the Burden of Proof: Court Grants Summary Judgment for Plaintiff and Denies Summary Judgment for Defendant in FDCPA and TCPA Case
By Jonathan Turner & David M. Gettings on January 18, 2021
Posted in All Entries, FDCPA, TCPA
In Russell v. Law, Judge Van Bokkelen, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, granted summary judgment, in part, to Russell Friend ("Plaintiff")– alleging Taylor Law, PLLC ("Defendant") contacted Plaintiff continually in attempts to collect debt after Plaintiff's request that Defendant cease contact, in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Moreover, the Court denied summary judgment for Defendant on Plaintiff's count that Defendant violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by "calling [Plaintiff] with an automatic dialing system."
In that case, Plaintiff opened a credit card issued by Citibank, and Citibank's records showed Citibank later closed the card for non-payment of a $7,381.05 balance. Subsequently, Citibank sold the debt to CACH, LLC, who retained Defendant to collect the debt. After attempts to collect debt from Plaintiff, and Plaintiff's initial willingness to discuss payment, Plaintiff sent a letter to Defendant disputing he owed the debt and demanding Defendant refrain from contacting him for purposes other than confirming "[n]otification of receipt of this letter," "[n]otification of the results of your verification," and "[n]otification of any legal action taken by [Defendant] against [Plaintiff]." After receipt of Plaintiff's letter, Defendant continued attempts to contact Plaintiff by phone and letter and, subsequently, sued Plaintiff for the debt. In response, Plaintiff filed suit.
The Court found that Plaintiff failed to provide argument in briefing as to three of the five counts brought against Defendant, and accordingly granted summary judgment for Defendant on those counts. However, the Court granted summary judgment in Plaintiff's favor as to one count, finding that "[Defendant] violated [the FDCPA] by continuing to contact [Plaintiff] after [Plaintiff] demanded that [Defendant] stop." Further, the Court denied summary judgment for Defendant regarding Plaintiff's allegation that Defendant violated the TCPA by utilizing an automatic telephone dialing system to call Plaintiff.
First, regarding the FDCPA count, the Court found Defendant's contention that Plaintiff's letter merely "'invited communication' rather than directing [Defendant] to cease all communication" was unpersuasive. Specifically, despite Defendant contention that its letter to Plaintiff after Plaintiff's demand that Defendant refrain from contacting him served merely to "notify [Plaintiff] that we had been unable to reach him and hopefully obtain contact as to the verification of the account," the Court found that the language of the letter and other testimony on the record "blatantly contradicted" such a finding, and held that Defendant was soliciting debt repayment in violation of the FDCPA. Defendant's letter, in relevant part, stated the following: "We remain willing to work with you to resolve this account. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to discuss what options may be available to you. [. . .] Payment may be made to [Defendant] . . . with funds made payable to CACH, LLC."
Second, and more importantly, the Court denied summary judgment for Defendant regarding Plaintiff's allegation that Defendant violated the TCPA by utilizing an ATDS to call Plaintiff's cell phone. Significantly, the Court reasoned that there was a genuine issue of material fact as to whether Defendant called Plaintiff with an ATDS, despite the fact that testimony from Defendant's employee that he (1) "did not know what software [Defendant] used to make calls, but it was made by a company called LIVEVOX." and (2) did not believe the agents made calls to Plaintiff with an ATDS. In other words, although Plaintiff offered no evidence supporting the contention that Defendant called Plaintiff with an ATDS, the Court found Defendant employee's testimony sufficient to show that "it was possible for [Defendant] to use automatic dialers [and] a reasonable juror might not adopt [the] belief that [Defendant] did not use its automated dialing system to call [Plaintiff]." Accordingly, the Court denied Defendant's motion for summary judgment on the count.
David M. Gettings
Dave primarily defends consumer class actions. In a client's words with respect to an FCRA class action he was defending: "He is a forceful and prepared advocate when necessary, but also a peacemaker when that better serves the client. And he never, ever
Dave primarily defends consumer class actions. In a client's words with respect to an FCRA class action he was defending: "He is a forceful and prepared advocate when necessary, but also a peacemaker when that better serves the client. And he never, ever misses a detail or an angle."
Read more about David M. GettingsDavid M.'s Linkedin Profile


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New honors system proposal stirs emotions
Addie Lindenmeyer, Editor-In-ChiefMay 21, 20191 Comment
More stories from Addie Lindenmeyer
Who's that baby?
After only a four year lifespan of weighted grades that was first initiated at the beginning of the 2015-16 school year, the recent proposal of changing the recognition system has become the hot topic of students and faculty alike. Contemplation surrounding the proposal began in the spring of 2018, when the USD 373 Board of Education recommended that the administration look at weighted grades and recognition.
Following the recommendation from the board, a committee of department heads was created to represent each division in the school. From there, departments chairs held discussions with teachers in each department. The majority of staff supported the motion and therefore the proposal was sent to the board.
"In my department, there was at least one person that was very opposed to doing away with weighted grades and I stated that at the department meeting. I said 'Well most of my department is on board, not all,'" Crittenden said. "A lot of other departments said the same thing, not all people in the department were supportive of doing away with weighted grades, but the majority was."
With the introduction of the new honors system, administration is hoping to equally recognize students within core academics and CTE courses, as well as encourage students to participate in classes that will contribute to their futures. Counselor Alex Tyler believes that equity in the recognition of students was a main factor in the initiation of a proposal.
"I think being able to have students not have to make decisions [between core academics and CTE courses] and for them to be able to take classes that they want to take, not just necessarily because they want to get this recognition, is important," Tyler said. "Maybe they miss out on being able to be in journalism or doing that because they couldn't get all of their AP classes in."
STEM/PLTW engineering teacher Brian Rickard agrees with the proposal of unweighted grades claiming that students should take classes that correspond with their desired future career.
"I would say that it's important that students understand the value in the course comes from the content you are able to expose yourself to and learn. If the course has value to you and what your goals are," Rickard said. "Whether your goal is to score well on the ACT, whether your goal is to go to Hutch Community College, whether your goal is to get a job in advanced manufacturing, whether is your goal is to go to fine arts somewhere; you need to be able to understand the value of the course and take the course because of the value that the content gives you."
On the contrary, English teacher Lisa Otter believes that administration and teachers need a way to uphold the value of core courses such as math, English, science and social studies. Otter said removing weighted grades will result in the equal treatment of unequals.
"Not all classes are created equal, there are some that are more academically rigorous. People in other disciplines, they get certificates, they get employment right away out of school, you know all of those things," Otter said. "You need a way to recognize academics, core academics in particular, which kind of tend to get shoved off to the side with all the talk about the value of CTE. We lose some of that liberal arts focus and my philosophy has always been getting students to make a life, not just a living."
Otter said she received similar responses from the students within her three honors courses, most of them livid and holding the belief that the proposal was unjust.
"The other thing that caused me to take this on, is I'm a trauma responsive coach here at the high school. The initial purpose of the program, especially the weighted grades, was to incentivize taking the more rigorous academic courses," Otter said. "A lot of students, that's kind of a safety net for them, they may be more willing to take an honors or an AP course knowing that there is just that little bit of a cushion."
Junior Mariah McDonald said she thinks that weighted grades motivate students to take 'rigorous' courses, as well as positively affect mental health.
"I think we should keep weighted grades. I do like the new cum laude system and all the programs that they are including, however, I think that weighted grades are essential to people's mental health in school or how they value themselves," McDonald said.
Nevertheless, freshman Own Mick said he does not believe unweighted grades will have considerable influence on students' futures.
"It [unweighted grades] doesn't really have an effect on us overall and when you go into college and you hand in your transcript and stuff, they don't really look at it [weighted grades], they'll look at the classes you take," Mick said. "They won't weight it, it's the class itself."
With the proposal of a new honors system, some confusion has emerged surrounding the cum laude system, a method in which students are honored as a result of high academic achievement. As opposed to needing a 4.0 GPA to qualify for the current system, the new system will only require a GPA of 3.8. Counselor Jana Crittenden said that changes within the sophomore and junior classes in relation to weighted courses and cum laude recognition are unknown.
"I know the conversation was that there had to be some type of transitional plan because speaking for my students in the junior class, they have worked really hard and they have planned their schedules for cum laude. I don't think that should be taken away from them," Crittenden said. "I think there's a lot of gray area yet because we don't know what the board is going to do."
Despite conflicts with sporting events and the district wide orchestra concert, a number of students, parents and faculty members joined in the lecture hall on May 7 to voice their opinions surrounding the best interest of students. Otter said she feels as though students should be instrumental in constructing the grading system.
"We still have students who had crafted speeches, we have students with podcasts, we have students who are planning to write and email individual board members, and we do have some students who really don't care one way or another on weighted grades," Otter said.
Despite the May 7 public discussion opportunity, there have been no official decisions for change made within the honors system, although discussion of the topic will not cease.
Crittenden said administration and faculty still have an abundance of questions. The proposal will be an item of information at the June board meeting.
"They may say, 'We don't know' to the way it is currently presented and they may kick it back to us," Crittenden said. "They may come back to us and say ;We want you to have a transition plan before we decide,' so I can't predict that."
While there will be no word from the board until June, in the meantime, Otter encourages her students to keep contact with the board.
"I think a lot of my passion for what we have done here has been because I want you guys [students] to have a voice, you deserve a voice," Otter said. "As far as what is going to happen after the board meeting, I am encouraging students to keep contacting the board members, they are the ones who will be making the decision ultimately, and so knowing that, we don't want it to slip from their minds."
Addie Lindenmeyer, Newtonian Editor-in-Chief
Addie is a senior and a third year Newtonian staff member serving as Editor-in-Chief. Her future goals include pursuing a career in sports medicine or...
One Response to "New honors system proposal stirs emotions"
Cathlina Bergman on May 23rd, 2019 3:33 am
Nicely done, Addie! Great overview of the subject and both sides of the issue.
A couple of clarifications:
1. The new system actually raises the GPA requirements from 3.5 to 3.6 (manga cum laude) and 3.8 (summa cum laude).
2. The Board of Education has this down as a action item (taking a vote) in June, but that may have changed after all the public opposition to the proposal.
Thanks for covering an issue that matters to so many of our students!


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Front Page Politics U.S. WorldFROM JOSEPH FARAH'S G2 BULLETIN
Human Rights court to deliver huge ruling on surveillance
Case alleges government spying incompatible with international standards
The European Court of Human Rights Grand Chamber is preparing to deliver a major ruling on government surveillance tactics, reports Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
The court has agreed to review Big Brother Watch v. U.K., a case that already has resulted in condemnation of federal spying from a panel of the court.
Amnesty International explained the case centers on Britain's "bulk surveillance powers" and will be viewed as a precedent elsewhere.
Amnesty leads a coalition of human rights organizations seeking a definitive judgment that would end bulk interception of communications.
The issue also has been in the courts in the United States, where the bulk interception of cell system data has been challenged.
Lucy Claridge, the director of strategic litigation at Amnesty, said, "The U.K. government's mass surveillance practices are way beyond the pale … people's rights to privacy and freedom of expression are not expendable commodities."
Just months ago, Liberty, Privacy International and Amnesty International were among the 14 rights groups and two individuals that won a landmark victory at the ECtHR. After a five year legal battle, judges found the U.K. surveillance regime revealed by the whistleblower Edward Snowden was illegal.
Amnesty reported the court's decision found the historic bulk interception regime violated the right to privacy protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and to free expression, protected by Article 10.
But the privacy groups decided the judgment did not go far enough with regard to the unlawfulness of bulk interception powers and the fundamental shortcomings in inter-state intelligence sharing based on communications intercepts.
They moved to have the court's Grand Chamber take up the case.
For the rest of this report, and more, please go to Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.