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- Year Published: 1866
- Language: English
- Country of Origin: Russia
- Source: Dostoyevsky, F. (1866). Crime and Punishment. Moscow, Russia: The Russian Messenger.
- Flesch–Kincaid Level: 7.2
- Word Count: 7,803
Dostoyevsky, F. (1866). Part 3, Chapter 5. Crime and Punishment (Lit2Go Edition). Retrieved May 18, 2013, from
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. "Part 3, Chapter 5." Crime and Punishment. Lit2Go Edition. 1866. Web. <>. May 18, 2013.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "Part 3, Chapter 5," Crime and Punishment, Lit2Go Edition, (1866), accessed May 18, 2013,.
Raskolnikov was already entering the room. He came in looking as though he had the utmost difficulty not to burst out laughing again. Behind him Razumihin strode in gawky and awkward, shamefaced and red as a peony, with an utterly crestfallen and ferocious expression. His face and whole figure really were ridiculous at that moment and amply justified Raskolnikov’s laughter. Raskolnikov, not waiting for an introduction, bowed to Porfiry Petrovitch, who stood in the middle of the room looking inquiringly at them. He held out his hand and shook hands, still apparently making desperate efforts to subdue his mirth and utter a few words to introduce himself. But he had no sooner succeeded in assuming a serious air and muttering something when he suddenly glanced again as though accidentally at Razumihin, and could no longer control himself: his stifled laughter broke out the more irresistibly the more he tried to restrain it. The extraordinary ferocity with which Razumihin received this “spontaneous” mirth gave the whole scene the appearance of most genuine fun and naturalness. Razumihin strengthened this impression as though on purpose.
“Fool! You fiend,” he roared, waving his arm which at once struck a little round table with an empty tea-glass on it. Everything was sent flying and crashing.
“But why break chairs, gentlemen? You know it’s a loss to the Crown,” Porfiry Petrovitch quoted gaily.
Raskolnikov was still laughing, with his hand in Porfiry Petrovitch’s, but anxious not to overdo it, awaited the right moment to put a natural end to it. Razumihin, completely put to confusion by upsetting the table and smashing the glass, gazed gloomily at the fragments, cursed and turned sharply to the window where he stood looking out with his back to the company with a fiercely scowling countenance, seeing nothing. Porfiry Petrovitch laughed and was ready to go on laughing, but obviously looked for explanations. Zametov had been sitting in the corner, but he rose at the visitors’ entrance and was standing in expectation with a smile on his lips, though he looked with surprise and even it seemed incredulity at the whole scene and at Raskolnikov with a certain embarrassment. Zametov’s unexpected presence struck Raskolnikov unpleasantly.
“I’ve got to think of that,” he thought. “Excuse me, please,” he began, affecting extreme embarrassment. “Raskolnikov.”
“Not at all, very pleasant to see you… and how pleasantly you’ve come in…. Why, won’t he even say good-morning?” Porfiry Petrovitch nodded at Razumihin.
“Upon my honour I don’t know why he is in such a rage with me. I only told him as we came along that he was like Romeo… and proved it. And that was all, I think!”
“Pig!” ejaculated Razumihin, without turning round.
“There must have been very grave grounds for it, if he is so furious at the word,” Porfiry laughed.
“Oh, you sharp lawyer!... Damn you all!” snapped Razumihin, and suddenly bursting out laughing himself, he went up to Porfiry with a more cheerful face as though nothing had happened. “That’ll do! We are all fools. To come to business. This is my friend Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov; in the first place he has heard of you and wants to make your acquaintance, and secondly, he has a little matter of business with you. Bah! Zametov, what brought you here? Have you met before? Have you known each other long?”
“What does this mean?” thought Raskolnikov uneasily.
Zametov seemed taken aback, but not very much so.
“Why, it was at your rooms we met yesterday,” he said easily.
“Then I have been spared the trouble. All last week he was begging me to introduce him to you. Porfiry and you have sniffed each other out without me. Where is your tobacco?”
Porfiry Petrovitch was wearing a dressing-gown, very clean linen, and trodden-down slippers. He was a man of about five and thirty, short, stout even to corpulence, and clean shaven. He wore his hair cut short and had a large round head, particularly prominent at the back. His soft, round, rather snub-nosed face was of a sickly yellowish colour, but had a vigorous and rather ironical expression. It would have been good-natured except for a look in the eyes, which shone with a watery, mawkish light under almost white, blinking eyelashes. The expression of those eyes was strangely out of keeping with his somewhat womanish figure, and gave it something far more serious than could be guessed at first sight.
As soon as Porfiry Petrovitch heard that his visitor had a little matter of business with him, he begged him to sit down on the sofa and sat down himself on the other end, waiting for him to explain his business, with that careful and over-serious attention which is at once oppressive and embarrassing, especially to a stranger, and especially if what you are discussing is in your opinion of far too little importance for such exceptional solemnity. But in brief and coherent phrases Raskolnikov explained his business clearly and exactly, and was so well satisfied with himself that he even succeeded in taking a good look at Porfiry. Porfiry Petrovitch did not once take his eyes off him. Razumihin, sitting opposite at the same table, listened warmly and impatiently, looking from one to the other every moment with rather excessive interest.
“Fool,” Raskolnikov swore to himself.
“You have to give information to the police,” Porfiry replied, with a most businesslike air, “that having learnt of this incident, that is of the murder, you beg to inform the lawyer in charge of the case that such and such things belong to you, and that you desire to redeem them… or… but they will write to you.”
“That’s just the point, that at the present moment,” Raskolnikov tried his utmost to feign embarrassment, “I am not quite in funds… and even this trifling sum is beyond me… I only wanted, you see, for the present to declare that the things are mine, and that when I have money….”
“That’s no matter,” answered Porfiry Petrovitch, receiving his explanation of his pecuniary position coldly, “but you can, if you prefer, write straight to me, to say, that having been informed of the matter, and claiming such and such as your property, you beg…”
“On an ordinary sheet of paper?” Raskolnikov interrupted eagerly, again interested in the financial side of the question.
“Oh, the most ordinary,” and suddenly Porfiry Petrovitch looked with obvious irony at him, screwing up his eyes and, as it were, winking at him. But perhaps it was Raskolnikov’s fancy, for it all lasted but a moment. There was certainly something of the sort, Raskolnikov could have sworn he winked at him, goodness knows why.
“He knows,” flashed through his mind like lightning.
“Forgive my troubling you about such trifles,” he went on, a little disconcerted, “the things are only worth five roubles, but I prize them particularly for the sake of those from whom they came to me, and I must confess that I was alarmed when I heard…”
“That’s why you were so much struck when I mentioned to Zossimov that Porfiry was inquiring for everyone who had pledges!” Razumihin put in with obvious intention.
This was really unbearable. Raskolnikov could not help glancing at him with a flash of vindictive anger in his black eyes, but immediately recollected himself.
“You seem to be jeering at me, brother?” he said to him, with a well-feigned irritability. “I dare say I do seem to you absurdly anxious about such trash; but you mustn’t think me selfish or grasping for that, and these two things may be anything but trash in my eyes. I told you just now that the silver watch, though it’s not worth a cent, is the only thing left us of my father’s. You may laugh at me, but my mother is here,” he turned suddenly to Porfiry, “and if she knew,” he turned again hurriedly to Razumihin, carefully making his voice tremble, “that the watch was lost, she would be in despair! You know what women are!”
“Not a bit of it! I didn’t mean that at all! Quite the contrary!” shouted Razumihin distressed.
“Was it right? Was it natural? Did I overdo it?” Raskolnikov asked himself in a tremor. “Why did I say that about women?”
“Oh, your mother is with you?” Porfiry Petrovitch inquired.
“When did she come?”
Porfiry paused as though reflecting.
“Your things would not in any case be lost,” he went on calmly and coldly. “I have been expecting you here for some time.”
And as though that was a matter of no importance, he carefully offered the ash-tray to Razumihin, who was ruthlessly scattering cigarette ash over the carpet. Raskolnikov shuddered, but Porfiry did not seem to be looking at him, and was still concerned with Razumihin’s cigarette.
“What? Expecting him? Why, did you know that he had pledges there?” cried Razumihin.
Porfiry Petrovitch addressed himself to Raskolnikov.
“Your things, the ring and the watch, were wrapped up together, and on the paper your name was legibly written in pencil, together with the date on which you left them with her…”
“How observant you are!” Raskolnikov smiled awkwardly, doing his very utmost to look him straight in the face, but he failed, and suddenly added:
“I say that because I suppose there were a great many pledges… that it must be difficult to remember them all…. But you remember them all so clearly, and… and…”
“Stupid! Feeble!” he thought. “Why did I add that?”
“But we know all who had pledges, and you are the only one who hasn’t come forward,” Porfiry answered with hardly perceptible irony.
“I haven’t been quite well.”
“I heard that too. I heard, indeed, that you were in great distress about something. You look pale still.”
“I am not pale at all…. No, I am quite well,” Raskolnikov snapped out rudely and angrily, completely changing his tone. His anger was mounting, he could not repress it. “And in my anger I shall betray myself,” flashed through his mind again. “Why are they torturing me?”
“Not quite well!” Razumihin caught him up. “What next! He was unconscious and delirious all yesterday. Would you believe, Porfiry, as soon as our backs were turned, he dressed, though he could hardly stand, and gave us the slip and went off on a spree somewhere till midnight, delirious all the time! Would you believe it! Extraordinary!”
“Really delirious? You don’t say so!” Porfiry shook his head in a womanish way.
“Nonsense! Don’t you believe it! But you don’t believe it anyway,” Raskolnikov let slip in his anger. But Porfiry Petrovitch did not seem to catch those strange words.
“But how could you have gone out if you hadn’t been delirious?” Razumihin got hot suddenly. “What did you go out for? What was the object of it? And why on the sly? Were you in your senses when you did it? Now that all danger is over I can speak plainly.”
“I was awfully sick of them yesterday.” Raskolnikov addressed Porfiry suddenly with a smile of insolent defiance, “I ran away from them to take lodgings where they wouldn’t find me, and took a lot of money with me. Mr. Zametov there saw it. I say, Mr. Zametov, was I sensible or delirious yesterday; settle our dispute.”
He could have strangled Zametov at that moment, so hateful were his expression and his silence to him.
“In my opinion you talked sensibly and even artfully, but you were extremely irritable,” Zametov pronounced dryly.
“And Nikodim Fomitch was telling me to-day,” put in Porfiry Petrovitch, “that he met you very late last night in the lodging of a man who had been run over.”
“And there,” said Razumihin, “weren’t you mad then? You gave your last penny to the widow for the funeral. If you wanted to help, give fifteen or twenty even, but keep three roubles for yourself at least, but he flung away all the twenty-five at once!”
“Maybe I found a treasure somewhere and you know nothing of it? So that’s why I was liberal yesterday…. Mr. Zametov knows I’ve found a treasure! Excuse us, please, for disturbing you for half an hour with such trivialities,” he said, turning to Porfiry Petrovitch, with trembling lips. “We are boring you, aren’t we?”
“Oh no, quite the contrary, quite the contrary! If only you knew how you interest me! It’s interesting to look on and listen… and I am really glad you have come forward at last.”
“But you might give us some tea! My throat’s dry,” cried Razumihin.
“Capital idea! Perhaps we will all keep you company. Wouldn’t you like… something more essential before tea?”
“Get along with you!”
Porfiry Petrovitch went out to order tea.
Raskolnikov’s thoughts were in a whirl. He was in terrible exasperation.
“The worst of it is they don’t disguise it; they don’t care to stand on ceremony! And how if you didn’t know me at all, did you come to talk to Nikodim Fomitch about me? So they don’t care to hide that they are tracking me like a pack of dogs. They simply spit in my face.” He was shaking with rage. “Come, strike me openly, don’t play with me like a cat with a mouse. It’s hardly civil, Porfiry Petrovitch, but perhaps I won’t allow it! I shall get up and throw the whole truth in your ugly faces, and you’ll see how I despise you.” He could hardly breathe. “And what if it’s only my fancy? What if I am mistaken, and through inexperience I get angry and don’t keep up my nasty part? Perhaps it’s all unintentional. All their phrases are the usual ones, but there is something about them…. It all might be said, but there is something. Why did he say bluntly, ‘With her’? Why did Zametov add that I spoke artfully? Why do they speak in that tone? Yes, the tone…. Razumihin is sitting here, why does he see nothing? That innocent blockhead never does see anything! Feverish again! Did Porfiry wink at me just now? Of course it’s nonsense! What could he wink for? Are they trying to upset my nerves or are they teasing me? Either it’s ill fancy or they know! Even Zametov is rude…. Is Zametov rude? Zametov has changed his mind. I foresaw he would change his mind! He is at home here, while it’s my first visit. Porfiry does not consider him a visitor; sits with his back to him. They’re as thick as thieves, no doubt, over me! Not a doubt they were talking about me before we came. Do they know about the flat? If only they’d make haste! When I said that I ran away to take a flat he let it pass…. I put that in cleverly about a flat, it may be of use afterwards…. Delirious, indeed… ha-ha-ha! He knows all about last night! He didn’t know of my mother’s arrival! The hag had written the date on in pencil! You are wrong, you won’t catch me! There are no facts… it’s all supposition! You produce facts! The flat even isn’t a fact but delirium. I know what to say to them…. Do they know about the flat? I won’t go without finding out. What did I come for? But my being angry now, maybe is a fact! Fool, how irritable I am! Perhaps that’s right; to play the invalid…. He is feeling me. He will try to catch me. Why did I come?”
All this flashed like lightning through his mind.
Porfiry Petrovitch returned quickly. He became suddenly more jovial.
“Your party yesterday, brother, has left my head rather…. And I am out of sorts altogether,” he began in quite a different tone, laughing to Razumihin.
“Was it interesting? I left you yesterday at the most interesting point. Who got the best of it?”
“Oh, no one, of course. They got on to everlasting questions, floated off into space.”
“Only fancy, Rodya, what we got on to yesterday. Whether there is such a thing as crime. I told you that we talked our heads off.”
“What is there strange? It’s an everyday social question,” Raskolnikov answered casually.
“The question wasn’t put quite like that,” observed Porfiry.
“Not quite, that’s true,” Razumihin agreed at once, getting warm and hurried as usual. “Listen, Rodion, and tell us your opinion, I want to hear it. I was fighting tooth and nail with them and wanted you to help me. I told them you were coming…. It began with the socialist doctrine. You know their doctrine; crime is a protest against the abnormality of the social organisation and nothing more, and nothing more; no other causes admitted!...”
“You are wrong there,” cried Porfiry Petrovitch; he was noticeably animated and kept laughing as he looked at Razumihin, which made him more excited than ever.
“Nothing is admitted,” Razumihin interrupted with heat.
“I am not wrong. I’ll show you their pamphlets. Everything with them is ‘the influence of environment,’ and nothing else. Their favourite phrase! From which it follows that, if society is normally organised, all crime will cease at once, since there will be nothing to protest against and all men will become righteous in one instant. Human nature is not taken into account, it is excluded, it’s not supposed to exist! They don’t recognise that humanity, developing by a historical living process, will become at last a normal society, but they believe that a social system that has come out of some mathematical brain is going to organise all humanity at once and make it just and sinless in an instant, quicker than any living process! That’s why they instinctively dislike history, ‘nothing but ugliness and stupidity in it,’ and they explain it all as stupidity! That’s why they so dislike the living process of life; they don’t want a living soul! The living soul demands life, the soul won’t obey the rules of mechanics, the soul is an object of suspicion, the soul is retrograde! But what they want though it smells of death and can be made of India-rubber, at least is not alive, has no will, is servile and won’t revolt! And it comes in the end to their reducing everything to the building of walls and the planning of rooms and passages in a phalanstery! The phalanstery is ready, indeed, but your human nature is not ready for the phalanstery—it wants life, it hasn’t completed its vital process, it’s too soon for the graveyard! You can’t skip over nature by logic. Logic presupposes three possibilities, but there are millions! Cut away a million, and reduce it all to the question of comfort! That’s the easiest solution of the problem! It’s seductively clear and you musn’t think about it. That’s the great thing, you mustn’t think! The whole secret of life in two pages of print!”
“Now he is off, beating the drum! Catch hold of him, do!” laughed Porfiry. “Can you imagine,” he turned to Raskolnikov, “six people holding forth like that last night, in one room, with punch as a preliminary! No, brother, you are wrong, environment accounts for a great deal in crime; I can assure you of that.”
“Oh, I know it does, but just tell me: a man of forty violates a child of ten; was it environment drove him to it?”
“Well, strictly speaking, it did,” Porfiry observed with noteworthy gravity; “a crime of that nature may be very well ascribed to the influence of environment.”
Razumihin was almost in a frenzy. “Oh, if you like,” he roared. “I’ll prove to you that your white eyelashes may very well be ascribed to the Church of Ivan the Great’s being two hundred and fifty feet high, and I will prove it clearly, exactly, progressively, and even with a Liberal tendency! I undertake to! Will you bet on it?”
“Done! Let’s hear, please, how he will prove it!”
“He is always humbugging, confound him,” cried Razumihin, jumping up and gesticulating. “What’s the use of talking to you? He does all that on purpose; you don’t know him, Rodion! He took their side yesterday, simply to make fools of them. And the things he said yesterday! And they were delighted! He can keep it up for a fortnight together. Last year he persuaded us that he was going into a monastery: he stuck to it for two months. Not long ago he took it into his head to declare he was going to get married, that he had everything ready for the wedding. He ordered new clothes indeed. We all began to congratulate him. There was no bride, nothing, all pure fantasy!”
“Ah, you are wrong! I got the clothes before. It was the new clothes in fact that made me think of taking you in.”
“Are you such a good dissembler?” Raskolnikov asked carelessly.
“You wouldn’t have supposed it, eh? Wait a bit, I shall take you in, too. Ha-ha-ha! No, I’ll tell you the truth. All these questions about crime, environment, children, recall to my mind an article of yours which interested me at the time. ‘On Crime’... or something of the sort, I forget the title, I read it with pleasure two months ago in the Periodical Review.”
“My article? In the Periodical Review?” Raskolnikov asked in astonishment. “I certainly did write an article upon a book six months ago when I left the university, but I sent it to the Weekly Review.”
“But it came out in the Periodical.”
“And the Weekly Review ceased to exist, so that’s why it wasn’t printed at the time.”
“That’s true; but when it ceased to exist, the Weekly Review was amalgamated with the Periodical, and so your article appeared two months ago in the latter. Didn’t you know?”
Raskolnikov had not known.
“Why, you might get some money out of them for the article! What a strange person you are! You lead such a solitary life that you know nothing of matters that concern you directly. It’s a fact, I assure you.”
“Bravo, Rodya! I knew nothing about it either!” cried Razumihin. “I’ll run to-day to the reading-room and ask for the number. Two months ago? What was the date? It doesn’t matter though, I will find it. Think of not telling us!”
“How did you find out that the article was mine? It’s only signed with an initial.”
“I only learnt it by chance, the other day. Through the editor; I know him…. I was very much interested.”
“I analysed, if I remember, the psychology of a criminal before and after the crime.”
“Yes, and you maintained that the perpetration of a crime is always accompanied by illness. Very, very original, but… it was not that part of your article that interested me so much, but an idea at the end of the article which I regret to say you merely suggested without working it out clearly. There is, if you recollect, a suggestion that there are certain persons who can… that is, not precisely are able to, but have a perfect right to commit breaches of morality and crimes, and that the law is not for them.”
Raskolnikov smiled at the exaggerated and intentional distortion of his idea.
“What? What do you mean? A right to crime? But not because of the influence of environment?” Razumihin inquired with some alarm even.
“No, not exactly because of it,” answered Porfiry. “In his article all men are divided into ‘ordinary’ and ‘extraordinary.’ Ordinary men have to live in submission, have no right to transgress the law, because, don’t you see, they are ordinary. But extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way, just because they are extraordinary. That was your idea, if I am not mistaken?”
“What do you mean? That can’t be right?” Razumihin muttered in bewilderment.
Raskolnikov smiled again. He saw the point at once, and knew where they wanted to drive him. He decided to take up the challenge.
“That wasn’t quite my contention,” he began simply and modestly. “Yet I admit that you have stated it almost correctly; perhaps, if you like, perfectly so.” (It almost gave him pleasure to admit this.) “The only difference is that I don’t contend that extraordinary people are always bound to commit breaches of morals, as you call it. In fact, I doubt whether such an argument could be published. I simply hinted that an ‘extraordinary’ man has the right… that is not an official right, but an inner right to decide in his own conscience to overstep… certain obstacles, and only in case it is essential for the practical fulfilment of his idea (sometimes, perhaps, of benefit to the whole of humanity). You say that my article isn’t definite; I am ready to make it as clear as I can. Perhaps I am right in thinking you want me to; very well. I maintain that if the discoveries of Kepler and Newton could not have been made known except by sacrificing the lives of one, a dozen, a hundred, or more men, Newton would have had the right, would indeed have been in duty bound… to eliminate the dozen or the hundred men for the sake of making his discoveries known to the whole of humanity. But it does not follow from that that Newton had a right to murder people right and left and to steal every day in the market. Then, I remember, I maintain in my article that all… well, legislators and leaders of men, such as Lycurgus, Solon, Mahomet, Napoleon, and so on, were all without exception criminals, from the very fact that, making a new law, they transgressed the ancient one, handed down from their ancestors and held sacred by the people, and they did not stop short at bloodshed either, if that bloodshed—often of innocent persons fighting bravely in defence of ancient law—were of use to their cause. It’s remarkable, in fact, that the majority, indeed, of these benefactors and leaders of humanity were guilty of terrible carnage. In short, I maintain that all great men or even men a little out of the common, that is to say capable of giving some new word, must from their very nature be criminals—more or less, of course. Otherwise it’s hard for them to get out of the common rut; and to remain in the common rut is what they can’t submit to, from their very nature again, and to my mind they ought not, indeed, to submit to it. You see that there is nothing particularly new in all that. The same thing has been printed and read a thousand times before. As for my division of people into ordinary and extraordinary, I acknowledge that it’s somewhat arbitrary, but I don’t insist upon exact numbers. I only believe in my leading idea that men are in general divided by a law of nature into two categories, inferior (ordinary), that is, so to say, material that serves only to reproduce its kind, and men who have the gift or the talent to utter a new word. There are, of course, innumerable sub-divisions, but the distinguishing features of both categories are fairly well marked. The first category, generally speaking, are men conservative in temperament and law-abiding; they live under control and love to be controlled. To my thinking it is their duty to be controlled, because that’s their vocation, and there is nothing humiliating in it for them. The second category all transgress the law; they are destroyers or disposed to destruction according to their capacities. The crimes of these men are of course relative and varied; for the most part they seek in very varied ways the destruction of the present for the sake of the better. But if such a one is forced for the sake of his idea to step over a corpse or wade through blood, he can, I maintain, find within himself, in his conscience, a sanction for wading through blood—that depends on the idea and its dimensions, note that. It’s only in that sense I speak of their right to crime in my article (you remember it began with the legal question). There’s no need for such anxiety, however; the masses will scarcely ever admit this right, they punish them or hang them (more or less), and in doing so fulfil quite justly their conservative vocation. But the same masses set these criminals on a pedestal in the next generation and worship them (more or less). The first category is always the man of the present, the second the man of the future. The first preserve the world and people it, the second move the world and lead it to its goal. Each class has an equal right to exist. In fact, all have equal rights with me—and _vive la guerre éternelle_—till the New Jerusalem, of course!”
“Then you believe in the New Jerusalem, do you?”
“I do,” Raskolnikov answered firmly; as he said these words and during the whole preceding tirade he kept his eyes on one spot on the carpet.
“And… and do you believe in God? Excuse my curiosity.”
“I do,” repeated Raskolnikov, raising his eyes to Porfiry.
“And… do you believe in Lazarus’ rising from the dead?”
“I… I do. Why do you ask all this?”
“You believe it literally?”
“You don’t say so…. I asked from curiosity. Excuse me. But let us go back to the question; they are not always executed. Some, on the contrary…”
“Triumph in their lifetime? Oh, yes, some attain their ends in this life, and then…”
“They begin executing other people?”
“If it’s necessary; indeed, for the most part they do. Your remark is very witty.”
“Thank you. But tell me this: how do you distinguish those extraordinary people from the ordinary ones? Are there signs at their birth? I feel there ought to be more exactitude, more external definition. Excuse the natural anxiety of a practical law-abiding citizen, but couldn’t they adopt a special uniform, for instance, couldn’t they wear something, be branded in some way? For you know if confusion arises and a member of one category imagines that he belongs to the other, begins to ‘eliminate obstacles’ as you so happily expressed it, then…”
“Oh, that very often happens! That remark is wittier than the other.”
“No reason to; but take note that the mistake can only arise in the first category, that is among the ordinary people (as I perhaps unfortunately called them). In spite of their predisposition to obedience very many of them, through a playfulness of nature, sometimes vouchsafed even to the cow, like to imagine themselves advanced people, ‘destroyers,’ and to push themselves into the ‘new movement,’ and this quite sincerely. Meanwhile the really new people are very often unobserved by them, or even despised as reactionaries of grovelling tendencies. But I don’t think there is any considerable danger here, and you really need not be uneasy for they never go very far. Of course, they might have a thrashing sometimes for letting their fancy run away with them and to teach them their place, but no more; in fact, even this isn’t necessary as they castigate themselves, for they are very conscientious: some perform this service for one another and others chastise themselves with their own hands…. They will impose various public acts of penitence upon themselves with a beautiful and edifying effect; in fact you’ve nothing to be uneasy about…. It’s a law of nature.”
“Well, you have certainly set my mind more at rest on that score; but there’s another thing worries me. Tell me, please, are there many people who have the right to kill others, these extraordinary people? I am ready to bow down to them, of course, but you must admit it’s alarming if there are a great many of them, eh?”
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that either,” Raskolnikov went on in the same tone. “People with new ideas, people with the faintest capacity for saying something new, are extremely few in number, extraordinarily so in fact. One thing only is clear, that the appearance of all these grades and sub-divisions of men must follow with unfailing regularity some law of nature. That law, of course, is unknown at present, but I am convinced that it exists, and one day may become known. The vast mass of mankind is mere material, and only exists in order by some great effort, by some mysterious process, by means of some crossing of races and stocks, to bring into the world at last perhaps one man out of a thousand with a spark of independence. One in ten thousand perhaps—I speak roughly, approximately—is born with some independence, and with still greater independence one in a hundred thousand. The man of genius is one of millions, and the great geniuses, the crown of humanity, appear on earth perhaps one in many thousand millions. In fact I have not peeped into the retort in which all this takes place. But there certainly is and must be a definite law, it cannot be a matter of chance.”
“Why, are you both joking?” Razumihin cried at last. “There you sit, making fun of one another. Are you serious, Rodya?”
Raskolnikov raised his pale and almost mournful face and made no reply. And the unconcealed, persistent, nervous, and discourteous sarcasm of Porfiry seemed strange to Razumihin beside that quiet and mournful face.
“Well, brother, if you are really serious… You are right, of course, in saying that it’s not new, that it’s like what we’ve read and heard a thousand times already; but what is really original in all this, and is exclusively your own, to my horror, is that you sanction bloodshed in the name of conscience, and, excuse my saying so, with such fanaticism…. That, I take it, is the point of your article. But that sanction of bloodshed by conscience is to my mind… more terrible than the official, legal sanction of bloodshed….”
“You are quite right, it is more terrible,” Porfiry agreed.
“Yes, you must have exaggerated! There is some mistake, I shall read it. You can’t think that! I shall read it.”
“All that is not in the article, there’s only a hint of it,” said Raskolnikov.
“Yes, yes.” Porfiry couldn’t sit still. “Your attitude to crime is pretty clear to me now, but… excuse me for my impertinence (I am really ashamed to be worrying you like this), you see, you’ve removed my anxiety as to the two grades getting mixed, but… there are various practical possibilities that make me uneasy! What if some man or youth imagines that he is a Lycurgus or Mahomet—a future one of course—and suppose he begins to remove all obstacles…. He has some great enterprise before him and needs money for it… and tries to get it… do you see?”
Zametov gave a sudden guffaw in his corner. Raskolnikov did not even raise his eyes to him.
“I must admit,” he went on calmly, “that such cases certainly must arise. The vain and foolish are particularly apt to fall into that snare; young people especially.”
“Yes, you see. Well then?”
“What then?” Raskolnikov smiled in reply; “that’s not my fault. So it is and so it always will be. He said just now (he nodded at Razumihin) that I sanction bloodshed. Society is too well protected by prisons, banishment, criminal investigators, penal servitude. There’s no need to be uneasy. You have but to catch the thief.”
“And what if we do catch him?”
“Then he gets what he deserves.”
“You are certainly logical. But what of his conscience?”
“Why do you care about that?”
“Simply from humanity.”
“If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be his punishment—as well as the prison.”
“But the real geniuses,” asked Razumihin frowning, “those who have the right to murder? Oughtn’t they to suffer at all even for the blood they’ve shed?”
“Why the word ought? It’s not a matter of permission or prohibition. He will suffer if he is sorry for his victim. Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth,” he added dreamily, not in the tone of the conversation.
He raised his eyes, looked earnestly at them all, smiled, and took his cap. He was too quiet by comparison with his manner at his entrance, and he felt this. Everyone got up.
“Well, you may abuse me, be angry with me if you like,” Porfiry Petrovitch began again, “but I can’t resist. Allow me one little question (I know I am troubling you). There is just one little notion I want to express, simply that I may not forget it.”
“Very good, tell me your little notion,” Raskolnikov stood waiting, pale and grave before him.
“Well, you see… I really don’t know how to express it properly…. It’s a playful, psychological idea…. When you were writing your article, surely you couldn’t have helped, he-he! fancying yourself… just a little, an ‘extraordinary’ man, uttering a new word in your sense…. That’s so, isn’t it?”
“Quite possibly,” Raskolnikov answered contemptuously.
Razumihin made a movement.
“And, if so, could you bring yourself in case of worldly difficulties and hardship or for some service to humanity—to overstep obstacles?... For instance, to rob and murder?”
And again he winked with his left eye, and laughed noiselessly just as before.
“If I did I certainly should not tell you,” Raskolnikov answered with defiant and haughty contempt.
“No, I was only interested on account of your article, from a literary point of view…”
“Foo! how obvious and insolent that is!” Raskolnikov thought with repulsion.
“Allow me to observe,” he answered dryly, “that I don’t consider myself a Mahomet or a Napoleon, nor any personage of that kind, and not being one of them I cannot tell you how I should act.”
“Oh, come, don’t we all think ourselves Napoleons now in Russia?” Porfiry Petrovitch said with alarming familiarity.
Something peculiar betrayed itself in the very intonation of his voice.
“Perhaps it was one of these future Napoleons who did for Alyona Ivanovna last week?” Zametov blurted out from the corner.
Raskolnikov did not speak, but looked firmly and intently at Porfiry. Razumihin was scowling gloomily. He seemed before this to be noticing something. He looked angrily around. There was a minute of gloomy silence. Raskolnikov turned to go.
“Are you going already?” Porfiry said amiably, holding out his hand with excessive politeness. “Very, very glad of your acquaintance. As for your request, have no uneasiness, write just as I told you, or, better still, come to me there yourself in a day or two… to-morrow, indeed. I shall be there at eleven o’clock for certain. We’ll arrange it all; we’ll have a talk. As one of the last to be there, you might perhaps be able to tell us something,” he added with a most good-natured expression.
“You want to cross-examine me officially in due form?” Raskolnikov asked sharply.
“Oh, why? That’s not necessary for the present. You misunderstand me. I lose no opportunity, you see, and… I’ve talked with all who had pledges…. I obtained evidence from some of them, and you are the last…. Yes, by the way,” he cried, seemingly suddenly delighted, “I just remember, what was I thinking of?” he turned to Razumihin, “you were talking my ears off about that Nikolay… of course, I know, I know very well,” he turned to Raskolnikov, “that the fellow is innocent, but what is one to do? We had to trouble Dmitri too…. This is the point, this is all: when you went up the stairs it was past seven, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” answered Raskolnikov, with an unpleasant sensation at the very moment he spoke that he need not have said it.
“Then when you went upstairs between seven and eight, didn’t you see in a flat that stood open on a second storey, do you remember? two workmen or at least one of them? They were painting there, didn’t you notice them? It’s very, very important for them.”
“Painters? No, I didn’t see them,” Raskolnikov answered slowly, as though ransacking his memory, while at the same instant he was racking every nerve, almost swooning with anxiety to conjecture as quickly as possible where the trap lay and not to overlook anything. “No, I didn’t see them, and I don’t think I noticed a flat like that open…. But on the fourth storey” (he had mastered the trap now and was triumphant) “I remember now that someone was moving out of the flat opposite Alyona Ivanovna’s…. I remember… I remember it clearly. Some porters were carrying out a sofa and they squeezed me against the wall. But painters… no, I don’t remember that there were any painters, and I don’t think that there was a flat open anywhere, no, there wasn’t.”
“What do you mean?” Razumihin shouted suddenly, as though he had reflected and realised. “Why, it was on the day of the murder the painters were at work, and he was there three days before? What are you asking?”
“Foo! I have muddled it!” Porfiry slapped himself on the forehead. “Deuce take it! This business is turning my brain!” he addressed Raskolnikov somewhat apologetically. “It would be such a great thing for us to find out whether anyone had seen them between seven and eight at the flat, so I fancied you could perhaps have told us something…. I quite muddled it.”
“Then you should be more careful,” Razumihin observed grimly.
The last words were uttered in the passage. Porfiry Petrovitch saw them to the door with excessive politeness.
They went out into the street gloomy and sullen, and for some steps they did not say a word. Raskolnikov drew a deep breath. | <urn:uuid:842792ff-9ed5-4959-9a6a-526b7eed61ac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/182/crime-and-punishment/3410/part-3-chapter-5/ | 2013-05-18T06:34:48Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.975755 | 10,724 |
Front Page Titles (by Subject) OF GIVING THE LIE - Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6
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OF GIVING THE LIE - Michel de Montaigne, Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6
Essays of Montaigne, vol. 6, trans. Charles Cotton, revised by William Carew Hazlett (New York: Edwin C. Hill, 1910).
Part of: Essays of Montaigne, in 10 vols.
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OF GIVING THE LIE
WELL, BUT some one will say to me, this design of making a man’s self the subject of his writing, were indeed excusable in rare and famous men, who by their reputation had given others a curiosity to be fully informed of them. It is most true, I confess and know very well, that a mechanic will scarce lift his eyes from his work to look at an ordinary man, whereas a man will forsake his business and his shop to stare at an eminent person when he comes into a town. It misbecomes any other to give his own character, but him who has qualities worthy of imitation, and whose life and opinions may serve for example: Caesar and Xenophon had a just and solid foundation whereon to found their narrations, in the greatness of their own performances; and it were to be wished that we had the journals of Alexander the Great, the commentaries that Augustus, Cato, Sylla, Brutus, and others left of their actions; of such persons men love and contemplate the very statues even in copper and marble.
This remonstrance is very true; but it very little concerns me:—
“I repeat my poems only to my friends, and when bound to do so; not before every one and everywhere; there are plenty of reciters in the open market-place and at the baths.”
I do not here form a statue to erect in the great square of a city, in a church, or any public place:—
“I study not to make my pages swell with empty trifles; you and I are talking in private:”
’tis for some corner of a library, or to entertain a neighbor, a kinsman, a friend, who has a mind to renew his acquaintance and familiarity with me in this image of myself. Others have been encouraged to speak of themselves, because they found the subject worthy and rich; I, on the contrary, am the bolder, by reason the subject is so poor and sterile that I cannot be suspected of ostentation. I judge freely of the actions of others; I give little of my own to judge of, because they are nothing: I do not find so much good in myself, that I cannot tell it without blushing.
What contentment would it not be to me to hear any one thus relate to me the manners, faces, countenances, the ordinary words and fortunes of my ancestors? how attentively should I listen to it! In earnest, it would be evil nature to despise so much as the pictures of our friends and predecessors, the fashion of their clothes and arms. I preserve their writing, seal, and a particular sword they wore, and have not thrown the long staves my father used to carry in his hand, out of my closet:—
“A father’s garment and ring is by so much dearer to his posterity, as there is the greater affection towards parents.”
If my posterity, nevertheless, shall be of another mind, I shall be avenged on them; for they cannot care less for me than I shall then do for them. All the traffic that I have in this with the public is, that I borrow their utensils of writing, which are more easy and most at hand; and in recompense shall, peradventure, keep a pound of butter in the market from melting in the sun:—
“Let not wrappers be wanting to tunnyfish, nor olives; . . . and I shall supply loose coverings to mackerel.”
And though nobody should read me, have I wasted time in entertaining myself so many idle hours in so pleasing and useful thoughts? In moulding this figure upon myself, I have been so often constrained to temper and compose myself in a right posture, that the copy is truly taken, and has in some sort formed itself; painting myself for others, I represent myself in a better coloring than my own natural complexion. I have no more made my book than my book has made me: ’tis a book consubstantial with the author, of a peculiar design, a parcel of my life, and whose business is not designed for others, as that of all other books is. In giving myself so continual and so exact an account of myself, have I lost my time? For they who sometimes cursorily survey themselves only, do not so strictly examine themselves, nor penetrate so deep, as he who makes it his business, his study, and his employment, who intends a lasting record, with all his fidelity, and with all his force. The most delicious pleasures digested within, avoid leaving any trace of themselves, and avoid the sight not only of the people, but of any other person. How often has this work diverted me from troublesome thoughts? and all that are frivolous should be reputed so. Nature has presented us with a large faculty of entertaining ourselves alone; and often calls us to it, to teach us that we owe ourselves in part to society, but chiefly and mostly to ourselves. That I may habituate my fancy even to meditate in some method and to some end, and to keep it from losing itself and roving at random, ’tis but to give to body and to record all the little thoughts that present themselves to it. I give ear to my whimsies, because I am to record them. It often falls out, that being displeased at some action that civility and reason will not permit me openly to reprove, I here disgorge myself, not without design of public instruction: and also these poetical lashes:—
“A slap on his eye, a slap on his snout, a slap on Sagoin’s back,”
imprint themselves better upon paper than upon the flesh. What if I listen to books a little more attentively than ordinary, since I watch if I can purloin anything that may adorn or support my own? I have not at all studied to make a book, but I have in some sort studied because I had made it; if it be studying to scratch and pinch now one author, and then another, either by the head or foot, not with any design to form opinions from them, but to assist, second, and fortify those I already have embraced.
But whom shall we believe in the report he makes of himself in so corrupt an age? considering there are so few, if any at all, whom we can believe when speaking of others, where there is less interest to lie. The first thing done in the corruption of manners is banishing truth; for, as Pindar says, to be true is the beginning of a great virtue, and the first article that Plato requires in the governor of his Republic. The truth of these days is not that which really is, but what every man persuades another man to believe; as we generally give the name of money not only to pieces of the just alloy, but even to the false also, if they will pass. Our nation has long been reproached with this vice; for Salvianus of Marseilles, who lived in the time of the Emperor Valentinian, says that lying and forswearing themselves is with the French not a vice, but a way of speaking. He who would enhance this testimony, might say that it is now a virtue in them; men form and fashion themselves to it as to an exercise of honor; for dissimulation is one of the most notable qualities of this age.
I have often considered whence this custom that we so religiously observe should spring, of being more highly offended with the reproach of a vice so familiar to us than with any other, and that it should be the highest insult that can in words be done us to reproach us with a lie. Upon examination, I find that it is natural most to defend the defects with which we are most tainted. It seems as if by resenting and being moved at the accusation, we in some sort acquit ourselves of the fault; though we have it in effect, we condemn it in outward appearance. May it not also be that this reproach seems to imply cowardice and feebleness of heart? of which can there be a more manifest sign than to eat a man’s own words—nay, to lie against a man’s own knowledge? Lying is a base vice; a vice that one of the ancients portrays in the most odious colors when he says, “that it is to manifest a contempt of God, and withal a fear of men.” It is not possible more fully to represent the horror, baseness, and irregularity of it; for what can a man imagine more hateful and contemptible than to be a coward towards men, and valiant against his Maker? Our intelligence being by no other way communicable to one another but by a particular word, he who falsifies that betrays public society. ’Tis the only way by which we communicate our thoughts and wills; ’tis the interpreter of the soul, and if it deceive us, we no longer know nor have further tie upon one another; if that deceive us, it breaks all our correspondence, and dissolves all the ties of government. Certain nations of the newly discovered Indies (I need not give them names, seeing they are no more; for, by wonderful and unheard-of example, the desolation of that conquest has extended to the utter abolition of names and the ancient knowledge of places) offered to their gods human blood, but only such as was drawn from the tongue and ears, to expiate for the sin of lying, as well heard as pronounced. That good fellow of Greece said that children are amused with toys and men with words.
As to our diverse usages of giving the lie, and the laws of honor in that case, and the alteration they have received, I defer saying what I know of them to another time, and shall learn, if I can, in the meanwhile, at what time the custom took beginning of so exactly weighing and measuring words, and of making our honor interested in them; for it is easy to judge that it was not anciently amongst the Romans and Greeks. And it has often seemed to me strange to see them rail at and give one another the lie without any quarrel. Their laws of duty steered some other course than ours. Caesar is sometimes called thief, and sometimes drunkard, to his teeth. We see the liberty of invective they practised upon one another, I mean the greatest chiefs of war of both nations, where words are only revenged with words, and do not proceed any farther. | <urn:uuid:c49a59d2-e707-47d7-9c0e-006cae733e6c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oll.libertyfund.org/?option=com_staticxt&staticfile=show.php%3Ftitle=1747&chapter=91264&layout=html&Itemid=27 | 2013-05-18T06:34:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97343 | 2,423 |
Historic Sites in Journalism
Postmark deadline for nominations: March 20
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Complete List of Historic Sites
The Silverton Standard & the Miner
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White Hall, Eastern Kentucky University
University of Mississippi
Hubbard Broadcasting and KSTP-TV
Denver, Co., Denver Press Club
Milwaukee , WI., Milwaukee Press Club, oldest continuously operating press club in the Americas.
Los Angeles, Calif., KTLA, leading radio news in the Los Angels community since becoming the first commercially licensed station in LA.
Washington, D.C., American News Womens Club
Chicago, Chicago Bee Building
Tombstone, Ariz., The Tombstone Epitaph
Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Recorder.
Montpelier - Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Washington, D.C., The Senate Press Gallery in honor of Anne N. Royall(1769-1854), the first Capitol Hill news woman
New York City, the Algonquin Hotel, initial site of the Overseas Press Club, a meeting place for foreign correspondents.
San Francisco, awarded to the San Francisco Chronicle in honor of the founders Michel H. de Young and Charles de Young. The brothers founded the Daily Dramatic Chronicle which appeared as the Chronicle in 1868.
Memphis, Tenn., at the Beale Street Baptist Church, in honor of Ida B. Wells-Barnett, editor of the Memphis Free Speech, a Black newspaper.
New York City, to The Amsterdam News, the oldest Black newspaper in New York City. Edited by James L. Hicks, first Black journalist accredited to cover the Korean War and the United Nations.
Montpelier, VA., the Virginia estate of James Madison.
Baltimore, The Sun, in honor of one of the newspapers founders, A. S. Abell.
Greenville, Ohio, birthplace of Lowell Thomas, radio and television broadcaster
Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss., marks the site of the personal and professional papers of William Turner Catledge, late editor of The New York Times.
New York City, accepted by the Magazine Publishers Association and the American Society of Magazine Editors in honor of Ida Tarbell, muckraking journalist of the turn of the century.
Washington, D.C., National Press Club, site of many world news events.
Red Wing, Minn., upon occasion of 100th anniversary of founding of National Newspaper Association.
Annapolis, Md., at site of Revolutionary War newspaper, Maryland Gazette, published by Jonas Green and his wife, Catherine Hoof Green.
New York City, Margaret Bourke-White (1904-1971), one of Americas best-known photojournalists.
Kansas City, Mo., the Roy Wilkins site at the Kansas City Call, marked by the Kansas City Professional Chapter in recognition of Roy Wilkins editorship there between 1923 and 1931. The Kansas City Association of Black Journalists was a co-sponsor of the dedication.
Washington, D.C., United Press International, upon its 75th.anniversary.
New York City, Freedoms Journal, the first Black newspaper published in America.
Akron, Ohio, Akron Beacon Journal, in honor of John S. Knight, builder of the Knight-Ridder Newspapers Company.
Philadelphia, Richard Harding Davis, one of the most adventurous war correspondents of his time who was known for his colorful reportage during six wars.
Boston, The Christian Science Monitor, founder Mary Baker Eddy and long-time editor Erwin D. Canham.
Newburyport, Mass., William Lloyd Garrison, founder of the Liberator, anti-slavery journal.
Atlanta, W. A. Scott II, founder of the Atlanta Daily World, oldest continuing Black owned and controlled daily newspaper in the United States.
Charleston, S.C., Elizabeth Timothy, first woman publisher of an American newspaper.
Milwaukee, Christopher Latham Sholes, chief inventor of the first practical typewriter.
Memphis, Tenn., the Christian Index, the second oldest Black religious newspaper in the nation.
Philadelphia, Cyrus H. K. Curtis, who played a major role in consolidating Philadelphia newspapers and founded the Ladies Home Journal.
Toledo, Ohio, David Ross Locke (Petroleum Vesuvius Nasby), who created the Nasby Letters and was a forerunner of the muckrakers.
Milwaukee, H. V. Kaltenborn, pioneer radio news analyst who was known for his analysis of World War II.
New York City, The Wall Street Journal.
Richmond, Va., John Mitchell, one of the Souths leading Black reform journalists and editor of the Richmond Planet.
Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Packet or the General Advertiser, the first successful daily newspaper in the United States and first to publish the Declaration of Independence and the U. S. Constitution.
Rochester, N.Y., Frederick Douglass, founder in 1847
of the North Star, which with its successor newspapers under Douglasss direction was the leading Black journal in the United States in the antebellum period.
Canton, Ohio, Donald Ring Mellett, publisher of the Canton Daily News, who was gunned down in front of his home after editorializing against Cantons lawless elements and city officials ineptness.
Worcester, Mass., Isaiah Thomas, American revolutionary editor, printer, pioneer press historian and co-founder and first president of American Antiquarian Society.
New York City, The Nation, oldest opinion magazine in the United States.
Pittsburgh, John Scull, first editor to transport type and a press across the Alleghenies to establish journalism west of the peaks; founder of Pittsburgh Gazette in 1786.
University of Alabama, Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black, eloquent and effective for the principle of a free and untrammeled press.
Chicago, the Chicago Defender, for pioneering and continuous leadership and strength in the Black press.
Gathland State Park, Md., Townsends War Correspondents Arch, a memorial to Civil War correspondents of the North and the South.
Augusta, Ga., the Augusta Chronicle, the Souths oldest newspaper presently publishing.
Chicago, the Chicago Tribune.
Oologah, Okla., the Will Rogers Home, birthplace of Will Rogers.
Philadelphia, Sarah Josepha Hale and Godeys Ladys Book, first major womans magazine of mass circulation published from 1830-1882.
Baraboo, Wis., Ansel N. Kellogg and the first newspaper syndicate developed in 1861.
Chillicothe, Ohio, the Chillicothe Gazette, oldest newspaper in continuous publication west of the Allegheny Mountains, published since 1800.
Chicago, the Chicago Daily News and the nations oldest foreign news service operated by a newspaper.
San Francisco, William Randolph Hearst and the San Francisco Examiner.
Calhoun, Ga., the Cherokee Phoenix, the Indian-language newspaper of the Cherokee Nation.
Sacramento, Calif., the Sacramento Union, oldest daily in the West, founded in 1851.
Madison, Wis., the Wisconsin Press Association, oldest continuing state press association in the nation, existing since the 1830s.
Des Moines, Iowa, J. N. (Ding) Darling and the Des Moines Register and Tribune. Darlings cartoons catapulted him into national prominence and were a factor in enhancing the great prestige of his newspaper in the first half of the 20th century.
Hannibal, Mo., 206 Hill Street, boyhood home of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and site of the Hannibal Journal, which started Twain on the way to fame as one of Americas great writers.
Lexington, Va., Reid Hall, the journalism building on the campus of Washington and Lee University. Here the first formal instruction in journalism in the history of education was initiated by General Robert E. Lee in 1869.
Atlanta, Henry Woodfin Grady (1850-1889), and the Atlanta Constitution, leaders in creating a more comprehensive, interpretative journalism in the South.
Gunston Hall, Va., home of George Mason, author of Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), which gave the first expression of a free press its binding, legal form.
Boston, James Franklins New England Courant, first newspaper published in the United States without license or authority. Washington, D.C., the Washington Globe (1831-1845), published by Francis Preston Blair and John C. Rives.
Cincinnati, The Centinel of the North-Western Territory, marking the 175th. anniversary of the first newspaper in the Northwest Territory, published in 1793.
Philadelphia, and Baltimore, Richard Hoe and Ottmar Mergenthaler, for invention of the rotary press in 1847 and the linotype machine in 1886, respectively.
New York City and Washington, D.C., the Associated Press. Establishment of the worlds first private, leased wire for news transmission (1875).
Carmel, Calif., Lincoln Steffans (1866-1936), foremost exponent of journalistic crusaders known as muckrakers, whose exposes of corruption and injustice aroused the public conscience.
Greencastle, Ind., DePauw University, where Sigma Delta Chi was founded, April 17, 1909.
Little Rock, Ark., John N. Heiskell and the Arkansas Gazette, oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi.
New York City, News department, Columbia Broadcasting System. Leadership in founding independent radio news system; distinguished reporting and interpretation exemplified by H. V. Kaltenborn and Edward R. Murrow.
Washington, D.C., National Intelligencer (1800-1865). Vital force in nations political force and set high standards of journalistic responsibility.
New York City, Adolph S. Ochs, largely responsible for the revival of The New York Times.
Louisville, Ky., Henry Watterson, outstanding editorialist.
Kansas City, Mo., William Rockhill Nelson, founder, Kansas City Star.
Hartford, Conn., the Hartford Courant, oldest newspaper of continuous publication in the United States.
New York City, James Gordon Bennett.
New York City, Horace Greeley, one of the most influential newspaper editors in American history.
Philadelphia, Benjamin Franklin, statesman and newspaperman.
Charlottesville, Va., Thomas Jefferson.
Cleveland, Edward Wyllis Scripps and the Cleveland Press. Publisher, founder of the Cleveland Press and chain of newspapers, plus United Press and Newspaper Enterprise Association.
New York City, the trial of John Peter Zenger.
Baltimore, H. L. Mencken, author and newspaperman.
Columbia, Mo., Walter Williams and the University of Missouri School of Journalism. First school of journalism in the nation.
Pittsburgh, Radio Station KDKA. Reported Hardings election in 1920. First radio coverage of a national event.
New York City, Henry J. Raymond, co-founder and the first editor, The New York Times.
Bloomington, Ind., Ernie Pyle, editor, columnist, war correspondent for Scripps-Howard newspapers.
Alton, Ill., Elijah Parish Lovejoy, editor, The Observer, and a militant abolitionist assassinated by his enemies.
New Orleans, George Wilkins Kendall, co-founder of the New Orleans Picayune, first war correspondent to achieve fame as a regular reporter of military actions.
Boston, Mass., The Boston Gazette, second regularly-published paper in the nation.
Emporia, Kan., William Allen White, editor and publisher, the Emporia Gazette.
Montgomery, Ala., Grover Cleveland Hall, editor, the Montgomery Advertiser. He fought the Ku Klux Klan.
St. Louis, Mo., Joseph Pulitzer, founder, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
San Francisco, Calif., James King of William, founder, editor and publisher, the San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin. He fought corruption in municipal government and was assassinated by a politician after many threats on his life.
A contribution was made to Peter Zenger Memorial Fund.
Bennington, Vt., Anthony Haswell, editor and publisher, the Vermont Gazette. He was jailed for fighting the Sedition Act.
The Societys Historic Sites in Journalism program honors the people and places that have played important roles in American journalistic history. The program dates back to 1942.
The sites were originally marked with a bronze marker, and some honorees include: World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle; Benjamin Franklin; William Randolph Hearst; The Associated Press offices in Washington and New York City; Freedoms Journal, the first Black newspaper published in the United States; and Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.
Nominations are open. Self-nominations are permitted.
Nomination form should be accompanied by a letter(s) of recommendation that reflects the nominees national historic significance in journalism and why the nominee is deserving of this national recognition.
Submit all nomination materials unbound on 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Additional supporting materials are welcomed and should be limited to 10 pages.
Nominations should also include an indication of the specific location (i.e. building, street address, inside or outside installation) where a bronze plaque would be placed and the name of a person to be contacted to supply additional information if necessary.
Nominators should contact the rightful authorities (such as owner of the building) to ensure that they are amenable to placement of a plaque.
Only one historic site may be chosen each year. However, if one of the nominated sites is not selected, it may be resubmitted for future consideration.
Winner Announcement and Presentation
Honorees will be announced and honored at a special celebration event. A bronze plaque is displayed at the location marking it as a Historic Site in Journalism.
Nominations must be postmarked on or before March 20. Nominations should be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
Historic Sites in Journalism
Society of Professional Journalists
3909 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46208
For More Information
Contact the Director of Awards at 317/927-8000 or [email protected] | <urn:uuid:88630209-54c2-41f0-b587-e9fc3af452c5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://spj.org/a-historicsites.asp | 2013-05-18T06:55:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.885783 | 2,963 |
THE JOCKEY CLUB’S TERMS AND
CONDITIONS OF USE FOR REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT CAREFULLY BEFORE ACCESSING OR USING REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM.
BY ACCESSING OR USING REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM OR THOROUGHBREDCONNECT.COM, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS
AND CONDITIONS SET FORTH BELOW. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, YOU MAY NOT
ACCESS OR USE REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM. THE JOCKEY CLUB MAY MODIFY THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME, AND SUCH
MODIFICATIONS SHALL BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON POSTING OF THE MODIFIED AGREEMENT ON REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM.
YOU AGREE TO REVIEW THE AGREEMENT PERIODICALLY TO BE AWARE OF SUCH MODIFICATIONS AND YOUR CONTINUED ACCESS OR
USE OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM SHALL BE DEEMED YOUR CONCLUSIVE ACCEPTANCE OF THE MODIFIED AGREEMENT.
1 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE
1.1 The Jockey Club (“TJC”)
provides you with The Jockey Club Interactive Registration™, registry.jockeyclub.com,
subject to these Terms and Conditions of Use. There Terms and Conditions apply to
the website thoroughbredconnect.com and when used herein, all references to
“registry.jockeyclub.com” within these Terms and Conditions also include
thoroughbredconnect.com. As noted above, TJC may change these Terms and
Conditions of Use from time to time without providing you with notification
of any such changes. You can always obtain the most current version of these
Terms and Conditions of Use here. Additionally, when using any particular
service on registry.jockeyclub.com, you may be subject to special guidelines
or rules posted in connection with any such service; all such guidelines or
rules are hereby incorporated by reference into these Terms and Conditions
1.2 You understand that, except for
information, products or services clearly identified as being supplied
by TJC, TJC does not operate, control or endorse any information, products
or services on registry.jockeyclub.com in any way. Except for TJC-identified
information, products or services, all information, products and services
offered through registry.jockeyclub.com or on the Internet generally are
offered by third parties. You also understand that TJC cannot and does
not guarantee or warrant that files available for downloading through
registry.jockeyclub.com will be free of infection or viruses, worms,
Trojan horses, spyware or other code that manifest contaminating or
destructive properties. You are responsible for implementing sufficient
procedures and checkpoints to satisfy your particular requirements for
accuracy of data input and output, and for maintaining a means external
to registry.jockeyclub.com for the reconstruction of any lost data.
1.3 TJC provides the capability to search and
display horse names, along with other indicative information for horses, to
facilitate the running of registry.jockeyclub.com. Use of this service for
reasons other than as required by breeders and owners or their agents to conduct
registration-related business with The Jockey Club is strictly prohibited and
shall be considered a material breach of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
TJC also provides the capability to search and display horse tattoo and microchip
numbers to facilitate the identification of horses. Use of this service for
reasons other than identifying a horse based on its tattoo or microchip number
is strictly prohibited and shall be considered a material breach of these Terms
and Conditions of Use. Through Thoroughbred Connect, TJC also allows you to
attach your contact information to a Thoroughbred you are interested in providing
aftercare or other assistance for (“Aftercare”) in the event that Thoroughbred
is in need of such care, or to request contact information for persons interested
in providing Aftercare for a Thoroughbred in your possession or supervision. Use
of Thoroughbred Connect for reasons other than for facilitating Aftercare for
Thoroughbreds (including, but not limited to, attempts to harass, humiliate or
disparage a specific individual, individuals or entity), is strictly prohibited
and shall be considered a material breach of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
TJC explicitly disclaims any responsibility for the content or availability of
information contained in TJC’s search indexes or directories. TJC also disclaims
any responsibility for the completeness or accuracy of any directory or search
1.4 In connection with your use of registry.jockeyclub.com,
you agree you will not:
(a) Transmit any
message, information, data, text, software or images, or other content ("Material") that
is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar,
obscene, libelous, or otherwise objectionable or that may invade another's right of
privacy or publicity;
(b) Impersonate any person or entity,
including, but not limited to, a TJC official, or falsely state or otherwise
misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity;
(c) Post or transmit any
Material that you do not have a right to reproduce, display or transmit
under any law or under contractual or fiduciary relationships (such as,
but not limited to, nondisclosure agreements);
(d) Knowingly post or transmit
any Material that contains an infection or viruses, worms, Trojan horses
or other code that manifest contaminating or destructive properties;
(e) Delete any author attributions,
legal notices or proprietary designations or labels that you upload to any
(f) Take any action that
imposes, or may impose, in TJC’s sole discretion, an unreasonable or
disproportionately large load on TJC’s infrastructure and/or that
adversely affects the availability of its resources to other users;
(g) Post or transmit any
unsolicited advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail", "spam,"
"chain letters," "pyramid schemes" or any other form of solicitation
or any non-resume information such as opinions or notices, commercial
(h) Violate any applicable local,
state, national or international law;
(i) Upload or transmit any
Material that infringes any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other
proprietary rights of any party;
(j) Delete or revise any Material
posted or transmitted by any other person or entity without their expressed
(k) Manipulate or otherwise
display, database, modify, frame, create derivative works from or otherwise
distribute any content of registry.jockeyclub.com either electronically
(l) Register, subscribe,
attempt to register, attempt to subscribe, unsubscribe, or attempt to
unsubscribe, any party for any TJC product or service if you are not
expressly authorized by such party to do so;
(m) Use any robot, spider,
scraper, automated query program, web crawler, scripts, inquiries or
any other automated means, by whatever name known, to post, transmit
and/or access registry.jockeyclub.com for any purpose without TJC
expressly providing, in an authorized writing, such permission;
(n) Bypass measures we may use to
prevent or restrict access to registry.jockeyclub.com, or;
(o) Otherwise violate the limited
scope of permission hereby expressly granted
1.5 TJC may, from time to time,
audit the activities of users of registry.jockeyclub.com to detect patterns
of abuse and non-compliance with these Terms and Conditions of Use and TJC
has the right to suspend or terminate your use of registry.jockeyclub.com
and refuse to you any and all current or future use of registry.jockeyclub.com
if, in the sole judgment of TJC and without notice to you, such abuse or
non-compliance with these Terms and Conditions is detected.
2 DESCRIPTION OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
provides users with access to a rich collection of Thoroughbred registration
data and services. Some services we offer gratis and others are provided for
a fee. Registry.jockeyclub.com is intended for the exclusive use of conducting
registration-related business with The Jockey Club, confirmation of identity
of Thoroughbreds via the use of markings officially recorded by The Jockey Club
or via tattoo numbers or microchip numbers or the facilitation of Aftercare
arrangements for Thoroughbreds via Thoroughbred Connect. Any other use of
registry.jockeyclub.com is prohibited, including obtaining pedigree information
or other registration-related information from registry.jockeyclub.com.
Registry.jockeyclub.com includes advertisements; these advertisements are
necessary for TJC to provide you with registry.jockeyclub.com. Unless specifically
noted to the contrary, any new features or enhancements to registry.jockeyclub.com
shall be subject to these Terms and Conditions of Use. You understand and agree
that registry.jockeyclub.com is provided to you on an "as is" basis and TJC
assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery or
failure to store any information.
2.2 As a user of registry.jockeyclub.com
you understand that you are responsible for obtaining access thereto and that such
access may involve third party fees, such as Internet service provider fees. You
understand that you are responsible for these fees. Additionally, you understand
that it is your responsibility to provide for all of the necessary equipment and
software in order for your computer to be able to access registry.jockeyclub.com.
2.3 TJC reserves the right at any time
and from time to time to modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently,
registry.jockeyclub.com (or any part thereof) with or without notice. You agree
that TJC shall not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification,
suspension or discontinuance of registry.jockeyclub.com.
2.4 The information returned by the Tattoo
Identification Service is based upon a comparison between the expected tattoo number
as indicated by our registration records and the tattoo information submitted by each
user of the service. In some cases, such as in instances of tattoer error, international
horses, and other less common circumstances, the information returned by the service may
not reflect the actual tattoo number on the upper lip of the horse in question.
2.5 Thoroughbred Connect is
provided as a service to owners and breeders to assist in facilitating the
provision of Aftercare to Thoroughbreds following the conclusion of their
racing and/or breeding careers. THE JOCKEY CLUB DOES NOT SCREEN POTENTIAL
OWNERS LISTED IN THOROUGHBRED CONNECT TO DETERMINE SUITABILITY OR APPROPRIATENESS
FOR THOROUGHBRED OWNERSHIP OR FOR PROVIDING AFTERCARE. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY
OF THE CURRENT OWNER TO DECIDE WHICH, IF ANY, POTENTIAL OWNERS OR PROVIDERS OF
AFTERCARE TO CONTACT FROM THE THOROUGHBRED’S LISTING IN THOROUGHBRED CONNECT
AND TO INVESTIGATE SUCH PERSONS AND ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE HOMES FOR THE THOROUGHBRED.
The Jockey Club makes no warranties or guarantees related to or arising out of
Thoroughbred Connect or the use thereof, including, but not limited to, (i) that a
current owner will contact a name in a listing, (ii) that an individual or entity
attached to a horse in Thoroughbred Connect will be suitable, willing or able to
take the horse, or (iii) that the horse will be made available for free.
3.1 If you purchase products and/or
access information or services on registry.jockeyclub.com, you agree to:
a. Provide true, accurate,
current and complete information as required by registry.jockeyclub.com’s
registration form ("Registration Information"); and
b. Maintain and promptly update
the Registration Information to keep it true, accurate, current and complete.
3.2 If you provide any information
that is known to you to be untrue, inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated or if TJC
has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate,
incomplete, or outdated or if you are otherwise in material breach of these Terms
and Conditions of Use TJC has the right to suspend or terminate your use of
registry.jockeyclub.com and refuse to you any and all current or future use
3.3 Upon registration you will receive
a username and password, both of which will be chosen by you or assigned to you,
in accordance with parameters set by TJC. You are responsible for maintaining the
confidentiality of your username and password, and are fully responsible for all
activities that occur under your username and password. You agree to:
your username and password in strict confidence.
notify TJC of any unauthorized use of your username and/or password or any
other breach of security; and
(c) Ensure that you log off from
your account at the end of each session.
3.4 You agree that TJC, in its
sole and absolute discretion, may terminate your username and/or password
at any time and for any reason, including, without limitation, for lack of
use or if TJC believes that you have violated or acted inconsistently with
the letter or spirit of these Terms and Conditions of Use.
3.5 TJC cannot and will not be
liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with
3.6 Your username
and password may be stored in a cookie on you personal computer. Any functionality of
your browser that permits usernames and/or passwords to be auto-completed or
automatically retained should be rendered inactive when accessing registry.jockeyclub.com.
with respect to registry.jockeyclub.com see our full Privacy Notice.
5 SPECIAL ADMONITIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL USE
the global nature of the Internet, you agree to comply with all local rules, including,
without limitation, rules about the Internet, data, email, and privacy. And all other
rules regarding online conduct. Specifically, you agree to comply with all applicable
laws regarding the electronic transmission of data.
6 NO RE-DISTRIBUTION OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
Without having first obtained TJC's
written permission to do so, you agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell,
(a) any information obtained from registry.jockeyclub.com,
(b) use of registry.jockeyclub.com,
(c) access to registry.jockeyclub.com.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may print and download material from the
different areas of registry.jockeyclub.com as it relates to and is consistent
with the intended use of registry.jockeyclub.com as described in
7 YOUR DEALINGS WITH ADVERTISERS ON REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
Your participation, correspondence
or business dealings with third parties, including but not limited to advertisers,
or participation in promotions of third parties found on or through
registry.jockeyclub.com, including payment and delivery of related goods or
services, and any other terms, conditions, warranties or representations associated
with such dealings, are solely between you and such third parties. You agree
that TJC shall not be responsible or liable for any loss or damage of any sort
incurred as the result of any such dealings or as the result of the presence of
such third parties on registry.jockeyclub.com.
Registry.jockeyclub.com may provide, or
third parties may provide, links to other Internet sites or resources. Because
TJC has no control over such sites and resources, you acknowledge and agree that
TJC is not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources,
and you acknowledge that TJC does not endorse and is not responsible or liable
for any content, advertising, products, or other materials on or available
from such sites or resources. You further acknowledge and agree that TJC
shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage
or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or
reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any
such site or resource.
9 PROPRIETARY RIGHTS
9.1 You acknowledge and agree that registry.jockeyclub.com
and any necessary software used in connection therewith ("Software") contain
proprietary and confidential information that is protected by applicable intellectual
property and other laws. You further acknowledge and agree that information
contained in sponsor advertisements or information presented to you through
registry.jockeyclub.com or its advertisers is or may be protected by copyrights,
trademarks, service marks, patents or other proprietary rights and laws.
Except as expressly authorized by TJC or advertisers, you agree not to modify,
rent, lease, loan, sell, distribute or create derivative works based on
registry.jockeyclub.com or the Software, in whole or in part.
9.2 TJC grants to you a personal, non-transferable,
non-exclusive and terminable right and license to use the object code of its
Software on a single computer; provided that you do not (and do not allow any
third party to) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer,
reverse assemble or otherwise attempt to discover any source code, sell, assign,
sublicense, grant a security interest in or otherwise transfer any right in the
Software. You agree not to modify the Software in any manner or form, or to
use modified versions of the Software, including (without limitation) for the
purpose of obtaining unauthorized access to registry.jockeyclub.com. You
agree not to access registry.jockeyclub.com by any means other than through
the interface that is provided by TJC for use in accessing registry.jockeyclub.com.
9.3 Domestic and international copyright and
trademark laws protect the entire contents of registry.jockeyclub.com.
The owners of the intellectual property, copyrights and trademarks are TJC,
its affiliates or other third party licensors. UNLESS SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED
ON DIFFERENT AREAS OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM, YOU MAY NOT MODIFY, COPY,
REPRODUCE, REPUBLISH, UPLOAD, POST, TRANSMIT, OR DISTRIBUTE, IN ANY MANNER,
THE MATERIAL ON REGISTRY.JOCKEY.COM, INCLUDING TEXT, GRAPHICS, CODE AND/OR
SOFTWARE. You may print and download portions of material from the different
areas of registry.jockeyclub.com provided that you agree not to change or
delete any copyright or proprietary notices from the materials.
9.4 You agree to grant to TJC
a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, sub licensable, perpetual license,
with the right to sub-license, to reproduce, distribute, transmit, create
derivative works of, publicly display and publicly perform any materials and
other information (including, without limitation, ideas contained therein for
new or improved products and services) you submit to registry.jockeyclub.com
or by e-mail to TJC by all means and in any medium now known or hereafter
developed. You agree that you shall have no recourse against TJC for any
alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right
in your communications to TJC.
10 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
10.1 You understand that by using
registry.jockeyclub.com, you are agreeing that TJC will not, under any
circumstances, be liable in any way for any information contained therein,
including, but not limited to, for any errors or omissions in the information,
or for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of any
information contained therein.
10.2 TJC and its licensors shall
not be responsible or liable for the accuracy, usefulness or availability
of any information transmitted or made available via registry.jockeyclub.com,
either directly or indirectly, and shall not be responsible or liable for
decisions made based on such information. For the avoidance of doubt, TJC
does not make any covenants, representations or warranties regarding the
individuals or entities which offer to take a Thoroughbred horse through
Thoroughbred Connect and TJC shall not have any liability arising out of
or related to a horse being placed with an individual or entity listed
in Thoroughbred Connect.
10.3 You acknowledge that TJC is
not responsible for notifying you of any upgrades, fixes or enhancements to
registry.jockeyclub.com or for any compromise or loss of data transmitted
across computer networks or telecommunications facilities, including, but not
limited to, the Internet.
10.4 YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND
AGREE THAT TJC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL,
CONSEQUENTIAL OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, DAMAGES FOR
LOSS OF PROFITS, GOODWILL, USE, DATA, OR OTHER LOSSES (EVEN IF TJC HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES), RESULTING FROM: (i) THE USE OR
THE INABILITY TO USE REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM; (ii) THE COST OF PROCUREMENT
OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS AND SERVICES RESULTING FROM ANY GOODS, DATA, INFORMATION
OR SERVICES PURCHASED OR OBTAINED OR MESSAGES RECEIVED OR TRANSACTIONS ENTERED
INTO THROUGH OR FROM REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM; (iii) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR
ALTERATION OF YOUR TRANSMISSIONS OR DATA; (iv) STATEMENTS OR CONDUCT OF ANY
THIRD PARTY ON REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM; (v) THE USE OF THOROUGHBRED CONNECT;
OR (vi) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATING TO REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM.
10.5 You agree to
indemnify and hold TJC, and its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, agents,
co-branders or other partners, and employees, harmless from any claim or demand,
including reasonable attorneys' fees, made by any third party due to or arising
out of (a) your use of registry.jockeyclub.com, (b) your connection to
registry.jockeyclub.com, (c) your violation of these Terms and Conditions of
Use, or (d) your violation of any rights of another.
10.6 TJC shall, at it sole option,
have the right to reprocess information to correct any errors of which it is or
11 DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTIES
YOU EXPRESSLY UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT:
(a) YOUR USE OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
IS AT YOUR SOLE RISK. REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM IS PROVIDED TO YOU ON AN "AS IS" AND
"AS AVAILABLE" BASIS. TJC EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
(b) TJC MAKES NO WARRANTY THAT
(i) REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS, (ii) REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM
WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, (iii) THE RESULTS THAT MAY BE
OBTAINED FROM THE USE OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM WILL BE ACCURATE OR RELIABLE, (iv)
THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR
OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB COM WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS, AND
(V) ANY ERRORS IN THE SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED.
(c) ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED
OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM IS DONE
AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR
ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR ANY LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM
THE DOWNLOAD OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL.
(d) NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION,
WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, OBTAINED BY YOU FROM TJC OR THROUGH OR FROM
REGISTRY.JOCKEYCLUB.COM SHALL CREATE ANY WARRANTY NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN
THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE.
12 EXCLUSIONS AND LIMITATIONS
SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION
OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES OR THE LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES. ACCORDINGLY, SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OF SECTIONS 10
AND 11 MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.
Notices to you may be made via email.
Registry.jockeyclub.com may also provide notices of changes to these Terms
and Conditions of Use or other matters by displaying notices or links to
notices to you generally on registry.jockeyclub.com.
14 TRADEMARK INFORMATION
The Jockey Club®, Interactive RegistrationTM and Thoroughbred
ConnectTM and other trademarks and service marks, and other TJC logos and product
and service names are trademarks of The Jockey Club ("TJC Marks"). Without TJC’s
prior permission, you agree not to display or use in any manner, the TJC Marks.
15.1 These Terms and Conditions of
Use constitute the entire agreement between you and TJC with respect to the
subject matter covered herein and govern your use of registry.jockeyclub.com,
superceding any prior agreements between you and TJC with respect thereto.
You also may be subject to additional terms and conditions that may apply
when you use affiliate services, third-party content or third-party software.
These Terms and Conditions of Use and the relationship between you and TJC shall
be governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to the conflicts
of laws rules thereof. You and TJC agree to submit to the personal and exclusive
jurisdiction of the courts located within the county of New York, in the State
of New York.
15.2 TJC reserves the right to
release current or past user information if TJC believes that a user’s account
is being used to commit unlawful acts, if the information is subpoenaed and/or
if TJC deems it necessary and/or appropriate.
15.3 The failure of TJC to exercise
or enforce any right or provision of these Terms and Conditions of Use shall
not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.
15.4 If any provision of these Terms
and Conditions of Use is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid,
the parties nevertheless agree that the court should endeavor to give effect to
the parties' intentions as reflected in the provision, and the other provisions
of these terms and Conditions of Use remain in full force and effect.
15.5 You agree that regardless
of any statute or law to the contrary, any claim or cause of action arising
out of or related to use of registry.jockeyclub.com or these Terms and Conditions
of Use must be filed within one year after such claim or cause of action arose or
be forever barred.
15.6 The section titles in these Terms
and Conditions of Use are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual
15.7 You may terminate this Agreement at any time for
any reason by calling TJC at 800-444-8521 Monday through Friday between the
hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The provisions of Sections 9
through 15 shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
15.8 THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, USA, APPLICABLE TO AGREEMENTS
EXECUTED AND PERFORMED WHOLLY WITHIN SUCH STATE, SHALL GOVERN THE VALIDITY,
INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS AGREEMENT. IT IS EXPRESSLY AGREED TO
BY AND BETWEEN THE PARTIES HERETO AND ANY OTHER PERSON OR PERSONS SEEKING TO
UTILIZE THE SERVICES PROVIDED FOR HEREUNDER, THAT ANY LAWSUIT BROUGHT AGAINST
TJC SHALL BE COMMENCED AND ADJUDICATED ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK OR IN NEW YORK STATE COURTS LOCATED IN
NEW YORK COUNTY | <urn:uuid:b32dad8b-96a4-4020-a2b4-c23801f6c282> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.registry.jockeyclub.com/registry.cfm?page=dotIRTermsOfUseAgreement&CFID=113486625&CFTOKEN=99193161 | 2013-05-18T06:49:43Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696381249/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092621-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.818582 | 6,515 |
April 6th, 2011
Four thousand people attended the largest annual conference of left and progressive intellectuals in the world over the weekend of March 18-20, 2011. It was the 7th annual Left Forum, at Pace University in lower Manhattan. A thousand speakers, 300 workshops, panels and dialogues on international politics, class war, social justice issues, corporate abuse of power and the ravages of financial deregulation attracted academics, anti-capitalists, socialists, artists, journalists, activists and anarchists to forge bonds of solidarity for social change. They had their choice of up to 45 panel discussions per seven program periods, plus two stellar plenary presentations covering the conference theme “Towards a Politics of Solidarity”.
Internationally known presenters such as Richard Wolff, Stanley Aronowitz, Cornel West, Laura Flanders, Barbara Ehrenreich, Francis Fox Piven, Benjamin Barber, John Nichols and The Yes Men, keen-sighted and eloquent in their analyses and reportage of problems, activists working for change, graced the conference mainstage.
So why were only a few presentations really strong on inspiration and insight for how to foster growing unity among progressives, how to build consensus on outlook and method to bring unity of action to fruition?
For the most part, I heard the need for solidarity answered with a call for solidarity, a need for a new paradigm with a call for a new paradigm. In the face of mounting world catastrophes and collapses, this is just a little like singing, “100 bottles of beer on the wall” together.
I suspect even right-wing spies who no doubt sat among us were underwhelmed by such tautologies. What could they report back that the leftists were planning to do? Top secret: They say they’re going to get together and take down power systems, make demands for multiracial, multicultural harmonious living, end top-down ersatz democracy, rid societies of oppression and exploitation, create equal opportunity and abundance for all . . . .
But there we all were, “together” at the conference, and if there were any coherent plans for how this vast harmonious concert of united humanity is to subsume current power structures and create a better world, I didn’t catch wind of them. Maybe I just went to the wrong rooms.
Because, in fact, I witnessed several quite bristly moments of disharmony, one among panelists on stage and one among audience members, the latter threatened physical aggression, with me shouting “stop!”
And throughout the weekend, there was more accord on explicating societal ills and defining authoritarian power structures than on fresh orientations or practical strategies for building a just and fair society.
Also, to my chagrin, I did not hear discussed what is actually the most significant divide among progressives, the rift between secular atheists and spiritually-oriented progressives. The latter were tellingly under-represented in the Left Forum programming. It appears the two groups do not break bread together, nor smoke the peace pipe around the same campfires.
And, of course, there are those progressives who wouldn't be caught dead or alive at either the Left Forum or at a gathering of, say, the Institute of Noetic Scientists, whose conference attracts the “conscious evolutionary” progressives.
And so the palpable spiritual desertification of our culture, if we could even be said to have a culture at all here in the US, was not considered a key part of the discussion of political, economic or social problems at either of the two Left Forums I’ve attended (2010 and 2011).
But I wonder if spiritual poverty and spiritual heartbreak is of central and essential relevance to our movement and to the urgent global problems so eloquently elucidated and enumerated at the Left Forum.
There were only a couple of classroom panels focusing on spiritual topics. One featured three Christian ministers speaking to a relatively small audience about the radical nature of their congregational work. Another panel, which I did not attend, featured Gary Null, et. al., who may have approached some of the issues I am pointing to here.
The very fact that the spiritual left and the academic left do not, for the most part, speak to each other in public (and that this fact was not deliberately brought forth in the widely attended plenary talks at this year’s Left Forum) speaks volumes about just how intractable a problem achieving solidarity really is among progressives.
How can we speak about solidarity or lack thereof without coming to grips with this glaring dissonance? Not only was this, our biggest rift, left unaddressed as a central topic in any panels I attended, I heard no direct conversation about any of the perennial divisions among progressives—all the little fractures and slices of worldview from Marxists to progressive democrats, to Green Anarchists—and so, where could be the insightful analyses of what human needs give rise to strong ideological identifications and encampments or how such divisions might be transcended? And without such understanding, how are we to begin to approach a more global vision for connecting with those who are not the least bit progressive at this time?
Instead, the need for solidarity was addressed through kudos for Egyptian and Wisconsin demonstrators, through applauding these truly heroic examples and models of solidarity for social justice and regime change, but at a time when neither of these groups have lasting victory to show for their efforts, the kind of social progress that can deal with human greed, aggression, power, supremacy . . . .
There were accolades and strong applause for the solidarity represented by pizza orders called in to feed Madison, WI demonstrators, from unknown ideological comrades watching Madison protests via internet and TV around the US and the world.
Yes! hot pizza pies are significant and meaningful gestures of solidarity, and yet eerily disappointed was I that radicals at the Left Forum did not dig up and chew on the roots of what lasting solidarity really is, the metaphysical elements of brotherhood and sisterhood and what gives rise to them beyond the common enemy, those intangibles that provide persistent courage and energy to power through and prevail in the face of destructive forces that oppose the best in us.
In my experience of the conference only Cornel West went there and so it thrilled me when he said, in speaking of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan: “We actually love those brothers and sisters. And isn’t it something that to believe that is to be radical.” That’s it; that’s right! He actually used the L-word, the seemingly forbidden word that represents a force that knows no bounds or divisions and no obstacles, a force more powerful than all the evils in our way. Bravo, Cornel West! The audience exploded with applause for him.
Why not speak of this in depth and more often? Why the separation of intellect and soul? Can't we get over this?
Is it because this is what gets you good and killed if you start talking about it as an unmediated birthright (Lennon, MLK, Jesus . . .) and start speaking of its lack as the root cause of social injustice?
Other than West’s statements, the general disengagement from the L-word and its meaning as the clarifying, fundamental aspect of life that we must exercise, strengthen and engage in ourselves and each other to full capacity, is the daunting fact that left me bereft, because only by addressing the lack of love amongst progressives and others will we be set to balance and transform our stagnation and galvanize a metaphysics of solidarity. This is how to arrive at a resolute set of actions, with strong and flexible bonds of brotherhood, with loving care and tenderness as our foundation; this is what's necessary for us to overcome rampant toxicity at every level—all of this was crystalized for me by what was lacking at the conference, an understanding of just why progressives are in their perennial underdog position in the struggle for justice.
Are we embarrassed or afraid to love big, bold and colorful? Are we ashamed to speak of abiding love as the energy of our bonds? Are we all just too depressed, anxious and desiccated inside? Can we wholeheartedly live up to taking care of ourselves and each other? Are we too heartbroken by life experience to let love flow and overspill, to beam love in the direction of the future where we will pioneer into 21st Century and excite all those around us to do the same? Are we paralyzed by the evil we have witnessed and continue to witness every day around us? All I can say is that if love is flowing in our hearts and nervous systems, let it not be confined, disguised, or kept too private now; we need it now more than ever.
I am listening for it, looking for it (the L), and yet I hear rampant cynicism, depression and despair. Love is lively, confident and bright. I appreciated the moment when Joel Kovel said in his presentation that “you need faith if you’re going to transform the world.” This is correct. But what is faith?
Faith is not religion, emotion or belief. Faith is a basic trust in life and the forces of existence, a trust in one’s organic sense of what is real and correct, and a trust in the underlying forces and processes of a universe of implicate law and intelligence, exceeding our feeble comprehension. We have to reawaken our capacities to listen, intuit and trust in life's true essentials.
Investigative journalism, accurate assessments and indictments, as well as multiple forms of resistance are surely needed, but we also need more time to be quiet, to be outdoors in wild places, to welcome our own changes, to be creative and make mistakes, to refresh ourselves and to get over our pasts, so that we’re not projecting personal rage from offenses of long ago onto current outrageous situations. Because all that makes for is conflagration, not skillful, creative and radical means that can show the way to the unwise.
The super-communicators of this year’s Forum were Cornel West and John Nichols. The old adage that “it’s not what you say, it’s the way you say it,” reasserted itself fully in the delivery of these orators. They activated bonding forces of solidarity, speaking emphatically with grace, rousing emotion, tempered to below the boiling point.
And yetl, did we not still long for gifts of real imagination at this conference? The cutting-edge is dull, getting perennially stuck at a horizon all too familiar, with too many conflicting views and goals, too much in-fighting. What will cut through to a higher order, to overcome dysfunction in our world.
Lip service is often given to the role of artists and creatives, but were there any artists on the Left Forum plenary panels? No!
At the scale of global society, with nearly seven billion people on the planet now, and with enormous challenges and forces in play, why are all these brilliant thinkers not entirely engaged with just how human beings will function, seven billion strong, as the current imperialist and plutocratic structures are disabled and dismantled, as we would like them to be?
The most clearly desirable practical ideas mentioned were worker cooperatives and relocalization, breaking up of multinational conglomerate financial systems, such as the IMF and the World Bank, reregulating investment banks, decentralizing governments into smaller regional entities and a global redistribution of wealth and power.
These are all ideas in common currency on the left. For those of us not invited to the table at progressive think tanks, it would be galvanizing to us to get feasible pictures of how the society we ideologically want would actually work, how things would be different in our daily lives and how those differences would make dangers we now face shrink back and resolve, how the redistribution of wealth and power would actually be achieved.
And if the answer is that nobody really has such things worked out, even in in their own minds, then how smart is it, really, to convene at this time, to have all these people burning all this fossil fuel to come together just to criticize the yellow brick road and the men behind the curtain? Shouldn’t we all be working locally and personally to open up our visionary capacities so we can see the way forward and then get together to share views and arrive at plans?
The word revolution was certainly in the air at the Forum, but it takes a whole lot more than a word to convince significant numbers of people to revolt. Combat revolutions require sacrifices of lives and materials; and history has shown that even successful people's revolutions can be followed on by regression to old ways.
This is exactly why “the spiritual left” calls for inner revolution, for psychological change, for freedom from addiction, for personal authority and integrity, so that social progress springs from authentic habits of holistic thinking and living, from the resolution of inner conflicts, and freedom from the irritation, discontent and wanting of the immature human spirit.
Everywhere on the Left we are inundated with daunting facts rather than energizing tactics. Facts about the toxicity of what we breathe, drink and eat, stats on the alarming rate of wealth being sucked up the ladder, rallying calls for the redistribution of wealth – So where is the unified, coordinated redistribution-of-wealth strategy? "Tax the rich"? Is this it?
Did anyone at the Left Forum say international general strike? I didn’t hear it. How much personal and moral authority would it take for, say, 25% of people around the world to shut down the global economy and governments and take charge of every aspect of their own lives, as a group, in solidarity? We could do this, just as soon as we are actually ready to handle it.
But how do unemployed people living on government checks strike? Are they going to refuse to pick up their government checks? Are they really interested in bringing down the government that is the teat they’re attached to for food and drink?
And what about employed people or entrepreneurs, up to their eyeballs in debt, kids, cars . . . what would get them to step out of line to bring down the system and build a new world? What do you think? That going to happen if we have no solidarity or plan that encourages these people to drop out of this way of life and stand together?
In which rooms at the conference were they talking about all this?
There were many details given about corporate abuses of power and how Citizens United will effect elections and bring even more corporate power to lawmaking and military authority, more evidence that we are being strangled and poisoned notch by notch, that while we hem, haw, dilly and dally, Fascism is taking hold and tightening its grip.
We were also privy to many specifics and particulars of the escalating environmental devastation of our biosphere and the denial of corporate/governmental power to recognize the urgency and respond. To be environmentally responsible means abandoning a legacy of exploitation and greed with biblical underpinnings, as well as high-stakes investments in growth and expansion of businesses based on extraction, domination and exploitation of natural ecosystems. To be truly environmentally responsible would mean that predatory capitalist system would be finished and the elite standards of living that everyone in the Left Forum audience is used to would be cut way, way back. Ready to rally for that? Just how many people would be put out of work in that scenario? Even if workers were to take over those businesses as coops, how would they run such businesses if they weren’t going to exploit land or other people?
We want to end the wars, close nuclear power plants, stop hydrofracking and tar sands operations, stop offshore drilling. Are you ready to live without fossil fuels? Ever gone hiking and camping? Ever live like a monk or a nun? No? Do these things now and then let's have a radical conversation.
We were told that Fox News is the most watched television news program and that the Wall Street Journal is the most read newspaper; that the messengers on the Right are ever-so-disciplined, consistent and pervasive in their backward messaging.
But isn’t it also true that Republicans are divided on many issues? We were told that half of Republicans identify as Tea Party supporters and the other half poll more like Democrats on the subject of social programs. So, the truth is that they don’t know what to do either and they don’t agree with each other or stand together on a lot of issues. There are pro-choice, pro gay marriage, fiscal Republicans, for example.
So why were there not concentrated analyses of just what our central messages are and why we are so unclear, undisciplined, inconsistent and ineffectual? Why were we not looking judiciously at ways to create lasting solidarity across platforms, across aisles, across all the blurred and shifting lines of the masses of suffering humanity? Why can’t we think bigger and more holistically than we do?
Artists, spiritual elders, and futurists are the visionary systems thinkers with big-picture capacity, long-range vision, and inner resources of satisfaction, but there were no artists or futurists on the plenary stage. Why not?!
Ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, prodigious minds of erudition and passion, where was the much-needed attention to remedying ideological territorialism, which so afflicts the movement for justice and for sanity? Are we to remain defined primarily by what we are not, by what we oppose, by our anti-corporate and anti-capitalist rage, slogans and declarations?
Must it be our destiny to be in the role of yelping underdogs, fighting with our softie-hearted kid gloves in a class war that is totally rigged, where nothing can be done without capital and where we are perennially undercapitalized and forced to fight a losing battle, when in fact we are lovers not fighters? Why was there not more talk along these lines?
I say we've got to change the game in our own lives and who wants to hear that?! Let us no longer recognize the value of paper currency! Let us be defined by our creative vision and leadership, making obsolete, in both word and deed, the shackles of unwholesome societal projects! Disengage! Pull out! Disobey! Divest yourself of everything you've got sunk into the toxic, unreal world. Occupy the land. Leave the cities and get with the land to learn from and work with those who know how to live in harmony with the land.
Laura Flanders said something very important at the conference. She said, “Reality is what we need to grapple with.” This is truly of the essence. And it’s the same reality for progressives, as it is for those on the right. Dissociation from reality is the most pervasive human problem we are called to overcome now, in every social class, at every age, and in every culture and country on Earth.
Our true unity is actually found in our ignorance and weaknesses, in the pain of our confusion, ineptitude, psychological immaturity and disengagement from the Earth, in our not knowing what to do. The energetic network for mass solidarity is actually the shared experience of modernity and industrial civilization and its discontents, its craziness, its falsities, and our shared struggles of being neither here nor there.
Meanwhile everyone is pretending to know more than they do know and to be stubbornly right in that! We are together in our hidden existential pain. We will be strong when we can present a viable structuring of society that gives everyone the time and resources to address their dissociation from reality, to deal with hurt and the possibility of deep healing for future generations, to approach reality afresh, as ones who have learned a great deal since the start of the industrial era, with only perhaps a few elements of it worth keeping. Let us be eclectic about what we have learned; let's keep gems of wisdom and abolish all our many errors of ways and means.
No one can do this while they are on a rat-wheel “workin’ for the man,” when they are caught up in competition, envy and fear. And “the man” can’t do it either, not when he’s in domination mode, waging war, exploiting underlings, setting policies that don’t serve the universal needs of people, scarring the land and pillaging seas for profit. These are people sadly out of touch.
All too few of us can approach and stay engaged with reality if we are living within today’s world structures, which are so very damaging to the spirit. This is why monks and nuns are given protection to be reclusive; they are doing the work of inner alignment with reality. More and more of us could disengage from academia and all forms of institutional and establish work and turn inward to contact reality, living very simply and without fanfare. As we do, we need less and less of what the techno-monopoly world has to offer, seeing it as a sorrowful waste of the gift of life. All people might be touched by reality and therein find rest, peace.
Are we willing to lay down our careers, positions and possessions if that’s what needs to be done to reach our most cherished goals?
Imagine if 85% of the world’s population were highly educated and psychospiritually mature. Anarchy might work. It would not be such a chaotic situation. But if 85% of the world’s population is ignorant, dependent and immature, anarchy is completely untenable, because people cannot self-manage and they will not be trustworthy to look after each other and other forms of life.
A favorite slogan of the Situationists during the European social upheavals in 1968 was "Be Realistic. Demand the impossible.”
Reality itself is demanding that we transcend, create, surpass former limits and that is the natural way of the universe anyway, with or without us. What seems “impossible,” out of reach, is so because our psychospiritual development and its conditions are too undeveloped to live up the moral sense or the creative potential that is ours, but which is very intimate. This demand for alignment with intimate reality is knocking inside all of us but the most severely crippled souls, those very people who so often find their way into positions of power. When are we going to answer to the intimate truth instead of to the magnetic psychopaths who dominate and manipulate through ignorance and lies?
The growth humanity needs now has nothing to do with the growth of an economy or the provision of “creature comforts,” nor with rallies and the fall of governments. It is about deepening and strengthening of our capacity to meet reality and be wholeheartedly aligned with it, to be realized people, working with natural law as our law.
Can we imagine that the basis of our entire global culture is to achieve what is generally considered “the state of enlightenment,” but which is simply alignment with reality?
Will the academic left get with this? If so, you might just be out of a job, professors. How would you like to build a cob house with a bunch of us and put in some gardens and greenhouses?
And, will “the spiritual left” please leave off with the UFOs and aliens, crystals and runes, drug trips, crop circles, reptilian humans, astrology, mystery cults, power of attraction workbooks, drum circles, fortune tellers, pagan rites . . . and meet with intellectuals and just folks around the campfire for some practical architecture?
Now, will the evangelists and the rednecks, addicts, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, gangsters, secret agents and casino owners turn away from false doctrines, false flags, guns and poisons? What? No? Will you be ransacking our brand new mud and straw villages? Really?
Don’t you want to admit that the native peoples were the advanced minds, the wisdom figures, and that the Europeans were the neurotic, puerile savages?
Can we get a wee bit smarter and more radical now?
Making our demand Life’s demand, taking this upon ourselves as a species, across all borders, boundaries and divisions, is deeply political in nature and also deeply spiritual: these go together. Once you’re fully involved in reality, you won’t have time anymore for consumer business or celebrities, nor will you harbor a shred of interest in the circus of electoral politics.
Bio-psycho-social-spiritual integration and development, dynamic growth, holistic health and clear mind-sight into and through the old and the present has the potential to bring not only the fractured left together, but humanity as a whole.
The imperative for reality changes the human project entirely. We simply cannot go back to sing Jack and Jill, play musical chairs and Ring around the Rosy now. We simply cannot sing anthems, run marathon rat races or have the fruits of our love and work go to war and waste.
The whole stage-set will be dismantled when we are over the silly stories of this theater! All of us, together, over it, over it now! Dull, ditzy, dusty old stories!
Victor Hugo famously said "Greater than the tread of mighty armies is an idea whose time has come." And the time as come, fellow human beings, to acknowledge that when enough of the human race grows up and perceives reality, the seemingly endless cycles of invasion, exploitation and domination of peoples and planet will be obsolete.
There are not enough jails, money or uniformed men to contain, hold back and push down an idea whose time has come.
It is the whole construct of reality that is crumbling and dying around us. Goodbye. Good night. Good luck. Awaken.
©2011 Jari Chevalier
March 11th, 2008
The question, where is your money invested? is experienced by many as a violation, a pointed finger jabbing at them. Well, this gets our backs up precisely because this is where we have compromised our hearts, where we really don’t want to look and listen, where the worm of hypocrisy squirms. It’s what we really don’t want to feel, talk about, and possibly be moved to address. Why?
Because it is still, generally speaking, more financially profitable (higher returns, less risk) in the short term to put money into the coffers of established companies and profiteers, engaged as they may be in disregard of land, people, health and wisdom, and every creature of the Earth.
And so we think we have our money working for us?! We give over our money, which, along with our work, is our most powerful instrument, voice and vote, to this portfolio of doom and Armageddon. And, the game is set up so that the players rationalize and justify detrimental business practices on the basis of having to satisfy their stockholders with high returns. This is a game where profit is the highest value in consideration. So, there you have it.
I was at the Whitney Biennial contemporary art show on preview day and it was a spiritual wasteland, very disappointing. The show mirrors a society that is imbalanced, disgusting, disordered, epically ugly, mad, stupid, broken, mean-spirited and sick. On the audio tour, Ellen Harvey, one of the artists whose work stood out to me, said: “You can’t win, so let’s just start off by failing as extravagantly as possible,” in speaking of her art process. A fitting line for our times. There was hardly a hint of transcendence or visionary attitude in that entire show; instead, despair and hurt and self-indulgence. Is this the best we can do? One wonders about the selection of this uninspired psychic display and what the mindset is there, the agenda.
The proverb “money is the root of all evil” in these materialistically driven times might just as well be “money is the root of all good”. Our money is what we get for the life energy we have expended and both our energy and our money can be put to good, evil or neutral work in the world.
Our money actually does invest us in that which we have invested, even though we are not always willing to look at it that way or to do the real math from a holistic perspective. So then, are we living behind our own backs? Are we content to be strangers to ourselves and each other? Are we actually saying: yes, here, do more of this with our world, kill it, destroy and decimate it, kill it all, just give me another cushion, don’t take away my addictions, and throw in the health insurance.
We have the power, if we have the will, to reform our civilization very quickly, and we can do it with our energy and our money, much more effectively than with our political votes.
If you haven't seen the movie Zeitgeist yet, you can get to it through these links. It's screening at non-mainstream theaters across the country this Saturday. The second link displays those theaters. Part three of this movie gives a historical view of the financial world that you might want to have a look at. I invite your comments on this.
Streaming Zeitgeist movie
Big Screenings on March 15th
Article by Javier Sierra, Sierra Club, "How to Tell Greenwashing from Real Corporate Responsibility"
©Jari Chevalier, 2008 | <urn:uuid:44647ad1-9013-423c-927a-b63150aa908d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://jari.podbean.com/category/economy/ | 2013-05-21T10:13:56Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956277 | 6,154 |
Seanad Éireann - Volume 21 - 21 July, 1938
Extension of Vocational Organisation.
Debate resumed on the following motion:
That, in the opinion of the Seanad, a small commission should be appointed by the Government to examine and report on the possibility of extending vocational organisation by legislative or administrative action.—Senators MacDermot and Tierney.
The Taoiseach Eamon de Valera
The Taoiseach: I was very sorry I was not able to be here to listen to the speeches delivered by the proposer and seconder of the motion, and if other Senators wish to speak on the motion I should prefer to wait and hear what they have to say.
Mr. Douglas Mr. Douglas
Mr. Douglas: The difficulty is that we understood that the Taoiseach would have an opportunity now, so as not to take up his time, and those of us who intended to take part in the debate were reckoning on its taking place after the Bills on the Order Paper had been disposed of.
The Taoiseach Eamon de Valera
The Taoiseach: So far as I am concerned, it is simply a question of saying that I am in favour of the motion, because, whatever view may be taken of it, I cannot see that any harm can be done in having a commission set up to examine the question. It does not commit anyone in advance to any particular viewpoint or to any of the findings, because we have no idea what they may be. The resolution, as it stands here, is “That, in the opinion of the Seanad, a small commission should be appointed by the Government to examine and report on the possibility of extending vocational organisation by legislative or administrative action.” The only question is whether it should not be somewhat wider in its terms of reference than it is—whether there might not be some other methods of encouragement. I am sure, however, that whatever methods of encouragement might be adopted by the Government could be included in the two terms “legislative” or “administrative.” Personally, I have no objection, and no member of the Government, so far as I am aware, has any objection to such a commission being set up. It would be of great importance that this matter should be examined home to see how far the fundamental ideas are capable of being applied in our country and in what direction they might be best applied. If it is simply a question of our view, we have no reason at all to object to this motion being passed, and, if it is passed, we will implement it.
Mr. Hayes Mr. Hayes
Mr. Hayes: Could the Taoiseach give us any idea as to what type of commission he thinks would be suitable? I think that only one of the speakers on the motion made any suggestion on the matter. In the absence of any statement to the contrary, it seems to me that what is contemplated is that the Government should appoint a commission. I take it that is what the Taoiseach understands from it and I wonder what kind of a commission either the movers or the Taoiseach have in mind.
Sir John Keane Sir John Keane
Sir John Keane: My difficulty about the motion is that the mover, and probably to some degree the seconder, hung this on to the question of a better Seanad. I do not think that is implicit in the motion itself. It was suggested— I may be wrong—that it is due to the defects of our vocational organisation that the Seanad is not of the character some people would like to see it. I do not agree with that. I think, so far as vocational organisation is concerned, that there is no serious fault to be found in its approach to a Seanad. It is the method of election that has been at fault. The vocational organisations put on the panel quite a lot of what I personally considered satisfactory candidates, but in many cases they could not survive the process of election.
On the general question of vocational organisation, that is another matter and it opens up a very big question indeed which will require a lot of thought and, I suggest, a very big change in public opinion before it can take practical form. If I might suggest it, the best example we have of the full operation of vocational organisation is that in the Church of Ireland. There is no doubt that the peculiar conditions there lend themselves to cohesion. But, in that body, you have certain powers of legislation very much in the sense of a self-governing vocational body. I see great difficulties in extending that to the agricultural industry, but so far as the approach can be made, it is along those lines I think that you should try to work, to build up a vocational organisation of such a form that a large number of questions within the sphere of agriculture could be referred to what you might call an agricultural Parliament, no doubt with overriding powers and veto by the Dáil. The same with industry. Of course, as we all know, that is very remote. We can only work to that in a very slow and tentative manner, but that would be the ideal at which we should aim. So far as a commission could help in thinking out all that, it would be all to the good.
Mr. Douglas Mr. Douglas
Mr. Douglas: One reason I did not wish to speak until we had some indication of the view of the Government was that, if they were not prepared to accept the general idea of a commission, alternative suggestions might be made. I am glad that the Taoiseach indicated that, at any rate, the idea would be favourably considered. It seems to me that Senator Tierney was quite right when he said that the two questions, the question of extending vocational organisation in the country, and the question of a Seanad which might be elected more or less on vocational lines were two distinct questions. I would not like to see them mixed up in the reference to any commission. I read very carefully the two speeches made and was particularly impressed by the line taken by Senator Tierney. I, at any rate, did not get his ideas as clearly from listening to him as from reading carefully his speech, which I think is worthy of study whether you agree with it or not.
There are considerable practical difficulties, almost insurmountable difficulties, but if a suitable commission was prepared to give time to study the problem, apart from the question of a vocational Seanad, I think it might be of considerable value. At any rate, having regard to the general ideals which were accepted fairly well by all sides in this country some 15, 16, 17, 18 years ago, it seems to me that there is a duty upon us to consider the problems put forward in this resolution, and more particularly in the speeches on the resolution. I would hope that, so far as possible, persons like most of us here who have taken an active part in politics, if not excluded from the commission, would be very definitely in a minority, because I think it is a matter on which we would have to get entirely away from politics as we have known them in the last 15 years. We have a number of divisions which seem to be largely unnatural.
I should like to see those of us who may happen to be here after the next election appointing a committee of our own to consider amendments or improvements in the method of election, which was referred to by Senator Sir John Keane. I think that that would be a thing apart, and that it would not be necessary to wait in respect of it until you had a detailed report from a commission of this kind. That is one of the reasons why I should like to see the two things kept distinct. An expansion of vocationalism would have to be brought about by a policy carried over a considerable number of years. There would be a lot of difficulties to be surmounted, and I do not think you should necessarily wait until that is achieved before making an attempt to rectify the things which have not worked very well in connection with the election of the Seanad. I am glad that the Government is prepared to accept the principle of this resolution, and I think that the Seanad should approve of it without a division.
Mr. O'Callaghan Mr. O'Callaghan
Mr. O'Callaghan: The extension of vocational organisation is very desirable. It may, or may not, give us a better Seanad. It may, or may not, give us a better Dáil. If carried to its logical conclusion, it may deprive this House of the services of the proposer and seconder of this motion. That, of course, would be a step in the wrong direction. What I propose to say, I want to direct to two vocational organisations in connection with agriculture —the Dairy Shorthorn Breeders' Society and the Beetgrowers' Association. I shall first deal with a small portion of the work carried on by the Dairy Shorthorn Breeders' Society. Anybody going through the City of Dublin will see the tramcars and buses decorated with “drink more milk” slogans.
That was brought about by representations made to the Minister for Agriculture by the Dairy Shorthorn Breeders' Society. The drink-more-milk campaign will have a very great effect on the health of the nation. It will do away with patent medicines and doctors' bills. People will have more money to spend and they will be more cheerful. It may even bring about the setting up of a milk bar in Leinster House where, under the influence of milk cocktails, Party bitterness will entirely disappear and a new spirit will supplant the old. I am just relating this small section of the work of the Dairy Shorthorn Breeders' Society to illustrate the good that an association of that kind might do for the State and for the people.
There is, then, the Beet Growers' Association, which some people seem to overlook. It has a membership of 30,000 beet growers and speaks for some thousands of grain growers. Most of the beet growers in the West of Ireland are small farmers. The average acreage is about one and a half per grower. It is a little more in other areas. I tell you that to illustrate the fact that the labour used is family labour; not paid labour. In the other areas, the acreage is a little bit greater but not much. Seventy-five per cent of the beet grown in this country is grown by family help. The difficulty with the beet growers is the question of price and not the setting up to guilds or organisations of any kind. The Beet Growers' Association have had considerable difficulty in getting a price to which they would be agreeable. Some experts seem to have advised the Government that sufficient acreage would be got at the price which is being offered. That advice was wrong and it has done considerable harm to the industry. There is a shrinkage of 12,000 acres in this year's beet crop and, unless the crop is a very bountiful one this season, it will be very difficult to get beet for 1939.
I am glad that the Taoiseach is here because we have not had an opportunity of telling him what the position is. The powers that be say that the man who lends his money is entitled to his due reward. They say that the factory worker is entitled to get what he gets. They say that the cost of sugar must not be increased to the public and that the State cannot give any further help. They say that, after full provision is made for depreciation and reserves, the beet grower can get the rest. The position is an anxious one for the beet grower who is anxious to get the industry going. He finds himself at the wrong end of the stick. We have been discussing the formation of guilds and several ways and means of getting a price that will induce the farmer to grow beet. We have in the current issue of the Beet Growers' Journal an article from a very distinguished churchman on the formation of guilds in connection with the Beet Growers' Association. That journal was sent to 30,000 or 35,000 growers and was read by them and their families. In that way, we have done a lot to educate public opinion about the formation of vocational bodies. A motion will be discussed at the annual meeting in connection with this matter and any member of this House who cares to go and listen to it will be provided with a seat in the distinguished strangers' gallery. Three factors, in my view, govern the sugar industry. One is the man who lends his money—in other words, the capitalist. I do not call him a capitalist because plenty of small men lent small sums for the setting up of the industry. Then, there is the factory worker and, then, the beet grower. A vocational body composed of these three factors would seem to be a desirable way of controlling the industry but the difficulty the beet grower has is that he will be coming in as the underdog. He regards the other people as being well away and he does not regard himself as being on the same plane. The only difficulty we have in connection with the setting up of that guild to control the sugar industry is the question of price. I hold that the beet grower is the backbone of the industry and that he should not play second fiddle to any of the other component parts.
The setting up of a commission may not be the right means of developing vocational organisation. I know the way the Dairy Shorthorn Breeders' Society was set up. It was got going by half a dozen people who put their backs into the work. If we had sufficient civic spirit, and if we had a little more national pride, there might not be any need of a commission to deal with vocational organisation. Vocational organisation is very desirable, but whether or not the setting up of a commission is the proper means of approaching it, I leave the House to judge.
Mr. Quirke Mr. Quirke
Mr. Quirke: I find myself largely in agreement with Senator Sir John Keane, so far as this motion is concerned, in so far as he says that too much stress was laid on the system of electing the Seanad. This question of a system of election for this House was under discussion for several months. During that time, very little in the way of suggestion that was of any use came from any quarter. As always happens, the best hurlers are on the ditch. If anybody can suggest a better method than the method which has been in operation up to now, I am sure the Government will be quite pleased. The present system is far from perfect, but I believe that it is the best system that could be found under existing conditions. I am not against the setting up of a commission, for the reason that I believe that the discussion of this motion will create a better atmosphere so far as the development of vocational organisation is concerned. With all due respect to the proposer and seconder, I think that the motion is not properly worded. I do not believe that vocational organisation can be developed by legislative means. I believe that it will have to be a natural growth. The atmosphere at present is more favourable to this purpose than it has ever been for the simple reason that vocational organisation should be the natural outcome of the activities of a native Government. As a result of this commission and as a result of the activities of some of the Senators who have been sent here by vocational bodies, that atmosphere will spread and, even within the next year or two years, even if we did nothing further about the matter, we should have considerable development in that direction.
I think that there was very little of value in the speeches made by the proposer and seconder of the motion. They rambled from the subject. I believe that a commission can do very little of itself to achieve our purpose, but that the setting up of a commission, combined with the discussion we have had, will induce people to talk about the matter. They will find that useful work has been done by some of the Senators sent here by various bodies and they will realise that it is up to them to organise themselves into groups and send men here who will look after their interests. At the same time, some of the men sent here would be well advised to keep away from politics. Political speeches in this House by men sent here by vocational bodies will have a tendency to prevent development of opinion in the direction which we seek.
Mr. Condon Mr. Condon
Mr. Condon: I consider this a most fascinating subject, particularly as we can all talk with extraordinary wisdom about it, seeing that few people know very much concerning it. So far, the speeches have been good. There was, certainly, a shock for all of us in the proposing of the motion. We are used to shocks in this House after the major shock of the dissolution of the Dáil, which meant that we, as a body, were about to be dissolved before we were familiar with the upholstery of the place. After that, we can get over any shocks. The seconder of the motion ought to have got a shock when he heard all that was said by the proposer as to what he considered the gravamen of the resolution. It seemed to me as if Senator MacDermot wanted the mountain to go into labour to produce a mouse—a new mouse. He was much distressed about the character of this House. Evidently, sensitive people, with high vocational qualifications, could not bring themselves to do the ordinary, vulgar things that have to be done to become members of this House. They could not be expected to go out in public and canvass or do anything like that.
If I am a member of the electoral college, I can see, and so can Senator MacDermot, circulars on my table every morning from some of these vocational experts, these people who were so busy and so remote from the people, so removed from the ordinary vulgarities of life. Anyone who receives these circulars will note how these very remote people can speak of their own exceptional qualifications and hold forth on the benefit it would be to the nation to have them elected to this Seanad. If Senator MacDermot had read some of these circulars he might, perhaps, change his mind. I tell the Senator that these people are not at all so remote from the ordinary vulgarities of life as has been suggested. I know they are very valuable people, but there is no doubt that if there is any possibility of their getting here by any means then they will get here. But these are the men that the Senator had in mind when he was speaking of a vocational Seanad. That is really what it means, the mountain in labour and it produced a very trifling thing.
Senator MacDermot's speech was very discursive. I think in that speech he dealt with all subjects. Indeed he omitted very few things. He did not touch on bimetallism nor on the breeds of poultry but he dealt with nearly every other subject one could think of. He touched on the Pope, and I was afraid for a time that he was going to take serious action with regard to His Holiness. However, in the end he was very nice to the Pope, and I am sure His Holiness will be very glad when he hears about it. We have been told that the Pope's Encyclicals have been very widely read, but that they had been misunderstood. Anyone who had not read these circulars and was not acquainted with what was in them would begin to think that they were such mysterious things that the ordinary man could not possibly understand them. Now the fact is that the Pope's Encyclicals were entirely inspired by concern for the people. They were written in such a way that even the common people could understand them —they were so immensely clear. In these Encyclicals the Pope said really necessary things, and he said them in a plain way. I have read them and I am familiar with them. There is nothing in them that an ordinary person could not understand.
When the first Encyclical was published over 40 years ago it received as much attention that time as if it had been written by me. Then the world had not broken the skin of the Dead Sea fruit. The world had not known the Great War. The world had not understood how wretched the organisation of society was and what terrible possibilities for evil lay in society as it then existed. As I say at that time the world had not broken the skin of the Dead Sea fruit, and this great Encyclical was almost wholly ignored. It required a further Encyclical from the present Pope, Pius XI, to draw further attention to it. He suggested that the vocational organisation of society might be remedied. He drew attention to some of the dreadful things that were about us. If one turns from the fashion parades in Grafton Street or George's Street, examines the position in the slums and inquires into the life that obtains there, he will understand something about the Pope's Encyclicals. The conditions are bad in our slums but they are a thousand times worse and more infamous in countries that are very much richer than ours. In some of those very rich countries people are born into conditions that are certain to ensure that they will be maimed in mind, body and morals for the rest of their lives. Hundreds and thousands and even millions are born into such conditions as these all the time while we have been preaching Christianity.
Senator MacDermot's concern seemed to be with getting ideal electors. I do not know where these ideal electors are to be got except down in the Kildare Street Club. But when we get these ideal electors the Labour Party will not exist any longer. That appears to me the big thing that he sees in this motion. The Labour Party and the Farmers' Party will disappear. I think that in itself would be a disaster. No matter what vocational conditions obtain human nature will not change. There will always be greed and avarice in the world. Once we had the Guild system. The Guilds became vicious, so that greed and avarice and other abuses grew up in them, and they needed correction. It may be just the same with this vocational organism that we hope to see established in the future.
I think it is absolutely necessary that society should organise itself on absolutely different lines from the present. Most of the people to-day are simply living under serf conditions or in slave conditions. The people who are depending on casual labour are in a slave condition. Let us consider the position of these people, and if we do we will find their position is really worse than that which existed under the old slave conditions. I remember it was a shock to us all when we read long ago that John Mitchel had taken the part of the Confederates in the American Civil War. In that Civil War John Mitchel was on the side of the South. He wanted to maintain the slavery system. Now, Mitchel was an enlightened man and a great lover of freedom, but he gave his reasons for the stand he took up on the American Civil War. He said:—
“Here you have a mass of black labour which at present represents so much chattels to the men who own it. These new people in the North who discovered that slavery is such a dreadful thing want the slave owner to free his slaves in order that they are to be thrown into an already over-crowded labour market where the slave will have no value except that when he is worn out he will be replaced by another man.”
John Mitchel's reasoning on that occasion was borne out subsequently by John Ruskin. In that matter John Mitchel showed himself a man of extraordinary vision.
To-day you have in the world much worse conditions than the slave conditions of the American negroes. Now, in this State of ours we have a wholly undeveloped country. In anything that we have to decide to do in the future it would be well that we should remember that the normal development of Ireland had been obstructed for centuries. As G.K. Chesterton described it, the whole trouble was that we had no government here. It was not a case of having a bad Government or a good Government. What we suffered from was really the determination of another people to annihilate and wipe out our people. That was their policy for centuries and that policy had had its reactions. In a hundred years our population had been reduced by something like 50 per cent. We have counties like Meath that I represent with a population of half what it was 50 years ago. Now that country is wholly undeveloped.
Every month one can read in one of the most useful publications published here in Ireland a series of articles showing the difference between the use we make of our land and the use that Belgium is making of its land. Belgium has something like 7,000,000 acres of land. It has over 1,000,000 holdings. We have 17,000,000 acres of land, that is 10,000,000 acres more than Belgium, and we have 230,000 holdings. We have one-quarter of the number of holdings and 10,000,000 acres more land. What is really happening in the country is that extremely little use is being made of our natural wealth. But we need not turn in an emergency way to vocationalism or anything else to remedy that. We have, I know, big leeway to make up. As I say we have prime land practically undeveloped. We are producing only one-quarter of the wheat which we require for our people. Yet we have something like 100,000 people unemployed and the people from the rural parts are crowding into the towns. We were told yesterday that the country workers are crowding into the towns. There is for that a very good reason and that is that the people who hold the land have no intention of employing labour on it. Their whole purpose seems to be something on the principle that obtained in the consolidation of farms, 80 or 100 years ago when village after village was wiped out and the land laid out in such a way that cattle could be turned on to it and need not be seen more than three times in the course of a year. That is the use that is being made of our land.
The first thing I would ask the National Government to deal with is to see that the whole land of Ireland be put to the service of the people; that the people should be put back on it and should be given a chance of living a normal life in the country places. We have no normal life in the country places. Take the education of our young people. Most of the young people go to the elementary schools until they are 14 years of age. Just then when they are in a position to learn something, when they are just trained in the technique of learning they are taken away from the schools. From that until the very end of their careers there is not a soul to bother about them. That is true of 99 per cent. of them. There is a shameful wastage of the best of material. This sort of thing is, in a large measure, the cause of the wrongness of mind of so many of these people. These unfortunate people develop on entirely wrong and wretched lines. They have wretched sources for their development. There are so many injurious papers and then there is the wireless business that is utterly unhelpful to these people. They are abandoned at the age of 14 to become ignorant slaves and certainly not getting much of an opportunity to live virtuous lives. That is a problem on which this nation should concentrate.
We have heard a lot about vocational education or technical education, Senator Tierney was alarmed for fear we should take his resolution as meaning technical education. Technical education was one of the things that were introduced into this country many years ago. Ninety per cent. of the people associated with it were shams. Such things as lace-making and sprigging were taught and things that were utterly wasteful. That was really of no service to the country and it touched only a very slight fraction of our people. It did not touch at all the people who leave our elementary schools at the age when they should be taken up by a Government and made into useful citizens. These young people were really abandoned; there is no doubt about that. I am interested in this proposal in one respect. We are said to be in need of a different Seanad from the one we have got. Now the one we have is an admirable one but I am sure it will be changed in a few weeks' time.
What we really want are correctives to the present organisation of society under which a big number of our people are simply committed or condemned to lives of shame, misery and suffering. There is no doubt about that. That is the horror the Pope foresaw when he suggested that correctives be applied 40 years ago. If the world had listened to him then things might have been different. Instead he was treated with contempt. Then the full horror came along; the masses of the people revolted and we have these terrible scenes which we hear of nowadays, these terrible conditions that obtain in Spain and Russia, which were brought about by popular revolt but which the originators of the revolt never foresaw. They started out with the idea of securing freedom for the people who had been ground to the dust. These horrors may possibly be in store for us in Ireland if we ignore our trust and our duty.
I certainly think that this subject should be examined in the fullest possible way, examined in every possible detail, to see if it is at all possible to spare our country from the horrors which other countries have suffered. We must remember that the masses of the people were ignored as dirt. There was absolutely no concern for them. In recent years some little concern has been shown. We have got down to the matter of the minimum wage for agricultural labourers but still we have people quarrelling about it. We have got down to the question of looking after widows and orphans and there are people quarrelling about that, describing it as an unspeakable burden. We have shown a little bit of humanity in our government but we have heaps of protests. Well, we have an example of the unspeakable horrors which have been brought about in other countries by the fact that the sufferings of the people were ignored. The fact that this reorganisation of society has been recommended by His Holiness should give us a lead, for His Holiness has centuries of wisdom, a tradition of wisdom, behind him in these matters, and his lightest word is worthy of consideration. I do not want to enter into the various considerations so singularly ably put forward by Professor Tierney but I think it will be generally agreed that we should have an exhaustive enquiry into the possibilities of the reorganisation of society along some other than the present system, under which the masses of the people are simply being exploited to the advantage of a few.
Professor Johnston Professor Johnston
Professor Johnston: I agree with the proposer of this resolution that the question of promoting vocational organisation in this country is quite separate from the question of the best method of constituting this Seanad. At the same time, I cannot help feeling that if the existing vocational bodies were given the right to elect, as well as the right to nominate to this House, nothing would contribute more effectively to the growth of vocational organisation in the country. I remember as an example of that, in connection with the recent elections to the Seanad, I heard for the first time of the existence of a body known as the Limerick Cottiers' Association. It was brought into existence not because it was given the right to elect, but because it was given the right to nominate to this body. I think on that analogy that when a smaller right than the right to elect, the right to nominate, produced such an effective result, the right to elect would produce even more effective results in inducing professional and other bodies to attempt vocational organisation. I think that a vocational body, if it had the right to elect, would be likely to use that right in a somewhat less partisan manner than is inevitable when the right to elect is given to an electoral college in which the elements of Party organisation are necessarily present. Mind you, I am not deprecating in any way the existence of Party organisation because I think Party action is a necessary adjunct to the machinery of democratic government. When you have a democratically-elected machine functioning you are bound to have Party organisation and a Party spirit and it is so necessary to the working of democratic government that I would not regard it as an evil. But everything reacts in accordance with its nature. There is an Irish proverb which says: “What can you expect from a pig but a grunt?” What can you expect from a democratic popular assembly, given the right to form an important part of the electoral college, but that when they come to elect Senators, they are bound to be influenced by Party considerations, and that they are not likely to choose precisely the same people as the vocational body itself would choose?
I think most people outside of this House would agree that it is desirable that the element of Party spirit, which is necessarily strong in the other House, should be kept as far as possible out of this House. In a democratic assembly the various sections of the community there represented engage in a struggle in which the interests commanding a majority, generally speaking, get their own way. If it so be that the interests which triumph are also the interest of the nation as a whole, it is well, but it is quite conceivable that the interests which triumph in that democratic assembly may not be exactly coincident with the interests of the nation as a whole. It is, therefore, desirable that there should be a corrective to that spirit, and I think no better idea for correcting that partisan spirit has been arrived at than the idea of developing the vocational spirit which, as I say, is quite separate and distinct from the partisan spirit.
The object of vocational representation is not that the people represented should further their special interests or should attempt to get away with anything which is in their sectional interest and is not in the interests of the nation as a whole. The object is that they should contribute their specialised knowledge to the deliberations of the Seanad; that they should seek, as far as possible, to enlighten public opinion and the Oireachtas as a whole, as regards the lines along which national interests must be pursued as against interests which are clearly partisan. I have nothing but admiration for the personal relationships which exist between us in this part of the House and you on the other sides of the House, but, at the same time, I cannot help wishing that the Party spirit was rather less evident. Occasionally it breaks out, although we may strive to restrain it. If the Party spirit were rather less evident, and the vocational spirit rather more evident, then the general tone of this assembly would be improved. Sir, I do not want to appear to be reading a lecture, but I do want to urge that we should consider the question of attempting vocational organisation, and, at the same time, not lose sight of the possibility of improving the general lines along which this House is at present constituted.
Mr. Hughes Mr. Hughes
Mr. Hughes: I am not inclined to oppose the setting up of this commission, but I must say that I am not of opinion that there is any practical solution for this great problem of vocational organisation. Senator Douglas, to my mind, got very near to the kernel of the situation when he said that it was not possible to get away from political questions in public life. References have been made to trade unions and to their place in vocational organisation. Trade unionism was founded for a certain purpose, and it did achieve a large amount of good. It has, as some people are inclined to put it, taken the workers up off their knees, but is it not strange to find that, as it developed and as time went on, quite a small number of people could use the organisation, formed for the purpose for which it was, for purely political purposes? I am saying that because I believe that it is absolutely true. Other organisations formed for other purposes will undoubtedly be used in the same way under present circumstances in this country, because we cannot at this stage get away from political matters. Perhaps, in some years to come, in ten or 20 years' time, we shall have reached a stage when a practical solution can be found. As I say, I am not opposing the setting up of a commission, but I believe that such a commission would find itself up against difficulties and snags, and that it will have to realise the difficulty of developing vocational organisations here to any great purpose.
If, in this country, the people as a whole, had a similar attitude to national questions as the people in other countries, England, for example, if we had the whole people here giving unswerving loyalty to their own country, that loyalty which supersedes every other consideration, then I would say that it would be quite an easy matter to find a solution of this problem and to have vocational organisation in a real, practical way but I say that you have not the whole of our people giving that unswerving loyalty and devotion to their country which is necessary for that purpose. Senator Johnston mentioned that there was a possibility that vocational bodies might be less partisan. I should like to think that that were possible but I am afraid for the reason that I have stated that it is not possible. When we reach the stage where loyalty to the country will be the first consideration, then we will be nearer to the period when the people who are interested in this subject will realise their ambitions. I do not wish to oppose the motion. I should be glad to see this commission working although I have not very great hopes for success in that direction at the present time.
Mrs. MacWhinney Mrs. MacWhinney
Mrs. MacWhinney: This motion I feel is not happily worded. I think it would be more acceptable if it suggested that the Act as it now exists might be examined with the object of including amongst the nominating bodies vocational bodies which have not the right to nominate now. I am thinking of one or two vocational bodies that have been in existence for a very long time. For example, there is the nursing council which was established in 1919. It is a statutory body, and I think that it is, without exception, the best organised vocational body in Ireland to-day. Yet, for some reason it has not the right to nominate. It has a membership of 16,000. From the moment that a nurse starts her training to the day she leaves it, she is under the supervision of that vocational body. Her examinations, her registration and everything is looked after. We have a body like that with no right to nominate. Against that you have a veterinary vocational body with the right to nominate. It seems strange to me, at any rate, that the people who look after the animals of the country are regarded as being more important than the people who look after human beings.
You have other bodies, in which I am interested that have not the right to nominate. You have the Amalgamated Society of Social Services. This society of women is representative of quite a big number of social service bodies. They have not the right to nominate. Against that you have the Mount Street Club which has the right to nominate.
Listening to all the speeches that were made on this motion my only regret is that some of them were not broadcast so that we could have them discussed afterwards. If the speakers had written out their speeches and issued them in advance, I think I would have enjoyed them more than I did listening to them. If the commission which it is suggested should be appointed were given power to include in the scope of its inquiries the vocational bodies that should have the right to nominate, then I think we might get a Seanad more representative of the vocational bodies of the country than the one we have at the moment.
Cathaoirleach: Senator MacDermot to conclude.
Mr. MacDermot Mr. MacDermot
Mr. MacDermot: I should like first to express my gratification that the Taoiseach is prepared to accept this motion and to consider the appointment of a commission. Senator Hayes inquired what kind of a commission was contemplated. As far as I am concerned, I have already said that I would like to see the commission a small one, and to see it very largely composed of enthusiasts for the vocational idea. As the Taoiseach said, nothing that such a commission suggests commits us in any way, but the people who have gone most deeply into the subject are the people, I think, on whom the burden should be in the main laid to suggest a practical application of their ideas. I think there are several distinguished men in this country, several of them clerics, such as Father Coyne, the well-known Jesuit, who have written on the matter with great ability and thought on it very deeply. I would put such men on the commission. I would appoint with them a good lawyer and a good practical business man, and a man or woman familiar with labour conditions and perhaps someone else who is more of a general politician. Thus you would have four men who are not experts on this particular subject who would address their minds to it from a practical point of view, and with them you would have perhaps six or seven men who have thought on it very deeply, who are enthusiasts about it and wish to see their ideas applied. This is going to give them the opportunity of putting their ideas into practice.
Senator Condon has accused me of having rambled over too wide a field in the speech in which I introduced the motion. Looking back over it, I find that it is not a very long speech though it may have seemed so to the unhappy Senators listening to me. I occupied less than half an hour in speaking, and I personally cannot find one single irrelevant word in the speech. Of course, it may be considered that I devoted too large a proportion of it to the effect of this vocational idea on the Seanad. That is a matter on which we can afford to differ, but, as I have said, I cannot find anything irrelevant in it. I had to listen to Senator Condon discuss negro slavery in America, the blighting effect of British rule in this country, our present land system and the need for a drastic reform of it, and finally, the necessity for completely changing our educational system. Listening to him, I began to wonder what exactly is the standard of relevance that Senator Condon is in the habit of applying.
The same Senator took me to task for having suggested that Papal Encyclicals receive a good deal more praise in this country than they do serious consideration, and for having ventured the opinion that rather more might have been done than has been done to give them practical effect. I am unable to see how anybody can seriously contest a word advanced on that subject. There has been immense praise for the ideas in these encyclicals, and abuse of other countries—France, England and Europe in general—for not having taken sufficient notice of them. I ask what notice have we taken of them here in Ireland except to praise them, and even to-day I find Senators, a good many of them, lukewarm about the mere proposition to set up a commission to examine the possibility of giving them any practical effect. Surely that is the very least we ought to do if we mean a word of our praise of Papal Encyclicals or of our condemnation of the world as a whole for not paying sufficient notice to them. Perhaps some Senators take the view that there is nothing in these matters that can be done by Government action; that these vocational bodies must grow up spontaneously from the soil or not come into being at all. I can see no reason for taking that view. I certainly do not think that the Government can force them on the country like a straight jacket, but I do think that the Government can do something perhaps by legislation, perhaps by administrative action, or perhaps by encouragement and propaganda.
As I pointed out, in our original Constitution 16 years ago, we went to the trouble of putting in a provision saying that the Oireachtas may set up vocational councils representing branches of the social and economic life of the nation, and that possibly some powers of the Parliament might be delegated to such councils. Again, we went to the trouble in our present Constitution of repeating that almost verbatim. If there is any sense at all in putting such things into our Constitution surely it is time that we gave them some sort of sequel such as is now suggested by Senator Tierney and myself by setting up this commission to examine the subject. Surely there is nothing extravagent or visionary in such a proposal. It is not a proposal that should have been listened to with the scepticism, if not hostility, with which it apparently has been listened to by some Senators.
As regards the bearing of this Motion on the question of the Seanad, I quite agree that the composition of the Seanad is, in a sense, a separate subject, and that the composition of the Seanad, if it needs to be dealt with by legislation, could be dealt with without any such Commission as this being set up; and possibly it may be so dealt with even during the course of this Commission's sitting. I venture to draw attention once again to Article 19 of our new Constitution, that Article that many Senators seem to overlook. It says:—
Provision may be made by law for the direct election by any functional or vocational group or association or council of so many members of Seanad Eireann as may be fixed by such law in substitution for an equal number of the members to be elected from the corresponding panels of candidates constituted under Article 18 of this Constitution.
Now, that is in our Constitution, and what is the sense of suggesting that it is some sort of a plot emanating from the Kildare Street Club, as I think Senator Condon indicated, to propose that something should be done about that? Some of the Fianna Fáil Senator do not seem to be familiar at all with the policy of their own Party. They do not seem to realise that the Minority Report of the Second Chamber Commission, which recommended the adoption of this idea, was accepted in principle by the Fianna Fail Government. I have no desire to do more than to contribute what I can to the making of the Fianna Fail policy a reality, and to bring it more perfectly into effect in these matters than it has yet been brought into effect. Obviously, if a Commission is set up to consider the question of extending the Vocational Organisations, that will have a bearing on the Article in the Constitution which says that in the future such Vocational Organisations may be given the right or direct representation.
I said frankly enough that perhaps may principal interest in this motion was to lay a firm foundation for a vocational Seanad. I also agreed that it had wider aspects, and apparently I said more about those wider aspects than some Senators seem to like; but to those who are enthusiastic about those wider aspects, and who rather deprecate any talk of the bearing of this motion on the constitution of the Seanad, I would say that surely they ought to think it a great help for one to go even a little way on the right road with them and to show a desire to tread that road. There is room for difference of opinion as to how far it will turn out practicable here in democratic Ireland for Parliament to delegate powers of more or less legisative character to Vocational bodies. There is room for great difference of opinion about that, and I personally have an open mind about it. I do not know whether we can succeed in making this complete re-organisation of society that Senator Tierney, for instance, has in mind.
But, whatever view we take about that, whether we are optimistic or pessimistic about it, at any rate it ought to be regarded as helpful to go a little way along the road and it will not take any very extraordinary or enormous development of the vocational idea to provide a firm foundation for a vocational Seanad. If we get as far as that, then we can consider going still further and giving larger powers to vocational bodies. As Senator Johnson said, the mere fact of giving direct representation to such bodies would certainly have a tendency to encourage them to come into being and would also, I think, have a tendency to get rid of some of the undesirable duplication that exists in certain departments of our life, because, as I said the other day, while there are branches of the national life where no vocational bodies exist, there are some others where too many exist and where the difficulty would be to reconcile their conflicting claims to send representatives here to the Seanad.
I do not want to go into the question of how far the present system of electing the Seanad is satisfactory or not. I said a certain amount on it the other day but I would like to stress the point that I did not use the word “vulgarity” in connection with that as I think Senator Conway rather implied that I had. I did say that some men of the vocational type were not suited to electoral campaigns, and I do not think anybody can deny that that stands not only for electoral campaigns on public platforms but for electoral campaigns in the corridors of Leinster House. I do not think that the present Seanad Electoral Act is a good Act; I had not an opportunity of taking part in the discussions on it because I did not happen to be a member of the Legislature when it was under consideration; but I do not think it is a good Act and I think that there are dangers inherent in it which might become in the future very formidable.
I think that anyone who reflects for a little bit on what could take place will say that it opens the door to corruption. It would be quite possible for unscrupulous men to get themselves elected by bribery when it is only a question, say, of needing to purchase half-a-dozen votes to enter the House. I am, however, far from saying that such a thing would be conceivable at the present moment, but I do think that we ought not to rest content with a system that makes corruption easy and that is one of the objections to the present system. I will say no more about the Seanad.
I submit that the ideas which are referred to in this motion are of such fundamental and world-wide importance that we have been guilty of neglect of duty in not having done more about them. The excuse can be offered that we have been occupied with other matters very vital to this country, and that one has not got time to think of everything and do everything; but now that some of the burning topics have been put out of the way, and that, pacé Senator Hughes, we are, throughout the country united in our loyalty to the State, I feel that the time has come when we ought to turn our hands to seeing what can be done to carry out these ideas or put them, at any rate, to the test.
Question put and agreed to.
Seanad Éireann 21 Extension of Vocational Organisation. | <urn:uuid:0d958ea8-52ae-47fb-b240-f42ff19da80b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/S/0021/S.0021.193807210003.html | 2013-05-21T10:29:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983451 | 10,539 |
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Tags - sukkoth
‘Lets walk the Mikvah in the city of the King' - City of David and Hezekiah's tunnel
Walking in tunnels are exhilarating story reads and with a flashlight in hand, it feels like a Discovery or National Geographic. City of David and the Hezekiah's tunnel became a physical as well as a non-physical reality, for reasons, I learnt eventually.
Then again, the reason had a season. And this was during my fourth visit to Israel. Past three visits, I have walked past the City of David admiring its entrance and even taking photographs with the golden harp, but never ventured within. This time with the group I was with had Ir David in the itinerary. Being the last day of the Sukkoth holiday and there was also a planned prophetic Wedding Feast to attend on return to the hotel.
King David has been one of my heroes and his war strategies have never ceased to amaze me, beginning with knocking down Goliath. And now, here we were in the King's city considered to have been the original Jerusalem. According to our guide the story is as old as 3,000 years ago, when King David left the city of Hebron for a small hilltop city known as Jerusalem, establishing it as the unified capital of the tribes of Israel.
Our visit began at the observation point overlooking Jerusalem. As I stood there overlooking the excavated site, I felt transported in the timeline, way back to the days of Abraham when the foundations of the city were first laid to present days excavations that made me relive King David's conquest of the Jebusite city. The tour-walk moved down the hillside stone stairs heading underground to some of the newer archeological excavations.
As we walked down the steps to an area marked ‘G' - The Royal Acropolis Water System (Warren's Shaft), we were reminded of Charles Warren's discovery of the ancient underground water tunnel outside the walls of the old city from the Western Wall. Apparently, this was recognized to be similar to the underground water tunnel or ‘gutter' as described in 2nd book of Samuel 5. The stepped wall on this hill in the area is believed to be the retaining wall that many archeologists believe to be the ‘Citadel of Zion' mentioned as King David's conquest of the city (2 Samuel 5:9)
The walking down tour ended at the Gihon Spring. This was the major water source of Jerusalem for over 1,000 years and where, according to the Bible, King David's son, Solomon was anointed king.
Somewhere in between the walk down Pat tugged me impatiently, ‘I have to go to the mikvah. Please come?' I looked at her and shook my head. How did she know that I too was curious about the ‘bath'? I had seen the baths in nearly every excavation site I visited, but a real one? How would one experience that? Still baffled, she tugged me along to the ticket counter for the Hezekiah's tunnel walk. That was the mikvah she wanted to walk and I complied, immediately. As with every ‘planned' visit, we were the last ones, after which the ticket counter shut!
There is an interesting fact about this tunnel, mentioned in the 2nd Book of Chronicles 32:30 of how the city was defended from the Assyrian army. King Hezekiah protected the water system by diverting its flow deeper into the city with a tunnel system. This tunnel was built by digging a 1,750 foot tunnel into the mountain. An ancient stone describes this incredible operation.
This stone reminded me of David Van Koevering's key to Quantum Leap ‘All matter has memory - your words are recorded', in which he narrates Joshua 24:27, ‘And Joshua said unto all the people, ‘Behold this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words often LORD which He spake unto us. It shall therefore be a witness unto you, lest you deny your God.'' And then there was Habakuk (2:11) and Yeshua (Luke 19:40) who said the same thing of stones witnessing. So, were the stones listening at the time? Every word, action and deed done in flesh has been recorded, according to the quantum theory.
Trekking this tunnel has today become a highlight for visitors and for Pat, Shalin, Gabriele and me a sense of duty - the Mikvah. How timely was this? After this we had the Wedding Feast of the Lamb to attend.... I enjoy half-planned last minute head-on programs! ADONAI perfectly plans HIS surprises...
The entrance was more like a cave that was well lit and gave the place a golden glow. We bought our little key-chain torches. I was a little disappointed, thought they would be flashlights, like the days of yore. But the excitement didn't wane. We arrived at to our destination - the 2,700 year old water tunnel one of the wonders of early engineering.
The water was cool and rose knee-high as we walked in, barefoot. The air within was cool; it was very dark; the space between shoulders narrowed as we walked forward, bending in some places. How so natural!.. And so well preserved! There was something about these walls -white lime portion of the wall - that seemed to reflect a golden color and it seemed to say something. It was instant - I allowed Quantum physics to let me hear and the Holy Spirit to pave the way of my thoughts. I allowed my left hand to run through the wall and impulsively pressed my ears, as if to hear something.
The walk was a silent one, with only sound of our feet splashing the water, everyone ‘soaked' in their own thoughts. I wonder if anyone thought as loud as I did... In time, we reached the end that opened into the Pool of Shiloach. Fragments of pillars are seen in the pool, which are remains of the Shiloach Church that was built here. We waited for a while watching children play in this pool and decided to do the same, wondering when would this happen again.
As we were leaving, we were self-introduced to a man who took us around to an ongoing excavation from here that showed us a huge wall painting - an artist's impression of the temple steps; shared Baron Edmond de Rothschild leading philanthropic role in acquiring property in the Land of Israel for rebuilding the Jewish Yishuv (Community); and took us to a nearby area where excavation of steps is yet underway, which he said, may probably have been the way that the Holy Priest would have taken during Sukkoth from the Pool to the Holy Temple for the water libation.
We were curious. Who was this man? He says that he was part of the excavation team.. and he too, wasn't sure why he was there. Looks like he owned a shop there, but there was no forceful sales made.
This was more than I had ever imagined or expected from being obedient to my call from my Abba for this Sukkot trip! History, experience and learning for real are a package deal that only Israel could give me till date in my life! Today when I go through challenges and feel blocked in a dark tunnel, I know now that there is a healing Pool of Shiloach at the other end.
‘Let's walk the Old City Ramparts..
Walk about Zion, go round about her,
number her towers, consider well her ramparts,
go through her citadels;that you may tell the next generation that this is God,
our God for ever and ever.
He will be our guide for ever.(Psalm 48:12-14)
.. and see where King David's soldiers stood and what they saw from their vantage points', is what we - Pat, Gabriele, Shalin and I - wanted to do following the ‘water-walking' experience at the Hezekiah's tunnel, all immersed, even in our own memories.
We walked up and down the road from the City of David to the Jaffa Gates and got our tickets. It was a tiny Entrance fee. There seemed to be just a handful of visitors at the time with our little group of four. Adventurous and prepared, were we, all with walking shoes and some water - there was this guide tip - Be prepared for a lot of stone-stairs in varying levels.
One part of the Ramparts Walk begins just outside Jaffa Gate. The entrance is a bit hard to find. Before going through the gate into the Old City, head to the enclosure to the right of Jaffa Gate, as you face the Old City. You'll be walking between two stone walls on a stone path. Follow the signs or ask someone - the entrance is a bit of way down, around a corner to the left. This section takes you from Jaffa Gate to Zion Gate and lets you off near Dung Gate, not far from the Western Wall Plaza and the Jewish Quarter. It offers a stunning view of Old City rooftops, Sultan's Pool, Yemin Moshe, Mt. Zion and the Mt. of Olives. You can also access the ramparts from Damascus Gate follow them to Lion's Gate.
Near the Entrance, there is a stone sit-out. While sitting there, waiting for Shalin to finish her sandwich, I looked around and a thought crossed my mind ‘we are about to walk another piece of Bible history!' What a fun way to get the overview of Jerusalem in the 21st Century, by climbing the olden ramparts (the watch-points, I say) of the Old City and circle the city above. There were moments I wondered what must have passed by the minds of the soldiers standing guard in the varying time periods. Walking on top of the Old City is exhilarating and gives you wonderful view over the new city of Jerusalem through the arrow slits on the turret walls and/or over them.
There are places that I had never seen in my earlier visits, like the cloistered Armenian compound, an old hospital... from each vantage point; we could see the day-to-day Old city life and the exuberance of Sukkoth. The hubbub of city life in this holiday season was worth capturing on film and just drinking in the sight from where each of us stood - bustling markets, sheets hanging on washing lines, a vendor frying falafels, festive dancing on temporary platforms....
The walls of Jerusalem that we see today were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century when he restored the ancient city walls that served as military fortifications. During 1948-1967, the Jordanian snipers used the ramparts as a vantage point. Multiple bullet holes stand witness to this shooting position on old buildings facing the Old City. Today, the ramparts serve a more peaceful purpose as a choice destination for school field trips, tourists and Jerusalem enthusiasts, I understand.
The walk is about 4 kilometres. You can't circumnavigate the entire Old City in one shot, since access to the ramparts of the Temple Mount is closed off, and the road bisects the walls at Jaffa Gate. We had to descend at the Lion's or Dung Gate and resumed from the Damascus Gate.
It is not advised to walk alone or after dark. Should you wish to experience the Rampart Walk, go for it! And again, the tip to heed: the walk requires a lot of stair climbing and descending. Make sure you're wearing comfortable walking shoes, and that you have enough water with you - once you're on the ramparts, there's no getting off until the end and no refreshment kiosk or bathroom along the way. While this is fun for adults and older kids, avoid taking little children, those fearful of heights and people who have trouble walking.
I have visited and traveled the Holy Land, no better description, for pilgrimage, a tour and even for a Bible feast and have yet not had enough. It is so true when people say, 'The Bible comes alive' - every stone talks here! | <urn:uuid:974a355c-1605-48a6-83d3-68a019d193d4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.travelujah.com/blogs/posts/Irene/tag/sukkoth | 2013-05-21T10:07:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368699881956/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516102441-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971733 | 2,564 |
“Like the rest of Washington, the CIA had fallen in love with technology. The theory was that satellites, the internet, electronic intercepts, even academic publications would tell us all we needed to know about what went on beyond our borders” (Robert Baer). I first read this quote in Robert Baer’s memoir, See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism. The book chronicles the former case officer’s career in the Middle East when the area was not yet a priority in US politics. Ultimately, Baer goes on to critique the changes he noticed in the CIA’s infrastructure. He noticed increased federal and military involvement in the civilian organization’s infrastructure, and thus an increase in bureaucracy and a shift from HUMINT (human intelligence) to SIGINT (signal intelligence).
Baer’s critiques are ones that I have taken to heart when I think about how the US organizes its wars. We have developed a love for bureaucratic systems and technological intelligence. The reality is that wars no longer resemble Clausewitz’s “Trinitarian” model and battles are no longer a matter of who holds the superior technology. These are lessons learned broadly from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War to more detailed outlines provided by Roger Trinquier. In order to adapt to the post-Trinitarian model, there must be a return to HUMINT and strategic flexibility that is not provided in bureaucratic systems. Essentially, the United States is stuck in a bureaucratic system that promotes the use of technology, which is what prevents the military from developing creative solutions and thoroughly understanding the enemy.
First, to explain the problem with the modern military, I’d like to explain how the military and the subsequent branches working for it are bureaucratic. Sociologist Wolf Heydebrand defines bureaucracy as “a formally rational system of administrative control based on technical knowledge [with] a fixed hierarchical structure with long-term career paths and closely guarded borders.” Considering that a top-down hierarchy is the basic structure of militaries with decisions made by a “chain of command,” I would think it’s fair to say that are elements of a bureaucratic system. Rank and promotion dictates everything within the military, top positions given to those with the most experience.
During the 1970s, the United States underwent a renaissance of liberal thought dubbed neoliberalism. This represented a shift in public desires from organized bureaucracy and stability to dynamic expressionism and individualism. While businesses were taking advantage of this dynamic shift in thought, the government proved slow to change. Michel Foucault noticed that the shift did not completely dismantle bureaucratic systems but brought in a new illusionary liberalism: “Neoliberal governmentality.” As Heydebrand notes: “Neoliberal supply-side policies and practices either transformed the remnants of formal-legal bureaucracy or gave rise to new, imaginative and experimental ways of organizational governance, including subcontracting, outsourcing, project teams, the use of casual, contingent, freelance and temporary labor, and the incipient decline of organized labor.”
The problem here is that the illusion of absolute freedom and innovation is given, but there still exists bureaucratic systems in place that control many aspects of how work is produced. In the case of the military, innovative thinkers tend to have some say in how warfare is organized, but there still exists remnants of bureaucracy and social rules in place in this hierarchical system that cannot give full freedom of expression. As we enter a “post-Trinitarian” model of warfare, our military thinkers and strategists must be flexible, as Sun Tzu wrote, we must be able to shift through unknown terrain like “water.”
Tradition and bureaucracy stifles development of thought. Humans have a history of relying upon technology and technological developments to act for us, and to an extent, I think it has been a great motivator for innovation and social progress. However, “Over the past 300 years, people have long since become accustomed to blindly falling in love with the new and discarding the old in the realm of technology, and the endless pursuit of new technology has become a panacea to resolve all the difficult questions of existence” (Unrestricted Warfare).
Although originating in China, where the communist social structure and different history has created a very different system of thought that my Western-centric thought has difficulty grasping, the question of the limits of technology has stirred my mind. When I look at each new predator drone being built, a new missile system, or a new plane developed for military use, I often think to myself “what’s the point?” If I think about these tools of war being developed from a pragmatic standpoint, I can’t think of any good reason. After entering the “post-Trinitarian” model, the use of planes and tanks are hardly practical. They are extremely inefficient in fighting guerilla adversaries, which as Trinquier proposes, are the future enemies of warfare. An ostentatious presence prevents the homogenized military from winning over the population that terrorist cells embed themselves within.
However, the development of these technologies makes sense when I think about them in terms of the bureaucracy that the US military is stuck in. There was a time when Keynesian investment in military technology stimulated the economy, providing jobs and endorsing companies. The United States fights asymmetrically because it is still beneficial to these companies. Aside from this economic standpoint, the reliance on technology reinforces the idea of a hierarchical military, legitimizing the bureaucracy of warfare.
Planes and tanks that will never be put to practical use are very expensive and require a complex system to ensure that they are protected. These are complex technologies that need to be monitored by a chain of command in order to ensure their safety. Training exercises require that they be taken care of by a variety of people, properly shipped to different base locations around the world, and put into training exercises under strict supervision. The maintenance of these tools requires a complex bureaucracy, and thus the military is put into a cycle. Tradition and bureaucracy ensures the manufacturing of these weapons, and the complex nature of the weapons enforces the bureaucratic nature of the system that created them in the first place.
So now that I’ve explained the traditional hierarchy of bureaucracy in the military, how this bureaucracy develops useless technology, and how this developmental process legitimizes itself, I would like to conclude this essay with how this all prevents what I think is the key to evolving into van Creveld’s “post-Trinitarian” warfare: the acquisition of HUMINT. I began this essay with a quote from Robert Baer, who explains that the primary intelligence gathering arm of the US, the CIA, has been stifled in developing due to a reliance on technology and limitations in innovative thought. In short, what Baer is trying to explain is that the US has rendered itself incapable of truly knowing its enemies. Baer’s critique comes from the fact that it’s easy to justify full-scale military action when a satellite image is placed into the hands of a policy-maker. Either data gathered from the depths of the internet or from a satellite image can provoke aggression. Depending on the scale of the threat, either the military is deployed, as it had been in Afghanistan and Iraq, or we rely further on technology and send drones to “surgically remove” key targets in the war against an idea.
These tactics are ineffective because we are not opening our ears, we are not listening to others, we are not learning what others want, and we do not attempt to understand a different society. The US seems to operate under the assumption that human beings can easily adapt from a dictatorial social structure to a democratic model with ease. However, when we attempt to make that shift, we forget to listen to the needs and desires of others. For instance, the main source of income for Afghani farmers would be heroin produced from poppy fields, a direct conflict of interest with the US. How would the US ensure the relative economic stability provided by the Taliban without forfeiting American societal mores?
As professor Corradi explains in The Dream of Sun Tzu or How to Lose a War, “it did not cross their minds to consult sociologists and anthropologists, who could have explained to them that in Iraq, the primary loyalty is to the clan rather than to the nation.” There is no preemptive attempt to understand whom we plan to fight; policy-makers did not listen to sociologists or anthropologists and continue to make this mistake. Eventually, the situation in Iraq became so dire that the US military employed something that I believe to be conceptually brilliant, but too little too late: Human Terrain Teams. Groups of anthropologists go to the battlefield and interact with local populations, attempting to understand their wants and needs. Why did we wait so long to try this? If we are engaged in a nation-building policy, why not attempt to build a nation based on the social structures of the people and not our own standards? If the United States wishes to move forward in the way we think about war, we have to start trying to understand the people. This will require diplomacy, HUMINT gathering by actually deploying personnel on the fields, and academic understanding of who we plan to help or fight, and why.
I fear that war with Pakistan or Iran could be looming around the corner, always hinted at, and yet again, we have not asked ourselves why Iran pursues a nuclear program or why Pakistan has been supporting the Taliban. In order to fight properly, the US needs to abandon asymmetrical warfare, its reliance on technology, and traditional methods. | <urn:uuid:74b51272-7608-4e73-b2d5-0b0813e036c9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://lalapaloser.tumblr.com/tagged/war | 2013-05-23T18:38:24Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950815 | 2,005 |
"Kissine offers a new theory of speech acts which is philosophically sophisticated and builds on work in cognitive science, formal semantics, and linguistic typology. This highly readable, brilliant essay is a major contribution to the field."
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 2004 12:02:10 +0100 From: Cornelia Tschichold <[email protected]> Subject: World Englishes
AUTHORS: Melchers, Gunnel; Shaw, Philip TITLE: World Englishes SERIES: The English Language Series PUBLISHER: Arnold YEAR: 2003
Cornelia Tschichold, Institute of English, University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland
INTRODUCTION This book is a recent addition to the growing number of textbooks on varieties of English around the world. In the preface, the two authors, both from Stockholm University, describe the intended audience of the book as readers familiar with the basics of linguistics and phonetics, thus typically undergraduate students after their first year at a department of English, with English either as their native or a second or foreign language. The book has an accompanying CD, which is sold separately and therefore does not figure in this review.
SYNOPSIS Chapter 1 is a very short chapter on the history of English from 450 to the beginnings of Modern English. The development of the language is illustrated mainly through the most accessible aspect, its loanwords.
Chapter 2 covers the more recent history of English, when the language spread around the globe, first to the so- called 'inner circle' countries, later to the 'outer circle' and finally to the 'expanding circle'. This three- circle model by Kachru is adopted as the organizing principle for the book. The chapter also introduces the distinction often made between English as a second and English as a foreign language, while drawing attention to the problems of terminology and those of differing political viewpoints involved.
Chapter 3 discusses basic terms in language variation and provides the framework for the classification and description of the many varieties discussed in chapters 4 to 6. The authors divide variation into the areas of spelling, phonology, grammar and lexicon, and give a brief overview of the main types of variation in each area. For the description of phonology, Wells' standard lexical sets are introduced. The section on rhythm and intonation explains the concept of stress-times vs. syllable-timed rhythm and mentions high-rising terminals as the most striking phenomena in the area of intonation. The sections on lexis and on the historical origin of varieties introduce a large number of technical terms such as 'heteronymy' or 'substratum'. Other dimensions of classification mentioned include the political stance of some of the more prominent authors in the field, the degree of standardization for varieties and for texts, and the position of a country in the three-circle model.
Chapter 4 portrays the inner circle varieties of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Liberia and the Caribbean. With some exceptions, each of these sections follows the pattern of first giving a brief overview of geography and population, then an account of the general linguistic situation, before the variety itself is described in terms of spelling, phonology, grammar and lexicon. Where appropriate, important internal varieties are briefly touched on as well, such as the main differences between Southern and Northern dialects in England, the two ethnic varieties African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and Chicano English in the USA, and Aboriginal English in Australia.
Chapter 5 opens with a discussion of the political questions of language prestige and then tries to identify some common linguistic features of the varieties spoken in these countries. Among the features mentioned are consonant cluster and vowel system simplifications, a trend away from clearly stress-timed rhythm, and more syntactic variety. The countries in this chapter are then discussed in geographical groups, following a similar pattern to that in chapter 4, but giving rather more historical background and extra sections on style and pragmatics. The first variety is South Asian English, with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as its main countries. The second major variety is African English, with South Africa making a second appearance due to its higher number of speakers who have English as a second language. Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore are dealt with in the group of countries where South East Asian English is spoken. The last section in this chapter very briefly deals with a number of countries with a colonial past: Gibraltar, Malta, and Cyprus in the Mediterranean, Puerto Rico in the Caribbean, the Seychelles and Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, and Guam in the Pacific, without however giving linguistic descriptions of the English spoken there.
Chapter 6 abandons the geographical perspective in favour of the functions English can be seen to have taken over in the expanding circle from the 18th century onwards. Among the domains where English is making inroads the authors mention global politics and economy, tourism, the education system, the mass media and popular culture, advertising and subcultures. On the more strictly linguistic level, the authors see no trend toward standardization, and argue instead that speakers of lingua franca English need a high communicative competence for dealing with the mixture of non-standard features and the large amount of pragmatic variation found in much intercultural communication. The authors then briefly consider the influence of English on the local languages and the choices involved in choosing a variety of English for education.
In Chapter 7, Melchers and Shaw take a look at the likely developments in the near future and identify US power, globalization and information technology as the most important factors favouring the further spread of English across the globe. They posit that the high visibility of unedited English found in computer-mediated communication could have a destandardizing effect on international English, but that the still considerable influence of the school systems might counterbalance this trend.
Finally, Appendix 1 gives a list of the speakers on the accompanying CD, and Appendix 2 contains a number of pre- and post-reading questions for each chapter.
CRITICAL EVALUATION Everyone teaching a course on the varieties of English around the world probably has their own idea of what the ideal textbook for such a course should cover. One of the authors has taught just such a course for many years, and the book under review is proof of this. Many sections read more like lightly edited lecture notes than a textbook meant to be studied by undergraduate students. The authors include a number of anecdotes in the text, a feature that often works well in class, but much less well in a textbook, and they have the rather irritating habit of writing one-sentence paragraphs, something which many university teachers try to eradicate from their students' essays.
It is clear that balancing the content of such a short book is a difficult task, and the authors should be praised for trying to combine most of the relevant sociolinguistic aspects with a large number of linguistic descriptions of individual varieties in a relatively small book. Apart from the style, most of my criticism therefore relates to details of content. A number of sections in the book seem to be the result of compromises of various kinds: One might argue, for example, about the usefulness of a very short chapter on the roots of English, or whether such a a book is the best place for contemplating the influence of English on other languages via borrowing. Possibly these pages might have been put to better use.
One of my quibbles concerns the notoriously difficult problem of the translations or glosses, which have not received the necessary attention to detail. Dialectal variation is illustrated with a Geordie poem ("A hev gorra bairn / an a hev gorra wife / an a cannit see me bairn or wife / workin in the night"), where the word 'gorra' is claimed to stand for the local pronunciation of 'got to' (p.13).
Generally, the maps in the book are often not very useful as they do not show all areas mentioned in the text and do not distinguish between cities and provinces. To give just one example, among the dialects of England discussed in the text are those of Leeds, Derby, West Wirral and Norwich, but only Leeds can be found on one of the maps. One might also wonder about the necessity of listing statistics on area, population and capital for the countries discussed, given that such data can easily be found elsewhere and is of questionable relevance in this context.
Within the descriptions of the individual varieties, spelling, a very accessible aspect, is not systematically commented on, e.g. South Asian English is said to be "spelt in the British style", but British English does not have a section on spelling. In the more extensive section on phonology most of the comparisons of the lexical sets are clearly useful and could have been extended, e.g. it would have been interesting to see the Australian vowels compared not just to RP, but also to American English vowels. In addition to the concept of lexical sets, much of the data used by the authors comes from Wells as well, which often seems a needless repetition, especially where even the examples are taken straight from Wells (1982), a study in three volumes based on data which is now more than a generation old. On the other hand, a number of sections (Liberian English and AAVE, Caribbean English) are so short, they seem more like appetizers than any kind of solid information. In the sections on the lexicon, the authors' use of the word 'tautonym' to refer to words having different meanings in different varieties seems somewhat idiosyncratic.
The references given in the book are not consistently placed in the further-reading sections, but appear either there (sometimes with comment, sometimes without; sometimes with full bibliographic details, sometimes as author plus year only) or embedded in the text. Sharp (2001) is referred to, but missing in the references. Appendix 2 contains a number of pre- and post-reading questions, which - according to the preface - are meant to remind readers of what they know and to check their new knowledge. This generally is a good idea, but one would expect the pre- reading questions to be clearly easier than the post- reading questions. Some questions sound more like activation questions for a seminar group than questions meant to check on the reader's knowledge.
Comparing the book under review to other books on the market that might be considered as textbooks for courses on world Englishes, one could mention Trudgill and Hannah (1994), a book that gives considerably more linguistic detail on the varieties discussed, but devotes only very little room to varieties in the expanding circle (an aspect which is of much interest to students in potentially expanding-circle countries in Europe) and does not cover the sociolinguistic and political perspectives. The latter aspect can be found in Crystal (1997) to a certain extent, or more thoroughly in Brutt-Griffler (2002). Crystal (1995) provides an widely available source for maps, statistics and historical background. Bauer (2002) is mostly limited to varieties of the inner circle. Jenkins (2003) is very useful as an overview for the debate on the sociolinguistic and political aspects, but does not give linguistic descriptions. Cheshire (1991) and Allerton et al (2002) finally are edited collections of papers that provide accessible further reading on a range of subtopics on world Englishes.
Writing a relatively short textbook of such a scope is a very big bite to chew, and while I would like to congratulate the authors on their choice of content, I wish they had chosen a different style for the book and spent more time on revision and ensuring internal consistency.
REFERENCES Allerton, D.J., Skandera, P. and Tschichold, C., eds. (2002). Perspectives on English as a World Language. Basel: Schwabe.
Bauer, L. (2002). An Introduction to International Varieties of English. Edinburgh University Press.
Brutt-Griffler, J. (2002). World English: A Study of its Development. Multilingual Matters.
Cheshire, J., ed. (1991). English around the world: Sociolinguistic perspectives. Cambridge UP.
Crystal, D. (1995). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge UP.
Crystal, D. (1997). English as a Global Language. Cambridge University Press.
Jenkins, J. (2003). World Englishes: A resource book for students. Routledge.
Trudgill, P. & J. Hannah (1994, 3rd ed.). International English: A guide to the varieties of standard English. Arnold.
Wells, J.C. (1982). Accents of English, vols I - III. Cambridge University Press.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
Cornelia Tschichold teaches English linguistics at
Neuchâtel University. While her research interests focus on
English phraseology, computational lexicography and
computer-assisted language learning, she teaches a wide
range of courses in English linguistics, including courses
on sociolinguistics, the history of English, and varieties
of English around the world. | <urn:uuid:eb43ea76-2540-45c2-ae23-dc27a6a5300d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://linguistlist.org/pubs/reviews/get-review.cfm?SubID=20284 | 2013-05-23T18:31:54Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368703682988/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516112802-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930054 | 2,754 |
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BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - GENERAL
Cameron explains things and begins to bond with River.
CATEGORY: FICTION TIMES READ: 972 RATING: 9 SERIES: FIREFLY
Fan fiction. Done for fun, not profit.
The Plot Bunnies are beating on me again. After watching the final episode of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, I had a weird idea for a Firefly/Terminator: The Sara Connor Chronicles crossover fic. No Rayne this time either. Set shortly after the BDM. Ignores the upcoming movie and travels in a wholly new direction with many continuity errors from the movies and TV Show. I am not as knowledgeable of the T:TSCC universe as I am with the Firefly/Serenity 'Verse. Please don't throw things.
AN: I'll be taking Cameron in new directions. With her hanging out with River, she will develop more of her human side. Although skewed slightly due to River's condition. I also see her becoming an integral part of the crew in later chapters. Also some fun will ensue as well due to her being essentially River's twin.
Jayne groaned and picked himself back up off the deck. Seeing the 'thing' that looked like Moonbrain overrode his caution and with a roar, he charged.
And struck the deck half a second later, out cold.
“Thanks, Albatross,” the Captain muttered, still keeping an eye on whatever it was standing in the middle of his cargo bay.
With infinite grace, River walked around the Terminator, examining her from every angle. Cameron showed similar curiosity.
Mal cleared his throat, “Kaylee... Why don't you go scoot to River's bunk and fetch one o' her dresses for our... guest.”
With a quick nod, Kaylee sprinted from the room. Zoë still kept her weapon pointed at the thing that had called itself Cameron.
Simon took a step forward to get a better look at the bullet hole in Cameron's chest. She eyed him carefully.
“You mind repeating that go-se about saving mankind?” Mal asked.
Mal gulped as Cameron's gaze locked with his own. After a moment she spoke, “I was tasked to make sure that after humanity left Earth. Machines like myself were not to be allowed to rule over mankind. Humans fought too hard to destroy Skynet for that to happen again.”
“Hold on now... humans left Earth because of overpopulation and environmental damage,” Mal stated.
“It didn't happen that way,” Cameron said simply.
River stepped in front of the Captain and pushed his pistol down, “She could have killed us in moments if she meant us any harm.”
“She? Thing said it was a machine.”
“Fully self aware. A person. Born from technology but conceived in love. A sister once. Will be again.”
“River...” Mal said as the teen stepped closer to Cameron. River ignored him and wrapped her arms around Cameron, “Always wanted a sister.”
Kaylee returned and squeaked as she saw River embracing the... whatever it was. She was astonished when Cameron returned the hug.
Simon was still in shock. His sister had reached out and hugged whatever this girl... machine was. And it had hugged her back.
Zoë slowly lowered her mares leg, “So that bullet didn't hurt... you?” She asked Cameron.
“I don't feel pain as you do. The round did not damage any internal systems. My epidermal outer covering will heal within forty eight hours on it's own. With sutures, in less than twelve.”
Simon's jaw dropped, “Heal?”
“My covering is synthetically produced, artificial living tissue. I am by definition, A Cyborg. Part machine and part organism.”
“No one has technology like that...” Simon whispered, “Even the love bots like Mr. Universe's were not this... realistic.”
“Back to my question,” Mal growled, “I ain't never heard of a machine like you before. No way in hell there are machines running the 'Verse.”
“Tell me this,” Cameron began, a slight smile on her lips that made Mal uncomfortable, “If you saw me walking down the street, rather than emerging from a stasis crate, would you know I wasn't a real person?”
Mal opened his mouth to speak and then suddenly closed it again.
“I think that just answered my question,” Cameron smirked.
Kaylee stepped forward, “I got this for you to wear,” the mechanic said hesitantly.
Cameron smiled, “Thank you.”
Zoë was amazed as she watched Cameron slip the dress over her head. The... cyborgs musculature moved perfectly. There was no way a person could tell this Cameron from River. Other than the machine looked a little older. Maybe twenty two instead of River's eighteen.
Simon was looking intently at Cameron, “The resemblance is uncanny,” the doctor muttered.
“If I may ask. What is your family name, River?” Cameron asked.
Cameron smiled, “That may explain the resemblance.”
“I don't understand,” said Simon.
“The woman I was constructed to resemble was named Allison Young. She became the wife of John Connor. The leader of the resistance against the machines. They had a daughter named Sarah. Before I was given my tasking, John explained that he planned to not join the exodus himself. He gave his daughter to one of his assistants, Gabriel Tam so he could raise her as his own during the journey.”
Simon's jaw dropped, “Gabriel is River and I's father's name.”
“Family tradition. Carried through the generations of the Tam family,” River stated.
“So... the woman you were... patterned after,” Inara began, “Was one of Simon and River's ancestors?”
“It is possible,” Cameron replied.
Inara studied this young woman. There was life in her movements. Even her eyes looked alive. As Simon said, it was uncanny. A groan from the floor brought Jayne's returning consciousness to the forefront. Simon knelt down next to the big man.
“How do you feel Jayne?”
“Like yer gorram sister kicked me in the head,” Jayne mumbled as he moved to a sitting position.
“That's because she did,” Simon smirked.
Jayne growled and tried to get to his feet. As his vision cleared, he couldn't tell at first which was the machine and which one was River. He blinked a couple of times and his vision cleared. He took a step towards River, “Moonbrain...” he threatened.
River giggled and stepped behind Cameron, who looked amused.
“Stand down, Jayne,” Mal ordered.
“She kicked me, Mal,” The merc whined.
“And if she hadn't a done it on her own I would have told her to, so shut it.”
Jayne closed his mouth but didn't look happy.
“Sir... perhaps we can move this to the galley?”
“Good idea, Zoë,” The Captain replied.
River took Cameron's hand and began to lead her up the stairs. Sharing looks, the rest of the crew followed.
“Time travel?” Simon asked incredulously.
“The physics of time travel are allowed by Einstein in certain circumstances,” River said, still looking at her twin.
“Mighty wild tale, I admit,” Mal stated. “How many times have you... time traveled?”
“In this body... never,” Cameron replied, “My previous body did twice. Once to 1999 and then forward with Sarah and John Conner to 2007.”
“Who is Sarah Connor?” Inara asked, “Alison's Daughter?”
“Not exactly. John named his and Alison's daughter after his mother. In the future time I came from, I was programed by John to act as his protector in the past when he was a teenager. After finding him, I then used a hidden time displacement unit built by someone who had also traveled into the past to transport John and his mother to the near future.”
“This is all really confusing,” Jayne mumbled.
Mal rubbed his eyes, “Not wrong there Jayne.”
“You said, not in this body...” Zoë trailed off.
“A new AI program using a terminator body called John Henry took my chip and traveled forward in time. Leaving my first body in the past. Caroline Weaver, another Terminator and John traveled forward as well. This altered the time line from the established 'norm'. After Skynet was defeated, and after Allison's death, John had me constructed. John Henry downloaded my previous memories into a new chip and gave it to John. Resulting in my... rebirth.”
“I'm getting a headache I think,” Kaylee muttered.
“Getting late,” Mal observed, “That brings me back to you...Cameron. We need some rest. Do you... sleep?”
“And If I lock you in a room, I reckon you could break out anyway... right?”
“That is correct.”
“I still say we space it,” Jayne rumbled.
“Jayne!” Kaylee exclaimed.
“Hard vacuum would not 'kill' me. It would only severely damage my skin.”
“She can stay with me,” River stated.
“River...” Simon began.
Cameron smiled, “I would like that.”
“Now hold on,” Mal sputtered, “We need to think about this first.”
“I will not harm River. My processors have finished their analysis of her DNA. She is a descendant of John Connor. The primary instructions in my programming are to protect anyone in John Connor's family.”
Simon's jaw dropped, “You analyzed her DNA? How?”
“I obtained her DNA when she hugged me,” Cameron stated, “All terminators have this ability. It assures that we have the proper target.
“And you are all my friends and family,” River grinned, “Cameron will protect us.”
Simon shook his head in wonder, “What else can you do?”
“My ocular sensors allow me to see in the visible, infrared and ultraviolet spectrums. My other sensors allow me to compute what a humans emotional state may be. I can tell if someone is lying or their general emotional state from things like pulse rate, respiration and bio-electrical signals.”
“Wuo-de-ma,” Mal muttered.
“My physical strength is approximately ten times greater than even someone like him,” Cameron said as she indicated Jayne, “I am proficient with all firearms and as a computer myself, I can hack almost any computer system. And as you have already seen, mere firearms cannot really harm me.”
Kaylee spoke up, “What makes you run?”
“I have a compact nuclear power source in my chest. I will continue to function for several decades. In that time I should be able to fabricate a new power supply from current day technology.”
Kaylee grinned. It was almost like she had a new toy to play with, “I think she's shiny!”
Mal groaned. Between River's insistence that Cameron stay with her in her room and Kaylee suddenly realizing Cameron was something to tinker with. He knew he was in trouble. Even Zoë and Inara were warming to the idea.
“Gotta admit, Sir. Having someone around with those kind of abilities would be mighty handy,” Zoë observed.
“It's kinda like having a... super River,” Kaylee grinned.
“How we gonna tell em' apart?” Jayne asked. “Next to each other I's can tell but just the one beyond a few yards and it will be damn hard.”
“We can figure that out later Jayne.”
“So, we're keeping her?” Kaylee asked, hopefully.
“For the moment, Lil' Kaylee,” Mal sighed.
Cameron tilted her head in a very River like way, “I don not know what you mean by shiny.”
“It's slang term for good, fine or excellent,” River explained.
“Thank you for explaining,” Cameron replied.
River led Cameron down the ladder into her bunk. Since she was now the ship's pilot, She had convinced Mal to let her have the unused crew bunk, closest to the bridge. Upon reaching the bottom of the ladder, Cameron looked around. “This is your room?”
“It is,” River replied.
“I have much to learn about this century,” Cameron noted.
“You can use Simon's portable encyclopedia in the morning,” River said with a smile.
“That would be welcome.”
River sat on the edge of her bed, gazing at her twin, “Did Simon do a good job on the sutures?”
“He is a skilled physician,” Cameron observed.
“He's a good brother even if he is a boob.”
Cameron actually snickered, “Isn't that a brother's job?”
River grinned, “He does it very well.”
“Do you need any underwear? I have extra and yours looked a bit tattered earlier,” River inquired.
River went to her small dresser and removed a pair of panties and a bra then paused.
Is there something wrong?” Cameron asked.
“The bra wont fit. You're... bigger than I am.”
“You are seven kilograms under weight,” Cameron said, “Once you gain that weight, it will be difficult to tell us apart.”
River grinned, “Are you saying I am too skinny?”
“Yes,” Cameron smiled back.
Cameron easily dodged the pillow thrown at her. With a giggle, River quickly undressed for bed, dropping a nightgown over her head. Sitting back on the bed she patted the mattress next to her. Cameron sat down. River noted how much the mattress compressed under her twin.
“What do you mass?” River asked.
Cameron looked at River and smiled, “It's not nice to ask a girl how much she weighs...”
River smirked back, “So says someone who said I was skinny,”
“I mass approximately one hundred twenty seven kilos.”
“More than Jayne,” River giggled.
“This is so qu-ti. It is like I am speaking to myself,” River said.
“Qu-ti?” Cameron asked, with perfect enunciation.
“Mandarin for strange.”
“Thank you for explaining. Is Mandarin a common language now?”
“It is,” River replied, “Will that be a problem?”
“I will need to see language texts to learn. I speak Spanish, French, Russian and Japanese in addition to English.”
“So do I,” River grinned.
You do?” Cameron asked, surprised.
“I am a genius,” River stated.
“My IQ is over two hundred. The official term is, profoundly gifted. And then of course, I'm not quite right either.”
“Not quite right?”
“It's a good thing you don't sleep and I'm not tired yet. This will be a long story.”
Stifling a yawn, Mal walked into the galley, as usual, finding Zoë awake and already sipping her coffee, “Mornin, Zoë”
“Morning, Sir,” She replied, still staring at her coffee cup.
Grabbing a cup himself, Mal sat at the table, “Something bothering you?”
“Our cargo, Sir.”
“What part? The part that is stuff from Earth that was or the part that's walkin and talkin?”
“I'm right uncomfortable with having something like that on board my ship. Not rightly sure what could be done if this... Cameron took it in it's head to turn on us.”
“Ain't quite what's botherin me, Sir. I'm reckonin that Haymer is expectin to find somethin in that crate when we deliver it.”
“That does present a problem.”
“No it doesn't,” River chirped as she entered the galley, followed closely by Cameron.
Mal did a double take. River had dressed Cameron in her own clothes. Both wore flowy dresses and combat boots. River had even brushed her hair to be like Cameron's. Both took seats near the Captain and first mate. Each having the same pleasant smile on their faces. It was damn hard to tell who was who.
“You have some insight on how we are gonna fix this little problem, Albatross? I mean part o' our cargo is now walkin all over the ship and dressin like you...”
“We need to make a stop first.” River said.
“Where, little one?” Zoë asked.
River's face fell, “Mr. Universe's moon.”
Zoë's face grew hard and Mal nearly spit out his coffee. It hadn't been even a year yet and River wanted to go back?
“Why?” Zoë asked tersely.
“Len... you mean Universe's love bot?”
River nodded. All the while, Cameron watched the interplay between them quietly.
“What the hell do you need with that?”
“To take Cameron's place in the crate.”
“Haymer is gonna know a late model love bot from... whatever Cameron is.”
“This is true,” Cameron said, breaking her silence, “But from what I have gathered from River... This Mr. Haymer does not know exactly what is in all of the cargo. For all he knows, the crate is empty.”
River continued, “Haymer knows of our situation. A love bot is very expensive. He would not believe we would have the resources to lay our hands on one. Therefore, he will assume that someone else took his... cargo.”
“What about her... it... whatever,” Mal sputtered.
Cameron cracked a grin, unnerving the Captain, “I will assume the role of River's twin sister. No one will be the wiser.”
“You don't know a thing about our time...” Mal trailed off as River gave him her most venomous 'boob' look.
“I am adaptable and learn very fast. A few hours with Simon's encyclopedia and I will be able to fit in. That is my primary function. To infiltrate.”
“She's got a point, Sir,” Zoë observed.
“Gotta call her something. The term 'it' kinda stands out. And since she at least looks female...”
“I get it, “ Mal said as he rubbed his eyes. After a moment's consideration he looked at his pilot, “How long?”
“Stopping at Mr. Universe's will delay us less than a day.”
“Fine... set course. It'll just be me Jayne and River goin in to get... Lenore.”
“Cameron too,” River insisted.
“Fine... Cameron too.”
“Thank you Captain.”
“Now that we got that settled, who's turn is it to make breakfast?”
“Simon's...” River giggled.
Zoë lifted an eyebrow and Mal sighed, “Albatross... you mind?”
“Yes I will cook. Ge-ge's culinary skills violate his Hippocratic oath.”
“That's for sure,” Zoë chuckled.
“Come, shuang bao tai. You can help,” River said as she got to her feet and headed for the kitchen.
Cameron rose with equal grace, “I would be glad to.”
Mal looked over at Zoë who watched the pair begin pulling out pots and pans. Suddenly Zoë grinned.
“What is it, Zoë?”
“Just had a thought. If the Academy ever comes back after River, I say we give em' Cameron then stand back n' watch the fireworks.”
Mal chuckled, “Might be a bit humorous at that.”
Translations: shuang bao tai is the closest I could come to twin sister.
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The Weekly Standard
January 7, 2013
by Lee Smith
An explosion in southern Lebanon last week destroyed what is believed to have been a Hezbollah weapons depot. This latest in a series of mysterious "accidents" in Hezbollah-controlled precincts proved, as one Israeli official wryly remarked, that those who "sleep with rockets and amass large stockpiles of weapons are in a very unsafe place." With the Party of God's overland supply route through Syria choked off by the 22-month-long uprising against Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and Israel virtually in total control of the maritime route, Hezbollah's stockpile is being systematically degraded.
Yet the arsenal of Iran's other regional proxy force, Hamas, is growing. The Israeli Defense Forces' campaign against Hamas last month in Gaza targeted Iranian missiles, including the Fajr-5, capable of reaching Tel Aviv and other points north, and destroyed most of them within the first hours of the conflict. But Hamas is already rearming, and it's not clear that Israel or even Muslim Brotherhood-governed Egypt, which is ostensibly capable of controlling the Sinai tunnel networks through which Hamas receives its arms, can do much about it.
Israel's next war with Hamas—a further confrontation is almost inevitable—may well feature not only Iranian missiles smuggled through Sudan, but NATO-quality small arms and shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that come by way of Hamas's most recent weapons supplier, post-Qaddafi Libya.
Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense also zeroed in on Hamas commanders, most notably Ahmed al-Jabari, Hamas's chief of staff, responsible for the group's military operations. It was Jabari who replaced Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, assassinated in a Dubai hotel room almost three years ago in an operation usually attributed to Israel. In a sense, then, Pillar of Defense began back in January 2010 in that most profligate of the United Arab Emirates—which is also a veritable weapons bazaar.
"It's the Casablanca of the Middle East, with all sorts of shady characters, money laundering, and arms deals," says Michael Ross, a former Mossad operations officer. "With the Mabhouh assassination, the UAE authorities had all this video feed of what were allegedly Mossad operatives moving in and out of Dubai, but what they didn't show was footage of Mabhouh meeting with a banker, then with his contact from the IRGC [Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps]." According to Ross, Mabhouh's briefcase was a treasure trove of information detailing what items Hamas procured from the Iranians and the logistics of getting them to Gaza.
Arms smuggling was a problem in Gaza long before Hamas took control, says Major (Res.) Aviv Oreg, formerly in charge of the al Qaeda and global jihad desk in Israel's military intelligence service and now head of a private consulting firm specializing in terrorism, CeifiT. "In the past, there was a maritime route via Syria or Lebanon, and when the smugglers approached the location they'd put the weapons in large flotation devices with the hope that the current would take it ashore," says Oreg. "Sometimes it got tangled up in fishermen's nets."
When the Israeli Navy interdicted the Karine A freighter in 2002 and stopped a large cache of Iranian-made weapons from reaching Gaza, it not only turned George W. Bush against Yasser Arafat for good, it also signaled that Israel had closed Iran's maritime route to Gaza once and for all. And yet as Israel's 2005 disengagement from Gaza cleared the way for Hamas's 2007 takeover, the outfit sought more sophisticated weapons, and Iran's support. The question for Tehran was how to get arms to their Palestinian clients.
"The ships usually start in the port of Bandar Abbas," says Oreg. "They come through the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea, around the Arabian Peninsula, and crossing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, docking in Port Sudan." Occasionally the Iranians will dock in Eritrea, "just to mix things up," but their preferred point of entry is Sudan.
Sudan is critical, agrees Michael Ross. "This is where the parts for Iranian weapons are assembled. The guys in Gaza aren't too swift in putting together complicated systems like the Fajr-5. Some assembly may be required when it hits Gaza, but the more complicated, high-tech aspects of the weapons systems are assembled in Sudan by Iranians, who have a large presence in Khartoum, at places like the al-Yarmouk factory."
In October, an operation widely credited to Israel destroyed this key Iranian weapons depot. Other attacks on Sudanese soil attributed to Israel, such as the spring 2009 series of strikes on weapons convoys, have left some wondering what the government in Khartoum has to gain from painting a big target on its head for the IDF.
Money is part of it, says Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, who points to extensive economic cooperation between Iran and Sudan. "But there are also ideological reasons. These are radical Islamists, they've been angry at the world since their president, Omar al-Bashir, was indicted for war crimes, and they don't like Israel."
Even if it were possible to convince Khartoum to sever ties with Tehran, says Oreg, "the Iranians would find a replacement without too much difficulty, Eritrea or Somalia, both places where the central government is incapable of extending control over its territory." In any case, the real problem is Egypt.
Sudanese smugglers, mostly from the Rashaida tribe, transport the weapons from Port Sudan in trucks across the Nubian Desert to the Egyptian border, all the way through Egypt's Eastern Desert along the Red Sea, and through the Suez Canal deep into the Sinai Peninsula. "The easiest way to cut off Hamas's weapons supply," says Ross, "would be to shut down the shipments coming out of Sudan, at the source, rather than in Sinai. The routes are limited, and this could easily be accomplished if the Egyptian military made an effort. But the army has always been the problem. While Mubarak was president, it was the intelligence service under Omar Suleiman that stopped shipments, kept radical elements at bay, and cooperated very closely with Israel. The military looks the other way and just doesn't care."
In fact, since the August jihadist attack in the Sinai that killed 16 Egyptian border guards, the army has been more vigilant, recognizing that its own security, and not merely Israel's, is at stake. The proliferation of foreign fighters in the Sinai, some of them aligned with Egypt's Salafist movement, moreover, poses a big political risk for Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi. Judging by his actions during Pillar of Defense, Morsi believes that keeping the peace with Israel is in the national interest. That still leaves plenty of room for him to be outflanked on his right by the Salafists and armed fighters whose prestige rests precisely on the fact that they are fighting Israel. The problem, then, is that if Morsi closes the tunnels, affecting both Hamas and the Sinai jihadists, the latter will turn on him; if he doesn't, the jihadists will eventually come for him anyway.
In any case, he has an excuse for the United States and Israel ready at hand: Practically speaking, it's almost impossible to shut down the entire network of tunnels between Sinai and Gaza—and for that, he can lay some of the blame at Mubarak's feet.
"The nomadic tribes in the Sinai were neglected by the government for years," says Oreg. "There are no roads, no employment, and their main source of income became smuggling—not only weapons into Gaza, but routes into Israel also, smuggling drugs and women." The Tarabin tribe, he explains, is the most dominant—and the wealthiest. "In Sinai, the biggest and most expensive houses belong to smugglers. For one AK-47, a smuggler gets $1,000."
Besides the profit motive for smuggling, there are also geographical issues that make it difficult to close the industry. "With the high mountains in the Sinai," says Oreg, "it's easy for the smugglers to move around, and not even the Egyptian Army can do much about it."
The Gaza side of the border is even more economically dependent on the tunnel networks that, since Hamas took over, have become highly regulated. "After the blockade of Gaza," says Oreg, "everything went through tunnels. All of Gaza's international trade is conducted through the tunnels, thousands of them. Hamas has basically institutionalized the tunnel industry, requiring registration for tunnels and imposing taxes on them. You can make up to $50,000 a month on a tunnel."
Not surprisingly, Libyan entrepreneurs now want a piece of the action. The supply line, according to Oreg, is the same—via Sudan. "But eventually," says Oreg, "they will likely build smuggling networks through the Libyan desert into Egypt." What's different, says Ross, is the materiel. "For instance, they've got FN F2000s, a Belgian-manufactured military assault rifle. The Europeans, in their infinite wisdom, treated Qaddafi like just another client. And so after Qaddafi, people found warehouses full of munitions, and if you're sitting on a stockpile, it's not too tough to make contacts with middlemen and facilitators. What a wild west that's become."
Israeli officials might be worried about the Sinai turning into an Afghanistan on their border, but with Hamas, they're looking at a garrison equipped with Iranian missiles and European small arms. "We saw how much Hamas had at its disposal with Operation Pillar of Defense," notes Ross. "There was no ground incursion this time around, but you'd have seen them breaking out all sorts of stuff, like NATO-quality small arms. We've come a long way from the First Intifada and 8-year-olds throwing rocks."
Lee Smith is a visiting fellow at Hudson Institute and is the author of The Strong Horse: Power, Politics and the Clash of Arab Civilizations (Doubleday, 2010).
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Washington apprised American security officers John Ford and Joe Bezjian of the situation at their base of operations at the American Embassy in Paris, France. Both gentlemen were security professionals but Joe was the technical expert. The embassy invited them to come to Moscow to see if they could solve the mystery. Like the allied search team, they turned up nothing and determined that the Soviets had removed the device. This occurrence added fuel to the concern that the Soviets possessed a new technology that could effectively evade western search equipment and techniques. This was further compounded when an American military attaché, Major Van Latham, stationed at the Mohkavaya building (the American Embassy Chancery building at that time) overheard the ambassador’s voice while monitoring his radio. A frantic search ensued but once again, nothing was found.
In September, Joe and John returned to Moscow to perform another search of U.S. facilities. They searched U.S. Embassy facilities thoroughly and turned up nothing. Joe suspected that his search may have been compromised but decided to make one last effort. As with Ambassador Kennan, he was aware that the renovation of Spaso House presented an opportunity for the KGB to introduce something technical – he just didn’t know what. Discussing the matter with the Ambassador they worked out a plan. The plan included surreptitious delivery of Joe’s search equipment to the house and a bogus classified dictation session by the Ambassador in his study. Joe moved all of his personal effects into a guest room at Spaso House and took up the life of a house guest for several days. He invited people over for dinner, played bridge in the evening, and quietly watched the normal routines of the house and its occupants.
On September 12, the embassy personnel officer, Sam Janey, brought Joe’s disguised search equipment to the house. The two men hid the equipment in a residence safe. According to plan, Ambassador Kennan called his longtime secretary, Ms. Dorothy Hessman, to perform dictation in the ambassador’s study. The ambassador dictated from an old embassy dispatch. The dispatch consisted of an unclassified portion of published diplomatic correspondence and to the uninformed ear could well sound worth collecting.
Soon after Ms. Hessman arrived, Joe and Sam carried the equipment from the safe to the attic. Almost as soon as the equipment warmed up Joe spun his dial and heard Ambassador Kennan’s voice and Ms. Hessman’s typing. Joe’s attentions snapped onto his receiver and a surge of adrenalin sharpened his focus, but he controlled his excitement and continued his quiet hunt using the radio strapped to his chest like a concessionaire at a ball game. Hearing the ambassador’s voice “on the air” Joe sent Sam down to the study with a note to the ambassador. Sam passed the note to Ambassador Kennan and then implored him, via sub-vocal whispers, to “keep on, keep on.” The room charged with an unknown presence lurking beyond the shadows.
Joe carried his equipment slowly down the stairs, entered the study, and started parsing the room, searching for the signal’s origin. He lowered his whip antenna, diminishing the receiver’s sensitivity, and quietly treaded from corner to corner. Ambassador Kennan continued dictating but held his eyes riveted on Joe as he fiddled with his dials and antenna. Using the meter on his receiver and the shifting audio in his headset, Joe tracked the signal to the study’s left rear corner. A corner table displayed many small things including a Zenith radio. Joe pointed to Sam to remove the radio and then in turn pointed at different items for him to remove from the table. Joe heard no effect on the device’s audio as the ambassador continued to read. Above the table hung a large wooden replica of the U.S. Great Seal. After Sam removed all the items from the table Joe’s eyes fixed on the Seal. He approached it delicately, suspecting that it might be covering up something planted in the wall.
Placing his receiver down, Joe picked the Great Seal off the wall gingerly and placed it on an overstuffed chair at the room’s center. The signal dropped off and just as suddenly returned. Joe returned to examine the wall. He slowly scanned back and forth with his eyes and ran his finger tips across the plaster surface seeing and feeling nothing. He slowly turned and fixed his gaze on the Great Seal. He went back to the chair where it sat and began examining it closely. He ran his receiver back and forth across where the Great Seal lay on the chair confirming that the signal emanated from behind the bald eagle’s head. In his excitement, he bumped the wooden Seal and the signal disappeared once again. Fearing that his search had been discovered, Joe told Ambassador Kennan that he had lost the signal but it undoubtedly came from inside the Great Seal. The signal suddenly returned a few moments later but then went off the air – forever.
The ambassador looked at Joe and quietly asked about leaving the device in place to feed prepared information back to the Soviets in a misinformation campaign. Joe assured the ambassador that the Russian operator undoubtedly knew that the search effort was compromised. He felt sure they were listening to his activities and quite probably knew of his discovery of their intelligence operation. Joe advised the ambassador that the device needed to be studied to determine its capabilities. Further, Joe contended, the considerable U.S. effort to discover the device required that it be secured to keep the Soviets from “recovering” it, denying western governments the opportunity to understand and protect themselves from the new technology.
Joe, eager to examine the device, remained uneasy because of the possibility that the device contained a booby trap that might explode and destroy its secrets as well as hurt the person opening the device or the people standing nearby. Joe instructed Ambassador Kennan, Sam, and Ms. Hessman to leave the study. But he was also driven by his curiosity to see what was inside of the wooden carving, enough curiosity to overrule his caution. He carefully examined the Seal and noted a seam in the edge. With a sharp-edged masonry hammer he slowly, deliberately cracked the seal open, splitting the plaster circumference ring and having the seal fall into its front and back pieces. Nothing self-destructed. Hidden within a large carved cavity inside the seal the disassembly revealed a cleverly hidden device called a cavity resonator. The device required no internal power source and uses the basic physical principles of resonance to steal audio from its surroundings. It had no electronic components, just a nonferrous microphone and an antenna crafted to resonate at the appropriate frequency. Much as a diva can explode a piece of glass with her voice resonating until the excess energy causes it to shatter, a cavity resonator can modulate (change) an externally supplied radio signal and use its clever combination of radio-frequency resonance and audio modulation to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. The resonator gave the Soviets a tactical and strategic edge in the battle for Cold War supremacy.
An anonymous Russian had given the wooden replica to Ambassador Averell Harriman as a personal gift sometime in 1945. Initially, Ambassador Harriman did nothing with the seal. It was during the war and his time was limited. After several months in storage, someone hung the seal in the Ambassador’s study. Ambassador Harriman did not remember when, nor who hung the seal. When asked some 15 years later, all Ambassador Harriman remembered was that when leaving his assignment in the USSR the large size of the seal prevented it from being packed into his personal effects. He left it hanging on the wall of the house’s study for his successor.
Following Ambassador Harriman was Ambassador Walter Bedell Smith, soon-to-be director of the Central Intelligence Agency. He remembered the seal quite well. The ambassador remembered only one time throughout his entire Moscow tenure when the seal did not hang in the study. He noticed that a crack had appeared in the Seal’s rim and ordered it repaired prior to the arrival of the Secretary of State, George Marshall, who used the study as his bedroom. Ambassador and Mrs. Smith wanted the room to be as tidy as possible for the Secretary. A Russian handyman took the seal and kept it for approximately a week. The seal reappeared in excellent shape with no indication of a crack on any of its edges, well before Secretary Marshall’s arrival to negotiate with the USSR.
The Seal, apparently, had hung in the study from 1945 until Joe discovered it on September 12, 1953. State Department Security Engineers had examined the Seal twice in 1951 with a metal detector. The detector indicated the presence of the obvious metal screws and studs on the reverse side but nothing in the middle – fooled by the nonferrous brass construction of the resonant cavity. After Joe’s successful technical search, he continued his inspection with hand tools. He and Sam performed a destructive search destroying the wall on which the Seal had hung for so long. They found nothing: no cables, no power source, no indications at all. After they demolished the wall and finished searching for any associated devices at 3 A.M., they posted a Marine Guard in the study.
Joe placed the cavity resonator under his pillow and placed the Great Seal under the bed and settled in for a couple of hours of restless sleep. The next morning he accompanied Ambassador Kennan in his limousine to the Chancery heading directly towards the Kremlin on the way to the embassy. At the chancery, Joe photographed multiple angles of the cavity resonator and the Seal. He carefully packed the seal and resonator in boxes and hand carried them to the communications vault and packaged them in a diplomatic pouch. The next pouch shipment sent them to the Department’s Regional Security headquarters in Paris. Once the pouch reached Paris, Security Engineer Fred Snyder repacked the pouch and hand carried the Seal and the resonator to Washington, D.C. In D.C., it rapidly made its way to Secretary Acheson’s office, who immediately arranged to show it to President Truman. The President ordered the Seal given to the FBI lab for reverse engineering. State Department Security Officer Robert Eckert hand carried the seal and device to the FBI lab for analysis.
President Truman tasked the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to develop countermeasures for cavity resonators. The NRL developed several passive and active devices for revealing resonant cavity devices and sent them to Moscow to be used. Despite diligent searches, no further devices utilizing this technology were discovered. It’s likely the Soviets removed any other devices after Joe made his discovery in order to maintain operations security over their other successes. The U.S. made several copies of both the cavity resonator and the Great Seal for various briefings to Congress and other Agencies. | <urn:uuid:381783c9-a8f1-4889-a5e5-c123787d876f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/a-trojan-seal-006971?page=0%2C1 | 2013-05-26T03:06:11Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97499 | 2,240 |
Larry Kim, Founder and Chief Technology Officer
Larry Kim founded WordStream in 2007. He bootstrapped the company by providing internet consulting services while funding/managing a team of engineers and marketers to develop and sell software for search engine marketing automation. In August of 2008 he secured a 4M Series A investment from Sigma Partners.
Today he serves as company CTO and is a contributor to both the product team and marketing teams. Larry practices photography in his spare time.
Larry's background has been in software engineering, software product management, and Internet Marketing (particularly PPC, SEO and Social Media Marketing), for several widely-used software productivity tools over 10 years. Larry's prior roles include:
- Director of Marketing, DataDirect Technologies.
- Director of Marketing, Altova.
- Various Software Engineering & Search Engine Marketing Consulting Jobs
Additionally, Larry is the author of 4 Award-Winning Books on Software Development, and a blogger for the SEOmoz blog, the Wordstream Blog, Search Engine Journal, Marketing Profs, Search Engine Watch, Small Biz Trends, Search Engine Land, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Online Marketing Institute, and dozens of other business, technology, and internet marketing publications.
Larry received a B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (Honors) from the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Canada.
Larry is a frequent speaker at search marketing industry conferences including the following recent and upcoming events.
- May 15, 2013 - Interactivity Digital
- April 8, 2013 - PPC Hero Conference
- March 11, 2013 - SMX West 2013 Search Marketing Expo
- December 8, 2012 - Media Post Search Insider Summit
Search Marketing Thought Leadership
Larry writes frequently about Paid Search, Organic Search, Social Media Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Software Development topics. The following is a partial list of interviews and articles that Larry has worked on.
MemeBurn (May 22, 2013) - Undervalued Display Ads, mobile; How Tumblr Will Earn Yahoo Billions
Interactivity Digital (May 21, 2013) - 25 Quotables from #ID2013 Conference
The Wall St. Journal (May 21, 2013) - Tumblr’s $1.1 billion sale to Yahoo
Search Engine Land (May 20, 2013) - Try Your Luck at Winning the AdWords Jackpot
Unbounce (May 10, 2013) - 10 Quality Posts That Will Help Boost Your PPC Quality Score
Storecoach (May 10, 2013) - Coach’s SEO Highlight Reel
Jeff Jordan's Blog (May 9, 2013) - Godzilla vs. Mothra, The Sequel
Search Engine Land (May 8, 2013) - How To Use the New Keyword Planner
The Wall St. Journal (May 6, 2013) - The Search For Mesothelioma Clients Intensifies on Web
Small Business Trends (May 1, 2013) - The Top Secret Way to Save 50% on AdWords
Hodges & Company (April 27, 2013) - What You Should Know About Quality Score
Clarity Ventures (April 26. 2013) - Google AdWords Copywriting - Every Word is Important
Search Engine Journal (April 25, 2013) - The Importance of Quality Score in 2013
MarketingProfs Daily Fix Blog (April 22, 2013) - The Poorly Run AdWords Account: An eBay Case Study
Portent (April 9, 2013) - Better Quality Score = Better Results?
TheDrum (April 4, 2013) - As six EU countries target Google over its data policy - should Google be nervous?
Marketing Magazine UK (March 26, 2013) - eBay Paid Search Fails to Hit the Mark
Social Media Today (March 26, 2013) - How Does Google Make Money From Mobile
SEOmoz (March 26, 2013) - 5 Mobile SEO Tips from the Google AdWords Team
eCommerce Times (March 25, 2013) - Marin Software Rocks Wall St.
MediaPost (March 25, 2013) - Combining Real-Life Events With Search Marketing Without Ruining Quality Scores
Rimm-Kaufman Group (March 22, 2013) - What eBay’s Test Results Teach Us
Quartz (March 20, 2013) - Are search ads a waste of money? Why eBay’s controversial study doesn’t matter that much
Koozai (March 20, 2013) - Over 100 Game Changing PPC Strategies From 12 Experts
Small Biz Trends (March 19, 2013) - 5 Lessons You Can Learn from eBay’s AdWords Disaster
Seer Interactive (March 18, 2013) - Looking for a Good Response to eBay’s Paid Search Opinions?
Search Engine Journal (March 16, 2013) - Grading Google’s Top 20 Mobile Products
Search Engine Journal (March 15, 2013) - How Not to Run a PPC Campaign, Inspired by eBay’s AdWords #Fail
ECommerce Bytes (March 15, 2013) - Google Defends Ad Program in Response to eBay Report
AdExchanger (March 15, 2013) - AdBlock Blocked; More Mozilla Cookies
Search Engine Roundtable (March 14, 2013) - Clearly eBay Needs New AdWords Specialists
Search Engine Land (March 14, 2013) - AdWords “Ineffective” Says eBay, Google “Meta-Pause Analysis” Contradicts Findings
Adotas (March 13, 2013) - Google Shopping Goes Mobile
Bloomberg (March 11, 2013) - Google Benefits as Priceline Outspends Expedia on Web Ads: Tech
The Big Picture (March 11, 2013) - Google's Mobile Business
Web Analytics World (March 11, 2013) - How does mobile make Google money?
Small Biz Trends (March 12, 2013) - Time For Small Businesses to Take Mobile Seriously
State of Search (March 12, 2013) - How Google Makes its Mobile Money
Marketing Profs (March 9, 2013) - Google's Top 20 Mobile Products (and How It Monetizes Them)
PPC Hero (March 8, 2013) - Infographic: How Google Makes Money From Mobile
ValueWalk (March 8, 2013) - How Google Inc. (GOOG) Monetizes Mobile
Business Insider (March 8, 2013) - iOS Dominates Android Among Airline Passengers
Search Marketing Standard (March 8, 2013) - Five For Friday
B&T (March 7, 2013) - Google Gets Serious About Mobile
Search Engine Land (March 7, 2013) - Google’s Mobile World, From Ads To Apps To Android
Inc. Magazine (March 6, 2013) - Google's 10 Best Mobile Apps
MemeBurn (March 6, 2013) - Check Out How Google Makes Money From Mobile
The Inquisitr (March 6, 2013) - Google Mobile And The Money Machine: How Search And Platform Development Earns Billions
MediaPost (March 6, 2013) - Mapping Google's Apps, How They Make Money
Kelsey Group (March 6, 2013) - Unpacking Google's Mobile Ad Options
Adotas (March 6, 2013) - How Google Makes Money from Mobile
VentureBeat (March 6, 2013) - The 20 Ways Google Makes Money from Mobile
IntoMobile (March 6, 2013) - Infographic: How Google Monetizes off of Mobile
TheDrum (March 6, 2013) - Google’s mobile profit streams charted
Everything PR (March 6, 2012) - How Google “Won’t” Be Killed Off by Mobile Search
Marketing Pilgrim (March 6, 2012) - Infographic Gives Google’s Mobile Push High Marks
Search Engine Land (March 4, 2013) - How Adwords Enhanced Campaigns Can Be Used To Promote Your Mobile App
WebProNews (March 1, 2012) - Google Launches New Mobile App Download Ad Format
MediaPost (Mar. 1, 2012) - Google's Motorola Hires Former Apple Exec Kawasaki
Search Engine Journal (Mar. 1, 2012) - Are Search Engine Marketers Warming Up to Enhanced Campaigns
Search Engine Land (Feb. 28, 2012) - The Real Reason Why Google Is Dropping The Tablet vs. Desktop Distinction
Small Biz Trends (Feb. 28, 2012) - 5 Surprising Mobile Search Statistics and Facts
Online Marketing Institute (Feb 26, 2012) - How to Use the New Google Offer Extensions in AdWords
Small Biz Trends (Feb, 25, 2012) - Are Google AdWords Offer Extensions Right for Small Businesses?
Web Pro News (Feb. 22, 2013) - The Latest In Google’s Plot Against Groupon
MediaPost (Feb. 22, 2013) - AdWords Enhances Campaigns: Teams Coupons, Search Ads
Search Engine Watch (Feb. 22, 2013) - 3 Essential Mobile Ad Extensions to Get More Clicks from Mobile Devices
Memeburn (Feb. 22, 2013) - Adwords Offer Extensions Google’s plan to kill Groupon
TheDrum (Feb. 22, 2013) - Google integrates Daily Deal offer into AdWords in bid to kill Groupon
Business Insider (Feb. 22, 2013) - Google Is Making Moves To Seriously Disrupt Groupon
Search Engine Land (Feb. 22, 2013): Google Quietly Rolls Out New Offer Extensions in AdWords
Dow Jones Newswire (Feb. 21, 2013) - Google Showing More Deal Offers Inside Search Ads
VentureBeat (Feb. 21, 2013) - Google’s Offer Extensions rolling out within a week, integrating deals with search
Portent (Feb. 20, 2013) - AdWords Enhanced Campaigns – PPC Hangout
Inc Magazine (Feb. 15, 2013) - Reality Check: 5 Entrepreneurial Myths Busted
PPC Hero (Feb. 14, 2012): Are Enhanced Campaigns Going to Ruin Your PPC Accounts?
Performance Marketing Insider (Feb. 13, 2013) - Google Finds a Fix for Mobile CPC Dilemma with Enhanced Campaigns
Forbes (Feb 12, 2013) - Google: How They Just Fixed Their Mobile CPC Problem
aimClear Blog (Feb 11, 2013) - 25 SRSLY Clutch Google AdWords Enhanced Campaign #PPC Blog Posts
Search Engine Land (Feb. 11, 2013) - Making The Case In Favor Of Enhanced Campaigns
Boston Globe (Feb. 11, 2013) - 5 steps to paid search marketing success
Rethink Wireless (Feb. 11, 2013) - Google upgrades AdWords for mobile
BusinessInsider (Feb. 8, 2013) - Here's The Real Reason Google Changed Its Mobile Search Rules
VentureBeat (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google announces ‘biggest change to AdWords in 5 years:’ mobile is now baked in
ClickZ (Feb. 8, 2013) - PPC Pro - You're Being Replaced
Wired Magazine (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google Upgrade Is a Tidal Wave for Advertisers
PC World (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google rolling out AdWords management for multiple devices
Search Engine Watch (Feb. 8, 2013) - AdWords Enhanced Mobile Campaigns: 5 Things PPC Marketers Need to Know
InformationWeek (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google Updates AdWords For Mobile Era
WebProNews (Feb. 8, 2013) - What Google’s Enhanced Campaigns Mean For Small Businesses
TGDaily (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google courts mobile campaigns with AdWords changes
ComputerWorld (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google rolls out AdWords management for multiple devices
International Business Times (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google Devises New Mobile Click Ad Concept For Itself As Well As Yahoo
InsiderMonkey (Feb. 8, 2013) - A Google Inc (GOOG) Change that is Going Unnoticed
Ecommerce Times (Feb. 8, 2013) - Yahoo, Google Buddy Up for Display-Ad Deal
ITWorld (Feb. 8, 2013) - Google plans to upgrade all AdWords campaigns in mid-2013
Search Engine Journal (Feb. 7, 2013) - Google Announces Big Changes to Mobile Campaign Management
Forbes (Feb. 7, 2013) - In Big Shift, Google Aims To Boost Mobile Ad Campaigns - And Its Own Revenues
Small Biz Trends (Feb. 7, 2013) - New AdWords Enhanced Campaigns: 5 Things Small Businesses Need to Know
Business Insider (Feb. 7, 2013) - Google Just Blasted Away The Wall Between Desktop And Mobile Ads
Search Engine Land (Feb. 7, 2013) - The Big AdWords Update: Enhanced Campaigns Puts The Focus On Mobile
Marketing Profs (Feb. 7, 2013) - Mobile Search Advertising Just Got Way Easier: AdWords Enhanced Campaigns
Washington Post (Feb. 7, 2013) - Google’s changes to mobile advertising could fix company’s major problem
Wall St. Journal (Feb. 7, 2013) - Google Acts to Raise Mobile-Ad Prices
MediaPost (Feb. 7, 2013) - New Google Tool Combines Desktop, Mobile Ads
Adotas (Feb. 7, 2013) - Today’s Burning Question: Google AdWords Enhanced Campaigns
GoMoNews (Feb. 7, 2013) - WordStream comments on Google’s new Enhanced Campaigns
Smart Company (Feb. 7, 2013) - Changes to Google AdWords "a big win" for small business
Screenwerk (Feb. 7, 2013) - Google Responds to Rise of Multiscreenwelt with AdWords Campaign Enhancements
Search Engine Land (Feb. 5, 2013) - Live @SMX West: Forget What You Know About Paid Search
Marketing Profs (Feb 1, 2013) - Four Seasonal Keyword Research Tips
Search Engine Journal (Feb 1, 2013) - Buffalo Chicken Dip Wins the Search Engine Super Bowl by a Landslide!
Business Software (Jan 28, 2013) - WordStream Helps You Breathe New Life into Your Search Marketing
MediaPost (Jan. 28, 2013) - BlackRock Sinks $80 Million Into Twitter
Bank of America Small Business (Jan 24, 2013) - E-commerce Best Practices: How to Maximize Online Sales
Business Insider (Jan 23, 2013) - 5 Ad Execs Tell Us What They Really Think Of Facebook's Graph Search
eCommerce Times (Jan. 23, 2013) - Google Posts Gangbuster Growth in Q4
TheDrum (Jan 23, 2013) - Despite first $50bn year, Google sees ad revenue growth slow during Q4
MemeBurn (Jan 23, 2013) - Google Q4 results completely crush analyst expectations
MediaPost (Jan. 18, 2013) - Online Landscape: Marketers Should Watch Google, Macro Trends
USA Today (Jan. 16, 2013) - Facebook's Graph Search is in search of ads
Fox Business (Jan 16, 2013) - Will Graph Search Actually Help Facebook?
The Guardian (Jan. 16, 2013) - Facebook Graph Search: how the industry rates it
The Drum (Jan 16, 2013) - Reaction to Facebook's Graph Search announcement - what does it mean for Facebook?
Marketing Charts (Jan 16, 2013) - 1% of US Google Advertisers Generate 80% of Clicks; Study Methodology Questioned
Adotas (Jan. 16, 2013) - Reaction to Facebook’s New Search Feature
CiteWorld (Jan. 15, 2013) - How Facebook's new search tool could also help businesses
WebProNews (Jan 15, 2013) - No New Ads With Facebook Graph Search, But Sponsored Results Aren’t Going Away
Boston Business Journal (Jan. 8, 2013) - Fast-growing WordStream aims to make SMBs shine on Google ads
Search Engine Watch (Dec. 31, 2012) - 10 Reasons Why Public Relations is a ‘Must-do’ for SEO in 2013
MediaPost (Dec. 28, 2012) - 2013 Predictions From Online Ad, Marketing Experts
Search Engine Watch (Dec. 17, 2012) - Estimating the Impact of iOS 6 Organic Search Data Loss & Relabeling
TopRank Blog (Dec. 12, 2012) - B2B Lead Gen & Social Media Marketing Wins with Sequenced Content
Daily Titan (Dec. 5, 2012) - Bieber Lost Top Spot to Psy
American Banker (Dec. 1, 2012) - Pouring Money Into Google Ads
Search Engine Journal (Nov. 30, 2012) - Top 10 SEO Blockbusters on Twitter this November
PPC Hero (Nov. 29, 2012) - The 8 Metrics That Matter For PPC
AdAge (Nov. 28, 2012) - 'Gangnam' Close to Billion Views; China Takes Down Artist Ai Weiwei's Version
Social Media Today (Nov. 28, 2012) - The Top 22 Viral Marketing Tactics You Need in 2013
Horse Talk (Nov. 26, 2012) - Psy’s horse dance video days away from 1 billion mark
Fast Company (Nov. 26, 2012) - Oppa! South Korean Rapper Psy's Gangnam Style Ousts Justin Bieber's Baby
PopCrush (Nov. 26, 2012) - Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ Video Breaks Justin Bieber’s YouTube Record
TechSpot (Nov 26, 2012) - Psy's 'Gangnam Style' video sets multiple records on YouTube
Zap2It (Nov. 25, 2012) - 'Gangnam Style': Psy breaks Justin Bieber's record for most watched YouTube video in history
CNET (Nov. 24, 2012) - 'Gangnam Style' slays Bieber, becomes most-watched vid
memeburn (Nov 24, 2012) - Gangnam Style overtakes Bieber, is most watched video in YouTube history
Business Insider (Nov. 24, 2012) - Should Advertisers Be Angry When Facebook Sells Their Fans To The Competition?
Search Engine Journal (Nov. 24, 2012) - Social Magic: How Psy’s Gangnam Style Beat Justin Bieber on YouTube
Forbes (Nov. 24, 2012) - PSY's Gangam Style Tops Bieber's Baby To Become Most Viewed YouTube Video Ever
Film Industry Network (Nov. 24, 2012) - World record: PSY Gangnam style is the biggest music video ever
memeburn (Nov. 15, 2012) - How Google Made Their Ad Money
MediaPost (Nov. 14, 2012) - A View of Clicks and Conversions
Top Rank Blog (Nov. 9, 2012) - Online Marketing News: The Google Economy, Google Moving Search Options
Inc. Magazine (Nov 7, 2012) - How Google's Page Redesign Could Affect Your Business
WebProNews (Nov 8, 2012) - Google Changes Up The Search Results Page
Internet Retailer (Nov. 7, 2012) - Google redesigns its search engine results pages
MediaPost (Nov 7, 2012) - Analyzing Google's Search Results Page Changes
Washington Post (Nov 6, 2012) - Can search results, online advertising, likes and follows predict an election?
Search Engine Watch (Nov 6, 2012) - Google, Bing & Yahoo Tracking the 2012 Presidential Election Results
Search Engine Land (Nov. 6, 2012) - Can Search Queries And Social Data Predict The Presidential Election Outcome?
The Guardian UK (Nov. 5, 2012) - Does Google really need news media content?
MediaPost (Nov 5, 2012) - Will Search, Online Sentiment Predict Obama's Reelection?
Marketing Profs (Nov. 2, 2012) - The Google AdWords Economy: CPCs, CTRs, Ad Impressions, Conversion Rates
State of Search (Nov. 2, 2012) - Where Does Google’s 100 Million $ Per Day Come From?
Hotel Marketing (Nov. 2, 2012) - Google AdWords in Travel: High CTR but Lower Conversions
Search Engine Land (Nov. 1, 2012) - Data: Only 5 Percent Of Search Advertisers Follow Mobile Best Practices|
Unbounce (Nov 1, 2012) - 24 Hours in the Google Economy – 2012 Stats
Hubspot (Nov. 1, 2012) - An Industry Breakdown of Google's $100 Million Per Day Advertising Revenue
SEOmoz (Nov 1, 2012) - 5 Killer SEO Insights from Analyzing a Billion Dollars in AdWords Spend
Travel News (Nov. 1, 2012) - Google AdWords gets stronger, but travel keywords struggle with conversion
CMSWire (Nov. 1, 2012) - Google's AdWords Bringing in $100 Million Per Day
ValueWalk (Nov. 1, 2012) - Silver Lining In Google’s “Disappointing” Q3 Earnings Numbers
Mashable (Oct. 31, 2012) - University of Phoenix, Ask.com Are Google’s Biggest Advertisers [STUDY]
Huffington Post (Oct. 31, 2012) - University Of Phoenix Is Google's Biggest Advertiser [Report]
Smart Company (Oct. 31, 2012) - Businesses Paying Less for Search Marketing
MediaPost (Oct 30, 2012) - How To Determine A 'Good' Google Conversion Rate
Business Insider (Oct. 30, 2012) - These Are Google's Biggest Advertisers, Ranked By Dollars Spent Daily
Daily Mail UK (Oct. 30, 2012) - Revealed: Google's biggest advertiser is the University of Phoenix
Beyond PR - Official PR Newswire Blog (Oct. 29, 2012) - Content Marketing Case Study: It Sure Looks Like PR to Me
Search Engine Watch (Oct. 26, 2012) - How Google Rakes In Over $100 Million in Search Advertising Daily [Infographic]
Bryan Eisenberg Blog (Oct. 26, 2012) - Google Adwords Conversion Rates by Industry
Wired Magazine (Oct 25, 2012) - How Google Still Makes Billions From Tiny Text Ads
VentureBeat (Oct 25, 2012) - How Google makes $100 million a day
VentureBeat (Oct. 25, 2012) - 30 billion times a day, Google runs an ad (13 million times, it works)
Search Engine Land (Oct. 25, 2012) - Google Bringing In More Than $100 Million Per Day Via AdWords
Web Pro News (Oct 25, 2012) - Google Ads Earning Over $100 Million Per Day
Web Analytics World (Oct. 26, 2012) - Reducing Adwords Costs
Biz Report (Oct. 26, 2012) - Google's disappointing Q3 Earnings Good News for Advertisers
Advertisement Journal (Oct. 26, 2012) - Google Runs Ads 30 Billion Times Per Day
SEOmoz (Oct 22, 2012) - How I Got a Link from the Wall St. Journal
Forbes (Oct. 15, 2012) - 100 Founders Share Their Top "Aha" Moments
AdWeek (Aug 6, 2012) - Beyond Words - Public Relations Embraces Visual Storytelling
Wow Internet Blog (Sept. 26. 2012) - Improving Your Keyword Analysis With WordStream
SEOmoz (Sept 26, 2012) - Using AdWords Data for SEO: Unlocking the Ultimate Keyword Research Treasure Trove (Arrrgh!!)
CIO (Sept. 11, 2012) - 15 LinkedIn Tips to Improve Your Job Search
100k Blueprint (Aug. 26, 2012) - The Death of SEO
Shopatron (Aug. 23, 2012) - What You Can Expect from Google’s New Shopping Changes
PPC Hero (Aug. 23, 2012) - Two Tips to Make the Most of Google’s Latest Results Page Change
Interactivity Marketing (Aug. 21, 2012) - Google Decreases 1st Page Organic Results
Social Marketing Forum (Aug. 18, 2012) - Display Advertising on Facebook versus Google: Who Wins?
MediaPost (Aug. 16, 2012) - SEOmoz Acquires Twitter Tool, Confirms Social-Search Alliance
Koozai Blog (Aug. 15, 2012) - PPC Click Rate Study – How Click Rate Deteriorates Depending on Ranking
The Small Business Authority (Aug. 14, 2012) - An Adwords Performance Grader for Small Business
Forbes (Aug. 14, 2012) - How to Improve Your Online Advertising Campaign
Online Marketing Institute (Aug 13, 2012) - The Future of Search: 10 Questions with Larry Kim of Wordstream
SEO Theory (Aug. 13, 2012) - How Realistic and Successful is Low Maintenance, Long-term SEO?
TechWyse Inernet Marketing Blog (Aug. 10, 2012) - Which Content Network is Better, Google or Bing?
American Express Open Forum (Aug. 6. 2012) - 5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Online Advertising
Rocky Mountain Search Academy (Aug. 6, 2012) - The War Between Organic and Paid Search
Business Insider (Aug. 6, 2012) - Facebook vs. Google Ad Platform Battle
SalesChase Blog (Aug. 5, 2012) - Why Pay-Per-Click Ads Make Marketing Sense for High Commercial Intent Keywords
SEOmoz (Aug. 3, 2012) - Does SEO Even Work for Small Businesses?
Ghost Blog Writers (Aug. 2, 2012) - Paid Clicks Top Free Clicks for Commercial Keywords
Kairay Media Adwars (Aug. 2, 2012) - Google vs. Facebook!
PPC Associates Blog (Aug. 1, 2012) - is Google Your Biggest Competitor?
Inc. Magazine (Aug 1, 2012) - Can God Call You to Start a Business?
iStudio (Aug. 1, 2012) - Is there a War on Free Clicks?
Bristol SEO - (July 31, 2012) - WordStream Interview; Larry Kim Shares Highlights
Unbounce (July 30, 2012) - Paid Google Ads Punch Organic Search in the Face
TrendHunter (July 27, 2012) - The 'War On Free Clicks' Reveals Hidden Secrets to Traffic
GetBusy Media (July 26, 2012) - Organic vs Paid Traffic Explored
KISSmetrics (July 26, 2012) - The Inexpensive Marketing Plan
ProBlogger (July 26, 2012) - Facebook Ads or Google AdWords: Which One’s for You?
Marketing Tech Blog (July 24, 2012) - Is Paid Search Overtaking Organic Search?
Marketing Profs (July 20, 2012) - Paid vs. Organic Search: Are PPC Ads Winning the Google Click Wars?
Small Business Trends (July 20, 2012) - Google Ads May Be More Valuable Than You Thought
TheDrum (July 19, 2012) - How pay-per-click ads are taking over Google results
ValueWalk (July 19, 2012) - Click Through Rates Could Be Deciding Factor In Google’s Q2 Report
Brafton (July 19, 2012) - Paid search and SEO thrive when paired together
Search Engine Land (July 17, 2012) - Study: Clicks On Google Ads Are Double Organic Clicks For Commercial Searches
VentureBeat (July 17, 2012) - Google and sponsored search results: is there a “war on free clicks?”
Search Engine Journal (July 17, 2012) - How Google Is Killing Organic Search
Business Insider (July 17, 2012) - How Up To 85% Of Google Search Results Are Actually Paid Ads
TheNextWeb (July 17, 2012) - Google ad clicks outnumber ‘normal’ search results by 2:1 for some commercial keywords
PPC Hero (July 21, 2012) - Are PPC Ads Beating Organic Listings for Clicks?
Boy Genious Report (July 17, 2012) - Google declares war on free clicks
Yahoo News (July 17, 2012) - Trend Shifting Toward PPC in the U.S.
Fox Business (July 2, 2012) - Should Your Small Business Advertise on Facebook?
Boston Product Management Association (June 21, 2012) - How to Get your Software Product to Market
Official Microsoft Bing Ads Blog (June 21, 2012) - Yahoo! Bing Network Help Online Farm-Equipment Directory Hit Target
Dowicher Designs Blog (June 21, 2012) - In an Advertising Battle Between Facebook and Google, Who Wins?
KooZai Blog (June 20, 2012) - Facebook vs Google Display Network
Motley Fool (June 20, 2012) - Google: A Growth Company Masquerading as a Value Stock
Content Marketing Institute (June 14, 2012) - How to Build a Content Marketing Tool Set
Search Engine Watch (June 13, 2012) - Paid & Subscription-Based Keyword Research Tools
Hausman Marketing Letter (June 11, 2012) - Google Adwords: How Adwords Creates Online Success|
The Entrepreneur Blog (June 10, 2012) - Get a Free AdWords Campaign Evaluation!
Site Trail (June 6, 2012) - Google Ads Are Clicked 10 Times More Often Than Those On Facebook
Aer Icon (June 5, 2012) - The 5 Core Principles of Revenue Performance Management
Distilled (June 5, 2012) - Get Better At The Internet: 17 Pro Tips For Every Industry
Motley Fool (June 3, 2012) - Facebook: To Buy or Not To Buy?
Software Magazine (June 1, 2012) - 5 Tips for Taking Your Software Product from Prototype to Production Quality
ClickZ (June 1, 2012) - Online Advertising in the Age of Agility
Top Rank Blog (June 1, 2012) - Online Marketing News: Facebook vs. Google Ads
Motley Fool (May 30, 2012) - Where's the Beef, Facebook?
SEOmoz (May 29, 2012) - Oops, I ruined the Facebook IPO!
Marketing Land (May 29, 2012) - Facebook Should Keep Ignoring (Some) Advertisers
Ecommerce Times (May 26, 2012) - Beyond the Blame Game: Can Facebook Be Fixed?
CMS Wire (May 24, 2012) - Facebook vs Google Display Network Online Ad Smackdown: Who Comes Out On Top?
Yahoo Finance News (May 23, 2012) - How does Facebook make money?
Revenue Performance (May 23, 2012) - Facebook Ads: Not Cheap, Not Effective
Reuters (May 22, 2012) - China diversified dot-coms avoid Facebook pitfalls
Adsolut Blog Italy (May 22, 2012) - Pubblicità su Google o Facebook?
ValueWalk (May 22, 2012) - Facebook vs. Google: The War of Ads
T3N Germany (May 22, 2012) - Facebook vs. Google: Duell der Ad-Giganten
NewsTex (May 21, 2012) - Facebook Advertising vs. Google Display Network
Website Magazine (May 21, 2012) - Report Puts Facebook, Google Ad Values on Display
Technology Spectator (May 21, 2012) - The Facebook-Google Ad War
Website Magazine (May 21, 2012) Report Puts Facebook, Google Ad Values on Display
Lonely Brand Blog (May 21, 2012) - Wall Street LOLs at Facebook IPO
Internet Marketing News Watch (May 21, 2012) - Report Puts Facebook, Google Ad Values on Display
Information Week (May 21, 2012) - 4 Ways Facebook Can Woo SMBs
MediaPost (May 21, 2012) - The Search Expert Who Bought And Sold Facebook Stock
Celt Digital (May 21, 2012) - After last week’s IPO, Facebook advertising – does it work?
c:rae-tive (May 21, 2012) - Are Facebook Ads Effective? One Would Second Guess
Trend Hunter (May 20, 2012) - The 'Facebook IPO: Can it Beat Google?'
CBC - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (May 18, 2012) - Facebook closes just above $38 IPO price
CNN (May 18, 2012) - Google y Facebook pelean por anunciantes. El producto eres tú
Bulldog Reporter (May 18, 2012) - Does Facebook Advertising Actually Work? WordStream Shows Google Offers More
MSN (May 18, 2012) - Facebook goes public at $42
Vator News (May 18, 2012) - Facebook closes debut day just pennies above IPO price
Wall St. Cheat Sheet (May 18, 2012) - Facebook, What Happened?
Wall St. Cheat Sheet (May 18, 2012) - Why GM Opted Out of Facebook - Should You?
Billboard (May 18, 2012) - 5 Reasons Why Facebook Won't Spend its IPO Money on the Music Business
The Register (May 18, 2012) - WordStream: Facebook Ads are Very Boring and not Very Imaginative
Wealth Daily (May 18, 2012) - Facebook IPO Hype: Buy When the Sky is Falling
Information Week (May 18, 2012) - Facebook's History: From Dorm To IPO Darling
Financial Times (May 18, 2012) - Facebook IPO in numbers
Huffington Post (May 18, 2012) - Facebook goes public any minute
Motley Fool (May 18, 2012) - Psst! What if Facebook shares are actually cheap?
Metro Newspaper (May 18, 2012) - GM pulls facebook advertising (South Africa)
PC World (May 18, 2012) - General Motors dejará de pagar por publicidad en Facebook (Mexico)
Xinhua - Official News Agency of China (May 17, 2012) - Facebook身未動價已漲 股東賺瘋 -
ABC News (May 17, 2012) - Facebook prices its IPO at $38, could raise $16 billion
Jalopnik (May 17. 2012) - GM Will Remove $10 Million Worth Of Ads From Facebook
Branding & Marketing (May 17, 2012) - When Should You Advertise on Facebook Over Google?
Being Your Brand (May 17, 2012) - Who Has the Better Ad Network? Facebook Vs. Google
TechJournal (May 17, 2012) - Why did GM drop its Facebook advertising?
The Star Tribune (May 17, 2012) - Google Totally Blows Facebook Away
Examiner (May 17, 2012) - Was GM's Facebook ad failure GM's or Facebook's fault?
Huffington Post (May 17, 2012) - Facebook Ads: Can They Beat Google?
Reuters (May 17, 2012) - GM Pulled Ads From Facebook After Social Network's Failed Pitch: Report
State of Search (May 17, 2012) - Facebook IPO: Can It Beat Google?
WebProNews (May 17, 2012) - More Arguments That Facebook Ads Are Shoddy
The Takeaway (May 17, 2012) - Facebook vs. Google: The Ad Model Cage Match
More About Advertising (May 17, 2012) - Wordstream research reveals why GM pulled $10m adspend from Facebook
WebRazzi (May 17, 2012) - Borsa arefesindeki Facebook’un reklam performansı ne durumda? (Turkey)
StayWyse (May 17, 2012) - Facebook Advertising VS Google Advertising
Business Spectator (May 17, 2012) - GM ad withdrawal casts shadow over Facebook IPO
Vator News (May 17, 2012) - Analysts still find Facebook doesn't match up with Google's Ad Network, Spells Trouble
Washington Post (May 17, 2012) - Is Facebook really a good business?
TheDrum (May 16, 2012) - Facebook Research illustrates advertising underperformance
Computing.co.uk (May 16, 2012) - Facebook advertising failing to click with users, According to new Study
CIO Magazine (May 16, 2012) - Why Facebook Marketing Doesn't Work
Les Affaires (May 16, 2012) - GM porte un dur coup à Facebook (France)
ABC News (May 16, 2012) - Facebook's IPO, From an Adman's Perspective
French Web (May 16, 2012) - Publicité Online : Facebook vs Google, le Match! (France)
Lupa: (May 16, 2012) - GM přestal inzerovat na Facebooku (Czech Republic)
VentureBeat (May 16, 2012) - Are Facebook Ads Really that Bad?
Adverblog (May 16, 2012) - Google Beats Facebook Media
IDG News Service (May 16, 2012) - GM Will Stop Paying for Ads on Facebook - Because They Don't Work
Radio Taiwan International (May 16. 2012) - 臉書IPO在即 驚傳通用擬撤廣告
Performance Marketing Insider (May 16, 2012) - Facebook vs Google Ads
Financial Times Deutschland (May 16, 2012) - Facebook verliert großen Werbekunden
In Auto News (May 16, 2012 ) - GM ad Withdrawal puts Facebook in Dilemma
Forbes (May 16, 2012) - Facebook: Facing the Facts
Fox Business (May 16, 2012) - Time for Facebook to Grow Up
Minyanville (May 16, 2012) - Should Investors Be Concerned If More Advertisers Abandon Social Networks?
PC World (May 16, 2012) - GM Will Stop Paying for Ads on Facebook - Because They Don't Work
USA Today (May 16, 2012) - Facebook must change after IPO
The Week UK (May 16, 2012) - Facebook worth $105bn? Not if you Believe Advertisers
The Economist (May 16, 2012) - Facebook's Flotation The final Countdown
New Zealand Herald (May 16, 2012) - GM to pull ads from Facebook - Report
PC Advisor UK (May 16, 2012) - Do Facebook ads work? Apparently, not Really
PC Magazine (May 16, 2012) - After GM Loss, Can Facebook Compete in the Ad Game?
Search Engine Journal (May 16, 2012) - Why Did GM Drop Facebook Advertising?
Silicon Republic (May 16, 2012) - Facebook can’t beat Google at the Advertising Game
PC World (May 16, 2012) - Why Facebook Marketing Doesn't Work for GM
Washington Post (May 16, 2012) - Why Facebook ads are Different
Network World (May 16, 2012) - Facebook Ads Don't Work
ComputerWorld (May 16, 2012) - OOPS! GM drops Facebook ads: They don't work
ABC News (May 16, 2012) - Facebook's IPO Means What For You?
News24 (May 16, 2012) - GM pulls ads from Facebook
Web Analytics World (May 16, 2012) - Targeting Marketing
The Register UK (May 16, 2012) - Why GM slammed the brakes on its $10m Facebook ads
The Guardian UK (May 16, 2012) - Five reasons not to buy Facebook shares
Marketing Land (May 15, 2012) - Ahead Of IPO, GM Drops Facebook Ads; Forrester Warns Other Companies May Follow
Mashable (May 15, 2012) - Can Facebook Ads Ever Beat Google?
CNN (May 16, 2012) - Ad War: Google versus Facebook
Wall St. Journal (May 15, 2012) - Google Ads Seen as More Effective Than Facebook’s
The Atlantic (May 15, 2012) - People Click on About One of Every 2,000 Facebook Ads They See
Mashable (May 15, 2012) - Can Facebook Ads Ever Beat Google?
Tech Economy (May 15, 2012) - Facebook vs Google, sfida sull’advertising (Italy)
MediaPost (May 15, 2012) - Facebook Needs Open Ad-Targeting Formats To Succeed
Daily Finance (May 15, 2012) - Psst! What if Facebook Is Actually Cheap?
TheNextWeb (May 15, 2012) - GM to drop Facebook advertising, citing poor results
BizReport (May 15, 2012) - Forecast: Social Media Revenues to reach $9.8 billion but will ROI measure up?
Adotas (May 15, 2012) - Can Facebook Ads Beat Google?
Boston Herald (May 15, 2012) - Study: Google ads work better than Facebook Ads
Business Insider (May 15, 2012) - DATA: Google Totally Blows Away Facebook On Ad Performance
USA Today (May 15, 2012) - GM to stop buying ads on Facebook?
Wall Street Journal (May 15, 2012) - Google Ads Seen as More Effective Than Facebook’s
AFP Agent-France-Presse (May 15, 2012) - GM to pull ads from Facebook
International Business Times (May 15, 2012) - Analysts Urge Facebook To Satisfy Advertisers More Amidst IPO
ValueWalk (May 15, 2012) - Study: Google Inc (GOOG) Ads Crush Facebooks’
WebProNews (May 15, 2012) - Facebook or Google: Who Wins at Advertising?
The Atlantic (May 15, 2012) - People Click on About One of Every 2,000 Facebook Ads They See
Fast Company (May 15, 2012) - Social Ad Spending To Reach $10B Soon, But How Much For Facebook?
Whole Brain Marketing Blog (May 10, 2012) - Walker v. Barrett: Can Social Media Activity Predict The Winner
PPC Blog (May 4, 2012) - 5 AdWords Tips from PPC Masters
CMS Wire (Apr. 25, 2012) - Navigating WordStream's Internet Marketing 150
Fast Company (Apr. 19, 2012) - The Environmental Impact Of Your Googling
Shoe String Venture (Apr. 5, 2012) - WordStream: Automating AdWords Expertise for Small and Mid-sized Businesses
Search Engine Land (Mar. 16, 2012) - Using Wordstream’s AdWords Performance Grader For An Instant Audit
The Guardian UK (Mar. 16, 2012) - Total US newspaper industry's revenue less than Google's alone
Intuit Small Business Blog (Feb. 29, 2012) - Should Your Small Business Buy Pay-Per-Click Advertising?
Search Engine Watch (Jan. 30, 2012) - AdWords Performance Grader Tool Touts More Accurate PPC Data Reports
CNET (Jan 24, 2012) - Google's biggest AdWords customers might surprise you
Search Engine Watch (Jan. 23, 2012) - How Google Made $37.9 Billion in 2011
Wall St. Journal (Jan 23, 2012) - Google Leans on Rivals for Revenue
American Express Open Forum (Jan 18, 2012) - Why Small Businesses Should Care About SOPA | <urn:uuid:07f0d7eb-c5f6-4de5-b87d-ffedbc8204de> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.wordstream.com/larry-kim | 2013-05-26T02:42:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706499548/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516121459-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.779449 | 8,990 |
2009 OSCE MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE IN CAIRO IS A SUCCESS: HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF REVISITING ANNUAL CONFERENCE ADMINISTRATION
By Alex Johnson, Policy Advisor and Marlene Kaufmann, General Counsel
In December 2009, Commission staff attended the 2009 OSCE Mediterranean Conference on “The Mediterranean Partners and the OSCE: Cooperation Toward Enhanced Security and Stability” in Cairo, Egypt. This conference brought together 33 of the 56 OSCE participating States, four of the Asian Partners for Cooperation (Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand), and representation from all of the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation. The Palestinian National Authority attended at the invitation of the host government. The conference featured three sessions focusing on the politico-military aspects of security in the OSCE area, implications of the current financial crisis on migration, and prospects for OSCE Mediterranean Cooperation. These sessions featured presentations from Mediterranean Partner OSCE delegations, academics, international organizations, and relevant ministry representatives.
Participation in this conference was at a high level with the majority of the participating States and all of the Mediterranean Partners for Cooperation represented by their Ambassadors to the OSCE. Members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in attendance included a Vice-President and officers of two of the Assembly’s General Committees. Discussion in all of the sessions was lively with active participation by the Ambassadors, particularly those representing the Mediterranean Partners, as well as other public and private sector participants. A number of themes emerged across the sessions including agreement that the partnership between the OSCE participating States and their Mediterranean Partners has strengthened. The establishment of the Partnership Fund and the Athens’ Ministerial invitation to the Partners to contribute to the Corfu Process are largely attributed with bolstering the strength of the Partnership. Findings included a future activity emphasis on specific areas of cooperation by setting both short and long-term goals and providing a mechanism to assess effectiveness. In addition, the OSCE Mediterranean Partnership should undertake its work in coordination with other regional organizations and institutions, through which the possibility of expanding the Partnership could be considered.
Session 1: Politico-military aspects of security in the OSCE area and the Mediterranean
The session’s moderators were Ambassador Ian Cliff, Head of the delegation of the United Kingdom to the OSCE and Ambassador Taous Feroukhi, Permanent Representative of Algeria to the OSCE. Panelists included Mr. Pascal Heyman, Deputy Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center, Ambassador Gyorgy Molnar, Head of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Hungary to the OSCE, and Dr. Mostafa Elwy Saif, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Political Science, Cairo University and Member of the Shura Council.
Ambassador Cliff opened the discussion by pointing out that the OSCE had developed expertise on crisis prevention and conflict resolution, particularly regarding protracted conflicts. He believes there has recently been some incremental progress.
Pascal Heyman emphasized that the OSCE has developed a unique conflict prevention and resolution expertise through constant political dialogue, dedicated crisis management mechanisms such as fact-finding missions, the Conflict Prevention Center, confidence and security building measures and the establishment of field operations. While these are effective tools, Heyman maintained that workable and lasting conflict resolution depends ultimately on the political will of the participating States and the parties in a conflict.
Ambassador Molnar spoke to the destabilizing consequences of transnational or multi-dimensional threats to security in the OSCE space. He noted that participating States are attempting to address these threats through the Maastricht Strategy and decisions adopted at both the Madrid and Athens Ministerials regarding transnational threats, combating terrorism, and promoting effective law enforcement and police training programs.
Dr. Saif presented a detailed review of Egypt’s political and military security concerns and concluded that the primary challenges to his country’s security stem from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran’s regional and nuclear ambitions, water shortages, the political situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
Ambassador Feroukhi said that the absence of a dedicated institutional forum in the Mediterranean region hampered the development of effective security mechanisms but felt that the development of confidence-building measures – particularly involving civil society and academic communities – should be encouraged as a first step. She also agreed that a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and better protection of the environment were vital for the stability and security of the Mediterranean region.
All delegations who participated in the discussion welcomed the Athens Ministerial decision to invite input from the Partners for Cooperation on furthering the Corfu Process. A number of delegations raised the possibility of enlarging the Mediterranean Partnership to include the Palestinian National Authority, while others pointed out the difficulties of doing so, due to the fact that the OSCE is a state-based organization. The Partnership Fund was hailed as an effective tool to enhance the Mediterranean Partnership and it should continue to be used to sustain a culture of cooperation, including the possible creation of a clearing house on water issues within the OSCE. It was also stressed that the OSCE should coordinate its activities with relevant international and regional organizations.
The moderators stated the following conclusions emanating from the discussion: The confidence and security building measures as well as early warning mechanisms developed in the framework of the OSCE could serve as a model and help to foster cooperation and confidence in the Mediterranean region; the participation of the Partners in the Corfu process should enhance the Mediterranean Partnership; and, the Partnership should move forward based on concrete, achievable objectives with possible long-term goals of establishing a Mediterranean conflict prevention center and developing regional codes of conduct to enhance dialogue and cooperation.
Session 2: Implications of the current economic and financial crisis on migration
The second session was moderated by Mr. Daman Bergant, Head of the OSCE Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, and panelists included Ambassador Omar Zniber, Head of the Delegation of the Kingdom of Morocco to the OSCE, and Ms. Rebecca Bardach, Director of the Center for International Migration and Integration of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
Mr. Bergant began the session by explaining that the global economic and financial crisis has an impact on migration and development. He outlined several topics to guide the discussion including the development of cooperative migration policies between the OSCE and the Mediterranean Partners; dialogue on how to prevent and combat illegal migration; international and regional cooperation on preventing trafficking in human beings, including trafficking for forced labor; protecting the human rights of migrants, including through combating hate crimes; and, the role of migrants in promoting tolerance and non-discrimination.
Ambassador Zniber spoke to the impact of the current economic crisis on both migrants and development. He pointed out that the impact of the crisis makes migrants even more vulnerable and they face increased discrimination and further marginalization in society. Decreasing remittances, said the Ambassador – 10 to 15% in 2009 according to the World Bank – are a destabilizing factor, impacting countries of origin like Morocco which are particularly dependent on revenues from abroad.
The Ambassador welcomed the Athens Ministerial Council Decision on migration management and urged that the OSCE continue its work in this area, in particular, by facilitating dialogue, exchanging best practices and fighting discrimination against migrants. Specifically, he recommended that the OSCE and its Mediterranean Partners establish a working group on migration management and related security aspects; develop a multi-dimensional and long-term approach on migration management; promote regional cooperation and partnerships between all responsible parties including countries of origin, transit and destination, civil society and the private sector; create reintegration and training programs; and, protect the human rights of migrants and their families.
Ms. Bardach gave a comprehensive review of migration issues impacting Israel. She explained that only in the last two decades has Israel seen a significant increase in migration flows across its borders. This is presenting challenges to the government in managing migration and dealing with large numbers of refugees, asylum seekers, and labor migrants, in addition to human smuggling and trafficking. While Israeli efforts to combat trafficking for sexual exploitation have resulted in marked progress, she said, efforts to combat labor trafficking are still in their infancy. Based on this experience, Ms. Bardach suggested that the OSCE should develop policies to address irregular recruitment practices and raise awareness about such practices; develop cooperation on both the regional and bilateral level to increase information sharing, strengthen border controls and address the humanitarian needs of migrants; develop culturally sensitive tools for law enforcement officials; and, improve the reception and registration of refugees, including assisted voluntary return.
During the discussion following the panel presentations, a number of delegations echoed the view that the OSCE and its Mediterranean Partners should serve as a broad regional platform for a coordinated dialogue on migration, and should develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent cross-border trafficking that includes the private sector.
The contributors in this session demonstrated the need for better data collection and sharing regarding migration in the Euro-Mediterranean context. This goal was identified as a potential priority for the Partnership Fund. Proposals distributed by the Moroccan and Egyptian delegations have both cited the importance of developing research institutions, which could serve to further the goal of better data collection and expertise sharing.
Session 3: Prospects for OSCE Mediterranean Cooperation
The third session Chaired by Ambassador Kairat Abdrakhmanov, Head of the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the OSCE and Chair of the OSCE Permanent Council, focused on a review of achievements to date in improving dialogue and cooperation between the participating States and the Mediterranean Partners, and developing effective follow-up on recommendations of previous seminars and ministerial declarations referencing the Partners. Featured speakers were Ambassador Makram Queisi, Permanent Representative of Jordan to the OSCE, and Mr. Agustin Nunez, Deputy Head of Mission of the Permanent Mission of Spain to the OSCE.
Ambassador Queisi presented four areas in which he felt cooperation could improve the relationship between the OSCE and the Mediterranean region – environmental aspects of security such as soil erosion, desertification and water management including the possible creation of an environmental data collection center in the region; enhanced border security to combat terrorism and trafficking including cooperation with the Regional Counter Terrorism Training Center in Jordan; combating discrimination against Muslims; and, developing nuclear non-proliferation strategies for the region. The Ambassador also stated his view that Partner status should be granted to the Palestinian National Authority as a confidence building measure.
Mr. Nunez reviewed the development of the participating State’s cooperation with their Mediterranean Partners including increased participation by Mediterranean Partners in OSCE activities and recent examples of concrete cooperation on issues such as countering terrorism, promoting tolerance and freedom of the media, and enhancing border management. He emphasized the importance of having a strategic vision for the Partnership and commended the proposal by the Kazakh Chair of the Mediterranean Contact Group that three priority areas should be identified for developing projects to be financed by the Partnership Fund. Mr. Nunez concurred with Ambassador Queisi’s view that the Partnership should be enlarged to include the Palestinian National Authority and noted that Spain had circulated two food-for-thought papers on this topic in 2008.
Following the presentations, active debate among the delegations ensued and focused primarily on the current status of the Partnership and its achievements to date, proposals for additional areas of cooperation, procedural improvements and the issue of possible enlargement of the Partnership.
Enhanced cooperation in the areas of promoting tolerance and non-discrimination, freedom of the media, gender, combating trafficking in human beings, energy security, security aspects of climate change, water management and fighting corruption, drug trafficking and terrorism was discussed. It was suggested that working groups should be established to examine these issues and make recommendations for action. Participants also called for the establishment of a system for effective follow-up on recommendations and agreed proposals, as well as enhanced coordination with other regional institutions and organizations.
The participants actively discussed the question of enlarging the Mediterranean Partnership with some participants supporting the granting of Partner status to the Palestinian National Authority as a confidence building measure conducive to dialogue and peace in the region. Debate over this particular consideration illuminated the need for an expeditious response to the request of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to become an OSCE Mediterranean Partner for Cooperation. It is apparent that a number of participating States and partners recognize the value of their participation in Mediterranean Dimension activities. Yet, disagreement arises when considering the implications of recognizing a territory as a full-fledged partner. Some participating States see the case of the PNA as unique in that there is already international agreement on the existence of a future Palestinian State. Other participating States believe that affording a territory official status sets a precedent for other territories seeking recognition in the OSCE region. A number of these leaders believe that a future Palestinian State should be granted partner status after formal international recognition. Thus, it will be unlikely that consensus on partnership with the PNA will be reached at this time and the OSCE Chair-in-Office should issue a formal response acknowledging this. The question of PNA participation will continue to mire productive dialogue on other opportunities for cooperation until a decisive response is issued by the OSCE Chair-in-Office. Alternatives for their participation should however be explored. Some possibilities include establishment of an alternative status of “observer” or other title within the framework of the Partners for Cooperation to allow for a transitional process of full recognition as a Partner. In addition, some sort of agreement should be established on recommended countries outside of the Mediterranean Partnership for invitations to OSCE Mediterranean Dimension activities.
Conclusion: Future Considerations for Annual Conference Administration
A tremendous success of the 2009 Mediterranean Conference was the engagement of the Ambassadors from the Mediterranean Partners in the agenda. Each panel featured a Mediterranean Partner Ambassador, which helped balance the contributions during the discussion. Previous conferences did not adequately balance the opportunities for contributions between the Mediterranean Partners and the OSCE participating States. In the most grievous of incidences, panelists and participating States at the 2008 Mediterranean Conference in Amman, Jordan took so much time during the discussion that contributions from representatives of the Partners were significantly curtailed. It only makes sense that the contributions of the Partners be prioritized when the purpose of the conference is enhancing cooperation with their respective countries. Meaningful participation by the Partners remains the only way to sustain the future of the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension.
A recurring challenge of the annual Mediterranean conference is a lack of willingness to host the event among the Mediterranean Partners. The venue question remains an issue that paralyzes cooperation among the Mediterranean Partners and has the potential to diminish the productivity of the conference each year. The venue question stems from a number of factors. Not only is the conference capital-intensive for the hosting State, political considerations regarding the participants in the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension keep Partners like Algeria and Tunisia from taking a leadership role in hosting the event. Thus, active Partners like Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Israel bear the burden of hosting the conference most frequently. Ownership of the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension through hosting the conference and originating initiatives remains an ideal that the partnership should aspire to. However, it is not unprecedented that participating States would host the conference. Previous Mediterranean seminars were hosted by Greece (2002), Croatia (2001), Slovenia (2000), and Malta (1998), prior to the elevation of the event to a “conference” by the Greek chairmanship of the OSCE in 2008. Participating States have offered to host the upcoming 2010 conference. Proceeding with an established venue earlier in the year may provide for more time for substantive topic development. Such a deviation from Mediterranean Partner ownership of the event should be seen as an exception until a more appropriate mechanism for rotating the responsibility of hosting the conference is devised.
The 2009 Mediterranean Conference was well executed by the Egyptian government, especially considering the short time between their final commitment to do so and the date of the event. However, NGO participation was notably missing. The 2008 OSCE Mediterranean Conference in Amman featured a session for NGOs from throughout the Mediterranean region on the day prior to the conference and subsequently included a robust NGO presence during the conference proceedings. OSCE Participating States led by the United States made extra-budgetary contributions to the OSCE Partnership Fund to help facilitate a robust NGO presence. International organization representatives that were invited to present on the session panels in the 2009 Cairo conference were among the few non-governmental participants present. It is true that participating States lack the wherewithal to contribute annually to facilitate an NGO presence especially given global fiscal challenges. However, exploring partnerships with appropriate foundations, endowments, and institutions involved in Euro-Mediterranean engagement may result in a consistent and strong NGO presence at events within the OSCE Mediterranean Dimension.
Republic of Korea
Confidence and Security Building Measures
Equality of Opportunity for Men and Women
Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
Military Aspects of Security
Rule of Law/Independence of Judiciary
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The high profile cases Bilski v. Kappos and Association for Molecular Pathology v. United States Patent and Trademark Office have renewed public debate about the proper scope of patentable subject matter. The subject matter inquiry has traditionally been treated as a threshold inquiry in patent law, serving a gate-keeping function by defining the types of inventions that are eligible for patent protection. The Patent Office and courts have approached the subject matter inquiry both by determining whether an invention falls into a statutory category-processes, machines, manufactures, or compositions of matter-as well as by determining whether an invention falls into a category excluded from subject matter eligibility-often described in recent decades as laws of nature, natural phenomena, and abstract ideas.
The exclusions from patentable subject matter developed in the courts and have never been codified in the Patent Act. Although some commentators have argued that the exclusions are Constitutionally mandated, the Supreme Court and lower courts have consistently regarded them as judicial interpretation of statutory subject matter requirements. Courts and commentators have rationalized the exclusions as protecting the "basic tools" of scientific and technological research necessary for innovation. Because of the role of the subject matter inquiry in conditioning patent eligibility-a role perceived as critical to encouraging innovation-landmark subject matter cases have often arisen during times of technological change and economic upheaval.
The patents at issue in Association for Molecular Pathology cover isolated and purified forms of the human BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes responsible for heightened risk of breast and ovarian cancer, as well as methods for determining whether the sequence is present in clinical samples submitted by patients for testing. Like many other important subject matter cases, Association for Molecular Pathology raises the policy question of whether the patents at issue and other similar patents "cause more harm than good to society and technological development." The plaintiffs prevailed in the district court. If the decision is affirmed by the Federal Circuit, although gene patents would not be broadly invalidated, a new avenue would be opened for challenging patent validity.
The litigation is noteworthy not only for the legal and policy questions it raises, but also because two public interest groups, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Public Patent Foundation (PUBPAT), are serving as plaintiffs' counsel. Association for Molecular Pathology is a rare instance of impact litigation in patent law, which has remained relatively untouched by conventional cause lawyering until recent years. The public policies championed by ACLU and PUBPAT are undoubtedly compelling. They include the salutary goals of making genetic testing more widely and inexpensively available, and encouraging scientific research. We question, however, whether judicial interpretation alone of 35 U.S.C. § 101, the eligible subject matter provision of the Patent Act, can provide the legal framework necessary to properly effectuate these policies.
In this Essay, we suggest that by focusing solely on shaping judicial interpretation of the exclusions from patentable subject matter, proponents of an expanded public domain fail to consider the possibility that states will expand what we term "interstitial exclusivities"-state-based legal rules, such as trade secret law and unfair competition law, that grant certain market exclusivities in inventions and that are not subject to federal constitutional limits on their duration. We argue that the expansion of existing interstitial exclusivities and the creation of new ones would alter existing incentive structures of intellectual property law, potentially provoking serious negative unintended consequences such as increased uncertainty surrounding patent validity, increased business costs, and increased secrecy in scientific research. We suggest instead that the creation of a public domain envisioned by ACLU and PUBPAT may be best achieved through concurrent efforts to enact legislative change, which would explicitly dedicate such inventions to a public domain.
I. Interstitial Exclusivities
The problematic but incomplete overlap of federal and state intellectual property law has allowed for the creation of state-law exclusivities in inventions. We refer to these laws as "interstitial exclusivities" because they arise in the gaps where courts have concluded that federal patent law does not preempt state law.
The relationship between state and federal intellectual property protections-particularly with respect to the role of patent protection-is complicated. The federal and state regimes overlap and are similar in some respects, but differ significantly in others. Congress's patent and copyright authority derives from the Progress Clause of the Constitution, which enumerates the power to legislate along with a concurrent restriction requiring the exclusive rights to be granted by the federal government only for "limited times." However, trademark, unfair competition, and trade secret law are free from these durational limitations. Therefore, tensions have arisen where trademark, unfair competition, and trade secret protections partially overlap with patent or copyright rights, effectively extending elements of patent-like or copyright-like coverage for unlimited times.
Under existing application of preemption principles, states may craft intellectual property laws conveying exclusivities in inventions without running afoul of the Patent Act. When state-based intellectual property laws are challenged because of perceived conflict with the Patent Act, courts review these statutes using implied conflict preemption principles-the Patent Act contains no express preemption provisions, and courts have not applied field preemption principles to intellectual property law. Conflict preemption is a notoriously muddled area of law, and courts have struggled to apply these principles consistently to state intellectual property laws. Beginning in 1973, the Supreme Court affirmed states' rights to legislate in the intellectual property field absent direct conflict, despite dicta in earlier cases suggesting broad federal preemption of state intellectual property laws. Similarly, it is unlikely that courts will find that state intellectual property protections impermissibly burden interstate commerce in all but the most extreme circumstances. Accordingly, when a litigant raises a preemption argument, courts will generally engage in a very limited conflict analysis by looking to the stated purpose and legal elements of the state-based protection. State lawmakers are left with room to create exclusivities in inventions.
Naturally, business firms game the legal overlap and interplay to gain valuable market exclusivities in their products. The correspondence between state trade secret and unfair competition laws and federal patent law is not one-to-one, nor could it be under existing law. For example, the exclusivity conveyed by trade secret law does not generally protect against independent development or reverse engineering, and secrecy requirements in some jurisdictions can be relatively difficult and onerous to maintain. Likewise, unfair competition laws in some jurisdictions require elements such as proof of intent to establish violations. Neither trade secret nor unfair competition laws are perfect substitutes for patent protection, but they still convey valuable elements of market exclusivity, often through liability rather than property rules. Recognizing this, businesses have adopted sophisticated exclusivity strategies that consciously engage federal, state, and private law to maximize market exclusivity.
Against this backdrop, we suggest that ACLU, PUBPAT, and their supporters consider the possibility that state lawmakers could extend additional or strengthened state-law protections over inventions excluded from federal protection because of narrowed subject matter eligibility. States have continued to make and develop intellectual property law. For example, some jurisdictions have recently revived the once disfavored "inevitable disclosure" doctrine in trade secret law, a legal fiction that assumes an employee who has certain knowledge will disclose it to a new employer. Similarly, a recent Seventh Circuit case upheld an exclusive license of trade secrets between companies, explaining that trade secrets may be bought, sold, and licensed regardless of the fact that to do so requires their disclosure. And in an emerging area of intellectual property law, Utah recently passed the Utah Bioprospecting Act, which allows for regulation of bioprospecting activities, including the removal from state lands of naturally occurring microorganisms, plants, or fungi or information about the same for a commercial or research purpose. The legislation also mandates a royalty to the state resulting from commercialization of the results of bioprospecting and criminal penalties for noncompliance.
Although increased state activity in this area is not a certainty, it is a distinct possibility in light of the potential value of the inventions at issue. Simply put, there is nothing to stop state lawmakers from drawing even closer to patent law while still avoiding federal preemption, and very little reason to believe that state lawmakers would hesitate to do so.
II. The Law of Unintended Consequences
If the district court decision is upheld on appeal, it will be a Pyrrhic victory for proponents of an expanded public domain. Inventions that have already been disclosed to the public as part of the patent bargain-which requires disclosure in exchange for the strong exclusivity protections conferred by patent law-would begin to create an expanded public domain. For example, the inventions at issue in Association for Molecular Pathology would become a part of the public domain because they were disclosed in the patents. But inventors and their assignees could keep future inventions out of that public domain by strategically gaming the protections of federal, state, and private law. A judicial narrowing of patentable subject matter through a broadened interpretation of the exclusions would radically alter the incentives provided by the web of state and federal intellectual property protections. Businesses may increasingly opt for secrecy-based protections for certain gene and biotech inventions if patent protection, along with its strict disclosure requirements, is no longer available. This could have far-reaching unintended consequences on commercial and inventive activity, including increased secrecy, increased litigation, and increased uncertainty throughout the system, which is already complicated by non-uniformity of state trade secret and unfair competition laws.
Perhaps more importantly, narrowing the scope of patentable subject matter through interpretation of the exclusions could dramatically affect the way research and development are practiced. In addition to harming those who have developed and invested in gene patents in reliance on settled law, a narrowing of patentable subject matter may also chill the openness that patent protection fosters regardless of additional state action in the area if businesses tend toward secrecy-based intellectual property protections over the disclosure-based federal patent system. It could easily limit industry-university relations such as industry sponsored research, important biological material transfers between industry and universities, clinical trials, and other collaborations. Such collaborations are necessary for university researchers to have access to compounds, animals, and other research resources in cutting edge areas of science where industrial research and development is ongoing. Moreover, it may deter scientists from publishing and cause businesses to further limit publication by their scientists. It almost certainly would limit out-licensing opportunities for universities because of the strong culture of publication within universities. It would likely cause businesses to seek restrictive covenants with their employees more frequently, and to enforce such covenants more aggressively. Finally, it may greatly inhibit the movement of scientists and specialists between academia and industry and between competing companies.
As one of us has argued elsewhere, alteration of the patentable subject matter inquiry is best left to Congress because of the importance of subject matter eligibility to public policy goals, and because of Congress' institutional competency in addressing complex public policy concerns. With Association for Molecular Pathology, the process has already started in the courts, but it should not end there. Litigation alone has been widely recognized as, at best, an incomplete tool in achieving public policy goals. Impact litigation can be an effective means of placing pressure on the other branches of government and of publicizing policy issues, but courts are not as effective as the other branches of government at crafting and implementing long-term solutions that adequately account for costs and second order consequences. Those who seek to secure public rights in gene patents and other technologies should learn from past examples of litigation aimed at enacting social change, which benefited greatly from concurrent political efforts to enact legislative solutions.
Given the gaps that already exist in intellectual property law and the state-based exclusivities that can and do fill them, proponents of a narrow subject matter inquiry should concurrently seek legislative change. The legislative process is riddled with inefficiencies and interest group influence, but we think legislative reform is achievable. ACLU and PUBPAT have successfully leveraged impact litigation in the areas where it is most effective-bringing the debate to the public sphere and placing pressure on the other branches of government. Even a cursory review of the media coverage of the case demonstrates ACLU and PUBPAT's success at bringing the issues to the public's attention. Other related efforts are also receiving media attention, such as the recent empirical study by Duke University researchers suggesting that gene patents stifle innovation, as well as executive branch review of the issue. Additionally, the likely appeal of this case to the Federal Circuit may pressure the executive and legislative branches to act prior to a precedential appellate decision. ACLU and PUBPAT's challenge now is to channel the successes of impact litigation into effective legislative reform to lower costs and increase access to gene patents and other important technologies.
Unfortunately, the legislative solutions proposed thus far would not solve the problems created by existing and potentially expanded interstitial exclusivities. The NIH committee charged with evaluating gene patents recently proposed to create two exemptions from infringement liability-for gene patents used in patient care and for gene patents used in academic research. Even without the added complication of the pending litigation, the exemptions advocated by NIH would alter the incentive structure of intellectual property law, creating incentives for businesses to take advantage of existing interstitial exclusivities such as state trade secret law rather than seeking patent protection, and for states to expand or create new ones.
We believe the legislative solution that would come closest to creating the public domain ACLU and PUBPAT envision would preempt states from acting in these areas by including express language both defining the exclusions from patentable subject matter and committing them to the public domain. In order for a public domain to be created to cover the exclusions, it must keep them within the purview of the federal patent system while simultaneously shielding them from state-based exclusivities that lack durational limitations and allow or require the secrecy of inventions.
We recognize that such legislation would need to be carefully crafted. Notably, partial preemption of state-based intellectual property protections could cause jurisdictional uncertainty concerning whether and under what circumstances federal courts would have subject matter jurisdiction over state-based claims implicating the exclusions. However, Congress is the governmental body best suited to weigh options intended to reduce cost and improve access to technologies-whether it be through amendment of the Patent Act or through other legislative reforms such as the creation of health care subsidies.
Proponents of a narrowed patentable subject matter portray themselves as champions of a public domain. Yet the public domain they seek to create through impact litigation is at best elusive and at worst unreachable through litigation alone. The patentable subject matter inquiry is a complex issue requiring careful consideration by Congress to craft nuanced legal solutions that properly mind the gaps of federal intellectual property protection.
Mary Mitchell is a law clerk to the Hon. Anthony J. Scirica, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Dana A. Remus is a Professor of Law at the University of New Hampshire Law School.
Suggested citation: Mary Mitchell & Dana A. Remus, Commentary, Interstitial Exclusivities After Association for Molecular Pathology, 109 Mich. L. Rev. First Impressions 34 (2010), http://www.michiganlawreview.org/assets/fi/109/mitchellremus.pdf.
. See Bilski v. Kappos, 130 S. Ct. 3218 (2010).
. No. 09 Civ. 4515, 2010 WL 1233416 (S.D.N.Y. Mar. 29, 2010).
. See Memorandum of Law in Further Support of Plaintiffs' Motion for Summary Judgment at 3, Ass'n for Molecular Pathology v. U.S. Patent & Trademark Off., No. 09 Civ. 4515, 2010 WL 1233416 (S.D.N.Y. Jan. 20, 2010).
. U.S. Const. art. I, § 8, cl. 8.
. Federal trademark and unfair competition law is promulgated under the Commerce Clause. Trade secret law is state-based excepting two federal statutes, promulgated under the Commerce Clause-the Economic Espionage Act of 1996, which criminalizes trade secret misappropriation, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1831-1839, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1030, which criminalizes the misappropriation of certain information contained on computers. We leave aside debates over whether trademark, trade secret, and unfair competition law are properly considered under the rubric of intellectual property.
. IP overlap has been treated extensively in scholarly literature as well as case-law. See, e.g., Bonito Boats, Inc. v Thunder Craft Boats, Inc., 489 U.S. 141 (1989); Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Bros., Inc., 529 U.S. 205 (2000); Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 (2003); Viva R. Moffat, Mutant Copyrights and Backdoor Patents: The Problem of Overlapping Intellectual Property Protection, 19 Berkeley Tech. L.J. 1473 (2004). We leave for another day issues of problematic overlap among federal intellectual property rights.
. Compare Wyeth v. Levine, 129 S. Ct. 1187 (2009) with Geier v. American Honda Motor Co., 529 U.S. 861 (2000); see Wyeth, 129 S. Ct. at 1227 (Alito, J., dissenting) (explaining that the majority's conclusion "requires turning yesterday's dissent into today's majority opinion").
. See Arthur Miller, Common Law Protection for Products of the Mind: An "Idea" Whose Time Has Come, 119 Harv. L. Rev. 705, 745-46 (2006).
. Compare Goldstein v. California, 412 U.S. 470 (1973) (upholding a California criminal piracy law concerning sound recordings), and Kewanee Oil Co. v. Bicron Corp., 416 U.S. 470 (1974) (upholding state-based trade secret laws), and Bonito Boats, 489 U.S. 165, with Sears Roebuck & Co. v. Stiffel Co., 376 U.S. 225 (1964) (invalidating a state unfair competition law that prohibited copying), and Compco Corp. v. Day Bright Lighting, Inc., 376 U.S. 234 (1964) (same).
. See Goldstein, 412 U.S. at 558-59; see also Miller, supra note 8, at 750.
. See, e.g., Bonito Boats, 489 U.S. at 165-67 (examining the intent behind and legal structure of state trade secret and trademark protections and explaining they do not conflict with federal intellectual property law); Kohler Co. v. Moen Inc., 12 F.3d 632, 642-43 (7th Cir. 1993) (using this analytical structure and declining to find conflict between federal trademark and design patent protection).
. Int'l Bus. Machines Corp. v. Papermaster, No. 08-CV-09078, 2008 WL 4974508 (S.D.N.Y. Nov. 21, 2008).
. Am. Family Mut. Ins. Co. v. Roth, 485 F.3d 930 (7th Cir. 2007).
. Utah Code Ann. § 2:65A-14-102.
. See Bonito Boats, 489 U.S. at 156-57. In Bonito Boats, as in Association for Molecular Pathology, the invention at issue had already been disclosed to the public. The Court explained:
A state law that substantially interferes with the enjoyment of an unpatented utilitarian or design conception which has been freely disclosed by its author to the public at large impermissibly contravenes the ultimate goal of public disclosure and use which is the centerpiece of federal patent policy.
. ACLU has actually stated that it seeks to encourage more litigation over patent validity. See Stephen Albaini-Jenei, Bulletproof: Interview with ACLU Attorney Chris Hansen Over Gene Patents, Patent Baristas Blog, Nov. 12, 2009, available at http://www.patentbaristas.com/archives/2009/11/12/.
. See David S. Almeling, Four Reasons to Enact a Federal Trade Secrets Act, 19 Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L.J. 769, 776-77, 781 (2009) (noting investigation and litigation costs associated with nonuniformity of state law and noting choice of law and jurisdictional complications). Although forty-six states adopted the Uniform Trade Secret Act, interpretation varies widely, and states have often amended its provisions.
. See Dana Remus Irwin, Paradise Lost in the Patent Law? Changing Visions of Technology in the Subject Matter Inquiry, 60 Fla. L. Rev. 775 (2008).
. See Donald L. Horowitz, The Courts and Social Policy 262 (1977).
. See Robert Cook-Deegan & Christopher Heaney, Patently Complicated: Case Studies on the Impact of Patenting and Licensing on Clinical Access to Genetic Testing in the United States, Genetics in Med., Apr. 2010 Supp. at 4.
. For example, the Office of Biotech Activities within the Office of Science Policy of the National Institutes of Health recently issued a white paper on gene patents advocating legislative reform. See Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society, Revised Draft Report on Gene Patents and Licensing Practices and Their Impact on Patient Access to Genetic Tests, available at, http://oba.od.nih.gov/SACGHS/sacghs_documents.html#GHSDOC_011 [hereinafter SACGHS Whitepaper]. Similarly, the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Economic Council recently issued a call for information on how to improve university commercialization of technology. See Commercialization of University Research: Request for Information, 75 Fed. Reg. 57 (Mar. 25, 2010).
. See SACGHS Whitepaper, supra note 21, at 90-91.
. See Christianson v. Colt Indus., 486 U.S. 800 (1988) (holding that when patent law is not a required element of a properly pleaded complaint, federal subject matter jurisdiction is limited to cases where the relief sought requires adjudication of a patent issue); cf. Holmes Group, Inc. v. Vornado Air Circulation Sys., Inc., 535 U.S. 826 (2002) (holding Federal Circuit jurisdiction does not extend over cases where a patent-based cause of action is asserted in a counterclaim). | <urn:uuid:b1d8528b-c0de-4560-8d78-bd3796d218f6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.michiganlawreview.org/articles/insterstitial-exclusivities-after-em-association-for-molecular-pathology-em | 2013-05-18T17:48:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696382584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092622-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.919635 | 4,667 |
Strong reaction to Steve Irwin report
16–17 September 2006
Dr Catchpoole’s article The stingray of death: The tragic end of the life of ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin has been one of the most viewed articles on the new CMI site. One biologist from the UK commented:
I’ve just read David’s article and it’s excellent. Great teaching, very interesting (he’s even swum over stingrays himself!), very topical, very engaging.
A supporter in Brisbane said:
Well balanced, good science, very nice.
Daniel Parkes, FCET (Fellowship of Christian Engineers and Technologists www.fcet.org) wrote;
Great article on the ‘croc hunter’ (The Stingray of Death).
Keep up the good work!
There was also some negative feedback, which will be addressed below (response by Jonathan Sarfati and David Catchpoole), grouped by topic. We don’t claim infallibility to our articles (just to the Bible in its original autographs!), so the article was modified slightly in response to some feedback. ‘No, though a man be wise, ’tis no shame for him to learn many things, and to bend in season.’ (Sophocles, Antigone, 442 BC).
Just because he was an evolutionist, it doesn’t follow that he wasn’t a Christian
A number of correspondents pressed this point, e.g.:
It is obvious he believed the evolution he had been taught by others, and was not a creationist, however you do not need to be a creationist to be saved. I cannot believe that any human can cast aspersions on the faith of this man who did so much to save these creatures God created. Only God knows Steve’s heart condition. —KS, Australia
KS and other correspondents who wrote on this theme are quite right in saying that just because someone believes evolution doesn’t mean he/she is not a Christian, and we never claimed otherwise. Indeed, both of us have said just that in a recent article, ‘Schweitzer’s Dangerous Discovery’.
Note that we don’t claim that one can’t be a Christian and a long-ager. Many people are saved despite ‘blessed inconsistency’—there is no hint in the Bible that the ability to hold mutually contrary thoughts in the same skull is an unforgivable sin. See also:
- Is it possible to be a Christian and an evolutionist? A leading creationist answers an often-asked question
- The big picture: Being wrong about the six days of creation does not automatically mean someone is not a Christian. But if you think that makes it unimportant, stand back and look at the big picture … .
- Do I have to believe in a literal creation to be a Christian?
We also agree that, simply on the basis of what we’ve heard of him in his public life, we can’t know for sure where Steve Irwin is right now—hence we tried to take great care in wording the article to that effect.
I felt it contained judgemental implications. —KS, Australia
|if we are not supposed to judge, then how can we judge anything as ‘good’—including non-judgmentalism?|
With all due respect, we were trying to make teaching points rather than judging the man. But this is a good time to address a common misapprehension that non-judgmentalism is the highest goal for a Christian. Jesus condemned only hypocritical judgment, as is clear from Matthew 7:1–5:
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”
Indeed, Jesus commanded judgment in John 7:24, a passage we hear much less about:
“Do not judge by appearances, but judge with righteous judgment.”
Indeed, KS’s statement was in itself a judgment. And if we are not supposed to judge, then how can we judge anything as ‘good’—including non-judgmentalism? This is serious (quite apart from KS’s letter), because judgmental skeptics hypocritically misapply the ‘judge not’ passage to marginalize Christians, more often than any other Scripture. See also The tyranny of ‘tolerance’.
As for judging or ‘condemning’ people (not that this was the purpose of the article), unbelievers are already condemned according to Jesus Himself (John 3:18); we are merely passing on the message (that only believers can be saved), so don’t kill the messenger (cf. ‘no-one delights in the bearer of bad news,’ Sophocles, Antigone).
You shouldn’t have mentioned his wife. If Steve was not a believer, then, because you mentioned his wife, readers can see that Terri must have disobeyed the commandment to ‘be not unequally yoked with an unbeliever’. That comes across as being very judgmental.—EL, Australia.
The comments above about judging in general apply, but in this specific case, we fail to see the problem. We just presented the facts, which are not secret and not derogatory; what people do with the facts is their business. In any case, we didn’t say (nor do we know) anything about whether Mrs Irwin was a Christian before or after marriage; the command in 2 Corinthians 6:14 applies to Christians entering into marriage with an unbeliever. One Blood ch. 5 states:
[The] marriage that God says we should not enter into is when a child of the Last Adam (one who is a new creation in Christ—a Christian) marries one who is an unconverted child of the First Adam (one who is dead in trespasses and sin—a non-Christian).
But if a Christian is already married to an unbeliever (say if the conversion occurs after marriage, or if a Christian has disobeyed the above), then the believer should remain married as long as the unbeliever consents to live together (1 Corinthians 7:12–15).
Exploiting Steve’s death?
I am writing to express my discontent at your article titled “The stingray of death” attached to the Creation Ministries newsletter.
In my view, the article seeks to exploit a tragedy to advance the message of Creation Ministries. As well as the moral issues associated with such propaganda, the content of the article was clumsy, cold and inappropriate. Unworthy of a great cause such as yours.
I apologise if this email is abrupt. I have followed your cause for some time and have even created small networks for friends who are like minded. We were saddened at the news and felt that perhaps there was a missed opportunity while Mr Irwin was alive to have him listen to your material.
Just like Mr Irwin, your strength lies with the knowledge you can divulge about science and nature. I can understand that at times it may feel as if you have to shock in order to have people listen.
Evolution is indeed entrenched in the greater culture.
Don’t underestimate your own message and know that you have friends out there with you.
I trust you will accept this email with the good intentions in which it is intended.
For sure, we did, and were reminded of ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’ (Proverbs 27:6). However, a tragedy occurred, many people wanted to know what we thought and expected a comment. By definition, any article about the tragedy could have been accused of ‘exploiting’ it. But we were also most aware that the country was in shock, and Steve had left behind a grieving father, wife and children. So we were appalled by the spitefulness of the rabid feminist Germaine Greer (see Ref. 5 in the ‘stingray of death’ article) and her ilk.
Incidentally, we are well aware of Bible-believing Christians who have mailed CMI materials to Steve Irwin in the past. Also, one of us [DC], immediately after presenting a creation seminar at a Sunshine Coast church in 2004, was personally approached afterwards by two employees of Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo (located nearby). So it seems that Steve Irwin had reasonable opportunity to ‘listen’ to our material and discuss the issues with creationists—it was just a matter of whether he wanted to (or in fact did) avail himself of that opportunity.
Comments: Hi there, am a huge fan of your ministry and a subscriber of Creation magazine. I just read the article on Steve Irwin with my wife, and we are a bit confused as to what you're trying to say there. It read to us as being quite callous to the death of Irwin, especially in the second half where it seemed to bash him as promoting wrong family values and not being Christian. I'm sure that cannot have been your intention, but it worries me to imagine how some other people who do not know of your good intentions might construe the article as an attack on the man.
Perhaps I am over-reacting, so take from my e-mail what you will. In any case, God bless your ministry. I shall continue to look forward to more articles and insight.
MW, New Zealand
Another case of ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend’. As you say, it was not our intention to ‘bash’ anyone. But we also wanted to avoid the opposite extreme of hagiography.
For the record, we think that Australia Zoo is very well organized and informative (apart from the annoying evolutionary falsehoods), and it was obvious that Steve really cared about animals. A correspondent from Australia wrote:
I never heard Steve speak out against the Christian teaching. I never heard him blaspheme or curse either. As much as Steve had a public profile, and yes, may have referred to evolutionary thought, he also referred to a creator in some of his footage, indeed often referring to ‘God’s creatures’.
We also appreciated the fact that a famous Aussie icon was a faithful husband and loving father, and not a womanizer, druggie or alcoholic like too many other celebrities that come to mind. But about the reference to God, this is not conclusive—compare Physicists’ God-talk.
Animals and creation
One correspondent objected:
I may be speaking in ignorance, having only skimmed your articles, but saying ‘Parents can correct this by pointing out that God breathed life into man and gave us dominion over the animal kingdom’ in response to ‘Steve continually points out that animals are really better than people’ seems a little brash and insensitive.
|The Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:28 has not been revoked; Jesus for example affirmed that while God cares for sparrows, a human is far more valuable than many of them (Matthew 10:29–31).|
This was actually not written by us, but a quoted extract from the movie review by ChristianAnswers.Net, which they wrote back in 2002. Thus they are not DC’s words, although the review seems accurate. And if people are told that they are no better than animals, it should not be surprising that they kill or rape like animals; not that Steve would have thought things through to the same conclusion as many evolutionists have. See:
- Living like animals
- The Creation Basis For Morality
- How to build a bomb in the public school system
- Bomb-building vs. the biblical foundation
- Rape and evolution
- Morality and Ethics Q&A
Our correspondent then asked:
While Steve was alive, his fearless actions supported ‘dominion over the animal kingdom’ — Steve was evidence to prove this portion of scripture. But, with the way he died, how can we use such a statement as a parental correction?
The Dominion Mandate of Genesis 1:28 has not been revoked; Jesus for example affirmed that while God cares for sparrows, a human is far more valuable than many of them (Matthew 10:29–31). This entails that although Steve’s favourite (presumably somewhat tongue-in-cheek) slogan was ‘Crocs rule’, it is God who rules and has delegated authority to mankind over the rest of creation. See again Earth Day: Is Christianity to blame for environment problems?
However, as explained in the article, because of the Fall, this has been marred by the Curse on creation. In the events leading up to the Fall, the participants reversed the God-given hierarchy. That is, in the Bible, naming something is an exercise of authority. Thus God had authority over man, who had authority over the woman and animals that he named (Genesis 2:19–23; see also ‘Female inferiority’ raises questions for refutation of anti-woman claims). God had also explicitly given both man and woman authority over the rest of creation in Gen. 1:28.
In the Fall, this was reversed; the serpent (animal) instructed the woman, who instructed the man, who disobeyed God. God’s judgment reflected this: the serpent would be lower than the other animals, the woman would desire her husband in the same way sin desired Cain (in both cases the Hebrew word is teshûqah תשוקה), and the creation would rebel against Adam until his body returned to it (Genesis 3).
Finally, another comment from KS:
However I do believe people need to explain to their kids that it is Steve’s opinion that animals are more important, however if you can see that statement from his perspective; He was trying to stop people from thinking they were the most important thing in the world, and that animals do matter, and their habitats need to be protected. — KS
God declared the creation ‘good’ before He created man, so there is intrinsic goodness to the non-human part of creation. However, Jesus made it clear that humans are more important than animals, but evolutionary teaching has undermined that. One important way is the clear violation of God’s directive to Noah and thus all mankind (his descendants)—which has never been revoked—that any individual animal that kills a human is to be put to death (Genesis 9:5–6). But in a perversion of biblical morality, a shark or croc is often protected even if it is a proven mankiller (most people don’t mind killing mosquitoes or bacteria though, even though there are exceptions here as well). This is often accompanied by nonsensical statements that the deaths occurred in ‘the animal’s territory’ where ‘humans were the intruders’. No, God put the entire natural creation—including the marine creatures (Genesis 1:28)—under human dominion. Of course, this implies good stewardship, not a licence to ravage and exploit. During his life, Steve Irwin ‘put his money where his mouth is’ and bought large tracts of wilderness land to be able to help preserve the natural wonder and beauty of creation for others. | <urn:uuid:ba089c97-57df-4a7b-b078-ca24086bfa83> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://creation.com/strong-reaction-to-steve-irwin-report | 2013-05-21T17:24:53Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969609 | 3,330 |
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(Arusha, Tarangire, Ngorongoro)
Experience some of wildest parks in Africa on this adventurous private guided safari through Tanzania. Start with a scenic drive in your 4x4 Land Cruiser exploring Tarangire National Park, known for its large population of elephant, baobob trees and lovebirds. Travel to Lake Manyara, famous for its jungle-like scenery, blue monkeys and abundant birdlife. You may even catch a glimpse of the famous tree climbing lions! Finish up in the fabled Ngorongoro Crater - A UNESCO World Heritage Site. This legendary crater has been likened to "Noah's Ark" for its concentration of all different kinds of wildlife. Drive back to Arusha, stop for a refreshing lunch, and finish with some souvenir shopping before returning home from this unforgettable safari.
Kensington Tours has its own offices in Nairobi, Kenya, and Arusha, Tanzania. Our prices include the support of our own dedicated team on the ground! Another reason we deliver unbeatable value.
Airport transfer between your Arusha hotel and Kilimanjaro International airport with private vehicle and english speaking driver.
In the unfortunate event of serious illness or injury, all travellers are covered by this “Flying Doctors” Insurance policy. This emergency evacuation insurance policy covers the cost of the evacuation flight back to Nairobi for treatment. This insurance policy however DOES NOT cover the cost of any medical treatment received.
Mount Meru Hotel is situated at the foothills of Mount Meru in the city of Arusha, Tanzania. The Mount Meru Hotel lies on 9 acres of lush landscape, surrounded by some of Africa’s most breath-taking vistas, rich with a diverse array of wildlife, etched against the fertile slopes of this beautiful mountain. The Mount Meru Hotel, its management and staff members have made every endeavour to ensure that your stay is a rejuvenating and refreshing experience of African hospitality and look forward to meeting you in person.
From Arusha, your guide will drive you to the Tarangire National Park. This commute takes approximately 3 hours to complete.
On this game drive you might notice the swamps, tinged green year round, which are the focus for 550 bird varieties. This park boasts of having the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for screeching flocks of the dazzlingly colourful yellow-collared lovebird and the somewhat drabber rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania.
Kikoti Camp is situated above one of the most highly populated wildlife arenas in Africa, Tarangire National Park, where privacy is guaranteed and guests are privy to 35 000 acres of unrefined living species. The dramatic landscape surrounding the camp’s 10 permanent en-suite tents makes for a stunning African experience full of discoveries and sights like no other. Dishes prepared at the camp feature local cuisine of the most tasteful sort, filled with adventurous spices and succulent meats. Vegetables and fruits are gathered from nearby farms, and there are no formalities around meals as it is meant to be a fulfilling, wholesome endeavor. Activities range from bush trekking and bush dining to cultural talks to add to your knowledge on the area.
In the early morning hours, your skilled guide will pick you up and take you for a game viewing drive through Tarangire National Park. The main highlight here is elephant, which mass in enormous numbers during the dry season June to December. General game is also good, although predators tend to be quite difficult to find. From January to May the park is beautiful and offers a more private experience with very low visitor numbers. Year round this is a unique safari experience.
Time permitting, there are many optional activities. Depending on which lodge you're staying at, activities range from nature walks to cultural village visits. Some of these can be prebooked through your destination specialist while others can be booked directly with the lodge upon arrival.
From Tarangire National Park, your guide will drive you to the picturesque Lake Manyara. This drive will take approximately 3 hours.
Enjoy a box lunch while you travel (included in tour price).
On todays game drive you will have to keep your eyes peeled in order to spot some of this area's beautiful and elusive big cats. It will take a keen eye to take notice of the tree climbing lions, or the camouflaged spotted leopards. You should try to look around shaded area during the hotter hours of the day, as the wildlife will be looking for a cool area to relax.
A small and exclusive lodge facing the Oldeani Volcano, only 5 kms. from the Ngorongoro Lolduare gate was built, meant to offer our clients an original experience reminiscent of the atmosphere of the old days.
Descend into the Ngorongoro caldera to view the wildlife on the crater floor. The crater is roughly 20 km/12 mi wide and 600 m/2,000 ft deep, once you've reached the top of the caldera it takes about 45 minutes to descend to the crater floor. The floor is home to a rich and highly concentrated wildlife. Some 20,000 mammals live there, including about 20 black rhinoceros, making the crater the best place in Tanzania to see the rhino. The crater floor also has one of the highest carnivore densities in the world. Lions, cheetahs, hyenas and jackals are commonly seen, while leopards, servals and bat-eared foxes may be seen with some good luck. You'll spend most of the day in the crater.
Private transportation and guide in the Ngorongoro national park.
Enjoy a picnic lunch (included in tour price).
From Ngorongoro, your guide will drive you to Arusha. This drive will take approximately 2.5 hours.
Stop for lunch at the Arusha Hotel in this tourism capital of Tanzania. Shop the local souvenir market.
Includes opportunity to visit local handicrafts market to stock up on souvenirs.
Depart from Kilimanjaro international airport - end of itinerary.
VISA/PASSPORTPassport valid for at least six months, visa and evidence of yellow fever immunization are required for both US and Canadian citizens. Visa may be purchased on arrival at the airport. Single entry visa is $50 per person ($100pp for US citizens), payable in cash (no credit cards). Visas may also be obtained in advance through a visa service. Processing generally takes 5 working days and costs approximately $75.
Please note obtaining a visa is your responsibility. These requirements change often and therefore it is best that you check with the embassy of Tanzania for the most up to date visa information.
NOTE: Only newly printed USD currency and local currency will be accepted in East Africa, any USD currency printed without the new security measures will not be accepted. HEALTHHealth insurance is essential. Guests of Kensington Tours are covered by East African Flying Doctor Services included in the tour price. This coverage guarantees that any member injured or ill while on safari will be airlifted back to Nairobi to the international hospital.
We recommend that you see a health-care provider who specializes in Travel Medicine. The doctor or health-care provider will determine what vaccinations and medication you will need, depending on factors such as your health and immunization history, areas of the country you will be visiting, and planned activities. For more information on travel requirements, visit the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/tanzania.aspx
A yellow fever shot is NOT required for visitors from US/Canada/UK/EU direct, however if you are travelling through Kenya into Tanzania, you will need the vaccine.
COUNTRY INFOLanguage: Swahili and English are the official languages. Several indigenous languages are also spoken. Currency: Tanzanian shilling (TZS). Most tourism prices are in US Dollars.ATMs are available in major cities only. Major lodges, some hotels accept credit cards. Time: GMT +3. Electricity: 230 volts AC, 50Hz. Rectangular or round three-pin plugs are used. Communications: The international country dialing code for Tanzania, as well as Zanzibar, is +255.
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Please enter a destination | <urn:uuid:6a169e83-d6d2-4e5e-b577-3f3da6f4f9b3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.kensingtontours.com/tours/africa/tanzania/tanzania-discovery/travel-news/nice--france-s-coastal-paradise | 2013-05-21T17:24:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933741 | 1,831 |
DVD Release Date: May 6, 2008 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Number of Discs: 4
Number of Episodes: 30
Running Time: approx. 760 minutes
Total Run Time of Special Features: N/A
Languages, Subtitles, Closed Captioning: English, Spanish, French and Portuguese languages; Spanish & Portuguese subtitles; Closed-Captioned.
Special Features: Sony TV DVD Previews; Minisodes
After a long 10-month wait, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings us another season of Bewitched on DVD, this time The Complete Sixth Season! Dick Sargent takes over the role of Darrin Stephens joining Elizabeth Montgomery, Agnes Moorehead, Erin Murphy, and David White all return for more spellbinding and magic at Morning Glory Circle! Also joining the series in a recurring role is Alice Ghostley playing the shy Esmeralda. This is also the season where Samantha gives birth to her second child, Adam. Join the Stephens family as we see Tabitha running away to be in “Jack and the Beanstalk” because she is jealous of her baby brother, Darrin being frozen into a mirror when Sam’s dad Maurice finds out the baby isn’t named after him, Endora being upset at Samantha celebrating Halloween, so she turns Darrin into a warlock. Paul Lynde returns as Uncle Arthur botching his magic hat trick at Tabtha’s birthday party and a Playboy bunny comes out! So join Elizabeth Montgomery in ... Bewitched! (Now the theme music is stuck in your head, isn’t it?)
Memorable Episodes / Notable Guest Stars:
This season is the first season with Dick Sargent as Darrin, as we mentioned...and I think I liked Bewitched the best these last few seasons with Sargent as Darrin. As I mentioned before, Dick Sargent joins the cast in “Samantha and the Beanstalk,” in which Tabitha is jealous of the new baby and runs away to this classic...literally. In “Samantha’s Yoo-Hoo Maid,” Alice Ghostley joins the cast as Esmeralda the bumbling shy witch. Samantha gives birth to her second child and Maurice (Sam’s dad) makes sure that everyone who passes by falls in love with the baby in “...And Something Makes Four.” The very next episode has Maurice raging mad because the new baby is not named after him in “Naming Samantha’s New Baby.” Samantha is working on Halloween costumes for a UNICEF benefit and Endora is dismayed at Samantha for celebrating Halloween in “To Trick or Treat or Not to Trick or Treat.” In the two-part episode, “Daddy Comes For a Visit/Darrin the Warlock,” Maurice gives Darrin a magic watch, giving him magical powers, much to the dismay of Samantha. Esmerelda brings up the real Santa Claus and cannot get him back to the North Pole in “Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays.” Phyllis (Darrin’s mom) catches Samantha using her magic powers and does not really know what to think...what will happen? Find out in “Samantha's Secret is Discovered.” Tabitha wants to go to the park, but Samantha tells her that she has many chores to do around the house...so Tabitha creates “another” Samantha in “Tabitha's Very Own Samantha.” In “Generation Zap,” with a touch of magic, Endora turns a client's sensible daughter Dusty Harrison into a raving sex machine with the hots for Darrin. Mr. Dinsdale, a handsome lady-killer client falls for Samantha because she looks like Serena in “Chance of Love.”
Some famous guests this season include Johnny Whitaker, Deacon Jones, Jack Cassidy, Bernie Kopell, Carol Wayne, John Fielder, Lloyd Bochner, Charles Lane, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Henry Gibson, and Danny Bonaduce. Recurring actors include Alice Ghostley, Bernard Fox, Paul Lynde, Sandra Gould, Robert F. Simon, Mabel Albertson, Kasey Rogers, Maurice Evans, and George Tobias.
Like the previous sets, we get nice slim cases! This set is a four-disc set, like the last few, so we have two slim cases, each holding two discs each. However, before we get to the full slim case details, let’s go back to the box. The cover of the box is a nice light purple color scheme. It has the attractive Bewitched logo (saying Elizabeth Montgomery in) in script with a photo of an animated Samantha on top of that. There is a nice photo of Samantha in the middle, with Tabitha & Darrin to the left and Endora to the right in a nice city type of background with a huge moon, reminiscent of the opening credits. The back of the box has synopsis of the show and the set, with three nice snapshots on the left side, and continuing the night city setting.
On the front of each slim case, there are pictures of various cast members. Case 1 has Samantha featured, with an image each of Darrin and Tabitha to the left. Case 2 has another shot of Samantha, with Serena and Endora on top. On the back of each case, there is a listing of all of the episodes on the discs contained inside as well as a brief description of those episodes. All of this is similar to previous sets, so no surprises.
The art contained on the discs is simple, purple in color with the city skyline in the background and pictures of different characters on each disc. Disc 1 has a picture of Samantha, Disc 2 has a picture of Darrin, Disc 3 has a picture of Endora, and Disc 4 has a picture of Tabitha. Disc 1 contain episodes 1-8, Disc 2 contains episodes 9-16, Disc 3 contains episodes 17-23, and Disc 4 contains episodes 24-30 (and the bonus previews crap and minisodes). When you take the discs out, you will see nice photos surrounding the slim case inside. Again, a Sony catalog comes with the packaging. It is not really up to date on some things...it says Married with Children Season 8 coming soon, but that was released already. It does have some actual correct coming soon wordings, such as I Dream of Jeannie S5 and Just Shot Me! S3.
Menu Design and Navigation:
The menus are simple like the previous sets. Each menu screen on each of the four discs is different. It starts with an animated showcase of Sam (each disc is different) twitching you to the menu screen. Disc one menu is pink, the disc two menu is green, disc three menu is purple, and disc four menu is blue...just as the previous set. They have one thing common; they have an animated Darrin (yes, Sargent version) & Sam. The theme song plays in the background (and it does loop if you stay awhile). The options are... Play All Episodes, Episode Selections, and Languages. The Episode Selections option clouds you to a simple menu where you can choose the episode you want to see (pictures from the episodes are shown in what appears to be picture frames on a wall). Languages allow you to select what Audio and Subtitles you want. Audio is English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Subtitles are either Spanish or Portuguese. Minisodes and Bonus Previews options are on disc four. The menus are the same as the previous set...well except for the addition of the minisodes.
Video and Audio Quality:
Bewitched has been good in video for previous sets. Although the last set was not as good, though in terms of video quality...but this set is MUCH better! Sony says in the press release that this set is digitally mastered, but the packaging does not say that, but I think it is...because it looks GREAT! Samantha must have uses witchcraft at Sony to fix the problem from the last set! All episodes appear to be unedited with run times all over 25 minutes (mostly about 25:20). The audio track is good, in Dolby Digital mono. There are no major problems, and the volume is at a good level. Chapter stops are available at the right places and we have five chapter stops per episode. The new Sony Pictures logo is at the end of each episode running like 5 seconds. The FBI warning is available at the start of the first episode on each disc...but you can chapter skip it. In all, this set is much better in audio and video than the previous set!
The following are the runtimes for each episode:
1. Samantha and the Beanstalk 25:20
2. Samantha’s Yoo Hoo Maid 25:20
3. Samantha’s Caesar Salad 25:21
4. Samantha’s Curious Cravings 25:21
5. And Something Makes Four 25:21
6. Naming Samantha’s New Baby 25:21
7. To Trick or Treat or Not to Trick or Treat 25:19
8. A Bunny for Tabitha 25:20
9. Samantha’s Secret Spell 25:19
10. Daddy Comes to Visit 25:23
11. Darrin the Warlock 25:20
12. Samantha’s Double Mother Trouble 25:19
13. You’re So Agreeable 25:20
14. Santa Comes to Visit and Stays and Stays 25:19
15. Samantha’s Better Halves 25:20
16. Samantha’s Lost Weekend 25:22
17. The Phrase Is Familiar 25:20
18. Samantha’s Secret Is Discovered 25:22
19. Tabitha’s Very Own Samantha 25:21
20. Super Arthur 25:20
21. What Makes Darrin Run 25:19
22. Serena Stops the Show 25:21
23. Just a Kid Again 25:19
24. Generation Zap 25:21
25. Okay, Who’s the Wise Witch 25:20
26. A Chance on Love 25:23
27. If the Shoe Pinches 25:21
28. Mona Sammy 25:22
29. Turn on the Old Charm 25:21
30. Make Love, Not Hate 25:24
The first two seasons had great extras, but ever since we have not gotten anything at all, just the Sony Previews. Previews for this set are Blonde Ambition (movie), My Mom’s New Boyfriend (movie), Saawanya (movie), The Water Horse (movie), Ladies Night (TV), and ‘80s Hits (TV...but it actually movies, Sony can’t label it right). Just one TV trailer and it is so old. Again, it is not even funny anymore Sony!
We also have two Sony Minisodes from Sony’s Minisode Network. We get a Minisode of The Partridge Family, “Eleven Year Itch” that runs 5:35. Maybe we get this Minisode because Danny Bonaduce guest starred on Bewitched? We also have a minisode of I Dream of Jeannie, “Where’d You Go-Go?” that runs 5:02. I bet we have that because the series is somewhat similar to Bewitched. These are really to promote this online network.
Between seasons four and five, we had a 9-month wait, now between seasons five and six we get a 10-month wait. Therefore, I would guess we would get season 7 in another 9-10 months or so. I hope they go at a faster pace again so we get seasons 7 and 8 faster. There are eight seasons of this show, and we are 75% finished now...just two more sets! Come on Sony, let’s release them faster! As for this set, it is decent, video quality is much better than the previous set that it is so noticeable. Other than that, the set is on par with the last four sets, and of course down from the first two where we got great special features. Get on board Samantha’s witchcraft on season six of Bewitched where the word of the season is “change,” because there is a lot of it...and it is good to have change because it works here! Bewitched! | <urn:uuid:9583961b-6105-4cce-86ec-8dd40d8e45da> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sitcomsonline.com/bewitchedseason6dvdreview.html | 2013-05-21T17:37:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700264179/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516103104-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.911097 | 2,655 |
[ A.K.A SEKMINËS – Seventh Sunday after Easter
In Lithuania and in neighboring countries, traditions of Pentecost are
related with the end of sowing and the start of summer labors. This is
a spring gathering and shepherds' holiday. The most distinctive feature
of Pentecost is nature worship. The power of nature was attributed to young,
green birch trees. It was believed that the birch tree can pass her vitality
to the soil, to animals, protect from illness and all evils. On the eve
of Pentecost, village girls dispersed in fields and woods in search of
flowers and greenery that were used to make wreaths. Young men picked branches
off birch trees, which they placed around doors, gates, inside porches
and in living rooms. Wreaths and bunches of flowers decorated the entire
house. Tables were covered with linen tablecloths, garden paths were sprinkled
with sand and greens. It was believed that the souls of the dead, while
visiting homes on Pentecost, rested on birch tree branches. Shepherds decorated
cows with birch wreaths, to keep them calm and together, be good milkers
and to please the mistress of the house so she would be kind and generous
throughout the year.
The writer, B.Buraèas described this tradition of decorating
the herds in his writings, saying that on the night before Pentecost, shepherds
returning home with the herd dressed the animals with birch and marsh marigold
wreaths. They even tied birch branches to cattle horns.
In some regions women placed a piece of bread in a white linen kerchief,
tied it with three double birch branches and tied this kerchief to their
apron sash believing this to be a protection from snake bites. Whipping
with bathing birch- rods in bathhouses was believed to chase all ailments
out of the body. On Pentecost morning, the master of the house whipped
his cows to make them more active while grazing in the fields.
When Christianity came to Lithuania, churches began blessing grasses.
Then on this holiday, churches were decorated with birch trees and other
greenery. People arrived in church carrying bunches of greenery , which
were blessed. These blessed greens were set on fire and their smoke was
used to incense dying persons, new buildings and storm clouds. It was believed
that smoke from Pentecost greens had the power to chase away evil spirits,
protect buildings and send storm clouds away. Wayside crosses and ritual
tables were also decorated with Pentecost greenery.
J.Balys wrote in " Lithuanian Calendar Holidays" how plants are used
in charmings. First of all, many wreaths were twined and each one was given
a man's name. The largest wreath was given the name of the girl who wanted
to know the name chosen name. The wreaths are thrown into the well or into
the pond in the evening, so as not to be seen by anyone. Early in the morning
the girl went to see if her wreath was beside the largest wreath. If it
was, she would marry him.
Before Pentecost one must twine a large wreath of cornflowers with
three branches of rue in it. Before evening this wreath is placed on the
girl's head and fastened to the hair so it would not fall off. He, who
in a dream removes this wreath, will be the one too take away her virginity.
N.Gimbutas in " Baltic Mythology" , wrote that there was tradition
to go to the woods on Pentecost. A birch tree was picked out, decorated
and taken into the village. About hundred years ago this was an important
ritual which involved the entire community.
On this holiday there are fire and water glorification rituals. The
church on Pentecost blessed fire and water. In many regions holy water
was sprinkled on grain seeds, so that they would sprout fast and that birds
would not peck at the grain. Sprinkling with holy water was meant to keep
insects away from the crops and keep ponds and rivers safe from drownings.
To keep horses well and give them shinny coats, their food was also sprinkled
with holy water.
After Pentecost, according to the folk calendar, it was safe to swim
in rivers and lakes, especially if these bodies of water were close to
churches, they were blessed by the priests to protect the swimmers from
drownings. Country folk poured holy water into their wells and ponds for
Pentecost is one bright day in the shepherds' year. This day was begun
by the blare of the herdsman's trumpet before sunrise, awakening the shepherds.
That day, every shepherd planned to take his herd out at the earliest and
play his small horn. Each shepherd made his own small horn for Pentecost
from osier or alder wood and added a hollow cow's horn to give it a better
As the animals were leaving the barn, they were incensed with burning,
dried herbs by the mistress of the house. The herd grazed until noon, then
the shepherds decorated the entire herd and themselves and returned to
the village singing and playing their horns. Then the feasting began, hosted
by the head herdsman.
Shepherds' outings were organized on Pentecost, called shepherds' omelet,
[ a.k.a. pautienë ]. In some regions shepherds stopped at homesteads
in the morning to pick up prepared foods, while in others they asked for
eggs, flour, butter, milk and salt so that they could bake their own omelet.
In Dzûkija the following greeting was voiced, " happy Pentecost,
spent happily and peacefully with horses neighing and cows mooing. I was
sent to you by the oxen for bread, for milk by the cows, by sheep for flour,
by hogs for bacon and fat, by the motley hens for eggs, by the rooster
for pancakes and by the shepherds for money". If some households gave nothing,
the returning herd was decorated with nettle wreaths and brooms tied to
the cows' horns, so that everyone would know about the stinginess of that
household.. However, most homeowners were generous because they knew that
by not giving the cows' milk would be decreased.
After collecting all he goodies, the shepherds went to feast, picnic
in the woods. After the omelet was baked, the shepherds went into the forest,
climbed a tree and called out to wolves and bears to come and have breakfast
with them, saying, " if you do not come out now, you will never come out
during the coming year". This is an ancient prayer, an incantation.
In some regions of the Highlands [ a.k.a. Aukðtaitija ], shepherds
were allowed to sleep in while the herding in the morning was carried out
by girls. They herded out very early, before the larks awakened. Hearing
the larks, village lads came out playing reed and pan pipes. They also
brought food, lit bonfires. The important ritual was made up of a game
called " Arrange a Wedding". The prettiest girl was chosen to play the
bride and a lad was chosen to play the groom, while other girls dressed
as bridesmaids. After the wedding rites, the newlyweds were taken to bed
in a granary, a tent made of tree branches. After that came their awakening
and the end of the wedding ritual games. People in ancient times believed
that peoples' sexual love and fertility stimulate earth's productivity.
On the second day of Pentecost, the hired hands together with the owner's
sons carried on in the same manner as the shepherds. They provided drinks
and music while maidens prepared the food. The maidens walked along fields
of grain, singing songs with magical meanings:
You osier, clover,
Green bush, clover,
How tall you grew, clover,
At the first gate, clover,
The sun rose, clover,
At the second gate, clover,
The moon trundled, clover,
At the third gate, clover,
The maiden walked, clover.
Entire families visited the rye fields. Checked both theirs' and neighbors'
fields and shared farming advice. In some regions, hired hands brewed beer
before Pentecost so that they could treat the owners after their walks
in the grain fields. Everyone gathers to eat and drink , while the young
people sing and dance.
Girls had separate amusements. They sat in a nice spot on a hill, twined
wreaths, cast lots, told tales, sang and walked around grain fields.
When Christianity spread throughout Lithuania, priests turned these
ancient walkings around grain fields into blessings of the grain fields.
People gathered in one farmstead upon the priests' arrival and went together
to bless the grain fields. Feasting took place after the blessing.
This tradition disappeared at the beginning of 20th
century, when villages broke up into individual farms. | <urn:uuid:3a16fd44-7721-48a6-a5a5-3373efd12ec3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://ausis.gf.vu.lt/eka/customs/pentecost.html | 2013-05-24T01:56:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969552 | 2,021 |
Republican Senators need more proof that the increase in super tornadoes and Level 5 hurricanes is caused by global warming, which they view as a myth (although the New York Times recently had a front page story listing the proof, and also the theory that human activity affects the weather.) So here’s a mantra for them to repeat in the shower before going on Fox News: “UFOs cause monster tornadoes. After all, one theory is as good as another, right? A theory is a theory is a…” Wait a minute, isn’t gravity a theory? Since they’ll never actually read a science book in their lifetime, someone should point out to them that some “theories” are never anything more than a “theory.” Like the theory that pollution accumulates. Oh wait, that’s a LAW, isn’t it? (The law of conservation of mass and energy. Thermodynamics also has a role.) In any event, maybe Wal Mart should acquire Warehouse 13, and get some help in fighting this stuff (as shown in the video below.) Since many Wal Mart shoppers and Fox News watchers believe in UFOs and alien beings from dying planets, (but don’t believe our planet is affected by anything WE do) it’s a marriage made in a hotter place—the Earth of the future. With Warehouse 13 as just another big box store, maybe then all the conspiracy nuts will be happy that the government isn’t hiding everything from them, and the NRA can use a new slogan: “From my bold red hands!”
Terminator 5: Family Die will be perhaps the most unique and original of the series, although Arnold is absent from the script. Inspired by Family Guy, the plot begins with the singularity (that moment when computers become sentient, often suggested as being 2045.) Instead of SkyNet, the entity is one massive ego—Sky Guy—who offers humans (and this means you) one year to either commit suicide with a katana (a la Tarantino) or download your consciousness into a machine to become a robot (with quantum help from Sky Guy, who figured out how in under an hour.) Meaning no one ever needs to eat or pollute or sleep again. Would you do it? Could you give up Coke and Pepsi, after so many billions spent in commercial brainwashing? What about French fries? Your party’s political views? In the movie, the Way family (in Shanghai) is the First Family, the test case family everyone is tweeting about. Because you can’t kill them, no matter how much you might want to. They are bullet and bomb proof. So…what’s it gonna be? Wanna be like them? Time is running out to decide. Humm. Do we hold onto our vices and delusions or live forever with a sky high I.Q.? Now there’s a plot.
Matrix 4: Evolutions will also hit the big screen on the same day, April 1, 2014, with all your favorites reprising their roles. Unfortunately, it’ll be a spoof with cheaper special effects. The plot revolves around people giving up on looking for work or risking more babies, and taking the red pill (instead of the little blue one), then staying in their alien cubicles to watch reality TV, particularly Duck Dynasty and Mob Wives. J.J. Abrams will direct, since his command of science is on the level of Daffy Duck.
Max Payne INTERVIEWS Max Brooks
And now an interview with World War Z writer Max Brooks, interviewed by video game gunman Max Payne.
Max Payne) So, dude, I see you were on Sons of Guns and The History Channel, talking about weapons to buy to use against zombies. And you’re not even a cartoon character like me. What gives?
Max Brooks) I love guns. Sue me.
MP) Okay, I just did on behalf of Marvel Comics and Rockstar Games.
MB) That was quick.
MP) Not really. Any twelve year old can change the clip of a Bushmaster quicker. …So, the Discovery Channel and History Channel believe in zombies, do they?
MB) Actually, I was talking about hordes. You know, crowds of young men attacking castles and caves and places like that throughout history. Hordes.
MP) Oh, I see. You mean like at soccer matches or monster truck rallies. But why are the examples shown all dead men come back to life? Where exactly has that happened lately?
MB) Congress, returned from recess? Just kidding. Okay, well…how about right now? You, for instance.
MP) I was never alive, Max.
MB) What about the other guy, Mark Wahlberg?
MP) He’s not here right now. I am. And I’m not a horde, looking to eat only very rare and never ever medium or well done meat for some nutjob reason no one has ever explained. It’s just me, here, right now, Max…with your weapon of choice.
MB) Stop aiming that thing at me!
MP) Why not? I’m not real. I’m just a character in a violent video game played by kids whose dads ignore them. So this gun can’t be real either, right? Stop sweating! You’ll be fine. Here, let me show you…
MP) Oh, I know what you’re thinking… Did he fire thirty shots or only twenty-nine. Tell the truth, in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But bein’ this is the most popular assault rifle in the world…
That’s right, the moon is destined to become a giant billboard in the sky. So look elsewhere for inspiration or romance. Who is behind this? The exclusive and shocking details are revealed in the video below…
The body of union boss Jimmy Hoffa, missing since 1975, has been found after an exhaustive search by the FBI costing taxpayers $69 million dollars. Apparently Hoffa had taken a boat ride with three mafia enforcers, and as in the Sopranos scene when Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero got taken out by Tony, Pauli and Patsy, he was shot 18 times in the chest for whispering sweet nothings to the Feds (in this case, something about “the grassy knoll.”) The three hour boat tour then strayed out of Jersey into the Bermuda Triangle, and fate took it to Greenland from there. John Stossel is set to take up the case as soon as he finishes with the boondoggle known as the Mars Mission, first proposed by Bush, and set to cost taxpayers upwards of a Trillion dollars—and all to plant an American flag on the barren world (sponsored by Directv, ESPN, and Coca-Cola.) Stossel’s take on this? “Wow, there’s so much waste everywhere I can’t freaking cover it all! I’ll get to it, okay? Give me a break!” When we asked him about Mars, he said, “As Time magazine put it, going to Mars is ridiculous since money will have to be cut from other NASA projects to do it…stuff that’s actually producing real science, like probes and space telescopes, or working on better propulsion systems. Not to mention health research, education, and filling potholes in the economy the size of Rhode Island!” We at NEN agree, but for the record have found one reason in favor of the Kardashians going to Mars: to discover how the Martians managed to reverse their population boom, and what they did with all those plastic bottles.
Coke Formula Exposed!
The formula for Coke has been hacked by the Chinese, and they have sent the ingredients to WikiLeaks. Appears that there is no trace of cocaine in the formula anymore, presumably because cocaine is so expensive. The most astonishing fact about the formula is what it DOESN’T contain. Not only is there no sugar, (since that’s too expensive, and has been replaced by the addictive high fructose corn syrup, a cheaper manmade product that can lead to diabetes,) but there is no happiness either! That’s right: happiness is not part of this product, although it’s advertised as being the main product, with slogans like “Open Happiness.” For the full formula, go here.
In other news, celebrities gathered aboard the Celebrity Century to witness a rare South Pacific meteor shower consisting of debris from the Sandusky Comet. No one survived. The ship’s black box was recovered from 5400 feet by robot submersible. Luckily, the sports, music and film stars who perished were all C and D List. Celebrity Cruises reports that everyone who is anyone are still safe, and offers condolences to “those who is not.”
Two non-gay men in the suburbs of Boston didn’t watch the Superbowl. When reached via satellite phone by ESPN’s Rio office, Bob Stockwell said, “We went for a walk.” Authorities in America have been alerted, and the men will be rounded up for examination by psychiatrists. NEN has learned that ESPN found out about the men through its worldwide surveillance network, which monitors cable subscribers (wherever you see a little red light flicker, it has taken your x-ray.) The network has supercomputers in Rio, London, and 600 feet beneath Disneyland, funding provided by Coca-Cola and the fast food chains of PepsiCo (additional funding provided by Merck, Pfizer, and United Healthcare.) When asked if they didn’t realize that walking on deserted streets during the Superbowl was also a criminal act indicative of Anti-American sentiment, and punishable by waterboarding, Leonard Meade said, “No, are you thinking of deporting us? If so, we’ll be happy to show up at any of the top twenty airports, where we’ll sign anything you wish.” ESPN is considering asking for that, depending on what the strip-searches and other examinations turn up. Unknown to them, however, the men meant the top twenty airports in the world, not just in the U.S.. Of the World’s 20 Best Airports, not one is in the United States. Number one is South Korea, a country with a booming economy because the U.S. pays their defense bill. Number two is Shanghai, then Hong Kong, Amsterdam, and Beijing. Etc. Meanwhile, the U.S. needs to spend trillions to repair degrading infrastructure, but only seem to find money from taxpayers to build new stadiums. In related news, astronomer Frank Abagnale has released this statement, “Keep things in perspective, people. One mountain-sized rock among zillions casually straying into our path unnoticed, and it’s lights out for the human race. This puts the ‘glory’ of the greatest athlete or politician or movie star or prima donna on the same level as the lowest clerk sorting Washington’s swizzle sticks in China. And if your trust is in God, I hate to say it but He doesn’t watch Sports Central, either. You need to step back about 1500 light years to a star called Deneb, at the apex of Cygnus. Sports transmissions won’t start reaching it for another 1400 years, and yet it is within our own galaxy, which, by the way, is one of billions. Deneb doesn’t stand out too much because there are stars which look brighter only because they are closer. But the closer you got to Deneb the more impressed you would be. Come within a hundred million miles of Deneb and your spaceship would not survive, much less your ball team, even with the heaviest shielding NASA and Sports Illustrated could devise. How bright is it? Okay, sports fans. You love comparing things, and keeping scores about ‘star performers.’ Let’s give our Sun a score of 1 and Deneb a score of 200,000. That’s right. It is 200,000 times as bright as our Sun, a blue white supergiant that puts out 100,000 times the Sun’s energy. It has 20 times the mass, and 200 times the radius. And it is by no means the brightest star in the galaxy. If you want to stray to a nearby dwarf galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, you would find R136a1. The score? Against our Sun’s ’1′ R136a1 has clocked a score of…wait for it… ’8,700,000.’ And you were worried about some comment made about Beyonce’s lip-syncing?” | <urn:uuid:8486138d-9810-407f-b712-ab9366159d90> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://notentertainmentnews.wordpress.com/tag/science/ | 2013-05-24T01:44:51Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948663 | 2,707 |
Geotags, aerial synths, street synths… capturing events as they happen. If you can mark it on a map, then this is the place to talk about it.
There are some really cool places in the world that I'd love to see synths of, but for lack of time and money haven't been able to make it to (yet). Here's my list. What about other people, what would you like to see?
• Shiptons Arch, China
• Angel Falls, Venezuela
• Nazca lines, Peru
• Bungle Bungles, Australia
• some bones in dinosaur national monument, Colorado/Utah
• Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe/Zambia
• K2/Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=35.759607~76.548615&style=h&lvl=11&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&cam=-54.055532~-37.330167&scene=-1&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1
• Deer Cave, Malaysia
The Ice Hotel!
[Insert large cavern system here] preferably shot both as a walk-through (and back!) but also as panoramics in areas of interest so we get lots of donuts.
Another one high on my list would be an aerial synth of the Grand Canyon, preferably done about 200' below the altitude of the rim so you're down in it the whole way. Ideally, photograph it using a hemispherical array of cameras all synchronized to a single shutter control so you get instant donuts every time an exposure is taken.
But you know what would be tops on my list? For the Mars rover teams to submit their pictures as massive synths. MWAHAHAHAHAHAA! I'd love to boldly go where no man has gone before. Ok, so little wheeled robots have, but...
I realize I'm posting things that aren't likely to be picked up by someone local to the place who says, "Sure! That's easy enough!" but these really are the places I'd love to see synthed.
How about New Zealand. Not exciting? I'm talking about someone Synth'ing their Bungie trip from the walk up, to the jump off, the way down, and the bounce back up.
That camera had better be strapped onto their helmet...
Fracture - this thread was meant to be list of all the places in the world we'd like to see a synth of where we currently don't have one. We actually have OK coverage of NZ, but havent seen any taken while bungie jumping. That would be fairly cool, skydiving as well.
Can you guys think of any more places/situtation we need synths of?
Son Doong Cave In Vietnam
While I was replying to a thread about collaborative synths, this came to mind:
I know Photosynth won't synth water, but a closer statement would be that it won't synth the water's surface. Underwater there are loads of fixed points to tie images together. Soooo...
I'd love to see a synth of a coral reef. That would be a BLAST.
Even better, I'd love to figure out a way to tie the below-water images to the above-water shots and have someone on the reef and someone else on shore doing a collaborative synth. You'd be able to "stand on the beach" at the beginning of the synth, and "dive underwater" to see the reef.
(Oh PLEEEEZE tell me someone is interested in doing this! I don't have an underwater housing on my camera!!)
I think Tom's onto something here. I think the transition from above water to below water would be the absolute hardest part, but I too would LOVE to see this.
A good polarizer and a really careful choice of angles might work. I've had underwater features show up in a couple of synths I've done this way. It might be enough to tie the two, though the other direction would be a LOT harder.
(Anyone on the Big Island with an underwater housing for their camera? I'll do the dry-land photography!)
Cave systems in halong bay/Cat Ba island Vietnam would fit your suggestion TBenedict, and I'd love to see them
http://images.google.com/images?q=halong bay cave system&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&sourceid=ie7&rlz=1I7HPEA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi
Also synths of reefs.. excellent idea. There are a huge team of underwater photographers in Egypt and some awesome dive sites I'm sure the Devs here could fire off some emails to camel divers & they could use it for promo work ;) ;) One possiblility would be the use of a glass bottom boat to ease the transition from land to water?
I'd particularly like to see some underwater wrecks, starting underwater at the boat near a shallow reef and descending down. Some well phrased emails would definately start off a few clusters of this type of synth!
Any series of photos from space... The saturn mission has some good stuff going around Titan - their pictures are already in the public domain as well, I reckon they might be up for some synthing..
I honestly think you're right, the above/below beach/reef synth should ideally be done by underwater photographers.
I REALLY like the idea of the glass bottomed boat for the transition. That or something similar on a smaller scale.
I'm still interested in doing this, but I hope an honest to goodness underwater photographer beats me to it. It will be far better done.
Your mention of space synths (of which I think NASA has done several) gave me an idea... I'll try to get this one done later in the week (time permitting.)
Okay, I'm now obsessed with large scale underwater reef synthing... Underwater photography is tough, normally holiday divers don't have the equipment to balance the red shift (deeper water has less blue light) it's a pain to have to add/remove coloured slides for every photo.. (sorry--going off topic there)
I emailed one dive centre in Sharm el Sheik but they haven't responded so I have sent emails out to dive centres I have worked at in the past suggesting they make a synth map a part of their dive master/master scuba diver course or make a synth to use for promos, there are centres where professionals dive the same reefs month in month out, 20 photos per dive, 70 dives per month... Anyways, I'll let you know if I get any success synth fishing :D
Also, to return to the thread topic - I'd love to see a synth from the front of a train, some rapid fire photos might do the trick from trains both ways?
*deeper water has less red light... doh!
Glad to see you taking point on this, Mister_Blondie! I don't even qualify as a holiday diver, and my equipment is nil. I really like the direction you're taking with that, especially the idea of using photos from centers where professionals are in there all the time. I'd really like to see how that turns out!
I don't know about the front of a train, but a while back Darius posted a link to a "drive through" synth where someone was taking pictures from inside a car, coming and going. The technique works quite well. At the speeds most trains go, though, you might need a pretty high frame rate to pull that off. Glad you thought of doing it both ways. For the viewer to be able to turn around and go back, that's essential.
No dice on the space synth I hoped to do this week. I'll have another chance next week, so I'll give it another go then.
A sculpture park. A whole big sculpture park...
Here's an fantastic attempt at a sculpture park: http://photosynth.net/view.aspx?cid=97153326-97b4-4df7-ba8d-aaf9851fa34d
This is pushing the upper limit of the synther as it is, so a park larger than this would be very difficult. The overhead view in this one is great.
awesome, thanks :)
I'd like to see some Mt Everest base camp synths.
This takes a step out of the realm of the real world, but I'd absolutely love to see Michael Chesko's miniature model cities thoroughly synthed.
He's worked on models of New York City, but also has a fictional city of his own design, entitled 'Britannica'. I happened to bump into his work on Robyn Miller's blog some time ago and have been hooked on the idea of synthing his models ever since.
You can find one of Robyn's Britannica posts here: http://tinselman.typepad.com/tinselman/2008/08/stop-and-smell.html
Unfreakin'real. I second that, Nathanael. I'd be willing to be there are no small number of photographers who would be ready to jump at the chance. (I WOULD!)
I would love to synth Jack Lewis's house, "The Kilns".
Short of being able to tackle it myself, though, I'd truly enjoy someone else doing a good job of it. | <urn:uuid:aa71c29b-fc84-4974-ab2d-24a501adf539> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://photosynth.net/discussion.aspx?cat=a03647b9-821e-439b-8dbc-ae0239d6870d&dis=af7481c3-563f-44ee-8c43-034792821894 | 2013-05-24T01:37:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.932575 | 2,037 |
This is what William Nichols said. "I was born in the State of North Carolina, Montgomery County. Have no record of my age but am sixty seven years of age. I entered the army of the revolution the 15 October, 1780 as a volunteer for two months under Captain Ebenezer Riggins in the State of North Carolina. Major James Crump commanded the Battalion. We were marched about through the country to guard against the british and Torries from Wilmington, had no battles, was discharged, but received no discharge. I next volunteered with about sixty others under Captain John Cox mounted infantry for sixty days and marched about securing the country in search of parties of Tories and for the purpose of keeping the Tories from rasing in bodied and doing mischef in the upper country, in this and the first campaign there was no army on our part except the company of ranger to which I was attached, and I needed no discharge. I next volunteered in the foot service to go against the British and Torries who had marched to Hillsborough and took the Governor and council prisoner and were taking them to Wilmington. We met with enemy at Lindleys Mill on Haw river North Carolina, commanded by Col. Hecyor McNeil a Tory and Major Fanning, a British officer.
We got in the bushes on the side of a long hill about fifty yards from the road, as they came along the road, we fired on them and completely routed and defeated and killed their Commander McNeil the Tory, took a good many prisoners and retook our Governor and Council. General Butler was commander in chief on our side and Col. Mayben the commander of the regiment. I was out about one month or six weeks, and as I joined the expedition without any officer I had no discharge, but went home immediately after the battle, though no discharge. This happened the fall of Seventeen Hundred Eighty one (1781]
The next I volunteered under Captain Joseph Parsons of Montgomery County in a troop of mounted rangers. joined no army but ranged in Montgomery County and Moore County against the Torries. We had a battle at Little River with the same major Fanning, British officer commanding Tories. We kept the ground rifles. Eight or ten of the enemy were killed and they killed three of ours and crippled several others. I was discharged by Capt. Parsons, from this service. I have here the discharge. We were out three months. Capt. Parsons then raised a company of volunteer Rangers during the war, mounted men. About July 1782 I joined them and we ranged about through Montgomery and Moore Counties to keep the Tories down, for about three months. We took several of the most notorious Tories and had them hung. I was discharged some time after peace was made and no discharges were given.
He hereby relinquishes every claim whatever to a pension or annuity except the present and
declares that his name is
not on the pension roll of the agency of any State.
Sworn to and subscribed the year and day aforesaid.
He signed the application as, William Niccols
The said William Nichols further makes oaths that he lived in Montgomery county, North Carolina until he was forty years of age. Moved from North Carolina to Powels Valley, Virginia. Lived there three years, from there moved to Lincoln county, Tennessee. From there to Lawrence county, Alabama, where he now lives and has resided for about ten years. Reverend Eli Thompson, a clergyman and James Alexander, a citizen neighbor, is acquainted with my character and know that in my neighborhood I am respected and believed to have been a soldier of the Revolution.
He signs his name, William Niccols
Eli Thompson, a clergyman, residing in the county of Lawrence and James Alexander residing in the same, are well acquainted with William Nichols and who has subscribed and sworn to the above declaration that we believe him to be sixty seven years of age and that he is reputed and believed within the neighborhood where he resides to have been a soldier of the Revolution and that we concur in that opinion. Sworn and Subscribed the day and year aforesaid
And the said court do hereby declare their opinion after the investigation of the matter and after writing the interrogation furnished by the above deponents that the above named applicant was a Revolutionary Soldier and served as he states and the court further certifies that it appears to them that Eli Thompson and James Alexander who has signed the preceding certificate is a clergyman resident in the county of Lawrence and that James Alexander who has also signed the same is a resident of said county and is a creditable person and their certificate is entitled to credit.
John White, Judge of 4th Judicial
District of the State of Alabama
The aforesaid, James Alexander, further makes oath that he moved to North Carolina from Pennsylvania shortly after the war of the Revolution and settled in the neighborhood where William Nichols, above named, lived. He knew Nichols then and from then until the present time. He was always called a soldier of the Revolution. And a good while he knows Captain Joseph Parsons and Major Crump referred to by Nichols in his declaration as serving in the Revolution and understood from Parsons that Nichols has been Out in service with him during the Revolution.
I, Eli Thompson, above named, certify that I have known William Nichols thirty five years and he was always said to be a soldier of the Revolution and I have often heard my father speak of him as having been a soldier of the Revolution.
I, John Galligar, clerk of the circuit court, Lawrence County, Alabama, do hereby certify that the foregoing contains the original proceedings of the said court in the application of William Nichols for a pension.
In testimony whereof I have here unto set my hand and affixed my seal of office this 28th day of September 1832.
John Gallagher, Clerk
Declaration of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett, widow of Robert Barrett, deceased, formerly Elizabeth Nichols for Revolutionary pension under the act of February 3, 1853.
State of Alabama
County of Lawrence
On the thirteenth day of March 1858, personally appeared in open court before Christopher C. Gwens, Judge of the Probate Court of the County and State above named. Elizabeth Barrett, a resident of the County of Lawrence, in the State of Alabama, age seventy four years, who being first duly sworned according to the law doth in order to obtain the benefits of the pension under the act of Congress passed, granting pensions to widows of pensioners who served during the Revolutionary War. That she is the widow of William Nichols who was a private of dragoons of the North Carolina militia in the War of the Revolution and a pensioner of the United States by reason of his service on the Alabama roll at forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year under the Act of June 7th, 1832.
She further states that she was married to said William Nichols on the 4th day of October 1800 by one Thomas Butler, a justice of the Peace, that her name before her marriage to said William Nichols was Elizabeth Trent, and that her husband, the aforesaid William Nichols, died the sixteenth day of May 1836, and that she subsequently married one Robert Barrett who died on the twentyfourth day of December 1850 and she remained a widow since his death. She further states that she was married to said William Nichols in Montgomery County in the State of North Carolina about the fourth day of October 1800 and that she is informed and so believed there is no public or private family record of their said marriage and thereby cannot produce a copy of such. She knows that said, William Nichols, kept no private or family record of their marriage as he was unlearned and unable to do so and do not believe any public record exist of their said marriage.
Sworn to and Subscribed before me
in open court the day and date above written
C. G. Gwen, Justice of the Peace
Know all men by these present that I, Elizabeth Barrett, of the County of Lawrence, State of Alabama do hereby constitute and appoint Charles C. Tucker of Washington, D. C. my true and lawful agent and Attorney for me and in my name to prepare and prosecute my claim for Revolutionary Pension by reason of the services of my deceased husband and I hereby empower said attorney to examine all records and documents in reference to said claim on file in the Department at Washington and to do all lawful Acts and things whatsoever touching the claim with full powers of substitution hereby revoking and countermanding all former power of Attorney that have been given by me for the above specified purpose. Witness my hand and seal this thirteenth day of March 1858.
State of Alabama
County of Lawrence
On this fifteenth day of March 1858 personally appeared in open court before C. C Gwen, Judge of the Probate Court, Elizabeth Barrett and acknowledged the foregoing power of attorney to be her act and deed for the purpose therein mentioned.
C.C. Gwen, P.J
William Alexander also appeared this day in open court and testified as follows in respect to William Nichols being a revolutionary pensioner and Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Nichols, being the wife of said William Nichols during his lifetime and his widow at his death. Witness states that he knew the said William Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth Nichols, now Elizabeth Barrett, personally and intimately for twenty years previous to the death of said William Nichols and that they lived a near neighbor to him during his entire acquaintance where he saw said Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth, frequently once a day and that same time before the death of said Nichols he knew that the said Nichols drew a pension of forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year from the fact that he saw his certificate frequently and that he frequently received a part of the money from said Nichols immediately after he drew the same for necessities to live on.
Witness states that the said Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Elizabeth Nichols, was the wife of the said William Nichols, deceased, who was a Revolutionary pensioner of Lawrence County, Alabama at the time of his death and that the said Elizabeth had raised a number of children reputed to be by the said William Nichols that they were reputed and lived as man and wife up to the death of said William Nichols and were very well respected as such man and wife.
Witness states that said William Nichols died about the sixteenth day of May 1838 and that he assisted in burying said Nichols. Witness further states that not many years thereafter the said Elizabeth Nichols married the one Robert Barrett and that they were treated and lived together as man and wife up to the death of the said Barrett which was on or about the twenty-fourth day of December 1850.
Witness knows that said Barrett died on or about said time set forth from the fact that he saw said Barrett just before he was taken sick and died and did not see him anymore afterwards, notwithstanding. he was a near neighbor of said Barrett and that persons that were present at the burying and saw said Barrett also frequently told him that said Barrett died on the twenty-fourth day of December 1850.
Witness states that the said Elizabeth is now a widow and has lived near him since the death of said Barrett and has never married since the death of said Barrett and is still his widow.
Sworn to and subscribed in open
court the day and date above written
C.C. Gwen, P. J.
Wiley Galloway, personally appeared this day in open court where upon the said Galloway testified as follows after being duly sworn according to law respecting his knowledge of Mrs. Elizabeth Barrett, formerly Elizabeth Nichols, being the identical person who lived with said Nichols during his lifetime as his wife and who was left his widow at the death of said William Nichols to wit: on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838 and who subsquently married one Robert Barrett and who died On or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850.
Said witness, Galloway, states that he has been a resident of said county of Lawrence for twenty years and that he was personally and intimately acquainted with the said William Nichols and his said wife, Elizabeth, during the lifetime of the said William Nichols and since the death of said William Nichols and since the death of said Robert Barrett said witness states that he was clerk of the county court for said county some eight or ten years. During his clerkship he wrote out and prepared a number of applications for said William Nichols annual pension of forty three dollars and thirty three cents per year under the act of June 7th, 1832 and that he had every opportunity to know the said William Nichols as a pensioner of Lawrence County, Alabama and his wife, Elizabeth, that the most intimate neighbors could save had.
Witness states that Elizabeth Barrett lived with said William Nichols as his wife during his whole acquaintance with the said William Nichols up to the time of his death on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838. Witness further states that the said Elizabeth had some eitht or ten children who were reputed to be by the said Nichols during his lifetime and she was always treated and reputed to be the said William Nichols wife by all the neighbors and citizens who knew them and were highly respected.
Witness states that the said William Nichols died on or about the sixteenth day of May 1838, which fact he knows by being a near neighbor and learning that said William died about that time from persons who saw him die and assisted in his burying and that he saw said Nichols just before he was reputed to have taken.sick and died and has never seen him since and that his estate was insolvent.
Said witness further states that the said Elizabeth Nichols, widow of said William, deceased, married one Robert Barrett on or about the twenty fourth day of June 1841 and said witness states that he knew the said Robert Barrett intimately and that he lived a near neighbor to him at the time of his death and that he knows said Robert Barrett died on or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850 from the fact it was reputed that he died at a certain time and that he saw him shortly before his death and has never seen him since and the highly creditable persons who saw said Barrett die and buried have frequently told him that he died on or about the twenty fourth day of December 1850 and that said Elizabeth is still his widow and has never married since the death of said Robert Barrett which fact he knows personally.
Sworn to and subscribed in open court the day and date above written
C.C. Gwen, P. J. | <urn:uuid:dde0a968-3750-4b56-ade7-a69ea5126843> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.angelfire.com/ms/mollygal/nicpen.html | 2013-05-24T01:58:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.989515 | 2,970 |
Looking Back: The Top 10 DVDs of 2005
Benjamin Willcock takes a look at his top-ten DVD picks for 2005 and beyond
10. 24: Season 4 (R2)
The first DVD on the list, and perhaps an obvious choice, is the awesome fourth season of 24. I don’t think there is a person alive who hasn’t heard of this show, and its fourth outing was brilliant from end to end. Suspense was as edgy as ever, and Jack Bauer’s character went though so much emotional turmoil that he’ll be lucky to make it though another one of these traumatic days. The DVD presentation was also truly spectacular. From its vast array of special features to fantastic video and audio qualities, this box set was an easy choice for the top-ten list and a must-have for anyone who considers themselves a fan.
9. Lost: The Complete First Season (R1)
Ah, Lost – possibly the greatest new television show on the air right now, and a show that has almost single-handedly revived the genre in which it is based. My confession is that I never actually saw this show when it first aired, but it was though this DVD that I have become a huge fan. Now in its second season, and enjoying the kind of ratings that most would kill for, Lost looks certain to dominate for at least the next couple of years – if its concept can hold up that is. The DVD also blew me away, with its crystal clear video and surprisingly robust audio and plentiful special features. The show is cinematic, so too is the DVD – what more could you ask for?
8. Batman Begins: Special Edition (R2)
Chris Nolan’s name was propelled into the short list of truly great directors this summer, when his re-invention of the infamous Batman franchise became not just the best Batman flick, but one of the definitive summer blockbusters of all time. Batman Begins was the film that pushed all the right buttons, turned in all the right directions and finally ridded the horrid stench a certain Joel Schumacher left after his heinous efforts. But what makes Batman Begins so great is its starting back at square one. It was made as if all other Batman films had never been made, and it is this fresh approach that really gives way for a torrent of possibilities for the film and its certain sequels. Gone are the overly gothic set pieces of Tim Burton’s Batman, gone is the soap-opera-like tedium and neon-lit Gotham of Schumacher’s take, and in their place rests an unexpected realism that becomes the backbone of Nolan’s Batman. But despite the intense grounding of his film, Nolan has ensured that none of the on-screen magic and elegance has been lost in the translation. In short, Batman Begins was an action film done right. The DVD wasn’t too shabby either.
7. Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (R2)
Will this be the last ever Star Wars release? Absolutely not! In fact it wouldn’t at all surprise me if Lucas goes back to re-treat the prequel trilogy in the same manner as his original films. The good news this time is that he couldn’t exactly make these prequels any worse could he? Still, whatever your feelings towards Mr. Lucas’s constant modifying and adjustments, Revenge of the Sith was a more or less solid and entertaining flick that acts as a nice bridge between the prequels and the much older, much better originals. This DVD was also one of the highlights of the year in terms of audio and video quality. The image was almost flawless, and the sound – while sadly missing Ben Burtt’s awesome Seismic Charge sound effect from Episode II – was equally as stunning. In fact, of all the DVDs released in 2005, this is easily the best all-around demo disc. You’re going to want to show off you’re A/V system’s capabilities to your rather envious friends with this one, but just remember that sound-proofing does not come cheap.
6. King Kong: Collector’s Edition (1933) (R1)
With Peter Jackson’s epic masterpiece of the same name currently lording it over the box office, this magnificent original has been given the treatment it deserves for the digital platform. Though I prefer Jackson’s retelling of the story more than even this classic monochrome original, you still can’t beat the nostalgia and age-old charm this film has. Who can forget those brilliant special effects – still excellent for their age – and the haunting moment Kong snatches Ms. Darrow from her bindings. King Kong is a true American cinema classic and one of the greatest films of its kind ever. This DVD preserves the film in all its glory, offering an amazing transfer (complete with enough grain to last you a lifetime) and hours of extra features, including Peter Jackson’s recreation of the Spider Pit – a very cool homage indeed.
5. The Incredibles (R2)
Pixar are now six for six in their filmic undertakings. They have scored six major blockbusters, all of which have become equally critically acclaimed and successful. The Incredibles is their latest, and perhaps greatest – no easy feat, but it might just be true. Some have even said that this film could be the greatest animated film of all time, or at the very least, one of the top three. I find myself having to agree with this statement. For me, The Incredibles is a true masterpiece and cinematic classic. It has a great, well-told and thoroughly witty story; it has a superb cast of characters, and is fit for both adults and kids. Oh, and this was the biggest selling DVD of the year according to recent analyst reports. The disc was partly responsible for this popularity, offering fans numerous features and an ultra-wide anamorphic transfer that looks great on any setup. If you don’t own a copy of this film, what are you waiting for? This is one of the must own DVDs of all time, not just of this year.
4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete DVD Collection (R2)
Like it or loathe it, Buffy is one of those TV shows that will stick around for a long, long time. I became a fan only a few years ago (roughly around the fourth or fifth season), but since then I have lapped up just about everything Joss Whedon put into this phenomenally great show. It had it all; drama, comedy, horror, action – the works; and this seven season box set contains every episode ever aired in one very stylish collector’s set. Expensive, but worth every penny if you are even half the fan I am. You can buy each season individually, but having them all in one huge set just looks so much better.
3. Friends: The One with All 10 Seasons on DVD (R2)
The second greatest sitcom ever – after Frasier of course – Friends was one of the highlights of TV viewing in its day, and managed to capture the hearts of millions globally. It is quite fitting therefore to have every single episode ever produced in one complete box – something every fan ought to have. Just like the Buffy set above, this is an expensive buy, but once you see it amongst your DVD collection you won’t really care. It looks great as a box set, but it is naturally what is inside that makes it special. As DVDs they might not be brilliant, but the sheer quality of the episodic content will steal over you. I have based this top-ten list on quality of DVDs in their entirety, not just for A/V presentation. These DVDs are the weakest on the list for A/V, but possibly the best in terms of entertainment and quality of product. And one thing Friends can do in droves is entertain.
2. Frank Miller's Sin City: The Recut & Extended Edition (R1)
You knew it had to be on here somewhere, and I cannot express enough how close it came to filling the top spot, but one other release this year apparently ousted it – but only just. Sin City is one of my favourite films ever, and its first DVD release (which I reviewed a while back) was lacking only one thing to make it a truly perfect disc – extra features. And on this huge double disc release, Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez have delivered all the goods and then some. Having a huge bundle of great features (including a recut and extended edition of the film on the second disc) was all we really wanted, but to come with the full graphic novel The Hard Goodbye was even better. Put it this way, the film is pure genius, and I am pleased to say that the DVD is equally as poignant. If you don’t own this disc, you really need to – DVDs just don’t come any better than this.
1. Titanic: Deluxe Collector’s Edition (R2)
And so, James Cameron must accept yet another accolade for his monstrously successful romantic drama about a famous ship that sinks somewhere in the freezing Atlantic Ocean. This four-disc collector’s edition sails away with a brilliant image transfer and an epic, sweeping audio soundtrack available in both Dolby Digital and DTS. On top of this, torrents of extra features over all four discs (including one of the greatest ever commentaries by James Cameron) cements that this is indeed the best DVD of 2005 – at least in the opinion of this critic.
Rounding out just ten DVDs for inclusion in the above list was not an easy task. I felt that there was a great many DVDs that almost made the final cut, but alas, they had to be dropped in favour of the above. So, let us now take a look at some other discs that are also worthy of your time and money.
Fans of Matt Lucas and David Walliams’ Little Britain got something of a treat this November when the series one and two box set was released. Containing all fourteen episodes from those series, as well as a nice helping of special features and a great Union Jack themed cover, this is not only a must own, but a truly monumental release from the BBC.
Another BBC release also worthy of your hard earned is Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s award winning new series, Extras. For me, this new show was even better (and funnier) than Little Britain, managing to capture in droves the painfully sardonic humour of Gervais’ other comedy behemoth, The Office. Buy it, watch it, and never look back. Oh, and it has some very funny extras (the DVD variety) too. And if the wait for the second series is too much to bear, Ricky and Stephen have a brilliant weekly Podcast available over on iTunes for you to feast on until then.
Brit horror The Descent also deserves a shout-out. The DVD was an all around great package, but the film is the true highlight here; scary as hell, dark (all too literally) and a refreshingly original tale that isn’t entirely dependant on glamorous young Hollywood actors and actresses and cheap thrills to get it to the end credits. The Descent can be found in stores and online for a reasonable price, so what are you waiting for?
Tim Burton scored another major blockbuster earlier on this summer with his remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a film worth seeing, even if you are not a huge fan of the more musical 1971 version, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Sweet, affectionate and made with love, Burton’s take on the Roald Dahl classic acts as a nice compliment to the 1971 version, and is also truer to the source material for those purists out there.
War of the Worlds, while boasting a rather hideous image transfer that, in my opinion, ruins the original theatrical presentation, still had plentiful special features and a great-sounding audio score. This is a film I really enjoyed watching at the cinema this summer, and not at all akin to the usual garbage that occupies the summer slot. It might not be Spielberg’s finest hour, but it is still highly enjoyable, well made and offers plenty of entertainment.
The best comedy of the year, The 40 Year Old Virgin, has a respectable DVD, and is a must for your collection. This film, unlike so many adult comedies out there, was not only believable, but was incredibly open and honest about its subject matter. It wasn’t pure gross-out sex jokes from end to end like the later American Pie flicks, but heartfelt and often quite delicate. On top of that, it also punched out some of the most memorable comic scenes I have seen in a film in quite some time. One thing is for sure: The 40 Year Old Virgin will be around for a long time, thanks to its many scenes being endlessly quoted and referenced.
If you are looking for more comedy, you might try some of the Frasier box sets that got released at various points around 2005. I love Frasier, I cannot explain to you how much, because I am not quite sure there is a word fitting enough to capture my feelings in this instance. Though the extra features are still not up to par on these Paramount releases, the episodic content is damn near flawless.
The Simpsons has had another great year on DVD too, with a few releases – most notably season six – taking the crowds by storm. Yimou Zhang’s colourful masterpiece House of Flying Daggers also gets a shout-out as one of the DVDs to own. So too does his other more popular flick, the Jet Li staring Hero. If you are into a bit of the old foreign cinema, these two films are not just brilliant examples of Eastern filmmaking, but two exceptionally breathtaking action films that demand to be seen. You owe it to yourselves to see these, and both can be bought for almost next to nothing at most stores.
Plenty of other discs also caught my eye this year, including a surprisingly good re-release of Toy Story to celebrate its tenth anniversary. So too did another classic, The Wizard of Oz. Both of these DVDs can be obtained from the USA and are worthy of your time and money – even if you bought earlier releases of them. Also of recommendation is the first season of Desperate Housewives, and the complete collection of Sex and the City, available in a modestly-sized box. I must also mention that the King Kong Production Diaries is a great buy, especially if you’ve already seen Peter Jackson’s amazing remake.
One DVD that you can not buy traditionally, but is still hands-down one of the best released in 2005, comes bundled as a mere extra with the Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith soundtrack. I reviewed this disc a few months back, and noted then that this mere bonus disc was utterly mind-blowing. I am of course talking about the Star Wars: A Musical Journey DVD. Acting like an hour-long trailer to the entire Star Wars saga, this bonus DVD narrated by Ian McDiarmid manages to capture the spirit of the universe that George Lucas created, and shows it in a way that hasn’t been seen since Return of the Jedi. And, dare I say it, it even makes Episode I look good.
Another DVD I feel I must shed some light on, but not exclusively video-based, is the complete recordings of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring from composer Howard Shore. In this huge four-disc (three CDs, one DVD) package, you have the option of listening to the entire works for the first in the trilogy on either CD, or on the included DVD complete with a powerful Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack option. It is a must for fans, and yet another example of how the DVD platform can be used to further an already great product.
There are quite a few DVDs I can’t wait to get my grubby little hands on in the new year. One in particular that I am itching to get hold of is the most recent Harry Potter flick, The Goblet of Fire. Here Mike Newell created a genuinely great Potter film for both fans and casual viewers alike, and a film that truly does stand head and shoulders above most other blockbusters. The DVD should be one of the biggest selling of 2006, but a director’s commentary is still doubtful.
Another fantasy film I must obtain is The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Having never read the C.S. Lewis books (shame on me) I was pleasantly surprised to see that those great trailers did not disappoint. I found the film to be a great fantasy adventure, with plenty of heart and wonderful special effects to keep you watching until the very end. One of the top grossing films of 2005, Narnia should go on to sell millions of DVDs and will hopefully be one of the year’s highlights.
There are plenty of other films I want besides that of the bigger budgeted fantasies. I am specifically hoping to see more cinematic classics making their way to DVD during the course of the year, as well as some special edition re-releases of current barebones discs – Kill Bill anybody? I am also a recent convert to South Park, so I am eager to get my hands on all seasons of that, too. And as for the one DVD I am most anticipating in 2006? Let’s just say it is yet another Peter Jackson epic, this time starring a particularly hairy and oversized ape that goes by the name of Kong…
You’ll notice an abundance of TV shows on my top-ten list this year, and for a very good reason – this year I have seen more TV shows on DVD than ever before. What with Friends, Buffy, Lost and 24 making their timely appearance, it has been a very busy (and time-consuming) couple of months getting through them all. I think this is an increasing trend we are seeing just recently; TV shows are, in some cases, out-selling regular film releases, but when those shows are offering superior entertainment and even value for money (the 24 features in particular are brilliant) who can blame the consumer?
Pixar’s The Incredibles was an easy choice from the beginning; it was never a question of if it would make the top-ten, but in which position would it wind up. Also making the list is the original 1933 King Kong in what is easily one of the best special edition releases ever, and George Lucas’s final Star Wars episode fits comfortably into the fold. I don’t like the film quite as much as I did at the cinema, but the DVD is a nearly flawless example of digital perfection. You’ll also notice Chris Nolan’s triumphant Batman Begins up there, as well as Frank Miller’s out-and-out classic, Sin City.
But the top DVD for me this year is James Cameron’s blockbuster champion times one-hundred, Titanic. Call me sloppy, call me mushy, this DVD is worthy of the top spot, if not for the film then certainly for the audio/video presentation and extra features spread across all four discs. It might not be up to the same standards of Peter Jackson’s little-known fantasy extended editions of the last few years, but then again, which other DVDs ever will be?
Editorial by Benjamin Willcock
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Don D. Lyon
ANDOVER — Don D. Lyon, 70, of Andover died Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. He was born Nov. 30, 1939, in Parsons to Lloyd and Eloise (Woodruff) Lyon. He served in the U.S. Air Force. Mr. Lyon retired after 35 years with Shelter Insurance. He married Ruby Cosby on Jan. 17, 1959, in Miami, Okla. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a cruise. She survives. Mr. Lyon was a devoted husband and father. He was an avid sports fan, especia...
Roland W. Brown
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Roland W. Brown, 84, of Kansas City, Mo., died at St. Luke’s Hospital on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2010. He was born to Phillip T. and Lena (Bolter) Brown and raised in Brimfield, Mass. He graduated from Hitchcock Free Academy in 1944. A World War II veteran, he volunteered and served in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Kansas in 1950. He began his career at Charles D...
OSWEGO — Dorothy Garland, 80, of Oswego died at her home on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2010, after a long struggle with cancer. She was born June 30, 1930, in McCune to Everett and Bessie Nutt. She is survived by her husband, Larry Garland; six children, Jeri Sanders of Chetopa, Alan Atwood of Johnston, R.I., Robin Atwood and Rodney Atwood of Omaha, Neb., John Atwood and Lori Atwood of Oswego; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two ...
Arden Walker ‘Jim’ Day
AUSTIN, Texas — Arden Walker “Jim” Day, 93, a former Parsons resident, died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2010, in Austin, Texas, where he had lived the past two years. He was born July 15, 1917, in Springfield, Mo., to William Walker and Gertrude Estella (Nash) Day. The family moved to Parsons in 1926, when he was 9 years old. He graduated from Parsons High School in 1935. He began his career with the Katy Railroad in Parsons in 1936, working in the...
Helen V. Mohney
Helen V. Mohney, 93, a resident of the Good Samaritan Society of Parsons, died there at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010.
She was born Jan. 19, 1917, at Elizabeth, Pa., to Lawrence H. and Margaret (Daugherty) Sadler. She grew up in Parkersburg, W.Va., and graduated from high school there.
She continued living in Parkersburg until moving to Wichita in 1957, where she was employed by the Boeing Aircraft Co. In 1976 she moved to Parsons.
Steven Dale Fontes
CHERRYVALE — Steven Dale Fontes, 52, of Cherryvale died Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, at Via Christi Regional Medical Center in Wichita. He was born Dec. 25, 1957, in Providence, R.I., to Joseph A. and Anita M. (Doquette) Fontes. He attended schools in West Warwick, R.I. Mr. Fontes did landscape work. Survivors include five sisters, Doreen M. Hopkins of Cherryvale, Janet D. Benson of Independence, Jeanette G. Teauge of Chautauqua, Diane C. Barne...
Schuyler J. ‘Bud’ Blair
ERIE — Schuyler J. “Bud” Blair, 91, of rural Erie died Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010, at the home of his daughter, Marcia Schuette, in Jackson, S.C. He was born July 24, 1919, in rural St. Paul to Ed and Elsie Blair. He grew up and attended school in St. Paul and was a 1936 graduate of St. Paul High School. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Army. He was a farmer. He married Dorothy Jean Houghton on March 30, 1946, in Pittsburg. She pre...
Leonard I. Nunnink Sr.
ST. PAUL — Leonard I. Nunnink Sr., 89, of St. Paul died at 2 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010, at Prairie Mission Retirement Village in St. Paul. He was born Jan. 31, 1921, in St. Paul to Charles and Mary (Linden) Nunnink. He grew up in St. Paul and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was a retired building contractor and a member of St. Francis Catholic Church in St. Paul. Survivors include his wife, Lois Nunnink of the home in S...
Helen V. Mohney
Helen V. Mohney, 93, a resident of the Good Samaritan Society of Parsons, died there at 6:23 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2010. Her son, Robert Mohney of Parsons, survives.
The service will be at 2:30 p.m. Monday at Good Samaritan Society. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery. The family will receive friends at Carson-Wall Funeral Home from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Complete obituary details will be provided later.
Margaret L. Forshey
Margaret L. Forshey, 59, of Parsons died at 12:25 a.m. Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, at Labette Health. She had been in failing health. She was born on Dec. 17, 1950, at Lawrence to Howard and Juanita (Divine) Forshey. She grew up at Parsons and attended Parsons schools. She resided in several states until she moved back to Parsons in 1984. She worked as a convenience store clerk. She enjoyed playing bingo, fishing and visiting with family and fr...
Dorothy F. Scott Larez
CHANUTE — Dorothy F. Scott Larez, 87, former resident of Wichita, died Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, at Heritage Health Care Center in Chanute.
She was born June 30, 1923, in Parsons the daughter of Samuel Jefferson Sr. and Mattie (Russell) Coots. She was the last survivor of seven children. She was raised in Southeast Kansas, but lived her adult life in Wichtia and San Jose, Calif.
She married Marvin Scott, who preceded her in death Aug. 18, 1995. ...
Schuyler J. ‘Bud’ Blair
ERIE — Schuyler J. “Bud” Blair, 91, of rural Erie died Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010, at the home of his daughter, Marcia Schuette, in Jackson, S.C. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Jean (Houghton) Blair, on July 10, 1998.
A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lakeview Cemetery near Erie. The Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Parsons is in charge of arrangements.
Complete obituary details will be announced.
Online condolences m...
Thelma Louise Marnell
WICHITA — Thelma Louise Marnell, 86, of Wichita died at 7:15 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita. She was born Feb. 19, 1924, in Greenbush to John and Esther (Brophy) Marnell. She grew up and attended school in Greenbush and St. Paul and was a graduate of St. Paul High School. She was a sister at the Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Wichita. While in Parsons, she taught school at St. Patrick Catholic School. S...
Debbie L. Head
Debbie L. Head, 59, of Parsons died early Monday, Oct. 18, 2010, at her home. She had been in failing health several years. She was born Dec. 11, 1950, in Parsons to James B. and Mary Ann (Shores) Head. She lived in Erie and Wichita as a small child. In 1955 she moved to California. She graduated from high school in Oakland, Calif., and attended junior college at Stockton, Calif. She was employed in Stockton as a nurse assistant and in the...
Roger Dale O’Kane
Roger Dale O’Kane, 62, a former longtime Altamont resident, died Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010, at his home. Obituary details and funeral arrangements are pending.
Opal F. Overman
OSWEGO — Opal F. Overman, 91, of Oswego died Friday, Oct. 15, 2010, at St John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin.
The service will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the First United Methodist Church, Oswego. Burial will follow in the Oswego Cemetery.
Online condolences may be left at www.murdockfuneralhomes.com.
Arthur Dale ‘Art’ Graves
BARTLETT — Arthur Dale “Art” Graves, 92, longtime Bartlett farmer and rancher, died at 2:11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at Chetopa Manor.
He was born July 3, 1918, in Neosho, Mo., to Loa and Pearl (Bendure) Graves. As an infant, he moved with his family to Bartlett where he attended Lake Creek School.
He married Lois Neely on March 9, 1941, in Independence. Following marriage, they made their family home in rural Bartlett. During the 1950...
Arthur D. ‘Art’ Graves
BARTLETT — Arthur D. “Art” Graves, 92, a longtime Bartlett resident, died at 2:11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010, at Chetopa Manor nursing home. He is survived by his wife, Lois Graves, of the home. Bath-Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home in Chetopa will announce obituary details and funeral arrangements later. Online condolences may be left at www.forbeshoffman.com.
Alex Fred Denton
OSWEGO — Alex Fred Denton, 91, of Oswego died on Oct. 13, 2010, following a short illness. Fred served five years in the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1946. He married Goldie L. Page on Aug. 4, 1948, in Independence. He bought and managed Denton Hardware in Oswego from 1962 to 1985. From 2002 to 2007, he served as a volunteer at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin. He enjoyed raising his cattle on the family farm. Fred was an avid support...
John R. Pranker
John R. Pranker, 54, of Parsons, died early Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010, at his home. He was born Sept. 9, 1956, in Lake Charles, La., to Edward Jr. and Jessie Mary (Parmentier) Pranker. As a young boy, he grew up and attended school in Ash Grove, Mo. He worked as a mechanic. He married Patty Midgett on Jan. 6, 1979, in Steelville, Mo. She survives. Other survivors include two sons, Michael Pranker of Joplin and William Pranker of Pittsburg; ... | <urn:uuid:53731f91-1561-4604-97f6-6f4d4bb41aac> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.parsonssun.com/pages/obituaries/push?class=&x_page=47&per_page=20&rel=&k_group=1 | 2013-05-24T01:38:57Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704132298/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113532-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974923 | 2,444 |
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Radiosity In English - The Basics
by (20 May 1999)
|Return to The Archives|
I've found many people shy away from radiosity simply because of the mystique
surrounding it. I’ll admit that I was a bit intimidated by the topic when I
decided to tackle it. But the truth be known, it boils down to some pretty
simple techniques, most of which are very common. As a matter of fact, if
you’ve got access to a rendering architecture that supports z-buffering, you’ve
got 90% of a basic radiosity processor that can produce some excellent results.|
I understand that "Aggravated Nosebleed" (the source of this Q&A entry) has some basic knowledge of radiosity, but I’d like to take this opportunity to cover the basics from the very beginning. Hopefully he/she as well as some other readers will gain enough of a fundamental understanding to help ease the learning curve from some of the more notable references (which I will list later.)
In The Beginning
The introduction of Radiosity came in 1984 from Cornell University in a paper
titled "Modelling the Interaction of Light Between Diffuse Surfaces" written by
Goral, Torrance & Greenberg. The idea was to simulate energy (light)
transference from diffuse surfaces. Diffuse surfaces are surfaces that reflect
light equally in all directions - the opposite of a shiny surface.|
This result was considered "view independent." This simply meant that the illumination on a surface looked the same no matter what angle you were viewing it from. For the sake of clarity, an example of the opposite ("view dependent") would be a reflective surface. Reflective surfaces are view dependent because the specular highlights would appear at a different position on the surface based on the angle at which the surface was viewed.
This view independence was nice, especially considering the cost (in processor power & running time) of radiosity processing. The illumination could be calculated once and the scene could then be rendered very quickly from any angle. This translates directly into many of today’s modern "first-person shooter" games.
The First Approach
Consider a simple room with only four walls, a ceiling and a floor. Can you see
it in your mind’s eye? You better not be able to; I haven’t specified a light
source yet. :-) In radiosity, light sources aren’t your typical point or spot
light sources. In radiosity, light is emitted from surfaces. So, rather than
adding a surface for a light source, lets just make the entire ceiling an "area
light source." In the real world, this would translate to a cubic room where
the ceiling was a huge panel of fluorescent lights behind a huge diffuse
reflector (those smoked-glass looking things that spread light out.)|
This example is a simple one since every surface can see every other surface. In other words, there’s nothing to block the light from reaching any surface (i.e. no shadows.)
Each surface has two values associated with it. An amount of how brightly it is illuminated (its illumination) and how much of a surplus of energy it has (its radiative energy.) To start with, only the ceiling will have any radiative energy and all other surfaces will have no radiative energy or illumination.
What we need to do now is calculate the interaction of energy from every surface to every other surface. This is an n^2 problem since we need to calculate this interaction from each surface to every other surface in the scene. This can be calculated based on their geometrical relationships (distance between surfaces, relative orientation, relative area, etc.) The math that calculates this relationship results in a single value. This value is called a "form factor."
The attentive readers (the one’s that are still awake) might have already guessed that there are only (n^2)/2 individual form factors since the relationship between surfaces 5&6 is the same as the relationship between 6&5. However, this is not true since relative area is taken into consideration.
We can calculate all the form factors in a scene and store them in a grid that is n elements wide by n elements tall. This grid is referred to as the "radiosity matrix" and it works just like a 2-dimensional table. Each element in this matrix contains a form factor for the interaction from the surface indexed by the column and the surface indexed by the row.
Remember how I said that there are n^2 interactions and not (n^2)/2? This is because each form factor is like a diode in that it only handles energy going in one direction: from a "source surface" to a "destination surface." In this case, we’ll say that the source surfaces are index by columns and destination surfaces are indexed by rows. Source surfaces will emit their energy to the destination surfaces.
Now lets solve the matrix. To do this, we simply visit each column (source) in the matrix and emit energy to each row (destination) in that column. When we do this, we’ll be placing some of that radiated energy (from the source) in the illumination value for the destination. But these surfaces are reflectors, which means they’re going to reflect SOME energy back into the scene. Based on the surface’s reflectivity, we’ll add a little bit of energy to the destination’s radiative energy. This radiative energy will eventually make its way back into the scene (i.e. to the other surfaces) as we progress through the matrix.
If the destination is a perfect reflector (i.e. it reflects every single bit of energy it receives - a mirror) then there will be no energy stored in the destination’s illumination, it would all go to its radiative energy. The inverse is also true: a perfectly black surface might not reflect any energy back into the scene, absorbing it all, so every bit of energy it receives is stored in its illumination value. If you’re starting to think that we’re making a black surface white, we’re not. Remember, we’re dealing with light, so the color of a surface is ultimately multiplied by its illumination. In the case of the perfectly black surface, the surface remains visually black.
Once we’ve gone through the matrix once, we do it all over again. This is necessary because we we’re storing some energy as illumination, and some as radiative energy. Now it’s time to go through the matrix again and start distributing that reflected radiative energy.
We’ll go through this matrix over and over again until the total amount of radiative energy for all surfaces is relatively small.
The Next Step
If you made it this far without getting lost, you’re in the home stretch.
There’s still a lot we haven’t covered yet, so let’s move on. I’ll start with a
few shortcomings of the basic radiosity matrix as I’ve described it thus far and
common solutions to these issues.|
Our surfaces have only one illumination value for the entire surface, so there is no change in illumination across a single surface. To solve this problem, we can simply subdivide each surface into a series smaller polygons called "patches." If you do this, you simply treat each patch as its own surface as a replacement for the original surface. Your matrix will grow to the number of patches in the scene squared.
This brings us to our next issue: the matrix can be quite large (especially if you subdivide into a number of patches) If the scene is very simple (say, a meager 1,000 polygons) then our illustrious matrix will be pretty big (1,000,000 elements.) If you've subdivided each of those surfaces to a meager 8x8 grid of patches per surface, then we're talking about 4,096,000,000 total elements in our matrix (8*8 = 64 patches per surface, 64*1000 = 64000 patches per scene, 64000*64000 is = 4,096,000,000 total matrix elements.) This is pretty tough for any computer to swallow.
Before I discuss the solutions to this ever-increasing matrix, let’s talk about a related issue: a matrix of this magnitude would take a long time to solve. Especially considering the fact that we’ll have to solve it multiple times. If a mistake was made in the modeled scene, wouldn’t it be nice to know this sooner rather than later?
In 1988, Cohen, Chen, Wallace & Greenberg published a paper called "A
Progressive Refinement Approach to Fast Radiosity Image Generation." This paper
described a new way of solving radiosity. It was quite clever in that it
reordered the way things were done.|
In the matrix method, illumination was gathered by each destination element from its source element. Ironically, this is called "gathering." The progressive refinement approach reversed this and defined (the other incredibly ironic term) "shooting."
The basic idea behind progressive refinement starts by finding the surface with the most energy to contribute to the scene (i.e. has the highest amount of radiative energy.) This surface would then iterate through all other surfaces, distributing its energy along the way. After this process was completed, the image was then rendered for the user, and the process began again, finding the surface with the most energy to contribute to the scene. Each pass would cause another render of the scene, allowing the user to progressively evaluate the progress. If the progress showed a problem along the way (an illumination surface was in the wrong place or the wrong color) they could stop the process and make the needed adjustments.
During this process, the user would see a completely dark scene progress to a fully lit scene. To accommodate this sharp contrast in visual difference from beginning to end, the progressive refinement technique added something called the "ambient term".
Before I continue, I want to point something out that is pretty important in radiosity. There is no such thing as ambient light in real life. Ambient light is something that was invented to accommodate the need for what appears to be a "global light" in real life. But in reality, ambient light doesn’t exist. Rather, light is always being reflected from surface to surface, which is how it finds its way into all the nooks and crannies of real-world detail. Before the advent of radiosity, ambient light was the best thing available to the typical rendering architectures. It is safe to think of radiosity is a more accurate solution to ambient (global) light. This is why radiosity is considered a technique for "global illumination."
The ambient term starts off as a "differential area sum" of the radiative energy for the entire scene. What this means is that it’s a number that represents the average amount of light that each surface will receive throughout the processing of the entire radiosity solution. We can calculate that average without doing all the work simply because it’s an average amount of energy, not a specific amount of energy for a single surface.
As each progressive pass emits the radiative energy for a surface, the ambient term is slowly decreased. As the total radiative energy of the scene approaches zero, so does the ambient term (though, at different rates, of course.) A nice advantage here is that you can use the ambient term to figure out when you’ve distributed enough energy as to make only a negligible difference. At this point, you can stop processing.
So, the progressive approach has solved the massive memory requirements for the radiosity matrix by simply not storing it, and it partially solves the processing time issue by speeding things up, and further improving this by allowing users to preview their works in progress.
A Note on Patches
Before I continue, I want to cover the topic of patch subdivision just a little.
I only touched on it lightly so as not to confuse the reader. It’s time we dive
just a little bit deeper in to these ever useful things.|
First, let’s be perfectly clear on something. If you use subdivision in your radiosity code, then you will not be using "surfaces" since the patches are a higher resolution representation of the original surface geometry. It will be the patches that shoot and gather energy amongst themselves, not the surfaces. If you use patch subdivision, you can probably discard your original surfaces since they have been replaced by a higher resolution representation, their patches.
Patches are how we simulate area light sources. Rather than actually treating the surface like an area light source, we simply split it up into lots of smaller light sources across the entire area of the original surface. If the surface is subdivided enough, then the results can be quite pleasing.
Patch subdivision can be done blindly or intelligently. An example of blind subdivision might be to subdivide every surface into a set of patches that are one square foot each. This can be quite a waste, since we only really need the subdivision in high-contrast areas (i.e. an area of a surface that has a dramatic change in energy across a relatively small area - like a shadow boundary.)
There is a multitude of intelligent subdivision techniques. One of the most common is to subdivide progressively by adding another step to the process. Once a surface has fully emitted its energy, each patch in the existing data-set is visited and a decision is made if two adjoining patches have too much of a difference in their illumination values. If they do, there will be a sharp contrast between these two patches so you should subdivide each of them. You can pick any threshold you wish to contain your subdivisions to a minimum. You can also set a maximum subdivision level to prevent from subdividing too much.
Patches, however, are just the first step to subdivision. Patches themselves can be subdivided into "elements". The usefulness of elemental subdivision is for performance reasons as well as aesthetic reasons. Patch subdivision can be pre-set to a specific resolution. In this case, the entire scene is subdivided evenly into patches of a specific size. This sounds like a waste, but let’s not get hasty. The subdivision resolution can be quite low in this case. As the radiosity solution progresses, the patches are intelligently subdivided into elements based on high contrast areas (or whatever intelligent subdivision technique you decide to use.)
You can think of elements as a higher resolution representation of their "parent" patches. But unlike patch subdivision where the surfaces are discarded and replaced by patches, patch subdivision does not discard the patches. The advantage here, is that the patches are maintained for shooting, while the elements are used for gathering.
Let’s look at that a little more closely. A patch is subdivided into a grid of 8x8 elements. During the distribution process, the patch with the highest amount of radiative energy is chosen for energy distribution. Energy is distributed from that patch to all of the ELEMENTS in the scene. The elements retain their illumination value (for beauty’s sake) and the radiative energy that would be reflected from all the elements is then sent up to their parent patch. Later, the patch will do the shooting, rather than each individual element. This allows us to have a high resolution of surface geometry with a lower resolution distribution. This can save quite a lot of processing time, especially if the average patch is subdivided into 8x8 elements.
For the sake of this example, I’ll just assume we’re not at the elemental subdivision stage yet, and work from patches.
Did somebody say shadows? I didn’t. Not yet, at least. :-)|
To obtain shadows, we need to have some visibility information, so we’ll know how much of a patch is visible from another patch. One of the most common ways of doing this in today’s world is to use a z-buffer. And radiosity is no different. To do this, however, we’ll need a way to generate a z-buffer from a patch. This is where the hemicube comes in handy.
A hemicube is exactly what it sounds like. It’s exactly one half of a cube, split orthogonally along one axis. This gives us one whole face, and four half-faces.
What’s it for? Try to picture this: place a pin-hole camera at the base of the hemicube (i.e. the center of the cube prior to cutting it in half) and point the camera at the center of the top face. Now set your camera to a 90-degree frustum.
You can consider the top face of the hemicube now, to be the rendering surface of the camera. This surface has a pixel resolution (which I’ll discuss shortly.) If you render the scene from this perspective, you’ll "see" what the patch "sees".
Remember when I said that we need to take the relative distance and relative orientation of two patches into account to calculate their form factors? Well, in this case, we no longer need to do that. The hemicube takes care of that for us. As patches are rendered onto the surface of the hemicube, they’ll occupy "hemicube pixels". The farther away the surface is, the fewer pixels it will occupy. This is also true for patches at greater angles of relative orientation. The greater the angle, the fewer pixels it will occupy. Using a z-buffer we can let some patches partially (or fully) occlude other patches, causing them to occupy even fewer pixels (or none at all) which gives us shadows.
For this to work, we need to translate these renders into energy transmission. Let’s talk about that for a bit.
A standard z-buffer renderer will render color values to a frame buffer and store depth information into a z-buffer. A hemicube implementation is very similar. It keeps the z-buffer just like normal. But rather than storing color values into a frame buffer, it stores patch IDs into a frame buffer. When the render is complete, you have partial form factor information for how much energy gets transmitted from one patch to another. I say "partial form factor information" because we’re missing one piece.
This information is lacking some of the relative angle information between two patches. The relative angles are used to decrease the amount of energy shot from one patch to another. The greater the angle, the less energy is transmitted. Our hemicube gives us part of this information by only telling us (in an indirect way) how much of an angle the destination patch is relative to us. But we also need to take the shooter’s relative angle into account as well. It’s much like Lambert shading. As the surface turns away from the light, the surface receives less light. We’ve got this information (indirectly) in the hemicube frame buffer. But our light source is also an area, which means it can turn, too. So we’ll need to take its angle into consideration before we shoot any energy to anybody.
The hemicube has a wonderful mechanism for this. It’s called the "delta form factor." This is simply a table of values. It is the same resolution as the surface of the hemicube and it contains values that are used to scale the amount of energy that each hemicube pixel can transmit. The values in this table associated with the center pixels of the top face have the highest value, and the values fall off as they get near the edges of the hemicube face. The reason for this is simple. The values associated with the center of the hemicube face have the highest value since anything rendered to this area of the "screen" will be directly in front of the hemicube (i.e. the least incident angle.) The values in the table associated with the edges of the hemicube face are at a 45-degree angle, so they are considerably less than those found near the center.
There is a very specific calculation for the "delta form factor" table which can be found in most radiosity references.
To finish up our hemicube explanation, we need to pull it all together.
Rather than shooting light from the source patch to the destination patches, we do this through each pixel in the hemicube’s frame buffer (remember, we’ve stored patch IDs in there so we can reference them later, and THIS is later :-). Visiting each hemicube pixel, we simply scale the amount of the shooter’s total radiative energy by the delta form factor associated with that pixel. This means that each patch will receive a little bit of energy for each pixel it resides in, in the hemicube’s frame buffer. Each of these partial energy transmissions to an individual destination patch will all add up to the proper amount of total transmitted energy, just like magic.
How do we know that we’ve transmitted all the energy from the shooter? Well, if you add up all the delta form factors for the hemicube, you’ll find they add up to 1.0. This is a good test, by the way, to make sure your hemicube delta form factor table is correct. Remember to account for error, so the value might not equal exactly 1.0, rather something very close.
A typical hemicube resolution might be 128x128. However, you may decide to go with a higher resolution. Either way, remember this: each pixel in the hemicube’s delta form factor table contains a very small fractional value. You should consider using doubles to store these values as they can get VERY small.
To save confusion, I purposely neglected to mention a few things. Each hemicube has five sides. I only described the process for rendering the top face. The remaining half-faces also require rendering, but the process is identical to that of the top face. Don’t worry, your radiosity references will cover how to calculate the delta form factors for ALL faces of the hemicube. And don’t forget that when you run your little test that adds up all the delta form factors to a result of 1.0, you’ll need to include ALL of the delta form factors, not just those for the top face.
In closing, I should mention that there are issues with hemicubes (like aliasing artifacts under certain circumstances.) There are some solutions to these issues as well as totally different techniques. But hemicubes are a great place to start your radiosity adventures.
"Advanced Animation & Rendering Techniques" by Watt & Watt|
"Computer Graphics Principles & Practice" by Foley, vanDam, Feiner & Hughes
"Radiosity: A Programmer's Perspective" by Ashdown
"Radiosity and Realistic Image Synthesis" by Cohen & Wallace
"Radiosity and Global Illumination" by Sillion & Puech
Personally, I originally learned the concepts & fundamentals of radiosity from "Advanced Animation & Rendering Techniques." I learned enough to get my first radiosity processor up and running. Since this book has such a wealth of other information, I highly recommend it for first-timers on the subject. From there, you can graduate to any of the other references listed. If you make it to the more advanced stuff, you’re welcome to visit my site and grab some research papers on the subject.
- Paul Nettle | <urn:uuid:d804860f-0731-4f81-9028-027f53b66241> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://flipcode.com/archives/Radiosity_In_English-The_Basics.shtml | 2013-05-26T09:35:35Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368706890813/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516122130-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935236 | 4,968 |
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III PANEL DISCUSSION
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PANEL DISCOSSION DR. WATERLOW: I would like to react to what Dr. Chafkin said about emergencies or disasters. I was not trying to say the obvious, that a strategy is needed for I had in mind the more serious disasters and famines. ~ cases throughout the world, the most seriously deprived families, which are at greatest risk of severe malnu- trition, the disaster families. The reasons for the problems of these families are different in different areas. In Jamaica, for example, it is usually some kind of family disruption, such as abandoned mothers. In one group I read about in Kenya, it was most often because the mother was unmarried--an unacceptable situation in Kenya, as opposed to the Caribbean. In Nepal, the key factor is lack of land. Although the conditions vary, everywhere one finds the 10% that are in a very bad state. That is what I was referring to in discussing an emergency strategy; I am not thinking simply of the famine situation in the Sahara. DR. MAHLER: People have been emphasizing the devel- opmental ideology--whether we are playing development by proxy or not. Most of us who came into development work some 35 years ago began as missionaries. The first director general of WHO told me in Delhi in 1951: "The trouble with you, Mahler, is that you have too much sympathy for those poor Indians. What you need to de- velop is empathy with their predicament. Then, perhaps, you can start seeing what kinds of problems they can tackle themselves." This is a very important thing in nutrition, too. I was nearly fired from WHO because in 1956 I said, "It is not a question of amino acids; it is a question of calories," and the nutrition adviser was not there. The emphasis should be on developing the capacities of nations to solve their own problems and on develop- ing the self-reliance to try to tackle these problems through research. There is a lot of impatience in the donor community. We provide countries in need with preconceived development packages neatly contained in envelopes--conventional envelopes. Development in my language means getting out of envelopes; that is the etymologic sense of the word "development." The devel- opment technocrats are anxious to provide new kinds of envelopes, so that they can bask in the sunshine. A 97
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98 lot of our demoralization has been with those envelopes, and we will gradually have to give others the capacity, rather than looking for our own catharsis. If we let the nationals be themselves in dealing with their problems, we have every reason to believe that it can be done. I am grateful that somebody mentioned the Tropical- Disease Research Program, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programs, organizations that have shown that one does not have to play it by proxy, but that the first objective can be developing local capacities. The second objective is developing, as fast as possible, new solutions to old problems. difficult, but an absolute sine qua non in the global food and nutrition situation. There is no reason to become disillusioned, cynical, or skeptical. The rich man always has a tendency to say that the poor man should be very rational; however, coming from a poor family, I can say that it is difficult to be rational when you are poor; and this is true for a poor country, too. It is remarkably difficult to make rational decisions when you cannot afford to take any risks, because, lacking the money to learn through doing, you cannot learn. ~ DR. MELLOW I will go on directly from Dr. Mahler's point, with which I agree. are fighting against is an orthodox view generated in the developed countries that systematically plays down the human element. If one wants to raise money, it is not respectable to talk about supporting food subsidies. I am pleased to say that the World Bank has just released or is about to release a document that disproves that oversimplification. A country which is economically squeezed cannot afford just any food subsidy. But well- targeted food subsidies in the urban areas, as Dr. Lunven has been stressing, are an essential component of poli- cies that lead to high agricultural prices as a way of stimulating agricultural production in rural areas. It is a rational combination--one that was brought out earlier here. Virtually every industrial country prac- tices this policy in one way or another. At the moment. the dominant international economic orthodoxy still focuses on how to cope with debt, how to get a country back on the right track so that it can seek financial assistance. But the international good-financial- housekeeping seal of approval is obtained by abandoning In economic matters, what we
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99 these things. The international community has an obligation to affirm that the human dimension is not just a byproduct of the economy. It is both an end and a means for reaching the very economic solutions that people want. It is a parallel action to offset the misleading view, particularly in the last 5 years, of what good economic policy is. Leaders understand in a very basic way that you cannot starve your people to pay your debts. DR. SAI: I would like to comment on the issue of training. A question was asked earlier about training, and I think the question was slightly off focus. It appeared that the questioner was trying to say that training could be done better in the more industrialized countries. There are technical advances for which the training needs to be done externally; however, linkages have to be made to ensure that training facilities in Africa have access to some of the technologies or the scientific expertise needed for more comprehensive training. With respect to training, the international community has refused to listen to us for about 10 years. We have been trying to make people recognize that the training issue is going to return to haunt us when money is available for doing something; and if we do not obtain funds rapidly, we are not likely to succeed, regardless of how much money we start pouring into the field. We are trying to develop African expertise in Africa for African work. I do not think getting a lot of international experts to concentrate on Africa will do the job. In fact, it often creates an unhealthy com- petition that leads to the demise of African programs. When we talk about training, the time is now. Richard Jolly has mentioned that in Ghana and elsewhere the core of trained nutritional scientists and others on which to build another training approach seems to be disappear- ing. If we do not move quickly, it will disappear. Re-establishing the situation could be difficult. Finally, let me plead that it is not necessary to say that people should train practically. Doctorates and master's degrees are needed. The idea that people have to train in the subject, but not necessarily have degrees, should be buried for a while. People should -
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100 have degrees that are relevant in the specialties they are choosing. In addition to the facility that has been mentioned, we need to begin another facility immediately to start re-establishing what should be included in training for the food and nutrition problems of Africa. DR. MELLOR: We have a series of studies at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on the question of improvement over time, particularly in India. The extent of improvement is striking in the lowest-income people, and we can document i t Nazi ~, larly in agricultural production. a, rem It is important not to stop where Lincoln Chen did, saying that we can show that there are still some problems somewhere in India, and leave the impression that the green revolution has not been so great. One must spread it to other areas; I think that Dr. Chen would agree that there is a need to extend it to the marginal areas. As a matter of fact, much of Bihar and West Bengal do not have poor resources. They have rich resources, but are being held back by inappropriate agricultural policies. In the central plateau, where the resources are poor, yields per acre have grown considerably in 20 years. Incomes of the poorest people were lower than they were in Africa 15 years ago and have increased considerably. Although it has not done as well in these areas as in southern India, it has spread, and we need to extend it farther. DR. CHEN: If we had this meeting in India, I think there would be a very strong polarization within the Indian community. Although there has been progress, particularly in the green revolution in the Punjab and in southern India, there are deplorable areas in Bihar, in West Bengal, in Orissa, in Madhya Pradesh and in large cities. The particular question I was-addressing was whether agricultural modernization in itself leads to the reduction of poverty and improvement in nutrition. In other words, the technological transformation, as John Mellor himself has said, needs to be accompanied by employment, wages, and access to productive assets, rather than only by redistribution of programs. I believe our office supported some of the IFPRI studies in southern India. I agree with some of the findings that
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101 you have reported from Tamil Nadu, but I was pointing out that the Indian policy-makers themselves would not agree that everything is all right and that food self-suffi- ciency has been achieved. On the contrary, there are very serious worries that 30 million tons of food are deteriorating in storage and that the income and consumption levels of 150-300 million people are below those required for adequate diets. We are talking about the question of balanced growth. DR. HORWITZ: Dr. Chen, will you elaborate on two of your proposals for action--the Nutrition Project Develop- ment Facility and activities to improve information dissemination and documentation? DR. CHEN: I was hoping that the members of the panel representing international agencies and people in the audience would carry these ideas further. I have not thought in detail about their implementation. I would note that you suggested the Nutrition Project Development Facility in an early paper. DR. HORWITZ: The Subcommittee on Nutrition is exploring this possibility now, and we will see what comes out of that; but I agree with you. My impression is that for governments, even those which Dr. Mahler wants to be free to be themselves, the moment eventually comes when they need to present their proposals for funding. Funds are not easy to find today in the international community. Some of us have felt that it would help just to invest available resources better at the national level, let alone to seek international assistance. . . ~.. ... .. . . ... DR. MAHLER: I want to make it clear that I did not say "g vex ~rnments"; I said "people," and there is a big difference. The United Nations system was set up for people, not for ephemeral governments. They are more or less representative of a lot of people, but it is important to remember that they were set up for the sake of people. Therefore, we have to manipulate the system whenever it is necessary, particularly if governments are not permitting us to get to where the action should be in mobilizing people themselves, in examining their needs. That is what I meant.
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102 DR. GWATKIN: I was interested that the question of whether we are doing better or worse came only from the next-to-last commentator in our conversation. I thought that this would be fundamental in a discussion of nutri- tion issues for the rest of the 1980s and the l990s. This unresolved question of whether nutritional status is better or worse is a very persuasive argument in favor of the kind of documentation facility-Dr. Chen was suggesting, and I know that there have been conver- sations about this within the nutrition community as well. I second his suggestion that this be given serious consideration. The need for it is brought home by a striking example. A top-priority item should be simply tracking nutritional trends--what we are doing best, what we are doing worst, what we are improving in. This would be comparable with what has traditionally been done for birth rates and death rates. It is particularly important if there is some possibility, as you suggest, that the two might start moving in different directions. I have long assumed that the two would move in similar directions. ~rat -~ 2 ~' ''' N~ltr'tion is important In Keen morCallcy low. If death rates are falling, we need not be too concerned about independent nutritional measures, because we can assume that nutrition is improving. I am not prepared to abandon that assumption yet, but there is an argument that it is going the other way; that is an important reason to start collecting independent information. That is in part because of the mortality information; but, even more important, for the reason that Richard Jolly implied, this kind of information is needed if we are going to have economic progress with a human face. I would suggest that this is something that the Food and Nutrition Board might look into. DR. MERTZ: Some 10 or 20 years ago, birth control would have been a prominent topic in a conference like this. Although most speakers have mentioned birth control or child spacing here, it was only in passing. I wonder why that is so. Have we given up on the concept? DR. MAHLER: Dr. Mertz, I agree that perhaps it was pushed aside in the discussion, although I wanted to bring some emphasis when I spoke of maternal and child welfare, including family planning, because I speak from the health angle.
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103 I believe that "God does not speak to an empty stomach," as Gandhi said. The food and nutrition issue ~ concerns of families, their home economics, future vision, and hopes. A broad- based food and nutrition program gives a much better opportunity to address family planning and make people feel the need for child spacing and education. Food and nutrition must be used as much as possible as one of the vital points of entry to reach families in need in addressing family planning. is a powerful instrument to address DR. CHEN: You are raising a very important point. In our push in health and nutrition technologies in some regions and societies, careful attention needs to be paid to the balance of technologies made available. The rapid population growth in Africa is a very serious concern. I also expressed concern about the introduction of single isolated health interventions and technologies without adequate attention to such problems as birth spacing. It is of deep concern, although in other countries it might not be as important. In some regions, I believe that it is incumbent on the scientific community to Generate the knowledge and the support for a balanced technological approach. DR. SAI: Unhappily, we are beginning to feel that the population issue is a nonissue, or at any rate an issue not subject to critical intervention in the same way as other issues. That might not be serving the cause of development. I agree with what Dr. Chen has just said, that any approach to the needs of people, especially women and children, should consider their roles in society, their educational and employment needs, and population planning. If we look at this question from the point of view of maternal and child health, anyone working in maternal and child health in Africa who omits family planning for child spacing is omitting one of the most powerful preventive medicine tools that is available today. DR. ROGERS: Dr. Galbraith has suggested that we were trying to impose characteristics of development that were perceived from the perspective of developed countries. If I recall correctly, in the days when the United States
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104 was a developing country and had an agricultural base, large families' were very desirable. I expect, although I do not know it for a fact, that that was true in other agrarian societies as well.: If we go back to the comments made earlier about the development process, we should lookout it from the perspective of those countries end' acknowledge that it is only with the certainty of alternative employment, and with it the certainty of a full stomach and good health, that we can even start to talk about substantial changes in fertility. All of us are aware that rapid population growth underlies many of the problems we have been discussing here, but I viewed the absence of discussion about family planning as healthy. We want to address nutrition, maternal and child health care, and the role of women as the most basic issues. When we do that effectively, population control will come along quite well. DR. LUNVEN: Dr. Mertz is right in saying that there is a decline in emphasis on family planning, and there are various reasons. There are doubts about its efficiency, and some governments, such as in Mexico, have been considering that increased population is desirable. The goal that the Mexican government has set is for 100 million people by the year 2000. Conditions have changed in 10 years, and man-made and natural disasters have changed the picture. The view- points of governments have also changed. On the basis of the World Bank report, the African countries that met in the original conference last year produced the Harrari Declaration. In it, they agree with the World Bank's statement that, whatever~the amount of external assist- ance provided for agricultural development in Africa, the race for economic development cannot be won if the popu- lation problem is not taken care of. It was a voluntary declaration that they would adopt population policies to limit population growth. DR. JEFROM: I would like to address my question to either Dr. Mellor or Dr. Lunven; both spoke of urbani- zation or labor movement as affecting agricultural pro- duction. Having lived in both developing and developed countries, I assumed that the impact of urbanization was not as disastrous in developed countries as in developing
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105 countries. Some planners have suggested that decen- tralization should be promoted in developing countri What are the tradeoffs? DR. MELLOR: I think the issue probably should be seen less as a matter of urban vs. rural than as a matter of the pattern of urbanization. What we have had is a megalopolis--one city that dominates the country and becomes extremely large. There has been a pattern of capital-intensive import displacement and export-led strategies of growth that has driven this pattern of urbanization. The alternative is a much more diffuse pattern of urbanization in which market towns are developed throughout the rural regions with different towns of different sizes. This took place in much of western Europe and North America during their growth from an original agrarian base. This pattern of urbanization produces more employment than the alternative pattern, which has lower per capita costs for central services in the urban area. I think no country would want to remain primarily rural, because that would mean that the production pattern and the consumption pattern are both mostly agricultural, and there is not much variety in that. There is almost no margin for error; if bad weather strikes, food consumption has to be cut. Presumably everyone wants to diversify consumption and production, and that calls for urbanization. However, there could be a much healthier pattern of urbanization. Investment patterns, rates of return of various programs, and so on would be different if the bulk of the urban population were in towns of 10,000 to 100,000, rather than cities of 10 million. When we start examining the mix between health and nutrition, we must think in terms of the nature of the development strategy and its effect on the pattern of urbanization. UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: For about a decade, there has been a division between people whose objective is to reduce the misery of mankind and those who look for strategies for growth and simply have not produced any food or any employment. What was not achieved by the disaffection with the growth strategies of the 1950s and the early 1960s is a
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106 reorientation of growth in a way that creates employment, values people's health, and leads to productive lives. I am not saying that the objective is necessarily growth per se. However, if a family cannot do anything to improve its economic well-being, improving its health and nutritional status will not solve its problems. It leads to continuous dependence on handouts from UNICEF or some other organization. We need to show humanitarian audi- ences that there is something more than improving the physical well-being of people. People need to have some other objective and some way in which they are integrated into the society and its larger economic activities. Even given the humanitarian concern, the choices in development should be considered, and choices should be made that are related not only to the objectives, but to the instruments used to move toward the objectives. DR. MAHLER: To prevent our darkness of today from becoming our doubt of tomorrow, we need to increase our information on food and nutrition. I claim a knowledge about some things in India, and I disagree violently with some of the statements that have been made about India. We recently returned after 25 years to 100 villages chosen at random in southern India, and there had been dramatic changes for the better. So, let us not just say blankly, "Well, nothing has been happening in India." Modernization can be shown in this random sample of 3 million in southern India. It is important to chal- lenge ourselves to look at our information base. We need better information so that we are able to say things with greater relevance.
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Joint Press Availability With Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis
Secretary of State
Madam Secretary, I think that we have had very good talks, so we have touched upon many issues. Let me highlight the most important one. Greece and the U.S. are natural friends and allies, and I am not only talking about mutual economic interests, which are, of course, important, but I’m talking about our joint passion for freedom and liberty. And this is something which comes – overcomes national borders. Friends prove themselves in difficult times, and as we know, Greece is doing through difficult times right now. The United States (inaudible) firm and steadfast manner, in a decisive manner. We have – we believe that we shall come out of this difficulty victorious. Many on both sides of the Atlantic have bet on the collapse of Greece, and they have been proven wrong. We will continue to prove them wrong, and this – and to this, our collaboration will be very important.
We have also discussed the opportunities which appear in this country for investment, for tourism, which we expect and we hope will interest – is of interest to everybody in this hall. We have also discussed issues relating to our normal job, the foreign affairs issues. We have reviewed the discussions, political discussions and the Contact Group for Libya. We will be in touch and we will be in touch in September in our efforts to revise the peace process.
We have also talked about the Balkans, which is a top priority for Greece, but this is a vision which we share with the U.S.. We want peace, stability, and security in our region. We want to do away with the nationalist feelings of the past and for all the countries in the region to build a relationship of cooperation under our joint European home. I have told the Secretary of State that instead of trying to rewrite history, this is a good opportunity for us to write history, to make history, and this is something we should all try to achieve.
Also, we have the 2014 agenda which we have also discussed. I also had the opportunity of informing the Secretary about the negotiations on the Cyprus issue. I believe that it is possible to make progress, but this, of course, mainly requires political will on the – on behalf of Ankara. We have also discussed the efforts to normalize Greek-Turkish relations, the progress achieved, the remaining difficulties. And I am especially happy in conclusion, my dear Hillary – I’m especially happy to say that later on today we will be signing an MOU to do away with the smuggling of antiquities. And with this opportunity, we will have – we will visit the Acropolis museum together with my friend, minister of culture of Greece.
Ladies and gentlemen, here beside me stands a lady who is a friend of Greece, a friend of Hellenism, a person who has forged strong bonds of trust with the Greek-American community, which is a permanent bond linking Greece to the United States. Welcome to Greece, Madam Secretary.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Thank you very much, Stavros, and it is a great pleasure for me to be here for this meeting, and I am greatly honored that I am your first foreign minister visitor. But you are becoming quickly a veteran in just one month in office. And I am also pleased to be here during these challenging times to demonstrate unequivocally the strong support that the United States has for Greece. We know that we are your friend and we are your ally and we are proud to be both. We stand by the people and Government of Greece as you put your country back on a path to economic stability and prosperity.
It is, for us, essential because we have a lot riding on our relationship together. As a NATO ally, we appreciate Greece’s partnership on a shared agenda that spans the globe. The foreign minister and I have just completed a very productive conversation, not just about Greece’s immediate challenges but about the full range of issues that form the core of our enduring alliance. We discussed our ongoing efforts in the NATO coalition operations to protect civilians and help the Libyan people claim a better future. Our diplomatic and military efforts are gaining momentum, and we are grateful for Greece’s engagement and support, especially your willingness to host coalition military assets at Souda Bay and other sites close to Libya.
We also are concerned about what’s going on in Syria, and we have condemned the violence. And I appreciate Greece’s support in speaking strongly against the attack on our Embassy and the French Embassy in Damascus. We will work together as part of the international community to support a vision for a Syria with representative government, respect for civil liberties, equal protection for all citizens under the law.
We will also continue to work with Greece to support democratic transitions across the Middle East and North Africa. We commend the Greek Government for seeking a constructive approach in consultation with the United Nations to addressing the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza and working to avoid the risks that come with attempts to sail directly to Gaza.
At a moment when domestic issues are rightly taking center stage here in Greece, we remain grateful for Greece’s continued engagement in meeting the shared challenges we confront. I appreciate the work that Prime Minister Papandreou and the government are doing to resolve many longstanding issues and integrate the Western Balkans into European and transatlantic institutions.
Now, of course, Greece and the United States are bound together by far more than our shared challenges. We are bound together by our shared values. In fact, we are grateful for Greece’s contribution to those values and their enduring legacy. Millions of Americans claim Greek ancestry, and last year President Obama was pleased to welcome Prime Minister Papandreou to the White House to celebrate Greece’s entry into our Visa Waiver Program. That makes it easier for Greeks to visit family and friends in the United States. And later today, as the minister said, we will be signing a cultural preservation agreement to make it more difficult for looters and smugglers to make that same trip carrying Greece’s historic treasures. That will protect tourism and ensure that the remarkable cultural heritage of this country remains in the hands of the Greek people.
And finally let me say just a few words about the economic situation in Greece. Americans know these are difficult days, and again, we stand with you as friends and allies. The United States strongly supports the Papandreou’s government’s determination to make the necessary reforms, to put Greece back on sound financial footing, and to make Greece more competitive economically. Committing to bring down the deficit and passing the medium-term fiscal strategy were vital first steps. We know these were not easy decisions. They were acts of leadership. And those acts of leadership will help to build a better economic future.
Now the challenge will be to keep moving forward with the same determination and commitment to make good on the fiscal targets and continue to deliver reform that drives future growth. Now, in many cases, these changes will require immediate and sustained implementation. And while the payoff for these sacrifices may not come quickly, it will come. We know that. We can look around the world and point to successful examples. And we also know that the price of inaction would have been far higher now and far into the future. The steps ahead will not, they cannot, be pain-free, but there is a path forward to resolve Greece’s economic stability and to restore Greece’s economic strength. I have faith in the resilience of the Greek people and I applaud the Greek Government on its willingness to take these difficult steps. Greece has inspired the world before, and I have every confidence that you are doing so again. And as you do what you must to bring your economy back to health, you will have the full support of the United States.
And so again, Minister, thank you for this opportunity to visit with you and thank you also for this chance to express from my heart our strong support for what Greece and particularly the Greek people are facing, but also to reiterate our confidence that this will be the path forward that will pay off, not only now but for generations to come.
QUESTION: Good morning, Madam Secretary. You have said that rising deficits are a national security issue for the United States, so it’s presumably also the case for Greece and parts of the EU. Are you concerned that the Europe crisis, the debt crisis, might undercut NATO’s ability to finance its missions? Thank you.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Christophe, I am not. I think the NATO alliance is undergoing some very important analysis about how we will continue to be the strongest military and operational alliance in the history of the world. The NATO allies know how important this alliance is to our own security and to those problems that are over the horizon but which affect the security and stability of the Euro-Atlantic community. So yes, will there be some changes that we will foresee in the future? Of course. What has made NATO such a strong, vibrant, enduring alliance is that we have had to evolve and reform our own internal processes from time to time. But the United States not only has great confidence in NATO, we are committed to the fulfillment of the strategic vision that was adopted unanimously at the Lisbon summit and which we think provides the foundation for what needs to be done in the future.
QUESTION: (Via interpreter) I have a question to both of you. You referred to the economic crisis. Both the U.S. and Europe are suffering because of an economic crisis. This – last year we were talking about Greek crisis. This year we’re talking about European crisis. You did mention some things, nevertheless society is feeling gloomy, and I would like to ask you politicians can you offer an optimistic message to society, tell people that what they are sacrificing will pay off?
FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBRINIDIS: (Via interpreter) There is no question that today’s Greece has nothing to do whatsoever with Greece of two years ago. There is no question that despite the doomsayers, we are proceeding and that we shall come out of this victorious. Of course, we have no magic solutions, but there is no question the sacrifices that the Greek people have made have not only done away with the very real past risk of default but will create a sound basis for recovery.
And of course, we need the Greek measures, but we also need European solidarity. The European solidarity, which we believe and hope will express itself in a key manner in the near future, is very important because in a united Europe, hope or the light at the end of the tunnel is not about each individual country, but it is about our immense economic power when we all stand together more than 500 million people in 27 countries. This message was a bit lost on – was almost lost in some member-states recently, but the fact that Greece has regained in credibility with the sacrifices and the important measures that we are taking has brought us back to the forefront of – to the center of discussion and has brought us, I believe, at the forefront of a Europe of growth which will offer jobs to our citizens, to their citizens.
SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, of course, I agree with what the minister said, and let me just put it into context from what we see looking from the United States toward Greece. We believe that the recent legislation that was passed will make Greece more competitive, will make Greece more business-friendly. We think that is essential for the kind of growth and recovery that is expected in the 21st century when businesses can go anywhere in the world and capital can follow. We think that will provide a firm financial footing on which Greece will be able increasingly to attract businesses and create the jobs that Stavros said are absolutely important for the Greek people. Because businesses seek consistent, predictable regulatory and taxation regimes. Investors seek a level playing field. They expect transparency, streamlined procedures, protection of commercial and intellectual property rights, effective contract enforcement, all of which was part of your reform package.
Therefore, I am not here to in any way downplay the immediate challenges, because they are real, but I am here to say that we believe strongly that this will give Greece a very strong economy going forward. There are lots of analogies – having to take the strong medicine that tastes terrible when it goes down and you wish you didn’t have to, or the chemotherapy to get rid of the cancer. There are all kinds of analogies. But the bottom line is this is the best approach and we strongly support it.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAMBRINIDIS: Thank you very much. Hillary, thank you so much. | <urn:uuid:880dd21f-cdd2-4bb0-802e-66a6aff84e4a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://m.state.gov/md168669.htm | 2013-05-19T02:07:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963944 | 2,611 |
Visible Minorities under the Canadian Employment Equity Act, 1987-1999
Harish C. Jain
MGD School of Business,
John J. Lawler
Institute of Labour and Industrial Relations,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
This study focuses on the effectiveness of the federal Employment Equity Act (EEA). We assess the EEA with regard to visible minority (VM) employees using quantitative data from employer reports published under the provisions of the EEA and the Canadian Census. Data in this study cover the period 1987 to 1999. We find that large companies, and larger employment groups within companies, have higher levels of employment equity attainment. There are also considerable variations in employment equity attainment across industrial sectors, across provinces and across occupations. Overall, there has been general improvement in employment equity (EE) attainment over time. However, visible minorities continue to be disadvantaged in management, sales and service and technical positions. Several policy implications are drawn from these findings.
Les minorités visibles sous la législation canadienne de l’équité en emploi, 1987-1999
Cette étude s’intéresse à l’efficacité de la législation sur l’équité en emploi. Nous évaluons cette loi visant les travailleurs de la minorité visible en faisant appel à des données quantitatives qu’on retrouve dans les rapports des employeurs publiés en application des dispositions de la législation et à celles tirées du recensement canadien. Ces données couvrent la période 1987-1999.
Notre étude porte sur la relation entre le degré d’atteinte de l’équité en emploi eu égard aux minorités visibles sous la législation et une gamme de facteurs contextuels. On y présente des conclusions importantes et nombreuses.
En premier lieu, tel que prévu, les plus grandes entreprises et les groupes occupationnels les plus importants présentent des niveaux plus élevés d’atteinte de l’équité en emploi. On peut attribuer ce fait à la taille en relation avec la visibilité des organisations et à la disponibilité de ressources plus abondantes pour rencontrer des objectifs d’équité.
En deuxième lieu, il y a beaucoup de variation entre les secteurs industriels en termes d’atteinte de l’équité; le secteur bancaire présentant des niveaux les plus élevés, ce que nous avions anticipé. Encore là, on peut attribuer cela à la visibilité des banques et au fait que le secteur bancaire ne présente pas les mêmes pressions concurrentielles qu’on observe dans les secteurs des communications et des transports. Alors les banques ont plutôt des ressources en surplus qu’elles peuvent allouer au support des efforts exigés par la loi et peut-être qu’elles sont, à cause de leur taille, plus sensibles à la surveillance des organismes de régulation.
En troisième lieu, on observe également une variation importante d’une province à une autre en termes de degré d’atteinte de l’équité, avec des niveaux, à notre grande surprise, remarquablement faibles dans les provinces où on retrouve les plus fortes concentrations de minorités visibles (par exemple, l’Ontario et la Colombie-Britannique). Il s’agit là d’un résultat que nous n’avions pas anticipé. Peut-être cela est-il dû au grand nombre d’immigrants résidant dans ces provinces au cours des dernières années, de sorte qu’on a pu constater la présence d’un nombre disproportionné de personnes ayant des aptitudes limitées au plan du langage et au plan de la création de liens avec la communauté plus large. Des groupes de minorités visibles dans les autres provinces ont pu s’intégrer à des communautés mieux établies et ainsi obtenir un accès plus grand aux entreprises en vertu d’une assimilation plus prononcée. De plus, le nombre de minorités visibles de ces provinces est tout à fait minime, de sorte que les entreprises n’ont eu qu’à faire des efforts limités pour atteindre des niveaux respectables d’équité.
En quatrième lieu, nos données indiquent une amélioration générale avec le temps au plan de l’atteinte des objectifs de la législation, qui serait concordante avec l’efficacité de cette même législation.
En cinquième lieu, il n’y a pas d’indication claire à l’effet que les minorités visibles sont surreprésentées dans le marché du travail secondaire. Enfin, nous avons constaté que le degré de réalisation des objectifs de la loi varie considérablement d’une occupation à une autre. Les minorités visibles sont particulièrement désavantagées dans les positions de gérance, de professionnels et de représentants commerciaux, tout comme dans les emplois manuels spécialisés.
Plusieurs implications tant d’ordre politique que pratique découlent de ces observations, ce qui inclut une intervention accrue de la part de la Commission canadienne des droits de la personne, une plus grande préoccupation à l’égard des iniquités occupationnelles et des disparités sectorielles, de la taille des entreprises et du groupe d’emploi :
Les employés appartenant à des minorités visibles dans les entreprises assujetties à la Loi sur l’équité en emploi sont toujours sous représentés de façon significative. Il existe un nombre relativement imposant de cas où la représentation des minorités visibles est extrêmement faible, voire même inexistante. C’est pourquoi il apparaît évident qu’une application intensifiée et sévère de la loi en faveur du groupe des minorités visibles est nécessaire de la part de la Commission canadienne des droits de la personne.
Il existe également des disparités flagrantes au plan des occasions d’emploi pour les employés appartenant à des minorités visibles au sein de nombreuses occupations. Plus précisément, il semble qu’une sorte de « plafond de verre » existe et se traduit pour les employés des minorités visibles en termes d’accès aux positions de gérance intermédiaire aussi bien qu’une sous représentation dans les occupations de service et de vente. Les emplois dans ces secteurs, particulièrement celui des services, sont en croissance et, par conséquent, ils deviennent importants pour le bien-être des minorités visibles (plus précisément, dans les occupations reliées à la vente et aux services).
Dans les secteurs des transports et des communications, les employés des minorités visibles demeurent remarquablement sous représentés. Il devient important pour les entreprises d’adopter des politiques proactives en matière de recrutement et de promotion, de fixer des objectifs significatifs et des agendas de réalisation en vue d’améliorer la représentation des minorités.
Les employés des minorités visibles apparaissent aussi sous représentés dans les plus petites entreprises. La Commission des droits de la personne doit accorder plus d’attention à la mise en oeuvre et au contrôle de l’équité en emploi dans ces entreprises. C’est d’autant plus critique lorsqu’on constate que ces petites et moyennes entreprises font appel à une proportion croissante et importante de la main-d’oeuvre.
Las minorías visibles conforme al Acta de equidad del empleo, 1987-1999
Este estudio se concentra sobre la eficacia del Acta de Equidad en el Empleo (AEE) de nivel federal. Nosotros evaluamos el AEE respecto a los empleados del grupo de minorías visibles (MV) utilizando los datos cuantitativos de los informes de empleados publicados según las disposiciones del AEE y el Censo Canadiense. Los datos de este estudio cubren el periodo 1987-1999. Nuestros resultados indican que las grandes compañías, y los grupos mas grandes de empleo al interior de las compañías, han alcanzado altos niveles de equidad. Hay también variaciones considerables en la realización de la equidad de empleo a través los sectores industriales, a través las provincias y a través las ocupaciones. En el conjunto, ha habido una mejora general en la realización de la equidad del empleo en este periodo. Sin embargo, las minorías visibles siguen siendo desfavorecidos en los puestos de gestion, de ventas y servicos y en las ocupaciones tecnicas. Varias implicaciones políticas son diseñadas a partir de estos resultados.
The Canadian federal Employment Equity Act (EEA), first passed in 1986 and then significantly amended in 1995, requires efforts by employers in covered sectors (i.e. communications, transportation, and banking) to reduce disparities in employment and workforce representation between designated groups (i.e., women, visible minorities, aboriginal peoples, and the disabled) and the general workforce, regardless of whether or not this is the consequence of deliberate discrimination. In this study, we focus on EEA effectiveness with regard to visible minority (VM) employees using quantitative data from employer reports published under the provisions of the EEA. Data in our study cover the period 1987 to 1999.
Visible minorities constitute a moving target in terms of representation. Unlike the disabled or aboriginal population, the VM population is growing and varies a great deal across provinces. Thus, matching a target now does not necessarily mean that the target will remain at the same level five years hence. Our work explores employment equity for VM employees over an extended period, to discern whether there is movement toward reasonable equity levels. This is the first study that examines the longitudinal effect (1987-1999) of the federal EE legislation on VMs. This is also the first time that VM data are being analyzed by each province and for detailed occupational categories.
There are a variety of reasons as to why attainment of employment equity may be elusive for visible minorities in Canada. VMs can encounter accreditation challenges that the other designated groups do not. Several studies (Cumming 1989; Jain 1982a, 1982b; Dodge 1972) indicate that overseas degrees are often not recognized by Canadian employers. Since most recent immigrants are VMs, they face a particular hardship in finding jobs consistent with their qualifications. This is because immigration is a federal responsibility and employment, education, and health come under provincial jurisdiction. Most professional organizations are licensed by provincial governments and are often alleged to keep recent immigrants, especially VMs, out of these professions. Some newspaper reports suggest that recent immigrants with doctorates and other professional degrees are often doing low-level jobs (Harding 2003; Jain 2003; Rajpal 2002).
Research by the Canadian Council on Social Development (2000) used both 1996 Census data and panel data on post-secondary graduates from the National Graduate Survey that studied the same individuals two and five years after graduation. Among its key findings:
VMs generally have higher education levels than non-VMs, yet VMs with university education are less likely to hold managerial/professional jobs than non-VMs with similar levels of education
Foreign-born VMs experience greater education-occupation discrepancies compared to other groups; less than half such individuals with a university education have high skill level jobs.
Most VMs with managerial jobs are self-employed.
Foreign-born VMs are over-represented in the lowest income quintile and under-represented in the highest income quintile.
Even Canadian-born VMs are still less likely than foreign-born and Canadian-born non-VMs to be in the top 20% of the income distribution (also see Zuriek (1983) on this point).
There is then a clear pattern of apparent disadvantage in the labour market for VM workers that is reflected both in patterns of employment and in earnings. These findings concern VMs generally, not just those covered under the EEA, so it offers little insight into the impact of the law specifically. However, it establishes that there are pervasive, continuing differences in employment conditions between VMs and non-VMs throughout the Canadian economy, and indicates a need to examine whether or not the EEA has had any impact within the sectors that it covers. One cannot conclude merely from such descriptive data that differences in labour market outcomes for VMs and non-VMs derive from racial discrimination by employers. There may be cultural and related social factors which cause VMs to pursue different career paths than non-VMs, thus resulting in the observed differences between the two groups. Other research, however, indicates that bias and discriminatory intent can be very much at work here.
An early study on the general topic of discrimination (Henry 1978) found that, in a sample of white individuals in Toronto, over 50% of those studied expressed attitudes that could be described to some degree as racist. The report of the Commission of Equality in Employment (Abella 1984) found that non-whites all across Canada complained of facing both overt and indirect discrimination. The report concluded that racial discrimination in employment is a real concern and strong legislative measures were necessary to reverse or inhibit the degree to which members of visible minority groups are unjustifiably excluded from the opportunity to compete as equals. Henry and Ginzberg (1985) used a sample of classified ads in the major newspapers in Toronto to assess employer responses to white versus VM applicants. The authors used direct in-person applications with matched pairs (based on similarity in work experience, skills, and physical characteristics) of black and white applicants. Offers to whites outweighed offers to blacks by a ratio of three to one. In another sample of jobs that were tested by phone inquiries, the percentages of times that white Canadian, white immigrant, West Indian black, and Indo-Pakistani callers were told jobs were open for them were, respectively, 85.2%, 65%, 51.9%, and 47.3%. Furthermore, when employers discriminated among callers by differentially screening them, white Canadians were never screened for their experience or qualifications, while applicants from the other three racial minority groups were frequently screened on these criteria (also see Holzer and Newmark 2000a, 2000b for audit studies; Heckman 1998).
More recent studies demonstrate continuing patterns of employment discrimination against racial minorities. Work on the status of racial minorities in the public services has shown a persistence of discriminatory practices against visible minorities (Samuel 1997; Perinbam 2000). Among other studies in the Canadian context that provide empirical evidence on the representation gap between whites and racial minorities, without directly relating this gap to racial discrimination, are Jain, Singh and Agcos (2000), and Ornstein (2000). Jain, Singh and Agcos (2000) found significant under-representation of racial minorities in selected police services across Canada and indicated that selection and promotion policies that disadvantage minorities may be responsible for this under-representation. Ornstein (2000) found a generally pervasive disparity between members of racial minorities and whites in the City of Toronto in pay, employment rates, and other socio-economic indicators. A longitudinal study by Jain and Al-Waqfi (2001) found widespread employment discrimination against VMs. Reitz and Verma (1999) found that VMs are also substantially underrepresented in unionized jobs. Other things equal, we might expect that jobs covered by collective bargaining agreements would provide generally better working conditions and wages than equivalent non-union jobs. That VMs have less opportunity to obtain these jobs suggests yet another reason as to why they are disadvantaged in the labour market.
In addition to research dealing with employment opportunities for VMs, there are also several studies that deal with earnings outcomes. In light of what is known about employment discrimination, it is not surprising that these studies generally show VM employees have lower wages and earnings than non-minorities, even after controlling the standard human capital variables (Howland and Sakellariou 1993; Baker and Benjamin 1997; Pendakur and Pendakur 1995; Gorrie 2002).
The overall evidence from previous studies thus indicates that racial discrimination is responsible for at least part of the disparity in achievements between various racial minorities and whites in the Canadian labour market. The more important and compelling issue now is not whether racial discrimination exists, but rather how can the situation be rectified. Employment equity laws and regulations, such as the EEA, are intended to provide an institutional tool to lessen the adverse impact of discrimination on designated groups. Given that the EEA has been on the books since 1986, sufficient data are now available to assess its effectiveness in enhancing employment opportunities for visible minorities.
Although provincial and some municipal governments have implemented employment equity programs (Antecol 1998), and at the federal level there is, in addition to the EEA, the federal Contract Compliance Program (Equity Program, July 15, 2001), the EEA is generally seen to be stronger and more comprehensive than these other government-mandated programs (Jain, Sloane and Horwitz 2003; Jain 2001, 1993; Gunderson, Hyatt and Slinn 2002; Taggar, Jain and Gunderson 1997). Gunderson, Meng and Smith (1996) found that the average wage premiums of designated group members was 7.2% higher in companies covered by the EEA relative to companies not covered by the EEA. Earlier studies indicated that women have been the main beneficiaries of the EEA (Blackley and Harvey 1988; Sloane and Jain 1990). Jain and Hacket (1992) also confirmed that the EEA has had a significant effect on increasing the representation of women in organizations covered by the EEA relative to organizations not covered by the law. Several studies have concluded that effects of the EEA differ for white women and women that are also visible minorities, aboriginals or have a disability (Leck and Saunders 1992) and that the wage gap had actually increased for the female members of these designated groups (Leck, Onge and Lalancette 1995).
Our objective is to assess the effectiveness of the EEA in improving quantitative measures of employment equity outcomes. To do this, we use data drawn from a sample of annual reports filed by companies covered under the EEA for the period 1987-1999. Our unit of analysis consists of provincial-wide occupational groups from each of these companies in each year for which data were reported. For example, one observation might consist of data on professionals employed by Air Canada in British Columbia in 1997, while another might be based on administrative and senior clerical personnel employed by the Royal Bank of Canada in Ontario in 1998 or skilled, sales and service personnel employed in Nova Scotia in 1999 by Bell Canada. For simplicity we will refer to a particular unit of observation as an employment group.
Our dependent variable represents the degree to which VM workers within a particular employment group have secured parity in relation to the relevant external labour market. Internal employment equity is defined as the ratio of VM employment in a given employment group to total employment within the same employment group. VM labour market representation is based on census data for the province and is defined as the ratio of VM employment in the corresponding occupational category and province relative to total employment for that occupational category and province. We had census data for two years (1991 and 1996). In order to establish the provincial measure of VM labour force representation for each occupational group in each of the years between 1987 and 1999, we utilized extrapolation and interpolation as described below.
The composite employment equity measure is defined as the difference of the internal equity measure and labour market representation; this is termed VM employment equity (Equation (1)). The value of this measure can be interpreted as the percentage adjustment that would have to be made in the employment group’s relative headcount in order to achieve equity in comparison to the relevant external labour market for the year in question. A value of zero indicates that the firm has achieved, at least in a technical sense, employment equity for VM employees for that particular group. Positive values indicate the firm exceeds objectives defined by the Census data for the employment group in question and negative values indicate VM employees are underrepresented in the firm for the occupation and province in question.
(1) VM_EEc,p,i,t = (VMc,p,i,t /Nc,i,p,t) – (VMc,p,t /Nc,p,t)
VM_EEc,p,i,t = measure of VM employment equity in occupational category c in province p for company i at time t;
VM = number of VM employees in category defined by subscripts;
N = number of all employees in category defined by subscripts.
As mentioned, values for VMc,p,t and Nc,p,t had to be estimated for census off-years. We used the following formula to interpolate values for the period 1991-1996 for year t (Nc,p,t is used in these equations, though the same procedures were used for VMc,p,t):
(2) Nc,p,t = Nc,p,91 + (t-1991) × (Nc,p,96 – Nc,p,91)/5
Nc,p,91 = 1991 Census report of employment occupational category c in province p;
Nc,p,96 = 1996 Census report of employment occupational category c in province p;
We extrapolated the employment values for 1997 to 1999 as:
(3) Nc,p,t = Nc,p,91 + (t – 1996) × (Nc,p,96 – Nc,p,91)/5
The values for the years prior to 1991 were likewise extrapolated:
(4) Nc,p,t = Nc,p,91 - (1991 - t) x (Nc,p,96 - Nc,p,91)/5
One major limitation in this work is that we only have data on organizations covered by the EEA and thus are required to have active employment equity programs in place. Similar research conducted in the U.S. on affirmative action (i.e., employment equity) programs (Leonard 1983, 1984; Holzer and Newmark 2000b) benefited from the fact that not all companies studied were required to have affirmative action (i.e., employment equity) programs in place, so it was possible to contrast companies with affirmative action programs to those without such programs within the same economic sectors. Therefore, in this study we are not able to observe directly the impact of the presence of a legally mandated program on the achievement of employment equity objectives. However, we can observe the impact of several context variables on employment equity outcomes to discern, within the set of covered firms, those conditions under which the EEA has been more versus less effective.
Our explanatory variables include time, occupational categories, geographical location (i.e., province), employment type (full-time, part-time, or temporary), organizational size, employment group size, and industrial sector. Time is measured by the difference of the year of the observation from the year of EEA implementation (1986). EEA reports are filed annually, so there are separate observations for a given employment group for each year in which the firm has had to provide data relevant to the group. The temporal measure is very important as it assesses changes in employment equity over time. An upward trend in employment equity suggests that the EEA may have the desired consequences. It certainly is a necessary condition to establish the effectiveness of the law, but since we are not able to make direct comparisons to similar companies without employment equity provisions, we cannot rule out such changes as to be rooted in broader social change in Canada. However, if the trend is negative, or only weakly positive, then we could conclude that the EEA is having no substantive effect on employment equity. In other words, progress over time with regard to employment equity is a necessary condition to establish EEA effectiveness, though is not sufficient alone to warrant such a conclusion.
The total size of the employer within Canada and the size of the employment group are also included in our analysis as explanatory variables. Prior research on the effectiveness of affirmative action in the U.S. (Leonard 1983, 1984) has shown associations between organizational size and various indicators of affirmative action effectiveness. Overall organizational size might be expected to impact employment equity in a couple of ways. Large companies are more visible to both the public and government regulators. Thus they may be inclined to pursue more aggressive employment equity efforts to avoid adverse publicity and excessive attention from the government. Also, larger organizations typically have more slack resources and thus may be better able to absorb the costs of making employment adjustments. We would anticipate that firm size is positively related to employment equity attainment. We also see the size of the employment group as highly relevant. Larger units will attract more attention and changes in larger units will also have a larger effect on overall firm employment equity. Larger units will normally have more turnover, allowing the firm to make employment adjustments more easily by responding to attrition. Finally, there may be social constraints imposed on change by close-knit groups in smaller units. We would anticipate that employment group size is positively related to employment equity attainment.
Available evidence, as discussed above, suggests something of a “glass ceiling” for VMs in certain occupations. In particular, VMs seem to have quite limited opportunities in managerial occupations. However, in contrast, relatively educated VMs do seem to have considerable access to professional positions. Thus, we would anticipate relatively low employment equity attainment for managerial occupations, but relatively high attainment in professional occupations (Perinbam 2000; National Capital Alliance 1997; Samuel 1997).
The EEA covers three industrial sectors: banking, transportation, and communications. We would anticipate substantial differences in EE attainment across these industries. Banks are generally highly visible organizations as there is a limited number nationally. Moreover, these organizations are typically quite profitable, so have the necessary resources to implement effective EE programs. In contrast, the transportation sector consists of generally less visible organizations and there are far larger numbers of companies in this sector. Thus, the chances of being a target for governmental action are more limited. This sector is also highly competitive and profit margins are more limited than in the banking sector. The same would apply in the case of the communications industry. Thus, we anticipate that banking will have higher levels of employment equity attainment than either communications or transportation. However, we have no strong prior expectations regarding differences between communications and transportation.
Although there would not seem to be previous research on this issue, we include measures of the type of employment, differentiating among full-time, part-time, and temporary employment. Part-time and temporary jobs are generally viewed as part of the secondary labour market (especially temporary jobs). Discrimination would be expected to shunt VM’s into secondary jobs. In addition, recent immigrants might have much greater luck with secondary labour market jobs. If so, we would expect to see higher levels of VMs, even significant over-representation of this group, inpart-time or temporary jobs.
A final variable in our analysis is the province in which the employment group is situated. There is reason to believe that the province will impact employment equity attainment based on the variations across provinces in terms of culture, social relationships, and concentrations of visible minorities. For example, both British Columbia and Ontario have relatively large VM populations and we might assume that translates into social pressure supportive of EE. Thus employment equity attainment might be expected to be relatively high in those provinces. Despite lower concentrations of VMs, Saskatchewan has a liberal political tradition that might be anticipated to promote higher employment equity attainment. In contrast, conservative provinces, such as Alberta, and those with quite low VM concentrations, such as Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, would be anticipated to have lower social pressure supporting equality, thus generating lower levels of employment equity attainment. But the converse could also hold. Provinces with very high VM concentrations (especially Ontario and British Columbia) might have much greater difficulty in employment equity attainment because of the size of the task and there might be more substantial resistance from non-VM employees to EE initiatives as these workers could feel more threatened.
Our sample consists of the 116 companies that filed EEA reports in each year from 1987 either through 1999, or the last year the company was an independent entity (for companies that went out of business, were acquired, or otherwise changed organizational identity). The unit of observation is the employment group (defined above), not the company as a whole. So, although there are 116 companies in this sample, each company consists of a large number of employment groups. Thus the actual sample size depends on the number of employment groups in each company and on the number of years the company is represented in the sample.
The dependent variable (VM employment equity) has been defined above. All of the predictor variables (also discussed above) were obtained from the HRDC database. The predictor variables include:
A set of dummy variables representing the major occupational categories contained in the dataset. As the occupational categories have changed somewhat over the period 1987-1999, we have had to reconcile these changes to assure comparability (see below).
A set of dummy variables representing all provinces. Only provincial data are analyzed here, as the number of cases and units sizes for territorial data are quite small.
A set of dummy variables used to indicate the year of the EEA report. This variable allows us to assess variations in VM employment equity.
Organizational size. This is measured both by the total size of the company’s Canadian operations and by the size of the specific employment group. As both measures have quite skewed distributions, we use the logarithm of the total number of Canadian employees in the company in the year of observation (overall company size) and the logarithm of the total number of employees in the employment group (e.g., sales workers in British Columbia) for the year in question (group size).
Dummy variables indicating industrial sector. The EEA applies to three industrial sectors: communications, banking, and transportation. Dummy variables are included to discern sectoral variations in EEA goal attainment.
Dummy variables indicating employment type. We also investigated differences between full-time employees and those who are either employed on a temporary or part-time basis. Dummy variables differentiate among these three categories of employment.
The regression analysis used sets of dummy variables to parameterize the categorical independent variables, including occupation, industrial sector, province, year of observation, and company. A deviational scoring method was used in all cases. As is normally the case with dummy variables in regression analysis, there is one less dummy variable than the number of categories for a given variable. As an example, in the case of provincial categories, there are nine dummy variables corresponding to the ten provinces. The tenth province (in this case Prince Edward Island) serves as a reference group. Prince Edward Island was chosen as it is small, thus allowing the deviations of the larger and more significant provinces to be discerned from the parameter estimates more readily, as explained below. The dummy variables are coded in the following manner. Each of the nine non-reference group provinces has a corresponding dummy variable. This is coded as a one if the observation occurred in that province and zero if it occurred in any of the other eight non-reference group provinces. If the observation occurred in the reference group province (i.e., Prince Edward Island), then all of the provincial dummy variables are coded as negative one. Deviational scoring with dummy variables is somewhat different from the standard approach, in which dummy variables represent the difference in a given category relative to a reference category (i.e., Ontario vs. Prince Edward Island). However, in this study, where there are multiple categories for most of the independent variables, the deviational approach greatly simplifies the presentation and interpretation of the results. If we had used standard dummy variable coding, then we would have needed to do multiple pairwise comparisons among the various provinces (or relevant categories for the other categorical independent variables), as the significance levels and differences for each category dummy would only be relative to the reference (omitted) category. In contrast, the deviational approach provides comparisons of the average value of the dependent variable within each province to the overall average of the dependent variable, holding constant the other independent variables. So the coefficient for the Ontario dummy variable represents the deviation of Ontario cases relative to the overall average after adjusting for occupation, industry, unit size, etc. The deviation from this average for Prince Edward Island, the reference group province, is equivalent to minus the sum of the coefficients for all of the other provincial dummy variables and can thus also be calculated. The same approach is used to code the other categorical variables. Reference groups for occupation, year, industrial sector and employment type are, respectively, semi-skilled manual workers 1987, transportation, and full-time employment.
For the period 1987 through 1996, employers were required to use the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system in reporting employment. This system was changed in 1997 to the National Occupational Classification (NOC) system. Unfortunately, the occupational categories are not the same in these two systems, although it is possible to compare the two systems and find occupational categories that are roughly equivalent. This is important, as otherwise we would not be able to examine employment equity outcomes across the entire time period for which data were available. We would have had the problem of comparing “apples and oranges” in considering the results for the earlier time period and the latter time period. However, occupational categories are very important in this study and cannot be ignored. So we had to develop an alternative set of occupational categories that would be roughly equivalent across the entire 1987-1999 time period.
Fortunately, supplementary information supplied by Canadian governmental agencies allowed us to develop a set of composite occupational categories that, while not completely eliminating the problem of inconsistency in occupational categories over time, did at least provide reasonably comparable categories for the 1987-99 period. There were some instances in which broad occupational titles were identical in the NOC and SOC systems. However, that did not always mean the classifications were identical, as there were situations in which there had to be some shifting of the components of these categories. For example, the “skilled crafts and trades workers” category has the same meaning in the NOC and SOC systems, so no adjustment was needed in this case. “Semi-skilled manual workers” was a category likewise common to the NOC and SOC systems and comparable in meaning in both cases. On the other hand, although the categories “professionals” and “semi-professionals and technicians” are both NOC and SOC categories, there are variations in meaning (e.g., some SOC “semi-professional” occupations were shifted to the “professional” category in the NOC). Thus, it is only possible to compare the sums of professional and semi-professional employment across the two systems. In yet other cases, titles and category meanings are quite dissimilar between the NOC and SOC (e.g., “clerical workers” vs. “clerical personnel” and “administrative and senior clerical personnel”).
To resolve this problem, we created composite occupational codes to cover the entire period of this study. For cases in which NOC and SOC categories were identical in meaning, we maintain those groupings. In other instances, it was necessary to combine certain SOC categories related NOC categories into a new, more general category which would be equivalent in sum across this period. Some categories lacked ready means of comparison, even in aggregate, between the NOC and SOC systems. Consequently, those categories had to be dropped completely from the analysis. Table 1 shows the relationship of the seven composite occupational categories we were able to generate by matching SOC and NOC categories. For example, we created a category of “supervisor” that, for the period in which NOC system was in effect (after 1996), is defined as the sum of the number of individuals in the NOC categories of “Supervisors: crafts and trades” and “Supervisors”. For the SOC period (1996 and earlier), it is set equivalent to the number of individuals in the single SOC category of “Foremen/women”). The other composite categories are similarly defined in Table 1. Finally, some categories could not be matched between the NOC and SOC systems and, as noted, are excluded from our analysis.
Before examining the results of regression analysis, it is useful to consider the overall VM employment equity measure for our sample. Table 2 reports the averages for VM employment equity for the 1987-1999 period, broken down by provincial and occupational categories. The first column under each occupation contains the internal equity measure (proportion of VMs in EEA covered employment groups (italicized)) and the second contains the VM employment equity measure that is used as the dependent variable in this study (difference between internal and external equity (underlined)). Group averages are also presented.
Relationship of Composite Occupational Categories Used in 1987-1999 Data Analysis to NOC and SOC Categories
When considered in total, average internal equity was 2.9 (lower right-hand corner of Table 2). However, over time, this has been substantially less than VM representation in the labour market, as the composite VM employment equity measure on average was –2.2%, indicating that relative VM employment within EEA-covered employment groups was more than two percentage points below VM representation in the broader labour market. Some provinces have relatively average internal equity levels, with Ontario and British Columbia far higher than any other province. Of course, this reflects the much larger VM concentrations in these provinces, fueled in particular by large numbers of Asian immigrants. However, in both instances, VM employment equity is strongly negative (–5.3% in British Columbia and –4.7% in Ontario), indicating that VMs are substantially underrepresented in EEA-covered companies in these provinces. Some other provinces had relatively high VM equity levels (e.g., New Brunswick, Newfoundland), yet have very small numbers of VM workers overall. So, ironically, provinces with the highest concentration of VM employees and the greatest also have had the greatest level of workplace inequity. These averages are , of course for the entire period of the study. In fact, if we only look at the most recent year in our sample (1999), VM equity has improved in both Ontario and British Columbia, but is still rather high (–4% in Ontario and -5.3% in British Columbia). Occupation data also suggest differences in employment equity across groups. Positions such as managers and professional and semiprofessionals, clearly highly desirable jobs, have relatively low employment equity levels, though the lowest average levels were for sales and service workers and also semi-skilled manual workers. VMs achieved highest levels of employment equity generally in first-line supervisory positions and clerical positions.
VM employment equity for the period 1987-1999 was regressed against (a) occupational categories, (b) year of observation, (c) province, (d) industrial sector, (e) employment type, (f) overall company size and (g) unit size. We did preliminary analysis to check outliers and found a small but meaningful number of cases several standard deviations above the mean. We restricted the sample to ±3 standard deviations of the mean (and found this substantially improved model fit). Given the positive values of the outliers, these would have been cases where VMs had done exceptionally well. However, their inclusion would have greatly distorted the results. Residual plots indicated normality. Finally, residual plots also suggested the possibility of heteroskedastic residuals. Assuming residual variance to be related to unit size, we considered different weighted least squares estimates based on unit size as the weighting factor. This analysis suggested weighting did not significantly improve fit, so here we report ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates.
All of the independent variables, except for company and unit sizes, were parameterized as sets of dummy variables using deviational coding (as described in above). Thus, we have a fixed effects model controlling for all of the dimensions across which the sample varies (i.e., time, location, company, and occupation). Descriptive statistics for the independent variables used in this analysis are presented in Table 3. The sample used here consisted of a total of 28571 observations. Overall, the model explains about 18% of the variance in VM employment equity (i.e., adjusted R2), with an F-ratio that is significant at the .001 level; regression results appear in Table 4.
Average Internal Equity and VM Employment Equity by Occupational Category and Province, 1987-1999 a (N = 28572)
a Values for internal employment equity are displayed in italics; values for VM employment equity are underlined.
Descriptive Statistics for Independent Variables Used in Regression Analysis of the VM Employment Equity Measure, 1987-1999
Results of Regression Analysis of the VM Employment Equity Measure, 1987-1999 (N = 28572)
Adjusted R-Square = .18 F33,28538 191.65 (p < .001)
(r) indicates reference group; the coefficient for this category has been imputed, as discussed in the text. In most instances, the standard error is not readily computable and is not reported.
The appropriate approach to assessing the impact of the different sets of categorical variables is a partial F-ratio. That is, we estimate a constrained model, where all of the parameters for a given set of categorical dummy variables are set to zero, while all other parameters are free to vary. We use the difference in R2 between the constrained and the full model (i.e., unconstrained model) to compute an F-ratio that can be used to test the significance of this set of variables.
There are statistically significant variations in VM employment equity across provinces (F9, 28538 = 139.34, p < .001). The parameters represent the average deviation in VM employment equity from the Canadian-wide average after controlling for all of the other explanatory variables. The most negative value is in the case of British Columbia. We could interpret this as indicating that, other things equal, the VM employment equity measure for British Columbia was nearly three percentage points lower than we would have expected it to be, given the other characteristics of these employment units. Another way of thinking about this is that covered employment units in British Columbia would have, on average, had to have made around a three percent adjustment in total employment in order to achieve employment equity equivalent to similar types of units in other parts of Canada. So it is the case here that the more negative this number, the more out of alignment a province is with the overall expected level of VM employment equity.
In terms of the statistically significant effects for individual provinces, employment units in Ontario, Alberta, and Manitoba, as well as British Columbia, had generally under-performed relative to expectation. In contrast, employment units in the Maritimes (especially Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick) did generally better than would be expected. We need to recall, however, that these numbers are all relative to local labour market standards. This does not mean that, for example, employment units in Ontario have lower levels of VM employment than units in Newfoundland; rather, they are lower relative to the local labour market standard than firms in Newfoundland. Some of these results are contrary to expectation; possible explanations are discussed below.
Since this analysis is for the 1987-1999 period in its entirety, we have had to use the more limited set of occupational categories described above that are a composite of NOC and SOC categories. These results suggest considerable variation across the composite occupational categories regarding then achievement of VM employment equity (F6, 28571 = 350.88, p < .001). VM employees did best in supervisor, clerical, and craft and trades positions, where VM employment equity exceeded its expected level after controlling for the other explanatory variables. However, these are generally lower wage positions compared to certain occupational categories where VM workers are substantially under represented (manual workers, sales workers, professionals, and managers).
The coefficient in the regression equation associated with overall company size (i.e., log of Canadian-wide employment) is positive and statistically significant at the .001 level. Thus, larger organizations do a better job of providing equity in employment for VMs than do smaller firms. Given the manner in which the size variable is measured, the statistical estimate indicates that a ten-fold increase in total employment in a firm resulted in roughly a 0.23 percent increase in the VM employment equity measure. Perhaps larger organizations have more in the way of spare resources to focus on achievement of employment equity or perhaps they are more visible than smaller firms, thus more sensitive to the need to comply to EEA requirements. The size of the employment unit had strong and positive impact (significant at .01 level). Where there are larger concentrations of employees of a particular occupational category, VM employment equity is higher. A ten-fold increase in unit size resulted in about a 1.6 percentage point shift in VM employment equity.
The EEA covers three industrial sectors: communications, transportation, and finance. Our analysis indicates a significant impact of industrial sector on VM employment equity levels (F2, 28571 = 185.02, p < .001), with equity levels much higher in the finance sector than either the communications or transportation sectors. In the finance sector, this measure is 1.6 percentage points above the average after controlling for the other explanatory variables. In contrast, the transportation and communications sectors are each below average, with transportation having by far the lowest VM employment equity level.
The overall effect of employment type was statistically significant (F2, 28571 = 5.9, p < .01). However, the VM equity measure was not significantly different from the mean in the case of temporary workers, though was significantly less for part-time employees. These findings suggest that it is not the case, as we speculated it could be, that VMs were over-represented in the secondary labour market (as would have been the case had the coefficients for temporary or part-time workers been strongly positive).
The time indicators (year of observation) had, in net, a statistically significant impact on VM employment equity after controlling for the other explanatory variables (F12, 28571 = 4.82, p < .001). There is a generally upward sloping relationship (i.e., the coefficients for the year dummy variables range form strongly negative in the 1980s and early 1990s, to strongly positive in the late 1990s), suggesting continual improvement in VM employment equity from the implementation of the EEA through 1999.
Our study analyzed the relationship between employment equity attainment for visible minorities under the provisions of the EEA and a variety of contextual factors. There are several major findings. First, as anticipated, larger companies, and also larger employment groups within companies, had higher levels of employment equity attainment. This could have resulted from size being related both to organizational visibility and the availability of greater resources to address EE objectives. Second, there was considerable variation across industrial sectors in terms of EE attainment, with the banking sector having the highest levels, which we also expected to be the case. This may be related to the visibility of banks and the fact the banking sector does not have the strong competitive pressures experienced in the communications and transportation sectors. Thus banks are more apt to have slack resources available to support EE efforts and perhaps are more sensitive, due to size, to the attention of regulators. Third, there was considerable variation across provinces in terms of EE attainment, with the levels of attainment surprisingly low in the two provinces with the highest concentrations of VMs (i.e., Ontario and British Columbia), a finding that was not expected. Perhaps this is because of large numbers of immigrants situating in these provinces in recent years, there may also be a disproportionate number of individuals whose foreign credentials and experience are not recognized by employers in Canada. These individuals may have limited language skills and connections to the broader community. VM groups in other provinces may have been part of better established communities and thus had greater entrée to companies by virtue of greater assimilation. Moreover, the numbers of VMs in some of these provinces was quite small, so companies perhaps needed to engage limited efforts to achieve reasonable EE levels. Fourth, our data indicated a general improvement in EE attainment over time, which would be consistent with EEA effectiveness. Fifth, there was no evidence to suggest that VMs were over-represented in secondary labour market settings. Finally, we observed that EE attainment varied substantially across occupations. VMs are particularly disadvantaged in management, professional, and sales positions, as well as skilled manual jobs.
Clearly this study looks at only selected issues by focusing on contextual data provided in the EEA annual reports. To be sure, these are important dimensions that are presumed to be related to an organization’s propensity to meet employment equity goals. However, future research might focus on more specific organizational characteristics, such as measures of organizational performance, the broader social context, and whether or not the firm is Canadian-owned or foreign. More detailed work of this sort will, however, likely come at the expense of such a large and varied a sample we had for this study.
We believe that these findings have important practical implications, especially with regard to EEA enforcement:
Increased Enforcement: It is clear from our analysis that VM employees in the companies covered by the EEA continue to be substantially under-represented. VM staffing levels as a proportion of total employment in the cases we studied are only about three-quarters of what would be necessary to achieve parity with VM representation in the Census. It is also true that there are a relatively large number of cases in which VM representation is extremely low or non-existent. It is therefore clear that increased and vigorous enforcement of the EEA for the VM group is necessary by the Canadian Human Rights Commission.
More Focus on Occupational Inequities: There are significant disparities in employment opportunities for VM employees across several occupations. In particular, there seems to be a kind of “glass ceiling” operating for VM employees in terms of access to middle and senior management positions. Therefore, companies need to create a climate of acceptance and tolerance for VM employees at these levels by sensitizing top management to the need to eliminate these job barriers. This is also true for sales and service employees, where VM employees are also substantially under-represented. This is relevant as jobs in these occupations may be an important avenue for advancement to higher-level jobs. Economic transition means that jobs in these areas, particularly the service sector, are growing and thus important to the welfare of visible minorities.
More Focus on Sectoral Differences: In the communication and transportation sectors, VM employees remain substantially under-represented. It is important that organizations undertake pro-active recruitment and promotion policies and establish significant goals and timetables to improve VM representation.
More Focus on Company and Employment Group Size: VM employees tend to be under-represented in smaller firms. The Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) needs to pay more attention to monitoring and enforcing employment equity in these types of firms. This is especially critical as smaller and medium enterprises employ a significant and growing proportion of the labour force. Regardless of firm size, visible minorities are even more significantly under-represented in smaller employment units (i.e., a given occupation for a particular company in a particular province). Thus the CHRC cannot afford to minimize monitoring and enforcement in the smaller and perhaps less divisible units of even larger companies. In aggregate, VM under-representation in these units has a substantial adverse impact on achievement of parity with VM representation in the Census.
This study was partially supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). We also wish to acknowledge the assistance of Heritage Canada and Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC).
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Samuel, John. 1997. Visible Minorities and the Public Service of Canada. A Report Submitted to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, Ottawa.
Sloane, Peter, J. and Harish C. Jain. 1990. “Use of Equal Opportunities Legislation in Earnings Differentials.” Industrial Relations Journal, Vol. 21, 221–229.
Taggar, Simon, Harish C. Jain and Morley Gunderson. 1997. “The Status of Employment Equity Programs in Canada.” Proceedings of the 49th Annual Conference of the Industrial Relations Research Association. Madison, Wisc.: IRRA, 310–320.
|Auteurs :||Harish C. Jain et John J. Lawler|
|Titre :||Visible Minorities under the Canadian Employment Equity Act, 1987-1999|
|Revue :||, Volume 59, numéro 3, été 2004, p. 585-611|
Tous droits réservés © Département des relations industrielles de l'Université Laval, 2004 | <urn:uuid:0c0110e7-e91b-4dcb-a02e-dd0842b28e88> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.erudit.org/revue/RI/2004/v59/n3/010926ar.html | 2013-05-19T02:38:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.862525 | 13,615 |
Written by Mary Kay Barton
An insidious plan to install the “New World” state-supported religion – Environmentalism
“Agenda 21” was first introduced to the world at the 1992 UN-sponsored “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro. It addresses virtually every facet of human life and describes in great detail how the concept of “sustainable development” should be implemented at every level of government. (click map to enlarge)
“Agenda 21 proposes an array of actions which are intended to be implemented by every person on earth…. It calls for specific changes in the activities of all people.… Effective execution of Agenda 21 will require a profound reorientation of all humans, unlike anything the world has ever experienced.” [emphasis added] Agenda 21: The Earth Summit Strategy to Save Our Planet, United Nations (1993)
“The Sustainable Development Challenge Grant program is also a step in implementing Agenda 21, the Global Plan of Action on Sustainable Development, signed by the United States at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. All of these programs require broad community participation to identify and address environmental issues.” Environmental Protection Agency, 63 Fed. Reg. 45157 (August 24, 1998).
On January 26, 2012, I attended the final meeting in Batavia, NY for the Finger Lakes “Regional Sustainability Plan,” part of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s $10 million statewide program to have regional Planning Departments orchestrate “sustainability” plans described in NYSERDA’s “Cleaner, Greener Communities” Program. Following is my take on what is going on across New York State in regard to these extensive plans in the making.
As those who have studied the United Nations’ “Agenda 21” plan know, “Sustainability” is a key buzzword that is part-and-parcel of the UN’s Agenda 21 agenda. It’s also meaningless and malleable – allowing activists and planners to bend and shape it to serve their agendas.
the Hollywood crowd loves sustainable development, Agenda 21 and Al Gore.There is no doubt that the “Sustainability” Plan currently being devised by Planning Departments across the state, all of which are acting “under NYSERDA’s thumb” (as one planner phrased it at their first meeting in Batavia), is Agenda 21, under development and in practice (think carbon taxes, “green” energy transfer-of-wealth schemes, and one-world governance). No wonder
At the “open-house style” meeting in Batavia, folks were asked to read the poster boards relevant to each part of the overall plan: Land Use, Water Use, Agriculture, Forestry, Waste Management, Economic Development, and Energy – and then use sticky notes to post their comments on the boards for each particular segment of the plan.
Free-market economists sharply differentiate between central government planning and decentralized market planning (See F.A. Hayak's, Road to Serfdom, pages 34 - 35). Thus, while many see little wrong with developing an overall plan, remember that their coercion crowds out your own planning. And while different aspects of the extensive plans look good at first glance, the devil is in the details.
The fact that NYSERDA is the bureaucracy overseeing this process is the tell-tale warning sign, as the development of renewable energy across the state and ways to regulate hydrocarbon use and carbon dioxide emissions is the overarching goal in each area of the plan.
This should leave everyone very wary about the remaining $90 million – which came from the Northeast’s Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) ratepayer dollars, and which will be offered as “grants” (the proverbial “carrots” used to lead the sheep) to guide our communities into “compliance” with the overall underlying agenda – that of Agenda 21(video series, part 1 on left).
Who knows where the money will come from for Governor Cuomo’s proposed billion-dollar “Green Bank” and $1.5 Billion dollar Solar fund? Remember when Obama President Obama said there were other ways of “skinning the cat” besides cap-and-trade?
One of the biggest warning flags I noted at the meeting (besides the “green” energy push and carbon regulation goals) was on the chart regarding “Land Use.” I noted one line that said, “Home Rule” interferes with inter-municipal cooperation.…” The obvious subliminal message here is that “Home Rule” is a bad thing.
Our municipalities’ long-held, Constitutional right to “Home Rule” is being progressively undermined through this whole process of State-led planning. We are unwittingly, slowly and methodically giving over total control to unelected bureaucrats, planners and activists, who are devising these “green” “sustainability” plans – which are part and parcel of Agenda 21 (which many officials and bureaucrats insist they still know nothing about).
The sad reality is that most of these planners are not at all educated about energy and power. As I was getting ready to leave the meeting, one of the FL Planners asked me what I had thought of the display.
I told him straight out that the obvious push for “unreliables” (aka “renewable”) like wind is a complete waste of our tax- and rate-payer dollars. I told him that while I am certainly all for scientifically-vetted, economically-sound energy-innovation, industrial wind was the biggest scam to ever come down the pike.
Sadly, he responded with the decades-old propaganda line, “Well, we have to do something. Oil is responsible for so much of our pollution.”
I responded, “I’m not talking about oil – which is used for transportation. I’m talking about unreliable wind power – which is used for electricity!”
He tried to argue that eventually we would end up going to all electric vehicles. I just laughed, and said, “Sir, I’m afraid you’ve drank the Kool-Aid! I couldn’t even make it home and back in an electric car.” And imagine trying to recharge car batteries using expensive, intermittent, bird-killing wind turbines!
Thankfully, a local guy who does get it stepped in and said, even if electric vehicles became more prevalent, they could never be used to do the kind of heavy work required on our farms.
As our conversation proceeded, we had the attention of the entire small crowd that was in the room – which played out great, as the facts totally destroyed this planner’s entire argument.
Not one of the five planners who were there knew what “Capacity Value“ was, nor that wind provided virtually NONE. I told him that wind is not the future, and in all actuality, there is a direct correlation between RELIABLE, AFFORDABLE power, and increased health and longevity in this country, which he could verify by doing a little research.
I ended up leaving a copy of John Etherington’s The Wind Farm Scam: An Ecologist’s Evaluation and Robert Bryce’s Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future with one of the head planners there.
Hopefully, they will actually read them and reverse course, so that New York State can cut its budget, preserve the environment, and safeguard our neighbors’ quality of life and property values – all at the same time. As it is now, the energy-illiterate planners guiding the development of (UN-initiated) “Sustainability Plans” in New York State (Governor Andrew Cuomo and his cohorts at NYSERDA) are not basing their decisions on sound science, but on politics surrounding the UN’s “New World,” state-supported religion of “Environmentalism.”
As Paul Driessen stated so well: "Climate alarmism and pseudo-science have justified all manner of regulations, carbon trading, carbon taxes, renewable energy programs and other initiatives that increase the cost of everything we make, grow, ship, eat, heat, cool, wear and do – and thus impair job creation, economic growth, living standards, health, welfare and ecological values."
Whether the “Sustainability Plans” are in New York State or Timbuktu, there is nothing at all that is “sustainable” about any of this.
Mary Kay Barton is a retired health educator and New York State small business owner, and a tireless advocate for scientifically sound, affordable and reliable electricity for all Americans. She has served over the past decade in local water quality organizations and enjoys gardening and birding in her National Wildlife Federation “Backyard Wildlife Habitat.” | <urn:uuid:b34abff3-91bb-4af6-9073-fd2a89982cd4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rightsidenews.com/2013030732132/life-and-science/energy-and-environment/new-yorks-sustainability-plan-aka-agenda-21/print.html | 2013-05-19T02:24:37Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949649 | 1,903 |
"Silver Linings Playbook" is a frequently hilarious, often poignant romantic comedy about two deeply damaged people. At the center of it is Bradley Cooper, who strikes notes of despair not previously explored in his more mainstream films like "The Hangover" and "Wedding Crashers."
While his co-stars Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence and Jacki Weaver are all past Oscar nominees (or, in De Niro’s case, Oscar winners) whose work has been celebrated, Cooper’s biggest kudo to date was being named People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive. On Wednesday, he won best actor honors from the National Board of Review for "Silver Linings Playbook." It’s not belittling his work in the "Hangover" films to say that we didn’t know he had this in him.
In David O. Russell’s sharp, smart film, Cooper is a revelation as a bipolar man struggling to readjust to life after a stint in a mental institution.
This film and this role are a challenging mixture of comedy and drama. Was that intimidating?
I was very nervous starting out because nobody had ever given me the opportunity to do something like this before. I thought, “I don’t know if I can do it, and I certainly know that if it’s David O. Russell directing, I can’t fake it.”
Was there a lot of rehearsal?
No. It was very much, Show up having done your work. Without the rehearsal process, the exploration occurs on film. There is no, “Let’s nail the scene.” With David it’s all about, “Let’s explore the scene.” There are these emotional buoys to get to, but there are many ways to get there.
This is your second movie with Robert De Niro. Why do you like working with him?
It’s the safest place you want to be on the field. It’s like saying you’re going to do this two-on-two basketball game, and Michael Jordan’s your partner.
Was De Niro helpful during filming?
I was trepidatious about many aspects of this film, and Robert De Niro was a big part of the reason that I thought that I could possibly do it. He allayed any fears I had by saying, “Don’t worry. You’re from Philly, you know this.” He said, “Your mother should play your mother. We should screen test her. Let me talk to David.” I said, “Bob, hold on, I don’t think my mother needs to play my mother.”
David said he saw a lot of anger in you. Did you know that was there?
He’s talking about the character I played in "Wedding Crashers," that he saw a lot of real anger in me, not acting anger. We talked about our past. I’m 37, and I’m a lot different than I was at 25 and, yeah, there are parts of my life that I was ruled by anger, I guess. I never thought the first thing you get from me is anger. But you know what, he’s a very sensitive guy, and he might not have been wrong.
There is such a strong sense of place in the film. This Philadelphia suburb is almost a character in the movie, no?
Very much like "The Fighter." He’s in a real sweet spot with that, David O. Russell. It’s something that interests him and inspires him, stories about specific cultural entities. The house also is almost a character in this movie, and one almost believes we’re living in that house. David had people cooking as we were shooting so you could smell the food.
Football culture dominates this movie. You grew up in Philly, were you an Eagles fan?
Huge Eagles fan.
Is it as violent a culture as it is in the film?
Philly is notorious. Philly is the town that throws batteries at the opposing team and famously threw an ice ball at Santa Claus.
Have you experienced that culture at all?
My father was old school, and he would take us to games all the time. When he grew up, the idea of stadium was a huge deal and we would wear ties. Man, oh man, that’s asking for trouble, because I had this bowl haircut and blond hair and looked like a girl with a tie on. As I got older I took him to Eagles games, and that was kind of wonderful. Right before he died -- the Sunday before he died -- I took him to the Green Bay-Philly playoff game.
The movie has a lot to do with fathers and sons. Did you draw on your own relationship with your father?
You draw on everything. In this film, Philadelphia, that house, the smell of the gravy, the creaking of the stairs just like my grandparents’ house helped. All of that makes the imaginary feel very real.
Did you research what it’s like to be bipolar?
What I’ve learned about bipolarity is that it’s like snowflakes: No two are the same. It’s about how do I find that in my life, by using my experience and what I’ve observed. That meant exploring things in my life and people I know, and that also meant looking at documentaries, footage, tons of stuff.
You don’t want to overpower the audience with the condition, because they’re not going to come on board. We found that in the first week of shooting. I tried some things that felt real, and David thought it’s just too much, we needed to dial it down a bit.
One thing you seemed to do was alter your speech to signal that something is a bit off about this guy.
This guy doesn’t have a filter when he speaks because things are processed differently. He speaks in a completely different pattern than the way I talk, and that pattern was guided by David O. Russell and the way it was written.
Is the film trying to remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses?
It’s not for us to say. I remember watching Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Thomas Anderson being interviewed after a screening for "There Will Be Blood," and they were asked, “Is this an environmental indictment?” And they said, “Uhh, it’s about this guy.” From knowing David and going through this process, he had one objective and that is to tell an authentic story about people who are very dear to his heart. The more specific you make it, the more things that can be extracted. If you try to start with a big idea, it could become pedantic.
You seem to be doing personal projects after appearing in more mainstream fare. Are you enjoying the rewards of being bankable?
I never was like, “I’m going to make three movies like "The Hangover" which will finance my friends’ movies and then work with the directors I’ve longed to work with my whole life.” It’s really simple: I just want to work with great directors.
From De Niro to co-star Jennifer Lawrence, you have frequent collaborators. Are you trying to create a sense of community through your work?
I’m always looking for a sense of community in life and work. There’s a reason why Martin Scorsese works with Robert De Niro for six movies and then Leonardo DiCaprio for six movies. Because when it works, cinema is a collaborative art form.
To that end, you are working with David again. What is your next project about?
It’s an untitled project about Abscam. In the late ’70s in New Jersey and Delaware, there was a takedown of politicians through an FBI sting operation. It’s not a good guy/bad guy thing. Just like "The Fighter" wasn’t really about fighting, it’s the same thing. It’s about this world.
What about directing. Is that in the cards?
Oh yeah, dying to. If I had a project, I’d be doing it right now. There’s one that me and my friend are writing. We’re adapting this series of books by Dan Simmons called "Hyperion," but it’s a massive story. It’s like saying, “There’s this thing called "Avatar" that I’m looking to get my hands on.”
What does it mean to you to be in the Oscar conversation?
If I’ve learned anything from the 10 years I’ve been in this business, it’s don’t ever listen to hype. I remember doing "Kitchen Confidential," this TV series. After shooting the pilot and that got picked up, someone said, “Sit back, your life’s about to change. You’re going to get an Emmy.” I said, “Really?” Three episodes aired. They canceled it after three.
What do you think about awards?
They are ridiculous, in the sense that, How can you pick the best of a subjective art form? That said, I grew up watching the Oscars. I don’t think I’ve ever missed an Oscars show. I’ve definitely succumbed to the pageantry of it all as a lover of film, while at the same time recognizing that it means nothing. If you ask somebody do you know what was the best movie the year that "Goodfellas" came out, I would be reluctant to think that people would say "Dances With Wolves." Yet that won Best Picture.
Are there any performances this year that you’ve been impressed with?
Yes, Sam Rockwell in "Seven Psychopaths." I know that he’s had a lot of success, but I still think he’s under appreciated. I loved what Tom Hardy was doing in "The Dark Knight Rises." I wish I could have seen his face more, because I think it was so clear that he was tapped in. | <urn:uuid:a03c0fe6-e0f3-4af2-838f-10ce6d5fd35e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thewrap.com/awards/column-post/silver-lining-playbooks-bradley-cooper-goes-mental-67556 | 2013-05-19T02:09:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368696383156/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516092623-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979356 | 2,187 |
[Ronald Hutton, History of Pagan Witchcraft, in
Witchcraft and magic in Europe: The twentieth century
ed. Bengt Ankarloo and Stuart Clark, p. 54]
1."Witchcraft doesn’t pay for broken windows."
Indeed, Gardner's witches did multiply, and soon Doreen Valiente had formed a new, sister Coven, in 1957. A number of factors contributed to this growth, among them being the publication in 1954 of Gardner's book Witchcraft Today, combined with Gardner's eagerness and talent for courting of public attention.
However, a great deal of the resulting attention paid to Gardner and his Witches was decidedly negative. According to Hutton (continuing on in his essay on The History of Pagan Witchcraft already quoted above), starting in 1955 the popular press began to "run features attacking witchcraft as Satanism .... In 1957 and 1959 the original London coven was denounced sensationally and unscrupulously, putting a considerable strain on its members and fracturing relations between Valiente's group and Gerald Gardner." In response, Gardner came out with (in 1959) The Meaning of Witchcraft: "answering the press attacks and attempting to establish the historical credentials of his religion more firmly by relating it to a string of ancient religious texts and images, and later magical groups." [p. 55]
(It should be noted, at least parenthetically, that, Hutton's crude misdirection notwithstanding, the connections drawn by Gardner, in The Meaning of Witchcraft, between 20th century Wicca and "ancient religious texts and images, and later magical groups," constitutes a seamless continuation of the way Gardner had presented the history and roots of Wicca previously in Witchcraft Today. In fact, Gardner had included in the Foward of that earlier book a prominent reference to the Mystery cult of Isis and the writings of Platonic philosopher Apuleius, who was an initiate in the cults of Isis, Asclepius, and Hermes, and possibly that of other deities as well. Gardner also devoted an entire chapter of Witchcraft Today to "The Witches and the Mysteries", as well as another chapter titled "Out of the Land of Egypt", which is also primarily focused on the Mystery Religions of the ancient world. And there are in addition significant references to the Mysteries in the chapters on "Witch Beliefs" and "Witch Practices".)
The following two passages from the first chapter of The Meaning of Witchcraft give some indication of the kind of hostility that Gardner and "his Witches" were up against:
"I am a member of the Society for Psychical Research, and on the Committee of the Folklore Society; so I wanted to tell of my discovery. But I was met with a determined refusal. 'The Age of Persecution is not over,' they told me; 'give anyone half a chance and the fires will blaze up again.' When I said to one of them, 'Why do you keep all these things so secret still? There’s no persecution nowadays!' I was told, 'Oh, isn’t there? If people knew what I was, every time a child in the village was ill, or somebody’s chickens died, I should get the blame for it. Witchcraft doesn’t pay for broken windows.'
"I can remember as a boy reading in the papers of a woman being burned alive in Southern Ireland as a witch; but I could not believe that there could be any persecution nowadays in England. So, against their better judgment, they agreed to let me write a little about the cult in the form of fictions, an historical novel where a witch says a little of what they believe and of how they were persecuted. This was published in 1949 under the title of High Magic’s Aid.
"In 1951 a very important event occurred. The Government of the day passed the Fraudulent Mediums Act, which repealed and replaced the last remaining Witchcraft Act, under which spiritualists used to be prosecuted in modern times. This Act is, I believe, unique in legally recognising the existence of genuine mediumship and psychic powers.
"I thought that at last common sense and religious freedom had prevailed; but even so, the passage of this Act was highly obnoxious to certain religious bodies which had been preaching against Spiritualism for years and trying to outlaw it as 'the work of Satan,' together with any other societies to which they objected, including Freemasonry and, of course, witchcraft.
"About a year previously, this Museum had been opened, and I had flattered myself that showing what witchcraft really is, an ancient religion, would arouse no hostility in any quarter. I was to find out in due course how wrong I was!
"Any attempt to show witchcraft in anything even remotely resembling a favourable light, or to challenge the old representation of it as something uniformly evil and devilish, or even to present it as a legitimate object of study, can still arouse the most surprising reactions. The virtues of humanism, which Charles Saltman defined as 'sensitivity, intelligence and erudition, together with integrity, curiosity and tolerance,' have still quite a long way to go in their struggle against the mentality which produced the Malleus Maleficarum."
[The Meaning of Witchcraft, pp. 11-12]
"The Old Horned God of the witches is not the Satan of Christianity, and no amount of theological argument will make him so. He is, in fact, the oldest deity known to man, and is depicted in the oldest representation of a divinity which has yet been found, namely the Stone Age painting in the innermost recess of the Caverne des Trois Freres at Ariege. He is the old phallic god of fertility who has come forth from the morning of the world, and who was already of immeasurable antiquity before Egypt and Babylon, let alone before the Christian era. Nor did he perish at the cry that Great Pan was dead. Secretly through the centuries, hidden deeper and deeper as time went on, his worship and that of the naked Moon Goddess, his bride, the Lady of Mystery and Magic and the forbidden joys, continued sometimes among the great ones of the land, sometimes in humble cottages, or on lonely heaths and in the depths of darkling woods, on summer nights when the moon rode high. It does so still.
"From time to time the public have been treated to various highly-coloured and highly unconvincing 'revelations' in the popular Press and elsewhere upon the subject of 'Black Magic', 'Satanism', and similar matters, and occasionally these have been linked with witchcraft. Let me state right away that I personally maintain an attitude of thorough-going scepticism towards these things, and that even if they do exist I do not consider them to have any relation to the survival of the witch cult. Alleged 'confessions', especially where witchcraft is mentioned, bear ample internal evidence of their own meretriciousness, in that they are obviously modelled upon sensational thrillers and reveal no knowledge whatever of genuine witch practices."
[The Meaning of Witchcraft, pp. 21-22]
"That there is no positive evil."
Rachel Beauvoir-Dominique is an Oxford educated anthropologist who is chair of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at l'Université d'Etat d'Haïti. She is also a highly respected Priestess (Mambo) in the Haitian Vodou religion. In September of 2009 (fully 55 years after Gerald Gardner wrote Witchcraft Today), Beauvoir-Dominique was interviewed in conjunction with an exhibit on Vodou at the Museum of World Culture in Gothenburg, Sweden (too see the interview, go here).
The first question asked of Professor Beauvoir-Dominique was "what is Vodou?" A perfectly reasonable question, to which the Mambo gives a very informative answer. However, it does not take long for the other shoe to drop. The second question was "Are there any evil forces in Vodou?" To which Professor Beauvoir-Dominique again gives a very educational answer, part of which is:
"Vodou ... is part of Haitian culture, and in this culture we don't see that there is Evil. We think that the word Evil is constructed, it comes from other places, and is really not ours. The "good" and the "bad" are very Christian notions, very Manichean. We think more in terms of grays, of black becoming white, of white becoming black. Of Yin and Yang. As in the figure of Yin and Yang -- there is a perpetual movement of things. And for us there is no Evil. Things become evil when they are seen through evil eyes."
This chapter on "The Black Mass" is, in fact, the section of The Meaning of Witchcraft in which Gardner introduces Sallustius' Peri Theon kai Kosmou and pronounces it to be "a general statement" of the beliefs of Wiccans (as discussed in Part One of this series). The first portion of Sallustius' Pagan Manifesto that Gardner quotes is the entirety of Section XII: "The origin of evil things; and that there is no positive evil."
"The Gods being good and making all things, how do evils exist in the world? Or perhaps it is better first to state the fact that, the Gods being good and making all things, there is no positive evil, it only comes by absence of good; just as darkness itself does not exist, but only comes about by absence of light.
"If evil exists it must exist either in Gods or minds or souls or bodies. It does not exist in any God, for all god is good. If anyone speaks of a 'bad mind' he means a mind without mind. If of a bad soul, he will make the soul inferior to body, for no body in itself is evil. If he says that evil is made up of soul and body together, it is absurd that separately they should not be evil, but joined should create evil.
"Suppose it is said that there are evil spirits: - if they have their power from the Gods, they cannot be evil; if from elsewhere, the Gods do not make all things. If they do not make all things, then either they wish to or cannot, or they can and do not wish; neither of which is consistent with the idea of god. We may see, therefore, from these arguments, that there is no positive evil in the world.
"It is in the activities of men that the evils appear, and that not of all men nor always. And as to these, if men sinned for the sake of evil, nature itself would be evil. But if the adulterer thinks his adultery bad but his pleasure good, and the murderer thinks the murder bad but the money he gets by it good, and the man who does evil to an enemy thinks that to do evil is bad but to punish his enemy good, and if the soul commits all its sins in that way, then the evils are done for the sake of goodness. (In the same way, because in a given place light does not exist, there comes darkness, which has no positive existence.) The soul sins therefore because, while aiming at good, it makes mistakes about the good, because it is not primary essence. And we see many things done by the Gods to prevent it from making mistakes and to heal it when it has made them. Arts and sciences, curses and prayers, sacrifices and initiations, laws and constitutions, judgments and punishments, all came into existence for the sake of preventing souls from sinning; and when they are gone forth from the body, Gods and spirits of purification cleanse them of their sins."
[On the Gods and the Cosmsos, Sallustius, Section XII: "The origin of evil things; and that there is no positive evil."]
"The inner meaning of religious rituals."
The section of Sallustius that Gardner turned to first requires little or no explanation. It is, in fact, one of the clearest explications of a Pagan answer to the so-called "Problem of Evil". Less clear, perhaps, are Gardner's reasons for his next selection from Sallustius, which deals with, as Gardner styles it, "the inner meaning of religious rituals."
"It is impious to suppose that the divine is affected for good or ill by human things. The Gods are always good and always do good and never harm, being always in the same state and like themselves. The truth simply is that, when we are good, we are joined to the Gods by our likeness; when bad, we are separated from them by our unlikeness. And when we live according to virture we cling to the Gods, and when we become evil we make the Gods our enemies -- not because they are angered against us, but because our sins prevent the light of the Gods from shining upon us, and put us in communion with spirits of punishment. And if by prayers and sacrifices we find forgiveness of sins, we do not appease or change the Gods, but by what we do and by our turning toward the Divine we heal our own badness and so enjoy again the goodness of the Gods. To say that the Gods turn away from evil is like saying that the sun hides himself from the blind.
"This solves the question about sacrifices and other rites performed to the Gods. The divine itself is without needs, and the worship is paid for our own benefit. The providence of the Gods reaches everywhere and needs only some congruity for its reception. All congruity comes about by representation and likeness; for which reason the temples are made in representation of heaven, the altar of earth, the images of life (that is why they are made like living things), the prayers of the element of though, the mystic letters of the unspeakable celestial forces, the herbs and stones of matter, and the sacrificial animals of the irrational life in us.
"From all these things the Gods gain nothing; what gain could there be to God? It is we who gain some communion with them."
[On the Gods and the Cosmsos, Sallustius, Section XIV (partial): "In what sense, though the Gods never change, they are said to be made angry and appeased." And also Section XV: "Why we give worship to the Gods when they need nothing."]
The issue here is not merely the accusation that Pagans do evil things, but rather that we worship Evil Things. This accusation goes back to the earliest days of Christianity. Among its clearest expressions is that found in the writings of Augustine, and his City of God, Against the Pagans in particular. Somewhat ironically, Augustine wrote that work largely as a defense of Christianity against the accusation, from Pagans, that the Christian prohibitions against the worship of the old Gods had led to the downfall of Rome (some of the historical background to this is discussed in Reflections on Vergil and Augustine.)
In Book VIII of his Against the Pagans, Augustine asserts that the traditional Gods worshipped at Pagan festivals and in the urban Pagan temples are "rather malign demons than gods." Furthermore, Augustine employs a favorite Christian trope that is still popular today with Ronald Hutton and his fanbase, in which it is claimed that the religion of ancient philosophers is somehow different from and unrelated to that of the Pagan masses generally. (By this logic the "philosophy" of Augustine is equally unrelated the lowbrow Christianity of the ignorant, unwashed masses who make up the vast bulk of the Army of Christ, thus making Augustine no Christian at all. But any such appeal to consistency is lost on the likes of Hutton.)
And so Augustine now focuses not on "the fabulous, that is, the theatrical" theology of the plebs, nor on the more staid "civil, that is, the urban" theology of the aristocratic priests and priestesses serving the deities of the polis. Instead, Augustine explains that he wishes to address himself "not to ordinary men, but to philosophers ... concerning the theology which they call natural." In particular, Augustine, and here he shows that he knows what he is about, directly attacks the magical and erotic theology set forth by Socrates in Plato's dialogues.
In his famous speech in the Symposium, Socrates had revealed what the Witch (for surely she fits Gardner's profile for ancient Witches) Diotima had revealed to him as a young man concerning the nature of Eros. She had instructed Socrates that Eros is not really a God, per se, but rather a Daemon: "A great Daemon, Socrates; for the whole realm of the Daemons is intermediary between the Gods and mortals." At this point Socrates had inquired about the "powers" possessed by these Daemons. And here is Diotima's answer:
"Interpreting and conveying things from men to Gods, and things from Gods to men, prayers and sacrifices from one, commands and requitals in exchange for sacrifices from the other, since, being in between both, the Daemons fill the region between both so that the All is bound together with itself.
"Through this Daemonic realm moves all prophetic art and the art of priests having to do with sacrifices and rituals and spells, and all powers of prophecy and enchantment. The Gods do not mingle with mortals, but all intercourse and conversation of the Gods with humans, waking and sleeping, are through this intermediary realm. Those who are wise about such things are truly divine, but those who are wise about any other arts or crafts are mere technicians and mechanics. The Daemons, then, are many and manifold, and one of them is Eros."
[202d-203a, taken from R.E. Allen's translation, with some liberties]
Almost two thousand years later, Marsilio Ficino wondered why Diotima, in addition to describing the great Daemon Eros as clever, philosophical and a sophist, had also imputed magical powers to Eros:
"But why do we think that Eros is a magician? Because the whole power of magic consists in Eros. The work of magic is the attraction of one thing by another because of a certain affinity of nature. But the parts of this world, like the parts of a single animal, all deriving from a single author, are joined to each other by the communion of a single nature. Therefore just as the brain, lungs, heart, liver and the rest of the parts draw something from each other, and help each other, and sympathize with any one of them when it suffers, so the parts of this great animal [the cosmos as a single living being], that is, the bodies of the world, similarly joined together, borrow and lend natures to and from each other. From this common relationship is born a common love; from love, a common attraction. And this is true magic .... [T]he works of magic are works of nature, but art is its handmaiden .... The ancients attributed this art to Daemons, because the Daemons understand what is the inter-relation of natural things, what is appropriate to each, and how the harmony of things, if lacking anywhere, can be restored .... They [the ancients, such as Socrates, Zoroaster, Apollonius of Tyana, and Porphyry] seem to have become magicians through friendship of the Daemons, just as the Daemons are magicians through understanding the friendship of things themselves. And all nature, because of mutual love, is called a magician."
[De Amore, Marsilio Ficino. This is specificaly from Speech VI, using the translation by Sears Jane, p. 127 of the 1985 Spring Publications edition]
The take home message from Augustine's polemics against Plato, Apuleius, and Hermes is that the whole Daemonic realm is, in reality, Demonic in the sense of being purely Evil. In other words, what Plato portrayed as the liminal realm of the Cosmos, situated above the human realm, whose purpose is to connect us with the Gods, and which is responsible for the efficacy of both religious practices and magic arts; that this is in fact an infernal realm populated with demons that are "arrogant" and "deceiving" who prey on those who seek "divine refuge" by "feigning divinity". These demons are everywhere "lying in wait for the deception of man!"
The Christian view, then, is that (1) Pagan religiosity is generally evil, (2) more specifically, the spiritual Powers upon which Pagans call are evil beings, and (3) the whole spiritual realm (outside of the Holy Ghost and "angels") is filled with and characterized by malignant Evil. It is in order to counter these dark (and as perversely self-serving as they are self-revealing) Christian fantasies, which they sometimes try to hide behind the philosophical niceties of the so-called "Problem of Evil", that Gardner invokes the words of Sallustius on the subject of the "the inner meaning of religious ritual." In essence, Gardner wishes to categorically disprove any idea that the magical/religious practices of Wiccans amount to calling upon evil forces. However, Gardner chooses not to explicitly defend the liminal/Daemonic aspects of Platonic theology but to explicate Pagan rituals in such terms as (1) being "joined to the Gods", (2) having "the light of the Gods ... shining upon us", and (3) "by turning toward the Gods we heal our own badness and so enjoy again the goodness of the Gods." All this and more comes about because "The providence of the Gods reaches everywhere and needs only some congruity for its reception."
The fact is that Sallustius provides no opportunity to more directly defend the intermediary spiritual realm, for, true to the title of the work, he sticks to "the Gods" and "the Cosmos". And it is unlikely, anyway, that Gardner would have thought there could be anything to be gained by trying to convince the general public that Wicca relies on daemons, but not on demons. And then there was also Gardner's choice to (dishonestly, as is now generally accepted) deny the very real connections between his Wicca and Ceremonial Magic (where explicit references to Daemons are easy to find).
But (even though he avoids direct references to Daemons) it is quite clear that Gerald Gardner in 1959, just like practitioners of Vodou today, had to defend himself against the mindset that all spiritual powers outside Christianity are by definition infernal, evil and Satanic. And Gardner turns to the Platonic Paganism of Sallustius to assert both that (1) in terms of belief, "Wicca positively denies the existence of a Power of Evil" (using Gardner's words), and (2) in terms of practice, the Gods of Wicca "are always good and always do good and never harm" and "worship [of the Gods] is paid for our own benefit," with the end in mind that by such worship we might "live according to virture" and be "joined to the Gods by our likeness to them" (using Sallustius' words as cited by Gardner).
Modern Paganism and the Ancient Mysteries:
- Part One: Sallustius, Gardner & Wicca: "A general statement of their creed."
- Part Two: Gerald Gardner, Sallustius, and the Problem of Evil
- Part Three: Gerald Gardner, Sallustius, and Reincarnation
- Part Four: "Divested of their garments" | <urn:uuid:7a87a1c6-1f46-4355-8ff0-d8b55ca5cd19> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://egregores.blogspot.com/2011_02_06_archive.html | 2013-05-22T00:28:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962954 | 4,944 |
Texas Sate School Board
Dear Mrs. Leo,
I read about the ugly confrontation you recently had with Barney the Dinosaur. I know at first glance, it may have seemed like just another attempt by the secularists to poison our children's minds with science, but their choice of Barney hints at an even more sinister purpose.
Just take a look at him. He's as purple as a church deacon in The Castro on a Saturday night. Don't you doubt for a moment why he's colored in that hue. He's purple for a purpose. He's telling the world he's out and proud and here to recruit our children by pushing his homosexual agenda in their schools.
He's a huge threat to our efforts to put God back into the classroom. And you, as one of God's staunchest defenders on the school board, have to stop him. Now, you're not going to get anywhere challenging his science curriculum or attacking his homosexual agenda. We've been trying to defeat both for years without success. You need to take another approach; you need to bring him into Christ's fold.
I suggest you try to convert him to Mormonism. Yes, I know it's kind of cultish and all, but it does offer an advantage you can't find in any other sect--it will bleach the purple right out of his 5000 year-old hide. According to Mormon scripture, his skin will turn "white and delightsome" once he joins the Lord's team. Then, he'll be useless to the Gay and their scientist co-demons.
Heterosexually yours in a chaste and biblically appropriate kind of way,
Gen. JC Christian, patriot
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Political Cartoon is by Nate Beeler in The Washington Examiner.
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I'm sure a lot of you were wondering what happened to Ann Coulter this election season. The right has trotted her out to wage culture wars reliably ever since 1998. But she hardly was visible at all this year.
Well, if you happen to be one of those lost souls who belongs to the Conservative Book Club, then you received one of these e-mails in your Inbox this week from Coulter.
[Click here to see the full letter.]
As you can see, it's a letter that starts out by teeing off the emerging right-wing meme attempting to blame Barack Obama for the current economic meltdown, mostly by noting that Wall Street firms donated more heavily to Obama's campaign than to John McCain's:
If you've been wondering why the financial industry is in meltdown -- and taking your 401(k) or investment portfolio down with it -- now you know.
Let's face it: The former frat boys who populate Wall Street today understand economics as well as the pinko professors whose courses they snored through.
Now, it's true that Democrats were heavily preferred by Wall Street campaign donors this year, but that has far more to do with their historic preference for lining up behind the perceived likely winners of a given election season. And even a blind pig -- or a right-wing pundit -- could sense before the season even started that the Republican brand was giving off the distinct odor of fetid slop.
But if those same Wall Street pinko-educated frat boys are as ignorant of economics this year as Coulter claims, then wouldn't they have been equally so in 2000 and 2004, when they gave heavily instead to Coulter's then-preferred candidate, George W. Bush? Something doesn't exactly add up here.
That's all just throat-clearing, though, for Coulter's main pitch: She's selling you a financial newsletter written by a fellow named Mark Skousen, whose PhD in economics seems to impress Coulter mightily (if only she gave as much credence to people who actually won the Nobel Prize in economics).
Three years ago, Skousen was selling the same scam through the Heritage Foundation, promising super-hot stock tips if only you subscribed to his pricey investment newsletter. No word on how that hot tech stock actually did -- but I'd wager it performed about as well the return on assisting former Nigerian prime ministers.
Skousen, however, is not just your average "conservative economist." He actually is an adherent of the same far-right school of "libertarian" economics as Ron Paul: he advocates a return to the gold standard, the dismantling of the IRS and the Federal Reserve, and most of the other conspiratorial nonsense that accompanies these theories. Like Paul, he's a devotee of the Ludwig Van Mises Institute, which promotes much of this malarkey, and he's likewise actually a Bircherite in libertarian clothing. Indeed, Paul was one of the headliners at Skousen's "FreedomFest" earlier this year in Las Vegas.
Like most of the Bircher wing of the libertarian movement, Skousen consistently takes a far-right political position on labor issues, too. He wrote a piece denouncing "card check" union organizing just last month.
Skousen is the nephew of the late noted John Birch/Mormon figure W. Cleon Skousen; his brother, Joel Skousen, is famous for promoting Patriot-style "New World Order" conspiracy theories. All three of them promote the far-right version of "constitutionalism," which is all about the belief that secret elites manipulate the economy and the political process, wield the IRS and Federal Reserve as political weapons along with a huge federal bureaucracy, all of which violates the original unamended (or "organic") Constitution.
So this is what Ann Coulter is reduced to these days: Shilling for Patriot-style right-wing moneymaking scams.
But then, I guess it isn't surprising that Coulter is heading down this same path. During the past campaign, she actually came out in support of Ron Paul.
Well, fools and their money are soon parted. And anyone foolish enough to take their investment advice from Ann Coulter will get everything they deserve.
But I'm wondering when we'll see Coulter turn up in late-night infomercials for gold Liberty Dollars with her own image stamped on them. Because that's the road -- the one leading to ignominious obscurity and irrelevance -- she's headed down.
And I can't think of a more deserved fate.
With the resolution of Missouri for McCain and NE-2 for Obama, the final EV count is 365-173. Which makes the winner of our Presidential Forecast Contest reader Roger Lewis, who had the only entry which correctly guessed the exact number of Electoral Votes. (Full list of entries here). Interestingly, no one got all the states (even ignoring NE-2) correct. It was the MO/IN combination that was difficult - only two entries correctly gave MO to McCain and IN to Obama. Roger had the two states wrong, but still nailed the total EV count since both states had 11 EVs.
Johnny, tell Roger what he's won:
Roger, you've won an assortment of credentials to Democratic Conventions, both from this year and from years past. You've also won an official Obama-Biden yard sign, and other Obama "stuff".
Thanks to everybody for taking part.
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Go Gators! Just to kick off our nightly college football discussion. Just kidding.
This is an Open Thread.
Chris Cillizza has the scoop: Barack Obama has cut a new 60-second radio ad in support of former state Rep. Jim Martin's Senate campaign in Georgia. In the ad, which was obtained by The Fix moments ago, Obama thanks everyone who voted for him on[...]
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During a White House meeting last week, a group of governors asked President Bush and Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, about their backup plan for Iraq. What would the administration do if its new strategy didn't work?
The conclusion they took away, the governors later said, was that there is no Plan B. "I'm a Marine," Pace told them, "and Marines don't talk about failure. They talk about victory."
Pace had a simple way of summarizing the administration's position..."Plan B was to make Plan A work."
And now, as the White House scrambles to get a Status of Forces agreement signed:
Q: I just have a quick one on Iraq. The Hill is being briefed on the final agreement. What happens if the Iraqi parliament does not approve it on Monday -- or Sunday or Monday? Do you have to then go to the U.N., or what happens there?
MS. PERINO: Well, our focus is on Plan A, and trying to get Plan A to work, which is to get this agreement done...
Q: So you don't think there's any Plan B that's going to take place?
MS. PERINO: We think we're on a good trajectory right now.
Once again, with lives on the line, the White House is flying by the seat of their pants.
Rupert Murdoch’announced today that Fox News’s top executive, Roger Ailes, has signed a five year contract extension with News Corp. “Roger has done a remarkable job building FOX News into a force in journalism and built a great asset for News Corporation,” said Murdoch in a statement. Ailes said that he looks “forward to carrying out Mr. Murdoch’s legendary vision in the future.”
I bought a copy of the homeless written and sold Street Sense magazine today, after seeing this[...]
Read The Full Article: | <urn:uuid:5d32b67c-910a-4ca5-b95a-7f00616dbb71> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://leftword.blogdig.net/archives/date/20/November/2008/6 | 2013-05-22T00:43:01Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368700958435/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516104238-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969379 | 1,991 |
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|Calling all fair-skinned beauties!|
|26-07-2004, 04:10 PM||#1|
In the make up polls and the Faces threads I have noticed that there are a number of girls who also seem to linger down the Ivory end of the foundation spectrum. While I have my base routine perfected (or close enough to) I have a fear of using colour on my face that is any more daring than a rosy lipgloss or a smoky grey eyeshadow - I just have no idea what would suit my colouring
So I'd like anyone else with pale skin to fess up what is your cosmetic collection and how you wear it (like if you find certain products go together nicely). It'd be nice if you could include your hair/eye colour to so I can compare it to me - I'm a golden blonde with blue eyes and annoyingly white skin with pink cheeks ops:
|26-07-2004, 04:14 PM||#2|
I'm a dark brunette with very dark brown eyes and similarly annoying pale skin.
I wear whatever takes my fancy
I think cool tones suit me more... so I often play with green and blue eyeshadows, as well as more neutral shades.
My preferance is always for pink cheeks and pink lips though, with occasional dalliances with plummy reds for my lips
Fav green shadows are:
Stila Irma La Douce (warm golden olive)
Stila Jade (true green)
Laura Mercier Mermaid (very light soft green)
A variety of Shu greens for more vivid looks
Bloom Lagoon (wild peacock green)
Stila Blue Confections Palette
Dior Denim Palette
All mentioned in the thread about which lipglosses brunettes wear
Don't be afraid to try colours because you're pale... I think a lot of colours actually help to brighten up a pale face
|26-07-2004, 04:17 PM||#5|
I am very very pale Im the lightest foundation colour in all brands ive tried, and even they seem to dark on me!
I have blue eyes and dark brown hair. I have a few freckles, but they have faded alot. Unlike you tho, i have very white cheeks!
I think your lucky to have a natural rosy sheeks-as i wear heaps of blush to avoid the pasty look hehe. I like pink and rose colours on my lips aswell
I avoid bright coloured eyeshadows ans i think they are to bright against the fair skin(even though it looks stunning on some people)Im not talented ebough to use them
I also prefer the smokey eyes look, as it seems to soften the dark eyeliner rather then leaving a harsh line
Im sorry im not much help - I would also be very interested in everyones ideas for fair skin
|26-07-2004, 04:50 PM||#6|
I'm very boring with make-up I'm afraid. Most days (well every day actually!) I just wear brown/beigy colours on my eyes, if I'm making an effort for a night out or whatever I'll wear purpley shades, but very muted ones. Always pink lipsticks and rarely wear blush - in fact I don't think I even own one any more, like you I can have quite rosy cheeks and always feel like a clown if I wear blush!
My skin is pale with fading freckles, hazel eyes and dark brown hair.
Sorry, that's probably not much help!
|26-07-2004, 04:51 PM||#7|
Miss-k from your description I think I have very similar colouring to you.
I also don't use a lot of different colours in my makeup though I have found that warm brown, aqua/greeny blues, soft pinks and soft grey work quite well on the eyes. I'm also a fan of smokey eyes, I think its very reliable and tends to suit any outfit.
|26-07-2004, 04:58 PM||#8|
This is great so keep the ideas coming! Also feel free to name names if you have a fave star product..
|26-07-2004, 05:07 PM||#9|
We sound to have very similar colouring, miss-k! I too have golden blonde hair, blue eyes, naturally rosy cheeks and a few freckles. I'm a MAC C2 or NC20 as a guide. In most other brands I am the palest foundation they have.
Until about 2 years ago I was VERY scared of colour on my eyes so only wore taupes. Then I branched out with a lilac, got heaps of compliments when I wore it and since then I have gradually built up a collection of about every colour under the sun! Along with the lilac I personally like a pale grass-green on my eyelids as it looks fresh and brings out the blue in my eyes.
I'm cool-toned so tend towards those and they seem to suit me better. Some eye shadows that suit me that I reach for regularly are:
* Stila kitten - a champagne sort of shimmer
* Stila heather - a shimmery pale pink
* MAC vex - a pearly grey/green with pink reflect
* MAC paint in canton candy - a fairy floss pink
* MAC fiction - a forest green frost
* MAC shroom - pearlescent beige
* MAC aquadisiac - shimmery aqua
* Bloom moss - a velvety green
* Bloom lagoon - a blue/green
* Bloom olive - a velvet khaki/olive
* Isa Dora quad of silvers and greys (can't remember the name)
* Clinique storm cloud - a blue/grey
* Clinique south beach - a beige shimmer
* David Jones sonny & Cher duo - shimmery silver and lilac/grey
* Several Red Earth light greens and blues (hurry, as the stores leave Australia very soon - sorry, can't remember all the shade numbers)
* Rimmel saucy mint - a pale green
The lilac I first started out with was a Revlon duo but I'm at work and don't have it on me to check the name. I'm not even sure if it's still around but you'd be able to find something similar in other brands. I think Stila and MAC have similar (their ranges are quite large in terms of eye shadow and the quality is good too).
In summary for eyes I really like:
* Light greens
* Silvers/shimmery greys
* Shimmery nudes
* Pale pinks (but be careful of application so as not to look tired, sick or as if you've been crying)
As for lipsticks and glosses, I love mostly pinky shades because my lips aren't very pigmented naturally. Some of the ones I use the most often include:
* Bloom wand lipgloss in cutie pie
* Bloom wand lipgloss in tint
* MAC lipglass in lovechild
* MAC lipstick in plum dandy
* Chanel lipgloss in praline
* JT in fraise
* Revlon superlustrous lipgloss in plum pearl
* L'Oreal glam shine gloss in muse
* Bobbi Brown lipgloss in ruby sugar
* Clinique almost lipstick in black honey
* Clinique almost lipstick in bronze lilac
* Clinique lipstick in blushing nude
* Clinique lipstick in nude splash
* Dior addict ultra gloss lipstick in ultra mauve #680
* Maybelline wear n go lipstick in go spice
* Chanel lipstick in calypso
* Laura Mercier sheer lipstick in healthy lips
If you have naturally rosy cheeks then I'd suggest a sheer blush. My current fave for this is Chanel irrellee blush in be-bop. It's a really light blue-based pink shot with silver shimmer and is very subtle but it can be layered. I also like Clinique's mocha pink. It's less sheer but an almost universally flattering shade.
If you want to bronze up a bit in the summer, I'd suggest MAC bronzing powder in golden. I only bought it yesterday but so far so good. Most bronzers I've tried either go too orange or look like dirt on my face but this gives a healthy glow with only a hint of shimmer.
I would advise you go to a counter that you feel comfortable with and get the sales assistants to try things on you and see what you like. Buy a few things and enjoy experimenting. Then, if you are on a tight budget you can look for similar shades in Priceline but I would suggest getting a few staples that you can always rely on.
Hope this helps and hope you have fun discovering all the goodies that await you!
A smile increases your face value!
|26-07-2004, 05:14 PM||#10|
|Post a Reply »|
|Thread||Thread Starter||Forum||Replies||Last Post|
|Sun advice for really, really, really fair skin!||Alex21||Beauty: Skincare and Fragrance||6||26-10-2004 04:09 PM|
|Fair Skinned Models||GLamTaSTiC||Show coverage Models and Designers||9||14-10-2004 01:55 PM|
|Fair Skin||GLamTaSTiC||Beauty: Skincare and Fragrance||5||14-10-2004 02:18 AM| | <urn:uuid:90dd575f-7432-4fd8-b79b-347dc310ec2a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forums.vogue.com.au/showthread.php?t=15770 | 2013-05-24T08:28:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.908368 | 2,116 |
Gay-rights activists are celebrating in Puerto Rico after the Senate passed a sweeping bill that bans discrimination on sexual orientation and gender identity. The Puerto Rico Senate voted on May 16, 15-11, to pass Bill 238 just days after San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz issued two executive orders banning discrimination against the city’s LGBT municipal employees. Now, the bill moves on to the House and faces hurdles from a group of lawmakers in the lower chamber who have come out against it. The bill, though, has one famous supporter. Puerto Rican Ricky Martin released a statement in support of the law. “The rights of homosexual people are human rights and human rights are for everyone,” Martin said in the letter released by his representative in San Juan.
For the original report go to http://www.passportmagazine.com/blog/archives/28490-puerto-rico-senate-approves-anti-discrimination-bill-moves-on-to-house.html
The Indian Caribbean Museum, described as “a national treasure, a window to the past, and an opportunity to see history come alive”, has been cited by a National Geographic publication that showcases 500 of the world’s most powerful and spiritual places and guides travellers who wish to visit them, as Paras Ramoutar reports in this article for twocircles.com.
“This is a fitting recognition in just seven years of our existence, especially as we celebrate the 168th Indian Arrival Day May 30,” Sansbhan Jokhoo, the curator of the museum that serves as a link between indentured Indian labourers and the present, told IANS.
“The Indian Caribbean Museum has international prominence and recognition as the only one of its kind in the world. Not even India has one. And before the inauguration of the Kolkata memorial last year planners from India came to visit our facility,” Jokhoo said.
The Kolkata memorial, in the city’s Garden Reach area, remembers the indentured Indian labourers who left India during the 19th & early 20th centuries to work on plantations in the West Indies.
Between 1845 and 1917, approximately 148,000 Indians were brought to this country, principally from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and worked to rescue the decaying plantations following the abolition of slavery by the British government.
It is to keep alive their memory that Satnarayan Maharaj, secretary general of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha (SDMS) launched the museum, which features in “Sacred Places of a Lifetime – 500 of the World’s Most Peaceful and Powerful Destinations”.
The collection includes items such as rare musical instruments, agricultural objects, cooking utensils, pieces of clothing, ancient photographs and historical books. Objects of historical and aesthetic value include a sapat (wooden slipper) jata (grinding stone) boli (gourd bowl) and hassawa (grass knife). There is also a huge copper basin that was used for boiling cane syrup in the sugar factories up to the 1930s, and a dekha (a wooden contraption used for grinding cocoa, coffee beans, corn and rice).
The museum, which has become a research centre with the country’s National Archives, also houses an art gallery, a reference library and a computerised genealogical database. A botanical garden is also in the making. The institution is a member of the Caribbean Museum Association, which comprises 20 institutions spread across the region.
“The Indian Caribbean Museum is a national treasure, a window to the past, and an opportunity to see history come alive. To many visitors, it evokes memories of the past, a link to the present, and a vision for the future. The museum serves as a foundation for collective memory, cultural continuity and national development,” Jokhoo said.
“It provides a common experience that families can share across generations and serve as a link between revered ancestors and living people. The museum provides information on the cultural heritage of Indians in the Caribbean to themselves and to people of all ethnic backgrounds,” he added.
“The Caribbean Indian Museum holds fundamental importance and relevance to the continued kinship and affinity with India, and within the entire Indian diaspora, as it has myriad symbolic, cultural, religious and transcendental interpretations and meanings for all. It remains a monument for posterity. It will remain ageless,” Jokhoo said.
Since its inception, in excess of 45,000 persons from all walks of life from the four corners of the globe have visited the museum, according to Ann Marie Ramhit, an assistant.
She said that Dennison Moore, who wrote the Canadian government’s policy on multiculturalism, recently donated 107 books reflecting different aspects of India and the diaspora to the library.
“This donation has augmented our educational stock for research, as well as for leisure reading,” Ramhit added.
Winston Dookeran, now the Trinidad and Tobago foreign minister, had in 2006 opened the museum, located in the west-central part of Trinidad.
For the original report go to http://twocircles.net/2013may23/indian_caribbean_museum_nat_geo_list_500_sacred_places.html
Scientists say three to six major hurricanes will hit US, some in areas far beyond those typically associated with extreme storms, as Suzanne Goldenberg reports in this article for London’s Guardian.
Americans were warned on Thursday to brace for an extremely active hurricane season – less than a year after the devastation of Sandy, which hit the east coast in October 2012 – with 13 to 20 named storms, including seven to 11 hurricanes.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, releasing its annual forecast, said 2013 would be prolific in raising storms out of the Atlantic and Caribbean. Of the predicted hurricanes, Noaa predicted that three to six could be major hurricanes, rated category three and packing winds of 111mph or higher.
Thursday’s forecast was well above the average of 12 named storms, eight hurricanes and three major hurricanes. Administration officials also warned that the impacts of those storms – as with Sandy and Irene in 2011 – could be felt in areas far beyond those typically associated with hurricanes and tropical storms.
Sandy killed scores as it made its way across the Caribbean to the north-east US. While it was only a category two storm when it made landfall near Atlantic City in New Jersey, Sandy caused more than $75bn in damage. Lower Manhattan was knocked off the electrical grid for days because of storm surges and coastal communities have yet to recover.
“As we saw first-hand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall,” said Kathryn Sullivan, the acting Noaa administrator.
Noaa scientists said there were three main causes behind the forecast of an extremely active season. They included a continuation of an atmospheric climate pattern, which includes a strong west African monsoon, that has been contributing to high activity during Atlantic hurricane season since the 1990s. Warmer ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and Caribbean oceans, where many storms originate, are also making for stronger storms. Officials said temperatures were on average about 0.8 of one degree fahrenheit above average.
El Niño, which can inhibit storm systems, was not expected to develop during this year’s hurricane season. The season runs from 1 June to 1 November.
“There are no mitigating factors that we can see that will suppress the activity,” said Gerry Bell, Noaa’s lead Atlantic hurricane forecaster. “The computer models all point to an active, or very active, hurricane season.”
Thursday’s forecast was released at a time when Republicans in Congress are sharply scrutinising Noaa’s role in forecasting. Earlier in the day, a house committee held a hearing to discuss privatising some of the forecasting functions that are overseen by the premier scientific agency. There has also been criticism of Noaa’s messaging in advance of Hurricane Sandy, and whether its decision to officially downgrade the storm when it made landfall in New Jersey induced a false sense of security among some coastal communities.
Noaa officials, in unveiling their 2013 forecast, noted improvements to computer models that would allow better far-range prediction of storms. New Doppler radar data, to be introduced in July, will allow forecasters to better analyse rapidly changing storm conditions, officials said. However, the officials said it was impossible at this juncture to predict which coastal communities along the Atlantic coast are most likely to be hit this year.
It is also not yet clear when the storms will hit. As Sullivan noted, Sandy struck in the waning days of the hurricane season. “Hurricane Sandy was at the very end of the hurricane season and yet was one of the most devastating storms that we have ever seen,” she said.
But officials said repeatedly that residents the length of the coast – and beyond – needed to prepare in advance, in order to be able to ride out storms in their homes or, if needed, have an exit plan in place. Such preparations should include putting aside a 72-hour supply of food and water at home, or having an evacuation plan in case of storm damage or flooding.
“This is a very dangerous hurricane season,” said Joe Nimmich, who directs disaster response and recovery for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. “If you are not prepared you may become one of the statistics we don’t care to have.”
For the original report go to http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/23/noaa-forecast-active-hurricane-season
The special issue, edited by Lorna Burns and Wendy Knepper, seeks to “sound new directions in Harris studies and attempt both to reinvigorate the current file and establish a new agenda for future scholarship.”
Journal of Postcolonial Writing, Vol. 49, No. 2, 01 May 2013 is now available on Taylor & Francis Online.
Special Issue: “-Scapes” of Globality in the Work of Wilson Harris
This new issue contains the following articles:
Articles Revisionary “-scapes” of globality in the work of Wilson Harris: introduction Lorna Burns & Wendy Knepper Pages: 127-132 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776361
The reality of trespass: Wilson Harris and an impossible poetics of the Americas Gemma Robinson Pages: 133-147 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776372
The “impossible quest for wholeness”: sugar, cassava, and the ecological aesthetic in The Guyana Quartet Michael Niblett Pages: 148-160 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776374
Cataclysmic life in Wilson Harris’s Jonestown Wendy Knepper Pages: 161-173 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776376
Philosophy of the imagination: time, immanence and the events that wound us in Wilson Harris’s Jonestown Lorna Burns Pages: 174-186 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776378
Legends of the Fall: on rereading Companions of the Day and Night Michael Mitchell Pages: 187-197 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776383
Kaieteur: place of the pharmakos and deconstruction Tim Cribb Pages: 198-208 DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.776386
Intrasubjectivity in the philosophy of Wilson Harris Paget Henry Pages: 209-221. DOI: 10.1080/17449855.2013.779093
As part of the International Colloquium “La diversidad cultural en el Caribe” [Cultural Diversity in the Caribbean] being held from May 20 to May 24, 2013, Casa de las Américas presents “Rostros del Carnaval” [Faces of the Carnival] a photographic exhibition by Mario Picayo and Mariano Hernández. The exhibition opens tonight, Thursday, May 23, at 7:00pm, at Galería Mariano. The gallery is located at #607 15th Street, between Avenues B and C in Vedado (Havana, Cuba).
For more information, see http://www.lapapeleta.cult.cu/actividad/detalles/1429-rostros-del-carnaval/
The 13th International Conference on Caribbean Literature (ICCL)—Panama in the Caribbean: The Caribbean in Panama—will be hosted by the University of Panama, the country’s largest and most renowned institution of higher learning, on November 13-16, 2013. The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2013.
Description: For this historic event, ICCL will assemble 150-200 scholars from a host of colleges and universities in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The hosts have arranged a unique program to interact with the Panamanian people as you explore important historical and cultural sites in Panama City, while you engage in lectures, discussions, readings, and performances by prominent Panamanian scholars, writers, and artists. Of course, you will be afforded the unforgettable experience of touring one of the world’s technological, commercial, and geographical wonders: the Panama Canal.
Although the organizers are particularly interested in Caribbean literature, presentatios may focus on any aspect of Caribbean culture. Papers and panels may be presented in Spanish, French, and English. Please send one-page abstracts as indicated below:
(French or Spanish presentations)Dr. Jorge Román-Lagunas Department of Modern Languages Purdue University Calumet 2200 169th Street Hammond, IN 46323-2094 Phone: 219-989-2379 Fax: 219-746-9372 Email: [email protected]
(English Presentations)Dr. Melvin B. Rahming Department of English Morehouse College 830 Westview Dr., S.W. Atlanta, GA 30314Phone: 404-572-3607 Fax: 404-614-8545 Email: [email protected]
For further conference details, visitwww.icclconference.org
Today (May 23, 2013), Campus Principal and Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Clement Sankat, will host a public lecture and launch of Britain’s Black Debt: Reparation for Caribbean Slavery & Native Genocide, a book by Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, at the Daaga Auditorium, University of the West Indies-St. Augustine at 5:30pm.
Description: Since the mid-nineteenth-century abolition of slavery, the call for reparations for the crime of African enslavement and native genocide has been growing. In the Caribbean, grassroots and official voices now constitute a regional reparations movement. It is a fractured, contentious and divisive call, but it generates considerable public interest.
Britain’s Black Debt is the first scholarly work that looks comprehensively at the reparations discussion in the Caribbean. Author Hilary McD. Beckles is a leading economic historian of the region and a seasoned activist in the wider movement for social justice and advocacy of historical truth, and as such, he is uniquely positioned to explore the origins and development of reparations as a regional and international process. Beckles weaves detailed historical data on Caribbean slavery and the transatlantic slave trade together with legal principles and the politics of postcolonialism, and sets out a solid academic analysis of the evidence. He concludes that Britain has a case of reparations to answer, which the Caribbean should litigate.
International law provides that chattel slavery as practised by Britain was a crime against humanity. Slavery was invested in by the royal family, the government, the established church, most elite families, and large public institutions in the private and public sector. Citing the legal principles of unjust and criminal enrichment, Beckles presents a compelling argument for Britain’s payment of its black debt, a debt that it continues to deny in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Britain’s Black Debt is at once an exciting narration of Britain’s dominance of the slave markets that enriched the economy and a seminal conceptual journey into the hidden politics and public posturing of leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. No work of this kind has ever been attempted. No author has had the diversity of historical research skills, national and international political involvement, and personal engagement as an activist to present such a complex yet accessible work of scholarship.
Professor Sir Hilary McD. Beckles holds a Chair in Social and Economic History, University of the West Indies-Cave Hill, Barbados, where he is also Principal and Pro-Vice Chancellor. He is Vice-President of the International Scientific Committee for the UNESCO Slave Route Project, and member of the International Advisory Board of the Cultures and Globalization Series. A leading voice on reparations issues, he led the Barbados National Delegation and coordinated Caribbean actions at the UN Conference on Race in Durban, 2001. His many publications including Natural Rebels: A Social History of Enslaved Black Women in Barbados; Centering Woman: Gender Discourses in Caribbean Slave Society; and A History of Barbados: From Amerindian Settlement to Nation-State.
For more information, see http://sta.uwi.edu/news/ecalendar/event.asp?id=1925
For purchasing information, see http://www.amazon.com/Britains-Black-Debt-Reparations-Caribbean/dp/976640349X
In his column “Dowd on Drinks,” Bill Dowd (Times Union) writes about how the Bacardi Company is releasing a television commercial that capitalizes on the supposed historical origins of the “Cuba Libre” cocktail—rum and Coke. [Remember to watch the video of the ad in the link below!]
Through all sorts of societal changes and over several generations, the Cuba Libre has endured as a very popular cocktail. The recipe is a simple one: Light rum, Coca-Cola and a squeeze of lime. Where it came from is, as is the case with so many cocktail origins, a matter of opinion.
The most popular version matches that told in a soon-to-be-released Bacardi USA TV commercial — that it was created in Cuba in 1900 as Colonel Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders helped fight for the island’s independence from Spain — and takeover by the U.S. They toasted the victory with the cheer “Free Cuba!” or “Cuba Libre!” in Spanish. The spot, reports Advertising Age, is the first in a series of ads showing historical events that shaped the 151 year-old brand, which has links to the creation of other rum cocktails such as the Daiquiri and Mojito. However, Coca-Cola won’t be getting a free ride on the Bacardi advertising dollar. The ad will refer to the drink as “run [sic] and cola.”
The historic theme may well be in response to competitors’ rum ads featuring historic personalities. Diageo has recast its once silly Captain Morgan as real-life privateer Captain Henry Morgan of the 1600s. William Grant & Sons is pushing its Sailor Jerry rum by using Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins, a renowned American tattoo artist and Navy man of the mid-1900s. Last year, both brands gained market share on Bacardi, although it remains the top-selling U.S. rum with 35.4% share in 2012, according to Euromonitor International which measures volume of liters sold. Captain Morgan is No. 2 with 23.2%, and Sailor Jerry No. 7 at 2.6%.
Bacardi’s campaign is timed to coincide with Cuban Independence Day on Monday. Interesting, considering both Bacardi and Coca-Cola left the island nation after Fidel Castro came to power. Bacardi now is made in Puerto Rico; Coca-Cola in plants all over the world — except Cuba and North Korea where the product is not sold.
For original post, see http://blog.timesunion.com/dowdondrinks/new-ad-revives-the-history-of-the-cuba-libre/14685/
Xylem’s YSI Integrated Systems and Services (ISS) has been awarded a contract for five marine monitoring buoys by The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC). The buoys will collect high-quality data for researchers studying climate change in the Caribbean Sea, including the waters of Barbados, Belize, Dominican Republic, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. The customized YSI EMM 2000 buoys will measure, record and transmit real-time water quality and meteorological data as key components of a Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS). The entire system will be powered by solar panels.
“The Caribbean is a unique part of the world. Our waters are the ‘bread basket’ for the region, and we must be diligent in protecting and sustaining them,” says Dr. Kenrick Leslie, CCCCC executive director. “We are very excited to build our education and research infrastructure with the addition of this important technology project for addressing the impacts of climate change on the Caribbean ecosystem.” [. . .] Coral reefs play an extremely important role in the Caribbean economy for tourism as well as food production and food security. The regions’ unique reefs have been impacted by rising sea temperatures and pollution. Long-term monitoring of environmental conditions in the Caribbean will help researchers track the health of the reefs, among the oldest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet, and mirrors similar systems already installed at key reef sites in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Data will allow development of climate models and ecological forecasting in coral reef ecosystems.
[. . .] Caribbean researchers and scientists from national and regional universities, government coastal marine research departments and non-governmental organizations are expected to use and benefit from the data to be generated by the CREWS stations. The CREWS system will be expandable with additional sensors and parameters—such as CO2 and underwater photo-synthetically active radiation (PAR)—to accommodate visiting researchers who later join the collaborative project.
The CCCCC will work with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and YSI to install and operate this network, beginning in spring 2013. The CREWS project is funded by the European Union and the Global Climate Change Alliance in the amount of US $617,000 (€ 465,000) and is part of a wider climate change project – “The Global Climate Change Alliance Caribbean Support Project” being implemented by the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre. | <urn:uuid:42abdd88-9d9d-494e-a412-aea27f4c5fe4> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://repeatingislands.com/ | 2013-05-24T08:50:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934474 | 4,854 |
The pioneers of the rock ‘n’ roll era on both sides of the Atlantic have now largely faded from the show-business scene — which is hardly surprising, given that those still strutting their stuff are in their 70s and 80s, and even “The King” himself, Elvis Presley, who died in 1977, would be 77 today.
But in Japan, Mickey Curtis is still going strong as a musician five decades after he became a star of the nation’s homegrown rockabilly boom — while as an actor, he is currently starring in a new Shinobu Yaguchi comedy film titled “Robo-G.” Now 73, Curtis plays a lonely codger who finds a new purpose, as well as new troubles, impersonating a humanoid robot.
Born Michael Brian Kachisu on July 23, 1938, to a mother and father who were both of mixed British and Japanese ancestry, Curtis (a name he adapted from his similar-sounding birth name) spent the war years mainly in Shanghai with his parents. His musician father, however, performed a disappearing act with a Russian woman. After the war, his mother — together with a British man who was to become his stepfather — brought him and his sister back to Japan, where Curtis struggled to adapt to an unfamiliar country and culture.
Even as a young boy, Curtis was exposed to American pop by his music-loving parents, and in his teens he studied at the Nihon Jazz Gakko (Nihon Jazz School) founded by a Japanese-American musician named Tib Kamayatsu. At the age of 15, he began performing country music for U.S. servicemen at camps and clubs.
In 1958, not long after Elvis, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry had begun enthralling teenagers and enraging moral guardians in the United States and elsewhere, Curtis joined Masaaki Hirao and Keijiro Yamashita in “Western Carnival” rockabilly shows at a theater in Tokyo’s central Yurakucho district. The three became an immediate sensation with local teens, though their elders typically regarded the music as irritating noise and the shows as akin to scandalous riots.
Unlike fellow Japanese rockers who learned (or approximated) the lyrics of their cover songs phonetically or simply sang them in Japanese, Curtis was fluent in English. He also had a real rebel-rocker attitude nurtured on the tough streets of postwar Japan, where his non-Japanese looks had made him not only a standout but also a target.
In the 1960s, after the rockabilly fad faded, Curtis made a smooth transition to acting for films and singing and emceeing for television. In 1967, he formed a progressive-rock band called Mickey Curtis & His Samurais, which embarked on a long tour of Europe. Returning to Japan in 1970, he became a record producer, working with many top rock and folk-rock acts.
Then, in 1985, after a hiatus of nearly two decades, Curtis resumed his film acting career. Since then his roles have spanned a wide range from doctors to gangsters, and he has worked for such leading directors as Shunji Iwai (“Suwaroteiru [Swallowtail Butterfly]“; 1996), Shohei Imamura (“Akai Hashi no Shita no Nurui Mizu [Warm Water Under a Red Bridge]“; 2001) and Takashi Miike (“Izo”; 2004). In fact, his filmography now comprises more than 100 entries — a total that would soar far higher if his TV drama appearances were added. Abroad, however, Curtis is perhaps best known for his role as a starving soldier in Kon Ichikawa’s “Nobi (Fires on the Plain),” his stark 1959 portrayal of defeated Japanese soldiers in the Philippines in the closing days of the war.
Though he may not have the widest range as an actor, Curtis consistently delivers as the coolest old guy in the room — one who’s always been lean and wiry, is usually pony-tailed and stylishly turned out and is often inwardly amused at the goings-on around him.
When we met for this interview at the Tokyo headquarters of Toho, which is distributing “Robo-G,” Curtis was suffering from a cold, but nonetheless soldiered through our 50-minute exchange with his salty persona and wry sense of humor intact.
Did you have to audition for “Robo-G”?
Everybody in this film had an audition. That’s (Yaguchi’s) way. He auditioned more than 200 senior actors and actresses (for my role).
He’d been doing all these films like “Swing Girls” and “Waterboys,” auditioning young people. If they caught a little fever they’d still go to the audition because they wanted to be in the film. But there were so many old people who couldn’t come to the audition. They’d go “Oh, I caught a fever, I’ve got a bad back, I couldn’t get out of the house.”
So he figured if he’s hiring an actor who’s over 73 years old he’d have to find someone who can act and is slim and healthy, because otherwise during the filming he’ll blow the whole thing.
Did Yaguchi ask you to do anything different from what you normally do?
Well he wanted me to shave my beard off and cut my hair, so people don’t know who it is, right?
Did you have to wear the robot suit all the time?
Yeah all the time, 30 kg of it. It took an hour to put on and 45 minutes to take off, so once you’re wearing it you can’t go to the john, you can’t do sh*t. You can’t even move properly — it’s really hot.
We shot the film in February in Kyushu and I thought, “Great, it’ll be warm with the suit on,” but it was northern Kyushu, minus 2 degrees, and I just stood there in a T-shirt and the suit, and when the cold wind came it got colder and colder and colder. I couldn’t wear anything underneath because the suit fitted too close.
Could you not use heating pads?
No man, nothing! It was even hard to breathe in that suit.
You managed to express the character, though.
I’m a comedian as well, so I got into all kinds of comic stuff on the first day, but after that I’d just do what the director wanted me to. I tried to enter his head and see what he wanted.
Usually a director and actor will have a long talk about the character before shooting starts, and how they’re going to do it all. But this time, after we’d finished working on the design of the suit, I didn’t see Yaguchi until we were on the set. He didn’t want to talk much.
But he’s a funny guy, a very smart guy. It’s all in his head, so all I had to do was do what he said. And if he says “OK,” that’s his problem.
Do you mind if we go back to the beginning and walk through your career?
A new book of mine came out on Jan. 10 and it explains all that. I was a kid during World War II. I was in Shanghai for four years. I couldn’t live in Japan because I was “half,” and if you were bilingual in those days you were automatically a spy — so we couldn’t live in Japan. World War II ended in 1945, and at the end of that year I came back to Japan.
I guess there wasn’t much left here when you came back, was there?
Oh, nada — nothing. We were starving and often ate boiled weeds and flowers and corn powder for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
After the war we came back together, but my dad had changed during the war. My real dad eloped with a Russian girl and left me, my sister and my mother. She found someone else to act as my father — well, my stepfather.
I had a pretty rough time. I had to go to a Japanese public school in Shanghai and just my face set them off. They threw stones at me and shit like that.
Was your Japanese fluent at that time?
I spoke a little Japanese; a little Shanghai-dialect Chinese; a little English.
Had you learned English from your mother?
I think so. I never studied English. I played on a lot of military bases.
Did you also pick it up from listening to FEN (Far East Network, predecessor of today’s American Forces Network-Japan)?
FEN too, yeah, and WVTR (the predecessor of FEN that was also a radio service for U.S. military stationed in Japan).
When you returned to Japan after the war, of course American cultural influence was coming in at that time.
Yeah, so everyone called me “Shinchugun” (Occupation Army).
But at that time, you had never lived in the States.
That’s right. I have only lived in the States for about two years, from 1977 to 1980. I was in Hollywood.
I believe you got into music early.
Like I say in my book, the first American music I ever heard was in Shanghai. My mother was into Bing Crosby and so on, so I heard a lot of jazz music when I was a kid, and classical music, too.
Then we came back to Japan when I was about 10 years old and I wanted to be a pianist. I started learning piano, but it didn’t last long, about a year. I just didn’t have it. Then I heard (clarinetist and bandleader) Benny Goodman’s “Live at Carnegie Hall” album (from a concert of his in New York in 1938). I said “Wow this is it! That’s my music!”
Did you want to play clarinet?
No, I was just listening. Instead of listening to classical I started listening to jazz more. I was a very shy kid. I couldn’t communicate with people, so my mother bought me a ukulele to make me a little happier.
Then I got into guitar, and when I was about 15 I gave my first performance, I think at St. Luke’s Hospital (in Tokyo). All the injured people from the Korean War (1950-53) came to stay at St. Luke’s Hospital. Did you see 1970′s “M*A*S*H” movie by Robert Altman? You know how Donald Sutherland (playing U.S. Army doctor Capt. “Hawkeye” Pierce) comes to Japan with his black medical bag? Then, when he’s going, he sings (singing) “Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me oh my oh” — and the kids are crying. That’s St Luke’s Hospital.
Am I right in thinking that you started out performing country music?
A lot of country music. There were a lot of jobs for country bands, more than for jazz. A lot of the (U.S.) servicemen in Japan came from the West Coast, so they wanted a lot of country music. I think the East Coast people went to Germany with their jazz. Elvis went to Germany.
Did you see many of the American music acts that came over in the 1950s?
I saw and met Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and just about everybody who came to Japan. In those days there were very few Japanese who could speak English, so the promoters or record labels would call me up when they came to Japan. I had to go out to dinner with Yul Brynner. I was the Japanese part of the Rat Pack — Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr. It was fun.
The “Western Carnival” in 1958 was a huge phenomenon. That was the start of the real rock boom in Japan.
Yes, we started that.
I’ve seen clips from that time. The shows were pretty crazy.
It was just rock and rolling, you know!
But wasn’t the adult world pretty much against it?
The PTAs were against it — the same as in the States in those days. Black music, they used to call it “race music.”
Some of the people in that scene disappeared and some stuck around.
That’s showbiz, man.
But you stuck around.
Right, I kept going. From the “Western Carnival” I went right into movies. I was with Toho Studio. I also had my own TV show.
Didn’t you have to change your music for that?
Not really. It wasn’t the music that people were against. They didn’t understand it anyway. I think it was because all the kids skipped school to come and see our “Western Carnival.” We had two live shows a day, so they just skipped school to come — and each one was packed.
Then you kept on playing live all through the ’60s, I believe.
After that your music changed in the ’60s. You had your own band, Mickey Curtis & His Samurais.
Yeah, those were the Vietnam War days, anti-war, flower-power, 1967. I came back in 1970. I was with the hippies in New York. We were on the streets, we slept in the park.
Back then weren’t you also touring in Europe?
Yeah, we were in Europe — sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. We toured Germany a lot. There’s a lot of towns in Germany (makes German-sounding noises) and we did all of them.
Were you mainly playing in small clubs?
We played the military-club circuit, plus we did the rock clubs. Then we went to England, and we started in the North, in Newcastle, and went all the way down to the South and to Wales. We worked ourselves through London.
Then, didn’t you come back to Japan and became a record producer for a while?
I worked with (Eikichi) Yazawa, Carol, Gedo. . . . I made a lot of hit records.
But you didn’t act in movies for a long time.
I hated a thing with the last movie I did. It was a management problem, like I had booked a few days off and had told the manager but the manager didn’t tell the movie company so they were ready at the set but I didn’t arrive. Plus all the stuff with people scratching each other’s backs — I got fed up with it; so screw it, no more movies.
Then I came back into movies, I don’t know what year. I have to read my book (laughs).
It was the mid-’80s.
Somewhere round there, yeah. I did a lot, three or four a year almost.
Did you start to like it better after you came back?
Oh, I love it. I love working, music, movies, television, rakugo (comic storytelling). I’m a rakugo master. I’m in Tatekawa Danshi’s stable.
Did you get into rakugo early?
I’d been listening to rakugo since I was maybe 8 years old. I went to a yose, which is a comedy store, every day when I was in junior high and high school.
Did you think of doing it more seriously then?
Well I went to listen. I never thought I was going to do it. Then I met Tatekawa Danshi about 20 years ago. I think I was 54 years old by then. He said “Why don’t you do it again? I saw what you used to do when you were young, you could do it again.” So I went back and did it from scratch.
How do you mix rakugo and movies?
Well, rakugo is acting — plus, in rakugo you have to act everybody, right? If there are five parts you to do five characters.
You’ve had a lot of interests, not just acting and singing. Weren’t you once into racing motorcycles.
Yeah, when I was young I was into racing. I did races in Suzuka and circuit races. I’m too old for that now, I don’t do that anymore. I had a bike accident and broke my leg and couldn’t ride for a while, so I went into customizing — I had a custom bike shop. I don’t ride anymore. (My wife) doesn’t want me to break my leg again. I still have five metal pieces in my leg.
Did anyone ever ask you to ride a bike in a movie?
Oh, I’ve done some stuff. I’ve done some stunts, too.
What are you doing now besides the acting and the music?
Now I’m promoting the hell out of this movie every day (laughs). Tomorrow, I have to go to Toyama and Ehime prefectures. I hope I don’t hit any earthquakes (laughs).
You’re also blogging and tweeting. You may be one of the few people of your generation doing that.
And I have an iPhone! I work with an iPhone. I have to change it to a 4S. I haven’t had time to go home to my computer. I’ve been traveling and traveling.
Do you have children?
Three. One from the first marriage and two from the second marriage.
Do they encourage you to do social networking?
No, they don’t come near me unless they need money (laughs). You know how boys are. . . . Everyone says never go into this business, but my oldest one is into video and my second one is a DJ and the third one plays bass in two bands — so they’re all in the business.
Was that your idea?
I don’t think so. DNA, maybe?
A lot of young actors with international backgrounds like yours are coming up quickly now. Do you envy them for having a relatively easy time of it?
No, man — I have nothing to complain about in my life. I had the best time that anybody could have. When I was young they used to put coal in furnaces in cars and burn it to run the engine. From that, I went to the Space Shuttle era. It’s been a tremendous leap. The first telephone I used was a crank phone. I went from a crank phone to an iPhone in one generation.
There’s a lot of nostalgia now for the so-called Showa 30s (the fourth decade of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, who is posthumously known as Emperor Showa). Many now look back and say those years from 1955-65 were the “good old days.” Is that a feeling you share?
I wouldn’t say so. Tomorrow is always better than yesterday. But at this moment, Japan has a big problem. I think this will last for a while. The radiation problem is really ridiculous, but the tsunami and those natural disasters, that’s something else you just can’t predict.
Japan is in a bad way now in terms of economic stagnation, natural disasters and its rapidly graying population. So your current movie, “Robo Ji,” is kind of timely.
I think so. It’s perfect, right? (He then sings a couple of lines from “Mr. Roboto” by Styx:) “Domo arigato Mr. Roboto . . . I’m just a man whose circumstances went beyond his control.” All the lyrics are there, right there.
Where were you when the March 11 earthquake hit last year?
I was home, holding up my DVD rack (laughs).
You’re still performing, right?
Yeah, I just did a five-day tour in Niigata Prefecture. I came back yesterday. I had to do another show last night. Actually, today was my only holiday but (my manager) booked me for this (laughs).
What are the audiences like now — are they only old fans?
Old and new. Old folks with their grandkids. Anybody can have fun with rock ‘n’ roll.
They said it was a fad, but it never went away.
Oldies-but-goodies stay. Some people still think Elvis is alive, right? (Laughs.)
So you’re going to keep doing it for a while?
Until I die. In our business, there’s no end ’cause there’s never a best performance. The next one has to be better than the last one — so you keep going up.
Mickey Curtis’ latest book, “Ore to Senso to Ongaku to” (“Me and the War and Music”), was published last month by Aki Shobo. “Robo Ji” is now showing in cinemas nationwide. | <urn:uuid:c7245e57-1263-4b0a-bb52-42ec0af0199b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2012/02/05/people/mickey-curtis-from-rocker-to-robo-g/ | 2013-05-24T08:46:27Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704392896/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516113952-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.982962 | 4,627 |
The Southern California Trojan, Vol. 14, No. 39, December 19, 1922
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ryywo £ On f/ie Lookout j | Ticket Prices Reduced Nittanny Lions Tough Customers Over-confidence Prevalent Henderson Working Hard Christmas Almost Here Holidays Art Holidays j PRICES TO THE NEW YEAR S j Vol. XIV game were cut in half for the U. S. C. t ■ students, thanks to Warren Bovard Gwynn Wilson snd the Tournament of Roses' officials themselves. Trojans get section of 2500 stats in the cctiter of the field for the rootir.g section ar.d students. Those ttckets are now on sale in the treasurer’s of t.ce. Pack the Rooting Section New Years .California Tickets For Game Go On Sale Today Los Angeles, California, Tuesday, December 19, 1922 No. 39 RECOGNIZE TROJAN IN FORENSICS DOPE POT BOILS AS PENN STATE SQUAD NEARS SCENE OF BATTLE .NITTANNY LlONS ARE a tough lo ;o conquer on the gridiron. They hav< Prologue to the Big Show now going or*. Fenn State booming over the cinders on the way to the Southland; all the camps ’round I about a-hum and a-buzz with prognostications, guesses, surmises, Plan Started to Organize Pacific j hoPes anent the on coming Main Event; the Trojans rounding into Berdine Jack THOUSAND GATHER AT U. FORMAL defeaied iwict> ope sheet slmw this season, but he dope sheet siwiw.s that they made more ground through their opponents' 1 iIi~ in two of those games than was mad*- through their lin<-. which is sav iii}' that the\ ought lo have won tv.«. ol tho:e games. Tie- Pi nn State line j ir* heavy; th»- driving force seems to i <«-nt<-r b**twe* n the two tackles. and ■ no leam this y*-ar has been able t<< | toji tin ir li:i<- plunging That in* ans that Henderson lias <<iti j siderable of a problem trying to figure I out a '-tron?' defense for the ground j gainers from the Quaker region. Tin i Trojan mentor, however, has such a j reputation for football that l.e mav , prove t<i be Daniel in th*1 I.ion's Den : weno’her year rolls around TROJAN STUDENTS HAVE a ter. dency to underrate the eastern team j Where they get the idea that U. S. C i will wm easily cannot be learned, for j Henderson’s pets have only met two really strong teams this season, while the Penn Staters have met six who are as strong as California. Out of these si* big games they lost three, two of those loses were freaks, the other one real. If th*' field is dry and fast on th* 1 first day of next year, the Trojans ma> turn out to he victors. Should ihe I field prove heavy, though, the Hast enters should he favored, for the; have the driving power and weight To carry them through the mud The |*asi Weeti's practice on the wet turf on Bovard Field may prove bene fioial to the Trojan huskies. CHRISTMAS IS COMING almost be fore students are prepared for it. Of ctfurse. students are always prepared for a vacation, hut the Trojan will wager that mom .tf them fiaven't made all the preparations for this Christmas that their former good resolutions had provided for. Many U. S. C. students will go home with a firm determination to write sev eral term papers and catch up with aTl their collateral during the holidays, but they will return on the second day of next year with just as firm a determination to work evenings until they have the work done. Holidays are holidays, no getting around that in the mind of the average student. Coast Inter-Collegiate Debating Conference S. C. INVITED TO JOIN Would Have Schedule Arranged to Determine Championship of C oast Tentative plans for the for mation of a Pacific Coast Inter-Collegiate Debating Conference were laid at a meeting of forensic representatives at Reed College. Washington, a short time ago. U. S. C. has been invited to join this conference. “This comes as a very signal honor,” said Professor Blanks in commenting on the invitation. “It i' i complimentary recognition of 1 S. C We ;:r-‘ inclined to look favorably on the proposal, although ii will have to be passed upon ti\ tlie Faculty Debating Committee mk! by ihe Delia Sigma Who debaling fraternity. Other universities lhal have been asked to join are tlie I'niver-siiv of California. Stanford I'ni-\ ersity. Oregon Agricultural College. fniversity of Oregon. Reed College. Fniversity of Washington, Washington State College, and Whitman 'ollege. Pinal negotiations await the sanction of the institutions concerned. It is planned to have the three institutions in each stall- meet in a tri-to determine the state battle form, on their mettle, anxious for the fray; snap, color, gusto! and a yell and a hush and tlie asbestes fairly burned with fiery, yelling blasts, rises on the “hors d'euvre” of the Football Show, the great Above are The Four Mentors of The I-Jitany Lions Who Are Traveling West to Meet The Trojan Squad at The Tournament of Roses Stadium New Years. From Left to Right The Coaches are: Hinkie Haines, Hugo Bezdek. Bill Martin and George Snell. angular dehat championship. The winning teams from each state will then meet in a triangular contest to decide the chain pionship of the coast. intersectional clash in the Rose Bowl. The Lion or the Trojan? Echo answers, “I think so. Will time honored tradition be ! upheld? Will the modern Daniel, 11 I ihe Trojan, lame the Lions, as of old ? Or will 1 he Lions, fed on ?Iu* modern ‘>|>iri1 of revolt, bite ... (through the Trojan armor as 1 he revitalization of debating ; . , , . . i , j though it were so much chocolate coatingKcho doesn t answer. DEFENSE A PUZZLE * What sort of offensive will Henderson use ! Who will he in the backfield to do all tin* scoring? Enough information has come forth to bank on it that Galloway, Baker and Dolley will comprise three-fourths (continfkd on pack -m through the choice of subjects of dynamic interest to the public at large was also discussed *^VsAAAAAAAAA/WWVAAAAAA/SAAAA , Hunt Succeeds; Ippy Kaks Eat Willie’s Snipes Dear Folks: I am a sick man tonight ma. I’ll tell you why. It was on account of those darned snipes we went hunting for. We didn't get any but will go again next time. And 1 have found out my frat bros aint perservering when tt comes to hunting for snipes. They give tip too easy. Well you see here was the way it is. We drove out in tin* country someplace by Pasadena and stopped on a hill side. As I was good at holding things, they let me hold the sack while they went out and did all the hard work of rounding the snipes up. 1 sat down and began to veil “Here snipie, here snipie," and they went after the snipes. Those frat bros. of mine will never make woodsmen. They lost the trail back to me and never did lind their way back. 1 thought it was a good joke on them as they weren't as good hunters as me. WILLIE’S SQUAWKING SNIPE Well after waiting for a loug time ami yelling “Here snipie." 1 heard a rustle by my side. It was a big dog and he began to lick my face and wanted to play and here 1 was hunting snipes I tried to make him go way but he wouldn't. I kept on saying ‘‘Here snipie" until pretty soon someone came up and says. “Get outa here. What are you doing in my garden So 1 left I went on down the road and pretty soon 1 heard some snipes They sounded just like chickens but I knew they must he snipes So 1 snuk up and grabbed one. He jquawked like a chicken but 1 put ?.im in the sack. Just then that darn tog barked. 1 shut him tip and started ,o get another snipe, when 1 t au into a wire fence and a whole lot of snipes began to squawk .lust then someone <OONT1NCED on last T'ACE) TROJAN IS NEW YEARS PROGRAMME Paper Will Have the “Name of !\ach and Every Player SOLD BY COLLEGE MEN No 'l oungsters to Pester Football I ans W’ith “Official Program SPANISH CLUBS IN JOINT MEET j The New Year’s Trojan will be the official publication at the annual New Year's Day Fast vs. West football classic to be played in the Pasadena stadium. Penn State and F. S. C. are both to be well represented. A four-page rotogravure section featuring ihe pictures, individual and group, of both teams will be of special interest and. also, help in identifying The players. Individual writeups, giving past history, achievements and characteristics of the coaches of the respective Teams will appear in a prominent place. Fniversity men. in U. S. C. rooting caps, are to be the official newsboys. They are to be posted along the dif-ferent roads leading into Pasadena, at the Pacific Electric station and in ihe stadium. The New Year's edition is to be an eleven page paper, costing fifteen cents a copy. Ten thousand copies are to be printed, but. considering the number who will attend the game, it is doubtful if everyone desiring it will be able to purchase his copy unless he does so early. As there is to be no separate program of the game on sale, the Trojan will contain the only reliable, firsthand information of both university and their teams. Next Thursday the Spanish clubs of F. S. C. and Southern Branch will hold a joint meeting at the home of Mrs. Lowther in San Gabriel. The fiesta will begin with a box lunch. Girls will bring a lunch for two. After the lunch, the guests will go over to the Mission church for a short Christmas service. I After the service the students will as- j sentble under the historic old grape | vine for the pinata. The program will follow, consisting of numbers given by each of the clubs. Machines will leave in front of the Administration building at 5:20 p. m. OXNAM TO GIVE RELIGIOUS WORK By an arrangement between Dr. Hill tnd G. Bromley Oxnam. the latter is taking over the classes in Religious Education for the remainder of the term. Dr. Hill has laid the foundation for the course and Oxnam will make practical application of the social teachings of Jesus. Holders of A. S. B. Hooks to Get Neir Years Tick ets Note Holders of the student body books will purchase their tickets to the New Year’s game today and tomorrow at window number 5 of the Treasurer’s office. Ticket number 9 will be torn out. Those students who are not possessors of A. S. B. books will get the second chance at the 2500 seats in the center section, at the price of $2.75, while the faculty will be eligible for the remaining chances, if there are any. One ticket only will be allowed to each student. This measure was taken, according to Gwynn Wilson, to insure students of U. S. C. getting the special rate which the Tournament of Roses have allowed to them. “The tickets were reprinted after the lowering of the price, and we will only have them on sale for two days.” he said. man Has Strong Praise for Corfimittee Work Before F esiivity PROGRAM PLEASES ALL Party Staged Under Auspices of Student Executive Body of u. S. c. One thousand U. S. C. students n gala attire, who assembled in he ballroom of the Hotel Alex;„n Iria last Saturdav evening, agreed n pronouncing the all-University formal the “best ever." Given under the auspices of thc executive committee cf the Asso ,iated Student Body, the affaii was the second' of the three hi*, dl l niversity events to he stayed luring the year. In ihe receiving line for the re cplion which preceded ihe dane« \ ere Dudley I hi Ves. A. S. B • rew, and Berdine Jackman, vice president, as well as president of the affiliated colleges and commit let chairmen. The program, which was brief and popular as had neen predicted, was in 'erspersed between the dances. "A Ballet of the Snowflakes," done by Egan's miniature dancers, five little tots just four years old, captivated the audience. Following the tiny ballet. Harold Allen gave one of his famous whistling solos. “The success of the party," said Miss Jackman, later commenting on the affair, "is due entirely to the splendid spirit of co-operation f-n the part of the committees. It is our desire to put on parties that will furnish a means of bringing together all the young people of the university, on and off the campus; and we endeavor to f I have the affairs so arranged as to be a source of pleasure and agreeable entertainment for all who attend." The third all-Fniversity event to be given by the Associated Student Body probably will he a formal at the Hotel Ambassador some time in tlie spring. COMMERCE MEN HEAR GRUMMERE Cinders Fly as Track Men Prepare For Stiff Season By BILL RICE With old King Football about to draw his last gasp over the defunct form of the Penn State Nittany Lions on New Year’s Day, the nights of the cinderpath are breaking out the old spiked shoes and umbering up their muscles in preparation for one of the stiffest Trojan track schedules in many moons. With Charley Paddock, world's champion, and sprintdcm’s ace cf aces, to top the bill, Couch Cromwell has an array of dash talent hat would cause an Egyptian’ .nummy tc shimmy and chortle FORTY-TWO U. S. C. Next to the one and only nnr\\ P(\ MADTU TA Charley as a headline attraction Iflfcli \|U nUillll IU tnd potential point getter comes rtn/l k D MrFTllir one Otto Anderson, already fa- ASILOMAR MEETING nous in I rojan athletic history a> a football star of no small mairni- ,, ,, _ .. ~.r .. __ , I , *• U. S. C. Men Describe Meetings Hue. ( H i o was 1 fie sensation ot . * i t i i .... at Annual Y. M. L. A. asi vestr s frosti s'inad as a hut it ii i - i i Convention Her anil broad jumper, atnl he gained a firm nileh for himself in uhletic pnnals of the West Itst Fefc-uary 2nd when on the opening day >f the Far We.-tern track and field hampioLship meet at Sacramento, t.e pppe»l three hrst places end ihe honor »f meet high poiru man. Oho took he high barriers in the fast time of *>;:!, and negotiated the low hnr lies in 24:2. Just to make ir a per ecf day tie carried oft first place in ihe broad jump with a i* ap of 22 feet .>4 inches. OLYMPIC STAR ON TEAM Alma Richards, former Olympic man and premier field star, is another >f Cromwell's bets this season. Alma is an all around performer in the field , pastimes, shining in the shot put. dis-':us. high jump and broad jump events. Another record breaker to grace Cromwell’s rolls is Oliver Cory, who holds the Southern California high ; jump record of feet 4-'?4 indie-,. Lynn Davis is aiso a high jumper of ability, having a win over California tt) his credit. Yale Martz. Aden Hughes and ico.NTiNfKP i >x Last HACKETT IS SINGER IN PROGRAMME One w» ek from today 42 enthusiastic Asilomar delegates will leave T.os An-gr-les for Monterey Bay. where they will spend Christmas vacation Final plans f«.r leaving will be form uktred this aft* rnoon at * o'clock at the • V ’ hut, and all delegates are re quested to he there. Assignment for <*tr-, will also be distributed. The day after Christmas is the day set lor departure anti Paso Robles will be reached by nightfall, after a stop at Santa Barbara for lunch, and Monterey Bay a few hours later. CAL. TO LEAD DELEGATES ( California ami Stanford still lead in attendance but the F. S. C.’s tlelepa lion comes close behind with Its 42 men. Of these 42 over half are men who have gone before and can not miss the opportunity to go again. This spirit is expressed by Lawrence TorUh ach»r. who said. “It is one of the big gest opportunities ;i college man has. for he is stimulated to think along the biggest problem of his life his Life Work. The wonderful scenery and \ surroundings are also things not to be ‘ missed." President von KleinSmid and Pro-| lessor Montgomery also praise the work of Asilomar highly. But Asilomar has another side be sides its serious one. Serge Kolesort iconti\i i:i> t >.\* »\u:f. SPANISH EXHIBIT * F. S. C. Department of Spanish is exhibiting its annual Nacimiento or Nativity on Wednesday. A cordial invitation is extended to all members of the student body who are inter e-tod in this unique exhibit of a Span ish custom to call and see the exhibit PAULINE ASSOCIATION << CINCH SUPS” OUT FOR XMAS COMPETITION SOON AMONG GLEE CLUBS Glee clubs of all the universities of California are to hold a contest at IT. S. C. this coming spring, according to an announcement made by Harry Har din. manager of the U. S. C. dee Club. The date of the contest has not been settled. Mrs. J. J. Carter, president of Hollywood Community Chorus, and well known patroness of music, has promised to act as sponsor for the affair. It will probably take place at the Phil haarmonic Auditorium. A corporation was formed December 1. of combined glee clubs with alumni representatives from Stanford, California. F. S. C„ and Pomona as directors. This organization is similar to Eastern glee clubs. Stanford took the initiative in this movement at the first meeting of glee club representatives held in September at that univrsity. Famous Tenor Is Heard Large Crowd Last Evening “Ethics of Modern Business" was the _ .subjec t of an address delivered before I FIRST NUMBER ON COURSE the College of Commerce assembly last ! - Thursday morning, by Mr. Charles t Noted Musicians to Appear On Grttmmere of the Cleveland Discount Fulure Programs—Few Company. * Tickets Left Announcement was made of the for [ .. ,. oil i • I Inaugurating the University ot mation ot the Commerce Scholarship! c • , i , I Southern California Women’s Club con- Society with twelve upper classmen 1 comprising the membership. ENGINEER’S MEET by TO BE FEATURED BY BIG SPEAKERS Christmas cards, familiarly known j as “cinches,” are out again, calling attention to the fact that certain liues of endeavor, as indicated on the cards, need more attention from the recipient. Cards are being put out before vaca-!4<in. that they may subtly suggest that ' of the year to take up Religious Educa SAM STAGG TO .SPEAK BEFORE VOLUNTEERS Sam Stagg, who is leaving the first All students preparing for the ministry are asked to hear Prof. Wm. C. Smith. Wednesday. December 2tt. at 12:ir> p. m.. room 106. It will be worth your time to be present. not all the ensuing days of freedom be spent in leisure. Fully eight hundred students will be asked to take heed "via the white cards." So far the demand for these warnings has been greater than the supply. Fully two-thirds of the anxious inquirers have been sent away conscience-free. . However, the registrar’s office advises that those cards not called for immediately will be mailed home. ATTENTION! GRADUATES! Graduate pictures for the El Rodeo are being taken Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, in the El Rodeo Office, Journalism Building. lion work in Manila, will speak at the Volunteer meeting. Wednesday, at 3:15. in Y Hut. USHERS ALL SECURED C One hundred men from F. S working under the Tournament of Roses' officials will usher at the New Year's game. According to reports from the "Y" the list>Js all signed up. GIRLS’ GLEE MEETS GRADUATES DINE AT U. CAFETERIA Forty graduate students, last Friday, attended the semi-monthly lnncheon in the Fniversity cafeteria. Mrs. Gnlick, a graduate of Cornell, gave an unusually interesting talk on the out standing features of that representa tive institution. Mr. Lacy, president of the graduate association, announces another luncheon, the second Friday after Christmas vacation. LIBRARY IS OPEN DURING VACATION A. A. E. Gathers Tonight in University Parlors for Important General Meeting Probably the most important anti interesting meeting of the year for the American Association of Engi neers will be held Tuesday evening at 7:30 in the university parlors. The meeting will be called to order in room 206 of the Administration building for a few minutes of discussion on v.<ri cert series, Charles Hackett, American tenor, appeared last night in the Bovard Auditorium before an enthusiastic audience which comfortably filled the large assembly hall. It was the largest audience which ever greet- oils business matters, after which the ed a concert artist at F. S how [ members will go to the university par The Library will be open during the Christmas vacation from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m. every day except Christmas day anil New Year’s day. and will be closed Saturday at 12:."»0. The administration has decided to keep the Library open evenings after January 2. from 7 to p. m. This is in response to a petition from the ex ecutive committee of the Student Body. There will be no change in the time collateral reading may bf taken .from the Library. PROF. POWER ON STAFF Busjness Woman’s Magazine, a new publication issued each month, includes on its staff of special writers Prof. R. L. Power of lT. S. C. The holiday issue will contain his analysis of business women in America and abroad, while future numbers will publish data on educational topics. ever, outsiders made up the greater part of the number who appeared. Fresh from the applause of London and Paris, Hackett was in good voice last night. Those who heard the art ist a few years ago when he appeared with Geraldine Farrar on a concert tour of the West and who heard him again last evening were surprised in no small degree. From a singer of ballads. Hackett has risen to the ranks of a Metropolitan dramatic opera star. Haekett’s voice has grown incredP- lors where Hubert C Fury, national director of the A ^ E . will preseDt the recently won wiving cup to tho student chapter. This meeting will be especially important. as the members of the Los Angeles City Chapter will be the in vited guests of the evening. All of ihe prominent engineers of Southern California are expected to be present and it is thought by Mr. R. E Rowley, president of the F. S. C. chapter, that this meeting will serve a splendid pur ably. His vocal range permits him to i I*°se *n placing before these men who sing ballads anil Wagner apparently ) a,v so capable of judgment, the spirit, with equal east today. To those who are of the opinion that only Europe An elaborate program has been planned, including au address by President von KleinSmid. a selection bv principles and controlling elements in the life of F. S. C." can produce the great singers of opera. Hackett presents a baffling problem. t He is an inspiring example for the American youth, for he shows that it is possible for an American, trained 1 in American institutions, to compete with the most eminent of Europe’s ; artists. Though the concert last night was 1 both an artistic and financial success, the directors of the concert series re- j gref that students have not availed j themselves of the opportunity of he:'i the engineer's jazz orchestra, which promises to make Max Fischer's bunch sound like tin pan alley, and much vociferation of the A. A. E. “male” quartet, introducing a number of new engineering songs. Eats will occupy a prominent part in the evening’s program as usual, in the form of something new and appetizing. Among those engineers of the city ing some of the greatest singers in the "ho are expected to be pres- world at prices within the reach of everyone. It is hoped that the remaining few seats will be disposed of to students before they are purchased by the outside public. The treasurer of last year’s Girls' Glee Club wishes to meet all girls POWER ON COUNCIL Professor R L Power is the Cali- NAVAL RESERVE MEETS All men interested in the Naval Re serve are asked to meet in the Exfen now in school who were iu the club j siou office Wednesday at 12 o’clock, to ! fornia member of the editorial council last year at 4 o'clock. Tuesday, in meet Mr. Ryerson. The meeting will | for the 1923 issue of the National Spe-Room 305. Bovard. only last about ten minutes. 1 cial Libraries Directory. ent anti speak are: H. 7. Osborne. Jr . chief engineer of public utilities; J. H. Clarke, Professor C. W. Lawrence, J. B. Lippincott, consulting engineer; W W Patch of the State Highway De-j nartment. and W. [) Armstrong. County Bridge engineer. The F s. C. chapter is expected to be out leu per cent to welcome the visitors and celebrate tht* winning of their handsome cup.
|Title||The Southern California Trojan, Vol. 14, No. 39, December 19, 1922|
|Description||The Southern California Trojan, Vol. 14, No. 39, December 19, 1922.|
ryywo £ On f/ie Lookout j Ticket Prices Reduced Nittanny Lions Tough Customers Over-confidence Prevalent Henderson Working Hard Christmas Almost Here Holidays Art Holidays j PRICES TO THE NEW YEAR S j Vol. XIV game were cut in half for the U. S. C. t ■ students, thanks to Warren Bovard Gwynn Wilson snd the Tournament of Roses' officials themselves. Trojans get section of 2500 stats in the cctiter of the field for the rootir.g section ar.d students. Those ttckets are now on sale in the treasurer’s of t.ce. Pack the Rooting Section New Years .California Tickets For Game Go On Sale Today Los Angeles, California, Tuesday, December 19, 1922 No. 39 RECOGNIZE TROJAN IN FORENSICS DOPE POT BOILS AS PENN STATE SQUAD NEARS SCENE OF BATTLE .NITTANNY LlONS ARE a tough lo ;o conquer on the gridiron. They hav< Prologue to the Big Show now going or*. Fenn State booming over the cinders on the way to the Southland; all the camps ’round I about a-hum and a-buzz with prognostications, guesses, surmises, Plan Started to Organize Pacific j hoPes anent the on coming Main Event; the Trojans rounding into Berdine Jack THOUSAND GATHER AT U. FORMAL defeaied iwict> ope sheet slmw this season, but he dope sheet siwiw.s that they made more ground through their opponents' 1 iIi~ in two of those games than was mad*- through their lin<-. which is sav iii}' that the\ ought lo have won tv.«. ol tho:e games. Tie- Pi nn State line j ir* heavy; th»- driving force seems to i <«-nt<-r b**twe* n the two tackles. and ■ no leam this y*-ar has been able t<< toji tin ir li:i<- plunging That in* ans that Henderson lias <| | <urn:uuid:b0044663-704d-41be-b4b2-cedb3d2bff5e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/p15799coll104/id/11579/rec/34 | 2013-06-18T23:00:13Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933559 | 6,459 |
Psalm CXXVI. 5492
1. …How man had come into captivity, let us ask the Apostle Paul.…For he saith: “For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.” 5493 Behold whence we became captives; because we were sold under sin. Who sold us? We ourselves, who consented to the seducer. We could sell ourselves; we could not redeem ourselves. We sold ourselves by consent of sin, we are redeemed in the faith of righteousness. For innocent blood was given for us, that we might be redeemed. Whatsoever blood he shed in persecuting the righteous, what kind of blood did he shed? Righteous mens blood, indeed, he shed; they were Prophets, righteous men, our fathers, and Martyrs. Whose blood he shed, yet all coming of the offspring of sin. One blood he shed of Him who was not justified, 5494 but born righteous: by shedding that blood, he lost those whom he held. For they p. 604 for whom innocent blood was given were redeemed, and, turned back from their captivity, they sing this Psalm.
2. “When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion, we became as those that are comforted” (Psa. 126.1). He meant by this to say, we became joyful. When? “When the Lord turned back the captivity of Sion.” What is Sion? Jerusalem, the same is also the eternal Sion. How is Sion eternal, how is Sion captive? In angels eternal, in men captive. For not all the citizens of that city are captives, but those who are away from thence, they are captives. Man was a citizen of Jerusalem, but sold under sin he became a pilgrim. Of his progeny was born the human race, and the captivity of Sion filled all lands. And how is this captivity of Sion a shadow of that Jerusalem? The shadow of that Sion, which was granted to the Jews, in an image, in a figure, was in captivity in Babylonia, and after seventy years that people turned back to its own city. 5495 …But when all time is past, then we return to our country, as after seventy years that people returned from the Babylonish captivity, for Babylon is this world; since Babylon is interpreted “confusion.”…So then this whole life of human affairs is confusion, which belongeth not unto God. In this confusion, in this Babylonish land, Sion is held captive. But “the Lord hath turned back the captivity of Sion.” “And we became,” he saith, “as those that are comforted.” That is, we rejoiced as receiving consolation. Consolation is not save for the unhappy, consolation is not save for them that groan, that mourn. Wherefore, “as those that are comforted,” except because we are still mourning? We mourn for our present lot, we are comforted in hope: when the present is passed by, of our mourning will come everlasting joy, when there will be no need of consolation, because we shall be wounded with no distress. But wherefore saith he “as” those that are comforted, and saith not comforted? This word “as,” is not always put for likeness: when we say “As,” it sometimes refers to the actual case, sometimes to likeness: here it is with reference to the actual case.…Walk therefore in Christ, and sing rejoicing, sing as one that is comforted; because He went before thee who hath commanded thee to follow Him.
3. “Then was our mouth filled with joy, and our tongue with exultation” (Psa. 126.2). That mouth, brethren, which we have in our body, how is it “filled with joy”? It useth not to be “filled,” save with meat, or drink, or some such thing put into the mouth. Sometimes our mouth is filled; and it is more that we say to your holiness, 5496 when we have our mouth full, we cannot speak. But we have a mouth within, that is, in the heart, whence whatsoever proceedeth, if it is evil, defileth us, if it is good, cleanseth us. For concerning this very mouth ye heard when the Gospel was read. For the Jews reproached the Lord, because His disciples ate with unwashen hands. 5497 They reproached who had cleanness without; and within were full of stains. They reproached, whose righteousness was only in the eyes of men. But the Lord sought our inward cleanness, which if we have, the outside must needs be clean also. “Cleanse,” He saith, “the inside,” and “the outside shall be clean also.” 5498 …
4. But let us return to what was just now read from the Gospel, relating to the verse before us, “Our mouth was filled with joy, and our tongue with delight:” for we are inquiring what mouth and what tongue. Listen, beloved brethren. The Lord was scoffed at, because His disciples ate with unwashed hands. The Lord answered them as was fitting, and said unto the crowds whom He had called unto Him, “Hear ye all, and understand: not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” 5499 What is this? when He said, what goeth into the mouth, He meant only the mouth of the body. For meat goeth in, and meats defile not a man; because, “All things are clean to the clean;” and, “every creature of God is good, and none to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving.” 5500 …
5. Guard the mouth of thy heart from evil, and thou wilt be innocent: the tongue of thy body will be innocent, thy hands will be innocent; even thy feet will be innocent, thy eyes, thy ears, will be innocent; all thy members will serve under righteousness, because a righteous commander hath thy heart. “Then shall they say among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them.”
6. “Yea, the Lord hath done great things for us already, whereof we rejoice” (Psa. 126.3). Consider, my brethren, if Sion doth not at present say this among the heathen, throughout the whole world; consider if men are not running unto the Church. In the whole world our redemption is received; Amen is answered. The dwellers in Jerusalem, therefore, captive, destined to return, pilgrims, sighing for their country, speak thus among the heathen. What do they say? “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we rejoice.” Have they done anything for themselves? They have done ill with themselves, for they have sold themselves under sin. The Redeemer came, and did the good things for them.
7. “Turn our captivity, O Lord, as the torrents in the south” (Psa. 126.4). Consider, my p. 605 brethren, what this meaneth.…As torrents are turned in the south, so turn our captivity. In a certain passage Scripture saith, in admonishing us concerning good works, “Thy sins also shall melt away, even as the ice in fair warm weather.” 5501 Our sins therefore bound us. How? As the cold bindeth the water that it run not. Bound with the frost of our sins, we have frozen. But the south wind is a warm wind: when the south wind blows, the ice melts, and the torrents are filled. Now winter streams are called torrents; for filled with sudden rains they run with great force. We had therefore become frozen in captivity; our sins bound us: the south wind the Holy Spirit hath blown: our sins are forgiven us, we are released from the frost of iniquity; as the ice in fair weather, our sins are melted. Let us run unto our country, as the torrents in the south.…
8. For the next words are, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy” (Psa. 126.5). In this life, which is full of tears, let us sow. What shall we sow? Good works. Works of mercy are our seeds: of which seeds the Apostle saith, “Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” 5502 Speaking therefore of almsgiving itself, what saith he? “This I say; he that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly.” 5503 He therefore who soweth plentifully, shall reap plentifully: he who soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly: and he that soweth nothing, shall reap nothing. Why do ye long for ample estates, where ye may sow plentifully? There is not a wider field on which ye can sow than Christ, who hath willed that we should sow in Himself. Your soil is the Church; sow as much as ye can. But thou hast not enough to do this. Hast thou the will? 5504 As what thou hadst would be nothing, if thou hadst not a good will; so do not despond, because thou hast not, if thou hast a good will. For what dost thou sow? Mercy. And what wilt thou reap? Peace. Said the Angels, Peace on earth unto rich men? No, but, “Peace on earth unto men of a good will.” 5505 Zacchæus had a strong will, Zacchæus had great charity. 5506 …Did then that widow who cast her two farthings into the treasury, sow little? Nay, as much as Zacchæus. For she had narrower means, but an equal will. She gave her two mites 5507 with as good a will as Zacchæus gave the half of his patrimony. If thou consider what they gave, thou wilt find their gifts different; if thou look to the source, thou wilt find them equal; she gave whatever she had, and he gave what he had.…But if they are beggars whose profession is asking alms, in trouble they also have what to bestow upon one another. God hath not so forsaken them, but that they have wherein they may be tried by their bestowing of alms. This man cannot walk; he who can walk, lendeth his feet to the lame; he who seeth, lendeth his eyes to the blind; and he who is young and sound, lendeth his strength to the old or the infirm, carrieth him: the one is poor, the other is rich.
9. Sometimes also the rich man is found to be poor, and something is bestowed upon him by the poor. Somebody cometh to a river, so much the more delicate as he is more rich; he cannot pass over: if he were to pass over with bare limbs, he would catch cold, would be ill, would die: a poor man more active in body cometh up: he carries the rich man over; he giveth alms unto the rich. Think not therefore those only poor, who have not money.…Thus love ye, thus be ye affectioned unto one another. Attend not solely to yourselves: but to those who are in want around you. But because these things take place in this life with troubles and cares, faint not. Ye sow in tears, ye shall reap in joy.
10. How, my brethren? When the farmer goeth forth with the plough, carrying seed, is not the wind sometimes keen, and doth not the shower sometimes deter him? He looketh to the sky, seeth it lowering, shivers with cold, nevertheless goeth forth, and soweth. For he feareth lest while he is observing the foul weather, and awaiting sunshine, the time may pass away, and he may not find anything to reap. Put not off, my brethren; sow in wintry weather, sow good works, even while ye weep; for, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy.” They sow their seed, good will, and good works. “They went on their way and wept, casting their seed” (Psa. 126.6). Why did they weep? Because they were among the miserable, and were themselves miserable. It is better, my brethren, that no man should be miserable, than that thou shouldest do alms.…Nevertheless, as long as there are objects for its exercise, let us not fail amid those troubles to sow our seed. Although we sow in tears, yet shall we reap in joy. For in that resurrection of the dead, each man shall receive his own sheaves, that is, the produce of his seed, the crown of joys and of delight. Then will there be a joyous triumph, when we shall laugh at death, wherein we groaned before: then shall they say to death, “O death, where is thy strife? O death, where is thy sting?” 5508 But why do they now rejoice? Because “they bring their sheaves with them.”
11. In this Psalm we have chiefly exhorted you to do deeds of alms, because it is thence that we ascend; and ye see that he who ascendp. 606 eth, singeth the song of steps. Remember: do not love to descend, instead of to ascend, but reflect upon your ascent: because he who descended from Jerusalem to Jericho fell among thieves. 5509 …The Samaritan as He passed by slighted us not: He healed us, He raised us upon His beast, upon His flesh; He led us to the inn, that is, the Church; He entrusted us to the host, that is, to the Apostle; He gave two pence, whereby we might be healed, 5510 the love of God, and the love of our neighbour. The Apostle spent more; for, though it was allowed unto all the Apostles to receive, as Christs soldiers, pay from Christs subjects, 5511 that Apostle, nevertheless, toiled with his own hands, and excused the subjects the maintenance owing to him. 5512 All this hath already happened: if we have descended, and have been wounded; let us ascend, let us sing, and make progress, in order that we may arrive.
Lat. CXXV. A song of degrees. A sermon to the people.603:5493
Rom. vii. 14.603:5494
Or, “made righteous.”604:5495
Jer. 25:11, Jer. 29:10.604:5496
[A bishop seems to have been present.—C.]604:5497
Matt. xv. 1, etc.604:5498
Matt. xxiii. 26.604:5499
Matt. 15:10, 11.604:5500
1 Tim. iv. 4.605:5501
Gal. vi. 9.605:5503
2 Cor. ix. 6.605:5504
Oxf. mss. “have a good will.”605:5505
Luke ii. 14.605:5506
Luke xix. 8.605:5507
Luke xxi. 1-4.605:5508
1 Cor. xv. 55.606:5509
Luke x. 30.606:5510
Luke 10:35, 37.606:5511
Provincialibus. 1 Cor. iv. 2.606:5512
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On Oct. 3, Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds unveiled their blueprint for giving all Iowa children a world-class education. This fall, they will hold town hall meetings to seek Iowans’ feedback on how to improve the blueprint. They will issue final recommendations, with a price tag, before the 2012 Legislature convenes.
Below are some questions Iowans have asked about the blueprint. To read the entire blueprint, to comment on the proposal or to see the schedule of upcoming town hall meetings, please go to: https://governor.iowa.gov.
It’s worth noting that Iowans are not questioning the need to transform education. Iowans understand that our schools have slipped in national rankings in reading and math, and that our children must be able to compete in an increasingly demanding global economy. It will take Iowans working together to make the necessary changes.
Question: How much will the blueprint cost?
Answer: No price tag is attached yet. When Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds release final recommendations before the start of the 2012 Legislature, the cost will be included. For now, they want to hear from Iowans about the right vision for our state.
Question: Master teachers would teach just 50 percent of the time and coach/evaluate/plan the other 50 percent. Why take the best teachers out of the classroom half the time?
Answer: By working outside their own classroom half-time, master teachers will improve the education of many more students. Master teachers will help other teachers improve instructional practices and pinpoint strategies for students struggling to learn. They likely will be co-teaching in other classrooms at various times.
It’s also important to realize master teachers will not be the only outstanding teachers in a school. Mentor teachers, many career teachers and some apprentice teachers also will be outstanding. Not all, however, will want to be master teachers – whose job description includes working a much longer school year, as well as setting achievement goals and collaborating on how to reach them.
Question: Is it fair that not all teachers can be master teachers?
Answer: About 5 percent of teachers would be master teachers, according to the blueprint. Approximately 15 to 20 percent would be mentor teachers, about 60 percent would be career teachers and about 20 percent would be apprentice teachers. This four-tiered system will build far greater support for teachers to do their jobs well. Teachers will work together more often to improve their practice rather than teaching largely in isolation.
All teachers can’t be master teachers, nor will that job appeal to everyone. Career teachers, however, would be able to earn additional income in numerous ways, including taking on additional academic responsibilities, teaching hard-to-fill subjects, such as math and science, or earning certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.
Question: How much will teacher pay be raised in the four-tier system?
Answer: No specific salary levels are listed in the blueprint, but the intention is to substantially boost the state minimum beginning teacher salary beyond the current $28,000 a year to attract more top talent. Increases for career, mentor and master teachers would be a percentage of apprentice teacher pay. Each district will set apprentice pay locally. Districts also will decide annual cost-of-living adjustments.
All newly-minted teachers will be part of the four-tier system. Current teachers will choose whether to be paid under the four-tier system that rewards performance, or stay in the existing system, based on years of experience and education credentials.
Question: How do the four tiers differ from the current schedule for paying teachers, which is based on years of experience and education credentials? Answer: Besides providing more professional support for teachers and paying higher salaries in the early years of teaching, the four-tiered system sets higher expectations for teachers based on a more sophisticated definition of performance.
It does this by strengthening the evaluation system for teachers. Currently, most teachers receive satisfactory evaluations, though they are not equally good at their jobs.
The new approach will focus more on differentiating effective from ineffective teaching. It will focus on counting student academic progress, though how much has yet to be determined. Under the new system, evaluations will be based on multiple observations throughout the year by master teachers and principals. Now, teacher evaluations are sometimes infrequent and superficial.
Evaluations and professional development will be strengthened for all teachers, whether they are part of the four-tier system or the existing salary schedule. The difference will be how they are paid.
Question: How is it reasonable to rate teachers based on student academic progress at schools where attendance is poor?
Answer: It’s critical that all parents make sure their children understand the value of education and get them to school on time every day. Some schools have a bigger challenge with attendance than others, and that will have to be factored into how school progress is measured. At the same time, research shows some teachers routinely make more academic progress with students year after year than other teachers. This can’t be ignored.
Question: Isn’t retaining third-graders who can’t read mean-spirited?
Answer: In the early grades, students learn to read. But from fourth grade on, they read to learn. It is crucial that third-graders finish that school year reading at a basic level, or better, so they can do well in math, science and other subjects.
Iowa’s proposed third-grade literacy plan is based on Florida’s highly successful program. In 2002, when Florida launched the program, its fourth-graders scored 214 in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In 2009, they scored 226, compared to the 221 that Iowa fourth-graders scored. Florida’s Hispanic fourth-graders scored 223, higher than fourth-graders in 31 states.
As Florida has done, Iowa would strengthen literacy instruction from early childhood on to avoid the need to hold children back at the end of third grade. If retention is necessary, however, children would have the opportunity to attend summer school after third grade, in an effort to start fourth grade on time. Children who still need to repeat third grade would receive a new, more intensive reading program from highly-qualified teachers. No one would be held back in third grade more than once.
It may seem mean-spirited to end social promotion if children aren’t reading, but not if you consider the repercussions of being illiterate for the rest of their lives.
It also will be critical to strengthen literacy instruction in upper elementary grades and in middle school so students continue to gain ground.
Question: Will Iowa’s school year be longer than the current 180 instructional days?
Answer: The blueprint does not establish a longer school year for all students. It does, however, ask teachers to work additional days: Five days each for apprentice and career teachers, 10 days for mentor teachers and 20 days for master teachers. Those days could be used to offer more instruction to students needing extra help to catch up, depending on local needs. Given the interest expressed so far in a longer school year for all students, we will take a look at that possibility.
Question: What about top students? Will the blueprint improve their education?
Answer: The blueprint calls for higher academic expectations for all students, including those who are the most advanced. This includes promoting competency-based learning. For example, if students can test out of geometry, they should be allowed to receive credit and move on to other math courses. That will make it possible to take college-level courses sooner while still in high school.
Question: How will the blueprint help students needing special-education services?
Answer: Getting a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every building will better serve all students, including children receiving special education services. Presently, Iowa has many first-rate teachers and school administrators, but we need all educators to fit that description.
Question: Why does the blueprint put so many new tests in place?
Answer: The blueprint adds only one new test, the Program for International Student Assessment. A representative sample of ninth graders would take that test every three years to see how Iowa stacks up against top school systems globally.
Otherwise, the proposed tests, for the most part, would replace tests already given.
A new kindergarten assessment would replace the kindergarten tests already used in some districts. Students in grades three through eight would still take an annual standardized test, but instead of paper and pencil, the goal is for the tests to be computer-based. Students who answer correctly then respond to progressively harder questions. These tests would reflect the Iowa Core/Common Core standards.
In addition to this annual standardized test, teachers need access to better information from tests given throughout the school year to pinpoint what students need help learning. These so-called formative tests would be aligned with the Iowa Core/Common Core standards.
All high school juniors would take a college entrance exam to measure college and career readiness and to give them one of the keys to four-year higher education. The state would pay for the exam. Sixty-one percent of Iowa students already take the ACT.
High school students would be required to pass end-of-course exams in certain subjects, such as English language arts, biology, algebra and U.S. history or government, in order to graduate. These measurements would set clear expectations for the solid foundation of knowledge and skills all students need to be successful.
High school teachers already typically require students to take exams, but the end-of-course tests would be the same in all high schools. That will assure more consistency statewide.
Students who fail end-of-course exams would receive intensive remedial help and would have multiple opportunities to retake the exams.
We’d like teachers to help set state policy on what constitutes proficiency on the end-of-course exams, which together would serve as a high school exit exam.
We will answer more frequently-asked questions as we move ahead through the fall to improve the blueprint. Thank you for your commitment to Iowa’s good schools and to ensuring our children receive the world-class education they deserve.
- Linda Fandel, special assistant for education in the Branstad-Reynolds Administration
- Jason Glass, Iowa Department of Education director | <urn:uuid:f63bcba8-f132-46dc-87df-a5a5f5c999d5> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2525&Itemid=4423 | 2013-06-18T22:58:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959652 | 2,138 |
A citizen activist forces New Mexico's dairies to clean up their act
by Stephanie Paige Ogburn
Jerry Nivens lives in a trailer in Caballo, N.M., 165 miles south of Albuquerque. A bulky Texas transplant who chain-smokes American Spirits, Nivens cares as deeply for his mesquite-speckled patch of ground as any rural New Mexican. He enjoys driving into the mountains, where he used to while away afternoons panning for gold. He goes fishing Lone Star-style -- in reservoirs, not rivers.
On the sunny May day I met him, he spilled out of his GMC Jimmy sporting a National Rifle Association ballcap and Magnum P.I.-style sunglasses. He wore brown corduroy pants hung from suspenders with a matching jacket over a plaid shirt. A giant Marlboro belt buckle completed the ensemble. As we drove around, Nivens marveled at artesian pools supporting desert wildlife, exclaimed as a squadron of baby quail crossed our path, and wondered over underground rivers that run to the nearby Rio Grande. Retired from the refrigeration business, he earns money from an invention of his used for water purification. He spends much of his time alone. "I'm kind of an old hermit," he says.
Which, in a way, was why I had come -- to learn how and why this loner became the driving force behind a movement that brought the state's mega-dairies to heel. The dairy industry is New Mexico's largest agricultural sector and an influential lobbying force. Although the state Environment Department has long worked with dairies to reduce pollution, change has been slow: Almost 60 percent of the state's dairies have polluted groundwater with manure runoff, yet not one has begun the required cleanup.
Now, thanks largely to the pressure brought to bear by Nivens, his allies, and an Environment Department employee named Bill Olson, New Mexico has passed some of the most progressive dairy-related water regulations in the West.
Citizens have campaigned against dairy pollution in Idaho, Washington and California. Yet despite grassroots support for tighter controls, industry has largely succeeded in slowing or even loosening regulations. New Mexico's new rules may inspire other states to take the responsibility for limiting factory-farm pollution into their own hands, activists say.
In early 2007, "there was a rumor in one of our local newspapers here about some dairy trying to come down close to Caballo," Nivens explains as we drive to a sandy wash called Percha Creek. At first, he paid little attention, but then curiosity finally sent him exploring a tangle of dirt roads until he found a sign announcing ParaSol dairy's intention to build a 2,000-cow facility. It was right next to the creek, which becomes a raging torrent when it rains. There were houses nearby, too, and the Rio Grande, a drinking water and irrigation source already polluted by E. coli, was just two miles downstream.
To Nivens, it looked like a disaster in the making: Flash floods could flush manure from the dairy into Percha Creek, polluting the shallow groundwater and eventually the Rio Grande, threatening the drinking water of nearby residents and possibly contaminating the lettuce, chiles and pecans growing downstream.
Nivens went first to a local diner to share his fears with neighbors, and then to a nearby chile-processing plant. A woman there asked if a petition might stop the dairy. " 'I don't know,' " he recalls saying, " 'but I'll go home and make some.'
"That's how it all started."
The modern Western dairy, more factory than farm, was invented in Los Angeles County, Calif., by Dutch dairymen after World War I. Newly arrived from a land-scarce country, they brought the idea of keeping cows in a small space and importing their feed from elsewhere. This made it possible to become a successful dairyman in the arid West, which generally lacks good pasture.
As L.A. County boomed, so did the dairies. But sprawl pushed them out, first into the Chino Valley and neighboring San Bernardino County, and later, in the 1980s and 1990s, north into the San Joaquin Valley or out of the state entirely. California is still the number-one milk-producing state in the country, but Idaho is now number three, Texas seventh, New Mexico ninth, and Washington tenth.
With each move, the dairies grew. They sold land at suburban development prices and bought other parcels at agricultural cut rates, using the extra cash to add more cows. Changes in U.S. milk-pricing policy propelled their growth. Beginning with the Reagan administration, the government began setting milk prices based on the price of cheese traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, so prices fluctuated more than before. Dairymen hedged against price drops by buying more cows and producing more milk. Their fixed costs stayed relatively constant, and they had more milk to sell as a cushion against low prices. When neighboring dairies went under, surviving ones bought up their cows. In 1970, there were almost 650,000 dairies in the United States. Today, there are only 62,500; almost 50 percent of U.S. milk now comes from dairies with more than 1,000 cows. New Mexico, whose dairies average 2,000 cows each, has the largest mean herd size in the nation.
As dairies added cows, the cows added manure. That manure -- 145 pounds of mixed solids and liquid per cow per day -- is usually flushed into a holding pond, or manure lagoon. Dairy owners often spray manure water onto cornfields as fertilizer and separate out the solids for compost. In theory, using waste to grow feed makes a dairy a closed-loop system.
In practice, the loop leaks. Farmers have more manure than crops to apply it to. Manure liquid can ooze from lagoons into groundwater, carrying nitrates, sulfate and chloride, along with remnant antibiotics and dangerous bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, listeria and campylobacter.
"A lot of people still think of a dairy farm as black-and-white cows on a green hillside somewhere. And we still have that, but that's not (how) the majority of milk (is) produced anymore," says Mark Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin's college of agriculture.
The pollutant most regulators focus on is nitrate. At high levels in drinking water, nitrate can cause methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome, where nitrogen compounds interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen. Formula-fed infants are particularly susceptible. Possible effects of chronic high nitrate exposure on adults include cancer, reproductive problems and diabetes, although researchers say more study is needed.
Nitrate is not necessarily the most dangerous substance given off by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. But it is one of the few manure pollutants the government has the authority to regulate. The federal Safe Drinking Water Act limits nitrate concentration to 10 parts per million. That law, which applies to all drinking water systems serving more than 25 people, and the Clean Water Act, which regulates water quality for pollutants like phosphorous, nitrates and E. coli in surface water, are the main tools regulators can use to curb pollution from factory farms; the majority of air and water contaminants produced by CAFOs are not federally limited.
States can go beyond federal law to curb CAFO pollution, however. New Mexico, for example, has a water-quality act that protects groundwater and stipulates that all facilities whose waste may end up in groundwater -- including dairies -- must get discharge permits.
Kathy Martin, an engineer from Oklahoma, has consulted for over 15 years on technical aspects of rulemaking in 20 states, including Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska and New Mexico. She's watched residents protest against odor and flies; worry about CAFO-caused air pollution, a major health problem that is virtually unregulated; and fight to protect their drinking water. In her opinion, none of the states where she has worked has adequate rules to protect the health of dairy neighbors and the environment. "Industry almost invariably gets their way," she says. "Very rarely do the citizens get their way even on one or two points. We're just there to keep the dam from completely falling apart."
Because of New Mexico's water-quality act, the state has been monitoring pollution from dairies since about 1980, shortly after the first of several California dairies moved to a depopulated stretch of U.S. Route 80, now Interstate 10, between Las Cruces and the Texas border. Today, over a dozen dairies and tens of thousands of cows crush together along a 10-mile stretch of highway here that locals call Dairy Row.
In areas around Dairy Row, nitrate levels in drinking water exceed safety standards, and many people purchase bottled water. In 2007, the federal Environmental Protection Agency accused 11 local dairies of violating the Clean Water Act by not keeping proper records on waste management and disposal, and ordered them to comply immediately.
Martin sees better regulations as an issue of fairness, particularly for the rural and low-income areas where such facilities tend to locate. "If I find out that the mozzarella cheese in my pizza comes from a facility that has destroyed the groundwater for fifth- and sixth-generation Hispanics in New Mexico, it makes me sick to my stomach. ... I thinkat the end of the day, everyone would like to go to bed knowing that there isn't one person suffering, or child ill, because I had a Big Mac today."
Jerry Nivens already knew what keeping so many animals in one place could do. Years ago in Texas, he'd lived near giant beef feedlots in the Panhandle and around dairies near Waco, where he'd seen rivers polluted and towns filled with the stench of untreated manure. (In 2004, Waco sued 14 dairies for polluting the town's drinking water.) Thinking about ParaSol, he says, "I couldn't hardly sleep at night. Things like this are such a destruction to the surrounding area and the environment, you know, they create a sacrifice zone."
He called the state's Environment Department and learned that officials, who had never denied a permit before, did not plan to do so with ParaSol. In New Mexico, however, the environment secretary must sign off on all such permits. This gave Nivens, who had organized a group called Caballo Concerned Citizens and allied with the Rio Grande chapter of the Sierra Club, a wedge. Members sent more than 400 letters to the agency and visited New Mexico Environment Secretary Ron Curry, a Bill Richardson appointee, in person, asking him to say no to ParaSol.
And in February 2008, Curry did.
Nivens was ecstatic. He had no way of knowing this was just the beginning of a nearly four-year fight.
ParaSol immediately hired Pete Domenici Jr., a powerful lawyer and son of a former U.S. senator from New Mexico, and appealed the decision. Dairy owners formed a lobbying organization called Dairy Industry Group for a Clean Environment, backed by the national Dairy Farmers of America. By early 2009, the group, whose lobbyists included former Lt. Gov. Walter Bradley, had pushed the Legislature to amend the state's water-quality act to require the Environment Department to create a new, standardized permit process. The dairy owners were betting it would work in their favor.
"The environment at that time was one of constant change (for dairy permits)," says New Mexico state Sen. Clinton Harden, R, who sponsored the legislation amending the act. That uncertainty made it hard for new dairies to start up and existing ones to expand, he says. During that time, at least three dairies -- important employers and economic engines in his eastern district -- had moved to Texas, which had "a known permit process."
But the dairymen hadn't counted on Bill Olson. Olson, a hydrologist and 25-year veteran of the Environment Department, was the chief of New Mexico's groundwater division. He exudes the patience and practicality of your ninth-grade chemistry teacher, but with a Western flair: The day I met him at a Santa Fe bakery, he was wearing cowboy boots, jeans, a pearl-button shirt and a bolo tie.
"Ninety percent of all our drinking water in the state comes from groundwater," he explained. Though he would retire almost as soon as the process was over, he viewed the rulemaking as a chance to "prevent pollution and protect the resource."
Olson's department drafted a preliminary rule with two key requirements. To get a permit, dairies would have to install monitoring wells upstream and downstream of their manure lagoons. They'd also have to install high-density polyethylene synthetic liners.
The latter are much more effective at containing pollutants than traditional clay liners. And the wells would let the Environment Department know if groundwater was becoming contaminated. Because wells would be located both above and below lagoons, they'd help regulators triangulate on the source of any contamination. Most states don't directly track dairy waste this way. Regulators may believe a dairy has contaminated groundwater, but without a way to pinpoint the source, blame -- and responsibility for cleanup -- often gets passed around.
Starting in May 2009, the New Mexico Environment Department held meetings to get public comment on the draft rule. Angry dairy owners boycotted. But Jerry Nivens had spent months creating an activist network, meeting with grandmothers from Dairy Row whose children couldn't play outdoors because of flies, and a mom from the faraway town of Hobbs who blamed her kids' illnesses on high levels of nitrates in her drinking water. Nivens organized these people and allies from his earlier efforts under the name New Mexicans for Dairy Reform and formed alliances with a local water protection nonprofit called Amigos Bravos, as well as the national consumer advocacy group Food and Water Watch. The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit law firm specializing in environmental justice issues, represented the group during the rulemaking.
Nivens himself attended every stakeholder meeting and hearing for the next 18 months. "I went all over the state for that," he recalled. "My wife said, 'Why don't you quit that?' It's because I don't know how to quit it. It's such an urgent matter, our water, and what do you do when you mess it up?"
Months of public comment, expert testimony and re-drafting went by. Then, in April and June of 2010, the Environment Department held official hearings in front of the state's Water Quality Control Commission, which has the final say on the rules the department submits. This time, the dairy owners showed up. Each stood up, declared his patriotism and made nearly identical complaints.
"The New Mexico Environment Department's proposed rules will be the demise of the dairy industry in this state," said Alva Carter, a dairy owner from eastern New Mexico and chair of the dairy industry group, who served as a spokesperson, at the June hearing. "Many of the existing dairies will be forced to shut down, thereby depriving the state, local communities and their citizens of a valuable economic engine and associated jobs, not to mention the safest and most nutritional natural food product known to man." If the rules go through as is, he said, "We will go to Texas, or we will go to Oklahoma, or we will go to Colorado."
The monitoring wells and synthetic liners were too costly, Carter went on. Besides, he said, existing monitoring wells "have been the conduit to contaminate the groundwater." Clay liners work well in most circumstances, he said, and synthetic liners can rip and fail.
"It seems like we're low-balling everything to the point that it might not even be effective," Nivens responded. "Every time you get on an elevator ... you will remember that the low bid got it. And the low bid's not always best."
Olson calmly demolished Carter's arguments. "Clay liners seep," he said, pointing to widespread contamination from dairies that use them. "Synthetic liners are one million times less permeable than a clay liner. They are readily available, and there is a cost associated with them. We don't deny that, but in terms of preventing water pollution, this is the most effective way."
Besides, Olson noted, existing dairies that weren't polluting wouldn't need synthetic liners -- only new dairies or those already cited for pollution. As to Carter's claim that monitoring wells cause contamination, Olson's response was almost a sigh. "The department has been trying to address this issue with the industry for several years. We keep asking for any type of technical or scientific information to back up their case (but none is submitted)." The fact that lagoons filled with manure water leak and contaminate groundwater below them is "basic science," said Olson.
And though synthetic liners and monitoring wells -- which can approach $10,000 in areas with deep water tables -- aren't cheap, pollution cleanup is even more expensive.
"Once you get groundwater contamination, a lot of times you're looking at hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to work through an abatement where you could have prevented the whole thing for a fraction of that in up front costs," says Olson. "That's part of what we pushed in the dairy rule."
In December 2010, the department released its final rule. The activists didn't get the notification letters they'd requested for everyone within a mile of a proposed dairy, or the two- and three-mile setbacks from schools, residences, parks and water bodies. Instead, only a newspaper notice and sign was required along with setbacks of 200 to 1,000 feet. But Nivens was pleased. "It was keeping the light on in the lighthouse," he says. "And it was a real chore, but it finally worked out."
The rule became law in January. But hours after new Republican Gov. Susana Martinez took office, she issued an executive order to stop it, with coaching from dairy lawyers. New Mexicans for Dairy Reform took her to the state Supreme Court. "It didn't take them 15 minutes to say, 'You can't do this, Governor, you don't have the authority,' " says Nivens.
So the dairies appealed again, placing the rules in limbo. Finally, in mid-July, the Environment Department brokered a settlement. It lightens some reporting requirements, adds a new variance procedure and mediation for disputes over monitoring well placements, clarifies that dairies may keep unlined lagoons if there is no evidence of contamination, and allows operators to mix irrigation water with their wastewater. But it keeps the main protections -- synthetic liners, monitoring wells, and flow metering and nutrient management systems to limit and track where nitrates are going -- in place. The Water Quality Control Commission unanimously approved this final version of the rules Nov. 16. They are scheduled to go into effect Dec. 31.
Jon Block, the attorney who represented the citizen coalition, calls New Mexico's rules some of the strongest in the country. "While none of this is a magic wand, from the point of what we care about, these regulations are going to slowly change the face of dairy production in this state and bring it in line with higher and higher levels of best practices."
Nivens and his allies sometimes wonder why the dairies fought so hard; the four years of lawyering probably cost more than monitoring wells. But Michael Jensen of Amigos Bravos believes the dairies were worried that regulators in other states might adopt similar rules.
"It's not just about New Mexico dairies, it's about dairies in general," he says. "People were looking to see what New Mexico was going to do. Because the dairies are looking at places to, sort of, hide, because they don't like regulations."
But even if other states aren't influenced, New Mexico's overall attitude toward dairies seems to have changed. In December 2010, the Environment Department denied its second dairy permit, for the Ruch dairy in Hobbs, which had been discharging waste without a permit. Environment Secretary Ron Curry has left. His replacement, David Martin, recently highlighted the need for industry to be honest in permit applications, thanking local activists for outing a permittee whose application underestimated how industrial discharge would affect groundwater. "Regular citizens can make a difference in protecting the environment," Martin commented.
The dairymen's attitudes may also be shifting. Beverly Idsinga, whose group Dairy Producers of New Mexico represents most of the state's dairies, was pleased with the final rules. "I think (they are) going to be favorable to producers; it's going to be easier to follow than before," she says. The dairymen did, however, reserve the right to evaluate the rules after a year, and petition the Environment Department for changes if they are having "any problems," Idsinga adds.
As for ParaSol, owner John McCatharn eventually got his permit. But because of the dairy's sensitive location, it was loaded with so many requirements -- from double synthetic liners to extra flood barriers -- that McCatharn, who declined to comment on his plans for the dairy, appears to have abandoned the project. Today, the site looks much as it did when Nivens first saw it four and a half years ago -- a dirt lot by a dry creek in the midst of desert. One day this fall, though, the tattered notice for the dairy disappeared. In its place is a new sign. It reads: "Para Sol Subdivision. 116 Lot Type II Residential Subdivision. Subdivider: John McCatharn."
This story was funded by a grant from the McCune Charitable Foundation. It was produced in collaboration with the Food and Environment Reporting Network, an independent, nonprofit news organization producing investigative reporting on food, agriculture and environmental health.© High Country News | <urn:uuid:78dbf6eb-7188-47a4-b6da-fcefb2a3e354> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.hcn.org/issues/43.20/a-citizen-activist-forces-new-mexicos-dairies-to-clean-up-their-act/print_view | 2013-06-18T22:58:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971711 | 4,617 |
Posted on Thursday, April 8th, 2010 by Hunter Stephenson
/Film will be recapping and discussing each episode of the third season of Breaking Bad. A spoiler warning applies after the jump for the recaps and for the comments section. Meth heads and readers’ thoughts welcome. For previous recaps, click here.
The third episode of the third season, “I.F.T.” continues the series’ slow burn this year and we have to admit, the percolating (and/or slightly tedious?) tension has us counting the days until death knocks on someone’s door. It was an ep highlighting connections and inevitable reveals. Until the final seconds, the meaning of the titular acronym rained a mystery—and when viewers figured it out, I’m pretty sure Walter White was considering a revision to his “honesty is good” policy. Or perhaps he simply reacted by storming out for a signature bender in his tighty-whities.
Other reveals dealt with the degrees of separation between the Cousins of Death and a pivotal character from the series’ past, and an unexpected flashback on Danny Trejo’s thug.
The Cousins of Death
The bald hombres still haven’t muttered a single word of dialogue. Do you think their tongues were cut out as kids—a Juarez bar mitzvah of sorts? After the Cousins steal an old plebe lady’s wheelchair-friendly van (and slay her?), they transport Tuco’s mute uncle inside of it–we’re given the uncle’s informal name: Don “Tio” Salamanca—to a business meeting with Gus at his spooky chicken coops.
In a small-confine meeting, the Cousins are identified to viewers as the vengeful cousins of Tuco and the nephews of his mean-faced, bell ringing uncle. Makes sense. We also discover in the opening minutes that they’re responsible for the death of Danny Trejo’s thug/DEA informant named Tortuga, under the employ of a Mexican cartel kingpin named Juan, who’s present at the poultry farm sit-down as well. (Note: I found the decapitation of Tortuga from a Cousin’s machete lacking in the oomph department. The force displayed in this act was reminiscent of a machete scene in the most recent season of Big Love, only this time it wasn’t supposed to be funny.
After so much foreboding emphasis on the Cousins’ badassery, would it not be grand if Walter White wiped them off the earth without breaking a sweat? I found myself in need of a big surprise after “I.F.T.”
On his home turf, Gus persuades the Mexico crew and Tio to refrain from murdering Walter. His request and vegetable platter, however polite, don’t go over well with this brooding party. “They are not…like you and I,” Juan casually warns Gus, in a one-to-one chat outside as the twins eyeball him through a window. Is this the start of a bigger turf war? And it might be me and I’m not suggesting anything tasteless: I do sense a bit of President Obama in the tidy look and dress, analytical tone, and cool demeanor of Gustavo.
In the past, Skyler has quietly displayed a righteous etiquette in her vices, and here she seems to use Walt’s refusal for divorce to fulfill sexual fantasies with her middle-aged boss and restless ex- Ted. The title doesn’t beat around the bush: ”I fucked Ted,” she tells Walt, who doesn’t shed a tear or loose his temper. At least, before the episode is over.
Nor has Skyler washed her hands of Ted’s dirty book keeping—is it secretly a guilty pleasure?—and she continues to smoke near her baby, Holly. It was eerie seeing mother and child locked in the bedroom as Skyler smoked, knowing the Cousins had sat on the bed with an ax days ago.
In confidence, we see Skyler inform her female divorce lawyer that Walter is a dealer of meth, a “cook,” and watch her shoot down the lawyer’s advice to turn him over to the cops and formally split asap. Leaving Walter Jr. with the baggage of an incarcerated father would do more harm than good she says.
Skyler is testing the waters here, and when she calls the cops to have Walter removed from their home, I wondered at that moment if the more prominent police officer made note of her hesitance to explain the reasons why, or about her decision not to press further. During her talk with the cop, Walter cheaply picks up Holly to solidify an empathetic bond with the cop’s partner. A nice touch by Cranston and the writers.
It’s all become a game to Mr. W. Headstrong yet calculated compared to the loss of control and blindness we’ve seen him display in the first two episodes, Walter finally shows Skyler his giant bag of money. She finds it on the living room floor and it reminded me of a dog that drags a dead catch indoors, seeking its owner’s approval. Walter tells his wife he didn’t steal the money. No, he earned it from doing… unspeakable things. Relief.
Walt proceeds to verbally lay out the money’s use in a Walt-less future: college tuition(s), graduations parties, health care, groceries, gas, the mortgage. Somehow he forgets to mention a funeral(s). Speaking of dogs, can Skyler use a few hundred dollars to buy and care for a family pet? As we see, even Aqua Teen Hunger Force does little to lighten the mood in the Whites’ casa. At the very least, these people need to purchase a few functional lamps.
Bummertown. The first two eps saw Jesse accepting his role as the bad guy and somehow finding a dark inner calm and peace. It was a facade. Tucked in a sleeping bag on the barren floor of his newly purchased slash former home, Jesse repeatedly calls Jane to hear her voice mail. Over and over and over. We guess Jane doesn’t have a lingering Facebook page or never made a sex tape for, or with, him before she OD’d.
Jesse’s first house guest is Saul Goodman, who lovingly brings a cactus (IMPORTANT: it’s a metaphor!) as a house warming gift, and then urges him to return to cooking like the Andrew W.K. of meth producton. Later, we see Jesse slip on a gas mask in the ol’ RV. Fresh batch, fresh start. Jesse could use a pet. How about a pug in a top hat?
The past comes back to circle and bite Hank in the form of a call about a promotion that would send him back to El Paso, where his panic attacks rocked his confidence and sanity last season. After “I.F.T.” I’m most interested to see where the next few eps take Hank. Instead of using drugs, or hell just smoking pot, to escape his problems or taking the advice of a shrink, Hank confronts his stress by going Roadhouse on two tall biker fuckers in a bar. His belly bulging, I’m not sure I buy the victory, but the musical aid of ZZ Top in a brawl should never be underestimated.
If Hank’s unprofessional, unprovoked use of force was an attempt to kibosh the promotion, the loyalty of his DEA partner, Steven, ironically keeps him up the ladder for now. Will Hank give in and taste meth before season’s end? A black cloud hangs over him. We’re interested to see if his working and personal relationship with Steven, who has thus far been underdeveloped and under-seen, is addressed.
Now that we think of it, we are dealing with a lot of troubled, bald men this season. More and more, Hank’s loneliness and Walt’s are sending these men down a chaotic, work-obsessed path.
- Mike the Cleaner seemingly places Gus‘s client standing above Saul‘s when he tells him Saul need not find out how close Walter came to death at the hands of the Cousins. Interesting.
- In the ep’s end credits there is a dedication to “a friend” named Shari Rhodes. She was the show’s casting director who passed away last year. Follow-up: I assumed a painting seen in the Whites’ kitchen in “I.F.T.” was a portrait of Rhodes in tribute, but the painting was present in season two.
Breaking Bad airs Sundays at 10 p.m. EST on AMC. For previous episode recaps, click here.
If you’re interested in the production design of season three, here is a brief feature about director of photography Michael Slovis and the production designer Mark S. Freeborn. The part where they discuss Jesse’s preference for the color red confirms a trend you may have noticed during the first episodes of the season.
Hunter Stephenson can be reached at h.attila/gmail and followed on Twitter. | <urn:uuid:35d64915-5123-49d5-8a2c-890e45c98463> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.slashfilm.com/breaking-bad-recap-episode-3-ift-is-a-slow-burn-and-a-saucy-acronym/ | 2013-06-18T22:45:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953368 | 1,972 |
Original URL: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/09/iphone_roundup/
The iPhone: Everything you needed to know
The tears, the laughter, the previous coverage
It's just a few hours to go till Apple, O2 and Carphone Warehouse throw open their doors to anyone wanting to buy an iPhone.
While you're waiting, you might want to take a virtual walk down memory lane, so we've pulled together six months' worth of iPhone coverage in one easy link fest. You don't have to believe the hype, but you can't deny it's out there.
iPhone to solve UK unemployment
Not content with redefining the mobile phone and computer industries, the iPhone can now take credit for creating new jobs and saving the UK economy, apparently.
UK iPhone customers to get fairer usage
O2 has decided that iPhone users on its network won't be limited by their "fair usage" policy, and really will get "unlimited" access to the internet. But other customers signed up for "unlimited" contracts will have to wait and see if O2 decides all their usage is fair too.
How many $$$s does Apple make from an iPhone?
Lots from the phone, even more from the revenue sharing
Motorola: Apple will not open the iPhone
The senior director of entertainment products at Motorola questions whether Apple will truly "open up" the iPhone.
Operators say 'told you so' on iPhone security
Operator talking-shop the OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Alliance) has published its white paper on handset security, saying something along the lines of Symbian Signed is a good idea, and that if Apple had listened to it the iPhone would never have been cracked.
Apple: 1.4m iPhones sold, 250,000 unlocked
More than a quarter of a million people have purchased Apple iPhones and unlocked them, the handset's manufacturer admitted last night.
Apple opens up iPhone to app developers
The iPhone and iTouch are to get a Software Developers Kit in February next year, allowing developers to create proper native applications for the platform and allowing it to properly compete with other smart phones, Steve Jobs announced on the company's website today.
Orange's Apple deal to bear unlocked iPhones
Orange will indeed offer Apple's iPhone on France, but the most interesting aspect of the two firms' partnership will be the availability, for the first time, of officially unlocked handsets.
Apple prepares iPhone WebApp catalogue
Apple is about to launch a consolidation portal hosting WebApps for its glorified slates, the iPhone and iTouch, whilst developing proper applications with Electronic Arts and others.
Hackers hit back at iPhone update
The war between Apple and the hackers is heating up, after a 'fix' for the recent iPhone update was posted online. Apple's recent update for the iPhone's firmware rendered unlocked iPhones - those that had been modified either through software or other means to work outside of AT&T's network - unusable, and the firm has so far refused to back down from its hardline stance.
Apple posts iPhone update, bricks unlocked handsets
Apple has posted the anticipated iPhone 1.1.1 update. The release, which adds support for the Wi-Fi connect iTunes Music Store, does indeed, as expected, returns unlocked handsets back to their AT&T-only status.
VoIP says hello to the iPhone
UK-based VoIP provider Truphone last night demonstrated its ability to place a VoIP call from an Apple iPhone, as well as some Facebook integration.
The iPhone arrives, but is O2 being taken for a ride?
Yesterday Apple announced that O2 would have the exclusive rights to their iPhone in the UK, with punters paying £279 for the phone and signing up to an 18-month contract.
Jobs hits London to announce O2 iPhone deal
Apple has finally confirmed that O2 has won the exclusive rights to carry the iPhone over its UK network from next month. Steve Jobs made the announcement at its flagship UK store in London this morning.
Apple restricts ringtone rights
Yes, it seems unjust that Apple can charge you twice for an iPhone ringtone. But that's the way the fair-use cookie crumbles.
iPod Touch: How the Jesus Phone was really John the Baptist
So was nine months of relentless iPhone hype and froth just a distraction? Not quite, but you could be forgiven for thinking so. I believe Apple's most important product of 2007 was actually announced this week, and its significance has been slow to sink in. It might be one of the cleverest moves Apple's ever made.
Apple lobs $100 credit at iPhone buyers
Much to our surprise, Apple mavens have revolted against Steve Jobs. And he's trying to appease them.
Apple slashes iPhone prices
No, Steve. We didn't miss that last bit.
This morning, after announcing a boatload of brand new iPod and iTunes gizmos , Steve Jobs had one final piece of news for all you Apple lovers out there: He was dropping the price of the iPhone. Little more than two months after it debuted at $599, the 8GB status symbol is now available for just $399.
US teen trades hacked iPhone for Nissan 350Z
A New Jersey teenager has cut a deal to trade a hacked iPhone for a new set of wheels and three further iPhones, Yahoo! reports.
iPhone unlock procedure posted
A utility claiming to be the world's first software tool for unlocking the Apple iPhone was launched yesterday, even as hardware hackers said they'd figured out how to get the same result by tweaking the gadget itself.
Apple puts refurbished iPhones on sale
Want a cheaper iPhone? Apple has begun offering refurbished handsets for $100 less than it charges for freshly made models.
iPhone thumb trim hoax gets online media buy-in
Claims that Thomas Martel, 28, of Bonnie Brae had his oversized thumbs "whittled" to make using his iPhone easier have turned out to be a marvellous hoax perpetrated by the North Denver News, though one that fooled many online news sources.
Jesus Phone needs an exorcist
Security researchers have discovered a security flaw in Apple's iPhone that could allow miscreants to wreak havoc on users of the highly-revered device, which has been dubbed the Jesus Phone by its more blindly faithful users.
What's al-Qaeda's take on the iPhone?
In a fortnight during which just about everyone on the planet, excluding naturally those in a coma or temporarily indisposed up some tributary of the Amazon, has offered their two bits' worth on the launch of Apple's iPhone, it comes as a bit of a surprise that al-Qaeda has dismally failed to contribute to the brouhaha.
Why the iPhone is a success
Two weeks after the iPhone virus started spreading, the verdict has to be that Steve Jobs has got it right.
Sick to death of the bloody iPhone? Click here
We have some absolutely splendid news today for those among you who are heartily sick and tired of the bloody iPhone - those very silly people down at Blendtec have done the decent thing and stuck the infernal device in the blender.
iPhone hackers disclose vulns and hunt for clues
The game is on for hackers trying to spot security vulnerabilities in Apple's iPhone and already they're scoring points. Less than 72 hours after the iPhone's introduction, researchers have reported at least one flaw that could allow an attacker some level of control over the device, while other hackers have uncovered passwords hiding in Apple software that could prove key in gaining root access, they said.
iPhone autopsies conducted
It hasn't taken long for many of the Apple iPhones acquired over the weekend to be taken home and taken to bits as hardware fans and chip analysts alike try to find out what kind of kit the "revolutionary" handset is packing.
Apple's first handheld: the Newton MessagePad
Some say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and when you consider the history of the PDA, that statement holds many truths.
iPhone contract charges unveiled
AT&T and Apple have announced what the iPhone will cost customers over the two-year contract they'll be obliged to sign - and it's pretty-much what AT&T charges customers already.
Ballmer: Apple's iPhone will be a niche player
So did Microsoft CEO Steve 'Monkey Boy ' Ballmer actually claim Apple's iPhone strategy is "flawed" or "bust", as a fair few bloggers picking up on his USA Today interview suggested? Not quite.
Why the Apple phone will fail, and fail badly
That's us, hoist by the petard of our excitable headline writers. But this remains a good run-through of the mobile phone market and Apple's place in it. We shall see, soon enough, if the novelty wears off® | <urn:uuid:50022c7f-1410-4d50-be9e-05411ec98289> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/09/iphone_roundup/print.html | 2013-06-18T22:28:08Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368707435344/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516123035-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947614 | 1,871 |
BSA Supply No. 35859
In learning about astronomy, Scouts study how activities in space affect our own planet and bear witness to the wonders of the night sky: the nebulae, or giant clouds of gas and dust where new stars are born; old stars dying and exploding; meteor showers and shooting stars; the moon, planets, and a dazzling array of stars.
- Describe the proper clothing and other precautions for safely making observations at night and in cold weather. Tell how to safely observe the Sun, objects near the Sun, and the Moon. Explain first aid for injuries or illnesses such as heat and cold reactions, dehydration, bites and stings, and damage to your eyes that could occur during observation.
- Explain what light pollution is and how it and air pollution affect astronomy.
- With the aid of diagrams (or real telescopes if available), do each of the following:
Do the following:
- Explain why binoculars and telescopes are important astronomical tools. Demonstrate or explain how these tools are used.
- Describe the similarities and differences of several types of astronomical telescopes.
- Explain the purposes of at least three instruments used with astronomical telescopes.
Do the following:
- Identify in the sky at least 10 constellations, at least four of which are in the zodiac.
- Identify at least eight conspicuous stars, five of which are of magnitude 1 or brighter.
- Make two sketches of the Big Dipper. In one sketch, show the Big Dipper's orientation in the early evening sky. In another sketch, show its position several hours later. In both sketches, show the North Star and the horizon. Record the date and time each sketch was made.
- Explain what we see when we look at the Milky Way.
At approximately weekly intervals, sketch the position of Venus, Mars, or Jupiter in relation to the stars. Do this for at least four weeks and at the same time of night. On your sketch, record the date and time next to the planet's position. Use your sketch to explain how planets move.
Do the following:
- List the names of the five most visible planets. Explain which ones can appear in phases similar to lunar phases and which ones cannot, and explain why.
- Find out when each of the five most visible planets that you identified in requirement 5a will be observable in the evening sky during the next 12 months, then compile this information in the form of a chart or table. Update your chart monthly to show whether each planet will be visible during the early morning or in the evening sky.
Do the following:
- Sketch the face of the Moon and indicate at least five seas and five craters. Label these landmarks.
- Sketch the phase and the daily position of the Moon, at the same hour and place, for a week. Include landmarks on the horizon such as hills, trees, and buildings. Explain the changes you observe.
- List the factors that keep the Moon in orbit around Earth.
- With the aid of diagrams, explain the relative positions of the Sun, Earth, and the Moon at the times of lunar and solar eclipses, and at the times of new, first-quarter, full, and last-quarter phases of the Moon.
With your counselor's approval and guidance, do ONE of the following:
- Describe the composition of the Sun, its relationship to other stars, and some effects of its radiation on Earth's weather. Define sunspots and describe some of the effects they may have on solar radiation.
- Identify at least one red star, one blue star, and one yellow star (other than the Sun). Explain the meaning of these colors.
List at least three different career opportunities in astronomy. Pick the one in which you are most interested and explain how to prepare for such a career. Discuss with your counselor what courses might be useful for such a career.
- Visit a planetarium or astronomical observatory. Submit a written report, a scrapbook, or a video presentation afterward to your counselor that includes the following information:
- Activities occurring there
- Exhibits and displays you saw
- Telescopes and other instruments being used
- Celestial objects you observed
- Plan and participate in a three-hour observation session that includes using binoculars or a telescope. List the celestial objects you want to observe, and find each on a star chart or in a guidebook. Prepare an observing log or notebook. Show your plan, charts, and log or notebook to your counselor before making your observations. Review your log or notebook with your counselor afterward.
- Plan and host a star party for your Scout troop or other group such as your class at school. Use binoculars or a telescope to show and explain celestial objects to the group.
- Help an astronomy club in your community hold a star party that is open to the public.
- Personally take a series of photographs or digital images of the movement of the Moon, a planet, an asteroid or meteoroid, or a comet. In your visual display, label each image and include the date and time it was taken. Show all positions on a star chart or map. Show your display at school or at a troop meeting. Explain the changes you observed.
Atomic Energy, Chemistry, Computers, Geology, Photography, Radio, Space Exploration, and Weather merit badge pamphlets
- Bond, Peter. DK Guide to Space. DK Publishing, 1999.
- Brunier, Serge, and Akira Fujii. The Great Atlas of the Stars. Firefly Books, 2001.
- Covington, Michael A. Astrophotography for the Amateur, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
- Davis, Kenneth C. Don't Know Much About Space. HarperTrophy, 2001.
- --------. Don't Know Much About the Solar System. HarperCollins, 2001.
- Harrington, Philip, and Edward Pascuzzi. Astronomy for All Ages. Globe Pequot Press, 2000.
- Henbest, Nigel, and Heather Couper. DK Space Encyclopedia. DK Publishing, 1999.
- Lambert, David. The Kingfisher Young People's Book of the Universe. Kingfisher Books, 2001.
- Moore, Patrick, ed. Astronomy Encyclopedia. Oxford Children's Books, 2002.
- Price, Fred W. The Planet Observer's Handbook. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Schaaf, Fred. 40 Nights to Knowing the Sky: A Night-by-Night Skywatching Primer. Owl Books, 1998.
- Stott, Carole. New Astronomer. Dorling Kindersley Limited, 1999.
- Trefil, James. Other Worlds: Images of the Cosmos from Earth and Space. National Geographic, 1999.
CDs, DVDs, and Videos
Amazing Universe III. Hopkins Technology, 1995, CD-ROM.
IMAX Cosmic Voyage. Warner Home Video, 1996, DVD.
Distant Suns: The Virtual Desktop Planetarium. Virtual Reality Laboratories, 1994, CD-ROM.
Savage Sun. Discovery Channel, 1999, videocassette.
The Solar Empire: A Star is Born. Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel, 1997, videocassette.
21027 Crossroads Circle
P.O. Box 1612
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Web site: http://www.astronomy.com
Sky and Telescope
49 Bay State Road
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Toll-free telephone: 800-253-0245
Web site: http://skyandtelescope.com
Organizations and Web Sites
9201 Ward Parkway, Suite 100
Kansas City, MO 64114
Web site: http://www.astroleague.org
Astronomy Watch: Tonight's Sky and Astro Events
Web site: http://www.astronomy-watch.com
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headquarters Information Center
Washington, DC 20546-0001
Web site: http://www.nasa.gov
National Optical Astronomy Observatory
950 North Cherry Ave.
Tucson, AZ 85719
Web site: http://www.noao.edu
National Radio Astronomy Observatory
520 Edgemont Road
Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475
Web site: http://www.nrao.edu
The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91106-2301
Web site: http://planetary.org
Web site: http://www.skymaps.com
Solar System Exploration: The Planets
Web site: http://sse.jpl.nasa.gov/features/planets/planetsfeat.html
Space Telescope Science Institute
3700 San Martin Drive
Baltimore, MD 21218
Web site: http://hubblesite.org
Web site: http://www.spacewander.com
Web site: http://www.SpaceWeather.com | <urn:uuid:5305d5cb-3106-4582-9060-6ebda0d0b467> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://councils.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/BoysScouts/AdvancementandAwards/MeritBadges/mb-ASTR | 2013-05-19T10:17:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.80375 | 1,876 |
After much anticipation regarding health care reform, 1994 ended without passage of any national legislation. The debate will probably resurface in the new Congress, since the issues and concerns surrounding the U.S. health care system still exist. However, it is unlikely that the discussion will be framed with the same sense of urgency as in 1994. Furthermore, results of last November's elections suggest a considerably reduced probability that health care reform will entail a total overhaul of the system. Nevertheless, some action can be expected at the national and state levels on issues such as pre-existing conditions and the accessibility of health insurance. Although some form of universal coverage may continue to be viewed as a goal, the time span for its achievement will likely be lengthened.
Despite the absence of major health legislation at the national level, the delivery and financing of U.S. health care have undergone, and will continue to undergo, modifications. Similar to the pattern of recent years, much of the change will continue to be initiated at the state level. While quality of care remains a major element of the debate, cost has been the major driving force behind many of the changes.
The desire to control sharply rising costs appears to have steered the U.S. health care system in the direction of managed care. Recent trends suggest that enrollment in health maintenance organizations (HMOs) for 1994 is close to 50 million, with market penetration approaching 20% . Although surveys differ as to the estimated level of enrollment, they are consistent in pointing to significant growth in recent years. Existing and prospective competition have precipitated a consolidation within the various industries that encompass the health care system. Barring any dramatic shift in course, these market forces are expected to intensify during the remainder of the 1990s.
National Health Expenditures
Many of the cost issues and other concerns over health care in this country led to a focus on the level and growth of national health expenditures. The latest estimates from the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) put 1993 health care expenditures at $884.2 billion, representing an increase of 7.8% over spending in 1992 . This was the slowest growth rate recorded by national health expenditures since 1986. As shown in the Figure 1, total health care spending is projected to exceed $1 trillion in 1995. The annual growth rate for the 1990 to 1995 period is expected to average 8%, compared to 9.9% for the previous 5 years.
According to Health Care Financing Administration data, spending on personal health care totaled $782.5 billion in 1993, an increase of 7.2% over the prior year. Table 1 shows a breakdown by type of expenditure and source of payment. Hospital care and physicians' services combined accounted for more than three-fifths of personal health expenditures. In the past, the relatively low out-of-pocket share for these categories has been singled out as a main cause for the sharp increase in expenditures. Although this share remains low for both categories, especially hospital care, each showed relatively slow growth in 1993. Among the various categories, home health care continues to display the fastest growth, by far, while "other professional services" continues to record above-average growth.
Although the growth rate for health care spending has slowed in recent years, it remains above that of the overall economy. National health expenditures were equivalent to 13.9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 1993. Current estimates for 1995 put the ratio of national health expenditures to GDP at 14.3%. Just 5 years prior, spending on health care represented 12.6% of the goods and services produced in the United States, with the ratio 10 years ago at 10.8% .
The rising share of resources being channeled into US health care, as evidenced by this ratio, remains one of the focal points of the ongoing debate in the United States. The extent of the health care claim on resources is even more apparent when viewed in a context of marginal analysis, ie, looking at incremental changes . The $70 billion increase in national health expenditures projected for 1995 represents 18% of the expected dollar increase in Gross Domestic Product. Thus, despite a discernible slowing in spending on health care, still almost one-fifth of new economic resources in 1995 will be devoted to this category of spending.
International comparisons have also played a central role in the questions regarding resource utilization and health care in the United States. The latest data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show US health care spending at a significantly above-average percentage of gross domestic product. In addition to the current relatively high share of gross domestic product, the data show that during the 1985 to 1992 period, the United States exhibited a larger increase in the share compared to other major industrial countries. Interestingly, Canada, whose single-payer system has been touted as a possible model for the United States, came in second in terms of both relative share and growth since 1985.
Medical Care Inflation
Clearly, one of the most notable developments regarding health care costs has been the dramatic slowing in medical care inflation as measured in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which measures price changes for a specific "market basket" of consumer goods and services. The difference in importance among various items between the medical care CPI and health insurance plans explains, in large part, why cost experiences have shown gains substantially greater than the medical Consumer Price Index. Other factors include technology advances, higher utilization, and the rise in catastrophic cases.
Although disagreement over some of the technical aspects of the Consumer Price Index persist, the deceleration in the medical care component of the CPI has been too significant to be dismissed. As indicated in Table 2, the increase for 1994 is estimated at just 4.8%-the smallest increase since 1973. This result followed a gain of 5.9% in 1993, and was substantially below our forecast of a year ago .
Much of the difference from the projection was reflected in a sharp slowing among hospital and related services. The categories in this grouping, ie, rooms, inpatient services, and outpatient services, are displaying their slowest price increases since the mid-1980s-a period when prospective payment and diagnostic related groups were adopted into Medicare. Physicians' services also contributed to the lower-than-expected rise in the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index for 1994.
While some of the slowing in the medical care CPI can be attributed to a lower level of general inflation, a significant narrowing of the gap between the two suggests the presence of factors specific to medical care. Projections for 1995 show the gap narrowing further, despite a slight increase in medical care inflation.
Although the health care issue is viewed nationally, many of the developments regarding health care are transpiring at the regional level. State health expenditure data prepared by the Health Care Financing Administration reveal significant regional variations . According to the data supplied by the HCFA in 1993, New England has the highest spending relative to the country as a whole, with the Rocky Mountain states at the other end of the scale. The fastest growth for the period was recorded in the southeast, at 10.3% annually, followed by New England and the mid-eastern states. The far west, at 8.2%, exhibited the slowest growth. Not surprisingly, the high-cost, high-growth regions were the same as those with an above-average proportion of the population aged 65 and older. The Plains states were an exception. Although showing the largest proportion of older residents, their spending and growth were about average.
The factors that differentiate health care from other parts of the economy have been widely discussed: consumers do not pay directly for a large proportion of expenditures; suppliers are intricately involved in the demand decisions; technology advancements increase demand and, in many instances, do not improve productivity.
Despite these attributes, health care is not immune to market forces and the laws of economics. Although much of the industry remains on a nonprofit basis, cost pressures are significantly influencing behavior. Mergers and acquisitions have become commonplace, as firms jockey for position in the new environment.
Summary and Conclusions
The cry for health care reform has diminished somewhat. Nevertheless, more changes are forthcoming. For the foreseeable future, health care will demand a rising share of resources. Earlier estimates put the proportion of health expenditures to Gross Domestic Product at almost 17% by the year 2000.
Although there is no magic number regarding this proportion, its relative level in the United States strongly suggests that changes need to take place. It would appear that the population prefers that changes be instituted through the private sector, and not through extensive government involvement and regulation. | <urn:uuid:754dcd80-3cf0-4ddf-9673-55383c3544f9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.cancernetwork.com/display/article/10165/74898 | 2013-05-19T10:24:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957145 | 1,746 |
1 Wednesday, 15 December 2004
2 [Open session]
3 [The accused entered court]
4 --- Upon commencing at 2.53 p.m.
5 JUDGE ORIE: Madam Registrar, would you please call the case.
6 THE REGISTRAR: Case number IT-00-39-T, the Prosecutor versus
7 Momcilo Krajisnik.
8 JUDGE ORIE: Thank you, Madam Registrar.
9 We are here this afternoon to hear any submissions from the
10 parties in respect of a possible application of Rule 15 bis (D).
11 Last Friday, on the 10th of December, the two remaining Judges,
12 that is, the two Judges remaining after the withdrawal of Judge El Mahdi
13 from this case takes effect, the two remaining Judges invited the accused
14 to inform the Chamber of whether or not he would consent to the
15 continuation of this case to be heard with a substitute Judge in order to
16 include this information in the report to the President. I have sent my
17 report to the President. Meanwhile, I take it that it has been filed this
18 morning, so that it's accessible to the parties.
19 When informing the Chamber about the not giving consent, yesterday
20 in the afternoon the Defence has asked for a hearing on which submissions
21 could be made. The Defence -- as a matter of fact, both parties are
22 entitled to make whatever submissions they'd like to make in anticipation
23 of any decision to be taken by the remaining Judges.
24 I'm aware that the Defence asked for a hearing tomorrow morning.
25 The two Judges, the two remaining Judges would have agreed to that, but
1 there was no courtroom available and the Judges were not willing to
2 further postpone a hearing. Therefore, we have scheduled it this
4 When I emphasised that both parties can make their submission, it
5 is also in view of the Rule 15(D), where it says that if the two remaining
6 Judges would determine that it would be in the interest of justice, it
7 would serve the interests of justice to continue that both parties have a
8 right to appeal, and I'm telling the parties not anything new if I tell
9 them that for appeal proceedings, of course, it might be of some
10 importance to be able to rely on what you said prior to the decision being
11 taken by the two remaining Judges.
12 Is there any preference as to which party would like to make its
13 submissions first? Perhaps the Defence is the most interested party at
14 this moment, so therefore, Mr. Stewart, please proceed.
15 MR. STEWART: Well, Your Honour, I have absolutely no objection
16 whatever to going first. Your Honour, the -- what I'm going to do is --
17 we know, I apprehend the procedural background. I'm not going to run
18 through all that. Your Honour, the -- Mr. Krajisnik's position has now
19 been made clear. Your Honour, we did receive an e-mail from the Trial
20 Chamber saying that this decision was found surprising but understandable.
21 Of course, Your Honour, it's our submission it's understandable. We're
22 slightly surprised it's surprising, but it doesn't matter because by the
23 time we get to the end of these submissions we hope that Mr. Krajisnik's
24 position will be (a), understandable; and (b), not any longer surprising.
25 Your Honour, what I should also make clear about Mr. Krajisnik's
1 position is that he is not contending, through us, that, in the particular
2 circumstances there should be neither a new trial nor a continuation of
3 the old trial. That could be the position in the future if a similar
4 situation arose. But the future is the future, and at that point, one
5 could reach a situation where neither course was appropriate. But on this
6 occasion, Your Honour, we're not arguing that it's in the overall
7 interests of justice to have neither a new trial nor a continuance.
8 Nevertheless, Mr. Krajisnik's position is very clear. He has not -- the
9 way it's put in the Rules he has -- he does not consent to a continuation
10 of these proceedings, i.e., this trial, because he wishes to have the
11 alternative, a rehearing in terms of a new trial.
12 So, of course, they're mutually inconsistent; hence, since it is
13 his wish and our submission that there should be a new trial, of course
14 his consent necessarily had to be withheld under 15(C). Otherwise it is
15 not a consistent position.
16 So, Your Honour, the way that we phrase the question, and it's a
17 legitimate paraphrase of 15 bis (D), is in those circumstances, and that
18 being Mr. Krajisnik's position, which of a new trial or a continuation
19 better serves the interests of justice. Because 15 bis (D) is talking
20 specifically about the decision for the two of Your Honours whether a
21 continuation would serve the interests of justice. But since the only
22 rival contention, but it is the rival contention, the alternative, is a
23 new trial, effectively, it is which of them better serves the interests of
25 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Mr. Stewart, I think that's understood. If you
1 look at the French version of Rule 15 bis (D), you'll see that it
2 says "better serves."
3 MR. STEWART: That's even better, then, Your Honour.
4 JUDGE ORIE: Yes.
5 MR. STEWART: I hadn't -- I do occasionally look at the French,
6 Your Honour, when I see ambiguity and uncertainty in the English, but I
7 must confess a preference for English as my first port of cause. Yes,
8 Your Honour, I understand that means -- "meilleur," I suppose, is a --
9 JUDGE ORIE: It says "sert mieux."
10 MR. STEWART: I understand the grammar. Thank you, Your Honour.
11 Thank you so much for that. Well, in that case, there's clearly no issue
12 whatever. The English, as I've understood it and submitted it to mean
13 accords with the French.
14 The -- Your Honour, the technical position - again, to go very
15 quickly over this - is that our submission is and we believe that this is
16 also firmly understood by the jurisprudence, there's no presumption either
17 way that Your Honours simply decide which is the better course and do not
18 start with any legal presumption.
19 The structure of Article 15 -- of Rule 15 bis, after all, is that
20 there is no continuation at this point without consent, and then a special
21 provision to allow one effectively what we call compulsory continuation if
22 our submissions in this particular case are rejected.
23 So although there's not a presumption, it does require, of course,
24 a positive decision by Your Honours.
25 The basic foundation is, we submit, that unless there is some
1 sufficient reason to the contrary that a defendant, and especially a
2 defendant in Mr. Krajisnik's position, on such serious charges, and it
3 goes without saying, the charges are the most serious, because it's
4 genocide and then a whole series of other very serious crimes. So they
5 are the most serious. Mr. Krajisnik is a 60-year-old man. That's quite
6 recent. But he is now a 60-year-old man facing, without any concession at
7 all being made, but if he were convicted on all charges, he faces a clear
8 risk of life imprisonment. I say no more than that. But clearly, that
9 must be realistically a risk.
10 The starting point is that he should have the assurance, if at all
11 possible, when his trial starts, that all three Judges should hear, and
12 where appropriate, read all the evidence throughout and on equal terms.
13 That may sound like a rather fine distinction from a presumption, but
14 it's, we submit, a clearly correct statement of principle, that as far as
15 possible, and we operate in the real world, Mr. Krajisnik should have had,
16 ideally, and should have now, if at all possible, a trial with all Judges
17 present all the time.
18 And the importance of the presence of all Judges all the time is
19 recognised, endorsed, and inferred very clearly from other provisions in
20 Rule 15 bis which are not directly the issue here, but 15 bis (A), dealing
21 with short-term absence from the trial, and then 15 bis (F), which
22 authorises a Chamber to conduct routine matters, but only routine matters,
23 in the absence of one member of the Chamber.
24 So that's consistent with and endorses that essential principle.
25 There is also an important principle expressly enshrined in the
1 Rules, but it would be clear anyway, equality of Judges. The presiding
2 Judge, Your Honour Judge Orie in this particular instance, the Presiding
3 Judge naturally chairs, in effect, and directs the proceedings to a very
4 considerable, practical extent, but of course all three Judges are equal
5 in deciding Mr. Krajisnik's case. He is entitled to their equal say, and
6 if it comes to it, to their equal vote. And he could, in principle, one
7 among many permutations, he could as any defendant be acquitted by a 2:1
8 majority by the Trial Chamber. So it is absolutely vital that, so far as
9 possible - of course, we can only do the possible, not the impossible -
10 but so far as possible, no Judge should be in any sense less well equipped
11 than any other Judge. For example, by being put in a position of
12 deferring or feeling that there might be any circumstances in which he or
13 she might defer to a greater grasp or knowledge of the case. And there is
14 that practical element. All Judges of this Tribunal are, of course,
15 independent mind and disposition or they wouldn't be here, but that's a
16 very -- that's, all the same, a natural element and concern if one does
17 have any imbalance.
18 Of course, Your Honour, we note 15 bis inevitably involves a
19 compromise of this point in the particular circumstances with which it
20 deals. We're not operating in some remote, unreal world. So of course it
21 does. But that nevertheless, in our submission, leads to the accompanying
22 principle that such compromise should be kept to the absolute minimum.
23 And I come to that shortly in balancing. Because it is a balancing. It's
24 one of those balancing exercises, however near the borderline it comes,
25 between new trial and continuation.
1 The basic foundation, as I think I labelled it, of Mr. Krajisnik's
2 essential entitlement to have all Judges hear all the evidence throughout
3 and so on, as I summarised it, follows and is consistent with elementary
4 features of trial procedure that -- and trial procedure in many tribunals
5 but specifically before this Tribunal, that there should be an oral
6 hearing, with witnesses. 92 bis and 89(F) being restrictive exceptions
7 applied in accordance with the Rules and the jurisprudence in certain
8 defined if not in detail always specifically defined circumstances, and
9 particularly 92 bis having importance exceptions where it has no
10 application and can have no application at all, particularly in relation
11 to acts and conduct of the accused.
12 So oral hearing with witnesses. Opportunity for all Judges to see
13 and hear all witnesses live or all important -- all witnesses are
14 important, but or they wouldn't be in the case, about all important
15 witnesses by which I just mean as a shorthand, there are of course, among
16 the 92 bis witnesses, there are witnesses that neither party nor the Trial
17 Chamber consider it necessary to hear and see live. And there's not
18 always an issue about 92 bis witnesses, after all.
19 The -- and we note, I mentioned 15 bis (A), the short-term dealing
20 with matters. That's limited to five days absence of a Judge and is not
21 automatic anyway, of course. It's applied according -- only when the
22 circumstances justify. And so we have oral hearing, opportunity for all
23 Judges, and that's reinforced by several provisions of 15 bis. All Judges
24 to be there throughout. And with physical attendance of witnesses,
25 subject to -- oral witnesses, but subject to specific application for
1 videolink evidence and a specific order under Rule 71 bis. So videolink
2 is an exception. It's sensibly applied and it has been occasionally used
3 already in this case, but it's clearly not the basic procedure. The basic
4 procedure is that witnesses turn up and give their evidence in full view
5 of all the Judges and the accused, cross-examined in the same room as --
6 examined and cross-examined in the same room as counsel.
7 So that's the basic background.
8 The current state of this trial is, of course, relevant. It
9 cannot be -- it can hardly be irrelevant. In a nutshell there, we attempt
10 to summarise in a time to put together this information. Your Honour, if
11 an apology is needed for some of these figures perhaps not being a hundred
12 per cent accurate, although we believe most of them are, the degree of
13 inaccuracy we submit is not material. If we're out by one or two
14 somewhere in the count, we might be quickly corrected, but even if not
15 corrected, we don't -- we suggest it won't affect the substance.
16 We have heard, or Your Honours have heard so far 41 viva voce
17 witnesses in the sense that they were not under 92 bis at all. So they
18 were not partially 92 bis or whatever. They were simply viva voce
19 witnesses giving their evidence in chief and being cross-examined
20 viva voce. 41. One is and was an expert witness, Mr. Treanor. The rest
21 are and have been factual witnesses, witnesses of fact, of which -- and
22 here we're not a hundred per cent about this next figure, Your Honour, but
23 on our count, 17 of those, or very close to 17, involved some element of
24 89(F), to shorten the actual oral evidence in chief.
25 So that's -- but that's the category of viva voce witnesses.
1 Second category: We've had five witnesses whose evidence in
2 chief, or whose evidence has been admitted under Rule 92 bis but with
3 cross-examination, and they have attended and been cross-examined. That's
4 the second category.
5 The third category is we have had just over 40, but very close to
6 40, but our count is just over 40 Rule 92 bis witnesses admitted, or their
7 evidence admitted, without cross-examination.
8 Then -- so those are the three categories of witnesses in a sense
9 who have either already been heard or in the case of those Rule 92 bis
10 witnesses admitted without cross-examination, their evidence is in a sense
11 on the file. It's equivalent to their having been heard.
12 There then as a fourth but slightly different category, there are
13 several by which we believe it's only about three or four Rule 92 bis
14 witnesses who have already been admitted but with cross-examination -- but
15 with cross-examination, but that's still to come. So they haven't come
17 The -- so those are the witnesses. The total hearing is in fact
18 exactly, because it might otherwise sound like a round figure but in fact
19 we have had exactly a hundred days of hearing, according to our records on
20 the Defence side. So they've been spread and for reasons that Your
21 Honours are familiar with and we all know the timetable and the
22 circumstances in which the trial started, they've been spread over 11
23 months, but we have had a hundred days of hearing.
24 The -- so next question is then a new trial, which is what we're
25 contending for. What would it involve? And within the Rules and the
1 established procedures, there is a considerable degree of flexibility,
2 especially with sensible agreement of the parties. And straight away,
3 Your Honour, I should make it clear that the Defence submission and the
4 Defence request will not involve the trial simply starting again as if
5 nothing had happened, and apart from all the pre-trial briefs and the
6 indictment, for Heaven's sake, those things have happened, but not
7 starting again as if nothing had happened and no witnesses had ever given
8 evidence and no 92 bis rulings had ever been made, apart from those made
9 perhaps before the trial began. We're not suggesting that. It's not our
10 submission and not our proposal that it would be sensible to have a total
11 rerun of the trial in every respect. But it is, and we maintain that, it
12 is our position that there should be a new trial as opposed to a
14 So -- and I will, of course, need to explain and develop that a
15 little so Your Honours understand exactly what it is we're proposing and
16 how practical it is.
17 Your Honour, the Defence position would be this with a new trial:
18 We would not seek to reopen, or put it another way, to resist a renewed
19 application, if that's the way it were technically done, the question of
20 the 92 bis witnesses. So that all the 92 bis witnesses where Your Honours
21 have already ruled that their evidence should be admitted, we would accept
22 that. If it were necessary to go through a technical step of renewing the
23 application, we don't believe it is, because even if it's a new trial, it
24 talks in 15 bis about continuation of proceedings. But this is still the
25 case of the Prosecutor against Krajisnik.
1 The -- so we would accept the 92 bis rulings. We would also
2 accept and not seek to have recalled any of those 92 bis witnesses where
3 the evidence in chief was admitted at the Prosecution's request and we
4 were -- that was five of them - and we were able to cross-examine. We
5 would be content and would agree to the transcripts of their evidence
6 being treated as their evidence. So from that practical point of view,
7 that would be very much the equivalent of the position in relation to
8 those witnesses if the situation were the existing trial to continue.
9 The key points -- I hope I haven't omitted anything from these
10 categories, and our acceptance of 92 bis rulings would also apply to that
11 small category where they've been admitted with cross-examination still to
12 come. But then cross-examination is still to come, whatever happens in
13 relation to those witnesses. But we would not seek to reopen the
14 admission of their evidence under 92 bis. Your Honour knows there are
15 some tiny little bits of tidying up in relation to one or two witnesses
16 where there's a redaction issue but those are so minor that they really
17 have no bearing on the issue today.
18 The key to all this, and the nub of the practicalities of a new
19 trial as opposed to continuation of present trial, lies with a relatively
20 short list of important witnesses. I've already said all witnesses are
21 important, but some animals are more equal than others and some witnesses
22 are more important than others. And perhaps I could give Your Honour, and
23 I'll be careful here with these names, but perhaps I could give Your
24 Honour -- it's a dozen names, and I wonder if I may simply read them off
25 carefully, because, well, they will be familiar names to Your Honour, but
1 may I do that.
2 They are, and I -- no disrespect to the gentlemen concerned.
3 [Defence counsel confer]
4 MR. STEWART: Excuse me, Your Honour. My team were concerned that
5 I was going to read name of protected witnesses, but they -- on this
6 occasion, although they have justification for that concern, on this
7 occasion their concern was not necessary.
8 Your Honour, the witnesses concerned are Deronjic, Treanor,
9 Kirudja, Okun, a protected witness, another protected witness, Kljuic --
10 I'll come back to KRAJ numbers in a minute, Your Honour. Another
11 protected witness, Radic, Bjelobrk, Mandic, and Karabeg. And the
12 protected witnesses in question, Your Honour, are 625, 623, and 583. And
13 whether Your Honour probably carries those numbers in your head, but Your
14 Honour will be familiar with which three gentlemen we're talking about.
15 Your Honour, Mr. Deronjic, and may I indicate, Your Honour, what
16 we would propose on the Defence side in relation to those witnesses,
17 because this is really the heart of the matter. Mr. Deronjic gave
18 evidence for just under five days. And without elaborating the point,
19 Your Honour, the Defence would wish there to be a new trial and for
20 Mr. Deronjic to come and give his evidence in full as a witness before all
21 three Judges at the new trial.
22 Mr. Treanor gave evidence for ten days. We would not suggest that
23 it's practical or sensible for Mr. Treanor to need to come back and give
24 another ten days of evidence in addition to his voluminous report. What
25 we do suggest is that for a maximum of two days, Mr. Treanor should
1 return. There is, in the light of our rather better knowledge of the
2 case, since those relatively early days when Mr. Treanor was
3 cross-examined, there is further ground the Defence would wish to cover,
4 and it would be of value to the new Judge to see and hear Mr. Treanor for
5 that period. It would -- the difference in terms of assessing Mr.
6 Treanor, getting a feel for his evidence, the difference between two days
7 and ten days is hardly critical, but to have him back at all is
8 advantageous, we suggest.
9 So far as Mr. Kirudja is concerned, he gave evidence for just
10 under three days. Your Honour, with Mr. Kirudja - and this applies to a
11 number of witnesses - we would not suggest that his evidence is jettisoned
12 in any way. We would suggest that the evidence that he's given so far,
13 whether it is technically done, we suggest, under 92 bis. But the -- his
14 evidence should be treated as evidence in the new trial, but nevertheless,
15 he should come back, unless, Your Honour, the Defence on -- we haven't had
16 a long time to consider all these detailed matters. If we did consider it
17 was simply not necessary, then, Your Honour, we would conscientiously say
18 so, but at the moment we consider that that would be reasonable and we
19 would be likely to ask for that for -- but we consider for one day
21 Mr. Okun gave evidence for three and a half days. We would treat
22 him in the same category as Mr. Kirudja but suggest that a maximum of two
23 days would be needed for him.
24 Protected witness 625, like Mr. Deronjic, the Defence would wish
25 to come back and give evidence in full.
1 Protected witness 623 gave evidence for four days. The Defence
2 would like him to come back for a maximum of one day, cross-examination.
3 Your Honour, we should say, we don't -- when we say come back for
4 cross-examination, we're not excluding the possibility that the
5 Prosecution might say: We'd like some supplemental examination-in-chief.
6 And we're not saying in advance that if they were to make that request -
7 we don't know whether they would - we're not taking a position in advance
8 of resisting and objecting to that. We're saying the Defence's position.
9 So far as Mr. Kljuic is concerned, Your Honour, he's coming back
10 anyway. We would be content, as he is coming back anyway, we would be
11 content to have his evidence so far simply taken as his evidence, and he
12 is going to come back and the new Judge, whichever way, we accept this,
13 some of these are common features, whether it's the continuation of the
14 present trial or a new trial, Mr. Kljuic will come back. But what we're
15 suggesting is there should be no distinction; he should come back in the
16 same way either way, that continuation or new trial, his evidence should
17 be treated as his evidence, but he is coming back for further
18 cross-examination, and he has already supplied some material which was
19 under discussion when he gave his evidence before.
20 So far as Witness 583 is concerned, he gave evidence for three
21 days. The Defence there, Your Honour, would simply wish to reserve the
22 position in the way that it's, I believe expressly in his case, but
23 implicitly, it's reserved for any witness anyway to make an application to
24 have him come back for further cross-examination. But we have no active
25 application under way at the moment. We have not taken any decision,
1 although to be frank, we haven't had a lot of time to review his evidence
2 in detail anyway. But we simply reserve it.
3 So far as Mr. Radic is concerned, he gave evidence for just under
4 three days. The Defence would wish him to come back. As in every case,
5 this does enable the new Judge to see this witness, to get a feel of this
6 witness, to come back for one day. We're talking about a maximum of one
8 Mr. Bjelobrk, well, I can't say he's coming back, because I do
9 appreciate that Your Honours are reserving the position in relation to
10 Mr. Bjelobrk, but, Your Honour, the Defence's position remains that there
11 is -- we haven't resolved all matters between us and the Prosecution, but
12 the Defence position remains that there will be reason to bring
13 Mr. Bjelobrk back. On that footing, Your Honour, we would be content to
14 treat him in the same way as Mr. Kljuic, for example; take his evidence as
15 his evidence so far and have him come back. The Judge would get to see
17 So far as Mr. Mandic is concerned, while technically reserving our
18 position in relation to Mr. Mandic, as with all witnesses, we can't ever
19 rule out and wouldn't wish to positively rule out any application ever to
20 bring him back, whatever happened. We have no present intention of making
21 such an application now in relation to Mr. Mandic. We do not expect to
22 make an application. That's the highest I'll put it. We do not expect to
23 make an application to bring Mr. Mandic back. But there remains a great
24 deal of material in relation to Mr. Mandic, and I don't want to go all
25 over that painfully recent ground, Your Honour, but it's not impossible
1 that we would make such an application. We do reserve our position.
2 And then Mr. Karabec [phoen]. I think I mentioned him. I
3 certainly meant to. Mr. Karabec -- Karabeg, I'm sorry, gave evidence for
4 two days, spread over three, but it was a total of two days in fact.
5 There's a question. I'm not terribly familiar with the details of this,
6 Your Honour, but he has produced some diaries, or he is to produce some
7 diaries and there is a question of his being further cross-examined for
8 probably no more than a couple of hours.
9 So, Your Honour, those are -- those are the key witnesses for
10 today's purposes. The -- yes. Those are the key witnesses for today's
11 purposes. In many cases, of course, there was a slightly variable
12 approach. In some cases, we have reserved the position formally; it's
13 implicitly reserved anyway. In some cases we have, in a sense, more
14 firmly and expressly reserved the position with a strong indication that
15 we are likely to make an application to bring -- for the witness to be
16 brought back, and in one or two cases, Your Honour, it's already known
17 that we positively do wish for the witness to come back.
18 But the effect is, if our proposals -- they could be discussed in
19 -- they merit some discussion between the parties to refine, but in
20 principle, that's the Defence's approach, which is on the table there, and
21 it is not, so far as we've indicated, for example, in relation to 92 bis
22 witnesses, we're not withdrawing that. That is a firm position of the
24 The -- so far as the -- with Mr. Deronjic and another witness
25 being brought back in full and then the position in relation to those
1 other witnesses, as I've just summarised it, we estimate there's about an
2 extra 15 days of hearing on a rerun or a new trial, as opposed to
3 continuation of the present trial, where, in particular, two of those -- I
4 think it was two of those witnesses, but there are certainly two, in
5 particular, two would come back and give their evidence all over again,
6 truly as if it were a -- well, not as if it were, but truly on the basis
7 that it is a new trial. And that is the important distinction. It may
8 not seem very much, Your Honour, but when one strips away, not as
9 irrelevant but as in a different category, when one strips away what one
10 might call background witnesses, crime-base witnesses, all important, no
11 doubt, as elements of the case, but when one strips that away, on the
12 witnesses we've heard so far, it does come down to a smallish batch of, if
13 you like, critical witnesses. We'll argue in due course about how
14 critical some of them are. But it does come down to that. But there is
15 nevertheless a real distinction between new trial and continuation.
16 If we continue the present trial, of course the new Judge will
17 have the enormous task of reading in so that he or she is sufficiently
18 familiar to be on an even level with the other two Judges to contribute
19 equally and evenly. Of course, there will be no intellectual distinction
20 in principle among the Judges, but that Judge needs, as a human being, to
21 get up to speed with the other two Judges. That, Your Honour, of course,
22 we accept, is not greatly different from the task of a new Judge on a new
23 trial. There isn't a huge distinction there, particularly if, although
24 it's not technically -- it doesn't follow technically under the Rules, but
25 we rather expect and apprehend that Your Honours Judge Orie and Judge
1 Canivell are intended to continue to be the other two Judges. We -- it's
2 not -- doesn't follow as night follows day from the Rules, but we're
3 approaching it on that footing, Your Honour.
4 Your Honour Judge Orie indicated last Friday his view that it --
5 that the new Judge would require rather longer if there were a
6 continuation of the present trial than if there were a new trial. I
7 should say straight away, Your Honour, that although I could adopt this
8 for the purpose of the present argument, the Defence, with respect,
9 doesn't fully endorse that view. We would submit that there's unlikely to
10 be any serious distinction in terms of the work truly needed and the
11 timetable. But perhaps that's a bridge to be crossed a little bit at some
12 relatively near future point.
13 But if Your Honour is, and I don't mean any disrespect in saying
14 this, but if Your Honour is correct on that observation, then that 15-day
15 difference that we've estimated between a new trial and a continued trial,
16 a lot of that is eliminated anyway in terms of proceeding with the case,
17 because in fact Your Honour's indication was that you expected
18 continuation of a present trial to -- or to resume some two or three weeks
19 later than starting a new trial, which pretty much balances out that 15
20 days. So in terms of starting on that footing, which I have made it
21 clear, Your Honour, we don't fully accept, with respect, but on that
22 footing, there wouldn't be a really significant difference.
23 The -- certainly -- well, we've indicated which recall of some
24 witnesses would be desirable anyway, on the footing that the present trial
25 were to continue. We would still submit - but that would be a submission
1 perhaps in more detail for another day - we would still submit that
2 Mr. Treanor should come back for a couple of days, that Mr. Bjelobrk
3 should come back anyway, and we might very well make submissions in
4 relation to Deronjic and Witness 625, submissions that they should at
5 least come back for further cross-examination, which would be a different
6 thing from what we ask, and that is, after all, the prima facie procedure
7 in the context of a new trial, that they should come back and give their
8 evidence again.
9 Your Honour, we submit there's no useful, applicable precedent
10 here from the jurisprudence of this Tribunal or the sister Tribunal in
11 Arusha which casts -- which really tells us any more than an intelligent
12 reading of 15 bis. The options are clear under that Rule. In particular,
13 and Your Honour, it's pretty difficult to make submissions in this area
14 without mentioning the case against Mr. Milosevic, which does tend to be
15 in people's minds around here sometimes. In the Milosevic case, of
16 course, we know that in most unhappy circumstances, one of our Judges from
17 England and Wales left the case, which we all deeply regretted. But the
18 Milosevic case is and was -- there was a substitution then and we know
19 that one of the Scottish Judges has joined that Bench. But it is a very
20 special case. There was no view expressed by the accused consistently
21 with his overall attitude towards the Tribunal and the proceedings, he
22 wasn't likely, after all, to be drawn into expressing a view under a
23 provision of the rules, and he didn't. There was no submission by any
24 party or the amici there should be a new trial. The amici curiae said
25 that there should not be a new trial because of the known ill health of
1 Mr. Milosevic. But that's as far as they took it. And of course it had
2 by that time been a very long trial. There was no consideration expressed
3 by the Trial Chamber or the remaining Judges, for the purposes of 15(D),
4 of any argument for a new trial. So the issue simply is not argued and
5 appearing in any judgement.
6 They were further along in the trial. Your Honour, that's an
7 argument -- that's a point that might cut both ways, but rather than get
8 into a digression down that byway, we simply observe it's very different.
9 The situation is very different. Mr. Milosevic had been brought to
10 The Hague on the 29th of June, 2001. His trial had started on the 12th of
11 February, 2002. The Prosecution case had ended on the 27th of February,
12 2004. Shortly thereafter, Judge May announced his retirement and the Rule
13 15 bis hearing in the manner that I've summarised, took place on the 25th
14 of March, 2004. There was, according to our information and
15 calculations - well, it's information rather than calculation, Your
16 Honour - something between 290 and 300 -- there had been 290 to 300
17 hearing days in the Milosevic case at that point, and the Prosecution case
18 had spread over some -- well, it doesn't really matter about weeks. It
19 had been that number of days.
20 All we're saying, Your Honour, it's a very different case.
21 The -- Your Honour, among, and I'm getting fairly near to the
22 conclusion of my submissions, which we're grateful to have had the
23 opportunity of making. There is always a question of inconvenience to
24 witnesses. That's a factor. We don't submit it's irrelevant under the
25 heading of "interest of justice." There are lots and lots of factors
1 which are somewhere on the scale of relevance, and we don't suggest that's
2 not among them. However, and in principle, every witness who needs to be
3 brought back to The Hague is a factor to be given tautologously such
4 weight as it merits. But it's not a utilitarian analysis. You don't
5 aggregate together the relative lower interests of all the witnesses and
6 then balance them against Mr. Krajisnik's interests. One bears in mind,
7 we submit, that Mr. Krajisnik's interest as the man on trial are far
8 greater than any witness. And in any case, first of all, it follows from
9 what we've already said: Few witnesses would be adversely affected, even
10 in terms of inconvenience, by adoption of our submission for a new trial
11 as opposed to a continuation. This is a very small number of witnesses.
12 Within that category, there are -- we can identify at least one,
13 and Your Honour may be able to identify, in the category of witnesses who
14 are in custody anyway, in which case one might say - and I'm not being
15 flippant - that the inconvenience of coming to court to give evidence for
16 a witness who is already in custody might be regarded as rather slight.
17 The -- there are others who are expressed a positive wish to be
18 helpful in reaching the truth and don't have any apparent difficulties
19 beyond what I'll call the normal inconvenience. I'm not saying it's not a
20 nuisance to some people, though it's a pleasure to others to come to
21 The Hague for a few days, but it's not a major, major consideration for
22 witnesses who are inherently not reluctant and have expressed a wish to
23 help in this search for the truth.
24 And then as a back-up in some cases, videolink under 71 bis is
25 always available if the convenience is significant and can be
1 significantly mitigated in the case of appropriate witnesses by
3 So, Your Honour, all that is simply meant to say that
4 inconvenience of witnesses in principle is part of the exercise but is
5 really of no overall significant weight in making the balance that Your
6 Honours are making today.
7 The -- it does not appear also, Your Honour, we observe, there's
8 no indication that we have in this trial any insuperable witness
9 availability problems. I'm not talking about the witnesses that nobody
10 can persuade to come in the first place or nobody can contact in the first
11 place. That's a problem that lies behind all these procedures. But so
12 far as the witnesses who are identified are concerned, we have not seen
13 any significant problems, insuperable problems of witness availability.
14 And in any case, more to the point, a new trial in the terms that we've
15 suggested as opposed to a continuation doesn't create any obvious extra
16 difficulties in that context.
17 Your Honour, the question of timing, we've already submitted that
18 in fact there isn't in the overall context of this matter, there isn't an
19 enormous -- in fact, there's not really at all a significant likely
20 difference in the timing and the ultimate conclusion of this case anyway
21 as a result of adopting the Defence submission in this case. But so far
22 as there had been or so far as, in Your Honour's judgement, now looking at
23 the position overall, there is some difference, it's not, first of all, it
24 isn't on any footing a massive difference.
25 From Krajisnik's point of view - and we've had this point before,
1 really - he's in detention, of course, and in principle, from his point of
2 view, the sooner this trial is concluded, the better. But Mr. Krajisnik,
3 this being his position that he wishes a new trial with any consequential
4 timing implications accepted by him, is consciously and deliberately
5 accepting those consequences of his preserved course. So although the
6 Trial Chamber is, we trust, at all times astute to protect Mr. Krajisnik's
7 interests, the Trial Chamber does not need to go and should not go so far
8 as to impose concerns on Mr. Krajisnik in areas where he's willing to
9 accept the position himself.
10 So far as the wider public interest on time is concerned, again,
11 it follows, Your Honour, from our submissions that we say this is not a
12 significant factor. There is, on any footing, a limited effect on the end
13 date of this trial. And it may even be that the better focus which the
14 parties are now able to bring to bear on the matter will even more, in the
15 light of experience of this case, will even more shorten any possible
17 The -- any such difference in overall timetable between new trial
18 and continuation in any case needs to be very carefully balanced and not
19 given undue weight against the specific interests of an accused who has
20 already been in detention for four and a half years - a fraction more -
21 and faces an inevitable total time of around six years from arrest to
22 trial judgement. So the sort of timing implications that we're talking
23 about cannot be a significant factor weighing against the interests, and
24 indeed the preferences, of Mr. Krajisnik. He doesn't decide the issue,
25 but his preferences are, we suggest, important.
1 The -- I'm going to mention in a couple of sentences, Your Honour,
2 the completion strategy issue, where we were grateful to receive Your
3 Honour's confirmation, express confirmation in a short exchange a few
4 weeks ago, that it is only -- the completion strategy is only part of the
5 general framework, that the whole Tribunal is required to wind up its work
6 by a certain date, and we were grateful for Your Honour's express
7 confirmation that such matters were only part of the general framework and
8 did not drive judicial decisions in this case. And we appreciated that
9 confirmation. And putting it another way, the completion strategy and
10 related matters can, in principle, only be devised to accommodate the
11 appropriate the judicial decisions in the interests of justice, such as
12 the decision that Your Honours are faced with and not the other way
13 around. That would be, in a good old English phrase, the tail wagging the
15 The resources, again, Your Honour, we don't, as we didn't with
16 witnesses, we don't argue that resources are always irrelevant and that we
17 operate in some ideal world where everything can be done with no limit of
18 expenditure. Of course, if we operated in an ideal world, none of us
19 would be here anyway. The -- but we don't argue that, Your Honour, and of
20 course time often, not always, but time often costs money, though that's
21 not an unqualified phrase which should be taken out of context. But the
22 approach, we suggest, with respect, is, while not totally disregarding
23 resources, is of course to keep them in perspective. If one asks first of
24 all what would be more likely to achieve a just result in this case in as
25 fair a way as can be realistically be managed, then one looks to see
1 whether there are disproportionate resource implications which drive
2 towards a different conclusion. But it must in any case only be a
3 conclusion which doesn't in any way seriously imbalance and seriously
4 weaken the justice of the procedure.
5 Your Honour, the difficult, and I'm on my last couple of
6 observations here -- the difficult issue that we have faced throughout, of
7 time for preparation on the Defence side, that remains an issue which may
8 need to be taken up, well, will need, frankly, Your Honour, to be taken up
9 as and when at the appropriate time with the Trial Chamber, as and when
10 and in the context of whichever procedure is adopted; continuation of the
11 present trial or the new trial. But it is, we suggest, at least a
12 consideration that the Defence began this case under acknowledged enormous
13 pressure and that, as Your Honours know, we had not been able to complete
14 pre-trial preparation when the trial began on the 3rd of February, 2004,
15 and that was recognised.
16 We have examined important witnesses with, in our submission,
17 inadequate grasp. We've done our best not to make that too obvious,
18 perhaps, but with inadequate grasp of the some of the matters, and that is
19 a reason in favour -- it's one reason, but it is a reason, an additional
20 factor in favour of a new trial and bringing back the very limited number
21 of witnesses where we submit it is particularly important that there
22 should be some recognition and, if you like, compensation adjustment in
23 respect of that point.
24 And, Your Honour, I simply would say this, Your Honour; that if
25 some similar procedure existed for counsel to the procedure under which
1 the new Judge, if there is a continuation, has to certify that he has
2 familiarised himself with the record, if Defence counsel were required to,
3 in their professional judgement, sign some such certificate before
4 proceeding with a trial to defend Mr. Krajisnik, I doubt that I would sign
5 the certificate today, and I certainly would not have signed it over many,
6 many, many, many months of this trial, and I would certainly have to think
7 extremely hard if I were asked to sign it over the next few weeks.
8 The -- and I understand Ms. Loukas would have no more enthusiasm
9 for signing a corresponding certificate.
10 The -- my concluding submission, and it's part of the context, and
11 I hope Your Honours won't take it in any hostile spirit. The situation we
12 are faced with is remarkable, in effect, if one steps back a bit from it.
13 The fact that the procedures devised by the United Nations, the Security
14 Council, and this Tribunal have been devised in such a way that a Judge
15 starts a trial which is known to be going to continue beyond his term of
16 office, and then when he's not re-elected, which is, after all, a known
17 and serious risk because electorates of any sort are notoriously
18 unpredictable, or certainly should be, that no way can be found and has
19 been found to resolve the matter so that he could stay with the case, is,
20 Your Honour, we must submit, deeply unsatisfactory. If the consequences
21 of any course adopted in the interests of justice in this case might be
22 viewed, and we understand, in the light of observations made that this
23 would not be treated as relevant by Your Honours, but we simply say that
24 if the consequences are unsatisfactory when viewed by any planners or
25 budgeters in New York or The Hague or anywhere else, then that is simply
1 part of the cost of doing proper justice in the conditions created by the
2 United Nations, by the Security Council, and this institution under the
3 auspices of the United Nations. Because we are all of us, and Your
4 Honours included, faced with a very difficult and unsatisfactory situation
5 as a result. We respect Judge El Mahdi's retirement given the situation
6 that he faced in anticipation of where the matter would be next November.
7 But unsatisfactory it is. The Defence submission is that in a way the
8 lesser of two evils, because it would have been much better, Mr. Krajisnik
9 has certainly made clear his preference that we could have finished with
10 the Judges that we've started with. It's our submission that the more
11 satisfactory course, the better course in the interests of justice, is a
12 new trial, to which the Defence is prepared to attach and accept the
13 particular flexible adjustments and conditions that we have indicated.
14 JUDGE ORIE: Thank you, Mr. Stewart.
15 Mr. Harmon.
16 MR. HARMON: Good afternoon, Your Honours, counsel. My
17 submissions will be considerably briefer than Mr. Stewart's.
18 First of all, a plain reading of the Rule implies inherent in this
19 Rule is the fact that a substitute Judge can indeed familiarise himself or
20 herself with the trial record in this case and can put himself in a
21 position where the accused can be assured that a third substitute Judge
22 would have the ability to hear all of the evidence and read all of the
23 evidence that has been presented thus far in the hundred days of trial
24 that we have had.
25 There is a precedent -- in fact, there are two precedents that I'm
1 aware of where a substitute Judge has been inserted into a case. The
2 first, I won't belabour the point, of course, the Milosevic case.
3 Mr. Stewart has described that. The second case was the Blaskic case,
4 where Judge Fouad Riad became medically incapacitated and could not hear
5 the evidence well into the Prosecution's case and there was a substitute
6 judge, Judge Almiro Rodrigues, who familiarised himself with considerable
7 amounts of evidence in the case and sat with great distinction in hearing
8 that case, and all parties in that case were satisfied that Judge
9 Rodrigues had provided each of the parties with a full understanding of
10 the evidence and a full opportunity to listen to and deliberate on all of
11 the evidence that had been heard to date.
12 Now, to further expand on sub-part D, the Prosecution's position,
13 in very clear and unequivocal terms, is that it is in the interests of
14 justice to appoint a substitute Judge. A substitute Judge, Your Honours,
15 can put himself in the position, first of all, of knowing what the case
16 is, knowing what all of the issues are, by availing himself or herself to
17 the written record, all of the exhibits, and the video record of each of
18 the witnesses who have testified in this case. So if the Judge would like
19 to hear, for example, and see the demeanour of a witness, one of the
20 witnesses taken, for example, Mr. Kirudja, one of the witnesses who has
21 been cited by the Defence, then that video is available for the substitute
22 Judge to listen to, to observe. Furthermore, if the substitute Judge
23 wishes to have a question posed to one of those witnesses, the substitute
24 Judge is in a position to make a request to have the witness reappear.
25 At the end of the day, Your Honour, the Prosecution has enormous
1 faith in the integrity of a substitute Judge, who would certify that he or
2 she has familiarised himself or herself with the record, and having seen
3 two cases proceed, one to completion, I'm quite confident that all of the
4 interests of justice could be met by having a substitute Judge appointed
5 in this case.
6 Now, let me touch upon some other issues that have been raised by
7 Mr. Stewart. Mr. Stewart has presented to Your Honours a package that
8 seems to suggest that starting anew would cause fewer problems. While I
9 have great respect for Mr. Stewart and faith in his representations in
10 this case, certainly we have gone through in the process to date
11 significant written litigation dealing with a host of issues that could be
12 raised anew should we start over that process, which entails written
13 motions, responses, replies, and considerable effort by the Trial Chamber
14 to arrive at written decisions would commence anew, and there's no
15 assurance whatsoever that that would not happen. Frankly, I think those
16 issues should remain litigated and remain in the status that they are in
17 at the moment.
18 I think, furthermore, Your Honour, that when we discuss the
19 convenience or inconvenience of witnesses, while Mr. Stewart concedes that
20 that is a relevant factor, as I go through the list of witnesses that
21 Mr. Stewart wants to recall by virtue of the unfortunate circumstances of
22 Judge El Mahdi's withdrawal, what Mr. Stewart is essentially asking for is
23 a second opportunity to cross-examine these witnesses, when he has had an
24 opportunity, and a full opportunity, to cross-examine these witnesses.
25 I think Your Honours should consider, in the interests of justice,
1 whether it is convenient or inconvenient to call people back who have been
2 some subpoenaed, some witnesses diplomats, others who arrived with --
3 whose attendance was difficult to secure, at best. There is no assurance
4 that these witnesses would come back or could come back. I can point Your
5 Honours to a witness who is not identified on this list, and I'm not
6 asserting that that's one of the witnesses, obviously, that Mr. Stewart
7 had in mind, but we can remember the case of Mr. Biscevic, whose
8 cross-examination was bifurcated, and Mr. Biscevic, because of ill health,
9 could not re-attend the trial. We did, obviously, surmount that
10 difficulty with a videolink, at considerable expense to this Tribunal.
11 But there's no assurance that some of these witnesses could ever
12 reappear, and that is a risk that I think the Court must and should take
13 into consideration in this case when it assesses whether or not a
14 substitute Judge, listening to the trial record and analysing the trial
15 record, has available and at his disposal the ability to assess that
16 witness's evidence.
17 I have mentioned the precedent, the standards which I think fully
18 exist for a fair trial to continue. I'll touch briefly on the costs.
19 This is a case where tremendous consideration has been given to
20 Mr. Krajisnik for the considerable pre-trial period, and this Court and
21 the parties have bent over backwards to accommodate him. I believe in
22 this case, Your Honour, the interests of justice require - require - that
23 a substitute Judge be appointed and that we proceed with a proper
24 certification from that Judge that he is in a position to sit fully on
25 this case.
1 I should point out one other precedent, Your Honour. It's been
2 pointed out to me recently, just a minute, that there is another precedent
3 in this case. I'm informed that in the middle of the Stakic case, a Judge
4 was taken ill and was replaced as well. So there are three precedents,
5 all of which, I do believe, have been situations where the accused in each
6 of those cases has -- is continuing to or has received a full and fair
7 hearing in the face of an unfortunate circumstance where a Judge has been
9 Those are our submissions, Your Honour. Thank you very much.
10 MR. STEWART: Your Honours, I wonder if I might briefly, after the
11 Prosecution heard what we had to say before submitting, I'll be very
13 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Please do so.
14 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, first of all, in relation to the
15 precedents, the Stakic case mentioned, the case of Mr. Stakic, where he
16 consented. Your Honour, what we said, and we don't wish to elaborate, we
17 said there are not many useful precedents, that these cases are all
18 different. Of course we started by saying we accept this procedure is
19 available under this Rule. It says so in black and white. And we're
20 agreed about that. But we adhere to our submission that all other limited
21 number of cases are sufficiently different from this case that it's Your
22 Honour's independent judgement which is the key here, and those other
23 cases don't really tell Your Honours any more than we find in 15 bis,
24 which was our submission about half an hour ago.
25 The second point is that Mr. Harmon refers to written litigation
1 on a host of issues. We do suggest if that is to be a point, then a
2 little more specificity might have been required. We -- it's -- if that's
3 to be a point, then some indication as to exactly what that is and where
4 the difficulty lies would be appropriate.
5 Third point, very brief bullet points, in effect, Your Honour:
6 Mr. Harmon says we're asking for a second opportunity to
7 cross-examination. That's true, but it's not only that. In relation to
8 two of those witnesses, in particular Mr. Deronjic and Witness 625, it's
9 not just that we're seeking an opportunity to cross-examine. It's quite
10 specifically that we would wish the new Judge to hear their evidence in
11 full and have those witnesses, in the particular circumstances in which
12 they have found themselves, come and give all their evidence before this
13 Judge, and they are not insignificant witnesses.
14 And Your Honour, the jurisprudence of this Tribunal and the sister
15 Tribunal in Rwanda does consistently attach significance to Judges hearing
16 the witnesses when they give evidence, hearing them give evidence orally
17 when they give evidence, and not looking back over a record. It is a
18 second-best to familiarise oneself with a record, however much it is
19 accepted, as of course it's accepted as a principle enshrined in the
20 Rules, that a Judge before this Tribunal will be capable of meeting the
21 requirement under the Rules of familiarising himself with the record. But
22 it's inherent in that whole procedure that it is a second-best.
23 The example of Mr. Biscevic is just an example of how, where a
24 witness -- and Your Honour knows that the Defence didn't express its
25 enthusiasm about Mr. Biscevic's position anyway, but the Trial Chamber did
1 decide to deal with his evidence in a bifurcated way, which is less
2 satisfactory for the Defence than for the Prosecution. The Prosecution
3 wanted it dealt with in a bifurcated way, as it turns out, and we didn't.
4 But it was easily resolved, effect. It was. He did give his evidence by
5 videolink. It wasn't a problem. Despite the Defence not wishing that to
6 be the result, it was easily resolved.
7 Your Honour, those are our brief bullet-point observations, in
8 effect. Thank you for that opportunity.
9 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Thank you. Any need to respond, Mr. Harmon?
10 MR. HARMON: No.
11 [Trial Chamber confers]
12 JUDGE ORIE: Before -- I do understand that Mr. Krajisnik would
13 like to address the Chamber. Before giving him an opportunity to do so, I
14 don't know whether -- Judge Canivell has drawn my attention to it. We
15 have a few questions for the parties. Perhaps I'll put those questions
17 Mr. Stewart, you've drawn our attention to the consequences in
18 terms of time of either to continue or to restart the trial. When I gave
19 a rough estimate of what, in practical terms, it would mean either to
20 restart or to continue to hear the case, I had in mind that a new start
21 would be a real trial de novo, that is, to hear the case on from the
22 beginning, and that is what made me express my estimate. My question to
23 you is: Are you aware that that might be quite different if a
24 considerable part of the evidence - well, let's say the evidence - both 92
25 bis, but also the viva voce witnesses which you consider not to be the key
1 witnesses, that my estimate might have been quite different?
2 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, I can accept that readily, because, as
3 I made clear, I was only, in effect -- and I'm happy to accept Your
4 Honour's qualification and explanation of Your Honour's own remarks.
5 Because in adopting that, I made it clear that in effect I was only
6 adopting it from the point of view of what Your Honour expressed. Because
7 I will simply say, Your Honour, that the Defence submits that in practical
8 terms there should be and won't be any real distinction in the time needed
9 and the starting date whichever of these procedures is adopted. Because
10 if, as we apprehend, if it is to be Your Honour Judge Orie and His Honour
11 Judge Canivell to continue, then the only right and effective way to
12 proceed with this trial, whether it was a new trial with the two of Your
13 Honours and a new Judge - because he or she would be a new Judge anyway -
14 would be for that Judge to familiarise himself or herself with the case in
15 a way that would be broadly equivalent. It wouldn't be the technical
16 certification procedure if there were a new trial, but if the new Judge
17 were to be an equal-standing member of the Court with Your Honours, who
18 have lived with this case for such a long time, broadly equivalent amount
19 of time and preparation would be needed anyway. So our submission, Your
20 Honour, would be that in effect there isn't any real distinction as far as
21 starting date and time needed by the Judges concerned. But the corollary
22 of that is that I do accept Your Honour's observation just made.
23 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Then I've got a question to Mr. Harmon. When
24 referring to the case-law of this Tribunal, you mentioned three
25 precedents. There was a distinction between your presentation and the
1 presentation of Mr. Stewart as far as he included the ICTR case-law and
2 whether you would consider this the case-law of this institution or of a
3 sister institution or case-law created by the Appeals Chamber, which is
4 common to both institutions. Because we have the Butare case. No. Let
5 me just -- the president in the case of Karemera, where the Appeals
6 Chamber did not accept a decision of the two remaining Judges to continue
7 the case. Did you -- I don't know whether you wanted to make any
8 reference to that or that you would consider that not to be a useful
9 precedent or ...
10 MR. HARMON: Your Honour, I would have to read that case. I have
11 not read that case, so I'm not in a position to comment on it.
12 JUDGE ORIE: Then for the --
13 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, we did bring -- it's always -- it's
14 always a question whether to load the Court with too much stuff. We did
15 bring with us one particular -- or two cases. Perhaps -- should we give
16 Your Honours the references to them? One was Karemera. Was that the case
17 Your Honour --
18 JUDGE ORIE: And the other one is the Butare. The case is called
19 Butare although it's not the name of one of the accused.
20 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, actually, the case we had in mind,
21 maybe it's a different one, is Rutaganda, which was in the Appeals
22 Chamber. And actually, that was not -- it was a case -- it was slightly
23 different. That was a case in which the Appeals Chamber made observations
24 about the importance of Judges seeing and hearing the witnesses giving
25 evidence when they give evidence. But Your Honours, we --
1 JUDGE ORIE: It's fine if you have any -- what I have at least
2 with me at this moment is at least a decision of the Appeals Chamber of
3 the 24th of September, 2003, which is a case which is usually called the
4 Butare case, I think, which the name of -- it's case number -- well, there
5 are many accused, but the first one mentioned is Pauline Nyiramasuhuko
6 with a declaration of Judge Shahabuddeen attached to it and a dissenting
7 opinion attached by Judge Hunt.
8 MR. STEWART: Well, Your Honour, we haven't got to that. We've
9 actually been mildly hampered by the ICTR website having closed itself
10 down over the last few days for refurbishment. My apologies. We simply
11 -- I'm not familiar with that case.
12 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Mr. Harmon -- well, yes, my question -- your
13 answer was that you hadn't seen this case-law. I have one other question
14 for you, Mr. Harmon. You more or less expressed as a possibility that the
15 new Judge, if he would be appointed, if the case would be continued, could
16 request to hear or rehear a witness. Does it make any difference for you
17 if you consider that he of course could be overruled in such a request by
18 the two other Judges? I mean, do you have any specific views on the
19 position of a third Judge in that respect?
20 MR. HARMON: I assume that the Judges work quite collaboratively,
21 and if there was an important issue, obviously deference would be and
22 should be given to the new Judge. If he has an important point that
23 relates to a significant part of the witness's evidence, it would seem to
24 me that that Judge should be entitled to have that question answered
25 personally by the witness.
1 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Then, Mr. Stewart, of course you emphasised the
2 importance of getting an impression of the demeanour of the witness and
3 apart from just reading his testimony. You didn't express yourself, which
4 has been an issue in some of these cases that we just mentioned, that a
5 new Judge, as mentioned by Mr. Harmon, could observe the demeanour of the
6 witness through means of video recordings of the hearing.
7 MR. STEWART: Yes, Your Honour. We accept that point, and if in
8 relation to any witness of any significance, the new Judge will spend that
9 time, and it's what might be called in the jargon real time; you've got to
10 sit in front of the video for the time it takes. If the Judge would do
11 that for the equivalent of those days, that would go -- it would be
12 unrealistic to submit anything else - that would go at least a
13 considerable part of the way to meet the point. We understand that
14 something around 90 to 95 per cent of the evidence does appear on the
15 video, though not all of it, for some reason, not a hundred per cent of
16 the witness's evidence is directly recorded. He's on camera always
17 somewhere, but it can be somewhere from an angle in the court. But in
18 excess of 90 per cent is available. It's not the same, Your Honour.
19 After all, it's not the same for evidence to be given by videolink. It
20 often is, but in principle, the starting point for the Court is it is not
21 the same. A live trial with live witnesses is the starting point. A
22 specific application has to be made, for example, in relation to videolink
23 evidence and specifically granted and justified. So it's not the same,
24 Your Honour.
25 JUDGE ORIE: From what I understand, there's not one videotape of
1 these proceedings, but there are several ones, one of them being the
3 MR. STEWART: That's our understanding, Your Honour. What I told
4 Your Honour was the answer of -- I made specific inquiries because I did
5 particularly wish to know exactly how it worked. That's my best
6 information, Your Honour, but Your Honour has huge experience of this
8 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. Then finally, I would just like to make a short
9 statement. Mr. Stewart, you have addressed two issues, the one issue
10 being the completion strategy issue, and immediately after that, you
11 addressed the matter of resources, which of course there is some link.
12 Just to -- perhaps to make clear to you that in the present situation, no
13 one has ever sought to advise me or has suggested to me how to resolve the
14 present issue, let alone that I was ever addressed in the context of the
15 completion strategy. Of course, I have not discussed with many people the
16 present situation, even for -- I would say for most of my fellow Judges it
17 came as a complete surprise last Friday. But of course the matter has
18 been discussed in the staff, which is quite normal. But I would not have
19 given anyone ever an opportunity either to advise or to suggest any
20 solutions, because the first thing I would tell that in the video is that
21 a decision will be taken once all arguments have been heard, once every
22 aspect of the case would have been on our -- would have been thought over
23 carefully. And therefore, it could be continuation or a trial de novo
24 that was completely an open question, as far as I was concerned. I hope
25 that this accommodates you. It addresses the issue of the completion
1 strategy. Of course, as you observed yourself, resources is not exactly
2 the same, although they are perhaps not totally unrelated.
3 Let me just confer with the registrar.
4 [Trial Chamber and registrar confer]
5 [Trial Chamber confers]
6 JUDGE ORIE: We noticed that perhaps not every one of us has seen
7 exactly the same material. I would like to give an opportunity for
8 another 40 minutes to the parties to exchange whatever material they have
9 and for the Chamber also to read any decision that we had not read yet.
10 And therefore, I would like to invite Mr. Stewart again to give the
11 details of that one case that he mentioned. And then to give an
12 opportunity to the parties to make any further observations after this 40
13 minutes. So we'll then restart at 5.00 and then have a short subsequent
15 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, if I were to hand up -- it's not the
16 entire case, which is quite long, but if I were to hand up the extract,
17 then it also gives Your Honours the reference on the front.
18 JUDGE ORIE: Yes.
19 MR. STEWART: May I do that.
20 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. I take it that the Prosecution would get a
22 MR. STEWART: Of course. I have enough copies for everybody, Your
24 JUDGE ORIE: Okay. And do you have a -- it's turned out that
25 Mr. Stewart was not familiar with the appeals case of -- I don't know
1 which one, but ...
2 MR. STEWART: Not familiar; I think I've never even heard of it,
3 Your Honour.
4 JUDGE ORIE: That's your interpretation, Mr. Stewart.
5 MR. STEWART: That's my position, Your Honour, so ...
6 JUDGE ORIE: Mr. Stewart, at least for the Appeals Chamber, I
7 think the Karemera case and the what is usually called the Butare case, as
8 I just mentioned, might be of some interest to spend time on during the
9 next --
10 MR. STEWART: I'm obliged, Your Honour. It was paragraph 21
11 particularly in the extract we've just handed up to Your Honour.
12 Paragraph 21 is the particular paragraph we wished to draw your attention
13 to. And in Karemera, paragraph 60 was on the similar point about
14 witnesses, demeanour of witnesses.
15 JUDGE ORIE: Yes.
16 MR. STEWART: But thank you, Your Honour, for that other
18 JUDGE ORIE: We'll adjourn until 5.00, and I expect then the
19 parties to be brief in any further submissions, so that we could conclude
20 not later than perhaps 20 minutes past 5.00. We adjourn until 5.00.
21 --- Recess taken at 4.22 p.m.
22 --- On resuming at 5.02 p.m.
23 JUDGE ORIE: Mr. Stewart, I noted that the Rutaganda case is not a
24 specific 15 bis case but gives in general terms in paragraph 21 some
25 observations on the --
1 MR. STEWART: Yes. That's entirely correct, Your Honour. Yes,
2 that was the point of that case, yes.
3 JUDGE ORIE: Mr. Stewart, would you like to make any additional
5 MR. STEWART: Your Honour, thank you. I'll just make brief
6 observations on that case. We're very grateful. We received a lot of
7 practical help from the Prosecution, and everybody, I think, in getting a
8 copy of that quickly, and within our own team. In the end, I was flooded
9 with copies.
10 The -- Your Honour, the -- it seems to be in about paragraphs 22
11 onwards and 24 onwards. Your Honours have a copy of that judgement, I
12 understand. So we -- this particular -- a lot of it is to do with issues
13 which don't arise on this particular hearing. And at page -- paragraph
14 25, it begins: "There is a preference for live testimony to be heard by
15 each and every Judge, but that does not represent an unbending
16 requirement." Well, we don't go that far, Your Honour. "The Rules and
17 cases show that exceptions can be made." And then just on this particular
18 exception that the Appeals Chamber mention, "The exceptions may relate
19 even to evidence involving an assessment of demeanour, various ways being
20 available to assist a new Judge to overcome any disadvantages."
21 And then it said: "The appellants have not attacked the procedure
22 prescribed by Rule 15(A) or 15(B). Under these provisions, a witness
23 could be heard by two Judges." It actually means 15 bis (A) and 15 bis
24 (B) there. That's the only way one can make sense of that. "Under these
25 provisions a witness could be heard by two Judges, that the procedure is
1 in effect available only over a short period of time is not relevant to
2 the principle involved."
3 The observation we make there is that, yes, it's correct, and we
4 recognise that, technically speaking, within 15 bis (A), if a Judge is
5 absent for a short time within the strict wording of the Rule, a witness
6 may be heard over that five-day period, and at its extreme, it could be an
7 absolutely critical witness. But, Your Honour, a point we mentioned
8 earlier is that 15 bis (A) is itself a discretionary matter, and it allows
9 it, and one would expect in the ordinary course, that a witness who was
10 critical and whose demeanour was critical would lead a Trial Chamber to
11 say, in respect of 15 bis (A), that it wasn't a suitable case to deal with
12 it in the absence of a Judge in the short term. So --
13 JUDGE ORIE: I made a note for myself, Mr. Stewart, saying that
14 your interpretation of Article 15 bis mainly focuses on the aspect of
15 confirming the importance of the three Judges rather than the aspect of
16 the exceptions contained therein.
17 MR. STEWART: That's absolutely right, Your Honour, and my
18 submission in relation to paragraph 25 -- this is, after all, what the
19 Appeals Chamber were saying in this particular case, so in a sense it's
20 part of their -- well, it is part of their reasoning here. But when one
21 focuses specifically on what they're saying here, we suggest that this --
22 the existence of that technically possible procedure under 15 bis (A)
23 doesn't really support the conclusion that there's -- or doesn't represent
24 any weakening of the basic preference for live testimony to be heard by
25 each and every Judge, and that's consistent with what very helpfully Your
1 Honour has entirely accurately quoted back to me as our submissions
3 The -- then at paragraph 30 -- we don't have any particular issue
4 with the next few paragraphs, which seem to be consistent with submissions
5 that we've made in relation to -- not on detailed reading, Your Honour,
6 but they appear to be consistent with the submissions we've made.
7 Paragraph 30, then, "The position being taken by the appellants is
8 that the ability to evaluate credibility on a point of demeanour is
9 essential to there being a fair trial, as mandated by the supreme
10 instrument, namely, the Statute." And this was a twist in this case. "In
11 the absence of video-recordings, it will not be possible for the
12 substitute Judge to make such an evaluation." And then subject to the
13 following, that submission is correct. But then the matter becomes
14 confused by the fact that there weren't video-recordings, but the point
15 had not been taken in the court below, and as we read paragraph 31, it was
16 therefore in effect not considered on appeal because it hadn't been taken.
17 So the absence of video-recordings to some extent dropped out of the
18 picture. But the Tribunal not entirely perhaps, but the point that we
19 would like to make an observation on, is then it does have a bearing on
20 what was discussed here this afternoon. Last few lines of paragraph 33:
21 "Failure to review video-recordings which because they are non-existent
22 do not form part of the record of the proceedings..." Well, impossible to
23 quarrel with that bit of logic: "... does not mean that the Judge has not
24 familiarised himself with the record of the proceedings as the record
25 stands. Therefore, does not disqualify him from joining the Bench. He
1 may decide to join the Bench with any questions of demeanour being left to
2 be resolved in the manner following." So, so far, no quarrel with that,
3 Your Honour. The recomposed Trial Chamber may recall witnesses so as to
4 enable the substitute Judge to assess their demeanour on particular
5 points. And then entirely correctly it's pointed out that any testimony,
6 including recalled testimony, the new Judge hears as a member of the
7 recomposed Trial Chamber and recall power lies within the competence of
8 the whole Trial Chamber. So it's not for the two Judges to authorise it
9 in effect in advance. It's, technically speaking, done by a majority, but
10 it's for the whole Trial Chamber.
11 But the -- they go on then in paragraph 35, last few lines: "The
12 recomposed Trial Chamber may on a motion by a party or proprio motu recall
13 a witness on a particular issue which in the view of the Trial Chamber
14 involves a matter of credibility which the substitute Judge may need to
15 assess in the light of the witness's demeanour."
16 Your Honour, our submission is that paragraph 34 is, in effect,
17 what we have been saying, that -- but with this qualification, perhaps:
18 That the Defence would ask for a new trial, among other things, because,
19 although if the new Judge says: "Well, I really would like to see this
20 witness," first of all, it would then be a discussion. This would be
21 entirely proper. There would then be a discussion among the three Judges,
22 and the two Judges who had been there all along would one expect naturally
23 to say: Well, we've seen this witness, and this, that, and the other and
24 so on and discuss it. The -- what we suggest is that in those cases,
25 although the Judges are the Judges and make their decisions as to what
1 witnesses they need to hear, that more significance should be attached to
2 a party, and in this case it's the Defence, but it could be the
3 Prosecution, who is saying: We regard this witness as an important
4 witness on which we, in this case the Defence, would wish all the Judges
5 to hear and see this witness.
6 The initiative, of course, can come from the Bench, and the
7 decision on recall of any witness is for the Bench. The difference, Your
8 Honour - and I face this squarely - the difference when we have a new
9 trial is that in effect the starting point is that a witness gets called,
10 and we have indicated a very large number of areas where we would accept,
11 whether it's a concession or what, but we would accept a modification of
12 that position and not ask for witnesses to be recalled. But in relation
13 to that very small number of witnesses, we would then be saying: No, it
14 shouldn't be left to the discretion of the Trial Chamber then as to
15 whether the new Judge wishes to hear the witness, to assess his demeanour,
16 or whether the Trial Chamber thinks he should be recalled. The prima
17 facie position, the starting point should apply in relation to those
18 witnesses and they should give evidence. And that is a feature of the new
20 The -- when -- paragraph 36 of this judgement, a slightly
21 different point: "The Appeals Chamber has considered whether a rehearing
22 as opposed to a continuation could be facilitated by recourse to Rule 92
23 bis (D), which provides for the admission of transcripts of evidence. It
24 notes, however, that the procedure does not apply in relation to the acts
25 and conducts of the accused and may not, therefore, be adequate. The
1 concern of the appellants with matters of demeanour strongly suggest that
2 some or all of the 23 witnesses who testified have done so in relation to
3 the acts and conduct of the accused."
4 Well, Your Honour, that's again entirely correct as a matter of
5 technical procedure, and we mentioned it in our submissions.
6 Nevertheless, we have also indicated that in -- because it is, after all,
7 it was open to the Defence then to waive that particular objection, and if
8 the Trial Chamber then considers it proper, and there would be no reason
9 in this case, if the Defence waived its objection, as we indicated that we
10 would do in relation to a number of witnesses, as in relation to that
11 restriction in 92 bis, that gets over that particular problem in relation
12 to those witnesses. In other words, a more extensive use could be made of
13 92 bis and transcripts of evidence of the proceedings which have taken
14 place so far. And I'd be going over the same ground again: We've
15 indicated to Your Honours quite specifically in relation to lists of
16 witnesses how we submit that that should work.
17 So the particular difficulty or obstacle, if you like, that is
18 mentioned in paragraph 36 of this judgement doesn't apply in terms, given
19 the more flexible approach to a new trial that we have indicated.
20 So, Your Honour, it -- this -- there's nothing in this decision
21 which contradicts any of the principles or any of the submissions put
22 forward by the Defence earlier. We accept the position, but subject to
23 our submissions, that live testimony by each and every Judge cannot be and
24 plainly is not under the Rules an unbending requirement, but it doesn't
25 mean, and that's entirely consistent with the whole tone of this Appeals
1 Chamber judgement that we're looking at now, it doesn't mean that it
2 doesn't remain very important.
3 JUDGE ORIE: Thank you, Mr. Stewart.
4 Mr. Harmon, any further submissions?
5 MR. HARMON: Yes, Your Honour. I don't intend to resubmit my
6 previous -- all of my previous submissions. In reviewing this case, Your
7 Honour, this case seems to be entirely consistent with the proposition
8 that is inherent in 15 bis (D); that is, the two issues that we confront
9 in this hearing are, one, whether it's in the interests of justice for a
10 third Judge to be substituted in at this point in time in this case. And
11 the second issue is whether a Judge is capable of familiarising himself or
12 herself with the record that we have in this case. And if, upon
13 certification, he can make that assertion, then he should be substituted
15 This case, the Butare case, had elements that do not exist in this
16 case. My reading of this case, there were no videotapes, and so the issue
17 of demeanour was more difficult and problematic from the point of view of
18 assessing demeanour. However, that was not dispositive of the Court
19 finding that the procedure used and the substitution was proper. What was
20 important in this decision is found in paragraph 33, that the failure to
21 review in this particular case video evidence wasn't fatal, that a judge
22 can familiarise himself with the trial record and can therefore assert and
23 certify that he's in a position to join the particular Trial Chamber.
24 Paragraph 34 supports our previous submission that the recomposed
25 Trial Chamber may recall witnesses. We had a discussion about that,
1 during my submissions we continued to make that submission to the Court.
2 Where, in paragraph 34, it says: "Where video-recordings are available,
3 an absent Judge who reviews such recording does so as a member of the
5 So in our particular case, this case, Your Honour, there are
6 video-recordings available. There is the record of the proceedings
7 itself. It's our submission to this Court that the interests of justice
8 do require that the case have a substitute Judge, that there are materials
9 that are available sufficient to enable that Judge to review them properly
10 and make the proper certification, and we would urge this Court to permit
11 a substitute Judge to sit in judgement of Mr. Krajisnik for the remaining
12 portion of the Prosecution's case and for the Defence case.
13 Thank you.
14 JUDGE ORIE: Thank you, Mr. Harmon.
15 Last Friday I said, Mr. Krajisnik, that if you read the wording of
16 Rule 15 bis, and if you compare that with many other Rules where often it
17 is said the Defence is entitled to, and there it specifically says
18 something about the accused, that I wanted to be sure that of course your
19 view and your non-consent, as we know now, has been brought to the
20 attention of the Chamber. If, however, there would be anything you'd like
21 to add at this moment, and I invite you not to start any debate with
22 counsel, because you had better have any debate outside of this courtroom,
23 and I also understood that you have had ample opportunity to discuss the
24 matter with counsel, but I would not refrain you from addressing the
25 Chamber if you'd like to do that at this moment. Where I said "the
1 Chamber," I should say the two remaining Judges.
2 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Good afternoon, Your Honours. Good
3 afternoon to all. First of all, I wish to thank the Trial Chamber,
4 although there are only two Honourable Judges here, for allowing me to
5 address them.
6 If we use the terminology from economics, I would say that this is
7 a temporary calculation or a sum-up of the trial heretofore. I wish to
8 say only a brief -- a couple of words that would be useful for the
9 continuation or for the future of our trial.
10 You have heard out my counsel Stewart, and of course it is only
11 natural for me to consult with my counsel. I wish to say that I endorse
12 his submissions and I would just briefly like to explain something that
13 might clarify my decision to deny my consent.
14 Your Honours, I have spent a long time in prison here, and it
15 would be only normal for me to wish to end this proceedings as soon as
16 possible, because any further delay is contrary to my interests. But, as
17 Mr. Stewart has said here, I would of course wish to leave the prison
18 tomorrow. However, the proceedings have to take their course. The reason
19 why I opted for a rehearing is only one, but I wish to add to what
20 Mr. Stewart has said.
21 I have followed the proceedings from my perspective, and a great
22 many things have not been clarified here. Although many helpful witnesses
23 have been called here, in a rehearing, these witnesses would shed more
24 light to the events that had taken place in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the
25 war. For this reason, I believe it would be helpful for a retrial to take
1 place, because it could prove to be helpful for all sides; the Defence,
2 the OTP, and the Trial Chamber alike, because it would help expedite the
4 Because the start of the trial was rushed, the Defence was unable
5 to prepare sufficiently, and there have been quite a few flaws committed
6 on our part. The Defence would require a longer period of time, which
7 could be beneficial for it, and this could be done in a new trial, where
8 the two of you Honourable Judges would be present, along with a third
9 Judge, and before such trial would start, the Defence would have enough --
10 ample time to prepare itself.
11 I would turn to another issue that touches upon the fairness of
12 trial. I wish to go back to what Prosecutor Mr. Harmon said. At this
13 stage, the Prosecution would have to use the opportunity to amend the
14 indictment and withdraw a number of allegations that were deemed
15 corroborated before the proceedings reached this stage.
16 Another matter that I would like to mention here, Your Honours, is
17 the following: In the forthcoming period I wish to take an active part in
18 these proceedings, which I have not taken so far. I will abide by your
19 wish not to repeat some of the submissions stated here by my counsel, but
20 I do wish to reiterate my request to put certain questions to witnesses
21 during their testimony here and I would like you to allow me to address
22 this issue at a later stage.
23 JUDGE ORIE: Yes, Mr. Krajisnik. Because that's a matter which is
24 not to be addressed at this moment, because it's beyond the issue. You're
25 talking now about the modalities of the future conduct of the case,
1 whether that would be after restart or whether it would be after we would
2 have decided to continue that case. And that's something that should be
3 dealt with at that moment and not at this stage. Therefore, your active
4 part is not something to be discussed at this moment. I do understand
5 that --
6 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] If I may be allowed, Your Honour, to
7 say only a few words.
8 JUDGE ORIE: Not on the issue of your active involvement in the
9 case, because that's not a matter to be discussed at this moment. The
10 issue at this moment at stake is the -- whether it's in the interests of
11 justice, whether it would be served or would be better served by
12 continuing rather than to hear the case all over again. That's the limit
13 of what we can discuss at this moment.
14 But at least I do understand that you fully support the position
15 taken on your behalf by Mr. Stewart. Is there any other matter you'd like
16 to bring to our attention?
17 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] I will only address you with a few
18 more words. I did not wish to discuss here the different reasons why I
19 would like to take an active part in the proceedings. Rather, I wanted to
20 say that in a rehearing, I would have more opportunity to do so. However,
21 by way of conclusion, I would like to say the following:
22 In a new trial, I would have a better chance to prove a number of
23 events and facts that we were unable to prove so far. I am aware of the
24 fact that the final decision lies with the Trial Chamber and the Tribunal,
25 but I am convinced that whatever your decision will be, we will have a
1 fair trial. However, I appeal to you to have the understanding to
2 consider the reasons put forth by us behind our request for a retrial.
3 Furthermore, I would also appeal to you to set aside some time for
4 us to deal with some of the issues that have remained outstanding to this
5 day, like, for instance, the issue of a laptop and so on and so forth.
6 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. That's certainly something that will get proper
7 attention once a decision has been taken, once a final decision has been
8 reached as to whether the case -- the hearing of the case will be
9 continued or that we would rehear the case de novo, as it is said in
10 Latin. If there are no further submissions --
11 MR. STEWART: I'd only like to say this, that despite
12 Mr. Krajisnik saying that a rehearing would present a better opportunity
13 and take an active part, I nevertheless maintain that submission on his
14 behalf that that's the preferable course.
15 JUDGE ORIE: Yes. I do understand your position, Mr. Stewart.
16 We will adjourn, as again it's said in Latin, sine die, and the
17 two remaining Judges will consider whether or not it's appropriate to give
18 a decision as they could take under Rule 15 bis (D).
19 We stand adjourned.
20 --- Whereupon the hearing adjourned sine die
21 at 5.29 p.m. | <urn:uuid:2d4c726a-d29b-4acb-9f48-acaba4c925cf> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.icty.org/x/cases/krajisnik/trans/en/041215IT.htm | 2013-05-19T10:34:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969046 | 20,733 |
In the golden age of the worker, when worker’s rights were freshly won and the unions were widely respected as groups that helped tip the scales away from the bourgeois and towards the proletariat, one of the greatest threats to the newly rejuvenated working class was automation. “One day, the robots will come and destroy everything we’ve worked for in the name of profit,” they would say. Instead, the robots came and made things more efficient, safer and increased productivity greatly. Then, the politicians and the upper class came and destroyed everything they worked for in the name of profit.
In our time, it is a pretty safe bet to say it is no longer a golden age for the worker. It is, however, seemingly a golden age for independent games. Enter Vessel, the fluid based puzzler and first game from the liberated ex-EA employees over at Strange Loop Games. Vessel approaches the automation issue from a steampunk perspective, where liquid based lifeforms called fluros have been invented by the game’s protagonist, who looks a surprising amount like Bruce Campbell, M. Arkwright. These creatures have become prevalent in society, taking over the majority of factory and manual labor jobs in almost every industry. As the story progresses, you come to find out that these formerly mindless creatures have begun to evolve and pursue their own goals. In the process, they’ve stopped a multitude of important machines. Ever the scientist, Arkwright decides to investigate the fluros’ evolution, repair the machines and find a way to bridge the gap between humanity and the fluros.
This story, like many indie games, is told in a very minimalistic way. There is no dialog, really, with the protagonist’s thoughts conveyed through journal entries that offer a small bit of insight into the game’s world – although they mostly exist to give you a basic rundown of the various mechanics that come into play. This leaves the real story, and especially the fairly surreal ending, mostly up to your interpretation. There are times where that can be a cop out, but this is not one of those times. I always found that games, and really all forms of entertainment, that use an “up to interpretation” story only work when the content is strong enough to prop it up, and Vessel’s certainly is.
The gameplay here absolutely shines. Strange Loop created their own engine from the ground up in order to handle the fairly complex fluid physics present here, and the attention to detail shines. The engine’s ability to handle dynamic liquid simulation puts Vessel a sea apart from its competition. The multiple different liquids all flow, accumulate, evaporate and react in a completely logical manner. Containers can fill up, overflow and be emptied. Pretty much anything you can do with water, you need to do in Vessel to make your way through its large amount of varied, and progressively more difficult, puzzles.
I can’t put enough emphasis on how well designed those puzzles really are. Vessel is very well paced, and the way it introduces the game’s concepts steadily is novel. It doesn’t give you many clues as to what you should do with the knowledge it gives you, and there aren’t any big red arrows or signs saying “HIT THIS BUTTON” or “MAKE STEAM HERE” so you’ll have to do all the leg work yourself. Like the minimalism in the story, the minimalism in feedback given to the player works because of the way the game is made. Of course, a scientist wouldn’t need, or even want, everything spelled out to him easily. He would want to experiment, document and improve on his methods to solve these problems. Vessel, and its emphasis on the player figuring out the interactions between not just fluros and the environment, but fluros and other fluros, is as close to the scientific method as we are going to see in a puzzler.
These interactions between the various types of fluros, as well as the various types of material they can be made out of, comprise the bulk of the problem solving. Some levels will see you needing to open up a number of doors so you can place a fluro on a button, while others will need you to find ways for two fluros of differing materials to collide so that the gas or steam they create can open up a different area. It is quite a rewarding experience when you finally do get all your little water creatures and lava creatures and “You Can’t Do That on Television” slime creatures to do what you need them to do.
Even Vessel’s aesthetics are exceptional. I always felt that, despite my “gameplay before graphics” attitude, it was the experiments with art direction indie games tend to take that really drew me to them originally. I was always a retro gamer. Even as games got more and more advanced, I still clung to my love of the 16 bit era. When the AAA console games started moving towards realism and billions of polygons, I was quite happy to find people creating 2D games still. The advancements in tech, and even in artistic ability, within the gaming industry have been so large that these 2D platformers and puzzlers end up looking just gorgeous. Vessel – with its colorful backgrounds and great lighting – is as good a looking as any indie game has ever been. The music even shines, as it features a number of pieces from well-known composer Jon Hopkins, all arranged adaptively. The music adjusts to what you are doing and it ends up adding so much to the game’s feel.
While this all might sound entirely perfect, I have to burst the bubble a bit. There are some issues that show that Vessel is slightly wet behind the ears, with a handful of problems that break the fluidity of the game’s flow. Sorry, I’m way under my quota for liquid puns here. I have to catch up or else they revoke my membership to the Shitty Pun of the Month club.
While the puzzles are legitimately among the most well designed I’ve seen in quite a while, the platforming elements fall a bit short. The controls aren’t always as responsive as you would like, and jumping can be a bit iffy in some situations. Also, for people who aren’t really used to using the brain pathways that lead to being good at puzzle games, Vessel’s lack of hand holding might be a significant barrier to enjoyment. Most stages are intuitive enough that you’ll figure it out, but some take a significant amount of experimenting. There are even a few that suffer from design choices, like one type of fluros that will follow you around and hit switches but is frustratingly slow, or a puzzle where you know exactly what you have to do but simply can’t get the fluros to cooperate.
Compared to the rest of the game, these problems are barely spit in the ocean of awesomeness. Vessel is easily one of, if not the best, indie games of 2012 so far. It is well designed, gorgeous to look at, and incredibly entertaining. Strange Loops has created a game that is more coheisive than most, with absolutely everything – from the graphics to the music to the puzzles – combining to put emphasis on the setting and mood. It is even a good ‘bang for your buck’ purchase as it offers you around 10 to 12 hours of squirting entertainment, which would usually cost you way more if you were looking for squirting entertainment on the internet. Hell, I was so engrossed in it I pretty much sat down and played the whole thing in a single sitting.
I really have to pee.
Here’s the Rundown:
+ Well paced and intelligently designed puzzles with incredibly well done physics
+ Great to look at and listen to
+ Long for an indie game, and well worth the money
- Lack of hints or overt direction could turn off some gamers
- Occasional technical issues, including a save bug that is in need of a patch
- Some puzzles can become frustrating due to hiccups with the fluros
8 and 8.5 represent a game that is a good experience overall. While there may be some issues that prevent it from being fantastic, these scores are for games that you feel would easily be worth a purchase.
Vessel was developed by Strange Loop games and published by Indie Loop for the PC, and eventually for the XBLA and PSN . The game was released on March 1, 2012 with an MSRP of $14.99 on the PC. XBLA and PSN release dates have not been confirmed yet. The game was purchased by my main squeeze because she is a goth chick and thus immediately attracted to anything steampunk. It was played for around ten hours until completion. Specs of the PC used are as follows: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 @ 2.83ghz, Nvidia Geforce 570 GTX GPU, 8GB RAM, and Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit. I would write more but all this sloshing water is really taxing on my bladder. | <urn:uuid:5e5fb2a3-8727-40ad-bd10-a65fa0618f75> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.ripten.com/2012/03/11/ripten-review-vessel-pc/ | 2013-05-19T09:48:44Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697380733/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516094300-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.970383 | 1,906 |
Anti-Jagged1 antibody (ab85763)
- Product nameAnti-Jagged1 antibodySee all Jagged1 primary antibodies ...
- DescriptionRabbit polyclonal to Jagged1
- Tested applicationsWB, ICC/IF more details
- Species reactivityReacts with: Human
Predicted to work with: Mouse, Rat, Xenopus laevis, Zebrafish
Synthetic peptide conjugated to KLH derived from within residues 1200 to the C-terminus of Human Jagged1.
- Positive controlThis antibody gave a positive signal in the following whole cell lysates: MEL-1; HeLa; HEK293
- Storage instructionsStore at +4°C short term (1-2 weeks). Aliquot and store at -20°C or -80°C. Avoid repeated freeze / thaw cycles.
- Storage bufferPreservative: 0.02% Sodium Azide
Constituents: 1% BSA, PBS, pH 7.4
- Concentration information loading...
- PurityImmunogen affinity purified
- Clonality Polyclonal
- Research Areas
Our Abpromise guarantee covers the use of ab85763 in the following tested applications.
The application notes include recommended starting dilutions; optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
Not yet tested in other applications.
Optimal dilutions/concentrations should be determined by the end user.
- FunctionLigand for multiple Notch receptors and involved in the mediation of Notch signaling. May be involved in cell-fate decisions during hematopoiesis. Seems to be involved in early and late stages of mammalian cardiovascular development. Inhibits myoblast differentiation (By similarity). Enhances fibroblast growth factor-induced angiogenesis (in vitro).
- Tissue specificityWidely expressed in adult and fetal tissues. In cervix epithelium expressed in undifferentiated subcolumnar reserve cells and squamous metaplasia. Expression is up-regulated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Expressed in bone marrow cell line HS-27a which supports the long-term maintenance of immature progenitor cells.
- Involvement in diseaseDefects in JAG1 are the cause of Alagille syndrome type 1 (ALGS1) [MIM:118450]. Alagille syndrome is an autosomal dominant multisystem disorder defined clinically by hepatic bile duct paucity and cholestasis in association with cardiac, skeletal, and ophthalmologic manifestations. There are characteristic facial features and less frequent clinical involvement of the renal and vascular systems.
Defects in JAG1 are a cause of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) [MIM:187500]. TOF is a congenital heart anomaly which consists of pulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, dextroposition of the aorta (aorta is on the right side instead of the left) and hypertrophy of the right ventricle. This condition results in a blue baby at birth due to inadequate oxygenation. Surgical correction is emergent.
- Sequence similaritiesContains 1 DSL domain.
Contains 15 EGF-like domains.
- Developmental stageExpressed in 32-52 days embryos in the distal cardiac outflow tract and pulmonary artery, major arteries, portal vein, optic vesicle, otocyst, branchial arches, metanephros, pancreas, mesocardium, around the major bronchial branches, and in the neural tube.
- Cellular localizationMembrane.
- Entrez Gene: 182 Human
- Entrez Gene: 16449 Mouse
- Entrez Gene: 29146 Rat
- Entrez Gene: 140421 Zebrafish
- Omim: 601920 Human
- SwissProt: P78504 Human
- SwissProt: Q9QXX0 Mouse
- SwissProt: Q63722 Rat
- SwissProt: Q90Y57 Zebrafish
- Unigene: 224012 Human
- Unigene: 22398 Mouse
- Unigene: 88804 Rat
- Unigene: 83677 Zebrafish
- AGS antibodyAHD antibodyAWS antibody
- CD 339 antibodyCD339 antibodyCD339 antigen antibodyHeadturner antibodyHJ1 antibodyHtu antibodyJag 1 antibodyJag1 antibodyJAG1_HUMAN antibodyJagged 1 antibodyJagged1 (Alagille syndrome) antibodyJagged1 antibodyJAGL1 antibodyMGC104644 antibodyOTTHUMP00000030278 antibodyProtein jagged-1 antibodySer 1 antibodySer-1 antibodySer1 antibodySerrate 1 antibodySerrate-1 antibodySlalom antibody
Anti-Jagged1 antibody images
All lanes : Anti-Jagged1 antibody (ab85763) at 1 µg/ml
Lane 1 : MEL-1 (Human embryonic stem cell, male cell line) Whole Cell Lysate (ab27198)
Lane 2 : HeLa (Human epithelial carcinoma cell line) Whole Cell Lysate
Lane 3 : HEK293 (Human embryonic kidney cell line) Whole Cell Lysate
Lysates/proteins at 10 µg per lane.
Goat polyclonal to Rabbit IgG - H&L - Pre-Adsorbed (HRP) at 1/3000 dilution
developed using the ECL technique
Performed under reducing conditions.
Predicted band size : 134 kDa
Observed band size : 160 kDa (why is the actual band size different from the predicted?)
Additional bands at : 105 kDa,40 kDa. We are unsure as to the identity of these extra bands.
Exposure time : 20 minutes
ICC/IF image of ab85763 stained HeLa cells. The cells were 100% methanol fixed (5 min) and then incubated in 1%BSA / 10% normal goat serum / 0.3M glycine in 0.1% PBS-Tween for 1h to permeabilise the cells and block non-specific protein-protein interactions. The cells were then incubated with the antibody (ab85763, 5µg/ml) overnight at +4°C. The secondary antibody (green) was ab96899, DyLight® 488 goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) used at a 1/250 dilution for 1h. Alexa Fluor® 594 WGA was used to label plasma membranes (red) at a 1/200 dilution for 1h. DAPI was used to stain the cell nuclei (blue) at a concentration of 1.43µM. This antibody also gave a positive result in 100% methanol fixed (5 min) Hek293, HepG2 and MCF7 cells at 5µg/ml, and in 4% PFA fixed (10 min) HeLa, Hek293, HepG2 and MCF7 cells at 5µg/ml.
ICC/IF image of ab85763 stained HeLa cells. The cells were 4% formaldehyde fixed (10 min) and then incubated in 1%BSA / 10% normal goat serum / 0.3M glycine in 0.1% PBS-Tween for 1h to permeabilise the cells and block non-specific protein-protein interactions. The cells were then incubated with the antibody (ab85763, 5µg/ml) overnight at +4°C. The secondary antibody (green) was ab96899, DyLight® 488 goat anti-rabbit IgG (H+L) used at a 1/250 dilution for 1h. Alexa Fluor® 594 WGA was used to label plasma membranes (red) at a 1/200 dilution for 1h. DAPI was used to stain the cell nuclei (blue) at a concentration of 1.43µM.
References for Anti-Jagged1 antibody (ab85763)
ab85763 has not yet been referenced specifically in any publications. | <urn:uuid:7f4a0374-b9cf-4fcd-a09b-4fb009ea24bb> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.abcam.com/Jagged1-antibody-ab85763.html | 2013-05-22T07:34:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.790845 | 1,735 |
This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only.
By now, almost everyone who’s reading this has probably either seen Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and loved or hated it, or feels they don’t need to see it to reach a conclusion. It’s not the sort of film to inspire a mild response. Django Unchained is a blood-soaked and bullet-fueled Spaghetti Western love story that takes on the subject of American slavery by making room for black characters in popular genre films that have predominantly been the territory of whites. Making copious use of the N-word, striking a delicate balance between the use of racial stereotypes and their dismantling, and exploding with blood, humor, violence, and pulp, Tarantino’s latest provocation, a worthy successor to the alternate history of Inglorious Basterds, leaves audiences unsure what to make of it, even as they cheer for its black hero.
Shouldn’t they despise the film for being so irreverent about the subject of slavery, which Hollywood has usually treated with sanctimonious reverence? Or does the film’s cinematic violence (both literally and generically) explode racism and bring the horror of slavery into a new, more visceral cinematic experience of the brutality of America’s role in the slave trade? I’ve seen the movie three times since it was released in December, and I have to confess that I have definitely reached the latter conclusion. I have yet to become bored with the movie. Nor have I been convinced that it’s racist or reactionary as some critics have stated. Ultimately, I see Django Unchained as a triumph against cautious liberal cinema, the safe packaging of slavery into distancing tidy narratives, and the limits typically imposed on black roles in popular Hollywood cinema. Django Unchained gives the audience a black hero who rises not only out of the abomination of slavery but out of the constraints of cinema itself.
Tarantino’s film has no pretense of being a reverent piece of historical cinema or a classic slave emancipation tale. In fact, Tarantino’s tale of slave revenge and romantic love in America’s Antebellum South intentionally disrupts history, much like its predecessor Inglorious Basterds, and blows-up the Big House of cinematic reverence to allow a mass audience to confront slavery and the role of blacks in film, thereby shining much-needed light on a very dark side of American history.
With the gun-slinging Django riding through the landscape and taking down bad white guys (and they are BAD!) to save his love and avenge his abusers, the movie does on many levels play like a mash-up of the Blaxploitation film and Spaghetti Western. Certainly, the movie contains elements of both genres, but it is also so much more. The film could be called a “Spaghetti Southern” (as Tarantino refers to it in the January 2013 issue of American Cinematographer). It takes elements of the Spaghetti Western (which features an outsider in an alien, hostile environment) and relocates them to the American South. What could be more alien in the Antebellum South than a gun-toting free cowboy black man? And what could be more hostile to this improbable icon of liberty than the white men of the South? As in a classic Western narrative, a very clear line is drawn between the “good” (the avenging slave and the man who freed him) and “evil” (the plantation owners and slave overseers) forces at play in the film, and, despite what some of Django Unchained’s critics have said, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever about who we want to come out on top.
The black hero is Django (Jamie Foxx), a slave who is freed by a German bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz in a performance as great as the one he delivers as the slick “Jew Hunter” in Inglorious Basterds). Once freed, Django learns the trade of bounty hunting as a student to Schultz and demonstrates his sharp-shooting abilities as he plucks off any number of bad white guys with clean precision, a skill set he will eventually employ to rescue his true love Broomhilda. Following a classic fairytale structure, Django and Schultz travel to the evil kingdom (a Southern Plantation known as Candie-Land) to rescue the damsel in distress (Django’s slave wife). Leonardo DiCaprio plays the evil king/plantation owner Calvin Candie who gets his rocks off pitting slaves against each other in a blood sport known as Mandigo fighting, in which black men literally fight to the death for the entertainment of whites. And Samuel L. Jackson tears up the screen with his over-the-top performance as Stephen – the Uncle Tom “House Nigger” who is glued to Calvin Candie’s side and proves to be one of the most diabolical characters ever put on screen.
Just summarizing the main actors in the film illustrates the big can of worms contained in Django Uncained. Besides the role of an Uncle Tom, the shocking display of Mandingo fighting and Tarantino’s use of pulp genres like the Western and the Romantic Fairytale to tell a tale of the most brutal institution in American history, we have to take into consideration the use of the N-word which flies as hard and fast as bullets in this movie. I’ve already used the word in referring to Stephen as the House Nigger, and that is only one of multitudes of times the word is fired during the three hours of the movie. Some critics (most notably Spike Lee) have taken issue with Tarantino’s use of the word. How can a white man use the word “nigger” in a film?
Well, if we want to talk about the historical record, a tale of slavery in the South and the racist and violent history of the American economy would be hard to tell without including the N-word, unless the screenplay were as whitewashed as the pristine monuments to white supremacy that Southern plantations were. But whitewashed is exactly what has largely been done to the subject of slavery in film, and it’s about time that someone pulls the white sheet off the face of the subject. Shockingly, because it’s played for laughs, Django Unchained even features a sequence in which members of a proto-Klu Klux Klan are forced to do just that — pull the white bags off their heads. Revealing the ugly and brutal truth of racism means disrupting reverent expectations of the subject by mixing it up with pulp cinema, and that means deploying the N-word in rapid fire as frequently as it was used in the time. To paraphrase renowned slavery scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. from an interview he conducted with Tarantino, to tell a tale of slavery and racism in America and not use the N-word would be to lie. So if we’re going to tell the truth about slavery and racism, the N-word must be spoken. Just to be absolutely clear, then, if I use the word in this essay, it is both because I am quoting the film and the historical treatment of blacks it refuses to whitewash.
Now that I’ve addressed the N-Word, let’s take a minute to think about what exactly Django Unchained is. The film opens in a dark Texas forest with a chain-gang of slaves. The black faces of the men merge with the dark forest, their white eyes glowing in the night. Two menacing white men on horses are leading the slaves to the market to be sold. This scene sets the stage for a traditional emancipation narrative. When Dr. Schultz arrives and frees Django, the camera closes in on Django’s bloody and brutalized ankle. Django’s entire foot and ankle fill the screen as Schultz removes the shackle and “unchains” Django. Django then shucks off his tattered blanket, bares his whip-scarred back and raises his arms in a gesture of freedom and vengeance (e.g. Black Power).
Certainly Django’s scarred and muscle-bound body could be seen as both a fetish object and a stereotype in this scene. This represents the traditional role of black men in film (when they’re not playing subservient emasculated “House Niggers” like Samuel Jackson’s Stephen). If Tarantino shows us this startling and unpleasant image, however, it is in order to set in motion a narrative that will undo racial stereotypes and cinematic expectations. He first creates the stereotypical scenario (the emancipated slave narrative), and then he dumps the black character into untraditional roles (the cowboy, the Western buddy, the chivalrous romantic hero).
Part of the reason Django Unchained succeeds in emancipating itself from the constraints of cautious liberal cinema and its safe historical distancing of the subject of slavery is by emancipating its main character from the trappings of traditional black roles in film. It undoes racial stereotypes by first exposing them and then either dismantling them by creating untraditional roles (Django) or blowing them up entirely (Stephen). Once Django shucks off that blanket and lifts his arms, he also shucks off the traditional emancipation story and everything that is expected from a “safe” film about slavery. Crucially, Django’s role isn’t so much to free the slaves as it is to free the image of the slave from the shackles of both the racism of classic Hollywood narratives and the political correctness of the post-Civil Rights Era.
Once Django Unchained leaves behind the traditional slave emancipation story, the story takes us through a variety of cinematic genres drenched with plenty of blood and humor as Django’s character develops and ultimately triumphs. Django Unchained uses popular pulp genres to take on the deadly serious subject of slavery and the bloody history of the American South. While some have criticized the film for turning the somber subject of slavery into pulp entertainment, the very fact that Django Unchained traffics in “low” stereotypes is what makes it effective. As we follow Django on his mission to save his wife through Tarantino’s network of pulp genres, not only do we grow to identify with Django, but we are able to share in his victory. Sure, guns are fired, walls are splattered with blood, jokes are made, and visceral violence plays before us, but through pulp, violence, and traditional popular narrative devices, Tarantino erases the cautious distance between the audience and his movie’s slave hero. We are able to feel, see and experience slavery without the desensitizing insulation of identity politics. This collapses the distance between the superficial safety of our times and the brutal reality of our history, making the horrors of the past more viscerally real than when they are neatly packaged in cautious historically accurate cinema.
To simply read Django Unchained as a slave revenge/blaxploitation/Western mash-up would short-change all the genre bending the film does to 1) effectively blow the fuck out of black roles in film and 2) make the audience identify with and cheer for the film’s black hero. When Django mounts one of his former captor’s horses and rides into a small Texas town with his emancipator Schultz, the film shifts gears, moving into the territory of the Spaghetti Western. We’ve seen this town before, its old wooden buildings and dirt-filled streets situated in the barren landscape between nowhere and nowhere else. White people walk out of buildings and stand on sidewalks shocked and outraged at the sight of Django riding on a horse alongside Schultz. One of the townspeople whispers, “Look! It’s a nigger on a horse!” When Schultz questions what their problem is, Django blatantly says, “They just ain’t used to seeing a nigger on a horse.”
The doubling of this line, first from the white woman and then from the black man is funny and the audience laughs, but it’s also damn true. Not only are the people in the town not used to seeing “a nigger on a horse,” but neither is the Hollywood audience. The Western is a white man’s genre, but Django rides his horse right through the genre when he rides into the town. This is partly how the film destabilizes white packaging of race in movies and in American history. When Schultz and Django force the town to accept the “nigger on the horse” because he is there as part of “legal business,” the audience also is being asked to accept him. And the audience does. All three times I saw the movie, everyone in the audience – black, white, old, young – cheered for this “nigger on a horse.”
It turns out that Schultz doesn’t just unshackle Django out of the goodness of his heart. Schultz purchases Django (and ultimately his freedom) because it is within his economic interest. Schultz is a bounty hunter, and he needs Django to identify three dirty, rotten overseers – the Brittle Brothers – for whom there is a large bounty on their heads. Django knows the Brittle brothers from his former plantation, because they are the men responsible for whipping him and his beloved wife Broomhilda. Schultz tells Django that he abhors the institution of slavery, but that even he will use it for his economic advantage. Since he “owns” Django, he insists that Django work for him to identify the men who have a large price tag on their heads. When Django asks what a bounty hunter does, Schultz explains that he’s “in the business of selling corpses.”
Coupling bounty hunting with slavery is brilliant. The pairing of these two businesses that trade in human lives underscores the business of violence in this country and the bloody legacy of the American economic landscape. Slavery was an atrocity, an abomination, a dehumanizing and brutal institution that was perceived as acceptable because it was good for “business.” It fueled one of the most successful economic enterprises in American history – cotton. Interestingly, Tarantino also shows how the race card can be thrown out the window, when it is within the economic interest of whites. Everything comes down to business. When Schultz realizes that Django is a perfect shot and that he would make an excellent business partner in the bounty hunting business, race becomes transparent between the two characters.
On the one hand, Schultz plays the role of teacher and liberator to Django, but on the other he treats Django with the equanimity that he would any other business partner. Schultz uses Django’s racial rage and taste for vengeance to his economic advantage. When Django learns what bounty hunting is and agrees to be Schultz’s partner, he says quite simply: “Killing white people for money? What’s not to like?” With Django’s help, the two hunt down the Brittle brothers, kill them, collect their bounty and formally enter a business partnership as well as a friendship.
It must be noted that “business” is at the bottom of much of the action in this movie, and with it the idea that race can become transparent when the money is good. Later in the film, even virulently racist plantation owners are forced to reluctantly accept Django – “the nigger on a horse” – because he is legitimized through the economic transactions in which Schultz includes him – slave trading, bounty hunting, etc. In a scene toward the end of the movie, Django is being transported to a mine where he is supposed to spend the rest of his life breaking down big rocks into little rocks. When Django offers his captors a way to earn $10,000 while he only requires $500 of it for himself, the men immediately free Django because it appears to be within their economic interest to so.
Underneath all this business, however, is the business of slavery, the abhorrent institution that was the backbone of the Antebellum Southern economy. While it may be in the economic interest of plantation owners to treat Django with respect, it is also in their economic interest to make sure that this treatment remains the exception to the rule of the color line. The veneer of civilized behavior that encompasses Django in his roles as bounty hunter and prospective Mandingo trader stands in blatant contrast to the brutal way in which the slaves all around him are dealt with (being fed to dogs or forced to fight to the death). Django’s safety depends on performing the role of exception without ever seeming to be upset by the treatment of his fellow blacks.
In one scene, as Django and Schultz are traveling to Candie’s plantation — which is known, in an example of the “black” humor that spatters the picture, as “Candie-Land” — under the guise of wanting to invest in the Mandingo trade, Schultz pulls Django aside and cautions him that he is playing his role of Slave Trader a little too exuberantly. Django reminds Schultz that their relationship is based on the bloody and violent business of bounty hunting in which Schultz had Django shoot a man and kill him in front of his son; that, in Schultz’s own words, they are in the “business of getting dirty.” This formulation provides Django his punch line, as well as an implicit response to those who accuse the film of being too violent: “So I’m getting dirty.”
Indeed, we are reminded time and again that American business is dirty and bloody. When Django shoots one of the Brittle brothers, his blood bursts across the screen spraying the fields of white cotton with red, literally showing the bloody business of the cotton industry and the slave trade that fueled it. In one of the most violent scenes in the movie, Candie sets his dogs on a slave and has him ripped apart in front of Django, Schultz, and the audience. Prior to killing the slave for refusing to participate in another Mandingo match (a fight to the death between black men in which white men gamble on the outcome, not unlike a cockfight), Candie berates the slave for being a bad business investment. He says, “I paid $500 for you, and I expect five fights for my $500. You only gave me three fights.” So Candie savagely disposes of his bad investment, while at the same time putting his economic investment in Schultz and Django to the test by observing how they react to the brutal slaying of the slave. When Candie notes that Schultz looks a little “green around the gills,” Django answers, “I’m just a little more used to America than he is.” In this sense Django literally embodies the violence of America.
Though Schultz and Django’s relationship starts first as slave and slave holder and then as business partners in the bloody business of bounty hunting, the racial divide between the characters soon evaporates, and the film shifts into a buddy movie. With Jim Croce singing “I Got A Name” in the background, the film moves to the mountains of Wyoming where Django and Schultz bond as buddies via the kind of montage familiar to fans of the Mountain Western. Images of the two of them riding their horses across the expansive Rocky Mountains, target-shooting on a snowman, and taking down their bounties as fountains of blood spurt in glorious red across the snowy background showcase a relationship as cinematically romanticized as Django and Hildy’s.
This segment of the film (the buddy film/mountain narrative) undoes traditional white narratives as much as the Spaghetti Western component, playing off another subgenre popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the mountain survival adventure. The friendship between Schultz and Django is really sealed after Django shoots his first bounty, and Schultz exclaims, “The kid’s a natural!” This clearly references Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the archetypal Western Buddy Romance of that era. But instead of giving us two rugged white male sex symbols, Paul Newman (Butch Cassidy) and Robert Redford (The Kid), Tarantino provides us with two figures who are clearly outsiders in this landscape, a foreigner and a black man. This deviation from tradition radically destabilizes the romantic view of the West held by so many American conservatives and liberals alike, in which both the otherness of excessively refined men the East Coast and the Old World and that of the “savage” Natives (and black men) are held at bay by heroic white men.
The Wyoming sequence also references another Robert Redford film, Jeremiah Johnson, in which a veteran of the Mexican-American war flees to the Rocky Mountains, adopts a family, finds his wife and son slain by Native Americans, seeks vengeance and then ultimately finds reconciliation. It’s the reverse tale of Django Unchained, in which Django is the “colored” person seeking vengeance against the white man. In Jeremiah Johnson, the white man seeks vengeance against “the colored” only to have to accept that the white man really is the “violating other.” Referencing these Robert Redford films through a black slave narrative ruptures the white romantic view of the West (of which Redford is the ultimate icon ) and also underscores the persistent violence of America (both movies are bloody, violent and tragic). Violence is nothing new in America, and keeping it safely tucked away in romanticized narratives of the West or historical reverence masks the fact that the entire country’s economic backbone is based on violence (see blood-splattered cotton for details).
During their trip through the snowy mountains, Schultz tells Django the classic German fairytale of Siegfried and Broomhilda (after whom Django’s slave wife was named) – a young woman who is captured by the evil king and saved by her beloved – and the movie shifts gears again. Now Schultz and Django are on a different mission in which the fairytale meets the horror story of America’s bloody past. They travel into the Dark Kingdom of the Deep South as they head to Mississippi to free Broomhilda from her evil captor Calvin Candie. Setting a Western in the South and mixing in classic fairytale elements, the movie further undoes the roles of blacks in cinema by referencing gothic romance films, melodrama, and a chivalrous love story, none of which have ever been the sources of traditional black feature films. Further, the film uses elements of these genres to explode traditional romantic ideals of the American South and expose the brutality and blood that made its opulence possible.
The American South was created and fed on lies and exploitation. It prided itself on a false romantic identity from instituting ludicrous codes of chivalry to considering itself a Feudal society in which plantation owners were akin to landholding kings entitled to trade and exploit slaves for their economic gain. When Schultz and Django are situated in the South (in an earlier scene at Big Daddy’s plantation and later on the Candie-Land plantation), the cinematography fluctuates between sweeping romantic visions of the South and intensely close-up and unsettling violence.
One of the biggest jokes in the film is the outfit that Django chooses to wear when he and Schultz hit their first plantation as business partners. When Schultz tells Django he can pick his “costume” to play his role of “valet,” Django dons a blue satin costume that mimics the attire of in the 18th-century Thomas Gainsborough painting “Blue Boy”. The outfit seems ridiculously funny, but Django wears it like a dare and a weapon, understanding on some level that the outfit is violating all kinds of racial codes (in the movies and in the South). It emblemizes the way in which this black character is disrupting traditional white narratives and dismantling the romantic view of the South. In a way, it’s also the perfect metaphor for Tarantino’s filmmaking strategy in Django Unchained, so wrong in breaking with every social convention that it’s deliciously right. Because the outfit is also blatantly anachronistic — the Gainsborough painting appears to depict someone playing “dress up” in a 17th-century outfit — it alerts us to the fact that Tarantino’s movie — though it doesn’t deviate from the historical record as obviously as Inglorious Basterds, with its climax in which Jewish American soldiers assassinate Hitler — is not striving for the sort of accuracy fetishized in reverential historical films like Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.
In the first scene set in the Deep South, when Schultz and Django travel to Big Daddy’s Tennessee plantation in search of the Brittle Brothers, the landscape is shown through the hazy diffused glow of a romantic painting. Django rides onto the plantation in his ludicrous blue satin outfit, seemingly the butt of everyone’s joke. He’s still that “nigger on a horse” but is now inside a different painting in which he doesn’t belong. For precisely that reason, though, Django is a force who simply cannot be ignored. Earlier in the film, Django experienced a brutal flashback of Hildy being whipped by the Brittle brothers. Django is on the scene to take vengeance, and the seriousness of the crimes committed against him and the woman he loves and his drive for vengeance clearly overrides the “joke” of his out of place character. As he walks across the plantation to find the Brittle brothers (where they are preparing to whip a slave girl for breaking eggs), we see more of the plantation through this pastoral lens, with the luscious green of the plantation interspersed with slave girls on swings. But Django is having none of it.
When he finds the Brittle brothers tying the girl to a tree, all romance of the South is ripped away as Django’s rage is unleashed. He shoots one brother right through a page of the Bible pinned to his chest (the white man’s religious justification for brutalizing a black woman and a short effective shot at the connection between religion, racism and violence in America). Django then picks up the whip and with unfettered ferocity whips the living shit out of the other brother. Shot from a low camera angle, the audience looks up at Django asa his whip comes down on the white overseer, and we occupy the place of the white man being whipped and are therefore the recipients of Django’s rage. However, rather than feeling victimized by Django’s violent attack on the white man, the audience feels exuberant and elated, despite the savagery of the beating. We are made to “feel” the extent of Django’s rage and the injustices committed against him and all slaves by being on the receiving end of the whip. During all three screenings of the film, the audience around me was both horrified and invigorated by this scene. Everyone cheered for Django, while at the same time gasping at the magnitude of his rage. It is a brilliant scene that allows the audience to occupy simultaneously the place of the black and white man. This brings me back to my point about how Django Unchained undoes Hollywood’s tendency to produce reverent and therefore safe movies about slavery. Nothing about this scene is reverent or safe. But there’s also nothing in it that paints Django as a victim. By exploding the conventions of the cautious cinema which tends to portray oppressed people as victims, the scene unequivocally establishes Django as the hero of the film.
Later, when Django and Schultz travel to Mississipi, this same fluctuating technique is used to make the audience experience 1) the brutality of slavery; 2) the explosion of the romantic Southern ideal; and 3) the victory of Django over his oppressors. When Calvin Candie enters the picture, the movie employs lusciously orchestrated scenes shot like sprawling melodramas. (Significantly, Tarantino has stated that his main cinematic reference for the interior shots in Mississippi was that master of the lusciously rich melodrama Max Ophuls.) But then the action cuts through all of that opulence with bloodshed and tragedy.
First there is the Mandingo fight at the Cleopatra Club, where Candie and the original Django (in a cameo by Franco Nero from the 1966 Sergio Corbucci film) watch two slaves fight to the brutal death. The camera alternates between pulling back and panning the rich opulence of the club’s interior, and closing in on the absolutely brutal flesh-on-flesh fighting between the two slaves. Blood, gore, violence and brutality meet manners and the sham of civility as Candie eggs on the fighters to kill each other. One man rips the other’s eyes out and then takes a hammer and “finishes him off” by bashing in his skull. The scene is unsettling in its violent content alone, but it is particularly effective because its ugliness (the dehumanizing violence of the slave trade) is found within an outwardly elegant setting.
When the group finally makes it to Candie-Land, further romantic myths come crashing down even as the romance of Django triumphs. First, we see the romantic image of Hildy shattered by the reality of her literal body being abused by the institution of slavery. Up to this point, (except for the flashback of her being whipped by the Brittle brothers) we have only seen Hildy through the romantic filter of Django’s flashbacks and hallucinations. She’s been a picture of the romantic ideal – smiling naked in a steaming lake in the mountains, wearing a yellow gown and waving to Django as he passes her on his horse, sitting beautifully dressed at a sun filtered table pronouncing her name (“Broomhilda, but they call me Hildy.”) But when we actually meet the “real” Hildy at Candie-Land, she is a runaway slave who has been thrown into a “hot box,” a kind of coffin where she has been sentenced to stay for ten days. Candie has her naked body pulled from the box, hosed down, and carted off in a wheelbarrow. By juxtaposing the romantic cinematic image of her — Django has just had more hallucinations of her in the yellow dress upon entering the plantation’s grounds — with the brutality of her “real” circumstances, the dehumanizing forces of slavery are brought devastatingly home. The image of her naked body stuffed into a wheelbarrow and carted across the sprawling lawn of the plantation is heartbreaking as we witness the intersection of the tidy grounds of the plantation colliding with the bloody and violent practices of the institution they stand for.
It is at the Candie plantation where Tarantino takes on another taboo subject within the institution of slavery: social stratification within the institution of slavery itself (“house niggers” versus “field niggers”) and between slaves and free men. Note that Schultz gives Django the surname of Freeman. The way in which blacks were pitted against each other within the brutal environment of slavery and the abominations that resulted are delivered most effectively through the “Uncle Tom” character of Stephen, played with diabolical relish by Samuel L. Jackson. The creation and destruction of Stephen’s role — he serves as a kind of foreman for Candie, keeping the other slaves in line — is critical to the liberation of Django and what he represents for blacks in movies and in cultural representation in general.
Jackson’s Stephen is a despicable traitor, glued to the side of his master Candie. He’ll sell-out anyone for his own benefit and security in “The Big House.” He holds onto a position of power even as a slave while he pulls strings and sets the film’s violent conclusion in motion. It is Stephen who advocates keeping Hildy in the “hot box”, who attempts to treat Django like a lower species (even though he shares the same black skin as Stephen), and who ultimately sells out “his own” to try to hold onto the position he has created for himself as an autonomous man of power. The house slaves fear Stephen as much as, if not more than, their real “master” Candie.
Stephen is a “race traitor” to cover his own ass, while Django plays the fictional role of “slave trader” to emancipate his love and himself. With Stephen and Django, Tarantino give us showdown where the baddest black man in the south goes against the biggest black sell-out. For Django to be the real hero and victor, he needs to kill that Uncle Tom and everything he stands for. When Tarantino asked Jackson if he minded playing Stephen, Jackson answered: “Do I have any problem playing the most despicable black motherfucker in the history of the world? No, I ain’t got no problem with that. No, man, I’m already in it. I’m working with my makeup guy now about the hair, the skin tone. I want this man to be fresh off the boat.”
Jackson takes the role and runs with it. He literally has his face painted darker so he can play the role in “black face”, thereby reminding is of the virulent racism evident in so many classic Hollywood films. Stephen’s role as it plays against Django and other characters within the film open up even more taboo subjects within American history and, more specifically, the history of cinema by showing that it’s not all black and white and that contention and class stratification existed for African-Americans during the era of slavery. This is a subject rarely addressed in popular cinema, where everything plays in diametric opposites, good and evil, nor is it addressed in reverent historical cinema where clear lines between victim and abuser are tidily maintained.
The extended dinner scene inside Candie’s Big House is brilliant. Merging Ophul’s melodramas with an ode to Fassbinder’s Whity, Hong Kong action movies and the Western, the scene builds with operatic tension. When Stephen exposes Schultz and Django as frauds, the shit and the blood hit the fan in a complex play between characters. Even though Schultz and Django eventually get what they came for (Hildy) for a very steep price ($14,000), that proves to be insufficient. Schultz needs to pay his own form of vengeance. In a way, Schultz is the cautious observant liberal, sympathetic but on some level clueless when he is first confronted with the ugly and brutal reality of slavery. When his remaining illusions are shattered and he has to accept his role in the violence he has witnessed, such as the execution of Candie’s reluctant Mandingo, Schultz shoots Candie through the heart. In a way, this is an act of suicide as well as vengeance because 1) Schultz can’t live with the truth he has had to face and 2) he understands that he has to die and sacrifice himself so that Django (his “buddy”) can truly liberate himself.
In the story, Schultz has no human connection other than to Django. He has no back story, no wife, or family. All of Schultz’s emotions are reflected through Django, so when he sacrifices himself for Django, he sacrifices himself for “love,” yet another twist in the melodramatic narrative. This realization is brought to the fore when Stephen runs in slow motion screaming in horror and grief at the murder of his master Candie, who, while hardly his buddy, serves as his equivalent love interest. So the two white men have died, and the two black men are left to fight for control.
And Django does fight. In an amazing sequence of flying bullets and bloodshed (the Hong Kong action sequence in the film), Django kills man after man in a shootout that leaves the white walls of the Big House literally dripping with blood, a painting in viscera and gore that literalizes the blood-soaked history of the United States. You’d think the movie would end here, but it doesn’t. In an unsettling turn, Django surrenders to save Hildy’s life. The movie abruptly cuts from Django as gun-fighting victor taking down bad white guys to a scene where we witness him hung naked upside down like a piece of cattle ready to be slaughtered. Django’s face is in a metal cage as he swings across the screen, his naked body, genitals included, exposed for us to see. This is by far the most unsettling scene in the film because we have cheered Django through his triumphs. We’ve followed Django on his quest and rooted for him with each shot of his gun only to see his humanity and his power stripped away from him.
We’ve watched Django transform into a hero, only to witness him hung-up like so much meat. When Candie’s henchman starts to take a molten hot knife to Django’s balls, the emasculation of the black man by the abhorrent institution of slavery becomes painfully literal and tragic. This scene is as effective as the scene with the whip when we are asked to feel Django’s rage, because by this point we fully identify with Django as the hero of the film. When his humanity is so brutally stripped away and the ugly truth of slavery stares us in the face, we wince and feel the horror of slavery more than we ever would in a safely whitewashed historical drama.
Thankfully, Django’s nuts are rescued when Stephen steps into the picture. Ironically, the Uncle Tom figure proves to be Django’s savior because he wants his enemy to suffer a painful captivity rather than risk him bleeding to death from being castrated. Stephen encourages Candie’s sister Laura to send the rebel off to a mine where he is destined to spend the rest of his days reduced to being a number chiseling away at rocks. When Django receives his sentence from the treacherous Stephen, we remember that this fate is pretty much the sentence of all slaves in the country. They were numbers who worked until they died or were killed. But this is not Django’s fate, because Tarantino has made a romantic love story with a black hero who must prevail. Unlike, traditional Westerns, Django is not out only for himself. He finds a way to make it back to Candie-Land to save his love and to avenge his race by blowing the fuck out of the plantation, Stephen’s Uncle Tom character, and everything they stand for in American history and cinema.
The three times I watched the movie, the entire audience – black, white, old and young – cheered for its black hero when he victoriously saves his girl and blows up the white world of slavery. Django is unequivocally the hero of this movie. Much fuss has been made about the screenplay and how Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio supposedly steal the film and have all the dialogue while Jamie Foxx just hulks around scowling. I’m sorry, but if Jamie Foxx wasn’t doing an effective job acting, then we would not be cheering for him as he blows up a Southern plantation and rides off into the sunset with the love of his life. Django/Jamie Foxx is the catalyst of the film despite how many lines of dialogue the white actors have. We have to remember that he is playing a black man in the white dominated South, so it is a world where white people do most of the talking.
Schultz may have more lines, but he is not the hero of this film. It is Django who the audience cheers for. Every time Django puts his hand on his gun, absorbs his surroundings, acts according to the circumstances into which he is thrust, or takes down a bad guy, Jamie Foxx is acting and we are rooting for him. Acting isn’t just talking. Foxx creates a character who we care about through body language, eye movement, and dialogue. At the end of the movie, we would not have the same response of victory and elation if Schultz were the one to free Hildy. It has to be our hero Django, and Jamie Foxx makes us care about him.
Others have criticized the movie for being a “mainstream Hollywood” production. But I have to ask: don’t we want a mass audience to revisit slavery with a black hero rather than keeping the subject safely tucked away in reverent historical narratives that holds slaves captive in the role of victims? Reverence distances us from the subject; it has the potential to dehumanize its subjects and turn people into victims which then become a cause. By placing his story in the guise of a western romance and using pulp as the medium to deliver the story, Tarantino turns the victim into the victor. Put the history of slavery into a Western Romance story, load it up with guns and revenge, bring the camera in for close-ups on the violence and atrocities of slavery, give us a black hero who takes out a shitload of white oppressors and a movie can reach audiences across the racial divide. We can experience an abominable time in American history in a new light, one that exposes where we came from, acknowledging the blood-soaked history of a country that was built on the “business” of slaughter and human trade, but still leaves us with hope for the future.
Some have also argued that Django Unchained is irreverent cinema that disrespects the seriousness of slavery. After all, the film does explode with gunfire, blood, brutal violence and uproarious humor, all communicated through the sort of genre mash-up for which Tarantino is famous. But it is because Django Unchained disrupts reverent historical cinema that it is able to bring a new awareness of the brutality of slavery to the millions of people who are going to see it, black and white. In Django Unchained we’re laughing; we’re horrified; we’re disoriented; and we’re soaked with a lot of blood. But the whole while, the audience’s allegiance never fades. We want Django to win.
Yes, in Tarantino’s film, there are slaves in shackles, being whipped, wearing cruel devices, strung up by their ankles, chained and marching through mud, but as black slavery scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. notes, things were “Ten thousand times worse in real slavery.” If the film barters in stereotypes to fit this terrible legacy into a story that mass audiences will want to see, it is in order to deconstruct them in the way Americans know best: by blowing the living shit out of them.
Since Reconstruction, we have had plenty of somber stories of slavery where the subject is held at safe historical distance. Slavery was the brutal, ugly, inhuman, cruel, sadistic exploitation of black human beings for the economic benefit of American whites. There is not one thing about it that is pretty, tidy or easily packaged. Traditionally, this abomination of American history has been treated with reverence and neatly packaged in acceptable narratives. It has been approached with caution because it is such an abominable part or our history and is the source of many taboos. We have only been able to look at it through the safe lens of historical narratives or politically correct identity politics.
But walking the cautious line of politically correct films does not affect change. It only tells us the same story on a different day. Sure, Tarantino turns what has been perceived as the acceptable cinematic packaging of slavery on its head. Yes, he has created a film for mass audiences, one which is as entertaining as it is repulsive, but in the process he has raised more consciousness about the reality of American history than cautious liberal cinema ever could. In the end, Django Unchained is effective precisely because it is not safe. It places slavery within the broader context of culture, cinema and history, dismantling traditional roles of blacks and the cautious representations of slavery they sustain. Django Unchained packs a punch that is hard to take, yet impossible to resist, and in doing so delivers truly transgressive and effective cinema for the masses.
Kim Nicolini is an artist, poet and cultural critic living in Tucson, Arizona. Her writing has appeared in Bad Subjects, Punk Planet, Souciant, La Furia Umana, and The Berkeley Poetry Review. She recently published her first book, Mapping the Inside Out, in conjunction with a solo gallery show by the same name. She can be reached at [email protected]. | <urn:uuid:ab5df917-3179-46b2-bcb1-d092cef6d884> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/01/11/blowing-the-pulp-out-of-dixie/print | 2013-05-22T07:34:09Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959848 | 9,342 |
Blogger: Steve Rowland, Public Affairs Manager
Spring seemed a long way off last week as I took my lunchtime walk through the woods, the leaves on the trees were yet to unfurl, the ground was bare and covered in a mulch of last autumns dead leaves, and a light, cold wintry rain drizzled down.
And yet I realised that my mind had picked up on the subtle changes in the quality of light and drawing out of the days. I became aware of a slight tightness in my ears, an unconscious straining and heightened alertness to the bird song around me. And I thought that after more Springs as a birder than I care to remember, my brain was quietly and unobtrusively saying to my ears to be alert for couple of unremarkable notes of bird song one up followed repetitively by another down, up and down in short bursts, from a bird that takes its name from these two notes of song, the chiff chaff. (photo below).
Naming a bird after the sound it makes is known as onomatopoeia and two other species that occur in the UK the cuckoo and the kittiwake also take their names from their calls.
I will acknowledge here that chiff chaffs are not blessed with the most captivating of names or musical of songs. But for me they compensate for that with the charisma that comes from being the first of our returning migrants to fill our bare Spring woods with their song, perhaps a month before the other returning warblers have got back from a winter spent south of the Sahara.
Chiff chaffs like many of our other warblers, might at a glance appear a little drab and indistinct. In particular at first you might easily confuse a chiff chaff with its close relative the willow warbler. (photo below).
A rough guide to telling them apart is that a willow warblers legs are a light flesh colour whilst a chiff chaffs are black and a chiff chaffs has a more olive coloured plumage (being a birder you carry a veritable colour palette in your head to describe shades of green and brown feathers).
But the surest way to tell these cousins apart is to listen to them singing. Compared to the chiff chaffs repetitive two notes, willow warblers have a to my mind a much nicer song, a lovely tinkling sound that seems to gently descend a set of musical scales before being hauled by the bird back to the top only to descend down them once more.
Willow warblers arrive from their wintering grounds in Africa a little later in the spring than chiff chaffs which tend to spend the winter in the Mediterranean. So my brain wasn't tipping my ears off to listen out for a willow warbler practicing its scales, but for that starting gun of the season, a simple two note Chiff then Chaff song that would light up the woods and put a smile on my face, a sign of the end of winter and the beginning of natures headlong rush into spring.
I didn’t hear a chiff chaff last week but I’ll be out again for a lunchtime walk in the woods this week, listening carefully for those two notes. If you have some time to spare over the next week or so why don’t you go out and see if you can hear a chiff chaff and then tell us here.
Photos credit John Bridges (rspb-images.com)
Blogger: Kate Blincoe, Communications Manager
Look out of your window. The catkins are swaying in the spring breeze, the blue tit is hunting out caterpillars for its young family and an early bumblebee buzzes by. Nature is busy all around us.
What if pound signs were flashing over all these beautiful, natural events? If you look on these living things as paid workers for us then the catkins tree is capturing carbon, the blue tit is performing pest control on your garden and the bumblebee is a professional pollinator. All these creatures are in fact performing tiny actions that in sum, add up to a healthy environment and hence healthy economy. In simple terms, if they didn’t do it for free, we’d have to pay to find a technical replacement.
Let’s look at some of the massive ways in which we benefit financially from nature. Carefully managed wetlands reduce the risk of flooding to our homes and businesses. Salt marshes, such wonderful habitats, provide protection from sea level rise, acting like big sponges. Forests and peat bogs store carbon for us, helping in the battle against climate change.
The list doesn’t end there: It is estimated that one third of the human food supply depends on insect pollination, most of which is accomplished by bees pollinating crops. Of course, beautiful places with charismatic wildlife also equal booming tourism and lots of visitor spend – especially in our stunning region.
What about you and me and a walk together in the bluebell woods? Does that have pound signs attached to it? Yes. It will reduce our stress levels, increase our heart rates and hence improve our health. It’s a proven fact that nature is good news for the NHS budgets. For children, time spent in nature can even improve their behaviour and performance at school.
As a bit of a nature loving ‘tree hugger’, a part of me screams at this reduction of wonder and marvel to pounds and pennies. Wildlife means so much more than that and has a basic, intrinsic right to exist. I believe that is the case, however, when so many political arguments are made in financial terms, it doesn’t do us any harm to be able to speak that language too.
In a troubled economy, the need for a new development or construction project is often justified by saying growth is critical for our financial future. However, if we trash our special habitats and lose incredible species then, even in crude monetary terms, we risk jeopardising so much more than we gain. We overlook the function that the environment plays in our economy at our peril.
The bottom line is this: We need nature more than it needs us.
Article in Eastern Daily Press on Saturday 10 March 2012.
Photo by Mark Sisson (rspb-images.com)
Blogger: Jane Warren, RSPB in the East Green Team
As we edge along towards spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it’s worth sparing a thought for the climate. Today is the beginning of Climate Change Week (12-18 March), and there are easy ways for us all to get involved. Many of us are already doing our bit, but it’s always good to be reminded! So here are three things to do this week:
Get cooking with Climate Week cuisine: Make food part of the solution to climate change by eating a low carbon meal during Climate Week. Just follow one or all of these three tips: eat less meat or dairy, eat local and seasonal ingredients, and eat leftovers.
Walk, cycle or use public transport: Use Climate Week as an opportunity to use more sustainable ways to get to where you are going. Take the train or bus instead of driving. Take advantage of the spring weather (!) and walk or cycle, getting some additional exercise!
Swap, recycle or upcycle old things: Eliminate waste by finding a second life for things that would otherwise be thrown away. Host an event to swap unwanted items, such as books, toys or clothes, with friends or colleagues. Recycle unusual things like batteries, or electrical goods such as old mobile phones.
You can even recycle through Ebay, by taking up the RSPB’s Ebay for charity challenge. Do you have something lurking in a loft, back room, garage or shed? Something that you know has some saleable value but you have never got around to selling? This could be your chance to do just that and step up for nature at the same time! Please do get in touch with suggestions of what you might have to sell, and we can check if it is worth us getting our fabulous Ebay volunteers to sell it on the auction site for us. Please do not send anything to us without checking first and please note that we can’t accept electrical goods! (It’s worth repeating that so that our collector Matt Howard isn’t locked in the cellar as punishment along with the potential deluge of books, CDs, DVDs, autographed Barry Manilow LPs etc.) Matt is looking forward to hearing from you at [email protected] Tel: 01603 697515.
Our thanks to Climate Week for ideas and tips. Check out their website at www.climateweek.com and get inspired to create a sustainable future!
Blogger: Gena Correale-Wardle, Community Fundraising Officer
Do you remember in January when I blogged about the great partnership the RSPB had with Dozen Artisan Bakery and Pulse Cafe Bar, two great independent eateries in Norwich? I bet you’ve been waiting with baited breath to see how we got on....
Well, today I went to see the lovely manager of Pulse, Helen, as she presented us with a great big cheque (literally – see the photo!) for £86.50. That equates to 173 starters, mains and desserts eaten in aid of the RSPB. Dozen Artisan Bakery sold their field loaves for nature too – another £91 and 91 satisfied tummies and smiles on faces! Wouldn’t it be nice if all fundraising could be that easy?!
The lovely people at both outlets also hosted pin badge boxes and gave out lots of leaflets to promote Big Garden Birdwatch, raising awareness of the project as well as raising even more money (over £40) through pin badge donations. A win-win all round!
We are really glad to work with such great local, independent businesses in the area and hope we can do more with them in future. We are always looking for ways to get businesses involved throughout the whole of the Eastern England region so if you have any links or want to promote your business and raise money for nature in the process, do get in touch!
The money raised will help the RSPB save and protect wildlife supporting schools and families through field teaching programmes and schools visits as well as directly managing habitats for wildlife at our amazing nature reserves.
Thank you to all of you who ate great food and saved nature at the same time. Here’s to more fab little initiatives like this in the future! Email me at [email protected] or call me on 01603 697521.
Blogger: Adam Murray, Communications Officer
Last June you may have remembered my Swift, Swallows & House martins - I am a bit clueless blog post, well just as think I have nailed some of my bird ID skills I recently went on my hols to Osea Island.
We went as a family with my brother and his gang and spent the time walking the island when the causeway (as seen on the Woman in Black movie) was covered by the tide. The island was a perfect tonic as there were no modern day distractions that seem to fill our free time usually. This meant that we had an excuse of not doing very much at all – just what I needed after the crazy hustle bustle of the RSPB Eastern Region office in Norwich.
Each day we would spend many hours in wellies walking the island. In the interior we spotted dancing flocks of skylarks, eyeing foxes in the distance and then the adventurers inside us would walk alongside the beaches and salt marshes to circumnavigate our little piece of Essex. If we were lucky enough to get the tides right we would see vast numbers of birds coming into feed or queuing up ready for the seafood frenzy. The rest of my family were happy to spot a “funny looking goose” or distinctive oyster catcher with their carrot beaks. I on the other hand, trained zoologist and bitten by the RSPB bug, realised that I wasn’t just seeing a few species of animals out there on the mud flats but dozens – all ever so slightly different. However, this is my question to you – how on earth are you supposed to tell the difference? I am now going to give it a go. The keen ones amongst you, feel free to correct me, I won’t take it personally ;)
Dunlin: Little fella, grey wings, white belly, slightly curved beak
Turnstone: Little, black wings, white belly, red legs
Common sandpiper: brown body, straight beak, black eye stripe
Curlew sandpiper: if you squidged the two sandpipers together
Green sandpiper: dark, white bellied sandpiper that is not green
Grey plover: a more speckly version of a turnstone
Curlew: This one I get, bendy beak and big as a chicken!
Redshank: Medium sized, red legs and red beak near face
Spotted redshank: red legs, black top beak, red lower beak
So, can you see why I was confused. It doesn't help that when I was reading the information on my RSPB i-phone app it told me that these are the winter plumages of these birds - so as new species come in for the summer I will have to learn this all over again. I did however figure out that the bird call I has associated with the wilds of southern Ireland ( a previous family holiday) was not the charismatic oyster catcher but the close neighbours the curlew.
I guess the beauty of this whole thing is now, once I get my eye in, I realise how many different species find the eerie and beautiful Essex coast a perfect tonic, just what they need. | <urn:uuid:8f4b98cc-b9b6-4f03-bdfe-20c3e3a71278> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/b/east/archive/2012/03.aspx?PageIndex=2 | 2013-05-22T07:37:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957171 | 2,921 |
Top Ten differences between White Terrorists and Others
1. White terrorists are called “gunmen.” What does that even mean? A person with a gun? Wouldn’t that be, like, everyone in the US? Other terrorists are called, like, “terrorists.”
2. White terrorists are “troubled loners.” Other terrorists are always suspected of being part of a global plot, even when they are obviously troubled loners.
3. Doing a study on the danger of white terrorists at the Department of Homeland Security will get you sidelined by angry white Congressmen.Doing studies on other kinds of terrorists is a guaranteed promotion.
4. The family of a white terrorist is interviewed, weeping as they wonder where he went wrong. The families of other terrorists are almost never interviewed.
5. White terrorists are part of a “fringe.” Other terrorists are apparently mainstream.
6. White terrorists are random events, like tornadoes. Other terrorists are long-running conspiracies.
7. White terrorists are never called “white.” But other terrorists are given ethnic affiliations.
8. Nobody thinks white terrorists are typical of white people. But other terrorists are considered paragons of their societies.
9. White terrorists are alcoholics, addicts or mentally ill. Other terrorists are apparently clean-living and perfectly sane.
10. There is nothing you can do about white terrorists. Gun control won’t stop them. No policy you could make, no government program, could possibly have an impact on them. But hundreds of billions of dollars must be spent on police and on the Department of Defense, and on TSA, which must virtually strip search 60 million people a year, to deal with other terrorists.
by Juan Cole from
Latina mother of 5 kids shot & murdered by Border Patrol in a residential neighborhood
Trigger warning: if you google her name, you will come across some hateful, racist, disgusting comments.
I got this via DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving):
Border Patrol Kills U.S. Citizen Mother of Five: Family and Advocates Speak Out
Family of Valeria Munique Tachiquin to make statement in press conference at 11 am and will hold a vigil at 6 pm
Ricardo Favela - ricardo (at) alliancesd.org
- Who: Family of Valeria Munique Tachiquin, Christian Ramirez (Southern Border Communities Coalition Director), Pedro Rios (Director of the San Diego Office of the American Friends Service Committee)
- When: Monday, October 1st, 2012 at 11:00 am
- Where: Alliance San Diego Office: 3750 30th St. San Diego, CA 92104
Candle Light Vigil
- When: Monday, October 1st, 2012 at 6:00 pm
- Where: Corner of Broadway and Moss St. in Chula Vista
San Diego, CA: Valeria Munique Tachiquin, a 32-year old mother of five and a U.S. citizen, was shot and killed by a plainclothes Border Patrol agent last Friday afternoon in the City of Chula Vista.
On Monday, October 1st, Valeria’s father, Valentin Tachiquin, will give a statement at a press conference with local human rights activists from the American Friends Service Committee and Alliance San Diego.
The fatal incident occurred in a residential area in Chula Vista on Moss Street near Broadway.
Neighbors and eyewitnesses were shocked and feared for their safety when they saw a man shooting multiple times into the vehicle driven by Munique. The shooter was later identified as a plainclothes Border Patrol agent who was apparently serving a warrant in a nearby residence. Authorities have withheld his name.
The family states that Munique, a U.S. Citzen, was not the person Border Patrol was seeking.
The Border Patrol agent involved in the shooting was treated in a hospital but the extents of his injuries are unknown. Neighbors say they saw the plainclothes agent walking immediately after the incident.
“I want to know ‘why’? What caused the Border Patrol agent to shoot my daughter multiple times? My family wants answers, and we are seeking justice,” stated Valentin Tachiquin.
“There is a troubling and growing pattern of abuse and excessive use-of-force committed by Border Patrol agents; our community demands to know what led to such a brutal act by that plainclothes agent,” said Pedro Ríos, director of the American Friends Service Committee US Mexico Border Program.
This latest incidents comes at a time in which Border Patrol has been under fire by law makers who are calling for, “ a top-to-bottom review of CBP practices”.
“The Border Patrol continues to be an out of control agency that operates above the law,” said Christian Ramirez. “We need to continue to put pressure on Customs and Border Protection to call for transparency, accountability and justice.”
A candle light vigil is being organized for Monday afternoon at 6 p.m. with the family of Valeria Munique Tachiquin on the corner of Broadway and Moss Street near the location where the shooting took place.
“Things I learned from watching Zero Dark Thirty 1. It's fine, really, to wear an Ann Taylor suit to your first torture session, but by the second you'll have caught on and wear jeans and an ochre sweater. Much more comfortable. 2. People in Pakistan speak Arabic. (Urdu must be a rumor.) 3. Most terrorists speak English. This makes intelligence gathering much easier! (I knew there was a reason for all those "Friends" reruns on TV all over the world.) 4. Spies with beards look a lot like Williamsburg hipsters. 5. The coach from Friday Night Lights, who plays the CIA station chief, has no forehead, only hair. 6. Anyone who tells you this movie is not pro-torture is, well, wrong. 7. Zero Dark Thirty is not a very good movie. Not at all a good movie. Things I didn't learn from watching Zero Dark Thirty 1. Why it's called "Zero Dark Thirty" 2. Context. ”—Moustafa Bayoumi, Professor at Brooklyn College CUNY
My Racist Encounter at the White House Correspondents' Dinner
Seema Jilani [huffingtonpost]
The faux red carpet had been laid out for the famous and the wannabe-famous. Politicians and journalists arrived at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, bedazzled in the hopes of basking in a few fleeting moments of fame, even if only by osmosis from proximity to celebrities. New to the Washington scene, I was to experience the spectacle with my husband, a journalist, and enjoy an evening out. Or at least an hour out. You see, as a spouse I was not allowed into the actual dinner. Those of us who are not participating in the hideous schmooze-fest that is this evening are relegated to attending the cocktail hour only, if that. Our guest was the extraordinarily brilliant Oscar-nominated director of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Benh Zeitlin. Mr. Zeitlin’s unassuming demeanor was a refreshing taste of humility in a sea of pretentious politicians reeking of narcissism.
As I left the hotel and my husband went to the ballroom for the dinner, I realized he still had my keys. I approached the escalators that led down to the ballroom and asked the externally contracted security representatives if I could go down. They abruptly responded, “You can’t go down without a ticket.” I explained my situation and that I just wanted my keys from my husband in the foyer and that I wouldn’t need to enter in the ballroom. They refused to let me through. For the next half hour, they watched as I frantically called my husband but was unable to reach him.
Then something remarkable happened. I watched as they let countless other women through — all Caucasian — without even asking to see their tickets. I asked why they were allowing them to go freely when they had just told me that I needed a ticket. Their response? “Well, now we are checking tickets.” He rolled his eyes and let another woman through, this time actually checking her ticket. His smug tone, enveloped in condescension, taunted, “See? That’s what a ticket looks like.”
When I asked “Why did you lie to me, sir?” they threatened to have the Secret Service throw me out of the building — me, a 4’11” young woman who weighs 100 pounds soaking wet, who was all prettied up in elegant formal dress, who was simply trying to reach her husband. The only thing on me that could possibly inflict harm were my dainty silver stilettos, and they were too busy inflicting pain on my feet at the moment. My suspicion was confirmed when I saw the men ask a blonde woman for her ticket and she replied, “I lost it.” The snickering tough-guy responded, “I’d be happy to personally escort you down the escalators ma’am.”
Like a malignancy, it had crept in when I least expected it — this repugnant, infectious bigotry we have become so accustomed to. “White privilege” was on display, palpable to passersby who consoled me. I’ve come to expect this repulsive racism in many aspects of my life, but when I find it entrenched in these smaller encounters is when salt is sprinkled deep into the wounds. In these crystallizing moments it is clear that while I might see myself as just another all-American gal who has great affection for this country, others see me as something less than human, more now than ever before.
When I asked why the security representatives offered to personally escort white women without tickets downstairs while they watched me flounder, why they threatened to call the Secret Service on me, I was told, “We have to be extra careful with you all after the Boston bombings.”
I explained that I am a physician, that my husband is a noted journalist for a major American newspaper, and that our guest was an esteemed, Oscar-nominated director. They did not believe me. Never mind that the American flag flew proudly outside of our home for years, with my father taking it inside whenever it rained to protect it from damage. Never mind that I won “Most Patriotic” almost every July 4th growing up. Never mind that I have provided health care to some of America’s most underprivileged, even when they have refused to shake my hand because of my ethnicity.
I looked at him, struggling to bury my tears beneath whatever shred of dignity that remained. They finally saturated my lashes and flood onto my face. Shaking with rage, I said, “We are all human beings and I only ask that you give me the same respect you give others. All I am asking is to be treating with a dignity and humanity. What you did is wrong.” They stared straight ahead, arms crossed, and refused to even look at me. Up came the cruel, xenophobic, soundproof wall that I had seen in the eyes of so many after 9/11. Their eyes, flecked with disdain and hatred, looked through me.
The next affront came quickly thereafter. “You were here last year, weren’t you? You caused trouble here last year too. I know you,” they claimed, accusing me of being a party-crasher. Completely confused, I explained that this was my first time here and that I had no idea what he was referencing. Clearly, he had assumed all brown people look the same and had confused me for someone else.
I wonder what their reaction would have been to a well-dressed white woman trying to reach her husband. Would she have struggled for over an hour while they watched and offered to escort others in? Would they not have extended an offer to help, bended over backwards to offer assistance, just as they did with the woman who “lost her ticket”? Would the Boston bombings even be mentioned to a white woman?
Let’s stop this facade that we are a beacon of tolerance. I don’t need you to “tolerate” me. I don’t want you to merely put up with my presence. All I ask, all I have ever asked, is to be treated as a human being, that bigoted jingoism is not injected into every minute facet my life, that there remains at least the illusion of decency.
Despite being a native English speaker who was born in New Orleans and a physician who trained at a prestigious institution, all people see is the color of my skin. After this incident, I will no longer apologize, either for my faith or my complexion. It is not my job to convince you to distinguish me from the violent sociopaths that claim to be Muslims, whose terrorism I neither support, nor condone. It is your job. Just like when a disturbed young white man shoots up a movie theatre or a school, it is my job, as someone with a conscience, to distinguish them from others. It’s not my job to plead with you to shake my hand without cringing, nor am I going to applaud you when you treat me with common decency; it’s not an accomplishment. It’s simply the right thing to do. Honestly, it’s not that hard.
This year, Quvenzhané Wallis took the world by storm with her staggering performance in Beasts of the Southern Wild. At several award ceremonies, reporters refused to the learn the accurate pronunciation of her name, and one reporter allegedly told Wallis, “I’m gonna call you Annie,” because her name was too difficult to pronounce. If reporters can learn to pronounce Gerard Depardieu and Monique Lhuillier then surely they can take the time to learn how to pronounce Quvenzhané. It’s not hard; it’s just not deemed worthy of your energy because she is someone of color.
A school child recently threatened my 12-year-old niece claiming, “I’m going to kill you Miss Bin Laden.” Again, it is not my job to teach your children manners and social justice, to remove the disgusting threads of racism that you have woven into their hearts with your insecurities. Last week, a 39-year-old Muslim American cab driver who served in the Iraq war was attacked and had his jaw broken in a hate crime. The assailant, an executive from an aviation company, told the veteran “I will slice your fucking throat right now.” I suppose the “support the troops” rhetoric by the right only applies to white veterans.
It wasn’t enough that I have had to prove my “American-ness” at every step of my career, but now the next generation is suffering as well. It wasn’t enough that I was asked whether my father taught me how to make bombs, or that I was told that I was doomed to the seventh circle of hell during my medical school interviews. I was also asked whether I would wear a burqa or if my parents would arrange my marriage during interviews. It is outrageous that I have to actually prove to the world how horrified I am that an 8-year-old boy was brutally murdered by a terrorist bombing. Any normal human being feels this agonizing grief with the rest of the country. I do not have to prove to you that, I, too, find it morally reprehensible. Of course I do. I have a heart. I am human.
So, I no longer want a seat at your restaurant, where you serve me begrudgingly, where I am belittled for asking for food without pork, where I endure your dirty looks at my hijabi friend. I want my pride intact, I want this struggle of mine to be recognized, for you to look me in the eye and acknowledge that yes, this tumor called bigotry is indeed rivering through your veins, polluting your mind, and is so malignant that it compels you to squash my dignity.
It’s the little indignities that slowly devastate your soul. The ones where your guard is down, and you just expect to dress up, look pretty, and enjoy an evening as a newlywed, or at the Oscars, but instead end up humiliated and snubbed. The ubiquitous racist slap in the face is thinly veiled just beneath the carefully crafted façade. This filthy, highly infectious plague is transforming our nation into one of unwarranted suspicion and anguish inflicted on disenfranchised, voiceless people of color. And now, it is no longer my job to enlighten you. To quote what you so often tell ethnic communities, “It’s time for you to step up to the plate, take responsibility, and stop taking what I have earned,” my integrity, my dignity. | <urn:uuid:3ccf7b21-a84d-4512-9b6f-51f1a11a3594> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/xenophobia?language=ja_JP | 2013-05-22T07:15:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701459211/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105059-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97033 | 3,599 |
The Georgia High School Association will place schools in regions for the 2010-14 academic years on Dec. 2. Each day this week, the GHSF Daily staff is going to look at a different classification and tell you how we’d do the regions, starting with Class AAAAA.
These are not projections. We’d have more luck predicting the exact scores of every game this week than how the GHSA will divide up the regions. Our goal is simply to bring to light some of the questions and challenges that define the GHSA’s task next week.
Here’s how we’d do Class AAAAA:
1-AAAAA (6 teams)
Camden County (moved from 3-AAAAA)
Valdosta (playing up)
Going down: Houston County, Northside, Warner Robins
Notes: Four current 1-AAAAA schools were assigned to Class AAAA because of declining enrollment. Schools may choose to play in higher classes than the ones they’ve been assigned. We expect Valdosta to play up while the Houston County schools (Warner Robins, Northside, Houston County) play in AAAA. Do we think the GHSA is going to put Camden County in this region? We’ll believe it when we see it. But here’s the logic: The average road trip for Camden County in the new Region 1-AAAAA would be 121 miles. The average trip in Region 3-AAAAA would be 107 miles. But in 1-AAAAA, there are only five opponents. Let’s do the math: Five road trips times 121 miles is 606. Seven road trips times 107 miles is 749. In other words, Camden will travel less in a six-team Region 1-AAAAA than an eight-team Region 3-AAAAA. We realize that Camden pays many Savannah schools to give up their home football games and come to Camden, but that’s irrelevant because the travel for the region overall is the same whether Savannah comes to Camden County or vice-versa. GHSF Daily asked Camden County football coach and athletics director Jeff Herron about his school moving to Region 1. His answer: “I still don’t see how we could with the consideration we must give to the other sports. It would force all of our other sports to play all of their games on the weekends [because of long travel on week days]. But, with that few of schools [in Region 1], the region schedule might be easier to pull off. I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens.”
Redan (playing up)
Shiloh (moved from 8-AAAAA)
South Gwinnett (moved from 8-AAAAA)
Stephenson (playing up)
Going down: Douglass, Greenbrier, Union Grove
Notes: Five of the eight current Region 2 schools have been dropped to AAAA, leaving Luella, M.L. King and Newton as the only legitimate AAAAA schools. We suspect Stephenson and Redan will play up and remain with M.L. King, their DeKalb County neighbor. We see Douglass, Greenbrier and Union Grove taking the plunge, although Union Grove might want to stay with fellow Henry County school Luella. Regardless, the big question is how to fill out this depleted region. There are two ways to do it: One is to merge what’s left of Region 2 with what’s left of Region 4, as both regions lost significant membership. That would form a catch-all southside metro Atlanta region that stretches 67 miles from Newnan to Covington. The alternative? Force some Gwinnett County schools to join. Those Gwinnett schools that border DeKalb (in order of the likelihood of joining Region 4) are South Gwinnett, Shiloh, Parkview, Meadowcreek and Norcross. It’s only 42 miles from Luella to South Gwinnett. Also don’t rule out Brookwood and Grayson, though neither borders DeKalb.
Beach (playing up)
Bradwell Institute (playing up)
Groves (playing up)
Jenkins (playing up)
Johnson, Savannah (playing up)
Savannah (playing up)
Windsor Forest (playing up)
Moved: Camden County (to 1-AAAAA)
Notes: It’s expected that the seven Savannah-area schools will play up again, leaving this region intact except for the possible move of Camden County to Region 1. One source in Savannah told us that even Richmond Hill from Class AAA and Benedictine from AA are considering AAAAA. If that happens, the GHSA will have even more reason to put Camden County – which is isolated in the southeast corner of the state – in Region 1.
Campbell (from 6-AAAAA)
Langston Hughes (new to AAAAA)
Marietta (from 5-AAAAA)
South Cobb (from 5-AAAAA)
Going down: Chapel Hill, Lovejoy, Morrow, Mundy’s Mill, Riverdale
Notes: Region 4 picked up Langston Hughes from South Fulton but lost four Clayton County schools, plus Chapel Hill, so it needs rebuilding. Unless this region merges with Region 2 (as discussed above), there’s no alternative but to draw from Cobb County schools. Note that Pebblebrook, a school in south Cobb, already competes in Region 2. South Cobb is the most eligible candidate. After that, we picked Marietta and Campbell, but McEachern and Hillgrove are suspects, too.
Hillgrove (new to AAAAA)
Going down: East Paulding
Moved: Marietta, South Cobb (to 4-AAAAA)
Notes: Region 5 would love for the GHSA to let Hillgrove (promoted) replace East Paulding (demoted) and let that be that. But holes in regions 4 and 2 make this complicated. Southern Cobb County schools such as South Cobb, McEachern and Marietta are nervous that they will be moved to Region 4. Meanwhile, the Cherokee County schools (Cherokee, Etowah, Woodstock) might hope those Cobb schools remain in Region 5, freeing them up to play in a region with Forsyth County and North Fulton schools.
Chattahoochee (playing up)
Going down: Kell, Pope
Moved: Campbell (to 4-AAAAA)
Notes: Kell and Pope are now AAAA material, and they might be content to play in the smaller class because East Marietta neighbor Sprayberry already is there. But they also have strong rivalries with Walton and Lassiter in all sports and might choose to remain in AAAAA. Campbell, a Cobb school that’s the geographical odd ball in the current 6-AAAAA, could end up in Region 5 or even Region 4. Also pay attention to Chattahochee, a North Fulton team that was demoted to AAAA. The largest school not assigned to AAAAA, Chattahoochee has reason to play up and compete with most of the other North Fulton schools (Alpharetta, Centennial, Chattahoochee, Northview and Roswell).
Mountain View (new to AAAAA)
West Forsyth (new to AAAAA)
Going down: Chattahoochee, South Forsyth
Notes: This might be a simple trade of Chattahoochee and South Forsyth for Mountain View and West Forsyth. But if Region 8 loses a couple of southern Gwinnett teams, those most subject to moving from 7 to 8 are (in order) Norcross, Duluth, Peachtree Ridge, Collins Hill and Mountain View. Meanwhile, North Forsyth and West Forsyth would prefer to play with North Fulton and Cherokee schools, so there could be a shift in that direction. Current region member Chattahoochee was dropped to AAAA but could play up, but we’re putting the ‘Hooch in 6-AAAAA for now.
Archer (playing up)
Moved: Shiloh, South Gwinnett (to 2-AAAAA)
Notes: Archer, which opened this year in Gwinnett County, is the second-largest school assigned to AAAAA and might opt to play in this Gwinnett-dominated region rather than AAAA. Gwinnett would love to have two regions of nine Gwinnett schools each. Lanier High will open as Gwinnett’s 18th school next year and would project to go in Region 7. But the trouble is the void in Region 2 with DeKalb and Newton county schools. See Region 2 notes for that explanation. South Gwinnett and Shiloh are anxious. Also keep an eye on Stephenson and Redan. If those DeKalb schools choose to leave AAAAA, then Region 8 could simply absorb M.L. King, Luella and Newton but at the expense of sending a few of its current members over to 7-AAAAA, setting off a domino effect that could open the door for a Forsyth-Cherokee-North Fulton region.
Georgia High School Football Daily is a free email newsletter. CLICK to join the mailing list | <urn:uuid:58872f1b-4deb-4717-9733-e9d45f2e250e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://blogs.ajc.com/georgia-high-school-sports/2009/11/23/georgia-high-school-football-daily-spotlight-reclassification-in-class-aaaaa-will-camden-move-to-region-1/ | 2013-05-24T15:50:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940348 | 1,946 |
Havre Daily News Sports Editor
The scores may not indicate it, but Tuesday was a pretty good day for the Havre High track teams. The Pony boys and girls were both soundly defeated by Class AA CMR in dual action at Great Falls' Memorial Stadium.
The CMR boys defeated Havre 92-52, while the Rustler girls crushed the Ponies 107-37. However, with forecast of cold weather for the coming days, a day of competition was better than a day of practice.
"I'd much rather have a Tuesday meet than a Tuesday practice," HHS head coach Mark West. "It's good to go out and compete instead of working out in the cold."
The Ponies not only got to compete, but got the chance to compete against a very good Rustler team.
In the boys, CMR won 11 events, led by double winners John Michelson in the 1,600 and 3,200, Philip Churchill in both hurdles events, Chris Vuckovich in the triple jump and javelin and Jeff Hansen in the shot put and discus. The Rustlers also got wins from Jacob Pearson in the 800, Kellan Carter in the high jump and Alex Smith in the 100.
Havre's Scott Robinson was solid, leading the Ponies to a sweep in the 200 as Derek Verploegen finished second and Kyle Finneman was third. Robinson also added easy wins in the 400 and long jump.
"Scott was pretty solid," West said. "He really looked good in the 400 and it was nice to sweep the 200."
Cody McLean continued to perform well in the pole vault, tying for first with CMR's Josh Anderson and Eric Hubner with vaults of 12-6.
"Cody has been very consistent in the pole vault," West said. "His heights keep going up."
Also scoring points for Havre were Ted Wells in the 100, Tom Knudson in both hurdles events, Marcus Campbell in the 1,600 and 3,200, Ricky Houim in the shot put and discus, Robert Brooks in the 800 and Ryan Horne in the long jump.
"Ricky had a nice day," West said. "He had couple nice throws in the shot and placed in the discus. It's been a long time that we've had a guy score points in the shot and discus consistently for us. I was a little disappointed with our performance in the 100. I felt like that it was a race we should win and place a few kids in."
While West would have loved to score more points, he was happy for his boys to compete on the Memorial Stadium track.
"State is being held there so it was big for our runners and throwers to get used to the surroundings," he said. "The girls got to compete there last week, but we wanted to make sure the boys ran there before state."
It was last weekend at the Optimist Invitational in Great Falls where West knew his girls would be in trouble against a powerhouse CMR squad.
"They are just so strong in so many events," West said. "When I saw them last week, I knew they were going to be almost impossible to beat."
The CMR girls racked up a whopping 107 points, thanks to wins in all but four events. Standout Shantell Marquis won the 200 and 400, while finish second in the 100 hurdles, teammate Brianna Perry took home both hurdles events and the high jump and Sydney Best won the 100 and 800.
"Marquis is an unbelievable athlete," West said. "We miss not having Mandi Nystrom and Casea Pollington. They would have scored us some points, but CMR just has so much more depth than us in every event."
Havre got the bulk of its points from the usual suspects - Carmen Neuens and Lena Suek. The sophomores each won two events to pace the Ponies.
Neuens continued to perform well in the long jump, winning for the third time in three tries with a leap of 16-2. Neuens also won the triple jump, narrowly missed out on winning the 100, recording a personal best of 13.03. She also placed third in the high jump.
"Carmen had a nice day," West said. "She ran a great time in the 100 and was solid in the jumps. She probably should have won the high jump, but she is just a little off in that event."
Suek took home wins in her best events in the discus and javelin, while finishing third in the shot put. Suek won the javelin easily with a toss of 127-11, while she edged CMR standout Kelsey Hopkins in the discus with a throw of 110-9.
"Lena had another nice day," West said. "She is throwing so well right now."
Havre's other points came from second-place finishes from Kelsey West in the 200, Darci Briere in the 1,600, Kelsey Malsam in the 3,200 and Amanda Reinke in the pole vault. The Ponies got third-place finishes from Kim Jestrab in the 400 and Larissa Hand in the triple jump.
"We had a lot of PR's from our girls," West said. "Kelsey (West) had a personal best in the 200 and Kelsey (Malsam) had a good time in the 3,200."
Regardless of scores, West was happy with his teams' performances, and looks at it as another chance to improve.
"We're starting to come around," he said. "Our kids competed hard which is what you want to see. I really think we are peaking at the right time, and all that hard work is starting to pay off."
The Ponies will be in Whitefish on Saturday for a meet featuring several Class A opponents.
"Depending on the weather, I really think it should be a good meet for us," West said.
CMR 92, Havre 52
100 - 1. Alex Smith, CMR 11.49; 2. Ted Wells, HAV 11.52; 3. Luke McKinley, CMR 11.55
200 - 1. Scott Robinson, HAV 23.64; 2. Derek Verploegen, HAV 23.82; 3. Kyle Finneman, HAV 24.14
400 - 1. Scott Robinson, HAV 53.53; 2. Alex Smith, CMR 55.95; 3. Parker Jones, CMR 57.30
800 -1. Jacob Pearson, CMR 2:10.70; 2. Tyler Dolan, CMR 2:14.56; 3. Robert Brooks
1,600 - 1. John Michelson, CMR 5:03.05; 2. Marcus Campbell, HAV 5:06.3; 3. Robert Brooks, HAV 5:08.4;
3,200 - 1. John Michelson, CMR 11:01.3; 2. Marcus Campbell, HAV 11:07.1;
100 Hurdles - 1. Philip Churchill, CMR 15.76; 2. Tom Knudson, HAV 16.55; 3. Calvin Fry, HAV CMR 22.29
300 Hurdles - 1. Philip Churchill, CMR 44.44; 2. Tom Knudson, HAV 45.36; 3. Calvin Fry, CMR 45.80
400 Relay - 1. Havre 45.15
1,600 Relay - 1. CMR 3:40.56
Pole Vault - 1. (tie) Cody McLean, HAV 12-6; Josh Anderson CMR 12-6; Eric Hubner, CMR 12-6
Long Jump - 1. Scott Robinson, HAV 19-1; 2. Tyson Wald, CMR 18-8; 3. Ryan Horne, HAV 17-2
High Jump - 1. Kellan Carter, CMR 6-6; 2. (tie) Drew Savage, CMR 5-10; Cody Vukasin, CMR 5-10
Triple Jump - 1. Chris Vuckovich, CMR 37-8; 2. Luke McKinley, CMR 35-10
Shot Put - 1. Jeff Hansen, CMR 52-10; 2. Ricky Houim, HAV 49-3; 3. Justin Clark, CMR 40-8
Discus - 1. Jeff Hansen, CMR 164-2; 2. Andrew Voorhees, CMR 133-1; 3. Ricky Houim, HAV 128-3
Javelin - 1. Chris Vuckovich, CMR 151-10; 2. Zach Garrity, CMR 151-08; 3. Tyson Wald, CMR 137-11
CMR 107, Havre 37
100 - 1. Sydney Best, CMR 13.01; 2. Carmen Neuens, HAV 13.03; 3. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR 13.15
200 - 1. Shantell Marquis, CMR 27.11; 2. Kelsey West, HAV 27.93; 3. Holly Heffley, CMR 28.05
400 - 1. Shantell Marquis, CMR 1:00.65; 2. Amanda Berringer, CMR 1:07.09; 3. Kim Jestrab, HAV 1:09.1
800 - 1. Sydney Best, CMR 2:31.16; 2. Marilee Woyth, CMR 2:34.5; 3. Kasha Kiddrick, CMR 2:40.16
1,600 - 1. Marilee Woyth, CMR 5:38.7; 2. Darci Briere, HAV 5:49.9; 3. Kasha Kiddrick, CMR 5:55.2
3,200 - 1. Kirsten Jensen, CMR 12:44.3; 2. Kelsey Malsam, HAV 13:09; 3. Kasandra Maloney, CMR 13:39.46
100 Hurdles - 1. Brianna Perry, CMR 16.4; 2. Shantell Marquis, CMR 17.47; 3. Melissa Fry, CMR 18.36
300 Hurdles - 1. Brianna Perry, CMR 50.42; 2. Melissa Fry, CMR 51.37
400 Relay - 1. CMR 52.68
1,600 Relay - 1. CMR 4:28.67; 2. Havre 4:37.60
Pole Vault - 1. (tie) Adrianna Aafeldt, CMR 8-0; Alexa From, CMR 8-0; 2. Amanda Reinke, HAV 7-0
Long Jump - 1. Carmen Neuens, HAV 16-2; 2. Brianna Perry, CMR 14-5; 3. Kasey Aafeldt, 13-4
High Jump - 1. Brianna Perry, CMR 4-10; 2. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR 4-8; 3. Carmen Neuens, HAV 4-8
Triple Jump - 1. Carmen Neuens, HAV 31-4; 2. Kelsey Aafeldt, CMR 30-5; 3. Larissa Hand, HAV 29-1
Shot Put - 1. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR 35-3; 2. Nikki Oleson, CMR 33-5; 3. Lena Suek, HAV 32-9
Discus - 1. Lena Suek, HAV 110-9; 2. Kelsey Hopkins, CMR 108-5; 3. Nikki Oleson, CMR 102-4
Javelin - 1. Lena Suek, HAV 127-11; 2. Kristen Tuttle, CMR 117-5; 3. Nikki Oleson, CMR 89-3 | <urn:uuid:4b46f336-14e4-424d-996b-18d76c6b9015> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://havredailynews.com/cms/news/story-131867.html | 2013-05-24T15:43:25Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935797 | 2,528 |
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What's Wrong With Xenotransplantation?
Merriam-Webster: Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of an organ, tissue, or cells between two different species
From Campaign for Responsible Transplantation (CRT)
Why CRT is Opposed to Xenotransplantation
The alleged chronic shortage of human organs has led some researchers and federal health officials in the US and elsewhere to consider using organs from animals such as pigs and nonhuman primates. Xenotransplantation, attempted since 1905, is marred by a history of failures and intense human and animal suffering. But the prospect of commercializing the technology has created huge financial incentives for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies who have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in xenotransplantation. The desire to gain a return on such large investments has led many companies to make exaggerated claims about the alleged merits of the technology. CRT believes that these claims are baseless and that, in fact, the technology is dangerous, expensive, inhumane, and unnecessary, and should therefore be banned.
- Transplanting living animal organs into humans circumvents the natural barriers (such as skin and gastrointestinal tract) that prevent infection, thereby facilitating the transmission of infectious diseases from animals to humans.
- Many animal viruses have the ability to jump species barriers and kill humans. Viruses that are harmless to their animal hosts, can be deadly when transmitted to humans. For example, Macaque herpes is harmless to Macaque monkeys, but lethal to humans.
- Many viruses, as innocuous as the common cold or as lethal as Ebola, can be transmitted via a mere cough or sneeze. An animal virus residing in a xenograft recipient could become airborne, infecting scores of people, and causing a potentially deadly viral epidemic of global proportions akin to HIV or worse.
- Pigs, genetically altered to carry human genes, are being considered as the source animals of choice for xenotransplants, despite the existence of over 25 diseases in pigs that can infect humans. The influenza virus of 1918, which resembled a common swine flu, killed more people in modern history than any other epidemic including AIDS and the Black Plague. New mutations of swine influenza are being seen around the globe, and novel pig viruses keep surfacing. In October 1997, medical journals reported that Porcine Endogenous Retroviruses (PERVs), present throughout the pig genome, infected human cells in test tubes. That same year, the Australian "paramyxovirus" infected piggery workers with flu-like symptoms. And, most recently, the "Nipah" virus, discovered in Malaysia in late 1998, spread from pigs to hundreds of humans, killing 100+ and leading to the mass slaughter of some one million pigs, as well as several dogs and horses.
- There is no way to screen for viruses that are not yet known. Proceeding with xenotransplantation could expose patients and non-patients to a host of new animal viruses which could remain dormant for months or years before being detected. Xenotransplantation could thus be viewed as a form of involuntary human experimentation which violates US laws and United Nations charters.
- Xenotransplant proponents claim that they will breed "germ-free" animals, thereby diminishing the risk of viral transmission. But it is impossible to breed "germ-free" animals since no animal can remain completely free of parasites or endogenous viruses. In fact, genetically engineered animals are more susceptible to a host of diseases because of weaker immune systems.
- CRT believes that HHS violated the Public Health Service Act by ignoring the scientific evidence showing that xenotransplantation is dangerous and ineffective. HHS failed to adequately consider the legal, social, ethical, and economical implications of xenotransplantation. HHS issued voluntary draft guidelines on xenotransplantation, September 23, 1996, despite scientific evidence demonstrating that the xenograft recipient will suffer significant harm. Scientists have criticized the voluntary guidelines for being weak, ineffectual, and unlikely to protect the public. HHS did not adequately consider how to protect the public from contracting novel animal viruses, how to deal with the issue of informed consent, or the large costs associated with xenotransplantation. HHS issued voluntary guidelines to regulate the technology. It is highly probable that HHS will be unable to protect the xenograft recipient or the public from being infected by an animal virus. As a result, HHS should have considered how the government would handle an infectious epidemic before the guidelines for xenotransplantation were issued.
- HHS has not addressed how infected individuals will be identified and how those infected will be prevented from spreading diseases. HHS has also failed to address who will pay for treatment and care for those infected. Treating and caring for individuals infected with animal viruses will most likely cost the U.S. billions of dollars. So far, HHS has not stated whether it would compensate victims who inadvertently come into contact with a lethal animal virus. However, this should be a consideration because the government has already had to respond to compensation claims filed by Persian Gulf War veterans, victims of Agent Orange, hemophiliacs infected by HIV-tainted blood, and parents of vaccine-damaged children. Although HHS identifies procedures for obtaining informed consent in the xenotransplantation guidelines, the agency failed to consider several important issues. An Institute of Medicine 1996 report on xenotransplantation indicates that "more research needs to be done on the psychological, religious, and social interpretations of xenotransplants for patients and their families." HHS should have considered that xenograft patients will most likely be very ill when they decide to take part in xenograft procedures. These patients, many in desperate situations, must understand highly complex issues, including the experimental nature of xenotransplantation and the health risks not only to themselves, but also their close personal contacts. It is unlikely that patients would fully understand the consequences of their participation in such experiments.
- Health authorities were unable to prevent the worldwide spread of HIV infection. Similarly, they were unable to prevent Ebola outbreaks in Sudan, Zaire (1976, 1979, 1995) and the US (1989, 1996). Furthermore, there is evidence that humans have become ill after consuming or being injected with animal materials. There is a reported link between the smallpox vaccine (derived from animal cells) and AIDS, a recently acknowledged link between human lung, brain and bone cancer and the SV (simian virus) 40 (found in old batches of the Salk polio vaccine), and the threat of emerging infectious diseases, including human Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) from the consumption of "mad cows" in Europe, the Netherlands, and the US. It would be a tragedy if federal health authorities failed to respect the precautionary principle and facilitated the introduction and spread of a new viral epidemic. Responsible health authorities would steer clear of xenotransplantation in the interest of human health.
- In September 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a set of draft voluntary guidelines on xenotransplantation. Currently, xenotransplantation is "regulated" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); Over the last several years, FDA has approved limited clinical trials with animal tissues, cells, and organs, typically pig livers, used outside the body as temporary "bridges" to "filter" the blood of patients awaiting human liver transplants. Xenotransplant products that utilize both a device and a biologic (such as the "liver-assist device") would be considered a combination product and regulated both by the FDA's Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research (CBER) and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Animal organs used in xenotransplantation would be considered biologics and covered by CBER. Ironically, CBER scientists have acknowledged that xenotransplantation presents a risk of introducing novel pathogens into the human population.
- The FDA's active support for xenotransplant research is inconsistent with positions the agency has taken in the past. In 1991, the FDA ordered a recall of a disinfectant, Sporicidin, used by dentists and doctors to sterilize equipment, claiming that it did not adequately protect patients from infectious microorganisms. FDA commissisoner at the time, David Kessler, said FDA would "not tolerate products that would permit the transmission of disease from one patient to another."
- Proposed regulatory oversight of xenotransplantation procedures is weak and would likely be highly flawed. Although xenotransplants subject patients and non-patients to significant health risks, HHS chose a lenient method for monitoring the health effects from the procedures by constructing voluntary guidelines on xenotransplantation. As it stands, the guidelines are to be "enforced" at the local level by institutional review boards (IRBs). Virologist Jonathan Allan has stated that, "in choosing voluntary guidelines to be enforced at a local level [via IRBs],…the FDA/CDC committee has chosen the least stringent and possibly least successful method of policing these transplant procedures."
- In a draft 1998 report, the HHS's own Inspector General June Gibbs Brown said that institutional review boards, whose members are unpaid, and who are charged with monitoring the treatment of participants in clinical trials, "face crushing workloads, inadequate training and potential conflicts of interest."
- Even if FDA were to assume the responsibility for monitoring all clinical xenotransplant trials, that would not necessarily be an improvement. FDA has already failed to successfully provide oversight for human tissue banks; the agency has also been criticized by scientists and consumer groups for approving the use of a controversial genetically engineered bovine growth hormone despite the existence of several studies questioning its safety.
- In the federal guidelines, HHS recommends a strict monitoring regimen for patients and their close contacts. The rigorous and potentially "life-long surveillance" program, would require complete physical exams and sampling regimens. But HHS fails to discuss the issue of noncompliance with the monitoring program. What would happen if individuals choose to sporadically participate or entirely withdraw from the program and HHS is not able to detect an infectious disease? A disease could spread before HHS recognizes its existence.
- In all areas of human activity, particularly when money is involved, the potential for fraud, error, and negligence exists. In the past, such behavior has placed human health at considerable risk. Witness the HIV-contaminated blood scandals in France, China, Japan and the US, for example, in which employees and/or medical authorities knowingly allowed HIV-contaminated blood to be used for transfusions and blood-clotting treatments for hemophiliacs.
- Given the enormous amount of data, paperwork, and filing xenotransplant procedures would generate, it would be naive (given human nature) to assume that data will be properly recorded, stored, reviewed, and updated. Regulatory mechanisms often fail to prevent or correct these errors and/or behaviors, the consequences of which could be disastrous in the face of a xenogeneic infection.
- Xenotransplantation is not a cost effective technology. It is riskier and promises to be even more expensive than human-to-human transplantation (roughly $300,000 per operation, not including the hidden costs of breeding, housing, feeding, medicating, testing, transporting, rendering, and disposing of the waste and remains of herds of transgenic animals).
- The FDA wants to establish a registry to archive xenograft patient and source animal tissue samples. This archive is to be funded by taxpayers. FDA officials estimate the cost of the registry at $250,000 to $300,000 a year, and the cost for the archive at $1 million a year.
- Xenotransplant researchers acknowledge that 'rearing pigs under germ-free conditions, is extremely expensive and time-consuming and the production of germ-free pigs would greatly add to the cost of providing donor organs.' Currently it costs from $25,000 to $100,000 to test just one pig for the presence of known bacteria and viruses. The biotechnology company Nextran explains that one of its pig organs will eventually cost the same as a human organ.
- Based upon this estimate, xenotransplantation is not cost effective.
- The current transplant costs for human organs range from $116,000 for a kidney to more than $300,000 for a liver. Factoring in years of follow-up care and immunosuppressive drugs, the cost rises to about $400,000 for a liver transplant and over $300,000 each for heart and lung transplants. A 1996 Institute of Medicine report predicts that xenotransplantation will push annual transplant cost from $3 billion to $20.3 billion. These costs are beyond the means of a majority of Americans and an already overburdened health care system.
- It is predicted that, by the year 2000, 48 million Americans will lack basic healthcare. Another 30+ million will be underinsured. The uninsured (largely minorities, 18 to 24-year-olds, and the working poor) who are chronically ill are least likely to receive proper care, with the result that untreated conditions can lead to serious health consequences. Can we justify spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on operations that, if they ever succeed, would at best benefit a small minority of patients, while dramatically driving up health care costs for all?
Animal Welfare Concerns
- Biotechnology companies are breeding pigs with human genes in the hopes of fooling the human immune system into accepting a foreign organ from another species. This disturbing genetic reconstruction of life (the creation of animals that are, in essence, part animal and part human) is advancing on a commercial scale with almost no informed public discussion or effective oversight.
- Scientific studies have demonstrated that pigs are highly intelligent and sensitive animals. Pigs used in studies at the University of Pennsylvania manipulated joysticks with their mouths to solve mazes and play games on a computer. Pigs used in biomedical research can be subjected to painful biological and surgical manipulations at experimenters' discretion, causing great pain and suffering before death. Policy-makers in the U.S. and elsewhere have decided that it is "ethical" to use pigs in xenotransplants because pigs are killed for food. But two wrongs do not make a right. Ironically, it is precisely because people eat too many pigs, and have unhealthy lifestyles, that pig organ transplants are being considered. A large majority of heart, liver, and kidney transplants could be prevented if people reduced their meat, (and alcohol and tobacco consumption). We should ask whether it is acceptable to make pigs and other nonhuman animals scapegoats for our species' self-destructive behaviors. Transgenic technology is very imprecise. Previous transgenic pig research programs have produced animals with various painful physical abnormalities including arthritis, stomach ulcers, muscular weakness, defective vision, and weakened immunity. Transgenic animals are destined to spend their lives confined in unnatural, sterile environments, unable to fulfill their basic behavioral needs, until death. In her book, Genetic Engineering: Dream or Nightmare (1998), British biologist Mae-Wan Ho wrote that, "the creation of transgenic animals for xenotransplantation . . .[is] scientifically flawed and morally unjustifiable. [It carries] inherent hazards in facilitating cross-species exchange and recombination of viral pathogens. These projects ought not to be allowed to continue without full public review."
- In CRT's opinion, HHS failed to consider the environmental consequences of xenotransplantation as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). HHS issued guidelines for xenotransplantation without complying with any of NEPA's requirements. NEPA requires that agencies "take a 'hard look' at the environmental consequences before taking a major action." HHS failed to take the required "hard look" at the environmental and health consequences of its actions because no Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was performed. By completely ignoring the entire EIS requirements, HHS has violated NEPA.
- CRT believes that xenotransplantation is a "significant" action because it is highly controversial and poses unique and unknown health effects to the xenograft recipient and the general public. Furthermore, xenotransplantation affects "the quality of the human environment." Federal regulations define "the quality of the human environment" to include "the natural and physical environment and the relationship of people with that environment." In this case, the relationship of people to their environment is affected by the HHS's action because xenotransplantation may create deadly new animal viruses. Due to this significant public health concern, HHS should have prepared an EIS.
- Xenotransplantation also poses significant threats to the environment. The animals needed for xenotransplantation will increase the environmental problems caused by animal-based agriculture. U.S. farms already generate about 1.4 billion tons of animal manure a year, 130 times the quantity of U.S. human sewage, according to a 1997 report by the Senate Agriculture Committee entitled, Animal Waste Pollution in America: An Emerging National Problem. This untreated and largely unregulated manure, contaminated with bacteria, parasites, chemicals and heavy metals, is washed off farmland by rain and discharged into streams and rivers, killing fish, and making people who eventually drink it, bathe in it, and wash their clothes with it, sick.
- In March 1999, a community in Sarpy County, Nebraska denied a permit to a xenotransplantation pig breeding/research facility because of environmental concerns alone.
- Surveys find animal waste is degrading 1,785 bodies of water in 39 states. Pesticides, insecticides and antibiotics which are commonly used in agriculture may also contribute to soil and ground water contamination and consequently, harm human health. Pollution from factory farms impairs more miles of U.S. rivers than all other industry sources and municipal sewers combined. During the past two decades, the number of coastal waters that host major and recurring attacks by harmful microbes has doubled. Pigs and pig waste pose a particular danger because they contract and transmit many human diseases including meningitis, salmonella, chlamydia, giardia, cryptosporidiosis, brucella, worms and influenza. The hazards from hogs increases when they are packed closely together.
- Hog farms pollute the air. In Minnesota, tests showed eight of 32 air samples taken near manure lagoons exceeded air quality standards for hydrogen sulfide. A study done at Duke University Medical Center revealed that those who lived downwind from hog factory farms suffered from a variety of illnesses including increased tension, depression, flu-like symptoms, fatigue, dizziness, blackouts, loss of appetite, and sleep disturbances.
- HHS also failed to address the environmental and health impacts caused by the disposal of numerous remains of genetically modified animals. Conventional agricultural operations continuously wrestle with the problems of how to dispose of millions of tons of perishable animal tissue each year. Incineration, burial, and composting are all expensive, unhygienic, and environmentally problematic. In fact, in 1997, the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit against a hog farm, citing 50 violations of federal environmental laws, including the farm's illegal pits for disposing dead pigs. Disposing of transgenic pigs is a significant environmental and health concern, because if the bodies of source animals are disposed of improperly, their DNA could replicate, spread, and recombine, picking up genes from viruses in other species, and consequently, create new pathogens. Thus, disposing of genetically modified animals is an issue that should have been addressed in an EIS.
- Can we justify raising more pigs for human use at a time when the Environmental Protection Agency is placing new restrictions on livestock pollution? Breeding animals for xenotransplantation would create a host of environmental problems, described above. Conventional farming and rendering operations have yet to solve these problems which continue to threaten public health across the US (see www.hogwatch.org).
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Bollig, Walls named first team all-state
Tribune Sports Editor
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“I’m real proud of them both,” Chanute Coach Don Simmons said.
Simmons explained ...
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“The championship game was one of the most enjoyable games I’ve been i...
Area hoops roundup
Tribune staff NEODESHA — A young Humboldt club got its feet wet on the road Friday with a 47-29 victory over Neodesha. Three freshman were in the seven-man rotation and 6-4 frosh Noah Thornbrugh was the top rebounder with 13 and second-leading scorer with 14. Tevin Strack, 6-1 senior, led the Cubs with 19 points. The defense was stingy as Humboldt led 23-10 at the half. Neody outscored the Cubs 12-7 in the third quarter before Humboldt clos...
Blue Comets let one slip away
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor INDY—It’s safe to say the Chanute Blue Comets may be shooting a lot of free throws over the next few days. The Blue Comets missed eight free throws late in the game and the Independence Bulldogs took full advantage. With those extra opportunities, Independence pulled off a 58-51 come from behind win over Chanute in overtime on Friday night at Independence Middle School’s Losey Gym in the 2009-10 season ope...
Bulldogs hold off Blue Comets
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor INDY—A buzzer-beater at the end of the first quarter gave the Independence Bulldogs all of the momentum—and they never gave it up. Led by Kelby McGrath’s 31 points, Independence defeated Chanute 54-46 on Friday night at Independence Middle School’s Losey Gym in the first game of the 2009-10 season. The game was tied at nine when McGrath hit a 30-footer at the first quarter buzzer. The shot seemed to defla...
Panthers earn 'emotional' win over 'Hounds
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor FORT SCOTT—The storylines were numerous. A former coach was taking on the current coach, while a former player was going up against her former team. In the end, the Neosho County Community College women’s basketball team pulled out a 91-84 come-from-behind win over the Fort Scott Greyhounds on Wednesday night at Arnold Arena. The Panthers simply made the plays down the stretch to pull out the win, offensi...
Defense leads Panthers to victory
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor FORT SCOTT — Using defense to create offense, the Neosho County Community College men’s basketball team raced past Fort Scott 80-63 on Wednesday night at Arnold Arena. The Panthers forced 22 turnovers, grabbed 12 steals and converted many of those miscues into easy hoops in transition. “For us, it always starts with defense,” Neosho County Coach Jeremy Coombs said. “As the year goes on, I think our press i...
CHS wrestling: tough tourney awaits
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor Some of the top wrestling teams in the state will be competing at the Valley Center Dual Tournament this weekend. The Chanute Blue Comets will be among them. The Comets will compete at the always-tough tourney on Saturday. Host Valley Center is currently the top ranked team in Class 4A. Other tops teams competing at the tourney are Emporia, the defending 5A champ; Derby, ranked first in 6A; Clay Center,...
Season begins on Friday for CHS hoops
Tribune Sports Editor
The quest for a league title begins on Friday night for the Chanute High School girls basketball team.
The Blue Comets will hit the road to take on the Independence Bulldogs in the 2009-10 season-opener.
The girls game starts at 6 p.m. at the old Independence Middle School gym.
Chanute Coach Megan Reid feels her team is just about ready to go.
“The attitudes and work ethic have been great in practice,” Reid sa...
Royster girls knock off Pittsburg
Tribune staff The Royster Middle School eighth grade girls A basketball team defeated Pittsburg 33-20 on Tuesday night. “They beat us earlier in the year and we did some good things,” RMS Coach Steve Slane said. “We played more under control and we will have to continue doing that with the opponents we have coming up. As you can see, the scoring was balanced and we did a good job of playing around some people getting in foul trouble. Overall...
Comets too much for Yellowjackets
Jason Peake Tribune Sports Editor CHANUTE—Andy Albright admitted he was extremely nervous as his Chanute High School wrestling team stepped on to the mat for the first time this season. He didn’t need to be. The Blue Comets earned win after win against Fredonia on Tuesday night at the CHS Gymnasium. When the night ended, Chanute had earned a 48-21 win. The Class 3A Yellowjackets were overmatched in a few matches, but for the most part, g...
Erie boys have high expectations
Anthony Cook Parsons Sun Mike Casteel, head coach of the Erie High School basketball team, knows that the high expectations for his team mean nothing at this point. The Red Devils were recently predicted to finish third in the CNC League in its preseason poll. However, the pollsters haven’t done a good job of evaluating the school’s basketball team in the past. “We know it means absolutely nothing right now,” said Casteel. The eighth-year ...
New coach set to lead Erie girls
The hardwood is a familiar place for Erie High School girls basketball first-year head coach Briana Volmer.
Volmer, a graduate and standout center for the Labette County High School Grizzlies, most recently played college basketball at Missouri Southern State University. Her first head coaching experience in basketball will come Friday evening when the Red Devils take on Baxter Springs.
The team is previously coming of... | <urn:uuid:2ff59308-db7b-4fde-a761-9c07cf5ae664> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.chanute.com/pages/sports/push?class=prev_page&per_page=20&rel=prev&x_page=6&k_group=2 | 2013-05-24T15:32:21Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951512 | 2,289 |
Weekend Plans With WNBA Sky's Michael Alter Ratner Confident In Isles Playing In Nassau Anticipation High For Griner's WNBA Debut ABC Looking For Indy 500 Ratings Uptick EA Used Tebow Name In NCAA Game Classified Advertisements Executive Transactions Mohegan Sun Not Getting NCAA Tourney Games Roc Nation Sports A "Legitimate Threat" Wild Raise Season-Ticket Prices
SBD/October 22, 2012/FranchisesPrint All
The Mariners for '13 have implemented a price restructuring plan in which season-ticket plans "will rise as much as 6.9 percent in some sections, while 40-game weekend packages are up 3.7 to 10.6 percent in the more desirable main-level locations," according to Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. The major changes "involve turning eight Safeco Field seating areas into four new ones called Main Level, Terrace Club Level, View Level and Bleachers -- with varying prices for sections and seat rows within those areas." As a result, "just about every section of the ballpark and season-ticket plan -- full-season, half-season, weekend, business and 16-game packages -- had some cost increase, though a small number remain nearly unchanged and some second-deck Club Level seats down the right- and left-field lines will actually decline up to 3 percent." Mariners Senior VP/Communications Randy Adamack said that the team "has had two across-the-board ticket hikes the past 11 seasons and none since 2008." He added that the team's studies show "its lower-level seats are among the top third of baseball for affordability ... while season-ticket holders saved between 27 percent and 44 percent off the cost of single-game tickets in 2012." The Mariners sent out a mass e-mail renewal letter to all of their season-ticket holders, but the "linked information is mainly invoices for 2013, a seating and price map and payment deadlines, with no comparative information about 2012 prices or explanations of the changes." The "biggest price hikes are in more-desired areas of the ballpark, closest to the field or home plate." But bleacher seats also were "hit hard, climbing 3.6 percent for full-time plans, 7 percent for weekend, 15 percent for business and 10 and 11 percent for each of two half-season plans." Adamack said that the changes "are an offshoot of the team's 'dynamic pricing' model introduced last season and used by roughly one-third of major-league teams" (SEATTLE TIMES, 10/21).
With Red Sox GM Ben Cherington leading the way, there is “no confusion about who selected” Blue Jays manager John Farrell to replace Bobby Valentine, according to Gordon Edes of ESPN BOSTON. There are “no chain of command issues, no puppet strings being pulled,” as Farrell is "Cherington's man. Period." Edes: "Accepted and endorsed by Boston Red Sox ownership? Of course.” Red Sox Owner John Henry “was the one who got compensation talks started with Toronto CEO Paul Beeston.” But the ownership also “came away highly impressed with the other candidates interviewed for the managerial job, most notably” Padres Special Assistant Brad Ausmus. In Valentine, Cherington had “no answer for a manager who alienated his players and appalled at least some of his coaches with his lack of preparation and disregard for their input.” But with Farrell, Cherington has “a man the GM told ownership he was more comfortable with than any of the other candidates, one he was confident spoke the same language, and would work hand in hand with him in fumigating the clubhouse and making it a place where confidence and trust could be cultivated again” (ESPNBOSTON.com, 10/21). SPORTING NEWS’ Stan McNeal wrote the "perception that Cherington didn’t choose Valentine created an obstacle in their relationship that they never overcame.” That “won’t be the case this time," as Cherington has “hired a guy who already is on his side” (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 10/21).
BEANTOWN BOOST: In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes of the trade of IF Mike Aviles for Farrell, “This is a good move by the Sox.” Cherington “finally has acted decisively” and Red Sox President & CEO Larry Lucchino’s “ego didn’t get in the way when it came time to part with" Aviles. The "only fair criticism of this move is the dog-and-pony show of bringing Tim Wallach, Brad Ausmus, Tony Pena, and DeMarlo Hale to town when the Sox knew they wanted Farrell all along” (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/22). CBSSPORTS.com’s Jon Heyman wrote, “Farrell is clearly the guy Cherington and the front office wanted all along, and he's a smart man with a Boston background the ownership triumvirate of John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino can all agree on.” Hiring a manager for the Red Sox is "almost as hard as managing the Red Sox." The job "requires more of its holder than just about any other in baseball," as the Sox' manager "has to deal with one of the more involved ownership groups, many voices in the hierarchy, one smarter than the next, plus the most rabid fans and most persistent media" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/21).
ON THE SAME PAGE: SPORTS ON EARTH’s Jorge Arangure writes, “In the days after Bobby Valentine’s hiring, Boston general manager Ben Cherington was put in the role of the patsy: a front man for a team that would be led by a manager he did not want, and ultimately had not selected.” The hiring of Farrell is “an immense victory for the general manager, and it restores the decision-making in Boston to where it belongs: the front office.” Arangure: "We have no idea how good Cherington really is as a general manager. We’re about to find out." Saying Cherington has “won a power struggle may be overstating it, since there are no signs of real discord -- just a difference of opinion in which Cherington was overruled.” But “make no mistake, Cherington has won a fight" (SPORTSONEARTH.com, 10/22).
PROBLEMS LINGER: In Boston, Ron Borges wrote, “Simply put, it’s the players, stupid.” As the Red Sox “ponder wasting a top prospect or frontline player in exchange for John Farrell arriving from Toronto, they miss the point.” The Red Sox “are not 76-113 in their last 189 games and absent the playoffs for three years because they hired a nitwit to replace a manager whose voice the players no longer heard.” Farrell "is not going to turn that attitude around nor is he going to get performance simply by his presence." Red Sox players "have to do that themselves or be replaced.” Hiring Farrell "was a mistake.” The Red Sox could have “opted for real change.” They could have “turned the page and tried the only guy on their short list who actually has done something as a major league manager.” Yankees bench coach Tony Pena, the ‘03 AL Manager of the Year “in of all places Kansas City, was there for the taking” (BOSTON HERALD, 10/21).
FEELING BLUE: In Toronto Steve Simmons writes, “This is big business and the Blue Jays come off as small-timers here in this ugly mess of a transaction." Simmons: "This is major league sports and the small market Jays show themselves as little more than farm team for the large market Red Sox” (TORONTO SUN, 10/22).
The Yankees "have priced themselves into a corner" in trying to remain competitive, "running up such a huge tab over the years and writing checks" for a $200M payroll, according to David Lennon of NEWSDAY. While Managing General Partner & co-Chair Hal Steinbrenner "has every intention of maintaining his dad’s championship legacy, he may be coming to the realization that such a thing isn’t possible on a tighter budget, not with the organization’s current state." Steinbrenner "raised eyebrows in March with his mandate of getting the Yankees’ payroll below the new luxury-tax threshold of $189 million, which takes effect for the 2014 season." There is a "tremendous fiscal incentive to cut payroll." But now that a "third consecutive season has ended without a World Series appearance, and with a top-heavy roster in flux, the Yankees are at a crossroads." The team will either "become more budget-conscious this winter -- and stomach the transitional phase -- or acquire the necessary pieces, with less emphasis on what it costs." Late Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner "always chose the latter, and the Yankees apparently are reconsidering Hal’s hard-line stance from spring training." A source on Friday said that budget concerns "will have to take a back seat if the choice is between getting below the tax threshold by 2014 and building a championship-caliber roster every year" (NEWSDAY, 10/20).
NOTHING ELSE MATTERS: In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote at one time "the bottom line for Steinbrenner the Elder was winning it all, or else." For his "heirs, it seems the bottom line is more about profit and loss, and that sure doesn’t mean the kind of loss the Yankees just suffered" in a four-game ALCS sweep (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/21). An AL GM said, "I just see [Yankees GM] Brian Cashman trying to get this team younger while still competing. That’s what I think will happen." In Boston, Nick Cafardo wrote the Yankees' "strategy of bringing older, established players off the bench worked to a great degree." The problem the Yankees have "is that they don’t have young positional players ready to take over just yet" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/21).
INDESTRUCTIBLE? In N.Y., Bob Raissman wrote the Tigers' sweep of the Yankees "put a major dent in the once-impenetrable Yankees brand." Raissman: "Whether Brian Cashman, on the baseball side, or Randy Levine, on the business side, can repair the damage is a story with many possible endings." The Yankees’ TV ratings on the YES Network "are a better indicator of fan dissatisfaction." The team "averaged a 3.92 rating, down 8.3% from 2011 and YES’ lowest Yankees household rating since 2003." The nine-year low "came during a season in which the Yankees battled Baltimore down to the wire to win the AL East, which should have driven the ratings to an all-time high" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/21). Also in N.Y., Joel Sherman writes the stands at Yankee Stadium "were quiet -- and pretty empty -- at the outset of home playoff games and hardly sustained much life even during rallies." The "high pricing has led to an older, more restrained clientele closest to the field: A Dockers-and-loafers crew that isn’t likely to unsettle the opponent." Solving the "Stub Hub matter or lowering prices isn’t going to solve this." Sherman: "As counterintuitive as it sounds, the Yankees probably have to miss the playoffs for a few years to make this experience feel fresh for their fans again" (N.Y. POST, 10/22).
MONEY FOR NOTHING: In DC, Thomas Boswell wrote, "In 2012 money bought you next to nothing. Is it a one-year fluke? Whatever it is, it’s shocking." In '12, the "15 highest payroll teams ($124 million average) won 81.4 games on average." The 15 "lowest budget teams ($72 million average) won 80.6 games" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/19).
The Trail Blazers yesterday introduced their '12-13 marketing campaign, "New Team, New Dream," which focuses "on the team's overhauled personnel including of players, coach and general manager," according to Allan Brettman of the Portland OREGONIAN. The "digital-rich campaign features long-form video interviews of Blazers players available" on the team's website. The team will be "spending much of its advertising money on the web and less on traditional platforms such as TV, radio, print and billboards over the course of the season." The regular season "will get underway with a data-heavy mobile application that will give iPhone-wielding Blazers fans updates throughout games." Portland-based Limbo Films "produced the player interviews." Sockeye Creative of Portland "worked on the overall marketing plan," and Portland-based Character marketing agency "assisted." Desja Logic of Portland, "a Blazers partner since 2006, is developing the team's free app using technologies" from S.F.-based Xamarin. It will initially be available only "on Apple iPhones, with later plans for Android." No date "has been set for the app's release, though it is expected in the following weeks." Meanwhile, Blazers COO Sarah Mensah said that season-ticket renewals are "just 2 to 3 percentage points lower than last season at this point." Mensah said that it is possible "the team's streak of consecutive sellouts will come to an end." That regular season and playoff games streak "now stands at 192 games -- though, admittedly, plenty of games were termed 'sellouts' while many empty seats were visible in the arena" (Portland OREGONIAN, 10/20).
START SPREADING THE NEWS: SportsNet N.Y.'s Brian Custer noted the Knicks "have released a new TV and radio ad campaign and they're taking swipes at the Nets." In the spots, Knicks Fs Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire "both talk about how the Garden is the real home for New York basketball and how the Knicks are the only team with New York history." SportsNet N.Y.'s Marc Malusis said the Knicks "should be worried about the Nets" because it is "not like the Knicks have lit this city on fire, winning NBA title after NBA title." The Nets are "coming to town, they have a good team and they're battling for the basketball fan of this city. They should feel threatened." SportsNet N.Y.'s Eamon McAnaney said, "If you're selling tickets and you're looking at the bottom line, yes you should be concerned. But the Knicks are still the Knicks. This isn't going to happen overnight where the Nets are going to take over the town because I still think that the Knicks are a better team. Yes, it'll hurt TV ratings and merchandise sales but I still think that the Knicks are the team in this town, this area" ("The Wheelhouse," SportsNet N.Y., 10/17).
In Detroit, Bob Wojnowski wrote a World Series title has become Tigers Owner Mike Ilitch's “last grail, and after nearly achieving it in 2006, when the Tigers lost to the Cardinals, the quest has grown more urgent.” Wojnowski: “Nobody has invested more in the Tigers, in every way.” Ilitch went “all in to land [1B] Prince Fielder with a $214 million contract,” and he signed P Justin Verlander and 3B Miguel Cabrera “for huge sums and long terms.” Half the Tigers “tremendous starting rotation” is still on the team because Ilitch “wasn't interested in waiting for prospects.” Tigers President, CEO & GM Dave Dombrowski said, "He's told me all along, if there's one thing he'd really love to have, it would be that World Series ring" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/21).
PARADE OF THE PALACE: Palace Sports & Entertainment President & CEO Dennis Mannion and Exec VP and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Charlie Metzger said that Pistons Owner Tom Gores is “investing more than $25 million over three years on capital improvements, ranging from a clean blue-and-silver color scheme to renovation of 40 corporate suites” at the Palace of Auburn Hills. In Detroit, Tom Walsh noted advertising around the building “will be cleaner, less busy.” Mannion said that the “head count of 255 full-time employees at the Palace is unchanged since his arrival 13 months ago.” The revenue-producing sales and marketing and staffs “have been beefed up, while administration and operations were shrunk.” Advance ticket sales are “running ahead of last year.” But Metzger said that it is an “apples-to-oranges comparison because of the delayed start of the 2011-12 NBA season because of a labor lockout” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/21).
WELCOME ABOARD: Baseball writer Murray Chass noted the Dodgers named Gerry Hunsicker Senior Adviser/Baseball Operations and the team is “unlikely to make a more significant off-season move.” Hunsicker at this point “could probably have any general manager’s job that was available,” but he "chose not to jump back into the pressure-cooker world of general managers.” Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten said, “He’s here to give us his expertise. I thought with his experience he will be very helpful to us.” The Dodgers “especially want Hunsicker to enhance the discovery and development of players in Latin countries, an assignment in which he flourished with the Astros and the Rays” (MURRAYCHASS.com, 10/21). | <urn:uuid:176cf471-0566-433c-bee5-8f8058ab3f82> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2012/10/22/Franchises.aspx | 2013-05-24T15:36:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368704713110/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516114513-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953928 | 3,846 |
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Posted Jan. 31, 2013 9:03 a.m. by michael
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
A few weeks ago I reviewed Mike Rohde's The Sketchnote Handbook. This week Tuesday, as Jon and I were sitting inside Greenville's Peace Center, eagerly anticipating the start of Brains on Fire's 2013 F.I.R.E. Sessions, I picked up the blank Moleskine sketchbook (compliments of the Brains on Fire folks) that sat on the table in front of me and said to Jon, "I think I'm going to sketchnote this."
What followed was an amazing day full of insights. From the author Jackie Huba we got a sneek peek into the world of Monster Loyalty. Then Brains on Fire's own Geno Church delivered a compelling talk on creating authentic community interaction. Then we walked down Greenville's sunny Main Street to a delicious shrimp and grits lunch at Devereaux's. We returned for the afternoon session, kicked off by author Jonah Berger's presentation on how things become contagious. Closing the day was Love146's Rob Morris, a living, breathing definition of the word 'passionate'. The common thread throughout F.I.R.E. Sessions was one thing: people. This event served as a clear underscoring of what Brains on Fire is all about, and we were honored to be there to share in the conversation. My personal take-away is this: put people at the center of your business, always.
For an even more in-depth re-cap of the event, check out John Moore's blog post. To all of you at Brains on Fire: thank you!
Check out my sketchnotes from the two morning sessions below, but please withhold your criticisms—I will confess I'm an amateur. Be sure to keep an eye on the Brains on Fire folks in 2013. Since we're book people and you probably are too, I'll simply say that there is a new book on the way and it's going to be good. If you can't wait for the new one, make sure you've taken some time with the original Brains on Fire.
Posted April 8, 2011 6:50 a.m. by dylan
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
➻ Emma Jacobs wrote about Exposés of life on the breadline in The Financial Times this week. The article looks at "a subgenre of books in which writers document their experience of low-paid employment," the most recent of which is Caitlin Kelly's Malled: My Unintentional Career in Retail, being released next week by Portfolio. The article raises the following question:
Are writers right to put themselves at the heart of the story? Or should they stick to what they know—and interview those who are actually living the life?
Jacobs gets compelling answers from a few authors, including Kelly, but my favorite response is from Alain de Botton about his terrific book, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work:
“To have become an undercover reporter in 10 industries would have taken maybe 10 years,” he says. While he concedes that experience and research are important, “I’d wager that actually doing the job is arguably not an indispensable part of writing about work”. Just, he points out, “as committing a murder is not an indispensable part of writing a good crime thriller.”
Regardless of how you feel about the question, it is a genre that is filled with excellent writing. Other than the two books listed above, there is:
- Working: People Talk about What They Do All Day and How They Feel about What They Do by Studs Terkel
- What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question by Po Bronson
- Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
- A Working Stiff's Manifesto: A Memoir of Thirty Jobs I Quit, Nine That Fired Me, and Three I Can't Remember by Iain Levison
- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
- Don't Quit Your Day Job: Acclaimed Authors and the Day Jobs They Quit edited by Sonny Brewer
And the list goes on and on. I'm sure you can think of a few to add. (Hat tip to Tiffany Liao at Portfolio Javelin.)
➻ The folks over at Brains On Fire, the wonderful "identity" company that gave us the great book of the same name, brought to our attention an example of how those who work in what we would usually consider workaday jobs can do truly remarkable things to inspire love for the companies that employ them. In this case it is Todd, whose truck full of soda is really Just a Love Machine.
Day in and day out he stops at various locations around the city, quietly letting himself in and out of office buildings, schools, churches, malls and lobbies. After refilling theemptied racks inside glowing red machines, Todd returns to his truck and heads down the road to the next destination on his list.
Sounds kind of unremarkable, doesn’t it?
Here is what you may not know: Todd is a silent super hero. A secret agent of surprise and smiles. A wielder of happiness. Todd comes and goes—usually without being noticed—but what he leaves behind is felt and shared by many.
That might sound ridiculous. I don't even like Coca-Cola so it certainly did to me, but just watch the video below.
Head over to Amy Taylor's original post to view another, possibly even more remarkable video and read the rest of the story.
➻ And, speaking of superheroes, you may want to check out Round Table Companies new partnership with Smarter Comics. Why? Well, because as Susan Adams reported in Forbes last month, Now You Can Read Business Books as Comics.
For those of you just too busy to slog through Larry Winget’s 229-page business bestseller, Shut Up, Stop Whining & Get a Life, here’s an easier way: Starting mid-April you can pick up the 51-page comic book version. It’s one of four business titles coming out in graphic novel form, the brainstorm of Corey Michael Blake, who runs a tiny Chicago book-packaging and marketing outfit called Round Table Companies. “We’re taking the PowerPoint version of these books and illustrating them out,” explains Blake, 36.
And not only is their treatments of the books interesting, so is their publishing model. All of the authors involved agreed to give them the rights to do this for $100 each in exchange for 20% of what they bring in. For a full list of titles, head on over to the Round Table Companies website.
➻ Tom Greco, author of The End of Money and Future of Civilization, wrote about another interesting business model on the Chelsea Green blog this week. In the post, he explores mutual credit clearing, which he believes allows small and medium sized businesses to Stop Chasing the Buck and Change [Their] Luck.
Most small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) these days are having a hard time financially–sales are down, costs are up, and bank credit is unavailable, all of which is symptomatic of the stagflation that besets the American economy.
Our present predicament is no accident of nature, nor is it a temporary condition; it is the expected result of a flawed system of money, banking and finance. We have allowed the banks to control our credit and charge us interest for the “privilege” of accessing some of it as bank “loans.” [...]
But we need not be victims of a system that is so obviously failing us. We can learn to play a different game. It is possible to organize an entirely new structure of money, banking, and finance, one that is interest-free, decentralized, and controlled, not by banks or central governments, but by businesses and individuals that associate and organize themselves into cashless trading networks. This is a way to reclaim “the credit commons” from monopoly control and create healthy community economies that can enhance the quality of life for all.
The article discusses WIR Bank of Switzerland, running since 1934, and the newly developed Green America Exchange. Greco believes that "Like Facebook, Twitter, My Space and other networks that are purely social, cashless trading networks will eventually grow exponentially—and that will mark a revolutionary shift in political as well as economic empowerment." If you're interested in learning more, head over Greco's original post on the Chelsea Green Blog.
➻ And finally, because I haven't linked to anything baseball related since the season began, I'd like to point you to An Interview With UZR done by Joe Posnanksi. Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR), if you're unfamiliar with it, is a defensive metric. Here is what she had to say about why she is better at judging defense that the human eye:
UZR: I’m saying that the human mind is better for writing poetry. The closest thing I’ve ever come to poetry is this: “Hat … Pat … Sat.” I’m still thinking a name for it. The human mind is better for literature, for music, for art, for comedy. The human mind is better in billions of different ways that I could never conceive. The human mind is especially better at narrative.
But by being better at narrative, the human mind can and will shift things to make them fit. The human mind will find trends in randomness, and stories in fog, and that’s one of the beautiful parts. I can count better than you can. I don’t mean that in a bragging way. I just can. I can count better, and I can ignore unnecessary data better, and I cannot be influenced by beauty or awkwardness. If you have one day to determine if a guy can play defense, or a week, or a month, you are better off to use your eyes because I need more than three days. If we have five years of data, I’m pretty sure I’ll beat your analysis every time.
She also gets in a rather funny dig at Runs Batted In (RBI).
➻ I asked her at the Pabst Theater.
Posted Oct. 8, 2010 10:47 a.m. by dylan
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
➻ One of the finest books of the year was released this week, Steven Johnson's Where Good Idea Come From. The author has rounded up some of The First Reviews over on his blog. We will have our own review for you this coming Thursday.
➻ Spike Jones, one of the coauthors of the brilliant Brains On Fire, has had two very interesting posts recently that may prompt you to rethink how much time you're putting into online efforts. The first is about Why you care about Twitter too much, and features beautiful infographics from Information is Beautiful. Spike sums it up:
Over 70% of users (which, let me remind you, is still a very small sliver of the population) aren’t active users. And, on average, only 8% of content on Twitter is considered “good.” (And yes, I know that’s subjective.)
My point? That Twitter is a drop in the bucket of word-of-mouth. That you don’t need a Twitter strategy first. You need a STRATEGY first.
The second post pulls it back even further, noting that 93% of Word-of-Mouth happens offline. That is, entirely offline.
➻ strategy + business magazine interviewed Raghunath Mashelkar about A Gandhian Approach to R&D. As Mashelkar explains:
It’s a term I coined for getting more from less for more people, a new way of expressing one of Gandhi’s teachings: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.” In other words, Gandhian engineering is inclusive innovation: developing products and services that improve life for everyone, innovation that doesn’t leave out the poor.
Check out the interview for real-world examples of this philosophy in practice and the breakthroughs on the horizon.
When Tennessee Ernie Ford gave the full weight of his bass-baritone to "Sixteen Tons" and boomed that he owed his soul to the company store, the phrase evoked images of stooped miners living in tar-paper shacks under what Hardy Green calls the "super-exploitative conditions of life in a coal-mining company town." But Mr. Green shows, in "The Company Town," that such communities have also been social experiments, alternative forms of capitalist enterprise that encompassed everything from prophet-blaring to profit-sharing.
He continues later in the review:
... Mr. Green's survey is a useful one, though the early utopian ventures he profiles are far more interesting than his pallid examples from the postwar era. Classic company towns could not withstand automobiles and suburbanization. No one owes his soul to an industrial park or a corporate campus.
➻ If you're looking for a way to spruce up that next job application, why not take a lesson from Hunter S. Thompson's brutally honest Canadian job request. Applying to the Vancouer Sun in 1958, he wrote to then editor Jack Scott:
By the time you get this letter, I'll have gotten hold of some of the recent issues of The Sun. Unless it looks totally worthless, I'll let my offer stand. And don't think that my arrogance is unintentional: it's just that I'd rather offend you now than after I started working for you.
I didn't make myself clear to the last man I worked for until after I took the job. It was as if the Marquis de Sade had suddenly found himself working for Billy Graham. The man despised me, of course, and I had nothing but contempt for him and everything he stood for. If you asked him, he'd tell you that I'm "not very likable, (that I) hate people, (that I) just want to be left alone, and (that I) feel too superior to mingle with the average person." (That's a direct quote from a memo he sent to the publisher.)
Nothing beats having good references.
Tip of the hat to Boing Boing for the story.
➻ Tattered Cover posted a video about literary tattoos from the authors of The Word Made Flesh. I wonder if the trend will ever become popular among business book readers. I long to see folks walking around with Peter Drucker quotes on their necks
Posted Sept. 3, 2010 11:10 a.m. by dylan
In - 800 CEO Read Blog
➻ Chris Guillabeau's The Art of Non-Conformity will be released on Tuesday—a book I hope everyone reading this blog will pick up. On his blog yesterday, he briefly discussed Seth Godin's departure from traditional publishing before laying out the Strategy, Tactics, and the Plan for the Next 97 Days he has devised for entering the publishing arena that Seth is leaving. And his plan is the only plan that has ever succeeded: think big; work hard. Responding to the notion that “The only authors who sell books anymore are those who have popular blogs,” he writes:
Where does a popular blog come from—does the blog fairy descend from the sky with a passionate group of readers, all eager to support a new writer?
It's a valid question, and we are glad this dedicated, unconventional (indeed, dedicatedly unconventional) individual has taken a step into traditional publishing, and we wish him the best on his Unconventional Book Tour.
If you'd like to learn more before picking up a copy of his book for yourself, you can read the interview Callie Oettinger did with him over at Steven Pressfield Online, or dig into some of his online offerings.
@ssiewert: How can young pros/Gen Y apply their years of personal experience online to achieve business objectives?
@unmarketing: You have the advantage, since you’re already online. Be yourself, have an opinion but also be humble. You don’t know everything yet.
➻ The Bullish on Books blog had a great guest post from our dear friend Erika Andersen today, entitled You’ve Been Laid Off – Now What? She used the space to discuss how, once you declare an intention, or "put up your sail to catch the wind you’re looking for—it makes you available to other winds, as well." And Erika knows. She is one of the best advisers in country and the author of two outstanding books, Growing Great Employees and Being Strategic, the latter of which was recently made into a PBS special (Check your local PBS listings for the airtime, or purchase the DVD at shopPBS.org).
Many would-be innovators deal with the trade-off between efficiency and innovation by rejecting traditional management entirely. They repeat mantras about “breaking all the rules” and “asking for forgiveness rather than permission”. They set up skunk works (small, autonomous units with a remit to innovate) and mock the boring corporate types who write their pay-cheques. But again this is counter-productive. Mocking the corporate establishment only encourages it to starve you of resources.
They also touch on Warren Bennis's Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership briefly, and thought it looks like a great book, I think they did so only to have an excuse to introduce the topic of innovation by writing "Today there is no hotter topic in management theory than 'sperm in the air.'"
➻ Mitch Joel, author of Six Pixels of Separation, writes a twice-monthly column for the Montreal Gazette and Vancouver Sun. His most recent post discussed the 10 Best Books For Back To School Business Reading, and his list is very solid:
- Brains on Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable, Word of Mouth Movements by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church and Spike Jones, John Wiley & Sons
- Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder, Yves Pigneur & Tim Clark, John Wiley & Sons
- Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter by Tom Bissell, Pantheon
- The Future Arrived Yesterday: The Rise of the Protean Corporation and What it Means for You by Michael Malone, Crown Business
- Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World by Don Tapscott & Anthony D. Williams, Portfolio
- Marketing Lessons From the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From the Most Iconic Band in History by David Meerman Scott & Brian Halligan, John Wiley & Sons
- MicroMarketing: Get Big Results by Thinking and Acting Small by Greg Verdino, McGraw-Hill
- Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead by Charlene Li, Jossey-Bass
- The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself by John Jantsch, Portfolio
- The Upside of Irrationality: The Unexpected Benefits of Defying Logic at Work and at Home by Dan Ariely, HarperCollins
I personally think that if you have read all of these books, just go ahead and forgo going back to school and get on out there and start conquering the world.
➻ "In addition to being a bullfighter and magician, he's a lazy river, a slow moving train, a future hall-of-famer playing through the pain, he's a grizzly bear." And his son is a book reviewer.
Jack Covert Selects - Brains on Fire
Posted Aug. 12, 2010 10:45 a.m. by dylan
Brains on Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable, Word of Mouth Movements by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church & Spike Jones, Wiley, 224 pages, $24.95, Hardcover, August 2010, ISBN 9780470614181
“Brains on Fire is not really a business book. It’s a love story …”
Those are the opening lines to an incredible collection of stories and insights that is, in fact, both business book and love story. Brains on Fire is also the name of a great company of people in Greenville, South Carolina from which the stories and insights originate. But, more than all that, it is what happens when you ignite movements that stir passion in people.
The online marketing environment is changing so rapidly that it can feel as if you’re tumbling down the rapids, sometimes above water and sometimes not, but never seeing very clearly what’s ahead. The authors know what’s happening to those conversations online, and have tips on how to join them, but they have a deeper knowledge of the fact that, eventually, that river empties into the ocean.
The authors know that what’s truly powerful in business (indeed, in society as a whole) is the creation of movements. And they know that “90 percent of word-of-mouth interactions happen off-line. Yes, you read that right. Nine. Zero. Percent. The good folks at the Keller Fay Group have done the homework, and it’s no joke.” They continue:
Look, social media is great. The Internet allows ideas to travel at the speed of light, and it connects us to both information and other like-minded people. But as great as all the Twitters and Facebooks and MySpaces and blogs and message boards and digital doodads are, they will never, ever replace the power of shaking someone’s hand, looking them in the eye, getting kindred spirits in the room (or better yet, at your brand’s Mecca), and laughing together, getting a drink, sitting at the dinner table—whatever.
The book clearly defines the distinction between campaigns and movements. And while making no call for the death of the campaign, the authors reveal how to ignite sustainable movements that build on and spread the passion that people already have for your idea, product or company. Those people are out there; you just have to get out and find them. Because “All it takes is one person to start a movement. … One. Passionate. Person.” | <urn:uuid:f44da9c6-055b-4fd2-827a-65069634061c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://800ceoread.com/book/blog/9780470614181-Brains_on_Fire | 2013-06-19T06:01:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950068 | 4,792 |
- Our Story
- In Memory
CAF's Dr. Tanzi on the latest on Alzheimer's Disease Genes
The Four Known Alzheimer’s Genes
Over the past several decades, it has become increasingly clear that inheritance plays a major role in Alzheimer’s disease. The roughly 25,000 genes in the human genome are comprised of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) packaged into 24 different chromosomes, 1-22, X and Y. A gene’s job is to either make proteins or control the activity of other genes. Over many generations, the DNA of a gene can mutate to create a “variant”. A very rare DNA variant is called a “mutation”, while a variant that is common in the population is called a “polymorphism”. DNA variants allow for all of us to be a little different from each other. There are about 3 million variants that differ between any two individuals. Variants in certain genes can directly cause a disease like Alzheimer’s, can increase susceptibility to disease, or can even confer protection against disease. One’s risk for most age-related diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s is strongly influenced by our genes. For all of these age-related diseases, we know of mutations that guarantee onset of these diseases with no need for input from any other genes or environmental factors. And, we know of polymorphisms that can increase (or decrease) one’s susceptibility to the disease, but without guaranteeing onset of the disease. In this latter case, other genes and environmental factors usually conspire together to determine when and whether one will get disease. Any gene which can contain a variant(s) that significantly influence one’s susceptibility to Alzheimer’s, whether it be to guarantee the disease or serve to increase (or decrease) risk, is called an “Alzheimer’s gene”. It is important to remember that all genes are “good”; it is only the variants in the DNA of these genes that can influence one’s lifetime risk for a disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease.
In the 1980’s and 90’s, my laboratory co-discovered the three known genes that can carry mutations causing early-onset (<60 yrs) familial Alzheimer’s disease. These three genes, known as APP, PSEN1 and PSEN2, can harbor any of over 200 different gene mutations that guarantee onset of Alzheimer’s at a relatively early age with no need for additional input from other genes or environmental factors. These mutations are rare, accounting for only 1-2% of Alzheimer’s cases. Inheritance of one of these mutations from just one parent virtually guarantees onset of Alzheimer’s, usually by 60 years old. If a parent carries such a mutation, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting the same mutation and getting early-onset Alzheimer’s disease with virtual certainty before 60 years old. Genetic testing is available for the early-onset Alzheimer’s gene mutations, but is usually reserved for those who have a family history of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
The fourth known Alzheimer’s gene is APOE. In the early 1990’s, investigators at Duke University found that a common gene variant (polymorphism) of APOE, called epsilon 4, can increase risk for late-onset (>60 yrs) Alzheimer’s disease. This variant is present in about 20% of the general population but this increases to >50% in Alzheimer’s patients. Unlike the early-onset AD gene mutations, this variant does not guarantee Alzheimer’s, but only serves to increase risk. Inheriting one copy of the variant (from one parent) increases risk by 4-fold (versus the general population) and two copies (from both parents), >10-fold. Importantly, a person can inherit the APOE epsilon 4 gene variant from one or both parents and never get Alzheimer’s in the span of a normal lifetime.
With regard to genetic testing for the common late-onset form of Alzheimer’s, we are not yet able to do so reliably. This is because the APOE epsilon 4 gene variant is not sufficient on it’s own to predict one’s risk for Alzheimer’s reliably. Other genes and environmental factors need to combine with the APOE epsilon 4 gene variant to cause Alzheimer’s. Some gene variants can exacerbate while others mitigate the risk for Alzheimer’s conferred by the APOE epsilon 4 gene variant. And, we do not yet know the full set of gene variants that can increase or decrease risk for Alzheimer’s when inherited together with the APOE epsilon 4 gene variant. Thus, APOE gene testing is not recommended as a sole means for predicting Alzheimer’s risk. The other late-onset Alzheimer’s genes must first be identified in order to reliably test for risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
So how many other Alzheimer’s genes are there? We know that the four known Alzheimer’s genes, APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, and APOE account for roughly 30% of the inheritance of Alzheimer’s. Thus, 70% of the genetics of Alzheimer’s remains undefined. We as well as others have been engaged in comprehensive projects to find the other Alzheimer’s genes. Once we have all of the Alzheimer’s genes in hand, we will be able to more reliably predict one’s lifetime risk for the common late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease. However, one might ask, “Why bother to test if there is nothing we can currently do to prevent, stop, or reverse it?” This is certainly a fair question since we still do not have drugs that stop the disease process in Alzheimer’s. We only have drugs like Aricept and Namenda that modestly and temporarily alleviate the symptoms of cognitive decline, but without affecting the progress of the disease.
We need to do better more effective therapies for Alzheimer’s, but how do we get there? First we need to identify all of the genes and variants involved in influencing risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Studies of the known Alzheimer’s disease genes (the four previously mentioned) have provided the vast majority of information being used to guide novel drug discovery aimed at preventing, stopping and maybe even reversing Alzheimer’s disease. Every new Alzheimer’s gene defect we find provides new clues regarding the cause of the disease what we need to do to stop the disease. Thus far, all four genes have pointed to a small protein called “Abeta” as the cause. Abeta is normally made in the brain, but is found in excessive amounts in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, e.g. in senile plaques that litter the Alzheimer’s brain around nerve cells. Small clumps of Abeta can gum up the connections between nerve cells known as synapses. Billions of nerve cells in the brain form trillions of synapses making up our neural network. The neural network, in all its complexity, is needed for all brain function, including memory and learning. Excessive Abeta disrupts synaptic communication between nerve cells leading to loss of memory and learning and eventually dementia. Dementia is defined as global and catastrophic cognitive failure; Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly.
Beyond the Original Four Alzheimer’s Genes
Most drug discovery for Alzheimer’s today is based on studies of the four original Alzheimer’s genes. But, we know that there are many more Alzheimer’s genes yet to be identified. Since 2005, the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund has supported a project called the Alzheimer’s Genome Project (AGP), carried out in my laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. The goal of this project is to study 5000 families with multiple members who are affected with the common late-onset form of Alzheimer’s disease in an effort to identify all of the other Alzheimer’s genes. In addition to the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP a consortium of dozens of research institutions in Europe and the U.S., in which we are members), uses tens of thousands of individual Alzheimer’s cases from the general population in the U.S. and Europe, to find common DNA variants that influence risk for Alzheimer’s. The family-based method of our Alzheimer’s Genome Project and the population-based method of IGAP have identified some of the same Alzheimer’s genes, but also find different ones with different effects on risk.
In the family-based studies of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, we are able to find not only common DNA variants that influence one’s risk for Alzheimer’s, but also rare mutations that profoundly affect risk or for the disease or directly cause it. The Alzheimer’s Genome Project places a high priority on finding these rare but very potent gene mutations because historically, amongst the four known Alzheimer’s genes, it has been the rare early-onset familial Alzheimer’s gene mutations that have been most effectively guiding drug discovery efforts. This is mainly because hard-hitting mutations have clear-cut adverse effects on biological systems, which can be elegantly recapitulated in animal models. This then allows for more effective drug discovery and development.
Along these lines, one of the first new Alzheimer’s genes to be identified in the Alzheimer’s Genome Project was ADAM10. This gene was specifically chosen for testing as a potential Alzheimer’s gene because like the four original Alzheimer’s genes, it affects the production of Abeta in the brain. We identified two rare mutations in this gene that strongly predispose carriers to Alzheimer’s disease at around 70 years old. These two mutations were found in only 7 (of 1000 AD families tested). Thus, they are very rare. We have recently demonstrated these two mutations dramatically impair the activity of ADAM10. ADAM10 normally blocks the production of Abeta. Accordingly, we have found that these two rare mutations greatly enhance Alzheimer’s amyloid pathology in animal-based models of the disease. With the validation of these mutations to be “pathogenic”, or disease causing, the Alzheimer’s Genome Project considers ADAM10 to be the fifth Alzheimer’s gene. We published the original findings showing ADAM10 to carry rare mutations causing Alzheimer’s disease in 2008 in the prestigious scientific journal, Human Molecular Genetics. The publication of the validation data from transgenic mouse models is planned for the coming year in 2011.
Also beginning in 2005, with Cure Alzheimer’s Fund support, as part of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, we carried out the first family-based “genome-wide association study” for new Alzheimer’s genes. This entailed a screen of the entire human genome in patients and their relatives in thousands of Alzheimer’s families. The first phase of this study was completed in 2008 and led to the identification of over 100 new Alzheimer’s candidate genes. We reported the top four Alzheimer’s candidate genes from this study in 2008; it was named by TIME/CNN to be one of the Ten Top Medical Research Breakthroughs of 2008.
The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Alzheimer’s Genome Project was the first large-scale study of the human genome performed in the world on the world’s largest collection of families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. It was also the first genome-wide study for Alzheimer’s in the world to discover novel Alzheimer’s gene candidates with statistically significant results and confirmation in thousands of subject from families with a high incidence of Alzheimer’s disease. The four new Alzheimer’s genes reported by the Alzheimer’s Genome Project in 2008 in the American Journal of Human Genetics included: ATXN1, CD33, GWA14Q34, and DLGAP1. ATXN1 is known to carry mutations that cause another neurodegenerative disease called spinal cerebellar ataxia, a movement disorder. We found that when this gene is inactive, Abeta levels increase dramatically leading to cognitive decline in mouse models. Another gene, CD33, is perhaps the most interesting since it controls the brain’s innate immune system and inflammation in the brain. In a related study funded by the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, Abeta was found to play a role in the brain’s innate immunity system. CD33 regulates the brain’s immune system and concurrently, levels of Abeta. We are now developing CD33 as a drug target for Alzheimer’s based on the genetic findings of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project. It should be emphasized that without the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund Alzheimer’s Genome Project we would probably have never guessed that genes like ATXN1 and CD33 might be involved with Alzheimer’s.
As part of the current activities of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, we are now testing these as well as over one hundred other new Alzheimer’s candidate genes, coming out of our genome screen, to identify all of the DNA variants and mutations that influence risk for Alzheimer’s in the five thousand Alzheimer’s families under study in the Alzheimer’s Genome Project. We are specifically searching for DNA mutations and variants in these genes that very strongly affect risk for onset of Alzheimer’s. As new defects are found in these genes, we will not only increase our ability to reliably predict risk for Alzheimer’s, but more importantly, garner new clues regarding the causes of Alzheimer’s, and in doing so, gather new ideas and biological targets for novel drug discovery aimed at preventing, stopping and reversing Alzheimer’s disease.
In the parallel screen for new Alzheimer’s genes conducted by the IGAP, the DNA from tens of thousands of individual Alzheimer’s patients was compared to the DNA of elderly subjects without Alzheimer’s to find common variants that influence risk for Alzheimer’s. In 2009, this led to the identification of four new Alzheimer’s gene candidates called PICALM, CLU, CR1, and BIN1. More recently in April 2011, IGAP found four more Alzheimer’s genes called CD2AP, MS4A, EPHA1, and ABCA7. In addition, they found Alzheimer’s risk to be influenced by the gene CD33, which was first reported by our Alzheimer’s Genome Project in 2008.
It should be noted for the sake of clarity that the IGAP had stated in their reports and press releases that they had increased the number of known late-onset genes from “five to ten”. However, these numbers only pertained to studies of individual Alzheimer’s patients in the general population screened in IGAP, and not the family-based Alzheimer’s genes reported by the Alzheimer’s Genome Project. The IGAP considered the original five late-onset Alzheimer’s genes to be APOE (discovered as mentioned earlier at Duke U. in the early 1990’s), PICALM, CLU, CR1, and BIN1. They then considered the next five to be CD2AP, MS4A, EPHA1, ABCA7, and CD33. However, as mentioned above, CD33 had been already identified earlier in our Alzheimer’s Genome Project in 2008, which was reported in the major scientific journal, The American Journal of Human Genetics. In the IGAP announcement, they also overlooked the other three late onset genes, which had been discovered three years earlier in our Alzheimer’s Genome Project. So, in fact, with the 8 new genes reported by IGAP and the 5 new genes reported by the AGP, there have been 13 new late onset Alzheimer’s genes discovered in the last 5 years, which, when added to the discovery of APOE yields 14 total late onset genes now reported in the scientific literature. To that total would be added the 3 early onset genes co-discovered by Dr. Tanzi and colleagues to reach a total of Alzheimer’s genes discovered of 17. In addition, Dr. Tanzi and AGP have also identified over 100 unpublished Alzheimer’s candidate genes that are currently being confirmed and validated for publication over the coming year.
With regard to effects on risk, all of the new Alzheimer’s gene candidates reported by the IGAP carry common DNA variants that confer only tiny effects on risk. Specifically, according to IGAP, the new genes contain common DNA variants that are present in a large proportion (30-70%) of the general population, but only increase or decrease risk for a given individual by a mere 10-20%. In contrast, the epsilon 4 variant in APOE, which is present in 20% of the population, increases risk by 400 – 1200 %! And the ADAM gene just discovered by the AGP increases risk for the individuals who have it by about 500%
With regard to the CD33 gene, which was identified as an Alzheimer’s gene in both our Alzheimer’s Genome Project in 2008 and the IGAP in 2011, each project actually discovered different Alzheimer’s-associated DNA variants in this gene. In our family-based Alzheimer’s gene study, we originally reported a relatively uncommon variant in CD33 that increases risk for Alzheimer’s in a subset (<100) of the 5000 Alzheimer’s families we studied. In contrast, the IGAP discovered a very common variant in CD33, present in about 50% of the population that conferred only marginal protection against Alzheimer’s (decreasing risk by only 11%). The fact that we now know of two different Alzheimer’s-associated DNA variants in the CD33 gene from multiple Alzheimer’s samples increases the odds that CD33, is a bona fide Alzheimer’s gene.
As with all of the new genes found in the genome-wide association screens of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project and IGAP, the next critical step is to identify all of the DNA variants and mutations in these genes that increase or decrease risk for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund continues to support these efforts. We are currently screening over a 100 new Alzheimer’s candidate genes found in the Alzheimer’s Genome Project along with those found in the IGAP, to identify the all of DNA variants and mutations in these genes that influence risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Elucidating the full deck of Alzheimer’s-associated gene variants and mutations and understanding the interrelationships among them is is necessary to fully understand all of the biological processes that are affected in Alzheimer’s disease. This will give us the best odds of reliably predicting the disease early in life (with appropriate counseling and legal protection). But, most importantly, the full set of Alzheimer’s genes and the knowledge of how they biologically influence risk for disease will continue to provide the most critical information needed to guide the development of new and effective therapies aimed at preventing, stopping or reversing Alzheimer’s disease.
Finally, it should be noted that whether a DNA mutation in an Alzheimer’s gene is rare and restricted to a small subset of families or more broadly observed in the general population, most believe that new drugs or therapies for Alzheimer’s based on what is learned from that mutation will be useful in preventing and treating all cases of Alzheimer’s. As noted above, in the Alzheimer’s Genome Project, we place a high priority on family-based gene studies of Alzheimer’s since there we have the highest odds of finding DNA mutations with very strong effects on risk for Alzheimer’s, akin to those of the early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease gene mutations discussed above. These mutations are most useful for driving successful drug discovery since their biological effects on the disease process are of much greater impact and more clear-cut in terms of mechanism by which they cause disease. They also lend themselves to more useful animal models for drug testing. Ultimately, the full list of Alzheimer’s genes emerging from the family-based genetic studies of the Alzheimer’s Genome Project and the population-based studies of IGAP getting us closer and closer to someday being able to eradicate Alzheimer’s disease using a strategy of early prediction and early intervention.
Alzheimer’s Genes Identified To Date (Total of 17):
Early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease genes (onset < age 60):
Late onset genes (onset > age 60):
ADAM 10 (2008)**
* Co-discovered in Tanzi laboratory
** Discovered by the Cure Alzheimer’ Fund Alzheimer’s Genome Project in Alzheimer’s families-these genes are expected to contain DNA variants that significantly increase risk for Alzheimer’s.
*** Discovered by the IGAP-these genes are expected to contain DNA variants that are common in the general population but which have only tiny effects on risk for Alzheimer’s.
N.B. The Alzheimer’s Genome Project has also discovered over 100 additional Alzheimer’s candidate genes that are in the process of being confirmed and validated. In addition, the Cure Alzheimer’ Fund supports a website called AlzGene Http://alzgene.org, in which we are tracking all of the Alzheimer’s candidate genes reported in the scientific literature, including their ongoing testing for confirmation as bona fide Alzheimer’s disease genes.
With regard to functional effects, the above list of 17 Alzheimer’s genes can be divided into four major categories based on their known or predicted biological effects on Alzheimer’s risk:
1. The production and clearance of Abeta, the major protein in beta-amyloid deposits in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients (APP, PSEN1, PSEN2, APOE, ADAM10, ATXN1, CD33, CLU)
2. Cholesterol metabolism (APOE, CLU, ABCA7)
3. The innate immune system and inflammation (APOE, CD33, CLU, CR1)
4. Cell signaling and protein trafficking (PICALM, BIN1, EPHA1, CD2AP) | <urn:uuid:7b22e49d-8df6-49fe-95a0-2442199f13ec> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://curealz.org/2011/04/cafs-dr-tanzi-latest-alzheimers-disease-genes?page=7 | 2013-06-19T06:03:18Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918723 | 4,736 |
“Don’t you think you’re taking this a little too far?” I asked Maggie as I studied my reflection in the mirror.
She snorted. “You’re trying to use a guy for sex to get him out of your system, and you think I’m going to extremes?”
I ignored her attempt to justify the get-up in which she’d dressed me. “I mean, the ‘Get Esme Laid Mix Tape’ was one thing—that was kind of funny.”
“It was fucking hilarious, and you know it.”
“Maybe. But…” I gestured to my breasts which seemed as if they would tumble out of the borrowed bustier if I so much as sneezed. “I don’t think I can go out in public like this.”
Maggie looked at me as if I were insane. “I do it all the time.”
“I know, and that’s kind of the problem. I’m not sure I want to him to think I’m a sure thing.”
She giggled. “Except you kind of are a sure thing…”
A knock on the door prevented Maggie from elaborating.
“Shit. He’s here, and I’m not even dressed yet. Can you let him in and keep him occupied for a few minutes?”
Maggie rolled her eyes as she left my room. I closed the door behind her and turned to my closet. There had to be a better alternative then going out looking like one of the hookers on Admiral Wilson Boulevard. I went for my old standby—a black sheath dress of unknown vintage I’d bought at a thrift store on South Street. I would probably be overdressed, but after what I wore last night, it was probably just as well. Though I wasn’t sure why I cared, I didn’t want Cullen to think I had no taste whatsoever. Plus, the dress was empowering. If the plan was to fuck him out of my system, I needed a dress that made me feel like I could call the shots.
I replaced Maggie’s bustier with a black bra and listened to what was being said in the next room. The worst thing about living in such a cheap apartment was that the walls were so thin that there was no such thing as a private conversation. Tonight, it was also the best thing.
“Hello, Carlisle.” Maggie’s voice was disgustingly sweet. “Wow, you brought flowers.”
What the hell? How cliché could he get?
“Pulling out all the stops, huh?” Esme will be ready in just a few minutes. You’re welcome to have a seat while you wait for her, but unfortunately I’ll be unable to entertain you while you wait. I’m already late for a concert. See you around.”
Shit. With Maggie gone, there was no one around to help me with my zipper—well, no one except Cullen. Considering the entire point of this evening was to fuck him so I could forget him, I decided to seize the opportunity. My inner bad girl cheered as I stepped into my dress; I’d just have to ask Cullen to help me with it. I straightened my shoulders and fluffed my hair, before walking out of my room completely unzipped. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Cullen leaning against the kitchen counter in jeans and a white button-down shirt holding a bouquet of stargazer lilies. He wasn’t a med student; he was a motherfucking Gap ad.
He straightened his posture and offered me the lilies. “A somewhat unorthodox choice, I know, but I thought of you when I saw them.”
Stargazer lilies had been favorite flowers ever since I was little, largely because they were freckled like me. Cullen showing up with them had to be nothing more than a coincidence.
“May I ask why?”
“Why did I bring you flowers?”
“I know why you brought me flowers. I’m guessing it’s part of your standard operating bullshit. I meant why did you think of me when you saw these?”
Shrugging, he flashed me his trademark smile. “They’re unconventionally beautiful.”
It took every ounce of restraint I had not to laugh in his face; could his lines get any more obvious? Despite the fact I was onto his game, my mother raised me better than to be rude when presented with a gift.
“It was very thoughtful of you.” I took the flowers out of his hands and put them in a plastic pitcher filled with water, before turning back to him. “I’m ready when you are.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?”
“My shoes are by the door,” I said, assuming he was referring to my bare feet.
“Turn around, Esme.”
His voice was commandingly sexy, and though I wasn’t sure if I should trust him behind me, I did as he asked. Seconds later, I felt my dress tighten across my chest as he dragged the zipper pull slowly up my back. He stopped when he reached my bra strap, gathering my hair into his hands and laying it against my shoulder.
“Wouldn’t want it to get caught in the zipper,” he explained, his breath hot against my neck.
As he closed my dress, his hands never lingered any longer than was necessary. I wasn’t sure if I was more surprised by the fact he hadn’t tried to cop a feel or my ensuing disappointment.
When I turned to face him, I expected him to look smug that he’d managed to make me forget my dress was unzipped. Instead, he appeared almost confused.
“What?” I asked. “Never help a girl get into her dress before?”
He shook his head. “No.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“I meant, no, that wasn’t what I was thinking.”
“Are you going to tell me what you were thinking?”
“No,” he said, smiling.
“It’s just as well.” I walked to the door and stepped into my shoes. “It would probably only lower my opinion of you.”
He laughed. “Is that even possible?”
“Probably not,” I lied.
In actuality, it was possible—now. Twenty-four hours ago was a different matter entirely. Of course, I wasn’t about to let him know that my passionate hatred of him had begun to wane. I’d then lose what little power I had over him, and I couldn’t live with that. The only way I was okay with being number seven would be if I beat him at his own game. Specifically, if I threw his ass out before he even had a chance to take off his rubber.
He followed me out into the hallway, staying at my side as I locked my apartment. When I turned to go down the steps, he grabbed my hand and held me in place.
“We’re not going that way.”
There was only one way out of the building; the steps on the other side of the hallway only led the fifth floor…and to his apartment. That sneaky motherfucker.
I pulled my hand out of his. “Why did you bother zipping my dress if you were only going to try to get me out of it four minutes later?”
“What makes you think that?”
“I live here, too. I know we can’t get out of the building that way. We can, however, get upstairs to your place.”
He burst into laughter. “Because despite the fact I just had you alone and partially disrobed—nice panties, by the way—I’d bring you to my apartment to seduce you.”
I was too fascinated by the sight of his laughter to speak. The sound seemed to come from deep in his chest. Full and real, it was the laugh of someone who unashamedly loved life and knew how to live. Had it not come at my expense, it would have been beautiful.
I folded my arms across my chest and leaned against the wall, staring at him. He must have read my body language as annoyance, because with what appeared to be great effort, he stopped laughing.
“Come with me. You’ll like this, I promise.” He extended his hand to me, and against my better judgment, I took it. He led me past his apartment and through the door that led to the roof, where he’d laid out a picnic blanket and a cooler. “I may have interpreted the phrase ‘out to dinner’ somewhat loosely, but we are technically outside. Have a seat.”
I sat on the blanket as gracefully as I could manage in my narrow skirt. He poured each of us a glass of wine before retrieving a cheese board from the cooler and placing it in front me.
“I have no idea what you like, so I got a little of everything,” he explained as he arranged various meats and cheeses on the board.
“Where did you get all this? I mean, the selection here goes way beyond what they sell at the corner grocery.”
“The Italian Market. Have you ever been there?”
I nodded dumbly.
“I’d never been to South Philly before, but one of the guys I live with insisted it was worth the hike.” He spread one of the softer cheeses onto a piece of crusty bread before offering it to me. “You’ll have to let me know if he was right.”
When I reached for the bread, he pulled his hand away.
“I never would have pegged you for a tease, Cullen.”
When he raised the slice of bread to my mouth, I realized he wanted to feed me. I ate out of his hand, but called him on it the second I swallowed.
“What was your major at Princeton? The art of seduction?”
“You’re actually close,” he said. “It was art history.”
“And you got accepted into med school with that?”
“I took all the recommended biology coursework. Until my junior year, I still wasn’t sure which discipline I wanted to pursue.”
“Medicine or art history? That’s sort of a strange combination.”
“They’re more linked than you would think. My senior thesis was on the role of the artist in the early study of anatomy.”
I sipped my wine and tried not to stare at his lips.
“If anything, I think it made my med school application stand out,” he continued. “I mean, just about everyone applying to med school majors in a hard science.”
I wondered if he realized he’d just implied I was common.
“I majored in biology,” I muttered.
“There you go. Have you always wanted to be a doctor?”
“More or less. I mean, I briefly toyed with the idea of becoming a concert pianist. Then I realized I’d never have a pot to piss in because I hate to perform.”
“A concertless pianist?” he asked, clearly amused.
“Don’t make fun of me. I knew it wouldn’t pan out, so I decided to pursue medicine. Besides, to be successful in music you have to be the best of the best, and I’m not even the best musician in my immediate family. Maggie is a piano major at Curtis; she puts me to shame.”
“Is she your only sibling?”
“Yep. We’ve done everything together for as long as I can remember. I was lucky; I got to grow up under the same roof as my best friend. What about you? Do you have any siblings?”
“I have an eighteen-year-old brother, but we’re not very close.”
He continued to feed me as we had the standard getting-to-know each other conversation. He was polite and respectful, and I wondered at what point it would turn into the standard getting-to-blow each other conversation. Meanwhile, his fingers against my lips coupled with the effects of the wine created a strange sensation that I was certain would remain at the forefront of my mind until I fucked him out of my system. The problem was that I was enjoying his company so much, my wham-bam-thank-you-man idea was quickly losing merit.
I refused to allow myself to deviate from the plan—regardless of the way he made me feel. After all, he was just acting a part, and I was determined to act mine. I inched more closely to him on the blanket, pretending I wasn’t aware of the way my skirt bunched up around the middle of my thighs.
As predicted, Cullen’s eyes went right to my newly exposed skin. When he realized I knew he was staring, he picked up a slice of cheese, pretending that had been the focus of his gaze. He raised it to my lips, and after I nibbled, I took his thumb and forefinger into my mouth. He let out a quiet gasp when without taking my eyes off his, I began to suck.
“You’re not making this easy for me,” he said.
I took his fingers from my mouth and put my arms around his neck.
“Oh, I think I’m making it very easy for you.”
I pressed my body against his and kissed him. Though he wrapped his arms around me tightly, he kept his mouth closed. Maybe Cullen wasn’t into foreplay. Though disappointing, it wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker. After all, the entire point was to get him out of my system—him being bad in bed could only help that. Besides, it wasn’t like I’d never been with a guy who was bad in bed. I wasn’t altogether sure I’d ever been with a guy who was good in bed. I did know that I’d never find out which category Cullen fell into as long as we remained on the roof of my apartment building.
“We should go inside. I’m getting a little chilly,” I lied. I may have been shivering, but it had nothing whatsoever to do with the cool evening breeze.
“Okay. Just give me a minute to pack up.” He rose to his feet and offered me his hand. After helping me up, he put the leftover food in the cooler and tucked the blanket under his arm. A few minutes later, we were outside of my apartment. He lingered in the hallway after I unlocked the door.
I pointed to the back of my dress. “If I needed help getting into it, it’s safe to assume I’ll need help getting out of it.”
He followed me inside, putting the cooler and blanket down right by the door. I pulled my hair up and turned my back to him.
“Do you know what you need?” he asked.
I knew exactly what I needed—a hot beef injection pronto—but I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him that.
He leaned in closely and dragged his fingertips across the front of my neck. “Pearls.”
“Pearls?” I asked in disbelief. Here I was expecting him to tell me I needed a good fuck. Then again, he could just be saying he wanted to jizz on my neck.
“You know, the kind that stops here.” He touched the hollow of my throat. “They’re classic, like your dress.”
“While you’re criticizing my lack of jewelry, are there any other modifications you’d make to my attire?”
He rubbed my shoulders as he spoke. “Do you honestly want to know?”
“I’d love to see you in heels.”
“I don’t wear heels.”
“Any particular reason why?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m five-foot-ten.”
“I have noticed. What’s your point?”
“I tower over most men as it is. In my experience, guys hate it.”
“Maybe the insecure ones. Personally, I love it.”
“You would. For the record, your interest in my accessories is more than a little weird. If I didn’t know for a fact you’ve fucked six of the girls in our class, I’d think you were gay.”
“You know this for a fact?”
“Are you denying it?”
He slowly lowered the zipper of my dress, before dragging his calloused fingers up the bare skin of my back. When he reached my neck, he pushed the strap of my dress off my shoulder, replacing it with his lips. His other hand rested on my hip, holding me in place as he kissed a path to my ear.
“You were saying?” he whispered.
As if I could remember what I asked him. At that moment, I doubted I knew my own name.
“I have no idea,” I admitted.
He turned me to face him and pressed his mouth against mine. His hands found my hair as his tongue entered my mouth. It was just a kiss—he wasn’t even touching me below the neck—but I felt it everywhere from my nipples to the soles of my feet. I didn’t know how to describe the sensation, only that I never wanted it to end. Instinctively, I put my hands on his ass and pulled him against me. My hips encountered his erection for all of a second before he pulled away.
“I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“And I’m trying to seduce you.” I pulled his shirt out of his jeans and started unbuttoning it. “It’s a lot of unnecessary effort, don’t you think? I mean, if we stopped trying to be something we’re not, we both could get what we want.”
I opened his shirt and pushed it off his shoulders and surveyed his chest. I doubted I’d ever seen a more perfect male specimen. My fingers followed the trail of golden hair to where it disappeared into his jeans. Unwilling to wait any longer, I went to work on his belt buckle.
“What is it that you think I want?” he asked.
I opened his fly and stuck my hand inside his jeans, stroking his sizable hard-on through his boxers.
“This,” I said, giving it a squeeze. “In me.”
He closed his eyes and moaned.
“Come on.” Keeping my hand on his cock, I led him to my room. Once we were in front of the bed, I let go of him just long enough to step out of my dress, at which point he tucked himself back in his jeans and closed his fly.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Esme, do you even like me?”
I saw no need to lie. “Not particularly. At least, I don’t think I do. You don’t have to worry about me getting all clingy, if that’s your concern. I’m not trying to make this a regular thing. For reasons I don’t entirely understand myself, I find the idea of having angry hate sex with you incredibly appealing. You have to admit, it’s win/win. Twenty minutes from now, you can count me among your conquests and begin planning number eight. Meanwhile, I’ll have gotten over my bizarre fascination with you.”
He looked appalled. “Twenty minutes?”
“Well, twenty tops,” I qualified. “Realistically, it would probably be closer to fifteen.”
“Do you really think that of me?” He seemed more surprised than offended.
“Based on my experience–”
“No, I meant do you think that’s all I want?”
He shook his head and cupped my face in his hands. “I want you.”
“You can have me.”
“I meant, I want all of you. I want to know you, to understand you. And when the time comes, I want to make love to you. But tonight, I’d just like to talk to you until you can no longer keep your eyes open then hold you while you sleep.”
He was a decent conversationalist, and he wasn’t bad to look at. It sure as hell beat sleeping alone.
“On one condition,” I said.
“Your shirt stays off.”
He rolled his eyes. “And you accuse me of objectifying the opposite sex.”
“It’s non-negotiable, Cullen.”
I went into the bathroom to change into a T-shirt to sleep in. When I came back to my room, he was in bed waiting for me. I lay down beside him, and he pulled me into his arms.
“Tell me about your family,” I said, resting my face against his chest.
He tensed beneath me. “There’s not much to tell. I had a bit of a falling out with my father a few months ago, and we’re estranged at the moment.”
“Then tell me about Princeton.”
“What would you like to know?”
“Your craziest antics, I guess. I lived at home all four years of undergrad; college stories still amuse me.”
In the end, he got exactly what he wanted—we talked until I could no longer keep my eyes open, then he held me while I slept. | <urn:uuid:05effb98-d283-4411-b018-bc3c3d752f15> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://sleepyvalentina.com/masen-sisters-guide/plan | 2013-06-19T06:02:47Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987437 | 4,945 |
Gender: Male Age: 36 Location: N/A
|Introduction: Almost Sisters|
Disclaimer: what follows is a work of fantasy. As such, I have chosen to set it in a world where birth control is 100% safe, effective, and available, and all STDs have been eradicated. In the real world, some of the choices these characters make would be extremely risky. Don't behave like them.
Steph and I were BFFs. We had lived on the same property since Kindergarten, and we even had the same birthday. We basically did everything together - studying, sports. We had sleepovers almost every weekend. This is the story of our 16th birthday.
Steph's dad was from China. He worked in the tech industry, making good but not great money. Her mom was a writer, making basically no money. They wanted good schools for Steph, so they stretched to buy a house in a neighborhood that they couldn't really afford, but it had an in-laws' apartment that they could rent out for extra money. That's where we came in.
I was a surprise. My mom dropped out of college and moved back in with her parents to take care of me. When my dad finished college, they got married and he got a job out west, and we ended up renting from Steph's parents. My mom has a lot of resentment that I prevented her from having the life she had hoped for, but she can't bring herself to be angry at me, so it's all directed at my dad.
Steph and I were both good students. She got a B once, and her dad almost killed her, so she was scared into studying hard all the time. I just knew how hard my parents worked to give me better opportunities, and I wanted to make them happy. So Steph had a little bit of a rebel streak, but only when she thought she could get away with it.
About a month before our 16th birthday, we were playing truth or dare at one of our sleepovers. We knew all each other's secrets already, so we always chose dare. Usually, we dared each other to leave anonymous love notes in some boy's locker, or to play a practical joke on somebody. This time, though, Steph had something different in mind.
"Next month, when we get our driver's licenses, I'm going to get my nipples pierced. I dare you to do it with me."
I didn't think she was serious at first, but she insisted. I couldn't believe she thought she could get away with it. She said they wouldn't show through our bras, and we could take them out whenever we hit the beach. I didn't really want to, but Steph was my BFF, so I had to agree.
My parents were from Fargo, so I'm pure Viking. I was about 5'10" tall, with just barely B cup breasts. A lot of people said I had the figure to model. Steph was shorter, about 5'2", but a bit curvier. Still a B cup, but close to a C. We joked about which of us was a B+ and which a B-. We had moved past the awkward transition stage of puberty where you're just embarrassed about the changes your body is going through. We were entering a more womanly stage of mixed pride in our bodies and insecurity that they weren't better. Besides getting back at her dad, this was probably about addressing that insecurity.
We turned 16, had our joint birthday party (we shared those, too), got our drivers licenses. Steph's parents bought themselves a new car and gave her one of their old ones for her birthday. Not as good as a new car, but good enough for us. Steph announced that we would get the piercings the next weekend. I had thought that Steph would back out, but she was determined. She did some research and found a reputable shop a couple of hours drive away. She didn't want anyone too close, in case we randomly bumped into someone we knew.
So on the appointed day, we drove out there, with people honking at us all the way for actually driving the speed limit. It was kind of a crappy neighborhood - liquor stores, paycheck advance places, a pawn shop, and an adult video place - so it was probably best that we didn't have the new car anyway. It hurt like hell when they did it, but just for a second. Afterwards, Steph was just jumping with excitement. Couldn't contain herself. When the exhileration wore off, however, the soreness set in. It got better every day, though, and within a week, it was gone.
That's when we started noticing that our nipples were much more sensitive. When we took off our bras, for instance, and the fresh air first hit, our nipples would get instantly erect and start sending arousing signals throughout our bodies. For me, it was just kind of a fun little effect, but for Steph, it opened a door to a whole new experience.
A couple of weeks later, I woke up during one of our sleepovers hearing Steph make some funny noises. I turned on the light to see if she was okay, and I was shocked to see her lying naked in her bed, one hand between her legs and one pinching her nipples. "Stephanie, what on earth are you doing?" I asked, so shocked that I used her full name. "Masturbating," she replied calmly. "Yes, but why?" I asked. "Uh, because it feels good, dummy. Haven't you ever done it?" "No way! Only pervs do that." "Well, color me perverted, then. And turn out the light." With that, she closed her eyes and resumed touching herself.
I watched her sliding her fingers into her wet pussy for just a second, then turned out the light and listened to the sounds of her masturbation. My nipples were extremely aroused, and my pussy was starting to get wet in spite of myself. I decided to try pinching my nipples, to see how it felt. A wave of intense pleasure rolled through my body, so I kept doing it. Now I could feel my pussy get really wet, and my breathing became heavier. Almost of its own volition, one hand travelled down between my legs, and I pushed a finger inside myself like I had seen Steph do. That felt even better, so I started moving it in and out, rubbing the places where it felt best. Suddenly, I felt all my muscles tighten up and then spasm uncontrollably as wave after wave of the most intense pleasure imaginable passed through my body. I had experienced my first orgasm, and I liked it. I must have made some noise, because when it was over, Steph said, "Ssh, you perv." "Perv yourself," I retorted, before we both fell asleep.
After that, masturbation became part of our regular sleepover routine. Sometimes we would make up contests, like who could have an orgasm the fastest, or who could touch themselves the longest before reaching orgasm. We changed in other ways, too, like it wasn't which boys were cute anymore. Now it was which boys made us really wet, or which had the biggest dick. We started talking about what it would feel like to have a dick inside us. One day, Steph decided to find out. "Remember, by the place we got pierced, there was an adult video store? I bet they sell dildos there, so we could see what a real dick feels like." It sounded perfect to me, so the next weekend, we drove back there.
Sure enough, they had a wide selection of dildos, vibrators, and other products besides videos. We were dressed in what we called our no school uniform - all the stuff forbidden by the school. Steph was in tight shorts with barely any more material than underwear, and I was in a tiny miniskirt, showing off my long legs. We were both in midriff shirts. I guess we looked pretty hot, because while we were looking over the toys, a guy in his forties came over and whispered that he'd give us $10 if we'd show him our breasts for a minute. Steph's family had some money, but most of our friends' had even more. I was always the poorest, and I had been a little worried about wasting money on frivolous stuff like dildos. So although Steph just blew the guy off, I looked around to make sure noone else could see, then lifted up my shirt and pulled my breasts out of my bra. Immediately, my pierced nipples popped out, happy to be out in the fresh air. He gave a low whistle and said, "Now that's hot!" Then he pulled his dick out of his pants and started jerking off.
I immediately pulled my shirt back down and said "Go away, you perv!" But he persisted, "How about $20 a minute?" Now, Steph had turned around and she had her eyes fixed on that guy's erection sticking out of his pants. She licked her lips, took a deep breath, and said, "Make it $30 and you can look at both our breasts while you jerk off." Shocked, I used her full name again, "Stephanie!" "Take pity on the poor guy. Can't you see he's desperate? He just wants to look." Reluctantly, I agreed, "Show us the money first." He pulled out a wad of bills, so we both exposed our breasts, and he resumed stroking himself.
I was looking up at the ceiling, trying to pretend this wasn't happening, when I heard Steph give a low moan. I looked over at her and saw that she was pinching her nipples, still staring at the guy's dick. I could smell her scent, so I knew she was really turned on. I looked at the guy's dick, too, and I had to admit it was a little exciting to have a strange man see my naked breasts, and to see his naked penis too. My hands crept to my nipples and started pinching them, too. Naughty hands. But it felt good. Just then, he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket, wrapped it around his cock, and grunted a few times. It took six minutes, so we each got $90.
Steph bought about $300 worth of stuff at that store. I restricted myself to one medium sized dildo and one vibrator. When we got out to the car, Steph couldn't wait. She handed me the keys, got in the passenger's seat, unwrapped a dildo, and pulled off her pants. While I started driving home, she plunged that dildo into her sopping twat, and in no time, she was having a screaming orgasm. Literally screaming. When she calmed down, she said it was nice not to have to try to be quiet. She also said the dildo felt amazing, and I just had to try it.
She got herself decent, and we pulled over to switch drivers. I took my panties off and unwrapped my dildo. I rubbed it against myself until I got nice and wet, then slid it in. It sure felt good, but it didn't get very far in. I pushed harder, but then I felt a sharp pain and yanked it out. There was a little spot of blood on it. Steph said that had happened to her, too, and it felt even better afterwards, but I didn't feel like using the dildo any more right then. I unwrapped the vibrator instead, but discovered that it didn't come with batteries. We found a Radio Shack nearby on Steph's GPS, so we stopped there and I hopped out to go buy some.
I got a little weird vibe from the clerks in the store, and when I got back to the car, Steph told me why. "You totally flashed those guys!" "No way!" "Way. I got a picture." She handed me her cell phone. There I was, bending over to get the batteries, with my blonde bush clearly visible under the hem of my miniskirt, and the head of one of the clerks craning for a better view. We both burst out laughing. I looked back into the store, and clerks were still checking us out. On impulse, I flashed by boobs at them as Steph pulled out. Steph laughed again, "You're so bad." "Hey, we'll never see those guys again."
Flashing those guys had gotten me all excited again, so I loaded the batteries into the vibrator and turned it on. I rubbed it on my nipples, and it felt good, but I wanted more. I took off my shirt and bra, then put my shirt back on. The thin material wasn't much of a barrier between my skin and the vibrator, and the feeling was amazing. My nipples were poking way out, making them and their pierced state clearly visible. It was very sexy thinking that any man we passed could see them, and wondering whether they would get an erection like that old guy. I was nice and wet now, so I moved the vibrator down to my pussy. When it made contact, I couldn't suppress a little yelp, it felt so good. Steph looked over and smiled, saying "You go, girl!" I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sensations being generated by the sex toy. I moved it around different places until I found where it felt best. Soon I was thrashing around in the throes of the most intense orgasm of my young life.
When I was done, Steph commented, "If those Radio Shack guys could have watched you just now, they'd have creamed their pants for sure." I agreed, laughing. Just then, we passed a mall. Steph suggested that we stop there and go shopping. I started to put my bra and panties back on, but Steph dared me not to, pointing out that nobody we knew would be there. I agreed, but only if she would do the same. So in the parking garage, she took her bra off too. Her nipples were clearly visible, but she pinched them to make them even more obvious. Then we headed into the mall.
The first stop was for Steph to buy herself a miniskirt. She said she wanted to try flashing some guys, like I had done in Radio Shack. After she bought it, she went into a restroom to change into it. When she came out of the stall, she mooned me, showing that she had taken her panties off, too. We both giggled, flush with excitement and nervousness. We exited the restroom and started walking around the mall, and we kept glancing at each other and giggling.
Even before we started flashing anyone, we were getting a lot of male attention because of our attire. We talked about how we should expose ourselves, and we decided to just sit on a bench with our legs together until someone came by that we wanted to flash, and then open our legs. We tried it out first, with Steph flashing me as I walked by. I took a picture on my cell phone, so Steph could see just how easy it was to see her dark bush. After another fit of giggles, we settled down to await our prey.
We rejected several candidates, due to their age, appearance, or company. But soon enough, we saw a cute, young guy walking alone toward us. When he got close to us, he glanced our direction and made eye contact. At that moment, we both opened our legs and showed him our pussies. His mouth dropped open, then broadened into a grin. He waved at us as he walked by, and we dissolved into laughter again.
We showed our pussies to over a dozen guys that day, with different reactions. Some didn't notice (or pretended not to), some just acknowledged us, and some tried to get our phone numbers (which we didn't give them). Every time, a sexual thrill went through our bodies, making our nipples strain to push their way through our shirts and our pussies ache to be touched. After a while, we couldn't take any more, and we had to go into a restroom and masturbate. We both had the best orgasms of our lives, and we determined that we would need to make this activity a regular feature of our weekends.
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redirect6|Pianoforte|earlier versions of the instrument|Fortepiano|other uses of "Piano"|Piano (disambiguation)
The piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal. Although not portable and often expensive, the piano's versatility and ubiquity have made it one of the world's most familiar musical instruments.
Pressing a key on the piano's keyboard causes a felt covered hammer to strike steel strings. The hammers rebound, allowing the strings to continue vibrating at their resonant frequency. These vibrations are transmitted through a bridge to a sounding board that couples the acoustic energy to the air so that it can be heard as sound. When the key is released, a damper stops the string's vibration. Pianos are sometimes classified as both percussion and stringed instruments. According to the Hornbostel-Sachs method of music classification, they are grouped with chordophones.
The word ''piano'' is a shortened form of the word ''pianoforte'', which is seldom used except in formal language and derived from the original Italian name for the instrument, ''clavicembalo ''[or ''gravicembalo'']'' col piano e forte'' (literally ''harpsichord with soft and loud''). This refers to the instrument's responsiveness to keyboard touch, which allows the pianist to produce notes at different dynamic levels by controlling the speed with which the hammers hit the strings.
The piano is founded on earlier technological innovations. The first string instruments with struck strings were the hammered dulcimers originating from the Persian traditional musical instrument santur. During the Middle Ages, there were several attempts at creating stringed keyboard instruments with struck strings, the earliest being the hurdy gurdy which has uncertain origins.
By the 17th century, the mechanisms of keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and the harpsichord were well known. In a clavichord the strings are struck by tangents, while in a harpsichord they are plucked by quills. Centuries of work on the mechanism of the harpsichord in particular had shown the most effective ways to construct the case, soundboard, bridge, and keyboard.
The invention of the modern piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731) of Padua, Italy, who was employed by Prince Ferdinand de Medici as the Keeper of the Instruments. He was an expert harpsichord maker and was well acquainted with the previous body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700; another document of doubtful authenticity indicates a date of 1698. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s.
Cristofori's great success was in solving, without any prior example, the fundamental mechanical problem of piano design: the hammer must strike the string, but not remain in contact with it (as a tangent remains in contact with a clavichord string) because this would damp the sound. Moreover, the hammer must return to its rest position without bouncing violently, and it must be possible to repeat a note rapidly. Cristofori's piano action served as a model for the many different approaches to piano actions that followed. While Cristofori's early instruments were made with thin strings and were much quieter than the modern piano, compared to the clavichord (the only previous keyboard instrument capable of minutely controlled dynamic nuance through the keyboard) they were considerably louder and had more sustaining power.
Cristofori's new instrument remained relatively unknown until an Italian writer, Scipione Maffei, wrote an enthusiastic article about it (1711), including a diagram of the mechanism. This article was widely distributed, and most of the next generation of piano builders started their work because of reading it. One of these builders was Gottfried Silbermann, better known as an organ builder. Silbermann's pianos were virtually direct copies of Cristofori's, with one important addition: Silbermann invented the forerunner of the modern damper pedal, which lifts all the dampers from the strings at once.
Silbermann showed Johann Sebastian Bach one of his early instruments in the 1730s, but Bach did not like it at that time, claiming that the higher notes were too soft to allow a full dynamic range. Although this earned him some animosity from Silbermann, the criticism was apparently heeded. Bach did approve of a later instrument he saw in 1747, and even served as an agent in selling Silbermann's pianos.
Piano making flourished during the late 18th century in the Viennese school, which included Johann Andreas Stein (who worked in Augsburg, Germany) and the Viennese makers Nannette Streicher (daughter of Stein) and Anton Walter. Viennese-style pianos were built with wood frames, two strings per note, and had leather-covered hammers. Some of these Viennese pianos had the opposite coloring of modern-day pianos; the natural keys were black and the accidental keys white.
[ ] It was for such instruments that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed his concertos and sonatas, and replicas of them are built today for use in authentic-instrument performance of his music. The pianos of Mozart's day had a softer, clearer tone than today's pianos or English pianos, with less sustaining power. The term ''fortepiano'' is nowadays often used to distinguish the 18th-century instrument from later pianos.
The modern piano (the pianoforte) was developed from the harpsichord around 1720, by Bartolomeo Cristofori of Padua, Italy. His new instrument had a delicate pianissimo (very soft sound), a strong fortissimo (a very loud, forceful sound), and every level in between.
The first upright piano was made around 1780 by Johann Schmidt of Salzburg, Austria. Thomas Loud of London developed an upright piano whose strings ran diagonally (in 1802), saving even more space.
Development of the modern piano
In the period lasting from about 1790 to 1860, the Mozart-era piano underwent tremendous changes that led to the modern form of the instrument. This revolution was in response to a consistent preference by composers and pianists for a more powerful, sustained piano sound, and made possible by the ongoing Industrial Revolution with technological resources such as high-quality steel, called piano wire, for strings, and precision casting for the production of iron frames. Over time, the tonal range of the piano was also increased from the five octaves of Mozart's day to the 7ÂĽ or more octaves found on modern pianos.
Early technological progress owed much to the firm of Broadwood. John Broadwood joined with another Scot, Robert Stodart, and a Dutchman, Americus Backers, to design a piano in the harpsichord case – the origin of the "grand". They achieved this in about 1777. They quickly gained a reputation for the splendour and powerful tone of their instruments, with Broadwood constructing ones that were progressively larger, louder, and more robustly constructed. They sent pianos to both Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven, and were the first firm to build pianos with a range of more than five octaves: five octaves and a fifth during the 1790s, six octaves by 1810 (Beethoven used the extra notes in his later works), and seven octaves by 1820. The Viennese makers similarly followed these trends, however the two schools used different piano actions: Broadwoods were more robust, Viennese instruments were more sensitive.
By the 1820s, the center of innovation had shifted to Paris, where the Pleyel firm manufactured pianos used by Frédéric Chopin and the Érard firm manufactured those used by Franz Liszt. In 1821, Sébastien Érard invented the double escapement action, which permitted a note to be repeated even if the key had not yet risen to its maximum vertical position. This facilitated rapid playing of repeated notes, and this musical device was pioneered by Liszt. When the invention became public, as revised by Henri Herz, the double escapement action gradually became standard in grand pianos, and is still incorporated into all grand pianos currently produced.
One of the major technical innovations that helped to create the sound of the modern piano was the use of a strong iron frame. Also called the "plate", the iron frame sits atop the soundboard, and serves as the primary bulwark against the force of string tension. The increased structural integrity of the iron frame allowed the use of thicker, tenser, and more numerous strings. In a modern grand the total string tension can exceed 20 tons. The single piece cast iron frame was patented in 1825 in Boston by Alpheus Babcock, combining the metal hitch pin plate (1821, claimed by Broadwood on behalf of Samuel Hervé) and resisting bars (Thom and Allen, 1820, but also claimed by Broadwood and Érard). Babcock later worked for the Chickering & Mackays firm who patented the first full iron frame for grand pianos in 1843. Composite forged metal frames were preferred by many European makers until the American system was fully adopted by the early 20th century.
Other innovations for the mechanism included the use of felt hammer coverings instead of layered leather hammers. Felt hammers, which were first introduced by Henri Pape in 1826, were a more consistent material, permitting wider dynamic ranges as hammer weights and string tension increased. The sostenuto pedal (see below), invented in 1844 by Jean Louis Boisselot and improved by the Steinway firm in 1874, allowed a wider range of effects.
Other important technical innovations of this era included changes to the way the piano was strung, such as the use of a "choir" of three strings rather than two for all but the lower notes, and the use of different stringing methods. With the over strung scale, also called "cross-stringing", the strings are placed in a vertically overlapping slanted arrangement, with two heights of bridges on the soundboard instead of just one. This permits larger, but not necessarily longer, strings to fit within the case of the piano. Over stringing was invented by Jean-Henri Pape during the 1820s, and first patented for use in grand pianos in the United States by Henry Steinway Jr. in 1859.
With duplexes or aliquot scales, which was patented in 1872 by Theodore Steinway, the different components of string vibrations are controlled by tuning their secondary parts in octave relationships with the sounding lengths. Similar systems developed by BlĂĽthner (1872), as well as [http://mediatheque.cite-musique.fr/ClientBookLineCIMU/recherche/NoticeDetailleByID.asp?ID=0162147 Taskin] (1788), and Collard (1821) used more distinctly ringing undamped vibrations to modify tone.
Some early pianos had shapes and designs that are no longer in use. The square piano had horizontal strings arranged diagonally across the rectangular case above the hammers and with the keyboard set in the long side. This design is attributed to Gottfried Silbermann or Christian Ernst Friderici on the continent, and Johannes Zumpe or Harman Vietor in England and it was improved by changes first introduced by Guillaume-Lebrecht Petzold in France and Alpheus Babcock in the United States. Square pianos were built in great numbers through the 1840s in Europe and the 1890s in America, and saw the most visible changes of any type of piano: the celebrated iron framed over strung squares manufactured by Steinway & Sons were more than two and a half times the size of Zumpe's wood framed instruments from a century before. Their overwhelming popularity was due to inexpensive construction and price, although their performance and tone were often limited by simple actions and closely spaced strings.
The tall, vertically strung upright grand was arranged like a grand set on end, with the soundboard and bridges above the keys, and tuning pins below them. The term was later revived by many manufacturers for advertising purposes. Giraffe, pyramid and lyre pianos were arranged in a somewhat similar fashion in evocatively shaped cases.
The very tall cabinet piano was introduced about 1805 and was built through the 1840s. It had strings arranged vertically on a continuous frame with bridges extended nearly to the floor, behind the keyboard and very large ''sticker action''. The short cottage upright or pianino with vertical stringing, made popular by Robert Wornum around 1815, was built into the 20th century. They are informally called ''birdcage pianos'' because of their prominent damper mechanism. Pianinos were distinguished from the oblique, or diagonally strung upright made popular in France by Roller & Blanchet during the late 1820s. The tiny spinet upright was manufactured from the mid-1930s until recent times. The low position of the hammers required the use of a "drop action" to preserve a reasonable keyboard height.
Modern upright and grand pianos attained their present forms by the end of the 19th century. Improvements have been made in manufacturing processes, and many individual details of the instrument continue to receive attention.
History and musical performance
Much of the most widely admired piano repertoire, for example, that of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, was composed for a type of instrument that is rather different from the modern instruments on which this music is normally performed today. Even the music of the Romantics, including Liszt, Chopin, Robert Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn and Johannes Brahms, was written for pianos substantially different from ours.
Modern pianos come in two basic configurations (with subcategories): the grand piano and the upright piano.
In grand pianos, the frame and strings are horizontal, with the strings extending away from the keyboard. There are several sizes of grand piano. A rough generalization distinguishes the "concert grand" (between about and long) from the "parlor grand" or "boudoir grand" (about to ) and the smaller "baby grand".
All else being equal, longer pianos with longer strings have larger, richer sound and lower inharmonicity of the strings. Inharmonicity is the degree to which the frequencies of overtones (known as partials, partial tones, or harmonics) depart from whole multiples of the fundamental frequency. Pianos with shorter, thicker, and stiffer strings (e.g., baby grands) have more inharmonicity. The longer strings on a concert grand can vibrate more freely than the shorter, thicker strings on a baby grand, which means that a concert grand's strings will have truer overtones. This allows the strings to be tuned closer to equal temperament in relation to the standard pitch with less "stretching" in the piano tuning. Full-size grands are usually used for public concerts, whereas smaller grands, introduced by Sohmer & Co. in 1884, are often chosen for domestic use where space and cost are considerations.
A grand piano action has a repetition lever for each key. If the key is pressed repeatedly and fairly quickly this repetition lever catches the hammer close to the strings, which assists the speed and control of repeated notes and trills.
Upright pianos, also called vertical pianos, are more compact because the frame and strings are vertical. The hammers move horizontally, and are returned to their resting position by springs which are prone to wear and tear.
Upright pianos with unusually tall frames and long strings are sometimes called "upright grand" pianos.
Some authors classify modern pianos according to their height and, to modifications of the action that are necessary to accommodate the height.
* Studio pianos are around 42 to 45 inches tall. This is the shortest cabinet that can accommodate a 'full-sized' action located above the keyboard.
* Console pianos have a compact action (shorter hammers), and are a few inches shorter than studio models.
* The top of a Spinet model barely rises above the keyboard. The action is located below, operated by vertical wires that are attached to the backs of the keys.
* Anything taller than a studio piano is called an upright.
Toy pianos began to be manufactured in the 19th century.
In 1863, Henri Fourneaux invented the player piano, which "plays itself" from a piano roll without the need for a pianist. A performance is "recorded" onto rolls of paper with perforations, and the player piano replays the performance using pneumatic devices. Modern equivalents of the player piano include the Bösendorfer CEUS and the Yamaha Disklavier, using solenoids and MIDI rather than pneumatics and rolls.
A silent piano is an acoustic piano having an option to silence the strings by means of an interposing hammer bar. They are designed for private silent practice.
The transposing piano was invented in 1801 by Edward Ryley. It has a lever under the keyboard used to move the keyboard relative to the strings so that a pianist can play in a familiar key while the music sounds in a different key.
The prepared piano, encountered in some contemporary art music, is a grand piano which has objects placed inside it to alter its sound, or which has had its mechanism changed in some other way. The scores for music for prepared piano specify the modifications, for example instructing the pianist to insert pieces of rubber, or paper, or metal screws or washers, in between the strings. These either mute the strings or alter their timbre.
Available since the 1980s, digital pianos use digital sampling technology to reproduce the sound of each piano note. Digital pianos can be sophisticated, with features including working pedals, weighted keys, multiple voices, and MIDI interfaces. However, when the damper pedal (see below) is depressed on such an instrument, there are no strings to vibrate sympathetically. Physical models of sympathetic vibration are incorporated into the synthesis software of some higher end digital pianos, such as the Yamaha Clavinova series, or the KAWAI MP8 series.
With the advent of powerful desktop computers, highly realistic pianos have become available as affordable software modules. Some of these modules, such as Synthogy's Ivory released in 2004, use multi-gigabyte piano sample sets with as many as 90 recordings, each lasting many seconds, for each of the 88 (some have 81) keys under different conditions, augmented by additional samples to emulate sympathetic resonance, key release, the drop of the dampers, and simulations of piano techniques like re-pedaling. Some other software modules, such as Modartt's Pianoteq released in 2006, use no samples whatsoever and are a pure synthesis of all aspects of the physicalities which go into the creation of a real piano's sound.
In recent times, piano manufactures have superseded the old fashioned pianola or player piano with new innovative pianos which play themselves via a CD or MP3 Player. Similar in concept to a player piano, the PianoDisc or iQ systems installed in select pianos will 'play themselves' when prompted by a certain file format designed to be interpreted by software installed and connected to the piano. Such additions are quite expensive, often doubling the cost of a piano and are available in both upright and grand pianos.
Almost every modern piano has 36 black keys and 52 white keys for a total of 88 keys (seven octaves plus a minor third, from A0 to C8). Many older pianos only have 85 keys (seven octaves from A0 to A7), while some manufacturers extend the range further in one or both directions.
Some Bösendorfer pianos extend the normal range downwards to F0, with one other model going as far as a bottom C0, making a full eight octave range. These extra keys are sometimes hidden under a small hinged lid that can be flipped down to cover the keys in order to avoid visual disorientation in a pianist unfamiliar with the extended keyboard. On others, the colors of the extra white keys are reversed (black instead of white).
The extra keys are added primarily for increased resonance from the associated strings; that is, they vibrate sympathetically with other strings whenever the damper pedal is depressed and thus give a fuller tone. Only a very small number of works composed for piano actually use these notes. More recently, the Stuart and Sons company has also manufactured extended-range pianos, with the first 102 key piano. On their instruments, the frequency range extends from C0 to F8 which is the widest practical range for the acoustic piano. The extra keys are the same as the other keys in appearance.
Small studio upright acoustical pianos with only 65 keys have been manufactured for use by roving pianists. Known as "gig" pianos and still containing a cast iron harp, these are comparatively lightweight and can be easily transported to and from engagements by only two people. As their harp is longer than that of a spinet or console piano, they have a stronger bass sound that to some pianists is well worth the trade-off in range that a reduced key-set offers.
The Toy piano manufacturer Schoenhut started manufacturing both grands and uprights with only 44 or 49 keys, and shorter distance between the keyboard and the pedals. These pianos are true pianos with action and strings. The pianos were introduced to their product line in response to numerous requests in favor of it.
Pianos have had pedals, or some close equivalent, since the earliest days. (In the 18th century, some pianos used levers pressed upward by the player's knee instead of pedals.) Most grand pianos have three pedals: the soft pedal (una corda), sostenuto, and sustain pedal (from left to right, respectively). Most modern upright pianos also have three pedals: soft pedal, practice pedal and sustain pedal, though older or cheaper models may lack the practice pedal.
The sustain pedal (or, damper pedal) is often simply called "the pedal", since it is the most frequently used. It is placed as the rightmost pedal in the group. It lifts the dampers from all keys, sustaining all played notes. In addition, it alters the overall tone by allowing all strings, even the ones not directly played, to reverberate.
The soft pedal or ''una corda'' pedal is placed leftmost in the row of pedals. In grand pianos, it shifts the entire action, including the keyboard, to the right, so that the hammers hit only one of the three strings for each note (hence the name ''una corda'', or 'one string'). The effect is to soften the note as well as to change the tone. In uprights, this action is not possible, and so the pedal moves the hammers closer to the strings, allowing the hammers to hit the strings with less kinetic energy to produce a softer sound, but with no change in timbre.
On grand pianos, the middle pedal is a sostenuto pedal. This pedal keeps raised any damper that was already raised at the moment the pedal is depressed. This makes it possible to sustain some notes (by depressing the sostenuto pedal before notes to be sustained are released) while the player's hands are free to play other notes. This can be useful for musical passages with pedal points and other otherwise tricky or impossible situations.
On many upright pianos, there is a middle pedal called the 'practice' or ''celeste'' pedal. This drops a piece of felt between the hammers and strings, greatly muting the sounds.
There are also non-standard variants. On some pianos (grands and verticals), the middle pedal can be a bass sustain pedal: that is, when it is depressed, the dampers lift off the strings only in the bass section. This pedal would be used only when a pianist needs to sustain a single bass note or chord over many measures, while playing the melody in the treble section. On the Stuart and Sons piano as well as the largest Fazioli piano, there is a fourth pedal to the left of the principal three. This fourth pedal works in the same way as the soft pedal of an upright piano, moving the hammers closer to the strings.
The rare transposing piano, of which Irving Berlin possessed an example, had a middle pedal that functioned as a clutch which disengages the keyboard from the mechanism, enabling the keyboard to be moved to the left or right with a lever. The entire action of the piano is thus shifted to allow the pianist to play music written in one key so that it sounds in a different key. The ''pedalier'' piano, or pedal piano, is a rare type of piano that includes a pedalboard, enabling bass register notes to be played with the feet, as is standard on the organ. There are two types of pedal piano: the pedal board may be an integral part of the instrument, using the same strings and mechanism as the manual keyboard, or, less frequently, it may consist of two independent pianos (each with its separate mechanics and strings) which are placed one above the other, a regular piano played by the hands and a bass-register piano played by the feet.
Many parts of a piano are made of materials selected for sturdiness. In quality pianos, the outer rim of the piano is made of a hardwood, normally maple or beech. According to [http://www.speech.kth.se/music/5_lectures/conklin/thepianocase.html Harold A. Conklin], the purpose of a sturdy rim is so that "the vibrational energy will stay as much as possible in the soundboard instead of dissipating uselessly in the case parts, which are inefficient radiators of sound."
The rim is normally made by laminating flexible strips of hardwood to the desired shape, a system that was developed by Theodore Steinway in 1880. The thick wooden braces at the bottom (grands) or back (uprights) of the piano are not as acoustically important as the rim, and are often made of a softwood, even in top-quality pianos, in order to save weight. The requirement of structural strength, fulfilled with stout hardwood and thick metal, makes a piano heavy; even a small upright can weigh 136 kg (300 lb), and the Steinway concert grand (Model D) weighs 480 kg (990 lb). The largest piano built, the Fazioli F308, weighs 691 kg (1520 lb).
The pinblock, which holds the tuning pins in place, is another area of the piano where toughness is important. It is made of hardwood, (often maple) and generally is laminated (built of multiple layers) for additional strength and gripping power. Piano strings (also called piano wire), which must endure years of extreme tension and hard blows, are made of high quality steel. They are manufactured to vary as little as possible in diameter, since all deviations from uniformity introduce tonal distortion. The bass strings of a piano are made of a steel core wrapped with copper wire, to increase their mass whilst retaining flexibility.
The plate, or metal frame, of a piano is usually made of cast iron. It is advantageous for the plate to be quite massive. Since the strings are attached to the plate at one end, any vibrations transmitted to the plate will result in loss of energy to the desired (efficient) channel of sound transmission, namely the bridge and the soundboard. Some manufacturers now use cast steel in their plates, for greater strength. The casting of the plate is a delicate art, since the dimensions are crucial and the iron shrinks by about one percent during cooling.
The inclusion in a piano of an extremely large piece of metal is potentially an aesthetic handicap, which piano makers overcome by polishing, painting and decorating the plate. Plates often include the manufacturer's ornamental medallion and can be strikingly attractive. In an effort to make pianos lighter, Alcoa worked with Winter and Company piano manufacturers to make pianos using an aluminum plate during the 1940s. The use of aluminum for piano plates, however, did not become widely accepted and was discontinued.
The numerous grand parts and upright parts of a piano action are generally hardwood (e.g. maple, beech. hornbeam). However, since World War II, plastics have become available. Early plastics were incorporated into some pianos in the late 1940s and 1950s, but proved disastrous because they crystallized and lost their strength after only a few decades of use. The Steinway firm once incorporated Teflon, a synthetic material developed by DuPont, for some grand action parts in place of cloth, but ultimately abandoned the experiment due to an inherent "clicking" which invariably developed over time. (Also Teflon is "humidity stable" whereas the wood adjacent to the Teflon will swell and shrink with humidity changes, causing problems.) More recently, the Kawai firm has built pianos with action parts made of more modern and effective plastics such as carbon fiber; these parts have held up better and have generally received the respect of piano technicians.
The part of the piano where materials probably matter more than anywhere else is the soundboard. In quality pianos, this is made of solid spruce (that is, spruce boards glued together at their edges). Spruce is chosen for its high ratio of strength to weight. The best piano makers use close-grained, quarter-sawn, defect-free spruce, and make sure that it has been carefully dried over a long period of time before making it into soundboards. In cheap pianos, the soundboard is often made of plywood.
Piano keys are generally made of spruce or basswood, for lightness. Spruce is normally used in high-quality pianos. Traditionally, the black keys were made from ebony and the white keys were covered with strips of ivory, but since ivory-yielding species are now endangered and protected by treaty, plastics are now almost exclusively used. Also, ivory tends to chip more easily than plastic. Legal ivory can still be obtained in limited quantities. The Yamaha firm invented a plastic called "Ivorine" or "Ivorite" that mimics the look and feel of ivory; it has since been imitated by other makers.
Care and maintenance
Pianos need regular tuning to keep them up to pitch, which is usually the internationally recognized standard concert pitch of A4 = 440 Hz. The hammers of pianos are voiced to compensate for gradual hardening, and other parts also need periodic regulation. Aged and worn pianos can be rebuilt or reconditioned. Often, by replacing a great number of their parts, they can be made to perform as well as new pianos. Older pianos are often more settled and produce a warmer tone.
Piano moving should be done by trained piano movers using adequate manpower and the correct equipment for any particular piano's size and weight. Pianos are heavy yet delicate instruments. Over the years, professional piano movers have developed special techniques for transporting both grands and uprights which prevent damage to the case and to the piano's mechanics.
The piano is a crucial instrument in Western classical music, jazz, film, television, and most other complex western musical genres. Since a large number of composers are proficient pianists – and because the piano keyboard offers an easy means of complex melodic and harmonic interplay – the piano is often used as a tool for composition.
Pianos were, and still are, popular instruments for private household ownership. Hence, pianos have gained a place in the popular consciousness, and are sometimes referred to by nicknames including: "the ivories", "the joanna", "the eighty-eight", and "the black(s) and white(s)", "the little joe(s)". Playing the piano is sometimes referred to as "tickling the ivories". | <urn:uuid:e61a74fe-c7c3-4448-a1c1-923aadd6fc62> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tinywiki.org/piano.html | 2013-06-19T14:37:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960579 | 6,881 |
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This Contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. | <urn:uuid:fa3a2a13-feb6-4aac-aca3-ca8dc5ea7d0f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.popsugar.com/Enter-Chance-Meet-Tina-Fey-Official-Contest-Rules-27891522 | 2013-06-19T06:11:26Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708142388/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516124222-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902575 | 5,195 |
|1 ||A disgrace.|
|Posted on Saturday May 11, 2013, 17:03 by Sir N.Paul Hills|
|Er... a curious absence of Malle, Pasolini, Straub-Huillet, Carne, Rohmer, Rivette, Fassbinder, Hou, Kiarostami, Tarr...
the list goes on. I could place forth an infinite continuam of fine film makers more worthy of incluson than those listed in this gut-churningly mainstreamed abomination of a list. Just one Godard? Please. I suppose you really can't expect much more from the inexperienced young studs most likely hired as writers, no professional cinema critic could seriously consider "Oldboy" as the 18th greatest foreign film of all time, and worse; CITY OF GOD as 8th.
Abhorrent Read More|
|Posted on Tuesday April 23, 2013, 10:09 by Rozrox|
|I would love to take on the task of viewing each of the 100 Best Films of World Cinema. Is there a foreign film DVD retail outlet in cyberspace, the cloud or Amazon? I'd be a consumer. Thanks for an excellent compilation.
Southern Peach Read More|
|3 ||What about Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter...Spring?|
|Posted on Thursday April 11, 2013, 10:48 by ellergy|
|What about Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter...Spring?
Perhaps I overlooked it, but this Korean film should have been on the list! Read More|
|4 ||Obsession with Asian cinema !|
|Posted on Friday March 8, 2013, 01:34 by poznan56|
|Is it about 100 best non-English films ever made or about best non-English films made between 1980 and 2010 ?
Where is Ivan the Terrible and Alexander Nevsky (Eisenstein)? Read More|
|5 ||Great film !!!|
|Posted on Friday March 8, 2013, 01:21 by poznan56|
|Should be in first 20 ! Read More|
|6 ||Wrong !|
|Posted on Friday March 8, 2013, 01:04 by poznan56|
|It's not German occupation of Poland ! It's German occupation of Czechoslovakia ! Read More|
|7 ||Strange !|
|Posted on Friday March 8, 2013, 00:53 by poznan56|
|How about Loves of a Blonde ??? Who were design this list evidently loves Asian cinema and horrors ! Read More|
|Posted on Monday March 4, 2013, 12:49 by SurrealistClark|
|I feel disgusted looking at this list. You vastly overlooked three directors and some of their films.
Jacques Tati: The man is a genius on so many fronts. Probably the greatest comic director of all time. His composition was untouchable by anyone, and had great influence.
Luis Bunuel: My favourite director ever. Revolutionized what many believed in, created films in a vast array of genres. Un Chien Andalou is probably the most known short film of all time, and one of the greatest DEBUTS of all time.
Guddard: Le Mepris. Nuff said.
|Posted on Friday March 1, 2013, 07:17 by compie87|
|I haven't seen a lot of these, but of the ones I've seen I agree that they're all great films.
I thought it was interesting that Pan's Labyrinth was so high given that one of the lower-ranked movies (one that I haven't seen) said that Pan's Labyrinth drew a lot of it's ideas of escaping fascism with fantasy. I thought PL was great, but given that there is some other movie out there that it drew great influence from, I'm surprised it's regarded as such a high classic.
What about Jodorowsky though???
Holy Mountain. El Topo. Even Santa Sangre. I haven't seen anyone who makes movies like his.
Also great movies that didn't make the cut: Machuca, Tambien la lluvia (which plays on a similar political/fiction juxtapositon), and Castaway to the Moon (better than the American Castaway in my opinion) Read More|
|Posted on Friday March 1, 2013, 03:07 by jhsz|
|What abour the golem, the cabinet of doctor caligari, los olvidados, the life of others and trainspoitting (obviously they don't speak english) Read More|
|11 ||amelie is a terrible film|
|Posted on Wednesday February 13, 2013, 19:03 by lechacal|
|amelie is a shit film i saw it in grade 10 fr class and was disgusted by its stupidity and perversion, goes to show that french media has no taste in film and neither does empire, la haine should have been at # 2 instead of stupid amelie, fuck you empire and fuck fr ppl for having no taste in good film Read More|
|12 ||Unbelievable List|
|Posted on Tuesday February 12, 2013, 22:19 by ght805|
|Whilst admitting that I am not familiar with many of the films on the list, I am baffled by the absence of "Les Enfants du Paradis" - probably one of the 5 best films ever made and, arguably, the greatest. In addition, how can "Rififi" be on the list when the far more accomplished "Touchez Pas Au Grisbi" is not. Max Ophuls' brilliant "Madame de ....", described by Andrew Sarris as the most perfect film ever made is absent, as is the wonderful "Casque d'Or". Read More|
|Posted on Tuesday January 29, 2013, 20:51 by phewd|
|The Passion of Joan of Arc?
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari? Read More|
|14 ||Forgotten something?|
|Posted on Sunday December 9, 2012, 17:25 by marcus_widberg|
|What happened to ¨män som hatar kvinnor¨? Everybody agreed that noomi rapace was perfect as lisbeth salander. Shouldn't it be on here? Read More|
|Posted on Monday November 26, 2012, 10:17 by mihai|
|Lawrence of arabia, Night of the Generals, How to steal a million...
Peter O'Toole should be on the list, i think. Read More|
|16 || RE:|
|Posted on Friday November 9, 2012, 13:52 by SeanNessman|
| Stupid. Please read the title please. The films listed are not supposed to be in English. Read More|
|17 ||What about Flåklypa Grand Prix?!|
|Posted on Monday November 5, 2012, 13:32 by hegilla|
|Even though I might be a bit partial in this matter, being Norwegian and all, but Flåklypa Grand Prix should be on this list. You haven't seen it you say, well then you have something to look forward to!! If you like animation this is a real gem of a movie that deserves to be recognized. Read More|
|18 ||The Children of Heaven|
|Posted on Sunday October 14, 2012, 08:15 by mrmohitmishra|
|The movies like The Children of Heaven and LIfe is beautiful or the Secret in their eyes were not enlisted. Votes to each entry must have been disclosed Read More|
|19 || Oldboy deserves a spot in the top 10!!!|
|Posted on Monday October 8, 2012, 09:55 by TheLazyFilmBuff|
| I think Oldboy is one of the greatest films ever made! It's a shame not to even see it in the top 10 of this greatest world cinema list. Please more people be aware of this and then give it a higher voting. As this film is a hidden gem, I'm sure once the remake is made it will get a lot of recognition however I don't think nothing will be able to come close to the perfection of Oldboy!
Here is a review:
Edit - site rules don't allow advertising personal blogs/sites/youtube accounts in posts to direct users off=site. If you wish you may add a link to your sig though Read More|
|20 ||Some films that surely should have made this list!|
|Posted on Monday October 8, 2012, 09:51 by TheLazyFilmBuff|
|When I think of World cinema a lot of great films come in to my head however I was very surprised films like 'The Lives of Others', 'Swades', 'Departures', 'Confessions', 'Sanjuro', 'Intouchables' and Yojimbo is not on this list. Please is there way of users voting so we can get these films on there? I'm sure other users will not be disappointed with the films that I've mentioned. Read More|
|21 ||Movie # 26|
|Posted on Saturday September 29, 2012, 20:35 by chelath2000|
|As a young girl, movie #26 on your list, Belle et la Bete was my favorite movie. I was probably about six the first time I watched it. My father had it on VHS, and as soon as it'd finish I'd go get my father to rewind it so I could watch it again. I absolutely adore this movie. Read More|
|22 ||Not Much of a List|
|Posted on Wednesday July 11, 2012, 20:03 by bloomy333|
|Cant say I agree with the over-all representation here.
These are major figures. This is a list of the most popular films in world cinema, not the best.
Even in the case of Godard, his best films are not picked (Contempt, Pierrot le fou, My life to live).
What a shame. Read More|
|23 ||...just a few missing|
|Posted on Saturday April 21, 2012, 06:06 by taenial.romero|
|wheres Train of Life? Love´s a Bitch? Simpathy for Lady Vengeance? ...and what the hell is doing Amelie in the 2nd place? Read More|
|24 ||My Number 1....|
|Posted on Sunday March 25, 2012, 18:33 by Miss_Sushi|
|...would be Cinema Paradiso, just beautiful and it made me sob. Missing was Malena, City of the Lost Children, Brotherhood of the Wolf and La Reine Margot. Read More|
|25 ||MISSING TITLES:|
|Posted on Monday March 12, 2012, 13:22 by Johannez|
|-Abre los Ojos
-Lucia y el sexo
-C'est arrive pres de chez vous
-Monty Python & The holy Grail
+ Life of Brian (its in brittish language..;)
-Eagle vs Shark (australian language..)
..and lots and lots of really great documentaries!
|Posted on Monday March 5, 2012, 00:30 by rm310|
|The Lives of Others.... Amores Perros? Read More|
|Posted on Saturday March 3, 2012, 14:12 by AnindyaB|
|Am in agreement with Hashir Kareem's list to include Guru Dutt & other contemporary names e.g. Shyam Benegal.
For its incredible film structure, Bunuel's 'Phantom of Liberty' is a personal favourite! Read More|
|Posted on Saturday March 3, 2012, 14:06 by AnindyaB|
|Why should i see a list that fails Charles Chaplin ? And Billy Wilder? And Alfred Hitchcock? And Alain Rainey? And David Lean? And Antonioni? And Fernando Solanas? And Ilmaz Guney? Honestly, here there seems to be a disturbing bias towards violent Asian films; against Iranian films; and yes, against, believe me, British films (Lean/ Lindsay Anderson/ John Boorman/ Ridley Scott/ Danny Boyle etc)! This critic must acquaint himself/ herself with films made before 80s... in terms of craftsmanship and pathbreaking ideas they were unparalleled! Notable absentees are (in my opinion): Citizen Kane (did i miss it in the list... BTW, pressing d button 100 times means sore fingers, could you do something about it?), Dr Zhivago, Life is Beautiful, The Journey (Solanas), Last Year at Marienbad (or Hiroshima mon Amour), North by NorthWest (or Vertigo)...
Speaking of Indian films, the choices are apalling. Including the Ray trilogy is expectedly OK, but in the same breath as Devdas (that too, thRead More|
|29 ||A bit too heavy on Asian horror...|
|Posted on Saturday February 18, 2012, 18:31 by FrannyBlue|
|What about The Lives of Others or Troubled Water? Read More|
|Posted on Sunday January 1, 2012, 20:39 by Arek.Zacharski|
|The list missing "The Saragossa Manuscript" and "Stalker", both should be at very top of this list., "Promised Land" by Wajda could make it into first 50 as well. Also Tarkovsky movies (Solaris, Andrei Rublev) should be placed higher. Read More|
|31 ||Good list|
|Posted on Thursday December 15, 2011, 18:31 by MrPinkBatman|
|That's a great list, I'm only surprised that Leningrad Cowboys was the only finnish movie on the list. The Unknown Soldier could've had been here. After seeing this list I'm going to buy Infernal Affairs, The Seventh Seal, Downfall and maybe Let The Right One In and Battle Royale. Read More|
|Posted on Monday December 5, 2011, 10:00 by rachelparker|
|no La vita è bella or Banlieue 13? Read More|
|33 ||Unforgivable omissions|
|Posted on Saturday November 19, 2011, 07:06 by benwoulds|
|1. Grand Illusion - wow, arguably #1, just ask Orson Welles
2. The Passion of Joan of Arc
3. La Strada
6. Fanny and Alexander
7. Le Million
9. Elevator to the Gallows
10. Viridiana Read More|
|34 ||Great list but no Iranian films???|
|Posted on Monday November 14, 2011, 20:24 by MaryGet89|
|After going through this list I got a little bit puzzled because I haven't seen Iranian films in it. What about the films by acclaimed Iranian filmmakers like Kiarostami, Makhmalbaf, Mehrjui. To my mind this list does not represent the films from Islamic coutries at all - what about their perspective? It's terrific that you put "Persepolis" here but it's not quite Iranian production, is it? Read More|
|35 ||An Interesting List but missing quite a few|
|Posted on Monday October 24, 2011, 11:30 by MrRenegadePhoenix|
|Pan's Labyrinth, City of God, The Seventh Seal, Battleship Potemkin, Seven Samurai, Spirited Away - definately worthy of top 10 placement but where my two favourite films: Grave of the Fireflies & The Lives of Others? They are such great films and deserved placement in the top 50 without a doubt. Read More|
|36 ||Could ve been better|
|Posted on Friday September 16, 2011, 09:39 by hashirkareem|
|its impossible to make a top 100 list to satisfy all.. a real greatest movie list should have no number limit .. having said that,i think this list is quite strange !
Amelie is without doubt a very good film..but the 2nd best film of all time ?? you've got to be kidding !! that too when 81/2 is somewhere in the 60s !! Godard, Fellini etc should be much higher on any list !
There is hardly any representation of Iranian Cinema which has produced some of the best of world cinema in the last 3 or 4 decades !
At least one Emir Kusturica movie should've been on the list..there are many that it could've replaced.
The Indian choices have veered towards blockbusters rather than good cinema.. Including Devdas is like having "the Titanic" on the list of greatest movies .. its a blockbuster, no doubt, but is completely out of place on this list.. same goes for Lagaan or Mother India (though both are good films they are, by no means, ground breaking cinema) .. Films by Ghatak (coRead More|
|37 ||It Could be More International|
|Posted on Thursday June 30, 2011, 19:43 by bernpire|
|I don't disagree with the selection of films, but I do disagree with the lack of films from countries with an important film industry, such as Argentina, South Africa or Egypt. Well, Nigeria's Nollywood is indeed important, but I haven't seen yet a Nollywood film which I would argue for. I do think that Argentina's Carlos Sorin, has directed more than one film which should be here. Read More|
|38 || Pathetic|
|Posted on Tuesday June 28, 2011, 23:43 by Elishebaall|
| This list is outrageous.No Bresson films, no Bunuel films(except Un chien andalou), directors such as Godard and Tarkovskij are extremely low-ranked, while Amelie is considered to be a number 2.
At number 37, on "Rome Open City", you wrote "Magnagni as a pregnant Communist sympathizer and Fabrizzi as a noble priest", managing to spell incorrectly the names of both actors, Magnani and Fabrizi.
As part of the non-english speaking world I thank you for taking the non-english film world in such attentive consideration.
|Posted on Wednesday June 1, 2011, 00:31 by Rati23|
|Where the F..K is The Lives of Others, Princess Mononoke, Grave of Fireflies? Read More|
|Posted on Wednesday May 18, 2011, 06:52 by Ferociousaurus|
|I also feel like La Vita e Bella is a pretty big snub. Other than that, good list. Read More|
|41 || Great Hungarian films|
|Posted on Friday April 15, 2011, 12:43 by Bipbip|
| gri csillagok (1968, Stars of Eger) - historical war drama. ---- on IMDB fekete varos (1971 TV-series, The Black Town): ---- on IMDBonfoglalas (1996, The Conquest): ------ on IMDB]
|42 ||Bad selection|
|Posted on Sunday April 10, 2011, 18:33 by Von Goom|
|Irreversible, La femme Nikita, Khadak, Taste of Cherry, La Vita e Bella are out
Any of those titles is better than one or two dozen of your selection Read More|
|43 || RE: What?!|
|Posted on Monday November 22, 2010, 16:09 by sharkboy|
1. a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insuffici Read More|
|44 || RE: Great list, but..|
|Posted on Tuesday July 6, 2010, 07:56 by bizarro|
| My only real gripe with the list is how low Ikiru is. Read More|
|45 || RE: Pffft amend the list already|
|Posted on Sunday June 27, 2010, 21:26 by LastSamurai|
| After reading some posts i've watched a few of the films that weren't on the Top 100 list. Just finiished watchin Irreversible and WOW , great film. Gritty, real, and dark. Nicely acted and the "memento style" chronological way the film plays worked very well. Starts off a little slow but really gets going after 15 mins or so. If you've not seen this id personally recommend it. Defo a top 20 for me now.
|46 || RE: RE:|
|Posted on Sunday June 27, 2010, 12:03 by eldiabolik|
| I didn't see any Robert Bresson on that list, which in turn makes any such list worthless. A joke in fact. Read More|
|47 || RE:|
|Posted on Saturday June 26, 2010, 22:15 by fernetcontonica|
| I also think is worthy but being foreign myself and most films to my eyes too I find it rather odd myself and a list of myself would not be like this at all but that's a cultural perception issue. There's a set of films that hoarde the attention and some truly awesome stuff is not even left off on purpose because they don't even get any presence. Sometimes films that arrived here quickly take even a couple of years to hit the UK. It's not Empire's fault at all but I'd like to see them venturing deeper into the films the world offers.
|48 || RE: What is the "world" anyway?|
|Posted on Friday June 25, 2010, 16:32 by rawlinson|
| L: Julmis
I'm sure I'm not the first person to comment on the vaguely patronising tone of this whole thing, effectively setting a separate kids table for films made in other languages.
Or maybe it's a magazine trying to expand the viewing of their core fanbase by recommending 100 non-English language films? The list might not be perfect, these kind of lists never are, but it's a worthy aim. Talking about it as a kid's table is just seeing what you want to see instead of what's actually there.
films are then selected from those known in this country, leaving in the wilderness hundreds of possibly great or greater films which have not had the luck or funding to come to the attention of the English-speaking world. p;
And maybe the more that publications like Empire encourage an interest in foreign language films the more likely it is that a fanbase will grow and people will find themselves searching out more obscure films. Read More|
|49 || RE: What is the "world" anyway?|
|Posted on Friday June 25, 2010, 16:20 by elab49|
| World Cinema would be a standard recognised category in this country used by all sites and DVD outlets. It is clearly from really one point of view - but it is a British magazine, so World being defined as non-English language isn't patronising. It just 'is'. Read More|
|50 || RE: RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 21, 2010, 23:55 by TimBurtonVoodooGirl|
| I think Pan's Labyrinth should of been higher, it's one of the best films ever made!!
And I agree with Popcorn Required, where is Amores Perros?? And also films like Life Is Beautiful, Talk To Her, Volver. You said that Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown wasn't as scrubbed up as Volver, so why didn't you include volver in your list?? >.> Apart from that, some pretty good films, not sure how much I agree with the rankings though :-/ Un Chien Andalou should of been a bit higher I think, though. 80 years and it still manages to shock and disturb it's audiences, that is impressive. Read More|
|51 || RE: RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 21, 2010, 16:13 by spamandham|
| Oh and this list inspired me to finally get round to watching Let the right one in.
So well done.
|52 || RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 21, 2010, 16:11 by spamandham|
| The 'what not to say' on the Polanski entry made me lol Read More|
|53 || RE: This list sucks|
|Posted on Sunday June 20, 2010, 22:43 by Miles Messervy 007|
oh you make me laugh
|54 || RE: nice list, but...|
|Posted on Sunday June 20, 2010, 19:13 by Ultimo Lee|
| L: nunojordao
ame 852th........which is way too high
|55 || RE: RE:|
|Posted on Sunday June 20, 2010, 02:07 by Perros|
| Absolutely terrible list. Good movies, terrible rankings. Also, no way in hell should Spirited Away be that high in the list. I've seen this movie twice and it's not as good as you all make it out to be. Read More|
|56 || RE:|
|Posted on Saturday June 19, 2010, 23:45 by hiptobesquare_x|
| It isn't an appalling list but when you consider the fact that it is composed of every film not from the UK or the USA then 100 is a ridiculously small number to narrow it down to. I think it's as good a place as any to start for someone who wants to get in to World Cinema (eurgh how naff that sounds...). You get the picture. Read More|
|57 || RE: This list sucks|
|Posted on Saturday June 19, 2010, 23:01 by swordsandsandals|
oh Empire, you make me laugh
hy? Because they don't have exactly the same film taste as you? Read More|
|58 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Saturday June 19, 2010, 17:09 by Miles Messervy 007|
| L: elab49
It'd certainly be interesting definition wise if posters like Dantes and Fernetcontonica took part ote]Eh-khm.
The list is an odd mix, but I had suitably low expectations and a horrible film at number 2 is sort of redeemed by some of the more interesting choices. Read More|
|59 || RE: Top 100|
|Posted on Saturday June 19, 2010, 01:38 by LastSamurai|
| Hmmm... Ichi the Killer? Plus im enjoying hearing everyones opinions on other films they think should be on the list. The several that a few people have mentioned that weren't i'm gonna try and watch. Perhaps if people could write a little about each film that was missed off people can just look em up and draw there own conclusions. Then we could perhaps do our own Top 100 with a more "educated" audience.
|60 || RE:|
|Posted on Thursday June 17, 2010, 14:46 by Qwerty Norris|
| A good list there Empire, admittedly there's a lot I haven't seen but looking at what's on it I'm intrigued to see a number of stuff there.
Still, I'm pretty disappointed you couldn't find a spot for the likes of Fitzcarraldo, the Lives of Others, the Diving Bell & the Butterfly, Au Revoir Les Enfants & the Return- and yet find room for the likes of Infernal Affairs to be so high on the list.
Each to their own though I guess.....
|61 || RE: The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema|
|Posted on Tuesday June 15, 2010, 19:28 by demoncleaner|
| Just to point out a wee bijou error-ette (for my own near-sexual gratification than for editorial concern) but the Rashomon remake that credits Kurosawa as co-writer is ragebsp; lawsp;
*lights cigarette* Read More|
|62 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Tuesday June 15, 2010, 00:18 by benskelly|
| L: rawlinson
Films not in the English Language then?
With the obvious rule that Na'vi doesn't count as a language.
Or Klingon. Read More|
|63 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Tuesday June 15, 2010, 00:17 by rawlinson|
| L: swordsandsandals
Films not in the English Language then?
With the obvious rule that Na'vi doesn't count as a language. Read More|
|64 || RE: Mesrine!!!??|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 22:03 by Piles|
| L: Bobby TwoTimes
Possibly one of the greatest gangster movies ever made, certainly Vincent Cassel's masterpiece and the best French films since Irreversible (another one missing!).
Not a great list Empire, it must be said.
here's not a single Rohmer film in this list and you are complaining about Mesrine?
|65 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:59 by Piles|
| Also, Amelie at number two? Highest Godard at number 75? And that's 'Breathless'? Your list is rubbish. Read More|
|66 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:58 by benskelly|
So true, Piles.
You gotta' admit though - sure gets us clicking like monkeys with a cocaine button. Read More|
|67 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:55 by Piles|
| Dear Empire,
Please in future can you make it so I don't have to press next a hundred times before I can be outraged by one of your lists. I would much rather be outraged in the space of a simple scroll down a texted list.
|68 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:53 by swordsandsandals|
| Films not in the English Language then? Read More|
|69 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:35 by elab49|
| It'd certainly be interesting definition wise if posters like Dantes and Fernetcontonica took part Read More|
|70 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 21:24 by swordsandsandals|
| Top 100 World Cinema films - that could be an interesting one for us lot at Lists, Elab. Read More|
|71 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 20:07 by elab49|
| 'course posters could list their personal top 100 World Cinema films, and also confirm they've seen each and every one of the Empire 100.
Just for context. Read More|
|72 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 19:39 by rawlinson|
| L: swordsandsandals
How many more people are just going to list films they like but aren't in? They couldn't include every film, and chances are they don't like the one you keep harping on about as much as you do. Simple as that.
Have you never read one of these threads before? Read More|
|73 || RE: Another interesting addition to the list...|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 18:29 by swordsandsandals|
| How many more people are just going to list films they like but aren't in? They couldn't include every film, and chances are they don't like the one you keep harping on about as much as you do. Simple as that.
On another note, where was Once? I get it was in English, but it should be in every list ever. Read More|
|74 || RE: Very Bad Empire.|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 17:54 by SYMONDS|
| That what I said, using some what dubious grammer. Read More|
|75 || RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 13:28 by Kendra71|
| Please tell me I'm not the only person who saw and loved Avalon ? Wondered about the awesome Belleville Triplets, but couldn't think whether it was foreign language or in fact silent except for the song. Happy to see Pan's Labyrinth so high. I wish I could speak spanish so I could watch the film instead of the subtitles, but its still fantastic. Battle Royle should have been higher as its a riot. Interesting list all in all. Reminded me to put Metropolis on my Amazon wish list. Read More|
|76 || RE: Very Bad Empire.|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 12:25 by dankeane|
| Eh... Das Boot was made in 1981. What are you talking about? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082096/ Read More|
|77 || RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 07:46 by benskelly|
| L: KillerKane
Maybe for Most Disturbing Use Of A Fire Extinguisher, otherwise...nope. Read More|
|78 || RE: Oldboy is good enough to be that high in the list.|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 07:37 by benskelly|
| Wow, a lot of posters on here have terrible taste...
BATTLE ROYALE is utter crap. It is one of the stupidest films I've ever seen.
SUSPIRIA is the second biggest piece of crap.
CROUCHING TIGER has it's moments, but is incredibly overrated.
FLYING DAGGERS, on the other hand, is a giddy fucking masterpiece and visual feast - so for those of you saying "what???"...you're wrong. Just FYI.
Now could we stop mentioning THE LIVES OF OTHERS over and over again? It was a very good film, maybe great, and should have been in the lower half of the list.
I criticized the list, but jokingly. It's a fine list. There's no pleasing everyone. And I love all these people who want to fill the Top Ten only with films from the last five years. Gimme' a break. Watch an old movie once in a while, you snotnosed brats. Otherwise you really have no idea what you're talking about. AndRead More|
|79 || RE:|
|Posted on Monday June 14, 2010, 01:28 by Ultimo Lee|
| Why when there's a list is there so many first time posters?
Not bad managed to have seen 53 of them, my top 10 in no particular order would be
City of God
Jean de Florette / Manon des Sources
|80 || RE:|
|Posted on Sunday June 13, 2010, 18:12 by Deviation|
| Yes there are some strange omissions but still a great 100 List nontheless. Read More|
|81 || RE: Missing in favor of violence?|
|Posted on Saturday June 12, 2010, 23:18 by swordsandsandals|
| I'm going to focus on the positives.
The Seven Samurai, Ikiru, My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, Aguirre, City of God, Pan's Labyrinth and others are all masterpieces. I'm only in the Top 50 at the moment as well. Read More|
|82 || RE: Missing in favor of violence?|
|Posted on Saturday June 12, 2010, 20:29 by benskelly|
| Okay, I have my gripes as well...
First of all, not including PELLE THE CONQUERER is a sin of the highest order. Secondly, HOUSE OF THE FLYING DAGGERS should be much higher up, and I'd dump CROUCHING TIGER...
Then you need to open up your eyes to Jacques Becker's French crime masterpieces: LE TROU (THE HOLE), TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI, and CASQUE D'OR.
And the Japanese samurai classic HARA KIRI.
And where's BETTY BLUE? Or, for that matter, LA FEMME NIKITA??
|83 || RE: RE:|
|Posted on Saturday June 12, 2010, 16:07 by evildave69|
| Reader's Poll eh? Do you not remember 'The 50 Worst Films Ever' list. If anything it proves that readers as a collective, whether Empire or not, no a truck load of fuck-all. Read More|
|84 || RE:|
|Posted on Saturday June 12, 2010, 15:42 by JapStrangler|
| L: mcclane3011
Just the 1 bruce lee movie? Hardboiled needs to be much higher! and what about the killer...where the hell was that??!! Also what about jackie Chan's project A. At the risk of pissing a lot of people off seven samurai is much over rated and needs to be much lower. Korean war epic brotherhood should be on the list.Perhaps next time this kind of list is done it should be a list compiled by readers.
ally, why can't we have a reader's poll?
|85 || RE:|
|Posted on Saturday June 12, 2010, 10:09 by itzibitzius|
| They mixed up the descriptions of Touki Bouki and Xala... Get it sorted Empire! Read More|
|86 || RE: Did I miss BETTY BLUE in there? wtf|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 21:58 by Megalo-who?|
and how about STALKER hmmm.
ther than Andrei Rublev and Solaris, Empire never mentions Tarkovsky. But yes, Mirror, Stalker, Notalgia and The Sacrifice should all be on there. Oh yeah and The Lives Of Others, a glaring omission considering the populist nature of the list and the fact that it towers above. Read More|
|87 || Devdas and Lagaan, seriously?|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 20:16 by SultanAmeer|
| I won't argue about great movies like Rashomon and Nosferatu are lower in the list than less-great movie like Let The Right One In, City of God and Pan's Labyrinth because this won't change the mind of the person(s) who compiled that list but what about two not so great Bollywood movies in the list. Devdas and Lagaan both upper in the list than Mother India, seriously? Even most Bollywood critics won't agree with that. What about real great Bollywood movies like Pyaasa, Devdas (1955), Do Bigha Zamin, these movies are way better than Devdas and Lagaan and they are not even in that list. They should've research more before compiling that list.
What's the issue with this quote "Shahrukh Khan isn't the Tom Cruise of Bollywood. Tom Cruise is the Shahrukh Khan of Hollywood!" They certainly didn't watch Shahrukh Khan's other performances or they just don't like Tom Cruise.
Doesn't Das Boot released in 1981? Read More|
|88 || RE:|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 19:31 by The Waco Kid|
| what about Man bites dog ( i thought it was bloody funny)
or two films i think beat jean de florette/manon des source they being
la gloire de mon pere
le chateau de ma mere
|89 || RE:|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 18:42 by Boyden|
| What is the reasoning to leaving out The Lives of others, Irreversible, Funny Games and Alexander Nevsky? Read More|
|90 || RE: Honestly, how could you miss|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 16:12 by livila|
Au revoir, les enfants?????
ve that film too. Read More|
|91 || RE: Great list|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 16:08 by livila|
| L: edwardon
Great list, but I'd also like to have seen included Letters from Iwo Jima, The Lives of Others, La Mala Educacion, Eat Drink Man Woman, The Orphanage and e Margotote]
Yes, definately La Reine Margot. I think with a proper dvd release rather than the cut US version, this film would be remembered again. Full version is available in Germany but not France.
Other than that, great list. Personally I'd have After the Wedding, Volver and Twin Sisters in there. Read More|
|92 || RE: COME AND SEE'S A BIG PILE OF SHIT!|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 16:04 by Mrs.Doyle|
| Ki-duk Kim's 2003 , Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring"eoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom) anyone?? Amazing Korean film that had us enthralled when shown on TV a few years back./align]Also nd Jim]Cinema Paradiso Top Ten! Read More|
|93 || RE: Missing?|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 14:24 by tftrman|
| Some of the suggestions people are making just wouldn't get near a top 100 list -
City Of Lost Children - It's good but uneven in tone and the ending is badly written.
Sympathy For Mr Vengeance - Not even the best of Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy
Irreversible - That's a tough one, it's a really powerful film but there's no re-watch appeal for me so wouldn't make the list either.
|94 || RE: Missing?|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 13:58 by Helen OHara|
| Just to address a few of the points raised, we make no apologies whatsoever for the films on the list or their placement. This list was derived from a MUCH longer long list which included most of those y'all have suggested (except A Very Long Engagement - it ain't all that) and we narrowed it down to something that felt fair and representative to us.
On a couple of the smaller mistakes, we're fixing those now. The classification of Persepolis and Un Chien Andalou as non-French was partly because of the directors and partly (if I'm honest) trying not to make it such a home run for the darn Frenchies, who have a nasty habit of making consistently brilliant films.
|95 || RE: I'll be the first to bitch...|
|Posted on Friday June 11, 2010, 11:14 by Funkyrae|
THE ORPHANAGE? IRREVERSIBLE? actually, 'The greatest films not in the English language'? o where were PASSION OF THE CHRIST and APOCALYPTO?at about Snake-Eyes' Favourite - LE PACTE DES LOUPS?!
opefully in the bin where they belong! Read More| | <urn:uuid:b9f41035-a870-417e-8877-1a5341dfa03b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.empireonline.com/features/100-greatest-world-cinema-films/default.asp?film=100 | 2013-05-19T18:53:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368697974692/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095254-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939377 | 9,287 |
We get lost while hiking to the Laguna de Alegría in this travel video from 2 Backpackers, Jason and Aracely Castellani, while visiting Alegría, El Salvador. In travel video episode #13, our patience is tested when things go wrong. At one point, we walked with rocks in our hands unsure of our surroundings. Enjoy the show!
El Salvador continued to surprise us. Not with the big cities, which we weren’t impressed by, but rather the wonderful towns and villages we encountered. Between the Food Festivals of Juayúa and the colorful flowers of Alegría, we had come to realize, El Salvador was best explored outside the big cities.
Alegría, El Salvador
Alegría has to be one of the cleanest towns in El Salvador. Waste baskets painted creatively line the plaza alongside endless flowers, hence the name, Alegría. Upon asking our hostel host what made this town so concerned with cleanliness, he explained that the community realized benefits from tourism. As we sit at one of the few restaurants in town surrounding the main plaza, local musicians serenade us for some tips. It’s a relaxing atmosphere with kids playing soccer around the gazebo and local buses dropping visitors off durring weekend flower sales. It’s relaxing until you become lost in the nearby forest of Tecapa.
Laguna de Alegría
While staying in Alegría, El Salvador it’s necessary to visit Laguna de Alegría, a green hot spring fed sulfur lake inside the crater of volcano Tecapa that exudes mysticism. From Alegría’s town center you can easily walk 45 minutes in sandals along a cobblestone road or hire a guide to take you on a 2-hour hike up and over the crater’s ridge then down to the lakes edge. Of course, Aracely and I opted for the hike. Our hostel recommended a local kid to guide us with complete confidence.
We woke up the next morning and ate pupusas for breakfast, packed 2 liters of water and met our guide Tulio outside the hostel at 9:00am. The hostel owner advised us that we could trek in sandals since the hike was brief and easy. We didn’t wear boots, but we did choose something sturdier than sandals. Aracely and I both strapped on our Teva hiking sandals instead and dressed in shorts and t-shirts. We were told that at the foot of the lake was a tienda selling snacks and drinks, so it wasn’t necessary to pack any food.
As we walked away from the hostel, Tulio, our guide, began educating us on the history of Volcano Tecapa. Coffee farms were plenty and we sucked on a few of the red ripe beans for energy, similar to the ways of the coffee harvesters. The hike began slowly on easily traversed trails through coffee farms and then prairie landscapes as we neared the top of the volcano. One of the most beautiful sites along the trail was the constant bright color from flower bushes and trees. Once along the crater’s ridge we had several views down on the town of Alegría. We crossed a radio tower patrolled by several military men and then turned left down into the crater via a vague trail. It was 10:30am and our journey was about to begin.
We seemed to be following a trail for the first 30 minutes down the lush crater walls. After that we were literally skiing down steep dirt slopes. It was peculiar considering we were told we could hike in sandals. A few slips on our butts and hands and the leisurely stroll quickly turned into an extremely difficult hike with no trails. Our guide led the way with his dull wailing machete. I laughed a few times and Aracely smiled; we were thrilled by the idea that this was a more challenging hike than we initially imagined.
Lost in a Volcano Crater
An hour after we descended into the crater Tulio alerts us that we are off the trail we intended to take. He explained that the farmers must have covered the trail with brush or the trail had naturally overgrown. I guess it’s not traveled much during the low season. No worries, we were with a local guide. We moved on searching for the trail that would lead us to the crater lake. All volcano craters aren’t created equal and this one was covered in thick forest, steep rock walls and was of significant size. The crater walls were filled with v-shaped valleys, so in order to traverse around the crater in a circle you needed to hike large ‘W’ patterns along the crater walls to avoid the steep cliffs. During our search we passed grazing horses and cows. It’s hard to image how thick the forest was considering I just mentioned animals were grazing, but I assure you, I was as stunned as you are reading this. We continued hiking and it soon became apparent to Aracely and I that Tulio was lost. Our smiles disappeared, our stomachs growled of hunger and we began to question our guides’ next steps.
It was 12:30pm; we should have arrived at the lake at 11:00am. We had finished 1 liter of water already, not expecting to hike long. The trek had become so dangerous that for the first time I was scared not only for Aracely, but for myself. I couldn’t handle the feeling of being scared and I started to become very frustrated. Tulio climbed 10 meters up a tree to orient himself with the crater. He was wearing a pair of jeans and worn through Vans and only carried 1 liter of water. Looking for the power lines from the radio station that stood atop the crater, Tulio shouted to us that it was only 30 minutes to the power lines and then we can start over on the correct trail. We faithfully followed his lead, traversing the crater’s walls to the power lines.
Falling & Slipping
I stepped on a log that collapsed like a booby trap and covered my boot in termite infested wood dust. A black scorpion grazed my hand as I cleared some dirt off a rock for gripping. Tulio said we were lucky the snakes weren’t out today, because they are extremely poisonous; I was pleased to know that the scorpions were not. Our Teva hiking sandals were not meant for this hike. We constantly had to remove them to shake out the dirt and rocks caught between our feet and the sandal’s bottom. I haven’t figured out what these overly engineered sandals are designed for, besides walking around town. Even in rivers they seem to trap every little pebble. Long pants would have also been a great benefit, since thorns gave us cuts and scraps on our legs. More important than all those luxuries is the need for food and water. My energy was draining quickly. We hadn’t eaten in over 5 hours and we stopped drinking our remaining water for fear of not getting out of the forest before the sun set at 5:30pm.
An hour after we began to look for power lines, Tulio, using his cellular phone, called the hostel for advice. Aracely listened in on the conversation. He was clearly lost and they couldn’t help him much considering he didn’t know where he was. I feared Tulio was still trying to get to the lake. At this point, I wanted out of the forest and didn’t care about the lake at all. Tulio knew we were upset and he was too. He kept quiet. Most frustrating for us was the fact that Tulio did not know this mountain. I asked Aracely to explain to Tulio that we wanted off the mountain as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, he was still trying to get us down the crater, so we quickly switched directions and headed straight up. After 15 minutes we ran into thick bush that we couldn’t get through. We backtracked, then went up again in a different direction. This time we scaled a rock wall that tested my rock climbing ability. I made it, paused and told Aracely we are not going to do anything like that again. It was too dangerous and getting hurt on this mountain would only make the situation worse.
No Way Out of Laguna de Alegría
We continuously ran into obstacles and couldn’t climb straight up out of the crater. Tulio received a phone call from the hostel and they recommended he circle back around the inside of the crater, from where we began and search for a road the locals use connecting the towns of Alegría and Santiago de Maria. That meant it would take another 2 hours possibly to go back in the same direction we came from. We began to make the journey. It was now 2:00pm and we were becoming mentally drained. The hike back was just as difficult, because we couldn’t find the path we had cut initially. I was carrying Aracely’s backpack at this point and we kept the two water bottles in the side pockets. During a muddy ascent up a steep wall, one of the bottles fell out. I decided to take off the backpack and attempt to recover it. Once I reached the bottle, I realized I needed both hands to scale back up the muddy slope. Tulio had climbed half way down to where I was so I threw him the bottle. It was a bad choice. I should have put the bottle in my shirt. My throw was short and the bottle fell again, this time farther, to unknown bottom. Tulio adamantly offered to retrieve it, but I insisted he not. I know he felt bad about the situation, but it wasn’t worth putting our selves in danger again. The bottle stayed. As I climbed back up and grabbed the backpack again I realized it had an 8-inch slice through the main compartment. The thorns must have cut right through it as it scraped the hedges we crawled under.
After hiking another hour we reached a road! It was a great feeling of relief and a sure sign we weren’t spending the night on the volcano. Confidently, we marched down the road to what I believed was going to eventually be the lake. We came to a few crossroads and our guide hesitantly chose a direction and we went with it. After only 30 minutes walking along the cobblestone winding road, our guide began to knock on the metals doors of some rural dwellings. To help put it into perspective, these were extremely primitive huts where peasant families lived on the volcano surrounded by thick forest. The doors granted access to their property and were sometimes far from the actual house. There were no answers to our knocks. We were still lost.
We walked for several kilometers up and down steep grades, passing locals carrying water and wood to their homes on cattle and horses. I had reached total exhaustion and sat on the road for a rest. It was clear to me that we needed to collect fruit for the night. I asked Aracely to communicate to Tulio our need for food and water for the evening. By his reaction, it appeared that Tulio still felt confident we were going to make it out before dusk. It was 3:30pm and the sun would be setting in 2 hours. Our guide stopped as we neared some drum playing in the distance. Seizing the opportunity to rest, I sat on the road again. This is not a road traveled by vehicles so there is no risk of being run over. After speaking with some locals passing by Tulio informed us that we were close to a neighboring city of Alegría, named Santiago de Maria. Aracely asked if there were buses in Santiago de Maria that we could take to Alegría. The local responded yes. This was it… a way out. As the locals left, Aracely and I were already walking to the next town. Tulio halted us and explained that the drums in the background came from the homes of bandits. This was a gut wrenching feeling. He gave us the choice of walking through the neighborhoods of bandits, risking losing our camcorder and SLR camera and our safety, or heading in the other direction towards what should be Alegría. Aracely was willing to make the short hike to Santiago de Maria to ensure we escape the volcano before dusk, but I wasn’t comfortable risking our safety and equipment. I would rather sleep on the volcano than knowingly risk her safety. Tulio didn’t want to take us the route of the bandits either and was relieved we decided to return in the direction we came.
No Food or Water
As we walked uphill heading to one of the first crossroads we encountered while hiking on the road, Aracely and I continually fell behind Tulio, struggling to maintain enough energy. After passing fruit trees earlier in the hike, I couldn’t believe there was none to be found when we needed it most. We arrived at the crossroad and headed down a new route; this time through a locals property with their permission. She explained that Alegría was about 3 kilometers away and a difficult walk. A hint of hope began to emerge amongst us. Tulio was able to find a local to provide him some water, but unfortunately for Aracely and I, we couldn’t risk drinking the local water for fear of getting ill. It was 4:00pm and Tulio shouts to us that we have arrived. Arrived at what, we thought. The area seemed no different than the last 2 hours, with no town in sight. More specifically, he knew the road, and knew we would make it off the volcano before dusk. Relieved, we all dropped the large rocks we had been carrying for defense. 30 minutes later, we arrived at the entrance to the crater lake and the tienda for drinks and snacks. We ordered two sugar drinks and three waters to share between the three of us. My body changed immediately. You gain a strong understanding of the importance of food and water during extreme activity. After regaining strength and mental motivation we told Tulio we had no desire to visit the lake today, we just wanted to get home.
A Hike for Another Day
Along the road back to Alegría, we purchased three oranges from a local girl and savored the sweetness of comfort. Comfort knowing our challenges were done for the day and no one was injured. We arrived home at 4:45pm, 45 minutes before dusk. We would return the next day to experience the sulfur lake, known as Laguna de Alegría, minus the 7.5-hour hike. | <urn:uuid:22441a09-85dc-4f06-a64b-3563663db324> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://2backpackers.com/7362/travel-videos/lost-in-laguna-de-alegria-el-salvador-video-ep13 | 2013-05-22T14:52:29Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979923 | 3,067 |
The College’s new policy lacks a comprehensive perspective and too readily discourages the use of opioids. The dearth of valid evidence should lead EPs to a balanced approach on pain, rather than a restrictive one.
In June, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) published a new clinical policy entitled: “Critical Issues in the Prescribing of Opioids for Adult Patients in the Emergency Department”. As the opening lines explain, the guidelines were intended, “for adult patients presenting to the ED with acute noncancer pain or an acute exacerbation of chronic noncancer pain.” Unfortunately, despite the panel’s best efforts, the policy falls short in many ways. It is severely limited by a lack of well done studies in this area, most recommendations are Level C recommendations and there were no experts in chronic pain involved in the development of this policy. As a result, the policy, as written, has the potential to encourage physicians to decrease opioids and under-treat pain.
Perhaps the most limiting aspect of this policy is that the recommendations have not been placed within the greater context of all analgesics and the totality of acute pain care, resulting in almost no discussion as to how the prescription of opioids falls within the comprehensive approach to acute pain in the ED. But that is only the first of many problems for this pain policy.
We can all agree that there are very negative points about opioids. First, opioid misuse amongst teenagers is a rising concern with more than 25% of adolescents having misused prescription opioids. The number one source of their drugs is from their parents’ medicine cabinet, because the parents have failed to secure them properly – and we have failed to educate those parents on how to secure them properly. Second, there has been a rise in opioid-associated deaths as the incidence of opioid prescriptions for pain has risen. This is not something to be ignored but should be considered in context of the adverse effects of analgesics that could potentially be prescribed instead of opioids; the amount of morbidity and deaths associated with NSAIDs far surpasses that of opioids, with up to 20% of all new cases of CHF linked to the use of this category of drug. We do not see major national associations decrying NSAIDs – why so much publicity about opioids? The answer is that opioids create an emotional reaction that NSAIDs do not. Third, opioids as a group are can be abused and can lead to criminal behavior. As emergency physicians we are neither agents of law enforcement nor addiction medicine experts - we are patient advocates. Unfortunately as study after study has shown, we do not advocate very well for our patients in pain.
The prescribing of opioids can be both contentious and emotionally charged. Most emergency physicians have not been trained to properly evaluate aberrant drug-related behavior (ADRB), nor how to objectively screen for addiction. ADRB is a term that describes a spectrum of behavior spanning from the mildly problematic (such as hoarding medications to have extra doses during times of more severe pain) to felonies (such as selling medications).
As a result, many physicians distrust any patient that either asks for opioids or manifests ADRB, which is unfortunate given that most victims of oligoanalgesia – the undertreatment of pain – manifest such behavior. Studies of sickle cell patients have demonstrated that 100% of patients in vaso-occlusive crisis have had to use ADRB in an attempt to obtain pain relief.
Contrary to the ACEP statement that pain is associated with 42% of ED visits, actual data show it is closer to 80%. The rate of addiction in society is 10-12% when alcohol is included. Assuming the worse case scenario, that would mean there are 8 times more people in pain coming to our EDs than there are people hoping to divert opioids. So why do we keeping focusing more on the smaller group than on the (much) larger one? A recent Canadian survey showed that the average medical school curriculum spent 1/5 the amount of time on education about pain than did veterinary schools, and almost no time on addiction and aberrant drug-related behaviors. Perhaps the first step should be educating the medical profession in these areas rather than trying to establish inadequate policies for ill-trained physicians.
So let’s look at the four recommendations from the new policy:
1) In the adult ED patient with noncancer pain for whom opioid prescriptions are considered, what is the utility of state prescription drug monitoring programs in identifying patients who are at high risk for opioid abuse? Level C recommendations. The use of a state prescription monitoring program may help identify patients who are at high risk for prescription opioid diversion or doctor shopping.
No one can disagree with state prescription drug monitoring programs, although opioid monitoring is probably one of their lesser utilities. Instant access to medication lists and rapidly identifying drug-drug interactions – the cause of over 10% of all hospital admissions – is an essential part of medical practice today.
2. In the adult ED patient with acute low back pain, are prescriptions for opioids more effective during the acute phase than other medications? Level C recommendations. (1) For the patient being discharged from the ED with acute low back pain, the emergency physician should ascertain whether nonopioid analgesics and nonpharmacologic therapies will be adequate for initial pain management. (2) Given a lack of demonstrated evidence of superior efficacy of either opioid or nonopioid analgesics and the individual and community risks associated with opioid use, misuse, and abuse, opioids should be reserved for more severe pain or pain refractory to other analgesics rather than routinely prescribed. (3) If opioids are indicated, the prescription should be for the lowest practical dose for a limited duration eg, <1 week), and the prescriber should consider the patient’s risk for opioid misuse, abuse, or diversion.
There is little evidence to support these recommendations, but absence of evidence is not evidence of absence of effect. It has been demonstrated that of the non-traumatic causes of pain presenting to the ED, back pain and dental pain are the two that consistently score the highest on pain scales. Acute back pain is usually associated with considerable muscle spasm; opioids have several neurobiological reasons why they are the most effective agents for relieving acute painful muscle spasm. ACEP seems to be making two statements with this policy:
- Opioids are not superior to non-opioids for back pain
- Given the risks associated with opioids, they should be used when pain is refractory to other agents. Since we are the first physicians to see these patients, except for very severe cases, this suggests we should not be prescribing opioids for back pain at discharge.
This therefore is a recommendation that states – rare cases excepted – ACEP feels people with back pain, the most painful non-traumatic condition presenting to the ED, should not receive a prescription for opioids at discharge. This also indirectly suggests patients with back pain should not receive opioids while in the ED. Since oral muscle relaxants do not exist (despite what marketing tells you), and rapid access to physiotherapy or chiropractic care is not possible for most ED patients, this essentially means ACEP is recommending acetaminophen or an NSAID as our only options for most people with new onset acute back pain. This comes despite the policy itself stating: “NSAIDs are slightly effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute and chronic low back pain” This is an unacceptable position for
ACEP to take, and requires much better definition than has been provided.
An excellent part of the recommendation, however, should not be ignored: we need to limit the duration of the prescriptions we provide. Muscle spasm can be controlled within 48 hours with round-the-clock opioids. Patients who continue to have severe pain after 3-4 days should be reassessed, for it would not be expected for most patients to still have severe pain that long, even while recognizing that the pain from a low back problem may last months. It has been documented far too often that emergency physicians provide opioid analgesics in quantities that would last for weeks. Since we do not provide ongoing care, nor the required monitoring for ongoing opioid use, our opioid prescriptions should be of short duration. I would recommend no more than 3-4 days for low back pain, with follow up with a primary care provider by the end of that time period.
3. In the adult ED patient for whom opioid prescription is considered appropriate for treatment of new onset acute pain, are short-acting schedule II opioids more effective than short-acting schedule III opioids? Level B recommendations. For the short-term relief of acute musculoskeletal pain, emergency physicians may prescribe short-acting opioids such as oxycodone or hydrocodone products while considering the benefits and risks for the individual patient. Level C recommendations. Research evidence to support superior pain relief for short-acting schedule II over schedule III opioids is inadequate.
As with recommendation #2, this recommendation relies on absence of evidence to state that weaker opioids (Schedule III) are as good as stronger opioids (Schedule II)
Emergency physicians should only initiate short acting opioids, for sustained release preparations and long duration opioids (e.g. methadone) require close monitoring and titration within the first week. The exception to this recommendation is the sustained release oxycodone preparation (OxyNeo®), which does not accumulate over time. The ACEP recommendations again rely on minimal evidence and ignore long standing World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. The WHO established the ‘Pain Ladder’ for cancer-related pain where it recommends initiation of weaker opioids before using stronger opioids for ongoing pain. This current policy refutes the validity of the WHO position, saying that if given in equianalgesic doses, all opioids are the same. That statement might be valid, if weaker oral opioids could be titrated to the amount required while still being tolerated. That is not true for either codeine or meperidine in patients with severe pain; hydrocodone preparations are usually prescribed in combination preparations, preventing the physician from prescribing the required amount of hydrocodone to provide optimal pain relief. In other words, Schedule III opioids cannot provide equianalgesic results to Schedule II opioids given the adverse effects and dosing limitations.
Surprisingly, ACEP recommends oxycodone instead of morphine as a first line choice despite the former’s recognized high rate of abuse in North America. Morphine induces much less euphoria and is misused to a far lesser degree than most other opioids. Since ACEP says all opioids are equal in equianalgesic doses, why has ACEP not mentioned morphine as a valid option?
One concern from this pain policy is the amount of “creep” that is likely to occur. If ACEP recommends oxycodone or hydrocodone for acute MSK pain after discharge, many physicians are likely to reason that these oral medications will suffice in the ED for patients with severe MSK pain. That is a mindset one would hope that ACEP does not encourage; direction with respect to management of acute severe MSK pain in the ED should have been stated much more clearly in this policy.
4. In the adult ED patient with an acute exacerbation of noncancer chronic pain, do the benefits of prescribing opioids on discharge from the ED outweigh the potential harms? Level C recommendations. (1) Physicians should avoid the routine prescribing of outpatient opioids for a patient with an acute exacerbation of chronic noncancer pain seen in the ED. (2) If opioids are prescribed on discharge, the prescription should be for the lowest practical dose for a limited duration (eg, <1 week), and the prescriber should consider the patient’s risk for opioid misuse, abuse, or diversion. (3) The clinician should, if practicable, honor existing patient-physician pain contracts/treatment agreements and consider past prescription patterns from information sources such as prescription drug monitoring programs.
Inherent to the prescription of opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is that they come from only one prescriber. The patient with CNCP should also have specific instructions from that prescriber as to how to act when an acute flare up occurs. For neuropathic pain, short acting opioids are not effective; sustained release formulations are effective. Short acting opioids prescribed in the ED for most CNCP conditions result in more rapid tolerance and can create institution dependency – they offer little benefit. For acute worsening of neuropathic pain as seen in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), ketamine is far more effective than opioids. Given that it may take a pain physician 3-6 months to identify an effective regimen to control CNCP, there should be no sense of urgency by an emergency physician to get CNCP under control. In patients with fibromyalgia, opioids play no role, and should not be prescribed. Rather, ruling out other causes of the presenting pain and patient education are the two most important requirements of the emergency physician when caring for patient with fibromyalgia. The obvious exceptions to the no-acute-intervention approach are:
- CRPS where a 6-8 hour ketamine infusion can completely stop the acute flare up
- Sickle Cell Disease. Opioids are an integral part of pain management in the acute-on-chronic setting for vaso-occlusive crises and need to be prescribed as part of the routine of controlling each episode.
It may happen that a CNCP patient truly requires more opioids until able to see the primary care provider. Both the previous ACEP policy on pain management and the Canadian Opioid Guideline (http://nationalpaincentre.mcmaster.ca/opioid/) provide excellent recommendations on how to provide opioids for 24-48 hours, until the patient can contact their care giver.
Here’s what is lacking in this 4th recommendation: How is an EP to manage acute severe pain in CNCP patients when that pain does not arise from their chronic pain, as would occur if the patient had a long bone fracture? In such an instance the physician must maintain the usual daily dose of opioids while adding additional opioids for the new problem. The right dose of additional opioids can be estimated by remembering that the recommended prn dose of opioids in a habituated patient is 15-25% of their total daily dose.
It would seem that ACEP’s new opioid policy is not comprehensive in its recommendations and appears to strongly discourage opioid use in many ED patients. There are valid reasons to be concerned about opioids, but fear of diversion should not supersede management of pain in the acute setting. Lack of valid evidence should not lead us to a restrictive approach, but a balanced one. Better physician training and quality research are both required in the very near future if we are to find safe, sustainable solution.
Jim Ducharme, MD, CM, FRCP, is a clinical professor of medicine, McMaster University. He is the Editor-in-Chief, Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine, Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer at the AIM Health Group, and the Vice-President, International Federation for Emergency Medicine | <urn:uuid:328b7f82-ac37-4dd6-a671-36bfb5055ff2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.epmonthly.com/columns/in-my-opinion/acep-pain-policy-falls-short/print/ | 2013-05-22T14:24:40Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93261 | 3,112 |
Well; now that the bailout appears to have flamed out we see the stock market dropping faster than Larry Craig's boxers in airport men's room (what? hey, it's just an analogy!).
In conversations over the weekend ( I was travelling to visit some friends) I was told by a number of people that the credit crunch was the fault of the consumer. There's no doubt in my mind that a lot of folks, who really did know better than to believe that the loan and real estate markets were sound, borrowed much more money than they could hope to repay if anything interrupted their income stream or devalued their equity stake in their property. There were also, of course, many thousands of businesses, both large and small, that went on spending sprees for new equipment, expansion and acquisitons and are now scrambling in a tightening market to service the debt they generated.
However, the major culprits in this situation are the current administration, the financial behemoths that control retail lending and the superbly trained, groomed and accoutred thieves who ran them.
I've been through a bankruptcy. It destroyed my credit for 8 years. As a result of proving that I wasn't very good at controlling my spending I was penalized by being refused any credit at less than confiscatory rates (at least I used to think 24% interest was confiscatory--now that seems like a bargain compared to some of the rates I see). I learned a lesson. I don't owe anyone any money at the moment and I hope to keep it that way. I also don't have any money to speak of, when I finish what I'm doing at the house I will be flat broke, most likely. I know that I can't spend money I don't have and expect someone to bail ME out--with no strings attached. I don't think consumers who borrowed money to purchase McMansions (knowing they couldn't really afford them) should be afforded the same degree of relief as people who were lied to and convinced by the bunco artist lenders that their ARM's were "no problem" and they would just be able to re-fi them at any time.
Once the "customers" have had their 'taste' of ashes and sackcloth I think it would be both just and proper that we deal with their enablers.
I have heard that some bigshot execs have lost their jobs, that they share our pain. Horseshit. The majority of the corporate thugs who were the architects of this house of cards have made piles of money, much of which has been "re purposed" into various stock portfolios, real estate and other assets. I would suggest (fat lot of good it will do) that we set aside some funds and set up a an investigative body to comb through the financial records of the failed institutions and their officers. Where those investigations reveal mis or malfeasance, appropriate penalties--including prison sentences and restitution--should be levied.
Mr. Paulson said, last week, that we needed to offer the people that allowed or caused this current fiasco, some incentives to get them to sign on. I think a couple of hundred U.S. Marshalls and T-men with warrants, green eyeshades and calculators would work wonders.
I actually put this on someone else's comments, but it strikes me that people keep conflating "experience" with training (including the Obama campaign).
The comment that was made, essentially, sais that Palin's lack of foreign policy experience is no more troubling than was Bill Clinton's when he ran for the presidency or Obama's is now. I beg to differ.
Assuming this information on Obama:
Following high school, Obama moved to Los Angeles, where he studied at Occidental College for two years. He then transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in political science with a specialization in international relations. Obama graduated with a B.A. from Columbia in 1983, then worked for a year at the Business International Corporation and then at the New York Public Interest Research Group.
After four years in New York City, Obama moved to Chicago to work as a community organizer for three years from June 1985 to May 1988 as director of the Developing Communities Project (DCP), a church-based community organization originally comprising eight Catholic parishes in Greater Roseland (Roseland, West Pullman, and Riverdale) on Chicago's far South Side. During his three years as the DCP's director, its staff grew from one to thirteen and its annual budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000, with accomplishments including helping set up a job training program, a college preparatory tutoring program, and a tenants' rights organization in Altgeld Gardens. Obama also worked as a consultant and instructor for the Gamaliel Foundation, a community organizing institute. In mid-1988, he traveled for the first time to Europe for three weeks and then for five weeks in Kenya, where he met many of his Kenyan relatives for the first time.
Obama entered Harvard Law School in late 1988. At the end of his first year, he was selected, based on his grades and a writing competition, as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. In February 1990, in his second year, he was elected president of the Law Review,(wikipedia)"
and Bill Clinton;
"With the aid of scholarships, Clinton attended the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., receiving a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service (B.S.F.S.) degree in 1968. He spent the summer of 1967, the summer before his senior year, working as an intern for Arkansas Senator J. William Fulbright. While in college he became a brother of Alpha Phi Omega and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. ...
Upon graduation he won a Rhodes Scholarship to University College, Oxford where he studied Government. ...
After Oxford, Clinton attended Yale Law School and obtained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1973.(wikipedia)"
to be factual,
I would say that either Obama's or Clinton's resume is little better than Sarah Palin's. Sarah Palin has a degree in sports journalism. NO FOREIGN POLICY EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE.
It is silly for anyone to think that any candidate for the presidency has a great deal of foreign policy "experience" as even the U.S. congress really only recommends what path the president and secretary of state should follow in that regard. But if a concentration in sports metaphors isn't trumped by a law degree and a B.S. in foreign policy--well, shucks.
Also, it needs to be remembered that JohnnyPOW McCain's campaign touted Sarah Palin's experience in this area. Now they REALLY don't want her to talk about it, outside of totally scripted and managed "interviews". Poor Sarah, the pitbull may wear lipstick but she also wears a muzzle.
Obviously there is no "truth in advertising" law that applies to political campaigns--mores the pity.
Well, we had a deal, but it appears that the GOPimps in the house are now saying that the guy they sent up to the hill had his fingers crossed...
"But a House leadership aide said that there had been no bipartisan negotiations with House Republicans. The aide said Rep. Spencer Bachus, who had been meeting with Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd, head of the Senate Banking Committee, had no authority to speak for them.
In a statement before the meeting, Bachus said that he had made it clear in the meeting that "I was not authorized by my colleagues to make any agreement on behalf of House Republicans."
So, now it would appear that we don't have a deal. Our economy is tanking (has been for quite some time, actually) and the reptilicans are going to use this crisis as another chance to fuck the rest of us and at the same time make political points with the morons that support McCain/Palin or Bushco V1.1, if you will.
They say that the Chinese have an ideogram for "crisis" that combines "danger" with "opportunity". I think the GOP has one that combines "cynicism" with "talking points".
Here's a great MPalincCain ad.
I watched a fair amount of Olbermann's show from last evening on a podcast and about eight minutes of Letterman, all having to do, oddly enough with the McPalincain presidential campaign.
I'm not sure what's stranger; the surreal aspect of both Palin and McCain's obvious disconnect with what they say when they know they're on camera and what they've said in the past or say now, when they think they're off the record--or the fact that most of the media is STILL blissfully pumping out whatever passes for the truth from CampaignMcStain.
Don't take my word for it, google Olbermann, google Letterman (Jay Leno's got to be seething that McCain didn't "diss" him). Check out Mudflats blog.
I don't think we're seeing that the emperor's naked, I think we're seeing that his spleen is enlarged, he's got fibroid entanglements in his brain and he's suffering from Madrunningmate's disease.
That's okay, Reverend Muthee, the witchdoctordoctor will save the senator and his team from that evil sorcerer O Bam A.
And a bright "good morning" to all!
I have been puzzling over the claim by Bushco apparatchik Henry Paulson that not making a quick, uninformed decision about the $750,000,000,000 welfare program for the downtrodden CEO's of Wall Street.
See, I don't got me no degree in economics or finance or nuttin, so I can't begin to see how badly we're really being fucked if this thing goes through. What I can do is google and I'm half decent with numbers, so....
$1M in "Benjamins" = the following:
Total area: 103.389471 square meters
Total weight: According to the U.S. Treasury, "In $100 bills, the weight
of $1million is about 22 pounds." [that's 10 kg.]
Total height: Stacked singly, 48.82 inches high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 5083.333... feet long.
So, here are the figures for Bushco's Golden Airborne Division bailout.
Total area: 77,542,103.25 square meters or 29.939173442746206 square miles
(for purposes of comparison, Manhattan's total land area is
22.96 sq mi.)
Total weight: 7,500 metric tons or, 8267.334... Tons-short
Total height: Stacked singly, 577.888... miles high.
Total length: Laid end to end, 722,064.346... miles long
More fun facts: If we go for this Ponzi scheme, and take out a
"home impoverishment loan" we can look at the following
Loan amount: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Loan term : 30 Years
Interest rate: 5.750% (We ARE well qualified buyers)
Monthly Payment: $ 4,376,796,423.33 a month
Totals--Principal: $ 750,000,000,000.00
Interest: $ 825,646,712,398.80
Grand Total: $ 1,575,646,712,398.80 (you can forget
about the .80; just round it down.)
Dividing this figure by 150,000,000 taxpayers (an arbitrary number; I just plucked it out of the air, unlike Mr. Paulson) I come up with a per capita number of, let's see $ 10,504.31 or about $29.18 per month. Why, it's just like a "Christmas Club savings account. The CEO's get to open their gifts for the next 30 years, we get the bill! And this will secure my future? how?
The good news for me is that there's little or no chance I'll be paying for the whole term of the note--I'm 58.
I don't know about you folks, but I don't want to get asked over for dinner and then get stuck with paying for the house.
I went out this evening to get a few beers and some chicken wings. When I was getting ready to leave the bar I ran into a guy I know and another guy that I met once before. We talked for a few minutes and the fellow I knew told the other guy that I was renovating my house and he mentioned the sidewalk. At this point the other said that I should have had the city do my sidewalk. I told him the city wasn't about to take care of my sidewalk. He then informed me that you just have to "know the right people". It went downhill from there. I told him that people who are connected get things done, at the expense of the rest of us, he didn't like hearing it. People like him never like hearing that they are, in fact, gaming the system--just like all those welfare cheats they always talk about.
I know the other guy is a staunch republican and try to avoid discussing politics with him. But the whole thing got going with both of them reciting the GOP's talking points about Obama. One of them went so far as to to say that it's not okay for the MSM to call Obama a black guy, but it's okay to make fun of Sarah Palin and ask if she's done her laundry today (something I've not heard on ANY news outlet). When I asked him if he felt like Obama was the "black guy", he tried to act as if it wasn't what he said.
I was quite pissed and had to leave. It's not that I can't accept people having convictions about their candidates. It's that I can't abide people who are being willfully blind to the truth.
One of they guys said that Bush had given everybody $600 and, now, Obama was "bribing" people to vote for him by promising them $1K. The other guy said Obama has done nothing, gotten no bills passed, during his 4 years in the U.S. Senate. Neither of them had any opinion, apparently, on Sarah Palin's absolute lack of knowledge or meaningful experience in dealing with issues affecting significant populations. Nor did they have anything to say about Bushco's $700B bailout plan for WS, which they either think is a good idea or they have no thoughts about at all.
When I encounter that sort of mindset, willful blindness is as charitable a description as I can muster for that sort of attitude. Selfishness, cowardice and cynicism are, I think, a good deal closer to the mark.
I almost forgot to mention that they will both be voting for McCain.
Deregulation is good, according to the folks who have to deal with all of those burdensome regulations.
If it wasn't for the courage of the deregulators we would have horrific pollution, unsafe food and an economy in a shambles. Thank GOD we have some brave men--one of whom is an EX-POW, my friends--who will not let themselves be steamrolled by the nattering nabobs of regulativity. The market will, left alone, correct itself. If this isn't obvious to those of my readers who have watched the developments in the financial markets this week, then they must be socialistically blind. The market got into trouble because of FDR's failed social programs and if they hadn't pulled themselves up, by Mr. Paulson's bootstraps, their shareholders would be left holding the bag. As it is, they used their own gumption and resources to have their lobbyists go talk to the same lawmakers who let them get where they are today to extend a little credit. It's not their fault that the credible boobs they've loaned money too can't manage THEIR financial affairs.
I think it's worth noting here that the Chinese who were often praised, and rightfully so, for doing such a bangup job of choreographing 8,000 dancers in the opening ceremony of "Leni II--Triumph Of The Will, Beijing" were not afraid to devote the resources necessary to achieve that feat. Hopefully, now that the olympics are over they will be able to send a few of the dancers back to their "day jobs" as builders and baby formula inspectors (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/16/world/asia/16milk.html?ref=worldbusiness).
Regulation is the last refuge of the scaredypants. If you insist on regulation then the terrorists have won.
I was going to write something about the wonderfully crisp early autumn air, but...
I was chatting with a couple of folks last night and they were taken a bit aback by my characterization of John McCain as a lying piece of shit who would sell his soul if ever had one.
They are not and were not going to vote for him in any case, but they thought I was a bit harsh in my assessment of McCain's charachter. They were, also, largely ingnorant of his various acts of self-aggrandizement and malfeasance over his nearly 30 years in public life--never mind his personal lapses of ethics and morals. But, they were shocked, shocked I tell you, at the level of my vituperativeness. One of them actually said that I was not going to be able to convince people on the merits of my candidates qualifications if I was so obvious about my dislike for McCain and his campaign consort, Sarah Palin. Ummm, okay, I don't care.
The GOP has made fear the centerpiece of their campaigns for at least the last 50 years. Fear of the commies, fear of racial mixing, fear of tax and spend liberals, fear of Islam, fear of a liberal education, fear of government regulation and, now, the fear of eternal damnation.
The GOP has cynically and deliberately made this presidential election a referendum on the will of GOD. Sarah Palin was chosen, as is becoming increasingly apparent, solely for her attractiveness to a group of voters, the "social conservatives" (who, in actuality, are sociopathic reactionaries) of the GOP's "Base". Her lack of expertise in most areas of governance and her all too obvious certitude that GOD has her back would be hilarious, if it were just a spoof by Tina Fey. But, it's not. Once again the GOP has cranked up the machineries of hate and has ginned up the cross and robe constituency that will vote for whichever candidate they are told to by their ministers and the rightwing smearosphere.
So, the GOP has their politics of fear. Well, I got my politics too, the politics of outrage. I am outraged that the same cabal of bastards who have done their utmost to further enrich the wealthiest, remove the safeguards put in place to protect the rest of us from those same people's depradations and plunge us into a war that is as apparently unwinnable as it is interminable dare to ask for another chance to right the ship of state--a ship that they themselves ran aground.
I don't know what informs the Obama campaigns rhetoric in the face of a blizzard of lies and bullshit from the right. I do know what informs mine. I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to make nice, anymore.
Steve Earle's 2005 Album, "The Revolution Starts Now" has the following chorus in his song, "Fuck the FCC"
"So fuck the FCC
Fuck the FBI
Fuck the CIA"
I'm livin’ in the motherfuckin’ USA"
Profane? yup; nasty, ditto. Add the GOP, the AFA and every other lying group of fear mongering bastards that are the "special needs" children of Lee Atwater, may he rot in his troubled sleep.
Let's not allow the "Liars for GOD" to interpret our silence as fear.
I got something in my head that's slipping gears at the moment, I'll get to it, after bit.
I'm putting another poem on here. The way to make me stop is to beg for them until I run out (there's only a couple of hundred left). Then I will have to go into seclusion (which means a bar with cheap draft and a bunch of other garrulous old geezers like myself) to write some more.
This one's for my pop (note: The price of gas is, obviously, from those dark days when that criminal Clinton's treacherous perfidy was still hobbling the profitability of the energy sector).
"Want to go for a ride?" he'd ask.
My father liked company on his drives to the store or the post office.
I really think any of his kids would do.
But he especially seemed to enjoy the rides we took together,
It was like sanctuary on four wheels.
The place we did not fight.
The place where we could, briefly, almost, be equal.
My dad drove a lot, it was a part of his job, the part he loved.
He grew up in a little town; Del Rapids, South Dakota.
Limitless skies, countless pheasants, good black earth.
He traded it for city living,
but you cannot take the farm out of the boy.
He spent 10, maybe 15 years, criss-crossing Nebraska and parts of South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Kansas.
Selling was the excuse to get behind the wheel and point the car at the horizon.
He flew when he had to, drove when he could.
400, 500, 600 miles in a day-- 1,500 in a week.
A tankful of .19/ Gal gasoline, 2 packs of Philip Morris Regulars and a thermos of strong coffee.
He favored Olds Delta 88's; massive, powerful, sleek and comfy.
He loved to put his hand over the speedometer and with a voice full of mischief say, "let me know when you think we're going 75."
I would wait then, knowing I was wrong, I'd give the signal.
He'd take his hand off the speedometer and I would be watching the needle flicker at 100, 105, a bit more.
The car rode like it was on rails
His car was a refuge,
the one place where, even though it was always in motion, he felt grounded.
We had very little in common, so few areas in which we agreed.
Two things we shared were a 7-3/8 hat size and our love for the road.
I drive a compact truck, gave up smoking and drink de-caf:
I love to get in the car and point it at the horizon.
Gas is about $2.00/ Gal and there are very few places you can just put the hammer down.
But the car is a refuge, a movable sanctuary.
An altar to the idolatry of mobility, perhaps.
I pull on my 7-3/8 fitted baseball cap and shove an Orbison tape into the deck;
I look in the rearview mirror,
Dad smiles back.
FWIW, this took off into the ether, as soon as I finished typing the title. That's about how much I can listen to the experts without screaming and throwing shit at the radio.
Mr. Cokie Roberts is on the Diane Rheem Show this a.m., talking with three of those "experts" about the wholly unforeseen, unpredictable and unprecedented nosedive of Wall Street (which is sucking everyone else's economies into the maelstrom--see, we ARE still important!!).
All of those overeducated, underobservant assholes are paid millions to run the companies that are tanking left and right. They are paid that money because they, supposedly, know how to do so. It appears that a lot of them have no fucking idea what they're doing--aside from how to draw and spend those huge, undeserved "compensation packages".
I'd like to say its schadenfreude on my part to enjoy their suffering--except it appears that a lot of them aren't suffering. They're walking away with enormous wads of cash (although, in truth, $10-30M or so doesn't buy what it used to!) as a result of deals worked out with the boards. Of course the fact that a lot of the CEO's of various companies sit on each others' boards; that wouldn't in any way affect their judgement on such matters, would it? Nah.
Well, that's enough of that, for now.
I was listening to a John Gorka tape last night--I am a technoluddite and damned proud of it--! Anyway, I go the Salvation Army thrift store and buy tapes for .99 apiece, great music at the right price. So; I'm litening to the tape and the last song on it is "Brown Shirts". If you haven't heard it, or heard of it, you might want to check it out. It was written in 1992, but it could have been written tomorrow.
I know that the Dixie Chicks have been one of the most visible groups or artists to put their careers on the line by voicing their disapproval with and disgust of the "values" of the GOP. There are others, however; hundreds (thousands?) of musicians, comedians, actors and other public figures who use their popular appeal and celebrity to do the right thing and speak truth to power.
thus endeth the rant.
After listening to the news of the collapse of Lehman Bros., the assimilation of Merrill Lynch and the dire forecasts re: AIG, I listened to several "experts" whose hindsight is unbelievably postscient. They can all explain how clear it was that this would happen, but none offer explanations as to why they didn't sound the alarm before or while it happened.
I have heard, many times, in the past several days that the structural failures which led to the ruin of the U.S. and world economies in the the Great Depression were the impetus behind much legislation that erected firewalls between speculative investment and traditional banking institutions; and, that because of those firewalls it was much less likely that the sort of things that brought about the run on banks and subsequent. It appears, however, that the U.S. congress has, in the past several decades, undermined or simply removed those firewalls so that they are no longer effective or no longer exist.
It occurs to me (not) for the first time that the difference between investing on Wall Street and shooting craps in Vegas is that at least in Vegas they comp the drinks for the marks.
The new "conventional wisdom" is that the "housing bubble" and it's reliance on sub-prime mortgages are to blame for the demise of numerous financial institutions. The people who are saying this are, in many cases, the same folks who had been telling us, until fairly recently, that it was the housing market that would draw us out of the recession. It seems that the financial experts and the economists were not blowing hard enough on the dice before they threw them.
Much of the blame for the sub-prime mess, of course, can be laid at the feet of people who bought homes during a period of "irrational exuberance". I have heard that many people just wanted to have a home of their own. Count me in that number. I have a lovely little hovel which I bought for $25K because it was pretty much gutted and it sits on a small, crowded lot, in a city, in the upper end of NY; a city whose economy has been in the shitter since about 1975. Purchasing the house took about 1/2 of what was in my small 401K. Then I took a lump sum check for my retirement in order to finance the renovations. So, now I have about 30K in an IRA and this house (which needs about 1000 hours work and $15K in materials to make it livable) what I don't have, at the moment, is any debt--of course I don't have an income either.
Now, then; I'm going to be 59 in a few weeks and I'm probably never going to have anything like a good paying job again (I blame a lack of talent and ambition--I am so unfair to my life!). There are lots of people my age who have nice homes, decent amounts of savings, nice cars, kids in college and all of the other accoutrements of the middle class. They also have boatloads of debt. A large portion of their indebtedness stems from reliance on traditional financial instruments, mortgages in the main, to finance homes. However much of the indebtedness is the result of high interest borrowings on credit cards, to finance those things which they were told they needed to be seen as successful. They were convinced, by the lenders that debt was good, regardless that the cost of servicing the debt was usurious. Debt is good, especially if you're not the debtor--AND if, when your position as the debt collector becomes unprofitable, you can ask the government to spare you from the repercussions of the "free market" that you created!
Here's the thing that really bothers me about all of this: that dream of constant acquisition, each successive generation having more of everything than its predecessor, is rooted in Ponzinomics. There is a finite amount (and it's quite large, I won't deny that) of wealth that is available at any single point in time. When there is not enough to go around, debt is created--wealth anti-matter, so to speak--some of which is fine. But, when debt becomes the driving force of the economy, it becomes an 800 pound gorilla. Debt dictates how we spend and save. Too much debt means that, first--we can no longer save, and second--that we can't buy more stuff. If it's only for a week or two, no biggie. Otoh, if it's for a few quarters the party in power calls it a period of stagnation (the party out of power calls it what it is--a recession).
Ya know what? This is all just my opinion, cuz I never finished college, never mind the Wharton School or Chicago U. But I don't think the homeless (and those who are going to be joining them in the next few years) need degrees in economics to know that they're screwed.
Tommorow, class, we will look at how the necessity to be part of Mr. Bush's "ownership society" left us all holding one thing--the bag.
As the title suggests, the MSM looks down on bloggers (including, I suspect, most of their in-house bloggers) as non-professionals who lack the training, experience, discipline and integrity of the so-called, "legacy media". I must admit I don't have my stylebook handy; can someone tell me if they're full of "horse shit" or "horseshit"?
It's impossible to know what would have happened without blogs prodding the major news organization, embarassing them by scooping them time and again, but I'm guessing that a lot of the current, genuine reporting being done on the McCain Campaign would not be happening. Most of the news that I'm seeing in the mainstream media about Sarah Palin, for instance, is based on the public record of her time as mayor of Wasilla and governor of Alaska. I honestly believe that the MSM would have been perfectly happy to not investigate her if they hadn't been shamed into it by the "little people".
The same goes for the Cindy McCain drug use (and its coverup) story. This information is not new. I read about it back in the day, but it wasn't judged important by MSM, apparently, because it died, just like Cheney's hunting accident, W's Maine DWI & Laura Bush's "accident" which killed someone.
I guess I should give credit where it's due. The MSM has been relentless in exposing the dangerous ties between Barack Obama and various unsavory individuals; his former minister, a former black panther and a criminal (who actually went to jail, unlike say SCOOTER LIBBY, for committing crimes). Well, I guess they were just too busy or had allocated too many resources to chasing down every lead about Obama to do anything in the way of "investigative journalism" (aka, reading the old newspapers) to determine that it might be prudent to see if JohnnyPOW and company might not be the wholesome american patriots that they purport themselves to be.
Six fucking weeks, people, six fucking weeks.
Please pass this one around:
"Women Against Palin are asking to be notified of any rallies, peaceful protests etc that get planned so they can pass the info along. Here is their link:
The news that Lehman Brothers is probably not going to survive (and there's evidence that AIG and Merrill Lynch are not in great shape either) along with the rest of what's been going on in the financial communities would scare the bejesus out of me if I had any money in the markets. The fact that health care and health care insurance are both unaffordable for quite a large number of Americans does scare me (I'm uninsured at the moment). Mr. Bush's failed and unnecessary war on Iraq is sucking billions more out of this nation's economy, billions that might have been spent replacing faulty infrastructure and financing education and healthcare for ALL americans.
Now, with all that going on, one would think that the average person who has not been in a coma for the last eight years would realize that it's time to shitcan the CEO, the board and most of the upper management at USA.
But, it appears that that the current management team has a better idea. They want to replace the inept, ideologically blinded, fiscally profligate and religiously biased group with a "new and improved" version of the same thing.
All they need is your help.
A word of advice, "Just say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"
As threatened, a poem.
This was originally written for Deer Leader, but I think it fits the McHuntress just as well.
With apologies to Joyce Kilmer, a sissy poet, who did actually serve his country (he was killed at the second battle of the Marne) during WWI.
Neo-contata (After George W. Bush)
I think that I will never see
a poem as pretty as a Christmas tree.
A rough thing from nature trimmed up fine.
Covered with tinsel, lights ashine.
Kinda puts me in mind of another type of Christmas tree,
A thing that keeps our nation free.
The one that goes on top of a well after it’s been capped;
Only kind of vein me and my friends ever tapped.
An oil derrick, big old, clankin’, belchin’ sumbitch of a rig
Hooverin’ up the oil, from the earth’s deep bowels, you dig?
A tree whose branches all are twined together as is manly,
not splayed out, supplicatin’ like, and gangly.
It’s proud erection strainin’ against the fabric of the earth
While it spurts life givin’ fluids for our capitalist rebirth.
I didn’t mean to make this piece short or curt,
But poetic thinkin’ makes my head hurt.
Excerped from "Towards Self-love, By A Twisted Path--New Work 2001--?"
Poor, poor, pitiful Sarah:
is running this story:
‘Alaska Women Reject Palin’ Rally is HUGE!
which I urge people to forward to the MSM.
It is fairly obvious that Sarah Palin's management style approximates that of the current Idiot-in-Chief's.
She rewards her supporters and highschool classmates (many of them co-religionists) with public sector jobs for which they appear to have few, if any, qualifications. She attacks those who disagree with her and her agenda. This woman is a danger to Alaska as its governor. She will be a danger to the American people if she achieves the vice-presidency. While she may not be as machiavellian as the DorkLordCheney, she is certainly as devious, spiteful and monomanical as his puppet.
I wonder; Has McStain tumbled yet, to the fact that he is the lesser of the two on the ticket, in the eyes of the reichwing KKKristianists? Talk about the Pitbull's tail wagging the dog.
Our friend Richard made a comment on yesterday's post, that said in part:
"...The Old Shitbag, appearing tonight at that "Service Forum" at Columbia Univ responded to a question about his brand of gutter politics by saying that campaigns are "rough" and that things would have been different had Obama agreed to his proposal for ten joint town-hall meetings "like Jack Kennedy and Barry Goldwater had agreed to do".
It's a lie.
Kennedy never made such an agreement with Goldwater"
Truth and honor, are not, it seems, in these people. This is why I have despised John McCain for as long as I've known of him. It appears that his "soulmate" Sarah Palin IS truly his soulmate in that regard.
Were he competent (his naval "career" is illustrative in that regard) McCain would have been made, given his status as a POW/War Hero (not to mention his "legacy" status, being the son/grandson of full Admirals)--the
War Hero label undeserved as it may be--an Admiral long before the end of his career. When pressed to release his naval service record, McCain's campaign made available approximately 5% of the record, what does he have to hide?
It is obvious to those who can read, and take the time to do so, that McCain's record on aligning himself with Bushco in a majority of his senate votes (as high as 90% of them) makes his claim of being a "maverick" an utter, and deliberate, falsehood.
His hiring of the very person who orchestrated the ads that destroyed his chances for a presidential bid in 2000 demonstrate how willing he is to trade his honor and dignity for a chance to be the C-in-C.
His marital infidelities and his divorce of a supportive first wife so that he might remarry a younger, prettier, richer woman show us the "real" John McCain, a self-centered opportunist.
McCain's ill-temper, which is well documented is covered, barely, with a thin veneer of false bon homie, the "lipstick on the pig", if you will.
Sarah Palin. Well, gosh, what can I say? Given her vast (lack of) experience Sarah has, nonetheless, become as accomplished as McCain in lying to the American people, even when her lies are clumsy and obvious.
McCain and Palin (or their surrogates) attack Obama and his campaign with distortions, mischaracterizations and outright lies while trumpeting their own (non-existent) christian morality. If the GOD I don't believe in is out there, I hope he is taking note of these two.
The difference between us (honest, decent, caring humans) and "them" (reichwing KKKristians) is that even though many of us are not christians--or, in fact, have no faith in a god of any sort--we are moral and reasonable folks.
This latest wrinkle in the GOP's pandering to the GODibanic fundamentalists is merely a logical extension of their continual drift to the extreme right. While it appears that Sarah Palin has little or no experience in any area that would be crucial to her governance in the (all too) likely event that she would inherit John McCain's job when he strokes out or dies of melanoma, it does not, in the minds of her rabid followers disqualify her from having that job.
To that end, the RNC and the McCain campaign have used their dollars to attack the Obama candidacy with innuendo and outright lies, while attempting to deflect legitimate criticism of both McCain and Palin. Sarah Palin's handlers are, in fact, only making her available to media personalities (calling them journalists would be an insult to those who are) who will treat her favorably.
I have read numerous posts and comments urging Senator Obama and his campaign to fight fire with fire. Would that they could. I think there is something about having character, a conscience and a gag reflex that, unfortunately preclude that sort of swinish behavior.
For that reason I am announcing, here, that I will be available for that duty. I have virtually no scruples re: doing or saying whatever it takes to wake people the fuck up. Send me you tired accusations, your poorly researched indictments and your wretched truthiness, yearning to be spewed. I will do what I can to disseminate it. Oh, send me some truth, too, it helps to confuse the issue.
Not "The Gods Must Be Crazy"; that was a delightful film about South Africa and some of its denizens.
No, this is about the KKKristan GOD and his jihadherents.
There is just something about a GOD whose followers are so convinced of their righteousness and everyone else's wrongteousness. The admonition to "Love one's brother as one's self" apparently means just that to them--it's the determination of just who is one's brother that seems to create problems for the KKKristians. Those benighted people of the Mid-east could be their brothers, if they would just eschew their insane, fantasy based religion that excuses their wanton killing and demonization of those who are not them. The same is true of Cath-O-Licks, Jews, Buddhists and all faiths that are not the FAITH of the KKKristians.
I have to admit that I was once a Cath-O-Lick and believed in the more dire aspects of God ( I never saw any real evidence for a God of mercy and compassion). But, now, thanks to the fundigelical taliban of AmeriKKKa, I'm an atheist. Where other arguments, mere words, could not convince me, their actions have. If their GOD, the being that they so passionately believe in, is responsible for their existence, then they must be his idea of our hell on earth. | <urn:uuid:da88dccd-faaa-4295-80ce-d0d9beab0b5d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.polrant.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html | 2013-05-22T14:32:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978247 | 9,015 |
France and England resume their recent rivalry as UEFA Women's EURO 2013 Group C comes to an end in Linkoping.
• Seven of their 15 meetings have been drawn over 90 minutes with France winning six and England two. France lead the goal count 17-14.
• Two of the first nations to set up women's national teams, England beat France 3-0 in Brion on 22 April 1973 and 2-0 in Wimbledon on 11 November 1974. That was England's last defeat of Les Bleues.
• There was a 0-0 draw in Longjumeau in February 1977 and in July 1988 it finished 1-1 at Riva Del Garda in the unofficial Mundialito, which England went on to win.
• In one of Hope Powell's last games for England before stepping up to become coach, England lost 3-2 to France on 15 February 1998 in Alencon. Sue Smith also started and Rachel Brown and Rachel Yankey came off the bench. Sandrine Soubeyrand started for France.
• On 15 September 1999, Powell's England lost 1-0 to France in Yeovil. The following August France won 1-0 in Marseille, a game played ahead of a charity match between Les Bleus and the FIFA All-Stars. Soubeyrand and Sonia Bompastor started against Sue Smith, Yankey and substitutes Casey Stoney and Rachel Unitt.
• Their first two competitive meetings were in a play-off to reach the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup, France winning 1-0 at both London's Selhurst Park and in Saint-Etienne. Powell fielded Stoney, Unitt, Fara Williams, Yankey and Sue Smith. France boasted Sabrina Viguier, Soubeyrand, Bompastor and second-leg substitute Laura Georges.
• They were paired together in the same 2007 World Cup qualifying group, drawing 0-0 in Blackburn on 26 March 2006. Brown, Stoney, Unitt, Anita Asante, Karen Carney, Williams, Eniola Aluko, Kelly Smith, Yankey and substitute Alex Scott lined up against Sarah Bouhaddi, Georges, Viguier, Soubeyrand, Élise Bussaglia, Bompastor and Camile Abily.
• It all came down to the final qualifier in Rennes when France needed to win to pip England to earn a place in China. Williams gave England a 63rd-minute lead and, despite Luidvine Diguelman levelling with two minutes left, France missed out.
• Bouhaddi, Georges, Soubeyrand, Bussaglia, Bompastor, Laure Lepailleur and substitutes Élodie Thomis and Abily faced Brown, Alex Scott, Unitt, Asante, Carney, Williams, Aluko, Kelly Smith, Yankey and subs Stoney and Sue Smith.
• With Bruno Bini now at Les Bleues' helm, England played France at the first Cyprus Cup in March 2009 and drew 2-2. Goals from Corine Franco and Thomis were cancelled out by Stoney and Carney.
• Brown, Stoney, Asante, Stephanie Houghton, Williams, Carney, Sue Smith and Kelly Smith plus substitutes Alex Scott and Aluko faced Bouhaddi, Georges, Viguier, Soubeyrand, Thomis, Louisa Nécib, Bussaglia. Gaëtane Thiney and Eugénie Le Sommer came on.
• The teams met again in the March 2012 Cyprus Cup, France winning 3-0 through goals from Nécib, Marie-Laure Delie and Thiney. Bouhaddi, Bompastor, Wendie Renard, Ophélie Meilleroux, Corine Franco, Abily, Bussaglia and Le Summer also started while Laetitia Philippe, Laure Boulleau, Camille Catala and Thomis were substitutes. England's team included Stoney, winning her 100th cap, Karen Bardsley, Alex Scott, Laura Bassett, Houghton, Jill Scott, Asante, Kelly Smith, Carney, Ellen White and Jessica Clarke with Carly Telford, Fara Williams and Rachel Williams among the substitutes.
Selected previous meetings
9 July 2011: England 1-1 France, aet 3-4 pens (J Scott 59; Bussaglia 88) – BayArena, Leverkusen, FIFA Women's World Cup quarter-final
England: Bardsley, A Scott (Houghton 81), Unitt (Rafferty 81), J Scott, F White, Stoney, F Williams, E White, K Smith, Yankey (Asante 84), Carney.
France: Bouhaddi, Georges, Soubeyrand (Thomis), Bompastor, Abily, Lepailleur, Nécib (Brétigny 79; Le Sommer 106), Bussaglia, Thiney, Delier, Viguier.
• An injury-hit England team nearly reached their first semi-final, but it was Les Bleues who earned a last-four bow. Karen Bardsley saved France's first penalty from Abily, but Claire Rafferty and Faye White missed England's last two either side of Le Sommer's crucial conversion.
20 October 2012: France 2-2 England (Delie 59 83; Houghton 34, J Scott 39) – Charléty, Paris, Friendly
France: Bouhaddi, Franco, Georges, Meilleroux, Boulleau, Soubeyrand (Catala 46), Abily, Nécib, Thiney (Thomis 46, Hamraoui 90+2), Le Sommer, Delie.
England: Bardsley (Chamberlain 70), A Scott, Stoney, Bradley (Bassett 79), Houghton, J Scott, Asante, Carney, Aluko (F Williams 46), E White (Susi 79), Yankey (Duggan 46).
• Not long before these sides were drawn together they met for an exciting friendly. Houghton's superb free-kick and Jill Scott's header were eventually cancelled out by Delie's double.
• There have been many important youth meetings between these nations, most notably the 2010 UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship final in Skopje where France beat holders England 2-1.
• When Bini and Powell coached the respective U18 sides they recorded 1-1 qualifying draws in 1997/98 and 2000/01.
• England have had only one competitive women's win in 14 games at all levels against France: 3-1 in the 2007 U19 group stage in Iceland. Bradley, Natasha Dowie and Ellen White scored for England, with Delie having made it 2-1. Jessica Clarke and Dani Buet also played for England.
• France achieved the only perfect record in qualifying, winning their eight games with 32 goals scored and two conceded. Eleven different players scored.
• They are on a run of 23 straight qualifying group victories going back to a June 2007 loss in Iceland.
• France were the best European performers at the 2012 Olympic tournament, finishing fourth after beating Sweden 2-1 in the quarter-finals then losing 2-1 to Japan in the semis and 1-0 to Canada for bronze.
• Before losing their Olympic opener 4-2 to the United States they had won 17 games in a row. They reached the FIFA Women's World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 2011, losing to the United States and then being beaten by Sweden for third place.
• When they made the UEFA Women's EURO 2009 quarter-finals it was the first time France had progressed from any senior group stage.
• England began qualifying with a surprise 2-2 draw in Serbia, having been two up and, although they were held 0-0 in the Netherlands, they then beat the Dutch 1-0 in Manchester to finish top.
• Most of the England team were in Powell's Great Britain Olympic squad that reached the quarter-finals on home soil, having reached the same stage at the 2011 World Cup.
• England's run to the 2009 final (lost 6-2 to Germany) was their best run since reaching the inaugural two-legged 1984 decider. Powell was part of a team that lost 1-0 to Sweden in Gothenberg and won the return 1-0 in Luton before they were defeated on penalties.
• In recent years Olympique Lyonnais have proved something of a nemesis for Arsenal LFC when these nations' two biggest clubs have met in the UEFA Women's Champions League/UEFA Women's Cup.
• Arsenal's defence of the trophy in 2007/08 was ended in the quarter-final stage by debutants Lyon. The first leg was goalless at Stade de Gerland but Lyon won the return 3-2, Arsenal having come from behind to lead through Kelly Smith and Yankey only for Abily and Thomis to turn the tie.
• Alongside Abily and Thomis were Georges, Bompastor, Lepailleur and Nécib while Arsenal also included Asante and Carney.
• Lyon hosted a second qualifying round group the next year and beat Arsenal 3-0 with both sides already through. Goalscorer Abily, Georges, Bompastor, Abily, Nécib and Thomis faced Carney and Yankey.
• In the 2010/11 semi-finals, Lyon beat Arsenal 2-0 in front of 20,123 fans before winning 3-2 away. Bouhaddi, Renard, Georges, Nécib, Thomis, Viguier, Abily, Bompastor and double goalscorer Le Sommer took on Houghton, scorer Ellen White and Yankey.
©UEFA.com 1998-2013. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:d9f21245-cac5-4775-bc02-914ca73bcaa7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.uefa.com/womenseuro/matches/season=2013/round=2000175/match=2010728/index.html | 2013-05-22T14:25:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928379 | 2,088 |
Regulation and Price Formation in Canada - Vigilance Required!
Canada’s equity market has a history of respecting the role played by retail clients in the price discovery process. Although rules have been in place for some time that aim to preserve liquidity on Canadian equity exchanges, the creation of dark pools and dark order functionality has chipped away at the protection provided by these rules. Recent proposals address gaps in the rules that have allowed order flow to migrate away from lit marketplaces. This article can serve as a guide to those in other jurisdictions who wage the battle against internalization. For this purpose, the following information is provided:
- overview of the current Canadian market integrity rules that support exchange liquidity;
- history of the development of these rules;
- recent market structure changes that have favoured dark pools and internalization models; and
- current Canadian regulatory proposals to address imbalances.
In Canada, the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) oversees all trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces. Operating under recognition orders from the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), IIROC sets, monitors compliance with, and enforces market integrity rules that govern trading activity on these Canadian marketplaces. These rules are known as the Universal Market Integrity Rules (UMIR).
UMIR 6.3 is the order exposure rule. This rule requires participants to immediately enter on a lit marketplace a client order that is 50 standard trading units (generally 5000 shares) or less. There are limited exceptions to this rule, one of which permits internalization with price improvement by the participant. That is, if a participant executes the order upon receipt at a better price, then the participant is not required to send the order to a lit marketplace.
A related rule is UMIR 8.1, the Client-Principal Trading Rule. Under this rule, a participant that receives a client order for 50 standard trading units or less of a security with a value of $100,000 or less may execute the client order against a principal order or non-client order at a better price provided the participant has taken reasonable steps to ensure that the price is the best available price for the client under prevailing market conditions.
The late 1990’s held significant change for the Canadian equity market, including the development by Canadian securities regulators of a framework to encourage ATSs to enter the Canadian market. To address fragmentation of the Canadian equity market, the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) Board of Governors in 1996 established a Special Committee to suggest reforms that could improve TSX’s market quality in the face of such fragmentation. The Special Committee’s report (Report), Market Fragmentation: Responding to the Challenge, was published in 1996. The Report states that in order for TSX to continue to be the foundation for a competitive Canadian equity market, the price discovery resulting from the exchange’s auction process must be as efficient as possible. In the Report, the Special Committee expressed a concern that the practice by members of withholding small orders that could otherwise be filled in the public market (referred to by the Special Committee as “internal” fragmentation) directly affects the liquidity that the public markets can provide. The Report did acknowledge that not all internalization activities were necessarily detrimental to the market, and that institutional clients with large orders would not want their orders exposed if such disclosure would cause the market to move away from them.
In response to recommendations made in the Report, new rules were proposed by TSX in 1997 to address the threat raised by “internal” fragmentation – or internalization. TSX’s rules were the precursor to UMIR. The TSX market integrity rules became UMIR when they migrated to IIROC’s predecessor organization upon its launch in 2002.
The 1997 TSX rule proposals, which came into force in 1998, were created with the intent of minimizing the opportunities for internalization of small client orders. The impact of this rule change was expected to result in a greater number of orders being sent to the TSX central order book, thereby creating a more liquid, deeper market. As stated in the members notice that requested comment on this rule proposal, “the price discovery process must remain viable.” Thus, the original order exposure rule became effective in 1998 with the same significant exceptions that exist today in UMIR 6.3 (that is, client instructions can override the requirement to immediately expose the order, and internalization can occur at the member firm so long as a better price is achieved for the client). One difference is that the original threshold was set at 1200 shares (lower than the current 5000 share threshold). The threshold of 1200 shares was selected because in 1997 that was the size of the average retail order on TSX for a stock trading over $5.
We’ve Got Rules – So What’s the Problem?
The rules that had protected the visible book in Canada did not foresee dark trading functionality that would permit executions at fractional prices. This was not a concern in the rules’ first ten years, but with the arrival in Canada in July 2007 of dark pools that were permitted to execute with fractional price improvement, small orders that were previously either exposed to the market or given full tick price improvement by participants, began to be sent to dark pools. This occurred despite the requirement in UMIR 6.1 that orders must be entered on a marketplace in whole cents.
With the introduction of dark pools then came an unintended consequence of UMIR 6.3. In achieving a “better price” for its retail clients, a participant could now have the order executed outside of the displayed market, but with only fractional price improvement being provided at the dark pool. This price improvement has been as little as 10% of the National Best Bid and Offer (NBBO) spread, or one-tenth of one cent.
Highlighting this issue as one for public debate took some time in Canada because the regulatory framework of National Instrument 21-101 Marketplace Operation (NI 21-101) does not require the same level of public disclosure for ATSs as it does for exchanges. Thus, while exchange order types and exchange allocation methodology is set out in trading rules that must be published for a public comment period prior to regulatory approval, such disclosure is not required to be made by ATSs. TSX was able to learn about the undisclosed allocation methodologies of dark pools only by gathering market intelligence. Advocacy with the Canadian securities regulators did however ultimately lead to the commencement of a public process to discuss market structure issues with a focus on dark trading.
In 2009, the CSA published a joint consultation paper with IIROC to seek comment on a number of issues including the impact of dark pools on the Canadian market. A forum on dark liquidity was then held in March 2010.
The Canadian regulators have taken into account views voiced in the Canadian dark liquidity debate as well as factors discussed at international organizations such as IOSCO in formulating their 2010 position paper (Position Paper). The Position Paper recommends, among other things, that the only exemption to pre-trade transparency should be for orders that meet a minimum size threshold, and that meaningful price improvement means that the price is improved over the NBBO by a minimum of one trading increment except where the NBBO spread is already at the minimum trading increment in which case meaningful price improvement would be at the mid-point of the spread.
In response to the recommendations in the Position Paper, IIROC has proposed amendments to UMIR. To address the regulatory arbitrage opportunities created by the arrival of dark pools, the proposed amendments revise the definition of “better price” to be improvement of at least one trading increment unless the spread is one trading increment in which case “better price” is improvement by one-half of one trading increment. IIROC has also proposed adding a new section (UMIR 6.6) that provides that an order may only execute against a dark order if the order is executed at a “better price”. There is an exception that large orders (more than 50 standard trading units (generally, 5000 shares) or with a value of more than $100,000) can execute with a dark order at the NBBO.
Significant commentary was made and a large number of submissions were received in response to the IIROC proposal. With the comment period closed but no final rule as of the date of writing this article, it is yet to be seen whether IIROC will move forward with its proposal. TMX Group strongly supports IIROC’s proposal. As stated in the TMX Group comment letter, “we believe that the Amendments will result in regulation that supports price formation on lit marketplaces, which is a result that will benefit all market participants”.
The Road Ahead and Lessons Learned
The Canadian experience with dark liquidity in equity markets is an example of how policy is best developed in an open, transparent process. Canadian dark pools came to market without benefit of any public comment and were permitted to operate without publicly available rule sets. The de facto policy shift that occurred as these dark pools received regulatory approval was therefore not publicly debated nor was the impact of the dark pools’ operations on market structure generally understood. These internalization vehicles were therefore permitted to grow without appropriate rules being set to ensure that the highest quality of price discovery on Canadian lit marketplaces would continue.
In hindsight, greater vigilance was required by all stakeholders to ensure that the introduction of new players, in the form of dark pools, did not have unintended consequences on the market as a whole. With the approval of these new entrants, policy was being created on a case-by-case basis without regard to long-standing rules that worked to protect the market as a whole. With the more recent benefit of public debates and transparent proposals on dark liquidity, the Canadian market can proceed with creating policy that can continue to protect our visible exchanges and enhance the benefits that these lit marketplaces provide to all stakeholders.
See UMIR 6.3 Exposure of Client Orders at http://www.iiroc.ca/English/Documents/Rulebook/UMIR0603_en.pdf.
UMIR 1.1 Definitions: “standard trading unit” means, in respect of any equity or similar security: (i) 1,000 units of a security trading at less than $0.10 per unit, (ii) 500 units of a security trading at $0.10 or more per unit and less than $1.00 per unit, and (iii) 100 units of a security trading at $1.00 or more per unit.
UMIR 6.3(1)(b).
Other relevant exceptions include UMIR 6.3(1)(a): the client has specifically instructed the participant to deal otherwise with the particular order; and 6.3(1)(f): the order has a value of more than $100,000.
National Instrument 21-101 Marketplace Operation and National Instrument 23-101 Trading Rules were published for comment in July 1999. The July 2, 1999 publication is available at: http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Securities-Category0/rule_19990702_ats.pdf. The current legislation and its evolution are available at: http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/en/13537.htm.
Toronto Stock Exchange Regulatory Notice 97-036 dated November 7, 1997, page 3.
Toronto Stock Exchange By-law 11.09(5) became effective on August 24, 1998: “A member that receives a client order to buy or sell 1200 shares or less of a listed security shall immediately enter the order in the Book or on another stock exchange on which the security is listed unless…(a) the client has specifically instructed otherwise with respect to that order;…or (c) the member executes the order against a client or non-client order at a better price than the client could have received on any Canadian stock exchange on which the security is listed.”
UMIR 6.1 Entry of Orders to a Marketplace. (1) No order to purchase or sell a security shall be entered to trade on a marketplace at a price that includes a fraction or a part of a cent other than an increment of one-half of one cent in respect of an order with a price of less than $0.50.
Proposed amendments to NI 21-101 include revised disclosure requirements aimed at leveling the playing field among ATSs and exchanges, and enhancing disclosure generally. These proposed amendments are available at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/en/SecuritiesLaw_rule_20110318_21-101_rfc-notic....
Consultation Paper 23-404 Dark Pools, Dark Orders, and Other Developments in Market Structure in Canada was published in the Ontario Securities Commission Bulletin (2009) 32 OSCB 7877 and is available at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Securities-Category2/csa_20091002_....
See CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 23-308 Update on Forum to Discuss CSA/IIROC Joint Consultation Paper 23-404 “Dark Pools, Dark Order and Other Developments in Market Structure in Canada” and Next Steps, available at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Securities-Category2/csa_20100528_....
Joint CSA/IIROC - Position Paper 23-405 Dark Liquidity in the Canadian Market is available at http://www.osc.gov.on.ca/documents/en/Securities-Category2/csa_20101119_....
IIROC’s Request for Comments “Provisions Respecting Dark Liquidity” published July 29, 2011 is available at http://docs.iiroc.ca/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=609A096597AC43A3997....
Letter dated October 27, 2011 from Mr. Kevan Cowan, TMX Group to Mr. Jim Twiss, IIROC is available at http://docs.iiroc.ca/DisplayDocument.aspx?DocumentID=FE7B57D3C25E4C4898B....
About Deanna Dobrowsky
Deanna Dobrowsky is the Director, Regulatory Affairs at TMX Group. TMX Group's key subsidiaries operate cash and derivative markets for multiple asset classes including equities, fixed income and energy. Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, Montréal Exchange and other TMX Group companies provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, data products and other services to the global financial community. | <urn:uuid:781c031a-74f9-419c-a3f2-60d48c5e1b1b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.world-exchanges.org/insight/views/regulation-and-price-formation-canada-vigilance-required | 2013-05-22T14:33:42Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368701852492/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516105732-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945979 | 3,038 |
Popular Andy Samberg Posts - This Month
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Andy Samberg SNL Promotions
- Andy & Anne Hathaway 2
- Andy & Emma Stone
- Andy & Amy Poehler
- Andy & Gabourey Sidibe
- Andy & Jennifer Lopez
- Andy & Charles Barkley
- Andy & Blake Lively
- Andy & January Jones
- Andy & Megan Fox
- Andy & Justin Timberlake
- Andy & The Rock
- Andy & Steve Martin
- Andy & Paul Rudd
- Andy & Anne Hathaway
- Andy & Shia Lebeouf
- Andy & Ashton Kutcher
- Andy & Ellen Page
- Andy & Seth Rogan
- Andy & Drew Barrymore
- Andy & Ludacris
- Andy & Jamie Pressly
- Andy & Scarlett Johansson
Some Favorite Andy Samberg Posts
- Andy as Jewey Fallon - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
- Andy & T-Pain are glad that Jorma isn't on the boat
- Andy in Show Choir
- Andy in Rose Bowl Promo: Football Taping
- Andy's 2009 favorites
- MacGruber movie review
- Should SNL show digital shorts instead of domestic violence?
- John Hamm to host SNL again in January
- Andy in Nature of the Beast
- Why is SNL featuring so many young and attractive hosts?
- Saturday Night Live 12/5/09 - Blake Lively & Rihanna
- Andy nominated for a Grammy
- Andy & Blake Lively - SNL Promo
- Andy hangs with the SNL crew
- Blake, Taylor, and James hosting
- Does Andy have a big butt?
- Reba digital short
- Andy Samberg in The Mellow Show
- 10 ways to fix SNL (I wish this was a joke)
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt - SNL Promos
- Andy Samberg & Friends - Comedy Central's report
- What SNL Alumni should host SNL?
- in Lady's Guide To Throwing A Party
- "Get Out" Digital Short
- Andy & January Jones - SNL Promo
- Andy Samberg and Friends - Kristen's Review
- Andy Samberg and Friends - Stephanie's Review
- January Jones, Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Host SNL
- Full Episode: SNL 11/7/09 - Taylor Swift
- Taylor Swift gets Kanye'd already
- Andy Samberg Halloween costumes
- Should SNL cast members exploit commercials?
- Supports the elephants
- Night of Too Many Stars
- Loves his sweatshirt and Joanna Newsom
- Space Chimps 2?
- Yo Gabba Gabba - Behind the scenes
- Taylor Swift is hosting SNL
- National Bosses Day (Like a Boss)
- On the Ground - Behind the scenes (video)
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (videos - 10/13/09)
- on Yo Gabba Gabba (video)
- His Elle shoot (video)
- SNL, 9/26/09 - Megan Fox & U2
- Andy and friends at the Emmys
- Andy Samberg and Jimmy Fallon at the MTV VMAs
- Andy Samberg behind the scenes of "Cloudy" Video
- Andy Samberg on Martha Stewart
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@ Your Library
Recent library events, news and more.
Graham Parsons & the Go-Rounds (Andy Catlin, Grant Littler, Tod Kloosterman, Adam Danis) brought their own special breed of magic to the Van Deusen Room Wednesday night, for the 52nd installment of KPL’s concert series. Together since November 2009, the homegrown five-piece combines Parsons’ powerful voice and introspective lyrics with a layered yet balanced instrumental mix… some serious roots rock with the looseness of a jam band with just enough ambient texture and sonic psychedelia to keep things interesting. Here’s proof…
Need more? Next Wednesday, August 24th, Graham Parsons hosts a singer/songwriter showcase with Michael Beauchamp at The Strutt during the Boogie Records Revival. Graham and the Go-Rounds are back at The Strutt on September 22nd. Check The Strutt website for details.
Go Rounds “To Go”
And speaking of The Strutt… if seeing the band play live isn’t enough, you’ll find recordings by Graham Parsons (with and without the Go-Rounds) and lots of other great local artists on the venue’s own record label—not surprising since Go-Round Andy Catlin manages the Strutt Records studio in the basement of the café. You’ll find Graham’s peaceful “Migration” on The Strutt’s “350” compilation, plus a full length release on Strutt Records entitled “Farmhand.” Graham and the Go Rounds’ have released a “Triple A-Side” single and a self-titled live album.
Concerts @ KPL
As for KPL’s concert series, the fun continues in August when The Verve Pipe puts on a special family friendly concert in Bronson Park in support of their aptly titled new Family Album. Then back to Central Library for Joe Wang and the Test Pilots in September, Gifts or Creatures in October, and Midnight Cattle Callers in November. Stay tuned.
Graham Parsons & the Go-Rounds
Recently at the Alma Powell Branch we did a teen program called Pizza and Pages. We read and discussed the book Sweet, Hereafter by Angela Johnson and I bet everyone knows what we did with the pizza part of Pizza and Pages. The book was a great pick for our first book discussion. It was a 117 page easy read. It was thought provoking and infectious. Once we started reading it was hard to put down. What really surprised me, though, was that it was a time warp; it could’ve been any generation or any war era. Angela Johnson achieved what all great artists try to achieve. She filled our minds with questions. Who was Alice? Was Sweet a girl or a boy? Which war time was it? And lots more!
Everyone is looking forward to Powell’s next Pizza and Pages!
On July 6, the Kalamazoo Public Library was honored to host the World Premiere of author Bonnie Jo Campbell’s newest novel Once Upon A River. The novel that has been listed by NPR, CNN, Newsweek and The Daily Beast as being a “must read” and essential summer novel. These accolades should not lead you to believe it is a beach read because it has been earning critical praise from publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Detroit Free Press, and the Wall Street Journal. Recently the Washington Post critic Ron Charles wrote, “The wonder of Once Upon a River is how fresh and weathered it seems at the same time. Ardently turning these pages, I felt as though I’d been waiting for this book and yet somehow already knew it. After her critically acclaimed collection of short stories, American Salvage, Bonnie Jo Campbell has built her new novel like a modern-day craftsman from the old timbers of our national myths about loners living off the land, rugged tales as perilous as they are alluring. Without sacrificing any of its originality, this story comes bearing the saw marks of classic American literature, the rough-hewn sister of The Leatherstocking Tales, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Walden.”
After Bonnie acknowledged many of the people in the audience who contributed to the book in some way or another, the evening started with a reading of the first chapter which introduced the main protagonist of the novel, Margo. She is a character who possesses a tremendous amount of spirit and adventure that can only be found in the citizens of southwest Michigan. The reading was followed up with an informative and entertaining Q&A. Bonnie answered a variety of questions about the writing process as well as inspiration for the book. The over 160 in the crowd were treated to an education!
Most in the crowd agree that Once Upon A River deserves similar, if not more accolades than her previous book the National Book Award Finalist, American Salvage. If this novel is not on multiple “Best of 2011” lists I will be shocked! I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of Once Upon A River in the mail a few months ago. After reading the first 50 pages, I turned to my wife and stated that it was the best books I had read in years. I then proceeded to neglect my family and friends until I finished the book. Check out a copy or place one on hold, but be sure to prepare your family for your absence because you will be floating down the river lost in an amazing book.
Bonnie Jo Campbell @ KPL
The Binder Park Zoomobile visited the Eastwood Branch Library on June 17th and delivered an animal program not once, but twice, back-to-back, which together attracted over 240 audience members. Alex, the Zoomobile Animal Specialist and educator, brought along five amazing animal friends, informing the audience of their special abilities and characteristics, as well as sharing a few fun folktales focusing on two of the creatures.
Highlighted was Adelaide the kookaburra, an exotic bird specimen from Australia. Considering that this was this feathered vocalist’s first presentation outside zoo confines, she did wonderfully well, and everyone was appropriately impressed by her plumage and exceptionally calm demeanor. No stage fright here!
Also featured was a red-kneed tarantula from Central America, which evoked many “Ooh’s” and “Aah’s,” as well as an occasional shriek, coming noticeably from a few of the younger attendees.
A Central African pancake tortoise named Flap Jack, as well as Scooter, a cute African pygmy hedgehog came next on the roster of Binder Park offerings.
And finally to wrap up the show, there was a special appearance by a striped boa constrictor which also hails from Central Africa. Program listeners were allowed to touch this one, and more than a few actually dared do so!
To sum up, this was a great program that was educational, entertaining and pleasing to both young and old.
P.S. Many more animal programs are scheduled at the Eastwood Branch Library this coming July and August for the entire family to enjoy. Please check them out on the online calendar. They’re fun, free and make the library the happening summer place it’s meant to be. See you there!
Alex from the Binder Park Zoo
Accolades from the music press are always nice, but when Corky Siegel calls someone his favorite harmonica player, people tend to pay attention. Once a student of Big Walter Horton, Peter Madcat Ruth has been blowin’ harp around these parts for more than four decades and has performed with some of the best.
In 1990, Madcat joined guitarist and singer Shari Kane, “the most dangerous fingerstyle blues guitarist north of the Yazoo,” to form Madcat & Kane. Since then, the Ann Arbor-based couple has toured extensively, playing at some of the most prestigious blues venues in the country. Then add two of Michigan’s most versatile musicians to the mix, Mark Schrock and Mike Shimmin, and you have Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street, an acoustic quartet of considerable power and finesse.
To be able to witness talent like this in our own fair city is a treat in and of itself, but to see them at the library—free of charge nonetheless—made last Friday an Art Hop to remember. The fast-paced set opened with a Charley Patton standard from the 1930s, “Moon Goin’ Down,” and rolled on through more than ninety minutes of Delta blues standards, trains songs and “Mississippi party music” by the likes of Furry Lewis, Walter Davis, Blind Boy Fuller, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, and others. “We like to dig deep, deep down,” Ruth noted, “and find some of those old acoustic blues things that kinda’ got lost and no one’s doing them anymore… keep ‘em goin’.”
You can find lots of what they played at KPL on the quartet’s latest CD, Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street Live at the Creole Gallery, and you can download a podcast of the Art Hop show in the KPL Concert Archives.
“This is a gorgeous library,” Shari adds. “I love Ann Arbor, but it was such a treat to come here… it’s such a jewel of a city that you have here.” Thanks, Shari, we think so, too—please come back and see us any time!
Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street
Kalamazoo Public Library was very pleased to host illustrator Kim Shaw in an Anti Bullying Art Workshop. Kim presented her newest book, The Juice Box Bully, and then led a lively discussion on bullies and friendship. It was clear from the response of the school aged and adult audience that the topic is more timely than ever.
Kim then led an interactive drawing workshop wherein everyone had the opportunity to learn and practice some great drawing skills. Kids especially enjoyed this part - essentially a a small intro to drawing class for nearly fifty! Lots of nice drawings emerged from the Van Deusen room.
Kim created the art for The Juice Box Bully based on Kalamazoo's Woodward School for Technology and Research. Listen to Kim discuss how that real-life school influenced her illustrations.
Anti Bully Art Workshop
An Dro likes to call itself Celtic-based, globally infused world-beat music—a fairly accurate description, it seems. And its members, none of whom are strangers to Kalamazoo audiences, come from an equally diverse mixture of backgrounds and musical experiences. Michele Venegas, once a member of Fonn Mór, is an accomplished fiddler who can certainly stand with the best. Fred Wilson, once a member of the Irish music group Amadaun, brings influences from his years of teaching at home and abroad to his articulate guitar and mandolin work. Jim Spalink, also a member of Amadaun who later went on to form Puck Faire, adds texture to the An Dro sound with a blend of Celtic harp, hurdy-gurdy, bouzouki, lute and recorder. Percussionist extraordinaire Carolyn Koebel, also a member of Fonn Mór, is well known and loved around these parts for her work with Blue Dahlia, Dunuya Drum and Dance, and a host of others.
For those of us who relish the instrumental side of Celtic-world fusion, this show was indeed a real treat. The four members seamlessly wove traditional Irish reels, an dro dance tunes (an dro is a traditional form of folk dance from Brittany), floating European and Middle Eastern influenced melodies and inspired originals into a dozen pieces to fill a gorgeous 90 minute set. The crowd of more than a hundred rewarded the group with a well-deserved standing ovation at the end. If you missed the show (shame on you) or you would like to relive part or all, you’ll find audio, video, and photo souvenirs on our Concert Archives page.
Over the summer, you’ll find An Dro performing at the Buttermilk Jamboree near Yankee Springs on June 12, and elsewhere throughout West Michigan. Check the band’s calendar for details.
Coming up at KPL, don’t miss a special Art Hop Concert on June 3 with special guests Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street, and on June 15, be sure to catch the amazing Brian Michael Fischer and the BMF band. And Summer @ kpl is just getting started…
If you’ve visited the Kids & Parents section of the KPL website lately, you might have noticed the small live webcast located in the lower right-hand corner of the page. A quick click of the play icon and you’ll see a direct live video feed from the Raptor Resource Project (RRP) that lets you keep tabs 24/7 on a family of nesting bald eagles high above a fish hatchery in extreme northeast Iowa.
The Raptor Resource Project (a 501(c)(3) non-profit) directly manages more than thirty falcon, owl and eagle nesting sites across the US, while advocating preservation and research through lectures, education programs and its own website.
Perched some eighty feet above the ground on private property near the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa, the nest itself is massive; nearly six feet across, four feet deep, and weighing roughly half-a-ton. This same nest was featured in American Eagle, a 2008 PBS documentary by Emmy-winning cinematographer Neil Rettig, the first-ever HD feature about bald eagles.
Last October, a team of experts installed two treetop cameras overlooking the nest. The main camera is mounted about five feet above the nest and streams live 24/7, while the other has pan-tilt-zoom capability and is operated remotely whenever there is significant activity. Infrared night vision (invisible to the eagles) allows for nighttime viewing. The live stream has been surprisingly captivating to watch—I occasionally keep it open in a small window on my desktop. (The accompanying live audio stream even makes a great natural soundscape!)
In late February, their work began to pay off as a nesting female laid her first egg, while the male dutifully kept the nest supplied with food. The second egg came along three days later on February 26, and a third on March 2.
The pair took turns tending to the eggs while the other left the nest, only to return a short time later with something fresh to eat—usually a fish or small animal. At times, the birds battled seemingly insurmountable odds; heavy show, bitter winds and torrential rain.
The first egg hatched on April 2, the second and third followed just days later. Three tiny bundles of helpless fuzz that within a few short weeks, have since grown to become clumbsy yet capable young eaglets, now able to stand, stretch, and move freely around the nest. When the adults are absent, the youngsters often sit near the edge of the nest and peer over, perhaps wondering when and from where lunchtime will arrive. By the end of June (after roughly 11-12 weeks), the young birds will learn to fly and leave the nest on their own. The cycle then begins again.
So next time you’re on the Kids & Parents page, drop in on our new friends. And you won’t be alone. Since it began, the Decorah Eagles website has received a whopping 98.3+ million views, with several tens of thousands of viewers watching at any given time!
A warm spring breeze, a little much-needed sunshine, and some outstanding roots music all combined to make for an unforgettable Saturday afternoon at the Oshtemo Branch Library. Earth Day was Friday, April 22, but somehow KPL managed to stretch the celebration into a two day affair with a truly unique set of performances by a close-knit group of musicians from the Earthwork Music Collective.
While the younger members of the audience danced in the sunshine and adorned the parking lot with artistic sidewalk chalk creations, a crowd of more than 300 filled the tent and library garden area to enjoy an afternoon’s worth of music from some of the finest singers, songwriters and musicians Michigan has to offer. Yes, these folks are really that good.
Seth Bernard acted as MC for the afternoon and welcomed to the stage an amazing lineup of friends and family for a variety of captivating original tunes and timely “Earth-friendly” covers. Seth joined his longtime performing companion May Erlewine, the extended “Davis Family” (Rachael Davis with Joshua Davis and Dominic John Davis of Steppin’ In It and honorary Davis-for-a-day, Michael Shimmin “Davis”), Sam Corbin & Jen Sygit, Brandon and Bethany Foote (known collectively as Gifts or Creatures), Laurel Premo and Michael Beauchamp (known collectively as Red Tail Ring), and Josh Keller of Who Hit John? fame for some truly inspirational music in honor of the big blue ball. And there were several surprises along the way—from a glimpse of an upcoming Josh Davis solo project to an inspired sing-along of a timeless Woody Guthrie classic. KPL’s Kevin King kept the youngsters occupied with a reading of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss during intermission. You’ll find audio, video, photos and more from this event and others in KPL’s Concert Archives.
This was 46th show in KPL’s ongoing series of free live concerts, and (thankfully) there’s no end in sight. Upcoming shows include a May 18th appearance by An Dro, A special June 3rd Art Hop with Madcat, Kane & Maxwell Street, high octane blues from the BMF Band on June 15, and to celebrate our 50th show, a special July return performance by Steppin’ In It, the very group that started the live music series back in June 2008! And that’s just a start. Watch for more details coming soon!
The Western Dance Project, the touring ensemble from Western Michigan University's Department of Dance, came to the Central Library to perform in the Rotunda over Spring Break. The program began with a dance choreographed to a movement from composer John Adams's trancelike Shaker Loops. The program also included a piece called "Little Blue Worm", a crowd favorite, about kids playing on the playground. After many other entertaining and beautiful dances, the program closed with an amazing hip hop peice by WMU Department of Dance alum Chopper Platt featuring eight different tracks of music in sequence.
Western Dance Project director and dance professor David Curwen told us about how dance works and even taught us some moves in between the dances. We're glad Western Dance Project made a stop at the library and we look forward to having the Western Dance Project back again!
Western Dance Project | <urn:uuid:29349c61-82e8-4c41-b4f7-3ee423d5221e> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://kpl.gov/news/blog/default.aspx?category=News&start=10 | 2013-05-24T22:49:16Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948963 | 3,991 |
Integrating Reporting Services into Your Application
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
Summary: This paper summarizes the different ways that developers can integrate SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services capabilities in their applications. (13 printed pages)
You can download the Microsoft Word version of this article.
Integrating Reporting Services into Your Application
Embedding Reports with the Report Viewer Controls
Embedding Reports in SharePoint
Managing Reports with the SOAP API
Generating Reports Programmatically
Integrating Ad Hoc Report Authoring
Extending the Report Server
Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services is a complete platform for creating, managing, and delivering reports from a variety of data sources.
Reporting Services offers comprehensive functionality for processing, formatting, and rendering data in a variety of traditional and interactive reporting formats. Applications can take advantage of Reporting Services functionality in many ways, from accessing an existing report within an application or portal page, to embedding report processing and design capabilities within a stand-alone application.
SQL Server Reporting Services is designed to be programmable and extensible. Report definitions use a published, extensible XML-format called Report Definition Language (RDL), and Reporting Services offers a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) Web service for managing and accessing reports.
With SQL Server 2005 and Microsoft Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft has extended the ways in which developers can integrate and access Reporting Services functionality. This paper provides a summary of the many different integration points with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.
About This Document
This document is designed to help application developers identify and understand different methods for accessing Reporting Services functionality from their applications. It is not intended to document how to use the different programmatic interfaces. These interfaces are described in other sources.
- This white paper is not intended to be an exhaustive source of information about Reporting Services. For detailed information about the product, see the product documentation and also the resources available online.
- In addition to Reporting Services, this document assumes that the reader is already familiar with the following topics:
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Internet Information Services (IIS)
- Microsoft .NET Framework
- Microsoft Visual Studio
Information about these topics is available on MSDN Online.
Reporting Services is a comprehensive platform for creating, managing, and delivering traditional, paper-oriented reports and also interactive, Web-based reports.
Reporting Services was designed from the start to be extensible, with open interface and programmatic access to support a wide range of environments and applications. Application developers can access this functionality in a number of ways, including accessing existing reports, generating custom reports and report controls, embedding reports locally within applications, and executing reports remotely.
By taking advantage of the functionality and open interfaces of Reporting Services, you can easily provide robust reporting capabilities while focusing on your application’s unique functionality.
This paper discusses the integration points that are available with SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services.
You can create reports for your application by using a variety of tools. These include the Report Designer tool integrated with Visual Studio 2005, or the new Report Builder ad hoc tool, and then deploy them as part of your application installation. Your users can also use these tools to extend the set of reports that you provide with your application.
Perhaps the most common application integration requirement is the ability to embed reports or the ability to access reports from within an application. The first version of Reporting Services provided two methods for accessing reports that resided on a Report Server. These were URL access and an XML Web service, the Reporting Services SOAP API. SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services expands the options for embedding reports. These include a set of Report Viewer controls for Windows Forms and ASP.NET applications, and also Web parts that make it simple to navigate, select, and view reports in Microsoft SharePoint portal pages.
Reporting Services offers a full-featured management interface using the Reporting Services Management Web service (a SOAP API). The Management Web service can display reports and manage rendering, subscriptions, and other aspects of the report server, programmatically from an application.
Generating Reports Programmatically
While many applications provide predefined reports, it is also possible for an application to generate report definitions automatically by writing to the published XML schema for Reporting Services reports. After a program has created the report definitions, the Reporting Services Execution Web service provides a programmatic interface to the report execution and rendering capabilities of a Report Server.
Integrating Ad Hoc Report Generation
The Report Builder tool lets end users and business analysts create and design reports by accessing a data model that presents the underlying data sources in a business perspective. Third-party applications can access the Report Builder. Reporting Services provides a model design tool for creating the Report Builder data models.
Extending Reporting Services
The modular architecture of Reporting Services is designed for extensibility. A managed code API is available so that you can easily develop extensions consumed by many Reporting Services components. By using the Microsoft .NET Framework, you can create custom assemblies, custom report items, and also new Reporting Services security, delivery, rendering, and data processing functionality to meet your evolving business needs.
The remainder of this paper describes these methods in detail.
Report design is available within a Report Server project that is included in SQL Server 2005 and also integrated with Visual Studio 2005 language projects. The report design process is a graphical surface that is modeled after the Windows Forms editor.
Reports may be tabular, matrix, or freeform, and may contain rich charts. You simply drag and drop a field from the Data Sources window onto the design surface and then set the desired style properties. The Report Designer, shown in Figure 1, lets you access the full capabilities of Reporting Services reports, including the grouping, sorting, filtering, and conditional formatting features.
Figure 1. Visual Studio Report Designer
When you create reports, you can choose to either publish them on a Report Server or embed or access them locally from the application. Both of these options are described in the following subsections.
SQL Server 2005 includes a Report Server Project in the SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence Development Studio for designing reports that will be hosted on a Report Server. Some of the benefits of deploying hosted reports include security, caching, scheduling, and delivery.
Hosted reports use the standard report definition format (RDL). This format contains information about how to connect to the data source and extract appropriate data.
Visual Studio 2005 includes the ability to design reports and embed them directly in any language project, including Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual J#, or Managed C++.
The embedded Report Designer has the same functionality as the Report Server Designer included in SQL Server 2005, but uses the Visual Studio data source functionality to access data for the report. Reports can access traditional data sources or object collections.
Embedded reports use a report definition version (RDLC) that includes metadata about the data sources, but does not contain connection or query information. This is described in detail in the next section.
For more information about designing reports, see SQL Server Reporting Services Books Online.
Visual Studio 2005 comes with freely redistributable Report Viewer controls for embedding Reporting Services functionality into custom applications. These controls require that Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 is installed on the target machine.
There are two versions of the Report Viewer control: one for Windows clients and one for Web-based (ASP.NET) applications. The Visual Studio toolbox automatically provides the right control, based on the type of project you are creating.
The Report Viewer controls access reports on a Report Server or process and renders reports locally in the following ways:
- In local mode, the application provides the report definition and datasets and triggers report processing. No SQL Server license is required and the necessary processing functionality is included within the Report Viewer control.
- In Report Server mode, the Report Viewer control accesses a report hosted on the Report Server. The control is used to navigate and display the report. Report Server mode requires a SQL Server 2005 Report Server.
These distinctions are explained in detail in the following subsections.
Local Mode vs. Report Server Mode
The first important decision you have to make is whether to use the local or Report Server mode for the Report Viewer control. Your decision will probably depend on how your application will be deployed.
In local mode, as shown in Figure 2, the local application processes the reports from the report definitions that are either embedded in the application or loaded from disk. The application makes no connections to a Report Server. In fact, this approach does not require a SQL Server license or Report Server.
Figure 2. Local Mode Report Processing
In Report Server mode, shown in Figure 3, the application accesses a report published on a Report Server. The Report Server performs all data retrieval, processing, and rendering, and the control displays the results.
Figure 3. Report Server Mode
The Report Server offers a managed reporting environment that includes security, subscriptions, snapshot management, and report history. These services may be essential for enterprise-scale reporting environments.
There are other, more subtle distinctions you should be aware of when deciding which mode to use. These are summarized in Table 1.
|Category||Local Mode||Report Server Mode|
|Data Sources||Visual Studio data sources, including ADO.NET DataTables or application objects. The application must connect to the source for data.||Any data sources accessible from the Report Server. This includes a wide range of supported sources.|
|Report Definition||Embedded locally or loaded from disk or stream.||Published to Report Server.|
|Parameters||The application must implement the user interface for specifying parameters or queries.||Report Viewer control can prompt for query or report parameters.|
|Security||The application must manage security. Code embedded in a report cannot access the file system or network without explicit permission.||Report Viewer control prompts for credentials.|
|Export Formats||Microsoft Excel and PDF only.||All rendering formats supported by Reporting Services, including Excel, PDF, and MHTML.|
|SQL Server Licenses||None required.||One required for Report Server.|
The report processing should be identical between the Report Server and local modes, because the Report Viewer control uses the same reporting engine as the Report Server. Both reports support interactivity, such as expanding and collapsing sections, drill-through, and interactive sorting, and a wide range of data layouts such as tables, lists, and charts.
Local mode does not support Custom Report items.
Changing from Local to Report Server Mode
The decision to choose local mode over Report Server mode is not irreversible. You can migrate reports from the local RDLC format to the hosted RDL format.
If the report uses a data source type directly supported by the Report Server, such as SQL Server, you can supply the missing information and then publish the report on the Report Server. If the report retrieves data from data sources not directly supported by the Report Server, you may have to provide data processing extensions in order for the Report Server to retrieve the data.
After the report is published to the Report Server, you only have to update the Report Viewer control with the report path and Report Server information needed to access the report.
Generally, if your report uses application data that is not stored in a database or is not accessible by using a Web service or other remote API, migrating from local to server mode will not be possible without building a data processing extension. This is described later in this paper.
Integrating Reports in a Windows Forms Application
To integrate a report by using the Report Viewer control in local mode (creating and generating the report locally), you can use the following steps.
To create the data sources
- Launch the Data Source Configuration Wizard to create data sources from databases, Web services, objects, or local files.
The wizard creates a DataSet that contains the DataTables you have specified. Alternatively, you can use the TableAdapter Configuration Wizard. This allows you to use a query to create a DataSet.
To design the report
- Use the Report Designer that is integrated with Visual Studio to define the report.
You can drag and drop fields from the Data Sources window onto the report items. Report Designer automatically puts the appropriate data source information into the report definition (RDLC) file for the local report.
To add the Report Viewer control to the Windows Forms application
- Drag the Report Viewer icon from the toolbox to the Windows Forms design service. The SmartTags panel is automatically displayed.
- Select the report to bind to the Report Viewer control.
Note that the order of these steps is flexible. For example, you can add the Report Viewer control to the application and then launch Report Designer to design the report.
To add a remotely hosted report to a Windows Forms application, you simply add the Report Viewer control to the application and, from the SmartTags panel, select the Report Server URL and the path for the report.
Integrating Reports in an ASP.NET Application
The process for integrating a report into an ASP.NET application is similar to that for a Windows Forms application. Following is the general process for embedding a local report.
To create the shared data sources
- The data sources can be created as either DataComponents, by using the TableAdapter Configuration Wizards, or by using custom classes.
To design the report
- Report Designer displays the shared data sources in the Data source window. Drag and drop data and report components to design the report.
To add the Report Viewer control to the Web page
- Drag and drop the Report Viewer icon onto the WebForm design surface. The SmartTags panel for the control is automatically displayed.
- Select the report you have designed and then select the data sources for the report.
If you are embedding access to a report hosted on a Report Server, all you have to do is add the Report Viewer control and, from the SmartTags panel, enter the URL and path for the report on the Report Server.
Reporting Services provides two Web components for embedding reports in Windows SharePoint Portal Server 2003 or Windows SharePoint Services environments. These include Report Explorer and Report Viewer:
- Report Explorer navigates the Report Server to find available reports and manage report subscriptions.
- Report Viewer lets users view and work with reports.
Separately or together, these two Web components let you easily leverage the capabilities of Reporting Services. For example, you can use these to do the following:
- Automatically display a specific report on a portal page.
- Give the portal user access to browse, select, and display available reports on the Report Server.
- Give the portal user the ability to subscribe to a report on the Report Server.
Report Explorer Web Component
The Report Explorer Web component is essentially a scaled-down version of the Report Manager that is included with Reporting Services. The Report Explorer Web component provides the capability to do the following:
- Browse available reports on the Report Server
- Select a report to view
- Subscribe to reports
The Explorer Web component can be used in conjunction with the Report Viewer Web component. When run in connected mode, the two Web components pass data to each other. In stand-alone mode, they do not.
If you run Explorer and Viewer in connected mode and select a report to view, this will automatically display the report in the Viewer Web component. If you run Explorer in stand-alone mode and select a report, this opens a new browser window to display the report. You will have to decide which approach is best for your application.
Report Viewer Web Component
The Report Viewer Web component displays the report. Users can view and navigate multi-page reports, print the report, or export the report to supported formats. The administrator can decide whether the report viewer toolbar is displayed with a minimal set of controls or none at all.
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services includes a Reporting Services Management Web service for programmatically managing the Report Server. The Web service offers a single-entry point to the full report management functionality of the Report Server and can be used to perform a wide variety of tasks. This includes the following:
- Browsing server contents
- Publishing and removing reports
- Managing snapshots and report history
- Managing subscriptions
Reporting Services also offers a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider. This is a programmatic interface that you can use to build custom Report Server administration tools.
Distributing Reports with an Application
As part of your application installation or configuration, you may want to deploy a set of standard reports that your users can use. You can use the management Web service to deploy these to the Report Server.
In addition to deploying the reports, you will want to change the data sources for the report so that it points to the local installation. The simplest way to do this is to define the report by using shared data sources. Your deployment utility that publishes the reports to the server can also set the appropriate connection strings for the data sources.
Reporting Services offers several methods for generating reports interactively. It also supports programmatic report creation and execution, with a documented, extensible XML-based report format (RDL) and with SOAP interfaces for report execution.
Writing Report Definition Files with RDL
Reporting Services uses a published, extensible XML schema called Report Definition Language (RDL). The RDL format covers all aspects of the reports, including data retrieval, expressions, and layout.
You can use the expression capabilities of RDL to support dynamic content within reports, designing conditional formatting and drill-down links. However, there are a few applications that have to generate an entire report dynamically by writing the RDL. There are specific ways to generate RDL programmatically.
One way to generate RDL from an application is to use the Microsoft .NET Framework classes of the System.Xml namespace. The XmlTextWriter class can write RDL according to the specification. However, you can generate a complete report definition in any Microsoft .NET application.
Because RDL is an open schema, you can extend RDL with additional attributes and elements. You can even include custom report controls and elements that are not included with RDL and embed code inside the report definition.
For example, you can create and use maps, barcodes, and media clips within reports, and add the custom report controls to the Microsoft Visual Studio Toolbox. Custom report controls have their own properties and dialog boxes and use the expression evaluation, grouping, sorting, and filtering features of the Report Processor.
For information about the Report Definition Language Specification, see the Reporting Services Web site.
Dynamic Report Execution
Typically, to execute a report from the Report Server, you publish the report to the server and have the server execute and render the report. The report then resides in the Report Server report catalog.
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services offers a Reporting Services Execution Web Service for programmatic control over report processing and rendering on the Report Server. By using the classes and methods of this Web service, you can direct the Report Server to do the following:
- Process and render a report from a report definition file
- Render a report from a history snapshot
- Execute server-based reports
The classes and methods are encapsulated in the ReportExecutionService class.
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services includes a new ad hoc, report-authoring tool called Report Builder. In using Report Builder, business users and analysts can create reports by dragging and dropping data items onto a report layout. Because Report Builder uses predefined Report Models to access data sources, you will want to provide your end users with already built Report Models to enable ad hoc authoring.
Building Report Models
To provide ad hoc report design for application users, you have to define and publish the report models used by Report Builder. These models provide a business-level description of the underlying database. As a result, Report Builder users do not have to understand the source data structure in order to create meaningful reports.
Microsoft provides a Report Model Designer tool to define, edit, and publish report models for Report Builder. You can use this tool to design the model interactively by using the data source. Models can also be generated automatically for Microsoft SQL Server or Analysis Services databases.
You can override the default experience when users drill from one entity to another by using drill-through reports. These provide a customized experience and generally make your out-of-the-box applications function better.
For more information about creating report models, see SQL Server 2005 Books Online.
Launching the Report Builder Client
Report Builder is a ClickOnce Windows Forms application that is accessible from the Report Server. You can access or launch Report Builder through a URL to provide integrated, ad hoc reporting.
The uniquely extensible architecture of Reporting Services enables developers to extend specific features of the product and its components.
The types of extensions that are supported in SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services are shown in Table 2.
|Extension||Report Server Mode|
|Data Processing Extension||Data processing extensions enable developers to build additional data source types into Reporting Services. These data processing extensions add functionality to both the Report Server and Report Designer.|
|Delivery Extension||Delivery extensions allow the use of a wide variety of mechanisms when sending report notifications to users. You can extend the Report Server to provide custom delivery to users and you can extend the subscription management pages of Report Manager to enable subscriptions that use custom delivery extensions.|
|Rendering Extension||Rendering extensions transform report data and layout information into a device-specific format. You can create additional rendering extensions to generate reports in other formats that are not supported.|
|Security Extension||Security extensions enable the authentication and authorization of users in Reporting Services. By default, Reporting Services uses a Windows-based security extension to authenticate the identities of users on the system. You may have to replace the default security to accommodate custom security in your enterprise.|
|Custom Report Items||Custom report items allow developers to define additional item types that can be used within their reports. Custom report items include an interface that allows a design-time control to be hosted in the Visual Studio report design tool. Custom report items also include a run-time interface that the custom report item uses to convert report data and properties into an image to display in the rendered output.|
|Custom Code Assemblies||Custom code assemblies are referenced from within your report definition files and contain specialized functions that you can use in the expressions in your reports. The server calls the functions in your custom assemblies when a report is run.|
More information about extensions, including their programmatic interfaces, is included in SQL Server 2005 Books Online.
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services offers a wide range of integration points and makes it easy for developers to take advantage of the product’s comprehensive report generation, processing, rendering, and distribution capabilities.
For detailed information about these programmatic interfaces to SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services, see the SQL Server 2005 Books Online. | <urn:uuid:7c901271-f547-435a-9d30-870753af35e0> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://technet.microsoft.com/en-US/library/aa964126(v=sql.90) | 2013-05-24T22:51:32Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.864541 | 4,718 |
4.0 Laser-Sharp Lessons
NETWORKING >> Each section contains key Action Items located within the downloadable Action Guide >> Click to Download Action Guide.
Did you know that the energy put out by a normal light bulb is equal to the energy put out by a laser beam? A laser has a very tight beam and is very strong and concentrated. A light bulb, on the other hand, releases light in many directions, so the light is comparably weak and diffuse. The difference between the two allows the laser, with focused energy, to have the power to do very fine and delicate surgery, artistic etching, as well as play the broad, full sounds of an orchestral overture.
Does that sound like the kind of precision you want from your networking
activities? I’ve found that there are three ways to bring your networking
efforts into laser-sharp focus to build your business:
1. When talking about what you do at networking groups, focus on one aspect of your business at each meeting.
Remember, your goal in the networking process should be to train a sales force, not close a sale. Therefore, each time you have an opportunity, you should focus on a specific product or service which you offer, and then train people how to refer you in this area.
Too often we try to cover everything we do in one introduction. When you
have the chance to be in front of the same group of folks regularly, don’t
make the mistake most people make by painting with too broad a brush.
Laser-sharp networking calls for you to be very specific and detailed about
one thing at a time.
Sometimes I hear businesspeople say they have a “full service” business. I
think saying this alone is a mistake; full service doesn’t really mean
anything to people who don’t understand the details of all the services you
offer. Instead, talk about what you specialize in or what you’re best known
for. There’s something that sets you apart from the competition—let others
know about that aspect of your business.
2. When asking for referrals from your networking partners, be very specific about what you want.
Identify specific people to whom you wish to be introduced. Personal
introductions can open doors for you that would’ve otherwise remained
closed. If you don’t know the name of the manager of another business
you wish to meet, find out—then ask specifically for a referral to that
Give vivid examples of the type of referral you wish to receive. I’d
recommend reviewing a case study from a current client or past
successful referral with your networking partners. Define what the needs
were of that prospect and how your business met those needs. Be as
detailed as you can be so your networking partners can really visualize
the experience and have a clear picture of how you were able to meet
this person’s needs. This will give them clarity and focus when they
meet another person with the same needs.
3. Meet with each person in your networking circle one on one.
Do this away from the general networking session, to deepen the relationship and dial-up the focus of your networking efforts. I can’t stress enough the importance of deepening the relationships with your networking partners. To really maximize the energy of the partnerships you’re forging with your referral sources, it’s critical to spend time with them. Just going to a social function or sitting side-by-side at some type of conference or networking event isn’t enough. You have to be face-to-face, talking and exploring commonalities and complimentary aspects of each of your businesses to be as powerful a referral source for each other as you can be.
In our increasingly fast-paced society and business climate, it’s important to take your time to get to know your referral sources and cultivate long-lasting and mutually profitable relationships. It’s true that “time is money,” but I also know that without investing a good chunk of your time in one-on-one relationships, you won’t have the kind of strong and deeply focused referral sources you need for successful word-of-mouth marketing.
By focusing your efforts like a laser beam, you’ll fine-tune your networking message and increase your results.
Is there a specific type of networking organization to which these
These techniques apply to most networking organizations, but the one to
which they best apply is a strong-contact network or business development network—groups like BNI, which meet every single week. The more specific you are the easier it is for them to hang their hat on some concept of what you do, and the easier it is for them to refer you—because you’ve educated them over time.
Do you have any success stories that illustrate that principle: “specific is terrific”?
Twenty years ago I was at a BNI meeting where a person, who was a printer that specialized in business forms, stood up at a meeting and said, “I’ve never really mentioned that I really love designing forms—not just printing them. I’ve brought in a couple of examples of the work that I do in designing forms.”
One of the members at the meeting stood up and said, “I was literally
going to go down the street after this meeting to some other company and
have them do a design for me so that I could take it to you to get printed.
I had no idea that you also design forms. I’ve got a referral for you today,
and I wouldn’t have had that if you hadn’t stood up and described, very
specifically, this aspect of your business.”
The more laser-specific you are, the more likely you are to have people
remember aspects of your products and services and be more effective at
Do you have any success stories of an individual who asked for a
specific introduction to a person by name?
I had someone at a networking meeting stand up and say, “I’m looking for
someone who knows…” and then he named a real estate agent who lived
in Southern California. This particular agent was the number one real
estate agent for the franchise that he was referring to for about the last 10
years. He continued, “I’m looking for someone who might know this
individual because I can’t get past the secretary to talk to the agent.”
The person who sponsored him into this networking event stood up and
said, “John, I know that agent. She’s my sister-in-law.” He said, “My
goodness, your sister in law? Why didn’t you ever tell me that?” And she
said, “Why didn’t you ever ask?”
You have to be specific about what you’re looking for and sometimes just
putting it out there to your networking partners is all it takes—that laser specificity rings a bell with people. They’ll say, “Gee, I know somebody who
knows that person.” Or, “I know somebody who can help that person.”
It’s really a great argument for being part of one of those strong-contact networks where you have that opportunity to be face-to-face with one another on a regular basis so you can bring specific requests to them, week after week.
Being the founder of the world’s largest strong-contact network, it would
be hard for me to argue with you on that one. I certainly agree. But diversity is key in all your networks. Participating in chamber groups and service clubs is also good. But no doubt, the laser-specific technique is most applicable to groups like BNI, where you’re meeting on a regular basis.
The third technique you’ve recommended was to meet with each person in your networking circle one-to-one. Do you have a specific list of topics you recommend you cover when meeting one-to-one?
In the book I co-authored with Robert Davis, Business By Referral, I recommend “GAINS Exchange.” It’s an acronym that stands for: goals,
accomplishments, interests, networks and skills. What I recommend at the one-to-one is that you sit down and you do an exchange of information, of your GAINS. At first blush you might look at that and say, “That’s not asking for any business.” No, it’s not, but it is all about building the relationship.
The more I get to know you, the more I build a relationship, and the better the chance we establish trust. And knowing particularly your areas of interests and skills and goals gives me an opportunity to make a connection with you. It even helps you find overlapping interests that help to build the relationship over time.
ACTION ITEMS: Complete the Action Items in your Action Guide.
Explain what separates you from your competition.
Describe how you met a customer’s need or plan to do so.
Identify three potential customers, partners or others you want to be referred to and who might refer you to them from within your network.
1) Referred by:
2) Referred by:
3) Referred by:
Explain what you want the referring person to convey to your potential customers or other individuals.
Now that you know what you want your referrals to say, set up an opportunity for a one-to-one and get your message to each of them, BUT only if the relationship has been cultivated and you have developed credibility with them. Never skip the “farming” process of a relationship. | <urn:uuid:83c75709-9783-4370-9f72-9cdd3a7d71b9> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://usentrepreneur.com/growing-a-business/networking/laser-sharp-networking/ | 2013-05-24T22:43:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960105 | 2,074 |
Lahair Club Not Just for Men
Bryan Lahair cranked a three-run homer to tie the game and then later doubled and scored, leading the Cubs to an 11-4 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Cactus League action at sunnny and warm Dwight Patterson Field at HoHoKam Park in Mesa this afternoon, in what was the first-ever appearance by the Reds at HoHoKam Park. (The Reds relocated their Spring Training camp from Sarasota, FL to Goodyear, AZ this year).
Battling for a spot in the Cubs starting rotation, lefty Sean Marshall did nothing to hurt his chances, throwing three very solid innings (49 pitches - 33 strikes, 4/3 GO/FO). He allowed just a solo HR to Reds third-baseman Juan Francisco (a LH hitter, BTW) and a single to Wladimir Balentien. He struck out two (Jay Bruce and Paul Janish), and didn't walk anybody. Marshall threw strikes and got outs.
Meanwhile, Reds starter Homer Bailey shut out the Cubs through the first two innings, before the Cubs broke-through with a single run in the bottom of the 3rd. James Adduci sliced a double into the LF corner (he had three hits today, for a total of five over the last two games), advanced to third on a Starlin Castro ground out (three ground outs for Castro today), and scored when Darwin Barney grounded a single into RF that scooted just beyond the reach of Reds second-baseman Brandon Phillips.
Adduci has been working with new Cubs hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo on elevating his swing such that he might perhaps hit some HR (Adduci is a big guy, and looks like a 25+ HR hitter, except he hits mostly singles). But while he hasn't hit a HR yet, the extra work in the batting cage seems to have helped Adduci's overall approach to hitting. He has suddenly turned into an aggressive, ferocious hitter the last few days, after struggling at the plate early in camp. With his ability to play all three OF positions (and 1B), and with his plus-speed (he runs VERY well for a big guy, with 35 SB last year at AA Tennessee), he might actually be in the mix for the 4th OF gig, especially if Sam Fuld continues to struggle at the plate, and if the Cubs want Tyler Colvin and Brad Snyder to play every day at AAA. Piniella seems to really like Adduci. (BTW, Adduci's dad played in the big leagues with STL, MIL, and PHI back in the 1980's).
2009 Cubs Minor League Pitcher of the year (and NRI RHP) Casey Coleman entered the game in the top of the 4th, and really struggled with his control throughout his two innings of work (39 pitches - just 18 strikes, including a 25-pitch 4th inning where he threw just nine strikes). Coleman also struggled with his control in his last outing, and that's no way for a young pitcher to make a favorable impression on a manager who hates walks as much as Lou Piniella does.
Coleman walked Brandon Phillips leading off the 4th inning, before surrendering a long HR over the left-centerfield fence to Juan Francisco (the husky third-baseman's second round-tripper of the day), and then escaped what could have been a much-worse inning when Yonder Alonso hit a rope-liner right at shortstop Starlin Castro, allowing the Cubs to double Wladimir Balentien (who had walked with one out) off 1st base (Balentien was running on a 3-2 pitch). Then with one out in the 5th, Paul Janish homered over the LF fence, giving the Reds a 4-1 lead.
But that was the last time the Cubs trailed, as they rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the 5th, scoring all of the runs on one swing of the bat, the Bryan Lahir game-tying three-run tater off Reds RHP Micah Owings that the powerful ex-Mariners 1st baseman ripped over the RF fence with two outs, following an Adduci single and a Barney walk.
With Micah Hoffpauir having had a terrible Spring at the plate so far, Lahair may be passing Hoffpauir on the depth chart behind Derrek Lee. Barring an injury to D-Lee, neither Hoffpauir nor Lahair are going to make the Cubs Opening Day 25-man roster, but Lahair might get the call over Hoffpauir later in the season (like maybe on September 1st, when rosters expand) if the Cubs wish to add a LH power-hitting 1B at that time.
Rule 5 RHP Mike Parisi pitched the 6th and 7th for the Cubs, and was a perfect six up/six down (L-9, Ks, F-9, P-3, 3-U, and 6-3, on 21 pitches - 16 strikes), probably further solidifying his spot in the Cubs bullpen. Being a Rule 5 player, the Cubs are going to give Parisi a longer look than they might give to another pitcher who isn't subject to getting reclaimed by his former team (in this case, the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals), but he still has to perform well in Spring Training outings if he wants to make the Cubs 25-man roster. And so far, he has performed very well indeed.
While Parisi was holding-off the Reds, the Cubs scored five runs off Reds NRI RHRP Jon Adkins, and then two more off LOOGY Pedro Viola.
Chad Tracy led-off the Cubs 6th with a line-single to left-center, and then Alfonso Soriano pulled a line-drive double into the LF corner (Sori's second hit of the game). For some reason (brain fart, perhaps?), temporary 3rd base coach Ryne Sandberg (Mike Quade was with the split squad in Las Vegas) inexplicably decided to send Tracy home. But Tracy was obviously a dead duck, so much so that he turned around half-way home and tried to get back to 3rd base, where he was tagged out for the 1st out of the inning. But DH Bobby Scales picked-up Tracy (and Sandberg), following the gaffe with an RBI double, a sharply hit grounder down the 1st base line and into the RF corner that scored PR Ty Wright (up from Minor League Camp) from 2nd base with the go-ahead run. Koyie Hill followed with a line single to right, advancing Scales to 3rd, and then after Adduci struck out swinging, Hak-Ju Lee (also up from Minor League Camp) lined a two-run double into the LF corner, scoring Scales and Hill (and the speedy HJ Lee was standing on 2nd base before K. Hill even hit 3rd!). While Starlin Castro may be the Cubs top position-player prospect going into the 2010 season, Hak-Ju Lee (rated the #1 prospect in the Northwest League by Baseball America in 2009) is not far behind. Lee sprays line-drives from foul line to foul line.
Now up 7-4, the Cubs added four more in the 7th. Lahair almost decapitated Reds first-baseman Miguel Cairo with a lead-off low-flying line-drive double smoked down the first-base line, advanced to 3rd base on a Tyler Colvin single to left-center, and, after Chad Tracy struck out looking against Reds lefty reliever Pedro Viola (who had just entered the game), scored on a Ty Wright line-drive single to LF. Bobby Scales then hit into a FC (advancing Colvin to third), and Colvin and Scales both scored on a double off the top of the LF fence (a near HR) by catcher Chris Robinson. (With Uncle Lou having seen Robinson actually get a key two-out RBI extra-base hit, the Cubs might be more-willing to call-up Robinson if Geovany Soto or K. Hill get hurt, something they were not willing to do last year when Soto went on the DL in August). Adduci then plated Robinson with an RBI single to right to complete the Cubs scoring for the day.
RHRP Jeff Stevens (in contention for a job in the Cubs bullpen, but having a bad Spring) worked the 8th inning for the Cubs (18 pitches - 11 strikes, 1/2 GO/FO), allowing just a one-out double to NRI OF Josh Anderson (an outstanding diving-try near-miss by LF Ty Wright), but no runs.
RHP Esmailin Caridad worked an easy 1-2-3 16-pitch 9th (Kc, 5-3, F-8) to finish-off the Redlegs and send Cub fans home happy.
Besides Lahair's big day (he also made an outstanding catch in foul territory, reaching into the stands to grab a pop up), James Adduci and Tyler Colvin had three hits a piece, and Darwin Barney reached base three times on two singles and a walk. Barney also made a sterling defensive play in the top of the 2nd, ranging far to his left, diving to make the stop, and then nailing the base-runner at 2nd base with a throw from his knees.
While one Cubs squad trounced the Reds in Mesa, the other squad was in Las Vegas, edging the White Sox 8-7. Ryan Dempster threw three innings of one-hit ball in the hitter's paradise known as "Cashman Field," allowing just one unearned run, walking none, while striking out two.
The Cubs play the Angels tomorrow afternoon in Tempe. | <urn:uuid:a7aaa77f-feb0-46ef-a9e5-3eda76d21fe2> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.thecubreporter.com/comment/155559 | 2013-05-24T23:09:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705195219/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115315-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966169 | 2,051 |
Santiago has run off, taking the lantern with him, leaving Nan in the darkness of the third floor hall, just outside the Sunset Room.
The heavy, ragged breathing and shuffling footsteps have gone quiet. All that remains is silence, and the placeless echo of Nan's vision of the TERRA COTTA COURTYARD.
Feel around for the wall so you can reorientate yourself in case you need to run.
FLAIL, FIND A WALL, FOLLOW IT, RUN LIKE HELL.
Preferably with the flailing oh god there are monsters everywhere run run what are you waiting for oh god damnit run goat run
This is going to be asked in a second anyway, so check your pockets/inventory
Oh my goodness yes.
Find a wall, TAKE A MOMENT TO ORIENT YOURSELF. No point running away from where we want to go. Move quickly to the elevator door and SLAM THAT CALL BUTTON AS HARD AS YOU CAN JESUS.
Try to find a wall, then follow it.
Try not to make too much noise, lest you alert the Beast.
Nan stands up and begins feeling along the wall. She rechecks her inventory, to find:
PHILLIPS HEAD SCREWDRIVER
And a CHECK for services rendered at the Fun Family Arcade.
It appears her CROSS PENDANT is still missing.
Im thinking you should ready the screwdriver, since its the closest thing you have to a weapon.
Continue walking along the wall.
EQUIP SCREWDRIVER in case of hostiles.
Nan continues along the wall, and finds something that feels like a button.
Don't push button yet. Feel AROUND the button. Is there a rectangular plate around it, like an elevator button? Metal? Plastic?
Check to see what kind of button it is. THEN recieve scary. :D
Nan presses the button.
The elevator doors open.
Kim screams, then sighs in relief, lowering her taser.
It's just Nan, after all.
Hug them both in relief.
Fist bump Anderson
Tell them about Anne
Tell them what happened after you fell asleep.
Wait, we might want to make sure it's actually them before we go clinging on to them. You never know in this place.
Head in elevator
Tell everyone Anna got mauled
Hugs all around! Then ask what the hell happened. Where they went, if they know Anna's dead, so on.
You know what, take that rug on the floor. You'll never know when you'll need something with which to beat a fire out with, throw over a barbed wire fence, or to distract a monster with.
Nan steps into the elevator and delivers the grim news about Anna's fate. Evidently Anderson and Kim were not aware, and Kim gasps in tragic realization.
Anderson seems angry. He says this is why they slept in shifts. Who was Anna staying up with?
Oh, no. It was Pablo. Have you guys seen him?
God damn it Pablo...
Ask them what went on with them since you last saw them. Did they wake up together or did they have to find each other? And grab that rug. It's yours by blood right.
Pablo. Pablo had the shift with Anna.
After they woke up Anna and Pablo for their shift, they took a short nap, then headed out to look for Santiago.
Kim groans. That means Pablo could be dead too.
Anderson says that's definitely one possibility.
So the two of them left the safehouse together and this is the first they've heard that things have gone wrong? How long has it been, for them?
Also take the rug.
Ask what the hell is going on. How did we suddenly wind up somewhere else? Is this whole place in some kind of space-time fractal?
I love talking about space-time shenanigans as much as anyone else, but unless we're professional physicists in that area, we should focus on surviving the weird space-time hotel of horror then understanding it.
Close the fucking doors and let's get to another floor.
suddenly I'm a lot less sure about pabalo...
Nan asks if anyone understands what's going on, and how she suddenly wound up somewhere else.
Kim asks where exactly it was she wound up.
The lights come back on with a quiet hum.
What's is place look like?
WE'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS HERE.
I don't think we should mention Santiago.
I still think we should take the rug.
Dangit Nan get off that rug. Take the ruuuug.
We had a weird nightmare. Pablo was in it. We woke up, then say the Pilgrim, then met Santiago. Now we're here. Ask what THEY did in the intervening time.
Hang on, why exactly did they go out to look for Santiago? Methinks it's time everyone had a bit of a sitdown to discuss exactly what's been going on since our little side trip.
Vaguely describe your dream. Both of them, why not.
Get the dickens back in the elevator and back to the saferoom already. Stop standing around yammering in places where the lights crap out randomly and the Things go.
Let's see if we can at least fine Anna's body again. I'm not actually sure if it's worse if we can or not.
I get the feeling that if we go looking for the dead, we won't like what we end up finding. Anyway, Anna didn't have anything important on her, so no reason to wander around without purpose.
Nan explains her dreams, which brought her to a strange place where she saw Pablo, then to the TERRA COTTA COURTYARD.
Kim's face seems to darken at the discussion of Pablo's behavior, but comforts Nan. It was just a dream, after all.
Anderson says nothing.
Nan explains her ordeal after waking up, how she was chased and led around. Kim asks what part of that constitutes a "space-time" oddity, if she just moved around.
Finally, Nan suggests they take the elevator back to the safe room. Anderson replies that the safe room is on the third floor. Where they already are.
He studies Nan quietly, then asks if she's sure she's all right.
We're alright, Anderson. Just more than a little unsettled. Ask where Henry is. Let's just get back to the safe room and take a deep breath, okay?
Don't let yourselves get lulled into a false sense of security just because the lights are on. Those things can go out at any time. Warn them about the Pilgrim.
Also, ask Anderson if in his time there was any trace of a former spanish monastery around the Hotel. Maybe it was only torn completely down right before construction on the hotel began.
Admit you have little knowledge of where you are or what's been going on. You've been asleep, after all. Did they FIND anything during their search for Santiago?
Be advised, I think Anderson doesn't trust us.
I think he thinks we're getting a tad hysterical. He's from around the early 20th century, he probably think all dames melt in the face of danger.
HNNNNNGH NANQUEST UPDATE YES...
Ask Anderson what happened to Henry and why they decided to leave poor Nan alone in the saferoom ;_;
yay nanquest, dont give up weaver =3
is there any indicative you really are on the 3rd floor? door number maybe?
well, we should head to saferoom anyway.
Apologize and say you weren't aware because you were too busy being blindly running away from the Pilgrim and other various monsters.
>Santiago has run off, taking the lantern with him, leaving Nan in the darkness of the third floor hall, just outside the Sunset Room.
...yeah, we didn't really move around due to the 'dreams' this time did we? Did you tell them about getting sent into the burning room?
Nan considers her situation. Perhaps she's a little confused. She was being chased by the Pilgrim, she must have just gotten turned around.
Anna was here, she's sure of it.
But now the hallway's empty.
Nan asks if there used to be a Spanish Mission here. Anderson says there was. When he was a boy, its ruins were here. Burnt to the ground some time ago. Cleared out years later, in preparation for the hotel.
We'd better not stand around here too long. Let's head back to the saferoom.
Ask why it got burnt down, on the way to the room.
nothin we dont already know, besides the burning down bit. Time to either head back to saferoom or check the floor for our friends.
Return to the safehouse.
Ask Kim if anything cool or notable has happened since 2009 for possible minor small talk.
Point out where Anna died. Lament that you didn't grab her hat for evidence.
Also: Survival requires understanding. Lets research the FUCK out of this place.
Become obsessively possessive about your possessions.
Write your name on all the tags.
The door to 311 is slightly aja-*shot*
When stating the area where Anna died note aloud the fact that there is no blood on the walls.
Nan asks why it was burnt down. Anderson says he doesn't know. It happened before he was born.
Nan returns to the SAFE ROOM.
If I had to guess, I'd say Pablo's been obsessing a bit.
What's with the lines on the wall? Those weren't there before, were they?
Move the bed, see what's behind it.
Okay, so now Pablo is a Prime Suspect.
We STILL need to find a way out of this dang hotel, though.
In the meanwhile, examine the wording.
Possible credence to Anna's idea?
Quick, check the tub! Hopefully Pablo isn't in there (maybe he saw what happened?)
Check for unwanted visitors.
Thank you, mysterious failure. Your words mean so much when people are dying and going missing.
Nan: Go to the mirror. See if your mirror self is there. If she is, then drag her out and beat her until answers come out.
Other than that, ask if anybody has ideas on what to do next.
If not, then go to the front door and try to open it but do NOT step through. We need to see what the others see when it's open. If you encounter yourself or one of the others, grab them and take them with you. If it's Anna, then kiss her and make her promise not to die on you again.
Just as an aside, ask Anderson when he was born. It might ne nice to just know how old we all are (of course, if you want to leave it ambiguous then by all means ignore the shit out this. I've already contributed to a Weaver-quest today, and in doing so, my life is a tiny bit more complete)
Ask when the note showed up. No hugging
Study the markings on the wall. Are those scratches clawmarks?
There doesn't appear to be any more to the note. The markings on the room haven't changed from the last time -- faint ashy trails leading up the walls.
Nan checks the bathroom, but it's empty. No one else is here.
LOOK BEHIND YOU
Check the mirror!
Failing any strange activity, Return to Kim and Anderson and ask what they have been doing and what is their next move.
Make sure bedroom door is closed and locked. I assume so, but it wasn't mentioned.
Okay, let's inventory our situation. We're missing Pablo, Anna's dead, Santiago's batshit crazy. Where's Henry again?
Henry's been missing ever since Nan woke up to Anna being mutilated by Pilgrim.
Should we go find him? It's not like there's anything better to do.
On one hand, I think that we can't afford to lose anyone else. On the other hand, our rescue missions haven't exactly gone swimmingly so far. But I'm not sure what else we can do at this point. And there's clearly a connection between Nan and Henry, since they've been sharing dreams and have similar (the same?) pendant.
Yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think we need to do a Pablo/Henry rescue mission. Mostly a Henry rescue mission, because based on the scrawled message and Nan's dream(?) of Pablo's whole "I'm sorry baby I won't kill you this time" episode, I've got a bad feeling about Pablo.
Check mirror, if nothing happens then organize a search party of some kind. Make sure that the search party consists of everyone too, the last thing we need is to split up and have more people to find later.
Oh crap... you're right. These rooms don't have phones, do they? We need to find a way to communicate with people in some manner.
... then again, didn't we first meet him on the 1st floor? Maybe when everyone got separated, he wandered back there. It'd at least be familiar.
check mirror, assuming we dont get warped to some parallel version of ourselves in the process; consult anderson on plan of action.
If we're going to stage a rescue, we're going to need a few things:
1) A plan. This not only includes where we're going to look for Henry (and maybe Pablo), but also what we will do if we're split up and proper procedure for sticking together when the lights die.
2) Weapons. Nan lost the Rebar sword already. Looks like Kim has a taser, Anderson has his gun, but Nan's defenseless currently. The broken glass from the mirror could possibly be cobbled into a makeshift spear if we take down the shower rod or break some wood off the bed, if we can find some tape or something to bind them together.
3) Contingency plan on what to do if Santiago shows up acting psycho. Frankly, I'm inclined to say that Santiago is going to be more of a liability than he's worth. I know Nan isn't the "kill in cold blood" type, but this burgeoning attempt at a friendship at him seems like a poor idea. He can't be trusted, and I sincerely doubt he can be redeemed. No more handing him our limbs without having a backup plan for self-defense.
I'd like us to readdress this point, too. Why were the two of them out looking for Santiago?
One more alternate option and then I'll stop spamming the thread: there's still the "4:66" mystery. My immediate instinct is that's a room number. I know the hotel only has three floors, but I think the number's there for a reason. Is there a way onto the roof?
>>300964 has a point. Try to remove the curtain-rod-thingie. It's probably hollow and light, but it's better than a screwdriver.
Them return to the room and move the bed to see where the ash trails stem from.
And don't look in the mirror, seriously. The last thing we need is another paranormal event that takes us on yet another flashback/dream.
Please try to leave comments only concerning our current situation. 4:66 theories go to the discussion thread.
It seems so far whenever we encounter a paranormal event, it is nan's insofar violent response to these events which trigger a flashback/dream/timetravel experience. So long as we dont do anything rash and Nan applies herself passively to such events, we should be fine.
Up the walls? Look at the ceiling.
To clarify, I wasn't just bringing up the whole "4:66" thing simply for theoretical purposes. I bring it up now, specifically, because we're currently at a "what general goal should we pursue" point. As an alternative to a rescue mission, we could attempt to find a 4th floor (hey, this place isn't exactly full of Euclidean geometry) or roof and try to figure out if that's where we're supposed to be going. So it wasn't meant to be a "let's bring up every haywire theory" mention of 4:66, but rather a "Hey, instead of a rescue mission, here's another idea" mention.
That said, I still think finding Henry is probably the better priority. My guess is we'll run into Pablo and be unhappy with what we find.
Check inside the toilet tank. Maybe someone hid something useful in there.
What's wrong with a screwdriver as a weapon? Hobos and crackheads and the like use them all the time.
Using the screwdriver would require getting uncomfortably close to things. It'd work as a backup, but I doubt we'd last long with it as our primary weapon of choice.
Where'd the totem go? Guess it disappeared when we did our sleep-traveling. Nan needs to start duct-taping her equipment to herself or something.
Take down the SHOWER CURTAIN and use it as a makeshift CLUB.
Seconding taking the SHOWER CURTAIN ROD. Even if it can't be used as a club, I'm sure it'll have some use.
If you can't remove it, ask Anderson to help.
One: take the curtain rod. You could use it as a weapon or combine it with a shard of mirror.
Two: take a shard of mirror. Be careful when holding it!
three: Take the rings on the curtain rod. Maybe you could wear them as bracelets.
four: Look behing you and wave at your reflection.
then we'd just be arming our evil mirror self with weapons
Tie some kind of cloth around one of your eyes. Then when it goes dark you can switch the cloth over to your other eye for INSTANT NIGHT-VISION.
Step 5: cannibalize all wooden furniture in the room then combine wood to form ARMOR OF ARMOIRE. This thing can stop a missle!
Seconding Termina's suggestion. I [his?] order.
Sorry to double post but I didn't mean to use red text like that. I'm kinda new to the posting thing, and didn't know it by default said suggestion at the top. Feel free to delete this if you wish but please don't ban me or anything.
I'm a girl.
And don't worry about the red text.
ask anderson for his watch, change the time to 6 minute past 5 (4:66), see if that does anything
He probably won't agree to that, and the whole 4:66 thing is probably just a "spooky Weaver effect".
Floor 4. Hall 6. Room 6.
Are we already on the top floor?
Nan looks at herself in the mirror.
Become overwhelmed with inexplicable urge to smash the rest of the mirror
There is someone behind you. GO FOR THE LEGS.
Okay, maybe get a drink from the faucet, calm your nerves?
Iiiiit's... probably just the broken mirror making things look all weird but uhhh, look behind you.
Return to the main room. Ask Kim and Anderson if they've found any leads on a way to escape yet.
Nan turns around, but no one is behind her.
TURN AROUND THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND YOU AGAIN
Step away, turn around to face mirror.
Oh that was just the shattered mirror shards giving a weird reflection, everything is completely fine.
Let's get moving, and try looking in some other rooms maybe.
Turn back around, reach into the mirror, pull that damn mirror-clone out, and beat it until answers leak out.
Nan touches her head. There is a dull pain there.
MIRRORS DON'T WORK LIKE THAT!
Throw something at that mirror! Again!
Find the shards of the mirror and put them back in.
WAIT NO DON'T THROW ANYTHING AT IT.
GET OUTTA THERE!
Get away from the mirror.
It is not safe. The bathroom is not a safe place.
IT KEEPS HAPPENING
Reality is breaking down again. Get back to the others!
Nan decides to exit the SAFEHOUSE BATHROOM.
Nan re-enters the THIRD FLOOR SAFEHOUSE.
Check if the dull pain is still there when the mirror is out of sight.
Tell Kim and Anderson to avoid the bathroom, seeing as the mirror is a portal to Hell and can warp your very being.
Well, so much for the SAFE HOUSE.
In any case there's nobody here. And since the building appears to be well-lit again, you should go look elsewhere.
Announce to the group to never fuck with mirrors ever again.
Well... where can we go now? We could check out the rooms on the first floor that people used to be in. Or we could ask if either of them have any keys to any other rooms.
Nan warns the others to be careful around the mirrors. She still feels a dull pain in her forehead.
Anderson asks if they all plan on just sitting here until they die. Kim says they have enough food and water here to last them for a while, and the room seems safe so far, so it might be best to just wait for rescue.
Given that Anderson has been waiting her since the turn of the century I somehow doubt that's a plan likely to pay off.
That obviously isn't happening.
What we need to do is try to get to the roof. Perhaps from there we can find a way down, or maybe encounter more impossible reality-bending shit.
Tell Kim the room is not safe and that looking for a better safe room would be prudent.
Good thinking. Ask them about keys to get options. it might also be wise to check the front entrance once more, since weird items tend to pop up there. Could be useful.
Suggest that because of the supernatural nature of this hotel, rescue may be impossible. You ultimately will need to find a way to quell the evil that is holding you captive in order to escape.
I think rescue is ever going to COME.
I mean how do we know anyone else can even get IN? What if the Hotel is as good at keeping things out as it is at keeping them in?
And who's to say that if someone came, THEY wouldn't be trapped too?
No. We have to find a way out.
We WILL find a way out.
But first we have to figure out what in the fuck is going ON.
Rescue ain't comin' if nobody notices you're gone missing in a hotel that defies all laws of time and space.
Point out that rescue is something like 120 years late by the time Kim arrived, and even if anybody had a clue that anybody was trapped in this building they sure as heck wouldn't be equipped to get you out of here.
Suggest that everybody march down to the front desk and demand to see the manager.
Also, next time you see Pilgrim ask him what happened to him, and to this place.
Ask Anderson if he has an idea. Anything at all, we don't really have any direction beyond basically exploring the hotel. We could look for the others I suppose but then what?
Nan says rescue is not coming. Nothing here seems certain, but that's about as sure as she can be about anything.
Nan asks if anyone has keys. Most of the rooms appear locked or barred.
Kim says she has a key to something called the Anasazi Lounge. She found it in her room, when she first got here. Nan can have it -- Kim doesn't even know where the Lounge is.
It's exploring time! Grab some potentially useful objects and run off for adventure!
Welp, off to find the Anasazi Lounge I guess.
Should we drag the others along for this?
I think it would be best to have Anderson and Kim find a safe place.
Nan can take care of herself.
So yes, let's go find the Anasazi Lounge!
Check the assorted bottles.
Oh yay adventure.
Rip mirror-Nan out of the mirror and beat her until she starts bleeding answers.
I think we need to stop splitting up. It seems to lead to "bad things".
Also, wasn't there a lounge or some kind of dining room where we fought and the room was on fire before we met ourselves?
Make sure Mirror Nan isn't following you, then get the gang together and head to the Lounge, we might find another key or a survivor there.
Nan takes the ANASAZI LOUNGE KEY from Kim.
Kim says Nan can go, but she's staying here where she's been safe for the past several days. Besides, she still has no idea where the lounge is.
Anderson says he doesn't want to leave either of them alone, but clearly he'll have to choose who to stay with.
He should stick with Kim, since they need to make sure the safe room stays safe.
Also, go grab mirror-Nan and beat answers out of her. This is the most rational course of action.
Tell Kim that this place was only safe because it had people here. If a monster barges in here she'd be cornered.
If Kim's not going to budge, have Anderson stay here. Then it'll qualify for being slightly safe. But advise that no place is really safe, probably better to be on the move with just three people.
Leave Anderson with Kim, they both have weapons to defend themselves in case the Safe Room turns out to be...well, not so safe.
Also, check the mirror. We need to make sure our mirror self doesn't come out and kill them after we leave them.
Anderson, stay with Kim.
Nan, grab a light source and advance.
Make out with mirror Nan.
Leave the mirror be. It being cracked isn't safe for us. If we find a whole one, maybe we can mess with it.
Tell him he can stay here.
I still think we should advice them to find a new safe room. Maybe one which has a less dangerous bathroom mirror.
And then we end up all alone again. Yay!
Obtain new weapon.
Appeal to Kim's knowledge of horror movies.
Don't split up the team.
( CARLSON AND PETERS! )
Nan decides to head out on her own, as Kim seems set on staying here. Anderson offers her a LEAD PIPE as a weapon.
Scrounging through the drawers, she recovers a FLASHLIGHT.
Alright, that'll do nicely. Thank him, and let's move.
Take the pipe and flashlight.
Turn on the flashlight and head on out.
Then let's set off!
I guess the most logical place for a lounge to be is the first floor.
>>Éí 'Aaníígóó 'Áhoot'é
If no help is coming, they should all head out and try to find an exit together. Watch each others' backs, and above all leave no one behind. No one should be alone in this place.
Nan takes the items and steps out into the THIRD FLOOR HALLWAY.
Let's run this shit into the ground (floor).
might as well head to the ground floor reception desk, see if any new loot popped up or any notes from the 'management'
What's with that cross on the door?
Have we visited the second floor yet? Or the third? Well, whichever one we aren't on currently, and isn't the ground floor, we should go check out. Also perhaps... check if there's a basement button on the elevator.
Remember what Santy said? The hotel goes dark when they start to get angry. When you go against the hotel's wishes. It will do what it can to stop you.
... I guess we keep going until the lights go off.
And then, whatever we were doing then... we keep doing it.
Also, can you craft the screwdriver and lead pipe together to form the IMPROVISED WARHAMMER?
Nan heads for the Elevator.
Perhaps the ANASAZI LOUNGE is on the second floor.
Head to the elevator. Also, if she does go to the elevator, she should use her REPAIR SKILLS to know that most elevator door's close door buttons are actually placebos, and test it to see if it does anything. If it is indeed a placebo button,look for the stairs(if there are any/are assessable). It is too dangerous to take the elevator if she can't close it quickly in an emergency.
I disagree with the second floor, I say we check out the ground floor first.
Also, do we have any idea where stairs are? I'm not sure about trusting the elevator.
The lights at the end of the hall have gone out.
NAN. TURN AROUND. FLASHLIGHT OUT. WE HAVE PADRE SIGN.
Down the stairs.
Check to make sure this Padre is legit, THEN haul ass downstairs if he is.
Actually, yes, this is better. Run downstairs ASAP.
Oh, hi Padre. Stand there for a moment. Ask him what he wants. If he moves to attack then RUN down the stairs. Fuck the elevator, it'll take too long if we're being chased.
Check room 312
The probably-locked room that is closer to the darkness-shrouded figure? That... seems like a bad idea.
If the stairs aren't right there, scramble into the elevator hit the second floor button then the close door button. Then pray it not a placebo button.
Point the flashlight at the darkness. Look at the Padre and see what he is doing. Is he doing anything, Nan? If he makes a move for you, run for the stairs.
If it starts making a move, call out to Anderson and Kim to black the door as you run.
How the hell did I mess up that much? a is nowhere near o.
Nan shines her FLASHLIGHT.
The result is not entirely as expected.
Go touch it. ouo
No, do not touch the darkness creeping from its very being and RUN DOWN THE STAIRS NOW GO GO GO GO GO GOGOGOGO.
oh my gooooood, RUN.
Ohhshit nvm. oAo For a sec I thought someone propped a dummy up in the hall, but yeah HAUL ASS FROM THE TOO REAL PADRE.
We are not properly armed to fight padre, but if he just stands there then say hi. If not, RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND!
Search the cabinet under the bathroom sink, the drawers in the main room, and underneath the bed. You never know where useful items might be hidden--there could even be all-powerful DUCT TAPE for combining items with the SHOWER CURTAIN ROD to increase their effective length.
If he's not moving then say hello.
Otherwise run like hell.
Read the Lead Pipe
I mean run. Run down the stairs do it now.
Say hello. AS LONG AS HE STAYS IN THE DARKNESS. Also, turn your flashlight off, you don't want to irritate him.
Turn it off.
Also repeating that we should call to Kim and Anderson to barricade the door, while we run..
Try to speak to him. If he advances towards us or seems as though he is going to hurt us, walk away slowly.
Nan hesitates, and attempts to greet the Padre.
FOR FUCK'S SAKE RUN YOU LITTLE GOAT AAAAAAAUGH
NOW can we RUN LIKE HELL?
Menacingly strike wall with lead pipe in the same fashion that it did
Okay yeah fuck this.
To the elevator!
Run away shouting whatever catholic prayers you can remember. That should get us a dramatic scene where somebody (Maybe Anna's animate corpse?) is like 'He can't help you here' or something.
Nan's modes of exit are quickly narrowed.
Something appears to be blocking the stairs.
Dual wield your pipe and screwdriver.
Time to throw down with the Padre.
We have no choice- run to the elevator.
Time to throw down indeed. Two hands on the bar if you want even a chance at parrying his attacks. Remember, hitting him is not as important as DON'T GET HIT.
Time to resort to the old standby...
Freak out at the gravity of the situation.
Then get to the elevator
The elevator is your only choice. Run.
Darkness covers the hall as the lights go out one by one.
Nan glances to the elevator, considering her options.
One light is left on.
Better get to that light.
Go towards the light, Nan! Go towards the light!!
You. Light. Now.
I think it's time to say hi to our buddy Santiago again! Go to that light. Lights are pretty cool.
Don't panic. The hotel responds to fear and panic. Treat Padre like a predator, keep your eyes on him and back slowly towards the light. Don't run.
B T dubs, wikip says that "the word Anasází is Navajo for "Ancient Ones" or "Ancient Enemy"."
Thought that might be worth considering.
To the light! Go!
To the elevator. The hotel is trying to guide us to the light, so lets not listen.
I agree, don't panic. Running will only incite him to run. WALK backwards into the light.
Last time we did something the hotel didn't like (breaking the mirror/clock) everything just got fucked up
It's probably best to head for the light now, ask questions later
I'm pretty sure the light is coming from the elevator. Go to it, but calmly (though still quickly) and keep your eyes on Padre. Santiago may be on to something about not being afraid. Treat your enemy with respect but do not give him your fear.
I like the idea of repeating a Catholic prayer, as well, if you know one. Most people at least have "Our Father Who Art in Heaven" ingrained if nothing else. I'd suggest you do it in Spanish or the original Latin, but I'm guessing you don't know it.
SECOND FLOOR SECOND FLOOR SECODN FLOOR SCEONF DLOOR!
stand tall and stand firm. demand to know how to get out of here.
Nan backs away slowly.
The Padre begins to run.
Go on then and run.
FFFFFFFFFFFF go faster.
Rush to the elevator and hit the ground floor button, then ready your pipe. If he gets there in time to stop the elevator from leaving then your goal is going to be getting that poker away from him as otherwise your chances against him are dicey at best.
Sprint into the light!
On second thought, sprint to the elevator.
Welp, balls up boys
Hug the Padre! Appeal to his inner humanity! This is obviously the correct option, and will result in love and puppies for all.
Nan flees to the elevator.
Damn these elevator doors! CLOSE!
Nan slams the button for the GROUND FLOOR.
Wave hello at the Centre of Time and Space.
Wonderful. First the Padre, now we're trapped in a moving elevator with THIS FUCKER.
Try to communicate carefully, I suppose. By waving, yes.
Oh hai there anomaly/demon/cool something. Amigo o enemigo?
Poke the Spacial Anomaly with your Lead Pipe.
This hole, it was made for you. Dare you enter? Or will you continue to fear the unknown?
On the wall of the elevator is a figure vaguely resembling a person.
It is marked directly on the surface, and its texture is worn, aged, unevenly speckled.
Whether it's been painted or otherwise imprinted is not clear.
Touch it with your lead pipe.
Is the elevator moving?
If so, refrain from touching this thing.
Poke the hell out of it with your pipe.
Yes, test it with the lead pipe. If the lead pipe goes through... I advise you enter. The Lounge may have come to us.
Poke it with your pipe.
The elevator begins to move, descending slowly.
Nan pokes the strange mark with her LEAD PIPE, but it's just like poking the wall.
The elevator stalls for a second, then continues downward.
Ask it a name.
It would appear this... is the elevator -- or perhaps its attendant.
... let's leave it alone for now. smashing it would probably result in EMERGENCY STOP
How odd. The hotel corridors are probably completely dark by now. No sense in leaving the elevator like that.
So I guess we can kill time with this thing...
And also find out if it's going to kill us.
Does the shape resemble anyone Nan knows?
Say 'hi' to ANNA
Or what's left of her.
Touch it with your hand.
Dont touch it at all.
If it's not bothering you, then don't touch it. If it STARTS getting violent or something, well, that's what the pipe is for.
Whistle some showtunes awkwardly.
Best not to mess with it, just wait until we reach our destination and get ready in case the imprint decides to attack.
"... Anna? Is that you?"
Nan says hello, but there is no response of any kind.
She says Anna's name, but still, there is no response.
The elevator passes the SECOND FLOOR without incident, and chimes once.
So, all for leaving creepy wall painting alone and going to greet the bright and cheery world oh Hotel Hell?
Hit the ground floor button again.
Don't turn your back on it. Keep looking at it. The moment you give it a chance, it's going to grow arms and reach for you.
Use SCREWDRIVER to attempt to scrape off a sample of the... thing.
Failing that, examine it closely with the MAGNIFYING GLASS.
Don't fuck with it until we're at the ground floor, at least. Looking at it with the magnifying glass would be cool tho!
Nan waits until the elevator reaches the ground floor. It chimes once.
The doors open.
The lights appear to be on out in the hall.
The marking is dark, its texture aged and mottled.
On closer inspection, it almost seems to be a mottled burn mark.
Don't go in the hole. That hole could be made for you or another resident and we all know what happens at the end of The Enigma of Amigara Fault.
there aren't many things in this place that are GOOD for us, so i really think we should just leave this thing alone, cataloging it in the 'things we don't know enough about' file.
CAREFULLY leave the elevator, maybe just take a look around first before just stepping out into god knows what
Try to break off a hunk of it and put it in your pocket.
Touching anything in this place with malicious intent is gonna fuck something up most likely
We could TRY to put a finger to the marking thingy though...
Nah, you're just being paranoid.
Peel off some of the wall and add it to the inventory.
>Nan: Hump the burn mark. What could happen? You've been sexually repressed for possibly days.
TOUCH IT, you know you want to
Remember the last time we ran into silhouettes?
Yeah, they came off the wall and tried to eat us.
So no leave it alone.
Nan reaches forward and tries to chip off a piece of the dark mark on the wall.
Something doesn't feel quite right.
Again, exeunt elevator.
Okay Nan you've fiddled with the mark, now leave it alone before something worse happens
We're at the top of the elevator shaft?
Ask Anna what she's doing.
Anna! You're not dead! ... unless this is one of those weird, post-mortum soul things. Are you dead? Are you going to warn us about something?! It's going to be really vague, isn't it?
Something is happening. Don't interfere. Watch.
Shout out to her.
Below is a dirty, old elevator shaft. The elevator car sits at the bottom. But given the proportions, it doesn't feel like the same elevator.
Nan walks over and asks Anna what she's doing, but Anna is too busy with her work to respond.
A voice comes from below, distant and echoing. The source cannot be seen. The voice asks Anna if she's done yet.
Anna replies that she is almost done. She calls the voice "Mr. Bowerman".
...She's doing something to the elevator. STOP HER.
Anna drops her SCREWDRIVER, and it tumbles down the elevator shaft below. She curses quietly, reaching out for it in vain. After a moment she sighs, rummaging through her toolbox.
Unable to find whatever she was looking for, Anna mutters that should be fine anyway.
Give Anna your screwdriver.
Let's see where this goes.
Offer her your screwdriver.
Put your screwdriver where she can see it.
While you do this, try to warn her.
I have a feeling we're about to find out why Anna was brought to the hotel.
Give her your screwdriver, of course. Not much else to do.
I agree with this guy here. Obviously she can't directly see us so offering her ours won't do much, but maybe if we put the screwdriver down in front of her she'll notice it on her own
Grab her arm firmly.
Put the screwdriver in her hand.
Make sure she doesn't drop it while finishing her work.
Hug her when she is finished.
Nan offers Anna the SCREWDRIVER. But as it does not seem to catch her attention, she places it in Anna's TOOLBOX.
Anna rummages past it, then picks it up, commenting that it appears she did have a spare, after all.
She goes back to work.
Whisper "I miss you" in her ear.
Cause, you know, I kinda do.
As [most] everyone else said, put the screwdriver down right in front of her.
Anna finishes her work a minute later, muttering that's as tight as it's going to get.
She packs up her tools and goes to the ladder, descending carefully.
She calls out that she's coming back down now.
Affecting her environment seems to work. Nan's like a ghost right now, apparently.
Okay, is there some way you can scratch or smudge a message onto something in her line of sight?
Also take a closer look at that pipe there.
Dammit! Weaver ninja'd me!
Descend ladder after Anna.
Try to follow her, unless we're constricted to this little area
Pick your screwdriver back up before going after her. Cause you might need it.
Nan follows after Anna, heading towards the ladder.
Nan is suddenly
Nan is back in the HOTEL ELEVATOR.
Alrighty, exit elevator.
Well, fuck. Looks like we'll have to see the rest later.
Okay, peek out the elevator, then carefully step out.
See if you still have your screwdriver. Also shed a single tear while thinking fond thoughts of Anna, being glad you could do her one last favor and hoping she's in a better place now.
What Z said.
OK! Our mission is now COLLECTING STUFF so we can do that to everybody that dies.
Go check the cubbyholes for more things to steal vital tools and clues.
Make a note to ask people what horrible event has them feeling terrible.
Are we getting all Cryostatis up in here?
I think checking the cubbyholes and then seeing if we can get into room 114 is a good plan.
Exit elevator. Hopefully we can find someone to interact with that won't try to kill us. I for one am wondering what Santiago is up to right now.
...I wonder how many of the 'residents' here fixed something in the hotel? I wonder how many used a screwdriver? It may be that Nan is carrying something very important.
In b4 we save a cow's life to get through a frozen refrigerator
Do a hearty jig for having helped out Anna.
INFORMATION ACQUIRED: How to fix elevator.
Now let's look for that Lounge.
Which reminds me. We were called to fix the wiring. I still think we should do that. What was wrong the last time, was the door busted or something?
Anyway, since we're on the ground floor, the wiring should be nearby. But first to the cubbyholes.
Nan exits the elevator and steps onto the MAIN LANDING at the ground floor.
The lights are still on, for now.
Check out the janitor's closet, maybe we can get a similar thing to happen with Pablo like it did with Anna and the elevator.
open janitor's closet.
Somebody forced the Janitor's door open and damaged the frame in the process. You're going to want to check that out, but for now check the cubbyholes and the front door.
Try to open the janitor's closet door without standing directly in front of it.
Take a closer look at that painting before we check the Lobby. It's making me uncomfortable.
Bash in the janitor's door with your pipe.
ALL DOORS MUST PERISH.
Considering the door appears to have been broken open already,and despite the fact that I LOVE smashing things ,no good has come braking anything so far. So let's just open the door.
Also, I am almost positive that the Padre pryed the door open. The most effective way to do so would be with his fire poker. Now look at the mark on the wall. It is likely from curved part at the pointed end. If you don't follow yet, just bare with me and visuals him (it?) forcing the pointy end in between the door and frame with curved part closer to the frame. Now he prys the door open by pushing the curved end tword the wall. This would scrape at the wall with the curved part.
poke your pipe through the hole if you can. looks like something's peeking.
Examine the painting/picture on the wall, then unless its interesting, open the door to the closet.
Someone else has been in the janitors closet. Note the door-frame is broken around the lock.
Inspect the door to the Janitor's Closet and the picture.
Also FUCK YEAH NanQuest!
Careful if you ARE planning on storming the closet. We might end up finding a less than sane Pablo hiding in there, or worse, end up pissing off the hotel again.
Open CLOSET and disregard high chance of MONSTERS.
Nan examines the SEASIDE PAINTING.
It depicts some sort of very primitive looking building made of stone, or perhaps clay, standing on a cliff by the seaside. A strange tower, perhaps some kind of lighthouse, stands beside it with a great bonfire burning atop it.
The majority of the painting is dominated by a very bleak and very gray sea.
... I wonder if there's a roof access somewhere in the hotel?
Nan opens the janitor's closet door.
It appears to be more than just a closet.
It opens to a steep, narrow stairway. Somewhere at the other end of the darkness below is a faint, shimmering light.
Determine if darkness is normal
we'll come back to that. let's keep going where we were going before.
Check the cubbyholes first.
Get down there.
Down ye go.
Nan descends into the dim stairwell.
Nan has entered the JANITOR'S CLOSET.
Shine your flashlight at the ceiling, that's where the wire leads.
I'm in favor of checking out the cubbyholes before doing anything else - doubly so since this has the whole "YOU ARE DOING THE THING WE COMPLAIN ABOUT PEOPLE IN HORROR MOVIES DOING" thing going on - but since I seem to be in the minority:
Is there anything you could take?
Can you safely open the furnace to look inside?
Is all of that ash? Maybe cover your mouth with a hand or your overalls if you can stretch them up to avoid breathing it. Get your flashlight out and go inspect the furnace or whatever that is that is giving off light.
No. 2 rule in horror films: ALWAYS LOOK UP
Check out that stuff on the ground a bit more than halfway to the furnace.
Return to the ground floor and examine the cubbyholes.
Nan squints against the hazy darkness and shines her flashlight up into the thick smoke that lingers overhead. The weak beam of light barely fights back the choking black fog, but it's enough to see past the soot-caked water tanks and into the mess of criss-crossed pipes up above. Nan's eyes follow the electrical wire from the chandelier outside. It strings across the wall, high up, and comes down on the opposite wall, entering an electrical box near the furnace.
Check the furnace.
Inspect those cans on the ground in front of the second water tank.
Look inside the furnace.
Still do this.
No way. Check the electrical box. Light is god here, we need to see if there's something we can do to prevent the hotel from screwing with the electricity.
Investigate objects infront of the tank closest to the furnace.
After, look in the furnace. See if there's a way to open it.
I have a bad feeling about going near the FURNACE.
You know, cuz the hotel controls the things in here...
So check ELECTRICAL BOX.
Is there something behind that second tank? It looks like there might be movement there.
Oh god, you're right. Shine the flashlight behind the second tank, it looks like there's a growing shadow there.
Use FLASHLIGHT on SUSPICIOUS SHADOW.:V
Open the electrical box, chacking behind you ever so often, and practice caution when opening the box or anything that's closed
Nan inspects the laid out supplies.
Several tins of CANNED FOOD and some BOTTLED WATER are here. Looks like someone's stash.
Also present are a few CIGARETTES.
Quick! There's a shadow behind the tank!
Use your flashlight on it!
Pop a clean cigarette in your mouth.
You don't have to smoke it, just put it there to look more badass.
"Hello? Anyone there? Mind if I borrow some of your canned goods?"
Don't take the stash! Someone might need that to survive. Chivalry, yo.
I mean, unless you're hard up for sustenance. You're not, are you, Nan?
if Metal Gear Solid 3 has tought us anything, it's that cigarettes make small but moderately effective lights. take everything, light up, recieve light, deal with shadow.
Nan shines her flashlight behind the tanks, and a familiar voice calls out in return as Henry steps into the light.
"Oh thank god, it IS you!" he says with a sigh of relief.
Henry wipes his brow, covered in sweat. He has a few minor injuries.
He says he can't believe Nan's still all right. He says was worried it was that skeleton-faced thing coming back.
punch him in the dick for being one
Coming... back? Pilgrim lives here?!
Quick find where the wires go! We have to fix it and get the hell out of here!
Ask him how he ended up here. Suggest that an unlocked basement is probably not the safest place to hide. Take cigarettes and food supplies.
What'd Henry do the first time it came around?
1. Ask about pilgrim
2. Arm Henry
3. Activate repair powers
Do not hug Henry. Shit is too weird to trust anyone, especially people hiding in the shadows of the spooky basement.
Nan decides to hold off on Henry, even if she is relieved to see him. Now is not the time or place.
Nan recovers some food and water from the supply stash, and also takes some unopened packs of CIGARETTES.
Henry explains what's been going on:
He says when he woke up in the room, Pablo and Anna were already gone. He heard screams out in the hall, so he tried to wake Nan, but she was having some kind of nightmare. She tossed and turned, muttering something, and he couldn't wake her up, so he ran out to see for himself. Out in the hall, he found Anna, freshly killed, and tried to approach, when the skeleton-faced creature attacked him. He ran down the stairs to escape and came here, where the others had said there was food and water, to try and take hide here and wait out the danger. It was locked, so he smashed the door open with his CHAIR LEG CLUB and took shelter.
He hid when he heard someone coming in, thinking it might be that skull-faced thing, and now here we are.
Ask Henry what the heck he's doing down here, then ask how long ago the Pilgrim left.
Shit, nvm. Late. xux
How long ago was that?
Are there any secret places/rooms around here?
Oh good, so this isn't Pilgrim's home. Ask him how he managed to get to this floor via the stairs- they're blocked off. And there's a painting of a lighthouse where they used to be.
Also seriously let's find where the wires lead.
Inform Henry of your situation and the recent horrifying encounter with The Padre.
Nan asks how long ago this was. Henry says he's not sure, less than an hour probably?
Nan asks how Henry took the stairs, if there are no stairs on the first floor. Henry says of course there are.
Henry says he has no idea if there are any hidden passages or secrets around here.
Any way we can get this furnace going again?
we should repair some things, light up a smoke for +12 to all badassness rolls, eat/drink for +6 to sustenance, and then consult consult Henry for his wise guidance
Let's go back up and check the front desk, this place is creepy, dark, and likely unhygienic.
Take a look at the electrical box.
Shine your flashlight to trace the wire again.
Did we tell Henry about our encounter?
If so, then lets light a cig, grab a bite, and get to fixing the electricity
Lets get out hands deep in some electric wiring.
Seconded, but be quick about it. Hanging around so much smoke in such a small room can't be a good idea.
Are we going to check inside the furnace? Or are people against that?
Inform Henry that time and space do not work normally here, then tell him everything that's happened since you last saw him.
Ask HENRY about the ANASAZI LOUNGE.
Ask if HENRY has seen any OTHER PEOPLE since he left the SAFE ROOM.
Ask Henry to hold flashlight as you work on electrical box.
Mention to Henry that there is some TIME FUCKERY going on. It seems to act strangely when we separate. Because we've been gone WAY longer than an hour.
Anyway, check out the electrical box, and the furnace. Maybe there's a way we can keep the lights going or... something? We might as well look.
Ask Henry to watch your behind while you check out the electrical box.
Confer with Henry about CROSS NECKLACE
Use your woman powers and start cleaning that room. Jesus Christ, what kind of janitor calls a place that dirty his own? He ought to be ashamed of himself.
Maybe Nan and Henry should get the hell out of there. This place seems like it's just begging for bad shit to go down.
This might just be a graphical quirk on Weaver's end, but shine the flashlight on the rest of the ceiling. The black smoke hasn't shifted back since we turned off the flashlight.
It's never "just" a graphic's quirk.
I agree. Shine what light you can on that shit.
Nan should check for any potential entrances/exits aside from the doorway she came in through. Is that a vent on the right side, next to the furnace?
If there aren't any other ways out, we should be quick here (or at least keep an eye out for more hiding places). Last thing we need is to be cornered in a creepy basement.
Okay, it's time to search the place for hidden buttons. Take ten minutes to do this.
Have Henry hold the flashlight while we check out the electric stuff. Suggest that he scan the ceiling (if we don't need him keeping the light on the electrical box).
Ask Henry where the stairs he used are. It may also be a good idea to ask more about Henry himself. We know he's a businessman, but what did he do before coming here? Where was his designation before all this happen? Look in more about him. In fact, ask the others the same questions as well. I bet knowing the answers to these questions and knowing more about your allies can help us figure out more about this place.
I dun' goofed. I meant "destination".
Well then, let's keep an eye out for secret passages.
Ask him if he's seen Pablo or knows where the lounge is.
(is it that one we first met padre in that was on fire? Padre was on fire as well, and we ran into the elevator to escape him and met Anna. Does this explain the burn mark?:/
And OHGOD. Anna's MY name D:)
... Why DID we try to reason with him?? He was obviously PISSED AS HELL that we set him on fire.
If this is a religious thing, couldn't we use the events in a bible as a cheat sheet? There was a Spanish mission here, afterall, and so far the story reminds me of that one 'BURNING bush,(bonfire, oil lamps, the mission was burned down, Padre, beast in the courtyard...) the FATHER and son sacrifice a GOAT that god himself provides' story. I don't remember how it went though; just be wary of fire I guess.:/
Also, have Henry keep a lookout as you scour the room and examine the furnace.
Smoke that has not moved at all seems a bit strange, shine the light up to check it. Also ask Henry if he knows about the lounge, and if he still has his weapon.
Agreed. Check on the strangely immobile smoke. And be prepared to flee.
Might also be good to check out the fusebox and see if you can do anything to help with the lights. If they can be fixed and you have what is needed than do it, but if you don't than just note that it could be fixed and go to it later. Anything to help stop the hotel from screwing us when we least need it.
Does he know what's happened to anyone else, and if there's any way to rendevous with them?
Better idea- start telling Henry stuff about the future and things he should do once they get out of there.
Also ask if he has any idea who this Father figure Santiago mentioned is.
Shine that light over the whole ceiling. Something freaky's happening with that smoke.
Examine everything! That always works!
Also GTFO and drag Henry with you.
I assume this delay means that a long cutscene is coming up. Personally, I love those, so whatever.
Also, I don't think there's anything up with the smoke; it'd be a pain to redraw it every panel so it looks like the smoke is moving, and Weaver didn't want to waste time on that.
On the other hand, there may be something up with the smoke now, since everyone's been OMG WHAT'S WITH THE SMOKE. It's a cheap source of ideas, and the audience gets to feel clever...
It looks more like soot covering the walls than smoke, as if the furnace had flared up sometime in the past. Do look at the electric box though. If there's anything you know, it's that faulty wiring makes faulty lighting. With luck, faulty magic wiring makes faulty magic lighting, and can accordingly fixing the wiring will fix the lighting, spooky action or not.
Anna is dead. Kill yourself. It's over.
What would happen if weaver died? we'd never know... we'd just sit here waiting for them to update... forever. Commenting away year after year... sitting at our computers in desperate hope that weaver would return, never knowing what became of them because of the anonymousness of the internet.
Check the ceiling with the light =D wanna see if that causes more smoke to dissapear
(Not actually suggesting that weaver is dead but it's a creepy thought. Also Anonymousness is a word? I thought I just had bad grammar)
AINT NEVA GONNA UPDATE. Anonymousness is a word according to my spellchecker, it is just silly.
dude relax he's probably busy with other things/drawing ponies so just be patient and he'll get back to it whenever.
and this belongs in discussion if anything.
Weaver is taking a break for a while. After a bit, he'll start updating again. He has said as much.
Weaver likes ponies?
Have a romantic dinner by the light of the furnace.
Also, you make me sick, Weaver. Sick with
Weaver, Weaver fever, OOOOOH~,
Weaver, Weaver fever, NOOOOO~,
Weaver, Weaver fever, OOOOH~,
We thought you'd update on time, time~
(DEAR GOD I'll stop now.)
But seriously, are either of them hungry? Have a snack, if Padre doesn't bust in or anything. They have to be finding you somehow...
It just hit me ,assuming Kim's 'we're already dead thing', maybe what we witnessed in >>302702 was Anna just before she 'first' died.
Oh and get out of the with any supplies you can carry. Fashioning as makeshift bag would be nice too.
Yes, I agree. Ask Henry to be a gentleman and let us borrow his shirt to use as a knapsack.
Also, on the note that Weaver likes ponies, is Weaver a girl? All of the heroines (Ruby, Nan) are female afterall.
Keep it to the discussion thread you dolts.
Touch the burn marks like you did in the elevator
Shoop-da-woop the ceiling with your flashlight. You are making many discoveries. But watch out - the hotel may get ANGRY!!!
Lick the walls.
Is this dead?
Inspect the area with your flashflight (this includes all ceiling areas). What seems to be of interest around here? Check around for any secret passages.
Now, scour the area for any objects that may be of use later in our quest. Any BLUDGEONY CANESHOVELs around here?
Finally, ask Henry for any interesting finds in this place. Ask him if he has anything of use.
In other words, check Henry's inventory.
By taking his clothes off.
You know we could just carry on, on our own. Make an alternate path or what not. Then, when weaver gets back, chalk it all up to hallucinogens.
just realized she described tgchan
It seems very likely that this hotel is somehow sentient and out to get you. Therefore, get back at it by SMASHING AND BURNING EVERYTHING.
Shining the flashlight on the ceiling seems to be the only way to change anything or get information. Try that!
Ooh, I have another great idea. Later down the road if we see a mirror we should shine the flashlight on it and see if the light reflects or if the other side of the mirror gets the light.
Check furnace then go to lobby and check hat-rack.
There's already a chunk of the hotel busy being on fire. It doesn't seem too deterred by the whole thing.
>Somewhere at the other end of the darkness below is a faint, shimmering light.
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night...
>Exit the room with Henry. There's nothing more to see here.
>Nan Quest is on the front page
>Just some fuckers messing around
lol i trold
OH god someone's trapped in the furnace!
HOLY FUCK, YESSSSS!
Holy fuck, investigate!
Investigate the voice.
Welp, let's check it out. cautiously.
recognize the voice at all?
I wish to see a quest based on this.
Try to look for the source of the voice. Preferably from a safe distance.
go ahead. help the source of the voice which just so happens to come from a dark and markedly evil hole in the hotel full of horrorterrors from beyond. I'm sure nothing will go wrong.
Is it in that boiler thingy? Have Henry look first!
>"Help. Help me!"
Nan investigates the voice coming from the smoldering furnace.
>"Help me! Nan, get me out! I'm still alive! For the love of god, get me out!"
Kim is in the furnace.
Well, pull her out. Is it locked or something?
OH GOD, GET HER OUT
ENLIST HELP FROM THE FELLOW WITH YOU
MAYBE YOU CAN PULL OFF THE CRATE IF YOU WORK TOGETHER AND SHE PUSHES
oh, it's just her. that's kinda disappointing.
welp. help her, I guess.
I MEANT GRATE
Any way to wedge the bars open?
I'm pretty sure those grates are removable, but you might need a screwdriver.
Kim is badly burned.
Nan quickly kneels down, trying to pull off the rusty grate covering the immense furnace.
Nan turns to look at Henry. Henry stands frozen.
He swears he didn't put her in there.
Put your back and legs into it, Nan. It can't be that stuck!
Or... look for a latch or something.
Tell him it doesn't FUCKING matter how she got in there. All that matters now is GETTING HER OUT.
Ask her how in the hell did she even GET down there? She were three floors upstairs just moments ago with Anderson, refusing to leave the safety of the safe room!
That is, if she can speak.
Then call Henry dumb because you know he didn't put her down there. He couldn't have possibly done that. Stop being redundant Henry.
Ask Kim how long she's been in there and tell Henry to stop freaking out long enough to help you get her out.
This is a boiler room, is there something down here or in your pants you can use as a lever? Yell at him to help you pull and that you don't care that he didn't put her down here!
Nan demands Henry help her. He does not move.
Nan pulls the grate open.
Within the walls of the room, something loud and metallic rattles. There is a strange noise.
Nan asks Kim how she got in there.
She says HE put her in there. She begs for help.
Kim struggles. She screams that her leg is still stuck.
DEMAND THAT IT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER HOW SHE GOT IN THERE, JUST THAT WE GET HER OUT AND HELP HER WITH THE WOUNDS. CAREFULLY INSPECT SAID LEG.
Grab her and pull! Ask her to wiggle her leg free!
Lean in and shine the flashlight around to see how her leg is stuck. Maybe you can help!
The entire room shudders as the furnace kicks on.
Something seems..."off" here. Keep in mind that not everything is as it seems in this quest.
...maybe we shouldn't help her?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KIM WHY
Get away from the furnace!
Make a mildly concerned face at Henry.
Back the fuck off. Do we have a fire extinguisher in our inventory?
Wait... Jump into the furnace!
Kim screams in agony.
She claws at the furnace fixture, trying to drag herself out of the fire.
>"DON'T LET ME DIE HERE! HELP ME! GET ME OUT! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!"
Grab her arm and drag her the fuck out already. What's wrong with you?
Grab her hands, pull her out! We can still save her.
Either something bizarre will happen, or it won't. If it doesn't, we'll at least have a slim (and, possibly, suicidal) chance to still save Kim (depends on exactly how hot the fire is, I guess).
Oh yeah that's right people take time to burn. Her hand isn't on fire, pull on that. If we're lucky either whatever had her foot stuck is burnt up or her foot is burnt up and she can get out more easily. She's probably lighter.
teehee, I see what you did there.
Nan and Kim grab each other by the wrist and pull.
They pull harder.
Well, keep pulling. If we get an arm we get an arm but we can't just leave her!
HENRY HELP NAN NOW
Order Henry to help you. Brace yourself against the frame of the furnace to pull with your whole body's strength.
Saving her at this point is probably just going to make her take longer to die of burn infections, and even if she doesn't she'll be some hideous ghoul for the rest of her life.
Uh. Really the best thing you can do is let go.
LEAVE HER! YANK THE WIRES OUT OF THE ELECTRICAL BOX!
Say, didn't Kim already have burn marks on her? Maybe this fire hurts, but won't kill people...
...kinda like hellfire. What was Kim's theory about the hotel again? That it was hell?
puke all over the place due to the revolting smell of burning flesh and hair.
>"What's going on? I heard screaming!"
FUCKING TIME SHENANGANS
"You're on fire." point to the furnace.
Well now you're going to look like a crazy person holding someone's hand as they burn in the furnace.
You crazy person.
But greet Kim with happiness and relief! A hug may be in order!
Tell her to pull the wires from the electrical box. Now, pretty please.
"KIM! HELP ME GET YOU OUT OF THE FURNACE!"
Tell Kim to help you pull this person out of the furnace.
Do we still have... otherkim's hand? Keep pulling and see if we can find out what is going on. Tell Kim that the hotel's being weird again and that she needs to help pull herself out of the fire.
IF EVERYBODY TINKLES INTO THE FURNACE SIMULTANEOUSLY MAYBE YOU'LL PUT THE FIRE OUT
Is the mostly-severed hand you're holding still stuck? Pull, woman.
Pull out whatever is left!
Pull it out!
The hand is still pulling.
"IT'S PULLING ME IN IT'S PULLING ME IN GUYS UH HELP HELP HELP HELP"
Let go. It's trying to pull you in.
Wait a minute. If Henry really didn't put Kim in there then what DID he put in there? Because he sounded like he had put SOMETHING in and was surprised to see Kim in there instead. This was a bad idea ask possibly real Kim to help pull YOU out instead.
you're stronger than some four-eyed nerdette who is being roasted alive. pull, dammit.
Quickly blurt out a synopsis of what's going on ("KIM YOU'RE IN THE FURNACE HELP") and then all three of you try to pull otherkim loose. If we can't get her out, consider going in after her (remember, things are topsy-turvy here). Afterwards we can discuss this bizarre event with Kim, with or without her doppleganger.
(I think it's a fair bet, though, that this means Henry or someone else will later toss Kim in the furnace. Unless we can use our foreknowledge to think of a way to free her beforehand, anyway.)
Nan continues to pull, but the counter-pull is stronger.
Something is wrong.
Ask the other two to help pull you out!
Jump into the fire! It's the only way!
"Pull me out pull me out PULL ME OUT"
Tell Henry that you believe him now and that he needs to help save you. Kim too.
consider asking for help. but do it only if you have to. you don't wanna seem weak to your compatriots.
Scream. Tell them to break the electrical box.
IT'S A TRICK!
Something's been trying to trick you into the fire! Either do this:
Or, better, see if someone can slice off those extra arms! We could try to see who they belonged too later on.
Hey...waitaminute...wasn't this quest originally intended to play on the fact that suggesters always try to save everyone?
WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T SAVE KIM!
And LET GO.
Dive dive! The delicious flames beckon! Your friends are all in there!
OK you're just insulting the artist now.
Nan calls for help. Henry and Kim grab her by the shoulders and drag her away.
The grip on her arm is broken.
The furnace shuts off.
NOW tinkle in the furnace. y'know, to show your displeasure.
alternatively, ask Henry what the fuck he did.
alternatively alternatively, get the fuck out of there.
>Well no use staying in the place where you were almost murdered by ghost hands, Get outta there!
Thank them and ask Henry why he made such a specific denial of putting Kim in there.
First things first--try to get everyone to a safe place pronto. This place obviously isn't safe. Afterward the three of you can try to figure out what all this means.
Well, otherKim did blame him for putting her there. But then again, she did it after he denied it:
Noooooo all is lost.
> Look into furnace. That definitely wasn't just her; there were multiple arms.
The furnace dies, leaving nothing. Not even ashes.
The boiler room grows dark and cold.
Turn on your flashlight!
traverse the darkness and get out of here stalker.
Turn your flashlight on! Then everyone huddle together and try to leave without separating. Something's going on and we need to get to safety.
Turn flashlight on, and tell Kim what you saw in the furnace. She might have a theory.
Also, since it's been a while, can everyone check their inventories?
DON'T turn your flashlight on. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness.
Kim and Henry: DON'T LET GO OF NAN'S SHOULDERS
Stay in physical contact. Flashlight NOW.
Return to lobby posthaste
Is this just the hotel? That is Kim, yes?
Ask Now Kim if she saw anything happen with the furnace (or herself in it, for that matter).
Also, turn on your FLASHLIGHT. I have a feeling about this place....
Turn on flashlight. Prepare to see Pilgrim and Padre holding your hands instead of your buddies.
How about whip out that FLASHLIGHT and get the fuck out first. Then can we talk business!...
still grabbing the two, press against the nearest wall and, taking the month long resident's advice, stay in the darkness and make no sounds while trying to make out whats going on.
wtf just happened? D:
Oh yeah... I second your plan instead.
Changing my vote to
as well. Forgot about Santiago's advice.
exactly why I said 'traverse the darkness'.
Oh crap, forgot all about that stuff!
THIS. Carefully move about and let yourselves adjust to the darkness. And adjust in the direction of not here.
Nam check if you still have your screwdriver
GET YOUR FLASHLIGHT ON RIGHT NOW
I don't think we should get the flashlight, wait for your eyes to adjust while keeping in contact with Henry and Kim. I think Santiago my have been on to something.
Yeah, voting for darkness. We messed up with Santiago last time. He may be crazy, but he's got experience here.
Nan leaves the flashlight off.
After staring at the fire, it takes a moment for her vision to readjust to the dim boiler room.
Whisper. You need to move, to get back to a safe area- no lights, no noise. Careful, quiet.
I don't believe we've been to the good old LOBBY in a while, why not check there for anything out of place?
Nan leaves the boiler room with Kim and Henry.
Well I guess we're glad Nan's out of there.
>shadowy thing: drop down
Looks like Padre to me... We'd best get outta there and ask the others what the hell they just saw.
>>ready flashlight, watch back, grill henry on what actually happened
whisper to the others to keep quiet unless absolutely necessary and stay together. and cautiously keep an eye out for danger.
Remember the boiler room went dark, so that means there's likely a monster around that this place took favor in.
>Head to the hotel lobby, it seems like good a place as any to regroup.
Boiler room: collapse now that your support pillar has become a guy.
holy shit weaver, it's been 9 months, what the hell man, you had a baby or something!? still, good to have you back
all 3 of you keep contact with eachother and a wall at all times.
Calmly get the fuck out of there as fast and carefully as possible, while keep in contact with Kim and Henry.I'd say returning to the lobby is probably best too.
Nan, Henry, and Kim arrive at the first-floor landing.
Anderson is here, keeping watch. He is armed.
Nan asks Henry if he saw what she did. He replies that he thought he saw Kim in the furnace, but now it's clear that's impossible.
On the other hand, he says plenty of what they've seen already should be impossible.
Onwards to the lobby then- request the other two stick with us- strength in numbers and all, the big evil stalking monster NEVER attacks when the group is all together unless there is an opportunity to split them up!
What does Kim think about what happened? Also, if we haven't already, ask Henry about the cross pendant. While we're down here we might want to check out Henry and Pablo's old rooms, too.
The lobby sounds like as good a place to go next as any.
I think nan should come clean to Kim about this whole burned alive thing; remembering the time she saw her future self. Also The lobby seems like a good place to move now.
Ask Anderson and Kim what they've been doing.
Weird idea here, but maybe we should 'mark' eachother with something so we can tell the difference between the real us and the horrors the hotel is using to bait us. Probably pointless since the hotel might just copy the marks too but you never know.
Is the lobby the best choice? One (conceivable) entry/exit might not be wise when something could be following close behind. Would a shot from Anderson's revolver faze one of those creatures? Let alone the Padre or Pilgrim? For that matter, are we even sure that gun is loaded or is Anderson keeping it intimidation purposes?
Oh god so many questions, I love you Weaver
Where? On the face? I mean, that seems to be the most open space we have and it is most notable- unless like they are turned the other way and you approach them and they turn dramatically and they don't have a mark but SHARP POINTY TEETH AND GLOWY EYES.
A mark doesn't necessarily mean use markers or ink or anything, maybe tear up a sheet and make nifty little wristbands or something. Like I said though the hotel could probably just copy those too so they might be pointless.
I like the idea of using some kind of marking or identifier.
How about a passcode? Or perhaps an item they could produce? Nan's flashlight, Anderson's gun, Kim could take off her glasses?
What we should do is use a marking system where we add one each day. Example: if we were to use markers, we could do tallies and add a tally mark each day.
That way if we are dealing with future selves, they will have more marks when we see them. Although, if furnace Kim is the future of the current Kim next to us then that means that we won't have done that, because furnace Kim had no marks. Fuck, I don't know.
Haha, yeah destroy Kim's glasses, then there's no way she'll ever be FutureKim stuck in the furnace!
Nan tells Kim what she witnessed in the boiler room.
Kim is quiet for a moment, then asks what made Nan think it was her, and not the hotel itself.
She's right here. And it seems whatever was in that furnace wasn't trying to get out.
It was trying to pull her in.
Kim says it doesn't sound like an omen.
It sounds like a trap.
Ask Kim if she thinks that Ruby should not try to save 'her' in that kind of situation.
You really don't know why you thought it was her. You just wanted to help and stop people from dying. You'd be damned if someone died because of your inaction. You like being lazy and slow to the draw, but that's when it's work.
Should we have pass phrases for future traps? Could those work or could these illusions learn those from our heads?
You call "Microwave Pizza"
Tell Kim to remember it anyway... it could come in handy in the FUTURE.
Go to the lobby. It's where everything started, after all. It will be good to see how it's changed.
Point out that it sounded and looked just like her and that the hotel's obviously all about the whole "horribly killing everyone" thing, so it seemed perfectly plausible. You're glad she's okay, but you think it's important that we try to help eachother as much as possible.
Trying to save what, as far as you could tell, was her was the right thing to do.
Mention that it looked just like her, before the furnace started... Ask her if "For the love of god" means anything to her. It kept saying that.
YOU MEAN OPAL
*Whisper* to her that she should be careful around Henry in the future... the fact that he denied putting her in there was a little too pointed.
This might cause unrest in the group, but Henry's hesitation to help does lead one to suspect something.
Also, to test a theory of mine (don't we all have one?), ask Henry if he's ever had a girlfriend. I wonder if what Nan experienced when waking up next to him wasn't a glimpse into the past, like the time she met Pablo crying and he thought she was someone else.
Same poster. Also consider outright asking Henry about his specific denial.
>>385192 Pass phrase is a good idea. It'll also let us know that any instances of people we run into are at least from this point in time and onwards.
Hey, I've got some advice. Lighten up while you still can. Don't even try to understand, just find a place to make your stand.
And take it easy.
Do ask Henry directly about his suspiciously specific denial. It'd be a shame to stir up unrest in what really needs to be a unified group due to a misunderstanding.
some things are best not dwelled upon.
Sorry, got nothing...
Nan! Now is not the time to talk about how you saw yourself from the future earlier.
Because in that case, you lived what you saw later. And then Kim may think she'll eventually be in the boiler.
So don't mention that.
Threaten to beat Henry with a rusty spatula if he ever even thinks of throwing Kim in the boiler.
Ask if anybody's seen Pablo.
>Ask if anyone has thought of a plan of action on how to escape the hotel.
I guess we should check the second floor now and look for the Anazasi Lounge.
I don't think we would find anything useful in the Henry/Pablo old rooms,they are likely barred.
And let's use the stairs this time
quit confusing your precious gems, this is Opal, not Jade!
Seriously though, seconding idea of pass prase(s). Just keep in mind the person knowing it doesn't mean much, but if the person DOESN'T know it we MIGHT be onto something.
I still want to know why Henry insisted he didn't put Kim in the furnace, and don't really see any harm in asking him. Just treat it like an honest question and not an accusation - I don't think it's good to be too suspicious just because of an odd sentence, but if he knows/experienced something important it'd be nice to know it.
What if the "Kim" in the boiler wasn't referring to Henry, but to the Padre? After all...he WAS in the room with them.
If we go with Passcodes, don't let Henry hear it for now. He's too suspicious.
I'm not sure I agree.
If we go with passcodes, everyone in the group should know them. We can't be splitting up or ostracising someone now, not when our survival depends on us all working together.
I say if we do pass codes we should go with 'The Magic Words Are Squeamish Ossifrage' or just 'Squeamish Ossifrage'. Kudos if if you get the reference but that's not why I chose this. I reason that if if someone/something's eavesdropping, if/when they/it pull a stunt like that again(specificly feighning danger), they say the whole phrase, while if they're real (or really in danger) they're more likely to forget under duress parts of the phrase. Also they/it are almost certainly going to find out the pass sooner or later (or now if eavesdropping) so I reason that if someone when asked for it under duress get angry or says something like 'Seriously?! Now of all times?!' or 'Just help me already!' they're more likely real. Only someone actually under duress would act like that. Don't bring up the reasoning in conversation. That would defeat the purpose.
Interesting idea. I might get behind it, though I was kinda leaning towards something a few syllables long. That is, something short enough to be uttered in a single breath, in case we have to use it in emergencies. Your idea might be better, though, considering the hotel appears sentient and capable of actively mimicking us.
Oh! By the way! If we haven't already, we should ask Anderson what happened to the old Spanish Mission, in case he knows. As in, why was it reduced to ruins by his time?
Nan should tell Kim about meeting her future(and past) self
I am agree with this. Explain too kim that she needs to be very careful, but try not to get kim worked up either.
Well, honestly, I can't blame Henry. He was hidden alone in that room, mentioning that he was alone, when suddenly someone appears to be shoved into a furnace, with you being the only person there.
Ask Anderson and Kim how long ago (from their perspective) Nan left them in 313 to find the Lounge. Even IF time didn't do freaky shit in this hotel, Nan still couldn't be completely sure how long had passed during her "spirit vision" of helping Anna with the elevator.
Also, maybe its time to mention your interactions with Santiago with everyone? If you think that's a bad idea then nevermind.
How about a password that monsters would be really annoyed at saying? Like "The time is 4:33" or something.
How about 466 as a password? It seems to show up when weird shit goes down anyways.
Nan leads the group into the hotel lobby.
Nan asks Henry about his specific denial.
He shakes his head and says that there's already enough suspicion going around. He was the only other person in the room, so he thought it was natural Nan would suspect him.
Nan explains her encounter with 'herself' earlier as a point of comparison, but Kim doesn't seem worried. She says omens are one thing, but as long as they're alive they have free will. She seems intent on believing it was the hotel trying to get Nan, and that it only looked like her as a means to an end.
In light of whatever just happened, Nan suggests passcodes. But she's not far into explaining her idea when Anderson interrupts.
He asks Nan if she hasn't been paying attention all along.
This place knows who we are, where we are.
It's watching right now.
You want to talk trust, he's got a better plan.
Trust no one.
Aha! You need to go down to the boiler room and tease the monsters in there to turn on the boiler. This will activate the electrical wire coming out of the boiler room and light the chandeleir. And then... uh...
That's... actually a pretty good plan.
Right. Nothing seems new here (or is the opened mail slot different?) so... maybe we can check more of the doors on this floor. There was one that's all chained up, maybe we can work on getting that open again?
This place is trying to make us distrust each other. It sees us as a threat - and it definitely doesn't want us to co-operate with each other. We need to work together to get to the bottom of this so we can get out.
also check the mail slot.
Inspect the light-devouring cubbyhole.
Inspect dat mail slot.
Yes, lets extend our stay in this LIGHT-FILLED ROOM
Oh, and uh, check your inventory. It's been a while...
Examine the room. What is that on the counter? Bell? Registry? Telephone? What's in the cubby hole? Do any of those little doors open?
Also, tell Anderson that you're sorry but you're just trying to survive and keep as many of the people here alive as possible.
try the door. it's not like you'd be spending a lot of effort.
what is he suggesting? next time we see kim in trouble, not to help them?
fuck that. fuck that idea along with the hotel that necessitated it's conception.
Have Nan tell Anderson not to jump to conclusions, we're all friends here. Let's build bridges, not walls.
That's it! Brilliant! Build a bridge out of the hotel!
We should take the hotel and push it somewhere else!
Remember that the hotel becomes particularly aggressive either when Nan tries to leave, or breaks something. Breaking something seems to be an instant pass to dark hotel.
On another note, the painting in the hallway has disappeared and so have the flowers, and the stairs are back. So apparently the stairs can appear and disappear randomly. Could we get another perspective of the hallway(i.e. visible exits and turns, what is at the end of it, door or window),or even the entry hall for that matter, unless the unseen wall is completely featureless?
Tell Anderson that if you hadn't trusted An and gotten in the elevator you probably wouldn't be having this conversation to begin with.
ask if anyone has seen pablo.
If attempting to leave makes the hotel angry, perhaps it wants us to go further inside? For that matter, being grouped up and/or static seems to anger it too. Doesn't matter if we have friends present, it just pulls teleportation schenanigans to get us from them. All signs point to the hotel wanting us to explore, to find something here. And our continued 'freedom' hinges on not pissing off the silent hill hotel.
I guess this is the current thread? I just finished Ruby Quest a little while ago...
Suggestion: Try to find an original floor plan for this hotel. There had to have been one hanging around before everything went to hell and this turned into the Dolphin Hotel.
Nan retrieves the decorative totem from its slot in the mailbox of room 117.
It seems like lost items have a habit of finding their way here.
>Show the totem to everyone else, maybe they'll know what it is? Probably not, but its worth a shot.
Carefully inspect totem for writing, symbols, etc.
>Check inventory for something that you could possibly replace the totem with. Also, ask cohorts about this totem.
Seems like this could be a plausible idea. *shruuug*
Lost and found maybe?
Still, probably have to put that on some sort of ancient Hopi shrine or something... place like this was probably build on ancient Indian temple/burial grounds.
Speaking of lost things showing up, where did that green necklace of ours go off to?
Ask the others if anything has gone missing and showed up elsewhere.
Think Pablo has it, last time we had it was when we wrecked the clock I think.
Think we should ask them if they misplaced or lost something, then ask what everyone found in the slots. And what they found in general, some items others picked up might be connected to others (our necklace and henrys for example)
Room 117's mailbox, eh? If memory serves, that's the only specific mailbox that ever gets mentioned, and it's been brought up at least twice (all the other times we've found things in the mailboxes we were never told which mailboxes the items were in). Might be metagaming a bit here, but I suspect the author is trying to throw us a bone. Maybe room 117 is important? I think we ought to at least give it another quick examination and see if anything in it has changed (while watching out for the mirror, of course).
Same poster here. Just occurred to me that, to give us another reason to go there, Pablo might have returned to 117 after vanishing. It's where we originally found him, after all, and he seemed to feel safe there. Not to mention he was able to survive there for quite a while. It makes sense that returning there would be his backup-plan in case something went wrong.
Before we leave, check the room. What's on the desk?
Is this the same totem that was right beside the Safe Room? If 117 is a bust/trap then maybe we should see if the hall outside of the Safe Room has changed or if the totem was replaced with something else.
Definitely ask around about the totem. If no other better ideas, maybe rm 117 is worth a revisit.
Can you try and take the totem apart? Can it be disassembled at all?
Don't think the totem has any real value... save that it's lead us to find that the hotel brings things that are lost to the front desk
Let's check rooms 114 and 117 while we're down here.
Seconded. Let's finish examining the front desk room first though.
Check for Pablo in Room 117.
No. Breaking things makes bad things happen. We break a vase accidentally, lights go out. We break the clock intentionally, we get sent to mindfuckville.
Wait, we still have that magnifying glass from last time we were in the lobby!
EXAMINE TOTEM with MAGNIFYING GLASS.
it sure sounds like your typical run-off-the-mill Overlook Hotel Syndrome when you put it like that.
>Tell KIM to examine the TOTEM using her THIRD EYE.
Henry is wearing the cross necklace.
As for the totem, no one appears to recognize it.
Turning it over, Nan finds something scratched into the base.
Nan uses the magnifying glass.
Pablo! We must locate and question him on the totem.
The totem belongs to Pablo?
Is there anything inside it?
Let's bring it back to where we last saw the thing. The "safe" room.
Anderson tells Nan that he and Kim are heading back to the third floor safe room. They only came out because Nan had been gone for a while and they wanted to make sure she was all right.
If she wants to come back she's welcome to, but he's going to stay with Kim to make sure she gets back all right. If Nan wants to keep exploring, that's her business.
Henry offers to stay with Nan.
Nan decides on a long-overdue check of her inventory.
She is carrying:
Check from Fun Family Arcade
Key to Anasazi Lounge
All right, to 117
Just tell Anderson to keep a real good eye on her and warn Kim again, that if she does end up in the future-past in that furnace, to not get her foot caught. Then tell future-past Nan this totally happened before. Even if she did think it was just a trap.
Also for Anderson to not lose his humanity completely to cynicism.
Gotta be real careful. Can't be too much so in this place.
Keep ahold of that check. It might just be your ticket out of here. I don't know how this hotel treats external third party financial obligations.
Let's get to the "safe" room.
I don't suppose Henry knows where the Lounge is, does he?
Arm Henry with the LEAD PIPE and take him with you to check out 117, Pablo's room.
Don't forget to see if Henry knows anything about the CROSS PENDANT.
Look for the Anasazi Lounge
Ask henry if he knows where the lounge is, and if he doesn't then head down to 117 to look for something that might let you know more about the totem.
Let's just check out each room on this floor, then the next, etc... for as long as the lights stay on.
Henry gives Kim and Anderson most of the supplies he gathered from the boiler room, and they head back to the safe room.
Nan and Henry head to Room 117.
Nan asks Henry if he knows where the Anasazi Lounge is, and he says it might be on the second floor, since he hasn't seen any entrances like that on the first and third.
Henry asks Nan what it is she's looking for in Room 117.
Pablo. Traces of Pablo.
Tell him it's where she first met Pablo, so he might have gone there when he got separated from the group. Also, the hotel took her away from there when she broke the clock, and she's wondering if there's a reason for that.
Tell him we're trying to find Pablo and figure this whole business with him out.
Also, ask Henry if he'll hold your hand. You know. For safety.
on the way, accidentally drop your overalls.
Let's answer his question with our own, for I had a sudden thought: we're all from different time periods, right? So does the hotel look the same to everyone ... does it seem to "fit" when they were "outside"?
Because if so, then it means we see a different hotel.
Huh... I don't expect it does, but it's definitely worth asking.
It probably exists on it's own timeline. Santiago got here a month ago, but is from the 60s, Anderson was here a week, but is from the 20s. Time here and time in reality seem completely unrelated.
Explain to him that backtracking when you don't know what to do is a staple of adventure games.
(and we're to scared to go to the 2nd floor)
Is the door handle of room 114 moving?
>Tell him you don't know.
Could this be a warning to turn back, guys?
tell him you're looking for those beans. It's been a while since you've eaten.
We're looking for two things:
I see no advantage in withholding either reason from Henry.
You might also want to mention that we're searching for clues in 117 because of potential leads we've picked up, however weak they might be.
Mmm, how about Nan go back there for that one mouse? Seems to be extra friendly, maybe it's a particularly important mouse?
Walk in room. Find Pablo dead/sleeping.
Go in. Say hi to mirror Henry while you're at it.
We should be careful and cover the mirrors. Cover them, mind you, not destroy them! As earlier suggesters have noted, breaking things seems to tick off the hotel. Then again, covering mirrors might, too, if that foils the hotel's plans.
am i missing something? what is this arcade we're carrying?
It's the check we got as payment for fixing the arcade. Way back at the beginning before we entered the hotel.
Nan says she needs to find Pablo.
Even some trace of him.
Nan and Henry open the door to Room 117.
grab the thin under the vase if it's anything before going in.
Honestly, blood at this point is pretty meh
At least unless it grows eyes or something
Trace officially find. Grope for the light switch. Shine the flashlight on your hand while you do.
Welp, time to get licking.
You want to know if it's some trace of him, don't you?
Jesus christ, it's just like your dream.
Is that the bed? I think we should investigate the hole.
look at the roof, the lights are broken.
That is a very valid point. I don't suppose the maintenance closet has replacements either. Well, go in and drag whatever that is out into the hallway. Stay in the light from the hallway.
No sign of Pablo. But Nan's seen this before.
A tall, flat canvas streaked red.
The light switch doesn't work. The lights are broken.
Get in the hole you goat.
No hole. Bring it out into the hallway.
Take a gander at the back of the canvas. Check out that hole on the wall too.
Get Henry to check hole and bathroom for scaries while you check the backside of this canvas.
have henry hold your hand, next time we inevitably get teleported to some other version of the hotel, at least we'll have a friend.
What's behind the canvas?
enter hole. have Henry ready to pull you out if anything happens
Seconding checking out the hole. Use the flashlight.
THERE WAS A HOLE HERE. IT'S GONE NOW.
My suggestion goes to checking behind the canvas before exploring some strange dark hole
make a mental note to compliment Pablo on his visionary sense of interior decoration when you see him.
Fifty says there's a person behind that canvas.
I'm also going to have to encourage the checking out of the hole with Henry ready to pull you out in an emergency.
i'm pretty sure pablo is hiding somewhere within this room.
check the hole, the bathroom, and the canvas.
Nan, please examine the canvas thing from the OTHER side. You know, away from the mirror/ bathroom where things could easily jump out from.
Turn the canvas around, then have Henry check the bathroom while you examine it.
While Henry checks the bathroom, Nan pulls the large canvas out a little, checking behind it. But there's nothing but a blank wall and the wood-braced back of the canvas.
Henry says the bathroom is empty.
Did you just get bloodRED PAINT all over your hand?
What is the LARGE BLACK SPLOTCH?
Aw Nan, you got stuff all over your hand. Go wash it in the sink and ask Pablo to check the rathole.
Either 1. touch something else to the canvas to see if it gets stained, too or 2. peek in that hole with the aid of a flashlight.
If you actually go in the hole, make sure you and Henry go together and stick close. You can't risk getting separated. Being alone in this hotel is a recipe for disaster.
Guys... that means it's fresh... :( Pablo is a splatter artist.
>Nan: From a safe distance, turn your flashlight on into the giant hole. Peer into the hole to determine your future.
Guys, don't you remember what happened LAST time we tried to crawl into a space? SCISSORS
Wasn't there a theory the hotel doesn't like lightening parts up without questioning?
Not that we have much choice, but shining into the hole may lead to another black scene.
But hey, be optimistic! Pablo just found a bucket of red paint and likes to express his feelings like this... the hole got bigger because the helpful mouse grew... big... and Pablo is currently helping it to bring a really big can of beans here...
But you have to admit that nothing hurt us back there
The tacky, red substance on the canvas comes off on Nan's hand.
Yay, so now only pablo has to come through the hole with his 2m-mice-friend and give a bean-party!
>scene around not shown
Equip lead pipe and spin around to examine the room. Be ready to parry something and make a break for it.
In the painting dream, Pablo said something about making Nan live forever. Maybe he's just an artsy type, but maybe these painting actually have more going for them.
Try cutting the canvas, stay on alert for reality-changing shenanigans.
Pablo being an artist is an interesting theory. We should definitely ask him about that the next time we see him.
But don't cut the canvas. Remember, damaging hotel property tends to tick the hotel off.
Next step should be to examine the hole.
Nan shines the flashlight into the hole - from a safe distance.
It's a short tunnel, perhaps six feet deep, and narrows a bit near the end. It's unobstructed.
There appears to be a room on the far side. Nan can't make out much from here, save what could be wooden furniture. A bench, perhaps.
Fit through hole with GIRLISH FIGURE. Wait... No that sounds right.
henry: DO IT FAGGOT
Both of you--carefully--crawl through the hole and into the other room.
Make sure whoever's in back always keeps a hand on the person in front when you're crawling through the hole. You'll be vulnerable while crawling, but hopefully this'll at least make you harder to separate.
I wouldn't be surprised if it leads into the bar-room with the nan-nan-encounter and we are starting the fire because of padre...
although that would be the other end of the hotel.
Nan crouches down and crawls through the narrow tunnel.
Henry follows close behind, keeping one hand on Nan's ankle to maintain physical contact.
Nan has entered the CHAPEL.
nan: use THIRD EYE to examine GLOBE.
... what's on the podium?
Well, no monsters, but also no Pablo or beans...
Mind take a look through the windows of the doors?
Maybe from the distance first.
If it wasn't obvious before it is now: There's major religious theme in this quest. Specifically a Catholic theme. Gives me some ideas for experiments if we ever run into the big three again (hopefully not anytime soon, of course).
I imagine this is a remnant of the old Spanish mission. That looks like a Bible on the podium, or perhaps some other liturgical book. Examine it to confirm. Also take a look at the plate/band/whatever it is on the bottom of the cross.
Oh, and is that sphere above the cross a window or something else?
Examine cabinet on the left.
have nan look back down the hole to see if henry is still there. if so, report back to him.
I think that's a confessional.
Oh! Forgot about Henry! He should be right behind us. Let's enter the room and help him out of the hole.
Nan peeks through the tunnel behind her. Henry is still following, waiting for Nan to go through. Nan relays what she sees, which includes a podium, single pew, cross, and stained glass window.
Though there is clearly something wrong with the window.
Henry confirms, and suggests it's almost to be expected by now.
Rule one of Strange Religious Locations:
DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING BUT THE FLOOR
There's a book on that podium. Is it a pretty normal looking bible or is it something weird?
Wait, are we stuck? They did say that the tunnel tapered near the end...
>Enter chapel. Examine the book on the podium. If it's the Bible, what book are they reading? See if verse 4:66 is there. Blink twice if you understand.
...Is Nan religious?
Certainly not in her duties as an electrician. ZING!
Good question. Makes me wonder if any of the other characters are religious.
Maybe that has something to do with why they're here?
I think we should definitely keep that in mind. We can ask Henry now and the others later.
>Ride crucifix like mechanical bull.
Nan enters the Chapel to examine the book on the podium.
No time to Santiago. Lift that chest off of Henry's arm!
santiago! take me with you!
His arm's probably not broken if that's an empty armoir. Maybe just a bruised bone. But it hurt like a bitch.
It looks empty, with some struggling and if the arm doesn't hurt too much, Henry could wiggle it back into the hole himself.
Tell him that that was mean, and lift the thing off of Henry's hand.
Son of a...
I hope he didn't break Henry's arm! :<
So, do we go for diplomacy or violence? Santiago doesn't look willing to talk, but I'm not sure we could handle him in a straight-up fight...
lift thing. if san starts being a dick about it tell him to fuck off.
Same poster here.
On second thought, that armoir looked like it was aimed at Nan. We just happened to crawl out of the way in time.
Time to fight?
I say we offer a greeting and gauge his reaction from there.
One hand covertly on the lead pipe, but don't draw it out quite yet.
Listen to me, you little bitch
Obviously you didn't take the hint last time
So let me spell it out for you
You are ruining things here
The hotel can abide a guest or two, but if you attack it, as you have been doing, it will defend itself with violence
It will fight back
And it will win
And anyone can be caught in the crossfire
You can't fight this
You can't help anyone
Point the flashlight at his face. Should be pretty irritating at least, having bright lights aimed at your eyes sucks. Ask him why he looks so pissed.
What have we done to attack the hotel?
He's clearly already angry. Why do something just to piss him off more?
Politely ask about the injury on Santiago's forehead.
I think he made it pretty obvious why he's pissed. This place is his Paradise. If he thinks we're a threat to it, then he'll do whatever he can to stop us.
Then again, he might be worried that we'll get ourselves hurt. Depends on how you read his statements.
Does Santiago have a soft-spot for us? Or is he just defending his precious hotel?
Yeah, so far you seem to have just been trying to prevent everyone from getting killed. Ask him exactly what you're doing that's angering the hotel so you can stop.
Written before latest post. I suffer from chronic late post syndrome :(
Hmmm, don't see how to talk our way out of this, we were just checking on Pablo. Ask him what he means by attacking, playing somewhat stupid seems like the best idea. We are still pretty damn new after all.
Ach! I shouldn't be making another post, but I have to point out that Santiago's line:
"The hotel can abide a guest or two"
Seems to imply that we aren't supposed to be here or, at least, that we aren't here by the hotel's wishes. Conversly, it implies that some of the characters are supposed to be here. Did something else bring us here? Are we here for a purpose? Maybe we just got caught up in this accidentally?
At any rate, this shows that the hotel isn't the all-controlling entity we may have believed it to be.
Explain to him that you are not a guest. You are simply here to fix the wiring.
If you insist on bringing light to the darkness, realize you won't always like what you find
Some things are better left in the dark, Nan
Some things should never be brought to light
If you continue to work against the hotel, it will retaliate in kind
And you will put us all in the line of fire
If I have to kill you myself to stop this war, I will
Don't think I will hesitate
For even one second
Actually, I really like this idea. Perhaps Santiago wight have something to say about this.
>>Tell Mr. Saint James that you're here to fix the wiring. You were sent to help the hotel. ALso, what war?
>Tell Mr. Saint James that you're here to fix the wiring. You were sent to help the hotel. Also, what war?
then we will take the monsters out with us.
SANTY! YOU'RE ALIVE! I'M SO HAPPY
I MEAN YOU'RE KINDOF SCARY RIGHT NOW AND THIS HURTS A LITTLE BUT STILL
THIS IS AWESOME
Goddamnit we don't want to fight the hotel! We want to flee.
We're not trying to force you to do anything we're just kindof blundering around here trying not to die.
And the hotel keeps yelling at us and throwing visions and sometimes it's like it's trying to tell us something and other times it's just crazy crazy crazy all the time
But the last while or so since we woke up that's seemed pretty normal I guess I mean except for the furnace thing but the lights haven't gone out or anything
And we've just kindof been wandering around exploring even though we don't really know what the hell we're doing
Oh god Santy we have no idea what we're doing
So, we aren't to look around and we can't leave. What does that leave us to do Santiago, sit in a room and wait for something to kill me?
Say fine though your getting confused about what IS an Attack and what isn't
Can you be friends with the hotel? Tell him you will be proud to shake it's metaphorical hand and have a fucking tea party with it. Santiago is free to join.
You have to take the path that will get us out of this place alive though. Don't tell Nan it's impossible. Everything is possible. If this place can exist in the world, a certain set of actions can get us back in the world. We just need to figure out what before we all die. No one knows for sure about outcomes, at minimum, there is a very near zero chance of escape. But there's still a chance. You can understand having no hope when there's near zero chance but you have to take it, because, as lazy as you are, you don't give up on living. Because you have to survive. We have to survive as living creatures, that is what we do. We survive until we die, and we all fight to survive the longest and delay death. The word fight in that sentence is debatable and replaceable with other verbs as well.
Your going to die on a deathbed next to your grandchildren and no fucking padre or pilgrim or SANTIAGO is going to change that.
Ask what it is that we are doing to upset the hotel. You know, so we don't do it again.
Boop Santiago on the nose.
Waitaminute, war? There's a war going on?
Between light and darkness, perhaps? Or something related? Makes me wonder... I mean, we know who the agents of the dark-force-thing are (i.e. the big three and the "uninvited"), but who are the agents of the light-force? Or...is Nan its agent?
And if the light-force has a thing for Catholicism...is it the Catholic God? Is Nan a Paladin? :V
Clearly it is our divine mission to cleanse the hotel of evil and save the souls within! Deus Vult! :I
Serously, though, there appears to be a war between light and darkness, and Nan may well be the agent of the light-force. Maybe it's responsible for bringing her here?
He's saying the problem is light, I assume both literally and as in 'to bring to light'.
You say this place is freedom Santiago, then turn around and say we can't do things, that you or the hotel won't let us. So what is this place Santiago, the prison you said it isn't, or freedom? Because I think I am free here, and I am going to use it to leave regardless of if you or the hotel tries to stop me!
This (or a variation of it) must be said!
Nan says she has not intentionally attacked the hotel in any way she was aware of. But she has fought, and she will continue to fight for her survival.
If this place is truly freedom, she says, she should have the freedom not to go quietly into the darkness.
Santiago growls, then roars. He spins around, throwing Nan at the pulpit.
Damnit, much as I don't want to, we may have to fight Santiago. Ask him : "So is this a fight or what?"
pull pipe, attack.
Throw the Bible at Santiago, see if it burns his flesh or not.
BIBLE BEATING FUCK YEH
GRAB THE BOOK OFF THE PULPIT AND SMACK HIM IN THE EYE
WE WILL EITHER,
A) Enrage the hotel at our misuse of a sacred object and cast everything into darkness, forcing Santy to flee,
B) Something metaphorical about holy books and light blinding the darkness in Santy,
C) Hit Santy in the eye with a fucking book.
But I wanted to see what verse it was open to. Unless it's a black bible.
Pipeon, apply directly to the forehead. Pipeon, apply directly to the forehead.
Nan goes for her lead pipe, but he overpowers her. Grabs her wrist.
Santiago bares his teeth.
Bad little girl
If you won't do as your told then you'll have to be punished
Kick him in the nuts!
OH GOD! HE'S GONNA RAPE NAN!
headbutt him quick!
Headbutt him. Ya got horns for a reason.
Yell to him that he's not your father
You barely know him
He does not get to talk to you that way
Yeah STOMP 'EM IN NUTS, STOMP HIM IN THE NUTS BITCH
Call out for Henry and hope he's freed himself by now.
Also, I know our species isn't supposed to matter, but now would be the perfect time for a goat headbutt.
If all else fails, try breaking something to get the hotel involved.Then again, since it's sentient, it might just help Santiago.
make suggestive faces at santiago.
Don't goats have to charge from a distance to headbutt someone?
Oh also, read the book while you're up there Nan! Read the book!
'So, you don't believe in freedom, only in indulging yourself.'
Kick to the nads, hard to perform when your jewels get smashed.
Guys, have you noticed that Santiago has gotten a lot beefier since we last saw him? And the whole "YOU CAN'T HELP ANYONE, NAN" Has been stated by both him and the Pilgrim. There's something fishy there.
Anyway, attempt to kick him back or force yourself away, if his intentions are violently sexual a ick to the groin would be good.
HEADBUTT HIM IN THE GROIN
Not a charging headbutt, a close-combat headbutt. Head forward into soft fleshy bits of the nose or horns forwards towards his eyes.
ADRENALINE POWERS ACTIVATE, HEADBUTT TO THE HEAD. If this succeeds in getting you free, run through door. If not, keep resiting until you can run through door. If suddenly, a wild Padre appears to demonstrate Santiago's point about the hotel reacting, get chest off Henry's leg and crawl the fuck outta thar whilst it fights Santa.
Santiago bites Nan's arm.
Nan tries to headbutt Santiago, but he's too close for it to be very effective.
Nan reacts quickly, slamming her knee into Santiago's groin.
He barely reacts.
So, while this is all happening I bet you could use some good reading material. Like that book over there. You should read the book.
Call for Henry! NOW! Say a quick prayer if you have to! ANYTHING!
I like this idea, but I'm afraid saying that might piss him off even more and make him do something worse if he doesn't go into a rant.
Go with a close-contact headbutt and shake him off without hurting him so he won't hate Nan even more later, if possible. If you can incapacitate him, take the chance to get the furniture off Henry.
Drop to the floor! He'll lose his balance.
Oh, so he's just insane. That...that doesn't really make things better.
He's crying. Tell him something like "You don't want to do this"?
Santiago has no balls
that was a cunt punt or he's castrated himself before. Probably the latter seeing as he still matches a masculine build
That or Nan didn't get a good kick in.
Stomp on his feet, kick his knee, grab absolutely any sturdy object out of your pockets and hit him with it.
Ah, thats what I was thinking of. Provided Nan can pull off some CQC, we could use his lust against him. Feign acceptance, move in closer to him. Put a hand on his back and behind his head, and draw one leg behind his knee. Pull with the leg, drawing his leg forward, pivot, and slam his head in the wall.
This hotel is not arm safe. Poke him in his big eyes and try to get your other arm free from his mouth. If that works then try to duck down so you're below him so we can >>386483.
Quick, Nan! Knee to the groin! Santiago's hostile and unpredictable, so we may be forced to kill in self defence.
Also, it looks like he might be trying to infect you with darkness or something. I'm not sure how to resist, thought. We're vulnerable. All I can think of is prayer. Maybe call out to the Padre? This is a holy place, dammit! Surely enough of the Padre's former self remains that he'd be furious about Santiago's actions.
Well, those look like tears. That's a reaction.
SANTY WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU
I MEAN, I REALLY LIKE YOU AND ALL
BUT YOU'RE MAKING THIS REALLY DIFFICULT
Santy, I honestly do like you. And I don't want you to die.
I really honestly don't.
But if it comes to a choice between us dying or you. I will not fucking hesitate either.
Please stop, Santy. I don't want you to get hurt.
ALSO SHIT I DON'T KNOW PUNCH HIM IN THE EYE
KEEP KNEEING HIM IN THE GROIN
YELL FOR LORENZO
I DON'T KNOW
Nan stomps her heel down hard on top of Santiago's foot, and he howls in pain.
Rather than releasing her, his grip grows tighter. His ragged, unkempt fingernails dig into her skin.
Nan claws back, kicks him in the knee.
Santiago cries out.
Does anyone else see the darkness spreading?
If he doesn't react to a knee to the groin I don't think Nan can fight her way out of this one. She's not a trained combatant, so advanced techniques are out of the question and he's not responding to pain because he's a lunatic. Check the book for something.
Tell him that he doesn't want to do this. Who knows, he's crazy, maybe he'll listen to us. Plus, he's crying. Let's talk him down while we still can.
If you have a free arm Nan, get him in his Adam's apple. Even a headbutt will do just close his fucking throat in.
Also, I think Santiago is giving us a hint: "if you attack it, as you have been doing, it will defend itself with violence"
I could be wrong, but I don't think violence is the solution here -- it will only make things worse. That darkness IS spreading.
Yes, but it could just be thematic. Or its not. Still less imortant than RIPPING AND TEARING Santiago's guts and nearly being raped.
Jab one of his eyes. Fight dirty.
His mouth is open and her arm is free. Get the lead(pipe) out and ram it down his throat! If his mouth has closed by the time you get the pipe go for his knees or eyes!
This is probably a shitty idea, but if using more force doesn't end up working, try a hug. Sometimes crazies need that and they turn into a pool of tears and mush.
Get down below his arms so it's harder for him to grab you.
Santiago suddenly lets go of Nan.
Henry says that if he ever touches her again, he'll break his neck.
He's only really got a grip on your shirt. Drop out of it.
Yay! Henry to the rescue!
I think that's the shadow cast from the window.
Maybe hug him? I don't know.
Really throw all your weight into it while he's distracted with pain. Knock him to the ground and hug him with all your might.
Sortof a combination "stop attacking me you psycho" and a "please let me help you."
Knock it off Santy! We're heavier than you! I think!?
> ragged, unkempt fingernails
... how long have you even been here, Santy?
Nan slap him for nearly raping you and ask WHAT THE FUCK this was all about
You know, why fucking wait, man.
Now might be a good moment to fix our clothing. Then tell Henry we owe him 2 favors now.
SUDDENLY, A WILD HENRY APPEARS
Get some breathing room, Nan. Equip Pipe.
Alright, pull your clothes back on, and give Santiago a good slap across the face.
Then ask him what you were doing that he considers fighting the hotel. It'd be nice to know what we're doing right/wrong.
Time to get info. Got any questions?
Don't forget to ask about the mirrors! And the Pilgrim!
Tell him that all you want is to go home and keep your friends safe, you don't want to hurt the hotel.
Start off by forgiving him. Not his fault he is so unstable, being in the hotel for a month will do that to anyone. If he wants, we can try to get him out of here with us to meet some nice men in white coats with delicous Lithium candy for him. If not, we are leaving with or without his help, but we will be gone quicker with help and knowlege, something he has.
Well never mind I guess you don't have to read the book. Probably nothing important in it anyway.
Patience. We'll get to it in time. The quest is directed by the combined will of the suggesters and the author, and at present that collective will seems to think Santy is the more pressing matter. We'll get around to the book. | <urn:uuid:d29e20c2-44a6-4f6e-bcc1-9f88d73818ee> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/res/300694.html | 2013-06-19T12:26:03Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.961027 | 27,774 |
|Scientific Name:||Carcharias taurus (Southwest Atlantic subpopulation)|
|Species Authority:||Rafinesque, 1810|
|Taxonomic Notes:||See Compagno (1984, 2001) for a detailed discussion of the taxonomical background for this species and for its separation from the genus Odontaspis. Off India it appears to have been referred to as C. tricuspidatus (Compagno 1984) but this name was synonymized with C. taurus (Compagno 2001).|
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Critically Endangered A2abcd ver 3.1|
|Assessor/s:||Chiaramonte, G., Domingo, A. & Soto, J.|
|Reviewer/s:||Musick, J., Dudley, S., Soldo, A., Francis, M., Valenti, S.V. & Kyne, P.M. (Shark Red List Authority)|
A large migratory coastal shark with one of the lowest reproductive rates known among chondrichthyans, giving birth to only one or two large young every two years. As a result, annual rates of population increase and ability to sustain fishing pressure are extremely low. Although the species is widespread in subtropical and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans, as well as the Mediterranean Sea, regional populations are isolated and are not thought to mix. In the Southwest Atlantic, the species ranges from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (21°S) to San Matías Gulf, Argentina (41°30’S). Although it is not directly fished in this region, it does have commercial value as a bycatch in benthic trawling and gillnet fisheries and is harvested throughout this range by commercial, artisanal and recreational (mainly in Argentina) fishing. In Uruguay, this species has been taken for over 50 years by the artisanal fleet and it formed an important component of gillnet catches off southern Brazil in the 1980s. Catches have declined dramatically off Uruguay from 784 kg per fishing day in 1985 to 32 kg per fishing day in 2001 and off southern Brazil from a CPUE of 11.7 to 0.3 sharks per 1,000 meters of net during the 1980s and 1990s, respectively. Recent surveys (2005) also appear to indicate that catches in the gillnet fisheries off southern Brazil have declined considerably relative to levels in the 1980s. Aggregations off Brazil were also targeted by spear-fishers for sport in the 1970s and 1980s. This species is assessed as Critically Endangered due to a combination of a severe depletion along the Brazilian coast since the 1970s and declining trends in the Uruguayan coastal fisheries. Coastal fishing pressure is intense and continuing within its range along the South Atlantic coast of South America. The species is listed as threatened with over-exploitation on Annex II of the Brazilian federal law of Threatened and Overexploited Aquatic Species. However there are no known species-specific management measures in place for it within the region and protection measures are urgently required.
Carcharias taurus has a broad but disjunct distribution in littoral and sub-littoral waters, primarily in subtropical to warm temperate regions around the main continental landmasses, except in the eastern and central Pacific (Compagno 1984, 2001; Gilmore et al. 1983). It is not known from deepwater, unlike Odontaspis ferox.
Southwest Atlantic subpopulation: in the Southwest Atlantic C. taurus ranges from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (21°S) to San Matías Gulf, Argentina (41°30’S) (Menni 1986, Soto 2001).
Native:Argentina (Buenos Aires, Rio Negro); Brazil (Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, São Paulo); Uruguay
|FAO Marine Fishing Areas:||
Atlantic – southwest
|Range Map:||Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.|
|Population:||Morphometric and meristic analysis indicate that the Southwest Atlantic subpopulation is a probable “closed group” with common characteristics, but not a distinct species (Sadowsky 1970, Compagno 2001). Although there is no information on the population size of C. taurus in the Southwest Atlantic, past and present fishing pressures have led to significant declines in catches (see Threats section below).|
|Habitat and Ecology:||
Carcharias taurus generally occurs in warm-temperate and subtropical waters, ranging from the surf zone and shallow bays to approximately 200 m depth on the outer continental shelf. The species is most usually found on or near the bottom in reef areas but may occasionally occur in midwater or at the surface (Compagno 1984). Embryonic oviphagy and intra-uterine cannibalism occurs in this species and only two large pups are produced per litter every second year (Gilmore et al. 1983, Goldman 2002, Goldman et al. in press). As a result, annual rates of population increase are very low, greatly reducing its ability to sustain fishing pressure. Size at birth is about 95 to 105 cm TL (Gilmore et al. 1983).
Maximum size attained is 300 to 320 cm TL (females) and 220 to 270 cm TL (males) (Compagno 2001). Age and size at maturity varies regionally. Age at maturity is reported at 7.7 years (females) and 4.5 years (males) in the Southwest Atlantic by Lucifora (2003). Lucifora (2003) reports size at maturity in the Southwest Atlantic as 218 to 235 cm TL (females) and 193 cm TL (males). Longevity is estimated at 18.3 years in females and 12.8 years in males in the Southwest Atlantic (Lucifora 2003).
Average reproductive age is 17.1 yrs from demographic analysis (Goldman 2002). Natural mortality is MHoenig = 0.205, MJensen = 0.211 and MPauly = 0.198 from analyses from the Southwest Atlantic (Lucifora 2003).
Because this species typically inhabits shallow inshore areas it is rarely, if ever caught by large-scale industrial fisheries operating on the high seas. However, its nearshore distribution makes it susceptible to small-scale multi-species and artisanal fisheries as well as recreational fisherman, spearfishers and shark control programs. As a bycatch in other fisheries it is often reported as unidentified shark or not reported at all and as such the extent of the impact that these fisheries have had on C. taurus is unknown for most of its geographic range. Consequently this species could be at a high risk of unrecognized depletion in many countries.
The sand tiger is not subjected to directed fishing in South America, but nevertheless does have commercial value (including the jaws) as a non target catch in benthic trawling and gillnet fisheries and is harvested throughout its regional range by commercial, artisanal and recreational (mainly in Argentina) fishing (Chiaramonte 1998, Nion 1999, Lucifora et al. 2002). Coastal species are the most important commercial elasmobranchs in the Southwest Atlantic and coastal fishing pressure is intense in this region (Bonfil et. al. 2005). The exposure of its coastal habitat to fisheries and its vulnerable life-history characteristics provide little capacity for recovery.
Captures of C. taurus from Central-North Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil have declined dramatically throughout the 1980s and 1990s from a CPUE of 11.7 to 0.3 sharks per 1000 meters of net (Soto 2001) (a decline of approximately 97%). In Rio Grande do Sul C. taurus were fished with gillnets during the 1980s, at which time the species was considered abundant and could be captured in aggregations (Vooren et al. 2005). However there are no records of the species from monitoring of the shore based fishery during the summer of 2003, and the species occurred in only 3 of 43 fishing trips (11 individuals captured in total) by the Passo de Torres gillnet fishery monitored during November-March 2005 (Vooren et al. 2005). Vooren et al. (2005) note that this species is now considered rare in this area and that the scarcity of recent records of neonates is of great concern. Adult C. taurus can still be found inshore along the coast between Tramandaí and Saint Simão (30 to 31°S) (Vooren et al. 2005). Although no information exists on the population size of C. taurus, fishing pressure is intense and continuing within its coastal habitat off southern Brazil. Large aggregations of C. taurus were also systematically wiped out in Santa Catarina state, Brazil, by spear fishermen in the 1970s and 1980s.
In Uruguay, this species has been taken for over 50 years by the artisanal fleet. Captures increased in the late 1970s, mainly in summer, reaching a peak in the mid 1980s. Thereafter there was a continued decline, with catches decreasing from 784 kg per fishing day in 1985 to 32 kg per fishing day in 2001 (A. Domingo pers. obs). Only occasional captures are recorded from 2000 to the present. There are also occasional captures in the trawl net and longline fisheries.
Lucifora (2003) estimated that 889 sharks (CI 95%=625 to 1,140) were captured by anglers during three consecutive summers (1999-2001) in Anegada Bay, Argentina. Out of 175 sharks observed, 153 suffered serious injuries of the internal organs caused by hooks. Crespo and Corcuera (1990) report extensive damage to shark catches in gillnets by marine mammals (sea lions bite out the belly of entangled sharks and eat the liver).
|Conservation Actions:||Further studies of the biology and reproduction of this species in the Southwest Atlantic are needed. This species has been listed as a species threatened with over-exploitation on Annex II of the Brazilian federal law of Threatened and Overexploited Aquatic Species since 2004 (Vooren and Klippel 2005). Also the prohibition of trawl fishing within three nautical miles from the coast of southern Brazil is now being enforced satisfactorily. However, the species is still caught as bycatch in the legally permitted coastal gillnet fisheries and offshore trawl and gillnet fisheries. It is recommended that the species is protected throughout its inshore range along the Southwest Atlantic coast of South America, particularly in areas of critical habitat and areas where the adult population still exists. A management plan is being considered for development for this species in the Bahía San Blas Reserve (Anegada Bay, Argentina).|
|Citation:||Chiaramonte, G., Domingo, A. & Soto, J. 2007. Carcharias taurus (Southwest Atlantic subpopulation). In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 June 2013.|
|Feedback:||If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided| | <urn:uuid:4df33a97-e517-4b04-b82b-274197b189ae> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/63163/0 | 2013-06-19T12:48:31Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.918119 | 2,399 |
What can you do to create a healthier personal environment?
Assess your nest.
Working with a home inspector, public health professional, contractor, or other construction expert as a guide, ask yourself some questions to evaluate your current house or apartment's environmental health:
- Are you free of the "big three?" Radon, mold, and lead are all common home toxins. Radon testing is widely available, and best practices exist in new construction to minimize radon entry into the property. Check for moisture problems that act as hotbeds for mold growth, and look into mold testing if necessary. Finally, lead is present in many older homes' paint and pipes. Call your local public health department for information on testing for and eliminating lead in your home.
- How well-ventilated is your home? While solid construction decreases your home's energy loss, a home that is too airtight can seal in indoor air pollutants. Proper ventilation also helps control moisture and reduce risk of mold and other environmental health concerns. Simple fixes to increase ventilation include installing ceiling fans and operable skylights and windows.
- Does your landscaping contribute to your environmental health? Large lawns traditionally require greater pesticide use, and increase air and noise pollution generated from mowing. Consider planting perennial groundcovers, native foliage, or other low-maintenance landscaping. Even better, landscape with edible plants and devote a portion of your yard to organic vegetable gardening.
Before you rent or begin new construction, consider these additional questions:
- Will your new space support recycling/reuse with storage space for cans, bottles, paper, and other items?
- What is your potential home's proximity to major noisemakers like airports, railroad tracks, or highways?
- What will keep you warm? Although most mainstream commercial insulations are considered safe, check out some healthy alternative insulation, including those made with recycled denim and other cloth, wool, icynene and nanogel.
- How big is your planned home? Small is good. A well-planned home with less square footage uses fewer building and maintenance resources.
Clear the air.
Consider these steps toward improving indoor air quality:
- In your home, radon and mold tend to be the most serious barriers to indoor air quality. Relatively inexpensive tests exist to assess your home's mold and radon levels.
- The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) offers guidelines about common workplace air quality complaints, which usually focus on temperature, humidity, lack of outside air ventilation or smoking. Find out more .
- For employees in farming and industrial fields, on-the-job outdoor air quality is also a concern. Each state has a department of environmental health within its main health department that can advise workers and employers on outdoor air quality regulations. To find your state's health department, visit the Centers for Disease Control site.
- If you smoke, stop. If you live with someone who smokes, insist on a strict outdoor smoking policy. Approximately 3,000 American adults die of lung cancer each year due to secondhand smoke exposure. In young children, secondhand smoke increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and asthma.
Know your H20.
Increase your water quality with these tips:
- The longer water has been sitting in pipes, the more lead it may contain. Run or "flush" your tap for up to two minutes, depending upon how long it's been between uses.
- Since hot water is more likely to contain lead, only drink, cook and make baby formula with cold water.
- The only way to be totally certain about your home's water quality is to have it tested. This is especially important for people in high-rise buildings, where "flushing" the pipes may not be as effective. Your local water supplier, health department or university can offer information about credible testing resources.
- Water filters have been shown to increase purity. Filters can range from simple pitcher-based systems to more elaborate reverse-osmosis home units.
- Remember that bottled water is not necessarily of higher quality than regular tap water. And according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 60 million plastic bottles a day are manufactured, transported and then disposed of in U.S. landfills, compromising your community's environmental health.
Green your cleaning.
Are your cleaning products messing up your health? While we're far from knowing the health impact of all chemicals used in cleaning agents, you can easily (and very inexpensively) create your own house-healthy cleaners. Some tips:
- Mix either vinegar or baking soda with warm water in a spray bottle, and you've got an effective, all-purpose cleansing agent.
- Bypass commercial air deodorizers, many of which contain formaldehyde. Instead, add cinnamon, essential oils, cloves, or any herbs you like to a pan of boiling water, and let the sweet steam deodorize.
- On laundry day, reach for Borax (sodium borate). This natural mineral acts as a stain-remover, bleach alternative and detergent booster. Baking soda can remove stains and deodorizes, and cornstarch absorbs greasy stains and starches your clothing. Lemon juice can also double for bleach.
- Salt (sodium chloride) is a mild abrasive for cleaning bathrooms and kitchens.
- Consider hiring a "green" cleaning service, or ask your traditional housekeeper to use the methods and products you find healthiest.
Increase your chemical awareness.
While it's impractical to try to have no contact with chemicals, you can reduce your chemical exposure in relatively simple ways:
- Some beauty products contain chemicals that are anything but pretty. For example, nail polish, body lotions, and perfumes often contain phthalates, a controversial substance linked to birth defects in animals and possibly humans. Shampoos that attack dandruff might also play havoc on your health; the active ingredient selenium sulfide is a neurotoxin and possible carcinogen. Hair dyes often have coal tar, another chemical linked to cancer. So read labels, and choose a product that will be as lovely for your health as it is for your appearance.
- Don't create toxic trash. If you're tossing old medications, resist flushing them down the toilet, where they can invade water supplies. Also consider calling your local recycler, many of which accept old cleaning products, paint, oil and other chemicals that create even more treacherous landfills.
- Be sure to air out your garments after a trip to the drycleaners. Dry cleaning employs a chemical called perchloroethylene, which is actually toxic to humans. Some environmentally conscious cleaners use methods that do not contain "perc;" seek them out. Better yet, when possible choose clothing that only requires a trip to your laundry room, not a professional cleaner.
- Be mindful of plastic use. Some plastics contain bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-like chemical potentially linked to cancer. Experts also advise against microwaving food in plastic containers; although research is inconclusive, the heating process is thought to release chemicals from the plastic into your food. Reusing plastic bottles is another source of controversy. Some experts think reuse is safe if you carefully wash and dry the bottles between each use, while others feel that wear and tear on the plastic causes toxic chemical leakage. An always-safe alternative is glass. Finally, you can reduce the amount of plastic produced by recycling. Look at the bottom of your plastic container for a number from 1-7. Items labeled 1 or 2 (usually soft drink, jjuice, water, milk, and detergent containers) are eligible for curbside recycling. Numbers higher than 2 are either unrecyclable or require special drop-off at a recycling center.
Reduce the roar.
Decrease sound pollution at home and work with these simple suggestions:
- Employ low-tech solutions like earplugs and heavy curtains to block street noise.
- White noise machines and noise-cancelling headphones also create quiet.
- Double-paned windows reduce outdoor noise, including jet traffic.
- Before you begin new construction projects, communicate with your architect and/or contractor about noise reduction options. Some building materials and methods offer greater sound absorption or masking than others.
- When you are engaged in construction projects, or if you work in construction or another noisy trade, always wear hearing protection on the job.
- Be mindful about your personal noise production. For example, are you really watching your television, or is it simply on as "background noise?" Could you use a push mower instead of a power model, a shovel rather than a snow blower? Could you bike instead of drive? Select "vibrate" rather than the latest ringtone? Even small actions increase the peace.
Raise your EMF awareness.
It is important to note that research on EMF exposure is ongoing. But these easy actions just might improve your wellbeing:
- When possible, use a land line rather than your cell phone.
- Use a hands free device or speaker phone function if using a cell phone.
- Do not stand directly in front of your microwave oven while it's in use, or simply use your conventional oven.
- Limit your computer time.
- Use manual versions of personal care tools: an old-fashioned toothbrush rather than an electric model, or a razor instead of an electric shaver.
- Don't sleep under an electric blanket.
- Sit several feet from your television screen.
Enjoy local and organic foods.
The foods you choose not only impact your health from a nutritional standpoint, but from an environmental angle as well. Think about these fast facts:
- Eating locally grown produce means less transportation is required to get that apple from the tree to your table. This translates to reduced air and noise pollution in your community.
- Organic farming doesn't employ the pesticides often used in non-organic methods. That means that eating organic produce may reduce your ingestion of chemicals, and that pesticides will not leach into local water supplies. Joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) food plan might "cleanse" your diet and help your water supply.
- Research indicates that raising livestock increases greenhouse gas emissions, pollutes water supplies, and contributes to land degradation and deforestation. Food for thought next time you're choosing between a steak and a salad. | <urn:uuid:b14cf72c-25cd-4f12-b45a-f2431b43201b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/print/770?quicktabs_2=1 | 2013-06-19T12:41:28Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368708766848/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125246-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.926708 | 2,149 |
Terms & Conditions
In these conditions 'we, us or our' means Sussex Cruise Club. 'You' and 'your' means each and every person named on the booking form. 'Principal/Supplier' means anybody other than us that is responsible for providing services to you, for example, an ATOL Operator, tour operator, cruise holiday company, insurance company, car hire company, flight or hotel wholesaler. "ATOL Operator" means a tour or cruise operator that is licensed by ATOL. "ATOL" is a protection scheme for flights and air holidays, managed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Sussex Cruise Club is a trading name of the Woods Travel Group. We recommend you read the details below as you are bound by them.
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by the Sussex Cruise Club and whilst we endeavour to keep the information up-to-date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
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It is your responsibility to check that details stated on booking forms, confirmations or (if earlier) invoices received are correct and inform us of any inaccuracies as soon as possible any changes to these details. We shall not be liable for any incorrect bookings where we have not been notified of any errors within the requisite time period. All names provided must be the same as in the relevant passports. Please note that we are only the agent for the principal/supplier.
3. Price and Payment
Our discounts apply to the basic cruise package price unless otherwise specified. This excludes all extras such as flight supplements, port taxes, excursions, travel insurance, car hire, hotel stays and parking surcharges and amendment or cancellation charges. Our discounts may not be used in conjunction with any other supplier promotion or discount offer unless otherwise specified. Some cruise lines may withhold certain promotions or free gifts associated with a cruise due to the high level of discount that we offer. Please ask staff at time of booking.
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To enable us to forward the appropriate funds onto the supplier to ensure that it reaches them before or by their due date ("The principal/supplier Due Date") we must have received full payment from you by the due date stated on our invoice ("Sussex Cruise Club/Woods Holidays Ltd confirmation"). This date is calculated so as to fall at least seven days prior to the principal/supplier Due Date.If you fail to make payment by the our due date, this may result in the cancellation of your booking by the principal/supplier.
4. Cruise Line Discount Vouchers
Any discount letter or voucher received by you from a principal/supplier as a result of a complaint by you can be used when booking to reduce the principals'/suppliers' full price only. When discount letters or vouchers are used to make bookings through us they do not further reduce our discounted price, unless advised by us, instead we will apply our discount to the reduced principals'/suppliers' price.
5. If You Change or Cancel Your Booking
Amendment to or cancellation of your booking may result in additional charges in accordance with the principals'/suppliers' booking conditions. We do not charge for cancellations but if you make several requests to amend the same booking you will be asked to pay an administration charge and any further cost we incur in making such further amendments or cancellation.
Any amendment or cancellation of any booking must be confirmed in writing to us. You should contact us as soon as possible. Our administration costs could increase the closer to the departure that changes are made.
You are strongly advised to purchase comprehensive travel insurance to cover all aspects of your holiday. We can offer you travel insurance at the time of booking through a limited number of insurers. No additional fees will be charged for this service. All of our cruise consultants have completed and passed the ABTA Travel Insurance Training Programme. The Sussex Cruise Club/Woods Holidays Ltd are appointed representatives of ITC Compliance Limited which is authorised and regulated by the FSA (their registration number is 313486) and which is permitted to advise on and arrange general insurance contracts.
We will only be liable to you for our own negligence or breach of our obligations. We are not liable for the acts and omissions of principals/suppliers and we shall not be liable for any loss of profit, business related or indirect losses suffered by you. Any disputes shall be subject to English law and the jurisdiction of English courts.
8. Liability - Visa Requirements
Any information given by us or our staff to you as to the visa requirements for British and non-British Citizens is given for general guidance only and forms no part of the contract between us and is followed or acted upon entirely at your own risk. You should always confirm any information with the relevant Embassy or Consulate. We shall not be liable for any such advice or recommendation.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have a valid and up to date passport for your holiday as we cannot be held responsible for any problems arising from incorrect documentation. Many countries require passports to be valid for at least six months after your return date. Please make sure you check the validity for each destination you are travelling to, we will not be held responsible for any mistakes made with insufficient documentation.
10. Your Duties
You must inform us prior to booking of any medical problem or disability that could affect your ability to complete your travel arrangements.
We are committed to protecting your information and for keeping your account details private. When you make a booking you consent to your information being passed on to principals/suppliers and to other credit checking companies or as required by law. In addition where you have consented to us doing so, we will add your details to our customer database, for our own marketing purposes. You may therefore receive statements and information relating to our services and any offers that we believe will be of interest to you. You can choose to no longer receive these by contacting us.
As the contract for your travel arrangements is between you and the principals/suppliers, any queries or concerns that you may have relating to the travel arrangements should be addressed to them. If you encounter a problem whilst on holiday, this must be reported to the principal/supplier or their local agent immediately. If you fail to do this there will be less opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint. If you wish to complain when you return home, you should write to the principal/supplier as soon as you return or at least within 28 days. You will find the name and address plus contact details in your travel documents. We will of course provide assistance with this if you wish. If the matter cannot be resolved and it involves us or another ABTA member then it can be referred to the arbitration scheme arranged by ABTA, see www.abta.com
We are members of ABTA (D0685 & V8552). This means that any money you pay to us for bookings is protected under the bonding arrangements that we have with this organisation or otherwise held in trust if we become insolvent. ABTA also provide an arbitration service for you or us if you have booked a package through us.
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Commuting - Commuting and Marathon training
Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.
Is anyone out there a commuter and training for a distance event like a marathon? I just started training for a couple fall marathons and my legs feel absolutely dead on the long runs on the weekend.
I have done a couple marathons and countless halfs so I know I can do the distance, but I have never trained for them while commuting.
My current plan has me running before work (longest run during the week is about 6 miles for now) 4 days a week. Weekend has a long run on Saturday and a mid-length run on Sunday. I typically commute 4 days a week, 22miles round trip and I think that is just wearing me out.
I am thinking I may need to change up and take fridays completely off and maybe just bike commute Mon-Wed or maybe even just Mon-Tues to get my legs back under me.
I am. I have a short (10 km round trip) commute that I pretty much treat as if I don't do it. My normal schedule is: Monday off, Tuesday - one hour run hard, Wednesday 30 km cycle (on top of the commute), Thursday one hour run easy, Friday one hour run easy, Saturday 20 km easy cycle plus 1 mile swim, Sunday 2 or 3 hour run or cycle (2 and 3 hours on alternate weeks). In the winter I drop the Wednesday cycle and replace it with another one hour run.
I usually do two marathons and an olympic distance tri each year (tri was yesterday) plus some other long event (2 week bicycle tour, 64 km run, back to back centuries have been the most recent). The commute, which I started about 6 months ago) doesn't seem to have affected the training. If I had a longer commute I think I would alternate longer and shorter training sessions (every second day I would only train for half an hour in addition to the commute).
All my weekday training is done after my commute and I don't worry too much if I miss a day every two weeks or so. The last marathon I ran was after a week of moving furniture to a new house that completely screwed my normal taper before the run and I still managed my normal time (3:45 ish).
I'd say, if you feel like you need the rest, take it. My worst marathon time ever was after over training.
08-05-08, 08:12 AM
Yeah, I'm training for my first marathon (in November). I have a short commute though (around 7 miles round trip), but I treat it like a time trial most days. As I ramp up my running, I think I'll be taking it easier on the commute :)
Is your commute very hilly? You could always just take it much easier on rest days. There are a lot of benefits to taking a leisurely ride on rest days actually.
You may find this video interesting. Keep in mind it's not an instant solution and it takes some serious backbone to maintain your running cadence for any period of time on these. Also, while the guy says stationary bike work, there's no reason you can't do the same high cadence work during your commutes.
I commute while I train for triathlons. I'm not super-competitve but I do compete well in my age group. I missed 3rd place in my last tri because I had to fix a flat tire and I placed 2nd in the one before that. I use my commute for my bike training on bike days and when I've got a run work-out scheduled, I just take it super easy on the commute. Swim training along with bike commuting hasn't been too much of a problem.
Marathons? **** that ****. Train for double-centuries.
08-05-08, 10:17 AM
I ran Grandma's Marathon this year, and am training for IM Wisconsin next month.
I commute 20-22 miles round-trip 5-days a week to work. I often run after I bike home, and do my long runs on the weekends.
I take it easy on the ride in to work, and push it a little on the ride home. It's worked out well for me so far.
i've trained for a half marathon while commuting ... but i take my bike commute pretty easy; i don't crank it too hard so i still have energy (and muscle strength) to do my runs while training. i did my longer runs on weekends.
now my job sucks up too much of my energy and it's the best i can do just to get on a bike and ride the 8 miles each way. :)
08-05-08, 04:04 PM
solution? Run to work?
08-05-08, 04:08 PM
If you're feeling worn out when you start your long run you're either over-trained, tired or not allowing yourself enough time to recover. I think you're being smart and addressing this problem now before it becomes an issue. I'd cut the Friday commute at the least and make sure you get plenty of sleep Thu/Fri night, at least 8 hours both nights to make sure your long runs go well. It's the foundation of marathon training after all.
My commute is only 4 miles so I would often run home. I had one route that was an even 10K.
oh yeah, and i'd be remiss not to caution against adding too much too soon. i'm sure you know this already, but injury can take you out from both the biking and the running. :) build up your base gradually and try not to increase your running mileage by more than 10% each week, whether you're biking or not. :)
08-05-08, 09:48 PM
Do you have a good place to lock up your bike at work, that you wouldn't mind leaving your bike at overnight? You could always try riding to work, then running home, and then running to work the next day, and riding back home again. I've never trained for a marathon though, so I have no idea if that's even a good idea, just thought I'd throw it out there.
Thanks for the replys. I took it easy last week and only biked to work once and the runs this weekend were much better. I think I am going to cut down to just Mon-Wed biking, since that is where my shortest runs of the week are.
I do triathlons (mostly sprint) and duathlons too, so during that season commuting is great, but this longer distance is a little tougher on the body.
Unfortunately, work is about 11 miles so running that doesn't really fit in with the training plan, and I am a little anal when it comes to following the plan that worked so well in my 1st marathon. All in all, I am just going to have to listen to my body and take a break when I need it.
08-11-08, 09:05 AM
Usually run one every fall. Was scheduled this fall to do NYC and Phili three weeks later but a month of pneumonia has killed both.
There really isn't enough info to answer your question.
Are you training in cycles? 3 weeks on, 1 week recoup/rest? Are you doing speedwork? Basemileage? Weekly mileage? Days per week? Are you eating within 30 mins after your runs? Are you increasing your weekly mileage more than 10% a week?
You sound like you're overtraining. Have you been taking your resting HR? Take it every morning and chart it. A climbing resting HR or BP is classic symptom of overtraining.
If your rides are at low intensity the rides can serve to speed recovery. If you're riding 5/days/week, I would not run more than 5 days, and at least one of those should be a complete and total rest day. Right now it looks like you're either running or riding every day. That's not good. I would suggest moving your long run to Sundays and taking Mon off from running. Use your commute as a recovery day. Cycling is excellent for recovery as it moves blood and fluid around without the impact and stress. With a 10 mile commute each way and only a couple of marathons under your belt, I would suggest caping your weekly base mileage (excluding the long run) at 20 miles/4 days a week.
I would also strongly suggest you look into L-glutamine. I'm not one to use or pedal supplements, but this stuff which I tried begrudgingly is a magic bullet. Taken after training it nearly eliminated soreness and vastly improved muscle recovery.
M no run & bike commute for recovery
T easy run & bike commute
W easy run & bike commute
T hard run & bike commute
F easy run & bike commute
S rest day
S long run day
08-11-08, 01:50 PM
I've done one full marathon and several halfs. I started bike commuting in March of this year, 4.5 miles each way. I was able to keep running okay, it just took a while to adjust.
But my office just changed locations, and I now have a 6.5 mile commute each way, with a couple of good-sized hills (uphill on the way home). No way I can get back up to marathon-level mileage after doing that (I normally do marathon training in January-May or June).
What I'm going to try doing is run to work once a week. Bring 2 days of clothes with me on my bike on Tuesday and then run to work on Wednesday, and try that for a while. If it goes okay, I'll up it to twice a week, or Tuesdays and Thursdays, during marathon training, and possibly add some mileage on the way home on Thursdays late in the training. Long runs on weekends.
So far, this is just an idea. Our office is moving on 8/13, and I'll just ride my bike for a couple of weeks before I try running the route. I don't plan on running all the way home the first week I try this. Or the second. Or the third... (If I'm still trying this by then...)
08-11-08, 01:53 PM
P.S. Bike commuting is what blew me out of the full marathon last spring... I got my first bike, and rode it so much I got tendinitis. Took 12 days out of my marathon training in the middle of my schedule. Knocked me back far enough that I had to settle for the half. I did come back and do a decent job of that, though. Good times... Just got overenthusiastic when I got the bike.
08-11-08, 02:37 PM
To do well in a marathon, three runs each week are essential - a long, slow one to get you used to the distance gradually increasing the milage each week up to 18-20 miles at the end, and two mid distance with speedwork. The other 3 or 4 days are for keeping your endurance base up to you can tolerate the speed and the long day, and these can be slow and easy. Instead of running some of these, consider your commute as doing that.
If you can leave your bike at work overnight safely, ride in and run home. You'll need to be careful though and wait since 6 is now your long. But once you get built up, 11 miles is a good distance for marathon training - a mile or 2 warm up, 4X1 mile intervals with a mile recovery in between, and a mile or so cool down.
One thing you're doing that keeps your running from being sharp is a mid length day immediately after your long one. Running long really beats up your legs so I found 5 miles at most the day after is enough. Or just do a bike ride instead.
Keep us posted on how you are doing.
08-11-08, 04:59 PM
When I first got into marathoning, it was an offshoot of triathlon training, so needless to say I was biking and running a lot at the same time. After a long ride I was less tired than after a long run, so I always took my recuperate/cross training day after the long run. My recuperative day was really easy; some combination of a 1-2 mile jog, 2 miles of walking, leisurely bike ride, beer and wings, and/or weight training. I pretty much never did a run of any substance after a long run.
I also found that a quick transition from bike to running was best for me, so I would run immediately after biking (maybe you should trying running when you get home from work?). I would usually eat something during my ride (a cliff bar, pb & j sandwich, apple or something) so that I would have energy for the run to follow.
I liked Hal Higdon's training programs, http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/inter2.html
and have followed those during the several times I've done marathon training.
I'm glad to see so many people, like me, both run and bike. It's a great way to stay healthy! Personally, I look at my bike as a benefit to my running. More running (so long as the increase is gradual) generally makes for better performance. But, once you get the miles up pretty high, overuse injuries become a worry (though not as much of a worry as a lot of non-runners seem to think). The bicycle is a great way to throw in some cross training, working different muscles, and with a low impact exercise.
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Certain national infrastructures are so vital that their incapacity or destruction would have a debilitating impact on the defense or economic security of the United States. These critical infrastructures include telecommunications, electrical power systems, gas and oil storage and transportation, banking and finance, transportation, water supply systems, emergency services (including medical, police, fire, and rescue), and continuity of government. Threats to these critical infrastructures fall into two categories: physical threats to tangible property ("physical threats"), and threats of electronic, radio-frequency, or computer-based attacks on the information or communications components that control critical infrastructures ("cyber threats"). Because many of these critical infrastructures are owned and operated by the private sector, it is essential that the government and private sector work together to develop a strategy for protecting them and assuring their continued operation.
NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:
Section 1. Establishment. There is hereby established the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection ("Commission").
(a) Chair. A qualified individual from outside the Federal Government shall be appointed by the President to serve as Chair of the Commission. The Commission Chair shall be employed on a full-time basis.
(b) Members. The head of each of the following executive branch departments and agencies shall nominate not more than two full-time members of the Commission:
One of the nominees of each agency may be an individual from outside the Federal Government who shall be employed by the agency on a full-time basis. Each nominee must be approved by the Steering Committee.
Sec. 2. The Principals Committee. The Commission shall report to the President through a Principals Committee ("Principals Committee"), which shall review any reports or recommendations before submission to the President. The Principals Committee shall comprise the:
Sec. 3. The Steering Committee of the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. A Steering Committee ("Steering Committee") shall oversee the work of the Commission on behalf of the Principals Committee. The Steering Committee shall comprise four members appointed by the President. One of the members shall be the Chair of the Commission and one shall be an employee of the Executive Office of the President. The Steering Committee will receive regular reports on the progress of the Commission's work and approve the submission of reports to the Principals Committee.
Sec. 4. Mission. The Commission shall: (a) within 30 days of this order, produce a statement of its mission objectives, which will elaborate the general objectives set forth in this order, and a detailed schedule for addressing each mission objective, for approval by the Steering Committee;
(b) identify and consult with: (i) elements of the public and private sectors that conduct, support, or contribute to infrastructure assurance; (ii) owners and operators of the critical infrastructures; and (iii) other elements of the public and private sectors, including the Congress, that have an interest in critical infrastructure assurance issues and that may have differing perspectives on these issues;
(c) assess the scope and nature of the vulnerabilities of, and threats to, critical infrastructures;
(d) determine what legal and policy issues are raised by efforts to protect critical infrastructures and assess how these issues should be addressed;
(e) recommend a comprehensive national policy and implementation strategy for protecting critical infrastructures from physical and cyber threats and assuring their continued operation;
(f) propose any statutory or regulatory changes necessary to effect its recommendations; and
(g) produce reports and recommendations to the Steering Committee as they become available; it shall not limit itself to producing one final report.
Sec. 5. Advisory Committee to the President's Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection. (a) The Commission shall receive advice from an advisory committee ("Advisory Committee") composed of no more than ten individuals appointed by the President from the private sector who are knowledgeable about critical infrastructures. The Advisory Committee shall advise the Commission on the subjects of the Commission's mission in whatever manner the Advisory Committee, the Commission Chair, and the Steering Committee deem appropriate.
(b) A Chair shall be designated by the President from among the members of the Advisory Committee.
(c) The Advisory Committee shall be established in compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.). The Department of Defense shall perform the functions of the President under the Federal Advisory Committee Act for the Advisory Committee, except that of reporting to the Congress, in accordance with the guidelines and procedures established by the Administrator of General Services.
Sec. 6. Administration. (a) All executive departments and agencies shall cooperate with the Commission and provide such assistance, information, and advice to the Commission as it may request, to the extent permitted by law.
(b) The Commission and the Advisory Committee may hold open and closed hearings, conduct inquiries, and establish subcommittees, as necessary.
(c) Members of the Advisory Committee shall serve without compensation for their work on the Advisory Committee. While engaged in the work of the Advisory Committee, members may be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, as authorized by law for persons serving intermittently in the government service.
(d) To the extent permitted by law, and subject to the availability of appropriations, the Department of Defense shall provide the Commission and the Advisory Committee with administrative services, staff, other support services, and such funds as may be necessary for the performance of its functions and shall reimburse the executive branch components that provide representatives to the Commission for the compensation of those representatives.
(e) In order to augment the expertise of the Commission, the Department of Defense may, at the Commission's request, contract for the services of nongovernmental consultants who may prepare analyses, reports, background papers, and other materials for consideration by the Commission. In addition, at the Commission's request, executive departments and agencies shall request that existing Federal advisory committees consider and provide advice on issues of critical infrastructure protection, to the extent permitted by law.
(f) The Commission, the Principals Committee, the Steering Committee, and the Advisory Committee shall terminate 1 year from the date of this order, unless extended by the President prior to that date.
Sec. 7. Interim Coordinating Mission. (a) While the Commission is conducting its analysis and until the President has an opportunity to consider and act on its recommendations, there is a need to increase coordination of existing infrastructure protection efforts in order to better address, and prevent, crises that would have a debilitating regional or national impact. There is hereby established an Infrastructure Protection Task Force ("IPTF") within the Department of Justice, chaired by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, to undertake this interim coordinating mission.
(b) The IPTF will not supplant any existing programs or organizations.
(c) The Steering Committee shall oversee the work of the IPTF.
(d) The IPTF shall include at least one full-time member each from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Defense, and the National Security Agency. It shall also receive part-time assistance from other executive branch departments and agencies. Members shall be designated by their departments or agencies on the basis of their expertise in the protection of critical infrastructures. IPTF members' compensation shall be paid by their parent agency or department.
(e) The IPTF's function is to identify and coordinate existing expertise, inside and outside of the Federal Government, to:
(f) All executive departments and agencies shall cooperate with the IPTF and provide such assistance, information, and advice as the IPTF may request, to the extent permitted by law.
(i) provide, or facilitate and coordinate the provision of, expert guidance to critical infrastructures to detect, prevent, halt, or confine an attack and to recover and restore service;
(ii) issue threat and warning notices in the event advance information is obtained about a threat;
(iii) provide training and education on methods of reducing vulnerabilities and responding to attacks on critical infrastructures;
(iv) conduct after-action analysis to determine possible future threats, targets, or methods of attack; and
(v) coordinate with the pertinent law enforcement authorities during or after an attack to facilitate any resulting criminal investigation.
(g) All executive departments and agencies shall share with the IPTF information about threats and warning of attacks, and about actual attacks on critical infrastructures, to the extent permitted by law.
(h) The IPTF shall terminate no later than 180 days after the termination of the Commission, unless extended by the President prior to that date. Sec. 8. General. (a) This order is not intended to change any existing statutes or Executive orders.
(b) This order is not intended to create any right, benefit, trust, or responsibility, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or equity by a party against the United States, its agencies, its officers, or any person.
WILLIAM J. CLINTON
THE WHITE HOUSE,
July 15, 1996 | <urn:uuid:08bd6deb-ef3c-4375-ada5-79e986911293> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/eo13010.htm | 2013-05-20T02:47:39Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368698207393/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516095647-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933073 | 1,900 |
Have you seen this? Archive
April 1, 2013
Check out the new website of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society–your resource for information on gardening, greening, and learning! Along with optimal navigability, it’s now easier to connect on social media with the PHS Social Stream, you can also ask questions about gardening and horticulture with Ask PHS, visit the PHS McLean Library, and get to know the PHS Blog.
Now more than 185 years old, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society continues in its mission to “motivate people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community through horticulture.”
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society is also on Facebook.
March 11, 2013
For over a year, metaLAB has been working with the scientific and curatorial staff of Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum to explore new digital lives for the institution—not only a much loved public park, but a collection of rare plants, a research site, and an evolving landscape—that will connect it to new audiences locally and globally.
One of the most exciting projects they’ve shared so far recently wrapped up at NuVu Studio, a “magnet innovation center for young minds” headquartered in Central Square. Founded by Saeed Arida, a 2010 PhD in the Design and Computation Program at MIT, NuVu offers a bracing vision of the power of STEAM: enlivening the left-brain work of making and investigating science, technology, engineering, and math with the expressive energy of the arts.
February 4, 2013
Come and see the new blog Arbotopia, observations of fauna and other things natural in the Emerald Necklace, created by Arnold Arboretum docent and birding expert Bob Mayer.
Seasonal highlights and wondrous sights abound throughout the Emerald Necklace, but not everyone can witness them simultaneously. But the experience can be shared! Head over to Arbotopia for a narrative and pictorial account of the best and beautiful sights in Boston’s open park spaces, with a particular emphasis on The Arnold Arboretum.
And don’t forget to read about the Owls at the Arnold Arboretum!
Arbotopia is also on Facebook.
December 10, 2012
Looking for something truly unique to do this holiday season?
The Lloyd Library and Museum in Cincinatti, Ohio presents “What Makes the Reindeer Fly?,” a special exhibit on hallucinogenic mushrooms, with a special focus on Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria Lam.), a mushroom that figures prominently in the development of the legend of Santa’s flying reindeer. This is the same mushroom that is often depicted in children’s literature, shows up as a theme in children’s toys, and in many other places.
Fly Agaric isn’t the only mushroom that has a role in cultural development. Many other psychedelic mushrooms play their part in many other cultures, as do non-psychedelic fungi. This exhibit features some of the earliest art texts about mushrooms, beginning in 1601 and working up through the twentieth century. Find out the scientific facts and the cultural significance associated with mushrooms and learn all the things you never knew you didn’t know…
November 12, 2012
Come celebrate Geography Awareness Week with us and view these late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century maps and plans of the Arnold Arboretum held by the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at Boston Public Library.
Geography Awareness Week, sponsored by National Geographic Education, is observed each year in the third week of November and highlights the importance of geo-literacy and geo-education. A free workshop on Wednesday, November 14 and Saturday, November 17 will focus on the Geographic Information System (GIS) at the Arnold Arboretum, including an introduction to our Mobile Interactive Map application.
The Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library holds over 650 full-size archival maps documenting historical views of our grounds, collections, hardiness zones, and more. We encourage you to contact us for more information, and to visit the library in person and online.
October 22, 2012
American Society of Botanical Artists, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting public awareness of contemporary botanical art, honoring its traditions, and furthering its development.
October 1, 2012
A historical guided tour of Kew Gardens
A tour around the historic gardens at Kew using images dating from the 1860s to 1930s
This virtual tour is one of many opportunities to view past and present together on Google partner Historypin.
Historypin helps people come together from across generations, cultures, and places to share small glimpses of the past and to build the story of human history.
September 19, 2012
Go Botany is a rich educational resource offered by the New England Wild Flower Society and funded by the National Science Foundation to encourage informal, self-directed education in botany for science students and beginning and amateur botanists. Professors, teachers, and environmental educators can share curricula and teaching ideas.
August 13, 2012
The New England Landscape Design and History Association (NELDHA) offers online materials for self-guided walking tours of Boston’s parks, gardens, and green spaces. Maps, narratives, and additional resources unique to each neighborhood provide immersion and guidance for visitors of all ages.
NELDHA’s mission is to further the education of landscape professionals, to promote their professions, and communicate NELDHA’s commitment to landscape design, history, conservation, preservation, and stewardship of the land.
July 2, 2012
Metasequoia — Student Artwork
After a few weeks of researching various seed cones though drawings and painted studies, students in Paul Olson’s Junior Illustration class at MassArt were asked to make an illustration for a poster or a book based on an open Metasequoia seed cone and the plant’s reputation as a “living fossil.” Students also completed a final project of their own design, a piece inspired by their visit to the Arboretum’s Horticultural Library, the Herbarium, and the Living Collections of the Arnold Arboretum.
June 4, 2012
The Forest Of The Future
Singapore—known worldwide as the “Garden City” because it has more than 300 parks—is poised to become the “City in a Garden.”
An ambitious project is converting 250 acres of waterfront property into a horticultural recreation area. The project includes a forest of “supertrees,” some fitted with solar panels to store energy for lighting them at night.
Read the article in Smithsonian magazine.
May 16, 2012
Jadav Payeng has been instrumental in converting a sand bar in the middle of the river Brahmaputra in Assam, India, into a huge forest. His work over the past 30 years is receiving recognition around the world by tourists and film makers.
Read the full article.
April 30, 2012
View: Ways of Seeing
May 5 – August 3, 2012
The Lloyd Library and Museum is celebrating the 100th anniversary of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to our nation’s capital with a look at Cincinnati’s own connections to Japan, cherry trees, and the Lloyds.
Contemporary artists Alysia Fischer, Setsuko H. LeCroix, and Charles Woodman investigate nature through sculpture, painting and video, all in celebration of the famed cherry tree.
April 9, 2012
Frederick Law Olmsted Papers Project
April, 2012 marks the 190th anniversary of the birth of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), the celebrated landscape architect who designed the Arnold Arboretum as the second-largest link in Boston’s Emerald Necklace.
National Association for Olmsted Parks (NAOP) has created a website to coincide with the ongoing Frederick Law Olmsted Papers Project. Since its inception in 1972, this project presents the most significant of Olmsted’s extensive writings from 1840–1882 in a twelve-volume series of books. The next volume, Plans and Photographs of Public Parks, Recreation Grounds, Parkways, Park Systems and Scenic Reservations (Supplementary Series Volume 2), will be published this year, and additional volumes are also in development.
Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library holds each volume of the series published thus far.
March 19, 2012
What makes a Wonder Tree?
Willows are a blend of beauty, diversity, adaptability, and utility which marks them aside from many other temperate trees.
Wonder Tree can help you grow your own willows for use and ornament. You can watch these trees mature to full size within your own life time, or you can use their shoots as raw material for other products and activities.
The collection of the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library includes a folio with beautiful color illustrations of willows (Salix spp.): Salictum woburnense or, A catalogue of willows, indigenous and foreign, in the collection of the Duke of Bedford at Woburn abbey; systematically arranged by James Forbes (the Duke’s gardener).
Read more about Salictum woburnense and John Russell, the 6th Duke of Bedford of Woburn Abbey.
March 5, 2012
Botany Blueprint is a collection of botanical photography and a study of plant design, specifically regarding the form and function of seed pods.
Individually, each photograph is a portrait of a unique specimen; as a series, the photographs become an inquiry into the evolution and diversity of plant design.
Laurent’s photographs are published in her column at Print magazine, where she writes about the form and function of seed pods.
Intended to advance botanical literacy and make plants relevant to a broad audience, the project will be compiled in a forthcoming book.
February 15, 2012
Lacock Abbey was originally built as a nunnery in southwest England in 1232. When William Henry Fox Talbot came to live there in 1827, he grew his own botanical garden and photographed the plants using the negative-positive process of his own invention, providing the basic method for almost all 19th and 20th century photography.
Photographer Mary Kocol also traces the development of modern photography and its botanical beginnings with Talbot in The Garden in Early Art Photography. Her website also contains beautiful color photographs taken with a toy camera at the Arnold Arboretum.
February 1, 2012
From the exhibition catalog of her work:
“Davies has intervened in areas of the forest landscape
to create images that express her relationship to the
forest. And though each body of work stands
alone as a distinct series, together they
trace the trajectory of Davies’
ongoing exploration of the forest
as a cultural landscape.”
January 3, 2012
In the late 19th century, Boston merchant Edwin F. Atkins was a dominant force in the U.S.-Cuban sugar market. His firm, E. Atkins & Co., established sugarcane plantations along the southern coast of Cuba near the cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad. From the 1840s through the 1920s, the Atkins family successfully operated their sugar business on the island, safely seeing it through the abolition of slavery, Cuba’s fight for independence from Spain, and the changing agricultural and industrial practices of sugar production.
The photographs in this online exhibition are a sample of 419 photographs at the Massachusetts Historical Society that were taken and collected by members of the Atkins family in Cuba between 1884 and 1958. This collection, the Atkins Family Photographs, is a unique visual record of life and work on sugar plantations in Cuba during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition, these photographs also capture the changing face of Cuba before and after the Spanish-American War. The finding aid for Atkins Family Photographs is available here.
The Massachusetts Historical Society also holds the Atkins Family Papers, an extensive collection of records and papers that detail the activities of the Atkins family and the E. Atkins & Co. sugar interest in Cuba from 1854-1950. The finding aid for Atkins Family Papers is available here.
The Atkins family also had an affiliation with the Arnold Arboretum, which administered the Atkins Institution in Cuba from 1932 to 1946. The Harvard Garden in Cuba-A Brief History by Marion D. Cahan published in Arnoldia describes how the Atkins Garden became a model for the development of many later tropical botanical gardens. You can read even more about the history of this garden, now the Cienfuegos Botanical Garden, Cuba online.
December 12, 2011
Dried botanicals are imported for varied uses including potpourri, decorative plant arrangements, and handicraft items. They consist of whole or sectioned fungi, fruits, seeds, leaves, and almost anything that is botanical, has abundant air spaces (“physical fixatives” for the synthetic oils), has structural interest, and/or is inexpensive (e.g. lawn sweepings and waste products of other industries). These botanicals may include potentially toxic species, invasives, or even plant diseases.
Dr. Arthur O. Tucker of Claude E. Phillips Herbarium at Delaware State University contributed to the development this tool to help identify ingredients of imported potpourri. Interactive galleries, descriptions, fact sheets, and glossaries are provided.
November 28, 2011
The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, America’s oldest natural history museum is kicking off their bicentennial celebration in 2012 with a countdown made up of “200 Years. 200 Stories” where you can meet some of their “quirkier personalities” and discover the secret stories behind many of their most well-known exhibits and scientific breakthroughs.
November 14, 2011
Ever wonder what the name of that tree is growing on your street, or how old or how tall it is? If you live in San Francisco providing these answers is now a challenge for the whole community.
Both “experts and non-experts” alike have been invited to participate in an urban forest research project, the San Francisco Urban Forest Map. You can jump right into the map itself and see how the Map creators’ goal “to work toward building a complete, dynamic picture of the urban forest” works.
Not only will you find the tree’s number, scientific and common names, diameter, height, and nearby address, but also the tree’s amounts of stormwater intercepted, energy conserved, air pollution removed, carbon dioxide reduced and total Co2 it has stored to date.
October 31, 2011
What do you get when you cross misanthropic black metal, hammered dulcimer, and obsession with plants? Just listen:
According to Botanist:
The songs of Botanist are told from the perspective of The Botanist, a crazed man of science who lives in self-imposed exile, as far away from Humanity and its crimes against Nature as possible. In his sanctuary of fantasy and wonder, which he calls the Verdant Realm, he surrounds himself with plants and flowers, finding solace in the company of the Natural world, and envisioning the destruction of man. There, seated upon his throne of Veltheimia, The Botanist awaits the day when humans will either die or kill each other off, which will allow plants to make the Earth green once again.
Botanist’s double-CD “The Suicide Tree / A Rose From the Dead” can be purchased here.
October 17, 2011
80 Years of History and Archives at the Montréal Botanical Garden
To mark its 80th birthday, the Montréal Botanical Garden, a Space for Life, invites everyone to visit the all-new virtual exhibition on its website, 80 Years of History and Archives at the Montréal Botanical Garden.
For Gilles Vincent, Director of the Botanical Garden, the exhibition “takes us back in time to discover the soul of the Botanical Garden and meet the people who created it, in particular Brother Marie-Victorin and landscape architect Henry Teuscher.”
The virtual exhibition is organized into three sections. The History of the Botanical Garden section takes visitors on a 24-stop historical path, through more than 300 archival images and documents.
October 3, 2011
The Magic and Myth of Alchemy
However one regards it as a science and philosophy, Alchemy provided the beginnings of chemistry, and certainly helped to develop the apparati of chemistry. It is part of the history of science, which is the history of human interaction with nature, and humanity’s attempts to harness the power of nature for very human needs and wants.
This exhibit at Cincinatti’s Lloyd Library and Museum traces the history, development, and personalities behind the “magic.” This seemingly esoteric study in fact formed the basis for modern medicine, and chemistry itself. Take a peek into a history that pre-dates even the Middle Ages.
September 19, 2011
Or rather, Have You Heard, “On Willows and Birches,” written by John Williams, Boston Pops Laureate Conductor for former BSO Principal Harpist Ann Hobson Pilot. “The atmospheric “On Willows” movement is prefaced by the Biblical quote “We hanged our harps upon the willows…” from Psalm 137. The lively, rhythmically vibrant “On Birches” notes a line from Robert Frost’s poem “Birches” — “One could do no worse than be a swinger of birches.”
September 5, 2011
The Archangel Ancient Tree Archive is an organization which is collecting genetic material from very large and old trees for preservation and to clone new trees for reforestation. Since 2008 they have collected 55 separate genotypes of old growth Coast Redwoods alone, as well as a variety of other samples from significant trees, from which they are propagating new trees.
Their website has videos explaining the work they are doing and their blog has up to the minute progress reports.
August 22, 2011
The works of Charles Darwin (1809-1882) may have helped form the basis of modern science, but he remains a controversial figure. His views on gender are no less provocative than his theory of evolution. University of Cambridge scholar Philippa Hardman helped launch the Darwin Correspondence Project to reveal his less-known writings about gender which paradoxically reflect the Victorian Era during which he worked.
The Darwin Correspondence Project provides access to at least 15,000 letters, written between 1821 and 1882, and “Darwin & Gender” is the newest feature to reveal his accomplishments and complexities.
Harvard Professor Sarah Richardson’s course Gender, Sex and Evolution also provides content to the site.
August 8, 2011
Images of Nature
Home to the largest natural history collection in the world, The Natural History Museum, London, has just opened a new exhibit of over 110 images of natural phenomena. Images of Nature spans 350 years, including modern images created by scientists, imagining specialists, photographers, and micro-CT scanners depicted alongside historic watercolors and paintings from artists such as bird illustrator John Gerrard Keulemans and botanical artist Georg Ehret.
To learn how techniques for visually recording the natural world have developed since the seventeenth century, check out the Museum’s Art, Nature, and Imaging exhibit.
July 25, 2011
Central Park Entire,
The Definitive Illustrated Map
Edward S. Barnard, author of New York City Trees, teamed up with artist and art director Ken Chaya to create Central Park Entire, The Definitive Illustrated Map, a wonderful tree and trail map of Central Park.
The project website includes six videos that document the two-year process of making the map. Each video focuses on specific aspects of the Park and the challenges faced in mapping them. The map shows precise locations for each of the Park’s 19,600 trees, with a special icon denoting all 172 species represented.
July 11, 2011
The Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management has created a great resource for tips, tricks, and information on coastal landscaping. The site is prepared to assist with any obstacles that arise in landscaping on the coast including, wind, salt spray, storm waves, and shifting, parched, and sandy soils. The site also includes a list of plants best suited for the coastal conditions in Massachusetts, as well as suggestions as to where to buy them.
June 27, 2011
What are the plants, animals, fungi, and microbes that make up a forest? How do they interact? How do forests respond to climate, introduced species, land development, and other environmental change? Harvard Museum of Natural History’s exhibit, New England Forests answers all of these questions and more. Visitors will be able to explore three distinct New England forest landscapes, complete with flora and fauna. The goals of the exhibition are to enhance public understanding of the dynamic and varied nature of our forests and initiate public conversation about their use, conservation, and management.
Additionally, in fall 2011, the museum will host a series of public lectures, workshops, and symposia featuring Harvard faculty and other experts.
June 13, 2011
Charles Darwin’s Twitter
Now you can follow Charles Darwin’s every move on the Beagle via Twitter! The account, which is now nearly 2000 tweets strong, posts one liners from Darwin’s diary kept on his journey aboard the HMS Beagle. The tweets are posted on the corresponding day that Darwin wrote the words in his diary, 176 years ago. Geotagging has been enabled for tweets that include a location, so you can see exactly where Darwin was at that particular moment.
The account is maintained by an avid Darwin fan with the intent of exposing a new audience to “the humour, insight and imagination of the young Darwin as he begins to think about the marvellous, curious, and unexplained world he is circumnavigating.”
Greenscapes are beautiful landscapes that protect our water. Greenscapes Massachusetts is a multi-partner outreach effort that promotes water conservation and protection. Approximately half of the program is funded by the 40 municipalities that are served by the program. Every other spring, members of the Greenscapes Coalition produce a 20-page Resource Guide with information ranging from how to build Rain Gardens, to a beautiful way to clean and recycle stormwater, to Pesticide Alternatives that help prevent your lawn from becoming dependent on chemicals. The Guide’s full content is available on Greenscapes Massachusetts, or you can download a copy of the Guide itself from their website.
April 25, 2011
Friends of the Urban Forest
This year Friends of the Urban Forest, (FUF) celebrates 30 years of helping individuals and neighborhood groups plant and care for street trees and sidewalk gardens in San Francisco. Each year FUF provides financial, technical, and practical assistance and works with community members to plant more than 1,000 trees. In San Francisco, in most cases, property owners are responsible, by law, for care of adjoining street trees. FUF’s Tree Care program helps these trees survive and thrive.
FUF’s online photo gallery documents people working together to create a larger, healthier urban forest.
April 11, 2011
Richard Conniff, author of The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth is assembling a commemorative list of naturalists who have died while engaged in their scientific endeavors. This Wall of the Dead includes such recent tragedies as the murder of Leonardo Co (1953-2010) the Filipino botanist who, along with two assistants, was shot down while collecting seedlings of endangered trees in what the military claimed was a gun battle with rebel forces and California Academy of Sciences herpetologist Joseph Slowinski (1962–2001) who died by snakebite during the Academy’s biological expedition to northern Myanmar. Harvard’s David Boufford was one of the team members on this multidisciplinary expedition. The cause of some deaths, like John Lawson’s (1674-1711) Surveyor General of North Carolina and author of A New Voyage to Carolina who was executed on September 20, 1711 by the Tuskarora Indians are well documented, while other far more recent ones such as Frank Meyer’s (1875–1918) plant explorer for the USDA and Arnold Arboretum remain a mystery.
Corrections, additions, and comments to the list are welcome by the author on his blog and you can also link to the list on Twitter or elsewhere.
March 28, 2011
The People’s Garden Initiative, established in 2009 by the USDA challenges its employees to create gardens that are sustainable, benefit their communities, and are made through collaborative efforts. A partnership between USDA and Keep America Beautiful has resulted in over 1,230 People’s Gardens throughout the country teaching others how to nurture, maintain, and protect a healthy landscape.
Find a People’s Garden near you!
March 14, 2011
Working in collaboration with The University of Tennessee Libraries, the Arnold Arboretum Horticultural Library contributed to the Great Smoky Mountains Regional Project by providing access to album of historic images held in the Archives. The images in Views in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park are by the Thompson Brothers. The album’s provenance maybe surmised by its dedication.
Thompson Photo Products, a fourth-generation family-owned business, founded in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1902 offers reproductions of the archival photographs of James E. Thompson (1880-1976) son of the founder, and one of the brothers, who used his photographs of the Smoky Mountains to advocate for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
You can see the original album in the Arnold Arboretum’s Archives: Views in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park
February 28, 2011
America’s Great Outdoors
In April 2010, President Obama established the America’s Great Outdoor Initiative to develop a conservation and recreation agenda worthy of the 21st century. The President directed the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Chair of the Council on Environmental Quality to lead this effort. During 2010, “Listening Sessions” were held coast to coast to listen and learn from people all over the country. You can also Watch the America’s Great Outdoors video. To date, over 100,000 comments and ideas have been submitted and you too can Submit Your Ideas & Join the Conversation, Share Your Story, or discover a list of resources to inspire you to Get Outdoors.
February 15, 2011
The Chocolate Connection
For a very special treat we invite you to immerse yourself in an online delight where Anna Heran, curator of the exhibit at the Lloyd Library and Museum, has created a banquet for chocolate lovers by bringing together Sloane’s medicinal interest in Theobroma cacao after being introduced to it as a drink in Jamaica, and the cultural and economic history chocolate has played both in the Americas and Europe.
January 30, 2011
New York City Parks
New York City has more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds and recreational facilities and The Daily Plant, a newsletter produced each business day details parks events, programs, and accomplishments. You can Explore Your Park, or see its monuments before you go. Learn about and see park history . or you if you want to know about the city’s landscape architect visit to European parks you can read Samuel Parson’s ( 1844-1923) nine page 1906 Report to the New York City Park Board online or to just learn about New York City Trees check out this book.
January 15, 2011
Since its inception in 1983, the goal of The American Chestnut Foundation has been restore the American chestnut tree to its native range within the eastern United States. Ongoing research to breed blight resistance is based in Virginia. The Foundation has also partnered with the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative to plant American chestnuts on reclaimed surface mines. Volunteers are needed to help locate, pollinate, and harvest nuts from native American chestnut trees. Learn more in their Field Guide, in the Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation, or in Mighty Giants: An American Chestnut Anthology, a history of The American Chestnut Foundation.
The Norman B. Leventhal Map Collection (NBLMC) at Boston Public Library was founded in 2004 as a public/private partnership to bring the BPL’s extensive map collection to the public through education, preservation of materials and digitization. The digitized maps available on their website include many maps of the Boston area and even some of the Arnold Arboretum, as well as maps old and new from around the world.
Mapping Boston, edited by Alex Krieger and David Cobb, is another great resource on Boston’s history, illustrated by many of its earliest maps.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault
1,300 kilometers from North Pole
Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which opened in 2007 and is located in the northernmost part of Norway, stores duplicates of seeds from gene banks around the world. If seeds are ever lost, they may be reestablished from the collection at Svalbard. The vault is an almost entirely underground facility, blasted out of the permafrost, and designed to store up to 2.25 billion seeds. The facility is designed to have an almost “endless” lifetime.
A Horticultural History Tour
Massachusetts Horticultural Society
Saturday, November 13 2010, 9:00am–4:00pm
MassHort is proud to announce a day-long series of lectures focused on the history of horticulture and landscape design in New England and beyond. The symposium will be hosted by John Furlong, FALA; emeritus director, Landscape Institute, Arnold Arboretum; faculty member, Boston Architectural College; distinguished instructor, Radcliffe Institute; and Gold Medal recipient and emeritus trustee, Massachusetts Horticultural Society.
Gerry Wright (as Frederick Law Olmsted), Allyson Hayward, David Barnett, PhD., Elizabeth S. Eustis, and Meg Muckenhoupt.
i-Tree is a state-of-the-art, peer-reviewed software suite from the USDA Forest Service that provides urban forestry analysis and benefits assessment tools. The i-Tree Tools help communities of all sizes to strengthen their urban forest management and advocacy efforts by quantifying the structure of community trees and the environmental services that trees provide. Numerous communities, non-profit organizations, consultants, volunteers and students have used i-Tree to report on individual trees, parcels, neighborhoods, cities, and even entire states. By understanding the local, tangible ecosystem services that trees provide, i-Tree users can link urban forest management activities with environmental quality and community livability.
i-Tree Tools are in the public domain and are freely accessible. We invite you to explore this site to learn more about how i-Tree can make a difference in your community. | <urn:uuid:cc037e4b-721b-4aea-890d-2f0739b34558> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://arboretum.harvard.edu/library/have-you-seen-this/have-you-seen-this-archive/?wpmp_switcher=desktop | 2013-05-22T21:24:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928607 | 6,539 |
You're planning to give Mother Nature a helping hand. Feet. Head.
Has your Chancellor been able to claim any of the Counties that border your personal demesne? Is Humphrey still alive? He's the true heir to Oultrejordan, isn't he?
You're planning to give Mother Nature a helping hand. Feet. Head.
Has your Chancellor been able to claim any of the Counties that border your personal demesne? Is Humphrey still alive? He's the true heir to Oultrejordan, isn't he?
Chief Ragusa: Maybe. The Chancellor will be given a new assignment in the next update. Humphrey de Toron is still alive and cooking. He's the heir to Oultrejordain and the current Lord of Safed.
You have a way with words and know history enough to keep me interested. Who doesn't love the story about the Kingdom of Heaven?
Congrats winning the AAR contest. Looks like you're holding it all together for now. High time Raymond kicks the bucket though.
Holy.Death: Thank you, that's very kind of you to say. Welcome to the AAR, I hope you continue to enjoy it.
Qorten: Thanks very much. I can assure you that Raymond's days are numbered, but then, he's an older man as it is.
To everyone, I hope to have the next update done soon, if not tonight then tomorrow. (I hope.)
eagerly awaiting the next update
The_Archduke: I'm pleased to hear it, my friend. Looks like it'll be finished some time tomorrow. I hope not to disappoint.
I'm really enjoying this read.
If it was up to me I'd prefer not having the story mixed up with gameplay comments. I do like the gameplay part aswell but would like it more if it was kept seperate from the main narrative.
But, wellwell. It's your story so write it the way you like. I'm still reading =)
Very nice read - I have only a minor grammatical gripe 'Krak de Lion' sounds very odd to my french ears - Krak du Lion would be better, at least in modern french.
'de' is usually translated as 'of', while 'du (contraction of 'de le' is translated as 'of the'
BraidsMAmma: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm sorry you don't like the mixture of gameplay and history-book, though there is very little I can do short of eliminating one or the other. IMHO separating the two would damage the narrative flow, and be more like writing two separate AARs. I'm really more a narrative authAAR anyway, so I'm sort of exploring new territory here.
manunancy: Thanks for commenting. It's been several years since I took French, and since it was an attempt on my part to pick up a third language I doubt much of it has stuck with me. The only two medieval examples of the usage of "Krak" that were readily available to me were unfortunately both plural: the Hospitallers' Krak des Chevaliers and Reynald's Kerak des Moabites. So I was just sort of blundering around in the dark when it came to the grammar. But what you say sounds correct. It would be "le ch‚teau du roi" after all, wouldn't it? So why not le Krak du Lion?
To all, the new update is nearly finished and I hope to have it posted within the hour.
I personally would like you to keep current style - it strikes good balance between gameplay, history and narration.
No one had seen it coming. When Tiberias’ well-armed host arrived at their gates, the Knights Hospitaller had been caught totally unawares. Although they were an organization entirely devoted to the military defense of the Holy Land, the Hospitallers were ill-prepared to defend Baalbek against a prolonged siege, especially by those who ought to have been their friends. The Knights of St. John were now compelled to do battle with their fellow Christians, despite their stringent rules to the contrary.
It is said that when their elderly Grand Master Roger de Moulins heard the news that he immediately fell dead from a heart attack.
Actually I had seen this attack coming. In my first playthrough before the patch, Raymond stormed Baalbek right out of the gate in 1180. Madness. After the patch, I thought the AI must have been mended because Raymond took out his frustrations in a long, fruitless war with the Hashishin. I should have guessed that after he had concluded a permanent peace in Masyaf that he would turn right back like a dog to his vomit and attack the neighboring Hospitallers.
What was Raymond thinking? Was he just trying to exploit his de jure claim to the province? Never mind that the Hospitallers were quite literally the only thing standing between him and hordes of screaming Muslim jihadists. Never mind that they had aided him in his war with the Hashishin. So foolish.
In fact, this move was so stupid that it really should not have even been possible. There ought to be some sort of proscription against fellow Catholics attacking the holdings of the holy orders, or at the very least there needs to be a huge penalty for so doing. In my first playthrough, Raymond did receive the epithet “the Wicked,” but he otherwise got off scot-free after schooling one of the most important holy orders in all of Christendom.
But really, this was just so absurd. The garrison at Baalbek may have been weak and ill-prepared, but surely Raymond remembered the thousands of heavy cavalry and infantry that the Hospitallers could deploy on command. He had fought alongside them on numerous occasions. I had high hopes that the powerful Knights of St. John would be able to give Raymond of Tiberias a suitably bloody nose.
Then at this point I learned about another mechanism of CK2: in-game, the political entity of the Knights Hospitaller seemed to be totally unable to muster the piety to hire the recruitable Hospitaller holy order. Never mind that they should have free and automatic access to those troops on demand. They're supposed to be one and the same, for goodness' sake!
The Knights Templar were no help either. While a successful attack on the Hospitallers would damage the prestige of all the holy orders, the Templars were still the Hospitallers' main rivals in the Holy Land, and they were content to watch them be humbled.
Worst of all, Sibylla and Richard were not able to do anything about it. If the game had allowed me to roleplay King Richard the way I wanted to at that moment, he would have marched north and rampaged through Raymond’s lands like a maniac, setting fire to everything in sight until that fool Raymond was forced to stand down. But because Jerusalem’s crown authority was too low, vassals could still fight each other without any royal repercussions whatsoever.
The Crown of Jerusalem was under their constant protection... so why were the Knights of St. John not to be afforded the protection of the Crown in return?
Madness I say, utter madness.
I think Jerusalem definitely needs to have their crown authority set a little bit higher at the start. My complete inability to intervene in this rampant internecine warfare made me feel as if I was playing one of the petty kingdoms in Ireland or something, not a fully-established crusader state. Instead, the only way for the king and queen to be able to intercede would be if they had a direct claim to any of Raymond’s lands (and thus a casus belli).
Well to heck with that. Attacking the Knights Hospitaller should be a casus belli in and of itself. Period.
This is one example of how unbalanced de jure claims can be. They are a wonderful, innovative game feature, but they definitely require a lot of tweaking. So, rather than tinkering endlessly with save-game files to remedy this situation, I thought I’d try to find a way around things with the in-game mechanics. There was no way I was going to allow Raymond to get away with this.
Sibylla immediately sent the Chancellor to work on developing a claim to Baalbek. That way Richard could have his war of vengeance.
The Spymaster was sent to Tripoli in the vain attempt to establish some spy networks there in preparation for an attempt to “unofficially” eliminate Raymond, but that proved to be a dead end. The man just wouldn’t take to being murdered.
Meanwhile, the Chaplain was dispatched forthwith to seek an audience with the Holy Father. His mission was to attempt to persuade the Pope of the true piety of the King and Queen of Jerusalem and the injustice of Tiberias’ cause. Hopefully the Chaplain could curry enough papal favor to launch a church-sanctioned military intervention against Tiberias, or at least a formal papal censure, maybe an excommunication?
The Chaplain returned from the Holy See a few months later with mixed news. He had enjoyed several long audiences with Pope Clement and had convinced him to support Jerusalem’s cause. Unfortunately, the old pope had then almost immediately died, being succeeded by some twit who anachronistically named himself Pope John Paul. This new pope possessed a great deal of contempt for all temporal sovereigns and had refused even to give the envoy an audience.
So now His Holiness was a nutjob who wouldn’t even intervene to save the embattled Knights Hospitaller. Come on.
By now Krak des Chevaliers itself was under siege. Raymond had taken and occupied all the holdings in Baalbek and was pushing to defeat the last major Hospitaller stronghold, formidable though it was. Ridiculous.
My meager efforts to intercede had proved to be too little, too late. Raymond didn’t have a direct claim on the Krak itself, but once it was taken he could force the Hospitallers to surrender their other lands to his control. The siege of the Krak was lengthy, but Raymond was patient, and he soon obtained both the peace treaty and the lands that he had so greedily sought.
Baalbek was lost. The proud Order of Hospitallers had been shamed.
I was frustrated to no end. There had been next to nothing I could do, but I was determined not to let this pass.
Sibylla was absolutely beside herself and Richard was seeing red. At some point in the future, the Chancellor was bound to forge a proper claim to Baalbek, and then the royal retinue would march north to bring the pain to Raymond and give the Hospitallers back their lands. Or maybe that twit-faced dunce of a Pope could be convinced to hit Raymond with some kind of sanction. I was bound and determined to do something.
For now however, there was little that could be done besides waiting for the councillors to fulfill their missions.
It was time to move on. There were other pressing matters to attend to.
Prince Godfrey had turned six years old, and as such it was now time to provide him with an education. Some stuffy old bishop requested the privilege of being the boy’s tutor, but Richard quickly sent him packing. No anemic clerical education would do for a son of Richard Cœur de Lion! No, the boy would learn the finer points of knighthood from his dear old dad himself. If you’ve got a solid King and Queen, having them personally educate their heirs is really the only way to go, because that way you have so much more influence on what traits they receive.
It was also about time to ensure that Godfrey was betrothed, because finding a bride with the requisite degree of both rank and personal ability can be ever so difficult. With Godfrey’s nuptials secure, Queen Sibylla could then rest easy for the next decade while the children matured, without having to rush to find an appropriate match for the Prince.
The first stop on the royal agenda was the Byzantine Empire to see if they had any princesses of the right age for Godfrey. The Byzantine alliance had been very useful for Sibylla’s father King Amalric, and it would be good to renew it to help maintain control of the Christian lands in the Near East. Regrettably, the Basileos didn’t see things the same way. When Jerusalem’s royal envoy formally requested the hand of a Byzantine princess for Prince Godfrey, the Emperor laughed in his face and said that Jerusalem already had a living Byzantine princess. He mockingly inquired what had been done with her for the kingdom to be seeking another.
Obviously Queen Sibylla’s stepmother Maria Komnena was not an option. She was already married to Balian of Ibelin and was pushing forty anyway. Moreover she had been a perpetual thorn in Sibylla’s side for years.
Come to think of it, maybe I didn’t want a Byzantine princess after all.
After a few weeks of wasted time in Constantinople, Queen Sibylla’s envoy headed farther west to the Holy Roman Empire to inquire about obtaining a betrothal between young Prince Godfrey and a German princess. After all, if negotiations with one claimant to the Throne of Caesars doesn’t work out, why not try the other?
A month later, word arrived from the illustrious Kaiser himself, one Friedrich von Hohenstaufen.
The illustrious Frederick Barbarossa sent Sibylla and Richard his warmest greetings, but also his regrets. He informed Jerusalem’s royal sovereigns that alas, contrary to popular belief, German princesses do not grow on trees. Barbarossa’s own children were all long since fully-grown and married off. The wife of his eldest son Heinrich had in fact recently given birth, but to a boy – named Frederick after his grandfather. The King and Queen of Jerusalem were more than welcome, he continued, to wait and pray that one of his many children produced a daughter, but unless they were prepared to make Godfrey wait a very long time for his bride to come to maturity, Richard and Sibylla ought not to hold their breath.
Barbarossa closed his epistle with more words of mingled candor and courtesy, pledging a polite desire to one day fulfill an old vow he had made to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, where he would thus greet their royal personages in person. Given the fact that Barbarossa was now pushing seventy years of age, his making the long trek to Jerusalem by this point seemed to be completely out of the question, but it was nonetheless a courteous thing to say.
The royal envoys had failed once again. There were no girls of the Hohenstaufen bloodline available, and certainly no weak-willed Welf or Wettin would do, not for the son and heir of the legendary King Richard and the exquisite Queen Sibylla.
Therefore it appeared there would be no fine and fetching Fršulein for Prince Godfrey either. A shame.
But then something completely unrelated drew the Queen’s eye.
The garb of Barbarossa’s messenger seemed familiar and particularly noteworthy: a white surcoat bearing a black cross. Some of the Templars’ men-at-arms recognized the man. When pressed, the imperial envoy confirmed that he belonged to a small holy order of knights: the Brothers of the German House of St. Mary. Until recently, they had been based at Acre, but because of the prolonged peacetime in Jerusalem, he and many of his brethren had decided their work in the Levant was done and had returned home to the Empire.
Once back home in the Fatherland, they had obtained the official sponsorship of the Kaiser himself. Barbarossa readily expanded and reequipped their order, and sent them forth to fight the pagans on his eastern border. The Kings of Denmark and Poland were also quite eager to employ their services and they rewarded the new Order’s success with some of their newly conquered lands.
So the Teutonic Knights had been established, and they had already impacted Europe in a big way.
I was excited when I got the message that the Teutonic Order was now available to recruit, assuming that they would prove a big help in bolstering my armies. After all, one can’t complain about another 7,000 heavily-armed elite soldiers. Unfortunately, I discovered to my chagrin that the Deutsche Ritter cost about five times as much piety to recruit as their Templar and Hospitaller brethren. I assumed this was because the other two orders were my direct vassals, while their Teutonic counterparts were either independent or directly sponsored by the Holy Roman Empire. What was more, they were perpetually in service to just about every major power in central and eastern Europe, so even if I had enough piety stored up I wouldn’t be able to bring them on board.
Then yet another missive arrived at the royal court, this one bearing ill tidings from the east.
The Abbasid Caliph al-Nasir had pronounced a Jihad to retake the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
It seemed as though Jerusalem would be needing the services of those holy orders fairly soon after all.
A silly situation indeed. Things like that should really be blocked, as you say, or punishable by a pan-Christendom beatdown on the perpetrator and performable only by a seriously irrationalised ("The voices told me to invade! AHHAHAHAHAhAHAhahahAA!") AI ruler. Still, it makes for an interesting story, and I hope Sybilla and Richard can rectify the mess in short order. Any other candidates for betrothal to Godfrey?
Also, poor Hospitaller dude looks so sad on that picture. Makes me want to wrap my arm around his big manly shoulders and comfort him. Don't worry, Hospitaller Dude. It's just a temporary setback!
The SalopAARds - A CKII AAR A tale of hijinks and lowlifes in Norman Sicily.
Other people's AARs you should read:
*Valour of the North Star: Chronicles of the Hvide Clan*The Golden Nation: A California AAR*Ambition: A Stateless General's AAR*Subcontinental Subtleties: An experimental comic AAR*The Heart of Africa: A Visitor's Guide To Modern Ethiopia*Glory for Ulm: A Flagland AAR*Life in the Trenches 1936: Xibei San Ma*The Great Men of Korchev: What Became of the Unfortunate Branch of Rurikids*The Chronicles of the Golden Cross Redux*Els Ducs de Barcelona*
I have to disagree a bit about declaring war on the holy order - while no one in the Jerusalem in his right mind should even think about it, conspiring and destroying knights of Christ did happen in the history. King Philip IV the Fair of France was fighting both the Pope and the Knights Templar. Of course, attacking the holy orders should require more power (like control over the Pope or good standings with him), but nevertheless it should still be possible. I am not sure if excommunication and fighting your own vassal is possible. Other than that you should be able to request your vassal to stop wars (similar to End Plot request) or meet the King's wraith as enemy of the Crown and traitor to the Realm.
The Almighty does test his beloved Kingdom greatly.
Last edited by Holy.Death; 06-03-2012 at 00:28.
Well the royal pair doesn't have the authority to do anything. Their vassals and leaders of men will only shake their heads upon the suggestion that they go out and stop Raymond. This is not what a King is for, they say. A King leads us against the heathen, but it is beyond his rights to meddle in the affairs of the lords of the realm! And who knows what injuries and insults the order has committed against Raymond? Isn't it his right to teach them a lesson? He is the lord of those lands after all! Even the Pope refuses to help the Hospitalliers, and isn't he always right? The knights, they have lost their way and are now punished!
Morsky: I concur. Re: Godfrey's potential brides, let's just say there'll be a fun surprise in a few years. And I got a nice laugh when I read what you thought about that poor Hospitaller. Too funny. "It's going to be okay, big guy."
Holy.Death: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy the AAR's unique style. As for your comments re: attacking the holy orders, I don't disagree that pulling a Philip the Fair should be possible. However, the key thing to remember (as you pointed out) is that Philip was only able to disenfranchise and slay the Templars once he had intervened in the papal succession, appointed a French pope and ensured that the Papacy was moved to Avignon. With the Holy Father as his pawn, it would have been much easier for Philip to attack an important Christian establishment like the Templars. For the likes of Raymond of Tiberias to be able to successfully attack the Knights Hospitallers while the whole Kingdom was surrounded by angry Muslims... it just wouldn't happen. I agree, there needs to be an "end war or else" request that lieges can drop on unruly vassals.
Subcomandante: No kidding. I'm sure my vassals were rationalizing the situation with exactly the sort of rhetoric you posed. But it doesn't mean I have to like it.
Jerusalem is supposed to have weak central authority. Raymond may die in the war against hte Caliph. How long before the truce with Saladin runs out? Can the Kingdom hire everone , defeat the Caliph and still hire everyone again for Saladin?
It's a bit rich a country that has no border declares war and will march across Saladin's lands without so much as a protest. Does Raymond have a daughter? Here's a quick war, a decisvie battle, the capture of lots of enemy nobles including the Caliph, lots of money by way of peace and lots and lots of prestige to apply to raising crown authority and title to various counties.
Chief Ragusa: Eh... I'd say Jerusalem should have weaker authority at the start, not weakest. Baldwin IV had minimum kingdom authority when I started in 1180. Sibylla has since upgraded it to low. Unfortunately, only one such change may be made during a monarch's lifetime, so any further strengthening of crown authority will have to wait until Godfrey succeeds. In my first playthrough, Baldwin managed to upgrade his authority before his deposition, so that Sibylla was then able to move it up further to medium, but in my more recent playthrough Baldwin was deposed before he could muster up enough support for the reform. Granted Jerusalem should not have super-strong crown authority (it's no Angevin England after all), but under minimum crown authority, the realm is basically in chaos. It's like Ireland-type chaos. You can't even appoint army generals under minimum authority. You can't prevent internecine warfare until medium. And given that Richard is king-consort, I would expect him to make some serious efforts to strengthen his authority.
I have discovered the way to go for the Holy Kingdom!
*sung in the style of an old pub song*
The Green Isles of Ireland,
So broken and so true,
Jerusalem shall take it's band,
And we'll invade youuuu!
Over the Mediterranian,
Through the straits of hell,
We shall take the golden cross,
And ring your sodding bell!
Dear all you young lasses,
For all you fine lads,
It's off t' Ireland we go,
T'e make 'em sodding mad!
Co-GM and Tywin Lannister in Plank of Wood's Forum Game "Seven Kingdoms, Five Kings - ASoIaF Game"
Role Player of the Month - 02/05/13
Arseny Grigoryevich Zverev - Secretary to the People's Commissar for Finance, in Avindian's Tukhachevsky's Army and the Politburo (Interactive TFH 4.02)
Minister of War Andrei Ivonaescu Popa, Master of Hyperbole. Formerly President Codrinaru, the President that was Needed but not Wanted. "Federation of Equals"
Louis Theriault "Le Grand Chef" Etienne Pouvoir, Nawlin's Representative Extraordinaire - Bakery's All Men Created Equal
King Vittorio Emanuele II of the Kingdom of Italy in Fry's WiR 1861
Lieutenant-Commander Sebastien Heinberg Guttson von Jurring of the 2nd Roman Regiment - in RNN "Saint Peter's Throne"
can see your frustration with the game mechannics but its making for a great roller coaster ride. Raymond really is a pain in the ... and proving unwilling to get himself killed. And now the whole kingdom is back under threat | <urn:uuid:9a9e9ba3-d41e-47e7-8562-4a237f09cf52> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?587668-The-Chronicles-of-the-Golden-Cross-Redux&p=13540949&viewfull=1 | 2013-05-22T21:45:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.973798 | 5,383 |
a TCAD Lab
Introduction to TCAD Simulation
The existing semiconductor industry is now fundamentally built on the assumption to design almost every aspect of a chip in software first.
Process simulation provides the ability to optimize and control the various processing steps such as implantation, oxidation, diffusion, etching, deposition etc. Prophet and TSuprem are tools of choice on nanoHUB.org for this endeavor. Learning about the basics of process simulation may be, however, daunting at first and there are 4 simplified process labs available in this tool set that guide students towards full blown process simulation.
Device simulation either takes in process simulation data or assumes certain device geometries, doping profiles etc. and simulates electrical device performances. PADRE and Schred are tools of choice on nanoHUB.org for this simulation step. PADRE is a full-fledged simulation environment for semiclassical device simulation. It has a complicated input language that may be inappropriate for usage in class room environments, when simple device modeling concepts need to be introduced. Drift-Diffusion Lab, PN junction Lab, MOScap, and MOSFET are simplified GUI-driven tools that enable students (and professionals) to easily configure PADRE without messing around with the PADRE input language.
Circuit simulation ultimately provides system level design capabilities. nanoHUB.org has a sinple interface to the Berkeley Spice3f4 for such usages.
This nanoHUB “topic page” provides an easy access to selected nanoHUB Semiconductor Device Education Material that is openly accessible and usable by everyone around the world.
We invite you to participate in this open source, interactive educational initiative:
- Contribute your content by uploading it to the nanoHUB. (See “Contribute Content”) on the nanoHUB mainpage.
- Provide feedback for the items you use on the nanoHUB through the review system. (Please be explicit and provide constructive feedback.)
- Let us know when things do not work for you – file a ticket through the nanoHUB “Help” feature on every page
- Finally, let us know what you are doing and your suggestions improving the nanoHUB by using the “Feedback” section, which you can find under “Support”
Thank you for using the nanoHUB, and be sure to share your nanoHUB success stories with us. We like to hear from you, and our sponsors need to know that the nanoHUB is having impact.
Semiconductor Process Modeling
Semiconductor process modeling is a vast field in which several commercial products are available and in use for production in industry and to some extent in education. nanoHUB is serving a few applications that are primarily geared towards education. The four tools entitled ‘Process Lab …’Oxidation, Oxidation Flux, Concentration Dependent Diffusion, and Point Defect Coupled Diffusion are all educational front-ends to the general Prophet tool in aTCADlab.
The Oxidation Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation process in integrated circuit fabrication. It is supported by a supplemental document that describes the theory and potential experiments that can be conducted.
The Process Oxidation Flux Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation flux in the oxide growth process in integrated circuit fabrication. It is supported by a supplemental document that describes the theory and potential experiments that can be conducted.
The Concentration Dependent Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab simulates the oxidation flux in the oxide growth process in integrated circuit fabrication.
The Point Defect Coupled Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab the point-defect-coupled diffusion process in integrated circuit fabrication.
PROPHET in aTCADlab was originally developed for semiconductor process simulation. Device simulation capabilities are currently under development. PROPHET solves sets of partial differential equations in one, two, or three spatial dimensions. All model coefficients and material parameters are contained in a database library which can be modified or added to by the user. Even the equations to be solved can be specified by the end user. It is supported by an extensive set of User Guide pages and a seminar on Nano-Scale Device Simulations Using PROPHET.
TSuprem4 simulates the processing steps used in the manufacture of silicon integrated circuits and discrete devices. The types of processing steps modeled by the current version of the program include ion implantation, inert ambient drive-in, silicon and polysilicon oxidation and silicidation, epitaxial growth, and low temperature deposition and etching of various materials.Because of the way TSUPREM-4 is licensed, it is available only to users on the West Lafayette campus of Purdue University. Note that you must use a network connection on campus, or else you will get an 'access denied' message.
The Drift Diffusion Lab in aTCADlab enables a user to understand the basic concepts of DRIFT and DIFFUSION of carriers inside a semiconductor slab using different kinds of experiments. Experiments like shining light on the semiconductor, applying bias and both can be performed. This tool provides important information about carrier densities, transient and steady state currents, fermi-levels and electrostatic potentials. It is supported by two related homework assignments #1 and #2 in which Students are asked to explore the concepts of drift, diffusion, quasi Fermi levels, and the response to light.
PN-Junction Lab in aTCADlab: Everything you need to explore and teach the basic concepts of P-N junction devices. Edit the doping concentrations, change the materials, tweak minority carrier lifetimes, and modify the ambient temperature. Then, see the effects in the energy band diagram, carrier densities, net charge distribution, I/V characteristic, etc.
There is a significant set of associated resources available for this tool.
- a demo of this tool
- a Primer on Semiconductor Device Simulation.
- a Learning Module entitled PN Junction Theory and Modeling which walks students through the PN junction theory and let’s them verify concepts through on-line simulation.
- Homework assignment on the depletion approximation (on the undergraduate level)
- Homework assignment on the depletion approximation (on the undergraduate level)
- PN Diode Exercise: Series Resistance
- Exercise: PIN Diode
- PN Diode Exercise: Graded Junction
- Basic operation of a PN diode - Theoretical exercise
- PN diode - Advanced theoretical exercises
- Schottky diode - Theoretical exercises
(Image(/resource_files/tools/bjt/5_BJTenergy_nonequil.gif, 120 class=align-right) failed - File not found)/www/nanohub/resource_files/tools/bjt/5_BJTenergy_nonequil.gif The Bipolar Junction Lab in aTCADlab allows Bipolar Junction Transistor (BJT) simulation using a 2D mesh. It allows user to simulate npn or pnp type of device. Users can specify the Emitter, Base and Collector region depths and doping densities. Also the material and minority carrier lifetimes can be specified by the user. It is supported by a homework assignment in which Students are asked to find the emitter efficiency, the base transport factor, current gains, and the Early voltage. Also a qualitative discussion is requested.
The MOScap Tool in aTCADlab tool enables a semi-classical analysis of MOS Capacitors. Simulates the capacitance of bulk and dual gate capacitors for a variety of different device sizes, geometries, temperature and doping profiles.
- Exercise: CV curves for MOS capacitors
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 1
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 2
- MOSCAP - Theoretical Exercises 3
- MOS Capacitors: Theory and Modeling
(Image(/images/tool/schred/schred.jpg, 120 class=align-right) failed - File not found)/www/nanohub/images/tool/schred/schred.jpg Schred Tool in aTCADlab calculates the envelope wavefunctions and the corresponding bound-state energies in a typical MOS (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) or SOS (Semiconductor-Oxide-Semiconductor) structure and a typical SOI structure by solving self-consistently the one-dimensional (1D) Poisson equation and the 1D Schrodinger equation.
- Schred: Exercise 1
- SCHRED: Exercise 2
- Schred: Exercise 3
- Quantum Size Effects and the Need for Schred
- Schred Tutorial Version 2.1
The MOSfet Lab in aTCADlab tool enables a semi-classical analysis of current-voltage characteristics for bulk and SOI Field Effect Transistors (FETs) for a variety of different device sizes, geometries, temperature and doping profiles.
- MOSFET Exercise
- Exercise: Basic Operation of n-Channel SOI Device
- MOSFET - Theoretical Exercises
- MOSFET Operation Description
PADRE in aTCADlab is a 2D/3D simulator for electronic devices, such as MOSFET transistors. It can simulate physical structures of arbitrary geometry—including heterostructures—with arbitrary doping profiles, which can be obtained using analytical functions or directly from multidimensional process simulators such as . A variety of supplemental documents are available that deal with the PADRE software and TCAD simulation:
- User Guide (HTML)
- Abbreviated First Time User Guide
- [tools/padre/faq/ FAQ]
- A set of course notes on Computational Electronics with detailed explanations on bandstructure, pseudopotentials, numerical issues, and drift diffusion.
- [resources/1516/ Introduction to DD Modeling with PADRE]
- [resources/1516/ MOS Capacitors: Description and Semiclassical Simulation With PADRE]
- A Primer on Semiconductor Device Simulation
SPICE3f4 in aTCADlab s a general-purpose circuit simulation program for nonlinear dc, nonlinear transient, and linear ac analysis. It was developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Version 3F4 was released in 1993. Circuits may contain resistors, capacitors, inductors, mutual inductors, independent voltage and current sources, four types of dependent sources, transmission lines, and the four most common semiconductor devices: diodes, BJT’s, JFET’s, and MOSFET’s. SPICE has built-in models for the semiconductor devices, and the user need specify only the pertinent model parameter values.
- [resource_files/tools/spice3f4/spice3f4.swf Demo: Getting Started]
- [tools/spice3f4/faq/ FAQ]
About aTCADlab Constituent Tools
The aTCADlab has been put together from individual disjoint tools to enable educators, students, and profesionals to have a one-stop-shop in TCAD tools education. It therefore benefits tremendously from the hard work that the contributors of the individual tool builders have put into their tools.
As a matter of credit, simulation runs that are performed in the aTCADlab tool are also credited to the individual tools, which help the ranking of the individual tools. We do also count the number of usages of the individual tools in the aTCADlab tool set, to measure the aTCADlab impact and possibly also improve the tool.
In the description above we do not refer to the individual tools since we want to guide the users to the composite aTCADlab tool. We cite the individual tools here explicitly so they are being given the appropriate credit and on their rspective tool pages are being linked to this aTCADlab topic page.
Process Lab: Oxidation, Process Lab: Oxidation Flux, Process Lab: Concentration Dependent Diffusion, Process Lab: Point Defect Coupled Diffusion, Prophet, tsuprem4, Drift-Diffusion Lab, PN Junction Lab, BJT Lab, MOSCap, Schred, MOSFet, Padre, and Spice3f4. | <urn:uuid:7eafd738-6c02-4120-903b-cf1120bcd152> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://nanohub.org/topics/aTCADLab?version=4 | 2013-05-22T21:47:17Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.865863 | 2,620 |
- Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy - http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com -
Easter Brunch SGCC-Style
Posted By Susan On April 1, 2012 @ 4:31 pm In Holidays,Recipes,SGCC Rewinds | 13 Comments
Of the great triumvirate of Christian holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter), Easter is my favorite. While I love eating myself into oblivion at Thanksgiving, and Christmas (the gifts are nice too), I actually enjoy the fact that Easter isn’t as food-centric. I find it to be a much more relaxing and low-key holiday than the others, which in turn means less stress for me. And, I’m all about less stress these days! While, it would be unthinkable in my family to have Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner in a restaurant (gasp!), the same does not apply to Easter. Unless we’re invited to someone’s home, we almost always enjoy our Easter meal at one of our favorite restaurants.
On the other hand, if your family is anything like mine, they will be clamoring for food long before the time a 4:00 dinner reservation rolls around. To stave off the hungry horde, I always prepare a few dishes ahead of time that can either be warmed up in the oven or simply served cold that morning. Here are some great “stress-less” brunch ideas from the SGCC archives for a lovely, laid back, Easter Sunday brunch.
Fresh, ripe strawberries are blended with yogurt, sour cream, lime juice and honey to make this rich and lush chilled soup. It’s like a cross between a mousse and a smoothie. Frozen berries can also be used in a pinch. Whip it up a day or two in advance, although it may not last that long.
Chicks in a Nest
Chicks in a Nest is a great dish to serve for a brunch buffet. Each serving is completely self-contained and can just be picked up and popped on a plate. The “nests” are made from shredded potatoes that are baked in a muffin tin, which are then served filled with scrambled or poached eggs. You can shred your own potatoes or use a bag of the pre-shredded kind, like I did. The potato nests can be made a day ahead and crisped up in the oven before serving.
A strata is casserole made with bread, eggs and whatever cheese, meats or vegetables you feel like putting into it. Think of it as a savory bread pudding. This one is filled with onions, ham, mozzarella and Swiss cheese. The best thing about a strata is that it’s meant to be made in advance. In fact, it really must be put together and allowed to sit for several hours or overnight before baking. For your trouble, you’re rewarded with a puffy and golden mass of cheesy, meaty, eggy goodness.
A kugel is actually a Jewish dish, commonly served on holidays and special occasions. It’s a baked casserole, sweet or savory, that is usually made with egg noodles or potatoes, and often with cottage or cream cheese. In this savory version, I’ve blended cottage cheese, sour cream and a velvety chevre with noodles and assorted vegetables for a sumptuous dish with a subtle tang. A dusting of panko crumbs on top gives it a little crunch and extra texture. This kugel is best baked up a day ahead and served at room temperature.
This light and luscious chicken salad is chock full of fresh and dried fruits and nuts bathed in a creamy dressing punctuated with fresh herbs. You can use any combination and quantity of fruits, nuts and herbs that you like, and it always turns out great. Served in big, juicy, hollowed out tomatoes, pineapple boats or avocado halves, this Tutti Frutti Chicken Salad really sings Springtime!
This lovely little salad features crisp tender green beans, potatoes, sweet grape tomatoes and thin slivers of red onion. I pair it with a zesty vinaigrette, accented with Dijon mustard, lemon, garlic, honey and fresh herbs. Serve it either warm or chilled and topped with some chopped hard boiled egg for extra richness. It makes a lovely complement to any meal.
This pasta salad is quick and ridiculously easy to put together. And, it’s full of zesty, bold flavors. The dressing is simply a mixture of mayonnaise, lemon juice and store bought pesto sauce – the kind you find in the refrigerator section at the supermarket. You can serve it as is, or punch it up by mixing in some poached chicken, tuna or tasty little salad shrimp. Any way you serve this Presto Pesto Pasta Salad, your guests will be dishing out the complements!
Pizza Rustica
Of course, no Easter Sunday brunch at Chez SGCC would be complete without a few traditional Italian Easter pies, like this Pizza Rustica. It’s a big, cheesy, meaty, creamy hunk of a pie stuffed to the gills with six different kinds of cured and fresh meat. Yes, I said SIX! One slice is pretty much a complete meal in itself. A Pizza Rustica does take some time to put together, but trust me, it is worth the effort. Plus, it can be made a few days in advance and is best served at room temperature.
Torta di Riso
Torta di Riso is a rich and creamy egg and ricotta based dessert pie filled filled with cooked Arborio rice and delicately flavored with the essence of orange. Think of it as rice pudding in a crust. This pie is usually made using a traditional rolled pie crust. But, I’ve made it a little easier to make and more interesting to eat by using layers of paper thin phyllo dough to envelope my filling. The phyllo gives this torta a delightfully crispy, buttery crust that shatters beneath your teeth as you bite into it. It’s simply amazing!
And, we certainly can’t forget dessert, especially when it’s a luxuriously rich and creamy cheesecake like this one! My version of this Italian classic is made with both ricotta and mascarpone cheeses, giving it a super silky smooth texture. I flavor it with the heady combination or pure vanilla and a splash of orange flower water, that is sure to make both you and your guests swoon.
Buttery Lemon Bars
Lemon Bars are a quintessential Springtime treat. This version boasts a rich and buttery shortbread crust topped with an ultra-lemony curd that is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. These are honestly the best lemon bars I’ve ever eaten – bar none!
Article printed from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com
URL to article: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2012/04/01/easter-brunch-sgcc-style/
URLs in this post:
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/easter-brunch.jpg
Sumptuous Strawberry Soup: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2008/06/18/summertime-an-the-livin-is-easy/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/strawberry-soup.jpg
Chicks in a Nest: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2009/07/31/breakfast-at-tiffanys-roundup-chicks-in-a-nest/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ChicksinaNest1.jpg
Anytime Ham, Cheese and Egg Strata: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2011/08/10/anytime-egg-ham-and-cheese-strata-recipe/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Egg-Strata-2.jpg
Vegetable Noodle Kugel: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2009/01/29/savory-vegetable-noodle-kugel-for-rfj/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/kugel-23.jpg
Tutti Frutti Chicken Salad: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2009/08/25/tutti-frutti-chicken-salad/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/chicken-salad-1.jpg
Green Bean and Potato Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2011/07/28/green-bean-and-potato-salad-with-dijon-vinaigrette-recipe/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/green-bean-dijonnaise-2.jpg
Presto Pesto Pasta Salad: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2011/06/28/presto-pesto-pasta-salad-recipe/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pesto-pasta-salad-4.jpg
Pizza Rustica: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2008/03/15/baking-with-mom-part-1-pizza-rustica/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/pizza-rustica.jpg
Torta di Riso: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2010/03/24/sgcc-encore-torta-di-riso-for-easter/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/torta-di-riso.jpg
Italian Ricotta Cheesecake: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2011/02/20/la-tavola-della-mia-famiglia-italian-ricotta-cheesecake-recipe/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/ricotta-cheesecake-1.jpg
Buttery Lemon Bars: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2011/03/20/buttery-lemon-bars-a-recipe-in-pictures-or-what-was-i-thinking/
: http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lemon-bars-1.jpg
Copyright © 2009 StickyGooeyCreamyChewy.com. | <urn:uuid:41677772-38a3-4c75-bc5f-6ac1ebf9406a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2012/04/01/easter-brunch-sgcc-style/print/ | 2013-05-22T21:24:04Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.876027 | 2,502 |
With the futures community still reeling from the MF Global debacle, the PFG fraud sent tremors through an industry that could no longer call MF Global a one-off event. In the middle of the storm was the National Futures Association (NFA), PFG’s self-regulatory organization. The NFA had escaped much of the blame that swirled following MF Global, but the PFG fraud raised questions regarding its competence and the function of self-regulatory organizations. Futures sat down with NFA President and CEO Dan Roth to discuss the improved safeguards in response to MF Global and PFG to keep seg funds safe and restore public confidence in the industry.
Futures Magazine: What changes did the NFA institute in the aftermath of MF Global to better protect customer funds?
Dan Roth: After MF Global we formed two committees: A committee of [self-regulatory organizations (SROs)] with the CME and a special committee of our public directors. The first rule changes that came out had to do with trying to impose safeguards regarding firms’ use of excess segregated funds to guard against an inadvertent use of excess funds that ends up costing customers money. We had a whole set of rule changes regarding immediate notification to regulators if the firm draws down its excess by a certain amount along with authorizations for that drawdown by principals of the firm, [as well as] certifications by the firm that they remain in seg compliance. The second thing we worked on … is to try and ensure greater transparency about [futures commission merchant (FCM)] financial information for customers. We will have posted on websites information about how customer segregated funds are being invested. That information was previously filed with regulators, now it also will be posted on our website along with other financial data from the FCMs regarding their capital requirements, their excess capital and their seg requirements, and their excess seg and whether they [engage in] proprietary trading and a raft of information. So in the immediate aftermath of MF Global the initial focus of those two committees was greater transparency of FCM financial information and additional protections regarding the ability of firms to draw down their excess funds.
FM: Have you reaped any tangible benefits from those changes?
DR: The FCM transparency issue was approved in July and that data will be posted on the NFA web site on Nov. 1. The rules regarding drawdown of excess funds have been in effect since Sept. 1.
FM: Given what happened at PFG was there an appropriate amount of urgency in the industry’s and NFA’s reaction?
DR: From our perspective there was a sense of urgency on the part of all regulators: The CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) and the SROs, which is why within a matter of weeks after MF Global we formed these committees and both of those committees had their recommendation of rule changes ready in March. Relatively speaking, that was a rapid response. Everyone felt a tremendous sense of urgency.
FM: What about after PFG?
DR: Before PFG happened, the SRO committee began looking at ways to make greater use of technology to monitor firms for seg compliance, which is where the idea of the online, view only access for regulators to customer seg bank accounts came up. We were developing that rule before PFG happened. Once PFG happened we took that initial concept and went further and said we have to be able to confirm all seg balances on a daily basis. … We started using the e-confirmation process as part of the annual audit process and that is what uncovered the fraud at Peregrine. So number 1, using the e-comfirmation process; number 2, moving beyond the confirmation process out of the annual audit and making sure SROs have the authority to go in and check at any given time; number 3, developing the system so that all seg depositories — bank, broker/dealers, money market accounts — will report to regulators on a daily basis the funds that they are holding on behalf of FCM customers so we can compare that information with the daily reports we are getting from the FCMs to identify any discrepancies. If there is a depository that won’t file that information with regulators, it is an unacceptable seg depository.
FM: Will this process be automated?
DR: Both accumulation of data and the analysis of data will be automated.
FM: Why wasn’t the PFG fraud caught during the spot audits of FCMs following the MF Global bankruptcy?
DR: The CFTC directed the SROs to go in and perform examinations of certain FCMs for seg compliance. We specifically asked the CFTC whether they wanted those examinations to confirm balances to outside sources and they told us “no.” The directions we were given by the CFTC to conduct those examinations did not include confirmation of balances to outside sources.
FM: In May 2011 US Bank had reported only $7.2 million in its PFG customer segregated account and later altered that number to $221 million. Why was the PFG fraud not discovered at this point?
DR: We should have followed up on that; we could have uncovered this fraud a year earlier.
FM: What did NFA learn from those failures to identify what was going on?
DR: Post MF Global we recognized that we have to have greater use of technology as a means of monitoring firms’ compliance with segregation requirements, and we were moving in that direction. Peregrine just upped the stakes. It wasn’t just the May incident by itself, it was MF Global and Peregrine together, which moved us to having daily confirmation of all seg balances.
FM: While having both cases occur in one year has been embarrassing for regulators, they are distinct. Describe the differences between the two.
DR: Both situations involved the misuse of customer segregated funds by an FCM. The nature of the misuse is different in that one involved outright theft; the other one involved a theft as well, but a theft to fund the firm’s ongoing operations and investments. One involves excess segregated funds where the firm is drawing down its excess segregated funds and in the process misused customer funds; the other is more of a blatant outright theft.
FM: Are you frustrated with the investigation of MF Global and the fact that there have been no charges filed?
DR: I have been around for a long time and I have seen numerous instances where the complexity of a criminal investigation and all the demands on the resources of the Federal prosecutors very often result in criminal prosecutions not being brought until the eve of the expiration of the statute of limitations. They are nowhere near that.
FM: There has been a lot of debate regarding creating an insurance fund to protect segregated customer accounts. IN 1985 the NFA studied this. Are you reexamining this? Do you think an insurance fund is necessary?
DR: That question has to be reexamined. The 1985 study examined various methodologies already in place to safeguard customer segregated funds and talked about various possibilities including insurance, but it did not attempt to calculate the actual cost of implementing an insurance program. You cannot intelligently discuss the issue of whether there should be some form of an insurance program without having precise data about what the cost would be. You can’t talk about insurance in the abstract; you have to know what you are buying and what you are paying.
FM: Can you design a compliance strategy that gives end users confidence that customer segregated funds are appropriately protected so that such a fund is unnecessary?
DR: We are talking about public confidence here. One question is: Will an insurance fund bolster public confidence? We are assuming you are talking about a fund modeled after other programs where there are caps on recovery. When you are talking about an institutional marketplace like we have, those caps would need to be sufficiently low that for a large portion of the marketplace that insurance program would do little to bolster their confidence. That is why this has to be studied to figure out where you could draw limits that would impact public confidence. The other part of this [is] what can you do from a regulatory point of view to bolster confidence, with or without insurance. The answer that we have been trying to develop is this concept of daily confirmation of segregated balances so that we are confirming on a daily basis from outside sources that the funds that the FCM claims it is holding, it is actually holding. That doesn’t address all the risk involved in customer segregated funds — there is always fellow customer risk — but regarding potential misuse of customer segregated funds by an FCM, daily confirmation of seg balances should go a long way to providing customers with assurances along with greater transparency about FCM data.
FM: Besides the specific measures to monitor movement of customer funds, have you looked at your general approach to self-regulation?
DR: We have the Berkeley Research Group conducting an examination of the NFA’s audit practices regarding Peregrine, and we look forward to any recommendations they have for how the audit process can be strengthened. We are hoping to get that in November. Another thing that we are doing is that we always have had a number of our staff go through a certified fraud examiners certification process. We have a class of 30 of our staff that are starting that program in the next week or two, and we will continue to send staff to the program on an ongoing basis.
FM: Did complacency play a role in these failures? Did the fact that there had not been breeches in customer seg funds provide a false sense of security? If so, how do you avoid this once things begin to calm down?
DR: I wouldn’t use the word “complacency.” I don’t think anyone in the industry has even been complacent about customer segregated funds; it has always been a core principle. But regulators tend to focus their attention on known weaknesses in the system and that is where you tend to allocate your resources, that is where you tend to spend your time. The failure of those two firms has certainly heightened awareness of those weaknesses but I don’t think we were ever complacent about customer segregated funds.
FM: For several years the types of investments in which FCMs could park customer money have grown. Those investments recently have been restricted under Rule 1.25. Did that go far enough? Should the industry look at the concept of the “float”? Is it proper for brokers to earn interest on excess customer finds?
DR: FCMs are profit-making ventures and they have to be able to earn a reasonable return on their investment. To the extent that you restrict their ability to make money by investing customer seg funds, that may be the appropriate thing to do, but it will increase fees and may ultimately further reduce the number of FCMs. When you further reduce the number of FCMs you reduce competition, increase fees and concentrate systemic risk.
FM: How has the relationship between the NFA and CFTC changed since MF Global? Have your individual roles and how you communicate change?
DR: Nothing has changed. There is not a day that goes by where we are not in contact with the CFTC — regulatory issues, enforcement issues, etc. I can say one thing is changing, it is the manner in which the CFTC performs it oversight for SROs because even before MF Global they moved away from annual enforcement reviews.
FM: When you first began to look at additional responsibilities in the OTC swaps world, the record of futures SROs appeared strong. Have the problems at MF Global and PFG forced you to alter your approach to regulating swaps? Where are you in regard to preparing for these additional responsibilities?
DR: Our regulatory role in respect to swaps falls into several different categories: The first is the registration process. We have been focusing on hiring the staff and training our other staff and preparing modules for our staff to follow regarding the submissions and preparing to review them when they come in December.
FM: You have said these failures have been more about enforcement than not having appropriate regulations. Have enforcement procedures improved?
DR: What I said was you can have all the rules that you want, but at the end of the day it comes down to enforcing them. Writing rules is not a cure for anything if you are not enforcing them. Fraud is fraud. It is not like there was not a rule saying you can’t steal customer seg funds. There are three components to any enforcement program: You have to have good rules on the books, you have to be able to detect violations of those rules and when you detect those violations you have to take appropriate enforcement action. The breakdown here was in detecting the rule violations, and we used standard audit practices including written bank confirmations that did not detect the fraud that was going on in Peregrine. That is why we have moved toward the daily confirmation process of seg balances. It wasn’t failure of the rules; it was failure to detect violations of the rules.
FM: The concept of self-regulation has come into question since both these failures occurred. What services does the NFA provide as a SRO — both in terms of education and enforcement — that would be more difficult for the CFTC (or some other more centralized regulator) to deliver?
DR: It certainly would be resource-intensive for anyone to duplicate what we are doing. Just this week we have done workshops for firms that will now be required to be registered as CPOs in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and London. We did a workshop for swap intermediaries, CPOs [commodity trading advisors]…that will have to become registered as result of their swap activities. We have done webinars for those categories explaining the registration process; we have had hundreds of firms participate in those. We will have in the next eight weeks a number of workshops for swap dealer firms to familiarize them with the registration process. Those are all different types of educational programs we have put on for members or perspective members to try and get them ready for these changes. That would be difficult for the CFTC to try and duplicate. It is easier for an SRO to work through that process than a government agency.
When you work for a self-regulatory body you have two jobs: For the overwhelming majority of members that want to comply, make sure they understand what they have to do and how they can do it; and two, for those members who don’t want to comply, your job is to identify them as quickly as you can and get rid of them. The former job is more in the nature of a membership organization than a government regulator.
FM: Have you added staff?
DR: Our budget for this fiscal year calls for a 27% increase. A lot of that is driven by swaps. You can’t build these systems without additional IS resources. Our current staffing levels are at 320.
FM: We speak with CTAs all the time who introduce customers, who are pretty unfamiliar with futures, to the industry. Up until a year ago, they would hold out the regulatory structure of the industry — customer segregated funds in particular — as a selling point. What can you say to those investors weary of what has occurred in the last year?
DR: The two things that I can tell them [are] by all means, [perform] due diligence on the FCM [with whom you are choosing to do business. We are putting as much information on our web site as we can to help them with that due diligence process to try and make the FCMs’ financial condition as transparent as possible. Number two, I would remind them that as we move toward the daily confirmation of customer segregation balances from all types of depositories [it] will be a tremendous enhancement to guard against any potential misuse of customer funds by an FCM. | <urn:uuid:04284e01-ee78-4879-bb46-76cbb1604418> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.futuresmag.com/2012/11/01/dan-roth-working-on-rebuilding-confidence | 2013-05-22T21:59:52Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974878 | 3,278 |
Ruby Lee Fleming
Ruby Lee Fleming, age 76, of Forrest City, died Friday, Nov. 12, 1999, at St. Vincent Hospital in Memphis.
She was born Sept. 16, 1923, to Mark and Charity Smith in Palestine and she was a retired school teacher.
She is survived by four sons, Lawrence Fleming of Palestine, Walker Fleming III of Oklahoma City, Okla., Charles Fleming of Cordova, Tenn., and Everett Fleming of Denver, Colo.; four daughters, Helen Johnson of Leander, Texas, Charity Smith, of Sherwood, Ruby Bridgeforth of Cordova, Carolyn Hughley of Columbus, Ga.; and a sister, Artelure Gamble of Forrest City.
Visitation will be from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 1999, at Clay Funeral Home. Services will be held at Salem Baptist Church on Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999, at 1 p.m. with burial to follow in Mark and Charity Smith Cemetery in Palestine with Rev. Robert Cowan officiating. Clay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Davie Cal Ware
Davie Cal Ware of Hughes, age 17, died Wednesday, Nov. 10,1999, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Forrest City.
Davie is survived by his parents, William and Johnetta Dobbins of Hughes and David Smith of Kentucky; three sisters, LaTonya Williams of Pine Bluff, and Glenda Dobbins and LaToya Dobbins of Hughes; a brother, D.C. Smith of Mississippi; his grandparents, James and Johnnie Mae Ware of Hughes, Mrs. Willie B. Sims of Hughes, Ethel Dobbins of Hughes; a great-grandmother, Otelia Porter of Hughes; a great-grandfather, Cal Smith of Hughes.
Visitation will be Saturday, Nov. 20 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Hughes High School Gym in Hughes. Funeral services will follow at 11 a.m. at the gym with burial to follow in Paradise Garden under the direction of Anthony Funeral Home.
John A. Gauw
John A. Gauw, age 84, of Belmont, Mich., died Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999.
Mr. Gauw had attended Alton Bible Church in Lowell, Mich.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Gauw in 1996.
Mr. Gauw is survived by three sons, Rev. Daniel Gauw of Forrest City, James Gauw and John Gauw both of Lowell, Mich.; one brother, Richard Gauw of Florida; one sister, Jeanette Van Ostrom of Jenison, Mich., and eight grandchildren.
Services were held today, Nov. 19, 1999, at the Reyers North Valley Chapel. Burial was held in Alton Cemetery in Lowell, Mich., under direction of Reyers North Valley Chapel.
Memorials may be made to Raybrook Manor, 2121 Raybrook S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49546.
Gladys Thomas Waters
Gladys Thomas Waters, age 94, died Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999, in Sidney, Ark.
She was born Feb. 7, 1905, in Haynes, to Phillip and Altha Matthews Long, and was a member of the Marvell Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband John Parsons Thomas in 1947.
She is survived by a son, Custer Thomas of Marianna; a granddaughter and two great grandchildren.
Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999, graveside at Marianna Memorial Park with Rev. Steve Walters officiating. Morgan Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Carder
Ms. Elizabeth Louise "Betty" Carder, age 62, of Forrest City, died Sunday, Nov. 21, 1999, at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.
Ms. Carder was born Dec. 27, 1936, in Earle. She was the daughter of Guy B. Carder and Mary Elizabeth Johnson Carder. Ms. Carder was a former employee of Pepsi-Cola Company and Baptist Memorial Hospital. She was a Methodist, a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and an Army Veteran.
Ms. Carder is survived by her father, Guy Carder of Kansas City, Mo.: a brother, B. Guy Carder of Kansas City, Mo., and a sister, Mary Carolyn Carder of Roeland Park, Kan.
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 7 p.m. at Stevens Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 10 a.m. at the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Forrest City under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart and Lung Associations or to the St. Francis County Humane Society.
Sammy N. Griffin
Sammy N. Griffin, 41, of Forrest City died Friday Nov. 19, 1999, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.
Mr. Griffin was born June 20, 1958, in Hughes and was the son of LeRoy Griffin and Paralee Crawford Griffin.
He is survived by his wife, Fannie Fryar Griffin of Forrest City; his mother, Paralee Crawford Griffin of Forrest City; eight stepsons, Micheal Fryar, Eddie Fryar, Dennis Fryar and Melvin Fryar, all of Forrest City, Tony Fryar, Anthony Fryar, Gerald Fryar and Don Fryar all of Tulsa, Okla.; three sisters, Betty Green and Nancy Williams, both of Forrest City, Margaret Griffin of Hughes; a brother, LeRoy Griffin Jr. of West Memphis and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Thursday, Nov. 25, at Woodhouse Mortuary from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Funeral services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 12 noon at New Light M.B. church with Rev. Jessie McClure officiating. Burial will follow at Casteel Cemetery under the direction of Woodhouse Mortuary.
Dale W. Horton
Dale W. Horton, age 70, of Newcastle died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999, at his home.
Mr. Horton was born Nov. 15, 1929, in Newcastle to Earl Eugene Horton and Dora Armstrong Horton. He was a member of Forrest Chapel Methodist Church, a retired farmer and businessman and a member of Crowley's Ridge Shooting Resort.
He is survived by his wife, Ann McLeod Horton of Newcastle; a daughter, Kim Hoffman of Little Rock; a son, Steve Horton of Forrest City and three grandchildren.
Graveside services will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at 10 a.m. at Loughridge Cemetery in Newcastle with Rev. Lisa Anderson officiating. Funeral serivces are under the direction of Stevens Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Loughridge Cemetery or a charity of the donor's choice.
Imogene S. Couchman
Imogene S. Couchman, 91, of Kansas City died Monday, Nov. 22, 1999, at the Kingswood Health Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Mrs. Couchman was born Oct. 8, 1908, in Pikes City, Ark., and was the daughter of Ed and Blanch Slaughter. Mrs. Couchman was a school teacher and a member of First United Methodist Church where she served in the choir and was the wife of Rev. Herchalle J. Couchman.
She is survived by two sons, Henry Couchman of Kansas City, Mo. and Dwayne Couchman of Forrest City, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday, Nov. 27, at 10 a.m. at Thompson Wilson Funeral Home in McCrory, followed by a graveside service at 11 a.m. at Odd Fellow Cemetery also in McCrory.
Ernestine Henry, 48, of Forrest City died Saturday, Nov. 20, 1999, in her home.
Mrs. Henry was born Nov. 26, 1950, in Forrest City.
She is survived by her mother, Mildred McGaughy of Forrest City; two daughters, Sherea Henry and Marya Henry, both of Forrest City; seven brothers, Willie Cole of Detroit, Mich., Horace McGaughy Jr. of Ann Harbor, Mich., Roosevelt McGaughy and John McGaughy, both of Ypsilanti, Mich, Eugene McGaughy of Forrest City, Wallace McGaughy of Jonesboro, Calvin McGaughy of Lonoke; three sisters, Barbara McGaughy and Mable Futrell, both of Little Rock, Shirley McGaughy of Forrest City; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Friday, Nov. 26, at Clay Funeral Home from 1 to 5 p.m. Services will be held Saturday, Nov. 27, at 2 p.m. at Rising Sun M B Church with Rev. B.T. Cooper officiating. Burial will be at Casteel Cemetery under the direction of Clay Funeral Home.
Rev. William Clyde Hankins Sr.
Rev. William Clyde Hankins Sr., 93, of Marshall Texas, died Tuesday, Nov. 23, 1999, at the Colonial Park Nursing Home in Marshall. He was born July 21, 1906, in Pine Bluff, the son of William Henry Hankins and Joana Isabelle Glover Hankins.
He was a retired missionary and minister. He was pastor of churches in Texas in the 1930s, went to Brazil in 1940 and served until his retirement in 1965. After retirement he pastored churches in Kentucky, Arkansas and Texas, one of them being First Baptist Church of Forrest City. At the time of his death he was a member of the Central Baptist Church of Marshall.
Rev. Hankins is survived by two sons, William Clyde (Bill) Hankins of Marshall and Jerry Otis Hanks of Indianapolis, Ind.; two daughters, Nona Goodman of Marshall and Nina Eunice Hankins of Campo Grande M.S., Brazil, S.A.; and 15 grandchildren.
Visitation was held Thursday, Nov. 25. Additional services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 29, in the Zion Baptist Church in Henderson, Ky., under the direction of the Benton-Glunt Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to the Hankins Fund at First Baptist Church, Forrest City. | <urn:uuid:f0700bf1-9461-4182-af4c-b5c5de74b0e6> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.genealogybuff.com/ar/stfrancis/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/6 | 2013-05-22T21:44:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950883 | 2,183 |
Why Would Delta Airlines Buy a Refinery?
It will take years to determine whether the purchase was a coup or a serious miscalculation.
After deducting $30 million in subsidies from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania where the refinery is based, the cost of acquiring the 185,000 barrel per day (or bpd) Trainer refinery complex just south of Philadelphia will come to $150 million. Delta must spend another $100 million to convert Trainer’s existing infrastructure to increase jet fuel output, putting the total cost of the acquisition at $250 million.
Rising Jet Fuel Costs for Delta
The rationale behind Delta’s purchase is that it gives the airline greater control over its supply chain and allows it to better manage its biggest expense, jet fuel, which constitutes 37% of the company’s costs. In 2011, Delta spent $12 billion on jet fuel. That makes the refinery's purchase price just a hair over 2% of its yearly jet fuel spend.
“Our crude fuel costs are up 10% on a compounded growth rate over that two-year [2009-2011] period. But you can see the eye-popping number that’s out is the crack spread for jet fuel. That’s up a compounded growth rate of 73% over the last two years,” said Delta president Edward Bastian in a conference call."
[Editor's note: The crack spread measures the difference in cost between an unrefined barrel of crude oil and an equivalent amount of jet fuel. The jet fuel crack spread has risen 40% in 2012, pushing jet fuel above $140/barrel in comparison to a barrel of crude oil at $86.56 at today's spot prices.]
Also from Delta president Bastian on the same call: “And it is the part of the business that we have the most difficult time in managing, very difficult to hedge the crack spread. Jet fuel market is a thinly traded market and it’s by far and away the largest cost issue we have in the company.”
Despite the large crack spread, whether it's $20 or $50, only about $5 of that amount goes to the actual physical cost of distilling jet fuel from crude oil. The remaining amount is pure profit for refiners and that is what Delta wants to capture. In buying Trainer, Delta is trying to cut out the middle man.
Under the arrangements of the acquisition, BP (BP) will supply the crude to be refined at Trainer, and Delta will swap gasoline and other refined products from Trainer for jet fuel from Phillips 66 and BP elsewhere in the US through multi-year agreements.
Trainer Will Save Delta $300 Million a Year.
Delta has said that its new refinery will enable it to cut down fuel spending by $300 million and ensure the availability of jet fuel in the northeast. Production from the refinery, combined with the agreements with Phillips 66 and BP, will be able to provide 80% of Delta’s jet fuel demand in the US.
Because of the fuel cost savings Delta projects it will enjoy by owning an oil refinery, some industry experts assert that the company will be able to gain a leg up against its competitors in the east coast market.
Philip Verleger, Jr., a consultant on energy and commodity markets who publishes Petroleum Economics Monthly, said that by purchasing Trainer and thereby limiting the supply of jet fuel for its competitors, Delta could gain a $4,000-$5,000 advantage on every transatlantic New York to London flight. He compared Delta’s strategic advantage to that of Southwest’s (LUV) when the latter used hedging as a tool to gain a cost advantage for many years over competitors who did not hedge.
“Delta will be able to cover a large portion of its jet fuel needs at the major New York airports at a cost substantially below that of its competitors,” Verleger told Aviation Week. “This advantage would be particularly useful in the very competitive North Atlantic market, where Delta goes up against American [Airlines], British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, United (UAL) and Virgin Atlantic, among others.
“With Trainer, Delta could match the competition's prices and pocket profits from lower-cost fuel,” he continues. “Alternatively, it could follow Southwest's example and initially pass the cost savings on to consumers. This would force larger losses on other airlines or cause them to exit the market.”
Analysts who cover the aviation industry seem to concur that this was a smart move by Delta, with a Deutsche Bank research note from April 30 saying that the deal results in a “new vertical with compelling economics.” Stern Agee and Maxim Group also reiterated Buy ratings on Delta after news of the acquisition broke.
However, not everyone is convinced that this is a game-changer in a good sense for Delta.
Making the Economics of a Refinery Work.
One obvious question comes to mind: If oil giant Phillips 66 couldn’t make the economics of Trainer work, why would Delta, even if it is tasking former Murphy Oil (MUR) refinery manager Jeffrey Warmann to run operations at Trainer?
“Plants shut for a reason, and it's not usually the incompetence of their owner," Kevin Waguespack, vice president of the energy consultancy Baker & O'Brien, opined to CNN. “How can Delta do any better than a large, sophisticated refiner like Conoco?”
Even though Delta said it will modify Trainer to more than double jet fuel output from 23,000 bpd to 52,000 bpd, jet fuel can at most make up 30%-35% of the crude output. The remainder of the crude it receives will be refined into non-jet fuel products, which Delta will then swap for more jet fuel in their agreement with counterparties, BP and Phillips 66.
So, if jet fuel spreads are as high as Delta says they are, it means that the airline will get a lower ratio of jet fuel in their exchange deal, since presumably, Phillips 66 and BP will not be willing to take a loss. In effect, Delta will still be paying market rate for jet fuel, except that it will be using refined products instead of money as payment.
Optimizing the Return on Capital.
Gregory Millman from the Dow Jones company also questions the less-than-optimal return of capital given that the refinery will be refurbished to maximize jet fuel output. As he points out, typically, refiners adjust outputs to maximize returns. For example, during the summer, gasoline is in greater demand and is more profitable, so refineries generally produce more gasoline in the summer, and more heating oil in the winter for the same reason.
However, Delta’s Trainer facility will be locked into producing a standard ratio of 30% jet fuel, even when it might offer a greater return than other products.
“Why is this a problem?" asked Millman. "Optimizing for refinery returns is better for shareholders than optimizing for airline returns. US refiners produced a return on capital of about 25% over the last 12 months, according to S&P Capital IQ, while US commercial airlines earned only a 11% return on capital. (Delta, by the way, produced a 12% return on capital.)”
Minyanville reached out to Delta, and a spokesperson asserted that the economics of the refinery deal were sound.
“When you think about Trainer's economics, remember that we're capturing refining costs that are pure mark-up and not actually related to the physical cost of producing the fuel,” said a Delta spokesperson.
“Jet fuel is the highest margin product any refinery can produce at the moment, and the fact that we're investing in Trainer's infrastructure to make the most jet fuel possible will immediately improve its performance financially. If crack spreads fall -- really only possible if crude oil prices plunge -- then as an airline, we will be saving billions of dollars annually because of that situation.”
Trainer's Working Capital.
Another aspect of the deal Millman cited was that working capital seemed to be missing from Delta’s plan for Trainer. According to him, a refinery like Trainer would need between $100 million and $200 million in working capital, especially since Conoco reported that it had liquidated $180 million in inventory, most of which came from Trainer.
“Using the $180 million inventory figure from Conoco as a rough approximation for the working capital requirements of Trainer, we can expect working capital will increase Delta’s real investment in Trainer by 72% -- over and above the airline’s $250 million investment. That’s $430 million, half of Delta’s 2011 bottom line,” Millman wrote.
Delta, however, said that the deals it wrangled with BP and Phillips 66 eliminated both front-end and back-end risks for the airline.
“We think the problem with some of the analyses on Trainer is that people are assuming we're running it as a standalone entity and facing the same market challenges that refineries are looking at. Through the agreement we have with BP to source, transport, and deliver crude oil to us -- they have the balance sheet risk of that -- we have no risk on the front end. We don't even own the oil until it gets into our refinery. On the back end, the swap agreements we have with BP and Phillips 66 remove any risk of us holding products we don't use -- also a huge piece of why this makes sense for us,” Delta told Minyanville.
“Delta is simply buying all the jet fuel produced by its subsidiary and faces no balance sheet risk. Indeed, in terms of working capital, we are optimistic that the windows of purchasing and swapping the products could make Trainer actually working capital positive for Monroe. All we've said is that our partner agreements supply us with the necessary working capital for Trainer.”
Of course, owning a refinery also comes with environmental liabilities. An energy banker at a midsized investment bank Minyanville spoke to who declined to be named said that refinery flares, which often emit toxic fumes, were a potential source of huge liabilities.
“If they ever want to sell Trainer, they have to clean the site, too, since they can’t just shut it down. How does Delta handle that?” he said.
Apparently, Delta has nothing to worry about on the environmental liability front, the airline told Minyanville.
“Our subsidiary Monroe Energy owns and operates the refinery. Delta has no risk as an entity to any claims: Monroe has reached agreements with BP and Phillips 66 that essentially say that we have zero environmental liability at Trainer going backward from the moment we take possession, and we have a very firm indemnification setup that minimizes our ongoing exposure by operating Trainer.”
Trainer Is an "Unbelievable Bargain."
In spite of the questions raised by some, Delta believes that its Trainer investment is “anything but” risky, since the $250 million it will spend on the acquisition is how much an airline would spend to buy a Boeing (BA) 777 at list price.
“We did a test to see what our savings would have been in the past six years had we bought this refinery six years ago. [We found that] we would have saved between $300 million and $500 million every year. The difference is that six years ago, refineries weren't for sale at rock-bottom prices. In fact, they cost billions of dollars,” Delta told Minyanville.
“The huge drop in US gasoline demand has made refineries such as Trainer unbelievable bargains; we feel we've spent $150 million on an asset with a book value well in excess of $1 billion.”
Will Delta’s bold move pay off? Only time will tell, said Robert Mann, an airline consultant in Port Washington, New York.
"It's clearly a very innovative approach, but I think it will be a number of years before we know whether it actually works out."
Copyright 2011 Minyanville Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | <urn:uuid:3b588ca1-8a3e-4f51-b0e3-907cab544170> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.minyanville.com/sectors/transportation/articles/dal-cop-psx-luv-bp-mur/5/31/2012/id/41367?page=full | 2013-05-22T21:38:33Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.950542 | 2,526 |
Nouvelles hebdomadaires de PostgreSQL - 18 juillet 2010
L'appel à conférenciers pour la "West" est lancé jusqu'au 5 septembre 2010. Détails sur : http://www.postgresqlconference.org/
La première réunion du PUG de San Diego se fera au Cymer Inc. le 29 juillet 2010 : http://www.meetup.com/SD-PUG/calendar/14105562/
Les nouveautés des produits dérivés
- psycopg2 2.2.2, un connecteur Python pour PostgreSQL : http://initd.org/psycopg/
Offres d'emplois autour de PostgreSQL en juillet
- Internationales : http://archives.postgresql.org/pgsql-jobs/2010-07/threads.php;
- Francophones : http://forums.postgresql.fr/viewforum.php?id=4.
- L'OSCON aura lieu à Portland (Oregon) du 19 au 23 juillet 2010 : http://www.oscon.com/oscon2010
- Reuven Lerner donnera un cours de 5 jours sur PostgreSQL du 1er au 5 août au "Hi-Tech College" de Herzliya (Israël) : http://www.hi-tech.co.il/college/default.asp?PageID=12&CourseNum=4288
- La FrOSCon 2010 aura lieu à St. Augustin (Allemagne) les 21 & 22 août 2010. Le PUG allemand a obtenu sa propre salle de dev. et est à la recherche de conférenciers. Plus de détails : http://andreas.scherbaum.la/blog/archives/711-FrOSCon-2010-PostgreSQL-devroom-Call-for-papers.html
PostgreSQL dans les média
- Planet PostgreSQL : http://planet.postgresql.org/
- Planet PostgreSQLFr : http://planete.postgresql.fr/
PostgreSQL Weekly News / les nouvelles hebdomadaires vous sont offertes cette semaine par David Fetter et Devrim Gunduz. Traduction par l'équipe PostgreSQLFr sous licence CC BY-NC-SA.
Proposez vos articles ou annonces avant dimanche 15:00 (heure du Pacifique). Merci de les envoyer en anglais à david (a) fetter.org, en allemand à pwn (a) pgug.de, en italien à pwn (a) itpug.org et en espagnol à pwn (a) arpug.com.ar.
KaiGai Kohei reviewed Robert Haas's patch to add get_whatever_oid functionality.
Bruce Momjian a commité :
- Bump minor library version numbers, for 9.1 release.
- In pgsql/src/tools/RELEASE_CHANGES, document bump of minor library version numbers.
- In pgsql/doc/src/sgml/release-9.0.sgml, spellcheck 9.0 release notes.
- In pgsql/doc/src/sgml/release-9.0.sgml, 9.0 release note improvements Erik Rijkers
- In pgsql/doc/src/sgml/release-9.0.sgml, restore pl/pgsql default install release note item.
- In pg_upgrade, prevent psql AUTOCOMMIT=off by not loading .psqlrc.
- In pgsql/src/tools/fsync/test_fsync.c, print each test_fsync description while test is running, rather than at the end.
- In pgsql/contrib/pg_upgrade/exec.c, in pg_upgrade, report /bin directory checks independent of /data checks.
- In pgsql/contrib/pg_upgrade/option.c, remove incorrect email address for pg_upgrade bug reports.
- In pgsql/contrib/pg_upgrade/server.c, on Win32, pg_upgrade cannot sent any server log output to the log file because of file access limitations on that platform.
- Backpatch pg_upgrade fixes to 9.0: 1. In pg_upgrade, prevent psql AUTOCOMMIT=off by not loading .psqlrc. 2. In pg_upgrade, report /bin directory checks independent of /data checks. 3. Remove incorrect email address for pg_upgrade bug reports. 4. On Win32, pg_upgrade cannot sent any server log output to the log file because of file access limitations on that platform.
- In pgsql/src/backend/commands/tablespace.c, simplify missing tablespace replay error hint message, but only in HEAD so we don't need to re-translate for 9.0.
- In pgsql/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c, add SO_PEERCRED check in new unix domain socket permission checking code.
Tom Lane a commité :
- Make NestLoop plan nodes pass outer-relation variables into their inner relation using the general PARAM_EXEC executor parameter mechanism, rather than the ad-hoc kluge of passing the outer tuple down through ExecReScan. The previous method was hard to understand and could never be extended to handle parameters coming from multiple join levels. This patch doesn't change the set of possible plans nor have any significant performance effect, but it's necessary infrastructure for future generalization of the concept of an inner indexscan plan. ExecReScan's second parameter is now unused, so it's removed.
- Teach EXPLAIN to print PARAM_EXEC Params as the referenced expressions, rather than just $N. This brings the display of nestloop-inner-indexscan plans back to where it's been, and incidentally improves the display of SubPlan parameters as well. In passing, simplify the EXPLAIN code by having it deal primarily in the PlanState tree rather than separately searching Plan and PlanState trees. This is noticeably cleaner for subplans, and about a wash elsewhere. One small difference from previous behavior is that EXPLAIN will no longer qualify local variable references in inner-indexscan plan nodes, since it no longer sees such nodes as possibly referencing multiple tables. Vars referenced through PARAM_EXEC Params are still forcibly qualified, though, so I don't think the display is any more confusing than before. Adjust a couple of examples in the documentation to match this behavior.
- Allow full SSL certificate verification (wherein libpq checks its host name parameter against server cert's CN field) to succeed in the case where both host and hostaddr are specified. As with the existing precedents for Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSPI, it is the calling application's responsibility that host and hostaddr match up --- we just use the host name as given. Per bug #5559 from Christopher Head. In passing, make the error handling and messages for the no-host-name-given failure more consistent among these four cases, and correct a lie in the documentation: we don't attempt to reverse-lookup host from hostaddr if host is missing. Back-patch to 8.4 where SSL cert verification was introduced.
- In pgsql/src/bin/pg_dump/pg_dump.c, fix several problems in pg_dump's handling of SQL/MED objects, notably failure to dump a PUBLIC user mapping correctly, as per bug #5560 from Shigeru Hanada. Use the pg_user_mappings view rather than trying to access pg_user_mapping directly, so that the code doesn't fail when run by a non-superuser. And clean up some minor carelessness such as unsafe usage of fmtId(). Back-patch to 8.4 where this code was added.
- In pgsql/doc/src/sgml/high-availability.sgml, use an <xref> for restore_command reference. Marko Tiikkaja.
- In pgsql/src/backend/commands/opclasscmds.c, remove duplicate code in DefineOpFamily(). The code was probably meant to be this way all along, since the subroutine CreateOpFamily previously had only one caller. But it wasn't. KaiGai Kohei.
- In pgsql/src/backend/executor/execUtils.c, remove a sanity check in the exclusion-constraint code that prevented users from defining non-self-conflicting constraints. Jeff Davis. Note: I (tgl) objected to removing this check in 9.0 on the grounds that it was an important sanity check in new, poorly tested code. However, it should be all right to remove it for 9.1, since we'll get field testing from the 9.0 branch.
- Add support for dividing money by money (yielding a float8 result) and for casting between money and numeric. Andy Balholm, reviewed by Kevin Grittner
- Add a log_file_mode GUC that allows control of the file permissions set on log files created by the syslogger process. In passing, make unix_file_permissions display its value in octal, same as log_file_mode now does. Martin Pihlak
- In pgsql/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c, fix thinko in recent patch: 'sock' should be 'conn->sock'.
- In pgsql/src/interfaces/libpq/fe-connect.c, fix up poor handling of unsupported-platform case in requirepeer patch.
- Allow ORDER BY/GROUP BY/etc items to match targetlist items regardless of any implicit casting previously applied to the targetlist item. This is reasonable because the implicit cast, by definition, wasn't written by the user; so we are preserving the expected behavior that ORDER BY items match textually equivalent tlist items. The case never arose before because there couldn't be any implicit casting of a top-level SELECT item before we process ORDER BY etc. But now it can arise in the context of aggregates containing ORDER BY clauses, since the "targetlist" is the already-casted list of arguments for the aggregate. The net effect is that the datatype used for ORDER BY/DISTINCT purposes is the aggregate's declared input type, not that of the original input column; which is a bit debatable but not horrendous, and to do otherwise would require major rework that doesn't seem justified. Per bug #5564 from Daniel Grace. Back-patch to 9.0 where aggregate ORDER BY was implemented.
- In pgsql/src/backend/utils/error/elog.c, remove unnecessary "Not safe to send CSV data" complaint from elog.c's fallback path when CSV logging is configured but not yet operational. It's sufficient to send the message to stderr, as we were already doing, and the "Not safe" gripe has already confused at least two core members ... Backpatch to 9.0, but not further --- doesn't seem appropriate to change this behavior in stable branches.
Heikki Linnakangas a commité :
- In pgsql/src/backend/utils/mmgr/portalmem.c, oops, in the previous fix to prevent a cursor that's being used in a FOR loop from being dropped, I missed subtransaction cleanup. Pinned portals must be dropped at subtransaction cleanup just as they are at main transaction cleanup. Per bug #5556 by Robert Walker. Backpatch to 8.0, 7.4 didn't have subtransactions.
- Add a paragraph explaining what restartpoints are. Mention that wal_keep_segments does not take effect during recovery. Fujii Masao
- In pgsql/doc/src/sgml/wal.sgml, fix typo spotted by Thom Brown.
Peter Eisentraut a commité :
- Add server authentication over Unix-domain sockets. This adds a libpq connection parameter requirepeer that specifies the user name that the server process is expected to run under. Reviewed by KaiGai Kohei.
Correctifs rejetés (à ce jour)
- Pas de déception cette semaine :-)
Correctifs en attente
- KaiGai Kohei sent in another revision of the patch reworking DML permissions.
- Marko (johto) Tiikkaja sent in another WIP patch implementing writeable CTEs.
- Greg Smith sent in another revision of the patch to make pgbench 64-bit clean.
- Pavel Stehule sent in two more revisions of the patch to add left, right, reverse and concat functions to core, and printf and concat_ws functions to contrib.
- Markus Wanner sent in a flock of patches to add a background worker infrastructure which could be used, for example, in doing parallel queries.
- Alexander Korotkov sent in another revision of the patch to speed up levenshtein distance for multi-byte character sets.
- Tom Lane sent in a patch to trace only PlanState trees in EXPLAIN. Currently, both PlanState and Plan get traced.
- Peter Eisentraut sent in a proof-of-concept patch to implement per-column collation.
- Mark Wong sent in another version of the patch to allow multiple -f's in the invocation of psql.
- Pavel Stehule sent in another revision of the patch to preload text search dictionaries.
- Robert Haas sent in another revision of the patch to suppress automatic recovery after a back-end crash, per review from Fujii Masao.
- KaiGai Kohei sent in two separate patches to add security labels to database objects.
- Fujii Masao sent in a patch intended to allow various levels of synchronous replication via a replication_mode parameter for recovery.conf in Hot Standby/Streaming Replication. It also provides some infrastructure for a quorum commit feature.
- Yeb Havinga sent in another revision of the patch to allow for five-key syscaches, which is infrastructure for, among other things, K-Nearest-Neighbor GiST searches.
- Robert Haas sent in a patch to make standard_conforming_strings on by default.
- Simon Riggs sent in another revision of the patch to reduce the lock level required by ALTER TABLE, CREATE TRIGGER and CREATE RULE.
- Boxuan Zhai sent in another revision of the patch to add MERGE.
- Jeff Davis sent in another revision of the patch to add a "not equals" operator for contrib/btree_gist.
- Brendan Jurd sent in another revision of the to_string(), to_array(), etc. patch.
- Jan Urbanski sent in another revision of the patch to add functionality to \ef (edit function) and add \sf (show function) to psql.
- Kevin Grittner sent in another revision of the patch to do true serializability.
- David Christensen sent in another revision of the patch to add \conninfo to psql.
- Bruce Momjian sent in three revisions of a patch intended to fix a breakage of CREATE TABLESPACE during crash recovery. | <urn:uuid:9a33ccfe-4425-4be2-9666-447cab9141b1> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.postgresql.fr/pgwn:18_juillet_2010 | 2013-05-22T21:32:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368702448584/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516110728-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.720065 | 3,372 |
A/N: AHHH!!! it's finally done! this monster of a chapter is FINALLY done! i am so so sorry that it took so long. i won't even list the excuses i could give. i'm tired of typing. 12,710 freaking words. i didn't think that was even possible. but now it is finished. thank goodness for that! i know that in my A/N of last chapter i promised that i wouldn't take 6 months again. i didn't break it! only 5 months this time!
thank you SO SO SO SO SO SO SO much to Addison aka Molly Raesly. she practically wrote a whole scene in this chapter because i was too flustered to do it (i'll let you know which scene in the last A/N as to not spoil it). she was a real trooper in keeping up with my insanity, even fooling me into super duper writing mode, with the help of the queue closing. i love her so much.
and thank YOU for coming back to read this next chapter of Jenyse Syl Baccari's life...
Chapter 7: “Trouble in paradise?”
I stared at the morning beast in the mirror, taking in its every feature. Its dark brown hair was way messier and tousled than mine from the constant tossing and turning that occurred during the night. Its eyebrows were drawn together. Its tired green eyes were puffy with huge bags beneath them. Its nose had a pinker tinge than mine. Its lips…
All of yesterday’s events – or what I could remember of them – flooded back to me. It wasn’t really much. I remembered going to Hogsmeade and having a great time with Travis. I remembered practically falling asleep on top of the Astronomy Tower. I remembered Travis dragging me back to the common room. I remembered…
Common room? Travis? Lips?
I leaned in closer towards the mirror to inspect the inside and outside of my mouth. My lips were a little chapped. My tongue was a little dry. My teeth needed cleaning. It wasn’t any different from any other morning. Mouths get dirty after a night’s sleep. That was a known fact. So why did mine feel like it just ate its way through a dump?
Grabbing my toothbrush and squeezing some toothpaste onto it, I was greeted with more snapshots of last night.
Lips? Someone else’s lips? Travis? Alec? Ian?
I stopped midway from putting down the toothpaste tube on the counter, to open it back up and squeeze even more of its contents onto my toothbrush. Shoving the cleaning utensil back into my mouth, I began to scrub like I’d never scrubbed before.
Last night. That couldn’t have happened. I wasn’t even completely sure of what exactly occurred. It was all quite fuzzy, thanks to the fact that I was barely conscious. All I remembered was feeling lips, pulling back, seeing Travis’s face centimeters away from mine and Ian behind him, and running up to my dorm and into my bed, where it only took a minute or two to cry myself to sleep.
That couldn’t be right. Why would Travis kiss me? Why would I kiss him back? Why would Ian be in Gryffindor Tower?
Biting down, I turned my toothbrush to such an angle so that it would reach my back teeth, and brushed, brushed, brushed.
No. What was I thinking? Ian couldn’t get into the Gryffindor Tower. He was a Ravenclaw. And both Travis and I were dead tired. He probably tripped and landed on my face.
After spitting out, I proceeded to furiously scrub at my tongue.
Maybe Travis was just giving me a goodnight kiss on the cheek, but accidentally got really, really close to my lips. People do that all the time. It’s just one of those awkward things in life.
I spat out again and moved onto brushing the back sides of my teeth.
And maybe I was so tired last night that I started hallucinating, thinking I was seeing Alec. I did miss him a lot. It was no secret that my mind was insane. It liked to trick me a lot. That’s right. It was just a mind trick. Well, I forgive you, mind. No harm done.
Except maybe to my tongue and gums, which were even bleeding a little from the force at which I was going back and forward on them with my toothbrush.
Finally feeling as though my mouth was at least a little bit cleaner, I rinsed my mouth out with water, four or five times, before I undressed and stepped into the shower. I realized a little too late that showering was pointless, since I had a Quidditch Match in a couple of hours. I didn’t mind the cleansing, though. My face and neck felt pretty dirty too.
Before heading down to breakfast, trying to expel all thoughts of yesterday, and particularly last night, I brushed my teeth and scrubbed my tongue once more. It sort of worked, since I avoided seeing Travis or Ian at all as I walked down the aisle next to the Gryffindor table. I spotted Sirius immediately and stared at the muffin he had in his hand, my whole walk towards him. Shaking off any remaining thoughts, I put a smile on and approached him. He was always good as a distraction.
“Hey! No! Jenyse!”
“Mmm…blueberry. My favorite,” I said as I sank my teeth into the blueberry muffin I had just snatched from Sirius. I plopped down next to him, by the rest of our Quidditch team, and made a taunting face of delight, which was ruined by laughter when I saw his appalled expression.
“First off,” Sirius started with irritation, “that was my muffin! Second, your favorite is cinnamon crunch, not blueberry. Third, blueberry is my favorite. Fourth, you know that I need to eat a blueberry muffin before every Quidditch match. And fifth? ...That was my muffin!”
Before I could respond, Adam, Sirius’s fellow Beater, cut in to say, “Sirius, calm down. There’s another one right here.” He pulled a muffin out of the basket of muffins on the table and held it up to Sirius’s face.
Without skipping a beat, Sirius greedily grabbed the spotted muffin from Adam. He was a centimeter away from biting into it when he froze. The rest of the team and I watched in confusion and awe as Sirius sniffed the muffin like the dog he sometimes was.
“Liar! This isn’t blueberry. This is definitely boysenberry,” he groaned disgustedly. “You and I?” Sirius motioned between Adam and himself. “We’re done.” He emphasized his point by throwing the offending muffin straight at Adam’s face. Unfortunately, we were all deprived of the extra amusement by James’s quick Chaser reflexes, which were heightened by his anticipation of the coming match.
I laughed loudly while Adam rolled his eyes and went back to his own food. “Sucks, love,” I said, mockingly pitying, as I took another bite of my blueberry muffin.
Sirius grabbed all of the baskets of muffins that he could reach and searched through them all. When his search failed, he turned back to me. “Please, Sylly. Just one bite. Do you want to lose today? Come on. I love you, you know that? I love you so much. And I will be your slave for the rest of my life,” he bribed. “I will do anything for you. Even if it means killing Remus so that he’ll stop stealing your chocolate.”
I laughed at Remus, who was sitting kind of on the outskirts of the team with Peter, then turned my focus back onto the desperate boy in front of me. I raised a brow in contemplation. “And you’ll come to my house for Easter break and cuddle with me every night, despite the chance Jarron comes in and finds us?”
Sirius visibly gulped, and I smirked at the sight of it. Using Jarron as a threat was my favorite. Just seeing the transition to dread on his face was enough to make me give in and give him the rest of the muffin.
The members of the team who didn’t know my brother and the intensity of his protectiveness over me appeared confused by my condition, yet amused by Sirius’s torn expression.
“Fine!” Sirius finally exclaimed. “Just give me the damn muffin!”
James, Remus, and Peter gave looks of pity to their beloved friend, knowing that he had just made a deal with a demon. They knew that an angry Jarron was the equivalent of a hellhound.
“Yes!” Someone to cuddle with all week! Not to mention the best cuddler of all time! “This is going to be the best break ever!” I declared, throwing my arms around him, the muffin moving along with my hand to his back. “Don’t you worry. I’ll protect you from Jarron. He’s got nothin’ on me.” I pulled back briefly to smile toothily at him and then held him close once more.
Just as I was about to finally release Sirius, I caught the eye of Travis sitting alone at the end of the Gryffindor table. The look he was giving me was strange. It was a mix of delight from – unfortunately – catching my attention, jealousy and disgust from my position with Sirius, confusion – probably from last night’s events –, and eagerness for our next conversation – which I didn’t need a wacked up crystal ball to predict would be excruciatingly awkward. His expression confirmed my most dreaded thoughts.
Alright, so maybe Travis did kiss me. That didn’t mean it actually meant something. He must have been really tired. I sure was. Don’t get me wrong. I loved Travis. But that didn’t mean I wanted his tongue down my throat. I suddenly felt the pressing urge to brush my teeth again.
But if the…kiss…really did happen, then Ian must’ve really been in Gryffindor Tower. Realizing that I had had – ACCIDENTAL – tonsil Beaters’ practice with Travis was bad enough. Of course Ian Hayes had to have witnessed it. What could be more devastating than the amnesiac, corporeal form of the guy that I loved catching me – ACCIDENTALLY – snog a guy that I had described to him as practically my brother?
Why did he have to kiss me? Everything would have been normal and I would be focusing on Quidditch, rather than my incest-ful one-sided lack-of-love life. Not that Travis actually loved me. We were tired. It was a mistake. Yes. A mistake.
I averted my glance quickly after assessing Travis’s expression and his excited wave, and let go of Sirius.
The muffin was caught by his mouth, rather than his phalanges.
I didn’t laugh along with my teammates. I needed to focus on Quidditch. Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch. Come on, Nees. Focus. We needed this win if we wanted to win the Quidditch Cup, in the end.
“Jenyse? Do you have to go to the bathroom?”
I glanced up at Sirius.
“You look constipated.”
I narrowed my eyes at him and resumed my chant of “Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch,” trying to focus, focus, focus on the coming match.
This proved to be impossible when my fellow Chaser Colleen asked, “Hey, Jenyse, why is Travis Decker staring at you like that?” Ever the observant one, dearest Colleen.
All at once, our whole section of the table, except me, turned to see Travis who I assumed either took the chance to glower at the Marauders or look away bashfully.
“Freak,” Sirius said.
I didn’t bother defending Travis. It was no use against the Marauders, and I didn’t want thoughts – even if they were the vaguest of vague – of last night reentering my brain. Now was not the time to ponder over Travis and last night’s events.
The group quickly fell into conversation about either how much they hated Travis – Sirius, Remus, and Peter – or how rude Sirius was for insulting my friend right in front of me – the rest of the team. James didn’t join any conversations, other than forcing those of us who got pre-Quidditch jitters to eat their food.
Right. Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch.
“Alright, alright,” said James, indirectly saving me, while trying to get the team’s attention, “let’s all focus on the match that starts in thirty minutes. Meaning you guys need to either scarf down the rest of your food or take it out to the locker room. Let’s go. Chop, chop. Pip, pip.” He clapped his hands impatiently to hurry us up.
Remus and Peter wished us good luck while stayed behind. As we all grunted and stood up from the Gryffindor table all laden with food that we weren’t permitted to eat – well, that we weren’t given the choice to eat –, the rest of the Gryffindors applauded us.
Walking between our table and the Ravenclaw table, I tried not to look in Travis’s direction and, though I tried to fight it, I searched the Ravenclaw table for a certain Ian Hayes instead. I was highly relieved when I didn’t see him. I let out a mysterious breath of air. I supposed our sixth-year Seeker Benjy heard, because he reached around me and gave me a comforting squeeze. If only what I was really worried about was our Quidditch match against Slytherin.
The seven of us walked out of the Great Hall, through the Entrance Hall, and out into the sunny grounds. The sunlight made the thin sheet of snow across the grounds shine. We followed the shoveled path down to the Quidditch Pitch, sharing light conversation, in attempt to put off the unwanted pre-Quidditch nerves and focus.
The chatting died down gradually, the closer we got to the locker room. James held the door open for all of us, giving us each high-fives as we passed through. I headed to the other side – the “girls’” side – of the line of lockers, along with Colleen, to change.
Opening my locker seemed to finally allow me to focus on the task at hand: Quidditch. I reached in and grabbed my uniform and pads, as Colleen started speaking to me.
“D’you think we can do this?”
I glanced at her to see her anxious face before pulling my jersey over my head. “Definitely. We’ve just got to…focus.” Focus, focus, focus.
“Yeah,” Colleen agreed, my confidence seeping into her. “What was it that James said? Just thirty points, right? That’s all we need to be ahead by to kick Slytherin out of the cup. That’s not so bad.” She shrugged and then continued to tie her boot.
I could tell that she was still feeling completely edgy, but was trying to psyche herself out of that mindset. “You alright there? Maybe you should’ve taken a bite of Sirius’s lucky blueberry muffin,” I joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
“Heh, yeah. Maybe…”
I stopped tying my own boot to look over at her.
Half-straddling the bench, with her arms around her propped up leg, Colleen was staring off into space with unease in her eyes. Her other leg was shaking with anticipation to get the match over with.
I sighed and walked over to her. “Hey. You’ll be fine,” I told her, to which she replied with a doubtful look. “You’re an awesome Chaser. You fly incredibly and your passing is no worse than James’s or mine. You’ll be fine.” I offered her a fist to bump, and she didn’t disappoint, even adding a small smile into the mix.
“Hey, you guys decent?” a voice from the end of the lockers asked us.
I checked to see that we were both dressed enough to let him enter before accusing, “Does it really matter to you, James?” making Colleen blush.
“Ha-ha. Very funny, Jenyse. I’m a taken man. And that’s Captain James to you,” James said, as he walked around the lockers, towards us. “Just wanted to go over strategies alone with the Chasers. How are you guys holding up?”
“We had a little anxiety problem, but I think that’s taken care of,” I answered, looking to Colleen for confirmation.
“Yup. It’s all good.”
“All the time,” I added, knocking my shoulder lightly into her.
James flashed a smile, assuring us that that was what he liked to hear, before getting down to business. The three of us went over a few of our Chaser plays and strategies, like we did before every game. Before every match, James liked to go over plays with each individual player or group of players, according to their position, making him a great captain.
Once our brains had been refreshed and we were all completely dressed and padded up, the two of us went back with James around the line of lockers, into the main area. The team sat along the benches, facing the chalkboard and James, awaiting a speech.
With a deep breath, James started. “Alright, team. This is it. If we nail this, it’ll be a breeze to the Cup. Thirty points. That’s all we need to put Slytherin out of the running. Three goals,” he stressed, directing his gaze at Colleen and me. “On the other hand, Slytherin needs a load of points to knock us out of the competition. It should sound simple, but that just gives them all the more reason to do whatever it takes for them to beat us.
“So, this is my warning to you: they will be aggressive – maybe more aggressive than we’ve ever seen them. That means stupid taunts, nasty body hits, wild Bludgers…. Anything to break us down. Just keep in mind that all that just makes them no better–”
Scandalized, everybody’s heads turned to the door, where the source of the sound that made James pause mid-speech came from. Nobody interrupted the captain.
My reaction to the sound was a little delayed, because I was so focused on James’s speech. The intensity of which he spoke was always so captivating. When I finally realized that he had stopped speaking, I confusedly turned my head, as a new voice started speaking.
“Hey, so, the sky’s looking alright. The sun’s a-shinin’, but there are some friendly looking clouds to block the shine, at some points during the match. It’s a little windy, but not too bad. Just hope you get the left hoops. The wind is blowing that way and will really help with goals. The ground is nice and tough; good for kickoff. It’s a bit nippy out, but you guys have trained in colder. I’d say it’s perfect weather for kicking Slytherin arse.”
Focus my ARSE.
My eyes followed him as he moved from the locker room door to the seat in the front right corner, next to the chalkboard. If James wanted me to be completely focused on the match ahead, he needed to get Ian Hayes out of there, right at that moment.
“What the hell is he doing in here?” I asked quietly to whoever could hear, while James thanked Ian for his report.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sirius look at me with a raised brow. “James asked him to check out the weather conditions and report back before the match. Why?”
“No reason,” I replied curtly, not taking my eyes off of Ian.
It took another second for Sirius’s assessing eyes to turn away from me. He was still suspicious about Ian and me. Lately, I was able to downplay the weirdness between us, but today, it would be incredibly difficult to throw Sirius off my scent.
“No problemo, Cap’n,” Ian replied to James’s thanks, leaning back in his chair. His eyes wandered away from James to look at the team. When they landed on me, his expression turned blank before it morphed into cold, causing me to look away.
I tried to fight the guilt rising in me, but it was hard when I could feel his gaze on me. Doing my best to ignore him and the guilt, I set my attention back on James.
“Alright, so, where was I?” James asked, momentarily distracted.
“Slytherin sucks and are too weak to play fair,” Benjy provided.
Everyone laughed at the sixth-year Seeker, but James, Ian, and me.
“Right,” James said, focused once again. “Which means that Sirius and Adam?” he looked at the two Beaters. “You guys need to be on a lookout for anything fishy going on. You two should be the only ones controlling those Bludgers. Don’t let those gits touch them.”
“Ay ay, Captain!”
The fourth-year Keeper looked up from his wringing hands in his lap.
“Let’s be generous and only give them – ehh – one goal, yeah?”
Seth smirked. “Alright,” he agreed, while giving James a fist bump.
“Colls and Jenyse. Pass, pass, steal, pass, dodge, pass, goal. Shouldn’t be hard for the two of you,” James said, giving us a wink. “Remember: three goals ahead.”
“You got it.”
James frowned briefly at my lackluster response.
I averted my gaze from him, surely guaranteeing myself a one-on-one with the captain.
“Uhh, yeah. And Benjy, my man,” James addressed, laying his hand on Benjy’s shoulder. “I have no doubt in my mind that you will catch the snitch. Just wait for my cue. Use those dives of yours to fool Dole and keep him away from the Snitch. Remember, remember, remember: thirty points ahead.”
“Yyyup. Wait, what’s the cue again?”
“Uhh….‘Go, Benjy, go?’” James suggested.
Benjy nodded. “Got it.”
“We believe in you, too, James!” Sirius called out, to which the rest of us voiced in agreement.
James smiled, and then returned to addressing the team as a whole again, as he finished off his speech. “Alright, team. This is it. Do or die. We must win this match. For Gryffindor, legacy, pride, respect, family honor, integrity, loyalty. To prove to Lily that I am someone.”
A few people chuckled at that.
“We won it last year like it was nothing. With the training we’ve had all year this year, today should be a piece of cake. Let’s make this a nine-year run for Gryffindor, yeah?”
“Yeah!” Sirius whooped loudly.
“Ian, here, will be in the Gryffindor stands. He’ll be on the lookout for anything we need. If he tells you to do something, you do it. He knows the game as well as we do. I trust him, and so should you.” He paused, looking at as all with great fondness and pride. “So…let’s do this.”
The team erupted in cheers and whoops. James having finished his speech, everyone went back to either talking amongst themselves or making themselves stay focused.
I could tell that Sirius wanted to talk to me, but was preoccupied by Adam, who was going over Beater tactics with him again.
“Hey, Hayes, do me a favor? Check if everyone’s in the pitch already? Thanks.”
I saw Ian’s legs pass the spot on the wall I was staring at before I heard the door open and close. Not long after, I saw another pair of legs walk in front of the same spot, but walking towards me, instead of the door. I followed the legs up to the owner’s face and saw that it was James. Sigh. Here goes.
James straddled the bench on my right and stared at me. It was a while until he spoke, but speak he did. “Jenyse.”
“Look at me.”
Taking a deep breath, I complied. He had that half-brotherly-concerned, half-captainly-stern look on his face that made me want to crumble up and hide. This was so not the time to have a heart-to-heart with James.
James’s hand reached over to settle comfortingly on my back. “Something’s up with you. I know you don’t want to talk about it – you have that look – and I respect that. I’m sorry that whatever you’re going through is happening during or happened right before a Quidditch match, but I need you to focus for me. Just let whatever’s on your mind go and think solely about Quidditch. Can you do that for me?” His hazel eyes bore into mine, the concern in them showing more and more.
“Yeah. Sorry. It’s nothing. Quidditch, Quidditch, Quidditch. We’ve got a match to win.” I flashed him a forced smile.
He nodded, though still not convinced. “That’s right. And I meant what I said earlier about listening to Hayes. That goes for you, too, Jenyse. Got it?”
I bit back a retort and, instead, replied, “Mmhmm.”
James’s hand on my back moved to my side as he pulled me in for a hug. “That’s my girl,” he said, before kissing the top of my head.
We released each other when we heard the clearing of somebody’s throat, but James’s hand remained on my back.
Hello, again, guilt. I missed you, the two seconds that you were gone. Merlin’s freaking phalanges.
Without giving me one glance, Ian told James, “It looks like everyone’s in the stands. We should be starting in a few minutes.”
“Alright. Sounds good. Thanks.”
“No problem. I’m gonna head to the stands now. Good luck.”
For some reason, I knew that he had looked at me when he had said those last two words. I could feel his gaze. Once again, I heard the locker room door swing shut, and Ian was out of the building. I received a reassuring pat on my back from James before he stood up to address the team.
“Alright, team! Let’s go out there and play some Quidditch! Hands in!”
Everyone put their fists up, in the middle of the circle that we made.
“Gryffindor on three! One, two, three–!”
The team filed out, one by one, receiving high-fives from James, again, as we exited the locker room, brooms in hand.
Walking to our entrance of the pitch, Sirius walked next to me. “You good?”
“I’m good.” I hoped.
We stood in line, James in front and me behind him, waiting to be called into the pitch by the animated commentator, a seventh-year Hufflepuff, Kent Deering.
“Helloooo, Hogwarts!” Kent’s voice echoed through the air. “Today is the day. An odd day, though, isn’t it? Quidditch on a Sunday? That’s just bizarre! But it is a splendid day, despite it all! Now, who’s ready for some Quidditch?!”
The whole pitch was filled with a roar of cheers, applause, and other various noises, in response.
“Alright! Today, we have two teams – enemies, if you will – fighting for their chance at the Quidditch Cup. In the red and gold, we have the Gryffindor team, led by – ladies, sorry, but he’s a taken man – the brilliant Captain James Potter!”
James, wishing us luck one last time, flew into the pitch, leaving me at the front of the line. I watched as he circled around the pitch, above the crowd, pumping his fist in the air. I rolled my eyes when he blew Lily a kiss.
“His marvelous team consists of his fellow Chasers, Baccari and Cale; Beaters, Black and Murphy; Keeper, Miller; and Seeker, Fenwick!”
With me leading the way, we all took off, in the order that we were called, filing in behind James, who was still circling around the pitch. I put on my game face and forced myself not to look at the Gryffindor stands. I did my best to relax my body and just fly.
When the cheering died down, we went to land on our side of the central circle to await the entering of our opponents.
“Going against the reigning champions of eight years is the Slytherin team in silver and green! Captained by Keeper, Robert Gordon, we have Chasers, Sealey, Fallon, and O’Toole; Beaters, Mitchell and Styger; and Seeker, Dole!”
One by one, green figures zoomed into the pitch and flew above the crowd, just as we had done. They landed in formation, across from us, as Madam Hooch joined us in the middle of the field with the chest of Quidditch balls.
“Captains, shake hands!” she ordered.
James offered his hand to Gordon, who took it and squeezed it as hard as he could, rather than shaking it. From what I could see, James seemed to return the same amount of pressure to Gordon’s hand before they let it go and returned to their positions.
“I want a clean match from all of you! I will not hesitate to give penalties!” she said sternly and loudly, so that all of us could hear. “Mount your brooms!”
“It looks like it’s going to be a good fight! I mean, match! They’ve mounted their brooms. The balls have been released, and they’re off! Gryffindor gets possession. Potter with the Quaffle. He passes it to Cale, who gets past O’Toole to pass it back to Potter. Potter dodges a Bludger with ease, hit by Mitchell. Potter passes it to Baccari.”
All of Kent’s commentary stopped entering my ears when I caught the Quaffle. I faked to the right to get Sealey out of my way, and then headed straight for the goals. I made a show of attempting a throw at the right goal post – which caused Gordon to zoom in that direction – but threw it to the left, where Colleen caught it and tossed it into the left goal.
“Brilliant play by Baccari and Cale! That’s 10 to zero, to Gryffindor.”
I made a loop around, so that I could give Colleen a quick high-five before heading back down to the other side of the pitch for defense. James gave us a thumbs-up before setting his attention back on Sealey, who had possession of the Quaffle and was flying our way.
“Sealey tosses it to Fallon. He throws it overhead to O’Toole, who’s all the way in the other corner. Bad move, Fallon. This is no Muggle basketball game! These guys have got brooms! And Baccari intercepts the pass!”
I tucked it underneath my arm and made my way to the other posts. I took a peek over my shoulder to see if anyone was tailing me.
I wasn’t able to see the Bludger coming right at me until the last couple of seconds before it could hit me. I narrowly dodged it, throwing all of my body weight to my left and swinging myself back on top of my broom.
“That was a close one, Baccari! And Black whacks the Bludger back at Styger.”
“Pay attention, Jenyse!” Sirius yelled at me.
I ignored him and passed the Quaffle to James, so I could look and see who yelled my name out in warning.
“What are you doing, Jenyse?! Get down there!” Ian shouted to me from the front of the Gryffindor stands.
Though I wanted to rebel and not follow his directions, I knew I had to do it. I shot down to the other end, but was too late to participate. James had already scored.
“20 to nothing, Gryffindor!”
“Ugh!” I groaned, while heading back to where I had just come from. I turned my broom straight at O’Toole, going full speed.
Unfortunately, she saw me coming, and was able to make a short dive before I hit her and keep possession of the Quaffle.
“Bad luck, Baccari. O’Toole passes it to Fallon who just scores past Miller, making it 20 to 10, Gryffindor!”
Seth cursed before grabbing the Quaffle and throwing it to me.
“The score is now 90 to 20, in favor of Slytherin. And there’s a time-out – our first of the match – called by Gryffindor captain, James Potter.”
Frustrated beyond all belief – even more so, after seeing Ian motion to James to call a time-out in five minutes –, I landed by the rest of the team, by the tunnel we had entered the pitch through.
James put on a level-headed façade, but I could tell that he was furious. He looked about ready to throw his broom at the nearest thing with a heartbeat. He didn’t speak until Ian, out of breath, appeared in the tunnel, looking all flustered.
“What the hell is going on, guys? All they need is two more goals before Dole will be able to go after the Snitch, if they want to kick us out of the championships!” James exclaimed.
“James is right,” Ian – much to my dislike – voiced his agreement. “You guys need to shape up if you want to win this match. You’re facing things we went over thousands of times during practice. Why aren’t you executing what we practiced?”
I forced myself to stay mute, not looking at him. I knew I was playing horribly. I just didn’t know why. Or maybe I did…
“Sirius and Adam, keep doing what you’re doing. Seth, I need you to step it up, buddy. They’re faking you out like crazy,” James said. “Colls, keep it up with the passes. Don’t be afraid to go for some of those steals. Benjy, you’re doing great, keeping Dole away from the Snitch. Let’s get back in there and play like we’re capable of playing. Come on!”
I was shocked and somewhat disappointed when James didn’t direct any advice to me. I knew he knew that I knew how bad I was playing, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want a scolding to get me back in shape. Then again, telling everyone but me what they were doing right and wrong was probably enough to send me on the guilt trip.
I stopped when I felt a hand grab hold of my arm and turned back to face Ian. We both paused as I shot a glance at his hand on my arm, after which he withdrew with lightning speed.
“You need to get your head in the game, Jenyse. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, today. If you want to win this match, you’ve got to stop thinking about whatever or whoever it is you’re thinking about, and start thinking about Quidditch,” he ordered in a quiet, assertive voice.
I looked in his eyes for a brief moment as I registered what he had just said. ‘Whatever or whoever’? You’ve got to be kidding me. I didn’t even bother to respond before I stormed off, catching up with the others. Who did he think he was, talking to me like that? He wasn’t my captain. He wasn’t even a Gryffindor, for Merlin’s sake! I’d show him.
“And we’re back in it! It looks like the Gryffindor team took some got whooped into shape during that much-needed time-out. Look at them go! Great goal by Baccari, making it 90 to 30, Slytherin! I see a comeback on the way!”
That’s right, Kent. Here’s the comeback of the season.
“Slytherin has possession. Nicely directed Bludger by Murphy! Sealey drops the Quaffle. Potter catches it and SCORES! That’s two goals, already, by Gryffindor, before Slytherin even made it onto their half of the pitch! 90 to 40, Slytherin!”
A bunch of penalties, exceptional saves by Seth, mind-blowing hits and blocks by Sirius and Adam, and incredible steals, passes, dodges, and goals by Colleen, James, and me later, the score was 90 to 80, with Slytherin still in the lead.
“Potter is saved from a blow to the head by a Bludger by Black, who knocks it towards O’Toole, causing her to lose the Quaffle. That is some great teamwork right there! There are Cale and Fallon, racing to get the falling Quaffle! And Cale gets it! Passes it to Baccari, and SCORE! We’re all tied up at 90 points to 90!”
I punched my fist through the air, pumped by the goal I had just made and the energy I was getting from the cheers of the crowd. I flew over to the Gryffindor stands, just for kicks, as well as to rub it in Ian’s face.
He denied me the chance to boast when he yelled, “Get back on defense!” at me, pointing at the other goal posts.
Appalled, I didn’t budge. “Why the hell are you being such an arse?! I just scored three goals in the last twenty minutes and tied up the game! What else do you want?! Get off my back!”
About to fly away, he stopped me, yelling over the noise of the crowd, “If I recall correctly, I wasn’t the one with my hands all over your back last night!”
Unable to move, I just floated there, staring at him. I could hear nothing but yelling and screaming of the students watching the Quidditch match they came to see. It took me a while to finally react to what he had said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I yelled back.
I turned to see James throwing the Quaffle at me. I caught it and quickly passed it to Colleen who was wide open, down the pitch, and then turned back to Ian.
“Like hell, you don’t! It was great to see you last night!” he shouted, so I could hear over all the other noises around us, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Really! It was a great present, seeing you and him, just as the clock struck twelve, marking the start of my birthday!”
I felt my eyes grow as wide as they could go as that fact dawned on me. His birthday. March 1st. Of course this whole thing would have to happen on this particular day. I chanced a glance up the stands and locked eyes with Travis for the first time since breakfast. I ignored his what-are-you-doing look, and looked back at Ian’s livid face. Shaking my head in disbelief – of what part of the whole interaction, I didn’t know –, I backed away and flew back to defense.
“Gryffindor lead 100 to 90! What a comeback! Gryffindor only need two more goals and the Snitch to kick Slytherin out of the running for the Cup!”
Taking all of my fury and applying it to the game, I managed to help James and Colleen get our team another ten points ahead.
“One more goal! Just one more goal!” James yelled excitedly to Colleen and me.
I managed to get possession of the Quaffle again after stealing it from O’Toole by bumping my shoulder roughly into her side and catching the falling Quaffle beneath her. As I was flying to the goal posts, I was knocked into, unexpectedly, by Sealey. The first hit wasn’t that bad and I easily stayed on my broom and held onto the Quaffle, but I had to try harder to stay intact, after the second hit. Before I knew it, I was sandwiched between Sealey and Fallon, both nudging me back and forth. I tried to accelerate to lose them, but they kept up with me. With one last shove from the both of them, the Quaffle slipped from my grip and they got possession.
“Dammit!” I yelled as I tried to regain my balance on my broom.
“It looks like Baccari’s alright, but Slytherin gets past Potter and Cale, and Sealey scores, making it 110 to 100, to Gryffindor!”
For the next twenty-five minutes or so, the match followed as such. We would be twenty points up, just one goal away from a catch from Benjy, and then Slytherin would score. Back and forth, the score would toggle from our team being twenty to ten points ahead.
“And Gryffindor is back to being twenty points ahead, at 170 to 150! This is getting to be the longest and most exciting match of the year, mates!”
“Come on, guys! We’ve got this! One more!” James encouraged us.
The higher the score went, the more frustrated I got. I was sick and tired of this match. I just wanted it all to stop, and get out of the yelling presence of Ian Hayes. This match needed to end.
“Slytherin has possession. O’Toole is heading down the pitch. She passes to Fallon. He passes to Sealey. It goes back to O’Too– No, wait! The Quaffle is intercepted by Baccari! Where did she even come from?! She heads down the pitch at lightning speed! She passes to Potter! And SCORE! 180 to 150, Gryffindor!”
“GO, BENJY, GO!” James roared to the Seeker.
I watched as Benjy made a sharp turn from where he was fake-leading Dole to, to head the other direction, toward the real direction of the Snitch.
“Fenwick’s been given the go for the Snitch! Slytherin’s got possession of the Quaffle! Sealey is flying super speed towards his goal posts!”
I stopped watching Benjy when I heard Kent’s commentary. I looked over and saw James tailing Sealey.
“Sealey passes to Fallon! It’s– INTERCEPTED BY POTTER! Potter, about to throw to Cale, who is– NO! She’s knocked off her broom by O’Toole! Hang on, Colleen!”
Terrified, I turned to see if Colleen was alright. She was hanging onto her broom with one hand, and her other hand was holding what I assumed to be a bleeding nose. I was about to go help her when I saw Adam flying towards her. Deciding she was about to be in good hands, I turned back to find James.
“Potter’s still got the Quaffle. Look at Fenwick and Dole go! I’ve never– Oh, MERLIN! James Potter gets a hit to the shoulder by a Bludger sent by Styger!”
“JAMES, NO!” I screamed, shooting towards him.
“Fallon’s got the Quaffle! He just scores past Miller! We’re back to a twenty point lead for Gryffindor, at 180 to 160!”
“Jenyse! Get back and play!”
“What?! Are you kidding?! You’re hurt! You need help!”
“Jenyse! Get back and play!” a new voice demanded.
I looked up at Sirius who was giving me a reassuring look with belief in his eyes. After a bit of internal fighting, I nodded and flew off.
I caught the Quaffle from Seth, midway down our half of the pitch, and swiveled around to face the other end of the pitch. Before I had the chance to react, my path was blocked by Fallon, who knocked me off my broom and stole the Quaffle. The adrenaline rushing through me allowed me to pull myself back onto my broom quickly. Determinedly, I sped as fast as I could to catch up to Fallon. Making my mind instantly, I did the only thing that came to mind.
Once I was right next to Fallon, I tightened my grip as much as I could and flipped my left leg over my broom. Miraculously, my broom kept its momentum forward, keeping up with Fallon’s speed. I swung my weight forward, kicking up my foot, so that it hit right through the hole that his arm made, that wasn’t covering the Quaffle. As I intended, the Quaffle shot out of Fallon’s arm and into the air. I swung my leg, again, and kicked the Quaffle up. Letting one hand off of my broom, I reached out to catch the ball. Just as I caught it, Fallon’s foot kicked me in the stomach, knocking the air out of me. I was a split second from letting go, before I quickly tightened my grip. I managed to stop my broom, abruptly – causing Fallon to zoom past me –, so that I could re-mount my broom. I swung my leg over the handle, and – by the grace of Merlin – managed to get back onto it.
Immediately, I sharply turned towards our goal posts and flew as fast as magically possible, while dodging anything coming my way. As I was approaching the distance where I would be close enough to score, I took a split second to think about how I was going to nail this goal. My lips grew into a smirk.
“Fenwick has gone into a dive with Dole close behind!”
Without thinking about the specific maneuver, I performed my original “favorite move” taught to me by my brother.
“Was that a goal? That was a goal! That was a kickarse move and goal by Jenyse Baccari of Gryffindor, making the score 190 to 160, to–! BENJY FENWICK HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH!”
Breathing heavily from the incredible amount of energy I had just exerted, I swiveled around to see Benjy flying around in circles, holding up his fist that was enclosed around the Golden Snitch.
“GRYFFINDOR WINS, 340 POINTS TO 160!”
“YESSS!” I shrieked in pure bliss. It was finally over. We had won.
I took a dive, to reach the ground as fast as possible. I didn’t even wait until both of my feet were on the ground before I jumped off of my broom to run to the rest of my team. As soon as I was close enough, I jumped up and into Sirius’s arms, which caught me easily. “WE WON!”
“Jenyse, you did it!” he exclaimed, just as excitedly. After hugging me tighter and making a few twirls, he set me on my feet. “You insane son of a motherless goat! What’s wrong with you?!” He hit me forcefully on the arm as his expression grew from elated to enraged.
“What?!” I asked, rubbing the probably bruised spot on my arm.
“That idiotic move you made to steal the Quaffle from Fallon! You could have died! That was amazing!” He proved to be bipolar when he pulled me in for another hug and a kiss on the forehead.
I couldn’t help but grin.
“James!” I let go of Sirius and made my way to James. “Are you alright?”
His shoulder looked eerily deformed. “Of course I am. I think it’s just dislocated. But never mind that. Besides the fact that you could’ve killed yourself, you were brilliant!” he praised as he pulled me in for a one-armed hug. He kissed my head repeatedly for a good minute.
“Thanks, James,” I said with a laugh. “Now, go get that shoulder fixed!”
“Good call. Oi! Sirius!”
I chuckled as he moved away from me. It wasn’t long before I was attacked again, this time by Colleen and Adam.
“Jenyse! Are you okay?!”
“Jenyse, you were ridiculous!”
I smiled, gratefully. “Thanks, Adam. And I’m fine. How about you, Colls?”
“I’m good. The bleeding’s stopped. I just have a killer headache.”
“I bet. I would’ve helped you out, up there, but I figured you were in good hands.” I shot her a smirk, noticing that Adam’s arm was around her.
She blushed and shrank into Adam’s side.
“See you at the party?” Adam asked.
Oh, Merlin. I hadn’t even thought about a victory party. “Uhh, yeah. I’ll be there.”
“Awesome,” he said, before steering them both away to congratulate other teammates.
Before I could find Benjy to give him a big hug, I felt a body collide into mine, from behind.
I turned in Travis’s arms to hug him back as the adrenaline and elation from the match still pumped through my veins. “Trav!” I exclaimed happily. “We won!”
“I know! But more importantly, you’re alive!” he proclaimed thankfully, as he brought his hands to cradle my face and tilted it towards his.
At first I thought that he was about to give me a kiss on the forehead, like James and Sirius had done minutes before, but as soon as I saw him close his eyes and lower his target, I understood what he meant to do and freed myself from his gasp. “What are you doing?”
A confused expression on his face, Travis slowly opened his eyes. He stared at me for a second before smiling knowingly. “It's okay, Jenyse. It’s a celebration. No one’s going to care about a little PDA. Look.”
I turned my head to see where he was gesturing to. Lily and James were snogging each other fiercely, in the middle of all the insanity surrounding us. I quickly averted my eyes.
“See?” Travis pointed out as he tried to kiss me again.
I pushed him away, halting him with my hands on his chest. “Trav, what are you doing?”
His happy smile started to falter. “Jenyse,” he said.
I stared back at him, hoping he would understand.
“Oh,” he said finally. “I thought,” he sputtered. “But, before…I thought…”
I fidgeted uneasily, looking down at my hands. I wasn’t ready for this. I didn’t want that embrace we shared to be our last hug ever. I didn’t want to lose his friendship, but I knew I had to do it. I couldn’t keep leading him on. It would just build up and blow up in my face eventually. Breaking his heart would be saving his heart. I took a deep breath, paused, and then bravely looked him in the eye.
All traces of his smile were gone.
Not feeling so brave anymore, I quickly glanced around at all the cheering people around us. Colleen waved at me cheerfully before jumping into Seth’s arms. I kept my eyes focused on them because it was easier than looking into Travis’s eyes. “Trav, maybe we should go take a walk.” I reached out to grab his hand, but he slapped my hand away.
“No,” he said firmly. “No thank you. Anything you have to say to me you can say right here. What's going on with you?”
I looked down at my muddy shoes. “I don't know.”
He tenderly lifted my chin and caressed my cheek with his thumb. “Not that I’m that experienced, but I’m thinking that it’s okay to be a little scared. I’m a bit petrified myself, but it’s a good scared, you know? Like my legs have turned to jelly and my heart beats like crazy every time I'm near you.” He grinned. “This is new territory for us. Not that I'm complaining,” he added enthusiastically.
I winced and removed his hand from my face. To soften the blow, I kept hold of his hand. “Trav,” I breathed sadly.
He took his hand back and brought it to his side with a huff. “Jenyse, I don't understand. We kissed last night. I kissed you, and you kissed me back for a rather long time, I'll add. I thought, well, you seemed like you enjoyed it. Didn't you?”
I brought myself to look up at his vulnerable and expecting brown eyes, and I opened my mouth to answer him. My voice cracked. “Travis.”
He looked away. “I think we should take a walk.”
He held out his hand, as though he was going to grab mine, but he must of thought better of it, because he hastily stuffed it into the pocket of his trousers.
We meandered through the cheering Gryffindors, parting through the sea of red. Only, I didn’t exactly feel like Moses at the time.
Finally, near the edge of the pitch, we found an uncrowded place where only a few Ravenclaw girls were standing.
He stopped firmly and looked at me.
I waited for him to say something, but he was silent. I took a shaky breath. “Trav, I didn't mean to give you the wrong impression,” I started.
He balked. “The wrong impression?” he echoed angrily. “We kissed! You kissed me back. Believe me. I was there. How was that supposed to be taken?”
“I was confused.”
“So you thought moving your lips against mine would help clear things up? Merlin, Jenyse.” He looked away, again, angrily, throwing his hands in the air.
I frowned. “I wasn’t sure what was going on,” I defended lamely but honestly.
“Bloody hell!” he cursed venomously. “Jenyse, I’ve spent five years being in love with you. I asked you on a date. You said yes. I kissed you. What else was supposed to be going on?”
My heart faltered painfully as one word stabbed into it. “You love me?” I croaked.
Softening, he turned back to me. He moved closer to me and brushed my sweaty hair back. “I love you,” he told me. “Always have.”
I closed my eyes as tears began to well up, ready to taunt me by running down my face. I felt him lean in again, but I took a step backwards. “Travis, I can’t.”
He groaned. “Why not?” he asked. “Is there somebody else that I don’t know about?”
I laughed humorlessly. “There’s nobody out there. Trust me.”
“Then why? We get along. We enjoy spending time together. We already know everything there is to know about each other. We could be happy together.”
I smiled sadly. “No, we wouldn’t,” I said truthfully, almost breaking my own heart. “I couldn’t make you happy.”
Travis laughed. “Jenyse, yesterday was the best day of my life, up until you ran off, leaving me confused. You’re the person I want to be with. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I replied.
He smiled again, preparing for another attempt at a kiss.
“I’m just not in love with you,” I corrected.
“Well, try,” he pleaded. “Maybe if we just date for a little while, things will change, and–”
“Travis,” I cut him off pathetically. “That’s not the problem. I know what it is that you want from me, but I just can’t give it to you. And I can’t lie to you, either.”
“I can change,” he insisted as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. “I can be less demanding, less aggressive. Rewind. We can just take things one step at a time.”
I sniffed. “You don't want that. You deserve better than that. You deserve better than what I could give you.”
“Oh, don’t give me that,” he said sharply. “It’s you that I want, Jenyse.”
I took a deep breath and took a step away from him. A tear slid down my cheek. “We can still be frie–”
He held up his hand to silence me before I could finish the word. “Don’t say it,” he said in a trembling voice. “I don't want to be just your friend anymore, Jenyse. I can’t bear being around you all the time, watching you smile or brush back your hair, and knowing that I’ll always want more. I want to be more than a friend.”
Another tear fell. I tried to speak, but my mouth quivered as I sucked in my tears.
“But you don’t, do you?” he asked in bitter rhetoric. “To you, I’ll always just be ‘Trav Trav the asexual lad,’” he spat before briskly pivoting to walk away.
“Travis!” I called out to him, my voice cracking loudly.
His body froze immediately, but he did not turn around.
“I am so sorry,” I said desperately, in between deep breaths to rid of the sobs overtaking me.
He sighed, and I saw his heavy shoulders sag. “I know you are,” he said quietly over his shoulder where I could not clearly see his face, “but it doesn’t make this any easier. I’m going to need some time alone to figure myself out and calm myself down before I destroy something.”
“How much time?” I asked desperately.
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Just…if you do care about me at all, leave me alone.” He walked away, leaving me in my pathetic state.
“Travis!” I called hoarsely, the sobs coming uncontrollably now.
This time he did not stop but just continued walking until he disappeared into the mass of scarlet.
Wanting nothing but to get away from all of the happy vibes that were coming off of everyone on the field that were solely present to mock me, I “Accio”-ed my broom and stumbled my way back to the locker rooms. Approaching the tunnel, I heard footsteps following me and a voice call out.
Wincing, I covered my mouth in attempt to quiet my sobs, so that they wouldn’t echo off of the walls of the tunnel, and walked on. Now was not the time, Ian Hayes. I quickened my pace, ignoring his frustrated calls. When I got through the locker room door, I ran to the shower room, slammed the room’s door shut, and locked it quickly, just before Ian banged his fists against it.
“Jenyse, open up!”
I let my broom fall to the floor, before I leaned my back against the door and slid down it until my bottom reached the floor, not caring about the bathroom germs. With my arms around my legs and head against my knees, I rocked back and forth as the tears flowed freely.
The force from his rapping on the door hit my back. “Jenyse, you can’t hide in there forever!”
“Hey, what’s going on?” I heard James ask.
“Jenyse is in there.”
“Jenyse? It’s James. Are you alright in there?” he asked, concerned, through the door.
“I just want to be alone,” I said, hoping my voice wouldn’t be a giveaway of my crying state. “Please.”
There was a short pause, and then James said, “Okay. We’ll see you in the common room.”
“You go. I’ll stay and wait.”
I cringed, praying that he wouldn’t.
“No. You heard her. Let’s go.”
There was another moment of silence before the sound of angry footsteps began and faded. I thanked Merlin for James Potter.
“Take your time, Jenyse,” James told me before following Ian out of the locker room.
Once I heard the outside door swing shut, I let myself go and allowed myself to get taken over by my sobs.
It was done. My friendship with Travis was over. After five years of having him as a best friend, I had managed to go and ruin it in one single conversation. I could hardly believe it. “I’m going to need some time,” he said. How was I to know whether it would be a day or forever, before he forgave me? I couldn’t just give him up just like that. Then again, it was all my fault for turning him away in the first place.
I wiped some of the snot that was running out of my nose on my already dirty uniform sleeve.
I never should have gone to Hogsmeade with him. But that’s thing. I’d gone to Hogsmeade with him loads of times. I’d invited him over my house and gone over his house numerous times. What made that time so different? Why hadn’t I seen a flashing light saying, “DATE! DATE! DATE!” anywhere?
Suddenly, anger at myself shot through me. What was I doing, making excuses for myself? There were no excuses for what I had done. It was all my fault. I was the one who had missed the signs. I was the one who resultantly let his feelings grow as time passed on. I was the one who – though unintentionally – led him on. I was the one to blame. Travis didn’t choose to fall in love with me.
Just like I hadn’t chosen to fall in love with Alec.
I couldn’t help but wonder whether things between Travis and me would’ve been different if I had never met or fallen in love with Alec, or if Ian had never woken up and come back to Hogwarts.
Who was I kidding? It had been no secret that I didn’t like him in that way. Travis was adorable and all, but, me and him? It would have never worked out. For one, he absolutely despised my other best friends. Two, if I wasn’t collected or strong enough to move on from Alec and just accept Ian for himself, how could I have moved on to someone completely different? And three…I’d known him for too long. Any feelings of that kind would’ve never come; I was sure of it.
And there’s another thing. How could I not have figured out that he had feelings for me, after all this time? Was I that blind? That naive? Merlin, I was an idiot.
Mentally berating myself, I willed the tears to stop falling. By no means did it work. Another wave of sadness hit me, full force. It wasn’t until after another twenty more minutes bawling my eyes out, did I calm down enough to pick my pathetic self off of the bathroom floor. Soft sobs still going through me at irregular intervals, I decided to clean myself off.
I unlocked the shower room door, opened it slowly, and entered the locker room to get my shower stuff. By the time I was cleaned, three times over, it had become well past an hour since I’d entered, and I had come to a decision.
I would obey Travis’s request and give him as much space as he needed. There would be no chance in him ever forgiving me if I kept bugging him, constantly asking him to accept my apology. I needed to respect his wishes if I wanted to get my friend back.
Finally feeling somewhat collected, I turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around my body. I took my time, getting dressed and fixing my wet, out-of-control hair. Taking one last look at my face in the mirror, I prepared myself for the victory party I was about to attend. I practiced my façade in front of the mirror for a little bit, and then made my way to the castle, broom in hand.
I walked slowly, and when I finally reached my destination and provided the password to the Fat Lady, I took a deep, calming breath before I went through the portrait hole.
I was only granted a few seconds to take in the view before I was surrounded by my teammates, but from what I could tell, the party had been going pretty well without my presence.
“And here she finally is! Jenyse Baccari: the hero of the day!”
My lips twitched slightly as I pulled Benjy down from the chair he was standing on, embarrassed from all the applause I was getting. “What are you talking about, Benjy? You’re the one that won the game, you brilliant Seeker, you.”
“If it wasn’t for that ridiculous steal and awesome score you made last second – which I can’t tell you that I saw, since I was on a Snitch chase –, we wouldn’t have kicked those lousy gits out of the running for the Cup,” he corrected, laying his arm around my shoulders. “Then again, I suppose we could share the glory.” He winked down at me, and then pulled me in for a big hug. He kissed my cheek before releasing me to grab me a Butterbeer.
Not a minute passed before I was attacked by another teammate.
Seth hugged me briefly but excitedly, exclaiming, “You were amazing, Jenyse! That last goal was crazy! Gordon was nowhere near blocking that Quaffle!”
I smiled. “You did great, too, Seth!”
He blushed. “Nahh, I was lousy. I let them score 160 points.”
I gave him a look. “Did James tell you that you were lousy?”
“Well, no, but…”
“Then you weren’t lousy. Case closed.” I shot him another smile and ruffled up his hair.
Seth thanked me bashfully.
Not long after, Benjy came back with my Butterbeer, but didn’t stay to talk, so I was left to wander the common room, looking for James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. I found them, along with Lily, by the food table – figures – and was engulfed in a group hug the moment I was spotted.
Laughing was a bad idea, for it left me with no breath, as my lungs were being crushed by the four boys. “Oxygen!” I dramatically croaked out.
Everyone but Sirius let go.
“Uhh, Sirius? Still…can’t breathe…”
“Right!” he said, finally releasing me. “I’m just glad that you’re alive and unscathed, is all. You prat!” He hit my arm again, just like he did right after the match, on the field.
“Ow! Stop it with the abuse! I won’t be unscathed any longer if you keep hitting me like that.”
“She’s right, Padfoot. We need that incredible arm of hers,” James said with a smile.
Remus pulled me in for another hug, saying, “Thank Merlin you’re alright. You ever try something like that again, I’ll kill you myself if it doesn’t kill you first.”
I chuckled at his concern. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about. That move was completely safe.”
“My arse, it was!” Peter disagreed.
The group of us laughed.
“But, seriously,” Lily cut in, “you’re lucky you pulled that off, Jenyse. That could’ve been a nasty fall.”
“Yeah, I know.” I was getting tired of hearing how dangerous that stunt I pulled was. “Sorry. I had to do it. Benjy was doing his thing and nobody told him to stop. We needed that goal,” I defended.
“Yeah,” James agreed. “I’m just glad you were able to do it without losing me a Chaser.”
I hit James in the chest with the back of my hand. “Thanks for your concern, Captain,” I said sarcastically.
James laughed, obviously still elated, and lifted me up in a hug. “You’re the greatest, Jenyse! And I am honestly very glad to have you here, alive and kicking.”
“You must be starving, Jenyse. You should go get something to eat before these guys eat all of the food,” Lily advised, just as my stomach growled.
It wasn’t until then that I realized that it was well past lunch. I agreed to grab some food, and all of them, but Remus, dispersed to different areas of the room – James and Lily to snog in a corner, and Sirius to entertain a crowd with different play-by-plays of today’s match with the assistance of Peter. Since no one had asked where I was the past hour, I figured James had told them. Sometimes, I really, really loved James.
As I grabbed a plate, I asked Remus jokingly, “How’s your heart? Still beating?”
“Thankfully, yes. You sure gave me a fright. I mean, imagine,” he said theatrically, “a world without Jenyse Baccari.”
“‘Twould be a dull place.”
“Indeed it would.” Remus gave me one last one-armed hug, saying, “I’ve got to go monitor Sirius’s number of Firewhiskeys. See you around?”
“Yep. Go take care of our boy.”
Finally left alone, I filled my plate up with the various sweets – the only type of food there. When I was done, I took my plate and Butterbeer and walked over to the only open seat: the window sill. On my way, I received many congratulations from various people. Thankfully, though, nobody stopped to chat. Reaching my semi-secluded spot, I set down my bottle on the left side of the sill and sat on the right side, sideways, instead of facing out to the room.
Looking around, I could tell that this party was just beginning, even though it had technically started an hour ago. Gryffindors partied hard.
As I was putting my last bit of peach cobbler in my mouth, I saw a head of blonde, curly hair.
Travis was sitting in a chair, alone, not far away from me, near the fireplace, with his chin in his hands, staring into the fire. He looked so distraught. It was almost enough to make me go see if he was okay, but I knew that wouldn’t accomplish anything. I watched as he sighed deeply and changed his position to lean back and slouch in his chair. His one hand moved to massage his temple, while the other rubbed one of his eyes.
Feeling worse and worse, I looked away from him and out the window.
“Trouble in paradise?”
I jumped and momentarily thanked Merlin for the glass preventing me from falling out of the seven story window. Turning to look at the culprit, my glare fell short. “What are you doing in here?”
“It’s a party. I was invited,” Ian replied cheekily from his leaning position against the wall behind me. “Let’s skip the small talk, shall we?” He pushed himself off of the wall to stand in front of me. His face grew serious as he crossed his arms across his chest. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Offended, I replied, “What’s wrong with me?”
“What did you think you were doing, pulling a stunt like that? You could have gotten yourself killed!”
I glowered at him. He would come over to yell at me for that. “I just wanted to get the match over with. I saw an opportunity, so I took it. And what’s it to you if I got myself hurt? It’d be me who would have to deal with the pain,” I spat.
“What, so I’m the bad guy for caring about your safety?”
“Oh, whatever! You’re just mad that I won the game by making my signature move, without the help from you.”
“And what if I am? What were you thinking? You made that stupid, ridiculous stunt to get the Quaffle, almost throwing yourself off of your broom, just to attempt a goal, using a trick that didn’t absolutely guarantee a score?” he fumed.
“It went in, didn’t it?”
He stared at me in furious disbelief. “I can’t believe you.”
“I can’t believe you!” I returned. “Who do you think you are, talking to me like that during the match? You don’t even know what you’re talking about!” Instead of whisper-yelling like we had been doing, I turned in my seat on the window sill to flat-out yell heatedly in his face. Yelling didn’t make a difference when it came to keeping our conversation private, because the volume of the music and several voices throughout the room drowned out our voices.
“So, that was what that whole stunt was about? You went and risked your life because you couldn’t handle the blow of reality? How do you think it felt for me to see you and him, snogging each other’s faces off, the moment I turned twenty years old? Oh, and by the way, incest much, Baccari?”
Shocked by every question he spat out, especially the last, I couldn’t do anything but stare blankly at him. Finally overcoming my senses, I slid down from the window sill to stand right in front of him. I glared up at him for a moment before I spoke. “For your information, the only reason why that kiss happened was because I was caught off guard. Why do you think I ran off the moment I saw you? That kiss meant nothing to me.”
Not being able to take much more and not wanting Ian to see the tear threatening to fall from my eye, I brushed past him. I didn’t get very far before I stopped, catching Travis’s hurt-filled eyes.
Shit. He heard.
“Jenyse?” I vaguely heard from Ian behind me.
Taking to a run, I fled the scene, ignoring Ian’s calls of, “Jenyse, wait!” and James’s drunken calls of, “Hey, Jenyse! You’re alive! Thanks for winning the match! Love you!”
In the comfort of my bed, I fell asleep after letting out a few fresh sobs.
When I woke up, I was shocked to hear the base of the music still playing in the common room. Rubbing the sleep and dried tears out of my eyes, I looked at the clock next to my bed. 11:48 PM. Dammit. It wasn’t even tomorrow yet.
I peered around the room and counted three bodies. Lily’s bed was vacant, so I figured she was still downstairs with James.
Unable to go back to sleep, I daringly decided to check out what was going on downstairs. Pulling my hood up, but not bothering to put my sock-clad feet into shoes, I trudged down the girls’ staircase.
The sight that greeted me shouldn’t have surprised me. The whole floor was a sea of scarlet, covered with sleeping drunken bodies. Taking the last step, onto the floor, my foot accidentally landed on the side of one of the bodies.
“Oughhr,” the boy groaned.
I hastily took my weight off of him by jumping off and landing next to him. “I’m so sorry!”
He groggily ran his hand down his face, revealing the face of Ian Hayes.
I wanted to run back upstairs, but concern won out. I crouched down next to him to see if he was okay.
“Jenyse?” he said sleepily.
“Ian, what are you still doing here?” I asked gently.
“Ugh,” he grunted as he pulled himself up to a sitting position, using the bottom stair. This proved to be a bad idea when the stairs transformed into a flat ramp, causing him to slip back down onto the floor. “Dammit!”
“Here.” I hesitantly took his hands and stood up, pulling him up with me. “Ian, what are you doing here? You should go back to Ravenclaw Tower.”
“No,” he grumbled. “I was waiting for you.” His hand moved to run over his face again to wipe the sleep away. “I tried to ask James and them how to get up the stairs, but they were too drunk to answer.”
I looked in the direction he pointed and found James sprawled on the floor with Lily cuddled up to his side.
“I needed– need to talk to you.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “You could’ve just waited until tomorrow during class…which I hope they all know they have in eight hours,” I said, motioning to all of the sleeping Gryffindors.
“No.” He shook his head. “Now. I need to talk to you now.”
I peered up at him wearily, about to deny him the chance, but changed my mind when I saw the determination in his eyes. I looked around the room and was able to spot all six of the seventh-year boys, including poor Travis, still in his chair by the fire. “Alright, come on,” I said, leading him up the boys’ staircase and into the seventh-year dormitory. I sank onto Sirius’s bed and Ian followed suit, facing me. I waited for him to start.
“Jenyse, I’m sorry for everything I said today.”
“Ian, you don’t have to apologize,” I told him quietly. “You have the right to your own opinions.”
“No. You were right. I didn’t know what I was talking about,” he admitted, looking down. “I don’t know what came over me. I was a real git today. I didn’t have the right to judge you or accuse you of anything. What you do and who you see is none of my business.”
“It’s okay,” I forgave him. Though I knew I should still be mad at him for the things he said to me today, I didn’t have the power to hold the grudge. Hearing him apologize was enough for me to accept his apology.
His eyes snapped up to mine in surprise. “No, really, Jenyse. I’m seriously really sorry. Go date Decker. It’s fine – well, not fine, per se – but, you know…” he stammered.
“Oh, so I need your permission, now, do I?” I joked in a mock-serious voice.
“What? No! I just mean that, if you were to want t-to date Decker, by all means, go ahead.”
I smiled. I liked Ian all flustered, I decided. It was a nice change from the tough-guy front. It reminded me of Alec. “Ian, I’m not dating Travis.”
He stared at me for a moment and then said, “If you and him not being together is in any way because of me, I am sorry. It’s his loss, really.”
The corners of my lips twitched upwards. “I was the one who told him ‘no.’”
Ian just looked confused. “But, last night. You were kissing him.”
I averted my gaze, remembering the scene. “I wasn’t thinking. I was tired. Like I said earlier; he caught me off guard.”
“Hmm,” was all he said.
I returned my gaze to him, tilting my head in wonder. “Why do you care so much, anyway?” The moment the interrogative escaped my mouth, I regretted it and dreaded the answer.
Ian’s hazel-green eyes bore into my plain green. There was something in them that I couldn’t quite place, but for some reason made me think of Alec.
“How could I not, Jenyse?” he whispered, tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.
My heart beating fast, I turned away again, like the coward that I was. After a moment, I cleared my throat before saying, “It’s late. You should get back to your dorm.”
Letting out a breath, Ian nodded. “You’re right.”
In a comfortable silence, we made our way down the stairs and back into the common room. I walked over to the girls’ staircase, ready to go back up to my bed, but was stopped on the second step, by Ian’s voice.
I turned around to see him standing right in front of me, in the same spot I found him sleeping in, with his hands on the walls of either side of the stairs.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s 11:59, and I think there’s a few seconds left of my birthday. Care to give me that birthday kiss I’ve been waiting for?” He had a smile displayed on his lips and a touch of hope in his eyes.
After a momentary internal struggle, I slowly stepped down to the bottom step, making myself level with him. I saw the excitement flash in his eyes as I placed my right hand on his shoulder. Slowly, I leaned forward until my lips brushed his cheek. Just as the big castle clock which could be heard all over the castle struck twelve, I pulled back.
There was a pleasant mix of pure delight and slight disappointment on his face as I retreated slowly backwards up the stairs with a small smile.
A/N: hey there! so there it was. the scene that Molly Raesly practically wrote was the whole Neesy/Trav scene. thank goodness for her. let me tell you, it is a PAIN to write Quidditch. never again, i say, never again (wink to Adds). i'm actually quite pleased with how this monster came out. sorry for the ridiculous length. i hope it was worth the wait! please leave me a review with critiques, comments, suggestions, and favorite parts! you should know me by now.
thanks so much for reading! see you at the next chapter!
Write a Review A Spectral Memory Untouched: "Trouble in paradise?" | <urn:uuid:27a576ef-77a6-46cc-869e-00fb9b85a892> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://harrypotterfanfiction.com/viewstory.php?chapterid=407717 | 2013-05-25T05:45:20Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979722 | 19,247 |
Information for Researchers
Scope and Content
Title: Ella Sterling Mighels papers
Date (inclusive): 1870-1934
Collection Number: MS 1470
Mighels, Ella Sterling, 1853-1934
California Historical Society
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA, 94105
Language of Materials: Collection materials are in English.
(6.5 linear feet)
Collection located onsite.
Correspondence; diaries (1900-1927), called "soulbooks"; literary manuscripts; four scrapbooks; and miscellaneous papers.
The bulk of the collection consists of typescripts and manuscripts of Mighels' writings and stories. Correspondence includes
letters to and from her second husband, Philip V. Mighels, an author, mainly about personal matters, including finances, real
estate purchases, and literary sales. Many of the letters are from Mrs. Mighels to friends and fellow writers, often identified
by first name or nickname only. Includes papers of Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters of California, a cultural and educational
group for neighborhood children, established by Mighels in her home; and papers of the California Literature Society, of which
Mighels was secretary. Correspondents include Ina Coolbrith, Ann Clark Hart, Clarence M. Hunt, Rockwell D. Hunt, David Starr
Jordan, Carleton Kendall, James D. Phelan, Richard E. White, and League of American Pen Women. Also includes a small amount
of genealogical material. Diaries include two by Mighel's daughter, Genevieve (Viva) Cummins Doan, chronicling a trip to England
(1900-1901). One of the scrapbooks is organized by Mighels' first husband, Adley Cummins (1873) and contains clippings and
information about his mother's death.
Information for Researchers
Collection is open for research.
Copyright has not been assigned to the California Historical Society. All requests for permission to publish or quote from
manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Research Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the California Historical Society as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission
of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.
[Identification of item], Ella Sterling Mighels Collection, MS 1470. California Historical Society, Manuscript Collection.
National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections Number
Photographs, two postcards, and one lantern slide shelved as MSP 1470.
The Postman's Song, with words by Ellas Sterling Cummins, shelved in Sheet Music Collection, Box 6: 1890-1899.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters of California.
California Literature Society.
Cummins, Adley Hooks
Doan, Genevieve (Viva) Cummins
Mighels, Philip V.
American fiction--Women authors
Women authors, American--California
Women authors, American--California--Correspondence
Women Authors, American--California--Diaries
Index to Correspondence
- California Literature Society
- 1919 May 28
- 1926 March 22
Coolbrith, Ina Donna, 1842-1928
- 1913 October 7
- 1914 September 21
- 1914 September 23
- 1914 October 6
- 1914 October 11
- 1916 January 25
- 1916 March 1
- 1916 March 7
- 1916 March 8
- 1915 July 17
- 1916 December 2
- 1916 December 7
- 1916 December 19
- 1917 January 13
- 1917 January 24
- 1917 March 16
- 1917 December 19
- 1918 January
- 1918 May 7
- 1928 March 12
Hart, Ann Clark
- 1921 May 14
- 1921 August 8
- 1926 May 6
Hearst, Phoebe Apperson
Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931
- 1914 December 29
- 1924 July 22
- 1924 December 10
Mighels, Philip Verril
- 1911 October 16
- 1912 February 14
- 1928 March 12
Phelan, James Duval, 1861-1930
- 1914 January 21
- 1917 September 1
- 1920 October 19
- 1925 August 17
- 1928 January 1
- 1928 January 13
- 1928 June 13
- Race discrimination
- 1911 June 25
- 1916 January 15
- 1920 November 25
- 1920 November 29
- 1924 February 7
- 1926 October 3
- 1927 January 15
- 1927 March 28
- 1928 April 21
- 1926 April 18
- 1932 April 15
- Women - Suffrage
- 1906 July 18
- 1917 September 1
- 1917 October 16
- 1920 June 21
- 1928 April 21
Gift of Edson Adams, Ernestine Adams, and Mrs. Hutchins.
No additions are expected.
Processed by CHS staff.
Ella Sterling Mighels, California pioneer, author and literary historian, was born Ella Sterling Clark in Mormon Island, the
first established California gold mining camp, near Sacramento, on May 5, 1853.
Her father, Sterling Benjamin Franklin Clark of Rutland, Vermont, came to California in 1849 and was propertied, prosperous
and the Alcalde, or judge, of the Sacramento district within three years. He then returned east to marry and bring his bride,
the former Rachel Hepburn Mitchell, to California. Rachel was a native of Philadelphia and the daughter of John Mitchell,
the County Superintendent of Schools.
Several months before Ella's birth, as her parents arrived in California, her father died. Rachel opened the first school
in the Sacramento area and, in 1854, married Dudley H. Haskell, a 49er and member of the first Nevada Legislature (1864).
The Haskells, including Ella's baby stepbrother and stepsisters, lived in Sacramento until 1863 when Rachel and the children
moved to Pennsylvania. Three years later the Haskell family reunited and moved to Aurora (or Esmeralda), Nevada, a Comstock
boom town. They maintained a toll road during the waning years of the town and Mr. Haskell was pleased to accept the position
of railroad land agent in Reno, offered by Leland Stanford in 1869. The Haskell family moved back to Sacramento where Ella
remained until her marriage to Adley H. Cummins in 1872.
Adley Cummins, a native of Chester County, Pennsylvania, came to California in 1869 at the age of nineteen and worked for
several years for the railroad. Cummins was a well known philologist, author, lecturer and lawyer. He was the love of Ella's
life and the father of her only child, a daughter named Genevieve or Viva, born October 17, 1875. The Cummins family traveled
a great deal but maintained a base in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1889, at the age of thirty-nine, Adley died of heart
Ella had spent much of her life writing articles and short stories, but now, following her great loss, she began to work on
a mammoth project, a compendium of early California journalism and literature to be published in 1893 as
The Story of the Files. This same year Ella was appointed Lady Commissioner from San Francisco to the Columbian Exposition.
During the writing of
The Story, Ella met Philip Verril Mighels, a native of Carson City, Nevada, a lawyer by education and a newspaper artist and writer by
trade. They were married in 1896 and moved to London the same year.
In 1901, following the death of Ella's mother, the Mighels family returned to the United States and lived in New York for
several years. Here Ella claims to have persuaded her husband to develop his literary skills. Regardless of her influence,
Philip became an acclaimed novelist and playwright while he continued to work for newspapers.
Viva Cummins married Augustus Doan in 1896 and spent several years at music school in London on a scholarship provided by
Phoebe Hearst. Viva performed as a “Race Impersonator”, singing and dancing in the style of the Native American, Hungarian,
Both Viva and Dudley Haskell died in 1905 and two years later Ella returned to California, never to leave her San Francisco
home again. She and her husband grew apart in temperament and career aspirations, and Ella divorced him in 1910. Philip died
in 1911 as a result of a hunting accident.
During the later part of her life, Ella developed a philosophy called “Ark-adianism”, which reflected her pioneer California
and Victorian up-bringing. She described Ark-adianism as, “...a system of philosophy which substitutes normal things for abnormal
things in every department of life especially the home life” (letter, 5/19/11).
Ella believed in kindness and humanism, in Church and the Bible, in the purity of the white race, in democracy and freedom,
and in the benign dominance of men. She was opposed to moral corruption, “chaos and socialism”, Jewish, Japanese and Black
immigration, scientific education and the medical profession.
She believed that children, who were in a conspiracy against authority, should be kept disciplined, innocent and happy. She
identified a child's seven friends--work, bread, music, art, letters, invention and common sense--and believed that women
should dedicate their lives to the upbringing of children as their mothers had before them. She did not believe in women's
suffrage (“They have no caution, no principles, when it comes to voting”, letter, 9/1/17), and she was opposed to birth control
(“Parents who lend themselves to exercising `Birth Control' are punished for interferring with Nature and they fall victim
to epilepsy, nervous prostration, insanity or lingering death”, letter, 12/28/16).
Children loomed large in Ella's life, and in her later years she developed a neighborhood literary program for the moral uplift
of young people which she named the “Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters”. Her program included providing “books one ought to read”,
and organizing both annual burnings of “bad” books and “potlatches” or gift giving parties. The motto of her little club was
“Thou shalt keep the peace” and she stressed the importance of innocence and happiness among her young neighbors.
In order to bring the children of her club into association with “nice friends”, Ella organized the California Literature
Society which met monthly at the home of Ina Coolbrith, California'a first poet laureate, until 1916, and then met elsewhere
until Ella's death.
As did other writers of her time, Ella identified herself with the early California pioneer spirit, writing constantly, if
not brilliantly, about the kind of pioneer Californians who had rocked her “to sleep in a goldrocker once used to wash the
pay dust from the American river sands” (O'Brien, 1946).
Ella tended to focus more on self-identified “fairy tales” and the mythology of the gold rush than on historical fiction.
Yet whe also wrote as a chronicler of early California literary history and was named “first historian of literary California”
by the state legislature in 1919.
Ella's literary career began at the age of ten, when the Aurora
Union published a fairy story she had written, and she was the first native Californian to publish a novel,
Little Mountain Princess, in 1880. Her best known later works were
The Full Glory of Diantha (1909),
Literary California (1918), an expansion of
The Story of the Files; and
The Story of a Forty-Niner's Daughter (1934). She also authored a play,
Society and Babe Robinson (1914) and persuaded James Phelan to publish her father's travel diary,
How Many Miles From St. Jo? (1929).
Ella occasionally wrote on other subjects of interest to her, such as the importance of maintaining the purity of the white
race (“The Fairy Tale of the White Man”) and the benign dominance of men (“The Mid-Victorian Man”). Most of her works on these
other subjects were in the form of fairy tales or common sense discussions and only a small number were published.
Ella died in 1934 following the publication of
The Story of a Forty-Niner's Daughter, written under the pen name of Aurora Esmeralda. Her autobiography reflected Ella's life long belief that “she was destined
to be the link between the Gold Rush days and the 20th century's brave new world” (O'Brien, 1946).
Cummins, Ella Sterling,
The Story of the Files. World's Fair Commission of California, Columbian Exposition, 1893.
Esmeralda, Aurora (Ella Sterling Mighels),
The Story of a Forty-Niner's Daughter. San Francisco: Harr Wagner Publishing, 1934.
Gudde, Erwin G.,
California Gold Camps. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1975.
O'Brien, Robert, “Riptides”,
San Francisco Chronicle, December 18, 1946.
Who's Who of Literary America, 1927.
Scope and Content
The Ella Sterling Mighels collection consists of correspondence, diaries, genealogical material, writing and stories, miscellaneous
material and scrap-books.
correspondence includes personal letters between Ella and her family, particularly her second husband, and other personal and business letters.
Some of her letters to others are handwritten or typed, but many are carbon copies of typed letters.
Ella's correspondence with Philip Mighels reflect and describe the course of her second marriage, which ended in divorce in
Ella's other correspondence was generally with authors, publishers, newspaper editors and politicians, including Ina Coolbrith,
James Phelan, David Starr Jordan, Phoebe Hearst, George Sterling, Ann Clark Hart, Harr Wagner, Fremont Older, Douglas Tilden,
Frank Fischer and Carleton Kendall.
She regularly discusses her current literary projects, complaining about her difficulties and frustrations with writing and
publishing, and assigning her works great social and moral value.
She also draws from her background in the California gold rush to discuss her childhood and the history of her family. She
often laments the passage of the pioneer mothers and fathers, their stories, their customs and their memories, and she writes
about being involved in many pioneer remembrance displays, including the erection of a statue of the “Pioneer Mother”.
Throughout much of her correspondence are discussions of her personal philosophy “Ark-adianism”, particularly as it concerns
women, the family and the raising and education of children. Her correspondence also contains references to her neighborhood
neophytes, known as the “Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters”, including several men and women who continued to inform her of their
lives and literary adventures long after they had left her fold.
diaries include two written by Ella's dauthter, Genevieve (Viva) Cummins Doan, chronicling her trip to England (1900-1901). They contain
descriptions of her boat trip, daily activities, studies, entertainment and dance productions as a “Race Impersonator”.
Ella also contributed a number of diaries or “Soulbooks”, which chronicle her thoughts, concerns, writing and daily activities
between 1904 and 1927. The “Soulbooks” contain little sayings (i.e., “Marriage is a custom invented by man for the protection
of woman and the conservation of the family”); copies of her published letters to editors, articles and short stories; letters
received and written; notes to herself (i.e., “Doe the next thyngge”); hand-bills, reviews, articles and ephemera concerning
her published works and her activities; material concerning the construction of a “Pioneer Mothers” statue; descriptions of
family and friends such as Adley Cummins, Philip Mighels, Ina Coolbrith and the Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters; material concerning
the California Literature Society and her title confirmation as “first historian of literary California”; discussions of her
current literary works and publishing problems, her health and financial concerns.
genealogical material includes two family trees of the Mighels family, questions regarding the Clark family and “The Book of the House
of Mitchell”, which contains a genealogy of the Mitchell, Clark and Haskell families. In “The Book”, Ella states, “The descendents
of William Mitchell[UNK]her great-grandfather[UNK]...have produced a race with such marked characteristics that they are a
source of constant inquiry to themselves and to others.”
writing and stories include typed and handwritten drafts of numerous lectures, stories, fairy tales, poems, plays and novels by Ella, such as
“Wawona”, “The Deathless Romance of Herman and Thusnelda”, “The Seven Faithful Fairies”, “Society and Babe Robinson”, “Killarg
and Thotha”, “Seven Men of Borealis”, “The Full Glory of Diantha”, and “Ar Vyvah”, as well as “thoughts and scribblings” on
miscellaneous subjects such as Ark-adian education.
miscellaneous material includes unorganized writing by others, particularly Ella's first husband, Adley Cummins; ephermera, reprints of Ella's articles,
newspaper clippings, and material relating to the California Literature Society and the Ark-adian Brothers and Sisters.
scrapbooks include a scrapbook organized by Adley Cummins (1873), containing newspaper clippings and information about the death of his
Several scrapbooks organized by Ella are also included (1893-1930). These contain published articles by Ella concerning various
subjects, particularly her travels to Alaska, London and the Chicago World's Fair of 1894; reviews of her works, particularly
“The Full Glory of Diantha”; newspaper clippings concerning her divorce from Philip Mighels, and her other activities; and
photographs, letters and ephemera.
Twenty one photographs, two postcards and one lantern slide were transferred to California Historical Society's Photograph
Collection. They include one postcard displaying the “Original idea of the `Children's Statue of the Pioneer Mother”', and
one of the statue “The Nations of the West” from the Panama Pacific International Exposition. They also include two photographs
of a mother an children (posing for the Pioneer Mother statue), one of Ella with her family (?), one of “Hal Haskell, Auburndale,
Mass.”, two of John Mitchell (?), two of Ella, two of Genevieve (Viva) Cummins, one of James Phelan, one of a “Group of Citizens
of Aurora, California (now Aurora, Nev.) taken 1865”, and nine of unknown individuals and places. Also included is one lantern
slide of an unknown individual.
Arranged into six series:
Series 1: Correspondence
Series 2: Diaries
Series 3: Genealogical Material
Series 4: Writing and Stories
Series 5: Miscellaneous Material
Series 6: Scrapbooks | <urn:uuid:d6ebec82-d614-40fd-9692-51a1140d722b> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt8n39s19q/admin/ | 2013-05-25T05:44:55Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940271 | 4,220 |
213 F.2d 855
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit.
June 18, 1954.
Harry C. Weeks, Ft. Worth, Tex. (Weeks, Bird, Cannon & Appleman, Fort Worth, Tex., of counsel), for appellant.
H. Brian Holland, Asst. Atty. Gen., Ellis N. Slack, John J. Kelley, Jr., Sp. Asst. Attys. Gen., Howard P. Locke, Sp. Assts. to Atty. Gen., Heard L. Floore, U. S. Atty., Fort Worth, Tex., for appellee.
Before HOLMES and STRUM, Circuit Judges, and THOMAS, District Judge.
HOLMES, Circuit Judge.
This is an action for the recovery of federal estate taxes, which are alleged to have been wrongfully exacted from appellant by the appellee. The facts were stipulated by the parties, and were found by the court to be in accordance with the stipulation. The issue as posed by the appellee is whether the decedent's estate is entitled to a charitable deduction, under Section 812(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, for the value of a life estate bequeathed to his widow; but, as posed by the appellant, the issue is more complicated and turns upon the nature and effect of a joint will in the disposition of property under the laws of Texas, and particularly as to when such instrument takes effect with reference to the respective parties thereto.
The decedent, Frank Hays McFarland, a citizen of Texas, died on May 7, 1948, survived by his wife, to whom he had been married for more than forty years, during all of which time they had resided together in Texas. On July 27, 1947, they had executed a joint will and contract which remained in effect without modification until after Mr. McFarland's death, when it was duly probated in the proper court of Tarrant County, Texas, the appellant qualifying as independent executrix of said estate. The joint will was also the separate will of each of the parties, and contained irrevocable covenants that neither of them would in any way alter, amend, or revoke, said will during their joint lives without the written consent of the other; and that, at the death of the one first to die, the survivor would accept said instrument as the last will and testament of the one first to die, and would not thereafter alter, amend, or revoke it, or attempt to do so, but would continue the same in full force as the last will and testament of the survivor of the two.
The joint will further provided that, upon the death of either of the testators, the survivor should receive a life estate in the decedent's one-half interest in the community property; and, upon the death of the survivor, all property then owned by the estate, after providing for certain bequests and expenses not important here, was to go for admittedly charitable purposes. The decedent's estate, at the time of his death, consisted entirely of his one-half community interest in lands, cattle, bonds, cash on deposit, and other miscellaneous items. He had no separate property. At that time Mrs. McFarland owned, as her separate estate, their residence and certain personal property in addition to her one-half interest in the community estate. She probated the joint will as the separate will of her husband, accepted whatever benefits accrued to her under it, and qualified as independent executrix thereof. Appellee contends that she thereby stripped herself of all except a life interest in her separate and community property, and that the charitable remainder interest took effect and became vested under the joint will, upon the death of her husband, as to all of her property. Her agreement to do so, it is argued, was the quid pro quo for the life estate in one-half of her husband's community property which vested in her upon his death.
It is important to note that we are dealing here with estate taxes, not with gift taxes as in Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Masterson, 5 Cir., 127 F.2d 252, Masterson v. Commissioner, 5 Cir., 128 F.2d 526, and not with income taxes as in Masterson v. Commissioner, 4 Cir., 141 F.2d 391. It is also important to note that a will speaks only from the date of the death of the testator; no one is heir to the living. There is nothing in the joint will that runs counter to these well-known maxims. On the contrary, that instrument provides that, upon the death of the last of the two to die, all property then owned by the survivor, or from which the survivor was, at his or her death, receiving or entitled to receive the income, and all other property of every kind and character then owned by the survivor, was to go to the Fort Worth National Bank for charitable purposes.
The property dealt with by the joint will was all of the community property of both parties and, under certain conditions not pertinent here, all of the separate property belonging to the appellant; but neither spouse was undertaking, attempting, or professing, to dispose of the other's property; hence the necessity for the mutual covenants and agreements in the joint will and contract. Under the law of Texas, a joint will may be probated as the separate will of the testator first to die; but, from the very nature of the instrument, it cannot take effect as a joint will until the death of the testator last to die. In Wyche v. Clapp, 43 Tex. 543, there was a joint will by husband and wife. The husband died first, and the widow qualified as executrix under it; but the Texas court refused to presume that her unquestionable interest in the property had been divested out of her by estoppel. See, also, Aniol v. Aniol, 127 Tex. 576, 94 S. W.2d 425; Gorman v. Gause, Tex.Com. App., 56 S.W.2d 855; Thompson on Wills, 2nd Ed., Sec. 202.
In the instant case, there was no question of election confronting Mrs. McFarland when she probated the joint will as the separate will of her husband and ratified the contract made with him by her. In order that the necessity of an election shall take place, the testator must affect to dispose of property which is not his own, and also make a valid gift of his own property. Bispham's Principles of Equity, p. 501, citing among other cases Smith v. Butler, 85 Tex. 126, 19 S.W. 1083. See, also, Pomeroy's Equity, Vol. 2, Sec. 505(a), citing numerous Texas decisions. So far as the widow is concerned, if Mr. McFarland had made a separate will undertaking to dispose of their joint property, and she had elected to accept benefits under it, the doctrine of election might apply and the whole estate be regarded as his property; but he did not undertake to dispose of her property. He recognized her title to it and her testamentary capacity to dispose of it. Knowing that the instrument by its very nature could not take effect until the death of the survivor, the parties bound each other by solemn covenants to make no other will, and expressly provided, "upon the death of the last of us to die," that "all property then owned by the survivor of us" shall go to and vest in the Fort Worth bank for charitable purposes. Thus, on the face of the instrument, the property owned by the survivor does not "go to and vest in" the trustee until the death of the survivor.
The great weight of authority in Texas and elsewhere is that a joint will should be probated on the death of each testator as the separate will of the decedent. In this case, as in Wyche v. Clapp, supra, the husband died first, and it is the husband's estate that is being settled. In Nye v. Bradford, 144 Tex. 618, 626, 193 S.W.2d 165, 169 A.L.R. 1, it was held that, on the death of one testator, a joint will may be probated as his will, and again probated on the death of the other testator as the will of the latter. Scofield v. Bethea, 170 F. 2d 934, certiorari denied 336 U.S. 944, 69 S.Ct. 811, 93 L.Ed. 1101, is buttressed by Graser v. Graser, 147 Tex. 404, 215 S.W.2d 867, wherein the court said that it was illogical to have the wife join in the instrument if the husband had in mind disposing of the wife's property in such fashion as to put her to an election between accepting what he gave her or rejecting his disposition of her property. The widow's testament is not in issue here because she is still alive and nemo est haeres viventis. The question here is whether the husband, by his separate will, sought to dispose of his wife's property, and we think that he did not.
The decedent left his wife a life estate in his one-half interest in their community property. She already owned the other half in fee, as well as some separate property, which was included in the joint will; but the natural inference is that she was the one who was disposing of her own property. This inference is strengthened by the instrument itself, which the parties designated not only as their joint will but as "the separate last will and testament of each of them." It is further strengthened by the provisions of the joint will that the survivor shall receive a life estate in the property of the decedent first to die; that the contingent specific bequests shall be payable upon or after the death of the survivor; and that the property given to charity shall "go to and vest in" the trustee "upon the death of the last of us to die," after providing for the special bequests and paying all debts, charges, and expenses of administration.
There is no more reason to say that the husband was disposing of the wife's property by his separate will than there would be to say that the wife was disposing of the husband's property if the wife had died first. There is nothing in the joint will and contract to indicate such irregularity, and every applicable presumption is to the contrary: Omnia praesumuntur legitime facta donec probetur in contrarium; Omnia praesumuntur rite et solenniter esse acta donec probetur in contrarium. Vol. 2 Bouvier's Law Dict. Rawle's Third Revision, Maxim, p. 2152. Pomeroy's Equity, 5th Ed., Vol. 2, Sec. 505, pp. 422-424.
As we understand the facts, no portion of the widow's separate property or her one-half interest in the community property has been included in the decedent's gross estate. The decedent left his widow a life estate in his one-half interest in the community property. The Commissioner determined the charitable deduction by ascertaining the present value of the property passing to charity from the husband's estate upon the death of the husband. Appellant's calculation is based upon the theory that, by virtue of the joint will and contract, and her election to accept thereunder, she was divested, in favor of the charity, of the remainder interest in her share of the community property, alleged to be worth more than the life-estate in her husband's share of the community property which she received under her husband's will. Appellant would offset what she claims to have been required to give up against what she received upon the death of her husband under the joint will and contract. This argument is deemed by us to be unsound. The doctrine of election has its basis in the equitable doctrine of estoppel by conduct, which has its foundation in the necessity of compelling the observance of good faith. The appellee is not pleading it, and the appellant is not entitled to plead it. Bisph.Eq., Sec. 282.
As we have seen, under Texas law, a joint will though valid does not take effect as such while one of the parties is alive. Therefore, the survivor of a joint will is not divested of any portion of his or her estate merely because the joint will becomes irrevocable, even by consent, after the death of the testator first to die. Even an irrevocable will does not become effective as a will until the death of the testator or testatrix. Notwithstanding any contractual obligations, being still alive, the appellant has not been divested of any of her property by the joint will, by her separate will, or by estoppel with reference to anything in her husband's separate will. The contract contained in the joint will has been sealed by death and fully executed on the part of the decedent; but, as to the widow, it is merely an executory contract in its most essential provisions, and will remain so until her life's end. She has made her will and has agreed not to alter or revoke it, but she has not thereby been divested of the title or deprived of the possession of any of her property. She has inherited her husband's share of their community property, as was contemplated in their mutual covenants if he died first. She has done nothing wrong or irregular in probating the joint will as the separate will of her husband, and she has lived up to her covenants with him so far as this record shows; but she was not divested of any property upon his death, either by the joint will or by his separate will and testament. Nothing has passed to charity from the widow's estate, because she is still alive. Consequently, the Commissioner correctly valued the estate of the decedent separately from that of the widow.
Accordingly, the judgment appealed from should be affirmed. | <urn:uuid:82c49bc6-00b9-4933-979e-91976c0505b7> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://openjurist.org/213/f2d/855/mcfarland-v-campbell | 2013-05-25T05:44:15Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.981017 | 2,959 |
Top 25 'money' free agents
A look at potential free agents with a lot riding on the last few games
Updated: December 14, 2012, 2:28 PM ET
By Chris Sprow | ESPN Insider
NFL free agency has historically been a great example of lemon economics. Don't think citrus -- think used cars. The basic theory says that if the original owner would even allow the player (or car) to be purchased, it greatly diminishes the product. It's an information disconnect, and the original owner knows more. The eyes squint and the brow furrows after a look under the hood: "So -- why don't you want it?"
Same with the NFL, historically. Players have such a short shelf life because of injuries that to even get to free agency at all carries a stench. We know Mario Williams has had a great career, but surely Houston knew something the market didn't. In this league, it's always been that, if you like a player, you wrap him up. A change of system could be akin to dumping the new sports car for a minivan as the family changes, but everyone seems to agree: The original owner got the best years of the car, just as the Texans got the best years of Williams. Free agency is one part money, two parts hope.
At least, that used to be the case. Things might be shifting. The salary-cap reality after the last CBA should allow a few more players teams truly don't want to lose to hit free agency. And we're going to see dividends. You can knock Williams, but what about Vincent Jackson? What about Brandon Carr?
Below I've listed not a ranking of the top free agents but rather, a list of players who have perhaps the most on the line down the stretch in terms of their future market values; I've also added some possible fits for them. (So don't mistake this for a "top free agents" list. And the team fits for each player are possibilities, not predictions.)
1. Joe Flacco | QB | Current team: Baltimore Ravens
He has started 77 of 77 possible NFL games, carries a 53-24 record as a starter, has a 98-55 career TD-INT ratio and won't turn 28 until January. So how is Flacco going to become an unrestricted free agent at a position where even the Romo-coaster won't be subjected to such an indignity? How high his ceiling extends is clearly a question, and the rest of the regular season will dictate dollars. Baltimore dumped offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and has the worst defense of Flacco's tenure. It all points to: "It's on you, Joe."
Fit: Most would be shocked if he were anywhere but Baltimore next season.
2. Mike Wallace | WR | Current team: Pittsburgh Steelers
[+] EnlargeMike Wallace
Joe Robbins/Getty ImagesMike Wallace needs to impress in the remainder of the season to increase his market value.
He'll be an unrestricted free agent, and Wallace needs to finish strong. He's in the midst of his worst NFL season in terms of efficiency, has been the third-best WR on his own team a season after he was openly considered maybe the best in the game and has admitted he can "lose focus" at times. Not exactly the best selling points for his free-agency brochure. Wallace needs to treat the end of this season like an audition.
Fit: Mark Sanchez loses excuses if his numbers stay flat with Wallace around in 2013.
3. Ryan Clady | OT | Current team: Denver Broncos
He has never missed a start 77 games into his NFL career and is among the top five left tackles in the game, and the QB he protects, Peyton Manning, gets the ball out so quickly that he's a joy to block for. So what does Clady have to play for? He's an unrestricted free agent and the top left tackle available, which means he could be headed for about $50 million in guarantees if he's fully healthy. In a league of players paranoid about health, Clady could be excused for playing in bubble wrap.
Fit: Denver should make it work, but Arizona should offer stadium naming rights.
4. Greg Jennings | WR | Current team: Green Bay Packers
At 29, Jennings has never caught fewer than 45 passes in a season. So far in 2012, he has just 17 catches and has been sidelined for most of the season with an abdominal injury. With James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb already around -- not to mention Jermichael Finley -- Green Bay likely won't beat out big offers for Jennings. But he needs to get back on the field and show something to draw interest. Now that he's practicing in full pads, we're about to gauge his market.
Fit: Miami makes a lot of sense, but keep an eye on Detroit, which suddenly has legit questions about who will be No. 2 behind Calvin Johnson. Jennings grew up a Lions fan in Michigan.
5. Wes Welker | WR | Current team: New England Patriots
You could argue that teammate Sebastian Vollmer has more cash to play for (and likely will land the bigger deal), and you could argue that Welker is a creation of the system, an extended handoff for Tom Brady. But that the New England offense lost Rob Gronkowski and hasn't skipped a beat is a credit to Welker, who will reach 120-plus catches this season for the third time in his career. And, as an unrestricted free agent, he might be ready to prove he's more than a system creation.
Fit: Clearly, it's New England, but Welker would be really interesting in Denver, Dallas or even Washington.
6. Cliff Avril | DE | Current team: Detroit Lions
He reportedly turned down three years and $30 million to accept the franchise tender of $10.6 and play for a bigger deal, but Avril needs to finish really strong if he wants big money. He has 9.5 sacks, but he benefits from great play elsewhere on the Detroit D-line, and he has just 18 hurries this season, per Pro Football Focus.
Fit: Even with Jason Babin, Jacksonville could use another 4-3 DE and could afford Avril.
7. Aqib Talib | CB | Current team: New England Patriots
He has a ton of talent and a history of off-field problems, but if Talib can finish strong for the Patriots, not only does he create a market for himself with New England but he could draw interest from all over the league. This is a guy who is quite literally playing for a job as an unrestricted free agent at age 26.
Fit: Even less total money might be more appealing if the offer is from the Patriots.
8. Jairus Byrd | S | Current team: Buffalo Bills
He's not a star, but maybe he should be. Byrd has a Pro Bowl under his belt, as well as a season when he led the NFL in interceptions. Plus, Pro Football Focus has him rated as the top cover safety in the NFL. He'll be an unrestricted free agent in a market that's short on impact at the safety position. Byrd also will have a history of good health; if he finishes this season, he'll have played in 48 consecutive games. If he stays healthy, he'll be in line for a huge deal.
Fit: Dallas could desperately use a safety who covers this well. But so could Detroit, New Orleans, the Jets and maybe even Pittsburgh.
9. Danny Amendola | WR | Current team: St. Louis Rams
Dangerously close to attaining the "fragile" label, Amendola could be back for the last few weeks, and he will want to be able to walk into unrestricted free agency with full health. He caught 85 passes in 2010 and profiles as an unbearded Wes Welker. If Amendola can stay healthy, St. Louis has every reason to keep him around. But, as lemon economics teaches us, if the Rams don't make a big push to retain him, it'll be instructive for the market as a whole. The last few games matter.
Fit: St. Louis is a great fit, but what if he becomes a cheaper replacement for Welker in New England?
[+] EnlargeSebastian Vollmer
Icon SMISebastian Vollmer has played well this season and could get major money -- from the Pats or others.
10. Sebastian Vollmer | OT | Current team: New England Patriots
The Patriots have their future at left tackle in Nate Solder and might not be willing to go big on a deal to keep Vollmer, a right tackle who missed the bulk of 2011 to injury. But if he finishes strong -- and New England opts to devote free-agency resources elsewhere -- Vollmer could get big money after what has been a very good season.
Fits: Indy, Chicago, Arizona and Dallas should all pick up the phone.
The next 10
11. Randy Starks | DT | Current team: Miami Dolphins
You don't find many good defensive tackles available in free agency, but Starks qualifies, and he has missed just one start since Week 1 in 2009. Carolina would be a good fit.
12. Michael Bennett | DE | Current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
He has 9.0 sacks, and cracking double digits could get this unrestricted free agent some extra scratch. New Orleans would be a good system fit.
13. Dashon Goldson | S | Current team: San Francisco 49ers
How much can the Niners spend to keep this defense together? They might let Goldson go, and the 2011 Pro Bowl participant will get looks. Carolina should call.
14. Reggie Bush | RB | Current team: Miami Dolphins
This isn't a ranking of best free agents, but Bush belongs here because, if he can stay healthy for a few more games, it'll be the difference between multiple bids versus just hoping to land somewhere. Almost any offense can use a player with his diversity of skills, and he's underrated as an inside runner. How about a change-of-pace complement to Trent Richardson in Cleveland?
15. Victor Cruz | WR | Current team: New York Giants
He's a restricted free agent, and the Giants won't let him go anywhere. But how he finishes, and his end-of-season health status, could help determine in what manner the Giants compensate him going forward.
16. Branden Albert | OT | Current team: Kansas City Chiefs
He's no star, but he might be the third- or fourth-best tackle on the market, and he's been healthy throughout his career, although recent back issues have slowed him down. A strong finish without questions about his back will improve his market.
AP Photo/AJ MastDwayne Bowe won't play this week, and his market value is very much up in the air.
17. Dwayne Bowe | WR | Current team: Kansas City Chiefs
He's way down on this list because he likely won't be back in the lineup this season. He has a lot on the line, however, because the play of Jon Baldwin could help determine how much K.C. is willing to offer to keep him around.
18. Jake Long | OT | Current team: Miami Dolphins
He might be headed for injured reserve, which is a shame because it could mean the end of his tenure in Miami. The development of rookie Jonathan Martin could make the perennial Pro Bowler expendable. If he's fully healthy, his phone will be ringing.
19. Steven Jackson | RB | Current team: St. Louis Rams
If he finishes the season healthy, there could be a market for Jackson and the Rams could bring him back. If he gets hurt, he might have to move on. How about working in with Doug Martin in Tampa when LeGarrette Blount moves on?
20. Chris Houston | CB | Current team: Detroit Lions
He might be the best available corner on the market, and the Lions could choose to franchise him, given the state of their secondary. But if they want to franchise elsewhere, if Houston can finish well (and healthy), he'll have a robust market.
21. Andy Levitre | G | Current team: Buffalo Bills
22. Henry Melton | DT | Current team: Chicago Bears
23. Brian Hartline | WR | Current team: Miami Dolphins
24. Erin Henderson | LB | Current team: Minnesota Vikings
25. Jermon Bushrod | OT |Current team: New Orleans Saints
"Vincere scis, Hannibal, victoria uti nescis" -- Maharbal, 216 B.C.E. | <urn:uuid:55044d4a-4dac-459c-b72b-1fd73e0f2a7a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.falcfans.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=17848 | 2013-05-25T06:06:34Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967838 | 2,642 |
DERAILING THE VOYAGE
by Michelle Erica Green
15 March 1998
A few weeks ago, as many of you know, I was completely and totally fed up with Voyager, with fandom, with fan clubs, with television, even with fan fiction. I posted an outline for a story with an introduction that's been building really for two years; I made a bitchy, misogynistic statement I am now ashamed of, expressing my current extreme dislike for Janeway and Chakotay, and I announced that I was never writing any more fan fiction. At around the same time, I made a necessary break with the fan club I founded, Now Voyager. I know that some of you have wondered whether my decision to leave had anything to do with my relationship with Kate Mulgrew, and the answer is no. I still like Kate and respect her as an actress. My leaving had more to do with fan politics and professional conflicts than anything else.
I have had an extraordinary thing happen since I decided to gafiate. (For those of you not familiar with that term, it's an anagram for Get Away From It All, which goes back to Classic Trek fandom and possibly before that.) I have received an unbelievable number of letters telling me not to go. I relate this not to brag, because while some of the letters were about my stories, most were about something more general: the J/C net community, the need for fanfic to counteract canon, the obligation we have as writers and as feminists to one another to challenge the claptrap put before us on the screen. It made me think about what I'm doing here, and why I'm going to risk exposing myself by linking my public and private fan personas.
I started reading a.s.c. and what was then known as a.s.f.s. a few weeks before Voyager went on the air. At the time, Christine Faltz was in the midst of posting her TNG opus "O Captain My Captain," and Janis Cortese and GG-MEE were in the midst of posting some terrific stories which made me appreciate Julian Bashir for the first time. The only fanfic I'd written since high school was a Kira/Odo story, on a dare from Kimberley Junius, the editor of Deep Spaces. I was a little uncomfortable about the idea of just plunging in and posting on the internet. But when the new series came on the air, and the only stories about it seemed to be either mindless smut or political epics, I decided I really wanted to know what Kathryn Janeway might be like when she wasn't acting as captain of Voyager. My first thought -- don't shoot me, folks -- was to write a Janeway/Paris story. I was intrigued by her backstory with his father and the obvious tension between them. Plus someone was posting dares to get Janeway laid before the end of the pilot. But during the week after "Caretaker," I couldn't quite get a handle on it, and then I saw "Parallax" and noticed what I hadn't noticed in Chakotay the week before. I wrote "Uniform" that night. I believe it was the first serious J/C story posted to a.s.c.
The feedback was amazing. I'd like to believe it was my writing that people enjoyed, but I know better; the PWP, sketchily characterized since we knew almost nothing about Janeway and Chakotay at that point, with lots of unreasonable assumptions (that Janeway never loved Mark, that Chakotay missed Starfleet), had virtually nothing to do with the people the characters had become even a few weeks later. Not that that mattered. People just wanted stories about these characters and the chemistry between them. The movement seemed already to have started; when, a few weeks later, Janet Coleman wrote "Remember Us" and Ruth Gifford came up with "Kathryn," it already seemed pretty much settled. J/C was going to be as big as P/C -- bigger even, because it had the net to power it all along.
I have never enjoyed any reading experience as much as I enjoyed the explosion of fanfic in those early months of Voyager, and I'm including graduate school in English literature in that experience. I don't just mean the J/C -- I mean all the love affairs with Voyager, C/P and J/B and even some of the P/T in those days. I also read stories which were not at all relationship-driven, but I'll confess that those didn't hold as much appeal for me. I've never watched Trek for the science fiction; I read Gibson and Kress and watch movies for that. I dig the character interaction, always have, I was a K/S fan before I knew there was a term for it (and boy was it a relief to attend my first con and discover that it was not merely my personal perversion but a full-blown phenomenon!) Nonetheless, I was a latecomer to TOS, and even though I belonged to a DS9 fan club from early on, I never had the emotional attachment to Kira that I had to Janeway. It was a lot like falling in love, except that in this case I could share the experience with a hundred other like-minded people who understood completely.
I should know by now never to say "never," particularly about writing; I suppose it is possible that on some later date, a Voyager story will sieze me by the throat and demand to be written, so that I can get no other writing done until I commit the words to print, and then I will feel guilty enough or egotistical enough to post them just to see if people are glad to see them. So I eat my words, I don't swear beyond a shadow of doubt that I will never write another Voyager story. But I wish I could.
It's interesting how many people have written the past few days to tell me that they are entirely down on the show, and only watching because of the fanfic. Do you all realize that if we had turned our television sets off at the beginning of this season, declared that we were NOT watching a show about an ineffectual captain and a babe in a catsuit, left the franchise and made a dent in the new, improved ratings (which were actually lower for the month of January this year than ever in the history of the franchise, but that is another rant entirely), TPTB might actually have done something to improve the show instead of taking it for granted they could put out whatever shit they wanted in the name of the young male demographic and we all would watch anyway, and rehash and rewrite if we felt compelled to do so? (If you need to know my opinion on Voyager's fourth season, check out my reviews; I have written up every single Voyager episode, so you can also read my extremely lengthy "Resolutions" review, my wishy-washy "Coda" review, and assorted columns, rants, and songs of praise.)
Of course I have read Henry Jenkins, Constance Penley, and Janet Murray -- Henry's a friend from ACAFEN-L, the Academic Study of Fandom list, and he introduced me to Janet -- so I know all the theories that fanfic is a process similar to the construction of oral collective myth, that we are writing legends which will resonate through the mass consciousness of our descendants, siezing our society's myths from the evil corporate minds which claim ownership and returning it to the hands of the consumer, etc. Sounds very progressive and Marxist and feminist and radical and all those good things, but I don't really think it happens. We write fanfic for a miniscule segment of the viewing audience. The rest of the audience members probably do some rewriting of their own, and talk about the show with their friends and complain and occasionally write to TPTB or to their local papers, but we're not really hooked up in an idealized net beyond the JetC groups and a handful of other interconnected fan groups, several of which have opposing goals anyway in terms of what we'd like to see in canon. The Chakotay/Paris Support Group, for instance, whose existence I support entirely in theory because I love anyone who tries to rewrite a show in her own mental image, nevertheless tends to promote the ongoing pairing of two characters I cannot abide together beyond the occasional PWP. I wouldn't complain if I heard that the producers were pairing up Chakotay and Paris in canon because I would be so damn delighted to see an ongoing gay relationship on Star Trek, but I wouldn't get excited about it in a visceral sense, either -- you see what I mean?
I wanted Janeway and Chakotay together for a number of reasons, most of which have been belabored in the essays which are linked at the bottom of this page. Some were ideological, and had to do with how I view female sexuality and women in power. Some were purely personal -- I like the way Kate Mulgrew and Robert Beltran look together, I like the chemistry between their characters. Some undoubtedly stem from the horrible backwards evil romance novelist in my subconscious who gets off on the idea of a Starfleet captain and a Maquis rebel getting it on, against all odds, an ingrained heterosexist stereotype that I'd love to get rid of but it's been in my head a lot longer than intellectual resistance to it. The problem is that that Janeway and Chakotay no longer exist. I'm not sure they've existed since early second season, though I was willing to rationalize a lot before and after "Resolutions." In truth, "Coda," the most J/C-filled episode of the third season, was dreadful writing, cliched, typical damsel in distress crap. If that's what it's going to mean to have J/C, then I don't think I want J/C. And if it's going to mean contrived, badly executed disagreements like the one in "Scorpion," or rationalizing Chakotay's alien-of-the-week amnesiac episodes like "Unity" and the upcoming "Unforgettable" -- well, forget it. Who needs this pairing? And, more to the point, who needs this half-baked, oft-boring show?
What we need are a new version of Janeway and Chakotay -- not Janeway and Chakotay, who are dead for me now, but different characters on a different show with producers who give a shit about relationships and characterization and depth. I'm inclined to suggest X Files, but Carter's universe is such a dark one, so antithecal to traditional optimistic Trek, that I understand why people don't see it as any sort of substitute. If we want better women characters on television, better romantic pairings, better relationships, we have to demand them by NOT settling for what we're given as if it's acceptable. We need to write our own for the screen, not just for one another, to try to create them someplace where EVERYONE can see them. I can't justify putting out for the system anymore; I feel like Benjamin Sisko in "Far Beyond the Stars" when his editor told him to self-publish his stories if no one wanted to read about a black captain in mainstream pulp fiction. If a tiny group of internet fans are really the only people in the world who believe that a female captain can have sexuality and humor and power at the same time, then something's really fucked up. The actress who plays Kathryn Janeway says she doesn't believe it. The executive producer who created the character seems not to believe it, if Mosaic and "Coda" are any indication. This is a pretty fundamental problem.
I wish we could choose whom we fell in love with: I wish I were infatuated enough with Xena to write about her, or with Scully (well, I have written about her, but nothing I would dare post, since I tend to write as darkly for her universe as her universe seems to call for). I wish the interior lives of men interested me so much that I could retreat happily into slash fandom and not worry about the way women are characterized on television. For some perverse reason, though I disavow Kate's fan club and all of Kate's stupid comments about feminism, and though I disavow Taylor's sniveling Kathryn with her crushes on father figures and her lack of confidence in her place in the universe, I haven't got my own ideal of Kathryn Janeway completely out of my system, or I wouldn't feel this upset, this betrayed, this compelled to do something to right the injustices of her universe.
Rewriting the fictional 24th century isn't going to accomplish that, though. It's what we do in the here and now that is going to count -- what we write for ourselves and for one another, how we raise our children, what we do with our work and volunteer efforts. Maybe television is the wrong medium to get the message across, or maybe it's just the Trek franchise, the optimism based on life in an ideal world where prejudices have miraculously been eradicated and suffering is no more. I don't have any answers. I just know that I'm not going to find them in Voyager.
Michelle, Your Cruise Director
Founder, Now Voyager
Oldest surviving member of the RBLS
Veteran of The J/C Clinic and The Janeway/Chakotay Fold on AOL
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"The ideas of science make it so important for humans — it’s part of what makes being human worth being human, the ideas of science,”
Dr. Lawrence Krauss said.
On July 13, Dr. Krauss sat down with radio show host and producer Krista Tippett for the final interview in her week-long series based around the theme, “Inspire, Commit, Act.”
“The ideas change our perspective of our place in the cosmos, and to me, that’s what great art, music, and literature is all about. When you see a play, or see a painting or hear a wonderful piece of music in some sense, it changes your perspective of yourself, and that’s what science does in a profoundly important way and in a way with content that matters.”
Dr. Krauss is a theoretical physicist and foundation professor at the School of Earth and Space Exploration and physics department at Arizona State University. He is a frequent contributor to publications such as The New York Times and Scientific American. He has authored many books, including, The Fifth Essence: The Search for Dark Matter in the Universe; Fear of Physics; and Atom: An Odyssey from the Big Bang to Life on Earth…and Beyond.
In his conversation with Ms. Tippett in the Hall of Philosophy, Dr. Krauss discussed his own experience with religion, the excitement and beauty of science, scientific progress and the universe, how science can provide comfort, a positive understanding of life and provided a short lesson on the recently discovered Higgs boson particle.
Dr. Krauss was reared in a Jewish household, but religion was always considered the root of tradition and social machination rather than as a source of ideas:
“I read the Bible, I read the Quran, I read a bunch of things when I was a kid and went through phases where those myths appealed to me. And then I grew out of it — just like Santa Claus.”
Early in his life, his mother, who hoped he would become a doctor, pushed Dr. Krauss toward science. Reading about scientists and science further sparked his attention. As he, he focused his scholarship on physics.
“Physics was always, by far, the sexiest of the disciplines and still is by the way."
Scientists do the work they do because it is fun and exciting, Dr. Krauss said. In our world and society, it is becoming increasingly common to view science from a narrow, utilitarian lens; essentially, people see science as the physical technologies it creates rather than the ideas it fosters.
“To me, one of the most exciting things about science is the ideas. Science has produced the most interesting ideas that humans have ever come up with."
Dr. Krauss lamented that we live in an era where it has been both common and acceptable to be science illiterate. That is dangerous, especially when everything around us that keeps us alive is fueled by scientific research. It is shocking that the presidential candidates do not have a debate centered around science, he said.
In 1996, Dr. Krauss published The Physics of Star Trek. The physicist said he liked science fiction until he realized how much more exciting the scientific ideas, discoveries, and questions behind it could be.
“People imagine science fiction as an imaginative rendering of science, when in fact science is a far more imaginative rendering of science fiction.”
In the Star Trek narrative, two very important ideas are posited.
“The Star Trek future is a better place because of science. And I can’t resist saying it here, now that I think about it. It was one of the reasons in Star Trek that basically they’ve dispensed of the quaint notions, the myopic views of the 21st century, including most of the world religions.”
“All of the interesting questions that I can see in science, and for the most part in scholarship, are based on the topic of origins.”
In his work, Dr. Krauss asks questions about the origins of the universe, life, and consciousness. He asks questions that seem to combine both scientific and spiritual curiosities.
One vast difference, Dr. Krauss said, can be found hidden within the word “choice.” In religion, philosophy or theology, many questions and questions of origins are started with the word “why.” Dr. Krauss said he believes asking questions with the word “why” implies a presumption that there is a greater meaning, a greater significance, when in fact, no evidence points to that.
Science alters the kinds of questions we ask, because science is always progressing, pushing at the frontier and finding new knowledge so new questions must be asked, he said.
Two hundred years ago, when Darwin was studying and writing, he worked on understanding the origin of the diversity of species — he never attempted to define the origin of life, or the origin of matter, and he laughed off the notion that one ever would, Dr. Krauss said.
“But today, that’s exactly what we’re talking about,” he said.
The scientific world is full of ideas, questions, discoveries and failures. Often the information gathered by scientists challenges preconceived notions about the nature of the universe or religious beliefs.
“Being uncomfortable is a good thing, because it forces you to reassess your place in the cosmos. Being too comfortable means you’ve become complacent and you stop thinking. And so being uncomfortable should be a spiritually uplifting experience.”
One of the most important and widely discussed scientific discoveries in recent history is the Higgs boson. In his lecture, Dr. Krauss traced the recent progressions in scientific thought and understanding, which have allowed for the revolutionary finding. He discussed how that has expanded the scientific frontier and allowed for the eruption of a new set of questions and ideas.
The importance of the discovery reflects and celebrates a change in the understanding of the universe that took place approximately 50 years ago, Dr. Krauss said.
There are four basic forces of nature: electromagnetism, gravity, and strong and weak forces. At the start of the 1960s, only one of the forces — electromagnetism — was thought to be understood. By the end of that decade, scientists understood three of the four forces, Dr. Krauss said.
The realization that all forces could be understood by one mathematical formalism prompted that growth in understanding, Dr. Krauss said.
“You know you make a breakthrough in science when two things that seem very, very different suddenly are recognized as being different aspects of the same thing."
In the ’60s, scientists proposed that electromagnetism, a long-range force that works across long distances, and weak force, a force that is responsible for nuclear reactions on the sun and is prompted by short-range interactions between nuclei, were fundamentally the same.
Forces are understood in physics as the exchange of particles. Historically, it was theorized that electromagnetism was a long-range force because the particle exchanged was a photon, which was massless. It was also thought that in weak force, particles were exchanged over minute distances, because the particles were massive.
But with the realization that those particles could be explained by the same math formula, the proposal came that those particles were essentially the same and massless, Dr. Krauss said. The only way that could be possible would be if there were an invisible field with which massless particles could relate.
“If this invisible field permeates all of space, you can’t see it, but if the particles that convey the weak force interact with that field and get slowed down like swimming through molasses, get retarded because of that interaction, they act like they’re massive, whereas the photon doesn’t — it remains massless. Then everything would work.”
Scientists are not in the business of creating forces, Dr. Krauss said. So following that proposal, physicists have been at work trying to detect that invisible force. Because if something exists, it should be detectable, Dr. Krauss said. If the field exists, scientists proposed that if they hit it with enough energy in a small enough region, an observable particle should be produced. That is what Higgs scientists think they have discovered.
“What’s really beautiful is every time we make a discovery in science, we end up having more questions than answers. Having discovered the Higgs does not close the book. We still don’t understand why this Higgs field exists in the universe, and by why I mean how."
Mystery drives science, Dr. Krauss said. Though concepts such as religion, mysticism and other similar schools are based in mystery, the difference is science has changed the language of mystery and progresses with the gathering of real knowledge.
“Science has moved beyond, has taken us beyond our childhood.”
In the lecture, Ms. Tippett discussed the value of religion and spirituality for aiding, preparing, and comforting someone who is on his or her deathbed. She asked Dr. Krauss what science would be able to say to a dying person.
“Every single thing that religion provides, rationality, empiricism, and science can provide. And not only that — they can provide it better.”
People should be taught the truth about death — that it is a natural, necessary part of life and that it will happen. The meaning of life is the meaning you make of it, Dr. Krauss said. That knowledge should be instilled in people not just on their deathbeds, but throughout their lives, so they make decisions in a way that reflects that reality. Moral and ethical decisions cannot be made or decided without a basis in reality, Dr. Krauss said.
“If the stars tonight realigned themselves and said ‘I am here,’ in Greek — presumably, ancient Greek — then I’d say, ‘Maybe there’s something to all of this.’ ”
He said, though, that when there is no evidence of something, it becomes highly unlikely.
“It seems to me the knowledge that the meaning we have is the meaning we make should inspire us to do better.”
Ms. Tippett asked Dr. Krauss whether he would appreciate or understand religion more if he experienced it in a different way. She read Dr. Krauss a passage from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish theologian:
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion — its message becomes meaningless.”
Wise people can come from any background, Dr. Krauss said. Wisdom is born of experience and knowledge, and there have been many wise thinkers and writers from religion, such as Maimonides. However, he said, he is often confused by why people who are so wise feel they still need religion.
“There’s beauty in the paintings that Leonardo da Vinci and others, Michelangelo and others, did in context of religion. That’s just a response to the culture of the time, and I don’t see why given what you know now you can’t have that same wisdom without discarding the provincial basis of it.”
In the closing minutes of the lecture hour, Ms. Tippett and Dr. Krauss discussed the scientific refutation of the historical precedent to create “us versus them” scenarios, which often lead to prejudice, violence, and inhumanity. He said:
“Science can provide a realistic basis of understanding how artificial and myopic the definitions of us versus our enemies are. We’re made of their atoms. And every atom in our body was once inside a star that exploded. One of the most poetic things I know about the universe is that we’re all stardust. These are amazing things and they have content and they’re true.”
This article appears courtesy of The Chautauquan Daily. Photo by Eric Shea. | <urn:uuid:cedf4c56-1b4d-4716-a818-3a5e63b9cc1f> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.onbeing.org/comment/41013 | 2013-05-25T05:44:46Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962953 | 2,634 |
NEW YORK -- In the most devastating terrorist onslaught ever waged against the United States, knife-wielding hijackers crashed two airliners into the World Trade Center yesterday, toppling its twin 110-story towers. The deadly calamity was witnessed on televisions across the world as another plane slammed into the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed outside Pittsburgh.
"Today, our nation saw evil," a grim-faced President Bush said last night in a televised address to the nation. He said thousands of lives were "suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror."
With the country on a war footing, the nation's aviation system was shut down, government buildings around the country were closed, along with major skyscrapers and a variety of other sites, ranging from Disney theme parks to the Golden Gate Bridge and U.N. headquarters in New York.
In his first prime-time Oval Office address, Bush asked the nation to find comfort in Scripture as he mourned the deaths and vowed to avenge their killings. He said the United States would find and punish "those behind these evil acts," and any country that harbors them.
Establishing the U.S. death toll could take weeks. The four airliners alone had 266 people aboard and there were no known survivors. Officials put the number of dead and wounded at the Pentagon at about 100 or more, with some news reports suggesting it could rise to 800.
In addition, a union official said he feared 300 New York firefighters had died in rescue efforts at the trade center and dozens of police officers were missing.
"The number of casualties will be more than most of us can bear," a visibly distraught Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said.
An army of 10,000 workers brought in dogs and lights last night as they began heading into ground zero to search for survivors and recover bodies.
All that remained of the twin towers by then was a pile of rubble and twisted steel that stood barely five stories high, leaving a huge gap in the New York City skyline and making the Empire State Building once again the city's tallest structure.
No one took responsibility for the attacks. But federal authorities identified Osama bin Laden, who has been given asylum by Afghanistan's hard-line Taliban rulers, as the prime suspect. The Taliban denied such suggestions.
Investigators descended on Logan International Airport in Boston yesterday, trying to determine how terrorists commandeered two nearly identical jets that took off moments apart and then crashed them into the trade center.
The Boston Herald, quoting a source it did not identify, reported that authorities had seized a car at Logan that contained Arabic-language flight training manuals. The source said five Arab men had been identified as suspects, including a trained pilot. At least two of those men flew to Logan yesterday from Portland, Maine, the Herald said.
The luggage of one of the men who flew to the airport yesterday didn't make his scheduled connection. The Boston Globe reported the luggage contained a copy of the Koran, an instructional video on flying commercial airliners and a fuel consumption calculator.
The FBI refused to comment on the reports.
A senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, cited "strong information" implicating bin Laden. The official said Bush is considering a wide range of military options targeting bin Laden and, perhaps, Afghanistan.
Authorities also were focusing some of their efforts on possible bin Laden supporters in Florida based on the identification of a suspected hijacker on one of the manifests of the four jets that crashed, law enforcement sources told The Associated Press.
The sources said the FBI was preparing to search locations in central Florida that had links to the suspected bin Laden supporter on a jet manifest, the officials said.
U.S. intelligence intercepted communications between bin Laden supporters discussing the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, according to Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Also aided by harrowing cell phone calls from at least one flight attendant and two passengers aboard the jetliners before they crashed, U.S. officials began assembling a case linking bin Laden to the devastation.
The people aboard planes who managed to make cell phone calls each described similar circumstances: The hijackers were armed with knives, in some cases stabbing flight attendants. The hijackers then took control of the planes.
Among the victims was Barbara Olson, the wife of Solicitor General Ted Olson. She had telephoned her husband twice during the hijacking, telling him that the terror-stricken passengers had been herded to the back of the aircraft. "What do I do?" she reportedly asked her husband.
"She called from the plane while it was being hijacked. I wish it wasn't so, but it is," her husband said.
At the World Trade Center, the dead and the doomed plummeted from the skyscrapers, among them a man and woman holding hands.
"People were jumping out of the windows from all the way at the top," said John Fay, a window washer at the World Trade Center. "I must have seen 15 people jump out of the windows. It was horrific."
"Freedom itself was attacked this morning and I assure you freedom will be defended," said Bush, who was in Sarasota, Fla. A speech on education was scrapped, and Bush headed to Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base and, in midflight, authorized Vice President Dick Cheney to put the U.S. military on high alert worldwide.
Bush said the government offices deserted after the bombings yesterday would open today.
More than nine hours after the U.S. attacks began, explosions could be heard north of the Afghan capital of Kabul, but American officials said the United States was not responsible. "It isn't us. I don't know who's doing it," Pentagon spokesman Craig Quigley said.
Congressional leaders of both parties, joined by most members, made a joint evening appearance on the steps of the Capitol as a demonstration of American resolve above political alliances.
This is how yesterday's mayhem unfolded:
At about 8:45 a.m., a hijacked airliner crashed into the north tower of the trade center, the 25-year-old, glass-and-steel complex that was once the world's tallest.
Clyde Ebanks, an insurance company vice president, was at a meeting on the 103rd floor of the south tower when his boss said, "Look at that!" He turned to see a plane slam into the other tower.
The enormity of the disaster was just sinking in when 18 minutes later, the south tower also was hit by a plane.
"All this stuff started falling and all this smoke was coming through. People were screaming, falling, and jumping out of the windows," said Jennifer Brickhouse, 34, Union, N.J.
The chaos was just beginning. Workers stumbled down scores of flights, their clothing torn and their lungs filled with smoke and dust.
Donald Burns, 34, was being evacuated from the 82nd floor when he saw four people in the stairwell. "I tried to help them but they didn't want anyone to touch them. The fire had melted their skin. Their clothes were tattered," he said.
Worse was to come. At 9:50, one tower collapsed, sending debris and dust cascading to the ground. At 10:30, the other tower crumbled.
Mayor Giuliani advised people to leave the lower part of the city and an exodus on foot ensued, sometimes by people covered in blood who had lost their shoes in the carpet of ash.
"If you are south of Canal Street, get out. Walk slowly and carefully," Giuliani said. "If you can't figure out what else to do, just walk north."
The attack at the World Trade Center shut down vast stretches of New York, stranding millions of people in their homes, offices and on the streets. Many could not get home or reach loved ones by phone.
New York City's primary election, to select candidates for mayor and other city offices, was called off.
The cause of the collapse of the twin towers was most likely the intense fire fed by thousands of gallons of jet fuel on board the two jetliners that crashed into the buildings, experts on skyscraper design said.
The high temperatures, in the thousands of degrees, probably weakened the steel supports, these experts said, causing the tower walls to buckle and allowing the floors above the crash sites to fall almost straight downward. That led to failures of the rest of the buildings.
In Washington, D.C., at about 9:30 a.m., a hijacked passenger plane sliced into the Pentagon, triggering a thunderous explosion and fierce fires in the five-sided headquarters of the American military.
The surprise assault, the first in the history of the 58-year-old building, came within an hour of the attack on New York and set off a state of emergency in the nation's capital that swiftly shut down the government.
American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757 carrying 58 passengers and six crew members, was on a flight from Dulles International Airport west of Washington to Los Angeles when it flew low and slammed into the concrete-walled structure.
A half-hour after the Pentagon attack, United Airlines Flight 93, a Boeing 757 en route from Newark, N.J., to San Francisco, crashed about 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.
All that remained after the Boeing 757 crashed into an open field were a crater about eight to 10 feet deep, and 30 to 50 feet wide, pieces of debris no larger than a phone book, said Capt. Frank Monaco of the Pennsylvania State Police.
Today, authorities will begin trying to recover the flight's voice data recorder, debris and victims' remains. There were 35 passengers and seven crew members aboard. | <urn:uuid:d7547971-42be-407b-a9f1-335ef58f616d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/None-of-us-will-ever-forget-1065529.php | 2013-05-25T05:52:07Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368705559639/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516115919-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97534 | 2,008 |
Broderbund Partners With A&E Television Networks and Genealogy.com To Launch Family Tree Maker(R) Version 9 - The #1 Software for Building A Family Legacy.NOVATO, Calif., Oct. 3 /PRNewswire/ --
Broderbund LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol.
LLC - Logical Link Control ., a leading publisher of print productivity and rich media software and Genealogy genealogy (jē'nēŏl`əjē, –ăl`–, jĕ–), the study of family lineage. Genealogies have existed since ancient times. .com, LLC, a division of A&E Television Networks, today launched Family Tree Maker(R) Version 9, a software product that helps individuals discover their family roots and create heirloom quality printouts, such as ancestor trees, books, multimedia scrapbooks and family home pages. This latest version offers new and enhanced features with sophisticated research tools to help beginner and expert users uncover ancestors and preserve family history. Family Tree Maker also incorporates robust Internet functionality, leveraging the strength of Genealogy.com's website, enabling access to family data and other tools and resources for building family trees This is an index of family trees available. It includes noble, politically important and royal families as well as fictional families and thematic diagrams. Europe
"We are committed to improving Family Tree Maker, the #1 brand in its category for over ten years, and make it even easier to preserve, organize and share your family legacy," said Rob Armstrong, General Manager, Genealogy.com. "Discovering your family history should be fun, and with the holiday season around the corner, the new version is perfect for creating unique gifts for relatives to treasure forever."
The introduction of Family Tree Maker 9 coincides with the designation, by the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. Senate, of October as Family History Month. In a unanimous vote, the Senate cited the millions of Americans who are researching the history of their families.
Leveraging the power of the Internet
Family Tree Maker users get easy access to a wide variety of resources through the Genealogy.com website. For example, individuals can work offline on their ancestor tree and connect to www.Genealogy.com to ask for guidance on a message board, or comb through the website's extensive data. Family Tree Maker searches Genealogy.com's proprietary records for useful leads and information about ancestors. These records and indexes include Immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. , Birth, Death, Will, Cemetery, Marriage, Social Security, Military, Land, U.S. Census and Passenger Lists. Genealogy.com's website also includes free online classes, articles and advice from professional genealogists, and an extensive collection of proprietary data.
"Family Tree Maker represents the next generation of software products that use integrated web connectivity to enhance the product and user experience with more information and services," said Eric Winkler Winkler may refer to:
New & Enhanced Features of Family Tree Maker Version 9
-- Individual Facts Card -- Display and edit the family information for a
specific individual while in any tree or report view.
-- Add Images to Sources -- The user can now attach scanned or other
digital images of source material directly to his source information
stored in Family Tree Maker with ease.
-- Show Siblings -- In addition to the wide selection of trees already
available in Family Tree Maker, the user can now show a more complete
heritage of a family member by also including siblings of direct
ancestors in all the Ancestor Trees.
-- Print photos directly from your scrapbook A Macintosh disk file that holds frequently used text and graphics objects, such as a company letterhead. Contrast with "clipboard," which is reserved memory that holds data only for the current session.
Scrapbooks are a wonderful way to catalog and preserve precious
memories of an individual. Now, the user can print images directly from
his Family Tree Maker scrapbook or even from tree views that include
-- Store e-mail addresses in your Family File
Many users are now using their computers to work on their family
history and correspond via e-mail with family members near and far.
Now, users can store e-mail addresses in their Family Files and include
them in their reports.
-- Quickly See Your File History
Family Tree Maker now includes a list of the most recently viewed files
at the bottom of the File Menu. Whether viewing a file sent by a
relative or working on multiple Family Files, the user will find it
easier than ever to move between files.
According to according to
1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.
2. In keeping with: according to instructions.
3. a 2000 study by Maritz Marketing Research, more than 60 percent of adult Americans (approximately 120 million people) are intrigued by their family roots, making genealogy one of the hottest hobbies around.
Pricing, Availability and System Requirements To be used efficiently, all computer software needs certain hardware components or other software resources to be present on a computer system. These pre-requisites are known as (computer) system requirements and are often used as a guideline as opposed to an absolute rule.
Family Tree Maker ships September 26, 2001 and is available for Windows Me/98/95 and has been preliminarily tested on Windows XP The previous client version of Windows. XP was a major upgrade to the client version of Windows 2000 with numerous changes to the user interface. XP improved support for gaming, digital photography, instant messaging, wireless networking and sharing connections to the Internet. . Family Tree Maker 9 is available at retail and through www.broderbund.com, at an estimated street price of $69.99 for the Deluxe Version, $49.99 standard version and $99.99 for the Collector's Edition. Other versions of Family Tree Maker 9 are available through www.Genealogy.com and www.AandE.com.
Broderbund has become synonymous with synonymous with
adjective equivalent to, the same as, identical to, similar to, identified with, equal to, tantamount to, interchangeable with, one and the same as innovative technology and high quality software, and is a leading publisher of productivity products worldwide. Its proprietary and licensed brands, including The Print Shop, PrintMaster, Family Tree Maker and Dragon Naturally Speaking, are category leaders. Broderbund's flagship brand, The Print Shop, has sold more than 17 million units since its introduction in 1984. The company has more than 40 million customers in homes, businesses and schools worldwide.
Broderbund operates expressit.com, the company's award-winning website, which is visited by more than one million people every month. It offers greetings, photo albums, more than one million graphics and other products and services.
More information about Broderbund can be found at www.broderbund.com.
Genealogy.com is a division of A&E Television Networks. The company enriches the lives of its customers by providing the tools, resources, and community that empower them to uncover and share their unique family stories. Headquartered in Fremont, CA, it designs, develops, and markets genealogy software Genealogy software is computer software used to collect, store, sort, and visualize genealogical data. Genealogy software will often generate kinship charts based on the data entered. applications and online resources that enable family history enthusiasts to research, organize, and document their heritage at home or away. Its software programs are also distributed at retail by Broderbund. Developing software since 1984, Genealogy.com continues to be the leader in the genealogy technology space, producing the # 1 selling family tree software -- Family Tree Maker -- for more than a decade. The company also provides extensive online genealogy resources, including subscriptions that give researchers continuous, easy access to valuable family history information.
NOTE: Broderbund, the Broderbund logo, are registered trademarks of Broderbund LLC in the United States and/or certain other countries. Family Tree Maker is a registered trademark of Genealogy.com, LLC in the United States and/or certain other countries.
CONTACT: Farnoush Deylamian of Broderbund LLC, +1-415-382-2610, or [email protected]; or Juan J. Davila of A&E Television Networks, +1-212-210-1331, or [email protected].
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The Beater's Bible
(by Brutus Scrimgeour)
Chapter 1 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Jenna Hathaway)
If you are reading this book, you are most likely a Beater in a Quidditch team, or you're just curious about those who hold the position. Well, look no further. This book has everything you need to know about Beaters and/or being a good Beater. In a Quidditch team, every single position is important - don't let that Seeker make you think otherwise! It is one common misconception that being the one who just flies around beating Bludgers towards the opposing team is the least important job and the position that needs the least skills. People actually think that anyone can be a Beater? Well, they can't be more wrong.
Being a Beater, as with being a Keeper, Chaser, and Seeker, is an art. There are strategies and calculations, which if done with perfect precision can guarantee the most outstanding results (such as the other team being unable to score at all, NOT the other team having broken bones everywhere, although well, that sometimes cannot be helped). Hitting that Bludger exactly at the right time and with extreme precision towards the Chaser who is intent on scoring could if done correctly, not only knock the Quaffle right out of their hands but also land the ball into the hands of your grateful teammate.
When the other team's Seeker has spotted the Snitch, and you feel that dread knowing that a) this fun match is going to end in a few seconds and b) your team is not going to be the one to win it, what is a Beater to do? If you know your beating techniques, you could totally distract said Seeker until the elusive Snitch disappears from their view again (which is the most annoying thing for a Seeker, but hey, a nice bonus for us right?).
Another common misconception is that if you're a Beater, it means that you're a violent person. Not necessarily. Even if your job IS to beat an enchanted rock around so it can hit people, that doesn't make you a big mean heartless bully. Not unless you let yourself become one! Show how wrong those people are; you can be a classy Beater that has swift movements and accurate swings and still could not hurt a fly! (Well... maybe).
I've seen women playing as Beaters too, even though they're a bit rare, so it's definitely a stereotype that you should prove incorrect. Maybe you feel like you have a Beater calling, but you're going to be the first female Beater in your school history. Well, and why not? Look at the bright side; you get to make history! Be proud and do the previously unthinkable. Prove how capable you are for the job, and maybe more women would feel inspired and follow your footsteps.
Now that I've returned your confidence in your most important position in the wonderful game of Quidditch, read on, and I will share to you all the techniques I know about becoming the best Beater for your team. Your skills are very much needed by your teammates, and you will only show them how dedicated you are by devoting your time to be the greatest player in Beating history. The following chapters await you!
Chapter 2 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Tarma Black)
Rule One: Take Out the Seeker
Now that the censors have read the Preface and have made sure that this is an appropriate book for school-aged children -- and since they probably stopped reading in the Preface -- we can get down to brass tacks.
Rule One is this: take out the Seeker
The Seeker of the opposing team is the one person that you need to remove from the playing field. Use any method that you can get away with in order to remove that potential earner of 150 points.
Always be aware of the location of the Referee. The Referee can throw you out of the game, mandate a penalty shot for the opposing team, call a time out, or all of the above. So whatever you do, make sure the Referee doesn't see what you are doing if at all possible.
There are several possible techniques that one can use to eliminate the Seeker. Some of these methods are listed as illegal so it is best if both Beaters work in concert in this endeavour. One of the Beaters gains the attention of the Referee in some innocuous manner while the other does his or her best to get rid of that opposing Seeker.
One of the best ways to take out the Seeker is to simply hit a bludger towards them and hope that it hits a vital spot. A broken nose can greatly impair visibility. A concussion makes it hard to focus one's eyes to see the Snitch. Even smashing the broom tail can cause the broomstick flight to be unreliable.
Another method of taking out the Seeker is to simply run into them with your own broomstick. You need to be careful with this technique as it's best that you remain in the game even if the Seeker has to retire because of injuries. Do not damage your own broomstick (or your own body for that matter) unless it is absolutely vital.
An exquisite method of taking out the Seeker is the infamous Portescue's Ploy. It's difficult to manage and takes an incredible amount of timing, but if you can manage it, it's foolproof. Named after Ivanova Portescue, it is simply managing to get an opposing Chaser to run into their own Seeker. Ms. Portescue managed this by waiting for the Seeker to come into her territory, then she sent a bludger after the Chaser, angled such that the Chaser darted away from the speeding bludger and into their own Seeker.
If the Referee is at the opposite end of the playing field, two Beaters are able to do many things that might take out the Seeker. Often it is sufficient to trap them in a squeeze; one Beater flies alongside the Seeker and the other then flies directly on the other side and the two Beaters then squeeze the Seeker. If the Seeker panics, they can lose control of their broomstick. Losing control of a broomstick going 120 miles an hour can have interesting consequences. Be sure to stay out of the way of the consequences. Again, your own team needs to have both Beaters functioning!
Something else that two Beaters, working in concert, can do is use a summoning charm on the iron bludger. This is illegal (Quidditch foul number 437) so don't get caught. One Beater hits the bludger close to the Seeker. The other Beater has positioned himself or herself on the opposite side of the Seeker and when the Seeker is between the bludger and the other Beater, that Beater summons the bludger to him- or herself. With correct timing, that bludger will smash into the Seeker and no one will know the difference as long as no one was watching.
No matter how it is done, remember that the first rule is always:
Take out the Seeker.
If a censor has read this chapter, please be aware that everything in it is just kidding. I am not advocating such violent behaviors and heartily recommend that anyone who would act in such ways go to St. Mungo's for a checkup.
Chapter 3 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Katie Gryffin)
Rule Two: Protect Your Team
Being a Beater isn’t all about injuring the other team; it is also protecting your team from the opposing Beaters. Although Rule One is to take out the Seeker, do you want your Seeker to be taken out? I thought not.
Always keep a close watch on the Bludgers and the opposing Beaters, especially when one of your team members is about to make a vital move, such as attempting to score a goal or catch the snitch. Make sure that they are not in any danger from Bludgers.
Although Seekers often boast of having the sharpest eyes, it is not always so. You should have equally sharp eyes, and it is not only the various enchanted balls that you have to watch. You should also pay attention to opposing Beater’s body language and facial expressions, as these can often give away the actions they are about to take against your team. The more you play Quidditch, the more of these signs you will pick up, but here are some of the most common ones:
*Concentrating gaze on a particular player - They are probably going to send the Bludger shooting towards them.
*Broomstick is facing one payer - Same as above
*Looking very angry if a goal has been scored or the snitch caught - Rush to protect the Chaser or Seeker, even if the game has finished; the Beaters may take violent actions.
There are many more signs, but they do not apply to all players. Particular players may have their own signals, such as clutching their pat harder, or snarling.
In the event that a Bludger comes dangerously close to a teammate, you know what to do. Smash your club into it as hard as you can in the direction of the opposite team. However, make sure that you focus on accuracy as well as power; you do NOT want to injure one of your own team. (Not only will this decrease your chances of a win, but you will be the victim of much teasing and insulting after the match has ended.)
As a Beater, you don’t only need to protect your team from Bludgers, but other dangers as well. If one of your players is having trouble controlling their broomstick, it is your job to be circling underneath them, ready to catch them if they fall. Meanwhile, The other beater can take charge over the Bludgers.
Chapter 4 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Alexander Backwood)
Rule Three: Work as a team
You may think: oh dear, that’s a lot of tasks for one man. Take out the seeker, protect your own, catch falling members. Remember though that there are two beaters in a team. You don’t have to do it all by yourself.
BUT, this only works to your advantage if you work together. As much as you have to keep an eye on opposing beaters, you should keep contact with your brother in arms. There are some pretty neat manoeuvres that you can do together.
For example, even the best Beaters have a problem with accuracy when it comes to hitting over long distances. The chance of the Bludger going after another player, possibly even your own teammate, increases as the distance becomes greater. Not only that, but just hitting the ball in the right direction becomes an art in itself. You can make it easier on yourself. While the other Beater stays close to potential targets, you go after the Bludger, and then you hit it in the general direction of your co-Beater. He or she is then able to steer it far more accurately than you could ever have done. The target won’t stand a chance. Practice this.
Enough beaters have broken their noses by failing to see a Bludger coming towards them. Keep in touch with each other. Develop an instinct for each others intents and plans. There is a reason why some of the best Beater-teams are brothers and sisters. They have been developing that synergy since their childhood.
Cooperating with your chasers is another beneficial tactic. Fly in a fixed formation with the Chaser that has the Quaffle (preferably one beater on each side). In the best case, you won’t bother him or her while giving them optimal protection at the same time. This requires a lot of training though. There are a lot of cases where beaters have impaired their own team from scoring. We don’t want that, now do we?
So, always keep this in mind. Teamwork is cool, and can give you a big advantage. Besides, the fans love it! Just make sure you are well trained for it. Your team won’t be happy if you break your co-Beater’s nose with a well-meant but badly enacted Bludger-pass.
Chapter 5 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Aaron Kingsley)
Rule Four: Protect the Goal
If the defense could use a little help, a beater or two can make a big difference on defense. There are several ways that you can set your beaters up on defense:
One back one forward: Position one beater to protect a zone around midfield, and the other towards the goal. If your Quidditch team has the Quaffle, you will not need to play this zone, but be aware of the ball’s possession. As your team flies to the goal, cover the chasers’ flanks as the advance towards the goal posts.
One left one right: Set one beater on the right hand side of the Quidditch field close to the goals and the other on the left. This formation is strongest when the offense tries to go down the middle. It’s also quite effective on the sides. If the keeper can’t get to the goal in time, the beaters can hit Bludgers at the incoming chasers in order to give the keeper some time. Once your team has the Quaffle, you can move the beaters up to midfield and play the zone there.
One up one down: Place on beater at a higher altitude than the other. That way if someone tries to attack from above, a beater is right there waiting for them. The one lower will be responsible for all the players at low altitudes. These players are often overlooked because when people play Quidditch, they usually pay attention to what’s in front of them. A good Quidditch player does not only pay attention to what’s in front of them, but also what’s AROUND them.
Goal Zone: Using any of the stated zones above, set the beaters close to the goal. This way the beaters actually become two keepers, but are able to hit Bludgers! This is not against the Quidditch rules AS LONG AS the beaters don’t touch the Quaffle.
Chapter 6 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Madeline Bronte)
Rule Five: Never Hit the Referee (Directly)
Whenever people think of Beaters they also think of 2 other things; a referee and said referee’s face being hit by the Bludger. Ah yes, this feud between the Beater and the Referee that has been going on for centuries and is nearly as exciting as Quidditch itself. In actual fact, unless the Referee is being deliberately annoying, we Beaters don’t usually get too wound up. The only problem is they are ALWAYS deliberately annoying. A famous ‘referee/beater’ fight is that of the Puddlemere United Beater, Maxwell Montmerry and referee Casper Drake in 1815. Puddlemere were playing the Appleby Arrows and Drake kept awarding the Arrows free shots until Montmerry snapped, hit the Bludger at Drake, breaking his nose and giving him concussion. Drake retired from refereeing soon after and Montmerry was banned from the rest of the season.
Basically, hitting the referee will ALWAYS get you suspended, so the best advice to give is, don’t do it. Even if the referee has decided to not count any points your team has scored and has given the opposite team 1000 points instead (believe me it’s happened). If you so much as tap the referee you will be suspended and everybody will hate you so it’s best not to do it. The rules clearly state ‘No physical contact to be made’. What they do not say is ‘Do not aim the ball at the referee, so as to scare him but not hurt him.’ Here are the top three on how to do just that.
1) Hit The Ball On An Angle
This is probably the easiest move to do. Fly to one side of the referee and simply throw the ball up and hit it using a circular motion with your arm. The ball should follow that motion, going in a semi circle. If you have done this correctly and are not directly in front of the referee (that is a very important point to stress) the ball should soar straight in front of the referee, startling him.
2) Play Catch With Yourself
For this move to work you need to be extremely fast. Go directly in front of the referee and hit the ball so it goes hurtling towards him. Then, fly towards him very quickly, stop straight in front of him and hit the ball in the opposite direction. If he asks what you were doing simply tell him ‘I was playing catch seeing as how there’s nothing to do and you got in my way.’
3) Whoops, Didn’t See You There
This move requires excellent teamwork. One Beater hits the ball as hard and as fast as he can. The other waits behind the referee. As soon as the first Beater has hit the ball, the second knocks the referee’s broomstick, spinning him around. Stop him right before the Bludger reaches him and hit it back to the first beater, casually saying ‘Whoops didn’t see you there!’
These moves should ensure the referee never favours the other team again.
Chapter 7 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Ariel Short)
Rule Six: Secure a Good Hit
Knowing the rules of the game is only the beginning of this fabulous sport. Rules are easy to understand, and it’s a fair assumption that most of the wizarding world (and thus you) already knows basics of Quidditch.
But let’s face it; famous Beaters did not achieve their fame because they passed a rule test. It was because their strategies and techniques helped them lead their teams to success. And don’t forget power! Who doesn’t know of Jamison Manovich’s spectacular hit in 1974, forcing the bludger out of the Quidditch pit so far that it didn’t return for a good full five minutes?
This, my super beater wannabes, is what will make your name one everyone will remember.
So how can you manage to perform so wonderfully in a game? There are four simple things to be aware of:
4) Arm Strength
Timing - Make sure that you swing at the right time. If you swing your bat too early or too late not only will you miss your chance at aiming a bludger at an opposing Chaser to prevent him from scoring. There’s also the chance that the ball will hit you. It’s not a pleasant feeling, as bludgers seem to have a personal vendetta against Beaters and like to physically act on it when able.
Position – Where on the bat you hit the bludger makes a big difference as well. Close to the handle and close to the tip, and the angle the bludger takes off at is hard to control. Also, the closer you are to the handle, the weaker the power. The best spot to hit the bludger with is a hand width from the tip. It’s also best to hit the bludger with the bat to your side, not in front of you to allow full use of your arms and shoulders.
Grip – A poor grip equals poor power, and a super weak grip could result in you dropping your bat when it hits a bludger. All not good things. Most beaters use a one handed grip in their dominant hand. A two handed grip does result in a more powerful hit, but its maneuverability and aiming decrease. Bludgers don’t always move in a straight path, and a one-hand grip makes it more likely to hit the ball as it allows you to stretch out if you need to and use your other hand for balance. A tighter grip also improves aim, and don’t forget to follow through! Keep in mind that different people prefer different grips. Frogins Fald was known for hitting bludgers with a three-fingered grip, though most beaters use their whole hand.
Arm Strength – If you have a strong arm, you’ll be able to make fabulous, goal saving hits with a one handed grip. The first priority is to hit the bludger (especially when protecting a teammate) but the second is to make sure it reaches your target (say, you’re opponent’s seeker). Good beaters make sure both arms have a similar strength, in case a bludger approaches them on their weak side. Also keep in mind that the larger your swing, the more power there will be behind it.
Chapter 8 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Malik Carter)
Rule Seven: Initiate the Offense
Beaters are not only defensive players, but can play offensively as well. To be the most affective, beaters must first make sure their chasers have the possession of the quaffle. It does the team no good if the beaters are harassing the keeper if the rest of opposing team is down field attempting to score.
Once the quaffle is secured, protect the chasers from incoming bludgers; make powerful counters and take time to set up the shot. On offense, it’s very important that your bludgers find their marks. It will make both your job and the chasers’ job easier. Begin taking out the opposing beaters. This will be difficult since they have the ability to counter your bludgers, so be careful with how much time is spent trying to get rid of them. From the beaters, it is recommended to take out the most dangerous chaser. The most dangerous chaser is characterized as the chaser who is in position to steal the quaffle. Since their attention is focused on your chaser, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get rid of them. Continue to take out the chasers and counter any incoming bludgers as you approach the keeper. Once you reach the three goals, this is where it starts to get tricky.
The best situation when you approach the goals is to have all your beaters and chasers there, but this rarely happens. But when it does, you have to be able to seize the opportunity and score. Set one beater head on with the keeper and assign chasers to each hoop. The other beater should guard the rear and counter any bludgers coming from behind the formation. The combination of the beater and three chasers will be too overwhelming for the keeper, and the quaffle will soon be seen passing through one of the three hoops.
But as it was stated before, that is considered the best case scenario. In most cases you will probably have one or two chasers and a beater down field, if you’re lucky.
With one chaser, the chance of scoring is greatly decreased. However, if a beater is able to send a bludger down field, it should allow enough time for the chaser to score.
With two chasers, the chance is considerably greater, especially if a beater accompanies them. The chasers can juggle the quaffle between the two of them while the beater distracts the keeper.
There are many more complex offensive strategies for a quidditch team that are beater-orientated, but for a beginning or experienced beater, these plans will get you more goals for your team than what you would think.
Chapter 9 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Lynete Vanderbuilt)
Rule Eight: Utilize Moves and Fouls...
...Just do not let the referee catch you! The beater is a crucial team member in Quidditch. Not only do you protect your team, but you also try to prevent your opponents from winning the match. Sometimes, hitting a bludger against the opposing team player is not enough, even if you take them out. Perhaps the others are too strong or the hitting ball does not have the desired effect. At that time, a beater must forget the ordinary 'hit it with the bat' technique, but has to resort to tricky moves and fouls to stop the opposing team. This chapter lists some of those, but as a player, you have to be careful not to get caught! You cannot afford to get a temporary or permanent ban from the sport, because your team will be lost.
There are two moves that beaters can use to effectively put a player out of the game or surprise them into dropping the quaffle. The Dobblebeater Defence is a move, where both beaters strike a bludger at the same moment. That way, the force of the flying ball is higher and causes a lot more damage than it would normally do. If this bludger hits, it is guaranteed that the opposing player will be knocked out of the game for good.
The next move, if executed perfectly, will certainly manage to confuse other players. Bludger Backbeat is a move, where the beater hits the bludger with the bat, but rather than sending it forwards, it will go behind him or her. This is one of the hardest moves to do, and is mostly used for keeping the bludgers away from your team, rather than hitting others.
Cannot hit that speeding ball? One of the opposing beaters is aiming for your seeker? Do not know where your partner is or what are they doing? Those are the circumstances that call for the use of fouls. When deliberately stopping your opponents with one of the seven hundred forbidden ways, you have to remember three simple rules.
Rule 1: Don't get caught!
It is imperative that you do not get caught! Not only are you in danger of being disqualified, but the opposing chasers can get a free shot at your goal posts, with a high possibility of increasing their chances of victory. So, when using fouls, never forget looking at a referee to see if they are paying attention. If not, go for it and protect your teammates.
Rule 2: Don't use your wand!
Although most of the Quidditch fouls deal with certain uses of spells, do NOT use your wand. It is the easiest way to get caught, because of a simple Priori Incantatem spell will reveal any spell that came out of your wand. Use your body and broom when resorting to fouls!
Rule 3: Have a good aim!
Last but certainly not least, have a good aim. When cobbing, bumphing, blatching and blagging, it is very important to hit right on the spot. That way you can be certain of the stop in the game or taking out the opponent.
Chapter 10 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Katie Sanders)
Rule Nine: Have Fun and Look Good
Now that we have covered all of the basics concerning the optimal play strategy and how to perfect your gameplay, it’s time to focus on your play style. Let’s face it, everyone talks about seekers, but we all know that beaters are the most athletic, talented, and more often than not attractive members of any Quidditch time, so why not show it? Having some style in your play will separate you from the rest, help you build your fan base, and even improve your skills as a player, if done right.
The most important thing to remember about style is that every player has a unique one. Some are aggressive, some are light and fluffy, there have even been a few beaters throughout history who have been described as “flirty” players, it all depends on your goals and skills. Listed below are a few popular tricks, but feel free to explore, adapt, and find what works best for you. Just remember, don’t do something simply because it looks cool. Make sure that not only is it not hindering your gameplay, but that you are sure you can execute these tricks in a way that is safe…or at the very least, won’t get you killed.
This move seems simple, but is quite hard to master. The basic mechanics involve being able to shift your weight to one side of your broom to the point where you start to slide down, and then quickly be able to maneuver yourself and your weight all to the other side so as to pull yourself up. Anyone who has had to practice dodging techniques, such as a beater, should pick this up quickly.
The reason this one is so difficult comes into when you actually hit the bludger. If the move is executed correctly, the ball will spin as well. If the move is done well, this can work to your advantage by creating a nice spin, thus a harder hit, plus more difficult to dodge. However, if you’re not careful, you will simply cause the ball to spin out of control. Do not attempt this on the field until you are sure you have mastered ball control, otherwise you will let your team down and disappoint your fans.
Standing on Your Broom
This will not be easy, and a lot of practice will be required, but there is also a lot of reward with it.
Not many people can stand on their broom when flying. However, if you can pull it off, and manage to execute some good hits, you’re golden. The key to this is balance balance balance. You have to start small, muggle gyms often have contraptions called balance beams which they use for their sports. Try and locate that and practice on that. If you have the muggle money, they even often have teachers for this. If you don’t want to work with muggles, that’s fine. Any narrow raised platform will work. Start low to the ground for safety purposes, then work your way up.
The key’s to standing on a broom are:
Always have two feet on your broom unless you are attempting a flip (and that comes long after you’ve mastered standing, keep both feet on your broom. No fancy one-footedness here. Any professional Quidditch player or trick rider will tell you that just shifts your weight too dangerously to one side. Don’t get cocky.
Prepare for recoil I’m sure each and every one of you has felt a little bit of pushback when hitting a bludger with a lot of force, now imagine that standing! You have much less grip on your broom, and thus less balance after you hit. You can learn how to compensate for this, but it’s hard. One suggestion is buying Quidditch shoes with a higher than average grip, sold at specialty stores.
Know your limits I cannot stress this one enough. Each beater is different and thus has a different play style and range of abilities. Don’t just try something because an idol does it, know where you stand. You’ll get everything in time, do not rush it.
Being a beater is all about having fun. Adding a little style to your game will only help that. Try and discover your unique play style, don’t just copy your mate’s. In time, you’ll find it, and you’ll be better liked by both fans and players for it.
Chapter 11 for "The Beater's Bible"
(by Ian Carson)
Dealing With Loss
Whether you're the star beater on your Quidditch team or not, you're probably going to lose once in a while. Losing is something you should learn to accept in the game of Quidditch. Following are some steps to help your cope for loss.
1. Hope for the Best; Prepare for the Worst
You should always go into a game determined to win, but not so determined that a loss will emotionally damage you. Keep your head held high, but not high enough that you get your head stuck in the clouds. Being arrogant can blind you. You'll underestimate the opponents and get caught off guard.
2. Accept It
Accepting your loss is the first step to take in going back to normal. You need to come to terms with how and why you lost. Maybe think about things you could have done better and make a list so you can improve in the specific areas.
3. Try to Correct It
As I stated before, going over why you lost is crucial. You don't want to lose the same way twice, right? If you focus on why you lost, it will also help you to come with terms with accepting your loss. You can improve personal, and team performance as a whole by doing this step.
4. Move On
The forth and final step is to move on. You lost, right? Ok.... Now what? The answer is. Move on! Forget about it. You've practiced, right? It shouldn't happen again. You can't go back in time to change what happened. What has been done has been done. Your team as a whole needs to move on as well. One bad apple spoils the bunch.
In conclusion of this chapter, you should remember that you probably won't win at everything. Accept that you lost. Correct it. Then move on. I hope this chapter has helped you, or will help you deal with loss. Good luck! | <urn:uuid:19271d24-08cd-40f6-b05f-fcf9ad31d01c> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://hol.org.uk/library_writing.php?view=write&readbook=94 | 2013-06-19T19:05:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962688 | 7,063 |
August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012
Alumni Robert ’68 and Jane Weir have shown their support for the University of Maine by establishing a professorship through a bequest to the School of Forest Resources in the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture. Their gift will provide faculty and student support to advance silviculture at the School of Forest Resources.
“Our gift is a way for us to give back to the University of Maine,” says Jane.
Bob, who graduated from UMaine with a bachelor’s degree in forest sciences, is a native of Fairfax, Vt. He began his college education at the University of Vermont and later transferred to UMaine. He went on to earn his master’s degree and Ph.D. in forestry at North Carolina State University.
“I was admitted to graduate school in part because they recognized the quality education I had received at UMaine,” Bob says.
As a master’s and doctoral student, Bob worked tirelessly for the North Carolina State University Industry Cooperative Tree Improvement Program. The goal was to help trees grow faster, stronger, and healthier through experiments in selective breeding. Years of research and hard work paid off when Bob rose to director of the program in 1977. He remained in that position for 23 years and also served as associate professor of forestry.
From 2004 to 2011, Bob was appointed as vice president of product development for CellFor, a Vancouver-based company that specialized in tree cloning technology.
Jane was born in Augusta and moved to New York at age 13. She returned to her home state for college and enrolled at UMaine, majoring in history. She quickly became involved in campus activities and participated in Greek life through Alpha Omicron Pi.
After Bob’s graduation, the Weirs moved to North Carolina. Jane completed her education at NC State University and opened her own yarn retail store, Great Yarns. Jane operated the store for 17 years before leaving it in trusted hands when she returned to Maine.
By far, Bob and Jane’s fondest memories of UMaine were when they met and fell in love. The soon-to-be couple lived in the same dormitory complex. Jane worked in Stoddard Hall cafeteria where the forestry majors would eat breakfast and saw Bob nearly every morning.
“I would be dragging through the line, barely awake,” Bob recalls. “And I’d see this perky, cute girl putting scrambled eggs on my plate saying, ‘Good morning! Isn’t this a great day in which to excel?’”
The Weirs returned to Maine in 2007 and settled in West Bath. They soon became involved in UMaine’s Mid-Coast Alumni Association after a chance meeting with fellow alumni Joy and Grog Johnson. After discovering that Joy, Grog and Bob graduated the same year and knew some of the same classmates, the Johnsons encouraged them to join the Alumni Association.
“We attend as many events as we can and are happy to connect with people with a common past and the same passion for UMaine as we have,” says Jane.
Since joining the Mid-Coast Alumni Chapter the Weirs have reconnected with members of the UMaine community including Provost Susan Hunter, NSFA Dean Ed Ashworth, and School of Forest Resources Director Bob Wagner. Their involvement in the University of Maine led them to make their generous donation to the School of Forest Resources.
“We wanted to give back to the place that provided us with a great foundation for life,” says Bob.
The University of Maine is a great place for non-traditional students, say Dr. Wayne and Wendy Waterman of Bangor, both of whom earned bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maine in 1992 when they were well into adulthood.
UMaine understands the specific issues relating to older non-traditional students and recognizes their diverse learning styles, experiences, and multi-faceted lives, according to Wayne, a neurosurgeon at Eastern Maine Medical Center, and Wendy, a stay-at-home mom who has been teaching childbirth education and doing postpartum doula work for the past 16 years. She also is certified to teach prenatal yoga. The couple met while living in York Hall, UMaine’s residence hall for non-traditional students. Wayne graduated from the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry, and Agriculture,while Wendy earned her degree from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
The parents of three children, Wayne and Wendy are devoted alumni who have generously supported the University’s Annual Fund over the years.
“As successful alumni we believe in giving back to the University so others can have the opportunity to have the same wonderful experience we did and ultimately become active, engaged professionals and citizens,” says Wayne. “One of the appealing things about UMaine is that it is a major research university but still is a personal, close-knit community.”
As a young boy growing up in New Jersey, Wayne and his family would spend each Thanksgiving at the camp they built in Jefferson, Maine, near Damariscotta. He attended the University of Maine at Augusta for one year before returning to New Jersey to start his own construction company. Because the allure of Maine was still strong, he decided after five years to continue his education at the flagship campus, selling all his equipment to finance the move back to Orono. Majoring in biochemistry, he thrived at NSFA where he enjoyed his classes and his professors who, he says, presented lively lectures, found ways to connect with all their students, served as caring mentors, and allowed for an open and honest learning environment.
“I got a great science foundation thanks to the availability and diversity of the course offerings in virology and molecular biology,” says Wayne who earned a medical degree from the Midwest College of Osteopathic Medicine in Chicago and practiced medicine for several years in Philadelphia.
A natural childbirth instructor who has held numerous jobs including as a paralegal, property manager, and private investigator, Wendy spent part of her childhood near Boston and moved to Bremen, Maine, when she was 14. She enrolled at UMaine after learning about the wonderful educational opportunities from a CLAS faculty member. Majoring in psychology “because it applies so broadly to many professional fields,” Wendy says UMaine opened up a whole new world for her and Wayne.
“Our years in Orono were important to both of us. Living in York Hall with other non-traditional students enabled us to meet people who fully appreciated our educational opportunities because we all had experience in the working world. We had fun but we were committed students who valued the way UMaine initiated programs and services that improved the university experience for nontraditional students.
“The wonderful education I received at the College of Liberal Arts has had a positive impact on every aspect of my life.”
The experiences of Wayne and Wendy Waterman at UMaine have provided them with noteworthy forward momentum in both their personal and professional lives. The University is proud to have such engaged and dedicated individuals among our alumni.
The University of Maine College of Engineering named the Stephen W. Cole Concrete Laboratory during an April 26 ceremony at Boardman Hall.
Cole, a UMaine alumnus, graduated in 1968 with an associate degree in engineering technology followed by a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1972. He went on to found S.W. Cole Engineering, Inc., in Hermon, Maine, in 1979. He retired from the company in 2007.
Attending the dedication ceremony was a standing room-only crowd including UMaine President Paul Ferguson, College of Engineering (COE) faculty and staff, S.W. Engineering, Inc., employees, both past and present, members of the engineering community, and friends and family.
“This generous gift in honor of Steve Cole will help us maintain a high quality facility that is a critical piece of our program,” said Civil and Engineering Department Chair Eric Landis. “We feel it is essential for students to get a true hands-on experience, and in the case of concrete, that means getting their hands dirty. Concrete is the most-used manufactured material and it is important that civil engineering students have a good feel for how it is produced and what can go wrong when it is placed. The only way to learn that is through hands-on experience with the material.”
COE Dean Dana Humphrey applauded Cole’s leadership and his ability to help solve problems but step away once the solution was in place. He pointed out that Cole was key to establishing a two-year technical degree in civil engineering technology at Eastern Maine Community College to fulfill a need cited by area construction and engineering firms for employees with quality control and materials testing expertise. And he noted that Cole helped create the Maine Engineering Promotion Council (MEPC), a non-profit organization to advance interest among middle-school students in the engineering profession.
“The MEPC is one of the reasons that the UMaine College of Engineering has seen record enrollments,” Dean Humphrey said.
S. W. Cole President Paul Kohler said he met Cole when he took a class that Cole was teaching at UMaine. He went to work for S. W. Cole in 1985 and has been there ever since. “One thing, among many, that I have always admired about Steve is his desire to provide opportunity to young professionals,” Kohler said. “He made it fun to learn and work in this business and he always made time to listen to your opinions and views.”
Kohler also noted that the foundation laid by Cole has served the company well. “Although things have changed since Steve’s retirement, I am very confident that if he came back tomorrow he would recognize that the underlying principles he founded are still the guiding principles we operate by today,” he said.
After a standing ovation, Cole thanked those in attendance and said he was humbled by the dedication. He said he was especially proud to have his name on the firm as it continues to thrive under the new generation of ownership.
S.W. Cole, an employee-owned firm of more than 90 scientists, engineers, and technicians provides geotechnical engineering, geo-environmental consulting, and construction materials testing for projects throughout New England.
“It’s my second semester working here,” Flynn said “This is a good opportunity to get work experience, help the university, and I really enjoy talking to alumni. Pledges and credit card gifts can range from anywhere from $19.89 in honor of a person’s graduation year to as much as $1,000 or a given night. Of course, some nights are better than others.” Flynn has generated over $8,400 and 112 pledges, making her one of the programs top callers.
Funds raised during the sessions are used to help with department, college and university wide needs such scholarships, technology upgrades, student travel to conferences, laboratory equipment, textbooks for students in need, and activities.
“This program is definitely moving in the right direction when you consider that it is the first real comprehensive tele-fundraising effort by the university,” said Ullysses Tucker, Jr., Director of Annual Giving at UMaine. “I have a wonderful group of callers; plenty of energy in the room on a nightly basis and in many ways they serve as ambassadors for our institution because they are the first real contact with many of our graduates in years. It’s great listening to the conversations as the proud past connects with the bright future.”
The students also update demographic information, spread the word about campus events and activities, and more importantly, secure support to offset diminishing funds from the state. In only fourteen weeks of calling (the program runs from September-April when classes are in session), the students have generated nearly $160,000 ($41, 000 in credit cards gifts) and over 2500 pledges.
While Flynn is excited about obtaining donations, she takes a practical approach to her work.
“This job experience has definitely helped me academically and socially,” she said. “I’ve learned to talk with a variety of people, and now when I have to make a presentation for class or when I graduate and have to be in front of people, I will have more confidence in my speaking ability and communication skills.
“I’ve also learned how important support is to UMaine,” Flynn added. It’s encouraging to talk with people who have been through the same thing, and who now are in a position to – and want to – give back. Someday, I hope to be able to do that myself and help students.” | <urn:uuid:aa341bd5-5ee0-43b0-b2a1-67bf69f1dbb3> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://umaine.edu/development/news-and-events-2/ | 2013-06-19T19:06:12Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.972838 | 2,673 |
Crown Complex, Southbank
Nobu is among the most famous japanese restaurants in Melbourne. The story behind the success of Chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a pretty inspiring one. With a striking experience in Peru, you can see its influence in Nobu’s menu with modern dishes that mix south american and japanese cuisine.
However, when I heard about the “franchise” Nobu (with 25 restaurants in the world) one question came immediately to my mind: is Nobu (the person) still a chef or became a businessman? To answer this question, I went myself to this renown restaurant to test its reputation…authenticity? creativity?
With a range of prices of this level, I was expecting a beautiful interior decoration and a very intimate dining experience. The decor was indeed appealing but the whole atmosphere was not adequate for a personal dining experience.
The first feeling my girlfriend had when we went downstairs to the dinning room (upstairs being the bar) was “are we in a yumcha place?”. The place was packed with not much space between people and loud music in the background. When the waitress was speaking, we could barely hear what she was saying. I had to lean on the table or yell to chat with my gf. Because everyone has to speak up in this noisy basement, we could almost hear the conversation on the table beside…For this range of restaurant, Coco offers a more personal ambiance for a delightful experience.
Service was pretty good. We arrive on time for our booking but the table was not ready yet. Complimentary champagne helped to wait on the ground floor with the view on the Yarra river.
Despite the busy period, dishes came without a long wait, our waitress was efficient and explained us the dish ( when we could hear it). With such prices, you would expect excellent service and I think Nobu does not fail here. The only thing I would recommend is for the non-japanese staff (most of them I think) to work on their japanese pronunciation. Hearing “irashaimase” with so many different tones and mispronunciations is not a good start to show authenticity to customers. It felt so weird; like the restaurant was overdoing to convince (themselves?) it is indeed a japanese restaurant.
Value for money/taste
Prices are very high and excellent service is not enough to justify such values. I need to be impressed at the first mouthful, to get a “woah” effect, to be blowed away, to levitate at the end of the meal. During most of the meal, I didn’t levitate a single nanometer above my chair. I’ll describe each dish we had and then put the price at the end so YOU can put this in perspective
Oyster with a trio of sauces (6 pieces)
Oysters were very fresh and tasty. Not too big but this doesn’t bother me, I prefer small and delicious oysters. The 3 sauces were interesting as they exhibit distinct flavors The first one with lemon, coriander and a bit of chili. This refreshing south american flavor matches with the oyster in a “classic” way (lemon juice/oyster) with a little kick at the end as the chili leaves a nice after-taste. The second one, more japanese with ponzu sauce is a classic japanese dressing for oysters that I really start to enjoy. It doesn’t replace my french favorite shallot vinegar with a dark bread, salty butter and dry white wine. The third one was made with an onion dressing that reminded me of how oysters are cooked or baked in Mainland China with more intense flavors. Quite interesting one.
I was expecting a lot from this dish. Being in Japan for 6 months, Toro (fatty part of the tuna) is something you fall in love instantaneously. Unfortunately, no nostalgia hit me during this dish, served in a micro serve. We had a tea spoon to eat this, the caviar…well you can probably count them with the fingers of your hands and I’m not kidding. The tuna was tender but it didn’t melt the way I remember back in Japan with a strong tuna flavor that transports you into the sea.Tthe sauce is just an improved soy sauce with wasabi. That was merely at the level of a good negi-toro from a kaiten sushi in Japan but at least in Japan I wouldn’t have to pay…..$45! Yes, $45 for this! This is really crossing the line, this is really overpriced. I know toro is a rare item here but it doesn’t justify $45. If you can’t find a descent toro, either lower your price or just don’t serve it. With the overfishing of tuna, I would vote for the latter option.
Scampi Inaniwa pasta salad tossed in ceviche dressing and creamy mentaiko
This dish was the best savory dish we had this night. The scampi were fully seasoned and very creamy, the perfect way to eat scampis. A full lobster-like flavor from each bite was something I would have enjoyed even more if the pasta or udon were not that bland. Ceviche dressing, you mean lemon juice? I have the chance to have a chilean girlfriend and I had plenty of ceviche (fish cured in lemon juice and herbs). I didn’t get any feeling of having a taste of ceviche mixed with these udon. So is “ceviche dressing” just a fancy name for lemon juice for non-initiated customers who are easily impressed with names they don’t understand but are willing to pay the full price?
Beside this, I couldn’t taste much from the mentaiko (fish roe). I really enjoyed the texture of the udon and its firmness harmonises nicely with the scampi but I’m not sure if the chef was looking for a light citrus flavor to cleanse our palate or was just in lack of inspirations (and seasonings).
$40…..I wouldn’t pay that much for this dish, again, it’s because scampis are rare and highly seen as a small lobster but the dish needed more depth to justify $40. By the way, no need to remind you that there was ONE scampi.
Soft Shell Crab with Umeshu Amazu Cherry Tomatoes, Peach Aji Amarilo Salsa
A failed attempt to mix Asia and South America. The soft shell crab was nicely fried (not difficult from all the soft-shell crabs I ate) but there was no magic with the sauce. Just pieces of peach mixed with white wine or umeshu ( I couldn’t tell to be honest) sitting beside. With a beautiful presentation, the sauce and the crab were two distinct items with no consonance on the plate leaving me baffled for…$28
I actually went there with this insurance. I have a friend who highly recommended the desserts at Nobu and I was honored to met Chef Yuko to receive a description of her piece of art. This is truly remarkable (and don’t forget I ate a lot of dessert in France and in Japan). There is too much happening on one dish but I’ll try my best to describe it:
Green tea financier – like a small compact sweet madelaine with delicious bitter contrast at the end with the green tea flavor
A japanese donut filled with melting chocolate and banana to die for and surprisingly not too heavy
A chocolate fondant and green tea ice cream – the chocolate used for the fondant is a high class french chocolate delivering full dark chocolate flavors. The fondant was served warmed with a melting core of chocolate in the middle. The cool green tea icecream is a delicious alternative to vanilla icecream with chocolate fondant.
Sweet light pudding with infused fruits and a little crispy biscuit.
Mandarin and mango sorbets were so refreshing, a good cleanser between these flavors.
A sort of green tea and peach parfait was also a delight with crispy crumbles contrasted with peach and green tea mousse.
My favourite was the Suntory whisky cappuccino layered with crunchy coffee crumble, coffee crème, milk ice cream and whisky foam. The whole coffee was visually recreated with so different layers all surprising in texture and in taste. Fantastic!
Only $28! I really don’t get it. For the whole meal, there were single dishes above $40 and here, we have a symphony of desserts for $28. I think they need to lower the savory dish prices if they want a consistent menu.
Hard one to score. It’s a weird mix. Dishes were trying to be creative but failed in my opinion. The cooking staff must be japanese from what I tasted. Fortunately, Chef Yuko is able to show you the beautiful dessert you can find in Japan, a patisserie inspired by France but well balanced with light textures and japanese green tea flavors.
I would never go back to Nobu. You want a high class japanese restaurant? Continue your walk in Crown to go up in the towers for Coco. Your money will be better spent there. With such high prices, nothing has succeeded in impressing me beside the desserts of Chef Yuko.
Let’s face it, Nobu is a business, not a restaurant. The place is packed to make profit and forgets about the unique dining experience it should deliver. Nobu should visit Melbourne and do a bit of cleaning in how he envisions his melbournian restaurant. Nobu are for people who doesn’t know about japanese food and who is just looking for a place to impress by its reputation, people who are more focused on appearances than authenticity.
In my experience (it’s going to sound very funny and probably not politically correct), if you enter a japanese restaurant with non-japanese waiters, there is a high chance it’s either very tasty but very pricey or simply bland dishes covered by excellent service…Nobu is unfortunately a bit of both | <urn:uuid:761e63f5-ba43-418a-aab9-f47cc3d5ad01> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://vbladev13.wordpress.com/ | 2013-06-19T18:58:00Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964472 | 2,163 |
|Sheldon Silver, Speaker • Adele Cohen, Chairwoman • Fall 2005|
I was proud to be appointed Chairwoman of the Assembly Legislative Commission on Science and Technology this year. The Commission, created in 1979, is dedicated to providing the Legislature and the public with up-to-date information on technological and scientific issues facing our society. I am pleased to have this opportunity to update you on the work we have done on behalf of the citizens of New York State.
This year, the Commission focused its work on alternative energy technologies and strengthening accountability for the State’s investment in research and development (R&D).
As evidenced by ever increasing heating bills and rising prices at the pump, there is a growing need to further promote energy efficiency and R&D of alternative energy technologies. New York is poised to be a leader in advanced energy and environmental technology development, manufacturing and installation, all of which create jobs for New Yorkers. But to achieve these objectives, government must take the lead. I am working to advance legislation to encourage more research and development of alternative energy sources.
To improve accountability, the Commission examined how to effectively measure the impact of the State’s significant investments in R&D at universities and other entities statewide. We have an obligation to let the public know how its money is spent.
In order for the Commission to be the most effective, the concerns of New York State citizens must be heard and examined. With your help I can be a strong advocate for progressive public policy in the area of science and technology. Please feel free to contact me with concerns or suggestions at either my District or Albany office or contact the Commission staff directly at: (518) 455-5081, [email protected], or NYS Assembly Commission on Science and Technology, Agency Building 4, Empire State Plaza, Albany, NY 12248.
Adele Cohen, Chairwoman
Roundtable on Alternative Energy
On March 11, 2005, the Commission along with the Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation held a Roundtable discussion with researchers, economic development officials, utility personnel, and private sector representatives on “Alternative Energy” at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn. Discussion focused on the differences and similarities between New York City and Upstate in terms of needs; public policy issues regarding alternative energy development and deployment; the importance of connecting energy policy with economic development; and how we can continue to encourage the use and development of alternative energy.
Money to support the State’s renewable or alternative energy programs comes from a Systems Benefit Charge (SBC) levied on investor-owned utility companies and administered by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). NYSERDA’s programs are intended to develop both the wholesale and retail markets for alternative energy through support for research and development, demonstration projects, wind power plants, distributed generation, and green power marketing. Local users of renewable energy, Brooklyn Brewery and the New York Aquarium, participated in the Roundtable. They agreed that to facilitate growth of New York State’s renewable programs, our programs needed to become less cumbersome. The participants all agreed that more of an effort should be made to better publicize programs in the State and encourage new companies to start projects. Many consumers and businesses are unaware of what programs exist and how they can be accessed.
It was also agreed that New York has much to offer as a center for the development of alternative energy in terms of research, manufacturing and use. Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) staff attending the Roundtable noted that their “Energizing the Future” report projected over 43,000 new jobs in the renewable energy industry by 2013. Others also cited potential growth of the renewable energy industry as a partial result of New York’s adoption of the Renewable Portfolio Standard or RPS (a requirement that a percentage of all electricity sold in the state must come from renewable energy technologies).
New York State government could best assist this goal by encouraging more research in renewable energy technologies. Participants also recommended that the State should provide additional research and development funds to support alternative energy research projects, and make funds available to match federal awards that would spur research.
Responding to concerns discussed during the roundtable about encouraging commercialization of new alternative energy technologies, the Commission developed legislative proposals introduced and adopted in the Assembly this year.
The Commission will continue to focus on Alternative Energy issues and is planning another roundtable on the subject in Syracuse later this year. We will be developing additional legislative initiatives to encourage further development and deployment of these technologies.
Accountability and Assessment of the State’s Research and Development Investment
New York State is home to many world-class research institutions and the State has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in research and development (R&D) at our colleges and universities to stimulate economic growth, and ensure global competitiveness. We expect these investments to spur discoveries leading to the development of new technologies, the formation of new companies, and the expansion of existing firms creating jobs for New Yorkers. Much of the State’s investment focuses on institutions engaging in cooperative agreements with public and private entities intended to foster development and eventual commercialization of new products and processes. However, an assessment of the effectiveness of public investments in R&D has not been routinely incorporated in State policy, nor has a standard set of evaluative metrics been identified.
Accountability of Science and Technology Programs in the State Budget
Some important steps to improve accountability were taken in the SFY 2005-2006 budget when we replaced the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR ) with the new NYS Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation. The new foundation, governed by a board which includes representation from the private sector, government and higher education, will administer many of the State’s R&D programs. With new administrative structure, funds will also be distributed to Regional Partnerships comprised of local economic development organizations, and academic research institutions. These new Partnerships will allocate funds to help commercialize innovative products and processes for emerging technology sectors, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, bioinformatics, software design, innovative energy efficiencies and environmental technologies, as well as other related purposes to spur regional economic growth.
This new partnership includes much-needed reporting requirements at the State and the regional levels. The reporting requirements are fully spelled out in budget language and will include information on how public dollars are being spent as well as information on the outcomes of this investment. These include the number of full-time public, private, and nonprofit sector New York jobs created as a direct result of the state’s investment; the number of new businesses created; the number of patents awarded to the college or university and the income derived from the sale or license of intellectual property.
Roundtable on Evaluating the Effectiveness of Publicly-Funded Research and Development
On June 14th, the Commission co-sponsored, along with the Committees on Higher Education and Economic Development, Job Creation and Commerce, the Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation and the Subcommittee on Manufacturing, a Roundtable discussion in Albany on how to effectively assess the impact of the State’s investment in R&D. Attendees represented New York State public and private institutions of higher education, private industry and nonprofit research organizations.
The Roundtable discussion focused on significant questions related to evaluation of investment choices and how the results of those investments are measured. In a very spirited and provocative exchange, a wide range of issues relating to accountability were discussed. This included the complexity and difficulty of measuring the economic impact of R&D investments, the importance of emphasizing social returns on investments from the public perspective, and the need to incorporate evaluation/planning in initial project selection. Discussion focused on process issues, what sorts of measures should be used, the impact of current State investments, and how they are/should be assessed.
Several participants observed that evaluation criteria and expectations most logically should be designated at the initiation of R&D investments. Utilizing external third party evaluators might be the most effective, albeit expensive, approach. The discussion reflected that measures can be identified, but deciding on which to use is difficult. For example, while there may be the desire to try to make a direct connection between investment and jobs created, using the number of new jobs created may not be the best indicator of success. It was noted that R&D investment leading to the creation/expansion of a company will generate jobs and economic activity outside of the company; therefore, one should look at the number of new enterprises formed or other impacts. A great difficulty in looking at the impact of public R&D investment comes from the tension between the frequently conflicting goals of encouraging high-tech industry and providing a stimulus to economically depressed regions.
The Roundtable concluded with a commitment to continue the dialogue on R&D funding assessment and to move forward on this important issue of accountability.
In the coming year, the Commission will continue to work in partnership with the Task Force on University-Industry Cooperation to further examine how the effectiveness of State’s investment in R&D can be assessed. The Commission expects to hold further roundtables or hearings on this important topic as well as continue its research efforts into the policies and activities at research institutions throughout the State in order to assure that NYS citizens enjoy increased economic opportunities and improvements in their quality of life as a result of State investments in R&D.
For additional information, contact:
NYS Assembly Commission on Science and Technology
Agency Building 4 • Empire State Plaza • Albany, NY 12248
518.455.5081 • [email protected]
New York State Assembly
[ Welcome Page ] [ Committee Updates ] | <urn:uuid:26c55380-13e1-4bcf-9bd7-f515f14e149d> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/comm/SciTech/20050822/ | 2013-06-19T18:53:05Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.936761 | 1,994 |
Says the giant African land snail "carries human meningitis."
Adam Putnam on Sunday, October 30th, 2011 in an interview on the CBS News show "Sunday Morning"
Ag chief Adam Putnam says Florida's giant snail 'carries human meningitis'
Florida is now home to a slime-oozing plant-chowing snail the size of a teacup Chihuahua, and Adam Putnam wants to make sure that's temporary.
The giant African land snail can grow up to 8 inches, live nearly a decade, devour indiscriminately, lay 500 eggs at a time and snack on stucco for the calcium to build its shiny brown shell striped with cream.
It's a backyard horror and an agricultural nightmare.
Putnam, the state's agriculture commissioner, also says it carries disease.
The 1,000-snail invasion of a South Florida neighborhood became news in mid September. It's the biggest outbreak reported since the 1960s, when the state spent $1 million over the course of a decade battling three smuggled-in snails of a Miami boy that became 18,000.
Last weekend, CBS News Sunday Morning featured the snails along with other invasive species, from Illinois' Asian carp (fish) to Georgia's kudzu (plant). Southwest Miami homeowners described the "disgusting," "slithery," "juicy" pests. Putnam explained the public threat.
"With something like the snails we've got the trifecta," Putnam said. "It carries human meningitis, so people are concerned. It eats 500 different plants, so agriculture's concerned. And it eats houses, so homeowners are very concerned."
Leaf- and stucco-chomping? Check. Just ask the snails' Miami neighbors. But disease-carrying? PolitiFact Florida decided to check it out.
About that disease: Your brain and spinal column are protected by membranes called meninges. When they get inflamed, that's meningitis. Often there's a bacteria or virus that causes the swelling, but you might also hit your head, get cancer or take certain drugs and end up with the illness. Or get a fungus. Or a parasite.
Around the world, giant African land snails are known for carrying a parasite, one that spends part of its life in rats, that can cause a rare form of meningitis. (Most people fully recover without treatment.) It's known as the rat lungworm, or Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Snails — and prawns and crabs and frogs — pick up baby rat lungworms from rat droppings. Other animals who chow down on tasty raw crab or frog legs or snail guts pick up the larvae and can end up with the brain infection. Animals can also get it from eating unwashed snail-slimed greens, or from rubbing snail mucus into their eyes or noses or mouths.
That group includes humans.
Who eats giant snails? Plenty of folks, if not so many in the United States. Just consider escargot, the tasty French preparation of smaller, corn-fed snails doused in butter, garlic and herbs. Their meatier big brothers are an important protein source in coastal Nigeria. You can order them in a New York restaurant for $10. But it's not cooked snails that are the problem — for the same reason most folks don't eat raw shrimp or raw meat in general, for that matter. You heat them first, to kill uninvited disease-causing guests. It's the undercooked or raw ones that can be a problem. And also other exposure to slime.
Take two cases of meningitis in Louisiana: In one, an 11-year-old boy had eaten a small raw snail on a dare. In another, a 22-year-old had eaten two raw legs from a green tree frog — also on a dare.
(Note to America's youth: Don't do dares!)
Then there is Florida's infamous case of giant snail slime exposure last year, where an African holy man poured the stuff into mouths of followers hoping for healing. Instead, they got violently ill — though not of meningitis.
In England, giant African land snails are novelty pets that live in terrariums and sometimes crawl on their owners.
Where's the meningitis worry?
Snails that don't have a chance to pick up baby rat lungworms can't give them to you. Pet snails that haven't lived in the wild don't carry the parasite, which require rats to complete their life cycle. No parasite-incubating rats, no rat lungworms. No snail-caused meningitis.
The parasite is found in snails in the South Pacific, Asia, Australia and the Caribbean. It shows up in Hawaii and Puerto Rico, with sightings in Louisiana and Mississippi.
Florida had its rat lungworm scare in 2003, when a gibbon at Miami Metrozoo suddenly fell ill. It could have been a sign the rat lungworm had made it into the state's rats, snails, frogs and shrimp. Or it could have simply been infected monkey food from overseas. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services dispatched a biologist, John Teem, to test snails around the zoo, said spokesman Sterling Ivey. He never found rat lungworm.
He's tested some of the state's apple snails — an invasive species — and hasn't found rat lungworm.
This year, when the Southwest Miami neighbors started to notice their garden snails seemed larger and more prolific than normal, Teem tested those, too. Even in the giant African land snails, he didn't find rat lungworm.
The state health department doesn't track meningitis caused by the parasite. Neither do the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It's exceedingly rare in the United States. Even in Hawaii, where the parasite's common, just five such cases in one year prompted academic study.
On Sunday, TV-watchers saw Putnam, the state's agricultural authority, warn them on national television about the snail's triple threat: house-eating, plant-devouring and disease-carrying. He didn't mention the disease hasn't been found in the state — and where it's been found in America, it's exceedingly rare. Or that to get it, you've got to eat a raw snail or get its mucus in your eyes or nose or eat unwashed snail-slimed produce.
Frequently, information sources point out that the giant African land snail can carry a meningitis-causing parasite. Putnam said, "We've got the trifecta," and said the snail "carries human meningitis." He leaves out some crucial details — most importantly, that the parasite that causes the disease hasn't yet been found in the state. And for that, we rate his statement Half True.
Published: Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 at 11:47 a.m.
CBS News Sunday Morning, "The threat of invasive species," Oct. 30, 2011 (Video, quote at 7:42)
E-mail interview with Sterling Ivey, communications office, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Oct. 31-Nov. 2, 2011
E-mail interview with Jeffrey Dimond, public affairs specialist, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Oct. 31-Nov. 1
E-mail interview with Jessica Hammonds, press secretary, Florida Department of Health, Nov. 1-2, 2011
E-mail interview with Natasha Hochberg, assistant professor of epidemiology and medicine, Boston University Schools of Public Health and Medicine, Nov. 1, 2011
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, "Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Identifies Giant African Land Snails in Miami-Dade County," Sept. 15, 2011
Miami Herald, "Giant snails invade Miami subdivision, spur local alert," Sept. 15, 2011
KGW NewsChannel 8, Portland, "Giant snails invade southern Florida," Sept. 17, 2011
ABC News, "Giant African snails invade Miami Florida," Sept. 16, 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Pest Alert, April 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Giant African snail, revised April 2011
Honolulu Zoo, African Land Snail, accessed Nov. 2, 2011
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, "Nutritional and sensory profiling of the African giant land snail fed commercial-type and leaf-based diets in a rain-forest ecology," September 2011
Buka New York, Menu, accessed Nov. 2, 2011
Amateur Entomologists' Society, "Giant African Land Snail caresheet," accessed Oct. 31, 2011
PetSnails.co.uk, Frequently Asked Questions, accessed Nov. 2 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Finding of No Significant Impact, October 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Environmental assessment, last modified Oct. 7, 2011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Meningitis, accessed Nov. 2, 2011
Emerging Infections Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Endemic Angiostrongyliasis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil," July 2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture, "Not All Alien Invaders Are From Outer Space," accessed Oct. 31, 2011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Angiostrongylus cantonensis FAQs," updated Nov. 2, 2010
Illinois Department of Public Health, "Giant African snails prompt public health warning," May 6, 2004
Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, "Giant African snail advisory," Aug. 14, 2009
Louisiana Office of Public Health, "Eosinophilic Meningitis," accessed Nov. 1, 2011
Miami Herald, "Giant African snails smuggled into Florida for use in religious ritual, authorities say," March 11, 2010
Emerging Infections Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Parastrongylus cantonensis in a Nonhuman Primate, Florida," December 2004
Emerging Infections Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Full Recovery from Baylisascaris procyonis Eosinophilic Meningitis," June 2007
Oxford Journals, Clinical Infectious Diseases, "Eosinophilic Meningitis due to Angiostrongylus and Gnathostoma Species," 2009
American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, "Eosinophilic Meningitis Attributable to Angiostrongylus cantonensis Infection in Hawaii: Clinical Characteristics and Potential Exposures," 2011
Snail Busters blog, About, accessed Nov. 2, 2011
We want to hear your suggestions and comments. Email the Florida Truth-O-Meter with feedback and with claims you'd like to see checked. If you send us a comment, we'll assume you don't mind us publishing it unless you tell us otherwise. | <urn:uuid:35fd441f-3f11-4d19-967a-273fe015477a> | CC-MAIN-2013-20 | http://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2011/nov/03/adam-putnam/florida-ag-chief-adam-putnam-says-floridas-giant-s/ | 2013-06-19T19:19:45Z | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-20/segments/1368709037764/warc/CC-MAIN-20130516125717-00000-ip-10-60-113-184.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939993 | 2,341 |
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