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The forgotten heroes
Randor Guy
chennai:, October 05, 2013 16:08 IST
They once walked tall in the world of Tamil films but are now mere names in the pages of history. Randor Guy recalls the pioneers without whom Tamil cinema couldn't have made such giant strides
Filmmaker K. Subramanyam
On the occasion of the centenary of Indian cinema, particularly the 80th year of Tamil cinema, many of the pioneers of Tamil cinema — filmmakers, on-screen artists, producers and technicians — have sadly been forgotten. In this article, we look back on those men and women who laid the foundation on which the current magnificent edifice stands.
Samikannu Vincent, a clerk with the South Indian Railway, Tiruchi, threw up his job to become the founding father of cinema in South India by building the first cinema house — oddly named 'Variety Hall' — in Coimbatore, which still exists under a different name and ownership.
Hailing from Machilipatnam, Raghupathi Venkaiah, a successful Madras City still photographer, built the first cinema in Madras City 'Gaiety' and also made movies, silent and talkie. He sent his son, Raghupathi Surya Prakash, better known as R. Prakash, to England for training in moviemaking. On his return, Prakash made movies and with his father built a studio, Star of India - Glass Studio, in Purasawalkam behind the famed cinema, Roxy, built by Venkaiah.
The credit for making the first silent film in Madras City goes to R. Nataraja Mudaliar — he made Keechaka Vadham (1916) in his own studio, The India Film Company, on Millers Road, Purasawalkam. This film was a hit and he also made a few more before calling it a day. As Keechaka Vadham was silent, there were 'inter-title cards' between shots, explaining the dialogue or action. They were written in several languages including English, Tamil and Hindi. The Tamil inter-titles were written by Pammal Sambandam Mudaliar; one of the founding fathers of the Renaissance of Tamil Theatre, he was also involved in films in the early days (he was a city civil court judge). The Hindi inter-titles were written by Devdas Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi's son and Rajaji's son-in-law), later a well-known journalist and editor of the Delhi-based English daily Hindustan Times.
Another pioneer was A. Narayanan who was associated with Prakash on his first film Bhishma Pratigna, in which Narayanan played Lord Krishna.
Supplying films
One of the important figures in early Indian film history, Ananthanarayanan Narayanan (1900-1939) was an actor, writer, producer, director, studio-owner and more. Narayanan who hailed from Sivaganga was a graduate of the famed Presidency College, Madras. After entering films, he founded Exhibitor Film Services. This firm supplied films, Indian and foreign, to cinema houses in South India. This led to Narayanan taking theatres on lease in many towns of South India such as Madurai and Calicut. As a representative of Ardeshir M. Irani's famous Imperial Film Company production, Anarkali, Narayanan went West hawking the film. He spent some days in Hollywood, visiting Universal Studios and others. Besides, he established contact with legends such as Douglas Fairbanks, Carl Laemmle, Cecil B. DeMille, John Barrymore and Robert Flaherty.
Another pioneer of Tamil Cinema was one of the disciples of Prakash, and Narayanan's brother, C. V. Raman. A lawyer, he loved to have his name in the credit titles as "C. V. Raman B. A. LL.B." His motto: "Enterprise with caution!" He made good use of his legal knowledge to promote joint stock companies with limited liability.
A historic site
Raman floated Lalitha Cinetone as a limited company with Kasi Chettiar as his main money-backer. Friends like R. Prakash also contributed to the kitty. He acquired a large tract of land on lease with some superstructures in Adayar with Greenways Road on the north and the Adayar River on the south. Brodie Castle was one of the borders. The property belonged to the Nawab of Arcot and the monthly rental was Rs. 150! Thus came into existence the studio that had a chequered history changing hands over half a century and more before finally becoming Sathya Studio and passing into the ownership of the M. G. Ramachandran family. Many memorable movies were made on this historic site, where MGR-Janaki Women's College functions now.
C.V. Raman, however, did not produce any film after establishing his studio at Adayar. Soon Lalitha Cinetone sank into crises and drowned without a trace. Unfazed, Raman at once promoted another movie company, National Theaters Limited. With great difficulty, he produced a silent film Vishnu Leela (1932) after movies began to talk Tamil in 1931. It was directed by R. Prakash.
Narayanan promoted a studio of his own in Kilpauk opposite the Nehru Park at a site called 'Nadar Gardens', and named it after his son, Srinivasa Cinetone. This was the first studio in South India to record songs. Earlier producers went to Calcutta, Bombay, Poona and Kolhapur for this. His wife, Meenakshi Narayanan, worked in the studio as a sound recordist. An orthodox woman attired in a 'madisaar,' she sat at the sound console-mixer and worked. She is the first female sound recordist of Indian Cinema.
Yet another forgotten pioneer is Srinivasa Soundararaja Ayyangar or S. Soundararajan as he preferred to be known. Born in Kumbakonam, he and his father had a successful business in brassware in Madras. He had a flair for the fine arts, and lent financial support to Narayanan. This link laid the foundation for his brilliant career in cinema as director, producer, distributor, laboratory-owner, talent scout and more! He named his production Tamil Nadu Talkies as early as the 1930s.
Like Narayanan, R. Padmanabhan was also born in Sivaganga in 1896, and entered the industry with his firm, Oriental Film Service. Under this banner, he imported foreign films, arc light carbons and other spares. He also bought films made in Bombay for distribution in the South and soon opted for production promoting Associated Films. He had a financial backer, a wealthy lawyer from the port town of Tamil Nadu, Nagapattinam, K. S. Venkatarama Iyer. With Iyer, came his grandson-in-law, also a lawyer named Krishnaswamy Subramaniam.
K. Subramanyam or "Director K. Subramanyam," as he chose to call himself, rose to great heights, carving a niche in Indian Cinema, and making classics such as Seva Sadanam ( which introduced the legend 'MS' to movies), Thyaga Bhoomi and Balayogini.
Sandow's brush with fame
Another sadly neglected figure of Indian Cinema is Raja Sandow (original name P.K. Nagalingam). Born in Pudukottai, he was obsessed from a young age with bodybuilding, gymnastics and wrestling. He developed a stunning physique and started a gymnasium, which proved a success. His reputation as a wrestler spread far and wide reaching Bombay and beyond. Omar Sobhani, a Bombay-based millionaire, textile magnate and philanthropist with an active interest in wrestling, took the south Indian gymnast to Bombay. Sobhani engaged Nagalingam to train him and his rich friends. While in Bombay, Sandow, an avid movie goer, began to feel why he should not act in films. One evening, he walked into the office of National Film Corporation and met producer and director S. N. Patankar who was then making Bhaktha Bhodhana (1922).
Impressed with the visitor's physique and good looks, Patankar instructed one of his assistants to give Sandow a screen test. The assistant director took him to the set and called five of his actors and explained to the newcomer the scene to be shot: Five bad men on horses surround a farming family and ask the farmer to surrender the bags of grain for their granary. When he refuses, the men attack him and he fights back.... Sandow heard it all and then the "acting test" began.
The "Madrasi pehalwan" who knew nothing about acting took his job seriously. In a matter of moments, the horsemen lay on the floor writhing and screaming in pain, blood gushing out of their broken noses and crushed mouths! The poor assistant director hid himself in a corner shivering in fright! Hearing the screams, Patankar rushed out of his office and the sight on the set shocked him! At once he understood what had happened and explained to Sandow that acting meant pretending where bloody realism had no place. Patankar then asked him to do a scene of pathos and Sandow did it so realistically that even the producer found himself sobbing!
(Many years later during the 1960s, the beating-up scene was brilliantly used in the Vijaya-Vauhini production, the M. G. Ramachandran-starrer Enga Veettu Pillai. MGR who knew Sandow and on learning about this incident incorporated it into his film. He enacted the sequence so well it had the audience in splits.)
T.G. Raghavachari was a successful Madras High Court lawyer who ventured into films. In those days cinema did not enjoy a good reputation and so he initially worked anonymously for producers such as S. Soundararajan and AV. Meiyappan. He directed Rishyashringar starring Ranjan and Vasundhara Devi for Soundararajan but his name did not appear in the credits. Then S.S. Vasan brought him into the Gemini Studios family and Raghavachari directed the box office bonanza Mangamma Sapatham in 1943. At Vasan's insistence, he directed this film under the pseudonym 'Acharya'. Many people thought that it was Vasan hiding behind that name! Besides, he worked on the early parts of Chandralekha (1948). The famous drum dance, which finds mention in every book about Indian Cinema, was actually directed by Raghavachari and not by K. Ramnoth as many people think. He used four cameras to shoot the sequence and as he walked out of the film midway for personal reasons Vasan took over and spent as many as six months to edit this single sequence. Later TGR directed for Vasan Apoorva Sahotharargal, also a hit.
The multi-faceted Ramnoth wrote scripts, handled the camera, edited the film and did everything to make the final product glossy. The circus scenes in Chandralekha were his creation. His 'alter ego' A.K. Sekhar was another genius. Besides being an ace art director, he was a sound recordist, editor and director.
Sundar Rao Nadkarni began acting in silent films in Bangalore and soon became an editor and director, making several films in more than one language. His best hit was the MKT-starrer Haridas.
Another forgotten filmmaker who made most of the early films of the first superstar of the Indian Cinema, MKT, was Raja Chandrasekhar. His brother T.R. Raghunath was more successful.
The contribution of music composers such as S.V. Venkataraman, G. Ramanathan and S. Rajeswara Rao, cinematographers Kamal Ghosh and Marcus Bartley cannot be brushed aside. It is difficult to mention all the personalities, especially the stars of Tamil cinema, within the scope of this article.
During the recent centenary celebrations of Indian cinema held in the city, in the full-page ads in colour, drawings of people who contributed to the success of Tamil cinema were highlighted. To the shock of many, there was no illustration of Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, S.S. Rajendran, P. Kannamba, T.R. Rajakumari or such other greats.
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Coalition of scientists, land grant officials urge intervention in ERS, NIFA moves
-The Hagstrom Report
A coalition of former Agriculture Department chief scientists and current and former university administration officials on Tuesday sent letters to the leaders of the House and Senate Agriculture and Agricultural Appropriations subcommittees urging them to intervene in the Trump administration's plans to relocate most of the employees of the Economic Research Service and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture outside of Washington.
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How God Is Al-Mutakabbir (The Exalted in Might)
By Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi
As far as God's sovereignty, loftiness and majesty are addressed Allah is "Al-Mutakabbir".
In order to let us know that there is no god but Him, alone, that nothing is the like of Him, that He has no partners, and that He allows none to take part with Him in His divine decision, God desires to introduce Himself to us by setting the following example:
"He (Allah) sets forth for you a parable from your own selves: do you have partners among those whom your right hands possess (i.e. your slaves) to share as equals in the wealth that We have bestowed on you whom you fear as you fear each other? Thus do We explain the Signs in detail to a people who have sense." [Ar-Rum 30; 28]
The word "Al-Mutakabbir" (the Sublime, the Supreme), is also used to describe a human being, it has an evil negative connotation, simply because such an attribute belongs to God alone. Al-Mutakabbir is someone who sees that all others are little compared to him; and he sees neither might nor glory but in himself. Put differently, he looks upon others just like kings do towards their slaves.
The Arabic noun At-Takabur (being sublime and supreme) therefore reflects divine perfection but human imperfection. It is because Allah is the creator of all worlds, in His Hand is the dominion of all things. If He desires a thing, His command is: "Be!" and it is. To Him all matters are returned for judgment and decision. His divine glory and might are Infinite. Both His divine perfection and knowledge are infinite. His divine power is also infinite: {Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.}(Al-Hashr 59; 23)
If Allah says about Himself that He is Al-Mutakabbir, this means that He knows Himself perfectly. For that the name, Al-Mutakabbir, has to do with another divine name of Allah's, namely Al-Mu'min, which means that He perfectly knows Himself.
Therefore, if a coward says: "I am brave!", this would be a false claim that reflects a serious defect in him. If a mean person says: "I am generous!", this would be imperfect of him. If someone ignorant says: "I am knowledgeable!", it would also be imperfect of him. But if someone knowledgeable says: "I know, and I will answer your question.", and he does answer the question, it would be perfect of him. If a brave person says: "I am brave, and I shall defend you.", and he really does, it would be perfect of him. If someone generous sys: "I am generous. Here you are! Take this money!", it would be perfect of him.
When we say: Allah is Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime, the Supreme) in actual fact it denotes divine perfection. But when we say that a certain human being is mutakabbir, it denotes serious imperfection because it means that he/she is an insolent arrogant person. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, says: "Allah, All-Mighty, says: 'Sublimity is My cloak, and so is Might: if anyone rivals with Me for either of them, I shall cast him into the Fire." [Sunan Abi Dawood]
Different Meanings of Allah Being Al-Mutakabbir
1- Some scholars hold that: "The word "Al-Mutakabbir" is derived from 'Al-Kibria' (Sublimity, Pride); and he who has the right to claim for sublimity or pride is the king." To this effect He says: {They said (to Moses): 'You have come to us to turn us away from that (Faith) which we found our fathers following, and that you two may have sublimity in the land? We are not going to believe you two!} [(Yunus 10; 78]
2- Allah is also Mutakabbir in the sense that His divine sublimity is Infinite, He is great, the one whose divine greatness is Infinite. Thus 'Al-Mutakabbir' (the Sublime) is God, the king, Whose sovereignty never perishes, the Great, in Whose Kingdom nothing happens except by His leave, the One, the Omnipotent.
3- Another meaning is derived from the Arabic word 'Al-Kabeer' (the Great). Allah says: "So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with); and she said (to Joseph): 'Come out before them.' Then, when they saw him (Joseph), they exalted him (because of his great beauty) and (in great astonishment) cut their hands. They said: 'How Perfect is Allah, (Who created Joseph)! This is not a human being! This is none other than a noble angel!" [Yusuf 12; 31] And 'exalted him' here means the deemed him great, as due to Joseph's great beauty, the women cut their fingers.
'Al-Mutakabbir' (the Sublime) is God, the king, Whose sovereignty never perishes, the Great, in Whose Kingdom nothing happens except by His leave, the One, the Omnipotent.
4- Al-Mutakabbir is Allah Who is far exalted above being unjust or unfair to His slaves.
5- Allah, Most Gracious, is Al-Mutakabbir in the sense that in His Hand is Beneficence and from Him is forgiveness.
6- Al-Mutakabbir indicates that His sovereignty, dominion and greatness are imperishable.
7- Another meaning of God's name Al-Mutakabbir is: the great and sublime in the way that sublimity comes from self-existence and self-guidance. Allah has a free will, and Al-Mutakabbir is, who is far above any kind of imperfection or defect that does not befit His divine perfection, and who is far exalted above anthropomorphic qualities. To this effect, Prophet Muhammad says: "Verily, Allah revealed to me that you should be modest so that no one boasts before another and so that no one transgresses against another…" (Sahih Muslim)
Therefore, we have to know Allah, since if we know Him, we obey Him. To this effect, Allah says: {And likewise of men and moving living creatures, beasts and cattle, are of various colors (species). It is only those who have knowledge from among His (Allah's) slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.} (Fatir 35; 28)
What Does the Universe Say of Allah's Greatness?
As He cannot possibly be seen by the human eye, the universe, as His Creation, is quite visible and clearly substantiates God's infinite divine might, majesty and power. To this effect, God says: {We shall show them Our Signs in the universe and in their own selves until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Quran) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He witnesses all things.} (Fussilat 41; 53)
Allah's sovereignty, supremacy and perfection cannot be known except by means of His divine cosmic signs which are wide-spread in the universe, and which betoken His infinite divine might and power: {Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and day, there are indeed Signs for men of understanding: those who (constantly) remember Allah (while they are) standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): 'Our Lord! You have not created (all) this in vain! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the Fire-Torment.} (Al-Imran 3; 190-191)
Do you believe that in the human brain there is a most accurate organ that measures the difference of the sound received by both ears?! This is because the same sound reaches the ear that is nearer to the sound-source 1/1000 of a second before the other. The brain measures such difference and determines the direction of the sound-source. Without such organ, the direction of sound-sources cannot possibly be perceived. Yes, indeed! Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme!
All of us have stores of liquid fuel for our heating systems; and it is known that five cubic meters of oil make five barrels. Do you believe that the human heart pumps eight cubic meters of blood in one single day, the size of the highest sky-scraper in the world in the average life-span of a human being.
Do you believe that the human liver performs more than 5,000 (five thousand) jobs in the human body and that without a liver man can survive only for three hours. The speech about Allah's Divine Miracles in both man and the universe is endless.
Thus, our own body is a teaching aid; the organs of your body, different and numerous as they are, are the greatest teaching aid that leads you to God. To that, He calls our attention: {And also in your own selves (are Signs): will you not then see?!} (Adh-Dhariyat; 21)
Edited from:
http://www.onislam.net/english/reading-islam/understanding-islam/belief/allah/449968-how-allah-is-al-mutakabbirthe-exalted-in-might.html


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Nepal is a landlocked country located in South Asia with China in the north and India in the south, east and west. The country occupies 147,516 sq. km of land and lies between coordinates approximately 28°N and 84°E. Nepal falls in the temperate zone north of the Tropic of Cancer. The entire distance from east to west is about 800 km while from north to south is only 150 to 250 km. Nepal has vast water systems which drain south into India. The country can be divided into three main geographical regions: Himalayan region, mid hill region and the Tarai region. The highest point in the country is Mt. Everest (8,848 m) while the lowest point is in the Tarai plains of Kechana Kalan in Jhapa (60 m).
Map courtesy: Survey Department (Government of Nepal, Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation)
The Tarai region has a width ranging from 26km to 32 km and varies in altitude from 60m to 305 m. It occupies about 17 percent of total land area of the country. Further north, the Siwalik zone (700 – 1,500 m) and the Mahabharat range (1,500m – 2,700m) give way to the Duns (valleys), such as Trijuga, Sindhuli, Chitwan, Dang and Surkhet. The Midlands (600 – 3,500 m), north of the Mahabharat range is where the two beautiful valleys of Kathmandu and Pokhara lie.
The mountainous region begins at 3000m leading up to the alpine pastures and temperate forests limited by the tree-line at 4,000 m and the snow line beginning at 5000 m. Eight of the world's highest peaks (out of fourteen) that are above 8000m lie in Nepal: Mount Everest (8,848 m), Kanchenjunga (8,586 m), Lhotse (8,516 m), Makalu (8,463 m), Cho Oyu (8,201m), Dhaulagiri (8,167 m), Manaslu (8,163 m) and Annapurna (8,091 m). The inner Himalayan valley (above 3,600 m) such as Mustang and Dolpo are cold deserts sharing topographical characteristics with the Tibetan plateau. Nepal holds the so called "waters towers of South Asia" with its 6,000 rivers which are either snow-fed or dependent on rain. The perennial rivers include Mahakali, Karnali, Narayani and Koshi rivers originating in the Himalayas. Medium-sized rivers like Babai, West Rapti, Bagmati, Kamla, Kankai and Mechi originate in the Midlands and Mahabharat range.
Of the163 wetlands documented, the nine globally recognized Ramsar Sites are: Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Beeshazarital (Chitwan), Jagdishpur Reservoir (Kapilvastu) Ghodaghodi Tal (Kailali) in the Tarai, and Gokyo (Solukhumbu), Phoksundo (Dolpa), Rara (Mugu) and Mai Pokhari (Ilam) in the mountainous region. There are more than 30 natural caves in the country out of which only a few are accessible by road. Maratika Cave (also known as Haleshi) is a pilgrimage site associated with both Buddhism and Hinduism. Siddha Cave is below BNDIPUR near Bimal Nagar along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. Pokhara is also known for caves namely Bats' shed (Mahendra Gufa), Batulechar, Gupteswar, Patale Chhango. The numerous caves around Lo Manthang in Mustang include Luri and Tashi Kabum which house ancient murals and chortens dating back to the 13th century.
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Brandon Tsay honored at Alhambra Lunar New Year Festival …
El Paso funeral homes offer services free-of-charge to Walmart shooting victims
by: KTSM
Posted: Aug 3, 2019 / 07:45 PM PDT
Updated: Aug 3, 2019 / 07:45 PM PDT
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso area funeral homes have reached out to the media, offering funeral assistance to families affected by Saturday's shooting at the Cielo Vista Walmart.
Each funeral home has offered services free-of-charge.
Martin Funeral Homes East and West – Please contact Operation Hope at (915) 479-0164.
Perches Funeral Homes (Services in El Paso & Juarez) – Please contact (915) 532-2101.
Sunset Funeral Homes – Please contact them at (915) 587-4408.
Socorro Funeral Home – Please Contact them at (915) 860-7084.
"This is one of the most tragic events in El Paso's history. My heart and prayers go out to the families who lost a loved one, as well as to the survivors and to our entire community who is mourning at this time," Salvador Perches, owner of Perches Funeral Home said. "We must unite as a community to help those directly impacted by this tragedy."
"Sunset Funeral Homes is available to assist and guide families during this tragic and difficult time for our city. All funeral arrangements will be at no cost to families. We stand with our community and ready to help," José Amezcua, Manager of Sunset Funeral Homes.
Martin Funeral Home has partnered with local non-profit, Operation HOPE to ensure all victims and their families are taken care of during this time of need.
Video: Fire crews respond to two-alarm fire in Oakland
Bay Area / 6 mins ago
AP U.S. News / 4 hours ago


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Scott Pelley | Biography
By MyHowBook Team ⚈ Published On: 2013-10-29 13:45:14
Scott Pelley 's facts
Profession Journalist
Married to Jane Boone
Children Blair Pelley, Reece Pelley
Education High School Completed, College Dropout
Education at Coronado High School
Net Worth(s) $ 15 million
Place of Birth San Antonio, Texas
Scott Pelley, originally called as Scott Cameron Pelley, is an American Journalist, who is regarded as one of the most well-qualified and proven television journalists. Currently he is contributing as an anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News and a correspondent for the CBS news magazine 60 minutes. His date of birth is July 28, 1957. Scott was born in San Antonio, Texas. He moved to and grew up in Lubbock. While he was in Lubbock, he graduated from Coronado High School. His father's name is John Elmer Pelley Jr. and mother's name is Wanda Graves Pelley. Scott Pelley and Jane Boone, who once used to work as a correspondent at KXAS in Dallas, Fort Worth, have met for the first time in 1979.Four years later he tied marital knot with Jane Boone Pelley in 1983. He is a happy father of two children- one daughter, Blair Pelley and son, Reece Pelley. Scott Pelley has one brother John Pelley. He joined Texas Tech University in Lubbock to finish his studies majoring in journalism but he didn't.
He started his career in Journalism as a copyboy for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in Texas at such a tender age of fifteen. As law prohibited working at the tender age of fifteen he lied his real age for which the age of sixteen was legal. After that he worked in a local television –then called KSEL now KAMC holding several positions from 1975 to 1978. Scott Pelley, who was born for journalism, can be said, started getting hooked with his job but in different organizations like at KXAS from 1978 to 1981 and WFAA TV from 1982 to 1989. In 1985 Pelley made a report on Guatemalan refugees who were living a hard life in the remote jungle of Mexico. This report was a milestone in his career which helped him to gain the attention of executives at CBS News. Then his real network career started as a New York based reporter along with CBS News in 1989. Since then he commenced to show his magic to the world in the media. He conducted investigations and interviewing key Newsmakers ranging from Darfur refugees, Guatemalan refugees to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to the US President George W. Bush to the US President Barack Obama and many others. Furthermore, Pelley conducted interview with former president Bill Clinton in the aftermath of a terrorist attack on world trade center. Thus, Scott legacy can not be merely described in a few words. He is a man of iron will who seized every valuable and honorary award since his arrival on the network.
In 1999, Scott discontinued working as chief White House correspondent to join '60 minutes'. As soon as Pelley joined the show, he started showing his charm there by reporting several rare stories. In 2004 almost fifty percent of the vital awards gained by the network have been on the account covered by him. Throughout his tenure at the network, Pelley has been providing viewers with major breaking news of the world. During the great economic depression in 2008-2009, Pelley interviewed Ben Bernanke who was a chairman of the Federal Reserve. Later he was honored with a prestigious Emmy Award. In addition to that Pelley has extensively covered the war reports from many deadly spots of the world which includes from the Persian Gulf war to the Iraq invasion. Lately in his show '60 minutes' Pelley conducted interviews with one of Navy SEALS who assisted to kill Osama Bin Laden. Throughout his career Pelley has been honored with many awards and titles. Journalism has been ruling passion in his life. He has presented a report of many rare and sensitive stories from all across the globe. Pelley, along with team has won 'George Foster Peabody Award'.
At the moment Pelley is running at the age of fifty six. He possessed a net worth of $ 15 million. His annual salary is estimated to be $ 5 million. Pelley has not yet divorced with his wife Jane Boone. His complete and detail biography can also be obtained from Wiki and the official site of CBS News Channel. Mentioning more of his trivial matter, his height is 6 feet and 1 inch. At the moment he is happily living with his family.
Masayori Oka, popularly known as, "Masi Oka" is a Japanese-American actor. He is also known as digital effects artist. Oka became widely popular after he played the role of Hiro Nakamura on NBC's 'Heroes'. Masi was born in Tokyo, Japan. Oka celebrates his birthday every year on December 27 as he was born on December 27, 1974. He moved to Los Angeles from Japan with his mother when he was six years old. He made appearance on CBS TV game show 'Child's Play' when he was eight. Oka was even featured on the cover of Time's 'Those Asian-American Whiz Kids'. As per his education, he completed schooling from The Mirman School and completed graduation from the Harvard-Westlake School in the year 1992. Soon after completing graduation, he started working as an English, Japanese and Spanish translator on 1992 Summer Olympics. Oka holds graduation degree from the Brown University majoring in Computer science and mathematics. Oka worked as the musical director of The Bear Necessities while he was studying at Brown.


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Haile Gebrselassie Pacing London, Racing Hamburg
The legend talks about Farah, Bekele and his future: "I'm addicted to running"
By Cathal Dennehy
Giancarlo Colombo /PhotoRun
On Sunday, Haile Gebrselassie will pace the London Marathon as he continues his preparations for the Hamburg Marathon on May 4, an event in which he will face Kenya's Martin Lel and look to break the over-40 world best of 2:08:46. Today, the 40-year-old spoke to Running Times from London about how he trains, what still motivates him to keep racing, and whether he thinks Mo Farah and Kenenisa Bekele will master the marathon.
Running Times: How are things?
Haile Gebrselassie: I'm good. My training is going well. I can do a good marathon in Hamburg. I can't say I'm going to break the world record, but to run a good time is my plan.
RT: This weekend you're pacing the London Marathon. What time are you planning to go through halfway?
HG: It depends on what the athletes need. They don't want to go a crazy pace, because here in London they want to win. Winning is the most important part.
RT: What do you think about Mo Farah's debut? Can he be successful in his first marathon?
HG: He is preparing well; what he needs on Sunday is to learn about the distance, about the marathon itself. In the future he can win many other races. Sunday, maybe, you never know. He can win if he follows the leading athletes until the last 5K. If he can do that, it's going to be his race, no question. Sometimes this kind of race is more tactical, though. The Kenyans and Ethiopians, they start doing crazy things.
RT: Who do you think will win?
HG: There are many, many big names. I have no idea. This marathon is very interesting, not only for you, but for myself, to see who is the best.
RT: How many marathons did it take for you to fully learn the event?
HG: I came to my first marathon not only to win, but to do something fast. The first one, though, is always just to study. I learned how to be patient. When you come from 5,000m, the marathon pace is too slow for you, especially at the beginning. The problem is at the end of the race. At the beginning you always think: Why are the athletes so slow? It then gets harder and harder.
RT: What did you think about Kenenisa Bekele's debut in Paris, winning in 2:05:04?
HG: It was fantastic; he did a very good job. The next marathon he can do something better. There is no question he can break the world record. He has the speed, and everything is there. The only thing is the endurance.
RT: Do you talk much with him?
HG: We meet sometimes in Addis Ababa, but he's training alone. I'm training alone too, so I don't have time to talk more.
RT: What is your training like these days?
HG: It's not like before. I don't run so much, and the quality is a little bit less. You cannot do the whole program that you did years ago. I run about 180 to 200 kilometers a week [110 to 125 miles]; it used to be more than that. I'm trying to do what is important, so I can run well on Sunday, and run well in Hamburg. That is all I need.
RT: What workouts do you do to get ready for a marathon?
HG: On the road, I do fast runs of 20K, 25K or 30K, plus a very important session is the long run in the forest. I go for two to three hours, and can do up to 35 miles; those kinds of thing are very useful for the marathon.
RT: Why motivates you to keep racing at the age of 40?
HG: I think once you start running, it's very difficult to stop. If you are properly disciplined, you can run for years. When I talk about discipline, I mean in training, recovery, what we eat, those things. I'm very busy these days with my business, but I'm addicted to running. To stop running is not an easy thing. I could be jogging, but without competition how are you sweating? If I compete, I sweat; that's what I need. When you don't do competitions, you stop your training runs halfway.
RT: How long will you keep racing?
HG: I have no idea. I can't tell you how long; it's very difficult.
RT: What are your main activities outside of running these days?
HG: My businesses are many things: schools, hotels, cars, real estate. There is other work too, like organizing the Great Ethiopian Run, or work for UNICEF. There are many.
RT: What is your daily routine like?
HG: I wake up at 5 a.m., start my training by 5:30. I finish by 8:30, and after that I go to work until 5 p.m., then I start in my gym. After that I come home and at night by 10 o'clock, I'm asleep.
RT: Do you still do much gym work?
HG: Yeah, a lot. I do a bit of running on the treadmill, cycling, light weights for muscles. I started this gym training in 1993. It's very important. One of our problems used to be because of not doing enough exercises in the gym, but nowadays I think runners are doing the right job.
RT: What are your plans for the future, outside of running. Will you go into politics?
HG: You never know, but for now I only concentrate on running and business, and in the future we will see.
RT: Do your children run? Would you like them to run competitively?
HG: One of them runs, but it's up to them. They can do what they want. I don't push them. My son is trying to play soccer, and that's okay; it's up to him.
RT: Finally, the question everybody asks: What is it about Ethiopia that produces such good distance runners?
HG: If you look at Ethiopians, a crazy amount are running, especially marathons. That's because of history. In 1960, when Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon, everybody wanted to be a runner. People love watching athletics, especially the marathon, and that's a big thing. It's why the Brazilians are crazy about the soccer, because they love the sport, and we're the same in Ethiopia with running.
More From Marathon
Training for a Marathon? Brush Up on These Basics
Eliud Kipchoge Will Attempt Sub-2:00 in Vienna
Galen Rupp Is 'Reinvigorated' by Racing Break
The Most Iconic American Races
Close to Half a Million Enter London Marathon
Why He Ran Pittsburgh With an 11-Pound Vest
48-Year-Old Mom of 3 Qualifies for Marathon Trials
Chicago Marathon Breaks Charity Record
A Seventh World Marathon Major May Be Coming
Haile Gebrselassie Retires From Racing
The Dominator: Haile Gebrselassie
The Haile Gebrselassie Show
Haile Gebrselassie to Enter Ethiopian Politics
Haile Gebrselassie Ponders Presidential Run
Haile Gebrselassie Returns to the Olympic Stage


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« The Witness | Main | From Nevada »
California to Appeal Federal Court Ruling on State's Death Penalty
Today's Los Angeles Times reports, "Atty. Gen. Harris seeks to overturn ban on California executions," by Maura Dolan.
A federal judge's "flawed" decision declaring California's enforcement of the death penalty unconstitutional will be appealed, Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris announced Thursday.
Harris will ask the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn last month's ruling by U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney, who said decades-long delays and uncertainty about whether inmates will be executed violated the Constitution's 8th Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
"I am appealing the court's decision because it is not supported by the law, and it undermines important protections that our courts provide to defendants," Harris said.
Harris personally opposes the death penalty, but promised voters that she would enforce it. Legal analysts said the fate of Carney's ruling will depend in part on which 9th Circuit judges are randomly selected to review it.
Carney's ruling that California's death penalty system was dysfunctional sparked national attention. The judge, who serves in Orange County and was appointed by former President George W. Bush, noted that more than 900 people have been sentenced to death in California since 1978, but only 13 have been executed.
"California to appeal federal ruling on state's death penalty practices," is AP coverage, via the Guardian.
The announcement Thursday by Attorney General Kamala Harris came after US District Judge Cormac Carney in Los Angeles ruled last month that the state's death penalty takes too long to carry out, and that the unpredictable delays are arbitrary and unfair.
Death penalty foes have long argued that California's delays amounted to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment, but until Carney's ruling, the argument failed to persuade a judge.
Harris, however, said the amount of time it takes to execute inmates in California ensures they receive due process.
"I am appealing the court's decision because it is not supported by the law, and it undermines important protections that our courts provide to defendants," Harris said in a prepared statement. "This flawed ruling requires appellate review."
Death penalty foes had called on Harris to let Carney's ruling stand rather than risk a reversal in the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals.
"We hope the 9th Circuit will recognize that California's death penalty system is as broken and unconstitutional as Judge Cormac found," Matt Cherry, executive director of Death Penalty Focus, which seeks to abolish capital punishment, said in response to Harris's move.
"Kamala Harris will appeal death penalty ruling," is by David Siders for the Sacramento Bee.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris said Thursday she will appeal a federal judge's ruling that the state's death penalty is unconstitutional.
"I am appealing the court's decision because it is not supported by the law, and it undermines important protections that our courts provide to defendants," Harris, a Democrat, said in a prepared statement. "This flawed ruling requires appellate review."
The appeal comes after U.S. District Judge Cormac J. Carney ruled in July that the state's administration of the death penalty is so dysfunctional that it violates the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Earlier coverage of the California Federal District Court's ruling begins at the link.
Friday, 22 August 2014 at 10:41 AM in Abolition, Capital Punishment, Incarceration, Judiciary, Post-Conviction Review, Sentencing | Permalink
Tags: 9th Circuit, California, California Attorney General, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, capital punishment, death penalty, death row, death sentence, Ernest Dewayne Jones, federal district court, Judge Cormac J. Carney, Kamala Harris, post-conviction review, sentencing, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit


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HomeClips
ClipsManchester United
Sancho still faces 'hurdles' before being ready for Man Utd return says Ten Hag
ERIK TEN HAG admits Jadon Sancho still faces "hurdles" before he is mentally and physically ready to return to action. But the Manchester United boss is desperate to get his winger back. 1Jadon Sancho hasn't played for Manchester United since October 22Credit: Getty Sancho is not injured, yet the £73million star has not featured in the squad since the home game against West Ham on October 30, when he remained on the bench. Ten Hag said: "We have some hurdles to take — but I think he's in a good direction. The physical is also a connection with the mental. "He is now making good progress on the physical part and it will help him. "I think, let's say I hope, he can return quickly — but I also can't say a duration of how long that will be." Having missed out on Gareth Southgate's England squad for Qatar, Sancho, 22, was also left out of United's group which went on a training camp to Spain during the World Cup. Instead, Ten Hag sent the ex-Borussia Dortmund ace to Holland for some individual fitness sessions. And, while Sancho is now back at Carrington, he is still training away from the first-team squad. Dutchman Ten Hag added: "Sometimes it's good to go away from the place where you are every day to get a new vibe and experience. HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL "People have a different approach and this can give you the right push to get back on track. Football players are not robots. "I would like him back as soon as possible. "I will do everything in my power — but there are some processes that you cannot force. "I will be really happy the moment he returns to the squad for team training, that's the next thing. "The good thing is that he is back at Carrington — it shows he is making progress and he is ready for the next step."
Frank Lampard demands his Everton flops show 'big balls' to keep him in a job
Man Utd to step up Randal Kolo Muani transfer pursuit as replacement for Ronaldo


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New Zealand judge rules Dotcom warrants invalid
Kim Schmitz
By Associated Press - Associated Press - Thursday, June 28, 2012
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND (AP) - A New Zealand judge has ruled that police warrants used to seize computer hard drives from Kim Dotcom's mansion weren't legally valid.
Police executed the search and seizure warrants during a January raid on Dotcom's home near Auckland.
Dotcom is the founder of Hong Kong-based file-sharing site Megaupload. He's accused by U.S. prosecutors of facilitating Internet piracy on a massive scale. Charged with racketeering and money laundering, he's fighting U.S. attempts to extradite him.
Justice Helen Winklemann ruled Thursday the warrants were overly broad and that New Zealand authorities also acted unlawfully by handing digital copies to the FBI.
Winkelmann has not yet decided upon any remedies. What impact her ruling, which is likely to be appealed, will have on the complex case will likely become clearer in coming weeks.
Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC.


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25 reasons the whole world is obsessed with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
The world is obsessed with Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau was elected the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada in October 2015, and instantly won fans with his progressive and liberal policies.
He's handsome, he's a feminist, and he's a family man.
In honor of Canada Day on Friday, July 1, here are 25 reasons why the world is obsessed with Canada's prime minister:
Trudeau is a progressive leader and isn't afraid of immigration. More than 28,000 Syrian refugees have been welcomed to Canada since November 2015.
He doesn't just speak; he acts. Trudeau went to the airport to personally greet refugees arriving in December and gave them winter coats.
"This is a wonderful night where we get to show not just a plane load of new Canadians what Canada is all about, but we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinarily difficult situations," he said, according to the New York Times.
He has repeatedly called himself a feminist. "If you're a progressive, you really should be a feminist because it's about equality, it's about respect, it's about making the best of the world that we have," he said.
He's combating climate change and promoting clean energy practices. 81% of Canada's electricity is already provided by hydroelectric, solar, wind, and nuclear power. He signed the Paris Agreement in 2016.
He's an LGBT ally and will be the first sitting prime minister to march in Toronto's Pride Parade, which takes place July 3. He has attended pride parades before, like the Toronto parade in 2013 (seen below) and the Vancouver parade in 2015.
He's all for the legalization of marijuana on the basis of minimizing underage access and reducing crime around selling illegal pot. He's also admitted to smoking in the past.
When he was sworn is as the 23rd prime minister, he established a diverse cabinet with an equal number of men and women. When asked to explain why, he said, "Because it's 2015."
He's fighting to reduce childhood poverty.
He's a family man. He and his wife, Canadian TV host Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, are the parents of Xavier, eight, Ella-Grace, seven, and Hadrien, two.
He was once a schoolteacher! He studied literature in college, started (but didn't finish) an engineering degree, and studied environmental geography for a year. He went on to teach math and French for a bit.
He and Obama are now besties.
Happy Canada Day, JT!
წყარო
ტეგები: Canada Day Justin Trudeau


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Hacienda announces first New Year's Eve Party in five years – how to get tickets
Arts & Culture, City of Manchester, Music, Nightlife
Pic Dominic Simpson
The Hacienda has announced that it's holding its first New Year's Eve party for five years at a new intimate warehouse space just a stone's throw away from the original club on Whitworth Street West.
The event at Viadux Warehouse will bring together six of the club's original residents who helped shape its musical direction, playing week in, week out at the club, breaking the records that went on to influence dance music worldwide – Graeme Park, Greg Wilson, Tom Wainwright, Jon Dasilva, Allister Whitehead and Chad Jackson.
Greg Wilson was the first DJ ever to mix live on TV on Channel 4's The Tube, was Saturday night resident 1983 to 1984. He was followed by Chad Jackson, then DMC World Mix Champion, as Saturday's resident from 1985 to 1986.
As acid house took charge of the club in the late eighties, Jon Dasilva ushered in a new era with the revolutionary Hot night. Graeme Park arrived in August 1988 to share Nude night duties with Mike Pickering.
When the club reopened in May 1991, Mike and Graeme took charge of Friday and Saturday nights respectively and brought in new residents – Allister Whitehead was added to Shine whilst Tom Wainwright formed a legendary partnership with Graeme on what became known as Squiggle.
"I'm very excited to be bringing in the New Year with the Haçienda this Hogmanay," said Graeme.
"It's been years since I DJ'd in Manchester on New Year's Eve and they were always among the highlights of any year at The Haçienda. This amazing new venue promises to make this a very special event indeed. And it's across the road from the original Haçienda! What? Yes! Come on then!"
Band on the Wall to reopen following £3.5 million expansion project
Get your footie fix this August bank holiday weekend at Dive Bar
Manchester's 'baby grand' hotel launches exclusive private dining and screening rooms
Unlock your inner Hogwarts student and help break this Guinness World Record attempt at The Printworks


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USER AGREEMENT dated 27.11.2019
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7.1. The Website may contain references to other web-resources of a third-party. The Firm applies every effort to ensure removing any references to unreliable, fraudulent or any other similar web-resources. However, their work is not governed by this Agreement. The Firm is not responsible for the content of web-resources belonging to the third party and their functioning, including possible harm that could be caused to the Users on the referred web-resources.
8. Insecurity
8.1. AN ACCESS TO THE WEBSITE IS PROVIDED TO THE USER ON AN «AS IS» BASIS. THE FIRM HEREBY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENT AND THE WEBSITE. AMONG OTHERS, THE FIRM CANNOT GIVE GUARANTEES TO THE USER THAT: (i) the Website does not contain software errors, shall work without outages, is also consistent with the User's devices and shall be correctly displayed on such devices; (ii) the Website and its separate pages shall be constantly available to the User; (iii) the Website contains complete, comprehensive, accurate, error-free and suitable for the User's needs information about the Firm and its activities and reference, news, analytical materials on the legal and other issues; (iv) the pages of the Website shall look the same as they do online while printing or recording on a machine-readable storage device; (v) the Website does not contain information denied or restricted in the country of the User's location; (vi) the Website does not contain information that, in the User's view, might be incorrect or offensive.
8.2. When using the Website, the User is obliged to rely on his own antiviruses, firewalls and other information security assets. The Firm makes every possible effort to ensure the protection of the Website from the hacker attacks, cybercrimes and other harmful and dangerous activities committed by unidentified external parties that might harm the User. However, the Firm disclaims any warranty concerning illegal use of the Website and its Content by the third parties that could result in damage to the User.
9.1. The Firm is not liable for any violation of obligations under the Agreement and incurring User's loss as the result of using the Website, save in cases of intent of the Firm. The Firm is not liable for causing any other harm to the User, unless it caused through the fault of the Firm.
9.2. The User is liable for the violation of this Agreement, as well as intellectual rights and other rights of the Firm in its entirety in accordance with the applicable legislation (paragraph 11 of the Agreement), and also the legislation in force in the User's location (if the User's actions constitute a crime or any other offence under the law of this State).
10. Confidentiality
10.1. The User login and password (to login to Personal cabinet) is considered confidential information. The User has no right to disclose logins and passwords to the third parties, as well as use and store them in such a way that the third party can get an access to them.
10.2. The User's personal data is a confidential information and is processed in accordance with the Policy of «Gorodissky & Partners Law Firm, LLC» regarding personal data processing on the Website.
10.3. Messages sent through the Feedback form are considered to be confidential information and shall not be disclosed by the Firm, except in the following cases: (i) the User who sent the Message asked by himself in written form for its disclosure to the third party or its promulgation; (ii) the Message is to be disclosed as directed by the competent court upon legitimate demand of law enforcement bodies and other public authorities on an equal basis with applicable legislation (paragraph 11 of the Agreement); (iii) access to the Message is given to the contractors of the Firm delivering technical support, maintenance of the Website and information systems of the Firm on condition that a confidentiality agreement extending to the Messages were signed with them; (iv) Messages contain information on the committed or prepared crimes, administrative offences or offence indications.
10.4. Use of cookies
Personal data is never collected by the Firm in secret from the Users. The statistics service may be applied on the Website, as well as identifying of public interest and other similar instruments collecting and analyzing only non-personal data.
The Website can automatically save cookies on the Users' computers (small text files of a technical nature) not containing personal data and are not used to identify the User. In case the User does not want to save the specified files on his computer, he can at any time change the browser settings and delete the saved files by using the standard browser functionality.
11. Applicable law and dispute resolution
11.1. This Agreement and all relations of the Parties due to the use of the Website are regulated by the law of Ukraine.
11.2. All disputes arising in connection with the present Agreement or related to the use of the Website shall be settled through the courts at the location of the Firm.
12.1. Requests on issues related to the Website and allegations of copyright infringement and (or) related rights should be sent by e-mail: office@gorodissky.ua or to the following mailbox: 25 (A) Vyacheslava Chernovola street, Office 227, 01135 Kiev, Ukraine
WEBSITE DATA PRIVACY POLICY
1.1 This Website Data Privacy Policy (the Policy) is adopted by Law Firm «Gorodissky & Partners» Ltd. registered at 25, Bolshaya Spasskaya str., bldg. 3, Moscow, 129090, Russia, taxpayer identification number (TIN) 7702195561, primary state registration number (OGRN) 1027739045630 (hereinafter referred to as the Operator). The Policy applies to personal data processing through websites www.gorodissky.ru and www.gorodissky.com administered by the Operator (jointly, the Websites).
1.2 This Policy is based on the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Federal Law On Information, Information Technologies and Information Security No. 149-ФЗ dated 27 July 2006, the Federal Law On Personal Data No. 152-ФЗ dated 27 July 2006 and other data protection and processing regulations of Russia.
1.3 This Policy sets forth the main principles, purposes, procedure and conditions of the personal data processing and the implemented data security requirements. The purpose of this Policy is to ensure that the data subjects rights and freedoms are protected.
1.4 This Policy is permanently published (posted) on the Websites to ensure unimpeded access to this Policy.
1.5 The personal data is processed in the Russian Federation and in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation (the Applicable Laws).
2. MAIN TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
2.1 Unless otherwise expressly stated herein, this Policy shall be applied, construed and interpreted according to the following terms in singular or plural, whether capitalized or regular.
— Applicable Laws shall mean the laws of the Russian Federation.
— Feedback Forms shall mean web forms intended for sending electronic messages to the Operator.
— Information shall mean details (messages, data), regardless of their form.
— Operator shall mean Law Firm Gorodissky & Partners LLC.
— Data Blocking shall mean temporary suspension of personal data processing (except where the processing is required to clarify personal data).
— Collection of Personal Data shall mean a dedicated process of obtaining the Personal Data directly from the User.
— Destruction of Personal Data shall mean any actions resulting in impossibility to restore the contents of the Personal Data in the Personal Data Information System and (or) in the destruction of media containing Personal Data.
— Distribution of Personal Data shall mean any actions aimed at the public disclosure of the Personal Data.
— Personal Data Information System shall mean a set of personal data contained in databases together with information technologies and data processing tools.
— Data Processing shall mean an action (operation) or set of actions (operations) with the Personal Data as described in this Policy.
— Provision of Personal Data shall mean any actions aimed at the disclosure of personal data to a particular person or a particular group of persons.
— Personal Data shall mean any information relating to a directly or indirectly identified or identifiable individual (data subject).
— Personal Data Storage shall mean a process of keeping systematized Personal Data in the Operators possession.
— Personal Data Subject shall mean an individual to whom the Personal Data pertain.
— Policy shall mean this Website Data Privacy Policy.
— User shall mean an individual visiting (using) the Websites according to the User Agreement .
— Websites shall mean the websites www.gorodissky.ru and www.gorodissky.com administered by the Operator.
3. DATA PROCESSING PRINCIPLES
3.1 The privacy policy for the Websites is that the Personal Data must be processed only in cases and according to the procedure specified by law with a view to the main business of the Operator and the balance of interests of the Operator and the Data Subjects. The Personal Data shall be processed in a way ensuring legal protection of the Data Subjects rights and freedoms including the protection of their right to privacy, personal and family secrets. The Data Processing shall be based on the following principles:
— Operator shall process the Personal Data on a legal and fair basis;
— Data Processing shall be limited to concrete, pre-determined and lawful purposes;
— Data Processing incompatible with the purposes of the Collection of Personal Data is prohibited;
— Integration of databases containing the Personal Data, which is processed for the purposes incompatible with each other, is prohibited;
— Personal Data shall be processed only if it meets the Data Processing purposes;
— Contents and scope of the Personal Data being processed shall meet the declared processing purposes; it is prohibited to process excessive Personal Data as compared to the declared processing purposes;
— Accuracy, sufficiency and, where necessary, relevancy to the purposes of the Data Processing shall be ensured. The Operator shall take all necessary actions (or ensure that they are taken) to delete or clarify incomplete or inaccurate Personal Data;
— Personal Data shall be stored in the form enabling identification of the Data Subject for no longer than it is required for the purposes of the Data Processing unless otherwise agreed and the Data Subject shall act as a party, beneficiary or guarantor under such agreement. Unless otherwise established by law, the processed Personal Data shall be destroyed when the processing purposes are achieved or become irrelevant.
4. PERSONAL DATA CATEGORIES AND PROCESSING PURPOSES
4.1 The User Personal Data may be processed on the Websites for the following purposes:
— Communications;
— Mailings and promotion of services;
— Events registration;
— User account; and
— Other purposes determined as set forth in the Operators internal documents.
Specific purposes may be also specified in a Feedback Form.
4.2 The Feedback Forms shall be composed in a way ensuring that the contents and scope of the Personal Data are consistent with the declared processing purposes.
4.3 The Operator shall not process sensitive categories of the Personal Data, such as race, national identity, criminal record, political views, and religious or philosophical beliefs. No biometric Personal Data of the User (for example, photos) shall be processed on the Websites.
4.4 The Operator shall never collect the Personal Data secretly. The Websites may contain analytical services calculating visits, assessing the level of visitors interest and any other similar tools collecting and analysing solely depersonalized information (not personal data). The Websites may automatically save cookies (small technical text files) to the User computer. Such cookies shall not contain the Personal Data and they shall not be used for establishing the identity of the User. If the User does not want to save the said files to his or her computer, he or she may at any time change the browser settings and delete the files already saved using the standard functions of the browser.
4.5 The Operator shall not use the Websites to process any financial information or credit card details of the User.
5. LEGAL GROUNDS FOR DATA PROCESSING
5.1 The legal grounds for the Data Processing include a set of legal acts, according to which the Operator processes the Personal Data and protects the Data Subjects rights.
5.2 The legal grounds for the Data Processing with the use of the Websites include the following legal rules: Article 10 of the Federal Law On Information, Information Technologies and Information Security No. 149-ФЗ dated 27 July 2006, Article 18 of the Federal Law On Advertising No. 38-ФЗ dated 13 March 2006, Article 6 (1) (1, 5) and Article 14(3) of the Federal Law On Personal Data No. 152-ФЗ dated 27 July 2006, and other regulations depending on the specific processing purposes.
6. DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE AND CONDITIONS
6.1 The Personal Data shall be processed on the Websites with and without the automation tools within the time period as necessary for the processing purposes. The Operator may cease the Data Processing upon achieving the processing purposes, Data Subjects consent withdrawal, winding-up of the Operator business or the Websites, or changing the Websites functions.
6.2 The Operator uses the Websites to collect, record, extract and use the User personal data. The Operator may perform transborder transfer of the Personal Data if and where necessary and subject to the Applicable Laws. Prior to a transborder transfer, the Operator shall check whether the country where the Personal Data will be transferred ensures an adequate level of protection of the Data Subjects rights.
6.3 Other operations with the Personal Data, including storage, shall be carried out without the Websites. These operations are regulated by the Operator internal documents.
6.4 In order to communicate with the Users, the Operator provides the Feedback Forms and processes the submitted inquiries for the purpose of liaising with the Users. The Operator does not keep the inquiries on the Websites. All inquiries are forwarded for processing to the authorized employees. The Operator shall process only those User Personal Data that is specified in appropriate fields of the Feedback Forms. For example, such Personal Data may include the following (depending on a specific Feedback Form): full name; contact details; data contained in the CV and its attachments; name of the employer; position; message content; and others. The Operator's employees do not use the Websites for sending responses to the User's inquiries.
6.5 The Websites offer mailings to the Users. The Users may determine the mailing topics, such as: advertisements, reviews of laws and case law, news, reference information, and other materials. The Operator may organize the mailings with or without the User Personal Data as described below:
6.5.1 Subject to the User's consent, the Organizer may collect the Personal Data (for example, full name, contact details, positions, employer name, etc.) through the relevant mailing web-form and use it to customize the mailings, direct targeted advertisements, and for other similar purposes;
6.5.2 User may key in his/her email address in the relevant mailing form. In such a case, no Personal Data shall be processed and no information relating to a directly or indirectly identified or identifiable individual shall be requested or collected.
6.6 The Users may register for an informational or marketing event on the Websites. Full name, contact details, position, and other Personal Data may be processed for the registration purposes. The User may receive the registration confirmation or refusal by e-mail or phone.
6.7 The Users', acting as the Operator's clients shall complete their online registration to use their accounts. For this purpose, they shall provide the Operator with their full names, contact details (i.e. emails), logins and passwords chosen by the Users, and other Personal Data through the relevant Feedback Form.
6.8 The Operator shall always process the Personal Data upon the User consent unless otherwise prescribed by the laws of Russia.
6.9 For the declared purposes, the Operator may disclose the Personal Data to third parties, including its affiliated companies, and assign the Data Processing to a third party processor according to an agreement which must contain confidentiality clauses and other mandatory clauses prescribed by the Applicable Laws.
6.10 The Operator always collects the Personal Data based on the following:
— all Personal Data belongs only to the User who filled out the Feedback Form (use of third-party data is prohibited);
— User is 18 or older and he/she is legally capable; and
— User has provided accurate and up-to-date Personal Data.
If the Operator believes that any of the above conditions is not met, the Operator may request that the User clarify the Personal Data prior to considering his/her message.
6.11 When collecting the Personal Data, the Operator shall ensure recording, systematizing, accumulating, storing, clarifying (updating, changing) and retrieving of the Personal Data of the Russian Federation citizens with the use of the databases located in the territory of the Russian Federation.
6.12 The Users' Personal Data constitute confidential information according to the Applicable Laws. The Operator shall take actions necessary and sufficient to ensure due performance of the obligations prescribed by the Russian personal data law. If necessary, the Operator shall take the following actions aimed at protecting the Data Subjects' rights:
— Appointment of the data protection officer;
— Adoption of the Privacy Policy, other internal policies on the Data Processing matters, data breach revealing, preventing and elimination procedures;
— Application of legal, organizational and technical measures ensuring the security of the Personal Data as prescribed by the Applicable Laws;
— Internal control and/or audit of the compliance of the Data Processing with the Russian personal data law and other regulations adopted in accordance with them, the requirements to Personal Data protection, the Operator's Privacy Policy and other internal policies;
— Assessment of harm that may be caused to the Data Subjects in case of a data breach, correlation between the said harm and measures taken by the Operator to ensure performance of the obligations established by the Russian personal data law;
— Acquaintance of the Operator's employees directly processing the Personal Data with the provisions of the Russian personal data law, including the data protection requirements, the Privacy Policy, other internal policies on Personal Data Processing, and/or training of the said employees; and
— Ensuring unrestricted access to the Privacy Policy and to the information on the implemented data protection requirements including the publication of this Policy on the Websites.
6.13 The Personal Data security shall be ensured by the Operator, in particular, by:
— Determining the data security threats during the processing in the Personal Data Information Systems;
— Applying organizational and technical measures to ensure the data security during its processing in the Personal Data Information Systems according to the data protection requirements corresponding to the data protection levels established by the Government of the Russian Federation;
— Applying the information security tools that were assessed according to the prescribed procedure for compliance assessment;
— Assessing the efficiency of the measures taken to ensure data security before putting the Personal Data Information Systems into operation;
— Keeping records of digital media;
— Detecting unauthorized access to the Personal Data and implementing the relevant measures;
— Recovering the Personal Data modified or destroyed as a result of the unauthorized access;
— Setting forth the rules for access to the Personal Data processed in the Personal Data Information Systems and ensuring the registration and record of all actions taken with regard to the Personal Data in the Personal Data Information Systems; and
— Controlling the data security measures and the data protection level relevant for the Personal Data Information System.
6.14 The Operator hereby publishes the information on the implemented data protection requirements. As necessary and subject to the threats relevant to the information systems ensuring the operation of the Websites, the Operator shall comply with the following requirements (or ensure their implementation by the third-party processors):
— Ensures the security of premises accommodating the information systems to prevent any person without appropriate access rights from uncontrolled intrusion or stay in these premises;
— Ensures the safety of data media;
— Adopts a list of employees whose work duties require access to the Personal Data processed in the information systems (by a CEO's decision);
— Uses information security tools, of which compliance with the information security requirements of the applicable laws is duly assessed and confirmed, when such tools are necessary for the neutralization of actual threats; and
— Appoints an employee or a business unit as a data protection officer.
7.1 The User shall have the right to
— Receive the information relating to his or her Data Processing, access to his/her Personal Data, and receive a copy of any record containing his/her Personal Data, except for the cases prescribed by the laws of Russia;
— Detail his/her Personal Data, block or destroy when so prescribed by law;
— Appeal against the Operator's actions (omissions) to the competent authorities;
— Protect his/her rights and legitimate interests including the compensation of damages and/or moral hazard in a judicial or other appropriate legal procedure;
— Revoke his/her consent to the Data Processing; and
— Exercise any other rights provided by the Russian personal data law.
8. PERSONAL DATA UPDATE, CORRECTION, DELETION AND DESTRUCTION
8.1 If it is revealed and confirmed that the Personal Data is inaccurate or processed illegally, this Personal Data shall be updated or the Data Processing shall be terminated.
8.2 Unless otherwise prescribed by the Applicable Laws, the Personal Data shall be destroyed upon achieving the Data Processing purposes or revoking the Data Subject's consent.
9. RESPONSES TO REQUESTS AND INQUIRIES
9.1 The Operator uses its best efforts to process the Personal Data transparently and promptly respond to requests and inquiries received from the Users, the Data Protection Authority and other state authorities.
9.2 Requests, inquiries, and other messages about the inaccuracy of Personal Data, illegal Data Processing, revocation of consent, Data Subject's access to his or her data, and any other issues concerning the Data Processing and protection, shall be sent to pat@gorodissky.ru or by regular mail to: 25, bldg 3, Bolshaya Spasskaya street, Moscow, 129090, Russia.
10.1 This Policy shall enter into force when published (posted) on the Websites and remain effective until cancelled or replaced with a new version.
10.2 The Operator may unilaterally amend or supplement this Policy. The new version of this Policy shall enter into force when it is published (posted) on the Websites unless otherwise specified in that new version. Should the amendments affect the Users' rights, the Operator may notify the Users of these amendments by sending a notice according to their contact details or otherwise.
10.3 In case of any dispute connected with the application or fulfilment of this Policy, the Operator and the affected Data Subject shall use their best efforts to resolve it through negotiations and (or) mutual compromises. In case the dispute is not resolved through negotiations and (or) mutual compromises, the dispute shall be resolved according to the laws of Russia.


text:
Jewish World Review Nov. 15, 2006 / 24 Mar-Cheshvan, 5767
Voters sent Congress a clear message: End corruption now. Will Democrats listen and, more important, act?
By Jonathan Turley
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | In her first statement after the Democratic takeover of the House, the presumptive new speaker, Nancy Pelosi of California, pledged that her party would create "the most honest, the most open and the most ethical Congress in history."
History, however, should give citizens pause before they celebrate the dawn of a new day. Pelosi's promise is eerily similar to the vows of her two predecessors.
Notably, in this election, Democrats took back the seats that they lost in 1994 when Newt Gingrich, who became speaker, led a Republican takeover based in part on his promise to create the most ethical Congress in history. Yet, ethics quickly gave way to earmarks, and Gingrich left the House in scandal.
We heard the same words from Dennis Hastert in 1999, when he became speaker. During Hastert's speakership, the leadership actually loosened ethics rules and prevented some bipartisan reforms from coming to the House floor. Hastert even engineered the removal of GOP members from the ethics committee who had voted to admonish former majority leader Tom DeLay for his misconduct - before DeLay resigned under indictment.
This history explains why lobbyists on K Street are not packing moving boxes in anticipation of an outbreak of good government. After all, these same Democrats remained silent for many years in the face of corrupt practices, often engaging in the very conduct that would now have to be prohibited.
A vote against corruption
Even so, there is one unexpected glimmer of hope: They might not have a choice. To the surprise of both parties, exit polls cited corruption in Congress as one of the most important issues motivating citizens to vote. President Bush had campaigned for some of the most corrupt members of Congress. His political adviser, Karl Rove, admitted after the elections that "the profile of corruption in the exit polls was bigger than I'd expected."
Of course, "reform" can take the most curious forms in the parallel moral universe of Congress. For example, in 1997, the mislabeled House Ethics Reform Task Force moved to prevent ethics charges rather than ethics violations. Not only did the members bar citizens from bringing charges, but both parties also entered into a secret 7-year moratorium on any ethics charges by members.
While Republicans richly deserve the lion's share of blame for the grotesquely corrupt 109th Congress, it is only fair to note that ranking Democrats have long fought to preserve and benefit from many of the same loopholes and technicalities.
Democratic whip Dick Durbin of Illinois has been criticized for accepting trips for himself and his wife that were paid for by outside groups such as the not-for-profit Aspen Institute. Likewise, the presumptive Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, was recently scrutinized for alleged ethics lapses, including a controversial land deal in Las Vegas and the use of campaign funds to give Christmas bonuses to workers at his luxury condo building in Washington.
None of this means that the Democrats cannot show that they are capable of personal change with needed political reform. Yet, the last Democratic proposals for ethics reforms contain obvious gaps that would allow the continuation of corrupt practices, including some favored by their leadership.
If Pelosi is serious about "draining the swamp," here are 10 practices that would have to end:
Free vacations.
Prohibit travel for members and their family and staff paid by outside groups, including not-for-profit organizations.
Playing the market.
Bar members from legislating in areas where they have financial interests by closing a loophole in the definition of "outside income," which excludes investments and stocks. Better yet, require the use of blind trusts by members (already used by executive and judicial officers).
Quid pro quo deals.
End the practice of receiving windfall private deals from partners, who then receive generous government contracts. Require recusal from any matter in which a business partner has a direct financial interest.
Self-policing.
Create an independent office of ethics in which non-members investigate and rule on allegations of unethical conduct.
Misuse of campaign funds.
Prohibit the use of such funds for any purpose other than direct campaign costs for the original recipient, barring the transfer of funds to other candidates.
Family lobbyists.
Bar members from any official contact with family members who are employed as lobbyists and require recusal from any committee with jurisdiction over issues on which a spouse or a child is a lobbyist. Enact an ethics principle that expressly condemns the employment of spouses or children as lobbyists as harmful to the institution.
Family businesses.
Strengthen nepotism rules, including a ban on the hiring of spouses and family as campaign staff or contractors.
Change the scope of prohibited gifts to include the use of private jets by members and catered food for members or staff. Also require the valuation of gifts by an independent ethics committee.
Club privileges.
End all special access to the floor and other areas for former members that allows them free access as lobbyists.
Earmarks.
The primary currency for corrupt practices and pork barrel projects remains earmarks - special pet projects inserted into budgets outside of the usual competitive bidding and appropriations processes. Democrats have proposed changes but not the most obvious: Ban earmarks.
Believing in Pelosi's promise is the ultimate victory of hope over experience. Indeed, Democratic proposals still fall short of a true cleaning as opposed to a quick dust and polish in the "first 100 hours." Yet, if she implements these 10 reforms, Pelosi can prove that it is possible for reformed sinners to sin no more.
JWR contributor Jonathan Turley is a law professor at George Washington University. Click here to visit his website. Comment by clicking here.
© 2005, Jonathan Turley